For lovers of both romcom and slice of life genres, this is something for you. This show mixes the two genres perfectly and masterfully with the help of the irresistibly charming cells. I think it would not be a stretch to say that this is challenging the standard Kdrama romcom format and would probably alter or influence the romcom game in the long run.

First off, I have read the Webtoon and I loved it completely. Now, having read the original also means having a billion of expectations and worries about the drama adaptation. I loved the original enough to worry if they would be giving this brilliant work of author Lee Donggeon the justice it truly deserves. Well, I think there were enough reasons why do one needed to worry about Kdrama adaptions of webtoon originals given the track record of the Kdrama adaptations so far. But this one is definitely not a disappointment. Yumi's cells drama version certainly delivered what the original was able to provide its readers --- the fun, warm, and sometimes painful feeling of joining Yumi's journey, and growing and learning along with her in the process. It was like a warm hug or a cozy blanket -- it has that kind of comforting feeling.

The story is simple and yet very endearing. In fact, it uses some basic and well-worn narratives of romcom and yet it felt so new and different. I'm crediting the bulk of this creative story to Lee Donggeon as it should be, but it is also very impressive how the screenwriters weaved through and navigated this story with ease and so much respect to the original. They stayed true to the original, most of the time, with only some little addition of few things here and there that I found questionable at first but quite reasonable upon realizing the bigger picture they were trying to paint. This story might look simple but I know full well that in the hands of less capable screenwriters and director this creative and brilliant world that Lee Donggeon had created would easily crumble into an unsalvageable mess. Thankfully, this one delivered excellently in execution.

The characters are ordinary. They're far from the usual larger-than-life characters of romcom Kdramas ---no chaebols, no CEOs, no heroes trying to save whatever or whoever needs the saving, and etc. Its strength lies in the mundane and ordinariness of its characters. They all felt like ordinary people that you could encounter in your daily commute, could be a neighbor, even an old friend. They're all flawed and that what makes them feel so real and relatable. You won't love the characters all the time. You'd be irritated, annoyed, or even mad at them sometimes but at the end of the day you'd realize you actually care about them.

Kim Go Eun is simply Kim Yumi! She ate and digested this role completely. I think she didn't just bring Yumi to life, she made Yumi her own by giving her own exquisite touches to her own Yumi. You see in adaptations it is so easy for actors to just match and copy the appearance and habits of the characters they're playing, but to make the character your very own and making your audience think that no one else could play the character better than you is a true mark of being an exceptional actor. KGE deserves all the recognition she could get from this. Ahn Bo Hyun, too, is a revelation here. Actually, the cast here were all brilliant in their own roles. And who would have thought that KGE and ABH pairing would be this explosive on- and off-screen? These two together were simply amazing and definitely a tough act to follow (looking at you both Babi and Soonrok).

Overall, what I am really thankful about this drama adaptation is how it was able to preserve that fun and heartwarming feeling of the original. It was really impressive how they have managed to bring out from me the same emotional investment I have felt while reading the original. Reading how other people have related and felt comfort from this is also how I know that this drama had successfully brought Yumi's Cells to life.

Hats off to all the people involved in this drama. You've all done an exceptional job at this. See you all again in season 2. To Kim Yumi, I'm riding this journey again with you and thank you for letting me tagged along with you on this first chapter.