Subtle yet deep romance with a thrilling plot
This drama has something very subtle yet beautiful about it. There has been a few dramas like that that I can think of. For example, Doctor John, Goblin, Nine: Nine Times Time Travel - that underlaying melancholy and pain of the characters, the steadily growing plot and the subtle but deep connection between the two leads.The story started out in a rather subtle way. We got hints of the plot elements there and there but the context wasn't fully there. With time, the drama goes deeper and deeper and all the connections between people hold so much more weight. The leads' romance was a slow burn but they're adorable together. Life is really tough for them, somehow there are a lot of enemies surrounding them, but their connection is genuine and beautiful. It is equal amounts of cute, fluffy and mature, deep. Thinking about our reserved yet polite and kind male lead, Jeong Hoon, and his sweet, tender smiles that just lights up the whole screen, makes me giggle and roll in the sheets. I love him. He deserves all the best things and more.
It's a SLOW BURN, okay, but oh how delightful it is to be the witness of that. If you're into that.
It surprised me how much...mystery/thriller elements this drama has, but somehow it has a perfect balance with the surrounding smaller plotlines and the main romance. Also, despite hating a great amount of characters, we also get to love even a greater amount. What's even better is that the characters are not one-dimensional, they actually have complex sides to them. We actually get to KNOW a variety of characters. Basically there are little to no characters that are thrown just for the sake of filling up space.
Doesn't mean this drama has no flaws at all, though. More than flaws, it's the use of kdrama cliches. It doesn't make the drama bad, we love kdramas despite seeing a repetition of things over and over again, it's just a bit frustrating to see this otherwise fascinating drama take on a kdrama cliche approach. It felt original in its strong execution, cast and plot but sadly it still got stuck in some of the 'kdrama rules' that this wonderful story could have lived without.
Has this drama used its full potential? Well, no. Does it have some superb, never seen before ending? No again. But at the end of the day I don't regret the time spent watching it and am still helplessly in love with its characters.
I guess my advice for the future viewers would be to watch it for the tone (melancholy, slow burn, melodrama) and cute romance while enjoying the surrounding thrilling mystery, but not get too deep into thinking everything has to makes sense in the drama. Best way to dive into this is by toning down your expectations a liiiittle bit to not be disappointed.
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There's no use of mentioning that the idea is far from original, the amnesia trope has been used so many times already and even though I'm totally sick of it, here it wasn't that bothering because it was part of the main concept of the show. The ''thriller'' elements though... they could have done a better job with the plot twist, I just couldn't care less about the stalker. I mean, I know it's not OCN so I shouldn't have expected the most shocking twist, but still, it wasn't even a 'twist'.
I'd hever thought that a romance between Kim Dong Wook and Moon Ga Young would actually work but it did quite nicely. Lee Jung Hoon and Ha Jin were imperfectly perfect for each other and their relationship developed very well. Dong Wook and Ga Young's chemistry was shockingly amazing and, ladies and gentlemen, we witnessed real kisses! God bless!
The second couple was cute, but I wish the controversy hadn't happened. Well, I hope Lee Jin Hyuk will be more careful from now on. Your whole career can be ruined for a second, dude, don't make stupid mistakes.
The acting was good overall. Moon Ga Young completely owns my heart. She devlivered such a subtle and brilliant performance and was perfect as Yeo Ha Jin. This role was made for her.
Overall, I would recommend Find Me In Your Memory if you're in a mood for a slow-burn romance melodrama. I don't think I would have managed to finish it if I didn't watch it while it was airing, it's a very slow-paced show and two episodes a week were more than enough for me not to get sick of the story.
It's not something special, but it's nice. I would even rewatch some scenes with the main leads, I simply loved them together!
