This review may contain spoilers
A contemporary love story with bonus fashion
I always wonder why some dramas have extremely low ratings. I have found out that it is best to watch most of the drama yourself and then rate independently of low reviews. This drama is another example of a diamond in the rough. From the beginning to end it started with strong characters and a substantial storyline that took the viewer beyond China to France and back. In addition, the story is a treatise on Chinese clothing styles and heritage. So many times I went to Google to research different terms used and regional cultures based on the introduction of different sewing styles and fabric choices that were indigenous to China. The fashion designs were over the top beautiful and the runway presentations made you feel like you were personally at Fashion Week.The second unique quality of this drama was the romance. This drama bordered on "Restricted" viewer use for a Chinese format. This is the first drama I have watched that the man was truly a sexy back type of man - (both lustful and romantic) as compared to the endless "cold - unemotional men portrayed so often in romance dramas. This drama continues to mature and mature and evolve into an addiction daily since the episodes were translated 7 days per week until the conclusion. That was a major treat.
The third quality was the background music. It never overwhelmed me and was always appropriate and never distracting.
Costume design A++++++ The fashion designs were excellent but the person or group of people that designed the attire for the actors throughout were very talented and added a higher quality to the drama. Award winning choices.
Kudos to the actors - all of them. They all hit home runs in their roles and this drama is highly recommended.
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The Best Kdrama I Have Ever Watched!
I have wanted plenty of Kdramas, but none have pulled me in quite so much as this one. I have a thing for fantasy, romance, and historical pieces, so this fit the bill for me right of the get go.I'd never watched a Kdrama that wasn't fully released, so this was a first. I waited with anticipation for the next updates, and I truly cried during the ending.
Shin Hae Sun is the best actress I have ever watched, and that is not just for a South Korean actress. She is my favorite actress overall. I feel like, without her, this Kdrama would've massively flopped. She is now my queen, and I feel like I've fallen in love. Everything she acts in is impeccable.
The music was really fun here, and you immediately recognize the funny, romantic, and tearful scenes.
The story wasn't that easy to follow regarding the politics, during the first watchthrough. But the second and third time I followed it perfectly.
I spent weeks attempting to get over this Kdrama, therefore, I had to write my very first review. Watch it, it is truly amazing.
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enjoyed it more than expected!
This romcom started with every cliché there could possibly be for a cdrama: cold male (traumatized) CEO, dumb, childish, poor girl, contract marriage, accidental kisses .... You might need some time to get into this drama, but since it's always that way for me, I didn't mind too much.The FL doesn't turn out as dumb and annoying as probably expected. At some point, I really started to like her.
I had a harder time adjusting with the ML. No matter how incapable of dealing with other people, their and his own feelings he was supposed to be, this was definitely no way to treat a girl lol.
There were some way too obvious plot holes you just can't miss, even to me, who watches dramas for pure entertainment and always oversees them. But it's okay, the overall story is good, and I especially loved the development of their feelings, so I guess you can just ignore some other things :)
The acting is so good! The ML's amazing, and the FL does so much better than expected. It's her debut drama, she's only 19 (!!), so let's be kind to her!
Also great chemistry between the first couple! Can't wait for further development :))
The FL always gets herself in trouble, and there were some issues that made me feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes, but they were surprisingly solved quite comfortably.
I just finished Ep14, and I'll do an update once I finished the whole thing. By now, it's far better than expected :) (Don't mind the rewatch value, I usually don't rewatch dramas)
EDIT: Okay, finally got to finish it! Sooo there's few things I'd like to add:
- Whoever said a good drama HAS to be non-cliché like, unpredictable and intense, I FUNDAMENTALLY diasagree with that!!
- Regarding my last aspect before the edit, this was definitely one of the things I enjoyed the most about this. Issues didn't take up years to build up and again years to solve, they came and went quickly, making the journey of watching quite comfortable and pleasant. However, the only waaay too consistent thing were the 2 more or less nasty sideleads who lowkey (or better highkey) tried to ruin their relationship. And there was no way you could ignore them because they were there ALL THE TIME :(
- This drama definitely focusses on character development, not business or the ML's phobia or anything else.
