Chicago Typewriter - An exceptional for its kind.

For someone who always shuns that (periodical) side of K-dramas entirely, Chicago Typewriter not only came as a surprisingly high-quality entertainment but also as an unforgettable experience. I feel like it's wrong for me to not write a review for this. Therefore, here I go.

For the first time, in my long journey of watching dramas, I felt my heart racing at the beginning of each episode. The first and highest of many praises must be given to the brilliant writer, Jin Soo Wan. Her past works including Kill Me, Heal Me and The Moon Embracing the Sun are my favourites. But this script of hers is a notch higher.

They got me from the very first scene. The idea of a writer getting into his character by living as one hooked me instantly. After that, the thought of "quitting" never once came into my mind throughout the drama.

TITLE:

"Chicago Typewriter" - The title came from the name of a gun which sounds like a typewriter when it is being fired.

GENRE:

Romance, Fantasy, Periodical, Humour.

SYNOPSIS:

Han Se Joo is a renowned bestselling fiction author who lives in isolation. Apart from having an inflated idea of his own importance, he trusts no one ever since the betrayal of his trusted ones. As he struggles to break out of his slump, he remembers his past life's memories through which he comes to know the connection he had with the 'ghost'-writer Yoo Jin Oh and his number one fan Jeon Seol.

The trinity set out to co-write the novel with the help of their shared memories of past life events in order to find the truth of Yoo Jin Oh's death in the midst of their own conflicts.

In the previous life, Hui Seo Young (Han Se Joo) lived as a writer in the local newspaper. Shin Yul (Yoo Jin Oh) was the owner of Carpe Diem and Ryu Seo Hyun(Jeon Seol) was working with him. They were comrades of the Joseon Youth Alliance in 1930's during the Japanese occupation of Korea.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Hui Seo Young's poised eccentric character was expertly played by Yoo Ah In which enable us to think of re-incarnated Han Se Joo as a different person. I fell head over heels for Hui Seo Young and was admiring him throughout. I cannot imagine anyone else other than Yoo Ah In as Hui Seo Young or Han Se Joo. Anyone would have done the part well, but not as impeccably as he did.

Then again, Go Kyung Pyo and Im Soo Jung's acting skills exhibited nothing less than a remarkable performance.

The way the romance unfolded between Han Se Joo and Jeon Seol is subtle, yet surreal. They clicked so well together. With an excellent enactment of the gifted cast, they masterfully made us identify with the characters and be moved by their struggles.

The drama also had its funny moments, thanks to the friendship between Han Se Joo and Yoo Jin Oh, which enhanced the liveliness of the story.

Dialogues were evocative and realistic. Hansejoo's short comical monologues were more than amusing. The quotes were thrown rarely, but at the right time for us to catch them.

Some of my picks are:

“Ignorance is nothing to boast about.” – Han Se Joo
“The muses are ghosts, and sometimes they come uninvited.” – Stephen King, Bag of Bones
‘This is why they say sinful people are reincarnated as writers.”-Han Se Joo
“Writing that does not contain the writer’s soul is like trash.” -Baek Do Ha
“If you’re not confident to surpass the person you imitated, don’t even try to imitate.” -Baek Do Ha

The switches between both the present and past timelines were fluid. Every time the shift happened, there was a need.

There were no big plot twists to shock us, but there were a lot of small unpredictable change of events to surprise us. The constant transition it delivered from one feeling to another is what made this drama special. It never failed to offer such rare element of wonderment in each episode.

SHORTCOMINGS:

My only bother was that there were few unfinished scenes which would have been emotionally intense if completed. There was a slight rush. The minimal screening of the past timeline disappointed me since it grasped much of my attention than the present one. I reckoned it must be due to the shortage of screentime.

RECOMMENDATION:

Overall, ChigaoTypewriter is a new-fangled novelty that requires a little forbearance to be rewarded with a stellar feast at the end. Presumably, it may not be everyone's cup of tea; But it is definitely mine.

MY RATING: