THE SHORT VERDICT:
A fairly typical contract-marriage-meets-terminal-illness sort of melodrama that doesn’t pack many narrative surprises. The surprises mostly come in the form of the fantastic deliveries by the main cast. Namely, UEE is flat-out fantastic in this. So is Lee Seo Jin, and so is little munchkin Shin Rin Ah. The chemistry between these three, any which way you slice it, is golden, and alone is worth the watch.
Heartfelt, heartwarming, and solidly engaging.
THE LONG VERDICT:
Despite my affection for Lee Seo Jin (Oppaaa~!), I was actually going to give this show a pass.
Coz, first of all, I don’t typically reach for melodramas. Second of all, Lee Seo Jin and UEE – at first glance, anyway – seemed like such an odd pairing; I found it hard to imagine them as a couple. Third of all, UEE’s character is written to be terminally ill, which means that this couldn’t end well. Eep.
Yet, I dipped my toes in anyway, on the recommendation of blog regular Shountz, and was very happily surprised indeed. Somehow, this show manages to feel warm, engaging and heartfelt, in spite of its tropey, sobfesty premise. And, as it turns out, Lee Seo Jin and UEE work way better as a couple in practice than in theory. Honestly, who woulda thunk it?
OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE
Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.
STUFF I LIKED
Just from this show’s title and synopsis, it’s relatively easy to predict the trajectory of this story: A financially-challenged terminally-ill single mom enters a contract marriage with a rich guy who’s willing to pay big money for a contract wife who will donate her liver to save his dying mother. Complications ensue, and they fall in love.
Pretty predictable, right?
And yet, this show is so heartfelt in its delivery and execution, that these people, their relationships, and their world, all feel very organic and very real. Watching this, I felt easily drawn into their emotions, and genuinely invested in their stories.
It also helps that at 16 episodes, Marriage Contract is a lot more compact – and therefore more efficient – than a typical weekend drama. Plus, this show’s got a moody sort of ambience that I’d say puts it a notch above most weekend shows, in terms of look and feel. Add on several very winning performances by our main cast, and you’ve got a very solid show indeed.
Here’s a quick spotlight on some of my favorite things in the show.
1. UEE as Hye Soo
Before this drama, UEE had been somewhat hit or miss for me. I’d liked her very well in Ojakgyo Brothers, but had found her pretty meh in High Society and Ho Goo’s Love. So in my head, she was an ok sort of actress who could do ok given the right material, but could also underwhelm otherwise.
Imagine my stunned surprise, to find that she is nothing short of outstanding, in this. This performance, in my head, is the equivalent of a car going from regularly doing 40-50 miles per hour, to suddenly doing 100 miles per hour, and doing it with finesse to boot.
UEE breathes life into Hye Soo’s character, from the small everyday moments, to the bigger, more dramatic moments, and every moment in-between. From Hye Soo’s bouts of pain, to her teary efforts to smile and be strong, to her private tears, UEE consistently kills it, and I felt completely and utterly sucked into her performance, from the beginning of the show through to its end.
UEE is really good in this role, and I believed her, every second of the way. And sometimes, she simply gutted me, with her leap-off-the-screen portrayal of Hye Soo struggling to be brave in the midst of physical &/or emotional pain.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Like in episode 2, and in episode 7, where Hye Soo breaks down and sobs in despair at her circumstances. Hye Soo’s entire body is wracked with emotional pain, and you can literally feel how overwhelmed and hopeless she feels, in the moment.
On a more subtle note, there’s a scene in episode 10 where Hye Soo removes her makeup, and the process symbolizes how she’s cutting herself off from the ‘luxury’ of having Ji Hoon (Lee Seo Jin) in her life. It’s a quiet moment, but the way she swipes at her face with the makeup remover wipe, in harder and harder motions, says so much. There’s a distinct steeliness and sadness in her eyes, and the harsh manner in which she rubs her face, show so clearly, how she’s bracing herself for the step she’s about to take.
Just, very impressive, overall.
[END SPOILER]
2. Lee Seo Jin as Ji Hoon
Before this show, the last show that I’d seen Lee Seo Jin in, was 2014’s Wonderful Days, where I’d felt somewhat disappointed coz I’d found his performance rather underwhelming.
So imagine my happy surprise, that even though the show pretty much belonged to UEE and her fantastic performance, Lee Seo Jin’s pretty excellent in this drama too. I don’t know if it’s because PD-nim was extra good with the directing, or if UEE and Lee Seo Jin brought it out in each other, or if the script resonated with them in a particularly profound way, or if there was just something in the water on set, but there it is. Lee Seo Jin and UEE were both awesome in this, and that made me a very happy viewer indeed.
