Great premise, stupid characters
Was really excited for this as the premise seemed interesting. Then we were introduced to Death. She's an annoying child throwing a tantrum because, according to her, humans don't deserve to kill themselves. She says there are way worse pain than living a crappy life. I guess people being sexually trafficked, liked the gangster's girlfriend, should just go on living no matter how hellish their life is. Oh, and she doesn't like being "disrespected", as if people killing themselves are doing it for fun.The action scenes and the different lives are interesting, especially the gangster one. Sadly, this Death is not as cool as they could have had her be. She could have had a better reason for the game. Instead she just comes off as petty and silly. I just can't take her seriously with her constant threats, aka constant whinnying.
I know it's based off a webtoon but I honestly think it could have been much better with a different, more interesting reason as to why the game happens.
No hate to the actress. At least she has a cool look.
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By far the weakest arc!
This had so much potential, but as usual with thai shows, they just botched it. This arc had it especially not easy, because it was the last, but we saw so much of it in Part 1. When you know you will film all arcs of the novel, you should have started with THIS arc. Why? Because it starts at highschool and then fades into university. So the first 5 episodes don't belong into Part 2, they should have been in Part 1 at the beginning. Yes we would have been left hanging but it would have made much more sense.Instead we get a time jump of three years in this arc which feels strange. And it just happens by accident that Mr. Mafia Boy confesses and that at the end of episode 6. They had the mafia subplot and Mr. Mafia boy did kill someone - no consequences - because it's Mafia I suppose. His then not boyfriend did not ask and Mr. Mafia Boy did not explain. Also no real explaination what the family really did, besides having a 08/15 cartoonish evil dad who had the decency to die without fuzz before causing more problems. As usual we have a not really gay but gay brother who is the same as Mr. Mafia Boy and then we have even one more couple which has not much screen time at all and they should have because the main story dragged on for too long.
They could have done something more with the mafia arc, but no. I have no clue if the novel is more exciting but this was not it. The order was wrong, the interactions with North & Johann are too short, Easter and Hill were not seen at all.
So for a standalone it was ok, but for the big picture of both season this arc did not work well. The actors were good for the most parts, the production was on a high level but the story is missing the kick to make it exciting.
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seems so good
nice to see First and other familiar faces. I like the tone and the story. acting is good and just generally the chemistry is amazing. I am frustrated I started it as it means I can't binge it. this is a binging series otherwise you don't get so hooked and feel the slow burn between the two leads. I will defo rewatch to get that excited feeling I got. it's so call to see First like this, he often does dark roles or is the main hitter in something fighting like... so a bit of romance is nice for him . I don't know of I'm just filling up the 500 word thing I genuinely am happy with the show and just wanted to express so in 10 but it wouldn't let me. so I will went on a tangentWas this review helpful to you?
Let’s get things straight; Ghibli Studio’s film is still superior in every way. But this version is also quite enjoyable. Unlike what the general audience might think, this isn’t a remake of the 1989 animation; it’s actually based on the original novel. As a consequence, many things are entirely dissimilar from the animated version. The character and the general climax were untouched but once Kiki arrives into the village, almost everything goes into a different way. This is considerate as a positive point since Shimizu didn’t try to copycat Miyazaki’s version. The little witch still tries to find her way into the world as she goes through puberty and deals many conflicting emotions. The thing about Kiki’s Delivery Service that it inserted stimulating subplots. Of course, it’s not that all of them were successful but it was enough to distinguish itself from the Ghibli Studio’s version.
Koshiba Fuka who played Kiki was convincing acting wise but that doesn’t apply on the aging criteria. She didn’t look like a 13 year-old in any way. However her co-star Hirota Ryohei was very believable as Tombo, he definitely shined better than the main character in this version. Some other characters were altered but it wasn’t very serious.
