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Comforting but common
I took a while to get into this movie; at the very start it was just a little confusing and something about the way it cut between past and present scenes was awkward and abrupt. I also wasn't necessarily feeling the romance, despite some of the cute scenes they had together.There was something still very comforting about the movie, about just seeing two people grow together, grow up, grow apart, and then meet again to get closure. The emphasis on family and finding a home was really moving as well, and actually it was these parts, with their parents, that hit me harder than any of the romance which I feel like was a story I'd already seen.
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Amazing unconventional male lead
The drama has a bit of a slow start but it really quickly grabbed my attention with the serial killer mystery. The writing is really well thought out in terms of plot development and how all the mini-stories tied together to be part of a bigger event. I admit I think I enjoyed the first half a little more just because I loved the intensity of the chase, the scariness of not being one step behind when there was one case happening after another. But I do understand and I knew that the story would turn to a bigger focus on the ML's family and the overarching backstory.The best part of this drama was undoubtedly the dynamic between the male lead and the female lead. Right off the bat I really loved how unconventional the male lead was and how he was portrayed — as a character with Asperger's it was really interesting to see how he dealt with social situations with coworkers and suspects as he tried to find out what happened with his daughter. It was this, and this dynamic with the reporter female lead, that was really my favorite part. She was his opposite and his foil in every way, but they were brought together by a similar goal. Their dynamic and how they complemented and clashed was super interesting, especially with how subtle but impactful the character development was.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this! It's not exactly a heart-pounding story, but it's heavy and it deals with a lot of social topics well.
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Heartwarming but...
I felt like the first half was a lot better — it was a lot of the main leads getting to trust each other, one of them being so used to be alone and the other thrown into a situation that just made no logical sense. Their dynamic was really cute and interesting, and this did stay balanced throughout the entire movie; I really loved that there were no stupid misunderstandings and that any issues they had with each other were discussed. I loved the acting for all the Woo-jins, and the cinematography was unique and worked really well.With that being said, however, the ending just felt like a cop-out; it felt like it was very much created for the hopeless romantic, the one who believes that love triumphs above all. But for a movie I loved for its practicality, it was disappointing. All those times the movie brought up things that made me go "Whoa, I hadn't thought about that" and suddenly it was like they couldn't think of an answer and decided to just drop the subject altogether.
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Wholesome
This was actually a really fun Princess and the Pauper kind of story — overall really wholesome, though also really cliche. I really liked the relationship dynamic between all of the characters, but I do think that maybe more time would have allowed the drama to go more into depth on a lot of interesting topics that they kind of only scratched the surface of (saesang culture, idol pressure, etc.)I wasn't a huge fan of the ML; though he had a subplot and background it felt like actual character development was a bit thin. Other than that, this was still a pretty lighthearted watch and I'll still tune into the second season!
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Heart-warming and with a vengeance
I could tell this was a good movie — the relationship between the pawn shop man and the little girl were undoubtedly the best part of this movie and I kind of wish we had more of their scenes. The fight scenes are cool and overall this is just a really satisfying vengeance movie.Unfortunately, however, something just didn't click with me when it came to the villains. I've seen plenty of organ donation villains in Korean movies and just kind of felt meh about the ones in this movie — other than the scenes with the kids, I felt like the villains weren't very scary and were almost cartoonish at times, so I'm not really sure if I felt the high stakes there.
Overall still a really good watch esp. if you're in the mood for the revenge genre!
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An unpredictable sort of cliche
They say hindsight is 20/20, and in hindsight I really don’t think this movie offers any new plots or characters. But for once, that didn’t affect my viewing experience at all and I actually didn’t see the story coming, despite a lot being revealed in the first five minutes of the movie.This movie was a tearjerker for sure; I was really surprised at how many emotions I felt even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the female lead in particular and probably wouldn’t agree with some of the decision-making.
There was some explorable opportunities for the second leads, both of which I felt were left behind and kind of just served as plot devices, but other than that, this was a really beautiful friends-to-lovers story and it really tugged at the heartstrings.
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A little cliche but still heart-warming
For a 2011 movie, this was pretty much what you'd expect. It was heart-warming and I could see it being a tear-jerker for some, but it also just doesn't provide many new plots or characters compared to similar movies that I've seen.The pacing was quite nice in the first half — I'm a sucker for the way they did the slow burn — but the second half had a lot of plot development and not much of the same patience dedicated to them. This is one of those movies I wish was a drama because maybe those backstories could have been fleshed out more and the characters could have more conversations with each other, especially once the conflicts started kicking in. I especially felt like the ending was a bit rushed.
Other than that, this was a really wholesome movie for the most part and I had a good time watching it.
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Beautiful
I didn't know this was going to be such a tearjerker going into it. But it was, and I thought that all the timelines and the characters were thought through so well — especially the two leads, who just had the best chemistry and relationship dynamic no matter where or when they were.This is one of those dramas I just wish was one or two more episodes longer, because there were some timelines (modern day and ending, specifically) that I wish were more fleshed out and let us see more of the relationship between the characters.
Other than that, I have absolutely no qualms here; the story was complex, the OST was beautiful, and I absolutely adore the characters. Really looking forwards to the movie.
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Unexpected and endearing
I really didn't expect this to go the way it did! I was expecting a cliche rom-com, maybe with some slapstick humor considering the time it was made, but all the funny moments were surprisingly toned down and endearing. There were some character moments that I really wish I got more of — especially because of how the plot developed; I felt like they could've done a better job of exploring past relationships and fleshing out the characters.Other than that, this was still quite an enjoyable watch and I'm just happy to be pleasantly surprised.
