the best competition show in SK tbh

This was the first time I watched a whole season of a competition show (mostly because I just didn't really feel the appeal of the other shows' formats), and I was stunned the whole way through. I feel like the whole group not only was like an absolute k-music all-star team, but they truly grew together. I expected the editing to make them appear catty (which it did in the first couple episodes), but after they threw their prejudices/assumptions out the window and leaned into the other girls' personalities, it was super smooth sailing.

My absolutely top competitor: Sleeq. Not only did she speak her truth in each song, but she was the most lighthearted, silly, funny, honest, and flexible person. No matter what, she had such a positive mindset about her team and their ability to make good music together. I was so frustrated at the beginning when the others were judging her based on just what they had seen or heard in the past. But I'm glad that after the Blinding Lights performance, they all were able to admit that they had preconceived notions about her abilities and that they were wrong and/or sorry.

Yunhway is the queen of euphoric summer dreams, style, and swagger. They often used the word sophisticated when describing her, and I agree that she was someone who was really good at curating and crafting her works. They always had her essence in one way or another, and her solo performance was probably my favorite. The visuals with her fits - chef's kiss!

Jeon Jiwoo gives you looks that KILL. I thought that she was pretty amazing all around, but I particularly loved her visuals and dancing. Like her skills exploration performance not only gave off hella femme fatale vibes but the way her facial expressions came off...I mean, she's just everything.

Cheetah - talk about a freaking powerhouse. I'd seen Cheetah before but hadn't ever really followed her or looked into her, but the way that she played hardball while being a softy behind the scenes was high key everything. I can't choose which performance I liked the most from her, but her Desperado and Witches performances were pretty peak.

Hyo Yeon surprised me, but also because I think I had some girl-group prejudice myself. I was concerned with how much drama they might bring, especially her since she had been in the game for some time and had a LOT of experience. I didn't know if she would be "respectful" but only for the optics. I was very wrong. She was incredibly humble when apologizing to Sleeq and really leaned into the role of bringing her experience to the game.

Ailee was a ball of pure happiness and sweetness. When looking her up, I realized that she actually had a few songs from shows that I watch (but didn't know it was her)! Not only that, but her voice was so powerful and voluminous; her performance with Sleeq needed a standing ovation. She has a natural leader disposition about her and was so warm.

Jamie was like WOW. Her Gangster performance was an amazing start that just continued with her Witches and Colors performances. I think, similar to Ailee, she brought a lot of fullness and power to the songs. Her voice is smooth as butter.

Ye Eun was honestly so cute, and I am glad to see that she demonstrated how versatile she could be. I feel like each performance displayed a different skill she had, especially her Barbie performance! Seeing her open up over time was good because I think a lot of the other girls were worried that she didn't know what she liked or wanted to do.

Queen Wa$abii - like where do I start? I love her reason for rapping about what she does - there is such a double standard when it comes to women in hip hop and men in hip hop. The fact that she stayed true to herself throughout the show, namely the twerking and vulgarity in her songs, was astonishing and welcomed! I think she really pushed the boundaries, and a lot of people liked her authenticity. She's so funny, too. I want to see her more, and I hope more networks are ready and willing to put people like her on stage not as a spectacle to gawk at but to embrace and enjoy.

Last but not least, Young Ji. She brought a very different energy as a Gen Z competitor that the others didn't, and I was so happy for it. Not only was she rapping at the speed of light, but she was able to always get the crowd going with her dancing and bouncing around on stage. She was so funny, too! Her + Queen Wa$abii together was pure chaos.

