Reviews

First of all: end and abolish prison. Also : acab.

"Tell yourself that you are already dead. And that you remain alive as if God were giving you a bonus. You have to live, whether it's to regret or repent." Wise words from the prison chaplain.
These prison episodes begin in the most fitting way and shift towards the idea that when you want something, you can achieve it, and that only your burning desire will turn the hero into a vengeful monster ready for anything. Let's admit it. But the friendship between these two men is very touching.

The series alternates between tragic seriousness and grotesque excess, without ever making up its mind. The way the hero realises what a trap he has fallen into, for example... The evil genius behind it all turns out to be too stupid to imagine that his victims would talk to each other, apparently. Anyway, the whole series is like that. You shouldn't look too closely, and then you can just let yourself be carried away by the revenge. In the end, the longest part was the first episode ; after that, it flows smoothly.

Worth watching for the action scenes, the suspense and to fuel your justified hatred of the rich. Provided you don't think too much about the many absurdities in the script. (How does this boy finance his vendetta ?) Notably this surprising ability to be stabbed in the stomach and make a full recovery, or that mysterious invulnerability to concussions.
The least implausible thing is seeing the police fabricating evidence and happily obeying their cruel superiors. The villainous tech bro tells us : the rich and their militia are evil simply because they can be.

Bravo for the sword fight. "Washi o washi" as we all say.

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With this director and screenwriter, obviously we had to watch it. Kim Go-eun, as a bonus, we can't say no. Park Se-jun's intriguing music completes the picture. He makes good use of the solo bassoon. I appreciate the effort. (Even if that minor sixth leap sounds like the theme of The Force beginning.)

At the beginning, we are introduced to complex characters who have room to exist and develop. We expect nothing less from this team. The understated direction chooses its moments to intensify the stakes of the story, then becomes more academic when the actresses' performances demand it. Thus, we follow the story in the most natural way possible, without questioning the (many) oddities of this far-fetched scenario. The original text of ‘Little Women’ is far removed from this...

One criticism I would make of this K-drama is that it resorts to certain plot devices to add artificial suspense. Certain elements of the plot are resolved in a very convenient, even miraculous way. The whole Singapore section, for example. (Singapore, the wet dream of every fascist on the planet) It's reminiscent of the 2013 film Samar, and that's not a compliment. The twists go so far! These secret societies that scatter blue flowers all over the crime scenes and reveal everything (but not too much at once, let's save some for later) when our heroines question them. Strange, strange.

"The rich risk their capital, the poor risk their lives."

From the very first episode, there are references to ‘illegal’ torture (we'd like to think so, but it was perfectly legal) against people suspected of espionage (being "communists"). The scene is set: the cruelty of the rich. You don't become rich without stealing, killing, cheating and being complicit in all of that at the same time: inheriting.

I think it's good that the alcoholism of one of the characters raises the issue of taking substances to keep up with work and cope with pressure. It's a problem that no one wants to address; bosses are happy to see their employees work themselves to death and then accuse them of bad behaviour when they no longer want them.
It really hurt my heart to see how it was used against her. That said, this theme disappears quite quickly. And excuse me, but when you quit alcohol, you suffer serious, even fatal, physical and mental consequences. It deserved better treatment. Here, it seems like a bit of an easy plot device.

Another thing : the rich great-aunt somewhat undermines the dialectic around money. If we can count on providential help, what's the point of repeating over and over again how desperate these young women are to find money to survive ? It somewhat undermines the illustration of how poverty makes you exploitable and disposable. And so we wonder, where was this immensely wealthy woman when her family was living in poverty ?

What's more, all this talk about pride when you're poor is rather annoying. When you need money, you don't turn your nose up at it, and those in power know this very well indeed. We feel indebted when they throw us a few crumbs, but for them it's nothing; we cost them nothing and they gain so much.
Similarly, trying to justify this great-aunt's actions by saying, "Yes, but being a woman was hard", well, being a poor woman is undoubtedly much harder, and it still doesn't justify getting rich off the deaths of others. At least this old lady seems to have a keen taste for the paintings of Juan Gris, Jacques Villon and Serge Poliakoff, and she's quite right.
And now that I think about it... she could have told her nieces so much about that blue orchid thing, but she didn't say a word ! What a joke.

