I didn't think I'd be able to finish all 20 episodes and even thought about dropping it. But each episode intrigued me and forced me to keep on watching, it's the kind of drama that makes you hooked just like that. The plot is really great and the characters are even better.
The one thing that's really unique about this drama, is that it keeps you guessing. From the first episode all the way to the last, you never know what's going to happen next. You don't know who the good guy is or who the bad guy is. You don't know if you're rooting for the wrong team or the right one.
And it has everything a thriller needs; from violence to drugs to gorgeous guys in suits (and gorgeous guys out of suits kekeke..). It's a drama worth watching and if you haven't watched it yet, what are you waiting for?!
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An Absolute Slam Dunk of Sweet Victory!
All Xianxias should be like this! PA redemption and a perfect score across the board, which is incredibly rare for me. Obviously watched for both leads in this reunion that blew many dramas out of the water. This was an absolute slam dunk of sweet victory!Pros: Literally everything! Though I never read the novel, those that did made it obvious that this series followed the novel by about 98% which is very rare. The novel had a solid storyline and this kept it exactly there with apparently lots more comedy. Comedy was good here. Even in the somewhat angsty scenes, it was ever present. Both leads (SL and XZ) delivered stellar performances and their connection started literally from episode one and the mortal realm. Their love transcended all three realms. All of the characters were very layered; though some needed evolution and growth where originally they were annoying. SL playing the powerless chicken while the human XZ takes care of her was just hysterical. Once she returned to the immortal realm, though she still had that prearranged marriage to that annoying FRJ (who up until the end when he finally grew up, I really wanted the maid to hit with her broom), XZ who I nicknamed Mr. Clingy as he clung to her like glue--when he still didn't understand that he was falling for her--and all of their interactions were gold.
There were 3 tragic characters in this story (all done extremely well by their respective actors); MF, and SL's parents. I know people hate on MF about his betrayal but he had no choice as we saw and he explained just before he took his own life. His identity didn't leave him the choice of not betraying her (by killing his own friends in the military but you could tell how much it affected him after the fact) and though at first he was brought up on hatred, it was because of her that he learned about love. But he refused to kill her or harm her and even when possessed fought against the demon FS to help her escape post her "death". If he had the choice, he would have betrayed the demons a long time ago. His own father didn't care about him; which as SL said, he was heartless. MF's only reason for existence according to the two demons was to be a spy and used as a body shell for both. Quite sad and unfair. Her mother was right about being shackled by your identity. Both parents fell in love despite dad being a demon and completely harmless but even they couldn't be saved from the demon emperor. Dad voluntarily had to become the fire seal to keep all the demons in that abyss and mom died shortly after childbirth. Even XZ was shackled by his identity until his death but freed by his long gone friends in rebirth. A fun fact; the actor that played FL or SL's dad, also played opposite ZLY in JOF as someone who was in love with her. And this was also their first collaboration since that show only they played father and daughter here. To have her father save her life through self sacrifice at the end was beyond touching; only time they got to meet each other face to face.
Other great characters were all of the generals, SMY, the maid, lady Jin, Luotian, QY, and eventually FRJ. Each played great roles in the overall story and the lives of our leads. The demon emperor had very few scenes in later episodes and he did ok as a villain; maybe if he played a bigger part in this story, he would have been considered as more but it was FS that offered main antagonist vibes during the entire show. Which being played by this actor who's known for comedic roles was quite a switch up though he was convincing.
Every inch of this show from costumes, CGI, OSTs (LYN's song and two of the BGM's were my absolute favorite), sets, were spot on. Nearly every episode had you rolling in laughter but it knew when to taper that off into seriousness or a bit of angst. I love this modern take on ancient costume drama; the one liners, innuendos, going against the grain, everything was well done and executed. You were invested in the leads and there were no misunderstandings, no annoying guerrilla glue third wheels that spoke in a prepubescent voice and pouted, no tropes, or unnecessary angst. Also no love triangles though SML or MF did love SL, she made it clear right away that no way and that was that. They still fought side by side until the betrayal and even then he was still willing to risk it all to save her. Only other couple were her parents short lived story and the best friend God who was going through trials on earth with the same two women every life cycle but even he was freed. It was so refreshing to see just one couple and the arc of their story as it revolves around times of peace, war, and so forth. Only two full rebirths no more and the ending was great though I wish they spent less time on Lady Jin and her love life and showing them two with her pregnancy and their friends and family in his mortal backyard as it was said in the book. But his proposal and her dropping the baby bombshell leaving him speechless and then chasing her around in the snow was still really awesome. Their love really was eternal.
