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35
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It’s fine to hurt people, if you were hurt first - all forgotten and forgiven…
What a hot mess this show is. I am amazed.I won’t lie, the drama was entertaining. But I also find C class horror movies entertaining. Entertainment does not truly equal quality. I was in a constant state of confusion, and that’s what made it fun.
First of all, I still do not understand when Lee Shin A started to have feelings for Noh Go Jin. She was already liking him before he started to act like a human being and not a psychopath. What made her attracted to him? Was it just his handsome face? I cannot comprehend it. It’s not the case of “he seemed cold, but he showed warmths towards her, so she started to see the good in him” - she was already into him when the tiny bits of goodness started to force their way out of the depth of his trauma and trash personality.
About trash personality and excusing bad behavior because of a painful past - that was a whole ass trend in this show. Except for Lee Shin A, LITERALLY every significant character acted shady and did bad things because of either their current bad situation or past issues. And then it was forgotten and forgiven. The level of scheming was a bit too big for such a sweet resolution if you ask me. Consequences of your actions? Don’t know them.
While the romance had rather good pacing, and even though I do not understand Shin A’s reasoning, I can see a proper progression of both of their feelings. I cannot say the same thing about the mystery aspect of the drama. For the longest time the writer makes you believe male lead is a naive idiot who ignores all the red flags of everything wrong happening around him, when in fact everything was happening behind the scenes, outside of script, probably only in the writer’s imagination. We see none of the process, just the results and it’s so fucking unsatisfying.
I did like a lot of supporting characters. I found every teacher in the academy unique and entertaining. I liked that they were written to stand out on their own and not just fill the space. The side plot for the ex-secretaries was also endearing, especially with their inside woman ;)
The acting was good. Nothing amazing, but I did not have any bigger issues either.
Overall, there are so many better rom-coms, I cannot recommend it with a clear conscience.
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Honestly, what was wrong with these weird transitions between scenes? They showed a really well acted, emotional scene - a dialogue of a mother describing her pain of losing her child who went missing. But in the middle of it, they just cut to flashback of her looking for the child on the day she disappeared - all the emotional impact gone with this weird cut. And then they came back to the mother now describing what was shown… So why even show it? Usually I’m more of a show don’t tell, but here the tell was important, because the emotions the mother was feeling were the focus.
It would be a decent thriller if they did a better job in the post production and completely removed the laughable supernatural elements. It’s not like the plot could not happen without that aspect and it didn't even take that much screen time anyway. It was just another not well executed idea the writer and director had…
The detective was amazingly hot, so that’s a plus I guess.
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It feels like a passion project for someone who really dreams of making movies…
but are not quite there in terms of skills.I could feel that a lot of care was put into this movie and it was taken seriously. I could also feel all the limited resources and how they impacted the final result. The plot had quite a number of twists, but the writing and directing was not smooth and detailed enough to truly tell the story well.
I think one of the biggest issues I had was the fact, I was not exactly on board with male lead. I don’t know how old he is supposed to be, but clearly old enough to know better. Yet he acted like a teenage boy. Sure, his mother would not win an award for the best parent, but he completely disregarded her struggles and just dumped all his grievances - whenever justified or not - on her. Dude had some issues and I struggled with rooting for him.
As for the storytelling - it was a bit confusing. The main lead investigates the attack on his grandpa, keeps referring to the attacker as a killer, barely does anything, but still finds more information than the police? And there is also a dirty lady in the forest that lurks here and there. Also a lot of focus on romance and romantic feelings people have. It all does make sense at the end, but to get there, you need to truly push forward feeling like nothing connects and it’s just a few random scenes put together.
Every character had their traumas, and they yelled about their traumas… and yet we as viewers did not really know what said traumas were. Everything felt extremely detached and awkward because of that.
The acting was decent. Some actors did better than the others, some scenes and lines felt more natural than the rest. Nothing major to praise nor to complain about.
The production was kind of all over the place. The transitions between the scenes were distracting and rough. They had hard-cut the background music during some scenes, not to mention some choices of the songs were rather questionable. The views though, some were quite beautiful. Also… I was over 6 minutes into the movie and they still kept showing credits here and there…
Overall, it dragged painfully. 30 minutes in I felt like I already watched 2 hours. It picks up by the end, but I feel like too much information and actions are dumped in that last 20 minutes so the whole pacing of the movie is off.
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Fanfic like story we all crave in the middle of the night.
I have hardly any thoughts about this show except for the fact that the female lead was amazing and the character deserves a full length drama. Strong, smart, confident - we need it.The political schemes are complex as a set up and deserve a more in depth exploration too. The delicious angst this could bring if it was longer - I can only imagine.
The fanfic-like romance between confident and domineering female lead and puppy male lead with deadly skills was everything one might ask from a short show like this.
What surprised me the most was quite decent acting for a short, low budget web drama. This could have been a cringe fest and not fun entertainment if delivered with poor acting.
Overall, confident, hot male lead who? I only know Li Yun Zhen.
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It lacked a big brain energy.
It’s not like I expected realism - I went in to watch a fun action flick and it is more or less what I’ve got. Yet, it still bothered me how little it took for the main character to infiltrate the scammers and how the scale of their project did not match their security.What’s more, the movie lacked interesting characters. Gwak Pro had some personality and that’s where the list of interesting characters ends. Everyone felt painfully flat and boring.
