Very unique!

Finally finished the show. The first episode felt very convoluted to me and I skipped it, read the summary here, and moved to the 2nd episode. I am glad I skipped to the second episode because the pace & story from ep2 to 2p14 is brilliant. The plot is well made and very unique. (I did feel I was missing some information in the last 2 episodes due to missing ep1 though, but it wasn't significant.)

Acting: The actor Joong-ki is amazing. He plays an old guy so well, but he looks so young. It is jarring at times, truly! It feels real! Then other times he looks his age when he looks at his mom, amazing actor and direction. This was my first show of this actor and I have now watched Vincenzo. I have to say, Vincenzo walked so RebornRich could run. Lee SungMin is great as well. I also loved HyukKwon, JungNan, etc. They all did a great job.

Romance: HyunBin, I can't believe she is credited as "Main Role". There are very few scenes of her, and most of them are so dull, I skipped them. The "romance" is completely irrelevant to the plot. They have no chemistry here. The other female characters in the show are so well-made (Kim Hyun, JiHyun, etc.) I don't know why this character is so boring. I think romance wasn't required at all. The other male-female relationships fit the theme much better (everybody was selfish.) The only interesting scene of this character is in ep16. What was the point of this character?

Story & Pace: The pace is amazing from the second episode. I not only didn't speed it up- at times, I actually slowed down or rewatched to understand what happened. The twists are amazingly well thought. Most characters are grey and till the end, you won't be able to trust anybody. I could never guess what the next twist would be- because nobody is loyal here to anything but money. It really does remind me of corporate world, very real. The writers are very smart people. It is a 2022 masterpiece for sure. Must watch.

Ending: The episodes 15 and 16 scrambled my brain. Ep15 was a lot to take in, I was a little confused. But I guess that is what worked for this story. Once the "goal" was accomplished, they wrapped up stuff in the other timeline. I will say ep16 is better- I did feel a sort of melancholy for the character, which I felt he deserved. He loses family, friends, etc. So the suffering is worth it, in a way. So, I was satisfied by the end. I think the writers did a great job for such a fantastical storyline.

Definitely a must watch.

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Masterpiece

This is so heartbreaking. "Don't we all have the burden we created, and have to struggle with?" This is a translated line, and I am sure the original line is likely even better. This sequel is miles better than the first season. I wonder if they always had this in mind, because it is amazing.

I think this show reflects the mood of a lot of people in late 20s, 30s that don't have the lives they planned. You spend years thinking back about the decisions you made, with regrets. I personally definitely have them.
I think all the characters are written so well. The old people with their stubbornness. How bluntly rude they are. Remind me of older people in my family. I think I have known pretty much every character in this show, personally. This is so beautifully written & directed.

This is not a traditional BL. This is why I think some people are critical. It is honestly like one of those movies that have had so much heart put into them. But that don't make for a lighthearted viewing. I personally cannot think of any way this could be improved, it is too perfect. The portrayal of mental health issues is also so well done. You really cannot tell what is going on in somebody's life. The lighting, the way they speak, subtle references. Everything is so beautifully done. Gosh. I am sure at least some people involved in this have suffered depression at some point. If not, the empathy is amazing. I think a lot of decisions taken by characters in this show won't make sense to some people.. But when your mind isn't in the right place, when you been hurt, you really do make stupid choices. I really love Han Yoo Ha's character & her mother. They really bring hope and positivity in the show.

This is a beautifully written story about real life. This could have been about any two people, their gender is remarkably not the main focal point. But then it is unspoken and there is the background anyway. Not to mention that this show would have been globally acclaimed if it was about a straight couple. This is so beautifully shot, and so painful at times that I have had to pause myself between episodes..
I have only finished episode 6 and have had to pause to write this review. Because I am so emotional about it.

I think this is definitely a very mature story, very well written. The cinematography, the soundtrack, the clothes, everything is perfect. You can tell the staff put their heart in it. Very well done. watch it when you have time to think about your life. Because this is definitely not binge & forget about it story. This is like a once in a lifetime show for the staff/actors. You rarely see such stuff created on TV/movies. I am so glad I live in a time where I get to watch something like this.

The performance of the actors BTW is amazing. Just watch it, you will know what I mean. Just watch it.
it gets better and more intense every episode. I have finished it now. And I am so glad i stumbled across this one. It was such an experience. The editing is absolutely amazing. I loved the finale as well. It is unbelievable that they managed a satisfactory wrap up to this. Bless these people who made this masterpiece.

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Surprisingly realistic

Cheating is a massive trigger for me. I have personally never understood it. So, believe me and the other reviewers when we say this show is incredibly well written, directed and acted. It won't make you like the characters at all, but it is believable, realistic. And you won't be able to 100% hate the characters, even if you want to. Which is amazing.

Also, the angst is amazing. They are great actors, and War is amazing. His face and eyes say so much. His character is really nuanced and good. The show doesn't have a lot of dialogue, a lot is just acting. Great actors! This isn't one of those shows that you watch simply because the couples have great chemistry together. Both Yin and War are perfect here. You are here for the plot and their acting. You will feel for them.

I stopped watching at episode 6, and decided to wait for the show to finish before I binge watch the entire show at a go. Honestly, Yin and War are such great actors, I hope they get more shows with great stories!

Edit: Finished it and loved it so much. I also went back and watched the original mini-series. This was a massive improvement on all counts- the cast, direction, storyline, everything improved. People praise War a lot because he is a great actor, but TBH his scenes allow his natural acting ability to shine. In the later episodes, you can see Yin doing his magic as well. He looks like a happy puppy at times. Really hard to hate him, he portrays the character really well. Really glad I tried this.

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Still holds up in 2022

First: I avoided this for a really long time because I was scared of the story being homophobic. A lot of popular kdramas can be a little homophobic, Vincenzo(2021) for example has multiple unnecessary low-key homophobic scenes. So, I was very scared about watching it since it was made in 2007. But it is not homophobic at all! I am amazed and delighted that they made something that doesn't make fun of anybody. Also, my respect for Gong Yoo has now reached Mt. Everest levels. He did this show when he was just starting, and it must have been such a risky show in 2007- it is a risky show even in 2022. Amazed how it stands the test of time. There are actual BL shows which have more homophobic/transphobic scenes than this one. I have written this simply for other people like me who are avoiding this show- you don't need to!

Second: Ofc one needs to suspend belief to swallow the premise, but Yoon EunHye is somehow believable as a guy! Except for her lack of facial hair, she nailed it. She really gave her all to this show. (In comparison, Park BoYoung in "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon" is not at all believable as a weightlifter. She is thin, and I was constantly distracted by how many layers they dressed her in sometimes to make her look bulky. her mannerisms, nothing matched the character. I quit that show since it was so ridiculous to me that we were supposed to pretend that guys didn't like this thin, pretty girl lol.) Yoon EunHye did amazing here, didn't care at all about looking pretty/beauty standards. Really great actress. (Also great makeup artists, whoever dressed her character, etc. Did a great job.)

Third: The show is really funny. The plot is actually engaging and every character pulls their weight. It is slow paced but no more than a typical Kdrama show. I usually skip the second couple, so I skipped a lot of scenes here as well. One reviewer warned about not eating while watching this- 100% agree. Some of the scenes are just revolting lol. It does get boring after ep12 though, because once the secret is out, there isn't a lot to the story. Honestly, they could have wrapped it up by ep13. But till ep11 at least, it is a great show.

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