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HopeGlory

Near the galaxy

HopeGlory

Near the galaxy
Completed
Double Patty
7 people found this review helpful
Apr 22, 2021
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 5.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 4.5

Irene and Seung Ho was a clickbait

I notice there is little reviews for this movie and I got to say that I fully agree with the first detailed review in support of his views. I am writing this review are to further provide my personal perspectives on how this movie experience went down for me without any spoilers just in case anyone is planning to give it a watch.

Story:
To keep it spoiler-free, I will be giving a more general-vague description of what I felt went wrong with the story-line. The first biggest flaw is definitely the character introduction that doesn't provide adequate backstory for the viewers to understand the relationship and motives between the cast. Perhaps the director assumed he placed enough information later on in the movie so that we could start understanding the point of view but it is like trying to force the viewers into this "speculation-mode" without feeling any concreteness as to whether the director intended the motive to work out like that. There was many side characters that was just "barely existing" and falls under this 2 Dimensional category where they seems unique but doesn't actually have any substance at all. I don't feel the weight of their emotions nor place enough importance of getting to know them even though the actors/actress had done an amazing job in other movies/dramas I have seen from them. As an example, Min Sung Wook and Jo Dal Hwan played really confusing characters.

Second flaws is how messy the story is ordered and the lack of natural progression the viewer would expect. An example I would give is the hit and getting hit theory where there is always a reaction to every action. When one scene happens, naturally the next scene should match the previous scene but this movie skip that whole entire "next scene" and showed us the outcome. As if someone was punched in the face and the next thing you know, they are in the hospital without showing anyone fetching the person to the hospital. The story jumps like that and it doesn't help my viewing experience in building up my emotional attachment to any character. It defeats the purpose of watching a story for their journey.

Third flaws is the reasons as to why the relationship began between both Main Leads. Usually physical attraction is the first trait people would notice and the leads do have that. However, beyond physical attraction is the emotional attachment that is formed from the journey experience by both parties. This department is severely lacking and they can almost be considered as separate entity from what I have seen. They are independent but there is nothing truly holding them together. They are goal-driven and that's very much to it.

Acting/Cast:
Let's just say that they weren't able to fully display what Irene could potentially have acted in a range of emotions. I highly agree with the first reviewer on this as I wished they would show more of her desperation in her acting rather than keeping her neutral all the time. Even the Male lead had those moments so I am wondering why they couldn't replicate it with the female lead. Although the male lead "desperation" part has already weaken severely from the flawed story line, I wasn't bought into the story so the actors couldn't show us their potential at all. Sometimes I just feel like everything is too perfect with how Irene and Seung Ho looked, it made the story less realistic and more of a success fantasy story. They have potential but it wasn't used to the fullest.

Music
Nothing stands out here and the ending credit sung by Irene was alright.

Re-watch value
Only chance I would re watch it is for Irene's visual or to see the beautiful shots they had with the landscape. The burger CFs does make me hungry for one. Double Patty time.

Overall, I gave it 5.5 because 5 star drama usually have very big flaws in directing, story writing and acting in terms of my criteria. It is bearable in that I can still finish the whole movie/drama but I can't say I enjoy the finished product. Sure, there is tidbits which I liked and gave it an extra 0.5 but that is as far as I will go. I usually give 5 star to content I finishes since I would have dropped something if it is already below that 5 star range. My recommendation if you do plan to watch it is to treat it simply as a very lighthearted success story of two individual without needing to think too much about the story itself. Just see the visual and potentially you may like it.

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Completed
Backstreet Rookie
7 people found this review helpful
Aug 31, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Controversy or not, The drama is oddly addicting~

Before I have begin my journey of watching Backstreet Rookie, I remember the time when it was first airing the first few episode where I heard a controversy which did affect me slightly in terms of perception (I was watching It's okay not to be okay at the time). But I wasn't one to exaggerate such an issue so I have commence watching after a few week has passed without bringing in any prejudice and largely ignore the smaller problems others would find.

