Distorted Reality
Dr. Brain is a character-driven story about one man’s quest to unravel a profound mystery through highly experimental science that delves deep into the far reaches of the human subconscious and beyond the boundaries of reality. Simply put, the main character boldly goes where no one has ever gone before, in a metaphysical sense. Watching this drama feels akin to consuming magic mushrooms because I find my entire cerebral cortex utterly immersed into the warped and psychedelic nature of the storytelling.Co-produced by Kakao Entertainment, the company that owns popular streaming platform Kakao TV, Dr. Brain is promoted as an Apple original series. It is the first Korean-language series to debut on the American platform, where the global premiere on 4 November 2021 coincides with the launch of Apple TV+ in South Korea. Principal photography took place at Daejeon while Daejeon University was used as the setting for the Brain Science Research Centre.
The drama is an adaptation of the Kakao-Daum webtoon Dr. Brain by Hong Seong-hyeok, which was serialized in 2016 (Season 1) and this year (Season 2). The source material is a sci-fi thriller based on the premise that the brain is able to live on for 37 hours after death.The titular character harnesses this knowledge by tapping into the brains of the dead to seek clues or answers for solving mysteries. I haven’t read the webtoon but I can attest that the narrative stays true to the basis of this pseudoscience. I get similar vibes of Flatliners (both versions of the US film) where things quickly escalate out of hand when folks volunteer as test subjects for their own experiments. I find the plot immensely intriguing, complex and suspenseful. The first episode is extremely slow burn where the backstory of the ML is painstakingly established but once the overarching mystery begins to take shape and the mind-blowing action sequences kick off, particularly from the second episode onwards, there’s no turning back after that.
The quality of this drama is top tier, in terms of the production values, technical execution and the reputable production team as well as the critically acclaimed main cast. Kim Jee Woon, the multiple award winning filmmaker and celebrated auteur, serves as director and screenwriter. The influence of his unique stylistic approach extends over the masterfully executed cinematography, which presents some of the most gorgeous visuals seen this year in K-dramaland. I love the cinematic grading, neo noir outlook of the night scenes, and beautiful application of colours, especially in the “mind warped” segments. In terms of the direction and tempo, the director deftly balances the transitions between the quieter introspective and emotional moments with the intensely frenetic parts. Despite the short format of 6 episodes, the storytelling does not feel constrained while the tension as well as plot points are allowed to breathe without giving the impression of being rushed.
The original score is composed by Lee Sung Hyun aka Mowg, another stellar name attached to the production who comes with a long list of achievements and prestigious awards. The music is a blend of suspenseful, evocative and deeply emotional instrumentals that encapsulates the essence of the drama and connects very well to the varied scenes. Elements of contemporary electronic music and orchestral renditions are incorporated into the soundtrack as part of the eclectic BGM.
The cast is headlined by Lee Sun Kyun, fresh from his appearance in Parasite, for which he garnered major acting honours and critical acclaim. He plays the titular character in a performance which he delivers with consummate conviction where he showcases such impressive range that matches the depth of characterization. He not only has to portray an extremely intelligent scientist but also an emotionally dysfunctional man who literally goes through hell and back in both the real world and the surreal state of the human psyche. Add to that his affinity with a particular feline, a truly surprisingly absurd yet incredibly entertaining aspect of the drama.
Park Hee Soon is an actor who won the hearts of many through his compelling performance in the recent Netflix drama, My Name. Here in a supporting role as the side character, Lee Kang Moo, he is much more understated and has limited screen time. Seo Ji Hye, recently seen in Crash Landing on You and Dinner Mate, portrays police detective Lieutenant Cho. She has slightly more screen time than the rest of the supporting cast and gets involved in a number of high octane action sequences. She certainly looks the part and provides a decent account of the rather limited characterization. I would have liked to know more about her character but the focus is very much on the ML, hence the lack of significant character development for the people around him. The same applies to the character of Jung Jae Yi, his wife, played by Lee Yoo Young who almost spends the entire time being comatose, were it not for the numerous “flashback” scenes.
All things considered, along with the well written and executed ending, I would consider Dr. Brain a hugely satisfying entry to the K-drama psychological thriller genre. Kept on the edge of my seat once I was hooked, I simply could not stop watching and anticipating the conclusion to the ML’s search for the truth. My only qualm - I wished it was longer. This is truly one of those productions where I’m hoping for a second season.
