9.5/10 – WOW, this drama was as stunning and magnificent as Ko Mun-yeong’s fashion sense. The story had a riveting gothic fantasy feel, and I felt that the story was such a creative exploration of mental illness and family. It’s hard to describe in words: it was whimsical and chaotically humorous, but also intensely emotional and heartbreakingly real.
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What I really really loved about this drama was how character-driven the story was. The plot was essentially just the characters living their lives – their struggles, their pain, and their revelations were all woven together into a truly fascinating tale. The three main leads were incredible. They were all so different in disposition and emotional maturity, but as the story progresses we see how similar they are. Ko Mun-yeong (played by Seo Ye-ji) is a stunningly beautiful children’s storybook author who has anti-social personality disorder. She is explosive, sharp and hot-headed, and is quite selfish and cold. Her lack of empathy is juxtaposed to Moon Gang-tae (played by Kim Soo-hyun, fresh out of the military and looking like a snack LOL), a hard-working psychiatric hospital nurse who also has to care for his autistic older brother. He is extremely responsible and empathetic, and sacrifices his own desires for the sake of his brother. Moon Sang-tae (played amazingly by Oh Jung-se) is that older brother born with autism who has a passion for art and dinosaurs. He is super pure and innocent, but quite high-functioning and has a lot of charm. Very quickly the audience sees that while Sang-tae is the most child-like at first glance, Gang-tae and Moon-yeong are also trapped in a child-like state as well. They both suffered emotional and physical abuse in childhood, and it left them starved of love and unable to accept it either. As they learn to accept and support each other, they are able to overcome their personal traumas and find strength in love.
The over-bearing shadow of the whole drama is Mun-yeong’s dark past, and her chillingly mysterious mother, who honestly, was the perfect villain. THE PLOT-TWISTS SURROUNDING THE MOTHER IS A MASTERPIECE UNTO ITSELF. There was such an attention to detail with regards to developing and exploring her character. When that massive plot twist came at the end of episode 13, my sister and I were LITERALLY SHRIEKING BECAUSE OF HOW SHOCKING IT WAS. But then afterwards, the more we thought about it, more it made sense and the more all the pieces fell into place. Honestly, it was so subtle that I didn’t notice the majority of the connections the first time through, and it was only when I went back and re-watched the episodes where I saw the many connections between the mother’s actions, and how it affected Mun-yeong (and Gang-tae and Sang-tae…!!!). I loved how there were so many direct ties with mental health and family. Time and time again the drama presented situations where we see damaging or toxic families being the source, catalyst, or exacerbating factor behind a person’s deteriorating mental state.
And that brings me to one of the biggest highlights of this drama for me. THE FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH. As over-the-top and fantastical the drama was, the insights about mental health, human relationships, and the importance of love and acceptance, all hit home and rang true. So much of what made this drama special was how it magically portrayed difficult subject matter. Mental illness was depicted so accurately, with all its awkwardness and pain and misunderstandings, but here was no disrespect in its honesty and no trivialization in its humour and light-heartedness.
On that note, all three of the main actors did a stellar job at portraying their characters, but can we just take a moment to all hail Oh Jung-se for his truly awesome depiction of a person on the autism spectrum? You could tell that he did a lot of studying and research to prepare for this role. He really nailed the posture, mannerisms, and speech patterns of someone who is on that spectrum. He also did an excellent job of making Sang-tae an authentic, well-rounded character. Never once in the drama did I pity him because of his disability. Rather, the focus was on his strengths and weaknesses, and how he develops a deeper bond with his brother and learns to accept new people into his life. Sang-tae learns to be more flexible, selfless, and begins to truly be an older brother for Gang-tae, and that was beautiful to see.
I found really cool was how the three main characters complemented each other. Even though Mun-yeong and Gang-tae are the main romantic couple, the deep and complicated relationship between Gang-tae and Sang-tae is honestly just as interesting, and it creates this story framework where all three of them are essential to one another. There is no third wheel. This is actually an amazing feat, because usually in more romance/relationship-heavy dramas, it is very hard to penetrate that “core” relationship without the character either being a nuisance, or a rival love interest. The developing romance between Mun-yeong and Gang-tae was super touching and well-paced. As they each work through their individual problems, the presence of each other really serves as a character foil and a catalyst for growth. As much as I love the chemistry and charm of this chaotic couple, hands-down the most heart-warming relationship for me was the one between Gang-tae and Sang-tae. The drama did a really good job of exploring the complicated nature of having a sibling with special needs. Sang-tae was cherished and cared for because of his disabilities, while Gang-tae was not only neglected, but expected to assume the caretaker role as a child. There is so much hurt and resentment he is suppressing, as much as he truly loves his older brother. On the flip-side, Sang-tae starts off as a very self-centred and rigid person due to his disabilities. He claims the title of “hyung” but he doesn’t understand the responsibility and burden that comes with it. When Mun-yeong comes into their lives and shakes things up, we see how the brothers begin to be challenged to reconcile and mature. I thought it was really awesome that Sang-tae was portrayed as someone who has his limitations but is still capable of change. I CRIED SO MUCH OVER THE COURSE OF THIS DRAMA WATCHING THESE THREE GROW UP!!
Another thing I loved was how Mun-yeong’s gothic fairytales were incorporated into each episode. Her stories spoke volumes about her own experiences, and really emphasized her suppressed traumas in heart-breaking ways. The animation of these fairytales had a very cool Tim Burton-inspired vibe, and honestly some of them were creepy!! But it made me think that actually a lot of children’s fairytale are pretty dark, so it makes sense that hers would be, too. And the “moral of the story” she expresses are not your typical “love finds a way” sort of thing. They speak of human selfishness, loneliness, anxiety, depression, etc. Her analysis of herself, Gang-tae, and Sang-tae (she started writing a story about the three of them) was absolutely spot on. She described Gang-tae as a “guy with no sense of self”, herself as “an emotionless princess (an empty can princess)”, and Sang-tae as “a guy trapped in a box”. Her ability to break down complex concepts into material suitable for children while also meaningful to adults is probably why she’s a best-selling author!! Mun-yeong actually has so much insight into the human psyche, and her ability to read people really lends itself to writing stories that really strike you to your core.
Overall, this was such a HEALING drama. It was fresh, funny, poignant, and full of heart. I was often moved to tears by all the actors’ performances, and was very impressed by how the characters developed over the course of the drama. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a show that will make you laugh and cry.
Thanks for reading, and happy watching!!
Thought Bubbles 