The CGI could be acceptable but the talking cat looked so fake that my eyes got hurt. Shimizu Takashi, better known as one of Japan’s horror films master decided to go with a family production this time and he did rather well with his angles and settings, if only the CGI was better handled.
Watch if:
-You like to see another version of the outstanding Miyazaki piece.
-You like family films in general.
Do not watch this if:
-You’re looking for a replicate.
-You dislike live action adaptations.
Kiki’s delivery Service is an okay family film. It differs from Ghibli Studio’s iconic animation even if it shares the same concept.
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A MUST WATCH!! ??????
Okay!! First of all... i love Xu Kai. I'm not being biased now, I'm going to be straight with you. This is one of the best dramas so far. The chemistry between Li Ni and Cui Lin is WOW!!..FABULOUS!!!!. You'd think they're a real couple outside the drama. The story line was straight to the point, no unnecessary stretchs and their love was so mature and sweet, you'd want to get into a relationship because of them. And the song was beautiful.. perfect for the drama.. i don't know the director or writer but God bless you for this masterpiece!!!.. I can't wait to see what Xu Kai has in store for us next. Oh! And the bromance in the group. ... FABULOUS!! You would feel every emotion, both the sad, happy and even jealousy. It was amazing!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
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It started out well and then it just went downhill. It was such a disappointment in the end.The acting was really unnatural, especially the two male leads. When they cried and laughed it was so forced. Some scenes were also very fake. They were handsome and that's about it. You can't survive on eye candy alone. Even the side characters acted better.
The whole idea of the plot was good, when you read about it. But when you watch it you're like "what's happening?". They rush from one scene in the other. The story was really mixed up.
I hated the ending. The story ended when it just began. I want to complain more about the ending but I don't want to add any spoilers.
Totally wasted my time. It was my first boys love movie and I really regret watching it. I'm not recommending this to anyone, really.
Btw: I'm an artist and they really ridiculed a real artist :(.
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Absolutely disappointing and a huge waste of time
There are so many better BLs and even every KBL I've watched has been better than this. People claim this one didn't have much budget but it's the KBL with the best production I have seen. The idea and universe they built was pretty great and it could have been developed so much better.The acting was absolutely off-putting, the way Yoo Han immediately got touchy and weirdly into Yeon Woo made it so uncomfortable to watch. They didn't build any type of momentum because they were strangely skinship-y in a way no one ever is. Yeon Woo was evidently disturbed by everything but they never really developed it; his actions towards everything eere exaggerated and his reactions were like those of a madman. We know nothing about Yoo Han other than what was rushly showed on ep 8. There was no chemistry between the leads whatsoever and every 'sweet' moment was ruined by excessive glamorizing of the scenes.
Overall, the show had a great premise and a truly amazing concept with the Monos, Probes, color rush, social problematic, etc., but it was terribly developed and totally ruined.
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1This review may contain spoilers
10 DANCE: When Rivalry Becomes Romance
I came to this film as a manga reader, and honestly, I was nervous. The source material is one of those rare BL stories that takes both the sport and the romance seriously: two professional dancers at the peak of their careers, forced to master each other’s specialties to survive the brutal 10 Dance format. The tension between Suzuki and Sugiki works because they are genuine equals, clashing on and off the floor. Translating that to live action felt like a huge risk, especially for the dancing, which is the backbone of the story.I went in as a Keita Machida fan and came out obsessed with Ryoma Takeuchi too. Machida’s Sugiki is all control and precision, the Standard champion who keeps everything ruthlessly locked down. Takeuchi’s Suzuki has the swagger and physicality you expect from a Latin dancer, but there is real emotional fragility underneath the bravado. What sells it is how fully committed they both are to the actual dancing. This is not actors faking it with doubles; you can see the work in their bodies in every movement.
