A disappointing waste of a spectacular premise

I don't write a lot of reviews, especially for shows that finished airing more than a couple months or so ago, but I felt compelled to write a review for Chimera because of how disappointing I found the show to be.

This show starts off, in my opinion, really strong. The first couple episodes are gripping, and exactly what I (and what I imagine a lot of people) look for in a show whose two main genres are Thriller and Mystery. Unfortunately, the show gets wrapped up in trying to jerk the audience around and loses all of that great momentum. To me, the best thriller and mystery shows are the ones that, as viewers, surprise you first but later realize you should've seen coming. I.e there are opportunities to piece together the mystery along the way. Chimera lacks that in a lot of its aspects. While there are some plot points that are very predictable, there are others that are entirely unfounded, and to which we don't get the evidence until after the fact. To me, that was the most unforgivable let down of the show. Culprits emerge from seemingly nowhere, and plot twists that feel to be for nothing more than shock value are aplenty. Which of course, made the show frustrating to watch at times.

I doubt I'll ever rewatch this show, but if I do it will only be for the main character trio (Eugene, Cha Jae Hwan, and Lee Joong Yeop) whose dynamic with each other proved to be one of the only things I consistently liked about this show.

Don't get me wrong, I still (partially) enjoyed watching this show, especially in the first half. The acting is fantastic, the characters are fairly interesting (Lee Hee Joon's character is particularly compelling), and I love the scientific approach Chimera took to explaining the murders. It was a refreshing difference that set this show apart from many other murder mysteries. Unfortunately, the second half of this show killed practically all the enthusiasm I had for it, which is a shame because I really believe this show could have been spectacular. I left this show feeling unsatisfied, and I really wish it had gone a different direction, or at least kept the tone and pacing of the first couple episodes.

Perhaps my expectations for Chimera were too high, or perhaps I'm too picky when it comes to what I think makes a good thriller or mystery, but this show could've been so much better.

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I Have No Idea What Happened Here

Grid is a 2022 Sci-FI mystery set in a world where a mysterious grid protects humanity from danger. Created by a so called 'ghost,' the main characters seek to track her down after she re-appears in present day and stops a murderer from being arrested. Penned by Lee Soo Yeon, the mind behind Stranger, the show sounds like an exciting and interesting watch. There's one problem however: it's not. Episode by episode this show spiraled into an utterly confusing mess (and that's not even talking about the ending)

Grid starts out with a very promising first episode, but from there slowly drags its feet until about halfway through episode six. Sci-Fi is one of the main genres of this show, but honestly I felt that for the first six or so episodes it was really a pure mystery show. It was slow paced, and the Sci-Fi elements that did exist, didn't really seem to impact the show all that much. Of course this changes drastically half way through episode six and suddenly theres *so* much Sci-Fi that it's hard to grasp the plot line, what is going on, and where the show is going. This also has to do with the pacing of the show being sort of all over the place, and I'm not quite sure what the reasoning behind it was. The sudden sharp veer into more Sci-Fi doesn't serve to further the plot, only make it more baffling. Perhaps this is for Lee Soo Yeon's lack of experience in writing non-realist k-dramas, but her unfamiliarity with the genre really shows.

That gripe aside, the main issue I had with the writing is that the characters always know more than the audience. This can be done well in shows, it's even done in Lee Soo Yeon's other show Stranger, but it works there because the main character discovers things with the audience, and also because that show is literally about deceit and lies. Grid on the other hand is a Sci-Fi show where the ML seems to be one step ahead, and other characters know things or accept things so fast that the audience never gets an explanation. In other words, we're very much hung out to dry. Mystery shows do this some time with the intent of allowing the audience to figure things out on their own, but even then some information must be given to the viewer so they have somewhere to start. Coupled with the more than wacky and abundant Sci-Fi, this means that the show is nothing short of downright confusing. Each episode pushes this chaos further rather than seeking to solve it, culminating in a very disappointing final episode.

The merit in Grid lies in basically every other aspect but storytelling. The acting is superb, Seo Kang Joon always seems to knock it out of the park, and he plays a really interesting and compelling character here (aside from the writing flaws). Kim Ah Joong, Kim Mu Yeol, Li Si Young, and Kim Sung Kyung are also great, as are the rest of the cast, who do their best to salvage their characters from the writing they've been given. Who again, always seem to know more than we think, and act very odd because of it. Many of the characters felt relatively 2-D or had hard to understand motivations behind what they did and said. The music is fun and the other technical elements are fine but not too stand out.

