Anti hero action drama for an entertaining ride

Likes: The dark anti-hero theme, the growth of the female lead, the fun fight scenes, the distinct characters, the pace of the storytelling (for the most part)

Dislikes: The weird fade to black transitions in editing, the repeat of scenes we've already seen, MinHye's slowness with her action scenes

I think it's fitting that this aired on Disney+, as this reminds me of all the young adult fantasy books that I read where the female protagonist goes through a series of hardships when she was young that prepares her into becoming a kick ass force to be reckoned with as she approaches adulthood. I loved those kinds of stories and I really enjoyed this one too. While Jian is not Katniss or Rose Hathaway, I do see that similar thread of growth and sacrifice that is often reflected in young adult novels and it makes me really excited to see what will happen in the next season (which I assume there will be as the ending made it seem so). Hye Joon did an amazing job playing Jian.

The whole mercenary killer theme was cool and I liked all the high tech gadgets and gunfight scenes. Were some of the characters cliche? Yes, but it didn't really bother me that much because for some reason, the whole story, look, and theme felt refreshing to me. I think it's because these types of stories usually only get depicted with American actors so to see this kind of story with this kind of high quality and with Asian actors made this all the more enjoyable for me.

Lee Dong Wook was great as Jian's uncle and teacher. Jo Han Sun also did a good job playing the psychopath (His eyes creeped the F out of me and that usually never happens). I thought everyone played their role well. I was however a bit disappointed with the character of MinHye and this is no reflection on the actress. While I loved that they showcased a female character as an ultimate threat, I'm afraid the execution didn't follow through. The way the scenes were shot made her physical fight scenes look very slow and a bit weak which makes her character a bit unbelievable as a "high threat" as claimed. This is more a fault with the direction and camera work imo. But this is a minor complaint as I did enjoy most of the series and I think anyone who likes YA female lead stories and action might enjoy this drama as well.

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A mindless entertaining popcorn action movie

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this dystopian tale is as predictable and bland as it comes, but the action is entertaining and serves it's purpose of being a popcorn movie to pass the time. Ma Dong Seok is again typecasted into the heavy fisted fighter role and savior that he always plays. Lee Hee Joon plays the mad scientist. Ahn Ji Hye plays the rogue special forces soldier who teams up with Ma Dong Seok. I think you can pretty much predict how the story will unfold from there.

None of the characters have depth and you don't really get much explanation for the plot. This is a simple movie to just show action scenes which for the most part was entertaining. Ma Dong Seok's role was a bit cliche (his one punch wonder schtick is a bit corny & old, but if you're new to his roles then it'll probably be fine). I do admit I laughed a lot at his comedic one liners. The whole crazy dragon lady scenes were funny as well.

Ahn Ji Hye is the one that stood out to me. I specifically remembered her from the movie Slate where she impressed me with all her action scenes and the fact she did it all herself with no stunt double. She continues to impress here although I'm not sure if she did all the stunt work again, but it sure looked believable. I like when women can kick some ass so I may be a little bias here. I think if she and Lee Si Young did an action movie together, I'd probably die from excitement.

If you like popcorn action movies and don't mind a shallow plot, then I would suggest giving this movie a try. You probably won't remember it in a week, but I thought it was a good enough escape for an hr or so.

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Better than Season 1!

Likes:
1) They really upped the ante for the CGI. It was a little fake for me in S1, but now it's high quality and believable. Easy now to get immersed into the world of monsters and humans.

2) Faster pace: S2 was edited well and I never got bored unlike S1

3) The addition of all the military scenes: I don't know if it's because I'm such a fan of the IRON SQUAD, but I really liked all the military scenes esp since some of my fav UDT guys from Iron Squad played minor roles. It added more action and intensity imo plus all the soldiers had such manly charisma that I admit I'm guilty of sometimes focusing more on their broad shoulders and sexy arms as opposed to the story ( 미안해 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) .

4) Better acting: Every single character was believable. Go Min Si did really well with reflecting her toughness and longing pain for her brother. Jin Young did a great job showing the duality of toughness and tenderness with his character. Oh Jung Se nailed his role as the weird crazy scientist. Choi Go was impressive for someone so young being able to reflect devastation and bitterness so well. Lee Si Young 's agony looked so real. The military guys all delivered.

