segos

I'm not crying; you're crying.

I had the chance to watch this during its initial airing, but after seeing the first 10 minutes it was an instant-no for me. Years later, I circled back and saw how beloved the drama was. For me, the topics approached in the drama, particularly in that opening scene, are especially sensitive.

I am glad I gave it another go and pushed past that initial gut response. First off, it hits one of my favorite tropes (which isn't done often, and when it is done, it's not usually done well)--reincarnation. I thought they handled that beautifully, pairing in the layers with family. It aligned the elements of food to have a common thread (hah), but I do wish some of the other scenes had a more fluid alignment (like mirroring the past, but different).

I've commented in other reviews I don't usually care much for music in dramas, but this one was actually pretty good and did add to the scenes usually (though the doom song, as I call it, did feel overused at some points).

I think my biggest gripe with the story is actually the interaction with Dean and Pharm in the last episode. It felt unnecessary to me and that they could've handled Pharm's concerns differently. I also got annoyed with Pharm's reactions to intimacy. It often felt dub-con-y, even though it isn't meant to be at all.

Outside of those things, the acting was really great and they did emotional scenes beautifully. It may have been cool to see the families come together, but I can live without that.

Read More

Second half fell flat

So I wrote this long review and accidentally refreshed the page, so I'm going to sum this up quicker.

This drama had potential. The main characters had great chemistry, and from the start the way Palm looked at Nueng set off fireworks. Where they went wrong was with trying to make a plot without fully committing. It didn't feel like organized crime, but instead just like some solo bad guys being shady. I feel they may have avoided actually going down that path because it would've had them acknowledge Nueng's father's involvement in those dynamics, but who knows.

I appreciated elements such as Chopper's redemption arc (but his begging for forgiveness in the hospital was horrific timing), Mam's growth (truly don't think her end got the weight it deserved), and Maggie (seriously, Maggie was not letting anything slide... BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?! Literally fell from the planet after her visit to the hostel.)

I think the cast carried it for me, but what is making me consider dropping the rating even lower is one my most detested tropes -- deciding what your partner needs/wants without ever actually taking them into account or talking with them. Unfortunately, this drama had it happen not only once, but at least twice (in large ways, many more in smaller ones). The end also felt like deflated balloon after Palm did it, so I didn't even really feel committed to most of the last episode, which is sad because the beginning and middle actually really captured me.

I'll watch more dramas with the mains for sure, but this one was just okay for me.

Read More