I watched this drama for the main cast

**I put parts with spoilers at the bottom

*About the plot*
For starters, I totally understand why there was a public outcry regarding this drama. This drama takes place at a time when Korea was under military rule and when the people felt oppressed. The people fought for democracy and that's how they are enjoying their democracy today. This drama must have brought back painful memories. But I would like to say that the party in question (the ANSP) is more or less being mocked in the drama, or at least where I am currently at. This drama is not glorifying the ANSP or their actions, so I hope Koreans can be slightly open-minded about this, and maybe give this drama a chance? I don't think it is as bad as they thought (in terms of the political intentions of this drama). But hey, who am I to comment, I'm not from Korea and probably too idealistic.

In addition, Yeongro is based on a human who is meant to be sth like the advocate of democracy or sth, but so far [ep9] I don't see any of that. It is possible that the Koreans are upset about this as well. But then again this drama did add a disclaimer that it was fictional.......

Not sure how they do it, but I'm interested in the side characters as well. :) Might be good plot writing, might be good acting, who knows.

I honestly hope there will be a happy ending for everyone, including our main couple but... I only can hope. :\\

*About the cast*
I LOVE the cast. I mean judging from my title, you can probably guess that. I enjoy Jung HaeIn and Yoo InNa's dramas. The other cast were pleasant in whichever dramas I watched them in as well. I do have to praise Jisoo though, I think she is able to express emotions very well. Honestly kinda surprised she's this good at acting, considering this is her first lead role (I've seen much worse from idol-turned-actors.....). Obviously, there is room for improvement for her, (e.g. her enunciation needs some work sometimes) but overall, Jisoo is pleasant to watch! I love the girls from room 207 and their friendship. :)

*Music*
I love the music... Listen for yourself; I have no way to describe this.
opening theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOXpT_0FWbw
It's not just the opening theme that's beautiful, even the other OSTs are!!

*Rewatch value*
Rated a 9.5 for now, I hope it will not drop.
{Update] It's worth my time, I think I really like this drama a lot. The ending HURTS me but it's beautiful, I swear.

P.S. I love the easter eggs they put at the end of the episode to show you some extra scenes. :D

*** SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED***
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** I GUESS YOU REALLY WANNA SEE SOME SPOILERS **
After watching the whole series, here are some of my thoughts/ opinions (that no one asked for).
- Plot twists here and there, some of which I expected (like the part where Dr Kang and Mr Kim are North Korean spies....)
- the wives are so ambitious omg... they are low-key governing their husbands, it's almost as if they are the ANSP agents/ higher-ups lmao. Trying to push their husbands up into the ranks and engaging in rich wife politics... Honestly, they're quite funny when they appear. So petty as well.
- Bunok is sooooooo annoying I hate her. HAHAHA doesn't help that Kim Hyeyoon is someone I would avoid when watching dramas... LOL. She gives me the icks, and her acting is really quite subpar, in my opinion. I personally find her voice pretty annoying, but I shall not give her too much hate for that since it's something she cannot change. Her acting just involves enlarging her eyes and staring lmao I COULD DO THAT TOO.
- it's also scary to see how the betrayal can bite you in the butt when you least expect it...
- I really enjoyed watching the North Korean spies, I just wished they all had a happy ending :( [just my wishful thinking, I already expected deaths] It's also sad to see them dedicate their lives to their country, only to be thrown away after being used.
- I really do hope that Korea gives this drama another chance because this show, if anything, has only sullied the ANSP's name. The tortures, schemes and whatever they attempt to pin on the North/ innocent citizens whom they conveniently label as "commies" just to get their way and maintain their ruling... I don't think there's any point in the drama when the ANSP can be viewed in a positive light. In the last few episodes when there's a big reveal involving the identity of Moran Hill, the embezzlement of funds etc, the party members and their wives just looked like clowns.. No other way to describe it. There were more pressing matters at hand and that's what they were arguing about? Their stupidity shone through.....
- I really like that this show gives screen time to side characters and of course, allows for character development. I used to find Hanna very annoying but I think this just shows that we just need to give people a chance [irl or in dramas]. They may get their redemption arc. :)
- Yeongro at some point in the series just started sounding/acting like a spoilt brat. Like... girl can you use your beautiful brains for a second? Logically speaking, in a hostage situation, are you really going to provoke the aggressor? But that's okay she's the main lead and she'll live because the North Korean spy leader holding them hostage has a soft spot for her because what??? He loves her. *rolls eyes* Unrealistic but we know this is okay because 1) main character buff 2) he loves her 3) kdrama thingz....
- Every time I get a romantic-ish scene ... I brace myself for the worst because I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO (AKA COAX ME WITH SWEETS LIKE I'M A LITTLE KID TT____TT) I say this but I still swoon and squeal HAHAHA I just.... can't. Give me a Jung Haein please <3

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Overhyped

Honestly cannot tell what went wrong with this drama but.... I was excited when I saw the cast. I have to admit the visuals are there, friendship, chemistry but .... not sure where it started to fall off, maybe episode 8? And then watching this drama started to become a chore..

