49 Days: Drama Review

Have you ever thought of what it is like on the other side? Or those you have lost--what if they were given a second chance? What is amazing about 49 Days is how we are taken through the path of one's life and we get to re-examine it in a whole new light. We get to see love and betrayal, hope and hopelessness, laughter and tears, and in the end--we see that in every death, there is a new life. If there was ever an epic drama, this would be it.

The story follows the (after)life of Shin Ji Hyun who "accidentally" dies in a car accident right before her wedding. Since her life wasn't supposed to end this early, by grace from the powers that be, Ji Hyun is granted one last chance at life by collecting three tears from friends who truly loved her--excluding family, of course. The catch is: she has 49 Days to do it, she can't use her own body but borrow one, and no one can know who she is.

The best element of this drama is how it is written. The writer does a brilliant job weaving the past with the present so that the story line flows, but still remaining unpredictable. In each episode, there are flashbacks that we really look foward to because they give insight into each character, their motives, and relationships which changes the plot direction in every episode. This drama rarely gets boring, but warning: make sure to keep a box of tissues by you at all times!

One of my favorite characters in this drama is the Scheduler (aka: Grim Reaper/Song Yi-Soo). What fascinates me about him is the idea of someone on the other side being the greeter for souls passing from this life to the next. It doesn't help that he's also adorable and funny as he picks on Ji Hyun from time to time, but of all of the characters, he was the one I connected with the most because he could see situations for what they were and in the end, he was able to bring home the theme of the drama. But he is also a traveller, paying his sentence of five years as a scheduler for the chance to do something important before he moved on.

Some of the cons of the drama lay within some of the plot points: honestly, there were WAY too many eavesdroppers between In Jung and Min Ho. It's a little hard to believe that they can always be there at the right moment and at the right time. Doctor Noh was also a bad plot device: what kind of psychology do they teach you?? Because I am a psychology major and I can promise you that 1) multiple personality disorder should have been your FIRST thought and 2) ever heard of patient confidentiality? Someone needs to take your medical license away...

The last plot point that I felt a little weird about came in the ending and while I don't want to spoil you about what it was, I will just say that we had theorized about the possibility of it because some of the pieces could allow for it. However, the way it was executed did not make it satisfying. What this was, you'll have to watch to find out!

As for my lasting remarks, I will admit that I've never been moved to tears by a drama before. Most dramas are too exaggerated for me to connect with and while I feel pity at times, I never feel the need to cry over them. This drama did it. Twice. It is that good.

100/5 for me.