This review may contain spoilers
Fantastic promise quickly spiralled into abysmal writing
This started out so amazing — super intense exactly like I was looking for, insane politics, and high-stakes drama (I mean, come on: human experimentation, North-South tensions, hidden identities, soulmates torn apart searching for each other… hugely promising set-ups). HOWEVER, so quickly, the show lost its spark.
The first two episodes were really fantastic. Honestly, I would rewatch just the first episodes, they were great. Episodes 3-5 were quite good, and had just enough engaging drama with the young girl begging for her dad to have surgery. After that, the writing became convoluted and contrived, and just downright abysmal.
You know the writing is bad when, as someone unobservant to writing flaws while consuming media, even *I* noticed the unmistakably poor plot. It became a STUPID and boring med procedural. It was laughable how many times the lead was at the hospital, got kicked out, was begged to come back, returned, and then quit/was fired again. I think my count was six, and I dropped it mid-ep 10. Whyyyyyy did the FL do all that continual denying that she was his lost lover, just to turn around and say 'jokes, it is me' and there be no consequence?????????? Lost any type of engagement in their relationship right then and there.
I realised at some point that there was only one character I was actually rooting for, which was the ML. He was great, and the only thing maintaining my last string of sanity. Loved his devotion and his grappling with the unethical things he was forced to continually do. He was also the first character I noticed who does my favourite mini-trope of the K-drama genre, which is 'don't answer inconvenient questions' — which was fricking hilarious to watch. The entire rest of the cast was unlikeable, irritating and/or boring.
At about episode 8, I was counting down the time until it would be over. I thought there were 12-16 episodes total, so I made it to episode 10. When I realised there were actually 20, I went 'ABSOLUTELY NOT' and dipped.
The first two episodes were really fantastic. Honestly, I would rewatch just the first episodes, they were great. Episodes 3-5 were quite good, and had just enough engaging drama with the young girl begging for her dad to have surgery. After that, the writing became convoluted and contrived, and just downright abysmal.
You know the writing is bad when, as someone unobservant to writing flaws while consuming media, even *I* noticed the unmistakably poor plot. It became a STUPID and boring med procedural. It was laughable how many times the lead was at the hospital, got kicked out, was begged to come back, returned, and then quit/was fired again. I think my count was six, and I dropped it mid-ep 10. Whyyyyyy did the FL do all that continual denying that she was his lost lover, just to turn around and say 'jokes, it is me' and there be no consequence?????????? Lost any type of engagement in their relationship right then and there.
I realised at some point that there was only one character I was actually rooting for, which was the ML. He was great, and the only thing maintaining my last string of sanity. Loved his devotion and his grappling with the unethical things he was forced to continually do. He was also the first character I noticed who does my favourite mini-trope of the K-drama genre, which is 'don't answer inconvenient questions' — which was fricking hilarious to watch. The entire rest of the cast was unlikeable, irritating and/or boring.
At about episode 8, I was counting down the time until it would be over. I thought there were 12-16 episodes total, so I made it to episode 10. When I realised there were actually 20, I went 'ABSOLUTELY NOT' and dipped.
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