I almost missed out on this one, you guys, and I’m so glad I didn’t.
I first attempted this drama when it was airing last year, but the timing just wasn’t right for me. I was in the midst of trying to get myself out of a bit of a drama rut at the time, and unlike my usual more patient self, I was much quicker to decide whether I was feeling a drama or not. Unfortunately, as some of you would likely know, the other bum thing about a drama rut, is that you often just don’t feel a drama, even if said drama is very decent. Same thing for me, with this show. I gave this show a try while it was airing, and didn’t even make it through episode 1. Oopsie.
Happily, the story doesn’t end there. Fast-forward several months, when I was properly out of my drama rut, and I found myself liking this show quite a fair bit, on my second attempt. Everyone was right; this one is a cute lil gem. <3
STUFF I LIKED
Like I mentioned in my 2018 Year In Review post, the spy stuff in this show is far from being cool or edgy. Because of this, perhaps more than on average, I feel like having the right lens is key, in order to enjoy this show.
On my second (and successful!) attempt at watching this show, I decided to wear an absurdist sort of lens at all times, and that made my watch a lot more enjoyable, I think.
It took me 8 episodes (4 hours of screen time total) to really start enjoying this show, which is about right, by the golden 4-episode rule that most drama fans swear by. Once I got into this one properly, I found myself genuinely looking forward to the next episode, every time I reached the end of one. Here’s a quickish rundown of my favorite things in this show.
Show’s general tone
Yes, Show’s overtones lean more towards the comical variety, but I do think that one of the big reasons this worked for me despite my usual aversion to k-comedies, is that Show is full of heart. In the midst of the Funny, Show also remembers to make our characters earnest and their journeys, heartfelt, and that’s just the kind of thing to hold me hostage by my heartstrings.
As a bonus, I did find Show’s sense of humor more to my taste than the average k-comedy. I mean, there were several occasions where I laughed out loud – and then just had to pause the episode to giggle for a bit. That’s very impressive, in my books.
[SPOILER ALERT]
The funny
One of my favorite funny bits in this show, is the gag in episodes 9 & 10, about Bon (So Ji Sub) being able to see the future. To think that Show actually invested time and effort to make that quick visualization moment that Ae Rin (Jung In Sun) had, of Bon being a shaman. On top of that, the whole gossipy thing and the KIS peeps analyzing that Bon must’ve gone to their houses before to check out the feng shui, amuses me.
I thought that would be the end of that, but then, Bon actually pretends to be a shaman, to the KIS folks’ random requests. HAHA. And So Ji Sub pretend-chanting under his breath and looking super awkward about it, is just GOLD.
I love that to top it all off, we see in the next episode, that Bon really goes to a shaman to get the KIS folks’ fortunes told. Tee hee. Too cute.
The heart stuff
In the midst of serving up funny or otherwise entertaining stuff, Show would sometimes reach out and hit me in the gut (like in episodes 1 & 2, when Ae Rin’s husband (cameo by Yang Dong Geun) gets killed – oof), and then at other times, it would warm my heart with sweet blossoming relationships (like Bon taking care of the kids, and getting closer to his neighbors, in spite of himself – aw).
By episodes 15 & 16, when both Ae Rin and Bon are in danger, I realized that I really cared about these characters, because even as I was assuring myself that they’d make it out ok, my heart was going, “Don’t hurt my babiesss!”
[END SPOILER]
So Ji Sub as Bon
I realize this is only my fourth time watching So Ji Sub in a drama (the first three times were 2004’s I’m Sorry, I Love You, 2013’s Master’s Sun and 2016’s Oh My Venus), and I conclude that this is my favorite drama outing of So Ji Sub’s so far. I just find him very appealing, as Bon.
He rocks the effortlessly badass spy strut and the slick action moves, and looks so very handsome in a suit. At the same time, he’s just perfect as the gruff marshmallow with a lonely heart of gold; every time the gruff furrowed expression gave way to a bit of a leaked smile, I melted. On top of that, So Ji Sub commits to the funny, and blithely pulls off embarrassing or awkward gags with good humor.
I think I was about two-thirds into my watch, when I realized I was having serious hearts in my eyes for So Ji Sub. <3
[SPOILER ALERT]
Here’s a smattering of my reactions to So Ji Sub / Bon, during my watch:
E1-2. I must say, So Ji Sub’s form is impeccable when he’s doing push-ups. Perfect angles, effortlessly maintained. Very impressive.
E3-4. It’s par for the course, that Bon finds Ae Rin suspicious and therefore volunteers to be her sitter, so that he can investigate her orbit more closely – and then gets hit in the heart with all the feels, when he’s surrounded by kids and fed home-cooked food for the first time in yonks. This hour, that little pause he takes, after his first bite of Ae Rin’s food, says so much. He’s been living on sliced bread for the longest time (how does he even do that?), and this taste of home must feel like a balm for his starved soul. My heart just can’t help but go out to him.
E5-6. Bon visiting the various apartment units on the pretext of entertaining the kids, and then surreptitiously recovering the sticker-bugs, was cute. Him getting roped into the KIS is cute too. How does he manage to still be a good spy, while being a good sitter?
E11-12. Bon pretending that he’d dive-tackled Ae Rin to the ground to help her avoid getting stung by a bee is too ridiculous. Giggle.
E13-14. Bon feeling guilty for having lied to Ae Rin says a lot about the kind of person he is, and also, how he takes their connection to heart. It’s not just business for him, like Ji Yeon (Im Se Mi) says it should be.
E17-18. I wish Bon didn’t have to leave, but I can understand why he would. He’s afraid that him being too close to Ae Rin and the kids will put them in danger. It’s so sweet that he brought souvenirs of them along, to keep him company: the drawing, and the tambourine. He’s such a sweetheart.
E27-28. Bon’s undercover Handsome Man Strategy is so funny to watch, I giggled out loud. Hee.
[END SPOILER]
Jung In Sun as Ae Rin
This was my introduction to Jung In Sun, and I must say that I like her a lot. She gives Ae Rin a brand of warmth and spunk that feels very organic and natural.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I love how Ae Rin’s a smart cookie. She’s quick with numbers, systematic and thorough. And we see in episodes 7 & 8 that she’s quite the natural at sleuthing, taking photos and making copies of suspicious-looking files – which she found in the System Folder, no less. I mean, no one ever looks in the System Folder, right?
I also enjoy how hardworking, earnest and proactive Ae Rin is, like how she effectively clears out King’s Bag of all its merchandise in episodes 9 & 10, much to the frustration of the spy people.
