Glitch (2022)

On aliens and alienation

I am sorry about the punny title but it was either this or "Out of this world" and I feel like this one causes less physical pain.

A lot can be said about Glitch but conventional sure isn’t the word that comes to mind. Watching this drama as soon as it came out while following the reactions online has been a wild ride indeed. This isn’t supposed to be about other people’s opinions, this is my review, my thoughts, but I was perplexed by how badly this K-drama bombed. Reading the initial impressions, it sometimes felt, like I was watching a different show entirely. Upon further consideration I am adding a very mild spoiler warning to my review here, I won't go into any detail about how this story progresses, but will talk about a few elements of this show that were not mentioned in the synopsis or tags. So here you go: VERY MILD SPOILERS AHEAD!

I think the one thing the majority of watchers can at least somewhat agree is on, is that the performances are the aspect where Glitch shines the most, though this was to be expected considering the stellar cast this show provides. Our two lead actresses are of course especially to be praised here. Their dynamic and chemistry might be what this drama thrives on and Nana and Jeon Yeo-been add charm and believability to their roles. But even less prominent roles, like Boras squad of conspiracy theorists or overwhelmed policeman Kim Byung-jo, had their moments. Even Hong Ji-hyo’s abducted boyfriend who had little to no presence, felt like a somewhat fleshed-out character all thanks to his actor’s performance.

But my personal favorite aspect of this drama might be Glitch’s distinctive look and style. It’s quite challenging to present yourself as a sleek-looking drama, while also featuring a ginormous blue alien in your first episode. I will not be too soft here, when it came to extraterrestrial beings, the CGI left something to be desired, but the drama was kind enough to not rely on their presence all too often. When we’re not subjected to computer-generated monstrosities, Glitch remains a surprisingly artistic show, especially at the times where it does get more experimental. Lighting and colors played one of the biggest parts here, switching between soft warm tones when we’re shown flashbacks of Bora’s and Jihyo’s past and the cold blue-and-green tones we’re used to from our sci-fi-flicks. I especially have to commend the usage of green-tinted lighting, whenever a situation was supposed to be uncomfortable or unnatural, it really generated the feeling the script needed. But shot composition, cut, and camera also stood out here. The hand-held camera shined in fast-paced action scenes and in general Glitch very rarely felt or looked static. If there is one thing I have to critique when it comes to the overall look and feel of this show it’s the (rare) moments of slow-motion that always felt entirely out of place to me and like a misguided attempt to stretch shots that might have been too short. But this might just be my personal preference.

This might be where agreements about Glitch end. The plot and script are where opinions tend to differ drastically.
Pacing is something this drama has been harshly critiqued for. While it is true, that Glitch’s start felt somewhat slow, it does pick up speed after four episodes. But I would actually go so far as claim that the show‘s arguably monotone beginning was needed, to create the atmosphere the drama relied on. That’s because we follow the story through Ji-hyo whose life also feels like it has come to halt. At thirty she works a monotone job she doesn’t seem to care about, still lives with her parents, and isn’t willing to take the next step in her long-term relationship. All she’s trying to be is normal, boring even, while she desperately attempts to ignore all the things that make her different, attempts to even ignore the side of her that wants to be different. Things accelerate drastically for her after she reconnects with Bora, so it’s natural that the same goes for the overall essence of the show. This might not be everyone’s cup of tea and it does take some commitment to give the show a chance and see where the plot takes you, but personally, I enjoyed that Glitch took its time.
That the viewer experiences this story through Ji-hyo’s eyes also means that we’re bound to be confused as the plot escalates. Glitch keeps its audience on its toes and toys with plausible deniability. What is hallucination, what are aliens, what is the cult? The viewer doesn't know anything more than the protagonist does. We feel lost because Ji-hyo does too.
This does not excuse the few plotholes Glitch sadly contains. I fully understand frustrations with the ending, a few too many knots were left untied for my taste. So I am not arguing that the plot’s structure is flawless, God no, but I do feel like the pacing of this show isn’t nearly as off as many claim. Some stories just take time and I’d rather be along for the ride than for a script to feel rushed.

