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And “Our Unwritten Seoul” does it again! It was another week where I teared up watching the two most recent episodes. All along, the drama has focused on Mi-ji and Ho-su with Mi-rae and Se-jin added in but this time, we got to learn more about Se-jin’s story as well as Ho-su’s Mom.

This week’s episodes were emotional and touching like usual but it was also fun because we finally got to see our twin sisters reunited again. And not only did we get their reunion, we got a reunion where Ho-su and Se-jin were present. It was so fascinating, funny, and interesting to see all 4 together because of how much Mi-ji and Se-jin got along. It was also interesting to see how different the twin sisters were to their love interests. Ho-su and Mi-rae were more quiet while Mi-ji and Se-jin were more outgoing and talkative. There’s the saying that opposites attract and perhaps that’s why Mi-rae and Se-jin got along well and why Ho-su and Mi-ji liked each other. Of course, there were also so many other reasons as to why Mi-ji and Mi-rae got along with their respective partners and the two latest episodes provided so much more insight on these relationship dynamics.

The one thing I really have to commend “Our Unwritten Seoul” for is its brilliant way of showing and not telling. Every time there’s a scene or moment that’s crucial, the drama throws it back by showing a flashback scene, such as was the case with teenage Ho-su arguing with his dad about visiting his deceased mom or young Mi-ji upset with her father because she felt jealous and neglected. I really appreciated having these flashback scenes because it just adds so much more impact to the story and illustrates how these important moments went down. It’s nice to see how things went down during these moments. Ho-su’s Mom’s backstory in episode 8 was my favorite part about the episode and I teared up during the scene where she got her hair washed by Mi-ji and Mi-rae’s Mom. For so long, she tried to be the best stepmom for Ho-su. She cut off all ties with her siblings and family because she raised a kid that wasn’t hers. She went on to raise Ho-su as a single mom which I’m pretty sure had plenty of challenges and struggles. She had to learn how to navigate the awkward and strained dynamic with Ho-su who was still young and immature and hurt over the loss of his parents. He took his anger and frustration out on his stepmom but he was also afraid of being alone and not having anyone. He was broken but he wasn’t sure how to ask for help or he was afraid of asking for help because he didn’t want to be a burden. And for Ho-su’s stepmom, motherhood was new for her. There was the social stigma of not being Ho-su’s biological mom; there was also the uncertainty of how to honor both of Ho-su’s parents as the stepmom. She had no idea that her husband would pass away so early. Motherhood is more than just about giving birth. It’s not just about being blood-related. Motherhood is also about raising a child and the experiences that come from that. Ho-su’s Mom’s story reminded me of the Korean drama “Family by Choice” and the question about family and what is considered family. Just because Ho-su’s Mom didn’t give birth to Ho-su didn’t mean that they were not family. Family extends beyond just being blood-related. Ho-su and his mom only had each other. Seeing Ho-su’s Mom tear up when Mi-ji’s mom validated her feelings made me tear up. It was like Ho-su’s Mom finally heard the words that she needed and wanted to hear all along: that she did a great job in raising Ho-su and that she and Ho-su are family. It was as if this weight was lifted off her shoulders when she finally told the truth about her and Ho-su’s relationship. It was as if she could finally relax for just a little bit after all these years.

It’s really amazing just how much more the drama shows you about Ho-su and Mi-ji’s relationship. Just when you thought the drama could have shown you all there was to show, they keep peeling back the layers to their relationship. Who would have known that the night of Ho-su crying over his stepmom being gone would also be another moment where Mi-ji was there for Ho-su? He was afraid of being alone and yet he wasn’t because Mi-ji was there for him at a vulnerable moment in his life. I’m glad that Ho-su and Mi-ji moved one step forward in their relationship by confessing to each other (finally!). I also thought it was lowkey funny that they got into a small fight before they even made things officially official T_T. Ho-su felt similarly to Mi-ji in that they both felt as if they had missed the timing in confessing their feelings to each other. They just kept on missing the timing whether it was 10 years ago on the night before Ho-su left for Seoul or in the present when Ji-yoon’s sudden appearance derailed Mi-ji from acting on her feelings for Ho-su. Thanks to Gyeong-gu’s pep talk, the both of them finally mustered the courage to just go for it.

