I started this drama not expecting much, but boy oh boy was I wrong.
I really love the way fmiym portrays each and every one of their characters. All of them, and I mean it when I say all of them, are super memorable and I enjoy watching every scene without ever feeling the urge to fast forward. The drama's storyline isn't anything grand, but they just somehow make it work really really well ! Adding into that is the characters' chemistry with one another (not just the main couple but the side characters too), and the nice OST is basically the cherry on the top.
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Poor plotting, lack of chemistry, no identification with leads
The plot is way too contrived and relies on several clichés and ridiculous, forced external conflict to develop. Lack of patient confidentiality is central to how the story develops, which to me is demonstrative of how poor and inorganic the writing is.Overall, I thought this show's plotting was on the bad side of soap opera, with much of the conflict coming from deranged stalker psychos that push the characters forward. At one point in the show, the FL basically says outright that she didn't know if their relationship could last because she was out of danger from a stalker. And that's just it, their relationship seemed fueled by forced feelings of obligation brought about by antisocial deviants, more than from the chemistry of the characters themselves. I don't want characters falling in love because some sick paparazzi pervert pushes them together, but because their feelings emerge naturally from their dynamic, personalities, and freely made choices. Having some shamelessness in setting up a plot is fine, but this show is shameless throughout.
The leads are passable in their independent roles (the ML more than the FL), but I felt like they were poorly suited actors to pair with one another. Visually, they didn't work for me, and I thought their roles and acting were also incompatible. It wasn't convincing to me how their romance developed from antagonistic to loving. I really like this dynamic which is what attracted me to this show, but here it didn't work. Their dynamic seemed more like uncle and niece, since the actor is obviously way older and more experienced than the actress (and yet the age dynamic isn't brought up). She does a bit too much deer-in-the-headlights, doe-eyed listening, especially early, though there were aspects of her characters I thought she did well with. Her friendship with her sister is very engaging and cute (as is the sister's whole character honestly), and she's well-suited to the underestimated, shallow idol type. As far as my viewing went, though, I didn't feel any strong connection to the leads, their motivations, or the choices that they made.
Lastly, I felt like like the ML's powerful memory should have both caused more conflict and been able to solve more problems. The show didn't maximize the potential of its setup and focused too much on a weak, and frankly confusing, backstory plot. I wouldn't recommend this, especially for those who prefer character-driven stories.
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What I like the most:
The music was great! I like it.
The chemistry of the lead characters was good.
I love the supporting characters too: Han-kyung, dr. Tae-eun, Reporter Cho/Jo!
What I hate the most:
There were quite a lot coincidences, but I know.... Coincidence is fate. And it's possible to happen, even in real life.
Not hurting and fluttering enough, idk why.
Overall, it's a good and light drama to watch!
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Turned a complete 180 with the ending
My god, it has been a long time since my blood boiled with k drama cliched ending.. I was reluctant to watch this. But I liked the setting and some reviewers say the end episodes were not great but they are not downright awful.That's why I gave it a shot and I enjoyed it as long as the secrets were not fully revealed.
After she regains her memories she becomes an awful character. She discards ml's feelings like trash . So, when she remembers that she was indirectly responsible for the very beautiful ( atleast 10×hotter that the current fl) ml's 1st love, she dumps him . She again restarts the relationship ,then again dumps him because what?. She can't stay here as she is not getting any roles. Instead of trusting eachother and keeping long distance relationship and get through it together, she just dumps him like he is her tissue paper. Dumps whenever pleases. So sad. Whats even more cringy is that after 2 years of abroad she suddenly comes back and the guy is still begging, now on a different level. He says " I should have bagged you like a dog to stay together when you broke up with me". Why??. Can't a man have self dignity???. It's not like he didn't try!. He clearly said whatever problem arises, we will go through it together. But no, out deity female empowerming lady has to look cool. We are shown, how ml can't forget her and zero scene about her regretting but suddenly we are supposed to believe that she misses him???. Like are we dumb or what..