“But this isn’t what I signed up for! I wanted sci-fi and aliens! This is too weird!”
Not trying to come across as condescending or pretentious but I am once again begging people to read between the lines when they consume media. Glitch isn’t the conventional alien tale it seems to be at first glance because it isn’t trying to be. And it also doesn’t have to be that in order to be good. Because what is hidden under layers of UFOs and religious symbolism is the story of Ji-hyo’s emancipation. It is a tale of a young woman trying to escape the norm and her passive role in society. It’s about feeling like you literally don’t belong on this planet, like you yourself might be alien because you do not fit the mold people are trying to force you in. And it’s about the role that religion plays especially for people that feel alienated, a tale that showcases how simple it is to persuade them to believe once you have earned their trust. How you can influence individuals to believe in a religion based on self-interest, force them to see UFOs, and make them question everything they thought they knew.
I thoroughly enjoyed this show, it’s rare to come across stories that are entirely female-centric without even the hint of romance (unless you count our two female leads who honestly had enough chemistry to go steady). I got a lot of joy from the portrayal of female friendship. Bora and Ji-hyo’s dynamic worked excellent. But I also just genuinely had fun with this plot and was fully invested in it. Yes it was strange, that’s what made it good. I can certainly say that this wasn’t anything I had seen before.

I shouldn't care what others think but I really really wish people would give Glitch a fair chance. “Too weird” should not be a valid critique, especially when a story is obviously more interested in being interpreted than literal. It’s frustrating because Asian cinema already very often relies on the suspension of our disbelief. How out there or downright Ludacris a plotline is, doesn’t seem to be relevant in romance dramas but as soon as a story requires some form of critical thinking, people shut the door on it. Others obviously are allowed to take away from this show whatever they want, I am not trying to imply that everyone who rated this low is a simpleton who just didn’t get it but I do think that there is a lot more to this story than what meets the eye. I am not trying to argue that Glitch was anything close to perfection, just a lot better than people gave it credit for.

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Missunderstood and underrated Masterpiece

I normaly do not bother to write reviews after watching beautifull but "brain dead" dramas. But now after finding a hidden gem with a very deep meaning and message beeing utterly missunderstoood and underrated, I had to write one.

First off, watch the drama and continue to read this review after watching it! You will not be dissapointed. Even without understanding it completely, it is a fun and crazy ride with good acting and a good cast. But only by understanding the story and message it will be really good.

If you have thought this drama is all about aliens, friendship and cults you are wrong and most likely one of those persons depicted in the drama itself as, blindly trusting belivers and following their leaders "cult leaders/papas" all the way to the end, untill you are told into dying for your believes.
Are you a leader? Are you a believer?
Or are you one of those beautifull but unique " Bo Ra" beings that knew there was something hidden and at least searched for the real meaning by thinking against the "norm". Or maybe are you the one who was shure to know the story untill waking up at some point by understanding the real meaning, like the FL did wake up from her "boring" predestined life?

"It is not about aliens, friendship or cults but about what people believe and how societies work. By whom and how the meaning of craziness or norm is defined and what characters people choose to be. A believer, a leader, a beautifull and unique person, or the messiah."

I choose to be crazy...

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A commentary on believing, trust, religion, memory, mental health and aliens

I added this to my watch list because the screenwriter Jin Han Sae is the son of legendary screenwriter Song Ji Na (Healer, Faith, Sandglass and Eyes of Dawn). Jin Han Sae continues to show this with this piece.

The portrayal of mental health is good in hear (actually having a drama character see a psychologist) though it shouldn't have been a friend per say. One of the interesting things about UFO sightings is how many witnesses experience gas-lighting by media in the past, only recently did the U.S. government acknowledge that UFOs are a real thing that they see. It's for this reason that I was able to see the main female leads experiences as mostly real but doubted by the majority of society. This is where I see the cult/religion aspect of this drama having value. There were parts where I thought joining the cult in this drama would be and could be fun. But like most religions clergy often abuse their power and do things that are just down-right bad.

The memory aspect of this drama was really interesting. I won't spoil anything regarding this but I will say their seemed to be a theme between trusting your memory and then trusting others who are trying to help you and trusting your intuition.

This drama wasn't predictable at least to me when encountering new characters.

What I loved about this drama
- the female leads in this drama weren't one-dimensional
- good acting, great cast, particularly that actor who played Mr. Kim who's performance was great
- fun adventures
- the portrayal of forgotten memories
- not the typical kdrama plot
- ended on a note that confirms this is the only season

Reasons for my 8.5 rating here (it's 9.0 overall for this rating)
- unnecessary smoking | In the USA I am very used to non-smoking scenes and if we see what smoking companies wanted us to see its cool and hip people smoking. There is nothing that can make me think that you can have flawless skin like Nana's while smoking. Though there was one cool scene where carrying a lighter comes in handy. -.5 points
- there are some characters around the female lead that just don't respect boundaries in the later half of this drama they weren't as invasive as I believe they were before and I felt like it was out of character as there was no character development for that
- someone commented before that it was hard to know if this drama wanted to be comedy or not and I do see that there were some really serious moments where it was like we were supposed to laugh at it

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Tbh this is really an interesting and fun watch.. The casts are all amazing, the relations between every single character, the comedy, the whole concept itself is really amazing and i wasn't disappointed bc i actually looked forward to this... Though the cult stuff was kinda unexpected (is it?? i mean i just thought we were talking abt aliens and stuff i didnt think we'd be getting into cults and stuff... maybe its just me??) I mean, it does fit the story, but I'm always kind of bothered and try my best to avoid stories abt cults and stuff (ex: save me) but eh i skip some of the cult scenes anyway... at least the ones that give me really unsettling vibes.... but other than that, i think it's pretty good and worth the watch!!