5) Jin Young's bulked up body. Those shoulders! Don't pretend you didn't notice!

6) A whole lotta naked butts

7) The world building: S1 felt a bit stagnant at times being in one apt building, but here we get to see more of the outside world. Glimpses of the monsters and nature. The movement helps the flow of the story imo

MINOR DISLIKES:

1) Too little screen time for Song Kang. I wanted to see more of his character as he was so central in S1. This season focused more on the other characters which I didn't mind as Min Si, Jin Young , and the military guys were fun to watch, but I wished there was a bit more time focused on the character of Hyun Soo.

2) Too little screen time for Lee Si Young. I just love her. I mean who can forget that back scene in S1 when she lifted herself up in the vent. She's the only actress that can literally fight and go head to head with guys. So I was kind of disappointed that she didn't have a bigger part in S2, esp in regards to action. She does have a memorable ending scene, but it wasn't enough for me. I wanted to see more!

3) I have to say that not a lot of answers were given and everything is still unresolved. You get a lot of new characters, but don't really understand their deal yet. Even so, I got hooked on the whole mysteriousness of it all. I'm assuming S3 will explain a lot of things so I can't wait!

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Superpowers, violence, and a star studded cast

A Korean superheroes drama? YES, PLEASE! The production value was awesome. You can tell a lot went into making the superpowers look believable. The regeneration, gunfights, action sequences and bloody gore were all high quality. The only disappointing aspect were the flying scenes. I think they may have ran out of money for that as it was very apparent that they were hanging on something as you can even see where the wire or hooks went into their clothes. As a viewer, that kind of sucked because I found it very distracting and awkward.

As for the acting, I really liked how there were a lot of high caliber stars in this drama. I mean, who wouldn't want to be part of a Disney superhero drama? Not many opportunities like this come to Korea so it's great to see a lot of great actors taking part. Even the young rookie cast was good. The only one who I did not care for is YDG. I know he only has a minor role, but I really don't understand how he keeps getting roles. He constantly overacts. I thought his acting was so bad in The Forbidden Marriage that I'm so surprised he was able to get cast in this drama.

Now for the pacing, I thought each episode was good, but the overall series was lacking as a whole story wise. Too much of the series was spent on the backstories and flashbacks of each main character that basically only the last 2 or 3 eps were dedicated to the present story. Don't get me wrong...I did enjoy each backstory, but it was building up momentum for the present story except the climax didn't really deliver sense wise. It felt a bit pointless on the villain side. For example, (SPOLIER AHEAD: Why go through all this fighting only to give up so easily at the end? The whole self sacrificing bit seemed out of place because it was rushed in without any build up to make sense of the change of heart).

However, seeing that they left a clip after the credits to allude to a season 2, it would then make more sense that S1 was just part 1 - the set up. If I look at it that way, then the ending is less disappointing. But if they don't have a S2, then I'd have to say the ending felt incomplete because there were so many things left unexplained and some things not quite adding up.

But all in all, I found this drama entertaining and was quite delighted that Disney greenlighted an Asian superhero drama that did not offend me with concepts of Asian stereotypes that we often see in Hollywood movies. It's been a slow journey to get to this point, but I'm glad things are starting to turn around. I hope we get to see more!

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Gruesome, confusing, and funny

I hadn't heard much about this short gory series, but I'm glad I checked this out. It was entertaining to say the least. Gruesome, but funny too.

Likes:
1) The Acting. Jin Seon Kyu was soo believable and good as the seedy cop. He was able to be despicable, but yet you don't hate him for it. He also was able to deliver the comedy so subtly that I kept having a delayed reaction in laughing, but once it hit me, I thought it was so funny. Jeon Jong Seo was also fantastic as usual. She just has this edgy provocative side that you don't see much of in Korea. I always believe she's her character.
2) The story was a refreshing change from predictability. I didn't know where the story would go so I enjoyed the journey even if it was confusing, though I blame that more on the bad subs.
3) The Bidder #5 storyline with Jin Seon Kyu's character. This is what made me laugh
4) It's short. At only 6 episodes, it's an easy binge watch which I appreciate

Dislikes:
1) Confusing - again some of this is contributed to bad subs, but there's no real explanation for a lot of things so you're left wondering what happened
2) The character development - I was kind of confused why everyone turned crazy. I would have liked some more backstory into some of the characters
3) Sometimes it felt a tad repetitive

Overall, I would recommend this series to people who don't mind dark comedy, violence or gore.