The dance sequences are where everything clicks. There is an early rehearsal where Suzuki teaches Sugiki a rumba walk, and you catch every tiny adjustment in posture, every weight shift, every moment where Sugiki’s stiffness starts to melt. The camera stays close enough that you see the hand placements, the tension in their frames, and the way their bodies have to negotiate through touch. Later, when Sugiki has to follow instead of lead in the Viennese waltz, the frustration in his face and body says everything about his terror of surrender. By the final performance, they are pulling together everything they have taken from each other: Suzuki’s fire braided with Standard discipline, Sugiki’s control flooded with Latin heat. It is technically impressive, but it hits hardest because these two people who have been orbiting each other finally move as one.
What grounds all of this is the specific reality of competitive ballroom. This world is rigid and hierarchical, built on traditional gender roles, fixed lead and follow dynamics, and heteronormative partnerships. When two men dance together as equals, swapping lead and follow and treating each other as true partners instead of rivals, that is not just romantic. It is disruptive. Choosing connection in a space designed around comparison and ranking reads as its own quiet act of defiance.
The chemistry between Takeuchi and Machida is ridiculous. Every charged look, every lingering touch during practice, every moment where competition blurs into something else feels inevitable but never cheap. The restraint makes it sharper. You are leaning forward, waiting for them to close the distance, and when they finally dance together in that last sequence, the intimacy lands like a confession even though the film stays relatively chaste. That is how you do slow burn in BL: the choreography carries the confession the script never verbalizes.
And yes, this should have been a series. The ending is both satisfying and maddening. You get emotional payoff, but it is very clearly only a midpoint in their story. There is so much more to explore, professionally, romantically, and psychologically, that you can practically feel the missing episodes. It plays less like closure and more like a pilot still waiting for its next season.
I have read the critics calling it too cautious, joking that it needed a chastity coordinator, and faulting it for not fully committing as a queer romance. As an exercise in pure film criticism, you can argue the caution. But as a BL viewer who knows what this genre usually delivers on screen, this is still the standout BL film of the year. The bar for BL cinema is often pretty, tropey, and thin, especially on the big screen. 10 DANCE aims higher, even if it does not swing for the fences in every area.
Most BL gives you surface romance with minimal character work and sports as aesthetic wallpaper. This gives you complicated adults with real ambitions and vulnerabilities, a romance built on mutual respect and earned connection, and dance sequences that actually move the story forward. The restraint reads as maturity, not timidity. The slow burn feels compelling rather than withholding because the film trusts you to read the subtext: to understand what a lingering touch means, to catch the shifts in frame and footwork, and to feel the weight of what never gets said out loud. That is sophisticated storytelling, and it is exactly what this genre needs more of.
If you loved the manga, this respects the core while making smart, medium specific adaptation choices. If you are new to 10 DANCE, it is a gorgeous entry point. And if you care about BL that is ambitious, technically crafted, and emotionally literate, this is essential viewing. Just be ready for that final stretch to leave you desperate for a sequel, and probably already drafting your comment to Netflix asking for one.
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BEST SHORT HISTO ROMANCE !
What new can this drama bring to the K-histo landscape? This is the question I asked myself before launching it, because I know that even if we have fewer historical dramas than modern ones, most of them all look alike, because they belong to history in general.Here, we are fully in a fantasized vision of an uninhibited Joseon. Indeed, the use of a famous book containing very erotic illustrations seems to break the usual rules. It would almost be like in "Bridgerton" Korean version on some aspects. The tone is quickly set: here, we will not talk about politics, but about marriage! And even if often the two go hand in hand, the drama chooses to focus simply on the romantic aspect by exploiting the sexuality (and its discovery) of the women of the Royal Palace. Of course, at first, it's weird, but something keeps us in suspense right away: THE CASTING!
With a cast like this, the acting was superb, both from the point of view of emotions and the chemistry between the couples because of the close ages. Exit just the baby cries of Go Ara I will never get used to it I think lol but otherwise she totally has her place in history, she played so well! Chang RYUL I have no more words... He totally carried the drama with his charisma, his mysterious side; independent and his benevolence!
