I’ll repeat it to myself because I still do not understand. What did I just sit here for two hours and watch?
Have you ever loved a show so much that after it finished, you watched highlight compilation videos on Youtube? Maybe that’s just me. But THIS movie, is exactly what one of the Youtube videos feels like, but without the context of actually watching the show.
The entire movie jumped from scene to scene without context, explanation, motive, character development…. Nothing. And because of that, nothing really made sense at all. Side note. Why did the soundtrack pretty much only consist of this lullaby tune they tried to make into some sort of edgy score to the movie?! IT IS A LULLABY. No… Just no.
However, I have to say that most of the moments in the movie were quite intense and many were very interesting. They should redo this and make it into a 30 episode drama and I’m in for it. But as it stands watching it will simply confuse you. Most likely frustrate you. And definitely leave you staring at the screen, if you make it through to the credits wondering, ‘What did I just watch?’.
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"Happy of the End" : Toxic Bonds and Healing Journeys!
The heart of 'Happy of the End' is the turbulent life of the characters with a raw and poignant exploration of love, trauma and healing. It captures both the passionate life and shadowy corners where pain and beauty coexist.The series beautifully explores past trauma with their present struggles.
Chihiro is a man grappling with the aftermath of rejection both from his family because of his sexuality and haunted by the break up of his ex-boyfriend. His encounter with Keito, a charming yet very troubled figure marks the beginning of a relationship based on shared sufferings.
Chihiro is lonely and longing for home while Keito's backstory is a harrowing tale of abandonment and survival.
Somehow both of them became each other's refuge and mirror despite the chaos and trauma they were subjected to. Both the characters's journeys were heartbreaking but seeing them receive affection from each other was heartwarming.
The flashback scenes were powerful adding the layer as to why the characters are as they are. I liked the seamless transition plus the clear contrast between present and past. You can feel and know that both the lead characters need serious therapy but you still keep watching it for the rawness and athenticity.
Kaji was another character that I liked. Throughout he was such a good friend to first Kieto and then to Chihiro. The unconditional friendship and found family. <3
The series deals with serious themes like homophobia, child abuse, prostitution and animal abuse (Please read trigger warnings before starting this) faced by those living on the margins of society, it also speaks loudly about acceptance and capacity of love to heal even from the deepest wounds. This was dark and toxic but at the same time hopeful and happy. I know it doesn't make sense but at the end of it, it was actually 'happy of the end'.
However, it does feel rushed at times but that is due to the short run time. Maybe 2 more episodes would have justified the ending better and might have done better justice to this Art.
Overall, recommended if you're okay with dark themes, but please consider the trigger warnings. Again, be sure to read the TW before starting. It’s not all shining stars, but you can see the light throughout!
8.8/10
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It's not worth your time.
For what it's worth, I just can't seem to enjoy this drama. It's really not worth watching and wasting your time for. The story was dragged too long that I couldn't care less about the male & female lead. Their story is just too frustrating, boring, and sickening for me. On the other hand, I was more interested in the side couple's story that I could even finish this drama and gave 3 for the story rating. You don't know how much I've skipped the story because it was so boring and meaningless. I'm sorry but that is just my opinion.The acting was ok. I like the male & female lead, even the second lead, but the story is just unbearable. There's no excitement because from the start you could already guess that the female lead will be with the main lead in the end. The drama in between is just too exaggerated not worth your while. After finishing this drama, I thought that I would feel somewhat relieved for the happy ending, but I just didn't. I don't feel anything except for a little bit of happiness for the side couple. I feel like I've wasted my time.
If you're the type of person who likes romantic-comedy, or feel-good type of drama, this is not for you. Don't bother watching, unless you want to waste 18++ hours for something meaningless.
