Yes, it's kind of flawed and has its plot holes, but considering the original writer dropped out and another writer had to come in and pick up the pieces, it's pretty darn good. At times it did feel like different writers were writing different parts. It would go from Comedy to Horror to Action, for example. However, in the end, I think the last scene represented the drama real well as a whole. Basically, bright and colorful, but one hot mess. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.
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I have now discovered that when a romantic drama that seems typical becomes stagnant and a trope it sucks. However, when a drama that is unique and has so much promise does it's like a knife to the gut. I became so ticked off with the last 7 episodes that there is no redemption for this drama. Maybe it's my fault for reading so much into the drama and expecting awesomeness. Everything I thought meant something was stupid. Such as the color scheme of beige switching to vibrant colors, it's never fully addressed though there is a turning point in the drama. I actually wonder if the writer had somewhere to go, but someone on the side was like no make this an average and underwhelming murder mystery.
That's right. It all boiled down to a murder mystery that happened years before this plane crash. Which is perfectly fine. Except that the drama treated it's viewers like we were dumb and couldn't figure it out right away. So the last 5 episodes are all “What really happened?” and I had guessed it around episode 5 if not sooner. Sighs. So let me tell you it was boring.
Not to mention that the killer apparently “accidentally” did it, but it was someone else who pushed him over the edge. Somehow meaning that the 4 murders he committed on the island where, okay? No really. He gets a happy ending painting with his friends. DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE MALICIOUSLY KILLED PEOPLE. Murdering his own friend and continued to try to kill people until the end.
The true awesomeness of Missing 9 is in the first 9 episodes. (Holy drama! Did this drama curse itself?) Was the dual storytelling of the timeline of the plane crash, the past of the idols, and the present in which the one survivor is trying to piece her memory together. Somehow Missing 9 found this perfect balance of psychological thriller and horror, with humor. I loved it. Characters who were clearly annoying stereotypes became well developed on the island. I truly believe that if the writing hadn't given up on itself that the idea of solving the old murder from before would have been enough to deliver this drama. Yet the last 7 episodes tossed all of the character development and commonsense out the window. Then continued to shoot it up as it sped by in the getaway car to abandon the storyline that the writer clearly didn't know how to wrap up.
Normally I do a rating scale of my average rating per episode which is actually 5/10 for Missing 9. The first 9 episodes are at 8/10 rating, and the last 7 episodes 2/10 (to be honest right on the verge of 1/10). So I look at the 5/10 average episode rating and compare to the numbers I put in for MDL's rating scale (which is 3/10) and figure it out from there. (Yes, I put a lot of though into how I rate.) To be quite honest I am so tempted to go back and lower all my episode ratings on the first 9 because I now realize that the show's story goes no where. Yet, I can't because those first 9 were awesome for me and despite the story losing itself it deserves it. (Though I'm still bitter.)
When the writing was good the actors were amazing. YES, even the idols did a magical job. They balanced fear and humor well in the first 9 episodes. It's not their fault their characters became tacky in the last half, they acted what was created. The music was all right, though I can't really remember it right now.
In the end this was another drama that I had high hopes for and faith that the writer wouldn't give up on the story in the latter episodes because it didn't know how to end. Part of the problem is I had too much faith and believed in it. That the first half of the show was truly amazing. Yet, the last 7 episodes were so utterly painful that it killed Missing 9. I will never rewatch this drama again, and I will think back on it with absolute and utter dejection. In a move I normally don't make I am rating this completely on feeling. If I went by my normal system I'd pick between 3/10 to 5/10. (Which is why I wrote that huge paragraph on my rating system above so you could get an idea.) However, the last part of this drama ruined everything. It made characters that started out annoying and grew into pretty awesome characters, annoying again. I couldn't stand characters that I loved from the beginning. Not to mention that the female lead was so awesome and then just turned into a damsel at the end. *Sighs* Everything hinged on a clearly obvious plot line. In then end this drama transformed into a painful drama memory that I wish I could forget.
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Story
Missing 9 revolves around a plane crash on a deserted island. Effectively the story can be split into 2 parts that are unfolded at the same time as the drama continues. First part, the flashbacks, are centered in the past as we see the aftermath of the plane crush. Part 2 takes place in the present and talks about what happens after a survivor is found. The drama develops as a mystery: “what the hell actually happened on that island?”
