Moving (2023)

A very good drama, so close to being amazing

Is Moving a good drama? For sure.
Is it worth watching? Definitely.
Is it a 10/10? Sadly no.
But it could have been.

I only started watching Moving almost a year after its first episode aired. I didn't really know anything about it except for the fact that it was a very popular drama in 2023. That was it. I didn't know anything about the storyline, or even what genre it is.

Still, my expectations were high. Due to all the hype, I was sure I'd probably binge all 20 episodes in a week or so. Instead, the first few episodes felt very slow to me. I just didn't get the appeal. Sure, I liked the characters (it's basically impossible not to to start smiling anytime Bongseok shows up on screen cause he is just too adorable), but the story just didn't pull me in.

At first, I was blaming this to the fact that I haven't been into action dramas in a long time. Sure, I was a big fan of Heroes when they started airing almost 20 years ago (which Moving felt very similar to) and liked other "supernatural" shows like Smallville (yes, I'm *that* old) or LOST.

It wasn't until episode 8 when Dooshik first shows up & we watch him meeting Mihyun that I said to myself "OK, now I get. I love this." Those were two spectacular episodes that were unfortunately followed up by 2 mediocre ones. Don't get me wrong - I liked seeing Joowon's backstory, how he met his wife and became a member of the Black team. It just felt too dragged out.

Soon I realized that the whole drama was like that. It just kept going up and down again and again. There was one episode that was good and you got really into it, but then it was followed by another one that you were itching for it to end. With so many characters it just felt like the writers didn't know how to pace the show and include the details of the side characters in a way that didn't bring the entire drama down a notch.

Fight scenes were another problem. There were just too many of them and they were much too long. When you see Joowon get stabbed, hit or shot at for the 1000th time, it just seems like too much. I constantly found myself skipping ahead.

I like how they humanized "the enemy" by showing how and why the North Korean unit came to be, but it just felt a bit sloppy. They sprinkled in the crumbs of how most of the North Korean soldiers didn't really believe in their mission, but at the same time they were fighting both the adults and the kids to get the files and do what they were told.

To top it all off, the ending felt rushed. Why did Bongseok go in hiding all of a sudden? Why did the North Korean soldier get a nice & heartwarming scene of how he basically got "adopted" by Joowon & Heesoo, but the Doosik, Mihyun & Bongseok family reunion felt so underwhelming?

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A blockbuster among Disney+ Series. Action driven, yet luckily with subtle character portraits, too

"Moving" is about people with superpowers. “Moving” tells the stories of a variety of people with such superpowers. These superpowers definitely belong to the realm of fantasy. However, it´s nothing like the 'Marvel' universe, because despite all the action spectacle that "Moving" has to offer, this Disney+ production (based on a successful South Korean webtoon) remains true to the KDrama habitus, that life takes place in the area BETWEEN black and white. It's about shades of gray. Nobody is exclusively good or evil. Well, almost nobody...

“Moving” takes aim at South Korea’s intelligence policy. The KCIA, which became the ANSP and was eventually called the NIS. The connections with the USA and the difficult relationship with North Korea come into play. Difficult, because even within the framework of an official sunshine policy, distrust and hostility are always maintained in the background.

The South Korean secret service has been part of the international elite since the KCIA was founded. The superpowers of the protagonists may be symbolic of this. The name of the secret service has changed several times, as has its official focus. However, this does not mean that the entire workforce can be replaced...

“Moving” finds its balance between political thriller, action thriller and emotionally differentiated Korean habitus. The trick: the tough agents become humanly tangible because they are also parents, worried about their children. And then another trick: the children have inherited their parents' super-powers, but have not (yet) undergone any agent programming. They are children, still relatively naive, pubescent, too...

Worlds collide. The worlds of those, who behind the curtain want to move the world in their favor (for the sake of so called bigger picture and a safer world), the worlds of those executives, more or less blindly obedient (Black Ops) agents who are needed to succeed with their missions, and the world of those, who actually make this world worth living - people with their ordinary families and social relationships.

“Moving” has 20 episodes. Numerous character and relationship portraits are drawn, all of which are somehow intertwined - the old and the young, yesterday and today. And finally altogether now for a tomorrow free from deadly intelligence agency demands.

“Moving” is, first and foremost, a KDrama with a top-class casting that aims to offer streaming delight at the highest international level. “Moving” is explicitly seen as a kind of blockbuster among Disney+ series productions - with a correspondingly hefty budget. As such, the series has entered the streaming market in a self-assured manner and immediately achieved remarkable success worldwide...

However, for my personal taste, this KDrama comes across as a bit too action driven and brutal - with those superpowerful men and women, who (despite their deadly wounds) keep bouncing back again and again and again... I might have dropped it, if not for this variety of subtle and affectionate character portraits, that make a great part of the story, too.

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Moving: Teenage Superhumans

The series have a very exciting early episode. I like the action-packed episodes particularly the later ones. But somehow it to meet my expectations on why it was titled that way. Although a sequel or another season can be a welcome idea to quench the uncertainties the viewers would like to see what a great ending will be.

