I think we’ve all encountered a story that we enjoyed, despite not really knowing why. For me, “The Girl Who Sees Smells” told such a story. Though the elements for a good story were present, the execution wasn’t the best. And yet, I’m still giving it a rather high rating: namely a 9.0. The drama simply worked for me and proved that for me there’s other important elements besides just the plot. Because although there was a lot that could’ve been better in the drama, there was also a lot they did right.

Plot: The biggest issue in the plot is probably the pacing. In the first half of the drama, the pacing is fast. Things happen every episode and the plot moves quickly. And then around the halfway point.. the writing loses steam. I think it’s a shame. When basing your drama off a comic, you already have the source material available. You know beforehand where the story is going. I think they could’ve planned this a bit better and divided the revelations a bit more equally over the episodes. In that way, the drama would’ve been a lot more consistent in its pacing. As it is, it’s mostly the first half of the drama that was gripping, pacing-wise. Sadly it also leaves a whole lot of loose ends, despite having enough time to wrap it all up.

Another thing that was a bit of an issue is that the drama is a mix of fantasy, crime-solving, and romance. It was a blend of many different genres, and maybe because of that not all aspects of the plot were as well developed. Definitely the most time was given to solving crimes and the romance, which is kind of a shame, when you’re naming the drama “The Girl Who Can See Scents”… true, the plot of a girl who can see smells was always going to be slightly farfetched. What surprised me then, was how.. mundane the plot actually was. The ability to see smells was not often utilized, except when Oh Cho Rim did the police’s work for them. Just like Choi Moo Gak’s inability to feel, it was used inconsistently during the drama. Yet the way they presented the scents was kind of cute, a little childish in the animation maybe, but still, I think it added to Oh Cho Rim’s personality. It was bright and felt young, just like the character.

The second genre I mentioned was crime-solving. While the killer-plot was interesting (and surprisingly well acted), the role of the police in trying to solve the case was seriously sub-par. I wonder if this is the result of translating the manhwa’s humour to the drama. If it isn’t, it still feels like the police’s role in this was mostly supposed to be funny, and I’m just wondering if there’s something I’m missing. The thing I did like a lot about this part of the drama was seeing all the police officers get together and create their own tiny family. I loved their outings together, though I’m seriously wondering how they went about their job before meeting Oh Cho Rim.

The romance part was, for me, clearly the best thing about the drama. The romance might not have been overly romantic, and the chemistry might not have been sizzling.. but it felt natural. It felt cute. Oh Cho Rim and Choi Moo Gak respected each other, and gradually became closer. They made a good couple. Both outcasts in their own way, who complemented each other and made each other better. The drama was full of fluffy scenes and no unnecessary romantic drama. For me, this was definitely the heart of the drama. A good, natural, healthy relationship. It’s not often I watch a K-drama and think “I’d really like a relationship like this”. But I wouldn’t mind having a relationship like this. I’m going to miss these sweethearts so much.

And even if it was often nonsensical, I did like the humour in this drama. Maybe it was a bit on the silly side, but I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been laughing by myself while commuting. This drama always was a good start to the morning, and a reason to help me get up on Thursdays and Fridays.

Acting: As the role was written with Yoochun in mind, it’s not a surprise he’s a good match. It’s a character with a hard outer shell who is actually a warm and sweet person underneath. It’s a return to similar characters he played and received good reviews for before (see Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Rooftop Prince). The drama also brought out his funny side.. and for Yoochun lovers, the Chunface made a regular appearance! So nothing groundbreaking for Yoochun, but I’m still glad to have seen him in such a role again before he enlists.

Shin Se Kyung for me was also a good match for this role. I’ve never seen her in a full drama before, but I think she fit her character really well. She brought life, charm, and cuteness to Oh Cho Rim. Though her character was no good at comedy, Shin Se Kyung did well in this lighter comedic drama. Her laughter makes you want to smile too, at least that’s what it did for me. I’m not sure she has what it takes to act heavier roles, but she fit this role wonderfully. Plus, she worked really well with Yoochun. I’d go so far as to say that the romantic part of this drama would not have worked as well if they’d picked someone else for Oh Cho Rim. Like said, it wasn’t a sizzling chemistry, but it wasn’t a sizzling romance in that sense either. They complemented each other, like Choi Moo Gak and Oh Cho Rim in the drama.

The real stand-out of this drama actingwise is Nam Goong Min, who took on a role completely unlike the ones I’ve seen him in before. I never liked him before, but in this he gives in a subtle but very convincing performance. I’ll be giving him more chances in the future.

Music: I really enjoyed the songs for the drama, I thought they fit very well. They were upbeat, and happy, and fit the atmosphere very well. They really helped to set the tone. Though there’s no real stand-out song, I still love turning on the songs in the background. The OST is a little thing of happiness.

Rewatch value: I’m not one to rewatch dramas often, so this is a low score. I will probably rewatch the cute couple scenes a lot, though.

Conclusion: I know I may not have sounded very convincing, but I really did enjoy this drama a lot. I can’t quite pinpoint why, but for me the drama simply worked. I know it didn’t for everyone, so, I’d say, only watch this if you like natural romances, cute and fluffy dramas, Yoochun (or the infamous Chunface), or Nam Goong Min, and can suspend quite a bit of disbelief. The strength of the plot mostly relies on the heart in the characters and the friendships. If you like that sort of drama, you might enjoy this a lot. If not, it might be best to pass on this.

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