Remake does the orignal justice
Although this was a remake of la casa de papel (money heist) it certainly does do the series justice in my opinion. I've watched and i am half spanish so when i heard there was gonna be a remake i thought ehhhhh i don't know if this is the right move by netflix because i thought the Spanish version was always gonna be the best however after watching the remake i think that the korean version of this show is as good as the original spanish version of the show. Certainly worth the watch even if u have already seen the original, there are some key differences in this remake to the original which makes the series a lot more exciting than you'd expect. I've noticed from the negative reviews that most people dropped the show within the first or second episode, all i can say to that is that if u give the show the chance and watch it fully it will grow on you and the unique storylines will certainly catch your attention here.Was this review helpful to you?
Korea´s socio-political North-South dynamics suspensefully catapulted into mass consciousness
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" is a remake of the Spanish Netflix production "La casa de papel". As with "Designated Survivor: 60 Days", "Suits" or "The Good Wife", this South Korean remake also sticks closely to the original. Many viewers may work through what is better, whether it is necessary, etc. - Not me, though. Rather, what fascinates me is how specifically Korean socio-political dynamics have been woven into the present story and suspensefully catapulted into a global consciousness.Against this background, the series is truly brilliant. Most viewers might probably miss this or could care less, and thus don't even pay attention to it. Nevertheless, this or that might eventually fall in places, unconsciously. Be as it may be...
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" takes place in a fictional economically united Korea. This premise as a setting alone is ingeniously visionary, because it conveys into the mass consciousness such a not sooo unrealistic agreement scenario for the stuck situation between the two countries: An economic union that could be profitable and attractive for all sides... Yet, immediately the potential stumbling blocks are swimming in the wake... Exploitation, fraud, abuse! The promise of freedom and unlimited opportunity turns out to be just more profit and opportunities for those who are already living in the fast lane. The promising scenario for peace and prosperity for everybody might be one side of the coin, a raised index finger is pointing to the other side already: Attention! Wiheom! Danger!
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" is provoking with a dramaturgical "Hello-Wake-Up!" - On the one hand these potential capitalist dynamics could make a promising peace scenario possible, but on the other hand, in the same breath, would also torpedo it. This is where the big plan of the 'professor' comes in. He wants to counteract the machinations of the powerful, who are busy filling their already full pockets, regardless of those, who pay the price. Thus he comes up with a spectacle that will shake up the public (and their decision-makers). In the end this might ultimately force the system to be more mindful and aware in approaching a true joint venture in order to make it work for the people (not only the CEOs and the powerful).
In this context, the characteristic difficulties between Koreans from North and South are successfully demonstrated again and again: the deep distrust that has been actively cultivated for so long. The fear that the war, which has officially not ended yet, will openly continue. The constant spying. The contempt for the other system. All of this was politically tirelessly staged for more than half a century. Families were being torn apart almost at random back then (1950s) - like in Germany after the Second World War. At a time X, some were on one side of the boundary line and others were on the other. Coincidence. Fate. What followed after that was propaganda, both here and there. Building up an enemy image. And what was done back then, even if the framework conditions for rapprochement might been created, has to heal over time first. (This can be learned by the experience in Germany: having reunited for more than three decades, still in society the 'wall' between ´Ossis´ and ´Wessis´ has not yet been truly overcome...)
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" succeeds in weaving a realistic future scenario for a united Korea into an exciting story. With all difficulties and opportunities. In this respect I consider this KDrama a strong production. In doing so, the KDrama brings this possibility of a Korean peace closer into the mass consciousness - first of all for the South Korean society, which is extremely sensitive to this topic, but ultimately also for the rest of the world.
I also have criticism.
This is neither concerning the story nor the actors, on the contrary. And it is not about the fact that connoisseurs of "La casa de papel" will be strongly reminded of the original (including the names of the characters). No. I rather have a more general complaint regarding many Korean Netflix productions (vs. the national KDrama TV productions).
-First, there is the spice up of the narrative style for an international (rather male) eye that is generally used to a good portion of sex & crime and a higher pacing. Well, I don´t need it.
-Second: Why not really telling the story to the end? Yes, it could be "worth" one or more seasons, but nevertheless. They even split the first season into part 1 and 2. I don´t like it.
