This review may contain spoilers
Were was the attraction, exactly?
I watched this 2016 drama in June 2026. In many ways, it felt like two separate seasons rather than one continuous story. With that in mind, I don’t necessarily agree with reviewers who felt the first half was significantly better than the second. Instead, I saw it as two fairly distinct stories connected by the ADT/GS/SJS love triangle.
We meet Gong Shim at around age twenty-five, and I have to admit that I wasn’t immediately drawn to her character. At the beginning, nothing about her projects confidence. From her wig, which covers a temporary bald spot, to her wardrobe, which feels stuck in her high school years, to her overall physical posture, she comes across as someone who has never truly found her footing. These traits are supposedly the result of a stifling upbringing: parents who failed to nurture either her life skills or her genuine artistic talent. On top of that, she has an older sister who is outwardly beautiful but inwardly insecure, and who dominates and gaslights Gong Shim at every turn. Although Gong Shim wants to become independent, she lacks the guidance and confidence needed to navigate adulthood. She dreams of learning Italian and moving to Italy to pursue art, but as we see, that goal is easily derailed by life’s circumstances.
What disappointed me most was that I saw very little growth in Bong Shim's character throughout the drama. Her arc should have become more noticeable from around Episode 8 onward. Incremental changes to her wardrobe alone could have visually reflected growing confidence and maturity. Even if the wig remained, a different style could have symbolized development. Neither An Dan Tae nor Jun Su contributed much to her personal growth, which made her journey feel frustratingly static.
An Dan Tae, in his early thirties, is a happy-go-lucky, street-smart lawyer by day and driver-for-hire by night. Despite enduring his share of hardship, he has risen above it and dedicated himself to helping marginalized people, often for little or no compensation. He isn’t concerned with what others think of him—at least not until later in the story. He possesses a unique gift that allows him to perceive certain events in slow motion, enabling him to react to threats with remarkable precision. Regardless of his difficult past, he has made a conscious decision to embrace life and treat people with kindness—unless circumstances force his hand otherwise. I truly loved this character. This was my first time watching Namkoong Min, and I immediately found myself looking for more of his dramas and films.
Jun Su, twenty-seven, is the presumptive heir to Star Group, a large conglomerate chaired by his aging grandmother. He is a kind and introspective soul whose life path was determined for him from birth. Although he is loved by his parents, he was never given the freedom to explore his own interests or define his own future. Even though he constantly strives to earn his grandmother’s approval, he never truly receives her affection. Through no fault of his own, he recognizes the writing on the wall: he may never become Star Group’s successor. I appreciated that he sought independence by pursuing the possibility of building something of his own. I liked his character very much.
Fun fact: Ohn Joo-wan (Jun Su) and the adorable Bang Min-ah (Gong Shim) married in 2025.
As I watched the drama unfold, however, I began to view Gong Shim as something of a red flag. Comparing her to An Dan Tae, I simply didn’t see them as equals. We learn that they are only four years apart in age, yet their levels of maturity, emotional intelligence, and overall competence seem worlds apart. I honestly never understood the romantic attraction between them. Where exactly was it?
Their dynamic often felt like the classic “knight in shining armor rescues the pitiful damsel in distress” trope. They shared a wonderful friendship, but I never sensed strong romantic chemistry. Likewise, I didn’t detect much physical attraction from Jun Su toward Gong Shim either. In other words, the writer and director never convinced me why either An Dan Tae or Jun Su would become romantically interested in someone portrayed as almost juvenile in comparison. Nevertheless, if I had to choose, I actually thought Gong Shim and Jun Su were the better match.
Beyond my affection for An Dan Tae, the real reason I stayed invested in this drama was the relationship between Dan Tae and Jun Su. I loved watching their friendship develop. It felt natural and sincere. They respected one another, got along easily, and remained honest with each other until the Jun Pyo mystery took center stage. Even then, neither man truly wanted to oppose the other. Once Dan Tae’s true identity was revealed, I found it genuinely heartwarming when he expressed his desire for their relationship to return to what it had originally been. I ultimately became invested in Dan Tae’s efforts to uncover the truth behind Jun Pyo’s abduction and the revelation that he was, in fact, Seok Jun Pyo. I enjoy a good mystery, but if I’m being critical, the drama revealed too much too early to sustain genuine suspense.
The ending, unfortunately, was a major disappointment.
Sending Jun Pyo to the United States almost immediately after his identity was revealed felt abrupt and emotionally unsatisfying. If I were Grandmother, I would have wanted him nearby for quite some time. Surely there could have been a way for this highly resourceful lawyer-grandson to study business management in Seoul while reconnecting with his family.
Then came the final fifteen minutes and the “one year later” time jump. For me, it undermined much of the emotional investment I had built over the course of the series. In real life, there is simply no excuse for An Dan Tae and Gong Shim to have had absolutely no communication for an entire year. None. Likewise, there is no believable reason for Dan Tae and Jun Su to have had zero contact. Unless Dan Tae had been in a coma or had died, it made no sense.
Hiding an engagement ring inside a plant and never checking to see whether she found it—or how she felt about it—was just absurd. It’s late as I write this review, and I’ve run out of descriptors. I also couldn’t take Gong Mi’s last-minute confession to Jun Su seriously. Sorry.
