The story line is just amazing. From episode 1, I was captivated by the plot, making me sit at the edge of my chair, anticipating of what would happen next. Just when I thought I figured out who is behind it all, something unexpected happened and I was left at a dead end with numerous questions. Even until the very last minute of the final episode I was left awestruck. It took me a few minutes to register what happened and then everything clicked into place. Usually I am pretty good at figuring out who is bad and who is good, but this drama totally made me run around in circles.
The cast was also amazing. I have no words to describe how well everyone played their parts. Lee Bo Young played the mother soo well. The determination she showed to save her child no matter what, it felt real. She is clearly a great actress. And what can I say about Cho Seung Woo, he was just amazing!! The action scenes he did was just top notch!! Seriously can i have him protect me too? haha But in all seriousness, he did a great job!
Of course I need to mention, Kim Yoo Bin, this little 9 year old girl did such a great job. If she can act like this at such a young age, imagine where she will be in 10 years time! Oh and how can I forget Baro (of B1A4). The amount of times he made me awestruck in this drama, the way he played a mentally disabled boy, left me speechless. It is hard to believe that this was only his 2nd drama. I can say with confidence that he is going to be an amazing actor. Cannot wait to see his future works!! (Special mention goes to No Min Woo, though his part was small, every time I saw him on screen i fangirled like mad. He is just too hot x__x)
The rewatch value is also very high. There is not a single boring moment in this drama. Nothing dragged on for too long and in every episode something new came up, which helped to unfold the story and create more mystery. I would definitely watch it again if i have time.
Finally I would say, hats off to the team for creating such an amazing drama. I know many didn't like the ending and others loved it. I for one, think the ending was bittersweet. It was not overly happy, but it was also not tear jerking. Seriously if you haven't watched this drama, then please do, I promise, you will enjoy it.
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This review may contain spoilers
CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!
Writing this review is like writing an obituary.The Show showed great promise in its infancy. Adolescent was a blast and overflowing with energy and potentials.
We went on wild rides with some interesting and engaging characters. It was lawyering without the law. Creative writing at its whimsical best. We get hints of a dark backstory but that only served to whet our appetite.
The Show matures with a 2 episodes arc of flashbacks which tells the origin story. It was bittersweet and hard hitting. It is meant to set up the last third of the Show for an impactful finale.
It was a mystery at the time why the tone and writing of the storyline changes drastically after the flashbacks. I know the phase “lost the plot” is cliché but I can’t think of any other way to describe the next few episodes. The Show dialled up the slapstick at the cost of narrative logic. It is fun to watch for a while, but it leaves me scratching my head.
I then started to hear about the Show being cut down from 14 to 12 episodes even though it was rating through the roof. However, any talk of a second season was quashed. News of cancelled screening and weird substitutions began to flood the news feeds. To say the fans are confused and upset is an understatement. Then came the rumours that the writer-nim has a fallout with the production company and there were chattering about shenanigans regarding multiple rewrites and rejections. It sort of fits in with what is happening but it is cold comfort. One suggestion is the writer-nim objected to the overuse of PPL and changes to the original plot for mass appeal. I'd agree that the PPL goes way beyond the bottles of water in the fridge trick. It was literally baked into the script. We have the leads ordering take-outs and then leisurely eating and commenting on the meal. It is totally egregious.
The next couple of eps felt rudderless. There are signs of life here and there. There are important revelations, and the plot moves along. At the same time, some subplots also disappeared even though you can sense why the writer-nim included them in the first place. They were discarded unceremoniously. By this stage, the Show was on life support. Ep.11 was a filler with little substance. It took 60mins to do what should have taken 10. This is a sad waste of screen time when you consider it is the penultimate episode.
By the time the finale arrives, I watched it with trepidation. Of course, we wanted a good and satisfying finish, but we also know the clock is ticking.
The final episode is rushed, there is no other way to say it. Everything that needs to happen, happened. It feels heavily scripted rather than clever and nuanced. It is like watching a checklist being ticked off. It got the job done but the Show deserved better. The “epilogue” on the island is unnecessary and out of place.
In terms of acting, the ML was outstanding. The first 2/3 of the Show really showcased his talents. He has great presence and comedic timing but when needed, he can bring on the feels too. His acting in the titular role is what hooked us. It is disappointing that it becomes more like a caricature towards the end.
I feel sorry for the FL. She was not given a fair go with her role. She has the visuals and is a competent actor in her own right but she is always Robbin to his Batman. There was a hint of attraction between the leads at one stage, but it is nixed after the flashback episodes. The SML was a complete waste of a role. There is a hint of a decent subplot in the beginning but it went nowhere and feels superfluous in the end.
It is a real shame that the Show declined in such a way. It shows all the signs of a smash hit in the making but has been brought low for some nefarious reasons. If it was delivered in full and as intended, it could have been an easy 9. RIP.
Rewatch is fairly pointless. Peace out.
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This review may contain spoilers
Spoilers!!!!Beautiful story and concept but the ending with how the main couple gets back together was extremely toxic.
I really enjoyed this drama. Loved the storylines and the chemistry between each of the couples was wonderful. The ensemble felt very flowing. The conclusion that love and marriage can look different to everybody and you just have to work that out between partners was amazing.
