Lighthearted and fun fantasy story
This is a funny and enjoyable mini-show. The storyline is simple but there are different layers to the story if you watch carefully.I love ML who has been alienated all his childhood. Watching him open up and fall in love with FL is so heartwarming and touching.
FL is bubbly and kind. Even if she is a bit oblivious when it comes to her own feelings, once she realizes she’s in love, she goes all in.
Acting wise this was an ok show. It is kind of hard to say much more than that because the show was very lighthearted and borderline silly. That might be the reason there was sometimes dialogue and behavior that was silly.
Well, if you like something lighthearted and fun - with a little bit of food for thought and a happy ending - this is actually worth watching.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Romance, Riddles, and Really Hot People
Oki besties, buckle your emotional seatbelts—Into Your Heart is less a drama and more a serotonin-laced fever dream for the terminally romance-deprived. You don’t watch this mini C-drama—you surrender to it.The leads? Unreasonably pretty. The ML is down so bad, he’s basically groveling in (not so) HD. The FL? Ethereal queen. Together? Too hot to process.
The plot? Unhinged, yes—but also weirdly decent. I was invested, against my better judgment. It had no right to hook me like that, but here we are.
We're talking for fire kisses, questionable decisions, and a villain who seems to have escaped from another genre entirely. Is he evil? Misunderstood? On medication? Who knows. Who cares.
Episodes 1–20? Delicious chaos. Episodes 21–23? Kinda like stale chips—still edible, just… meh.
And the subs?? Oh honey. MangoTV out here running a cryptic crossword competition. I was mentally translating the translations like: “Wait… did he just propose or ask her to change the lightbulb?” 5D chess, but make it linguistics.
Happy ending? YES. Thank God. My neurons needed closure after all that chaos.
Final verdict: Pretty people. Dumb decisions. Wacky villain. Brain cells? Gone. Regrets? None.
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Simple, Soothing and Sweet
This was such a good watch - simple, soothing, and sweet. At its core, this is a coming-of-age story about a girl who slowly learns to find her own voice and the courage to step beyond the boundaries of her family. One of the most rewarding parts of the journey is watching her finally stand up for herself—speaking honestly to her domineering mother, who in turn begins to recognize herself in her daughter. That emotional shift felt quiet but powerful.Her first love unfolds with the same gentle sincerity. Their relationship is a pleasure to watch because it feels so real—full of hesitation, awkwardness, and that tentative vulnerability that comes with young love. Both leads are introverts who gradually find their way into each other’s worlds, and despite a few misunderstandings, they move toward each other slowly but surely. What stood out most was how surprisingly mature they are in handling their relationship, even at such a young age.
The acting is fine, especially considering most of the cast are newcomers. Some viewers might recognize the male lead from Shine on Me and the female lead from The Best Thing. It’s nice to see them step into leading roles—they both show a lot of promise and potential.
Overall, this is a non-toxic, enchanting short drama that I would not only recommend but happily rewatch.
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Club Friday Season 8: True Love…or Confusion
19 people found this review helpful
TONI STOLE MY HEART
This is a telenovela for mature audiences.Right off the bat, I immediately loved the fast pacing and the backstory. In all four episodes you wont feel like shortcuts are taken and that they really gave a lot of thought into developing the total flow of the series and divided ithem perfectly nto these episodes.
The story is somewhat of a mixed bag for me, not because it doesnt happen in real life but because it is too melodramatic. This is the only short series that I couldnt watch in one seating. Each episode is a little bit too long it felt like i needed to take a bit of rest after each episode.
The cast is amazing, phenomenal even. Toni and Tao were just perfect for the roles - cute, masculine and both were just gorgeous. Special shoutout to the locker room scene when Toni slid into his undies - this man is just BEAUTIFUL. Even Bebe gave a good performance.
I want to give credit to the production design team for creating the spaces that doesnt look temporarily made for 4 episodes. The wedding and the housewarming are both believeable.
Overall this short series deserves an 8. Attention all other tv content creators - this is how you do a short series.
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A cliche love story about your pick me ex-idol next door & the ordinary boy she falls for.
***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion, we don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone. This review is kind of long so please bare with me.***A/N: I went into this drama blind without reading the webtoon or having any preconceived ideas.
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, on and off / toxic relationship
General Overview:
I kind of liked this drama because it is really nostalgic and takes you back. The cinematography is beautiful and it seems like it was meant to be a documentary or memoir of sorts recounting Doona and Won Jun’s experiences and how they crossed paths and essentially changed the trajectory of each others lives forever.
An ordinary guy and a superstar girl – that’s a cliche if I’ve ever seen one. I found it kind of tricky getting into this drama because the first 2 episodes are slow and you’re not really sure what exactly is going on because theres not much context but as you keep on watching and bridge the gap between episodes 2 & 3 and really delve into episode 4 & 5 things start heating up and becoming more interesting. I like the relationship between Doona and Won Jun because it shows us what a new adult / young love is and how at times it can be messy especially when there’s a lot of miscommunication thrown into the mix.
Their love story is by no means perfect but it’s also realistic in the way that other people watching can definitely relate to it and look back on their own past relationships / first loves and be reminiscent of a similar time / experience in their lives. Even if you have never experienced something like there are a lot of important life lessons to be learned.
I honestly feel like this drama lacked depth and they could’ve done so much more to better capture the struggle between wanting to live a normal life with your love and choosing to chase/ follow your dreams and be an idol. The ending sucked big time but again, I had already predicted it would be a sad/open ending by episode 5.
