Kate

Disastrous codependency that limits everyone involved.

Yet somehow, it’s both just as bad, and not as bad as it sounds. Perfect case of a relationship unintentionally turning toxic, when everyone involved thinks they have good intentions.

Double is a perfect character study, with so many various meanings to all interactions, that leave the final interpretation of the events and characters’ motivations to the viewer. Depending on what you will focus on, which scenes and moments will seem more important, what actions done by the characters feel more genuine, you might see quite a different tale than other people watching. And that’s the beauty of the show.

Personally, I see it as an artistic presentation of obsession - be it over art or a person, and countless human flaws and weaknesses.

When I think of Yujin, I think about egocentrism and this may seem like a counterintuitive view at first. He is introduced as someone who was willing to sacrifice a lot for Takara to succeed, but were his intentions as pure as it might seem? There is no clear cut answer to this question, but with each episode, watching him interact with Takara made me feel more and more uncomfortable. He had quite a duality about how he carried himself and interacted with Takara that made it hard to understand his character from the get go.

On the other hand we have Takara - a guy that was completely not capable of taking care of himself, and I truly mean what I say. The phrase that quite well describes him is “lack of self” - be it in the roles he portrays, decisions he makes, relationships he forms - everything is dependent on external influences.

He got hyperfixated on things and saw acting as his only goal in life. At the same time, for the longest time I could not truly pinpoint what exactly he wanted to achieve. Technically he verbalizes his wishes, but often they do not quite fit the reality and the action he would have to take to achieve them. He might seem like the victim of the situation, but what this drama is not, is simple - so there is more to his character and how he maneuvers his daily life.

Sounds like a lot? Looks like these are some complex characters? This ain’t even a fraction of what the drama presents. Honestly speaking, it’s best to go into it knowing as little as possible - not getting influenced by other people’s analysis and thoughts. Making it your own unique experience.

Complex characters and relationships are not the only aspect this drama delivers on an impossible high standard - the directing and editing were top notch as well. I am amazed how beautiful Double is. It truly feels like every scene was a deliberate choice and not one frame was left in by an accident or to simply fill the screen time.

Prolonged close ups to the actors’ faces, giving this eerie feeling, accompanied by simple yet dramatic in tone soundtrack? True perfection. The variety of different angles? Beautiful. The use of light and shadows? Could not ask for more. It’s just a perfectly crafted picture.

Onto the performances, both main actors did a phenomenal job, but I did prefer Nagayama Kento’s casting here. He embodied the gentle, caring yet strangely intimidating and unsettling character. On the other hand, while I do not have even a fraction of complaints about Chiba Yudai’s acting, it was simply hard for me to believe he was able to grab people’s attention… doing nothing, standing, walking. When he was not performing, he gave more of a lost puppy vibe, not this charismatic actor who might change the cinema. And yet, this is what they tried to tell me - that people just saw it in him.

Overall, what an uncanny watch it was. Each and every episode left me with so many thoughts to be organized, so many moments I had to analyze. One could easily write a whole book trying to decipher all the characters. More of my thoughts about them in the comment below.

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The plot lost between the simping, stalking and the sea of angst.

This drama makes me confused. Logically, I don’t even think it’s that good. Sure, some characters are interesting, some have great arcs, but the overall plot was barely developed and it’s mostly the female lead bouncing between the three and half male leads (I’m sorry Feng Long, but I forgot you were even a legit option and actually part of the main cast).

That said, it’s ridiculously addicting and entertaining. I saw all the flaws, but I could not stop watching. I feel like it’s one of the dramas with well written characters and basic, underdeveloped plot. Xiao Yao had barely anything going on for her in terms of the story, but just her personality and her interactions with other characters were enough for me to adore her. Xiyan Cang Xuan's fight for the throne seemed more like a first draft than a proper strategy, and yet I love him and the internal struggle, suppressed emotions and the conflicts he had to face were amazing. Xiang Liu had some of the best character developments in the whole show, slow, well paced, realistic. He did not become an angel, the core of the character never changed, but with each and every scene we’ve got to see all the layers of personalities he had.

While I disliked Tushan Jing a lot, even his character was written in a proper way, I just don’t vibe with him. That said, the struggle between his own desires and the newly found responsibilities was well presented.

Another aspect deserving some appreciation was the variety of female characters. More straightforward and tomboyish Xiao Yao, who is truly daring and loyal. Nian who went from annoying brat, to sweet sister (whom I also adored by the end of the show - biggest surprise for me), Fangfeng Yi Ying with her cunning nature and desperate actions, calculative, but also honest Chenrong Xin Yue. Truth to be told, I appreciated all the female characters, and at times I wished the drama would focus on them more.

What’s more to love? The visuals. Not me taking over 1000 screenshots. The costumes were beautiful, the scenery breathtaking, set designs amazing. Visually speaking, there was nothing to hate and a lot to love.

The acting was great. The only performance I struggle to judge is Deng Wei as Tushan Jing - I disliked the character so much, I am not going to act like a clown and pretend like I can be objective here. That said, the whole cast MASTERED the suppressed angst - everyone delivered in that area and these scenes were truly the highlight of the whole drama for me.

