Stunning

This is SO good! I loved every second. Amazing production, packed with action, great characters, effects, costumes and stunning sets.
Loved the cast (especially Aloys Chen as Qin Ming).
There is humour, warmth and good v evil. Fab monsters too . The main supporting duo of Bo Ya and Shen Lee provided the lighter comedic moments (as did the various animals and 'familiar' monsters) with their youthful personalities and bickering.
The character of Qin Ming is a dual personality to a point and I really liked that even though he'd been let down, he remained loyal to those he loved. He was confident and aloof, but not arrogant. The family vibe of the various monsters he took as 'familiars' was heart warming and quite moving on occasion.
Really very entertaining and a feast for the eyes. I'd love a follow-up!

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Gripping stuff

Excellently written, directed and acted.
Fab cast who all portrayed their characters so well.
I loved the dynamic between the leads and also the sibling relationship between Hyun-soo and Hae-soo.
The story twists and turns, is gripping, sad, but also humorous at times.
Moon Chae-won's portrayal of Cha Ji-won, I thought was excellent. Her trust in her husband was harshly tested and even though she had moments of self-doubt, she was determined to uncover the truth. She was sometimes vulnerable, but also strong willed and very emotional. I felt she was an anchor for her husband and a massive part if his emotional development. Her investment in him and their family was, I felt, one reason she was easily brought to tears when all might be lost.
The only reason I didn't give a 10 for re-watch value is because being a thriller, I now know what's coming and who's who. However, I would happily revisit it one day.
A definite one to watch.

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Longer episodes please

I liked the story, which gives vampires a modern twist; day walkers and no cowering at crucifixes. Minimal blood and no fangs, so great for the squeamish.
Vampirism at its most romantic, with a beautiful character that gives all for love after a tragic mistake.
The acting was fine, but as usual with too many S.Korean BL dramas, the episodes are far too short. I'd rather have that they were fewer and longer, so I can really get into the story. That would also give the actors a chance to show their skills and get into their characters better.
Perhaps the film will be more satisfying in that respect.
A few times the sound quality was poor and the filming felt a bit low budget, but that is not a reflection on the story or acting.
Overall, however, I thought it was a neat drama with a poignant finish. The soundtrack wasn't bad either.
Worth a look.

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Emotional ride of 1,000 years

I love supernatural, fantasy and folk lore, so together with a dream cast, I was waiting very impatiently for this drama.
Overall, I really enjoyed it a lot. I thought the acting was very good, with neither Lee Jin Wook nor Lee Joon overplaying their roles. Lee Joon gave wonderful facial expressions and could make me feel such sympathy and sorrow for him, just with his eyes. He had great presence in this role and really made OK Eul Tae come to life.
LJW lent very subtle humour to his role, when called for, again with facial expressions alone.
A lonely, bitter, vengeance-led character whose childhood scenes really pulled at my heart strings.
Gong Seung Yeon was also excellent and a character who possessed great strength, I thought, even though she couldn't exercise it in the earlier time lines.
I didn't have a problem with Kwon Na Ra's acting at all, but found her character a little too 'goody-goody' in the present day. She could be quite naive and at times just didn't seem to grasp aspects of the Bulgasal's history or dynamic (and that had nothing to do with memory loss). She did display guts on many occasions though. In fact that's one thing this drama didn't do... present weak, inferior female characters.
The only character that infuriated me (in all his lives), was Jung Jin Young's. He was a total idiot, especially in the present day. His reasons for hating the Bulgasal were just ridiculous and his inept actions constantly put everyone at risk ~ really irritating!
A lot about this story is very sad and tragic, spanning timelines ~ the most important events happening 1,000 and 600 years ago, and the the main story taking place in the present day.
This obviously means there are flashbacks and that is one of my few criticisms.... the same ones were used far too much. In the final few episodes these were thankfully enlarged on, as the true events emerged of the Bulgasal's origin and curse.
The reincarnation of characters I found quite fascinating.
It was not always obvious who was telling the truth and who was lying, either; especially when one character made me feel sorrow for how he ended up the way he was.
The ending didn't really surprise me, but I found it slightly confusing in some respects... hard to explain without any spoilers!
There were some scenes where I felt like the drama was written as the story went along. If less time had been devoted to playing the same flashbacks multiple times and more to developing the ending, I think it would have been an even better watch.
The cast and their acting definitely propped up the less than perfect script, but I would watch it again one day, just for that.
OST was pretty good too and suited the drama well.
I'd recommend giving it a watch and deciding for yourself whether it's a love, hate or indifference vote.

