The greatest mystery - who is Santa?

Are you done with watching incompetent cops trying to solve a mystery and catch the criminal? Do you find it funny, when shows try to hide who the killer is, even though it’s more than obvious to the audience? Did you have enough of female characters being there just to support the male leads? If yes, this show is for you.

There are no cops to be seen, so you don’t have to deal with their incompetence. We know who the killer is since day one and the whole plot centers around the amazing cast of female characters. Want a hero? Want a complex gray character? Want a chaotic villain? You will get it all here.

Inspector Koo is a whacky, bizarre and surreal crime comedy that presents an exciting cat and mouse chase, with a lot of traps hidden for all the characters. The show introduces a number of plot lines that, by the end, get fitting conclusions.

We follow three different sets of characters, having their own motivations, goals and ways of dealing with piling up issues - Kyung Yi and her team, K, and Chief Yong Sook. Each of them trying to be on top and outsmart the others.

Inspector Koo presents a refreshing take on the heroine trope. Koo Kyung Yi is not exactly the type of person you would admire and try to look up to. Struggling with basic daily activities, she gets absorbed into the investigation, getting close to an obsession.

Luckily, she has on her side Na Je Hee, who is able to keep the team operating, Oh Kyung Soo being the voice of a real reason and Santa, the innocent helper who cares for Inspector Koo deeply, while hiding his true identity. Who is Santa? That’s the mystery of the show.

On the other hand, we have Song Yi Kyung, who is the “righteous” serial killer hidden under the name “K”. With her wits and daring behavior, she was able to commit murders undetected. Her reasoning and personal moral code make her an interesting character to observe.

The third party involved in the plot is Chief Yong Sook and her subordinates, who team up with Koo Kyung Yi in attempts to catch “K”, serving a role of a behind the scenes power, while hiding their own motives.

The three groups present amazing dynamics and never ending scheming that kept me as a viewer at the edge of my seat. Not only that, the drama presents viewers with conflicting emotions - you know you should not be rooting for the killer, but somehow… it’s hard to be completely against their actions.

Inspector Koo is a perfect blend of crime, investigation and dark comedy. It never takes itself too seriously by trying to have a depth of the Mariana Trench, when it’s more of a puddle. It’s not here for you to break your brain trying to understand convoluted plot lines and morally gray dilemmas and issues. It gives you thrills, fun, action and an entertaining set of characters that work together in the most amusing way.

On several occasions we can witness the clever writing, when jokes or solutions are set up in the previous episodes. Some seemingly off topic and insignificant comments made by the characters are used to set a playoff in the scenes later on.

The production team committed to the bizarre characterization of the drama, elevating it by unusual, at times over the top editing and gaming elements - making the whole plot seem less realistic and surreal. Adding the perfection that the soundtrack for this show is - we’ve got ourselves quite a cinematic treat.

Overall, one of the biggest surprises of 2021. Fitting and funny comedy, amazing thrills, likable characters, unusual mystery and romance found in surprising places, scheming and wits that take you on the peculiar journey.

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At a Distance, Spring Is Green is not bad show. It’s not exactly groundbreaking, but it could serve as a rather entertaining watch if you don’t try to pay too much attention to plotlines, or are willing to imagine half of the story that is never told to fill the gaps. Some characters’ journeys were well written, some barely existed… which leads me to one conclusion: there wasn’t a balance in the quality of writing.

Yeo Joon is for sure the star of the show, the most interesting and well portrayed character. They did a good job with his introduction and character development. It was gradual and realistic. We witnessed him try to fight his demons alone, still learning how to open to others, even as the drama got closer to the end. Park Ji Hoon did an amazing job acting - some scenes giving me real goosebumps.

That said, it was disappointing to see just a little of the screen time used to explore his relationship with the family, seeing how it defined who he was and how he acted for the majority of his life... so for it to not have more importance in the healing aspect was a bit... weird?

Soo Hyun might be the main character, but he did not get enough screen time as one. With that, his character development is nowhere near as well written as Yeo Joon's. It was not as organic and natural. He was one of my favorite characters, so I was a bit sad with the fact there wasn’t more focus placed on him.

And then there is the issue of Soo Hyun being straight in the show, when he is gay in the webtoon - truly hate it. It’s infuriating. They could have not given him any love line and use that time to develop his character more. Some people can ignore that, but some people would not pick up a show that is straightwashing characters, so do with this information what you want.

Last but not least from the three heroes of the show: Kim So Bin, who technically could have worked as a main character, if she would be well written and incorporated into the story. She got a good character introduction, they set up some nice conflicts - both internal and external… but then did nothing with them. Her existence revolves around Yeo Joon - she is there for him to like, to make him want to change, to save her…

She had enough screen time for an amazing development, it was just not given to her. Even almost at the end of the show... she is there to be saved by Yeo Joon after making stupid decisions and not being able to say no... by now she should have been more than that.

Young Ran and Mi Joo showed a realistic portrayal of "love rivalry" between friends. As much as I dislike the love triangle and how unnecessary it was, I still appreciate it gave us a good representation of female friendship.
That said, as individual characters... I find it sad most of their arc is focused on unrequited love as if they don't have anything else going on in their lives. Especially with Mi Joo… girl needs a hobby or something.

