The Witch

Death and Desire

In ancient Greek mythology, there exist 2 women whose beautiful singing calls sailors to their deaths . Their song is so beautiful, that the sailors, spell bound, steer close to the cliffs where their ships are then wrecked, and they die. These mythical women are called the Sirens, and they represent the intoxicating mix of death and desire.

The plot of this story revolves around a modern day Siren. We meet a woman who has an aura that beguiles men, but if they try to come too close, they will die. She calls on our sympathy - she is an attractive but everyday person, who in response to taunts of being called a witch, chooses solitude and isolation rather than risk harming anyone. We are unsure - is she really a witch? Is it all just bad luck?

The ML in this drama, like a modern day Odysseus, wants to get close to the Siren but stay alive. The tension of this drama is whether he can do so. Can he use logic to unpack the spell and be free to love? Or will his obsessive risk taking take him down?

This is a slow paced-melancholic tale with lots of moody music (lots of orchestral cello pieces) and dark colours. it's shot nicely, and well acted. Because of its pacing, it's probably not a binge watch, but has sufficient mystique to keep us curious.

An interesting modern take on an old myth - when beauty becomes dangerous. What it is it about beauty that makes people take such risks - become so intoxicated that they are willing to be destroyed? This drama explores this premise.

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Documentation, adding data to my list,lol.

First of all, great acting from all the cast. I can't imagine trying to act like they are in love when in reality or in the background they haven't met that long. My main dissatisfaction is, I think they couldn't bring the original material into the screen well enough that it greatly hindered it's quality. Unlike other manhwa where you are abundant with content to show, the manhwa this show derived from is apparently short. In my opinion or guess they wanted the show to last at least 10 episodes, to cover the costs in production, so they added stuff that is genuinely not related at all to the story, one example is the company owner who went bankrupt, after watching the show he had no actual purpose whatsoever in the story. I honestly think that they should've just added more to the story to comfortably make it a twelve episode drama, and to also make the story more comprehensive. As seen with the reviews and comments they are confused, and were bored, and lastly disliked it, due to a lot of reasons. First is that it was about a guy stalking a girl, obviously we see the story through the pov of the ML so it doesn't come off as too creepy but can you imagine it in the real life. Second is that the pace is really slow, I understand if the plot needs the drama to have a slow pace but this time it was due to production reasons. But for the third reason I will blame the audience, I think the drama isn't confusing at all and wasn't made to be confusing at all, it might be because of translation error or something but, as long as you actually watch and read the subtitles, there is no way, at least to me is this confusing. One thing is the chemistry wasn't great in fact, I was amazed that they could form tears interacting with each other even though they've rarely met in the background. Unfortunately the ending felt like nothing to me, the chemistry wasn't great and it felt forced that the two couples loved each other especially the second couple. To me they needed to revise and add stuff to the story while still being faithful to source. Great music, cinematography, acting and all that but the plot was too cluttered with unnecessary and uninteresting stuff. Also the electric romantic chemistry wasn't there. They felt like new friends that only began in getting close to each other. Gave it an eight due to the potential it had and because of the other good qualities it had. Maybe the trip to Austria costs too much lol.

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A story where your own beliefs will be questioned ;)

I launched "THE WITCH", a bold ten-episode project, aware that the pace would be slow and that the style would take the paths of melodrama. However, I decided to launch myself with my eyes closed, carried by the undeniable talent of Jin Young, this actor and idol, a real green flag, capable of drawing the most buried tears in me. From the first moments, one element appeals to me: cinematography. The shots follow one another, colored with graying hues, while the snow falls gently, inviting me to immerse myself in a universe that is both sad and poignantly beautiful. The first episodes oscillate between the past and the present, skillfully mixing the memories of the leads with their evolution. We try to unravel the mystery of their meeting, while questioning ourselves about the sinister fatality that strikes all men approaching the female lead. This enigma is at the heart of the quest for the male lead, who works to decipher this persistent tragedy. With his mathematical and scientific approach, it is certain that this quest causes some headaches. Nevertheless, this approach gives the fantastic element "witch", a tangible and fascinating dimension that captivates attention and arouses curiosity. It makes the drama much more “earthly”.

