Bad-Memory Eraser: Episodes 1-2
"Bad-Memory Eraser" has captured my attention with its gripping premise and intriguing storyline. I’m eager to dive into this drama, which promises a fresh shift from the light-hearted rom-coms I’ve been binge-watching lately. Given my own struggles with anxiety, I’m particularly interested in how the show will navigate its protagonist’s trauma and guide him through his recovery. This drama seems poised to offer a compelling exploration of personal healing, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds.
So let's goooo......
The drama kicks off with a high-stakes moment from the childhood of tennis prodigy LEE GUN, who’s on the brink of clinching the World Junior Championship. As he’s poised to make history, his younger brother, LEE SHIN, stands by as his ball kid, cheering him on fervently. But as the tension peaks, the opponent’s racket slips from his hand and hurtles toward Shin. Without a second thought, Gun leaps to protect his brother, taking the full force of the impact. Though he triumphs with the gold medal, the injury he sustains sets his life on an irreversible path.
Fast forward to adulthood, Gun (played by Kim Jae-joong) is now replaying that fateful match on a plane while traveling with his family. In first class, fellow passenger KYUNG JOO-YEON (Jin Se-yeon) catches snippets of Gun’s brooding musings and decides to diagnose him from her seat. Their encounter quickly turns comical when Joo-yeon misinterprets Gun’s attempt to point out her smudged lipstick as a flirtatious advance. Amidst the chaos of unexpected turbulence, Gun’s hand inadvertently lands on Joo-yeon’s lips, leading to a hilarious struggle as she chooses to save her tablet from crashing rather than help him up. Their clumsy interaction promises plenty of laughs and awkward moments ahead.
Gun and Joo-yeon's misadventures continue to spiral out of control. Amid the frenzy of reporters and adoring fans at tennis star Shin’s event, Gun stumbles into Joo-yeon once again, causing a chaotic mix-up with their identical luggage. To add to his woes, he discovers that his family’s car has left without him, blissfully unaware of his absence.
In a poignant flashback, we glimpse a painful chapter from Gun’s past. His parents, intent on sparing him the heartache of watching Shin practice without him, had left him in the care of his grandmother for a few years. During a desperate chase after his parents’ departing taxi, Gun’s medal slips from his grasp and falls into a lake. In his frantic attempt to retrieve it, he plunges into the water, only to be saved from drowning by a young girl. This moment of vulnerability and rescue casts a shadow over his current struggles, adding depth to his character’s journey.
In the present day, Gun is the quintessential black sheep of the family, overshadowed by his golden-child brother, Shin (Lee Jong-won!). While Shin enjoys the adoration of their parents and all the perks that come with it, Gun is left grappling with his mother (Yoon Yoo-seon) raiding his bedroom for kimchi from the refrigerator. With his self-esteem at an all-time low, Gun mirrors the family's disinterest in him—feeling utterly invisible. Amidst his series of misfortunes, he’s too drained to respond to Joo-yeon’s desperate calls about her missing luggage.
Gun’s unresolved trauma manifests as debilitating phantom pains in his right hand, leading him to cross paths with Joo-yeon once more. As a psychiatrist, she assesses his condition with a cold, clinical detachment—brushing it off as a mental issue. Her initial dismissal stings, but after delving deeper into his case, she reaches out with a heartfelt voicemail, offering a genuine apology and acknowledging the validity of his pain.
Joo-yeon is at the forefront of groundbreaking research, spearheading a revolutionary study aimed at developing a neurosurgery procedure to erase negative memories—dubbed the "Bad Memory Eraser." Although she and Gun initially clash, her sympathy for his struggles grows as she learns more about him.
However, her compassion takes a sharp turn when disaster strikes: the latch on the cage containing her team’s lab rat snaps open, and the helpless creature ends up tragically crushed under Gun’s tire. Overwhelmed by the loss of months of meticulous research, Joo-yeon erupts in anger, berating Gun for his apparent disregard for the value of life. “Have you ever been significant to anyone?” she challenges, her frustration palpable as she accuses him of wallowing in self-pity.
After the somber rat funeral, Joo-yeon makes a daring appeal to the conference panel, requesting permission to conduct a second trial—this time on a human subject. That very night, fate provides her with an unexpected candidate: Gun is rushed into the hospital, unconscious and severely injured from a desperate leap off a bridge.