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The acting was done well for the most part. Barbie Hsu is an alright actress, I've seen her in Meteor Garden [she really doesn't look much different in the 1O years since that drama aired], and her acting is honestly just about the same as it was then. Not horrible but not the best. I mentioned above that I noticed Peter Ho in Three Kingdoms - so to see his contrast in characters makes me think that he is a good actor, as he played his part well and convincing. This is the first drama I've seen Huang Xiao Ming in and I think he's another great actor! I really felt for his character. Both of the guys - you could feel that they both loved Xia Mo [Barbie].
The music was really nice, I loved almost all of it! From Peter Ho's "Wo Ji De Wo Ai Guo" to Barbie Hsu's "Bubble Mermaid" were all nice songs. And the instrumentals were also nice and added emotion to the drama.
I'm not sure if I'll rewatch this drama anytime soon, or if I'll rewatch it again in the future. While I enjoyed it, it's not something I can see rewatching again.
Overall I think this drama is a little underrated, and it's a drama filled with romance and angst.
One thing I wanna add is Barbie's character, Xia Mo, is a character that I had a hard time liking. She's a character that's hard to related to, and she isn't open about her feelings.
And I'd also like to mention as a side note: I found out that this drama was based off a novel trilogy, which someone also translated online [all three books - dedicated!]. I plan on reading their translation and will post the link to those interested below in the comments box (:
It was also made into a manhua before being made into this drama series.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great Acting by the Entire Cast But Plot Took a Nosedive in the 2nd Half
I'd seen a retro tribute modern drama already with ZLY this year but this one had a totally different premise, so I wanted to see how she would handle a harder plot and though she and the rest of the cast did a wonderful job in their respective roles, the plot took a serious nosedive towards the second half and the end.Pros: I can't say enough about the acting of this very professional cast. ZLY did a terrific job as XBX, a stubborn, enterprising, reflective, yet very flawed character and everyone else followed. At first, I wasn't a fan of GXY as she appeared like a spoiled rich girl going through a rebellion but it became clear after a handful of episodes that though she was spoiled and bratty, she had a big heart and really cared about TXQ. The "steel trio" of XBX, TXQ, and CYZ were a great bunch who sincerely loved one another even if that sometimes came across as tough love or protection in the form of lying which backfired more often then not. The intent behind it was real.
Other favorite characters were ZL, President Gao, Dr. Su, Su Computer Nerd, and manager Jia; all were wonderful supportive people to XBX and each other wherever they fit. When it came to the good guys, all of their parts were done accordingly. The scenery and OSTs were on point and appropriate.
Cons: While I understood this was a propaganda tribute drama and that it would have a lot of that included in it, what absolutely shocked me was the hamster wheel plot of the antagonists would completely overshadow even that. There were a total of 4 really bad guys, one coward, and one insignificant idiot that came and went. The plot essentially took a nosedive in the second half when the 3 main antagonists/business partners and XBX plus her ex routinely sent each other to jail. It was a literal revolving door of prison sentences. They'd set each other up, beg for someone else to take the fall, or manage to somehow twist themselves loose so many times that all of their illegal deeds combined would probably equal a 25 year minimum for each save XBX.
Everyone of them ended up with some sort of redemption arc in the last few episodes that they didn't deserve. Even though Mr. Wu did turn himself in, in the final 15 minutes of the last episode, the amount of illegalities he'd done throughout the years should have seen him in prison for more then just a year. I didn't like the antagonists at all in this series, though their acting was on point 100%, it was because every time one would get into trouble, he'd get himself out by setting someone else up, rinse, repeat x maybe 8! The storyline hindered them completely which was very sad because they could have really done something more believable in terms of how the law worked.
Speaking of the law, how is it that TXQ got 5 years in prison for kicking XBX's ex in the balls while the latter was choking her to death (murder attempt number 1) and the ex 10 years later only got 1 month after he ran her off the road and threw a metal pipe at her head causing a head injury (murder attempt number 2)? So saving another person from near death is illegal but actually trying to kill someone isn't. In that second case plus with the antagonists, was XBX Mother Theresa? She gave the ex a debit card that she'd deposit money in each month to help him and the kid he adopted. She felt like she owed him; for what? Trying to kill her? Same with Wu, Qiu, and even Dong, they'd set her up but there she goes trying to bail them out. That kind of backwards logic was confusing. Lastly on this topic, they essentially spent the last 4-6 episodes spouting various domestic and international laws that the average viewer wouldn't have a clue as to what was happening.