We can't really talk about alchemy here since encounters and dialogues are limited. The drama stands out more as an endless investigation than a love story even if that is the goal behind it all. However, I found that the actress perfectly managed to carry the weight of her "curse" with a deep sadness and a very lonely behavior. Park Jin Young, for his part, once again proved that he was an excellent actor to convey emotions. I really liked the cop friend in it who touched me a lot and who would have deserved more development. Overall 10 episodes is short to get attached to the characters given the few encounters between each. But I found that each of the people in the cast played their role well.

The main assets to consider for the launch of this drama are undoubtedly: the format, the cast and the originality of the story. Indeed, we have here the opportunity to explore a story that has never been addressed before, a rarity in the universe of contemporary kdramas, which suffers cruelly from it.

Overall, I was satisfied with the plot, despite a romance that sometimes seemed frustrating to me. But, in all honesty, I was not bored for a single second, I was so impatient to collect the pieces of this fascinating puzzle. The drama manages to maintain a captivating suspense, a real force that distinguishes it.

Thus, if you are looking for stories that stimulate reflection and that mix beliefs, mythology and strange phenomena, do not miss this kdrama!
18/20

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I loved The Witch from start to finish - my new favorite that goes straight to my top 5

It will be a long SPOILERy review as I have a lot to say, so buckle up. It is also not really a review in a typical sense, as I think the show is pretty much perfect in every aspect. It is like my take on some points of contention, sort of “look at what I see”. I had to cut a lot of it to fit the character limi, so it may feel choppy.

I think that some people these days seem to think very black&white and there is nothing in between. Life itself is anything but black&white. This show is absolutely amazing, a beautiful story. It is about the power of human connection. Mi Jeong is deprived of this connection her whole life and Dong Jin wants nothing more than to be able to talk to his love face to face.

If you are able to see in other shades, you may see the beauty of this story. The story of a man, that is doing everything he can to beat the circumstances, to be able to love without being afraid. Dong Jin risks his life not just for this reason, but also to give Mi Jeong a real life. Life she can live with no guilt or sadness. Does he want Mi Jeong to love him back? Of course, but what person in love, does not want this feeling to be reciprocated, right?

As I said, many people seem to think black&white only. They call the ML stalker and that´s it. Reasons why he does what he does doesn´t matter. Life is not that and it should not be. In the real word circumstances matter, motivation and goals matter and it should be, because if you steal something or hurt someone, the surrounding circumstances matter, and rightly so.

Even though Dong Jin´s friend said he can face stalker charges I am going to give point of view on this matter before everything else. Because he fits to the term technically (in the face of law, there is no doubt), I will never call him that, because thanks to his motivation, circumstances and goals he is not. Stalkers, in general, are someone who want the attention of another individual through harassment causing them fear or distress. They don´t care about the other person’s feelings and more often than not, stalking ends up badly.

Many people don´t understand his motivation for doing what he´s doing to the extent of risking his own life. I think it is easy to see and understand. His love is his main motivation. And you can say he doesn´t really know her, which I think doesn´t really matter. We know from episode one that she was his first love; even though he did not realize it at the time. When he saw her in the subway, those reappeared, and I think the power of first love can be underrated because those feelings linger with many people for whole life. It is a very strong motivator. It may start as love for what she represents, but as time goes by, his feelings morph into more mature love. Also, the fact that even though he had not seen her for a decade, yet realizing he misses her as much as he did when he was 19 or so speaks a volume of feelings, he has for her. Sometimes the feelings are there, even if buried under layers of busy life.

