Reviews

A personal favorite youth Chinese drama of 2021!

Went into this drama feeling hopeful after seeing a MV of the leads and I am so glad I gave this drama a try! There are so many youth Chinese dramas out there that I thought this would no different, however, I was wrong. There are familiar setups and tropes but it's refreshing because of the main cast and the charms they bring to their characters. Moreover, the writing brings the realism of being a teen and the conflicts that come up such as wanting to fit in (be someone you're not), finding your dream (being forced to fulfill another person's wishes), being true to yourself (loving yourself and who you are)... and so many more. Plus just the romance and innocence of being in your 17s.

To add, how rare is it to find a Chinese youth drama that has a female lead that DOESN'T have a bob cut?? That was one of the unique factors hat drew me in. Plus, the male lead isn't your typical smart class leader or "bad boy" who has low scores. And the secondary couple!! Very comedic banter and sweet scenes between those two as well.

I have to say that these four actors are the ones carrying the drama, otherwise this youth drama would be no different than the many others that are released every year in China. Their acting is on point to their characters, bringing them to life even if there are some stiff/awkward moments but it's understandable since they are all new. I especially love Lin Nan Yi's smiles and Wang Yu Ming's personality. Bonus point is that their voices aren't dubbed! Another rare occurance in Chinese drama land.

Speaking of the plot though, I have to give a warning that towards the end, you can tell the writer is trying very hard to push the plot in a certain direction and use certain tropes that we are all familiar with in youth romance dramas. It's not subtle at all and feels quite forced, but it's not too bad. It only made me drop the Plot score by 0.5. I can overlook it because of the main cast's acting, chemistry, and romance. It only happens a handful of times through the storyline anyway. Also, on the bright side, there are NO stupid misunderstandings that drag out the plot. It's quite fast-paced.

A bonus would be the OST of this drama. I love several of them and they fit the scenes so, so well. I definitely have those songs saved for replays. The upbeat ones are my favorites but they also match the youthfulness of the cast so I

Happy that it finished off well. Will keep an eye out on the main cast for sure.

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Disappointing.

Despite the interesting premise, the execution did not work for me. The pacing was too rushed, and because of this, many character actions seemed inconsistent, and the emotional moments didn’t have enough time to develop properly. Scenes moved from one plot point to another very quickly, so the relationships and motivations often felt unfinished.

What bothered me the most was Xiao Shuhe and the way his character was written. It felt like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to use Duan Zi Ang or not, or if he wanted to take part in politics or stay away from it. Then his brother killed their father and even tried to kill him, but Shuhe still acted upset when Duan Zi Ang killed the brother. And also, Duan Zi Ang killed the only other heir, and then expected Shuhe to just leave the kingdom and be with him?!

Shuhe's brother also behaved in a very strange way. Maybe with better development his actions would make more sense, but because everything happened so fast, his outbursts looked sudden and cringey. The acting of his guard didn’t help either, so those scenes became even more awkward.

The Prime Minister's character was all over the place too. What did that man even want???

When Duan Zi Ang took Shuhe back to his kingdom, the story flow became a little better, and I could finally see the direction the drama wanted to take. However, the final dinner scene was really confusing. Suddenly they all sat together like friends, even though just one day earlier they were scheming against each other, and even afterward they still continued to work against each other. It was so weird and unfitting.

Overall, I think the drama has a good concept, and with more time or stronger character development it could be much more engaging. But because of the rushed storytelling, inconsistent character behavior, and some very odd plot-points, I couldn’t connect with it as much as I hoped.

If this wasn't BL people would tear it apart with criticism, but I personally cannot force myself to appreciate it the way it is. The main leads looked good together and their acting was alright, and it was visually pretty, but that's it.

Still hoping that one day we'll get a proper costume BL with satisfying and well developed story.

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First of all I must say that I really enjoyed this movie
I didn't expect it to be so good^^

In comparison, with the manga the story line was changed in some ways.....but I really liked those changes which is not usually the case but the way it was much better than the anime because the anime is like one third of the manga ;)

The cast was perfect and the acting was also good expect of few scenes of Futaba... I think her facial expression were a bit exaggerated.

