1Korea is now progressing in BL dramas
Why is this drama giving me 16 episodes high quality straight drama vibes ? Yes , finally a Korean BL series with excellent cinematography .Except " Semantic Error "( Masterpiece) , all of those dramas from Korea, were " good " ( not best ) for me , so I had not that much high expectations but " Secret Relationship " is really better šDisclaimer- If you don't like Love Triangles and messy plotlines then this is not for you.
POSITIVE-
1 . Adaptation of a very popular Manhwa " Secret Relationship " , this is a +1 point for this drama.
2. Excellent cinematography ( Rare in most of the KBL )
3. Handsome actors with great acting skills.
4. Green Flag ML .
5 . Beautiful Soundtracks .
NEGATIVE-
Messy story plotline with full of toxicity,
Overall -
8.5 / 10 , their visuals are eye catching, Manhwa lovers will definitely like this drama.
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So - if you start to watch this BEFORE there is a season 2, please be aware that this story is INCOMPLETE, it's not simply a case of "bad ending", it's unfinished. For me, that's entirely unacceptable and the main reason I quit watching western shows entirely.
Putting that to one side, I feel it's only fair to talk about the show that IS there as well.
The easiest analogy for this show in US shows is "24" - top grade action, lots of shoot outs, lots of explosions, lots of car chases, some amazing parkour along the roof tops and some great effects. I thought it was overall quite well executed and disagree with the comments that Suzy was poor - I thought she was spot on for the character she was playing (though perhaps she's portrayed as much more "bad ass" in the publicity, in the show she's much more of a rookie).
Lee Seung Gi plays a great role as the main character, the completely (and probably unreasonably :) ) unstoppable stuntman who can do just about anything - hey, this is meant to be sensational fiction so just kick back and enjoy it, it's great fun. He does a fantastic job.
Moon Jung Hee as the leading evil lady, Jessica, brilliant - her character drips with greed and nastiness perfectly and was fun to see her on-screen plotting counter-moves.
As with all these kinds of action shows, there are going to be plenty of times where you think "wait, wasn't he just stabbed in the leg and now he's running?" but shrug it off, if you want to look into things that closely you're probably not a fan of the genre anyway :) It's silly, it's fun and it's entertaining.
Production values are sky high, it's got a top top end movie feel to it all the way through.
The story does get a little bit tiring with the constant twists and turns but it all made sense as the story unfolds itself multiple times, it definitely keeps you on your toes.
In short, really enjoyed it right up until they left it without any ending, and there's no real hint that there's actually going to be a season 2 yet even. I *may* be a little grumpy about this.... but i've tried to separate my feelings on that topic from the rest of the show :)
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1The Art Of Park Hae Young āØ
My liberation notes , My mister , another miss oh , we are all here trying
Weāre in a universe of one of the best korean Screen Writers Park Hae-young. Every character will be flawed and often at their worst phase of life
Her writing is always a meditation of the pain every character feels. She finds ways of bringing it out at Her pace. every character of hers shows feels real vulnerable and imperfect ...
every word every dialogue every discussion has meaning and depth ..
these shows show u the hidden truths .. the unwanted talks and cuts deep into your soul ... every story feels deeply personal and reflective, almost like reading a diary .. some type of therapy
these shows have no plot twist or major turns out .. they focus on emotions feelings ,mental health .life challenges
Every character in her shows is searching for a way to live to love to survive .. a way to life
aren't these issues the most important ones after all š
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It was all for "today".
"Right now, you feel like you're falling behind others. Even so, you should live. As you live, there will come a moment when you'll realize, it was all for today." ~ Koo RyeonThe feelings of being constantly torn between killing yourself or killing everyone around you, is dangerous and as unfortunate. In a world, where individuality has become the primary choice of us, what everyone should be attempting is to extract out the positivity out of it. Situations and circumstances definitely play roles in making us commit deeds, that we'd never thought of even. But in the end, it all boils down to the fact that, one needs more courage to live than to kill themselves. Rightfully quoted so, "Sometimes even to live is an act of courage".
Created by 'Studio N' and co-produced by 'Super Moon Pictures', "Tomorrow (ė“ģ¼) [2022]" is the live-action adaptation of the 2017 manga of the same title by Llama. Developed by Hong Seok Woo, the show is a fantasy cum slice-of-life drama, broadcasted on MBC and internationally distributed on Netflix.
