This review may contain spoilers
A Piece of Your Mind had an interesting concept that drug me in because if it wasn't for the AI plotline, I probably would've dropped it pretty early on. The first few episodes are slow and hard to get into.. It felt weird going from basically one love story to another one through the same person. Once the romance starts though, it was easy to watch. You can never have a romance drama without the murder mystery and this one plays out throughout the whole drama. It's not until the last 3 episodes that everything is answered. The plot twist in this drama was pretty easy to put together early on, but takes the characters the whole series to figure it out and for all the pieces to play out.
I was going to rate this higher than I ended up rating it, but the last episode and the overall start of their relationship or rather the reason, were why I rated it as low as I did. This is one of those dramas that plays out happy the entire time, but then suddenly right at the middle of the episode we have a "breakup" "It's me, not you" "I need time" moment and it really ruined it for me. You then spend the last half of the episode waiting for them to get back together and for it to be happy again. It felt that they had waited for her to realize that their relationship already started on weird foundation too late.. It just really put a damper on the entire thing because I couldn't tell you a reason as to why it needed to happen. Just felt like they needed the extra drama towards the end after the peaceful resolution to the main plot.
Overall, a pretty good watch for the characters, plot, and the short romance you do get to see... the ending just ruins the good that they did have going on.
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Its one of those dramas that you had no plans on watching cause you already had a prejudice about it, that it would be boring. It's those that you never expected are usually gems that really struck you. It's nothing flashy or extravagant but the story and the way the drama made you feel, is what made you love it more.
I don’t watch melodramas for the reasons that I find it a bit dull or slow and requires too much emotional investment. And reading the synopsis for this and watching the trailers, it gave that exact vibe especially with the aesthetic of it all.
STORY
“We all love differently” is a good phrase to summarize the drama. Ha Won and In Wook’s love for Jisoo is different as are Seo Woo’s and Soon Ho’s love.
Ha Won and In Wook’s love for Jisoo and her memories are quite the opposite. Ha Won cherished everything about Jisoo. She was the sunshine on a rainy day, she was the light in a dark room, the fire during winter and the warmth during cold days. She was Ha Won’s rock. He was willing to drop his life for her (he did) and would never regret it.
Ha Won knew his place and never forced her, he waited and waited patiently and even when he realised that she loves someone else, he didn’t argue with it or fought, he respected her decision. Even when their lives moved on Ha Won held on to his love. Even with a tiny memory, he held onto it, he held onto her memories, he held onto her. Having a piece of Ji Soo was enough.
“I only want a small piece of her”
In Wook started loving his wife from afar. He watched her and loved her with all his heart. She was his partner and his other half as he did for her. She was his loving and supporting wife and he cherished and loved her just as much. He didn’t expect though that a past mistake could put a strain to their love and trust. In Wook loved her but his pride got in the way.
He expected her to just accept it and move on and when she didn’t he distanced himself thinking that it was the best way to let her heal. But there was a part of him that hated Ha Won for loving his wife, he was insecure and guilty. Unlike Ha Won, a piece is not enough, he wanted everything from Jisoo.
Seo Woo and Soon Ho both love someone and the way they approach their love was different but still kind of the same. Seo Woo at first just loved Ha Won just like he did for Ji Soo, patiently and quietly but when she saw that he was hurting, she didn’t comfort him with flowering words but rather slapped him with the truth.
While Soon Ho, she stuck on his side despite him pushing her away. She was persistent and that was her charm. She wanted to comfort him by being there she didn’t want him to be swallowed by grief.
His tears give me pain. I want to tell him it’s okay and that he shouldn’t suffer anymore. I want to be able to give strength to my husband. -Ji Soo
Seo Woo had a question that I really liked and Eun Joo’s answer was even better.
Is one percent potential or false hope?If you think, “I have a whole percent” it’s potentialIf you think “I only have one percent” it's a false hope
I love the idea of viewing one thing differently. Depending on how you see it, it can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. It's how you see it and how you believe it that matters.
