Somebody (2022)

Definitely something else

This for sure was an odd one. It started interesting and that is why I even continued; the whole AI/Someone theme was pretty nice but it went just downhill with hella weird ending.

Story
Story was fine, but storytelling? Or rather lack of it? Not so much. Plot depended on illogical decision made by characters is a bad storytelling. So many tropes that were abandoned and never explored and to be honest unlike other series, I am not even disappointed by this since they were pretty unimpressive. I am mainly talking about things like Gi-eun and Seom relationship, what was even their problem? It was mentioned briefly and resolved in one scene after like the shortest dialogue ever or Yuno being abandoned by his mother (it was mentioned once and never brought up again). Some dialogues were very vague. Also, whole police theme was just waste of time and brought nothing to the table. Overall, it just felt pretty flat but pacing was good (with rather abrupt ending).

Characters
The biggest fault I have with this series are totally unrelatedeble characters and their decisions. But the worst character was probably Gi-eun. She did not bring anything to the table and her decisions were the worst. Yuno was also not it, just your typical psycho. Seom was just weird and annoying at some point in the story. The only interesting character was the Shaman and only her actions were logical. Oh, yeah there was also Samantha, her role probably should have ended with being in the company, because there was almost nothing coming out of her involvement.

Acting/Cast
What saves this series is definitely acting. I think cast did great job in trying to capture that odd, eerie vibe and this is what distinguishes it from the others.

Still even great acting cannot save so-so story and badly written characters. Music was fine, I guess but nothing out of this planet. I would rate it 6. I probably only finished this because it was quite short. There is nothing making me to want go back to it. I would only recommend if you are looking for something different than your average Netflix K-drama.

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This is a Strange Drama

Disclaimer: This is a subjective review that is not intended to offend anyone. It reflects my personal perception of the drama, which may differ from yours. Whether to watch it or not is your choice.

This is probably the type of drama that some will call a masterpiece, while others will say, "What kind of nonsense is this?" I, however, remain somewhere in the middle because this drama felt rather strange to me.

I was intrigued by the main character because, as we know, she has Asperger’s syndrome, which I’m encountering for the first time. I was interested in learning more about people with this condition outside of watching the drama, but I felt that the main character wasn’t explored deeply enough within the series itself.

Since this is a psychological thriller, I expected it to be more intense, but instead, there were many unnecessary dialogues that I ended up skipping. I felt that this aspect was lacking.

As for the serial killer, I would have liked to learn more about him, but he was still quite well done, as he managed to evoke a feeling of hatred in me.

The supporting characters were rather shallow. I wish there had been more interactions between them.

Overall, the atmosphere felt strange to me. I enjoy slow-paced dramas, but in this one, everything unfolded in a somewhat unusual way. These slow scenes gave me mixed feelings—as if they irritated me, yet at the same time, they kept me intrigued.

However, I want to note that this drama gave me something new to think about. I found themes here that piqued my interest. This drama will definitely stay in my memory for a long time because of how unusual it felt to me.

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DAMAGING PORTRAYAL OF AUTISM

While the actors deliver strong performances, this drama really misses the mark in its portrayal of autism. The suspenseful plot keeps you hooked, but the way it depicts the autistic female lead is problematic; it paints her as a psychopath with no empathy. On top of that, the implication that she’s drawn to the serial killer because he’s "just like her" (possibly on the spectrum) just reinforces harmful stereotypes.

It’s frustrating to see a 2022 drama use these outdated and damaging tropes instead of offering a more nuanced representation of autism. South Korea, do better!

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Just so very boring

But you know, at first it actually wasn't. Got to give full credit to those amazing Korean production values and the acting chops of literally everybody on screen because all of that propelled me through to about episode 3 before I realised I had no idea what was happening and the whole thing didn't make much sense.

Plot points seemed to repeat endlessly to no purpose and characters did inexplicable things for vague reasons (although rank stupidity did seem to be a factor).

The male lead seems to be able to sign up to a dating app with his own image, lure women in and kill them with nobody noticing or caring - let alone the police. I've seen the whole thing and still have no idea what motivated our female lead, Sum, at any point. The writer seemed to think her being autistic was sufficient motivation and I don't even know where to start on how offensive that is.