For a show that is suppose to focus on healing, realistic portrayal of college life and growth… The lack of consequences characters faced is staggering. How they resolved some of the conflicts involving the seniors was simply unrealistic. Sorry, but you cannot make a character that unlikeable and then for no reason say “well… maybe they are not that bad after all” - yes, yes they are unless you give me character development which would make me believe they are not trash.

Honestly speaking, I went into the drama without reading the webtoon, ans started reading it only half way through the show. Was hoping for friendship, and romance as side plot. Sadly, the romance was the center of the directing, getting the most screen time out of all plot lines. By the end, they started to pair everyone up, was it really necesary?

If you want to watch it only for bromance after reading the synopsis, don’t bother - just check fanmade videos on youtube. Otherwise, there will a lot of skipping scenes ahead of you.

Overall: I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy even a second of At a Distance, Spring Is Green. Some aspects were great, but some were annoyingly bad. It’s a good drama for a younger audience, far less tragic and serious than the first two episodes present. As long as you don't expect a masterpiece, and are willing to forgive some underdeveloped and forgotten plot lines, you will enjoy it. The production value is obviously high, and they use the university setting well. Not to mention great summer vibes OST.

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It took quite a few detours for them to reach the destination.

Flight to You is a drama that somehow manages to be both amazingly realistic and painfully ridiculous at the same time. How? The characters represent the realistic part, while the plot, especially in the last 8-10 episodes gets a little bit too close to a mental circus you just have to accept and not question the logic behind.

The best aspect of the drama is how the characters have real flaws which have real consequences. Cheng Xiao might be smart, driven and friendly, but she is also impulsive and overconfident which affected her career quite a few times. Gu Nan Ting might be patient, fair and hardworking, but he is also closed off and too strict. Similar descriptions can be written by other characters, even the “bad guys” - no one is just good and pure, or evil and flawed.

Speaking of which - I loved Jiang Tao (or loved to hate him would be more fitting). What a well written antagonist. He was just a normal man that was painfully sexist and too power driven - something we see in real life more often than we should. At some point I even started to feel bad for him - his old fashioned and full of prejudiced worldview was simply limiting - both for him and for the company he cared so much about.

I also appreciated how the supporting characters felt both familiar, as many followed well established tropes, and fresh, by adding small twists to their characterization. The whole show is truly driven by how likable and relatable these characters are.

Onto the plot. Romance was so slow at times it felt like we were walking backwards. It was all in the hands guys, all the romance, love, frustration, pinning, doubt. Pay attention to the hands (not like you can miss it with all the close ups…). Truth to be told, I was completely fine with this snail pace. I appreciated and enjoyed the relationship between Gu Nan Ting and Cheng Xiao not only for the sparks, but also the partnership and friendship they built. How much they influenced each other and grew to be better pilots and better people because of it.

As for the airport related plots - you gotta close one eye and ignore some illogical aspects of it. Closer to the end you might need to close two, since the show just gives up the realism as it struggles to keep up with the plots and give them all a proper closure. That said, by then I was so in love with the characters, I was not even frustrated, but rather amused by some of the developments.

The performances were strong. Wang Kai can deliver any role and make it believable. He makes any character seem like a real life person. Tan Song Yun also aced her portrayal of Cheng Xiao - she was literally THE center of the whole drama and she carried the show on her back with no issue. Each and every supporting cast member did a fantastic job and I honestly have no complaints.

The production value was on the high end of the drama/slice of life workplace c-dramas. Something I want to compliment the show on were the transition scenes - the sped up shots of the sceneries showcasing different times of the days were beautiful.

Overall, a great show that focuses on self-improvement, fairness or lack of it in the workplace, taking on responsibilities and dealing with the aftermath and consequences of both the achievements and failures. It tackles the issues of mental health (at times in a questionable manner) and sexism and how hard it is to fight against it in a workplace. It’s easy to binge watch and surprisingly engaging.

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This had no business being this long.

Taking into consideration the unexpected, but extremely anticlimactic ending that made me regret ever starting this show, I’d say this should have never had more than 20 episodes.

Sometimes I’m fine with just the journey being the trip of a lifetime while watching dramas, even if the destination turns out to be a dumpster. Sadly, at some point the cases started to be boring. Visually speaking - beautiful. The innovative (yet extremely ridiculous) concept of psych gave the writer and director a free from jail pass to show the most wacky set designs and over the top representations of reality. But the plot itself? Ain’t special.

They set up this mysterious mastermind behind all the deaths in the city, told me he has some elaborate plan, and when we finally find out who he is and why he did what he did… I truly never saw a dumber plan ever. It made no sense. Did he want to fail? I just don’t understand why a good 80% of the plot happened - it was completely useless.

On the topic of useless - female lead. Why did she exist, except from getting in danger so Jiang Shuo can worry a little bit. The plot would not change even a little bit without her. And it’s not like she was awful - quite fun, loveable, energetic, enthusiastic. Does not change the fact she was there just for the sake of the romance, that was not needed anyway. What made me even more angry? She was shown to have some mad fighting scenes that she stopped using after a few episodes and literally any random person could overpower her.

The actual main duo Jiang Shuo and Qin Yi Heng were fun to watch, though I feel like most of the on screen chemistry happened on Liu Dong Qin's side. One could easily fool me, it's a censored romance type of a deal.

As I already said, visually speaking the show was amazing. I took almost 500 screen shots, I think that says it all. Especially liked a few horror elements in the earlier episodes. If only they improved the wire work and green screen - these, as basically a standard in Chinese dramas, were laughable.

