Reviews

Mongolian sound

I don’t know if this can even be called a film. It is so experimental and complicated that it would fit better if it were screened somewhere in a museum accompanied by an explanatory note. The film shows close-ups of static things that feel more like photographs than cinema, accompanied by strange sounds.

The sounds are sometimes present, sometimes absent, sometimes just noise, sometimes a murmur, sometimes the sound of construction work, and sometimes a Mongolian song. I think the director’s intention was to place the emphasis on the sound, so that we listen to his film rather than watch it, but the problem is that the sounds also seem random and it is hard to connect them into any coherent whole or story.

A story can be vaguely discerned, yet it is still difficult to say what is reality and what is imagination. The film is abstract and somewhat depressing. I got a little refreshment from the audiovisual experience of Mongolia in the film. Watching this film is certainly a real experiment. I had a similar experience watching it as when I was renovating a room in our old house together with my father.

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First impression

You can watch it on iQIYI: https://www.iq.com/album/connecting-to-you-2026-2fbr7b78pud?lang=en_us

I was really excited for it ever since I saw it and read the plot, so I'm happy to finally be able to watch it. It definitely did not disappoint. It is funny and entertaining, I really enjoy it so far.

Episode 1-2:
* I like it a lot, the acting and humor are nice, and the plot is so interesting.
* The friend really needs to start talking less, he just keeps getting the main character in more trouble.
* The police officer is a bit annoying; like, I see why he would act the way he does, but oh god, is he just not trying to listen to the main character at all!
* The main character is so awkward it hurts to watch.

Episode 3-4:
* I don't really understand why a police officer would invite the main character to live with him, especially with their history.

Episode 5-6:
* Things are still going well, and romance is finally developing.

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Like a beautiful poetry wrapped in a drama

To the Wonder is a visual feast. Some people say it feels like a documentary film and I would agree. The sights, the sounds, the people and conversations, it's like a beautiful poetry wrapped in a drama.

The mesmerizing landscape set in Northwestern China serves as a backdrop to the story structured around characters striving for a new life: a budding writer seeking purpose upon returning home after a failed attempt for success in a big city, a Kazakh horseman silently battling for his individual rights in a family steeped with tradition and obligations, a young widow with two children fighting for her future, and a headstrong, independent widow still grieving the loss of her husband. Through these characters, we witness a way of life that's both unfamiliar and relatable. Aside from the nomadic lifestyle, it's about the everyday conflicts arising from clashing of cultures, generational gap, the reluctance to let go of traditions due to inevitable modernity. The story is sometimes funny, sometimes serious and sometimes heartbreaking and tragic. As you start to feel for each character, you wish for a happy ending for all. And although not everyone will get what they deserve, it's in the journey that, in spite of everything, you understand on a deeper level for these characters.

If you came for the romance like I did, I think you'll be in for a sweet ride. I especially love how Zhou Yi Ran and Yu Shi portray this aspect of the drama. I find Zhou Yi Ran's Wenxiu lovable and comical. The way Wenxiu lights up when Batay walks into a room; you can see her heart soaring and makes you want to laugh with how endearing (and how resonant) it feels. Yu Shi as Batay is an absolute hunk. He's a natural in this role. I loved the duality between this confident rider and the young man experiencing first love. When he finally opens up, his desperation, vulnerability, innocence, and love come across perfectly in these moments, that it's still etched in my mind.

These days, dramas feel ephemeral and indistinguishable from one another. However, this drama is one of those rare gems that lingers in your mind and makes you smile with the mere thought of it, and the more you think about it, the more you appreciate it. It's an unforgettable drama.