"Tomorrow" follows the day-to-day work of the Risk/Crisis Management Team of Jumadaeng (the afterlife company for Korea) which serves to prevent highly suicidal people from committing the deed and strives to bring happiness in their lives. Choi Joon Woong, a jobless young man, gets involved with grim reapers as he tries to save a man from taking his own life. Soon he goes into coma, becoming half dead, and joins the RM team till his recovery. There he meets, Team Leader Ko Ryeon (Kim Hee Sun) and his assistant Lim Ryung Gu (Yoon Ji On); together they save countless lives while facing the threat of disbanding from other departments of Jumadaeng, including the most elite Park Jung Gil (Lee Soo Hyuk), the leader of the escort team. Kim Hae Sook plays the Jade Emperor in Jumadaeng.
The controversial concept and the criticism surrounding it about suicide prevention, might seem futile but I do not wish to discredit and disregard the understandings of people about such a sensitive matter. Nevertheless, it's a relief how this show has been able to create narratives and conversations, about this topic.
Plot development follows both fragmented as well as staircase rule, and I believe this was a best decision in the webtoon writer's part. The pilot episode wasn't very impressive to me, that could have me in it's overall grasp though it seemed decent. I would say the execution in the 2nd episode was also fine. Episode 3 is where it suddenly took me to paradise (not literally because the sufferings of people were so saddening). I mean to say that I could suddenly understand the intentions of the writer and what everyone involved is meaning to relay to all of us. The furtherance was amazing; them handling one case after another, trying their best to sort everything out and put things back to their places, all of that evoked all kinda emotions, making us think, understand and realize about the possibilities that our lives could offer us. The seens involving Jumadaeng and the interactions of all the reapers working in it, was fantastic to witness; particularly Ko Ryeon and Jun Woong conversing was always melting my heart. Everything was okay until the finale week which somehow ended up ruining things for the show. As much as I love this show in overall, the very fact that the ending turned ordinary and rather shoddy, will always bother me, whenever I am reminded of the show.
There are 3 screenwriters for the show: Kim Yu Jin, Park Ran and Park Ja Kyung, and all of them are debutants according to their bios. Nonetheless, as I have opined multiple times, it's not really easy to turn a book into live-action adaptations and the secondary screenwriters needs to be immensely attentive and dedicated while turning books into scripts. So is the case for this; I believe the combined efforts of these budding artists have blossomed into such an amazingly beautiful masterpiece, sparking deeper thoughts and evoking essential emotions. The dialogues are sometimes heart-touching and emotional and as thought-provoking and gut-wrenching at times. The storytelling method with few monologue notes is alleviating and gladdening to a large extents.
Kim Tae Yeon PDnim with the experience of both a screenwriter and a director in both movies and dramas, have been able to do a wonderful job in preserving the eseence of the show. With him co-directs Sung Chi Wok PDnim, who has been a part of several modern well-recieved Kdramas. The tone, scope and subject matter of the show, perfectly corresponding to it's title, has been justified and the inherent messages has been yielded. The pacing was perfect, dedicating each episode to a single case and also narrating the back stories of the main cast meanwhile. The screenplay management, the scenario setups, the screen-editing and the overall execution, everything is beyond 'well done', which reflects in the outcomes that have provided us with gratifying and fulfilling experiences from the show. The only thing that felt off in the initial episodes was the sound production, the background editings, I mean.
The cinematography is pleasing, each episode usually starting with dark colour palettes depicting misery, and gradually shifting to light and colourful hue, implying, the new beginnings and as hope. The designer and makeup team deserves as much credit, for both accurately and demandingly bringing out the best of the characters, through the careful works on the actors. The fighting scenes, as required in few scenes, were exciting and convincing, if not very impressive.
Composed by Jo Seung Woo and Won Ho Kyung, there are a total of 5 OSTs, and I believe this much is enough. I love how they were incorporated into the story and screenplay.
# "Red Ligh"t by J. DON is my most favourite, which is a rap song depicting the mysterious ways in which one's life operates. The vibes of the song matches with that of the show. It makes me happy rap tracks have become the most prominent in modern slice-of-life Kdramas.