The performances were solid. I don’t think any of the characters had enough depth for the actors to struggle with the delivery. Nothing seemed off.

Overall, I just get angry when I think about the ending. It hits too many things I dislike. Sadly, if one does not like this type of ending, it makes the whole drama seem pointless. that’s me - I feel like 90% of things that happened were pointless.

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La Ri Ma’s supremacy.

What could have been an interesting take on the reality of idols, turned into a cliché rom-com with important issues as background noise. Pure escapism without much logic.

The show opens with the mysterious disappearance of Eunjo and the tragic end of Annie. One would think this is going to be an important element of the plot - it’s not. They bring it up a few times for a few seconds, and then solve it by the end, without any solving actually happening.

For the majority of the show, we follow Tea Party as they struggle trying to make their debut work for the 2nd time, but…. There is not much of a struggle going on. Every problem and conflict they face is solved right away without many lasting consequences.

They hint some problems idols might face like not getting paid for the training period, or even after debut (because of the training debt), how rookie idols can be used to bury bigger scandals, even if it ruins their careers, how idols might be viewed as products that can be easily replaced and not as individual people, obsessed and possessive fans, and many more… but all of them are just mentioned with one or two lines and not properly explored.

The main focus is the relationship between Maha and Ryok, which is so lukewarm and boring, I had to watch it at 1.5x speed. They hit too many cliches that are not well executed, it’s sad to watch at times, especially since both Jeong Ji So and Jun are rather talented actors that can do more than this.

Of course, how it always is with teen/young adult romance stories - no one can be single, hence every Tae Party member gets their own love interest.

Even the main love triangle is there… and then one day it’s not. There is no tension, no conflict between interested parties… no nothing.

The best character with the most interesting story, charming personality and depth was La Ri Ma. She could easily become the main character, coz even as a supporting role, she overshadowed everyone. Without lying, I survived this show mostly for her (and one of the side couples, that overall, throughout the 12 episodes, had not more than 6 minutes of screen time together).

Production wise… I do have my complaints. The budget could not have been high, looking at the Award Show at the beginning. If you can’t make it look realistic (whenever the reason is lack of money, or the pandemic), don’t do it. There were other ways to show who is the top idol and respected performer. Another thing was the distracting, poorly done make up. Ma Ha looked like her lips kept bleeding, and Jun at times could play a 30+ years old guy.

With all that, I somehow got attached and the last episode made me slightly emotional, especially the scenes of the few characters I liked.

Overall: Honestly speaking - waste of time. I was initially interested because of the mystery element and more realistic portrayal of the idol's life, but it was all gone by episode 3. I don’t even want to talk about acting. Some of the idols did better than others, but damn, the majority of supporting roles of the two boy groups were not great.

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Stunning visuals and the thrilling game of wits.

Your expectations will make or break this show. If you expect a typical noble king versus corrupted officials power struggle, this will be a huge disappointment. You need to be aware of the fact that for a lot of the show the king takes the side lines in this power political scheme and the focus is put on other main characters and the overall context of the current court situation. Lee Tae for many episodes is shown being too preoccupied protecting Yoo Jung taking detours in his plan.

This is not a story of a hero fighting for power to create a better world. This is a story of a king with no vision, trying to gain power for the sake of power. A king who is willing to sacrifice many innocent lives and put the whole country in danger for his personal goals. A king who, while possessing some wits and strategy skills, has no wisdom and is unable to foresee the consequences of his actions. A king who should never be a king (until they give him last minute change of heart, I don't want to talk about it...)

While most of this review is my personal subjective interpretation (which mostly talks about the events excluding the last episode, as I feel like ot did disservice to the whole show) of the events and the characters, it is a fact that this is not the good versus evil type of a story. It’s a great portrayal of the aftermath that could happen in the country after deposing a tyrant king. Putting a new one on the throne is not the end of the struggle, It’s just the beginning. The subject and officials learning how to trust the new ruler, and the new king proving his worth and gaining power with their wisdom and not the political schemes would be the ideal scenario, which could not be more different than what the drama presents.

The new king tries to gain more power against the officials. The officials fear the tyranny they just ended, so they try to limit the power of the royal family. The royal family works even harder to gain more power. Both sides started to use evil tactics to achieve their goal. No one is right, no one is good. To understand the motivations of the characters you need to take into consideration the context the drama sets.

Let’s start with the characters, as they are the core of this story. Before you proceed though, know I am a pro Gye Won type of a girl.

Lee Tae and his family reminded me of all the evil royal families in all chinese dramas - creating a mess because of their bad planning and actions, and then blaming other people for them. No one was willing to be accountable for what they have done. The late Queen would rather “die a queen” which led to many innocent lives being sacrificed, than lose the honor. The late king would rather put the blame on innocent people for her death, instead of telling the truth. Lee Tae would rather risk the whole country’s safety with his poorly planned schemes (I mean, dude was surprised Queen Dowager turned into a full tyrant after he led her to take over… the lack of insight was amazing) than put in the effort to unite the people.

And none of the Lee Tae’s family members had a real goal, except gaining power and honor for the royal family. The country was not in chaos. People were not living bad lives, the officials (while there will always be some bad apples) were not all corrupted groups who used their power for their own benefit. Yes, they limited the royal family, but they did it out of fear, not out of greed. And The royal family did nothing to make the officials trust them. Who decided to make a queen a daughter of the killed tyrant and then act surprised when officials start to be more on edge?