Story
Another romcom, feels like business proposal with the whacky characters and humour. Didn't mean to compare the two but if anything, Business Proposal was done better. I'm okay with cliches and stereotypical ceo-cinderella romance but something about this drama is just boring. I started to find the main couple cringey and even started skipping their parts. I know I'm not the only one when I say this (my friends feel the same) but the air stewardess' romance is better, more heart-fluttering.

Acting/Cast
Like i mentioned above, the cast was well-chosen. Yoona and JunHo are both good idol-turned-actors and the others in the friend group also do their part to make the show interesting.

Music
Quite nice but I must admit I don't remember any OST from this drama...

Overall
This drama has a very strong start that makes you want to continue watching but do be warned, you may start to feel bored just as I did. I was so bored that I put off watching the last 2 episodes of the drama for a while... low-key wanted to drop it at that point.

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not bad but not good

When I saw Lee Youngae was part of the cast, I knew I had to watch it. The story writing is not the best though; it was predictable. Amazing acting, but ngl if you watch enough kdramas you know that some people won't be good guys. It is intriguing though, the acting is convincing in my opinion. I binge-watched the first 10 episodes when the series was about to end. That was a good move on my part; this reduced my waiting time. I think it's definitely worth a watch, but I'm not too sure about a rewatch.

The music was goooooood. I loved it.

The policeman switched teams so fast, that's the only unconvincing part. They chose the right guy for this tho, I wanted to smack his face every time he appeared on screen. :) Hey, I just wanna say that if you hate a character it just means the actor is doing a good job.

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About the cast
There are many familiar faces in this drama, not sure if it's because I've been watching dramas for soooooo long or just... ye but don't worry the acting is fine.

About the plot
I think it's quite obvious that the author(s) don't want you to know the murderer that quickly, so they keep shifting your attention to different people first and slowly eliminate your suspicions.

About the characters
Sometimes Kwangsoo's character is logical and smart. Being pegged as the smartest/genius boy or whatever though.. Idk. There are times his character doesn't live up to his nickname. Well, I'm a fan of Yul and I think she's hella smart for a kid if there was a kid like that in real life... wow I will be scared. (maybe I'm just sheltered af AHAHHA)

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I don't really like zombie dramas

I'm aware that zombie dramas will have their fanbase, so let me preface this by saying that I am not part of it.... Anyway, I thought this drama was entertaining enough, but not particularly interesting. Like it is interesting enough to entertain?

About the plot:
? Interesting at the start, I think the main point of this drama is just the action and gore so I'm not sure how I should rate this. I have to say the drama was very interesting in the beginning but lost traction slowly. Many many plot armours, like how do the main characters survive from the most ridiculous things? There's not much plot honestly, there's barely any progression throughout the series. It's just filled with action, gore and thrill. Oh yes, and the occasional (irrelevant) romance? I mean it's a school drama after all, so maybe it was added to lighten the mood a little. I do love the childhood friends stuff going on but ... Onjo randomly bringing in romance and boys like... THERE ARE ZOMBIES EVERYWHERE AND YOU JUST WANT TO TALK/THINK ABOUT YOUR STUPID ROMANCE?? There's a time and place for everything and the majority of the romantic scenes are useless af. Overall, I think this drama wasn't even meant to have much of a plot? (or at least I hope so, if not it's pretty much a bigass failure of a plot) If you just compile the parts of the drama with a plot, this wouldn't be a 12-episode series, it would be halved or something.

About the acting/cast:
The main casts are obviously school-aged kids but the others.. there are "kids" who are obviously adults like, no questions asked (even among the main casts' friend group). They look way too old to look the part o.o I'm sorry but On-jo is so freaking expressionless, I cannot fathom how she even got the part? There are side characters who are much better at acting.

About the music/OST:
Appropriate for the scenes.

Rewatch value:
As mentioned, I don't usually watch zombie stuff. I'm watching it to just... find out more about the drama.

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loved it, ost and all

Not too sure why the drama doesn't seem like it has many viewers with such stellar cast... I've been excited to watch it ever since I saw the trailer. I rush to watch this drama every week, and every time I catch up I just want more!

