This review may contain spoilers
Brutal, merciless milieu of gangs & drug cartels. Stirring, gloomy but with soulful strings, too
What a positive surprise. For all those who are not afraid of the brutal, merciless milieu of gang wars and drug cartels: "Worst of Evil" offers intense characters with dynamic profiles, especially of the two protagonists - the rural police officer who joins a new Gangnam gang as an undercover agent, to help uncover the organized drug trade between China, South Korea and Japan, as well as the boss of that Gangnam gang.In particular, Ji Chang-wook as Park Jun-mo alias Kwon Seung-ho puts his heart and soul as well as quite some muscles and fighting into it. Whatsoever, he is impressive. But so are the others. It´s well cast and Disney+ apparently didn't skimp on anything...
For me personally, gang stories like this one aren't really my first choice. Too much crude violence, too much highly concentrated testosterone... "Worst of Evil" is no exception. Sharp blades and baseball bats are in high demand, especially in the first half. Nicotine seemingly acts as nutrition and even the fanciest suits can't hide the fact that a lot of blood is being shed unscrupulously...
Nonetheless.
“Worst of Evil” features complex characters and highly explosive relationship dynamics that is touching, gripping and, more importantly, provides emotional substance, too.
Eventually, undercover operations are psychologically demanding. The boundaries between true and false identity are blurring. A solid compass for right and wrong can easily be lost. The reality of living the undercover life creates new truths in which even the 'false' identity becomes a ´true´ part of one's own life. Coming to terms with this obviously is not easy. The return to the old life as it was before, even less so. In the case of "Worst of Evil", these internal and external conflicts of our undercover investigator become even more difficult by the fact that his wife has a history with the gang boss that he knew nothing about. She, his wife, herself a police officer and officially not ´his´ wife in terms of the new undercover identity, is now drawn into current affairs in a way that the small special investigation team could not have foreseen.
Not to mention the fact that the drug cartels involves powerful partners, not only in South Korea, but also in China and Japan. At last, the homicide police also get involved in dealing with everyday gang activities and murder cases in Gangnam. None of those involved is squeamish whatsoever. So danger lingers everywhere. Not only fists and fights, but also intelligent, diplomatic solutions are required. High-end improvisation is on the agenda for our hero.
"Worst of Evil" is thrilling, stirring, gloomy and – despite all the blood that boils over and over again (and all the copious amounts that are spilled) – it has its soulful strings, too. It's about trust, loyalty, bromance, the relativity of 'right' and 'wrong', and ultimately the ethical question of which end justifies which means...
Is the story predictable? Well, I can't fully deny that. But in "Worst of Evil" the journey is clearly the destination - what the undercover special operation DOES with this once "mother-in-law's favorite" and how he comes to terms with it. In addition, his counterpart, the self-proclaimed, brash, brilliant gang leader, is also quite interesting. With his vita, his goals and desires, he doesn't really fit into the usual cliché and thus brings additional dynamism. In addition, several other characters in the cartel (and police) environment impress with strong profiles, too.
As I said, I was pleasantly surprised. "Worst of Evil" had me. It's pretty well made all around and has actually more to offer than just ruthless gangs and action. (Nevertheless, be prepared, it still is about the milieu of ruthless gangs...)
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1. The Plot - What I loved about Park Hye Run's writing (particularly in Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice) was that she knew what to say and when to say it. With Korean dramas, things can get messy and all over the place, particularly when dealing with themes of past and present. She did a fab job tying lose ends before, but in WYWS the story was all over the place. The back-and-forth of the story was really messy and the "past" didn't have the impact it intended. It reminded me of Kill Me Heal Me (another amazing drama with painful back-flashes). I loved how original her idea was but it wasn't articulated properly.
2. Suzy - I have always felt Suzy has potential to be a decent actress but so far, everything she has done has been problematic to me. I don't know if anyone else feels this way but I have spent some time thinking why I don't feel affected by her. It's not bad acting but it's the "cutesy" act. For some reason, Suzy's acting comes off as a half-hearted cutesy attempt. Instead of improving her acting, she focuses more on being pretty and sounding cute. When she acts, it feels like we're supposed to bow down to her beauty or something. And it hinders my experience because, instead of empathizing with her character, I end up feeling envious or annoyed. She has a hard time evoking that feeling of human-connection and understanding in me.
3. Lee Jong Suk - My two points are self-contradictory here. Firstly, I feel Lee Jong Suk is being typecast as this perfect character. In every drama, he practically plays the same guy in different professional fields and having different life stories. Secondly, he did try to do something new in this drama by pulling a Jang Hye Jung. He's literally the male version of Lee Bo Young's iconic character in I Hear Your Voice here. But sadly, he does not pull it off convincingly. So basically, he did try something new but it didn't work out well. But he really needs to keep experimenting more. I know he can pull it off and show more variety!
The chemistry was sadly lacking between the main couple. I don't know whose fault it is, but my disappointment was palpable while watching the whole drama. I was waiting for that "click" moment but they never seemed to click. At least not for me.
The rest of the cast was relatively better. I loved Woo Tak and the people in Jae Chan's office. The cases were interesting but not enough. The last case was the best out of the lot and the saving grace for me! Overall, I loved the idea but I wish they had built upon it some more and the lead pair had more chemistry.
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Meng Shao Fei (Jake Hsu) is a cop who has spent the last four years chasing gangster Tang Yi (Chris Wu). Tang Yi is trying to go straight to fulfil his late mentor/ father figure’s wishes. While he seems to be in charge of his organisation, there are rumours that not everybody is happy. However, Meng Shao Fei doesn’t seem that interested in Tang Yi’s criminal activities: he mostly wants to know what happened during an incident four years previously when his Sunbae was killed. After playing a cat and mouse game for four years, Meng Shao Fei and Tang Yi are probably too aware of each other for their own good. So when fate throws them together a few times, sparks fly.
