For all that we talk about 'strong female leads' , both in K-dramas and in Society, it's acceptable for women to be physically and mentally astute, express their emotions and be outspoken in their opinions; until that opinion is even the slightest bit promiscuous. Finally, we have an example of a woman who has had her fair share of 'one night stands' and would fit the male description of a 'player'. Yet - unlike the world - the drama does not deplore her behaviour or villanise her for doing something usually considered acceptable solely in the case of a man; rather, it points out the hypocrisy and presents us the blueprint of a modern woman who is not afraid or ashamed of her sexuality.

At first, Kang-ho seems like the anti-christ to this kind of personality. He is biased and prejudice towards women - but he is also hurt. Mi-rae, then - who gives as much significance to men's feelings as she does to their opinions - seems like a terrible match for him; yet somehow they are one of the most perfect pairings I have seen in a drama, with a chemistry that could only work in their (very niche) situation. It is no exaggeration to say that the sparks fly, and though the show itself is confined to just 10 episodes, we are given a perfect balance of buildup and payoff - so that when the romance comes, we are not taken aback by it, nor do we feel cheated or starved for amorous scenes. Admittedly, the end will have you wishing the drama was longer, but I actually think it's a perfect length, because a drawn-out plot wouldn't really have added anything but confusion (although I do feel the backstory of the two leads could have been fleshed out more, particularly with regards to their past relationships and their parents). I also would have enjoyed Mi-rae going to court a few times, though I suppose a proper legal battle may have been too far out for a drama of this kind.

The above is the reason, I rated the story so harshly - although I understood why the characters were the way that they were, the plot could feel episodic at times, and it left me wondering whether time spent on 'fun' scenes (particularly in the last episode) would not have been better spent expanding on something that had only been presented to us in summary or reminiscence.

However, the simplicity is mostly a credit. Often, Rom-com dramas feel that there is an intrinsic 'evil' and 'genericness' within their genre that they have to compensate for by adding dark backstories, serious illness, most recently a incredulously fashioned murder mystery (see 'crash course in romance'), when in reality, all it does is distract from the enjoyability of the show. The majority of the watchers aren't interesting in a half-baked sub-genre which has only been interwoven for the sake of being more than just a 'rom com'. They're watching the show deliberately for the romantic comedy, and a comprehensible sub-genre or side-plot is fine - such as the way LTHY tackles social norms, misogyny and 21st century dating culture - but at it's core, the viewers largely expect the drama to be as it's main genre describes: comedic and romantic.

Overall, I would say that this is the perfect Drama to watch this year. It's enjoyable, not too long, and by the end you don't feel as though there are any loose ends or unsatisfactory outcomes. LTHY is not perfect by any means, but it is a magnum opus of modern day korean rom-coms, and if I had to sum it up - think 'older, sassier, braver version of Business Proposal, which transforms cliche into cinematic'.