By Park Jin-hai
Despite lacking any adultery or controversial settings, KBS’ romantic comedy “Couple on the Backtrack” telling the story of a young married couple on the verge of divorce has succeeded in grabbing viewers’ attention.
The 12-part time-travel story, starring Jang Na-ra and Son Ho-jun, exited with a record 7.3 percent viewership, topping the rate among the same time slot dramas, Saturday.
Jang played the role of 38-year old housewife Ma Jin-joo with a baby boy.
In the last episode, the couple, who were 20-year-old university students when they first met, realized how much they loved each other and come back to the present to have a happily-ever-after ending.
“Labeled as a variety drama, it has been initially regarded as a just a comic and light drama. Adopting the time-travel setting, which has appeared too frequent in recent dramas, didn’t help,” culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said.
But, with great performances from the lead actors, the drama has overcome weary viewers’ expectations.
“Confession Couple” started with a painful story of an ordinary married couple, living everyday life, forgetting who they were and how much they loved each other, under the heavy burden of making ends meet. “With that said, going back to the past when they were young is more than just a surprise and joy for regaining youth. It also showed emotional moments when Ma meets her mother, who passed away, again and raised the meaning of parenthood and marriage,” Jung said.
“Now that I’m in my 30s, with a child, I feel like I know what it means to be a mom. While watching the show, I totally empathized with Ma,” a fan of the drama said.
“Through the drama, I came to realize the importance of family,” commented another viewer on the show’s website.