This review may contain spoilers
There's so much going on
This show started off very strong for me. It hooked me instantly and i was drawn in by the different twists it had. But eventually, i noticed that the twists were way too much. The issue became "can I trust what the show is telling me?" simply because people died just to come back to life, people weren't who you thought they were, characters with memory loss, there was an ending but it wasn't the real ending. It was a lot. It was so much, that I went from watching every single day to at the last 4 episodes, i stopped watching it for 2 weeks. Every time I thought about finishing it, it felt like a chore because I knew I would spend the next four hours watching a show that I wouldn't be able to trust until the last 15 minutes of the last episode....which is exactly what happened. The last four hours is filled with information you don't need because it's essentially negated/overruled in the last 15 minutes.This isn't to say it's a bad show, because it's not. It's just A LOT. Surprisingly, with all the different storyline changes, it wasn't hard to follow. The writing is done very well. Unfortunately, the amount of twists was the problem. The twists made sense, but there were just too many. Another thing is because of the amount of twists, I didn't really get to see why kang chul liked/loved oh yeon joo. I didn't get it. They barely had time together that was meaningful. Most of it was her slapping him, then them being on the run, or their lives were threatened (don't forget he also lost his memories of their time together). Also, he never outright called her pretty. He never fully compliments her. It made me feel like he didn't really like her. He even asked his bodyguard if she was considered pretty because he himself didn't know. I get it's supposed to be a joke, but he's also supposed to be the guy who risked his life to save her. He can do all that, but draws the line at considering her beautiful??
At the end, because of the different rules and variables put in place, there seemed to be an easier ending. But of course, all the characters had to overlook it for the sake of plot. In all, there were very many tropes thrown into one show. and though they were executed well, it was just far too many to make the ending satisfying. instead of being sad it's over, i'm upset it didn't happen sooner.
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Would I rewatch this? Maybe, but solely because of the actor LOL he's soo handsome </3
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Acting: So. Freaking. Good. THE ACTING WAS SO GOOD. As a newbie to k-dramas, this is one of the only dramas that make me think, 'wow, this is some mad acting'. HAN HYO JOO is the best actress I've watched so far. Everything feels so natural and not overdone and when she cries, I cry. I understand the reputation around her now. Her character was so charming and I loved every scene she was in. You know there are some dramas where the female lead becomes annoying or cries out of nowhere, HHJ doesn't do this. I could sympathise and understand her actions and I just loved this character.
LEE JONG SUK is the ideal bf. I ADORE Kang Chul. He does this small smile that makes the girls go CRAZY. The chemistry between them is unbelievable. I want them to go out in real life. They're so cute together I can't imagine LJS with anyone else.
The actor who played the dad. Wow. Wow. I have no other words. Korea is so blessed to have him as an actor. The emotions... whoa. The acting for this show was just so right.
Story: Original. So original. Laughed a lot, cried a lot. Have conflicted feelings towards the ending because it's acceptable but idk, I feel conflicted.
Music: Feel like more focus was on the acting rather than music so I didn't really pay much attention to the music to have much thought about it.
HIGHLY recommend. Even if you just watch this because you love LJS or want a break from overused cliche dramas, it's a must watch. LJS x HHJ.
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P.S. If you weren't in love with Lee Jong Suk,this drama is the one that will make you love him no matter what.
P.S.2.The female lead is absolutely amazing as well.She's a great actress and plays a relatable and overall great character.It's refreshing to have an interesting female lead that doesn't make you want to rip her heart out.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you're looking for originality and a thriller suspense filled drama that keeps you on the edge of the seat, W is one of the few that will satisfy that hunger. This drama filled with unpredictability and full of anticipation has its reason why it became one of the highly anticipated dramas of 2016. This drama will also hit a soft spot for the majority of the audience who perhaps had a thing for fictional characters- and I'm no exception.Story
Oh man, I was hooked right from the start- the plotline moved incredible fast during the first few episodes which resulted in me binge-watching all 16 episodes in 2 days, without any regrets. The summary sounds simple, a webtoon character comes to life and struggles to live- however it's more than that. It follows Kang Chul and his hardships and struggles to live while everyone is out to kill him, and you can't help but emphasize with him as this character just simply wants to live as a human, and who has a right to take that from him?
The Good
What really made this drama successful is Lee Joon Suk and his incredible portrayal of his character really brought this story to life, however like all dramas, there always something that could be done better. Aside from Kang Chul, Yeon Joo's father is the only other person I found incredible- his portrayal of a father turned psycho over his creation coming to life was incredibly realistic- who wouldnt freak out if the character you drew was out to kill you?
