Chrysmas
United States
Slow paced but watchable
I must admit, I went into this with high expectations. This drama received many awards and reviews on MDL is favorable so I was ready to binge, but it took me some time to get through this one.
What I liked:
-The cinematography was hands down some of the best I've seen...and in the beginning episodes, the transitions were unique.
-I loved the story-telling in each episode, it was a twist to some of the classics
-Sang Tae's character with autism-I has watched Touch Your Heart right before this and was impressed by the level of skill of Oh Jung Se could bring to the table...there was a different actor in Touch Your Heart that also had autism who did a fabulous job so I wondered if Oh Jung Se got pointers from him? At any rate, I like that he was a heartwarming character with many layers.
-I liked Ah Reum and Jung Tae story arc...I wished they would have expanded on it more ( As someone that's been in a mental institution myself, I know for a fact that patients can find love with each other and the fact that Jun Tae decided to heal instead of throwing all his hard work away was a testament to what people are willing to give up to overcome certain addictions to forge a better life in the future
-I also like the true bondage that PTSD can have on a person and the impact that war has on lives, I wished they would have explored this more too.
What I wished would change:
-The two leads did a good job, but I found myself wanting to skip whenever they were on the screen, it has nothing to do with the actors but the direction...the pacing was slow where it needed to be fast and fast where it needed to slow down.
-It's unrealistic for a patient that is on their death bed to stay at a psych hospital, I am not sure why it was written that way or if South Korean mental facilities are different but most mental hospitals only deal with the brain not anything else. Correct me if I am wrong here..
- I did enjoy Gang Tae and Sang Tae story but there was a lack in the FL character development in my opinion...the idea that love can change a person so drastically was unrealistic (like some suggested in other reviews) don't get me wrong, I thought she was an interesting...maybe even refreshing character, but there was something lacking there...I won't put spoilers though.
What I liked:
-The cinematography was hands down some of the best I've seen...and in the beginning episodes, the transitions were unique.
-I loved the story-telling in each episode, it was a twist to some of the classics
-Sang Tae's character with autism-I has watched Touch Your Heart right before this and was impressed by the level of skill of Oh Jung Se could bring to the table...there was a different actor in Touch Your Heart that also had autism who did a fabulous job so I wondered if Oh Jung Se got pointers from him? At any rate, I like that he was a heartwarming character with many layers.
-I liked Ah Reum and Jung Tae story arc...I wished they would have expanded on it more ( As someone that's been in a mental institution myself, I know for a fact that patients can find love with each other and the fact that Jun Tae decided to heal instead of throwing all his hard work away was a testament to what people are willing to give up to overcome certain addictions to forge a better life in the future
-I also like the true bondage that PTSD can have on a person and the impact that war has on lives, I wished they would have explored this more too.
What I wished would change:
-The two leads did a good job, but I found myself wanting to skip whenever they were on the screen, it has nothing to do with the actors but the direction...the pacing was slow where it needed to be fast and fast where it needed to slow down.
-It's unrealistic for a patient that is on their death bed to stay at a psych hospital, I am not sure why it was written that way or if South Korean mental facilities are different but most mental hospitals only deal with the brain not anything else. Correct me if I am wrong here..
- I did enjoy Gang Tae and Sang Tae story but there was a lack in the FL character development in my opinion...the idea that love can change a person so drastically was unrealistic (like some suggested in other reviews) don't get me wrong, I thought she was an interesting...maybe even refreshing character, but there was something lacking there...I won't put spoilers though.
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