Kath

So infuriatingly mid

It reminded me of HBO's The Idol in that it looks stunning - of course it does, it's the same director who did Alchemy of Souls S2 - but there was no substance beyond that.

My biggest issue is with the plot. It was a mess. Period. I was so confused watching this, not knowing what the point of it all was. Our main character Kang Ha gets introduced as a cunning guy with a plan for revenge, but what does he even accomplish in the 7 veryyy long episodes of this show? Pine for some girl who may or may not have been involved in the murder of his brother. He keeps talking about how he's going to change things and expose the people at the school, but he does no investigation - no nothing. He conveniently gets all the evidence handed to him on a silver platter by another person and is then credited as the genius behind the whole thing. HE DID NOTHING!!! It makes me mad. He had so much potential, because it really did seem like he had a some kind of plan in episode 1.

The acting definitely left something to be desired. Go girl give us nothing. Jae Yi was mysterious and intriguing in the first episodes but it got tiresome very quickly. She is pretty. I really didn't get much else from her character. It's a shame, because her backstory and all she's gone through is really interesting, but all she does is just stand there. Yoon He Ra was a joy to watch, because the actress was acting her boots off. She's also the only person with some semblance of character growth (slay h&m fashion queen).

The tension felt so artificial with the whole: "I have a bow and I'm ready to release the arrow" "I'll stand ind front of him and take the arrow" - like cmon I couldn't take it seriously, because NOTHING HAD HAPPENED FOR SEVEREL EPISDOES WHILE THIS DUDE JUST KEPT MAKING EMPTY THREATHS. and it wasn't even his "bow"??? dude did nothing this entire show.

Read More

An intriguing exploration into what makes us human and what makes us monsters

Season 2 og 3 felt like one long season split into two. That's why I think a lot of people found fault with the second season. It had to introduce us to a bunch of new characters in a new setting and set up new storylines, while the main characters from season 1 took a back seat. That's why season 3 was so much more exciting to watch. All the build up from season 2 could come to fruition, and with the main characters from season 1 coming back to being the main focus of season 3, it felt like the different story lines tied nicely together.

I really like the open ending of the show. We have to remember that this is not just a story you can neatly wrap up, because it is an apocalyptic story. The ending for us is essentially the beginning for them in their new world. Their storylines told in the 3 season are done, but their lives aren't. Still we see hope in the ending - how humanity is adapting and learning to live among the neohumans to stay clear of the monsters and hopefully return to some sense of normality.

The characters and their storylines:

Cha Hyun Su learned to accept the "monster" part of himself. With it being revealed that the monster is all of his desires, he essentially learns that it is okay to have wants in life. In the end he is very different from the Hyun Su we see in the beginning of season 1, where he had to desire in life and no will to live. Now he has, and he embraces it, but he never gave into his worst desires. He still has faith in people/humans, despite how horrible he was treated by them, and in the end the humans accept him too.

Lee Eun Yu never gave up on Hyun Su or Eun Hyeok when they lost themselves. She plays at being a person who doesn't care or need anyone in her life, but she loves and would do anything for a few select people. She doesn't care that the people she love doesn't want her help, she will make them accept it anyway. That's also why it's such a beautiful ending for her, because now that she has lost herself, Hyun Su and Eun Hyeok are there to help her in return.

I absolutely adore Hyun Su and Eun Yu's storyline. I now a lot of people are complaining about how there was no kiss or whatnot, but I really don't think it was needed. They showed us time and time again how much those two cared about each other. Neither Hyun Su or Eun Yu are romantics. They had such a deep connection and true belief in the goodness of each other, and the emotion they conveyed to the audience in small smiles and looks are way more meaningful than any kiss scene could ever be.

Lee Eun Hyeok is back with a bang this season. I am the biggest Lee Do Hyun fan, and it was hard to pay attention whenever he was on screen, because man does he look GOOD this season. The outfit??? Crazy. When we meet him again he has become a neohuman and has lost all of his emotions. He says he doesn't care about Eun Yu anymore, but he still keeps a family picture of with him and he even gets caught smiling. Eun Yu tells him to relearn his emotions, and in the end we see him smiling up at her.

Learning that Sang Uk was still inside his own body after Sang Won had taken over his body was a devastating surprise. Sang Won thought he had stayed because he wanted to live, but with all the flashback to him in season1 sacrificing himself to make others safe, it is made clear that Sang Uk stayed to trap Sang Won in his body and kill him (and himself) when the right time came.

Seo Yi Kyeong finally accepts her daughter as who she is. She understand her own wrongs and lets her daughter choose whether or not she wants to start a new life with her. She also finally tells her her name is Seo Yi Su. Yi Su chooses to go with her mom, and it is really heartbreaking when Yi Kyeong is subsequently killed, but she did everything she could to protect Yi Su until the very end. Yi Kyeong's storyline is about changing your perspective and not seeing human = good and monster = bad.

Seo Yi Su is one of the most interesting characters in the show. She is a monster, but was raised as a human by a human who hated that she was a monster. She learned to hate humans in return, but throughout season 3 she starts to change her perspective. She sees that humans can be kind and becomes friends with Yeong Su. Yi Su doesn't actually like to hurt people and she regrets her previous actions. In the end she chooses to live alongside humans.

I have to give a shoutout to Father Peter. I loved every minute he was on my screen, and loved the twist about him and Sun Hwa.

Read More

A splendid match and a not so splendid ending

I loved this drama so much, and I was tuned in every day for the new episodes. It is a politically interesting and gripping plot with an amazing romantic plotline between Ci Sha and Ren Min.

The acting is definitely the highlight of this show. Ren Min is a phenomenal actress, and she manages to be both badass and extremely cute at the same time. Jin Zhao's little pout when she is annoyed is absolutely adorable, but don't let her fool you - she knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. Then there is Ci Sha of course. He is so handsome in this role, and the acting he does with his eyes is nothing short of amazing. I really loved having a ML who knew his way around court politics and it being believable. He is proof we need more mature ML's playing these older roles. Winwin is another highlight for me (as I imagine he is for most people). I have been a fan of his since 2016, but this is my first time seeing him in an acting role, and he really impressed me.

The plot was so good up until the end. I don't know if I even want to call it and end, because it didn't end - the story just stopped... There were still so many story lines that needed to be tidied up. What about the honor Ye Xian brought upon himself and his family? What of the death of Chen Yan Yun's personal attendant and Qing Pu's reaction? What of the aftermaths of Fu Hai Lian's death? What of Fu Hai Lian's conspirators in the court? What about Chen Yan Yun's reunion with his family who thought him dead? What of the proper reunion between Yan Yun and Jin Zhao that isn't just him saving her from the fire?

I wanted so much more from the show that what that ending had to offer, and it's such a shame, because up until that point the show had been a 10/10 for me.

Read More