Happy Merry Ending (2023)

Genuinely made me happy and merry!

I actually really love this show! Yes, it has its flaws, but I still think it's almost criminally underrated here.
It takes a quite unique approach to its romance plot by having both characters be pretty much immediately aware of their attraction to one another. They are both very emotionally literate people capable of self-reflection and I find their dynamic incredibly refreshing.
You don't need big misunderstandings or wilful obliviousness to drive the plot and build romantic tension, it's just as effective, if not more so, to have the characters fully aware of their situation while most of the conflict arises from their own flaws and insecurities. It makes the characters feel deeply real and their struggles almost painfully understandable.
What's more, the characters are all wholly, utterly charming and I fell head over heels for them despite myself. They're all just so damn likeable, every single one of them.
The number of times I found myself thinking "Aw hell, that's really sweet, goddammit I really like them don't I" is frankly embarassing.

Furthermore the show clearly has a lot of love and respect for its characters and the topics it addresses through their story. Seung Jun, for instance, has a severe panic disorder, I mean this man is just absolutely riddled with anxiety. He frequently requires medication to manage his panic attacks, has a fear of crowds, and sometimes needs his friend to cuddle him to sleep. Not only is he unquestioningly accepted by the people around him, the story also makes a point of showing that this is not some character flaw to overcome, not something that can, or even needs to, simply be fixed.
Love is not the ultimate solution for all of life's problems. Just because you fall in love, doesn't mean you're magically cured of your mental illness. Recovering from trauma takes time and effort and progress isn't linear.
I have never seen a rom-com let one of its characters say "I really like you, but I just wasn't ready for a relationship. I needed to work on myself first"
And while, yes, that is not a direct quote from the show and yes, this plot point could have been handled a little more smoothly, it's still a very unusual and realistic approach to telling a romantic story and I personally deeply appreciate it.

All in all, this is a truly wholesome series with profoundly flawed and lovable characters, excellent music, a sensitive portrayal of trauma and abuse and what it means to overcome them, and just about the happiest ending you could wish for.
I admit that some of the criticisms of this show are not unfounded, it does sometimes feel slightly awkward or rushed.
But I actually think the pacing works perfectly for the story and the creators clearly put a lot of care into weaving together the plot and made full use of the limited runtime available to them.
Give it a shot, you might grow to love it just as much as I do.

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