TBH I loved it.

I love daily dramas even when they annoy me.

I enjoy spending a long time with the cast to the point that the characters all feel familiar by the end. You grow attached. And that's the case even with bad daily dramas.

I disagree with the other reviewers who called this drama terrible. I loved it. Here's why:

--character growth
--quality writing
--deep emotional impact
--the kids are awesome
--earned consequences
--satisfying resolution

In this drama, there are consequences for actions. And unlike many daily dramas, they don't drag it out where the evil characters getaway with everything for 98 episodes, then everyone forgives them, no legal ramifications and presto, everyone is happy.

This drama is not that. Everything ties together really well, and I cried more than once watching this. I'm honestly not prone to that, either. I'm the one rolling my eyes at scenes that are supposed to make me feel a certain way. But this drama really tugged at my heartstrings and my heart ached for so many of the characters.

It's messy. It's complicated. Things sometimes are baffling or inexplicable--just like life--but the writer sorted everything out brilliantly.

The romance line is honestly one of the best I've seen in a daily. I truly believed that Ha Ru and So Ri were soul mates. Ha Ru in particular seemed to lack the ability to bond with anyone else, as if So Ri was etched into his heart, utterly inextricable. He reminded me a little of the hero from A Love So Beautiful (the Chinese version), except that he wasn't mean to So Ri. He openly adored her and his heartbreak was palpable. The actor portrayed it beautifully. I bawled during one scene that I don't want to say too much about, except that I bet it will break your heart too.

Anyway, if you enjoy deep melo with a truly memorable romance and satisfying resolution, then give this one a try. I'll admit, So Ri is a bit annoying and self-centered in the early episodes, but she grows, changes, and matures a lot. So do the other characters. And that's why I loved it. The plot was quite unexpected, and they did something that I've never seen--they shifted the villains through characters genuinely seeing the error of the ways before the end, so there's growth for everything, not just the hero and heroine.

I've seen others say that Ugly Alert is the best daily they've ever seen. For me, this one is better because of the generational relationships. and the ending. For me, it was perfect.

Give it a try if it sounds like your cup of tea.

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This drama was so much more than I was expecting.

It was lovely and quirky and a much deeper story than the first episode led me to believe. I'm so glad I stayed with it. It's hard to discuss this drama without spoilers, but I'll just say that I cried at the end because they included something I have never seen in a Korean drama before. When you get to that point, you will know, I promise. That representation is so beautiful, because everyone deserves love. You don't have to earn it by young or beautiful or fit.

There were so many messages in this drama, and most of them were on point and fairly nuanced, especially for a romantic comedic fantasy. I am so glad I watched this.

I can't say enough good things about the stars: Shin Sung Rok, Go Ye Won, and Ha Jae Sook. They were magnificent. Sidenote: PLEASE give me more Shin Sung Rok as the romantic lead. His character was adorable and quirky and has landed in my top fave K-drama heroes of all time. I would also like to see Ha Jae Sook as the lead in more dramas, not just as the "before' woman, but someone confident and fabulous.

If you want a funny, heartwarming, and unexpectedly profound watch, give this one a try. I absolutely loved it. The episodes only got better and better and it was SO PURE.

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Beyond Makjang

This is one of the best daily dramas I have ever watched.

I was so stunned that it's by the same writer who did Second Husband.

This is so freaking good. It is the most batshit over the the top chaotic free for all I have ever witnessed. AND IT WAS GLORIOUS.

So much slapping. So much hair pulling!!! The villainess gets beaten with a mackerel!!! Uncle and nephew daughter vying for the same woman. Mother and daughter marrying the same man!!!! Baby swaps, murder, kidnapping, extortion, blackmail, amnesia!!! It has everything.

I wouldn't call it revenge though. Because trying to get someone to do prison time for their actual crimes is justice more than revenge. It was very well written and acted. The writer learned from criticism I think. They even added this line: 'in dramas bad people get hurt or get terminal illness. This is wrong because it hurts innocent people who did nothing wrong and are already suffering.' I was SO HAPPY to see that stated. And some of the shit was so wild you can't even blame the good characters for not anticipating it. The villainess put her mom in a dog kennel to eavesdrop!!! Who does that?! Overall the story is good and while the good people do some silly stuff, they also do smart things too. I actually got emotional a few times and it was great seeing Seon Ah as the heroine for a change.

