Out of all the dramas I've seen this one was by far the most furiously debated over. People either loved it or hated, and then there were people on the fence. I found The Third Charm pleasantly fulfilling. Often times dramas shy away from sad endings and pull plot twists, hidden elements, or any other deus ex machina things they could do to avoid a sad ending.

I was hooked by the premise liked many others, but unlike others, I stayed hooked and was not off-put by the sudden dark turn it took. At first glance, it would seem very dark and "edgy," but these are easily thrown around without very much thought. Is the story dark? Yes, but does that means it's automatically "edgy" and "emo?" No.

In regards to the story, I found the ending satisfactory which I could say far more fulfilling than other dramas which seemed to focus on avoiding a sad ending no matter what. In The Third Charm, however, it's one of the few dramas that had me on edge wondering if the ending will be a happy or sad one. Taking into account the whole story, and how OJY LYG progressed throughout the story, the ending was far better than I thought. I could see why some people felt disappointed with the ending, but I didn't mind it's was left open for interpretation what happened afterward. It's different than the bland conflict being resolved and the main characters live happily afterward. In TTC the conflict never really does get resolved, it never was really dealt with and took the form of a figurative scar which would stick with the main characters for the rest of their lives. There's no romantic finale where the male, after a thematic victory over the conflict, kiss, marry or stays with the female. There's just realism here.

The acting was superb. I have to give it to the leads even though I might be a little biased since I'm a fan of Seo Kang Joon, but I can confidently say with the script they were given they did an amazing job. SKJ played the role of the naive, shy and awkward lover, and Lee Som did amazingly with the over realistic, burdened, and tragic female lover. The supporting role also did an amazing job, namely Yang Dong Geun. Was all their acting perfect? No, but that goes for every actor there's always room for improvement.

In conclusion, it's up to personal taste whether this show is gold or dirt. This show doesn't shy away from tragedy, and sad endings, and I think that's where most people's complaints and frustration come from. The ending is even worse and where the arguments peaked since the ending was "controversial" to some. However, I did not mind it at all, I've watched too many dramas with deus ex machina happy endings, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's good to have something different. If you want a good tragic drama look no further because TTC delivers on that.

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