a k-drama classic that excels in its characterization

beautiful days is a drama that took me by surprise as i never expected to get so into it. i mean, it's an oldie, a melodrama, i see tags of love triangles and mentions of illness, and it feels like i know what is to come because i have seen such stories before.

and yet, something about this drama felt different. i think it was more related to the characterization and the characters' relationships. okay, there were some unrequited loves, some makjang-y tropes and cliches, but the story was put together in a way where it didn't feel draggy or annoying, and instead i was always excited to watch the next episode.

i actually want to mention both female leads in a separate paragraph. while yonsoo was more of a typical kdrama fl, she stood up for herself when her partner wanted to pull away, fought back at his selfishness, and gave him a whole pep talk of why his decision is not right and he is lying to the both of them. yeah, maybe it could also be seen as clinginess, but i found that as her stepping up for herself and not letting him drag her around and calling him out on his actions. not to mention all the ways she found to help her sister secretly, without dwelling in self pity much. some might find that kind of selflessness annoying, but you have to admit it was beautiful. meanwhile sena seemed like such a unique character for the time. i found her to be a refreshing character. in fact, due to her character growth i started liking her even more. she was fiery, demanding and didn't back down, ever, and yet she wasn't malicious. i was the most worried about how their relationship would progress, because you know, unrequited feelings and all. of course they had a lot of ups and downs, but i loved how they never put any man between them. they're set on their feelings towards their love interests, but they also accepted that the guys have their own feelings. i think it's wonderful how a sisterhood didn't get ruined by a man for once. both of them were one of my favorite parts of this drama.

romance-wise, lee byunghun is probably the sexiest he has ever been here -- with his stares, touches and oozing charisma. maybe i disagreed with some of his ways and actions, but i couldn't dislike his character. obviously ryu shiwon's character couldn't do without clinginess and decision-making in yonsoo's stead, but he remained a positive character even despite his emo boi moments, and i liked how he came around in the end, so all is good.

actually, it turns out that the male leads were switched around (as in, the SML was supposed to be the ML, but the ML was supposed to be the antagonist) -- but it actually makes too much sense when i think back and remember how the story started out. i also want to say thank you to the fans that managed to get the ending changed, because otherwise my rating would have probably not have been this high. :D but the reason why i'm talking about this is that even despite these changes the drama felt fully coherent, and the story progressed well. yeah, i disliked a particular addition to the plot in the last part of it, but luckily it wasn't all made into a forced tragedy that is tiring to watch, even though it was still emotional (then again, why was it necessary anyway?).

i need to take a second to talk about the music as well. it was soooo good. i'm currently listening to the OST album as i am typing this, and still vibing to all the songs. :D it's nice that a drama where the music industry is a background setting actually introduces good music (they had their benefits by casting two professional singers), because sometimes music dramas can't provide any bops.

if you aren't afraid to explor older k-dramas and tend to enjoy good melodramatic love stories, this is definitely a good option to pick up.

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the magic of a small town combined with unpredictable politics and a beautiful romance

the gem that this drama is!

it starts off as a very light-hearted comedy. she is goofy, doesn't have much ambition, plays dumb but actually has a big heart and knows how to use her intellect when she knows she needs it. he, on the other hand, is stoic, driven, focused and absolutely does not want to be in the small town he finds himself at. they keep running into each other -- remember hometown cha-cha-cha with him being everywhere she goes? yeah, city hall did it first. jo guk and mirae had such an amusing dynamic, as she was continuously disrupting his peace and he became more and more entwined with her. if you like bickering couples, this is a must watch. but even more than that, the chemistry was amazing and so palpable i held my breath in some scenes. i loved watching them slowly fall for each other and realizing their feelings. there was a particular scene in episode 12 where after all the bickering, teasing and annoying each other, he encourages her beautifully and they have a moment of realization and my heart was actually fluttering. :')

there is a big "but" with their relationship that might put people off though, it is shown in early episodes but it isn't mentioned in the synopsis so i will just say that it is something you often see in dramas about high profile people wanting to secure their power. i quickly realized that it isn't something emotions are involved in, but i still was unable to understand why it wasn't resolved sooner. it is one of the few complaints i have about this drama.

but, i have to say the male lead's calculating personality was definitely one of the more fascinating aspects of this story, as he was a much more morally grey character than the typical k-drama ml is. seeing his character soften and him start fighting for morals was great though. mirae also had one of the more awesome character growths i have seen in dramaland, because she went from being too passive to fight back to a strong, confident woman who knows how to stand up for what she believes in, even if it meant going against someone dear to her, and i loved seeing that.

as for the politics, people who have followed my posts on feeds for a while will know that it is not my favorite genre, but it did not bother me much here. yeah, maybe i couldn't follow all the titles and understand every part of the hierarchy, but the plot is deeper than you expect at first, so there will be a lot of twists and turns to hold your interest all the way through, i think. you do need to focus to actually understand it though. :D

the final episode was very well-rounded and left me feeling very happy and content, so if you haven't watched this yet, you should definitely try it, especially if you love romance dramas, because believe me, this one will deliver. :)

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situationship gone wrong

lakorns tend to mostly be a huge hit or awful miss for me, rarely anything in between, so i am always wary about each new thai production i pick up. i haven't been lucky with my last attempts, so it was a rather big surprise that i went for the more classic type of lakorn and found a drama that was more modern, less problematic and thoroughly enjoyable.

to describe the plot in few words -- it is a situationship gone wrong. :D treenut and time meet and feel attracted to each other. they spend time together getting closer, but time is not able to make their relationship official, therefore things fall apart. her family is in debt, so an acquaintance approaches them offering marriage of convenience -- their eldest son needs an heir to secure his inheritance and position as the president of a large business -- in exchange for paying treenut's father's debt. but, it soon turns out that treenut's husband-to-be is the oldest brother of time. sounds like the recipe for a confusing mess, right? :D

through hua jai sila and kleun cheewit i learned that lakorns can really excel at angst so intense it is addicting, so that was my only expectation going into this drama. and while yes, there were still some questionable plot devices, cat fights and toxic relationships that are often so associated with lakorns, i never expected to be introduced to such a kind and loving male lead, a female lead that can talk back and stand strong, a brotherhood that warms your heart, or see a new beautiful take on the flow of time as a concept.

despite some heavy topics (don't watch this is you find mental/physical/sexual abuse triggering), this drama felt on the lighter side, but still had a lot of substance. the brothers were a joy to watch, because they truly loved each other and never once did treenut being in the middle diminish their bond. if you have ever been in unrequited love, you know how painful it is to see your person and know they can't be yours, and yet time never planned to harm his brother or take away any of his happiness. instead he was actually being so good towards his brother and honestly everyone else as well, so much so that it sometimes felt like his selflessness leaves him thinking about himself last. ;-; i was unable to not fall for his character. also! if pining is one of the tropes you love, this is a drama for you.

another unique aspect about this show was the way the music was used to symbolize not only the character's feelings in particular moments, but the actual flow of their relationship was aways portrayed in the soundtrack as well. the characters consciously added more meaning to the songs and their lyrics -- which felt even more special. thanks to the subber translating all the lyrics, i realized how perfectly they explain the situation that was happening at that moment, and that made me more deeply immersed and emotionally invested.

there was a plot twist in ep 11 that took me by surprise and left me shook. it seemed to change the vibe of the drama and the rest of episodes felt kind of different, i am unsure if i liked them as much as the previous ones. however, i am still very pleased with the ending, as i think the bad guys got what they deserved. this is now in my top 3 of the lakorns i have seen.

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