Cons: I don't think I can call them cons here but more like slight inconsistencies. Like who was MF's mom? Did she even exist or was he born from fire like SL's dad? Or hatched from an egg? The demon emperor didn't have a body towards the end and because MF self sacrificed, his body couldn't be used for his father. But how did he ultimately disappear? Because after FL broke the seal and took off out of the abyss, we never saw him again. Was he in FL's body when he fought XZ and ultimately purified by XZ and SL? Wish that was shown better. And I didn't like the Heavenly Emperor; just as you think he got the point, he turns around and says or does something that makes you want to just send him into that abyss. Only in the second to last episode did he seem to be a bit wiser. Honestly that was it. No other cons.
Would I recommend it? 110% yes! Literally floored me from start to finish. I didn't skip a single thing. An absolute must watch if you want to laugh, giggle, cry a bit, and just enjoy yourself. One of the best dramas I've ever seen out of any country. Forever put into my watchlist.
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This drama should have been named “A Stockholm syndrome handbook“.
This drama is a showcase of dissociative identity disorder characters and a demonstration of exemplary Stockholm syndrome case.Plot: 4
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★★★★☆ Main idea:
--> I liked the overall idea, but the idea sadly wasn’t able to save the catastrophe that followed.
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★★☆☆☆ Logic:
--> The drama started of pretty good, introduced characters were intriguing and so was the initial plot. Because of the promising start, it was watchable up to episode 13, but then all the atmosphere and logic were thrown out the window and all the drama was left with were stupidly acting characters and no plot at all.
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★★★☆☆ Pace:
--> I got bored about halfway through.
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★★☆☆☆ Impression:
--> Not much intrigued.
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★★☆☆☆ Skip rate:
--> I skipped a lot in the second half, since the plot and characters has become so chaotic and hystericall, It wasn't worth the time.
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★☆☆☆☆ Annoying factors:
--> The number of irrational twists gradually escalated as the drama progressed, in episodes 13 to 16 the number of nonsensical plots reached its peak and finally ruined the impression from the whole drama.
Characters: 2
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★★★☆☆ Lead 1:
--> The ML is introduced like a dangerous and clever man. But the cleverness of this character fades out immediately once he abducts an art student, expecting her to become an economic mastermind overnight. When she gets scared of not being able to transform to a completely different person with a completely different education, skills and hobbies, instead of I don’t know, maybe help her a little, he just intimidates and chokes her every chance he gets – gee, I wonder why would she be scared, right? But even this intimidating part of this character fades pretty quickly as he turns in a caring and protective fiancé in a matter of literally one day… Hey man, do you have a split personality disorder or something?
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★☆☆☆☆ Lead 2:
--> The FL seems clever herself, but then she gets caught up in danger because of her similarity to other person and for some reason she feels guilty for surviving, agreeing to follow a strange and abusive man, leaving her family behind… Why…? Just why? I don’t call this clever at all, just call the police next time. Things get even funnier, when this intimidated art student with zero experience in management solves an economic crisis in the company - she has a supposedly ultra-clever and powerful man by her side and an army of employees to back her up, yet it’s her idea, what get things done, hooray! Oh, and the fun part continues – this one success leads her to a Stockholm syndrome, falling in love with the very man who abducted her, claiming he is the only one she has left – girl, what about your friends and family then? Oh I get it, you fell in love with him, because he stopped choking you? Yes, that must have been it.
And the first thing after she is allowed to return to her former life and family? A hysteric scene over losing the love of her life – wow, this man abducts her, threatens her, she is forced to near death situations because of the mess he drags her into, he almost kills a man before her eyes, but she’s hysterical over the fact she can’t be with him anymore? Not even mentioning how rude was it towards her family, not explaining a single thing to them, just be hysterical over some stranger. A really serious Stockholm syndrome here, you need a psychiatrist, girl.
