Review: One More Happy Ending (2016)

Once upon a time, there was an angel named Han Mi-mo, a sweet and bubbly girl who, together with four others, form the washed-out idol group called Angels. However, after her fall-out with one of the members, the group got disbanded. This led Mi-mo to thread on another path and being a divorcee herself, has decided to run a matchmaking agency for divorcees like her. Will her matchmaking prowess be effective enough though when her own chance at a brand new love finally begins to present itself?

Image via MBC.

One More Happy Ending may not be among the best romcoms that I have ever seen, but nonetheless, it delivers. It has just the right dose of comedy and heart, and serves as a great ice breaker from all the heavy melodramas, crimes, and mystery thrillers I've seen in a while.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»

1) Jung Kyung Ho. I was in a binge watch spree after seeing Jung Kyung Ho in Prison Playbook, and when I found out that Jang Nara starred alongside him in this drama, I became all the more interested to binge watch. Kyung Ho was charming as Song Soo-hyuk. He was able to bring out various facets of Soo-hyuk's character compellingly well. What I loved about Soo-hyuk was how thoughtful and selfless he was, a snark contrast to his best friend Hae Joon who was obnoxious, selfish and downright cold. Soo-hyuk's selflessness is evident in how he has always put Mi-mo's feelings and happiness first above anything else. It didn't help that he was also such a great father, despite being a widower and a single dad. I think this is what I loved best about Jung Kyung Ho playing Soo-hyuk-his realistic portrayal of an adorable man and at the same time a loving father to Min Woo.

One of my favorite Jung Kyung Ho moments in this show was how he was like Mi-mo's knight in shining armour during the egg throwing scene in Episode 10. When Mi-mo got tangled in Seul-ah's miscarriage issue and got attacked by the actress' fans, it was sooo endearing to see Soo-hyuk use his body to shield Mi-mo from the attack. He was evidently concerned about the effects of this incident in Mi-mo's emotional well-being that even after driving her home and advising her not to think about anything else, he angrily stormed at Mass Punch's office too, and then raged both at his boss and the reporter who was responsible for creating this whole mess.

And this:

In Episode 6, as Mi-mo was interviewing a client who happened to be a single father, we get a glimpse of how it had been like for Soo-hyuk to raise Min Woo alone. It sure wasn't easy, but I seeing those flashbacks of baby Min Woo and his dad was definitely moving. Jung Kyung Ho did great in portraying young Soo-hyuk's struggles as an inexperienced father, which just made me adore him even more.

2) The Funny. One More Happy Ending has a cute dose of funny (and silly) incorporated in it, adorably sprinkled here and there through half of its entire run (the latter episodes got a little bit of angsty, in a way). Its light-heartedness, combined with a few ridiculous yet endearingly hilarious comical scenes, were among the things that I loved most about the show. Plus, Jang Nara and Jung Kyung Ho not only has abso-fuxxing-lutely chemistry, they complement each other comedically well, too.

Mi-mo and Soo-hyuk's drunken marriage hijinks in Episode 1 was really ridiculous in all sense of the word, yet it was also amusingly hilarious. I love Kyung Ho and Nara's portrayal of the leads' hangover state, it was amusing to see them switch from being "happily married" to being suddenly horrified while screaming "Oh my God what did I do?" in panic.

And this:

I can't believe how silly this is but I sort of rolled on the floor laughing in Episode 5 when Soo-hyuk doused Mi-mo's face with water and then empties an entire pitcher over her head just as Mi-mo's hat unexpectedly caught fire after awkwardly testing a few magic tricks she has learned from Dong Mi at Soo-hyuk.

3) Geun Hak and Da Jung's Arc. Baek Da Jung was among the "fallen" angels, whose marriage was threatened by a divorce. She also seemed to have had a bit of inferiority after she had given birth, and because of this, felt a little less loved all throughout the years. This takes a toll in their relationship, and Geun Hak and Da Jung grew so far apart to the point where they no longer sleep in the same room nor in the same bed. In the end, it was so gratifying how Geun Hak and Da Jung has taken a shot into rebuilding their relationship. How they were able to overcome this phase in their relationship and at the same time find healing in Da Jung's severe health condition were among the best aspects of the show for me, and fits the title "One More Happy Ending" to a T.

4) Song Min Woo. This kid is a very good example of parenting done right.  Even if he has been raised by a single father, I love how Min Woo was such a bright and mature child for his age. He was just as thoughtful as his father was, and I love how observant and perceptive he was of his father's well-being and emotional health. It's evident how well adjusted he is to his father's situation, and it was absolutely adorable to not see Min Woo complain the least bit about it.

❀ RANTS ❀ »•»

1) Goo Hae Joon. Hae Joon has got to be one of the most annoying second lead characters to have sprung to K-Drama life. Nothing against Kwon Yool, though I don't find him as handsome as he is supposedly described. This is probaby why I do not get where the adoration for him of women in this show technically comes from. Rather than swoon-worthy, I find Hae Joon super obnoxious and selfish. He's self-centered and inconsiderate, and doesn't really take into account the feelings of those around him, as seen in how he has treated Mi-mo. 

2) Han Mi-mo. Although Mi-mo was quite a fun character, there were times when she felt somewhat superficial for me. For one, I hated how she impulsively declares she has fallen in love like it's nothing serious. I also didn't like how she kept going 'round the bush in some parts of the show, thus repeatedly ignoring her own feelings in the process. She had this bad habit of not thinking about the repercussions of her actions and decisions prior to realizing it, making her not really naive in my eyes but just plain superficial.

Since Mi-mo was a divorcee and also had a fair share of failed relationships such as what was shown in Episode 1, I find it somehow ridiculous how she nonchalantly says she's in love and has found the one in Hae Joon's being, as portrayed in that hospital scene in Episode . For someone who had her heart broken for a number of times already, she sure jumps in the water feet first like it was nothing.

3) Less Screen Time for the Actual OTP. It was sort of glaring how the show spent quite more than half of its run with Mi-mo and Hae Joon's relationship as this led to Jung Kyung Ho's character getting a little less screen time with Nara when he's supposed to be the main OTP. I would have appreciated it more had the show shifted focus on Soo-hyuk earlier instead, because this means his feelings and his relationship with Mi-mo would have been highlighted even more.

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

Save for the mid-series drag, angst, and quite a few flaws in writing, One More Happy Ending is a light-hearted watch that very well serves its purpose of delivering a romcom drama. Both Jung Kyung Ho and Jang Nara were great in this show, and there's also a lot of unexpected lessons you'd get to learn from it. It lives well with the title's promise of a happy ending, too, making it a show that's perfect to try when you're feeling down and in need of a sweet and uplifting boost.

TAGS: Happy Ending Once Again, Jang Nara, Jung Kyung Ho, K-Drama, K-Drama Reviews, Netflix, One More Happy Ending   Edit