Is it just me? No thanks.
I should have paid attention to the synopsis of this drama before jumping in, I didn't know it was a colonial era drama. Also wtf is going on in here?One minute people will be talking in Japanese, pretending they don't know Korean, and the next second, they'd switch to Korean without batting an eyelid and continue conversing like that didn't just happen.
The CG for that creature is good though, but the pacing is too slow, ML character is flawed and not well developed, FL lead feels a bit too cold, my screen is frosting whenever she's on. And why is every other scene in this drama a shouting show down? Is this how it was during the colonial days? Everyone shouting to be heard? This drama missed its mark with me. Next time, PSJ.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Gyeongseong Creatures: A rough monologue watch
Time is 1945 and place is Gyeonseong which is old Seoul. Just few years left before getting free from evil holds, and Spring has arrived arrived earlier this year. A girl comes in Seoul, hiding behind a huge hat and learning the truth that has never been sold. Boys are complied to join the force if want to live. If you deny, you will not be beaten but will be tortured to death.Jang Tae Sang- self made man, heart of every celebration and the hand behind golden treasure gets caught as a suspect of secret donor of the independence army? The golden house- from things received in dowry to Italian suit — everything is bought here for mere won. Jang Tae Sang is the hand behind the house and also is the one whose finger operates everything in Bonjeong. They use the saying “if you want anything in Bonjeong, go through him”. Now the question is — is a good person or a bad person?
Fear sucks human life. It is worse than death. Fear makes you do things which even you don’t know you are capable of. It brings out your darkest side and makes you nerdy You forget what you are capable of and instead crouches down even before trying. In the earnest hour of 1945, old Seoul witnesses people getting missing from their homes, leaving no trace behind. With Japanese army nestling all over Joseon, people are biting own family, it is difficult to distinguish between evil and bad.
Adapted from a Japanese manga, this morose series focuses in the Japanese occupied Korea in late 1940s. Helmed by Jung Dong Yoon-the man behind psychological thriller Its okay to be not okay the series consists of only ten episodes. Historical dramas presented by Korea have always came with an unexpected twist. Kingdom already gained immense popularity with zombies in Joseon time. Now the pre-independence time comes with unsung creatures that are disrupting lives through their impeccable abilities. Unlike creature showcased in two installments of Sweet Home, this latest creature who are developing in 1940s still have heart inside. The fight of Chae Ok’s mother will melt your heart.
Park Seo Joon, after delivering stellar performance in critically acclaimed The Concrete Utopia, and the slow burner Dream, the man has returned with an expected grey shade this time. His Tae Sang has been born out of greed-the greed for recognition and acclamation. His eyes speaks of the pain which he hides behind his expensive outfit. Han So Hee is becoming the new charmer with magic wand. After her effervescent performance in Soundtrack, she is back as dark Chae Ok, who is in a lookout to find her mother missing for more than ten years. She brings in the nuisance and touch of arrogance that Chae Ok needs. Kim Hae Sook as the filial subordinate to Tae Sang fills the mother space just as much needed. Im chul Soo, Jo Han Chul, Choi Young Joon as supportive cast adds as the perfect hem to this storyline. After playing the bad guy with silver lined heart in The worst of Evil, Ha Joon is back with another thriller. Learn his character as you watch the story.
Though the fantasy thriller played utmost in weaving every element-from romance, horror to political mix throughout this historical remix, it failed in balancing the taste as the story shaped up. The love story between Chae Ok and Tae Sang failed to bring the taste we hope in war love. And then the political crux which is just as we calculated felt not so necessary in the trail.
If you are a fantasy series fan, just rewatch Kingdom, All of us are Dead and even Duty after school. Zombies are still panache than this crux creatures who appearing less convincing.
Was this review helpful to you?
never seen anything like this before
a historical fantasy set in korea during japan empire's rulethemes of action, suspense, mystery, thriller and romance. all twisted together to create one of the most action packed shows i've ever seen to date. full of betrayals and new alliances and crime. the best performance i've seen from park seojun and hansohee. all the characters were very well done. the pacing was done almost like a novel and follows your standard fantasy plotline.
devastatingly tragic, had me sobbing. heartwrenching. gasping and gripping my seat. i don't have any other words. wow
Was this review helpful to you?
