Reaper Madnes ⛏ A Peek Under the Hood of Life & Death °8° °excellent°
Death is certain. Not everyone will live to see TOMORROW. Some can't bear the thought of it. “Did you think that was the end? NO. Compared to the price you'll have to pay for your sins, this is just the beginning for you.” Grim reapers are pros at delivering grim news. A 2022 release, rated 90 on AWiki, T is 1 season consisting of 16 60-minute episodes. We're following grim reapers around. Ryun is on an experimental team (RM) assigned to reduce the suicide rate, but her team is understaffed. Nobody expects them to be made permanent.
It opens to black, red, and ghostly blue. A woman in a chili red suit (Ryun) stops a van full of people from committing suicide and hurridly drives them to the hospital. Her cargo is frightened as she weaves in and out of lanes and daringly skirts over to the opposite side of the road. She doesn't understand. Why are they valuing their lives NOW? “Didn't you guys get together to die?” She's genuinely curious. They start begging for their lives. “We want to live!” “All humans are faced with choices, and each of those choices comes with consequences,” she'll comment. Too many times, we only get 1 crack at the right choice. Unbearable pain might make a person want to kill h/hself, but suicide is never the right solution to problems.
When a homeless man attempts to jump off of a bridge, Joon stops him, but they both end up going in the water. The RM team really screwed up, which is why the rescue fell on Joon. Now Joon is in a coma, and they're going to have to make it up to him. Right now, he's scheduled to be in that hospital bed for 3 years. BUT, if he'll work for the grim reapers they'll wake him up in 6 months. Oh, that job he hasn't found yet? He'll land the job of his dreams in 6 months, too; only if he helps them.
So Joon becomes temp at the reaper facility. Besides the escorts to the afterlife, there's all kinds of jobs. His assignment isn't set at first as nobody wants him. He ends up at the unit that everyone thinks is useless: RM - Risk Management, or suicide prevention. The unit manager isn't even from Heaven! She's from HELL!
Kim Hee Sun (Woman of Dignity, Remarriage and Desires) is our hellish Goo “Ryun”. Her fashion is outstanding. She must play tough, hurt, vulnerable and strong. She has insurmountable pain that has kept her down for centuries. The actress handily portrays all of this. The full-faced Ro Woon (The King's Affection-8.3, She Would Never Know-7.3) plays Choi “Joon” Woong. He's a good actor but his looks are so other-worldly that it nearly distracts from his performance.
Lee Soo Hyuk (Doom at Your Service) is Park Joong Gil. He has a narrow mindset to go with his narrow face. He hates the RM team and he loathes Ryun. Any feeling that intense isn't simple, is it? She used to work under him but left for the just-formed RM unit. He's a cheerless rule follower and is plagued by nightmares. He asks Ryun why /she/ is always appearing in his nightmares? She deflects and says she has no idea. As the show develops, the last third will be devoted to their past.
Yun Ji On (Love Next Door, Memoris) portrays Im Ryung “Goo”. I wondered about the occasional nose-picking, but that's actually a glitch he picked up from the way he died. Still, I wish they hadn't. Kim Hae Sook gets around. Her first credit is from 1977. In Start-Up she's a sweet grandma. In Hospital Playlist-9, a weary mother and widow who is finding love with her old best friend. In Inspector Koo-8.4, she's a rich dame who is really a thug. In Revenant-7.4 she's a committed rageful villain. She has unlimited range. Here, she's the boss, the Jade Emperor. They have her in protruding shoulder pads that look like wings under wraps. The directors are Kim Tae Yoon (New Trial) and Sung Chi Wook (Kairos). Llama, of Webtoon Singer is the original creator, and this is a first effort for the 3 screenwriters: Park Ran, Park Ja Kyung & Kim Yu Jin.
