ECLIPSED POTENTIAL

What just happened? Is that it?

The promotions to this show oversold it as a mystery drama - but wat was promised to be an intriguing and unique (crime)unexplained death solving/revenge plot with a touch of supernatural turned out to be nothing but shallow build up.

The only saving grace is the cast - First and Khaotung are both too good for the scenes they could have done it even while sleeping. It is a shame that both stellar actors are not getting the right break to catapult them into proper BL idols, i thought this was it. Oh, I also thought they're too old to play high school, in shorts nonetheless.

Im sorry to say but nothing about the plot is successfully executed - the investigative-mystery solving arc turned out to be nothing but one nephew's cry for attention. The failed attempt of being a gay activism show (un)spectacularly influenced by the metoo movement is just preachy and pointless. The enemies-to-lovers angle was shoved in our faces but isnt even fully developed. Even the second pairing felt forced. And has anyone sensed a creepy teacher to student lovers vibe?

Also, you cannot make a story with two trying-hard psychopaths that put other students lives at risk (to advance their causes) just to literally make them get away with it at the end, there was no consequences and literally no risks. Everybody came out unscathed and everything is rainbows and butterflies by the end. Just no. It made the whole series pointless.

Episode 1 wasnt compelling enough, i stayed because of the cast. I was already too bored by episode 3 and i kind of forgot about it. Came back and binged the next 4 episodes but it didnt get better. I skipped it again and bitch watched (Im sorry, i meant to say binge watched) the rest after the finale aired. Im just glad i didnt wait for it every Friday.

We all know we have too much school BL drama now, and giving it a twist could have been interesting but man it is just a show with big potential but was eclipsed by the shallow execution.

Overall, 6.5 stars. watch it for the main leads otherwise ignore it if you have other things to watch.

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CREEPY CREEPY ENDING

I couldn't emphasize enough how that ending is giving creepy sexual predator vibe.

This fantasy-scify has a very unique main story. A guy from the 90s is transported to the present after offending a local deity (or priest). The story revolves around his adjustment to the present time and his quest to get back to his own time, all while meeting his old and making new friends, and of course it wouldnt be a BL if theres no romance so finding the unexpected love of his life is a given.

The end. Or actually that should have ended it.

First of all, whoever thought that title Past-senger should be given a raise, because thats the only witty thing in this series. Title alone summarizes what Kiew is - a traveler from the past and the first few episodes has also successfully explored the concept of a time traveler adjusting to his life in the present. However things got boring so fast and the slow and repetitive pacing bored me with almost nothing significant happening in the middle episodes.

The whole series screams low-budget. The cinematography is giving an old tv soap opera vibes and combine that with poor makeup is a total disservice to the artists. Here we are bombarded with a lot of close up shots that exposed the actors in a bad way.

I also dont know if anyone noticed how grating the background sound is - that monotonous guitar strum will sometimes be exchanged with an equally annoying piano or musicbox melody that only highlights how much they spend on music. These background music were utilized so unfittingly that it gives me headache and muting the show became a necessity.

Seriously, can anyone raise theiir hand if you think literally tripping or falling over someone is romantic? I have never known any couple in real life with that experience and to see that happen in almost every other series out there is so infuriating.

I can forgive the script (i will blame it on the poor translation) and i think the actors did what they could with what they were given. There was a few story arc (and quite a few tropes) that i wished they didnt do and the young stars is in need of major acting workshop.

I, however, liked the fact that they almost respected the concept of the time travel paradoxes (as they did it much better than a certain series with 609 in it). There were a few lapses but they are bearable.

The biggest issue is when they added that ending scene, where the present day Kiew meets Bamee again. There is an air of almost predatory creepiness in it and i think they could have handled that a little better.

Finally, I should also call out producers in Thailand to please please give Cooper a good project. This guy deserves a big break and maybe a partner who will elevate him into a bonafide star.

This series, although not exactly A-class is admittedly a guilty pleasure watch every Wednesday night. Would i re-watch? Oh hell no! Unfortunately, no matter how much fun, well intended and lighthearted the series is, it is still hard to recommend.

