Oh gosh, I just finished binge watching this over 3 days and I have to say, that this is one of the most beautifully scripted, acted and directed(both musically and visually) dramas I have ever watched.  Honestly, before SLA, I never knew of a K-drama that could be so inwardly and  intensely experienced.  (If anyone knows of any similar K-drama out there, please let me know!)

 While it can get quite dark and emotionally traumatizing to watch (having to see the characters you've come to love go through awful hell), there are also moments that are indescribably beautiful - of re-discovering oneself, of strength, of love. At the very least, it will likely leave you questioning and reflecting upon yourself, of how you have lived your life up to this present point.  

If you're on the fence about whether or not to watch this, I would say take the plunge if you're not afraid of trying something different and if you're open to shades of grey in life. :)

P.S. This is the first time I have ever liked a drama so much that I felt compelled to leave a review right after finishing it. That action in itself shows how much it has affected me.

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This is the first time I'm writing a review here because I feel that this drama deserves more credit, and I'm shocked that it seems so underrated.

It's been a while since I've come across a show that has left me re-evaluating my own life after watching it, and it's one of the rare few dramas that actually has a heroine that was going through things in her life that I could really identity with.

The cast is amazing and the plot moves along at a good pace. Thankfully the angst and conflicts don't drag on for too long, and lastly, the message of the story itself is simply inspiring and moving. And I do encourage everyone to give this a chance.

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Messy like Jajangmyeon, just not as tasty

To sum it up - because it's so busy all over the place, no actual point gets made and it ends up feeling like a waste of time. Some scenes go on and on unnecessarily and feels rather random. As a viewer, you find yourself bounced from one story line to another but nothing actually gets told in a way that would make a proper impact.
I'm not sure if it's because of the poor directing or story, but the lead, Lee Jun Ho doesn't make an impression on me. Whereas Jang Hyuk is awesome but I feel like his character could have been used more effectively to make the story more compelling. Jung Ryeo Won is lovely but I'm not really feeling her character either despite knowing she's meant to be the heart of the story.
I'm not one to drop a drama no matter how bad it is, but this bad story telling is making me want to drop it (after all, it's 38 episodes!) - nonetheless, it does get better in the latter half (around e25 onwards), but it really took a long time to get there.

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As a fan of the original webtoon, i was excited for this, although sadly kind of disappointed with this version once i started watching this.

I mean, sure, it's fine to change and adapt some things, but....the grit and tongue in cheek humour that was in the original comic is sorely missing here. Which may be understandable given the cultural differences. Also, compared to the webtoon, the female characters here get more focus and spotlight, and I feel like the lead character (Wen Shuai) is a lot more timid and "physically weak" compared to the original webtoon character.

That said, I'll still watch this to support the webtoon but I know it's nowhere near the storytelling standard of the original.

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