- The chemistry was OVER THE TOP. Won't say too much about this because I don't want to spoiler on this, but I don't doubt at all you'll feel it too.
- Second couple got only little screentime, I enjoyed their storyline a lot tho. It's not that I refuse "too much cliché" (lol don't watch this if you do), but I liked that they didn't make the second couple to that "one chasing the other" cliché too.
Last thing (I promise hahaha): It's a very very short drama. And the beginning was by far the worst part. It has 30 Eps of 30 Minutes, so that'd be 20 Eps (!!!) of 45 Minutes. (Not me actually sitting down and calculating that oops.) It's no shame to drop a drama if you don't like it, but here, it's also not that hard to stay through it for the ending :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Ok, when I first watched Kiss, I mainly watched for Pete and Kao, and got nothing. Then I watched Kiss Me Again, cause I wanted Pete and Kao. I could care less for Sandee's sisters and their love stories. And when I found out about this, I put it off until I saw it was almost finished. I watched a few episodes and fell off a bit because of watching too many things at once. However, I went through it thoroughly after binge watching it. If you sit down and watch it all at once, it's great. It's amazing. The only thing I didn't like was how possessive Pete can get with Kao. I get it he's your boyfriend, but like don't make it that obvious. Also, the fact that the gang "didn't know" about Pete and Kao, when Sandee revealed their relationship in Kiss the Series. What? You all knew this.
Non. This little f***er. I get your dad doesn't treat you well, but wtf. Classic teenager, lying about how things happened and someone ends up hurt.
Sun and Mork. MY LOVES. I wish they had the series all to themselves at one point. Nothing between them felt forced whatsoever. It was a gradual love. A hate to love, which in my opinion, is the best kind. Also, all of the little things Sun did for him, trying to not get caught in the process, was too cute for my heart to handle.
My mood needed this after watching HIStory3, so thank you.
And I really want Sun and Mork to get their own series. Blue Sky Love or something like that. Black Forest Kiss. IDK something like that.
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Now I’ve always loved the HIStory series, and there’s no different with this one. I must say, this one is my favourite of them all simply because of the realism of it all, it’s a simple storyline of enemies to lovers set in a high school surrounding, but, it’s also so much more than that.
I didn’t really care for the side couple as much as I did whilst watching Trapped but I’m honestly very tired of the age gaps in BLs. However, despite this, their story was beautiful and you get to see a realistic couple and their struggles. However, in this review, I will mostly talk about the main couple, Haoting and Xigu. (or xianggu lmao)
Without spoiling anything, the story has a very nice pace, it never felt too rushed nor too slow, and you could really tell how the characters were evolving throughout the series. Haoting being really aggressive in the beginning as he thought Xigu was flirting with his girlfriend to later realise he has feelings for him might be cheesy but I also think that it’s charming, not every LGBTQ series has to go deep about social norms, the gays also deserve a cheesy romance like this one. Just a big guy being head over heels a boy who is the polar opposite of himself and doing everything to get him to like him back. This premise is often a very grey area as consent often is forgotten in BLs and with an aggressive main lead I was very worried he might overstep his boundaries but the way Haoting tries to get Xigu to like him is so different from what I first thought and I was surprised by him many times. We get to see how love can change a person and I think that’s beautiful and although Haoting is aggressive he is always respectful and always wanting the best for the people around him. He makes mistakes but you can really tell that he knows when he’s in the wrong and does everything to make up for it even though he even might hurt himself in the process. (Also wanna talk about how much I love their entire friend group!! Precious!)
I keep seeing people complain about this series focusing too much on sex but remember that they’re in high school so it’s completely normal to think about that sort of stuff when you’re that age + I wouldn’t say it’s focused on sex all that much. The scenes that DO focus on it are so well thought out, meaning the cinematography is amazing, passion, intensity, build-up and climax, it all just made me sit in awe and I really want to applaud everyone who created it. They never fetishize gay people like BLs tend to do as they want to appeal to fujoshis and I appreciate that, they make it all feel so realistic and that might not be super interesting to some but it’s perfect for me.