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The plot is very simple but I still loved every minute of it. At first when I heard about this drama I wasn't so sure if I wanted to watch it because the plot seemed like it was only about food. I'm so glad that I gave this drama a try. The food is important so please be ready to have some type of snack with you while your watching because I guarantee you that you will be hungry. But this drama was more than food. You have a murder case as well too. You also have some romance on the side and I loved the friendships too. I just really think the writers did a great job with something so simple and making it a great drama.
The cast also made this drama too. I actually think the cast was one of the greatest things about this drama. The cast had great chemistry with each other as well too. I also loved all the characters. Soo Kyung was so fun to watch with her love of food, Jin Yi was adorable and such a sweet girl, Dae Young was a fun guy to watch and I loved his long rants about food, Attorney Kim was hilarious, and the rest of the cast was hilarious as well too. I never disliked anyone. I liked how well rounded all the characters were and how they all worked together.
This drama is very rewatchable. I just finished it and I already feel like starting it all over again. I think this will be the fun drama I will watch time and time again.
Overall, I think this drama was great. I don't know why but I loved it very much. It's so simple but amazing at the same time. You'll love the characters and have a good time laughing too. I laughed a least every episode. Once I watched the last episode I was left with a satisfying feeling.
If you want to watch something that will keep you on your toes, make you laugh, feel happy, and also make you extremely hungry then watch Let's Eat.
Warning! Please have a meal or a snack every time your watching this drama. The food scenes will make you hungry. I repeat the food will make you extremely hungry!
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for such a short drama, it didn't feel flat at all. the story is well paced and had the right amount of angst, balanced by the chemistry of two individuals with different backgrounds. sure, the tsundere and upbeat dynamic is not new. ji woo has a stoic personality but deep down, he's a caring dude. seo joon has a fun type of personality but he also won't back down when someone's being a dick. one thing i loved is how straightforward seo joon is with his feelings. he doesn't hesitate to express himself and it was refreshing to watch.
"I didn't want to get hurt again. And I didn't want you to get hurt either. But staying away doesn't prevent getting hurt either." -Ji Woo
the conflict between the main leads was understandable with how unpredictable things can go due to seo joon's fame and the homophobia they'd face. seo joon doesn't care what society thinks while ji woo is scared from his past experience.
i'm just happy that the plot didn't go for a complex route so things were resolved easily and the pace of the story didn't become overwhelming or mellow. acting wise, it was pretty good. ji woo's crying scene and the slight angst definitely made my heart yeet into two pieces. seo joon was undeniably quite a charmer and his smile is hella contagious. i must say the acting is decent and i'm impressed.
overall, this drama revolves around two individuals helping each other grow with each other's support. bonus points for the ost.
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An engaging drama about changing one’s fate, discovery, and growth
When "Blossom" premiered in WeTV a few weeks ago, it was not in my list of anticipated dramas. But when a friend recommended it, I decided to give it a try after finishing another series, and I'm so glad I did!"Blossom" (九重紫) is a story about second chances - a chance to do life over, a chance to avoid the same kind of fate, and a chance to live a better and more meaningful life. When Dou Zhao woke up as a young girl with a wound on her forehead, she vividly remembered her “dream”, which was actually her past life. Armed with this foreknowledge and the prophetic book (昭世録), it gave her the opportunity to change some things in her present life, which had a ripple effect, thus changing the course of something bigger than her own struggles.
This is a historical drama with all the major ingredients that I'm looking for, and done in such a way that they fall into place smoothly and cohesively - engaging storyline with twists and turns, swoon-worthy romance, diverse and interesting characters, great fight scenes and political strategizing. I went into this without reading much about the story except for the summary. The first episode got me intrigued, setting the stage for the story to unfold. The pacing is good and the story build-up is well done. Each episode builds on the previous one, revealing the plot more and stirring excitement on what’s to come. The political intrigue and strategizing are key parts of the story and they progress at the right pace, with surprises even until the last episode. Then there are the well-executed fight scenes, the great visuals and cinematography, and the original soundtrack that fit the drama’s themes and moods. Also, I like the production team’s approach in starting each episode with a scene (or two) before the opening credits and showing a quick preview of the next episode before the ending credits.
