Ocean strolls for romance melodrama Should We Kiss First

359 February 2, 2018February 2, 2018

Ocean strolls for romance melodrama Should We Kiss First

by girlfriday

So far every shot of this drama looks like a postcard for a romantic getaway. Posters are out for the realistic romance melodrama Should We Kiss First, the new SBS series starring Kam Woo-sung (My Spring Days) and Kim Sun-ah (Woman of Dignity) as a man and woman who have hit middle age and think that every romantic cell in their bodies has disappeared. Obviously they’re in for a rude awakening when a kiss reignites that spark they’d thought was long dead.

The new drama from writer Bae Yoo-mi of I Have a Lover is about an average ajusshi and ajumma who have given up on the idea of passionate romance, only to end up finding true love in each other. The tagline on all the posters reads, “The story of a clumsy love between people who have lived a little.” I like the sentiment—been there, done that, still awkward at love. Aren’t we all?

Kam Woo-sung stars as a producer at an advertising agency who’s considered a dinosaur not even worth listening to. He’s been a failure at love his entire life, but his one fear is dying alone. Kim Sun-ah plays a flight attendant who gave up on love and happiness after she lost her daughter. It seems like a typical setup for a healing drama, but here the strength lies in two veteran actors who can carry all those emotional layers.

In the newest teaser, the leads take turns asking over and over if they don’t remember each other, and Kim Sun-ah decides that Kam Woo-sung is some kind of pervert. She confesses drunkenly that she hasn’t smiled in ten years, and he says in turn that they’re headed for the same destination. She asks, “Am I a good memory to you, or a bad one?”

The first teaser below was released a few weeks ago and has the leads narrating how they feared thirty at twenty, and forty at thirty, fifty at forty, and will probably continue to do so until they die. They start out walking through the same spaces separately, but meet in the woods where it ends, appropriately, with a kiss. Kim Sun-ah says in voiceover, “The love that I thought was over has begun again. The words that gave me breath: ‘Should we kiss first?'”

Should We Kiss First airs on Mondays and Tuesdays following Mysterious Il-seung, and premieres February 20 on SBS.

Via SBS Fune

359

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1 KSKalways

February 2, 2018 at 12:05 PM

I'm always rooting for you, Kim Sun-ah ! I will check out the 1st ep, at least. I pray it's good ! :-)

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2 Vera

February 2, 2018 at 12:06 PM

Looking so forward to this! For once a love story in kdrama between middle-aged people<3

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latebloomer

February 2, 2018 at 12:38 PM

Yay! 'Cause love isn't just for twenty-somethings. And all those young actors and actresses are still going to need good roles when they get past 35.

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Vera

February 2, 2018 at 2:23 PM

Exactly! Some thinks only young adults can fall in love lol.

I'm in my 20s, but I still look so forward to this.. Kdramas usually are not good at potraying mature adult-like romances even among adults, but since this is about OLDER adults I have high hopes.. especially since the lead actress is Kim Sun Ah.

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ar_arguably romantic

February 2, 2018 at 3:36 PM

Not only are they middle-aged, they're average! No geeeeeeenniuses! A one-two punch!

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 6:57 PM

Another bonus for "ladies of a certain age": We get to picture ourselves in a noona romance of our own with ahjussi fatale Kam Woo-sung instead of feeling like cradle robbers slobbering over idols young enough to be our grandkids. Har!

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kiara

February 3, 2018 at 5:35 AM

Lol Yeo Jin-goo is the exception for me, the rest are all ahjussi crush on darn good actors.

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ploinkypink

February 2, 2018 at 8:31 PM

how old exactly is middle age though? 40? 45? 50?!

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Cloggie

February 3, 2018 at 12:04 AM

I guess that if you think you'll live to be 90, the middle is at 45?

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Serendipity

February 4, 2018 at 3:22 PM

Thanks Drama gods :-)

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3 🍙 kimbap noona

February 2, 2018 at 12:40 PM

The gorgeous cinematography and the romance reminds me of On the Way to the Airport. Definitely will check out the show!

Recently I feel fed up with seeing too many drama couples with childhood connections.......really hoping that this would be a show where two people meet and just really enjoy each others' company, and they themselves (not fate) decide that they would like to stay together.

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Safeenah

February 2, 2018 at 5:18 PM

Thats what I thought too....On the way to the airport....I miss the drama, might binge watch it......

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ferry

February 6, 2018 at 6:45 AM

I'm agree with you

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thequiet1

February 2, 2018 at 6:54 PM

I was just thinking/hoping the same thing, that the leads are not connected with each other from childhood or younghood or something. It gets rather repetitive, and unnecessary. We get it, the couple are made for each other, but how many couple are like that in real life?