Now the acting, one word. Amazing. You could feel every single emotion of the characters, despite most of the actors being inexperienced in acting. You could feel the love, the confusion, the sadness, happiness, everything. When the character was in pain my heart hurt too because the way it all was displayed really just made me feel as if I was right there with them, experiencing the struggles myself and that is very powerful.
Although not a lot of songs, the ones that you hear fit perfectly, it never felt out of place or awkward to watch any scenes as the music fit very nicely. The intro is also probably my favourite HIStory intro of all time and the outro is also very very nice to listen to after you sit and stare into the void after finishing every episode lmao.
I have so much to say about this incredible drama but I will never be able to put those feelings into words I just hope you watch it and get to experience it by yourself.
Onto the only negative with this drama, the ending… Don’t worry there aren’t any spoilers here!!
Well going from the best drama ever to a horrible ending, uh I truly do not know what to say about this ending. It felt so out of place and with all the characters so different it just didn’t sit right with me, I truly feel like this ending could be from an entirely different show. It was so sudden and just felt like they didn’t know how to end it which is very disappointing. Watching the preview for the last episode I never would’ve imagined it would end like this and despite the characters not feeling like they used to I cried like a baby, I probably cried throughout the entire 55-minute episode… I can myself think of at least 10 different endings that would fit better with the characters and tie the plot up nicely, it just feels like they threw away all of the work they put into the series right in the last moment which is just so sad.
I will definitely rewatch this but I’ll probably skip the last episode…
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1I don't understand why people like these kinds of shows. Typically bubbly, happy girl with so-so or terrible grades + good at everything, rarely talks, absurdly popular guy who treats her like shit but she's 150% devoted to him anyway?
In this show, Nao will ask Uehara a question, a simple one similar to 'What would you like for dinner tonight?' and Uehara will blow up at her for being annoying or butting into his life and then someone will tell Nao about how today is some hard day in Uehara's life or something bad happened at work/school with Uehara that day and then Nao rushes to find some way to apologize to Uehara for being so stupid and not realizing that he's having a hard time, when she did nothing wrong and definitely nothing to deserve him lashing out at her.
Every time she finds joy in something, he criticizes her for it. Literally every time she's happy imagining something, typically involving her and Uehara, Uehara walks into the room and in ONE SENTENCE has her frowning and fidgeting, unsure of how to respond without making him more upset.
Nao is surrounded by people who care about her, who SHOW HER they care about her, who make her smile and laugh and feel good. The only time Uehara makes her feel good is when he's in her mind. And we're meant to believe he loves her too because every once in awhile he frowns when some other guy is being nice to her, or because, when other characters practically force him into it, he does something nice for her, because that one time they had a meal together and he didn't immediately tell her she was stupid for thinking he was enjoying himself, because they had one scene where they slept in the same room because the heating was broken.
Except 90% of the time Uehara accompanies such scenes with dialogue calling Nao an idiot or stupid for thinking it's romantic, for thinking he would ever do anything just for her, for thinking that the moment is nice, happy, or that he's kind. And not in the endearing way some characters do, where you can tell 'stupid' is a term of endearment, but as an actual insult.
That's not a loving relationship. That's abusive. That's toxic. And I put up with it for all but the last 2 episodes, waiting and hoping that Uehara was going to wake the f*ck up and stop being like that, learn from past mistakes and events, grow up and stop acting like a 4 year old who doesn't understand that other people have feelings too. But it didn't happen. And I couldn't finish the show. I couldn't stand to watch a finale where, I assume, everything is tied up with a neat little bow and we're promised that Nao and Uehara are going to have a wonderful, happy, love filled life together. Because I can't believe it. I can't watch what I know is going to be a loveless, abusive relationship. I hated every second of it.
