Otiose

Felt Like a Rough Draft

I liked the ending. The problem is that story was too often choppy. The story premise is a good one but the script often left potential humor on the table unexploited. The execution lacks the polish we start to routinely see some 10+ years later.

An example is an early scene after they just got married and the young unconsummated couple in formal clothes are sharing an evening celebration dinner with both sets of parents. It comes time to retire to a back bedroom - one bedroom. The groom, a bit tipsy, seizes and carries the teen bride to the bedroom, and falls onto the bed, a small bed. This is just one obvious situation that this story with this set up has to confront and we the audience can see it coming and are anticipating an answer, likely comedic, as to how the couple will get through the night. But like someone starting a good joke and then denying us the punch line, the scene just ends with them very briefly tussling on the bed. The next scene the husband is dropping his teen wife off at her high school. What happened? Just how did they manage to get through the night?

Early on it's made clear that she's 16, the age of consent, before the two are forced to marry to satisfy the last wishes of their grandfathers.

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Enjoyable Watch Despite Flaws

When this recently appeared on Netflix I jumped at the chance to see Park Shin Hye as a 19 or 20-year-old - the age she pretended to be in the recent series Undercover Miss Hong. The Miss Hong series had the good sense to poke fun at the idea that a 36-year-old Shin Hye could pass for a 20-year-old new hire. In this series, we get to see her as she was way back then.

This romantic dramedy appeared in 2009 and was an early effort by the Hong sisters who also wrote The Master’s Sun, A Korean Odyssey, Hotel del Luna, Alchemy of Souls, Can This Love Be Translated, and the upcoming Grand Galaxy Hotel, a sequel to Hotel del Luna.

Shin Hye plays both genders in a boy-girl twin duo. This girl lives in a convent and works at an orphanage where apparently she and her twin brother grew up. She is a devout, innocent and very clumsy novice about to leave for Italy to become a nun. Her twin brother, a major rock music star, develops a health problem and is secretly sequestered in a US hospital. His agent persuades her to assume her brother’s identity and join an existing popular rock band as the new fourth member temporarily until her brother returns to resume his identity and continue his career. So we have her trying to pass as a guy, and as her secret gets revealed little by little, the romantic angle emerges because the innocent novice has strong primal urges towards one of the rock stars, and of course, he returns the favor. Dramatic complications set in when long ago connections among parents begin to slowly emerge. Lots of secrets that cause pain as they get revealed.

Is there such a thing as identical boy-girl twins? No. There can only be fraternal twins. Does she look and act remotely like a guy? No. So that’s why this leans towards a 16-hour-long situation comedy. A situation comedy is based on dumb decisions and plot twists that are at best highly improbable, and we get an abundance of both. We have to overlook the obvious that the characters in the story seem oblivious to.

The biggest flaw is in its direction. Perhaps because the situations are so outlandish, the director decided to run with it and apparently had his actors and, in particular, the two leads, Shin Hye and Keun Suk, display over-the-top exaggerated facial expressions. I found myself in several scenes reimagining how the actors might have done the script lines minus the exaggerated expressions and acting we were treated to. This is particularly true for Shin Hye. The direction mishaps are not limited to facial expressions. In an early scene, Shin Hye is sneaking through a room using the high stepping Pink Panther walk! Or she does this tiny mincing walk that no guy would ever do. I’m sure she was directed to do that. And I suspect she and they were encouraged, if not outright told, to perform as they did. I suspect once this series was released these flaws pretty much ended the director’s career.

However, despite the above points, I couldn’t resist and looked forward to watching each new episode, and that was because the story was well written, and the heart of the characters came through strongly.