# "Still love you" by Yoo Hwe Seung (N. Flying) should have been the no.1 if not for the original track, where he is a co-singer with Lee Hong Ki (FT ISLAND). The track is of high pitch melancholic and sorrow-inducing lyrics, narrating the hardships of life. The vocals of Hwe Seung are amazing enough to make you cry. I suggest you listen to the original one, as well.
# "My Only One" by BEN is a soulful song reminiscing the moments spent with a precious person that you have admired for a long time in your life.
# "My Loneliness Callls You" by SURAN is again, truly a call for having happiness back in your life, soliciting the presence of your love.
# "Don't Leave Me, My Love" by An Da Eun is a beseech of holding back everything that you think is important. I didn't really like this one.
What I liked...
# Jun woong's character development is what the writer wanted to be the cause of the story. In fact, it was for him, we got to witness jumadaeng and such lovely members and also, the lives of so many people and their different kind of struggles. I could see how he'd turned out to be by the end of the drama.
# Comedy elements in the drama are hilariously funny and glad it was mostly restricted within jumadaeng or among the reapers. Most of it is credited to the Jade emperor (Kim Hae Sook) and equally to Ryung Gu, and Jun Woong was usually the victim of their humors, haha.
# The wide range of personal and social issues introduced and the underlying messages, presented in a fresh way, surely gets through all the way to the heart, viz. school bullying, poverty, career tension, loss of loving ones, ignorance to imperialism victims, life of war veterans, workplace taboos, injustice, sexual assault victims, miscarriage, etc.
# So happy how they thought of involving an animal in one of their episodes, showcasing the importance of pet-human relationship and the subsided emotions.
# Suicide is not something to even think about easily and even so it remains controversial, you really never know what an individual get through while making such decisions, no matter how absurd it seems to me and you. Also, it's not really easy prevent suicidal thoughts of others easily, but we need to understand that this was a fictional show where the writer had to throw light upon various stories and sticking to only one would have differed from the core concept of the story. I personally have nothing to complain.
# That being said, I loved how well the writer emphasized to tell us the stories the persons concerned with the issues in each episode, giving them a bigger fraction of the show. We rarely see the main cast of the show being taken away of this (in a good way, I mean).
# No one can confidently utter that they shall live tomorrow, so death is as natural as to be born. It is very touching the way the the vehemence of death has been propounded. It's nothing new for Kdramas like this, but the ideas and the elements used to represent, definitely move your heart.
# Paralleling jumadaeng (afterlife) with the world of living is another factor that makes the drama .. From the organizational structure to the regulations and operations, everything didn't feel less than any other MNC; they have every single thing, technology, glitches, resumes, editing, and what not.
# The epilogues at the end of each episode were so satisfying and as delightful and truly exhilarating.
What I didn't like...
# The shared past story of the main leads towards the ending is one the biggest (probably the only one) setbacks about the show. I would have loved it if they'd shown it bit by bit from the beginning but the one episode dedicated to the particular matter, that too towards the ending, ruined a small part about the show. Again, it could have been done in a very amazing way, but the way they represented wasn't very likable to me. And as predicted in the 15th episode the finale was rushed.
# As everyone else, I also expected Rowoon to be the part of of something big or let's say have his own share of gut-wrenching past story. Unfortunately, the writers didn't have any such plan, instead he was treated like a supporting character, not all the times though. My disappointment about this particular matter comes from the fact that Rowoon is no rookie or substandard actor at this point.
# Lee Soo Hyuk being shown as the main cast in in the poster and then the makers backstabbing us by giving him unsatisfactory share of screentime is very disappointing. I admit, overally the entire main cast has received half the time, bcs the makers have emphasized on narrating the stories of the victims but of the half, Lee Soo Hyuk gets the least, and I didn't like that.
# I think I have already told how it turned out to be a rushed ending, so saving the elaboration again, I strongly feel the ending could have been a lot lot lot better. sighs.
Final Remarks... Overally, "Tomorrow" bestowed love, hope, everything else that you felt on personal levels. The denouement has been essentially deep, eloquent and worthwhile, provided all efforts contributed by the entire cast & crew. "Suicide prevention by Grim Repears", might interest/intrigue some while making people think for a while, but I suggest you try this out. For me, this was worth my time and emotions and I would cite this as a must watch. My rating of 8.5/10 is the reflection of it's drawbacks, as mentioned, would have given a 9.0 otherwise.