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A Drama You Have to Assemble Like IKEA Furniture

By the time I finished the drama, I was sure of at least one thing: I hadn't been sold a dream, but rather a cheap imitation of a romantic comedy sprinkled with a generous dose of bland melodrama. The paradox of the title in all its glory is right there: rekindled love, passion, ambitions, reunions, cinema, thwarted destinies... plenty of good ideas to develop. Unfortunately, like some tired gimmick, the project was handed to a competent director who had never directed a romantic drama in his life, and even worse, the script was entrusted to a rookie writer who had never written anything before. It's like handing the keys to a Ferrari to someone who has just passed their driving test. So, on a wing and a prayer, why not...? Well, actually, no. Dream to You sells you hot air and puts you through a nightmare of padding from beginning to end. Why did I watch it all the way through? Because by Episode 5, the second couple gave me a glimmer of hope after four absolutely disastrous episodes, both in substance and execution. So let's take a closer look at this drama, whose biggest flaw is ultimately its lack of substance, and therefore its limited appeal.

When they were high school students, Woo Su-Bin (Hwang In-Yeop) and Joo Yi-Jae (Hyeri) dreamed of becoming film directors and imagined spending their lives together. But tragic events would separate them for fifteen years: he suddenly leaves the country to study medicine, only to eventually become a promising and successful young director; meanwhile, she becomes a journalist for a local television station, carrying the feeling that she has failed at life. He achieved his dream. She didn't. After the international success of his first film, just as he had promised himself, he returns to Korea to find Yi-Jae, whom he has never forgotten and who was his first love. Fate quickly brings them back together. Su-Bin then tries to revive the ambition she buried long ago, while also rekindling the flame of their former love. Around them are various people connected to their family or professional lives, including Yu-Geon (Baek Sung-Chul), their high school friend who never gave up on his dream of becoming an actor, and Oh Ha-Na (Lee Yul-Eum), a child star shaped by her mother, a former starlet who has since become the CEO of a production company.

Where do I even start? The main problem with Dream to You isn't ultimately its lack of ideas. It's almost the opposite: the drama has plenty of them, but it never really knows what to do with them. Rekindled love, cinema, professional ambitions, thwarted destinies, complicated family relationships, characters still trying to find their place in life: on paper, there was more than enough material to build a mature and interesting romance. But the script constantly feels like it's piling one element on top of another without ever giving them any real coherence. It's the classic IKEA furniture problem: you open the box, find a ton of pieces, follow the instructions... and then, at some point, some pieces no longer seem to fit, others appear to be completely useless, and you're left with a handful of screws you don't even know where they were supposed to go. Above all, the drama lacks a center of gravity, a central pillar around which its themes and characters could actually develop. It tries to show too many things, but the result is that it merely skims the surface instead of digging any deeper. The Su-Bin / Yi-Jae relationship, for example, is rebuilt far too quickly, unlike the second couple. As far as emotional sparks are concerned, better luck next time.

We're dealing with a mature romance here, so I expect a little seduction and chemistry, not a relationship delivered as a ready-made package. Hwang In-Yeop and Hyeri spend three-quarters of the drama standing next to each other, but never really together. I saw the actors, but I never saw the characters they were supposed to be playing. Worse still, during those endless flashback sequences—which are mostly pointless at the beginning—we get to see them dressed as high school students. Except that they're both over 33, so I don't see high school students; I see two adult actors dressed up as teenagers because it simply isn't convincing. The script explains their past, their wounds, their reunion and the reasons they separated, but it doesn't make us experience their relationship enough in the present. We know so much about them before they've even had a real chance to rediscover each other. And for me, the "why" is essential. This becomes obvious in Episode 5, when they practically disappear from the screen to make room for Ha-Na and Yu-Geon, whose storyline I found more interesting because their relationship actually develops in front of us, even if somewhat clumsily. They also have something the main couple desperately lacks: natural chemistry. The real mistake was adding yet another couple that ultimately serves no purpose other than filling the narrative gaps.