Plot
People might compare this with Hometown Chachacha with the seaside theme and the main lead going to there to escape from a scandal. Since people like to compare anyway, I think this drama has a better mix of happiness, sweetness and sorrow. While Hometown Chachacha was more heart-fluttering, Welcome to Samdalri is better at invoking emotions in my opinion. The sob story here is also better explained in my opinion. It's not just the main characters' lives you're interested in, you will want to know about everyone! Happy ending as per normal, but it's a nice closure. :)

Cast
You know it's a good drama when you see Shin Hyesun. Kim Mikyung has got to be everyone's favourite ahjumma. I do like Ji Changwook and his acting but I feel like his choice of dramas hasn't been the best ... UNTIL THIS. Good ol' Ji Changwook is back. :)

Music
Beautiful music. Will definitely listen to the OSTs and put them in a playlist. The tears,,, I convinced my friend to listen to the osts and she LOVES them (enough to want to watch the drama).

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Believe the rating, it's not great

I watched this because I enjoyed season 1, contrary to the other reviewers. The acting in the previous season was much better in my opinion. I agree that there were points in the drama that were exact stereotypes of cult behaviours but I still feel like the whole drama was executed way better than this. Please believe in the rating of this drama omg... The rating given the number of viewers says a lot about it already.

Cast
Sorry, but I've never been a fan of Esom because I feel like she's unable to portray emotions well and this drama proves my point once again. The side characters did a better job in my opinion LOL. This was my first time watching the explosive male lead but I think he's not bad. It's difficult to like anyone in the drama in my opinion...

Plot
As most of the reviewers mentioned, this drama has a slow start. I listened to their advice and tried to push through but I still think it's slow at episode 11. When I read their reviews, I end up doubting myself... Are we even watching the same drama? Some character development is there but feels abrupt.

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Binged it in a day

Story:
Not gonna lie, the story is pretty predictable. However, I still liked it. The characters in the show were likeable; honestly, I wanted to see some of the side characters more (ahem Thiery! love his sassiness. This actor is super versatile!!)

Acting/Cast:
This cast is STACKED. Honestly never watched Seonho and Joseph appear on screen before (understandably so since this is Seonho's first drama) but the cast is HELLA STACKED. Looking at the cast, I knew there wasn't going to be an issue with bad acting. I love Chae Soobin so I may or may not be biased here but :)

Music:
I like Jo Yuri's OST A LOT. The OSTs were appropriately played throughout the series.

Rewatch value:
oh please, even though I just binged it, I don't mind rewatching it HAHA.

Overall:
The romance + friendship theme and the likeable characters made the show binge-able af. Plot and character development are present and honestly satisfying IMO! Give this show a try, I think it's a rom-com that's not too heavy on romance so it will be palatable even for people who don't usually like to watch romance dramas.

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Watched for the cast and interesting synopsis

About the plot:
This drama has quite a strong start, leaving you looking for answers and that's why I continued anyway. At some point, it just got... boring. I just want to know the history!!!! I was already expecting some deeply inter-woven history where the main cast already knew one another [which is true, as expected of a reincarnation kind of drama]. Over time, I honestly don't know what the scriptwriter was going for. :/ At this point, I just want to complete the drama and find out more about the history and why things are happening. Sometimes Sangun's actions are really ridiculous and questionable (if you think about it). But we know it's only possible/justified because it's a drama in the first place. This drama is action-packed, if you're into that, go ahead. Otherwise, the plot is not very interesting... It gets boring after a while before picking itself up again at the last few episodes.

About the cast:
I watched for the cast so hehe I obviously knew there was gonna be top-notch acting. However, the scriptwriting of each character... I'm not sure if it's just me but I feel like the characters are kinda dumb LOL. Especially Sangun...

About the music/OST:
Reallllyyyyyy beautiful music and cinematography.

Rewatch value:
Not high, honestly doubt I will rewatch this. It is interesting though.

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Not bad but not good

It's an easy watch, no need to use your brain at all. Probably a good way to destress.

Plot
The writing is not amazing, but it's not so boring that I would drop it. As other reviews already mentioned, it's a mix-and-match of your favourite typical cliches. NOTHING AGAINST CLICHES, I like them.

Cast
Amazing visuals from the main cast, Song Kang and Yoojung, and they have amazing chemistry in my opinion (I mean what else can I say?) Acting is great.

Music
Amazing setlist omg, I would totally add the OSTs to my Spotify playlist. The opening theme is catchy and well. Tiktok speaks for itself.

Rewatch value
Rated it kinda high because I think it's really easy to just throw this on and enjoy it.

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I started watching this because I was bored

I wanted to watch this when it was airing but didn't have time (at that point in time). I have some free time now, so I'm looking through the dramas I have backlogged...

*About the cast*
The main cast in this drama (and honestly even the side cast) are actors and actresses I've seen in other dramas so I know the acting will not be a problem.

