Noidz

To begin with, Lee Soo is one of the best male leads ever written. Fairy-tale metaphors, landscapes, discovering Seoul through teamwork and different jobs (photography and calligraphy), stages of life and love, quotes, missed opportunities, family relationships — there are lots of things to appreciate. In the end, Soo stayed patient and worked on himself, but that never means he has to change his whole personality, and I hate when people think that way. He's not bad, and people also tend to ignore the lonely cocoon he created for himself. What he lacked was self-love, and his vision of relationships was shaped by his divorced parents. His biggest mistake and regret was to not understand his own heart. So yes, his behavior could be a little childish, immature. I like such characters, because this is not what real toxicity is, this is simply being human. And I liked the romance, because they are both difficult yet adorable. I remember being on the ML's side even when he was in the wrong and feeling frustrated, which made the drama even better.

There is also a complex SFL, a great contrast with the SML (a simple, kind CEO character whose job has to do with literature), his own backstory, and his relationship with the FL being a sort of contract. The drama is also about creating new opportunities despite being too late, with both halves divided by a turn of tables. It offers a fresh take on familiar tropes, while also giving us a third couple and an overall "group of friends" story.

The best part was the ML’s story because of how real it is. I got attached to him sonner than I thought, and I liked the way he cared about Woo Yeon (her name literally means "destiny") and supported her dreams. I also loved how The Little Mermaid was referenced through him. Ong Seong Wu has been one of my favorites ever since this drama, and I love the OST titles here. He even did a song for his character, and it is so emotional. The OSTs were always perfectly placed throughout the drama.

"I don't take photos of people."

This was the beginning of his story. He actually inspired me to take photos on my trip at the time I started watching the drama. Overall, this is a slow-burn character study, so it is important to be patient with it.

The moment I fell in love with this drama was at the end of Episode 6, when my disappointment turned into fascination, and I silently cried because of Soo. Afterwards, he really became the star of the drama. What I initially thought was a ridiculous cliché was actually just so beautifully done.

P.S. Ong Seong Wu actually likes photography, so of course he took the role.

One interesting thing to note is how the audience sided with the SML, who was the one to convince Woo Yeon to pursue the relationship. And, of course, a simple, green-flag, stereotypical character like this is much easier to digest than the leads.

Quotes :

"But life is a series of exchanges. No one can control them. The only thing that should have been different is not what happened. It's this feeling that I became aware of far too late."

"A missed opportunity turns into regret. If there are no more opportunities to miss, I will make sure to create them myself."

"In a world of misunderstandings, it's dangerous to make assumptions about others. So you should ask the question yourself. You should hear the answer directly."

"Love must touch someone's inner confidence. Then, love will not be dragged away by the other person, but will draw the other person towards you."
— From a book's quote at the end

And then there is Lee Soo's father telling him:

"(When couples break up) A man becomes friends when feelings remain, but a woman becomes friends when they have no feelings left."

And when Lee Soo asked his divorced mother to consider getting back together with his father:

"Son, do you know what is the most important thing in a long-term relationship? The memories. Your dad and I had good memories, but we have more painful ones. I have no confidence in overcoming those bad memories."