Best out of the first seven movies in the series

I'm slowly making my way through this series, and I feel that "Good Samaritan" was a big step up in quality from the previous movies. For instance, little touches in some of the train and bus scenes had a documentary feel that reminded me of Yamada's masterpieces "Where Spring Comes Late" and "Home From the Sea." And the relationship between Tora and his sister Sakura, especially in the latter half of the movie, reached a deeper level of emotional realism than ever before. Also, it's always a pleasure to see one of my favorite actors, Tanaka Kunie, grace the screen with his brilliantly earthy, twitchy, expressive acting, brief though his part may be.

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An entertaining watch with decent cast, but editing was horrible and commentary could be better

To me, an interesting and engaging cast of members is the most important aspect to a reality dating show, and this show was better than average in this regard. But the production/editing/pacing is almost as important, and in this area, I thought the show was average or worse. It really pandered to a low-brow audience with the manipulative pacing and storytelling, incredibly annoying repetition of scenes, and artificial melodrama. I much prefer a more natural and relaxed style of editing and pacing that feels more realistic. And the commentators were OK but could have been better. I know I'm a horrible and prejudiced person for mentioning this, but there were way too many close-ups of Lee Hye-young's unpleasantly artificial face (bless her soul though, and please forgive me Hye-young-ssi), and it almost seemed like a metaphor for how fake much of the show felt. But I'm glad that there were at least two relationships in the show that appear to be genuine and potentially long-lasting. As for the relationship that was the show's main focus, Ha-rim and Ricky, I never believed in it. Right when Ha-rim abruptly and rudely said "OK gotta go" in the middle of their first conversation, I knew that they were incompatible. Ricky seems like a very nice but uptight and boring guy who would probably provide a lot of stability and reliability to a woman who valued those qualities above all else. Ha-rim, however, is obviously more of an impulsive, emotionally unstable girl who needs constant stimulation and chaos. The fact that they chose each other and devoted so much time and energy pursuing a hopeless relationship gives me a clue as to why they're divorced in the first place (but much of that effort was probably for the sake of the show). Incidentally, as someone who lives in Irvine, it was interesting to me how 3 of the cast members either worked or lived in Irvine, and it was funny seeing all these familiar streets and sights in and around Orange County. And now here's my last mean and grumpy comment--watching this show is an incredibly effective form of birth control, and makes it very understandable why birthrates are falling like crazy in Korea and just about every other developed country.

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Bingeable show with great acting and likable characters but horrible writing

By the end of ep2, I was really sucked into the story and interested in what would happen next. The show was a very easy watch, and always kept me engaged.

One of the main reasons why is because the acting was so excellent almost across the board. The ML gave an excellent performance, although he had to deal with a poorly written character, but he made the best of it. I had never seen him act before, and I actually didn't realize it was Rain until I finished watching. There are times when the character does really horrible things, and that's where some of the bad writing comes in, but you still end up liking him and rooting for him.

But I think the writer could have done a much better job of showing how he changed from this amoral, greedy defense lawyer into a caring family man. I think that change was made too late in the story. It was really hard to believe how so late into the middle of the show, he was still yelling and complaining to Shi-on how much he hated the shabbiness of their middle-class domestic life and how he was dying to join the evil big law firm and get back to his lonely, rich life in the other world. I think it's totally unbelievable for this character--who's demonstrated at this point that he's a decent and rational person--after living a few days with this beautiful wife and daughter, would think that his previous life as a lonely bachelor drinking expensive wine and defending murderous, evil rich people (one of whom tried to kill him) was preferable to this loving family life of middle class comfort. No way.

Also, I was really impressed with Im Ji-yeon. She only came on my radar very recently when I watched The Glory. She did such an incredible job playing a despicable villain there, that the evil character and the actress merged in my mind, and I almost felt hatred for her as a person. So it was really refreshing to see her play a good person, and play that part just as well as the villain. The Shi-on character was just as sassy and energetic as her character in The Glory, but she was so loveable and charming. I'm really happy that she's getting so much acclaim and winning awards recently.

If you haven't watched Crash Course in Romance yet, skip this paragraph, but does Shin Jae-ha have a clause in his contract that states that he must always play a serial killer with mommy issues who favors steel industrial tools, black clothes with either a black cap or hoodie covering his face, killing people who get in the way of some father-figure that he admires, and trying to commit suicide by falling backwards from the top of a building right in front of his antagonists?

