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Terry Tsurugi

California

Terry Tsurugi

California
Reunited Worlds korean drama review
Completed
Reunited Worlds
1 people found this review helpful
by Terry Tsurugi
May 31, 2022
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Sad and engaging, but don't expect a brilliant, tightly scripted story

The basic premise of the story is so appealing because it's a wish-fulfillment fantasy - what if someone who tragically died young in the prime of life got a second chance to tie up loose ends and say goodbye? It would be great if this could really happen in real life. But the writer didn't really do anything super interesting with that premise. The plot did just enough to keep you interested, but it didn't really explain the character changes and motivations very well (like why did Yung Joon and Tae Hoon's dad suddenly change?).

But the characters were generally very likable, so that helped to keep me watching. Yeo Jin Goo did a great job playing this really happy, energetic guy who's like a magnet holding together a group of friends and siblings who otherwise wouldn't be so close. He sometimes annoyed me with his bossiness and temper, but that was a realistic part of his personality, so I was fine with it. And I also thought Lee Yun Hee was really good, and I had a lot of sympathy for her character, since she had to put up with the most emotional stress probably of anyone in the whole story. So I don't agree with some of the criticism I've seen of her acting. However, I think Ahn Jae Hyun was lacking. I don't remember seeing him in anything else, so I don't know what he's capable of, but here I think he was bland and weak.

Also, the plot wasn't enough to fill 40 half-hour episodes, so it was padded with lots of unnecessary scenes and awkward comic relief that added nothing to the story. The comedy generally wasn't funny at all, but I appreciate the effort to inject some lightness and happiness in what is overall a pretty sad story.

But I'm really thankful that the show didn't take some of the turns I expected it to. I was cringing towards the end, afraid that the story was going to put Jung Won in danger or show characters making really idiotic decisions, but thankfully it didn't really go there. They did put the little niece in a little bit of peril, but that incident was thankfully really short and minor, so it was nowhere near as unpleasant as it could have been. And aside from Hae Sung keeping the temporary nature of his return a secret from Jung Won for too long and trying to set her up with the depyunim, the couple didn't really act as stupidly as I expected or engage in those typical noble idiot cliches. And if you love tearjerkers, this is the show for you. By the end of the show, I couldn't help but be very moved.
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