The relationships between the characters are rather shaky overall, and the connections between the main cast feel weak. All the melodrama piled on top of more melodrama is basically there to compensate for weak tension and a warm atmosphere that is almost completely absent, except perhaps toward the end. The only real stake in the entire series is: "Will they eventually manage to make the movie whose script Yi-Jae wrote back in high school?" The actual filmmaking process could have been a fantastic tool for developing the relationship between Su-Bin and Yi-Jae: working together, confronting their different visions, bringing old memories back to the surface, blurring the line between acting and real feelings, and revealing their respective ambitions. We do get some of that, but only during the final episode. Talk about a missed opportunity! The boredom sets in quickly because the padding becomes increasingly obvious. That's exactly what creates the feeling of a script stitched together from disconnected pieces rather than built around an actual backbone. Fortunately, the direction is good, despite the excessive use of green screens and AI-generated material, which is rather baffling. There are a few good moments, but overall, it's not enough to create any real sense of authenticity or emotional impact.

Most of the time, there are no surprises whatsoever. Everything is painfully predictable, but one feeling quickly takes over: boredom. It's often downright soporific because the drama is basically a pile-up of issues and emotions slapped next to one another, with no harmony, no transitions and no real flow. There are no meaningful stakes. Where is the passion? Apart from two or three scenes, there's very little. Hyeri is basically "doing Hyeri," just like in Reply 1988 or May I Help You?. I found her more inspired in My Roommate Is a Gumiho and especially in Friendly Rivalry**, where she was working in a darker register. Baek Sung-Chul, on the other hand, seemed more convincing and inspired to me. As for Hwang In-Yeop, I found him rather mediocre once again, because he mostly relies on what he already knows how to do. In the end,** Dream to You is a drama you watch without ever truly experiencing. It tells you a lot, but makes you feel almost nothing. A missed opportunity, and above all, a lot of wasted time. As proof, by Episode 9, I ended up watching on fast-forward—and I'm glad I did. The series wasn't a nightmare, let's not exaggerate: there are a few enjoyable moments, but it certainly wasn't the dream I was promised. What it really lacked was a solid underlying structure.

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Murthehelp VS Babylon

Season 1 of A Shop for Killers worked thanks to a subtle balance between a gripping, claustrophobic thriller and inventive action that managed to surprise at every turn. We followed Ji-An through a believable progression, we worried about her, and we anxiously watched her make one risky choice after another. The tension was constant, with twists in every episode. It was pretty difficult to figure out where the story was going because information was revealed little by little. Season 2 completely changes direction, and yet the first episode really whetted my appetite because it was clever and offered another great idea to bring both returning viewers and newcomers into the story. Unfortunately, I was immediately less convinced by what followed. Sure, the drama is as addictive as a good pack of Kopiko candies, but it completely abandons the novel in order to exploit the 100% action angle.

The first episode starts with a rather original idea: it takes place during the final episode of Season 1, but from Jin-Man's point of view. We get to see what was happening behind the scenes, while also discovering his connection to Babylon's Japanese branch more than fifteen years earlier, before he founded Murthehelp. If Season 1 was a faithful adaptation of the first chapter of Kang Ji-Young's book, this sequel is a very loose adaptation that no longer follows the original trilogy's storyline at all. I'll be honest: I could have stopped right there at the end of this introductory episode. Why? Because what follows completely abandons the intelligent thriller side of the story and dives headfirst into much more generic action spectacle. I felt like I was watching a mix of Counter-Strike and Splinter Cell (the video games), with a bit of The Expendables thrown in. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it still needs to live up to the stakes. Unfortunately, this feels more like fan service than anything else. Overall, it's enjoyable, but nothing more. I'm a little disappointed because the narrative downgrade compared with Season 1 isn't merely a matter of degree.