However, I have a big issue with one of the message about relationships; we learn that Ji Ho knew that Se Hee was going to confess before she decided to end the contract and move out. She tells everyone else that she loves him but wants him to open up his most vulnerable self to her. But, she doesn't tell him that. Instead, she lies about why she's leaving. She could have said, "I want to end the contract because I'm having feelings. Can we talk about that and whether you are, too, and whether we want to be a real couple?" Instead, she tortures him. Knowing that he's in love with her, she leads him to believe she is traveling far away and has ended everything. Also knowing that a lot of his pain is from having been abandoned by someone he loved before. He's literally in a bad emotional state and I'd argue in a state of actual depression. Meanwhile, she's having fun in Seoul at the hostel and with her friends. Laughing it up at the sauna, etc.
When they are reunited, she doesn't wake him up to talk. She talks to him while he's half asleep, thinking he's dreaming. When he wakes up, she acts as if its completely normal that she's there doing laundry and making breakfast. He's rightfully angry. She smiles. He's rightfully angry that she's smiling. But, somehow, she gets to apologize with a smile on her face and be happy that he's angry and its all okay?
If someone had done this to me, I'd be over them. It was manipulative and cruel. It was TOXIC. I'd never trust her again. Here was this man who, despite his wounds, was always considerate and kind. He was definitely overly-cautious. But, he was so respectful of boundaries. He was protective. In his shocked state, after seeing his ex, he still thought to make her some tea. You don't always need words to know that someone loves you. Those actions are far more telling. If you fell in love with this person, why are trying to make him be different? And, if you need something from him, why don't you just say so instead of this cruel, underhanded behavior?
I really loved the chemistry between them up until this point. I never understood why she took the route she did. I agreed with her mother, "you're talking crap." She's wrapping up her destructive behavior in the romanticized metaphor of a story about a woman who ended up committing suicide. What the heck?
Why does everyone find what she did romantic? I ended up not liking her and worried about what else she might do in the future if things weren't going her way. She's actually a little twisted. It bothers me that no one is critical of this. That this is seen as something to aspire to. Don't treat people the way she did.
This is a shame. Crappy plot devices meant to drag the show's run time is what honestly ruined a top 5 drama for me. It was a complete disrespect for everything the drama stood for, especially in terms of characters and breaking cliches. But most importantly, it was a disrespect of the values this show held of how to make a strong relationship: Honesty and communication. This show spoke a lot about those concepts and the ending of it completely takes a hard dump on all of that. If your plot device/cliche could be cleared up by one sentence, you've already lost.
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2Screwed-up adults living in a screwed-up house
I'm probably going to get a lot of stick and downvotes on this review but I still want to share my dissatisfaction with this show.STORY (No spoilers)
This show is about 4 adults with various emotional and psychological problems living together and, as a result, messing each other up with their screwed-up-ness. And fair warning: there is sexual content in this show with issues of a sexual nature raised. If you're in the mood for a rather disturbing, ambiguous show with heavy sexual content but with no proper character progression or story development then this show is for you.
With 10 episodes at around 30 minutes each, this show has very limited time to address any of the deep, fractured emotional problems and psychology the characters have. Unfortunately, this ambitious undertaking falls far short of its mark because seriously, nothing really gets addressed. The show never really delved deep into the psychology of our screwed up characters, nor into their healing process. It's a glorified 'slice of life' show about dysfunctional people being dysfunctional with a sexual twist embedded, period.
I personally thought that this show could be really intriguing and even ground-breaking with the kind of issues it raised in the early episodes but was sorely disappointed with the lack of development, growth and progression of the characters as episode after episode went by. There was no effort made by the show to address any of the problems the characters were facing in a healthy and considerate way. These people need help - serious help - but the show doesn't tell you how to get it. This drama came across pointless and aimless and I have no idea what sort of message this show wanted to send but I was certainly getting nothing positive from it.
ACTING/ CAST
Serviceable. Nothing particularly outstanding because each character seemed to represent an extreme end of the spectrum of dysfunctionality.
I have to hand it to Masaki Nakao who plays the withdrawn and socially inept Hongyo though - the ability to deadpan some of what would be the most embarrassing lines under some of the craziest situations is noteworthy.
MUSIC
Nothing particularly outstanding or memorable.
RE-WATCH VALUE
I personally disliked the show. I have no problem with shows that introduce dysfunctional people who suffer from emotional, psychological and sexual problems but I do have an issue when a show does that without really addressing the problems it raised and simply lets its characters mess about with one another, stirring up pools of muddy water for the sake of entertainment.
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Story
Without being particularly original or unique, defendant feels completely one of a kind. Part a legal-crime thriller part melodrama, Defendant is solely a two-man show. On the one hand, it centers on a prosecutor –the hero- who finds himself in prison, is accused of murdering his wife and child and dealing with memory lose on top of everything else. On the other hand, it focuses on a wicked man –the villain- who tries desperately to get away with his crimes. The drama develops partly as a mystery and later as an endless manhunt between the two as the one tries to destroy the other.
First half of the drama takes places in prison. I sincerely appreciated the fact that the drama did not spend time with court and other boring legal procedures but rather looked everything from a different personal-dramatic view of the hero delving deep into his troubled thoughts regarding his indictment. The memory loss plot is just a device to drive the story nothing more, so don’t worry about things dragging out a lot. The amnesia plot was handled in a very refreshing way in my opinion.
