I love crime. I love mystery. And it’s set in the 1900s?
This was the first drama I’d completed since 2 years ago, and it was definitely a nice reintroduction back into kdrama watching for me. I’m seriously a sucker for crime/mystery set in the 20th century, and this drama certainly didn’t disappoint. As with many of these types of thriller dramas, there was some deus ex machina, but it wasn’t as in the face, if you will, compared to other thriller/action dramas. I’m certainly no movie critic by any means, but as a casual viewer, I really loved the pacing and the sudden cuts between the more comedic scenes and action scenes. There were a few plot holes of note, but I assume they’ll be explained by whatever happens in the second season. I’m so stoked for season 2!Was this review helpful to you?
The very first episode grabbed me in so fast, and made me feel so many emotions. Second episode on, it picks up its pace and it is hilarious. Final notes, looking forward to the romance between KH and SH and the weirdly developing relationship between YE and WW lol. This seriously is some good casting. Can't wait for the next episodes to air. :)
--------------------------
Finally finished and I have to admit the action part of this drama definitely had a few loopholes, and the ending episode left me feeling a bit disappointed. However, I loved the action scenes, especially the umbrella one with BCM, so I'm going to give this one a nine. I'm looking forward to the (possible) second season too.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I watched the first 3 episodes for the first time back in May of 2020 (more than five whole years ago, actually; that's crazy!), but then dropped it soon after, probably because the female lead pmo. I decided to pick it up again a couple of days ago, and while, yes, the female lead did pmo once again for the first couple of episodes, I soon got over it and came to really enjoy the series.I began rewatching this right after finishing Mad Dog, so I obviously couldn't help but compare the two in the back of my mind. I was actually really close to dropping this because the scenes with all the higher ups were really, really boring at first, but it gets better.
The first episode was so good!
**spoiler**
The last episode made me cry SO MUCH I WAS ACTUALLY BAWLING AND I'M LOWKEY STILL IN TEARS : ( I'M SO SAD FOR EVERYONE EVERTHING IS SO SAD :(((
Was this review helpful to you?
lovable team of characters
What I loved most about this show was the characters and their relationship dynamics. It's so sweet how much they care for each other. So while I probably should have given this show a 9.5 for engagement, I ended up giving this a 10 solely for them. The plot was nothing groundbreaking, but I surprisingly found myself watching every scene, even the "boring" ones.Was this review helpful to you?
was really great in the first half then became so slow to the point i basically dropped it
The premise sounds interesting: Six people involved in the same car accident + 1 mystery person end up trapped in the infamous haunted Building 19 of the university I don't remember the name of. There are monsters and puzzles, similar to an escape room. The CGI is fantastic. And the story does live up to what the synopsis promises, in the beginning at least. For the first 10 or 15 episodes, I was pretty engrossed in the whole story and the puzzles and the relationship between the two leads (they're cute). However, the plot slowed down so much after that (I think during the circus level), everything began seeming repetitive, and whatever was supposed to be a plot twist just never really hit at all. And the lack of realism in parts of the plot was pretty annoying. Also, I just didn't really fw the team at this point and the power of friendship stuff and whatever. I got so bored at the end that I ended up skipping over the last 5 episodes because I just could not force myself to sit through that snail's pace of a plot.Was this review helpful to you?
my favorite character was probably Sujin
Was this review helpful to you?
From the casual movie viewer facet of me, this was honestly a pretty boring watch.
However, from the super critical, analytical deep thinker facet of me, I loved it. To be fair, I love analyzing even the smallest details in literature, so if you’re a fan of literary classics, I’m sure you would absolutely love this drama.
(I’d actually watched this movie a few years ago back when it was super hyped up, but dropped it after the 15 minute mark because I hate movies with manipulative protagonists no matter how warranted or justified their behavior may be. But I mean the title is literally PARASITE for god’s sake, so what was I expecting?)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I don't usually rate shows before completing them, but this hooked me in right at the beginning. The transitions, actors, BGM—everything was amazing. The plot is so unique and not a cliche like most other crime dramas. I have to say that this might be the first time I have never skipped any parts in a kdrama. It is fast-paced, so the boring parts are minimal. This has kept me guessing the whole time, and it's impossible to guess who you can trust. I’m also literally the biggest Agatha Christie lover, so plot twists every episode are literally my whole vibe
(It was enjoyable reading all the theories in the MDL comments every release—a rare case where I’m kind of glad I was watching this drama while it was airing—this seriously was a crazy ride.)
spoiler: I will say this though: The reveal of the villain wasn't that great, as in I just really didn't care as much as I probably should have (which was honestly a letdown because everything building up to it was good), but everything else was awesome!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
it's quite good for what it is + the writing is very good.
Stranger/Forest of Secrets is not what I would call a "keeping you on the edge of your seat" type of series like Money Heist was, but was equally as compelling and very good for what it is at its surface, which is an investigative series involving both the prosecution and police, heavily boiled in politics and corruption. Series involving this amount of politics and 'prominent people drama' are usually very, very boring, so much so that I skip over all those parts, but I think this series rations them very well.The plot is quite good and interesting and makes sense. Every little thing is relevant and is explained at some point. The leads are incredibly smart and their deductions are easy to follow but difficult to think how they came up with them, but that might just be because I'm not the brightest anyways. I think the ending was done very, very well, which is rare. Also, I liked the team, but I didn't feel super connected to them, which is okay, because that's not what this series is about.
