Imagine you never took the chance to tell your first love your true feelings.  You struggle to find someone with that same spark…for 10 years!  Suddenly, you are transported back in time…only to realize you are now the teacher of your first love and, oh, your former self!  Read on to discover my first impressions and unfiltered thoughts regarding the new drama Longing Hearts!  

So, you know I always state up front that these are unfiltered thoughts, right?  You will get my first and raw impressions.  Let’s go!

I really liked that boy from Solomon’s Perjury.  I am glad he keeps getting acting work.

The beginning scenes take place in 2007.  The young actor from Solomon’s Perjury and School 2017 (Seo Ji Hoon) is in this, and so is the bassist from C.N.Blue (Lee Jung Shin).  I hope this doesn’t suck, because I like both of these actors.

2017: What caring friends.  Wait. Are they caring or manipulative?

So, our boy (that C.N.Blue boy—the one from Cinderella and the Four Knights—Lee Jung Shin) is a math teacher in 2017 and he has not shown interest in anyone since his first love TEN years ago.  So, his well meaning friends send him to a psychologist, apparently thinking he has not confronted his homosexuality.  While I applaud the care and sentiment, I am wondering why they did not just talk openly with him. Anyway…the psychologist helps him see it is his longing for his first love, hence the drama name Longing Heart, that has kept him from loving again.

Of all the hospitals in all the cities, I happen to run into my first love here, at the very hospital I entered to figure out why I cannot love.  What a coincidence!

So, yes.  He sees his first love.  Heart emojis burst forth and he is overwhelmed with joy.  His long lost love?  Not so much.  Why is she angry?  Why did she leave with no word ten years ago?  Why does she remember the exact day of his mother’s passing?  I have so many questions!!

Is that the same firefly bridge from Go Back Couple?  Are there multiple firefly bridges in Korea?  Why didn’t I think to visit a firefly bridge while I was in Korea.  Must book next trip….

Yes, I might have paused my show for a minute to look up flights to Korea and to try to track down the filming location.  When I pushed play, though…. Ack!  Is he dead?  Is she dead?  Oh no!  (Trying not to give too many spoilers here.)

We are back in 2007.  Wait.  Don’t do that!  You’re the TEACHER.

Ok.  So, this is where I am starting to feel a little icky.  He is doing things and saying things he wishes he had said or done in 2007, but, ummm…he is now her teacher.  So, even though I know he thinks of her as his own age, the way this whole time travel thing happened, well, now it is bordering on kind of inappropriate.  And to top it all off, he is interacting with the teenage version of himself, and it is clear he is not his former self’s favorite teacher at all.  He is, however, appearing to be the favorite teacher of his first love—and maybe she feels a little more for him than just respect.  Uh oh!

Final Thoughts:

I am going to keep watching.  The premise is really intriguing.  There have only been a couple of dramas (among the zillion of time travel dramas) where the main character gets to interact with his or her former self.  I kind of like it.  It truly complicates matters that he is the teacher.  Maybe because my background is in education, but I have a strict moral code about that kind of thing. Being hot for teacher brings kind of an ick factor for me.  Still, I want to know what happens, I enjoy the cast, and the set-up is designed to give us all kinds of issues.  I am adding this to my watch list.  What do you think?  Will you be watching?  Please comment below!

Until Next Time…

Kdrama Jen

Fangirl at Dramas with a Side of Kimchi