Second half of the drama is way more engaging, more dramatic, more lively filled with tension, angst and twists. The acting is luscious and you will never get bored of seeing the turning tables and schemes between the 2 lead characters. The drama is melodramatic without being mawkish, but there are also comic scenes and characters to relieve the tension and they succeeded without ridiculing it. There are quite a few characters implicated in all this making the drama that much more thrilling and mysterious.
While the drama really left a very strong impression that could translate into a perfect 10, specific reasons restrict me from it. Firstly the conveniently written base story. Frankly, there is no drama that is not at least partly convenient, that is how they work, and then the drama is just so good you’ll barely mind the convenience here and there.
Moreover, the main drawback I could address is the slow development of the plot especially in the first half of the drama. I remember me thinking that the drama offered its first real plot development, since the first 2 episodes, in episodes 7 and 8. After that the story really picks up pace. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed every episode. Even in episodes in which nothing much happened, the drama managed to be fascinating, bewitching and easy to watch.
Finally, although more of a nagging stretch from my part, i felt that the drama somehow mistreated its flawless ensemble cast by focusing too much on the 2 leads. It's not that the characters felt unreal, it is exactly that they were so well written that they deserved some kind of story of their own, namely Kwon Yuri's character. All that being said this focus on the main leads just gave Ji Sung more time to be flawless on my screen i shouldn't nag! I hereby reassure you none of these minor shortcomings were enough to reduce, even by little, the awesomeness of this drama!
Acting
Despite the great and thrilling plot, best part of the drama for me was the acting. The cast is actually quite large, with almost every character having a significant role to play. I cannot argue that the acting was an overall 10, but as I mentioned already this is a two-man show and these 2 men simply outdid themselves!
I can safely say we all agree that Kill Me Heal Me was Ji Sung’s best work; he demonstrated perfectly his unrealistically good acting skills. Ladies and Gents, I present you, the drama in which Ji Sung managed to outdo himself(!). His acting as a tainted inmate fighting with himself over his charges trying to solve the puzzle was magnificent and astounding. I doubt there is another male actor who can break down crying, act like a lunatic like that and come off as firm but also desperate and emotional as Ji Sung did. He sent chills down my spine, goosebumps. Either acting as a disoriented inmate or a strong and driven prosecutor or an aching father and husband he was immaculate. He knows exactly how much soul and emotion to pour into his performance in every scene. Excquisite! I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again best actor in dramaland.
The duo is formed with Uhm Ki Joon. I’ve seen him before but never like this. He portrays the antagonist but somehow he had such great syngery with Ji Sung, something I’ve never seen before. His portrayal of twin siblings was firstly impeccable; secondly his performance of a despicable criminal was spotless and shivering. A corrupted unstable person who still felt human and somehow mistreated and misunderstood. Undoubtedly, i never saw me having these feelings about such a villain. Heavenly acting by Uhm Ki Joon! A character you’ll love to hate. The two men managed to really make the drama shine 10x brighter than it would have on its own and they complemented each other completely.
The ensemble cast had a few really good actors. Yuri generally gets a lot of shit for her acting, she is considered the female lead, but considering the significance of her character she barely appeared. She served a purpose, and imo she held her own next to acting beasts despite being rather forgettable. I especially liked Uhm Hyeon Kyeong, not a big role, but also a significant and poetic one.
Oh Chang Seok and Kang Sung Min played similar characters that developed in the exactly opposite way, amazing writing here, they were great. All the cellmates were immaculate and adorable too, the drama generally featured some of the best and more likeable side characters I’ve ever seen.
Lastly, my personal favourites, Kim Min Suk who was sentimental and touching, loved him and my endless love and appreciation for Shin Rin Ah, the ridiculously talented young girl who never cease to amaze.
Even if the acting wasn’t perfect overall, it deserves a 10 for the perfect casting and synergy.
Recommend/Rewatch.
Despite your preferred drama genre, defendant is a drama that cannot be easily put to words, it should be watched. Therefore, I recommend it to everyone. It is emotional, exciting, thrilling, mysterious and intriguing. It does not have romance but believe me you won’t even care! I can see myself rewatching it in the future.
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This review may contain spoilers
Don't watch if you suffer certain PTSD, rape etc
"THE EFFECT"I cried severally in the space of 3 episodes, I think that says a lot of this series. When I started watching I would have never expected such depth from it but then they will wowed me with the way they handled everything. The most important thing portrayed is that there is a consequence for every action, essentially THE EFFECT of each action.
Keng’s parents expecting him to be protect their reputation which was why he only accepted himself being gay late, his bit of denial and ultimately insulting man led to Man’s jealousy (although man’s jealousy was absolutely stupid, you are not entitled to someone liking you, they say they don’t like you, the move on). Man’s jealousy led to him posting about Shin and Keng, people ignorantly talking and posting more on the Shin and Keng issue, which led to Shin to spiral and pull away from Keng, which led to Keng to spiral and do the most abominable thing to Shin, which just had the worse effects afterwards.