Joon's start is less than perfect and no team volunteers to take him. Ryun figures she can abuse him as a pawn. Her unit is so understaffed that he's better than nothing, she's thinking. Next (or first, rather) they give him the rules. Here's the code of conduct for Jumadeung Reapers:
⛏ A Reaper may not dress or behave in a way that compromises dignity. We cut to Joon getting fitted for a custom-made suit. He's elated until Ryun says: “You look like a rag doll” 😆
⛏ Complete secrecy. He gets a new resident number. A new name as well. His face will appear differently, so if he runs into any of his acquaintances, they won't recognize him. His body is still in the hospital, afterall.
⛏ Reapers are forbidden from using their powers in front of humans, and they are forbidden from involving themselves in human affairs. They must abandon all ties to the land of the living. This proves to be quite impossible for Joon. When Joon comes across an online troll who assists people in committing suicide he /has/ to take matters into his own hands. That's not the only time. He's not the only one, either, actually. They're actually pretty sloppy with the rules.
⛏ They even make him sign a contract.
The show is about love, loss and acceptance. It's a celebration of life and reinforces that when there is life there is possibility. This isn't a romance. It looks back on love tragically lost and has a promise of potential future romance. There's more loss than love in T: Following a show centered around people who are about to commit suicide is heartbreaking.
Ep2 delves into the life of a women who is being cruelly bullied. It's difficult. “It's like a tunnel that will never end,“ says one victim of bullying. She desperately wants relief but sees no chance of ever experiencing an amelioration of her suffering. “There is no salvation unless you save yourself,” we learn. That is true, in part, but for some to fly they might need a push. Next, they help Joon's friend who failed the civil service exam… again. They make 🍗🍗🍗 in the past and deliver it 20 years into the future! Then, it's helping a deceased woman prevent her widower from self-termination. They break all the rules on that assignment, but they end up doing the RIGHT thing.
Ep6 brings us Jeon Mu-Song (Blues) as Lee Young-Chun, an elderly man who, for a living, collects cardboard to be recycled. There's something sincere and endearing about this actor. I've only seen him in The King: Eternal Monarch-8.3, in which he made a strong impression as the King's elderly uncle. Perhaps it was his performance, or the way I was feeling on the day I watched ep6, but I teared up. Here, he's playing a 91 year old Korean war veteran. As he pushes his loaded handcart down the street while wearing his distinguished service cap, a child asks his mother: ‘Why is he doing that?’ “He didn't work hard enough or study properly. Make sure you study hard so you don't end up like that,” is her cold under-thought response. She probably fashions herself a great mother, but she's going to raise a monster. How difficult is it to teach your children to treat every human with dignity? The evidence is that the idea is incomprehensible for an ever growing number of parents. Anyway, he gets a proper send-off. I had tears welling up during the entire episode.
In ep7 they have to go undercover and work in an office. They're completely miserable clicking on the computer all day and putting up with their obnoxious, harassing, egotistical boss. Since June's been pining for a job in the backstory leading up to the show, it's pretty funny how, when he actually gets to work in an office, he finds it to be a level of hell.
Ep8 is a big moral dilemma. They have to decide whether to save a ruthless scammer or not. What's lacking is whether they'll call the police on this criminal who deserves to be in jail. Saving the person's life is one thing, but the rest of that life should be spent in prison. I had trouble enjoying the episode thinking that if someone doesn't call the cops, Ima be quite displeased. They do get round to it, so the angst was wasted.
In one episode they deal with the doggy who attempts suicide. I rolled my eyes a bit, but that 🐶 is S😍 CUTE.
Ep10 deals with a r@pe and it's very sad. The victim will tearfully recount how, after the attack, everyone in the family blamed /her/. “Why were you out that late at night alone?” ‘Why did you do this, why did you do that, why did you WEAR that?’ It's brutal. Then they get into the online commenters who find fault with the victim. Monday morning quarterbacking is too easy. After going through trauma myself, I've noticed how other people habitually downplay and minimize someone else's pain. Trauma and pain are painful enough, but the reaction of others is what makes a victim feel completely isolated and alone. At some point, every bad experience should be evaluated so that one can learn from it and avoid things like that in the future. However, the time to Monday Morning QB is once the crisis has passed. It's never time to do it in the middle of the crisis. A person traumatized and in pain needs to feel loved, supported, and protected. Period.
