softmilkmoe
This review may contain spoilers
Welcome2Life was an unexpected random journey full of sweet treats that will leave you a smile in your face and a menacing toothache. May contain minor spoilers, since I want to talk about the greatest points of this series in terms of story and character writing.
STORY
I'm a huge fan of stories with a supernatural twist. The concept of him experiencing a parallel universe was well-written with intent and spice. In terms of the script, I must say, it's very very cheesy. There's a lot of lines that makes me cringe, but you can easily brush it off because the actors did a wonderful job with setting the tone and atmosphere to make it fit the scenes. You can truly feel their emotions in their voice and expressions, and that's what makes it bearable.
One of my favorite moments is the turning point when Jae Sang woke up from his coma. I felt that shit real hard. It went from like having a really amazing dream that you never want to wake up from to it becoming nightmare, but in the end the sun rises and you do open your eyes whether you want to or not. I felt his pain so deeply after going back to the real world. Seeing how things are completely different makes you long for something far and precious that has disappeared and can never come back. It made me feel... hopeless. The writers did such an amazing job at making us feel the protagonist's feelings especially his pain and suffering. Every flashback of his alternate life makes me cry without fail (thanks to his amazing acting and the background music). It's so heartbreaking and well made, I can't count the number of times I bawled my eyes out and that's a good thing.
The only things that bothered me a bit was some scenes felt a little dragging, questionable, and unnecessary. But they're not that big of a deal so you can definitely ignore the little plot holes here and there. The actual plot itself isn't all that fabulous or unique, but the execution and plot devices used were effective and immersive. A wonderful ride.
CHARACTERS
I would say that one of the strengths of this series is the character development. Well, for the main protagonist mostly. Everyone else around him didn't really change much, but he was the center of it all, and the lessons to be learned that we can as he does is the focus anyway so it works out. He has the "bad guy becomes good guy" trope, but in a well-written way, not taking any shortcuts and actually taking time. I love how they added a realistic touch to his thought processes and actions, most notably when he realized he might stay there for good. Yes, just because he's suddenly transported into an alternate universe with a shabby but happy, fulfilling life doesn't mean he will immediately realize that it's a good thing. Seeing him falter over his past self, not being able to let his rich life go, became one of the strongest points of his character because in that way, we get to see how he progresses. It emphasized his growth as a human being as we watch him think, struggle, adjust, and finally appreciate what's in front of him. It was a fulfilling moment both for the character and for us watching over him and rooting for his development.
I like Shi On a lot, but sometimes I feel like she's just a really big plot device since she never had enough character development. Sure, her perspective on Jae Sang slowly changed and their relationship (kind of?) improved, but it doesn't feel as impactful or meaningful. She's mostly portrayed as the "love interest that changed the protagonist." Her only redeeming qualities is that she's pretty and can kick some ass, but I think that's nice too. It's good that they made her someone who can depend on herself and defend herself. (Went a little weird after watching her kick about 10+ grown man asses all at the same time, but we take those..)
The other characters are also just kinda there to support the protagonists since of course we need to have a team as an investigation unit. But they deliver fun moments that are enjoyable anyway, so it's not much of a waste. In fact, I think they made the series more fun, especially the trio. They were random and entertaining and their relationship is heartwarming. I love the hacker too, I think he was a great addition as a character.
As for the antagonists... well, they're... bad I guess? They don't really have enough personality other than being mean, rude, and having an evil laugh. Oh, and a mental illness. At times it feels comical, but hey, it's for the plot.
I think the only thing that bothered me a bit was the love triangle. It felt a little forced in a sense that there isn't much need for it. I think they did him dirty like that, with the team leader being labeled as "just the second male lead (for all you second male lead syndrome fans out there) who obviously doesn't get the girl but enjoy him because he's hot." At first I thought it was cute and subtle, but when he came all out on Shi On, it just felt uncomfortable and unnecessary. His love didn't serve any purpose to the story but instead to pander to a formula, because we all know that people dig love triangles. You can literally take him out of the equation and nothing will change at all. NOTHING. He does nothing but take damage for our heroine (which obviously any of her team can do) and drag his missy unrequited ass around idk. He didn't even do enough to strengthen the main couple's relationship (just a short moment of jealousy, that's it.) It was disappointing and a let down, but whatever.
Everyone did a great job.
MUSIC
There's a background OST that plays on very crucial moments whenever flashbacks appear and it breaks me every time I hear it. God I fvcking love those flashbacks. That BGM really fits the scene's atmosphere and the character's emotions. But that's it. None of the songs really stood out to me personally, so I don't think anything else will be memorable enough other those times when we crave for that lost dream.
OVERALL
I watched the trailer of this kdrama which piqued my interest and I'm so glad that I decided to give it a try. I binged it within a week and I'm so satisfied with everything despite the small flaws. It will give you a great emotional roller coaster ride with a few bumps and twists that you might not want, but overall you will enjoy the breeze and have fun anyway.