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Strong First Strike, but Loses Its Footing in the Last Quarter
Watching this show was an emotional roller coaster ride: in the first three-quarters of the show, the cart climbed higher and higher until it could go no further, limited by the tracks that the writer had laid out for the machine. But then it started its descent, and for me, the train derailed before it reached the station.It's clear to me that the writer knew exactly where she wanted to go and tried to careful craft a scenario to deliver her message about the elation and tribulations of first loves. For the first part of the show, I was totally engrossed with this plan. The story is told as a flashback of a little girl who read's her mother's diary, and like many other viewers, I was invested in the open question of who the identity of the girl's father - is he the main character of the mother's love story or he is not?! This was a question that kept everyone awake at night when this drama was airing. This was definitely an intentional effect as the series would intentionally omit clear references to the father, going so far as not to even show him on screen and to make dialog ambiguous so that you don't even know his name nor any hints towards his identity. Moreover, it seemed like every little detail of this Kdrama mattered -- it didn't matter if you forgot something, because boy, the writer sure remembered everything, and she often utilized these minutia to extreme emotional and dramatic effect. It was almost a masterpiece.
Almost. For me, the plot past episode 13 took a noticeable decrease in quality: characters started acting in ways that I thought were unearned - the fierce female lead that we had all come to know and love somehow became more passive and willing to give up -- this was a far cry from her "never give up attitude" that had led her to toil so hard to hone her fencing skill. The conscientious, sweet boy who put family and friends above all else suddenly became a workaholic -- he spent most of the first half of the story practicing the little, individual acts of loves for his friends, family, and love interests, and suddenly he's all about sacrificing for the greater good/his career. Yes, people can change, but for me, if we're talking about a television series, we should be shown the change and not have to infer it -- it's just jarring without a proper explanation. Even for side characters, things just started to arbitrarily work out for no discernible reasons - this is a little baffling to me in a story that prided itself on being so clear and clever with the details. The final nail in the coffin for me was dismissing things that we had become so invested in: that mystery we all cared about? Without spoilers, I feel I can safely say: it turns out it's irrelevant. Put simply, it felt like a slap in the face as if we were intentionally manipulated only to increase ratings and not for story purposes.
I don't believe that a story necessarily needs to have a happy end nor needs to have a sad end to be great. But I just feel this Kdrama did not execute its ending in a way that I felt was earned. It pains me to say: this Kdrama started as a 10/10 for me, but quickly destroyed my faith in it with just 3 measly episodes, to the point that I actually think it did the whole story a disservice. There were so many unanswered questions, that I think either the show needed a few more episodes to flesh things out or it needed less episodes to tell a complete tale without the feeling that something is missing. Either way, I can't help but feel there was a missed opportunity here. It's just such a shame.
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The story isnāt original as itās a remake, in all honesty this is one of the first remake I can say was better than the original, I might seem biased as I watched the remake before the original, but Iāve done that to a few shows and always Felt the original was best. Every episode was full of adrenaline hoping everything will just turn out okay in the end.
The character development was a main point in the storyline and showed the growth of friendship and love between the two main characters
The acting was phenomenal especially from a child actress starring in her first major role of a drama she stood out to be the best role in my opinion throughout the drama
Overall this drama is the best to start off 2018 and Iām kind of sad for it to finish now I would recommend it if you can stomach a lot of tension after every episode
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While telling an interesting story, Healer manages to do brilliantly what most fictional works should and sometimes fail to do: create 4-dimentional characters, believable persona whose growth and mutual interaction reach the heart of the viewer. When characterization is so strong, the plot twists - whatever they are - fall to the background, becoming a mean to an end. In this sense, it doesn't matter how many times the same plot subject has been used in a drama: what matters is how this same subject pertains to the journey of the characters. The reason why I was constantly on the edge of my seat while watching Healer, is not because I wondered what was going to happen next, but because I was eager to know how each character would react to a certain event. Will she give up? Will he fall apart? Will that one lie, speak the truth, run away, face the challenge, cry, laugh, rejoice? What would I do, in their shoes?
And every single time I feared the ominous K-drama tropes would sneak into the narration with the usual noble idiocy, nth misunderstanding, petty jealousy or envious triangles, these characters surprised me and made me extremely happy for NOT conforming.
