imo it seriously looks like he doesn't like kissing men... in that on part he didn't even kiss him back. and there's…
Sorry for the loong essay ahead.
I dont think he acted in anything with a female costar yet, so there is nothing to compare his kissing performance to, but I can agree on him looking uncomfortable while kissing on camera. But judging from the BTS I'd still argue he doesnt dislike kissing men or anyone while filming per se, to me he rather looks inexperienced, clumsy and tense out of nervousness. But this is also on the whole production crew (incl. the director like you said) bcs the vibe on the Sweetheart Service set was totally different. (Also, there is even snippets where his kissing has improved and is well-matched with Myeongcheol here though it's literally just seconds at a time and people don't watch that closely.)
Besides, like you said there's nothing homophobic in disliking kissing men, I only said that because I've read several comments now (here and for TOL) that sound like he's not simply "disliking" it but is "disgusted" and that insinuates sth else imo. Especially if you phrase it in a way that he is actually doing sth offensive by taking on this role when the only offense could be being actually homophobic.
I won't deny that they maybe should have hired another actor, but I wish people wouldn't make it sound like a crime that Hyeonseo agreed to play a role that might be challening to him and out of his comfort zone (I know he usually does theatre, so his usual roles will be quite different). How else should sb. improve? It's just a pity that there seems to be so little direction, re-takes and such bad editing which makes him look like the worst and this is turning from a learning experience into an opportunity for people to senselessly mock him.
Lastly, I admit I might have taken some of the comments too extremly but if you were here during TOL, you'll know how much all the actors got dragged bcs of things that are the sole fault of the shitty production team and I hate to see this happening all over again. Viewers can criticize his acting and his kissing skills. I won't say anything as long as they don't blame him for other's faults or insult him as a person.
I'm not trying to defend Hyeonseo's kissing skills here but I wish people would stop saying he obviously doesn't like kissing men, making it sound like he is some kind of homophob. If you've seen Sweetheart Service and the BTS, you'll know he actually can kiss pretty decently and is absolutely comfortable with kissing his co-star. I'm not saying his kissing skills are great, but he can do better. Idk what's wrong with him when it comes to Myeongcheol bcs in Tide of Love BTS (which I cannot link now, since they turned them into member-only content) he also looked very comfortable around him and I don't think their chemistry is the actual problem. It's either that he just cannot handle Myeongcheol's kissing style or that the direction is unclear/non-existent or that the editing sucks (or probably all three). Even in TOL BTS, there were parts of him kissing back and the kissing being well matched, that they just edited out bcs they considered it unfitting for his "submissive" role 🤷♀️ Anyways, while I usually only leave fun comments, I needed to get this of my chest.
Me watching the first 10 minutes: “Ohhhh…. This is Tide of Love bad.” Realization has me running to the…
Hii, happy you're back in the next-best comment section ever! I recognize my fellow Tide of Love warriors right away ( yes, we're all starving for more plants in this drama)😆 100% agree with you. 70% of my attention was occupied by those damn patches barely holding on. I didn't think I had OCD before watching this, but now I'm not sure aynmore🫠 Hahaha finally someone mentioning that dude unnecessarily taking off his watch and then he struggled to put it back on after the slap which made this even more hilarious 😂😂 OMG they spoiler you in the closing credits? o.O Thanks for the warning. Gladly I haven't watched those yet! I bet it's like their episode "teasers", never watch them or you'll have seen the most important part of the ep first 🤦♀️
i should have known. the second i saw tides of love Jung M Cheol in the casting list hot but a mess please…
I'm saddened that we lost another moth 😔🫠 while the rest of us continue to fly into the light, I can recommend you Myeongcheol's IG if you aren't following already. His handle is: @mcjdoo He is participating in a pageantry called "Mister International Korea" rn and dropped a reel for an underwear ad today... I'm not even exaggerating if I say I've seen more than I ever wanted to 🫣😂
Right, ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between, we have liftoff!Ermm... maybe I should've said that we've officially…
I was just eagerly waiting the first continuity mistakes and then he indeed appeared... the "bona fide illusionist" 🤣🤣 Thanks for the good laugh, as always!!
