Not knowing what to expect aside from the low rating and the simple synopsis, I really didn’t have a lot of expectations. I thought the initial plot sounded interesting. I am a fan of enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romances, so this might be right up my alley.

Well, the first half of the show is pretty decent. The divorce stories are simple enough to feel relatable, yet still interesting. They do not necessarily take up too much screen time as the primary focus is still on the characters themselves. So, I would not go into this drama thinking this is a law drama or a serious business drama.

The romance and story between our two leads, Ha Ra (FL) and Eun Beom (ML) is what this drama is all about. After all, it’s called “Strangers Again”. What could possibly go wrong when a divorced couple meet again and work closely together? Ha Ra and Eun Beom have good chemistry together. I enjoy their scenes the most, and Kang So Ra and Jang Seung Jo gave us pretty good acting performances. The rest of the lawyers provide good supporting colors to the drama with their unique personalities. I would say the relationship between ML and his mother is a little over-the-top.

I really quite enjoyed the first few episodes until I found out the reason for the leads’ divorce. I don’t want to spoil this, but it’s one big pile of bullshit. The leads have been together for 10 years and married for a few, yet Eun Beom (ML) still cannot openly communicate his feelings and concerns. How could he come up with such a stupid plan to divorce someone you supposedly love. Ok, fine…. At this point of the drama, I knew he had some sort of tragic backstory. Viewers’ patience is required to slowly find out what that trauma is. I shall be patient.

Many are upset about the ending of this romance. I actually like where they both end up. What I am mad about is HOW they got to this point. I was so annoyed at Ha Rah for the way she goes about pursuing Eun Beom again. I don’t mind a woman taking the initiative to go after a guy. All the power to her. However, the way and the timing are all so wrong. He is already so stressed out about a court case. You, as a co-worker and a future/former loved one, did not try to support and help him during this stressful time. Instead, you selfishly and pathetically add more stress and pretty much bully him into saying ‘Yes’. At this point, I started disliking Ha Ra and don’t want them to be together.

When the leads got together again, I would have liked to see more cute and fluffy scenes. A few more kisses won’t hurt either. Unfortunately, the calm is short and the storm hits again. Issues, miscommunication and misunderstanding arrive and this couple should have known better after what they went through the first time. Are we going to use past traumatic experiences and the lack of understanding of what love is to kill this rekindled romance? These supposedly mature professional adults should have been able to communicate better and solve problems together the second time around.

The secondary opposite-attract couple is fine. Their story could have been better written. It seems pretty one-note in this opposites attract narrative and the writing is trying too hard in telling us how different they are. I would have liked a few more heartfelt and sincere scenes, or touching moments for me to want them to be happyl. They just ended up being kind of bland.

Luckily, there are only 12 episodes. I would have been super annoyed if their ‘journey’ lasted 4 more episodes. As a romance lover, this is a frustrating watch. I like flawed characters too, but the decisions made by the leads here do not make sense and I don’t root for them at all. What saves me from rating this drama even lower is the all-around good acting.



Completed: 7/16/2024 - Review #461