The Trunk (2024)

When your trunk get heavy, let it go

My overall positive verdict is that it's no masterpiece. I feel like it falls a bit victim to its glossy cinematography - you sort of expect the story to be just as polished. Unfortunately every character apart apart of fl, ml and 2fl feels undercooked, especially 2fl's husband - frankly a noticeably weaker actor, and him being the killer in a tackled on mystery which feels like was just thrown in to hook the viewers in what is a pretty thin in plot drama wasn't really satisfying with his 2d past trauma motive . I think focusing on the underexplored wealth disparity between the nm employees and Jeong Won and Seo Yeon could have been more interesting - it only really came up during the leads' argument in episode 7 - or entirely centering on the leads' emotional development as a couple. Speaking of their relationship - while I did find it very interesting with all the contradictions and nuances, I was a bit lukewarm on the chemistry. It made sense in the first half, but by the ending episodes I would have liked to see less poised therapy speak and more relaxed body language (hats off to Seo Hyun Jin for portraying her character's aloofness while maintaining a very caring facade as a wife, but her stiff body language by the time she has fallen in love felt odd ).
For a more "mature" product (ugh don't care for that word, since here in mdl there is a mini civil war going on in the comments about any people daring to criticize the show obviously not having enough of a high iq or precious life experiences lol) I actually really liked how some of the recent trendy kdrama tropes were mixed in. We've seen a lot of childhood love and and reconnection romantic stories the past year, and having Seo Yeon be his childhood sweetheart made her all the more twisted and pitiful. In Ji and Jeong Won's previous meetings were also quite realistic, without any of that "they were actually really close as children but simultaneously forgot about it yet remembered enough to think of each other as long lost loves" nonsense. I think a lot of us had some brief moments were we really felt a connection to a stranger, so I found the flashbacks oddly moving. Frankly would have liked for them to actually discuss their brief encounters in length and earlier - "are we kind-of sort-of fated to be together?" worked here yet really came up in the end to make things ~poetic~ .
On a separate note, the series should've either went easier with the 2fl's nudity or made the sex scenes before the leads more explicit (or at least not have them be so vanilla, Jeong Won expressing his attraction to In Ji felt like he was reciting a legal document). Her getting the passionate slightly "edgier" scenes felt like the evil = intense sex trope.
Overall, the series was advertised as a mystery melodrama, but seemed to be too scared to indulge in its pulpiness and too dour to justify its length. Still, it's been on my mind for a bit after finishing, which is always a positive. I'm also blaming my heightened expectations.

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wonderful

Brilliant!
I didn't have high expectations. I started watching because of the actors.

It's impossible not to watch something produced by the talented and wonderful Gong Yoo and the phenomenal Seo Hyun Jin.

But wow!!! I loved it. It went way beyond my expectations.

Impeccable acting, amazing script, perfect OST, and stunning chemistry.

The entire supporting cast was wonderful... the psychopath, my goodness! Excellent performance.

I never thought I would see Gong Yoo so handsome and flawless... I was so impressed that I'm even thinking of rewatching the unforgettable Coffee Prince (2007), by the way, one of my all-time favorite dramas.

Anyway, highly recommended!

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The show had perfect pacing!! It did such a great job discussing trauma and toxic relationships. This is what I wanted to see for Mr.Plankton. I see that many new directors of this genre are doing abnormal camera shots and music which is great because it's good to see something new. Though I disagreed with some of the characters, especially the original wife, I sympathized with everyone. I loved how the writers addressed being apart of the LGTBQ in a non cliché way(I even think the female lead friend liked her). It made the movie feel real. I thought the first wife would kill herself, but I'm was glad she stuck through. This was really a solid 8.5. This genre is hard to execute well, but the director in my opinion did a good take on it. I loved that the leads were not the typical lovey-dovey couple — that would be unrealistic. Everything about this drama was raw and real, not forced at all in my opinion.

Reading other reviews, I understand why people would think it was dull or drawn-out, but I think it's because they went in with high hopes. I went in knowing nothing, and I guess I was in the perfect mood for this drama.