"Do you really believe that the rich are always the aggressors and the poor are inevitably their victims? That's a lie that poor people tell themselves."

On the other hand, violence among wealthy individuals, towards each other and towards their children, is shown in a stark light. It is their way of validating their worth ; this social position is maintained through violence against others and against themselves. One must undergo "discipline" to remain in line and thus "earn" their's superior position. This is demonstrated in the work of French sociologists Pinçon-Charlot. (not sure if their books have been translated in English) However, it is worth adding that violent fathers exist in all social classes and are never good fathers.

The ambitious mayoral candidate says at one point that his father was a Vietnam War veteran and a victim of Agent Orange. It is curious to see how Korean productions so rarely mention their country's participation in this war against Vietnamese independence on the American side, and how, coincidentally, it is only to talk about a very sad old man who is ill, and never about the Vietnamese he surely killed... The screenwriter does the same thing in Tempest, briefly mentioning the war but without saying what it entailed. There is something to question here.

I notice a lot of annoying things (which no one will read, thankfully. I write too much), but to be honest, this series keeps you hooked throughout. You want to know where it's going, and each episode ends with a scandalous cliffhanger. Scandalous ! Even if it's a senseless mess at times (the youngest little sister who serves as a sort of pet throughout and then disappears because one really don't know what to do with this character...), I devoured it all in a ridiculously short time. I'm so weak. And any story that doesn't involve virile males in search of action, I'm in.

Useless bonus :
_The heir locked up in a luxury psychiatric hospital reads Le Comte de Monte Cristo and later sends a text message under the pseudonym Dantès. A true fan.
_The shameless advertising for chocolate squares wrapped in plastic (we see it in countless K-dramas) is completely off-putting. Buy a whole bar and cut your own squares !
_From one series to the next, we end up seeing the same places. I recognise the house of the evil rich people and the three sisters' flat on the roof. With that church tower right next to it.

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An extremely dark series. Set in a wintery night-time atmosphere. It scares the hell out of you with the most ordinary things (a glance, a shadow on the ground that disappears, someone knocking on the door, your loved one saying strange things) while talking about ghosts. It's powerful. Anyway, spirits don't exist, I say it loud and clear. No one will silence me. If they did exist, we would be constantly harassed by billions of dead people. Through the power of my cosmic brain, I have solved this mystery.

The story remains captivating despite its slow pace. Through these possessions, this diminished vision and these growing shadows, we are clearly told about the desire to die. Let me be clear: people who take their own lives also wanted to live. Those who want to understand will understand. That is what this story is about.

"I had never lived solely for myself, not even for a moment. I had never made a decision or gone to a place because I wanted to. Why and for whom did I mistreat myself so cruelly ? The one who dragged me into the darkness was none other than myself. I was killing myself. I refused to die once I realized that. I'm going to start living for myself."

Apart from that, Kim Tae-ri's performance is phenomenal. A very demanding role in which she has to go through all the negative emotions, on the verge of exploding into a thousand pieces, changing expressions, screaming angrily, suddenly crying, seeming lost and then herself again, at the height of despair. The final scene with the lighter is mind-blowing. It's incredible how well she conveys the struggle against herself and her darkness.
However, the dinner scene with her former university friends in episode 5 was unnecessary. Why do people do this to themselves? Why see people you don't like? Why do we have to put up with awkward and painful moments like that? I'm not here to suffer, I'm doing fine on my own. No need to help me with that.

"Even if you feel like dying because you're frustrated and overwhelmed, no one will acknowledge how you feel."

That being said, I hope that seeing everyone absolutely terrified at the thought of someone knocking on their door will give you an idea of the world I live in. Welcome to the club.
However, fellow ghosts, communication is key. You just stare at people silently, and no one understands what you want. Please be a little more serious about your demands. Also, you don't exist. So stop it.

