Nae-ga Juk-gi Il-ju-il Jeon

"Way Back Love" is one of the most beautiful kdramas I've seen so far. It tells a heartfelt story about love, loss and the reasons we find to live, and it's portrayed in a beautiful way with great dialogues and scene build-up. I think it's quite a mature drama in the way characters and story are shown, very realistic and believable, even though it has fantasy aspects. I was smiling, I was crying, because yes, it's sad at times, at its core it's about life and death. Still, the sad parts are never too much, never too dramatic, they are just naturally part of the story.

What carries the show the most is the acting of Kim Min-ha and Gong Myung. They portrait their characters so well with quite some (subtle) range, I believed every second of it.

If I think very hard, I might find some details to complain about, but why spoil that beautiful experience for myself? With just six episodes, nothing gets dragged out, it's a great binge watch for a weekend. Although you can kind of guess the way the storyline is going, it doesn't matter at all because it's all about the path.

I rarely rate shows with 10 stars, but I just can't give it less than that. Character development, acting, cinematography, plot, dialogues, even the music - it's simply an exceptionally wonderful and lasting experience.

This is the sort of drama that the Koreans do best. It's just beautiful. The director and screenwriter get just about everything right and the young cast do an amazing job. Kim Min ha in particular is mesmerising. Her portrayal of love, grief and depression is so moving. You almost feel her pain yourself. She really is a great actress (Pachinko, Light Shop - both highly recommended) with fantastic range.

I had no idea what I was getting into ahead of watching this, so I'm issuing a warning. Buy a box of tissues because there are scenes that are heart-rending. The heartbreak is so worth it though because the writing and performances will stay with me for a very long time.

I really hope this reaches a much wider audience because it's up there with some of the best Korean dramas of recent years.

This should just have been a movie. There wasn't enough story for a series.

This grim reaper story has been done before. So it feels a bit cliched. The story is morose and depressing. In the end the weepiness is not affecting at all. Repetitive and unconvincing.

Gong Myung does another sweet character. Kim Minha is not suited for this role. Too mature looking. She was great in Pachinko but here she doesn't look like a student at all. Too much of a character actress. No way 2 guys could have been in love with her.

Don't bother.

(spoiler free)

If anyone is wondering whether they should watch this drama, the answer is yes - you should! It's not a time-wasting drama, and you'll feel it was worth watching. This drama met my expectations, as I had been waiting for it. It's quite sad, but not traumatic.

All the actors did a great job, even though I had doubts about whether they would perform well, since the main three actors other than kim minha don't have much experience. As for the story, there might seem to be a few loopholes and glitches, but they're all easy to overlook. The story is beautiful.

Time is precious, and it shouldn't be wasted watching other dramas when this one exists.

However, I personally felt that one more episode would have made it even better, as the bonds between the characters - both friends and family - didn't get enough time in last three episodes.

To say that I cried through this entire series may not sound like a positive review but I truly loved it. It touched me so deeply that I got completely immersed in it.

I am still emotionally wrecked by this drama. It has been a long time since I have been this affected by a K-drama (should I say K-trauma?) Grieving is both universal and uniquely personal. This story managed to explore the many layers of grief and healing in such a beautiful, thoughtful way.

I was unfamiliar with either of the main leads before watching this but am now a huge fan of both. So talented! It is so great to see a female lead whose character is so real and fully developed.