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Visually Stunning

I'd waited with my breath held for this film to arrive on Netflix and wasn't disappointed.
The story, cast, acting, costumes, sets, cinematography and pace were so good. An absolute pleasure to watch.
There's great sarcasm and not a few sparks between Qing Ming and Bo Ya. The chemistry between Mark Chao and Allen Deng's character portrayals made for fab viewing.
Loss, revenge, love, hate, frindship and trust, it's all here.
I'd like to have been led into the beginning of the story a little more clearly, as it felt a bit like beng dumped into a moment, but as the film progresses, all becomes clear. There were some other scenes that could also have been built on a little more, which would have enriched the story.
Ovetall though this is a stunning film to watch and I shall be sitting through it again shortly!

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Seasons 1~4 combined review

I'm a more mature viewer, but was so captivated by this story that I binge watched all 4 series, back-to-back.
The cast were so good and the overlapping stories of the individual characters' growth, development and experiences through every episode was very natural. Friendship, crushes, love, heartbreak, struggles, commitment and laughs, are all here.
Some great advice and lessons are delivered through each episode, from the importance of communicating and honesty, to overcoming feelings of inferiority, all by watching others go through it. I could empathise with so much.
I love that the characters are far more open in terms of their mixed gender friendships and the story is far more mature than many dramas aimed at slightly older audiences, which I've watched.
Sex isn't shameful, but at the same time not to be taken lightly, when young and contemplating a first time. This series handles it all so naturally and without being judgemental.
I'm hooked and hoping for another instalment!

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It's not real life, but an enjoyable drama

Quite an unusual story. Experiences and negative situations in their childhoods provide us with 4 main characters as adults who carry some baggage.
Broken families, white lies, naivety, tenacity, bonds, expectations and anchors in the past, are the mainstays.
I liked every character, as the well matched cast were so good.
Do San (NJH) is a drama typical geek; desperate as a child to not let his parents down, naive, self conscious, low self esteem, feels a failure, doesn't quite fit in and very soft.... but, somehow very likeable. His 2 best friends and business partners are great characters and their friendship is heartwarming.
Dal Mi (BS) family was split, with her childhood becoming a polar opposite to that of her sister's, which leads to fractured, competitive, cold and distant adult interaction. She wants to make her father proud, beat her sister and take care of her grandmother.
Ji Pyung (KSH) had a tough childhood, found guidance and support from Won Dook (wonderfully played by a favourite, Kim Hae Sook) and provided emotional support, as a favour to her, through letters to someone.
As adults the planets align and all these characters, plus some, are brought together.
We journey through shifting expectations as compromises have to be made for dreams to be fulfilled.
We occasionally come across characters that value their personal reationships, love and loyalty over money and there are several of those here.
There is a fast forward of 3 years in the story line, but I felt this drama was more about relationships, trust, consequences and the main characters' lives together, than their businesses, so I wasn't too bothered about that.
However, I felt the final episode was very rushed and the ending of it very crammed, however I still enjoyed the drama overall.
I laughed out loud and shed a few tears.
NJH's acting is very understated. He can play a cold, arrogant character (like in Bride of Habaek), attractive boyfriend (Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo), 'out there' (School Nurse Files) and awkward/soft (this one), with ease.
Don't believe all the negative reviews, try it with an open mind and make up your own about it 😊

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Sexually Explicit, Raucous and Hilarious Ride

This is for adults. Anyone who does not like seeing sex, sex toys, nudity and love making on screen, DO NOT watch it and then complain!
This story is warm, open and often touching, as well as being achingly funny.
Relationships and people's lives are not always what they seem, as is shown here.
I absolutely loved how whilst funny and really quite explicit, it was never seedy or vulgar (at least not to me). The topic of women's sexuality is not often portrayed in K-drama and film at all. Women are too often doe eyed, coy and desperate for the love of a good man, which for me gets a bit old. Here they are assertive, clever and living life on their terms. The mother of the main female character is fabulous, as is her second husband.
Whilst not exactly deep, it is emotional enough for the good story to come through. Great characters and great fun.
Recommended if you want to occasionally gasp in surprise and then howl with laughter.
On a personal note, give me sex and love making in a normal, healthy, realistic setting like this, over blood, violence, foul language and sexual violence and abuse, any day. The ratings system is quite often completely twisted, as are the reactions to consensual, loving sex over murder, violence and gore.