This surpassed my expectations by miiiiles
Oh MY GOD I did not expect thr reaction I had at the ending. Starting this drama I expected a horror/ thriller drama by the book with all the typicall tropes but I was in for a riiide. There's not only the experimantation but also the true horror of the Joseon people (which is similar to certain timely events) and this drama really depict the hurt the people go through. I've watched dramas about this era and fight before but this one took the dark perspective. I love the perspective of not blaming the people's acctions they did in order to survive and that it was about a fight together and not wasting their time with little disputes. Just wow. I need to let this sink in for a while. I still have questions about the ending so if you wanna discuss I will discuss. Okay. See you for season 2 this year and if you haven't watched season 1 yet, don't sleep on it too long. Just blew me away.Was this review helpful to you?
Thriller
The show started with the best actor and actress stuck in a cave digging their way out of the creature. The Jap was mentally taking over the world by inventing their new weapon only to realize that it destroys everything. The epic thriller and ride to not give up was worth the watch. The romance was meh, but the storyline was very promising.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What was this ending!?
Oh my God! I'm freaking out!! I mean, the drama was amazing by itself, all the characters, the story, the very well-done war scenario, it was all incredible. BUT THEN, Chae Ok suddenly comes back to life, AND THEN Master Jang appears as another person IN THE FUTURE!?Is it like a "past life lovers" following the time line? Like... past first then present? No boring flashbacks but a season for each time!? I'VE NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED FOR A SECOND SEASON IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!
I completely loved it, the romance was incredibly well-developed, the historical content was very good and detailed, it made me feel into that time, and sweet Jesus, Jang Tae Sang just give me so much Gatsby vibes!! The 30's vibes with the new money aesthetic, with his wealthy clothes and all... I'm just in love!
Was this review helpful to you?
Mashup of historical drama with VFX and monsters
Unlike several big-budget Korean series that have appeared in the wake of Squid Game, Gyeongseong Creature is admirably restrained in its narrative ambitions and never uses it's full potential.A historical drama infused with monsters and sci-fi stuff is brought down to some extent by poor quality CGI and ineffective chemistry between the leads. The pacing could have been better. The drama has some noticeable issues but it is still effective to please us, atleast to some extent.
Director Dong-yoon makes sure that while all the characters have their own little arc, it is Gyeongseong- the region that becomes a very important character in the narrative. The K-drama isn’t without its flaws. Every now and then, there are a few gaps in logic or parts of the plot that could have been explained better along with s better chemistry. But these are little things in the face of a drama that has used its solid production value to offer something out of the box, although it doesn't stand out completely.
My Rating : 7.5/10
Was this review helpful to you?
Harrowing at times
Feb 2024Another I watched in one sitting, because I was so into it. If I'd had to wait for eps, I would have been driven bat poop.
Set during the latter part of Japanese rule in Korea, when the country was whole (so mid 40s), you can expect the disrespect and appalling treatment of Koreans by many of the Japanese, and the resistance to it, that goes hand-in-hand with dramas set in that period.
Whilst a fantasy/action, it turns out that this is nevertheless also an incredibly provoking watch. I saw many obvious similarities between that treatment, and the exploitation and attitudes to Koreans as sub-human by the Japanese, and that of the Germans towards the Jews. There is no way of not seeing it, if you have any knowledge of WW2 at all.
Whilst the attempted systematic destruction of the Jews by Hitler's dictatorship is well catalogued and known about all over the world and by all ages; the mistreatment and horrors of what the Japanese rulers inflicted on Korea for over 35 years, is not. I honestly felt like this drama was also a vehicle to make people see it. They suffered just as horribly, if not worst.
Whilst it didn't overshadow the drama completely, it was never far from my mind.
Besides some harrowing scenes and images, however, there is also plenty of wit, action and low key (but lovely) romance.
The creature is something else and made me think a little of Alien at times. I would actually have liked to have seen a little more of it and it's conception/history.
PSJ's character is successful and tougher than he appears on the surface; intelligent, very business savvy and portrays a selfish, couldn't care less image. The pawn shop/business he owns is a veritable Aladdin's cave. His inner circle, who all assist in the business, are great characters and compliment him well. A favourite actress, Kim Hae-sook is amongst them.
Another, a trusted close friend (Wi Ha-joon, looking gorgeous as ever), he has a warm, but competitive relationship with.
I also really felt for the character of troubled, quiet and (I think), PTSD-suffering artist, Sachimoto (Woo Ji-hyun).
