A Wickedly Clever Story with Mild Failings in Character
The main thing to note about this drama is the plot. It's the best aspect of the show, and the greatest reason, in my opinion, you'd want to watch it. It's so incredibly clever and convoluted I found myself gasping out loud multiple times. This great story is supported by a strong cast of actors and an iconic score that's instantly recognizable. However, while I was certainly gripped by the endless twists and turns, the show occasionally stumbled on things important to audience retention like tone balance and proper set-ups.First, let me praise (in greater detail) the plot. The style of plot is somewhat like that of a mystery drama, but reframed in the interesting light of the legal world. Crimes and morals are all viewed through the eyes of law students, teachers, or practitioners, which- while occasionally making certain discussions seem unnecessarily obtuse- certainly lends credence to the unfortunate necessity of bureaucracy in a fair legal system. Moreover, the legal element introduces new challenges for our protagonists that we wouldn't otherwise see in a typical law enforcement mystery drama. However, the real draw of the plot is the intricacy of it. Just as you think you've discovered all there is to know, a new piece of evidence comes to light. Just as you think the mystery's been solved, a new witness arrives that changes the entire story. And-in the end- all the relevant evidence comes together to produce a reasonable yet astonishing to conclusion to the number of interconnected mysteries and conflicts present throughout the story. It's quite entertaining, exciting, and gripping, even for those who might not always like this type of plot.
To quickly mention other well-done production details, all the camerawork is good, audio is above average in quality, and the OST is very memorable. The acting, while occasionally a little flat, for the most part conveys incredibly nuanced emotion in complicated situations, and serves the character development well. Said character development is present in those characters with nontrivial flaws, and for the most part reaches a satisfying conclusion by the end.
Unfortunately, while this drama excels from a plot perspective, there are certain aspects essential to story telling that don't quite hit the mark. First of all, the tone is mostly very dark. While there are some much welcome moments of comedic relief, we often get long stretches of incredibly serious (and potentially tedious) dialogue and exposition. I watched this drama weekly as it was coming out, so I was not exhausted by this, but for those looking to binge the series I would be cautious and mindful of your own tonal preferences. I do not view the dark tone as a blanket negative to the show (in fact it may be a draw for some viewers) but I personally would have appreciated more balance in this area.
Secondly, and most crucially, is a lack of setup for many characters. While the plot is given an exciting kick off right from the start, this leaves almost no time to introduce the somewhat large cast of characters, the setting they're in, and their personal morals and goals. This becomes troublesome when the character becomes involved in something critical to the plot, because by then it's difficult to even remember their name. It's especially sad since certain characters would likely have had quite interesting introductions had they been given one. Notice how I said certain characters; this brings me to my last point.
I have found a certain degree of inconsistency among characters. Some characters are portrayed realistically, with interesting and human flaws that influence their decisions and interactions. Other characters are portrayed as gods amongst men, doing no wrong and containing vast intellect and encyclopedic knowledge, no flaw in sight. If it were one or the other, I would have no problem, but since the two are mixed together it seems to invalidate the struggles of the more flawed and unfortunate characters. It also leads to the discrepancy in character development we get between characters, as some characters are already so perfect as to be immune to further development. It offers an interesting insight into why flawed characters are more compelling, as it is difficult to connect with those characters who are perpetually right and therefor difficult to root for them. It also leads to a certain dissatisfaction with any character development of the flawed characters, as no matter what they accomplish they will never be as perfect as the others. Characters who are both flawed and extremely smart in the series prove that we don't need the perfect characters, and yet they must exist.
In conclusion, we have a vividly fascinating show which is at the same time intricately constructed and poorly established, just in two very different areas. We can say it is an incredible plot marred only by inconsistencies and missing introductions of characters, a wickedly witty work worsened only by tone too tumultuously tense. With that I will conclude that I do recommend this drama to those with even the slightest of interest in mystery and intrigue, with the caveat of a warning to those averse to overly serious tones.
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A Fun yet Emotional Romance with Decent Execution
This drama is fun while still managing to be emotional, with mostly great characters and an interesting premise too. While the plot is a little shaky in a few areas, and the pacing of certain aspects could be better, I was still entertained and I'm willing to forgive the occasional misstep.First of all, I love the main character. An incredibly realistic portrayal of someone who is by nature uncouth but can still manage to be responsible and considerate. She's not perfect, but we can always root for her at the end of the day. Moreover she's capable, and actually contributes valuable skills to her friends and colleagues. Also she's not completely oblivious in social situations, and knows when she shouldn't speak out of turn. It's quite refreshing amongst a trope of other dramas featuring clumsy, socially inept, self-righteous, and occasionally unlikeable female leads. All her behavior is justified, either by her own personality and backstory or by the actions of others.