As a BL premise, this a pretty good one. Meng Shao Fei’s dogged – almost obsessive – pursuit of Tang Yi translates pretty well as an analogy for a romantic pursuit. Whether Shao Fei wants justice, the truth, or Tang Yi’s hot bod is something even he seems confused about from early on. It shows a laudable kind of emotional honesty that, when Shao Fei finally realises his feelings, he pursues them with the same persistence with which he pursued the original case. He will get his man, it seems, even if he’s been in denial as to what he wants him for. After all, he’s a cop and Tang Yi is a gangster.
And therein, unfortunately, lies the show's problem. The writers simply don't understand the action genre and are not capable of grappling with the ethical issues at the heart of this relationship. From the beginning, the characters seem to be pasted in from a different show; one where cops are adorable and incompetent and nobody cares that one of them has completely compromised all their unit's ongoing investigations. The action elements are not used well or written well and the writers clearly struggle with a genre they don't know how to write.
It says something about the HIStory series that I stayed shipping the main couple even as it became clear that their relationship would not work (in the real world, this of course is a clear fiction). There is a lot of chemistry here - so much so the writers copped an unfortunate amount of flak over skipping a scene where that chemistry... culminated (and then quickly threw their audience a bone - literally as it turns out).
I can admire the writers' ambition as they try to write a much-longer series in a genre they're unfamiliar with. But, unfortunately, their execution has failed to match that ambition even if the series still produces consistently-good BL stories that are far above anything else on offer today.
By all means watch and enjoy but temper your expectations about the show's plotting. It does fall short.
Watch it for the romance instead.
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This review may contain spoilers
Some programmer friends recommended me to watch this drama. In turn, I recommend this drama to my other programmer friends. I myself am a programmer.Finished watching the drama (twice!), I really enjoyed how it depicts start-up world in relatively good accuracy:
- started up at plain uncomfortable loft
- having full support by family members and close friends at first, and getting their doubts as time goes by
- focused on technical aspects instead of business calculations
- having little taste of design ("retro" business card!)
- easily challenged when there's technical problems to solve
The drama maintained the story pace successfully. It introduced main characters and their personal conflicts early and smoothly. I didn't remember moments when I got bored watching the drama.
Each character personal conflicts are well told. There are motives for each character decisions and actions, even for HJP indecisiveness regarding his affection to SDM.
The actors played well. I really like the elevator scene, the actors were using body language very well. Conversation between HJP and KYS (as the new CEO) was also interesting, portraying how their characters developed.
I will miss those Sam-san Tech guys.
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The story was all over the place. It started off exciting and I loved the thrill, but as soon as Han Yeo Jin became a part of Kim Tae Hyun's life, it started to drop from there onward. I watch medical dramas for the medical stuff (e.g. surgeries, transplants, medical dilemmas, etc.), but we only ever got the occasional one after the fourth episode. I hated how this become a soppy love story between the money-loving surgeon and the suicidal, rich chaebol's daughter. Not only was it really cringy to watch, I felt like that Tae Hyun was the only one who cared for their relationship. Yeo Jin only saw it as something to rely on when her plans failed, and she even put her revenge over Tae Hyun himself. That's not how a love story should be portrayed and I never want to see something like that done again. Also, too many political scenes.
A lot of people I know exclaim how much they love Joo Won and Kim Tae Hee as actors, and I can certainly understand for Joo Won, but not Kim Tae Hee. Her acting wasn't all that well done in my opinion, and I believe she made no more than three facial expressions. Although she did fit well with her character, her acting still can't be accepted for the way it was done. Anyway, Joo Won was so lovely to watch and I am most definitely watching some of his older dramas now.
Hmm, I can't say I enjoyed many of the quiet, relaxed soundtracks that Yong Pal gave to us, but I most certainly loved listening to Come To Me by K. Will. His voice is so beautiful to listen to, and he definitely makes up for the rest of the album. Oh, but I did also really like the action soundtracks. They were so exhilarating to listen to, even if the scene that accompanied it was boring as could be.
Would I want to re-watch Yong Pal again if I was given some free time? No.
Overall, the writers of Yong Pal should be glad that I even gave it a 7 out of 10. If it wasn't for Joo Won and most of the other actors, and the soundtracks, this drama would have definitely been a lower rating.
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This review may contain spoilers
Watched 2 episodes, and so far, I really like it. When Xiao Wuyi killed off those officials with that cold gaze and wearing that sinister smile with blood smeared all over his face, got instant chills! Hou Minghao nailed that murderous aura.
Waiting to see how the plot develops next!
Will update this review after finishing all episodes.
Edit: Completed all episodes. Superb acting by Hou Minghao and Aimi. Each nailed their roles perfectly!! The plot, the characters, the storyline, the visuals, kept me hooked throughout the drama. And of course the OSTs, each one carried a perfect feeling conveying the characters emotions. Thanks to all the cast and crew team for bringing us such an amazing drama. One of the best dramas I've watched this year, totally recommended watching it!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Where do I begin...I have been anticipating this drama since it's announcement, and even more after watching Goblin, my first Kim Eun Sook drama, and The Legend of the Blue Sea, my first Lee Min Ho drama. Waiting months and months for this drama, I can say that I was not disappointed. I got excited every time something related to The King was released before the premier. When the teaser came out, I was so excited that a drama I have waited months for was almost premiering. When the drama premiered, I skipped one of my classes just to watch it, and I do not regret that! I watched the first episode twice because I was so excited and happy. I was not disappointed at all.
Romance fantasy is no doubt my favorite drama genre. With a historical touch, The King is definitely a memorable and amazing drama to me. I already loved Kim Eun Sook's writing style, but after watching The King, I ended up loving it even more.
