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Soul Mate japanese drama review
Completed
Soul Mate
0 people found this review helpful
by Heera
2 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

This is pretty, like the blue sunset, perhaps.

Ryu is the kind of man who helps, hugs, and shelters those in need, without hesitation or fear. He greets the world with a sunny smile, while Jo Han, an orphan and a relentless boxer, struggles to care for his sister, Sua, throughout his childhood. This responsibility has drained him of hope and strength, making it difficult for him to seek warmth from others and ultimately leading him to give up on himself.

Their meeting felt like alchemy, with Ryu touching Jo Han's heart and cherishing him to protect his soul. Ryu, who was ready to end his life, was saved and brought back to spirits by Jo Han.

As the frames unfolded, it was like watching the slow, factual, fragile life of people. Two individuals who are neither rich nor excessively in a rush to seek success, but to pursue the happiness of life.

The genuineness in the series I highly remark on is how Jo Han's yearning hobby of manga was actively diminished. Additionally, it portrays the lives within daycare centers—showcasing the experiences of older individuals and young babies who require extensive help, time, and patience. It also highlights the employees who work there and the immense pressure that daycare centers face. It is raw in the representation of the stress, the focus, the care, and the burden—how it lingers at low times, grabbing one's strength, playing, and almost quivering one's motive in life.

I was so sappy seeing the love of their friendship. Ryu's quirkiness shines through in his tendency to spread his arms wide and stand up for those he cares about, including Jo Han and Sumiko. Sumiko's a lovely friend. Though at times I felt like she could have moved out after her baby grew to a certain age, and with her salary, I was stunned to see Ryu planning his marriage to Sumiko just for her baby. The amount of love he showers on the baby moved me. He and Jo Han are the golden godfathers.

I monitored how they shifted Arata's character from Ryu's life, vividly, to Jo Han's. What happened to Arata was sad, and I am grateful that he has become well. Maybe it could have been beneficial to provide a little time where we could have had Ryu open up about what he felt after the conversation with Arata before moving from the hospital.

Jo Han's there like a constant pillar; he and Ryu have exchanged messages and calls and have been together before and after Jo Han's military service.
That's when it has clicked: their relationship isn't like any other bonds that were made on a random meeting, which gradually fade. It's a bond that doesn't need a name or label; it is strong, healthy, and stays.

The little details in the series, Jo Han's drawings and their accents, are carefully shown; they have both the Korean and Japanese styles.
I was mesmerized by the ending. I don't think it was strongly sad, as I felt it was more real, pleasant, and peaceful. Ryu's acknowledgment of Jo Han's health condition and those few minutes of backdrop to Jo Han's life established pride in me that Jo Han had come all the way. He has struggled and kept on earning, not giving up.

And the pause when he talks about how people who give up and drift through life don't feel pain anymore. His thinking of Ryu as a strong person, who let others into his life, and how his own self is scared of getting hurt, and he left after that one single night drunk argument because he doesn't want Ryu's happiness to be taking care of him. And alas, the way he wished for Ryu to be his last sight in the world.

The little vulnerable confession, "Why are you here? If you're here…it makes me...want to live longer."

And Ryu's vision of loneliness: "You said to me, 'You have a lonely look on your face again.' Loneliness is an incredible invention because feeling lonely means there's someone you truly care about. Someone you really want to see. That's truly amazing."

INCREDIBLE. INCREDIBLE LINES.

I am happy that they confessed and have enjoyed this so much. <55
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