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Gripping stuff!

Gripping from the first episode. Excellent characters with perfectly fitting cast of actors. I really liked that they chose an actor who had similar features to Dong Jin, to play his father.
I loved the camaraderie between them as soldiers and the relationship between Dong-jin and both his canine partners was very believable and realistic.
There was no overacting, but lots of tension and mystery. Tiny bit of romance, which didn't get in the way of the main plot, but actually added to it.
I also really liked actress Moon Jung-hee and her more mature but tough yet understated character. We need more like that!
I feel it's a shame there were only 10 episodes though, as I am not clear on exactly what happened to the item being searched for. I thought it was found and handed over, yet it eventually appeared not.
An investigation should have been filmed to at least round up things a bit more clearly, which would have benefited the drama as a whole. The ending was quite abrupt for some of the story line, which is a shame.
Having said that, I found the 3 different elements of the story really intriguing and binge watched the whole series! There was far more I loved than didn't and it's one I'd happily sit through again.

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Fabulous

Sep 2023
First off; whenever a story has been successfully told once and is then remade, those who LOVED the original shouldn't watch other versions... they'll never compete. Those willing to watch as a drama in its own right, view on. After all, if subsequent productions are only to be carbon copies of an original, what's the point? So, moving on...

I watched this over 2 days and absolutely loved it.
Time travel, fantasy, mystery and a well thought out, gripping story, will make me putty in that drama's hands!

I read a lot of stories where the central theme is often transmigration (souls awakening in another body, which can be years apart from the last life).
This drama is a mix of that and time travel; the latter not being an easy subject to write well, mainly because it can be easy to lose the thread when trying to end the story. I've watched a few dramas where the plot's gone askew, but not this time!

However, this drama does need concentration and watching very closely. It isn't one to have on whilst doing something else and the FFWD button should be taped over. So much can happen in different scenarios, where subtle repetition of words and actions are actually so important.

It can be a little odd in feel, to start with, until the way the story is presented becomes familiar and comfortable ~ but please bear with it, as it really does make sense and come together.

Time can alter at each scene change and initially that threw me. I watched ep 1 & 2 twice! It was worth it though, as I quickly learned the difference in the characters that shared faces.

It is a complicated, but fascinating plot, full of intrigue, questions, frustration and very gripping. It is also so romantic, in the best way; a true love story, yet not at all saccharine. There's wit, angst and tragedy as well.

The cast were bloody perfect ~ all of them.
However, I have to credit Jeon Yeo-been, as how she was able to play 2 characters that looked identical, and managed to portray their totally different personalities, so that they became identifiable as 2 different people, was SO good!
Ahn Hyo-seop was the same ~ he, in effect, played 3 (almost 4 ~ one much more briefly), different roles and, again, brought a noticeable difference to each.
All the characters were such an interesting mix, the story, whilst complicated, did make sense and what an ending! I was so surprised by the whole thing.

The consequences that love has on characters who are so desperate to be together, they're willing to move through lifetimes, is such a surprise and also comes with a couple of shocks.

The soundtrack is mostly great (there was some instrumental background music I wasn't keen on). The main song that repeats through and is an important part of the story, has a sad background though.

The artist is Seo Ji-won, who tragically took his own life in 1996, just over a month before his 20th birthday, due to the pressures of having had such a successful debut album. I loved the songs and learning what I did from Googling the artist, felt the tracks chosen were made even more poignant.

I loved almost every second of this drama.

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Hugely disappointing writing & directing compared to S1

4 Sep 2023
The last 2 episodes were the best of series 2.

The cast have, again, been brilliant and if not for them, I would never have finished this, as for me, the direction and writing have all but killed what was a fabulous series 1.

S1 saw great characters, who all grew with each episode. From So Moon, his grandparents and his 2 best friends, to the other Counters. We got background stories on all of them. We got support from and friction with, their Guides. We got a variety of possessed bad people, with the story(ies) of the souls they consumed and then their release, enabled by the extracting of the evil spirit, which was unmasked and sent to its swampy prison. The humour was genuinely funny, usually coming from natural interactions between characters.

