Right as “Rain”
I went with some expectations since the trailers look good. I will just say that it did not disappoint me. The show has not dragged; it has kept moving. The action scenes are captivating. The chemistry between ML and FL is mature. Rest of the actors are doing their jobs quite well. Music is good too. So what’s not to like?This drama is set in the world of the rich where most of them are jerks. People go to any lengths to get what they want, money is the ultimate goal and getting somebody killed is as easy as a cow pie. Our leads have their reasons for entering this world and staying there. ML is a bodyguard of our FL.
For me , Rain’s calm, controlled but deadly bodyguard is a treat to watch. It’s not a surprise that his action scenes are fantastic. His quiet tone of voice and understated performance does the trick here. And him in those suits is the cherry on the top. The man looks good, I tell ya. In the show he doesn’t smile much, (well, given the story line it’d be odd if he did smile a lot) so that one brief smile of his on the pier is just.. I (gasp) melted, you guys. He may not be conventionally good looking, but he is handsome and he has the presence.
In comparison, Kim Ha Neul’s Wan-Soo is not consistent, as in, she oscillates between ok to not so ok. She is quite graceful but at times, she comes across as a robot rather than stoic. On the other hand, I am really loving Jung Gyu-Woon here. He has captured Yong-Gook’s brokenness, deep layers and arguable sincerity perfectly. YG is a serial cheater which should get him beaten by a blunt object but you can’t help but pity him. I am passionately hating the baddies and that shows what good jobs they are doing.
With two episodes left I really hope they wrap it well. K-dramas have a tendency of fizzling out in the finale. I’d change my ratings if that happens.
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A fun revenge ride
So far I am enjoying this drama.I have watched 8/10 episodes.
Unless this drama goes the way of some of the other ones that do well until the ending, I will keep my rating.
It is not a drama that you have to suspend belief in physics or logic to watch.
It’s just a fun revenge ride.
I think the actors and writer are doing a good job - I hate who I’m supposed to hate, I have a bit of empathy for who I’m supposed to empathize with, and I hope for a happy ending for those who have earned it.
Review of last two episodes:
It could have ended better.
It seems like the last two episodes of a lot of dramas feel rushed and the ending is meh.
The characters were just so evil, and some got what they deserved but …. I’m wishing for a more satisfying ending.
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Rain is pouring!!!!
I personally watched it because of Rain. He is the jack of all trade, he can siin, dance and act as well. I heard this drama originally tas longer number of episodes but they cut it and make it into 10 episodes, but still the outcome of the drama turns out to be great. The casting is great they picked one of the best. I like the action scenes is executed well enough and there moves are accurate.The story is more focused oo the family issues ot the Hwain Group especially its riches and who will become the successor of it the romance is just a bonus. Yes I kilig by the leads but still I can't find their chemistry together. Maybe because the FL is lacking, her acting is not effective for me, there is something missing. I am looking for more. FL is a good actress but I can say that her acting in this drama is not effective. Well RAIN is super hot in here, his giving the action star material . His very efficient in his action scenes.
I feel Yong Guk's love for his wife but he can't show it because of his mother. But,still cheating is bad but I guess he just did that because that is what he saw growing up. His mother is not a good influence in him instead she teach him to be greedy.
Overall this drama is entertaining to watched.
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action packed melodrama!
finished 8.5/10 💞✨In general the story was good, a classic melodrama full of intrigue and suspense
The majority of the cast did a great job, Rain's performance stood out 👏✨
The action role looks amazing on him... Haneul also did a good job for me although she was criticized for being stoic and cold... I personally feel like her character was designed to be that way.
The ost was very good and the scenery was not bad.
The ending was realistic, which I liked. It removed a couple of scenes that could have been written differently, but everything together gave a good closure.
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This review may contain spoilers
A story with potential, that was wasted.
"Red Swan" is definitely one of my biggest disappointments, I was hopping for an amazing production with Rain and Kang Ha Neul, but it simply didn't work out, even when it had everything to be great.The premise is good, there are a lot of dramas with the same style like "The K2", that follows the relationship of a woman and her bodyguard and how they fell in love, but the story lacks depth, the characters and the romance is really weak, the dialogues are horrible. I even laughed on episode 7 when Do Yoon asks Wan Soo to trust him... the way he say that, it was so bad, I couldn't keep a straight face. HAHAHAHA'
Their relationship is weird, there wasn't a moment when you see them falling in love, at a moment, with no explanation, Do Yoon and Wan Soo were madly in love and they not really know each other. That didn't make sense to me.
This was a drama that only made noise, but in reality it didn't have anything to show.
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I want to like this, I really do...
To start off, I've been a fan of Kim Ha-Neul since My Tutor Friend, and Rain... well, who doesn't know Rain? The man is an international star. So I was excited when I found out they'd be starring in a drama together. The trailer looked good, and I was looking forward to watching the series as soon as it come out.And then... well...
This isn't the first k-drama revolving around chaebol family drama. There are tons out there, from The Heirs to Sky Castle to the more recent ones like Penthouse and Reborn Rich and... well, you get the idea. There's this fascination with the rich and the ultra rich. We may not like that they treat money like toilet paper, but hey, they're still entertaining AF.
