Dropped: Heavenly Ever After – The Fangirl Verdict

My friends. I really, really wanted to love this one.

Not only does it feature a number of actors whom I love (Kim Hye Ja! Han Ji Min! Son Seok Ku! Lee Jung Eun! 🤩🤩🤩🤩), it also comes from the team that brought us The Light in Your Eyes (review here!), a drama that I think is very, very special. 🥲

I felt that with all that going for it, I just couldn’t miss this drama.

And yet, now, 8 episodes into Show’s 12, I’m sorry to say that I’ve decided to throw in the towel. 😅

However, just because this show doesn’t work for me, doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t work for you, because there are folks who really, really love this show.

Who knows; you might be one of them?

MY TRAJECTORY WITH THIS ONE

I started my watch full of confidence that Show would take me on a meaningful journey, even if I didn’t always know what to expect.

I’d say that I enjoyed the first couple of episodes quite well, but as early as episodes 3-4, I started to feel like I wasn’t as engaged with the show as I wanted to be. Not great.

I enjoyed episode 5-6 more, but by episodes 7-8, I sometimes literally found myself gritting my teeth, to try to get through the episode. Whoops. 😅

At its best, I found Show to be very solid, with lots of different feels to go around, from funny and unexpected, to poignant and touching.

Unfortunately, I do think that Show gets bogged down trying to do too much, and ends up missing some great narrative opportunities, at least, in my view.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

I might not have made it to the finish line with this show, but still, here are a couple of things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. Show makes up its own theology

..and so, it’s best if you’re able to put aside any theology that you know and love, because it’s very likely that Show’s not going to align itself with it.

Better to roll with it than try to fight it, is my thinking. 😁

2. The ‘Cats’ lens

I had an epiphany of sorts, while watching this show, and that is, that this show is kinda-sorta like the musical Cats, ie, it’s concept-driven rather than story-driven.

I’d been approaching this as more of a story-driven drama, most likely because that’s really the kind of drama I tend of prefer, and why I enjoy dramas in the first place, and had been feeling perplexed that this story seemed to be so loosely plotted and almost directionless.

I’d honestly had had the exact same reaction, when I’d gone to see the musical, Cats, many years ago, with my family.

And yet, Cats is celebrated as a work of art for many years, by fans and critics alike.

I think that “Cats” lens, of seeing this drama as being mostly about a concept, would be very helpful, in terms of adjusting expectations and gaining maximum enjoyment from this show.

STUFF I LIKED

Hae Suk’s personal journey

I thought our story was a great vehicle to explore Hae Suk’s personal story, and sometimes, Show gave me exactly that.

I did feel like we could have done with more of Hae Suk’s personal journey than what we got, and I feel that doing away with some of the side arcs, would have given us the narrative space for this.

This is one of the things I was referring to, when I mentioned that there were some missed narrative opportunities, in my view.

Here’s a look at one of the times we did get insight into Hae Suk’s story, and I did enjoy this beat very well.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. In terms of the beats that I did enjoy, I did like the flashbacks that we get, when Hae Suk goes to the reflection room and looks back on her life, and remembers how Nak Jun had courted her all the way to her blind date.

That was cute.

And it was poignant, to see the hardship that she had gone through, and the bonds that she’d shared, with not only Nak Jun, but Young Ae. 🥲

I also enjoyed the beat where Hae Suk decides to seek out her mother, and ends up having some really poignant, healing time with Mom, whose backstory is a whole poignant saga on its own.

And, I also liked that Nak Jun comes to fetch her, and offers his deepest bow to Mom, whom he’s meeting for the first time.

I really like this idea of Nak Jun and Mom coming to know each other in Heaven as two people who sincerely love Hae Suk, since they’d never had a chance to meet in life. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Hae Suk’s relationship with Nak Jun

For the most part, I enjoyed when our narrative focus was on the relationship between Hae Suk and Nak Jun.

