Maen-hol

Not the first drama with time travel to chase a lost love and not the best either. The first few episodes introduced us to the concept and up to episode 3 it seemed promising. The first time travel was to the past and the second one returned to the present to see the consequences of his actions. He did something minute in the past but resulted in him turning into a gangster once returned. The drama hinted into creating these radical scenarios for every round trip which sounded like fun. Unfortunately, this was a one off thing and the subsequent events were utterly disappointing. The entire plot device of this manhole was handled poorly. There were obvious coherency problems and plot holes, pun intended. I think the writer realized this problem which is why he didn't include any traveling between episodes 11-15. Speaking of which, these episodes got significantly dumbed down and became soulless and out of touch. They made the love rival blatantly bad and psycho to open the way for the main lead to have a clear black and white cut, avoiding any moral ambiguity the viewers might run across. That was the only way for the writer to glue them together without performing mental gymnastics. There were other remarks to be said about characters' reasoning, underlying theme, chemistry, side characters, story structure, and romance, but maybe on a later time.

Rating: 5.2/10 (MyDramaList)Plot Overview: "Manhole: Feel So Good" follows the story of Bong Pil, a young man who is in love with his childhood friend, Soo Jin. Just days before her wedding, Bong Pil discovers a mysterious manhole that allows him to travel back in time to various points in his life. He uses this opportunity to try and change the past to stop Soo Jin's marriage and confess his feelings. Why It Received Low Ratings: Despite the intriguing premise of time travel, the drama struggled with inconsistent pacing and a confusing narrative. The time jumps often felt random and didn't always contribute to character development or plot progression. The tone of the drama fluctuated between slapstick comedy and melodrama, which made it hard for viewers to connect with the story emotionally. Additionally, the chemistry between the leads was lackluster, and many viewers found it difficult to root for the main couple. Overall, "Manhole" was seen as a missed opportunity, and its low ratings reflect the general disappointment among the audience.

Many (so very many) of the plot points of this show are based around the '70s American network TV sitcom level naïveté of the characters reacting in utter logic-defying ways, but that's part of what makes this series both charming and compelling -- you can't predict what will happen next. Though the innocence of the characters can be annoying at times, overall it's refreshing to watch a show that isn't filled with cynicism and dark humour. The pacing and structure of Manhole never leaves a dull moment, and the genuine surprises and real cliffhangers make this a thoroughly enjoyable series to watch and one I'm happy to recommend to anyone who wants to see something very different from most other dramas.