There are a lot of lines in the drama that really struck me, especially when dealing with emotions from situations you can’t control.
Seo Woo would say to Eun Joo one out of the 100 reasons as to why it won’t work out with Ha Won but I say for every dozen of reasons for it to be wrong, there are thousands of reasons for it to be right.
“Being sad when you should be angry or annoyed is bad for you. Its okay to be angry”
I forgot who said it but I love that line.
“Its gonna be okay, the world changes on its own”
I love that the romance was slow at times, it was refreshing from other dramas since it was slow and values too much on each character's feelings, there's no villian who vows to ruin everything but it rather focuses on the grief of loss, the desperation of longing and moving on from pain.
There is a really good chemistry between both leads, they are the kind of pairing that you want to watch for a long time, which is why it's a bit sad that it got cut short into 12 episodes.
CHARACTERS
Moon Ha Won is the kind hearted genius who founded M&H and the leading innovator of AI Programming. Despite his success, Hawon is longing for his first love, Ji Soo. His childhood friend and only friend when he was still living in Norway with his mom.
What I really love about Ha Won is his consistent love and loyalty to those he values. He is very patient and calm, so it was quite different when he got mad. I love that he is such a cool boss and understanding uncle to Soon Ho, despite them being the same age or was he older by a few years?
I love Ha Won’s kind of love. He is not forceful, obsessive or constrictive but rather he was patient, understanding and sentimental. He’s not a high maintenance kind of guy (lol) he values simple things. He has this innocent look that you can’t help but fall in love with.
I love that his feelings (for Seo Woo) didn't just magically appear. It wasn’t love at first sight, he fell in love with her by understanding her. His feelings gradually developed the more he understands how Seo Woo thinks. When he first saw her, it wasn’t love but rather curiosity. He was kind of curious about her and the more he spent time with her, his curiosity morphed into something more.
Han Seo Woo is the recording engineer for a classical music studio. At first I kind of thought that she was just a normal person who is just trying to survive day by day but as the drama progresses, the more secrets of Seo Woo’s life unfolds which reminds of the saying “Don’t judge the book by its cover”. Seo Woo kept her pain inwards, like the majority of the characters in the drama Seo Woo is dealing with or have dealt with memories that are just too painful to handle alone.There was a time that it seems like Seo Woo is in love with not the actual person but loves Ha Won's love for Ji Soo, do you get me?
She said she loves looking at him when he is asking about Jisoo, the way he cherishes her, misses her the way he gives his all for Jisoo, not being negative or being pessimist but it seems like she is in love with Won's idea of love . But after watching it all, I know that she genuinely loves Ha Won. I kind of get her dilemma and why she did what she did. She was being thrown in this rollercoaster of emotions and a person can only take so much.
Moon Soon Ho is the biological granddaughter of the diplomat who sponsored Ha Won and his mom while they were staying in Norway. She is like the complete contrast to Ha Won, she is impulsive, impatient and opinionated but that's just Soon Ho’s charm. I was a bit disappointed with her though, putting her crush over Ha Won, oh how much I wanted to rip her off the door but somehow I think it was for the better ‘cause Ha Won had the time to cool off and not do something impulsive.
Kang In Wook is the tormented pianist who records at the recording studio who is also Ji Soo’s husband. I actually didn’t like him at first but I was moved by his pain. He genuinely loves his wife but his pride is his downfall. It hurt my heart watching him in pain.
ACTORS
I love the actors. Of Course I love Jung Hae In, although I haven’t watched a lot of his work since most of them are in genres or themes that I was not interested at all but everytime I do get to watch him, I always love him. Somehow this kind of genre and theme just perfectly fits him.
Then Chae Soo Bin is one of my favorite actresses. She is really pretty and really good at acting, I saw her on I’m not a robot and Sassy Go Go and I just fell in love with her. She is like a walking doll.