Somebody and the titular app, Someone, seem to represent an intense desire for connection between people who leave themselves open and vulnerable in trying to find it and thus end up hurt. But the show's limp, oppressed storytelling left us with nothing but a lot of scrabbling around in the dark and, admittedly, healthy doses of Kim Young-kwang being in equal parts creepy and sexy as fuck.

What should have been menacing ended up being undercut by the serial killer's sheer overwhelming omniscience and everybody's vague motivations. Don't get me started on the drama's annoying detours into mysticism and mentions of 'evil spirits' and 'exorcisms'.

By the end, I was hoping I too could be strangled mid-coitus because that would be a hell of a lot more interesting than this show and I'd still end up stupefied to the same extent.

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TLDR; great cinematography but deeply problematic

if there's one thing this show does brilliantly, it's messing with your mind. there are so many subtle things that put you on edge, for example the odd pacing between scenes; some scenes literally seem like they've been sped up (i still don't know if they actually are or not) and in others the pauses in dialogue are painfully long. of course there's stuff that's obviously unnerving like the dead cat and well everything the ML does but the characters act like it's totally normal and it rlly messes with your mind. so, in that aspect, they perfectly nailed the concept of a psychological thriller.

HOWEVER, as the episodes went on, it got more and more problematic until i eventually gave up after episode 5. and i don't mean the characters, because well obviously a serial killer is problematic -- i'm talking about the stereotypes it perpetuates, especially about autism, that go WAY beyond typical autism stigma. giving the only autistic character violent tendencies and making it out as though it's because she doesn't have emotions? and then, when she finds out ML was the one who led her into an abandoned building to get r*ped and FILMED IT she's not at all upset, instead she gets more interested in him and says "i've finally found someone who's just like me" ??? on top of detrimentally worsening autism stigma, this is grossly offensive to survivors of sexual assault and all women, and teaches men that stuff like this is okay because some women are into it.

while i would like to hope the remaining episodes that i didn't watch would clear this up, from the other reviews i've read it seems like it just gets worse. what a waste of such chilling cinematography.

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I'm in love with Yun-O

I liked this, because it let the viewer get to know the serial killer and his lover from a different point of view. I found myself hoping that the building would collapse on the lady cop, so they could continue their relationship and so it wouldn't have to be him that directly kills her friend.

Kim Young Kwang played the hell out of this role. Overall, this drama was brilliant, and I am left feeling connected to the main characters. I do wish it could have ended differently, as I really started to feel for Yun-O, even though he was a serial killer. The series made me see how alone and vulnerable he was and Sum was the one light in his life. At the very least, I would have wished to see them die together, both having finally found the one who understands them.

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Love it or hate it

I'll start off by saying I really like this drama, especially with how they used the soundtracks. I'm also a fan of the psychopath/serial killer genre and I like how the "cat and mouse" portions were executed. I just felt letdown by the pacing issues that resulted in some early episodes being a bit of a drag and the last episode a rush to tie up loose ends. Some of the writing wasn't great too, with characters (looking at you, Gi-Eun) making the world's dumbest decisions and putting themselves in harm's way repeatedly. Mok-Won's character also felt really random and underutilized, with the show taking pains to carefully carve out her backstory as a shaman, show her meeting girls in the club etc etc and all that just for her to basically not have an impact on the conclusion at all. Instead, I wished they would have tried to flesh out Fingers and Samantha more, as they had close to 0 screentime yet had a serious part to play in affecting the ending.

The acting was amazing, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the female leads are actually rookies. Kim Young Kwang was also excellent and he really embodied the character perfectly. The cinematography was next level and I really liked the arthouse vibe of it. Too often Kdramas devolve into the cliche "slow-mo" while staring at each other type scenes with the cheesy OSTs blaring in the background and I would say this drama stands out among the rest with its cinematography. The creative use of the soundtrack was also fantastic and I'm so glad to be introduced to Schumann's Vogel Als Prophet lol.

This is an extremely polarizing show and you will either love it or hate it. I can see why many have dropped it - plot that meanders aimlessly in the beginning, characters making horribly stupid decisions, excessive sex/nudity scenes, but I would still encourage thriller fans to give this a chance.