-Third: The sensitive emotional momentum, that is so crucial for KDramas, is reduced to the max. Yet, the strength of a KDrama, in my experience, is that we are emotionally drawn inside, that we identify ourselves, feel empathetic, and get very close to the protagonists, get involved into their world. International Style on the other hand is rather characterized by keeping a critical distance. Here the audience is watching from the outside. The story and acting may grab you, but you stay outside and watch. You don't necessarily get emotionally involved. What is happening will be and will remain the story of others. In this particular case as well. So unfortunately once again a central KDrama unique selling point was abandoned for the standards of international Netflix world. This is not necessarily bad, yet different. I would say the experience of watching is less intense compared to other KDramas.
Luckily, the KDrama in general has more than one crucial strength and can instead show off some of those others. So does "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area"...
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Don't expect heart-racing thrills
I would expect a heist show to be fast-paced, high-tension, and high-energy. But this was strangely flat, slow and pretty dull. Heist movies and shows need one of two things to succeed: a tight, well-structured plot, or complex and rich characters. This tried to have both but ultimately had neither. There were interesting moments here and there, particularly towards the end. But the characters were too thin and the plot was too loose to make this an engaging watch. But since it's only 6 episodes, it's a pretty quick binge (supposedly there is going to be a part 2 with 6 more episodes, but I'm not sure if/when that will come out).Acting-wise, Kim Yunjin is definitely the standout. The rest were pretty average. Park Haesoo's Berlin is probably the most interesting of the heist crew, but it feels like they could have gone in harder on his (and everyone else's character).
The setting (reunified Korea) is probably meant to give the show a different spin. But I feel like they didn't make full enough use of it. They could definitely have exploited the tensions between a newly reunified North and South Korea a lot more. Even things like tensions within the negotiating team could have been used to create a lot more tension.
There was also not much soundtrack or BGM in this. Music is usually quite an important part of this type of movie, as it can really heighten the mood. But it was basically non-existent here. It's almost like they forgot.
This wasn't a bad show. It's an okay watch if you have some time and don't want to get too attached to a drama. But given the nature of the source material and the strong cast of actors, it was quite disappointing.
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Must read the review!!
when I judge a series or movie I looked for what happen next. Since I didn't watch the original and I don't have any series to compare with so I have a high expectation to this, to be honest 1st until the last episode, The excitement wasn't gone. The HALF of this drama exceeded my expectation. I've seen a lot of suspense series Like VIP and Designated survivor and they all like the same of how the story goes but guess what those 2 series is a great drama. Looking forward for the part 2 of season 1. hopefully the reviews of those basher just because they don't like korean series doesn't affect the series.Was this review helpful to you?
Not completely satisfied, Just Okay
First of all a complete let down. Apart from the cast and some story deviations, there is nothing particularly different from the orginal version. Some sources said it's a continuation of the main heist happened in Spain, like a spin-off i mean a heist that happening from the inspiration from the main heist, but it's all are fake. Because to be honest it's just a scene by scene copy like an exact remake which we usually see.Lets talk about the positive side, i already mentioned earlier about cast. It looks super cool. If you're a regular kdrama viewer then u can enjoy the show differently from others Because of the cast. Another thing was the story was moving really fastly without much dragging. May be they aware of the fact that it's already a hit show from Spain so better avoid unwanted dragging and make everything smooth and fast to ensure a better watching experience. But it's very disappointing for me because that's not something exciting, all the scenes were just okay. Quality making is also a plus point.
I thought of a different version here. But it's different only with some changes in the situations also the back stories of the characters etc. Not recommending to anyone. If you interested then try it that's all.. S02 and more will be coming later for sure....
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Is it better than the original?
As someone who watched and loved the original Money Heist (La Casa De Papel), this review will be based on both similarities and differences between the two.The beginning of the series, Tokyo's backstory, is captivating and original yet takes elements from the Spanish (og) version. It was nice to see the screenwriters take on a more Korean style while sticking to the original story. It was fast-paced and not much of the story before the heist was shown which was slightly different from the original series but it's understandable considering the writers tried to squeeze as much of the original story for the first heist in 12 episodes (as the original version had 23 episodes meant for the first heist).
I do wish the remake showed a more original and unique approach as the show was mostly very similar to identical to the original.
The acting was, in my honest opinion, average. There were moments and actors that I adored like Park Hae Soo as Berlin or Lee Joo Bin as Yun Mi Seon (OG Monica/Stockholm) and her chemistry with Kim Hi Joon aka Denver. However, the acting didn't exceed my expectations. I still enjoyed the first half of the show that aired so far.
The cinematography and directing style was something that I truly enjoyed. The shots weren't necessarily long (most of the time) and the brightness and coloring of the show were pretty to watch.
In the end, I will say that the original version is better than this remake but it still is enjoyable to watch.