Another point of contention was with poor CYZ, once it was obvious he had terminal cancer and had little time to live, they kept dragging his death out. It was brutal to watch; they could have had the pier sunrise scene maybe 6 episodes earlier then they did. Made me wonder if they purposefully did it as filler but that's like the really wrong way of going about that. Because even to the last episode, they brought him in as happy and in flashbacks. That would have been way better then what was done with his character at that time.
The introduction of Russian speaking characters that couldn't speak the language fluently like Nina was ridiculous especially to someone whose native tongue it is. The entire Russian arc in the beginning, I fast forwarded because it was off historically among many other things. The last part that bugged me though it wasn't huge were the costumes especially XBX's wedding dress which was straight out of the 1980s instead of the year 2000. Some ppl said she didn't have enough money for a new one but that didn't jive either as by that time she and ZL lived in a huge house and her car was a Mercedes, she didn't drive herself but had a driver and assistant with her at nearly all times.
So though the acting was very well with a professional cast, the storyline/plot started out strong but then just unraveled. Hadn't it been for the great acting, I would have given it a much lower score.
Would I recommend it? Honestly, only if you like ZLY or anyone else in the cast. Otherwise, plot wise it's not strong at all with many factual and historical errors.
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You can’t dress up a shopping bag and call it a Vuitton original.
A good drama has to start with memorable characters and an insightful script. Unfortunately, the lead characters lacked depth, which is the hook that gets you intrigued. And early in the drama, when so many of the supporting cast verge on caricature, you are in deep trouble. I finally engaged at Episode 14 and hoped that the last two episodes might offer something good. But unfortunately not.All the good cinematography, costumes, direction and acting in the world won’t make up for mediocre writing, whereas good writing can sometimes carry a show lacking in other departments. Unfortunately, in the main, the script was bland and occasionally descended into cringe-worthy cliché. It was sprinkled with unrealistic dialogue and spoken thoughts that often sounded remarkably like quotes from the Little Book of Banal.
It took until three-quarters of the way through for me to feel that the writer had any serious grasp of the issues that she was trying to reveal. It’s all very well to explore the concept that letting someone go can be a way of loving them, but you need to convincingly show the whole arc. In so many episodes, only the obvious was presented and if it doesn’t take you by surprise, you don’t feel you have been drawn in. You merely skate along the surface with everyone else and learn nothing. It does not strike your heart as a truth.
We were not given a proper start to the relationship, it seemed to arise fully formed, like Venus, out of the waves of a one-night stand. And somehow, with barely a hint of conversation, a great deal of obstinate rejection and a liberal dose of patronising condescension, love emerged. From Here to Eternity was suddenly swirling on the beach. The explanation? Destiny and a photograph… The actors were given only a tiny fragment of a foundation to stand on and build their parts convincingly. It’s not surprising therefore, that I failed to connect and give the relationship the degree of credibility it was asking for.
There were not many places for JKY to explore in the character of the male lead. For most of the drama, Jae Guk’s inner conflicts and decision making-processes were not really investigated and surely, in the circumstances of the story, there must have been some discordant motivations and doubts. It was Episode 11 before the character Jae Guk got something to ruffle his feathers. As a result I can somewhat forgive JKY for the lack-lustre performance.
The writing was a little better for the female lead and I did feel that SHK was given enough to be able to explore the emotional landscape in a bit more depth. But again, there could have been more in the performance. Perhaps a rather mundane direction by Lee Gil Bok, didn’t help. New to being a director (this is his second drama in that role), I don’t think he had the insight and feel for how to show-not-tell that Ahn Pan Seok so excels at. Actors need help to bring out their best, subtle performances in these more mature, sotto voce dramas.
I felt that the writer, Je In, was more in her groove and had a deeper appreciation to contribute to the sub-plot involving Mi Suk (Park Hyo Ju). Here the reactions and sentiments expressed were more insightful and this is where, for me, the most moving and interesting parts of the drama lay.
