Chicago Typewriter (2017)

Great story a must watch for kdrama fans

This is a 2017 South Korean drama with 16, 70 minute episodes

Han Se-joo / Seo Hwi-young (Yoo Ah-In) is a famous author who hits a slump shortly after he meets one of his top fans, Jeon Seol / Ryu Soo-hyun / Anastacia (Im Soo Jung) Jin Seol was an Olympic level shooter who lost her desire to pursue the sport when holding the gun would bring on flashes of disturbing memories. Jin Seol is thrilled when her delivery service leads her to drop off a package at none other than Se-joo’s house. However, Se-Joo is not a fan of people in general and particularly this fan who finds excuses to seek him out. The package contains a typewriter that Se-Joo admired in an antique shop but was told it was not for sale. Seems the owner had a change of heart. The typewriter is not just any typewriter but holds a secret that ties Se-joo, Jin-Seol and a third character associated with the typewriter, Jin-oh / Shin Yool (Go Kyung-pyo) together. Collaborating on a novel about their past may break Se-joo out of his slump, allow Jin Seol an excuse to be around Se-Joo and reveal how and why the three are drawn to each other.

Spoiler 🚨. I liked everything about this. The reincarnation angle was interesting and the back story with the ghost was compelling. It was clear that their past story would be sad so it did not fall too heavy when the sad part occurred because it was expected. It kept you guessing just enough to make you want to keep watching. The love stories were believable and relatable. The friendships were heart warming. Getting a slice of life of that era in Korea was interesting.. The only thing that detracted and kept the ending from feeling thoroughly happy was not knowing what the future held for the ghost. It is a thoroughly engaging story with great character development, an intriguing premise and interesting plot. I highly recommend this for a wide audience but those interested in modern history, that like mystery, action, supernatural elements and romance will particularly enjoy this one.

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For me it started slow. At the start of this drama, I wasn't really attached to it. I just watch the episodes for the sake of Yoo Ah In ( because oh god, in all dramas of him I watched, he's hottest in Chicago Typewriter). But as the story progressed (around episode 5) I got attached to it and I found myself glued the whole time. While I was watching it, I was reminded of my country's National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, like at first I thought "wait is this based on Jose Rizal's story?".  Like Hwi Young he is a doctor and a writer. Although he is not a leader of any movement (but was accused as a leader, leading to his death), he wrote novels which changed and influenced the revolutionist at that time, also like Hwi Young, he is a great and brilliant man. I think if this drama will be aired in my local channels, many will also find similarities with Hwi Young and Dr. Jose Rizal. ( Hands up fellow Filipinos! Did you feel that too ?) Anyway, the reason why I mentioned that is because of that fact that I liked this drama. It feels good, surprising, exciting to find a drama from another country that also reflects my country's history.  Although I did not have first-hand experience  with the Japanese occupation of my country, I really emphatize with the it. I read of real stories of what happened during that time and I am sure that it is similar to what Korea have been through. Although those weren't explicitly seen in the drama, I know the cruelties of the Japanese during that time.

I hope my review will not scare those drama fans who doesn't like history type of dramas. This drama is not about history at all (which is boring), it is not about what we've read on books (which are politically corrected). It is a story that focuses on the point of view of the youths stuck in that era. An era were in falling in love is a luxury, and they got no time for that. Also it showed how privilege we are now, that we are living in a liberated country (yes I hope the one reading this also lives in a liberated country). So thank our freedom fighters for that. Kudos to this drama, I hope I will see such dramas in the future too.

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Beautiful and Otherworldly

This is one of my absolute favorite shows. I didn't know what to expect and just tried it out randomly, and I'm so glad I did. The music and cinematography alone give this show a leg up, especially with the flashback scenes. The show has a quality I haven't felt from any other show. It's at times dreamlike and ethereal; mystical and playful but also grounded in the harsh reality of the past.

I really love all the main characters, and all of them have an emotional and important place in the story. The female lead is one of my all time female leads, because in my opinion she's authentically fierce and interesting. Sometimes a female lead is called strong while she doesn't actually do all that much, but that's not the case here.