Things I cannot get over: HYJ's funny drawings and when HSM SMILED omg. I wasn't even expecting a s2, but I just found out that there is one. I will be watching it.
--
I do not feel like writing a separate review from s2, since I do not think I should write one. However, I will say that the second season was comparably less action-focused, which nonetheless did not make it any less boring at the beginning. In the latter quarter of the series, though, I felt as if the plot had slowed. Yet I trudged on, and the ending was actually still rather well done.
I will also reference a review from s2 by Jeana that I particularly resonated with, though I also agreed with many other parts of their review: "The show, like its predecessor, does not bank on thrill or 'the next big moment' instead it takes its time, moving with this undercurrent of tension you can't look away from. All along, you feel like something important is happening and you just can't miss it even when there are no huge developments. "
Was this review helpful to you?
fun watch but doesn't really hit
I actually watched this a while ago, but I guess I forgot to update MDL with it. The premise sounded cool, and it was a pretty fun watch. I don't think I felt so bored at any point that I skipped anything, so I guess the pacing was fine. However, there were some parts that annoyed me, and while the ending wasn't bad, it wasn't great either. All in all, the there was absolutely nothing memorable about this series. I never wrote a review for Reset, so I'll add a note here, but I think even that was slightly better than whatever this was, even though I didn't think it was all that either.Was this review helpful to you?
Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area - Part 2
0 people found this review helpful
so so good wonderfully executed everywhere
holy shit.. this series is genuinely one of the best korean series I've ever watched. like the suspense was awesome, the way things do or don't get resolved mostly makes sense, and the ending (i won't spoil whether it was happy or sad) didn't leave me with a sour taste in my mouth--the pacing was great omg this was genuinely so good and i grew to really like the characters a lot, maybe not as much as Mad Dog, but literally everything else was so so awesome this is so greatI don't think the beginning really roped me in immediately, but after you get past that quick intro it gets so, so good
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Some parts good, many parts unsatisfying, but I never thought of dropping so ig worth watching
The beginning was quite good because of the characters and the premise...then it slowed down after the 2nd relic...and everything started feeling so, so repetitive at the 4th relic...then it got pretty interesting at the 5th relic...the 6th was interesting but the end was disappointing...then at the 7th relic it got pretty boring.But I wouldn't say I exactly regret this watch because the times it was interesting, it was quite good. It was just that besides the 1st relic and maybeeee the 5th relic, a lot of the relics got resolved in a rather unsatisfying way in the sense that everything just seemed to fall into place rather nicely.
Some scene transitions felt choppy. As for the team, they were moderately likable, but 13 thousand was barely tolerable. The Leopard arc could've had more time put into it and really was such a disappointment because it had so much potential to live up to how terrifying the backstory was (and I also agree that Leopard should've been dubbed better). And the last arc was actually just plain embarrassing.
Was this review helpful to you?
high school drama--an enjoyable watch!
The story follows a group of high schoolers trying to navigate their way through love, school, friends--your typical high school drama. It gets kind of angsty in some parts, but I seriously enjoyed watching it (did it all in one sitting). I didn't like the FL at first, but all the characters end up developing throughout the story in some way. By the end, I came to really like a lot of them. (A Ra is so cool!) The actual ending of the show is abrupt and felt like I was missing half of what I should've been getting, so be sure to watch the extra scenes they have on YouTube that were cut from the show!**spoiler-ish
I'm rewatching this to get as many crumbs of A Ra and Suho as I can because they're so cute lol. i want there to be a s2, but there probably won't be :(
Was this review helpful to you?
a mostly satisfying ending to the first season
i don't know what to say really. again a 3pm-2am watch the very next day after watching "The Gifted" LOL. There were a lot of plot twists, and I'm not really sure how I feel about them all. I don't know if it was too much, or if I just felt uncomfortable about not being able to "feel" how the story and how the plot would unfold. But even so, even if it was "too many" plot twists, I think it's good if a story is able to make you feel that way--when you really aren't sure how things are going to turn out, who's going to make it to the end--and I think it's the first time I've felt this way to this great of an extent. I will say that **mild spoiler**, all the plot twists seemed to cover up the holes in all the obstacles and successes the characters' faced in the second half, but at that point I was just going with the flow tbh i had no thoughts after getting betrayed over and over again as a viewer. I also didn't feel all that satisfied by the ending, but it was an adequate ending to an otherwise wonderful, wonderful show. I would recommend this. **I also just wanted to add that i love all the characters and the shots of the class every time pang enters. i also really like the quotes at the end of each episode
Was this review helpful to you?
a must-watch with a wonderfully executed ending
i watched this from 3pm all the way to 3am. it was great, and i thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the characters and their potentials. there's so much packed into these 13 episodes, and every second of this show is worth it. my first thai drama and i'm really glad i tried it! better than a lot of what ive watchedWas this review helpful to you?