There is not much to say about this ten-episode drama, because it does not dwell on heavy issues such as wars or politics. We are here immersed in a gentle work, like a bold fairy tale, narrated with delicacy throughout the episodes. The story of the princess and her companions of the Palace is revealed little by little, revealing loves, friendships and deceptions that intertwave with finesse.
The story highlights women who, despite the marital constraints of the time, fight for their rights and independence. It is clear that the drama places the woman at the center of its plot, thus addressing an audience eager for stories that correspond to her. I spent a wonderful time in front of this series, seduced by the richness of each character, each of whom is distinguished by his own interest. The romances, all marked by their singular charm, intertaine while the main relationship is distinguished by a POWERFUL chemistry.
The visuals, on occasion, transport us, especially during memorable scenes, such as the hang gliding walk. In addition, the twists come at the right time, keeping the suspense brilliantly. I highly recommend this drama to those who appreciate light history and wish to take a break with too complex plots.
However: lightness does not mean heavy humor! Here we laugh at the right dose :)
Go for it because you will see what an UNCOMPLEXED and FREE history is!
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EAT WHAT YOU WANT, DO WHAT YOU WANT AND LIKE THE PERSON YOU LIKE, THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO DO .
I understand why most people are pissed at the ending. For some it's wrong for her to dump potato guy, For others Jae eon is a big no no and they (ML AND FL) would for sure suffer later on. BUT here's my point :In last episode Professor said this to Nabi : EAT WHAT YOU WANT, DO WHAT YOU WANT AND LIKE THE PERSON YOU LIKE, THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO DO . For me this pretty much sums up all of Nabi's feelings. She wanted to be with Jae Eon knowing she might regret ( as she herself said in finale) because she chooses to be with him in the moment and not leave any regret.
Look man, Its simple if u want it to be . Everybody wants to be happy . She found her happiness in Jae Eon ; temporarily or permanent. That's the only way to find out.
Besides, it would have been very unfair to potato guy if Nabi had accepted him knowing she is obviously still in love with Jae Eon.
This drama served its purpose for me that is Yes I enjoyed it a lot.
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Love Alarm might just be the best romantic drama I've ever watched!
[Spoiler alert] Do not read this review if you don't want the ending spoiled!I have always blamed kdramas and films in general, why there are so many girls who are attracted to "bad guys" who disrespects them and will treat them horribly. Because in most dramas and films we are taught that the "bad boy" male lead is "bad" but that it's up to the female lead to "change" him, which is such an absurd and unrealistic idea to sell to young impressionable girls.
Though I do understand the film industry that a "bad boy" male lead will cause more emotional rollercoaster rides thus a more interesting storyline. But that doesn't change how it's inflicting this unhealthy view on what is a "romantic relationship" to girls. Which is why, I have always wished and prayed for a romantic drama where the female lead ends up with the "nice guy", to show how we as girls do deserve to be with a nice guy who treats us with respect and that a nice guy is a better romantic partner.
And this is the first kdrama I've ever watched where the female lead FINALLY ends up the genuine nice guy who treats her well and with respect instead of the "bad guy". ( I would say that she ended up with the nice guy as well in Start Up, but I thought both male leads were nice guys so it doesn't count)
Now for all the Sun-oh stans out there who disagrees that Sun-oh is a "bad guy"; In season 1, Sun-oh first encounter with Jojo was because he observed and saw that Hye-yeong had a big crush on Jojo. Sun-oh then became interested in Jojo more or less because he knew Hye-yeong had a big crush on her. He followed and persuaded her and forced her into kissing him, again well-knowing that his best bro has the biggest crush on this girl + she has a boyrfriend. I'm not a guy, but this should be a huge break on bro code. And Sun-oh is lucky Hye-yeong never got mad at him over this.