Truly the best part of On the Line was the behind the scene of how voice phishing works and how many victims may there be with just one fake call center. It’s a good watch for everyone who is on the more gullible side.
That said, the movie serves more as a criticism to the government and the lack of effort and work put into catching the criminals, over a valuable lesson for the viewers. There are no real hints on how to deal with similar issues if they happen in real life, except “hang up” - the issue is, you only hang up when you know something is a scam, and figuring it out is usually the problem.
Acting was fine. Since everything was rather flat, it’s hard not to deliver decent performance.
Overall, I would say a documentary on the similar subject would be a more interesting watch.
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I think it’s important to know the title of the drama is more of a destination and not an indication about what the plot will be. Most of it is set when Hee Do is a teenager - last year of high school and the beginning of her 20s. We join her on the journey, as she tries to follow her goals and dreams, builds friendships, experiences sweet victories and bitter loses. She is both mature and innocent with her approach to problems and how she interacts with people. Truly a wonderful female lead that could inspire a lot of younger and older audiences.
Baek Yi Jin perfectly represents the time of our life when we are not quite kids anymore, but we still have a long way to becoming adults. New responsibilities are piling up, and you are slowly learning how to handle them. He was also one of the best male leads in the history of Korean dramas - understanding, supportive, pointing out the mistakes in a mature way, which helped Hee Do grow as a person. Was his selflessness too much? I think it served as a quite well structured flaw that led to many interesting internal and external conflicts he was facing.
He was not perfect, taking steps back when he was overwhelmed by the given situation or unsure of the future results. On the other hand completely immersing himself after he makes a decision to take action - these realistic flaws made him an even greater character.
I think it’s also important to mention how great of a job the writer did with Go Yu Rim’s character. She was quite flawed, self-centered at times, extremely insecure - all that led to many unfortunate moments, making her behave in an awful way. Yet, by the end of the show, the majority of the audience adored her, felt sympathy and wished her happiness.
Not only the main characters, but also the supporting cast did a wonderful job. That said, I find it slightly disappointing how little we got to know both Moon Ji Woong and Ji Seung Wan. I think both of them could present an interesting and unique perspective, but they were not really given the chance to do that. Yes, Seung Wan had a few truly moving and inviting further reflection scenes, but overall, she was mostly pushed to the side lines.
The character that I could not fully understand and root for till the end was Hee Do’s mom, Shin Jae Kyung. I found her striving to be a good journalist and presenter rather one-dimensional and boring. Her reasoning often made little sense and her overall stand on the issue seemed a bit artificial - only existing to create some drama between her and her daughter.
Most of the performances were solid, some truly amazing. I’m surprised how well Kim Tae Ri delivered the role of Na Hee Do. It’s honestly not easy to give a believable performance of a teenage girl by a woman in her 30’. She aced the role and no other actress could do as well as she did.
I’m not the biggest fan of Nam Joo Hyuk, granted it had more to do with the roles he took than his performance. That said, he was born to play the role of Baek Yi Jin. He did great with the duality of the character - mature and protective, but at the same time scared and struggling.
Go Yu Rim’s character and her arc was not an easy task, but Bona did the character justice. Probably one of the characters that evokes the most emotions in all the viewers - be it positive or negative.
The only performance that did not convince me at all was Kim So Hyun as an adult Hee Do. Watching her on screen, she had that theater actress characteristics, so I was not exactly surprised when I found out she is in fact a musical theater actress. Theater and dramas demand a completely different approach, and I am not sure she was able to successfully switch from one to the other. Things needed on stage will work against you in front of the camera.
What a beautiful show it was. My screenshots folder is full of amazing pictures. The pacing was perfect - slow enough for me to have time to appreciate the scenes and dialogues, but fast enough to always keep me entertained. Loved the shots that focused on the details, objects, often hands - they at times served as the guidance of what is the center of the scene and where our focus should be.
The arrangement for the song truly perfectly fits the 90’ and early 00’ sentiment. Being perfectly honest, I am not the biggest fan of the music style from these times, but the show could not have a better list of songs. Wonstein’ Your Existence is probably my favorite song from the drama.
Overall, this is far more than just a romantic comedy. I would say the romance, even though presented throughout the show, is not the focus point. It’s a heartwarming story of finding yourself, fighting for your dreams and convictions, creating meaningful relationships and beautiful memories while slowly facing the reality of adulthood.
If it just concluded on the ending of episode 15. I actually think the last scene from that episode would be the superior and more fitting ending. Where is a white truck of doom when you need it? I’d take one dose of amnesia - please let me forget I’ve seen that last episode. Still, the journey was worth it.
If I had to leave with one last complaint - the whole present times storyline was useless and the drama could do without it.
My explanation for the ending and how for me it makes sense in the comment under the review (hidden for spoilers).
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This review may contain spoilers
Sadly, not as strong as the first season for quite a few reasons. The leads were probably one of the weakest parts, not to mention villain, cast, romance and pacing. Yes, I did have quite a lot of problems with it. Overall, mess. I was thinking about rating it 7, but the "it's okay" that goes with 6.5 fits my feelings towards the drama more.VILLAIN
I truly dislike when dramas use the same villain in two seasons, especially if the first season had a nice conclusion. There was nothing exciting about Do Yoon Wan since we already knew him and his motivations. I didn’t have to ask myself "why he does what he does". Not to mention, he was barely in the drama in the first place. You can have a strong villain and not show him much, but the viewers need to have this feeling of him being the puppet master behind the scenes. We did not get that here. They brought him back every time they had to somehow push forward the politics, and I couldn't care less.
