Moving

An origin story of superheroes’ parents

When I first tuned in to Moving, I thought it is another cliche Disney+ superhero series - the likes of Marvel with an Asian flavour. Here comes the but…Moving is a superheroes series that was done right. More aptly speaking, imagine this as an origin story of x-men if they were parents.

I am not one who fancy flashbacks. Moving uses it well though - each scene draws me further in, made me want to understand about Mi Hyun and her protectiveness more, to hope Doo Shik is safe, as well as to cheer for Joo Won and Jae Man for every punch, even if they are already superheroes themselves.

While we were first introduced to the story via Bong Seok’s perspective, I feel that this is really a Joo Won, Mi Hyun and Doo Shik story - on their battles, on their love stories and on their journey as parents who just want their children safe. We may start the story from the children’s present timeline. But we appreciate the actions and decisions the parents’ choose at present through understanding their past experiences.

This is what made Moving feels unique - despite all the unique abilities these people already possess, they are just like us. Civilians who struggles to break free from shackles of unfair expectations placed on them, and parents who want a better life for their kids.

What’s even greater is the cast’s chemistry and acting. It made for quite a satisfying viewing experience to have great actors and actresses bring out the characters’ energy and complexity on screen. No one is a weak link in this ensemble cast.

The fight scenes are a little too gruesome for my taste. Especially since some of characters have regenerative ability, the script does not hesitate to use all sorts of creative ways for the character to “die” and regenerate. It surreal I suppose, supported with great cinematography and visual effects befitting of the characters’ abilities.

Ultimately, I would say that Moving is a simple story about a group of parents wanting their children to live a life free from being controlled and manipulated by the wrong parties.

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backstory

Moving had great potential with its action and the bond between the high school students, but the long backstory episodes really dragged it down. I ended up skipping about six episodes because they felt too slow and repetitive. The parts with the teens discovering their abilities and connecting were amazing, but overall, the pacing issues made it less enjoyable. For me, it wasn’t fully worth the watch despite some strong moments.One thing that stood out in Moving was the incredible cast. Every actor, from the adults to the younger leads, delivered emotional and believable performances that pulled me into the story.

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an above-average action show

I binged this show in like 2 or 3 days, the story was extremely gripping and kept me on my toes. In all, it was pretty good. Nothing groundbreaking but solid. I thought the whole superheroes thing was a bit dramatic but also that's on me for picking a superhero show when that's not my usual style.

The only thing really notable is how they included mentally handicapped characters in the show without it being weird or a huge deal. I have never seen another drama do it so gracefully.

The CGI was pretty good, it's Disney after all. I felt like the whole cast had really good acting chemistry as well. They also gave the bad guys backstory and emotions which was a nice touch that's hard to find (although heartbreaking). The plot line made sense for the most part, it was convoluted but not really in a bad way. It was a little slow in some parts but nothing too bad. I really appreciated how it didn't rely on revenge too much in order to make the story happen (my #1 pet peeve in all shows).

NOTE: it was extremely gory. Like maybe the most gore I have ever seen in a show (I have seen some really gross ones). They were really toeing the line between necessary gore and just trying to make the audience vomit.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good action story, especially if you're into superheroes. Would absolutely not recommend to anyone squeamish.

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an exceptional series!!

An electrifying drama, “Em Movimento” (Star+) is, in my opinion, a pearl of the superhero and sci-fi genres; It is one of the best productions of 2023, perhaps of the last ten years. It's everything that Marvel (and here I'm talking about original Disney+ productions) would never dare to do, for “n” reasons (explicit violence is one of them). What a brutal K-drama! The directorial work makes few mistakes, some almost imperceptible, and the script (very good, by the way) manages to connect all the loose ends. And the characters are very charismatic and determined. I strongly recommend it! Not to mention that my favorite actress is in it, my go youn-jung, she is perfect in all the series!

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WOW

WOW. ALL THE TWISTS AND TURNS IN THIS DRAMA... SO GOOD!~~!!!!!

like the intro to all the black ops members abilities and their backstories... SO CUTE. and how they all overlap.. omfg. and mihyun and her husband flying guy's story GUHHHUHGUIHGI I'm so happy he wasn't dead ACK HES ALIVE..... i just wish I could've seen more of him and his family together cuz its been like what.. 16 years?? less? more??? the last fight scene was CRAZY MAN. and the frank guy????? who can't die????? like what and the ending... omfg .like so excited for a season 2 cuz they better come out with one. i didn't really like the younger couple huisoo and beongseok that much ig they were cute. but OMG the other guy with abilities,,,, I cant remember his name. the class president guy??? BRO IM OVULATING I LOVE HIM HES SO HOT BRO. i cant with him. and also the jang kisoo guy and the vlogger girl. like how kisoo has a crush on the vlogger gir... SO CUTE HEHEHEH omg. this story was so well written . the beginning was bad, but the middle was sooo good. esp when it went to the agency and stuff so good. i don't usua..y like action dramas but this was so amazing. AND MY WOMAN HAN HYOJOO I LOVE HER SOOOOOO MUCH. SO MUCH,.

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Why are gems like this so rare

So, I'm actually a bit late to this. I saw a random clip on social media about the backstory of Lee Mi Hyun and Kim Doo Shik which made me watch this instantly (the rating on MDL def influence me as well). But oh lord it did not disappoint!

