anopinion
Pittsburgh, PA
Go Back Couple is the best drama of 2017 for me. I went in with low expectations on this one, since I've read (part of) the webtoon it is based on and I thought it was awful. However, the drama manage to elevate what I consider an extremely mediocre source material into a masterpiece, and I'll have to credit both the director and the writer for producing such a wonderful piece of work. Also, all the actors did extremely well in this drama, with our two main leads putting in absolutely heart-breaking performances. Unfortunately, compared to the hype it received in South Korea, the drama didn't have exceptional ratings. It is also a little underrated in the international community.
Go Back Couple is not a drama about romance. I know that there is fervent shipping going on, but that is not the focus of the drama. Through the (unintentional) mistakes made by Jin-ju and Ban-do and their consequent regrets, the drama relays messages and lessons to us viewers about the importance of relationships and communication. It was never about whom Jin-ju will end up with, but about how they went back and became better and more understanding persons. More so than the romance, the part which tugged at my heartstrings the most was the recurring theme of parental love. The relationship between Jin-ju and her mother is extraordinary. I cannot remember the last time I cried watching a drama, not to mention the last time I cried so much watching a drama. Kim Mi-kyung and Jang Nara have exceptional mother-and-daughter chemistry. Of course, their brilliant acting also played a part.
On to acting, I must first applaud Son Ho-jun for his breakout performance. Haitai was my favourite character in Reply 94 (which I did not finish), but Son Ho-jun didn't have great luck with his subsequent projects. His character in Blow Breeze was so bland and his acting so stoic that my first reaction to his casting was "oh no". Alas, I was absolutely wrong. He was fabulous as Choi Ban-do. Many Korean netizens have commented that this character would have been ruined if it was portrayed by another actor and I do agree. I think he has the right blend of comedy and melancholy in him, especially with his soulful eyes. Next up is Jang Nara. I'm a huge fan of Jang Nara, so I'm accustomed to her acting style already. She really impressed as Ma Jin-ju though. She's well-known for being the romcom queen, but I feel she excels the most when it comes to emotional acting (still great in comedy though). Besides, the two of them have excellent chemistry (Jang Nara seems to have sparks with everyone she's act with). The two of them (and Kim Mi-kyung) made me bawl my eyes out at their scenes together. The actor who gained the most from his appearance though, is Jang Gi-yong. I think he was great as a greenhorn, and he managed his expressions really well. I'm only slightly disappointed at the scene where he's supposed to stare at Jang Nara's character lovingly, because I really didn't feel the love. Nonetheless, he had a "perfect" character to work with and I think his stock is rising fast.
I don't see big flaws with the production at all. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out on future dramas from the director and the writer. I know that some may have issues with how a certain trope was employed towards the end, but I felt that since the plot point wasn't exactly emphasised on, it didn't negatively affect the quality of the drama as a whole. I'm slightly disappointed with the ending, because I do not believe in second chances and I'm not so sure about the decision that was made on what should be retained from this "vacation". There is a fantastic (the adjective here means fantasy-like, it's not a synonym of awesome) explanation for their trip to the past, which was cute, but it takes away slightly from the realism the drama is all about.
In conclusion, this drama is an outstanding piece of work. It was slickly executed, with awesome directing, writing, and acting. I didn't give it a 10, but my heart is telling me to. I'm still torn about the rating, because there are only two 10s on my list - one is because of nostalgia, and the other because I loved the writing so much. Perhaps in the future I'll change my mind, since dramas on MDL are almost always overrated anyways.
Go Back Couple is not a drama about romance. I know that there is fervent shipping going on, but that is not the focus of the drama. Through the (unintentional) mistakes made by Jin-ju and Ban-do and their consequent regrets, the drama relays messages and lessons to us viewers about the importance of relationships and communication. It was never about whom Jin-ju will end up with, but about how they went back and became better and more understanding persons. More so than the romance, the part which tugged at my heartstrings the most was the recurring theme of parental love. The relationship between Jin-ju and her mother is extraordinary. I cannot remember the last time I cried watching a drama, not to mention the last time I cried so much watching a drama. Kim Mi-kyung and Jang Nara have exceptional mother-and-daughter chemistry. Of course, their brilliant acting also played a part.
On to acting, I must first applaud Son Ho-jun for his breakout performance. Haitai was my favourite character in Reply 94 (which I did not finish), but Son Ho-jun didn't have great luck with his subsequent projects. His character in Blow Breeze was so bland and his acting so stoic that my first reaction to his casting was "oh no". Alas, I was absolutely wrong. He was fabulous as Choi Ban-do. Many Korean netizens have commented that this character would have been ruined if it was portrayed by another actor and I do agree. I think he has the right blend of comedy and melancholy in him, especially with his soulful eyes. Next up is Jang Nara. I'm a huge fan of Jang Nara, so I'm accustomed to her acting style already. She really impressed as Ma Jin-ju though. She's well-known for being the romcom queen, but I feel she excels the most when it comes to emotional acting (still great in comedy though). Besides, the two of them have excellent chemistry (Jang Nara seems to have sparks with everyone she's act with). The two of them (and Kim Mi-kyung) made me bawl my eyes out at their scenes together. The actor who gained the most from his appearance though, is Jang Gi-yong. I think he was great as a greenhorn, and he managed his expressions really well. I'm only slightly disappointed at the scene where he's supposed to stare at Jang Nara's character lovingly, because I really didn't feel the love. Nonetheless, he had a "perfect" character to work with and I think his stock is rising fast.
I don't see big flaws with the production at all. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out on future dramas from the director and the writer. I know that some may have issues with how a certain trope was employed towards the end, but I felt that since the plot point wasn't exactly emphasised on, it didn't negatively affect the quality of the drama as a whole. I'm slightly disappointed with the ending, because I do not believe in second chances and I'm not so sure about the decision that was made on what should be retained from this "vacation". There is a fantastic (the adjective here means fantasy-like, it's not a synonym of awesome) explanation for their trip to the past, which was cute, but it takes away slightly from the realism the drama is all about.
In conclusion, this drama is an outstanding piece of work. It was slickly executed, with awesome directing, writing, and acting. I didn't give it a 10, but my heart is telling me to. I'm still torn about the rating, because there are only two 10s on my list - one is because of nostalgia, and the other because I loved the writing so much. Perhaps in the future I'll change my mind, since dramas on MDL are almost always overrated anyways.
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