The kdrama that emotionally wrecked me and why I’ll never recover

"Uncontrollably Fond" had me crying while I was in public transportation. It was a good thing I had a pack of tissues in my bag that time.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me formally introduce you to “Uncontrollably Fond”, the kdrama that chewed up my heart, spat it out, stomped on it a few times for good measure, and then walked away like nothing happened. When I started watching it, I didn’t know what I was signing up for. I thought I was getting an enemies-to-lover cute romance. And that concert scene when No Eul, played by Suzy Bae, went onstage? It gave me butterflies.

I should’ve known better, though. The warning signs were there: melancholic cinematography, a terminal illness plotline, and Suzy Bae’s teary-eyed stares. But did I heed those warnings? No. I dove in, thinking I was emotionally stable enough to handle it. Spoiler: I was not.

If you somehow made it through this kdrama with your soul intact, congratulations! You are built differently and I salute you. But if you, like me, spent the few last episodes curled up in a ball whispering “Why do I do this to myself?”, how about we unpack our trauma together?

The pain came in waves and I drowned in them.

At first, I thought this would be a standard kdrama romance: Childhood acquaintances with a complicated past? Check. A famous male lead with a hidden soft side? Check. A love-hate dynamic that promises slow-burn tension and emotional payoff? Double check. But what I did not expect was the constant emotional gut punches disguised as storytelling. How did I ever survive those? 😭

Shin Joon-young, the male lead played by Kim Woo Bin, wasn’t just a broody, misunderstood actor. No, he was dying. And the way “Uncontrollably Fond” chose to remind us of that every five minutes was borderline cruel. One moment, he’s being his smug, charismatic self, and the next, he’s clutching his head, collapsing in pain, and making us wonder HOW MUCH MORE CAN HE TAKE?! 😭

Did I sign up for this kind of heartbreak? No, but here we are.

There’s nothing quite like the “Uncontrollably Fond” experience, that’s for sure. It lulled me into a false sense of security with cute moments and sweet chemistry, only to have me wrecked completely by the end. Don’t even get me started on the OST. That soundtrack alone could ruin a good day. You hear the first few notes of “A Little Braver” by New Empire, and suddenly, you’re back in 2016, staring at your screen through blurry, tear-filled eyes.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

I love Kdramas. I truly do. But after “Uncontrollably Fond”, I had to take a long, hard look at my life choices. I told myself, NEVER AGAIN. I am never going near any tragic, slow-burn, tear-jerking, emotionally devastating Kdramas. I’ll stick to romcoms, horror, and mystery thrillers, thank you very much.

The truth is, Kdramas like this leave a permanent mark. They break us, but they also remind us why we love storytelling in the first place. The ability to feel so deeply for fictional characters? To cry over their pain like it’s our own? That’s the magic of a good drama.

So, to “Uncontrollably Fond”: I hate you, I love you, and I will never recover.

And to everyone who hasn’t seen it yet: Are you sure you’re ready?

If you do watch or rewatch it, I fully support you. Just make sure you have snacks, tissues, and maybe a fluffy romcom lined up afterward as emotional first aid. 😆

P.S. I highly recommend “Love to Hate You” kdrama after watching this or some tear-jerker drama. It’s one of the best rom-coms I have ever watched: an equal balance of hilarity and romance. 🥰 Also, “The Potato Lab” is a good one. Nothing groundbreaking in the rom-com genre, but it is funny, too. The main leads are just so chaotic and hilarious!