On top of all that, Ae Rin’s also a great detective. My favorite example of that is in episodes 13 & 14, where she finds the secret spy lair at King’s Bag. I love that she lays little traps like the tape on the bottom of the door, to get information. And she’s quick to piece things together too. I mean, once her suspicions are triggered, it really doesn’t take her long to discover the secret spy office.
[END SPOILER]
At the same time, there’s a softness and gentleness to her that underscores the spunk, so that she never comes across as too hard or too much. I liked that a lot. There’s an innocence and purity to Ae Rin which shines through the spunk, and through it all, it’s clear to see that she also cares deeply for the people around her. So much to love about this woman.
Bon & the twins
Because of the cuteness overload, Bon’s growing bond with twins Joon Soo and Joon Hee (Kim Gun Woo and Ok Ye Rin) was one of my favoritest things in this show.
The scenes of Bon taking care of the kids are the most precious, funny things, and my heart surged with major feels every time Bon leaked a little smile. Him going down the slide with the kids, him playing doctor-and-patient, him playing hairdresser-and-client, him eating with them, him getting them to brush their teeth; it’s all uber cute, and I squee. <3
What takes it all to the next level, is the genuine care and affection that grows between Bon and the kids, as they spend time together. I loved watching the growing connection between them, as they grew from strangers to family.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Here are several of my favorite Bon-kidlets highlights:
E7-8. Bon washing Joon Soo’s soiled pants, and then scrubbing the kid’s back while he bathes him, is really sweet. I mean, not only does he not grumble about it, Bon actually looks like he’s enjoying the interaction with Joon Soo, which just tugs at my heartstrings. Bon’s not actually someone who wants to be alone, and the kids make sure that he isn’t alone.
E9-10. Ack. Bon is adorable. The way he watches the kids play with a deadpan expression, but readily pretend-dies when they pretend-shoot him, and then immediately resurrects again, with deadpan expression in place, is so cute! <3
E13-14. The twins missing Bon and seeking him out, and giving Mom sad-puppy faces to have Bon back, is really sweet. I do love that they brought Bon that drawing of himself. It’s what kids do; they draw the people that are important to them.
E13-14. I find it so endearing that Bon’s apartment has so many kiddy things in it now. It totally looks like the kids live there, there’s so much stuff. And the best part is, he looks kind of pleased about it, even though it’s messy and cluttered.
E17-18. The twins taking care of Bon while he’s unconscious is the most precious thing, putting little bandaids on his cuts, and everywhere else as well. Awww.
E17-18. It’s so nice to see the big hulk of a lonely spy sit down to a warm dinner with happy caring smiling little people. Aw. The kids grinning happily in anticipation when he walks out of the room, is so cute too.
[END SPOILER]
The treatment of the loveline between Bon & Ae Rin
I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I like the treatment of the loveline between Bon and Ae Rin.
[MINOR-ISH SPOILER] Because Ae Rin is newly widowed, [END SPOILER] it would have felt premature and unseemly for Show to have pushed a strong romantic connection between Bon and Ae Rin from the start. Because Show has to take things slow with this OTP compared to most other dramas, as a lovely bonus, I found the development of the bond between Bon and Ae Rin very organic and natural.
There’s no sudden love at first sight here, and neither of them loves the other “just because.” Nothing felt rushed to my eyes, and all the mutual care, consideration and affection that we see burgeoning between them is stuff that we can actually understand, because it’s born of the time that they spend together over the course of our story. Kinship, solidarity, companionship, trust; I liked seeing them begin to associate each other with these things, as they grew to know each other better.
I thought Show handled this loveline with just the right touch; not too much, not too little, and nothing too soon either. Nicely done indeed.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I tried to whittle down my list of favorite moments with Bon and Ae Rin, but it’s still a pretty long list. I guess that’s testament to how Show uses a lot of small moments to grow this OTP bond in an organic fashion.
E7-8. Bon’s consternation at Ae Rin leaving the chat is so cute. It’s also cute how he tries to tell Ae Rin that he’s not actually dating the mystery girl Ji Yeon from before. I like the growing bond between them, where they talk about stuff, and she actually desires to discuss things with him. He’s slowly turning into a surrogate dad of sorts to this family, and I rather like the idea.
E9-10. Bon’s hero entrance moment is quite swoony. Ae Rin’s all exhausted and drained from the scare and the long walk and the deserted surroundings, and in he swoops, in his fancy sports car. It’s so cute, the way she tries to be strong and corrects herself that she was only a little bit scared, and he just soothes gruffly, “Oh, you’re so brave.” And that touches her, because she really was so brave. Aw.
E9-10. Bon’s tiny little slight smiles around and because of Ae Rin, are starting to show up, and they make me so happy.
E9-10. OMGG. Bon quickly volunteering to go grocery shopping with Ae Rin and the kids is cute enough, with them looking totally like a little family together, but Bon pretending that he’s alwayyys wanted to try raising fish, just because the kids really want an aquarium, is just too much. A-dor-able.
E9-10. She got him a present? How sweet! And it feels kind of intimate too, that it’s a wallet. The moment too, when she sincerely thanks him for taking such good care of the kids that she can go to work without worry, feels so heartfelt and poignant.
E15-16. I love how Ae Rin is relieved more than anything, to know that Bon isn’t a bad person. How lovely, that she and Bon have an honest conversation, and basically make up, closer and more connected than before. It’s such a sweet touch, that afterwards, Bon is shown having the most peaceful night that he’s had in a long time. Really nicely handled, Show.
E15-16. I melt. How sweet is it, that Ae Rin not only sympathizes with Bon’s unspoken struggles, but tells him that she will protect him, no matter what? I’d smile too, in Bon’s place.
E15-16. Ah, the reason that Bon hugged Ae Rin, was to prevent her from seeing that her deceased husband was part of their investigation. He’s always thinking to protect her, which I like.
E17-18. Wow. Ae Rin just rushing down to the river, running into the water, and diving right down to Bon and saving him, and then shrug-saying, “I promised to protect him,” is just so badass. The big hulk of a spy is the damsel saved by a tiny lady hero. I loves it.
E17-18. Kya! The milk bag becoming their secret letterbox is so cute! And it makes me so happy that they’re staying connected, and taking comfort and assurance from it.
E21-22. Even though I’d accidentally been spoiled for the nose-rub scene where Bon grabs Ae Rin’s face and gives her a nose-nuzzle before walking away, I’m happy to say that this scene still warmed the cockles of my heart and gave me a sweet case of the squees. The way he holds her head is so gentle, yet his hands look so big and strong, and he nuzzles her nose in the sweetest, most gentle way. <3 Eee!
