If You Wish Upon Me - You Cry But It Is A Good Thing! Here's Why!

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Image from Viki Rakuten

When I started watching this series, I had no idea what the theme was but I was surprised to realise it was based on terminal illness and the story was set in a hospice.

Everyone who watched the first couple of episodes was either raving about it or saying how heavy it was so out of curiosity, I began.

Just a short backstory. Back in 2016 or so, when I was working with a med-tech company, I was a part of a campaign we did to raise funds for a hospice. It was the first time I heard that word and I also wrote a series of blogs about terminal illness, raising awareness about the disease, the struggles of caregivers, and why there is a setup like a hospice. It changed the way I looked at the world. 

Coming back to If You Wish Upon Me, well, we have romance king Ji Chang Wook to keep us hooked and so also Mr. Kang Tae Sik, played by Sung Dong-il who I first noticed in Reply 1988 as Doek Sun's dad. He somehow gives off warmth to the character he plays, like an Appa, someone reliable and caring. He does it again in If You Wish Upon Me. 

The story has its twists and turns and will surely come across as heavy for people who have had cancer patients in the family or have been caregivers. So here's a trigger warning, be ready.

The series has its sweet moments, warm ones, although the setting has somewhat whitewashed how cancer patients look like. They've kept it dreamy and made it look easy for a caregiver and focused more on the death, last wish stuff. 

One very cute character that steals the show is Sonny or Adeul, the pet dog of JCW that happens to be abandoned and is also in its last stages. Very cute and heartwarming, of course, we shed a tear or two when we know he's passed. 

There's a lot about foster homes, child abuse, and a whole mix of ideas and storylines going parallel to the main theme. 

The finale episode was heartwarming and ended on a fairly happy note. Ji Chang Wook stands out as usual as the 'uncultured' 'rowdy' guy, (liked his hairstyle) who has been 'sentenced' to serve his hours as a volunteer at a hospice. 

Watch it for some happy tears, feel-good moments, and of course, JCW. 

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