Ji Hoon charts a journey of growth over the course of the drama, which Lee Seo Jin brings to capable life from start to finish. From being a repressed, all-business sort of guy who habitually wears a deadpan gruff ‘n grumpy sort of face, Ji Hoon eventually becomes a person who is more liberated, more in touch with himself, and much more able to demonstrate care to the ones that he loves.
That journey was very satisfying to watch, and as a bonus, as Ji Hoon became a happier person, my satisfaction got amped up too, by the regular display of The Dimples, heh.
[SPOILER ALERT]
There are a good number of times that Lee Seo Jin impressed me with his delivery, but here are just 2 instances.
In episode 11, Lee Seo Jin kills it in the ending scene, where Ji Hoon apologizes to Hye Soo, and tells her that he’ll do whatever she wants, if she’d just be by his side. Ji Hoon’s pain and desperation is so clear, and even though the lines are uber cheesy, Lee Seo Jin sells it convincingly and totally made me tear up. I found Ji Hoon opening up his heart in all its raw emotion arresting to watch, and I felt like Lee Seo Jin broke through to a new level of acting there.
In episode 15, I was very moved by what Ji Hoon said during his conversation with his mom (Lee Hwi Yang). When she says she can’t encourage him in his choice to marry Hye Soo for real, knowing what kind of sacrifice he’s making, he answers that it isn’t a sacrifice; that he’s doing it because he wants to. That is such a beautiful thing to say. I love that for Ji Hoon, loving Hye Soo isn’t a sacrifice, but a want and a joy. And the way Lee Seo Jin delivers those lines, with a quiet, matter-of-fact sort of contentment, is just perfect. <3
A slight subs-related tangent
On a sort-of tangent, there’s something that I’d like to clarify in defense of Ji Hoon.
In episode 15, when Hye Soo has the talk with Ji Hoon about wanting him to return to his original position after she’s gone, she goes on to ask him to be Eun Sung’s “dad,” to which Ji Hoon reacts in an angry manner.
The subs that I was using translated Hye Soo’s request as: “And with my Eun Sung.. Can you be her dad after I’m gone? Actually, this is the hardest favour I have to ask you. It would be very nice if you can be her dad.”
I think this may have led some viewers to think poorly of Ji Hoon for being angry at Hye Soo’s request, instead of accepting it as an honor.
For the record, what Ji Hoon said was closer to this: “About my Eun Sung.. After I leave, can you be a Daddy Long Legs who meets her once in a while? Actually this is the thing I feel most sorry about. It would be very nice if you could be her Daddy Long Legs.”
This means that Hye Soo’s request to Ji Hoon, is not to be Eun Sung’s dad after her passing, but to be a Daddy Long Legs who would look in on Eun Sung from time to time. Given this context, Ji Hoon’s angry reaction is much more understandable. Hye Soo asking Ji Hoon to be a part-time father figure negates – or rather, dilutes – the relationship that Ji Hoon has with Eun Sung, and Ji Hoon doesn’t want to be Eun Sung’s part-time Daddy Long Legs, he wants to be Eun Sung’s full-time, all-in father.
Which, since we’re on the subject, is something that I really appreciated about Ji Hoon’s love for Eun Sung. All-in. Love.
[END SPOILER]
3. Shin Rin Ah as Eun Sung
I think I might have a new favorite child actress, and her name is Shin Rin Ah. <3
Coz Shin Rin Ah is not only a tiny, adorable little munchkin, she is completely natural onscreen. Whether Eun Sung is having a happy, carefree moment, or is angry and upset, or is scared, or sad, Shin Rin Ah delivers completely believably, with an unaffected, unselfconscious sort of ease. [SPOILER] In episode 4, Eun Sung blurts out her fears that Mom will leave her for the Ahjusshi, and Shin Rin Ah delivers the raw, heartwrenching moment with a startling depth of emotion. [END SPOILER] Right there, Shin Rin Ah basically blew my mind. It’s such a difficult scene, and her delivery is so full and mature, and yet, she’s such a tiny munchkin. How is that even possible?
This little cutie consistently stole my heart every episode. Even in the scenes where Eun Sung isn’t required to say very much, the depth of emotion and thought is apparent on her little face. Shin Rin Ah manages to convey so much, without needing to say much at all. From start to finish, I completely believed her character, and felt like Eun Sung was completely real.
