Watched the first 13 episodes and then dropped it. My expectations were high and they weren't met. I just don't get Dilraba's hairstyle. She just doesn't suit that style with her hair up because it makes her face long with the two long strands of hair down her face. The whole look is meant for a petite small girl with a cute face. That hairstyle made Dilraba look like an alien.
Also, I don't get why people on the show can't tell her apart from a girl or a boy. She was wearing lipstick and CLEARLY she did NOT look like a boy! Are people blind??
There were no chemistry between Dilraba and the male lead so it was pretty dry for me.
Also, they should have made the middle aged actors with mustaches different from each other because they looked alike and I couldn't tell them apart.
Story is frustrating to follow since there are new characters every episode and it's just unbelievable that a young princess is so good in military tactics that she's dictating veteran war generals?? LOL! No. Sorry. Not believable.
All in all this show was frustrating to watch. Not enjoyable, not entertaining, and it just fell really flat for me.
Excessively tropey in the best way possible, the characters are full of charm, laughs, and witty dialogue, and I’m here for every millisecond of it!
I enjoyed the first two episodes ! The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the story as we’re introduced to our leading man KANG TAE MU (played by Ahn Hyo Seop). He — like many leading men who have come before him — is so damn attractive that he stops women in their tracks.😍😍
Laughing at how some random woman,Shin Ha Ri, calls Tae Mu a archaeopteryx! 😂😂😂
LOVED the end of episode 2 where they both fall over and lock lips on the ground. 😋😋
There were so many moments that had me giggling, clapping, and cheering, but most of my appreciation comes down to the dialogue and friendships.
Ha Ri and Young Seo are such a fun pair of gal-pals who don’t let the disparities in their wealth cause friction in their friendship. In fact, when they aren’t getting absolutely wasted on soju and talking in an incoherent language only they can understand, they’ve managed to cultivate a financially symbiotic relationship when needed. It certainly helps that Young Seo, despite all her wealth, is so stinking likable and down-to-earth. I mean, she nearly stole my heart when she turned the marker scribble on her skirt into a flower. It’s no wonder Sung Hoon stopped and stared.
Likewise, Tae Mu and Sung Hoon have an equally close relationship despite one being the boss of the other. Tae Mu coming over to clean and cook for Sung Hoon was not only relatable — but an interesting role reversal that flipped their at-work statuses. I’m in agreement with Grandpa: it’s nice to watch a K-drama without a rich chaebol character yelling all the time and slapping someone in the face with kimchi.
I like how, despite the controversy, The King of Tears managed to get very high viewership ratings after the long hiatus. Ep. 13 had 8.0% while ep. 14 had 9.0% rating. Well done! I really like this historical drama (more political, less romance tropes). Chef's kiss!
OMG I LOVE this drama SO much! Wasn't expecting it to be this good!
LOVE the nostalgia set in the 1990s and still relatable at the present time as we're all going through the pandemic.
I like how this is done through a diary narrative. This makes the writing of the characters even more interesting. It is a memoir written by one character. Hence, this makes the characters in the series a version seen from Na Hee Do’s eyes.
Although it has a youthful plot line set in the 90s the focus is more on Na Hee Do’s journey rather than the historical aspect of the series—without forgetting to mention what happened in history. (The series writer is really good!)
Kim Tae Ri (31-years-old) portrays an 18-year-old high school student, Na Hee Do, who is four years younger than Baek Yi Jin. Nam Joo Hyuk (28 years old) portrays Baek Yi Jin, and, in reality, is actually 4 years younger than Kim Tae Ri! 😄😄😄
There’s just something appealing about dramas that cast women based on their acting skills and youthful appearance, even if they’re in their 30s. (Because that’s how it should be.) Kim Tae Ri is such a GREAT actress that she really seems like a high schooler in the series.
Kim Tae Ri is such a versatile actress. She is a convincing 18-year-old. This is not the first time she easily pulled off a role: from “Mr. Sunshine” to “Space Sweepers,” the actress has been proving just how good she is at any character she portrays. I love her already.
I like how the drama shows different types of mother-and-daughter relationships. From a mom who fully supports her insecure daughter, to a mom who hardly showed support to her daughter’s passion. A classic and relatable (for most) story line.
The OST is refreshing -- “GO” (by SEVENTEEN’s DK) and “STARLIGHT” (by NCT’s Taeil), already give off the overall vibe of the series—youthful, fresh, nostalgic.
There are a couple of sports-themed Korean dramas, but rarely has one featured fencing. It’s nice to see dramas exploring different types of sports.
Unremittingly dark, but a compelling watch. A clever blend of mythology and contemporary drama. All of the character's life is full of suffering. The background story isn't easy to reveal. Pretty unpredictable.
The cinematography makes your eyes glued to the screen. A must watch for fantasy mystery thriller loving people.
I’m having some mixed feelings about our finale — I found it delightful and satisfying, but it was also a bit light-handed and full of the tropes we know so well. And yet, the ending matched the tone of the drama. Maybe it’s just the gush of ending week PPL, or the token time jump that have me a bit fatigued — even though Our Beloved Summer played both well.
It’s also the first point in the story where I feel a little annoyed with Ji-woong. I’ve felt for him deeply and loved his dilemma of being locked in his outsider/observer position, but this week he’s so deep in the thing he’s dug himself that it’s starting to feel like a cage. And I feel locked up with him.