But Sun-oh is so hypocritical that he thought it was okay to go after his best friends biggest crush, but when Hye-yeong said he still likes Jojo and wants to pursue her 4 years after they have broken up, Sun-oh gets so mad and petty asking Hye-yeong how he could do that to him. But what about you, Sun-oh? How could you pursue a girl you knew your best friend has the biggest crush on? And the only reason you ever noticed Jojo was because you saw that Hye-yeong likes her.
And when Sun-oh dated Jojo, Hye-yeong respectfully stepped back and didn't interfere, uninstalled the Love Alarm app so he wouldn't ring Jojo's Love Alarm all the time and let Sun-oh and Jojo be happy. But when Hye-yeong is finally dating Jojo 4 years after, Sun-oh constantly interferes, follows (basically stalking) Jojo around and even forced a kiss on Jojo.
That brings me to another point; Sun-oh basically forced a kiss upon Jojo in the first episode of season 1 well-knowing she had a boyfriend. He constantly follows (stalking) her and interferes with her life (again well-knowing she has a boyfriend) and not respecting her boundaries at all. If this was me, I would've gotten a restraining order on this guy.
Also when Jojo constantly rejects Sun-oh telling him she likes Hye-yeong, Sun-oh is so immature and can't accept that fact and is constantly blaming it on Jojo lying, the Love Alarm app or the developer. He is both selfish and arrogant and only cares about how he is feeling and not what the other party is feeling and acts with no regard to either Jojo, Hye-yeong or his girlfriend Yuk-jo.
Now, I've also had plenty of frustrations with Jojo. Like why didn't she just push Sun-oh away when he kissed her. Why wasn't she honest with Hye-yeong about the shield and her feelings? Like, is it so hard to say "I love you" in this Love Alarm world? You shouldn't be depended on an app to tell someone your feelings. (But I guess that's the point of show)
Now I got frustrated throughout all 6 episodes at Jojo for not being honest and just explaining everything to Hye-yeong. But I think we sometimes tend to forget, that Jojo is a broken person with a lot of mental issues, she might not even be aware of herself. And obvious things such as just speaking your mind and being honest, might not come naturally for a person like Jojo.
But I think the show explained very well, that Jojo is not okay mentally and why she is not good at expressing love. Both with flashbacks and imagery of her traumatic childhood and how she copes with her mental issues through The Ringing World art page. Because if you've never received love from your family and surroundings throughout your upbringing, it's difficult to know how to both receive and give love when you're older. And even harder when it is normalised that you can only give and receive love through an app in this particular world. So I forgive Jojo for acting like she does.
Now I must give Jojo some points as well for the times she is actually really proactive; She hugs and kisses Hye-yeong on the cheek to show her feelings. She actively tries to contact the developer to remove her shield so she can ring Hye-yeong's Love Alarm and express her feelings towards him. She uses the spear to express her feelings towards Hye-yeong even though she should just have been honest with him about everything here (but I'm giving her a break on that one). So I actually really liked how Jojo became more proactive in this season, but also how we more fully understood her character on a deeper level with her mental struggles and past trauma.
I feel like we got to know Hye-yeongs character on a deeper level as well in this season, We get to meet his father in prison whom he has never met before. And we learn that because Hye-yeong grew up without his father, he has always imagined his father when he looks at himself in the mirror. Therefore pushing himself to be a good person, so that his father will be a good person. Which ultimately makes him face the hard truth, when he eventually meets his dad in prison. I really love how we got to see this other side to Hye-yeongs character, and that he has so much more to him than just his nice and good personality. I could really see his inner struggles in this season and I just loved how Jojo came and supported him no matter what.
On another note, Hye-yeong is not only the perfect male lead, he is what all other male leads should aspire to be like.
Now I know that both myself and others would have really wished for Hye-yeong to be more proactive in his relationship with Jojo. But I just love how Hye-yeong takes it slow with Jojo, respecting her boundarie,s and not pressuring her to do or feel anything, and really letting it to be up to her on how she feels and acts. Exactly the opposite of Sun-oh.