Also, even though I sometimes like to watch sick and violent horror and serial killer movies, I thought that the amount of blood and violence against children was a little too much for a drama, so I wish they had cut back on those scenes a little. I would have also cut out all the fart jokes.

Going back to the script problems--what happened to the bitchy chaebol mother in the first world who ordered a hit on Jae-sang? After he woke up from his coma back in the first world, this villain seems to have completely disappeared, like the writer forgot about her, maybe mistakenly thinking that since she was arrested in the second world, that was it for her in the entire multiverse. And several main characters were targets for killing at one point or another, and there were very easy opportunities for this, but the killers never took advantage of the easy opportunity but always waited until they could be prevented. For instance, towards the end of the show, why didn't the serial killer just kill Shi-on at her house, instead of dragging her to the top of the building at the hospital where he could be stopped? I'm glad he didn't do the easy thing there, but it doesn't make any sense if you think about it clearly. And there are many other examples like that.

Also, what eventually happened in the second world? The last scene implies that Shi-on didn't die but was hospitalized and recovered from getting bonked on the back of the head with a hammer. And it also implies that Jae-song was unharmed. But the evil bastard pharmaceutical executive serial killer had both of them tied up, but he just let Jae-song go instead of bonking him on the head next? So if Jae-song wasn't killed or knocked unconscious in that world, why did he end up jumping back to the first world?

Also, La Strada is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I resented how they referenced that classic masterpiece in such a cheap way, and kept repeating that great Nino Rota melody over and over. I thought that this reference was totally unnecessary and inappropriate, and didn't add anything at all to the show. If shows want to allude to things like movies and books and other things from the culture, they should choose them carefully to make sure that there's a relevant and insightful connection that enriches the story, instead of being a random reference just to show off the writer's sophistication.

Despite all these flaws, I still enjoyed the show, and found it be bingeable entertainment.

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Emotionally satisfying

I'm surprised that this turned out to be one of the most enjoyable K-dramas I've ever watched. I haven't had much luck with medical dramas in the past, and I've dropped way more of them than I've finished. Usually, their repetitive medical emergencies and life-or-death surgeries in which doctors miraculously save patients from the brink of disaster happening every episode again and again just bores me and strains my credulity. That was even true to a certain extent with this show, but I felt like there were fewer sensationalized medical emergencies than in most such shows. It had a little slower pace that let you get to know the patients and other characters better and become emotionally invested with them. And the medical situations seemed slightly more realistic than in most medical dramas.

Another good thing about this show is that Joo Won's acting got me interested in the character right from the beginning and involved me deeply in the story. Unfortunately, you have to put up with lots of painful scenes in the early episodes of horrible abuse and discrimination towards the Shi-on character from most of the people around him. Even several of the characters who end up redeeming themselves later in the show start out treating Shi-on terribly. Do-han was one of the worst offenders in the beginning. So much so that I almost can't forgive him even after he changes his attitude. Thankfully, all these hardships made Shi-on's triumphs later on in the show more satisfying. It was truly moving to see this good-hearted, talented guy finally get the rewards that he deserves.

Chae-won was really great too, playing one of the few characters who was on Shi-on's side from the beginning. The show did a nice job portraying their realistically sibling-like relationship, but then when their relationship suddenly shifted into the next gear, it didn't feel quite as believable. That part could have been handled a little more skillfully, but it was still satisfying to see the romance actually develop, because I wasn't sure this was going to happen.

I wish they had skipped all the tiresome and familiar hospital politics stuff, which contributed nothing to the show. I don't understand why just about every show that focuses on a workplace has to waste so much time on corrupt politics and power struggles. Does anyone enjoy watching that stuff? Fortunately, that made up a smaller part of the plot, so it didn't detract from the overall experience too much. I would have also cut out the equally cliched dad from hell stuff, which I thought was not only unpleasant to watch but unsatisfyingly resolved.