From abuse of women in current day, ep13 takes a trip to the past when it dips into World War II and how the Japanese used Koreans as “comfort women”. More tears. T segues into the backstory of one of the team members. As the latter episodes come into play, we'll go more into the past along with mysteries that continue to have an impact on today.
The filming is excellent. The effects are sophisticated and beautiful. They make the city bend in one cool effect. Goo's reincarnated mother from the past is featured in current day. She works at a store called The South Face. It's clearly The North Face, but in Korea they, apparently, must avoid such references to the “North”. That's pretty interesting.
T is funny in spots too. Most of the humor is a contrast of personalities. Imagine Joon’s shock when he learns that his partners have been reapers since the Joseon era. Ryun's been one since the Qing invasion (December 9, 1636). He's at a loss. They don't have honorifics for that!
They do a nice job with the wrap up and send us to tomorrow with a smidge more hope.
QUOTES🗣
You have to be born like that to be that annoying.
My pride made me misunderstand you and do those horrible things.
IMHO〰🖍
📣8.5 📝8 🎭8.4 🎨8 🎵/🔊7 🔚7 🤗4.5 ▪ 🌞4.5 ⚡6.5 😅3 😭7 😱3.5 😯3 🤢3 🤔5 💤0
Shazams: My Only One by BEN
Age 14+ for heavy and sad material life and death struggles that could be disturbing. Rated: 15+ - Teens 15 or older
Re-📺? The future is unclear
In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:
Grappling with Death -
Crazy Love-7.8,
Flex X Cop-8.5,
Mystic Pop-up Bar-8.2,
Uncanny counter S1 only °S1-8.4 S2-4,
Oh My Ghost 10,
The Bros-7.4,
Hotel del Luna-8.4,
Marry My Husband-7.5,
Be Melodramatic-8.7,
Missing: The Other Side-8.3,
Move To Heaven-8.4,
Hymn of Death-8.4,
Death's Game-7.8,
Light Shop-8.6,
Wonderful World-7.8,
Black-9,
The Cursed-8.3,
The Wailing-8.8,
Mother-8.8
It opens to black, red, and ghostly blue. A woman in a chili red suit (Ryun) stops a van full of people from committing suicide and hurridly drives them to the hospital. Her cargo is frightened as she weaves in and out of lanes and daringly skirts over to the opposite side of the road. She doesn't understand. Why are they valuing their lives NOW? “Didn't you guys get together to die?” She's genuinely curious. They start begging for their lives. “We want to live!” “All humans are faced with choices, and each of those choices comes with consequences,” she'll comment. Too many times, we only get 1 crack at the right choice. Unbearable pain might make a person want to kill h/hself, but suicide is never the right solution to problems.
When a homeless man attempts to jump off of a bridge, Joon stops him, but they both end up going in the water. The RM team really screwed up, which is why the rescue fell on Joon. Now Joon is in a coma, and they're going to have to make it up to him. Right now, he's scheduled to be in that hospital bed for 3 years. BUT, if he'll work for the grim reapers they'll wake him up in 6 months. Oh, that job he hasn't found yet? He'll land the job of his dreams in 6 months, too; only if he helps them.
So Joon becomes temp at the reaper facility. Besides the escorts to the afterlife, there's all kinds of jobs. His assignment isn't set at first as nobody wants him. He ends up at the unit that everyone thinks is useless: RM - Risk Management, or suicide prevention. The unit manager isn't even from Heaven! She's from HELL!
Kim Hee Sun (Woman of Dignity, Remarriage and Desires) is our hellish Goo “Ryun”. Her fashion is outstanding. She must play tough, hurt, vulnerable and strong. She has insurmountable pain that has kept her down for centuries. The actress handily portrays all of this. The full-faced Ro Woon (The King's Affection-8.3, She Would Never Know-7.3) plays Choi “Joon” Woong. He's a good actor but his looks are so other-worldly that it nearly distracts from his performance.