It's not a simple task to pack so much into a single story, especially with so many different settings (school life, backstories and even the story of the "villains"). I quite enjoyed the beginning with Bong Seok and Hui Soo carrying the show, but maybe arguably the best part (or the part were I giggled the most) was definitely Mi Hyun and Doo Shik's love story. I mean, let's talk about Doo Shik. I never cared about Jo In Sung (the actor) in particular, to be frank I didn't even think he was handsome, but damn as Doo Shik he was a heartthrob and stunningly dashing (I also just saw that this drama is his first one since 2016!).

Really every single backstory told its story well, but I had hoped for more interactions between the cast, not just between the kids, but the parents and Jeong Gye Do??? Honestly, he is a bit random, even though I like his story, so I am not complaining, but it'd be nice if we see him interact with the other "superhuman" more.

What really surprised me though, were the "villains"! I really really enjoyed their characterisation, because they are not just evil for the sake of being evil, but they are just puppets given no other choice under the control of bigger institutions. The emotional portrayal of each on of them (Frank and everyone from the North) left a mark on me and made me sympathise with them. I think they definitely did a great job at showing that they have feelings and that they CARE about their family, friends and even "just" innocent people. It also shows a great parallel between the South, North and the USA. At the end they were all victims, that just want to live with their loved ones in peace. (PLEASE PLEASE I'm begging the director, show more of Hui Soo, her dad and the big guy from the North who they adopted into their family, it's so cuteeee).

I'm really really looking forward to Season 2 (pls pls pls) and how they'll develop the story further now that Doo Shik is back (yaaay), Bong Seok is playing superman (?), Kang Hoon is working under the NIS (sensing some conflict there) and that the "leaders" are dead, but obviously replaced again and boy I am NOT happy that with the replacement in the South, that guy is a psychopath. I also just noticed that the girl who was bullied in Hui Soo's old school is higher up than Min Yong Joon (the head of NIS). So that makes me question bunch of things??

One thing I also liked was actually the OST, though sometimes they kinda overplayed it a bit, but it doesn't sound "Korean Drama like" but still had that impactful emotional sound! I've noticed that in recent year OSTs in Kdramas in general has become less predictable, which I really enjoy!

Anyways I really really enjoyed this show and I am looking forward to Season 2!

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Stellar Performance Throughout, Fell Short at The Finale

SPOILER-FREE PART
Following the hype surrounding this drama, I decided to give it a watch.. and oh boy did they put something into it, cause' I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen!

Looking at Moving’s (무빙) synopsis alone, although the premise isn’t entirely new to cinema, it definitely stands as one of the more well-produced ones, both in cinematography and script. For me, there were no complaints for the cinematography, as lighting, shots, angles, ambiance, and special effects were all done immaculately. I am an avid fan of dramas that don’t shy away from gore and the knitty-gritty details. The drama may be a bit extreme and bloody, but ultimately contributes to its incredible ambiance.

Acting-wise, you can just look at the lineup and can’t help feel content that you’re not wasting your time seeing emotionless characters and botched crying scenes. Also, can we just give a quick round of applause to the young actors? Admittedly, Korean cinema is filled with so many young talents, and Moving greatly demonstrated their potential to the world.

SPOILERS AHEAD
Looking at the plot, the synopsis is as straightforward as it can be. It doesn’t take much effort to understand what’s going on, courtesy of the dramas excellent worldbuilding and pacing, which sits at a comfortable level that keeps you on the edge of your seat, eyes locked in and all— at the right time. It also leaves you anticipating for the next episode to come out— a suspense factor, which is something I feel most action and thriller dramas lack nowadays, along with its unpredictability. Character relationships developed steadily and didn’t feel awkward or draggy. Despite that, the flow of the drama felt a bit off and confusing at times (at least for me). Keep in mind that this drama is flashback galore. We spend a good chunk in the past, so the present timeline feels more like a side story than the main. Adding to this, certain important events that occur throughout the drama tend to appear in mixed order, so not chronilogically, so it takes a bit of effort piecing this event with another and constructing a mental timeline of what events took place first, and how it later contributes to a future event. To my disappointment, I was left with quite a lot of plot holes, even after the story wrapped up, from the SCAs ultimate goal (why are they actively hiring someone to assassinate the Korean supernaturals, the breeding program that was briefly mentioned by the leader of the NIS, Kim Dooshik’s whereabouts, Ki-Soo’s ankle scar and its relation to the temp teacher, the headmasters assassination, and the mysterious identity shrouding the bullied classmate.

I would’ve also liked to see more of Gang-Hoon, as he had a rather weak presence throughout the drama. His story was just so.. lackluster compared to Bong-Seok’s and Hee-Soo’s.

Meanwhile, the ending felt rushed and just.. incomplete. I didn’t read the original webtoon, but I heard that the drama adaptation strayed quite a bit from its source material, so if there was a chance to revise the script, I would’ve definitely extended the drama’s length to tie up some of those loose ends.

If you’re unfamiliar with how I rate a drama’s storyline, check out my bio! Today’s ride scores a C!

SPOILER-FREE PART
Nonetheless, it was an awesome binge. Was it a masterpiece? No. However, it was still well worth the watch. I would recommend Moving for anyone. After all, you really can’t go wrong with a good superhero-themed drama to comfort your inner child with.

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