Amy
It's been a long time since a drama touched my heart so deeply. I'm not a big fan of the romcom genre and I've never thought that a romcom drama could impress me the way that BTIMFL did. From the story, cast, character development, to the the lines of the characters and the OST, it is perfection in a whole package.
Story 10/10
The story mainly follows three couples and their hardships in the relationship. They are each facing different challenges and representing different types of relationships (marriage by contract, long-term relationship without marriage, and one-night-stand vs commitment). I won't go deep into the story because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but basically they all struggle in understanding the meaning of love, marriage and opening up themselves to their partners. The story seems cliche and simple at first glance, but the way this drama presented the story is novel, fresh, creative, and so well-plotted out that it would feel like you are seeing this type of story for the first time. This drama is like a demonstration of how rom-coms can also be deep, through-provoking, and reflective like beautiful literature.
Character Depth 9/10
First of all, the characters were so realistically written; they had struggles that many people could relate to, and even though sometimes they made mistakes and did annoying things, I couldn't hate any of them because they were just like real people and had real emotions and reasons of why they came to be. Even though we might have different personalities as the characters, we would still understand their struggles and the fact that sometimes life does not go in the way we want it to. We can understand why Ji Ho, despite being an innocent and kind person, comes out stronger and more independent than her personality suggests. We understand why Se Hee always appears reserved and calculative, because he made grave mistakes in the past and he wants his life to be organized and in control, and most importantly he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Although he seems like a robot, he's actually a very kind and considerate person who always notices the feelings of the people around him. Just like how he striked a conversation with Ji Ho even though they were complete strangers, because he knew she needed someone by her side at that moment. He's not the type of person who would spare time and money unless he thinks it's worth it, and when he does, it's because he truly cares about that person. As for Won Seok and Ho Rang's relationship, I actually related to them the most. Even if you love a person very much, it doesn't mean the relationship will go smoothly, there may be timing gaps, differences in life goals, values, and communication barriers that end up inflicting great pain on you and your partner. And sometimes the pain of holding someone's hand is so overwhelming, that you can't help but want to let go, even if you can't live without that person. But it's always after separation, that you realize what is truly important to you.
The lines of this drama were well-written, every deep conversation touched my heart like poetry, and there were even some literary references that matched well with the story. It also made the characters more three-dimensional, especially Ji Ho since she's the narrator of the story. I relate with her a lot because I have a similar personality and I also like contemplating about things while daydreaming. Therefore I find her very suitable for the narrating role. The only downside is that since Ji Ho is like the sole narrator and you can only hear her heart most of the time, you might not know what the other characters are thinking.
Message 10/10
The drama also did an excellent job in prompting viewers the meaning of marriage. Why and when do people get married? The Ji Ho and Se Hee couple will make you ask--does love need to exist for marriage? Is marriage simply a commitment between two couples, or does it imply many duties and responsibilities that need to be upheld? And the Won Seok and Ho Rang couple will make you ask--is love solely enough for marriage? Or it is also about the right timing and conditions? Finally the Mr. Ma and Soo Ji couple will question whether it is because you need to depend on someone so you start a relationship, or because you love someone that you want to share your life with them even if you didn't have the need to. These are questions that the drama often touches on, and I believe there is no definite answer to these questions, because in the end everyone's situation is different. But my takeaway is that since marriage is commonly regarded as a "grave for love", meaning that love is sometimes destroyed in marriage, an important thing that people who are getting married for love should keep in mind of is to not let anything get in the way of their love relationship--not family rituals, not other people's expectations, not society's standards, and certainly not the system of marriage. In the end, we get married to be happy, and we shouldn't lose what we originally hoped for in the process.
Music 8/10
The OST does not have a "wow" effect but every song grows on me, and suits the scenes of the drama very much. They helped amplify the sentimental emotions in the drama and made the storytelling more effective. There was no song that I didn't like in the album.
Story 10/10
The story mainly follows three couples and their hardships in the relationship. They are each facing different challenges and representing different types of relationships (marriage by contract, long-term relationship without marriage, and one-night-stand vs commitment). I won't go deep into the story because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but basically they all struggle in understanding the meaning of love, marriage and opening up themselves to their partners. The story seems cliche and simple at first glance, but the way this drama presented the story is novel, fresh, creative, and so well-plotted out that it would feel like you are seeing this type of story for the first time. This drama is like a demonstration of how rom-coms can also be deep, through-provoking, and reflective like beautiful literature.
Character Depth 9/10
First of all, the characters were so realistically written; they had struggles that many people could relate to, and even though sometimes they made mistakes and did annoying things, I couldn't hate any of them because they were just like real people and had real emotions and reasons of why they came to be. Even though we might have different personalities as the characters, we would still understand their struggles and the fact that sometimes life does not go in the way we want it to. We can understand why Ji Ho, despite being an innocent and kind person, comes out stronger and more independent than her personality suggests. We understand why Se Hee always appears reserved and calculative, because he made grave mistakes in the past and he wants his life to be organized and in control, and most importantly he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Although he seems like a robot, he's actually a very kind and considerate person who always notices the feelings of the people around him. Just like how he striked a conversation with Ji Ho even though they were complete strangers, because he knew she needed someone by her side at that moment. He's not the type of person who would spare time and money unless he thinks it's worth it, and when he does, it's because he truly cares about that person. As for Won Seok and Ho Rang's relationship, I actually related to them the most. Even if you love a person very much, it doesn't mean the relationship will go smoothly, there may be timing gaps, differences in life goals, values, and communication barriers that end up inflicting great pain on you and your partner. And sometimes the pain of holding someone's hand is so overwhelming, that you can't help but want to let go, even if you can't live without that person. But it's always after separation, that you realize what is truly important to you.
The lines of this drama were well-written, every deep conversation touched my heart like poetry, and there were even some literary references that matched well with the story. It also made the characters more three-dimensional, especially Ji Ho since she's the narrator of the story. I relate with her a lot because I have a similar personality and I also like contemplating about things while daydreaming. Therefore I find her very suitable for the narrating role. The only downside is that since Ji Ho is like the sole narrator and you can only hear her heart most of the time, you might not know what the other characters are thinking.
Message 10/10
The drama also did an excellent job in prompting viewers the meaning of marriage. Why and when do people get married? The Ji Ho and Se Hee couple will make you ask--does love need to exist for marriage? Is marriage simply a commitment between two couples, or does it imply many duties and responsibilities that need to be upheld? And the Won Seok and Ho Rang couple will make you ask--is love solely enough for marriage? Or it is also about the right timing and conditions? Finally the Mr. Ma and Soo Ji couple will question whether it is because you need to depend on someone so you start a relationship, or because you love someone that you want to share your life with them even if you didn't have the need to. These are questions that the drama often touches on, and I believe there is no definite answer to these questions, because in the end everyone's situation is different. But my takeaway is that since marriage is commonly regarded as a "grave for love", meaning that love is sometimes destroyed in marriage, an important thing that people who are getting married for love should keep in mind of is to not let anything get in the way of their love relationship--not family rituals, not other people's expectations, not society's standards, and certainly not the system of marriage. In the end, we get married to be happy, and we shouldn't lose what we originally hoped for in the process.
Music 8/10
The OST does not have a "wow" effect but every song grows on me, and suits the scenes of the drama very much. They helped amplify the sentimental emotions in the drama and made the storytelling more effective. There was no song that I didn't like in the album.
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