Lee Soo Hyuk (Doom at Your Service) is Park Joong Gil. He has a narrow mindset to go with his narrow face. He hates the RM team and he loathes Ryun. Any feeling that intense isn't simple, is it? She used to work under him but left for the just-formed RM unit. He's a cheerless rule follower and is plagued by nightmares. He asks Ryun why /she/ is always appearing in his nightmares? She deflects and says she has no idea. As the show develops, the last third will be devoted to their past.
Yun Ji On (Love Next Door, Memoris) portrays Im Ryung “Goo”. I wondered about the occasional nose-picking, but that's actually a glitch he picked up from the way he died. Still, I wish they hadn't. Kim Hae Sook gets around. Her first credit is from 1977. In Start-Up she's a sweet grandma. In Hospital Playlist-9, a weary mother and widow who is finding love with her old best friend. In Inspector Koo-8.4, she's a rich dame who is really a thug. In Revenant-7.4 she's a committed rageful villain. She has unlimited range. Here, she's the boss, the Jade Emperor. They have her in protruding shoulder pads that look like wings under wraps. The directors are Kim Tae Yoon (New Trial) and Sung Chi Wook (Kairos). Llama, of Webtoon Singer is the original creator, and this is a first effort for the 3 screenwriters: Park Ran, Park Ja Kyung & Kim Yu Jin.
Joon's start is less than perfect and no team volunteers to take him. Ryun figures she can abuse him as a pawn. Her unit is so understaffed that he's better than nothing, she's thinking. Next (or first, rather) they give him the rules. Here's the code of conduct for Jumadeung Reapers:
⛏ A Reaper may not dress or behave in a way that compromises dignity. We cut to Joon getting fitted for a custom-made suit. He's elated until Ryun says: “You look like a rag doll” 😆
⛏ Complete secrecy. He gets a new resident number. A new name as well. His face will appear differently, so if he runs into any of his acquaintances, they won't recognize him. His body is still in the hospital, afterall.
⛏ Reapers are forbidden from using their powers in front of humans, and they are forbidden from involving themselves in human affairs. They must abandon all ties to the land of the living. This proves to be quite impossible for Joon. When Joon comes across an online troll who assists people in committing suicide he /has/ to take matters into his own hands. That's not the only time. He's not the only one, either, actually. They're actually pretty sloppy with the rules.
⛏ They even make him sign a contract.
The show is about love, loss and acceptance. It's a celebration of life and reinforces that when there is life there is possibility. This isn't a romance. It looks back on love tragically lost and has a promise of potential future romance. There's more loss than love in T: Following a show centered around people who are about to commit suicide is heartbreaking.
Ep2 delves into the life of a women who is being cruelly bullied. It's difficult. “It's like a tunnel that will never end,“ says one victim of bullying. She desperately wants relief but sees no chance of ever experiencing an amelioration of her suffering. “There is no salvation unless you save yourself,” we learn. That is true, in part, but for some to fly they might need a push. Next, they help Joon's friend who failed the civil service exam… again. They make 🍗🍗🍗 in the past and deliver it 20 years into the future! Then, it's helping a deceased woman prevent her widower from self-termination. They break all the rules on that assignment, but they end up doing the RIGHT thing.
Ep6 brings us Jeon Mu-Song (Blues) as Lee Young-Chun, an elderly man who, for a living, collects cardboard to be recycled. There's something sincere and endearing about this actor. I've only seen him in The King: Eternal Monarch-8.3, in which he made a strong impression as the King's elderly uncle. Perhaps it was his performance, or the way I was feeling on the day I watched ep6, but I teared up. Here, he's playing a 91 year old Korean war veteran. As he pushes his loaded handcart down the street while wearing his distinguished service cap, a child asks his mother: ‘Why is he doing that?’ “He didn't work hard enough or study properly. Make sure you study hard so you don't end up like that,” is her cold under-thought response. She probably fashions herself a great mother, but she's going to raise a monster. How difficult is it to teach your children to treat every human with dignity? The evidence is that the idea is incomprehensible for an ever growing number of parents. Anyway, he gets a proper send-off. I had tears welling up during the entire episode.
