****BEWARE OF SPOILERS****

Honestly this drama is an enigma I couldn’t quite decipher… It had a grip on me that not many dramas have but sadly there were some “less positive” things going on there too. The start was very promising and I thought “omg the chemistry is already off the charts, the story seems original with elements of fantasy and mystery mixed here and there and the FL is also quite relatable, it’s gonna be awesome!!” and frankly it could have been an 9/10 or even a 9.5/10 but sadly the plot itself couldn’t keep up with what it wanted to create in the beginning.

For starters, let’s talk about the bad things. I’m sure many people will share the same sentiment as me but I clearly expected more magical elements in this story, because the first 8/10 episodes were full of the book of spells, the owner of the wooden bow, the shaman, the books of curses even but then it was barely addressed in the end…? The magical things happening were indeed very real since the ML’s sickness miraculously vanished, but for the rest it’s more of a supposition than a certainty. Let’s take the love spell for example, of course, I think that the ML already had feelings from the very beginning and the spell was just a catalyzer for what happened next. But surely the fact that we didn’t get a clear answer from anyone concerning the working aspect of this spell will deter many people from liking this story like they should: “their love wasn’t real”, “it was forced and the FL took advantage of it” etc. etc. Also, the “villain” was so disappointing to me!! Of course, the actor was doing his best but the reason behind his character’s actions was clearly undeveloped, at least for my taste. I was so sure that there was something even more “dangerous” hiding in the shadows but sadly it proved me wrong and all I was feeling in the end was dissatisfaction. It did get a little repetitive also, but I guess they couldn’t make time to add another subplot to this.

Another aspect of the drama that made me quite perplexed was the secondary characters… To this day, I still strongly dislike the FL’s colleagues: they were very mean to her since the beginning just because she was around beautiful men and honestly, I didn’t even notice their “redemption arc”, if there was even one. I wanted the FL to put them back in their place one day but sadly it never happened. Apart from that, their respective characters are just irritating and not even funny. I expected the FL to develop meaningful relationships with people that treated her right for once, but with the exceptions of the ML, the SML, and the little boy, it felt very empty and superficial. I also didn’t understand the purpose of the ML’s friend, who was close with his mom, since she didn’t even divorce her husband in the end. Another disappointing thing!! The ML’s father was always awful to his wife and we are meant to believe in his mini depression after her announcement of wanting to divorce “for good”? I expected her to divorce her horrible husband and live her life like she wanted, I didn’t even care if she got in a relationship with the ML’s friend or not frankly. But no, the writers made him cry a little and of course all the abuse was forgotten! Pfff… And let’s not talk about the SFL, she was just insufferable!!

Now that I vented a little, I can talk about the good things. The thing that first comes to my mind is the amazing chemistry between the main leads. Sometimes, the chemistry wears off a little when the couple is finally together but fortunately it wasn’t the case here! And honestly, I think I fell a little in love with the ML but hey who wouldn’t? His acting was on point and his looks were pretty dreamy too!! The leads were so sweet together and their bickering in the beginning was pretty funny and entertaining. And I loved the story behind their past lives!! It was so well done and I couldn’t help but cry a little… I’m sure you know what I mean if you already saw the drama. I wanted so much to see even more of their past together, or even how the ML continued to live after the “event” … The FL was also very interesting to watch and was perfectly relatable to a few of us I’m sure… Her absolute need to find her own group of friends/family but being rejected by those around her was a little hard to watch at times because I could perfectly see myself in her. I’m glad she could stand up for herself in the end. As for the SML, he remained pretty enjoyable till the end, so that’s a bonus, and fortunately I didn’t have second lead syndrome! Moreover, I want to give my big thanks to the production team and the crew behind the cinematography because it was beautiful and also a big reason as to why I liked this drama so much despite its flaws. The OST was pretty great too, that’s why I already bought the album lol.

Maybe if you read this “review” till the end, you are currently wondering why I still chose to give this drama an 8.5/10 despite all the flaws I cited in the beginning… Well that’s simply because the leads took my heart with them and I couldn’t wait to watch their interactions each week. The general atmosphere was also very nice and appealing and some secondary characters were great (the little boy, the ML’s funny colleague, even the grandma was interesting). I only regret the fact that the plot didn’t give what I expected it to give in terms of villains and characters’ relationships… I think I will even rewatch it when I’ll need a little boost of serotonin one of these days. So yeah, I’m gonna end this review here and just cry in a corner because I already miss this drama and its characters.