The drama was fun when it was focused on the silly humor and the relationships between the characters but it turned into a mini action movie in the finale week.

https://kdramadiary.com/kdrama-review/my-sweet-mobster-jtbc/

Uhm Tae-gu was absolutely excellent as the ML, bringing a mixture of regret for the past and for who he is, resignation about what others perceive him to be; hope that he can pull his employees (i.e., his only friends) out of the mire and keep them on the straight-and-narrow; self-sacrificial love for the people he considers under his protection (re: everyone + our FL); and disbelieving joy at the FL's affection. Han Sun-hwa a the FL also brought depth to her role... Eun-ha didn't judge our deerlings based on their past, and she showed patience, empathy, and understanding not only for our sweet mobster and his journey to accepting her affection, but also for the other ex-cons. This show has heart and humor, with both abundant sweetness and ample comedy. It's not an intense, melodramatic romance, but the drama showed our OTP talking about their feelings with each other and with others; apologizing to each other; and being joyful and playful with each other. And the ending was so sweet! This was such a sweet and funny drama, all the way to the end. The angst there is is both reasonable and expected given the setup and Ji-hwan's background, and doesn't overshadow the rest. I loved our dear little deer family, and Ji-hwan and Eun-ha were so cute. If you're looking for a rom-com that stays sweet and delivers on the comedy, I'd highly recommend My Sweet Mobster.

My Sweet Mobster is by no means a perfect drama but it’s a rare gem that the parts are greater than the sum:
- A true romcom - adorably sweet in rom and LOL funny in com
- Appealing main couple with a female lead who is sensible and communicative and a male lead who’s worth a special mention below separately
- Fantastic ensemble cast and characters where the supporting characters are as important as the main couple. I love them all and really miss them now that the drama is over. Even the villains are quite special.
- Found family done well - not just the deerlings but also the 2FL’s family with the most loving parents. It’s heartwarming to see everyone orbiting into a one big happy family. The best kind of ending you want.
- The jokes are so good that you can re-watch and still laugh like the first time.
- And Uhm Tae-goo, you have to watch to experience his unique charm and charisma - not your standard handsome lead. To see is to believe - can’t wait to go into the rabbit hole of watching his previous works. I wish and wish he will now receive more good lead roles.

MSM is at times cheesy and sometimes the second-hand embarrassment is real. But so what? I have had 16 hours of happiness which I haven’t had from any romcom for a long, long time. It was never on my watchlist as it doesn’t seem to be my cup of tea. So very pleased that I tried - and you should too.

This drama quietly slipped into my all time favorite rom-coms. The show handled the theme of mobsters trying to reform in a gentle way throughout, never getting too heavy handed. Even towards the end, it faced the theme head-on for a short period and resolved things for good. I did not mind the action sequences we got from the past and the present. Without this we would not feel what was at stake (one's life and future).

The show had heart. Found family themes are hard to come by and this show nailed this. This was the core of the drama for me more than the romance. Every member of the mobster family had their own charm. It was wonderful to watch Eun-Ha being accepted into the family as their own. They needed her as much as she needed them. They cared for each other and were supportive of each other.

The humor in this show was top notch. It was silly at times, but it made me laugh, a LOT. The deerlings were funny and kept things light throughout. Jae Soo and Man-Ho were a comedic duo till the end and I loved them both a lot!!

Coming to the main attraction, Seo Ji-Hwan, the heart and soul of this story. The man who held this family together and bore the brunt of many judgements and scrutiny. He was no super hero. He was scared, worried, doubtful, made mistakes and was willing to be a better version. His relationship with Eun Ha was sweet and it was nice to see him smile and be happy. yes, he made mistakes but he was willing to learn from Eun Ha and changed. Together, they were a wonderful OTP.
Uhm Tae Goo as Sei Ji-Hwan was revelation to me! He was fantastic in action scenes, emotions and in physical comedy. It was a joy to watch him and his cheekbones. And his voice was just an icing on the cake.

Kwon Yul as a second lead was fine, but the love triangle was not very enjoyable. Kwon Yul deserves his own drama.

When I saw the poster for this show, I was skeptical. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this show and I highly recommend it.

Watch this if: 

✔ You want a romcom that actually delivers on both the rom and the com - by the truckloads 
✔Life is hard and you need a dopamine hit (that doesn't involve any illegal drugs)
✔You appreciate a wide spectrum of comedy genres (this show does the entire gamut from wordplay, physical, situational, camp, parody, satire, cringe etc)   
✔You are sick of skin-bleached pretty-boy chaebol MLs and appreciate a man's man -- with unapologetic masculine aura, badass main character energy, complete with mobster trench coats and debonair three-piece suits, AND a CEO who is actually shown working and contributing to the GDP of S.K. 
✔You have a soft spot for found family tropes, bromance tropes, 2nd chances & redemption tropes, childhood connection tropes (OK, this trope is integral to the plot and romance). 
✔You like a show with strong aesthetics, art direction and production design that work to undergird the thematic motifs of the story to deliver a very coherent story-world (loads of Easter eggs and hidden gems).  
✔You like a show with a social commentary that is not pedantic or heavy-handed (very few romcoms do this well, the only example off the top of my head that does it well enough is "Revolutionary Love") 
✔If nothing else, watch this show for UTG (he is the deal-maker for many viewers). Excellent acting range, depth, intensity, versatility with the looks and voice to boot. After watching him, other actors now look like slackers to me. I absolutely love him and can watch his clips repeatedly to just catch the nuances and micro-expressions. He is my best ML discovery this year. Certified gem.  

===========================================
If I must sum up MSM in a visual metaphor, it would be the kids candy drug (c.f. pilot's inciting incident). You think MSM is fluff and mere child's play, but those bright colors & candy wrapping are smuggling something way harder-hitting. 

If I must sum up the paradoxical charm and tension of MSM in a word: it's "Barbenheimer" (courtesy of DaebakGrits the recapper)

MSM, even on an off-form day, is still tons better than a lot of romcoms on their very best day. That's how much I like it (and of course UTG's acting and cheekbones) 

Definitely one of my all-time fav rom-coms with a high rewatch value. 

Highly watchable till the end. Perhaps one of the few this year.