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This review may contain spoilers
This PART 2 Should Never Have Happened
If you loved the first part, DONT WATCH THIS. You have been warned. This series suddenly made All of Us Our Dead a masterpiece.The first part was an ok mess, there were some things that can be improved if you are nitpicking but still it was a fun gory watch.
Then this happened. The awaited conclusion, that sadly wasnt what it was expected to be. There was a sudden shift in tone and genre - what was initially an apocalyptic scifi horror show became a teenage psychotic drama.
Unlike some people who enjoyed it till episode 9, i was already dreading the ending from episode 7, the shift in pacing was noticeable after the action sequence at the beginning of the episode, and was constantly waiting for the action and the momsters to attack. By the end of episode 8, i already had the feeling the cute alien monsters are never coming back.
I can only conclude that the studio decided it is not worth to give this series the budget for special effects but they're already shooting so they changed plan mid-way that forced them to give it a totally different ending.
Dont get me wrong, these whole second part is not a bad drama - if it wasnt the conclusion of Duty After School Part 1. The problem is, this is not what i signed up for. I was waiting for a gory end, a satisfactory conclusion. I want answers to the questions that arised from the first part, but none of that were resolved. In the finale, suddenly we are led to believe that after 2 years, a magic wand was brandished and everything is back as it used to be. Where are all these people during the war? What we get is a drama that reminds me so much of the series Happiness.
There was a line in the last episode that perfectly summarizes the whole PART 2, when Chi Yeol said that a weapon was developed and ridiculously all the spheres were eliminated. This part 2 is exactly that - a total pointless waste of time and money.
Whats even worse is how they treated the actors - because everyone was quite good in it. Their characters doesnt deseeve their endings and its such a waste as this could have been a career-launching show.
It is such a shame because there could be a wealth of ideas to mine from the original story that could have been used to extend the span of this series into multiple season.
Avoid at all cost. Not worth your time.
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The art direction, acting and incredible sets are as breathtaking as the massive scope of the series.
The show is good but they left out all the juicy details from the novel,
I love the opening ost, and Qu chu xiao super cute, i am glad to see him main role,
The production is beautiful, the dialog economical and exceptionally well-delivered,
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Why can't people seem to appreciate flawed characters?
This review won't be a review per say but moreso another perspective of the show when compared to the majority of the negative reviews on this site. I feel the need to do this especially because a handful of these reviews almost made me decide not to watch this show. I won't go into a lot of details regarding the storyline since so many reviews have already done so. However, I'd like to leave my two cents here because most of the reviews shown here are negative and most of them are based on two things - Joe's naivety and Ming's toxicity.One thing about this series is that it depcts toxic relationships with very flawed characters. It's been advertised since the beginning, it's based in an infamously toxic chinese novel (by an author who's well known for her toxic main leads), there's sinopsis, tags, trailer, etc. And yet people still seem to be hiper fixated in complaining about it, as if it hasn't been advertised at all.
Don't like these themes? Don't watch.
This is the same issue with Kinnporsche (which has two directors in common). So many people review bombing with negative ratings regarding the toxic storyline. There was even a review that complained so much and at the end considered this one of the best series of this year - giving this a 6. At least be coherent with your words and your scoring.
I understand the issue people have with Ming, he's an obvious red flag who is toxic from the beginning, a very flawed character who is depicted since the beginning as such. Flawed characters have existed in stories, series and movies for a long time and oftentimes they give way to intrigue storylines and help capture the viewers attention to try to understand how this person behaves the way they do. Flawed characters are real and human and I don't understand how so many people fail to appreciate that this type of representation is needed in art too. Yes, Ming is a huge asshole and a toxic narcissist. That makes him an even more compelling main character.
