Reminder (once again): enjoyment is not the same as quality (but still decent)
Hello there. Sorry if I won't go in great details on certain points. Thats because I consider it a decent mid, so there are just a tiny bit of meh, or even nitpicks that I'd like to address.
So. Visuals. Mostly good, with some even amazing shots. But also a bit lacking in certain aspects. Like the fight choreography, where they had to do it in ways that masked the stuntperson's face. Like the stock image of looking through a scope, that shows you the distance (like 100m), which remains the same even when the camera is panning to a person 20m closer. A nitpick, I know. Like the usage of fake snow/snowing. Like usage of fake rain. This one is particularly bad because you get a head shot of ML with heavy "rain", coupled with his emotions at that time (that looks amazing btw), next second it goes to a lateral shot, with a meh "rain", next second goes to a wide/establishing shot, where you can see the full dry road 6 meters away. Granted, its right at the edge of the image, the editor cropped and did the best it could without deleting that shot entirely, but it is there. But also, the next scene starts right after the "rain", with a shot of droplets falling off some branch. So, they really did their best to make it feel real.
Audio. Good sound design. Also great OST, and used just (or at least thats how it felt) at key moments. Personal thing: a bit too much of those stock sfx that k-dramas keep using, the knife, the tiger's roar, dog whimpering, you know, the "ha-ha" stuff.
Editing. At least decent, if not better. Like previously mentioned, the editor tried and did what it could. World-building is a bit meh. Maybe you don't really need the bigger stuff, but still it would've been nice to explain some stuff a little better. The pacing is ... meh/ok-ish I guess. It works for an entertainment watch, but strictly for the story it is not the greatest work. Yeah, you could say it has a high production value and you can see it.
Now the main stuff. Yes, good casting, amazingly good chemistry between different actors, charisma all-around. Great or even amazing acting, from the ones that matter the most. Unfortunately, the support (or almost guest) cast is used only when needed. Nothing about their personal lives, their "talents" are used only once or twice, to make us be curious about them, but thats all.
The story is, more or less, ok. It tried to do too much, from my point of view. A sniper, a family, work, the morality/ethical aspect about if it is good or wrong in what she does, different kids suffering left and right, backstories left and right, and this and that.... If this would've been a simple drama about a sniper handling the everyday, mundane life and thats all there was to it, if would've been a perfectly ok (and better) show. A weekly "I wonder what she'll do next" thing. Whereas with what we got, you need to get invested and pay attention to every little thing. Yes, it is sad what it is happening, all that every day domestic violence that the society won't handle in a better way, but this drma shouldn't have been the one to discuss it.
But anyway. So, a story about a sniper that blah blah blah. Unfortunately, the technical aspects every time there's a scene involving sniping is meh, at best. You can't have her placed near a source of light. It happens almost every time. Or on a roof, without hiding from plain sight. Or not listening to the support at certain plot points. And stuff like that. And I guess thats a nice segue. The script is done in such a way that it practically forces the plot to move in a certain direction. Simple stuff becomes complicated just to introduce drama and/or tension. Like stopping listening to the person with the vital info, so that "misunderstandings" ensue. Or plot contrivances like someone using the phone and dropping plot contrivances out loud. "What? You're going there? With that squad?", the ML hears it, and storms off. And so, the story can end in a very specific way. Basically, all these little things, bit by bit, dropped this drama's rating. I won't go over all of them, there's no need. But I will mention the last episode, that was a disaster. Almost completely. A certain event happens. My first thought was "well, maybe check that place, no? I mean, its pretty obvious". I think all of us would think the same. I was expecting something like a rehash. You know, new but also playing on the old, so a good pay-off. When the story didn't, I thought there was a very good reason as to why and that they will show us something interesting at least. But later, the ML goes "wait a minute, what if..." and I almost punched the screen. Basically it was only for the plot, so that the drama wouldn't end 40 minutes (or whatever) earlier. Plus all the other nonsense. So, yeah, bad. Really bad.
Ok, ff the rest. The romance is ok. Like I said, nice chemistry all around, so it helped a lot. A bit disappointed with a certain couple, too meh and a letdown. The comedy. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it just dragged out too much and it felt cringe.
Thats about it. I'm sure I'm missing a lot, but I'll stop here. It gets a rating of... hmmm... it doesn't feel like a 7, lets go 6,5. The technical aspects were good, but the story was just a bit over the meh/not bad level. The actors did a lot of the heavy-lifting, yet some plot elements we're a bit lacking, plus all those plot threads that muddled a simple and enjoyable story. Re-watching value? No, not really. You might enjoy the drama, but its not THAT good to watch it again. Not even for your favorites. Just watch (or re-watch) them in a better one.