Now, the things I loved about this drama:
Plot:
Despite it not being exactly like the original synopsis, I loved the plot of this drama. A parallel universe is already a complicated topic to master, and adding time travel to it no doubt made it more hard. Despite this, I think Kim Eun Sook does an excellent job tackling both subjects in one drama. I also surprisingly liked the flow of the drama. I didn't mind the slow movement of the plot at first since I think it connects perfectly well to the story. The reason the first few episodes are slow might be because it represents the story, how everything slowly unfolds. The first few episodes are the the stepping stones to the drama. Things start progressing faster as Lee Gon realizes more and more. If Lee Lim and Lee Gon's first interaction was before half way point, I believe I would find it a bit rushed. Personally, I rather have a slow half then a rushed half.
Romance:
For me, the romance was not rushed. I think the romance worked really well. Both Gon and Tae Eul are from different worlds, two worlds where time flows differently between them. I think the romance was built up perfectly and I loved how time played a big part in their romance as well. I felt their connection and how much they cared for each other. I didn't mind each emotional reunion, since it came after not seeing each other for a long time, since, as I mentioned, time flows differently between the two worlds.
Characters:
Every character was so interesting and the actors did such an amazing job portraying them. I loved how many actors portrayed different characters from both worlds. Lee Min Ho's portrayal as a king was done so well, and Kim Go Eun's portrayal as a fierce police officer was perfect as well. As many could agree, Jo Yeong and Jo Eun Seop definitely stole just about every scene they were in. Both Yeong and Eun Seop were amazing characters that I thank Kim Eun Sook so much for creating. If Woo Doo Hwan doesn't win best supporting actor then I don't know who will! I loved Yeong's bromance with Lee Gon, and every Yeong and Eun Seop interaction was priceless. Another character I want to talk about is Kim Yong Ji's characters, Myung Na Ri and Myung Seung Ah. Despite only being supporting characters, I loved every scene both Na Ri and Seung Ah appeared in, and even wish they appeared more. Kim Yong Ji's and Woo Do Hwan chemistry was amazing, I need to see these two as leads in their own drama!
Other:
The cinematography was flawless. Every episode was filled with beautiful scenes that I could not take my eyes off. I also loved the references to her previous drama's, such as Goblin and Mr. Sunshine.
Final thoughts:
The biggest key to this drama is the details. There are details hidden in every episode, which I love so much. You're not stupid if you don't get the details, it's perfectly fine if you didn't. This is why I wouldn't recommend this drama if you can't pay attention. If you watch to kill time, but don't want to pay close attention, then this drama might not be for you. So much stuff happens that it will be hard to keep track if you don't focus. That being said, I do think anyone interested in watching should definitely give it a try. I also recommend watching a few episodes a day or at least one a day. Since there are so many details to absorb, I think watching at once is the best option.
I wouldn't change the cast. I wouldn't change the script. I would add more time per episode or more episodes though. Although Kim Eun Sook managed with 16 episodes and keeping just about the same, 72 minute time. I believe more time would have made it better. I am really thankful to Kim Eun Sook for creating another masterpiece. I hope she continues to write amazing drama's in the future. Truly, in my opinion, the best Korean drama screenwriter.
No doubt my favorite drama of this year, and one of my favorite drama's of all time.
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Messy at First, But Trust Me, It Gets Better
I went into this drama with mixed feelings, because let’s be honest, superhero comedy is not exactly a genre K-dramas have a good track record with. But I decided to push through because it’s from Extreme Job writer and Dr. Romantic director. And surprisingly, the drama slowly won me over.The first few episodes did not fully convince me, the pacing is draggy and the character writing occasionally leaned too much into caricature territory. The humor felt a little too chaotic at first and the trio’s antics might honestly be too loud and messy for some viewers. I genuinely dropped my rating for the story by two whole points because of how exhausting the characters initially felt. But the saving grace was honestly Cha Eun Woo’s deadpan and exasperated reactions toward them. His expressions were so relatable to what I felt that it made me realize the trio was intentionally written to feel overwhelming and chaotic at first. Looking back now, it’s obvious those earlier episodes were important for setting up the worldbuilding and emotional foundations of the story.
And once the drama starts picking up by the end of episode 3, it genuinely becomes difficult to stop watching.
The emotional stakes get stronger, the character dynamics start clicking naturally, and the trio slowly becomes oddly lovable in their own messy ways. No one here feels completely one-dimensional, not even the villains, and that is largely thanks to the actors carrying the material with passion and sincerity. I really have to give credit to director Yoo In Sik because the direction is genuinely excellent. The blend between emotional moments and absurd comedy is handled so smoothly that the drama never feels overwhelmingly heavy despite touching on darker themes. It understands exactly what kind of show it wants to be: chaotic, emotional, stupid, ridiculous, but ultimately warm-hearted.
Acting-wise, I think the writing initially did Park Eun Bin’s character a disservice because her portrayal feels almost too exaggerated in the beginning. But once you settle into the drama’s tone and genre conventions, her performance becomes incredibly endearing. As expected from a Daesang-winning actress.
But the biggest surprise to me was Cha Eun Woo.
For the first time, I genuinely felt both the restraint and ease in his performance that I’ve never fully seen from him before. In his previous works, there was always this visible tension in the way he delivered emotions. But here, he finally breathes out, his reactions feel seamless and natural. What surprised me even more was how emotionally important his character became. Somehow, the story slowly turns into something very Cha Eun Woo-centric emotionally, and honestly, HE PULLED IT OFF. His arc became the emotional anchor of the series, especially toward the ending of episode 5 and throughout episode 6. HIS PERFORMANCE GENUINELY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD. I can now honestly say that he has become a really good actor. It also helps that he’s really nice to look at too and it genuinely cracks me up every time he gets beaten up by Park Eun Bin.