They completely butchered the ml character. The 1st breakup was necessary but 2nd one was just introduced to make ml look pathetic and serving dog and fl look empowering and cool.. I would have still forgiven this if the fl was the one begging and ml giving a cold shoulder at first,, but no. ML is begging like a dog while he was the one who was stabbed in the back and fl is the one who broke their promises many times and cooly left him hanging,,, wtf is this,,, I might explode in anger,, they butchered both the leads for what? creator's own sense of feminism or something else ,, It is hard to undertand why k drama has this cancer,,,
I was actually thinking they will go in this path
After it was revealed that he was dating his ex's friend and whole media jumps on them
1. They share their story to the world through media
2. ML's never forgetting ex was a big issue but it was never resolved in the final version. This should be main focus in last few episodes.
3. ML delivers the message his ex wanted to give to fl.
4. No infuriating 2nd break-ups and happily married. With children in the epilogue.. yeah.
But no, it's fuckkkking k drama.. they will hook you with very promising story and kill you with frustration near the end with unnecessary noble idiocy and breakups and ml's character butcher. I mean we have seen this happen again and again.. please stop..
I dread starting romance k dramas. I always check the ending if these problems are there or not. spoiling yourself ruins the excitement in a way , so i watched this show without spoiling my self too much.. what i get as a result? nothing but frustration and regret. That's why in my top watched romance dramas, c dramas are more in number .. It is really very sad considering k dramas generally have more intriguing premise,,,, waste
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Slow burn study of memory, grief & love
Find Me In Your Memory is not a flashy drama. It is subtle and when it focuses on its characters - it's quietly moving. The overall tone of the drama is melancholic but leavened with flashes of humour, of thrills and a sense of growing kinship and camaraderie between our leads and secondary characters.While the drama relies on the old tropes of amnesia and invasion of privacy with a heavy handed use of flashbacks it never falters in the pacing of the story. In fact, for a drama that deals with some difficult topics, and has one of the more menacing stalker arcs I've seen, there is a deftness to the storytelling. The writer and director know where they are going and how they'll get there. We just need to sit back and follow along. As the story progresses, you realise that at its heart this is a drama about the connections we make with our, how ties deepen or fray over time. At the centre of this realisation are our two flawed leads who on the surface are as unlike each other as chalk and cheese. Jeong Hoon, our ML, is reserved and polite yet incisive and courageous and deeply kind. Hae Jin, our FL, is effervescent and forthright yet comes across as somewhat simple, or even shallow. A misperception that is systematically taken apart as the drama progresses. I think, for me this drama was so interesting because it lets its characters show us that what you see is often a curated presentation of a set of personality traits and characteristics. Underneath there are emotional eddies and currents that you'd never know about until someone lets you in. And that's what our leads and secondary characters do so well: they let each other in, ever so slowly. Personal gains are made with painstaking effort.
It's slow burn at a really high level.
None of the secondary characters are space fillers. Each one has a thesis and an arc. Some you hate. Some you like. And some you grow to like because like people irl they change.
The tropes Find Me In Your Memory Relies on are old and hackneyed but in this instance I can see the value of how they are used and why they are integral to the story we are being told. Having said that, I'm tired of watching reenactments of the power of patriarchy, terrible parents and noble idiocy among lovers -- who sacrifice themselves and their happiness without considering how sacrifice affects everyone else around them. Luckily, this last pet peeve of mine doesn't last for very long. Mainly because the other thing this drama does well is have our characters (mostly) communicate with each other. People have conversations and chats and talk about their feelings and fears. It's TREMENDOUS to watch adults in relationships behave like adults rather than candyland characters. And our FL in particular is very good at talking things out. She's ably supported in this by her sister (who's her manager) and the ML.
If you're into dramas that are melancholic character studies with slow burn romances interspersed with moments fraught with mystery without getting in too deep about convenient plot devices then give Find Me In Your Memory a chance. One you adjust to the pacing, it's well worth your time.
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Sweet and lovely romance and suspense drama
This is really a sweet slow burn romance drama. But not too slow since we get to enjoy some of the couple's good times as well from early on which I really liked.This is a rare drama in that it doesn't get boring or repetitive at any point. The main couple's romance is quite lovely despite not much actual chemistry being there.