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it reads like a telenovella

The premise of the show was interesting from the beginning, and it stayed somewhat interesting as it evolved over time. I think connecting where they go to charn's past was a nice tie-in because, for most of the show, we don't know anything about him other than his personality and a vague sense that something's happened to him to make him this way. That being said, I would have liked to see more meaningful character development for all of the characters. Other than turning the "bad lawyer" into someone who cares about everyday people again, I don't feel like there was much movement for anyone. For example, the senator was a one-dimensional person. Someone overrun by anger and unable to control his impulses, corrupt and willing to do anything to maintain power and control. If the show were to go along the lines of the theme "things make people this way," they should have developed more about him besides randomly throwing in that his wife died at childbirth and that's why he treats Tan terribly. Like, there's so much more to that!
I also would have loved to know more about maya and rose. Like it shows them also being engaged at the end of the show, but we don't actually know almost anything about them. They just own and work at a bar that's queer-friendly. And what about Tan and Thee? Smh, they were such a cute couple and didn't get enough time to really develop their backstories, either. I wish we could have seen more of their relationship development...They run away and suddenly Tan falls in love with him/discovers his love for him? Was that why they went to the one openly queer bar? Was that the hint? My last complaint - Charn and Tinn did not look much like a married couple. They couldn't even dance very close to each other let alone film a quality kiss. Awkward!
There were some saving graces. Firstly, the grandma was the star of the show PERIOD. I LOVED her character. She was flexible, had a lot of wisdom, and gave everyone insight on how to be a better version of themself. For Charn, she showed him what unconditional love looked like and provided him empathy and understanding, even when her grandson was incredibly suspicious. For Tinn, she helped him to see the bigger picture and always showed him support, regardless whether she thought he was making a mistake or doing something wrong. For Maya and Rose, she showed them how to stay playful and age with grace! lol I loved that the grandma was so present - she actually had a lot of life and character, though I wish I could have known more about her background, too. Nawin also came to the rescue there at the end. He was fucking hilarious. Every scene he was in, I was laughing my ass off. I was debating not finishing the series bc it got to dragging a lot toward the middle, but Nawin pushed me through bc I knew he would be in the last couple episodes. Lastly, the village that they went to was stunning. Though we didn't get to see a ton of it, the greenery was really beautiful as were the people <3 I loved the incorporation of indigenous land rights vs. capitalism -- this is something that is coming up a bit more in Thai shows, esp. BL. It's something really worth considering as the country continues to develop.
Overall, the telenovella was decent! It even ended with a wedding and the promise of a lesbian wedding.

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Something made it a miss for me

Firstly, I do want to praise the production for the cast that they selected. This was really an outstanding cast from the teens to the various adult versions of Kim Mo Mi - they did a good job with that for sure. The whole storyline, however, felt...unrealistic and convoluted to me. The beginning I could definitely see as realistic - internet fame, the beauty standards of Korea being as it is, the bullying in grade school, the fanatical obsession by an older, lonely incel - on and on. Yeah, totally get it. But after we got into the mom learning how to use the computer to obsessively find her son's killer without actually considering the actions her son took, his proclivities, and the fact she never questioned why her son was killed in the first place it just started to fall apart. At that point, I couldn't help but put the show on 1.5x to see what nonsense they would create to patchwork the storyline together. I don't think that we actually got to know anything about the characters except their role as it relates to the plot and one or two things that they were fervent about (Kim Mo Mi remaining a loner, the mother being staunchly religious, the other mother being neglectful and uppity, Kim Mi Mo being semi-violent, etc.). They seemed like caricatures, and maybe that's what felt unbelievable about them and how the storyline played out. Idk, I really wanted to like this but...the elements and storyline were too out there for me.

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Phenomenal script and case conceptualization

I'm deeply impressed by the psychological components of this thriller (I'm in the therapy/psychology field!). I think the writers were thorough in their research and the portrayal of complex psychological issues. From the long-lasting effects of PTSD for Hsiao Chi, to the CPTSD + psychosis (with hallucinations) + substance use disorders for Jia Wen, to the interwoven ASPD and NPD for He Ping -- I could keep going -- all of them were portrayed with a believable level of accuracy, nuance, and complexity. I felt like, throughout the show, there was significant character exploration; personal values, personality, and developmental experiences were all explored in a really meaningful way. And!! There was character development even in people who I thought wouldn't change too much like Ya Cih. I'm not sure if she reflected on the killings and thought about what her absence meant for her child's development and that's why she decided to be home more and take a different job, but that was a truly exciting part to see.

Of all the characters, though, Mr. Ma was the character for me. Often times religious or spiritual identities are portrayed in an extreme and negative way, but his spiritual/religious identity was what made him vital to the plot, as well as wise and empathetic. From the beginning, he stood by his belief that his granddaughter was a good person despite the persecution he faced. He accepted his granddaughter exactly as she was, saying he didn't care about her religion. He spoke about acceptance for how things are/were, and finding a pathway forward. He made reference to Lao Tzu who authored the Tao Te Ching, and he talks about the belief that we are like water. Not only do we have the strength of water, but we have the flexibility of water to move over the stubborn rocks and obstacles, moving through and around it to continue on the path toward a life worth living. And, boss move of it all, he called He Ping out on his shit to his face without any hesitation. Though he was considered a "support character," I think he played a pivotal role, and without him, I don't think the characters would have developed and transformed as they did.

