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Romance Is a Bonus Book korean drama review
Completed
Romance Is a Bonus Book
2 people found this review helpful
by rainhat
Nov 5, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
I usually ration my TV viewing very carefully, but I watched 10 hours of this show at a go without a qualm. Lee Na Young, what a charming and sympathetic actor, in such a winning role. They laid it on thick for Kang Dan-yi and her no-good very bad horrible situation when the show opens, and yet she made you want to believe in it: the horror of the life into which she was plunged, as well as in her ordinary, everyday pluck and resolve as she went about trying to find a situation.

And then, boom: a knight in shining armour who's also a childhood best friend, and practically perfect in every way? Yet nothing about this was off-putting, seemed like it was going to sacrifice a balance of power on the altar of sweeping romance, or made Dan-yi and Eun-ho transform themselves drastically in the journey of their friendship. Was it realistic? Absolutely not. Was it believable? Strangely, yes.

The most sweepingly romantic thing in this show, in fact, is its love of books and publishing: an old-fashioned, stubborn refusal to see books as anything but the great consolations of our life. Regardless of whether they end up with each other or no, that's who Eun-ho and Dan-yi are to each other, we realise: the book in which you learn yourself anew every time you leave your world and enter its own. As romances go, I can't think of a nicer metaphor.

Props to Lee Jong Suk for being a lovely rest for the eyes and bringing restraint and poise to his role: even his slightly out-of-character methods of pursuing Dan-yi seem rational and in keeping with the character because he doesn't crank it up unnecessarily. The supporting actors were all delightful, and brought such warmth and affection to their roles and interactions with each other. And a shout-out to the set designers who created perhaps the nicest office I've ever seen on TV: an inspiration!
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