Possible Spoiler Below




A weakness in the script was the lack of an attempt to put the twins together in the same scene, something hard to do for obvious reasons but noticeably lacking. There were needed script additions to cover glaring holes. Throughout the story, the girl never talks to her brother by phone which would be so easy to do. Towards the end, when he returns to Korea, it is inconceivable that they would not get together to exchange information. As she uncovered certain truths and secrets regarding their common past, it is extremely unlikely she wouldn’t tell him. It was therefore necessary to deal with the fact that she would contact him and he would have reactions to these truths which would impact his presence in the rock group. At a absolute minimum there should have been at least a few lines, perhaps a phone call, in which she indicates she told her brother something of these important details, e.g. their mother is in fact dead, how she died, THE MOTHER’S NAME! The script, perhaps because of budget issues and time constraints, left these gaping holes and kind of too hurriedly finished things up.

The ending between the two leads felt truncated. Usually, we get more satisfying wrap-ups and we learn more about the happy ending, but this one just had one real feel good scene and then left us hanging.

Despite these flaws, I found it an enjoyable watch and well worth the time.

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First Season is Well Worth It

The first season was mixed, but what saves it is that when it's good it's very very good, e.g. ep 2 in season 1, but there are other episodes that make the show worth the time. So the nine rating is for the first season.

The actress playing the main character, Nanno, is Kitty Chicha Amatayakul. She reprises the role in a season 2 return while another actress, Becky Armstrong takes up the role in a recent third season called the Girl From Nowhere the Reset.

Kitty summed the up the character Nanno in an interview - she called Nanno the daughter of the Devil/Satan. The basic premise is that Nanno shows up as a transferee to a new school, she tempts someone(s) who is misbehaving, and delivers punishment with a supernatural angle.

The series works best in the first season, somewhat less so in the second when a second Nanno like girl shows up, and falters in the third, the Reset, with Becky playing Nanno.

In general the Devil varies widely by culture. At one extreme he (or his representatives) just commit evil acts against people indiscriminately, e.g. the movie The Exorcist. At the other extreme the Devil is a being who cannot harm humans but he can make deals and or tempt them leaving them to bear the consequences, e.g. Netflix's Lucifer.

Nanno is at her best and most interesting the farther she leans toward the latter temptress option. Unfortunately the individual episodes vary widely muddling the formula. I suspect this is because there are too many people with their own visions involved in the producing / directing / writing roles. It's not always clear that the punishments are deserved.

The series needs some creative control to keep things focused. The first season is great and worth the time, and the second is less satisfying, but you'll probably watch it because of the first season. The Reset is muddled and amateurish. Becky is a capable actress and under proper creative control would work just fine as the new Nanno.

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An Unpolished Gemstone from 2010

I gave it a try because I noticed this was an earlier work by the same screenwriter who wrote 'The Goblin' and 'The Glory'. Despite some rough edges this show has a very likable natural charisma.

This came out in 2010-2011 and is a Cinderella story with a supernatural angle thrown in. Note that the supernatural side doesn't get revealed until well into several episodes. It then drops away and only reappears much later. It works.

Some of the commentary in the dialogue was seriously blunt talk about class differences and issues with marriage between the humble classes and the elite few. Later Cinderella stories I've seen toned it down from what's here.

The bad is the acting (or perhaps we should blame the directors?) which at times is horrible with the actors screaming out lines and bellowing (and to top it off when they shriek the sound cracks or breaks - poor quality sound). Very off-putting. And then even my first time through the rough transitions and dropped or mishandled threads are very noticeable. What saves the production, as flawed and dated as it is, is it has a lot of heart. I found myself ignoring the bad acting and getting so engrossed in the story that the full hour episodes flew by.

Given this came out in 2010 and the screenwriter later followed up with such polished work as Goblin and Glory (among others) it seemed often that there were story twists and scene situations that she was experimenting with and that later were used by her (and other screenwriters) very successfully in better executed productions.

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It's Okay, And Flawed

The first episodes grabbed my attention, and I found them good enough to watch until the series end, but there were aspects that rubbed the wrong way.