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Aliens, Friendships and Corny Comedy: The Three Formula Ingredients of ‘ Glitch’.

Aliens,aliens, aliens: any k-drama fan will know that since ‘ My Love From The Star’ came riding on the hallyu wave, there’s been a certain infatuation in Korean popular culture with narratives focusing on supernatural love interests and smoulderingly sexy paramours from out of space. However ( as the title would suggest), ‘ Glitch’ is an odd anomaly in the equation of science-fiction in the Korean drama industry . The female lead is not in love with some hunk from the far reaches of the galaxies, nor is she an aspiring actress attempting to “make ends meet” or swept off her feet by the “ one”. Instead, viewers are made to question one major thing; is the little green man that the heroine begins to see in dreams real, or is she finally losing her mind, and how can an old friend from the past help with her boyfriend’s disappearance ?

Written by Jin Hansae ( ‘ Extracurricular’) and directed by Roh Deok ( ‘ Very Ordinary Couple’), ‘ Glitch’ tells the story of mundane office-worker Hong Jihyo ( Vincenzo’s star Jeon Yeo-been). Thirty years- old and still living at home with her parents, Jihyo is used to taking part of her daily drudgery at the office. However, Jihyo has a secret: after her boyfriend Lee Siguk (Lee Dong-hwi)’s disappearance, she has been receiving surreal visions and dreams of a small green alien.

Unsure of whether she is losing her mind or onto a possible lead, Jihyo enlists the help of old school friend Hong Bora (Nana), a hostess for an online show about outlandish conspiracy theories about aliens. Bora agrees to helping Jihyo as they attempt to find out answers to Siguk’s mysterious disappearance.

As proven with the chosen director and writer, ‘ Glitch’ is a show which aims high with its concept and ideas: its not afraid to be unconventional with its mystery sci-fi elements, unusual female characters ( especially those who enjoy smoking and are fairly indifferent to romance) , and an odd camaraderie which comes into place between them. Nevertheless while certain elements of ‘ Glitch’ can be perceived as purposefully fun with its genre-switching or surprisingly relevant with its address ( including towards the current issue in Korea of pseudo-cults and repressed mental health), this is admittedly where one of the show’s flaws can often be underpinned: the issue of the drama’s presentation as a comedy.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that for a show about crackpot conspiracies and little green men in visions that comedy does play out a lot in the show. Naturally, it would be wrong to try and make out that for a show where this is highly relied upon, that it’s unwatchable or overly bad. ‘ Glitch’ is fairly quirky and witty with its style of comedy; things falling off walls, slapstick moments and bon mots exchanged between characters ( especially in the UFO enthusiasts club) . Fun at times but certainly variable for individuals also. However, the comic relief also brings about the issue of being heavily relied upon in large chunks of the narrative even when it was not always necessary or required. Although this issue will be explained further by tying into the problem of pacing for the show, ‘ Glitch’ struggled to get its feet off the ground in early episodes. The running theme of craziness vs. reality is a concept that has been tackled a lot in tv shows, but writer Jin Hansae almost seemed to be caught in a slight rut with how to lift this further by propelling events or exploring characters early on. Indeed, while there were many interesting plot points and characters ( including with regards to relationships and past trauma), attempts to enforce laughs in episodes often led to the major moments of suspense and tension feeling somewhat undermined and dissipated at times.

Nevertheless, it is hard not to talk about the show without bringing up the main cast. As mentioned previously, Vincenzo breakout star Jeon Yeo-been plays the main role as heroine Hong Jihyo. Jeon’s performance is fairly good. Although the actress admittedly feel a little enforced with her line deliverances ( although often as a result of her written dialogue), she did add a surprisingly likeable charm to Jihyo which made her character who you can grow to like in the frame of the narrative. ( Even if her character wasn’t always given the same opportunities to grow and develop also,)

One of the surprising stars of the series was Nana as Hong Bora; eccentric, somewhat over-the-top yet surprisingly sincere, there was something oddly captivating about Bora which made her a likeable character against all odds. She certainly had her grating moments as a character at times, but Nana really helped to embody an extra sweetness which will likely melt your heart .