Every writer has a genre that they are good at. Misty was a far superior product. Romance has it’s own skill-set and from this offering, I’m not sure Je In has really understood or mastered it.
As for the sound track, even the singer sounded bored. The theme tune homage to Chopin didn’t fit with the other music in the show and seemed uncomfortably out of place.
It was a cast of actors whom I have seen many times before and whom I know can offer up a good performance when strong writing demands it. The performances I enjoyed were some of the supporting cast, notably Yoon Na Moo as Mi Suk’s husband. Only Kim Joo Heon of the leads convinced me and as with everything in this drama, I had to wait for it.
What my rating means: 4+ I forced myself to go through to the end of it, but only because I was committed to writing the review. It annoyed the hell out of me. Actively avoid.
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Sex is not filmed in a gratuitous way. Some people were surprised by the sex in this film, but it plays an enormous role in the story. Consider: the stability of the kingdom right now depends on the production of an heir. Internal rebellions and attempts to assassinate the king, even ministers petition that he abdicate, are causing chaos. Everyone knows that the king is interested in men, not women. They know the head of his personal guard is the one warming his bed at night, and this is why there is no heir.
The Queen's most important duty is producing an heir. She can't do that because the king cannot fill his end of the bargain. But to protect his image, she blames herself publicly so he does not lose face. She must endure so much humiliation because of him.
Then, to add insult to injury, he sends his favorite lover to bed her! Why he thought this was a good idea, is anyone's guess. Still, the Queen for the first time experienced physical passion and the Guard, well, he realizes that maybe he has been ill used by the king. After all, he has groomed him since he was quite young, and maybe he is only sharing the king's bed because he feels he must, out of obligation. Out of respect and a different kind of love...but he has never questioned it until now....It's also kind of twisted how the king could even ask him to do this....he just wants the child she has to look like him which is kind of romantic but so...selfish.
What I liked:
How each time he came to her bed, he essentially worshiped her body. I don't know if he insta-fell in love with her or if he just didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, but he tried to make her feel good and focused on her needs which was really nice considering she didn't want to be there and neither did he (I guess that changed...)
Also....the feeling of watching him fall in love with her and thinking THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL....but not caring....So sad...It isn't like he can break up with the king and be with her...and how he tries to steal glimpses of her....*sigh*
What I Loved:
When the Queen took the initiative! She was taking back control of her body! Especially in a time when women had zero control in those matters!
What I found to be REALLY Strange:
The emperor sat outside and listened to them have sex. Why would you subject yourself to that?
Overall Opinion:
The acting was great. It's hard to make a film with this much sex not seem like it is being exploitative. It was filmed very beautifully. The emotions were captured well. It was very well done. The only other film that I have seen with this amount of sex in it that was also able to film sex without it being exploitative was Monster's Ball (an American Film) obviously a very different film but still very good.
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In a world full of Jenny's and WeiWei's be an An DuoDuo
This short but sweet show was a total ride! After watching a few years of Chinese dramas I became accustomed to seeing the typical FL silently accepting adversity, and allowing herself to be bullied because she's too "nice" to retaliate and stand up for herself. I understand cultural norms, but eventually the wilting flower FL becomes overdone and repetitive. This FL was absolutely not willing to let others push her around, threw some of her own punches, and didn't allow anyone to mistreat her without retaliation. It was an absolute breath of fresh air and I NEED more FL's like this in my life.An even better aspect was the ML. He adored her just as she was, no judgement. He even stood back and watched her with a smirk on his face while she was being a total badass. He was right there with her, helping her solve her problems and get her revenge, and enjoyed himself thoroughly through it all. He made no offhand comments or judgmental remarks about her decisions, and didn't try to change her strong sense of self. I also NEED more ML's like this in my life.
The over-wrought drama of the plot was a bit campy, but seemed intentionally so. The evil mistress-turned-wife and ex-almost-mother-in-law were worthy opponents for the FL, and their over the top antics added just the right amount of crazy to the plot. Even the FL's interactions with her ex-fiancée were extremely satisfying because of how decisive she was after his infidelity.
This drama was well worth the short amount of time it took to watch it. It's a quick binge to cleanse your palette of those flavorless boring FL's and controlling ML's.
