Hello Monster (2015)

I’m so glad I started watching this drama. Let me start by telling you how I experienced the pace before moving on to general things. Normally when a drama is good, I finish it within a day or 2, maybe 3. In this case, because of other distractions in life, it took me a little while longer. Normally, when I take longer.. drama’s feel a bit dragged out and I lose interest easily. That wasn’t the case with this one. Despite me having taken several days more to finish it, I still feel like I only started watching it this morning. “It’s already over?” Is the first thought in my mind right now. To me, that is a precious feeling to have.


Story
From the first episode on, I knew this drama was going to be exactly what that episode was promising it to be. A story about crimes, but with a well-balanced amount of humor and a diverse set of characters. The promise made in the first episode was made true until the very last. The story slowly developed through the episode and I didn’t feel like it wavered even once. If there were mistakes, I didn’t notice them. You start with a puzzle and missing pieces and as the events unfold, steadily more pieces start to fall together.

And let’s not forget about the many morals this drama allows to come to discussion. It invites you to look at things from another perspective and to think differently. What is right and what is wrong? What makes wrong, wrong?

I loved how the story slowly connected all the dots to create a picture. The end of this drama is relatively open. I was asked once if I preferred a happy or sad ending. This drama has a bit of both and I think.. that I really like this. There are two sides to the ending, which to me feels most realistic.

You are given enough closure to know how things are likely to go from here, but at the same time it’s not the picture perfect ending you might be hoping for. And isn’t that just like real life? There can’t always be a happy ending. I love that and it gives this drama that extra touch for me to appreciate it.


Acting/cast
The cast was perhaps my favorite part of the drama. The actors that were casted were perfect for the roles they played. I was curious about seeing more of Seo In Guk after The Master’s Sun and man, am I glad I got to see him in the main lead!
And let’s not forget about Park Bo Gum. I didn’t know him before this drama, but I sure do know him now. He may not have been the main, but he sure know how to steal a spotlight with his performance. I loved the interaction between Park Bo Gum and Seo In Guk.

The overall chemistry between everyone was just so lovely to see. From the two brothers to the investigation team to the romance between the leads. Everything felt so touching and real, it touched me deeply.

I was looking forward to the romance when I was just a few episodes in. But after having finished it, I find myself wishing so much I had seen more about the brotherhood. Still – the story balanced it well and I think every character and every actor has had their moment to shine. They made me laugh, smile, frown and cry.

A special mention goes to D.O/Do Kyung Soo who plays the young Lee Jun Yeon. Had a friend not told me it was D.O from EXO, I would have never known. I did not recognize him at all! His performance was so strong and convincing. I didn’t really have a deep impression of him before, but after this drama I got to admit my view on him changed quite a bit. He definitely has great acting skills in him and I absolutely grew to love the character he played because of it!


Music
The music was just fine. Compared to the rest of my review I may not sound as enthusiastic, but that’s because if I am honest – I can’t really remember the music. What I remember is that it fitted the moods just right and it was always a good add to the scenes at hand. But there is not a song that jumped out and made me want to listen to it more than once.

So though it was a good selection, I can’t say it caught my attention specifically. My attention was solely on the story and cast.


Rewatch Value
Oh yes, absolutely! The story may not have many surprising things left, but it was never once boring. And the sheer acting of the cast was such a joy that I wouldn’t mind seeing it again. No doubt, I’d find myself laughing about the same subtle jokes all over again. <3

Read More

I have a love-hate relationship with this drama series

This has been one of the dramas I've been putting off for awhile. I didn't hear any feedback about this prior to watching the drama and all I know is that Jang NaRa and Seo InGuk were the leads which is actually the reason I'm eyeing for this. I don't have any particular expectations aside from that casts so it made me feel excited and kinda disappointed at some point. So let me dig into what I think about this drama.

Let me start off with the storyline itself. The way it started really excites me when this overly charismatic detective narrating his perspective came into the picture and eventually know that the story will go around him then the female lead who's some sort of stalker to this male lead. Although, it was explained on the latter part as to why she became a stalker I just didn't find the character to make sense. Anyway, watching through the series it made me feel really curious because I'm into mind-game/psychological mystery type of plot but to be honest it also bored me most of the times and I just wanna get over the curiosity so I kept going. The ending is vague, it felt like there's no closure. Overall, the plot is kind of a mess for me.