Special mention also goes to Kim Hae Sook and Son Hyun Joo because veterans will always remain veterans, though I do think the drama underutilized them slightly. And the actresses playing the villains were absolutely fantastic too. It’s obvious the production team took the casting seriously because there’s genuinely not a single acting hole in this cast.
As for my favorite scenes for the whole series, I have to hand it to Choi Dae Hoon “The Shining” parody and the giant inflatable onion mascot sequence. His comedic timing is genuinely incredible.
Overall, despite its messy start, this drama eventually grows into a surprisingly heartfelt, funny, and emotionally engaging watch. It asks viewers to be patient during its earlier episodes, but once it finds its footing, it becomes RIDICULOUSLY charming.
Highly recommended. Would definitely rewatch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sometimes really frustrating
There's few things that i would like to address. In the beginning the main leads relationship was amazing. The teasing, tension, chemistry was great.But the constant lies and deception make me bored, there's no REAL progress because while Ji Bozai already did everything even sacrifice his life for her, Ming Yi on the other hand keep lying, afraid and just crying looking at him while he got divine punishment in front of her eyes. And from there they keep this cycle of breaking up - lying - noble idiocy (sacrifice) - making up again. Even 2nd couple Princess Tianji and Xiao Yan relationship was so much better in the first half, they were angsty, painful, full of yearning and betrayal but got boring so fast when they start getting together.
For immortals and fairy i notice they didn't use their power that much, or is it just me?. For a supposed to be xianxia drama, they rarely fight something and use their power. ML and FL is supposed to be one of the greatest warrior but they're quite easy to defeat for some reason.
The final villain isn't that great either. We know his struggle and painful life but it's hard to sympathize with him because he keep being so delusional until the end. It's like the build up for the final villain isn't that amazing or powerful. The first antagonist was a better villain.
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Plus points for me :-
1) Because this has Nadech and Yaya as MC. I'm actually a Yadech's shipper since Game Rai Game Rak (2011) and TCP was my forth lakorn of them. To say the truth, my feeling is not going as strong as before. Maybe because I already got used of seeing Yadech always being paired up together in lakorns. You know.. the feel it's like when you listen to a song for the first time and you fall so in love with it. The song become so special and precious to you..but the moment you start put it on repeat , after dozens time you kinda get tired of it and the song is'nt special anymore. But if you hear the song anywhere in the public, all the old feelings will emerge again and you realize, this song albeit it is not special anymore but you still hold it dearly in your heart. That song is Yadech to me.. >.< I know that Yaya and Nadech are a very close friend in reality and many wish they're dating but who knows..they might really be in the future seeing how they acts toward each other in many clips I've seen of them. (Shout out to all Yadech's shipper out there : Guys, please don't lose hope :p )
2) Great acting, good chemistry of our MC .. So, as always, like in her previous lakorns (worth to mention: Klueen Cheewit!) , Yaya's acting also was exceptional here. This actress really can bring each of her characters to life. She carries Princess Alice Madeleine Theresa Phillips like the character was her all along. I love her character the most . She potrayed a kick-ass crown princess, cold from the outside but very warm inside, knews when she need to fight her enemies upfront and knews when she need to give in. The moment she find her true love yeah it was tragic because she found it on commoner , she did'nt hide or denied it but accepted it and tried to make her love come true. One thing that grated my nerves was writer made her character clumsy with her scenes tripped over the ground or something so many times and that of course will get our ML rushing over and helps her again and again. That trait was contradictory with her strong and kick ass character. Whereas Nadech as Lieutenant Commander Davin Samuthyakorn was perfect. He's sexy and damn good looking. I could stare at his face and admire his beautiful face while wondering why God made him so perfect both infront and behind camera :P. I also have issues with his character, Davin has a god level of self- restraint and a bit reserved when it came to love. I just wish writer made his character loosen up a bit and show him give in more to his feeling and brave enough to express and fight for his love . Yup, I got that he is a soldier but showing your real emotions doesn't make you less soldier than other. It will only make him more human.
3) Great acting and the backstory of the villains. I wont talk about this much because it might spoil who have'nt watch it yet. I love the twist that revealed who is our main villain because I did'nt expect it at all O.O But when I think back, it made sense. Meanwhile , speaking about the villain number 2 , Hadaeth. Strangely I did'nt hate him for all the cruel things he did. I just pity his character much. ( Okay.....I'm shocked. I just find out that Hadaeth was being played by 2 actors , Peter Corp and the other one is Jason Young. I did'nt even catch the differences while watching and thought it was Peter Corp all along. Duhh)
4) Exquisite royal attires and other characters costumes. I especially in love with Princess Alice wardrobe choice.Yaya is already pretty and to add beautiful attires on top of that, she looks angelic here. I also favoured most of Nadech attires except his light brown color uniform because it look too tight and uncomfortable on Nadech. Prince Alan wardrobe also great , I loved the royal black uniform in his last scene the most.
5) Great action scenes. Those were of high class. If romance-action genre is your forte, give this lakorn a go.
6) Good OST. I loved the ending theme song more than the opening song.
7) All those countless picturesque views where the lakorn was filmed. The waterfall views in the island where our MC met for the second times. The mountain with the tribe where our MC seek refuge in Thailand. The mountain where our MC in a journey to find Prince Alan. The massive castles with all its ornament in Hrysos. They're all a real treat to the eyes. The scenes were beautifully shot and are postcard worthy. While watching, many time I'm busy awing at the beautiful scene behind than caring about what the act was .