Another strong motivator is Mi Jeong´s life situation. He said he hoped that she was living well. I think he hoped she moved to another city and started a new life. So, to find out that she is still living this sad solitary life, it was a hard truth to learn. To find out his first love lives like this. He will try to break the curse, so she can live a normal life. As we see later, she lives literally in a cage.

His goal is to give Mi Jeong a normal life. His behavior is very different too. He, unlike the usual stalker, is not at any point danger to Mi Jeong at all. He puts himself in great danger, but his intentions are pure. Stalker does not join forces with best friend of said person. He hides his research and his own existence from Mi Jeong, sure, but he is otherwise very open with her best friend. Her friend is actually worried about his safety when he tells her that he has to test the theory himself. Stalkers are not capable of this level of love, feelings or affection in general.

It also seems like people dislike repeating scenes, but I like them, as they have their significance as they provide additional POVs. Sure, you can show everything in episode 1 and 2, but then, you would have no mystery and revelations at all.

These scenes add context and more details to previously shown events and provide window into our protagonists´ head. If you skip those on the premise, that they are repeated scenes you may miss the details. Some of my favorite scenes were shown multiple times and are important for Dong Jin´s motivations and goals and also for Mi Jeong´s feelings. As I think these scenes are connected to the subtle romance part of the story, I will try to explain why I think the repetition has its significance, specifically here in Mi Jeong part.

Lots of people say that her confession of love towards Dong Jin comes out of the blue, I don´t think so. Here are important flashbacks from episode 8 – tied to her feelings for Dong Jin in high school and episode 10 where she realizes and puts together lots of things. Also important is, that in episode 10, the flashbacks are from Dong Jin´s POV. She is going through the files on the PC, but those are from DJ POV so that´s how she (we) can see his memories and feelings.

If you skip to episode 10 flashbacks, she knows now, that Dong Jin reappeared in her life and indirectly told her he loves her and that he was the delivery man (ep 8). We also know through her now that she liked him very much in school. Jung Hyeok also told her that to Dong Jin didn´t matter she was a witch and he only wanted to find a way to love her. When she goes through his files, it is Dong Jin´s way to show himself to her. The good and the bad. It is part of his plan in the hope that by seeing “HIM”, his actions and feelings, she may come to love him. It was big gamble as he had no way to predict how she would react.

I find the delivery scenes especially important, as those connect her school’s days feelings for Dong Jin with the current ones, as it is clear, that she liked him as the delivery man. She was looking forward to his visits and was smiling again. The one time he didn´t show, she got a drink for him and almost run down the stairs to greet him. When it was not him, she checked the delivery herself in the hall, where they always checked together. She could check inside, but the spot in hallway has a significance for her now. It’s a small detail but I think it´s clear indicator she likes him.

Here she also learns that the rules exist, and she finally can put together what he was doing at the bridge. As she did not know by then, she misunderstood his actions. She thought he jumped to harm himself, as she searched “suicide attempt” later on, but she knows now that he did it to save himself. There was almost 100% chance he will get hit by lightning if he stayed on land but Han river was never struck by lightning during a rainstorm so jumping was the safest option.

There is a lot of subtle hints on the romance part, but I think what people don´t want to understand is that the romance is there, but it´s subtle and soft in nature. Mi Jeong and Dong Jin are very similar. They are both solitary souls, given for different reasons. They both have one best friend and their feelings are gentle. Even though Dong Jin loves her passionately to the extent of risking his life, his feelings and his personality is also on the softer side. Just because the love is not loud it does not mean it´s not there.

Dong Jin took a chance and shown Mi Jeong himself through his research. I think that her loving him is based on good foundation of her feelings in the past and present. And I think it´s natural that she needed time to process those to come to a decision about her feelings, as at some point in time, every human must reevaluate their respective feelings: is it affection, attraction or love? Do I like him or love him? Is he worthy?