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EYECANDIES

While i cant say anything bad about the 4 main cast, who may be some of the best looking cast in any BL show, the story and the execution is a bit lacking.

The plot is a typical Thai BL setting - boy hates (or pretends) to hate another boy only to fall in love in the end - whats worse is this time we got 2 of that (or 3 or 4 if you count the side characters). There is no real climax to the story except to make these guys fall inlove with each other - there was very little time for the characters to grow. Initially they were trying to tell the backstories of Zon and Tutor, only for all of that to not matter in the end. There was no antagonist and no real (or very little) conflict and the finale felt like it was really rushed - nothing really happened in the final episode, other than Saifzon's first time.

If they didnt try to be so serious in the beginning and just made it a completely light hearted romance drama, things would have been better.

Saint is always amazing but for me Zee stole the show. The way he cried when they broke up and the way he begged Tutor to take him back broke my heart too.

Thank god Tommy was cute enough that even if his character is so annoyingly written I cant still hate him. Jimmy is just charming and cute as hell. These 2 deserve a better series of their own.

Will i rewatch the series again - maybe, only for the EYECANDIES, and if i am locked down again at home for a long period of time. Otherwise not at all.

I do understand the pressure of finishing a show in the midst of the covid pandemic - we all know that the production was heavily affected by it. And because of their effort to not hang the fans in the middle of the show, im still giving the show a 7.

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You need to be a zombie to enjoy this

Whew! Watching this is like doing an unwanted chore. Such a waste of opportunity!

After saving it in my to-watch list the first day I saw the trailer on Netflix, I cleared my Friday night schedule to binge all the episodes, prepared my popcorn, (and beer) popped the first episode and I'm hooked! The first episode was compelling and was such a gorefest, I thought it is exactly how I want my horror show. The very first attack by the school nurse was heartstopping and showed a lot of promise. Sadly, after the 3rd episode, I am snoozing like a baby, drools and all.

My expectations are low when it comes to horror. I come to be entertained and have a good time, and the more gruesome and the more bloody the better. Having said that, I have set my bar even lower for this series because I know it's teen-centric and I just want to enjoy and not nitpick details. This show, however, exceeded in delivering mind-numbing foolishness, and it's so easy to hate almost all characters that you can't stop wishing all of them would just be bitten.

The story is simple enough but could have been a goldmine of ideas and exciting scenarios. Instead, they dropped stupid and repetitive scenarios one after another. The character's eyes keep popping like a light bulb every time they think (or they think they thought of) of brilliant ideas to outsmart the zombies. You just can't help but cheer the zombies to finally have a go at it and just kill the characters:
1. One of the most frustrating is the way they handled Ohn Jo's father, they were building the story for him to be the big rescuer, and that he will do everything to save his daughter only to die minutes after reuniting with her. We were shouting at the screen when that happened cause they all clearly have a path to get away from the zombies, especially right after when he threw the first flare because it seems they can all go safely, Then, he unnecessarily threw the second and third flares. Very anti-climatic for his arc just to create the drama.
2. Seems like they were intent on just unnecessarily killing all the adults alive in the school to keep the narrative that the teens are on their own.
3. The vlogger was just a nuisance. I don't understand his importance to the story cause he did nothing at all.
4. Do I need to mention Chiong San's mom? What about his dad who mysteriously disappeared?
5, The police force. My goodness! I love Lee Kyu Hyung and even if his character here was almost the same as in Happiness, he is still also one of the few bright spots of the series. However, the whole Hyosan police force was just a dimwit bunch. Did you see how easy it was for the zombies to overrun the friggin police headquarters? The guys at the school put up a much better fight than these weakling cops. They got the main culprit -the brain behind the virus and they know the virus is spreading and you interrogate him like it's a normal crime? Has no one there thought of coordinating with the other agencies, and telling them that they have the crazy scientist, turn him over and make him do the antidote or something. No, they all panicked when the zombies attacked the police station, no one even thought of maybe finding some weapons because just maybe there are some because THEY ARE IN THE FRIGGIN POLICE STATION!
6. What about the assemblywoman? What's her actual contribution to the whole story?
7. Did you see how the teen mom tied her hands with that ribbon, to keep her from eating the baby? She's a zombie, not a gift box, that ribbon looks so thin that when she became a zombie she could have snapped it easily. Oh but that ribbon is made of steel and it held her overnight. And that baby? It must have superhuman powers to survive that long without milk.
8. The bullied girl in the rooftop. I was thinking they'd give her a recovery arc, but no, she is just as self-centered as her bullies. She was so happy to announce that she SET THE SCHOOL ON FIRE, but girl has to check that statement cause all she did was burn the papers in the office, nothing more. Hasn't she seen the fire sprinklers working? A fight between her and GwiNam could have been epic.
9. And OMG that bullied guy. I kinda understand why he did what he did on the rooftop, but then he was at the camp, met this girl, and he tells him I want to eat you, and then he just let her. That scenario alone could have opened a lot of possible chaotic scenarios inside the camp. I was kinda expecting the zombies to spread there, but no, nothing of that sort. It's like the guy's existence is just to make the abandonment of the kids in the rooftop climatic, which by the way is not.
10. I would like to mention the countless stupid ways to escape a zombie apocalypse but this is already way too long.