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A More Detailed Review (spoilers ahead):
Doona opens with Doona submerging herself in a pool of water and seemingly sinking to the bottom of it and drowning… I believe this is a reflection of how she truly feels on the inside.
The drama follows Dream Sweet Doona, a kpop idol who has fallen from grace and has taken a hiatus from being an idol due to an on-stage accident in which she stated she could no longer sing. We see her smoking profusely in a lot of the shots... we're not sure what's going through her head. Doona appears forlorn and despondent, as if she is fighting to find her place in the world while being neglected by the individuals she most badly wants to hear from. The number one person is P (her agent), who does not respond to any of her texts or phone calls.
As the story progresses we see Doona meet Won Jun and a love/hate dynamic develops between them. She can’t believe Won Jun doesn’t know who she is and that he’s not a fan as she sees him sporting a sweet dream hoodie. Anyways a uncanny dynamic develops between them and Doona finds herself annoying him and asking him out to eat for the fun of it. Won Jun thinks she’s only teasing him and is not actually serious. They get into a spat one night as Won Jun says something that hurts her feelings and sends her over the edge.
From there they make up and you see them hanging out and Doona giving Won Jun advice on love as Won Jun still seems to have feelings for this girl (Jin Ju) from his past. It seems they were almost high school sweethearts and did like each other but in the end things did not work out. Now a year later, Jin Ju has re-entered his life and Won Jun wants to obviously be more just friends but they keep missing the timing. I think this is essential to the plot because Jin Ju is a symbol of the past… and past memories while Doona is a symbol of Won Jun’s present and future. Back then, Won Jun was weak timid and was not able to confess to the girl he liked and win her over. This past Won Jun seemingly no longer exists as he is intrigued by Doona. He enters unfamiliar territory when he is with her and so she seems enthralling and fun to hang around. Even though Jin Ju and Won Jun have all the history and memories, it shows you can only hold onto a person for so much and no more. This was demonstrated when Jin Ju finally starts showing interest in Won Jun and was able to confess her feelings, he had already mentally moved on and was now interested in pursuing Doona.
Insights:
Doona lacks emotional intelligence because she has never led a typical/normal life. She also has trouble controlling her emotions, which I believe is related to her lack of emotional awareness. As someone once said, you have to be good with yourself before you can be good for other people. I think Doona needs to take care of herself and prioritize her mental health. It was very saddening watching her go through these psychotic breaks and moments of weakness completely alone. If “being in a room of crowded people and still feeling alone” was a person, that would be Doona.
Given that Donna appeared to have been groomed from the age of 13 or 14 until her early 20s, my heart ached for her. Doona became codependent on her agent as he effectively made her into an idol. It's obvious that the agent did not view her as a real person, but rather as a product or item. He was a manipulative man who only valued her when she was complying with his wishes. Her agent was simply emotionally absent and only doing his job but Doona misinterpreted it for love and concern. In essence, he exploited her as a tool as Doona only piqued his interest when she brought in big bucks and advanced his career. The moment the flip switched in her head and she told him she could no longer handle the idol life he became very cold and distant. It just showed that his affection for her was conditional on her performing and acting a certain way.
It's clear that Doona is a complex individual who has led a very one-dimensional existence. She had a one-track mind because her life was always regimented and linear. Her walls and fences gradually started to come down when her celebrity faded and she had some alone time without others chasing her, revealing the shell of a girl who genuinely needed to repair her inner child. Her mom dropped her off and was too busy coning others out of their money, so only her grandmother took care of her. She did not regard Doona as her daughter or child, but rather as a paycheck. She seemed more liberated and at ease when she spent time with Won Jun. I feel like hanging out with Won Jun made Doona feel free and ordinary. In a way he came into her life as a blessing.
Likes:
I enjoyed the cinematography and the setting. It was a very cozy and fitting drama to watch in the fall!
I liked Se Jong’s performance as Won Jun. It was refreshing to see a very emotionally intelligent man grace the screen. He literally was such a green flag and gave off the impression of a man who was ready to open his heart to someone who didn't appear to deserve him. Se Jong portrayed his innocence and naivety to perfection. It was endearing, but it also demonstrates how males are capable of feeling emotions and having strong feelings for the person they love. I can understand why he was only able to see the best in Doona because love is blind and gives people rose-colored lenses.
The chemistry between Won Jun and Doona was off the charts, if that's what you were mainly watching for. Warning if you are currently single this drama will definitely make you feel even more so. I felt like a third wheel or like I was intruding when watching some of their scenes because it was a bit intense and caught me off guard.
I thought Ha Young’s portrayal of Jin Ju was endearing. Her character brought so much light even in darkness and was one of the best to come out of this drama. Ha Young is seriously so charming on screen and has one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen. Her story was so tragic and she smiled and pretended to be happy on the outside to conceal the fact that she was actually breaking inside. She has strict parents which I’m sure people on here can relate to however the emotional and physical abuse she faced daily was so uncalled for. I liked how Jin Ju handled it with grace and eventually left her home situation. I was lowkey rooting for her and Won Jun in the beginning because she seemed like the of ray of sunshine he needed in his life. To me their personalities seemed more compatible than Won Jun and Doona but they took too long to confess how they felt. Even though her and Won Jun did not work out I am glad they are still friends… and you never know they might have missed their timing now but they could always reconnect years from now.
I also enjoyed the performances of the supporting cast. I-Ra and Jung Hoon were cute and I am happy they got together in the end. The friendship dynamic between everyone was refreshing and I’m glad they still met up to hang out and drink together rather than the friendship being lost after everyone moved out of the building.
