Kate

Extremely simple idea with extremely high production value.

First, I like to warn anyone who might want to pick it up - it's graphic. If you have a weak stomach, move it straight to the "not interested" list. They delivered amazing, beautiful, but gruesome pictures that made me uncomfortable with the content, but also in awe with how beautifully shot they were. No doubt the production value was the best part of the drama. It's clear to me a lot of thought was put into directing and editing, as well as set and costume design. The zombies... ladies and gentlemen... These were some good zombies. I was extremely impressed by the actors portraying them. The movement they presented was true perfection.

The acting was amazing for some, good for others. At times it was hard to judge since some characters (The Queen B) were annoyingly boring and unnecessary. Overall: A+. Especially with such a large "supporting cast" of all the background people and zombies. At times, dramas cast average skilled people for these roles, with hopes no one will notice. Here, everyone did their part well.

As for the plot and characters. There truly is not that much to say. It's the old tale we all know: power struggle and fighting for the crown. There is nothing new nor innovative about it. That said, since it's executed so well, it was not boring. Not to mention the zombie apocalypse going on in the background to keep us invested and excited. I was a bit disappointed with how they slowly toned down the shocking scenes to just go with zombies running and killing, since the creepy scenes from the beginning were some of the most memorable moments.

There were some characters I loved more (Young Shin and Master Ahn Hyung), and some that seemed pointless and not interesting at all (Jo Bum Pal and the Queen), but knowing it's just the first season, I'm hopeful they will deliver more later.

Was I disappointed in anything? Yes. Last episode presented two plot twists that were simply dumb in my eyes, and the longer I think about them, the less sense I see in what was shown. One of them makes a character look too stupid for the position they hold, and the other, to some extent, contradicts everything that happened before it.

Can you watch it as a stand alone without diving into season two? Technically, yes, but it would not be a smart idea. Season one ends on a cliffhanger and more or less middle part of the whole plot (if not just the introduction).

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Zombie movie with a heart and brains.

Truth to be told, it's hard to be original with a zombie movie. We have seen it all. So now it's not about how original the story is, but how well the tale is told. Here - it's close to perfection.

People who like horror movies often joke that if all the characters used their brain, the movie would end before it even begins. And yet, Train to Busan was able to give us smart characters and not bore us to death with easy ways out. There are no easy roads when you fight bloodthirsty zombies ;)

The biggest surprise for me was how much I cared about the characters. With zombie movies I try to not get attached since sooner or later, the majority of people have to go. It was impossible to do here. I cried with every death and goodbye. The movie kept me on the edge of my seat because I liked these characters, and I wanted them to survive.

The production value was extremely high. How the movie was shot, the costumes and make up. Everything was close to perfection. CGI zombies at times felt off in terms of their movements, but as far as I know, the majority of people did not notice it at all.

Overall, the right amount of action, thrills, emotional impact and character's development. Masterpiece of the ending. Definitely worth the high rating it has.

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What an amazing story we’ve got… almost. This drama has as many beautiful characters and storylines as problems with writing and development. And by the end, it left me completely confused.

Let’s start with the perfection that was the female lead. Dare I say one of the best I have ever seen in a drama? Yes. She was so strong and so amazingly flawed, it was hard not to love her, even when, at times, her decisions made my blood boil. She was fanatically loyal to people she cared about, even when faced with a moral dilemma. At times she ignored the wrongdoings of people around her, finding excuses for them and trying to justify their actions. When Yuan Song told Xing Er he cannot look at her confident and self righteous face, I couldn't agree more. At that moment I agreed with him and his reaction made perfect sense. But that’s the charm of Xing Er. She is just a human. She makes mistakes, her convictions are not always good and her decisions are not always correct.

Another character that caught my attention was Yuan Chun. The transformation she went through was amazing, yet so tragic. How she was driven into madness and self destructing. She was the true victim of the whole scenario presented to us. She was so innocent, and how these pure intentions she had were used by all the people she trusted and loved, broke her.