They even spent almost an episode literally talking about shit. They complained about thirst and hunger but didn't bother to find food and water and yet they spent quite some time teaching us how to do the number 2 during an apocalypse.

What makes it sadder, is that I find not a single character to latch on to - not the drama queen, not her puppy best friend, not the pretend goody goody jock, not even the smartass who could have been their gifted savior. What they delivered instead was a puke-invoking bunch of whiny pimpled teenage characters who can't stop talking about their silly crushes and quite a few useless adult characters who make selfish and terrible decisions.

There are only two characters I didn't hate- Gwi Nam is a scary psycho and the funny delinquent Mi-Jin. Had they shifted the focus to these two, they could have created a witty frightening gore. I just have to add that my favorite part was when they were on the rooftop and singing cause that felt sincere.

I can't help but wonder why this show got a 12-episode order as opposed to Kingdom which has 6 per season and Sweet Home which has 10. The show could have used a lot of editing and maybe it will feel better if it was just 8 or even 10.

I recommend having a go at it using your mobile device, that way you can change the playback speed, otherwise, if you're watching on your smart tv just have the remote ready and just feel free to skip the boring parts. I promise you, you won't miss anything. Hard to rewatch, unfortunately.

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AFTER EVERYTHING, NOTHING MADE SENSE

Talk about a convoluted plot, if you haven't seen or just planning to see it, I'd say don't.

Let me start by saying that it pains me to give this a low mark. First, i am in love with Kang Joon and i almost always give his dramas a pass. Second, i am at awe that Korea tries new and high-concept dramas and are not afraid to experiment - but this experiment didn't just fall flat on its face, it broke the floor and went through so deep i cant even fathom where it went.

To put it mildly, no matter how senseless the plot is, the first 7 to 8 episodes were at least interesting - i loved Kim Sae Ha and his undercover vendetta, I loved Jung Sae Byeok as a zealous and capable police officer. However, by the time we were on the episode 9, things got muddy. The last episode is a complete jaw dropper in its absurdity that when the credits rolled you will be in disbelief.

Things to note:
1. A woman from the future created the grid to protect the earth from extreme solar radiation. What did they do? Of course, try to catch her like she's a suspect. Put her in a lab and poke at her just because its fun. Why? Aren't the people in the know, supposed to be thankful to her for saving the planet?
2. The time travelling bit is just a hit and miss, and follows absolutely no rule at all. In episode 7 and 8 Sae Ha's journey to the timeline cannot be explained in paper but i still liked it up to that part. Their mantra is time doesn't flow, and so the sense it seems.
3. Did they imply Sae Byeok was raped by Ma Nok? When and how did that happen? Was Ma Nok related to Eo Jin? How did the Ghost became related to both of them?
4. The last episode is one big mess i don't even know what to make of it. If they intended to make it a cliffhanger for a possible new season then it just didn't work. They just stacked one mess after another and expected people to be puzzled and amazed.. After slapping the faces of the few who watched this season did you really expect us to come back for more? Sorry just no.
5. I also don't get the decision to make it a single episode per week and making the runtime shorter. This worked exactly against the series. As a Kdrama fan i am so used to seeing at least 2 episodes per week (or in the case of Netflix a massive dump of full season) cause that kept me hooked and lets me retain the story better. With Grid, i kind of forgot there are new episodes and frankly didn't care to watch it on time.

