Currently, more thrillers and action-packed K-Dramas continue to take the limelight. Now, a refreshing, romantic, healing drama has stepped to the plate with an interesting story that cannot go unnoticed.
Our Unwritten Seoul is another warm and emotionally impactful release from Netflix that features a wondrous cast from Park Bo Young to GOT7’s Park Jin Young and Ryu Kyung Soo. While Park Bo Young works twice as hard playing twin sisters Yu Mi Ji and Yu Mi Rae, the cast really work hand and hand to deliver an endearing story that guarantees a happy ending but doesn’t fail to highlight the dark sides of work culture and struggles of living in Seoul.
The first episode is quite slow, and the drama takes its time to establish the main cast’s past and help viewers feel the differences between Yu Mi Ji and Yu Mi Rae (both played by Park Bo Young). In a Parent Trap-esque situation, the girls swap lives, leading to entertaining circumstances both predictable and unexpected. Although there weren’t many scenes that felt well designed to include both sisters on-screen, they do interact with each other and make appearances on the same set. However, it feels evident and lacks a natural merging of the two characters interacting. The drama would be more noteworthy if these scenes felt more believable.
The drama mostly takes place with the twins apart as Mi Rae struggles to survive her workplace bullies and suicidal depression. Mi Ji struggles to find fulfillment in her life despite her abnormally cheerful facade. Feeling overshadowed, she can only nurture her grandmother and live day by day, which makes her feel inadequate, whether she outwardly expresses it or not. Metaphors like “The grass is greener on the other side” and “All that glitters isn’t gold” come to mind as viewers witness the main characters’ relatable conflicts. Life isn’t a simple thing.
Park Jin Young’s character Lee Ho Su is the apple of our eye as he portrays a character with both a hearing and mobility disability. He overcomes a lot and his love triangle becomes a hot topic for the show. From his teenage character to his current self, the casting is believable and his sub-plot journey of finding himself is admirable and pleasant. “I forgot myself” is something many can understand. Instead of searching for relief through nostalgia or a vacation, he emphasizes the need to review his mistakes and to act differently. He wants better for himself, and it provides realistic answers, as not everyone has an identical twin they can swap lives with.
While Park Kyung Soo’s character Han Se Jin helps Mi Rae grow and become a more outwardly honest character, his story doesn’t feel as moving as the deep triangular relationship between the twins and Lee Ho Su. As time goes on, he plays a valuable role in the story without taking focus off the initial healing storyline.
The scoring is comforting and cozy all throughout. The cinematography is well done and captures the slow, unpolished atmosphere of the countryside’s neighborly manners compared to the cold and busy atmosphere of the tactful people living in Seoul. However, it takes time to find the beauty in the streets with small hole-in-the-wall places and stunning views of the Han River as being setting for crucial moments. The story development acts as a tour of Korea for many viewers.
>> Park Bo Young Pulls Double Duty in ‘Our Unwritten Seoul,’ Premiering May 24th
Overall, the first two episodes are slow but simplistic and comforting. As the plot thickens, something seems amiss in Seoul, piquing the interest of viewers as there are more sides to the story than the twins have explained. If you’re into simple romance, spoon-fed drama with emotionally frustrating plot twists, Our Unwritten Seoul will serve you well. Just because there isn’t as much action doesn’t mean it is lacking. This drama is meant to be enjoyed over time as it unfolds into a story with a lasting moral message. (7.5/10)