Missing 9 is not a drama to be taken seriously. It tried its best to be original and different and while that is a definitely a plus for me, what actually made it stand out was the peculiar combination of mystery and comedy.
The drama doesn’t know what it wants to be, a thriller about 9 people trying to survive while reevaluating their lives or a hilarious comedy about a plane crush. Answer is both, and the faster you embrace it the more fun you will have watching.
I read a lot of comments claiming that the plot is a trainwreck. I sincerely disagree. I could call the plot tryhard, absurd, ridiculous but also quite intriguing and interesting. What I appreciated the most was that even in its completely ridiculous nature, the story was there from start to finish, implicating murders, mystery, questions and twists that will make you keep watching, hence the addictive part. However, there were countless times I rolled my eyes and giggled at how absurd the script was, how convenient and silly. The comedy isn’t for everyone but for me it was golden.
Best thing about it? The transition between comedy and seriousness was nonexistent. The drama throws intense situations at you and then it mocks itself by ridiculing them all the way, without making itself unwatchable at all. It’s amazing how they made it work. I am the first person who dislikes serious situations being made fun of, but here, I loved it. This is the first time I’ve witnessed a drama doing this so, even if the results aren’t perfect, I give points for originality.
The drama doesn't want to be serious, it wants us to have fun. Therefore, it would be advisable for everyone to just dismiss your logic while watching this and just buckle up and enjoy the crazy ride. I understand this is not for everyone, but what i don't understand why we need to blame this drama for its irrationality when we've accepted countless unrealistic and stretched dramas (with less plot than this one), dramas about time travel, mythical creatures, comic characters ect. Either judge them all or accept them all, they all come from the same imaginative place.
Romance wasn’t present in the drama; there is some kind of romance developing between the leads that was not explored and didn’t need to be. Romance, with the heavy sense of the term, would have been redundant. The couple did look great together and had amazing synergy especially in their comedy scenes.
Overall, Missing 9 was immensely entertaining and one of the better dramas for escapism. Completely mind-numbing, but oh-so amusing! It was this distinct characteristic the drama had where it just made fun of itself completely that I found so provoking and creative that I just fell in love with it. The drama knows it’s silly and absurd but instead of trying to avoid facing that, it builds and thrives on it! Commendable! Not a drama one would rewatch but for what it was it was extremely enjoyable.
Acting
I came here for Jung Kyung Ho, and he was flawless, especially acing his comedy scenes like never before, but the actresses that made the drama for me were Baek Jin Hee and Lee Seon Bin.
For… reasons, I had low expectations from Baek Jin Hee even if I had never seen her before. The girl positively surprised me and proved to be a very strong female lead. Her acting was spot-on and tip-top, being funny, cute and emotional when needed. I'm looking forward to her future projects!
Lee Seon Bin is definitely a new favourite for me, not only because she’s certifiably hot but because she’s a very promising young lady with a bright future.
The cast was mostly unknown-at least to me- but I sincerely enjoyed watching them as a whole.
Recommend
Missing 9 sounds amazing from the synopsis but it would be wise to drop your expectations a bit. It is not anything groundbreaking as a drama, but it is unique in terms of script-idea and development. The combination of thriller and comedy and the ridiculousness of the whole thing really clicked perfectly all together for a unique experience. If you are into comedy, want to watch something light and would like some thriller on the side this is not a bad watch at all.
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Then when you're halfway finished with it, the waiter suddenly takes your meal away and puts the most common dessert in front of you. You know it, you've eaten it so many times and you like it because it's delicious but you just don't want to eat something sweet now. You want your spicy, juicy steak back. But that won't happen. And that leaves two options: Swallow the pill or cancel the rest of your meal. If you do decide to continue eating, be aware that at the very end you might bite on a forgotten nail or something. It sounds disgusting, I know. But don't say I didn't warn you.
One of the worst things that can happen to a drama is mixing up genres the wrong way. You always have one main genre and only glimpses of other ones. It's important to stay true to your roots and never let any side genre take over. Because if that happens, it will ruin the mood like nothing else, especially if they allow the most common plot holes to occur along the way. The story becomes sloppy and all over the place and you just feel like being on a very bad trip. One part of you feels angry and frustrated, the other one feels pity for the impressive first half of the drama that got you so damn invested in the story.