Turns out, the drama was so enjoyable on the comedic level with a fusion of popular culture that exist globally. The amount of references would borderline make the drama "a parody" that you can relate to and laugh alongside the cast. The drama is so different, absurd and out-of-this-world. None of this should ever be taken seriously and watch with a grain of salt is my core advice. The drama became oddly addicting as I wanted to know what would happen next cause every turn can be unpredictable.

I am a believer that the best drama should have a "sound-complex plot" being the way forward due to the number of drama I have watched in the past which is inclusive of every cliche/typical elements I am well-versed in seeing.
Yet, Backstreet Rookie would be the 1 in 5 typical drama that I enjoy fully. The drama delivers what it states to be, a strong-superwoman female lead with a fragile background revolving around a kindhearted, honest male whose dream is to provide comfort to the people in his neighborhood through a convenience store. With many twist and turns, find out more as you feast on your eyes on the visuals and the fun aspect the cast had filming.

What's even more outstanding are the characters acting level where in particular, Kim Yoo Jung (the female lead) can get very emotional with detailed facial expression I caught. Truly I would love to give her a hug and a pat on the back and she is a natural in that field. Her action-fighting scenes were well-performed and I am looking forward for more of her projects in the future. In contrast, Ji Chang Wook play a more laid-back character that is unusual considering his past roles for Healer/K2 (having many actions scene). Although he didn't reach the intensity I have seen in other works, the hole was instead filled with his love charisma and the comfort he provides to our female lead. Him being there for the female lead mentally would uplift her acting. (Rather than downplaying it if he were to play "the fighter kind of role" )

Whenever the leads/minor characters talks about their difficulties and how for the first time in their life, they could receive the warmth and love that they don't expect ever receiving. My heart broke a few pieces too with teary eyes. This is why the casting for the characters was done well, other than the villain who weren't very relevant. The OST list was alright with my favorite being Sleepless Night by Rothy and Something by Kang Daniel. I am sure if I want to laugh one day, I would re-watch the drama but I don't recommend watching with your family because of how it can get awkward with some of the "almost-erotic" like scenes.

My final thoughts for the drama would be about how the drama wasn't able to start on the right foot. This drama was enjoyable for me so it is a pity when it couldn't get the love it deserves. The drama intention was to make you laugh and the cast were doing a honest job. I hope more viewers can give this drama a chance and depending on your sense of humor, you would either like it irregardless of how weird it is or dislike it for the flaws present in the plot. Have a Happy Watching and Wish you all the best.

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Ongoing 16/16
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
4 people found this review helpful
Jul 2, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

~It's Okay to keep watching as everyone needs Healing~

Some slight/minor spoilers ahead~
Mental Health is a topic that have recently been under everyone's radar where there are many high profiled case that sparks outrage and sadness among the domestic & international community as whole without having the true method in escaping the desperation people faces increasingly. At one point in a lifetime, an experience/encounter that unfold which would make you question your entire existence including how your life are interconnected with another and to imagine getting perspective of living the life as a "mentally-troubled" individual. Now magnify that in a drama and you will get this drama which attempts to tackle this same question. But what is so unique or the standout point I notice early on for this drama?

**Summary**
A detailed summary I can brief on would involve having a male lead (Moon Kang tae) accompanied with a contrasting autistic and traumatized older brother (Moon Sang Tae) living a nomadic lifestyle where MKT is working short term as a caregiver/nurse in different psychiatric warded hospital trying to escape from a distraught past that is filled with mystery and pain for both brothers. It is until the male lead met the female lead (Ko Moon Young), whose someone with antisocial personality disorder tendencies (not knowing the true extent of love) and through this fateful meeting they had, they would faced conflicts and heal at the same time between one another on how they think and act in the future. During their meet-up, stories of other mentally-ill patient would popped up ever so slightly and give rise to awareness for us viewers. Teaching us about morals as a human and how it is okay to not be okay.