Overall, extremely enjoyable watch, even if by the end I felt like there was barely any plot. I wanted to see more detail in Xiyan Cang Xuan journey. I also wished to see more of Nian, since she became one of my favorite characters. I disliked how unbalanced all the relationships were, as someone who prefers partnership, the simping and pinning, and sacrificing at times was too much - rolling eyes was inevitable.

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So charming it bents the laws of optics and common sense.

Sometimes you don’t need logic, you need fluff and tension. You need the greatest dynamic of a cute unpopular boy and a possessive popular boy. The purest form of rom-com that is all about the characters and their relationship, but has none of the brain cells and care for reality. And the lead characters with good dynamics they delivered.

Hioki Asahi was adorable and I don’t get where the idea of not fitting in with hot guys comes from. The most popular group of friends in school usually also had that cute one to add sweet to the spice. Luckily it was not really the focus of the drama, but it did add to some internal conflicts. On the bright side I loved how they did not make Hioki feminine. That's the typical pattern we see in dramas - the hot one is masculine, and they make the cute one act like a little girl. Here Hioki was your typical teenage boy. Was he shy and adorable? Yes. But he was not “anime teenage girl who actually is styled like a middle school girl” shy and adorable. A good example were his interests - he wan't into baking, or floral arrangements, he was into sports. That I appreciate a lot.

Watarai Tsukasa was for sure far more cliche, but I ate it all with no care. This is how you write a jealous male lead - you actually make them jealous and create scenarios where they can get jealous. It’s that simple, and yet most dramas miss the mark. This man had a vision and a long term plan. Yes, the plan was not only fueled by his endless edging the confession and being a tease, but also a tiny bit of awkwardness and fear. His whole existence could be summed up as: how far can I go without spelling out my feelings?

For the romance - thank you. They knew exactly what they were doing. They utilized the unsure unpopular and the possessive popular dynamics to the max. Looks, subtle touches, less subtle touches, amazing hugs, not a dead fish kiss. We had a reasonable amount of hesitation and miscommunication/lack of communication that just matches the age of the characters, but is not exaggerated to the point of pure frustration. I think that’s the charm of the drama - it was well balanced. Just when the lack of communication could start being annoying, they talked. Just when I’m starting to get bothered how we only get one point of view, they drop the other. Just when the tension is about to plateau, they break it and kick it to a higher level.

The rest of the "F4" gang? Let’s just say I died a little bit with them complaining about their pretty privilege and how people just love them for no reason. What a 1st word problem they had. Literally zero depth, zero nuance. And that’s actually good. Just a bunch of pretty boys having fun and being pretty while not distracting me from the main romance. It worked.

What didn’t work was the early 2000s portrayal of girls. Not literally every girl in the drama existing either to be annoying so it validates the unjustifiable distaste the guys had for girls, or to be a source of jealousy. I don’t need any depth from them, keep them as shallow as Watarai’s sidekicks, but make them fun, nice, and act normal.

The production was actually surprisingly great. Some scenes were straight up beautiful. I always enjoy the shows that convey emotions, meanings, desires, hopes, hesitations by other means than just close ups to the leads' faces, and we've got some nice variety here. I also really liked the use of light and how it gave certain scenes a really soft and dream-like feeling that was enhanced by the perfect amount of slow motion highlighting the beauty, the tension, without slowing down the momentum.

Acting was good with a small * in terms of Fujimoto Kodai - loved it all, but that one crying scene when he truly used all his facial muscles to squeeze these tears. Unless the actor is actually able to have the waterfall come out of their eyes, you do not need the complete break down moment - you can have the same emotional impact with more subtle portrayal. That said, that was just one scene I was not convinced by the acting, all the rest I enjoyed a lot. Be it from the main cast or the supporting one - the intense stare that Kan Hideyoshi delivered, the playfulness of Fujimoto Kodai, dynamics that felt like real friendships.

Time for some complaining:
There are dramas that are unintentionally illogical in some aspects, and there are dramas that intentionally drop the logic out of the window, because they had an idea for a cute scene. School Trip wins first place for bending the logic to curate fluff and I’m not even mad about it.

Okay I am a bit mad, but I got easily distracted by how cute the leads were. But even the power of adorable Hioki and jealous Watarai could not stop me from ranting about the idiocy that was the presentation of being short-sighted. Excuse me, but you do not become borderline disabled when you take your glasses off. Hell, someone who would have their eyes covered would probably function better than Hioki. Or how he literally put glasses on when he still had in one eye lens on. Or how he basically acted as if he had glass in his eye, because one of the lenses fell off.

More illogical things that became hilarious: getting drunk on 1/10th of a sip of alcohol. Or how Hioki literally could not eat any meal without getting it all over his face. Or how we had 8 teenage boys and they thought one small pizza for them makes sense.

Overall, this drama proves that as long as you are charming and do what you set out to do well, you can get away with truly a solid amount of silly and borderline stupid ideas.

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When the victim becomes the perpetrator.

Can trauma and growing up in a toxic environment excuse someone’s awful actions? If yes, then no one is guilty in this show. From my perspective, this show quite well presents how a person can be both the victim and the perpetrator and society should make sure not to ignore their tragic past while also acknowledging their horrific actions in the present and punishing them for them.