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Biggest Heist in Korea Unfolds ❤
❤ What to Expect in Plot [Disclaimer]• Exact remake of the original Season 1 with a Korean touch
• The characters are same, with slight variations for some characters' background stories
• Remakes will always be compared to the original and will not be at par for all, but this is good remake and will make K-fans happy.
• Season 1 is Part 1 and Part 2 - with Part 1 released with 6 episodes on June 24, 2022
So go watch with an open mind!
❤ Acting:
• Since the plot is exact of the original series, the characters are same
• Some highlights/notable differences:
→ TOKYO: since her background is different, her character development is different initially merging into the Tokyo we know
→ BERLIN: If you loved him in the Squid Game, you will love his sadistic portrayal here even more
→ PROFESSOR: a more nerd yet suave version of the original but then again I am a fan of Yoo Ji Tae ❤
→ ARTURO/Jo Yeong Min: still a hate-worthy character like the original right from the start
❤ Setting:
• It is set up in a fictional place: Joint Economic Area
Personally like it, as it takes a lot of braincells to come up with a new place all together (but it is no Hobbitshire/Hogwarts/Narnia) and make a story there. And it makes it different from the original.
• I love the use of HAHOE Masks instead of Dali ones
• Music and Direction is quite addictive and polished
❤ Summary:
→ Keep an open mind and remember that this is a Korean REMAKE. Be kind ❤
→ Fans of Yoo Ji Tae and Park Hae Soo - you will fall in love all over again, as I have ❤
→ A concise remake, with good cinematography and acting showing the biggest heist to be pulled in Korea! ❤
→ I am big fan of the original series, and with that in mind, this has been a pretty great & grand effort! ❤
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Mid Heist Korea
When this drama first got announced I was very excited because I love the original series and kdramas. I couldn't wait to see how this adaptation would turn out, especially since the cast was perfect in my opinion. Overall I had a lot of expectations for this drama. Sadly, most of my expectations were not met.This drama is a Remake which means that the original plot would be copy and pasted, but I still expected there to be some differences between the two, just to keep people that have watched the original engaged. When the trailer was released and it revealed that the drama would focus on the unification of South Korea and North Korea, I thought this would be the thing that would differentiate the original and this drama. However, apart from causing conflict in the drama, this plot point isn't used well and there was almost nothing else that differs from the original. This wasn't a huge setback for me though, since I already expected that the drama would turn out this way, it just disappointed me. Also, people that haven't watched the original series won't have this complaint at all, so I won't take points out of my review just because of this.
Since the original series is great and this drama followed its plot, the drama was interesting enough for me to get through, but it lacked a lot in terms of pacing and storytelling. I'm assuming that they're trying to fit the five seasons of the original into 12 episodes, so thats the reason the drama was so fast paced, but I don't think that's an excuse for the bad pacing it had.
The actors themselves did great in each of their respective roles and brought the characters to life, but the pacing was so off that it didn't let me get invested in any of the characters. Some of the characters' stories were revealed in these 6 episodes, but at the same time I felt like I learned nothing about them. And the characters that didn't get their stories told in these episodes I just didn't care about at all since they had little screen time. I think it would've been better if all 12 episodes were released at once.
In all, the drama did its job and retold the story of the original, but thats all it did, and it didn't do it well either. There was also nothing particularly special about it that would make me recommend this version over the original. It would've been much more interesting if this drama only took inspiration from the original and focused on a new heist plan, or at least didn't follow the original's plot as closely as it did. If the original version of a series is so good that you replicate it to a t without adding anything unique, then just don't remake it.
That being said, I would still recommend this drama to people that haven't watched the original because it is a good drama. But, if you're someone that has watched the original series and you're thinking about giving this drama chance, don't waste your time and just go rewatch La Casa De Papel.
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A huge let down.
It's a toned-down/censored version of the original series.Also, they came up with a *fictional* place probably because they couldn't develop a realistic plan to execute a heist in South Korea.
The pacing is so rushed...
The Korean version isn't thrilling, no mind games, no charisma.
In terms of production value, it's low. minimalistic.
the casting was disappointing except for Nairobi, Denver, and Moscow. they made this version somewhat bearable to watch.
Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time watching this version, watch the original instead.