We got next to nothing of that in S2 at all. Everything has focussed on one group of evil spirits, with extremely little about their history. The Counters aren't stronger, or better, but often disorganised and ill prepared.

Gelli's OTT cackling and unhinged personality, both became really irritating. Paired with Joo-sook's demon that was like a bad Gollam (Lord of the Rings) rip-off.... a long sigh.

The most awful character annihilation has to be that of Ga Mo-tak, who has gone from tough outside/soft inside, cheeky but serious about his 'work', strong and agile; to becoming a ridiculous, thick, clown-like figure, on too many occasions.

There were several shocking scenes, which were too often criminally smothered by inconsistent writing and woeful plot development.

The intrigues and arcs of S1 were all but forgotten... how So Moon was able to accept Wi Gen was never addressed. The aging effect Mae Ok's healing power has on her every time she has to exert herself to do it, suddenly just made her a little tired; and, no one avoided getting seriously hurt, to try and prevent her having to use it. We almost never see So Moon's friends (they were randomly reintroduced in what felt like an after thought) and have hardly any meaningful interactions with their Guides.

The humour, instead of being a natural response to deadly situations to lighten the story (which people actually do), or the previously mentioned banter between characters, is instead contrived, childish and often totally inappropriate...

For example, someone bizarrely sitting on a toilet having a pooh, whilst having a go at his lacky, who's stood outside the wide open door, holding his nose. YUCK! So out of place... like why include that?!

Don't even get me started on the new recruit, Jeok Bong... very little help at all, weak, stupid, childish; basically made to act like a stereotypical country bumpkin, who smells-out evil spirits in such an obvious and clumsy way. Absolutely dreadful. His Guide is as bad, another character that stereotypes, this time gay/effeminate people, as shouty, bitchy and flouncy.

I am so utterly disappointed in all this, especially after having waited so long. I've never before gotten so upset when a S2 can't quite equal a brilliant S1.

However, S1 was one of my most favourite dramas and the stark contrast between the two, is just too great. The director and writer should be apologising to the cast, crew and fans of S1 that are as disappointed as I am.

Where was Treasure in the end?  What on earth did the scene in Germany have to do with anything of relevance to any part of S2 and so what was the point?

I really missed S1 after it finished, but whilst I love the actors, I won't miss S2 at all.

If I had never seen S1, then as a stand alone drama, maybe I would not have criticised this one so harshly. However, S1 does exist and is SO much better.

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Even a great cast could not save this failure

Aug 2023.
I was really looking forward to this , but found it so disappointing, apart from Taec-yeon and some other cast members who kept me watching, it was pretty poor.

Great idea, but such lazy writing and poor direction, ruined it.
Such childish humour, that frankly I see starting to pop up in too many K-dramas where it doesn't fit, and woeful plot failures...
No heartbeat means no breathing is necessary, so stuff getting up their nose and making them sneeze just would not happen.
Sensitivity to the sun was completely forgotten from one episode to the next, depending on what the story needed from the scene :-/

Both female characters were the most irritating of all. The FL veered from doe-eyed and mushy, to petulant, spiteful, loud (lots of shouting that was way more than necessary for the scenario) and aggressive. I get she was meant to be cold and distant as a form of protection, but her reactions were overdone. There was a mace/pepper spray incident that was like, WHAT?!!! So not funny, at least not to me.

The supporting female character was dull as dish water, not to mention psychotic/delusional, which we see far too often in poorly written K-dramas.

Inappropriate reactions, drawing out parts of the story until they were so thin they were transparent and a woefully weak baddy.
The humour this show craved was witty dialogue, subtle looks that can speak a thousand words and make us laugh, not the overreactions, characters getting hit, shouted at and generally acting stupid, which is what we got.
Also, there's a guest house that never got a guest, which would not have been a profitable business, me thinks :-/
Lots of clichés too, which again were not necessary; there was far more that could have been done with those moments.

The sets were nice.
The cast were nice to look at and did their best.
I honestly could have done without watching and not once did I shed a tear, when there were times I should have, as the story was definitely aiming for that.
I never tell anyone not to watch something, as we're all different and you might love it; many others did.

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A romp!

