I've recently been wondering if I prefer melodramas over romantic comedies because they seem to hit harder, but watching this drama reminded me just how amazing a rom-com can still be if it manages to hit the right emotional beats.

Go Back Couple grabbed my attention in the first episode with how deep it was, and immediately I knew that this show took its subject matter seriously. The drama isn't afraid to touch upon important topics like grief and guilt, and throughout all 12 episodes, the emotional scenes were extremely hard-hitting, especially surrounding the theme of parenthood. I loved every scene between Jin Joo and her mother, and I loved how JJ basically had to choose between going back to see her own child or staying with the mother she never got to say goodbye to. The way grief affected the communication in the leads' relationship was so realistic and heart-wrenching; I cried so many times watching this show.

With that being said, the show also did an amazing job staying lighthearted. The second thing that stood out to me was that this drama is actually funny. With so many rom-coms now relying on drunken antics or slapstick humor (which doesn't quite click with me), this drama does instead uses a lot of callbacks or taking the time to set up situations that are funny but still very touching. I laughed just as much as I cried.

I love how much depth there was in both our main characters. Neither of them are perfect, but the breakdown of their relationship isn't their fault either. It makes the characters and their story feel extremely real. As much as I love the golden retriever archetype we keep getting nowadays, sometimes it feels like MLs have no purpose other than to love the FL. It's extremely refreshing to get an ML that is very flawed, but still so in love with the FL when everything is said and done.

There were only a few things I didn't like that much. One was the second ship; it's not that I disliked them, but I cared much more about those side characters' friendships with the main leads rather than their own romances.

I also didn't love the "getting hit by a car" trope at the end of Episode 11. While I admit the acting of the leads absolutely shined because of it, it feels like another common out-of-the-blue kdrama trope. I think we could've either done without it or at least picked a plot point that was pre-established, like Ban Do getting into an alley fight with some bullies.

Ultimately, though, these are all small potatoes and I still enjoyed this drama SO much. The "back in time" concept is nothing new but Go Back Couple manages to make its mark with stellar characters and excellent writing. I will be recommending this drama to everyone I know :)