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Average korean drama not bad and not the strongest either
Didn't watch the original to be honest but I heard a lot about it from my friends .. was anticipating itthis one has very good cast ,, I thought it would be more like squid game with a twist ,, I don't like gore nor profanity ,, it has less gore but it has two sex secenes in episodes five and six ,, I skipped them to be honest they weren't important
explicit sex scene at the ending of episode six was too much
the drama it self is Average ,, didn't excite me that much ,, didn't care about any of the characters ,, the psycho character isn't that scary
the members of the crew were weak and messy
I didn't find any of the characters that intriguing or that strong to grab my attention
but the production quality is amazing that's for sure
it's good watch but don't get your expectations high you will be disappointed
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GOOD REMAKE, DOES JUSTICE TO THE ORIGINAL. BETTER RELATIONSHIPS THAN THE ORIGINAL
I have seen a lot of people say that this is bad remake and that the original is better, well its not surprise that the original will be better, guess what it was the main idea and the first one we watched, but actually i have to say that this is as good as the original. They have the same main idea and the same characters but is really interesting how they have change a lot of things both in the storyline (to be able to put their culture in) and their characters personalities. The whole north-south plot is so good, it gives more depth to the plot and makes everything more interesting, the way that even if they have union after many years they still dont trust each other is so sad to watch but so true at the same time. Its cool how they havent change the main storyline but at the same time they have create something different, not only with the south-north plot but with some main scenes for example the car chase, where the professor tries to destroy the car and the police is after him its far more badass here and the fact that Berlin himself told his name was really cool too. Actually there are many scenes that i liked better here.The characters are different too, i fell like some of them just kept the name and not the trait from the original.For example Tokyo, she is a very controversial character in the original, she always cause trouble and didnt really listen to anyone, but here she is very loyal and she goes by the book. Berlin is not so different, but i do believe that they made him more evil, the fact we know his storyline makes him look capable for really terrible things. Rio seems more "smart" here, in the original he is like a child, not that he isnt acting like one here sometimes but somehow he gives more adult vibes. Nairobi is the only character i think they did wrong, she is way to arrogant and i prefer the original Nairobi who is more fun, maybe later we see more of her so i can change my mind. Helsinki and Oslo dont have many scenes yet to know. Denver and Moscow are the ones they match more to their characters in the original. The Professor here really lacks the charms, the original professor is an icon so its hard to make another icon, but this professor really doesnt even do 20% of the job, maybe its the actor that cant really do this character justice, i dont know, but i think its a huge mistake to not be able to make at least a decent professor. Woo Jin is like Raquel, but i think i actually prefer Woo Jin. Mu Hyeok is very interesting character and i find him one of the best additions to the show. I dont even wanna talk about Yeong Min, somehow he manage to make me hate him more than Arturito which is extremely difficult. Mi Seon is better than Monika for me, we actually see her have some second thoughts and try to push Denver away when she start feeling things, she is great. Anne is another character that is better here, Allison was a pain in the ass but with not much of a storyline, Anne here is 100% more of a badass even if she is annoying too.
One thing that i adored in the remake is the relationships. The fact they made the professor to have already a relationship with Woo Jin is so clever, i always thought how stupid it was for Raquel to trust some in such a little time, but here they built this in something better. Denver and Mi Seon are like the original, but here i like how they make them question their attraction to each other. Tokyo and Rio are a slowburn and i love it, in the original we didnt watch them to form a normal relationship, here they are friends first (well Rio has a crush on Tokyo). I believe the remake create better relationships and stronger.
Overall, its a good drama, somethings were better planned in the remake, but the fact they couldnt make a decent professor really disappoints me. Its fun to watch how the have change somethings, actually more than some, i really believe that this remake is better than what people say, they are just bias.
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Berlin was fine but the original one had that nonchalant relaxed air about him which in my opinion made him seem "psychopathic" and unpredictable, I don't think Park Haesoo's interpretation was bad but he just didn't seem as scary or imposing and honestly his acting felt a bit redundant since his character in Squid Game was really similar.
I like some of the characters' interactions better like Rio and Tokyo, I enjoyed seeing them together, same thing with Denver and Miseon I much prefer the slow burn here but overall I felt like the group's dynamic was off they just didn't have that feeling of unity and their dialogues and interactions sounded very unnatural and forced to me.
I don't have much to say about the plot I was honestly quite bored but I don't think the drama is fully to blame because one of the main appeals of La Casa de Papel was the fact that it had me at the edge of my seat, it was really gripping and I was dying to know what was going to happened and what the Professor had planned so obviously I couldn't have had the same experience with this, however I do think that the original felt a lot more "intense" here it fell flat for me sometimes and what were they thinking with the music choices or lack thereof? Good hard-hitting music could've easily made many scenes much more impactful pleaaase fix this in the second part
I still think it still has the potential to blow me away but everyone who's working on this drama needs to step up their game for the next 6 episodes.
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