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Could have been so much better
Not an original idea, by any means. However, I could have forgiven a lot if it had been better written.Kim Dong Wook as Lee Jung Hoon and Moon Ga Young as Ha Na both did a good job with what they had to work with. My problems were these: 1) So he's able to remember everything - I don't see how that could prevent him from ever loving again. He held off and once he was interested in Ha Na I had a hard time understanding why. 2) Ha Na's character was too "stalker-ish" for me. He's not interested in her at all, yet she keeps showing up, asking him questions about things and generally making herself a nuisance. The actress is a beauty, and I loved the niceness of her character but otherwise she didn't endear herself to me. 3) Stalker storyline - that could have been written so much better, in such a way that it would be more of a surprise to us as a viewing audience. I was just happy to have it over with. 4) The two-year break up. So, you had fears of being in the public eye - hello?!?! You're public figures for heaven's sake! Her going to the US and them not having any contact at all for two years. In this age of technology (especially since she was always using her phone), it didn't make any sense. A breakup that lasts this long diminishes their love. How much could they possibly love one another if they are willing to be apart for that long? 5) The ending. Unbelievably rushed. No contact for two years, they run into one another in a book shop, and they act like virtual strangers. There wasn't enough time after this for us to get back to feeling like they were in love. Plus, the issues that drove them apart were magically resolved and not discussed. I really wish K-dramas would get a clue that we would like a little more at the back end of these shows, and maybe cut out some time-wasting stuff in the middle.
Liked:
The music was good.
Real kisses, thank you very much.
The very rare appearance of his smile
She's a beauty
Loved her sister
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The first part was great, with a well constructed mystery, top notch cinematography, especially the scenes with the snow, the subtle and slow burn romance and the news broadcasting setting. The performances were pretty great from every actor and actress of the cast. The main couple, in addition, had chemistry, which helped with the odd romance.
However, the drama got out of hand towards the ending. There were a lot of cliche trops that were added into the plot and the mystery got tiring.
So, overall, six out of ten.
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Warming, Fun and Very Enjoyable
Short: Warm romantic drama with two characters that have clear chemistry. Cast are fantastic and there are some great sparks between several of them, a really good job picking the cast for this I think. Music was great and fitting, without being overbearing. The story goes through a few turns but nothing really unexpected, all issues are tied off with a nice bow and the ending is nice too. Really enjoyed this one, seems a little while since I was having *so* much trouble stopping watching at 5am, but this one was definitely hard to put down.Detail:
He can't forget anything and she has lost a chunk of her memory. She's an actress in dramas and movies, he's a celebrated news anchor. They meet by chance, and wind up having to pretend that they're dating to avoid an inconvenient scandal breaking out. As the story unfolds, you find out more about the past, more about the memories that she has lost and the pains that he has to endure - an unrelenting perfect memory as far more of a curse than it is a blessing.
They're both great characters, played by excellent actors. I picked this one up specifically because I was enjoying Moon Ga Young in True Beauty and saw this one popped up on Netflix - but there are many more great cast members to pull you into this one too. Delighted to see Jang Young Nam whom I enjoyed a lot in It's Okay to Not Be Okay, and Kim Seul Gi who had a fun role in Oh My Ghostess has another key role here (i'm really not sure why it's classed as a support role when there aren't many scenes she isn't in).
There are some fantastic sparks of chemistry between various cast members - whether it's Kim Seul Gi and... well... everyone (she's just that fun), Jang Young Nam and Kim Dong Wook at the office - and I particularly enjoyed the way they handled the relationship between the Young Nam and the team leader (Kim Chul Woong) at work as well that was nicely done and fun throughout. Not to forget ofcourse the blend between the two leads was fun to watch as well.
My favourite character was probably Kim Seul Gi's - to the casual observer she comes off as the "little sister", small, fun etc - but she's absolutely the one in charge and you had better not mess with her. She's her own boss, she's her sisters manager and she will fiercely protect those she loves. A really great character overall and superbly represented by Seul Gi I thought.
There's no triangle in this (yay! I hear you cry), there are a couple of other standard tropes however they are written much better than I've seen in some other stories I've watched lately so no complaints from me on the "abuse of trope" front :)
Emotionally this one actually does an interesting job in riding a gentle path between laugh-out-loud moments and some sad ones that will have you feeling a little wet on the face.
There is some misdirection that's quite nicely done and even just the mention of the "suicide" tag effects some degree of that (though it is completely appropriate) - don't prejudge, let the story tell itself to you and enjoy the ride.
Overall, the main benchmark for me on this one is:
a) i'm actually writing a review for this, and i've been extremely lax on that front - but after just completing it, I wanted it to linger in my thoughts a while longer, and share my thoughts.
b) lately while i've been enjoying the dramas I've watched very much, not many have had that extra "10/10" that means when it says "Next Episode?" i'm smacking the button hard going "GET ON WITH IT!!" and at 5am struggling to pull myself away.
Can't think of anything I didn't particularly enjoy to be honest, which, combined with the above, is why I gave it a high score.
