Softboy JCW is nice, but Action JCW is better

Fast paced drama that brings you into the dark side of Gangnam, Seoul Korea.

A good drama that will hook you in within the first 10 mins of the first ep. Plot line was good, though predictable bc it's not a "new" plot .. just new characters.

Acting was 10/10. BIBI did great in her role, despite having less screen time than I excepted. JCW as always delivered in his action scenes and emotional scenes. There is a hint of romance but don't except much (esp if you're coming from 'worst of evil' and wanting BIBI and JCW to have more romance). Articles said that JCW took on a villain role, but I thought of it more of him being a vigilante.

The moment I started watching this drama, I immediately thought about the burning sun scandal ESP with how the first half of the drama was going.

Overall, 8 episodes was perfect. Didn't feel like it was dragging and every question I wanted answers for were answered.

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Emotional Rollercoaster

Tldr; 12 eps was perfect for this plotline. I think the ending was a perfect ending to the situation and the acting from everyone was phenomenal. OST.. can't even remember the music lol

The drama starts off with JM, an underdog cop who can't get higher than his desk cop rank. He married into a renowned cop family where everyone is basically a high ranking cop - even his wife. You can see that the marriage is already stained from ep 1 because his in-laws constantly shits on him about his rank in the police world and no matter how many sweet words his wife can whisper into his ears, the wound is too deep. (You know what they say about men who feel inferior).

JM gets proposed by one of his cop sunbae and friend to go undercover and infiltrate KC's gang so they can take down the drug trafficking triad. He only accepts with the condition of getting promoted (see how deep his wound is? and how desperately he wants to prove that he's worthy to his wife & in-laws?)

He joins under a alias and this is the beginning of JM's downfall. At the beginning, he tries his best to stick to his morals and his duty as a copy, but if everyone in the gang keeps suspecting you... it's kind of hard to be all bark and no bite ESP in a gang where they kill. His wife, EJ finds out that he went undercover and ofc.. his wife is KC's first love. Obviously with this known, even if she didn't want to participate in the investigation, she HAS to be part of it bc KC knows her.

I know this adds to the plot.. but let's talk about EJ. Her character was bland to me. I don't hate the actress but her character gave nothing but a headache to the plotline. I guess we can say that JM really turned into someone who didn't want to be in order to protect her but she really just put herself back into the situation of always being there even when it wasn't needed. Sure her first move was helpful to JM to get deeper into the gang and to gain KC's trust... but grass is always greener on the other side.

The love triangle begins and this was when I got annoyed of the drama. Here's an example of how the industry not knowing how to write strong FL. After the 3rd... 4th... 5th time EJ met up with KC for NO GOOD REASON, was when you can tell that she was masking her feelings by trying to convince herself that she was only doing this for her husband.

YES, both JM and EJ cheated and their marriage was doomed from the start. I will say... EJ really caught feelings and JM just felt bad for HR like he did for KC. He was able to relate to the both of them bc of his own fucked up past. If he really like HR is one thing, but I know (& the audience can see) that he was conflicted and confused with his actions towards HR. I want to say he's been undercover for so long and him and EJ weren't able to communicate, he was weak. But he still cheated.

The down fall of the gang was not bc KC got involved with EJ again. It was bc he got emotional about Taeho. His inner circle kept telling him how sus how everything was happening since JM joined the gang and he didn't listen. Sure he did a mere background check, but as someone who is the big boss of his gang.. he really done goofed in believing people when he should know that documents can be forged.

The brotherhood of the drama was strong until it wasn't. There's always a power struggle and jealousy and betrayal - this is why you can't get emotional about the past and just let people walk away after betraying you.

My take on the last 20 mins of ep 12. JM felt an emotional bond to KC no matter how much he wants to deny it. That's why he gave him the opportunity to escape and actually live the good life he wanted/dreamt of. But KC's (lk) obsession over EJ was his downfall. When the 3 of them were in the couple's house, you can already see the dynamic has shifted. EJ couldn't see JM the same anymore, JM couldn't forget everything that he has done and what has happened when he was undercover, and KC.... he was too wrapped up in trying to figure out if EJ really loved him to understand the great opportunity JM gave him.
I find the talk between a mafia boss and a cop about being sinners funny. After all he has done, he talks about being a sinner but blames EJ about being a sinner for mm.. essentially doing her job. & EJ talking about how she will repent for the rest of her life for... ONCE AGAIN, doing her duty as a cop. IDC if he was your first love, he's a mafia boss who kills and is importing drugs into your country. To think, someone who grew up in a cop family, she'd have a stronger mindset. But back to the point... I believe that JM shot KC when he was about to unalive himself was bc it was his last attempt to show his wife that he loves her. I know.. that sounds weird bc he just SHOT someone in front of her BUT my point is, he knew that if KC unalived himself in front of them, EJ will blame herself for the rest of her life. If JM shot him, she will have him to blame. Their marriage ending was a good choice.