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Somebody With Vision, Nobody With a Plan

Disclaimer: This was my second viewing of Somebody. When it first aired, I found it chaotic, abstract, and overly dependent on shock value. Watching it again now, it’s less frightening — but the plot holes stand out more clearly. At the same time, I appreciate its artistic intentions far more than before.

Acting / Cast
The ensemble cast elevates the drama beyond its narrative flaws. Kim Young Kwang, as architect/serial killer Seong Yun O, delivers a chilling, magnetic performance — elegant, predatory, and unsettlingly calm. He embodies the kind of villain who is terrifying precisely because he is controlled. Kim Yong Ji is equally captivating as Im Mok Won, a lesbian shaman whose enigmatic presence adds a supernatural texture to the series. She brings nuance into a world otherwise dominated by cold digital logic. Other characters vary in effectiveness, with Yeong Gi Eun’s illogical and reckless behavior pulling the story down more often than it should.

Score: 8/10

Writing
This is where my feelings remain conflicted. Conceptually, the drama is fascinating: digital intimacy, AI-mediated desire, and the difficulty of distinguishing authenticity from manipulation in the era of dating apps. The story also hides a clever linguistic play — a kind of internal title pun: 썸바디 (Somebody) uses 썸, a Korean slang meaning flirtation or almost dating > the main character is Kim Sum (김섬) — pronounced almost identically > her AI creation is named “Someone”, which visually plays like “Sum-one” or 섬1, as if the machine is her first and closest companion. This layering of 썸 / Sum / Someone is one of the more intelligent and playful aspects of the story, reflecting how blurred the line becomes between human connection and artificial simulation.

Yet despite this sophistication, the narrative execution is unfocused. The plot wanders, suspense drags too long without reward, and by the time the finale arrives, everything feels both abrupt and oddly tidy. Kim Sum’s portrayal as having “Asperger’s” — already an outdated term — feels inconsistent and poorly researched. She is presented as someone who cannot interpret basic emotions yet is somehow capable of engineering complex AI systems and a full-scale dating platform. Instead of nuanced representation, it leans into contradiction for convenience. Meanwhile, the police officer Gi Eun repeatedly endangers herself with absolute disregard for logic, even after barely surviving a violent encounter.

Score: 4/10

Direction / SFX / Music
The direction remains the drama’s anchor. Every frame is stylized yet minimalistic. The quiet emptiness of the settings, the sterile architecture, the eerie ritual scenes — all create a visual environment that’s both hypnotic and suffocating. The soundtrack complements this atmosphere: pulsing, cold, and detached, yet effective in building tension. The cinematography and SFX feel deliberate and controlled, offering a polished backdrop that often outshines the script.

Score: 7/10

Entertainment Value
My viewing experience changed substantially on rewatch. The shock value is far less potent, and without that layer, the cracks in the storytelling become more visible. The suspense is stretched too thin, the narrative loses direction, and the explicit 21+ scenes — while beautifully shot — sometimes overshadow the plot rather than deepen it. Some viewers joke that the drama’s main selling point is the explicit content, and I can partially agree. Those scenes are unusually graphic for Korean TV and end up drawing disproportionate focus. Still, the atmosphere, performances, and stylistic confidence kept me engaged, even when the story failed to support them.

Score: 6/10

Somebody is a series I appreciate more for its artistic intentions than for its storytelling. It is visually striking, thematically ambitious, and supported by magnetic performances. But the writing lacks consistency, character logic falters, and the emotional core never fully materializes. Even so, the layered title pun and the exploration of digital-era intimacy give it a distinct identity.

If you enjoy atmospheric, stylish psychological dramas and can overlook narrative imperfections, Somebody is worth watching at least once. Just don’t expect a tightly constructed thriller — because that’s not what it is.

Overall score: 7/10

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Long.