This is not a story about righteous characters - there are no heroes. With how dramatic and excessive everyone’s actions were, it’s hard to even call them gray. It’s a journey into madness. It presents an interesting dilemma - up till which point a person is a victim that needs help, and when exactly can we see them as perpetrators that need to be stopped and punished? Can you still be called a victim if you yourself create more victims?

Not gonna lie, what started as a “fun revenge story”, ended on a bitter note, and I’m not mad about it. I thought it’s going to be a “put morality on the shelf, turn off your brain and enjoy some bullies getting their punishment” type of a deal, but the further into the story I went, the more it made me think about it and how complex of an issue bullying is. Bullies themselves are often victims of either bullying by upper classmates or abuse at home. So here’s the question - if their actions were not excused in the drama based on their circumstances, why would we excuse what the main character did?

One thing to keep in mind - the ending might leave a bad taste in your mouth, but I think it’s fitting the story, even though it fills me with rage. And the literally last sequence of scenes broke my heart.

It’s a story of the friends trio - Kyungmin, Jong Suk and Cheol. All complex, all raw and interesting. And then there is Jin Ah. Why she exists in the show is beyond me. Clearly the story could have been told without adding her, as she is not a character in the original animation. Her being the good cop, moral one just does not fit the mood of the drama. Not to mention, the whole investigation plot line was simply ridiculous and boring. I found her to be rather obnoxious, flip flopping between following the rules and playing the proper cop, to ignoring the rules when the show needed that, but still acting like a voice of reason.

All the supporting characters were rather one dimensional, but they played their roles well and created the cohesive picture of the world presented. That said, one of the issues I had with the show was how extreme it went. It’s not exactly a realistic portrayal of school bullies as adults - everyone was either awful or went on a guilt trip that dominated their whole life. I guess the closest to a more typical story was the first victim/bully, which for me was the most questionable.

The acting was great. The two performances that stood out for me the most were Kim Sung Gyu and Choi Hyun Jin. Hyun Jin, this child - he has a bright future ahead of him. His performance also led to Cheol being my favorite character. The actor is only 14, but I could feel the pain, desperation, sadness, glimpses of hope and happiness in him. It was all so well delivered, I will for sure check any of his future projects.

Production wise, I appreciate how they did not shy away from creating truly gory scenes (yes, they were blurred, but with all the horrors I have seen, my imagination kicks in fast). Some of the pictures created were just hitting hard emotionally. The pig and wolf masks were truly detailed and creepy. Honestly speaking, I have zero complaints about the production. Maybe sometimes the scenes were a little bit too dark, so it was hard to see what was actually happening.

Overall, it’s a great drama that could have been amazing if they did not decide to add Kang Jin Ah and her whole investigation side of the plot. Still, I was interested till the end and in a strange way, I was satisfied with the ending, even though it felt a little bit half assed.

Trigger warnings: school bullying, abuse, sexual harassment, blood, gore, psychological abuse, animal abuse, and probably many more. I would not call it a safe drama for the majority of people, so be warned.

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How to enjoy a disaster movie when I don't feel the connection to any of the characters, but the movie relies on me feeling something?

Since the disaster happened relatively fast, I didn't have enough time to get to know the characters. They all were just nameless random people to me. I didn't care about the mains more than any other background person running away. Will they die? Will they survive? Who knows? But also, who cares?

The political aspects just frustrated me to the bone. Since various terms and procedures had to be explained to the viewers via narration, everyone making the important decisions about the disaster looked incompetent - everything had to be explained. The president was spineless until the plot decided it was time for him to act the role. The same "miraculous change" happened to the main hero, who was first to try to leave and then out of a blue first one to try to save others. The "development" of the characters just happened in between scenes, and there was no nice and logical progression.

The acting from the main cast was good, but some of the supporting actors could tone down the over dramatic acting a bit.

Overall, a nice movie to play as a background as you do other daily activities. Far too long for what it presents and offers.

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Stunning visuals and the thrilling game of wits.

Your expectations will make or break this show. If you expect a typical noble king versus corrupted officials power struggle, this will be a huge disappointment. You need to be aware of the fact that for a lot of the show the king takes the side lines in this power political scheme and the focus is put on other main characters and the overall context of the current court situation. Lee Tae for many episodes is shown being too preoccupied protecting Yoo Jung taking detours in his plan.

This is not a story of a hero fighting for power to create a better world. This is a story of a king with no vision, trying to gain power for the sake of power. A king who is willing to sacrifice many innocent lives and put the whole country in danger for his personal goals. A king who, while possessing some wits and strategy skills, has no wisdom and is unable to foresee the consequences of his actions. A king who should never be a king (until they give him last minute change of heart, I don't want to talk about it...)

While most of this review is my personal subjective interpretation (which mostly talks about the events excluding the last episode, as I feel like ot did disservice to the whole show) of the events and the characters, it is a fact that this is not the good versus evil type of a story. It’s a great portrayal of the aftermath that could happen in the country after deposing a tyrant king. Putting a new one on the throne is not the end of the struggle, It’s just the beginning. The subject and officials learning how to trust the new ruler, and the new king proving his worth and gaining power with their wisdom and not the political schemes would be the ideal scenario, which could not be more different than what the drama presents.