Park Min Guk could have saved the drama, since his morally grey way of thinking was like a bridge between Teacher Kim and Yoon Wan. For the longest time he was my favorite character. Him struggling so much kept me interested, and wondered on whose side he will stand on at the end. But even his character was losing his charm the closer to the ending we’ve got. From a complex person, to a shallow, stereotypical greed and pride driven villain to a random quick redemption? How amazingly boring. How amazingly pointless.
CAST/CHARACTERS
I was not feeling Lee Sung Kyung’s acting, especially during the romantic scenes. Her emotional scenes did not evoke any type of emotions in me. She was there, there were a few tears, she screamed a lot, and I was bored. That said, I did see quite a lot of improvement as the drama progressed, so maybe my lack of warm feelings for her at the beginning clouded my judgement.
I cannot be sure if it was her performance or the writing that made me skeptical, since I strongly disliked how her character was written too. Truth to be told, Cha Eun Jae at the beginning episodes was an EXTREMELY bad doctor, and if it depended on me, I’d give her an ultimatum: therapy or I’ll revoke her license. The writer stripped her from the character development she quite deserved. The quick and easy way of solving her problem with placebo killed any chance of Eun Jae overcoming it herself and becoming stronger in the process.
To the second lead. I was extremely excited to see Ahn Hyo Seop in a new project, after what a train wreck Abyss was. I do believe he has a talent for acting and we could see some of it in this project. Sadly, his character did not interest me either. I believe both main characters were either boring or frustrating, but I would blame the writing not the actors themselves for it. Both Eun Jae and Woo Jin had their moments, but it was not enough for me to love or even care for them.
That said, the whole supporting cast was amazing. I liked all the characters and the actors aced the roles. The only supporting cast that left me frustrated by the end was Shim Hye Jin. Her character was extremely inconsistent. The whole show she was portrayed as a person who avoids “drama” and conflicts and unnecessary risk taking. She treated being a doctor as a job she was doing, not an amazing career nor a mission. Last three episodes the writers decided to give her a sad story, a heart and a brain of her own. It was so out of nowhere I questioned if I’m watching the same character. I loved who she became by the end, but the change in her image should be more gradual.
ROMANCE
The main romance did nothing for me. I would much rather see Eun Jae with Bae Moon Jung, or no one... Luckily, the side couple saved the romance part of the drama, stealing the whole spotlight even with the limited screen time they had. There isn’t much to say on this aspect, since not much happened throughout the whole show. It would be better without any romance in the first place. Even my angels Ah Reum and Eun Tak had some unnecessary drama brought in the last two episodes. What was the point of it, will forever be a mystery to me.
PACING
The editing ruined the pacing. We kept jumping from scenes and timelines and it made me confused. Let’s start with the fact that episode 12 and 13 ended up at the almost exact same time on the timeline, and it was confusing af. Remembering how episode 12 ended, I started the next one and had to check if I did not miss anything, because there was no continuation of the plot.
The ending was quite messy, I don’t know what was the goal of non-linear storytelling, but I did not buy it. The few flashback scenes did close to nothing to explain Eun Jae’s condition, nor to present her relationship with Woo Jin and how it all began. We kept getting new hints about the background of certain characters but nothing followed.
Overall, after the amazing show we’ve got with season one, this was simply disappointing and unnecessary. They tried to fit too many storylines, characters, backgrounds so at the end, nothing felt well developed.
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This is not a rom-com, this is life - with all the pain and happiness, traumas and healing.
The way I expected a silly and fun rom-com with a bickering “friends to lovers” couple… The way I got existential crisis and free therapy instead.Objectively it’s a good drama, subjectively it’s an amazing drama. Undoubtedly it will hit you hard if you share the experiences of the main characters - you will pick up on subtle things, connect seemingly small and not quite related moments of their lives, analyze their behavior and connect to them on an embarrassing level. This happened to me. But I also had enough discussions with people to know where I found meaning, they saw nothing. Scenes that made me write essay long posts were just plot points for others.
For me, this show is a slice of life first, rom-com second. It shows the effects neglectful upbringing and parentification can have on a child and I think that’s something everyone who starts watching should understand. There are a lot of scenes where main leads do not interact. We get a well developed view of the parents’ relationships, neighborhood friendships and even some worklife. This could get boring if what you are looking for is a romantic comedy.
The center of the drama were complex family dynamics. Growing up neglected, growing up with internal and external pressure to succeed. Questions like - how to rebuild a relationship that never really started, how to have conversations with your child, understanding that just because you have good intentions and doing something "for their own good" might actually be the poison that slowly kills them. It was as much of a family drama as it was a romance.
What I loved about Love Next Door is how realistic the characters seemed and how all of them had real flaws that truly negatively affected their lives and relationships. Flaws you can relate to. Seok Ryu being an independent and ambitious woman was not all good. You can be too ambitious and too independent. Seung Hyo was quite egocentric in how he viewed other people’s issues - it was all about how it made him feel, and not how other people felt. I did see a lot of flaws Seok Ryu has in myself, hence with the biased point of you, it was easier for me to understand her and explain her behavior. On the other hand, there were moments I was on the verge of hating Seung Hyo for his behavior, and was saved by great discussions with people who were more accustomed to his point of view. I honestly feel like I had my own character development when I was watching the drama.
