Death's Game Part 2 (2024)

WOW --- Now who am I?

In this review, I will include some thoughts on Part 1 as well. I honestly wasn't invested from the start. I had a really hard time following the first two episodes, because they couldn't catch me. That's why I put the drama aside and watched others first. I am so glad, that I continued watching. The show was getting better and better. Especially when we got to see Lee Jae Wook's and Lee Do Hyun's stories. By the end of episode 4 I was devestated. And shocked to see my theory, that the two bodies we were seeing were Yi Jae and an innocent person he killed with his suicide, was wrong. I still think that this theory would have made sense for Death's reasoning to punish Yi Jae. But the Drama went a different direction. After Part 1 I was excited for Part 2... and part 2 did not disappoint.

Some thoughts:
- These "reincarnations" I found especially intriguing: Cho tae Sang (Lee Jae Wook), Jang Geon Woo (Lee Do Hyun), Jung Gyu Chul (Kim Jae Wook) and Ahn Ji Hyung (Oh Jung Se)
- I personally preferred Part 2 to Part 1, which is really refreshing to see since it's often enough the other way around
- It felt like Part 2 took more time to really explore each of the characters (even though some characters fell short in Part 1 and 2, the Baby & the homeless Man for example)
- I really enjoyed the narrative of the drama... it made you wonder why and how each "reincarnation" was going to die
- The drama hooked you to see if Yi Jae finally learned... he appears to not be the brightest star in the sky (a german saying... don't know if it's actually translatable). But the way he acted as Ahn Ji Hyung (the police officer) was really satisfying to watch
- Him being as Ahn Ji Hyung was captivating and the drama led you to think this was going to end painless and guess what ... it didn't
- The drama made me think and reflect and what's actually important and what not. It moved something inside me. And a drama that can grab my attention, hold it and eventually leads to interesting topics and contemplation, is a 10/10 candidate... and here we are :)
- Do I personally loathe people that decide to take their own life like Death does in this series? Absoluteley not!!! But this drama felt more like a personal process and message to Yi Jae as a character who was unable to see and feel the love and devotion of his mother and girlfriend. It leads attention to those people who are left behind after losing a dear person. That's the way I interpret this drama.
- I mean it could be that we have to take into consideration that in this drama God exists... but I don't want to start a religious discussion and instead interpret the drama like I said in the point before, since that's the way I watched it
- The way everything and the characters were connected is amazing. It made the Story feel more cohesive and well-rounded
- At the end the story felt circular
- I loved the OST
- Made me think "Who am I?" and "At the end, what's actually important?"

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2023-2024 MASTERPIECE NO ONE COMPARE TO THIS SHOW

THIS SHOW HAS EVERTHING THAT YOU WOULD WANTED IN A SHOW.(I mean in genre wise like thriller, action, mystery.....etc).
👇
They just nelled it this show is super Oh Jung Se(12th reincarnation as police officer)
and
Kim Jae Wook (as the pshyco murderor ) there perfomace is super ousome super
Ha Byung Hoon ( director and screenwriter ) did a super job and made a masterpeice for 2023-2024 cool man.
and i heard it was a manga adopted the manga writer (LEE WONSIK ) made a very good story super cool story
when i watching the show it feel like LEE WONSIK himself lives 12 lives or how he come up with this story it super awsome how he write it and how director make it in a show that is awsome.

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A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE!

At first I thought of this drama as any other highly hyped drama but even then I had high hopes for the show after watching the thrilling synopsis and trailer which is quite hard to find at atleast something which is to my liking.. bu oh lord ! this drama actually disregarded every little doubts that I had, leaving me astonished at such a masterpiece..I would prefer calling it an experience more than a drama given that I enjoyed every moment of it.
Well ngl I was quite contemplated towards the casting of the main characters, not doubting their acting skills but more like them fitting their respective roles perfectly or not and to my pleasant surprise they totally served it!! that I can't even imagine anyone else playing their roles... And ofc I don't need to mention the side characters and the guest roles, as we all know what they are capable of after being such renowned actors and actresses and we totally acknowledge it..
overall everything about the show was fav.. but what needs special mentioning is the exceptional story and the enlightening message ( though I found ridiculing the choices made by Yi jae were rather passive aggressive and demeaning which can demoralize the person suffering from the same )(to which we all know the increasing suicide rates in not only Korea but in the world as a whole).
This drama removes the dark tinted glasses of hopelessness from people who view the world and the god as someone biased towards some privileged people and ultimately gives up on living through the inevitable hardships of life..but this drama makes them see the world through a different perspective where there are both 'sunny and rainy days', where no one is endlessly happy or sad where giving up on life out of extreme stress and hopelessness is not an answer . This show shows us that life is beautiful as it is with its flaws and scars, we just need to learn to accept it.