The new king tries to gain more power against the officials. The officials fear the tyranny they just ended, so they try to limit the power of the royal family. The royal family works even harder to gain more power. Both sides started to use evil tactics to achieve their goal. No one is right, no one is good. To understand the motivations of the characters you need to take into consideration the context the drama sets.

Let’s start with the characters, as they are the core of this story. Before you proceed though, know I am a pro Gye Won type of a girl.

Lee Tae and his family reminded me of all the evil royal families in all chinese dramas - creating a mess because of their bad planning and actions, and then blaming other people for them. No one was willing to be accountable for what they have done. The late Queen would rather “die a queen” which led to many innocent lives being sacrificed, than lose the honor. The late king would rather put the blame on innocent people for her death, instead of telling the truth. Lee Tae would rather risk the whole country’s safety with his poorly planned schemes (I mean, dude was surprised Queen Dowager turned into a full tyrant after he led her to take over… the lack of insight was amazing) than put in the effort to unite the people.

And none of the Lee Tae’s family members had a real goal, except gaining power and honor for the royal family. The country was not in chaos. People were not living bad lives, the officials (while there will always be some bad apples) were not all corrupted groups who used their power for their own benefit. Yes, they limited the royal family, but they did it out of fear, not out of greed. And The royal family did nothing to make the officials trust them. Who decided to make a queen a daughter of the killed tyrant and then act surprised when officials start to be more on edge?

Lee Tae was not fighting against the bad guys, he was fighting for power, and that’s where his plan ends. He never presented any ideas of how he will use said power to make the lives of his subjects better, how to make the country stronger. From episode one they showed countless hints how he is in fact a tyrant in making, even though being one was never his actual goal. Throughout the show he kept seeing himself as a victim and justified all his actions. In his mind, the people that died because of his schemes were not victims of his ploy, they were sacrifices he made. But he failed to see that one cannot sacrifice what is not theirs, and their lives were not. One can scarify THEIR life, THEIR dignity, THEIR possession. Taking it away from other people for your own gain is NOT sacrifice.

I think from the start we saw how he was not fit to be the king. The more episodes I have seen, the more on Gye Won’s side I was, even though he himself was nowhere near being a hero. With how the story was told, it made complete sense that he tried to keep the royal family’s power in check after surviving the tyrant king, especially since Lee Tae never showed any signs of possibly doing a better job at ruling. He was pretending to be a foolish king not interested in politics, so why would Gye Won put the trust in him? And when Lee Tae finally started to make some moves, they were all focused on fighting against the officials, and none on trying to make the country a better place. We saw how Gye Won was willing to give up his power as long as someone shows the qualities of a good ruler - putting the people ahead of their goals, plans, honor and pride. The moment he saw Yoo Jung has these qualities, he was willing to serve her and respected her plans and decisions she was making. He was supporting her and trusted her.

Gye Won became one of the most interesting characters in all 2022 dramas. At first it might seem as if his goal of “putting the righteous king on the throne” is just a way of keeping the power to himself, as no king will ever meet his arbitrary ideals, but later on we can see that’s not the truth. He was never loyal to the royal family, he was loyal to the country. He was willing to sacrifice his life, and in consequence dooming his whole family, just to make sure no tyrant will ever gain the absolute power. He went against the love of his life the moment she seeked the power she should not have. He was willing to lose all his merit, honor and pride, becoming a traitor if it meant saving the country.

Truth to be told, both Lee Tae and Gye Won did some shady things during the drama. The difference here is the motivation - Gye Won was fighting FOR the country, while Lee Tae was fighting AGAINST the officials. One had a vision of a prosperous country in mind, the other had a vision of absolute royal power. One was willing to sacrifice themselves for the country, while the other was willing to put the country in danger for his goal.

It became a question - what makes a good king? Political strength of the royal family as Lee Tae wanted? Or wisdom and benevolence that Gye Woon sought in the new king?

And then we had the brilliant Yoo Jung. While the first 4 episodes made her seem like nothing more than just a love interest for Lee Tae and a pawn in political schemes, she quickly became one of the sources of power in the court. Compared to Gye Won and Lee Tae, she, from the start, used her own wits, at times putting her own life at risk, instead of using people around her. She was able to gain the trust of both Gye Won and even the most trusted person on Lee Tae’s side, to help her with her plans. She knew when to compromise for the good of the people, putting her own wants to the side. Since her goal was to protect the people, fighting against others was not always her go to opinion, as it more often than not created more victims. She tried to negotiate and find a common ground. As a true ruler should.

Her trust in Lee Tae by the end of the show was a bit delusional, I have to admit it. Her trying to whitewash his crimes, acting as if he was different than Queen Dowager or Gye Won was simply laughable. Stating that he will not take the same path that Queen Dowager took, when he was the one who created the path himself was just painful to see.

The complexity of the characters and the no obvious morals were the best part of the show. Putting a complete twist to the typical court period drama was a delight and got me engaged on some next level. I was analyzing and discussing the characters and their actions with many users after each and every episode, and they always left me with some issues and ideas to reflect upon.