Also the ending is perfect. Anyone who says it's not satisfying, I don't know what the heck they want. It suited the characters and it was epic. I hate it when evil people randomly repent and get forgiven. I had flipping chills when Se Ran went all-in. She knew there was no other ending possible. Her life was in tatters. She and the chairman were two of a kind. No other ending was possible. It was a freaking mic drop. 😍

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Differing opinion

So, let me start by saying that I watched this because of Sung Joon.

I loved him in I Need Romance 3, which led to me watching a bunch of dramas that were hit or miss. He seems to be inconsistent in the scripts he chooses.

That said, I don't think this drama is a bad choice. The story is messy. The characters are sometimes unlikable and they make bad decisions. But I mostly understood why they did those foolish things. This is a drama about damaged people. About one tragic event that changes everything forever. And those ripples caused by that event are still felt years later.

They make some really interesting choices in this story. So Ju isn't a sweet and innocent flower. She's a bit shrill. She's abrasive. She does things that might shock you. She lies. But I actually loved that. Because too often female characters are asked to be flawless while the male lead runs amok being awful. Until he realizes he loves the FL, and then, it's all fine, right? ILU solves everything. Except it doesn't. This drama kind of realizes that life isn't tidy, and things spill over. Problems persist. And sometimes we do ridiculous things because our options are crappy and crummy.

I don't have to fall in love with drama characters. I just have to believe they've fallen for each other. I wasn't bored watching this. Sometimes I was annoyed, but I grew fond of everyone involved. With all their messy imperfections.

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Sheer Perfection

I thought I had written a review of this, but I guess not. At the time, I was likely overwhelmed with feels regarding this drama. It absolutely blew me away--the acting, writing, intensity. Everything about it was perfect and for the first few weeks afterward, I kept looking for another drama that could match it.

I didn't find anything.

I watched this much earlier in 2020 and I thought then that it was a contender for my favorite drama of the year. I adore time loop / time travel stories, but it's rare that I encounter one as magical as this. I've never wanted two people to be together more, never wanted a happy ending so much. This drama will tear your heart out and step on it, leaving you absolutely believing in soulmates, people who are destined to be together.

This drama is a masterpiece, and if you haven't watched it already, you're seriously missing out.

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Started well, turned into boring drivel

This started out cute, funny, and adorable. I enjoyed the first half.

It quickly devolved into boring drivel and I didn't even ship the romance by the end. Her parents were a mess, and the story got very weird. The heroine's mom had been a super fan of Xi Song since he was a little kid, and it was freaking bizarre and creepy AF. Supposedly, Xi Song rubbed her pregnant belly when he was a little kid & that was the first encounter between him and the heroine. Like, YIKES. Then they met again when she was a little kid, still creepy. The mom being obsessed with this piano player for twenty years was too far for me, as was the subplot where she RESOLUTELY would not allow her daughter to date, unless of course, it was her forever stan, Xi Song, in which case --GO GET IT, Mi DO. All of that sort of freaked me out. I definitely wasn't expecting those super weird vibes. The mom kept calling him her son & I was starting to worry that maybe they were going for a forbidden love incest story. Turns out, no, she's just an obsessive super fan.

Honestly, I didn't find any of that characters to be likable with the exception of the heroine. She was a bit ditzy, but good natured. I won't say she was immature because she was only 19, and I think that part was pretty accurate. Don't get me started on the hero. He was supposed to be on the autism spectrum, but that doesn't mean he can't use technology or show consideration for others. At the end, he left the heroine without saying bye and then ignored her for three weeks while he was on tour. The reason? He forgot his phone. Well, sure, Xi Song. How could you be expected to use email or ask someone else to pass a message in this day and age? There's no way he could've let her know that he wasn't able to read her messages? That's bullshit, plain and simple. In her shoes, I'd have assumed we're broken up. His explanation was gravely insufficient, and I wasn't on board with them getting together at the end.

tl;dr -- the premise was cute but it quickly devolved into weirdness and disappointment, do not recommend

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I wanted to love this

I love Jiro Wang.

I love Puff Kuo.

After reading the synopsis, I was hoping for something like Protect the Boss.