As for Joe, he's an absolute cinammon roll. He's someone who falls in love with someone he shouldn't. I see so many people stating how he's naive for liking Ming and that it's not realistic. Excuse me? How many people end up in toxic relationships despite the clear signs? How many people fail to see the red flags because of the rose-colored glasses? It's as realistic as it can get. Fortunately, My Stand-in still manages not to be as toxic as some relationships in real life get - and not as toxic as the original novel, thankfully. I feel like this show actually managed to tell the story really well, they allowed for Ming's character to grow and for Joe to realize that no matter how much he tried, he couldn't escape his feelings for Ming.
Sure, y'all can say Joe's dumb - he is. But it feels weird to reduce his feelings and struggles to just that - naivety and stupidity. Joe and Ming are such complex characters and to reduce this complexity to just being dumb or toxic is like missing the whole point of the show. The story isn't told just by dialogue or just by nc scenes. There's so many small details the directors focused on to conect the storyline. The actors were amazing too, the change in Up's eyes depending on Ming's emotional stability in different parts of the show was mesmerizing to watch - he's such a great actor. Poom was also absolutely amazing as Joe, reflecting his emotional maturity before and after his death.
Flawed and difficult characters are extremely complex. They're harder to understand, harder to act and harder to love. It's a challenge for the actors involved in these storylines and it's a challenge for the whole team. Yet, they're the most intriguing, the ones that make our brains work to understand, to fill in the blanks. There's a reason why we love villains. It's the same train of thought. Flawed characters are relatable, even if only a tiny little bit. Sure, in Ming's case, I really hope he's not as relatable to everyone out there, but there's realism to his character, like it or not.
This is why I don't understand the hate. I understand the constructive criticism and I have my own too, but to review bomb a show like this based on something it has advertised since the beginning? I don't get it.
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As much as I love my usual rom-coms, Misaeng completely took me by surprise and gave me thrills and heart wrenching moments in every single episode. Some people find the pace slow, but it worked for me. I was engrossed with each and every character and every single plot. I laughed and cried with the trio from Sales Team #3 and its group of supporting casts. It has unexpected moments and original story telling that is rarely seen. I absolutely loved it!
Give it a try. If nothing else, you will walk away with a few valuable life lessons.
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1This was supposed to be a hard pass
Netflix decided to constantly remind me about the release of this series. After reading the synopsis and watching a bit of the trailer, I was sure that this would be something I wouldn't enjoy. I was way too bored to give this a chance, if I am being honest.After its release and its very low rating here on MDL I was even more reluctant (even though I know that most of the times non-Korean series are rated lower).
One tiktok video later, I thought I could just watch the first five minutes and then just drop it or skip through it, mostly to indulge my curiosity. Those first five minutes turned into the first four episodes that I ended up watching till four in the morning...
I tried to think of something not to give this a perfect score, but in the end, I actually had no complains. This is the definition of a binge-worthy series with great acting, good plot and high entertainment value that doesn't fail to offer some emotional moments.
Noteworthy things:
=> No awkwardness detected
This is a series focused on (sexual) relationships. It has a lot of sex scenes and many references to sex from conversations to table lambs. That being said, all actors had great chemistry with one another and I didn't feel awkward at all when watching it. There was no stiffness. Everything felt very natural.
=> No romantic music playing in the background while the two leads first fish kiss
This series focuses on sex, lust (and love) while also giving us some swoon worthy moments, without it feeling like the ''too good to be true'' moments we usually watch in series where all the main characters are perfect in every way, shape or form and where holding hands is the peak of their relationship.
=> Educational
I will say that this actually had many interesting facts when it comes to sex with the videos during the credits (don't miss them) being a great example.
=> Everyone was interesting
I have this problem with series with multiple couples. Most of the times, the main one gets the most screen time and is boring as hell, while all the others are great with almost zero screen time. There was nothing like that here. Every couple and every character was interesting. Everyone had their story to tell. Everyone had their own difficulties and definition of a relationship. Everyone was there for a reason. For once, I didn't roll my eyes every time they showed the mains or generally any of the characters.
=> Nude scenes
Something that I found pretty interesting is the absence of nude scenes. Even though the series has lots of sex scenes, it doesn't really show that much nude.