Although I was a bit disappointed with Lee Ha Na (Soon Ho), I can’t pin point out what but somehow I was kind of disappointed with her in this, although I loved her in Voice with Jang Hyuk not the following season (lol)
And for Kim Sung Gyu, my amazing and awesome Young Shin from Kingdom. I love him here and in the kingdom, he perfectly played the tormented pianist really well.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I rarely like OSTs or drama BGMs. I often find them subjective, like it fits for that single purpose alone and after the drama has passed, it's just no longer meaningful but somehow all of the music in this drama just gives me shivers (tbh, Idk why) but it just does. I find myself looking for it and constantly having it in repeat which is a big help for me right now since my insomnia keeps on coming back.
Aesthetic for the drama is very soothing, warm and calming which perfectly fits the overall feeling of the drama. The cinematography is really great and the locations are breathtakingly beautiful.
Would I recommend it? Yes, it's a refreshing drama that nourishes your heart and your soul. It's one of those dramas that doesn’t need the over the top climax or horrifying or despicable villains. All the emotions that each character goes through from pain, desperation, grief to happiness is the main gem of the drama.
If you haven’t watch it, instead of being led by stereotypes and prejudices (like me from the start) that melodramas are boring and dull, watch it with open mind and open heart and then you can genuinely judge if its a good drama or not.
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I loved everything in it. I loved the characters, the actors who play them, the story and the music. Han Seo Woo and Moon Ha Won are the sweetest. The chemistry between them is incredible. How they unconditionally support each other and grow through their relationship is beautiful. The other characters are great as well. My other favourite character is probably Jun Eun Joo. She goes through a remarkable transformation and how she cares for Han Seo Woo is precious. Kim Ji Soo also left a lasting impression, though her appearance was brief.
Aesthetically this drama is an absolute dream. The colours, the setting, the framing, the many plants, everything was wonderful and calming to watch. I can savour every little detail in this drama. The soundtrack is gorgeous too. It complements the story and the mood so well. The music flows naturally with the scenes, it’s never invasive or distracting. It just adds to the whole.
The one thing I had an issue with was the pacing. For the most part I enjoyed the slowness, but in the second half the storyline with Kang In Wook was drawn out to the point of frustration. Still, this is only a minor thing. Overall I loved this drama and I’ll definitely watch it again.
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This review may contain spoilers
Amazing acting, but not so great story
This drama exceeds my expectations in terms of acting and imagery. Other than that, I kept rolling my eyes because of the twisted story & feelings. I kept telling myself something was off all along the 12 episodes, from how they met, lived together, started dating, etc... I am perplexed about FL feelings who kept butting in his life, stole the device from his apartment, kept coming in his house when he’s not there, etc.... I don’t like how the writer tried to make it look like ok because she is naively kind. And then the death of Ha Wons mother kept annoying me. The niece who took side to the guy who was involved in her death, the FL who hid it from Ha Won but once they kissed, she sided with him .... the fact they made it look like it’s common that people die when it snows in Norway is so exaggerated.A lot just didn’t feel right about these characters and because of that this drama is a miss for me. I sont like when stories don’t make sense in dramas that are supposed to be realistic. I def preferred Something in the rain or one spring night!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Piece of Your Mind is artistic, beautiful, and warm. It's a story about unrequited love, death of love ones, and the journey to healing the mind and heart. For me, this is a drama that is not for your typical viewers. But if you are in need of healing, watch it. If you are in a dark place and need's hope, watch it. If you need some romance and warmth, watch it.Personally, I love Chae Soo-bin's and was not disappointed once again. I think she's an actress that can portray emotions so well. The same goes to Jung Hae-in. I like how the relationship developed slowly and sweetly. You might be disappointed there aren't more kiss scene but you will be treated to lots of hugging. And it makes sense, to me at least. When you are down, depressed or sad, you don't need a kiss or make out session to feel better. You need someone to give u a long hug, to envelope you with their warmth and make you feel like everything is gonna be alright.
The cinematography and the soundtrack is excellent. It's calm, soft, soothing, and beautiful. The technological aspect of the voice device doesn't and will not make any sense, so treat it as you would treat a fantasy k-drama.