Finally, I can't help but compare this show to Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which I saw before I watched Good Doctor. Woo was more skillfully made in just about every way, and the legal cases in that show were more interesting than the medical cases in Good Doctor. Woo also clearly had a bigger budget and a more recent sensibility that made the earlier show really feel like it was 10 years older. And even though Joo Won did a great acting job, Eun-bin was even better. However, Good Doctor, despite its flaws and lower budget and more old-fashioned sensibility, was a little more emotionally involving and addictive than Woo. Woo is like an elegant sushi dinner, whereas Good Doctor is like a hearty Korean meal. So even though Woo is one of my favorite all-time K-dramas, Good Doctor is up there alongside it for me.

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Well-made, bingeable cheese

Something that frustrates me about a lot of K-dramas is when they create over-the-top, detestable, evil villains that you love to hate, and in the end, they barely get any punishment. Worst of all, the protagonist actually ends up forgiving them in the end.

Well, you don't have to worry about that here. The show gives you lots of real hateful villains, and thankfully they pretty much all get their just deserts in the end.

Another good thing about this show is that it's really addictive and bingeable. It moves along and keeps you watching.

Now for the bad. The characters and situations are very cartoonish. The villains don't seem very human, and you can't relate to them at all, because there seems to be no motivation for all their psychotic sadism.

And at the center of it all, Song Hye-kyo makes for a pretty weak main actress. She was a cold fish. I never felt any anger or intensity from her at all. Even those PTSD scenes I thought were kind of awkward and not well done. I wasn't too impressed with Lee Do-hyun either. Both of these leads were pretty bland.

Also, there were long stretches when not much happened. They could have shortened the series by maybe 4 episodes, and it would have fit the plot much more economically.

Overall, it was fairly entertaining, but I'm not going to remember much about it in a month or 2.

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Watchable but could have been better

Comparing this to the most similar show I've seen, Exchange/Transit Love, I thought Exchange was better in just about every respect--the production quality, the set-ups, the cast, the emotional investment, the commentators, etc. However, Change Days S1 was still very watchable and entertaining.

But the fact that the couples appeared so dysfunctional, but in the end, every single one of them decided to keep the status quo, makes me wonder how accurately the show depicted the relationships. I especially thought for sure that Min-sun was going to dump her angry, incommunicative, macho asshole of a boyfriend, and also that Sang-mi had so much resentment towards Sung-ho that they were doomed as well. But it turns out that both couples are still together to this day, and Sang-mi and Sung-ho are actually married now. So clearly, there was a lot of stuff between them that the show failed to convey.

Also, even though the commentators were very likable, their reactions and comments were so banal and repetitive, it got really annoying. I don't automatically assume that this is mainly their fault, because it could be primarily the fault of the showrunner/director/editor or other staff that mostly influences the creative direction of the show.

Lastly, I noticed that in pretty much every Korean dating show I've seen, most of the participants speak with a provincial accent, even though they may currently live in Seoul. For example, 3 of the participants were originally from Busan. Even the way they act and eat, etc., makes me think of people who are from outside Seoul. Do native Seoul people not like to go on dating shows or something?

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Grim, downbeat, but compelling old classic

This is the oldest Kdrama I've ever watched, but it's surprisingly well-made, and the subject matter, violence, and gritty realism are actually more mature than most recent Kdramas I've seen. I can understand why it was such a sensation back in the day, because it's always watchable and engrossing.

However, it's relentlessly violent and depressing, with lots of scenes of massacres and atrocities, torture, beatings, and cynical corruption. It's really eye-opening to see how brutal and corrupt the Korean government, military, and law enforcement were just a couple of decades ago. A country that today is known for its high standard of living and quality entertainment and products that are popular around the world used to be a repressive banana republic that put a low priority on human rights. These are important topics, but just be prepared for some depressing material.

Also, I have a major problem with the character of Hye-rin. Basically, she's responsible for the death of the 2 men who loved her most. Of course, she sheds some tears, but I feel like she still doesn't realize at the end just how much she's responsible for these needless deaths. And I still don't understand why she made the idiotic decision to walk right into Jang-do and Do-shik's trap, dragging Jae-hee and Tae-soo down with her. Was she intentionally trying to basically go on a suicide mission by insisting on going alone, and if so, why the hell would she do that? But no, she seemed really surprised when all those men attacked her, so I guess she was just naive and idiotic. And that's just the worst of her many bad decisions and stupid misunderstandings.