**Story Stands out and Attention to detail**
What stands out in the summary I have given are that the depiction of mental illness is very well written as the director made the choice of linking the story-line with supposed fantasy-like "fairy-tale" with morals striving to prove a point about the reason what/who/why/when people faces an issue and how they can grow out of it meaningfully. The depiction isn't always merry and is usually portrayed in a darker undertone but after going through all the struggles/obstacles would be when the dark tunnels leads to the end of a tunnel, a bright finale. The story is very much set in a realistic scenario tackling on psych-heavy theme, but it is a pleasure to see that there are fantasies/animations/exaggerations or dream/imagination sequence which would display a sense of false reality existing within patients and we as viewers can see that. Soon thereafter, the immediate sharp reality of the drama hits us with a bang and ground us on the floor, making us more relatable to the cast and scenario with very clear goals in mind.

As of now, the story have shown great pacing without delaying the lead's interaction and showing progress at how the leads are dealing with their owns emotional and psychological problems. Each episode reveals some clues for viewers to guess the final outcome, making the story a great discussion topic to have between viewers. The fact that some reviewers (who worked as caregivers) also praise the effort of production in showing an accurate representation of how a treatment to patient should be and how the patient normally react to stimulus in daily life is an amazing feat itself to show that the story is reality-based with good intentions. There is a recurring theme of "therapy" session where the story progresses with one core solution to solve different problems. I can safely say that the story element is well-written with intentions and nuances. The writer have made sure that the morals we have learnt from previous episodes is still ever present in future episodes, emphasizing the fact that everything is linked with nothing being thrown out. There is a mystery element to it which was good but wasn't the stand out point and has minor plot holes. 9.5 stars for the story.

**Character designs**
The female lead (Ko Moon Young played by Seo Ye Ji) is designed as having a cranky, headstrong, somewhat psychotic exterior with hints of having a softhearted interior female beauty with similarity to Jang Man Wol from Hotel Del Luna. I have seen a title given to her "A matured, crazier version of JMW" to which I fully agreed. KMY is a trendy fashion icon with stunning dresses and gorgeous accessories where I can imagine people trying to imitate her high-class style during this period of time. And what is more significant are her acting is true to the character without any big faults. Just a tear droplet or a slight smile can speak a thousands more words that if actual words were spoken. Reversing the cliche where the male lead is usually the wealthy and the more dominant counterpart, the female lead here does not follow this cliche and is quite dominant in ways where she is equal to the male in levels. Her acting is perfect for her role.

The male lead ( Moon Kang tae played by Kim Soo Hyun) is designed as having a more introverted personality that is more rooted to a normal male with some traits that aligns with being a lead. Traits such as not placing much importance in wealth, status or fame but rather on taking care of his family and patients first. Kim Soo Hyun doesn't exactly need confirmation for his acting because other than his flopped movie, Real. Every single drama/movie production of his is a success and his acting here is stellar. Not only is he very handsome, he can display emotions very well where I would cry for him every time he cries too.

The other leads I consider such as MKT's older autistic brother, Sang Tae are phenomenal in his acting which largely prove he deserved his 2020 Baeksang award as one the best actor. Just the expression, the way he talks and action. His character showed great development over the 16 episodes, showing a believable yet empowering role as an autistic individual which I would love to share with anyone facing a similar situation to his. Amazing... In contrast, Juri gives me the feeling that she isn't the typical second female lead either because it is shown that she is just as pretty in her own right where she is not as invasive to forcing MKT into a relationship. Though she is jealous and can be petty at times, I am certain I would not hate her but rather like her enough to follow her own plot as their past unravels. Moreover, she has consistently proves in the latter half of the drama as being more than a "side character" and is quite rich in backstory. She acted really perfectly.

There is also moments when the female lead would be doing something inappropriate due to her disorder and the lack of understanding she has over the world create a stark contrast as to how a normal human would have perform the action. This stark contrast isn't as romanticize as many would assume because slowly but surely, the male lead is correcting her action in a gentler way possible. On the other hand, the male lead who seems normal on the outside faces a pressure that created anger and sadness which cannot be diagnosed easily until the female leads notices it. The female lead with her keen observation would also correct his behavior but letting him unleash more of himself rather than just pure suppression. The topic of how you shouldn't just bury yourself with work/responsibilities but rather take a time off to have fun and enjoy what life has to offer. The end result is a "BALANCE" between the cast where male lead preach for control and female lead preach for freedom. Together they can heal each others weakness and compliment one another for their future lifestyle.