I am blur as to where it can climax as the teaser to the continuing next sequel if ever there will be. But the concept and story is great. I am just not sure if the story will be enough to create a political ripple between the north and south (hope not!) since the disclaimer says it all that it was just a work of fiction.

The title likewise seems somewhat misleading and/or controversial. Does it mean 'moving from north to south'? I feel the title should highly relate to the extraordinary life of the main characters. Except that it should not be somewhat similar or near like to the title of the tech savvy secret agent kids' film: Spy Kids Armageddon.

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Usual teen drama with elements of interesting superpowered spies fighting for survival

I'm gonna be honest, so far I couldn't give 2 damns about the teens and their storyline.

Too much focus on the will they-won't they romance and the typical teen drama arcs (school bullying, teen angst and rebellion against parents, accepting oneself) which completely doesn't go well with the extremely serious and thrilling plot of the 'adult storyline' full of spies, murders, hunting people for their abilities, betrayal and the John Wick style of trying to survive.

In my opinion, show would be 10/10 if you removed all of the teen stuff and focused on the parents instead and lean into the teens' pov at the last few episodes, instead of the other way around. I'm way more interested in Lee Minhyun's, Kim Doosik's, Lee Jaeman's and Jang Juwon's characters than their kids - Lee Kang Hoon maybe being the exception because I find his family's story particularly touching and heart breaking.

As of now, I really cannot go through the scenes with the teenagers. It's just too boring when compared to every scene with the adults. If you go into watching this expecting a lot of action, then be prepared to skip a lot of scenes of teens running around with a crush.

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Epic Last 4 Episodes

Overall this is a really good show and very enjoyable. The reason I am not giving it a 10 is b/c for me there was just way too many flashback episodes. I get that they wanted to give every main characters back story but it it just dragged on too long. It is an actioin drama with deptrh though. The other reason it's not getting a 10 is b/c sometimes this show did the stupidest things. In episode 14 they could have got the little boy out of the sewer by having Jaemin rip the grate out of the wall but no they had to show them punching through a wall. They also did this when Juwon was trying to get to Ji hee in the prior episode.

There were some genuinely sad and emotional scenes and for me the one at the beginning of the last episode just had me bawling. When Jaeseok the NK guy with the earthquake/sonic boom powers dies. In that moment when he told Yongdeuk to go and live like a human the tears just started falling!! That shit broke me.

What the writer(s) did very well is giving us these not so easy, black and white issues of who is wrong and who is right. I mean I felt just as empathetic to the North Koreans as I did to our heroes or "the good guys". It was bad situation for everyone all around.

This is an excellent ensemble drama and the cast is amazing.

12/29/23

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A Pleasant Surprise

I was originally holding off on watching this series as I don't really gravitate toward superhero genres (they usually make me cringe), despite the fact that I really like fantasy (if done well). I gave in one day and decided to give it a shot and I was genuinely surprised. I really like the characters, especially, ESPESCIALLY the parents and their storylines. Honestly, the kids' part was nice but it was a bit too cheesy for me but the parent's stories were what pulled me in and kept me there until the very last minute.

Now don't go into this thinking its all rainbows and butterflies, not at all bad for me but for the more squeamish, there is a lot of gore and blood. I usually don't give high ratings but this gets an 8 from me. I would have given higher if there were more loose ends tied, some characters had more screen time and the if the ending didn't feel a bit disconnected and rushed. But I guess maybe these will all be answered in the second season if there is any.

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Great plot

One of the best fiction I've watched. They are like superheroes, but human-like heroes, no one gets an advantage with their powers if they can't wield them properly, making it useless. From the first quarter of the episodes in the drama, there will be plot twists, and that's what hooked me because there's actually a deeper story than what initially appears.

Every main character has their own story, and the show dedicates respective episodes to each main character, making each one the protagonist. This somewhat bored me at some points, although the idea and storyline are good, my focus is on the main protagonist, so I searched for a lot of screen time for them.

I'm not entirely satisfied with the ending, it's not what I was hoping for. In my opinion, the ending happened too fast and was boring, considering how the plot started off so well.

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It's a moving TV show

This show feels distinctly different from what I associate with kdramas, but I guess I tend to stick to rom-coms.

It is a moving, heartfelt, suspenseful, sometimes graphic with violence and gore, but at its heart it's about people and the relationships we have with our family and what we'd do to protect each other.

I enjoyed it, but often found myself distracted because some story lines dragged. I understand why some back stories were introduced and showed, but then it sometimes was too long and detracted from the suspense of the action that was happening!

There are SO many hints dropped along the way, so it didn't help when I got distracted and didn't connect/notice the hints dropped along the way. But I feel that's a problem with the pacing. I know some people say it had 'perfect pacing', but I do think this was a problem. I was engaged, but it was also a series I felt I could drop too because it lagged and dropped with pacing.

I didn't cry, so I feel that says a lot, but I did feel a lot, and my heart squeezed in so many moments.

Not likely to rewatch, not eagerly anticipating season 2 that was hinted at during post credts (MCU style), but I'd give it a go if and when it ever comes out. I'd imagine a lot of the actors/characters we saw this season would only make guest appearances in season 2 though.