I must say, I quite enjoy the whole cast. Some characters deserving a bit of attention were: Xiao Ce - the charming prince with a good heart, Yuan Song - the cute prince with a bright smile, Yue Qi - the loyal bodyguard and the true MVP, He Xiao - the only one that truly deserves Yanbei.

That said, I was quite disappointed with both male lead characters. While Yu Wen Yue was painfully, boringly perfect, Yun Xun by the end of the drama was a dumb, easily manipulated villain without any true plan nor motivation behind his actions. Pushing him towards the dark side was a good idea and it worked for the most part, but the closer to the end we’ve got, the less sense I saw in anything and everything he was doing. I had no sympathy for him even though his character build up was based on the idea that we are supposed to feel empathy towards him, taking into consideration his past. For me, he could burn in hell and I couldn't care less.

And here we have the problems with the plot. For the most part it was perfect. I was truly amazed with the pacing. I was never bored, the plotlines were nicely entangled as we smoothly moved from one story to another. The problem is, at times we did not come back to some plotlines, and they were left unsolved. What happened to Xing Er’s sisters? We saw them meet when she was rescued, and then they were gone. Not even one line telling us where they are and what happened to them.

And it happened to the majority of the characters. We’ve got amazing setups, promising us more than we’ve got. The payoffs were simply weak. Xing Er’s core ability… nothing. It was mentioned here and there, the dramatic opening eyes and awaking her true potential at the end… and what next?

We know Xiao Ce is not just this dumb, playboy prince and he has so much more going on for him, why not show that? Why not show more of his duality? Cheng Yuan’s motivations were far better and deeper than we were led to believe for the majority of the run time. He wasn’t just a cruel and evil person. His decisions could have been logically explained as any other character. His ways of dealing with the problems were wrong, but it was not any worse from what we have seen from the majority of the other characters.

The romance… oh boi the romance. From day one we knew who the end game was, and I did not mind that. I wasn’t expecting some deep love triangles since the drama did not need it. Not even for a moment I thought Xing Er might romantically love Yan Xun. As much as he was obsessed with her, she was obsessed with the dream he created for her. For me it was just an unhealthy obsession she had for the better future and, later on, the need to save him from his own demons. Her heart was always with Yu Wen Yue. I loved their chemistry, their fighting scenes were beautiful and I've rewatched many of them quite a few times. I didn’t need more from it, just the longing, stolen glances, the lovers that should never happen. So why did we get that accidental kiss I am asking? Why did this happen when it was one of the most ridiculous and out of place scenes I have ever seen. The hug that followed a few episodes later had far more impact and conveyed greater emotions than any kiss they ever had. They were simply unnecessary.

The overall production value was beautiful yet questionable. The set design, costumes - perfection. The tragic CGI - painful. The scenes that made me laugh the most were the horse riding close ups when many times it did not look like people riding horses, the movement was wrong. What's more, often the sounds did not match the movement. For the OST though, I could not ask for more.

Truth to be told, I am surprised that with that ending (I don’t even want to talk about it) and the problems I had with the drama, I’m giving it 8/10 rating, but at the same time it makes perfect sense to rate it so high. The outstanding acting we’ve got probably helped a lot, so the frustrating parts of the plot were easily covered by the brilliant performance of the cast. I enjoyed it quite a lot, and watched it in 3 and half days. That's how invested in the plot I was. The ending ruined me. I needed a drink.

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The selfishness and selflessness of human connection.

I’m still in a daze after finishing the last episode. I am not sure how to start writing since I have so many thoughts and feelings existing chaotically in my brain right now.

Our Movie is the perfect example of well executed melodrama that does not rely on excessive angst that borderline crosses to makjang territory. It’s tasteful in it’s emotional torture towards viewers. And it is painful… Even though I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, I knew exactly how it will end, the slowly creeping dread of the finality of the story was exhausting. Exhausting in the most breathtaking and touching way possible.

Da Eum is one of the most beautiful characters I have ever seen. The way she was so full of life, even though she did not have much left to enjoy it. The way she was brave in the situation most would crumble in. But what's most important - the way she cherished herself and people around her. The way she genuinely loved her family and friends, the way she craved the connection and was not afraid to reach for it. Her determination, be it in love, dreams, living, was inspiring.