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Half comedy, Half parody, with some romance mixed in

If you like parodies, you should try this little gem of a series. While not a full on parody, it comes close as it exaggerates and makes fun of common kdrama tropes and cultural references in a ridiculous fun silly way. The comic timing was great and I laughed every episode with the exception of episode 1 which was super boring.

I loved the entire cast, the script, the editing, the sound effects...it all came together for a great office comedy without being too over the top. Some of the humor was obvious or low brow, but some of it was very clever too. I wonder though if non kdrama viewers would find this funny, as a lot of the jokes referenced things that only kdrama viewers would understand with a wink and a chuckle.

Highly recommend if you are a fan of silly comedies or parodies!

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Fun Action Comedy!

Equally entertaining as the first one, this fun action comedy did not disappoint! Hyun Bin delivered on the action scenes and Yoo Hae Jin stole the show with his comedic timing. I absolutely loved the dynamic of Hae Jin's family, specifically with Yoona. I kept bursting out laughing at their reactions to Yoona's flirting tactics. I'm not a fan of Daniel Henney's acting, but his character did add to the comedy and gave an excuse to show Hyun Bin's cute jealousy.. Jin Seon Kyu did a great job as the villain too. I'm always amazed at how these soft spoken kind actors transform themselves into such great villains.

On the story side, I will say it was weaker than the 1st movie and you'll have to overlook some of the flaws in logic, but honestly I didn't care too much because the action and comedy were strong. This was such a breeze to watch. And if you are a fan of Hyun Bin or Yoo Hae Jin like I am, then this will not disappoint.

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A service to the fans!

Seeing so many of the kdrama actors and actresses that I like gather together to have fun on an MT is a dream come true! It's unprecedent to have different kdrama casts all together on one variety show at the same time. It was so much fun watching them interact and getting to know each other or seeing the existing bonds already in place. Watching them have fun and laugh and joke around was so nice to see. I loved seeing everyone's personalities come out and discovering new charming sides that I didn't know before.

Like Hwang In Youp. I had no idea that he was a timid worrywart that is perfect for variety shows. So funny and cute and utterly charming! He needs to go on more variety shows! And Ryu Kyung Soo - I can see now why he's a popular guy behind the scenes. There's something comfortable and disarming about him. And Kwak Dong Yeon - didn't know he was so witty! And Park Seo Joon - I always knew he had a leadership quality, but I didn't know he was THAT fearless! I suspected, but didn't know to that extent. I mean, he didn't even flinch at a loud noise. And Ji Chang Wook - I knew he was a scaredy cat, so it was surprising to see he wasn't that scared of the haunted house (bugs are a whole other matter. lol). Btw, I absolutely loved the haunted house segment. I think that was the most hilarious part of this show as it was also the most revealing in terms of personality. Seeing these new sides made me like them even more so it was great that this show could showcase that.

I've personally watched all the kdramas so I was already familiar with the casts, so I think that does make it more fun to watch, but I still think even if you are unfamiliar with the casts, it would still be an entertaining watch. For me it's definitely rewatchable and personally made me so happy as a fan. I really really hope they have more seasons with different casts and then have a reunion with this cast in the future.

