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I dislike feeling this conflicted about ‘Behind Your Touch’ where I like it and also dislike it at the same time. I told myself I’d give it until episodes 3 and 4 to make a decision on whether to drop it or not and then I somehow found myself extending this deadline another weekend. Things are only starting to get interesting in ‘Behind Your Touch’ while things stalled a bit in episodes 5 and 6 of ‘My Dearest.’

Behind Your Touch Episodes 3-4

I’ll put it bluntly – I really don’t like Ye-bun’s “superpower” of touching people’s butts to see into their past. Even if it’s just for the purpose of adding to the overall slapstick comedy and humor, I don’t feel entirely comfortable watching this drama and it takes away from my experience in truly enjoying it. I also know this aspect serves as one of the primary points in both Ye-bun’s character arc as well as the premise, so there’s not much I can do about it. It’s going to be there regardless. But then there are other parts of the drama that I’m intrigued and interested by and there were a few things that ramped up in episodes 3 and 4 of the drama. It definitely got more interesting and fun to watch compared to the premiere episodes which is why I surprisingly haven’t given up on it just yet.

With the two latest episodes, Ye-bun and Jang-yeol formed a partnership and alliance of some kind. He risked a chance at returning to Seoul by saving her life so he took advantage of her superpower as a way to get that big break to advance his career and return to where he came from. It was fun to watch Ye-bun and Jang-yeol interact in a way that was still sort of reminiscent of their earlier days, which was constant bickering and not really getting along. But then it was also refreshing to watch the two interact in a different way where they worked together and Ye-bun helped Jang-yeol out with his cases to pay him back for literally saving her life. I didn’t think this partnership between the two was going to come so soon but I definitely enjoyed watching a new side to their relationship and I even felt like they had some chemistry between them at the end of episode 3. Ye-bun managed to prove to Jang-yeol that her superpower was legitimate while Jang-yeol was able to witness and experience for himself what this special ability was and how it could serve himself. The biggest challenge is yet to come with the serial murder case also ramping up as seen at the end of episode 4.

Sometimes, the side characters and stories in dramas can be a hit or miss for me but I have to admit that I actually don’t mind the supporting characters so far in the show. Ye-bun’s best friend, Bae Ok-hee, sort of has her own thing going on with her group of reliable friends/members and I like that this part in her story is an ongoing theme. It’s hilarious and I like the humor that she adds to the show. Then there’s also the complicated love story between Ye-bun’s aunt, Hyeon-ok, and Jang-yeol’s boss, Jong-muk. ‘Behind Your Touch’ remains such an unserious drama, but it’s even more unserious and exaggerated when it comes to showcasing the relationship between these two characters. I can’t help but laugh when Jong-muk and Hyeon-ok interact with each other. They really do have so much history with each other, eh?

The part about this drama that I’m definitely the most curious and interested about is how it’ll manage to balance the different tones with all the comedy and romance and murder mystery aspects. I assume the show will get darker and more serious a little bit at a time as the show progresses but I also don’t think it will slow down on the comedy and humor in the process. Hopefully the contrast between the various genres isn’t too obvious to the point where it slows the drama down and even becomes distracting. Hopefully, it’ll be able to mesh the various tones and moods together in a way where it feels a bit more seamless and also in a way that makes sense. So far, it has mostly done a good job in being able to find the right balance and hopefully can maintain this balance the rest of the way.

My Dearest: Episodes 5-6

Even if I personally felt like the two latest episodes of ‘My Dearest’ weren’t as entertaining to watch compared to episodes 3 and 4, I still love this drama for one big reason: the romance between Jang-hyun and Gil-chae. I can gush and swoon and cry and scream about them forever and I can go on and on about what I enjoy about their relationship. And even if they only have one or two moments in an episode packed with action and politics, that one moment is enough for me to stay hooked and addicted. Jang-hyun and Gil-chae’s relationship is the glue and heart of this drama.

Episodes 5 and 6 slowed down a bit in the romance aspect to focus more on the political and action side of things. We watched as Ryang-eum and Jang-hyun made their ways into the intruder’s camps to gain insight as to what was going on. We got to see more of the Crown Prince. We got to see more of the intruders themselves. We watched as Gil-chae and her group of friends fought for another day at life and managed to escape once again. I think the hardest thing about watching this drama is when Gil-chae and Jang-hyun are separated and aren’t on the screen together. Don’t get me wrong – episodes 5 and 6 were still interesting to watch but there was also a part of me that was dying to see the pairing together again.

And it wasn’t just me who wanted to see them together again because even Gil-chae and Jang-hyun themselves were waiting for each other. There was a moment in episode 6 when Jang-hyun feared that Gil-chae might have died and this just sucked the life out of him. He was heartbroken and depressed and he embarked on a journey with the intruders just so he could find her. Then Jang-hyun was relieved to finally find Gil-chae again even if it was while she was on the run for her life because all that mattered to him was that she was alive and that she had survived. There’s always at least one moment involving the two characters that is enough for me to stay with this drama and ‘My Dearest’ just does not miss in this department. They know how to deliver time and time again with the romance between Jang-hyun and Gil-chae and that’s why I stay obsessed with the show. They know what they’re doing with the romance between these two characters and are extremely confident in carrying it out.

The thing that I’m impressed with the most with Jang-hyun and Gil-chae’s relationship is how romantic and genuine it feels even if the characters themselves aren’t screaming that they’re in love. They express their feelings to each other in very subtle ways that also makes it clear how they feel about them at the same time. For example, at the end of episode 5, Jang-hyun bids farewell to Gil-chae but he also adds that he’ll do whatever he can to find her in the future. They’ll separate for the time being which means there was a higher risk of getting captured or getting killed but Jang-hyun reassured Gil-chae that they would eventually reunite again and that he would do whatever he could to see her again. There was also THE moment in episode 5 when the two reunited after having been separated for a bit and Gil-chae’s eyes lit up upon seeing Jang-hyun again. The scene was executed in slow motion and it was just absolutely beautiful and touching.

The reason as to why I love their relationship and this drama in general is because of how subtle and effortless the romance is. There aren’t any grand confessions or huge gestures or cheesy signs. It’s literally just one or two comments that feel so genuine and sincere and honest and raw and it grabs at your heart and your emotions every single time. Jang-hyun had his own mission that he was responsible for and that he had to accomplish but he will always care about Gil-chae and think of her. Even when he’s busy fighting for his own life, she’s always in the back of his mind (brb, gonna cry some more just thinking about them).

I have some thoughts regarding Gil-chae’s character and Ahn Eun-jin’s portrayal of the character but I think I’ll save my thoughts on that for later once we see more of Gil-chae in action. She’s definitely had to grow up a lot faster to save her and her friends’ lives and I guess that’s what happens when you’re literally in a life or death situation. You have to grow up faster, you have to do things that you’d never thought you had to do, you become a leader, and you also learn survival techniques. Gil-chae is definitely growing up in front of our eyes and she too is holding things down with her and her group of friends. She has the intelligence, the courage, and the boldness – essential traits that contributed to their survival. I can’t wait to see what else Gil-chae does in the future, including the possibilities of her and Jang-hyun becoming a power couple to save lives together.