I do think that the casting of Son Seok Ku opposite Kim Hye Ja is cute, and their interactions do tend to give off a believable “old married couple” quality that I find quite endearing.

[BROAD SPOILER]

I also found it an interesting angle, that because Nak Jun had been bedridden for much of their marriage while they’d been alive, they now have a lot of adjustments to make in their relationship, when he’s not only not bedridden, but the more energetic, physically vibrant one, between them.

[END SPOILER]

Again, I feel like I would have preferred for Show to delve into this relationship with more screen time, and in more detail, than what we get.

I sometimes didn’t find the intended funny all that funny (more on that later), and wished that we’d have more serious beats mixed in, to give us more emotional heft overall.

Again, your mileage may certainly vary on this, of course.

Here are a couple of my personal highlights, around this relationship.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. The thing that strikes me about Nak Jun, is that he’s unfailingly sweet to Hae Suk, even though he’s clearly shocked at her appearance.

Like, yes, he would prefer her to look younger, but once he gets over the initial shock, he’s perfectly happy to hold her hand and introduce her to other people as his wife.

He’s not awkward or embarrassed about the visual age difference, and y’know, I find myself really liking that about him. 🥲

E5-6. I must say, I found it very touching, that Nak Jun would be so determined to find and save Hae Suk, even if it meant going to Hell to do so.

And, after crawling through the terrible conditions of Hell, it’s really amazing to me, that Nak Jun would jump into the fiery pit without hesitation, when he gets Yeomra’s word, that if he goes through all the types of hell, Hae Suk will be returned to him.

It’s true that Nak Jun doesn’t actually end up going through all the various types of hell, and instead, lands right back in Heaven, but the fact is, he hadn’t hesitated for a moment, to throw himself into the pit, if it meant that he could save Hae Suk.

That is love. 🥲🥲

[END SPOILER]

Hae Suk’s relationship with Young Ae

Young Ae (Lee Jung Eun) is introduced as Hae Suk’s employee, but is really more like Hae Suk’s foster daughter, and I enjoyed their relationship very well.

I found the backstory around how this relationship came to be, to be very touching, and that added a very nice layer of poignance to how I perceived this relationship.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. The fact that Hae Suk had gone to Young Ae’s house to collect a debt from Young Ae’s deadbeat father, and had ended up feeding Young Ae, and even bringing her lunchboxes to school, is so sweet.

And then, when Hae Suk sees that Young Ae’s been beaten up by her deadbeat father, I am so touched that Hae Suk cancels his debt, in exchange for the right to be Young Ae’s guardian.

Awww. She doesn’t get the money back, and instead takes on the care of a child, which would mean more money that she needs to spend, but she makes the choice anyway – for Young Ae’s sake.

I think that says everything about Hae Suk’s heart; she might put on a tough front to do her moneylending business, and refer to herself as a bad person, but at her core, she is a good person, and I do believe that that’s why Young Ae loves her so much, like the mother she never had.

E5-6. I love the way Hae Suk tries to protect Young Ae, in the scene where their sins are being weighed, to decide whether they belong in Hell or not.

By this point, just like Nak Jun, Hae Suk’s seen just how terrifying Hell is, and yet, when it comes to Young Ae’s turn on the scale, Hae Suk immediately volunteers to take on Young Ae’s sins.

Augh. That is so touching.

Hae Suk really is the mother that Young Ae never had. 🥲🥲

[END SPOILER]

Choi Hee Jin as Sonya [SPOILER]

I loved the reveal that the staring girl, was Sonya, Hae Suk’s cat.

The way she knocked over that bottle of water, was just CLASSIC. 😂 How perfect is that?

Once that puzzle piece fell into place, I couldn’t help but feel that Show had done a perfect job, in recreating Sonya in human form. 🤭

However, I am admittedly rather disappointed that Sonya doesn’t appear beyond episode 2.

I definitely think that was a missed opportunity; Sonya playing a part in the heavenly hijinks could have been a lot of fun, I imagine.