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Sisterhood caught up in a conspiracy

Likes:
1) Kim Go Eun and Nam Ji Hyun being in the same drama - When I heard that 2 of my favorite actresses were going to star in the same kdrama, I was elated with excitement because that rarely ever happens. I absolutely loved watching the sisterhood or womance between them and their natural acting continues to shine in my eyes.
2) Wi Ha Joon - this guy is so hot! Not only is he great at acting, but he's also so versatile and he's good at action. I thought he perfectly portrayed his character. You never knew which side he was on. I look forward to seeing him showcase more of his abilities in the future (Maybe a bigger role in Squid games 2?)
3) The interactions between In Joo and Choi Do Il. Although the romance is light as this is a conspiracy mystery, I was completely hooked on the question of will they or won't they.
4) All the twists. I really enjoyed not knowing where the story would end up...that is until I found out who the villain was which brings me to:

Dislikes:
1) Once the Villain is revealed in the latter half, the story becomes a bit too over the top. You will def have to suspend your belief and overlook some ridiculous loopholes at the very end.
2) Having the title Little Women, you would expect more similarities to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, but I didn't find that to be the case, but it has been awhile since I've read that book.
3) The character development could have been better. There were a handful of times where the character was doing something that seemed "out of" character. We weren't shown enough to understand why they were acting a certain way.

But overall, I enjoyed 75% of this drama. I liked all the twists and cliffhangers leading up to the villain reveal, but especially loved seeing 3 of my fav people in a drama together.

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Weird, but funny and fast paced

This movie is really different. It's an alien apocalypse meets old school wire martial arts film meets magic and mages with some comedy and action thrown in.

Likes: It's creative and fresh. The off kilter comedy works. I didn't know Ryu Jun Yeol could be so funny. The stellar cast. The action and acting was good. It's fast paced so you don't notice how long the movie is.

Dislikes: The movie is just plain weird, but in a stylish sort of way. But it was so out there that I actually thought I would drop this a few times. It was the bits of comedy that reeled me back in. The mashup of genres took some getting used to. The CGI could have been better. All the separate subplots that set up the story took too long and was confusing at first. Once the story started connecting the dots though, it got way better and interesting.

I would say that this movie is basically setting up everything for the 2nd movie. So just when it starts to get good, it ends with a cliffhanger for part 2 which I will watch because I want to know what happens. Very curious to see people's reactions to this movie. It's one of those movies that I think people will either love or hate.

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Fun like Fast & the Furious!

If you are looking to get your fill on some thrilling car chase scenes, I would suggest giving this entertaining movie a try! Sure, a lot of these maneuvers you've probably seen before, but it's still a lot of fun. The story is not going to win any awards in originality, but the action more than makes up for it. At first, I didn't quite believe Park So Dam as her character as I found her nonchalant expression a bit too exaggerated, but as time went on, it started to get better and I started to believe her and her ass kicking. The kid also did a great job with acting esp for someone so young. I'd def recommend this to those of you who feel like watching a fun popcorn movie!

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Sweet, light, breezy watch

I really fell for this little gem of a drama. It's light, simple, and so sweet. The ML Minho kind of reminds me of the ML in A Love So Beautiful (chinese version) where he quietly harbors feelings for the FL and struggles to keep them in check. It's that same slow steady quiet burn that had me wanting more. I just really loved watching the close bond of the best friend relationship between the leads and hoping like crazy it would turn into something more.

For his debut drama, I thought NCT's Jaehyun did a decent job as the ML. I can see he has potential as he made the ML sweet and thoughtful without being cringey. I can't say his acting wasn't entirely without fault, but that goes for the entire cast who scream rookie vibes with the exception of HyeSoo who was so obviously the more experienced of the bunch. But even with the rookie acting, it still worked with the fun collegiate atmosphere and the story flowed pretty well with the exception of the last 3 episodes., I don't know what happened there, but the tone was way off and awkward (like WTF was up with that cringey wedding dance?! Did anyone else suffer major 2nd hand embarrassment watching that disaster?). It almost felt like the last 3 eps were filmed in the beginning of the shoot before the cast became comfortable with each other. But all in all, I still really liked this and will probably watch this again just for that steady burn that I so love. For those of you who don't feel like watching anything too serious, this may be a good option for you.

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What a letdown!

The story sucked. The CG sucked. The casting sucked. The english was bad and poorly dubbed. The acting was just so-so.
I was a huge fan of the first movie and was waiting soooo long for the sequel, but it just doesn't live up to the first one at all. Not even close.
No one had any presence. In the 1st film, Kim Da Mi and Woo Shik shined and left an impression,, but here, everyone was so boring. That is probably mostly due to the fact that the story was too simple. To be honest, it doesn't even feel like there was a story. Also the action scenes felt so fake that it came off stupid. Sorely disappointed.