Lee Tae was not fighting against the bad guys, he was fighting for power, and that’s where his plan ends. He never presented any ideas of how he will use said power to make the lives of his subjects better, how to make the country stronger. From episode one they showed countless hints how he is in fact a tyrant in making, even though being one was never his actual goal. Throughout the show he kept seeing himself as a victim and justified all his actions. In his mind, the people that died because of his schemes were not victims of his ploy, they were sacrifices he made. But he failed to see that one cannot sacrifice what is not theirs, and their lives were not. One can scarify THEIR life, THEIR dignity, THEIR possession. Taking it away from other people for your own gain is NOT sacrifice.

I think from the start we saw how he was not fit to be the king. The more episodes I have seen, the more on Gye Won’s side I was, even though he himself was nowhere near being a hero. With how the story was told, it made complete sense that he tried to keep the royal family’s power in check after surviving the tyrant king, especially since Lee Tae never showed any signs of possibly doing a better job at ruling. He was pretending to be a foolish king not interested in politics, so why would Gye Won put the trust in him? And when Lee Tae finally started to make some moves, they were all focused on fighting against the officials, and none on trying to make the country a better place. We saw how Gye Won was willing to give up his power as long as someone shows the qualities of a good ruler - putting the people ahead of their goals, plans, honor and pride. The moment he saw Yoo Jung has these qualities, he was willing to serve her and respected her plans and decisions she was making. He was supporting her and trusted her.

Gye Won became one of the most interesting characters in all 2022 dramas. At first it might seem as if his goal of “putting the righteous king on the throne” is just a way of keeping the power to himself, as no king will ever meet his arbitrary ideals, but later on we can see that’s not the truth. He was never loyal to the royal family, he was loyal to the country. He was willing to sacrifice his life, and in consequence dooming his whole family, just to make sure no tyrant will ever gain the absolute power. He went against the love of his life the moment she seeked the power she should not have. He was willing to lose all his merit, honor and pride, becoming a traitor if it meant saving the country.

Truth to be told, both Lee Tae and Gye Won did some shady things during the drama. The difference here is the motivation - Gye Won was fighting FOR the country, while Lee Tae was fighting AGAINST the officials. One had a vision of a prosperous country in mind, the other had a vision of absolute royal power. One was willing to sacrifice themselves for the country, while the other was willing to put the country in danger for his goal.

It became a question - what makes a good king? Political strength of the royal family as Lee Tae wanted? Or wisdom and benevolence that Gye Woon sought in the new king?

And then we had the brilliant Yoo Jung. While the first 4 episodes made her seem like nothing more than just a love interest for Lee Tae and a pawn in political schemes, she quickly became one of the sources of power in the court. Compared to Gye Won and Lee Tae, she, from the start, used her own wits, at times putting her own life at risk, instead of using people around her. She was able to gain the trust of both Gye Won and even the most trusted person on Lee Tae’s side, to help her with her plans. She knew when to compromise for the good of the people, putting her own wants to the side. Since her goal was to protect the people, fighting against others was not always her go to opinion, as it more often than not created more victims. She tried to negotiate and find a common ground. As a true ruler should.

Her trust in Lee Tae by the end of the show was a bit delusional, I have to admit it. Her trying to whitewash his crimes, acting as if he was different than Queen Dowager or Gye Won was simply laughable. Stating that he will not take the same path that Queen Dowager took, when he was the one who created the path himself was just painful to see.

The complexity of the characters and the no obvious morals were the best part of the show. Putting a complete twist to the typical court period drama was a delight and got me engaged on some next level. I was analyzing and discussing the characters and their actions with many users after each and every episode, and they always left me with some issues and ideas to reflect upon.

All that said, the show is not without flaws in terms of the characters and writing. The biggest issue I had was Queen Dowager’s characterization. I honestly had no issue with her becoming just a pawn in the game. She was never shown to be a witty, smart and driven person. From the start she was passive and relied on Gye Won to make all the decisions. What bothered me was her motivation which made little to no sense. They did not set it properly. Yes, I understand that her fear of abandonment made her seek the power, but with how she was presented, her reasoning behind it should be “I will give you the country to rule, you don’t need Yoo Jung” instead of “I will take away everything you have and burn the country you tried to protect”. Her out of the blue defiance and war against men in power was just laughable, because nothing about how she was presented before fitted that scenario.

Another character that had questionable presentation was Jo Won Pyo. I understand that he was supposed to represent a person who “goes with the flow” does not fight for nor against to keep themselves safe. I understand it’s supposed to give us the viewers commentary on how not standing up against evil does not mean you are neutral, it means you are on the side of the bad guys, as it supports their actions. I don’t think they truly delivered that message well. We knew from the start that he and Gye Won worked together to depose the tyrant king. We know he took the right actions when needed, so this “will he/won’t he” closer to the end seemed a bit out of place.