Thankfully, our PD comes in to help, as does the lovely Chae-ran, and Ji-woong pulls himself up, though slowly. First, a great scene with his mother, and second, after our time jump, a lighter and happier looking Ji-woong on the other side.
Yeon-su misses Woong’s cool night exhibit after her grandmother collapses and is hospitalized, and after this, she’s afraid she’s broken her relationship with Woong once again. She sits on his doorstep in tears in the snow. Yeon-su sure has changed!
Meanwhile, the exhibit is lovely to my eye, but it doesn’t go as Woong and Eun-ho expected. Not only does Nu-a reappear (ouch, Kwak Dong-yeon, why you so mean!) with some criticism that goes right to Woong’s heart, but a well-known art critic is even more harsh. The critic shines light on the “immaturity” of Woong’s art, and understandably he’s left broken. (Mostly, I’d argue, because he also knows he needs to grow.) And so, in Episode 15, basically everyone hits a personal nadir, and needs comfort and reassurance.
But just like life, dark and difficult moments are often necessary to lead us to the light, and just as Ji-woong finally confronts his mother, Woong also confronts his own inner demons (lies) that he’s only been living a borrowed life, and that he’s not worthy of the perfect parents that adopted him.
Once he and his mom finally talk this out, it’s as if something comes loose. Such a touching scene of comfort and love; his mother tells him from now on he should sleep peacefully, and indeed, his whole journey up and till now was about facing his abandonment and the many fears that caused in his heart. Now, he’s finally able to go abroad and grow his art, because his heart is healed and there’s actually space for that growth to happen.
It’s the same for Yeon-su. Though her grandma recovers and promises to live a long time, the situation — along with the opportunity to go abroad with Woong — forces Yeon-su to reassess her life and her identity. In a really beautiful moment, she realizes that her life has never once been pathetic; instead, as she says, “the only person who made my life seem pathetic was me.” And so, with this new wisdom, Yeon-su is so much more confident in who she is. And with Woong’s long-awaited “I love you,” she’s become a more strong and whole woman.
So, each of our characters’ journey wraps up in a satisfying way, and we’re given just enough to know that they have grown and changed and we can leave them knowing they’re safe. I guess the complaint is that this wrap-up required the over-used Europe disruptor, and the requisite time jump.
However, the Paris story element did take an interesting twist, as the show made it easy for Woong and Yeon-su to go together. This is rare, as we know, because usually with foreign travel, it’s a forced separation, not a convenient mass migration. Still, Yeon-su decided to stay behind, which works for me, since it represents her contentedness with her life and identity. And it also makes sense that Woong needs to go, because he’s finally ready to grab a hold of life.
While much has changed in the time jump, much has remained the same. Sol-yi and Eun-ho are still dancing around each other until he finally makes a move; similarly we see Chae-ran finally confessing the obvious to Ji-woong, and while that’s left open-ended, at least it’s been said.
And our couple? They get their happily ever after. They not only get married and move into Woong’s beautiful house again, but they’re approached to shoot a third documentary, covering their married life.
The married life documentary is a fun wink to end on, but of course what makes it all satisfying is that we know our characters are healthy and happy. Yeon-su has accepted herself and learned to love who she is; Woong has faced his trauma and it shows in his art: he now draws people.
There were many great messages and moments, but I think the one that remains with me the most is the documentary metaphor — that it’s the ordinary moments of life make our story. Sometimes we can’t see it because we’re in the middle of it, but the story is there, and it’s ours.
Why was Boss Yong even in this show if she was going to be so underutilized? How did Yoon-ho find his way into becoming psychiatrist Joo-hyuk? How did he get all the certifications, qualifications, background, etc., when the original Joo-hyuk’s identity wouldn’t have given him any of that??
Anyway, this final episode gave an overall sense of satisfaction. This show has certainly had its share of crazy but you get to like these characters so it felt good to see most of them get nice little send-offs.
Jung-hoon, for example, was a pleasant surprise. Didn’t expect him to become such an important person to Soo-yeol, or to become so invested in his happy ending myself.
But Yoon-ho was absolutely right when he compared Jung-hoon to Soo-yeol’s past self – that’s why Yoon-ho chose to target him in the first place – and bringing him in to become part of the family felt like Soo-yeol extending the same warmth and welcome he received from his mother and Dong-yeol. Perpetuating a new cycle of kindness instead of abuse.
I thought it was fitting that both the first and last episodes of this drama involved saving someone from a fire – first Kyung-tae, and then Jung-hoon. But, at the beginning, Soo-yeol had to be pushed and prodded by K into doing the saving. Whereas in the end, he had to make the choice and find the strength all on his own.
That message of learning to trust oneself and find the courage internally to do what needs to be done – to become one’s own hero – was probably the biggest takeaway of the show. I can’t speak to the accuracy of how it handled the real-life experience of having multiple personalities, but I did appreciate it as an analogy of sorts for a person’s relationship with their own self. Soo-yeol went from quite literally beating himself up over violating his conscience to looking at himself with pure affection and appreciation. That’s a powerful transformation.
Which is why it was so important for Soo-yeol not to brush K’s existence aside as a cover story. K may have “left,” but he’ll always be a part of Soo-yeol – both of his past and also the person he has grown to be in the present. Dismissing him as a lie would have been disrespectful to all the growth and suffering Soo-yeol has gone through. And, like the final scene with the commissioner, it showed that Soo-yeol is no longer going to take the easy way out or bow to intimidation. Instead, he’s going to listen to his conscience, even if it causes him to take stands that others call him crazy for.