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This review may contain spoilers
Boring boring boring
I was captivated by the first three episodes. But it has become an increasingly boring and ordinary series. The male lead was very cool and sexy. But I couldn't like the female lead. or her character. How the male lead role fell in love?. He met with her for a long time, but suddenly fell in love. absurd. I wish it was a movie, not a series. I am very bored on many scene. The female manager at Ha Jin`s company was unrealistic. The story was simple. Everyone can write such a scenario. ordinary. I hoped this drama will be like to Time series before watching the show. But it never looked like.Was this review helpful to you?
My take on the:
Story: With what had been shown and presented, the story seemed bulky (scenes felt rushed) since there were plot points: that should've been lingered on and a lot of unnecessary ones.
Acting: The chemistry of the main leads, which was real life-like made the drama a nice watch. It's good to see how communication with sincerity and honesty was highlighted in each episodes and it was well translated through the screen. The supporting actors were great. They did what they were supposed to do. All the emotions expressed by the actors were well performed and are noticeably on point.
*A bit of characterization of main leads: LJH & YHJ: Their confrontations was nice and refreshing but at times their words to each other felt empty. Their personalities made them both suited for each other (opposites attract principle). There was a lot of character inconsistencies as the story progressed.
Music: Lyrics and overall feel was nice and well-fitted for each scene.
Cinematography: I loved the settings and the color details. This perhaps pleased me on my watching experience.
Rewatch? I can come back to it at times when I feel like watching. It's an easy watch but not a fulfilling one.
Overall: I'm glad this came out during the lockdown as I would have not watched this if it weren't for it. This will remain in my memory as an attempt to becoming a memorable drama for a viewer.
Add-on
For the cast and crew who worked on this:
I commend the cast and crew for finishing until the end while giving just the right fan services (bts, instagram lives and stories,etc.) to avid viewers. They did well but could have done better on the story.
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Just another memory-based plot device
Amnesia is a tired trope for drama watchers, and hyperthymesia looks to follow the same trend. Find Me in Your Memory has enough feel good moments to sustain it over “32” episodes, but the way it handles the crux of the plot - the intersection of a woman with amnesia and man with hyperthymesia - leaves too much to be desired. Too often, FMIYM uses its main ingredient as just another plot device, forgetting and remembering events as they are convenient. Instead, FMIYM will be better remembered for the casts’ chemistry rather than any of the characters’ unique abilities.Story:
Find Me in Your Memory deserves credit for not pigeonholing itself into the helpless amnesiac Female Lead. An interesting dynamic does exist between the amnesiac Female Lead and all-remembering Male Lead, but it does not change the fact that the FL has amnesia and that her condition only serves to move the plot forward. Both, the FL and ML, are in need of better character development. It is not sufficient to have them literally say they have a bad/good memory nor the ML being good at remembering his script each night (that is his job…). I exaggerate, but that desire for fully fleshed out characters is never satisfied by FMIYM.
Acting:
Given the weakness in character development, the cast outperforms expectations by bringing an air of authenticity to each scene. The leads’ relationship may not be electric, but Kim Dong Wook and Moon Ga Young convey sympathy and compassion for one another’s characters through their acting. The supporting cast is mainly used for comedic levity but also deliver on emotional moments when given the opportunity.
Music:
I rarely find issues with kdrama music as most tend to stick to the tried and true ballads or upbeat kpop-esque melodies, which applies to Find Me in Your Memory. The exception is that FMIYM’s OST fares better separately from the drama. The OST lyrics vaguely point to the events and themes of the drama, but the way it is incorporated with the scenes detract from the overall ambience. These are my highly subjective thoughts, and the way the music is mixed with the scenes does not do justice for what are otherwise strong kdrama ballads.
Rewatch Value:
FMIYM is an easy watch, especially if you are self-isolating and looking for something to lift your quarantine mood. Feel good moments abound but do not make up for the insufficient character development. This results in a rather middle-of-the-road drama, start to finish; reminding me of another feel-good, average drama, Touch Your Heart.
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The Opposite of a Sour Patch Kid
In the beginning of the first episode I was skeptical but I quickly fell hard for this drama. I had never seen either main before and I was blown away by our main male lead - his acting and the character.The show had so many threads that worked well. I loved the friendship with the therapist, the lead just defining excellence as a newscaster, using his incredible memory to make quick realizations and promptly act on them. This drama opened my eyes to what is actually important when finding a partner. COMPETENCY. Nothing is hotter than a competent man. My god. The main male character set new standards that have yet to be topped months after watching this show.