Something that's more difficult to notice in casual viewing but certainly makes all the difference is the impeccable balance between action, romance, and humor. Although the drama was short, I probably wouldn't have been able to watch the entire thing in one sitting if not for it's balance. It also helps that the premise of an overprotected yet capable female lead is always appealing to me.
On the topic of characters, most of the ones featured heavily in the show are solidly setup and portrayed. As is common with most dramas, you can bet that everyone has their own tragic backstory or secret to hide, and these pasts influence their behavior in the present. The dialogue each character gives isn't legendary, but is above average at conveying what each character is feeling in a realistic manner. We also have some decent character arcs, and some unexpected plot lines as well, which is always fun (there's something in particular that I so badly want to mention, but won't for the sake of spoilers).
My only criticism to give is the occasionally shaky plot. In the moment, our romantic interests have believable chemistry and portrayals for whichever phase of romance they are in, but when looking at the bigger picture certain aspects of their love can feel a bit rushed. Like we get hesitant flirting or full on devotion but nothing in between. Also, some of the bad guys seem to come and go whenever it's convenient for the plot, like they're waiting their turn to mess with the protagonists. This probably helps maintain the balance I was talking about earlier, but there's no explanations as to what they're waiting for. Also also, while the romance plot is decent in the first half (withholding those gaps I mentioned), at the end we fall a little bit into classic tropes that a just a bit annoying at this point. That's not to say all of the ending was bad, just that I enjoyed the majority before a lot more.
This is one of those things that's difficult to describe or sell in words, but I must insist that this show is just fun to watch in all aspects, from the romance to the action to the humor. I also got emotionally invested in the characters, which for me is a feat unto itself. Bottom line, I definitely recommend, not as a thought provoking masterpiece, but as a surprisingly addictive and entertaining pastime.
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An Unexpectedly Fun and Interesting Medical Drama
This is a review of all of season 1 and part of season 2, though there are no spoilers.I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this drama. Based on my prior experiences with Jdramas and some confliction over the premise, I actually expected to drop it after a few episodes. Regardless, in my endless hunt for a drama where the female's skills are not continuously overpassed by their male counterparts, I decided to try it out, and I'm delighted to say that I was pleasantly surprised.
Perhaps it's the addictive nature of watching a character constantly exceed the expectations of her peers, but I could not get enough of this show, and watched the entire first season in one sitting. Luckily that wasn't too difficult, as a single season is 8 one hour episodes long, which is typically where other dramas start to peter out. In addition, the whole constantly-impressing-others gimmick remains fresh since the main character switches hospitals every season.
The main character Daimon Michiko's personality may seem off-putting at first, but she is generally redeemed by her boundless empathy for patients, and the endless measures she takes to cure them. Also, she is a person of incredible skill (hence her catchphrase "I never fail") which in part makes up for her arrogance. And, regardless, it's always fun to see other character's great pride destroyed by her when she outclasses them in surgery.
A saving grace of the show's otherwise impersonal tone is Michiko's manager, a delightfully happy man who skips down the hall with a melon in hand whenever it's time to collect a bill. The scenes with him are always surprisingly soothing, as Michiko lowers her guard and speaks openly and familiarly with him about surgeries, politics, and hospital gossip. Although there's a hint he may be taking advantage of her for money, you can tell they genuinely have a strong relationship.
Of course, as with any show, it's not all sunshine and rainbows and perfect storytelling. There is some noticeable repetition in parts of the plot and quite a bit in the score as well, and a great deal of plot armor surrounding Michiko herself. There's also a bit of unrealism in that supposedly renowned doctors often makes mistakes that she can fix in an instant, although this is somewhat explained away by the premise of a failing hospital system. There isn't so much character arcs as relationship arcs, as different side characters' feelings about Michiko change over time, but this is still interesting to watch, and shows don't always need to contain character arcs to be entertaining.
Although it's difficult to pinpoint any more particular downfalls, I will say that this is no masterpiece, but more like a guilty pleasure. Something that's not going make you feel super emotional, or change the way you see the world, but it will be something fun to watch when you need to relax or procrastinate (I can personally attest to that last part). For that reason, I would definitely recommend this drama (it comes without saying to those who have no aversion to medical dramas).