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Safeenah

February 6, 2018 at 7:42 AM

0.0000001%........as it rarely happens.......

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4 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)

February 2, 2018 at 12:40 PM

Must take a brave woman to fall in love with the guy from My Spring Days.

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:05 PM

@lordcobol,

LOL! Yeah, considering he was widowed twice... but one died in an accident, and the other had heart disease that even a transplant ultimately couldn't overcome.

On the other hand, he's the same guy who whooped it up in the steamy flick MARRIAGE IS A CRAZY THING. Hehehe.

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Serendipity

February 4, 2018 at 3:23 PM

LOL :-)

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5 clover

February 2, 2018 at 12:46 PM

I love Kim Sun-ah. She has always been in my top favorites. I'll watch anything she's in. I would really like to see her play opposite someone younger than her. I think Park Seo-joon or Yoo Ah-In would be great to cast with her. Or Ji Sung. *squee!*

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Safeenah

February 2, 2018 at 5:16 PM

I want both too but I think Yoo Ah-In will be good. I watched his previous drama secret love affair; that drama was hot and sizzling....

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Serendipity

February 4, 2018 at 3:25 PM

Secret Love Affair is unrivalled, so different from the mainstream K-Dramas...a true gem like an art house movie.

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Mjfan

February 6, 2018 at 1:15 AM

Yes yes yes
That's my wish too
Yoo ah in will be perfect

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6 Cloggie

February 2, 2018 at 12:48 PM

Are we going to have mature grown-up people do mature grown-up things? I'm up for that.

Looks gorgeous.

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7 amyam

February 2, 2018 at 12:57 PM

The premise of this sounds like a healing drama. Having come from Just Between Lovers, I'm not sure I'm ready for another melo that will bring me more tears and tears. Still having withdrawl symptoms...

But I will check this one out and see how it goes. Certainly the feels for a middle-aged couple will be different than that of a twenty-somethings.

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rambutan

February 2, 2018 at 6:21 PM

Just Between Lovers spoilt it for me. Was afraid I couldn't find something for me to move on quickly enough. But I have hope this drama can. The combination of two veteran actors and this screenwriter makes me very very hopeful indeed!

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:09 PM

Check out LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL for a lovely depiction of middle-aged married life -- and between grandma and grandpa -- as well as young adults. There's something for everyone.

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amyam

February 3, 2018 at 12:43 PM

Thank you for the recommendation pankalanapikake! I quickly looked up life is beautiful and i saw kim yeong cheol and kim hae sook cast in it! I loved them as a mother/father couple to their kids in Father is Strange!

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PakalanaPikake

February 3, 2018 at 1:41 PM

@amyam,

I didn't know Kim Young-chul and Kim Hae-sook reprised in FATHER IS STRANGE. They're one of my all-time fave parental pairs. I only started watching family weekenders about a year ago because the length was too much (though I've watched 50-episode sageuks). Hmmm. Might have to reconsider FIS at some point.

I think my first family weekender was FIVE CHILDREN, which I loved. It had a really nice vibe (aside from the scheming makjang in-laws). But the rest of it was really sweet.

I recently watched the ironically-titled HAPPY HOME in which Kim Young-chul plays a successful chef who started out as a delivery boy at a noodle stand to support his younger siblings when they were orphaned, and he's still in that mindset. Even as a patriarchal tyrant, I can empathize with KYC's character Sam-bong because it's crystal clear what made him that way.

One of his daughters marries into a snooty family with a few secrets of its own. (Lee Pil-mo steals the show as her executive husband. Seo Yi-Sook plays his Evil Mom to the hilt with style and gusto. Only later do we find out what makes her tick.) Her dopey twin brother don't get no respect, and that leads to mayhem. Yun Da-hun (Little Uncle in LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL) reprises as a good-hearted uncle rather than a deeply-wounded one as in LIB. Lee Sang-woo, half of the OTP in LIB, plays a surgeon whose fatal error leads to heartbreak in more ways than one.

HAPPY HOME was addictive, and I marathoned it. I was surprised I enjoyed it so much. It bears more than a few similarities to HAPPY NOODLE, a Chinese series that had Yoon Si-yoon slinging noodles instead of kneading bread dough. I had to watch it as part of my YSY retrospective. ;-)

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amyam

February 3, 2018 at 7:16 PM

You'll have to check out Father is Strange some time for sure!