Plot: The good thing is that there aren't many plotholes, the bad thing is episode 15 where there's a 2-year time flip. Would have been much better without that, bc it made me loose faith the in the couple.
Acting: The FL was good at start, but somehow resorted to "cute" childishness toward the end - when she should have been matured by all her experiences and difficulties. Kim Dong Wook is very sympathetic here like always, even if dryish :) But sympathetic-dryish is better than overdramatic or overacting :)
Overall: The (memory/no memory) plot sounds pretty crazy and is perhaps the reason I didn't choose to watch this earlier on. But it's not as central as the suspense plot, which is really good - not too suspenseful but good at keeping up the interest and well embedded in the overall story arch. The social message about the cruelty of the public towards celebrities and excessive interest in their private lives is very much on point. As we have recently witnesses similar things occurring, scandals based on mere lies and rumours and/or impossible moral demands and standards.
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However, I found the stalker storyline unnecessary and I thought it took away from the main story. I would have preferred for the drama to have less episodes and just focus on the memory part- it felt like they were just trying to fill time with the stalker plot. However, overall I still really enjoyed the drama.
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Amazing show ... until it turns pathetic
Let me start by saying I'm a huge Mun Ka Young fan. At first I was a bit skeptical to watch the show and one of the reasons was the age gap or should I say compatibility of the main leads. She's super youthful and sweet whereas he's more mature. But of course I had to watch it.And the beginning was amazing. Straight away I feel in love with the ML. His character and the actors charisma was just captivating and the age gap worked in their favor. Mun Ka Young was in her usual element sweet and bubbly. I actually quite liked the so-called pushy element because it was complementing the backstory/setting of the FL - her being a celebrity and doing the chasing, but still being politely persistent. It gave character the additional depth and was the opposite of what you would expect from that character. The stalker (both stalkers) subplot was well made and kept the tension going. The supporting cast is phenomenal. The relationship with the young doctor. His mom. Everything was clicking.
Until everything falls apart in the span of 5 min in ep 12 I believe. SO MAD!
YES IT'S THE FIRST BREAK UP: They basically turn the FL lead into a spoiled entitled little brat. A true bonified diva. With all that pushiness and high talk in the beginning, and of course empty promises, at the first sight of trouble she runs away. The reason was supposed to be kinda noble but is never really fully articulated (was it because she feels bad for her best friend for "killing her" and "stealing" her boyfriend, was it because she feels bad for him because she "killed" his first love and then forgot everything?) plus the way she acts in the aftermath is just straight up obnoxious and ruins the whole thing. I hate myself for saying this but it's actually one of the rare moments Mun Ka Young was totally out of her depth as well. The writing attributing greatly, but she just couldn't capture the nuances of character being torn between the man she !supposedly! loves and her best friend - it just came across as really selfish, cold and rude. Like when you ask a stranger on the street for some money and they brush you off. Yeah sorry I can't keep my promise - Yeah sorry I don't have any money, Of course the circumstances didn't help at all: Oh she's gonna focus on work - of course you can when you live the high life of the celeb with all you fancy shoots. What about his condition and the fact that he only ever loved one person before so when he does love he can't forget. And it was FL who insisted in the beginning and trying make him love her. And when he finally does, she bails on him - oh I have my work but you figure it out on your own. And then to pour salt on the would, when the drama got cancelled she runs back to him.
In addition to that they made ML from a charismatic and captivating guy in the beginning into this pathetic excuse of a man, constantly borderline begging her to get back together - some of the scenes were really sweet and heartbreaking but after a while it got super cringe and annoying. And that in turn made her seem even more spoiled and entitled.
When they do finally get together after he was stabbed - which I think was nicely utilized - the situation is again super obnoxious and pathetic. It's him again begging and her basically going "ok you win" as if it's a burden. Like she's forced to do this. Isn't this a man that supposedly makes you the most happy in your life?!
By this point the series is unsalvageable and straight up garbage. I didn't care about anyone anymore. Even the supporting character's romance, because I know it was all a filler. Also the second stocker subplot is resolved in the most anticlimactic way possible.