The medical aspect seemed superficial and these doctors and their behavior were not convincing. However, the main characters especially at the initial set up are interesting and their conflicts held my attention keeping me watching.

There are several interesting twists in the characters' backgrounds as we learn more about each.

Potential spoiler.... It was annoying towards and at the end the two doctors working together but divorced suddenly had partners. The tension for these two for 14 or 15 episodes concerned where these two and their relationship would end up, then suddenly in a near final scene the male doctor has a previously unmentioned spouse return from the states, and the female doctor suddenly has a previously unmentioned spouse? or perhaps boyfriend? return from abroad. My first reaction was that the director/producer/ or writer wanted that broad scene in which a happy ending showed everyone was paired up into nice neat couples despite the storytelling and relationship development of the prior 14 episodes. Not a good decision.

The two leads were interesting enough to keep me watching but several twists and turns in their relationship were not believable, especially regarding the serious mental illness of one and the impact on the relationship. Often I felt there was a message - i.e. The Message - preaching about proper attitudes towards mental illness that took priority over telling a good story.

I suspect most viewers will fall into the love it or hate it categories. I happened to hit the sparse middle.

PS: The subtitles were good enough but often contained mistakes. Unusually (most get this one right) this translator did not understand agreement between subject and verb.

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Watched but sometimes for wrong reasons

Keep in mind this was released in 2016. The beginning and middle held my interest, but the last third I watched more to see if the apparent flaws were going uncorrected until the very end. They were.

The writer had an idea of the growth arc for their main character and like an alligator they locked onto to it right into a death roll. Hideo, the main character, is weak willed lacking in the follow through action part of living. And he does go through some tremendous development at the very end. The problem is that it's delayed through the middle of the story into situations that are simply unbelievable.

The bigger problem is that death roll for the main character was pursued at the expense of the development of certain other characters, in particular the half zombie school girl. It's unbelievable that she's used merely as a McGuffin through until the very last second! She should have had an active role in the final resolution.

Yes, the writer wanted us to understand how important the transformation of Hideo is but this is not news that the main theme can be developed along with other characters and themes.

The nurse carried her load in the story well enough, but the total neglect of the story and character potential of the half zombie girl in the last half was criminal and seriously damaged the finished movie.

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It's the Journey

You know going in the ending, more or less, but it's the journey that matters. The writer, director, and actors execute perfectly delivering a moving experience following the lives of two teens who got dealt the short end of fate's stick. Lot's of tears, but inspirational, too.

The ratings here of Japanese movies/shows tend to be lower by about .3 or .4. Drawing Closer caught my attention for, as of this date, a rating of 8.9 which is remarkable. And it deserves that high rating.

A multi-episode TV show has much longer to create a connection with the viewer. It's also remarkable that this relatively short movie managed to develop a strong connection to these several characters.

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Two of Three Worth Watching

The Black Swindler (2006)

Kurosagi: The Movie (2008)

Kurosagi (2022)


This Kurosagi series is about a young man (Kurosaki) whose father got swindled or conned pushing him to kill his family and himself. The son survived and thereafter dedicated himself to revenge on all such swindlers. A straight forward vigilante themed story.

Con men who swindle the innocent financially are called white swindlers (Shirosagi). Con artists who swindle romantically for money are called red swindlers (Akasagi). Our main character only cons white (Shiro) and red (Aka) swindlers (Sagi) so we have a strong Robin Hood theme in order to ensure sympathy with the lead who is after all breaking the law.

All three were written by the same screenwriter and one of a few directors is common to all three.

The cast of both The Black Swindler (2006) and the Movie (2008) are the same. The 2022 version is a reboot with all new cast.

I first watched Kurosagi (2022). Generally Japanese productions can be problematic with exaggerated acting styles and seriously obnoxious background music. However, this 2022 version is very watchable and the music not too distracting.