What I got was an odd jumble of angles, where the pieces didn't quite fit. The characters never felt real or engaged me. Jiro was smarmy and Puff acted like she didn't want to be involved in any of it.

The plot meandered and the paint by numbers tragic back story failed to move me on any level. The mystery lacked suspense. Worst of all, the drama did the unforgivable.

It bored me.

I can forgive a lot but this drama was dull and plodding. I don't recommend it.

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First, if you're watching for an exciting plot, you might want to go somewhere else.

If you like nerdy stuff and you're all about characters. come in and let me tell you about this drama. First and foremost, it is freaking ADORABLE. It features one of my favorite tropes: the grumpy one is soft to the sunshine one. Our hero is a cold person who cares only about winning CTF (capture the flag) championships in the beginning, but then our heroine locks onto him, and she is is DELIGHTFUL.

She's really smart at techy stuff, plus she's successful with an online singing career as well. You'd think she would be super effective at flirting too, but now, she turns into an awkward pudding, as soon as she gets around our icy hero, who steals her ability to speak / think. Yeah, she falls for him at first sight (not a spoiler), and she's a bit dingy in chasing him, but I found all of the comedic twists amusing. Stuff just kept happening to them, and he was so confused, but she was so much like a helpless kitten that he couldn't bring himself to ice her out, like he did with everyone else. Soon, he's ridiculously in love with her and the SKINSHIP. I'd rank it alongside Healer for scenes where you just want to curl up in their love like it's a warm blanket.

Was it perfect? No. It has its ups and downs, pacing-wise, but you should stick with it. The lead couple is worth watching, and I wish this actor had a ton more dramas for me to devour because he's amazing.

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I loved this drama. I've been watching dramas since 2012 or thereabouts and I've seen a lot of them over the years. I'd put this one off based on the bad reviews, especially related to the comments about the lack of chemistry between the leads. To be honest, I thought the chemistry between Black and Swan was GLORIOUS.

As a revenge drama, this is a bit shaky because Black, frankly, is too passionate for an ice cold revenge scheme. He cares too much about multiple people, even when he's trying to be a broody Batman type. Swan was amazing as a survivor, much smarter and more savvy than heroines are usually allowed to be in dramas.

I was fully captivated from the beginning and I loved the whole thing from start to finish. The ending made me happy, and I teared up more than once. Bottom line: watch this for the relationships and the feels. You won't be sorry.

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I loved this drama from start to finish.

It was adorable and sweet and heartwarming. The story wasn't particularly inventive, but I loved the characters, and I LOVE the trope of the grumpy one falling for the sunshine one. I also love the chemistry between the leads. Additionally, I really rooted for the secondary couple as well. I can't get enough of Shim Hyung Tak and i really wish more of his dramas were subtitled.

I don't remember that much about the music.

If you're in the mood for a warm and fuzzy drama that will feel you with feels, watch this one.

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Sheer perfection

I binged this show over a couple of days, and I feel like it's best to do that. I think maybe if I had watched it live as it aired, it wouldn't have had the same emotional impact.

The characters lived and breathed for me, even Doom, who didn't live or breathe.

This is an epic love story. I believed they were destined to love each other.

If you love supernatural dramas, where you experience incredibly intense emotional responses to the story, this is the drama for you. For me, it ranks up with The Master's Sun and My Love from the Star, in terms of best dramas I've seen, that I could watch over and over again. It's a little better than Goblin and Secret Garden (both of which I enjoyed a lot).

In my opinion, the writers told a beautiful story and they completely nailed the ending. The actors had incredible chemistry across the board, and I loved all of them. That doesn't happen often. Usually, I'm invested in one storyline, and I really don't care that much about the subplots but I cared about EVERYONE in this drama, even minor characters who came and went. I cared. I have loved Seo In Guk since he played the second lead in The Master's Sun, and now I feel it's come full circle, because I believe that Doom is his best performance to date. He was phenomenal in this role, and Park Bo Young was wonderful as well. (Loved her in Oh My Ghostess).

Basically, I can't give higher praise than this. There's nothing I would change about this drama. I've read other reviews who call this boring or wasted potential. I completely disagree. If you're like me, DAYS will join the ranks of dramas that you watch again and again. It's sheer perfection, exactly what I hoped.

Why are you still reading this review? Go watch it.

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