Serious respect, yo.
4. Development of the OTP
In both the writing and delivery, I found the development of the OTP believable.
In terms of writing and execution, from Ji Hoon and Hye Soo regarding each other as (literally) partners-in-crime, to how each comes to care for the other, first as a person, and eventually as a love interest, it’s all very solid and well-played. I also liked how Show took care to give Ji Hoon and Hye Soo – as well as their heads and their hearts – very different and individual timelines, in terms of how they each come to love the other person, coz this felt more organic and natural to me.
At the same time, I must say that the chemistry between Lee Seo Jin and UEE is very good. From the earlier stretch in the show where Ji Hoon and Hye Soo are uncomfortable with each other, to later episodes where they are much more at ease together, I always believed these two, in the moment. Kudos to Lee Seo Jin and UEE, for committing to the roles so thoroughly.
Put together, this OTP was easy to engage with and root for, all the way to the end.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Although Show serves up a good helping of swoony between our OTP (that kiss in episode 9 totally brought on the swoony tummy-tingling feelz <3 ), it is their moments of shared pain, that moved me the most.
Like in episode 13, when Hye Soo finally reaches out to Ji Hoon, and he comes running to her side. Hye Soo’s lonely pain is palpable in the moment, as she describes her probable future to Ji Hoon, and Ji Hoon’s pain is clear, from the tears leaking out of his eyes as he listens. I love the way they finally embrace; that it’s Hye Soo who reaches out to him first, to hug him. Even more than that, I love Ji Hoon’s words, that it’s all ok with him, that it doesn’t matter what state she’s in, she’s his Hye Soo.
There’s a lot of heartbreak and desperation in the room, in that moment, but a lot of love as well. The desperation is two-fold; desperation in the face of despairing circumstances, and desperation in how much they need each other. That juxtaposition, of love even amid the heartbreak, moved me deeply.
In defense of Ji Hoon, again
I saw a fair amount of discontent around Ji Hoon continuing to assert himself in Hye Soo’s orbit, post-kiss, even after she tells him that it was a mistake and that she doesn’t want to be around him. While I can see where upset viewers are coming from, I thought I’d offer another perspective, that might help.
I saw this as Ji Hoon’s struggle to figure out what was real and what was pretend, with Hye Soo. I actually liked that he was responding to what he saw and sensed, rather than what Hye Soo said, coz her gaze had told him so much more than her words had. And isn’t that what communication is about, to pay attention not only to the words themselves, but also to the tone and body language of the speaker?
So yes, maybe Ji Hoon’s execution was on the clumsy side, but I felt that his struggle within himself, in terms of what to believe when it came to Hye Soo and what she really wanted, was very clear and believable. I liked that he didn’t just take her at her word, and I liked that he tried to figure out the truth.
In defense of our OTP’s lying habit
In the later episodes, after our OTP had started officially dating, I actually found it rather frustrating that they basically kept lying to each other. Mostly, she, about her condition, and he, about what he knew about her condition. I was perturbed by how much these two were lying to each other while pretending that everything was ok, on a regular basis, and that just didn’t feel like a healthy relationship, to me.
I rationalize, though, that it was probably very terrifying for them, to articulate how sick Hye Soo is. Although it’s illogical, I get that feeling; like the moment you actually say it out loud, it becomes true. And I understand how badly they didn’t want Hye Soo’s impending death to be true. The lying was coming from a place where both of them were trying to preserve the little happiness that they had, so I managed to give this a pass, even though I didn’t exactly like it.
[END SPOILER]
5. Eun Sung with Hye Soo &/or Ji Hoon
Omigosh, but Eun Sung is adorable with Hye Soo, with Ji Hoon, and with both Hye Soo and Ji Hoon together. Of course, it can be argued that Eun Sung is adorable with anybody, but I’m going to talk about just these few permutations in this section.
Eun Sung & Hye Soo
UEE and Shin Rin Ah really do feel like a real mother-daughter pair onscreen. Their chemistry is excellent, and from the shared smiles to the shared tears, to the hugs and the spats in between, their interactions feel completely real, and I am so impressed.
I love that this mother-daughter pair really care about each other. [SPOILERS] I love the scene in episode 1, where Hye Soo hugs Eun Sung and cries, after Eun Sung offers her 10,000 won to make the bad ahjusshis go away. It’s just so poignant and so sweet. I love how Eun Sung does her best to help and care for Mom, even though she’s just a kid.