Shin, who has been covertly obtaining prescription medication from Joo-yeon’s senior colleague, HAN DONG-CHIL (Kim Kwang-gyu), to manage his severe camera anxiety, stumbles upon Joo-yeon’s research files on Dong-chil’s desk. Horrified by the potential implications for his brother, Shin pleads with Dong-chil to save Gun.
As Joo-yeon observes the high-stakes surgery, she’s haunted by her recent harsh words to Gun. The operation is a success, but when Gun regains consciousness, an unexpected twist unfolds: his mind confuses Joo-yeon with his childhood sweetheart, and he greets her with an affectionate hug. The bizarre effects don’t stop there—Gun’s amnesia has caused a dramatic personality overhaul. He emerges from the operation brimming with an inflated sense of confidence, strutting around like a peacock. The sheer secondhand embarrassment is palpable as he flaunts his newfound bravado.
Gun's newfound flamboyance may turn heads, but it's a refreshing change from the subdued, timid version of himself that once was. To shield his brother from the harsh reality and cover up the cause of Gun’s amnesia, Shin spins a story about a simple fall down the stairs. Meanwhile, Joo-yeon faces a dilemma: if news of Gun’s unusual side effects leaks, it could spell disaster for her clinical trial. Yet, she’s torn between revealing the truth and indulging in Gun’s misguided fantasy—both options seem fraught with their own perils.
As expected, Gun's repressed memories are not likely to remain buried forever. A seemingly innocent mention of his lost medal triggers a severe headache and a flood of painful flashbacks. The memories reveal a poignant moment from his past: at an elementary school reunion, Gun had rediscovered his treasured medal hanging on the Christmas wishing tree. His excitement at the prospect of reconnecting with his first love was dashed when he witnessed her kissing Shin in the parking lot—a crushing reminder of how he has always been overshadowed and deprived by his younger brother.
Mom's confession comes to light when Joo-yeon discovers her sobbing beside a sleeping Gun, her heart heavy with remorse over her past neglect. On the night Gun took the drastic step of plunging into the Han River, he had been desperately snatching crabs—sent by Grandma—from the plates Mom offered to Shin, before erupting in frustration over their blatant favoritism. When Mom harshly reprimanded him, Gun’s words cut deep: she may be a mother to Shin, but she’s never truly been a mother to him.
Later, as Gun aimlessly roams the hospital’s tennis court, Joo-yeon finds him in tears, lost in his own world. At that moment, the ball machine whirs to life, and Gun instinctively spins around to catch the ball with his right hand. The sight of him finally using his hand again sparks a glimmer of hope in Joo-yeon. Determined to ensure his progress isn’t in vain, she offers him a heartfelt reassurance: “You can always start over,” she says gently. “Whether it’s in sports or love. That’s right—I’m here to be your first love.”
DramaZen's Opinion
As a psychologist, the female lead's conduct is strikingly unprofessional. Her approach to handling people is shockingly ruthless—she exploits them for her own career advancement and discards those who no longer serve her interests. Her treatment of the male lead, in particular, is unforgivably cruel, demonstrating a blatant disregard for his humanity.
Furthermore, the portrayal of the parents is deeply troubling. They were all support and admiration when he was thriving, but once he injured himself while trying to protect his brother, they cast him aside to live with his grandmother. Their abandonment is heartbreaking, as they continue to pour all their support and hopes into the younger brother, leaving their other child neglected. Their actions betray any sense of parental responsibility, making it difficult to see them as deserving of the title of "parents."
I can’t muster any sympathy for his mother. Even after her son tried to end his life, her primary concern is still the younger brother. She doesn’t deserve a second chance just because he’s lost his memories—honestly, none of his family does. And don’t even get me started on the brother; he’s a snake in the grass! He didn’t just take over his brother’s life; he stole his first love, too. What a complete scumbag! Sure, he has OCD and struggles with pressure, but that doesn’t excuse him from stepping all over his brother to claim every reward while climbing to the top.
As for the romance in this drama, it feels tacked on and lackluster. It’s hard to see why it was included, other than to force the characters to help each other grow into better versions of themselves. The reveal that his first love is actually the female lead’s sister is bound to stir up some drama, but overall, the romantic subplot just doesn’t resonate with me.