=> Balance
This was the cherry on top. Everything felt ideal when it came to balance. There were the sad scenes, the funny scenes, the cute scenes, the ''oh my God I can't believe he did that'' scenes. I just felt very content watching this from beginning to end.
=> Different stages of life
We had like four main relationships, where the characters belonged in different age groups. Most of the times younger people are the focus on series about love/sex. Even though two of the mains belonged to younger age groups, we also had two other couples that were in a relationship for a very long time and belonged to different (and older) age groups. As a result we got insight in their life and how things can be after being with someone for a longer time.
=> This wasn't just a fun watch
The series deals with many issues without being over the top or too dramatic. Some of them involve homosexuality, loss of passion after marriage, love vs sex (and trauma), toxic relationships.
I am 100% sure this will be my answer at the end of the year in the ''which is the most underrated series of 2024'' question. This is a very well-made series that unfortunately doesn't get the attention it deserves and that is the main reason I am writing this review.
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Imagine watching a rainbow after a long day :)
As usual, Japan is a CHAMPION in the slice of life genre. This is no different, from the heartwarming characters to the heartwarming conversations. In one word, this was UPLIFTING.This is a drama that touches upon the lives of those living in a small village known as Niji no Mura. The FL relocates to that village because they are the only ones that hire her after she loses her job in a reputable hospital due to the discovery of her illness. She is distraught intially, but after moving to the village, she grows thankful for her illness that allowed her to meet these people in the village. While her job primarily is to cure them & help them out as a doctor, the relationship grows beyond that on the very first day that she relocates. The villagers are welcoming and warm. So are the surgeon and nurse, who she houses with in the clinic. As the drama progresses, we see how these people in the village are not just one community living together. They are essentially one big family that love and care for each other. They support each other on the darkest & happiest days. No one tries to exclude anyone. Everyone tries their best to understand & help each other.
The entire cast was perfectly casted & while there wasn't much of a plot, I tuned in each day to watch these people interact and support one another. The acting was BRILLIANT. This drama is all about human interaction & reaction. From the random to the heartfelt & meaningful conversations, to the tears & joy that just overflowed. It wasn't overtly sentimental or melodramatic but I found myself crying (both out of happiness & sadness) in each episode because of just how much I connected, and felt the characters & their conversations. For those of us (like me) who live in modern cities where we do not even know our neighbors or the people living on the same floor, this drama will have you craving for that sense of community support.
Special mention to the relationship between the FL, the nurse, and the surgeon. I have rarely seen a drama focus on such a beautiful platonic bond between two men and a woman. You even hear her say that she wants to hug them both & kiss them both because she just loves & treasures them so much. They support her on her toughest days & they argue like Tom & Jerry almost everyday. It was just such a WHOLESOME relationship.
The OST was an icing on the cake, especially the flute theme that made me emotional each time it played.
I don't want to give away too much about this drama. It is really an experience. I would recommend everyone to watch this. It will teach you a thing or two about being kind & compassionate to the people around you. Much needed in times of COVID where not only are people feeling isolated & lonely, many are being cast aside on the basis of their race or religion. This will show you what INCLUSION really is, & how inclusion is important for a mentally healthy society.
It is a 10/10 in every aspect.
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Cotton Candy Romance
In Chinese, the terms 妹妹 (mei mei) and 哥哥 (ge ge) have double meanings - one refers to a sibling, the other can mean a lover. It is the mix up in the understanding and usage of the terms that has caused the hilarious misunderstanding of our naive characters that drives the plot. The love of one's sibling (platonic) and a romantic love can be confusing for someone who has never seen an opposite sex, let alone having a sister. This purity together with naivety leads to confusion and hilarious conclusions.For the Chinese, it is very common for an admirer calling the admired "ge ge" or "mei mei". Using such terms helps to reduce the embarrassment of being too blatant in a relationship especially if it's hidden, as well as reducing the barrier in the name of familial relationship. In this drama, these two terms are repeatedly and interchangeably used and construed by various characters for different meanings.
