Welcoming our favorites back from the military is always interesting. We wait breathlessly to see what drama they pick up next, and then we cross our fingers that it will be a good project! Come see what we think of Ji Chang Wook’s post-military pick, Melting Me Softly.

The Plot

Our main characters are definitely people who live life to the fullest — one because it’s good ratings, the other because she gets paid well. Our hero, PD Ma, decides to undergo a revolutionary cryogenic experiment himself and talks our heroine, Mi Ra, into joining him. Needless to say, it doesn’t last the 24 hours they expect it to, and they wake up 20 years later.

Karie the Maknae: I slept-watched my way through the setup, to be honest. It was pretty typical, but I really liked Won Jin Ah as the protective and adventurous contest participant, and Ji Chang Wook’s smile is still super swoony. I’m waiting for the story to really pick up, now that they’re awake again.

Kdrama Jen: I admit that I am watching mainly for Ji Chang Wook. The writer is not one of my favorites and, honestly, the premise is a bit odd. The pacing feels a little off to me as well. I am hoping things pick up once they are, you know, no longer frozen.

MiataMama: Goodness! That set-up, with all its flash-backs within the flash-back, was pretty tedious. I wasn’t really engaged until the end of the second hour when the frozen leads were finally thawed back out.

Drama Geek: I am actually okay with the plot, but the setup is what bogged the first two episodes down. Hopefully, now that they have that out of the way, we can see the real story unfold.

The Cast

Ji Chang Wook as Ma Dong Chan

Karie the Maknae: This role is PERFECT for Ji Chang Wook. Slightly cocky, very determined, and always handsome, Ma Dong Chan will make this series worth watching, in my opinion.

Kdrama Jen: Ji Chang Wook is charming as this young visionary. He is also very pretty to look at…

MiataMama: *dreamy sigh* I believe what the Maknae meant to say is that Ji Chang Wook is perfect, lol. His character in this drama is definitely swoon worthy. And whenever I began to feel a little ‘meh’ about the story, Ji Chang Wook smiled and I had to keep watching. I’m totally and unabashedly here for Wookie!

Drama Geek: I am a HUGE Ji Chang Wook fan. He’s in my top 5. His character was one of the bright points of the drama, even though it’s pretty run of the mill for him, and for dramas. One of the only scenes I laughed at was when he kept falling asleep and then would wake up to say one more thing.

Won Jin Ah as Go Mi Ran

Karie the Maknae: I loved Won Jin Ah in Just Between Lovers and I’m excited to see her expand her horizons with the tough noona role here.

Kdrama Jen: I am also a fan of this actress. I am not sold on the plot, yet, but I admire her tenacity and perseverance.

MiataMama: I’m eager to watch Won Jin Ah in a new role, as well. However, I’m concerned she may not have the comedic range needed to pull off this particular character. Hopefully she surpasses my tentative expecations. . .

Drama Geek: I hope that once the show gets going we will get past the poor girl willing to do anything for money. It’s a very, very tired character trope and one of my least favorites.

Other Characters

Karie the Maknae: There were a lot of great cameos in the first episode — Lee Hong Gi!! — but the characters themselves weren’t very compelling. In fact, most of them were downright silly and I didn’t feel like they contributed any depth to the story. But I’m only judging on the first two episodes. There’s room for improvement here.

Kdrama Jen: I enjoyed seeing Lee Hong Gi, but most of the others are not very memorable. I have some concerns about the younger brother and the direction they are heading. I will withhold judgment for a bit, though.

MiataMama: This writer apparently likes to give Kim Won Hae dual roles! No objections here, as I’m glad he will be sticking around for the remainder of the drama. That being said though, the supporting characters all feel terribly slap-stickish. The portrayal of the younger brother didn’t sit well with me either.

Drama Geek: I had a very hard time with almost ALL the side characters. Any time they spoke it went on way too long, and they were all so cartoonish. I was not cool with the sister’s reasoning for wanting to help with research to freeze people. It felt so icky, and this writer has used spousal abuse and a possible gay character for total laughs before, so I’m not holding out hope they will handle the brother’s storyline well.

Will We Stick With It?

Karie the Maknae: Well, if there isn’t any poop wine, I might be in. The setup took forever, but the story started to get really interesting after Dong Chan and Mi Ran woke up. I’ll at least give it two more episodes.

Kdrama Jen: I always give my menagerie members at least four episodes, and Ji Chang Wook is a member of that illustrious group. So…I am here for at least one more week.

MiataMama: I wanted to push play on ep 3, but it hasn’t aired yet. So I will definitely be returning to watch the next two episodes. As long as things aren’t too cartoonish, this drama will probably be one I keep up with, because . . . Ji Chang Wook!

Drama Geek: I’ve learned that when my favs are in a drama where I dislike most of the characters, it’s best for me to just wait for their next drama. I might watch 3 to see if everything settles down, but I’m enjoying several other dramas right now, so it may be something I shelve and see how it ends.

Until the next impression,

The Fangirls

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi