Charming92
Greece
Story
The drama is an excellent and unique combination of horror, crime and psychology that actually works!
First few episodes, and the drama is rather weird, difficult to follow at times, too many seemingly unconnected stories, dark and gritty cinematography. What the actual hell? Horror. If this drama does one thing right is setting the atmosphere, noone can deny that. The female lead is a likeable girl who can see ghosts and ultimately be possessed by them. The drama is possibly the only kdrama about the supernatural and ghosts which actually tries to be... not scary, but rather creepy and spooky, and it succeeds!
The girl wants to avoid them, be free of them and be normal, but she can't. And there is one guy who makes her feel safe and can potentially help her. No, not in a cute/romancy way, no, the script is just too good to resolve to romance to be likeable! The guy is a genius psychologist and crime profiler with a dark past. He does help her, or... that's what he wants us to believe! Plot twist? He uses her in reality to get revenge for his dark and sad past! And here we have the base concept of the drama which isn't really obvious from the beginning. Revenge, and its repercussions.
The drama pretty quickly switches from horror, and moves on to crime and psychology and here things get serious and interesting fast. Soul wants to address several morality issues and negotiate the very core of the human identity. It revolves around the idea of serial killers, how are they made, what do they think, can they be saved? What does it mean that we can examine and judge our own emotion-driven behavior and that of others? Can killers still be considered human? Where are the boundaries of responsibility between stepping up and overstepping? Can violence be stopped without more violence? Can there be serial killers who are not psychopaths? And in the very end, when we do step up are we better than those we hunt? Is there a difference or it's just an endless cycle?
The drama is very twisted in the best way possible. It is thrilling and offers several plot twists. It did have its boring moments and some problems of discontinuation while it took a few episodes for the plot to connect all the dots and find its way. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic overall experience. The story was to the point and quite fast paced. I can't say it was unpredictable but that didn't stop it from being interesting.
Acting
Lee Seo Jin shines the most in what i want to describe as one of the most twisted and yet most sentimental characters i've seen in kdramaland. He delived on several levels being sensuous and pleasing to every sense.
Im Ju Eum's role was rather demanding. Her character walked in the fine line between vulnerability and helplessness. I thoroughly enjoyed her 'crazy eyes', she suited the character completely and i think she really felt it. There were scenes where she was really incredible, and other were i felt she overacted quite a lot. Overall, she was great, and quite memorable, if she hadn't been lee seo jin's character wouldn't have developed and worked as exceptionally as it did.
I want to especially mention Lee Kyu Han for his amazing performance as a disturbed serial killer and Yoo Yeon Suk for his impression of a serial killer in-the-making.
Recommend/Rewatch
This drama isn't child's play, it's rather heavy and difficult to digest. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. If you are a crime and psychology fan, this would appeal to you. Horror is present but takes the back sit rather quickly. I can see myself rewatching it in a few years.
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Story
The drama throws you in the 70s in the first 4 episodes. I can't tell i was very excited since i know nothing about Korea in the 70s, but it does a splendid work setting up the atmposphere. Episodes 5-20 fast-foward to 2012.
The main concept of the story is how painful first love can be, and i think, i can safely say, we can all relate at least to a certain extent. That feeling of adversity due to not being able to be with the one you love. It targets questions such us, 'should i put myself and my needs above everyone else and think only of me or put them first and look at the bigger picture?' .The show i think, tells us that being selfish to a certain point is acceptable and ok. In the very end, who will think of our happiness if not us first?
The drama centers 2 romances, 2 couples. First couple is the one from the 70s which.. didn't work back then but their love isn't dead, and the 2nd one is a younger couple in 2012. Plot twist? The younger couple is actually the son and daughter of the older one. Best thing about this drama: the romance.
The main story, even though nothing extraordinary, plays a lot with your feelings, it crawls in that grey area of what is wrong and right, making every decision even more difficult. The romance was satisfying but still i can't say that the drama was intruiging and interesting to watch. On the contrary it was rather boring, tedius and stretched.
Apart from that, it couldn't really decide what it wanted to be, the older couple was from start to finish the main melo plot of the story. The younger couple though... had some very fluffy rom-com scenes that i can understand how people might like them, but i didn't. I signed up for a melodrama and those scenes weren't welcome. The 2nd half of the drama was heavier melo but it was difficult to watch because of the constant back and forth in the script. I think the drama wanted to attract as many viewers as possible but it ended up being inconsistent and unstable.
Funny how many people argued that the older couple had too much screen time. I disagree. The main focus of the drama should have been the older couple, not the younger... It started with them, it was them from the very beginning... sadly the drama not only put them slowly in the secondary seat but even used them as a plot device to keep the younger couple apart. Chemistry wise, i can't say that the young couple had any, while the older one... sparks everywhere.
Moreover, the drama introduced some super irrelevant and borderline annoying secondary characters that brought nothing new to the drama, were just used as comedic relief or just conveniently to fill the episodes to 60 minutes.
Overall the drama was difficult to watch. The combination of tedium and constant melodrama due to miscommunication became old fast. It tried to be overdramatic but funny, while show 2 stories that are entangled and give a happy closure to both. I'm sorry but that was definitely not doable, it tried to do too much in the wrong way. In my opinion, it would have been better if the drama had stayed in the 70s. I found myself many times in later episodes asking for the original story to comeback, it was sincere and beautiful, something that the later episodes failed to maintain.
Acting
First time watching Yoona act, and because of the overwhelming hate i've actually been avoid watching this for over a year. Well, as expected, the hate is unreasonable. Yoona won't be winning any awards for her performance here, but none of the actors will. She was really great on par with everyone else, and to be honest, she was way better than i initially expected. Only error i can point out is her cringy crying, other than that i actually enjoyed watching her a lot.
First time watching Jang Geun Suk too. He was really good, he can definitely act, i wasn't swayed the way i want a male lead to affect me, but his performance was certainly great.
Special mention to my personal favourite who made me shed a lot of tears, Jung Ji Yeong. The man was emotional beyond imagination. I loved him deeply and his beautiful character!
Recommend/Rewatch
This one is difficult to recommend. This is straight up adressed to melodrama-romance fans. If you are a hard-core romantic, you'll like it. Other than that, just move on. Recommended with a grain of salt. I doubt i will ever rewatch this.
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Let's start with the plot. The drama is quite ingenious. The story centers the crazy life of a webtoon character, and how, in order to complete his story, he needs the help of real life people. You can guess what is happening between real life and webtoon characters... Crazy right? The show is a fantasy romance drama so get ready for a high ride cause the plot is so unpredictable that it touches the side of nonsensical many times. The CGI was beautifully made and it made my jaw drop many times.
Best thing about this: unpredictability and singularity.
The drama fluctuates in a constant climax, the suspense is kept at high rates throughout the show, it never stops being funny, it never stops being interesting, it is always fulfilling and the most important, not a tedious moment. The romance has a very relevant role (while it didn't have to), and you won't miss your fluffy rom-com scenes in midst of all the craziness of the main plot.
However, even if, i thoroughly enjoyed W and its wonderful idea and writing, there were 2 things that kept me from giving it a 10, and the more i watched, sadly, the more discontented i felt.
1. The failed and forced romance. Not that the main leads shared no chemistry, on the contrary, i enjoyed their moments quite a lot; it's just the romance, in such an erratic script felt like it didn't belong. It felt utterly forced to the point that i started asking myself, 'do they really need to be together?', 'Just move on with the plot.', 'They aren't working together, it's all in vain.' W proved that while a good romance and chemistry is essential for a drama to work, it definitelly isn't necessary if the plot is strong enough.
2. The convenient writing to the point or ridiculousness and irrationality. First half, everything's makes sense, there is a continuation, a reason, an end-game. I won't stay at how the plot had some convenient back and forth, at least every time it went back it tried to stay original and not repeat same patterns. The main problem came in the 2nd half. In order to close potential plot-holes, and to make everything work out in such a messy and abnormal plot, the writing started being incosistent and making no sense. Conducive situations, newly introduced plot twists that were totally illogical just to make the script work. Were they bad? No, not at all, they were all surprising and thrilling. Did they bug me? Yes, and that is why the overall rating goes down to 8.5. This is apparently a drama that you need to switch your logic off, sit back and get ready for the wonderful ride without asking too many questions. If i could sum the writing up in a phrase i would say 'Too ambitious for its own good'.
Moving on to the acting, the outcome was overall satisfying but not perfect.
I'm no fan of Lee Jong Suk, but he was pretty charming here, his acting was almost excellent, even if he overplayed his 'look at my cute smile' card a lot.
Han Hyo Joo gave a wonderful performance, she was in charge of comedy and drama, and her character was very essential to the plot. I can't deny that she overacted a little during her comedy scenes, not that it was cringy but it was obvious. Stiil, she aced all her dramatic scenes, which makes me want to see her in a melodrama soon.
However, the performance that was the most memorable and i would like to call impeccable is Kim Eui Seong's. His character was completely indispensable to the plot and his performance was spectacular.
My personal favourite was Lee Shi Eon, who was absolutely adorable and funny in every scene he appeared.
Even if this wasn't the perfect gem that i expected, i would really recommend this to every drama fan. It is innovative and unpredictable. Such combinations are rare in kdramaland, so do not turn a blind eye on this one, it's definitely not brilliant but it came really close, certainly worth a watch.
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Story
The concept of this lovely drama is the fated love between the 2 leads. The fate that you can't escape no matter what is thrown at you because it is written in the stars! The drama gathers all the cliches, archetype/classic lead characters, absurd coinsidences, silly comedy scenes, illnesses, main leads pushing each other away while they love each other, amnesia, time jumps, annoying 2nd leads, unnecessary love triangles ect. However, against all odds, those are what make the drama work. How all the cliches placed next to each other, all the silliness, ridiculousness, absurdity just works out, clicks so perfectly and brings the most wonderful results one can imagine.
Best thing this drama has to offer is the romance. Fated to love you starts as a pure comedy and very quickly it develops to a very funny but heartfelt romance. Soon after though, it sends you to the sky, it drags your pitiful ass down to hell, destroy your feels, and then, in the most fulfilling way, it shines and thrives giving you one of the most profound romances i've watched in kdramaland. It delivers emotionally on so many levels, it has such an exquisite sentimental impact that i believe it will stay indelible in my memory forever. Not many rom coms were able to convey and create such affectionate and passionate atmosphere. I'm really thankful i watched it.
I'm happy to say the drama is fast paced, it barely gets dragged (mostly gets slower around episode 15, but still completely enjoyable) and ends leaving you feeling completely accomplished! The only reason this isn't a 10 is because of all the cliches and the fact that most of the situations were totally ridiculous, but i guess that was this drama's biggest charm.
Acting
The acting was overall impeccable but the shining star of this is definitely Jang Hyuk. He is probably the first and only actor that i prefer in comedy than melodrama but he's amazing in both. His character was a little cringy in the beginning, and his acting could be described as over the top, but he left such a strong, memorable impression with his acting that made me fall for him completely. He made the drama what it is, his acting is one of the best things this drama has to offer along with his chemistry with Jang Na Ra. One of the best chemistries i've watched, a blast to watch them on screen!
Jang Nara along with both the 2nd lead roles and the full supporting cast gave a stunning performance.
Recommend/ Rewatch
This is must watch pretty much for every drama fan out there. Rom-com fans feast your eyes, this is delicious in every way. Melodrama lovers, i hereby promise you, you won't regret watching this. As a meticulous melo fan this was totally up my alley, it conveyed much more feelings than i expected on many levels; you won't be dissapointed believe me. If you can turn a blind eye to the cliches and just go with the absurdity of the whole plot, the drama will thoroughly and generously reward you!
Lastly, If i ever make a list of dramas worth rewatching this will definitely be in it!
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Story
Introduction to melodrama. One character is a self-hating guy with mommy and daddy issues who is dying from a terminal illness, one character is seemingly the knight in the shining armor who is a coward and makes the wrong choices for noble reasons, one is a bad raging bitch who things she owns the world, and lastly one is a fighting hero who tries her best to stay sane and survive but fails miserably furthering the overdramatic nature of the whole thing.
The backstory and plot here is probably the best thing this drama has to offer but will probably be appreciated only by the melo fans; others will find it rather stretched and too fake and I won’t say it isn’t. However, in all its greatness it is nothing new. It gathers all the clichés, car crashes, illegitimate children, hit and runs, terminal illnesses, rich vs poor people, and lastly the legendary –at this point- cycle of the leads chasing each other. Female lead wants male lead but he’s a bastard and 5 episodes later male lead wants female lead but she’s a bitch while they love each other like crazy and they have barely any reasons to act this way. This is probably the worst part of the drama imo but then again it takes a special viewer to appreciate it.
The story has nothing new to offer, and the plot gets heavily dragged midway due to the chasing around, but does this mean this is the worst drama ever? No. Does this mean this is totally unwatchable? No. It is just addressed to a certain type of viewer who will love it and its flaws completely. That’s all. If you like usual melodrama you’ll like this, there is no funny side character, there is no comedic relief, there is scarcely any rationality in the writing, and the whole plot is over the top, but to be honest that is melodrama’s charm. Take it or leave it.
Acting
Stellar performances by everyone; however Kim Woo Bin is probably the only memorable actor in this one. His acting was very emotional and he was very pleasant to look at.
Syzy won’t be winning any awards for her performance but her acting was way better than expected and didn’t bring the show down at all.
Recommend/rewatch
We all know what melodrama means. If you like overly emotional and depressing stories, you want to cry and watch a doomed romance then go ahead. This not the best melodrama i've ever watched but it isn’t bad at all, on the contrary i'd say. However if you expect smiles, fluffiness, butterflies and funny cute situations give this a pass. I will never rewatch this.
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STORY
The drama centers on five girls living together. It is comparable to other dramas that center on women and their problems. Here we talk about young adult problems (20s). Five girls, five different personalities, five different stories, one house. Each girl has a story; every girl has different fears, goals, problems that hold them back. The drama presents not only how they work through them but how they need each other to do that. This is why friends are important; they are there when the whole world is against you.
Each girl’s story is brilliant, touching, relatable and yet what makes this drama really a small hidden gem is that in all its simple nature all the stories feel so real, so natural, so unforced that make you not only invested in all the girls but make you feel like you are there with them sharing your life and troubles. Truly magical
Want to get to know them a little better already?
Meet Eun Jae, the youngest, maknae of the group. She is warm-hearted, (overly) polite completely shy and she believes the whole world is against her. Lesson learnt: Nobody wants to harm you, you just have to be a little stronger.
Ye Eun, she’s girly, bright, a little obnoxious and very self-conscious. Her low self-esteem doesn’t let her to properly recognize and appreciate herself which leads to boyfriend problems. Lesson learnt: Nobody will love you, if you don’t love yourself first.
Yi Na, she’s sexy, seemingly strong and hot headed but she’s remorseful and ashamed deep inside. Her questionable way of living is actually a way to punish herself for things that she had no control over. Lesson learnt: Punishing yourself won’t get you anywhere, forgive and move forward, you deserve it.
Ji Won is funny, pushy, a little over the top and quit desperate. Ji Won was mostly used as a comedic relief. I like to think of her as the magical friend who is always there when you have a difficult time, ready to drop their life and problems for you because she/he cares!
Jin Myung, the oldest and wisest of the quintet. She’s a fighter, and you’ll love her more than you expect. She’s living a hard life and she’s the borderline melodramatic plot of the story. Lesson learnt: Being happy is a choice, being happy is in our mind and we can choose that every day!
Believe me when I say you will feel very close to all of them, curse and hug your screen while watching. The first 4 episodes center on one character each while the other stories develop in the background. Starting from episode 5 all the stories develop simultaneously and all the girls get equal screen time.
The drama does a great job addressing problems of young adults in every aspect of their lives, family, romantic relationships, academic and/or job goals, friend and co-worker relationships, work ethics, personal issues ect. They all seem real, presented in a very genuine way without being boring, overdramatic or superficial. You will still get to have a good laugh and an even greater lesson from every story.
Romance is present here but it is not the main focus of the drama. You won’t miss your boys and ships but they’ll probably don’t get the screen time you expect and probably want.
ACTING
Acting was overall pretty solid. Each actress fits perfectly in their roles, from the girly Yeeun to the sad Jin Myung, the casting is brilliant. Honorable mention to Ryu Hwayoung who totally delivered in every section of her role, being sexy, being strong yet vulnerable, being a bitch and yet caring and special mention to Han Ye Ri for being absolutely impeccable in delivering every beautiful aspect of her wonderfully complicated character. Definitely an actress to have an eye out for!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
I don’t rewatch dramas and yet I’ve rewatched the first 4 episodes. This is really so beautiful that it becomes rewatch-worthy. I’d recommend this everyone. Rom com lovers, melodrama lovers, slice of life lovers, this is a gem that is not to be missed. I doubt anyone could hate this, how can you hate real life itself?
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The description might confuse you into thinking that this is a romance drama blend in with the adultery concept. Sadly, for me, this was not what i was expecting. This wasn't a romance drama, it wasn't even an adultery drama. On the contrary it was heavily based on the inner relationships between the hierarcy of a company. The drama centers on a woman, Hye Won, and her complicated life and personality. The drama's main concept is how the protagonist, being unhappy due to her life decisions without even her realising it, rises above it all with the help of a charming young piano student.
The drama talks about life decisions. I can link to a saying we have in my country that i can roughly translate as "If you don't look at where you want to go, you will go where you look". Which means that if you don't set your goals straight from the beginning, no matter what you real want you will end up with what you settle with.
The show was never about the romance it was about seeing her grow as a person to realise what she really wants out of her life. This is why i have mixed feelings about this. I expected something different but, while i am dissapointed, the drama presented something completely unique and even though it was troublesome to digest and understand, i'm happy i gave it a try.
The main reason people -me included- found this boring is because of the difficult, tedious conversations about job policies and schemes of the characters. We were dropped in the middle of a war zone from the first episode, we could barely understand anything and things didn't get any clearer as the drama proceeded. Tedious, boring, vague, incomprehensable dialogs that only increasingly confused me. But, that was the actual prettyness of the whole drama. The fact that it was complicated, with unrelatable characters that you can't help but hate and in the middle there is Hye Won, a strong yet vulnerable, troubled woman, who makes the wrong choices but around so many hateful characters she becames relateable instantly and sways you.
Apart from the company drama that takes the main lead here, music is the next most significant part of this drama. The music is overall exquisite. The romance itself is being expressed solely through music, and that is another reason most people -including me- found the romance unfulfilling. You'll probably need to have music knowledge to properly understand the emotional messages delivered through music or at least have a keen ear to appreciate them.
Honorable mention to the cinematography. I'm not a fan of cinematography but here it was truly marvelous. It was gritty, dark and elegant, and suited the overall feel of the drama completely.
The acting was overall top notch, no complains, but the performance that is memorable is Kim Hee Ae's. The whole drama is on her, it's hers. The other characters serve as fillers just to help her rise and grow. Kim Hee Ae's aura was great for this drama, elegant, graceful, aristocratic even without losing her confused, sensitive even defenceless, at parts, self. Yoo Ah In's performance was also great and their chemistry was strong, noone can deny that even with the 20 year difference. However his character felt again as a filler, and wasn't given the appropriate screen time to gain some kind of value on his own.
Overall, this was a difficult watch. I wouldn't rewatch this, but i can understand why some people would. It's a drama that is aimed at a special few and those few will love it. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't like exclusively character driven shows, long conversations about company politics, schemes but not the juisy type, and slow plot pace.
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STORY
Marriage contract is your average, predictable and cliché kdrama. We get our over-used closed and shut-down, borderline rude and arrogant rich, chaebol male lead; the younger, naïve, kind-hearted and poor girl and we see their love story develop through a very foreseeable melo plot-story. However, even if you feel you can predict everything from the first episode, MC manages to pull you in with its incredible and unique feel of raw-ness.
The characters are ordinary, and yet they are so original. The male lead is overly rough and mean on the outside, but with such a marshmallow core that makes him completely loveable from the first moment; the female lead is your average girl in need, but she is a fighter and you will root for her and her wonderful personality to be happy. Characterization and character development are commendable and one of the main reasons i would recommend this.
The drama is packed with small, simple moments of everyday life that superficially are skippable, but they ultimately make the drama what it really is. Small moments, like hugging a friend, trimming your hair, talking to your kid, playing with pets; moments that are insignificant in dramas, but mean so much for a person in real life, because they express happiness and sadness; life’s core traits. THIS is what this show is, and this is where it is unique, this is where it is extraordinary and this is where it exceeds expectations and becomes an amazing show.
Basically, what exactly is Marriage Contract? MC Is a story about how family can completely destroy you as a person, destroy your life, destroy your dreams, destroy your hopes, destroy everything you love. It depicts perfectly the bittersweet/love-hate feelings someone can have towards their family, and how these problems can be confronted. Opening up to a special someone is the key to being happy. Letting go, forgiving yourself and others, and ultimately loving and sharing your life with someone else; and when you've found that someone, live in the moment, don't spend your time restlessly thinking about the future. Be happy, in the moment!
The background of the drama is the very dysfunctional family of the male lead who desperately tries to find an organ donor for his sick and troubled mother. This is where the female lead comes into the picture, hence the marriage contract. See? Super simple, super predictable almost enough for someone to skip/drop this. And yet…. the drama is exquisite, in many ways it reminded me of It’s Ok, That’s Love.
Lastly, I would like to talk to you about the chemistry here, because it is probably the best thing this drama has to offer. I think i can safely say that real chemistry between the leads is rare in kdramas. Some people can ship any pretty faced actors together, I can’t. I need sparks; I need them to prove to me that they are worth my tears, my time and my frustration! Lee Seo Jin and Uee not only had sizzling and magnificent chemistry, not only they looked phenomenal together, not only each of their moments was heart-wrenching and mind-blowing, but they re-invented the term 'on screen chemistry' for me since they managed to actually seem like a family.
What’s more, the most astonishing thing of them all, the kid actress Shin Rin Ah managed to develop such an amazing chemistry not only with Uee (mother-daughter relationship), but with Lee Seo Jin as well (father-daughter relationship). The three of them looked so unrealistically wonderful together they will destroy and revive your feelings over and over again. One of the best overall on-set chemistries I’ve ever seen.
This drama is arguably a masterpiece, not because of an innovative plot or anything like it, but because of its raw simplicity and flawless chemistry.
ACTING
I’ll be frank. I’m tired of people hating Uee’s acting. I am not completely familiar with her previous projects, I’ve watched bits and pieces of them, but she certainly gave the performance of her life here, and I pity people who couldn’t see that! She is an actress who is improving, and she should be praised for this. She puts effort in her acting, she cares! She was impeccable, exquisite and luscious in every way here, there wasn’t a single moment where I didn’t feel what she was feeling, amazing facial expressions, great body expressions, very emotional crying, really mature deliverance by Uee overall. People, who disagree, apparently need someone to hate, please hate yourselves and leave Uee alone!
As far as Lee Seo Jin is concerned, for one, he was so hot, manly and handsome I was taken by surprise. Secondly he managed pull off brilliantly, a pretty complicated character, who could have been easily hated. He delivered a great and sensuous performance; he made his character understandable from the very beginning - he apparently took the time to actually understand his character before taking the role. What I’d like to especially mention is his terrific deliverance on the emotion of happiness. His character was largely depressed, the worst kind of depression; the kind, that is not visible and seem ok on the surface. Happiness is a funny thing, everyone can imitate and say they are happy but which of us actually are? Lee Seo Jin send shivers down my spine, specific moments made, not only his character feel more raw and real, but also it enhanced the whole point of the show and helped the drama have more impact.
Lastly, I feel the need to congratulate the kid actress Shin Rih Na, she is deadly talented, best kid actor I’ve seen thus far. Her role here, wasn’t just to be cute, her role was essential for the drama to make sense and she was exquisite in it. She has a bright future in this industry. These 3 should act together in the future again!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
This is a melo-romance. People who like melodramas, you’ll like it, it is not overly sentimental (although it does get increasingly depressing), people who like rom-coms, this might be too much for you, but since I know you love a good romance, this is recommended. This kind of chemistry should not be missed or ignored! I will definitely rewatch this at some point!
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STORY
PCBM's story is completely unique and one of a kind. It centers two men who die wrongfully but are sent back to life in different bodies to conclude any unfinished business they might have. Help their loved ones with their problems, give them closure and help them move on, but most importantly they are sent back to get to know theirselves better, understand their mistakes, and try to right them. This is exactly the show's main premise. We need to look at our lives in a not one-dimensional way. Life isn't about just working, no matter how pure our intentions are, people might get hurt because of our ignorance. Life isn't about being in the background because we believe our loved ones don't deserve us. We are perfect the way we are. PCBM gives several messages about life decisions, family, friendship, work place attidute and problems, marriage and more.
This drama was literally a gem, not because of its uncommon story, not because it blends several genres together in the best way possible, but because superficially is the funniest show ever, but if someone decides to scratch the surface and dig deeper the show assesses life itself and sends tons of messages and meanings that were all truly wonderful and heartwarming. Beware that this is not your average romcom -thank god-, this is deep, it is serious, it is emotional, it is heartbreaking but still it is safe to say that the comedy is executed perfectly.
Furthrermore, another thing that deserves mentioning is the fact that this drama broke the 16-episode drama usual plan. You know how everything is amazing in the beginning, and slowly everything falls into place around episode 10 and the last 4-5 episodes are just filler ones, pulling and dragging the story around. PCBM, not only broke this stupid rule, not only it was the only 'comedy' that had actual plot twists but it managed to never be boring, always have a purpose and be interesting until the very last minute.
ACTING
It was widely argued that the acting here was bad, either i missed something, or .... 'people' missed something, or were just dead set on hating. The acting here was impeccable, coming from an amazing ensemble cast. I have learned from my stay in kdramaland that it is unrealistic to ask the actors to have great chemistry when the dramas are so small in lenght. They don't have the time to develop a chemistry and when it is there (rarely) i am thankful and grateful. The actors here not only managed to have great chemistry in their possible romantic connections, but literally EVERYONE had excellent chemistry with everyone in their respective relationships. This is possibly the most unique thing about this drama. The cast clicked so perfectly together, it was completely unrealistic!
I'll start with my favourite, Oh Yeon Seo. Her character was difficult to pull off, and very fundemental for the show to make sense. She needed to act manly, tough, and still stay femine, not look stupid, look badass and emotional. The woman was IMPECCABLE, a standing ovation from me, she was shivering in everything she did. No words are enough. In many ways she was the show.
And when i thought she was going to overshadow everyone, Rain came to the picture. His quixotic talent to slip through different emotions in a matter of seconds shocked me. He could go from crying to laughing in a split second without ever looking fake or his emotions forced. First actor in kdramaland that pulled that off, and he was completely up there with OYS for what -if i may- could call THE BEST DUO EVER in kdramaland.
Lee Min Jung, Lee Ha Nui, Lee Tae Hwan, literally everyone was exquisite in their role, no words are enough to describe this awesomeness, that nobody should overlook.
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Overall, this show might not be for everyone, since it is completely different from your usual kdrama. The humor is different, the romance is present but not the way people want it, the plot is completely innovative and might not be accepted by everyone. In my book innovation=win, but from what i've gathered from my stay in kdramaland, kdrama fans like their chiche stories. So, if you are ready for something completely different than what you are used to, ready to laugh and cry at the same time (i'm not exaggerating), you should definately give this a chance. This is a marvelous show not to be missed. Definately rewatch-worthy, first show ever that triggered so many emotions simultaneously.
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STORY
If i could place this show under a genre i would say it is a psychological thriller, while i was expecting it to be a drama about adultery. Yes, you are right, it is obvious from the description, the concept here is infidelity. Hot and young babysitter works at a prestigious and rich house, apparently she will seduce her master, possibly she came there on purpose, all those thoughts all everyone made before watching this and the first episode will confirm all your assumptions. The drama starts ominously, focusing on the wife in the aftermath of the adultery talking to a journalist about what she's done (oh yes it will get dark fast!)
However the drama -fortunately- has way more to give than just a usual adultery story. Firstly let me talk about that. Adultery, possibly the most hated concept in kdramaland, and my favourite one. I have watched quite a few kdramas that deal with it, all of them had something in common: they tried to give the adulterer reasons that semi-excused their actions, and/or made us pitty/like/feel sorry for them. I was shocked that here this isn't the case. I doubt i have ever seen such a sly, cunning, borderline scary lady, dead set on seducing a married man, having no qualms about her actions. But is she really just a slut that she wants the rich married man? Or is there more to her story?
Secondly, i have to praise the fact that the show featured a lot more than just the cheating. It focuses more on the implications this action had on the wife, and how she coped with everything. Not it isn't dramatic at all, but it is surprising. It featured public humiliation, and went as far as mental illness and more. Thankfully everything clicked by the end, giving a very satisfying, plot-twisty and unpredictable ending! Everything that happens is highly unrealistic of course, completely makjang. One could call the whole drama 'trashy', and i can't argue with that, i agree, but it is definitely entertaining.
The show never gets dragged, and is never boring. People might find the first episode boring since it focuses on the adultery, i love that concept and i found the way it was presented here refreshing. The last episode and the plot twists are worth getting through the first episode though, this is just 4 episodes in total anyway.
The only drawbacks i can point out is that the show closed with some questions left unanswered and some minor plot holes. However, none of them bother me enough to give this a lower score.
ACTING
The two female leads have the most significant roles and they were both good enough but not mindblowing.
Jo Yeo Jung came a long way since her I need romance days. This says tons about how a role can make you or break you. She presented her character greatly, she was indeed scary and borderline crazy throughout the whole thing. My only complain would be her angry scenes, i didn't feel them at all.
Shin Yoon Joo was ok. What i loved were her scary facial expressions and evil smirks. I loved the way she smiled, totally ominous and dark. However on some of her important speech scenes her face was blunt and deadpan. This was her first acting work and she good an ok job imo.
Kim Min Joon was great at what he was placed there to be, the apple of discord. He was totally hot in every scene he was in, and acting-wise he was impeccable as well. Same goes for Lee Seung Chan as the two of the played the middle-aged playboys, he wasn't as good-looking as KMJ but still charming in his own way.
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
I wouldn't recommend this to everyone at first as i thought it was an adultery drama/melo. Since this ended being more on the thriller side, and since its just 4 episodes long, i do believe it is essential for watching. I would definately rewatch this with someone else, but not alone again, once is enough.
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STORY
The concept of this marvelous piece of drama, that was too small but will stay indelibly marked in our memories, is life dreams and aspirations. How important it is for us to follow our dreams no matter how stupid or unrealistic they may seem. How important it is to do what we want for us, and for nobody else, how significant it is for us to believe in ourselves even when everyone else is against us, how essential is for us to fight for them even when they seem completely unnatainable. A story about life decisions and choices, about growing up, about fighting our inner demons, overcoming obstacles, chasing dreams or giving them up, finding reasons to live and dream and ultimately how to understand and love ourselves. A perfect coming of age story that everyone should watch. The secondary concept of the show is to showcase different types of parent-children relationships, how they intefere with our dreams (and our life in general), and how we need to confront them.
The story is pretty straightforward, it centers on three teenagers. The story is set in a high school and the background is piano-playing. Embedded in the story we get to see each protagonist struggling with their demons and through their heartwarming story they learn how to face their fears, grow up, forgive, become better people. The drama, as expected, never gets dragged, it has a point and goes for it from the very beginning. It is funny, whithout being superficial, it manages to be emotional, without being melodramatic, and most importantly it is serious without getting boring. I seriously have no drawback to point out as this was simple and yet beautifully written and thought out.
ACTING
Kim So Hyun, never fails to impress and she was impeccable once again. She pulls of her character greatly, she is kinda bitchy with a quirky personality, yet she is loveable and a great leading character and actress.
Ji Soo was luscious to watch, so fun, yet so sentimental. A great performance.
Shin Jae Ha completes the wonderful leading trio with another exquisite performance. All 3 actors presented their unique and realistic characters perfectly.
The supporting cast was brilliant, namely Ye Ji Won and Hwang Yeon Hee played their respective roles amazingly, being moms, they felt very realistic. Congrats
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
This is one of those dramas which can be watched and appreciated by everyone. Definately worth watching, it is just 3 memorable and well spent hours here. Teenagers will get great life lessons, and as for the older kdrama fans, as did i, you will feel a warming deja-vu feeling of your school years, longing feelings about those times, the good, the bad and the ugly everything is presented here in the best way possible. Definately worth a watch, and certainly rewatch-worthy.
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STORY
Thankfully the description of the show gives you the basics of what you need to know. Kid dies, mom goes back 14 days before its death to try and prevent it from happening. I'll keep it simple. Best thing this drama had: multiple plot twists. And that pretty much covers the positive parts of this drama. Do i sound like a hater? Partly, i am. The reason i gave this drama a 9 is because i was super intruiged to see what will happen next, i loved the plot twists and (shocker here) i was never bored. I cannot give a bad rating to a drama that had me on the edge for 16 hours while i have given the same rating to dramas that almost put me to sleep. The twists kept coming and coming and they never failed to amaze. The suspense was always kept in a high level and never failed to impress!
Sadly, God's Gift had a lot of flaws, a few too many actually. The base idea is flawless and interesting and brilliant and *insert a positive adjective here*, but while it was completely enjoyable i couldn't stop my mind from screaming, 'this is stupid'.
1. The drama had no meaning. At first it talked about the death penalty and whether it is moral to sentence a convict to death for his crimes. This notion just gets forgotten after a while and nothings comes to surface. The drama has no meaning it is just there for the *wow* of the story.
2. Convinient script writting. Crime dramas love being convenient and they can't manage to survive without that. However there were so many mistakes done here, and most of them stupid, from placing a bandage on the wrong side of the face to stupid writting just to make the story progress. It is debatable if these 'black spots' are plot holes. I am not even sure because this was so overly complicated i might have missed some parts.
3. Overly, extremely, immensly and exceedingly complicated. I love complicated stories. Hell, most kdramas are so plain and simplistic they get my goat, but this just was too much! I lost the thread of the story many times, i had to read recaps online to keep up, and during the later episodes the show just gave me a huge headache. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the bad writting, maybe both, maybe none.
4. I don't know how they managed to create such unrealistically clever characters (with amazing memory) and make them unimaginably stupid at the same time. They were very quick to pick up what is happening, remembering situations from days ago and yet they fell on every false lead that got on their way and made such stupid decisions!
5. All the problems that are mentioned above just result in this drama being overall highly unrealistic and fake to the point of being ridiculous. It has the fantasy tag on the main page, but fantasy is one thing and this overall plot is another.
6. The ending. It wasn't bad, we pretty much got the mystery resolved, but many questions were left unanswered, some important, some not. I don't have a problem with open endings, but some important things were left on the air while they shouldn't have!
Overall, i have to say i enjoyed it, and we watch dramas to enjoy ourselves so mission accomplished. Despite its flaws it was a very memorable drama and that says something. The first episodes are flawless and you will be completely sucked in. The first half of the drama is an endless manhunt that was engaging and fancinating but at the end was kind of insignificant to the bigger story. The second half might not feel as exciting, but at least we get to unfold the backstory and understand what has happened. It was interesting, but generally had all of the script faults that i mentioned above and a lot of times felt like cheap and lousy writting.
ACTING
So here's what i thought about Lee Bo Young before this: She is a pretty better-than-average actress that just doesn't want to challenge herself. She is ok with being the eye candy and looking cute. It works for her, and she is good at it, no argue there. Interestingly, my opinion about her changed here. She was luscious, she exceeded my expectations and i am thankful she decided to challenge herself in this. She got out of her comfort -'i am pretty'- zone, and while she never looked prettier before than here, she gave an exquisite performance being emotional, being smart, being strong and cocky. She was everything i wanted to see. She apparently left her best performance for last before her maternity hiatus. I am looking forward to seeing her in the future in more similar roles! A spectacular actress.
The only other memorable acting was from Jo Seung Woo. I didn't know him, but he was unquestionably impeccable. A flawless actor that i am happy i got acquainted to!
The entire cast did a great job, and i should also praise the child actor Kim Yoo Bin for her superb portrayal of a somewhat questionable character....
