Nevertheless

 

I had a difficult time writing this review. It's a major consensus that a lot of people disliked this drama and so did I. Of course, I had to break down why.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

The story is about a college art student, Nabi, who got involved with a fellow student, Jae-eon, a guy with multiple red flags. And by red flags, we mean a person who based on his behavior, can hurt the other person if they enter into a relationship. We saw this when Na-bi caught Jae-eon flirting and kissing someone else when she was falling for him. Moreover, he would suddenly leave Na-bi so he could see his ex. But she still liked him and hated him and this was basically the theme of most of the drama. 

The reception to this show would depend on how experienced you are in relationships and life. I noticed that those who really disapproved of this drama were those who had experienced the heartache of the lead female character. At Nabi's age, we all lived the YOLO adage and wanted to experience life--including the heartaches fully. We never listened to well-meaning advice and just continued on with what we were doing--with the expected painful results. I guess this drama reminded us how we were stupid once and we all know how uncomfortable it could be. Been there done that. 

On the other hand, there were those who liked it either they are in the same type of relationship and managed to reform the bad boy or they're just probably in love with Song Kang and to hell if he's an asshole in the series. Admittedly, he was the main reason why I watched this show as I fell in love with him (the actor, not his character) in "When the Devil Calls Your Name" and I almost hated him for taking on this role. I mean, coming from Navillera, this is a 180! I accepted that he would get the girl in the end as he's the main lead but from the way his character was written, he did not deserve her at all.

I wanted to nitpick the ending. Nabi just forgave him without letting him explain why he acted that way. And it took only a couple of episodes for him to change when he was basically a jerk in most of the episodes. The abrupt character development gave me a whiplash. I caustically remarked in our Kdrama review thread that he might not have been there for her but must've gotten lost while waiting for his new lover. Yes, that's how much I hated him. He should've had the balls to explain himself and in the end, Nabi just forgave him then and there because he showed up in the exhibit. And it was all too sudden for him to reveal that he fell in love with her even before she met him. It felt too forced.

And don't get me started on Potato Boy. I felt that he was written in the story to make Jae-eon jealous and make him realize how much he loves Nabi (I wanted to hurl after writing that). Like other memorable second leads, this would be the show that marked Chae Jong Hyeop's career. I hope in his next drama, he will get the girl. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT

The Supporting Characters

Whenever I get pissed with the two leads, I just pay attention to the supporting cast. It was interesting that they have two female characters who got into a relationship. For a conservative country like Korea, I'm glad the PD and writer-nim mustered the courage to show this. Though I was a bit disappointed when they confessed their feelings to each other and instead of a kiss (which usually happens after a confession), they just settled for a hug. Oh well. You'll get there, Korea!

The Lesson

This can be arguable as I can sarcastically say that there's no worthy lesson to be learned here. But if you have kids and want to teach them about red flags, then this could be a show to be used as basis instead of telling them your own embarrassing story.

First Three Episodes

It's the reason why I watched this show. I wasn't able to watch the pilot when it aired. I just heard from friends that it's really good and Song Kang is so swoon-worthy. So I watched and went spastic over SK's hotness and his chemistry with Han So-hee. But it got annoying towards the middle.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT

Do I Need To Say More?

I think I managed to say a lot already in the first part of this review. It's an uncomfortable watch for some especially if you've went through Nabi's experience (taas kamay ang mga marurupok diyan). 

The Slow Story

I'm glad this is only at 10 episodes and better to be binge-watched. It's only 1 episode per week so it took a lot of patience to wait for the next episode. What made the experience worse was each installment left us with more irritating questions rather than resolutions. If ever there were any exciting moments, well, it depends on what kind of excitement you're looking for, but watching the two leads figure out their relationship can be quite frustrating. 

RATING

Three tissue boxes for this one. I wanted to give it a two but Chae Jong Hyeop made me reconsider. 

Watched: June 27-August 22, 2021