One More Happy Ending is a 16-episode romantic comedy about a group of ex-idols, now 30-somethings, who are looking for fulfillment in their relationships. The story centers around Han Mi Mo (Jang Na Ra) who owns a matchmaking company for divorcees, and who is desperate to marry for the second time herself. Song Soo Hyuk (Jung Kyung Ho) is a single dad and gossip rag reporter who had a one sided crush on Han Mi Mo in elementary school. The two run into each other while Song Soo Hyuk is pursuing a story, and discover that they live right across the hall from each other.
The Good: There were a lot of charming scenes that make this a very likeable drama. The two men in our romantic triangle were heartfelt, and then there was Conan O'Brien whose Korean was painful to listen to, but I applaud him for doing it.
As a bonus, there were period scenes parodying other dramas that poked fun at our triangle. The flashback scenes from Han Mi Mo and Song Soo Hyuk's childhood were also cute and touching. Child actors, Lee Young Eun and Choi Kwon Soo did a great job.
There was bromance! Emotional and hilarious bromantic scenes between Song Soo Hyuk and Goo Hae Joon (Kwon Yool) in addition to their college-days flashbacks made for a painful conflict when they both went for the same woman.
Aside from our triangle (and Conan), the rest of the characters are compelling. Go Dong Mi (Yoo In Na) is a style-challenged elementary school teacher, desperate for love, but her relationships always come with complications. Baek Da Jung (Yoo Da In) is trying to keep her family together, but her husband wants out of the cold marriage they have. Hong Ae Ran (Seo In Young) struggles with business and aging, and is hesitant to settle down with the man she's dating. Each character grew and changed as they learned from their relationships, and there were some twists and turns along the way making the story somewhat unpredictable.
The Bad: Our leading and second leading man were attractive and evoked sympathy while they were single, but once they were in a relationship, they were completely obnoxious. I really couldn't stand either of them. And once Han Mi Mo stopped being a vapid goldfish, the obstacles thrown in to trip up the main couple's pairing were superficial and silly. The side characters had storylines that were more interesting and meaningful. If some of that authenticity could have been applied to the main couple, especially towards the end, I think the drama would have come together better.
The lack of substance and cohesiveness with the main storyline is what probably hurt its ratings. One More Happy Ending finished with a nationwide AGB Nielsen rating of 3.0%, though it averaged 5.2% overall. Despite the drama's flaws, it was entertaining and ended in a satisfactory way, so it's worth watching once you're caught up with your other dramas and want something to pass the time.
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