The ending was great for the situation. I personally don't think there needs to be a season 2 (if there even is one) bc season 2 will have a new plotline and probably a new cast. They've exhausted every character they could in this season.

Oh and one last thing... considering how this is BIBI's first real role. She DELIVERED. I loved her character more than EJ. The chemistry between BIBI and JCW was 100000/10.

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Quite Enjoyable

To each their own, but I personally really enjoyed the drama. I agree with majority that the trajectory of the plot changed in the second half but I also think it wasn't "out of the blue". It changed bc they changed. They weren't kids anymore and were considered adults in the second half. Making their own decisions and facing the consequences of those decisions. We also got to see what happened in ML's past and FL's fighting certain "boulders"(iykyk) to find her own path for her own life.

Without spoiling anything, I would say the first half is about two kids with troubled homes/past who find comfort and support in each other. Second half, young adults who reconnect and develop deep feelings for each other while supporting each other's dreams.

It isn't as romantic and fluffy as WIFTY, but the leads still have amazing chemistry. I think it was nicely developed too. And there are definitely some kicking my feet in the air moments too.

Definitely watch the special ep to get some more answers.

I think if you go into this drama thinking it will be as romantic and cute as WIFTY, you'll be greatly disappointed. ZYR's characters in both dramas are drastically different, but tbh.. I might like Shen Juan a little more ?

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Mid

Not bad, but not good. If I was 12, I would have probably ate it up like no tomorrow. But at my current age, it's just a tad cliche.The storyline is as you would expect from a j-romcom. It's a fun watch if you need to pass time or want something light and simple in between other shows, but besides that... it's okay.

Acting was alright, not soooo bad I had to stop watching but not exceptional.
Costumes (aside from school uniform) were cute.
I really liked FL's hairstyles, it thought it was cute and fun!

Antagonists don't really stick around too long, so that's a plus.

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Jumping straight to it, spoilers ahead. Don't read if you don't want spoilers.

Major moments of the drama;
- KP's first relationship was a sham bc the girl only wanted to get close to SE
- SE kissing SW for the first time, I thought it was funny that she actually indeed did kiss KP before (but as kids, so does it really count? LOL)
- KP realizing his feelings for SW was real. Either romantic or platonic, he does have deep feelings for SW
- SW finally realizing that her feelings towards KP was not romantic. but platonic (TY bestie for opening up her eyes)
- KP putting aside his own feelings and realizing that SE needed a shoulder to lean on more than him.. like FINALLY. He acted like a child the whole drama when they're all the same age. Nothing is more annoying than being a parent to someone the SAME age.

Thoughts:
- High school being high school, there's always going to be talk. But it was getting boring and annoying that everyone kept assuming SE was gay. Not everyone is thinking about romance and dating every second of the day. He could have been busy studying for CSAT since they are in fact, seniors preparing for college. Also.. he's ranked #1, lots of pressure. AND EVEN IF HE WAS GAY, WHO CARES??
- Which brings me to.. The whole SE's older brother being gay made no sense to me. I only say this bc nothing really comes from this plot line. You can say that it caused his mom depression since she tried to kill herself (ep 10), but then the writers could have just given her depression. It added nothing to the storyline besides the point where he was being confronted by his brother's lover. But good to know SE is an ally 😊
- KP might be autistic. The way he acts and everything, he could be on the spectrum. The whole picking his nose and not understanding social cues... just points to it. Abandonment issues def isn't the only thing he has.
- I like the SFL. She was painted as an annoying girl who wouldn't take no for an answer but I think she was in it for the chase. She wasn't as annoying as SE might see her to be. She never overstepped (tooooo much) and when SE told her to leave him alone, she left. But I like her bc when she realized that SE was also in a one sided love, she basically stepped back. She realized that she's been rejected for good.
- SFL and the other friend's storyline could have been expanded. I like how they found comfort in each other bc they were clearly being ignored by the 3. KP wasn't a good friend at all.. lol

Now.. the ending. The whole open ended-ness... I liked it.
Like the title says, FAILing in love.. I don't think anyone ended up with anyone.
- KP learns to be alone. Though he does call to see if SE is free, he isn't stuck to someone. He's walking down the street alone when he couldn't do that throughout the whole drama.
- SE and SW aren't officially together yet, but I think they were both able to purse their relationship without having any outside worries.
And if we don't want to see it through romantic lenses.. SW and SE both befriended KP with hidden motives. The both of them were never alone with each other and never got to know one another. When KP "grew up", they were able to go to college and worry about themselves and finally become friends with each other.

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