What’s more, the show relied a little bit too much on surprising reveals to deliver impactful plot twists, which led to sacrificing some character development and limiting the attachment the viewers might have had. Some of these tactics worked well - Yoo Jung deciding to stay in the palace against Lee Tae’s wishes. It was a short, one episode side story, did not take a lot of the screen time and with all the other information we had about Yoo Jung, did not impact how viewers saw her in terms of her wits and intelligence. We knew she was smart, we did not need the step by step explanation on how she did it. On the other hand, they tried to use the same style of storytelling for some longer plotlines, and that just failed. I’m not the biggest fan of making Lee Tae the mastermind of it all in the last 4 episodes, when he was presented as a smart, but impulsive and emotional person during all the previous ones. My issue was the fact he was shown to behave like that even when there were no people around him, when he did not have to pretend for his plan to work. I honestly felt lied to. The direction of the plot was brilliant, but the writers trying to keep it hidden for so long was not the best choice for me.

Same story happened with the young monk - with how much of an impact he had on the plot, we knew nothing about him, he was added to the plot in later episodes. Before we could try to understand him and his motivation, he was gone - a painful case of a character being just a plot device and nothing more.

Some people might also dislike how the schemes were mostly just talking and plans, and close to none of them actually happened, as they were stopped or negotiated before they took place. It was not - kill, poison, lie, hire assassins, over the top type of political schemes. It was far more based on the game of wits, threats and mutual convincing that the actions someone wants to take will not be beneficial, as the other person might have hidden some tricks up their sleeves. One could say the plot is slow and barely anything happens. It’s true that there are just a few big events. The plot is the shifts in dynamics and creating new alliances. The core of the show are the characters, not the plot itself. Why do they do what they do? What do they stand for? What are they willing to do to achieve that? Whom should the viewers root for?

What’s worth mentioning are the visuals of the show. The whole show is like a moving painting. The number of breathtaking scenes was high. Some of my favorites were the aerial shots - I’m a sucker for these. If dramas have them, I will always give some bonus points. This is for sure the most visually stunning drama I have seen in 2022. And these visuals are supported by the amazing soundtrack. While I loved all the songs, the instrumental arrangement had more impact for me.

The acting was almost perfect. I cannot stop myself from thinking Lee Joon exaggerated some line delivery. Especially when he added that raspy quality to his voice every time the character got angry, sad or emotional - after a while it became just too much. Instead of getting emotionally affected by the scene, I was thinking how much his throat has to hurt after all that.

I was also not amazed by Choi Ri’s acting as Jo Yeon Hee. Even though the character was rather unlikeable, I felt indifferent because of the portrayal.

All the rest of the cast did amazing. Jang Hyuk is an actor that was born to act in period dramas, so no surprise for her. That one that caught me off guard with how well they did was Kang Han Na. She is an amazing actress, but the role of Yoo Jung was extremely hard to deliver correctly. Being both strong, but also delicate. Empathetic, but also assertive. Emotional, but also rational. Give that role to a worse actress and the character will be all over the place. Kang Han Na aced the role and made Yoo Jung one of my favorite female characters.

I honestly don't even want to talk about the ending. Pacing wise it made no sense for any of the characters to do a 180 like that. If they wanted this conclusion, the events in episode 15 should have happened at least 2 episodes earlier, so the change would be more gradual. My issue is not even the ending itself, but how it was delivered.

Overall, you can enjoy the show if you just casually watch it, but the true value comes from truly analyzing it and trying to understand the characters and context of the show. The more you invest your attention and time into this show, the more you will enjoy it. It leaves you with many moral questions that are truly not easy to answer.

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Felt more like 2005 than 2015.

I enjoy Japanese rom-coms for how cringe they often are, but this show just took a few too many steps too far. While the beginning was so ridiculous, it was actually entertaining, at some point I just got tired watching.

All the men in this drama were a mess and should stay single looking for a therapist rather than a girlfriend. God bless Kimura Arthur for being the only good guy. Kiyomiya Makoto also had his moments and great potential to be the lead.

On paper I should like it, but there was something… cheap about this writing. Random stereotypical feminine gay men, child stripping professing their love towards female lead, random almost sexual assault to give a chance for ML to save FL, awful future mother-in-law, both best friend and boss being in love with female lead, but then this leading nowhere and barely being addressed, questionable romance with teenager. And most of this just felt meaningless and useless.

The leading couple? Insufferable. I honestly wanted the drama to end with a tragic ending, and the idea of them together just annoyed me. The male lead was a weak selfish ass, and the female lead was a true doormat cross-dressing as a competent lady.

What’s more? I wanted to make it a murder mystery “Who killed the grandma” and end it with an open ending - the culprit getting away with it, never being found. That’s a happy ending I would be satisfied with.

While the ending was great, the characters were just not it. Hard to enjoy the performances, when you don’t even want to see the characters on screen…

Overall, had a fun and ridiculous start, but somehow ended up more boring than entertaining. Did not like the ending at all, the closure for many plotlines felt too easy to achieve taking into consideration all that happened throughout the show.

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It's 4 episodes if you skip all the walking.

This show left me in a state of complete confusion. What happened? How did it happen? Who approved it? At some point, I was 5 episodes in and I could not comprehend how there are 3 episodes left. How dumb will they make the characters to fill that screen time?

I’m not kidding when I say nothing made sense. The investigation was laughable - the worst I have ever seen in any drama. The killer was just mediocre and was able to kill for so long only because everyone else was so dumb. The male lead… I don’t even want to talk about him. Each and every choice he made was making me question my sanity. Not to mention Bae Tae Jin who was there to add “spice” to the typical story, but failed to do so.

