Korean title: 한 사람만

Origin and release year: South Korea (2021)

Starring: Ahn Eun Jin, Kim Kyung Nam, Kang Ye Won, Red Velvet Joy, Go Doo Shim, Jang Hyun Sang, Lee Bong Ryun

The One and Only has been one of the best K-Dramas I have seen this year. Yes, I’m aware that it is only February.

It has been a long time since a K-Drama has gripped me and had me hooked on the storyline and characters within minutes of the first episode.

The story grapples a sad subject following the stories of terminally-ill patients in a hospice. It is about murder, death, abuse, injustice and a lot of heavy topics. However, it is a joy to watch.

The One and Only was an emotional rollercoaster of the best kind that had you laughing and crying along with the cast.

One of the best aspects of the drama was how intricately detailed each character was. Each character was unique and unlike the other, letting you get invested into their respective stories. It is not easy to pay so much attention to each character in a drama and pull it off so well.

I was especially impressed with Ahn Eun Jin and Red Velvet Joy’s acting. Both delivered such emotional and complex characters that it had me looking forward to their scenes.

I enjoyed the romantic storylines of each character although I wished that Se Yeon’s love line had been explored more. The ending of Mi Do’s love story was also a bit anti-climactic.

The other thing that I wasn’t sure how I felt about was how, in the end, In Sook decided to have surgery and thus extend her life line. Their love story started off with full knowledge of how tragic it would be and she had been stubborn for so long throughout the drama that I found the character change a little bit unbelievable. It didn’t really feel like a character arc either.

It also bothered me that she was the only one who got a second chance at life and felt too convenient. I think many viewers would have been okay with a Romeo and Juliet-type ending to this story.

I didn’t hate the ending, I just didn’t see it coming.

However, I only have these qualms because I enjoyed the drama so much. Despite all of this, it was a really well-done production and every single moment of it was intriguing.

What did you think of The One and Only?