I enjoyed Bad and Crazy a lot more than I initially thought I would. The characters really grew on me, and while it took more than a few confusing turns, for the most part it was a fun and exciting ride.
Taeyeon was also speaking up about animal abuse and I find it to be great because seeing how the industry works they find it very easy to ignore the public but when people from the entertainment industry with a voice are speaking up and are disgusted by it, it forces the producers to listen.
So thank you Taeyeon and Yoo Yeon Seok for speaking up! I hope more celebrities - especially from the drama itself - will also call out the production crew for being monsters. They knew what they were doing and they did not care. I'm still really upset about this.
I'm glad Korea Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) sued the head producer of 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' for animal abuse to the police of Seoul in Mapo district. I hope something comes out of this.
Really like the three undercover cops in episode 1. I was wishing they'd use the three again in episode 2 but man ... even the serial killers don't want to do a second take on them lmao! Really enjoying this show.
It was evident from the first episode that the lady in the lake would leave a profound impact on Ha-young, but the final few minutes of the epilogue really drove in just how much of his emotions he’s been repressing all this while. He has an innate instinct to connect with people, through offering them whatever little comfort he can. No wonder he distances himself from others because he’s realized that they don’t and won’t do the same. His genuine empathy is not something you usually see in today’s day and age.
I like the dynamic between Ha-young and Young-soo. I like their camaraderie, especially given how isolated and misunderstood Ha-young often is. And he seems to understand and like Ha Young from the get go. Of course, solitude doesn’t necessarily mean loneliness but it’s nice to know that someone’s got Ha-young’s back. Not only does Young-soo clearly accept Ha-young for who he is without any judgment whatsoever, but he also holds his capabilities in such high regard. I’m looking forward to the development of their partnership — and when they OFFICIALLY start with Ha Young being a legit serial killer profiler.
This show reminds me of that TV series called Grimm where the Grimms are in charge of keeping the balance between humanity and the Wesen (mythical creatures).
The opening for every Grimm episode: "There once was a man who lived a life so strange, it had to be true. Only he could see what no one else can—the darkness inside, the real monster within, and he's the one who must stop them. This is his calling. This is his duty. This is the life of a Grimm."
This is similar to Hwal's story since he's been a monster hunter all his life.
It started in May 1975 in an amusement park. Song Ha Young was with his mother on a pedal boat when they crashed with another vessel manned by rather exuberant cadets.
Poor Ha Young was knocked over into the water where he saw a floating dead woman in a red dress.
He might have seen the killer who was in a crowd while the woman was being taken away by an ambulance.
It jumped to March 1998.
There was a stakeout for a sex offender who had raped and killed 12 women over a 10 month period.
Undercover policemen were complaining about being dressed in drags during a wintry night.
At this point, Ha Young is now a policeman and he spotted a man wearing a red cap who was trying to break into a house.
To all intent and purposes, they got their serial killer, the Red Cap rapist.
But he was only a copy cat because the real one was attacking another woman.
Hwa Yeon was being followed by the Red Cap man but she got home safely as her mother was waiting for her with dinner and side dishes.
Her mother declined to stay the night so Hwa Yeon was left alone. While she was about to make ramyeon, someone held her from behind.
It was Bang Ki Hong, her boyfriend. But they ended up having an argument because she wanted him to stay the night but he said he has a job.
She tactlessly said that it was only a blow-up eatery tent anyway, he could take the night off.
Bang Ki Hong took umbrage with what she said about his job being a blow up tent. He was going to hit her but he hit the wall just by her head.
A few hours later, she was dead, naked, and strangled.
Bang Ki Hong was arrested immediately. He looked shocked when he found out that his girlfriend was dead and even more upset when he learned that she was 14 weeks pregnant.
Bang Ki Hong went to the same school as Ha Young.
Ha Young started investigating the case as he thinks that Bang Ki Hong might have not down the murder. He found some surprising evidence which their captain did not appreciate.
Because he had already beaten Bang Ki Hong to confess. Bang Ki Hong got 12 years in prison, and the case was closed.
Kook Young Soo was a profiler who saw potential on Ha Young as a profiler as he has the sensibility so he tried to recruit him. He wanted Ha Young to be part of his team.
Ha Young declined saying that he was happy where he was.
1999 - The Red Cap killer strikes again. He was Kang Moo a take away a delivery guy.
Woon-shim’s alliances may be murky, but I enjoyed seeing her and the other women team up to create, smuggle, and distribute their illegal alcohol. Even Ae-jin, who has a surprising knowledge of firearms, joined in and proved herself to be an unlikely ally among the bunch, and it was her inclusion that I appreciated the most.
Ro-seo’s struggle as a poor, indebted noble woman is relatable, but Ae-jin’s presence reveals that, even in the best case scenario, the life of a woman in this era is unfulfilling. If her family had not fallen on hard times, Ro-seo would still be caged, restricted to where she can go and whom she can meet. Creating her own — albeit illegal — business would give her an independence and importance in a society she’d otherwise never have. It’s no surprise, then, that all signs point towards her choosing the harder — but more fulfilling — path and teaming up with Woon-shim long-term.