I too was very reluctant to start watching 50 something episodes family dramas for their length, but FIS caught my attention (I didn't watch it live but marathoned it slightly after). Then I felt that 52 eps wasn't enough for this family haha

PakalanaPikake

February 3, 2018 at 7:55 PM

@amyam February 3, 2018 at 7:16 PM

Thanks for your enthusiastic recommendation! It's nice to know that my favorite parents from Jejudo have another drama I can look forward to. ;-)

8 kabsy

February 2, 2018 at 1:33 PM

Go Kim Sun Ah!

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9 Vera

February 2, 2018 at 2:34 PM

I read a lots comments about the main male lead not being handsome enough for Kim Sun Ah.. maybe not, but i think he still looks lovable. :) i think they Will have great chemistry together

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kiara

February 2, 2018 at 3:00 PM

How sad for them for not appreciating this 47 year old man's natural beauty.
I think he looks great for his age.

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:18 PM

I'm with you, Sis! I've got two words in reply: ahjussi fatale.

KWS looks free-range, too. As in free of botox and plastic surgery. It's refreshing to see someone who looks like himself instead of a clone of the latest trendy look in Gangnam.

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kiara

February 2, 2018 at 9:10 PM

Comment was deleted

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kiara

February 2, 2018 at 9:33 PM

Comment was deleted

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mano

February 2, 2018 at 6:11 PM

My first impression when I saw that promotional picture, 'this guy is gorgeous, '. Maybe those who commented he's not good looking enough are actually not the target audience for this drama.

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:22 PM

You may be right about the target demographic. In which case, "You kids gets off my lawn, and leave KWS to noona!" -- who is more than happy to share with other aficionadas. ;-)

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Serendipity

February 4, 2018 at 3:32 PM

You have a good point...most probably those criticizing are stuck with some type of hyped perception of 'beauty' (for both sexes).

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thequiet1

February 2, 2018 at 6:57 PM

Really? They are saying he's not good looking? I think he's gorgeous, with a mature sexiness.

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:30 PM

I can't tell you how many times I've felt like screaming when I see the phrase "aging like fine wine" used in reference to 30-year-olds. ROFLMAO! They've barely filled out at that age, and don't start coming into their own until their mid-30s. When they hit 40 you can say they're "maturing like fine wine." -- But you don't know that until you've lived those ages yourself. LOL!

(signed) Not Dead Yet.

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thequiet1

February 3, 2018 at 1:01 AM

"I can't tell you how many times I've felt like screaming when I see the phrase "aging like fine wine" used in reference to 30-year-olds."

I'm in my 30s myself, and i can tell you 30s cant be called 'fine wine' yet. Like you said, 40s is when they start to mature, and get all cool, calm and collected.

Loled at the sign.

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Denali

February 3, 2018 at 3:50 AM

He's waaaay more than lovable. He's charming and sensually mature, which is more appealing than "beautiful traits" of any wooden/stiff (pseudo-)actor. Check him out in Marriage is a crazy thing opposite smexy Uhm Junghwa for proof. 😇

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PakalanaPikake

February 3, 2018 at 10:53 PM

@karineonni,

Glad to meet a fellow fan of that flick. KWS is truly hot stuff in a role that puts a twist on the "other woman" trope. ;-)

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Denali

February 4, 2018 at 6:40 AM

*waving*
I even shared the yt link of his steamy scene on Soompi's Spring days thread back then, cautiously warning everyone that their screen might spontaneously burn, to counter arguments and complaints of his "unsmexiness". Reactions afterwards sort of proved that my point was validated. :-D

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PakalanaPikake

February 4, 2018 at 8:27 PM

@Denali,

You probably triggered a few heart attacks with that movie recommendation. ;-)

By any chance are you up in Alaska? (I'm in Joisey.) The reason why I ask is that @Alaskan noted that the "fish bone" Monkey King, Great Sage of Heaven, delivered to the mermaid's ghost in the library in HWAYUGI a couple of weeks ago looked like an oosik, which was exactly what I thought, too. Dang, this conversation just got a bit weird. Oh, right. You're in the 49th State, Land of the Inuit?

I'm a bit sleep-deprived at the moment. At least I'm not behind the wheel. ;-)

Denali

February 6, 2018 at 12:35 PM

@pakalanapikake

I used to live in the land of the last frontier, above "the lower 48". 😉

lovepark

February 3, 2018 at 6:05 AM

Love this chain of comments because Kam Woo-sung is gorgeous (and I might have just unconsciously liked every comment in this post which defeats the purpose, but oh well). Also, Kim Sun-ah is beautiful, and I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

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10 kiara

February 2, 2018 at 2:53 PM

About an average ajusshi and ajumma? Who would have thought we'd ever get a story about average people?