Also, the Jae-hee character is so pathetic. He's just a chump for Hye-rin, and he has no personality or life of his own aside from his devotion to her. How sad. At least he made up for it many years later by winning the squid game.

It's ironic that, out of the 3 main characters, Woo-suk is the one who's guilty of the worst crimes. Tae-soo might have been a thuggish gangster, but he only murdered someone who deserved it, and he could have made a good argument that it was self-defense. But Woo-suk participated in the slaughter of totally innocent people, a true atrocity. Of course, he was just a lowly soldier following orders, and he would have probably been shot for insubordination if he had tried to resist, but you can say the same thing about lots of soldiers throughout history who participated in horrible war crimes. But the person who received the death penalty was the noble gangster, Tae-soo.

So this drama riled me up in many ways, but I was never bored. I'm really glad that I finally had the privilege of watching this important and historic Kdrama.

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Lived up to the hype

Usually, I'm disappointed when I watch super popular shows (like Squid Game, Crash Landing on You, It's Okay Not to Be Okay, etc.) because I can't understand why everyone loves them so much. However, Woo is an exception. I loved it just as much as anybody else, and more than many

The best thing for me was the fantastic performance by Park Eun-bin. She wasn't high on my radar because I've only seen her as the lead in a couple of shows, Age of Youth 1 & 2 and Hot Stove League. In the former, she played a character that got on my nerves, although in the latter she was fine, though not particularly memorable. So I wasn't sure what to expect from her when I started Woo. But she hooked me right from the beginning. I'm not going to get into any debates about how realistic her performance was and whether it's some kind of neurotypical appropriation, etc., because I know nothing about all that. All I know is that she flat out beat Dustin Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance. Hoffman to me was artificial and hard to relate to, whereas Park did a great job drawing you into her character and getting you to empathize with her, even while at the same time credibly performing some of the behaviors that I in my ignorance associate with autistic people I've encountered in my life.

The second best thing for me was the directing, editing, etc. I think the overall production was better than average, but not overly flashy. They kept everything going at a nice clip, with never a single boring moment, and kept you entertained all the way. I wasn't a huge fan of the whale CGI stuff, but it wasn't bad either. I could take it or leave it.

The third best thing was the writing. Most of the legal stuff was interesting and intelligently written. Of course, it had lots of flaws, including the idea that this same group of attorneys at a prestigious law firm would take on such a huge variety of cases rather than specializing in a narrow range of corporate law, and the unrealistic way some of the cases played out. But I'm not going to nitpick, because, compared to almost every other depiction of the legal profession I've seen in Kdramas, Woo was like a documentary. The only other example that was at this level of realism in my experience was Diary of a Prosecutor. However, I must say, the final 2 cases were the weakest, so that took a little bit away from the overall impact of the show.

The plotting of the other stuff, like the Jun-ho romance, Tae Su-mi, Min-wu's treachery and redemption, were okay, although they were rushed and superficial. They should have cut out some of the sub-plots and romances so they could delve more deeply into fewer sub-plots. Speaking of romance, if by season 2, Gu-rami and the hairy boss aren't a couple yet, I'll be very surprised. And aside from Min-wu's split personality and the head attorney Jang's implausible incompetence and groveling, almost all the supporting characters were really likable.

So right now, this is the main gateway show I'm recommending to my friends who aren't into Kdrama.

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Back on track

It's been quite a journey for me watching this series over the last 10 days, and I still have one last 2-part special left to go. For me, Jidai was by far the best of the specials so far. The original 1981 series blew me away, but the specials that followed disappointed me. They dwelled too much on tragedy, bad decisions, separation, and disappointments.

I mean, poor Goro, the log cabin that he builds himself and with the help of his friends is burned down by his own son, then the old house he moves back into collapses from the snow, and worst of all, he has to sell off all the lumber he bought for his new log cabin to make amends for his son's dishonorable behavior with the poor girl Tamoko. With that kind of record, I was worried about his stone house, but thankfully it's still standing by the end of this special.

