Life is rarely a straightforward and narrow road and for artist Hee Joo (Hyun-Jung Go), her road seems to be an incessant path of bumps, twists and turns as she gradually begins her descent into “ Hell”.

The storyline places emphasis upon unravelling questions towards Hee Joo’s fall from grace.The female lead seems to have all ; she had a rough start but now has two beautiful children, a doting husband, a lovely home, and a successful art career, yet something still seems to haunt the female lead . Yet when a terrible incident happens to her daughter Ri-Sa (Su-an Kim), Hee-Joo is shocked to end up meeting someone she used to know in her past Hae Won (Shin Hyon Bin); a ghost of her former lively-self. Hee Joo and Hae Won’s encounter marks the beginning of a hellish journey that will test and trial everything that Hee-Joo believes she already knows…

Adapted to the small screen by director Im Hyun Wook ( ‘ People You May Know’) and screenwriter Yoo Bo Ra ( ‘ Just Between Lovers’, ‘ Snowy Road’) from Jung So Hyeon’s novel ‘ Someone Who Looks Like You’ , ‘ Reflection Of You’ takes a noticeably darker and bittersweet tone than most melodrama revenge-tales, and a slow-burn plot which will test viewers’ patience spans to the maximum.

Of course this isn’t to say that there isn’t intrigue for viewers surrounding the plot premise or initial start; it wastes no time hooking audiences ( shown as a literal metaphor through the fishing line thrown into water in the first episode) and adds a few little threads to keep the series interesting; the mysterious and unconscious John Doe visited by Hee Joo’s husband who later disappears, the tension between Hee Joo and her affluent , aloof mother-in-law , Hae Won’s use of an alias as well as her evident connection to Hee Joo .

The acting front of the series was admittedly fairly good. Whilst there were a few questionable line deliverances at times it’s undeniable that our main cast really shone throughout . Hyun-Jung Go delivered a brilliant performance as her complicated onscreen persona Hee-Joo whilst Shin Hyon Bin would often steal the limelight as Hae Won ; the chillingly vengeful, enigmatic and mysteriously paradoxical character who acted as the main foil and plot drive throughout ‘ Reflection Of You’.

Yet amongst screenwriter Yoo Bo Ra’s smoke and mirrors tactic through using mysterious subplots and haunting scenes to shield viewers from the actual truth of the past and events to follow, ‘ Reflection Of You’ isn’t without its more evident loose threads either.

The series is undeniably slow-paced. Whilst this is a necessary tactic for keeping the storyline afloat and the input of cliffhangers during most episodes helped the drama to gradually reach its apex , ‘ Reflection of You ‘ could often ward off viewers and potential newcomers. The series would often become bogged down with its arbitrary soap-opera trope-worthy moments, occasional out-of-place transitions and use of over-the-top dialogue and line deliverances. Whilst it does present a form of ( intentional or unintentional ) dramatic irony in the lavish and melodramatic world of ‘ Reflection Of You’, it could often create a sporadic and disjointed plot with many loose plot ends sticking out like a saw thumb by the ending of the series.

The finale of ‘ Reflection Of You’ undeniably divided audiences; a final conclusion towards the twisted world of the series, but leaving a lot of unanswered questions and logic on the sideline with main characters Hae-Won and Hee Joo’s arcs feeling underdeveloped .

So is ‘ Reflection Of You’ actually worth watching or is it a waste of time? ‘ Reflection Of You’ is a drama which will admittedly engage or disengage audiences dependent on expectations. Whilst this is generic situation for a lot of K-dramas, ‘ Reflection Of You’ often finds itself digging its own grave at times by its snail-paced progression and dragging out plot points behind its expiry date . This isn’t to say the series is “ terrible” or “ unwatchable”; the acting is fairly dynamic throughout the series, the plot premise is intriguing and there are some wonderfully-interweaved scenes by director Im Hyun Wook to give viewers goosebumps. However the incompletion of a series which was dragged out for viewers alongside mismatched storyline and plot points, can admittedly lead to some mixed-feelings and uncertainty towards the finished product.