This review may contain spoilers
This drama was a pretty nice surprise and I’m happy I decided to give it a try.Everything was well executed and I enjoyed the time travel plot. Some moments a bit hard to understand giving the logic of the story and I found a few plot holes but definitely not enough to ruin the story.
The main couple relationship is very healthy and even tough I don’t like cheesy dramas I found myself smiling and enjoying their interactions. I found the female lead was kind of funny.
100% recommandes if you want a nice refreshing drama
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This review may contain spoilers
Not the slow burn I was expecting
I think my expectations were too high. The first 4 episodes had me hooked, I was in love. I didn’t mind the pacing, it was more action packed than expected based on the other reviews I read. But it truly broke my heart watching them fall in love only for So Joon constantly doubt himself, not listen to any of the advice he was given, and just lie to Ma Rin. I understand their relationship was new, but the lack of communication was maddening. I appreciate the message of the show, to enjoy what you have while you have it, but I expected a slow burn romance and I got a frustrating heartache. Everyone was wonderful in their roles, I wish the other couples/side characters had more screen time. It’s a good show, but it took me through too much emotionally all for a guy to learn how to apologize. Ma Rin deserved better. But at least her two men came through for her in the end.Was this review helpful to you?
Time travel melodrama
This is a slow, well-paced show. Don't expect lots of action when you read it's a time travel fantasy. The writers took their time developing the characters and the story and it was pretty enjoyable being along for the ride. Though I didn't love it, I think it was worth watching, for various reasons.Writing: GOOD: A very good story. There was tension throughout, never knowing what was going to happen next, and just when I thought I'd figured it out, the writers threw in a curve ball. I especially loved the characters of So Joon and his friend Kang Gi Doong. So Joon was a man that, by necessity, lived a pretty solitary life, and I thought it was wonderful that he let his friend in on the secret and his friend always had his back. I liked the concept of the butterfly effect - one change that you make in the present affects the future. I also love the fate aspect, meeting in the past and again in the future. NOT SO GOOD: I did have trouble, however, keeping track of past, present and future events, which often took me out of the story. Often there was not clear delineation to give you a good idea which timeline you were in. I had a difficult time with the reason for the breakup, I felt it was weak. And not to give anything away, but if you know something is going to happen at a specific intersection at a specific time, why not just avoid the intersection? The secrets went on too long: "I have things to tell you but I can't tell you and you just have to trust me for awhile."
Acting: GOOD: Lee Je Hoon did a wonderful job. He had to display a wide range of emotions and I always felt he was believable. He started out just being self-absorbed, not wanting to get involved in anyone else's life. As the story progressed, you could see how much he cared for others. NOT SO GOOD: Shin Min Ah is a good actress, but when she gets upset, she overacts. I found it hard not to laugh during her over-the-top crying scenes. And when her voice went up an octave when she was trying to be cute/sexy I just had to cringe.
CHARACTERS: GOOD: So Joon. Good progression of his character throughout the show. NOT SO GOOD: I did not like the character of Ma Rin at all. First, the woman seriously needed to start going to AA meetings! She had a real drinking problem. That was not enjoyable to watch. I felt her character was pitiful - she was trying to start a business, but she was just so sad to me. She seemed to always be listening to other people's conversations and going where she was not supposed to go. I felt that she was pushy and clingy with him. I didn't find anything endearing about her character.
CHEMISTRY: So good!! There was more hugging, hand holding, etc. than we normally see in K-dramas, and they seemed like they were really comfortable with one another. Some of the touching scenes gave me the feels.
OST: The music blended well with what was going on in the show, but there weren't any songs that I absolutely loved.
So, in conclusion, I'm glad I watched it, but I can't highly recommend it. It's one of those "filler" shows when you've watched everything else and are waiting for new shows.
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However, the overarching conflict was stretched out for too long. Half the time I wondered if the lead actor was really in love with the female lead or more interested in self preservation.
This is an interesting variation of rich guy/poor girl trope so commonly found in kdramas. I enjoyed that aspect, at the very least.
And leads are quite pretty to watch.
Watch this one if you like time travel and in the mood for general badassery from male leads (this one was great because he can travel through time...)