I do think that some of the characters weren't as human as they could have been. For instance, we rarely if ever got to see them outside of their career, not even for simple things like eating out together, playing games, watching movies - simple things that could bond them in a healthy way (bc let's not lie, most of them were trauma bonded lol). Such a minor issue, but nevertheless, something I considered. I'm also a bit disappointed Yun Hui died. I get that her death forced Hsiao Chi to act violently - which served meeting the killer's expectation / taunt - but I feel like he had already lost so much...I would have been grateful for the writers to give him at least one thing.

The unfolding of the plot was very nicely paced. I was worried that, with Jia Wen being revealed halfway through, they would really drag out the remaining episodes in a way that wouldn't be noteworthy. But, they added the components of multiple accomplices (which I predicted), moving through misleading evidence, and through He Ping's evasion of the authorities. For people suffering from such delusional grandeur and narcissism, I think he was unnaturally lucky he didn't slip up more often or in more obvious ways, and yet, it was believable enough to move the plot along. I liked that all the characters were involved in making the plot move and that there were powerful female characters in the show too. The women were not all victims - they demonstrated gentle strength, intellectual prowess, cleverness, and resilience. I was glad that they weren't tossed to the wayside and depicted as entirely helpless.

There were a couple of things that were bothersome, but not enough to change my rating. The level of gruesomeness, especially the inclusion of a lot of the victim's crying and screaming during flashes of their pictures before/after their deaths, felt intolerable at times. I either had to stop watching or skip through because the audio-visuals were so overwhelmingly horrific (despite knowing, obviously, that it was fake and no one was actually harmed). I also couldn't understand how Hsiao Chi ended up being a public defender after getting out of jail. Are there no stipulations against it in Taiwan? Idk! Feels unrealistic though.

TLDR; this is a worthwhile watch, and i may rewatch it in the future :) the psychological elements, the character development, and the pacing with nice twists made it entirely worth binge-watching.

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So close to being perfect

I really liked the premise of this show. I think people have been debating the ethics of assisted suicide for a long while, and the show played out the two points really well at the end. From LYJ's perspective, the individuals found meaning in their deaths and it freed them from the burdens and sadness they experienced here. Their feelings of hopelessness were grounded in reality. Having done crisis intervention for suicidal people, constantly experiencing corruption, undermining, discrimination and harassment, endlessly suffering for one mistake can push people to the darkest places. It genuinely feels like there's simply no way things will get better nor make life worth living. There is freedom in choosing what happens with your life. On the other hand, HHY's perspective is equally valid. If someone had given them a glimpse of hope or helped them to stay in the world a little bit longer, if someone had shown them the smallest bits of kindness and empathy, they would have much more to live for. There is meaning in surviving, too, and even small things are worth living for. So, leaving the debate neutral - sharing both points of view with equal understanding - was awesome.
I also really liked the relationship repair that happened at the end with HHY and her father (taking the flowers to his grave and purchasing the house for her mother) and FYJ and his daughter JHM (visiting her every moment he got and being there the moment she was released from prison). It's not often we see traumatized children heal their relationships with the caregivers who hurt them, so to see what it looks like to put in the effort to mend relationships was brilliant. I would have liked to see a little bit more with HHY and her mother, but that's so minor imo.
The one thing I wasn't a fan of was the portrayal of ASD with FYJ. ASD does manifest in daily living in a myriad of ways, but the portrayal seemed super stereotypical and sometimes inaccurate. "Strange" and repetitive facial gestures, violent (??) meltdowns, lack of eye contact, moments of mutism, ignoring others (??) when they're talking to you, savant logician and memory - the list goes on. There was certainly a lot more opportunity for subtle autistic traits and mannerisms, more of an incorporation of appropriate self-regulation, and humanness beyond just the overt ASD traits. At moments, he acted childish in a way that I feel like doesn't appear realistic. It does make you wonder what they did to explore what ASD looks like (as I'm guessing the actor is neurotypical).
Overall a good show. I'm not really sure what they will do in the next season - Netflix says there will be another one? But hopefully it's worth watching.

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It's brutal but phenomenal

I'm not surprised the theme of valuing life/family over money is coming up again and again in KDramas. I think this show hit it in a different way than say squid games, though. For that, the directors and screenwriters are brilliant, masterfully weaving a wonderfully complex and unique story from a common theme. The cast was great, the sequencing of the scenes was great, the scenery and effects were great, and the folklore was outstanding. I really appreciated the dive into shamanism and traditional folktales. I think the brutal part was the suspense, gruesomeness of the repetitive suicides, and the mental heinousness of the crimes by the family in order to maintain obscene, unnecessary wealth - all to be expected considering the theme and nature of the show. Nevertheless, I feel like I'm walking away from the show entirely brutalized lol I think a few years down the line I'd watch it again, but I think it'll be hard to forget the details and feel the same level of suspense as the first time around. It was hard not to binge this one in a day!