Bro for me when I first watched this show I was interested from the first characters, the murder mystery surrounding Yun-oh and the connection to Sum, I thought I was in for a rollercoaster. HOWEVER as I want went on I realized very easily that this show is going to be longgg. 8 episodes isn't that bad, it's better than most shows. And okay to be fair I dropped the show thinking I wouldn't watch it again after completing 3 episodes because I was very, very bored however I thought of continuing just because I was interested in how it was going to end. The style of the show is fantastic there's a lot of quiet moments and beautiful shots of just Sum but then there's also a lot of boring moments that will make you wonder why you're watching this. I really enjoyed the last minutes of the first episode where Yun-oh is revealed to be a killer. We have some moments between the two which I believe is actually interesting, I don't know why but the dark elements of them being together intrigues me. Obviously this couple is bad, I don't even support it but seeing how the two share the same feelings, being the only ones who feel out of place made me want to see how it would continue. Like why didn't he kill her? Why is he attached to her? YOU KNOW?!? Messed up relationships like theirs is really interesting but then we'd have some unnecessary parts mid way aka the rest of the side characters. Okay cop lady made me so BOREDDDD like girl I know it's for the plot but maybe? Maybe? Next time why did she go by herself in some demolition zone with the guy that legit left her??? Ummm like okay? AND btw we spend like a whole episode with her just being stuck and the boring ritual sorry... LOL I don't even know why??? Then afterwards we move onto where everyone finds out Sum is dating him then idk they just kind of let it??? From episodes 7-8 Yun-oh likes her, like really likes her... And I was kind of surprised- Because I legit thought he would kill her but okay sure understandable I get clinging onto the first person that you like and she did too. Afterwards skip to Yun-oh's backstory which wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be??? Kind of disappointing how it just chucks up to mommy issues and accidentally killing the first woman he meets on the app woopsiesss. Moving on- We get to the last episodes where Sum tricks Yun-oh to get killed with a razor blade to his eye, perfect slice btw, and neck and just like the cat she killed it was to spare both of them. But also um idk in revenge of all the girls he killed I thought his death would be more extreme? However I liked the part where Sum regained her control after being with him. Tbh I thought the actor for Yun-oh was sooooo good, like his scenes were probably the best part of the show, I kind of feel bad for saying this but everyone else was just meh characters to me, like I didn't really cared too much abt them even Sum... Sorry. Overall on the messed up factor I liked it. On the plot- ummmmmmmmmmm it's ight and the acting was alright. I wouldn't sit through this show again and I don't really recommend something like this to anyone who wants something dark. AND THERE WAS SOOOOOOOOO MUCH MISSING POTENTIAL THIS SHOW COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT. Also the hand thing was really weird lol. Overall 6.5 because I really like Yun-oh's actor. Thanks for reading.

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...They confused the Socio vs Psycho traits

Sorry NOT Sorry but Somebody was dumb af, frustrating and uncomfortable and I'm gonna tell you why:

1. I blame all this on the writing. The actors and actresses did the work and their job, they did it well but the writing is shoddy, confusing and was not thoroughly researched

2. It's either you're a sociopath or psychopath - you can't be both

3. Both traits are incapable of love or liking or holding a relationship or implying a relationship. It's distorted and not really love/like

4. They implied the police officer was more interested in d!k and not protecting herself and the situation around her by doing the most of nothing and nearly getting herself killed multiple times

5. He has been in these women faces time and time again and have not done anything - again it's either you're a sociopath or a psychopath you cannot be both

6. Nature vs Nurture hence Sociopaths are made and psychopaths are born And I was hella confused by this during the conversation he had with the little boy and the maze

7. They have confused mental illness with autism- she's autistic; on the asberger spectrum

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"Somebody" follows the story of a programmer named Sum, who is introverted and has a hard time interacting with other people. She spends most of her time chatting with strangers online through her AI program. She starts chatting with a man named Yun Oh, unaware that he is a serial killer.

Their relationship is quite strange, but that's exactly what I expected, since both characters are like that. Yun Oh is clearly a psychopath, but Sum isn't far behind. She had all the traits of a psychopath, she just never acted on them. At first, I thought she was with him knowing he was a murderer, but later it was implied that Sum thought he was innocent, especially when Mok Won started questioning her.

I enjoyed seeing Kim Young Kwang playing a role like this, he is the biggest reason to watch, since the drama ends up being quite disappointing. There was no depth to Yun Oh's past, his motivations and I think this was essential to understanding the character.

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