When they meet in Austria they talk on the bench and you can see him think, especially when the time reaches 10 minutes. I think he did not initially plan to confess his feelings, but the whole point was that he can talk to her, face to face, like any other human being. So, he took a breath and said it. That is what this show is about. How much he wants to tell her he loves her by himself, and it is just so unfair he can´t. Any person can come to those they love, and risk being rejected, but he is risking his life by doing so and that is very brave.

And even now, after his confession he is not forcing his feelings on her (like, for example the guy in the subway in ep. 1). He was not brave enough to talk to her in high school, he couldn´t do it on the rooftop, but here he is, at the end of their conversation and he is brave enough to do it, no matter the consequences. I think it is a powerful scene, because he knows what is coming if she does not love him back and he just goes for it.

And her confession here does not come as a surprise to me, for all the reasons I mentioned before, but it had to be hard for her to say, or acknowledge her feelings, as she buried all her feelings so to accept them was probably very scary for her. But she likes him and worries about him and thinking about him comes easy to her. And as their love is gentle and soft, so is their embrace that solidifies their future as the curse is broken. This is brilliantly underscored by the OST and OH MY what a perfect scene.

Dong Jin was fighting for the possibility of a beginning together and that is exactly where they are right now. Their feelings were strong enough to bring them together and they are now walking together in order to strengthen their relationship.

Also, controversial opinion – I don´t mind that there was no kiss at all, or that we do not get their dating or future scenes. This show has a different mood so I feel like showing those would be weird and obtrusive in a way. It was about getting to the starting point, and we ended up just there, just on time.

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A slowly but thrilling told tale of breaking free from a hurtful past

"The witch" was the drama that kept me hooked the most during it's run. Although it starts really slow and tends to use flashbacks a bit too often, the plot manages to stay gripping due to it's excellent source material, beautiful cinematography, fantastic score and heartfelt performances by the main cast. The past of the main leads is peeled back layer by layer. The main lead tries to solve the mysterious deaths seemingly connected to his high school crush. Working as a data miner he digs deeper and deeper in her past and present bordering on stalking. His obsession with her fate drives him forward and - although troublesome to view - also makes you feel sympathetic. As viewer you route for him and want him to succeed. There's also a second storyline interwoven with the main plot which may seem unconnected at first but isn't.
The points that keep me from giving 10 stars are the pacing, especially at the beginning, and that some facts should have been revealed a bit sooner. I also think that the flashbacks could have been used less.
It's also important to know that the story isn't a classic romance. There's not much interaction between the leads throughout the show. It's not needed in this story which is more a mystery thriller with a love story at it's core but could dissapoint viewers who love seeing the classic love story tropes.

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How Not To Stretch Out a 5 Hour Drama

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I think this is the worst directing I’ve ever seen regarding pacing and story telling. I’m awestruck.

Acting/Cast: It’s okay. This drama is really slow with a focus on aesthetics. There isn’t much ‘acting’ going on. The female lead is the emotionless, stoic one. The male lead’s character is a little different than what I’ve seen before. He’s super nerdy but also really happy and energetic. It felt forced, though, as if he’s playing it up to lift the moods of those around him. I don’t know if this was the director’s intention or not. Well...maybe it is a problem with his acting. There’s a scene where he gets angry and that felt forced, too. The second male lead is also a stoic character with a small role. The second female lead actually has to do some acting. She does well. Her personality doesn’t feel forced. I like the male lead’s mom played by Jang Hye Jin (장혜진), but she’s not in the drama much. 4.5/10