Welcome back Kam Woo-sung!

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:36 PM

Right on, @kiara! A story about just folks. Now that's revolutionary love!

I jumped for joy when I first read that he'll be back in Kdramaland. He was terrific in THE KING AND THE CLOWN, and I've been a fan ever since.

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kiara

February 2, 2018 at 8:51 PM

@pakalanapikake.
My first K-film was "The King and the Clown" (2007) and I have been a fan of Kam Woo-sung, Lee Jun-ki,Jung Jin‑young, Yoo Hae-jin and director Lee Joon-ik ever since.
This is a film I can go back to and watch it over and over.
This is the only film that I've ever did some research on the history, the actors, the soundtrack, set, filming etc and I've enjoyed it so much more.

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 9:44 PM

@kiara,

LOL! We are so much alike.

I don't recall if THE KING AND THE CLOWN was my very first Kfilm, but it was an early one. It's one that I go back and rewatch, too. It is gorgeous, poetic, and heartbreaking.

I did research on the show, too, from digging up English lyrics for "Fate" to reading up on the masks used by the actors, to reading some history -- and learning about the training in tightrope walking and acrobatics the jesters undertook.

I did a double take when King Yuri from KINGDOM OF THE WINDS morphed into Yeonsangun.

If I knew I was going to be stuck on a desert island, this is the movie I'd take with me.

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Ally

February 3, 2018 at 4:55 PM

Snap! *looking at watch list and KING AND CLOWN is STILL on it* I need to find some time to see this before this drama comes out!

kiara

February 3, 2018 at 10:43 PM

@Ally

This is the best detail info you would get on "The King and Clown." (3 parts written by Mr X).
http://screenanarchy.com/2006/09/king-and-the-clown-special-3-the-king-and-the-clown-part-1-of-3.html
If you need more let me know. I'm sure @PakalanaPikake has some more too.

PakalanaPikake

February 4, 2018 at 6:50 PM

@kiara, @ally-le, February 3, 2018 at 10:43 PM

Mahalo nui loa for that link to Mr. X's dandy review! I hadn't seen it before, although I've seen a number of the clips from the boxed set of DVDs on YouTube. It was so good I stayed up all night reading the whole thing (and watching the finale of MONEY FLOWER, which was a tad confusing minus the subtitles). Mr. X's historical background on the way in which the scholars brought the first literati purge upon themselves was illuminating. It was also interesting to read Yeonsangun's poetry.

I tried to look up the 2012 article on Hahoe masks that I mentioned earlier, but alas, it is no longer online. It was in Jon Dunbar's blog on Korea.net. Methinks the website got overhauled and it went bye-bye. The photos of the masks were beautiful, and his descriptions of the characters they represented were fascinating. I had saved the text and have posted it on my fan wall. I was cross-eyed from sleep deprivation, so formatting it was a challenge. I just put it up. Six screenloads are on my fan wall, starting with this post:

http://www.dramabeans.com/members/pakalanapikake/activity/384563/

I have a couple more links to put up. I hope it's useful. I found it interesting. I realize that Gong-gil and friends used a different type of mask, but I think those stock characters are going to be pretty similar to the Hahoe style.

Enjoy! ;-)

Ally

February 5, 2018 at 7:46 AM

Thanks, @kiara and @pakalanapikake for the links.

PakalanaPikake

February 9, 2018 at 8:14 PM

@kiara February 3, 2018 at 10:43 PM, cc: @ally-le,

I really enjoyed Mr. X's review of THE KING AND THE CLOWN and what he had to say about PD Lee Jun-ik and actor Jung Jin-Young. Last night I finally got around to watching Lee's earlier film, HWANGSANBUL / ONCE UPON A TIME IN A BATTLEFIELD. I've been aware of it for a couple of years, but only managed to track it down with English subtitles in November.

I nearly busted a gut laughing at some of the scenes. So many historical sacred cows neatly shishkebab'd. I felt like I was watching a Korean MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. I could recognize the bone rank references.

The cinematography was beautiful.

I'll rewatch before checking out the sequel, BATTLEFIELD HEROES.

Lou

February 4, 2018 at 4:29 PM

Oh my, it reminds me that I actually did some googling on Lee Jun Ki right after watching that movie to find out his gender. He was just beautiful in that movie.