The music was wonderful- the music fit the mood of this piece quite well and the instrumentals were the best, I already downloaded some of the OSTs which already tells that I liked it.
The Bad
The female lead Yeon Joo was amazing, don't get me wrong since I didn't mention her in the good- however she had so much potential at first. she's a doctor for goodness sake but it seemed like with every accident that happens, she just somehow never makes it on time to save the day and although she is a strong confident woman, when romance kicks in- she is reduced to a love-induced mess.
Romance. Did I expect romance? Of course, with almost every drama- there is always at least a bit of romance, which is totally fine. It was adorable in the beginning, how an enigmatic man is curious about this secretive woman full of mysteries- however nearing the end, it makes you question, just why on earth did they fall in love with each other? Their romance was sadly very spurious, it was just two leading roles acting out scripted lines and I did not feel any spark between the two which was quite disappointing. It made me question what made the two fall in love with each other? It only seemed like they got together because Kang Chul deemed her as the key to his life to figure out the ultimate truth.
Not to mention, the side characters were beyond regrettable as they had so much potential to be more than just someone to fill out Kang Chul's life and perhaps further the plot slightly.. the side characters didn't have much.....character (haha) at all as they existed just so Kang Chul wouldn't be reduced to a crazy lonely billionaire. I was looking forward to his sidekicks and how they would help him act out his revenge on the killer or save him- but literally, they were almost never there when he was in trouble. It was literally just Kang Chul + Yeon Joo versus the villians.
Plot Holes- this story is filled with confusion, especially at times. Overall, there may be illogical moments but it's still doable, however the ending did not make sense to me- as i felt like the writer only made the ending that way because people wanted it. I know its confusing but I can't really explain much without giving away spoilers. Some things may be illogical but it ties up in the end... well most of them, and some other things just downright do not make sense.
You must be wondering why I'm giving this drama such a high score with all these paragraphs of what I didn't like- but thats because this drama is exceptional despite its problems. These little plot-holes are insignificant when you look at the bigger picture as you're too overwhelmed with what truly matters- the story line.
To conclude, I highly recommend you to watch it as its one of a kind, however don't expect it to be the best dramas ever- but I sincerely enjoyed every moment
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I've never watched any drama, even foreign series having the same story line. And every episode gives your a different twist and excitement.
The actors are all amazing as well, they're really an effective actors.
this drama deserves to be extended more than just 16 episodes.
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It was the best in everything
I don't know what to say but I'm gonna bless the one who wrote it because I think he's a genius. I mean every episode came with something new, innovative.Now to talk about the actors they are also very very good and had a best chemistry.
I think I watched every ep with curiosity,happiness and sometimes sadness too but this doesn't matters because, aah,to say in four words: THE BEST DRAMA EVER WITH THE BEST PLOT,BEST CHARACTERS,THE BEST PRODUCER,THE BEST DIRECTOR .......I think I need more than four words to describe it and to describe what I feel. 1000000000 stars for this beautiful drama
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This review may contain spoilers
I love this drama! Particularly since the concept is great – in and out of the 2 worlds and the readers of the manhwa actually see how the characters deal with the fact that they are in manhwa and how they come to term with it, how Yeon Joo’s dad gave his face to the killer and the consequences of it and how they tried to end it (you literally can read from the manhwa how Kang Cheol discussed the ending lol). Its pretty cool if you think about it. How exciting to read that kind of manhwa in real life. So I ended up really like it a lot. I want to be entertained while watching a drama so I ended up enjoying lots of the plot twists – it is enjoyable when you can’t predict it. And I understand all the rules and concepts of the manhwa world so I pretty much understand why this and that happened so I didn’t end up hating the plots.But it seemed many people didn’t understand the concept of the W world since many keep asking if the world keep spinning when Kang Cheol is no longer there. The writer pretty much explained everything in the drama. The W world is just another world that moves on its own. Yeon Joo’s dad only control the lives of the main characters of the manhwa through the tablet and his drawings. But despite that, these manhwa characters can control their own destiny as Kang Cheol managed to save himself many times despite the countless of times Yeon Joo’s dad tried to kill him. So with or without Kang Cheol in the W world, the world still exist and everyone is living there normally. The concept is that the W world is just another world in another dimension. It moves on its on with or without Kang Cheol.
Many were also confused on what happened to Yeon Joo’s dad. He died/disappear as Kang Cheol is the one who survive the end. It is the last chapter, so one of them needs to die for the manhwa to end. He supposed to kill Kang Cheol to survive (noticed how the Dad’s hands stop disappearing when Kang Cheol was shot) but since he killed the congressman and let Kang Cheol survive, he will cease to exist because of that. Why one of them need to die? It got to do with the fact that they keep disappearing when they are not doing anything – it indicates they need to end it properly for one of them to survive.