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A great premise with a shifting tone but a good story
This series delivers what it should: drama. Perhaps not to the extreme level of other shows, but enough to provide a plot and investment on the part of the watcher. In my opinion, it's just the right amount. Not so much that the story is stressful but not so little that it's disinteresting. That may be personal preference, though.My favorite part of this show is the beginning, when the characters begin to fall in love. I guess that's a spoiler but also not really if you read the genre tags. This part of the show is more lighthearted, endearing, and romantic while still maintaining elements of the supernatural. The tone shifts later on to a bit of a darker place, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing I did enjoy the beginning fun times more.
The characters in this series are very nuanced, and have characters arcs and development up the wazoo. It'll make you hate the characters you love and love the characters you hate, never really showing a villain of pure evil. It's not Hospital Playlist level of character writing but it's certainly some of the best I've seen for this type of show. The only complaint I could make is with the female lead, who sometimes seems to have only two emotions: happy and worried. Part of this may be attributed to her origins but part may be just to give her something to attract the male leads.
There are a few tropes to be had here, although naming them would mean spoilers. Instead, let me assure you that they're not dragged on for too long, and a majority of the plot is original.
I would recommend this drama as an interesting high school supernatural romance story with great character development and a good plot.
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A Meaningful Romance Without the Nonsense
This series is all I ever wanted from Kdrama. A romance without excessive fluff or cliché that can still tell a heartfelt and emotionally resonant story. The series is short, but I think that may be for the better. Excellent writing and acting ensures we get to know the main characters enough to care about them, and manages to maintain a pacing that is not rushed and not dragged out.This is a romance at its purest. Stripped of love triangles and ex-girlfriends and endless frustrating setbacks. And, while it isn't entirely exempt from the occasional misunderstanding, you can rest assured that a drama with six 30 minute episodes isn't going to waste any time.
Many dramas involving life and death or characters who have lived longer than they should seem to freeze their character's mental development at the time they died, but the female lead here does seem to have learned from death. She frequently offers insights in the form of beautiful metaphor, which is just one of the many unique dimensions to her character. The other characters, while receiving significantly less screen time than a typical show's, are still fleshed out to the same level and provide a well thought out background for a captivating main story.
I highly recommend this series, especially to those who want a break from the tropes in pursuit of a more true and simple love story which conveys with nuance and poetry the magic of a first love.
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A Witty and Brilliant Conflict Between Fantastic Characters
This is a detective's show in its finest form. Unique and interesting characters brought together in a game of cat and mouse between a disheveled but gifted detective and an equally intelligent antagonist. The story was phenomenal, the acting was great, the music was catchy and well-made, and the production quality was perfect.Besides being a little drawn out, there isn't much I can criticize (that's why it's nine out of ten). And... well, there's not much to say about a great show except that it's great, so we'll leave it at that. I strongly recommend watching this show.
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Story Shines Through
This show is the ultimate proof of my belief that, as long as the writing is good, the show is good. You can take a drama with, frankly, several flaws on the production side, but give it a good screenplay and not only is it watchable it stands among the greats! What's more, Queen of Mystery graces us with the holy grail of kdramas: a romcom with an extremely intelligence female lead. Yes!So, just to bite the bullet and get it out of the way, this movie is no Lovely Runner/Start-Up/Twenty-five Twenty-one. We're not getting Netflix level production here. The video quality is decent at best, the camera movement is interrupted by not-to-infrequent bumps and jitters, and the lighting is really hit or miss. In my eyes the acting was... good enough. Not the best I've ever seen, but the actors had enough charisma to keep us invested, and that's what matters.
As for the plot, that's where things get really good. The show does an expert job of weaving in the episodic nature of mystery shows with the steady romantic tension of a romcom, with the interpersonal drama, intrigue, and character growth that you'd expect of a well written kdrama. To top it all off, the female lead feels like she's pushing the plot forward, and not being dragged along by it, which is certainly less common these days but is great to see for a drama of this age.
Anyway, loved it! Highly recommend.
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A Simple and Interesting Series that Fumbles Here and There
This web drama is short and sweet and had an interesting premise. Things like plot and acting and production are good enough for the length (and likely budget) of the drama, and don't generally detract from enjoyment. There are a few places where things could have been done better, and the plot certainly wasn't incredible, but the time investment is low enough that it's worth the risk to just watch it regardless.The best aspects of this drama that I found were the original premise and the main female lead. The idea of telling a story from the perspective of a succubus is quite interesting, and though the setting during COVID-19 felt odd on occasion, it did provide a plot device to separate the female lead from other love interests and pursue the main romance. In addition, the general charisma of the female lead really carried quite a few scenes, her cavalier attitude to intimate situations managing to both produce conflict and endear the viewer. These two aspects were what really kept me watching to the end.
