This review may contain spoilers
Better Than Expected
This drama came as a surprise because I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The mystery element was probably what kept me watching. I found the mystery interesting and was genuinely hooked for a good portion of the drama. I liked how the story slowly introduced questions and made you want to figure out what was actually going on. There was always something that made me want to keep watching and see where the story was going. There were certain arcs I felt like dragged a little too long, but overall the story was pretty solid.
This is one of those dramas where you really have to push through the fighting scenes because you've got people flying around all over the place. Yes, I'm aware it's sci fi, so I wasn't expecting everything to be completely realistic, but I still wished they kept some sense of realism when it came to the physics. There were moments where the action felt more like people being thrown around by wires than actual fighting. I know that's part of the genre, but when the choreography is already stylized, having characters constantly flying through the air made some of the scenes harder for me to take seriously. There were certain moments where you could clearly tell the actors were doing a choreographed routine and counting their movements. The slow motion and constant zoom ins didn't help either. Instead of making the fights look more dramatic, it sometimes made the choreography feel even more obvious and, honestly, kind of cringey.
I always say this when it comes to dramas that drag, but I really don't think this needed to be 32 episodes. I honestly think 28 episodes would've been enough. Cutting out some of the slower parts and tightening up the storyline would've made the pacing feel much better, especially toward the later episodes. There were moments where I felt like the story was going in circles when it could've just gotten to the point. For 32 episodes, you'd think they would've tied up most of the loose ends, but nope. There were still quite a few things that felt underexplained or unresolved by the end. I never read the novel, so I don't know if those questions were answered there, but as someone who only watched the drama, I definitely felt like there were some plot holes and things that could've been explained better.
The cast as a whole, especially the "Phoenix Squad," had great chemistry when it came to their friendship. Their group dynamic was actually one of the things I enjoyed because their interactions felt natural and they worked well together as a team. I also appreciate that the romance wasn't the main focus because, honestly, I just couldn't feel the chemistry between the two leads. Their relationship didn't really do anything for me, and I think the drama was better when it focused on the mystery and the group's dynamic rather than trying to push the romance.
This is one of those dramas where you really have to push through the fighting scenes because you've got people flying around all over the place. Yes, I'm aware it's sci fi, so I wasn't expecting everything to be completely realistic, but I still wished they kept some sense of realism when it came to the physics. There were moments where the action felt more like people being thrown around by wires than actual fighting. I know that's part of the genre, but when the choreography is already stylized, having characters constantly flying through the air made some of the scenes harder for me to take seriously. There were certain moments where you could clearly tell the actors were doing a choreographed routine and counting their movements. The slow motion and constant zoom ins didn't help either. Instead of making the fights look more dramatic, it sometimes made the choreography feel even more obvious and, honestly, kind of cringey.
I always say this when it comes to dramas that drag, but I really don't think this needed to be 32 episodes. I honestly think 28 episodes would've been enough. Cutting out some of the slower parts and tightening up the storyline would've made the pacing feel much better, especially toward the later episodes. There were moments where I felt like the story was going in circles when it could've just gotten to the point. For 32 episodes, you'd think they would've tied up most of the loose ends, but nope. There were still quite a few things that felt underexplained or unresolved by the end. I never read the novel, so I don't know if those questions were answered there, but as someone who only watched the drama, I definitely felt like there were some plot holes and things that could've been explained better.
The cast as a whole, especially the "Phoenix Squad," had great chemistry when it came to their friendship. Their group dynamic was actually one of the things I enjoyed because their interactions felt natural and they worked well together as a team. I also appreciate that the romance wasn't the main focus because, honestly, I just couldn't feel the chemistry between the two leads. Their relationship didn't really do anything for me, and I think the drama was better when it focused on the mystery and the group's dynamic rather than trying to push the romance.
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