dangermousie | Heartstrings

Hmmm. I am beginning to think that this drama would be best watched in one gulp, so I can ff and skip past all the annoying Shin/Ballerina (LOL, is it a Goong homage?) scenes and get to the parts when the OTP hooks up.

Their chemistry continued unabated and you can tell he's beginning to like her despite hiimself - only liking would lead to someone grinning like that when getting a note from the girl she spat in his coffee:

And look how he is defending it from Overeater!

But the secondary girl storyline is so boring and takes so much time!

Every time I see Shin grin like an idiot around her, or make-out with her or anything, and GW sees, I want to roll my eyes.

Honestly, most times I like secondary girls, whether because they are cool with their own romances (Seul in Secret Garden) or because they are fun to hate (evil bitch in Full House) but Ballerina is just there. She hasn't done anything bad but I'd almost prefer if she turned into a psycho because at least there would be something there to latch onto. I feel awful for So Yi Hyun, who is capable of heart-searing, nuanced performances (I was obsessed with her character and storyline in Gloria and she was wonderful in Resurrection) but is given nothing to do here at all. Her character is the ultimate wet blanket. It doesn't help that she and Jung Yong Hwa have zero chemistry so there isn't even that to rescue their storyline. I fail to see why the writer keeps dragging his crush out (he's spent as much screentime with her as he's done with PSH) - does the writer really think people watch these things for that and not maximum OTP interaction time? I am hanging on by my fingernails until he falls for her because I am getting annoyed with his idiotic crush.

And that brings me to another grump - too many damn characters! This is fine in a 50+-ep drama like Gloria or Giant or East of Eden or even a 30-ep one like Baker King or Can You Hear My Heart. But this puppy is 16 eps and it has too many characters taking away too much time from the two mains - I think Logan's Run should be insituted on all the grown-ups as they are dull beyond belief, Bulimic needs off my screen, and Overeater, much as I like him, isn't needed for as much screentime as he gets. You have only 16 eps, concentrate on the mains. PD's previous drama, Worlds Within, managed to keep me invested both in a very large ensemble and the amazing main couple at the same time in 16 eps, but this one is not doing nearly so well on his score.

The sole scenes involving any adults that I like are scenes between Shin and his father. They have an off-beat rhythm that touches me, somehow.

Oh, and I am not interested in it, but am I right that GW's Dad and Shin's Mom used to date and then Shin's Dad stole her? I'd muster more interest for potential future conflict and angst except that would involve seeing more adults. But if I get yummy angst, I'll put up with it :)

OK, I keep sounding as if I don't like this drama and it's not true. It's still mellow, fun, and I adore Gyu Won. Loved it when she put annoying Bulimic down.