I loved how they were spitting facts about many social issues - shading even the leads. I think that's something I especially enjoyed. The leads were not there just to deliver the message, sometimes they were the ones who learn the lessons after they've been called out. Talks about privilege, biased perspective, fears, setbacks, family issues. It's not like one person is right and the other is wrong - both are correct and incorrect at the same time and the trick is to combine all the perspectives to get a whole picture. No one is just privileged or underprivileged, because it depends on what and how you measure and what is important to you.
In the earlier episodes there was quite a lot of talk about the workplace environment, jobs, careers, passions. Victims of workplace abuse viewing their own behavior as the issue, contradicting goals based on preferred outcomes and priorities (idealism vs realism), living to work vs working to live, working long hours because you enjoy what you do vs doing overwork because you feel pressured to do that.
What’s more? There were no villains and assholes - all characters and all relationships were complex and well developed. The more you watched, the more you understood each point of view. Sometimes no one is wrong, you are just different people, you just don’t match, the timing is wrong, life is too hard. Sometimes you cannot meet the expectations and only later you see how they were impossible to meet in the first place.
The variety of relationships? Perfection. Different parenting styles even towards your own children, friendships between older women, fathers, neighbors, childhood friendships, new formed friendships in adulthood - all different in flavor, all entertaining to watch.
Women supporting each other in subtle ways. Honestly, the friendship between the mothers was AMAZING. They were all different, from different economic and professional backgrounds, but you could see how much they care for each other. Even if they were fighting, when one needed help, the others did not even hesitate.
Some of my favorite relationships include: the awkward friendship between Seung Hyo and Dan Ho, heartwarming bond between Seok Ryu and her dad, Geun Sik and Gyeong Jong and their drinking therapy, Hye Suk and Gyeong Jong - the romance I would never expect to love so much, Dan Ho and the most adorable child Yeon Du.
Surprisingly I was extremely invested in all love lines - even for the parents. There were moments in the show when I was actually the most interested in their story and development. For me that’s a clear sign they were not written to just be the background fillers for the main leads.
Love Next Door was the drama that at times made me feel like a judgemental asshole when I formed opinions on the characters even though they barely showed up, just based on my expectations of what’s going to happen, or limited knowledge based on the perspective of other characters. I appreciate that: a drama that makes me question my own behavior.
To the performances - we were blessed. You scroll down that cast list and you know you will get some good acting. My favorite performance actually did not even belong to the main cast. Jo Han Chul and Bae Geun Sik just stole my heart. He was so amazingly expressive and realistic in portraying the character’s struggles and the happiness. I cried when he cried, I laughed when he laughed.
Was it all good? No. Technically speaking it’s a story of both Seung Hyo and Seok Ryu. Practically speaking, she is the main character, and he is there to support her story. It’s a thing that exists in almost all kdramas: the lack of balance in the main couple. Usually one is better developed, faces well constructed conflicts, and has a more detailed story written around them. Here it’s clearly Seok Ryu. It’s her journey and while Seung Hyo takes a large space in it, he is still not as well developed as she is.
What’s more - Bae Dong Jin’s character… wasted opportunity. I wish they spent more time developing his perspective. For most part of the drama he was just annoying and I could not stand him. While by the end I saw his point of view, I wish it was more detailed and hinted at from the start.
Sadly, I am not sure I 100% bought the transition from friends to lovers between Seung Hyo and Seok Ryu. For some reason it felt too jarring. The friends part was amazing, the lovers part was amazing, the transition between the two? Lacking.
Still, what a blast this drama was. Feast for my brain, as I overanalyzed everything. Every time I got scared the drama might start leaning towards the cliches, they surprised me with more realistic portrayal of known tropes. It’s as if they baited me with empty calories, but delivered a healthy and filling meal.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Why do I... Why do I always have to be your pride and joy? Can't I just be your daughter for once, no matter how pathetic or flawed I might be? Why do I have to cover up for your life?"
"Dreams? Do you think dreams can just be had? Only those who have the luxury to search for them can dream. Those who get the chance to rise again after failure can pursue their dreams."
"You're marvelous. You speak beautifully like a poetry. You;re an idealist who loves dreams more than reality. You're always so full of pride. But do you know where all of that comes from? Privilege."
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They went: what can we do? Without thinking: can we deliver?
I don’t think I have ever seen a drama more dramatic, but also one with the least amount of any real stakes. Nothing had any consequences. And at some point it killed all my enjoyment.You can kill your political opponents in a shady manner and no one cares, there is no investigation, everyone just accepts “it is what it is”. The most important tournament for the whole country had either no rules or the rules were not enforced at all - both cases make no sense. They kept having obstacles presented to them, things they could not do… and they did them anyway… and nothing. Nothing followed, no long lasting consequences, barely any short term consequences.
I think one of the most frustrating aspects was the complete incompetence of the King of Beixuan and how throughout the show no one tried to assassinate his dumb ass, and they even protected him. I cannot be pro leads, when they are pro trash. Truly impressed how the writers managed to make me hate the male lead literally 15 minutes before the drama ended. Just kill the King of Beixuan and let the King of Yannan rule both countries, he is obviously far better for the job.