Next one is the casts which is the main reason why I watched and kept watching this drama. I've watched lots of dramas of Seo InGuk and Jang NaRa. They are both versatile actor and actress and never disappointed me on their performance and they're still the best on this drama, it's just that the storyline here is a bit down for me. I don't know if it's just me but I don't feel much of a chemistry between Seo InGuk and Jang NaRa in this drama which is kinda disappointing because the on the drama poster they really look good together. I didn't feel much of romance because of how they ended up together on the drama just didn't make sense. It was like, 'oh they have some common connection, let's pair them up'. I was expecting something more deeper than that. A great surprise by the way for seeing Park BoGum here with a new side being half protagonist, half antagonist. I agree with the feedback that Park Bogum and Seo InGuk are one of the cutest and most attractive on-screen siblings in the K-Drama world. Before I forget, I want to mention D.O's super amazing guest role here. He was on-screen for just several minutes but his acting is really superb. His scene was the most remarkable scene I've seen in this drama.

For me, this drama as a whole is a pretty decent one, there were times it was boring but I really enjoyed the journey of discovering the mysteries throughout the series. It was still worth it anyway. I am sure you'll enjoy this too.

Read More

I didn't expect much logic or veracity in this show. Since the beginning, we can tell that the script isn't the most elaborated in Dramaland, but it kinda surprises me at certain points. I really figure out about the killer and the brother in episode two, but that wasn't the main question of the show, at least that was what I felt.

The relations between the characters and motivation of each one actually were the goal here. The reason behind the murders, the reason behind the emotional issues... I think this was a drama that tried to made a deep plot but was limited by a low budget (I suppose) and a poor script.

I wanted that they explore more the duality of the character and put the audience to really doubt everyone. But when you started to see the things showing up, the mystery turns quite obvious. Somethings really bothered me, as the police station where anyone can do whatever they want (including fraud and case's covering) and don't get punished, or just receiving a scold. The many cases crossing over the main plot were also a little forced to me, and sometimes I had to go back to understand the connection because there were many. It wasn't the greater performance of my oppa Seo In Guk either, but I could feel that was a direction choice because his character was pretty stereotypical. The script was really a problem to me, and seeing that was the same screenwriter of "Suspicious Partner", I can get that. The idea was good, but the development was frustrating, catching you by the curiosity and not for the involvement.

I won't complain about the few romantic scenes because this wasn't the point of the drama, but already complaining... Why not a few more scenes between these two? I think that is the curse of noona romance, where the producers and actors don't wanna expose the actress... It's a shame because the chemistry between them was great.

The highlight for me was the performance of Park Bo Gum, because I always saw him as the good boy and here I really had chills seeing his cold smile. It's not for nothing that he received two awards because of this character, it was a good job.

I'll put this one as an "I expected more, but okay" (★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★) because I could watch until the end and I could enjoy until a certain point.

See you soon!
XOXO, Mari.

Read More

The only expectations I had going into watching this show was Jang Na Ra. After watching her in Fated and Old good bye, I had high hopes in her role choosing capabilities. I was looking forward to a positive female lead who plays a cop and can hold her own in a male dominated profession.
What I sadly got was a bumbling idiot who rode the male lead's tail coats to solving crimes, couldn't defend herself even if her and at times other people's lives depended on it and couldn't even avenge her father's death despite the fact that this was the reason she became a cop in the first place.
I was surprised with the meaty role that Seo in Guk had bagged in this show though. I had only seem him earlier in Reply and his second male lead role in Master's Sun. The role he played in this show was no different from the one I found he played in Reply. He just traded his hat as a lawyer and became a profiler/ criminal studies professor of some sort. What I found enjoyable was that all the major players (excluding of course the female lead) were exceptionally clever people and when the three shared the screen, it was an intricate dance of intellects.
Plot wise I lost interest a little later than I do for most series and once the criminals were apprehended, the show simply moved on to the next serial murderer without tying in the loose ends that the previous case had left.
Had it not been for my rule of watching things through to the end no matter how bad the show is, I would have dropped it ages ago. This show is a good watch if you have nothing better to do on a rainy day.

Read More

I liked this drama very much. i can only recommend it to everyone who wants a bit freshness in the dramaworld, because this drama was really original.

Romance: It was a nice romance and i felt the chemistry between the couple. It was smooth and there were no love rivals or anything like that. Very realistic. There is not a lot of romance scene in this drama but it is okay because i enjoyed the bromance too.

Bromance: OMG i loved the bromance so much. The love for his brother felt so real that it made me teary quite often. Min ... is just so handsome. I fell in love with him. I hope he will get more dramas .
Park Bo Gum <3

Acting: The acting was top noch. It made me want too see more from park bo gum.

Overall: I will miss this drama and i can only recommend it. The first episodes might be confusing but you will get into the story very quick. just watch it. It's awsome i promise ;)

Read More

A Slow Descent Down the Hill.