I know that I sound very negative right now and many might wonder why I still gave such a (relatively) high rating considering everything that went wrong. Well, as I said before, those first 9 episodes were almost brilliant. And I would recommend them without a second thought. After that it feels like a sharp clean cut and everyone has to decide for themselves if they are willing to watch the messed up rest. I finished this drama because I was curious about that ending everyone was complaining about. Well... it was indeed something I would have never imagined. It's not explosively unexpected, it's more like the tip of the iceberg after a chaotic and way too long aftermath.
I gave this drama a 8 because there were many things I really, really liked. First of all of course those first 9 episodes that take you on a thrilling journey full of surprises and "what the hell"-moments.
Then those 9 survivors. Believe me when I say that the actors were doing a great job with their characters, most of all Jung Kyung Ho who I avoided for a long time. I didn't even like his role in this at first. He was pissing me off and I never expected to grow fond of him. But I did. He became my most favorite character, along with Baek Jin Hee's role. Those two had amazing chemistry till the very end, and regarding every relationship I've seen in dramas until now, they have become one of my dearest. I loved how they became fond of each other, how they supported each other. I loved their warmth as well as their teasing, and I loved how they encouraged and gained strength through each other. But most of all I loved how Seo Joon Oh (Jung Kyung Ho) became a better person through Ra Bong Hee (Baek Jin Hee).
The music is playing an important role in this drama as well because it literally takes you away. It sets the right mood when the show drifts to the island and focuses on every single person, their endurance, their personal development and different realizations while facing extreme hardships. After listening to it again, it reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki's movies. There is something dreamy about it within the instrumental pieces.
Sometimes their time on the island didn't seem to take itself serious and the group looked like they were on a picnic trip or something. But those scenes never lasted too long, the anxiousness remained and unfolded in no time afterwards again.
After those incredible 9 episodes you get thrown into your typical k-drama world filled with clichés and plot holes and an unexpected overwhelming comedy that makes the drama look like it doesn't take itself serious any more. While confronted with corruption from all sides (one of my most hated tropes in dramas), they behave like they got all the time in the world, calmly chit-chatting at home and meeting up in public as if there's no danger closing in at all - but the villains don't seem as clever either. Not to mention the ridiculous ending that will only hit you during the last five minutes.
Don't get me wrong, I loved most of the subtle comedy parts as well, if I look at them individually. But in combination with the first half of Missing 9, it felt off and ruined the initial expectations I (and probably many others) had. The mix between mystery and later corruption/comedy didn't go well in my eyes.
A few things that remained the same (thank god) were Joon Oh's and Bong Hee's special relationship, me growing fonder of them every time they appeared on screen and those genuine talks between two characters, filled with meaningful closeness and honesty. Contrary to everything that went wrong and could have made me drop the drama, those few consistent things were strong enough to keep me at bay and complete the drama. I've seen way worse than this. What makes this drama such a disappointment is the brusque change in the script that started off great in the beginning and remains brilliant in its core.
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STORY
The story started out strong and was a very good concept. When it first began, I was getting Lost (one of my favorite American TV shows) vibes from it and I really loved that. It would have done the writers well to spend more time on the island and develop that plotline more because things started to twindle once they brought the story back to Seoul. Like many other comments mentioned, they tried to mix too many genres and sometimes it worked... but a lot of them time, I think the comedic efforts just seemed out of place and over the top in such an intense story. I still probably would have given the story a higher rating if not for the ending scene... I don't think I'll never be upset about it.
ACTING/CAST
The cast and characters were the saving grace of this drama and the reason it still has such a high rating and special place in my heart. Ra Bong Hee is one of the most wonderful and beautifully written female characters I've ever watched in a drama. I love everything about her. So Joon Oh was a pleasant surprise as well because I expected him to be the typical, arrogant, asshole celebrity but we got to see he was so much more than that and one of the most kind and caring individuals in the whole bunch. Their relationship was so subtle and sweet. Their moments were small and fleeting, but the love and admiration between them warmed my heart. And even though we never had a big scene with them officially getting together... it felt like they were the whole time. The supporting cast was great as well. All the different bonds and relationships were beautiful to see. Like I said, the characters were the saving grace of this drama and my attachment to them will live on for a while.
MUSIC
Honestly, I just didn't find the OST super memorable... but I didn't hate it.
REWATCH VALUE
With all the plotholes and that ending... I wouldn't recommend a re-watch... I would only do it for Bong Hee.
