Review: Melo Movie – The Fangirl Verdict

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Despite its billing, Show doesn’t land as much as a romance, as an exploration of our characters’ journeys, in the context of love, loss, isolation and solidarity.

I found myself not feeling as connected to our characters as I tend to be, and yet, the various thoughts and nuggets of wisdom that Show serves up, manage to linger with me, with an almost haunting sort of quality.

Overall, a worthwhile watch, provided you adjust your expectations and viewing lens, which I talk about in a little bit.

THE LONG VERDICT:

You could say that I was primed to like this drama, thanks to this coming from the writer of Our Beloved Summer (review here!), Lee Na Eun, and starring Choi Woo Sik and Park Bo Young, both of whom are actors that I like.

I think that pre-existing goodwill kind of powered me through about half this drama, almost in an autopilot sort of fashion, before I started to realize, somewhat belatedly, that this one actually lands quite differently than Our Beloved Summer, despite its very similar look and feel.

I do believe it’s possible to enjoy this one, with some tweaking of expectations and some lens adjustments.

(I’ve got your back on that, though – as you probably know. ????)

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

I have to say, I thought the music in this show was quite excellent.

The overall impression I have of the OST tracks, is that they’re mostly poignant-yet-breezy blends, which sounds an odd mash-up, particularly when we’re talking about within single songs, but it works beautifully. ????

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the music actually worked to lift my watch experience, and sometimes did the work of drawing me into my watch, more than the story itself.

If I had to pick a favorite, I’d choose Track 2, WOOJOOIN (우주 IN), because I feel like it gets under my skin just a little deeper than the other songs. It’s got that poignant-yet-breezy blend going for it too, which really works for me.

Here it is on its own as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about stuff I liked on a more macro level, before I give the spotlight to selected characters and relationships, in a separate section. Finally, I spend some time talking about my thoughts on the finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. This isn’t romance-forward

Despite Show’s billing, and despite the amount of time Show does spend on the various lovelines in our story world, I don’t find this to be a romance-forward story.

Maybe that’s why I’ve seen folks say that despite the fact that they don’t typically like romance stories, they liked this show?

I find that thinking of this more as the amalgamation of the journeys of our various characters, would be helpful.

2. Be patient

Show takes its time to peel back the layers, so it might take a while for you to be able to sympathize with our characters.

Knowing this in advance, and being prepared to exercise some patience, helps.

3. Think fable instead of traditional story

One of the things that took me a while to get used to, is the fact that Show uses a rather loose hand, when it comes to telling us the stories of our characters.

As a result, I mostly felt less connected with our characters than I generally tend to be.

I do think that thinking of this show as a fable, where our characters are but vehicles for the serving up of thought-provoking ideas and morals, would be helpful.

STUFF I LIKED

The way Show feels fresh yet familiar

Right away, in tone and vibe, I feel like Show is a close cousin to the type of Korean romance drama that we know and love, while also being a little different and therefore refreshing, in a way.

What I mean is, our drama world looks and feels polished and almost kind of familiar – and I realize that I do like that combination in my dramas. ????

It feels refreshing, while still landing as accessible, because of the familiar elements.

For example, we get some tropes that we might expect in a story like this, but not others.

[EPISODE 1-2 SPOILERS]

Tropes we get: Mu Bee’s father (Kim Da Hwin) dying early, and Gyeom and Mu Bee (Choi Woo Shik and Park Bo Young) crossing paths repeatedly due to drama coincidence, and him eventually becoming her neighbor, after a period of separation

Tropes we don’t get: we get an OTP kiss in episode 1, instead of much later in the show, and there’s the fact that we learn quickly (instead of much later), what had happened to Gyeom to cause him to disappear.

[END SPOILER]

The way Show is focused and concise

Overall, I felt that Show’s storytelling approach was deft and concise, which I appreciated.

Given that we only have 10 episodes to work with, it felt reassuring to feel like our story was moving along at a brisk-ish pace.

And, even though I may have needed to adjust my expectations during my watch, I did feel like Show knew what it wanted to be, and was focused and effective, in being the kind of story that it wanted to be.

On that note, I am also realizing, a little belatedly, that we don’t actually have to deal with much filler, if at all, in this story, which is also a plus.

The use of the slow reveal

This is something that I’m realizing more in hindsight; I feel that Show is pretty adept at using the slow reveal.

What I mean is, instead of dropping a single bombshell that blows our minds because we hadn’t seen it coming at all, Show does a slow reveal, where it sprinkles little clues and nuggets of information, such that things start to click together in our minds, almost in slow motion.

Somehow, this made the eventual reveal land with so much more oomph for me.

Here’s a look at when Show used it to greatest effect, in my opinion.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. I literally felt like the puzzle piece, about Jun (Kim Jae Wook) not being well, was falling into place in slow motion for me, while I was watching episode 6. ????

I think it first started coming into focus, when Gyeom remarks that Jun hadn’t seemed at all surprised by his accidents and near-accidents, including the big one which had almost killed him 5 years ago.

That’s really when I first started to have a faint inkling that perhaps Jun was hiding an illness from Gyeom – an illness that made him susceptible to space out, thus making him prone to accidents.

There’s also that beat in episode 6, where he suddenly gets all weak and tired, and needs to lie down for a while. That’s definitely not normal either.

That also makes me feel like that’s how he’d gotten into that big accident 5 years ago, and that also puts a whole new spin on the incident where Mu Bee had spoken up for him, after that biker had accused Jun of crashing into him, and not vice versa.

And it also puts a new spin on the reason Jun had missed his physiotherapy appointment; most likely, he’d spaced out and forgotten about it.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

The way Show doesn’t tell us everything

This is something that I really had to come to terms with, as I’m used to dramas actually filling us in on all there is to know, about the various characters, relationships and situations in our story world.

That’s what I’d assumed during my watch, and that’s why I’d decided that patience was key in watching this show.

