Reviews

Why can't people seem to appreciate flawed characters?

This review won't be a review per say but moreso another perspective of the show when compared to the majority of the negative reviews on this site. I feel the need to do this especially because a handful of these reviews almost made me decide not to watch this show. I won't go into a lot of details regarding the storyline since so many reviews have already done so. However, I'd like to leave my two cents here because most of the reviews shown here are negative and most of them are based on two things - Joe's naivety and Ming's toxicity.

One thing about this series is that it depcts toxic relationships with very flawed characters. It's been advertised since the beginning, it's based in an infamously toxic chinese novel (by an author who's well known for her toxic main leads), there's sinopsis, tags, trailer, etc. And yet people still seem to be hiper fixated in complaining about it, as if it hasn't been advertised at all.

Don't like these themes? Don't watch.

This is the same issue with Kinnporsche (which has two directors in common). So many people review bombing with negative ratings regarding the toxic storyline. There was even a review that complained so much and at the end considered this one of the best series of this year - giving this a 6. At least be coherent with your words and your scoring.

I understand the issue people have with Ming, he's an obvious red flag who is toxic from the beginning, a very flawed character who is depicted since the beginning as such. Flawed characters have existed in stories, series and movies for a long time and oftentimes they give way to intrigue storylines and help capture the viewers attention to try to understand how this person behaves the way they do. Flawed characters are real and human and I don't understand how so many people fail to appreciate that this type of representation is needed in art too. Yes, Ming is a huge asshole and a toxic narcissist. That makes him an even more compelling main character.

As for Joe, he's an absolute cinammon roll. He's someone who falls in love with someone he shouldn't. I see so many people stating how he's naive for liking Ming and that it's not realistic. Excuse me? How many people end up in toxic relationships despite the clear signs? How many people fail to see the red flags because of the rose-colored glasses? It's as realistic as it can get. Fortunately, My Stand-in still manages not to be as toxic as some relationships in real life get - and not as toxic as the original novel, thankfully. I feel like this show actually managed to tell the story really well, they allowed for Ming's character to grow and for Joe to realize that no matter how much he tried, he couldn't escape his feelings for Ming.

Sure, y'all can say Joe's dumb - he is. But it feels weird to reduce his feelings and struggles to just that - naivety and stupidity. Joe and Ming are such complex characters and to reduce this complexity to just being dumb or toxic is like missing the whole point of the show. The story isn't told just by dialogue or just by nc scenes. There's so many small details the directors focused on to conect the storyline. The actors were amazing too, the change in Up's eyes depending on Ming's emotional stability in different parts of the show was mesmerizing to watch - he's such a great actor. Poom was also absolutely amazing as Joe, reflecting his emotional maturity before and after his death.

Flawed and difficult characters are extremely complex. They're harder to understand, harder to act and harder to love. It's a challenge for the actors involved in these storylines and it's a challenge for the whole team. Yet, they're the most intriguing, the ones that make our brains work to understand, to fill in the blanks. There's a reason why we love villains. It's the same train of thought. Flawed characters are relatable, even if only a tiny little bit. Sure, in Ming's case, I really hope he's not as relatable to everyone out there, but there's realism to his character, like it or not.

This is why I don't understand the hate. I understand the constructive criticism and I have my own too, but to review bomb a show like this based on something it has advertised since the beginning? I don't get it.

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Fan Service at its Best

First, let me warn you by saying don't look for these to strictly adhere to continuity. It's really fan-centric one-shots meant as a gift by the actors and producers. For example Byeong-In is in one episode as the captain of police at the same time Cheoljong is looking at the Queen's Dictionary which has notations about voting and gold/dirt spoons, which occurred later. In another segment, Hwan is sporting the sunglasses he first wears in episode 20 whereas all but the prequel seem to indicate the stories taking place right before or immediately after the banquet.

Segment 1 - SY and CJ meeting for the first time as adults. More So Yong centric than Cheoljong. At least they did manage to flesh out her character just a little bit. The prequel is beautifully shot with CJ romanticized and looking like Prince Charming from a storybook to the Nth degree. It has a dreamy quality to it.

Segment 2 - An absolute hilarious acknowledgement of the fans' comments about the similarity in looks and build of Prince YP and Byeong-In.

