i'd have given this a 10 but last 2 episodes brought it down to 9. FL spends 8 episodes literally getting over her ex. all that development is wasted when she tries to get back with him. that angst was totally unnecessary.
not that much. it feels like the drama is constantly trying to convince us that it is better than the other cliched dramas and hence, more meaningful too. the mood is unnecessarily sad.
the worst part is there is too much inner dialogue in the main leads' heads while there is an enormous lack of communication between them.
ML cannot, in his heart, think that HSJ is wrong. HSJ's philosophy was that to save her son anything and anyone goes. ML also believes that. for ML's family, he has repetetively used and hurt both FL and SFL. SFL turns evil afterwards but the fact remains that ML hurt her.
so basically ML's issue with HSJ was due to victimhood and not principle. not that anything is wrong with that, its just mediocre. and who would like to watch a story driven by mediocrity.
also the lawyer male lead and prosecutor male lead tags are irrelevent.
i can't even finish episode 1. it is so boring. the sets are so artificial and unorganic that it constantly reminds me that this is an act, not a story. the employees in the humongous office look like bees in a garden.
the pretentious directing is so at-your-face that one cannot miss it. supporting characters get a close-up shot when saying something very uninteresting.
the best word to describe this drama(at least ep 1) is empty.
just watched ep. 15 and i am so angry rn. it is being implied that both ML & FL hid that they are NIS agents so they are equally guilty of deceiving each another. and that is the most bullshitty point that could be made. firstly, ML did not lie. he just hid the truth. but FL did lie saying that she quit a week after him. both were deception but one was lying and one was not. secondly, ML did not deceive FL while acting against her (or her family). whereas ML was pretty much the honeytrap target of FL.
also, everyone seems to be forgiving the team leader(TL) way too easily. his plan was really impressive in terms of the NIS objective. but from the POV of the ML, FL and all of their comrades, the plan was a disaster. not only that, but him bringing the ML into the NIS is such a bad move. how can TL trust ML to trust and protect other NIS members when he knows that they were involved in a mission to decive him? he had not shown this trust previously when he was to act against his father.
the way ML and FL have reconciled is way to disturbing. it was ML who was deceived by everyone. emotional manipulation was done by the FL on ML and not the other way round. ML was kept under the impression that he was working for the NIS. ML was also unfairly dismissed earlier from the NIS. FL is not only an individual, but also an NIS agent. even so, why has it been that the ML has to take the lead in them patching up. why does he need to run after the car. why does he need to apologize (after catching that target at the ski lodge). why does he have to be the person who throws away his pride and kisses her. frankly, FL has not made even a decent amount of effort to reconcile. instead, she still has huge expectations from the ML. she brings her comrades to the ML and expects him to join the NIS regardless of how he feels. she expects him to see that she is not smiling while she is pretending to be okay. she is expecting him to be understanding of her actions someday. she also shamelessly warns ML that if he says that they should break up, it would really be the end.
I don't like that the ML was the only one who had to abandon his pride and make effort. it would have been better if ML had not forgiven the FL or if FL had made some effort.
so SFL doesn't even apologize to FL after all that. and ML visits SFL's husband's memorial with her... doesn't ML realize that SFL has deliberately inflicted pain to FL and has also tried seriously to ruin FL's career and reputation. first of all, it is not ML's decision to forgive her or pardon her doings. secondly, he should be actively trying to make SFL apologize to the FL. the drama has a very disturbing conclusion.
does no one discuss the weird political regression of korea from a republic to a monarchy? doesn't anyone discuss why was monarchy abolished (idk much about korea) in many places of the world...? i am at ep 6 and i have not seen any such issues.
i didn't like the last part where cancer made dong-seok softer on his mother. i get that it was what probably would happen in real life but i would have liked to see some catharsis instead.
utterly poor writing. the story is so incoherent that it is not even worth keeping up with. the flashbacks are not distinguishable from current time. it takes a while to understand what is going on and what happened.
the writer has tried to include every cliche and every trope in a single drama. at many points, the drama tries to take itself more seriously than it deserves. it should not have even hinted at trying to deal with the deep psychological unrest of having DID -- it could have been less crass with 100% goofy.
i am very impressed by the complexity of emotions and motivations the characters have in this drama.
however, i am frankly apalled by the superiority complex that robin had. he thought that he was more amiable and interesting that GSJ. he also remarks that once he went to school as GSJ and GSJ had a fan club the next day. but the most obvious question is why was this such a case. what i think :- even though robin lived in the real world, it was all a fantasy for him. he could think about one thing only and it wouldn't matter to him. GSJ would take care of everything else. robin did not need to worry about homework, company stock etc. in ep 2, he can act like james bond because frankly he has nothing to lose (except his life which is not really in danger if he chooses not to perform dangerous stunts). GSJ cannot do that.
the best thing about this drama is that the ML character is super solid. there are no hairpulling moments where you think why the ML is doing such an obvious mistake. the ML is also very logical and consistent.
when the FL tries to convince him that her feelings were real, i wanted to say what was the point of it now. and ... ML said it -- "what's the point now when we are at a point of no return."
a totally bullshit love triangle. humans don't work that way.
in five enough, a female character has a serious 7 yr crush on her friend but doesn't pursue it and ends up dating his brother unknowningly. even then the character has serious qualms and anxiety when she finds out. that is a natural reaction. it is so uncomfortable to be in the proximity of the third person of the triangle. even more if they are family. also the outsider has to bear the guilt of souring relations between two relatives.
