THE SHORT VERDICT:

This show was wholesome and funny despite its serial killer arc, and made me laugh week after week, thus becoming an unexpected highlight to my drama week.

I liked our cast as a general rule, but it was Lee Jung Eun who shone the brightest to me, and I just got a huge thrill, watching her get to show her awesomeness on such a regular basis, on my screen. 🤩

Unfortunately, Show did not stick the landing, in my opinion, and that absolutely marred my watch experience, as well as my feelings towards this show.

I don’t regret watching it – but that’s almost exclusively because of how wonderful I thought Lee Jung Eun was, in this. 🥲

THE LONG VERDICT:

For me, watching this show feels like the equivalent of following a very confident, charismatic guide as they entertain me by telling jokes, while leading me to what they promise is a fantastic restaurant.

I’m so delighted by their wit and charm, that even when it seems to be taking way too long to be getting to said fantastic restaurant, I choose to trust that they know what they’re doing.

..But then we arrive at a pretty underwhelming shack that serves pizza slices – that taste like they’re two days old. 😜

That pretty much sums up my watch experience, honestly.

I was having so much fun with this one, that I kept giving Show the benefit of the doubt, when certain important plot developments kept getting delayed past what seemed like a reasonable point – only to be disappointed by the end.

As you can infer, I was very underwhelmed by Show’s handling of the finale.

Let me do my best to break it all down for you.

OST TRACKS: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

I actually really enjoyed the OST overall. I found it nicely varied, while keeping in character with Show’s general tone and brand.

For example, I made it a point to watch the opening credits every time I clicked on a new episode on Netflix, because it was such a fun little ditty, and it really put me in the right mental zone for the episode itself.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the OST album on YouTube, so here, instead, are my two favorite tracks, My Little Dream, and Stay (which is sung by our female lead Jung Eun Ji).

I like My Little Dream for its slow, laidback 6/8 tempo, and its overall vibe, which, to my ears, is an interesting mesh of smokey, earnest and sweet. 🥰

As for Stay, I really like its wistful, poignant tone, which I feel aligns perfectly with the emotional underbelly of our protagonist’s story.

If you’d like to listen either of these on repeat while you read the review, just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, covering the more macro aspects of Show, and then I give the selective spotlight to characters and relationships, in a separate section.

Finally, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on our finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of this show:

1. This is not romance-forward

I feel that it’s really quite important that I put this out there: the romance is present as a narrative arc, but it’s really more of a secondary one.

Knowing to expect that would help, I think.

2. Think of this as a story of personal journey

I think that’s one of the more helpful lenses you could use with this show – along with a manhwa lens, for the comedic stuff.

3. The comedy leans broad

But I didn’t find it overly slapsticky, personally, if that helps. Coz you guys know that my tolerance for broad comedy is on the low side.

4. There is a serial killer in this

However, the murder plot has a lot to do with both of our leads, so it’s not some randomly inserted side plot.

Accepting that it’s just part of our story, helps.

5. Suspension of disbelief is required

Perhaps it goes without saying, in a fantasy setup like this, but there will be times when Show stretches logic. At those times, being willing to just suspend disbelief and roll with it, is helpful.

6. This is the Lee Jung Eun Show

Honestly, if you love Lee Jung Eun, then this is a must-watch for you, because she is wonderful in this, and gets so much room to shine. 🤩

Everything and everyone else in this show, takes a backseat to that. I think that’s one of the most important lenses to keep handy as well.

STUFF I LIKED

The emotion that grounds the story

While this show is billed as being pretty funny and silly, it’s the emotional beats that kept this show grounded for me, through my watch.

In particular, the emotion that we see expressed by both younger and older Mi Jin (Jung Eun Ji and Lee Jung Eun), at this predicament that she finds herself in, really tugs at my heartstrings; the tears in her eyes feel like a real expression of worry and fear, and my heart just goes out to her.

Show is pretty good about sprinkling regular moments of poignance into our story, and I really liked that, because it absolutely helps to ground all the sillier notes.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. When Mi Jin gets a leg rub from Mom, and Mi Jin remarks that she now understands what it means to say that you’re only as old as you feel – and that the soles of her feet feel old.

Mom laughs it off, but we know that Mi Jin really does know what it feels like to be old, and that makes it all land in a much more poignant way. 🥲

E5-6. It was quite heart-pinching to see that deep down, even though Mi Jin had celebrated her wins with the various tasks that Ji Ung (Choi Jin Hyuk) had assigned her, she understood that those had been designed to discourage her, rather than real tasks that needed to be done.

E5-6. When Ga Yeong (Kim Ah Young) starts teasing Mi Jin about liking Ji Ung, it really landed with a fair bit of pathos, when Mi Jin says that she knows her limits, and why would she cause harm to others.