What's even worse than the setbacks faced by poor Goro is the cowardly, creepy, disgusting behavior of Jun throughout these specials. Not only does he burn down his father's precious house, but he lies and blames it on his best friend, then he rapes at least 2 of the sweetest, nicest girls you can ever imagine, impregnating one of them and forcing her into a painful abortion and causing his father to be absolutely humiliated in front of his old yakuza nemesis Hirono Shozo. Then he treats his second rape victim like absolute shit, tormenting her for a past mistake in the most hypocritical way, even though he's made way worse mistakes in his past. (Interesting how the plot is making reference to the huge controversy stirred up by the real-life actress Miyazawa Rie's notorious nude photo book, an unexpectedly meta, breaking-the-third-wall gesture in an otherwise very old-fashioned series.)

I'm so thankful that Jun acts like a decent human being for a change through most of Jidai, with the exception of still being too cold and proud towards Shu. Come on man, he should be treating her like a queen and begging her to marry him. But he's at least matured to some extent.

Actually, over the last few specials, his sister Hotaru overtook him in bad behavior. Her idiotic, family-destroying affairs with married men and her coldness towards her dad and refusal to see him are not only sad to witness, but as far as I can tell, have no motivation or explanation whatsoever. Why the hell did she act like this? So I'm really glad that during Jidai, Hotaru comes back to the fold, ends up with the good guy Shokichi (who, unlike Jun and Hotaru, became a better person when he grew up), moves back to Furano, and warms up to her dad and family again.

Also, it's nice to see Yukiko back. She was always one of my favorite characters, even though I feel the story often neglects her. It's a shame about Sota though.

But the anchor throughout this entire epic series is Tanaka Kunie and his amazing acting. The scene at the end of part 1 when Hotaru and Shokichi tell him that they're getting married and Hotaru is pregnant is one that I want to watch again and again. The emotions that wash over Tanaka's face are just incredible. This is a true master class in acting by this veteran actor. What an incredibly moving scene delivered by one of Japan's greatest actors, may he RIP.

I really hope that the last special matches the quality of this one and ends the series on a positive note.

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One of the best TV series I've ever seen

This is not only one of the best J dramas, but one of the best TV series period that I've ever seen. It's so classy, humane, unsentimental, and absorbing. The child actors are so important to the show, and they're excellent. Hotaru is such a lovable and perfect daughter. Jun, on the other hand, has his weaknesses and flaws, and often annoyed me, but he's very relatable, and a more realistic character than Hotaru. But Tanaka Kunie's performance as the dad stood out among an outstanding cast. And the writing was excellent. For example, Jun's voiceover narration to Keiko was just perfectly written and was a nice touch. And the dialog and plot developments all felt natural and realistic - something that's very difficult to pull off.

The only minor flaws in my opinion were the bizarre UFO subplot, the death of Shokichi's grandfather after selling his horse (which I thought was a little too much), and the unsatisfying last episode (which is hopefully compensated for by the specials that follow). I also wasn't a huge fan of Sota and Yukiko's relationship because I thought both of them were being really irresponsible, but it was a realistic situation. Lastly, even though Tanaka Kunie had the perfect look and feel of this man who's rough around the edges but has a good heart, but I thought that it was unrealistic that he would be surrounded by so many beautiful women like his ex-wife, Yukiko, Kogomi, and Ryoko. It might have been a little more realistic to cast more normal-looking actresses in those roles. But they all did a great job acting.

I was so surprised that a drama from 1981 could be so high-quality, comparable to the best Japanese movies of that time.

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Cute but not as good as the anime

I approached this drama as a pleasant diversion when I had a few minutes to kill. That’s why it took me a month to finish, even though I watched it at 2x speed. It was easy to consume in that way because there was no plot to keep track of, and barely anything to remember for you to appreciate it. It was just a series of pleasant moments. I think all the actresses did a good job, especially Haruka, who really captured Rin’s reserved personality, even though that went against the grain of her usually bubbly roles.

However, this failed to capture the magic and special mood of the anime. It partially compensated by offering lots of mouth-watering food porn, as well as a little extra hint of yuri romance between Rin and Nadeshiko than the anime provided.

If I were forced to watch this at normal speed and several episodes in a row like I normally do with TV shows, the lack of plot and sameness of everything, minus the special magic of the anime, would have been a problem.

One last thing - living in the US, it’s unthinkable to me that a high school girl would stay all by herself at a campsite late at night with no worries, except for ghosts. What a novelty.