Ps : Naturally, the ghost is left-handed... There's no smoke without fire. (I'm just saying)

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love, drama, courage, sadness, a perfect mix of everything that makes a true banger!

A really, really great season!

It has love, drama, courage, sadness, a perfect mix of everything that makes a true banger!
I loved the story of a father and his daughter searching for their wife/mother.
The creation of the monster is clever: once you find out she’s looking for her mother, it’s pretty easy to connect the dots between the monster and her. Personally, I figured it out right away I was like “that’s her mom, for sure!” and I was right lol.

The little romance between her and Tae Sang was super cute. The reunion scene after he temporarily disappears is hilarious especially the part where she threatens him in the middle of the street. Dude really doesn’t care about being discreet at all!

There are some very emotional moments too, like when she discovers that her mother is the monster, or when her mother tries to protect her. The ending is intense: they manage to destroy the place and escape. The boat scene where the enemies try to stop them, her mother showing up injured and wanting to attack Jang Tae Sang… and then the daughter stepping between them.
That moment is really touching her speech and her “death” hit hard.

Overall, it’s a solid story. I never had a single boring episode.

The acting is excellent big bravo to the whole cast.The music is really cool too.And the monster’s design and execution are very well done. I never once felt like it looked cheap or badly animated.

In short, a very strong Season 1!!!

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Be close to your friends and even closer to your enemies, as they say. This little game of cat and mouse works beautifully. These two guys are evil incarnate, cop or gangster, same piece of work. Friend or foe, they don't know anymore.

80% of the time, they're just a bunch of yob sulking and chain-smoking cigarettes. (I learnt a new word : yob) But the atmosphere and staging are spot on. The police are real bastards, violent and cruel, without mercy. Realistic. (But, of course, at the end we're told that they're the good guys. Make no mistakes !) There are still two female characters (two more than in many stories of this kind) and they are relatively well written, with their own motivations and making their own decisions. (As for the Bechdel test... that would be asking too much, though.)

The fights are very brutal and raw. It seems as though nothing happened because the story remains simple, but in reality, there are quite a few twists and turns in store for us.
It totally deserves its high ratings. Ji Chang-wook is excellent, but to be honest, everyone is very, very good.

The theme music for the series sounds like something Ennio Morricone would have composed. It fits so well with the final scene, where the two "heroes" walk together through Seoul at night. I find that ending perfect. Tragic.

And finally, how convenient that the Japanese and Chinese speak impeccable Korean. And there is a certain view of China... each scene is accompanied by a little piece of music in a caricatured pentatonic scale. All Chinese people are portrayed as cold and violent. We are clearly being sent a message.

(TW: SA) The hero is assaulted, although the series does not present it that way. He makes it clear throughout that he is not consenting. And he shows no interest in this woman. Their strange relationship is fuelled by silences and his lack of enjoyment in being around this woman. I don't really understand this choice.

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The first few episodes are really repetitive, especially the part about not arriving at school on time... And the parallel between flying away unintentionally and Lee Jeong-Ha/Bong-seok's attraction to Go Youn-jung/Hui-soo is tiresome. It quickly becomes tedious. We get it, they have powers. Ok. And the heterosexual propaganda is exhausting. We're subjected to it all the time. A boy and a girl can just be friends, it's possible, it happens every day !

Some episodes are clearly just filler. 20, apparently too long for our screenwriter friends. So all these twists and turns in the form of flashbacks rather bored me, I have to say. I imagined it would be a "human" series, focusing on these two endearing students, but it veers off into a story involving North Korea, the CIA and who knows what else. It drags on. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't finish it. I'm more upset with myself for not liking this series, which seemed like such a good idea.

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Careful ! I talk too much.

Last year, Jung Kyung-ho played a lawyer who defended (dead) workers. Stuck in this role, he defends the needy once again, and he almost makes us believe that this is what justice is for. Of course, it's fiction. He's still a guy with bad intentions, but he does good, as does his team of marginal lawyers, none of whom had the means to go to university.

