Good with spots of mid
Payback has an interesting premise that is well carried by the principle character/actor of Sun but is honestly hindered by the romance in it.
I know it's technically integral to the plot of the show but the romance absolutely drags. Jay's actor is bad. His acting reads like caricature and he lacks the nuances to his facial expressions the character needs to pull off someone who is mysterious and powerful. His flat performance kills any chemistry between Jay and Sun which in turn makes the romance seem like a waste of screen time. Also a lot of the scene's that are supposed to be the build up of the romance / physical do play out or at least are directed kind of sexual assault-ish so please be warned if that is a triggering topic for you.
Aside from that, the show has a tonal issue. There is not enough balance to where they make things light and silly and where they make things heavy because the main plot of the story is extremely heavy. Having funny moments isn't bad but having so many every episode kills the message that you treat the topics with the wight they deserve.
On a positive note, the acting for most of the other characters is really good. Khajorn and Sky have great personal chemistry with Sun and pull their weight in all of their scenes, Bank/Sunny is played by an actor I know is phenomenal and he does not let down in this role either. I honest to gods do not like any other show Boss is in but his role as Pakin is played so naturally I might give more of his work a try.
Sun is the center of the show and the actor does great justice. You can see a subtle evaluation of his character grow in how he treats others and how he treats and expresses himself. He makes you really feel the grief and desperation of Sun and you want to root for him, even when you know he has done wrong in the past. Min, the actor, has very expressive eyes which they comment on in the show and I think is what made casting him the right choice.
The plot is also interesting. Both a revenge story and a tale of how to heal when you don't believe you have the right to. A minor commentary on the entertainment industry with not particularly subtle messages but good messages none-the-less about what it means to want to live. Combined with it being well shot, I really enjoy the show despite the flaws and am excited to see how it ends. With Sammon as a writer I have high expectations.
I know it's technically integral to the plot of the show but the romance absolutely drags. Jay's actor is bad. His acting reads like caricature and he lacks the nuances to his facial expressions the character needs to pull off someone who is mysterious and powerful. His flat performance kills any chemistry between Jay and Sun which in turn makes the romance seem like a waste of screen time. Also a lot of the scene's that are supposed to be the build up of the romance / physical do play out or at least are directed kind of sexual assault-ish so please be warned if that is a triggering topic for you.
Aside from that, the show has a tonal issue. There is not enough balance to where they make things light and silly and where they make things heavy because the main plot of the story is extremely heavy. Having funny moments isn't bad but having so many every episode kills the message that you treat the topics with the wight they deserve.
On a positive note, the acting for most of the other characters is really good. Khajorn and Sky have great personal chemistry with Sun and pull their weight in all of their scenes, Bank/Sunny is played by an actor I know is phenomenal and he does not let down in this role either. I honest to gods do not like any other show Boss is in but his role as Pakin is played so naturally I might give more of his work a try.
Sun is the center of the show and the actor does great justice. You can see a subtle evaluation of his character grow in how he treats others and how he treats and expresses himself. He makes you really feel the grief and desperation of Sun and you want to root for him, even when you know he has done wrong in the past. Min, the actor, has very expressive eyes which they comment on in the show and I think is what made casting him the right choice.
The plot is also interesting. Both a revenge story and a tale of how to heal when you don't believe you have the right to. A minor commentary on the entertainment industry with not particularly subtle messages but good messages none-the-less about what it means to want to live. Combined with it being well shot, I really enjoy the show despite the flaws and am excited to see how it ends. With Sammon as a writer I have high expectations.
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