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Fun and well-balanced
I was so pleasantly surprised by this one, as I don't think I've ever seen a crime/mystery drama where the overarching plot and the episodic cases were balanced out so well, especially in the first half of the drama.I have a few bones to pick with certain scenes — while the law enforcement abuse situations were understandable considering the time period and the situation, the way the drama turned it into comedic relief was difficult to sit through; there were a few scenes where it got serious but I really think they could've gone into that further.
Other than that, the humor was great, the gang's banter was heart-warming, and I just really loved how everyone had their own place in an ever-progressing story.
I have to admit, though, that as someone who likes answers, the ending leaves some things to be desired. It's left a little open-ended, which sucks because I was super invested in the premise of the universe and wanted really much to have different types of closure.
Nevertheless, this was a really good watch — the characters really grow on you and make you love them.
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Cliche, falls flat
There were a few parts of this that were harrowing — the crane picking up bodies into the incinerator, for example. Other than that though, this movie just completely fell flat for me in terms of plot, characters, and everything else.I was first very put off by the characters; probably the only saving grace as Jang Hyuk as the male lead. The female lead was rude and annoying, and even though she was a doctor I felt like she made so many stupid decisions throughout the entire movie that made no sense. The child was continuously used as a plot device. It's hard to enjoy a movie when over half of it is about the main leads running around looking for a child (multiple times) who I couldn't care less about.
The last thing that really put me off this movie was unfortunately the cinematography; the camera just shook way too much during every single scene (even the peaceful, calm ones) and it made the movie difficult to get through without becoming nauseous.
All in all, this was exactly how you would expect a disease-based apocalyptic movie to go — incompetent politicians, abusive law enforcement, riots, etc. — but even with all these cliches, I felt like the Flu's downfall was its reliance on evoking the audience's sympathy with the little girl, a method that just did not at all work on me.
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Some cute parts but very cringe overall
I kind of LOL at this being the first Philippines drama I ended up watching because I'm sure it isn't representative.There are some cute moments and I do enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope — when it's bullying it's always questionable but I definitely don't think this is as bad as Boys Over Flowers / Meteor Garden, though it does have many of the same cliches.
I'm not sure if having more episodes would have helped some issues I had, but I think it would have helped character relationship development for sure; the main leads did have some development but I would have loved more scenes of those. The side relationships also could have used a lot more development; they felt random and out-of-the-blue and because we had no context I just felt like it was taking up time and adding weird dialogue where the characters would cycle through discussing each ship in conversations .
Speaking of which...the dialogue and writing just were really awkward and cringe most of the time. I felt like even regular teenagers wouldn't talk that way — it was like watching a chick flick parody. Though I do admit there were some genuinely funny moments, scenes where the drama didn't take itself too seriously either.
The acting was also not great sometimes — I feel like it was very clear who was a seasoned actor and who wasn't, and many of the side characters were robotic and awkward.
Other than that, there are some subplots that are cliche but still sort of fun to watch, but the writing style and acting felt like something I'd write and act out in middle school and it took me out of the show a lot.
Good OST though.
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Predictable but still thrilling twist
This drama had a twist that I was kind of expecting, but overall I had mixed emotions about it. It started out okay; a little creepy but kind of slow and disjointed, and there were characters I cared about and some I didn't. I definitely got a little frustrated, and there's this feeling of impending doom.There's a twist towards the end which I kind of saw coming, but it was one that I had wanted to see so even though it was predictable, it raised my rating of this drama by quite a lot.
There are some very subtle moral questions that I liked too, and some of my questions are left unanswered but that's okay! Great October watch, finished just in time for Halloween.
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Healthy, adorably awkward
This is probably one of the healthiest relationships I've ever seen in a drama ever, but it was even more than that. They captured the innocence, the awkwardness, the purity of first relationships so perfectly between two characters that just completely believed and trusted in each other. No dumb misunderstandings and breakups, and just consistent communication and mutual support...THIS is what I've always wanted to see in a drama relationship. The side ships were really intriguing as well and overall everyone just acted like real people, which was really refreshing.This drama spends a decent amount of time on the leads' respective jobs, and it did a really good job in showing what day-to-day was like, as well as tying them together. If anything, however, I wish I saw a little more of Ruan Qing Xia's work — it felt the entire time as if she was kind of an add-on to the drama. Don't get me wrong, I loved her romance plot and her character, but she never had much independent screentime.
Overall, the main leads are also so independent and strong on their own. All the conflicts were resolved really satisfyingly, which is good, though there were times I wish there was some sort of conflict or angst that brought out more emotions in me.
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A beautiful and satisfying masterpiece
I'll admit I went into this one with a bit of trepidation; I haven't watched many period pieces and the first two episodes were just confusing and loudly overacted — and the CGI was kind of bad.Now having finished all 50 episodes, everything hits different. This is one of those dramas that I, who never rewatches things in full, would actually rewatch because there is just SO MUCH to the story. It's big-brained and even though I found myself figuring out small plots pretty quickly, it was still enjoyable to see the characters figure it out, and the final wrap-up was satisfying and mind-blowing. Essentially, this drama is intensely plot-driven, every episode moves the story forwards and even small scenes are endearing, foreshadowing, or have delightful easter eggs in them. This is one that grows on you over the episodes and sticks with you forever.
There are so many characters but that just adds to the beauty of it; upon rewatch you see every character differently, you notice their habits, you revisit their backstories, and more. The character development and personalities for everyone are so natural, and this drama perfectly depicts morally gray areas. Every single character plays their part in the story and they do it so well.
I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the two leads especially, who are such intriguing characters and have such fleshed-out stories and personalities. Thank GOD for such intelligent and communicative characters, who actually figured things out to move the plot forwards instead of having things occur by happenstance.
And yes, it's censored but they did such of a good job of showing the WangXian relationship implicitly; the chemistry was there, and there are just so many little hints (visual symbols, motifs, quotes) that make the slow burn just that much better.
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