Did I mention how sweet and lovely the main couples are? Its the kind of romance that will bring a smile to your face.
It's a drama that requires you to think, to take notice of the small details that are shown. Like how the dark alleyway are fully lighted at the end of the show, perhaps signifying how dark times don't last forever? Or how the house is positioned at the top of a slope, and they placed a chair a short distance before reaching the house. Perhaps they are showing that whatever you are facing might be an uphill battle, but if you walk hard and long, there will be person there that is waiting to bring you to your happy/safe place.
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If you want a summarized version of my review, here it is. The story was good, but it felt rushed through the end and the only one to blame is TvN for cutting it short. The acting and characters really did save the show, and did a great job at portraying the emotions to the watchers. You'll find yourself relating to certain things each character does and seeing a little bit of yourself in them. The music is not that great, and the rewatch value is ok.
Story:
The story of this show is basically that Ha Won and Ji Soo are childhood friends, and as they got older Ji Soo married and feel in love with In Wook. Ha Won on the other hand still loved Ji Soo, and watched the life she lived with his unrequited crush from the sidelines. Ten years after moving to Korea, Ha Won is now an ai developer and Ji Soo is working alongside her husband. Alongside Ha Won is his family member Soon Ho who is the grandchild of a woman that adopted Ha Won. Then comes Seo Woo, a music engineer who works under the studio that Ha Won has recently bought to work on his recent AI project. As the five of their lives come to entangle, the story of unrequited love and all the pain that comes with it is told.
For me the story was doing really good before the four episode cut happened. TvN had stated the cut was due to low viewership, but a drama as slow burn as this needs more than just twelve episodes. I loved the idea and the concept behind it, but after the eight episode mark, it began to become apparent that the writers had to rush the rest of whatever they had in mind. The storylines of the side characters suddenly dropped, and the main character's relationship seemed rushed. It would not have been as bad if they cut it down by two episodes, because then they could have just gotten rid of any unneeded parts. With four episodes comes almost four whole hours of footage and story they could not tell. The story for a drama like this should progress over time, but because of the cut in episodes, a lot happened in the last three episodes of the show.
Even though this happened, I really did enjoy the show and the story it told, I just wished TvN had waited a few more episodes before they decided to cut it or just not done it at all. I feel that they could have gotten a better viewership if they had kept to the original 16 with good progression, over a rushed 12.
Acting/Cast:
First of all, like I stated before, I practically started watching this solely for Jung Hae In being the lead. I watched him in One Spring Night and Tune in for Love, and now he is my favorite actor. I hadn't ever seen any dramas with Soo Bin in it, but I was willing to give it a chance. I recently have fallen in love with melodrama kdramas, and was excited to see where this one went. Now that I have watched the show, I feel each actor played their role really well.
Moon Ha Won - Jung Hae In played Ha Won really well. He was able to display the underlying pain that he always felt yet suppressed and kept deep in him. There were times where you could see the innocence the character had when it came to love and his relationship with Seo Woo. One of my favorite scenes is when Soon Ho and Ha Won first meet, and Ha Won looks up from his computer and cutely waves to his new family member. We all have memories or people we so desperately want to hold on to yet feel pain from, and Hae In displayed those emotions really well.
Han Seo Woo - This was the first drama I have watched with Chae Soo Bin, and I have to say that I loved her for this role. Seo Woo is a character who is honest to herself and despite going through hardship, is trying her best to get past it. She is a character with many flaws, yet I can't help but see myself in her. The moments where she is doubting her abilities, or trying so hard to stay strong for the people around her. Seo Woo is a very human character who I believe everyone can find a little piece of themselves in. One thing I really liked about this casting in particular is how perfectly Soo Bin played the role. This is incredibly unbiased because I have never watched a drama with her in it, yet I felt she really captured the kind of character and person the writers were going for.
Moon Soon Ho - I know a lot of people found this character really annoying, but I felt she brought a sense of lightness to this almost depressing show. The actress Lee Ha Na did a great job displaying the playfulness yet sad character, especially towards the end of the show.