The music was great and all in all it was the best manga-anime-adaption I´ve ever seen and I highly recommend it especially for the manga and anime fans of Ao Haru Ride :3

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I was pretty skeptical when I first looked into it, but I was glad that I didn't turn away. If you're looking for a drama with a good plot, characters and acting.. you've found it.

You think you know where the story is going, but then they throw a few "huh!?" moments at you. It keeps you on your seat, eagerly waiting to find out what happens next.

It's a very dramatic yet touching story and something I would recommend to those who enjoy a good plot filled with the twists and turns we all know and love from dramas.

(Though a warning to those with triggers, as there are some light ones)

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If you give it a chance it might surprise you

Well, that was quite a get-on-nerves show, but still interesting to watch. I've checked most of the reviews and I'm quite surprised they are so negative.

STORY
It could be written better.. I didn't have a chance to read the novel that series is based on, but I'm sure that even that half of angst wasn't portrayed in this show. So it might be for the best.. who knows what kind of cringe we would see.. So it's good as it is.
Dark romance? I don't see it clearly. It's too corny to be considered as dark.

(English is not my first language, so, please, bare with me 😢)

let's talk about characters

MING

Yes , he is definitely NOT SAINT, but also he CAN'T be defined as a total red flag. In comparison to Day from "Love syndrome" or Vegas "KP" Ming is just a naughty kid who begs for attention and yet might be possessive and arrogant from time to time. I really love Up's acting skills. It's incredible seeing his versatility (compared to a lovely writer). Also, I loved the character development. We were able to see what the loss of someone important in your life can do to you. Maybe it would be much better if there was another special episode about Ming's life after Joe's disappearance. Since a lot of people found concerning the swift change in Ming's personality.
The only thing that I can blame on him is that he couldn't talk about his feelings properly instead he was trying to manipulate Joe in order to get what he wanted.
Well, I can't see him as the most toxic red flag. HE IS JUST A MANIPULATIVE RICH KID WHO DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE LOVED.

***
I want to complain about the dressing style that they came up with for Ming.. like they are trying to portray him as a powerful and manipulative top, but dressing him like a BABY GIRL with rosey cheeks..

JOE

This is my first time seeing Poom in acting. He's incredibly good (sometimes he reminds me of Jeff Satur). He's eyes like a mirror that depicts true emotions.

Well, poor Joe. He literally has been through hell.. He was so naive to let everyone manipulate him, especially Ming. It was clear that he had affection towards Ming, but still self-respect must be in priority. It's understandable, he fell in love and was blinded by it.

Everybody's blaming him for how he could get money on these conditions..Just imagine.. you're in a strangers body but in the same surroundings, have no money, no career, acquired a new mother with poor health and lots of debt .You need to scratch from the top but you have no time. What would you do to survive?

It was so frustrating to see him living in a shadow of other people even in his past self's. As he made a choice to live his life like this he has to cope with it.

TONG

Still mad about him getting a happy ending after all of the awful things he has done. Unpleasant character. Definitely deserves a good punch. He's one of those people who are trying to look better by taking credits for someone else's achievements.

But at least he showed that he will take responsibility for his child.

P'Wut

His acting sometimes made me feel uncomfortable. They were trying to create a father figure for Joe, but failed. He only kept saying that he's gonna help him, but in the end of it all Joe had to deal with everything by himself. Unreliable.

I still have a lot of questions about the story but I can't remember even a half of it..

1. What happened to the soul of Joe2?
2. Wasn't it strange for Joe's mother to see that her son's completely changed?
3. Who was that mysterious master and why does everybody believe him?
4. How did Ming's parents forgive Tong that easily..?


I really love the color correction and camera work. The shots were amazing. But the musical accompaniment.. 3 damn songs repeating again and again ..

Overall, I can understand what this show was trying to tell us. "Love wins all no matter what" and " family bound is one of the strongest".

