Bao Delacruz Nguyen
Main Lead Characters:
1. On Jeong Sun - For a rookie actor, I was pleasantly surprised by Yang Se Jong's portrayal of a man who is honest and straightforward at love. The first few episodes showcase Jeong Sun's strong pursuit towards Hyun Soo despite having met her for a few hours and chatting briefly online. I appreciate that he does not contemplate deeply on whether it's worth dating Hyun Soo, a woman who is older and arguably arrogant. He's the type of character that lives for the moment but can also provide that surety on what he wants. However, he is also vulnerable and his best armour is 'suppression' of his emotions to handle painful situations. When he does break free from this shield, you see the utmost sincerity of a struggling man. Finally, his speech is witty and you can't help but fall into a trance.
2. Lee Hyun Soo - Undeniably, there are some frustrations with her character. The main point is that she is the epitome of being a woman - unsure at times, insecure and shamelessly independent but needs help. At the beginning, she uses her older age as a leverage to keep Jeong Sun at arm's length. She flirts here and there. She's vulnerable here and there. Worst of all, she makes the assumption that he will be there when he needs her; this is what she envisions a man is like in her writing. After Jeong Sun's leave to France does she understand that her ungrounded arrogance gave her a cold temperature of love. Again, Hyun Soo spares us all the wittiness in the world. Her words are carefully crafted and her realisation is satisfying. Her only symptom of weakness is her righteousness. But hey, aren't we all a little bit righteous?
Plot:
I thought it was beautifully written, with fewer fallacies than other romance dramas. The biggest lesson is that we will all let that 'almost-could-have-been' person get away and we need to grasp onto it if we are given second chances. This is a theme that is portrayed well. Throughout the drama, you will experience the 'shaking up' of CEO Jeong Woo, Jeong Sun's mother and others. Each supporting character's interference into the main leads' life is intentional and somewhat selfish. This is, however, the charm of the drama. The storyline is realistic enough to incorporate human flaws and keep you pondering on how vulnerable we are to these traits.
If you are expecting a convoluted plot full of betrayals and misunderstanding, this is not it. This is a humanistic drama centralising on the themes of love in partnership, friendship and family. It may be slow at times but you need to be patient to truly appreciate the writing.
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Ji-hye is a character who is naive in love and a hopeless romantic. Seemingly, she just wants to live a simple life without materialistic things and this is what I adore about her character. Her stubborn pride, at times frustrates viewers but it is just her defence mechanisms against her moral convictions. Not to mention, her stylist did an amazing job in depicting her as a sophisticated radio-writer.
The fruit of it all is Hyun-woo. Like Ji-hye, he believes in the concept of soulmate. Long after Ji-Hye is married, he cannot forget the indentation that she left in his life after 3 days in jejudo. You may think it is too fast to develop feelings but if you think it philosophically - in the past people married within days of meeting because they sensed they were the one. In our times, people can fall in love anytime, anywhere and I think it is so beautiful how the writer has portrayed the innocence of love.
However, this is 32 episodes long and there will be tribulations to understand. I hope that you take time to appreciate the beauty in the writing. Each character plucks a different life string.
I have re-watched this drama four times and each time, I delve deeper into the realities of what marriage is like through different lenses.
As for the ending, I thought it was perfectly crafted. Opened but not too opened for you to feel like you wasted your time.
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