All that said, the show is not without flaws in terms of the characters and writing. The biggest issue I had was Queen Dowager’s characterization. I honestly had no issue with her becoming just a pawn in the game. She was never shown to be a witty, smart and driven person. From the start she was passive and relied on Gye Won to make all the decisions. What bothered me was her motivation which made little to no sense. They did not set it properly. Yes, I understand that her fear of abandonment made her seek the power, but with how she was presented, her reasoning behind it should be “I will give you the country to rule, you don’t need Yoo Jung” instead of “I will take away everything you have and burn the country you tried to protect”. Her out of the blue defiance and war against men in power was just laughable, because nothing about how she was presented before fitted that scenario.

Another character that had questionable presentation was Jo Won Pyo. I understand that he was supposed to represent a person who “goes with the flow” does not fight for nor against to keep themselves safe. I understand it’s supposed to give us the viewers commentary on how not standing up against evil does not mean you are neutral, it means you are on the side of the bad guys, as it supports their actions. I don’t think they truly delivered that message well. We knew from the start that he and Gye Won worked together to depose the tyrant king. We know he took the right actions when needed, so this “will he/won’t he” closer to the end seemed a bit out of place.

What’s more, the show relied a little bit too much on surprising reveals to deliver impactful plot twists, which led to sacrificing some character development and limiting the attachment the viewers might have had. Some of these tactics worked well - Yoo Jung deciding to stay in the palace against Lee Tae’s wishes. It was a short, one episode side story, did not take a lot of the screen time and with all the other information we had about Yoo Jung, did not impact how viewers saw her in terms of her wits and intelligence. We knew she was smart, we did not need the step by step explanation on how she did it. On the other hand, they tried to use the same style of storytelling for some longer plotlines, and that just failed. I’m not the biggest fan of making Lee Tae the mastermind of it all in the last 4 episodes, when he was presented as a smart, but impulsive and emotional person during all the previous ones. My issue was the fact he was shown to behave like that even when there were no people around him, when he did not have to pretend for his plan to work. I honestly felt lied to. The direction of the plot was brilliant, but the writers trying to keep it hidden for so long was not the best choice for me.

Same story happened with the young monk - with how much of an impact he had on the plot, we knew nothing about him, he was added to the plot in later episodes. Before we could try to understand him and his motivation, he was gone - a painful case of a character being just a plot device and nothing more.

Some people might also dislike how the schemes were mostly just talking and plans, and close to none of them actually happened, as they were stopped or negotiated before they took place. It was not - kill, poison, lie, hire assassins, over the top type of political schemes. It was far more based on the game of wits, threats and mutual convincing that the actions someone wants to take will not be beneficial, as the other person might have hidden some tricks up their sleeves. One could say the plot is slow and barely anything happens. It’s true that there are just a few big events. The plot is the shifts in dynamics and creating new alliances. The core of the show are the characters, not the plot itself. Why do they do what they do? What do they stand for? What are they willing to do to achieve that? Whom should the viewers root for?

What’s worth mentioning are the visuals of the show. The whole show is like a moving painting. The number of breathtaking scenes was high. Some of my favorites were the aerial shots - I’m a sucker for these. If dramas have them, I will always give some bonus points. This is for sure the most visually stunning drama I have seen in 2022. And these visuals are supported by the amazing soundtrack. While I loved all the songs, the instrumental arrangement had more impact for me.

The acting was almost perfect. I cannot stop myself from thinking Lee Joon exaggerated some line delivery. Especially when he added that raspy quality to his voice every time the character got angry, sad or emotional - after a while it became just too much. Instead of getting emotionally affected by the scene, I was thinking how much his throat has to hurt after all that.

I was also not amazed by Choi Ri’s acting as Jo Yeon Hee. Even though the character was rather unlikeable, I felt indifferent because of the portrayal.

All the rest of the cast did amazing. Jang Hyuk is an actor that was born to act in period dramas, so no surprise for her. That one that caught me off guard with how well they did was Kang Han Na. She is an amazing actress, but the role of Yoo Jung was extremely hard to deliver correctly. Being both strong, but also delicate. Empathetic, but also assertive. Emotional, but also rational. Give that role to a worse actress and the character will be all over the place. Kang Han Na aced the role and made Yoo Jung one of my favorite female characters.

I honestly don't even want to talk about the ending. Pacing wise it made no sense for any of the characters to do a 180 like that. If they wanted this conclusion, the events in episode 15 should have happened at least 2 episodes earlier, so the change would be more gradual. My issue is not even the ending itself, but how it was delivered.

Overall, you can enjoy the show if you just casually watch it, but the true value comes from truly analyzing it and trying to understand the characters and context of the show. The more you invest your attention and time into this show, the more you will enjoy it. It leaves you with many moral questions that are truly not easy to answer.

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Amazing buildup with blurry conclusion.

I did not have such a level of mind-f**k in a long time. Half way through the show I stopped making any theories, because it was just impossible to predict and evaluate anything. The only thing I knew was - anything can happen.

The events present in the show happen in 4 different timelines, and like puzzle pieces put together, slowly showcase the whole picture. Sadly, along the way some pieces have been lost, and the answers were not fully delivered, leaving me with my own interpretations and theories.

The story follows quite a number of characters, with their own back stories and plot lines, that are all connected in a convoluted way. The moment you might think you start to see the whole picture, they do 180 on you, and you are back to the beginning - confused and frustrated.