I don't think that I'm gonna rewatch it someday.
Soild 8.

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Mars. Was he the coward, who the Greeks say was bloodthirsty and belligerent, and yet was afraid of failure? Isn't he supposed to look mean and ferocious?; Indeed he is the God of War, but I heard that the Romans described him differently. ; Really? ;They said...Mars...wore shining armor, look dignified. He was a dark hero who helped people overcome tragedy.

This is how it starts. This drama has won me right after the first episode. It has been on my list since a long time ago but finally I decided to watch a few days ago. And then everything changed. I have never watched anything similar to this, maybe there are a little few Asian dramas in the whole world like this one but it's honestly really rare. Different from everything else, in so much more deeper and darker psychological level that every second I was truly in a state like the main characters, I felt every single emotion they felt, I smiled, cried, yelled, was so angry and crazy at times they I could kill like Chen Ling thought he could, I was in love, I felt so much passion, desire and true meaning of a strong real love, exactly like that I have never felt while watching any drama in my entire life.
What is it that makes this drama so different from others and that makes me to write and feel like this? Well, when you start to watch you see that there are some guy who is a popular playboy and very handsome, and you see some girl who is very shy, artistic and doesn't talk to anyone. So at first you think this is going to be some cliche romance drama with the plot you have seen so many times. But you're wrong. Sooo wrong. Because already in the second part of the first episode you see that it's different, that you've got some strange feeling inside your body which tells you this is going to be something amazing. There is no some twisted mystery plot, no birth secrets, no rich handsome boss and poor cute girl, no love triangles, no annoying people and yelling all the time. The attraction between the characters begins right away, and they are what make this drama.
And the story begins.
Of course I'm not going to tell the story 'cause you have that already in the description of the drama, but what I'm going to tell is that this is the most beautiful and the strongest love story ever. Literally. I mean two young people trying to face and struggle with their pasts, their fears, their tragic and sad experiences and finding solace in one another. And they succeed in that. Because they simply fell in love. Honestly. Truly. They helped one another to face with all difficulties and overcome everything with the strength and power of real love. Vic and Barbie have done amazing job,they had amazing intense chemistry all the time, I really admire them, they are really very talented and fantastic actors. I think it is very hard to play a role where your character is psychological damaged and where the character is in some hand a little bit crazy with many problems and issues in the head and in the heart. I don't need to say that Vic became my favourite actor, actually in my top 5. ;-) And his character is the best ever, I fell in love with his hair, his style, his bike, his attitude, I like it very much that he is not perfect, he has so many flaws and that's why he became my favourite character in the whole dramaland.
Also, the character of Tong Dao is such an amazing addition to the already dark, depressed and psycho feeling. Oh my God, do you know how I love his character? Not in some positive way, it's just I think that he perfectly fits in here with his twisted and creepy behavior and you'll see why. An Jun Can was a genius in this drama, I was so scared of him in some scenes, great really.
Music- no words, just listen. I still shiver and tremble and still in my mind are the songs from MARS. Especially the opening song, MASTERPIECE.
So, in the end only to say that YOU HAVE TO WATCH MARS, IT'S A MUST WATCH DRAMA and you'll definitely won't be the same after watching. At least you gonna fall in love with Vic (or Barbie) and you gonna enjoy in beautiful music if you don't like the drama. But honestly there's no way you not gonna like it.
All I know that I became a little obsessed with characters from MARS and literally played some scenes more times than once because the conversations between them are so precious and intelligent, I enjoyed in every detail. DRAMA MASTERPIECE. Oh yeah did I say that kiss scenes are so hot, sexy and so natural and real? I felt like I was with them in drama in their intimate moments and kissing them all the way. ;-)

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Definite improvement over SIMM, easy fun watch