While the women seem to have their s*** together and work in harmony, the men are still at odds with each other. On a macro level, we have all the political figures who are failing their subjects because they can’t seem to look past their own selfish interests to work together, and on a smaller scale we have Young and Pyo who are constantly at odds with each other because they’re both in love with the same woman.
Another big reveal about Young’s past this week is that the man who raised him is not his biological father, so Young’s uptight personality is not only the result of his upbringing. He’s duty-bound to return his adoptive father’s kindness and help elevate the family’s status though a strong marriage alliance.
I was starting to feel a little fatigued by all the palace politics, so I appreciate that this week’s episodes took a slight step back from the royal power struggle and focused more on the members of our main quartet. The love threads tying our four leads together are becoming more and more entangled, but as they struggle individually with the decision to either follow their hearts or their obligations, it becomes more and more apparent that their conflicts are a reflection of the society around them.
You could watch this week’s episodes with the sound and subtitles turned off and still enjoy every hilarious minute of it because of Rain’ emotive face. He really knows how to twist his facial features to express the ups and downs of being a coma ghost. Kim Bum is no slacker either, and it’s a good thing, too, because this series requires a pair of leads who excel at physical comedy and acting.
This week we saw some important turning points, and just like life, sometimes those moments are as happy and poignant as they are painful.
For Woong, that turning point begins with a fun vignette about a neighborhood ajusshi and the abandoned puppy that he took in and now babies. In the flashbacks, Woong seems tickled by the puppy’s easy and lazy life — his owner carries him around, pushes him in a stroller, and plops him on a tufted pillow to rest. Woong says it’s his dream life… and yet later, our drama pushes this metaphor even farther, and into some new territory.
It’s not hard to find the symbolism of the abandoned puppy when we look at Ji-woong’s storyline, and we do look at that quite a bit in this week’s episodes. Despite how understated this character is, gosh, it’s with a heavy heart that I watch Ji-woong struggling to come to terms with his feelings.
He literally makes himself sick slaving over the docu editing — but really, it seems clear that more than the workload, it’s the emotional weight that’s bearing down on him. Poor Ji-woong not only has to muster the courage to transform the docu into what it truly is, and must be — Woong and Yeon-su’s love story — but he has to come to terms with his feelings for Yeon-su, too. It’s getting harder to hide it from the other keen observers around him (what an industry he works in!). And from the two people whom it concerns the most.
But as it turns out, Ji-woong is not our only abandoned puppy. Our next abandoned puppy is first foreshadowed for us, and then revealed. The pieces of this puzzle have been so very subtle — and I think that’s what makes Woong’s big reveal so moving. Through gentle whispers, we learn about Woong’s true past, and suddenly it’s as if everything perplexing about his character falls into place.
Making this reveal even more moving, we learn it with Yeon-su. Though she and Woong are pretending to be friends, it’s clear that this fake phase won’t last long. Yeon-su can’t hide her care for Woong, and that trail of jujubes that leads him to his house tells him everything he needs to know.
Finally, though, it’s Yeon-su that takes the lead as the two talk honestly over dinner, and this becomes such a beautiful confession scene between the two. Woong says he’s always missed her, and wants her to love only him, and Yeon-su’s eyes are brimming with tears of reciprocation. It’s clear to everyone around them that these two are made for each other, from Yeon-su’s grandmother, to Woong’s lovely parents, who have so much wisdom and insight.
After Woong and Yeon-su’s confession, he slowly tells her that his parents are not his real parents, and that as a small boy he was abandoned on the street by his father. As mentioned, sooooo many things are colored in by this reveal: the vignette of the abandoned puppy we learned about earlier, the trauma that has shaped Woong into the adult he’s become, his willingness to share his adoptive parents with another abandoned puppy (Ji-woong), and finally, just how lovely Woong’s parents are, opening their hearts to all these sad little boys. *Weep*!
The pieces of each storyline have been beautifully illuminated, and I’m ready to sit back and bask in it. Luckily, this is what the drama lets us do for a bit.
Woong and Yeon-su awkwardly and happily settle back into dating, with all the hiccups and sweetness we might expect. I love these two together so much it actually hurts. Whether it’s their “accidental” meetups, silly and swoony missteps, or that gorgeous black-and-white sequence at the gallery — well done, Show. And perhaps Yeon-su’s line about loving Woong for who he is encapsulates this drama’s loveliness best.
There’s two more weeks to go in the drama’s run, and plenty more to unpack on our way there. Particularly, the relationship between Woong and Ji-woong continues to be as subtle as it is moving. Ji-woong’s bitterness stings, but we also feel it with him; Woong’s instinct to always go to this brother-figure first also stings, but in another way entirely. Their friendship continues to impress me with how little is said, but how much is communicated. My heart is most with Ji-woong, drowning in all the bitterness and hurt he needs to let go of.
Episode 8 - It was clear that Soo-yeol saw his past self in Young-joo (the girl that killed her father), and it’s likely that his desperation stemmed from an unconscious desire to give her the help that he never had the chance to receive. He’s so firmly in denial about his past that he refuses to show even the slightest hint of vulnerability around others, so I’m glad that his teammates are beginning to catch on and show concern towards him. Once the tightly-woven knot of his repressed memories begins to unfurl, it’s going to shake the tenuous foundation that he’s built his new life upon, and I really hope that his friends will be there to catch him when he falls.