That said, there are some parts in the drama that I think could have been shortened (mainly related to the stepmother) and a subplot that could have been expounded further, but in the grand scheme of things, these are not big issues for me.
Now on to the cast of characters. Meng Zi Yi’s portrayal of Dou Zhao / Shou Gu is spot-on. She was able to show Dou Zhao as a smart, charming, decisive, and business-savvy woman who refused to be bound by the traditions of the time. Dou Zhao is loyal to the people she loves and cares for. She was able change some things in her present life, and in the process, she discovered that some people (e.g., Dou Ming, Chen Jia) did not turn out the way she expected them to, which is a part of the ripple effect.
I have seen Li Yun Rui in “Love Like the Galaxy” as Yuan Shen, who is one of my least liked characters in that drama. But here in “Blossom”, I very much like his character, Song Mo / Yan Tang, and his portrayal; he truly shines and he fits the role. He was able to show Song Mo’s struggles, angst, joy, and victories. His devotion and love for his uncle (Duke of Ding) and Dou Zhao are admirable. On a lighter note, the loose white/gray hair suits him! I read in an article in Sohu that he turned down a supporting role in Yang Zi’s drama “Flourished Peony” to star as Song Mo in “Blossom”. That's a wise decision and a good move for him 👍!
As for the main couple’s romance, I love the relationship between Dou Zhao and Song Mo. As both characters grow and develop, their relationship dynamics follow. Meng Zi Yi and Li Yun Rui have amazing chemistry. I look forward to their interactions right from the start. The scene in the theater where they first met as adults, with their masks on, was played out so well. For me, their romance got even better after they were married ♥️.
The supporting cast did very well too. I will mention some here:
• Ji Yong (Xia Zhi Guang) is an ambitious, confident, shrewd, and smart aleck type of a character. Dou Zhao, his best friend since childhood, is one of the few people he cares about.
• Alina Zhang is convincing as Wang Ying Xue. She is very much an infuriating character as well as a pathetic one.
• Chen Jia (Zhu Jun Lin) is another interesting character. He may not have many scenes, but his role is a crucial one. I like that they pair him with Zhao Zhang Ru (Liu Mei Tong), Dou Zhao’s cousin.
• Li Xin Ze is believable as Wei Ting Yu. He is not an evil person but a man without much backbone, unable to step up to his role as husband and Marquis.
• Snow Kong as Miao An Su and Yan An as Song Han have their fair share of pivotal moments, especially in the last one-third of the story.
• Other notable performances: Wang Jiu Sheng as Song Yi Chun, who has been added to my list of the worst parents in drama land; Tan Kai as the Emperor, who, despite being at the top, has his helpless moments in the face of the powerful forces in the kingdom; and Zhang Cheng He as Jiang Mei Sun (Duke of Ding), whose impact and influence extend greatly to those around him.
And last but not the least, the ending is great! I love how they wrap up the story. Most of the characters got what they deserved, and they gave us a convincingly happy ending.
Final Verdict ⭐: This is a great Chinese historical drama to end my 2024, and I highly recommend it!
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The fictional storyline (the Liang merchant family in specific) and the historical framework are brilliantly woven together; at first they seem to be two different stories, but eventually are brought together for sublime, and emotionally devastating effect.
Viewers who like the easy emotional shortcuts of romances, the popular BL stories especially (where the plot illogic wrenches the characters, and all sense, into alignment with maximum angst and hurt/comfort). Angst there is here, and also hurt/comfort, but these elements don't bend the story, but arise out of it, interspersed with insight, comic moments, intellectually exciting threads as we watch the politicians striving to invent, and better, their land.
The cultural differences between then and now add their interest, but the film never loses sight of the fact that we are all human beings, a thousand years ago and now, and we have roughly the same emotional needs, faults, frailties, and strengths.
