alon-luna

WARNING: major spoilers


I think Asian dramas still have a long way to go when it comes to thrillers and plot twists. Sometimes, they get it right (Signal) but most of the ones I've seen border on the makjang/melodramatic and have over-the-top (very obvious) culprits which lessens the suspense. Overall, if judged specifically as a thriller* or a whodunnit*, Siren's Kiss is not quite there yet...but it is a step in the right direction.

In fact, I wasn't sure whether to classify it as a thriller/whodunit or a crime noir. They are not the same thing. I've watched a handful of Hollywood crime noir and from the start, you already know who the culprit is in this genre...it's usually the female lead and the whole point of the story is that she has to be taken down since she seduces and kills men. I'm not against watching this trope if done right, but I much prefer the more sympathetic take Siren's Kiss has, which historically, is the more modern one. While Park Min Young has made a career out of playing wholesome rom-com heroines and is very good at it, I don't think it's a bad thing for her to step outside her comfort zone and try something new. However, I can't quite see her as an all out villainess. While I still prefer her playing cheerful, girl-next-door types (she has a smile that lights up a room and a very friendly presence as an actress), her portrayal of the depressed and neurotic Han Seolah was convincing.

Wi Ha Joon is decent as detective Cha. He plays a similar character to his role in Squid Game, that of an investigator who is obsessive in his fight for justice and sometimes uses questionable means to get it. His actual fight scenes look real, not like he's just posing. He was quite obnoxious to the female lead at first, but overall is a good guy who is just rough around the edges. Kim Jung Hyun did very* well as Baek Jun Bom. His deranged facial expressions were so on point that I can't unsee them. I don't think I'll have an easy time seeing him as a good guy after this, but I'm certain that he's talented enough to ace a different role. Lee Elijah also shines as a character who is envious and obsessive, but also a victim and someone you sympathize with, after seeing her circumstances.

Viewers who are used to the shocking plot twists in Hollywood and European thrillers will be disappointed in the reveal of the big culprit, because it is quite obvious. On the other hand, I'm glad that, given how many crazy makjang characters appear here (probably as red herrings), the main culprit seems like quite the ordinary person. Perhaps it would have been better if his sister* turned out to be the culprit and he was just protecting her, turning out to be another red herring himself? That would have been one way to choose a villain who wasn't cartoony, but still surprising.

The strongest points of this drama are 1) the performances of the leads. The way bottled up trauma and release were represented by the lead actress- her scene after a funeral in the terrace with the male lead was quite powerful and they both delivered there. I feel a bit conflicted about the second male lead...his part in the story was too over the top for me, but as far as this type of role goes, he was really good at portraying a lunatic. Even the actress playing the nasty and scheming Art House chairwoman excelled. The show had this way of making a character do something seemingly normal, but look mysterious, like when the chairwoman stepped into a secret room full of art, her behavior made you know she was up to no good and want to keep guessing what she was up to.

2) The style of the show- There were a lot of symbolic things I liked. The way the male lead first sees the female lead through a one way mirror was similar to how a suspect is viewed by detectives in an interrogation room. The female lead is objectified here, but it is deliberate; one doesn't know if this woman is good or bad, so she is a big question mark. Even the OST is hauntingly beautiful. I like how the singer starts off humming softly and the song builds into a powerful crescendo...much like the way you'd imagine a siren singing. Very powerful OST and thematically fitting.

I don't usually go for bickering, antagonistic couples, so I'm glad that the main couple didn't stay enemies for long. I much preferred the scenes where they were finally working together and like how the male lead protected the female lead for so long once he realized she was innocent. I also like how the female lead returned the favor in the end. Even if she had zero fighting skills, she literally saved his life. I do agree with the flaw that they went from being antagonistic to being friends too fast. I don't know if the 12 episode format is to blame. On one hand, a few more episodes would have made the change more convincing (romance wise); on the other hand having more than 12 episodes would mean stretching out the mystery factor and I've seen many a series become boring as a result.