EP 1 Recap / Running commentary: - Intro going *DADADA*, me almost falling of my chair already 😂 If that was a reference to Dadaism and this drama was supposed to be an anti-conventional-drama-movement they might have actually nailed it bcs it doesn't do anything a drama is supposed to do 👏👏 - So special police training includes flying a passenger aircraft sized plane? Interesting side quests 🤔 - Why do the uniforms say police in the front and security on the back? And why are these tags holding on for dear life, ready to peel off at any second? Maybe they got some multi-purpose carnival costumes on ebay or sth… - I wanted to applaud them for not using outlandish dubbing that isn’t matching their mouth movements (hell yeah, bless our ears!), but their bgm choices are still questionable at the very least, if not horrible at worst. What was that music when Sehyun’s crawling over the floor? If you wanted to create suspense, you failed successfully, congrats!🙉 - I don’t know why Sehyun is holding up the other dude’s foot as if it’s the holy grail, but keeping you in the dark about the non-existing plot is Sick Media’s signature move so I’m not worried at all 🙂↔️ Let them cook!👏👏 - The entrance of the 2 police officers walking through the fog with the car headlights coming from the back looked like the iconic scene in Goblin, but this here is the Temu version. They have as much aura as a wet rag 🫠 - Police barging into a full club, without warrant and not disclosing what they’re searching for. One of them running around with a useless flashlight, while the other is randomly pointing his gun at people. Totally optional but why not? 🤷♀️ - Now they're not even trying to ease into the story anymore. They said let’s go straight to business and let them make out as if their life depends on it. "People like p*rn, they will like whatever the f this is." – Sick Media (in every meeting for another series) - Sehyun begging Sungho to save him just after putting that gun to his own head and then starting to kiss him without any explanation wasn't hilarious enough, so they let Sungho’s hesitation last unbelieveably long 2 seconds before he went to mechanically rub Sehyun’s outer thigh as if that actually does sth? Did he have sweaty hands or what?😀 - What was Sehyun's random slap about… it seems like SickMedia still hasn’t gotten the message that the "BDSM" they think they showed in "Tide of Love" had nothing to do with the real thing 🤐 - Hyeonseo’s kissing got a bit better but he still looks so tense, who would ever believe he willingly took this role. And grinding the air doesn’t make it less awkward either 😶 ((Tbh I’m actually baffled by this bcs I swear he was kissing fine in Sweetheart Service. Maybe it’s just that Myeongcheol’s kissing style doesn’t match his at all and he gets intimidated? Oh Lord, pls pair Myeongcheol with someone who can actually handle him the next time 😭)) - Not them talking during their kisses ((again)) 🙄 At this point I want to slap the editor, director... anyone involved 😒 - The handcuffs magically dis-/ and reappearing and Sehyun saying the same line twice. If this is not the work of the grand editor of Tide of Love, then I’ll eat my hat. (Anyone remembering the magically refilling water bottle? Or our beloved floating plant? 🫳🪴🤣) - Counter of them falling out of character and laughing: 5 ! (Btw turning away from the camera doesn’t make it unseen) At least, no one looks uncomfortable and they're enjoying themselves. That's a win I guess?🥴
Since you always should say something positive when you critique sth, let me recap: + no dubbing 👏👏 + even if I’m clutching at straws here: Hyeonseo improved kissing-wise, even if just the tiniest nano-bit 🤏 + the music is still weird and annoying at times, but at least it’s not hellish nightmare-level bad as in "Tide Of Love" + liked the flashbacks this time, not pointless, not inserted at confusing times, also a sweet role suits Myeongcheol surprisingly well 👍
"They aren't even trying" made me laugh way harder than it should have 🤣 But yup, it's true. They didn't even have the slightest intention to try and aren't embarrassed not hiding it 🤷♀️
I see you found our new EBS!🤣 This will be a glorious addiction to the list! Not exactly on par with 'Tide…
Oh, happy to see you here! But pls don't judge this EBS just yet! We've been spared from epically bad dubbing, but at least got handcuffs magically dis-/appearing in the first ep. It still can get worse, I have faith in SickMedia 😂
P.S. Even though probably not deliberate, "Glorious addiCtion to the list" is just the perfect description. I'm watching such good dramas right now, but why am I looking forward to the next ep of this chaotic downward spiral the most?
I'm sorry, but I'm laughing harder at some viewers being confused and disappointed than at the show itself 😂 as someone who endured through Tide of Love S1&S2, this is EXACTLY what I expected if not worse (but hey, they still have 9 eps, so we may have not seen the worst yet) 🤩 I think if you don't take this too seriously, you'll be in for a good ride. At least that's what I'm gonna do 🤣
Yes, but I'm not a 100% sure whether it'll be member-only content. According to their insta it'll be available on YT: Seek Media, iQiYi and Heavenly App, but no further info.
Not to mention the damage a depiction like this does to the bipolar community. It’s stigmatizing enough to have…
Absolutely agree 100%. If they already have to go down that route of using mental illness to make a violent character salvageable (and that's a big IF because that's not how it works), at least they shouldn't attach a specific label to that mental illness.