The stalker plot line had me guessing and stressing who it could be. The show was so well done at this point - I was doubting any and everyone. I had a jump scare, a scream, my shoulders were touching my ears I was so freaked out.
But at the end.... what did the main lead get as thanks? His girlfriend quickly abandoning him to work on her career when he's lost his job. Not standing by him through thick and thin even after he's saved her, physically and emotionally, time after time. It broke my heart. The final episode just seemed like a slap in the face. She was gone for several years, saw him by chance on a trip back to Korea, and THEN decided yes let's get together! I can't be without you!! OHHH MY GODDD. She literally only came to that decision after seeing him randomly! There was no intention on her part to go back to him before that! It's heartbreaking! I loved them as a couple only for the writers to make her character unsupportive and selfish by the end. Did she truly care for him or did she just like how he cared for her? I hate that the show made me doubt their entire connection and wish for him to turn her down at the end. I thought this was such a sweet drama watching through but the last bit spoiled the whole drama. Started sweet but went sour by the end. Highly disappointing that kills any rewatchability of what otherwise was going to be a top drama of the year for me
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Unfortunately Won't Stay In Mine
Liked the cast, but the story has a lot of flaws, as do some of the characters.Kim Dong-wook plays Jung-hoon, with his incredible memory, which unfortunately enables him to not only recount events in video-like accuracy, but with the attached emotions too, beautifully. He is gentle, mild mannered and polite, but ruthless in his profession of news anchorman. Due to the pain that close relationships have caused in the past, he is a little reserved and closed off, but not cold.
Moon Ga-young as Ha-jin, is saccharin sweet and comes across a bit ditzy, but this is due to an event that caused her mind to block off all memories during a specific time in her teenage years.
The 2 are linked and their growing relationship begins to uncover a hidden story.
Within this are stalkers and murderers, as history seems about to repeat itself. Jung-hoon is pretty unlucky on the GF front it seems.
Keeping the facts from Ha-jin (for 'her own good') whilst also trying to maintain their relationship, protecting her from the past as well as present, are the general story lines.
The 2 lead characters are chalk and cheese. He is mature whilst she is like a teenager. Yes, she lost memories, but of a specific point in time and the people related to the incident, not of everything before that point. The way she behaves is infuriating. I really struggle when grown women speak in a child-like manner as a large part of their character and behave like one too.
She is disorganised, treats her manager-sister like a servant and brushes off low-key inappropriate behaviour from a film writer/director, when she should nip the advances in the bud.
The story has a lot of toing and froing as well, as they are caught up in countless scandals, which become an eye rolling "not another, please".
Frankly, I would have preferred he found someone else during the lazy '2 years later' bit of the story. Another thing I'm not at all keen on.
Two characters that really pushed the bounds of realistic, for me though, were Park Kyung-ae ~ how the hell an agency survives run by a woman like that...; and Yoo Sung-hyuk, a morally challenged, unethical, inhuman excuse for a professor/clinician (never mind father), who should never be allowed near patients and whose character should have been held way more accountable for his actions.
Not a drama I would watch again, or recommend. I watched to tge end because I wanted to know the outcome, but it really wasn't worth it.
Dong-wook playing Jung-hoon was its only saving grace. Oh and Ha-kyung and Il-kwon were sweet together.
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Conquering your Past, Moving Towards your Future
When I first heard about this show, I was disinterested in the plot. I have viewed many Memory related dramas and movies, contemplating whether it is WORTH THE TIME. I am a person who studies and examines a broad array of topics, and Hyperthymesia (HSAM) piqued my interest. Superhuman intelligence or unique, supernatural powers is a common thread among Asian dramas. HSAM is unlike Eidetic Memory (Photographic Memory) because people with HSAM (less than 10 in the world) can remember and recall specific events in their life vividly like it was yesterday. Find Me in Your Memory is an appropriate title as the synopsis described the Main Leads' predicament.The plot is full of clichés and things you have not seen a million times before except adding HSAM to the script that I have witnessed before Remember: War of the Son (2015) and other dramas. It is unique, but I found some of the subplots a bit boring and repetitive that does not add anything substantive to the main story. It did not take away from the story as a whole, but I thought it bogged down the story just a tad in the middle and towards the end of the drama. It has romance, a little mystery, steady character buildup, and fantastic chemistry between the ML and FL that kept the drama from sinking. You might be like me and feel the sparks whenever the ML and FL smiles, cries, or even look at each other. There were no cringe-worthy moments for me.