Even the characters I strongly disliked had their agency, their reasons for what they did, and their human moments, even positive moments of creating beauty, or heroic action, or emotional faltering. The resolution of one long arc was amazing in its redemptive quality, taking me by surprise--I expected (even relished the thought of) the usual bloody end. But the way this was carried out was just so much better than the usual tropey story arcs.
I see myself rewatching the entire series again, probably soon, something I have only done with NIRVANA IN FIRE, this time to relish the brilliant character moments and the way they are expertly woven together.
I have watched all Daylight's shows. I think this is their best yet.
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Okay, I was hesitating whether I should write a review of this drama, but after seeing so many positive opinions, I was quite shocked so I decided to share what I think. So here's an unpopular opinion. CLOY definitely became very popular and achieved high ratings. It's understandable to one point, because dramas like this are often liked by a lot of people. But is CLOY really that unique and mind-blowing? Uhm, no, I don't think so.CLOY was an average rom-com in the first half and a very overdramatic melodrama in the second. I actually liked the first few episodes a lot and I believe the drama had potential, but everything was pretty much ruined. And it kind of makes me angry, especially after this crappy ending.
The drama was extremely unrealistic and illogical. I know that the point of it is not to be realistic, but at least, it should have been convincing. I know that a love story about a NK army officer and SK heiress sounds very exciting and it would have been, if they had managed to handle it well. It's not an easy story to handle. They had a budget to film abroad and to cast stars like Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, yet some scenes were so poorly done. I don't quite understand that. Is it a mistake or they simply didn't care? At least the cinematography was very beautiful.
Anyways, I could handle these problems in the first half because I liked the story. However, the second half was horrible. I don't know, maybe it wasn't my cup of tea. Do writers still believe that if they make the characters almost die, that will make us feel more emotional? Make the drama more impactful? No, it became tiring. Someone was dying, the other was crying and then, in the next episode, everything was fine (yeah, in most cases). A little drama is very much appreciated, but in this case with this drama, it was overdone and it ruined the whole show. I don't know, but I didn't feel any emotions. I couldn't care less about what was happening.
The main leads were amazing though. I loved both Jung Hyuk and Se Ri and they had a sizzling chemistry! I loved all of their sweet moments. I respect this writer because she definitely knows how to make our hearts flutter with some beautiful romantic scenes. I'm still not a fan of her writing. The second couple was also very sweet, I wish they had more screen time. They focused too much on random supporting characters which made the episodes too long and tiring.
Son Ye Jin was perfect as Se Ri - an adorable and strong female lead. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of Hyun Bin, I admit that he was a total husband material and he did an amazing job at portraying Jung Hyuk. Ye Jin and Hyun Bin definitely suit each other and I'm glad that they were there to save the drama. The same goes for Seo Ji Hye and Kim Jung Hyun.
Overall, ''Crash Landing On You'' is not the worst drama out there, but it's far from perfect. It has its amazing moments, but I believe it's a wasted potential. You can watch it if you like the main leads, but I wouldn't really recommend it.
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call hr
...basically an HR training video disguised as a romcom. The writers took the usual cold lead trope and used it to justify blatant corporate abuse. It is wild that they expect us to find sexual coercion and retaliation romantic. Really, it is just a rich guy throwing a tantrum because a woman walked out of his bedroom with her dignity intact. It is a symphony of ego where arson is sold as extreme home renovation.The lead claims to hate his father, but I watched him copy-paste the old man’s abusive tactics for the entire second half. He just did it with better skincare.
The blue dress situation was the peak of the rot. The writers expect me to swallow the idea that a man’s history can be wiped, yet his brain sparks back to life because of a fabric color.
t is a special kind of stupid. It isn't about the dress being important. It is that the writers were too lazy to find a human way to reconnect these characters. They chose a wardrobe change over actual development. It turned a reunion into a shallow fashion show where the logic is as thin as the thread holding the dress together.
