KDrama Review: Go Back Couple

I was quietly having my Korean drama hiatus slash detox when my office girlfriends started talking about Go Back Couple. There were a couple of times when we got to catch it being aired in ABS-CBN while we’re having our afternoon snacks. I was initially firm not to be swayed into the dark again, but the premise of this Korean drama intrigued me so much. TRANSLATION: Pinilit ko na hindi sumama sa dilim kaso nilamon na naman ako ng sistema. HAHAHAHA!!!

Go Back Couple is a story about two married couples in their late 30s who decided to get a divorce. With some bizarre twists of fate, they found themselves transported back in time when they first met. They thought that destiny gave them a second chance to “correct” their “biggest mistake” in life. They initially tried not to get to each other’s lives, but destiny had other plans. What they thought was a chance to “erase” each other from their respective lives was actually a chance for them to rebuild what they had been losing for years.

Photo from asianwiki.com

Watching Go Back Couple is like knowing that your friends are hiding somewhere to prank you, but you still end up falling into their traps. I started watching Go Back Couple knowing Ban-Do and Jin-Joo went back to the past not to rewrite their lives but to enable them to fix their marriage. The story line may be quite predictable, but it was so well-written that I did feel like I was part of their journey. The pacing is perfect for this 12-episode Korean drama. It’s one of the very few Korean dramas that I never felt dragged. I remember watching a lot of KDramas which started off on a high note, and then got dragging somewhere in the middle making me feel like the story was too stretched. I never felt it in Go Back Couple. I wanted to finish watching it so that I would know the ending. Parang, bakit sila nakabalik sa past? Paano sila babalik sa present? May nabago kaya sila sa past? But I also didn’t want it to end because I was already too invested in the story!

The cast is simply amazing! Wala kang itatapon, grabe! One of the main reasons I was convinced to give Go Back Couple a try was Jang Na-Ra! Tanders like me first knew her from Mischievous Princess. Fated to Love You was one of the first KDrama reviews I wrote in this blog. Hihi. Jang Na-Ra is so adorable in Go Back Couple! I honestly cannot think of any other Korean actress who can give justice to her role. She’s so cute as a college freshman, but her performance as a mother is very compelling! I found myself totally relating to her struggles as a wife and as a mother. Grabe ‘yung mga scenes na mukha na siyang losyang at tuliro kakaalaga ng baby. I was like, YES, TEH! I FEEL ‘YAH!!! Mothers can totally understand all the struggles of Jin-Joo – mula sa pagkain ng isang kamay lang, pag-budget sa bahay hanggang sa pag-aalaga sa anak na may sakit. Na-Ra was so effective in showing that though she’s grateful with being given the chance to experience motherhood, there are simply days when she just wants to take a breather. Although there are days when a mother thinks about how her life would have been without being forced to rush every single meal, having a child is still something that she won’t trade with anything in the world. Ang daming powerful scenes, grabe! Parang bigla bigla na lang may lumilipad na sibuyas sa mata ko! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

It was my first time to see Son Ho-Jun in a drama. So, parang HU U siya talaga sa akin sa una. He was so successful in making me get annoyed at him at the beginning. But as the story unraveled, his vulnerability showed, and he was so effective in showing almost every man’s weakness. Nakakaawa siya kapag umiiyak siya!

Their friends, although irritating at times, are fun to watch. Those who have really close friends from college can totally relate to their funny antics. I liked the fact that the writer/s of Go Back Couple made the third parties so lovable. Ko Bo-Gyeol is so cute. Hindi ko magawang mainis sa kanya kasi maliban sa hindi naman siya eps na third party, super pretty niya talaga. Chang Ki-Yong was so effective in his portrayal of the aloof but charming Nam-Gil. The first part of Go Back Couple showed how Ban-Do failed big time as a husband so seeing Nam-Gil protect Jin-Joo is a breath of fresh air. “Go, girl! You deserve better!” I was rooting for him until around the 8th episode. Nasira lang ang moment ko kasi pinadala ‘to ni Sheen sa FB group chat namin!


Antokwa’t baboy! Pagka-send sa’kin, naglaho lahat ng kilig ko! Never ko naisip na magkamukha sila pero mula episode 8, si Sweet na ang nakita ko kay Nam-Gil e! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (Si Sheen ang nanguna sa pagpilit sa akin na manood pero siya din ang gumuho ng mga pangarap ko sa buhay. HAHAHA!!!)