Was she perfect? No. She was at times childish, stubborn, selfish. There were times when she was irresponsible. And all these moments made her that much more human, that much more lovable, complex and interesting.

While her relationship with Je Ha was obviously the center of the story, I must say I loved her scenes with other characters as much. The conflicting tension between her and her dad - the way he struggled to let her live her life, knowing it will make it shorter. The soulmate bond she had with Gyo Yeong. The complexity of the past and present relationship she had with Jae In. Every interaction she had with any of the characters felt so meaningful.

On the other hand Lee Je Ha did feel a bit underdeveloped compared to her. I still love him, love his story, but somehow I do feel unsatisfied. A lot of things were left to imagine, and it feels like we mostly got the highlights of his story, bullet points of what’s important. That said, even though the title says "Our Movie” I do believe it’s Da Eum’s story so I am not extremely mad about Je Ha not being as developed. Maybe his story was presented in a more subtle way, and with how radiant Da Eum was, I just missed the timing to make the connection to him?

Then we have Chae Seo Yeong - how much I love this woman. The raw flaws and mistakes she made were infuriating, but at the end of the day she always managed to make the right choice, to support the right people, to admit to her faults.

I truly appreciate how there were no real villains in the story, or rather - depending on what perspective you take, everyone could have been a villain in someone’s life, even without doing much wrong. The writers made sure to present the same situations from different perspectives, making sure viewers understand that human existence is never black or white. Action you took out of necessity could have scarred another person for years. What started as a selfish behavior can turn into selfless conviction. No one is bad, no one is good. We are all just humans with flaws, desires, hopes, dreams, fears - they all affect our actions. Many things can be explained, but they should not be excused. We need to know when to apologize and fix what was broken. And this drama presents it all.

Acting… are there even words to describe how amazing it was? These roles could have been so easily under and overacted. It’s a balance game not to make Lee Je Ha emotionless and Lee Da Eum borderline manic. Underacting would make them hard to relate to and feel their emotions, overacting would make the characters seem like caricatures. Both Namkoong Min and Jeon Yeo Been truly put their souls into these roles. I smiled, laughed, and cried watching their performances. It was both beautiful and painful.

What I also want to talk about is the directing and editing. Masterclass. Other directors need to study this show and learn from it. It stands out among all the mainstream kdramas from the past couple of years with its unique styling and creative shots. They truly used everything they had, but with brains and meaning. The transitions used for the storytelling purposes, not just cutting between scenes - perfection. The various filters, screen ratios, camera angles and movements. There were honestly scenes that made me gasp.

The cherry on top was the soundtrack. I am 100% sure I am going to cry when I hear any of the songs. They were so well placed depending on the scenes, creating these memorable moments. If I were to pick my favorite, I’d go with “Love me more”.

So why not 10? There were some plotlines I did not see much purpose of. Example: majority of side romances. The same conversations that were important to present different perspectives could have happened in a more platonic setting, closely related to the filming of the movie. Sadly, some moments just felt painfully detached from the overall drama and the mood.

I also wish we had seen a bit more flashbacks of Da Eum before her diagnosis. I think seeing her interactions with Jae In and Gyo Yeong before her life completely changed would make the future conflict more clear and less one-sided. Technically they did wrap it up well, emotionally I am not satisfied.

All that said, what a heart-stopping and awe-inspiring story it was. It’s a drama that makes you sad, heartbroken even, but somehow not emotionally heavy. I felt exhausted by the last episode, but weirdly thankful. Rather than depressed, I felt motivated. The bitter-sweet taste of life.

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Sometimes stalkers are cute ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Love Mate has a strong old school rom-com vibe, leaning into exaggerated set ups, and one either likes it or not. Both Haram and Lee Jun were the extremes in their behavior. The introduction of the characters made both seem rather unreasonable and unprofessional in the best and most entertaining way possible.

Lee Jun tried to use his workplace and project he was working on to vent his annoyance, anger and trauma related to love - not really caring if the project makes sense. Ha Ram went full on stalker mode, always taking 5 steps too far in how he was approaching Lee Jun. Both frustrating, but so entertaining if you accept the over exaggerated set up as a stylistic choice - this drama does not try to be a realistic and relatable slice of life.