Segment 3 - Focused on the flirtations of the Royal Chef and Lady Choi

Segment 4 - KDramas are known for several tropes, one of which is the jealous lover. Didn't fit into the narrative of Mr. Queen too much, though they did manage to fit in one small scene towards the end, so the producers created this one-shot that is jealous KDrama lover overload. Very, very funny and really showcases the comedic timing of Kim Jung Hyun.

Segment 5 - Card game gone extreme between the Kim powerhouse siblings with poor So Yong's father caught in the middle.

Segment 6 - The most enigmatic one. This segment had some moments of comedy, but it had a strange undercurrent of wistfulness and melancholy as well which is tied into the wishes each character makes upon seeing their first meteor shower.

Overall, it was just fun watching. The comedic elements were ramped up and more campy than usual. The segments were definitely poking fun at the characters and storylines while at the same time trying to give fans elements that they couldn't necessarily incorporate into the main drama.

Looking back, I also feel that it supports my reincarnation theory. Prequel hints at the idea of destiny, middle segment answers the question of where the love and attraction is stemming from, and the last gives us the promise of reunion for the soulmates.

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If you love yourself some romance, found family and everyone's-troubles-are-connected (I don't know if that trope has a name or...) dramas, this show is for you.
I want to start this off saying that the undeniable stars of this drama are the leads, played by Kwak Dong-Yeon and Park Se-Wan. Those two have some of the best chemistry together and they were the reason I started watching this drama in the first place.
That being said, while they were the reason I started, they weren't the only reason why I kept watching. There are two families at the center of this drama's plot. The first isn't a biological family unit, but one of circumstance. Several different individuals wind up staying at the Nakwon Inn (or Paradise Inn as it's translated to) and develop a tight-knit family of their own. The second, the Na family. They're a chaebol family consisted of some (mostly) egocentric individuals, and Hae Jun (he's the only one that doesn't suck royally, in fact, he's pretty cool). Both families filled me with a different set of emotions. The found family was beautiful, the love and support that they provided for each other is enough to give you the warm fuzzies. I was particularly a huge fan of the brother-sister relationship between Woo Jae and Bak Ha. The chaebol family, as expected, pissed me off quite frequently. What I wasn't expecting was to find all of them (well, almost all of them) to have charming aspects to themselves. This doesn't typically happen when I watch a chaebol family in a drama, so it was quite refreshing.
Now, let's talk romance. The central romance was definitely my favorite, but all (but one, Woo Jae and Hae Ri are my ultimate NOTP) of the other romances were also interesting to watch. They had so much chemistry and it was fun to watch their relationships gradually develop. For sure one of my favorite parts.
One of the cool things about this drama is that all of the characters' stories are linked. In the beginning most of the central characters were at the area where the prime conflict (the death of Bak Ha's husband) took place. What's also interesting is that each member of the Nakwon Inn family has some sort of bone to pick with members of the Na family.
Last, and not least, we have the other star of this show, an adorable baby named Yeol Mu. Yeol Mu manages to make everyone love and take care of him. He has an incredible charm that will make your heart melt.

Overall, it's a great drama filled with family, love, and growth. If you're good with longer format shows, it's worth giving a shot.

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Thanks for the miracle

Before you even start this drama, don't try to find an explanation for all this supernatural stuff, just let yourself be carried away by the strength of their chemistry. This drama really gives meaning to the word "love".

The time between Mitsuri and Koichi is limited after the latter's accident. As a "living corpse", his future is uncertain and despite all that this implies, Mitsuru tries to remain as calm and rational as possible.

The contrast between the cheerful Koichi and the composed Mitsuru is one of the strengths of this story. It is clear why they fell in love with each other long before this event occurred that puts their story in perspective.

The drama will carry a sense of delicacy, discretion and melancholy throughout the episodes. Their relationship is one that doesn't need to be expressive to know that they love each other, their eye contact gives you butterflies, a feeling of sadness and happiness at the same time.

You will fall in love with Mitsuru's monologues which are poignant, sad, loving, he has such resilience. You will appreciate the message behind each dialogue, dialogues that make us accept grief, the grief of love, the grief of loss. When a simple conversation gives us hope, hope that there will be a tomorrow, hope that we will not be forgotten as long as our memory has a place in the heart of the beloved.