One interesting detail to note is that the room number on the door at the end of Soo-yeol’s mind hallway was 1002, which could signify October 2, the same day that Young-joo committed suicide. I suspect that the gaslighter made her kill herself at the same place and on the same day that Soo-yeol’s father (or someone else dear to Soo-yeol) died, which means the gaslighter knows way more about Soo-yeol than he’d expect. That’s a terrifying notion, which makes it feel all the more like Soo-yeol is a marionette on a puppeteer’s strings.
Given that Young-joo was under the influence of Pupil (the drug with the eye symbol), which originates from Boss Yong’s drug ring, I wonder if there’s some past connection between Boss Yong and Soo-yeol. I’m normally not a fan of such convenient coincidences, but if this gives us more of Boss Yong’s backstory, I’m all for it. She’s so blasé and ruthless, yet she still seems so human under her dispassionate exterior. I’m so curious as to what her true motivations are, since she doesn’t seem like someone who would be doing all this purely for money or power. This also sets her apart from the previous villains of the drama, which should make for a layered and gripping confrontation once she and Soo-yeol finally meet.
The sudden introduction of Joo-hyuk, though, does give me pause. Adding a character this late in the game only serves to cast even more suspicion on him, especially with all the connections he seems to have to Soo-yeol’s past. It’s already been hinted that Soo-yeol has a past connection to the youth shelter, which means that Joo-hyuk could presumably have access to Soo-yeol’s history. If he’s truly the mastermind, then he’d likely also be smart enough to manipulate Young-joo into stabbing him so as to appear like a victim and remove himself from the suspect list. I really do hope that he’s as innocent as he’s making himself out to be, though, because we all get tired of lackluster and predictable villains. Give the spotlight to Boss Yong, stat!
Also, I don't get why people on the show can't tell her apart from a girl or a boy. She was wearing lipstick and CLEARLY she did NOT look like a boy! Are people blind??
There were no chemistry between Dilraba and the male lead so it was pretty dry for me.
Also, they should have made the middle aged actors with mustaches different from each other because they looked alike and I couldn't tell them apart.
Story is frustrating to follow since there are new characters every episode and it's just unbelievable that a young princess is so good in military tactics that she's dictating veteran war generals?? LOL! No. Sorry. Not believable.
All in all this show was frustrating to watch. Not enjoyable, not entertaining, and it just fell really flat for me.
I enjoyed the first two episodes ! The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the story as we’re introduced to our leading man KANG TAE MU (played by Ahn Hyo Seop). He — like many leading men who have come before him — is so damn attractive that he stops women in their tracks.😍😍
Laughing at how some random woman,Shin Ha Ri, calls Tae Mu a archaeopteryx! 😂😂😂
LOVED the end of episode 2 where they both fall over and lock lips on the ground. 😋😋
There were so many moments that had me giggling, clapping, and cheering, but most of my appreciation comes down to the dialogue and friendships.
Ha Ri and Young Seo are such a fun pair of gal-pals who don’t let the disparities in their wealth cause friction in their friendship. In fact, when they aren’t getting absolutely wasted on soju and talking in an incoherent language only they can understand, they’ve managed to cultivate a financially symbiotic relationship when needed. It certainly helps that Young Seo, despite all her wealth, is so stinking likable and down-to-earth. I mean, she nearly stole my heart when she turned the marker scribble on her skirt into a flower. It’s no wonder Sung Hoon stopped and stared.
Likewise, Tae Mu and Sung Hoon have an equally close relationship despite one being the boss of the other. Tae Mu coming over to clean and cook for Sung Hoon was not only relatable — but an interesting role reversal that flipped their at-work statuses. I’m in agreement with Grandpa: it’s nice to watch a K-drama without a rich chaebol character yelling all the time and slapping someone in the face with kimchi.
I LOVE the cast ❤️❤️❤️
LOVE the nostalgia set in the 1990s and still relatable at the present time as we're all going through the pandemic.
I like how this is done through a diary narrative. This makes the writing of the characters even more interesting. It is a memoir written by one character. Hence, this makes the characters in the series a version seen from Na Hee Do’s eyes.
Although it has a youthful plot line set in the 90s the focus is more on Na Hee Do’s journey rather than the historical aspect of the series—without forgetting to mention what happened in history. (The series writer is really good!)
Kim Tae Ri (31-years-old) portrays an 18-year-old high school student, Na Hee Do, who is four years younger than Baek Yi Jin. Nam Joo Hyuk (28 years old) portrays Baek Yi Jin, and, in reality, is actually 4 years younger than Kim Tae Ri! 😄😄😄
There’s just something appealing about dramas that cast women based on their acting skills and youthful appearance, even if they’re in their 30s. (Because that’s how it should be.) Kim Tae Ri is such a GREAT actress that she really seems like a high schooler in the series.
Kim Tae Ri is such a versatile actress. She is a convincing 18-year-old. This is not the first time she easily pulled off a role: from “Mr. Sunshine” to “Space Sweepers,” the actress has been proving just how good she is at any character she portrays. I love her already.
I like how the drama shows different types of mother-and-daughter relationships. From a mom who fully supports her insecure daughter, to a mom who hardly showed support to her daughter’s passion. A classic and relatable (for most) story line.
The OST is refreshing -- “GO” (by SEVENTEEN’s DK) and “STARLIGHT” (by NCT’s Taeil), already give off the overall vibe of the series—youthful, fresh, nostalgic.
There are a couple of sports-themed Korean dramas, but rarely has one featured fencing. It’s nice to see dramas exploring different types of sports.