but this drama is on another level. the FL lead pursues both the brothers knowingly. after dating one of them and realizing that she doesn't want to continue, she gets to a point where she says that she won't date any of them. the drama should have kept it that way. instead, she ends up with the older brother. now how awkward is it between the three of them. the FL cannot stand near SML without making ML uncomfortable. the ML and SML have already fought. the FL will feel uncomfortable with SML and will have to be overzealous about the ML's emotions when SML is around.
and moreover, the kind of love they have tried to show is insulting. ML FL match because her salive is doesn't affect the ML. SML and FL don't match because his powers still work on her. this type of love is very despicable to me. it reminds me of fruits basket. this kind of destined love was referred to as a curse in that anime. this type of love somewhat undermines the ML and FL as now it seems they are not together because of themselves but because they were destined to be.
the worst part is there is too much inner dialogue in the main leads' heads while there is an enormous lack of communication between them.
so basically ML's issue with HSJ was due to victimhood and not principle. not that anything is wrong with that, its just mediocre. and who would like to watch a story driven by mediocrity.
also the lawyer male lead and prosecutor male lead tags are irrelevent.
the pretentious directing is so at-your-face that one cannot miss it. supporting characters get a close-up shot when saying something very uninteresting.
the best word to describe this drama(at least ep 1) is empty.
it is being implied that both ML & FL hid that they are NIS agents so they are equally guilty of deceiving each another. and that is the most bullshitty point that could be made.
firstly, ML did not lie. he just hid the truth. but FL did lie saying that she quit a week after him. both were deception but one was lying and one was not.
secondly, ML did not deceive FL while acting against her (or her family). whereas ML was pretty much the honeytrap target of FL.
also, everyone seems to be forgiving the team leader(TL) way too easily. his plan was really impressive in terms of the NIS objective. but from the POV of the ML, FL and all of their comrades, the plan was a disaster. not only that, but him bringing the ML into the NIS is such a bad move. how can TL trust ML to trust and protect other NIS members when he knows that they were involved in a mission to decive him? he had not shown this trust previously when he was to act against his father.
the way ML and FL have reconciled is way to disturbing. it was ML who was deceived by everyone. emotional manipulation was done by the FL on ML and not the other way round. ML was kept under the impression that he was working for the NIS. ML was also unfairly dismissed earlier from the NIS. FL is not only an individual, but also an NIS agent. even so, why has it been that the ML has to take the lead in them patching up. why does he need to run after the car. why does he need to apologize (after catching that target at the ski lodge). why does he have to be the person who throws away his pride and kisses her. frankly, FL has not made even a decent amount of effort to reconcile. instead, she still has huge expectations from the ML. she brings her comrades to the ML and expects him to join the NIS regardless of how he feels. she expects him to see that she is not smiling while she is pretending to be okay. she is expecting him to be understanding of her actions someday. she also shamelessly warns ML that if he says that they should break up, it would really be the end.
I don't like that the ML was the only one who had to abandon his pride and make effort. it would have been better if ML had not forgiven the FL or if FL had made some effort.
doesn't ML realize that SFL has deliberately inflicted pain to FL and has also tried seriously to ruin FL's career and reputation. first of all, it is not ML's decision to forgive her or pardon her doings. secondly, he should be actively trying to make SFL apologize to the FL. the drama has a very disturbing conclusion.
i am at ep 6 and i have not seen any such issues.
the writer has tried to include every cliche and every trope in a single drama. at many points, the drama tries to take itself more seriously than it deserves. it should not have even hinted at trying to deal with the deep psychological unrest of having DID -- it could have been less crass with 100% goofy.
however, i am frankly apalled by the superiority complex that robin had. he thought that he was more amiable and interesting that GSJ. he also remarks that once he went to school as GSJ and GSJ had a fan club the next day. but the most obvious question is why was this such a case.
what i think :- even though robin lived in the real world, it was all a fantasy for him. he could think about one thing only and it wouldn't matter to him. GSJ would take care of everything else. robin did not need to worry about homework, company stock etc. in ep 2, he can act like james bond because frankly he has nothing to lose (except his life which is not really in danger if he chooses not to perform dangerous stunts). GSJ cannot do that.
when the FL tries to convince him that her feelings were real, i wanted to say what was the point of it now. and ... ML said it -- "what's the point now when we are at a point of no return."
in five enough, a female character has a serious 7 yr crush on her friend but doesn't pursue it and ends up dating his brother unknowningly. even then the character has serious qualms and anxiety when she finds out. that is a natural reaction. it is so uncomfortable to be in the proximity of the third person of the triangle. even more if they are family. also the outsider has to bear the guilt of souring relations between two relatives.
but this drama is on another level. the FL lead pursues both the brothers knowingly. after dating one of them and realizing that she doesn't want to continue, she gets to a point where she says that she won't date any of them. the drama should have kept it that way. instead, she ends up with the older brother. now how awkward is it between the three of them. the FL cannot stand near SML without making ML uncomfortable. the ML and SML have already fought. the FL will feel uncomfortable with SML and will have to be overzealous about the ML's emotions when SML is around.
and moreover, the kind of love they have tried to show is insulting. ML FL match because her salive is doesn't affect the ML. SML and FL don't match because his powers still work on her. this type of love is very despicable to me. it reminds me of fruits basket. this kind of destined love was referred to as a curse in that anime. this type of love somewhat undermines the ML and FL as now it seems they are not together because of themselves but because they were destined to be.