My verdict is that their chemistry is overflowing with tension at every corner. Perfect casting 10/10.

**Music**
Regarding this aspects, 10/10 for me due to how perfect the song fits the eerie vibe and fairy tale-esque feels. Once I heard the OST, it became an insta-download from me as I could imagine the scene in my head of when the song is played. The music being this captivating makes every scene flow so well along with the music. My favorite would be Breathe by Sam Kim. The ethereal feeling it invoke right at the start and then giving you that hopefulness in lyrics and vocals. The 2nd favorite would be "In Silence" which invoke a desperation and loneliness in me where I wish someone would "heal" me. As more songs unveil, I began to love the very wacky sounds present in other OST like Wake Up and Got You. Since it was a Netflix original, there is a number of English songs available and it is why international viewers can sing along to the song. Little by Little - Cheeze is also one of my favorites!

**Rewatch value**
This is super high as I have re-watched the drama a few times myself in anticipation for the next few episodes. I discover that there is so many Easter eggs hidden and foreshadowing so a re-watch is must to uncover the secrets the director hidden meticulously. An example would be in episode 1 where Sang tae mouthed the conversation between two animated characters, that is a major foreshadow to KMY and MKT future relationship and I highly recommend you keep this in mind as you watch.

**Cinematography**
Rather than the freeze shot or the abrupt change in sequence to a scene, this drama have moving-action shots that is relevant and interesting to view to my pleasure. There are so many scenes I could talk about so to focus on one scene as an example, the were able to transitioned from a miniature bus in a miniature city landscape into an actual bus ridden by the male lead in one scene smoothly. There is more scenes you will notice when you start to watch. The color palette too leans towards beige and black so when any other color appears, it becomes shocking. In this case, the female lead's dresses would usually have a popped out color highlighting her "uniqueness" and show-off persona. The "Tim Burton" like animation is a treat to watch and is very suited for any age group to view.

**Final Judgement**
Overall, the drama is a masterful work that tackles the topic of mental health issues and heal it in a way rarely seen in a drama of this capacity. Being the small screen return of Kim Soo Hyun and having Seo Ye Ji who naturally exudes charm through her deeper, lower voice, the casting is perfect and that is factoring in Oh Jung Se who I have been seeing in top drama lately like When My Camellia Bloom. The music and cinematography creates this flow that brings you visions and run downs in our journey of healing. As I was watching it airing, I had this hope of the drama maintaining their excellence and quality to which I will say that it did. The quality have just rise without a big dip. There could be some bumps along the way but for sure as I was watching the drama, I became emotionally invested and knowing all the references in fairy tales helped. Spotting the hidden details and theorizing with fellow fans. This drama is a personal masterpiece that I have placed up there with My mister. Whilst I am not sure if you will enjoy it as I do, for you to reach this point in my review shows that you are intrigue and I am thankful for your reading. The ending is satisfying and perfect too. Happy Watching!! 10/10

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Ongoing 16/16
18 Again
2 people found this review helpful
Sep 23, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

It's definitely a 3-pointer shot from the half court.

** Finally reaching completion and I can confirm that many of the things my review was written has largely been true. Way back when I started writing this review at the start of the series airing, my expectation for it was relatively regarding me feeling enjoyment from the family aspect of the drama but quickly it turned into something more emotional and deep. I self-reflected and find that I am emotionally invested in the drama. My point about how if they explained the age-reversal part well, it could be a selling point for the drama and yet I now don't exactly agree with this sentiment because 18 again is more than that. It was able to live up to this trope of going back in time as a young fella whilst transcending above with the concept that family is central and key to our daily lifestyle. By being young, we lose the times we spent with our family because they are all so much more older than you and you become a "different individual". Yet, you also resembled greatly like the older version of you and you can't help but wish you can can become older again for your family. Overall, I highly recommend anyone to give this a watch expecting to learn about having a family, the morality behind it and the relationship which doesn't always seem ideal. The ending didn't disappoint me so the quality for the whole drama is maintained solidly. I give this a drama a 8.5 star which is a super high rating that I only gives to some particular drama. There is only 2 other drama higher than this in my list so you can expect good stuff from watching this. Enjoy and stay true to your family!