And when Sun-oh tells Hye-yeong he met Jojo, Hye-yeong doesn't care because he trusts Jojo. And when he sees the viral video of Sun-oh and Jojo, he never questions or blames Jojo, only worrying if she's okay.
Though I was sometimes frustrated at Hye-yeong for not showing more affection. Like if she is hugging you and kissing you on the cheek, you can hug her back, that's a green light for that it's okay. But I also really respect Hye-yeong for respecting Jojo's boundaries and never forcing himself upon her like Sun-oh did. And letting her decide when she is ready to kiss him.
I love how the show started in season 1 with Sun-oh forcing a kiss on Jojo and ended with Jojo kissing Hye-yeong on her own free will in season 2. It really shows that girls should be the master of their own feelings and fate and that they should've never be pressured into feeling or doing anything by a guy. I really think kdramas (and the whole film industry in general) should follow in Love Alarm's footsteps teaching girls they deserve to be treated with respect.
On a totally different note, the show's sci-fi element with the Love Alarm app, and how it has become so normalised to express your feelings through this app, that we forget how we actually used to be aware of how we were feeling before this app. And how couples break up if their Love Alarm doesn't ring anymore, and that we never say words like "I love you" anymore because the app does that for you - shows how you begin to trust an app more than your own judgement. Which really criticises today's fast evolving technologies and society, where we as humans has begun to trust technology more than ourselves these days. Just like how people are depended on Love Alarm to love in the show, we are in today's society depended on various kinds of technology to "function".
But the shows also portrays how this technology can be dangerous and harmful, especially with mentally unstable people like Jang In-su. But also in season 1 how Love Alarm caused more depression and loneliness with the people in the mass suicide. We see the show obviously criticising the app's nature themselves with the protests in season 1. But in season 2 they also show that even though a technology is bad and harmful, you can't just exclude yourself from it when everyone in the world is using it. Because how will you ever date or find love, when everyone around you dates and finds love based on Love Alarm? Which really draws a clear parallel towards social media, because even though you might be against social media, everyone arounds you uses social media and that it is their only way communication, inviting you to things and so on. So you're more or less forced to be on social media if you don't want to be excluded. Like how you're forced to have Love Alarm if you ever want to find love.
I must say I'm really impressed with how the show incorporated this criticism into the storyline.
All in all, I think season 2 of Love Alarm is such a good romantic drama. I really feel that the show portrayed the characters so well, and that the storyline allowed the deeper layers to the characters to be shown. It raised awareness about mental health and criticised today's fast evolving technologies and social media so well. The show also taught girls that they deserve to be treated with respect and that they should've never be pressured into feeling or doing anything by a guy. I could really go on and on about this show. I haven't even talked about how good the acting and the filmmaking is and so many other parallels. But this review has already gotten way too long, so thank you if you've been reading this far.
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BEST INSPIRING DRAMA {WORTH WAITING FOR 3 YEARS}
Actually after watching 1,2 eps i wrote a review on this drama that i'm not satisfied with it and yes after completion of drama i felt like this is what i missed . Most of the dramas these days are focusing on the side stories than main plot and i felt may be this will also change like those dramas but, doctor romantic never fails to impress us .1st of all i want to talk about the cast . They are the perfect cast for this drama. As master kim said they are the perfect team of doldam . This is really worth waiting for 3 years. Especially the reunion of season 1 cast is the best part. Along with Kang dong joo and Yoo seo jung doldam has became the unbeatable team. As per what i think may be Yoo seojung works in doldam because she has the same thought as seo woo jin on master kim. She always wanted to work with him and never leave doldam.
Hope this series continuous and give us more seasons ( just a little hope even if it never happens )
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The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival
27 people found this review helpful
Take a chill pill ?