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Now this is rather difficult. All you people who live off romance and comedy, don't touch this, this isn't for you, go rewatch DOTS! People who want realistic things, you'll love/hate this like me, with emphasis on the hate side. To be honest, this is a show for plot twist lovers. You want a show with plenty of twists and unpredictable events, give this a go. I am not regretting watching this, i just wished the writter kept at least one of their foot on the ground while writting this xD
All in all, i doubt i will ever rewatch this, but it is definately worth a try.
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STORY
The show revolves around a cold case police team. One of the members finds an old school walkie talkie and somehow, through it, he contacts the detective that was originally involved with them, but failed to solve. However (plot twist), this detective lives in the past, in a different timeline thus the show’s main premise is the what-is-know-as-the Butterfly Effect (= when you change the past, the future changes as a result). I know it sounds messy, and fake, and possibly stupid for people not fan of this genre, but trust me when I say, it is flawlessly executed! Together the two of them start solving several cold cases.
Every 2-3 episodes we get a new case to solve, but, this isn’t your average police procedural show. All the cases were somehow connected to the 3 main characters, and all of them were somehow linked to each other. All the cases are amazing and shocking, and they will keep you at the edge of your seat! There really wasn't a dull moment throughout all the (quite huge) episodes, while the suspence levels were always kept to high rate, making you grind your teeth about what's next and also giving you an ominus feelings about whats to happen.
The main message this show wanted to express, apparently, is the corruption of the task police force, and generally the corruption of people in high places. The drama constantly talks about corrupted cops, and what people would do to climb that society ladder as fast as possible. It generally felt like a huge *Screw You* to every person using unethical means to achieve a goal,and passes the message that they need to be punished. At the same time, it gives wonderful and meaningful life advice, about the significance of being a decent and lawful person and also the notion that you will achieve whatever goal you have set if you try hard enough!
Romance is present here, but it is kept in a minor level, don't come in this expecting to watch romance. Still I thoroughly enjoyed the vague chemistry between the characters.
ACTING
The acting was unbealievably good, possibly the most well-deserved 10/10 i have never given to a kdrama.
Lee Je Hoon. An amazing an emotional performance by this wonderful actor. His acting was tip-top by the first moment of the first episode and stays up there throughout the show! He expressed a diverse range of feelings perfectly, he was strong, he was emotional, he was interesting, he was smart, he was everything you need your main lead to be without being unrealistic or fake.
Jo Jin Woong. Words aren't enough, luscious and exquisite performance. A very strong character, kinda rough on the edges, but with a wonderful, lawful soul, a true, true hero, you will love! The actor did total justice to the character expressing every single emotion of frustration, anger, hope and everything that came along with them!
Kim Hye Soo. As someone who loves female actresses, i love shows that have a lot of them. KHS, in a show about the police which obviously was filled with males, managed to have the strongest character i have ever seen, i never felt the need to watch another actress perform. She was more than exquisite, she enhanced the drama with her acting, she was sensuous, she was sweet when she needed to, she was tough when she had to, she was emotional, and great doing everything! She exceeded my expectations. I loved the way she portrayed her younger and older self, very realistic!
At this point, i do feel the need to applaud every supporting and guest actor that appeared on this, because everyone was amazing and kept up the excitement of the show, and lived up to the main cast's brilliant acting. Congratulations!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Signal is one of those shows that HAS to be watched by everyone. It is a show that has no real flaws, it is a show that can be enjoyed by everyone no matter their preferences. In my list of the must watch kdramas this is #1. Even if you don't like this genre, or the fantasy concept sets you off, don't turn a blind eye to this drama, no, this is a VERY well spent 16 hours. Signal is one of the most memorable tv shows i have ever watched! Definately recommended to everyone!
Even if i am not a fan of rewatching tv series, signal definately earns the rewatch ticket for me. It is my personal belief that a 2nd rewatch would help understanding and digesting what it depicted even better. Definately worth watching!
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STORY
The drama is equivalent to all the dramas that center women, namely Sex and the City, Mistresses, Gossip Girl, Girls, I Need Romance ect. The show revolves around a pack of 4 girlfriends, depicting their lives, the problems, the difficulties and implications of dating and other relationships for people in their 30s. The main premise of the show is that everyone, no matter what has happened in their lives or what mistakes they have done, deserve a happy ending, and if they fight hard enough, they will get it! Secondly, the show presents a very realistic -if you ask me- image of the dating scene nowadays -not only in Korea per se-, how unrealistically high people's standards are, and how picky they are, being materialistic, searching for, money, visuals, other than character in their potential partner.
We get to see the life of each woman, and each story makes a point about relationships. Even if all the characters are in their early/mid 30s, i think it is safe to say that everyone can somehow relate to the problems they depict as they are universal.
Story 1: A divorcee who is afraid that she will end up forever alone, kind of scared to let herself be free and enter a relationship, and deep inside feels she doesn't deserve to be happy because of her divorce. This story is the main story of the drama, like 70% of it. It features a love triagle, that you will hate, believe me, but in the very end, it was the most essential love triangle i have ever watched in a kdrama. It wasn't introduced just for the ships, but it depicted serious realistic facts like love vs friendship, which love is valid and which isn't ect. At the same time this story presents several realistic questions a person in a new relationship may have, they can be stupid like 'why doesn't he/she want to kiss me - Is he/she the right person for me?', or more important like 'does he/she have money issues? Does he/she want to scam me?'.
Story 2: Forever single. A girl in her mid 30s having been single in like... forever. I believe many people could relate to her, she was introduced as the 'funny' one of the quartet. We get to see all her struggles to find true love, along with several questions (and reminders) that i could sum up in this proverb 'Whatever shines, isn't gold!'- and vice versa.
Story 3: The more serious, borderline melo, sub-story. A married woman who goes through a divorce and faces serious health issues. Her story is touching, and moving and could have been a great stand-along/spin off show. Her story poses ideas like 'Don't give up on yourself, on your marriage and generally on happiness. Problems are there, pain will always be there, but we have people around to rely on, don't give up on them or yourself, pain will pass!'
