1
4
1
Nice premise, underwhelming execution
As a big horror fan, I couldn't miss out a drama like If Wishes Could Kill, which made many viewers rave about it. I kept hearing great things about it so I decided to give it a chance in order to see what the hype was about.
The story's premise is simple enough: a group of high school friends came across a mobile app which allegedly makes your wish come true. However, there's a detail that is not known; the price for the wish's grant is the life of the person who made the wish. The protagonists, after the death of one of their friends, are desperate to discover the truth and quickly, they find themselves entangled in a dangerous investigation against entities beyond their imagination.
I went into the drama pretty much blindly but the first episode established the premise in the most dynamic way. Starting your series with a girl filming her own death by cutting her throat was a bold move, which established the gruesome nature of the story. Even if one started watching the series out of curiosity or boredom, this beginning demands your full attention. I will give props to the writers for that.
The first episodes were a decent set up. We got the chance to meet the main characters and observe their dynamics and personalities. Yoo Se Ah, Lim Na Ri, Kim Geon Woo, Kang Ha Joon and Choi Hyeong Wool. Five different people who are supposedly so close and yet are so far. From the moment they interacted, it was crystal clear that the bond among them was fragile. Secrets were kept, feelings were hidden, tensions were boiling. It was only a matter of time before the dynamics were shattered and the catalyst was Hyeong Wook's death after using the app Girigo.
Production wise the drama was pretty impressive. The CGI was convincing enough and made the gore scenes more brutal to watch. The sound effects accompanied by a chilling soundtrack added to the horror experience while the red and black colours highlighted the eerie vibes.
The story was very engaging for the first four episodes. While far from groundbreaking, it utilized common horror tropes in a decent way and it got me curious to see how the story would unfold. But, just like many other series, the plot lost its footing. And it did so very early.
First things first: some writers need to accept that they can't fit everything in a short runtime. You can't combine horror, romance, comedy, mystery and slice-of-life in just 8 episodes. Trying to mingle so many subplots and elements together will inevitably leave you with rushed, underdeveloped story points, which is exactly what happened here. Instead of focusing on one aspect at the time, the writers through everything together, in hope that they'd stick together.
The magnum opus of the series, in my opinion, was episode six, where it explored the origins of Girigo and its connection with the friendship between former students, Kwon Ji Won and Do Hye Ryoung. This episode was perfectly crafted, story wise and character wise. Although the girls appeared for one episode only, I actually cared about their friendship and struggles. The actresses did a good job, particularly Kim Si A as Hye Ryoung, who has been under my radar after having watched her in other projects. Had If Wishes Could Kill been a movie about the girls, it would have made for a more compelling story, in my opinion.
The combination of horror and comedy was handled very poorly. I could excuse it if the series had sold itself as horror comedy but the comedic elements were not enough to justify this. Which leaves me to question...why do it in the first place? Instead of breaking the tension and allowing the viewers to relax, the poor attempts of humor disturbed the pacing and made me feel irritated. The writing was disjointed during these parts and I really wish it was done more smoothly.
Additionally, after a while, I found myself being less terrified. The jumpscares didn't even make me flinch and the story lost its initial charm when it came to the enigmatic atmosphere. That being said, all scenes about shamanism hold my interest, since korean media have made me develop an interest about it.
The characterization was...well, to be frank, there was barely any strong characterization. The majority of characters relied on classic tropes and instead of actual humans, they were more like archetypes. They were mostly flat and despite some fragments of complexity here and there, they barely made me feel anything. While horror stories do not need complex characters, I prefer them to have characters for whom I will care about. Because, no matter how harsh I'll sound, I could barely care about no one in this drama, be it in a negative or positive way.
Se Ah was the classic type of protagonist who has a tragic backstory, a seemingly happy life and who later does everything in her power to save her loved ones. At first, I was interested in her character and her struggles. I liked how her personality was shown and I was curious about her contribution to the mystery but quickly, I started drifting away from her.
Although her character was supposed to feel traumatized after the loss of her parents and her survivor's guilt, that aspect was never utilized properly, despite the initial glimpses of her past. There were so many opportunities to utilize her need to protect others after not doing it for her parents and how that affected her mentality but instead we got nothing. She wasn't horrible but she was written in a way that could barely move me.
Apart from that, the writers made her act really foolish at times. I could excuse it at first but after a while, I couldn't keep giving her the benefit of doubt, especially when she wouldn't listen to those around her, despite being repeatedly told to do so. I understand that the story must move on but having your character making egregious mistakes for plot value becomes really tiresome. Especially when said character is supposed to be clever and competent.
Geon Woo had nice chemistry with Se Ah but unfortunately, his personality was drier than the Sahara desert. Everything about him revolved around Se Ah but while I enjoyed their relationship, for the most part, that wasn't enough to elevate him that much. And even their relationship fell kinda short in some places, it could have been explored so much more considering the fact they had known each other for so long. At least Geon Woo remained loyal to Se Ah throughout the series, instead turning into the typical jackass boyfriend in horror stories.
Before people think that I preferred Ha Joon for Se Ah, he was equally flat and kinda worse in my opinion in terms of writing. I don't understand why the writers decided to make him have a crush on Se Ah, especially since it contributed to nothing. This fake love-triangle reduced both his character individually and his dynamic with Se Ah and Geon Woo.
The most annoying part was that he was already an interesting character of his own. His conflict with his sister, Ha Young and the secrecy around their relationship was very interesting at first and yet it was resolved in the most rushed way. I actually enjoyed the scenes between his sister and his brother-in-law and it's such a pity the writers didn't commit to that in order to develop his character.
Na Ri, who was supposed to be one of the antagonists, failed in making me feel annoyed or intrigued. Compared to the other characters, she at least offered something more complex in terms of personality but without much substance. I couldn't understand if the writer's intention was to present her as a complex character who made mistakes and got caught in a situation she couldn't control or if the intention was to make her just plain evil. She was pretty complex compared to the others but she needed more time to be explored properly.
The acting was pretty good and it was nice to see some new faces getting the opportunity to showcase their skills. Considering the fact the majority of the main leads hasn't played many major roles, they did what was required in order to portray their characters. That being said, there were some instances where the performances didn't feel as packed as they could be. The facial expressions didn't convey the necessary emotions, thus reducing the impact of the scenes. On the other hand, sometimes the acting became too over dramatic for my taste which took me out instead of letting me observe the characters.
By far my most favourite performance was Roh Jae Won's as Bang Wool, Ha Joon's brother-in-law. He was so entertaining to watch, he nailed both the comedic and mystic aspects of the character. I am kinda biased towards Jae Won as an actor but thanks to his performance, I grew attached to Bang Wool and he was the only character I actively rooted forto survive. In fact, I almost wish Netflix will tap into the possibility of a spin off series about Ha Young and Bang Wool because the potential they have is very big. Watching them fighting different deities would certainly be thrilling.
In conclusion, If Wishes Could Kill was a decent, yet average watch. I wish (no pun intended) I could have enjoyed it more, because it had potential to be even better. I would recommend to people who want something quick to watch but if you're an avid horror fan, you might not be impressed by this one.
The story's premise is simple enough: a group of high school friends came across a mobile app which allegedly makes your wish come true. However, there's a detail that is not known; the price for the wish's grant is the life of the person who made the wish. The protagonists, after the death of one of their friends, are desperate to discover the truth and quickly, they find themselves entangled in a dangerous investigation against entities beyond their imagination.
I went into the drama pretty much blindly but the first episode established the premise in the most dynamic way. Starting your series with a girl filming her own death by cutting her throat was a bold move, which established the gruesome nature of the story. Even if one started watching the series out of curiosity or boredom, this beginning demands your full attention. I will give props to the writers for that.
The first episodes were a decent set up. We got the chance to meet the main characters and observe their dynamics and personalities. Yoo Se Ah, Lim Na Ri, Kim Geon Woo, Kang Ha Joon and Choi Hyeong Wool. Five different people who are supposedly so close and yet are so far. From the moment they interacted, it was crystal clear that the bond among them was fragile. Secrets were kept, feelings were hidden, tensions were boiling. It was only a matter of time before the dynamics were shattered and the catalyst was Hyeong Wook's death after using the app Girigo.
Production wise the drama was pretty impressive. The CGI was convincing enough and made the gore scenes more brutal to watch. The sound effects accompanied by a chilling soundtrack added to the horror experience while the red and black colours highlighted the eerie vibes.
The story was very engaging for the first four episodes. While far from groundbreaking, it utilized common horror tropes in a decent way and it got me curious to see how the story would unfold. But, just like many other series, the plot lost its footing. And it did so very early.
First things first: some writers need to accept that they can't fit everything in a short runtime. You can't combine horror, romance, comedy, mystery and slice-of-life in just 8 episodes. Trying to mingle so many subplots and elements together will inevitably leave you with rushed, underdeveloped story points, which is exactly what happened here. Instead of focusing on one aspect at the time, the writers through everything together, in hope that they'd stick together.
The magnum opus of the series, in my opinion, was episode six, where it explored the origins of Girigo and its connection with the friendship between former students, Kwon Ji Won and Do Hye Ryoung. This episode was perfectly crafted, story wise and character wise. Although the girls appeared for one episode only, I actually cared about their friendship and struggles. The actresses did a good job, particularly Kim Si A as Hye Ryoung, who has been under my radar after having watched her in other projects. Had If Wishes Could Kill been a movie about the girls, it would have made for a more compelling story, in my opinion.