It did not help that the leads had the collective chemistry of two damp sponges. I did not feel any undeniable force pulling them together. They just looked like coworkers contractually obligated to stare at each other while a ballad played. When there is no heat, the fate and destiny stuff feels like a lie. I did not see a spark. I saw a production schedule.
Watching them navigate the memory loss was like watching a rehearsal where everyone forgot their lines and just decided to pose for a catalog instead. By the end, when the amnesia made him reject her because he reverted to his pre-infatuated self, I actually laughed. It was so bad it was honest. It was a slap in the face to anyone who invested time, but the fourth-wall credits and the supporting cast kept me from totally hating it. The drama is a mess. It has that nostalgic, cliché energy that makes it a decent enough way to kill time between shows that actually have a soul.
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"The Heirs" - i.e: how many cliches can be fit into one drama? I'm honestly quite disappointed, because they had such a great cast but the plot fell flat after about episode 4. I dragged myself to the end of this drama because I had heard so many positive reviews about it. But sadly, as it dragged on, it only got worse. You've certainly seen everything in this drama before, and done better, too.
Cast/Acting:
For the lead character, Chan Eun Sang was horribly underdeveloped and lacked any depth. I had hope at first because she was a bit different to the 'completely kind hearted, unselfish poor girl who looked after her family', but I felt like they never bothered exploring beyond her being bitter about her situation. It honestly got to the point where I couldn't watch scenes with her in it without rolling my eyes. I had a similar problem with Kim Tan. Their characters were horribly bland. Tan's storyline was slightly more interesting, but only because of his family.
I was more interested in the side characters than any of the mains. One thing I did like about this drama was the relationship between Eun Sang's mother and the Mistress. Their scenes always made me laugh, and they had quite a warming relationship with each other as the Mistresses life got turned around. Hyo Shin was nice to see on screen, too, but was yet another character that didn't get the screen time they deserved. I don't really have any issues with any of the acting. I thought everyone did very well--except for Park Shin Hye, but then again I'm not sure if that's the way they told her to play her character, or.
Music:
I am never listening to "love is the moment" in my life again. Ever.
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You watch this for ML's charisma and entertainment, not when you are looking for a profound plot!
This drama definitely had those classic Wattpad vibes, you know, where anything can happen and logic is more of a suggestion than a rule.The plot felt like it was just stringing along a series of random events, all tied together by the ML's performance. It was almost like the drama existed solely to showcase his acting skills and without him, the whole thing would have been a lot harder to sit through.
One moment, a character’s making life-altering decisions, and the next, they are casually falling into some completely unrealistic situation, yet somehow it all just kind of works in that “anything-can-happen” kind of way, we often get in those fanfiction stories where the rules of reality seem to bend.
The show had its fun moments, offering a mix of mystery and comedy, but that was pretty much all it had going for it.
The romance, in particular felt forced and unnecessary. While I don't dislike the FL's acting, I honestly believe her character could have been removed entirely without impacting the overall story. Her presence didn’t seem to add much to the plot and the romance felt more like an obligatory element than a meaningful part of the drama.
That said, I did enjoy their interactions and I am glad they didn't let the romance trope overpower the other.
The antagonists were another issue. Despite committing numerous crimes, they came off as quite foolish. They started off as mysterious, but then they just acted stupid. Their actions became predictable towards the end and their schemes were far too transparent. The stakes lowered as we progressed further.
What kept me going were the interactions between the ML and his "teddy team." Their chemistry was fun and added a bit of lightheartedness to an otherwise mediocre show. Those moments were the only real source of entertainment and kept my interest from completely waning.
Acting wise, I do not have any specific complaints. Seo Kang Joon was/ is an excellent actor and it showed throughout. He literally carried this whole drama on his shoulders.
Overall, I would recommend this to people who are fans of the Seo Kang Joon or anyone who is just looking for something light and easy to watch. It has a high entertaining value. If you don’t mind overlooking some weird plot choices and logic gaps for the sake of entertainment, then it’s worth a try.