On Hye Soo’s side, I love that her huge love for Eun Sung shows through, all the time. Not only in how she literally is willing to give up her life to secure Eun Sung’s future, but in the smaller moments too. Like how she explains to Eun Sung in episode 13, why her paternal grandmother (Jung Kyung Soon) had not been in their lives prior: that Gran had been too hurt before by her son’s death, and that’s why she’d never wanted to meet anyone, but that now, because of Eun Sung, her anger has melted away. I love how Hye Soo frames it as Eun Sung being the reason for Gran’s happiness. It’s no wonder Eun Sung is a child who’s secure in the love that people have for her. [END SPOILER]
Eun Sung & Ji Hoon
The evolution of Eun Sung’s relationship with Ji Hoon, is one of my favorite things in this show. From them both bristling at each other with mutual dislike, to them letting their guards down with each other, to them growing to seriously like – and then love – each other, it’s all super adorable and completely charming.
Eun Sung and Ji Hoon lighting up to see other, and regularly greeting each other with hugs, is one of the most heartwarming things, ever. I love that they make each other so happy.
These two together on my screen = So Much Win. <3
[SPOILER ALERT]
Even though there are many Ji Hoon-Eun Sung moments that I love – like the happy way Eun Sung prattles to Ji Hoon about the kittens in episode 7 (So! Cute!), my favorite thing with these two, has to be how easily Eun Sung takes to calling Ji Hoon “Dad” in later episodes.
In episode 15, when Eun Sung’s all worried about Hye Soo, I love the way she simply sobs, “Daaadd..” when Ji Hoon shows up. That just says so much; that she really does regard him as her dad; that she knows something’s not right, and she’s looking to him to fix it. That’s such a Dad thing, and I love that Eun Sung is looking to Ji Hoon for that.
Augh. So wonderfully, heartwarmingly poignant.
[END SPOILER]
All together as a family
Every time these three got to do family-type things together, my heart couldn’t help but swell up with warm fuzzy happiness. It really feels like these three complete one another, and bring new levels of happiness to one another.
When they’re finally allowed to function properly as a family in Show’s later episodes, I just loved how easily and naturally they fall into place, with one another. I mean, just look at that happy group hug shot up top. <3
Special Shout-outs to:
Kim So Jin as Joo Yeon
I really liked Kim So Jin as Joo Yeon. She’s got a very warm, hard-to-get-down sort of energy which lights up the screen, which I really enjoyed. As Hye Soo’s bestie, Joo Yeon brought just the right amount of brightness and cheer to perk up Hye Soo’s many somber moods.
Jung Kyung Soon as Hye Soo’s Mom-in-law [SPOILERS]
I really liked how Show evolves Hye Soo’s mother-in-law and her relationship with Hye Soo over the course of the show. From refusing to see her, Mom-in-law eventually becomes one of Hye Soo’s biggest supporters, a trajectory that I found very heartwarming indeed. My favorite moment, of course, is at the end of the show, when Mom-in-law tells Hye Soo that she’d like to be her Mom. Aww. How sweet is that? Not gonna lie; I teared up at that scene. <3
STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH
Kim Yong Gun as Chairman Dad
Almost every melo needs a character that we love to hate, and Chairman Dad fills that niche well. Sometimes a little too well.
I mean, he’s all-around self-centered and cruel, but sometimes, I found his behavior so appalling that he didn’t even seem human. [SPOILER] Like the time in episode 10 when Chairman Dad offers Ji Hoon’s mother and her brother money to move away, so that Ji Hoon won’t be able to see her. That is just so unspeakably awful. Why wouldn’t he allow his son to see his mother before she dies? And how cruel, to expect her to die alone, away from the only child she has. [END SPOILER]
Just, UGH. Disliked his character, So Much.
Kim Yoo Ri as Na Yoon
It’s unfortunate, but in every drama that I’ve seen Kim Yoo Ri in, before this – namely Master’s Sun, Kill Me, Heal Me, and My Love Eun Dong – she’s always playing pretty much the same character; that of the clingy second female lead.
Essentially, Na Yoon is not much different than the other clingy female leads that I’ve seen Kim Yoo Ri play. Na Yoon is a serviceable clingy second female lead, and she creates the narrative trouble that she was created for, so there’s that.