Dislikes:
I must admit that Suzy's performance was not the best and fell flat for me. I believe she could have put more effort into truly selling the role. She mostly just posed in the scenes and kept on smoking and sighing which got really repetitive. She seemed to be in unfamiliar territory and did not have a similar experience to channel when playing Doona (a pop star fallen from grace) This led me to believe that she had never really had a had first-hand experience with despair, mental health concerns, and depression / loneliness as an idol. This role was clearly daunting for her and it showed.
In the 3rd act conflict when Doona saw her ex (the agent) and dropped Won Jun’s hand not once but TWICE I was pissed. Like that was an immediate red flag! And then she legit got in the car with the ex and didn’t like that he wasn’t reassuring her and saying all the things she wanted to hear then she opened the door, threw herself out of the car and hurt her foot?! That was absolutely psychotic and batshit crazy. Then she wants to come crawling back to Won Jun and playing the victim?! LOL this was so toxic and messy but at the same time realistic portrayal of young (blind) love. But more seriously, in those moments I questioned if Doona actually had any care or sympathy for Won Jun or his feelings. She was saying one thing but her actions always consistently proved otherwise. I guess this is what people would call a contradictory character but to me it was apparent she needed to work on herself because her behavior was deplorable.
The miscommunication between the leads was absolutely unnecessary and they could have fixed their issues with a simple and honest conversation. When Won Jun asked her if she’s back bc her agent didn’t want her I was like damn! Get her again for me. Being the other person, who appears to be someone's fallback or backup plan in case they can't get the main person they're seeking, is a tragic situation. The exchange between Doona and Won Jun eloquently encapsulated how awful it is.
I was irritated by the agent's attempt to minimize Won Jun's significance. He pretended to be concerned about Doona's welfare, but his true motivation was to use her as a means of generating income for himself. He presents himself as superior to everyone else and shows pretends like he has no concern for those so-called "kids." Mind you he's in their business 25/8 and suggested they break up immediately. In my opinion, the agent acts like a whiny boy who gets upset when he doesn't get his way in a situation.
9 episodes seemed too short but also too long because if you think about it this drama could’ve easily just been a 2 hour movie lmao… there’s so much unnecessary dragging out of the plot.
As I reviewed my episode ratings, I realized that I only ever gave one episode an 8/10, while the others received ratings between 4/10 & 6/10. Tbh, this drama suffers from a severe lack of depth and overcompensates by focusing too much on ridiculous relationship drama. It does far more showing than actually telling. Then again, there is only so much they could fit into 9 episodes. Realistically speaking this drama only needed to be about 5 or 6 episodes long, after that it became tedious and started to drag on.
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Quotes I liked:
“𝙊𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙’𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨. 𝙎𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙊𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮.”
“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩.”
“𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘.”
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Final Thoughts:
Overall this drama is the definition of a friends to lovers, toxic love story with miscommunication at the forefront. It’s comforting and nostalgic in the way that sometimes you just need a soft drama you can watch without focusing too much on a heavy plot.
Doona is champagne problems coded, a total disaster waiting to happen. I think a lot of people only like this drama for the “steamy” or “hot” kissing scenes, which feels like a very one-dimensional way of viewing it.
Chemistry alone is not enough to sell me on a drama or make me rate it highly. If that were the case, what would even be the point of watching and reviewing anything? Additionally, the ML also had chemistry with the SFL, but that often gets ignored because toxicity tends to be more “entertaining” for viewers.
Should you watch it? It depends on your taste. If you enjoy cliché, predictable, toxic romance dramas, you might like it. It feels similar to Nevertheless. It’s slow at the start and not everyone will stick around long enough for the relationship to develop. If you do watch it, brace yourself.
Would I rewatch it? Absolutely not. Once was enough. Most of the conflicts could’ve been solved with one honest conversation, but instead everything was dragged out unnecessarily to seem deeper than it actually was.
To me, people see stories like this in real life but often romanticize the toxicity and ignore how exhausting it is to constantly want to be chosen with the same intensity you give someone else.
What frustrated me most was that both characters had flaws, but Won Jun still tried to understand Doona and give her a chance. Meanwhile, she was emotionally unavailable, immature, and kept hurting him because what she actually needed was therapy, not a relationship. Even knowing it wouldn’t last, she still used him as a placeholder, which made her behavior difficult to watch.
Still, there are some lessons here. This drama can serve as a warning about getting attached to emotionally unavailable or toxic people. It’s easy to ignore red flags when you’re lonely or emotionally invested, but recognizing those patterns matters if you want to avoid repeating them.
Doona and Won Jun both lack secure attachment styles. She leans dismissive avoidant and he leans anxious. Combined with her abandonment issues and emotional instability, the relationship becomes draining to watch. Realistically, what they both needed was professional help.
On a brighter note, another takeaway is learning that not everything is meant to last. Sometimes people meet at the right time, not for forever, but for a chapter. And that’s okay.
I ultimately scored Doona a 6/10, as the drama sits firmly in the realm of mediocrity despite a few notable moments.
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Once again, this is just my opinion, you can watch it & see for yourself!
Thanks for reading and happy watching!
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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Surely Not Together
This was pretty bad and the only redeeming quality it had was the acting, that's about it. I started watching it mostly because I like Park Seo Joon and he has done stuff I enjoyed but I think this might be the weakest kdrama of his I've seen (not in his acting but overall).Maybe it's because I've watched my fair share of kdramas at this point or maybe because I've actually never been into it, but I'm getting at my limit of CEO's, rich and other chaebol people as main characters or romantic interests, it makes it very difficult for me to sympathise with their supposed struggles when they're crying while holding a Louis Vuitton bag in their hands, even more so when their sorrows are self inflicted, like in here.