Aw. That’s heart-pinching to me, that Mi Jin feels that way about herself. 😭

[END SPOILER]

Show’s sense of humor

If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’re probably kind of shocked to see me put Show’s humor in this section, since, historically, k-humor and I don’t typically land on the same page.

But you guys. I actually really enjoyed Show’s sense of humor, so much so that I found myself laughing out loud at points, during my watch, which is something that doesn’t happen all that often.

Sometimes, I would even feel kinda sorry that I’d run out of episodes of this, I was having that good of a time. 😁

It’s true that the humor in this leans broad, but it wasn’t too broad for my taste.

Also, one of the things I like about this show, is how things seem pretty organically developed, such that even when some happenings seem kind of off-the-wall in the watching, it still kind of makes organic sense.

[MINOR SPOILER]

For example, in episodes 11-12, Ji Ung running into Mi Jin’s family home when he hears screams of terror, and then getting invited to dinner, is kinda ridiculous in the watching, but it actually makes organic sense why he might be walking around the neighborhood – because it’s part of his investigation.

[END MINOR SPOILER]

I liked that about the way Show handled itself.

Here’s a pretty generous round-up of the things that amused me, during my watch. 😁

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I was very amused at how Mi Jin seems to carry so much of that candy around in her pockets.

When she wants to show her gratitude to Ji Ung, she basically empties all the candies out of her pockets for him, and he ends up with that bemusing pile of candy, when he hates sweets.

I found this quite funny, because of how Mi Jin’s stuffed her pockets with candy, and because of how pleased she is, after giving Ji Ung all of it. 😁

E3-4. It’s played for comedy, how Ji Ung and Byeong Deok (Yoon Byung Hee) jump to the conclusion that Mi Jin’s too old to truly be of use, and hatch a plan to make life hard enough for Mi Jin, that she’ll quit on her own – only for Mi Jin to blithely complete every task, no matter how impossible it may look.

Hahaha. Like, sure, you have suspend disbelief to buy that Mi Jin’s able to do some of these things, but I thought it was amusing, and it pleased me that Mi Jin kept showing up aces, and making both men utterly flabbergasted by her amazing prowess. 🤭

YES, shock them outta their senses, Mi Jin, and make them come around to the idea that you are nothing short of amazing, and they simply can’t live without you. 😁

E5-6. I totally chuckled when Ji Ung ends up being sprayed with mud after his car gets stuck, and he and Mi Jin get picked up by Dad (Jung Suk Yong), proudly slow-driving his tractor. 🤭

I giggled at how Show is clearly intent on giving us glimpses of how strong and lean Choi Jin Hyuk is, and how creatively it’s doing that, while staying within our story’s logic boundaries.

Ji Ung getting cleaned up at Mi Jin’s home makes lots of sense in the context of the Mud Incident, but I giggled anyway, at Show blithely serving up a shirtless and very sculpted Choi Jin Hyuk – just coz it can. 😁

And then I cackled out loud, when Ji Ung puts on Mom’s clothes instead of the ones that Dad had left out for him, coz that undercuts the sexy so abruptly and so effectively.

Nothing like an ahjumma outfit, to accentuate one’s muscular build, yes? HAHA. 🤭

E7-8. I am extremely tickled by the cover that Mi Jin opts for, after throwing that chicken drumstick in Ji Ung’s direction.

Pretending to be his girlfriend, and accusing him of cheating on her with another woman? Pwahaha!!

That’s hilariously perfect, coz I totally didn’t see that coming, but it very effectively diverts everyone’s attention, while actually giving a plausible explanation for why Mi Jin might be acting a little crazy. 🤭

Ji Ung’s completely flummoxed expression in response, just makes everything funnier. I love it. 😂

Ji Ung ending up being the literal subject of a tug of war between the two women, is honestly pretty nuts, but it really works, in this situation, and I was even more tickled, once I realized that the extras in the restaurant are grinning away like they’re having the best time of their lives, watching this go down. 😁

E9-10. One of the recurring gags, this week, is Byeong Deok getting all stunned and shocked at the sight of Ko Won (Baek Seo Hoo) being all sweet on Older Mi Jin.

It’s kind of silly that Ko Won would be so obviously attentive and sweet towards her at the office, after assuring her that he’ll help her keep her secret, but oh well, it’s not like anyone would look at him being sweet and think, “Ha! She must turn into a pretty young lady at sunset!” 😂

And so, we’ve got Ko Won doing all types of boyfriend-like things for Older Mi Jin, like sitting next to her at lunch, and giving her the best bits, and opening a bottle of water for her, and smiling affectionately through all of it, and Byeong Deok basically almost has an aneurysm every time he sees Ko Won making a boyfriend-type move, and it’s hi-la-rious.