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Story: The basic premise of the story is simple. Nine coworkers from an entertainment company end up on a deserted island together and have to rely on one another to survive. But as it turns out, that's not even half the actual story. The plot jumps around in time and we get the uncover pieces of mystery slowly which was both confusing and intriguing. In the end I felt happy with the development of the story and the way it was concluded but I found myself doubtful on quite a few occasions.
Acting & Cast: I have no complaints. No one stuck out like a sore thumb, everyone did their part and some were simply sublime.
Jung Kyung Ho / Seo Jun Oh: A lovable, misunderstood character. I rarely like the main characters the most in a drama but this time there was no question. Jun Oh was cute, smart and funny, a very well built character. I don't know why I've never watched Jung Kyung Ho before but that's about to change, dammit. He was absolutely wonderful.
Baek Jin Hee / Ra Bong Hee: I used to not like Baek Jin Hee but she changed my opinion of her with this drama. What an awesome female lead! Strong, quick, smart and cute, there's nothing she can't do. Baek Jin Hee's acting was, in my opinion, flawless. While looking conceivably innocent, she packs a better punch than all the men in this drama combined.
Choi Tae Joon / Choi Tae Ho: I love Choi Tae Joon, I hated Choi Tae Ho. That goes to tell you how good he was. I was afraid they were going to completely neglect this character and leave him to be an empty shell but that wasn't really the case. The character wasn't great but they managed to somehow scrape the pieces together by the end.
Oh Jung Se / Jung Ki Joon: Such a sweet ahjussi. Trustworthy and caring. Again, great acting, and chemistry with Lee Seon Bin was great.
Lee Seon Bin / Ha Ji Ah: Now I finally understand why she is called the ultimate girl crush. She is beautiful and acts well, sings well, dances well. I'd date her. Ji Ah was also one of my favorite characters in the drama, she was stubborn, but loyal and strong-willed. I love how we got to see many strong female characters.
Ryu Won / Yoon So Hee: I didn't like her but I don't think I was supposed to. She was an important character for the development of the story but her presence still felt rather insignificant to me.
Yang Dong Geun / Yoon Tae Young: This feels like the first time I've ever seen a character like this one. A very interesting portrayal of a distressed brother and a professional prosecutor by Yang Dong Geun. I ended up enjoying his performance more than I thought I would.
Park Chan Yeol /Lee Yeol: From the beginning till the end, he was the most insignificant character in the drama. Without him everything would have turned out in the exact same way. Chanyeol's acting seems to have improved a little but his part was too small to draw any concrete conclusions. He was cast only to get viewers, let's accept that and move on.
The characters were definitely the driving force of this drama. Although the plot was quite dynamic, on its own it would have been completely disappointing. A successful casting was in the end the strongest point in this production. There were so many characters that I honestly can't bring myself to write individual comments on all of them. Kim Sang Ho and Kim Pub Lae were great as expected as was Tae Hang Ho. Song Ok Jook made me hate her passionately so I'll give her credit for that. Some of the actors in the smaller roles were hilarious and really freshened up the mood of the drama.
Rewatch value: I might consider watching this again because there were some really cute moments that made me laugh. The story in itself wasn't mind-blowing but the acting and humor made up for it quite well. I might recommend this if you're a fan of some of the cast or if you really enjoy light suspense with some comedy on the side. It's an easy watch, you won't have to think too hard.
In a nutshell this is simultaneously a frustrating and juvenile, but quite whimsical and fresh drama. I'm glad I watched it but I'm also glad it's over and I can move onto other things.
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Missing 9 is one addictive drama at least episodes 1-15 are. Episode 16, not so much. They could have made episode 15 about 25 minutes longer to tie up the story and end it. The final episode had too much obvious filler and not enough tension. And the last scene came from outer space. It's like a new director took over for a quick second. But I digress. The story is quite good. It's nothing like I thought it would be. Early comparisons to Lost were far off base. There's a plane crash and that's where the similarities end. Missing 9's characters all mostly know each other for better or for worse. They all belong to/work for the same Entertainment Agency. The writer(s) did a good job in character development and setting up a well layered mystery even where there didn't seem to be one. The characters had camaraderie and there were a number of humorous scenes. The cast as a whole did a marvelous job and they had great chemistry. They seemed to work well together. The incidental music did a great job of supporting the story and helping move it along. The songs were ok. I really didn't pay much attention to the main song that played throughout the drama probably because I found it uninteresting. I really did enjoy Missing 9, but I don't see a reason to re-watch it. To be honest though, it's rare that I ever want to re-watch any drama.. Overall, it's a solid well done drama and very much worth watching even with the weird, obvious add-on scene at the end.