If you are expecting HIGH drama and complicated layered plot, this is not the show for you. What it has going for it is the undeniable appeal and chemistry of Joong and Dunk. Joong is his typical endearing, thoughtful, besotted self. He has more nuance and more moods to convey here than he did in SIMM, where mostly I think his character was a confusing asshole. Not sure why everyone is picking on Dunk, as he was notably improved here. His character starts out clueless and hostile and gradually falls for Joke in a way that feels natural and understandable, especially when a little of his relationship backstory comes in to play. Dunk does his best work reacting opposite Joong and this as true for their conflict scenes as it is for their love scenes.
The side couple feel like an afterthought, and the plot and the twists lose steam after episode 9, not gonna lie, but Joong and Dunk are what sold the show and it was still very enjoyable to watch their scenes and their little shout out to SIMM.
It was fun for what it was, it would have been better if it was a shorter series or had a tighter ending but it didn't ruin anything for me.

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Initially I wasn't going to review this story, but I thought since there weren't many reviews that I would.
This should be short, so here's my review on Love Sick: The Series
--

Story: Honestly, I'm not quite sure what the story was suppose to be but my guess is the journey of teenagers in school and all their romances and conflicts that come with it. The story is something that has been done before but with two males facing romance together. I felt that the story did center around mostly school and romance and there wasn't any problem with that. However, I did find myself skipping around the story mostly for Noh and Phun, everyone else's issues I wasn't too interested in.

Acting/Cast: To be honest I don't know how people rated the acting as spectacular. I felt that sometime's the feelings between Noh and Phun, no matter how cute, weren't always easily portrayed ( I got confused during some instances) . It was sometimes difficult to understand the problems between these two characters but you pretty much get the gist of it. I don't feel like the cast as whole had great acting, but I did like the story nonetheless and the chemistry between Noh and Phun kept me wanting to watch more.

Music: I did like the music it was different from the dramas I've been watching, this was actually my first thailand drama.

Rewatch value: I normally don't rewatch shows that often, BUT i would rewatch this one only for Noh and Phun. I found myself smiling and going back to see the moments between these two, it was just so adorable.

Overall: Do I recommend? YES, I do. Like everyone else has said, if you can get through the first episode(which was poorly done) you can watch the rest of the series. The only reason I can't give this drama a higher score is because of the acting. I do love the characters but I felt that if this story wasn't focused on something that was different to me (BL) then I would have dropped it. That being said, the two main characters were so cute and I enjoyed watching the drama and am looking forward to the second season.

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If you want to change, now is the time!

Pros

-At its bare minimum, 3-nen is a timely critique of cyber bullying, herd mentality and the damaging nature of false accusations, applicable to not only Japan but to those who inhabit online spaces or social institutions- so, everyone in other words. It demonstrates how on the internet, malicious, often fabricated rumours can spread like wildfire to life-destroying effect, and how the collective can mercilessly oppress the individual until they simply break. It is an important reminder that human-induced tragedies like suicide aren't the responsibility of one person but many; and that remaining complacent towards bullying is tantamount to condoning it. So really, the series itself can be described as a long and important lesson that directly implicates the viewer in its didactic purpose.

-Unlike its awful, conspiracy-based successor 'Nippon Noir', 3-nen succeeds, for the most part, in its twists and turns, creating an urgent, exciting plot that keeps you guessing. From the beginning, the stakes are set high and the moment that Hiraagi announces the doors are locked, you know that this series really isn't fooling around.

-Credit where its due, I like Shogo Muto's decision to make Hiraagi a former Tokusatsu suit actor/ stuntman. Not only did the screenwriter pay homage to prior series Kamen Rider Build (albeit in a rather self-important way), it gave reasonable explanations as to why Hiraagi is a skilled fighter, can handle explosives and is inspired to impart values of justice, empathy and personal change onto his students.

-Casting was a mixed bag, but there were standouts. Suda Masaki delivers, as usual, a compelling performance as the enigmatic Hiraagi. Suda bounces from from playful enthusiasm to merciless rage, and then to heartfelt sincerity with the flexibility of a rubber ball, though bordering on overacting as per usual. Nagano Mei's characterization of the class captain was realistic, especially in her emotions of fear and regret. Tomita Miu was a welcome presence in retrospect, but I do find problems with her inclusion (see cons). And who can hate Mori Nana?