As a bonus, the OSTs are powerful, soft, catchy and accompany each scene very well.

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The boundless promise.

Feng Ren is a Gushi/骨仕, an enigmatic, lethal sworn blade whose sole reason of existence is to protect the coveted Wuliang/无量/Boundless Heart Sutra. He intercepts a blind boy Po Xiao, who may just be a decoy or may be the true custodian of the Wuliang Heart Sutra and together, they flee the city. On their perilous journey they learn each others secrets. Underneath all the half-truths and deceptions between them, an inexplicable bond, an unspoken shared understanding and trust grows between then. For such a short length story, the actors' chemistry and the depth and complexity of emotions they conveyed shook me. Every twist deepens their bond and the boundless promise they make to each other. The important message of this story is that with great power, comes great responsibility. This is dark and heartbreaking wuxia but the break of dawn that pierces the darkness is blinding and immensely powerful.

Everything about this movie smacks of Guo Jingming's fabulous taste and hallmark aesthetics. If like me, you watch this after My Journey To You, it is quite clear that the drama expands upon many ideas in terms of style, plot and character design from this 37-minute movie. Feng Ren makes me think of Han Yasi and Po Xiao of Xue Gongzi. The narrative also explores how best to deal with a weapon of unaparallelled power. Due to its short length, the plot is tight with no unnecessary digressions and everything comes to a full circle at the end. It perfectly illustrates the power of a short story in how it captures the heart and the imagination with all that is left unsaid and untold. This is a simple, well executed plot that is a must watch and one that I am happy to rate 8.5/10.

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Lesbian friendships at the forefront of this little show

Soo not Sue is back with another delightful show. I love the fact that even though there is a romantic storyline, this show is about people. It is about friends, it is about women who are together because they are lesbians, not romantically, but because community is important. This is about the place, Dickinson’s Room (love a good lesbian reference in the name of a place), and the people in it above all else.

The main relationship is between Seol and her aunt Jung-won. They have always been close, but Jung-won never told Seol about the fact that she was gay and that she had left her job to open a women-only café/bar. Where Seol is bubbly, Jung-won is introverted and quiet. They are not that different in age, but they have very different outlooks on being out, being open, being in the public eye as a woman who loves women.
This show is about showing that neither way is better than the other, that sometimes, you might need to adjust, to be calmer or to be more open.

It’s also about how society and Korean society in particular acts towards wlw. Thanks to the several different lesbian characters, Soo not Sue shows us that there is not one way to be a lesbian in Korea today. That you can be an influencer and be a lesbian, but that you will be prevented from getting jobs by some homophobic people. That you can be out, but that some people are still too afraid for that and that it's okay and you should respect that. That places where you can be yourself exist, but that they’re often hidden away and you need to walk around the block three times before you see it.

It is about the friendship that is made between queer women (and the jokes that if you spend enough time in lesbian spaces, you will be meeting your exes a lot), about how lesbian relationships can be as toxic as straight ones and you really should dump once and for all your ex that keeps asking you to come back together before dumping you again. It is about the fact that friendship is so important and all too often in media, it is put aside in favour of pure romance.

She Makes My Heart Flutter shows us the reverse. A story about queer friendship and family with a healthy dose of a very cute romance on the side.

The cinematography and the production quality in general is tip top, as we have come to expect from Soo Not Sue and Korea in general. The actors did a good job with their characters, even those secondary ones that felt a bit more like stereotypes.

It is a short show, bit quite a bit longer than others when compared to other indie lesbian shows on YouTube. Contrary to some of the short K-BL we have seen in the past few years, this show manages its time quite well and even though I would have appreciated more time to develop the characters and their stories, it didn't feel too lacking because it knew to limit its stories to what fitted in its timeframe.

I had a really good time watching this show and I will be both rewatching it and recommending it to people. Sometimes in those reviews I recommend people watch it with the caveat that it is not very good, but beggars can’t be choosers and we should support wlw shows and short films to show there is interest. But no such caveat here, She Makes My Heart Flutter is good show with a good story, a good message, very high production value and at only 5x13 min, it is a quick watch.

Can someone with a lot of money give Soo Not Sue money to produce a long form drama with lesbians? Please and thank you.