I think their claims of this kdrama to be more realistic than others end with their separate personalities and the portrayal on the difficulties of getting divorced due to patriarchal systems. Yes, people like the main characters exist, but it's not like characters in other kdramas are unrealistic, there are plenty at the same level and way better too.
Their relationship? sure, it can be realistic, it can happen. Problem is when they're trying for me to root for them when clearly they're in a toxic dynamic that they should have already broken up for good a long time ago. ML should have moved on already when she just left him without explaining herself, her excuses are as weak as their relationship.
We're seeing here a woman that conveniently remembers the guy when she's in need of him, that is entitled and egotistical, and a guy that is a hopeless romantic and gets easily manipulated. Realistic? Sure! but not exactly a relationship I personally like to watch, less idiolise or think that it's nice and beautiful. If I was his friend I would be telling him to move on and go to therapy because he has clearly a bad case of dependency and unhealthy idealisation. If I was her friend, I would no longer be because I would have told her I'm not a fan of how she's using the guy and dropping him when convenient and making him do whatever she wants. All their breakups are pretty stupid and nonsensical, for people that technically wants to stay together that is. Realistic because she's not going to blow up her entire career for him? sure, realistic because he leaves his life and goes one year abroad to get space? not so much. All people around them also enable their relationship and no one seems to see the problems, not even their closest friends....okeeey.
In the constraints of ML character's portrayal is kinda realistic he didn't have any other partner because he was that obsessed with FL, but realistically in the real world? no. In real life if he had been that level obsessed to not get with anyone else probably he would have become a stalker or would have tried to end his life. Harsh, but let's be honest, his dependency of her passed as love is not exactly healthy. But anyway, this is kind of contradictory because it was not realistic in the drama that he would only obsess about her when she was around but seemingly he was capable and ok of letting her live her life when she was not around. Both of them use this IN-OUT in the relationship all the time, but it's not very realistic (especially on his side) with that level of dependency.
They have good times together, but they're very ready (when I say "they" here I mean mostly her though) to drop the other at the minimal inconvenience instead of talking to one another and deciding things together. Realistic? maybe in some doomed relationships, but either way not exactly a portrayal of a long lasting or meant-to-be relationship.
So overall, I think their portrayal of the relationship is ok on trying to show nuanced characters and a non healthy relationship, but again, the problem is when it's spoon fed to the audience as a healthy or fated relationship and trying for you to sympathise with their struggles (that they inflected on themselves), then I do have a problem with it. It's almost like they're trying to say that because they have been together and broken up so many times that that makes them fated lovers. I don't personally like it.
The plot is very thin and drags a lot. It's curious that I found the last episode of the series a lot more entertaining than any other in the series, mostly because it was more dynamic with seeing more of his work as a reporter, because let's be honest, the rest of the series he's pretty much just sat at this office table for a few scenes more than doing his job (and doesn't change the fact that most of the work he does is to help FL).
Meanwhile we get an FL that gets a position thanks to nepotism and we're told that she's good at it, even though she was not previously even interested. I guess the nepotism had to be excused in some manner.
Plot wise, FL's sister is more interesting, but even this plot was a bit dragged (paused at times for other subplots) and the resolution was not bad but not great, it felt a bit underwhelming because of how long it took to solve and how fast it was in the end.
FL's mother was presented as a conflict point at the beginning but then it was dropped and I guess the mother is amazing after all, a couple of words solved years of trauma of FL. Other than the plot with the sister, anything that came up plot wise on the side of the FL was kind of chaebol cliché and boring.
The last episode also has way more longing and feels than the rest of the series did for me, and it would have worked if the rest of the series had been different. One second you're feeling that longing, the rest you remember they're who they're and the history they have and you're like "I hope they actually don't find each other". But funny enough, them finding each other at that point would have actually have been better than what we got.
"Kids, your mother and I rekindled our relationship because our mutual best friend died and we met again at his funeral". Who thought this was a good idea? why did they kill that character anyway in the last episode? what was that??????? Bad writing!
Sorry to say at that point I started laughing at the sheer level of bad taste, it felt like a joke (this actually made me take half a point in my score of the series, you don't pull stupid moves like this 10 minutes to the end of the series). No, this specific move with the funeral doesn't make this more realistic. Them not meeting in Málaga? sure, although it wouldn't have been super unrealistic them finding each other there when she's actively looking for him, but it's ok.
Not like they could have made a million other reasons why ML would go back to Korea and meet her...
But I guess that since they couldn't just straight up start it and talk during the funeral (although technically she tried and it was not a cute move), they had to move the scene to the airport. Realistic? no, but cliché yes. Even ignoring the airport as a setting, realistic would be the guy saying "ok, yeah, let's talk when I come back maybe, as I said I came in a rush and I have things to wrap up back in Málaga. Plus I'm not going to waste the ticket I paid for, it was not cheap" (I mean, I imagine money doesn't matter in their case since she's loaded).
I guess this had the vibes of inverse Cinderella too in that sense.
Product placement is often and very on the face, I found it annoying.
Flashbacks with that blurry effect were terrible!!! It was...well... blurry, and very annoying to the eyes. They could have used a colour filter, a frame, grain , anything other than blurring the picture. I disliked every time there was a flashback because of this.
Overall I can't recommend, acting is good, there are a couple of cute moments if you forget the character's personalities and history but otherwise the writing/plot is boring, dragged, uninspired and their relationship is not healthy but presented as somehow fated.