After Season 1, we were expecting the return of Bale (Jo Han-Sun), the iconic antagonist, the psychopath, the unstoppable killing machine. He is indeed here, but unfortunately, he's little more than a guest appearance before giving way to the Sino-Korean Jin Kusanagi (Jung Yun-Ha), the head of Babylon's Japanese branch. She has about as much charisma as an oyster, and her best agent, Agent Q (Hyunri), is barely any better. I'm not against women being used as badass characters—quite the opposite—but seriously, was there really nothing better available? They simply lack presence, and more importantly, they never feel dangerous in any way. The Murthehelp team is still around, but many of them no longer have the same impact. They mostly seem to be there to make an appearance, before several of them are eventually taken out toward the end. We could have hoped for stronger bonds between Jin-Man and Ji-An. Nope. Everything feels artificial and predictable. I don't get the same hype as before, especially that wonderfully chaotic feeling that things were almost being improvised on the spot. The plot is so basic that Episode 2 is almost the complete opposite of the first. I genuinely thought it was some kind of elaborate joke. The rest isn't exactly brilliant either, and by the final episode, you can pretty much read the whole thing like an open book.

The story creates a stylistic clash between two rival organizations fighting for the parallel-market arms trade, supplying Third World governments, rebels, and private militias. Whereas Murthehelp was originally presented almost like a local business catering to the "killers in the neighborhood," it has now received a massive upgrade and is suddenly capable of almost going toe-to-toe with Babylon. The arrival of a whole army of "clowns" makes the series more spectacular and bloodier, with sound design that can sometimes be excessive (the knife impacts sound downright cartoonish). The violence is therefore turned up a notch, and the visual spectacle improves, while realism and atmosphere take a hit. Some characters we had grown attached to in the past aren't treated with much respect. A minimum amount of empathy, please—is that really too much to ask? Meaningful relationships disappear in favor of predictable and pointless behavior. Thankfully, the fight sequences are well choreographed, because it would have been something if they'd messed those up too. Special mention to Ji-An, who apparently read How to Become G.I. Joe in 10 Easy Lessons to make up for her previous combat deficiencies.

Technically, it's solid, no complaints there: the direction lives up to its ambitions. And if you're looking for fights, massacres, explosions, and mass dismemberment, you're going to be well served. It's a shame we don't get to see the uncle and niece together more often; they seem to spend most of their time avoiding each other. I wasn't convinced by the supposed-but-not-really passing of the torch: Kim Hye-Jun was better and more convincing in Season 1 than she is here. Apparently, somewhere between a stray bullet and a punch to the face, she somehow found time to get her hair done and her makeup touched up... Yeah, between a full-blown brawl and a beauty salon, priorities matter. Lee Dong-Wook does the job; it's clean and solid without being outstanding. As for Jin-Man's team, it's nice to see the old faces returning, but since I don't want to spoil anything, prepare to be disappointed and disgusted. The drama is short, just like Season 1, but the density is noticeably lower. That's undeniable. It feels like they spend several episodes circling each other before finally making an appointment for the big final fight. What a surprise!

In the end, Season 2 isn't bad, far from it, but it has lost what made the first season so appealing. Where Season 1 was constantly trying to surprise us, this one is mostly trying to blow us away. It works fairly well if you approach it as pure, unapologetically over-the-top entertainment, but much less so if you were hoping for the tense and clever thriller that made the first season such an addictive watch. We still have the characters, the weapons, the fights, and gallons of blood, but we've lost a large part of what made the first season so compelling: the tension, the uncertainty, and that feeling that everything could go completely off the rails at any moment. It's spectacular and occasionally exhilarating, but considerably more predictable. The entertainment factor is still there, but if the steak is bloodier, it doesn't taste as good. The conclusion is bafflingly predictable, but the good news is that the ending seems fairly definitive... Which, in my opinion, won't stop them from making one final installment anyway.

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Brilliant but Heartbreaking

This was such a great watch! I honestly regret not watching it when it first came out, but that’s adult life, I guess! 😂

Anyway, the storyline, character development, plot, and acting were all amazing. You definitely have to give it a chance, though—the first episode starts off quite confusing, but trust me, it gets SO good!

I loved all the characters. I mean, I came for Trin and Tawan, but my heart was completely stolen by Nara and the Colonel! And honestly, even the villains were incredibly well done.

I also loved the film music and, oh my god, the costumes! The clothes they chose for each character were unbelievably good-looking and fit the characters so well. The whole visual style of the series was just beautiful.