E21-22. This hour, we see how Bon’s entire being is so entwined with the twins and Ae Rin. From cutting the green wire because it was Joon Hee’s favorite color, when he had no other clue to direct him, to deciding to turn himself in so as not to endanger the kids and Ae Rin as well, his entire consciousness revolves around them, and it’s so poignant.
E21-22. The phone call between Bon and Ae Rin is pretty mundane, by all accounts – are you eating, how’s your wound, how’re the kids, how are you – but it’s the touch of gentleness and tenderness that makes all the difference. That phone call felt newly, wonderfully cozy and almost intimate, and I loved it.
E23-24. After the fake death explosion, I feel like Show is rewarding us with the teasing, with some good ol’ fashioned sweetness, with Bon seeking Ae Rin out on beautiful Jeju Island, and hugging her (awww), and having him enjoy good food and family time, before leaving to take care of business. I felt like Show was rewarding Bon too, for always having him be alone, eating plain sliced bread. So yes, it’s filler, but no, I’m not complaining.
E25-26. I do appreciate that Ae Rin finally got to grieve her husband’s death properly. I can rationalize it being put off this long; before, she’d held it in for the sake of her kids, and now, the revelation that he was murdered just unlocked the dam. How understanding of Bon, to give her the space to cry, and simply keep watch outside her door. Also, how needed, for them to have that conversation the next morning, with him apologizing for keeping the truth from her.
E27-28. The way Bon confronts Ae Rin with her lie, and then, after making sure she knows all the dangers she is likely to face, respects her decision even though he’s worries, is quite melty. He doesn’t force her to give up on the operation, but instead stands by to keep her as safe as possible, while she does what she feels she needs to do. That’s so refreshing.
E27-28. Bon cooking dinner for Ae Rin feels so cozy and intimate. Likey.
E29-30. Hee. Bon admitting that he’d been upset to see Ae Rin clean Yong Tae’s before, is so cute. He’s still a little peeved, but he’s lapping up the water that Ae Rin’s offering.
[END SPOILER]
The KIS neighborhood gang
I found them a little caricature-y at first, but I have to confess, I grew a big soft spot for the members of the KIS, as they demonstrated their sincere care for one another – and for Ae Rin and Bon too, of course. I also found it amusing the way Show keeps showing the KIS to be a serious rival for the local police and the NIS, with their efficient information-sharing network, blithely peopled by all the ahjummas (and one lone ahjusshi) in the neighborhood.
[SPOILER ALERT] I loved how quickly the KIS got the twins back in episodes 3 & 4, even before the police arrived on the scene. And I was suitably impressed in episodes 13 & 14, with how sharp the KIS members are. Even though they’re all nice and friendly to Manager Kwon (Seo Yi Sook) at the King’s Bag store, they are quick to pick up that she’s a suspicious character. [END SPOILER]
I feel like the whole KIS concept was possibly inspired by writer-nim observing how nosy neighborhood ahjummas tend to be, and wondering what would happen if they were to actually be pit against the NIS, heh.
My special soft spot in the KIS goes to Sang Ryeol (Kang Ki Young), whose blossoming bromance with Bon was very cute to watch.
Special shout-outs:
Sohn Ho Jun as Jin Yong Tae [SPOILERS]
Sohn Ho Jun is so good as Yong Tae the reluctant villain. Not only is he kind of funny with his scaredy-cat tendencies, he’s also good at heart. I found myself growing a soft spot for him, almost in spite of myself.
In the abduction arc in episodes 9 & 10, Yong Tae getting all scared, and then untying Ae Rin so that she can protect him, is hilarious. Also, I appreciate that he doesn’t hurt Ae Rin, and really considers that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. In that way, he is quite the endearing villain. He does bad things, but he doesn’t actually come across as a bad person.
Beneath the comic tone, though, there’s an undercurrent of poignancy with Yong Tae, like in episodes 17 & 18, when he runs for his life, and gets scared, and then gets stabbed. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. Of course Show doesn’t dwell on the pathos for long, and soon enough we see Yong Tae placed in an OBGYN, with Bon pretending to be his husband. Pwahaha.
My favorite Yong Tae scene, though, is in episodes 29 & 30. The way he gives Driver Park (Lee Hyun Geol) money so that he can leave for his hometown and live a happy life, is so selfless. And when Driver Park kneels down to apologize for having hurt him before, the way Yong Tae amiably tells him that he did the right thing, to switch sides in order to survive, and then tells him he did well, is so unexpected and so good-hearted as well. I felt quite touched by Yong Tae’s gesture in this moment, and realized that he really is a good person at heart. He basically gives Driver Park all he has, so that Driver Park has a shot at a normal life, even though he himself doesn’t have much hope that he will even survive. Such selflessness and generosity.
Sung Joo as Do Woo [MINOR SPOILER]
Even though Do Woon doesn’t get a whole lot of screen time, I found myself enjoying him quite well, as a character. I think I generally like Sung Joo’s screen presence and energy.
I found Do Woon’s crush on Ji Yeon sweet and heart-tugging, and I couldn’t help but feel for him, every time his heart got broken a little bit.
STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH [SPOILERS]
With my absurdist lens on, I was able to look past most logic lapses and stretches, and just shrug it all off as par for the course. At the same time, in spite of said absurdist lens, there were still some things that I didn’t like so much. Here’s them, for the record:
1. I wasn’t super into the whole Candy backstory, especially when it was shown to us in flashback more than a few times. This was a downer, since the Candy backstory is important context for our current-day events.
2. It’s a bummer that Sun Mi’s husband (Jung Si Ah and Kim Min Soo) is involved in the bio-terror attack. Worse, Show kills him off and then everyone lies to Sun Mi that he ran away with another woman. How is that ok?
3. Bon’s big impossible escape from the van explosion turns out to be really unexciting. Instead of something brilliant and spy-worthy, he just.. exits the van and runs away? That’s underwhelming.
4. Generally speaking, the more the plot focuses on the action and the main case at hand, the less interesting I find this show. Sometimes Show doesn’t balance out the action stuff with the heart stuff enough, and I start zoning out.
THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]
I was reluctant to say goodbye to these characters, and actually put off watching this finale for a good two weeks. That says something about how these characters endeared themselves to me over the course of my watch.
Now that I’ve emerged on the other side, I must confess that I found this finale a little bit all-over-the-place, in terms of feel. I knew in my head that Show was working to tie up various loose ends, but I confess that I felt a touch of whiplash as we moved from angle to angle, doing just that. Still, I’m reasonably happy with how things are tied up, so there’s that.
