Vicki Pink
Europe
LONG REVIEW
I might as well start by stating the obvious : one of the top 3 shows of 2018 and we’re only in February. But this level of quality is hardly ever surpassed, kdramaland or not. Rarely has a show been able to keep me interested and on my toes, from beginning to end. Do NOT be fooled by the 1st and 2nd episodes, which absolutely don’t reflect the greatness of this masterpiece. You might be turned off by some of the “cheesiness” at the beginning, but past those two episodes, it’s a totally different show.
STRONG POINTS : Jang hyuk’s performance is phenomenal, the downside of this is that his skills are so superior that he tends to outshine everyone else. Jang Seung Jo is the 2nd best thing of the show. Dude, going from his performance in “I Order You” to this, was absolutely unbelievable, what a spectacular actor! The “makjangness” (I know that’s not a word lol), i.e. the unexpected directions that the story constantly took, was simply brilliant. Pretty much 70% of what you assume will happen won’t. Trust me, you don’t want to speculate. The cliffhangers at the end of every episode are frustratingly good. This drama is CRAZY. It’s a game of who’s who and who’s not who. Yeah I know the previous sentence doesn’t make much sense, but the drama is that cray cray lol. Money Flower also reveals the worst side of human nature when it comes to wealth. Greed is a serious issue that can affect even the most honest man, when put under certain circumstances. It made me question my own relationship with money. As for the OST, the music is perfect, the violins ? OMONA ! I can’t remember but one song with lyrics, everything else is a bunch of fantastic instrumentals. This is pretty rare in a drama (my 1st time seeing this) and it was a pleasure to hear all those well selected melodies.
WEAK POINTS : The female lead, Mo hyun’s character is subpar at best, and I won’t blame it on actress Park Se Young, she has talent. It’s the whole “seeing the world like a 5 year old” mindset that they gave this character that is annoying as heck. It’s like this girl saw this world through rose colored glasses her entire life and suddenly woke up by 30 years old. Even when reality hit her hard, I still found her too freaking sweet!
DEBATABLE : Sorry to the fans who loved the ending, but it seemed to be an open one. I’ve read two theories and both make sense. I just hate those because I can never choose. I prefer clear concrete endings. I’ll elaborate on it in the comment section (comment will be tagged as spoiler so no worries). That’s the only reason I didn’t give it a 10.
OVERALL : This drama is more than entertainment. It’s an experience. Jang Hyuk was already in my top 5, but he is officially my favorite actor since this one. His talent, his ability to carry a whole show, are undeniable. Everything was awesome from the pace, character development, story telling, OST and cinematography. I'm pretty sure this drama, being a local hit, will change the game in kdramaland.
STRONG POINTS : Jang hyuk’s performance is phenomenal, the downside of this is that his skills are so superior that he tends to outshine everyone else. Jang Seung Jo is the 2nd best thing of the show. Dude, going from his performance in “I Order You” to this, was absolutely unbelievable, what a spectacular actor! The “makjangness” (I know that’s not a word lol), i.e. the unexpected directions that the story constantly took, was simply brilliant. Pretty much 70% of what you assume will happen won’t. Trust me, you don’t want to speculate. The cliffhangers at the end of every episode are frustratingly good. This drama is CRAZY. It’s a game of who’s who and who’s not who. Yeah I know the previous sentence doesn’t make much sense, but the drama is that cray cray lol. Money Flower also reveals the worst side of human nature when it comes to wealth. Greed is a serious issue that can affect even the most honest man, when put under certain circumstances. It made me question my own relationship with money. As for the OST, the music is perfect, the violins ? OMONA ! I can’t remember but one song with lyrics, everything else is a bunch of fantastic instrumentals. This is pretty rare in a drama (my 1st time seeing this) and it was a pleasure to hear all those well selected melodies.
WEAK POINTS : The female lead, Mo hyun’s character is subpar at best, and I won’t blame it on actress Park Se Young, she has talent. It’s the whole “seeing the world like a 5 year old” mindset that they gave this character that is annoying as heck. It’s like this girl saw this world through rose colored glasses her entire life and suddenly woke up by 30 years old. Even when reality hit her hard, I still found her too freaking sweet!
DEBATABLE : Sorry to the fans who loved the ending, but it seemed to be an open one. I’ve read two theories and both make sense. I just hate those because I can never choose. I prefer clear concrete endings. I’ll elaborate on it in the comment section (comment will be tagged as spoiler so no worries). That’s the only reason I didn’t give it a 10.
OVERALL : This drama is more than entertainment. It’s an experience. Jang Hyuk was already in my top 5, but he is officially my favorite actor since this one. His talent, his ability to carry a whole show, are undeniable. Everything was awesome from the pace, character development, story telling, OST and cinematography. I'm pretty sure this drama, being a local hit, will change the game in kdramaland.
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