There were, however, a few things I didn’t like. I feel like Nara and the Colonel were done dirty, and I’m still not over it. 😭 But at the same time, the wife as the true villain was phenomenal. I was crying and completely in awe at the same time!

One other thing that bothered me was the amount of smoking. For some reason, literally everyone seemed to be a smoker! 😂 I know the story takes place in the 60s and that smoking was very common back then, but the sheer amount of cigarettes felt like a bit too much.

All in all, this was a really great watch! Brilliant, emotional, beautifully acted, and absolutely heartbreaking. Definitely a series I’m glad I finally watched!

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12 episodes. 6 weeks. And somehow, it’s already over. ??

Looking back, I honestly have to say that I’m leaving this drama with both a smile and a tear in my eye. From the very beginning to the very end, Dream to You was absolutely perfect. I loved every single bit of it, and I already know that this drama will stay with me for a very, very long time.

My male lead is played by one of my absolute favorite actors and I simply adored him in this role. 🥹 And the female lead? I loved her just as much. Their chemistry, their story and the way their relationship developed had me completely invested.

And can we talk about the couples? The second couple had something truly special about them and even though the third couple didn’t get nearly as much screen time, I still really enjoyed them. 🥹

This drama made me feel everything. There were beautiful moments, emotional moments, heartbreaking moments… it really had it all. It was such a complete, heartwarming experience and honestly felt like the perfect little package.

There are dramas you enjoy, and then there are dramas that become a memory. Dream to You is definitely the latter for me. ❤️

I’m genuinely sad that it’s over, but I’m also so grateful I got to experience this story.

Absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend. 10/10. 🥹❤️
One of my favorite dramas of the year.

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Trust, Secrets, and The Cost of Catching a Killer

I have watched a lot of crime thrillers over the years, and I have developed a certain resistance to them. I know the beats, the red herrings, the episode-six twist that recontextualizes everything, and the tearful finale where justice is served and everyone learns a valuable lesson about teamwork.

So when I sat down to watch Beyond Evil, I was prepared for competence. I was not prepared for what I actually got, which was something far more unsettling, far more beautiful, and far more human than I ever expected. This is a drama that does not just ask who did it; it asks what it costs to find out, and whether the pursuit of justice can ever truly leave you intact. It is a slow-burn masterpiece that lingers in your bones long after the final credits roll, and I am still not entirely sure I have recovered from it.

The drama is set in the small, sleepy town of Manyang, a place that looks picturesque on the surface but carries the weight of a twenty-year-old unsolved serial murder case. At the center of it all is Lee Dong-sik, played by Shin Ha-kyun, a detective who was once the prime suspect in those very murders and who still carries the trauma of his missing twin sister like an open wound. His life is upended by the arrival of Han Joo-won, a young, elite detective from Seoul played by Yeo Jin-goo, who transfers to the Manyang police substation with a single objective: to solve the cold case and prove that Dong-sik is the killer.

What follows is a psychological chess match between two men who distrust each other completely, forced to work together as a new series of murders begins to mirror the old ones. The premise is familiar, I will admit, but the execution is anything but. This is a character-driven drama through and through, and it uses its crime thriller framework to explore something far more profound: the nature of evil, the fragility of human morality, and the devastating effects of grief and guilt on the human psyche.

Let's chat about the performances, because I genuinely do not know where to begin without sounding like I am exaggerating. Shin Ha-kyun, who won the Baeksang Best Actor award for this role, delivers what I can only describe as one of the most extraordinary performances I have ever seen in any medium. His Lee Dong-sik is a man of impossible contradictions: he smiles constantly, often at the most inappropriate moments, and there is something deeply unsettling about that smile. But then he cries, and you see the decades of pain and guilt pouring out of him, and you cannot help but want to believe him.

He runs on impulse, he does questionable things, and he keeps you guessing about his true nature until the very end. One moment he is the most sympathetic character in the room, and the next you are genuinely wondering if he is capable of something terrible. That is the whole engine of the show, honestly, and Shin Ha-kyun plays it with a kind of quirky brilliance that makes it impossible to look away.