Ryu Kyung-soo delivered a fairly consistent performance as Kim Byung-jo; a character well-rounded in his intentions but slightly less memorable in comparison to the dominating presence of the female leads. ( Especially with regards to his unrequited feelings for the heroine.)

As mentioned previously, ‘ Glitch’ heavily relies upon the essence of slow-pacing. This isn’t always necessarily a bad thing per say as it did allow for opportunities for suspense to build and for numerous questions and intrigue to build in the viewer’s mind. ( Including the notion about the two female leads’ broken friendship, the manifestation of aliens and the actual, true fate of Lee Siguk.) Nevertheless while slow pacing can be a blessing for a series, it does admittedly have its foibles; especially when it boils down to the issue of keep viewers hooked. A noticeable problem that has arisen a lot with ‘ Glitch’ comes through the dilemma of the series failing to really get going in the first few episodes or picking up the pace in certain scenes to enliven the elements of suspense and tension to their fullest. In particular, where major plot moments could’ve done with an element of quick-paced deliverance or shock value, was sometimes largely absent from the series. ( Especially with regards to the ending.)

The aesthetics of ‘ Glitch’ are surprisingly tactful. Director Roh Deok seemed to have a keen eye for engraving the show’s inspiration from naughties sci-fi classics. Through flashbacks to the era, warm and effervescent neons and hazy urban scales with a surprisingly familiar warmth (that starkly contrasts the cold and brutalist settings of sci-fi tales), ‘ Glitch’ is surprisingly stylish with its artistic approach. ‘ Glitch’’s OST wasn’t entirely bad per say but it was hard to really pinpoint any particularly mesmerising or standout tracks either.

‘ Glitch’ was an odd drama on reflection: it was evident that attempting to appeal to a wide audience of fans ( from sci-fi, comedy and mystery) but it often felt as though it struck a lot of loose chords along the way. ( Especially as the comedy felt somewhat enforced in parts also; including with awkward moments and dialogue exchanges too.) Nevertheless, the series did have an interesting premise and fairly good performances by our main cast as well as some stunning aesthetics. Perhaps the one thing ‘ Glitch’ could do with on reflection would’ve been better character writing as a lot of the characters ( including the heroines) rarely felt fleshed out. However, for those looking for something entertaining on the surface level and a quick binge-watch, then ‘ Glitch’ is likely to hit the mark exactly.

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watched 10/7 - 10/15

im sure everyone was super hyped for this drama and i definetly see why! yeobeen and nana delivered a lot of good moments and their duo was the best part. the pacing was..alright? though it didn't bother me that much honestly it was just slow for the first couple eps and took too many turns and side plots and kind of just felt unnecessary in a way? (i.e jihyo's co worker working with the police guy) and some side characters felt kind of just there if that makes sense. i would not go headfirst watching this drama with high expectations of crazy alien stuff because many of the plotlines tie into this cult which i found interesting honestly i think some may not have liked that though. i think the best scene(s) of this drama would have to be the last ep where the big ufo and alien reveal happened (reminded me of the movie 'arrival') and when the cult members find out everything they have been told was a lie and so on. with all of the stuff aside, the cinematography was amazing down to the last second and the thriller elements are just as good imo. yeobeen and nana make it worth the ending and i hope they ended up happy and are living together because they deserve that!

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Don't drop this

The first few episodes might be a bit boring or rather slow and some might think of dropping it, even I thought it but my friend had told me to watch this so i pushed myself and here I am writing a review.

This drama has a great hint of mystery to it, once you understand the plot you will not be able to drop this drama until you complete it. But the difficult part is overcoming the slow or the boring phase that is the first 2 or 3 episodes. This drama has a great the plot and the cast has done a great job bringing out the drama.

A broken friendship, misunderstanding, fiction or to be precise science fiction and ofcourse ALIENS which gives us the topic of fantasy. Everything together makes a great drama.

Worth watching!!!