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☆☆☆☆☆ Overacting:
--> There was no annoying overacting in the beginning (except for that pretty stupid FL friend), but from episode 13 it was like the drama was infected by some strange overacting disease, because several characters started acting up, stepping totally out of their characters just to throw a tantrum, both FLs decreasing themselves from grow up woman into 15-year-old hysterical fan-girls, who got dumped by their idol on valentine. It has become even worse towards the end, soon every single character in that drama was acting hystericall.
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★★☆☆☆ Acting:
--> I enjoyed the acting of Fan Zhi Xin – although the character he played was a showcase of dumb and dumber, he was able to hold just the right atmosphere for a pretty long time. I considered other actors skilled at first, but as the plot progressed, they just acted more and more hystericall, including Fan Zhi Xin, such a schame.
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☆☆☆☆☆ Annoyance level:
--> The most annoying thing about this drama was the inconsistency of its characters. Many characters were introduced one way, just to flip to a completely different personality in a whim. Clever people turned into clueless, abusive into caring, strong into pitiful, shy into commanding – almost every lead character went through at least one polar opposite transformation.
Background: 9
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★★★★☆ Soundtrack:
--> Liked it.
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★★★★★ Visuals (camera, scenery, visual effects, ...):
--> Absolutely loved it.
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★★★★★ Wardrobe (costumes, hairstyles, makeup, ...):
--> Absolutely loved it.
Rewatch value: 2,5
I assess this value based on impression, skip rate, annoyance level and overall preference.
Final verdict: 4
Despite everything, the drama had a right atmosphere and I pretty enjoyed it up until episode 13. Episodes 13 to 16 were a total cliché catastrophe, every second choice those characters made was worthy of a Darwin award for extreme stupidity. It totally ruined the drama for me. Towards the end all those characters just became more hystericall and those plots made less and less sense. Every episode closer to the end I was lowering my rating even further.
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rain, rain, go away. come again another day.
if you're giving this a go with a thought that this drama will tell you well-written stories about love and all that fancy stuff, you might want to think again. 'love in the air' attempts to depict two couples with interesting themes but fails to feel like a solid drama.now, let's jump right into the couples
phayu x rain:
one thing i'll have to say is that there is no logical progression whatsoever in their relationship. besides the questionable actions of phayu wherein consent gets glossed over, as the episodes went on, their relationship felt like a compilation of sweet and intimate scenes but there was no proper story. the timeline itself was iffy.
what made their story a mess was the editing. it was nonsensical to the point that there is no telling what scene the viewer will see next. while that might work for something else, the way it's done here makes it seem as though the drama was jumping from one scene to another with little to no explanation what happened in the previous scene. one example is a cute scene when phayu asks rain to wait for him so they can have dinner together. it then abruptly cuts to a whole different scene and sets a completely different tone leaving the viewer with no time to adjust.
despite the negatives, this couple actually deserves better. the relationship dynamic was pretty good and phayu grew on me as the episodes went on. the actors did super well to make their chemistry work on screen. the intimate scenes had me pausing every second because whew it was a lot to process. make sure to have your earphones on.
prapai x sky:
another one bites the dust. in the beginning, the consistency of prapai not understanding how important the word 'no' is really frustrated me. just because they had a one night stand (which btw sky was pressured into it) doesn't mean prapai has the right to get into sky's life. clearly, there's a fine line between 'love' and 'harassment' and i think pai sort of falls under the latter.
what sky really needed was a proper support system and lots of therapy. on the topic of support system, he has his parents and his friends who could lend him an ear or two when he needs it. however, the bl formula is to skip the therapy and rely on a handsome hunk is the best way to go. in other words, he can 'fix' him. in the end, sky still has to live with his traumas and having no control over them.
despite prapai frustrating me with his actions, i can't deny that those sweet moments the two had in the last episode made me almost erase everything else. i feel like prapai in the last episode was the best prapai out of all the episodes. however, the message that love can somehow eliminate your traumas is absolutely bullshit.
even though i didn't enjoy this couple as much, the pacing and progression of their relationship was much more developed and smooth. there were still some problems with transition of scenes but it was not as bad. at least prapai x sky story was easy to follow through and there were less jumping of scenes.
so... what bothered me the most?