The chemistry was one of the best aspects, especially after the initial clash dies down. I do think Lee Jun’s change of mindset came a bit out of nowhere, but at the same time, it’s not exactly completely unrealistic - some people make fast decisions and switch their behavior accordingly.

While I enjoyed laughing about the characters’ antics and push and pull dynamics, I wish the writer did a better job with presenting the conflicts. What we’ve got was one internal and one external conflict happening one after the other. What would work better (especially since these conflicts were actually connected) is making them happen at the same time. It would make the external conflict feel less rushed and the whole context the characters were in more complex.

The acting was mostly good. Loved Cho Hyun Min’s performance - really natural facial expressions. Random thought, but I also loved how he said 완전 twice in the show. At the same time, while Cho Han Gyeol did a better job in comparison to many other kbl actors, he did not stand out with his skills next to Hyun Min. Some emotional scenes felt flat and forced.

Production value was nice - nothing too outstanding, but also nothing so bad it would be distracting. There were a few scenes in which I liked the composition.

Overall, a fun drama, probably better as a binge watch.

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I have to say, even with the tragic and full of scandals ending that led to the cancelation of the finale, it’s still my favorite survival show I have ever seen.

⇢ Cast aka the contestants and mentors
The most unique and diverse cast of the trainees I have ever seen. I am not going to lie, I usually struggle quite a lot to remember the contestants - mostly I just give up trying and pay close attention to two or three that I like. Here, there were so many unique characters, I was happy to do my research, make some notes and try my best to use the few brain cells I have to remember as many of them as possible.

I also believe that the production team did a good job promoting some pairing and groups of friends that had great chemistry with each other. The focus was (almost) never on the rivalry, but rather cooperation and friendship, which was simply delightful to watch.

This show also has the sunshine, the only true pure boy - Lian Huaiwei. It would NOT be an overstatement if I said I was completely obsessed with this guy. R.I.P all my friends who had to deal with my spam in chats as I was watching the episodes. Half of the messages were variations of “OMG I JUST LOVE HUAIWEI SO MUCH”.

As for mentors - almost pure perfection. I am slightly salty about Lisa being a dance mentor when she could not be present on set. This affected the dance training, and at times other trainees had to do the job the dance mentor should be doing. I also think she was sometimes not quite careful about her remarks which at times hurt the trainees as a result. I still enjoyed her a lot and her interactions with some trainees were fun to watch, but overall, she was the least mentor-like in my eyes.

On the other hand I want Chris Lee in my life. She was strict, but also patient. She had realistic expectations towards trainees, and knew how far she can push them to not cross the line. Not to mention, her socially awkward attitude was just entertaining.

Both Will Pan and Li Rong Hao took the mentoring seriously - they were both teaching, but also supporting the contestants. The interactions were funny, inspiring and at times heartwarming.

⇢ Music aka the the performances
I was not crazy about a good 50% of the stages, and it’s not on the trainees - the songs/arrangements were just boring. That said, it also had so many amazing bops that I listen to daily - from ballads that make me into a crying mess every single time I watch them, to hype pop tracks that make my heart race.

I appreciated how the trainees had some creative freedom, being able to tweak the stages and performances to add various elements here and there. We were also able to see some self written and produced songs, which is always an additional plus in shows like that.

⇢ Story aka the production
I’m just going to completely ignore the finale issues, because before that I was completely in love with the production of the show.

First of all, “more means more” aka 2 episodes per week was a great idea. The issue with these shows is, they want to showcase 100 trainees in one episode that lasts around 2 and half hours - it’s simply impossible. We get to see at best 10 seconds of some audition stages, not everyone gets a chance to be shown during the practice time, and at the end, we end up with 10-20 trainees we remember, and 80-90 guys whose names we don’t even know. Since YWY S3 gave us 2 episodes per week, each around 3 hours long, we got an actual chance to find out who the trainees are.