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Boring Bromance?
Oh, this had so much potential, and I was so ready to eat it up in heaps. And to start, it was serving in all the areas it had promised. It felt a little dangerous and the ebbing enemies to lovers trope had everyone pining for the romance.It starts strong and then almost halfway through, it loses its footing and spends several episodes not really telling anything close to danger or even romance.
Moreover, Perth is a powerhouse and Chimon felt stiff in romantic scenes.
The finale was also underwhelming.
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Pretentious !
Not one of the best for me . Fortunately it only has 9 episodes so it made it easier to watch .It is a bit of a cliché , young bright student leaves his town to come to Seoul to study and falls for a type of " femme fatale " girl who happens to live in the same house .
She has problems and issues , she smokes a lot . He thinks he can help and so they fall for each other . He discovers "love " or rather " sexual attraction " , She distracts him a lot and I wonder when he ever found the time to study ! There was little chemistry between the lead actors . He is sullen , she is exhausted most of the time !
His ex-girlfriend is a nice friendly girl who has feelings for him but he rejects her .
The story goes back and forth , not all the issues are resolved , and whether they are still together at the end or not does not bother me . I am glad not to have to see any of them again .
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‘Nevertheless’- The Drama That Failed To Reach Its Full Potential.
It feels as though “ mature” tag romance dramas aren’t often taken seriously in K-dramas, but ‘ Nevertheless’ attempts to present things differently. The webcomic-based drama focuses upon the turbulent relationship between art students Nabi ( Han So Hee) and Jae Uhn ( Song Kang) connected together throughout their infatuation with butterflies. However (controversies aside surrounding the allegation case of actor Kim Min Gwi), whilst ‘ Nevertheless’ soared high at times, the drama could often find itself smacked face into the ground with its own problematic flaws also.
Watching the "relationship" between Nabi and Jae Eon play out is similar to getting stung repeatedly by a swarm of killer bees and then falling in a ditch filled of stinging nettles and vipers. Nabi and Jae Uhn aren’t in an overtly healthy relationship . Nabi is revealed to have been a victim of several abusive relationship in the past, and so projects her anxiety into committing herself again into a long-term relationship by seemingly maintaining only sexual intimacy with Jae Uhn. In the first episode alone, Nabi even admits openly to viewers that ‘I don’t believe in fate or love anymore. But this situation, it’s pretty unrealistic’.( Yet secretly yearns for more .)On the other hand, Jae Uhn’s nature is seemingly “ obscured from view”- one minute he happily pines over Nabi, the next he is chatting another girl up, only to pull out serious red flags when he suddenly appear out of nowhere in front of Nabi to “ save the day” .
Of course this is supposed to be the plot device that keeps the main storyline moving . Jae Eon and Nabi are both flawed people who only bring out the worst in one another. (That’s the point. )However, this is also where the drama failed to utilise this storyline to its full potential also. Director Kim Ga Ram may have seemed to think it was a good idea to bog down 20 minutes of screen-time with brooding eye- exchanges between Nabi and Jae Eon onscreen, but having an episode with only
20-25 minutes of quintessential storyline, 20-25 minutes of moody gazes, saucy scenes and then only a brief checkup on subplots isn’t entirely the best format to follow for every episode . Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad if the drama had gradually increased the essential storyline scenes as the series progressed, but soon the drama began to lose a lot of its original intrigue an incessant loop of pretty much the same setup where Nabi or Jae Eon would be lusting over the other, a misunderstanding would occur, they’d ghost one another or make the problem worse ( usually hurting one another or someone else in the process), lengthy scenes of pining gazes would occupy screen time, a cut to one of the subplots and then suddenly Nabi and Jae Eon are on “ reasonable” terms again.