Without the doubt Uhm Tae Goo was the star of the show. Jo Kyung Ho was such a glooming and enigmatic presence throughout the drama, I could do nothing, but get intrigued and drawn to him. The calmness, confidence and the assured tone with which he delivered the lines made it that much more terrifying.

On the other side of the events we had Choi Hyung In - emotional and driven detective, and Jo Jung Hyun, who failed to run away from her fast and was forced to face it. With each episode we see the paths of the three characters getting closer, leading to an inevitable clash.

From my perspective, the show tells the story of the different ways people deal with trauma, grief, anger and fear. Some give up, some fight till the end, some run away and some dive into a revenge fueled path. Hometown presents how turning a blind eye to suffering can lead to more pain and more victims. Facing your past, working through the pain, accepting the responsibility, regretting the mistakes and working to fix them, even if it seems too late to take any actions - it’s worth living even if we suffer.

The acting from the main cast was a top level of awesomeness. I felt sad and defeated thanks to Yoo Jae Myung, confused and trapped thanks to Han Ye Ri’s performance, and uncomfortable with, but enchanted by Kyung Ho’s character, thanks to Uhm Tae Goo’s skills.

Some of the teens' performances were questionable - the characters did not feel quite real and the emotions did not reach me. Luckily, it only happened during a few scenes, and overall, all of them did a fairly good job.

The production quality could not be better. The mix of horror elements perfectly elevated the thrills, blurring the lines between the reality and creations of one's mind. For a show that is not mainly a horror, it delivers the tense atmosphere in a skillful way, giving the viewers goosebumps during a number of scenes.

Are there any complaints? Yes.

Set up that is not explained well. Till the end, even after the credit rolls on the screen, you won’t get all the answers of “how” and “why”. If we limit the story to what’s possible in reality - this makes little sense. Me and many other viewers voiced how the presence of supernatural elements could elevate the show to a new level, explaining some plotlines and character’s choices and skills.

By the end of the last episode, I was still confused about what exactly started the whole plot - what made Jo Kyung Ho what he was, why he did what he did, when he started and what exactly was his desired outcome. I have my theories, but the point is - I don’t think the show did enough in explaining what drives the villain - they fail to explain his motives properly.

Confusion surrounding some plotlines, especially circumstances around Im Se Yoon and the timeline of her death. The last two episodes confused the heck out of me. I tried to sum up all the information I’ve got since episode one, but it just does not work in my brain. I might have missed something, they might have made it far more convoluted than needed, or it might be both.

Overall, it was an extremely intense ride. The journey was so entertaining, even with the disappointing conclusion, I can’t help, but love the show. Hometown ends with a question mark rather than a full stop, but for me, sometimes it’s better to not give the answers than give the ones that are not satisfying.

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It was a simple story, simple romance and a simple watch.

Sang Yi helped In Soo hold onto his dream, In Soo helped Sang Yi step out of his comfort zone, and it was all done in a quite subtle way. We never get to actually meet the big bad guy, and his presence is introduced later on, but didn't really have that much impact on the story. Or rather, it had a huge impact, but it didn't feel like it.

It's a sweet story about two boys that fall in love with each other (and each other's music). There is a vague background about going against other people's expectations and chasing your dreams no matter what, but in only 80 minutes, the plot is not explored enough to have an actual emotional impact.

The acting was nice? Overall Lee Sang did a better job than In Soo, but none of the actors convinced me during their "sad" scenes. The emotions just weren't translating onto the screen well.

The production value was quite good. The shots had a nice indie vibe to them and the music was definitely one of the strongest points. That said, for a show that centers around music production, the audio quality in the beginning episodes was questionable...

It was an easy watch that never really got me excited, but I wasn't bored either. Watching it won't be a waste of time, but skipping it would not be much of a loss either. It is what it is: a short cute BL romance with a simple plot and pretty leads.

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Delivered the sweet, failed with angst.

I liked it, but I did not love it. It was so close to being so good, it makes me feel more disappointed. It gave us so much to appreciate - good chemistry between the leads, THE height difference, interesting set up for the plot and future conflict, decent acting… but then it kind of did not deliver on any of these.

Was the chemistry good? Yes. And if it was not for the supporting couple, I would probably even say it was great. But these few moments we’ve got from Ju Ha and Kyu Sung felt so natural I could not see the main couple in the same light. Good example: both couples had that “one person leaning on the other when they are sitting, semi backhug position” - Ju Ha and Kyu Sung felt like couple, Si Yeol and Ae Jun felt like actors who are playing the couple and are ready to get back to normal sitting position right when they hear “cut”.

Still, the interactions felt mostly natural. I loved how Si Yeol was confidently flirting and how confused, but also happy Ae Jun was about it (living his best delulu life).

Then we had the height difference straight from the webtoon, so big my neck hurt just watching Ae Jun look at Si Yeol. So my question is… why wasn’t it used? Like, ever? There are so many perfect (cliche) moments and scenes that many viewers love, and we’ve got none.

Even the set up was great - scheming idol and a dishonest fan. One would be enough for a great conflict and angst to follow, but these two? What an amazing combination. So where is the angst? The way I almost felt nothing when all the tea started to spill. The way things were set up to be future conflicts ended up as nothing, but a few seconds scenes.