I absolutely laughed out loud, and then laughed some more, the longer this went on. It was a pretty great running gag, honestly. 😁

E11-12. One thing that I found quite neat, and therefore enjoyable, was the way Byeong Deok’s perception of Older Mi Jin’s relationship with Ko Won, gives rise to that conversation with Ji Ung, where they’re talking at cross purposes, but have no idea that they are.

I thought that was quite clever, and I like that Show had done the ground work, in order to make this conversation feel like a natural possibility, where Byeong Deok thinks he’s talking about Older Mi Jin and Ko Won, while Ji Ung thinks that Byeong Deok is telling him that Younger Mi Jin returns Ko Won’s feelings for her. 🤭

And then later, we get the fun of this misunderstanding being brought to light, when Ji Ung literally laughs in glee, when he realizes that Byeong Deok had been referring to Older Mi Jin having a thing with Ko Won.

He’s usually so repressed and deadpan, that it’s a trip in itself, to see him laughing so gleefully. 😁

[END SPOILER]

When Show is creative

Without giving specifics away, one of the key things that Show does, is keep Ji Ung from finding out Mi Jin’s secret, and I gotta give it to Show; it really is quite creative in how it finds ways to do that – while giving us the impression that he’s about to find out, at any moment.

I dunno; maybe this might annoy some folks, but I personally was quite entertained by it all. 😁

I think part of the reason I was entertained by this, rather than annoyed by it, is that even if Show pulls a bluff, it still makes sure to give Ji Ung and Young Mi Jin time together, and inch their connection closer, as they do so.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. After Mi Jin shorted the door, I was convinced that Ji Ung would witness her transformation at sunrise, and I was honestly already imagining how our story would unfold, if Ji Ung was in on Mi Jin’s secret.

But, Show has Mi Jin literally climb out of the apartment, to escape to Ga Yeong’s apartment, and I’m slow-clapping over here, because that’s a pretty genius direction to take, to get Mi Jin out of the corner that writer-nim had written her into, yes? 😅

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

The serial killer arc

For the record, I’m as tired of serial killers popping up in our dramas, as the next drama fan, but to Show’s credit, this particular serial killer arc is a pretty integral part of our story.

For a good stretch, I mostly didn’t mind the serial killer arc, because I thought of it as a means to an end; something that served as an excuse for Ji Ung and Mi Jin to cross paths enough, to build a connection. 😅

At around the episode 9-10 mark, Show does ramp up the murder case stuff, and I was fine with that, because I took that to mean that we’d be able to wrap up the case earlier than later – and leave more time for romancey things.

That.. didn’t quite work out the way I imagined, however, but I’ll talk more about that later, when I discuss the finale episodes.

Anyway, overall, this worked out to neutral, for me.

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

The thing with the cat [SPOILERS]

There are other things that frustrate me about this show (which I will absolutely talk about later), but the one I want to single out right now, is the fact that Show isn’t ever clear about the magic at work in our fantasy set-up.

Show hints that the cat is an important magical element that has something to do with the body transformation that forms the basis of this story, but it’s never actually confirmed nor explained.

At around the mid-point of our story, Show also introduces another wild card into the mix, and that is that Mi Jin’s biological age is suddenly increasing quite rapidly.

That is weirdly never actually addressed; it’s almost like Show forgets, quite conveniently, that it ever said that Mi Jin was growing noticeably older, and for longer periods of time as well.

There is a moment in our finale when Mi Jin actually spots the cat again, and she chooses not to go after it, which I rationalize to mean that Mi Jin’s decided that it’s no longer about the cat – but Show doesn’t actually explain this either.

SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.

And, no real commentary or conclusion articulated by Mi Jin about it either, even after she gets out of the cycle of transformation.

I didn’t like how Show handled this, and am honestly quite disappointed at how Show dropped the ball on it.

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS

Jung Eun Ji as Younger Mi Jin

I’ve seen comments where folks expressed that they found Jung Eun Ji unlikable in the role of Mi Jin, and I have to say, I don’t feel that way at all.

In fact, I find her to be a very sympathetic character, and I feel sorry for everything that she’s been through. And, importantly, I do think that Jung Eun Ji communicates that very well, in the way she plays Mi Jin.

I think Show makes it pretty clear, that Mi Jin’s a sincere, earnest, goodhearted person, and that any “acting out” that we see.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Like when she yells at a bemused Ji Ung over the phone because she thinks that he’s yet another scammer trying to trick her out of money that she no longer has anyway, because she’s just been scammed.

I feel like anyone in her situation would have felt aggravated and even a little unhinged, after taking 8 years to pass her civil service exam, but then fails the all-important job interview because she’s now considered too old – only to fall victim to a scammer who preys on her desperation.