For me, this was my first real introduction to Shin Ha-kyun's work, and I absolutely fell in love with his craft. Consider what his character is carrying: for twenty-one years, Lee Dong-sik has been walking around with an unresolved wound, surrounded by the same people, the same memories, and the same circumstances that are tangled up in his sister's disappearance. That is an impossibly heavy burden, and when the truth finally starts to come into focus, the emotion that spills out of him is not clean. It is not simply grief. It is not simply rage. It is not even relief. It is all of it arriving at once, a tidal wave that has been building for over two decades.

And Shin Ha-kyun does not tidy those emotions up for the audience. He does not give you a neat, conventional breakdown with pretty tears and a clear catharsis. He lets Dong-sik crash. That is the word I keep coming back to: crash. His breakdown hits harder than any melodramatic crying scene because Shin Ha-kyun has spent the entire drama teaching me to pay close attention to this man's face. Dong-sik rarely gives you the straightforward emotional response, and that is what makes the moments when he finally breaks so devastating. Shin Ha-kyun employs everything I value most in the actors I love: masterful facial muscle control, microshifts in expression that speak volumes, the powerful use of negative space in his performance, and so much information conveyed in the silences between his lines. He tells you everything without saying a word, and then when he finally does speak, every syllable carries the weight of years. It is a revelation, honestly.

With this single performance, Shin Ha-kyun has easily joined my SSS-tier of actors, a spot that has been held solo for quite some time by the incomparable Shin Hae-sun. They now share the throne at the very top of my personal ranking.

And then there is Yeo Jin-goo as Han Joo-won, who is the perfect foil to Dong-sik's chaos. He is buttoned-up, precise, and seemingly without flaw, but underneath that polished exterior is a man carrying his own secrets and his own deep-seated trauma. Yeo Jin-goo embodies this righteous restraint with absurd skill, and watching these two actors play off each other is genuinely one of the great pleasures of modern television. Their dynamic shifts from rivalry to reluctant partnership to something deeper and more complicated, and every confrontation and reconciliation between them feels hard-won and earned.

The final interactions between Lee Dong-sik and Han Joo-won are, quite simply, some of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming scenes I have ever seen in any kdrama. It is a feat that feels almost impossible to achieve, bringing together two characters who exist on completely opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, one chaotic and wounded, the other restrained and guarded. Yet Beyond Evil manages to knock it out of the park. When these two men finally reach a place of understanding, when all the suspicion and tension gives way to something resembling trust and even affection, it hits you like a freight train. You have watched them tear each other apart and slowly piece each other back together, and the payoff is so deeply earned that you cannot help but feel your heart swell. It is the kind of resolution that reminds you why you invest in characters in the first place, because when they finally find their way to each other, it feels like a victory for everyone who has been watching.

The plot of Beyond Evil is constructed with a terrifying precision. It is a complex, slow-burn psychological whodunit that unfolds over sixteen episodes without ever feeling like it is dragging or rushing. The killer is revealed fairly early in the drama, which might sound like a spoiler but is actually one of the show's greatest strengths. The real mystery is not who did it, but how the characters react when the killer is right in front of them. They are faced with impossible decisions, handed the power to kill or not to kill, and the drama forces them to confront the inherent good or evil within themselves. This is where the title comes into play, because evil, as the show suggests, cannot be controlled by humans; it is beyond human comprehension.

The Korean title, Monster, is equally fitting, because the drama explores the monstrous potential that exists within every character. Everyone is guilty to some degree, and everyone carries a shadow that brings them closer to what they condemn. The show abandons the traditional moral dualism of police dramas and instead plunges into ambiguity. It constantly asks who the real monster is, and leads to the realization that evil is rarely an external entity; it is a latent possibility within the human being. The themes explored here are rich and varied: grief, guilt, betrayal, forgiveness, redemption, and the devastating effects of selfishness and collective silence.

