This was a disappointing drama.

I was part of the subbing team on Viki, and my original plan was to either watch each episode after the initial English subs were put out then go in and do my part or go ahead and do my part and watch the episode in full afterward.

I quickly discovered that neither way was going to be possible, and the only way I Was going to be able to watch this drama without pulling out my hair was to just work on the subs and get the highlights as I worked.

Every time I attempted to sit down and watch a full episode...there were too many things I hated about the story for me to enjoy it. Namely almost everything around the kidnapping plotline, ie. the entire premise of the show and kind of an important aspect of the story that you need to enjoy if you want to enjoy the show overall.

When the drama focused on the female leads difficult work environment and her life growing up, it was very poignant. I found her to be the most relatable and empathetic in those moments, and I wanted to see more of them. When the drama focused on most everything else, I wanted to quit watching.

My main complaints with the kidnapping plotline are as follows:

1) The main characters behavior was unrealistic. The idea that a kidnapee would ever have enough power in a kidnapping situation to force the kidnapper to create and sign a contract between them was just dumb. Wholly and completely dumb. The idea that the kidnapee would be able to dictate to the kidnapper instructions on what food to cook for them and clothes to buy them and coffee to get them was dumb. Wholly and completely dumb. And the idea that the kidnapper would ever, for one moment, grant any of these demands is dumb.

Wholly and completely dumb.

2) The main characters behavior was maddening. The female lead made terrible decision after terrible decision that was never appropriately acknowledged as terrible and rarely had any repercussions and she never felt remorse or regret over them and I JUST WANTED HER TO FEEL A LITTLE BAD FOR KIDNAPPING A PERSON THAT'S ALL.

The male lead would get rightfully angry about being held hostage and then get over it within the same or next scene like he wasn't actually all that chuffed about it. At least be consistent, buddy.

They bickered with each other the entire time, and it was Not. Cute. because it was about the fact that she had kidnapped him and he rightfully wanted to not be kidnapped.

3) There was very little effort put into making the characters actually fall for each other. Feel sympathetic towards each other maybe, but not fall in love. And I wanted them to fall in love. Despite the myriad of flaws with this drama, the leads had spot on chemistry and could have brought a really great romance to the screen.

But they didn't.

I want to make it clear that I don't hate this drama because it was unrealistic. I don't have any problem with it being unrealistic. Stories like this Have to be a little bit unrealistic if they want to sell the idea of a kidnapper and kidnapee falling in love without it coming off as messed up and wrong. (Beauty and the Beast, anyone?) The problem is that the writers didn't understand how to write this story so that it didn't come off as messed up and wrong, so it always just felt Wrong.

There's plenty more to say about the rushed and poorly fleshed out story and the lack of real character or relationship growth throughout much of the drama and the terrible with a capital T ending that was clearly caused because of issues with the production company, but honestly, I don't care enough to talk about any of that. You'll have to read someone else's review if you want to know more.

All I'm gonna say is this drama was terrible, and those of us who watched it deserved better.

And so did the actors.