Klara H
Manchester
The Best K-Drama of 2021?
I am always hesitant to give a drama 10/10, because I'm afraid I'm not being objective. But I couldn't bring myself to give this drama anything below that. It has everything I ever wanted in a show, all the elements I like combined: strong and unique plot, complex characters with interesting relationships and character development, some action, non-perfect male lead that struggles and grows, and minimum to no romance.
I will start off by saying that the plot is truly unique, which is impressive, as these days it's difficult to be original since everything was done before. But this is my first time following a story of a troubled uncle and an autistic nephew that clean up deceased people's houses, learn their stories in the meanwhile, and grow close. Each episode also followed some new stories, which were all well-written with a deep and a meaningful message at the end of the heartbreak. The writer did a good job of making me invested in these characters that only appear for one episode - making me laugh for them, be angry at them, and cry for them.
This brings me onto my next point - the characters. They were all amazing, whether they were support roles or the main cast. I felt myself growing fond of many side characters, and no one felt out of place. I felt exactly what the writer/director wanted me to feel at all times, hated who they wanted me to hate and loved who they wanted me to love, which is a sign of a show written well. However, this also comes down to the actors and their realistic and beautiful portrayals of these characters. The casting was incredible (I mean, LJH was in it, come on now) and I liked the mix of well-known actors and rookies, all of which executed their roles perfectly. No character in the show was one-dimensional.
I loved the good-for-nothing uncle and his witty personality, his badass personality, sweet personality, and of course his amazing looks and sexy body.... I mean... his character development. The snarky comments were everything, and the way all his relationships developed had me smiling throughout the whole show like an idiot. I loved the autistic Gu Ru; he was just such a sweet, innocent cinnamon roll that I couldn't bring myself to ever be annoyed by him, but always wanted to protect him and hug him. I adored all his quirks, even the ones we were supposed to dislike. His stubborn nature, the way he would memorise everything and recite it like a computer, his naiveness and innocence which resulted in a very open-minded view of life, his inability to comprehend the situation and read the room which resulted in a lot of brutal honesty and shocked looks from others, as well all his facial expressions (even the blank ones), and all the times he would remind you hiw horrible lying is, and how you will end up being tortured in hell in horrible ways if you lie. Not to mention, how most of the time Gu Ru would be more of an adult that actual adults in the show. I also like Gu Ru's friend who was always supportive of him, understood him and his situation, as well as his illness, and always knew what was best for him. I liked her protectiveness of Gu Ru, and how she would take care of him. You will also notice that no character has stayed the same for the rest of the show ever since they first appeared, which is a big plus for me. The characters start out quite flawed, but that's exactly what leaves room for character development. We not only see them grow as people, we also see their relationships develop into something totally wholesome. Nevertheless, flawed or not, it's fun to watch these characters on their journey. We watch them laugh, cry, fight, and grow, and it feels like we're there with them.
Other than that, there's also other things that add on to the atmosphere of the drama. It's the little things that a lot of us won't even notice, but they end up enhancing our experience even more. The cinematography, the well-fitted music, the masterful camerawork. All of these things are done spectacularly well and immerse us into this amazing story. The humour of the show is one of those things as well. It's not over the top, and is meaningfully placed in all the right moments. It never ruins the immersion, which I find to be a problem in a lot of other K-Dramas, as it's brought about in all the right places, where it works really well in the story.
In conclusion, watch this drama. It's worth your time. You won't be bored. I never really enjoy life dramas, and always end up going for action, fantasy, thriller stuff with a more idealistic story. But this drama did it so well. It took all the life drama elements I hated, and turned it into something I absolutely adored. They made it entertaining to watch and follow. The drama tackled many societal issues, in a concise way, without making it feel like they were just dumping lots of wokeness on us. Usually, when shows tackle many issues at once, they end up doing it in a horribly messy way, and the message gets lost. Not this one. It felt as if we were learning along with the main characters.
All in all, this drama will definitely stay in my heart for a long time.
I will start off by saying that the plot is truly unique, which is impressive, as these days it's difficult to be original since everything was done before. But this is my first time following a story of a troubled uncle and an autistic nephew that clean up deceased people's houses, learn their stories in the meanwhile, and grow close. Each episode also followed some new stories, which were all well-written with a deep and a meaningful message at the end of the heartbreak. The writer did a good job of making me invested in these characters that only appear for one episode - making me laugh for them, be angry at them, and cry for them.
This brings me onto my next point - the characters. They were all amazing, whether they were support roles or the main cast. I felt myself growing fond of many side characters, and no one felt out of place. I felt exactly what the writer/director wanted me to feel at all times, hated who they wanted me to hate and loved who they wanted me to love, which is a sign of a show written well. However, this also comes down to the actors and their realistic and beautiful portrayals of these characters. The casting was incredible (I mean, LJH was in it, come on now) and I liked the mix of well-known actors and rookies, all of which executed their roles perfectly. No character in the show was one-dimensional.
I loved the good-for-nothing uncle and his witty personality, his badass personality, sweet personality, and of course his amazing looks and sexy body.... I mean... his character development. The snarky comments were everything, and the way all his relationships developed had me smiling throughout the whole show like an idiot. I loved the autistic Gu Ru; he was just such a sweet, innocent cinnamon roll that I couldn't bring myself to ever be annoyed by him, but always wanted to protect him and hug him. I adored all his quirks, even the ones we were supposed to dislike. His stubborn nature, the way he would memorise everything and recite it like a computer, his naiveness and innocence which resulted in a very open-minded view of life, his inability to comprehend the situation and read the room which resulted in a lot of brutal honesty and shocked looks from others, as well all his facial expressions (even the blank ones), and all the times he would remind you hiw horrible lying is, and how you will end up being tortured in hell in horrible ways if you lie. Not to mention, how most of the time Gu Ru would be more of an adult that actual adults in the show. I also like Gu Ru's friend who was always supportive of him, understood him and his situation, as well as his illness, and always knew what was best for him. I liked her protectiveness of Gu Ru, and how she would take care of him. You will also notice that no character has stayed the same for the rest of the show ever since they first appeared, which is a big plus for me. The characters start out quite flawed, but that's exactly what leaves room for character development. We not only see them grow as people, we also see their relationships develop into something totally wholesome. Nevertheless, flawed or not, it's fun to watch these characters on their journey. We watch them laugh, cry, fight, and grow, and it feels like we're there with them.
Other than that, there's also other things that add on to the atmosphere of the drama. It's the little things that a lot of us won't even notice, but they end up enhancing our experience even more. The cinematography, the well-fitted music, the masterful camerawork. All of these things are done spectacularly well and immerse us into this amazing story. The humour of the show is one of those things as well. It's not over the top, and is meaningfully placed in all the right moments. It never ruins the immersion, which I find to be a problem in a lot of other K-Dramas, as it's brought about in all the right places, where it works really well in the story.
In conclusion, watch this drama. It's worth your time. You won't be bored. I never really enjoy life dramas, and always end up going for action, fantasy, thriller stuff with a more idealistic story. But this drama did it so well. It took all the life drama elements I hated, and turned it into something I absolutely adored. They made it entertaining to watch and follow. The drama tackled many societal issues, in a concise way, without making it feel like they were just dumping lots of wokeness on us. Usually, when shows tackle many issues at once, they end up doing it in a horribly messy way, and the message gets lost. Not this one. It felt as if we were learning along with the main characters.
All in all, this drama will definitely stay in my heart for a long time.
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