Another thing I truly loved was the fact I could feel iQiyi cares about international fans. Providing English subtitles is a bare minimum, but they went beyond that. We always got the indication who was speaking at any given moment (even when it was just an offhand comment made in a crowd). Most of the ranking after stages was translated, so we knew who actually got how many points (comparing it to season one, where the lists were in Chinese, and I was able to figure out the results only by seeing the reactions of the trainees).

The gold editing. Truly, the editing team needs a rise. The fitting sound effects, memes, and other visual effects added made the show so much more enjoyable. They just knew how to turn the entertainment value of the show to maximum.

Overall, it’s an amazing journey with a painful ending. Do the trainees deserve more? Yes. Was it completely iQiyi's fault and should they be canceled for what happened? No. It’s easy to criticize the end result, but if we are honest with ourselves, they could not really make any other choices. The only thing I was truly upset about and it’s truly 100% on iQiyi was the lack of closure. At first they did give updates about the current situation around the finale, but after the cancellation, there was no definite answer. I would love for them to just be honest and say: sadly we will not debut the team. Without a closure it’s harder to move on. And believe me, it was hard to move on. I rewatched the show twice.

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Exaggerated portrayal of how we failed the youth.

Starting from the message, that for me was completely overshadowed by the pure entertainment that the killing aliens brought.
What this show tries to present is how we as society created a false sense of security, purpose and goals for the teens - a path that is supposed to guarantee success and happiness. That path being higher education. The extent these teens were willing to go to get just a few more points that will help them get into a university - it showed how they truly believed that’s the only way to live a fulfilling life, to have it easier as an adult. The empty promises, the use of the pressure teens feel about their future was used to manipulate them to make dangerous choices and control their behavior. Exaggerated in the drama, but sadly truly happening in real life.

While the teens willing to risk their safety for a few points is believable, the fact teens were able to survive and fight better than train military was not. Did this completely lackluster and stupid take on the army annoyed me? Not really. They clearly showcased how delivering solid entertainment was the biggest goal and they aced it in that aspect. You just have to turn off a few neurons in your brain as you watch.

As long as you won’t question every unrealistic aspect, you will have a blast! The show is great at creating tension and keeping the viewer entertained with great pacing both in overall story, but also the episodes themselves. It had great comedic moments, good action sequences, solid character development, friendship and bonding, and some truly touching and heartbreaking scenes.

Did a lot of people die? Yes. Not enough from the main cast if you ask me. And not the right ones… Not gonna lie, the show got my blood boiling a few times when some of the most frustrating and annoying characters kept surviving against all odds. I also wish a few more students would die to make the stakes a bit more real. This is the luckiest group of teens I have ever seen and at some point I stopped being worried about them dying, because it seemed like they would be able to survive even with a nuclear bomb being dropped directly on their heads.

In terms of acting, what can I say? I am not worried about the future of Korean cinema. With this large cast of great young actors who can deliver a versatile performance, the future of movies and dramas is in good hands.

Production value was phenomenal. I love the design of the aliens, I love how they look, how they move, even the sounds they make. For some strange reason I always thought that if aliens exist they may look like fancy sea creatures, and this is exactly how the spheres look like. I have no complaints about the filming, editing, sound effects, lighting, set design. I only wish the female characters tied their hair, that was a bit so unrealistic even I could not ignore.

Overall, what a fun and exciting watch. With such a large cast they still managed to make all the characters memorable. The level of entertainment and engaging characters (be it for their awesomeness or how annoying they were) allowed me to ignore any possible flaws and just enjoy they ride. I cannot wait to see the second season.

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When the mystery (almost) ruins the show.

I’m just frustrated, because the good parts were really good, but the bad parts made it close to impossible for me to enjoy them.

What seemed like a bitter-sweet slice of life, that will move you to tears and make you appreciate the small things in your life, changed into a ridiculous no brain mystery about a character no one truly cared about and mobs. There was truly no reason to give them so much attention, and I highly doubt anyone would complain much, if they were used just as backstory devices and nothing more.

