Editorials 
I love the topics they raise in each episode cos they're very relatable to me. And they're not frivolous topics. They're real questions you would ask when in the relationship. I think this interview format and snippets of their relationships works very well for the 30 mins timeslot. It's clever. You capture of the essence of their relationship and you see the question answered from different POVs.
The cinematography is excellent and is able to enhance the story-telling. I was surprised how much details are shown in just 30 mins. A lot of feels for sure!
The ML and FL are a tad troublesome but then again, it is interesting for me cos I wanna know how their story will end up. My favorite couple is Kyung Joon and Rin Yi. They are so cute!
Very impressed by this production and will definitely recommend. To those who don't understand the story and keep questioning the development, I suspect they haven't fallen in love. There are usually no right or wrong in a relationship, it's always different perspectives. Just cos you don't like how someone behaved in the drama doesn't mean it cannot happen. Love can happen very quickly cos it's a feeling. It can also end very abruptly. True story.
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BEST ENDING
I have watched a few versions of this story, and this show has one of the best endings. Most of the other versions were grim and tragic. This one was sad, but I was satisfied with it. In fact, the ending for the widow here was one of the best. She was not made out to be a pathetic, weak loser at the close of the show, and I also like that Cho Won’s affection for his cousin was quite consistent right till the end.Some of the dialogues were a bit draggy, especially in episode 3, but otherwise, the overall pacing wasn’t too bad. There was sufficient backstories so there was a lot of emotional depth to the characters, and I thought the art direction and storytelling were brilliant. The show was also beautifully shot and is one that should be savored, not rushed through.
There is nothing vile about this show like how some have commented. I would say it's classy. The story is naughty and twisted yes but that's how the original story is. The way it is told in this adaptation IMO is very tastefully done. The scenery, the poetic dialogues, the psychological conflicts, etc are all very well stitched together as a piece of exquisite art. The actors and actresses are professionals doing their job, so there is no need to attack them for their choices. If you cannot handle erotic scenes, then this show is simply not for you. The rating is there for a reason. Anyway, honestly, the erotic scenes probably took up less than 15 mins of the 8 episodes. There is much more to the story than skin showing.
All the actors were great. Initially, I wasn’t used to how Nana portrayed the widow, but her performance grew on me and got better toward the end.
I personally like this story and have thoroughly enjoyed watching this interpretation. Yes, would recommend it, provided you're open-minded to twisted stories and can handle watching some nudity. Also, remember this is set in the Joeson era, based on the 2003 movie. This explains some of the differences between how some characters/situations are portrayed compared to the original novel.
Oh, one more thing...if you’re not watching it on Netflix, but on some illegal platform, and then complaining about the aspect ratio, I think you’re being unfair to the show. Don't blame the production or quality.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a unique and top-of-the-class production with an excellent story, cast, cinematography, and music. No doubt this is a musical but I would call it a piece of art too. If you have read the webtoon, you would have known that the art in the webtoon was one-of-a-kind with many symbolism. I'm glad to say this drama was able to adapt the art and bring out the symbolism rather well. In fact, some scenes like the asphalt in episode 3 and the shadow art in episode 2 were way above my expectations.The cast is simply excellent. I love Ji Chang Wook as the charismatic Ri Eul but I want to give a shout-out to Choi Sung Eun for her amazing portrayal of Yun Ai. Although she is a rookie actress, I think she fared really well in bringing out the inner turmoil of Yun Ai. This being a musical meant that anyone weak in acting will be very telling and I'm so glad there were none. Overall, the choice of the cast was perfect.
While this is a fantasy, the story is very relatable--those who fall below expectations are marginalized at best or discriminated against at worse. Their struggle to fit in is very real. In fact, it's so real, some parts in episodes 4 & 5 felt too heavy and dark.
I love all the singing. I wish there were more and this is surprising considering I usually dislike musicals. So I can say this one is really well done. The lyrics of all the songs were very meaningful, so much so that I often find myself tearing up during those scenes.
Some people complained about the ending but I find the ending in the drama better than the webtoon. There were closures where closures were needed for me. And the disappearance of Ri Eul did not leave me feeling empty like the webtoon did. I saw it as the Ri Eul the magician being mysterious and enigmatic. There was a part I didn't remember reading in the webtoon and that is, the part where Ri Eul the teen met Yun Ai the kid. But I like it because it answered my question of why Ri Eul singled out Yun Ai.
Overall, I agree with many who calls this a masterpiece. One, it's a perfect adaptation of the webtoon, and two, it's a musical very well done. I'm sure there are many K-dramas out there that are more entertaining but they're good as long as you watch them. Typically, they're also forgettable. But not this. It affected my heart so much and left me thinking about it, wanting more. Definitely worth a re-watch!
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I fell asleep watching some episodes
My son asked me to watch this cos he enjoyed it, and it being his first K-drama. So my husband and I sat down to watch. We managed to complete the series but can you believe it? I fell asleep from ep 1 to 3 and even the last ep. The 1st 3 episodes were particularly a pain to watch as they established the plot and we only continued to see if there were any redeeming qualities. Although the plot picked up a little, overall it was rather underwhelming for us and we are scratching our heads over the hype. My son agreed that it's overhyped but he liked it cos it showed him "the true colors of people". I think the storyline is unique but the drama doesn't make me care for any of the characters. Okay, maybe I cared a little for Ali. I didn't feel sad about the girls. I was disgusted with the sex scene although I guess they wanted to establish what a desperate woman needs to resort to to survive. The insertion of the "police investigation" was quite stupid although it wasn't exactly meaningless. Anyway I told my son, there are so many better K-dramas around. But I gotta give it for being clever to be so popular.Was this review helpful to you?
A Great Watch That's Highly Entertaining
This is one of those rare dramas that got me hooked right from the opening and kept me curious and looking forward till the end. I like Fabricated City and apart from 1st 4 episodes that reminded me of the movie, the rest of the content were pretty fresh. Many scenes kept me at the edge of my seat. All the fights, the car chase, the flying bike, and the escape were executed too realistically. Before watching the show, I was wondering how PTJ is gonna exact his revenge on someone far more powerful than most people. But the writer accounted for those questions right from the start...his bike riding skills, his personal training in the prison and most importantly, how he's not someone who gives up easily. The villain honestly felt flat in the initial episodes but from episode 5 onwards, he started showing his true colors. To me, he's an interesting character because of how he was portrayed. He looks innocent and childlike outside but is really a psycho. I felt so nervous toward the end, wondering how PTJ is gonna defeat him. I don't like the nanny and found her acting over-the-top most of the time.Overall, the story makes me care about the characters and want to root for them. It lost some steam here and there by the end of the episodes, but is still satisfactory for me. Some viewers expect answers and a perfect closure for every area of PTJ's life, but I think the ending is realistic. Years have passed since he was incriminated so people have moved on and there are things that are better left unsaid. I am most grateful the writer did not turn the story toxic or makjang.
Highly recommended watch if you're into action thrillers and a fast-paced plot.
Also just want to add this news source about how The Manipulated contributed to the double digit growth of Disney+ last month: https://mobile.newsis.com/view/NISX20251203_0003427347#_endPass
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