Despite this being a pretty well-made drama overall, it always annoys me when they go down the mental illness route. I'm okay with toxic plots and I can tolerate a HE when I didn't wish for it, but I'm not okay with throwing in mental illness to make the perpetrator into a pitiable victim and his actions seem excusable. And of course it's always bipolar disorder whether the symptoms fit or not. That's why people don't stop throwing the word "bipolar" around as soon as someone has moodswings.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The vampire and action scenes were great considering this is from 2015 (except the way Gwi ran in the first eps, that made me LOL ngl). As many older dramas, this is on the slower side, but it wasn't to the point that I got bored or wanted to skip ahead. There weren't any unnecessary side characters that were so annoying that I wanted to skip scenes either. The acting was great for the most part, I really enjoyed the scenes when Sung Yeol was going nuts and Gwi regretting his own actions. FL's character felt flat sometimes though (not necessarily the acress' fault). Especially the fact that she completely forgot about her family after falling in love when taking care of them was her one big thing in the beginning annoyed me. Ofc you can argue she "matured" and learned to prioritize the greater good, but she literally never even thinks about them once, which just makes her character seem one-dimensional. Also, the ending seemed somewhat lackluster. Overall, I'm happy with how it ended, just not about how they didn't actually explain anything. Also, the last scene could have been more emotional (it reminded me of 'The Great Doctor (2012)' ending scene, which happens to be filmed under the exact same tree and had the exact same problem :/)
Crossing all the fingers I have that SeekMedia doesn't f* up the editing again like they did with Tide of Love. And even if they do... pls for god's sake, pls no horrible dubbing again. But whatever, I'm seated. In the worst case, we'll get another hilarious comment section 😂🙏
I'm usually not into the body swap trope, but I gave this a try for DGZ and thoroughly enjoyed this. If you're…
What happened to the baby? Like they could have at least mentioned that in a half sentence... I also didn't like that we didn't really get a clue how Hu Na was informed about their plan and what was really happening in the palace.
I dont think he acted in anything with a female costar yet, so there is nothing to compare his kissing performance to, but I can agree on him looking uncomfortable while kissing on camera. But judging from the BTS I'd still argue he doesnt dislike kissing men or anyone while filming per se, to me he rather looks inexperienced, clumsy and tense out of nervousness. But this is also on the whole production crew (incl. the director like you said) bcs the vibe on the Sweetheart Service set was totally different. (Also, there is even snippets where his kissing has improved and is well-matched with Myeongcheol here though it's literally just seconds at a time and people don't watch that closely.)
Besides, like you said there's nothing homophobic in disliking kissing men, I only said that because I've read several comments now (here and for TOL) that sound like he's not simply "disliking" it but is "disgusted" and that insinuates sth else imo. Especially if you phrase it in a way that he is actually doing sth offensive by taking on this role when the only offense could be being actually homophobic.
I won't deny that they maybe should have hired another actor, but I wish people wouldn't make it sound like a crime that Hyeonseo agreed to play a role that might be challening to him and out of his comfort zone (I know he usually does theatre, so his usual roles will be quite different). How else should sb. improve? It's just a pity that there seems to be so little direction, re-takes and such bad editing which makes him look like the worst and this is turning from a learning experience into an opportunity for people to senselessly mock him.
Lastly, I admit I might have taken some of the comments too extremly but if you were here during TOL, you'll know how much all the actors got dragged bcs of things that are the sole fault of the shitty production team and I hate to see this happening all over again. Viewers can criticize his acting and his kissing skills. I won't say anything as long as they don't blame him for other's faults or insult him as a person.
1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT6P8GUy3UY
2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tTuXgAeDNs
If you've seen Sweetheart Service and the BTS, you'll know he actually can kiss pretty decently and is absolutely comfortable with kissing his co-star. I'm not saying his kissing skills are great, but he can do better.
Idk what's wrong with him when it comes to Myeongcheol bcs in Tide of Love BTS (which I cannot link now, since they turned them into member-only content) he also looked very comfortable around him and I don't think their chemistry is the actual problem.
It's either that he just cannot handle Myeongcheol's kissing style or that the direction is unclear/non-existent or that the editing sucks (or probably all three). Even in TOL BTS, there were parts of him kissing back and the kissing being well matched, that they just edited out bcs they considered it unfitting for his "submissive" role 🤷♀️
Anyways, while I usually only leave fun comments, I needed to get this of my chest.