The 2006 TV Show was at first off-putting due to the acting and background music but I was curious how it compares to the 2022 reboot. It’s very similar following main plot twists - mostly - but has several significant changes in subplots. The result is a nicely done resonation between the two. You’ll get more from watching both than either alone.

The screenwriter loves symbolism. Conning someone is called ‘eating’. A main support character, a mentor to Kurosaki in all three, is shown having difficulty at times eating some thing or other. He is of course the master swindler who is guiding Kurosaki after his survival as a young teen.

The Movie (2008) is a clumsy return to first series (2006) and is essentially a long single episode. It doesn’t work so well and is forgettable. It could be the persistent references to the assassination of Julius Caesar and his betrayal by Brutus (whose mother was Servilia Caesar’s love interest over decades so possibly Caesar was real father of Brutus) or the frequent exposition.

Two out of three are worth the time. The third is for curiosity.

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Two of Three Worth Watching

The Black Swindler (2006)

Kurosagi: The Movie (2008)

Kurosagi (2022)


This Kurosagi series is about a young man (Kurosaki) whose father got swindled or conned pushing him to kill his family and himself. The son survived and thereafter dedicated himself to revenge on all such swindlers. A straight forward vigilante themed story.

Con men who swindle the innocent financially are called white swindlers (Shirosagi). Con artists who swindle romantically for money are called red swindlers (Akasagi). Our main character only cons white (Shiro) and red (Aka) swindlers (Sagi) so we have a strong Robin Hood theme in order to ensure sympathy with the lead who is after all breaking the law.

All three were written by the same screenwriter and one of a few directors is common to all three.

The cast of both The Black Swindler (2006) and the Movie (2008) are the same. The 2022 version is a reboot with all new cast.

I first watched Kurosagi (2022). Generally Japanese productions can be problematic with exaggerated acting styles and seriously obnoxious background music. However, this 2022 version is very watchable and the music not too distracting.

The 2006 TV Show was at first off-putting due to the acting and background music but I was curious how it compares to the 2022 reboot. It’s very similar following main plot twists - mostly - but has several significant changes in subplots. The result is a nicely done resonation between the two. You’ll get more from watching both than either alone.

The screenwriter loves symbolism. Conning someone is called ‘eating’. A main support character, a mentor to Kurosaki in all three, is shown having difficulty at times eating some thing or other. He is of course the master swindler who is guiding Kurosaki after his survival as a young teen.

The Movie (2008) is a clumsy return to first series (2006) and is essentially a long single episode. It doesn’t work so well and is forgettable. It could be the persistent references to the assassination of Julius Caesar and his betrayal by Brutus (whose mother was Servilia Caesar’s love interest over decades so possibly Caesar was real father of Brutus) or the frequent exposition.

Two out of three are worth the time. The third is for curiosity.

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Two of Three Worth Watching

The Black Swindler (2006)

Kurosagi: The Movie (2008)

Kurosagi (2022)


This Kurosagi series is about a young man (Kurosaki) whose father got swindled or conned pushing him to kill his family and himself. The son survived and thereafter dedicated himself to revenge on all such swindlers. A straight forward vigilante themed story.

Con men who swindle the innocent financially are called white swindlers (Shirosagi). Con artists who swindle romantically for money are called red swindlers (Akasagi). Our main character only cons white (Shiro) and red (Aka) swindlers (Sagi) so we have a strong Robin Hood theme in order to ensure sympathy with the lead who is after all breaking the law.

All three were written by the same screenwriter and one of a few directors is common to all three.

The cast of both The Black Swindler (2006) and the Movie (2008) are the same. The 2022 version is a reboot with all new cast.

I first watched Kurosagi (2022). Generally Japanese productions can be problematic with exaggerated acting styles and seriously obnoxious background music. However, this 2022 version is very watchable and the music not too distracting.

The 2006 TV Show was at first off-putting due to the acting and background music but I was curious how it compares to the 2022 reboot. It’s very similar following main plot twists - mostly - but has several significant changes in subplots. The result is a nicely done resonation between the two. You’ll get more from watching both than either alone.

