bvnny

dead end job had the kind of premise that pulled me in, especially with 이재욱 being in the military. an ordinary person caught in a bizarre world where seemingly normal jobs can turn into something else. the first job at the convenience store was honestly the best in my opinion. it captured the concept perfectly, but as the story went on, the episodes became increasingly uneven and the worldbuilding never felt solid enough to support all of the mystery it introduced. i still enjoyed the drama don’t get me wrong!! but i don’t think it fully delivered with its premise. since we’re talking about the jobs, the later ones were honestly a mixed bag. the mime and the milkman jobs were decent but neither felt as threatening, especially the mime. i’m not sure if it’s because 혁준 pulled the joker card but i honestly laughed or felt second hand embarrassment more than anything. the theater job involving 변지윤 had an interesting setup but it felt unnecessary. the clinic job felt more like a story about corruption rather than an actual other world anomaly. then don’t me started on the amusement park… i have no idea what the fuck was happening lmaoo. the construction job also made me question how these assignments were connected to the anomaly premise in the first place, even if it was a job 혁준 took just to help find his father. instead of feeling like each job was expanding the rules of the other world, they often felt very disconnected from one another. i also think that 연주 being an other world anomaly/monster was unnecessary lol. her having her own human agenda could’ve been compelling enough without adding another supernatural layer that makes up the entire ending. long story short, the drama left too much of its own mechanics unexplained. i don’t mind ambiguity but if i have to rely on other commenters to piece together how the jobs work, what certain outcomes mean, or what a character’s motives actually are, then i think the storytelling has a clarity problem. while i can see the drama setting things up for a possible second season, (이재욱 come back from the military pls i beg), i still wanted the first season to feel like a complete story in its own right. again i don’t think it was bad. i genuinely was super excited to watch this ever since they even hinted at this drama coming out. i think 이재욱 did a great job with acting and this is the kind of drama i wanted to see him do outside of his biggest role in alchemy of souls. i’m glad i watched it and there was enough here that i wouldn’t rate it lower. compared to my 8 ratings though, it didn’t leave me with the same satisfaction. either way, i would say to watch it! it’s definitely a combination of squid game/vhs/fnaf gameplay style etc etc but don’t be surprised with the plot lol.