The cinematography makes your eyes glued to the screen. A must watch for fantasy mystery thriller loving people.
It’s also the first point in the story where I feel a little annoyed with Ji-woong. I’ve felt for him deeply and loved his dilemma of being locked in his outsider/observer position, but this week he’s so deep in the thing he’s dug himself that it’s starting to feel like a cage. And I feel locked up with him.
Thankfully, our PD comes in to help, as does the lovely Chae-ran, and Ji-woong pulls himself up, though slowly. First, a great scene with his mother, and second, after our time jump, a lighter and happier looking Ji-woong on the other side.
Yeon-su misses Woong’s cool night exhibit after her grandmother collapses and is hospitalized, and after this, she’s afraid she’s broken her relationship with Woong once again. She sits on his doorstep in tears in the snow. Yeon-su sure has changed!
Meanwhile, the exhibit is lovely to my eye, but it doesn’t go as Woong and Eun-ho expected. Not only does Nu-a reappear (ouch, Kwak Dong-yeon, why you so mean!) with some criticism that goes right to Woong’s heart, but a well-known art critic is even more harsh. The critic shines light on the “immaturity” of Woong’s art, and understandably he’s left broken. (Mostly, I’d argue, because he also knows he needs to grow.) And so, in Episode 15, basically everyone hits a personal nadir, and needs comfort and reassurance.
But just like life, dark and difficult moments are often necessary to lead us to the light, and just as Ji-woong finally confronts his mother, Woong also confronts his own inner demons (lies) that he’s only been living a borrowed life, and that he’s not worthy of the perfect parents that adopted him.
Once he and his mom finally talk this out, it’s as if something comes loose. Such a touching scene of comfort and love; his mother tells him from now on he should sleep peacefully, and indeed, his whole journey up and till now was about facing his abandonment and the many fears that caused in his heart. Now, he’s finally able to go abroad and grow his art, because his heart is healed and there’s actually space for that growth to happen.
It’s the same for Yeon-su. Though her grandma recovers and promises to live a long time, the situation — along with the opportunity to go abroad with Woong — forces Yeon-su to reassess her life and her identity. In a really beautiful moment, she realizes that her life has never once been pathetic; instead, as she says, “the only person who made my life seem pathetic was me.” And so, with this new wisdom, Yeon-su is so much more confident in who she is. And with Woong’s long-awaited “I love you,” she’s become a more strong and whole woman.
So, each of our characters’ journey wraps up in a satisfying way, and we’re given just enough to know that they have grown and changed and we can leave them knowing they’re safe. I guess the complaint is that this wrap-up required the over-used Europe disruptor, and the requisite time jump.
However, the Paris story element did take an interesting twist, as the show made it easy for Woong and Yeon-su to go together. This is rare, as we know, because usually with foreign travel, it’s a forced separation, not a convenient mass migration. Still, Yeon-su decided to stay behind, which works for me, since it represents her contentedness with her life and identity. And it also makes sense that Woong needs to go, because he’s finally ready to grab a hold of life.
While much has changed in the time jump, much has remained the same. Sol-yi and Eun-ho are still dancing around each other until he finally makes a move; similarly we see Chae-ran finally confessing the obvious to Ji-woong, and while that’s left open-ended, at least it’s been said.
And our couple? They get their happily ever after. They not only get married and move into Woong’s beautiful house again, but they’re approached to shoot a third documentary, covering their married life.
The married life documentary is a fun wink to end on, but of course what makes it all satisfying is that we know our characters are healthy and happy. Yeon-su has accepted herself and learned to love who she is; Woong has faced his trauma and it shows in his art: he now draws people.
There were many great messages and moments, but I think the one that remains with me the most is the documentary metaphor — that it’s the ordinary moments of life make our story. Sometimes we can’t see it because we’re in the middle of it, but the story is there, and it’s ours.
Anyway, this final episode gave an overall sense of satisfaction. This show has certainly had its share of crazy but you get to like these characters so it felt good to see most of them get nice little send-offs.
Jung-hoon, for example, was a pleasant surprise. Didn’t expect him to become such an important person to Soo-yeol, or to become so invested in his happy ending myself.
But Yoon-ho was absolutely right when he compared Jung-hoon to Soo-yeol’s past self – that’s why Yoon-ho chose to target him in the first place – and bringing him in to become part of the family felt like Soo-yeol extending the same warmth and welcome he received from his mother and Dong-yeol. Perpetuating a new cycle of kindness instead of abuse.
I thought it was fitting that both the first and last episodes of this drama involved saving someone from a fire – first Kyung-tae, and then Jung-hoon. But, at the beginning, Soo-yeol had to be pushed and prodded by K into doing the saving. Whereas in the end, he had to make the choice and find the strength all on his own.
That message of learning to trust oneself and find the courage internally to do what needs to be done – to become one’s own hero – was probably the biggest takeaway of the show. I can’t speak to the accuracy of how it handled the real-life experience of having multiple personalities, but I did appreciate it as an analogy of sorts for a person’s relationship with their own self. Soo-yeol went from quite literally beating himself up over violating his conscience to looking at himself with pure affection and appreciation. That’s a powerful transformation.
