Go Back Couple (also known as Go Back Spouses) tells the story of a husband (Son Ho Jun) and wife (Jang Na Ra) that have been beaten down by life and regret getting married. But they get a second chance at love when they are both transported back in time to their college years.
Go Back Couple was such a special drama. It offers a truly moving commentary on what love and relationships look like as well as how life doesn’t always turn out like we had imagined. It delivers a poignant story that I found both warm and heart-achingly real. At the same time, it mixed in humor, retro 90’s fun, and plenty of joy to balance things out.
Jang Na Ra plays Ma Jin Joo. In the present day, she is a housewife and mother who finds herself struggling day to day. She feels alone and like her husband isn’t there for her and doesn’t understand.
Going back to her college years allows her to rediscover her bright personality and see what a special person she really is. Jang Na Ra was absolutely perfect for this role. She’s endearing, adorable, and feisty. I love her so much!
Son Ho Jun is Jin Joo’s husband Choi Ban Do. He’s devoted his life to his job in order to take care of his family. But he is frequently looked down upon and finds himself having to do things he has no desire to do. This has left him unhappy and feeling unappreciated.
For him, going back to his college years is liberating as he finds himself free of the responsibility and shackles that were tying him down. He’s ready to live the carefree life. But he discovers that requires giving up some very important things that he didn’t realize just how much he needed.
This was my first time seeing Son Ho Jun, and I really liked him. He fit the role perfectly by being a good mixture of being a bit inconsiderate yet also being sympathetic. He was a fun character, and I loved watching him grow.
We have our main couple’s first loves in the mix when they go back in time. Nam Gil (Jang Ki Yong) is the handsome and popular man who has feelings for Jin Joo.
Seo Young (Go Bo Gyeol) is Ban Do’s first love who he was never able to properly confess to and date. They give Jin Joo and Ban Do the chance to explore what might have been.
Then there’s our wonderful group of friends: Bo Reum (Han Bo Reum), Seol (Cho Hye Jung), Jae Woo (Heo Jung Min), and Dok Jae (Lee Yi Kyung). This is a very fun and quirky group, but they are good friends to our couple, and they are an important support for them. They also offer some fun side stories as they embark on their own relationship journeys.
Go Back Couple really was such a refreshing and heartwarming drama. Unlike most romantic comedies, it starts with our couple already married. Having been together for many years, they are both very unhappy. They are disappointed with their lives and take each other for granted while being unable to see the pain their spouse is suffering. This ultimately leads to divorce.
That all changes when the pair suddenly wake up 18 years in their past during their college years. After getting past the initial shock, they are both quite thrilled to be young and single again. The drama then begins to really explore what love looks like.
After being with a partner for years, it’s common to take them for granted and to lose sight of what made you first fall in love. People think of what their life could have been and may even dream of first loves of long ago.
Ban Do and Jin Joo get the opportunity to go back and change things. Not wanting anything to do with each other, they each pursue relationships with their first loves. Of course, while it may be fun for a while, eventually, the life knowledge they have changes their perspective on many things.
While there’s a freedom and joy that comes from youth, there’s also a lack of understanding and knowledge of how things change throughout life. Ban Do and Jin Joo can see where certain choices will lead them and their friends. But many times there’s a wall between them and their friends who simply don’t have the same life experience.
And while Ban Do and Jin Joo have a lot of dislike towards each other, their trip to the past gives them each the chance to be reminded of why they first fell in love. By removing all of life’s stresses and hardships that have beaten them down, they see each other in a new light.
I truly loved seeing this couple grow throughout the drama. They had a new appreciation for life and eventually also for each other. Despite their difficult situation, these two know each other in a way that only long time partners do.
I was brought to tears so many times as I watched their relationship falling apart and then slowly getting put back together. Those moments of remembrance and appreciation that developed were so heartfelt. My heart ached with them as they struggled through disappointment and unhappiness. Then seeing that underneath all that was still an ember of love that just needed to be ignited.
And while the pair certainly needed to be reminded of what it was like to feel the freedom and excitement of youth, it was the realization that true love is more than that initial flutter of attraction that made all of the difference. It’s being a support for your partner, knowing them better than anyone else, putting their needs above yours, but at the same time being honest about your needs so they can support you.
Go Back Couple moved me on so many levels. It made me laugh and smile and also made me cry more times than I can count. It was such a beautiful examination of what love is, and that it is something we should make every effort to hold onto.
My Rating: 8.5/10
Click here for more Kdrama Reviews.
Sign Up to receive email updates of kdrama reviews, casting news, trailers, and more.
Kdrama Kisses 
Leave a comment