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Great drama for most of its length but stumbles towards the end

This is yet another revenge story about brothers separated as children who end up by coincidence being closely mixed up in each others’ lives as adults, even though they’re unaware that they’re brothers. I was turned off by Young-dal’s thuggishness and stupidity in the first couple of episodes, but fortunately, he gradually improved, and Kim Jae-joong’s fine acting performance made him a character you end up really rooting for. And Lee Bum-soo’s intensity and utterly Korean sentimentality was always fun to watch. Baek Jin-hee was a total charmer too. Unfortunately, Im Si-wan couldn’t keep up with those superior actors. Also, his character made no sense to me.

The story was gripping and bingeable up until the last quarter or third of the season, where it became really repetitive, with one side attacking the other and the other side responding, and continuing like that over and over. And the plot became more and more ridiculous and difficult to believe. And I got tired of characters who knew they were sitting duck targets just casually going about their lives with no protection or precautions. If this were real life, all of the main characters would have been murder victims like halfway through the drama.

Still, it’s an addictive watch most of the time. Just be ready to increase the playback speed or fast forward a lot during the latter part of the series.

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An entertaining mess

I had fun watching this, mostly because of the likable cast. The script was a total mess though. It mixed so many different elements together in a sloppy way, and it made no sense whatsoever. But I was rooting for the main characters. This is the first drama I've finished with Jin Ki Joo in a lead role, and I was impressed by her charisma. Park Hae Jin was decent too, but I wish he hadn't been made to act in such ridiculously exaggerated ways. That last episode will make you cross-eyed though. The screenwriter must have been either completely drunk on millet shell makkoli or was desperate to finish the script by the deadline. But if you just go with the flow and not think too hard about it, it'll be more enjoyable.

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Well-acted and well-crafted, but the stories could have been more interesting and believable

The acting, directing, photography, editing, etc. were top-notch. However, the omnibus format didn't allow enough time for any of the stories to be fully fleshed out. And the stories would often begin with the characters in absolutely miserable circumstances, but very quickly, they would end up resolving their problems in ways that I found to be too simple to be believed. And at the end, you feel like all of the characters were good people. However, when you think back to their earlier actions, many of them were really horrible people, and their redemption seems too easy, and seemingly intractable character flaws seem to suddenly vanish. But if you just go with the flow, and let the emotions and comradery overwhelm you, then the show becomes a rich and enjoyable experience.

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Wholesome version of Himitsu

When I started watching this, I immediately thought of Himitsu (a novel that was adapted into at least 2 movies and a drama). This story might have been influenced by Himitsu, but it veered off into a totally different direction. Whereas Himitsu deeply explored the difficulties and emotional conflicts and jealousies that would realistically result from such a situation, Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru told a simpler story about family bonds and finding the strength to move on after the death of a loved one. Also, it avoided the eeriness and darkness of Himitsu. Even though the premise sounds creepy, and I felt a little bit of creepiness in the first couple of episodes, it ended up being totally wholesome and innocent.

One of the strongest aspects of the drama was the acting. I especially appreciated the amazing child acting by Maida Nono. I usually don't like child actors and wish dramas had way less of them (the previous drama I just finished was a Kdrama, Woman of Dignity, that featured a typically bad and annoying child performance that should have been cut way down), and a cringy, awkward performance would have sunk this show, but Maida really came through. She was a little bundle of energy and you could easily understand how she could inspire people to get out of their doldrums. Also, I was happy to see Morita Misato in a nice role like this, which she played perfectly (I despised The Naked Director, and thought she was one of the few good things about it).

It seems like these stories about loved ones coming back from the dead always have sad or bittersweet endings. But I was hoping for a different kind of ending. Even though Marika-chan's mom went through a drastic change and ended up being a sympathetic person at the end, she had been such a horrible human being who hated her life. So I thought a nice solution would have been for Takae to jump into Marika-chan's mom's body and stay there permanently. Then Keisuke could marry this appropriately-aged woman without any creepiness, and I'm sure that Marika-chan would have had a happy life as his stepdaughter, and with a much more positive person playing the role of her mom, who would have given her way more love than her real mom ever did. And Marika-chan's mom could have wandered the world as a ghost, trying to learn more about life, making amends for being a terrible mother, and trying to become a better person before moving on to the next world. Wouldn't that have been perfect?

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