I guess if you enjoy dramas like Lovestruck in the City you might like this too.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sea of Wasted Potential with Weak Story and Fragmented Chemistry!
I had expectations from this drama but was ultimately disappointed! We had 10 episodes and such a weak narrative throughout!When they were on the beach , it at least provided the visual appeal and was at least enough to keep me engaged in the story but as soon the story shifted to the city , it went downhill !
It felt one dimensional and boring!
Nothing substantial happened and the things that did happen didn't contribute to a positive development nor seemed necessary.
Coming to acting, Fort as Mut carried the whole show single handedly. His acting has improved and felt natural but in the case of Peat , the whole cold ML role was very unconvincing often coming off as overreaction.
Yes , the chemistry between them was there and was good but was very fragmented and inconsistent.
The tantrum that Rak threw in the last episode shows he literally had no to zero character development. And his sudden epiphany in the last 10 minutes felt rushed and unnatural. It might be impressive if the realisation came a few episodes earlier to make it more sincere.
And the other GL couple, they felt too forced. Vivi's treatment of Khaimuk didn't look like playful teasing to me. Treating the one you like as a slave and troubling them is not funny in my books! We are not in kindergarten where we tease the one we love to get their attention!
Even the friendship between all the characters felt utterly superficial, and I felt no emotional connection whatsoever!
Overall , I see only a sea of wasted potential with a weak story , underdeveloped characters with fragmented chemistry!
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Light, Light-Hearted, and Intriguing to Watch!
Overall + Plot:Douluo Continent was a pleasant drama to watch. It's perfect if you're looking for an interesting enough and light-hearted drama that's NOT packed with gruesome violence, deaths, and betrayals.
The plot was generally easy to follow — and not sure if this was just me lol, but it sometimes reminded me of Pokemon with all the battles, Soul Creature hunting, Soul Rings acquirement (these are for leveling up of power - similar Pokemons evolving), and ultimate tournament for the strongest Soul Master. There was just enough plot, mystery, and adventure to keep you intrigued, and not too much to confuse you. And a side note: I didn't find MyDramaList's plot summary for this drama to be entirely accurate because there was definitely not a lot of emphasis on imperial struggles in the drama, as the summary sort of implied. It was mostly just a journey of gaining strength for the main 7 characters.
I have seen some comments critiquing the romance between the main leads (that the romance wasn't enough or not well-developed), but I actually thought it was a refreshing take. From my understanding, this drama is only the beginning of Douluo Continent's novel and animation storyline. For this reason, the romance may start off slow, and the leads call each other "brother" and "sister" (these terms are pretty common in Cdramas of these genres and are rather indications of their closeness to each other, and not that they're actually siblings). On that note, their relationship with each other is strong and the romance was slow, but it felt more natural to watch.
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Acting/Cast:
Douluo Continent has a wonderful mix of good-natured, determined, and funny characters. The “7 Devils” (main group) all experienced personal growth and development. It was a rough start for them at first because each one of them had different personalities and backgrounds, but their team chemistry gradually solidified throughout the drama. For me, character growth and friendships are just so sweet to watch.
Their acting did not disappoint and the entire cast was very well-assimilated with their characters. I found it quite amusing how physically alike all the characters were to their Martial Souls (kind of like their animal spirits?). So whether it was the makeup team or cast, they did a great job of mimicking these Martial Souls, adding to the coherency of this drama. And for those of you who watched Arsenal Military Academy, I found it hilarious to see Li WenZhong here again. He really added a handful amount of humor and silliness to the drama!
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Other (tiny spoiler alert in the second paragraph of this section ):
The visual effects were so pretty and the computer-generated imagery was smoothly integrated with the scenes. I'm not an expert on music, but the music was always comfortable and suitable for the scenes.
Tiny spoiler alert ahead if you want to know the ending: Yes, the drama does end on a cliffhanger sort of thing, but as I mentioned before, Douluo Continent is only the beginning of the original storyline from the novel and animation, so the ending made sense. It wasn't a sad ending or one that would leave you grieving and miserable, it just keeps you hanging so you'll want to know what happens next.
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Last comments:
The lightness of the drama and its plot charmed me and I definitely would recommend it — especially if you want to take a break from heavy dramas with angst and misunderstandings and betrayals. I'm glad I watched this drama and did not regret watching it at all! It brought me a healthy amount of laughs and was aesthetic to watch too :)
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All about second chances.
Even with my excitement for Lee Joon Gi's comeback, due to recent trend in dramas, I wasn't really expecting too much and came here to only check out, thanking at least an average drama will be resulted. However, by the interval of the show, I found myself captivated and occupied by the entire thing and the pace with which everything was going on. It was difficult to get bored in any single instance and I was constantly absorbed by the quality of the show.Created by 'Studio S' & 'Viu' and produced by 'Samhwa Networks' & 'Kross Pictures', "Again My Life (어게인 마이 라이프)" is the 16 episodes live-action adaptation of the Kakao web novel with the same title authored by Lee Hae Nal, which was also turned into a webtoon, as well. Both written and directed by 2 pool persons each, the show is 5% fantasy, 80% politico-legal and 15% action thriller, which was originally broadcasted on SBS.
Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi), a rightful & passionate prosecutor gets murdered for trying to bring down a popular yet corrupted assemblyman, Cho Tae Sub (Lee Kyung Young), who with the facade of being a stain-free personality, controls the entire nation. Miraculously, Hee Woo gets resurrected into his past life with a second chance to prepare himself well in order to showcase the power of truth and laws to those who abuse it for their gains. The story follows the journey of him strategizing a revenge for years, along with people who have come to believe him in the course of time.