In ep7 they have to go undercover and work in an office. They're completely miserable clicking on the computer all day and putting up with their obnoxious, harassing, egotistical boss. Since June's been pining for a job in the backstory leading up to the show, it's pretty funny how, when he actually gets to work in an office, he finds it to be a level of hell.
Ep8 is a big moral dilemma. They have to decide whether to save a ruthless scammer or not. What's lacking is whether they'll call the police on this criminal who deserves to be in jail. Saving the person's life is one thing, but the rest of that life should be spent in prison. I had trouble enjoying the episode thinking that if someone doesn't call the cops, Ima be quite displeased. They do get round to it, so the angst was wasted.
In one episode they deal with the doggy who attempts suicide. I rolled my eyes a bit, but that 🐶 is S😍 CUTE.
Ep10 deals with a r@pe and it's very sad. The victim will tearfully recount how, after the attack, everyone in the family blamed /her/. “Why were you out that late at night alone?” ‘Why did you do this, why did you do that, why did you WEAR that?’ It's brutal. Then they get into the online commenters who find fault with the victim. Monday morning quarterbacking is too easy. After going through trauma myself, I've noticed how other people habitually downplay and minimize someone else's pain. Trauma and pain are painful enough, but the reaction of others is what makes a victim feel completely isolated and alone. At some point, every bad experience should be evaluated so that one can learn from it and avoid things like that in the future. However, the time to Monday Morning QB is once the crisis has passed. It's never time to do it in the middle of the crisis. A person traumatized and in pain needs to feel loved, supported, and protected. Period.
From abuse of women in current day, ep13 takes a trip to the past when it dips into World War II and how the Japanese used Koreans as “comfort women”. More tears. T segues into the backstory of one of the team members. As the latter episodes come into play, we'll go more into the past along with mysteries that continue to have an impact on today.
The filming is excellent. The effects are sophisticated and beautiful. They make the city bend in one cool effect. Goo's reincarnated mother from the past is featured in current day. She works at a store called The South Face. It's clearly The North Face, but in Korea they, apparently, must avoid such references to the “North”. That's pretty interesting.
T is funny in spots too. Most of the humor is a contrast of personalities. Imagine Joon’s shock when he learns that his partners have been reapers since the Joseon era. Ryun's been one since the Qing invasion (December 9, 1636). He's at a loss. They don't have honorifics for that!
They do a nice job with the wrap up and send us to tomorrow with a smidge more hope.
QUOTES🗣
You have to be born like that to be that annoying.
My pride made me misunderstand you and do those horrible things.
IMHO〰🖍
📣8.5 📝8 🎭8.4 🎨8 🎵/🔊7 🔚7 🤗4.5 ▪ 🌞4.5 ⚡6.5 😅3 😭7 😱3.5 😯3 🤢3 🤔5 💤0
Shazams: My Only One by BEN
Age 14+ for heavy and sad material life and death struggles that could be disturbing. Rated: 15+ - Teens 15 or older
Re-📺? The future is unclear
In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:
Grappling with Death -
Crazy Love-7.8,
Flex X Cop-8.5,
Mystic Pop-up Bar-8.2,
Uncanny counter S1 only °S1-8.4 S2-4,
Oh My Ghost 10,
The Bros-7.4,
Hotel del Luna-8.4,
Marry My Husband-7.5,
Be Melodramatic-8.7,
Missing: The Other Side-8.3,
Move To Heaven-8.4,
Hymn of Death-8.4,
Death's Game-7.8,
Light Shop-8.6,
Wonderful World-7.8,
Black-9,
The Cursed-8.3,
The Wailing-8.8,
Mother-8.8
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