Worth checking out!

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Intriguing story with an ensemble cast!

There are many things to love about this series! A stellar, ensemble cast; impressive production value; and an intriguing storyline with doses of action, adventure, mystery, coming-of-age, and rom-com--this is a bold entry by Disney into K-Dramas.

I felt the series was strongest when focusing on characters and their development. There were excellent use of flashbacks and clever editing showing different viewpoints. The family relationships added depth and relatability. It was possibly weakest with some of the plot development--the English dialogue and interactions between government agencies did not feel compelling or sufficiently fleshed out. But I am fully satisfied with this being character- and action-driven.

I am happy to see another big player like Disney entering this arena. Given the company's recent financial struggles, I sure hope this turns out to be a great success and lead to further projects for us to enjoy!!

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A story about humans

When Jo In Sung received an invitation to star in this series, he thought it was "just another superhero story" and wanted to turn down the offer. But after he read the script, he was greatly impressed and joined the project right away. What some of us thought was going to be a generic Korean version of Avengers turned out to be so much more than that.

Moving, at its very core, is a story about humans and humanity. It is also a story about parenting, brotherhood, teen angst, love, betrayal, finding who you are and where you're going, moral gray zones... everything that we as real people could relate to. That's how realistic the characters and their struggles were.

The thing I love most about this drama is that, although the story centers around superheroes, at the end of the day, they are "only human". Although the characters have extraordinary powers, they still struggle with life, relationships, moral choices, and will, if not more than the average person due to their awful circumstances. The worldview is grim and realistic, people are used as tools and must do things they don't want to do just to survive in this world, and every choice to deviate from that path takes courage and sacrifices. This is a prevalent theme to most characters in the drama, even some of the "antagonists". Every character has a well thought out backstory to them that tells you lessons about life, and that takes a lot of empathy from the writer. It is an absolutely phenomenal and unique take to the already saturated superhero genre.

I can't pinpoint who the main character in the story is because they are all main characters and share almost equal weight and screentime. The acting is top notch, especially for the older generation actors. They had to play themselves in the present time, as well as their younger counterparts. You could see them changing through time and hardships.

Plot-wise, the structure has a clarity to it - about 7 episodes are allocated to present time, which talks about the younger generation (high school romance, teen self-searching, generational conflict). 7+ other episodes are allocated to the past, where the parents take the spotlight and we are hit with very harsh realities (manipulation, betrayal, social stigma, child protection). Depending on taste, an audience might favor one of these segment over another, but they may also love both. The last few episodes are wrapped up with edge-of-your-seat action sequences by an ensemble of casts.

I highly recommend this drama for anyone who is still hesitating. It is one of the best dramas to come out this year, and one of the most unique K-dramas to come out in these 20 years. Don't miss it!

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A VERY BORING DRAMA

this drama has very high potential but it fall apart because of boring flashbacks ....by passing of each episode it is getting more and more boring . they did not even explain well how they got these powers and how ANSP is working at its own without government authorisation ...
i understand that they want to provide back stories of every cast but this drama shows flashbacks in worst way ...each backstory is 2 - 3 episodes long which can be easily done in 30 minutes to 1 ep ...
the human beings with powers are quite natural genre and there is nothing different about it ...

my advice - do not start this because of ratings ...

in short it is my one of the WORST drama of 2023 ...

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Is it truly the end?

A drama worth to watch, who leaves you pondering about many things.

Careful, spoilers are down below.

This drama shows the stories of families struggling in the midst of a war for power between countries.

Here are the reasons why.

In episode 20, the North Korean agent mentioned to his superior that this conflict repeated itself for 50 years, that North Korea sent Kim Shinjo first and then South Korea sent Kim Doo Sik after.

Am I the only one who thinks it hints on a background for the Kim family story?
Does that mean that Kim Doo Sik is Kim Shinjo's son? Which would make Kim Doo Sik NK from his father.
Is the NK agent who can fly related to them then?
Kim Doo Sik mentioned that when he was a baby, he could fly, that his father left him a knife, and that all his life he lived in the shadows. Why does it seem as though he was raised by the NIS? Maybe the leader boss of the NIS, the woman who doesn't age is involved in this, she most likely was there 50 years ago and planned it thorough.

This drama left me more questions unanswered that I thought.
It was truly amazing. I loved it all, the stories were so impactful.

It also opened a new perspective of the superhero genre.
Most of the time, stories about heros are about saving the world, the characters fight against a supervillain, either a crazy scientist or a rich dude that just wants to control the world.

But here, it shows more the perspective of what if people with powers were discovered by their governments, and what if those governments used them as weapons for their own conflicts?

Superpowered people are the new weapons of the countries, in the same way that nuclear bombs are. They work in the shadows for the sake of their countries.
This drama presents the start of an arm race between governments and how this arm race neglects the rights of the humans involved, and it shows this in a beautiful way through the lives of those families involved that struggle to protect their own.

It leaves a beautiful message about human rights and the fact that human beings are not meant to be weaponized or used in anyway.

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