Sosousouhei
Now that I'm finished, there are quite a few things that I liked and disliked about the whole series. If you've read my review before, you must have noticed how enthusiastic I am with it, but having it done after being cut short with 4 episodes, I have to say there were quite a few things that didn't sit well with me.
I didn't know it would bother me that much, but it was noticeable. This drama was originally made for sixteen episodes, but tvN decided to cut it down to twelve. A slow drama being cut down means a change of pace, and it was obvious by the end of episode 8 and onwards. The tone and mood of the story is quite dreary, but the delivery was good. While it is mainly a romance drama, it's main theme has always been about loss, and telling the story through its characters has been an up and down experience. I had my doubts before I started watching it because I'm not really a fan of stories that involve AIs (and to be honest, every TvN drama I've watched lately has been quite hard to finish, especially if it deals with a few fantasy), but this doesn't bother me at all. Granted, the mild science element of the story is improbable, completely improbable, but it elevates the major key element of emotional coping, which is the struggle of our male protagonist (and a few other characters later on). Some viewers may find it creepy at some point, especially in the first four episodes, but do know that it needs to be as unsettling as possible to prove a point that an unhealthy obsession should be stopped. You'd also be forced to think what it means to love someone who has always been absent.
Before I get to what I don't like, I have to first recognize Han Seo Woo. Seo Woo is truly one of the best characters k-drama land has to offer. She's sensitive to people's needs. She carefully thinks about what to say before talking. She doesn't look back at her past and get helplessly tied to it. She helps people find happiness they can make for themselves. She's independent. She genuinely cares. She knows her space. Others may notice she feels emotions a bit too much, but there are people like that. Ha Won, on the other hand, it a puzzle piece that needed a lot of healing. Just as he has gotten past one slump, a new discovery threatens his peace, which overall makes his character a bit pitiful. But what I love about it is how he's quick to pick himself up, and with very good character dynamic with Seo Woo, he becomes more than just the victimized character.
To be honest, I loved the first part of this drama, and right when I noticed the change of pace, my view of it has declined quite a bit. While I owe it on pacing, I believe the storyline wouldn't have changed greatly, which is where most of my problems lie. It's quite frustrating because this drama gave me really good characters (in the form of the main leads), but it also gave me one that I can never connect to at all (in the form of Kang In Wook). While I understand that it is about healing, I really hoped they could have gotten a different path for In Wook. I'm not saying he shouldn't heal, but greater repercussions should have been dealt with. I really dislike his character and I can even say this drama would have been a lot better if they introduced a completely different character for a different kind of conflict. I didn't like how they ended things with him, either. Personally, I felt like what he did was not justified at all. And what really irks me is the [lazy] execution of explaining that it could be okay. It felt as if the plot become overwhelmed with the enormity of its characters' actions that it had a hard time connecting, which is why they resorted to a slight change of narrative, which personally felt like a betrayal.
Overall, A Piece of Your Mind worked best when it was at its natural pace. It gave some wonderful lines that fully described the characters. tvN cutting it short definitely affected the drama, like how Minjung's storyline seemed like it wasn't completely attached. The support characters, while they did good, should have also gotten more exposure.
In a way, it seems as if their storylines got haphazardly thrown in.
I didn't know it would bother me that much, but it was noticeable. This drama was originally made for sixteen episodes, but tvN decided to cut it down to twelve. A slow drama being cut down means a change of pace, and it was obvious by the end of episode 8 and onwards. The tone and mood of the story is quite dreary, but the delivery was good. While it is mainly a romance drama, it's main theme has always been about loss, and telling the story through its characters has been an up and down experience. I had my doubts before I started watching it because I'm not really a fan of stories that involve AIs (and to be honest, every TvN drama I've watched lately has been quite hard to finish, especially if it deals with a few fantasy), but this doesn't bother me at all. Granted, the mild science element of the story is improbable, completely improbable, but it elevates the major key element of emotional coping, which is the struggle of our male protagonist (and a few other characters later on). Some viewers may find it creepy at some point, especially in the first four episodes, but do know that it needs to be as unsettling as possible to prove a point that an unhealthy obsession should be stopped. You'd also be forced to think what it means to love someone who has always been absent.
Before I get to what I don't like, I have to first recognize Han Seo Woo. Seo Woo is truly one of the best characters k-drama land has to offer. She's sensitive to people's needs. She carefully thinks about what to say before talking. She doesn't look back at her past and get helplessly tied to it. She helps people find happiness they can make for themselves. She's independent. She genuinely cares. She knows her space. Others may notice she feels emotions a bit too much, but there are people like that. Ha Won, on the other hand, it a puzzle piece that needed a lot of healing. Just as he has gotten past one slump, a new discovery threatens his peace, which overall makes his character a bit pitiful. But what I love about it is how he's quick to pick himself up, and with very good character dynamic with Seo Woo, he becomes more than just the victimized character.
To be honest, I loved the first part of this drama, and right when I noticed the change of pace, my view of it has declined quite a bit. While I owe it on pacing, I believe the storyline wouldn't have changed greatly, which is where most of my problems lie. It's quite frustrating because this drama gave me really good characters (in the form of the main leads), but it also gave me one that I can never connect to at all (in the form of Kang In Wook). While I understand that it is about healing, I really hoped they could have gotten a different path for In Wook. I'm not saying he shouldn't heal, but greater repercussions should have been dealt with. I really dislike his character and I can even say this drama would have been a lot better if they introduced a completely different character for a different kind of conflict. I didn't like how they ended things with him, either. Personally, I felt like what he did was not justified at all. And what really irks me is the [lazy] execution of explaining that it could be okay. It felt as if the plot become overwhelmed with the enormity of its characters' actions that it had a hard time connecting, which is why they resorted to a slight change of narrative, which personally felt like a betrayal.
Overall, A Piece of Your Mind worked best when it was at its natural pace. It gave some wonderful lines that fully described the characters. tvN cutting it short definitely affected the drama, like how Minjung's storyline seemed like it wasn't completely attached. The support characters, while they did good, should have also gotten more exposure.
In a way, it seems as if their storylines got haphazardly thrown in.
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