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Masterpiece, award winning worth drama
Masterpiece, the best chinese drama for me so far, even better than similar theme kdramas (start up, maybe?) in terms of closeness to reality, the chemistry of the casts, life lesson and the struggle. I dont watch many chinese dramas nowadays, i watch a lot k dramas and some lakorns, but since i watched cdramas, taiwanese drama since 1990-2000an era (F4 era), i can say that this is the best chinese drama ever. The c dramas i watched before has a lot of fillers boring scene, uncontinuity storyline, unrealistic story, but this one change my mindset of how a good chinese drama can also be made.Finished watching it and i wish i could erase my memory just to rewatch it over and over again!
Plus points:
- amazing cinematography, aesthetic sceneries, how they shoot the camera angle are at the top notch level
- beautiful soundtracks
- engaging storyline, minimal filler scenes, even almost every little thing means something later
- success story always encourage us and motivating, how our FL never give up
- plot twists, and many of it, story telling runs smoothly consistent
- chemistry between the lead, the flirting, both of ML and FL are bad ass in nature
- ML and FL visuals....clothes..who would argue with this?
- character developments, they all learning to become better person in the end, nobody's perfect
- side characters such as aunt Yue, workers like uncle Zhang, who stays beside and help Jianghu during her lowest time - very touching
- smart ML and FL
What i don't like
- last episode is not enough for us - can we get extension episode please
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This show has it all: family drama, birth secrets galore, business makjang, murder, White Trucks Of Doom™ which may all seem cliche and typical but you know what it also has? A bad-ass, strong, don't-need-no-man female lead who gets whatever she wants done through her intelligence and diligence. Her only flaw? The desire to be loved by her adopted family. While the first few episodes may just seem like her suffering, believe me when I say it gets better.
Like I said, it's a sleeper hit. A lot of people either dropped it too early or they just skipped it all together (hence the comments) but THIS. SHOW. IS. GOLD.
The OST is amazing (please do your ears a favour and listen to You Are by KLANG), Lee Yoo Ri and Song Chang Eui kill it as the leads and the bad guys are so bad, you want to hurl things at the screen. However this show gave me so much adrenaline and the ending was just PERFECTION.
Please don't just take my word for it, watch it yourself and get to at the very least half of it before judging it. A lot of people are missing out and I really hope people see this show for what it really is, an amazing story about a badass woman who finds people who truly love her and discovers her self worth instead of letting her status as an orphan get in the way.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Not Very Shadowy but Loved the Case Solving w/the Majority bringing it Back to the Main one.
I wanted to see WXY in something that wasn't a costume drama. This was republican era so I knew it would be beautiful with costumes and sets. He absolutely handled it very well. I wish more versatile roles for him. The rest of the cast handled themselves well too.Pros: It all begins with a case from 20 something years ago where the ML's sister and the FL are involved in a kidnapping and child trafficking operation. ML's sister is missing and possibly presumed dead but we don't find out until the very end. The FL ends up having amnesia but ML knows who she is. The initial big case is the one that they are looking to solve as it's a big cold case and yet many of the other cases within the series tieback to this original case as unfortunately, the child trafficking and other horrible things are happening to young women and girls. There are other cases that have nothing to do with the big case which I like the fact that they added sprinkled into the series and that it's not just about this main case. There are a lot of middle villains and many villains that do their part.
When meeting again as adults the ML and FL at first get off on the wrong foot because the ML uses her as bait to lure out the killer(s)/person (people) responsible for his sister's disappearance. After a period of another two years, the FL joins the police force where the ML is an inspector and at first, though not too fond of each other, they do grow to trust each other with the help of an intelligence dude Mr. Du who has a thing for the FL but once he realizes and it takes a while and quite a few people to try to get him to understand that she has no feelings for him and he sees that the ML and the FL have grown to care about each other, he does the gentlemanly thing and gives up. Instead, he and the medical examiner aka Dr. Ding get together.
I guess you can call them the four amigos as they go around trying to solve each case that either rolls back to the main one or find the murderers respectively. Other actors in the support section do a great job too. I have to say that the psycho serial killer with a grin was an awesome antagonist. When someone is so creepy with the way they kill that it makes you think of Silence of the Lambs and Buffalo Bill's line, "it rubs the lotion on its skin", you know that's someone believable.
I like that there was romance in it, but it didn't overpower the main theme. I also like the fact that the flashbacks were necessary, but also didn't overpower the episodes or were repetitive but instead they moved the story along. We got our HE with the ML proposing to the FL and he found his sister alive which is great for them both and the ending was very satisfactory.
