One of the most underrated dramas of last year

Sometimes I ask myself: What makes a drama great? Is it the acting? Is it the story? The characters? Well, I think what makes a drama great is a mix of those and much, much more. It's not only about technicalities, it's about how this piece of fiction make you feel. If it makes you laugh, cry, angry, happy, fearful, then I think it was worth watching.

Chicago Typewriter has a fast paced, gritty beginning. It's like a huge puzzle that is slowly solving itself. It can be confusing for some viewers, mainly at the start, but if you stick long enough you'll understand everything. A lot of things aren't what they seem, and a lot of things will slowly unravel. From the first episode to the last one there will be questions to be answered, but the result is quite satisfying.

If you look on the surface the story is not very original, but the way it's told is what makes this drama shine. You'll find the old tropes korean dramas just love to play (and I love to point them out) like the tsundere male lead who finds his candy girl, sad pasts, family feulds, star crossed lovers, reeincarnation romance etc. But if you look deep into it, it's really about love, friendship, loyalty and sacrifice. Yeah, I know, everything listed here sounds corny as heck but I think it wouldn't quite be called a "drama" if it wasn't.

The format is also very interesting. It mixes scenes from the 30's and the present, a thing made by many other dramas however in this one the world building was on point. It showed both the glamour and the downside, not overly romanticing but also not really turning it into a darker, heavier drama. It was also interesting to see a historical drama on the 30's, most of the dramas I saw that focused on that time were chinese, but South Korea also had a story of it's own to tell.

Now I must say that, if you aren't completely sold by the story, then you will at least appreaciate the leads. I think this is one of the few times that a korean drama made an awesome love triangle. They weren't just sides of a triangle, they were friends. You'll find yourself appreaciating them, cheering for them and crying because of it. Their chemistry was out of this world, the acting was just on point. You not only believe they are friends, but that their bond is so strong it can be easily be described as love. Those three love each other, no matter if they disagree at certain points, no matter even if they do something heinous, they wil stick together.

The side characters were also pretty good. Each had their shining moment, there wasn't one you just hated. Even the antagonists have some moments of their own, even if barely acceptable.

The music was okay, I liked some OSTs but to be honest some of the background music could be...offputting. Seriously, sometimes there were those perfectly dark, heavy scenes, but then they would throw a music that was the opposite. Thankfully the performances were good enough for one to quickly realize what the scene was really trying to tell.

Also, as an aspiring author and avid reader, I found the references and parallels to other works pretty good. Sometimes they would make me nostalgic like "oh, I've read it before" or make me laugh out loud (the Misery scenes haha). Really, it was a nice touch that makes you connect with what you are watching.

Overall, Chicago Typewriter is a must-watch for those who love a drama that has basically everything.