However, while Show does reward that patience by filling in various gaps in information and context, I only realized when I got to the end, that it was never Show’s intention to tell us everything.

At first, I was quite flummoxed by this, but after thinking it through, I’ve decided that I’m ok with this – which is why this one’s in this neutral zone.

[SPOILER ALERT]

The biggest example that comes to mind, when Show does this, is what happens at the end of episode 1, when Gyeom asks Mu Bee if she’ll like him, if he tells her his secret.

At that moment, the close-up switches to a wide shot, and I’d assumed on first viewing, that he’d told Mu Bee his secret, while we, the audience, were out of earshot.

Subsequently, all series long, I’d expected Show to – at some point – let us in on what Gyeom had said, in that moment.

It’s only upon finishing this show and revisiting this scene for the review, that I realize that it’s really not clear whether Gyeom had said anything at all, in that moment.

Maybe he hadn’t, and there never was any mystery about it; maybe he had, and Show just chose not to tell us what he’d said.

Either way, I realize that it never mattered; that, from all the various flashbacks that we’d gotten, where we see how Gyeom had broken down Mu Bee’s defenses, one thoughtful act at a time, it had never been about what Gyeom had said or not said in that moment.

Mu Bee had liked him for how he’d been thoughtful and considerate towards her leading up to that moment, which we eventually see in flashback.

One other thing I thought I’d mention, is that Show doesn’t explicitly explain, 1, why Gyeom had waited so long to attempt to connect with Mu Bee again, and 2, why he wouldn’t tell her the truth about why he’d disappeared.

On hindsight, I realize that it’s tied in to Gyeom’s complex emotional baggage and his instinct for denial and avoidance as a coping mechanism, but Show doesn’t ever actually address it explicitly.

We’re left to infer this on our own, and this did feel like unfamiliar drama territory to me.

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON SELECTED CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Choi Woo Shik as Gyeom

I feel like there are two main camps when it comes to Gyeom as a character; those who find him annoying, and those who don’t.

I mostly fall into the camp that didn’t find him annoying, though I have to confess that there was at least one occasion where I, too, found him annoying, so it’s not like I can’t see the other camp is coming from. ????

I believe that the main reason that people found Gyeom annoying, is because Show remains vague about his sad backstory and inner struggles for a long time, which made it difficult for us to understand where he was coming from.

I.. was basically taking a leap of faith and giving Gyeom the benefit of the doubt; I chose to believe that if I held onto hope long enough, that I would eventually be allowed insight into Gyeom’s context, which would then enable me to understand him.

And Show does deliver on that, albeit pretty late in our story.

In the meantime, going by the glimmers of poignance that we do see, in Choi Woo Sik’s delivery of Gyeom, was helpful to me.

Gyeom is mostly laidback and nonchalant, but there are flashes of wistfulness and sadness about him, that made me want to believe that there’s more to him, that I just didn’t know about yet. ????

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. When we first meet Gyeom, he’s such a cheerful, earnest bundle of energy, and while he does come across as rather clueless and obtuse sometimes, I did sincerely appreciate his passion for movies.

The fact that he would keep auditioning for roles, even when he was only getting all these bit parts, and the fact that he would enjoy being on set even when he didn’t have any scenes for the day, really makes me feel that he has a true passion; that just being around movies made him happy.

I found that simplicity and that love nicely appealing, even though I did feel Mu Bee’s perplexed annoyance at Gyeom, for not knowing how to read her cues, and just keep his distance.

She refers to him as a golden retriever at one point, I think, and I do think that that’s quite a perfect description; he really does have that cheery, eager-to-please sort of energy. ????

E1-2. What we do learn, in episode 2, is the reason Gyeom disappeared; because his hyung Jun had gotten into a very serious car accident, and Gyeom had poured himself into taking care of Jun, and nursing him back to health.

On this point, I can only imagine how consuming it must be, to be the sole caregiver to someone who is in such a poor state, and with such a long, uphill and even improbable path to recovery.

E3-4. There are times, these episodes, when I did feel that Gyeom was legitimately annoying, like with the way he keeps toying with Jeong Hu (Cha Woo Min), when Jeong Hu sincerely asks if his childhood treasure box is still within the house.

I mean, I get the idea, that Gyeom’s jealous and that’s why he’s acting out in a fit of petty jealousy, but I thought it was mean of him to toy with Jeong Hu’s feelings like that.

(And perhaps I just don’t enjoy the hijinks which are related to petty jealousy? Because now that I think about it, this thing which I’m annoyed by, is 100% related to Gyeom’s petty jealousy. ????)

He does make up for it later, by actually finding the box and returning it to Jeong Hu, and that mollified me somewhat, but it doesn’t take away the fact that I found his initial behavior off-putting – and this, when I’m actually rooting for Gyeom and Mu Bee to reconcile. ????

E3-4. I did get a bit of a kick seeing Gyeom becoming a hotshot movie critic, with lots of public appearances and articles written about him.

And I do appreciate that bit of context, that he’s not agreeing to be hyped up for anything else than the promise of making more money, since Jun’s treatments do add up to being a bit of a financial burden.

With the context that he’d started out acting in bit parts and never actually getting anywhere with the acting, this sudden fame as a movie critic feels like a nice twist of events.

Director Ma (Ko Chang Seok) getting all relieved that Gyeom’s at least good for something, kind of sums it up. ????

E3-4. It’s too bad that Gyeom gets dragged through the mud later in these episodes, because of the public’s assumption that it had been his scathing review of that PD’s movie, that had caused the PD to attempt suicide.

I’m very pleasantly surprised by what Gyeom says to Mu Bee, when she attempts to console him; he doesn’t actually need telling that it’s not his fault – he’s the first one to say it, and he says it so matter-of-factly too.

Considering how, by and large, the public has decided that it’s very much Gyeom’s fault, I am impressed that he’s able to hold onto this truth; that he was just doing his job, and it’s not his fault that this happened.