I am honestly impressed by how bad this show was. It can fool you during the first 2 episodes - they are generic, but not tragic. How fast it changes though. The longer you watch, the dumber it gets. Protect your brain, don’t watch it. And if you like to suffer like me, at least don’t binge watch it. Your brain could fry.

The characters don’t even share one brain cell. There are no brain cells being used by anyone in this show. Zero brain cells. Negative brain cells energy. Basically a black hole for brain cells.

Sure, the acting was goodish, the production itself was not bad. But no amount of technical aspects being done well can save this project.

Overall, why does it exist?

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This is not a high budget, high production value documentary that tackles a complex issue from different angles. This is a one man take to uncover the truth, by exposing one lie at the time and I believe this is the correct approach.

The story behind the Sewol is extremely complex. It’s not just a case of one person negligence - it’s a story that involves individual workers, coastal guards, press, police, politicians - you name it, more or less everyone was involved.

So does this documentary tell us how it happened? Why it happened? Does it provide any concrete explanations? No. But it paints a horrifying picture - when people on the site were too scared to even talk about what was going on. It focused on just a small portion of the events - the use of a diving bell, and how the government was doing its best to not make it successful. Exposing that lie in such detail, with interviews and video/recordings proof is how you break the well crafted picture the government and press created.

The movie shows how much effort was put into creating and upholding a lie and shifting the blame on others, when half of that effort would probably be enough to save the people trapped in the sunken ship.

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Was it a nice romance show with bits of slice of life? Yes. It had some awesome characters, even pacing, good messages and fun moments - it was just not tight enough.

I have no idea why writers still like to pretend shows like that can be 40 episodes long and it makes sense - especially if the episodic elements of the plot ain’t that good to carry the show in-between the main plot moving forward.

I greatly liked the relationship between Mika and Ke Lei - before and after they got together. It’s rare to see a couple in a drama actually act like a couple, being silly, joking around, all the great and fun domestic business. The show did lose some spark after they officially started dating, but that’s because the writers kept keeping them apart. All the scenes they actually shared were great.

That said, do I think Mika and Ke Lei are good as individual characters? Not really. Mika is a saint - the good, moral, hard working, forgiving, flawless. I truly cannot think of one bad trait she had that would allow for some nice character development. She was truly boringly perfect.

Ke Lei was a bit better in that aspect. Still ridiculously good, but at least he showed lack of assertiveness when dealing with people he knew… a few times.

On the other hand, I had exactly the opposite issue with the second and third couple - they did not work that well together, but they were more interesting individually. Qing Xia was fun and a little bit spoiled, Wen Bo was an honest and reliable guy, also clueless af. Ke Yao and Dr. Shao felt the most realistic out of all the characters, but their interactions together were also the most boring.

Truth to be told 2 duos I like the best to watch were Ke Lei and Ke Yao, and Mika and Dr. Shao. Positive family relations and uplifting mentor-mentee pairs are some of my favorite aspects of the shows.

There were also some annoying side characters that deserve no redemption, and yet it was given.

For the plot, except for the romances blooming left and right and some nice slice of life elements, the show does not really offer that much. Majority of the work related plots and scenes were either boring, or poorly developed - sadly they took quite a bit of the screen time.

Everyone delivered in terms of acting. I did question some crying scenes from Ma Si Chun, but it was not bad enough to complain about. Wang Yang was my favorite - I am biased though, I love this man so much. He is just natural and he makes every role he plays a worthy performance.

Production value was nice - surprisingly many aesthetically pleasing shows. Editing was also nice. Liked the set design, even if at times it felt ridiculous how these people can afford the places they are staying at. For the soundtrack, I honestly do not remember one song from the show.

Overall, it’s a decent show. Nothing amazing, but serves as a good chill after work watch.

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Your enjoyment will strongly depend on how much you will buy into the atmosphere the movie tries to create. Sadly, I did not buy it.

The 8th Night has this simplistic, sharp, cold, grainy texture to it, which you’ll either like or dislike. At times it might even feel borderline cartoonish or gimmicky. The directing and editing style does not fit my preferences, hence I did not connect well with what was happening on screen. It seems to cater to a specific type of audience, and for those who like this type of styling, it will for sure be an interesting and entertaining ride.

The opening narration serves as an exposition, but crosses the line of telling us the general plot of what’s to happen. Later, as we follow the main characters, the story gets expanded and the details are added.

Surprisingly, I chuckled a few times as I was watching. Some scenes were clearly intended to be funny, some were unintentionally hilarious. I might be desensitized to horror, which leads me to have rather unexpected reactions to scary or disturbing scenes, so keep that in mind.

Even though it was a miss for me, I have to appreciate the fact they stuck to the vision and ideas they had, without trying to please everyone.

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When stupidity is scarier than the vicious virus.

Not gonna lie, at some point I kind of wanted the drama to end with the end of the world. Watching all these characters behave the way they did make me think: maybe the world would be better without people in it.

That said, what a ride this show was. Not one episode was boring with all the zombies, scheming and danger. Adding great chemistry between the cast made this drama a pure joy. Sure, I wanted the majority of the characters dead by the end, but how much fun was it to watch the chaos unfold.

Happiness has this uncanny, surreal vibe to it - no one reacts to any given situation in a realistic manner, the society deals with it in the most chill way possible, there is little to no information about what the government is doing with the guy working for pharmaceutical company (given he is associated with military)making all the important choices that involve worldwide survival. Nothing about this show is realistic, little to nothing truly makes sense and yet… I liked it a lot.