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Don't be fooled, 99% is about a cult

A traumatic past made the fl detached, she connected with her friend over this exciting outer being. It became her core memory that when her bf left her, she thought he must've been taken by aliens so she goes on a hunt

She stumbles on this crazy cult that worshipped aliens. They wanted the big father light to take them to salvation
Then suddenly it turns out they randomly have the picture of the fl and they think she's the key


So random chasings, huntings, kidnappings happen. And then the ending ep comes and pretends that yes aliens are real. But I don't believe them, as a plot move. They were all high and the bf that was missing cuz he tried to kill himself suddenly sees aliens too.. so what's the connection? Traumatic ppl

The biggest scam since the light in your eyes. It wasn't the lack of oppa that made this boring. It was the lack of that big green thing in the poster

I thought this would be a cute rescue mission where the 2 fls try to help a lost alien and develop a cute friendship
But nope. This was about a crazy cult that wanted to commit mass suicide and thought the fl was their key to the aliens that'd take them to salvation

So yeah I gave it a 4/10. One for nana, one for yeobee, one for Thomas and one cuz the production value was nice tho all completely wasted on that cheap plot

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Not what it seems

I am not sure what was being aimed at when making this: quirky? comedy? statement on mental health? social politics?
I was kept engaged throughout, but really didn't like a number of the characters.
I did like the aspect that poor communication and perspectives of childhood, can really screw us up!
A child's imagination can be an escape, a hiding place, a better place, or a nightmare; but what if imagination and reality become blurred?
There are very unsettling aspects to this drama. A dangerous and manipulative cult; dysfunctional relationships; loss; threat; confusion and self-doubt. Quite a bit of very unpleasant violence and horrible manipulation by the cult.
I found the ending bizarre, as what I imagined the premise to be, was turned on its head.
I am not against seeing smoking in dramas, as people still do and I see the effects of alcohol and hallucinogenic drug abuse as being far worst. However, the amount of characters that chain smoked, I found off-putting.
To be honest, I didn't get it at all and so just felt blank about it. Not even sure if I actually liked it or not!

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Misunderstood

To be honest, I nearly dropped this series. I thought I was misled into thinking it's about aliens when it wasn't. Also, the first two episodes didn't hold my interest much as it progressed very slowly. And the third was interesting but not why I was watching the series so for a month I didn't continue until I finally decided to and I am really happy I completed it.

The story begins with the female lead seeing what she understands as hallucinations. She is seeing an alien in a green helmet everywhere yet no one else seems to notice this alien. She is also struggling in her relationship. Her boyfriend wants to get married and despite showing disinterest, the pressure from her boyfriend keeps rising until she finally breaks up with him. Shortly after he disappears and when trying to retrace his steps, she experiences a strange phenomenon that leads her to belief he was kidnapped by aliens. Her desperation to find him and figure out what is going on with her lead her on a strange journey.

The thing about this series is that although there is a connection with aliens, there is a long journey to any answers. To be fair, I thought the plot was interesting in hindsight. What ticked me off in the third episode, turned out to actually be a clever twist. If you are expecting a story filled with aliens, unfortunately that won't be the case. Instead it is a journey of ordinary citizens trying to make sense of what they know/experience and how easily people can be misled by scrupulous people.

I would urge viewers to not give up midway. The end will be worth it.

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A Good SciFi after a while

Finished watching #Glitch I'd rate it a 7/10 because even though it's a very interesting story episodes could be lesser than 10 mixing the alien concept with cult culture was genius sci fi genre is a bit rare right now in Korea so it is a good approach Whoever came up with the casting of Jeon Yeo Been & NANA as Jihyo & Bora is a genius both of them amazingly portrayed their opposite but crazy personalities and added the chaos element in Glitch childhood besties with misunderstanding to perfect crime partners as adults Bora was ready to fight the world if Jihyo said it & even though Jihyo wasn't as loud it was clear she cared for Bora a lot I liked their dynamics I watched for Jeon Yeo Been she lead the series very well transformation to Hong Jihyo wasn't easy the no makeup look and strong expressions is definitely a challenge but Yeo Bin challenged herself and I must say she was amazing over all it was good

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I enjoyed it!

Okay, as someone who doesn't really enjoy Sci-fi genre I actually enjoyed this quite a lot, but it might've been the cult elements. The acting was fantastic from every single character, I can't name one character who stuck out due to poor acting skills and that isn't common to me in dramas. On top of that not a single character left me frustrated at all, I could understand every single one and the actions they chose although Jihyo had me going ???? HUH sometimes due to how dumb of choices she made. Sehee at first slightly bothered me because it seemed like she was trying to sabotage Jihyo but by the end she seemed to prove herself as a friend. I think this could've easily been a gl and it probably would have in another country, like the beginning Bora saying they dated, them moving in together, easily could've been a gl. Only one thing bothered me in this entire drama, it was the ending, it was so blah when the rest of it was quite good. This drama had quite a few familiar faces but they portrayed themselves totally differently. If you want to watch just on it saying the genre is thriller, I wouldn't. There are no aspects of a thriller at all other than if you get a bit scared the lead will get caught doing something, but that's all. Anyways I would definitely recommend this to anyone that likes dramas with cult themes. If you don't like the first three episodes I wouldn't recommend watching anymore.

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