Then comes the cherry on top of the garbage: THE TWO YEAR BREAK UP! After being together for 5 min.
The most sickening point in the series. The reason was completely absurd - wait was there even a reason? Just cemented her as a straight up selfish b****. Actually the idea itself is not that bad and was a huge opportunity for her redemption - if he were to leave and she would wait for him. That would serve as a catalyst for her to reflect on her choices re first break up etc, realize her mistake and with actions (by waiting for him etc) show NOT TELL, SHOW! how much she loves him. But for some reason writer just lost her mind.
She comes back more entitled, of course a global celebrity. I sincerely at this point hoped that he would reject her really badly and absolutely hated FL but no, first a series of cringe fate-based encounters, more of his pathetic begging. Her's "Sorry I left You back then" and everything is back to normal?! And of course the mandatory "I realized I couldn't live without you". Really?! That's why the first thing you did when you came back to Korea is go shopping. Because you couldn't live without him?
Everything felt really fake at the end and I was actually really disappointed that they ended up together. It really sends out a wrong message and supports the idea that this kind of entitled behavior is rewarded.
And what's with all the turning men into pathetic saps always begging and always doing the chasing. Even when the woman is in the wrong. Is that a female writer thing? Let me just say it's not sexy and empowering at all.
Last but not least I'm super mad at the writers (and myself for saying this) for making me feel like this about Mun Ka Young, but by the end of the show I found her acting in the context of the story quite annoying and off, and at odds with the character.
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A Drama That Touches Your Heart
I stumbled into this drama by Instagram short clips recommendation. I have always loved Moon Ga Young, but never heard of Kim Dong Wook. At first I was surprised someone with his look can be a male lead (because he doesn't have the strikingly handsome face like for example Lee Min Ho or Chang Wok).As the drama progressed, it quickly became evident to me that Kim Dong Wook is really really good at what he's doing. He seriously have that male lead quality. His eyes really tells how he feels. When he smiles he made me smile with him. When he's sad, my heart breaks for him.
I love this drama so much. It's so beautiful. The chemistry between the main lead and secondary lead is just amazing.
The story keeps on building up to better and better. Even when you think it couldn't be better than that, then the next story was even more interesting. It keeps me on my toes until the last minute of final season. This is quite rare, so I'm giving this a 10!
Definitely will watch this again in the future.
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Too many villains spoilt the plot
The premise of this show is centred around a ML who can't forget and a FL was suffered from some memory loss due to PTSD and their journey to find love and heal each others emotional wounds. Let me say up front that there are lots to like about this romance/healing drama and I enjoyed it overall. The acting of the leads were superb. I was most impressed by the ML (his first drama role was in the Coffee Prince!) who nailed his character from a serious news anchor who radiated gravitas to the vulnerable boy friend seeking love and reassurance. The FL appeared sweet and simple on the surface but required her to emote a whole range of complex emotions as the story progressed. Most of the support cast also did a good job with veteran actors given solid roles. The 2OTP was a super cute pair and their couple time was so sweet. Unsurprisingly, they were allowed to fall in love organically and just be two people in love without all the crazy sub-plots.The OTP had great chemistry and their couple time was often swoon worthy. The problem was that the writer just won't let them be. It was like a game of marbles. The OTP was constantly bombarded by trials and tribulations. I know it is standard trope to throw obstacles in front of the OTP but we are talking about a stalker/murderer, a copycat stalker, burglary, return of the stalker/murderer, an unethical doctor and then a revenge seeking journo to round things out. When you consider the show was only 16 episodes long, the villains are having more screen time than the main cast.
I accept that the initial stalker plot, while tropey, was a reasonable device as both M/FL had lots of emotional baggage and it all started with that chain of horrible events. There were lots of flashbacks so we knew full well what happened eight years ago and the impact on them. To have the stalker plot repeated again and the new stalker copying the first one's modus operandi just felt lazy. The show then passed the baton back to the original stalker was an odd decision that gave him way too much exposure with minimal gains. Due to this parade of trouble makers, the show just didn't have time to address their arc to my satisfaction. Yes, they were punished but that tends to be a rushed footnote before the next villain was hurriedly wheeled in.