Someone here called this drama "a breath of fresh air" and I couldn't agree more.
This story, while simple on the surface, hides a few, much deeper and more complex subjects. One over all, the roles of adults and how their choices can make the lives of children a living hell. K dramas have accustomed us to adults who abandon their children, or abuse them, dictate them, mold them to their will, silence them. In the best of scenarios, they over protect them. This drama, on the other hand, gives out a different message: adults should give their children the means to fight their own battles, their own way. The same could be said about women, who are the true strong point of this drama. I wish I could write an essay on Young Shin and Ahjumma, but don't worry, I'll spare you the boredom, Suffice to say, true courage and strength are not in the fists.
Healer is also a love story. A sweet, realistic, heart wrenching and heartwarming love story made of little, endearing details. It's the encounter of a young man with a tough shell and a vulnerable soul and a young woman with a fragile body and a brave, unwavering heart. They are so natural together, watching them is a pleasure. I think I fell irremediably in love with them as a couple. I ascribe it to the acting, but also to the brave script, which for once depicts 2 young adults who admits they are attracted to each other physically as well as emotionally. I do not expect a drama to show me anything happening under the sheets, but I'm a little weary of tons of dramas where the girl is shocked by the mere hands touching and calls for a trial. Guess what, Young Shin and Jung Hoo are human!
I've read somewhere this drama had a very low budget, so low that they had to film lots of scenes in a rush and couldn't afford complicated special effects. I grew even fonder of it because of this and wish viewer would stop comparing this show to others which had a lot more money to work with. All the actors give out the impression of truly believing in what they are doing, that's possibly why there's a collective, tangible alchemy keeping the whole cast together. As for the music, I admit at not having liked a particular song in the beginning, but because it was so fitting to the story told, I ended up loving it too. The instrumental pieces were perfect.
As I said, I've already watched this twice. When I reached the end the first time, I felt the urge to go see again how it all began and how it all unfolded. When it comes to dramas I like, I am a serial second watcher and go in search of that lost detail I've overlooked before. I think Healer lends itself very well to multiple watching, because even when you already know the outcome, the journey there still has so much enjoyment to give.
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Not a KDrama, but a dramatic Korean story with a lot of Korean heart. (A hybrid?)
Ok, this series tells a Korean story, itĀ“s about Korean destinies. BUT it's not an original KDrama. It is a (western) Apple production in which some (Apple) producers from the US obviously had a say. So, first of all, a bit of criticism about the American serial adaptation of a bestseller novel, which 'coincidentally' has a Korean fate as its subject. (Before I go into praise...)North Americans with Korean family backgrounds may have been involved in the production (the directors, the person responsible for the script adaptation and a lot of actors, for example). Nevertheless, it is and remains a North American production. The sad thing about it: the series production repeats - if you like - the theme of the story in a new media version: in this case, the profitable exploitation of 'Korean stories', 'Korean fates' and even a bit of the KDrama soul...
Using the example of several generations of a Korean family and their personal destinies against the background of Japanese colonization and racism to this day, why reduce a 500-page book to ONLY 8 episodes? Why not use the time and space and retell the story in at least 20 episodes, or even 50?
Quite simply: the series production is not of South Korean origin, and it is not made for South Korean television, but for the international streaming market. The rest of the world isn't THAT interested in South Korea, but it is quite touched by Korean fates. So, the enthusiasm for the original bestseller in a binge-capable, compact format has to be cleverly marketed in a colorful and moving way in order to attract new streaming subscribers to Apple. The world (those who have not yet read the book but have now watched the series) is shocked and touched by what happened between Japan and South Korea, which is still today formative for many Koreans. The rest of the world was hardly aware of this historical chapter. However, in the series adaptation, the individual fates were told less in detail. They were rather reduced to catchy basic emotions, and these were cleverly knotted as a cross-generational leitmotif in key scenes over time jumps. The focus is on Sunja - with the focus on Sunja in her third phase of life. This is embodied by Youn Yuh-jung, who was already able to leave a lasting impression on the international audience with (her Oscar for) "Minari" and thus gets plenty of screen time as a 'star' among many internationally comparatively unknown actors.
Well, that's the way it is.