Production value was top notch. Sure, they overdone the “zombies'' with funny eyes, but at the end of the day, the infected were not supposed to be the scariest part of the show anyway. For me, they were adorable and had many comedic moments. Face covered in blood, but they will be like: I’m fine.

Isaac Hong’s Pain was probably the best song of the whole OST. Listening to the soundtrack while writing the review, it hits me how dramatic it is compared to the drama itself.

The show sends a vaguely clear message - happiness is not defined by where and how, but with whom. It’s the people in your life that can make it or break it. That said, with all the awful characters in the drama, I rather stay alone and not risk it…

Overall, I started to feel far more frustration in the 2nd half, since some of the choices the characters were making (including our main duo into that mix) just made no sense and showed complete lack of planning and ignorance towards the obvious dangers, both in the form of the virus and the residents themselves. The last episode was a bit disappointing, not delivering a conclusion the show deserves. Even with all that, I would highly recommend it. The entertainment value was so high, I will gladly turn a blind eye to the things that bothered me.

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Each new person we meet is a new chapter in our life.

I want to be completely honest - this is my subjective take on the show. I feel like My Liberation Notes is a drama one either vibes with, or they don’t. I don’t. It’s not like I hated it, but I was not as moved, touched, absorbed by it as other people. It had a fair number of elements I enjoyed, but overall, I was not invested.

I think my biggest reason for disconnecting was the fact I did not relate to any of the characters and, at the end of the day, it is a character driven show. Yeom Mi Jung? Extremely unlikable for the majority of the episodes. I completely gave up on trying to like her when on one hand, she complained how no one ever made her feel alive and whole, but at the same time said she herself never really liked anyone.

I understand that all the depression (probably more specifically dysthymia) symptoms she presented must have been something many people related to. I am not a stranger to these feelings myself, and yet, I could not be on board with what they tried to present with her. Admitting on the side though, the last episode changed my perception of her character quite a bit, and I liked that a lot. They hammered a specific picture of her, and then gave me a 180 change with a new perspective delivered with just one line. Whatever I did not like about how she was written became less valid at that moment.

That said, putting aside whenever she was likable for me or not, I do appreciate some aspects of her personality. The fact they broke away from the “shy introvert” portrayal many dramas have. She was not shy, she was simply not interested in people. Sometimes people who don’t engage in every social interaction are not shy, they just don’t care. At times her inner dialogue and conversations with people made me think she might even be asocial, one step further than introversion. If we truly listen to what she was saying, I still have to appreciate that it’s just who she is - there is no trauma, no social phobia. She just does not like people that much and prefers solitude.

Then we have Mr. Gu. I liked him a lot at first. The mystery around his character in that rural area made me curious about his story, but they dragged it for too long. When I finally found out more about who he is, I was not that interested. It was a well done suspense, since me and many people wondered about his identity, but I feel like keeping the viewers in the dark for so long took away from him as a character. On the other hand, one could say he serves as a good contrast to Mi Jung’s journey, and the different pace they both took in figuring themselves out.

While Yeom Ki Jung was entertaining to watch and one of the reasons I pushed forward and finished the drama, I found her arc a bit one dimensional. At some point I started to feel like her obsession with finding a man was overshadowing the underlying issues she has. It felt like a comedic bit, that is not quite funny when you truly think about it. That said, her romantic endeavors were enjoyable and endearing and for me, she was easily the most likable of all the siblings.

I don’t really have much to say about Yeom Chang Hee, except for the fact he was underused. His interactions with Mr. Gu were amazing and I would love to see more of them - that friendship could have been an interesting addition to the story. I am honestly not sure what his purpose in the drama was. I get the vague idea, but for me his characterization lacks focus? He shined the most in the last (around) four episodes, and I probably enjoyed him the most at the time, out of all the characters.

One of the aspects about the drama that can be either viewed as a positive or negative thing depending on the preferences, is how the main characters were not that well defined. A lot of aspects were left for interpretation. I was discussing the show with many people as I was watching, I also read many comments and takes on the plot progression and characterization, and I have to say - many people had quite different takes on who the characters were.

As far as I see it, it’s a good thing. It’s not a “play in the background” type of a show. The true value comes from wondering about it as the episodes end. Trying to understand the characters. And since everyone looks at them from the lens of their own private experience and personalities, it’s given that they will see different things in them. It’s the viewers who add depth to them, their interactions and plot development. So for me, who was not engaged enough to feel motivated to do that, the drama lost one of the most important aspects.

I know a lot of people love the dialogues and inner monologues in this show. I completely agree they were well written, but they were also repetitive. A lot of them were talking about exactly the same thing, just with different words. So at the end of the day, we end with exactly the same issue - you either relate to the lines and love them, or you don’t and you find them boring.

While they went into detail about Mi Jung’s inner struggles which led to many people appreciating the show, I also feel like a lot of aspects suffer because of it. The relationship between the parents being one of them. Literally all the supporting characters. The biggest let down? Underuse of Liberation Club. I wish there was more focus on this rather than Mi Jung and Mr. Gu together. Using the writing note as a way to deliver the inner monologues was used just a few times, overshadowed by emo train rides that took the spot for the narration time.