STUFF THAT WAS OK

Show’s interpretation of Heaven and Hell

I have mixed feelings about Show’s interpretation of Heaven and Hell, which is why it sits in this neutral zone.

On the upside, I do think that some of the ideas presented are quite unexpected and creative.

On the downside, it feels to me like writer-nim is getting too much of a kick from imagining what the afterlife is like, and how it all works, and is therefore neglecting our main narrative.

Overall, I feel like we’re spending too much screen time on the side arcs that showcase Heaven and Hell, and not enough time on our main narrative, and as a result, Show feels kind of scattered, to my eyes.

Again, your mileage may vary, depending on how tolerant you are, of these side arcs.

Here’s a quick selective spotlight on Show’s interpretation of Heaven and Hell.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Heaven

E5-6. It’s pretty cute how Young Ae’s going around with Hae Suk to collect on the good deeds that she’s done in her lifetime; this totally feels like an echo of how they’d used to make debt collection rounds, in the past.

It’s a very pleasing idea, that the various kindnesses that we do in life, are stored up in Heaven.

And, the way it’s all listed in that tablet, makes it feel like a game that Hae Suk’s required to play, in order to unlock her various treasures.

I found this to be a cute concept, and actually found myself really enjoying the various flashbacks that we get, to how Hae Suk had shown kindness and compassion, even while going about her business as a moneylender.

It’s very touching to see how Hae Suk had brought food for the old man who collected cardboard, and always enough for two days, so that he’d always have a reason to live for another day.

And then, there’s also how Hae Suk had spent so much time, effort and money, to give that lady a proper funeral, because she’d felt so sorry for her.

Aw. Hae Suk really has a good heart. 🥲

Hell

E5-6. The portrayal of all the different types of Hell was interesting, and reminds me of Korean and Chinese folklore that depicts Hell as having many different layers, for the many types and degrees of sin.

And, I thought our writers worked in a tour of the different types of hell quite nicely for viewers, by giving Hae Suk and Young Ae a tour of Hell, as a matter of procedure.

I was surprised by the concept of the new hell, but found it very apt, that there would be a specific hell for keyboard warriors who spew hate a public figures, and driving so many to their deaths.

ALSO. Can I just say, it was quite a stroke of brilliance to have Cheon Ho Jin play both the president of Heaven, and Yeomra, the king of Hell.

He looks all bright, glowy and benign as the president of Heaven, but dang, does he looks legit scary, as Yeomra. 😱

It’s the light contact lenses, and his facial expressions that are the true kicker, even though the styling does add to it as well; I found his genuinely unsettling to watch. 😅

I also found it unsettling to watch several of the punishments being meted out, particularly the tongue-cutting one. Can’t lie; I literally covered my eyes through most of that scene. 🙈

[END SPOILER]

Show’s sense of humor

As with most dramas, Show’s sense of humor was a mixed bag, for me.

Sometimes, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself giggling along, but at other times, I found myself decidedly unamused by Show’s attempt at comedy.

[SPOILER ALERT]

When it worked for me

E1-2. The “helpful” narrative device that Hae Suk receives upon entering Heaven, supposedly to help older residents like her, to know her inner thoughts, is pretty great.

The awkward situations created by the unabashed narration of Hae Suk’s thoughts, is a hilarious source of entertainment, much to Hae Suk’s chagrin. 🤭

When it didn’t work for me

E3-4. Hae Suk falling into a deep sleep at every word that the pastor preaches, was rather too broadly comic for my taste.

My appreciation for the bickering between Hae Suk and the pastor was also pretty limited; ie, it was cute for a while, but soon got old for me. 🙈

I basically felt like we were spending too much screen time on this, and not getting anywhere much.

[END SPOILER]

Hae Suk’s bond with the pastor

Even though I just mentioned above, that I thought Show leaned a little too much into the broad humor, with this arc, I have to say that I eventually did find myself liking the growing bond between Hae Suk and the pastor.