Minus points for me :-
1) The lack of romance. TCP made up with 50% of action, 40 % of family drama and ONLY 10 % of romance. I'm quite reluctant to say it was romance because all we got was a careful and calculating romance. For this, I'm so mad at the producer, the director and the writer because they're so stingy with it..the kiss scenes except the one at the finale were unsatisfying too . It was so unfair they could'nt give us even 1 hour full of romance between our MC considering this lakorn got I hour and 50 mins long for each episode and if I convert this lakorn into 1 hour format ,this have 22 episodes..such a long hour but so little romance..whyyy :((
2) The storyline. I could'nt pinpoint what exactly was lacking but what I know is ,it lacked the 'X' factor that will make the viewer go crazy over it. The story is just good enough and not that addicting. I felt bored at ep 4 and 5 because it was slow.
So , overally this is a very good lakorn watch this if you're a Yadech fan and love action-drama-romance genre. Thanks for reading!
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Sadly, Nothing Special...
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.I did something stupid...I forced myself through multiple boring K-dramas at the same time (and I’m still trying to force myself through another). I’m probably going to sound jaded when typing up these reviews. The dramas that I’ve been watching simultaneously are Castaway Diva, My Dearest Nemesis, and School 2021 (which I haven’t finished), with the strongest of the group being Castaway Diva. Needless to say, it has not been fun for me lately in K-drama world.
Acting/Cast: The cast for My Dearest Nemesis is decent. The reason I wanted to watch this drama was because of Choi Hyun Wook (최현욱), who played such an amazing character in Twinkling Watermelon. He didn’t do great in this role, unfortunately. His character has an annoying way of speaking that sounds very fake. There are times when he’s cute though. Everyone else did fine. The characters just aren’t very interesting. One of the character traits of the female lead is that she has zero interests…it’s weird and boring. 4/10
Writing: Another reason I wanted to watch this drama was because of the gamer element. I grew up with gaming as a huge part of my life and I still game pretty regularly (if there’s a game that I’m into). I thought it’d be really cute seeing them interacting through an online game and falling in love and then meeting in real life and playing games together in person. The K-drama Something In The Rain had a bit of that and it was super cute. They didn’t really do that in this drama though. I was extremely disappointed. The gaming aspect of this drama honestly doesn’t matter much. There’s only a short time at the beginning of the drama where they meet in game and form a bond, but it’s never revisited. The female lead actually doesn’t like games and had only started playing for a really dumb reason. So, they never play games again, whether online or in person. The gaming aspect was the one thing that made this drama special and stand out from the rest of these formulaic K-drama rom-coms. Therefore, once it was removed, the drama became the same as any other. The message behind the drama is to like what you like and be yourself, but that message is made laughable since liking video games, cartoons, and rock music isn’t a taboo or an embarrassing thing. It’s actually kind of offensive that they framed it that way. Another idea that the drama explores is about learning to love again (or to risk loving again) after being hurt and traumatized. This concept is explored through both the main love story and the side love story. This was actually done pretty well. Although, the second female lead asking a complete stranger to have sex with her was still kind of much. Finally, I have to mention the cliché redemption arc at the end...there’s no freaking way. I’ll just leave it at that. 1/10
Direction/SFX/Music: Nothing of note in this category aside from the music. The OST isn’t bad. It’s upbeat with a fun vibe. Some of it sounds like chill Lo-Fi music to study to without putting you to sleep. 5/10
Entertainment Value: I liked watching their relationship build in game, but that didn’t last long. After that, getting through this drama was a struggle. I wish I would have just dropped it. 1/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 1/10 because I really regretted watching this. For me, entertainment value has much more weight on an overall score. The gaming aspect of the drama (which is what attracted me to this drama) is just a gimmick; it really isn’t important and doesn’t last very long. I feel personally victimized by the plot...how is gaming and rock music embarrassing? There’s not much drama in this drama; issues are resolved quickly and everyone is pretty reasonable (except the grandma), so this makes for a boring, but light watch if you’re into that. As for me, I’ve seen this story too many times already.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have never wanted a Kdrama to end so bad.
This has to be the worst Korean drama I have seen so far. The story started off okay but then it majorly flopped. The plot and the romance was at all not convincing, it was just too weak and felt like a child had written it. I just could not sympathize with none of the leads. The worst part they overemphasized the kidnapping case and I did nothing but skip the scene or roll my eyes since I couldn't feel bad for the leads considering the premise of the whole story was so poor. You couldn't really point out an antagonist, I just viewed the brother to be confused. As to the lady who kidnapped them, It would have been better if she was properly introduced and a little story as to who she was and why she did what she did. I hated the leads, it felt like the FL was a robot programmed to be flawless as for the ML he was narcissistic through out the whole drama.The conflict was resolved in episode 12 which the show should have ended there, all Kdramas should not have to have 16 episodes. I was happy the conflict ended fast because I just could not buy the plot and I wanted the whole drama to end SO BAD. After episode 12, the drama got EXTREMELY boring, boring is an understatement. The only reason I kept watching was because of the supporting characters, I found them quite entertaining and funny, they really carried the show. You would enjoy this drama if you are a sucker for romcoms and do not care about plots. Overall this was a huge disappointment.
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"You're not dead until you die"; an ode to death and demise.
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. Someone who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." The quote from Mark Twin might be too philosophical for some but it is equally meaningful. This also reminds me a quote from Harry Potter that says that death is like an adventure for the well-organised mind. On that context, death only ends a life, not the relationships, so knowing that you're gonna die soon is more hurtful when you think about the ones who'll be left behind.Every single day of life is moving forward towards your death and the drama beautifully brings out the essence of one's life, no matter they're on the verge of death or have a long to live. Death might be an enemy for the living but embracing it with grace when there's a call for you to bid goodbye, is considered an act of wise, thereby making their lives meaningful.