Gang In Wook - This character despite everything he did, made my heart hurt. The actor Kim Sung Gyu did a really good job in showing the despair he constantly went through because of his past and current actions. I felt that I could relate to how something he once treasured, the piano, became a reminder of everything he lost. I'm sure there are several things in our life that once had a happy memory to it, but there are sad feelings tied to it. Sung Gyu did an amazing job at portraying the eagerness In Wook had to find out what happened to his wife, and how far he would go to do just that.
Music:
I will say upfront, I didn't really pay attention to the music so I don't think I am the best to go to for this subject. I will say that the music was not "good" enough to pull me in and make me love any particular song.
Rewatch Value:
Because this show is so dependent on secrets and big turns of events, the rewatch value is not as high. I would probably purely rewatch it to see the chemistry between the two leads again, but beside that I don't think I would be able to put myself through the heart wrenching pain again.
Overall I feel this drama is definitely worth a watch, but I would just be aware that the end will feel a bit rushed. If you need one reason to watch this, then definitely the chemistry and amazing acting between the two leads.
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This review may contain spoilers
The small alleyways with flickering lights, the lone chair under the streetlight, the sloping hill overlooking the sunset, the quiet overpass atop the busy traffic, the studio filled with music, the plants on the window sill, the reflection of the leaves on the ceiling, all the way to the steps to Hawon's home; all of these instances feel so real, feel so embedded in my mind as if I have walked them myself. It feels like I have healed during the walks between these places and the time spent with these characters and that's what this drama was about: healing. Although there were elements of romance and angst, to me, the main point of this drama was the healing and growth of these characters. Too often, I see dramas with insane or "interesting" plotlines that leave little time towards the actual characterization and development of the characters and I am so glad I got to experience this drama as a breath of fresh air. The story was slow at times, yes, but that is the point, growth for people doesn't happen overnight so why must we act like it does? Why must our stories be fast paced and unauthentic? Admitting grief and facing it takes time and acceptance and this drama helped portray that beautifully.The acting was great, the scene when Jung Haein showed Hawon crying in the cafe broke me because it was such a simple situation but it felt so real because I can honestly say I have times like that, when the small things not the big just set you off in explainable ways. The characters were mostly all mature, most faced situations in an adult like, reasonable manner which just made me like them all that much. I'm glad there was no unexplained animosity, and I was glad the characters were in touch with their feelings. I am glad Seowoo quickly realized she liked Hawon and I liked that Hawon's character realistically showed that feelings are ambiguous: they don't just exist in black and white. There are times you know you're not in love yet, you have a lot to overcome personally, but another person is still important to you and I am so glad he communicated that directly to Seowoo. People like the homestay family also grew on me, and their stories also touched me deeply. The feelings of these characters were handled so sensitively, I am truly grateful to have seen them all grow.
Obviously there were some aspects that felt rushed, but that's not the blame of anyone in the cast, the director, or the writers because that's just the way it turned out. I wish they had focused a bit more on Seowoo and Jisoo's mental health, because those aspects were touched upon but never fully built upon. But, in a way I also appreciate that because in a way, they normalized having mental health problems such as depression, as well as its treatment such as medication, without making it into a big thing which sometimes portrays it in an even worse manner. The only aspect that didn't fully sell me was Soonho's part, but to others her part might have felt more meaningful. But, once again, I am so glad to have watched this, and definitely the tears were all worth it. So far, my fav drama of 2020 and one of my favs of all time.
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I'm not sure why this has lower view rating but if you are not fond of HEART WARMING, SLICE OF LIFE, SLOW-PACE ROMANCE, I SUGGEST DO NOT EXPECT MUCH AND DO NOT WHINE ABOUT HOW IT DOES NOT MEET YOUR USUAL ROMCOM EXPECTATIONS.
(This is not a comedy after all)
As for me, I liked it through and through. It is an unexpected gem.
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I thought of dropping it before I even finished watching the first episode..