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It was just Ehhhhhh

So the story of this drama is quite different from the cliche rom-coms, yet it just wasn't fulfilling. The contractual marriage plot did not make any sense and the obsessive ex-wife of the male lead was just a bad character with good acting. The plot just did not make a lot of sense, with many loopholes. It was just a high-budget drama with a not-so-likable plot. Casting I would say is the only thing that stood out in this drama as all the actors did justice to their roles. Other than that it was just ehhhh.

To anyone wondering whether to start it or not, I would say this drama is something that you can pass on. There are much better shows you can watch in the meantime.

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More Psychology than Thriller

First allow me to confess that I am a huge fan on Gong Yoo and I have loved him since Coffee Prince. Further, I lean more towards soft romances, with a gentle storyline and I shy away from dark and grotty stories. So, fact that I watched this, says a lot about it. Also, I have rewatched multiple times as is recommended because the story is so layered, even if simple.

I feel the series tried a little too hard on the mystery side and people who enjoy this genre saw through it fairly quickly resulting in boredom. However, I think the story was heavy on psychological themes and the mystery just added an extra layer of flavour to what was already cooking.

This is what I think I saw. There are those who go through life fearfully, some who are unable to communicate their needs and some who do not know or recognize their needs, some lack of self awareness even. We can find each of our characters in these descriptions. Loving from a place of fear is characterised by constant worry that you will be left and to prevent that from happening, an enormous amount of control is exerted onto the love interest and relationship. Depending on who they are, the result could be catastrophic. In this instance, the control was met with abandonment issues and lack of communication skills. How do I tell you what I need from you and be sure that you will not leave me?

What I appreciated the most from here, was the character development. We see our male lead emerge from under the thumb to become his own man who feels sufficiently secure to say this is what I need and only you can give it to me. Of course, sweet romance never killed anyone and so to add to that and say ' I will wait for you' has many of us swooning. The love scenes between our male lead and his current wife, had me levitating off of my couch, they felt so real to my body. Mainly because these are characters fairly close to me in age and so I could relate so much to the need for touch and for emotional connection. The other couple's love scenes did not reach me at all.

There were moments when I felt the female lead was not meeting the male lead emotionally and I was not clear if this was the acting or how the character was written, but this is negligible. All cast members brought their a-game and it showed.

I recommend this series if you are into growth, finding love and connection at any age, but most especially during the middle ages.

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A very different tale than usual melancholic dark dramas. Acting was so perfect, well you don't expect anything less from these actors.
Cinematography and directing was an art. The mystery around murder itself was handled very gracefully. Usually when there is non-linear story telling, it tends to overdo itself and we keep jumping the time to lose focus on the main aspect of the story. This wasn't the case here and you don't lose the anticipation and grip of main story flow. Characters being consistent, plot being equally paced, it gives sense of a well made and thought drama.
The story of healing of the characters from their past is done well but you only end up sympathising with them as the backdrop of these dark past is so bizarre you hardly co-relate. Nevertheless, it felt natural in this plot dimension itself.
A worthwhile watch, a fresh concept and equally fresh execution.

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Beautiful Portrayal

Ever since I heard of a Gong Yoo-Seo Hyun Jin pair up, I have been looking forward to The Trunk. I was cautious since most dramas I have watched this year have been mediocre, to say the least. But the K-drama gods came through this time around and I was not in the slightest disappointed. After watching, the first episode, I considered not going to work to watch the whole show in one sitting which I didn't do, but wished I had done so I could have finished this faster.

Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin's portrayals of two very broken people was heartbreakingly and miserably beautiful. I loved the acting, their chemistry, the main support character's roles and the OST. While watching , I did not cry, but I felt like I was holding my breath, anxiously awaiting where the journey would take, not only the main leads, but also me. However, in the last 30 minutes or so, I began to crack me and in the last 5 or so minutes, my tears would not stop.

My main complaint would be that the flashbacks were a bit confusing in the beginning. Although once you got used to these, it was easier to discern at what point they were by noting which characters and locations appeared on the screen, I also wonder if this almost seamless, confusing element was done in this way on purpose to drive the point home. As the past merges with the present to show how the events that took place in the past have an impact on the present and even the future if this issues are not addressed properly. My second complaint is that Yoon Ah and Hyeon Cheol's parts felt unnecessary.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope GY and SHJ meet again in another beautiful drama. 9.5/10

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