BeanSensei
Latvia
I will start with the cast. Rain is a brilliant actor who portrays all emotions with raw and real precision, staying as human in a fake situation as possible and that was more than simply eye-pleasing to observe. From heartbreaking tears to cute acts of love everything was well done. Krystal, to my mind, with this has proven she has acting in her and even thought, I think, this was not that much of a challenging character, she did great and a more challenging role would bring out even more of her talent. INFINITE's L aka. MyungSoo, my dear dear MyungSoo... this was not his best work, I need to be objective and say that. There were some very, very good moments, but so many scenes were plain awkward I just wanted them to stop. I applaud his effort and I still strongly believe that he has acting talent in him, but this somehow was not his drama at all.
The plot that showed the hidden things of music industry and also the personal lives of those involved was good. The bts of the industry was highly accurate and I do hope that plenty of those who watched realized that this drama preached the reality - not all groups that are all friendly on-camera are like that when they go back to dorms, that preparing for a comeback faces more obstacles than we can imagine, that as much as writing a song can turn in a drama. Those aspects were shown perfectly.
Yet the persona relationships between the main characters were so predictable it was not even funny. I swear, the drama was at episode 6 and I told my friend all major events that will happen in the drama and guess what... they did indeed happen. It had a very typical drama love-line with very typical obstacles and very typical outcome. If you have watched enough dramas you definitely know this.
I am not entirely sure if I would recommend it to others nor am I sure that I would ever watch it again, but it was bearable and watchable. If you have doubts simply watch it and see with your own eyes is it a 'yes' to you or a 'no'.
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Story:
For the first few episodes, the story might seem a bit confusing. We start 120 years ago and then in the span of one episode jump those 120 years forward. The world has changed, and yet has not changed at all! We see already familiar faces, but are they the people we think they are? Is everything we see how it seems and why is it twisted this way? However the further we are sucked into the world of this Joseon vampire fantasy, the more things start to make sense - even to the smallest detail.
The most wonderful thing about this particular story is how every single thing matters. Each small side plot, each character introduced, each emotion displayed, each decision made all come together in the end to form the final result. Even if at first they seem wrong and we curse at the characters, an episode later it all makes sense. The world is built so meticulously in this drama it makes the viewer believe in the story, in the characters and all things happening, which is a very masterful thing to do.
Unfortunately, like with most dramas, we cannot escape some cliches an avid drama watcher sees a mile away. It's a common known fact that it is not a real Korean drama if it does not have some of its classical cliches or tropes presented. In this case, however, the cliches do not deduct much from the actual story, which is crocheted together so beautifully it's hard to stop watching, as you just want to know what will happen next!
Romance, friendship, betrayal, questions of loyalty and honor all are looked at and explored in various ways, connecting them with the suspenseful fight against a pest trying to take control over the country. Gripping to the point it doesn't let you go even after it's over!
Acting/Cast:
Hats off! That could sum up the work of the cast the easiest. Each role was as if perfectly tailored to the actor or rather the actor fit as perfectly as it's possible. Such a perfect match between the cast and the roles made watching their relationship develop on screen and amazing experience beyond belief.
Two stand-outs I would like to point out are definitely Lee JoonGi and Shim ChangMin for me. JoonGi we all know as an amazing actor who has proven himself in the industry. His dedication to each role to the point it's hard to tell where Joongi ends and the character starts. The stunt work he always does himself leaves everyone speechless. In this drama, he once more proves his name is a sign of the highest quality, by delivering the character perfectly. His eyes always tell a million stories and draw out each emotion as perfectly as an artist painting a scenery, which makes it impossible not to fall for the complex characters he plays - this being no exception. The viewer is pulled in by the pain, love, care, anger - every nuance displayed and it's a trap no one wants to get out of.
Shim ChangMin, more known as Max ChangMin from TVXQ, is nowhere near as experienced in acting as JoonGi, having only a few roles under his belt at the time and not all of them good, however, he fits the period of the drama and the mood unexpectedly well! Similarly to his sunbae, his eyes have the power to transfer emotions to the viewer directly, unmistakeably and makes one feel them along with him. Knowing how complex his character is and how many emotional things he has to go through, his acting was absolutely spot on, showing his talent with a huge potential to grow and continue developing his acting skills even more.