-Liked the opening. The morning dance routine was pretty sweet too.

Cons

Having only watched 3-Nen, NN and KR Build I'm no connoisseur of Shogo Muto's work. But having watched these three and read about his other series, I must say that his writing isn't terribly cerebral, is it?

- For one, hackneyed cliches and plot devices rear their ugly heads. Terminal illness, well-timed fainting, bad boys with soft sides, bedridden mothers, unsympathetic and incompetent cops, misunderstood yet well-intentioned protagonists, unrequited crushes, fat people as comic relief, clinging to the hand of someone falling off a tall building... I could probably think of more on a rewatch. One or two aren't bad per say, the problem is when they start to accumulate.

-And while I mentioned that the series has timely social commentary, I hate how preachy and self-important it is. Hiraagi's long rants, brimming with metaphors about daggers in hearts and intercut with scenes of the students silently crying are insufferably sanctimonious. This forced, contrived melodrama defeats the moments of off-kilter humor and dark comedy that added some levity to the series. And subtlety? Hiraagi must have bagged it at the start or blown it up in the first explosion. Crying, screaming, desk-slamming and oh, I almost forgot that uh- cyberbullying is bad, empathy is good and that we are all pieces of trash. Perhaps Hiiragi didn't say it enough times. To my belief, effective social commentary is woven into a work, not necessarily with complete subtlety but with at least some degree of complexity. 3-nen throws it like an angry, self-righteous punch to the face.

-Some of the acting was awful, particularly from the students. One who comes to mind is the idol fellow who was playing the belligerent dancer who picks a fight with Hiraagi, but this may be because he had an annoyingly large amount of screentime.

-Belief has been suspended. Too many times. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but since this work is intentionally set in the present day and in the real world, its unfeasibility becomes somewhat of a problem. The series falls to bits under the slightest bit of scrutiny, and I don't feel the need to explain its questionable aspects because there are too many.

-I believe this is the third time that I've written this but I really do want to point out this show's hypocrisy. It rambles on about bullying but perpetuates it by making a mockery out of the token 'fat' character. Not cool.

I hate using the word 'overrated' but I hate hiding my convictions even more. 3-nen a gumi, while relevant and entertaining, is overrated. 6.5/10

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The pinnacle of amateur writing

I don’t know where to start so let’s start with the story. The ‘story’ was chaotic and all over the place. Actually, there was no continuous story, just random plot points thrown here and there. It felt more like a boring anthology that mostly sustained itself on showing Leo and Fiat looking at each other with overly fake affection.
I want to be honest here and admit that I was quite interested in some of the plot points, like Fiats overly controlling mother or Fiats estranged relationship with his father but, as expected, neither of these issues were given proper screentime and development. I would’ve like to know more about Fiats mother like f.e. what kind of mental issues does she have? Is she getting any help? Does she want to get better? How will this affect their mother-son relationship going forward? None of these questions were even remotely addressed. I also wish they didn’t make her behave in a comically evil way. It might’ve been more interesting to see her behave incredibly nice and indulging to Fiat, while also manipulating him at the same time. Her choice of words was very on the nose and the whole issue could’ve been handled with a lot more finesse but this applies to the whole drama, not just that one plot point.

And now that we’re on the subject, the dialogue was baaad. I’ve rarely seen such badly written dialogue but here we go. Embarrassingly cheesy and superficial. I felt like I was listening to preschoolers role playing at recess or smt.
Which leads me to to actors. Most of them weren’t good. Some were decent and some were bad. Especially First and Ja, their acting ability was pretty weak. Ja is only marginally better than First and that’s not saying much. I know that they’re still pretty much amateur actors and to hone your skills does take time and dedication, not to mention the sh*tty story and script of this drama, so I won’t give them much flag for that but still. They performed without much feelings. Any feeling they showed was only surface-level. Badly written scripts and characters do present an additional challenge to the actors and it shows. The director didn’t seem of much help here as well.
I do hope the boys get to start in a better drama with better written characters next time.

