I didn’t like the ending. The fact that everything changed, and on top of that, they didn’t update their memories…
To think about it longer (hey, I just finished the drama yesterday), my concern is probably more about the writing and the fact the writer didn't take seriously her choices at the end. By the way, half watching I was expecting one or two full episodes after they travel back. Instead, it was rushed and we didn't even get any hint about Eun Yu new life.
I gave a logical sad version of this ending. I'm ok with that, after all it's a sacrifice for their parents and it works dramatically, but for that, the writer had to show it. And it wasn't done. But a sad ending isn't really appropriate in this drama, so a bittersweet/happy ending would work too if at least the screenwriter did it!
Maybe the writer of the fan-fiction was a bit frustrated too, and wanted to do what the screenwriter didn't, with its short fan-fics series: https://archiveofourown.org/series/4174684 It's in the tone of the drama, there a good ideas, and with some other ones, enough to do an episode. - First a phase of doubt, "doesn't feel my parents", "doesn't feel my son", because of difference of personnalities and history. - The father Yi Chan guesses about time travel. The mother as well. So they need to learn to know each others and stop being like strangers. - Eun Yu grand-pa knew about time travel, and know aproximatively when they come back. So before to die, he could send a message, or meet Yi Chan or Se Gyeong. Helping them to welcome their children from the older time line.
Although there is "time travel" in the tag, the drama isn't really a sci-fi series, the high-concept mostly serves human relationships. Yet, at the end, we still need to take into account the high-concept. Here the writer chose "no memories of new timeline", ok, but give us how it turns then.
It's a good drama. I find it well written about emotional moments, setups and payoffs.However I have a big problem…
I didn’t like the ending. The fact that everything changed, and on top of that, they didn’t update their memories of this new life, feels pretty terrible. It’s as if their previous life was completely erased, and they have no idea how this new one actually unfolded. It’s unsettling, like they never really had a life until now, and the parents they loved never truly existed either. This kind of overly convenient happy ending creates something I find very sad, but apparently nobody else cares.
Everything that shaped them, all the moments they shared with their loved ones… none of it remains. It all became a complete fabrication in a way.
This completely contradicts the life lessons the drama was teaching us, about overcoming obstacles, facing the truth, and growing through hardship. Sure, it benefits their parents, but for Gyul and Eun-yi, they’ve lost their real life and have been dropped into a brand-new reality they never actually lived. All the authenticity of their relationships has simply evaporated. For Gyul, this new mother and new father are people he never truly shared anything with. From their point of view, it works. But from his, it’s like they’re strangers. Yet the writer just brushes it all under the rug and makes Gyul perfectly okay with it.
I find that really disappointing, especially in a drama that otherwise excels at portraying raw human truth, and commit an inversion of this truth at the last moment.
It's a good drama. I find it well written about emotional moments, setups and payoffs. However I have a big problem with the ending, not because it's badly done, but about the meaning. (see spoiler below)
I ended. The plot is too far-fetched, so you can expect plot-holes, convoluted situations, confusing explanations or even in some cases no clear explanation. Yet the drama is interesting, but hard to make sens of many decisions.
Ep3+ to 6: previous flaws are gone, and the drama is intriguing. No action or crazy twists, but I'm always curious to know more about this disturbing story. Main actress is great, with an original "femme fatale" character delivering good dialog lines.
But the term "femme fatale" isn't the best to speak about her. She's more a super charismatic woman, using also manipulation, making her irresistible, anyone you are. It's the kind of characters I like a lot, then my opinion could be biased to be more positive than it should.
Ep3 is better, more clarity, and something to root for. The scene in the middle of episode is remarquable as a turning point. Although it's backstory (flashback), yet the story is linear, and it helps at this point.
Alas, Ep2 also has a confusing part, even while being attentive, what's different of mystery. A simple information not given at the right time and it's confusing. Too much expo by dialogs and naming people not in the room. So I spent half of episode wondering about the mess instead to enjoy scenes and mystery.
Problem with the non linear storytelling also, something I usualy like but here we confuse sometimes what is flashback or not. For example, after wondering a lot about an inconstency in this episode, I had to go back to previous one, and realize that one of the scenes at the end was a flashback, when I had the impression it was continuity at first watching.