Its understandable why people lost interest in the second half of the drama especially when it got confusing. But this drama still score high on my list for its creativity and pace alone. Not many Kdramas as unpredictable as this so I enjoyed this one a looooot. And I finally see the fuss on Lee Jong Suk. He is an amazing actor without a doubt. The revelation scene between Yeon Joo’s dad and him is very memorable. How his expressions change from sad, disappointed to angry is just amazing.
I thought the scene when Kang Cheol was waiting at the Bus Stop was particularly heart wrenching – how he kept calling Yeon Joo since he knew he’s running out of time and when Yeon Joo come back to the real world before reaching him was brilliant as well.
As someone who have been watching Kdramas for more than a decade, I’m really tired of watching sad or plateau endings in Kdramas. I’m glad that it is not the case for this one. Its a happy ending and a deserved one at that considering the main character had suffered so much – being shot, stabbed, beaten, prisoned, family killed, realization that he is just a character and etc… He’s just very pitiful and I’m glad they give Kang Cheol a happy ending. :D
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Be prepared for one of the best K-Dramas you'll ever see!
So this is the first K drama I have ever watched and...I just love it! The plot hooked me in right from the beginning. Not gonna lie I was not a fan of K dramas, it was actually my bestie who suggested this and I found the plot interesting so I decided to give it a go. And it was amazing. It completely satisfied me.The plot was just...wow. I loved the idea, and there was always something happening on screen that made it impossible to stop watch. For the people who rated this below 8/10, I will never understand you. Of course there were cute, cosy and adorable moments with just the right pinch of humour and comedy in the midst of all seriousness. It was a very balanced blend of an interesting plot with a bit of humour and romance. Can I just say the chemistry between our two leads was...intense to put it lightly. Like if you watch the drama and see them kiss you will understand what I'm talking about. There are also scenes that make you tear up, or maybe just me cause I'm really sensitive...But still!
And the acting was also really good as well! This being the first K drama I have ever watched, and not knowing any actors or actresses I knew that Han Hyo Joo and Lee Jong Suk were definitely going to be one of my favourite actors.
Okay, not gonna lie I forgot all about the music so I listened to it again and I wouldn't say that I liked it but I wouldn't say that I hated it. Altogether the music was alright but I didn't fall in love with it like I normally do.
The re - watch value is high because I re - watched the whole thing like 5 times again as soon as I finished it. And then I got tired of watching it over and over again, but now I'm back to it again.
So overall this is an amazing drama, the only reason I didn't give it 10/10 is because it was kinda sad, and bits where they were trying to create suspense were actually sometimes (very rarely) confusing. But all in all I would defo recommend this.
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Mind-blowing concept, a little messy at the end, but still amazing
W hooked me from the very first episode. The idea of crossing between the real world and a webtoon was so fresh, so smart, and honestly, so addictive. Every episode had me on edge, trying to figure out what would happen next.The chemistry between Kang Chul and Yeon Joo was insane too — their relationship was such a wild, emotional ride, and the way they kept fighting fate made it impossible not to root for them.
Lee Jong Suk was absolutely perfect as Kang Chul — charismatic, emotional, badass — and yeah, not gonna lie, he’s insanely hot. His presence alone made half the scenes ten times better. Han Hyo Joo was amazing too; I loved how strong and messy her character was without ever feeling fake.
I’m giving it 9 stars instead of 10 because the last two episodes lost a lot of the energy. The story dragged a bit, and some of the magic that made the beginning so intense faded away. But honestly, even with a slightly weaker ending, W is still one of the most creative, emotional, and unforgettable dramas I've seen.
Totally worth watching if you love crazy plots, emotional chaos, and ridiculously attractive leads.
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W (2016)
A creative premise that was well thought-out and has aged relatively well in terms of production and presentation. The show blurred the lines of reality, blurred the lines of good and evil, and ventured into concepts that were waiting to be explored.BUT.
Sometime after establishing the, uh, logistics and rules of the universe the show decides to flip the script and break all of its own conventions. At first it was just minor details that were occasionally to mildly annoying. Then you notice inconsistencies, Then the story develops too many ideas without knowing how to finish them. The twists and turns throughout and effort to commit to things that are not usually done/done well in the k-drama world does deserve credit.
But effort isn't everything. You still have to know how to execute and have an idea of how things should play out. Unfortunately, the show began to lose itself in its own proverbial plot. And that friends, is not exactly a W.
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