While K-dramas with swoon worthy, toe -curling romance gives us the feels, there are times when we just feel like sitting down and unwind with a calm healing melo drama that seem to resonate with reality. Recently concluded Netflix drama “Our Unwritten Seoul” starring Park Bo Young, JinYoung and Ryu Kyung Soo falls under this category. Read on to know more about the drama and whether it is worth the watch.
Plot
“Our Unwritten Seoul” is a slow burn, emotional and healing drama about identical twin sisters Yu Mi Rae and Yu Mi Ji (Park Bo Young). When a diligent and quiet office goer Yu Mi Rae is unable to face the harsh office politics and bullying for being a whistleblower, she loses all hopes and lives each day in silent endurance.
On the other hand her identical twin Yu Mi Ji lives her life carefree by doing whatever job that comes her way and takes care of her hospitalized grandmother. While on the surface Mi Ji seem to be content and happy, she carries a deep wound within herself. On realizing that her twin is depressed and unhappy with her current life, Mi Ji suggests they switch places like they used to as kids. Thus Mi Ji and Mi Rae switch places and soon they learn all is not roses with either of them as they battle within themselves to muster courage to stand up for what they really want.
Performances:
Park Bo Young has done an exceptional job playing the dual role of Yu Mi Rae and Yu Mi Ji. Her character portrayal and subtle expressions for Mi Ji and Mi Rae is so on spot that even we feel like we can easily tell them apart, given the differences in their nature.
Jin Young has played his part of a calm, collected lawyer with inner scars extremely well. The character Ho Su showed lots of growth throughout the series from standing up for injustice and quitting what he considered his dream job to helping out Mi Rae/Mi Ji, all the while fighting his own insecurity and flaws.
Ryu Kyung Soo who impressed us as a gangster turned restaurant worker in “Itewon Class” has undergone a complete makeover as Han Se Jin , a well-educated, successful investor turned farmer who wanted to keep his late grandfather memory alive through farming in his beloved land. Although he seemed to be tough at first glance, he is a softie and quite empathetic. The budding friendship between Mi Rae and Se Jin along with growing feelings of mutual respect and adoration are portrayed beautifully.
Relationship Dynamics :
The romance between Mi Ji and Ho Su is no doubt cute and charming. However one of the biggest plus of this drama is the relationship dynamics between all the main characters especially the bond between Ho Su’s mother Yeom Beon Hong and Mi Ji,Mi Rae’s mother Kim Ok Hui. From bickering high school friends to being strong moral support to each other,their relationship is heartwarming to watch. Ho Su and his mother’s strained relationship takes a turn for good when she confronts Ho Su about hiding his health issues leading to an heated argument. On realizing the true love of his mother,Ho Su finally lets go of his emotional baggage and insecurities. Similarly the relationship between Mi Ji,Mi Rae and their mom Ok Hui also gets better in the end as they bond deeply.
Yet another relationship that strikes a chord with us, is between Mi Ji and the restaurant owner Kim Ro Sa. From initial hatred to showering warm love, the bond between Mi Ji and Ro Sa is emotional and sweet.
Final Verdict:
“Our Unwritten Seoul” is a beautiful melo drama that focuses on relationships, self-discovery, courage to face yourself and letting go of pasts and self blames.
What we really liked about the series is the showcase of office politics and silent bullying. It conveys the strong message that ignoring a person’s mere existence for standing up for what is right, is also a form of mental abuse leading to self doubt and depression. The open ending between Se Jin and Mi Rae is more realistic rather than them suddenly falling in love at the end.The series ends in a happy note with all the characters pursuing what they truly want irrespective of social expectations and boundaries.
Fair warning, the drama tends to be slow just the way with most dramas of this genre.If You are looking for fast paced plot, intense romance and sweet kisses then this drama might not be for you as its main focus is not romance although it has its cute moments.But if you are up for an emotional journey on the road to self realization and finding happiness in what you love, then “Our Unwritten Seoul” is definitely worth the watch!
Telly Express Rating : 8/10