Overall, the villains and antagonists were painfully poorly written idiots who managed to get/stay in power by pure luck and the lack of investigation and interest from leads to find out what is even happening behind the scenes. None of their plans were smart, the fight between them and the leads were always ridiculous, especially everything that has been happening in Yanna.
Now to the main course: the romance. The way they baited me with enemies to lovers, to deliver almost none of that. They move from enemies to partners in love way too fast. It does not mean there were no conflicts between them, but they were all based on mostly external issues and conflicting priorities. The best part of the enemies to lovers trope is the gradual change of heart, slow burn warming up to each other, pretending like you don’t care, when you do and the soft angst that comes with it.
I also honestly hated how both characters lacked growth and personal development - both as individuals and as a couple. They both loved to set rules for the other, but did not want to follow them themselves. Qi Luo can hide facts and lie, but Xuan Lie has to be truthful on every occasion. Xuan Lie can break premises coz of the “greater good”, but Qi Luo has to keep her word no matter the circumstances. They lacked communication skills and it feels like they never learned from any of their mistakes.
Qi Luo's conviction was protecting her family, but not really, because no one was as good at finding excuses for their questionable choices as she was. Xuan Lie was basically an amoral character. He had no individual moral opinions. He just did what was asked of him - no thought in that brain. The only times when he stood up to dumb ideas was when they concerned Qi Luo, but even then it was never a full defiance.
Qi Min and Qing Kou was a full on clownery that led to nowhere, but at least they were entertaining. To be honest, Qi Min was easily my favorite character. If he was the main lead,the drama would end on episode 2-3 - he was the man of action and convictions and no bullshit (well, there was some bullshit, still he felt like the most decisive character of them all, one that actually made some plans and put work into investigation).
Acting wise it was all over the place. Angelababy delivered one of the most underwhelming performances. There was barely any muscle moving on her face. Song Wei Long tried, but since the writing was not the greatest, him trying was not enough to save the drama.
Production was fine. I like the different styling for the characters that set this drama apart from other costume shows. Wanted to see a bit more desert setting scenes and less palace shenanigans.
Overall, I would not recommend it. It’s not actually good for an enjoyable watch, and not bad/trashy enough for a fun entertainment. It’s just painfully mediocre with a lack of smarts and wits.
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So like... nothing really happened.
Or rather, a lot happened, but no one truly reacted to it in any way. It's not like this show has been free of the usual over the top tropes. It's just the characters had little to no reaction to them compared to other series.When I started watching, I was ready for the cute, sweet, unproblematic slower romance, and at the beginning it was more or less just that. Then, they added so many random plot lines to make it more "entertaining/dramatic", but everyone just reacted to them in such an unnatural way, I could not connect to it at all.
That said, Solo is my baby boy. I truly love this kid. He was adorable and, as far as I know, Nut did the best job acting wise. The rest of the cast was meh. I skipped all the doctor and Kim’s scenes. That whole plot line was a true mess. I know many people loved Kao and Phuri, but again... I didn't care that much. They just felt awkward most of the time.
I don't even want to talk about that Disney ending, that made the whole second half of the show a joke. All the characters did 180 as if they were different people, because resolving conflicts in a well written manner apparently is not the writer's thing.
The music was nice though. But this ain't Spotify, I need me some good plot behind that soundtrack.
Overall... the show was so meh and boring I have barely any thoughts about it. The last episode was tragically bad, and even though it gave us a cute ending, logically speaking it made no sense. Solo and Gui were cute and I truly suffered throughout this just for them.
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We were running a marathon, but the end became a sprint.
What it felt like was watching well paced 1st and 2nd act, and then teleporting on the last line of the 3rd act - as if we skipped a whole bunch of scenes and plot line developments to only get a semi-satisfying conclusion.When you want a love triangle to become a square ⇢ Dynamics so good you don’t mind any mixes.
Probably one of the best love triangles (squares?) I have seen in kdramas for ages. No matter how I look at it, I believe in that aspect there was nothing to fix nor improve. Seong A with Gyeon U? Seong A with Ji Ho? Gyeon U with Ji Ho? However you mix it, they always delivered fun, heartwarming and entertaining scenes. And if we add one not so bad baddie to the mix, it becomes even more interesting.
You all could be heroes ⇢ Characters with individual charms and great presence.
As I said, all the dynamics worked perfectly, but that’s because these characters were actually well crafted individuals with distinctive personalities. Seong A might have seemed like a shallow cutesy teen, but under that bubbly persona there was so much emotional maturity and patience. Gyeon U might seem like your typical cold male lead with white wall personality, but there was actually so much warmth and determination behind it. And you might fear Ji Ho will be your typical jealous best friend, but this man had more heart in him than a lot of second male leads combined.
Turning casual jogging into race ⇢ When pacing escalates to ridiculous speed.
Up till episode 9 the pacing was amazing - balancing well the different plotline, building relationships, comedic bits and the thrills involving ghost and separate cases. You could clearly see it’s building to something bigger - the grand finale. And that’s where the disappointment lies - the ending. Honestly speaking the last act felt like watching a drama with a 9 years old child with zero attention span fast forwarding the plot to oblivion.