This series touches on so many things which I would address when I am talk about in the story aspect for me but I think the most important thing I got out of this are some basic questions we never ask ourselves because we think it can never be our reality, but this showed everything can be turned upside down in the matter of seconds. How would we react if the world turned against us? When everything you know to be true is destroyed to its very core, how do we build back up? But mostly importantly, blaming ourselves for what happens to people especially with low self-esteem.
STORY
================
I wish I could give the story more than a 10, but 10 is the highest I can give it on a scale of 10.
The show held absolutely nothing back and the topics it touched are the ones we all wish to brush under the cap, but they took it head on and handled it so beautifully as well.
1. Rape (especially the fact that people who perpetrate rape are never too far from home), and calling Rape, rape. Not the gate way to love or whatever
2. Bullying on social media (especially with the cancel culture tendencies of our generation) and the way people just move on from it as though they have not ruined several people’s lives with their words)
3. Depression and Suicide, which is becoming more and more of a reality amongst LGBT youth. But most especially the pain that we need to stop when we attempt suicide and I speak from past experience of when I attempted suicide, when you want everything to stop.
4. Mental Health, I separated mental health from suicide because I feel this is an entire discussion after the fact of shin, that is the ending itself.
Minor themes touched on briefly.
1. Society actual reaction to the LGBT community, where people could still lose everything for coming out
2. Parents that care more about reputation than the actual happiness of their child (which is probably what led to the increase in depression in our generation probably)
3. The show also was a little forward on HIV
Now you might think that rape is touched on by other BL series but one thing that this had that the others was that they did not try to sugarcoat it, they showed depth to rape victims other than falling deeper in love with the rapists, they displayed the agony and PTSD that comes with rape. They were very raw with it and I loved that about their series. I felt Shin’s pain when he was raped, I felt his pain afterwards on not seeing any light in the world, I felt his pain when he took the money because he wanted it to end and I felt his pain at the point of the suicide because yes, he was tired of all the pain. This right here is the proper way to portray rape, not the disgusting attitude I have seen from Thai media, where Rape is treated like love, I understand that Keng was in love with Shin and that made it all the more painful but I am happy they did not shy away from calling out the disgusting thing that is called rape and making Shin mystically forgive him and just move on. I absolutely loved it.
It is traumatizing when a person is subjected to rape, let alone to relive it when you are opening it up to another person. That is why victims of rape tend not to tell anyone or report it to the authorities.
Social Media in our day and age has become such a power tool that has been misused and this show went to show that, social media is a tool of good but also of absolute harm when intended. Whether intentionally or unintentionally you could make someone’s life absolute hell with the “innocent” words that you post online. Another thing I took away from this, SOCIAL MEDIA doesn’t always tell the whole story but only what is decided to be shown (CHECK UP THE TAYLOR SWIFT AND KANYE WEST STORY OF RECENT OR THE JAMES CHARLES AND TATI WESTBROOK story), when all you are using is a picture to jump to conclusions, then it is to the detriment of someone else. The Taylor Swift and Kanye West story goes to show that even a video can be used to mislead people and bullet holes can’t be fixed by band aids, the damage done by social media is a lot of the times irreversible. Basically guys, please learn to be more careful about what you say or share across social media please. Social media is powerful and when manipulated, an example what Tati Westbrook did to James Charles, it does not matter your intentions, the damage you have done to a person is done. This reminds us to be more responsible in what we do and say on social media because we might not know, someone is hurting and dying inside.
The suicide and depression story hit closer to home for me than I expected to, as someone who has attempted suicide and been depressed, I can understand Shin. Sometimes we think doing some things will ease the pain from us, all we want is for that pain to end (I am not saying it is this way for every single person that attempts or commits suicide but a lot of us feel this), sometimes we just need everything to stop and suicide is the best way to escape it. (Side note for someone like me I found that engaging in nonstop work is a little helpful, it does not stop the anguish and all, but it is a good distraction). Honestly, I tell people not to judge people whom have attempted or committed suicide, you don’t know what it means to be on that edge and the feeling of hopeless that comes with it, it is a battle people fight every day and I love that it was captured in this honestly. But people should understand it is not necessarily the rape that leads to death but the agony, depression and sometimes PTSD that comes with it.
Episode 1: This was the basic average love story, crushing on that person from afar, meeting them, developing more feelings for the person until we arrive at the love stage. But this episode just went on to prove the narrative of after the calm comes the storm because honestly, I do not think people were ready for episodes 2 and 3.
Episode 2 where majority of the events that shaped the narrative happened. This episode was honestly quite painful to watch especially the last 20 minutes, I took several breaks to watch it. But the most important thing that I want people to note is that fact that the major events of the episode were a slow build up and didn’t all happen at once, one thing led to another, another lead to another until we had the rape. If you are someone who has some form of PTSD, especially from rape or anything of the sorts, please watch this episode with a trusted friend or something
Episode 3: This was the climax, like things went deeper and darker. I tell you, you definitely are not ready for episode 3, even if you believe you are, you are not. I don’t think I can write on this episode properly, it was just so much like I am still trying to wrap my head around the episode, I mean I am still crying at this very moment about episode 3, so that should tell you a whole lot about what to expect from episode 3. The ending was so perfect but yet so painful at the same time, because when you thought of all that could have been when they said “only if I had explained better” and “only if I had listened better”, then the sharp ending after that , I was honestly not prepared for this, that is all I have to say.