You know when a heartwarming slice of life shows work? When they are relatable. When the stories told in them hit close to home, since you either experience these things yourself, or you know someone who experienced them. It’s meaningful, because it’s a daily life we all have to deal with at some point. So why ruin the best aspect of slice of life, by adding borderline makjang plot lines and then focusing the majority of screen time on them as the drama gets closer to the end?

You can probably feel my frustration, but it’s because I truly adored a lot of the elements of this show, just for my joy to be cut short by things that were not even necessary.

Everything that was related to the Genie team? Amazing. I loved Gyeo Re and how raw the character was. The complexity of the emotions presented - perfection. Ji Chang Wook made a good choice picking this role and it’s nice to see him back on track with some more challenging projects. He managed to show vulnerability, but also emotional strength. The gradual development of the character was impeccable. Not to mention how his story clearly shows men can be victims of abuse too, and psychological abuse is as much of an important issue as physical abuse.

While I was not amazed with the writing of Seo Yeon Joo, Choi Soo Young did a great job with the role. The character was just slightly too perfect for me. The impulsivity at the beginning was gone after maybe 2 episodes, and from that point, it was close to impossible to find any real flaw in her.

Sung Dong Il is Sung Dong Il - he always delivers. Kang Tae Shik won my heart. Must say though, I liked his (sadly limited) interactions with Ha Joon Kyung the most. She was also one of my favorite characters - such a troubled person with so much pain. I wish the writers gave her a little bit more screen time, so we could truly dive deeper into who she was. That said, she might be a character many people fail to sympathize with. Girl had issues and she created a lot of issues for other characters.

The compliments go to the whole Genie cast - all actors did an amazing job, and the characters felt like real people. Most of them got enough screen time to make them an important part of the team and the plot, and flesh them out a bit.

The stories of the patients and their last wishes were tears-inducing and I welcomed the pain, but also the warm feeling they brought. Some I enjoyed more than the others, but all had meaningful messages and presented cohesive stories that many could relate to.

And then we have two side plots that I could truly not stand - the mystery of room 403, and the mob/mafia. When I started the show, I did not exactly sign up for soft makjang plot lines, but that’s what was delivered. Compared to the rest of the stories told in the drama, these two just felt cheap. Technically it wasn’t a massive part of the plot, but I found these scenes unnecessary, and that influenced how the whole episodes affected me emotionally (or rather did not, since I could not shake off the frustration caused by these two plotlines).

Still, the drama offers more good than bad. The production value was top notch - screenshotable for sure. Soundtrack, while not exactly memorable, fitted the scenes and overall atmosphere of the show. The songs I personally enjoyed the most were: I Can't Forget You by Kim Feel; I'll Protect You by Choi Yu Ree.

Overall, If You Wish Upon Me is similar to a protagonist from any well written drama - great spirit, depth, complexity that makes you emotionally invested in them, but also having a major flaw needing a major character development. Sadly, dramas don’t get character developments so the flaws stay as part of it forever.

Bonus: I want a short 2nd season with Lee Yoo Mi. She can deliver anything. Just don’t add mobs please ;)

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Grief, hope and sacrifice - human drama with mediocre scares.

I will forever fail to understand why movie-makers are so obsessed over filling their horror stories with mediocre scares and overused special effects, especially when the plot could be actually turned into a solid horror drama that focuses more on the human emotions, rather than supernatural aspects.

The good parts of the scripts were: the desperation and grief that Seung Do felt after his daughter's death. The regret about his choices. The sacrifices he made. Ban Hae Sin's past trauma surrounding Father Michael, and how it affected him currently. These were the gripping parts. The possession and supernatural elements should have been there to add the flavor. And yet... they went full cliche with black eyes, cults, over the top performances and epilepsy attack like possession scenes.

Performance wise, it was just flat.

Overall, nothing new, nothing fresh. Decent to pass time, but there are better movies even as mild entertainment.

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“It feels like I’ve been stuck here in silence for so long.”

What for me this drama represents is a feeling of technically living a rather good life, and yet feeling trapped in the normalcy, habits, memories and past that blocks us from moving forward. So we just stay in that safe zone of known patterns. And that’s where more or less all the characters were stuck - hunted by their past.