I must inform you that the show is not an "one man army" plot-device, rather, a "together we can" spirit, that makes it unique. There are plenty of supporting characters, each given a fair share of emphasis in the story with perfect screen share. The other familiar faces in the drama playing major characters are Kim Ji Eun, Kim Jae Kyung Jung Sang Hoon, Choi Kwang Il, Hong Bi Ra, Kim Hyung Mook, Kim Jin Woo, Ji Chan, Cha Joo Young, etc. Lee Soon Jae, Jeon Gook Hwan, Yoo Dong Geun, Lee Kyung Min, Kim Chul Ki, Kim Young Jo, Hyun Bong Sik, Hyun Woo Sang, Joo Woo, Park Chul Min, Kim Hee Chul, etc.are more like guest characters but appeared frequently in the show.
Not like the first time Lee Joon Gi went for a legal thriller but what makes this particular drama stand out is better performance, the revenge plot, the execution and not to forget his action scenes and sense of humour.
Plot development was amazing. The pilot episode wasn't very impressive and felt like it'll be another politico-legal thriller with cliché elements. However the next few episodes turned out to ve good, as the writer attempts to incorporate base-level strategy making skilla into the character. The accumulation of power and will by Hee Woo was constantly alleviating to watch. His initial efforts to save things dear to him, followed by his endeavour to prepare himself bettee with a goal in mind, everything was awfully alleviating. As the real fight begins from the 2nd quarter of the show, it starts to become ingesting. Every time, the viewers feel like Hee Woo would go for his main target, he surprises by trying to weaken another angle of the villain, thus moving one step closer towards his quarry. It became even more compelling in the last 6 episodes as we knew what's coming soon. The last 2 episodes were the real game and the ending sequences was as enthralling, however, that's where they messed up. It definitely became rushed towards the ending of 15th episode and the entire 16th episode was on some other level, which was the biggest flaw. I must admit the very ending left us confused hinting the possibility of another season, but I guess we can assume the aftermath and let it go. Finally, I didn't like the sacrifice part bcs that's what I had correctly guess and I think that could have been easily avoided by the writer.
Lee Byung Hun jakkanim with the experience of working as both the director and screenwriter in both K movies and dramas is assisted by two debutant writers J & Kim Yool, for this drama. Focusing on the national politics, the show has been a constant reminder that, no matter how crazy the headlines might seem, things could always get worse, especially beyond the surface. The utilization of elements like, corruption, bribery, power struggle, etc. throughout was congenial and appealing. The base establishment, the furtherance, the unveiling of facts, the flashback to future (you know why 'future' 😂), the character arcs and most importantly the way of making strategy have been very well drawn.
Han Chul Jin PDnim with more than 2 decades experience and the number of contemporary hits works here the debutant Kim Young Min PDnim, and the both have been able to pull off such a stupendous urban thriller story with nonexistent flaws. The direction radiates the scope for several subplots and maintains the quality of the show throughout. The art of criticizing politics directly is overt in influence and the messages and takeaway notes are more palatable through the lens of entertainment. The screenplay management, scenario setup, screen-editing, choice of location, etc. have been well handled. With less utilization of vfx and editing, the modern urban vistas of Seoul are mostly eye-pleasing and maintains dark era for most of the parts.
Composed by Kim Jong Chun (Philstring), the drama has a total of 7 OSTs, but honestly, some are good and proved suitable for the show's essence, while others weren't. "What the Ggang?" By Yoon Do Hyun ia a impulsive hardcore track depicting open challenge to the evil. "Bring It On" is an adrenaline-inducing track reminding one of it's strength, fiercely sung by Sonnet and has an amazing chorus. "Burn" by Park Do Joon is a jolly track aspiring for a better day and a good life through self-determination. In the mesmerizing vocals of Yu Sang Eun, is "Till The End" which is a quest for truth. Other tracks were "Alone" by GB9, "Shadow" by Hanhae & Kissxs and "Tragedy" by Sondia; I didn't really like these.
What I liked...
# The plot development is beyond likable. The viewers receive intrigue, excitement, action and danger, all wrapped in, and intertwined with, a political plot, accompanied with legal components.
# Performance from all the casts, particularly from Joon Gi and Kyung Young-nim has been highly pleasing. KY-nim's dialogue delivery and way of phrasing sentences is always amazing but here we get to watch a more refined vocabs of him; his character was intriguing despite being the antagonist, ngl.
# Action scenes, mostly involving modern self-defense as well as professional ring techniques were quite agreeable, particular the ones when Hee Woo clashed with Doctor K.
# Even though the drama feels like an "one man army" show, it's a matter of time to realise that Hee Woo is always at the centre of everything, controlling, regulating and manipulating the scenarios, but he had to benefit from a number of people, whom he loved, cherished and cared for, and was the recieved the same from others as well.
# Pacing and progression of the show is worthy of your time as it doesn't really have a mysterious plotz rather goal towards bringing down a particular being, and elimination of their strength one by one in the due course. It's again isn't a head-to-head clash between the prota- and anta- gonist, rather a mind game. Personally, I wasn't able to skip or fast forward at all and was constantly engaged.
# I am so happy there was no romance, really. From the beginning, it felt like the ML will have to go through the push & pull among multiple girls and possible admirations were hinted off initially as well, but everything boiled down to friendship though there is an indication of coupling at the end, as the original work.