Of course this is nothing to do with the actress behind Nabi .Soo Hee really captivated her role well. The slight uncertainty morphing onto her face and a twitch of her hand with trepidation really helped to animate her onscreen persona to life. However, as a character, Nabi’s was seriously poorly-written . The female lead initially starts off the drama as a sympathetic female lead; we are made aware of her experiences early on, and can see how she is falling hook, line and sinker again into a toxic relationship with Jae Eon as she even voices her own awareness that ‘It feels like something new is about to begin. I’m probably not mistaken’. Although where Nabi ultimately failed as a character wasn’t inherently to do with her conflicted feelings between Jae Eon and the softer option with Doo Hyuk ( Chae Jong Hyeop), but her self-depreciation and lack of self-respect as an individual . Yes, Nabi is a victim of abuse and we cannot forget that. However, it is a really irksome fallacy by screenwriters and writers that someone in Nabi’s vulnerable position” can somehow be fixed from years of emotional trauma by being in a " committed relationship ”. Nabi ( at the end of the day) had serious emotional and psychological issues which needed time and healing, not implicating her in order to keep a poorly enforced plot device working .
This isn’t to entirely drag and degrade the series down. The OST was pretty good, and Ga Ram’s cinematography was really mesmerising also. Two memorable scenes of the drama came through how director Kim Ga Ram inter-played lighting and symbolism here subtly- Jae Uhn in the room of butterflies with the door ajar yet all of them trapped with him, and then the open freedom of the meadow with Doo Hyuk and Nabi sat together enjoying the natural world overtly. The creative juices can only run so far into a series, however, before the problems soon dry them up. For example whilst Song Kang is a good actor, he didn’t feel entirely right as Jae Eon . He did certainly captivate the charismatic ambience of the main male lead , but he was honestly a little lacklustre by rarely radiating prominent vitality as his onscreen Casanova persona.
Of course the subplot characters were fairly intriguing in their own right - cool-headed and punk aesthetically adorned Oh Bit Na ( Yang Hye Ji), a good friend of Nabi, and the taciturn Nam Kyu Hyun had a constant “ will they, won’t they?” dynamic to their relationship. However with the controversial scandal surrounding Min Gwi, the producers made a quick and prompt decision to entirely cut out Kyu Hyun and Bit Na’s relationship scenes( as much as possible) during the last few episodes.Effectively this had a detrimental impact upon an important side couple’s development. However, this problem was also found with Sol ( Lee Ho-Jung) and Sol’s repressed feelings towards her blatantly oblivious best friend Seo Ji Wan ( Yoon Seo Ah) ‘s lacking screen time was diminished even further by the focus on the teachers and their” chemistry” in order to make up for lost screen time between Kyu Hyun and Bit Na.It wasn’t bad per say this couple being focused upon , but there were a myriad of variable storylines which were poorly sketched-out or abandoned throughout the drama which could’ve been explored instead such as the mysterious man that Yoon Soo bumped into, exploring Sol’s sexuality and feelings in more detail ( as well as her possible reasons for liking an unlikely person like Ji Wan), Jae Eon’s interactions with his family possibly providing further indicators into his current mind-frame , exploring Bit Na’s friendships as well as her experiences with trauma and even Jae Eon’s -ex’s story were all beyond wasted potential. The ending only provided this as case and point by failing to tie off loose ends as well as justify Nabi’s chance to heal and gain self respect.
So, is ‘ Nevertheless ’ actually worth watching? The delivered result of ‘ Nevertheless’ will ultimately vary for a lot of drama fans. Many will likely praise the more explorative and daring promiscuous themes in the drama, as well as the art house-style cinematography, the alternative OST and most of the cast. However, it is easy to see where ‘ Nevertheless’ also fails to reach the mark ; the pacing was off even at the best of times, the turbulent relationships ( including the side couples ) rarely met their full-potential and the main characters weren’t given enough opportunities to escape their one-dimensional shells as plot devices. Certainly not a cataclysmic drama, but sadly failing to reach its full potential also.
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