If you have a background with KDrama, you will find a nice study object in "Pachinko" to compare the different narrative styles (Western style vs. Korean style) with regard to emotionality. Western style would be more like: 'I WATCH the mimes have their feelings'. The individual sequences of different timelines, some of which are strung together at very short intervals, convey this 'Western' handwriting. This is, so to speak, Western objectivity in the depiction of emotionality. The (South) Korean narrative style, on the other hand, deliberately draws the audience into the emotional world. E.g. 'I sympathize. I'm IN there too.'
So, with "Pachinko" there was a lot of Korean heart and soul mixed into the story and series adaptation. You can feel that. This is how an interesting hybrid production actually came about. It's not a KDrama, but a Korean story with a lot of Korean heart. Thus, the spirit of Korean storytelling still blows through some of the scenes. Actually, even the concept chosen for the series adaptation is the strongest element: if such a complex family saga is told in 8 episodes, then through the characteristic basic emotions in the form of impressive scenes - less in plot, action and dialogues. For example: when the mother ceremonially prepares the rice for the wedding, which they are actually not allowed to eat, or the young bank employee throws his expensive jacket into the puddle and dances footloose to the street music on the open street (in Japan!), or the grandmother, completely moved, after decades back on South Korean soil on the beach of her childhood... There are strong scenes like this - lastingly impressive, without words - that (want to and actually do) touch the heart. THAT, I would think, is Korean style in the way of its storytelling. It somehow sneaked into the production (still US production, even if it was trilingual) and confidently took its place. (Perhaps in the same way that people under Japanese oppression quietly preserved their inner dignity and inner defiance despite all bending and suffering.)
And by the way: the title track may be well and good. But! The intro clip is in my eyes most peculiar and completely missing the subject. It's nice that all generations come together here, but the extreme exuberance of the dance performance has nothing to do with the rest of the series. It seems rather strange, how in contrast to the particular, muted, rather gloomy 'Han' (Korean pain/world pain) of the story it comes along in such outlandish US style...
Nevertheless: the series is captivating, moving and over all a rather inhospitable excursion into inhospitable Korean living conditions, which are emotionally shaped for some even to this day by the Japanese colonial era. Even decades later in Japan and the USA, life is shown rather inhospitable. Only a few well-chosen scenes open up in a visually stunning and atmospheric way, as if to remind us that life itself is a gift...
Even if it's only told in 8 episodes (and by now apparently in 8 more for a second season), "Pachinko" offers an unforgettable, visually stunning excursion into a sad segment of recent Korean history using the example of a moving family saga. A concentrated load of multifaceted contemporary rich topics that can at best be roughly touched or tabbed upon in the series adaptation. Nevertheless. It is definitely a masterpiece to compress the 500-page epic into 8 slim episodes and - without having to bend the story too much - to convey a stringent, central emotional attitude even in the face of the inhospitable nature of being: the protagonist despite all the suppression keeping a quiet, inner dignity, grounded and clear - from there drawing the strength to face life and its challenges again and again, in all simplicity.
Lastingly impressive!
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ā Beautiful scenography.
ā Spectacular original soundtracks and background music.
ā Okay acting. I was in it for Mike He and wasn't disappointed one bit in that regard, however, I feel like they could have fleshed out his character some more.
ā Chemistry. This is really a matter of taste and opinion. The main couple did have chemistry and cute moments, but not to the degree that I would ship them (I think I shipped the side couple more). To me, their relationship felt more like a noona-dongsaeng relationship rather than a romantic/mature one, but guess that's a given considering the age of the actors.
What NOT to expect?
ā A strong plot. The premise of the story was interestingāit was literally oozing with potentialāhowever, not very convincingly executed. The plot was not strongly knit together and above all, lacked focus. It lost me somewhere between the middle and the ending.
ā A love triangle (although the poster might suggest otherwise). Not sure if there was a love triangleāif there was, it was very vaguely present. Don't forget, Mike He is not playing the second male lead, he is playing the main character of his own story.
ā Not the most satisfying ending of all. In fact, the ending was WTF-inducing and felt rushed. On the plus side (or not, depending on how you're looking at it), chances of a second season seem high judging from the manner in which things were rounded off in the final episode.
Was it worth watching? Yes. Would I watch it again? Doubt it.