First: if you are looking for the 'thrill' and anticipation that one experiences while watching Signal (2016), Beyond Evil, Mouse (both 2021) or Flower of Evil, this drama isn't for you. I will suggest this drama to anyone who is looking for a unique story of two brothers. The murder and psychological aspects all come in second.

I dropped this drama precisely at the 13th episode, then watched the final episode to sate my curiosity.
The number of times I've seen it recommended alongside other thrillers is what drove me to begin this. I should've not kept prior expectations beforehand; this would've saved the rating from getting tanked.

The story had a good start that is enough to pique my curiosity. It's already established that Lee Hyun had a traumatizing experience as a child. Now, back in Korea after his stint as a Criminilogy Professor, he is drawn to certain murder cases that revive memories about his missing brother. On the other hand, Cha Ji Ahn, a cop, has stalked him for 20 years while on search of a serial killer whose last known interaction happened to be with Lee Hyun.

I don't usually go off about female leads, but Cha Ji Ahn's character and her backstory were the weakest part of the whole plot. I never really cared about her past or romance with Lee Hyun, thanks to how the writers wrote her as an almost comical and cringeworthy caricature of a cop. The main poster doesn't include her and I can see why. (Her annoying nature becomes bearable after episode 8. She was not irritable when it came to scenes of crime discussions with her team, but I skipped everything else of hers involving a casual Lee Hyun.)

I loved Lee Min's interesting game of cat and mouse. This was what kept me going throughout the whole drama. Park Bo Gum and Do Kyung Soo blew the cap off with their performances in this one. DO, Lee Joon Young's younger self, was stunning in his portrayal of a complete psychopath, but his delivery of certain lines are going to be some of the most memorable ones in dramaland. (Particularly at the end of EP1 and almost his every flashback. Another person to add to the list of Bunny Serial Killers.)

Seo In Guk has potential, but the shifting tones in his character made me feel less emotional towards him -- it went from comedy to stoic all at once. The character Lee Hyun didn't seem to get a break. The scenes of his that I enjoyed the most were all the serious ones.

I found it hilarious that Lee Hyun got everything solved instantly with the help of the Art gallery director -- I must not have watched enough to know his true identity or this is lack of paying attention from my part.

By episode 8 or 12, I knew who was who -- biggest let down as the story seemed rather bleak and uninteresting after the big reveal. (EP12 has one of my most favorite moments: the conversation between the two brothers. Both actors delivered emotional and heartfelt performaces.) I fastforwarded quite a bit after that, eventually deciding to drop the whole thing as it did not seem to have what I sought. I will not be going back to this drama anytime soon.

Read More

This was literally one of the best kdramas I have ever had the pleasure of watching, they didn't force the romance too much but they were still able to make subtle moments between the protagonists. It was all very tastefully done.

The acting was by far the best aspect of this drama, Seo In-Guk was so talented and I was extremely moved by his abilities. Choi WonYoung was another persons who's ability to create a distinct change of emotion through the smallest of changes in his facial expressions/voice was incredible.

Another thing that sold it for me was the storyline, there were so many plot twists that it kept you on your feet, it was also interesting in how it got audience members to understand the motives for the antagonists, and I dare say that everyone will fall in love with the antagonists haha. The only issue I would have with it is that the ending didn't give me complete closure, but then again some people like that in a drama, it was also a bit slow the first episode, but after watching all 16 of them I understand why they did certain things. I wish there was a second season because it was just so good.

Finally the OST was so beautiful I almost found myself in tears after each episode because it's amazing, very moving and it fits the drama very well; the lyrics in particular. I would 100% definitely recommend watching I remember you, it's a truly wonderful show, top-notch.

Read More

It kept me at the edge of my seat almost the entire time even though there weren't really "twisted surprises". It was exciting and interesting and I almost never felt bored (and that's kind of rare for me). Having romance on the sidelines was a nice change, I guess. I didn't really feel it that much, or maybe I just didn't care, but it was okay. It was there as some sort of relief from everything else, rather than a main part of the story. The music wasn't memorable, to me, anyway. There were some scenes where I felt they could've played better music.
Overall, it was a different drama in some ways, and it was good. Great, actually, although the ending was rushed. I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. The cases, clues, character relationships, and how almost everything was connected were great.

--- below is some personal rant, don't mind it---
I had hoped to see more scenes showing the relationship development (and interaction in general) between the two brothers, as well as more concrete closure for the brother in the last episode... That's the main issue I have with the ending. In my personal opinion, they showed a couple of useless scenes that could have been replaced with more info about the younger brother and what happened to him (and his hyung) after he made his choice.

Read More