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Touch Your Heart korean drama review
Completed
Touch Your Heart
2 people found this review helpful
by celestialocean
Apr 19, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 6.5
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 4.5
This review may contain spoilers
Going into this drama, I didn't know that the creative team behind "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim" was also behind this one – but the style is so similar that I guessed it before confirming. The quality is pretty consistent, so if you loved "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim," it's pretty safe to say you'd love this drama, too. Without initially remembering my exact rating for "Secretary Kim," I ended up giving "Touch Your Heart" the same rating – and indeed, they both left the same impression: cute, but mediocre. Nothing to write home about.

I watched "Secretary Kim" because I'm a fan of both leads, and I watched this one for essentially the same reason. I've been a fan of Lee Dong Wook for almost as long as I've been watching dramas, and I looked forward to seeing him work with Yoo In Na again. As "Goblin" is a pretty popular drama, I'm sure many viewers watched (or plan to watch) for the same reason. And in that regard, I found the drama quite enjoyable to watch. Despite being in their late twenties/early thirties, the main characters are both inexperienced when it comes to relationships and therefore their relationship has a sort of awkward, innocent quality that would be more expected of a teenage relationship than one between adults. Some may find that a little off-putting (and sometimes, the awkwardness does seem to be excessive even when taking into account their unusual circumstances), but they are so sweet and smitten with each other that they're overall a delight to watch.

Yoo In Na is utterly charming as Oh Yoon Seo, a once popular actress whose reputation was destroyed by a scandal she was framed for. Despite finding the drama itself a bit lackluster, I absolutely adore this character; she's definitely one of my favorites now. Yoon Seo is confident without acting superior, and to her co-workers' surprise, she is very kind and empathetic (if not quite "down-to-earth," because she is a bit spacey). She is completely, unabashedly feminine, and she surrounds herself in a world of pink. She is a bit reminiscent of Elle Wood in "Legally Blonde." Although Yoon Seo can be ditzy, she is observant and has an exceptionally good memory, so she's smarter than she initially seems. For me, Yoo In Na was the highlight of the show. I enjoyed her performance well enough in "Goblin," but this drama is the reason I'll definitely be watching out for her new work in the future.

Lee Dong Wook's character, Kwon Jung Rok, is very similar to the characters I've seen him play previously. He always seems to play the confident-but-discreet, cold-but-soft counterpart to the more exuberant, playful, and outwardly emotional female lead. What seems to mainly set Jung Rok apart from the others is that he comes across as having some autistic traits. He is obsessed with law to the point that it seems like a special interest (in the context of autism), and he typically has a flat affect. He is adorably clueless of pop culture, initially has no idea of how to be in a relationship, and turns to Yoon Seo's dramas for ideas to make her happy. He is completely in his element at work, but he seems to feel a bit lost everywhere else. It is fun to see him slowly open up to Yoon Seo and be so vulnerable with her, despite the fact that it clearly forces him to stretch his comfort zone.

The supporting characters were usually very fun to watch in this drama. The comedy is wacky and over-the-top (complete with unobtrusive, cartoonish sound effects), which works for me; I literally laughed out loud so much. So, if it's so funny, so cute, and so sweet, why didn't I rate it higher? The plot. The drama spends so much time hinting at an interesting backstory or conflict that never really goes anywhere. There is so little depth to the backstory involving Se Won and Yeo Reum that I found it really hard to care. Likewise, the conflict involving the antagonist from Yoon Seo's past seemed like it would get really interesting – but after building up a lot of suspense, it quickly fizzles out.

There are still several episodes left after that, but they mostly consists of fluffy, slice-of-life romance and cliché tropes to add brief, unnecessary – and frankly, boring – conflict to the relationship. While the fluffy bits are cute and entertaining, I would have preferred one primary, well written, suspenseful conflict for the main couple to overcome that could keep me on the edge of my seat. Yoon Seo's stalker situation could have definitely been that, with the other comparatively minor conflicts woven in, so the way it was written was disappointing.

I can't say I'd highly recommend "Touch Your Heart," but it's not a terrible drama either. It has some really great points, but I prefer a plot with more substance.
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