Catching Director Shim and his Cornerstone associates takes about a third of the hour, during which Show alarms me with a fake-out death for Yong Tae (ack), and then after a one month time-skip, we see Bon getting to spend some time with the twins (yay, cuteness!) before he leaves for the US (aw, boo). Then after a one year time-skip (we’re just really skipping through time, aren’t we?), we see Bon finally take down the elusive K (Cho Tae Kwan). Finally, Show reveals that Yong Tae is alive (phew), living an ordinary life under a new identity (Wang Mi Nam, coz he’s Wang Jeong Nam’s little bro, aw), and I’m at once relieved and a little miffed at Show for playing with my feelings. We see that Ji Yeon and Do Woo are now a couple (aw, sweet), and have finally taken their trip to Iceland together, and that Ae Rin is still working for King’s Bag under Director Kwon, who’s newly moved into King’s Castle – and who receives an official invitation to join the KIS, heh.
Show is wise to save the best for last, and we see Ae Rin finally reunite with Bon at Namsan Tower, over mojitos, and a set of couple rings, so that they can undertake their new mission: to act as a married couple in New York. Aw. And, eee!
I feel like we get just enough overt emotion with these two, as Bon asks Ae Rin if she’d missed him at all, and she answers that she did, very much – and then teases that it was hard to manage without a sitter. As our new pretend-couple puts on their rings and looks forward with anticipation to their next adventure together, Bon calms Ae Rin’s nerves by assuring her that she has Terius behind her. Guh. Such a perfect note to end on, I thought.
Now I dearly wish we could get a Season 2 of this show, so that we’d get to see Bon and Ae Rin tackle that mission together, while finally taking their relationship from pretend/undefined/implied to Finally Official. And we’d get a good serving of Bon with the twins too, of course, coz I just can’t get enough of the Cute. <3
Heart. Burst. <3
THE FINAL VERDICT:
A little clunky in spots, but so worth it for the endearing characters and relationships. Plus, So Ji Sub is <3
FINAL GRADE: B
TEASERS:
MVs:
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Timing definitely makes a huge difference sometimes when it comes to enjoying a drama. I’ve had several dramas I didn’t feel at first pass and then came back at a better time and loved them 🙂 I thought Terius Behind Me was a cute watch. The spy story was very lacking, but the cute family shenanigans made the show 🙂
Great review as always!
I believe that I have watched almost everything that So Ji Sub has been in. I just have so much respect for the man. I love when he plays the ‘calm, quiet and capable’ roles.
This was a really cute drama and I really enjoyed it – especially the kids – they both did a great job in this drama. I even ordered the Gaho title track which is saying something because I really have to like the drama to listen to the song (this is because I relive the drama as I listen).
Thanks for the review!
Thanks for enjoying this review, dear phl! <3 You're a much more experienced SJS fangirl than I am! I realize he's done a lot more than I've seen him in. 😅 A happy thing, I guess, if I'm in the mood for 'new' SJS material while waiting for his new projects! 😉 You're right, he plays calm, quiet and capable really well – and he did all of that in Terius, AND gave us a bit of dorky too. 😍😍 What a treat!
I’m gonna give this a try — it sounds very interesting and you’ve never steered me wrong before. 🙂
I just wish it was on Netflix or Amazon. Thanks for the review — I don’t know how you keep up with it all.
Hi Dennis, it’s great to see you! I hope you are well, and that you’ve managed to enjoy some good dramas since we last chatted. 🙂 Glad you’re planning to give this one a try.. it’s not perfect by any means (the spy stuff was never Show’s best feature), but the characters and relationships bring so much warmth to the table that I feel wistful to have finished my watch and bid farewell to these characters. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
Aw, thanks for the vote of confidence – though I have to confess that I’m far from keeping up with all the new dramas that keep popping up in Dramaland! I try, but there will always be shows that I don’t manage to get to. 😅
I saw Terius Behind Me when it first started airing. I saw about 16-ish episodes but then left it because I was more interested in The Beauty Inside that was airing at the same time.
I guess the week long gaps made me lose interest in it?
I’ll pick it up again considering your review, as I really did love the characters, especially Bon with the 2-Jun kids. It’s just the plot that I had a problem with.
P.S.: I started watching Ashes Of Love and absolutely LOVED the beginning, but it all started to go downhill from about episode 20
, I guess I just didn’t feel the cracktasticness of the show anymore.
So I figured that I just couldn’t sit through all 63 episodes and just saw the final episode to get a sense of closure.
P.P.S Are you watching The Empress’s Dignity? I have been hearing great reviews about it but haven’t started it yet.
Hi there Riri! 🙂 I guess Beauty Inside is better for more standard k-romance, and if that’s what you were in the mood for, then Beauty Inside does a very solid job of it. 🙂 This one has more of a comedy-family feel to it, so I think you’d need a slightly different mood to enjoy this one. That said, I really loved Bon with the kids and with Ae Rin, so I would recommend this drama to others. 🙂
I agree with you on Ashes.. I got to E40, but I’ve stalled because it’s really not much fun to watch anymore. I’ve heard good things about this one, so I’m wondering whether I’m just not feeling it, or if I just need to get through a rough patch to get to when it’s good. 🤔 Were you happy with the ending that you watched?
Yes, I’m watching Empress. I loved it from the beginning, but now that I’m in the last stretch, I’m feeling a bit of fatigue with this show. It’s still not bad, but I think it would’ve been better if they’d kept it shorter. And I think they definitely didn’t need an extension.
You’re right! I’m more into family dramas these days so I’ll watch this again.
I saw the last episode of Ashes and I was kind of okay with it.
*spoiler* The main leads do get a HEA with a kid of their own, which is a cherry on the top.*end spoiler*
Now with the news that they’re extending last empress, I do think it’s going to get a lot dragging. Sad that Choi Jin Hyuk isn’t gonna be acting in the last episodes.
Oh, if you’re more in the mood for family-themed stuff now, then there’s a pretty good chance you’d enjoy Terius more this time around! 🙂
Hm.. well ok, at least Ashes doesn’t have a tragic ending.. tho I still don’t know if I want to keep watching. I haven’t had the desire to watch it for about 2 weeks now! 😅
At this point, I am watching Empress just to see how it all ends. I did love its crazy intensity in the beginning, but it’s starting to feel kinda old right now, like they are just making stuff up to fill up screen time. That’s just me though. I think there are quite a lot of people who still enjoy it, even now. But yeah, it is a bummer that Choi Jin Hyuk won’t be in the last couple of eps. But who knows, that might just make Show more creative in terms of how it wraps everything up? 😆
I have such a soft spot for this show. Is it swamped with ridiculous volumes of PPL? Are the spy parts badly plotted? Yes and yes. But I don’t care.