both couples have different feel to them. their stories have interesting themes that can branch out into a very engaging drama. however, what i was served is half of 'what could've been'.
one thing that everyone must've noticed was the constant raining that made some scenes 100x hilarious. the use of the main couples' names were evident throughout the drama and in some way, i feel like it was overdone. there were at times that the sound of wind added to the scene minimised how impactful that scene was. thankfully, peat did well to portray his character's traumas. though i wasn't a fan of fort's acting, he nailed the emotional scenes.
honestly, i have no clue what goes on with the production quality in this one. the background music was at times distracting and not fitting to the scenes. for some scenes, the music would go on longer than it should and it almost overpowered the dialogue of the characters. the voiceovers were poorly done. for real, i hate to say it but the editing team did a lackluster job. while the pacing was odd for payu x rain, the production quality got worse for prapai x sky.
this is one of those dramas where i can't help but complain over the quality of the drama because there were so many factors that bothered me that usually doesn't bother me in other dramas.
overall, there was so much potential with this drama. if more time was given to the production team and tweaked the parts that lacked coherence, 'love in the air' would've made me like it a tad bit more.
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As this drama is an adaptation of a Japanese manga, please, don't be angry with me, because my review is going to contain comparisons, but I promise, only between this version and the manga, I won't be dragging in the other versions (the first paragraph was the introduction ^^)
Th story: Of course I did not expect the Korean producers/director to take and copy out the manga, which is most of the time good point of Korean drama makers, BUT, let me just point out how much this drama suffered from the unnecessary improvisations of the screen writer/whoever. As the manga is a school life/sports there were a lot of points that the Korean version could use in the sense of the characters, events, even little moments. For example taking out/ignoring the character of Kayashima(the ghost seeing guy), only because the guy (Infinite's L) couldn't play the specific role was just NOT RIGHT! The character added a lot to the manga and would be a very good addition to the drama. I would also appreciate more interaction between the dorms, they lost so much fun~!
Other points that I would like to point out lie in the existing characters. It can only be my impression, but the Korean version just made everybody so average and ordinary, while in the manga they are awesome to extreme points! Nakatsu's love for Mizuki - too extreme and so cute! Nakao's love toward Nanba senpai - so extreme and so childishly cute, Nanba senpai - being the hot player, Kayashima - seing the ghosts and auras... and many other points. It feels like by trying to make the characters more down-to-earth, the crew forgot that they were going to shoot a youth oriented drama - the crazier the better~ so the story suffered from it... BUT, the crew remembered to turn to the manga at some moments, which had me caching my breath, there lines right out of the manga, and SUCH lines~ bellissimo~
Cast/Acting: I should honestly say that after this drama I am a VERY BIG FAN of Choi MinHo~ he played the most real Sano ever created out of the manga! His anger toward JaeHee at first, then his melting heart, his caring, his jealousy, his friendship, his love, even when he freaked out because of a cat... everything was perfect~!
Sulli did great too, she deserves a lot of compliments! I loved her JaeHee, though sometimes a little slow and dense, she was cute, brave and played her role just fine~
Lee Hyun-Woo - not the Nakatsu I would imagine, but his EunGyul was very much fun to watch too, I enjoyed his caring for JaeHee and his undying friendship, I just couldn't bear his puppy eyes when he was sad! Don't be sad EunGyula~
The music is very-very good! Though I am not a big fan of SM music (except for SHINee's some songs), hese OSTs are fantastic~! I especially enjoy Taeyon's Closer and J-Min's Stand Up~
Next time somebody decides to remake HanaKimi, PLEASE, include the ball scene~, onegai~
Overall, I enjoyed this drama a lot, it's funny, it's very cute, it's romantic. I will be missing this fun of Wed/Thu-s...
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Hidden gem!
I didn’t look for the title, the title found me. And simply, if you liked WWW, you will love this one, me thinks. It’s not sugar coated romcom, and it’s beautifully written, directed and acted. A gem!The series give you very well developed characters, the actors for me portrayed the resolution and hope of youth and the struggles and complicated world the older generation have. It created a circus of relationships, clashing those, who always have everything, their games, and contrast this world with the one of other people. They both have their struggles and truth and it’s interesting how you are guided to also the see both side fairly.