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The present is a gift
Oh my god, swooooooon! I have come to realize that a show just needs to have the poem "The Visitor" by Jeong Hyeonjong (정현종) for me to love it. Kidding — but I did almost fall out of my chair when I heard that opening line, "Having someone walk into your life is an incredible thing..." towards the end of this show. It was one of my favourite parts of my favourite drama of all time (Because This Is My First Life), so what were the odds that it'd be used in this drama too? In fact, Tomorrow With You technically used it first, although both shows aired in 2017. I guess writers were really in their feels about living for the present at the time, with acknowledgement of the relationship between past, present, and future. The usage in this drama was perfectly sweet and comical though.ASIDE FROM THE POEM, let's talk about the absolute best aspect of this show: the chemistry. I'm not the biggest fan of Shin Minah, but she and Lee Je Hoon portray newlyweds PERFECTLY. The hula hoop scene is a highlight, but more than that, the love shines through in the little moments of affection, worry, and happiness. The moments they smile and laugh together over mundane things, captured on Marin's home videos, are the best of them all.
You come to love all the side characters too. Ki Doong and Seyoung; Sori and even Gun Sook; Marin's parents; coworkers like Secretary Hwang and Min Joon... these are all the people that make up a fulfilling life, aren't they? I somehow left wanting all of them to be happy. AND we have to talk about Kim Yong Jin. That guy knows how to play a villain. There are some villains out there who are irritating to watch; who make a viewing experience worse. That is not the case here. You love to hate Kim Yong Jin; you pity him; you become fascinated watching his descent into madness. The acting is what makes this show shine.
The story itself is suspenseful and interesting, but it's nothing PARTICULARLY special. I binged this show fast despite being super busy these days, so that's a testament to how good it is (or perhaps how good it is at ENDING EPISODES IN CLIFFHANGERS). I was proud to guess a "big reveal" before it happened, but it was deeply foreshadowed so I probably can't take too much credit. Speaking of foreshadowing, it is done masterfully and used as a central plot device. As the saying goes, it's all about the journey, not the destination. We learn about shocking things before they happen, and when they come to pass in "the present," we get to learn the underlying motivations. The show uses great colour-grading to distinguish between the warm, nostalgic past, the "normal" present, and the cold, eerie future. The theme of this show is to live for the present, with some hints of a deterministic worldview — sometimes, it's just someone's time. And sometimes, we can "barter with the universe" with unexpected births or deaths. However, this message got a little muddled by too many random actions that changed people's fates (both big and small).
The only thing stopping this show from being a perfect 10 was literally the last few minutes of the show — I spoiled myself on the last plot point and thought it would be exciting to watch unfold, but the execution didn't live up to the idea. Our time traveler boy also never seemed to learn his lesson; his connection to the future should've ended at the climax. Also, BABIES?! I'll stop there to prevent any spoilers. If you want to know more, you'll just have to watch the show. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
I don’t know how to go about rating this drama because it took me WEEKS to finish (thanks to my kdrama slump) and I was enjoying it but at the same time kind of bored with it as well. Overall, this was a great drama. Love the actors (except for Shin Min Ah but that’s just my personal preference. Sorry :/). Storyline was pretty decent and I really liked how they were slowly unfolding everything and the viewers were kept in the dark about a lot of the story until the end. However, I did also have several problems with the storyline. It was never really clear to me when So Joon stopped acting and actually fell in love with Ma Rin, and that kind of felt weird and unsatisfying to me because I definitely need clarity in my romances. Also I felt like there were a lot of plot holes, such as (spoilers) why did Ma Rin’s dad leave her family? Why couldn’t So Joon return to the past? Why were all the characters acting so dang stupid all the time? Why did it take him 2 years to wake up from a stab wound? As well as some other weird time travely things I wasn’t satisfied with. I additionally felt that the ending was wrapped up way too quickly compared to the pace of the entire drama. The drama completely glazed over “you-know-whose” death and the whole issue of the “big death day” as if it wasn’t the entire reason So Joon married Ma Rin in the first place. Besides all that, I genuinely did love this drama, although it took me forever to finish it, and I think I have developed a new crush on Lee Je Hoon :) Was this review helpful to you?
A very fitting title!