This story is a fusion of the modern world with the ancient xianxia world. Our Female Lead Shi Xia (Wu Qianying) has accidentally travelled to the xianxia world while searching for her brother Shi Dong (Dai Yunfan). There in the xianxia world she meets the immortal Hou Chi (Zhao Yingbo) and falls in love with him. Hou Chi has never seen an opposite sex, nor heard of the term “mei mei”, and has no clue what a “sister” is, for Hou Chi is the purest of the pure and has been trained for 200 years to take over the role of the united ruler of the universe. But adopting Shi Xia as his “mei mei” to love and to protect changes his life because he also falls in love with her.
I really like Zhao Yingbo’s portrayal of the Hou Chi character. Hou Chi does look like a piece of wood, drained of emotions on his face, lack of understanding of any worldly matters and human relationship. Though slow in his motion, he is not stiff, and he is intelligent and loyal. Therefore when he eventually gives the viewers a slight smile, we know he is truly in love. The actor has an untainted look as pure as a baby’s face, with his innocent mind asking adult questions, it is really a joy to watch.
Coming from a modern world, Shi Xia is as astute as any of today’s young adults. Wu Qianying’s acting here is not bad as a sometimes-rebellious little sister, and can be rather sweet and cute at times. She and Zhao Yingbo make a very adorable pair with great chemistry. I love Dai Yunfan as Shi Xia’s protective big brother. The dynamics he has with his little sister and her boy friend, Hou Chi, are funny and warm, and the confusing interchanging use of the terms “mei mei” and “ge ge” is hilarious.
My Verdict
This drama is silly but absolutely adorable. At first, I wanted to drop at episode 1. But I was like licking a cotton candy that I couldn't throw away because it's too cute and fluffy. There’s not so much of a plot here. Basically, Shi Xia tries to find a way back to her modern world and Hou Chi tries to become the ruler of the universe so that he can help send her back. Then there is a couple of not-so-evil antagonists who suffer mental illness because of their wrongful perception, and perish eventually. The OSTs are very pretty and calming, just like our Hou Chi character and his relationship with the first girl he has ever seen in his life. Despite all the flaws and stuff, I was rather enjoying it.
Entertaining! Great watch!
P/S Though this drama is listed as having 35 episodes, there is an extra episode that tells the modern life of our love birds. Don't miss it. It super funny, and cute.
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A different kind of pandemic
Much like how we’re all wearing our face masks to curb covid-infections these days, the folks in Dark Hole are doing the same but for a different outbreak - the kind that turns human beings into mindless zombies/ monsters/ mutants, though with varying effects for each person. So what makes this drama different from other similar stories and should you really be watching it? Let’s find out...What is it about?
On the surface, it’s another zombie/ monster apocalypse story that draws parallels with the likes of Kingdom, Sweet Home, Rampant, Train to Busan, and even Joseon Exorcist. I haven’t seen #Alive and Peninsula but based on the synopsis and trailers, they appear to share a very similar premise).
But where Dark Hole differs from the rest lie in 3 aspects:
- The original source of the infection is extra-terrestrial
- The method of transmission is via a rather ominous black smoke (as well as bites/ scratches, apparently)
- The intended purpose of all this, which I won’t spoil here (to be honest, I’m not completely sure myself)
It’s an inventive spin on a well-loved and long-established genre. South Koreans sure love their zombies.
The Plot
Far-fetched with seemingly endless sub-plots and countless characters. As far as apocalypse stories are concerned, this one infuses far more elements than I’ve noticed in other dramas. It’s set in modern-day South Korea in the small town of Muji. The scope of the story covers the entire town and in addition to the overarching mystery, we have mini character arcs, of which there are plenty. The notable action takes place at 5 main locations - the forest where the titular chasm lies, the local high school, the hypermarket, the municipal hospital, and one more which I won’t reveal to keep the suspense alive.
