OH DAMN IT !!!!!!!!!!!! I made a crazy error: I watched Episode 1, maybe a bit of Ep2, then I clicked on the wrong episode. Watching Episode 5 until almost the end, when I realized it wasn't episode 2. But you know what? The story still made sens and I couldn't really feel it.
Episode 2, there is a closeup on his screenplay, and strangely, the format isn't the one of kdrama screenplays, it looks like western screenplay. However with more space allowed for dialog lines.
Yeah I feel like it’s kind of clever, she is good at making dramatic moments but struggles in keeping the logic…
Oh, she would have no problem to keep realism or logic, but she's just ready to sacrifice anything if it leads to better dramatism. And there is a kind of balance in fiction, the more realist it is, the more it's slow paced and you wait for a twist. In the other way, put lot of crazy plot-twists and it becomes impossible to keep realism. Few dramas are able to keep logic even with lot of plot-twists, among my favorite, W, 365, MOTA. But about overdramatism, no-one can go as far as she go.
Nice review. I have currently a good time with this drama. But I'm rarelly (even, never) disappointed by Kim Soon-Ok. And yes, I could dig a bit the manhwa, the drama is radically different (what's a lot better).
I'm at Ep4 and something I like: usually in many kdramas, anything related to bussiness is blurry. But here it's quite clear and we understand the contracts, the economical and financial aspect.
I was finding strange that a writer like Kim Soon-Ok adapt a manhwa, so I took a look at the manhwa, then I understand. She just kept the concept and few things (even a dialog when it's good) but remade everything in her writing style.
It raises the chances to create a boring story. Years ago when I was planning the structure of my main kdrama, I had a girl character without flaws in the story, at least, it was my intention in this preliminary phase. There is even someone in the drama saying "she is the archetype of the pure and innocent girl". The problem is I could do nothing with that. Any scene I could imagine was flat at the root. And even, it was not accurate with the logic of the story. Then, I gave her flaws, that I think were the flaws she could have, according to her condition. And BANG!! Just this character could magically generate good scenes and even plot-twists.
hello, I was talking about the writer , San Kyeong, the author of the web novel, not the drama’s creator
Oops, sorry. I just read your review by chance, coming from another website, and clicking on the first "in-beetween" review with not good, not bad rating. Only thing I could check in the main page was "Kim Soon Ok", and by the way I thank you because without that, I wouldn't have check.
I started the drama, and on episode 1, it's really nice, quite perfect introduction, as Kim Soon Ok is amazing at, classic exposition of all characters but with neat clarity and already heavy dramatic (what helps about clarity by the way).
According to your review, it should be messy after, but I'm supposing I'll enter the crack-makjang time, what I must confess, it's also what I'm waiting for. I think your review is quite accurate about standard dramas, like "Reborn Rich" for example (I like this drama, even the end, different from the manhwa, and probably better). However, it's maybe the wrong way to catch a Kim Soon Ok drama. I remember that when The Penthouse was airing, lot of commenters didn't catch the style of the writer. And I was already aware of it because I watched previous dramas from her, and the moment she switched to crack makjang with "The Last Empress".
hello, I was talking about the writer , San Kyeong, the author of the web novel, not the drama’s creator
I didn't know it was from a manhwa. So strange that Kim Soon Ok works on that, but as I watched episode 1, there are some characters quite typical from her stories, like the rotten kids of the cheabol. I'd be curious to see the differences between the manhwa and drama but for now I'll just watch the drama.
There is an error in your review (that I liked by the way), the writer isn't the one of Reborn Rich, it's Kim Soon Ok. What makes I could consider to watch the drama. Since she entered her "crack makjang" journey (before she was writing "simple" makjangs, and quite good ones), her stories are crazy, almost a parallel universe with its own rules where realism doesn't apply, and even playing with the codes and having some self-parody aspect. What makes I loved The Penthouse, one of the rare drama entering my Top10 during last years. I liked also Escape of the Seven (particularly first episodes). As I take your review as a legitimate warning, I still think I may have lot of fun, knowing her writing style.
Ep8: again an interesting situation that the drama takes the time to develop, about the mother and son, in the madness to get good results at school at any cost. The mother actress is wonderful, and I think anybody who watched Queen Seon Duk couldn't forget her.
Ah ah, probably. It's indeed a procedural. Sometimes really over the top, even trashy, but it's easy to watch, a bit funny and based about the situations. I've learn each case is from true facts (a bit changed yet). One of my favorite actress in it, but her role was written too roughly, so she screams a lot, and it's not an excellent performance like in From Now on Showtime. But what can she do? She just does the best she can, as the role is written.
At episode 5, there is something I really appreciate: for some situations before, it was too quick, not developping enough for suffering the harshness of the situation. As an example: the murder of the hero's wife, really too fast paced without we can endure the psychological situation. But at Episode 5, the terrible situation of the young primary school teacher is well exposed, with (what I find) realistic details about how someone could be manipulated then traumatised. Of course, it's costly, because at 30:00 in the episode, we are still on it. But I find it worth it. It's really the kind of rough and raw psychological situation I was hoping to see in this drama. Nothing "over the top" or even silly like many previous events of the drama, but a real human truth.
I rate high this episode one, it's excellent, very effective screenplay. But obviously, at end of episode, story just leads to a procedural "one episode = one school". (like Flex X cop, taxi driver, or many other recent kdramas). All of them excellent on episode one (or first few episodes), but just leading to a PROCEDURAL, the kind of boring thing I prefer to avoid. As if it was made like western series with many seasons. BORING, I won't continue this one, 'coz I tried to continue Flex X cop, and it was boring fast at episode 3. It smells the exact same thing. I won't waste my time.
Almost 10 years later, I'm rewatching this drama... How i wish i could turn back time and watch it for the first…
It can't be outdated, because the script is awesome! You can't go back in time for the pleasure to watch it for the first time, but you can feel the same pleasure of watching for the first time with the season 2 visual screenplay "W four worlds". Short video teaser: https://x.com/EnchanteurW/status/2022670331631013900
1 
I made a crazy error: I watched Episode 1, maybe a bit of Ep2, then I clicked on the wrong episode.
Watching Episode 5 until almost the end, when I realized it wasn't episode 2.
But you know what? The story still made sens and I couldn't really feel it.
Father - Daugther, Husband - Wife.
But I'm rarelly (even, never) disappointed by Kim Soon-Ok.
And yes, I could dig a bit the manhwa, the drama is radically different (what's a lot better).
But here it's quite clear and we understand the contracts, the economical and financial aspect.
I started the drama, and on episode 1, it's really nice, quite perfect introduction, as Kim Soon Ok is amazing at, classic exposition of all characters but with neat clarity and already heavy dramatic (what helps about clarity by the way).
According to your review, it should be messy after, but I'm supposing I'll enter the crack-makjang time, what I must confess, it's also what I'm waiting for. I think your review is quite accurate about standard dramas, like "Reborn Rich" for example (I like this drama, even the end, different from the manhwa, and probably better). However, it's maybe the wrong way to catch a Kim Soon Ok drama. I remember that when The Penthouse was airing, lot of commenters didn't catch the style of the writer. And I was already aware of it because I watched previous dramas from her, and the moment she switched to crack makjang with "The Last Empress".
I will push at least to Ep3 then, as there is an actress I like a lot at this point.
But I would be curious to read yours.
People add the drama they want in this kind of list.
https://x.com/EnchanteurW/status/2022670331631013900