Lee Jung Hoon is an admirable character as the story progresses, and we learn about his condition and his job. A few people hated KDW because of his age, but age had nothing to do with the character. No matter the person who depicted Lee Jung Hoon, he would have to act as a person who has HSAM. KDW did a terrific job, especially considering what his character goes through daily, except I am a little disappointed the script did not go far enough regarding living with HSAM. I mentioned above, the few people who are living or have lived with HSAM can recall specific events in their life vividly. The first few episodes do a marvelous job regarding HSAM condition, but then it gets off track from the HSAM standpoint only for a couple of episodes.
Some people mentioned his character memorizes news articles and scripts, but it does not necessarily depict HSAM. They are partially right and wrong as people living with HSAM can memorize information in bulk but to some degree. Their brain takes information in rapidly like a running film of a movie, but it is nonstop. In the drama, we would see him gazing off in the past, reliving a memory like it was yesterday.
Moon Ga Young is a great actress. The character she portrays is beautiful and loveable, not without flaws, though. It is difficult to pull off a memory loss role (Amnesic), especially in this drama. Some people will criticize her because memory roles are repetitive and overused, but if you are like me, who the bleep cares, whether it is a memory, disability, scheming, hidden identity role. She is an interesting character as we understand her background and personality little by little. She is tall and well-built. Some people may find her personality off-putting at times, but do not let it influence your decision to watch this great show.
I have not watched all of the screenwriter's works, but she delivered on a couple of decent dramas like Duel (2017) and Nine: Nine Times Time Travel (2013) that gave me pause to consider Find Me In Your Memory. Screenwriting is a tough job as they have to research and do several revisions before the final draft. I was pleased with the performances of the supporting cast except for Yoo Tae Eun's father, a professor, and a few episodes scattered here and there as expected. I never anticipate polished acting with no flaws. I was annoyed with Yoo Tae Eun's father for questionable decisions because he is a Professor of Psychology/Neurology Department, but it is not called a drama for anything.
The OST is catchy; it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it works nonetheless. Some scenes the music was uncalled for, yet oddly I am drawn to it. I especially like the song "Here We Are" by Jooyoung. For the most part, the cinematography was not bad. You will fall in love with the main leads stories. Some dramas you binge-watch, while other dramas not so much. Do it at your discretion. Here is a tip if you like the first 30 minutes, watch the next 30 minutes, and so on—little at a time. The Last scene gave me butterflies of the film Notting Hill (1999) - Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, but Korean Style.
Final Rating: 8.33/10 stars
Story: 7.93/10 stars
My rewatch value varies on any given day, but I will come back to this drama in the future.
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STORY and PRODUCTION
I included production in this section of my review since it very much contributes to the storyline. The teamwork of the writer, director and those who worked for the drama's set, costumes and cinematography shines in the way each episode came out. I will not deny that some parts of the story may better have been excluded, but these do not, in anyway, make this drama less beautiful. Watching this drama felt like a journey on the sea aboard a cruise ship - the waves and winds may sway the ride at some point, but it is overall a relaxing trip with a view that delights the eyes and warms the heart.
CAST and ACTING
Kim Dong Wook and Moon Ga Young's age gap wasn't in any way noticeable - for me, at least. It is very obvious that they studied their characters very well and worked hard to make them come alive in their acting. The same is true for the other actors, whose characters are all loveable, but I'd like to mention in a special way, Yoon Jong Hoon, whose character, Yoo Tae Eun, is my favorite. I found myself being able to sympathize with his struggles and I was very happy with how his own story turned out in the end.
MUSIC
All the songs in this drama's OST are worth playing on loop. Period.
REWATCH VALUE
I could find myself watching this again after a string of heart-pounding and nerve-racking dramas. ^^
OVERALL
Having 'Find Me in Your Memory' as my first melodrama makes it all the more memorable.
To anyone who would give this drama a chance, you can expect 1) a comforting time with the characters where they are able to express themselves with honesty and sincerity, 2) moments that would challenge your detective skills in solving the thriller parts and 3) to discover that the impact of memories on our life is often based on our attitude towards them.
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