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Watched it last year but still a great drama! I usually get bored & drop dramas very easily, so i can't believe i watched the 52 episodes !

The beginning is kind of slow, so i found myself skipping most of the family oriented scenes & only wanted to see the relationship between the 2main leads. But after (i'd say around the 10th-15th episodes maybe?) those were my favorites scenes & i couldn't miss one. Indeed the interactions between all the characters (there are a lot!) are very fun to watch, the characters are lovable & really grow on you & it depicts a lot of aspects of Korean culture which i found really interesting.

One of the most important thing for me is that there aren't any frustrating or despicable characters. They're all amazing (especially Ah Damo, his father, Gongjoo & Sonja!). Even the "bad" ones (annoying jealous rara for instance) change & become nice. Characters getting on my nerves & whose behaviours are stupid, irrational to the point I wanna murder them are the main reason why i often cannot finish dramas (especially when they are the main leads). So the fact that the only person i hated in there has a bad ending, god i wanted to hug the writers!

On the romance side, great great great! Even though the story is somewhat far-fetched (well, it's a kdrama we're talking about), their relationship feels real & reaaaally passionate at the same time. Completely fell in love with Ah damo. (I usually don't fall that hard for a character haha) Dan Saran is also great & strong-willed ,of course she isn't perfect & can get kind of irritating sometimes (Not to me though)

=> If you want a mix of warm&hilarious; family-oriented scenes (Andreeeeeee) and a passionate romance, wrapped up in a nice setting (Gisaeng;)!), providing you're patient (52 episodes!) this is the drama for you !

PS:
I rated 7 for the story because it's good but kind of typical, it's actually the humor & the amazing acting that made the drama ! Rewatch value: i usually don't rewatch dramas, & especially not this one since it's so long, but i have found myself rewatching some parts here & there , still laughing.

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It may seem like I gave this one a low review number but the fact is I really enjoyed this show. I started to watch it because the story sounded interesting. Than I recognized the main guy from the ever so popular part of Jeremy(YaB). So I watched it.



It wasn't extremely well done or flashy or a "you must watch this" kind of film. In fact I was hesitant because someone had suggested it looked like the young guy falls for older woman scenario. But that wasn't it at all.



It was simple, sweet, and about a woman trying to live the principles she was struggling to teach her daughter. In fact from the the male character's point of view I would describe this film as 'appreciate your mother because you don't know how long your going to have her' or as a 'your lucky to have a mother - if your not going to appreciate her than I'll take her'.



I loved how the story unfolded. I truly could feel him slowly growing attached to her - as a son, with every moment she spent with his family. You could feel how much he needed her influence in his life and than suddenly you saw him have an influence on hers. "Break down the door," he said and I cheered (because I completely agreed with him).



It is an all around a good story. Easy to watch. Easy to enjoy. And something I will watch again when I am in the mood for something slow pace.



Hope that helps.

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Well come to the Bom~

An absolute gem. One that flew under everyone's radar, and it would have flown under mine as well if it wasn't recommended to me by another Avengers Social Club fan.

Spring Turns to Spring is a very lighthearted comedy revolving around body swapping of two women and all the hilarity that ensues. The plot never takes itself too seriously, while also tackling issues such as corruption, infidelity, misogyny in a comedic fashion. We're also given an abundance of hilarious revenge schemes, quirky office humor and interactions, endearing sismance and mother-daughter bonding, and more. If you've seen Avengers Social Club and enjoyed it, I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy this drama as well.

The cast and acting were amazing, especially our two leads, Lee Yoo Ri and Uhm Ji Won.
What I never saw in this drama were the actresses Lee Yoo Ri and Uhm Ji Won--only the characters Kim Bomi and Lee Bom. The way both actresses portrayed characters was so breathtakingly convincing, I couldn't help but think to myself every episode as they changed personalities, "wow, these two are incredible at acting!" You could instantly recognize the change in character by the shift in facial expressions, voice, and body mannerisms. How each character was portrayed so seemingly accurate and similar by two different actresses was stunning, especially when you consider how contrasting Bomi and Bom's personalities were.

