keumi
Korea
The main scare in this movie isn't the ghosts, nor the music, jump scares, or buckets of blood being spilled. It's the central theme of the movie, and that is bullying. Without revealing too much, I think it's safe to say that the bullying depicted in this movie is horrendous. It's downright terrifying. Brutal physical and extreme psychological abuse and no one does anything. Absolutely nothing.
When the movie isn't trying hard to be scary, it chooses to be incredibly sweet, and so very, very heartbreaking. The girl ghost is exceptionally kind and sweet. A person that warm of heart does not deserve to become an icy cold ghost and life is unfair. On the more humorous side, the uncle is befriended by a simple minded, but good-natured, ghost.
But being a horror movie, it is cinematically scary, as well. This is mostly achieved through jump scares coupled with your average scary score. High pitched strings and suspenses, periodically cut off by chilling silence. It had me watching through my fingers at a few occasions, but that is enough to avoid the scary stuff. It's not gory enough to make you sick to your stomach, and it's no psychological thriller that'll make your skin crawl or haunt you at night for years to come. Simply put, it won't leave you scarred for life.
Overall, the movie was all right. If you dislike scary movies, I wouldn't recommend it to you. It's not that excellent that you should watch it if it means you'll do so through your fingers, but if this kind of movie is your thing, I would say go for it! If you are a horror fanatic and crave the most horrendous of horrors, this movie won't make you scared senseless, but it might present you with something else, something unpredicted of the heartwarming kind.
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The story's biggest weakness is its characters. Characters make or break a story, and Kim Joo Won just isn't as romantic as he is made out to be. Repeatedly seeking out a girl that has made it clear that there is no mutual interest isn't the way to go. Invading personal space and not laying off her when she is obviously extremely uncomfortable isn't the way to go, either. I do dig his sparkly tracksuit, though. Not only aesthetically, but as a recurring gag. I'm not saying that all characters are 100% trash, because that's not it. There are several good characters, like Ah Young, Han Tae Sung and Oska, to name a few. The acting and the cast, on the other hand, is great. No complaints. Hyun Bin especially did a great job with the body swapping, and Ha Ji Won's emotional performance was up there, but there's only so much you can do with shallow characters.
The story did drag on for half an eternity during the middle episodes 8-12. I would have dropped it if it had dragged on for one more episode. After that, the pace is quickly picked up again and sustained throughout the rest of the series, though. So be warned. There are a few snooze-episodes that are about as fun as watching paint dry. Or something.
The comedy during the body swapping is great. There are several scenes that had me laughing out loud.
The music wasn't anything special. It wasn't bad, it definitively wasn't, it just wasn't great either. It did its job well, and that's what's important. I just won't add it to my iPod, is all.
I personally won't watch it again, because I suspect I might become so frustrated that I'll do something I regret, like eating 15 tangerines, again. I shall avoid that if possible. But if I were stranded on a deserted island, or snowed in or something, and could watch only this to pass the time, of course I would. Just not as a first choice. And who knows, maybe it would enchant me on a second go? Like Kim Joo Won? I won't take the risk.
Did I just completely waste 20+ hours? No. I'd say this drama is worth a watch, even if it's just to be able to say you've seen it.
Final score: 6.5 / 10
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With the vampire popularity boom these past few years, you'd think that we ought to have grown tired of them by now... The premise of this drama is good. No complaints. Just somehow, they managed to mess up on the execution. Some characters have depth, while others are rather one-dimensional. Yang Sun was a bit too clingy and stubborn for my liking. She wasn't able to take no for an answer and followed the Scholar around like a tail. Gwi, on the other hand, seemed like a dull character at first but turned out to be one of the stars of the show. The gisaeng Kim Sung Yeol's right hand Soo Hyang showed some great character development, and Ho Jin charmed us all, I think, with his yes-can-do attitude.
The drama moved along extremely slowly around episode 8-10. I watched this on Viki, and I have never appreciated the timed comments-function more. Then the drama changed writers, which was kind of both good and bad. Good, because the pace quickened again and prevented the audience from dying from boredom. Bad, because a lot of loose ends were left at the end. What was the deal with the black cloak anyway? The final episode, by the way, was probably the best final episode I've ever seen- for the first half, that is. The second half, and especially the last ten minutes, provided the second least satisfying ending I've ever seen (those of you that have seen Big know what I'm about). In any case, the storyline wasn't that complex that it really required all that much explaining in the end anyways.
But what really got me coming back to continue watching this drama week after week isn't the story- it's the sets and the costumes. Since it's a historical drama, all characters wear traditional Korean clothes, which I've come to understand is called a hanbok. Men wear some sort of long robe and women wear a jacket and a skirt. All the costumes are beyond amazing. With their intricate details, lovely cuts and overall design, it's clear that the costume team spent a lot of time making these. Thank you costume department!
The cast all did a splendid job. This is the first time I've ever seen Lee Joon Gi, but let me tell you, it won't be the last. I am definitively seeing more of him in the future! That man can act. There were many demanding scenes in this drama, but he acted all of them out wonderfully. Lee Yu Bi, too, did a great job. Real emotions; real tears, real smiles, real kisses. The two of them had real chemistry, which unfortunately cannot be said for Shim Chang Min and Kim So Eun. Individually, they were great. Just not so much together.
I also won't forget that this drama gave the world the gift that is Secret Paradise by Jang Jane. This song is everything. I swear I've listened to it a hundred times. Not only is the atmosphere it gives incredibly well-suited for the drama, it's also a real tune. I just love it so much. The rest of the soundtrack doesn't disappoint either: both Beast and Yook Sung Jae, among others, feature on the OST. The background music overall is strong in this drama. The instrumentals are thematic and really set the mood. There are even a few that I'd like on my iPod (if they only would release the soundtrack... please, if you're reading this, MBC people).
Even if saeguks aren't your thing, "Scholar Who Walks the Night" is still a drama worth watching for its excellent production, music and cast.
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