That being said, I gotta say, with Kim Ha-Nuel, Rain, and a stellar cast that included the lovely NS Yoon-G, I'd expected something good, or even amazing.
And I was let down.
The beginning and the backstory were well-established. The pace of the series was good, but then halfway through the series it started to feel rushed, which made the plot seem messy. I found myself pausing every 15 minutes in order to process what was happening. There were a few times when I wanted to drop this, but I kept watching because I wanted to find out what would happen to O San-woo and Seo Do-Yun in the end.
Which brings me to the acting.
The acting was amazing, but sadly, it felt wasted on this particular show. While I was drawn to O San-woo, I felt like 90% of the time, she didn't know what to do with herself. On the other hand, I found myself rooting for her as she decided to fight back after living in a decade of abuse, and gradually regained control over her life. As someone who was once in a toxic relationship, I could relate to her struggles and her journey to rediscover her voice and identity. I was however, bummed that they didn't go in-depth with it. Then again, with a complex family of characters, it could be challenging to get everyone's story out.
The chemistry between the two leads was... interesting. It's not zero chemistry, but it wasn't the intense staring contest you see often in kdramas, either. Instead, we see a slow burn type of relationship building, where two broken people learned to care and trust someone after suffering some form of trauma. It might not be something everyone could appreciate, but Rain and Kim Ha-Neul managed to make it work.
Overall, this isn't the worst k-drama I've watched, but it's not the best, either. If you're a fans of Kim Ha-Neul or Rain, then you might enjoy this. Otherwise, there are better chaebol-related kdramas out there.
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This review may contain spoilers
Damn greed
I love protective men. This bodyguard (Rain) is so tough and gentle at the same time. I liked the scenes where the protagonist couple acts together.In the last two episodes I found things that didn't add up to me and I lowered my rating a little. Examples: The "Chinese" bodyguard was stabbed and the next day he shows up at work like nothing? One shot from this men would have been enough for her to be killed or stopped but she always managed to escape. O Wan Su hears the shot and takes 10 minutes to get to the living room? She cries so much over her husband's murder that she doesn't realize the situation. Then the next day as if nothing had happened. The mother-in-law then forgives her illegitimate son for killing the beloved son to whom she wanted to give everything?
But all in all I recommend watching this series.
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The Swan: A rich story that lacked that punch
Okay, so "The Swan" has been lurking on my mental watch list for what feels like an eternity, constantly being nudged aside by the ever-expanding, frankly unwieldy, collection of dramas I swear I'm going to get around to. My current strategy, a stroke of genius if I do say so myself, involves a strict alternation: one C-drama, then one K-drama or J-drama. Because, you know, fairness.Imagine my delight when "The Swan" finally floated to the top, especially after catching a few clips. "Finally!" I thought, "Someone's cast actors who aren't fresh out of their early twenties!" As a proud member of the OG drama-watching crew, it was genuinely refreshing to see familiar faces like Oppa Rain and Kim Ha Neul on screen. These are our people! Unfortunately, what started as a promising premise ended up being… well, just "okay."
Rain, truly did his best. He put in a great performance, but I couldn't shake the feeling he was a bit mismatched. Now, before anyone starts throwing accusations of ageism or anti-feminism my way (I assure you, I'm neither!), I do sometimes wonder if female actresses, in their later years, don't always carry the same vigor as their male counterparts. Or perhaps it was just this specific pairing, because, to be fair, I've seen some absolutely phenomenal supporting actresses in their sixties and seventies completely steal the show. Case in point: the chairwoman in "The Swan." She was an absolute powerhouse and honestly, one of the main reasons I kept watching.
One thing I will say for "The Swan" is that the production value was top-notch. Those sprawling mansions? Absolutely drool-worthy. All in all, if you're not particularly bothered by a somewhat lackluster ending, "The Swan" is an okay way to spend some time. And honestly, Rain's performance alone nudges my rating up to a solid 8.
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Felt Rush, waste of time
Red Swan had so much potential if it could have been executed correctly. The story was rather cliche with the whole rich lady falls for her body guard, conglomerate family fighting for inheritance and some mystery murder thrown in just to cover all cases.I had just finished watching Eve (another disappointment but better than this one) and was looking for my next revenge romance drama. I enjoyed the acting and that certain characters got character development throughout the series, the martial art part was also rather nice...but that's where all of the good things end.
10 episodes made this story feel rush, they left some plots loose, there was barely any romance especially between the FL and ML. Sometimes I genuinely wondered how ML who is supposed to be so good at martial arts would flop in certain scenes.
FL started off being strong will and badass but she quickly became one of those annoying damsel in distress type that spend the whole drama screeching and waiting to be helped. The music...personally for me felt too screechy and like it didn't flow with the drama but I will put that I have rather sensitive ears and tend to not be a fan of high pitch voices to begin with so that part might be my own bias.
I like the fact that they used actual English in scenes, there was some actresses that spoke fluent English (like FL sister in law) also with background characters they spoke rather good English which was rather refreshing to see and different English accent.