As someone who likes a good Sci-Fi, especially when it comes to murder and time travel, I was really looking forward to this show. And for the first two episodes I was actually really happy. While it was slow after that, I was still quite content watching it, but the sudden plot and pace changes halfway through episode six really lost me. Honestly I probably would've enjoyed this show if it had chosen to be consistent in it's pacing and Sci-Fi elements, whether that had been the more realistic but slow paced first half or more Sci-Fi but fast paced second half. But this show can't decide what it wants or what it's trying to say, and in doing so it jerks its viewers around episode by episode. The real dealbreaker is how this show withholds information from the viewers, so you never really know what's going on even when the characters do, making you feel like some random bystander on the street.

You may consider watching this show for the actors alone, or for the pure chaos of it, but don't be surprised when you're left beyond confused. It's a shame, Grid really could've been great, but it just got out of control.

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A Wonderfully Grim and Enthralling Show

Through the Darkness is a 2022 Crime drama that follows criminal profiler Song Ha Young during the late 90's to early 2000's as he carves a place for behavioral analysis in South Korea. Based upon the experience of Korea's first criminal profiler Kwon Il Yong (who helped write the show), the show contains 2-3 episode mini arcs, each with their own main criminal. Thus the connecting factor of the episodes is Song Ha Young and his colleagues' journey into becoming more comfortable with the art of profiling. The show is stunningly realistic, and does not shy away from dark matters such as murder, and sexual assault. The show stands out from others in the same genre due to its faithfulness to real life, which makes it both gripping and horrifying.

If the show has one flaw, it is that at times, it is too realistic. As it is focused on accurately portraying the process of catching criminals and creating a whole new method of investigation, it at times is very slow - understandably so considering real life investigations aren't often magically solved in a couple days. In fact, I had trouble getting through the first episode but I decided to watch the second and was so hooked I never looked back.

Because of this realism, the characters at times can be frustrating, or not that very stand out. I see that most people who didn't like the show did not like it because of the characters, and I believe it is because of how realistic they are. They aren't written to be sensational or quirky to catch viewers eyes like most characters are, but rather are very nuanced and subtly fleshed out. To some, this means they are boring or annoying, but to me, they were not stagnant at all. Most characters experience slow and slight changes to their personality and ideals throughout the show, as most real people do. Plus, the main character Song Ha Young is incredibly compelling from start to finish. I felt that his character arc (this slow descent into the minds of criminals and how he copes) was amazingly written, and you can really see the differences in who he is from episode 1 to episode 12.

On the topic of Song Ha Young, Kim Nam Gil is brilliant in his portrayal of him. If I liked him in Fiery Priest, then I loved him in this. His acting is so well done, particularly in his expressions (I mean, his gaze really makes you feel like you're being analyzed and broken down) and he lends himself perfectly to Song Ha Young who as a character is mostly well composed yet brimming with justice and anger. He breathes life into this character and does a fantastic job in carrying the show and making you invested in him. I really believe that no one else could have played this part like he did, he's perfect for it.

The other actors are also wonderful, although it's harder to comment on them since the shows focus is mainly on Song Ha Young. Yet they do well to make the show feel realistic and make their characters feel like actual people. Major props should go to those who act the criminals, as they often put on chilling yet human performances.

This show is not a 'whodunnit' show, but a 'how catch em' show, reminiscent of shows such as Mindhunter and Columbo. Thus, it is very different from conventional thrillers, which again to some, coupled with the shows slower pace makes the show boring. To me, I felt that this made the show brilliant, and even after finishing the show I just wish I had more of it. It's one of those rare shows where I just know I'd watch season after season of Song Ha Young and his job. It will most definitely be a show I come back to time and time again, because the joy of it is not figuring out a criminal (like many mystery shows) but rather the process of criminal profiling and bring justice to innocent victims.

I understand that this show is not for everyone, especially those used to fast paced and plot-twisty mysteries, but it is a masterful show nonetheless. As someone who loves watching content about criminal profilers, this show is definitely my favorite k-drama regarding to topic to date, and one of my favorite portrayals of a profiler as well. This is a must watch for people who like things about criminal profilers, alongside those who enjoy the investigative and crime genres.