This show for me was like an affirmation to my beliefs towards life and god and I absolutely loved it!!
Hope you guess will find something positive within, too till then bye-bye
XOXO

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Cherish the ONE life you got

Damn, this drama was so good. It held me on the edge of my seat constantly, and it delivered. The ending was just a chef's kiss. Everyone should give it a watch and understand how much their absence will affect others. The acting was great, and so many actors made it a masterpiece. As Ah in Jeong said, every good story has a lot of twists, and so does Death Game. 8 episodes, and every episode is a masterpiece in itself. I am probably praising it a lot because of recency bias but I recommend this to every human. Just stay quiet and watch this masterpiece without any second thought.

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Overall entertaining

Good points: I enjoyed each cast performance, it was action packed without any dull/ boring moment, drama managed to deliver multiple genres action, thriller, melodrama, romance while bringing up heavy society issues in just 8 eps.
Bad points: Drama was too gory for my taste in some scenes and i`m fed up with cliche psycho chaebol villain. I saw some comments of some people having issues with ending message, but i`m just taking whole drama at face value. It`s fictional story about one character and his journey. Viewers shouldn`t expect drama to be realistic or solve society issues

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Clever Writing, Movie Quality From Start To Finish

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

(This is a review for Part 1 and 2 together)
I watched this for Park So Dam (박소담). It’s been so long since I’ve seen her and she’s so cute. However, in this drama, she’s playing a character that’s not so cute. I was curious to see how she’d do. I wasn’t disappointed.

Acting/Cast: Great and unexpected cast. I was so happy seeing all the familiar faces and they all performed exceptionally in their roles. In particular, I think Kim Jae Wook’s (김재욱) character was so well done that he could have a drama or movie of his own. He was like every iteration of the Joker rolled into one. The styling, the suave body language, the confidently demented personality, the high-paying hobby with a horrifying secret—he was very much his own mini movie. I think the main actor, Seo In Guk (서인국) overacted at times, but it could have been more of a directing choice. 9.5/10

Writing: The writing was extremely well done. The story had a movie quality to it due to how neatly everything was laid out and then wrapped back up. I had no idea what to expect when going into this. Except, I knew it was going to have a body swapping theme, which I usually don’t like. I thought it would be another cliché plot. Not at all. There is no sugar-coating with this drama. It doesn’t pull any punches. Be advised- this drama is not for the faint of heart. There is a ton of gore…shocking gore, too. That’s something I also don’t normally like, but I think the shock value added something much needed to the idea behind this drama – the fear of death--or the reverence of death. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away...but this drama is about suicide. Suicide is a sensitive topic that is difficult to address. It’s a subject that I am very familiar with, so I tend to be particularly critical regarding how it is approached. I felt like this drama portrayed the internal struggle of a suicidal person fairly well. Towards the end of the drama, my cynicism caused me to think that “this would only be an effective message for those who have at least one good parent in their life or a significant other that truly loves them. What about the people that have nobody? What’s their reason to live?” Despite my negativity, after watching this drama, I immediately typed up my reaction or my ultimate take-away from the story: “Watching all of these people die so suddenly...so easily…and watching them fight for their lives…made me think that the time we have alive can be seen as a gift or an opportunity. We really have a short, temporary life that can end at any moment. So why cut it even shorter? It'll be over before we know it anyway. ‘It's ok if we fail, as long as we don't give up.’ (a quote from the drama)” I need to mention the ending here. A little predictable…ok maybe more than a little, but not bad. This feels so out-of-character for me to say, but I think that an open ending would have worked really well for this story. Wow, this is the one time I’ve actually wanted an open ending. 8/10

Direction/SFX/Music: Watching this drama felt like watching a long blockbuster movie. Not only because of the writing, but also because of the high production value. Immediately, we see stunts, action, explosions, blood, and all out insanity. I was shocked. Why was I under the impression that this was going to be a romance? At times, I even thought it was too much--too over-the-top. Just think if this drama had a badass OST... I mean even Bad and Crazy had one awesome song that made the drama super memorable even though I didn’t really like the drama. Same thing with Tale of the Nine-Tailed. This drama just needs that one badass song to really make it unforgettable. 6.5/10

