numerous errors of a potential perfect drama

This drama had the potential to be one of my favorite dramas this year but the more new episodes were added the more they completely destroyed the essence of the drama itself.

First let’s talk about the aspects I liked (which mostly disappear in the latest episodes):
- the surreal tone and the dark humour
The thing I immediately liked about the drama was the particular atmosphere we had at the beginning of it. I liked how the scariest scenes were turned into comedic scenes (ex: when the mother and the grandma had a conversation with the stalker about how they should have checked better if he was alive or when the FL lead confessed her “crime” to the ML). I liked how everything seemed to be a long and extravagant dream because it definitely fitted the entire story and it made me look over the slow pacing and the strange behavior of literally… everyone;
- how everyone is a suspect (and guilty)
Another thing I loved and that it was mostly present at the beginning of the drama was how everyone seemed guilty. And although some of them really were “guilty” (even though the drama shows that their actions were more linked to laziness than malice) most of the other characters behavior do not make sense now to me. Why at the beginning every woman of the neighborhood seems suspicious when at the end they were literally the only one that didn’t “help” the kidnapper? I would have liked more if everyone was an accomplice in some ways and that they knew since the beginning who was the culprit.
- the stalker storyline
The best moments were all linked to the stalker storyline. He was even a “better” villain than the main killer. He was a serial killer with specific victims and his wicked crimes make sense (I cannot say the same for the main killer/kidnapper). The screenwriters successfully used him both as a villain and as a comic relief and, in fact, it’s only after his death that the mood of the drama changes.
- the acting
All the cast was amazing but in particular Gayoung and Jingoo’s acting was superb. I don’t think I would have continued to watch the drama till the end if it wasn’t for them. They expressed every emotion perfectly without over acting.

Now the things that ruined the drama for me:
- the intermittent link
To me the main error is that they didn’t develop well the main point of the plot. The show was advertised as “a man emotions linked to a woman ones’” but … where is all of this ? This connection is only prominent the very first episodes of the drama then it slowly disappears and is only really important for the plot when the FL is in danger.
- the identity of the killer
I just don’t get it. What even is the reason of the man killing? He acts like a serial killer but he kinda isn’t. They present him as a kidnapper and killer of children (he used the stalker and lured the other 2 children with toys etc) but the only child he killed was that one kid (?). To make sense he should have had other reasons to kill the girl because all the other people he killed were all linked to his first (and only?) victim. I just don’t get his entire behavior above all if we compare him to the stalker. It seems that the writers themselves decided late who was going to be the main killer because everything linked to him doesn’t really make sense to me.
- the change of mood of the story
After the stalker death there is a shift of atmosphere. The dramatic, the funny and the romantic parts are now totally divided. And to me it’s when the drama started to be really boring. The uniqueness of the first episodes were all replaced with the usual mood of any regular drama.
- the length of the drama
Above all the last 4 episodes are totally unnecessary and this is also proven by the numerous and long flashbacks in these episodes. There are at least 10 minutes of flashbacks of previous scenes that add nothing to the plot. If it had 12 episodes the drama would have definitely be better.

So in conclusion the drama had a lot of potential and innovative and creative points but these points were not developed well. The only strong element that stayed constant the entire drama was the acting.

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an unethical legal drama

By an ethical point of view I find this drama truly terrible. I would have not minded if the story was centered on the existence of young criminals, why they commit crimes and how they should be judged but at the end it felt like it was just a propaganda to enforce the punishments for juvenile crimes. What people don’t understand is that even if the judge is the main character that doesn’t automatically mean she is in the right. The premise itself is cringe: “I hate young criminals” it’s not a glorious and smart statement, it just sounds silly that an adult holds grudges against minors she doesn’t know anything about ... it doesn't matter if the kids have serious mental problems or if they steal out of hunger, they are treated ruthlessly because they are "nullities". It’s just a very classist mindset bc the majority of young criminals are poor and live in abusive environments. The scene that made me definitely drop the drama was at the end of episode 5:"it’s true that juveniles are influenced by their family and environment. But in the end it’s themselves who chose to commit a crime.” It’s a tone deaf phrase that she said to 15-year-old girls who, having no money to buy food, had decided to prostitute themselves. How is it entirely their fault? Isn’t society itself the problem? It couldn’t protect them from their abusive families, it didn’t help them find a job.. then why are the girls depicted as evil? These girls are not criminals they are victims,it’s the society that failed them. But the viewers don’t perceive the judge’s statement as bad bc the script is quite sneaky: it depicts the young girls as rude and violent making the viewers think “well, maybe with this attitude they deserved all of it.”
That’s why I cannot appreciate this drama. It’s objectively well done with good actors but I can’t accept the message behind it.

