Okay, mga chinggu, full disclosure: I’m usually a “watch it and move on” kind of viewer. Reviews? Hindi talaga ako mahilig unless something really sticks with me. But this drama? This quirky, funny gem has me scratching my head why it’s not getting the pagmamahal that it deserves!
Now, I’m going to be a bit salty here and shave off half a point post-finale. But hanggang sa last episode, I was ready to hand this a near-perfect score for the rom-com genre.
See, marami na akong napanood of K-dramas, especially the rom-coms. They’re my happy place kapag they’re done right! But lately, karamihan sa kanila left me feeling…meh. Either they’re predictable, or ang bagal ng pacing with unnecessary drama, or the leads are just too ridiculously perfect para makarelate ako. Ang gusto ko is something na talagang mararamdaman ko. As a pretty ordinary person navigating a pretty ordinary life with its own brand of kabaliwan, I want a romance that feels mature pero light, funny na hindi OA, and yung kaya ang mga drama sa buhay without needing a full-blown melodrama.
And this show? This show gets it! It’s a well written, acted, and executed rom-com with a fun little crime subplot and konting “wait, what was that?” magic. I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed this!
Why the surprise, you ask? Well, on paper:
- Rom-coms can be so… pare-pareho lang silang lahat. And this one medyo ticks those boxes.
- Comedy / romance / crime / fantasy? Ang gulo!
- Magic sa mga kwento can feel like a lazy reason para matabunan ang bad writing or superficial characters.
- And sa totoo lang, the male lead wasn’t exactly nakaka-inlove tingnan (sorry personal opinion lang po as beauty is in the eye of the beholder). Nor was his character initially winning any “most likable” awards.
PERO (and this is a HUGE pero!), kapag a rom-com nails the basics, kahit with familiar tropes and less-than-perfect leads pa yan, magic can still happen. And grabe, it happened here!
The comedy? Sobrang galing! Nakatulong talaga ang quirky sound effects instead of being annoying. The over-the-top reactions felt earned dahil sa sitwasyon at personalidad ng mga characters (mostly!), making them genuinely funny na hindi nakakainis. And the awkwardness between the unlikely couple? It was so sincere and totoo that their eventual connection felt natural and believable.
The actors? Ang gagaling nila at balancing the kalokohan with genuine emotion. They made the nakakatawang characters feel human, and the chemistry (even if the male lead was medyo suplado – at first!) was definitely there. The female lead’s body-swapping kalokohan? Pure comedic fun! Siguro ang saya nila habang nagfi-film!
May mga viewers na medyo nagreklamo sa pacing, pero para sa akin? Perfect lang! Madali akong mainip, pero ‘tong show na ‘to, hindi ako binitawan. The slow burn of the emotionally stunted male lead gradually opening up, paired with the female lead’s initially outgoing personality becoming mahiyain dahil sa kanyang kakaibang sitwasyon (you wouldn’t exactly rush into telling your crush you’re sometimes a 60-year-old, diba?), felt incredibly real. The little comedic scenes ay paulit-ulit with so many funny details – like that totally random blue knit sweater with the cat logo in episode 13 – ang cute lang!
The magic element? Nakasuporta lang siya at nagbigay saya sa mga comedic scenes at pag-unlad ng mga characters, pero hindi siya ginamit para takpan ang mga hindi kapanipaniwalang pangyayari. Sa totoo lang, hanggang sa mga huling episodes, hindi ko talaga alam kung ano ‘yung tungkol sa pusa. Pero ‘yun din ‘yung nararamdaman ng lead sa kanyang paglalakbay para maintindihan kung bakit nangyari sa kanya ‘to. Kaya parang naging katulad niya tayo, na gustong-gusto ko rin!
Maliban na lang kung talagang kapansin-pansin ang musika o cinematography at iba pa, I don’t even notice it while watching. Pero dito, ang ganda talaga ng musika and it matched the whole experience. The use of recurring, very distinct themes was so fun.
Kaya, kung naghahanap kayo ng magandang palabas na tatawa kayo ng sobra minsan, pero gusto niyo rin ng love story na kapani-paniwala, ang suspense ay hindi cheap, at konting magic na parang “Groundhog Day” o ‘yung tipikal na mismatch-love-triangle, go na! Trust me, even if you think you’ve seen this story a million times before, you haven’t seen this one. Go on, give your funny bone a workout!
Original Network: jTBC
Cast & Credits: Jung Eun Ji, Lee Jung Eun, Choi Jin Hyuk, Baek Seo Hoo
Episodes: 16
Story: Lee Mi Jin is a job-seeker who has been exhausted from working various part-time jobs and preparing for a job for a long time. One day, due to an incident, she ages into her 50s, causing her to live as a 50-year-old by day and rejuvenate into her 20s by night.
She is undeterred by this absurd tragedy and uses it as an opportunity to knock on the door of a job. With her wealth of experience from years of job hunting in her 20s and her seasoned 50s, she succeeds in landing the job she’s always wanted.
Meanwhile, Gye Ji Woong, a sensitive and cranky perfectionist prosecutor, finds himself unwillingly involved with Lee Mi Jin day and night.
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