Maybe not everyone deserves a second chance? ⇢ Ending that leave a bad taste in my mouth
There were a few characters that had a bit too good of an ending if you ask me. Some got their “redemption” before the show ended and it all was just too… sweet and disney. I feel like the level of their bad decisions, acts and attitudes did not match the consequences they faced. Some characters had rather overwhelming stories that were concluded in an unsatisfying way. I understand the drama wanted to have a positive message and even the female lead was the pure ray of sunshine and hope, but maybe then they should have toned down the bad guys a little bit.
I actually really appreciated Yeom Hwa as a character. Her story was well built, explanations for her behavior hidden long enough to almost give me a heart attack from all the frustration, but not dragged too long I would drop the drama. Was the conclusion of her story satisfying? No. But then the only thing I truly found satisfying in the last 3 episodes was the comedy.
Fairytale land aesthetics - sometimes Disney, sometimes Grimm. ⇢ Production value fitting the story
I have to appreciate the aesthetics of the show. They knew exactly when to make it all pastel Disney to give us the cute and butterfly inducing moments. But they also knew how to make it more dark, but still well balanced and fitting the overall mood of the show. I must say, I liked the styling of the ghosts a lot and the way shamanism moments were filmed was just CINEMA.
Are you sure you are acting? ⇢ Performances that seemed natural
If I were to pick my favorite performances I’d go with Choo Young Woo (my guy was busy in the drama, delivered in all area, all type of emotions), Choo Ja Hyun (to make me hate a character so bad, and yet still feel pity for them, but yet still wanting them dead is a challenge) and Yoon Byung Hee (while Do Ryeong was mostly there for comedy, there were still many serious scenes, at times with more emotional impact that he was able to deliver perfectly). Cho Yi Hyun did a fantastic job too, don’t get me wrong, but somehow I was more excited for scenes of other characters than hers.
Overall, the ride was exciting and smooth until it wasn’t. The ending feels extremely rushed as if they cut 2 episodes from it. Technically we’ve got all the conclusions, but they mostly felt flat. Still - in terms of the rom-com vibes, it’s a solid A. Not even being a big fan of comedy, it was so good here, it became one of my favorite elements.
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Bad(ly paced story) and Crazy (good comedy and action).
As long as you put your brain on the shelf while watching, you will enjoy it a lot. The portrayal of DID makes no sense, the villain´s skills are so good, they seem magical as they have no grounds in reality, the plot has a number of plot holes, but oh boy, it was an entertaining ride.Bad and Crazy presents a rather basic story with predictable plots and twists. What saves it are the characters, comedy and the action. The dynamics between Soo Yeol and K are pure entertainment, delivering the laughs and emotional depth I appreciated a lot. Kim Hi Eo Ra and Won Hyun Joon also delivered a solid performance as Russian-Korean drug gang leaders, making me, and other viewers care for them, and wish them at least a bittersweet ending, even taking into consideration their evil deeds.
Sadly, the plot just does not connect. First and second half feel like completely different shows, shifting from an action comedy to a mystery thriller. Plots and characters were gone for a good few episodes, just to bring them back later on, as if it does not create pacing and continuation issues.
The last two episodes serve as a rather mediocre conclusion to the plot. Everything happened too fast with not enough explanation. They dropped all the information on me and I was supposed to just accept it without asking any questions. The moment you start asking , you see how the whole plot crumbles.
About the bad guys - the corrupted, the business duo, the magician. Out of them all, only the Russian drug dealers that were focused on their business and making money were realistic, interesting and made me curious to know more about their past, goals, reasons and motivations. The rest was either predictable and full of cliche or borderline supernatural making it unrealistic.
Performance wise, Wi Ha Joon stole the show. K was the heart, soul and the driving force behind the drama. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love - all thanks to his portrayal. That said, the whole cast did a stellar job with their acting and delivery. I truly could not think of one example of even mediocre acting. With such a cast, it’s not surprising.
The soundtrack just paved the way and got me excited at all the right moments. Not surprisingly, tvN delivered in terms of production value. I especially loved the long corridor shots that represented Ryu Soo Yeol’s consciousness.
Overall, the comedy, K and Boss Yong were the elements I truly loved and appreciated the most. Would recommend it as a fun and entertaining watch. Even if you won’t get absorbed into the plot, you will most likely appreciate the comedy and the action.
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Rage healing and glorious slaps.
Let’s start with the fact this drama is borderline fantasy. This is not a show you watch for realism. This is a show you watch for rage healing. Half of these teens would be dead or in coma after even one of these slaps delivered by one and only Na Hwa Jin. With that in mind, you just cannot take the delivery seriously, but at the same time, you can appreciate the serious and realistic themes presented.Teach You a Lesson is the purest form of entertainment. Gripping stories presenting many social issues that we all struggle with one way or another. Great heroes with fun and distinctive personalities. Complex dynamics between being victim and perpetrator and the moral dilemmas of rightful punishment and empathic help. Villains that are rage inducing enough it’s worth paying attention to their schemes, but not powerful enough to feel like the stakes are greater than life. Amazing fighting choreographies, great styling, soundtrack that makes your heart race and slaps that make your head spin. What more can anyone wish for?
This is by all means an easy binge watch type of a drama. While the bullies and abusers are awful, the way the stories are structured makes it easily digestible. No matter what, you know Na Hwa Jin will deliver his lessons and justice will be served. And the way he serves it is just magnificent. I have never seen better slaps in any drama ever. I am a strong believer that a good slap is better than a punch.