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i would classify this as pornographic, there are explicit sex sceenes, which is fine, but you have to be in the mood for porn to watch porn. i was in the mood to watch a movie.
a previous reviewer talked about it being a pedophiles dream and stated the male character was 17. he's actually 19, i even turned off the subs and listened to them state his age, my korean leaves alot to be desired but i can count, so by american standards it isnt pedophilia. the actor that plays him was also well over the age of consent in both america and korea at the time of the filming, so if the under age thing had you skeeved out, dont be.
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Fast-Paced TRUE Enemies to Lovers
In a sea of boring visuals, and Enemies to Lovers tropes that fall flat; this show, while not perfect, is very striking and addicting.Overview:
One of the shows positive qualities is that it takes each episode as a narrative and tailors it's run time towards the plot portion being told. If the obvious stopping point for a cliffhanger was to make the episode less than 9 minutes long, it was. Likewise, if the story needed more time to expand on the plot, the episode became longer.
What the show exceeds at is showcasing a captivation Enemies to Lovers trope in a "he's crazy but SHE'S crazier" style, providing a modern take on women's rights that, while still "shoved down your throat", manage to seem like they might "actually" happen in small conversations among families and confidants, and using over-the-top and bold cinematography to capture intense emotions.
Where the show lacks if honesty is to be blunt, is in the underlying conspiracy plot execution and character development of the main villian and the MLs family.
š š Weaknesses:š š
To address first the weaknesses:
The grandmother and SiL do a full 180 in the last few episodes. This is not explained and there is absolutely zero character hints prior to the episode the change occurs for the audience to follow along and believe the change when it occurs. Personally, when the change happened I thought the episode was going to end as a dream it was that sudden and unexpected.
The main villian was VERY one-dimensional. We have no back story to explain WHY they decide to take part in the conspiracy and they are let go and allowed to break free FAR too many times to be believable. There is "suspense your disbelief" and then there is "oh come on, REALLY, AGAIN!?!?" This is not to say that the interactions are not entertaining, but they are HIGHLY unbelievable and have the true air of a soap opera or cartoon weekly villian.
As for the conspiracy, if you blink you will miss the underlying intricacies that go in to the ML working on this case. In hindsight this makes sense as the conspiracy is tied to the plot of the death of his beloved, but most people don't watch these over-the-top soap opera type shows paying attention to EVERY word that gets said. What it comes down to, and some of this COULD be a translation issue despite the subtitles seeming to translate well enough, is that when the case is resolved with the Envoy and they had done their explanation I was personally still shaking my head in confusion about what that plot was about and what had happened to close it.
ššPOSITIVES!šš
At it's CORE, this show is a romance. This is not always the case, despite many shows having the romance tag. For as much as it is a very over-the-top and dramatic depiction of two people falling in love, it is also a VERY real and complex depiction.
Our ML begins the story in a state of devastation and need of vengeance. He is crazy enough to break into the residence of a high ranking minister demanding the life of the one who killed his beloved (literally the first scene). He takes risks and is crazy enough to demand unconventional situations of the FL to achieve his goals.
Meanwhile, our FL is a two-sided coin. She is willing to put on the face of a proper lady one moment, and then tear it away the next to achieve her means of survival. She WILL survive through compromise, lies, trickery, seduction, or violence. Her battle cry is: "Between your life and mine, I'll ALWAYS choose mine".
With the show bringing them together due to her initial lie they begin to use eachother. The cinematography of their interactions together tell a tight story of reliance and distrust. They instantly play the opposite teams as a united front, hands clasped and smiles high; only for the camera to pan to them immediately dropping their hands or the FL glaring her eyes. One of the best showcases of their relationship is the red divider. Over the course of the show they have conversations around this piece of furniture, often with them on opposite sides. But this changes. The use of the divider in the last episode is honestly now one of my favorite scenes it was intricately done and the dialog was moving.
It was mentioned earlier about the very real and complex emotions of a relationship this show portrays. Without providing spoilers, the end of episode 20 could have very much been the end of the series and I personally would have accepted it as ending this way. When a person doesn't trust themselves to know WHAT love is, being able to provide seemingly empty platitudes and promises feels like a lie. If that person has previously thought they knew what love was but are now questioning themselves, it's even harder as they feel the need to make feelings fit into a box. In general, romance shows don't delve into this topic. The leads just KNOW instantly, it they deny "the truth" but know "secretly". But then, most romances feature pure and innocent characters who have never even thought of loving another person before so when they "FEEL" it, they know. Not everyone can recognize that they "feel" love. For that reason this is an excellent take on romance and love.
