Caro

I'm enjoying too, love being presented with a puzzle to solve. Episode 3 is great with lots of extra clues.

I noticed that. And oddly on the red carpet he was the only one who talked about his role - makes me wonder if that is a clue.
The other odd things are
- the systems engineer wasn't originally part of the main cast but is now, and is included in the character profile, but Andy Lau isn't
- the chess piece image in the intro - all the victims/players have their own images so this one may be Andy - it doesn't seem to correlate to a deadly sin, but it gets knocked over. Is he a player or a controller.
- maybe his sister has already been kidnapped and the media hasn't found out yet
- but then what would be his 'sin'.

I've watched through the first episode a few times to work out the clues and find any references to Hong Kong, so far that's all I came up with. I'm going to rewatch ep 2 now to look for clues.

They're my favourites.

Marco Polo incident (1937) marks the start of the second sino-Japanese, which was the step to full scale war in Asia (eventually combining with Pacific war in 1941). At the time this drama is set Korea had become Japan's military and industrial post for its invasion of China (Mukden incident) 6mths before. There were pretty brutal crackdowns on dissention over the next couple of years. Can't see too many happy endings coming from this, but then people did manage to keep living and maybe FL does escape to America.

If you look at the intro to all the characters, there's a symbol (bullet, light bulb, timer, wine, money pot, apple), they do line up with the sins somewhat, but not all

I noticed that Hong Kong is no longer one of the cities and Stanley Yau's name does not appear on the cast list on FujiTV, whereas the person playing the Systems Engineer was just support and is now main actor (https://www.fujitv.co.jp/kidnap-game/cast-staff/index.html)

In an earlier interview Stanley Yau said he was an international lawyer based in Hong Kong who's sister goes missing. It looks like something fell through with the Hong Kong angle. However, there is a small possibility the Systems Engineer gets disqualified and there's a new kidnapping in Hong Kong, but then why does his name not appear in the cast list.

I love a puzzle, and that's what this first episode gave us.

At first I was disappointed we were only getting one episode in the first week. But then I realised there are so many clues and meanings buried in the plot I need time to uncover them and digest them. I recommend for starters go back and look for the symbol that introduces each character.

I was told because it had an 'affair' in it - sadly young netizins acting like the puritan police. At least it's slowly creeping up as people who actually watched it rate it.

Same here, I watched it for the three leads who are all stellar, mature actors.
Viki had it listed as a family drama and thriller, not as a comedy at all, so I wouldn't have watched but for the leads.

The review-bombing on MDL and IMDB ratings that gave it low ratings at the start also deterred people. Thankfully the word is getting out and more people are watching and those ratings are creeping up. Can't gauge it's popularity in Korea as Coupang don't use Neilsen ratings, but if it had a higher international rating I could see it being picked up for broader international distribution.

He is basically being blackmailed into supporting everyone. That part was so funny - I was worried he didn't get his just deserts but then it shows him paying off both the wives (who both have 'blackmail' videos). He has to keep his business afloat so everyone else get paid.

ML gets the most punishment - he becomes the most hated man in Korea and will never work as an actor again. At least the two women can start new businesses (and FL had a lot of support from the public).

I'm glad they didn't wrap the ending up in a bow but let the audience decide what the future would look like

Wasn't she saying open up the profile to any possibility. I thought the profiler was the plant but then she suggested it might not be a man. She wasn't keen about the detective going off on his own lead tho.

I don't recall them ever saying minor - could it be a translation issue?

Look at the age breakdown - its younger audiences who rated it low (teens and probably teens faking their ages). Another negative review-bombing - happens for shows the prudes don't like.

That was so funny - you can tell who's the daughter of the actor/influencer.

Gosh yes, hadn't even realised. Crazy. It is foremost a comedy - I'd never describe it as a 'family' drama - boy a few people would get a surprise!

Love this show. Satisfying ending. Everyone turned out to be a*holes, even the police. The criminal who kept getting off takes the fall for the one crime he didn't commit. And our main protaganists all get punished for the one thing they were guilty of all along - the affairs. Really clever concept, beautiful production, actors did great but the stand out was Kim Hye-soo.

Immature kiddies that shouldn't be watching and prudes who don't like the word affair.

Loved the chaos of episode 7. The disasters just keep accumulating, they really aren't slowing down. The last episode is going to need to cover a lot of ground.

Can't believe it finishes next week. Do these dysfunctional families/adults deserve a happy ending? Will anyone else end up dead?

They are step siblings and there's no incest if that's what you're worried about. There will be plot twists.

Didn't realise, now I've have to watch back! Both are great shows.