With the limited episodes out there as of this review, I find myself interested to await for more of the episodes to air as the story progress into a variety of genre I didn't expect from it. I have never watched the actual movie it was based on so I am totally brand new in not knowing the plot beforehand. Although, I am familiar with the concept of "going back into the past" whether it be through time travelling, reincarnation or age-reversal. It's a nice concept that can add unique flairs to a drama IF EXPLAINED WELL. I am not certain yet as to why it happened like that for this drama but they did gives us some clue so I am expecting more of that later on.

This drama is presenting numerous option it could take including the usual family drama. I smell hint of a mystery brewing, supernatural/fantasy element and sprinkled heavily on those are comedy/parody which would entertain you into laughter albeit it can be over exaggerated until you feel embarrassed. With a hotpot of genre, it can potentially be hard to digest the content provided by the drama which was why I am surprised for wanting more of the drama instead.

And the answer to that surprised was.... the raw emotions presented from a parent for their child and love. That to me regardless of the genre is a relatable topic and to see a parent interact with their children as a friend is something I wish more families would have. It gives me satisfaction when the parent could realized the thing s they missed out, whether it be through the neglect of their kids or that they were having miscommunication with their significant other when both want the best in the relationship. To also observe the witty words of a 30+ year old man among kids with a face as handsome as Do Hyun, that's the best combination to have and we all dream of that in our fantasy drama. What better way than to have the same 30+ year old man (ugly) turned '18' (handsome) met up with his "wife" who looks so pretty both young and old. Now that can turn spicy XD. Anyway, acting has been great for the cast and to have a side character that serves as a comedy relief is not bad either. It gives me that Backstreet rookie vibe for that person's role in the drama and we all know how crazy he gets.

For now, I believe the drama will turn out enjoyable at the very least so I recommend you give it a watch for anyone that liked a hidden gem which may not have a star-studded cast, but it compensates by including more funnest without degrading the emotional quality of a scene.

Post episode 4: I enjoy the epilogue and the comedy relief in between the drama. Especially at how inspirational a statement during the epilogue scenes. The characters so far have been well-designed with their own personality and the other "male competitors" have very good reasons as to why they should exist.

Update to Episode 8: I am definitely reviewing as I have watched more episodes since. This has clearly been an emotional ride so far with those epilogues and the cast serves a very distinct role. I come to find myself relating with the backstory of each characters and have upped the score from 8.5 to 9 star with how the drama is produced.

p.s: I have confirmed that one of the OST (Hello) was sung by SoHyang, the queen and one of the best female vocalist. A good OST can bring a drama scene a long way so to have an impressive singer which is known for being expressive in their voices, it just help me immersed myself deeper. The currently released OST is by Soyou and that is already quite soothing for me, building an atmosphere that create longing for the happier times but due to circumstances, you feel sad.

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Completed
Tale of the Nine-Tailed
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 4, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Like a fairytale, easily predictable but you still like it at the end.

Spoiler Free Part:
In Summary: Plot was messy with some plot holes I can't ignore with my drama intuition built from years of watching and observing story line written by others. Some part of me regrets going on this journey itself (cause it is quite generic and doesn't compare to how I felt for Goblin) but I am somewhat at least still happy for another part of me which have gone down this journey, no matter how much flaws I noticed. TNT was very Goblin-esque no doubt. The brotherhood, the ML and FL relationship and the supernatural. I still enjoyed it a lot. The cast's acting is great. ML and FL actually did well portraying their character. Side Characters are some individuals that I care more than I expected. OST is amazing as usual such as Moonlight Ballad by Lynn and Leaning on you by Sung Shi Kyung. The instrumentals such as Lightning bugs and parting at the three rive crossing by Hong Dae Sung is magical.. CGI wasn't overdone and appropriate. The would shot some scene beautifully (other than having black screen be the transitioning scene which I don't think was really smooth or a good choice at times). Overall I believe they did many things well other than the core part of the story writing and direction choices taken.