Despite all, there is a simple, pure love born out of being connected, truly connected, with someone. Haven’t finished the drama(2ep to go), but I loved it so far.
Why not 10 for me - mainly because I’m a bit tired to be shown that we have to bare the responsibilities of age - we all need to be free at some point, to hell everything else, we need to breath (I secretly hope that’s what will happen in the last two episodes) So I’m holding my horses:-)
(By comparison with Now we are breaking up, 100% better!)
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Kim Soo Hyun was downright hilarious and really showed his worth and growth as an actor. IU was excellent as well, and even though I didn't expect much from her, I can totally see why they cast her; she was perfect. Cha Tae Hyun and Gong Hyo Jin didn't get to do much with their characters after all, as the focus was increasingly put on Kim Soo Hyun and IU due to viewer response and a commitment to fan service. Kim Soo Hyun ended up with the majority of the screen time, followed by IU and Cha Tae Hyun.
Gong Hyo Jin's character is surprisingly irrelevant for most of the drama, except the romance. This drama seemed to concentrate too much on the story of a pop star (IU), and any work-related problems for the female PD (Gong Hyo Jin) were relatively nonexistent for a drama about the work environment of PDs.
I don't have much to say about the romantic scenes; I ended up skipping most of them because I just wasn't entertained (and this is coming from someone who barely watches anything but romantic dramas). The acting, the comedy, and the sound track are on point so I gave this drama a pretty good score, but I wish there was more of the unique documentary-style editing which they decreased once they switched directors. I expected something fresh and different, but this ended up being pretty stale and it gave in to cliches. I think someone commented somewhere about how the world in which the characters live is pretty boring and slow-paced, and I would have to agree.
I wouldn't rewatch it as a whole, but some scenes are good enough to go find to make GIFs for tumblr, if you know what I mean (lol). Basically, I don't recommend this drama unless you're a die-hard Kim Soo Hyun or IU fan.
BUT THAT'S JUST ME...maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did!
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Interesting premise but struggles mightily with setting a consistent tone and story.
Taxi Driver had an interesting setup and premise. I really liked how it highlighted a vigilante taxi driver and his squad out for vengeance to defend the helpless. I loved that the cases were based on real stories which did well to ground this drama.Yet this drama had a hard time creating a special tone for itself. I’m thinking that it’s because I expected more grit from this drama, and it had settled on giving more #SquadGoal vibes.
Around the second half, the overarching story went a bit off the rails, and I don’t feel like it was ever able to right itself. I personally think this drama would have done much better if it stuck to its more episodic arcs focused on real-life cases. Those cases were all heart. In contrast, it tried to develop an overarching baddie, that took the drama into eyebrow-raising unbelievable territory. I also think with the exit of the original writer, the second half lacks a lot of focus and purpose. Unfortunately, Taxi Driver left a lot of opportunity on the table and veered away from a lot of what made it fun and magical early on. Quite the shame!
If you are looking for a crime drama, this may fit the bill. Alternatively, if you are looking for a drama that is offering something new and never been done before, I may suggest looking elsewhere.
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even it is hard to watch all those cringe scene and script but i manage to pull through this drama solely for park so dam and jung il woo.. i always love their drama..
the character was meehhh~~ but i did jump like 6 y/o when those cute scene between ha won and ji won.. the hardest character that i was forced to accept was hyeji, my god~~!!!! the development of the character was shit!!! i'm wondering what are the writers thinking during the development of the character.. it's like the writer are so diligent in the 1st halve of the drama and gettin lazy by the end of it~~
well, the most character that i like is *drum rolls* YOONSUNGie~~~~ why?? because he just too gorgeous when he smile.. not to mention, among 4 of them, he is the truest knight (for me) XD
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It felt like a wattpad story xD
I didn't hate it, but it was very questionableI had a hard time caring for Phayu and Rain...
They lacked emotional intimacy and everything happened way too fast.
I didn't like the way either of the couples got together.
I was skeptical about the second couple and how Prapai didn't take "no" for an answer, but it's MAME so what's new...
I did however like that Prapai really tried to gain Sky's trust towards the end.
Gun is a piece of sh*t and I was just waiting for Prapai to beat him up.
The whole thing with Sky's trauma was way too rushed... this boy needs therapy!!