What’s more, I really like how balanced the characters were - cool Na Hwa Jin, professional Choi Gang Seok, crazy Im Han Rim and adorable Bong Geun Dae. Their personalities mixed and matched in all the right ways creating this unique and energetic synergy. While we had a rather meaningful and clear set up for Hwa Jin, Gong Seok and Han Rim and their involvement with ERPB, I wish we got the same clear answers for Bong Geun Dae. They hint what his background is, but it’s never as well stated as the others.
As a team they had their small conflicts and hiccups, certain disagreements on how to deal with presented situations and problems, but at the end of the day they always knew how to unite and work together.
For the cases, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like they were well explored analysis of complex social issues, but I do appreciate how even with the simplicity they were able to highlight, even if just one the suffice, how complex these environments and dynamics between people are. Things like why do bullies bully? How much of them being prior victims should be considered when delivering punishment? Is resocialization always an option? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Do parents always want the best for their kids? Do kids bear sole responsibility for their actions? How much should the system be blamed for failing these kids? These are just a few examples of the themes tackled in the plot.
While Teach You a Lesson for sure highlights the bad deeds done by kids/teens and the lack of protection and authority teachers have, I do appreciate how we still got few examples of kids being the victims, teachers and parents being the abusers, and the system not protecting anyone - if the system does not protect the teachers, it does not protect the children either. If people who are supposed to educate and help raise these kids cannot do their job, at the end of the day it will mostly fail the students who will grow up into awful adults. Nothing was truly black and white (well, maybe some characters were closer to one or the other end of the spectrum), it was not all kids are evil and all teachers are poor victims. Everyone took part in upholding that failed system.
What I liked others can see as a flaw, so it’s worth pointing out. They don’t stay in one school for more than one episode. They are all one time close cases, there is not that much time for deeper exploration. This is not a character driven drama. The structure is simple, the set up is simple, the solutions are straightforward. But all that simplicity is just well crafted and delivered and that’s why it works.
On the actual flaws (though this is gonna sound bad), I hate how the female perpetrators did not get the same treatment as male. Ain’t no equality here - not one slap was delivered even if the girls were just as vicious as the guys. Especially since I heard it’s not the case in webtoon and there Im Han Rim does not hold back. It was especially evident with the set order of the episodes and the cases presented - one episode teen boys get their fingers broken, the other episode the girls get their collars grabbed and shoved a little bit.
For the more technical aspects - the performances were phenomenal. Shallow of me, I know, but Na Hwa Jin was extremely hot in this role. After every episode I kept thinking how attractive Kim Mu Yeol is in this role. Add actually amazing acting skills - that’s a whole package. Whenever empathy, ruthlessness, sadness, excitement, annoyance - no matter the emotions needed, he delivered. I don’t think I need to convince anyone that Lee Sung Min aced the role. I’m here just stating the obvious. Jin Ki Joo and P.O also shined in their own way - the roles they were playing were a bit less rooted in reality and extreme - nice contrast that worked well on screen. And then we have Lee Bong Joon - I am sorry, but I am going to question the goodness of any character he ever plays, this role had quite an impact.
Then we have production - I don’t think I have any complaints. The fighting scenes were perfect. That one cinematic experience in rain? I rewatched it a number of times. Not only was it exciting to watch, it was also shot in a truly aesthetic way. I also really like when dramas use light as a framing tool. The soundtrack? Perfectly matched to the scenes and emotional impact it’s supposed to have - “First And Last” being my favorite song for sure.
Overall, eye for an eye does not work in real life but damn it's healing to watch it in fiction. Na Hwa Jin literally treating the bullies and abusers 1:1 how they treated their victims was such a blast to witness. I was honestly having a huge grin on my face watching the episodes.
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Holding the lantern so others can see.
Through the Darkness is a show that, in a skillful way, shifts the focus from the criminals and their mentality, to profilers and the psychological consequences that their job has on them. Yes, we still get the fair share of why criminals do what they do. We still get the eerie conversations with serial killers - the look into their deranged psyche, but the story focuses more on the interviewer, not the interviewee.If you are looking for unreasonable wits and close to supernatural skills characters like Sherlock Holmes had in the BBC tv show, you won’t find it there. Profiling wise, it’s as basic as it can get. That’s expected from a show that is based on the book that depicts the beginning of Korea’s first criminal profiling team. And yet, it was never boring.
Song Ha Young was more fascinating of a character than any of the killers and criminals presented combined. The depth of the portrayal thanks to Kim Nam Gil acting was one of the best aspects of the show. The character represented pain, loneliness, desperation, fixation - all that could lead to a tragic outcome without a proper support system.
Kook Young Soo, who became my favorite character, was like an anchor that kept Ha Yeoung grounded. He was a perfectly balanced character - knew the importance of his work, but did not ignore his own needs, health and people around him.
What Through the Darkness does perfectly, is showcasing the variety of realistic characters that have believable flaws, but are never over the top caricatures. We see how some of them might be greedy, full of prejudice, corrupted, but there is a realistic limit to their flaws and how far they are willing to go based on just these characteristics.
The writing was that good. When you have solid source material and people who care not to misrepresent it, you get the quality content. The tension build-up in every episode was just phenomenal. The interviews were just... terrifying. The journey of Ha Young - heartbreaking.
Even the soundtrack leaves nothing to desire. Listening to Lullaby gives me chills and makes me tear up a little bit. Lyrics for Can’t Run Away are the perfect representation of Ha Young’s character, motivation and emotional state. Bloom and Fall Alone made me think about all the victims. Each song elevates different aspects of the story.