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The dynamic is nice but the execution was mediocre

I really was just watching this for the SantaEarth vibe, and that was lit, but the rest was okay at best. There was a lot of them both crying, a lot of sitting in misunderstanding and unwilling to reveal things, the jealousy was low key annoying when Santa finally realized his feelings, and all the side characters felt flat as cardboard cutouts. Rather than talking about showering and laying in bed together, I feel like they could have used however many precious minutes were wasted doing that to actually tell a story with dynamic, complex characters. And I can agree w everyone else that the last two episodes didn't really add to the content as it was. It didn't show a new side of any characters, didn't change their relationships at all, and overall was just...filler? I'm disappointed bc I feel like they both could be great actors with scripts that made them come alive more.

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I feel like they bungled this one :(

I was so amazed by season 1, and I was INCREDIBLY excited for season 2. I feel like it began okay -- I liked the setup for the next all-powerful demon dude, and his two lackeys seemed super interesting -- but the rest of the drama's progression was wonky and everything seemed...convenient or convoluted. I'm really disappointed that the lore didn't hold up the same as it did in the first season (I remember Ms. Chu almost dying because she was healing too much in the previous system -- did that mechanic completely disappear??? she was healing every episode practically), there was a lot more that was left out about who the demons were and how they knew each other (Pil Gwang kept talking about the demon like he knew it, but then auto-killed it when he entered the body of Mr. Ma? so random), and I feel like So Mun was made to be the god of the group, carrying till the finish line. They seemed way more diverse and balanced in the first season, and it was a lot of pressure to put on So Mun to fix everything and be the one who went after the most powerful again and again. They even added a new counter, but he didn't really do anything but serve a single function? Like, don't get me wrong, he was fucking hilarious. But he didn't fight well, he whined a lot, and he just seemed like he was in the way most of the time. Also, what the heck was that ending with Wi Gen and Jade??? That English dialogue was awful and jarring, and it makes no sense that Jade, this random person from Germany, is Wi Gen's daughter. Tf?! Like, did I miss Wi Gen history and that's why this scene makes no sense? Idk, it was such a miss tbh. If not for my admiration of some of the green screen work and the actors themselves (as I've seen them in many dramas at this point), the rating would probably be a five or below.

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Wow, this is unlike most Japanese BL

This BL was actually wholesome and didn't have as much bad/toxic/hyperimmature behavior like the others have had. I really enjoyed the MLs dynamic together, and how they actually explored them as human beings, not just following a plot. We got to see more of what they liked and what they didn't like, and the two contrasted well. I wish more Japanese BLs could be like this. I do wish there was at least one more kiss at the end, but their sweetness toward each other will suffice. My one question...did they ever pick up that umbrella? LOL they lost a perfectly good umbrella in that alley.

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Still room for improvement but really good~

I quite liked this season. To be frank, I don't remember too much about season 1, so I don't have much comparison. I do remember the actors, though, so it was great to see them cameo in the middle of the season! I also like that there were three couples and each couple had their own issues to work out (though one couple I seriously could have done w/o).
I think the main couple had a lot of challenges with trust and vulnerability which is why KA didn't talk about his past and LH didn't push about it. Seeing KA's past, it makes sense. He's deeply traumatized, so any form of intimacy makes him scared because he doesn't know what's coming next. Will they leave? Will they betray him? It's hard for him to feel like he can have friends/chosen family or romantic relationships. From there, I like that there was a natural progress of them building trust by relying on each other and demonstrating that they can be trusted with difficult topics. I really appreciated that the whole Love Class/marriage and family theme talked about building relationships in an actually healthy way - there's a lot of build-up to a quality relationship - and that that genuinely helped them to grow together as a couple. I must say, as usual, I am disappointed by the poor kissing by the main couple but...I'm not surprised since LH is an idol IRL. They always let them star in BLs but they don't let them actually make it feel like a true BL. I suppose, at least it wasn't an angle kiss.
The second couple - MR and MW - were a bit confusing at first. Right away I understood MW liked MR, but it wasn't clear whether MR was being dense or genuinely didn't know that his best friend liked him. I didn't really enjoy the manipulation tactics with the faking having a girlfriend in order to get your crush to date you. However, it does force people to face their feelings, MR in this case; in the end, it worked out and they didn't have hard feelings. I must add, too, MR stole the show. His personality and silly antics were super entertaining and precious. I'm w MW on this one - he's too cute not to date lol Also, A- for the kissing. It definitely got better over time but the beginning with non-con kissing...Big question. MR was awake but MW didn't get consent so \o.o/ no bueno.
The third couple - JK and SM - were just...awful, to be honest. I didn't appreciate their dynamic at all, and they were toxic asf. Between the childish "playing hard to get" to the misunderstandings about JK's relationship with his uncle (??? tf, so underdeveloped and confusing), all of it was deeply unimpressive and their relationship didn't make sense to me. I mean, the end revealed that SM knew JK before he left for the army and came back, so did he have feelings then and he developed them now? Idk. Also, let's talk about that weird underwear gift...That whole scene made me cringe big time. Then to threaten him and the whole thing - so fucking unnecessary. A for actually kissing though. The "bed scene" (NC-17 at best, but read a bit PG-13) was decent though it didn't go beyond making out. I guess that's a start considering KBL at the beginning could barely even fit in a kiss lol
Overall, I enjoyed it even though some of the mistakes were a bit bummy. The whole thing with the boom mic really wasn't notable. I only noticed it in one episode a couple of times, but I don't remember it anywhere else. The audio in general could have been a bit better, too.

