'therapy' review for my own sake

This, my dear readers, is my way to try 'move' on from this drama, or better, from that ending, through the 5 stages of grief...

With all due respect to that ending, I really needed this 'therapy' review for my own mental and emotional wellbeing, and hopefully it can help the future audience too, who are somewhat heartbroken from that finale.

So let me begin, the 5 stages of grief...

'DENIAL'
Really!? This was it? This can't be it right? There has to be one more episode that I'm not aware of! If not, what's with all those fragments of the past, in her present life? From the red car, her shop's name and those rainbow chairs in that shop etc? Were they just 'aesthetics'? Were we all just a bunch of overthinkers? Is this pain on us then?!

'ANGER'
How could everyone else in the drama get their 'happily-ever-after' but not them? Even Seung Wan managed to get a reunion with a potential 'partner' in that 2mins of the finale, which, reminder, started with a greeting of freaking 10+ years ago!! Seriously!? So we can go to that extent to reunite them (I'm very happy for them btw), but we couldn't possible work out a way to make our lead couple end up together too? Are we kidding here? After all that they've been through? If time and distance and 'life' is what stopped them from being together, how did YuRim and JiWoong work out? Of course to each their own, but it's Baek YiJin and Na HeeDo we are talking about! You want me to believe THEY couldn't make it work!? THEM? The pair that went through it all?! All that good bad and worse of times they've been through?! All that for this? An ending that's labelling it all as a mere 'first-love's fate? Why make them both so mature and understanding in that relationship, in that 'love-that-betters' of theirs, to only end it, without even giving it another attempt? And the fact that the present HeeDo is even regretting that decision, while she is the one who actually initiated that breakup! Really? WHy make her regret her decision now?! It feel even worse!

'BARGAINING'
I'm someone who doesn't like open endings, but for this drama I'm not sure which is more painful, this or if they showed an open ending instead...Would all the 'what-ifs' make it better?

What if during their last embrace, under that cherry blossom, they promised to give it another try, rather than a 'goodbye'? Would we have had a different ending now? I can't believe that the YiJin and HeeDo, that we've known for the past 15 eps, would given up that easily, especially on this love of theirs. I feel like it was all because of time, both in the drama and outside the drama. In the drama because, well 'life' happened, outside drama, because I really think that if there were more episodes, like even one more, they could have reunited sometime after that 'break-up' and find their way back somehow, I have that much fate in them!

What if in that last scene, when older Na HeeDo visits that tunnel, to say 'goodbye' to that younger Baek YiJin, and she returns to her red car, to find an older Baek YiJin behind the steering wheels, telling her 'enough of past regrets, we are together now, that's what matters!' with that smile of his that's only reserved for HeeDo. What if they were married all along, and I'm sure we can come up with some logical explanations behind how that happened, at least that would still make more sense than how they couldn't resolve their issue and be together!

'DEPRESSION'
I feel like at the moment I'm still in the anger phase, so the pain is not sinking in yet, no matter how much tears I've shed, the weight still seems to be there sadly.


...ACCEPTANCE
I'm sure one day, just like MinChae reading her mom's diary, I'll look back at this drama with a bitter-sweet smile on my face, but in this instance, I don't think I'm strong enough to accept it yet, I need time...apparently HeeDo managed to forget all about that beautiful memory in the beach, so I think I can probably feel less bitter about this ending too, IN FACT HeeDo managed to freaking move on from her first love, a 'BaekYiJin-NaHeeDo' type of first love at that, and actually merry another person, so I'm sure I can move on from this pain of the ending too, I hope...

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Okay apart from me 'grieving' that ending, I'm well aware that we can't belittle a whole drama by its ending only, especially for this drama, which is much more that that!
But happy-endings, in the traditional sense of the leads ending up together, matters a lot to me, and endings in general are break or make for me. That is why I was contemplating a lot about what rating to give for this 'masterpiece' if only we don't include that ending. Should I give it a low rating because of how it scarred me with that finale, or a high rating because of how much joy it bought me throughout its run. So I came with the conclusion, that you never know, there could have been an even more painful ending ( I'm not emotionally available to think of its logic and details now, but you get the point), plus I like to believe in journeys being more 'important' than destinations, and what a journey that it was!! So here's me celebrating this wonderful journey, regardless of how it ended and its few/many? unanswered questions.

HIGHLIGHTS

~the complex characters----- some were more complex than others of course, due to screen time, but as a whole, the amount of effort put to make those characters '3D' instead of some 'plot-devices' is commendable!