[SPOILER] The only upside is that by series’ end, Na Yoon chooses to stop waiting around for Ji Hoon, which is the wisest thing she does, all series long. And for that, I find myself liking her a little, even if it’s at the last minute. I like that she sees the truth for what it is, and I like that she doesn’t feel entitled to be with Ji Hoon, and I like that she’s choosing to love herself, in this situation. [END SPOILER]
THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]
It’s a quiet, bittersweet, poignant yet hopeful sort of ending for Hye Soo and Ji Hoon, which is the best ending Show could’ve given us, I think.
Hye Soo is still alive, and she and Ji Hoon are looking towards the future with tender, hopeful, grateful hearts, savoring every moment they get, and loving each other to the maximum, every moment that they get. It’s warmth tinged with sadness, because we know the likelihood of Hye Soo living a shorter life than most is so high. And yet, through it all, there’s a distinct touch of hope, because Show reminds us that there are people who outlive their prognoses.
And so we leave Hye Soo and Ji Hoon, looking ahead with hope, and with love covering all of their fears.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
As we always say about dramas, it’s often not about reinventing the wheel and coming up with entirely new stories; it’s about taking a story and executing it well. And that’s exactly what Marriage Contract has done.
This story never did have unpredictable twists and turns; in fact, our narrative and character arcs unfolded in a fairly foreseeable fashion. Show’s message is also not a new one: it’s not how long you live, but how you live, that makes the difference.
Through it all, though, Show delivers its story and that message with so much genuine heart and care, that it feels sincere instead of treacly; profound instead of preachy. So much so that I feel wistful to say goodbye to these characters, in the best way possible.
THE FINAL VERDICT:
A warm and hopeful journey, in spite of the heavy premise.
FINAL GRADE: B+
TEASER:
I watched this on Netflix, recently, and the translation of what Hye-Soo says to Ji-Hoon is different. She asks him to look in on Eun-song sometimes, not to be her father or something else. I wonder if this was a better translation than the one you mention. It made it clear, anyway. And although I felt angry on his and Eun-song’s behalf that she would split them up and have her daughter live with her mother-in-law (I didn’t like that idea, either – why would she stay with her, when they hardly had a relationship, her mother-in-law struggled herself – how would she look after her?) How could she take them away from each other, after he had become her father, in both their minds? Why would she stop that relationship and just have him ‘look in on’ her?! I thought that was a really unkind and nonsensical thing to decide. But that’s not the reason Ji-Hoon responds with anger; he does that because she’s talking about dying; about what will happen after her death. He doesn’t want her to talk about that as though it’s a done thing. He still wants to save her, to see her live and beat the diagnosis. So for her to talk about arrangements after her death is like saying she’s given up, or finalising what will happen, when of course he so doesn’t want to accept that. It’s the same as in other shows where characters talk like that, and their loved ones respond similarly.
All in all, I ended up loving this show. It’s the first K-drama I watched (I’ve watched a grand total of two now 😀 – this and ‘W’ – also amazing). I wasn’t at all prepared for what this series became. The performances from the three main actors were fantastic. U-ee was completely convincing from the start, and Lee Seo Jin was wonderful, and so, so moving in the sad moments (there were so many!). His expressions all through these parts broke my heart, and U-ee’s stoicism and her moments of ‘it’s not fair!’ were equally moving.
Obviously, Shin Rin Ah is a standout – I marvelled also at how she endured being touched and cuddled so over-much, and much more than we would have seen on-screen, given re-takes. She was awesome at being Eun-Sung. So, I loved the show, but I hated the deep sadness of the ending. I was really heartbroken at that; I kept thinking all through the series that something would happen, and Hye-Soo wouldn’t actually die. It was extremely bittersweet. But I realised after a while that, although they have so little time together, they’d appreciate it probably much more than a couple/family that’s together for a lifetime, and therefore treat it preciously. Less arguments, no taking for granted, no silences or mundane days. No growing old with nothing to say to each other, no forgetting to tell the other that they love them; no making work more important than each other. So in a way, they might live more in that short time than couples who have their whole lives. It’s a little bit mollifying.
And thanks for the music tracks – it’s really nice to listen to it while writing this. Makes me feel nostalgic 😉
I loved this drama and started watching it by accident. I was actually looking for something fluffy to watch along with the angsty Moment of 18. I like to balance my dramas.
Some insight on the OTP lying to each other about Hye Soo conditon. We lost our mother to cancer in August. Its true for the longest time we did lie to each other about what was going on. Just because the lie made it ok to breath and keep going. Some times you just need that space.