Spoiler Part:
The ep 16 ending: so basically the idea that you need to sacrifice something, to get something. That to me is a more tragic message than an inspiring one. I cried deeply for the lost of lee rang at the end rather than lee yeon himself. The ending about how lee yeon could potentially be a gumiho again does create confusion but I want to believe it is more of a fanservice. The fact that in the end, they reincarnated so early in the same lifetime also does takeaway the impact I had (as compared to HDL where the they did show the reincarnation happening but it is in a future lifetime (fantasy of KCS) which is a stronger effect). They gave us happier moments between the leads as well as to a certain degree, the relationship between granny and gatekeeper and little kid (dog) with yoori (though there is something missing in terms of the 2 friends of FL as well as the possibility that the little kid could be friend with lee rang in kid form). It's alot of back and forth in terms of the flow. I also personally didn't like the aspect about how many people died for unjust reason just because the imoogi spread the plague or cause people to suicide. The impact of those death felt meaningless to me, almost as if they are just numbers because the FL didn't show the appropriate reaction to those (other than to her friends).

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Completed
Sell Your Haunted House
2 people found this review helpful
May 27, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

Solid drama that is neither lacking or giving. Jang Nara is best!

When I first saw Jang Nara and Jung Yong Hwa in the trailers of this drama, I saw the semblance of Hotel Del Luna and Mystic Pop Up Bar as it reminded me greatly of a mythical place where a cold, strong vibe (tsundere) female lead had to stay in order to serve a purpose whilst the male lead in this case are much more prone to being scared by the "ghost" that surrounds this storyline as evident by the title inclusion with "Haunted". Since I was watching the drama around the time after it aired which was around 9:30 pm in KST time, the combination of the night and ghost will always bring out the best in us as we get scared along the way (even when it isn't just meant to be "only horror"). Props to the makeup team and the effect editing team as they did a tremendous job. FYI, it shouldn't be too scary to watch and if you are looking for an immediate romance-comedy story in this, then you are out of luck.

So why did I start this drama?
Because I had just finished watching Jang Nara's previous drama called Go Back Couple recently and the acting she showed there evoked many emotions out of me. I felt that with the theme similar to HDL and Jang Nara as the main female lead, I had to give it a shot and for the most part, I am glad I did because it went swimmingly well. I don't think Sell Your haunted House will be my favorite/top tier drama but it will be a great pick from 2021. There is plenty to love about what went down with the drama ranging from decent cinematography, solid storyline, memorable cast and the OST sounds alright for me (if you enjoy Jung Yong Hwa and Jang Nara's song, that is a bonus for you). It's a high quality drama that feels like it is operating under a smaller budget and less flair.

Plot/Storyline:
Having seen multiple Kdrama with ghost theme in the past, this drama does have a solid writing that revolves around a major mystery which is solved through the smaller cases that pops out which the exorcist has to deal with, "To exorcise ghost that remains and haunting the place, where the exorcist would be a real estate agent and sell the place afterward, completing both their duty to the dead and the one that remains alive". I can safely say that the vibe is similar to Hotel Del Luna but the approach is executed differently in ways where it is less about the romance and more about the intertwining unfortunate fate that links both our leads which need to be cured and released. HDL focuses on the romance aspect more whilst SYHH went the opposite direction. The romance is underwhelming but the story feels more realistic albeit it is a fantasy story. They won't sugarcoat your mistake and instead, reveal it in their entirety. As the audience, you will be the judge if they are correct or wrong. There is enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge though there is still some cliché such as trusting the wrong guy and the villain having too much authority over the police. Out of the genres listed, I would have ranked it like this "Mystery, Fantasy, Thriller, Horror, Comedy and Romance being the last". There is short breaks in the form of humour which balance out those heavier emotional scenes but could be the reason why I didn't feel the emotional impact at times. The drama has thought-provoking themes/ideas of 'letting go', 'resentment', 'unselfish love' and 'forgiveness' which are present in storyline like these and they tackle it meaningfully. The key takeaway here is that "you should do it without any regret before it is too late" and "truth can be unimaginably painful but you have the right to know it." The screenwriter and director has somewhat already provided the answer to the smaller cases for the audience so you wouldn't have to think too much other than watch our cast work out and make mistakes in their journey to solve those. My experience with the drama is that it is a smooth ride.