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PakalanaPikake

February 4, 2018 at 8:07 PM

@Lou,

LOL! That may have been my intro to the flower boy phenomenon, too. The hippies and rockstars of my formative years were in a completely different universe. ;-)

I first saw LJG in ARANG AND THE MAGISTRATE, in which he did all his own action scenes and kicked butt all over the place. Watching THE KING AND THE CLOWN, the cognitive dissonance was wild, not to mention depressing. As Gong-gil, he looked a zillion times prettier than I ever did. LOL! I was mightily impressed with his feminine gait, mannerisms, and speech. The only thing he didn't do in the film was dance backwards in high heels a la Ginger Rogers.

Along with his doing his own stunts, brawling, horseback riding, sword fighting, etc., I've admired the lengths he goes to to expand his repertoire of roles.

Like another of my hack-and-slash faves, Jang Hyuk, he goes all in -- and sometimes a bit over the top. He and JH have reined themselves in a tad in recent years, and their deftness with nuance is a treat to behold. They also are terrific eye actors. JH just wrapped up the thoroughly excellent MONEY FLOWER, and it was a treat to watch his revenge plot unfold as he swam with the sharks -- his Evil Chaebol kin. Daebak!

Serendipity

February 4, 2018 at 3:35 PM

Me too :-) However My Spring Days a fiasco for me. I should go and watch the movie with Uhm Jung-Hwa.

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11 astromantic

February 2, 2018 at 3:12 PM

OH MY GOD. THIS MOOD. I loooooooooooooove mature romances like this. MY HEART!!!

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12 ⭐ Sera The Ms Temper ⭐

February 2, 2018 at 3:47 PM

Ahh I see some similar vibes with I Have A Lover * these teasers 😍😍😍* except that this one might not be a very complicated like that one. So looking forward to this drama.

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13 NP

February 2, 2018 at 5:07 PM

This looks so beautiful. Can't wait, finally a drama with love between older people!

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14 Safeenah

February 2, 2018 at 5:14 PM

The poster gives me the vibe of mature and intense romance at its best.. cant wait to watch it.....

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PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:38 PM

With this OTP, "intense" may be an understatement. I'm thinking "10-alarm slow burn."

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15 aznative

February 2, 2018 at 5:14 PM

Looking forward to watching. Hope DramaBeans staff has time to do recaps.

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16 thequiet1

February 2, 2018 at 6:59 PM

Will definitely watch this. Or at least give it a 4 episodes try.

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17 spazmo

February 2, 2018 at 7:44 PM

ohhhh, i'm so glad they are offering dramas for those of us who are of a certain age that can relate to the "later in life" situations...

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18 PakalanaPikake

February 2, 2018 at 7:57 PM

Thanks for the update, GirlFriday!

The gorgeous locations in the woods and at the shore in the first clip captivated me, but it was the music in the second teaser that sold me. This sounds like it will be a lovely OST.

Kim Sun-ah looks terrific. I got some nice KIM SAM SOON vibes -- or were those flashbacks? Kam Woo-sung is looking mighty fine. Crossing my fingers that the script is as good as the leads. Here's hoping that the melodrama stays low-key and average, just like the characters. A nice meditation on mature romance would be just dandy by me.

One of the advantages of having a middle-aged OTP is the decreased likelihood of a Mother-in-Law From Hell who's still alive and kicking. ;-)

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PakalanaPikake

March 8, 2018 at 2:09 PM

Late-breaking update:

After watching episodes 11-12, it seems that the female lead's own mother did something really bad. So much for my Mother-in-Law from Hell theory.

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19 korfan

February 3, 2018 at 1:49 AM

Looks pretty good. Just yesterday, I was mentioning to one of our fellow Beanies that whether the ages of drama leads are 25, 45 or 50's and beyond ..... if a story is good, well-acted and it captures our attention, it'll be a show that is enjoyed.

Looking forward to finding out what this drama has in store for us.

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20 Ally

February 3, 2018 at 4:24 AM

I may just watch this for the actors and portraying a more mature love story.

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21 PYC

February 3, 2018 at 6:53 AM

KSA + KSW + IHAL writer + these beautiful and poignant teasers!

How can it not be my next most anticipated drama?!

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22 UmbrellaMan

February 3, 2018 at 7:26 AM

Where do I sign up? My only hope is that it isn't too melodramatic. My heart could barely handle JBL...Please let this be good!

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23 jamian

February 4, 2018 at 1:42 AM

Thanks for the update @girlfriday! So far I love everything about this show. The teasers look beautiful and interesting.
I think this show might be exactly what I need for my own "healing".