I rarely watch time travel dramas, but from the trailer of this alone, I already got so hooked. I couldn't stop that I binged all episodes in one sitting. Plus, I really love how mature it is. I like how the script and the actions that the drama had isn't the typical play-safe ones in K-Drama.While there are lapses in the story, I guess that's something that can't be helped given the nature of the drama. I just wished that they learned more toward the end and kinda limited or stopped time traveling altogether... I felt that it was already too risky given what happened during the last episodes and that doing it again mostly for material wants is just too shallow of a reason. Admittedly, the last few minutes of the ending were the weak point of the story. It could've been better if the future they had was even a tad more mature than how they initially started. I think the growth part kinda dwindled here. But trust me when I say that character growth is very prevalent in this story, just minus the last three minutes of the drama. Viewers will definitely see growth unfold through each episode.
Overall, I loved this drama. I would definitely rewatch this when I want the feels. Because this definitely gave the feels when it comes to the different types of love and friendship. It's realistically refreshing and heartbreaking. You'll definitely get what I mean when you start watching.
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Love it
This is my first time watching Lee Jee Hoon in drama. He looked familiar somewhere (might be in a variety show) but I forgot where did I see him. I stumbled upon this drama when I saw a short video clip of him and Shin Min Ah on Instagram. I didn't know that I could love this drama so much. It was really a great pairing between both him and Min Ah. What surprised me most is, when I read the reviews here saying that this drama got a low rating there in SK. Both of them are well-known actors in SK, but couldn't save the drama's rating. Whatever it is, I would love to see this pair again in any drama/movie in the future. They are looking so good together.Was this review helpful to you?
The storyline will drag out for a long time. To be honest, I think 16 episodes were too much for this drama to fill. Maybe if it were only 12 episodes, it wouldn't have felt so prolonged. That doesn't mean this drama wasn't good. I am absolutely in love with the aspect of time traveling. Plus, the cinematography was breathtaking. The only thing I found weird throughout the entire series is that nobody on the subway seemed to notice him disappearing and then reappearing out of nowhere.
My favorite actor for this drama would have to be Kang Ki Doong. I think he was the ultimate scene stealer and I just love how his character is like everyone's best friend. I also want to applaud Baek Hyun Jin for his impeccable acting. In all of my years of watching k-dramas, I don't think I've ever hated a character (especially an antagonist) so much in my life. If I had to point out one negative thing, it would be Shin Min Ah's acting. I love you girl, but sometimes you are just too extra for me.
I really wish this drama came with more original soundtracks because then I could've based on ratings on something more. They were your average ballads, nothing more but also nothing less. I would've given them a higher score had they riled up my emotions, however, they failed to do so.
Overall, I think this drama does a good job of answering all of the questions that need to be answered and then leaving the rest for us to figure out ourselves. While they may leave you hanging for a while, I think the end is certainly worth it. For those who are patient enough, I would recommend this drama. Unfortunately, I can't say I'd rewatch this. I think once was enough for me.
With that said,
Llama out.
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Worth the watch
I am the type of person that skips the heavy part of drama, still I love watching melodramas. In this drama there is this heavy set feeling of pending doom and even though there is romance but i was not able to enjoy it.STILL I COULDN'T GET MYSELF TO SKIP EVEN ONE MINUTE OF IT. I don't know what kept me going, the thought of skipping didn't even cross my mind. This drama is strangely addicting and you will not be able to stop binge watching it.
The writers did good job of keeping suspense till the very end though it was somewhat predictable that her father would sacrifice himself to save both of them. There were no plot holes left unfulfilled still if her father started time traveling from very early on then he was the mastermind from very start and planned everything so as to save her.
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The most pleasant surprise.
[ Original date written: May 31st 2021 ]I was initially confused by how much I enjoyed this because everyone I've seen talk about it has either said it's boring or bad. But for me it wasn't. Not in the slightest. This is one of the most interesting dramas I’ve ever seen. It’s so different from most K-dramas, as it doesn't follow the usual formula I’ve seen oh so many times.
Obviously the cast is great but the STORY the lead characters and the relationship between them are all incredible. It’s got good humour, an interesting and VERY different romance, AND it executes sad tones very well. For instance we'll be in a romcom environment but then our male lead will travel to the future to see something terrible or sad, instantly raising our interest and investment in seeing what becomes of these two.
I was hooked by episode 3. The scene of him going to his death day for the second time and speaking to his future self on the phone, that was when it got me. I thought to myself "Wow. This is going to be incredible." AND IT WAS.
For flaws literally the only thing I have to say is the last episode isn’t very good, though not in terms of no happy ending just in that it seemed pointless. But I find a lot of K-drama’s have bad last episodes the writers probably just don’t know how to wrap things up well.
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