I don't get why people are constantly comparing it with penthouse, that's just like comparing every romance drama with each other ,this drama is good in its own way . It's fulfills my expectation from a makjang drama all the tension, anxiety, twist and turns are fun . This drama is worth checking out , There are some things that won't make sense but I mean these days people watch so bad rom com and still rate them high it's much better than those. It's just my opinion tho , don't take it too seriously. You like this drama watch it otherwise drop it .Was this review helpful to you?
As for the acting, I think all of the actors did a great job with their characters. None of them really looked like high school students, but it didn't matter. It was pretty much an all star cast. Too bad the veteran actresses stole the show. Kim Ki Kyung as Eun Sang's mom and Kim Sung Ryung as Kim Tan's mom were just too funny and their relationship was fully developed and fun to watch. I enjoyed their part in the drama the most.
The music for the most part was just horrible.
I won't rewatch this.
If you are looking for something that doesn't make you think and you want to see hot guys...Lee Min Ho, Kim Woo Bin, Choi Jin Hyuk, Kang Ha Neul, etc...then this is the drama to watch.
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Terrific scenario spoiled by slipshod storytelling, a problematic protagonist & uneven cast
This should have been an easy slam dunk hit. Lee Dong Wook as a corrupt investigator with a redemption arc, Wi Ha Joon as a looney vigilante and Han Ji Eun as a narcotics detective is a great setup. Layer on the relationship between Soo Yeol and K is all in Soo Yeol's head and there's endless potential for entertainment.It's potential mostly unrealized unfortunately.
It begins with another corrupt cop as the primary villain. He's all but twirling a handlebar mustache and exclaiming "You'll never catch me! HAHAHA!!!" Sure enough, the initial attempt to bring him to justice fails and he continues his nefarious deeds. But in relatively quick order, he is brought down only to be replaced by a corrupt politician who repeats the mustache twirling, threats of being above the law, failed initial attempts to bring him down and then somewhat surprisingly quick reversal where his malfeasance is brought to an abrupt end. After that, it's another corrupt cop. Or it might be the drug gang enforcer. Or the wild-eyed assassin that works for one of or both of those two. It's difficult to piece together how quickly the show burns through the lineup of villains each of which momentarily appears to The Big Bad only to be sidelined almost as quickly as he had appeared.
Then there's a mind-controlling REAL Big Bad that takes an agonizingly long time to be revealed by which time there's not a lot of time to build to a satisfying climax. It's a frenetic series of arcs through the first half of "Bad & Crazy" that is then swapped for a tedious one.
If the dialogue and character development had perhaps been better fleshed out, perhaps the wonkiness of the plot might have been worth overlooking, but it isn't.
Lee Dong Wook's Soo Yeol flip flops back and forth between spastically fighting with K to pathetically groveling for mercy to scheming for a promotion during all of which the volume is set to 10. It's a disappointing approach as Lee Dong Wook is a masterful thespian at a more dialed down level. But honestly, with the tediously generic and repetitive dialogue ("You crazy psycho!" "You crazy jerk" "You crazy punk" "You psycho"), Soo Yeol was a mess of a character to portray.
Wi Ha Joon was vastly more entertaining as the wildly grinning and mischievous K. Had he been as prominently featured as Soo Yeol, particularly after the first few episodes, this review would likely have been significantly more positive. Alas, Wi Ha Joon is a distant second in screen time.
As for the remaining cast, there's a cornucopia of less than stellar castings (Lee Hwa Ryong), generic characters (Sung Ji Ru, Shin Joo Hwan, Jo Dong In) or promising appearances that turn out to be limited (Park Se Joon, Lee Seo An, Kim Si Ha). On a brighter note, some of the legion of Briefly Appearing as the Big Bad characters (Lee Sang Hon, Won Hyun Joon and espeically Im Ki Hong) are terrifically fun. And Kang Ae Shim and Kim Dae Gon alternate between delivering the most emotional and most comical scenes.
Overall, though, the production fails to realize what could have been and labors to build sustainable intrigue. Not recommended.
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