Produced by KeyEast and broadcasted on JTBC, "The One and Only" is written by Moon Jung Min and directed by Oh Hyun Jong. The production had to halt filming thrice because of staff members testing covid19 positive at different times, but they could wrap up well despite the delay.
"The One and Only" is a story about a woman in her late twenties getting admitted to a hospice for receiving care after being diagnosed with a terminal illnesses, having only few months to live. There, she shares the room with two other, with contrasting natures. Their lives get entangled with a contract serial killer who ends up falling for the first woman and the story is all about the investigative murder case, the individual lives of the three women and at their days at the hospice as they await death.
Pyo In Sook (Ahn Eun Ji) who has been brought up by her grandma, works as a scrubber and is mostly expressionless. At a young age she turns terminally ill and chooses to stay at a hospice. There she meets Kang Se Yeon (Kang Se Won), an ordinary housewife who has never lived for herself and Sung Mi Do (JOY), a social media influencer, deprived of love and a lonely young girl. All three on an usual day encounter Min Woo Chan (Kim Kyung Nam), a hitman, following which these 4 people get intertwined with a mysterious serial killing incident. All these people delivered amazing performances in their respective roles.
Yook Sung Ja (Go Doo Shim) and Pyo Kang Sun (Jang Hyun Sung) are experienced actors who played In Sook's Grandma and Father respectively. The Regional Investigation Unit comprises of team leader Hwang Ma Jin (Lee Bo Ryun), lieutenant Cho Shi Young (Do Sang Woo) and Detective Oh Jin Gyu (Jang In Sub). Gu Ji Pyo (Han Gyu Won) played Mido's boyfriend and LE group's hier.
Other familiar faces are So Hee Jung, Sung Byung Suk, Han Kyu Won, Ahn Chang Hwan, Choi Young Woo, Lee So Mi, Yoon Bora, Lee Hang Na and Joo In Young. The 2 child actress Seo Yoon Woo and Kim Soo Hyung were good too.
About plot development... I've mixed feelings about this and this is the only thing to complain about this drama. The overall story reminded me about "You are my Spring" and "When the Camellia Blooms"; obviously the vibes are different but the overall story felt similar: a feel good romance with plenty of slice of life elements accompanied with a murder mystery plot. Well, the difference is that this drama indulges a coherent investigative plot, unlike the other two where there were lots of other things; the entire script works around one single murder leading to others. Personally, I loved the progression for most of the parts (1-11th); the introductory episodes were perfectly impressive, though it might take some time to get acquainted to the mood. The furtherance was nice.
The life at hospice of people awaiting death was a beautifully emotional journey. It also includes scenes of Insook halmieone and her povs as a family to someone who is fighting death, and I would give a plus point for that. About the investigation plot, it started off really really good but somewhere around 10th, they started dragging it which became plainly visible from the 11th episode. The murder mystery thingy didn't have any pothole but it could have been wrapped up very easily way before than the finale. And the rest of the drama could have been about the hospice and other beautiful elements that made the drama unique (just saying if the case was that they thought the script will have nothing interesting left bcs everything other than that were better, i loved them). It was stretched till the finale week to an extent and I can't ignore it.
Despite all that, I ended up loving the ending sequence. The drama wasn't supposed to be realistic to being with even though it's a slice of life genre for most of its parts, but there were few things I didn't like or thought could've been better not done. The ending was full of life, agony, misery and sadness; I found myself crying and choking multiple times. Even so the script ran out of substance, making the script draggy for a while, it was a matter of relief getting back to track in the finale week. The intended messages were perfectly delivered.
Oh Hyun Jong PD is quite experienced having some hugely acclaimed dramas im his resume and it was reflected in this drama as well. The pacing of the drama, in my opinion, was very apt; the drama is basically slice of life genre and warm pure romance and hence needed the pacing to be slow and steady. The screenplay management and execution is up to par. The cinematography with the pale hue and yellow pallettes were very beautiful.
Moon Jung Min PDnim is quite a rookie and has had 2 qualitatively flop scripts before this drama but I see a great jump in her skills here which made me satisfied. I can't say it's something great but judging from her previous dramas, she's improved more than expected. The screenwriting is incorporated with many essence of life, death and struggle for survival, making it very meaningful. The mystery thriller plot which is equally emphasized had a very good basic outline though the execution of it went a lil draggy, but I think it was not that bad, in fact manageable. The character dynamics are well painted with some potential of improvement for few like Min Woo Chan and Ko Ji Pyo, which I think could have been better. The narrative and messages the story wanted to deliver has been accomplished, totally!
Composed by Lee Joon Suk, the OST album has total 4 number of tracks all aptly suiting the mood and vibes of the drama. There was no need of extensive background editing, neither with OSTs nor with different scores; it was a wise choice. "STAY" by SLAY & Avin is my most favorite among all which is about possibilities in life. "Happy Ending" by Yangpa is a song with beautifully written lyrics about cessation of pain and beginning afresh. "The One and Only" by msftz and "Your Name" by JOY (ReVe) are other 2 tracks.
The pacing felt perfect to me given the narrative and method of storytelling. The flux of conversations and shift in moods were aesthetically pretty. The way the characters were learning to love what they were becoming, was a pleasurable treat. It wasn't exaggerated at least.
There are numerous povs (about 10?) to look forward to. Although the story mostly revolves around the major characters as usual, the writer has tried to subsume perspectives of seemingly minor characters at parts of the story, thereby helping the viewers to relate on a larger range and understand their feelings in a deeper sense.
The trio friendship of Insook, Seyeon and Mido is another thing to anticipate about in the drama. They came from different backgrounds and had difference in their mindsets, yet the way they blended with each other and consolidated their friendship on a robust base, was an overwhelming watch.