And he’s right too; when Mu Bee visits the director, she finds out that it had, indeed, been an accidental overdose, and not a suicide attempt.

At the same time, Mu Bee’s correct in pointing out that Gyeom’s being defensive, because she’d never said it was his fault, but the first words out of his mouth, are that it’s not his fault.

That adds a layer of meaning to Gyeom’s words, doesn’t it; he’s right that it’s not his fault, but he’s also clinging to that line, as his armor, to fend off all the attacks that he’s had coming his way – so much so that he’s assuming that Mu Bee’s attacking him, when she’s trying to console him.

Mu Bee is very incisive and insightful, I feel, in the way she homes in on the fact that Gyeom has a habit of only seeing his own pain, and not focusing on the people around him.

It’s true in the present, where he’d been clueless as to Director Ma’s and Mu Bee’s efforts to be there for him, and it’s true in the past, where he’d been so wrapped up in his personal problems, that it hadn’t occurred to him to contact Mu Bee, until literal years later.

It does look like Mu Bee’s words hit Gyeom like a ton of bricks, judging from his expression, and I’m hopeful that this will lead to character growth, on Gyeom’s part. Let’s see.

[END SPOILER]

Park Bo Young as Mu Bee

I also took a while to warm to Mu Bee as a character, because when we first meet her, she’s mostly cold and prickly, and we don’t yet have any context through which to understand why she might be this way.

Over time, though, Show does offer us insight into Mu Bee’s character, and we learn that she’s a lot warmer than she lets on.

This definitely helped to endear Mu Bee to me.

On another note, I do think that Show cast Park Bo Young on purpose for this role, to further make the point that people may not be what they seem, ie, Park Bo Young looks so dainty and cute, that it’s a little jarring to find that she isn’t cutesy at all, but can be quite prickly, even.

I talk more about Mu Bee in our OTP section, but for now, here are just a couple of thoughts around her as a character.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. At this point, Mu Bee’s the opposite of a golden retriever; she’s withdrawn and reserved, and very much content to stay in a loner type of space, where she wasn’t required to interact with people.

In that way, she vibes more like a cat than a golden retriever?

However, I’m intrigued by the flashback that we get at the beginning of episode 2, where we learn that Mu Bee had been a child who’d been quick to care and form attachments, from instantly loving a puppy and wanting to keep him, to protecting the kid next door from bullies, and instructing him to tell everyone that she was his sister.

I find it very poignant to realize that the Mu Bee whom we see in the present, hadn’t always been this averse to forming connections, and that she’d basically gotten hurt enough times, from the connections that she’d formed, that she’d decided that life was easier without making connections.

E5-6. I did think that it was quite touching that Mu Bee would agree to help organize the movie night that her father had used to organize.

Even though Mu Bee’s expressed multiple times a sense of disdain for her father, the fact that she takes on this work that has used to be his, tells me that she does want to honor him, after all. ????

And the thought that she’s able to screen her movie at the very movie night where Dad had once dreamed to screening his own movie, feels very meaningful. She’s achieved what Dad never could, and now she’s honoring him, by doing what he’d once dreamed of doing.

Augh. Dad would be so proud. ????

[END SPOILER]

Gyeom and Mu Bee

Even though this OTP takes up a fair amount of our total screen time, I personally found that this OTP wasn’t the heart of the show.

Also, I found the treatment of this OTP relationship quite different, in the sense that Gyeom and Mu Bee are shown as more distinctly separate individuals than I’m used to seeing, in the general scope of Dramaland OTPs.

I had to actively remind myself that there are many different types of romantic relationships in the world, and one where the OTP doesn’t spend as much time together, or gets as giddy-swoony as other OTPs, doesn’t mean that it has less value.

Importantly, this Gyeom and Mu Bee do play important roles in each other’s growth journeys, and I found that to be nicely meaningful.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Even though Gyeom does come across as rather obtuse in not taking the hint, and continually trying to connect with her, I do feel that if he hadn’t been this way, they would have likely never actually connected. ????

It’s actually pretty cute, how Mu Bee finds herself growing more curious about Gyeom, and even being expectant about spending time with him, in spite of herself – and then ruefully admonishing herself for feeling that way. ????

E1-2. I find it hard to buy that Gyeom would only think to try calling Mu Bee after running into her a full two years after the accident.

A few weeks or months, I can buy – like, oh, he must have been so out of it, that he hadn’t even thought to call – but two whole years?

While Show was serving up all the scenes of them being apart during those 5 years, I seriously thought that Gyeom and Mu Bee didn’t have each other’s phone numbers, and that’s why they weren’t able to contact each other.

And so I did facepalm quite a bit, when I realized that they’d had each other’s phone numbers, and just.. hadn’t reached out. ????????‍♀️

I don’t know if Show will give us more context to this in upcoming episodes, that will make this all land a bit better, but for now, I’m admittedly rolling my eyes somewhat, that neither Gyeom nor Mu Bee chose to text or call each other, in the 5 years that had passed.

I know Mu Bee is confused and perplexed, but given that she had no idea if something bad had actually happened to Gyeom, why wouldn’t she have reached out, just to make sure he wasn’t dead? Why assume that he was dead, right?

E1-2. I get the feeling that part of our story will be Gyeom finding his happiness again, and I do like the sound of that.

Additionally, it does seem like Gyeom reconnecting with Mu Bee will play a significant part in him finding his happiness again.

I appreciate the fact that Gyeom was genuinely curious to see what kind of movie Mu Bee had made, and that’s why he went to her movie premiere, but the way he asks that critical-sounding question really isn’t a great way to reconnect.

I can rationalize, though, that this is Gyeom’s movie critic side on autopilot, and that he wasn’t actually thinking about this in the context of this being the definitive moment he’s stepping into her life again, after disappearing for 5 years.

And then when they have that encounter at her car, after that event, I was hoping that Gyeom would tell Mu Bee why he’d disappeared like that, but even when she asks him if he’d been sick, or if someone had died, he doesn’t tell her what happened.

