Don't judge a book by its reviews

When I first clicked on this kdrama, it was mainly because of Han so hee, I became drawn to her presence ever since I watched "My name". Then I watched "Nevertheless", I did hate its ending but it still made her beautiful facial features more endearing to me. However, as a person who is picky and most times hard to please, I always prefer to read reviews and experiences of others before I get to decide on jumping in and experiencing things for myself, or not. Whether it be a city to visit, a book to read, a restaurant to try, or a guy to date.. I always felt the need to seek others' opinion before setting expectations for myself.

However, this time I wanted to trust my instinct. Seeing that I recently started feeling a certain desanchantment with the mainstream taste, Kdramas that get a lot of hype such as Vincenzo, Business Proposal, Descendants of the sun and so on, don't really amaze me or fill my needs. They are merely for entertainment..

The cliche plots, and cheesy moments of foolishness and angst really started getting to my nerves years ago, ever since I first dated a guy I liked. Not sure if it was because I got to actually compare real life relationships, with what the dramas has provided us with in terms of romance, but the overly cliche tropes no longer got me. I found myself more drawn to realistic plots, slices of life, revenge, things that depict reality or shed light on important life events that we tend to ignore or take for granted.

After the kdrama "Recipe for farewell", "Something in the rain" and "Yumi cells", I finally understood the genre that represents me. Something calm, sweet, relatable, aesthetically soothing, and that fills me with emotions. I found out that the most famous kdramas, were nothing like this, and even the ones that have such a genre, get bashed for it. And this exactly why I've decided to give this miniserie a chance.

I prepared myself with a shield of very low expectations, trying not to get excited with cute scenes and expecting the worst possible ending. I mean people were giving it rating of 6.5 and 5, so just by curiosity I wondered how bad could it turn out to be? It has only 4 episodes, and I could definitely bear that much mediocrity.

But guess what ? I ended up LOVING it! It had exactly the elements I specifically enjoy finding in a drama. Two main leads that have artistic and unusual careers, a strong chemistry and great dynamic that is different from the regular "lust and obsession from the first sight" trope, No villains to ruin the charm, no unnecessary tragedies. An actual friendship dynamic that I could relate to, no cheesy lines in embarrassing moments, no toxic jealousy, no exaggerated reactions or expressions to serve a comedic purpose, and even the support characters felt like actual humans with their own motives, mindsets and life. I especially appreciated how there was no drunk scenes in which the ML and FL touch and the laws of nature suddenly get disrupted (time stops, it starts raining out of the blue, the music plays then a car comes rapidly and pushes them to kiss and that smash lasts for over a century), like give me a break !

Albeit only 4 episodes, the story took its time to get unfolded. As it was kept minimalistic, it had no plotholes.
I was able to enjoy the visuals, the osts, and each line and scene actually helped me relate to both side, and to understand the fondness and appreciation they have for each other mutually. The restaurant couple added a great touch, and the interactions they all had with different people didn't seem forced, and added to the story. I cried sincerely in the scene where she described how it felt to be left, and her fear of losing him. It felt cathartic.

This is such a beautiful kdrama, HEARTWARMING is how I would describe it.
I definitely recommend it to people like me who are fond of calm things, and appreciate realism in pieces of art.

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A drama that left a hole in my heart, a beautiful hole nevertheless.

So Jin, the protagonist, is a complex and layered individual. She is a scientist who is preparing a PhD thesis about birds, and had to work as a part-time substitute teacher at Hye Na's elementary school.

Hye Na, the main character is a victim of bullying in school and an abused kid in her household. Despite her difficulties, she rarely shows her distress and only lets out a cheerful personality and kind character. Her gorgeous childlike smile is the first thing that gets to break the ice between her and Su-jin's cold demeanor, and through their very first interaction SuJin and Hye Na get to strongly connect and relate to each other.

Su Jin slowly starts to care about this mysterious girl who is supposed to be her student for a moment, and her caring and compassionate mother nature emerges with her decision to kidnap Hye Na in order save her from her the violence and abuse she faces in her household.

Along the way, with different flashbacks, the traumatic past of Su Jin starts to unfold subtly as we get to observe and empathize with her feelings of anxiety and self-doubt when it comes to her ability to save Hye Na and successfully move with her to another country.

Hye Na, whose name becomes Yoon Bok as she begins her new life with Su Jin, starts to learn to not only love others unconditionally but also take the time to feel loved. Her trust, attachment and admiration for Su Jin grows deeper and deeper as she comes into terms with the idea of having her as a new Mother. The journey also digs into Su Jin's background, who in Yoon Bok's company, gets to confront her past fears, her family, society, and accept the trauma she has experienced previously in her childhood.

The story is about the pure love that two human beings are capable of feeling for each other, a mother and a child who started out as complete strangers, only to become the center of one anothers' lives.

I gave the drama a 10 out of 10 for its great plot, the characters that are beautifuly written, and the cast who are simply mindblowing. I loved the acting because it wasn't only believable but it gave to the story its whole magic. I loved the absence of any romantic elements, as the story was focused on motherhood which made it captivating and emotionally impactful. I've rewatched it for the third time this year and couldn't help but cry wholeheartdely with each depressing scene. The lines are heartbreakingly perfect, and every character falls perfectly into its place.

I've learned from Yoon bok how to always take note of the glimpses of beauty I come to encouter in my everyday life, to never take things for granted and to always smile. Her small journal was like a magical purse, in which she hid all the beautiful memories, as if she was collecting some rare gems she fears to lose. Now I've managed to have my own journal of gems to help me stay strong when life gets hard.

The monologue that Kang Yeong Shin (Sujin's mother) says towards the end in her last moments of farewell, has dug its way deep inside my heart and is still be one of the most marvellous scenes I've watched in a kdrama.

Now if I had to describe this work in a word, it would be "MAJESTICAL" with no doubt.

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