Review:// Madame Antoine

Madame Antoine is a 16-episode romantic comedy that centers around the volatile relationship between a psychologist and a fortuneteller. Go Hye Rim (Han Ye Seul) is a divorcee who runs a cafe where she tells fortunes under the guise of communicating with Madame Antoinette. When she runs into some financial difficulties, her landlord proposes that she work with the psychologist who has moved into the building's second floor. Choi Soo Hyun (Sung Joon) is a jaded psychologist, bent on proving that true love doesn't exist. He naturally clashes with Go Hye Rim who he considers a fake, harming those who get readings from her when they actually need professional counseling instead. He decides to make her the subject of an experiment, convinced that she will prove that women fall in love based on financial security, and are therefore incapable of sincerely loving another person.

The Good: It's interesting to note that Sung Joon has no problem playing a character that is over ten years older than he is. And even though there is a nine year difference between the leads, they played off of each other well and had good chemistry. 

The plot touched on the interesting subject of what true love is, and how it changes after the three year hormonal period of being "in love". There were a diverse range of characters as well, with their strengths and foibles, who developed into more balanced people by the end of the drama. Through one-sided love, confused love, parental love, and first love, these characters evolved (sometimes hilariously so) in a believable way.

The Bad: At times scenes seemed a bit repetitive, however, it still fit within the nature of a story that showed how it takes time for people to change and grow. There were a few times where I thought certain conflicts could have been simply avoided, but again, given that we're supposed to be dealing with flawed personalities, I could still justify these instances as being appropriate for the storyline.

Overall, Madame Antoine kept me looking forward to each episode. It took the tropes that I enjoy in kdramas, and expressed them in a refreshing way, with pacing that maintained tension through to the last, very satisfying scene.