The music, however, was quite good. I’ll definitely be revisiting the OST to add a few favorites to my playlist.
Overall, I don’t think I would rewatch this drama, nor would I recommend it.
Rating: 7/10
We meet Gong Shim at around age twenty-five, and I have to admit that I wasn’t immediately drawn to her character. At the beginning, nothing about her projects confidence. From her wig, which covers a temporary bald spot, to her wardrobe, which feels stuck in her high school years, to her overall physical posture, she comes across as someone who has never truly found her footing. These traits are supposedly the result of a stifling upbringing: parents who failed to nurture either her life skills or her genuine artistic talent. On top of that, she has an older sister who is outwardly beautiful but inwardly insecure, and who dominates and gaslights Gong Shim at every turn. Although Gong Shim wants to become independent, she lacks the guidance and confidence needed to navigate adulthood. She dreams of learning Italian and moving to Italy to pursue art, but as we see, that goal is easily derailed by life’s circumstances.
What disappointed me most was that I saw very little growth in Bong Shim's character throughout the drama. Her arc should have become more noticeable from around Episode 8 onward. Incremental changes to her wardrobe alone could have visually reflected growing confidence and maturity. Even if the wig remained, a different style could have symbolized development. Neither An Dan Tae nor Jun Su contributed much to her personal growth, which made her journey feel frustratingly static.
An Dan Tae, in his early thirties, is a happy-go-lucky, street-smart lawyer by day and driver-for-hire by night. Despite enduring his share of hardship, he has risen above it and dedicated himself to helping marginalized people, often for little or no compensation. He isn’t concerned with what others think of him—at least not until later in the story. He possesses a unique gift that allows him to perceive certain events in slow motion, enabling him to react to threats with remarkable precision. Regardless of his difficult past, he has made a conscious decision to embrace life and treat people with kindness—unless circumstances force his hand otherwise. I truly loved this character. This was my first time watching Namkoong Min, and I immediately found myself looking for more of his dramas and films.
Jun Su, twenty-seven, is the presumptive heir to Star Group, a large conglomerate chaired by his aging grandmother. He is a kind and introspective soul whose life path was determined for him from birth. Although he is loved by his parents, he was never given the freedom to explore his own interests or define his own future. Even though he constantly strives to earn his grandmother’s approval, he never truly receives her affection. Through no fault of his own, he recognizes the writing on the wall: he may never become Star Group’s successor. I appreciated that he sought independence by pursuing the possibility of building something of his own. I liked his character very much.
Fun fact: Ohn Joo-wan (Jun Su) and the adorable Bang Min-ah (Gong Shim) married in 2025.
As I watched the drama unfold, however, I began to view Gong Shim as something of a red flag. Comparing her to An Dan Tae, I simply didn’t see them as equals. We learn that they are only four years apart in age, yet their levels of maturity, emotional intelligence, and overall competence seem worlds apart. I honestly never understood the romantic attraction between them. Where exactly was it?
Their dynamic often felt like the classic “knight in shining armor rescues the pitiful damsel in distress” trope. They shared a wonderful friendship, but I never sensed strong romantic chemistry. Likewise, I didn’t detect much physical attraction from Jun Su toward Gong Shim either. In other words, the writer and director never convinced me why either An Dan Tae or Jun Su would become romantically interested in someone portrayed as almost juvenile in comparison. Nevertheless, if I had to choose, I actually thought Gong Shim and Jun Su were the better match.
Beyond my affection for An Dan Tae, the real reason I stayed invested in this drama was the relationship between Dan Tae and Jun Su. I loved watching their friendship develop. It felt natural and sincere. They respected one another, got along easily, and remained honest with each other until the Jun Pyo mystery took center stage. Even then, neither man truly wanted to oppose the other. Once Dan Tae’s true identity was revealed, I found it genuinely heartwarming when he expressed his desire for their relationship to return to what it had originally been. I ultimately became invested in Dan Tae’s efforts to uncover the truth behind Jun Pyo’s abduction and the revelation that he was, in fact, Seok Jun Pyo. I enjoy a good mystery, but if I’m being critical, the drama revealed too much too early to sustain genuine suspense.
The ending, unfortunately, was a major disappointment.
Sending Jun Pyo to the United States almost immediately after his identity was revealed felt abrupt and emotionally unsatisfying. If I were Grandmother, I would have wanted him nearby for quite some time. Surely there could have been a way for this highly resourceful lawyer-grandson to study business management in Seoul while reconnecting with his family.
Then came the final fifteen minutes and the “one year later” time jump. For me, it undermined much of the emotional investment I had built over the course of the series. In real life, there is simply no excuse for An Dan Tae and Gong Shim to have had absolutely no communication for an entire year. None. Likewise, there is no believable reason for Dan Tae and Jun Su to have had zero contact. Unless Dan Tae had been in a coma or had died, it made no sense.
Hiding an engagement ring inside a plant and never checking to see whether she found it—or how she felt about it—was just absurd. It’s late as I write this review, and I’ve run out of descriptors. I also couldn’t take Gong Mi’s last-minute confession to Jun Su seriously. Sorry.
The music, however, was quite good. I’ll definitely be revisiting the OST to add a few favorites to my playlist.
Overall, I don’t think I would rewatch this drama, nor would I recommend it.
Rating: 7/10
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