The drama also explores the loopholes and injustice of the legal system, and the way that one person's selfishness can have a knock-on effect that turns everyone into a monster. It is a story about what it means to be a family, and about the lengths people will go to protect the ones they love. And remarkably, despite all of this darkness, the drama manages to feel like a healing show at its core, one that explores what it takes to catch monsters without becoming one yourself.

So here is the thing about Beyond Evil. It is not a fast-paced, crazy chase to catch a killer; it does not rely on cheap twists or high-stakes action sequences. Instead, it respects its viewers by not laying out every answer plainly for us to see, challenging us to make the connections ourselves. It is a drama that requires patience and attention, and if you are not paying close enough attention, you will miss the little hints and details that make the whole thing click into place. But that is half the fun, honestly, and I cannot wait to rewatch it and pick up on everything I missed the first time.

This is a drama that makes you think a lot and gives you profound feelings, especially during a second watch. It is a remarkably well-rounded production that manages to feel amazingly intense while never resorting to cheap tricks or being too fast. Each element of the production helps build up the intensity and emotions, leaving you with a solid contender for best mystery, crime drama, and psychological thriller of the year. It is a rare masterpiece in the psychological thriller genre, one that breaks and constructs many layers of its central concepts while keeping the plot moving. And it does all of this while exploring themes of trust, family, and the thin line that separates justice from monstrosity.

I think this drama is something that defies easy categorization. I think it is a drama that will make you uncomfortable, challenge your assumptions, and leave you staring at the ceiling long after you have finished watching it. I think it is the kind of story that reminds you why you fell in love with Kdramas in the first place, not because of the romance or the action or the polished production values, but because of the depth of emotion and the sheer humanity that Korean storytellers are capable of bringing to the screen. This is not a drama that tells you what to think or how to feel. It trusts you to sit with the ambiguity and find your own answers.

So what is the verdict, then? After all of this analysis, after dissecting the performances, the plot, the cinematography, and the music, what do I actually think of Beyond Evil?

Go watch it.

I have spent years building a vocabulary for explaining why stories matter to me. I have used every part of that vocabulary on countless dramas, dissecting their writing, performances, themes, emotions, and everything in between. For this one, I have nothing more useful to tell you than to experience it yourself.

Even if you are not a fan of serial killer thrillers, Beyond Evil is more than its genre. It is something I genuinely believe every kdrama viewer owes themselves the chance to experience at least once.

That is it. That is the review.

Go watch it.

Extended review is available at byrei.ink

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This drama is significantly underrated. It remains perplexing to me why many viewers reacted unfavorably to the series or the lead couple. For me, this drama served as a breath of fresh air within the romantic comedy genre.
I eagerly anticipated its premiere. Hwang In-yeop and Lee Hye-ri form an exceptionally attractive and compelling duo. The visual of the drama was equally enticing and a narrative centered around two directors offered a novel and refreshing concept.
This is a highly commendable drama, and the inclusion of two secondary couples alongside the primary storyline served as a substantial asset to the drama.
I genuinely enjoyed the plot, the cast's performances, the chosen locations and also chosen music. However, the ending felt overly convoluted. I sympathize with Yi-jae’s decision, as going abroad for her studies was indeed necessary, yet severing ties with Soo-bin appeared remarkably inexplicable. While I understand that she felt overwhelmed by his hyper-fixated care and complete focus on her, I generally dislike such abrupt plot twists in a finale.
Hye-ri delivered a delightfully vibrant and playful performance—an archetype in which she truly thrives. Hwang In-yeop’s portrayal was equally impressive and represented a novel direction for him. The lead pair demonstrated outstanding onscreen chemistry, embodying their respective roles to perfection.