On the implied issue of "mental health", one can say that the both leads suffered a mental condition in one way or the other. As one expressed this condition outwards by inflicting harm to others, while the other is to himself. And without the right intervention, it clearly shows the very ugly side of it.
This show struck a chord because as someone who has battled mental health issues (bipolar disorder), which includes massive depression and suicidal tendencies, it felt almost like my story was told at some points. And I have friends who have been raped, so I was quite emotional about that too.
CORE FEELINGS
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Shame
4. Sadness
5. Guilt
6. Pain/Hurt
7. Safe
8. Happiness
9. Love
10. Pride
11. Willing
12. Hopeful
13. Peaceful
You can see it the feelings that you can consider bad, affect someone negatively, destructive. On the other hand, you can identify the feeling that can build someone up. What if you are feeling more of the negative ones that the positive ones are seemingly drowned? Can you still live? When fear, anger, sadness, guilt, pain, pride, coupled with the lose of being safe, love, hope intensifies all at the same time, surely one will be broken down beyond repair.
ACTING
================
I first of all have to start by saying all the actors were phenomenal, because a lot of the times I prefer reading novels because of the descriptive nature of the emotions contained or that they wish to portray but I must say that these actors really sold me on their acting, off course there were parts that could have been better but I am still going to giving them a 10 on the acting. I mean they were simply beautfiul
Yangyi as Shin’s Mother, now she did not have a lot of speaking parts but honestly, she went a long way in selling the story, I genuinely felt her felicitating with her son’s pain at so many parts as many mothers would do. Her watchful eyeful over him sold the darker stories more.
Yacht and Top as Bright and Pramote, alright, compared to the rest of the cast, Bright and Pramote didn’t convey the anguish and pain emotions as well, I mean asides when Bright was punching Keng, I definitely felt those. But I did like one part where they told him friends are there for each other in episode 3, I actually believed them in that moment, and I felt a little warm.
Oat as Keng, honestly his looks helped to sell his part more I wouldn’t lie, he looks so innocent and charming and like he could never do what he did to Shin, which goes to tell you, people are not always what they appear to be like in reality. He really sold me on the lost and regret parts after the rape I almost felt sorry for him but nah, rape is rape and is not to be condoned ever. He had a little torn between feeling sorry for him and hating him.
James as Shin was everything I wouldn’t lie, like I said, I went through every single emotion with him, like I believe this story more because of him, the shift from his innocent self to the depressed and want to die person. He made me cry which speaks volumes about his acting skills as an actor, people can have such roles and absolutely fail at executing the acting well but James delivered so much.
MUSIC
================
I loved one particular song from the series, they used different parts of it and I was quite surprised to find out it was all one song. Honestly I love that song, I am currently listening to it on repeat as we speak, asides that, they tried with some piano parts of the music
REWATCH VALUE
================
This is so traumatic it is almost unwatchable for a second. I definitely would watch this again but honestly after a while because I do not think that I have it in me to watch this anytime soon. Like I love it, but it is so intense, I do not think I have it in me to watch it again just yet.
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This review may contain spoilers
the plot was a mystery, even to the writer/director/editor
Overall: The chemistry and production was really good but it was ruined by the nonsense plot and confusing editing. Hope to see these actors again in something else. Aired on iQIYI.Content Warnings: murders, violence/fight, blood, non con kiss, kidnapping, stalking, manipulation
What I Liked
- the gritty/darker tone (though it did fall back on the silly comedy parts a few times, none of which I found funny)
- opening credits with appropriate heavy metal music instead of a pop song/ballad (Underneath The Surface by Tiger Gang)
- intro scene grabbed my attention
- a clear time jump
- chemistry between Lue and Ken
- that treehouse
- production value (especially the color grading)
Room For Improvement
- it was just too confusing and it's sad because they could have made it make sense (i.e. adding a location text in the first episode so we knew they weren't in Thailand, adding in when there are time jumps/location jumps how many days/weeks later it is, not having 2 different guys wearing the exact same outfit (all black), telling the story in a linear fashion instead of constant flashbacks)
- total nonsense things (how did no one ask about the gloves, why was he wearing turtlenecks in very hot Thailand, why didn't any airbags go off in that car crash, why was everyone knocked unconscious, why did Ken have zero sense of self preservation, how was Ken strangled and crying in practically every episode including his dream, why run after a bad guy when your friend might be dying, why is there a bath tub in the middle of a warehouse, why did they botch a very important casting so the plot makes zero sense, why can't anyone shoot in the final episode etc)
- continuity errors (Lue was missing a scar that he should have had, characters are injured and then suddenly not injured, etc)
- stupid characters (Din could have just pretended when he found out about that stuff and then reported it later, Ken makes the stupidest decisions considering what he's been through, Lue's "plan" made zero sense why couldn't the police have someone go undercover to get evidence, why couldn't Lue tell Ken????)
- bad editing/jumpy, scenes suddenly jumped or picked up elsewhere
- I had zero interest in the side couple, if my significant other did that to me during a business meeting then that might be the end of our relationship
- cartoonish villains (and it isn't human trafficking or drug smuggling??? in the final episode we learn more stuff why wasn't this shown before)
- why did a character suddenly have visions?
