Welcome to Kdrama and Ramen

A dying woman discovers that her husband is having an affair with her best friend and they plan to kill her for the insurance money.  But instead of dying quietly, the woman wakes up 10 years in the past.  With a second chance on life and knowledge about the people she has mistakenly trusted, she will seek revenge while trying to change the cruel fate that destroyed her the first time around.  And she will find that, as she looks at her life with a fresh perspective, there are plenty of friends and supporters that she had overlooked before.

Na In Woo as Yoo Ji Hyuk

Yoo Ji Hyuk is the marketing manager at U&K Food, where Ji Won works.  Although no one at work knows it, he is also the grandson of the company CEO.  Ji Hyuk met Ji Won years ago when she had too much to drink, and the couple spent the night sleeping along the Han River together.  Since that day, he has never been able to forget her, so he is thrilled when she gets a job at his company.  But Ji Won doesn’t remember Ji Hyuk from that night.  And Ji Won eventually ends up marrying another co-worker, much to Ji Hyuk’s disappointment.  But when Ji Won comes back after her death, Ji Hyuk is determined to help her get revenge and also win her heart.  And Ji Hyuk has a secret of his own about second chances.

Yoo Ji Hyuk is quiet and socially awkward.  His grandfather arranged a marriage for him with a family friend.  But Ji Hyuk broke off the engagement because he was never actually interested in her as more than a long-time friend.  But Ji Won is the only woman Ji Hyuk has ever had feelings for.  I love Na In Woo’s calm appearance and easy charm.  I did feel that his character could have had a bit more depth and growth.  At times the role came off a bit too flat, but I thought he played the part well with what he had.

Song Ha Yoon as Jung Soo Min

Jung Soo Min has been Ji Won’s best friend since they were students.  But Soo Min is petty and jealous of the love that Ji Won got from her parents.  She befriends Ji Won out of a need to be needed and Soo Min’s desire to eventually triumph over Ji Won in life.  But when Ji Won gets her second chance, she is no longer fooled by Soo Min’s duplicity and plans to give Soo Min all the misfortune that she had to suffer the first time around.  

 ♥ Soo Min

In my opinion, Soo Min was one of the best characters in this drama.  Not that I liked her, mind you.  But she was so easy to hate!  She played the role with just enough rye humor to appreciate the actress and her abilities.  And her self-delusion was easy to see and believe.  Soo Min’s character dove deeper than the average one-dimensional villain.  There is a complexity to her motivations and feelings that elevates the role to something noteworthy.  

♥ Fresh Perspective

While this is a time travel story, I thought it was interesting that in the end the things that brought Ji Won happiness were things that had been there all along.  She just needed a fresh perspective to see them for what they were.  This series also had a powerful message about learning to believe in yourself so others can believe in you too.  Much of Ji Won’s success the second time around was born out of her fresh sense of confidence and worth.  

Yoo Ra

The addition of Yoo Ra to this cast really seemed unnecessary.  The presence of an ex who doesn’t even seem that interested in marrying Ji Hyuk is pretty pointless.  And I’m not sure why we needed a villain for our villains.  All in all, the character never really integrates into the main story and the role just isn’t that noteworthy.  While it’s truth that with a bit more development, Yoo Ra might have played a more important part, I still don’t see the need for her character.  

Mixed Message

While a good revenge story is always a bit cathartic, there is a darkness to the message of this drama.  The inference is that no one should have to suffer the horrible life and abuse that Ji Won experienced, unless we don’t really like them, and then it’s fine.  And in the end, whether she earned it or not, Ji Won does kind of become one of the mean girls we are supposed to hate. Luckily this is just a short-term transformation, born out of necessity, that she will later atone for by setting up a foundation to give others a second chance in life. Obviously this is all in fun, but it is interesting in light of the overall themes about positivity and self-love.  

Well, the villains all get their comeuppance and all of our couples seem to be on the road to happiness.  Min Hwan and Yoo Ra are both killed after ending up living out Ji Won and Ji Hyuk’s destinies.  Soo Min is alive but living a delusional life in prison, where she continues to insist that she is an innocent victim.  Joo Ran’s cancer surgery is successful and she finally gets a divorce from her awful husband.  And she and Suk Joon have finally admitted their feelings for each other.  The same is true for Hee Yeon and Eun Ho, who are happily dating.  Our lead couple have a big wedding celebration with their friends and family.  As the years go by, they have children and seem to be taking advantage of their second chance at life and love.  The final scene shows them meeting at an art museum on the day of their “deaths”.  They take a moment to be grateful for their life together and all they went through to close this chapter from their former lives.