Entertainment Value: I waited for this drama to finish airing before watching it. I knew it would be binge-worthy. It does slow down quite a bit in the end, but I wasn’t complaining. I needed a break from all the insanity anyway. Sometimes, it was a bit tough to watch. I don’t like gore. I had to look away a lot. It also has a very depressing theme. I’m glad I was able to get through it quickly. I feel when I’m watching a drama, it’s sort of like a part of me is in that world until the drama’s over. So, I’m glad I wasn’t in that world for very long. 8.5/10

Overall, I gave this drama an 8/10. There’s a lot of violence and gore. It feels over-the-top at times. The topic of suicide is really tough to navigate, but I like the fearlessly aggressive approach, even if I don’t necessarily agree with everything. I don’t like it when drama creators are too afraid of the audience to do anything risky. It could have really used a badass OST though…

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Masterful writing and acting

The plot is amazing. It has action, interesting and intertwining character arcs, and most importantly commentary about the value of life. This drama is one of the best, in my opinion, regarding plot and storylines. Of course, I have to credit the webtoon authors Lee Won-sik and Ggulchan as well because this drama is based on their creation.

I liked the first part of the series better because of the action and higher stakes. But the conclusion of this part delivers the main message of this drama - you get to live only one life, you are loved, and you should cherish your life, and live it to the fullest.

The acting was also phenomenal. Each actor put everything into their role and knocked it out of the park. I believe some actors delivered some of the best performances in their careers.

Can't say that I noticed the soundtrack. To me it was okay, it didn't enhance my experience watching this drama.

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Living the lives of Seven People

Hey everyone, welcome to the first K-Drama study of 2024. Today, I'll discuss the show Death's Game, starring Seo in Guk. The Drama was released in two parts. The first four Episodes will be released in December of 2023, and part two will be released in January 2024. I've been excited to watch this since it was announced, and now let's jump in as we see what I thought of the show.

Disclaimer: This review will contain spoilers to read at your own risk

The last Drama I saw Seo in Guk was Minamdang Cafè, a drama that I wasn't a fan of as the comedy elements overpowered the other aspects of the show. I wasn't sure what Death's Game would be like, but I was excited to see it. I have to say the acting from the cast was perfect as each of them performed terrific. I loved Park So Dam's performance of her character, Death. The way she brought that character to life was amazing, as he expressions kept impressing me each time I saw her on screen. Seo In Guk put on an excellent performance of his character, even though there were some moments I wouldn't say I liked cause it felt like he was still selfish. I will also enjoy some of the stories in the first four episodes felt rushed, but they still fit this story overall.
I loved the moment when Yi Jae got to see his ex-girlfriend, but in someone else's body before they both got killed. The one story I liked was when Yi Jae woke up in a High Schooler's body. It was fun to see him stop this person from getting bullied, but he got killed again in the end. One moment that made me laugh was when Yi Jae tried to shoot Death with a gun. Come on, bro, Death can't be killed. You should know that. I liked the little suspense the show brought, but I will say the ending was predictable. I have to mention that the first four episodes we got in December were perfect. Nothing was wrong with them, but after we got the second four episodes, it felt like we were watching a Crime drama. Overall, a Seo in Guk is much better than Minamdang Cafè.

We did get three OSTs for the show, and they kept popping up on my playlists. Sondia did the first OST, delivering some excellent vocals with a beautiful piano melody that kept bringing me back for more. You could feel the emotion that she was getting with her singing. Seo In Guk did the second OST one that felt a little darker, but I always welcome it time we get to hear him sing since he does more acting than singing now. Sondia returned for the final OST for the show, which has been popping up on my playlist in 2024. For only three OSTs for this show, they all pack a punch and are ones that keep popping up on my playlist.


Overall, Death's Game is an enjoyable show with some excellent acting and suspense but a predictable ending. I've decided to give this show a B for being a great drama and a big step up for Seo In Guk since I wouldn't say I liked his last Drama. I'll be back sometime in 2024 with another Drama review, so look out for that and have a lovely day/night.