All this evil-doing sucked the oxygen out of the script. The OTP was constantly getting together and then breaking up and then reunited again with all manners of broken promises and forever apologising to each other and re-re-reaffirming their undying love. When we watch a romance/healing drama like this, the viewers need some kind of reward for shipping the pair. In this case, these were few and far between. It was rather draining to see the pair suffer yet another set back. Romantic scenes were great, even the breakups were wonderfully acted but we need to see a path out of the quagmire. That was one thing that the show failed to deliver.
In the end, we were gifted with the happy ending we all craved but it was so rushed and to be honest, a bit abrupt. They didn't communicate at all for 2 years (even though there were multiple options) and then the first time they set eyes on each other in Korea it was full on again as if they just had a lover's quarrel and made up a day later. Yes, I'm thankful for the unicorn moments but it was just too expedient. The OTP tried to say that they don't care about gossip and scandals anymore but they were strong 2 years ago and they walked away from that relationship. What gives?!
If I were to rate this drama purely on story/plot then it would have been a borderline 7 but the acting was so good that they deserved a solid 8.
The OST was fine, sad and sentimental mostly. Rewatch value is a mix bag. I wouldn't mind just cropping all the couple moments from both OTP's together and just rewatch those. The rest can stay on the editing room floor.
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Suspenseful melodrama
Likes:1. Amazing chemistry between Kim Dong Wook and Moon Ga Young. Felt giddy every time they came onscreen esp when they started dating. Sometimes trying out new actors/actresses you barely watched before can really pay off!
2. I also loved the cute romance between the second lead couple. Their funny story contrasted well against the slightly dramatic and mature story of the main couple.
3. Learning something about Lee Jeong Hun's illness. Must be tough to be able to remember everything from good to bad memories but i also envy him since at least he can relive those memories that we have forgotten over the years.
4. The drama was interesting because aside from the stalker plot, we also had the first love never dies plot, Ha jin's acting journey, a little dramatic murder and heartless doctor on the side stories. All stories were written well and cohesively throughout the 32 episodes so i never got bored.
5. I always look forward to what Yeo Ha Jin is wearing and her perfectly coiffed hair.
6. Beautiful scenery esp since they filmed during spring time so the flowers and colors were so pretty. Also the drama only had 2 or 3 ost but i really loved them and fit well with the scenes.
7. Seo yeon was so nice and pretty, no wonder LJH cant forget her.
Dislikes:
1. The old doctor who took advantage of Lee Jeong Hoon. Even in the end he didnt apologize to LJH or looked remoreseful for what he did. To think he was almost like a second dad to LJH.
2. Hajin's stalker made for good drama and suspense but it didnt really give any reason why he was stalking her in the first place.
Rating: 8.5/10
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The last bit of the drama was boring but I would still recommend!
Ok so this drama was nice.It started out pretty strong in my opinion. I was totally invested in the story, the characters, etc. I loved the main characters, and I thought they were cute. They formed a really nice couple.The male lead was nice and composed. Not your mean, typical ML. Same goes for the female lead.Although the FL felt a bi dumb sometimes. But she was a genuinely nice lady anyway.
Loved the whole "mystery" elements of the drama. Not sure if mentioning exactly what I'm talking about is too much of a spoiler. So, I'll leave it out, just in case.
The illness of the ML was interesting and added value to the story in my opinion.
HOWEVER.
That second part...It got sooo boring so quick. I don't know what happened. The FL learned something big, and I was expecting that to happen during the entire show. I wanted to see how she would react, how it affected their relationship and all of that. But when came the moment I was waiting for it felt flat and boring.
They could've reduced the drama to 14 episodes, and it would have been fine.
The ending needed one last line to be perfect...
I would still recommend the drama, nonetheless. Because it was cute and entertaining. But I can't give it a better grade than 7.5.
Side note: I had my doubts about the actor playing the ML and how well they would look good with the FL. But it turned out great in my opinion and they had a lot of chemistry together. So cute.
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