And yet, after all that, she is still kind and gentle to the stray cat that approaches her, and even gives the cat milk from the carton that she has in her bag.

I absolutely think that that says a lot about Mi Jin as a person, because I think it wouldn’t have been surprising for a lesser person to have taken out their frustration on the stray cat.

The fact that Mi Jin still has a gentle kindness to her, after all that she’s been through, really endears her to me. 🥲

And then later, the whole reason she falls down that well, is because she was tipsily trying to save the cat from falling down said well.

Again, her heart to care for another creature other than herself, given her down and out circumstances, really makes me want good things for her.

[END SPOILER]

Lee Jung Eun as Older Mi Jin

I just love Jung Eun in this; she seems to grow cuter and more endearing with every episode, and she basically stole the entire show, for me.

Even with 20/20 hindsight, knowing that Show doesn’t (in my opinion) stick the landing, I still don’t have regrets watching this one, because of how wonderful Lee Jung Eun is, in this. 🤩

I know some folks have remarked that Lee Jung Eun’s playing it too slapstick, but the more slapticky moments didn’t bother me, surprisingly.

I do feel that Lee Jung Eun’s channeling Jung Eun Ji very well, in that I can believe that we are simply witnessing Mi Jin in an older body, and not that a different person with a different personality has taken over Mi Jin.

To my eyes, Lee Jung Eun and Jung Eun Ji are giving off very similar vibes in terms of their facial expressions, body language, and manner of speaking, and I do get a bit of a thrill from that.

Plus, I just find Lee Jung Eun absolutely adorable and endearing as Older Mi Jin.

Lee Jung Eun also shows some fantastic physicality in the role, coz she has to talk and move like there’s a young person on the inside, and it delights and amuses me greatly.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I do kinda love the idea that Mi Jin decides to apply to a job as her older self, because she’s doing her best to make the best out of a perplexing and crappy situation.

And, I am suitably amused at how Mi Jin’s now the star applicant, because she’s so quick in her thinking, so fast on her feet, and so savvy with things, unlike the other applicants, who are truly older people on the inside.

Amazing what a switch in context can do, eh? 😁

But also, I found it very poignant, when we see Older Mi Jin cry tears of happiness and relief, when she sees that she’s been selected as a successful applicant.

E7-8. The work dinner is followed by a session at the noraebang, and can I just say how cute it is, to see Lee Jung Eun and Jung Eun Ji dancing in unison, side by side?? 🤩🤩

I love how Older Mi Jin just blows everyone away with her cuteness, never mind about her supposed age. What a star! 🤩

[END SPOILER]

Choi Jin Hyuk as Ji Ung

Since Ji Ung is supposed to be a workaholic who’s hyper-focused on his work most of the time, we mostly get a lot of Choi Jin Hyuk’s deadpan side, and I’ve found that Choi Jin Hyuk’s pretty great at playing deadpan, like in Zombie Detective (review here!).

But then, there’s a softer, kinder, more marshmallow side that he shows, when he’s not at work, and I liked getting more acquainted with that softer side.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. We see Ji Ung look out for Mi Jin a number of times, these episodes, both when she’s Young Mi Jin, and when she’s Older Mi Jin.

And, when he gets cussed out by Mi Jin and blocked, he’s more perplexed and bemused, than actually angry, and I think that tells us quite a bit about him.

E3-4. It’s becoming clearer that Ji Ung is a nice and caring person, despite his reputation for being difficult and moody.

The way he bought a whole new set of earbuds because he’d broken Older Mi Jin’s lost earbud, and then gotten someone else to pass it to Mi Jin like it had come from security, was very kind, I thought.

E5-6. I thought it was nice, that Ji Ung goes with Mi Jin, to the vet, to drop off the injured cat, and I also thought it was quite sweet, that he expresses concern that she didn’t manage to find her missing cat.

He really is quite a big marshmallow on the inside, isn’t he? 🥰

Overall, I just really dig all the signs that Ji Ung’s a softie on the inside – particularly when that softness has anything to do with Mi Jin.

Like the way he takes the cactus home, and sets an alarm to water it – and remembers the name that Mi Jin had given it, even.

And the way he latches on the empty banchan boxes as an excuse to contact Younger Mi Jin on the weekend – coz dude needs an excuse to meet up with her, heh.

Points to Ga Yeong, for answering Mi Jin’s text for her, and telling Ji Ung to come to the water park, too. 😁

We finally get the flashback for what Mi Jin’s drunk call to Ji Ung had been like, and honestly, you can totally see Ji Ung affectionately melting in her direction.