~the screenplay -----the incorporation of real life events, the nostalgic setting of the past, how that changes over time, the narrative style, and how the whole story unfolds is just art! The beautiful cinematography is a bonus!

~the acting-----where to start from? I was seeing everyone's work for the first time, except for Nam Joo Hyuk, so although I had no expectation of others, I was not expecting much from him either to be completely honest, but I can't express it enough, how impressed I am of his performance. Be it because of the opportunity to play a complex character, or him improving over the years or them both, but he pulled off Baek YiJin perfectly! So when he said in an interview, to look at his acting career as before and after 2521, I think that's exactly it! Writing a wonderful character can sometimes fall short, if you can't find the right vessel to play it, and not only he did justice to this character, he freaking owned it! From Baek YiJin's restrained self at the start, to him gradually warming up to happiness again, to his heart-wrenching break downs, it really felt like he lived every single of those moments. The same can be said for Kim Tae Ri, what a wonderful job that they've done, makes me look forward to their future roles.

TAKE HOME MEMORIES...
The whole drama is actually filled up with good, bitter-sweet memories, and with many hints of this imminent ending, I guess it's on us that we tried to see pass those hints for a final twist, so here's me trying to stop understanding the logic behind it all, and simply 'accepting' it as it is. Afterall it gave us so many wonderful moments, it would be too harsh to not appreciate them enough due to how it ended, so here's me 'letting go' of this drama, on 'good terms', Baekdo style:

''You comforted me just by being there.'' Na HeeDo
''I now know what perfect happiness is.'' -Baek YiJin

So will I shed some more tears again, seeing their break up scenes in the future? Yes, probably...
But I'm still happy for them, how far they've come, what they've achieved and the impact they left in each other's life.
And I'm glad I've got to experience it all, as an audience!

(I guess I've eventually made it to the acceptance phase of grief after all heheh)

P.S. This was really it huh

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A walk through life...

This is the first time I was watching an on-air kdrama, so perhaps I won't be able to recall details, but what I do remember is how I felt while watching it. Yes, it was an emotional roller coaster, re-experiencing life you may say!



I got frustrated by some's actions, while the same people made me so proud later on.
I cried tears of pain along with some characters, while later shedding tears of joy for them too.
I got disappointed at some at times, while ending up rooting for them eventually.
I laughed with them and at them, pitied them and regretted on their behalf too...

Meaning that this drama portrayed raw, vulnerable and flawed characters at their 'worst' who are in a journey towards their 'best' selves throughout the drama, while 'healing' the audience along with them in the process. Having said that, watching these episodes, it did't feel like someone was asking you to not cry, nor did it feel like they were crying with you, but simply being there next to you while you cried, patiently waiting. In fact, each episode felt like a therapy almost, with its life lessons, moral of the stories and the general atmosphere that it's being created.

This is when I have to mention the OSTs! They were so much more than just some random background music, that it felt like they are part of the story themselves, and belonged along those wonderful cinematography. Their soothing and peaceful characteristic further intensified simple emotions, while simply conveying complicated once.

Here comes the ACTING! The more I say the less it will be, truly! Though everyone was commendable, still allow me to focus on Moon Gang Tae aka Kim Soo Hyun specifically. What a performance! The way he embraced each and every detail of his character so meticulously, that his very gradual character development couldn't be any more convincing. The arc of those changes was so clear that you can recognise what stage the drama is in just by looking how sincere his smile is!

There's just so much meaning to each frame, so many stories and inspiration that can be gathered,
if not, you can just enjoy a beautiful story of a 'wounded' trio, chasing their happiness. Also as we walk through their life, we seem to re-familiarise with aspects of our own!


Ps. the 'fairy tales' narrated in the drama, are real gems!!!

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Full of surprises...

Do you get bored easily with the story line? Are you not patient enough to wait for the slow buildup?

Well, then this is the drama for you, because the whole dynamic of the story is constantly changing.
At times the drama will make you think, ''This can't be happening...'', but by the time you accept it, something new is already going on. These continuous switches keeps you on your toes almost, hence you don't even realise how many episodes went by.

I should really say this, the writers could have easily stretched the first few episodes and make those into one whole drama, proving how much content this drama has, that even two more stories could come out of it. While this keeps our focus, on a less positive note, this could also be the reason that later the story could get a bit confusing or complicated. Nevertheless, it manages to have an overall good ending.

Everyone's acting was good, but especially of the male lead, his performance was so effortless and so natural, which added life to the lovable and charming character he was portraying.

PS. The graphics of the 'webtoon-ish-scenes' are a visual delight!

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Innovative plot complexity at BEST!