100% agree with you. 70% of my attention was occupied by those damn patches barely holding on. I didn't think I had OCD before watching this, but now I'm not sure aynmore🫠
Hahaha finally someone mentioning that dude unnecessarily taking off his watch and then he struggled to put it back on after the slap which made this even more hilarious 😂😂
OMG they spoiler you in the closing credits? o.O Thanks for the warning. Gladly I haven't watched those yet! I bet it's like their episode "teasers", never watch them or you'll have seen the most important part of the ep first 🤦♀️
He is participating in a pageantry called "Mister International Korea" rn and dropped a reel for an underwear ad today... I'm not even exaggerating if I say I've seen more than I ever wanted to 🫣😂
- Intro going *DADADA*, me almost falling of my chair already 😂 If that was a reference to Dadaism and this drama was supposed to be an anti-conventional-drama-movement they might have actually nailed it bcs it doesn't do anything a drama is supposed to do 👏👏
- So special police training includes flying a passenger aircraft sized plane? Interesting side quests 🤔
- Why do the uniforms say police in the front and security on the back? And why are these tags holding on for dear life, ready to peel off at any second? Maybe they got some multi-purpose carnival costumes on ebay or sth…
- I wanted to applaud them for not using outlandish dubbing that isn’t matching their mouth movements (hell yeah, bless our ears!), but their bgm choices are still questionable at the very least, if not horrible at worst. What was that music when Sehyun’s crawling over the floor? If you wanted to create suspense, you failed successfully, congrats!🙉
- I don’t know why Sehyun is holding up the other dude’s foot as if it’s the holy grail, but keeping you in the dark about the non-existing plot is Sick Media’s signature move so I’m not worried at all 🙂↔️ Let them cook!👏👏
- The entrance of the 2 police officers walking through the fog with the car headlights coming from the back looked like the iconic scene in Goblin, but this here is the Temu version. They have as much aura as a wet rag 🫠
- Police barging into a full club, without warrant and not disclosing what they’re searching for. One of them running around with a useless flashlight, while the other is randomly pointing his gun at people. Totally optional but why not? 🤷♀️
- Now they're not even trying to ease into the story anymore. They said let’s go straight to business and let them make out as if their life depends on it.
"People like p*rn, they will like whatever the f this is." – Sick Media (in every meeting for another series)
- Sehyun begging Sungho to save him just after putting that gun to his own head and then starting to kiss him without any explanation wasn't hilarious enough, so they let Sungho’s hesitation last unbelieveably long 2 seconds before he went to mechanically rub Sehyun’s outer thigh as if that actually does sth? Did he have sweaty hands or what?😀
- What was Sehyun's random slap about… it seems like SickMedia still hasn’t gotten the message that the "BDSM" they think they showed in "Tide of Love" had nothing to do with the real thing 🤐
- Hyeonseo’s kissing got a bit better but he still looks so tense, who would ever believe he willingly took this role. And grinding the air doesn’t make it less awkward either 😶
((Tbh I’m actually baffled by this bcs I swear he was kissing fine in Sweetheart Service. Maybe it’s just that Myeongcheol’s kissing style doesn’t match his at all and he gets intimidated? Oh Lord, pls pair Myeongcheol with someone who can actually handle him the next time 😭))
- Not them talking during their kisses ((again)) 🙄 At this point I want to slap the editor, director... anyone involved 😒
- The handcuffs magically dis-/ and reappearing and Sehyun saying the same line twice. If this is not the work of the grand editor of Tide of Love, then I’ll eat my hat. (Anyone remembering the magically refilling water bottle? Or our beloved floating plant? 🫳🪴🤣)
- Counter of them falling out of character and laughing: 5 ! (Btw turning away from the camera doesn’t make it unseen) At least, no one looks uncomfortable and they're enjoying themselves. That's a win I guess?🥴
Since you always should say something positive when you critique sth, let me recap:
+ no dubbing 👏👏
+ even if I’m clutching at straws here: Hyeonseo improved kissing-wise, even if just the tiniest nano-bit 🤏
+ the music is still weird and annoying at times, but at least it’s not hellish nightmare-level bad as in "Tide Of Love"
+ liked the flashbacks this time, not pointless, not inserted at confusing times, also a sweet role suits Myeongcheol surprisingly well 👍
P.S. Even though probably not deliberate, "Glorious addiCtion to the list" is just the perfect description. I'm watching such good dramas right now, but why am I looking forward to the next ep of this chaotic downward spiral the most?
I think if you don't take this too seriously, you'll be in for a good ride. At least that's what I'm gonna do 🤣
2) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EHoEDODaOns
3) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/In2Nf43ngaE
4) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B4GRlv5lpz4
https://www.youtube.com/@seekmediagroup/shorts
The acting was great for the most part, I really enjoyed the scenes when Sung Yeol was going nuts and Gwi regretting his own actions. FL's character felt flat sometimes though (not necessarily the acress' fault). Especially the fact that she completely forgot about her family after falling in love when taking care of them was her one big thing in the beginning annoyed me. Ofc you can argue she "matured" and learned to prioritize the greater good, but she literally never even thinks about them once, which just makes her character seem one-dimensional.
Also, the ending seemed somewhat lackluster. Overall, I'm happy with how it ended, just not about how they didn't actually explain anything. Also, the last scene could have been more emotional (it reminded me of 'The Great Doctor (2012)' ending scene, which happens to be filmed under the exact same tree and had the exact same problem :/)
I also didn't like that we didn't really get a clue how Hu Na was informed about their plan and what was really happening in the palace.