I actually liked all the side stories. I was initially annoyed with the love story of Bo-Reum and Jae-Woo, but my heart melted with how their story unfolded. (If you’ve seen Go Back Couple and you’ve been following me through this blog since day 1, then you’ll know why I was able to relate to their love story!)

I loved the way Go Back Couple discussed how second chances are only deserved by those who are willing to work for it. Ban-Do and Jin-Joo totally had the chance to rewrite their lives, but they still made the conscious effort to work on their marriage. I think it’s the first time that I’ve seen a Korean drama that talks about the realities of marriage. It gets so real that I honestly found myself choking in my own tears. Bwahahaha! I’m pretty sure that a lot of married people who got to see Go Back Couple would agree that a lot of scenes actually serve as a wake-up call. I think half of the series showed how Ban-Do seemed to fail as husband, but as the story progresses, it slowly explains that it wasn’t completely the case. Go Back Couple perfectly illustrates the differences between men and women, and how these differences, if not addressed and handled properly, usually scar a marriage. (‘Yah know, how men usually front their strong and macho image, but they are really hurting inside, and how women hate it when their husbands invalidate their feelings.) There was one scene when Jin-Joo told Ban-Do something like, “I didn’t expect you to protect me, I just wanted you to be with me. I didn’t expect you to feed me, I wanted you to eat with me.” I found that scene so powerful. Kasi ganun naman talaga dapat ang pag-aasawa. You’re supposed to treat each other as partners until the end. Pero hindi talaga sila dapat nagkaron ng problema kung sinasabi lang nila ang dapat nilang sabihin. Dapat kasi sa asawa mo unang tsinitsismis ang mga hanash mo sa buhay para hindi ka napapagbintangang may kabit. HAHAHA!

Although Go Back Couple first strikes as a drama revolving around a couple’s marriage, it definitely offered so much more! What struck me the most was how Go Back Couple tackled a parent’s love to his/her child. I remember feeling a lump form in my throat in countless of scenes involving Jin-Joo and her mother. Grabe ang nanay ni Jin-Joo! Huhuhu! Jin-Joo’s pain is unfathomable. She was given the second chance to stay with someone she lost, but that meant that she had to give up another person who gave a new meaning to her life. Ang sakit sakit ng mga scenes na ‘yun. Nung pinapanood ko pa naman, nagsabay ‘yung sipon, trangkaso at singaw ko sa lips! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Go Back Couple is one of the best Korean dramas I have ever seen. I am so glad that I gave in to peer pressure and watched it. Hihi. The plot may not be unique, but its story-telling is so riveting. The non-linear narration was so effective as it somehow piques the curiosity of the viewers. Those who have seen it probably anticipated each episode’s epilogue just to see what really happened in the past that the couple either kept on denying or really wanted to erase from their lives. I never imagined liking Go Back Couple this much. I enjoyed watching every single episode, but the last 3 episodes gave my heart a roller coaster ride of different emotions.

I believe that not everybody will enjoy Go Back Couple. I feel like you have to be in a certain stage in your life for you to fully appreciate this KDrama. It’s either you’re married, you’re a parent, you’re missing a parent or you’re one helluva uber matured human being (haha) for you to find value in Go Back Couple. If you’re simply looking for a feel-god kilig KDrama, skip this and watch (or watch for the nth time) Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo!

3 comments :

  1. I love your closing statement. Ganyan na ganyan din ang reaction nung mga nasa forum nung halos lahat eh kinilig na kay Nam Gil and wanted him to end up with Jin Joo. This series is really for those na matured na pananaw sa buhay because it allows them to re-evaluate their shortcomings in order to become a better person in the relationship. That and talagang gusto ko talaga si Son Ho Jun and Jang Na Ra.

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  2. Watched it with my husband. We both love it! Kahit 12 episodes lang, madami ka matututunan. I even asked my husband ano natutunan nya!
    She really likes the ballerina baby girl tawag nya! Haha! Tawang tawa ko kay Nam Gil nawala din kilig ko nung na compare sya kay Sweet!!! Haha! Fave ko din yung kwento nung2 tropa nila na mag jowa (mahina ako sa names). Tawang tawa ko sa cheerleading step na puro yun lang, may kwento pala sa huli. At true yung ending ng love story nila. Nakakagulat.

    Next mo Whats wrong with secretary kim!

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  3. Kapag umiiyak si Jin Joo napapaiyak din ako! Ang galing nyang umiyak!

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