Things like this can't be cured with "the power of love" as much as we wish it would.
However in the end I liked that couple more than the first one.
I don't have much to say about the acting.
They did a good job for their first role.
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Great drama
I love the actor he has a unique personality. The storyline I love it from episode 1 to episode 4 nothing I can complain. I give the credit for the production, writers and the actors as well because they portray great 👍. I can’t even wait for the next episodes it makes me trilled ever more. Excellent for this drama 🎭 and more power to you all,Was this review helpful to you?
Doona: Lost Potential & Mixed Signals
"Doona!" began with a premise that promised an intriguing dynamic between its main characters - Doo Na, a former member of the girl group Dream Sweet, and Won Jun, a college student unaware of her celebrity status. Their initial misunderstandings had the potential to craft a compelling narrative about identity, fame, and genuine connections.However, as the episodes progressed, the series seemed to lose its way. The first episode depicts Lee Doo-Na (brilliantly portrayed by Bae Suzy) in a prolonged state of introspection, seemingly detached from Won Jun (played by Yang Se-Jong). This sense of detachment quickly shifts in the following episode, making Doo Na's motivations perplexing. A subtle indication of her character's emotional volatility could have been appreciated, but the stark contrast between episodes feels inconsistent.
A significant subplot that added to my confusion was Doo Na's complex relationship with an older character, her manager P. This relationship, seemingly oscillating between paternal and romantic feelings, could have been a deep dive into Doo Na's psyche. Instead, it felt like an underdeveloped plot device that only muddied the waters. The series tried to touch upon Doo Na's inner turmoil and her need for validation, but the execution often felt superficial, making her actions seem capricious rather than profound.
Throughout the nine episodes, there were moments that felt drawn out, such as prolonged smoking scenes and introspective silences. While such scenes can be artistically valuable, in "Doona!" they often felt like fillers, detracting from the overall pacing. The dialogues, though meant to be meaningful, often fell short, leaving me craving more depth and clarity.
In conclusion, while "Doona!" had the potential to be a nuanced exploration of fame, identity, and relationships, it felt disjointed and, at times, directionless. The series tried to tackle complex emotions but often skirted around them, making the narrative feel somewhat hollow. I had high hopes but was left with a sense of unfulfilled potential.
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2This review may contain spoilers
Bloodhounds is back with its sequel and this time it’s less stylized, more brutal, raw and packed with action.. I honestly missed this kind of fight scenes.. I gotta say, this is how a second season should be.. It stays true to its core story of heartfelt friendship, and family.. While bringing back all the gripping elements from the first season.. But this time the action, the boxing, the fighting, it’s just wild, intense and bloody..WDH really unleashes his talent here.. He was too good.. You can tell he has put in an insane amount of hard work and preparation.. It shows his discipline and mindset as an actor.. And while we are talking about insane hard work and preparation, we have to talk about the antagonist this season.. Rain, you absolute freak.. His physical transformation is genuinely insane and his screen presence is strong.. Ruthless, obsessive, physically intimidating, dangerous, unpredictable, he was a force to reckon with.. Almost unstoppable, one of the most terrifying villains.. And the way he fought?? His boxing, his skills?? Not flashy, just pure ruthless violence..
The visuals and soundtrack were really good as well.. The fight scenes are visceral and intense, shot with a kind of frenetic energy.. And what made this drama even more special was the cast and the cameos.. The whole cast was perfect.. Everyone played their roles to perfection.. They didn’t try to glorify or heroize just one person.. It felt like a true team effort.. Even the supporting cast had some insane fight scenes and showed some mad skills.. It’s a knockout performance from everyone, full of blood, sweat and tears..
The cameos?? Just crazy.. Who would have thought eh?? So many of them.. Park Seo Joon?? Wow.. He was an intriguing character and someone I would honestly love to see more of if there is another season.. Oh and Kang Min Ah?? The transformation, slick.. Give her more badass roles.. She absolutely killed it with her screen presence..
Now.. The script is more straightforward.. It lacks a bit of emotional weight.. It doesn’t feel story driven.. Everything is more or less set up for the fights.. Which I don’t think is a bad thing honestly.. Because they really do make up for the script with some wild action..
