Life unexpectedly creeps up on you without realization.It shapes your perception quietly and slowly,making you think you`re one in charge.This drama weaves a story of longing and necessity so well,you might not even realize what type of message it actually had in store.Like a good tale should,it leaves breadcrumbs with each new episode,and you become Hansel or Gretel,following pieces of tasty treat in order to get to a fervent goal.And it`s a tearjerking one at that.

To start off this review,I`d like to that the actors,writers,producers and the rest of the staff involved with this show,as I`m well aware of the risks and hoops one has to forego in order to create a drama.

To be completely honest,I still don`t know which direction this review will take.Because during my time with this drama,I kept lowering then changing my score.Other than one specific episode(or rather fifty minutes of it),it was a smooth ride.The pacing is probably one of the best I`ve seen when we`re talking about slower,more deliberate approaches.And,with the exception of one or two larger than life characters,everyone seems...grounded in reality.Which is kind of purposefully juxtaposed with time traveling MacGuffin because...everything in this drama is a stand in for something else.Even if you are of the twist this one goes for,you won`t be able to guess how they`ll go about it until it happens.The writing is actually clever.The writer(who I can delightfully report also wrote "Beyond Evil",a great crime thriller)really thrives in surroundings that seem fake.And she really got better at it with time.
And this is not the case with the writer either.The director did a wonderful job of setting up scenes and angles,that at times I was really wondering if what I was watching wasn`t a western show,rather than a Korean drama.And some answers were carefully tucked away in the background,thus,if you weren`t paying attention,this twist might seem to come out of left field.But it is not the case.

As this is a spoiler free review(since I don`t want to spoil an actual worthy twist,something that comes once in a blue moon),I`ll have to keep all points of interest at bay.But I still wanted to shed light on it by saying that you know something has a good twist when stories(both pre twist and post twist) could work on their own.So many dramas like to put in any twist just for pure shock value and because it`s simply popular.So what ends up happening is in worst case scenario it can ruin a perfectly good story,or in best case scenario earn a small chuckle out of you.As my headline suggests,it is rather hard to describe what makes this drama fun(albeit painfully) because it is entirely based on a feeling.You feel happy,sad,enraged,melancholic...all at once.The ending to this drama and the last episode in general is one of the most beautifully complex,yet maniacally emotional episodes I`ve seen of anything really.It`s partially why my rating shot up so high.It comes bearing so many lessons and experiences from young and old people alike.Everything that happens in this drama(bar fantastical elements) happened to multitude of persons,but it`s rarely talked about.That`s one more thing in favor of this show.It makes some excellent points on how young oriented society treats people who are deemed as unserviceable because they are elderly.And that sometimes happens in front of your very eyes.Some scenes reminded me of my childhood even and resentment accumulated in these characters is more than understandable when one gets the full picture.The acting is great across the board but Nam Joo Hyuk and Han Ji Min have really outdone themselves.I`ve yet to see a bad Han Ji Min project.And Nam Joo Hyuk FINALLY has something to work with,as his character is one full of moral faults,regrets and duality.This is his best role to date point blank,PERIOD.I honestly don`t think there`s one bad performance here and that speaks volumes.

Now,for drawbacks.Well,as I mentioned,fifty minutes of Episode 10 are incredibly weak,clunky and equipped with some clumsy introduction to a great twist.For a moment,I felt like I was watching a subpar drama and feared what was to come if they`re taking things in this direction.Thankfully,my fears were put to rest very quickly with exceptional episodes that followed.Another issue I`ve had though,is that some actions characters take can and are sometimes overly slapsticky and cartoony.Other than these though,it`s a drama I`m glad I gave a chance to.

It exceeded my expectations and if you need a takeaway from this,remember:Happiness is not shaped by events you go through,but by feelings you had whilst facing them.Thank You.