Which is why it was so important for Soo-yeol not to brush K’s existence aside as a cover story. K may have “left,” but he’ll always be a part of Soo-yeol – both of his past and also the person he has grown to be in the present. Dismissing him as a lie would have been disrespectful to all the growth and suffering Soo-yeol has gone through. And, like the final scene with the commissioner, it showed that Soo-yeol is no longer going to take the easy way out or bow to intimidation. Instead, he’s going to listen to his conscience, even if it causes him to take stands that others call him crazy for.
I enjoyed Bad and Crazy a lot more than I initially thought I would. The characters really grew on me, and while it took more than a few confusing turns, for the most part it was a fun and exciting ride.
Must watch drama!
So thank you Taeyeon and Yoo Yeon Seok for speaking up! I hope more celebrities - especially from the drama itself - will also call out the production crew for being monsters. They knew what they were doing and they did not care. I'm still really upset about this.
I'm glad Korea Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) sued the head producer of 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' for animal abuse to the police of Seoul in Mapo district. I hope something comes out of this.
R.I.P. Kkami (horse's name) 💔💔💔
I like the dynamic between Ha-young and Young-soo. I like their camaraderie, especially given how isolated and misunderstood Ha-young often is. And he seems to understand and like Ha Young from the get go. Of course, solitude doesn’t necessarily mean loneliness but it’s nice to know that someone’s got Ha-young’s back. Not only does Young-soo clearly accept Ha-young for who he is without any judgment whatsoever, but he also holds his capabilities in such high regard. I’m looking forward to the development of their partnership — and when they OFFICIALLY start with Ha Young being a legit serial killer profiler.
The opening for every Grimm episode: "There once was a man who lived a life so strange, it had to be true. Only he could see what no one else can—the darkness inside, the real monster within, and he's the one who must stop them. This is his calling. This is his duty. This is the life of a Grimm."
This is similar to Hwal's story since he's been a monster hunter all his life.
It started in May 1975 in an amusement park. Song Ha Young was with his mother on a pedal boat when they crashed with another vessel manned by rather exuberant cadets.
Poor Ha Young was knocked over into the water where he saw a floating dead woman in a red dress.
He might have seen the killer who was in a crowd while the woman was being taken away by an ambulance.
It jumped to March 1998.
There was a stakeout for a sex offender who had raped and killed 12 women over a 10 month period.
Undercover policemen were complaining about being dressed in drags during a wintry night.
At this point, Ha Young is now a policeman and he spotted a man wearing a red cap who was trying to break into a house.
To all intent and purposes, they got their serial killer, the Red Cap rapist.
But he was only a copy cat because the real one was attacking another woman.
Hwa Yeon was being followed by the Red Cap man but she got home safely as her mother was waiting for her with dinner and side dishes.
Her mother declined to stay the night so Hwa Yeon was left alone. While she was about to make ramyeon, someone held her from behind.
It was Bang Ki Hong, her boyfriend. But they ended up having an argument because she wanted him to stay the night but he said he has a job.
She tactlessly said that it was only a blow-up eatery tent anyway, he could take the night off.
Bang Ki Hong took umbrage with what she said about his job being a blow up tent. He was going to hit her but he hit the wall just by her head.
A few hours later, she was dead, naked, and strangled.
Bang Ki Hong was arrested immediately. He looked shocked when he found out that his girlfriend was dead and even more upset when he learned that she was 14 weeks pregnant.
Bang Ki Hong went to the same school as Ha Young.
Ha Young started investigating the case as he thinks that Bang Ki Hong might have not down the murder. He found some surprising evidence which their captain did not appreciate.
Because he had already beaten Bang Ki Hong to confess. Bang Ki Hong got 12 years in prison, and the case was closed.
Kook Young Soo was a profiler who saw potential on Ha Young as a profiler as he has the sensibility so he tried to recruit him. He wanted Ha Young to be part of his team.
Ha Young declined saying that he was happy where he was.
1999 - The Red Cap killer strikes again. He was Kang Moo a take away a delivery guy.
Woon-shim’s alliances may be murky, but I enjoyed seeing her and the other women team up to create, smuggle, and distribute their illegal alcohol. Even Ae-jin, who has a surprising knowledge of firearms, joined in and proved herself to be an unlikely ally among the bunch, and it was her inclusion that I appreciated the most.
Ro-seo’s struggle as a poor, indebted noble woman is relatable, but Ae-jin’s presence reveals that, even in the best case scenario, the life of a woman in this era is unfulfilling. If her family had not fallen on hard times, Ro-seo would still be caged, restricted to where she can go and whom she can meet. Creating her own — albeit illegal — business would give her an independence and importance in a society she’d otherwise never have. It’s no surprise, then, that all signs point towards her choosing the harder — but more fulfilling — path and teaming up with Woon-shim long-term.
While the women seem to have their s*** together and work in harmony, the men are still at odds with each other. On a macro level, we have all the political figures who are failing their subjects because they can’t seem to look past their own selfish interests to work together, and on a smaller scale we have Young and Pyo who are constantly at odds with each other because they’re both in love with the same woman.
Another big reveal about Young’s past this week is that the man who raised him is not his biological father, so Young’s uptight personality is not only the result of his upbringing. He’s duty-bound to return his adoptive father’s kindness and help elevate the family’s status though a strong marriage alliance.
I was starting to feel a little fatigued by all the palace politics, so I appreciate that this week’s episodes took a slight step back from the royal power struggle and focused more on the members of our main quartet. The love threads tying our four leads together are becoming more and more entangled, but as they struggle individually with the decision to either follow their hearts or their obligations, it becomes more and more apparent that their conflicts are a reflection of the society around them.