The story started with a few threads of mystery and ended up tying them together in a satisfying way. The audience is given hints of what happened, but I was still taken aback at how emotional the whole story was. Chicago Typewriter is certainly not the most depressing show I've watched, but I really couldn't help but cry for the characters at some point. This show just ended up being really fun, intriguing, and emotionally satisfying.

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Just watch it!

I've developed affection for the main trio and the fusion of ghost story and historical drama really worked for me. Chicago Typewriter sometimes is laugh out loud funny and some moments are terribly tragic; there are scenes that make your heart flutter and scenes that give you the feels; the settings and costumes are on point; there are unexpected twists and turns, a lot of character development and, for the faint of heart, there are two paralel endings that leave you satisfied with the ride.
By the last third, things slow down a bit and get tropey, but the slump is overcome and the show reaches a very satisfactory conclusion, revealing that the writing is solid and that there is cohesion for the show as a whole.
Do yourself a favour and don't look up for recaps or spoilers. Just watch this show!

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A passionate tale

Chicago Typewriter has so much going for it. By far, the best quality is that none of the characters (that matter) are annoying and our three leads can seriously ACT. Plus, the story is intriguing — dual timeline shows can feel choppy, but somehow the past and present were weaved together smoothly.

This is a story of passion: passion for one's country, passionate love for the ages, and passionate youth burning brightly. It strikes deep chords of nostalgia and showcases unbridled joy in the midst of chaos. It's hopeful and full of life. Above all, the friendship was worth witnessing. It's true that this show may be a bit frustrating in the first six episodes, but it really does pick up steam. I'm glad I stuck with it.

There were a few minor lowlights. There were a few too many flashbacks and repeat scenes — or perhaps it felt that way since I binged the show instead of watching it week-to-week. I felt that the stalker's subplot was left hanging. I wish we got some hope for Seol's friend, who just wanted to be loved. Then again, all the other characters were less compelling and less fleshed out (thinking of people like: the Shaman, Han Se Ju's dad, his agent, etc.). The story was so complex that I'm glad the show focused on its leads above all else.

I laughed out loud and I cried. What more could you want from a show, really?

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I went into this show with high expectations, because of the glowing reviews and the interesting sounding summary. The show luckyly lived up to my expectations.

The plot kept me at the edge of my seat the whole, even while watching it the second time it had my full attention. The story is told bit by bit and it feels almost like your are solving a mystery along with the characters, this very much reminded me of another of my favourite shows, healer, which is also told in a similar way. The story set in the 1930's was the most intriguing to me, because it's the whole mystery of the show, what happend in their past life?

The romance and the friendships in this show are if i had to descripe it with only one word heartwarming. Han Se Joo's relationship with the two other main leads is at the start very hateful, but slowly he begins to care about them. It was especially fun to see the friendship between Han Se Joo and Yu Jin Oh grow, bacause Han Se Joo didn't really wanna admit that he cares about him. This bromance was in the past also really pure and you knew they had each other back. The romance between Han Se Joo and Jeon Seol is pleasure to watch develop through their two lifes. Their relationship is at times heartbreaking and others times it warms my little heart, and makes me cry while smiling. Jeon Seol and Yu Jin Oh bond at times seems kinda one sidede, because Yu Jin Oh likes Jeon Seol as more than a friend. But she truly cares about him too and cares for him like a big brother and comrad.

The characters are all fleshed out and truly feel like real people. They all grow and develop through the series. Many of the charcaters are technically two charcters. Two characters that have different goals, beliefs, personality and live in different time. But they are at times the same person and at others two people. Han Se Joo is arrogant and is very distant. He was very hurt by people he saw as his family in the past and because of that doesn't trust anyone. He begins to trust and love people after meeting Yu Jin Oh and Jeon Seol. His past self, Seo Hwi Young, is very secretive, but is like his future slef not so because he doesn't wanna get hurt, but is rather like that because he doens't wish to see those dear to him hurt. Hwi Young is a strong and resolute independence fighter. He's smart and skilled and is the leader of an independence fighter group.
Jeon Seol is a smart and hardworking, but is sadly often unlucky. She has since she was young been able to see moments of her past life, which led to the end of her shooting career. Her past self, Ryu Soo Hyun, is also a very hardworking girl, that has also gone through hard times. She fights to revenge her father and to help her friends.
Yoo Jin Oh is a cinnamon roll and really helps and stand up for the few people he really cares about. In his former life, Shin Yool, also cared more than anything about Ryu Soo Hyun and Seo Hwi Young.

