Brilliant premise and such a new concept, starts off very strong but then it loses its track in the middle. I still don't understand the point of the unnecessary love triangle with Baek Kyung. He is such a complex character, and has a lot of trauma already, what was the point of steering the show into the direction of the cliched love triangle when it could have been so much more. I definitely think it was possible to explore romantic relationships without sacrificing the more interesting aspects of the drama. The ending does redeem it however, it's just a bit difficult to go through the middle episodes, mainly because of the repetitive scenes.

I was cackling when I saw the difference between Nam Ju and Do Hwa's gifts for Ju Da. I usually love traumatic historical scenes, so that was a plus for me. It would be a shame if I don't mention the acting of Lee Jae-wook which was what elevated Baek Kyung's character to such a level. His acting is extraordinary at all times and he does justice to the very complex character he plays.

One of the things that's plaguing me is what happened to Eun Dan Oh in the stage at the end, how did the story appear in the comic, how was her and Baek Kyung's relationship drawn at the end of the comic? The show didn't clear this major point, along with several other plot points.

Because of my ranting it might seem like I was totally annoyed by the show, which was not the case. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half and the last two episodes. Dan Oh and Haru's relationship is amazingly sweet, Lee Do Hwa will always remain in my heart, it's impossible to not feel sorry for Baek Kyung and ofc I shed a few tears for the characters here and then. I also really liked Shadow Ju Da's personality and her final decision at the end. Overall I did enjoy parts of the drama but seeing such a wasted potential kind of made me sad.

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The strength of the series does not lie in the plot, which falters a bit at points, but rather in the characters and their very real moments of vulnerability and crisis. All the characters in the show are written brilliantly, they have their ups and downs which feel so real at times that you can't help but compare it to events that happened to you or to someone you know. The female lead is the character I found to be the most relatable, every time she went on a monologue about the difficulties of trying to live as a single woman in a city, the difficulties of trying to 'settle' into a career, the insecurities and uncertainties you feel when you don't know if you are going towards your goal or away from it. Ji-ho is a beautiful character for me, I can see myself in all of her vulnerable moments, but I can also see that she's a wonderfully strong character, strong in a very 'real' sense, the strong women I have met in my life, soft spoken and polite, caring but headstrong.

One particular line has struck me in this series. It is when Ji-ho says: "All my twenties I have tried to work to be someone who was needed." This feeling of trying to have a career or life in which you are needed, is what plagues me as a twenty-something person. Like Ji-ho I also do not know if I am going towards my goal or away from it, I don't even have a goal as such right now in my life. But any goal is worth living for, getting married, being your own boss, being in love - all of these are goals good enough. I love how ordinary and real this series is in terms of these things, showing moments of happiness, sorrow and companionship which most of us experience, pointing to the fact that sometimes after a horrible day what you need is only a place to sleep in.

Cons:
We don't get to see when and how the ML falls into love.
The plot is interesting in the first half, but it falters later on.

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