badtoch
USA
Going against what some watchers have said over the past few weeks and what I'm sure they will say in future reviews, my favorite part of Angel's Last Mission: Love was L. He brought such a playful energy to this drama and elevated it to the point where I don't think I would have enjoyed it without his presence. While the extremely dramatic acting of almost all the other characters tied the story in really nicely with ballet, L (and archangel Hu) kept all of the other aspects of this drama grounded. Their characters provided much needed comedic relief for a drama that doesn't have a story strong enough for it to try and be so serious, and I felt they were acted out perfectly.
Another big strength of this drama is the Music. The OST for this drama was honestly perfect, and it drew me in to the point of tears many times. They did an excellent job with it.
The obvious weakness is the story itself. While I found it to be fun and enjoyable, I think it's best if you go into it not expecting it to be very deep. They set up a strong beginning and middle, but fumbled with it a bit in the end. I'm not sure I ever truly understood what God's plan was for Dan and Yeon Seo. It wasn't enough to frustrate me, but it did leave me with a little disappointment. Still, I think anyone who enjoys romcoms could really enjoy it as a whole.
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For me, the strongest parts of "Romance is a Bonus Book" are the excellent cast and the well written characters. At the heart of this story is the lifelong friendship shared between Eun Ho and Dan-i, and I felt Lee Jong Suk and Lee Na Young captured this perfectly even despite their 10 year difference in age. The chemistry between them was great in the sense that every scene they shared felt very natural and comfortable. Jong Suk did a great job here, and I feel this was the perfect final drama for him to do before he had to take his break due to his required military service. Aside from the leads, the supporting cast also had so much to offer. There were faces I was so happy to see again (such as Kim Sun Young and Jo Han Chul) and new faces I came to really love.
It's hard not to love and root for Dan-i as she tries to find herself again; Anyone who has ever gone through the struggle of trying to find a job can relate to her. It was nice to see her really earn her place by her own merit. I loved the way Dan-i descibed her relationship with Eun Ho as if he was a well loved book of hers, and their relationship in general was so incredibly heartwarming. I was touched by their confidence in eachother, and how because of that their relationship had zero frustrating misunderstandings.
Other characters I particularly felt for were Seo Joon and Hae Rin, whom I desperately wanted happy endings for, and the entire "founding members" team at the publishing house. Overall, I didn't find a single character that had screentime to be unnecessary or annoying, and all their different relationships and friendships were fleshed out nicely. If there's one character I wish we got to see more of, it's Dan-i's daughter. She didn't play as big of a part in the story as I expected her to, and I think having had more of her would have made the story even more special.
This is a good drama to watch whenever you're looking for something that feels like a warm hug, and I have a feeling I might be returning to it in the future, looking for some wisdom.
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