The screenwriter loves symbolism. Conning someone is called ‘eating’. A main support character, a mentor to Kurosaki in all three, is shown having difficulty at times eating some thing or other. He is of course the master swindler who is guiding Kurosaki after his survival as a young teen.

The Movie (2008) is a clumsy return to first series (2006) and is essentially a long single episode. It doesn’t work so well and is forgettable. It could be the persistent references to the assassination of Julius Caesar and his betrayal by Brutus (whose mother was Servilia Caesar’s love interest over decades so possibly Caesar was real father of Brutus) or the frequent exposition.

Two out of three are worth the time. The third is for curiosity.

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Better Than the Rating, Delightfully Surprised

This is a story about an evil bastard who destroys the lives of thousands of people, and how some of those wrecked people organize to bring him down. In the process of getting some payback these people heal each other and themselves. The story emphasizes steep character growth for the many broken individuals involved in the revenge scheme.

The plot can be complicated but no overly so. Much of the uneven early presentation may have to do with this being a first script for the author.

I found the first seven episodes OK and good enough to hold my attention. It was the seventh and eighth episodes that I felt really hooked, and then it got better from there as the payoffs in plot development and character growth show up.

Usually the website ratings on shows are a good guide, but not always. Sometimes a particular drama appeals to a niche leaving others cold or indifferent resulting in a lower than deserved score (or the process can work in reverse). It's worth checking if you're in the niche for this one or not.

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Rewatch Comments

I thoroughly enjoyed this the second time around. The series as completed is excellent and not likely to disappoint.

However, this second time around an alternative version of the female lead occurred to me. I don't mean any of this to be taken as criticism and I believe the show deserves my high rating and the overall high average rating.

The lead character, Jang Man Wol played by IU, has a steep development curve as is, but given that she was a murderous, thieving, impulsive, and thoroughly sybaritic immortal being the on screen character we saw was censured leaving out certain pleasures that an immortal would not likely overlook. And, given her penchant often shown in backstory for killing people who crossed her, the young appearing lady we meet in the present day seems mild. The writers have the supporting ghosts talk about how mean she is and how foolish the young male lead is to confront her, but she seems almost meek at times. An immortal being such as Man Wol would likely not have hesitated to enjoy carnal pleasures to just as great an excess as she seemed to collect jewelry and other expensive trinkets. If in the early episodes the young male lead had confronted a more dangerous physically and more aggressive in the bedroom female lead then that much steeper character growth would have been more satisfying.

It's also true of other dramas such as The Goblin and My Roommate Is a Gumiho in which the leads live hundreds of years and remain seemingly celibate.

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Quirky

This is not for everyone, obviously. You'll know by the end of that first episode if you'll like the main story.

Once into second episode I was gripped by the tension and story as it played out.

The problem for me was after the main story fed into the final resolution things fell a bit short of satisfying, and left much to be explained. That ending or final resolution doesn't really fit what comes before. The meat of the series is a good supernatural mystery/detective show, but the ending feels like something from a different supernatural horror movie.

I don't feel cheated and am glad I watched those first 5.5 episodes.

So, if you decide to watch be forewarned.

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Creative Borrowing

Within the story it alludes to some search for immortality by a long dead ruler as an inspiration. However, as the story unfolds a connection to another theme comes through as it becomes clear to us and the characters that there is no safe refuge, no home, and that the mobs will hunt Seobok down to exploit him no matter the cost.

When the mobs close in and then are defeated the realization takes hold that there is nowhere to flee to and we arrive at another inevitable ending. The story and ending strongly evoked the same emotions and tragic ending of the novel "Of Mice and Men". I hope that doesn't give away too much, but it's that tragic collision at the end that makes the ending work so well and for the same reasons.

The same but different, and a well told story deserving in its own right.

Highly recommend.

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