Is this Gyeom’s way of punishing himself? And could this partly be survivor’s guilt, ie, he feels guilty that he’s fine, while Jun is not fine?

It’s little wonder that Mu Bee tells him to never appear in front of her again.

..But of course he does show up in front of her, and as her new neighbor, no less.

Gyeom plays it all quite uppity, like (and I paraphrase), “Oh well, it can’t be helped; let’s get along well as enemies, then” – I do get the feeling that he’s quite pleased with this turn of events.

(As I am, despite its tropeyness. ????)

E3-4. Backing up to the top of episode 3, I really do feel the awkwardness in the situation between Mu Bee and Gyeom.

Gyeom’s doing his best to stay out of Mu Bee’s way, but in doing so, he inadvertently makes Mu Bee feel slighted, like in the way he gives tteok to every house on their street except hers, and how he reviews so many other movies, except hers.

In her shoes, I think I would feel slighted too, coz what’s with the unequal treatment, yes? And yet, I can understand Gyeom’s paralysis; he probably feels that if he showed up at her door proffering tteok, that Mu Bee would get angry with him. ????

And even though Mu Bee’s told Gyeom to stay out of her sight, the way he goes into these exaggerated hiding positions, really is bizarre and perplexing, and I can see why Mu Bee would feel aggravated by it. ????

E3-4. I do like that Mu Bee’s slowly softening towards Gyeom, these episodes.

Like when he willingly gets in that patrol car and gets taken to the police station for stalking, just so that he won’t disturb Mu Bee by appearing in front of her, and she actually goes to the station to clear the air and get him out.

I thought that was nice of her, and the more Mu Bee does things like this, despite her lingering anger at Gyeom, the more I believe that Mu Bee’s a lot kinder and more compassionate than she initially lets on.

I also appreciate that Mu Bee makes the first move, by asking Gyeom why he hasn’t apologized to her.

It’s such a basic thing to expect, after Gyeom’s disappearing act, and even as a bystander, I feel that Gyeom shouldn’t need to be prodded for this, so I feel that in asking him why he hasn’t apologized, Mu Bee’s basically lowering her guard and kinda-sorta opening the way to a truce.

Yes, she does get miffed with him again, when they talk about him not reviewing her movie, and she does tell him that he can have the neighborhood, but I still appreciate that she made the first move to talk about things, with Gyeom. ????

And yay that Gyeom gets invited to interview Mu Bee, coz that opens the way for more conversation, and Gyeom actually writes a nice article, which makes Mu Bee rather pleased.

Even though Mu Bee doesn’t accept Gyeom’s invitation to watch a movie with him by way of apology, I have to admit that I ended up appreciating his whole thing, of projecting the movie onto the wall of his home just like Jun had said, so that he and Mu Bee could watch it together, despite her being in her own home.

Honestly, at first, when this scene first came on, I have to admit that I felt like Gyeom was being intrusive; like, who was he to force Mu Bee to watch a movie with him, when she’d already declined his invitation – was what I was thinking.

But then, when Mu Bee smiles to herself and actually sits down to watch said movie, I felt like Gyeom had successfully reached beyond the wall that she’d set up to keep him out, and that felt.. quite nice.

And then the epilogue for episode 3 was quite nice too, because in the light of Mu Bee telling Gyeom that he can have the whole neighborhood, it feels like all of Gyeom’s actions, from playing with the kids at the playground, to helping the halmonies with their groceries, is his way of trying to fill the gap that Mu Bee would leave behind, if she really were to move away.

That’s kind of a sweet sentiment, I thought. ????

Back on the idea of Mu Bee softening towards Gyeom, I did like that beat in episode 2, where Gyeom’s trying to fix his windshield wipers in the rain, and Mu Bee actually stops to help him.

That’s a nice twist on the damsel in distress trope, yes? Especially since Mu Bee looks so dainty that you wouldn’t expect her to be able to fix anything car-related?

E3-4. As we close out episode 4, we see Gyeom sitting by himself in the hospital waiting area, and while I’d like to think that the reason he’s sitting there, is because he’s trying to be more aware of other people, it does seem like he’s still focused on his own pain, with the way he tells Mu Bee, when she asks, that he’s waiting for something good to happen (to balance out all the bad).

Yet, I do feel bad for him, because, judging from the heavy shadows around his eyes, he’s really quite worn out from all the hate that’s been pouring out in his direction.

And, my heart goes out to him when he smiles that little wistful, rueful smile, and muses that (that good thing) is Mu Bee, again. ????

I can understand Mu Bee’s heart going out to him too, given her tendency to open her heart to pitiful little things – like Gyeom.

I find it a very poignant idea, that Mu Bee can’t help but be drawn to Gyeom, because she feels compassion for him.

Her defenses against him are breaking down, in spite of her best efforts, and while I do want to root for the two of them to find healing and solace in each other’s company, I also am concerned that Gyeom might not be ready, and I don’t want Mu Bee to be hurt by him again.

E5-6. Mostly, I feel like we’re following Mu Bee on her journey in softening towards Gyeom.

In flashback, we see that Gyeom had really been very consistent in looking out for her, while on set.

There’s the way he’d saved snacks and drinks for her, when supply had been low, the way he’d swop seats with her on the bus, so that she didn’t have to contend with the snoring of her seatmate, and the way he’d volunteer to help carry stuff, so that she’d be able to rest.

And of course, there’s also the way he’d missed the bus on purpose, so that she wouldn’t be all alone, and he’d able to accompany her on her journey back home.

It all adds up to a very sweet and endearing picture of sincere care, doesn’t it? ????

At the same time, I feel like I can understand Mu Bee’s hesitation.

Given that she’s got serious abandonment issues when it comes to her relationship with her father, and how Gyeom reminds her so much of him, and how Gyeom had disappeared on her once, just when she’d decided to take a chance on him, it makes sense that she would steel her heart, and tell herself not to be stupid, and not to fall for it a second time.