The combination of horror and comedy was handled very poorly. I could excuse it if the series had sold itself as horror comedy but the comedic elements were not enough to justify this. Which leaves me to question...why do it in the first place? Instead of breaking the tension and allowing the viewers to relax, the poor attempts of humor disturbed the pacing and made me feel irritated. The writing was disjointed during these parts and I really wish it was done more smoothly.
Additionally, after a while, I found myself being less terrified. The jumpscares didn't even make me flinch and the story lost its initial charm when it came to the enigmatic atmosphere. That being said, all scenes about shamanism hold my interest, since korean media have made me develop an interest about it.
The characterization was...well, to be frank, there was barely any strong characterization. The majority of characters relied on classic tropes and instead of actual humans, they were more like archetypes. They were mostly flat and despite some fragments of complexity here and there, they barely made me feel anything. While horror stories do not need complex characters, I prefer them to have characters for whom I will care about. Because, no matter how harsh I'll sound, I could barely care about no one in this drama, be it in a negative or positive way.
Se Ah was the classic type of protagonist who has a tragic backstory, a seemingly happy life and who later does everything in her power to save her loved ones. At first, I was interested in her character and her struggles. I liked how her personality was shown and I was curious about her contribution to the mystery but quickly, I started drifting away from her.
Although her character was supposed to feel traumatized after the loss of her parents and her survivor's guilt, that aspect was never utilized properly, despite the initial glimpses of her past. There were so many opportunities to utilize her need to protect others after not doing it for her parents and how that affected her mentality but instead we got nothing. She wasn't horrible but she was written in a way that could barely move me.
Apart from that, the writers made her act really foolish at times. I could excuse it at first but after a while, I couldn't keep giving her the benefit of doubt, especially when she wouldn't listen to those around her, despite being repeatedly told to do so. I understand that the story must move on but having your character making egregious mistakes for plot value becomes really tiresome. Especially when said character is supposed to be clever and competent.
Geon Woo had nice chemistry with Se Ah but unfortunately, his personality was drier than the Sahara desert. Everything about him revolved around Se Ah but while I enjoyed their relationship, for the most part, that wasn't enough to elevate him that much. And even their relationship fell kinda short in some places, it could have been explored so much more considering the fact they had known each other for so long. At least Geon Woo remained loyal to Se Ah throughout the series, instead turning into the typical jackass boyfriend in horror stories.
Before people think that I preferred Ha Joon for Se Ah, he was equally flat and kinda worse in my opinion in terms of writing. I don't understand why the writers decided to make him have a crush on Se Ah, especially since it contributed to nothing. This fake love-triangle reduced both his character individually and his dynamic with Se Ah and Geon Woo.
The most annoying part was that he was already an interesting character of his own. His conflict with his sister, Ha Young and the secrecy around their relationship was very interesting at first and yet it was resolved in the most rushed way. I actually enjoyed the scenes between his sister and his brother-in-law and it's such a pity the writers didn't commit to that in order to develop his character.
Na Ri, who was supposed to be one of the antagonists, failed in making me feel annoyed or intrigued. Compared to the other characters, she at least offered something more complex in terms of personality but without much substance. I couldn't understand if the writer's intention was to present her as a complex character who made mistakes and got caught in a situation she couldn't control or if the intention was to make her just plain evil. She was pretty complex compared to the others but she needed more time to be explored properly.
The acting was pretty good and it was nice to see some new faces getting the opportunity to showcase their skills. Considering the fact the majority of the main leads hasn't played many major roles, they did what was required in order to portray their characters. That being said, there were some instances where the performances didn't feel as packed as they could be. The facial expressions didn't convey the necessary emotions, thus reducing the impact of the scenes. On the other hand, sometimes the acting became too over dramatic for my taste which took me out instead of letting me observe the characters.
By far my most favourite performance was Roh Jae Won's as Bang Wool, Ha Joon's brother-in-law. He was so entertaining to watch, he nailed both the comedic and mystic aspects of the character. I am kinda biased towards Jae Won as an actor but thanks to his performance, I grew attached to Bang Wool and he was the only character I actively rooted forto survive. In fact, I almost wish Netflix will tap into the possibility of a spin off series about Ha Young and Bang Wool because the potential they have is very big. Watching them fighting different deities would certainly be thrilling.
In conclusion, If Wishes Could Kill was a decent, yet average watch. I wish (no pun intended) I could have enjoyed it more, because it had potential to be even better. I would recommend to people who want something quick to watch but if you're an avid horror fan, you might not be impressed by this one.
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