The story of Ban Ji Eum continues as she’s getting closer to her beloved Mun Seo Ha. She meets and bonds with her sister from a previous life and even gets a glimpse of her mother, learning how terribly hard all her lives were regarding family. Understandably, she refuses to meet her past families because she was hurt the very first time she was reborn. How cruel it is to be rejected by her own mother (that little girl with a mom from ep2 was actually her and her mom, not she as a mom with her child like I mistakenly thought) and how a little boy had to cope with it at very early ages of Korea with no help.
That’s really tough.
But rules are made to be broken, right? The second she made a wish to meet Seo Ha again in her next life, everything she did is broke her own rules and walls. With her plan to get to him, she ran away from home and found her niece from her past life. Now she bonds with her sister and cries wishing her mother would recognize her.
The flashbacks add layer by layer to Ji Eum character and are very fascinating to see. It was fun to meet her brother from this life who knew her tricks and it simply didn’t work on him. Of course, big troubles will start soon with a cash-greedy brother and alcoholic father. And that mysterious man with shaman bells, did they meet in one of their previous lives? Intriguing.
Interesting observation: Seo Ha’s home is empty. It’s cold stones and there’s no warmth. Just like him right now, after he lost Jun Won his heart become empty. Let’s not forget he lost his mother as well and had to endure his father’s mistress running his mother’s hotel.
Ji Eum came into his life as a ray of sunshine and I’m sure, soon this cold empty huge house will be filled with joy and becomes cozy. Warm his heart, Ji Eum-ah, he really needs it!
The ost for the show is so wholesome, very angsty as the story we see unfolding before us. The melody Ji Eum wrote in one of her past lives is so beautiful, heartbreaking, and yearning. It’s an ode to the lost love, to those who left too soon.
However, as much as I enjoy the show, I don’t think Ban Ji Eum will become my favorite Shin Hye Sun’s character alongside with MrQueen’s Soyong and Angels’ last mission: Love Lee Yeon Seo. Not because something is wrong with the character or acting (come on, it’s Shin Hye Sun, acting is superb!). I just think Ji Eum is too much and too clingy. I understand it’s because she was pinning over him for years, still, this behavior is not my cup of tea in characters. I would love to see more of her past lives and how she reunites with her sister and maybe mother, with them knowing it’s Jun Won they lost. But she’s not my favorite and that’s alright.
The other thing that bothers me is the background music, it feels off most of the time. I have a love-hate relationship with it. On one hand, it sounds out of place, on another, it highlights the unique character of Ban Ji Eum. The ost is great, bgm – still not sure.
Also, I feel like the story is too slow. I know everyone points out it’s fast-paced and I agree that a lot of things happen but I also think, almost nothing happens. Like we basically know the same things we did from the first 2 eps. The mistress story is not moving, Seo Ha and her just have beef and that’s it? The accident that took Jun Won’s life isn’t moving either. The mystery of why she remembers all her past lives is still not known. Some random girl with flowers appears twice and we don’t know what’s her place in the story. Isn’t ep 4 a bit late to introduce a new important character?
We have only 8 episodes left and too many questions to be answered. Usually hints here and there are dropped but we have almost zero.