I picked up this show even though I was on a new show hiatus because I saw the description and thought my Dad would enjoy it. He didn’t enjoy it – he absolutely loved it! More weirdly (and delightfully) he loved So Ji Sub and the character of Bon and became a bit of fan girl for a while. My Dad crushing on So Ji Sub was the best part of my 2018 drama watching.
As for the show itself, I really liked it. It was just so much fun. I could honestly watch another 50 episodes of Joon-Joon, and KIS, and Bon’s Great Bromances, nose kisses and found family, and NIS agents being annoyed at Ae-Rin selling handbags. Not even the extraordinary volume of PPL could drag it down – if anything, the show’s determination to sell me everything from handbags to cars to children’s toys, BB cream, coffee drinks and Quiznos only added to its sense of fun in the end.
I admit that when it shifted to the spy plotline it fell down a bit. That plotline made negative sense and whenever they did it they dropped Joon-Joon and KIS and the female characters too so I can’t say it was my favourite part of the show. Thankfully whenever they did it they quickly course-corrected.
During the show’s run, I was an enthusiastic proponent of dealing with the husband elephant so I could get Hot Spy Nooky. But still liked where Bon and Ae-rin ended up. And whether we get a Season 2: Breakfast at Tiffany’s edition or not, we can all have a lot of fun imagining the spy hijinks and happy family time of this couple.
Aw! It’s great to see you so happy with a show, Dame Holly! 😀 And it’s freaking adorable that your dad became a SJS fangirl (fanboy?) during his watch! 😍😍 And who can blame him, coz SJS really is darling in this show. I became a SJS fangirl myself, complete with all the spazzing, squeeing and swooning. ❤😍😱😍😱❤ I think I’d even rewatch this show, just to get more SJS as Bon. ❤ I am clearly smitten, heh.
I am totally with you; I could watch many more episodes of Bon with Joon-Joon and Ae Rin and the KIS and everyone. Yes it’s not perfect and you are right, the amount of PPL is sometimes ridiculous, but it honestly doesn’t matter. I’d watch these characters indefinitely, as long as they keep giving me more of The Cute. 😍 I’d love a Season 2 showing us what went down with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, that would be so awesome. But until that happens, I’m with you on having this dramaverse live on in my very active imagination! 😍
I like the soundtrack. Gonna have to get a few of these songs soon. I’ve been padding my Kdrama Soundtracks music folders a lot lately. I need to sort them into their own drama files now. I still get so wary of streaming, so I also have to burn them on CD that I’ll probably never play. lol
I’ve been using Spotify a lot more these days, so that I have much less to store than before, in terms of actual OST tracks. The free version of Spotify works just fine for me because I like to put individual songs on repeat. When you do that, the Spotify ads don’t play! What a happy discovery! 😀
That’s a good service. I usually just pop on Pandora. And it helps me find music to buy also. I can’t believe Apple did away with iPods. I didn’t realize it until now. The replacement is this clunky thing that might as well be a cellphone with all the apps on it. And of course double the price. It’s ridiculous.
I was in disbelief at Apple doing away with iPods too! I’m holding onto mine for dear life, ha. I use it often, and I like that it’s so compact that it’s easy to slip into a jeans pocket, unlike my phone. I wish more people felt the same way, so that they wouldn’t discontinue production like this. 😕
When they first discontinued the old iPods I went online and bought like, four. I still have three left, thank God. I love them.
Wow! You are a woman with great foresight! I didn’t even think to stock up on iPods when I found out! 😆 May your iPods last you a long, long time!
I agree. I love Apple, but i think they changed a lot since Steve Jobs died. It seems like everything’s a cash grab. My dad’s is cracked and he keeps trying to take mine. lol. It seems like you can only buy refurbished ones now.
Tee hee, that’s so cute, that your dad is trying to sneak your iPod from you! 😆 I agree that Apple makes great stuff, but aren’t as cutting edge and amazing as when Steve Jobs was at the helm. I still use almost everything Apple tho! 😉
Thanks for the review as I love this show. There may be lots of things that didn’t make sense but the feelings were real and felt. Jung In Sun, was also great in Waikiki as the unwed mom. I watched this for So Ji Sub and fell in love with the KIS gang and Son Ho Joon (the reluctant villain). The twins were super cute and their interaction with Terius super LIKE that I rewatched their scenes together.
Thanks for enjoying the review, anamarie! <3 Yes, you're absolutely right. Whatever didn't make sense plot-wise, it wasn't the relationship development. All the feelings felt organic and natural and real. I loved that. And Jung In Sun is really good. I love her sweet spunky vibe, and I'm even considering checking out Waikiki for her. I'd dipped a toe very warily when it came out, but fled hastily, when I didn't take to the jokes served up in E1. And yes, the twins are ❤❤ I loved their interactions with Bon. And the SJS awesome just made everything even better! 😍😍😍
Ahhh I’m so glad to see more positive reviews too! Actually this looks really good! You prob know I haven’t been in kdramaland…since Yoo Seung Ho and Song Joong Ki both enlisted way back when (lol), so literally all my kdrama forays come from your reviews! I legit rely on you now lol, mostly cuz I’ve found that our tastes are rather similar enough that I really trust your opinion. That said, we do still differ, so while I read all the reviews of dramas I’ll prob never watch, I don’t always feel like it. BUT weirdly enough, something about the first poster of So Ji Sub looking moodily back is just really really captivating lolol. My familiarity with SJS comes mostly from the fact that everyone says Yoo SeungHo is like a mini-So JiSub, but this is the first time I thought, wow this guy looks fantastic from just the poster. Lolol super shallow reason, but yes I wanna watch it now! Also cuz some vague spy-action stuff is involved and that’s always up my alley (forever incredibly disappointed that K2 turned out so poorly bc Ji ChangWook doing super cool stuff is like, top of the list).
The stress from the new semester has shoved me right out of my prolonged 6-ish-month drama rut and literally had me binge watching like 500 diff crappy romance-webdramas (chinese) that I’d sworn never to touch as a genre in general, purely out of avoidance of all the work I had to do lolol.
From Cdramaland, this is what I’ve gathered:
– Minglan (still unmotivated to watch but now probably never gonna watch) should’t be expected to be as good as all the other Daylight Ent dramas that have been coming out — more on par with Ode of Joy level quality, is what I hear
– 奈何BOSS要娶我 (Also known as Well-Intended Love) is reasonably addicting and cracky, but mostly a brainless trope-filled romance drama (only 20 eps long) that somehow makes it work instead of just being extra cringey. (Think, like early 2000’s golden-era of Taiwanese rom-coms).