Cons: Many people didn't see this as an issue, but it did kind of make me feel strange when the actress who played the FL for the most part, walked around with a frown on her face and didn't properly react to emotions unless it was happiness or love. I have seen this actress before and I do not recall the same. That and she, for some reason would always walk into danger alone. It was like she was a magnet to somehow end up by herself and at the mercy of some thug or killer, though she was always either rescued by the ML or was able to take care of herself; slightly. There had to be a lot of suspended disbelief, especially for the other main antagonist because of how quickly everybody figured out who he was, even though they tried so hard to hide his face in the shadows or behind poles it was quite obvious who he was, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out either.
Another thing that was very strange and unnecessary was to portray both leads as superhuman because they would get shot and bounce back like nothing happened, going after whoever shot them in most cases the creepy serial killer guy. And lastly, how his sister actually survived living in some random village for 20 years vaguely remembering her brother or at least the embroidery that he did for her while other children that were trafficked were killed or harmed, so it didn't really make sense for her to survive unless she was bought by a couple that needed kids. Only rational explanation I have.
Would I recommend it? Despite a lot of inconsistencies and strange things; the series was actually a great watch, even though it only lasted four days. Watch for the cases, for the actors, and of course, the beautiful costumes and scenery that always adorn the Republican era.
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1too many characters/couples and an unfinished finale (watch the 1 couple cut)
Overall: there were 9 actors listed as main roles and 14 listed as support roles, they needed to cut the characters by half and then focus on the fewer characters/couples. I took a full point off for that finale which was one of the worst finales I have ever seen in anything, they dropped several plot threads/had no resolution for several characters/couples. 8 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI and MFlow Entertainment's YouTube Channel (not in the U.S.). Produced by MFlow Entertainment which also made Tin Tem Jai, Ai Long Nhai, Coffee Melody Second Chance and With Love.After airing they made a special cut of just the established couple which I'd suggest watching instead of the series https://www.iq.com/play/beyond-the-star-nnkh0lxm1c?lang=en_us Just wish they would have had a better ending for them than a pinky promise promising not to cheat...
What Suggestions if you watch the whole thing (prioritizing the established couple and intimate scenes)
episode 1 - 14 minutes established couple sniff kisses
episode 2 - 32 minutes established couple in a window seat having fun
episode 3 - 5 minutes established couple in a tub having fun
episode 4 - 4 minutes glasses & friend dream kissing, 22 minutes established couple flirting & 33 minutes shopping
episode 5 - 16 minutes established couple on a couch having fun, 33 minutes established couple brief kisses
episode 6 - 36 minutes foot injured couple confession, sniff kiss and bed scene
episode 7 - 24 minutes (NSFW with foot injured couple) to 33 minutes and just pretend that's the end (episode 8 does have a meh NSFW scene with that guy wearing glasses 31-37 minutes)
Content Warnings: non con video recording/sharing, slap, manhandling, attempted suicide
What I Liked
- an established couple, they had some nice kisses/scenes
- cafe worker's dimples (though not sure why he lied about his part time job when the other character specifically said he didn't have to lie about it???)
- some decently done NSFW scenes (the established couple)
- (neutral) there were a few comedy sound effects, they weren't overwhelming
Room For Improvement
- there were a ton of characters introduced in episode 1 and I didn't care about any of them, I did eventually figure most of them out but then characters would vanish for an episode or more
- nonsense writing, a character said that they were waiting for another character to practice when we clearly saw them all practicing...
- slow pacing, I watched at 3x speed, didn't care about the rival company stuff or dance practices
- slap was not needed and not funny
- kind of hinted at a love triangle was annoying
- that final episode was absolutely terrible, barely anything was resolved, they also threw in a very serious thing in episode 8 with no discussion of counseling/medication/help
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This review may contain spoilers
Slow Start, Good Finish
I always loved QL's shows and she doesn't disappoint yet again! (Her little reactions/expressions are so on point)Not gon deny this show started off really slow, and a little boring but it eventually gets to you. Three good friends with totally different lifestyles but yet being tight as a group absolutely resonates. ML and FL (Wang Yang + Qinlan)'s arc started off primarily in office (although they did have a history as teens) but once they realised their affection for each other was always there, they got so direct with their love, it became really comfortable to watch. They supported each other in their own ways and bantered as adults (unlike other shows with push-and-pull between leads lol). Super clear and clean.