The acting in this show was phenomenal. I hadn't ever seen any of the actors starring in the show before, but now most of them will be on my radar. The music fits the show so well and are great songs on their own.

I have within only one week already watched this show twice. It's a rollercoaster. It at times brings you immense happines and at other times has you crying like a newborn baby. I recommend this show to people who just wanna laugh, who wanna se a cute love story, but most of all i recommend this show to those who wanna get wrecked by a good show.

The show is about discovering your past, but it wants you to live in the moment. Just like Shin Yool's bar is named Carpe Diem.

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No matter which era you live in, life is an agony. There’s no such thing as perfect world. Every era has its own problems and things you’d want to resist. We resist, struggle, fight, and win. That’s how we shape the world we live in. Thanks to the youth you guys sacrificed, we can live in a world like this now. Pass this message along to the youth of the time: You fought hard. And I thank them for creating this world for us. (Han Se Joo – Chicago Typewriters)

Doesn’t Han Se Joo’s speech sound like one of Yoo Ah In’s statements in his SNS? I would buy it if they said he was the one who wrote these particular lines. I’m sure this is yet another reason why he picked Chicago Typewriter for his final project before enlistment.

As the story goes towards the end and each character tries to recall their past life, Chicago Typewriter‘s 1930s scenes take center in most part of the episodes. The 1930s classic story of the struggle of young independence fighters is done perfectly. There’s a hinge of sorrow and joy, there’s a hint of hope and desperation. And there’s Carpe Diem– seize the day. The scenes make a lot of viewers curious and digging more into the history of Korean independence as well.

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I've just finished rewatching this series for the 2nd time. The first time I watched it was when it first came out in 2017. While the pacing might be a tiny bit slow for some, I really loved the storytelling in this drama. This story just feels so one-of-a-kind, with how it wonderfully interlaces the past (1930s) and the present (2010s) lives, each having equal importance, and each having a story of its own.

The main cast's performances are great, and I like the chemistry shared between Yoo Ah-in, Im Soo-jung & Go Kyung-pyo. In particular, Im Soo-jung's crying scenes towards the end of the series were truly heartbreaking. Yoo Ah-in is charismatic in playing his characters, and I admire the little nuances he has for the 2 characters he plays. Kwak Si-yang as the antagonist, played his role fairly well too, though there were certain scenes where the performance felt subpar.

I love the OST of this drama as well. I feel it's unique and helps to aid the emotion of the moment right away.

There were some small inconsistencies that I've spotted, but it doesn't take away from the overall drama, so I won't expand on that. Overall worth watching!

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A good story with a powerful ending.

For me this drama is 8.5+
There have been so many reviews for this drama, so I won't repeat many of the comments by other reviewers.
I love dramas about the past lives and reincarnation. This drama was all about that topic. Life in general is a mystery and a knowledge of past lives tend to remove of some that mystery.

What I disliked:
Hours of drama that was pointless with the main story line such as the motor cycle accident. Hence, my low rating for this drama.

What I liked:
The message of this drama. I quote the ending of the drama:
"Is it so difficult to admit that you did something wrong? Is it so difficult to say that you are sorry? Someone waited for 8-years to make an apology. Someone even risked his life to keep his word. Life isn't only about the good old days. If you did something wrong.. admit it and correct it. It might be painful at times but you should fight it.. that is life. Atone for what you did for rest of your life so that you can make a fresh start." This is a powerful message for all of us and this planet would be in a different place with that philosophy.

In my opinion 50% of this drama is really good with a good message about life and how to live one's life.

Finally, I wish we all could remember our past lives with the commitment to live in the present. There have been many times that I can't explain my emotions and triggers, similar to the FL reaction to the guns.

Another story line i liked was about the character of Sophia who ended being a mom in 2017. Sophia sold out on her comrades because of her attachment towards her son. In the next life, as a mom, she chooses to abandon her daughter in her childhood. Hmmmm. what were her life lessons?... something to think about.

There are many story lines in this drama which has me doing some critical thinking about my own life. Therefore, this makes a really grown up drama.

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