Have a lovely day.
So. Visuals. Mostly good, with some even amazing shots. But also a bit lacking in certain aspects. Like the fight choreography, where they had to do it in ways that masked the stuntperson's face. Like the stock image of looking through a scope, that shows you the distance (like 100m), which remains the same even when the camera is panning to a person 20m closer. A nitpick, I know. Like the usage of fake snow/snowing. Like usage of fake rain. This one is particularly bad because you get a head shot of ML with heavy "rain", coupled with his emotions at that time (that looks amazing btw), next second it goes to a lateral shot, with a meh "rain", next second goes to a wide/establishing shot, where you can see the full dry road 6 meters away. Granted, its right at the edge of the image, the editor cropped and did the best it could without deleting that shot entirely, but it is there. But also, the next scene starts right after the "rain", with a shot of droplets falling off some branch. So, they really did their best to make it feel real.
Audio. Good sound design. Also great OST, and used just (or at least thats how it felt) at key moments. Personal thing: a bit too much of those stock sfx that k-dramas keep using, the knife, the tiger's roar, dog whimpering, you know, the "ha-ha" stuff.
Editing. At least decent, if not better. Like previously mentioned, the editor tried and did what it could. World-building is a bit meh. Maybe you don't really need the bigger stuff, but still it would've been nice to explain some stuff a little better. The pacing is ... meh/ok-ish I guess. It works for an entertainment watch, but strictly for the story it is not the greatest work. Yeah, you could say it has a high production value and you can see it.
Now the main stuff. Yes, good casting, amazingly good chemistry between different actors, charisma all-around. Great or even amazing acting, from the ones that matter the most. Unfortunately, the support (or almost guest) cast is used only when needed. Nothing about their personal lives, their "talents" are used only once or twice, to make us be curious about them, but thats all.
The story is, more or less, ok. It tried to do too much, from my point of view. A sniper, a family, work, the morality/ethical aspect about if it is good or wrong in what she does, different kids suffering left and right, backstories left and right, and this and that.... If this would've been a simple drama about a sniper handling the everyday, mundane life and thats all there was to it, if would've been a perfectly ok (and better) show. A weekly "I wonder what she'll do next" thing. Whereas with what we got, you need to get invested and pay attention to every little thing. Yes, it is sad what it is happening, all that every day domestic violence that the society won't handle in a better way, but this drma shouldn't have been the one to discuss it.
But anyway. So, a story about a sniper that blah blah blah. Unfortunately, the technical aspects every time there's a scene involving sniping is meh, at best. You can't have her placed near a source of light. It happens almost every time. Or on a roof, without hiding from plain sight. Or not listening to the support at certain plot points. And stuff like that. And I guess thats a nice segue. The script is done in such a way that it practically forces the plot to move in a certain direction. Simple stuff becomes complicated just to introduce drama and/or tension. Like stopping listening to the person with the vital info, so that "misunderstandings" ensue. Or plot contrivances like someone using the phone and dropping plot contrivances out loud. "What? You're going there? With that squad?", the ML hears it, and storms off. And so, the story can end in a very specific way. Basically, all these little things, bit by bit, dropped this drama's rating. I won't go over all of them, there's no need. But I will mention the last episode, that was a disaster. Almost completely. A certain event happens. My first thought was "well, maybe check that place, no? I mean, its pretty obvious". I think all of us would think the same. I was expecting something like a rehash. You know, new but also playing on the old, so a good pay-off. When the story didn't, I thought there was a very good reason as to why and that they will show us something interesting at least. But later, the ML goes "wait a minute, what if..." and I almost punched the screen. Basically it was only for the plot, so that the drama wouldn't end 40 minutes (or whatever) earlier. Plus all the other nonsense. So, yeah, bad. Really bad.
Ok, ff the rest. The romance is ok. Like I said, nice chemistry all around, so it helped a lot. A bit disappointed with a certain couple, too meh and a letdown. The comedy. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it just dragged out too much and it felt cringe.
Thats about it. I'm sure I'm missing a lot, but I'll stop here. It gets a rating of... hmmm... it doesn't feel like a 7, lets go 6,5. The technical aspects were good, but the story was just a bit over the meh/not bad level. The actors did a lot of the heavy-lifting, yet some plot elements we're a bit lacking, plus all those plot threads that muddled a simple and enjoyable story. Re-watching value? No, not really. You might enjoy the drama, but its not THAT good to watch it again. Not even for your favorites. Just watch (or re-watch) them in a better one.
Have a lovely day.
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