The more we see of Mu Bee’s memories of Dad, the more I feel like I understand her fear of being abandoned, and her determination not to invest her emotions in a similar fashion, because of how she’d likely be let down again.

Gyeom showing up as a staffer during the movie night prep, really felt like a throwback to all the times when he’d been on the movie set with Mu Bee, and had helped her out, while aggravating her, almost in equal measure. ????

I can see why it would all culminate in Mu Bee making a hasty retreat, and telling Gyeom to stop playing games.

The way she bites out that he’d made her heart waver with hope, only to make a fool out of her, I can feel a lot of pent-up hurt, disappointment and humiliation coming through, but trust Gyeom to only home in on the underlying meaning – that she’d liked him back.

And, for all the ways Gyeom can be frustratingly obtuse, it’s hard to waver at the words that he does say, “For the weary girl who found everything so tough.. I wanted to be a simple guy.”

The fact that he’s always seen her weariness, and wanted to meet her there, is really quite touching, I have to admit. ????

Even though the way Gyeom swoops in for a hug might feel a bit presumptuous and premature, the context that we get a little later – that he’d verified that Mu Bee had unblocked him on her phone – does help.

He’s acted on his feelings, knowing that she’d softened towards him enough to unblock him.

Adding on the underlying meaning that he’d picked up on – that her anger and disappointment had been because she’d liked him back – it does give him enough of a case for that hug, yes?

Later, when Gyeom hears from Director Ma that Mu Bee’s father had passed away due to overwork, I do appreciate that he swings into action right away, to make sure that she’s not overworking herself.

I thought all the “coincidental” meet-ups were a really cute thing, where Gyeom passes off everything as coincidental, which kind of alleviates the burden on Mu Bee, coz she can also pass it off as coincidence, but at the same time, gives them a little secret something that they can look forward to.

It’s all quite thrilling, cute and harmless, and I really liked seeing Mu Bee grow to enjoy these little non-dates, and even look forward to them.

I have to confess that my heart sank when Gyeom doesn’t show up to the takoyaki truck despite making plans with Mu Bee to “coincidentally” meet there.

I mean, this is exactly the kind of thing that I had thought would trigger Mu Bee’s fears and cause her to walk away – BUT SHE DOESN’T.

My gosh, I was so proud of her, that she chooses to give Gyeom another chance, despite the turmoil that she feels in her heart, about him being a no-show at the takoyaki truck.

I can imagine the kind of courage that it takes for Mu Bee to show up at Gyeom’s door, and make an excuse for them to go out on an outing together.

Gyeom’s thrilled expression is quite precious, and I love how he jumps at the chance to spend time with Mu Bee, never mind what it is, and where they’re going. ????

It’s a bummer that Gyeom’s car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, but I do love that Mu Bee takes the opportunity to speak candidly with Gyeom.

It’s a huge step forward, for her to admit that even though he’s disappeared on her, which is the thing that she hates most, she finds that she still likes him – which can only mean that she can’t find a reason to hate him.

Which is why she’s decided to allow things to get complicated, even though she hates things that are complicated.

And then we have kisses; sweet, unhurried, tender kisses, as our OTP is finally minted.

Aw. Quite lovely. ????????

E7-8. For someone who’s shown himself to be such a cheerful, garrulous person, Gyeom really turns out to be deeply isolated.

He may have friends, but he doesn’t share his deepest thoughts and wounds with them; he holds all of those so close, that he doesn’t even let Mu Bee see them.

The silver lining here, I think, is the fact that Mu Bee is kind of this way, herself, and therefore instinctively understands that Gyeom needs time and space, to process.

It’s really quite assuring to see Mu Bee just be there for Gyeom, without trying to talk to him about his grief.

When he’s cheerful, she matches his cheer, and they go on dates together like any other ordinary couple.

And when he’s gloomy, she doesn’t try to poke at his wounds, and simply looks at him, and tells him that she’s transmitting (I’d like to think it’s strength, energy and hope) to him, and asks him if he’s received it.

It’s being there for him without adding pressure to him, and I really do think that this was very important to Gyeom.

It’s true that Gyeom is out of it a long time, and even has trouble being in the house alone, which is how he ends up sleeping in his car for days on end, but it’s all part of the process of grieving; this is something that just can’t be hurried along.

I’m glad though, that when Mu Bee realizes that Gyeom’s been sleeping in his car, she decides to help him, by moving in with him, at least for a while.

In all of this, I appreciate that Mu Bee chooses to be gentle and patient with Gyeom.

Like, instead of forcing him into the house right away, she chooses to just sit with him in the car for a night, while telling him that they can go home together, the next day.

I thought that was very sweet.

And then later, when she does finally find herself in the house with him, she tells him that he isn’t alone.

I thought that was very meaningful, and something that Gyeom really needed to hear.

[END SPOILER]

Kim Jae Wook as Jun

Coming into this show, I hadn’t realized that Kim Jae Wook was even on the cast list; it was almost like stealth casting, heh.

I suppose I should have guessed, that when you cast an experienced actor like Kim Jae Wook – who’s more than enough of an acting heavyweight to headline his own show – in a support role, it’s more than likely that he’ll end up stealing the show.

That’s exactly what happened here, for me.

Jun starts out very much as a character on the sidelines, but eventually, Jun, as well as his relationship with Gyeom, worked out to be the heart of this show, as far as I was concerned.

I talk a lot more about Jun in the section where I discuss his relationship with Gyeom, but for now, here are a couple of Jun-centric thoughts.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I’m really curious to know more about what’s going on with Jun.

He’s always genial and smiling when it comes to Gyeom, but that’s just the way of the typical hyung, isn’t it, being assuring to your younger siblings, but not showing them that you’re worried or in pain, because you don’t want to worry them.

And Jun really has absorbed his identity as Gyeom’s hyung very thoroughly, hasn’t he?