# There is no definite bromance either, but Hee was admired by many men in the show, from old to young, because of his kindness and deeds, which was also good to see.
# Finally, i must inform that there is no ML FL here, there are only main characters, supported by others, that's it.
What I didn't like...
Not just the writer, everyone in the team of makers are at equal fault. Even if there were no original novel, this show actually had to be of 20 episodes or at least 2 more episodes were a must. But for the sake of meeting the standard 16 episode quota, they messed up things a bit. So, for the drama writer, it would have been wise to develope plot in a way that the events from the beginning were a lil faster hence minimizing the rush that we saw in the last episode.
Final Remarks... What a show! What a show! What a show about legal battle between the righteous and the corrupted plus powerful. The show was able to give away insights about one's greed and it's impact on the powerless and common man.The show is highly entertaining, engaging and enjoyable which allows you to stick to it throughout the end. I am not able to find a particular flaw tbh. So my overall ratings are based on the levels of uniqueness, execution and the final experiences about the outcomes, which has led me to give it a fair 8.0. We all must realize it was not the best or something very mind-blowing, but very good per se with high production and entertainment value. Must recommended, please watch.
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1Everything stays in the family… kind of.
I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like both romances in the drama were not questionable, they were. I also have to give props to the director and writer for doing their best to deal with potential issues a story like that could present. Age gap, family relations, grooming, predatory behavior, lack of informed consent - all that could have been an issue, but somehow they managed to avoid shooting themselves in the foot - for most parts.What we’ve got, rather than just a romance, was a found family trope drama. The bond between Wei Qiao and Wei Zhi Yuan was deep and meaningful, slowly transforming into a partnership. They knew each other's shortcomings, they understood each other’s pain, they found home in each other’s presence.
Whenever the drama did a good job transforming the brotherly bond into a romantic one is a matter of opinion, personally I was quite fine with it. Being an overanalyzer, I appreciate how the show made me reflect on their relationship, examine how much of the connection was form on shared trauma and how much was driven by pure love. I’m glad the writer, with how the plot and characters were written, kept reassuring me that what they had was more than just codependency. Do I think both of them should go to therapy? Of course, but they are not the first, nor the last BL couple to never truly address or deal with the trauma.
We witness a story of two people who were abandoned and who found peace and happiness with each other. They had to face a lot of setbacks, both external and internal, to finally admit to each other feelings and allow themselves to be loved and love the other. The journey was not easy, but with love stories like that, it shouldn’t be. For me to enjoy this type of romance I need to understand it first, I need to feel like the characters also understand their own feelings. That they thought about it, talked about it, that there is no misunderstanding. And Unknown managed to do just that.
What made it possible were obviously the performances. Chris Chiu made the confusion and the strong internal denial Wei Qian was facing so real and raw. The way we could see on his face what he wanted, and how it went against what he actually did. The constant regret and fear of the situation and the feelings he could not quite understand and accept. Then we have Kurt Huang as Wei Zhi Yuan - from a chaotic teen, to resigned young adult, to confident adult. We witnessed his growth, we saw his dedication and unwavering feelings. And it all seemed so real on the screen.
All that said, there was one aspect of the show I just simply could not comprehend. One directing and editing choice that ruined quite an important scene for me. And I just cannot understand who thought this was a good idea and how no one questioned that choice on all the steps of the production.
Overall, it was less about finding a lover, and more about finding home. A partner that can understand and support you. One that you can rely on. One that always has your back. A partnership. Sharing the burden, sharing the happiness. A drama about finding a family and then working hard to keep it, in whatever form it might be.
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SO much wrong with this
I came to this because I just discovered Takeru Satoh - I just watched all the Rouroni Kenshi movies and wanted to see something else he was in. This was one of the few things I could find - and man was this a horrible shift.Everything about this drama is so wrong - from beginning to end, this drama is what is wrong with Asian rom-coms. That someone thought this was a good story of a ‘romantic’, healthy adult relationship is just a bit disturbing.
While commenters have issue with the age gap - that is not really the problem - its the maturity gap. She has the maturity level of a teenager while the ML has the maturity level of an adult . Not to mention the power dynamic that he is her superior at work. It’s all just so wrong.
Let’s start with the idea that a teenage girl, on her day of graduating from high school, goes to a temple to pray that she finds a good man, stumbles upon a woman with a medical emergency and the dashing, handsome doctor shows up, smiles at her, pats her on the head and whola! - I’m in love! To the point of running off to become a nurse so she “can be near him’ - not because she wants to be a nurse and help people, doesn’t decide to become doctor because she just witnessed him saving the woman - but, no, lets be a nurse so I can stand next to him - wrong!
She then spends 5 years to go to school so she can get a job at his hospital, then shows up and runs around proclaiming her love for this person in the middle of the workplace- to a man who she has only even, met briefly once in her life. She then spends all her time bumbling around, acting like a pre-teen with a crush on an idol. And she never grows out of it. Wrong!
Then there is the whole awkward dating situation - again, the maturity gap happens - he clearly has experience and she clearly has none. She has this very romanticized, teenager mentality of what being in a relationship means and it just doesn’t fit - most of the time she seems terrified - that dear-in-the-headlights, ready to jump out of her skin look on her face and in her demeanor - very subservient, bowing and apologizing all the time - all the while he is calling her an idiot every five minutes. It is just the most unhealthy dynamic and yet the writers/directors and even viewers - all think this is ‘romantic’, it is not.
You never get a real sense of why he likes her and it isn’t event until the second to last episode that he says anything. He spends most of the time ignoring her, glaring at her and generally looking like he is annoyed with her and then one day, just turns around on the street and kisses her - what?!?!