*About the plot*
The biggest problem is the writing of this drama. It's pretty predictable so don't expect insane plot twists or anything. Nothing wrong with that, just take note. It's a pretty light-hearted drama with really not much plot so if you're expecting one, this is not the drama for you. It's the typical quirky exaggerated drama so you can expect exaggerated acting and ridiculous situations. I would not go as far as to say as this drama is freaking hilarious, but it might just be the drama you need when you don't want to use your brain.

*About the music*
Appropriate and cute.

*Rewatch value*
Pretty boring even on the first watch so definitely not worth rewatching in my honest opinion.

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A little disappointing

I wanted to watch this because of Ji Chang Wook but I think .... I have to drop this series.

I don't drop series very often so I think this says a lot. I couldn't subscribe to the musical songs in this drama; they're awkward af if you ask me. Not that the singing is terrible, but the lyrics (from what I've seen) are also quite cute. The placements are just very awkward, no other way to put it. Pleasantly surprised by Hwang In-yeob's performance! You may have read other reviews that say the same thing, but I have also read reviews that loved the musical aspect so... My best advice would be to just watch the drama first, and see if you like it.

# About the plot
Already kinda guessing that the plot is gonna be some cringey cliche like "oh life is tough but you gotta believe in magic" kinda nonsense... I mean i could subscribe to that (I watch so many romcoms, cliches are nothing) but I'm not convinced by what I see. An older man taking care of a teen.. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh not sure about that.

# About the characters
I haven't found a character that I liked in this drama. I kind of want to support Ah Yi but then again, idk I don't think her character is very appealing.

# About the cast/acting
Main 3 are great at acting. The bully's face is very annoying (I've seen her before in another drama, couldn't bring myself to like her) so I guess they cast her well? Her acting isn't great tho, it's her face doing the job. One thing tho, I think JCW gotta pick his shows a little better... He's been on a little bit of a losing streak with the dramas he's been acting in recently.

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I watched this because of the hype

I'm personally not very interested in dating shows like this because I'm highly sceptical of their authenticity and whether these shows are scripted. After completing the series, I would like to think/hope this isn't scripted at all... HAHA. Also, I watched Ji-A's video on youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrXSqRZPrxE around 3:50] , where she mentioned that it wasn't scripted (and I would like to believe her)

I honestly don't think the music was that memorable so I just gave it a pass lmao.

I would say most of the cast are pretty likeable, but I don't remember much about their personalities. Maybe it's the short period of time, the lack of meaningful conversations (NOT those about their feelings towards each other) but there's not much personality being shown. There is only one cast I dislike, and that's the obsessive male (you'll understand me when you get there). There are also cast who are severely underrated/ do not get much screen time (Yea Won and Junsik my OTP hehe).

In terms of rewatch value, I feel like this series didn't "spark joy" (in Marie Kondo's words)... It's the kind I would watch once (just to understand why the heck everyone is talking about it) and never watch it again. Once is enough to experience whatever feelings you feel when you watch the interactions and whatever. It is quite juicy, but I would say the majority of the time it's quite obvious (at least to me) whoever the contestants will pick. I would say there are only 1 or 2 times when I didn't expect a certain outcome.

The reasons people might enjoy this show is because:
1) honestly kinda spicy and juicy idk sip some hot tea
2) a bunch of attractive people are on an island with no phones. this said bunch of people interact and flirt around with the others in attempt to enjoy a nice getaway from this "hellish inferno" [honestly not even hellish, no perilous waves or any survival skills required.. just the occasional caveman brawls they like to hold as contests ... okay back to the point].
3) it would be quite interesting to see how people get attracted to each other in this short span of 8-9 days
4) people talk about their feelings quite openly and honestly, which is quite nice in my opinion.
5) you get to feel the flutters in your stomach without having the pain of a breakup or sth idk man
6) for the eye-candies .. lots of abs and biceps (for the guys) and the girls dress nicely and have nice bodies as well.
7) out of boredom/fomo

If there's anything this show highlighted to me, it's that timing is very important. The timing when people say sth, the timing when people take certain actions. And also that there are obsessive guys out there who scare the wits out of me. I also have a theory that only girls find the obsessive guy obsessive and guys may actually find him inspirational (for getting the girl after much persistence)........

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Watched for Lee Da Hee

Lee Da Hee and Kim Nam Gil are great actors, KNG especially. Watched this because I was bored and the synopsis sounded interesting.

Story
Nothing great or amazing. Entertaining enough but even at episode 4, I feel like I still have many questions. I think this one is more about the action................ though it's not super action-packed either. Meh.

Acting
As mentioned LDH and KNG are there haha. Side characters are familiar faces soooo great. I have to say though, Cha Eun Woo's acting improved HAHA. At least he's showing more natural expressions........

Music
I like the intro! OSTs are appropriate.

Rewatch value
nah idts. I don't see myself rewatching this.

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