Just from the way Gyeom sighs that everything Jun does, even the choosing of his current house, is because of Gyeom, and not for himself, we can tell that Jun’s life basically revolves around Gyeom.

I would really like for Jun to start to live for himself too, just like Gyeom says.

E7-8. In episode 7, we get the backstory on Jun, and how he’d made the decision to dedicate himself to taking care of Gyeom, when their parents had passed away, and it’s just such a very poignant, bittersweet sort of story.

It sounds like Jun had always been the placid, imperturbable sort of person that we’ve come to know, which is kind of a relief, in the sense that I’m glad to know that he hadn’t given up his true personality, in order to take care of Gyeom.

He’d just always been the unemotional, stolid sort, and had taken it in stride, when their family situation changed, and he became the Gyeom’s guardian.

I do think that he technically had a choice there, as he was really young when this happened, and if he’d felt unable to take responsibility for Gyeom, there was the option of placing Gyeom at an orphanage.

How moving, really, that he would make this choice, despite the cost. ????

[END SPOILER]

Gyeom and Jun

For a relationship that enjoyed relatively less screen time than the actual lovelines in our story, this one really packs a punch.

This brotherhood between Jun and Gyeom is easily my true OTP of this show. ❤️

I loved their relationship and connection so much, and felt so much more deeply affected by their scenes, than the scenes of the actual lovelines. ????

And, out of all the relationships in this story world, this is the one that continues to linger with me, long after the credits have stopped rolling. ????

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I really liked the warm brotherly relationship that we see, in episode 1, where Gyeom and Jun have regular movie nights together, and just sit, talk and laugh, while watching said movies.

They look genuinely happy to be in each other’s company, and I find that very precious. ????

It’s no wonder Gyeom would be so consumed with taking care of Jun, and making sure that Jun has the best chance of recovering his pre-accident health and wellbeing.

E1-2. The scene in episode 2 is pretty poignant, I have to say, when Jun remarks carefully, that it seems that Gyeom is doing all he can, to not enjoy his life – the unspoken part being that it’s because of Jun.

Aw. That is heart-pinchingly sad, though I can see why Gyeom might feel that he shouldn’t be too happy around Jun, after Jun’s lost so much. ????

E7-8. I have to give serious props to Jun for choosing to take responsibility for Gyeom, even though this meant that he would have to take on all sorts of jobs, including doing hard labor, in order to provide for the both of them.

Not only that, we see that Jun had dedicated himself to being there for Gyeom as much as possible, to the point of opting not to have a social life of his own.

Catching up on sleep and spending time with Gyeom shaped his days off, and I find it so sweetly poignant, to see that he had been content like this. ????

And it’s just as poignant, to see how much joy Gyeom had, just being with his hyung like this. ????

It pains me to realize that the big accident 5 years ago, had actually been a suicide attempt; it feels like Jun had lost sight of a reason to live, for a while, and that’s how he’d ended up trying to end his life.

It’s also quite heartbreaking to see this realization dawn on Gyeom, as we see in flashback, how he’d gone out time after time to the accident site, every time it had rained in the early hours of the morning, only to conclude that there just isn’t any fog or slippery conditions, in the area – which could only mean that it hadn’t been an accident.

That is such a heavy realization, and then, following that, I can only imagine what a heavy responsibility it had felt like, to not just to keep Jun alive, but also, be the reason that he stayed alive. ????

Given what we learn later on, that Jun was experiencing a deterioration of his cardiopulmonary function, it’s no wonder that Jun suddenly has so many ideas and requests, for things to do, and people with whom to spend time; he’d felt like his time was running out.

And of course this would give Gyeom anxiety, since this is very out of character for Jun.

It’s not that Gyeom doesn’t want to help Jun fulfill his wishes, but the idea that Jun’s racing against time is very unsettling, and I can see why Gyeom would instinctively fight it.

Of course he wouldn’t want to accept the idea that Jun doesn’t have much time left.

I did find it heartbreaking that Gyeom has that outburst, which leaves Jun sobbing (????????????), but I’m comforted that Jun writes that letter to Gyeom in Gyeom’s journal, with assurances that he’d been very happy, and hadn’t lived a desolate life because he’d taken care of Gyeom.

We don’t get to see it onscreen, but it does also seem like Gyeom and Jun had made up and smoothed things over, with the way Gyeom busily gets things to bring to Jun at the hospital.

I’m sad that Jun and Gyeom never got to go on that trip together, and I’m gutted that we lose Jun, but I’m comforted that the brothers manage to clear the air about these very important things, before Jun’s time was up. ????

In the end, I find their bond really poignant; Jun had chosen to live for Gyeom – and later, when Jun had that accident, Gyeom had also chosen to live for Jun.

That’s really beautiful and bittersweet, yes? ????????

[END SPOILER]

Si Jun and Ju A

I have to confess that I never was that interested in this plotline, of exes Si Jun and Ju A crossing paths again.

For much of our story, I didn’t find either of them to be particularly likable, and the flashbacks to their happier days as a couple, didn’t inspire me to mourn the loss of this relationship, nor want to root for them to get back together.

However, I will say that Show does a nice job peeling back the layers of these characters, such that we get to understand them and the relationship that they’d had, better, over time.

And, like the rest of this show, I did also find value in trying to understand what had happened between them in the past, and what was going on with them, in the present.

Ultimately, I am very satisfied with how Show wraps up their arc, which I talk more about, in my discussion of the finale episodes.

In the meantime, here’s a look at my evolving thoughts around this ex-couple, during my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. From what we’ve been shown, Si Jun never was that great of a boyfriend, and his laidback, nonchalant attitude about life in general, doesn’t inspire a great sense of security, y’know?

The fact that Ju A stuck with him for as long as she did, already seemed like something he didn’t quite deserve, to be brutally honest. ????