The rest of the cast were no slouch either.
Lee Jong Hyuk's interactions with Lee Yoo Ri were godsend regardless of which character she was currently in. Choi Byung Mo never fails to perfect the role of a world class douche of a husband and human. The Bom brothers by Kim Nam Hee and Ahn Se Ha were golden. I have to admit the broken English by Bom Il was disconcerting at first, but eventually grew on me as a comedy factor. Heck, even the foreign actors were a joy to watch, as the scenes were always pretty self aware that they were mostly to serve as comedy.

The OST was fitting and catchy; the songs never felt unnatural to their respective scenes. I also eventually found myself singing along to the intro of every episode with its "Yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh~". The main theme "Well come to the Bom" slowly grew on me throughout the show with it's upbeat, catchy tune and how it was always inserted at the perfect moments--I could always expect a welcome shift in mood whenever the song played.

Just an overall very feel good drama. A great watch if you're feeling a bit down, looking for nonsense comedy, or just want to turn your brain off and enjoy a K-drama.

And so, as Winter turns to Spring, I encourage those who haven't seen Spring Turns to Spring to give this gem a chance; you won't regret it!

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It´s opaque and rather gloomy, venturing to juggle shadow rather than light

"The Road: The Tragedy of One" is based on a (Japanese) novella by Rintaro Norizuki with its spotlight on the higher end of high society. The KDrama "Mine" from the same production year, which is located in a comparable segment at the top of the social pyramid, chose rich bright colors and extravagantly shimmering robes amidst glitz and glamor as the backdrop for a study on decadence and greed. In contrast, the TV production "The Road: The Tragedy of One" makes no attempt whatsoever to immerse human abysses in a colorful light that is somehow aimable and pleasently digestibility. No. This KDrama has a rather gloomy side to it. It´s opaque. Outrageous.

You may vainly search for anything virtuous here. Let alone family values, especially when it comes to raising children. People mysteriously die. There is crime. Corruption. Affairs. Cowardice. Selfishness. There is (almost) nothing left of high moral standards. The series is heavy opera. Yet, excellently casted throughout. Everyone is doing their best. Still, whatsoever, it's not nice to look at. If the human ugliness is shown all too ruthlessly... who should one identify with? You have to delve far into your own abysses to sympathize and feel with the protagonists... (maybe one of the reasons, why the viewer ratings aren´t quite balanced to the true quality of the show...)

In any case, the KDrama is thrilling in its own pace and style. There are plenty of secrets throughout. You get Makjang, too ... obviously it can always get worse... (KDrama somehow always is great at drama!) It's opaque up to the end. The story takes its time to unravel the tangled threads. The screenplay is particularly atmospheric. Eventually, more of a trip into darkness. Literally (i.e. optically), too. I would call it an experiment in the latest KDrama Orbit, that dares to juggle shadow rather than light and ventures to tell a story without wholesome, easily digestible sweets.

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When i discovered this series and read the summary i wasn't really catched by it. But i wanted to understand why people around me love it so much. I thought "How is a drama about a girl that wants to dive for seaurchins exciting anyway?!". So i gave it a chance and watched the first episode.

With this, the "Ama-chan effect" hit me hard. I couldn't stop watching it. I finished this series after 11 days, and I'm sad it ended. This is probably also due to the phenomen, that the episodes are rather short with a runtime of 15 minutes, and you keep watching and watching, while you tell yourself: 'just another one, then i'll stop.', but you just can't. Its one of those series you really never want to end.

The Story itself i really addicting, as its absolutly not repetitve. The constant up and downs make oneself really go with it and feel it. It makes you sad, It makes you cheer, it makes you feel lost. If a series is able to this, then its a masterpiece. Kankuro Kudo really made a awesome job.

The Characters are absolutly memorable. You could really notice the cast was putting their hearts into it. I've never watched a series where the acting was this good. Each actor played their character so well, i could really belive everything could have happened in a village close to mine. There was no way you couldn't feel with your favorite character. (Which was Yui in my case.)

A enormous portion of this series marks the soundtrack. I'm usually one of those people skipping the Opening Sequence, i absolutely refused to do that when i watched Ama-chan. I found myself boucing around whenever the opening started. From the "inserts Songs" which where played pretty often, i must say i never found them annoying at any time, eventho they brought them up a lot in recalls or in different versions. On the other hand, the BGM music really gave this series its essence. Every musicportion in the series transported so many emotions in every single second. It really sticks to your brain and you'll find yourself humming it here and there without even noticing. I had to sing and hum along every single time.