- please never kiss through a shower curtain again, also don't wear double underwear
- that open ending was bad, wasn't Lue acting in self defense and working with police why would he be on the run???
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STORY (No spoilers)
As a stand-alone movie, the way the story was told was choppy and incoherent - there was often little connection from one scene to the next, and from one character's actions to the next - so the viewer is often left confused and disoriented with what is happening and why the characters are behaving the way they do. Therefore, in terms of story-telling, this movie falls down pretty hard. For those who don't know the story behind the movie beforehand, the film would come across not making much sense, which, I can imagine, would be a pretty disturbing and disappointing watch.
Those who do know the story beforehand are generally able to fill in the blanks and insert all the backstory in between scenes but even speaking as someone who knew the backstory beforehand, I still found myself trying to figure out what was happening on screen and where the scene fitted in within the whole. It was terrible because your mind is having to adjust and place the characters and circumstances in the right place as each scene flashed by so you're always playing catch-up and whatever emotional connection you had with the characters ends up getting lost. You're no longer feeling the story or the characters any longer, you're playing catch up to what's going on.
It is worth noting that as the movie attempts to condense and reduce a very lengthy story into a 2-hour telling, the production team naturally had to make some changes to some characters and events which will inevitably differ from the original source material. While this is entirely understandable, it can also hamper the watch experience because in addition to the 'playing catch-up' process, the viewer is then also having to make sense of the changes within the movie-context in itself.
I personally found some changed plot-lines and new scenes baffling and bizarre, and to this day, still have no real idea why certain things happened, or what the director was trying to tell. A good example was the way the movie ended - haphazard, chaotic, baffling and bizarre.
In terms of pacing, the film was rather inconsistent. Some scenes were given plenty of space and air-time while other scenes flashed by so quickly that just before the viewer had time to absorb who was on screen and what was happening (especially for those having to read subtitles), it has ended and you're confronted with a completely different and new scene and your mind is having to adjust from the whiplash.
It made for a very scattered and disconnected viewing experience and I can't help but think that if the director or editor had spent less time dwelling on certain scenes (e,g, the long pan and introduction into Qing Qiu being one of them), there might have been more time to allow other scenes to breathe better.
I also found myself wondering why the director chose to use or dwell on certain scenes which do not really add value in advancing an already fast-moving plot e.g. there was an extended sequence of Ye Hua cooking for Bai Qian (let's not even go into how that scene was depicted). Precious minutes spent on a cooking class when there is still so much ground to cover.
ACTING/CAST
The choppy incoherent story-telling and inconsistent patchy pacing issues probably did not help (maybe even compounded to) the perception of underwhelming acting from the cast. Characters were not given enough time to establish their roles and personalities what more for them to show us their evolution throughout the movie. As a result, it made it difficult for the viewer to understand their motives and their actions as the movie progressed. With the lost emotional connection, it is easy to pan the actors/ actresses for bad portrayals of their characters. Perhaps some of it can be put down to lacklustre acting ability, but I do also believe that another part of it was down to poor scripting of the characters, and to poor directing and editing of the movie.
Yang Yang and Crystal Liu were suitable for their roles - looks-wise.
I thought Crystal was serviceable as Bai Qian but some key scenes which required her to exercise her haughty authority as the Queen of Qing Qiu did not have as much impact as I would have hoped for.
Yang Yang portrayed a rather different Ye Hua from the original source material in terms of personality and attitude. Some viewers might enjoy this fresh take on Ye Hua's character, while others like myself might have found it off-putting and borderline disturbing.
The rest of the supporting cast had too little airtime to really provide them with proper personalities therefore a lot of them came across as one-dimensional, one-note characters with a very set purpose to fulfil in advancing the plot along. They were there to do this, or do that, or say this, or say that, and their job was essentially done.
MUSIC
As I was too focused on trying to follow the plot and the happenings on-screen, I had very little time to appreciate the music score, except during that long pan of Qing Qiu.
RE-WATCH VALUE
Unfortunately, all things considered, I have to say that it was an unpleasant watch for me. There was very little I enjoyed or liked about this movie, therefore a re-watch is not even a consideration.
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By the end of the show, I was so sick of the repetitive emotional onslaughts I had to endure with my frail heart. With the noble idiot trope being repeated almost every episode, I was going to take a leaf from the battered protagonists and cough up blood myself. Unfortunately only Yang Zi and Allen Ren could pull off this stunt every episode and still look so damn good that you want to keep watching them ruin each other only to reunite in sweet, tender moments then repeat the abuse again.
After nursing my heartbreak at the end of 60 episodes, I look back on the experience with sudden realisation - WTF was I thinking? WTF was everyone thinking? There were too many plot holes, illogical decisions, haphazard pacing with no real climax and a lame antagonist that wasn't even a real threat since he was reduced to being a deranged lovesick puppy. In fact, all the antagonists were so useless they only served as props to set the stage for our OTP's wretched relationship. Even the side characters' storylines were equally afflicted.
What an epic waste! All the top stars, beautiful costumes, ethereal cinematography couldn't save our OTPs from their anguish. And I grieved alongside this state of absolute despair. If the intention of the show was to bring sorrow to all viewers, it definitely succeeded.