This week we saw some important turning points, and just like life, sometimes those moments are as happy and poignant as they are painful.
For Woong, that turning point begins with a fun vignette about a neighborhood ajusshi and the abandoned puppy that he took in and now babies. In the flashbacks, Woong seems tickled by the puppy’s easy and lazy life — his owner carries him around, pushes him in a stroller, and plops him on a tufted pillow to rest. Woong says it’s his dream life… and yet later, our drama pushes this metaphor even farther, and into some new territory.
It’s not hard to find the symbolism of the abandoned puppy when we look at Ji-woong’s storyline, and we do look at that quite a bit in this week’s episodes. Despite how understated this character is, gosh, it’s with a heavy heart that I watch Ji-woong struggling to come to terms with his feelings.
He literally makes himself sick slaving over the docu editing — but really, it seems clear that more than the workload, it’s the emotional weight that’s bearing down on him. Poor Ji-woong not only has to muster the courage to transform the docu into what it truly is, and must be — Woong and Yeon-su’s love story — but he has to come to terms with his feelings for Yeon-su, too. It’s getting harder to hide it from the other keen observers around him (what an industry he works in!). And from the two people whom it concerns the most.
But as it turns out, Ji-woong is not our only abandoned puppy. Our next abandoned puppy is first foreshadowed for us, and then revealed. The pieces of this puzzle have been so very subtle — and I think that’s what makes Woong’s big reveal so moving. Through gentle whispers, we learn about Woong’s true past, and suddenly it’s as if everything perplexing about his character falls into place.
Making this reveal even more moving, we learn it with Yeon-su. Though she and Woong are pretending to be friends, it’s clear that this fake phase won’t last long. Yeon-su can’t hide her care for Woong, and that trail of jujubes that leads him to his house tells him everything he needs to know.
Finally, though, it’s Yeon-su that takes the lead as the two talk honestly over dinner, and this becomes such a beautiful confession scene between the two. Woong says he’s always missed her, and wants her to love only him, and Yeon-su’s eyes are brimming with tears of reciprocation. It’s clear to everyone around them that these two are made for each other, from Yeon-su’s grandmother, to Woong’s lovely parents, who have so much wisdom and insight.
After Woong and Yeon-su’s confession, he slowly tells her that his parents are not his real parents, and that as a small boy he was abandoned on the street by his father. As mentioned, sooooo many things are colored in by this reveal: the vignette of the abandoned puppy we learned about earlier, the trauma that has shaped Woong into the adult he’s become, his willingness to share his adoptive parents with another abandoned puppy (Ji-woong), and finally, just how lovely Woong’s parents are, opening their hearts to all these sad little boys. *Weep*!
The pieces of each storyline have been beautifully illuminated, and I’m ready to sit back and bask in it. Luckily, this is what the drama lets us do for a bit.
Woong and Yeon-su awkwardly and happily settle back into dating, with all the hiccups and sweetness we might expect. I love these two together so much it actually hurts. Whether it’s their “accidental” meetups, silly and swoony missteps, or that gorgeous black-and-white sequence at the gallery — well done, Show. And perhaps Yeon-su’s line about loving Woong for who he is encapsulates this drama’s loveliness best.
There’s two more weeks to go in the drama’s run, and plenty more to unpack on our way there. Particularly, the relationship between Woong and Ji-woong continues to be as subtle as it is moving. Ji-woong’s bitterness stings, but we also feel it with him; Woong’s instinct to always go to this brother-figure first also stings, but in another way entirely. Their friendship continues to impress me with how little is said, but how much is communicated. My heart is most with Ji-woong, drowning in all the bitterness and hurt he needs to let go of.
One interesting detail to note is that the room number on the door at the end of Soo-yeol’s mind hallway was 1002, which could signify October 2, the same day that Young-joo committed suicide. I suspect that the gaslighter made her kill herself at the same place and on the same day that Soo-yeol’s father (or someone else dear to Soo-yeol) died, which means the gaslighter knows way more about Soo-yeol than he’d expect. That’s a terrifying notion, which makes it feel all the more like Soo-yeol is a marionette on a puppeteer’s strings.
Given that Young-joo was under the influence of Pupil (the drug with the eye symbol), which originates from Boss Yong’s drug ring, I wonder if there’s some past connection between Boss Yong and Soo-yeol. I’m normally not a fan of such convenient coincidences, but if this gives us more of Boss Yong’s backstory, I’m all for it. She’s so blasé and ruthless, yet she still seems so human under her dispassionate exterior. I’m so curious as to what her true motivations are, since she doesn’t seem like someone who would be doing all this purely for money or power. This also sets her apart from the previous villains of the drama, which should make for a layered and gripping confrontation once she and Soo-yeol finally meet.
The sudden introduction of Joo-hyuk, though, does give me pause. Adding a character this late in the game only serves to cast even more suspicion on him, especially with all the connections he seems to have to Soo-yeol’s past. It’s already been hinted that Soo-yeol has a past connection to the youth shelter, which means that Joo-hyuk could presumably have access to Soo-yeol’s history. If he’s truly the mastermind, then he’d likely also be smart enough to manipulate Young-joo into stabbing him so as to appear like a victim and remove himself from the suspect list. I really do hope that he’s as innocent as he’s making himself out to be, though, because we all get tired of lackluster and predictable villains. Give the spotlight to Boss Yong, stat!