Music:
From heartfelt ballads sang by top stars, to suspenseful instrumentals and back to romantic pieces - the OST has it all! It is the perfect mood setter, each piece matched perfectly with certain moments in the drama - be the moments tragic, action-packed or romantic. It's something worthy of every day listen or when the mundane life needs to be spiced up with good, high-quality music. Fully available on Spotify, it is one of the best OSTs out there.
Overall, the drama has perfectly combined historical and mythical elements in a gripping and saturated but story that touches upon various subjects, while still following the main plot. Executed by amazing cast and crew, the drama is probably one of the best in the historical fantasy genre and definitely worth a watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
It might seem slow, but it gets to a point.
All in order:1) The acting is very good!
The characters portrayed are complex, multi layered, with intense back stories and sometimes unclear path they will go. The cast deals with this wonderfully, portraying the full range of emotions as intensely as needed.
2) Cinematography and soundtrack are also good.
You wouldn't call this a cinematic masterpiece, however the setting, the coloring, the added music add to the eerie, unsettling and often difficult to grasp events and settings.
3) Timeline jumping.
For more than first half of the series we jump between 3, sometimes 4, timelines - what the detective is telling, the interview with him that is taking place, the mass murders interview and different memory sequences.
We also jump between character POVs - the detective, the murder, the teenagers looking for their friend and several more.
All this can be quite confusing and throw one off the plot.
All timelines merge in one near the end and becomes a much easier watch. Apart from some flashbacks revealing character back story.
4) The plot itself.
Cults, brainwashing, hypnosis, gas attacks, mass s**cides and much more. Many of us will recognize elements from actual events and cults inspiring this. The plot is actually very interesting, however the executing with different timelines and the many POVs takes away from it.
Overall - a good background watch that picks up the pace and becomes more clear during the second half. But would I recommend it to everyone? Probably not.
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Story:
The plot focuses on a salaryman, that decides to take a revenge on a high-schooler who had assaulted his daughter. At this very moment, one might wonder is that a grown man's reaction and is revenge really the answer, however, we do have to take in account father's love towards his only daughter, that plays a large role as his motivation.
Through various different training ways, with the help of 3 high-school boys, he not only reveals his physical potential but also changes his view on life and starts changing his personality to a more brave and decisive man, rather than a coward he was before. It's a journey that usually a young man would go on, but here a middle-aged office worker takes this serious step in order to defend his daughter's honor.
Apart from the main plotline which eventually leads to the final "fight", there are several small side plots, stories of people directly around him that either has gone through this road themselves or are actually inspired by him to try and improve themselves. It also touches upon the back-story of one of the boys helping him, adding a twist of father-son relationship building between them, which adds another layer to the movies base - family.
The small additions of the side plot were nice and so was the actions repeating themselves and showing the development of the character, yet one could argue it might have been too repetitive and, perhaps, a bit slow paced. The motivation for 'revenge' is questionable as well, but the focus on family makes the viewer forget about it while watching.
Acting/Cast:
Not much can be said about the side character, as their involvement and presence is very minor throughout the whole movie. The main characters played by Lee JoonGi and Lee MoonShik are very interesting and actually complex, however, the fact this is a movie does not give us as much insight on either of them as we would want. It gives glimpses and narrated backstories (Lee JoonGi's character) or a narration over ongoing action (Lee MoonShik's character), however, it feels more could be known about them. That being said, both actors did a splendid job with what was given to them!
Music
Tunes from the time when the movie was made and even early, mostly focusing on the theme of the movie in the lyrics, enhance both the main thought behind the movie as well. The chosen singers, songs and lyrics all tie together with the story. But would this be a soundtrack we would search for to listen to daily? Probably not.
Over-all, the movie was an easy watch and it didn't feel like it was dragging on for too long. Yet if I have to admit I probably am watching it only one time, the plot not being something one wants to watch over and over again. I would recommend it for a one time watch.
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