I do believe the issue here was the acting from Kim Kang Min. His performance was fine, but the moment the plot leads more into heavy themes, he just did not deliver. Which was even more evident when he shared the screen with Park Jin Woo who actually aced the sadness and anger.

Production value was good. One of the issues I often have with dramas about idols is how unrealistic the details of their work are (e.g. awards ceremonies in small rooms with barely any people). Here he did feel like a real idol - from merch, songs, interviews, stages, radio interviews. The school also felt like a school, the classroom had students that acted like students. The environment was crafted in a way that made the story feel more real.

Overall, it was almost there. A few changes in the last 3 episodes and we could have gotten a solid show.

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Being loyal to your party, your principles or are you just fighting against your enemies?

As a Polish person watching Chinese shows depicting the rise of the Communist Party and being so pro communism is always a bit of a surreal experience. So rather than focusing on the ideological picture of who is wrong and who is right, I usually focus on the personal convictions of the main characters and their psychological journey. This show for sure gave me a lot to think about.

We truly got completely different takes on convictions and their impact on decision making. Wei Ruo Lai who had a clear idea of his principles and followed the path that matched them best.. Shen Jin Zhen who was in line with the ideology that presented the future she wished to see - dedicated to a specific path, not letting anything stop her. Shen Tu Nan, who on one hand had a specific set of ideas that he deemed important, but at the same time being unreasonably loyal to the side that goes against what he believes. And then we had Lin Qiao Song (whom I would include in the set of main characters) who rather than fighting for what he believed, he fought against his perceived enemy no matter what.

What’s more - the difference, but also similarities were extremely interesting to witness when I was watching the characters actually interact. The dynamic that was especially fascinating was the relationship between Wei Ruo Lai, Shen Tu Nan and Lin Qiao Song. The way their views completely contradicted each other countless times, the way they were forced to work together, how and why they decided to fight against each other - what motivated each one of them and how far they were willing to go to reach their goals. While more often frustrating than exciting, I cannot deny it was probably the highlight of the drama for me.

Then we have Shen Jin Zhen and I’m a bit on the fence about her. Compared to the complexity and depth other characters presented in their motivations and actions, she was rather… bland. Exactly what you saw was what you’ve got till the end, and there was nothing really much to analyze or reflect on.

I refuse to talk about the big picture, the struggle between two ideologies, and war, fights etc - I did not care which one of the two bad choices would win. The first half that focused more on the economic aspects was surprisingly far more investing than when actual revolutionary acts were happening closer to the end. Me knowing nothing about economics, banking or investment, still caught myself glued to the screen. The plot was presented in a simple and easy to follow way. I kind of wish the financial setting was the center of it all till the end.

Acting wise I have no complaints. I am a big fan of Wang Yang and up till now he did not disappoint me in any role he took. Whenever it's a more subtle or more expressive and raw scene - he can deliver it all. Zhang Tian Yang as Lin Qiao Song was so perfectly rage inducing all I can do is be impressed. The pathetic desperation this character represented was infuriating in the best way possible. Wang Yi Bo is clearly improving as an actor a lot and it’s great to see him take on more challenging roles and actually deliver a really good performance. I don’t really have that much to say about Li Qin - she did what the writing of the character allowed her to do, but it was not much.

The production quality was really good. Be it makeup, costume or set design, I could see the dedication to present the proper details. The make up for wounds? Perfection. No pink or orange blood, no scars that you can see are peeling off from skin because of the cheap glue. The wounds simply looked real. There were also a few explosions and fires in the drama - also done well. Probably a mix of practical effects and cig - whatever it was, it worked.

Overall, I am surprised how much I got into it. It's a show I thought I would drop half way through, but somehow I kept being invested till the end, even if my excitement slowly started to decrease in the second half.

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There are different paths one can take to reach their destination.

I have such conflicting and mixed feelings about this show. There were 2 or 3 episodes that seemed too perfect to be true, but at the same time, I weirdly felt a lot of emptiness as I watched. The drama kept building up the nostalgia, the longing, fear of missed opportunities, forgotten past and unsure future, but it never reached the climax - at some point it completely emotionally plateaued and stayed this way till the end.

The non-linear storytelling of First Love bothered me at first, but I grew to appreciate it even if it just fueled the depressing vibes the drama presented. There was a lot of low-key relatable sadness and the lack of positivity in the characters, the emptiness of their lives just slowly crept in and kept me up at night wondering if I am not on the similar path of loneliness. And I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad aspect of the drama though...

I cannot say it was all sad. One of my favorite things about First Love was Noguchi Yae’s relationship with her son. A great portrayal of love and sacrifice, but also support and trust. Watching their little family dates was just calming and heartwarming. What’s more, I loved the support system Noguchi Yea had around her, even if she was not fully aware of its existence. She was so used to keeping to the sidelines so she did not notice how many people liked and appreciated her.

On the other hand, some plotlines and relationships did not get enough of the closure I wished for. Some past encounters, decisions that were made - lacked the resolution, conversation and… ending.

Luckily you can forget it all and truly get immersed into the story thanks to the great performance of the whole cast, but especially our leading couple both in the past and present: Mitsushima Hikari and Satoh Takeru, and Yagi Rikako and Kido Taisei. Some of the best casting for younger versions of the characters I have ever seen. The actors matched each other's dynamics, presentation, interpretation of the characters perfectly! There were a lot of moments where strong emotions had to be presented in a subtle way, and they delivered it and much more.