I honestly feel this can be watched independently of S1, which had a very different feel. It was far more fairytale like and romantic.
The character of Lee Yeon was subtly different too, being more serious and detached (not that there wasn't humour).

In S2, we find Lee Yeon sent on an urgent mission, back to 1938, where the story sees him reunited with other Mountain Gods he's known since childhood and his brother, Lee Rang.
We are introduced to lots of new and diverse characters; his strained, but witty (in this series very much so) relationship with his brother; and a rather sweet romance (which didn't spoil the action).
The action is far more a feature this time and a lot more explosive.
It's a real romp, often very tongue-in-cheek and LDW looked like he was having lots fun, as did the entire, and very large, cast.
There's edge of your seat moments, some sad/tragic scenes and a fair bit of bloody violence.
There are some truly silly parts to it, but this is entertainment and fantasy, so that didn't bother me at all, even though I acknowledge the fact.
The ending is left very obviously open for a S3.
A lovely touch, is the brief guest appearance of Jo Bo Ah, reprising her role as Nam Ji-ah. She apparently did it for nothing! Me thinks this must have been a great drama to work on, with the cast getting on really well together and it shows.
I loved it.

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Why split into 2 seasons?

This is actually pretty tough to review, as my reactions and feelings about the drama are split so far (kind of like the airing).
WHY OH WHY did the makers, or Amazon Prime (whoever is responsible), decide to air in 2 halves?! It's not like it's 32 eps long...if S2 is also 6eps, that's less than a normal K-drama length of 16eps.
I am loving the supernatural element and characters.
Kim Nam-gil is so good as Van (although his name seems to be pronounced as Pan). I so like this actor and how he can still manage to convey emotion while marble faced.
Cha Eun Woo is a revelation; love his Italian ~ very authentic ~ and he seems both comfortable in and enjoying of, his character. The personality of Johan (reason for the name is made clear), is double-sided... he is cocky, witty, sometimes narrow minded, but also gifted in his area of expertise, caring and will do what has to be done.
I love the older lady who is Van's shelter and ear, too. A really good actress.
The FL I have mixed feelings about. The actress plays the part well, but the character is really irritating. I love strong female roles, but there's a fine line between confident/assertive and arrogant/know-it-all who doesn't listen. This character comes down on the wrong side of that line a little too often. It is just sits all wrong, how she often treats Van like a servant, when she's seen his power and must feel he's no ordinary human.
There is also something too comedic about the way she approaches several of her demonic encounters and she takes everything a little too much in her stride. It doesn't always work. I'm a fan of dark humour, but not when it jars with the credibility of the plot.
In its entirety, S1 feels choppy. There are too many frayed edges, questions where answers aren't even hinted at and a lack of substance.
But, the action when it happens, is exciting and exhilarating. There are some really moving moments too.
S2 should never have existed, unless needed and following a 16-ep S1. That would have been far more beneficial to the feel of the story and its continuity.
I await S2 (airing Feb 24th I've read) and am really hoping that all the muddy parts of this drama will become clear and my 8/10 doesn't
drop 🤞🤞

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Great leads

There are many comparisons made to The Untamed, which is a shame, because this adventure is an enticing watch in its own right.
I loved the main 2 characters and their chemistry was excellent. The emotions conveyed by Gong Jun as Ke Xing, through his eyes alone, were stunning; I also loved his different smiles, from forced to genuine to smirks. My favourite actor and character in it.
Zhang Zhe Han was great too and he portrayed his calmer, slightly more mature character, really well. They complimented each other perfectly, I thought.
I found the story a little confusing at times, mainly because with all the characters and sects, I got a bit lost.
I also found some of the dialogue from supporting characters a bit drawn out in some scenes.
Lots of action scenes and the stunts were pretty good. I loved the sets too.
Some quite moving moments throughout, but it didn't make me cry.
Many of the characters were very fickle and would believe lies over people they'd known for some time, which really frustrated me!
I also felt sympathy for several, including Scorpion, who whilst responsible for his own outcome, did basically hanker after affection and approval from the wrong person, ultimately getting massively let down.
I found the outcome of the armoury a bit odd, especially after what everyone went through and the obsession around the glazed armor.
Soundtrack was mostly good, but I found a lot of the electric guitar stuff intrusive and a bad fit.
I really did enjoy the series though and will probably watch again some time.

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