All those pro-LGBTQIA+ signs in the office, spotted. I would have liked to see this support for rights translated more concretely in the series than just a small scene during Pride and these posters. And so, the beginning of episode 3 with the reference to a sadly infamous mediocre saga about stupid little wizards... not very coherent. If we could all agree to erase this thing from popular culture, we would all be better off. Thank you in advance.

I was very enthusiastic at first. The trial with the dog was great. I loved it. And I hoped that the whole series would be like that, the poor against the rich. Justice triumphing over the stupidity of the law.

That being said, I must admit that I feel uncomfortable with the trial concerning the disabled child. Ultimately, it serves to justify the denial of the right to abortion. "No life would be better off without the right to exist." Who can argue with that ? Who ? But it is a deeply dishonest argument. It brings the right to control one's own body, the right to abortion, into the realm of eugenics, when in fact no one could have known whether this child would be disabled. His disability is not the issue. It is the refusal of doctors to respect a woman's rights. The debate is being manipulated. (and this is a rhetorical technique used by anti-abortionists)
Then they add that the child would prefer to go to a "specialised" school, which shows that this was written by people who are not affected by the issue. These schools are segregation, and don't anyone dare argue with me about it, because I won't accept it. We claim to care about disabled people, but we just want to get rid of them/us.
Anyway... What disastrous episodes. But the worst thing is that they mean well. The solution here : the rich old owner of the hospital in question, who refuses to allow abortion, becomes the saviour of this little boy. And we are asked to nod along, with tears in our eyes, while his foundation continues to misinform vulnerable teenagers and refuse to apply the law. What a nightmare.

Later, we learn how Judge Kang, the protagonist, sentenced a boss to prison after a serious accident at his company. And the boss killed himself. The series makes us believe that Kang is the real culprit in this story. That's the central theme of the series. Kang took revenge... and that's wrong... enforcing the law is wrong... For once, a boss has to take responsibility for endangering his employees, and we're supposed to feel sorry for him ! No, never. My eyes are dry. And then it will be nuanced and in the end, it wasn't so bad, the judge went too far but he wanted to avenge his mother, but still, it's not right. We respect the law. Blah, blah, blah.

It's sad, but I actually quite liked the series despite its objectively centrist discourse. It claims to defend positive values on difficult subjects, but when you look closer... not really. What we're really dealing with is a system that explains to us how bad it is, but that it's better than nothing. Even lawyers without degrees can join and help poor disabled people in court, just think about it! All we need to do is reform the justice system and everything will be fine in the best of all possible worlds.
It was written by a former judge: Moon Yoo-Seok. That explains everything. It's his third series, his third story about judges and attorneys. He wants to denounce the flaws in the Korean legal system, but he does so from his position as a privileged man. (a privileged man who denies women the right to control their own bodies, therefore)

The series manages to remain entertaining and light-hearted. I also appreciate the effort made to include a female autistic character (a tertiary one) without making this her main characteristic. She doesn't appear very often, which is probably what saves her. We also have a happy deaf couple who own their own bakery. I want more inclusivity like this. Disabled people exist. We exist.

Everything starts off so well, but then unfortunately gets bogged down. It tries too hard to please everyone and ends up saying nothing revolutionary. The comedy works like a charm, but the tragic parts are a failure, in my opinion. This is a series with many longueurs, like this pointless review of mine. It is saved by its actors as much as possible. As for the flashbacks, I say no, let's stop that. It must stops.

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The cinematography is truly beautiful, with many stunning shots and natural lighting used to great effect in these picture-perfect Canadian and Italian settings.

The two protagonists are adorable, touching, and funny. The first episode is meticulously crafted. And with all this double-dealing about the translator who translates while answering or answers while translating faithfully, we don't know where their relationship ends.

Stop being so cute ! It's illegal. He's always serious but secretly seduced ; she's sincere and kind, not afraid of her feelings. Episode 7, with the writer friend who struggles to get these two back together, is extremely touching... And the whole series should have stuck to that. Because that's a good half of the episodes, after which we get lost in something else. The quality of the writing disappears, in my opinion. I could have given it 4 stars or more if the writers had simply stuck to this touching romance.