You might wonder about the 9 instead of 10 points for the Rewatch Value. I have to admit, i had to deduct a point, just because its not a series you could watch again in just a single day, but thats about it. This is a Series you really can watch and enjoy everytime. Watch it with your friends, family, girlfriend, they'll love it.

Overall i Can only say, this series made a huge impact and is my new favorite Series of all times. If you haven't i can only say: YOU MUST WATCH IT!

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This started out cute and fluffy, but the last few episodes were miserably drawn out.
EP 10-12 were painfully slow, they could have been cut and pasted into 1.5 episodes.
13 was ehhhh.... This isn't a masterpiece, the writing is loosely constructed and poorly executed. The story has little depth or substance to hold it together for 13 hours. I can't connect with the female lead's choices (especially in the later half) or her pitiful deer lost in headlights expression...I was hoping it would be a drama somewhat like 1% of Something since the director is the same, but it doesn't even come close in comparison. I Liked Ep. 1-9 but Ep. 10-13.5 are a hard sell.

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Love & Hate. Trust & Betrayal. A hopeless romantic drama with a dash of politics.

The core of this drama is the love story between the leads, with a bit of a mix of Beauty and the Beast + Romeo and Juliet vibes. The drama is about the female lead, who is sent to form a marriage alliance with the male lead’s family, in order to stop the feud between them. However, the male lead, a General and Lord of his clan, is reluctant to accept her, as he still harbours resentment towards her family. From distrust and hate, the leads slowly build trust and fall in love, while working together towards their common goal - to help their people live a peaceful life.

The best thing about this drama is that it made me FEEL. The characters were written so well, they all felt like real people. I laughed with them, I cried with them and worried for them. The angst hit hard, the romance was sweetness overload and the emotional moments landed at the perfect timing. It is indeed rare to find a drama that pulls you in so deeply, that you connect with so much emotionally, and this one totally did.

POSITIVE:
- Smart & strong female lead. She used her brain to fight war and I loved it.
- Red to green flag male lead. He was a layered character. Started off as a red flag and kind of a jerk towards everyone. But knowing what he has experienced, it all made sense. Falling for his wife softened him - towards her and his people. But at the same time, as a Lord and General, he was still badass, smart, firm and masculine.
- Rom-com vibes. Unexpectedly, the middle of the drama was non-stop laughter and cute romantic scenes. I’m usually all for angst but I absolutely loved this part as it truly built up the characters and love story.
- Comedy was gold. There were so many ridiculously funny and very entertaining scenes that made me smile all day. It’s been a long time since a drama made me laugh this much.
- Emotional rollercoaster. The heartwarming romance made me smile all day, while the heartbreaking moments made me cry buckets of tears.
- Slow burn romance that burned HARD. The romantic tension between the leads was the driving force of this drama and their enemies to lovers arc was brilliantly written.
- Hot kisses. Only 2-3 scenes but they totally broke the scale in terms of heat.
- Support cast was great. I’m looking at the four generals, especially dear Wei Liang, who was the heart of this drama and made me giggle like crazy.
- Villains. What I liked about this drama is that all villains felt human. Their actions made sense, their evil deeds made sense. In fact, if the script was flipped at the start, I could see some of them being the heroes. The villains weren’t villains for the sake of it but because their life circumstances and past pain had shaped them to be this way.
- Cinematography, OST, costumes - everything was done really well.

NEGATIVE:
There were little bits that bugged me. I wasn’t a fan of the second male lead but I did grow fond of him later. The political and war side towards the end felt a bit rushed. I wouldn’t have minded if the drama had 2 more episodes to extend the story. I’m guessing they didn’t have that much budget for a huge war scene in the finale episode, but the villain just standing there doing nothing was kind of lame. But still, none of these things were a huge overkill because the core of the drama was always romance, not politics or war.

OVERALL:
This is one of the best 2025 cdramas for me. It has everything, from well developed characters, brilliantly crafted romance, to a perfect blend of suspense, tragedy, angst and comedy. If you are here for logic, politics and war, you will most likely be disappointed. But if you want a brilliantly crafted love story, packed with a rollercoaster of emotions and an adorable support cast of generals, PLUS you are a hopeless romantic at heart, I highly, highly, highly recommend this drama.