The make out scenes weren’t good either. They felt perfunctorily at best, like two robots going through the motions. I understand that the actors were probably tired and all but this shouldn’t translate onto the screen. Leo and Fiat are supposed to be totally into each other and horny 24/7 but their make out scenes made me believe the opposite.
I feel like there are two types of BLs. Either story-driven or skinship-driven. There’s nothing wrong with either and I feel like DNS was supposed to be second but bc of the robotic acting it fell flat. In TharnType, which story was a similar mess, Mew and Gulf at least delivered on that front. First and Ja unfortunately didn’t.

Ultimately, “DSN” suffered from similar problems as “TharnType”, meaning it attempted to showcase some serious issues but astronomically failed in its execution because the writer didn’t know how to either conduct proper research or simply wasn’t willing to deepen the subject and rather used it as plot device for the ‘romance’.

The directing and editing was slow and boring too and that one creepy soundtrack didn’t fit most scenes it was used on. But credit where it’s due: I did like the Op and Ed songs

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Not that this drama needed yet another review: it must be by all means the most talked about K-drama of all times. Writing one satisfies my need to fraternize with the only reviewer here who had the guts to give it a 6, well aware that I will be submerged with jolly hatred, so diplomatically expressed by clicking on the "not helpful" choice.

Let me start with the plot. It isn't the most original of all, but I don't consider this a flaw, per se. Few things are more satisfying for a romantic than a woman compelled by circumstances to live under the same roof with 3 good-looking men. Season this with music, humour and a lot of misunderstandings, and you have the perfect material for a great drama.

My problem lies with dialogues and execution. The first are childish and repetitive, the second is average. I can see for myself that the actors are good looking, but that's the extent of their charm.
Park Shin Hye is insufferable. She displays two emotions only here: surprise - round eyes and O-shaped lips - and desperation - a river of tears. Her character has no real development: a nun who changes her love for god with love for a star, without learning anything whatsoever from the experience, neither wisdom, nor self-assurance or pride. One more apology from her mouth and I'd have strangled her. And don't let me started on the way she walks, as if she were trying to apologize for her existence too.
Out of the three guys, the only acting chop I'm ready to salvage is Lee Hong Ki's. He looks like a puppy, but is endearing and changes throughout the show. Jang Geun Suk uses too many exaggerated facial expressions and Kang Shin Woo too few. The result is forced. One is reminded every minute of the show that these people are staging a drama.
The character of Uee is your usual spiteful duck, whose purpose is none other than add the nth foot walking all over humble Go Mi Nam.
And Grey Eminence the lost twin brother must be the most useless character ever created, who comes back, takes all the glory he did nothing to obtain without as much as a thank you, and even has the guts to start an affair with a woman who has made his sister's life a living hell.

I have admitted before at not being a K-pop fan, therefore I didn't really like the music. But this is my problem, and it would be unfair to judge an original OST only based upon my taste. I thought some songs were used too often and they annoyed me in the long run.

Re-watch value is obviously in line with the general liking of a drama. If one has fallen in love with it, one will probably want to revive the experience. If this is not the case, why re-watch something average when tons of other dramas are still to be seen?

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Love.. Sacrifice.. Courage.. And Endurance: The Pulse of Gyeongseong Creature..

This is not your typical damsel in distress or ML saves the FL and then they had a happy ending drama.. Even though he saves her several times by risking his life, she does the same for him.. Itss also not your usual fight for the love of your country or hero saves the world narrative.. While the story is heavily influenced by a falling regime and its hold on the country.. Patriotism, in my view, is not the drama's core...

Its the journey of Jang Tae Sang who is thrust into a world he is not familiar with.. Facing trials that test his resolve and character.. And Yoon Chae Ok who in desperate search for her mother enters a dangerous world from which no one escapes.. Together they form a bond of love that only fate could forge..