It's a shame, then, about these obsessive delusions surrounding visions and personality changes ! I hated it. It ruins all the magic of the series. Nobody acts like that. And too often Cha Mu-hee/Go Youn-jung ends up in embarrassing situations, with her innocent face, at the mercy of others mockery. And then there's her story with her deceased parents, it wasn't worth dragging it out for so long. We understood it from the first hint.

In the end, it must be said that you can watch one episode per day at most. Not much really happens. Do not exceed the recommended dose.

Ps : The movie that made her famous looks incredibly bad. Poor Do Ra-mi.

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So Much More Than a Rom-Com

I went into this thinking it was just going to be a cute, fluffy rom-com. To a degree, it was. But, it was so much more than that. Chen Zhe Yuan continues to show why he's one of my favourite actors. This had depth! It showed a re-occurring trauma. It showed how Nan Xing and Ni Na came together and created a family from tragedy. I wasn't a huge fan of how Xiao Jun treated Nan Xing in the flashbacks until the very end. But, I'm not a fan of treating people you like badly anyway. I DID like how things came together, though. It thought it was cute and showed how much the characters really thought about one another.
I was so excited to see this and I'm sad to see it over.

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SPOILER WARNING !
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A simple but effective romance.

A woman who writes music, a man who takes photos, and a hidden love.It’s the classic recipe for this type of series, but when it’s well executed, it turns out really good.I really liked the relationship between the two main characters.
They’ve known each other for a long time. He’s had feelings for her for years but never told her.
She’s struggling with her life as a songwriter. The moment he moves in with her to help her out gives you the feeling that deep down, he’s been waiting for this his whole life.
The discovery of his “secret,” the temporary separation that makes her realize she might have feelings for him too, and the cute reunion where she runs into him at the flower shop holding a beautiful bouquet… it was really sweet!
It’s a calm, slow-paced story with a predictable but satisfying ending.The acting is solid, and the chemistry between the leads is really good.

When you have all these key elements together, it can only result in a good drama!

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Must Watch

This 7 episode drama has really blown me away. It has a very interest style (which is why I was hesitant to watch) and this is a drama you have to be ready to pay attention to because a lot of plot development happens through visuals of their phone screens.

This is also the first time a campus drama has made me think, who the hell are we as a society because of the heavy use of mobile phones. Never have I felt I need to unplug more than when I was watching this drama. If it wasn't 2am I would take a walk outside 😅

And the romantic entanglements are so strong. I haven't cried in a while but Baabin's confession after the Black Pink concert had me in tears.

Bua struggles with needed online and in real life attention and acceptance was heartbreaking as well.

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great cast but a horrible story line

Honestly, the cast is incredible.

I really wanted to see these two actresses play together, but the story is an absolute disaster.I watched the movie twice, and I still didn’t understand much. Suddenly someone dies and everyone panics for no clear reason?! There’s almost no backstory on their lives before all of this, so we can’t really understand how or why they ended up in this situation.Han So-hee’s acting is good, and Jeon Jong-seo’s is solid too, but that’s pretty much all I can say. The OST is nice but nothing special. The main villain is well-acted, but unfortunately the story doesn’t highlight him enough despite how good the actor is.

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A well written script with many laugh out loud scenes, award-worthy OSTs and memorable characters.

One of the first things that stood out to me was how good the ost was, the timing, the lyrics, the melodies that would not be fitting for any other drama. It was so good. There would be a scene where jazz music suddenly starts playing and it would be totally fit for some reason and it was soo fun. Anime-like grand shots would have some goofy ass music and bilibili fanedit style editing and over the top acting to emphasise the dramatics of the situation.

The story was great too, with some cliches that were subverted masterfully. The dialogue felt heartfelt and genuine, the acting was to the standard, the whole cast of characters were given definitive personalities and the ending gave us all the answers we asked for. It's so satisfying.

I laughed so much during some scenes that my stomach hurt and tears came out ["omg they're spinning"]. It's golden. I loved it, i will be rewatching it, and you should too!!

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