SML and SFL (Liu Yun's arc) was the most difficult to watch until she saw through her cheating husband's disgusting behaviour and never looked back. The story showed how she could be submissive for her husband because of how much she loved him, only for him to treat her reliance as weakness. She could be a total hopeless romantic but once she saw his true colours, she cut all ties almost immediately and that was really strong.
The other SML and SFL (Alina Zhang's arc) was really, really healthy. Both husband and wife loves each other deeply and never got affected by their surrounding and environment, regardless of who tried to step in. They did have a small conflict in between but it was quickly resolved.
Overall all three arcs showed the different kinds of romance there are - hopeless, healthy, growing, while not neglecting the office politics side of things. I'd say it balanced out really well, and it really gets you following as the story progresses. Now all you'd need is just to sit through the first two eps, and... you may eventually like it as well.
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First of all, the story. Plot was quite simple, and the execution was decent. The first half was – at least for me – a little bit draggy. The second one on the other hand was really exciting. It keeps you on the edge and makes you feel anxious. Nevertheless, I think ending could be better – it left me just really frustrated.
If it comes to music and directing - those two aspects are the strong points of “Time to Hunt”. Soundtrack suits this movie perfectly. Directing is great and very artistic. In general, cinematography is extremely well made – the dystopian city is impressive and the colors! Amazing!
The acting was great, especially Park Hae Soo. He didn’t even talk much but still made the biggest impression on me. Pure gold!
Overall, it’s an okay movie. Not a masterpiece but still a really nice and thrilling watch for a night with friends or a can of beer.
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Story 10
You can read the Synophis :), I'm just a sucker at unreachable love stories and this is one of them.
Acting/Cast 10
I found the cast very suiting and especially So Ji Sub and Yoon Kye Sang stood out the most. Everyone's favourite is I'm sorry I love you with So Ji Sub but mine is Road Number One, his acting was superb fear, laughter, love, joy, cold, warm, friendly, hostile even insane and crazy he had too act all of these emotions in this drama and he did it in perfection!
Music 10
The music in the drama is touching when it needs to, gripping when it needs to, romantic when it needs to and so much more. The soundtrack of this drama shows its a 5 star drama, I occasionally rewatch parts of the drama back from time to time just to listen to the soundtrack (because part of the soundtrack is untraceable at youtube :()
Rewatch Value 6
I wouldn't re watch the whole drama again just because of the fact that its too gripping and emotional. People die or loose parts of their body's. I would re watching it with someone else so I wouldn't look weak because I cried like a baby the first time :)
Overall 10
Really watch this drama if you're like a good love story, or a drama about brotherhood, the cruelness of a war that never ended in Korea. This drama really shows why should never have wars and it was stated as one of the most warm wars before the cold war.
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This review may contain spoilers
A lot of wisdom, interesting characters
I joined MyDramaList so that I could write this review. I have been watching KDramas on Netflix for a few years now and love so many of them. I thought I was going to love this one, too, but I felt really exasperated with how this one ended and I'm not sure I would ever want to watch it again (I've watched Chocolate twice, and there are many others I would definitely watch again). I liked the whole idea of the Liberation Club, and loved it when it gained a new member, and I feel like a lot more could have been written for the club characters interacting with each other, and about the two who were not main characters - I would have liked to know more about them. Although I liked Mi-Jung in the beginning, I liked her less and less as the show went on. The glum look on her face most of the time was maybe interesting at first, but it became really annoying after a while, and I also I think she was really stupid to think that Mr. Gu was an okay person who might ever be rehabilitated. I liked him, too, at first, but really disliked him by the end. What surprised me the most is that the two characters I disliked the most initially, Chang-He and Ki-Jung, became my favorite ones, especially Chang-He. I loved the weird accident at the end where he ends up in the wrong/right place. I love how sincerely sweet Ki-Jung turned out to be. There is a lot of wisdom in this drama - a lot to learn about relationships and feelings and interactions between people - and some funny moments along the way, where I laughed out loud. I don't know, maybe I could watch it again some day in the far future. It is worth watching at least once.Was this review helpful to you?