I liked Gyeong-gu’s statement of how there’s no such thing as perfect timing. Nothing in this world is perfect. If not now, then when? And just like Ho-su and Mi-ji did on the night before Ho-su left for Seoul, Ho-su and Mi-ji once again met up outside their houses. But unlike the night before Ho-su left for Seoul, the two finally were able to say to each other what they wanted to say that they didn’t back then. They were finally able to express their love and admiration for each other. And perhaps what I enjoyed the most about the parallels between these two scenes was Ho-su’s question to Mi-ji when they were younger. He asked her if she really was Mi-ji. Usually, when other people ask Mi-ji or Mi-rae this, it’s because they have a hard time differentiating between the twin sisters. But for Ho-su, the reason why he asked Mi-ji this question wasn’t because he couldn’t tell which twin sister was standing in front of him (in fact, he’s quite an expert in knowing who’s who). But rather, he asked the question because Mi-ji had turned into a totally different person who he couldn’t recognize anymore. Was this really the Mi-ji who he thought he knew? I thought this was such a heartbreaking twist to the simple question that Mi-ji and Mi-rae are often quite used to receiving from people. It was also such a clever way to show how deep Ho-su and Mi-ji’s relationship is.

The statement of no such thing as perfect timing was said in reference to Ho-su and Mi-ji’s situation but I also think it could be applied to Mi-rae’s work situation. I’m so glad she had Se-jin who has become the reliable and reassuring friend that she needed in this phase in her life. It’s clear that she feels comfortable around him and also learns so much from hearing his side of his story or hearing him talk about his experiences. Mi-rae was debating on whether or not to resign at her job and I think hearing from Se-jin who has a similar experience helped her feel better. He quit his old job because he realized what his priorities were after he lost his grandpa and he learned what was most important to him. Since Se-jin has a similar experience of working at an important job like Mi-rae and then quitting that job, it’s the type of comfort and message that Mi-rae needed to hear. I loved the moment when Mi-rae opened up to Mi-ji about feeling like she wasn’t good enough for her job and that rather, it was because she got lucky. Imposter syndrome is so real. Mi-rae felt like she didn’t deserve to work at such a major financial corporation. And then because she ended up getting the job, she felt as if she had to keep going because she knew her mom and Mi-ji relied on her. She felt this pressure; she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. That’s why Mi-rae was scared to quit her job. This was all she had ever known. If she was to quit her job, what else would there be left for her to do? What was she going to do after? Where was she going to go? My heart ached for Mi-rae when she finally sat down with Mi-ji at the end of episode 7. I mentioned in my last review post that I wanted to see more of the twin sisters together and see them talk things out. I’m glad we got more of that in this week’s episodes.

Something that can get forgotten in all of the goodness and warmth in “Our Unwritten Seoul” is the fact that it’s such a stable and consistent drama. Even with just 4 episodes in, I kind of knew the drama was going to stay this way for the rest of its run. I knew I didn’t have to fear about any random and unnecessary sub-plots or weird plot twists or annoying ex-boyfriends (cough cough I’m looking at you “Tastefully Yours” cough cough). “Our Unwritten Seoul” was just so wholesome, relaxing, and peaceful from the very beginning. It knew what it wanted to do going in and what type of tone and mood it was aiming for. And even up until episode 8, the drama remained this way. Now don’t get me wrong – the last 4 episodes could pull anything on us and totally go off the rails (I’m not counting anything out in K-dramaland, of course). But I appreciate that the drama has remained true to itself for the last 8 episodes. No huge or grand gestures. Nothing super dramatic or makjang-y. Just so simple, subtle, touching, and emotional. The drama continues to comfort its viewers with relatable characters, stories, and messages about life, family, and love. This is the beauty of “Our Unwritten Seoul.”