They managed to make a series that you need to rewatch, but not for good reasons. You have to, especially the last 2 episodes because watching it for the first time is not enough to make any sense, however watching it the second time i think made it worse. If there's anyone willing to explain the ending to me, please I'll be all ears.

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RAINED ON THEIR OWN PARADE

T'was actually good until they decided to rain on their own parade - and when it rained, it poured.

Started out well. It wasnt perfect but lets say it was light and enjoyable and it was a breath of fresh air compared to the second-rate concurrently aired Thai BL (oh no I will not confirm or deny that I'm talking about Step by Step). The fantasy premise was intriguing and new.

The cast were all perfectly good looking. - i fell in like with Pee, its as if he was plucked from a Korean show and like he is always glowing, I already love Title in My Only 12% and im glad he finally got a starring role (also the main reason why i watched the show). Suar - i just love Suar, he is so lovable as Tian! I loved him im Youre My Sky but here he was even more adorable. Copter is gorgeous! I was also hoping to see more of Dream and although it was too short, her budding romance with Nara looked promising. ! I also appreaciate the fact that to some extent almost no one is made intetntionally annoying.

The pacing is alright, I was actually surprised when the main pairing happened quite quickly in the first few episodes without too much fuzz.

It was a perfect cap off to a busy week. I even considered it a must watch that I even subscribed to Iqiyi after watching the first episode just to see the episode earlier.

Leading to the 7th episode, I get the sense that the series was written a little blandly, and true enough that's when the series turned 180 degrees and decided to check all the tropes. Episode 8 and 9 were acceptable, and then the dreaded obligatory breakup episode 10 and 11 were things turned to crap.

First of all, both Pat and Sengtai's actions leading to the break-up scene were both very out of character, and I strongly feel that they were unnecessarily added just to make it more dramatic.

Second, I'd argue that there are still so many things to explore regarding their relationship and the phenomenon that they were in - I wanted to know more about them being soul mates - what was so special about Tai's family, and all the characters who were given this gift. That alone could be a throve of stories to explore. The makers are marketing it as an almost fantasy series so why didn't they sell us that mystery. And oh my, do I need to emphasize my jaw-dropping annoyance in one scene where one shout literally rid them of their connection to their soulmates.

I couldn't buy the soul-mate thing of Tai's parents. I just cant see the chemistry between them, and to be honest, the reason for their separation doesn't feel huge enough to break an enchanted love.

I am also sad that they ruined Lomfon.

Lastly, the last episode was so uneventful and uninspiring that I almost didn't finish it. I can't even fathom why they spent quite a long time with the new couple - what's the connection to the overall plot. They got more screen time than Patt in the finale, they even have their own flashback scene. And when the leads finally meet again, did you also notice how blank Patt's face is?

Against everything I hated, I also loved a lot of things. Overall its an uneventful 7 for me. Will I re-watch - not a chance.

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CRAZY GOOD

Crazy good performance! 2 thumbs up!

The first episode was a refreshing mind-bender! As expected, Lee Dong Wook is always in great form. Wi Ha joon on the other hand is such a revelation - after surprising us with an unexpected role in Midnight, he has clearly shown that he isnt just a cutie actor but someone who can act. Together, their 'bromance' was captivating to watch.

Hands down it is one of the most unique plots ive seen in quite some time. However, the title - Bad and Crazy should have given me a clue of the things to come.