The long conversations were my most favourite thing about this drama and let me tell you, you'd encounter that quite a lot in here. The simple yet very important topics discussed were heartening enough to jerk tears. The way the characters express their emotions was wholesomely gratifying.
The bucketful romance is surely satisfying if not something very new and has some cliché tropes. I am sure warm pure romance is not everyone's cup of tea but I wish people become fond of it. In Sook and Woo Chan as couples were both adorable and fierce; their chemistry was up to par though not very extensively portrayed, and I think it was intentional and also feel it was of appropriate amount.
Final Remarks... "The One and Only" is a drama of unique mood. It's hugely a story for those who are admirer of quiddity lf life, slow pacing, long conversations and warm romance. I absolutely loved it but given that I can't ignore the technical aspects I would have to reflect the shortcomings in my ratings too. I would definitely recommend you to give it a try.
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Unpopular opinion but honest...
Ok, here is my unpopular opinion. After years of people recommending this drama, and so many perfect reviews, and a brand new season, and a pandemic, I decided to finally watch Stranger, and honestly, I was bored. I kept waiting to get sucked into the story and it never happened. I kept wanting to root for the blank-faced Hwang Shi Mok, but I was as indifferent to him as he looked. Bae Doo Na as Han Yeo Jin was the only character I really liked a lot, and I did think the Lieutenant and Prosecutor duo had some great moments together, but as for the story - mostly I was very VERY bored.I admit that I don't have much interest in political crime dramas. I prefer thrillers, and this is definitely more crime drama than thriller. It starts off with a thriller vibe, but the pace was very slow and even tedious to me at times. There are several characters who are duplicitous, which is the main focus of this story, but not as much actual action and suspense. Most of this drama is conversations, arguments, eavesdropping, thinking aloud... LOTS of thinking aloud... I consider myself to be pretty analytical, but the plot didn't grab me enough to justify dwelling on the details. There are twists, but nothing truly surprising. There was nothing that made me excited to tune in to the next episode besides mild curiosity.
This is the kind of drama where you really have to love the characters to like it, and I found most of them to be pretty forgettable. The main character, who should have been the most interesting considering his back story, was too flat. I can't necessarily blame any performance, the acting isn't the issue, it's just that I had a hard time caring about any of them based on the plot. One character, Shin Hye Sun as Young Eun Soo, seemed completely unreasonable to me and I just couldn't sympathize. Other characters started to feel one-note, with lots of corrupt, greedy, and ambitious tropes.
Would I watch this again? Clearly not. I was tempted to watch this mostly in preparation for the 2nd Stranger season, but I will most likely pass on that one too. Well, maybe I'll give episode one a chance... but just out of more mild curiosity.
Overall, if you are not excited by the story early on don't expect it to be more exciting later. Most of the action is in the very beginning and the very end. I did become more interested around episode 14 and that's a long time to watch and wait for some excitement. To be honest, I should have dropped this and left it at that but with so many amazing reviews I was tempted to see if it would all be worth it in the end. The end is well done in some ways, and everything does come together, but for me, it wasn't worth completing. I wanted to add my opinion just in case anyone has a similar feeling while watching and is on the fence. The payoff wasn't big enough for me to justify recommending this. The most disappointing part is how they barely go into the main character's backstory, which would have been far more interesting than just watching him be slightly smarter than everyone with a mostly emotionless face, and maybe would have made him less boring to me. I won't say it's overrated, but it's certainly not for everyone. If corruption dramas are what you love you will probably like this way more than I did. If you find yourself wondering if there's romance... you probably want to skip this one. The political thriller shows I like are more like "House of Cards", but If watching someone solve a jumbo puzzle for 16 hrs sounds like a good time, you're in luck, because that's what watching this felt like to me.
Part of me wonders if high expectations made me dislike it more, but that's also what kept me from dropping it for good.
This isn't my first time not liking a beloved drama, so I'm fine being one of the less impressed few.
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This review may contain spoilers
Uneven pacing, rushed story, and a fizzled out romance really disappointed me
SPOILERS....Overall, I was very disappointed with part 2: They had some amazing scenes: Pretty much all of the emperor, empress, consort Yue, and 3rd prince scenes were awesome!
I also loved the arc where CSS, YSJ, and 3rd prince team up to help exonerate LBY. Those episodes were amazing and the FL was consistently smart again during this period. I remember saying to my sister, "we're back with part 1 FL and why couldn't she have been more like this for the entirety of part 2?"
But the arcs after this were almost all terribly rushed and edited. The Lou Ben arc in particular was a complete disaster! Probably the worst edited scenes in this entire drama...the events just happened because the writers said so. More attention and care to the script was needed to come up with a reasonable explanation for why Lou Ben acted in that manner. Someone of his talents and patience wouldn't have committed those acts without something happening that's life threatening to his loved ones. And if he had this dark/twisted/"ambition over everything" side, the drama should have revealed it to us.
And don't even get me started with the most retarded scene of all: The LJT carriage scene where CSS, despite not trusting her, still rides with her alone and ends up almost killed had LBY not come to her rescue. That scene was horrendously written and it makes CSS seem extremely dumb since she clearly doesn't trust LJT, yet chooses to be alone with her anyway without any protection. Like, huh? I thought LBY taught you some moves and if you're unable to even handle a physically weak female, how were you able to lead soldiers and protect villages? Again, this scene was nothing more than a cheap way to make LBY look heroic and to hasten CSS's eventual forgiveness.
Which leads me to the other retarded scene where CSS repeats her mistake: Despite being suspicious of Lou Li (Lou Yao's stupid cousin) and having never gotten along with her, she chooses to go with her alone anyway without any guards (she could have taken any of the dozens that were behind her). Why do the drama creators constantly have the FL purposely placing herself in danger when she had no reason to do so? Why does she constantly go off to dangerous places alone despite knowing she lacks martial arts skills? And what was the point of her previously asking LBY to teach her self defense skills if she never intends on using them in crucial situations?