That said, with all the complaints I had, they are all subjective. The same things I complain about, other people name as the reasons for loving the show - depending on the perspective. As I said, you either vibe with it or you don’t. It’s really consistent with how they deliver the mood and message, creating a well composed picture. The acting, writing, directing, editing, soundtrack - everything fits well together.

Overall, would for sure recommend to anyone who likes slow paced, character driven shows that focus on daily lives and struggles of normal people. There is no reason not to check it out. It's a good drama, it just does not try to cater to every viewer, and as a result, it might not resonate with everyone. But you won't know if it's something you will see as a true gem, unless you check it out yourself ;)

Ps. Refrain from telling me maybe the genre is not for me. It’s not the genre, it’s this specific show.

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To Be honest, while I hated TharnType, I didn't mind this special episode. Was it necessary? No. All the scenes I found interesting, could have easily been included in the series, if some other non important ones were cut short. That said, there wasn't anything that made me angry while watching the special. Well, maybe except for the amazingly unneeded and blood boiling scene with Lhong. Why is he not in prison? That question will remain unanswered.

With how little time they spent on developing any type of relationship between the "Korean" guy and his roommate, did we really have to get any scenes reminding us of what did not really happen? Probably not. We are still left with no closure, and one could argue, there was no true beginning either.

I did enjoy Type and his mother's relationship and the fact we got to see the serious talk Type had with his best friend. After I finished TharnType, I felt extremely not happy with how they just left it. The fact we got to see them resolve the argument did put a smile on my face. I can easily say that Khom was the best character.

We got to see some aesthetically pleasing scenes, like the beach/sea scene of Type and Tharn, that, I must admit, was shot quite well. Overall, except for maybe 2 scenes, it was quite an "empty" episode, pure fanservice. At the end of the day, they simply gave the fans what they wanted to see (except for Lhong being in prison, even though everyone would love to see that). I can easily see how someone who loved Tharntype would be extremely pleased while watching Our Final Love. Since I was not attached to the show, I sadly could not share the excitement.

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Amazing buildup with blurry conclusion.

I did not have such a level of mind-f**k in a long time. Half way through the show I stopped making any theories, because it was just impossible to predict and evaluate anything. The only thing I knew was - anything can happen.

The events present in the show happen in 4 different timelines, and like puzzle pieces put together, slowly showcase the whole picture. Sadly, along the way some pieces have been lost, and the answers were not fully delivered, leaving me with my own interpretations and theories.

The story follows quite a number of characters, with their own back stories and plot lines, that are all connected in a convoluted way. The moment you might think you start to see the whole picture, they do 180 on you, and you are back to the beginning - confused and frustrated.

Without the doubt Uhm Tae Goo was the star of the show. Jo Kyung Ho was such a glooming and enigmatic presence throughout the drama, I could do nothing, but get intrigued and drawn to him. The calmness, confidence and the assured tone with which he delivered the lines made it that much more terrifying.

On the other side of the events we had Choi Hyung In - emotional and driven detective, and Jo Jung Hyun, who failed to run away from her fast and was forced to face it. With each episode we see the paths of the three characters getting closer, leading to an inevitable clash.

From my perspective, the show tells the story of the different ways people deal with trauma, grief, anger and fear. Some give up, some fight till the end, some run away and some dive into a revenge fueled path. Hometown presents how turning a blind eye to suffering can lead to more pain and more victims. Facing your past, working through the pain, accepting the responsibility, regretting the mistakes and working to fix them, even if it seems too late to take any actions - it’s worth living even if we suffer.

The acting from the main cast was a top level of awesomeness. I felt sad and defeated thanks to Yoo Jae Myung, confused and trapped thanks to Han Ye Ri’s performance, and uncomfortable with, but enchanted by Kyung Ho’s character, thanks to Uhm Tae Goo’s skills.

Some of the teens' performances were questionable - the characters did not feel quite real and the emotions did not reach me. Luckily, it only happened during a few scenes, and overall, all of them did a fairly good job.

The production quality could not be better. The mix of horror elements perfectly elevated the thrills, blurring the lines between the reality and creations of one's mind. For a show that is not mainly a horror, it delivers the tense atmosphere in a skillful way, giving the viewers goosebumps during a number of scenes.

Are there any complaints? Yes.

Set up that is not explained well. Till the end, even after the credit rolls on the screen, you won’t get all the answers of “how” and “why”. If we limit the story to what’s possible in reality - this makes little sense. Me and many other viewers voiced how the presence of supernatural elements could elevate the show to a new level, explaining some plotlines and character’s choices and skills.

By the end of the last episode, I was still confused about what exactly started the whole plot - what made Jo Kyung Ho what he was, why he did what he did, when he started and what exactly was his desired outcome. I have my theories, but the point is - I don’t think the show did enough in explaining what drives the villain - they fail to explain his motives properly.

Confusion surrounding some plotlines, especially circumstances around Im Se Yoon and the timeline of her death. The last two episodes confused the heck out of me. I tried to sum up all the information I’ve got since episode one, but it just does not work in my brain. I might have missed something, they might have made it far more convoluted than needed, or it might be both.

Overall, it was an extremely intense ride. The journey was so entertaining, even with the disappointing conclusion, I can’t help, but love the show. Hometown ends with a question mark rather than a full stop, but for me, sometimes it’s better to not give the answers than give the ones that are not satisfying.

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