But why, oh why? After all that stupidity, I couldn't decide if all my suffering in my viewing was worth it, just like how the show couldn't decide if it wanted the characters' sacrifices to be worth it. The end was totally confusing and ambiguous. By then, I had no idea what was going on anymore...the journey seemed so meaningless. I could only feel relief all that ordeal was over so I could snap. out. of. it.
Well, at least there was good music and I could watch the beautiful OTPs enact all that glory cum misery. Watch only if you are a sadomasochist.
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This review may contain spoilers
What did I just watch?
I was very excited to watch this season as it has been a long wait, but after binging it the entire day it ended with a very unsatisfying ending.I'm happy that the ending was a happy one even though a lot of characters died for absolute no reason, the main trio did deserve their happy ending together. That's also where the problem lays within this season, I feel like only the trio got their happy ending and all the characters from the first season which we loved very much, had a sad ending for no reason.
In this review there will be a lot of bad points but the story also had some good points: surprisingly it was fast paced, each episode flew by, literally. The acting was also good, especially how Eun-yu's and Yi-Kyung's characters had been played out but then there were also characters that felt a bit monotone. I'm sure there's more but the bad points, for me, are the ones that weighed more than the good ones.
First of all, why is Eun-hyeok a robot?
In the first season he was also kind of a robot with no emotions as he only wanted his sister to be safe and then at the end, we finally see him crack a real smile and even tears! I had hoped to see him again with a bit of more character development but it actually got worse... we also didn't get to see his process of monsterization, only the end product . He was the only character I was so excited to see again but he basically didn't have any personality which was very unfortunate.
Second, lots of characters in the second season were added which was a bit complicated to understand at first but it's normal since the season 1- crew step outside into the open world. It's normal to meet new characters and it's also normal that some of the characters just exist and others actually have a purpose but I feel like almost every single new character that had a bit of potential just died off or just wasn't worth a few more scenes...
For example, we get introduced to Chief Ji, the lady who was in charge at the stadium before the army arrived. She is very mysterious and seems to be a badass character but in the end she's just a coward who feeds her monster son humans and because of the guilt decided to end it.
Another one is the priest, he acts very calm and had potential to actually become someone important but in the end ran off searching for the crazy lady to end up running away with her but wait where is their story? We only get to see him in a car accident and that explains how they have such a strong bond...
Another frustrating one is the old man with the girl on drugs. He's a very strong character who's very calm and seems to know what he's doing and could get very far in life but suddenly he becomes a monster and end ups dying because why?
All these and more characters that were introduced in the second season could've become something that could have had big impact on the ending but it seemed to me that they were only there so both seasons could be more than a few episodes.
Third, why did they do the season 1 characters all so bad? Did they not deserve a happy day at all?
Yi-Kyung who had been fighting since day one, trying to find her fiance, giving birth to a monster and raising it, fighting its psycho father, .... did she really have to die off?
Sang-wook was just there to be possessed by the villian and his existence was basically wiped away, the only proof he was actually in the two last seasons were the appearance of his body and one time he tried to fight back the monster inside him but oh! suddenly in the end he comes back to life! only to burn to death the next second ...
I'm gonna stop rambling now... it was just a very dissapointing day for something I had been waiting on for so long... I'm gonna go cry now
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This review may contain spoilers
Why do non-BLs always have to be sad and tragic?
This is not a BL, it's a queer series. It's slices of live spanning over around 8 years or so. The beginning is a bit strange because there are too many coincidences in the first episode. And of course while we know they are gay, there is no explicit scene about confessing and of course no kissing at all. I don't need any nc-scenes at all, but their relationsship is not defined. We can asume they are together because they love each other but it would not have hurt to give as at least one fluffy moment.On the other hand this slices of life are mostly a series of negatives. For me it was very emotional because every negative stroke of fate just happens. Ryo gets confessed to but he can't handle it. The confessor get outed and jumps (we do not know from how high), but survives, Ryo runs away to Germany of all places and gets nearly killed in a church were another gay persons throws molowtov-cocktails at the altar and is saved by a man who just before listenes to his guilt-confession.
And the list goes on... Is there a happy end? Kind of, but not really. Of course there are also happy moments but anything happy will be destroyed by a tragic event. Is it really necessary to make queer series where everything is tragic? Do we get only stupid, crappy BLs for happyness? I don't mind if there are tragic elements in a story, but this was too much.
I can't fault the actors, they did their best, but watching this series is very taxing. I can only fault the script & direction. I wish we get realistic gay stories which do not end always badly, or where at least the good and bad balance each other out. So, I'm a bit disappointed that they choose not do so. It's very emotional and I needed some tissues. I can't even say it was "bad". Yes the script had it's flaws, the story-arc is not what I wished for, some scenes are too slow for my taste, but it was done mostly in a good way. If you crave for something tragic, this series is for you, if you want something happy, this is definitively not for you.
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I have to say, this drama is one of the best dramas I've watched in a while. I haven't felt like this about a drama since Secret Garden. This drama is cute and romantic and the idea of time traveling back and forth from the Joseon Dynasty kept me interested. I really appreciated the way the writers explained everything unlike most dramas that leave you asking questions to as why something happened.
