Keoteunkol

A story about a North Korean refugee in South Korea and her only wish before her death.

16 episodes were really too much for this series in my opinion because apart from 5 episodes, the rest were all boring dialogues and repetitive conversations; so if you didn't watch 15 minutes of an episode, you wouldn't miss anything !

The great acting of Kang Ha Neul and Choi De-hoon was the strong and positive point of this drama.

Contrary to what is called a romance drama, there is no romance in the story, if there is, it is very weak and on the sidelines.

The plot was itself a bit exaggerated and a little unbelievable (the family that acepts easily a very big lie and the play that had been done to their feelings, emotions and sensations.

I give this show a score of 7 out of 10.

A lot of names were thrown around in the beginning with not a lot of context, so you had to make a mental note to connect them later on-a really annoying practice, to say the least. Supposedly, the male lead was in China before coming to SK, but the drama made it a running joke for a couple of episodes that he was a caveman. This made the whole family meeting and living together a bit too cringe. There were many ways to approach such a scenario, but it seems the writer took the lazy route. Some scenes were stretched really thin and became too awkward to continue, like that one scene of both leads and Sang Chul talking about the old hotel staff photo. The drama would've benefited from having more grandchildren and better interconnected stories between them. Although there were three grandchildren, the middle one was an insignificant sidekick and didn't contribute to the dynamic as much as I hoped. The ending brought a change of heart to all of the opposing characters, but some of them didn't seem genuine in the slightest.

The drama is honestly so, so good even with its slow pace, I found myself truly captivated by it. It has that old, nostalgic K-drama charm, the kind of emotional pull that reminds you of classics like Winter Sonata or Autumn in My Heart, but it's beautifully presented in a more modern setting, making it feel both timeless and refreshing at the same time.

What really stood out to me was how exceptional the acting was across the board, from the male lead and female lead to every single supporting cast member, everyone delivered such heartfelt and genuine performances that brought the story to life in the most moving way. It's the kind of drama that feels calm and healing, like a quiet emotional journey that slowly wraps around your heart.

If there's one thing I personally wished for, it's that the romance between the male lead and female lead could have been explored more deeply and much earlier in the series. Every time the two of them were on screen together, their chemistry was simply undeniable. It was so natural, so intense in its subtlety, that I couldn't help but feel it was such a missed opportunity not to let their relationship blossom sooner.

All in all, this was such a beautifully written and emotionally rich drama, one that lingers in your heart even after the final episode, and makes you feel grateful for the quiet moments and the unspoken emotions it portrayed so well.

The premise of this series is so good that it makes the viewer involved to the end. There are some complicated and fascinating situations and relationships that emerge. And there are some touching and emotional scenes that have been hard to find in recent dramas. The writer does a good job of not going down too predictable a path. Even if you know where things are headed the way you get there is surprising and well done. Now and then really laugh out loud moments take you by surprise. No makjang twists or villains here. There are some flaws. There are some dragged out parts that could have been cut out in between. And more could have been done with the flashbacks of pre and post war Korea which were too short. But things are redeemed by a good last few episodes that ties most things up in a feel good way. There are a few unanswered questions but they are minor ones.

The acting and casting here is pretty good. Kang Ha Neul does his goofy charm thing well as he did in Camelia Blooms, Ha Ji Won looks elegant and young in this show. Kwon Sang Woo is well preserved too. Noh Sang Hyun as the real grandson is quite intense and effective and his scenes are more interesting.

This is one of the better series of it's kind and I hope they make more like this with a more recent historical sweep, not the costume drama type but one dealing with more recent history.

This drama made me love my family more and miss them even more. The actors are good and the plot and story is really something. They portrayed the importance of family in this drama. Each of every member of the family in the drama was well portayed by the actor very well. I like Ha Jiwon's acting as usual is superb and the two brothers are really good. The story from the past was also clearly shown that you will want to know more about what happened and how it happened. If you are looking for a drama that will touch you heart this is a must see. Recommended indeed! Well done for all the actors, Ha Jiwon and Kang Hanuel.