JTBC’s “The One and Only” is proving to be a unique, must-watch drama!
“The One and Only” is a romance drama starring Ahn Eun Jin, Red Velvet’s Joy, and Kang Ye Won as Pyo In Sook, Sung Mi Do, and Kang Se Yeon, three terminally ill women who meet at a hospice. They decide that before they die, they want to take down one bad guy before they go—and in their attempt to do so, Pyo In Sook winds up meeting Min Woo Chun (Kim Kyung Nam), “the one and only” most valuable person of her life.
Due to the nature of dealing with the heavy topic of being terminally ill, “The One and Only” could be expected to be a solemn drama. However, it instead focuses on the hopeful and heartwarming process of finding reasons to live even while nearing the end of one’s life. Through everyone’s individual backstory, “The One and Only” captures the cheerful and lively energy that exists within the hospice.
More than anything, this drama gives viewers the chance to think differently about life and death. Even though the characters know that they’ll die sooner or later, they are not sad or disheartened. With their remaining time, they choose to find meaning and hope. Pyo In Sook winds up meeting her “one and only” in Min Woo Chun, Kang Se Yeon divorces her husband in order to live independently, and Sung Mi Do finally finds love after being neglected and abandoned her whole life.
When you’re terminally ill, getting divorced and falling in love may not seem necessary. However, the ultimate message is to find hope even in death, just like how Choi Sung Hae (Lee Hang Na) lied to everyone up until her last breath that she was completely cured. Some may call it false hope, but to these patients, it means the strength and energy to endure another day.
That atmosphere slowly starts to change Pyo In Sook, who previously did not believe in hope or miracles. “Maybe” was a word that didn’t exist in her life, which is why she chose not to receive treatment. She was also afraid of giving false hope to “her people”: namely, her grandma Yook Sung Ja (Go Doo Shim) and Min Woo Chun. However, she’s changed after seeing the others at the hospice rely on one another. Pyo In Sook starts to understand that they must desperately hold onto hope because they can’t just let go, and and she realizes that for those who are currently alive, that’s all they can do. Following the death of Choi Sung Hae, Pyo In Sook tells Cha Yeo Wool (Joo In Young), “I’m going to hold onto you. I will hold onto you tight.”
On top of the heartwarming hospice stories, there is also Pyo In Sook and Min Woo Chun’s sweet love story; the “wo-mance” between In Sook, Se Yeon, and Mi Do, all of whom have found true friends for the first time; and the thrill and tension created by the murder case.
Another memorable aspect of “The One and Only” is the incredible acting that the cast has been showcasing. Ahn Eun Jin, Kim Kyung Nam, Kang Ye Won, and Joy have shown incredible synchronization with their roles, and everyone around them at the hospice have created warm and unique characters as well.
JTBC’s “The One and Only” airs every Monday and Tuesday at 11 p.m. KST.
Source: Soompi