My Thoughts:

To sum it up, Su Ji and U Ri lacked depth plain and simple. From the start, it felt like none of the characters were given enough layers to truly connect with the audience. Jin Soo Ji, the female lead, was a particularly disappointing portrayal. It was obvious from the get-go that the writer intended for her to be a “professional doormat,” a trope overused and frustrating in this case. Instead of showing growth or resilience in a meaningful way, Soo Ji simply existed to be torn down by everyone, especially by Na Young and Jang Yun Ja, the two villains. Eventually she does become happy but she still have those 2 access to her and always made herself readily available for whatever bs they would be up to.

Speaking of villains, Na Young, while introduced as the antagonist, was an utter disappointment in her arc. The show teased a strong motive for her actions—an inferiority complex that led her to sabotage Soo Ji—but the so-called redemption arc felt lazy and unearned. A “petty excuse” wrapped up her behavior, as if the writers suddenly decided to spare her from consequences. And Jang Yun Ja? She never got the punishment she deserved, neither for hurting Su Ji nor her mother. Typical Kdrama writer fashion—wrongs are often forgiven without proper justice.

Chae Woo Ri, the male lead, wasn’t much better. While his introduction suggested he would be this righteous, justice-driven character, he never really became more than a bland, two-dimensional lead. It’s a shame, given that the potential for a more dynamic and nuanced rivalry-turned-romance between him and Su Ji was there. But it just never took off.

If all that wasn’t enough, the drama dragged unnecessarily. At 128 episodes, this story could have easily been wrapped up in 50. Every episode after the 50th felt like filler, with pointless subplots like the relationship dynamic between Sun Young and the uncle. It was evident from the start that she had no romantic interest in him, yet the writer forced them together in the end, making their relationship feel painfully contrived.

The ending? It was just okay. After all the chaos and aimless character arcs, I didn’t expect much, and what we got was simply “good enough.” It wasn’t the grand conclusion I hoped for, but at least it was done.

Final Advice: If you’re thinking about watching Su Ji and U Ri, skip most of the fluff. Five minutes of the beginning, middle, and end of each episode will give you all you need. There’s no reason to waste time on the endless filler, and you’ll save yourself a lot of frustration in the process.