Missing You (2012)

I remember trying to watch this drama back in 2012 when it started airing. Back then, it seemed too depressing for me and I kept it on-hold ever since. Picking up this drama again after such a long time is one of the best decisions I ever made. This drama now goes straight to my favourites list (*the list keeps on getting longer*).

I have noticed how this drama is not received well with a lot of people. I can understand why. It's got to be one of the most depressing dramas ever. 'Missing You' falls in more of a makjang-tastic melodrama genre which could have gone wrong. For me, of course, this drama worked very well. I loved the whole plot and enjoyed every character in it.

I am usually critical of tragedy being used as a cheap means to get the plot moving. Often, including tragedy is seen as convenient for Kdrama writers when they want to create the 'shock effect' in the viewer. What sets this drama apart from so many others is how tragedy is used as a base here instead of some random, bang-up scenario. It makes room for rest of the plot to build up, leaving scope for a lot of plot development and some amazing character development- which is commendable.

The sad parts of the drama are so wonderfully done (especially the childhood parts) that they will remain in my memory for a long time. They are touching and were successful in moving me. Even the sub-plots are very interesting, including the romance.

I loved how even though a lot of bad stuff happened to its characters, they were able to bear with it. That shows us how there's hope even in the darkest of the times. Okay, I know I am making it sound like some sadistic, boring drama but it is not. It is both beautiful and poignant in many ways. It had a nice pacing and many interesting sides to it.

The cast gave stellar performances. I believe this was Yoon Eun Hye and Park Youchun's best role till date. Although I am not the biggest fan of Youchun's acting, he impressed me here. His chemistry with Yoon Eun Hye was very good and believable to me. Apart from that the child actors were TERRIFIC- especially Kim So Hyun. When she suffered, I got the goosebumps. It was that great! Kudos to the director for making it seem so real.

The OST of this drama is terrific. I recommend every one to listen to it.

Overall, this drama is a whole package with a memorable cast, a touching story, lots of tears, lots of love and a solid soundtrack. Though it doesn't have a very high rewatch value, I won't mind rewatching my favourite scenes between the main leads.

Recommended to fans of melodramas and sad stories with good endings. :)

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I typically avoid Melodramas like the plague, I live in utter fear of their endings. I am a girl who likes nice pretty bows on her endings and lots of love and laughter along the way. All of that being said, Missing You completely blew me away. I started it two weeks ago, thinking it usually takes me a good week to finish a drama, so by the time I finished what had aired, the new episodes would be up. Of course, it was impossible to stop watching this show. I had all 17 aired episodes done in 2 days, and then they decided to extend the show and my torture for one more week. While I hated waiting, I am so glad they did! For me, this drama was just absolutely perfect.

That perfection lays heavily on all of the actors in it. There wasn't a single actor who wasn't phenomenal, the kid actors especially. And while I seriously worry about the hydration needs of the actors, their ability to have me crying right along with them every single time was just amazing. Even the supporting cast was superb, especially Jung Woo's partner/wife and Soo Yeon's mother. Her scenes were some of the most emotional and the actress deserves extreme props for pulling it off the way she did.

This story is definitely not all puppies and rainbows, it gets amazingly sad and intense and you will want to shake the characters back into their senses on more than one occasion. I wanted so much to hate Harry, especially after the incident with the can, but my heart just broke for him over and over again. As it did for so many of the other characters.

Your heart will feel like it's been put throug a wringer by the time you finish it, but it's an emotional roller coaster you seriously don't want to miss. And for all of the sadness and heartbreak, there is a lot of happy and cute moments. It's a group of people that you just want everything in the world to go right for them, but people and situations just keep getting in the way.

If you want something that will keep you on the edge of your seat and truly make you fall in love with fictional characters, then I definitely recommend you pick this one up ASAP. You won't regret it!

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