Additionally, there are other "hot-takes" in this series including a woman's reliance on being virgin to be "clean and worthy" and the dangers of childbirth and right for either partner to use contraception. The hypocrisy of a woman telling another that she is no more than a prostitute if she doesn't show proof of blood is thrown back with the harsh reality that "there's more than one reason for there to be no blood" and a harsh jab back at her new husband. While later, a discussion is had about waiting because of the risk of dystocia. While obvious for modern viewers, that they are presented in a way so as to still seem scandalous and unheard of was pleasant in opposition to recent "woman's rights" shows taking the "we can force modern values to be accepted to the entire population in a costume setting" approach.
CONCLUSION:
Ultimately, as long as you go in expecting a show that WILL have flaws but that has chemistry, pacing, and dramatic flare shots of an over-the-top makjang-type / soap opera, you'll have a LOT of fun eating your popcorn and clicking NEXT.
I watched as airing from first night watching the clock for the next episodes to drop on MangoTV.
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They story is not anything new, but I loved the way the executed this movie, and it really stands out. You get sucked in the first seconds you watch this movie. There is NEVER a dull moment! So in the 2 hours you'll be guessing, sitting on the tip of your chair and you might encourage some characters.
The acting was amazing, the fact that they could suck me in from the first till the last seconds is very good! I thought everyone precisely fitted their character.
The music helps a lot to build up some tension, and I recommend this movie to anyone who likes action, a good story, suspense and tension!
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12 episodes could've easily cut down to 6. Casts weren't bad, cute enough and acting not terrible, but director & editors did a crappy job making most of what's already an unoriginal story. Still recommend watching it if you like BL. Concept is still cute and idea for BL couples, and who doesn't enjoy happy ending?
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-Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films have always had a wonderfully surreal and eerie pitch to them, and the same goes for this TV mini-series. If you didn't know, there'd be no way to tell this was a TV show rather than a film.
-The cast is excellent, no exceptions.
-The premise and format of Shokuzai is highly intriguing: Five grade-school girls are good friends. One is abducted and murdered. Each subsequent episode reveals how this event screwed up all of their lives in completely different ways.
-The plot-line is highly suspenseful and unpredictable. One never knows what exactly is happening with each individual storyline or the overarching plot until near the end of each episode.
Negative thoughts:
-The show goes a bit too far into twisted and disturbing territory towards the end. I do immensely enjoy tragic and disturbing stories, and Shokuzai succeeded in this aspect for most of its duration, but by the end of the show it feels like the show starts becoming as twisted and disturbing as possible merely for the sake of it.
-Nearly every male character is either deranged or evil.
Overall thoughts:
I've always been more partial to Korean dramas, but Shokuzai has launched me into the Japanese drama scene, particularly WOWOW's mini-series'. Great show, and I hope to find more like it.
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When I started Secret Garden, I really didn't read the description. And, maybe that's a good thing. I might not have given it a fair shot. Because of that, the twists and turns that I experienced (especially after episode 5 or so) had such a big impact. My train of thought when things started to get interesting: "Wait, did they...did that really...did she just grab her own boobs? Wait a minute, did they just switch bodies? What? WTF? What just happened here?!" In all honesty, I should start watching everything now without reading descriptions. So much more emotional build-up and surprise. But, anyway, I digress.
With very few exceptions, Secret Garden did everything right. An unexpected plot journey, a phenomenal cast (even down to the supporting actors - Lee Jong Suk isn't just brilliant as a main lead in dramas...), beautiful settings, an evocative and unique soundtrack, heaps of awkward comedy, tear-jerking drama, and more. It was (and still is) everything I could ask for in a show.
Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won are simply incredible. Their chemistry is immediate, and it becomes an excellent foundation for the remainder of the story. Honestly, though, while I have a certifiable girl crush on Ha Ji Won, Hyun Bin truly made this drama. Completely. From the comedy of the body switching to the drama of the later episodes, he NAILS IT. The growth and changes that his character experiences are so fun to watch.
If you are unfamiliar with kdramas and would like to start, give Secret Garden a try. It's a great example of when things are done right. Even if you are a kdrama veteran and still have not managed to see it, I would still recommend it. There's a reason why so many dramas include bits from it.
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