Story 4: The (Wanna-be) femme fatale of the quartet. She was also supposed to be funny along with story 2. A woman with attachement issues, but what happens when she meets her match? This story was left on the sidelines, but yet it managed to make some worthy points like 'no relationship will work without trust and letting your guard down. You should know which person is worthy for you to do that, and you should take on the responsibility of getting hurt and of hurting that person'. This story had the potential to hit issues like career problems for people in their 30s, but it didn't which was a waste.
I, generally, don't have any drawbacks to point out, other than the fact that the drama spent too much of its time overanalyzing the first story, hence the rest of the stories being somewhat underdeveloped/underapprecciated. It is arguable to say that stories 2-3-4 were more interesting than the main one.
ACTING
Exquisite acting, as expected by such a talented ensemble cast!
Jang Nara was a worthy leading actress, her character was superficial and fluffy, maybe too much at some points. I loved her more emotional scenes and i wished she had more, she has more to offer than this.
Yoo In Na, was lovely and adorable, expressing the mindset complexity of such a person perfectly. Yet she was cute and only a teeny tiny bit stupid and just too good of a person for her own good. Great acting, for a character and a side story that needed more screen time.
Yoo Da In. My personal favourite, as a melo lover, her story moved and touched me. She expressed difficult and unique feelings perfectly, she was luscious and easy to understand and relate even when she didn't have as much screen time as she deserved.
Seo In Young. Her story was pushed to the sidelines, it comes, therefore, as no surpise how her character was kind of forgettable as well. She was good and i have nothing bad to say, other than she was kind of overshadowed by Yoo In Na, as they were both the 'funny' characters.
Kwon Yool, was very good, his acting could be described as emotionless or/and cold, but i do believe it was his character being like that. I cannot say i loved him, but i had no problems with his acting.
Jung Kyung Ho. And we finally get to the king of the show. You know what is amazing? How he managed, in a show that focuses on women, and had 4(!) female leads, to rise above everyone and have the most important, interesting, touching, funny and adorable character of everyone. His acting could have been as forgettable as KY's but he managed to own the show! True king!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Many people argued how this was boring, i disagree, this actually had so much more to offer than other soulless rom coms, it actually had something to say other than just cheesy romance or insignificant comedy. However, this is not a show for everyone. People who know and like the shows that i mentioned above, or/and like rom coms in general, will, probably, like this one. Other people don't spend your time meaninglessly, move on. As for me, someone who generally dislikes rom coms, i loved this one, i don't know if this says something about me or the show...
I loved it, but would i rewatch it? Not really, it was great for the 16 hours i spent on this, and i will savour it for what it was.
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STORY
I am not completely sure what exactly CIIT wanted to present. All in all, i think it wanted to depict young adult relationships of all kind: Friendship, siblings, family, frenemies, first loves, even stalking. Also i believe it sends a very important message about the people around us. We should always accept those who we call friends with their flaws, because those are what they make them unique and important to us, but we should not put up with those that surpass our proximity levels. Every person has its limits, its principals, its ideals and credentials, noone should overpass them, and if they do they don't deserve to be part of our lives, and they certainly don't deserve a free pass because it may happen that we love them. I am not sure if this is CIIT or me trying too hard to make sense of this show.
As far as the plot goes, i believe the writers had something amazing in mind in the beginning, but they lost it midway. Basically you will enter 'Seol's world' Seol is the main protagonist, and the viewers she her life in first person. We listen to her thoughts, we see her life before everyone else, we are Seol herself! The background of the drama is college life. Believe me when i say that everyone will relate to Seol when it comes to college activities, like courses, subjects, co-students who you hate but you have to put up with, team projects that you want to solo,but you are forced to cooperate, all nighters, everything felt familiar. The best thing this drama had (and the worst probably),is the male lead. His personality and his actions moved the show forward. I am sure every viewer spend quite a lot of time trying to figure out what he was doing and why. The drama is basically worth watching to watch his amazing disturbed personality unfold. At the same time we have the cutest love story happening, and probably the biggest second male lead syndrome that anyone has ever experienced lol.
Moving forward from the good stuff, the drama sadly had lots of faults, that forced me to drag it down to 7.5.
1. Weak backstory. We get glimpses of the backstory throughout the episodes, and they make it seem huge and over-dramatic. The backstory is fundemental to the plot since everything that happens basically happens because of this. Sadly, I got dissapointed, it felt childish and overall stupid i may say.
2. The show after a while felt like a constant back and forth. The drama did go around in circles, there is no denying that, we got 0 character development through the episodes, and what was super interesting in episode 3 isn't interesting anymore in episode 13...
Which leads me to 3: Rushed ending. Everything fall into place in episode 16 without having the background to do that.... Everyone decided to just grow up just like that. Face their selves and act adult-y and mature like it was super easy, but for 15 episodes... it wasn't... Another dissapointment!
Overall, this isn't a bad show, and you rom-com fans will love and devour every second of it, BUT, the drama gives you the idea that it will be something extraordinary in the beginning and it just never lives up to those expectations. It was good, for a rom-com but nowhere near what it could have been....
ACTING
Best part of the drama.
Kim Go Eun. A worthy leading actress. Her role felt very plain and simplistic to me, so she didn't have the space to show what she can do imo. But, she had to pull off a few dramatic moments in some episodes and she completely nailed them, thus showing that she is a worthy actress! Hope to see her more in the future!
Park Hae Jin. A difficult role, that he pulled off wonderfully. He was scary and disturbing, but simultaneously, he was cute and lovey-dovey when he needed to. A very well-rounded actor. Amazing and memorable performance overall. A true star
Seo Kang Joon. He held up to PHJ and that means something. His character was also rather simple, a good person with anger issues, but his performance was memorable and wonderful.
Lee Sung Kyung. She should be considered the 2nd female lead! To me, she was the TRUE STAR or the show, character and acting-wise! She gave a luscious and exquisite performance! Her character was actually a difficult one to pull off. She was over the top crazy, she was funny, she was super easy to hate, but at the same time she was emotional and heartbreaking towards the end. She rose above everyone else as the shining star of this show!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
This is recommended to all the rom-com fans, you'll love it. I feel like i am a parent giving chocolate to his kids lol. As for melo fans, watch it, why not, but don't expect much. It seems extraordinary at the beginning, but don't set your expectations to high, you'll fall hard!
I can totally see how someone could rewatch it, i won't though.
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