[SPOILER ALERT]

It’s really quite heartwarming to see them sharing food that Hae Suk cooks for them; bit by bit, it’s starting to feel like Hae Suk’s kinda-sorta the mother that the pastor never had.

The way he sheds involuntary tears while tasting her food; the way he gets used to her dozing off during his sermons; the way he looks out into the distance, hoping to see her making her way to church; it’s all very heartwarming. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

The mystery of Somi [BROAD SPOILER]

At the end of episode 2, Show introduces Somi (Han Ji Min) as a mysterious character, and through my watch up till the end of episode 8, it’s still unclear who Somi really is.

I find myself having mixed feelings about the mystery of Somi.

On the one hand, my curiosity to know the truth behind Somi’s identity, does nudge me to keep watching, even when I’m not really enjoying my watch as much as I’d like to.

On the other hand, this mystery has kind of overstayed its welcome with me; I’ve gotten to the point of feeling impatient and antsy, and I wish Show would hurry up and reveal the truth already. 😅

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

The pet side arcs

Sometimes too much of a good thing.. isn’t a good thing, and I think that this is pretty much where I stand, when it comes to the pet arcs, in our story world.

[SPOILER ALERT]

At first, I’d thought that the pet arc was a one-off beat that Show was introducing in episode 2, just to demonstrate how pets are reunited with their owners in Heaven.

I found the scene poignant and touching, and cried literal tears.

HOWEVER. As early as episodes 3-4, I already started to feel like maybe Show was leaning too much into this pet arc.

First of all, I soon started to find it quite awkward, to have humans act as the pets, and have the humans display pet behaviors, like growling and chasing after balls.

This was amusing for maybe 2 seconds, as far as I was concerned. 😅

Second of all, I felt like the more Show delved into the various pet-owner dynamics, the preachier it seemed, to my eyes.

I don’t understand; does Korea have a pet abuse problem? Because, if not, why does it feel like Show is trying so hard to be a public education service, around pet ownership??

[END SPOILER]

Thirdly, I really felt like these pet arcs took up way too much screen time, which I feel could have been invested in deepening our central narrative instead.

Young Ae’s crush

I love Lee Jung Eun, and I had very much welcomed her presence as part of the cast in this show.

[SPOILER ALERT]

However, when Young Ae gets to Heaven and develops a big crush on the Center Director (Cheon Ho Jin), and starts to pursue him, I found it all very cringey to watch.

I didn’t like the fact that Young Ae’s made to act in such an undignified, clueless sort of way, aggressively seeking our the Center Director’s time and attention, while he recoils in terror and horror.

I’m pretty sure this was meant to be funny, but I didn’t find it funny at all. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[END SPOILER]

SAYING GOODBYE

Y’know, because I’d had such a positive experience with The Light in Your Eyes (again, review here!), I’d felt like I could have the confidence to just trust this show, to take me on a journey too.

However, I do think it’s time to admit that this show just isn’t working for me the way I want it to.

To be fair to Show, there are certain things in here that are enticing me to keep watching, like my curiosity around Somi’s identity, and also, around whether Show’s going to give us a Big Reveal in our final stretch, that might change my perception of our story entirely.

Unfortunately, those enticements feel like relatively small blips in my watch experience, which has turned more and more into a slog, the more episodes I’ve watched.

In fact, when I finished episode 8 and found that I had 4 more episodes to get to the finish line instead of the 2 that I’d had in my mind, my heart literally sank. 😅

That was my sign to tap out of this one, because, as MC has wisely said to me, life’s too short to spend time on shows that don’t work for me (thanks MC!). 😁

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  Heavenly Ever After, is The Prisoner of Beauty [China].

I will be posting my episode 1-4 notes on The Prisoner of Beauty on Patreon very soon!

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +The Haunted Palace [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Doubt [Korea]

VIP (US$15): +The Prisoner of Beauty [China]

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