Before I watched this drama, I knew nothing about it other than people’s comments on it. I read that it was badly written, that the ML was terrible, that this drama was a complete disappointment, and of course, that the second ML should have gotten the girl.

So imagine my surprise upon watching and finding a wonderful ML with flaws and virtues, and who felt like a real person. He was sensitive, insecure, kind, and he actually grew as the drama went along.

Imagine my surprise at finding a second ML who was also very real, with virtues and flaws, but certainly not the absolute saint that I’d been led to believe sacrificed everything for the sake of the FL. Perhaps I am immune to Kim Seon Ho’s charms because he likewise has a devoted fan base for his role in Hometown Cha Cha Cha for what I thought was a truly unlikable character. But I did like him here. He was funny, petty, harsh, selfish, and still a good person with a sense of right and wrong. He just wasn’t the angel that I believed based on all I read before I watched. He helped the FL, but often at the request of her grandma rather than because he was pining for the FL. And his actions weren’t some sort of great sacrifice.

As I was watching I read some of the comments for episodes when the show aired and I was just baffled. I felt like I was watching a different show altogether reading the absolute vitriol reserved for the ML. Nothing NDS did could ever be good enough, or viewed favorably. And really it all was due to the fact that he wasn’t HJP. That’s all it was. It’s comical to think that HJP exhibited so many qualities that are constantly criticized in other male leads, but they’re excused completely here. One has to laugh at the power of framing. HJP is essentially given the type of introduction you’ve seen a thousand times in dramas. So he manages to cement himself as the lead in many people’s minds. But he’s not. And it’s quite clear he’s not. I do not understand how anyone could ever be interested in him getting the girl when the girl never shows any interest in him whatsoever. Their interactions are devoid of any romance and there’s always this distance between them. It is very much the relationship between a mentor and student. He has many opportunities to declare his feelings, and he never takes them. Yes, it’s part of the characterization, and that’s part of the lesson. If you don’t make a move, you don’t get the girl. But I never believed he was in love with SDM. It made no sense that he should be all that shaken by her given their distant interactions. Did he like her? Sure. But love? Not by a long shot. And then perhaps after a time skip I can believe he was fully in love with her, but once again, HE DID NOTHING. He has three years and no rival, and he did nothing— nor did SDM’s feelings for him change. So I’m truly baffled at the rabid investment and anger over this pairing.

But that aside, this drama sadly did fumble. For the first 12 or so episodes I was completely invested in this drama. I thought both the romance and the main plot of them trying to succeed with their start-up were very entertaining. But by the end this drama started feeling like it was heavily padded. The episodes felt longer than they needed to be, and the number of episodes felt like too many. I found myself skipping through scenes of characters being sad that felt like they went on forever. The kdrama sin of multiple flashbacks kept being committed. And then, after all the angst, the resolution to the romance felt unfulfilling. I know a lot of people complain that the romance was unnecessary and they wanted more of the start-up storyline, but again, I feel like I was watching a different show. I grew tired of getting business and marketing lessons. I was frustrated watching the leads suffering due to stupid misunderstandings and not actually talking, and when they finally resolved things, it felt unsatisfying because so little time was devoted to it with the whole car plot.

Had this show not gotten dull towards the end, it would have easily been at least a 9, but the last few episodes really did dampen what started off so bright.