Even if this show seems to differ from your usual tastes, I implore you to give it a chance. You won't regret it.

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Your Run of the Mill Supernatural Show

Monstrous is a 2022 supernatural k-drama with short episodes. It follows a town that plunges into mania after digging up an evil Buddah statue that enchants people with it's eyes - driving them to madness and bloodshed.

I'll spare this show a long review because I wasn't even planning on initially writing one, since this show isn't particularly stand out in either the good or bad sense. I've been excited for this show since it was first announced, especially since both the plot and cast were appealing to me, and although it failed to deliver, I didn't feel necessarily disappointed. Perhaps it was because I looked at other people's reviews beforehand, but I feel like you get exactly what you expect with this drama.

The plot is pretty average when it comes to "zombie-esque" shows, although it does bear a striking resemblance to OCN's 2021 show "Dark Hole". You have all your typical characters - the ML with family issues, a police officer, a morally righteous teenager, an overly violent man who's all too happy with the situation etc... There's nothing particularly wrong with having cliched characters in a drama, but they have to be done right. Unfortunately the fact this drama is so short means that this doesn't happen.

It's also a waste of great actors. I was so excited to see Kwak Dong Yeon, as well as Nam Da Reum in a leading role (rather than a child actor one), and they do the best with what they're given, all the actors do, but what they're given isn't a lot. Honestly something about Shin Hyun Bin's acting bothered me, but I think that's less her fault, and more because her character spent practically the whole drama just kinda writhing around on the ground.

Really the drama lacks a lot of substance in every way that isn't violence. It has *a lot* of gore, which I wont hold against it since that's to be expected of this type of show, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart.

But the only reason, and I mean only, reason that I am writing this review instead of just rating it and moving on is because of the sound design. Oh my god it's awful. Not the music, the music is fine, but the sound design itself. They use that generic, canned crowd gasp sound (the one that is literally called "THAT crowd gasp" when you search YouTube), whenever there's a group of people together that's shocked at something, which is very often. It completely takes you out of the show. Breaking realism is one thing, but I found myself laughing every time I heard it, which I feel is not something you want in a dark fiction show.

Overall this show is fine. It's not the most brilliant thing to watch, but it's not downright awful either. I definitely wish it had been better, especially because these actors are all capable of handling far better scripts, but I wasn't that upset that it didn't turn out to be amazing. I'd say it's a good filler drama for when you just need something short and "meh" in-between other drama watches. Still can't get over the sound editing tho lol.

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Highly Recommend this Show

I don't write many reviews (so bear with me) but this show is just so amazing that I felt like I had too. I've just finished rewatching it for the 2nd time, and I still love this show as much as I did the first time around. Ever since watching it, it's remained in my top two k-dramas.

The show genre promises thriller, suspense, and mystery and that's exactly what you get. The plot is full of a lot of twist and turns, with the big twist in particular being fantastic. What I like about it is that the twists don't come out of nowhere, there are a lot of hints that you can pick up on to see where its going (which is also why this has such a great rewatch value, because there's so many small details you initially miss). I can understand that there are moments where it gets just a bit frustrating and heavy handed, hence why I didn't give the plot a 10/10 but overall, it's a great story. The ending is also in my opinion perfect, and one of my all time favorite k-drama endings.

The acting, especially from our two main leads is spectacular. Their characters are smart, fun, but also vulnerable and quite three-dimensional. Lee Joon Hyuk and Nam Ji Hyun also give their characters great chemistry, so you get very invested in the relationship between the two of them as well. As someone who has seen many of Lee Joon Hyuk's drama's, I can easily say this is my favorite role of his. It's very dynamic and full of emotion, and his acting is great. I cannot speak too much to Nam Ji Hyun because I've only seen a couple of her other shows, but she does a fantastic job in this, and her character was refreshing from most typical female leads. The side characters also act quite well, in total lending to a very interesting cast that helps support the show.

The music isn't that memorable, but it's definitely fitting. It does a good job of setting the atmosphere and emotion, even if you don't really notice it that much.

As I said earlier I believe the re-watch value to be very high, because there are so many little clues that you can catch onto the second time around. It's a show I find myself going back to when I don't know what to watch, because it never gets less enjoyable for me.

All in all, I highly recommend this show. It's my favorite time travel show of all time, and if you're looking for a shorter watch, but one that still has a fulfilling plot and well-fleshed out characters, this is definitely the one for you!

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