I started, and in episode 1 there are a lot of amazing scenes. However last part of the episode is very confusing, could be about timeline or excessive use of information mostly delivered by dialogues instead to show it in a clear way. EDIT: I started Ep2 and we can see the scenes now, allowing to understand the mess of Ep1 ending.
Episode 5 now, I'm hooked. When a cooking contest is more entertaining than $200 millions US super-heroes movies. The comedy is good, and I don't speak about the over-the-top eating hallucinations, but the whole.
1 
I gave a logical sad version of this ending. I'm ok with that, after all it's a sacrifice for their parents and it works dramatically, but for that, the writer had to show it. And it wasn't done. But a sad ending isn't really appropriate in this drama, so a bittersweet/happy ending would work too if at least the screenwriter did it!
Maybe the writer of the fan-fiction was a bit frustrated too, and wanted to do what the screenwriter didn't, with its short fan-fics series:
https://archiveofourown.org/series/4174684
It's in the tone of the drama, there a good ideas, and with some other ones, enough to do an episode.
- First a phase of doubt, "doesn't feel my parents", "doesn't feel my son", because of difference of personnalities and history.
- The father Yi Chan guesses about time travel. The mother as well. So they need to learn to know each others and stop being like strangers.
- Eun Yu grand-pa knew about time travel, and know aproximatively when they come back. So before to die, he could send a message, or meet Yi Chan or Se Gyeong. Helping them to welcome their children from the older time line.
Although there is "time travel" in the tag, the drama isn't really a sci-fi series, the high-concept mostly serves human relationships. Yet, at the end, we still need to take into account the high-concept. Here the writer chose "no memories of new timeline", ok, but give us how it turns then.
Everything that shaped them, all the moments they shared with their loved ones… none of it remains. It all became a complete fabrication in a way.
This completely contradicts the life lessons the drama was teaching us, about overcoming obstacles, facing the truth, and growing through hardship. Sure, it benefits their parents, but for Gyul and Eun-yi, they’ve lost their real life and have been dropped into a brand-new reality they never actually lived. All the authenticity of their relationships has simply evaporated. For Gyul, this new mother and new father are people he never truly shared anything with. From their point of view, it works. But from his, it’s like they’re strangers. Yet the writer just brushes it all under the rug and makes Gyul perfectly okay with it.
I find that really disappointing, especially in a drama that otherwise excels at portraying raw human truth, and commit an inversion of this truth at the last moment.
However I have a big problem with the ending, not because it's badly done, but about the meaning.
(see spoiler below)
Yet the drama is interesting, but hard to make sens of many decisions.
No action or crazy twists, but I'm always curious to know more about this disturbing story.
Main actress is great, with an original "femme fatale" character delivering good dialog lines.
But the term "femme fatale" isn't the best to speak about her. She's more a super charismatic woman, using also manipulation, making her irresistible, anyone you are. It's the kind of characters I like a lot, then my opinion could be biased to be more positive than it should.
The level of antagonism is unmatched so far.
The scene in the middle of episode is remarquable as a turning point.
Although it's backstory (flashback), yet the story is linear, and it helps at this point.
A simple information not given at the right time and it's confusing.
Too much expo by dialogs and naming people not in the room.
So I spent half of episode wondering about the mess instead to enjoy scenes and mystery.
Problem with the non linear storytelling also, something I usualy like but here we confuse sometimes what is flashback or not. For example, after wondering a lot about an inconstency in this episode, I had to go back to previous one, and realize that one of the scenes at the end was a flashback, when I had the impression it was continuity at first watching.
However last part of the episode is very confusing, could be about timeline or excessive use of information mostly delivered by dialogues instead to show it in a clear way.
EDIT: I started Ep2 and we can see the scenes now, allowing to understand the mess of Ep1 ending.
https://mydramalist.com/people/17749-lee-hee-myung
but MDL isn't up to date.
When a cooking contest is more entertaining than $200 millions US super-heroes movies.
The comedy is good, and I don't speak about the over-the-top eating hallucinations, but the whole.
Turns out it's also the cliffhanger. (8 minutes of credits after)
The rating is low, so I'm curious to see why, and maybe it will be good?