If I were to give a few complaints I'd firstly mention a poor portrayal of information in some areas. The origin of the succubus, existence of other succubi or even other unnatural creatures, and the nature of the succubus's power are all described vaguely at best (although this information isn't entirely crucial). This only becomes a problem when a certain plot point relies on information about how succubi work in this world, and I actually had to search the comments to find an explanation as to what had happened. Another thing I'd make a minor complaint about is the male lead, who seemed to give a somewhat emotionless performance (unless this was intentional, in which case it would be the fault of whoever made that decision). Finally, there were a few productions details like audio inconsistency and an almost overbearing amount of product placement which were a bit distracting, but ultimately forgivable.
This web drama has just enough good in it to be worth watching, and lacks the seriousness to be ruined by any sort of plot failings or production mishaps. It's just a short and fun exploration of a neat premise, and frankly it does a fine job of it. The fact that the entirety of the series is the length of a single episode of a typical drama certainly means it's no huge commitment to watch it, and so for this reason and because the show is good I will casually recommend this series.
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A Fascinating Premise with Something Crucial Missing
I had very high hopes for this drama as a show that could be quirky and strange in an interesting and unique way. In truth, I guess it did follow through on those fronts, but still I couldn't find myself enjoying the vast majority of it. It didn't dawn on me until the end of the story, when every mystery was revealed (or at least supposed to be revealed), that I discovered what was missing. Execution. An incredible premise with an honestly very good story was completely ruined by flat acting, unclear information, and a basic lack of chemistry between the characters. It was a confusing and in the end, very disappointing experience.The vibe of this show is not at all what I expected, or what I hoped, for it to be. A cover poster and trailer filled with outlandish colorful creatures and a school nurse wielding a light up plastic sword gave me the impression of an off-the wall, lighthearted, and occasionally funny tone, but what we got instead was an unexpectedly dark feel only made worse by bad acting. Although I don't despise a show with a darker tone, it's hard to take it seriously with all the aforementioned oddities. What's most confusing is when a plot point seems entirely meant to be played off as a joke or over emphasized in it's own absurdity, but then is portrayed as another normal development by our perpetually depressed characters.
The chemistry, in my opinion, is one of the most egregious failings off the show. There is none. And I mean NONE. It's romance without the love. Friendship without the friendliness. Banter without the jokes. Our two main leads are- as revealed by dialogue- supposedly falling in love, but you'd never guess that without them telling you. They never seem happy to be together (I think I saw the female lead smile a total of three times in the whole six hour runtime), the female lead is perpetually pushing away the male lead, and there is no sexual tension whatsoever. From a big picture plot standpoint, I can see all the elements which would lead to a romance (with maybe a few missing, but still doable), and yet the love just isn't there. And this doesn't just go for the romance, as bonds between friends is known only by who isn't outright bullying each other. Acts of kindness happen seemingly out of nowhere when you suspect there should've been something leading there. It's payoff without the setup, and frankly, the setup would've been the most interesting part.
Oh boy, was the story confusing. I felt like I had to run my brain on full power to try and puzzle out what the heck was going on. I'm pretty sure there was a twist at the end but I can't for the life of me figure out what it was. It's always unclear who knows/believes the female lead can see jellies (they're basically ghost creatures no one else can see, and I love the name and design of them). Relationships between characters is often unknown, and this isn't helped by the complete lack of chemistry between them. I really can't explain too much else for fear of spoilers, but if you end up watching this just... good luck.
I'll mention real quick that I liked episode five. It was the first time I really understood the lead's emotions (and was able to tell she had them), and it dealt with some really powerful topics and what to do about them. You could almost watch that episode alone, but it isn't really it's own self-contained story so some things won't make sense or will feel unfinished. In the scope of an ideal production of the show, I imagine episode five to be the one where our typically upbeat and wacky main character is shown dealing with tougher issues and making difficult choices. Instead she just finds a better reason to be depressed.
This drama is like if someone made a really great mold for some metal sculpture or something and then poured sad, lame, lumpy metal into it. It looks great from afar and on the outside, but get a little closer or take a look within and you'll find a sloppy mishmash that isn't quite cohesive enough to be considered good. I'm actually really disappointed with how it turned out, especially with how much potential the premise had. I'm going to have to recommend against watching this, as it's probably not what you were expecting or looking for.
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