aceofspades
This review may contain spoilers
Could have been a great show, but nonsensical character logic prevents it from being taken seriously
This review contains slight spoilers. I'll try not to reveal too much but don't say you weren't warned.
SPOILERS! WARNING!
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There is a lot to like about this show. The main cast is good. The directing and video edits are good. Its a romantic drama that isn't too cheesy. There is also a decent amount of comedy in the first half of the show as well (which they should have played up more). As someone who prefer Korean action and suspense thrillers but will watch a romantic drama if its not over the top, the romantic scenes in this series didn't want to make me puke.
However, I couldn't help but be frustrated at how silly and unrealistic the main character(s) acted given the circumstances they were placed in.
The plot is simple enough. Without revealing too much, the main character Cha Joo Hyuk is miserable with his current wife ( Seo Woo Jin) and has the opportunity to significantly alter his circumstances. After taking this opportunity, his new life is exactly what he dreamed of. He is happily married to his beautiful crush from college, rich and living life lavishly without a care in the world.
How long does his joy last? At best, it lasts for about 30 minutes of an episode. The rest of the series is about him longing to chase his original wife who made his life a living hell while making his current reality terrible in the process (which is ironic, and I will explain why later).
For the astute viewer, this is completely unbelievable. Realistically, almost no human being would throw away a drastically upgraded life to return to something that they acknowledged made them so miserable to the point of wanting to die, unless they are a big idiot. Well, Joo Hyuk is one big idiot so I guess this makes sense given his character? The only reason they write his character to act so unconvincingly is to force the basic moral of the story, which is: appreciate what you have, and realize that everyone needs to take some accountability for life's circumstances. Wow, bravo (rolls eyes).
Joo Hyuk, through various flashbacks, acknowledges that he played a big part in turning his original wife Woo Jin into a monster. He goes through multiple episodes trying to look after her to make up for his guilt in his original life, all while making the EXACT SAME MISTAKE with his current wife, Lee Hee Won, who the show is obviously trying to position as a villain.
However, it doesn't work because a lot of what Hee Won is doing is in response to Joo Hyuk being a completely dumb, selfish, inconsiderate husband, which is how he was to Woo Jin in the original life. Of course, Hee Won isn't perfect. She is a stuck up, rich, only child who throws money at problems and looks down on people because of their class. These are terrible qualities to have, but given her upbringing, she is acting exactly in line with her character. Otherwise, she is very loving to Joo Hyuk, providing him with everything he could want, such as a nice house, car, freedom to play video games, delicious home-cooked meals, hot marital "love", etc. If I had to pick between the post-wall abusive housewife from hell or a rich, beautiful princess with some entitlement issues, I know who I am choosing.
Despite all the complaints, its still a good show and one of the better dramas I've seen. Its worth watching if you just want to satisfy your Korean drama itch and need something new to watch.
SPOILERS! WARNING!
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-
-
-
-
-
-
There is a lot to like about this show. The main cast is good. The directing and video edits are good. Its a romantic drama that isn't too cheesy. There is also a decent amount of comedy in the first half of the show as well (which they should have played up more). As someone who prefer Korean action and suspense thrillers but will watch a romantic drama if its not over the top, the romantic scenes in this series didn't want to make me puke.
However, I couldn't help but be frustrated at how silly and unrealistic the main character(s) acted given the circumstances they were placed in.
The plot is simple enough. Without revealing too much, the main character Cha Joo Hyuk is miserable with his current wife ( Seo Woo Jin) and has the opportunity to significantly alter his circumstances. After taking this opportunity, his new life is exactly what he dreamed of. He is happily married to his beautiful crush from college, rich and living life lavishly without a care in the world.
How long does his joy last? At best, it lasts for about 30 minutes of an episode. The rest of the series is about him longing to chase his original wife who made his life a living hell while making his current reality terrible in the process (which is ironic, and I will explain why later).
For the astute viewer, this is completely unbelievable. Realistically, almost no human being would throw away a drastically upgraded life to return to something that they acknowledged made them so miserable to the point of wanting to die, unless they are a big idiot. Well, Joo Hyuk is one big idiot so I guess this makes sense given his character? The only reason they write his character to act so unconvincingly is to force the basic moral of the story, which is: appreciate what you have, and realize that everyone needs to take some accountability for life's circumstances. Wow, bravo (rolls eyes).
Joo Hyuk, through various flashbacks, acknowledges that he played a big part in turning his original wife Woo Jin into a monster. He goes through multiple episodes trying to look after her to make up for his guilt in his original life, all while making the EXACT SAME MISTAKE with his current wife, Lee Hee Won, who the show is obviously trying to position as a villain.
However, it doesn't work because a lot of what Hee Won is doing is in response to Joo Hyuk being a completely dumb, selfish, inconsiderate husband, which is how he was to Woo Jin in the original life. Of course, Hee Won isn't perfect. She is a stuck up, rich, only child who throws money at problems and looks down on people because of their class. These are terrible qualities to have, but given her upbringing, she is acting exactly in line with her character. Otherwise, she is very loving to Joo Hyuk, providing him with everything he could want, such as a nice house, car, freedom to play video games, delicious home-cooked meals, hot marital "love", etc. If I had to pick between the post-wall abusive housewife from hell or a rich, beautiful princess with some entitlement issues, I know who I am choosing.
Despite all the complaints, its still a good show and one of the better dramas I've seen. Its worth watching if you just want to satisfy your Korean drama itch and need something new to watch.
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