And so, to have Si Jun still smart so much over the break-up, 5 years later, that he would even begrudge his friends the pleasure of watching her movie and supporting her, really doesn’t make me think well of him.

In fact, it makes me think that she did the right thing, by breaking up with him. ????

E3-4. I’m curious about why Ju A and Si Jun had broken up in the first place, since Ju A had seemed sooo in love with Si Jun, and soooo supportive of his music dreams.

Why had she broken up with him on their anniversary, I wonder?

Had she said it in a fit of pique, which he’d then taken seriously? Or had she actually meant to break up with him, and if so, why?

I don’t know if Show is going to explore a reconciliation between them, but as it stands, I’m not entirely convinced that they belong together, or, I should say, I’m not convinced that Si Jun actually deserves all the love and support that Ju A had given him..?

Because, I do find it rather petty, that Si Jun would begrudge Ju A her success as a scriptwriter, so much so that he doesn’t actually want their friends watching her movies.

I know it has to do with his bruised ego; that he feels like he’s lost out to her, because she’s become a success while he’s still struggling with his music, but still, I can’t help but feel quite keenly, the lack of grace there.

But I do get that it’s human nature to feel defeated and ashamed, when someone with whom you’d been struggling, side by side, is now far ahead of you, and you’re still at the same place where you’ve always been.

I think that’s why he’s so adamant on pushing Ju A away, when she tries to talk to him; it’s more comfortable for him not to see her, because that way, he’ll be reminded less, of how she’s succeeded, while he’s failed.

I’m glad that Ju A plucks up the courage to talk to Si Jun about how she’d written about their relationship, and now needs his music to score it, as it gets made into a movie.

And I’m also glad that Si Jun eventually agrees, even though I see this as more of him grabbing what feels like his last chance to make it, rather than him wanting to make peace with Ju A.

I’m hopeful that the two of them working together, will offer them a chance to work through their past hurts and misunderstandings, so that they can arrive at some closure, at the very least.

E5-6. I can understand why Si Jun would agree to write the music for Ju A’s screenplay, even though he isn’t comfortable having to see her.

He feels like he’s at a dead end with his music, and this feels like his likely last chance at actually making it; that’s why he agrees, in spite of his feelings.

With him agreeing to write the music, it makes sense that he and Ju A would need to meet and discuss things, and so I can see why Ju A might approach it in a nonchalant, businesslike sort of manner – it’s now a business relationship after all, yes?

But, I do find myself sympathizing with Si Jun on this; I did feel like Ju A was being too forward, and too.. in-yo-face, for last of a better phrase.

She behaves quite presumptuously, in seeking him out, not just at his studio, but at the bar where he works, and she doesn’t show any measure of sensitivity towards how he might feel about that.

I don’t agree with the way Si Jun tries to force himself on Ju A, after she seeks him out at the bar, but I’m relieved that she at least begins to understand what he’s really feeling.

I guess it makes sense that she’d never fully understood how much she’d meant to Si Jun, and how much he’d missed her, in the time after their break-up.

At the same time, it sounds like they’d never properly talked about what hadn’t been working in their relationship, since, in the incident where they get locked in the recording booth together, it seems like the first time Ju A’s ever said anything about hating Si Jun’s habit of saying his piece and then walking off on his own.

I feel like these two might need more than a single lock-up in the recording booth, if they’re going to get everything out in the open, and work towards healing their relationship – whether they choose to keep it platonic, or go romantic with it.

E7-8. The reluctant conversations continue, and even though we still don’t know, at this point, whether these two will reconcile as a couple, I do think that it’s healthy and beneficial for them to talk about the issues in their relationship.

At the very least, it will increase their understanding of what went wrong, and help them to understand themselves better as well.

When Ju A tells Si Jun that she’d always liked udon, but had ordered rice instead, because she knew that he didn’t like to wait after he was done eating, it definitely gives Si Jun pause for thought.

On that note, I’m glad that Ju A realizes that she’d been idiotic to do all these things, as her way of liking Si Jun.

It’s true that, as much as she talks about all the sacrifices she’d made in order to make Si Jun happy, she’d made the choice to do so.

Because, yes, Si Jun might be impatient to leave after he’s finished eating, but would he have forced Ju A to eat rice instead of udon, because of it? I doubt it.

Thinking about it that way, I do understand what Si Jun means, when he says that she’d made him a monster.

If Ju A had told Si Jun that she’d needed more time to eat her udon, or that she wasn’t interested in soccer, would that have made the relationship feel more balanced, as he made adjustments to her as well?

I’m glad that Mu Bee’s input to their script discussions gives Ju A food for thought, because, yes, even if the female lead had been able to put aside her pain and move on with life, the broken parts inside are bound to crop up again – and that’s why they need to examine how the female lead faces her pain without her realizing it.

Naturally, this would mean that Ju A needs to re-examine herself, and see how she’s faced her pain from the breakup, despite her efforts to move on with her life.

In the meantime, I like the various glimmers that Si Jun’s chewing on the various things that have given him pause for thought.

In particular, Si Jun seems to finally see, with a jolt of clarity, that Ju A had always been his biggest supporter – and had likely continued to support him from afar, even after they’d broken up.

I’m not sure if I’m rooting for them to get back together again, but I would like to see them make peace with each other.

[END SPOILER]

THEMES / IDEAS [SPOILERS]

People may not be what they seem

E3-4. Gyeom may look laidback and nonchalant, but there is (I believe) a sadness and pain that he keeps out of sight.

Mu Bee may appear detached and cold, but she’s the one with the golden retriever tendency to want to care for sad defenseless creatures, like her old neighbor, and like Gyeom.

Jun may seem like a very personable dude, but he’s definitely got some hidden pain that’s keeping him from visiting his parents’ niche, and from going to therapy to improve his physical condition.

“This, too, shall pass.”

I’m paraphrasing here, but this is essentially the idea that Show serves up, in Gyeom’s belief that there’s a set amount of unhappiness in life; ie, happier times will follow the sad times.