As for the production, I’m just glad that even though it’s a Netflix production, it has that unique melancholic styling Japanese dramas perfected throughout the years, while adding the high production value a big company like Netflix can achieve.

Overall, it was for sure enjoyable and surprisingly good for binge watching. Chances are that if I watched it at a different time, when my mood was more in the “looking for nostalgic feelings” state, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more.

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It almost worked.

Why, oh why are Korean writers so obsessed with overcomplicating everything. Not all romantic comedies need a slapstick over the top side characters, not one, but two obsessive exs with various levels of traumatic past, and 978674 random plot lines. Remove 70% of plot lines and elaborate on the remaining 30%, give characters more depth and time to develop and you would have a truly amazing healing rom-com. Sadly, we still had to deal with the unnecessary 70%, because the Korean writers believe in a simple rule of “more means better”.

I loved the relationship between Hae Kyung and Woo Do Hee. Even though at first it might have seemed like a one way street, by the end of the show it was clear that they both helped each other a lot. Jung Jae Hyuk truly stole the show in the second half and Lee Ji Hoon easily delivered the best performance. The connection between Jae Hyun and Keanu was one of the best side plots of the drama and I would have loved to watch a show focused on them more. On the other hand Jin Noh Eul was one of the most boring and cliche second female leads ever. Even though she was nowhere near as toxic as the second male lead, I somehow hated her more, simply because she was so poorly written.

Dinner Mate had some great messages and the overall plot, but too much was going on for anything to be truly developed in a meaningful way. One thing I did appreciate though is how it clearly showed that dealing with mental issues is a long process that at times takes many attempts and different approaches - sometimes it takes years to face what you fear and what holds you back, sometimes you will never be ready to fully accept it.

Overall, everything was good, but almost nothing was truly great. The few plots that stood out the most could not save the drama, when there were most scenes and plots that felt completely useless and empty. Maybe it should have been a 8 to 12 episode drama with none of the filler?

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Sex jokes, poop jokes, pee jokes - that's the content you will get.

This is one of the movies that left me wondering why it was made and why did the cast agree to do it. It does nothing to their career, there was no way on the planet they got paid a lot for it, as the budget itself seems limited, and not much probability of it becoming a hit.

You know what the movie is mostly about? 3 people sitting down and talking about the most boring things ever and making awful jokes. Anything even remotely connected to horror happens in the last 15 minutes. I saw no real comedy in it either. It’s just full of nothing.

Sure, the performances were nice and the cast was solid, but what’s the point when the writing had nothing to offer?

Overall, just don’t bother watching. It's juvenile humor and poor storytelling.

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Way to strip a plot of any suspense by revealing everything from the start.

Welcome to the world of one of the worst storytelling examples in the history of horror. Why did they decide to show so much of the background and context of the supernatural events, when the unknown is the vital and most important part of any horror movie?

My brain hurts so much. I feel like the only people who put any effort into this project were the actors, and I honestly feel bad for them.

The level of ridiculousness? Unimaginable. The pacing? PAINFUL. The remake of the game takes about 4 hours of gameplay to complete. They tried to fit that into a 1 hour and 30 minutes movie, and they failed. Since there was so much to show and tell, there was no breathing moment, no time to build the atmosphere and the suspense - I was bombarded with information, action and poor CGI.

There were so many laughable moments. They literally introduced, explained with dialogue and flashbacks, and concluded a whole new past plotline 7 minutes before the movie ended. I think this tells you a lot about the writing and pacing of The Labyrinth.

Do yourself a favor and just watch a whole playthrough on youtube or play the game yourself - the story makes more sense, there is a better suspense and even the graphics for the phone remake are better than any CGI this movie gave us.

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Low-key intense.

I was extremely invested in the characters, but not nearly enough in the plot. I was not that interested in the events themselves, nor the past crimes and investigation, but I did care how they affect the characters. With that, I have mixed feelings.

There is no denying that the core of the plot are the characters and their relationships. How far can you go for people you care about? What are you willing to sacrifice? What kind of person will you become by the end? All these questions have been asked countless times in the span of these 10 episodes. I did not quite like all the answers, but that’s life - some things work out, some don’t.

For a show that tries to link a few cases and stories from different timelines in a one cohesive story - they did quite a good job. The plot was not hard to follow, I could clearly see how seemingly unrelated situations were in fact the aftermath of a larger problem. The drama even managed to deliver quite a plot twist/revelation in the last episode that I did not predict - maybe I just stopped my brain from even going in that direction?

Saiai has an amazing cast of characters played by skilled actors, who were able to portray them in an engaging and convincing manner. I might be playing favorites, but I’m totally in love with Kase Kenichiro. This character truly stole the whole show for me.

What’s also worth mentioning is the soundtrack. When the Saiai theme song starts, you know shit is about to hit the fan. I’ve gotten chills quite a few times when the first few notes started.

Overall, it’s a truly solid drama that is carried by the characters. It does not necessarily mean the plot and investigation itself was bad, it was just not as gripping as the relationships presented. I don’t even know when, but the characters creeped into my heart and at some point I stopped caring about the plot and just wanted to see them safe and happy.

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