– Flipped (another webdrama) is very adorable and the fantasy element is cool…for like eps 10 out of 24…and then kinda spiral down but doesn’t totally crash and burn (it does still splutter and plummet though, but I held on bc it’s only 24 short eps anyways lol)
– Tomb of Sand Sea (I’m still iffy on the english title rip) from 2018 is REALLY AMAZING….but only if you’re like me and have a special attachment to the novel-universe already. Standalone it’s got more plot-holes and boring-middle-parts than like, any mediocre drama, at best. But some really great supporting characters (“supporting”, altho with the expansive plot they’re all still reasonably important) and really amazing characterization and acting from some of the older veteran actors make is really worth for a long-time novel-fan like me. Again, some ppl who DON’T know about the novel still stick it through for the great supporting characters/actors, but mostly, everyone I know who legit loves it only love it in relation to it being kinda the best adaptation of a book from the DouMuBiJi series…which honestly is a really low bar considering all the other really bad adaptations so far.
– Ghost Blows Candle’s most recent adaptations with Pan YueMing (Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time) is pretty decent; On hiatus for me now bc I got so sidetracked by my sudden drama binge. But tbh haven’t been super motivated to pick it back up. That SAID…bc of this drama I finally fell in love with Pan YueMing and I would TOTALLY recommend Day and Night (白夜追凶) from 2018 (also on Netflix I think…maybe). It’s freaking amazing and anyone can objectively tell you that Pan YueMing’s acting in that is phenomenal.
– AND…My current favorite thing ever: Legends (招搖) : It’s definitely a xianxia drama with a wuxia feel, which is totally my thing, but I think it’s really great. Quality wise, it’s not gonna be the best production out there (it is webdrama I think) but the author of the source novel is one of the script writers so while also not super tight in script, the production is very very…genuine. Genuine’s probably my best description of this. It’s got some flaws, especially all the way through ep 3 or 4, with lots of fast setup (these scenes in the novel are mostly flashbacks later on, but I get why it’s better onscreen to just show at least some chronological setup instead of just relying on flashbacks or reminiscing). BUT overall, the drama FEELS like it’s returning to the root of dramas, I guess: like, it’s not trying very hard to be the next hit drama, or being a very amazing drama…it just does its best to present a good story. For a newbie cast the acting is pretty decent (actually with lots of potential too imo lol). And the OST is beautiful! The colors are gorgeous (the blue and red theme is very veyr pretty)
Here, to hook you, this is my fav song which is also the ending theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3c3uASbxO8
I watched the first 5-7 eps as it came out and it convinced me to speed through the whole audiobook, 62 ch of it, in 2 days. And THAT was so good, I decided to start another audiobook by the same author. Honestly, I can’t guarantee you’ll love it, tbh, but I really like it :).
So…lol rant over, but just wanted to chat with you :D.
Hi there Julianne!! 😀 Thanks for stopping by, it’s always nice to chat with ya – long rant or no! 😉😘
You’ve got a good eye, my friend. So Ji Sub does look fantastic in that poster – and in the rest of the show as well. 😍😍 I really enjoyed gazing at him through all 16 hours of this show, so you’re not alone in being drawn to the SJS Handsome! 😉 There’s a lot less spy stuff in this compared to K2, coz there’s also a lot of neighborhood and kiddy hijinks. I found that very welcome, coz I didn’t like this show as much when they spent too much time dwelling on the spy stuff. But SJS does indeed get to do some cool spy stuff, which I absolutely count as a plus! 😉 I really hope you’ll enjoy this one as much as I have.. It’s not super cool rocket science, but it’s got so much heart that I just melt into a fuzzball anyway. <3
I giggled at how you've been dealing with stress by diving into all the web dramas. I FEEL YOU! 😆 Last year when I was stressed and tired from preparing to move house, I dived into a whole bunch of web dramas and drama specials, and wrote a bunch of reviews – all while procrastinating on all the packing I was supposed to be doing! 😆😆 So to my eyes at least, what you're doing with the web dramas makes perfect sense! 😉
I've been hearing lots of good things about Minglan, so I'm hopeful that I will like it. I've just acquired a copy and hope to start watching it soonish. 🙂 奈何BOSS要娶我 sounds promising for a fluffy mindless sort of watch to unwind to, so I'm putting it on my list! Also.. you make 白夜追凶 and 招搖 sound so amazing that I'm putting those on my list too. I love a well-done story, and 招搖 sounds like it could be just that. 😀 I mean, like you said, I might not love it as much as you do, but who knows, right? 😀 If I do, WHAT A BONUS! 😀
I'm 40 eps into Ashes of Love, which I'd heard good things about, but my interest is starting to wane. It was just a lot more fun to watch in the beginning. Have you seen it? I'm wondering what you think of it, if you have. 🙂
PS: The song is cool! I like the edgy-angsty vibe that it has. <3
I did watch Ashes of Love (I skipped through/fast forwarded the middle all the way until like the second to last ep, tbh). I…kinda fell in love with conflicted Run Yu who did his best to be a good son, a good brother, and had it all thrown in his face. I think the peak of my interest and emotional investment was when the drama with Run Yu, his brith mother, and the empress reached a climax. That was CHARGED. On the romance, tbh, I really only truly loved the romance between the leads when they were in the mortal world. I admit they have chemistry through the whole thing, but the mortal life was such a nice, complete story. Overall I think it was decent, not bad, but def not a fav of mine.
I’m probably one of the few, given all the fans, but I’m not super into Xu Feng’s character. I think he’s cute with Jin Mi and they have lots of chemistry. BUT I also find him the incredibly spoiled and entitled brother. Like, yes Run Yu went wrong, very wrong. But *SPOILER* (not plot spoiler but just overall) the words Xu Feng says to Run Yu in the 2nd to last ep, is totally coming from such an arrogant perspective. I’m not sure what you’ve watched and haven’t, but so much of Run Yu’s trajectory can only be consequence of his parents’ treatment of him. As the spoiled loved child, Xu Feng has no right to accuse others of not “being kind enough” to let bygones be bygones and that his parents didn’t deserve what happened to them. Like, uh… even if you think you’re right in theory, you have no right to say that to your brother who reaped all the harm your parents shit on him. I mean, to the very end, neither the emperor nor the empress felt any regret or apology, so uhhh, f*** you Xu Feng. I find him incredibly self-righteous.