Writing: The concept of this drama is really interesting. I like the idea of approaching something supernatural with scientific experimentation. However, it takes a bit of time to actually get to that part of the story. Unfortunately, this is the only good aspect of the writing…Let’s start at the beginning...After 3 hours, barely anything has happened. It shouldn’t have taken 3 hours to set up such a simple drama. That’s not the worst part though...every other episode seems to be a replay of the episode before it, but from another character’s perspective...sort of. I say ‘sort of’ because these new perspectives actually don’t add any new information to the story...so what’s the point? The set up takes 3 hours because episode 2 is episode 1 all over again. It’s the strangest shit I’ve seen in a long time. Literally, at least half of this drama is just replaying scenes we’ve already seen and have gotten thorough information from. But that’s not all...It gets even dumber at the end. We spend the entire drama following the male lead around and seeing everything that he’s doing and hearing everything he’s thinking. Then, suddenly at the end, we follow a different character who has no idea what the male lead has been doing. So this character has to do some detective work to figure it out. But the audience already knows everything, so there’s no mystery here for us. We are then made to suffer through a rewatch of the entire drama in flashback fashion as this character is learning everything that we already know. I’m just completely dumbfounded…Also, why was the male lead going back and forth about whether or not the female lead is a witch? That was really confusing. Was he lying to her to encourage her to live her life and not care about who gets hurt? Anyway, the ending is okay. It’s not the worst I’ve seen but it’s definitely not good. There’s not enough relationship development for any of the characters for the ending to be satisfying. It felt like it wasn’t over, as if an episode is missing. Also, I have to talk about the male lead being a stalker. It actually is mentioned in the drama, which surprised me. But, the male lead really is a legit stalker and it’s pretty scary at times. If someone has been a victim of stalking, I would not recommend watching this drama. The male lead can get away with it because he’s doing it to save people who are cursed as well as save the people around them. However, there is still the fact that he’s in love with the female lead to an obsessive point. From what I gather, witches seem to have something mystical about them that draws people to them (they’re basically all Mary Sues). So, guys fall in love with the female lead for no reason and that seems to be the case with the male lead, too. So does he genuinely love her or is he just drawn to her because she’s a witch? His stalking/data collection on her is extremely detailed. Why does he need to record that she takes a break from working and stretches at 2 pm? He has all the books that she’s translated just because she translated them. It’s things that have nothing to do with trying to free her from her curse and it feels like it’s going way too far. 1.5/10

Direction/SFX/Music: The pacing is terrible. The first 3 episodes barely set up the plot. A lot of this drama is just replaying previous scenes without even adding anything important to the plot. I feel like most of the issues with this drama could be fixed by shortening it to 5 or 6 episodes and changing the point-of-view to be strictly from the male lead throughout the entire drama. If we are only able to see things from his perspective, the story would be a much more engaging mystery for the audience. The cinematography style is actually pretty nice. I could tell they were trying to be artsy with this drama. Although I do hate the intro that plays at the beginning of every episode. It was just random scenes from various episodes put together in a montage. It felt low-effort. The OST is nothing special, but the music scores are decent. 1.5/10

Entertainment Value: Despite the very slow start, all of the flashbacks, boring characters, and terrible story telling, I actually enjoyed watching this drama. The mystery aspect was interesting. There was a style change up midway through the drama where it felt more like a suspense/thriller drama. That was cool. I wish they really leaned into that though. 5/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 3/10. Although I liked The Witch a lot more than The Trunk I gave them both the same overall score (both dramas suffer from pacing issues). Even though I wanted to drop it, The Trunk earned a 3 from me for its cast and production value. The Witch, although the execution was terrible, earned a 3 for its interesting premise and entertainment value.

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a new and refreshing plot but a wasted potential

honestly, i knew i was going to love this drama as soon as i heard about the plot and as soon as i watched the first episode. but as the story progressed, it became repetitive to the point that the story became kind of predictable. i think that the show had a lot of potential only if they focused on her curse as much as they did on the main character. the repetitive flashbacks were boring and added nothing new to the narrative most of the time.

regardless of all, i loved the idea of him continuing his research because at a certain point, her being a witch didn’t matter to him and how he risked his entire life to reveal his feelings, even after knowing the outcome. i loved the conclusion of his research being him searching for a way to love her despite it all. i just wish it was carried off well.

in conclusion, it’s a nice drama to binge watch all together if you’re looking for something other than romcoms. overall, it’s good for a one time watch.

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