On grief

E7-8. You tend to expect death to make a huge impact, but in effect, life goes on, largely the same – but the presence of that grief is always there, running undercurrent, and showing up when you least expect it, sometimes.

E7-8. This is the first idea that episode 8 serves up; that you need to face some of life’s hardest things alone – pain, regret, grief – and no one can truly be in the thick of it with you to work through it.

As we close out episode 8, I really like that insight that we get, that Si Jun’s been dropping off clothes and other supplies for Gyeom in his car, ever since he realized that Gyeom was sleeping in the car.

It’s exactly what Ju A had alluded to; he’s been showing Gyeom that he’s there for him, even though he hasn’t had a clue as to what to say to Gyeom, after Jun’s passing.

It’s really heartwarming to see that Gyeom had known it was Si Jun all along, and that it had indeed brought him a sense of comfort, even as he had to spend time working through his grief on his own.

And this brings the first idea full circle, to meet with the accompanying thought, I think:

That you need to face some of life’s hardest things alone – pain, regret, grief – and no one can truly be in the thick of it with you to work through it.

But they can be next to you, and often, the knowledge of that, is enough to bring comfort. ????

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E9-10. Overall, I’d say that this ending was a bit of a mixed bag, for me.

There were definitely parts that I liked more than others, but overall, I do think that I’m more satisfied with this finale than not, so I’d call that a win.

One of the things I find myself nicely satisfied with, is how Show wraps up the story of Si Jun and Ju A.

It feels about right, that after having old feelings brought to the surface again, they give themselves a chance to test if getting back together is an option, which is how they end up going on that date.

The truth is, though, it really does feel like their time is over.

Si Jun admits that he’s stuck in the past, and I agree with Ju A that the person he misses, is the Ju A from before, not the person that she is now.

The lesson that Si Jun takes from his conversation with Boss Park feels like an important and profound one; that just because his love story with Ju A has ended, doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a great love.

The eventual note on which Si Jun and Ju A officially end their love story, this time for good, is heartfelt and poignant, and even though I’ve often felt disconnected from these characters and their story, this particular moment really hit home for me. ????

The sincere, raw outpouring of honesty from Si Jun; Ju A’s poignant consolation that the pain would pass; the tears on both sides; the mutual acknowledgment that they’d been great together; the heartfelt goodbye kiss, from Ju An to Si Jun, before he turns around to walk way.

I thought it was all very on-point and honest, and the best and healthiest outcome that we could have asked for, for this ex-couple.

Yes, they don’t get back together, but they do get something just as important; a sense of closure, and the freedom to move on to a new future. ????

As for Gyeom and Mu Bee, their relationship trajectory stays consistent, where the more important steps forward seem to be on the personal front, while the other person is there on the sidelines, more for moral support than anything else.

I do appreciate that beat, when Mu Bee chooses to share her darkest secret with Gyeom; that she thinks that she’d indirectly caused her father’s death.

Oof. That’s a heavy burden to bear, and it very much explains the heaviness that we’ve seen, in Mu Bee’s overall vibe.

I also appreciate that Gyeom shares his darkest secret with Mu Bee; that when he’d realized that Jun had attempted suicide, he’d pretended not to know – because he’d been afraid that it had been because of him.

Again, it’s a heavy burden, and I’m glad that Gyeom chooses to share it with Mu Bee. At least this way, there’s a sense of solidarity there, I feel.

In terms of the things that I wasn’t so hot on, in this finale, I’m thinking of the way Gyeom gives up movies.

I get that he realizes that he’d been using movies as an escape all along, and feels that it’s time to make his steps all about the real world, but.. we don’t actually see him do that?

In the end, he’s basically kinda-sorta going back to square one, hanging out on movie sets and annoying Mu Bee while he’s at it, while basically flaking out during actual work interviews, and that just doesn’t seem to me like progress, y’know? ????

As for Mu Bee, I didn’t find her turnaround about fighting for her movie all that convincing, to be honest. ????

She seemed kind of.. emotionless, to my eyes, even as she chooses to fight to make her movie, and that didn’t feel like much of a turnaround, at least from where I’m sitting?

However, on the upside, I do appreciate the emotional beats that we get, with both Mu Bee and Gyeom.

I know it seems like such a “duh” sort of realization that Mu Bee has; that she’d had Mom all along, but I do find it believable.

It’s not so much that Mu Bee realizes that she’d had Mom all along; I feel it’s more that Mu Bee realizes that she’d discounted Mom’s love all along, and never taken Mom’s efforts into account, when looking for parental love.

She’d only focused on what she didn’t have, which was Dad’s time and effort, and hadn’t focused on what she did have, which was Mom and all of her efforts to help Mu Bee feel loved.

The scene itself did land as a bit contrived to my eyes, but I appreciated the sentiment very well.

My favorite moment, though, is when Gyeom dreams of Jun, while sitting on the porch steps, with Jun’s bottle of alcohol and packet of cigarettes.

That dream, where Jun sits next to him, and smiles and talks with Gyeom, teaching him how to properly smoke a cigarette, and telling him that he’s happy, is so precious. ????

And it feels like such an important release for Gyeom, to be able to tell Jun that he’ll be ok, and that he’ll do his best to live a good life.

I also really like that Gyeom requests that Jun visit him in his dreams, every now and again, because there are still lots of things that Gyeom doesn’t know about him.

My heart. It’s all achey, yet ooey-gooey at the same time. ???????? I love that we get a sense of togetherness and continued relationship between Jun and Gyeom.

As I look back on this show, this will likely be the moment that I hold dear the most. ????

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Lands as a touch conceptual & abstract, but works out to be thought-provoking.

FINAL GRADE: B+

TRAILER:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  Melo Movie, is The Best Thing [China].

You can check out my episode 1-4 notes on The Best Thing on Patreon here.

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): +Buried Hearts [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Undercover High School [Korea]

VIP (US$15): +The First Frost [China]

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