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it was a bit too short :(

The general concept is one that's really intriguing, but the run time per episode was just too short to really develop a nice plot with more facets to it. The characters lacked personality and really only existed to serve the plot. There wasn't much development in terms of getting to know the characters so they appeared very flat and boring. The first five episodes I had wondered if they forgot to put the comedy tag because the whole scenario and lack of explanation as well as the characters' demeanors with each other had me laughing my ass off. The last couple of episodes I did feel moved when Yudam remembered what happened in the past (loved the historical garb! they were so pretty <3) and then watched the love of his life die before his eyes again by the same person. But, other than that, there weren't very many high points to the show. Like others, I'm hopeful that there will be another season so that maybe they can be fleshed out a bit more, but I highly doubt there will be. It seems like that kind of show that's supposed to be left open-ended.

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Cute but missed the mark quite a bit

I really enjoyed the cast choices - I think they're all pretty & cute, especially Do Yeon and the sister (was her name Yu Jin?). Their acting was a bit...plain, and it felt emotionless, to be honest. It also was serving early BL -misunderstands relationships between people and intense internalized homophobia until the last ten minutes- the whole way through. I wish more had happened, but the episodes were so short that not much *could* happen. I will say, though, compared to other Korean BLs, the kissing in this one was actually pretty legit. They kissed like regular people rather than giving fish lips. So, a plus on that. Beyond that, not much substance here to comment on.

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It's just okay

Most of the show was pretty cringe esp Toy and Boss. It reminded me of the BLs back in the SOTUS era with ridiculous misunderstandings, cheating for no reason, bad kisses, and contrived pairings. The characters were 2D in a lot of ways - they didn't really grow as characters throughout and their personalities were just 1-2 character traits on steroids. The only thing I really knew about Tawan was that he was nice/caring and naive, for example. It's a bit too simple =/ And the Mayom and Nadia pairing made no sense, really. No depth to the liking or decisions.
There were a few saving graces - the uncles, Cheep and Dej, the motorbike crew, Fueng, Jo, and Sing, and the beautiful scenery when they went up north. The uncles were phenomenal and a bit more dynamic - they were humorous, insightful, and showed an array of emotion and concern for one another. The motorbike crew was absolutely HILARIOUS. When they got off their bikes at the festival, I literally couldn't stop laughing. I liked that they were insightful and the right amount of nosey, making sure that Mork was taken care of and he didn't bottle his feelings. And of course, the ride up to Chiangrai -- the house, the forest, the cliffside. Ugh, it was SO beautiful.
The one hole that's bothering me the most...Did someone go back to get the uncle's truck!? He just abandoned it in the middle of the road LOL

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Intensely progressive and hilarious

Honestly, the gender bending gave me life. Nok Du was stunning as Widow Kim & Dong Joo was stunning as an assassin dude. There were an insane amount of cunning, intelligent, physically powerful women in this show, and they didnt treat the bigger women as incapable, slobby, and unloveable (which is SO typical in all media). Dont even get me started on the Master and his kid - Aeng Doo made me laugh my ass off with her little quips and big appetite. Loved Nok Du's brother & father - offering such important perspectives at crucial pivot points in Nok Du's development. And the villains, of course... Dong Joo coming in at the end to tell the nephew that she simply will never love him because putting in effort wouldnt be good enough? The King telling the nephew he will be lonely forever (when the nephew literally lost everyone and everything he cared about JUST to have that throne)??? I mean. WOW. & One of the first hetero OTPs I actually was invested in. I could go on and on about this I adored it so much! ?

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