That resonated with me so deeply because I remember having to climb the hurdle to actually being able to say my mom had terminal cancer and took many months before I could. Because you’re right saying it makes it feel real.
Have yo agree with you. Brilluant acting from both 3 main characters!
Is there a reason why you use “coz” instead of “because?” As a blog writer, I understand perfect grammar isn’t crucial but using “coz” is borderline ignorant.
i recently watched this and cried with every episode, im not usually a melodrama kind of person but the acting and chemistry of the characters is beyond amazing.
Aw, I’m so glad you gave this show a chance, even though you’re usually not into melos. It really is worth the emotional investment, though, isn’t it? And on the plus side, Show manages to end on a hopeful note, despite its grim premise. All big pluses, in my book! 🙂 Have you watched My Mister? That’s a melo too, and it’s so deep, so warm, and so beautiful, despite looking dark at first glance. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it! <3
I have not seen My Mister but thank you for the suggestion 🙂 I only finished Marriage Contract last week and have been trying to choose what I want to watch next.
If you’re not in the mood for My Mister, there’re lots of other great dramas that you can consider. You can browse my Full List here, I hope that helps! <3
I’m not a fan of melo dramas but I happened to see the trailer in Netflix . At first I watch it just to kill some time but believe me from the time I started I never stop till I finish . Around 15 or 16 hrs. Two thumbs up.
I’m glad you decided to give this one a try, Lucille! 😀 I feel like this one flew under the radar for a lot of folks, most likely because of its melo premise. I used to think that melo isn’t my kind of drama, but I’ve since changed my mind. A well done melo can be so compelling and engaging! 🙂
Am overwhelmed by this drama
It’s very good, isn’t it? 🙂
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The drama that made me cry soooooo much.
I’m picky when it comes to kdrama & the last time I cried as hard was when I watched Miracle Cell No. 7 ( LOL )
*Fan girling upon seeing Lee Seo Jin*
Thank you, for this. ♥♥
Glad you enjoyed the review, and the show! This really was a bit of an underrated gem. Both Lee Seo Jin and UEE were excellent in this. <3
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I was planning to marathon this show too, and now I’m just more sure that I should watch it! Thanks for your sweet review kfangurl 🙂 Thumbs up! <3 I really like Lee Seo Jin too, though I seldom watch him in dramas ^^
Tee hee! Seems like we are helping each other in very similar ways today, Jas! Your review motivated me to keep going with Come Back, Mister – and here this review is motivating you to marathon this show! That’s very excellent indeed! XD And Lee Seo Jin is great in this – I think the best I’ve seen from him so far, acting-wise. Definitely worth checking out! ^^
I saw random bits on different episodes and did see the ending. Don’t want to give spoilers, but it’s mighty hopeful.
That’s great! I hope you end up enjoying this one, when you do get to it properly! 🙂
Omm omo omo. You have made my day Kfangurl. My recommendation. Awesomesauce!!!! I’m still recovering from the loss of Hye Soo, Ji Hoon and Eun Sung not being in my life on the weekends. Sigh. This show made me fan of both leads. I had no particular interest in either of them before this and really hopped on board after reading some episode recaps.
I’m super happy you enjoyed it as much as I did and as per usual you hit the nail right on the head with all your critiques. I also love that Ji Hoon’s hyung didnt even make the cut of things you didn’t like … LOL he was that much of a non factor… hee hee. Not your average family based weekend melo. I am so happy I watched and happy u liked it. Yayyyyyyy!!!
Hee! I’m glad you got a kick out of the honorable mention, Shountz! This really was your recommendation, after all! Thanks for thinking of pointing me to it – as you know, I was actually planning to avoid it coz of the premise. If you hadn’t written to me, I probably wouldn’t have written this review and we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now! 😉
This show has definitely strengthened my opinion of both UEE and Lee Seo Jin, as actors. They both did so excellently, but UEE truly was the standout surprise. Just, wow.
Heh. And yes, Ji Hoon’s hyung didn’t make the cut for this review! 😛 Not only was he a very ineffectual villain (he’s the equivalent of a flailing-fisted helpless heroine, in my head! XD ), I did also feel rather sorry for him, for never having the fatherly love nor approval that he yearned for so much.
i started watching this one expecting a romcom (i don’t read about a show before watching it) and, to my (initial) horror, i found myself watching a melo. all the pro’s you mentioned kept me watching it to the end. since i don’t want to write about my wife’s illness, i’ll just say two things: a lot of scenes felt like deja-vu (good writing, both from my wife’s and my point of view) and (trust me) there’s no such thing as cheesy lines when you’re dealing with a similar situation in real life. my final grade is thus a solid A.
