I Wish it was better
I was eagerly awaiting this one and after binge-watching it in one seating I must say I am quite... disappointed ?
I found the Shamans couple much more interesting overall, and I felt the main teen characters all lacked depth and emotional maturity... Even considering their age(they’re supposed to be 16-17), I found they all lacked emotional depth and felt like flat archetypes/2D characters, not really “alive." The actors did a good job portraying emotions so it's really not their fault, i think it's because of the production.. I'm throwing some shade here tbh but back in my days, dramas used to be able to pull credible characterisation even with shorter episodes. Enough for us to get attached to the characters you know?
I am aware that with multiple main characters and a group of friends, you can’t really do that deep dive and show their family or the dynamics in the group with more scene, etc (oh and conveniently the main character's aunt is always away etc. felt like a budget decision more than anything), but they felt more like archetypes : the otaku, the sporty girl, the rich mean girl, the nerd, the cute guy. I don’t know, it just lacked that zest.
Also I would’ve loved more scenes with the older shaman lady and at school. It lacked that “this is satisfying” feeling you sometimes get when you're get REALLY into a drama you binge watch, so I felt they didn’t delve deep enough. Also, the timeline and school stuff were skipped. This felt lazy and I am starting to wonder if they use AI to write some of the scenes. ( wouldn't be surprised)
I understand Netflix’s strategy of spending less on dramas with a small cast to boost viewership, rack up numbers and keep everyones eyes stuck on their screens.. but even with just eight short episodes, I think they could’ve gone deeper into the details to really immerse us in the series.
Finally I agree with some comments there and reviews there, especially those comparing it to previous short productions like 8 Show, Pyramid Game, and Might Has Come.
I found the Shamans couple much more interesting overall, and I felt the main teen characters all lacked depth and emotional maturity... Even considering their age(they’re supposed to be 16-17), I found they all lacked emotional depth and felt like flat archetypes/2D characters, not really “alive." The actors did a good job portraying emotions so it's really not their fault, i think it's because of the production.. I'm throwing some shade here tbh but back in my days, dramas used to be able to pull credible characterisation even with shorter episodes. Enough for us to get attached to the characters you know?
I am aware that with multiple main characters and a group of friends, you can’t really do that deep dive and show their family or the dynamics in the group with more scene, etc (oh and conveniently the main character's aunt is always away etc. felt like a budget decision more than anything), but they felt more like archetypes : the otaku, the sporty girl, the rich mean girl, the nerd, the cute guy. I don’t know, it just lacked that zest.
Also I would’ve loved more scenes with the older shaman lady and at school. It lacked that “this is satisfying” feeling you sometimes get when you're get REALLY into a drama you binge watch, so I felt they didn’t delve deep enough. Also, the timeline and school stuff were skipped. This felt lazy and I am starting to wonder if they use AI to write some of the scenes. ( wouldn't be surprised)
I understand Netflix’s strategy of spending less on dramas with a small cast to boost viewership, rack up numbers and keep everyones eyes stuck on their screens.. but even with just eight short episodes, I think they could’ve gone deeper into the details to really immerse us in the series.
Finally I agree with some comments there and reviews there, especially those comparing it to previous short productions like 8 Show, Pyramid Game, and Might Has Come.
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