Cinematography:
Honestly having seen amazing cinematography in many fantasy drama such as Goblin, my short summary are that it is dark, negative with the colour scheme being dull. It's a lot of moonlight shed on the pale skin of Jang Nara as she wore yet another Black Jacket adorned with her cryptic accessories. That isn't bad per say but it is not memorable enough to remember any specific location other than the house where Jang Nara lives in. That sharp contrast in colour make me focus only on her facial expression rather than what she wore or where she has gone to. Jung Yong Hwa would wear opposite colour mainly being white or beige but that doesn't really counteract with Jang Nara colour. What I focused and is intriguing to me are the action choreograph that is much more exciting to watch. I praise that more as Jang Nara shows us what's up and her giving a punch or kick with force is satisfying to watch. Just like how I have mention about the makeup and special effect in my opening statement, they did an amazing job making the alive more dead than ever. I get shivers when I do see those ghost the first time and I became less scared only after they started appearing more. The ritual they create with the item prop and symbol are made to my liking and I would buy if I have the chance to.

Acting:
I am sure I gushed about how much I like Jang Nara's acting seeing the enthusiasm I have for her. She is irreplaceable to the story and is a veteran in acting. Jang Nara's agony, headstrong yet muted personality is done convincingly so I will focus on the other character. The Mom Character (Baek Eun Hye) is just so outstanding first off because you get to see her throughout the story whether she is just standing there quietly or is expressing her sorrow, you can feel the weight and presence behind it. Her face is so positively looking that I can't help but to want to look at her despite the circumstance she got into. I started looking for her as the camera shot at different angle and movement. Her chemistry with Jang Nara is the standout.
Moving forward, you may be wondering how I thought Jung Yong Hwa acting went since I had little to talk about in the previous statement I made. In fact, I actually liked Jung Yong Hwa acting because he has to embody many different character of all ages, gender and method of talking. I have not seen his previous work so I can't judge if he improved or not but he did a convincing work. I did remember his Running Man appearances way back in the days and his other variety show so I have an expectation for the personality he has to which this character is essentially him. Out of the many idol actors/actress, he is the better ones but I can still feel some slight stiffness during the emotional scenes. That's why I feel like he did not let himself go when he cries, thus, making me less incline to cry. I feel his sadness but not to the degree where Jang Nara display her emotion. He put in commendable effort in embodying his character but I didn't feel connected to him when he is depressed. I have this lingering feeling where his sad scene are actually fulfilling the comedic genre. There is a small dedicated side characters that appears frequently enough for you to remember by and they do well in their role.

OST:
I am not sure if this set of OST connect with me too much. Actually, the OST is very much under-utilised in this drama. I remember hearing Jung Yong Hwa - I got Ya many times during the drama but all the other OST was totally not present in my brain until I go search for it on Youtube to which I am not sure if it is significant enough to invoke the memory of me watching a certain scene. OST served the purpose whereby I would remember the scene for years to come just by listening to a song. This set of OST was alright but not to the level I would listen to the song after the drama finish. Take my word for this part with a grain of salt as I notice the song doesn't fit with my personal preference (which is different from all others). Although the song doesn't really fit with my drama experience, Jang Nara Daydream is a nice interesting song that I would not mind a standalone release. The instrumentals does create an eerie vibe throughout the story.

In conclusion, the drama is worth a watch and I recommend giving it a try. With all of what I critique about, they have done just about everything right with substance. Neither it is lacking or giving. I don't feel a strong emotional connection but it also gives me enough feeling to contemplate further on my life choices, to look back in the past and my decisions made. If you are a Jang Nara fan, I believe she plays a vastly more different role than her past and she did well.

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