If I were to complain about one thing - how little we get Yoon Ji, the reporter. I think her narrative was also really important, since she served as a better connection for the audience to relate to, than the detectives did. How we as society view killers and psychopaths. What kind of narrative gets our attention, and what we find not "interesting". How we ourselves pay more attention to the perpetrators than the victims. I was waiting for her to be a more integral part of the show, but instead she started to show up less and less.
That said, as much as I loved the show, I would not recommend it to people who prefer action and fast pace. This is slow. There are countless scenes of main characters just walking around trying to find clues, observing the surroundings of the places the crimes took place. Ha Young is not this confident cop who is so assured in his skills and position, no criminal can get to him. We watch him waver, we watch him break, but we also see him push forward.
Overall, for me it was close to perfection. Last two episodes made me feel extremely emotional, as I got closer to the end. It was fascinating to see the journey the characters took, and it made me appreciate the people who are willing to step into that dark and twisted world, just to keep others safe.
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I have the artistic sensibility of a raw potato…
and yet I still enjoyed the drama a lot. I can only imagine how much of a cinematic experience it would be for someone who deeply feels the arts and experiences it on a more spiritual level.Jokes on me because I neither like the music style presented in the drama, nor this tortured obsessed artist persona Naoki had, and yet I loved every song here and even if I would avoid someone like Naoki in real life, I appreciated him a lot as a character. That’s this title's charm - it makes you feel emotionally involved and connected, even if usually you are more of a pop-girlie.
The music was the forefront of the show, the characters' motivations, the center of some of their existence. Can I relate? Hell no. Personally I find the ultimate obsession over your passion quite sad, hence it was at times painful to watch Naoki so deeply affected and connected to music. There was a level of selfishness under his love for music that I could not stomach. But that’s also what made him an interesting character and it gave me the ultimate question I had while watching Glass Heart - will he touch the grass or nah?
Personally I for sure gravitate towards more mundane and “normal” characters. While eccentric personas can be entertaining, it can also easily become exhausting. Luckily Glass Heart understood potential dangers that come with centering the show around “pure genius” and softened the dynamics with all the people surrounding Naoki.
Akane was not a ray of sunshine, she was the sun flare that demanded ultimate attention with her positive energy and determination that grounded Naoki and helped him get out of the artistic daze and focus. I loved this girl with all my heart and she was easily my favorite character.
Side note, but why was this girl so shippable? I shipped her with 4 different people and all of these seem legit and reasonable choices.
While Akane felt like the force that kept them going, Takaoka Sho was more of a pillar that made them stable during their journey. There is no denying he understood Naoki the best and had the patience of a saint. For all the bromance fans - this pairing will not disappoint you.
And then we have Kazushi who determined the structure and was the silent supporter willing to sacrifice his own goals and desires for people whom he cared about. As a soft potato myself I appreciated him a lot. He led me into the ghost ship that was destined to crush like titanic and I’m not even mad about it.
I have to mention Toya, because I need someone to explain to me why I even liked this rude ass? That styling was also a lot to take, and I did not even recognize Suda Masaki in episode one. Is this man for real? His ability to completely transform into various characters is honestly magical.
As much as I want to focus on the positive and uplifting aspects of the show like - chasing your dreams, found family trope, passion for music, caring for people around you, there was also some underlying sadness in it that drew me more.
The idea that your brilliance might be the downfall for people around you - whenever intentional or not. How deep insecurity and comparing yourself to others can kill whatever talent you have. How co-dependency in any form kills creativity and cages you with the thoughts of self-doubt. The hyperfocus on your passion that you are unable to see other aspects of life worth living for. The obsession is so deep you cannot even take a break - you rather risk dying with it, than live without it.
I truly appreciate how I was able to see the more dark and sad aspect of creative endeavors and how deep sensibility can create beauty while slowly ruining the creator himself. At the same time it highlights the importance of a support system and how slowing down, but being surrounded by like-minded people can be more rewarding than sprinting to your goal all alone.
Production wise this is beyond the typical high quality Netflix gives - here it felt far more intentional. It wasn’t pretty and flashy without restraints. They knew exactly what moments should be highlighted, what directing choices will make the viewers focus on the important aspects of the storytelling, characters dynamics and developments. And what’s most important - they knew how to use visuals to enhance the music. Also all, and I truly mean all producers and directors need to sit down and take notes on how to open a drama, because that drumming in the rain scene was a cinematic experience that perfectly set the tone for the whole show.
At the same time there were some choices I slightly questioned. All the guys saving Akane from trouble Boys Over Flower style. Or when Yukino started to sing at random moments - we get it, singing is your life, but you can in fact use spoken words to communicate too.
Now the music - slays. I love how much focus we had on drums here. Whenever the camera focused on Akane playing I wanted to jump from my seat - the excitement she experienced playing was perfectly translated to screen and infectious. It’s surprising how many dramas that focus on bands and music do not actually have good music in it. TENBLANK is basically a real band with real high quality music and I can 100% believe their songs would top charts.
I have zero notes on acting, because I feel like I’m not in the position to judge the perfection I witnessed. Name me one bad performance. You can’t.
Overall, this was an experience I did not fully relate to on a logical level, but connected on an emotional one.
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