What at first seemed like a mish-mash of different people living completely different lives, ended up presenting a rather small community with many entangled relations I did not notice at first. Slowly I was understanding more and more about their past, present and potential future. The pacing and storytelling made me feel like a new neighbor who gets to know people living next to me in a natural manner.

“Why don't you aim for something more than just a “certain extend”? Try enjoying your life to the fullest.”

It is amazing how with just 12 episodes each 20 minutes long I do feel like I know and understand all the characters rather well. Some were stuck because of guilt, some because of fear, others because of the sense of responsibility… or the past traumas. Some stayed behind for people they care about. All uncertain, all searching.

But it never felt heavy, even if the subject they were touching cannot be called light either. Subtle presentation is a fitting description. Sometimes too subtle if you ask me - a deeper exploration of at least some of the themes would make the show better for sure. I’m kind of hungry for me… a bit unsatisfied.

Performances wise - great. Be it the main cast, or the supporting cast, everyone delivered. At the same time, I don’t feel like any performance was excellent to the point it especially stood out.

Directing and editing was exactly what you expect, but also what you love about Japanese shows. Really distinctive and unique style that sets it apart from the “high production aesthetics” from other countries. This more raw, simple and realistic approach fits the tone of the writing and story really well.

Overall, a nice watch. Personally, this was my “right after work, let’s get into chill mode” pick for the past week. Had some touching moments, some questions left unanswered, but at the end of the day, it was a positive experience.

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Low key uncomfortable.

When the dudes are flirting in some questionable moments and situations, it’s impossible to even care about the romance, which was sadly the biggest part of the plot.

I think the whole story lacks depth and details to create a more realistic picture of the events - it’s simply a juvenile presentation. There are no answers for the most basic questions the writer should ask themselves while writing a story. Did Kawin’s mom and her sister not contact each other for over a month before Kawin went to Thailand? How come they were not informed about what happened? Who paid the bills in the house? The set up was just ridiculous.

Then we have the issue of the romance, that made me feel a bit uncomfortable because a lot of the flirting and make out sessions had weird timing. Every time there was some romantic progression, all I could think about it - it’s not the right time for it.

The saddest part was the fact the family was actually the best part of the show and they were sidelined by the couple and their mediocre romance. What opened as a wholesome family comedy, became a weird mix of drama, slice of life and romance with cringey “spicy” scenes. Why?

If only good acting saved this show, but we did not even get that. During the wholesome daily and comedy bits everyone did great, but every attempt to deliver anything more emotional was flat and unconvincing. They just did not tap into whatever the characters were supposed to be going through.

The editing and directing was also a bit questionable. The progression between specific scenes was not smooth, and I had to check a few times if I played the right part of the right episode.

Overall, you can skip it.

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How did this movie happen?

This is literally the quality of writing we get from poorly done high school PSAs. The movie was confusing from start to finished, and not because of the complex plot, rather because of the unnatural, dumb decisions that characters were making.

I start with the good, because there was literally only one good thing about this movie - Lee Hak Joo’s acting A+, acting the role, 10/10 would recommend.

To the bad. Let’s start with the female lead. Even the most dumb person who always dies first in horror movies is smarter than her. And as much as I know Kang Ye Won is a lovely person, her acting here classifies as tragic. This was the worst performance I have seen in any Korean production.

Then we have the most ridiculous and random plot twists dropped left and right closer to the end, which made the movie even less realistic. I could barely take it seriously from the start, but this just made it a whole new level of clownery.

Overall, god bless Lee Hak Joo and his acting, but I would recommend everyone to stay away from this movie.

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Sherlock Holmes on crack.

Ever thought that some of the Holmes’ cases are rather unrealistic and impossible to predict from the perspective of the reader? Well, this is worse. Not gonna lie, for some that might add to the entertainment value, but for me, it just made me completely not interested in the investigation itself.

That said , the great chemistry between the main characters was amazing to watch. Serizawa Go was for sure my favorite. I loved how he was trying to act low-key, but in fact was truly interested and engaged in the cases. Him trying to keep the good image also led to many funny moments. Aoto Junko was a good case of a smart and strong female character. She was not perfect, sometimes driven by her emotions too much. Yet, she possessed many good characteristics which made her quite a lovable heroine.

