Name: Find Me in Your Memory
Writer/director: Kim Yoo Joo / Oh Hyun Jong, Lee Soo Hyun
Date: March 2020
Number of episodes: 32 (30 min episodes)
Genre: Romance, Melodrama, past trauma
Based on book/manga?: Not sure

Why did I press play? When this drama fist came out, based on the photos, I thought the male and female lead were two actors I didn’t care for, and that put me off. Plus the title sounds melodramatic – which isn’t my cup of tea. A couple of weeks ago I rediscovered this drama, and saw it was totally different actors and the plot synopsis more melo.

The good

• The first couple of episodes that built the foundation of the story were really good. The element of the mature and established anchorman, Lee Jung Hoon (Kim Dong Wook) meeting a ditsy, easy-going, actress and wondering how on earth are these going to end up together. The journey of him falling in love would be exciting.
  
  
• Moon Ga Young, who plays, Yeo Ha Jin is charming, she is adorable in True Beauty and just as likable in this story. It’s enjoyable just watching her and her sense of style. Although there are a couple of gaps in her relationship with her sister, their dynamic is a pleasure to watch. They love and support each other, and there no drama and only care. There fights are funny too! They never last longer than the convention.
  
  
• The dynamics at the broadcasting station and his superiors seem real and it feels like a real adult world, where they are actually working at work.
  
  
• The supporting actors add substance and interest to the story.

Not so good

• The suspense eventually becomes contrived instead natural suspense, such as the Yeo Ha Jin being portrayed as the potential stalker.
  
  
• The plot is oddly dark, which is a contradiction to the light and fluffy color grading and script.
  
  
• The chemistry fizzles between the leads. They are great characters on their own, but them together isn’t swoon worthy.
  
  
• Lee Jung Hoon’s journey falling (allowing himself) to like Ha Jin, wasn’t interesting, and the writing was a bit lazy on this aspect. It was disappointing. Their relationship is built on him constantly rescuing or helping her instead of spending time together to get to know each other without drama.
  
  
• Ha Jin’s sister was too much of a caricature, then a grounded person, which is another example of a conflicting with the serious tones.
  
  
• Eventually we see very little of the pair actually working at their jobs, it would have been far more interesting to see more what it is like for them to work in broadcasting and acting.

Theme: Perhaps it’s best to confront your past, instead of suppressing it.

What it’s good for? Something to watch passively, that is fluffy with a hint is substance.