A standout highlight of this production was the relationship between Yoo Gyeom and Oh Ha-na, portrayed by Lee Yeol-eum and Son Chae-ryeong. Their magnetic dynamic and the intensity conveyed through their subtle glances made every scene deeply captivating. I’d have greatly welcomed seeing them on screen more frequently.
As for the pairing of Sa-rang and In-wook, they possessed immense potential; regrettably, the production chose to accord them minimal screen time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the depiction of their school years, filming scenes, grow of their relationships, and every nuance in between. From start to finish, the drama maintained my complete engagement, with every narrative arc receiving thorough resolution. There is simply no reason to overlook this drama!

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Don't write this drama off because of the bad reviews

I watched everything in one day, which allowed me to experience the series in a different way than the watchers who waited every week for new episodes. Many people write that one of the main drawbacks mentioned at the end is the breakup of the main couple. In my opinion, it was a perfect move, making ML feel what the FL felt. If she was abandoned for many years, why couldn't he wait two years? And it allowed her to fulfill a dream she put on hold because of him. I think it allows them both to start over and are equal emotionally and professionally. Plus, after seeing their kisses, I can definitely say they had chemistry! The supporting couples had interesting stories, and I don't think they took up too much of the main characters' time, but there was enough time to develop their stories.

Another point viewers disagreed with was the cancer subplot. It did appear out of nowhere, but the father-son relationship was touching for me. It shows viewers how, in the pursuit of goals, we often forget about our loved ones, only to realize how important they are to us when it's often too late.

In my opinion, the storyline of ML's father and mother should have been more developed; the father should have been punished for his violence against both his son and his wife. The overall story should also included ML's feelings, some form of therapy, etc. The topic of ML's biological mother leaving should also be addressed. In real life, it's impossible to remain as indifferent and stoic as the main character was about this.

I think that not having to wait for episodes each week influenced my reception and interpretation of this drama. I don't think it's as bad as some people think. In some places, something was missing, and in others, there was too much. The drama's pacing was good, without dragging on unnecessary plot threads. I'm glad we didn't spend too much time in the past, but the characters' motives were perfectly presented. The story was original, but it could have been better executed. All in all, a good drama to watch one time- 8,3/10

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O melodrama chamadao Dream to You.

A primeiríssima coisa que tenho que elogiar é que toda a trilha sonora desse drama é excelente (fazia muito tempo que eu não prestava tanto atenção nas músicas de uma drama).

Dream to you tá mais pra um melodrama do que comedia romântica, varias situações que a gente realmente pode viver no dia a dia, tenho que elogiar a química e escrita dos protagonistas, gostei bastante (apesar do roteiro forçar uma situação de praticamente termino faltando dois ep pra acabar) mas eu gostei da resolução final, bons personagens, um bom enredo, bons dramas, E SERIO UMA MARAVILHOSA SOUNDTRACK POR TRÁS DE CADA EPOSIDIO!

Foi bem legal acompanhar semanalmente esse drama <3

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There is nothing scary at all in this series

The plot of this series is quite interesting. The visuals are beautiful and grand, and the CGI is excellent. Unfortunately, they added so many extra elements that the plot became disappointing, boring, and lacking in interest, and the overall story turned into a complete mess.

Many of the actors did a good job. Nam Joohyuk looks really cool in this role whenever he’s in the underworld. Roh Yoonseo is very beautiful and cute here, but her acting in this drama confuses me a little. In some scenes she performs very well, while in others she comes across as stiff, emotionless, and as if she’s just reciting lines. The underworld itself is vague and complicated — they don’t really explain much about it. What I really dislike is that almost none of the villains face any consequences for their past actions. It’s like Gu Cheon and Saeng Gang are stopping the evil spirits just to protect characters who are even worse. The only scenes I actually liked were the fight against the shaman’s guardian spirit, the ancient spirit scene, and the protagonist’s little spirit pet — that one was cute.

Overall, this series has an interesting plot, beautiful visuals, and excellent CGI. If you’re a fan of Nam Joohyuk, you can definitely watch it because he looks really cool in the underworld scenes. Roh Yoonseo is also very beautiful and cute. However, the story is messy, boring, and disappointing, with a lack of consequences for the villains. And most importantly, there is nothing scary at all in this series.

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