The words “Final Episode” appeared as an unwelcome guest at a party. OK, maybe it was not the usual convivial, ‘cocktails-raised-in-cheer’ type party, but nonetheless, I was unprepared for the series to end. “Missing You” had me engrossed in its heartrending episodes.

Storyline/Synopsis: My rating 8/10

At 15, Soo Yeon (Kim So Hyun), the daughter of a murderer is a social outcast. She is befriended by Jung Woo (Yeo Jin Ku) and the two become emotionally inseparable. A horrific event separates the two.

A decade later Jung Woo (played by Park Yoo Chun) is now a detective. His driving force has been his belief that Soo Yeon (Yoon Eun Hye) is alive and he will find her. Soo Yeon returns as an established fashion designer with Hyung Jun (Yoo Seung Ho), an emotionally damaged, wealthy fund manager who has been her only family since her escape from death.

Script/Acting: My rating 8/10

I have yet to see anything with Park Yoo Chun or Yoon Eun Hye that I didn’t like. When I saw that the two would be appearing together, I knew this drama would be a must-see. I was not disappointed. Their acting skills are superior. I will admit that I was more impressed with Park Yoo Chun than Yoon Eun Hye in this particular production. I think the character was too dark for her to play effectively. Kim So Hyun and Yeo Jin Ku were fabulous as the young couple as well. Her dark, brooding personality with flashes of hope played well off of Yeo Jin Ku’s bright smiles.

A certain amount of predictability is to be expected in a melodrama, and ‘Missing You’ certainly contained all of the key elements: star crossed lovers, misunderstood intentions, grieving parents. An interesting element in this script found in very few Korean dramas was the main character’s (Jung Woo’s) willingness to abandon his appalling father, Han Tae Joon, flawlessly played by Han Jin Hee. In this drama he is a man with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, so I for one, have no issues with Jung Woo leaving the man behind, but for this to happen in a Korean drama is unusual at best.

I was also honestly surprised when I saw “Final Episode” at the beginning of episode 21. It’s not that there were so many loose ends that could not be effectively cleared up (they were), but it seemed there were avenues that we could still go down and, really, I just wasn’t emotionally prepared for it to end. Sigh. I guess it is a good thing that a drama leaves me wanting more?

Cinematography: My rating 9/10

Lots of flashback scenes were used, but I found it less irritating than in some dramas because they were necessary to the plot and they were often creatively constructed. There was an unusual amount of auditory creativity – not just in the music, but in creative use of auditory cuing. (i.e. The use of the sound of Hyun Jun’s cane and shoes.) Visually, the filming is dramatic – the lighting, the sets. Everything seemed to contribute well to the overall experience.

Music: My rating 8/10

Great music! “Tears Are Falling” (WAX) is a sweet, sad song that will bring tears to your eyes when you hear it after watching the drama. The second single, “Just Look at You” (Jeong Dong Ha) is equally sad and sweet. Italianesque classical guitar permeated the acoustic soundtrack and I’m hoping it will be released at some point as the music is absolutely gorgeous. So far, nothing is available on iTunes. YouTube has the two main songs, though.

Overall Charisma: My rating 8/10

There were so many really wonderful ‘non-main’ characters throughout the drama that really contributed to charisma and success of ‘Missing You’. “Wifey”, Jung Woo’s police partner; “Lover”, Soo Yeon’s mom and caretaker of Jung Woo; Hyun Jun’s psychotic mother. Along with the main cast, they all contributed to team that worked well together.

The final word? If you hate melodramas, you’re going to hate this because you’ll be teary-eyed from episode 1. I was actually amazing that I was that engaged from the get-go, but I honestly went through several boxes of kleenex on this one, folks. Need a cathartic release? This is just the ticket.

Happy Drama Watching!

He he he he…  For those wondering why Friday’s Drama review was published on Wednesday? Well, you see, aliens landed  in my back yard, and somehow, after running around in their spacecraft, the time-space continuum was altered, and I was a little confused, and, well, you know how those sorts of days go.   CD