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If You Wish Upon Me (2022) 당신이 소원을 말하면
Directed by Kim Yong-wan, starring Ji Chang-wook and Choi Soo-young.
Watched 25 - 29 October 2022 — 16 episodes (DRAMACOOL)
*Finished this show yesterday and overall really enjoyed it. I had never seen Ji Chang-wook in a series before but knew I was going to like him and I did. A lot. I also loved his character here. I’m definitely going to check out the much praised Healer soon, a series that I have high hopes for.
*I was pleasantly surprised with the female lead Choi Soo-young. I really liked her and her feisty character. In episode 11 she offers to carry the patient on her back, uphill, and even though Ji Chang-wook does the piggyback ride on two occasions, she volunteered to do it and I believe she would have pulled it off.
*I really love the lead couple together and they have good chemistry. Their relationship developed in a natural way and I like the fact that they don’t act lovey-dovey together. I love the teasing and the playfulness and them just holding hands.
*I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a reconciliation scene after Ji Chang-wook had said 'We don’t make a good couple' and left, basically driving Choi Soo-young away and breaking off the relationship. I’m glad he said on the phone afterwards 'Thanks to you, I was way happier than I expected', but after Sung Dong-il’s accident I had hoped for a scene where they would really make up, yet they just continued their relationship. I loved the proposal with the drawings, by the way.
*I hated Ji Chang-wook’s toxic 'sister', played by Won Ji-an. She was really horrible and unbearable, and it was too bad her suicide attempt failed. She gets more likeable towards the end, but her redemption was too abrupt. I liked the romantic subplot with her and Nam Tae-hun (the third orphan who became a thug).
*I love the slice-of-life feel-good part of the show: Ji Chang-wook’s healing journey, his new-found family at the hospice, his relationship with Sung Dong-il, the heartwarming execution of the last wishes of the terminally ill patients, the musical show, Chang-wook and the children, the cute dog Sonny (I felt so sad when he died), really so many things to love. BUT …. I could have done without the whole gangster plot and the evil dad in room 403. Because of that the show felt a bit unbalanced, and there was a lot of unnecessary violence and horrible beatings. It became dark and I preferred the lighter tone.
*I was glad the evil dad didn’t get a redemption arc and that there was no reconciliation with his son, because he didn’t deserve it.
*I like the hospice family, especially Jeon Chae-eun whom I’ve seen in Little Women and The Devil Judge.
*Fortunately the last episode was satisfying. With the bad people out of the way (either dead or in prison), the focus was again on the last wishes and the hospice family. I liked the fact that the side characters from previous episodes also made an appearance. Also the establishment of the Angel Village was very nice. It was designed after the 'dementia village' Hogeweyk in The Netherlands, which I had never heard of before watching this show.
*With the last scene and the arrival of the new volunteer, I was secretly hoping for Nam Tae-hun to be the volunteer (it was probably not even possible since only a year had passed and he was likely to serve more time in prison). It would have been nice for him and Won Ji-an to work there as well and be one happy family.