I also do not see, not just one, not two, but three grown men falling in love with her - that this idea of an immature 22 year old, who behaves like teenager is somehow so appealing that men are falling over themselves - is just absurd.
And then there is the older sister of the dead girlfriend who shows up and just happens to look EXACTLY like the dead girlfriend, hasn’t seen the guy since she died and is now ‘in-love’ with him - seriously! I cant even with this stupidity.
Overall - most of the problems come back to this maturity issue. it would be one thing, if through out the show you see her mature and him soften - but that never happens (he does, ever-so-slightly - but not really enough)
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MUST WATCH! LOVE THE LEADS ESPECIALLY ZHOU YU TONG!!
I don't usually watch c-drama (I'm a k-drama fans), but I'm so lucky to have found this drama, though the story is cliché but it was well written & executed.This drama spoiled us with such visual from the leads 😍😍😍 and throughout the series we were spoiled with so many lovey dovey scenes, their chemistry was off the charts. having watched their BTS scenes, they looked really comfortable with each other.
Zhou Yu Tong has became my fav c-actress, I found her playing LFN sooooo charming and I can't imagine any other actress to pull it off like her. While Simon Gong's visual is just so dreamy.
Hope they can reunite in other drama in the future or can we please get season 2
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i love the female lead. She's smart and determined without resorting to over the top "strong female lead" tropes.
the acting is pretty good but there are moments where Lin Liu Di shows he's not as good as his co-stars. it throws off the vibe but not much and not for long.
i love Chris Wu but here he feels a touch miscast, or maybe it's just the direction or his performance. the character seems to have wanted to be animated and lively, but Wu's portrayal is muted and occasionally joyless.
still a great drama though.
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This review may contain spoilers
a saga of delayed justice and shattered innocence
There are crime dramas that want to uncover who the killer is.And then there are dramas that understand that was never the most important part of the story.
This one belongs entirely to the second group.
Inspired by the real Hwaseong murders, the series uses a criminal investigation to talk about guilt, abuse of power, and the lives destroyed when a system chooses to protect itself before protecting innocent people.
The result is a dark, emotionally exhausting thriller that’s impossible to forget.
At first, it seems to follow a familiar structure:
a veteran detective, an ambitious prosecutor, and a serial murder case that comes back to haunt everyone decades later.
But it quickly becomes clear that the focus was never just about finding the culprit.
The story follows Tae joo, an investigator still trapped by the mistakes of the past as he revisits a case that ruined countless lives. Alongside him is Si young, a prosecutor willing to sacrifice anything to achieve results.What makes it interesting is that neither of them becomes a hero or a villain. Both carry guilt, frustration, and an almost desperate need to justify their own choices.
And that makes everything even heavier.
Much like Memories of Murder, the series is inspired by the Hwaseong murders that took place between 1986 and 1991.
For decades, the case became a symbol of police failure in South Korea. The real criminal was only identified in 2019, and before that, an innocent man spent years in prison after being tortured into confessing to a crime he never committed.
That tragedy becomes the emotional foundation of the entire story.
Because the drama has no interest in turning the killer into a fascinating figure. The focus is on the victims, the families, and the people destroyed by the investigation itself.Comparisons to Memories of Murder are inevitable, but the two works follow very different paths.
Bong Joon ho’s film was created while the case was still unsolved. There’s a constant feeling of helplessness and emptiness throughout it.
This story, however, takes place after the real killer has already been identified.
So the mystery stops being “who did this?” and becomes:
“How many lives were destroyed before the truth finally came out?”
The narrative trades suspense for guilt. Curiosity for pain. And it works incredibly well because of that.
⏩ Park Hae soo delivers an outstanding performance as Tae joo.
The character feels emotionally broken at all times, like someone carrying decades of regret without ever being able to move forward. It’s a quiet performance, but incredibly intense in its smallest details.
⏩ Lee Hee joon is also excellent as Cha Si young. The character could have easily become just “the corrupt politician,” but the actor portrays something far more disturbing: a man who genuinely believes the ends justify any means.
⏩ Kwak Sun young serves as the moral conscience of the story, constantly pushing the characters toward questions no one wants to answer.
The most terrifying aspect is realizing that the injustice is never treated as a simple accident.
The police wanted quick answers. The higher ups wanted stability. The media wanted someone to blame. And someone had to pay the price.
The innocent man who was imprisoned doesn’t feel like an isolated mistake. He feels like the inevitable consequence of an entire system functioning exactly the way it was designed to.
The structure jumping between 1988 and 2019 reinforces this idea constantly: the past never truly disappears. It survives through guilt, trauma, and silence.
Park Joon woo’s direction contributes enormously to the atmosphere.
Everything feels cold, exhausted, and uncomfortable. Even simple scenes carry a constant tension.
There’s also an interesting contrast between the two timelines:
1988 feels chaotic and suffocating. 2019 feels quiet, but haunted.
As if no one ever truly managed to move on.
This is not an easy drama to watch.
It’s slow at times, emotionally heavy, and completely uninterested in offering comfort to the audience.
But that’s exactly why it works so well.More than a crime thriller, the series is about collective guilt, institutional violence, and the human cost of turning justice into spectacle.
And when it ends, the feeling it leaves behind isn’t satisfaction.
It’s emptiness.
Fun fact: during the real investigation, the police placed scarecrows at the crime scenes with notes threatening the killer if he didn’t turn himself in. He never did. The scarecrows rotted away. The case remained unsolved for thirty years.
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