Worth watching? YES! This drama was far from perfect, but the good far outweighs the bad, in my opinion.

Themes -
Making mistakes is part of life, you must learn to forgive others and (harder still) you must learn to forgive yourself.
Coincidence vs. fate “Fate is not all that, as you would like to believe. It’s a question of will power. If you dodge it, it’s a coincidence. If you accept it, it’s fate.”
Meaning of Love: In a lot of instances, characters are acting out of “love” - but oftentimes that love is really serving their own interests.

Social Issues: suicide, bullying, infidelity - I think some of the low ratings for this drama are due to the tough issues it tackles. No one in this drama is perfect. If you are looking for a clear cut story of good vs evil, this is not for you. A lot of characters in this drama are somewhere in between.

General Comments:
* There are two time hops in this drama. Episode 9 jumps 9 years ahead, and another year passes between episodes 32 and 33.
* There are so many hidden identities and secret relationships that it is difficult to keep track of who knows what when.
* There are 5 main characters: Kim Cheung Ah (Seol In Ah ), Goo Joon Hwi (Kim Jae Young ), Kim Seol Ah (Jo Yoon Hee ), Do Jin Woo (Oh Min Suk ) and Moon Tae Rang (Yoon Park)
* Music and Cinematography:: The OST cinematography and were nothing special, but that is true of almost any long form drama.
* Acting / Cast: Stellar. I loved Seol In Ah in Business Proposal and Mr Queen. One of my favorite actresses. Both she and Kim Jae Young did so well with their characters. You really feel their pain. You could see the emotional side of Kim Jae Young’s character, even when he was being rude and antisocial.

The storyline between Cheung Ah and Joon Hwi grabbed my heart. You will spend a lot of time crying over them. Both are gravely affected by major events in the plot. Their responses to trauma are very different. Cheung Ah is overcompensating; she's on a mission to set things right with the world. She is selfless to a fault, desperate to help others, but unable to help herself. Joon Hwi is frozen - taciturn and withdrawn, but is looking for resolution.

The development of their relationship is beautifully written and is the highlight of this show. She advances; he retreats. Slowly, she coaxes him out of his shell and he provides a safe haven for her. The bond they develop deepens into love.

A scene in episode 19 establishes this advance/retreat dynamic:
Cheung Ae: "Let's eat together. It's not just food. It's my heart "
Joon Hwi: "First of all. I don't want to eat. Also, I don't eat with other people. Especially food that has heart in it"

But Joon Hwi finds himself drawn in, and slowly connects with her. In an early scene, Joon Hwi visits her in her student dorm room, where he sees hints of her mental state. The room, her inner sanctum, is a total wreck, except for a row of plaques displayed neatly on a shelf - awards for heroic acts. It's a jarring comparison of her private struggles versus her public behavior.

Some bits of dialogue between them show that he sees through her cheery exterior.

In episode 21, he accidentally spills ramen on her clothes, and is sincerely apologetic. Her response is predictably self-denying:
CA: "It's okay. It's nothing. I can wash it. I haven't done laundry in awhile, I was going to do it today. It works out....... I'm really fine. Really. Really, really fine. Even so, nothing spilled on the floor - nice!"
And he calls her out for it.
JH: "Are you always like this? "It's okay. I'm fine, I'm really fine." Usually people say Nice when they are okay, not when the other person is okay, or the floor is okay. It's not a good thing."

It's the second time in this episode that she is shaken by his words. Earlier on, she expresses gratitude towards him, and his response provides her with an epiphany:

CA: "Thank you for listening to me and for being on my side."
JH: "I wish you wouldn't fool yourself. Why am I on your side? I've never been on anyone's side. If I must take a side, let's say I'm on the side of truth. When the truth is warped, life becomes warped as well. I don't like that."
Cheung Ae reflects: "Why didn't I realize that sooner? If only I had known before."

He makes her recognize that her defense mechanisms won't allow her to move on. Meanwhile, she continues to chip away at his boundaries, and she slowly makes some cracks in his surly exterior. In episode 26, they meet up, and as she takes her leave, they have this conversation:
CA: Then, see you next time.
JH: Oh. Yeah, sure.
CA: huh?
JH: what?
CA: You responded when I said "see you next time". I can't put my finger on it, but you've changed a little, Koo Joon Hwi.

The other three main characters are in a love triangle, and their storyline was a bit drawn out, without much progress until the last few episodes. Jin Woo is wealthy, spoiled and oblivious, but has a good heart. Seol Ah is out for herself, and seeks fame and fortune, sees love as pointless. Tae Rang is a solid stand-up guy, but a bit boring. Honestly, I skimmed over a lot of his scenes. I have six episodes left to watch, and am 99% sure which way the triangle ends; so it has left me guessing. There is some personal growth for both Seol Ah and Jin Woo, but it is a long time coming,


Does it include any of the things I hate?
Wrist grabbing yes, but minimal
shared childhood memories: no
Manic pixie girl histrionic girl: no
Excessive gore / violence? None

Humor: some laughs, but some comedic bits that were just awkward

Favorite character: Jin Woo’s mother. She is a complete narcissist and totally irredeemable. But she had some of the best lines, here are a couple:
“what a waste of employees identification cards” (dissing the sports marketing team).
“anything money can't solve is because it's not enough money”


Literary references

episode 25-26
Poem Wildflower
"She is pretty only when you look carefully...."
I found this analysis of the poem and it is really on the nose for this show:
https://smileyelim.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/my-favorite-korean-poem-wildflower-by-na-tae-joo/

A translation:
You have to look closely
to see that it is pretty
You have to look for a long time
to see that it is lovely
You are the same.


Books
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Quotes from this book are sprinkled throughout the drama, about forgiving mistakes, and finding joy in the small things. Both Cheung Ah and Joon Hwi have a copy of this book.