STORY
I'm a huge fan of stories with a supernatural twist. The concept of him experiencing a parallel universe was well-written with intent and spice. In terms of the script, I must say, it's very very cheesy. There's a lot of lines that makes me cringe, but you can easily brush it off because the actors did a wonderful job with setting the tone and atmosphere to make it fit the scenes. You can truly feel their emotions in their voice and expressions, and that's what makes it bearable.
One of my favorite moments is the turning point when Jae Sang woke up from his coma. I felt that shit real hard. It went from like having a really amazing dream that you never want to wake up from to it becoming nightmare, but in the end the sun rises and you do open your eyes whether you want to or not. I felt his pain so deeply after going back to the real world. Seeing how things are completely different makes you long for something far and precious that has disappeared and can never come back. It made me feel... hopeless. The writers did such an amazing job at making us feel the protagonist's feelings especially his pain and suffering. Every flashback of his alternate life makes me cry without fail (thanks to his amazing acting and the background music). It's so heartbreaking and well made, I can't count the number of times I bawled my eyes out and that's a good thing.
The only things that bothered me a bit was some scenes felt a little dragging, questionable, and unnecessary. But they're not that big of a deal so you can definitely ignore the little plot holes here and there. The actual plot itself isn't all that fabulous or unique, but the execution and plot devices used were effective and immersive. A wonderful ride.
CHARACTERS
I would say that one of the strengths of this series is the character development. Well, for the main protagonist mostly. Everyone else around him didn't really change much, but he was the center of it all, and the lessons to be learned that we can as he does is the focus anyway so it works out. He has the "bad guy becomes good guy" trope, but in a well-written way, not taking any shortcuts and actually taking time. I love how they added a realistic touch to his thought processes and actions, most notably when he realized he might stay there for good. Yes, just because he's suddenly transported into an alternate universe with a shabby but happy, fulfilling life doesn't mean he will immediately realize that it's a good thing. Seeing him falter over his past self, not being able to let his rich life go, became one of the strongest points of his character because in that way, we get to see how he progresses. It emphasized his growth as a human being as we watch him think, struggle, adjust, and finally appreciate what's in front of him. It was a fulfilling moment both for the character and for us watching over him and rooting for his development.
I like Shi On a lot, but sometimes I feel like she's just a really big plot device since she never had enough character development. Sure, her perspective on Jae Sang slowly changed and their relationship (kind of?) improved, but it doesn't feel as impactful or meaningful. She's mostly portrayed as the "love interest that changed the protagonist." Her only redeeming qualities is that she's pretty and can kick some ass, but I think that's nice too. It's good that they made her someone who can depend on herself and defend herself. (Went a little weird after watching her kick about 10+ grown man asses all at the same time, but we take those..)
The other characters are also just kinda there to support the protagonists since of course we need to have a team as an investigation unit. But they deliver fun moments that are enjoyable anyway, so it's not much of a waste. In fact, I think they made the series more fun, especially the trio. They were random and entertaining and their relationship is heartwarming. I love the hacker too, I think he was a great addition as a character.
As for the antagonists... well, they're... bad I guess? They don't really have enough personality other than being mean, rude, and having an evil laugh. Oh, and a mental illness. At times it feels comical, but hey, it's for the plot.
I think the only thing that bothered me a bit was the love triangle. It felt a little forced in a sense that there isn't much need for it. I think they did him dirty like that, with the team leader being labeled as "just the second male lead (for all you second male lead syndrome fans out there) who obviously doesn't get the girl but enjoy him because he's hot." At first I thought it was cute and subtle, but when he came all out on Shi On, it just felt uncomfortable and unnecessary. His love didn't serve any purpose to the story but instead to pander to a formula, because we all know that people dig love triangles. You can literally take him out of the equation and nothing will change at all. NOTHING. He does nothing but take damage for our heroine (which obviously any of her team can do) and drag his missy unrequited ass around idk. He didn't even do enough to strengthen the main couple's relationship (just a short moment of jealousy, that's it.) It was disappointing and a let down, but whatever.
Everyone did a great job.
MUSIC
There's a background OST that plays on very crucial moments whenever flashbacks appear and it breaks me every time I hear it. God I fvcking love those flashbacks. That BGM really fits the scene's atmosphere and the character's emotions. But that's it. None of the songs really stood out to me personally, so I don't think anything else will be memorable enough other those times when we crave for that lost dream.
OVERALL
I watched the trailer of this kdrama which piqued my interest and I'm so glad that I decided to give it a try. I binged it within a week and I'm so satisfied with everything despite the small flaws. It will give you a great emotional roller coaster ride with a few bumps and twists that you might not want, but overall you will enjoy the breeze and have fun anyway.
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