I mean, if someone drunk dialed me and started telling me I was a jerk for not being upfront with an ahjumma, I don’t think I would look as kindly amused as Ji Ung does, listening to drunk Mi Jin.

Instead of getting annoyed, he even softens up, and tells Mi Jin that it’s because he identifies with Older Mi Jin; that she looked like she had nowhere else to go.

Aw. I feel myself softening towards Ji Ung in degrees, whenever he shows us his soft underbelly. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Ji Ung and Mi Jin

Like I mentioned earlier, the OTP loveline isn’t actually a primary focus in our story, even though Show’s promos would have you believing otherwise.

Still, I was happy to go with Show’s pacing, and make the most of the little OTP tid-bits that Show sprinkled through our story, because I had faith that Show would make it all satisfying and worthwhile, in the end.

However. I can’t lie; I do think that writer-nim missed the timing on wrapping up this arc nicely, which I’ll talk about, in the finale section of this review.

For now, here’s a collection of OTP highlights.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. I like that Show is keenly teasing out the relationship between Ji Ung and Younger Mi Jin, even though they don’t spend all that much time together, in the grand scheme of things.

Like the way he gets protective over her in the elevator, coz there’s a lascivious drunk drooling in her direction, and gives her his jacket – while strategically slapping the dude with the jacket swish, as he puts it on Mi Jin’s shoulders.

I love even more, that Mi Jin then uses the jacket to strategically slap the drunk guy a few times, while swishing it around to put it on – which causes Ji Ung to leak an appreciative little smile. Eee!

I love these little indications that Ji Ung’s growing a little fond of Mi Jin, in spite of himself. 🤩 Every time he leaks a bit of a smile because of Mi Jin, I squee a little. 😍

I did squee a little bit, when Ji Ung asks Mi Jin in the car if she’s still got the self-defense items he got her, and she answers that she feels bad using it on civilians – and he gets all huffy about them being assailants, not civilians.

I mean, this is him expressing his concern for Mi Jin, isn’t it? 😁

I also like indications that they are getting more comfortable around each other.

Like the way Mi Jin asks what he’s saved her as, on his phone, and then tests it for herself – and then gets all peevish-sardonic about how he hasn’t even saved her by her name.

And then there’s also the way he keeps harping on the fact that Mi Jin had blocked him, which kind of amuses me, the more it goes on.

E5-6. I honestly really do like the teasing-bickering vibe we sometimes get, between Ji Ung and Mi Jin.

Like when she giggles at how “good” he looks in those pants, and he deadpans, with a distinct hint of peevishness, that he’s going to tell her parents about her getting scammed.

I find it all very cute!

E7-8. I’m glad that Ji Ung spots Mi Jin at the bus stop and cares enough, to get out of his car and follow her, when he sees her choose to walk instead of take the bus.

Of course it’s drama coincidence that Mi Jin’s talking aloud to herself, to process her feelings about everything, but since it helps Ji Ung understand her position better, and feel more sympathetic towards her, I’ll happily roll with it.

And, points to Ji Ung for showing up for Mi Jin, when she accidentally riles up that drunk dude, when she accidentally kicks a can into his head.

And then, even more points to Ji Ung, for telling Mi Jin that he understands that everyone has their reasons, and that he’ll wait until she’s ready to tell him.

Aww. That feels like a breakthrough right there, because this is him stating his trust in her, isn’t it? 🥲

After that, it feels even more significant, when Mi Jin asks if he’ll be able to tell her everything too, if she waits – and he says that he’s not one to open up, but if it’s her, he might be able to do it, though he doesn’t know when.

Ahhhh!!! This means that she’s special to him, and different from other people, and I’m spazzing in response. 🫠🫠

His bashful dorky smile when Mi Jin says happily that she’ll wait, because she’s good at waiting, is so cute!

It’s no wonder Mi Jin is on cloud nine afterwards, and well into the next day.

E7-8. I’m honestly very amused at the fact that Ji Ung doesn’t have any trouble kicking out Byeong Deok, but is unable to effectively turn Mi Jin away, when she shows up at his doorstep, saying that she wants to clear up all the misunderstandings that they have.

There’s a good amount of hijinks that go on, with Mi Jin’s efforts to get ahold of that list, and trying to out-drink Ji Ung, but then we also get an unexpected poignant moment, when Ji Ung admits that when Mi Jin’s mom had been so kind to him, without getting all weird about him being an orphan, that he’d liked it.

And, it feels like such a significant thing, that he tells Mi Jin that he really has led a pretty decently good life, even without his parents.

I’m pretty sure that Ji Ung’s never opened up to anyone else like that before, and it feels really, really precious and special, that he would open up to Mi Jin.

Plus, when Mi Jin accidentally breaks that plate and cuts her finger trying to pick up the pieces, it feels very personal, the way Ji Ung fusses over her and helps her dress the wound.