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finally a drama that doesn’t normalize men’s toxic behaviors

Usually jdramas tend to downplay the toxic behaviors of the male characters and their questionable actions are perceived as a way to show that, in reality, they really care about the FL and… I am so glad that this drama didn’t follow this pattern !! It’s quite common to see the FL forgiving every disrespectful thing the ML does but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this drama doesn’t romanticize men.
I saw some people being upset at Yuki leaving Sota at the end but it was the right choice to make. Sota spent together with her barely 2 days yet he said he loved her and wanted her to leave her job. He knows nothing about her real personality and him saying he would love her regardless is dumb, he doesn’t really know her so how can he sincerely like her?
Also people don’t realize how bad is not being economically independent. If she accepted his offer she would have become dependent of him… and the entire point of her character is to be free and find her own path. Even Rina, the most submissive character, found her own dream in the end.
It was interesting to see how some female characters were at first introduced as “unlikeable” like Aya and Yua but as the episodes go by we find out their story and their valid perspectives. You can still dislike them but you can also understand their points. Personally Moe’s journey was the hardest to watch. It was pretty sad to see her character’s growth decline and sells her body for a man that clearly thought about her as a client.
The men in here are trash which is realistic. Both Sota and Yudai knew about the FLs jobs and realities yet they wanted to decide for them.
At first Yudai seemed cool about Rina’s situation and knew she never was a sugar baby just for money yet he excepted her to stop.
Sota is the typical loser that idolizes a woman and is obsessive over her but has no idea how she really feels. Also in the end we see Sota with another girl, his new girlfriend and… what if she was another rental girl. His obsession for Yuki might have just been related to her job.
Kaede might be a grey character for some people because you aren’t sure if he cared about Moe (as a client) or if he was just playing her since the start. I personally think he indeed manipulated and exploited her because he knew she didn’t have enough money yet he persuaded her to have a debt. Yua’s boyfriend is the worst man in the drama since he exploited and assaulted her.
My favorite relationship in the show is the friendship between Yuki and Aya, an unexpected pair that really worked out in the end for me. It was definitely sweet to see Aya understanding Yuki and making her feel at ease above all because this is a bit unexpected since Aya is, most of the time, portrayed as a blunt and cold (queen). Another friendship I liked was between Moe and the baristas. It was so sweet seeing them cheer and care for her.
All the stories were interesting and the female characters were amazing. I might watch the second season too and see what new topics and characters they introduced.

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romance is not the focus

I categorize the drama as slice of life, it’s true that the main point of the plot is how much the FL desires to marry but the drama itself isn’t really romantic. The romantic scenes aren’t the focus and what’s more interesting is the bond between the female coworkers.
I really liked the FL. She spent all her life prioritizing her friends happiness but because of that she didn’t find her own path in life. In my opinion her desire to marry is more linked to fit the social standard. But this is the issue that the drama underlines: getting married is NOT the solution, is NOT the prime source of happiness and it is clear from the first episode by the high amount of men cheating and wives pretending everything is fine. They would rather live unhappy following the social expectations rather than live freely.
I had a soft spot for the female characters, they truly cared for each other despite being totally different. It was really touching see how the FL gave up on a big opportunity for her career just to help a friend. It’s also understandable how after giving so much she wanted to finally find her happiness but the way she tried to achieve this was completely wrong. At first she confessed to her younger coworker but the age difference at that moment was too much because they were in different phases of their lives with different goals. So: as much as you feel attracted to someone there are bigger aspects to take in consideration when start a serious relationship. I don’t blame the guy for telling her to wait 5 more years because his reasoning is totally understandable for a guy in his 20s. But things could change in the future when he is close to his 30s and that’s why the ending is open: if they still love each other their age difference might not be a big problem anymore when they both are in the same phase of their lives that is adulthood. The boy was still too young to dedicate his life to marriage and the FL understood this and that’s also why she rejected his proposal: she knew he was not ready and their marriage would have made both unhappy.
The only thing that made me bitter was her sleeping with her friend’s husband. It was out of character but I think that was also the point: after getting rejected by the younger coworker she is emotionally destroyed and find comfort in another man. She was so blinded by wanting someone on her side that marriage wasn’t even her purpose anymore. What she did was morally bad and she quickly understood that: at the end of the drama she decides to resign from her company. She decided that the best solution for her was to start new, to find happiness regardless of marriage and to prioritize herself in a positive and selfless way.
I would recommend it to anyone that likes dramas focused on female friendships and slice of life centered on workplaces.

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