From being a cop show, it took a slightly bad turn and suddenly became a show about mental illness. I enjoyed it, however, i found that the first and second acts about catching bad and corrupt politician, and then the cops, all while fighting the scary russian mafia were a lot more compelling than the split personality drama. I do feel like they suddenly cut the drug issue short and that it wasnt closed properly. It's like it was done because they already exceeded the episode numbers and its almost time to close the curtain and show the crazy doctor. After all, Boss Yong was magnificently played and was scary as hell, and could have been a much better overall antagonist.

I loved the action, i love the mystery, i loved the support casts, I loved the rock music theme. Heck, i even loved the costumes and I thought Lee Dong Wook looked so good in almost all his outfits and the crazy doctorJung Sung Il is just gorgeous!

They appropriately ended the show with us wondering if the King is really gone, which makes a second season possible. Will i rewatch? Probably not, maybe just a quick refresh if there will be a continuation. Will i recommend, yes definitely! Overall its an 8 out of 10 stars.

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It started out as a must watch weekly show but halfway through my curiosity fizzled that i even forget there are still new episodes coming.

Dont get me wrong, this show is not bad at all and definitely watchable. The problem is watching the first episodes set my expectations high.

Kim Bum and Rain are both fantastic as Ko Seung Tak and Cha Young Min. I loved their small nuances when they are acting as one. The way they showed them during surgeries are also effective. However as lovable their characters are, they’re actions are also confusing. For example, Seung Tak was initially portrayed as a book genius and although he may buckle during actual surgeries we were led to believe he was still supposed to know whats going on, but there were scences when he was just waiting to be told what the medical conditions are and what to do with them. Also, I cant tell if Seung Tak is afraid of ghosts (more on this with spoiler alert, later).

Another thing lacking is a good antagonist. Han Seung Wong and Jang Min Ho are like your high school bullies, all talk no real bite. I cant even tell what is the real motive behind Seung Wong's action. Making him morr despicable would have been more effective, or just remove that angle completely and focus on the medical and supernatural side of the drama.

I may also be expecting a lot more from the female leads. Uee, as always, is amazing although Jang Se Jin's relationship with Seung Tak is borderline creepy. Son Na Eun, on the other hand, was completely wasted and Ooh Soo Jung's exposure was almost non existent.

I also have to say that their take on ghost lore, feels a little bit off. **MINOR SPOILER ALERT** All the ghosts in the series EXCEPT ONE are comatosed patients, and, they implied that these spirits banish once the host body is completely dead. So were they really ghosts or some form of astral projections? In connection to that, i dont understand why Seung Tak is scared and cant do surgeries, not even during his time in school, because for one, he has an understanding that the spirits he sees belong to people who are alive (or at least about to die) in real world. And as they implied that the ghosts banishes when they're dead, that means he cant be seeing ghosts during the cadaver surgery practicum.

Also what is so special about Young Min that he is the only comatosed patient that can actually posses someone? Again, should we call them ghosts? By definition, ghosts are apparitions of dead people, so technically the professor and the other guys are in fact not yet ghosts. Or, maybe, they could have made Young Min the only comatosed "ghost" and let the others be ghosts from dead people to set him apart and make him a bit unique, thus the ability to posses Seung Tak. I think they should have explored and solidified that supernatural concept a little bit more and explained the mythology better to make it believable.

With that said, im still giving the show a fantastic 8.5 out of 10 stars. Will i rewatch? I dont think so.

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Typical ABSCBN

Its obvious that this is ABSCBN's attempt to ride the BL craze. A cross between Gameboys and Thailand's 2gether but falls flat with its thin story line.

While i am thankful that the producers decided to show it in Youtube, i cant help but feel that the series was haphazardly put together just to be able to be one of the first to put out a real BL series in the Philippines. It just feels shallow with very little (to no) character development and it felt like nothing's really happening after every epispde. I can only imagine good things if they waited a little bit and did this post-COVID.

The 2 main cast are A+, this is where the series shined. JC is a revelation- this guy deserves better projects while Tony has perfected his GGSS acting style.