I don’t wanna completely blow up your expectations of Zhao Yao; maybe just treat as looking into a potentially interesting and entertaining drama without too many specific expectations (also I’d advise sticking past ep 3 or 4 🙂 ). If you’re interested, you should totally read the novel! So far, the drama does its best to stick to the essence of the novel and succeeds, but on details of the plot, because the restrictions with ghosts and stuff, and some thing just not easy to show on camera, the script itself is imo quite a bit less tight, cohesive, and logical than the novel. The novel is good stuff! The recently, I’ve loved the novel Accompanying the Phoenix (Yu Feng Xing) even more! (by the same author).
OMG I could rant for days about how amazing and well-developed Shen Li is in Accompanying the Phoenix. There are so many nuances to her character that make her so genuine, and a real strong badass girl worthy of respect even when she’s not literally leading armies into battle. But bc of that I do hope it doesn’t get adapted because without a good production and good actress, its very easy to miss those nuances and tip Shen Li into classic spunky-gal-who-can-fight-only-when-convenient-for-the-guy-to-fall-in-love trope.
that’s what I love about the author. So far I feel like she’s very good at writing romance (novels that are technically centered on the romance too)…but without the characters being ONLY about the romance. There’s a cohesive standalone plot that doesn’t rely on the romance, and the characters (ok, honestly mostly only the girl — the guys have been 1 out 2 well developed — but that’s enough for me in the realm of unsatisfactory female characters) that have their own agency and beliefs outside of romance too. Would highly recommend.
And 白夜追凶 is like, objectively fantastic. I’ve heard actually 0 negativity about it. Like compared to the other cop drama airing at the same time that also did fantastically well, perhaps the team-cohesiveness and case-solving is less magnificent, but 白夜追凶 is still very much above standards. MOST importantly Pan YueMing plays 2 identical brothers where the premise is one’s a cop and one’s a suspect and they interchange day and night to prove innocence. So EVERYONE loves Pan YueMing now and his skills are totally NOT under question at all because he had to essentially play 4 character — the older twin, the younger twin, the older twin pretending to be the younger twin, and the younger twin pretending to be the older twin. And when he played the latter 2 personalities, he had to make it believable that the characters in the show couldn’t tell that “he” was pretending to be the other twin, but that the audience could tell who’s who! Which means all the acting was completely reliant on him with no help from change in clothing, or makeup, or look, or voice. Even crazier, his characters tended to show up on screen together a lot (the brothers together etc) so it was also like strength of imagination and his belief in his knowledge of the character cuz obviously he had to film the 2 brothers separately and then they would be cut together. So he was acting with himself… like wowza.
Ah, my hunch was right, you did watch Ashes! 😀 I saw the scenes you mentioned: the showdown involving the empress, Run Yu’s bio mom, and Run Yu, as well as the mortal trial for Xu Feng and Jin Mi. I must agree; that scene was the most interesting I’d seen Run Yu. He came across with complexity and a dangerous edge, like he was at the end of his tether. Nicely done. And I did very much enjoy the OTP arc during their mortal trial. That was amusing and fun, and worth waiting for. Since then, though, everything has felt less and less interesting to me. And I realize I’m much less interested in the demon princess when she’s not wielding her badass whip and instead pining over her lost-and-maybe-found love. She just gets too breathy and typical for my taste, when she’s desperate for him. 😛 As for Xu Feng, I found him interesting and quite swoony when the plot focus was the OTP connection, but otherwise, I must confess my interest in him is starting to wane as well. I think it’s both the writing and the delivery. Altogether, he just doesn’t come across as super compelling, where I am now in the show. I’m wondering whether to move into skip-watching, or just drop it right away.
Thanks for the tip on 招搖, I will adjust my expectations accordingly. Also, you make Accompanying the Phoenix sound really good! I must admit though, that I feel like my Chinese is still not good enough to comfortably read novels. 😛 I will save this for when I’ve improved even more in my Chinese! My sister, on the other hand, is really getting into the Guardian novel, she was just raving to me the other day, about how well it’s written, and how the original novel is so much more witty and colorful than the English translation. I should recommend Accompanying the Phoenix to her, for after she’s finished Guardian! 🙂
Gosh, I need to bump 白夜追凶 up my list – you make it sound so good! And, Pan Yueming sounds amazing, to be playing so many characters in one show! I love that kind of thing, when an actor gets to showcase extreme skill and nuance, because they’re playing several characters. I remember being blown away by Ji Sung in Kill Me, Heal Me, where he played something like 6-7 characters. He was truly fantastic, and I can’t imagine anyone else playing all of those characters as well as he did. If you’re into multiple-character acting and haven’t seen Kill Me, Heal Me and are up for a Korean drama, that would be a pretty good one to consider. I didn’t get around to writing it a review, but I would’ve probably rated it something like A-. 🙂
I’m not sure I remember any deets, but I think I definitely at least started Kill Me, Heal Me at some point back then. Tbh I’m not sure if the genre/plot was my thing. Because of language and not needing subs, I’m much less picky with Chinese dramas to at least try, because it’s so easy to pick up and abandon at any time. For me, kdrama-wise, aside from watching for specific actors/actresses, or bc of a great review (heh thx), I tend to gravitate mostly to action or period dramas, with exceptions like sports-themed or interesting career-themed ones.
Yeah! Accompanying the Phoenix IS really good. I also take a really long time to read in Chinese, so I really basically completely on audiobooks. If you’re ok with listening to audiobooks, I’d suggest checking out lrts (lan ren ting shu) and ximalaya — both are apps, but also have websites. Aside from a couple of currently hot audiobooks, official radiodramas, and classics performed by more famous professional character-voices, most novels are free. I’m a super fan of the audiobook-culture in China — a lot of them are good quality but done by not necessarily professionals in the entertainment industry (maybe more like internet–famous peeps) , so there’s a LOT of access and variety. The audiobooks for ATP and Zhao Yao I listened to are on Ximalaya. Priest has a couple of radiodramas on there too (his ancient-novel hit Sha Po Lang).
Yay for your sister! I like Guardian too, especially AvenueX’s version on Netease. But tbh, it’s so long, I honestly took a break mid-book because I got…a little sick of it? Mostly cuz since the drama, I’ve been so mired in the fandom because canonically the characters are amazing and the plot much more compelling. But I didn’t get to ACTUALLY “reading” the source novel until a month or 2 ago, towards the end of my Guardian-fandom obsession. And now…I ….have sadly made myself sick of it. Probably will pick it back up at some point later.