Aw. I’m sorry to know that your wife is/was ill, INTJ. I can definitely see how this show would resonate with you on a very personal level, and I totally get your solid A rating. I’m glad that you and your missus were able to enjoy this show. Sending a big basket of warm thoughts to your wife, INTJ! <3
wife: thank you kfangurl, health & best wishes for you and all your beloved ones too!
me: well, i mainly wanted to express my appreciation for the writers (since you said what had to be said about the acting/actors) and share a different point of view on the “cheesy lines” issue. for example: i was speechless when, sitting at the dinner table, after talking about her illness & symptoms, she suddenly burst into tears repeating “i don’t want to die”. well, among the things i said to calm and reassure her, cheesy lines worked the best … even though, right afterwards, after she calmed down, we both laughed in complicity remembering them. more so, as time passed, many other cheesy lines helped her to be (nowadays) able to say (when awkwardly asked): “i have cancer and i’m gonna die. i just don’t know exactly when … (just) like you. ;-)”
Aw.. Thanks for sharing, INTJ. That is so true: when you’re talking about life and death, heartfelt cheesy words are probably one of the best things. Big hugs to you both, and I’m glad that your wife’s in a better place now, both emotionally and mentally. Wishing you both many, many more good years together, and an explosion of heartfelt cheesy goodness and lots of smiles through it all. <3
I don’t like sad but I jumped into this one anyway.
I had remnant good feelings about Lee Seo Jin but wasn’t too fond of Uee but I now a convert! Through Uee, I felt Hye Soo’s pain and admired her strength. I read somewhere that Uee cut her real hair and how there was so much pressure on both her and the crew to get that scene right in just one take. As someone who has kept her hair long for more than two decades, I seriously admired Uee’s professionalism to her craft. Of course, it could just be me with the hair thing.
As a character, I deeply admire Hye Soo’s strength. I was frustrated though that she took so long to share her burden. And felt so relieved when she finally told Joo Yeon about her tumour. It was one of the most touching scenes in the drama for me.
I enjoyed the drama overall but I have to say that I was disappointed with the ending. I would have liked to see how Ji Hoon and Eun Sung coped with Hye Soo’s passing, how their memories of her gave them strength to live on. Extra scenes of Lee Seo Jin and Shin Rin Ah together on screen would have definitely been wonderful to watch. It would have been nice too, if we could get a voice-over by grown-up Eun Sung as a sort of epilogue. But, oh well…
UEE totally won me over with this role too!! And wow, I’d suspected that was her real hair in the scene, but wasn’t sure. Thanks for confirming it – that’s a huge step for any girl, but I am sure especially so, for someone like her, who’s in the kpop scene. I mean, her signature dance move involves her swinging her head around so that her ponytail gets whipped around, so that’s definitely affected. (Not that I’m all that well-versed in kpop, but I watched UEE in Barefoot Friends, and whenever she was asked to dance, she’d whip out that move, so it wasn’t hard to tell it was her signature! XD )
Also, not just the hair thing, but I was so struck by how deeply she clearly dug, for the crying scenes. I feel like she was digging out her very heart, and putting it on display. She was so good, and so professional, and just so impressive.
I personally preferred the ending as it was, showing us that Hye Soo was alive, and stepping forward bravely, even though she didn’t know how much time she had left. I think I would’ve found it too gutting, to have to watch Ji Hoon and Eun Sung survive her. But you do have an excellent point, that those two cleaving to each other, and coping, and living strong to honor her memory, would’ve been very moving indeed. I’m a little relieved my heart didn’t have to go through that tho! XD Maybe a sequel of sorts. A movie? With grown-up Eun Sung at its star? That would be pretty great, if they could get it cast right! 🙂
I am on episode 15 and thankfully they will not show Hye Soo passing away otherwise I would be drenched in my own tears. *sigh*. Will drop the details once I am done with the show. 😀
Ah! I’m glad you’re giving this one a chance, soumya! 🙂 It flew under the radar for many people, I think, and it’s a pity, coz it’s a nicely solid ride. And you’re right – they don’t show Hye Soo’s passing, so that’s a plus! 😉
“Makjang family members running around like its a petting zoo.” That’s what I thought, and I STILL WATCHED IT. I never touch melo, and like you I raised my eyebrows at Uee (Uee!) and LSJ as the OTP. But they sold it. They sold it so well, I had my tearducts and sinuses thoroughly wrung dry by the time the final ep was over.
