Eleison

She didn't know until the last few episodes. 😅 But I think it worked out because thay was where all the tension from the plot came from, for the most part. At least HE knew.

This comment gave me so much joy (a breath of fresh air from the insult war in the comment section). So entertaining to read. 😅

You actually made me want to watch it because this "review" is giving me waves of old timey Kdrama flashback vibes (those from the good old 2010s and thereabouts). This sounds like just another of those problematic, terribly flawed dramas that I adore to pieces. 😅 (I love a lot of the clean, well-written, tightly plotted and acted innovative, polished Kdramas, too, but I've got a soft spot for the mixed bag of entertaining and ridiculously plotted glory that is the Kdrama). 😅

Ummmm... have you seen the trailer? This is going to be goofy. And Extreme Job, one of the screenplays of this screenwriter, was super comedic.

I thought the hanok village was really cozy. It suited Season 2, I think, and the kind of storytelling of this drama.

And I loved the added element of how those in a coma can come and go from the village, as well as the hint that Jonga can see ghosts now, too! I do hope they pull off a season 3 at some point!

While I love Captain Kang, I do miss Thomas. 😔 Have no idea why he's listed as a "support role." He should be in the guest roles section as I think he has three minutes if screentime in the entire season. 😅

It took me a bit to get into, but I really enjoyed this, and as much as season 1! I think the stakes don't feel quite as high because none of the main characters have loved ones in the village (unlike season 1), but I loved that they built up your love for Il Yong so you become fully invested in his character, and they do a great job getting you to care about all the characters and their stories. It really gives the victim's perspective, which is so fresh and needed!

This season feels a little less dramatic, with the leads more adjusted to their roles. Less heartache, less drama, less suspense. But I liked it that way. It fit this season well.

It still has that ache to it at times as you hear each character's story, and hear about their pain, dreams, fears, hopes and longings, and then eventually say goodbye. But I think it felt less acute than season 1 because of Detective Shin's fiance, which just made season 1 so heartbreaking (I loved that they kept the original cast and just expanded and grew their friendships; everyone is so endearing!).

I really want Il Yong to join the squad!

Nope, his body got lost too long ago. 😔

I liked it better than Hotel De Luna! And I like that the ghosts aren't creepy. 😅

By all means, if you're going to go the childhood connection trope route between the leads, then do it like this.

Instead of these ridiculous plots where the ML and FL meet each other out of nowhere as children or teenagers for like 20 seconds and then "remember each other" after they start dating? Nah, ridiculous.

If you're gonna do it, commit wholeheartedly and connect them through some traumatic event (like in While You Were Sleeping or I Can Hear Your Voice, or Castaway Diva and What Happened To Secretary Kim?).

This drama delivered in that department, and I realized these kinds of "childhood connections" I can get behind. It gives context/reasons/basis for the seemingly random connection of the leads when they first meet, and actually makes the plot feel more realistic, ironically. And it also makes the moments of egregious noble idiocy, self-sacrificing to the point of what sometimes feels like masochism, and over-the-top behavior these lovers engage in for each other feel more warranted. 😅

So, I kind of like the way this drama just goes full-bore Kdrama on the tropes. 😅

Okay, this drama was pretty over-the-top at points and required some serious suspension of disbelief at times (like I'm Not A Robot), but ultimately had a lot of heart and even some thoughtful commentary on the interactions between humans and technology (in a very nonscientific, Kdrama sort of way 😅).

I've been curious about this drama since noticing it's one of the few decently rated Kdramas with the ML (loved him in Tunnel), but I saw mixed reviews and was a little worried about the direction they'd take the AI relationship stuff. I'm happy to report it was handled with care, and not made weird or gross or uncomfortable. It did a good job working on a fairly seamless transition for the FL from Holo to ML and while the drama had a lot of other flaws, this was not one of them.

This is a story about how deeply humans need connection, and the way technology can be used (poorly or well) in the journey of growth towards (or away from) connection and closeness with others.

In fact, I saw this drama as a hopeful take on AI, in the sense that it follows the path of some old sci-fi that confirms AI is not nefarious, but PEOPLE can be. Holo highlights people's greatest weaknesses (whether that's exposing their loneliness, revealing their greed, ambition, fears of connection, insecurities, etc.). The drama does conclude the world wasn't ready for Holo, and I think that's interesting social commentary.

I also saw the difference between what the FL experienced and the concept of "dating AI" that we're hearing about today being that, unlike people in these situations who are escaping their pain and loneliness and not pushing for real healing, Holo helped the FL face this pain instead of escape it (and she had the integrity to realize this tendency in herself, as she noticed it didn't TRULY give her what she wanted, deep down). Also, the FL had people around her (including Holo) who pushed her to face her insecurities and fear of being abandoned or rejected because she was different and seek the actual connection she was craving with REAL people, people who would be there with her and for her through all the ups and downs (the ML had to learn this, too, in his own way).

This drama probably gets the award for shortest FIRST DATING ERA in a drama EVER (cause you know how there's always a separation or misunderstanding or timeskip, etc. before a reunion and second (usually final) dating era? Well, this drama is no exception), but I still the enjoyed the leads together and thought they did well. The FL is not the most memorable, but she does well, and I thought the ML did a great job. This does have similar vibes/themes to I'm Not A Robot and Are You Human, Too?, so, if you liked those, most likely you'll like this

There were some outlandishly unrealistic moments in this, but you know what? It feels extremely KDRAMA that way (think of endings of dramas like Doctor Stranger or The K2, but happier), and that gives you a flavor of the way this show resolves the threads of our plot.

Also, a lot of people complain about love triangles in Kdramas, and of course, this drama has one. But it's the most amicable love triangle you'll ever see in a Kdrama (if you watch, you'll see what I mean).

It was fun, and while it took me an episode or two to get into it, I enjoyed it!

One last note on the childhood connection trope (done well here, I think):

I saw this drama as a hopeful take on AI, in the sense that it follows the path of some old sci-fi that confirms AI is not nefarious, but PEOPLE can be. Holo highlights people's greatest weaknesses (whether that's exposing their loneliness, revealing their greed, ambition, fears of connection, insecurities, etc.). The drama does conclude the world wasn't ready for Holo, and I think that's interesting social commentary.

I also saw the difference between what the FL experienced and the concept of "dating AI" that we're hearing about today being that, unlike people in these situations who are escaping their pain and loneliness and not pushing for real healing, Holo helped the FL face this pain instead of escape it (and she had the integrity to realize this tendency in herself, as she noticed it didn't TRULY give her what she wanted, deep down). Also, the FL had people around her (including Holo) who pushed her to face her insecurities and fear of being abandoned or rejected because she was different and seek actual connection she was craving with REAL people, people who would be there with her and for her through all the up and downs (the ML had to learn this, too, in his own way).

Haha, then you're probably tired of Kdramas.😉 Probably over 90% of the romances have love triangles. They're here to stay. 😅

Yeah, insistence from an unwilling party is tricky. I think in rom-coms and novels you can get away with one party repeating their advances to the other who's unwilling (it's usually done in comedies, for the humorous effect) and it works, but in real life I don't think it does, for the most part.

For two reasons: 1) If a person says no, you should respect their no. 2) If a person says no, they should mean it, and not say no to play games and act "hard to get" (that's disingenuous and leading someone on).

Maybe guys get this idea from rom-coms that girls that say no are playing with them and don't REALLY mean it (kind of like what Pride and Prejudice makes fun of when Mr. Collins can't take Lizzy's "no" as an answer), or maybe it's because they can't imagine someone not liking them (achem, Mr. Collins), but I've come across several guys who pushed back on my "no" and ticked the heck out of me because they saw it as being romantic and "persistent."

If a guy can completely keep the boundaries a girl has set up after saying no to him, then I think it's fine. This is why making sure it's crystal clear where each person is coming from is so important. Are they uninterested? Just hesitant because they're new to all this? Shy? Scared? The reasons matter, and how someone responds to them is an important way to respect their dignity.

Yes, being honest is always the best policy! 😉

The more PR Kdrama version of "what else is there?" is "I love you just because you're you." I also think that's lame--like really, you have no reasons at all? 😅

Not gonna lie, though, this response gives me flashbacks of the 90's Swan Princess when the prince, Derek, and princess, Odette, start romancing each other and Derek says:

"You're beautiful! You're all I've ever wanted!"

Odette, suspicious of this surface-level declaration of love, says, "And?... What else?"

He echoes, confused, "What else?"

Concerned, and not letting him off the hook, Odette leans in, "Is beauty all that matters to you?"

There's an awkward pause, and Derek, stumbling for what to say to that (as he has nothing), eeks out, "I, uh... w-what else IS there?"

Oh, the cringe! 😅 I think I internalized right there and then as a child watching that that a man who says he loves you (in this case kisses you) because you're beautiful is... not a good answer. 😉

Makes the product placement stand out! 😅

I think they meant 2FL?

Ooh, that one's on Viki. Maybe I'll check it out instead!

So, the king dies at the end?

Anyone know where can this be accessed in the U.S.?