If you start audiobooks, I would totally suggest the DaoMuBiJi series (what Lost Tomb was based off of) that I mentioned earlier. It’s a really long series, but I think it’s great. Also holds a special place in my heart because it was the first series I wanted to read the original enough that it convinced me to start listening to chinese audiobooks (which at the time was super hard bc they used to make me fall asleep, and I realized also “literature” in Chinese is different from colloquial — I was like…eh I recognize all the words…but what does that MEAN?). The characters and their arcs are well-developed steadily across the multiple books; but the plot and tomb-mystery per book is also standalone enough to be interesting as a plot alone (the tie-in for the plot-arcs cross-books are also well-done).
Ah, I get what you mean about not being into the genre. That can definitely be a strong factor in whether a show would appeal to you, I agree. I guess if that’s the case, then perhaps Kill Me, Heal Me isn’t for you. Which is fine, coz there’re always other great dramas out there! 😉
Thanks for all the tips on audiobooks and the apps I can try! I haven’t been in the habit of listening to audiobooks, but it does sound like a great alternative way to immerse myself in the language. Plus, I’d be ‘reading’ books in Chinese – maybe one day, I’d be able to read them for real! 😆 My Chinese teacher from way back would be proud. And shocked. Lol. 加油, me! 😅
Wait, also, quick warning. I’ve been hearing that Zhao Yao has some post-production cutting issues (aka the scenes are cut in a choppy way). At first I thought it’s just a subpar post-production team and/or the broadcast channel doing annoying shit again. But I’ve been hearing that maybe the “official” channel version on youtube if faulty and that someone uploaded the “correct” episodes on youtube.
This is the version I’ve been watching, which I hear may be faulty. (tbh I wouldn’t be able to tell, bc even knowing the plot already, I can’t tell if it’s just them taking creative liberties, or actually just “wrong”…also cuz I forgive the illogical jumps a little more easily cuz I can mentally place what scene is what in the novel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW_SZVtYNtA&list=PLRBClVey5BqxZ4cb3HCvTfL1OANGPSyLg
This below is supposedly the correct version. I’m not sure where you live, but I can’t open to check if it’s actually different/better bc it’s region-locked for me, but you can give it a shot:
Aw, thanks for taking the trouble to get me the links to the two versions, Julianne, you are so sweet! <3 Unfortunately for me, BOTH videos are blocked in my region. 😭 Looks like I'll need to find an alternative source than YouTube. 😛
Eskimo kisses forever 😊
Oh my! I’d forgotten that nose-rubs are called Eskimo kisses! 😀 YES. Eskimo kisses foreva! <3 When Ae Rin asked Bon if he'd pay her for taking him to the airport, and he said he'd pay her double, I was totally expecting him to pay in Eskimo kisses! Too bad Show didn't go with that. But it all happened in my head, I tell ya! 😉
I so loved this show! Not hard since I’m an over the top So Ji Sub fangirl! Just tell me, who could have played this part as well as SJS? No one…that’s who! Like you said, Fangirl, it just hit all the right buttons. Purely entertaining!
If you’d like to catch up with SJS, please, watch his movie Be With You and to see a bit of the real SJS watch Little House In The Forest. He goes to JeJu and stays in a cabin off and on alone for 2 months. He’s in a little house in the middle of a cow pasture….so funny…at first, he’s afraid of the cows! I love me some So Ji Sub!
Thanks for the movie recommendations, Georgia Peach! I need to catch up on SJS’ films.
I’m joining you with hearts in my eyes for So Ji Sub, Georgia Peach! 😍😍😍 I just loved him so much in this show.. I mean, he was handsome and everything in Master’s Sun and OMV, but I had issues with how everything was written, which then impacted how his character came across in both shows. But in this show, it just brings out all his good nature and his dorkiness, and I really enjoyed Bon as a character. And that just turned me into a SJS fangirl, just like that. <3 I think I have to agree with you, that I can't imagine anyone else playing Bon.
Thanks for the suggestions on more SJS, I've since gotten ahold of a copy of Be With You, and I will try it out soonish. Something in the Rain made me a little averse to Sohn Ye Jin for the moment, but hopefully Be With You will cure me of it! 😅 I don't often watch variety, but SJS in Little House in the Forest sounds quite adorable! I think I need to look for it now. 😉
What a sweet review! I liked the show from the start, but then i lagged and put it aside for a couple of months too. I finally picked it up again yesterday and I’m nearly finished. I really like the characters for the same reasons you do. Some of the spy antics were a little unbelievable, but they can be overlooked. This show was funny and gave me a sort of “Chuck” and “The Scarecrow and Mrs. King” vibe, two shows I love. I especially loved So Ji Sub’s interactions with the kids. They were cuties. I was so glad they went back to Ae Rin’s husband because it annoyed me that it was overlooked for so long. Maybe if they’d shown more interaction with him and his family it might’ve felt more believable. But I can see why they didn’t, because in the end, Terius is the new man of the family.
Lots of giggles, and one huge laughing fit with Bon’s “handsome computer nerd” charming Da Jung while the opening sax to “I’m never gonna dance again” starts playing. I also loved Yoon Sang Hyun’s cameo as Ji-Yeon’s crochety older brother. I wished he popped up throughout the whole drama.
Aw, thanks for enjoying the review, m’dear! <3 It's so funny that we both ended up watching this at around the same time, after the show finished its run! 😀 And OMG yes, So Ji Sub's interactions with the kids was my favorite thing about this show. <3 That definitely contributed to my new So Ji Sub crush. I have serious hearts in my eyes for him now! 😍😍😍
HAHA. I laughed out loud too, at the Handsome Guy scheme, it was so funny! 😆 On hindsight, I'm also grateful that this show didn't use a lot of toilet humor (was there even any? I can't remember – which is great!), because that's one of the things that I just don't jive with, and so many kdramas use it. Also, yes, Yoon Sang Hyun was a fun addition. I wouldn't have minded him popping up from time to time! 😉
SJS needs to work with kids more often. It’d be great to see him play a dad. He’s old enough to even have a teenaged child. Hmmm, the only toilet humor I remember was when the little Joon boy had to use the bathroom and peed his pants. lol Nothing else springs to mind.
If I remember correctly from the trailer, SJS does have a screen daughter in Be With You, the movie that Georgia Peach recommended. So that would be a good place to start, if you prioritize seeing him with kids! 😀 I personally loved him with the twins in this, so I’m open to seeing him play dad to other kids. But I’ll still take him without cute kids at his side 😉 And YES, the absence of toilet humor is definitely one of the reasons that this show worked for me. It would’ve not been as appealing to me, if it’d been littered with toilet humor for sure! 😝
Definite YES to Be With You. Not the same interaction with his screen son as with the twins in TBY, but a very sweet love story of family. Very well played by all the actors.
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