A new funeral director has magical hands that will bring her clients back to life long enough to ask one final favor before they leave their loved ones.  If she can grant 21 wishes, she will fulfill her task and her hands will lose their magical ability.  When a young man who runs an errand company with his uncle accidentally finds out about her secret ability, she enlists his help in granting wishes.  Along the way, they will each find healing for their own personal loss and purpose for their futures.  

Lee Jun Young as Kim Tae Hee

Kim Tae Hee was a successful doctor before his little brother, Jun Ho, was killed in a tragic traffic accident.  After that, he decides to help his uncle run his errand business.  The stress-free environment of doing small daily jobs gives him time to heal and process his loss.  But when he meets Dong Joo and learns about what she is doing for people, he jumps in to help her.  And slowly he begins to remember how healing it can be to help others heal.  And as his feelings for Dong Joo grow, he begins to allow himself to be happy again and starts to dream of a future.

Kim Tae Hee begins this drama as someone who has lost the ability to feel anything at all.  His days go on with no emotion or desire.  But meeting Dong Joo changes all that.  Now he has to let go of his guilt and allow himself to live a full life, as his brother would have wanted him to.  I recently said that I was concerned Lee Jun Young was being boxed into playing the same idol character in all his dramas.  So I was thrilled to see him tackle a more complex, mature role.  While his acting is still developing, I can see his improvement and I hope he will continue to grow and challenge himself.  

Lee Kyu Han as Vincent

Vincent is Dong Joo’s uncle.  He is a priest who was raised by Dong Joo’s father, who is his brother-in-law.  He is the only one who knows about Dong Joo’s “homework” at the Funeral Home.  He keeps her secret and offers his support whenever Dong Joo needs it, whether that entails a strong shoulder to lean on or just a strong can of soju.

 ♥ SamSam

The uncles in this drama brought just the right amount of cute comic relief.  I never felt like it was too slapstick, but the scenes with them were always fun; especially when it was both of them together.  I also liked their relationships with Dong Joo and Tae Hee.  It felt like they truly wanted the best for them, which was a refreshing apporoach.  These two actors are both so talented and their partnership in this drama was very enjoyable.  

♥ Baek Dal Shik

Bael Dal Shik is an amazing character.  His relationship with Dong Joo was so natural and healthy.  He always listened to what she wanted and never pushed her against her will.  His patient approach to parenting was inspiring.  It was so sad that he had to be Dong Joo’s last case.  It really served no purpose, except to throw in a little last minute heartbreak.  But I certainly wouldn’t have been so upset if he wasn’t such a great character to begin with.  

Fire Story Tie-In

This drama had a really interesting tie-in between Dong Joo’s job at the Funeral Hall and the fire she and Tae Hee were both involved in when they were young (Or, in Dong Joo’s case, in the womb).  But the writers didn’t do enough to introduce the back story into the series as it went along.  Then they just threw it in as a rushed story at the end.  If it had been better paced and there had been a few more clues along the way, it would have made the story so much more meaningful.  

Wishes

There was a strange unevenness to the people that Dong Joo helped.  While some had very interesting stories and I felt like we got to know the characters well, others had very few scenes and short backstories.  It seemed like the writers just didn’t have enough material to tell all the stories that they chose.  Maybe showing fewer characters with more complete stories would have made the series stronger.  We didn’t even see some of the characters walk down the path, as they moved on to the afterlife.  Some consistancy in the way these wishes were told would have made more sense.  

The last couple episodes of this drama were a let down for me.  What started as such a nice, interesting story, turned into a tragic tale where the whole purpose is buried in a rush to finish.   Hae Ahn is exposed as the villain who broke several crimes to keep the truth of Jun Ho’s death hidden.  I really hate that they ruined this character, who was always so sweet and sincere.  Nothing is achieved by finding out that he is the brother of the actual killer, who has already died.  Dong Joo’s dad ends up being her last wisher, which is also sad and pointless.  But once she spends her final moments with him, she is freed of her magical power.  And in a sudden voice over, we later learn that all of the people Dong Joo helped were in a fire with her mom, while her mom was still pregnant with Dong Joo.  Thanks to their help, Dong Joo’s mom made it out long enough to give birth to Dong Joo before her death.  And young Tae Hee was also there, which explains the burn on his wrist.  That’s a lot to take in for the final 10 minutes, but there it is.  Chung Ha comes to say goodbye to Tae Hee before moving to the US.  Vincent gets an investor to help expand the company.  Dong Joo quits the work at the funeral hall, but finds she can’t stay away.  In the end, Dong Joo continues her job, but takes on a different role, while a new “student” gets her old special ability.  And Tae Hee goes back to being a doctor.  And their relationship is going strong!