I love how she asks what the consequences are, when someone is declared momentarily insane due to alcohol, and then, when Ji Ung says that sentence reduction depends on whether the incident had been an accident or not, she makes sure to tell him that it isn’t an accident – before leaning down to kiss him on the lips.

Eeeee!!! Ahhhh!!!

Our girl has made her move!! 💋

AND, she’s made sure to tell Ji Ung that this isn’t an accident, and that she will therefore not require any sentence reduction.

Am I to take this to mean that she’s saying she will take responsibility for him? 🤭

E11-12. It makes perfect sense that Ji Ung would fall sick, after having been out in the rain like that, but what gets me, is Mi Jin’s reaction.

I find it very endearing, honestly, that she can’t convince herself to not care about him, even though she’s convinced herself that there is no chance between her and Ji Ung.

Isn’t that so pure? 🥲 Whether she has any chance with him is irrelevant to her heart; she just can’t help caring, and she can’t help wanting to do something to help him, because she cares. I love that.

The moment Mi Jin got home and we saw Mom with that huge pot of ox knee soup, I knew where that soup would end up – in Ji Ung’s house, heh.

I’m just relieved that Dad saw Mi Jin swiping the soup, so that he could at least let poor Mom know where her soup went. At least she’ll feel better knowing that it’s gone to her potential future son-in-law, rather than “the crazy woman” (ie, Older Mi Jin), as she first presumes. 😅

Also, points to Byeong Deok for basically forcing Mi Jin to face Ji Ung, by ringing that doorbell for them both, but then disappearing before Ji Ung comes to the door, heh.

I’m not mad about that, because this OTP needs all the nudging they can get, in my opinion. 😁

I have to confess that when Ji Ung watches Mi Jin prepare that meal for him, and his thoughts go to his mother, I’d balked a bit.

Like, I don’t want Ji Ung to think of Mi Jin as a replacement mother. 😅

But then I reframed it, that he was looking upon Mi Jin as a person who could be family to him, and that landed a lot better. 😅

I’m glad that Ji Ung asks Mi Jin not to leave, and I’m glad that when Mi Jin stays, Ji Ung actually opens up and tells her about his mother disappearing, after she’d made that promise that they’d make a snowman together.

Aw. This feels like a really big step for Ji Ung; I’m sure he’s never opened up about this to anyone before.

I like that this has dual benefits.

One, it brings Ji Ung and Mi Jin closer, because he’s chosen to trust her and open up to her, and now she’s knows something very personal about him, and

Two, this actually gets Mi Jin thinking about Im Sun’s disappearance, and how it might be related.

I thought that was quite neat.

E11-12. I appreciate that poignant moment of conversation that Ji Ung and Mi Jin share, when she walks him out after dinner.

I really like that Mi Jin tells Ji Ung that hearing about his mother had reminded her of her aunt, and that she realizes that her mother must feel similarly to him, not feeling able to say goodbye to her sister, and keeping a sense of hope that she might come back someday.

This feels like such a deep, poignant and specific sharing, and to my eyes, I feel that this would bring Ji Ung and Mi Jin even closer. 🥲

I’m glad that Ji Ung responds in kind, and tells her about his conversation with Dad, when Dad had asked him about the letter that had been delivered from the police.

I like this spirit of open sharing between them.

E11-12. I’m relieved that Ji Ung comes to Mi Jin’s rescue, and that she’s ok – although she does suffer from nightmares, poor thing. 🥺

And, I do appreciate that, on the OTP front, this incident does nudge Ji Ung and Mi Jin into expressing their concern for each other more freely.

From the hug that they share when Ji Ung rescues her, to them fussing mournfully over each other’s cuts and wounds, to Ji Ung bringing that box of tea to Mi Jin, as an excuse to see her, I thought there was a nice amount of overt feelings flowing around. 🥲

And I do love that closing scene, where Mi Jin admits tearfully that she’s scared, and Ji Ung pulls her to himself and basically refers to her as “his person,” as he says that he’ll never let a person of his disappear again.

And just as I’m about to mini-squee, he goes on to apologize, not just for being late to catch the culprit, but also, being late to realize his feelings for her.

And then we get a proper, intentional, gentle kiss, this time initiated by Ji Ung (yesss), and well, I’m content. 🥰

E13-14. I actually enjoyed watching Ji Ung and Mi Jin be all happy and cutesy with each other  over text, and I was particularly pleased to see Ji Ung looking like a brand new person, with how much he was smiling, and how extra genial he suddenly became.