Tested loyalties, intimidation, manipulation, interrogation, emotion.... all the 'tions' are here! ;~)
The casting, characters, pace and script, are all spot on; only on a couple of occasions did I think "for God's sake get a move on!", when some just seemed utterly oblivious to the urgency of situations.
The acting is outstanding as far as I'm concerned. Some of the scenes must have been incredibly hard to do, for all involved.
A very satisfying watch and I have little doubt S2 will be as riveting, as long as they pick up the carrots left dangling to tempt us, from this run. Cannot wait and adding to my list of favourites.
Was this review helpful to you?
More Or Less...
Only Episodes 5 in and...
This would have been better had there been no hint of romance whatsoever as it seemed too sudden and undeveloped to be believable and ideal had there been more of the creature or creatures in the making.
Nothing like a good action fantasy series with a touch of drama and lots of fighting scenes in my opinion.
The ML isn't like he is with some of his other character roles and comes across as a bit "weak in the knees " for a person that survived poverty and living on the streets whereas the FL plays her part really well. I think he is meant to be like that, but it would have been better if he wasn't so giddy around the female like a school boy with a puppy crush.
Some of the fighting scenes are cool ONLY I wish there were lots of them.
I found that I fast forwarded parts here and there from the very first episode which isn't something I normally do when giving a series a fair go, but I did it as something either irked me, bored me or wasn't good enough to hold my attention. Parts like: The ML acting like a wide eyed puppy dog, one or two military scenes and parts that seemed to go on longer than they probably should have.
It isn't too bad, but isn't what I expected so will see how the rest pans out for part 1 before entertaining the idea of part 2 on its release in January 2024.
Was this review helpful to you?
Patiently Explored But Not My Cup of Tea
After investing time in the first two episodes, I find it necessary to convey my sincere impression of the series—it's moving at a pace that feels a bit sluggish for my personal taste. While I recognize the essential groundwork required to unfold a complex storyline, and the narrative potential is undoubtedly present, I'm compelled to admit that, for now, it's not quite my cup of tea.I genuinely appreciate the effort poured into crafting the story, and I might consider revisiting it someday, should a particular aspect pique my interest. However, as of now, I've decided to drop the series from my watchlist. While the story is undeniably there, it hasn't resonated with me in a way that compels me to continue. I acknowledge that preferences vary, and this may well be a matter of personal taste.
Was this review helpful to you?
Claudia Kim is AMAZING
We conclude the first season here, with more positives than negatives. I see this as a good outlook for the second season. Clearly, it was a drama made for the global audience with touches of Korean style. Many times, I thought I was watching a series from FOX or AMC because of the script style and the pace of the drama. The creature's CGI still presents issues in terms of art and finishing, but it seems to have improved as the episodes progressed. Nothing that deserves more consistent criticism.Now, talking about the story, I noticed something that most people didn't catch, but it's quite clear in episodes 8 or 9. I'll explain: Everyone remembers that it was Akiko who drank the water with Najin. However, in the mentioned episodes above, it shows that Najin was administered to Akiko as soon as she entered the hospital. So, who drank the Najin water from the lab? Tae-Sang is my highest probability. For me, the three characters who extended their life expectancies were Tae-Sang, Chae-Ok, and Mrs. Maeda because the trio has Najin in their bodies. Probably, their Najin is asymptomatic in their bodies, and maybe in the second season, they'll erupt, unleashing a whole hell. Possibly, one of the current favorite actors, Bae Hyun-Sung, will be Ishikawa and Akiko's son.
I conclude the review by saying that although Seon-Jun and So-Hee did very well in their roles, their torrid love story seemed exaggerated and superficial to me, not convincing me. But for me, the highlight of the drama without a shadow of a doubt was Claudia Kim, playing Mrs. Maeda. She took the drama for herself, portraying a chilly and restrained yet villainous and determined character. Moreover, she spoke Japanese with an excellent and well-executed cadence.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The Story is Captivating
I saw a clip of this kdrama on tik tok and I was very intrigued!And ofc also cuz Han so hee is in it :3
The start is amazing! I’m not done with watching this thought but only like 2 episodes let hahaha just hanging it there cuz I don’t wanna finish it yet!
The creature reminds me of the monster from stranger things ngl
Storywise, it’s awesome, I love the main actor’s character and story !
The romance doesn’t feel forced as well!
I’m enjoying it so far!
And omg I loved it when the kidnapped Korean lady turned into the monster, that was a fun scene ahahha
Was this review helpful to you?