However, even with the good acting, the series still lacks depth. HS is a big BL CLICKBAIT series- stuck between wanting to make BL fans happy and at the same time not wanting to offend the generally christian conservative (and hypocrite) public.

What i hate even more is after showing 7 episodes regularly, they just decided to hold back the last episode for a few weeks. I dont know if they were hoping to generate excitement or for what other reason, but to.me.it just didnt work, especially since the finale just lacks the punch.

Overall, im giving the series a 6.5 (mostly because of JC). I wouldnt actually reccommend it, only when you are stucked and has nothing to do.

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WARNING, THIS IS DRAMA NOT HORROR

For those wishing to see gore and horror, look somewhere else. After finishing the series, im still left wondering why it is titled Happiness.

Plot is set after the COVID pandemic and has creepily touched into our real world nightmare - what happens if after all that we faced through this pandemic and all the medication (vaccines) we are taking take an even scarier side effect?

Im just excited to see Park Hyung Sik in his first drama after his military service and he looked even dashier and manlier here. He has become an even more believable and charming leading man. It has also been a while since Han Hyo Joo's last drama and this beautiful actress fits the role perfectly.

Coming in, i thought it was a mix of Sweet Tooth and Alive. The first few episodes were engaging , however, they werent able to keep the momentum and the middle episodes felt like fillers. I wonder if something happened during the production that made them turn around and change the focus of the story, but what started out as a heartpounding scary series turned into a melodrama.

Almost all secondary characters in the apartment are annoying and felt disposable, and I couldnt care less if any or all of them died. Also their repetitious routine of going up and down the apartment to have uneventful tenant meeting bored me and is tiring to watch. Even the main characters sometime feels like bullies and too self righteous.

Im not sure if they sold the drama as a post apocalyptic drama or horror but there was just not enough horror element but instead too much of telenovela drama. I also would have wanted more screentime for the Lieutenant Lee Si Joo because aside from Yi Hyun, she felt like the only character with an untarnished motive, which in honestly, the show lacks.

I think the experience would have been better if it is shown in Nelflix with a one time binge drop of just 8 episodes. The ending was also a bit anti-climatic, i was waiting for the big Zombie attack which didnt happen, at all. But also to be honest i still would have watched 16 episodes with just Hyung Sik doing nothing but being his handsome self.

So again, why happiness? Was it intended to mean as a quest for happiness or was it a commentary of how all people seem to be unhappy with the situation they are in? I am still not sure.

Would i rewatch? Yes definitely. Would i reccommend? Of course.

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COULD'VE BEEN PERFECT

I was onboard the moment it was announced that Song Joong Ki will star, I was expecting a big serious action drama but i was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually lighter in tone - something i didnt know I needed.

ACTING. 9.5. Song Joong Ki as Vincenzo was just phenomenal here. Oh Taecyeon as Jang Jung Woo was so terrifying and was a revelation. Jeon Yeo Been's quirky and smart Hong Cha Young was just the right amount. The pool of amazing support cast - Kwak Dong Yeon, Kim Yeo Jin, Jo Han Chul, Yoo Jae Myung, and all the Geumga Plaza residents were all top notch.

STORY and EXECUTION. 8.5. The premise is interesting - and the overarching idea of good vs evil or evil versus lesser evil is not original but executed well. The shift in tone when Vincenzo arrived in Korea and the touch of comedy was also somehow welcoming.

However, in the middle of the series I got tired of the chess-like moves each camp is making, that it became a little hard to take things seriously. I questioned whether Vincenzo was really a scary mafia that we were constantly reminded of, and whether Jang Jung Woo was really a baddy or just a a spoiled little twat. It didnt help that the main characters, despite being constantly faced with danger or threat remained alive, almost till the end. Somehow it felt like the story and the lifespan of the characters were extended because the number of episodes were extended. Also, the fact that everyone in the Geumga Plaza building were somehow hiding a secret identity just made the story telling convenient but not necessarily engaging.

The special effects were also amazing.