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Nearly Perfect Drama, Reaffirming the message "Life is a Gift. Don't Take it for Granted"

Death's Game on face-value may seem like a thrilling survival game between the human & the supernatural but is in fact a humbling take to address the rising suicide rates, especially among the youth and the impact it has on everyone. It is not an easy topic to address, therefore I must praise & thank everyone involved in this show for their brilliant writing, direction & acting to depict this difficult message. I have not read the webtoon hence my anticipation was exceedingly high with this drama given the premise & talented cast it signed on (The latter delivering more than what they promised). The drama is brilliant start to 2024, my only minor complaint remains with the ending episodes which makes is "Nearly Perfect"

❤️ The drama is literally flawless 10/10 for PART 1 & till Ep 6 and half in PART 2:
With its gripping narrative as we see how the ML tries make the best of each new life he is given, banter with Death and tries to beat the game. It slowly takes the shape of a revenge plot, as the ML realizes all these different lives are in fact connected to a single antagonist, who also had an impact to his life & those who he holds dear.

✘ Issue 1:The revenge plan that takes up half of Ep 6-7:
The conclusion is satisfactory cause it is another good vs evil battle. But the execution of it seems over-the-top heroics, illogical explanations & just too basic especially for a plot that had build up the expectation for a grand conclusion, to fall flat at the most important moment.

❤️ Ep 8: Mixed Feels, Predictable & Confusing Ending:
The last life might have been done as a shock-factor, but by now we can see it coming. It is still powerful in driving across the messages of - how our actions in life & death impacts others, how time is never enough to express your love to those you care about, how some people even in the face of adversity keep trying harder while others give in. Again - this is a grey area, but the drama delivers it with a heart so kudos!

✘ Issue 2: The Last Scene
We are at the finale - hoping that the ML finds redemption & has a happy ending. But the way it is executed feels very rushed, with no preamble whatsoever and basically goes against Death's initial words/rules? I know that this drama addresses a social problem, but the ending left me crushed/puzzled than feeling good. Guess I will read the webtoon in case there is an alternative ending, but the drama ending had a meh effect for me.

❤️Overall: 9/10 (Part 1 is 10/10, Part 2 is 8/10)
Personally it is one of the genres that I enjoy along with a cast that I love. The BGM score is too addictive & I hope to discover it soon in a music app. The stories individually are a mystery & when tied together overall and with the ML's life it just takes it to another level. Wish the issues that I had were not there, and it would have been simply flawless. But even that, it is one of the best dramas I have seen for 2023/2024.

If not the whole series, I will definitely rewatch the episodes/scenes where the characters gets their way through wits or action, making you pump your own fist in the air for their wins!

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The true punishment in Death’s “game”

I’ve seen a lot of comments about this show’s narrow minded approach towards suicide and I felt the need to write a review.

Based on my interpretation, Death’s game isn’t aiming to explore suicide as a whole but it rather hones in on one suicide in particular; Choi Yi Jae’s. Not due to the fact that he committed it in the first place but his frame of mind, reason and attitude not just towards death herself, but also life.

Choi Yi Jae is ultimately a proud and selfish character, not just in life, but also death. His narrow minded views on life and what it meant ultimately led him to the decision to commit suicide. While there are various reasons why one might kill him/herself, his’ is ultimately selfish and reckless. He didn’t truly aim to die, death was just ultimately the easiest way out of his present circumstances which he aimed to escape and for this reason, death punishes him.

I believe that with all the numerous and creative ways which he died, The true punishment was not death itself but the slow and painful realization of what death was trying to teach him. One of the first things we are shown is Choi Yi Jae’s desire to live and that under different, “better” circumstances he was willing to fight hard for his survival. Death aims to open his narrow mind and give him a sort of bird’s eye view on life and death through the lives of these 12 very different people. He is able to see how his choice affected the people he left behind, and how he did in fact have reasons to live, reasons he took for granted, but only when the his loved one dies does he realize the true punishment was not these deaths itself but the regret and pain he feels as he slowly looses himself in between all these lives and realizes that he did in fact have an opportunity because what at that time felt like everything to him was only in fact a small part of his life and there was a greater more precious and meaningful part of it that he had completely missed out on in that one single act of recklessness because you only ever truly have one life and one chance. There ARE no do overs.

That being said, I believe that the ending would have been better if he wasn’t given the chance to go back after reaching the full realization at the end of the 12 lives so as to emphasize the fact that you only have ONE chance.

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