The ending...it's a rather abrupt, unsatisfying one. Overall, I'll give this show a 1 out of 10 with 10 being the best.
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Odd perspective: Seo Yi Sook showed some fine acting, and seemed to be having fun with this role.
I never liked Seo Yi Sook (Chairwoman) ever since Empress Ki. But in this show, I thought she was fabulous. Her hysterical ourbursts were so over the top that it made me laugh, and it seemed like the actress was really having fun playing this character.I liked her in this role enough that I looked her up on YouTube, and she seems to be quite a likeable, soft-spoken person, who loves to sing - aside from being a talented actress.
Because of her, the drama was fun. I know this is a weird take on the drama, but this is how it struck me.
I also liked the actor who played the main character's husband, and will be looking forward to seeing him in more dramas. I thought he created a very sympathetic character in this role.
It wasn't an amazing drama, in retrospect, but at the time, it kept me riveted, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Going forward, when I see Seo Yi Sook, being evil, in future dramas, I won't be able to hate her any more.
I'll just admire her skill, and ability to get me invested in the story! 🙂
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This review may contain spoilers
Love begins with self-deception and ends with deceiving others
The so-called match made in heaven is nothing but a beautiful mask worn to show outsiders. As for how ugly and disgusting the person under the mask is, they know it but don't understand it. Marriage has long been dull and boring, and we are tired of each other, but under the bondage of interests, we will be the best actors, performing the drama that outsiders love to watch the most to please the audience. Love started casually.On the 10th day of getting along, he looked up and saw her, and they looked at each other. He said, "Don't do it, marry me." They didn't speak for the first 9 days. She dared to love, hate, and venture out. She dared to cut off the mother-daughter relationship with her mother who was addicted to gambling, and dared to donate all the money she earned. She dared to fight from the bottom to the Hall of Fame in a foreign country.
This time, she dared to gamble on marriage. If she was really happy after marriage, it would be a romantic flash marriage. If not, she would use her career as a horse, galloping thousands of miles, shining and beautiful alone. You can cheat as you please, just don't let me see you having an affair, because it's not very harmful, but extremely insulting. In fact, she knew her husband had an affair with a woman who called her sister, and she turned a blind eye. It's not magnanimity, but she has more important things to do, and adults rely on themselves.
There is no love in the rich family, only interests, and she has seen through this. The reason why she was not kicked out of the house and the Yingying and Yanyan did not enter the house is that her value crushed everything. Her existence is to make the husband's family think about it.
There is a price to touch her, and it may not be the kind that can be borne, so don't act on impulse. So even if she is caught in bed, she can turn around gracefully and treat it as an accidental interruption: You still have the mood to continue, I can wait outside for you to finish, you have used my husband, and he and I still have tasks and dramas to perform. The important thing is that neither of us should lose our mood.
Although you took advantage of every opportunity, your time management was still not strict enough, which embarrassed me on the spot. Fortunately, I have seen big scenes and am not surprised. However, after this incident, you should be more careful. It seemed that she had rehearsed such encounters in her mind. If you often walk by the river, you will get your shoes wet. Seeing his disapproval, the husband instantly lost the desire to seek pleasure. In order to maintain self-affirmation, he needed to get close, fresh, visible, and close love from a person. He deceived himself in the regret of not being fulfilled, and tortured himself in unspeakable lies. His wife was too good and always made him unable to reach her. There was a distance between them.
The one who wanted to get close could not step down, and the one who wanted to chase was too strong to disdain. He indulged his desires, hoping to arouse a little anger and love from his wife, but he didn't know that his wife had already reconciled with her inner love and fragility, fought her way out of the wounds, and placed her feelings in a wider world. In this regard, the husband had long been unable to keep up with her. Sometimes, the best way to make others care about you, or think less like a victim, is to care less about them.
Although this road is bloody, if the goal is clear and firm, marriage is not necessarily a shackle. Whoever suffers will change, whoever can endure the pain and transcend the pain will be a bystander, and only use the advantages of a clean marriage to pave the way for their future. Even if the mother-in-law is so angry that she wants to say, "You still don't divorce after all this, you are so heartless", it can't disrupt her rhythm. Is she heartless?
No matter how wonderful the outside world is, she just longs for a lamp to protect her. Is she heartless? If she doesn't get the result she wants, she will stick to it no matter what. But I still want to say that the most reasonable way is not to force yourself.
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Lackluster
Let's just start with Rain. He had his moments, bringing some intensity to his role. He was an eye-candy while you bored yourself with some of the lackluster performance you got handed. Kim Haneul’s performance felt bland, like.. she was just... there. Whatever romance the drama was going for never landed because the lack of chemistry between the leads made it fall flat. Like wow.Kim Yongguk who started as a cheating scumbag and somehow got a redemption arc that had me actually laughing... like what? By the end, they tried to make him seem like a loving husband, which made no sense given his actions. Was he bipolar or did the writers just give up at that point?
On the bright side, the supporting cast did a solid job. The evil mother-in-law was convincingly infuriating, adding the much-needed tension.
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