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Anyone who understands Life's struggles should watch this

My mom raved about this drama and normally we don't have the same tastes, but I think what makes this show so great is that every generation will be able to appreciate the messages. This show doesn't shy away from exposing the ugly truths of human nature, but it also shows the touching side as well. We follow the lives of a close knit community in Jeju as they navigate through the struggles of life and their own emotional baggage.

Likes: With a star studded cast, the acting from everyone felt very natural and heartfelt, but it was the less famous character actors such as Lee Jung Eun, Park Ji Hwan, and Choi Young Joon who really stood out in my eyes. They felt like the glue that made the community feel alive and real. What made this show stand out is that it was unapologetic about exposing the flaws of each character. It didn't try to glamorize or label a person as evil or nice. It just showed that no one is perfect and we do what we need to do in order to survive according to our experiences. This show knows how to poke those hidden truths, stir up emotions, and make us feel as if the character's emotions are our own. It was funny, sad, touching, and healing.

I have to mention one scene that made an impact on me. That emotional fight scene between Ji Hwan and his son.....I think anyone who has immigrant parents or parents who struggled to get by financially will be able to relate to the emotions in that scene. Ji Hwan's acting was amazing. He truly made it unforgettable in my mind due to his raw emotion.

Dislikes: Ok so I may have a little bias in this one since I'm not a huge fan of Lee Byung Hun so take it with a grain of salt, but I found his story line with Shin Mina really boring. This was the only storyline where I wanted to skip. I just couldn't connect and wasn't feelin the loveline. Also, I found having Woobin and Shin Mina in the same drama, but with different lovers distracting. It felt weird seeing LBH kiss SM, but then WB being all chummy with LBH in another scene. I know it's acting, but my mind would wander into that whole, dude that man just kissed your pregnant wife, etc...and I couldn't help notice the lack of a kiss in the WB loveline when I felt like there should have been. It's easier to forget someone has a real like significant other when they are not in the same drama, but having them in the same show was like a little reminder that kept distracting me from the story. But all in all, these are very small dislikes compared to the enjoyment overall.

Highly recommend checking this out if you like family dramas and are ready for some emotional ups and downs.

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Such a fun watch! Light and breezy

This sort of reminds me of Weightlifting Fairy in tone...light and easy to watch. It's a sports romcom that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's more about a story about forgiveness and falling in love than the journey and growth of becoming the best at badminton.

Likes: For sure, Park Ju Hyun and Chae Jong Hyeop as the leads. Both are entirely charming in their own way. I like that they are not super famous because I feel like you can see their characters more. Park Ju Hyun has a tomboyish athletic look which is not typical in female leads, but I like that. It's more relatable. Also, I can't pinpoint why I feel like this...but she comes off like she may have a bit of a smart ass side to her which immediately makes me like her. hahaha. She was perfect as Tae Yang.
Chae Jong Hyeop reminds me of a smiley cute Labrador. He has this "good guy" boy next door feel. He first caught my attention in Nevertheless and I'm glad to see him in a leading role. He didn't disappoint and I feel like more good roles will come his way after this.

The two of them have a fun chemistry, the sole reason why I enjoyed this drama so much. I enjoy teasing banter so the first half had me hooked. The second half did get a little more weighed down with oppression. The problem here is that it felt like they were really stretching for these obstacles. Also, I think they should have paid a little more attention to the growth and struggles of being in sports. It felt very downplayed which I wouldn't say I minded that much, but I think a little more personal growth would have fared better. As for the rest of the cast, they felt like caricatures at best. Sometimes funny, sometimes overkill.

Overall, the tone was pretty light imo, even when it got weighed down a little in the second half. It's because the show doesn't really delve down and explore the deeper emotions the characters have. It just barely touches the surface. Some may not like that, but it was fine for me as I just wanted to watch something easy breezy and the chemistry carried the show for me.

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