eva-2007

The storyline feels fresh, yet the lead actress delivers her roles almost exactly as she has in past dramas. Granted, both the plot and the characters are engaging enough to keep you binging episode after episode, but the show's real draw is how the twins are meant to embody two very different personalities. In Park Bo-young's case, I can't un-see her earlier performances-especially her bubbly turn in Oh My Ghost. Her "optimistic" persona now feels like a recycled template, so the supposed differences between the twins don't really land. While the older sister's characterization does echo the nurse she played in Daily Dose of Sunshine, I still find that portrayal stronger and more convincing than the younger twin's.

I think Namgoong Min's performance in this series is disappointing, and the heroine's acting is hit-or-miss. Her portrayal of an "optimistic" terminal patient is sometimes so upbeat it feels awkward. Meanwhile, his depiction of someone who supposedly doesn't understand love is so wooden that I can't read the character's emotions or thoughts at all. His sudden affection for the heroine also shows no real growth. By episode 4 the plot already feels unrealistic, and the character work falls far short of what the director seemed to envision. The quietly blossoming love that should feel like a seed sprouting-the element the show needs most-is simply nowhere to be found.

The drama's biggest problems are its editing and writing: scenes often jump abruptly to another setting, and the storyline is sometimes illogical. This lack of coherence is one of the show's major failings. If I had to recommend anything, episode 1 is the strongest; at this point, the only real strength left is the background music. One star goes to the soundtrack, and the other to the anticipation I had for thinking the pairing of these two actors looked so promising that this is going to be a great tv series.