Ahhh. Like, the power of the first blush of romance, yes? 🥰

Of course, there’s also the added thrill of watching Lee Jung Eun act like a blushy teenager in love; where else can we get golden content like this, yes? 😁

[END SPOILER]

Mi Jin and Ko Won [SPOILERS]

I actually really enjoyed the little bond that forms between Ko Won and Mi Jin, both before he finds out her secret, and after.

Before he finds out her secret, the bond feels really pure and precious, because he and Older Mi Jin make such an odd couple, and yet, there’s solidarity in their friendship, and they just get along.

I enjoyed their little coffee pact, and the fact that Ko Won was more interested in hanging out with his senior intern friend, than in all the fans screaming at his every move.

After he finds out her secret, and develops a big crush on her, I thought it was quite hilarious, that he would get all flirty with Older Mi Jin at work, calling her “Noona” and everything.

I found this quite amusing, even though it didn’t seem like he was trying very hard to help her keep her secret. 🤭

Ultimately, I’m glad that Mi Jin lets him down gently, and that he remembers her with a sweet, wistful sort of poignance.

Mi Jin and Ga Yeong

I enjoyed Mi Jin’s friendship with Ga Yeong quite a bit.

To my eyes, their friendship feels very absolute and enduring, like it transcends any personality differences between them, and will last forever and ever. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

I’m glad that Mi Jin confides in Ga Yeong about her shape-shifting reality, because this provides Mi Jin with a safe space, to talk about her very real struggles.

And I found it touching, that Ga Yeong would literally drop everything if she felt that Mi Jin needed her, whether it was to hunt down the magic cat, or to be there for Mi Jin. 🥲

I do love the detail, in episodes 9-10, that Mi Jin and Ga Yeong are so in sync, that they just need to look at each other, to know what the other person is thinking.

The way they nod in unison, and kind of finish each other’s sentences, really gives me “besties forever” sort of vibes, and I really like that. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

Ga Yeong and Byeong Deok [SPOILERS]

At around the episode 11-12 mark, Show seems to be hinting at a potential loveline between Ga Yeong and Byeong Deok, and I have to say, I absolutely did not see this coming.

I mean, first and foremost, Byeong Deok had been introduced to us as a very married character, so I thought that Ga Yeong’s little crush, brought on by her lack of contact lenses and therefore clear vision, was just going to be a fun little joke haha.

BUT THEN.

Show reveals that Byeong Deok’s not even married, he’s just pretending to be, because he’d been scammed by the woman whom he’d believed he was going to marry.

(Aw. Poor Byeong Deok. That really does suck.)

That reveal does explain so much, though; no wonder Byeong Deok keeps going to the office on weekends, and no wonder he keeps showing up at Ji Ung’s apartment. Not only is he trying to save money, he’s lonely as well.

After the initial shock, I realize I’m not opposed to this loveline, primarily because Ga Yeong had fallen for Byeong Deok without actually realizing who he was.

In that sense, she’s falling for his person, and not his appearance, and I like that idea. 🥲

Mi Jin’s parents

I just wanted to say that I really liked Mi Jin’s parents; I thought they were very wholesome, even though Mom (Jung Young Joo) does sometimes get a bit violent. 😅

I thought it was sweet that Mom was so invested in Mi Jin’s love life, and was always ready to be Mi Jin’s wingwoman.

And I thought Dad was an absolute sweetheart, with the way he was always ready to be Mi Jin’s co-conspirator. 🥰

[SPOILER ALERT]

E11-12. I really like how Dad responds to finding out that Mi Jin had gotten scammed, with so much sympathy and empathy for Mi Jin. 🥲

I honestly love how Dad’s always backing up Mi Jin, and this time, I found it very touching that he would blame himself for being an incompetent father, and then find every opportunity to praise Mi Jin, or do things for her, like shine her shoes.

He is the sweetest, honestly. 🥹

E13-14. The way Dad has that cheeky glint in his eye, as he “innocently” starts to talk about how he saw Mi Jin come home in Ji Ung’s car, is super cute and endearing. 😁

[END SPOILER]

THEMES / IDEAS

Despite its comedic billing, Show’s got some meaningful themes at play. Here are the ones that stood out to me:

1. Sometimes success can look very different from what we envision, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t meaningful.

2. Live in the moment, and be grateful for what you have.

3. Set yourself free from the guilt of your mistakes; your mistake shouldn’t define your whole life.

4. Listen to your heart and follow it; that’s your path to true contentment.

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E15-16. My friends, it pains me to say this, because I really enjoyed my watch of this show quite a bit, but.. I really didn’t like how the finale was handled. 😭

I feel like I could almost say, I disliked the handling of this finale, to the same degree that I liked the rest of the show. 😅

I was fine with the wrapping up of the serial killer arc, because I’d already suspended disbelief for this arc, so it felt like part of the deal, to just suspend it all the way to the end. 😅

Mainly, I was very disgruntled with how Show managed everything after the conclusion of the serial killer arc.