Not only that, shortly after arriving at the Lou residence, she's constantly eyeing Lou Li with suspicion and wouldn't even drink the soup laced with poison. Yet she still does nothing but roll with whatever Lou Li wants, ending up trapped with YSS and ZJ. The idea that a braindead girl like Lou Li could have successfully lured one of the smartest drama FLs is so laughable and ridiculous -we have truly hit the bottom of the barrel.
If the director needed to get the FL into the trap to continue the story, he could have done so without sacrificing all her brain cells. Seriously, the FL's character in the later episodes of part 2 was so inconsistent, constantly vacillating between brilliance and retardation, that it gave me whiplash. The drama successfully turned her into a walking plot device, being whatever the plot point demands her to be.
The subsequent underground reveal was also rushed: I tried to hold back my laughter when LBY just came leaping down when the last time we saw him, he was still outside and didn't even mention the Lou residence. It's like entire scenes were skipped just to get to the showdowns more quickly.
I also really hated using LBY's near death to force CSS into finally forgiving him: It was done really badly and felt cheap. The drama writers fit his whole regretful speech and near death experience all in one rushed scene to reconcile the leads. I felt nothing as I couldn't even take his near death seriously: LBY was able to take down dozens of guards with only a few followers, yet couldn't even handle a frail woman holding onto his leg? He does nothing to shake her off and only stares up at CSS, waiting to die and see her reaction. It seems the drama creators wanted to make that scene touching, but instead, it felt so unbelievable and laughable. Once again, horrible writing and execution.
The drama writers pretty much went with my worst nightmare: Using lame near-death experiences as a shortcut to speed up the leads' reconciliation. This is pretty much the least satisfying and cheapest way to force a forgiveness in any romance. And it's definitely not enough for our leads' specific situation: LBY abandons CSS when she's already a character with trust issues due to being abandoned by her parents for 10+ years. This is not something she can get over after two near death situations (not to mention they're two of the worst written/executed scenes in the drama).
Overall, the pacing in part 2 was uneven (certain scenes stretched too long while others were too short) and certain arcs like Lou Ben, Cheng family calamity, and the last few episodes all felt rushed and sloppily written. It's like the drama creators ran out of time and decided to just give us all the payoffs without the proper setups, which effectively made everything feel unearned.
I also hated all the whitewashing: No way would grandmother Cheng ever say that she'll save all her treasures to use on CSS (completely out of character). The mother trying to reconcile with CSS also felt forced and shoehorned in just because the writers wanted to tie everything up with a neat bow. If the writers intended on making everyone regret their actions, they would have had to put in a lot more character work and heartfelt interactions to make it convincing. But what we ended up getting felt completely half baked and unbelievable.
Yet, even with all the writing inconsistencies and uneven pacing, I still could have been satisfied had the drama creators continued to deliver on the romance.
Unfortunately, the romance later on was too passive and subdued for me, kind of boring. After five years, I wanted to see LBY really fight to get his girl back, but instead, he stayed too passive and never lost control. That's just not exciting nor is it true to his character.
He's somebody who lost his whole clan as a kid and found it extremely hard to connect/fall in love with anyone. Thus, once he finally found the love of his life, he tends to be extremely possessive and protective. No way would he remain this subdued after five years of being without his girl.
In the novel, as soon as he's anywhere near the FL, he loses control and would end up going after her. That's the LBY I know and love. Not this passive guy that's content to never make a move unless she wants him to...LBY was never the type of guy to watch from afar and keep waiting. He could delude himself into thinking he'd be able to "do the right thing" by letting CSS go only if she's not in his vicinity. But as soon as she comes into his sight, all hell would break lose and he won't be able to stay away from her. Such is CSS's effect on him.
Now, THAT version of novel LBY would have been really exciting to watch: Somebody who's very human and unable to contain himself after being starved of CSS for 5 long years. No way would he be as controlled as he was in the drama. Come on drama creators, where's the passion and desperation?!! Where's the emotional catharsis?!!!
The fighting/clawing and emotional groveling scenes from the book where LBY pleads with CSS to not be so cruel to him would have stimulated the romance like nothing else. It also would have given the actors more to work with and we could have gotten some truly emotional/angsty scenes from them, making full use of their chemistry! I wanted to see WL and ZLS go all out with their acting.
Instead, the drama creators made all their subsequent interactions too tame/subdued, effectively devoid of any tension. The romance simply fizzled out completely for me by the end. I couldn't believe how bored and checked out I was in their final scene together (felt long and stretched out too).
That last sequence showcasing everyone all happy/giddy felt more like fanservice and it just kept on meandering. I could have used another follow-up scene of the 3rd prince and LBY after their touching battle scenes.
In closing, I felt part 1 was much stronger than part 2 in terms of storytelling and quality of script. Even though the love story wasn't heavily underway and there were less intense plot points, the actual slice of life story presented was much better told. Other than a few minor quibbles (FL mother's repetitive criticisms, some unreasonable amplifying of bitch drama, and the FL's love revelation), I found the overall pacing and storytelling of part 1 to be pretty even and smooth. There weren't any arcs and story events I found to be sloppily executed or confusing. The FL's characterization was also much more consistent, unlike part 2, where she's smart one moment and foolish/sloppy the next. Altogether, much more care was taken when filming and writing part 1.
I'll still give the overall drama an 8.5/10 (very generous rating mainly due to my HUGE bias) due to the storytelling in part 1, our favorite royal trio/3rd prince esp. in part 2, the intense LBY trial in part 2, and how invested I became by its world and characters. I also loved the initial tension and buildup of the leads' romance up until the manor massacre.
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