The actors/actresses were eye catching, especially the main characters. Yoo In Na and Ji Hyun Woo are absolutely adorable together. The only thing that I don't agree with what everyone says is Yoo In Na's acting. Don't get me wrong, her sob scenes were really moving, but when she wasn't sobbing, and she was just crying normally, it felt like she was forcing it. But other than that, she was great.
Overall, it's a really great drama that I would recommend to everyone who just wants to watch a good romance. Words cannot describe how amazing Queen Inhyun's Man is.
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The drama that never was. A fiery and promising start that died out too quickly.
This drama was absolutely brilliant in the first three episodes but lost its spark with each one, and after episode 24, it completely went to the trash bin. We were promised: a red-flag male lead, a badass assassin female lead, enemies-to-lovers, bloody revenge, and intricate politics. What we got: fail, fail, fail. This drama turned out to be a typical historical story about domestic love, sibling rivalry, and simple court politics.POSITIVES:
- The main leads. They had amazing on-screen presence and brilliant acting.
- Enjoyable OST. At least that one sad song stayed stuck in my head.
- Story wise, an ok watch till episode 24.
NEGATIVES:
- The male lead starts off as a badass, unhinged red flag Gege but after episode 4, he’s reduced to a green flag, vulnerable, broken Gege. Worse, by the end, he’s mostly just a moping, lovesick boy, with the only charming quality felt being his handsome face.
- The female lead is supposedly a deadly assassin who’s spent ten years training for her revenge, and yet she never actually takes it. Worse, she’s off-screen when it finally happens! Aside from a few cool fight scenes, she’s basically reduced to a damsel in distress.
- Enemies-to-what-now. The sexy fire between the leads dies down quickly and their village arc is mostly domestic fluff.
- Village arc. Pure filler for me, It added next to nothing as the leads were interacting almost the same way as they did at the start (after episode 4, since episodes 1-3 feel like a fever dream).
- Meh side characters. A bunch of nothingness really. Ain’t nobody cared about the second love interest (the Prince). The Princess was cute but her getting pregnant by the Grandfather was totally disgusting and literally nobody wanted to see that. The second male lead was just there, doing his best but ultimately forgettable. The second female lead was the epitome of expressionless, and her metamorphosis of being in love with the male lead to suddenly loving the second lead was bizarre.
- Plot. Nothing groundbreaking aside from the plot holes that were definitely there. It was a simple revenge with zero plot twists or surprises. The biggest fail for me is that the writers decide to literally reveal everything, including all the mysteries, in the first three episodes. The main focus was the love story, which felt boring. There were some nice parts where you could see the main leads were healing their traumas together but the domestic and cutesy romance fluff never really hit me.
- The ending. For me, the story ended at episode 24 when the main conflict was resolved and the villain defeated. Everything afterwards was a total waste with a ridiculous breakup and pointless love triangle. I literally ff/skipped through the last eight episodes and still understood the whole story.
- The true ending. Episode 32’s ending was surprisingly well done, emotional and thoughtful. It actually touched me, considering that I didn’t care much about the characters or the story at that point.
OVERALL:
The premise and trailer promised murderous, sexy and angsty vibes with sickly, scheming prince + his vindictive female assassin, and yet the drama delivered NOTHING. It’s like the writers had this grandiose idea, wrote the script for the first three episodes and then scratched it and decided it was ‘better’ to continue with a typical historical cdrama about domestic love, sibling rivalry and simple court politics. Kill Me Love Me? More like Kill Me Snooze Me (to death).
FAVOURITE QUOTE:
"Once a dead chess piece becomes alive, the game has changed."
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While the original Gokusen had popular names such as Matsumoto Jun and Oguri Shun, Gokusen 2 has Kamenashi Kazuya, Akanishi Jin, Hayami Mokomichi, and Koike Teppei. For those who've seen the first Gokusen you'll find familiar faces also among the cast - and a return of Kuma! One of my favorites from the first season, I was happy to see him return in Gokusen 2!
The acting was great, I loved the entire cast!
The music wasn't anything special - the theme song changed from "Feel Your Breeze" to "No More Cry" at the end which wasn't a bad song. I loved Kamenashi Kazuya's "Kizuna" that was played during the drama, though (:
I can see myself rewatching this drama sometime, but probably not for a long time.
Overall - I enjoyed it just as much as the first season. For those of you who have seen the first season - you won't be disappointed with this one. For those who haven't seen any of the seasons yet but are curious because you like the cast - watch it! (:
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But for the drama I can say that the actors were really well picked. Itoh Atsushi was definitely my favorite character and he really portrayed it well, the normal otaku one would imagine. But what I liked the most about Yamada was the way he felt towards Hermes and how he expressed it. From the first time they met and especially when he had to reveal his true self. I just found it so cute.
Itoh Misaki was also great. At first I thought she was a bit stiff, but I guess that’s how the character is supposed to be and she kind of started to grew on me, since they actually made a really cute couple.
And, of course, all the user of the internet thread made the story a lot more interesting, I just loved their conversations, their unique ways to react and their sometimes laughable sometimes useful advice that went accordingly to their internet characters. There were times when I couldn’t stop laughing.
Definitely a must watch. : D
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