The screenplay, acting and cinematic visuals were standout elements of the drama.. The opening title sequence was beautifully crafted.. With paintings and illustrations that set the tone for the drama and drew me in from the very start..

Claudia Kim's performance as Lady Maeda was outstanding.. I really would love to see her as the FL in a drama soon.. Han So Hee handled her role with ease.. Especially the action scenes .. And Park Seo Joon was nothing short of extraordinary.. Showcasing his incredible talent and range as an actor.. I would expect nothing less from him.. Given his remarkable ability to bring characters to life with such authenticity.. Kudos to Park Seo Joon for taking the time to choose the right script for his comeback..

The sequence where Jang Tae Sang enters the patriots hideout and the scene seamlessly transitioning to Yoon Chae Ok as she shoots Dr. Ichiro and then shifts to Maeda before returning to Yoon Chae Ok.. All set against a dramatic rain backdrop.. This three minute sequence was peak cinematography..

`Sā, futari tomo koko de shindekudasai' / 「さあ、二人ともここで死んでください」 / Now, i ask you both to die here.

The climax fighting scene was well choreographed, Han so hee was just perfect.. She sacrificed herself to bring an end to her pain as well as her mother's.. And to protect the person she loves..

One thing I didn’t understand was why she chose to kill Ichiro.. Killing him wouldn’t change anything, and she was smart enough to know that.. I was expecting her to sneak into the hospital and try to kill Kato because he was the brain for the whole project.. Wouldn't that have been the wiser move??

And the ending.. How did she end up in water with her mother ( shenshin )?? Was that how they wanted us to visualize the scene?? Because there is no way Jang Tae Sang would have deserted her dead body or let her mother take it.. May be the second season will answer that..

In conclusion.. Gyeongseong Creature serves a rich textured story and a refreshing departure from conventional narratives.. Blending Love.. Sacrifice and courage.. And It’s clear that the journey of Jang Tae Sang and Yoon Chae Ok will continue..

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Loved parts, but couldn't get past others.

First let me say that I love that this drama shined a light on so many types of mental health issues. The autistic brother was my favorite character and I loved his story line. In fact, I really enjoyed all the story lines in the show. The acting was top notch and the entire drama was visually striking.

My main issue was the Female lead character. Let me try to explain...
If you knew of a person who had stolen the money from a bunch of elderly people leaving them destitute with their lives in shambles and that same person later decided not to do that anymore...at least not as much, and even built a Senior center, but never made amends to the elderly they had hurt and in fact didn't even think they had done anything wrong to those elderly, you would find it hard to see that person in a positive light.

That is how the the Female lead character felt to me. In the first part of the drama we see her cruelty to animals, her self centered attitude and lack of empathy. She does two attempted murders and two kidnappings in the first few episodes. Plus the emotional blackmail that she often uses is just horrible. Her temper flairs and she gets violent any time she is contradicted. And this part of her personality never changes. Though we see her soften toward the ML, his brother, and a few others, she easily and quickly reverts to her previous ways as soon as she is challenged. Even when she had the opportunity to make amends for destroying her publisher, she makes him choose whether he will repair his business or not when it wasn't necessary for him to do so. Effectively making him choose to stay destroyed and have to rebuild everything when SHE is the one who caused the destruction. I found her character exceedingly uncomfortable to watch and was always wary that the male lead would get hurt or that she would just turn on him at any given moment.

There is a scene where she talks to her mother and says something to the effect of how she "almost" became like her Mom. I was literally thinking...no...you are exactly like your Mom except you have yet to succeed in killing anyone (not for lack of trying) and though you are unempathetic at times, you are not necessarily evil in your intentions.

I like the two brothers and her together, but at the same time I found it uncomfortable to cheer for because of her character. It felt wrong to want the brothers to get entangled with such a person.

Without her character, the story would not have been the same, but because of that character, I had to rate the drama lower. She was just too uncomfortable to cheer for. If the character has shown remorse (beyond saying sorry for stabbing the ML...twice), or really even seemed to change, I would have felt differently but not as it was.

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