Speaking of story arcs, we have plotlines relating to a female police detective with a tragic past who is in pursuit of a serial killer who caused said tragedy; a “disgraced” former police constable with a sad family tragedy of his own which inadvertently resulted in his expulsion from the police force; a scorned female shaman who rediscovers her spiritual powers including the gift of precognition; a high school senior who is a victim of conspiratorial cover up pertaining to her father’s fatal accident, in addition to being bullied by her schoolmates led by a high school dropout who constantly harasses her. It doesn’t end there. Many more secondary characters with their respective mini arcs are featured throughout. The one thing most of them have in common, is their respective tragic backstories.
This drama is certainly not uneventful - the many characters and side stories make sure of that. The screenwriter is trying to interweave all these stories into the main plot but I think somewhere along the way, the overarching story very nearly got completely overshadowed. After a rather promising start with much potential, I found myself getting a little restless around the halfway mark. Having introduced the new characters into the story, their side stories eventually fizzle out without the slightest connotation of how they are connected to the situation at present.
For the most part, the script and characters are adequately written, with the main issue being that too many elements are included. Even for a 12-episode drama, it does feel a little dragged out with too many unnecessary sub-plots and characters. 8 to 10 episodes would have sufficed and probably 3 or 4 characters and their story arcs should have been left out. In the end they amounted to nothing anyway and I found myself hard-pressed to develop much, if any, emotional attachments to.
The Production
Dark Hole is an OCN production and billed as the fifth entry to its Dramatic Cinema Project, which is an initiative by the broadcast network to showcase the essence of well-made genres via productions that combine the format of movies and dramas. I think what this basically means is dramas that are the crème de la crème of OCN productions. I’m not exactly sure if this drama is deserving of that billing but for context, the first four entries to this project are Trap, Hell is Other People, Team Bulldog and Search.
The first ever drama directed by Kim Bong Joo, the screenplay is written by Jung Yi Do. Those familiar with his works would be aware that highly rated dramas Save Me and Strangers from Hell were written by him.
In general this is a decent production with regards to the technical aspects. The down-to-earth action sequences appear realistic while the use of visual effects in particular for “that thing” is appropriately utilized. The production design and use of multiple filming locations are seemingly well rendered. However, there isn’t much of a soundtrack or musical score of note to write home about. The stock music and sound effects used are serviceable for their intended purposes.
The Acting
One of the main reasons I watched Dark Hole, aside from the fact that I love this genre and to ease my bitter disappointment from seeing Joseon Exorcist being cancelled, is Kim Ok Bin. It’s my first time seeing her drama in its entirety. Having caught glimpses of her in The Villainess and other productions, I’m aware of her reputation and credentials as well as recognition of her previous efforts for which she has received a great many acting honours. For this drama, being the FL Detective Lee Hwa Sun of the Seoul Regional Investigation Unit, I have absolutely no complaints with her performance. Understated, nuanced, and charismatic, she is good value for her portrayal and I’m a new fan.
Lee Joon Hyuk is an interesting choice for the role of ML Yoo Tae Han, although at times his character feels more like a supporting role than the lead. I’m more used to seeing him in suits after Stranger 1 and 2, but he was convincing as a decorated soldier in Designated Survivor as well. He gives a satisfactory portrayal of his role here, where he does carry the persona of a likeable character who would be great in a leadership role during times of crisis.
The rest of the cast, including the child actors, give a decent account of themselves. Special mention goes to Oh Yu Jin who plays the schoolgirl Han Dong Rim. My first time seeing this 21 year-old actress, I thought she did a remarkable job in projecting the chilling aura of mystery and eeriness surrounding her troubled and complicated character, which is one of the few in the show that I truly relished.
Overall
In my humble opinion, Dark Hole is not the best in the genre. But if you’re a fan of zombie apocalypse stories or any of the cast or even an OCN follower, this drama might appeal to you despite its flaws. It doesn’t end in a cliffhanger and I doubt there would be a sequel or continuation to the story, therefore providing viewers with a closure where everything is neatly wrapped up.
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