..like many who tried watching this drama.But there were people who said really good things about it that it seemed like my type of drama.
And the cast was too good for me to drop the drama.
I decided that I was not in the mood and left it aside.
Some time later, I read a teeny tiny spoiler that sparked my interest
(It was the best spoiler ever. I even misunderstood it).
My curiosity got me through the first episode and that was it. (ok i wont lie, my curiosity got me through the first two episodes) After them I really wanted to see how the story would unfold.
The drama was very slow but the episodes flowed by very fast i didn’t feel them.
Han Seo Woo is a character that I wanna hug so tight.
And Jung Hae In, once again, wins as the best melodrama-romance actor with his honey-dripping like acting.
It was the best one-sided crush I’ve ever seen. I really dislike them usually.
The world flowed around them and it was very interesting . The classical music that flowed was a bonus.
I realise I used the word flow a lot. Because that’s how it was.
It shows us the story of characters going through some kind of pain. And uniquely portrays it.
I am so glad I read that tiny spoiler because everything made sense as I watched.
I wasn’t confused at all.
(The tiny spoiler was something like: 'she helps him find his first love'.)
The moral of the drama is beyond the confusing stuff. It is in the little details, in every interaction. That is where the 'healing' happens.
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Excessively sentimental & strongly emotional ❤️
If anyone ever mentions of melodrama, A Piece of Mind is it.I was in dire need of something that is excessively sentimental and strongly emotional and A Piece of Mind gave what I needed. It is beautifully written and executed. It is perfectly narrated and conveyed. The pace of the drama is enjoyable, it makes you stop and think, it does not aggravate, it just delivers the storyline, in a way that you would definitely fall in love with. At the beginning of the drama, you might feel that there is certain loopholes, but as the story unfolds, it will lure you to a dreamland. And you will feel something like ‘oouhh no wonder he said that. And no wonder she did that’
At first, I was sceptical with the plot that involves and AI tech, but this drama naturally meddle that to everyday life. It blends so well with the characters and nothing seems forced or illogical by sense.
It is sweet, slow, it takes its time and it is delicate. It serves my hopeless romantic ass real good ❤️
This has to be one of the most notable screenplay of Jung Hae In (who plays Moon Ha Won, the main role in this drama) the more I think about it, the more it appears to me that he really does a great job with his role. He makes you ponder and at the end of the drama, he makes you feel liberated, but peacefully.
If you are looking for a drama that would make you smile, cry and at some point, burst out of your happiness (cringiness hehe) then please watch this.
Melodramatic. Yeap it is :)
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This was a brilliant drama that gives its viewers a refreshing, slow paced healing session that goes through methods of grieving and caring for one another. No clichés with the love story. The lost first love is a wonderful human being who only wants to help those around her. Our two main leads, Ha Won and Seo Woo, are both struggling with loss and through the use of love and an AI box, they are allowed to work through it and all the struggles that follow. But I think the second set of leads are just as excellently done. Kang In Wook, the husband of Ji Soo, is also in terrible pain, not only after the events of the opening episodes (no spoilers) but his past that links with Ha Won. He can come off as our antagonist, at first, with his attitude and actions but he learns to open up and be free thanks to Soon Ho and his music. And if that wasn't deep enough, there is a very good side plot involving the smaller roles in a Boarding House that Seo Woo lives in. The story is very rich and well developed in all facets except maybe a few technical capabilities (but we’ll ignore those because it’s television). The use of classical music was both melancholy and soothing at the same time. Ditto the soundtrack as well.
The acting of course matches the drama story and writing; just incredible. Jung Hae In is perfect for this role and he knocks another drama out of the park with his terrific acting. An incredible smart young man who is polite but holding a tragic past and an unrequited love interest is a tough role to partake in. So many emotions need to be done in the minute ways. It’s a true nuanced performance that is complimented by a similar character played by Chae Soo Bin.
I would agree with the sentiments that this has a very dream-like feel to it. It’s hard to even say what I felt like watching this drama. I was hooked but I had this intangible feeling. It’s nice.
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