Enomoto Kei was quite a mystery - after seeing the whole show and the special episode, I am still not sure who he truly was. He did have one of the most interesting “conclusions” of all the characters, but I wished his backstory would be more integral and a bigger part of the show.

So, if the cast was so good, why did I not quite like the cases? Putting aside how unrealistic and at times convoluted they were, they also at times sent a questionable message. I especially felt a lot of discomfort after finishing the Go Game episode.

The acting? Great. From the main cast, to all the supporting characters, all did an amazing job. There was no exaggeration of facial expressions and line delivery, and even though most of the characters were quite eccentric, the portrayal done by the cast made them rather realistic and approachable.

Overall, quite an enjoyable ride. Even though, for me, the cases were lacking, the cast was so entertaining, I still had a good time watching.

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A slice of a slice of life.

Try to see the whole picture from just a few puzzle pieces. That’s the essence of the movie. Figuring out the relationships and backgrounds of the characters from their short, taken out of their lives' context conversations. Why they are? Why they met? What will happen after they leave the table?

Have to say, not all the stories were equally interesting and enjoyable. Without giving any spoilers about the characters background, I’ll try to describe why they resonated with me or not.

Yoo Jin’s story - one that evokes the most emotions in me, and by emotions I mean anger and frustration. While at first I was unsure where it leads, with each new line I could sense the probable direction.

Kyung Jin’s story - the most chill and down to earth, the only one that put a smile on my face. The easiest to understand from the start too, you kind of know what you will get right away.

Eun Hui’s story - serving some unexpected twist as the conversation progressed. To some extent moving, if we try to understand the characters a little bit.

Hye Kyung’s story - the one I did not vibe with at all. Not only I couldn’t resonate with Hye Kyung, I also strongly believe Yeon Woo Jin is incapable of having chemistry with any of his female co-stars.

Overall, for a short movie like that, which tries to present 4 completely unrelated stories, it did a fairly good job. The acting was truly good, but then the characters and scenes were not exactly complex and well-developed to serve as an acting challenge. As I mentioned at the beginning, the entertainment comes from trying to understand who the characters are, even though nothing is set nor explained by narration or exposition. You are thrown into a random moment in their lives.

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Rather thrilling and gripping, yet quite predictable movie. I don’t think they served even one plot line that was not obvious. Even with that, I still enjoyed it quite a lot.

I think the best part of the movie is the lack of realism and sanity? These characters had issues, and I mean serious ones. The whole setup made little sense. They were committing crimes in daylight, often showing their faces, yet no one knew who they were. Sure. Suspension of belief is required to enjoy it.

Another aspect that I greatly enjoyed was the performance. Yeo Jin Goo as Hwa Yi was one of his strongest performances. The amazing on screen transformation that teen went through was just an interesting tale, with quite a satisfying conclusion.

Kim Yoon Seok as Yoon Seok Tae could be described as a cold, tamed madness - rather terrifying character. At the same time, the more I saw of him, the more pathetic he seemed. That said, I am thankful all the bad characters were truly awful, so I could watch without any sense of empathy towards them.

The movie had some unnecessary elements. While I understand why Yoo Kyung was an important person for Hwa Yi’s journey, I believe keeping her more as a symbol of normal life compared to actually getting her to interact with him would be better.

The emotional aspects of the movie depended on the well built relationship between Hwa Yi and the gang members, yet I barely felt anything. There were a few moments that showed him and Yoon Seok Tae have quite a deep, but also complicated bond, but I needed more than two or three scenes of it. Not to mention how all the rest of the characters were painfully one-dimensional.

The visuals were nice. They dive a bit into those gruesome scenes, not shying away from violence. The most powerful scenes though were the few emotional bits delivered by Yeo Jin Goo.

Overall, I would recommend watching for the performances. The cat and mouse chase between Hwa Yi and Yoon Seok Tae was exciting, and the emotional games and manipulation thrilling.

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