REWATCHEABILITY. 8.5. Id argue that you can watch it and mute the sounds and the show will still be watchable thanks to the visuals of Joong-Ki - this guy age so well. Okay in all seriousness, although there are some weak moments, the light tones sprinkled within the series made it easy to watch and re-watch. The characters are easy to love and the villains are so hateable that overall it is still entertaining.

OVERALL im giving this show a 9 out of 10.

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UNHOOKED

Preachy and inconsistent. It is a low budget series - and it was pretty obvious.

The bad:
1. The writer thinks he created intelligent characters and an intelligent banter but what we actually have are long, boring, unnatural and preachy conversations. The flow of thought from all the characters are way too similar that it feels like a single person talking to his split personality.
2. The story. You met up on a dating app, met and hooked up once and next thing you were already 'inlove'? Really?
2. Camera work and editing. Lets forgive them for poor camera quality, but the editing is just horrendous, you dont even feel like they are really talking to each other (but it can also attributed to the bad script).

If there is any good, it is the fact that they tried to cover a lot of current gay issues. Also, i would credit it as positive that the 2 leads didnt necessarily end up togehter.

I do appreciate companies still trying to produce content during the pandemic, however, the big question is, is it worth it? Did they succeed? I dont know how you'd feel about it but for me, for a series called Hook Up i am always unhooked, what i know is i hated myself for wasting my time watching this series.

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Wonderful People in a Wonderful World

"In the middle of life's journey, I got lost and wandered. No matter how much time passes,losing someone precious to you will always be lonesome. I will try to keep going. If i keep going, one day the pain will lessen. I hope all those grieving find comfort. I hope the world will be more friendly to those in pain. I hope a beautiful world will come while you overcome your pain."

I never thought a story of revenge and salvation can be this satisfying.

Full on heavy drama shows are never my priority to watch. With so much content nowadays, you have to have a list of priority and this initially wasnt in my top, but i ended up eagerly waiting for each episodes. This series is anxiety-inducing but is also satisfying and inspirational.

The first episode hooks you in. The perfect perfect casting of Kin Nam Joo and Kim Kang Woo - as Eun Soo Hyun and Hang Soo Ho as perfect husband and wife ,and parents who tragically lost their kid due to a an accident - the death that could have easily been prevented had the perpetrator just took their son to seek medical assistance. The accident and the justice system's inability to punish the criminals made Soo Hyun take matters in to her hands - further destryoing her once perfect life by killing the man responsible for the death of her son. This is the story of her (and her husband's) disappointments, healing, salvation and triumph.

The series also introduced us to Gwon Seon Yul. A man-child seeking revenge to those who have destryoed his family - with a surprise casting of Cha Eun Woo. The character needed the depth of someone who has lost everything in life - someone you are supposed to despise but is too good looking to hate. He fits the bill perfectly and I am pleasantly surprised with how well he acted in this series - i never thought Id say this but with the right direction he has finally proven something and has indeed become an Actor here.

Fanatics beware this is the part were i say some things you might hate. The story, to be quite honest, is not really unique - in fact a lot of times it verges on the typical melodrama soap opera. The overall plot is predictable and we can see from a mile away who the real culprit is. The attempt to make Seon Yul's character the fadeaway villain is also not convincing - like I said in the last pharagraph Cha Eun Woo is just too good looking to hate and you know all their efforts for a fakeout is not believable. Also, I am sorry to say but for me, the pacing too can sometimes be a little slow (I watched most of it in 1.25 speed) with a lot of emphasis on quiet, thinking scenes.

With all that said, this is still a very satisfying and inspirational series and the series finale was executed beautifully - tieing up Soo Hyun and Seon Yul's storeis perfectly and leaving viewers with a feeling of hope that no matter how dire their cumstances are, good things are still bound to happen and that no matter how hard life is, thare are still wonderful people and this is still a wonderful world to live in.

Maybe a hard sell for a rewatch, but seeing it one time is enough to send its message. Overall its a 9.5, especially for the acting and direction. A show most reccommendable to watch.

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