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it's more like 'friendship' genre. this movie teachs me that 'forgiving' is the best way to keep the friendship.
BUT THIS DRAMA IS TOO CRUEL, IT LOVES TO MAKE ME CRY :')
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This review may contain spoilers
This is the absolute worst kdrama that I have ever scene in my entire life. Where do I begin? I don't even have a list of positives to give you. That's how bad it is. Cons:
Acting: actually the acting was on point. But it was completely wasted on such a terrible and awful plot, that it makes me want to cry in tears of sadness.
Plot: What even...? It was all over the place, riddled with plotholes, made zero sense, had little purpose, was just awful.
Characters: THEY WERE SO STUPID! I could give you the biggest list of why these characters are the dumbest pieces of crap on the planet, but that would also give spoilers. Just trust me, they are really really really dumb. And not just the occasional dumb move, like it's more common for them to be dumb than smart. The biggest plot twist of ep 14? The characters used their brains. That should say something.
Tone/mood: Was it a comedy? Was it a melodrama? Was it a romance? A survival show? I don't know. It was basically a very awkward mix of all 4. My rule, if you're gonna be comedic, stick with comedy. If you're gonna be serious, stay serious. Don't make it super serious toned one episode (or even a string of episodes) and then slapstick the next couple string of episodes. It is very confusing
Ending: Can't say what the ending was, but basically I finished it and I thought to myself "wow, what a waste of time".
Message: Everything's find and dandy as long as you cry about it and look pitiful, no matter WHAT you have done. Not healthy.
Overall, this drama is honestly terrible, and I wouldn't even recommend it to my worst enemy. I would not recommend at all, it is a waste of time and will just leave you very frusturated. Basically this drama is like a drug, bad for you but you take it all the same. Just don't watch it.
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I'm not going lie Missing 9 had a good start in first nine episodes. However, after the 10th or 11th the plot was still the same, but the whole tone of the show changed. It went from melodrama to straight comedy. At times, I questioned if I started watching another drama without realizing it. I realized the comedic moments in the earlier episodes too, but it was done at the right timing (my favorite has got to be Joon Oh reaction after stepping on a..) and I definitely laughed like crazy at some of them. Overall, the scenes on the island were the best.
The acting by all of the cast was on point. Notable mentions are; Jung Kyung Ho as Joon Oh, whose portrayal was nicely done. In the beginning it seems like he's going to be an overly picky jerk, but you later realize he's just a nice and funny guy that values his friends. Choi Tae Joon as Tae Ho, a creepy but amazing portrayal. I would say he was the exact opposite of Joon Oh, he valued himself over anyone and he wasn't afraid to admit it. How this dude was able to play such a violent and creepy character, while having such a baby face is beyond me.
The music was nice. I don't really have anything more to say about that lol.
Now here are some questions and statements this show has left me with;
So what was the significance of Lee Yeol's ( Park Chang Yeol) character?
When did Joon Oh and Bong Hee get together??
Once again, the law enforcers in Korean dramas are useless.
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1. Quality of filming and sets
A LOT of work was put into this drama... Its sad how a lot of people rate it low. As someone who loves creative work, this gets me a little T.T. From their clothes to the sets- everythings was carefully planed. It really deserves to be praised, can some of you even imagine... wait you can see in the special episode what conditions the actors and staff had to work in.
2. Cast/Acting
The cast is amazing, its full of great actors :) !!! If you pay attention some times you can notice things- like you can see in the last episode how Ji Ah is holding her wrist( if you watch you will know), you know things like that. For real you can watch this drama just for the cast.
3. The story
Its REALLY interesting. Normaly if watch Kdramas you listen to Kpop too, right? The drama, might give a better view of some things in the ent.industry, its not all rainbows, smiles and abs. It shows how politics handle and view the public. It has all of it media, politics, law, crime, drama, a LOT of mystery, some silly moments too( which really get to you T.T).
Dont let others stop you from watching it, because overall is GREAT only the last 3-4 min were what got the rating down :(
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