Honestly, it felt like writer-nim didn’t quite know what to do, now that we’d gotten to this stage of the story, and was just cobbling things together, in order to fill screen time, and hoping that it would make enough sense, in the end.

I don’t know about you guys, but it didn’t make enough sense for me, and I was very disappointed about that.

The biggest thing I’ve been waiting for Show to reveal, is how Mi Jin would get back to her original state, where she wouldn’t change into her older self by day, only to return to her younger self by night.

Alongside that, I was also waiting – well, hoping – that we would also get some kind of insight or understanding, as to why things worked the way they did, for her.

Like, what had turned her this way, and then, what would turn her back.

And I’m honestly quite perplexed at how writer-nim handled this whole thing.

All we see is Mi Jin doing her best to live her best life, with her family and friends beside her, and one day, the magic just.. leaves?

Not only that, I found the scene where Older Mi Jin and Younger Mi Jin say goodbye to each other, really weird.

Up to this point, I’d never considered that they were separate from each other; I’d accepted that Mi Jin was just aging prematurely in the day time, particularly because we’d been shown that whatever she might look like on the outside, her personality – her soul – remained the same.

And yet, here’s Show, treating Older Mi Jin and Younger Mi Jin like they’re two separate entities, and having them share an emotional conversation, which more or less condenses into:

“You’re the best” – “No, you’re the best” – “No no, YOU’RE the best!!!!” 😭😭😭

This was weird to me, no matter how I tried to wrap my brain around this.

If Mi Jin was going to be at all wistful about letting go of her older self, I’d rather have her talk to herself in the mirror, where we see Younger Mi Jin gazing into a reflection of Older Mi Jin – BUT THEN ONLY HAVE YOUNGER MI JIN TALKING.

I think I could have rolled with that.

The moment you have two Mi Jins talking to each other, though, it feels like writer-nim’s just changed the entire foundation of this double appearance situation, and I’m completely confused by this.

I’m almost wondering if Older Mi Jin was supposed to be Aunt Im Sun all along? But then.. Show never indicated that, even a little bit, in its entire run leading up to the finale, so that doesn’t make sense?

Like, sure, Older Mi Jin might have looked like Aunt Im Sun, but Show had always stressed how Mi Jin bore a striking resemblance to Aunt Im Sun, so it only makes sense to me that if Mi Jin grew older, she would look similar to how Aunt Im Sun would have looked, at that age.

This was my least favorite thing that writer-him did, in handling the finale.

My second-least favorite thing, is the handling of the OTP relationship.

It literally feels like writer-nim is throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this OTP relationship, with the sole intent of keeping them apart – until the closing credits.

ARGH. Did. Not. Like. Not even a little bit. 😞

I mean, yes, I get that Mi Jin would feel compelled to quit her job, but the way she then proceeds to aggressively avoid Ji Ung, was just very frustrating to watch.

I can understand that Mi Jin would feel terrible about having deceived Ji Ung, but surely there are better ways of dealing with that, other than determinedly ghosting him, until he leaves town?

Why couldn’t we have had Mi Jin and Ji Ung having a proper, decent, healthy conversation about this, where they lay their feelings out on the table, and figure things out together?

I would have much preferred that, compared to what we got.

Having Mi Jin study for the civil law exam, so that she’d get posted to the same office building as Ji Ung in Seoul, so that they’d be able to run into each other at the cafeteria, is not how I envisioned this OTP relationship working out.

Sure, I get that Mi Jin finally realizes how much she’d loved her job as a prosecutor’s assistant, and that is what finally makes the difference, in her passing her exams.

But.. couldn’t we have had Mi Jin come to this very same conclusion, without ghosting Ji Ung like that?

Couldn’t she have figured it out, and then talked with him about it, and then pursued that new direction, with his support??

I just don’t get what writer-nim was thinking, in choosing this direction and outcome, for our OTP.

This way, we literally forsake any onscreen deepening of the OTP relationship that we could have had, for the alleged poignance of fate bringing them together a second time, by assigning Mi Jin to the same office as Ji Ung.

As you can tell, I am not at all a happy camper about most of this finale.

Yes, we do get a final, happy shot of Ji Ung and Mi Jin walking together, framed by pretty cherry blossoms, but in my view, it really could have been so, so much more. 😭

THE FINAL VERDICT:

A fun ride, for the most part. Pity it couldn’t stick the landing.

FINAL GRADE: B

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  Miss Night and Day, is Your Honor [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on Your Honor on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +Serendipity’s Embrace [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +The Tale of Rose [China]

VIP (US$15): +Your Honor [Korea]