The whole time, I could hardly believe I was watching, but I was and it was GOOD. I just zipped past all the scenes that did not involve any of the golden three. Everything else was irrelevant. 😛
Thanks for the excellent review!
HAHA! You had me giggling right away with “Makjang family members running around like its a petting zoo” – you definitely are a writer, Webby! XD I love it! And YES. I had exactly that reaction seeing UEE (U-frikkin’-EE!) suddenly deliver such masterful, heartrending, completely gutting scenes. I don’t know what happened, but she certainly broke through to a whole new level of acting – a level that’s many times higher than what I’ve seen from her, ever! I’m so pleased about that, coz now I’m actually looking forward to her future acting projects. 🙂 She definitely deserves some serious recognition for this role; she clearly dug really deep, and gave it her all. I’m so impressed, seriously.
PS: So glad you enjoyed the review! <3
LOL! Made you smile! 😛
Uee did bring a certain brittle fragility to the cancer patient role that I have not seen anyone else do. It made me wonder what experience she was pulling it from, or whom she was referencing. Whatever she did, she did it right, and I do hope she gets recognition for this role.
That’s a great point.. Now that you mention it, I do wonder where she was pulling all that pain from, coz there was so much rawness and depth to it; it felt like she had felt this pain before. I’m with you in hoping she gets more recognition for this role – and more offers of meaty roles. I’m definitely warming up to her as an actress, much more than as an idol or variety personality. 🙂
i was suppose to watch this before Dots , but after Ugly Alert, which had my eye ducts cleanse , I pass this first for Dots , thinking my eye ducts will be too clean lol,
after this review , i am so looking forward to start this !
I’m glad you’ve got this on your list, Nancy! This one’s a good, solid watch. But it will also definitely have you tearing up at times, so yes, you do need to be in the right mood for it. I don’t blame you for putting this one off for later! 😉
it’snot about that drama, but did you hear about “signal”? it’s one of the best dramas not only kdramas, so i would like very much to read your thoughts to. ^_^
Hi there niniko! Yes, I do have Signal on my list – I haven’t started on it, but plan to check it out soonish. I’ve heard it’s great, but I’ve also heard it make you cry. 😛 I’m biding my time, for when the right mood strikes 😉
I have had my share.of.melodrama.with glamorous temptation and a.mix of revenge thrown in it which made me avoid the drama, but with your review which is mighty detailed and with the ending having hope it.looks watchable. I do like Lee Soo Jin, so this coulf be a marathoned drama.
I do think you’d like this much better than Glamorous Temptation, aigoo! Revenge melos are a breed of their own; I personally find it hard to get into a revenge melo, and haven’t truly enjoyed one, to date. Nice Guy was not bad, but still, it wasn’t my cup of tea, so it was effortful watching it. This, on the other hand, is a different type of melo. One that I’d categorize more like a Warm Melo rather than a Revenge Melo. I hope that you’ll enjoy it, coz it really is a solid watch. And Lee Seo Jin is pretty great in this too! 🙂
love a good melo. Will have to watch it so I come back and read all the spoiler parts 😉
If you love a good melo, then this is definitely one to check out, amber! It’s got its heartwrenching gutting scenes, and there are annoying Bad People and Meddling People, but there is also so much heart and love and hope. Definitely worth the time, imo! 🙂
I’ve been avoiding this one, lol. I like melodramas, but I really don’t like terminal illness. I can handle sickness thrown in later in a drama, but it’s tough when it’s there from the get go with the main story built around it. Which is sad, because otherwise I think I would really like this drama, and it sounds very solid. Glad you liked it 🙂
Aw. It’s too bad that you don’t feel up to this one, coz it really is a very solid drama. Maybe you could leave it on your radar – perhaps in the future you’ll be up for it? 🙂
Awwww, Fangirl, I am so glad you gave it a thumbs up! It was my first melo, and I loved it!
They were so believable, both as a couple and as a family…….and the ending was perfect-uplifting, yet real.
Ah, I’m glad you liked this one, Mary! It’s a good one to have as your first melo, imo. Some melos are way too weepy and sad (I heard Thousand Day Promise was exactly that, all the way through, so don’t watch that one!), whereas this one managed to take a sad topic and treat it with warmth and heart. If you’re up for other melos, here are a few that are worth the time: Secret Love Affair, One Warm Word and Thank You. 🙂