FAVOURITE QUOTE:
“You see me as a jewel but you treat all others as ants” by the female lead
“If I succeed, it is my fortune. If I fail it is my fate. Even if I die, I’ll have no regrets.” by the villain

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Most of the die-hard fans of this drama will hate me for this, but "Nice Guy" honestly isn't anything new in the world of revenge dramas. You have your typical hodgepodge of birth secrets, revenge stories, murders and amnesia- not just once, but twice. There are gaping plot holes, crazy scenarios and messed up character motivations, but if you abandon all reasoning and logical thinking, this drama can be one of the best you've seen.
Story: I liked the idea that Ma-Ru at the beginning was a much darker character than we've seen in other revenge dramas. He wasn't afraid to use people and was okay with being used himself. What made him interesting was watching his transition from a shell of a human to someone who had something to lose. I also loved Eun-Gi's character in the beginning, she was passionate yet cold, bitchy but kind, and was an amazing mix of all these opposite traits. I didn't particularly like her personality transformation in the second half of the drama because I felt like the writers only changed her to fit the plot and she became a puppet to the rest of the show's whims, but she swung back in my favor later.
Actors: Let's face it. "Nice Guy" would not have been as popular if Song Joong-Ki hadn't played the main lead. Because he is an A-list actor, it drew in a crowd, since he is a good actor, this drama kept its crowd. That being said, Joong-Ki is the actor that holds this drama together. I'm not saying that Moon Chae-won and Park Si-Yeon were bad- they were actually surprisingly good in their roles- it's just that Joong-Ki stole the show.
Music: Nice and dramatic, it was used well to tie together certain scenes in the show.
Rewatch Value: Since this show was one of the more unpredictable ones, the second time around will not be as good, but it will be alright.
Overall: I feel like "Nice Guy" should come with a big neon sign that says: "All ye who enter, abandon all logic here". Because honestly, the only way you will enjoy this drama is if you don't think about it too much and just go with it.

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unfathomable beastliness down to the blood. a search for the good guys could very well be in vain

You better be aware, it can always become more monstrous. For the audience, the first episodes of “The Escape of the Seven” are already quite inhospitable. Surely, among the protagonists one is worse than the other. We immerse ourselves in an unscrupulous world full of greed and devoid of any... …actually, I wanted to write "humanity", but then people also have a bitterly cruel and evil side, which is unfortunately also so very human in all its abysmal facets that it is painfully hurting and we'd rather not see it or let alone experience it... That's what "The Escape of the Seven" is about: The potency of human unscrupulousness... It couldn´t be more repulsive. (Could it?)

Crass, brutal and soulless, but everything beautifully polished in HD – this is how the 'beautiful', (one would normally consider) ´desirable´ life of the "Seven" is displayed here. However, soon enough the limits of what is bearable are strained. Admittedly, at first I had to avert my gaze with a shudder. Pretty quickly I dropped this KDrama.

However, the job as a subtitler had me open up for a second attempt. Meanwhile – if I accept the premise: it's about a group of people who are entangled in their unscrupulousness, who are united in their monstrosity not least by their excessive greed and a disgusting obsession with money, power, prestige, rank and influence – I reconsider this KDrama quite original by now. Surely, there are lots of unsympathetic (and shockingly convincing so!) protagonists - that's downright provocative for a TV series entertainment mission. Nevertheless, eventually from the 5th episode onwards, the KDrama is unabashedly still gearing up. It´s like the point of no return. By then there´s no more escaping from “The Escape of the Seven”... You´re on the hook. Because you actually start hoping…(for ´the good´ to finally become true.)

The plot turns out to be a revenge mission cleverly disguised in several respects. AI and deepfakes on the one hand, tried-and-tested Makjang on the other inspire the psychopathic composition of a jungle full of fatal, dramaturgical entanglements. Intelligent, exciting, disturbing – more than once we might think we know what's going on and yet we're wrong. Ruthlessness is certainly one of the leitmotifs in this KDrama.

I only recommend "The Escape of the Seven" if the mood is right - one that demands unfathomable beastliness down to the blood. If we get involved in this KDrama, then we will uncompromisingly be catapulted into a world in which a search for the good guys could very well be in vain...

And there is a second season, too…

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