The story!?! The characters! Their experiences, their longing, their pain, their love...Gosh! The LOVE STORY !?! What a journey it was to experience it! The intricacies in which the story was presented is just delightful!

Each episode felt like a meticulously written chapter, of a very sincere love story, in a book called life, enclosed in a bittersweet wrapping paper, then to be presented to us, as a gift to experience. The seamless transitions further supports the complexity of the plot. In fact, the narration of the drama itself, and how it is organised is truly admirable.

Music plays a big role in the drama, so an attachment to the main song is inevitable. The other songs are so soulful too, and they tell a story of their own, adding another narrative through their lyrics, which helps us connect to the characters even more. So if I were to continue my 'metaphor', the music would be a the honest and simple cover of that book, that is the drama.

Acting wise, I have to mention the main female lead's performance, because she played both characters quite distinctively, and the main male lead's acting was so wonderful and heartfelt, that you really do feel for him. The characters themselves and their bond was touching too, though is main plot that is the highlight of the drama for me.

To be honest, I wasn't planning on writing this review because the start didn't grab my attention that much. Its build up is quite 'slow', but once you get into the story, you will realise that even that was an essential part into developing the story. This is one of the very few reasons I didn't rate it a perfect ten, along with some other moments which are much needed in the story, but I just couldn't enjoy them wholeheartedly. The main reason of my high rating, is the plot itself, the core, pure complexity of the plot and how they managed to execute it so beautifully! So if you want to experience some brilliant writing, this is it, wait no more!

PS. Maybe don't listen to 'The last Dance' (by Wu Bai and China Blue) using a Walkman and earphones to then go to sleep, just saying, in case...heheheh you will know once you watch it!

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Perfect combinations!

Where should I even start from?
The skilled action scenes that are just perfect enough to create tension without being too draggy, the natural comedy that is much needed after intense scenes, especially when it appears in least expected scenarios, the medical aspect that is flawlessly intertwined with the military portion of the drama, or should I start from the love story itself?

Many dramas have a mixture of genres, but fusing them together so beautifully is what matters, and this drama not only succeeded at it, but you may say it mastered it even!
There really were no dull moments across the whole drama, which is quite rare honestly. Usually, somewhere in the middle, dramas seem to lose their charm, making the audience wish to just finish it off as quickly as possible, just to get to the end, and this is definitely not the case here at all. In fact, not sure if it is a plot driven or character driven story but it seems to be a mixture of them both as well, so there's always something that is developing whether it is the story line or the characters themselves.

So let me summarise the things I appreciated and loved the most about the drama...

~STORY pace
Its relatively fast pace is very easy to follow without getting bored at any time, especially since there's always something happening, almost as if there's no time to breathe. Having said that, even withing its action pack plot involving natural disaster for instance, it has its own moments of peace and tranquil, where characters are seen, reflecting, regretting, laughing, crying, mourning...growing really, keeping it very balanced and realistic.
Talking about the love story in particular, I'm quite surprised how though their professions are the polar opposite, there's still some sort of commonality which acts as the base upon which their relationships develops. The secondary couple's love story is worth mentioning too, just like each and every other characters's story as well.
It is truly admirable how it manages to keep a high quality from the very first episode till the last one.

~CHARACTERS, every single one of them!
It is very rare to find a drama where every character is loved, and this is one of those dramas for sure. In fact every character in this drama seems to be a scene stealer, whether they appear for one or many scenes, it feels like they've always been part of the story! Be it the medical or military team, the way each one of them showed their courage, vulnerability, sincerity and humanity is really commendable!
Not only the chemistry between the leads is heart touching, heart flattering or even heart wrenching, the chemistry between every other characters in general is what keeps the drama tied up together till the very end. So every emotion comes across very sincere and heartfelt.
Special mention to the acting of the lead couple, the way their eyes conveyed so much throughout the drama, maybe even words couldn't do justice in those scenes, so very well done to both Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo. Also the secondary couples' chemistry was top notch too, as most of the time they were parted, still their love and passion towards each other was very evident.

If you are wondering if it is a 'over-hyped' drama, then let me tell you that that's what I thought too, and then decided to give it a go after all these years. Eventually I was surprised myself realising how it didn't disappoint me at all! So I would of course recommend this drama if you want to experience an adventure of sincere love, team work at best and honest portrayal of vulnerable emotions.

PS. The cinematography is wonderful, whether it is how beautiful locations were shot or even how the disastrous settings were created and filmed very realistically! The OST also was very adequate, which helped enhance emotions and create unique atmosphere.

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