One more thing I need to mention.. This time it felt like Hong U Jin was sort of sidelined.. He got his ass kicked more than once and didn’t feel as strong as he did in the first season.. Maybe that’s because of the five year break and his lack of actual boxing.. Still, I would have loved to see him do more..
Overall this season is darker, more violent and delivers an insane amount of wild, well choreographed, bloody, tactical fight scenes.. It doesn’t pull any punches, it goes all in on the action.. Everyone’s commitment to their character is genuinely impressive.. You can see they have put their whole heart into it.. WDH delivers an absolutely astonishing performance with Rain being purely evil and intimidating.. Season 2 feels bigger and more relentless.. I just hope we don’t have to call this underrated.. It really deserves more recognition..
P.S.. Oh, to be loved by so many people.. Kim Geon U is surrounded by people who love him dearly.. That’s who he is, that’s his character.. And WDH, he portrayed that innocence so well..
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can pin into all time fav
its been three or four month iam finding a good Chinese drama , no one keep me entertained, most of them are either cliche or not keeping above average. but this drama hit different , every moments with couples are precious and can’t even blink eyes especially the female and male leads are gem . perfect spot and food scenery oh i felt like traveling at lot of occasions, the couple interactions are covered by very sharp , expressions are awesome . i never felt such lovely drama recentlyWas this review helpful to you?
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Controversial drama with a disappointing ending
This drama has a stellar cast and production quality is superb, but the plot and message behind it are very controversial, to say the least.The first 4 episodes were a solid 9, though heavy-handed, insensitive religious patronizing can be clearly seen from the very beginning. But after episode 5 it rapidly went downhill. Episode 6 was like those countless crime dramas about exaggerated corruption and untouchable chaebols with over the top acting and resolutions. Very meh.
And the last two episodes were drilling on the same message - suicide is a selfish act, it's not about you, you should keep on suffering for the sake of others. The only insightful part was about a suicidal salary man, who basically started the chain of events that lead ML to his own suicide - it showed ML the ugly reality of that dream he so desperately wanted to have, the one the government and society kept on brainwashing him to strive for ever since he went to school. But they never delved anywhere further with that. Instead of guilt shaming ML with his mother for the whole episode they should have explored what ML really wanted in life. How can he be true to himself like he said he wanted to? Is being a cog in an uncaring corporate machine what people really should strive for in life? Just such a waste of potential here narrative wise.
But as it is, this drama didn't try looking into the cause, didn't try to resolve any of the problems SK's society has that leads people to commit a staggering amount of suicides every year, like poverty and unemployment, it just tried to guilt shame suiciders through religious and societal dogmas. Makes one think that it was sponsored by SK's government, which seems to be impotent in solving this serious country wide issue and now just resorts to such cheap shots like this drama. Maybe it will work better on Asian audience with their traditionally communal mentality, but it's a very hard sell for individualistic West.
The suicide topic here is viewed from such a narrow perspective it really started to piss me off by the end. No exploration of mental health state of suicidal people or various circumstances that lead to this hard decision. Yeah, in ML's case perhaps he was too rash in attempting suicide since he had a caring mother and a girlfriend (though seeing how lonely he was with his problems at the beginning, these people have shown him lack of moral support when he really needed it, and his mother was later shown hoarding money for him, which she should have given him years ago to help cover his education debts he was paying off for many years). But what about people who have no such people in their lives? What about terminally ill/severely crippled/mentally unwell people who see themselves as a burden to their relatives and society? What about kids being beaten by their own drunkard parents and nobody cares? What about people who are living in miserable poverty with no hope for a better future? They should also keep on suffering for the sake of others and their country or go to hell? So many unique lives with unique problems, but this drama had no compassion or desire to explore any of that. It's like that cartoon meme: Nope, stop talking, go to hell.
As for the ending, well, ML got a second chance in life and that's a win (?). But consequently it also invalidated everything ML did in other people’s bodies and all those who were supposed to die will die, including his girlfriend, and all the bad guys, including two serial killer psychos, will still be walking scott free.
So all in all, this drama just left me kinda perplexed as to how to score it, because, on the one hand, the quality and cast were superb, but controversial message and disappointing ending made me feel like I've wasted my time watching this.
I guess I'll score episodes 1-5 with 8.5 and 6-8 with 7.0.
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