B_ann1

I liked the movie. The different chapters were nicely constructed and the timeline, while somewhat confusing at first, really came to fruition in the end. Definitely not a film for young or sensitive viewers but I didn't personally find the violence too bad. More so than the actual gore, it was the suspenseful atmosphere that made me fear for each character's life.

I don't recall any graphic sexual scenes although some very disturbing sexual topics are discussed and portrayed. It has been a while since I watched this but I'm fairly certain that there was no excessive nudity.

There is a lot of violence that is relatively graphic so I would say the R rating is reasonable. Personally the amount of bloodshed didn't affect me at all, but I am definitely not on the younger side. My sister, who is a teen, couldn't watch it so I'm sure it depends on the person.

First time I read the plot I thought this would be the dumbest drama ever, but it's so good!! So glad I decided to give it a shot.

This is a prime example of how mental health issues should be explored in drama format. No romanticization but simply a discussion in the context of real life. Mental illnesses and trauma can be treated and don't have to ruin lives, but they must be tended to accordingly. An illness shouldn't be used as "an interesting personality trait" for a character. This drama delivers in plot, cast, acting. music and a level of realism that pulls at your heartstrings.

Oh yeah, I forgot about those, thanks for the correction :) But nonetheless it only supports the final point which is that humans are, by nature, sexual beings.

Interesting article, but I do disagree with the overall message. Shirtless scenes in dramas are most certainly unnecessary, but I don't find them problematic. It's just a marketing strategy to get more viewers and if the actors have consented, then that's the end of the conversation. These men work hard to look the way that they do, I don't think that showing appreciation for their form is a bad thing.

The comments on this thread have been interesting to read. There seems to be two groups of people: those who are all for sexual freedom and/or nudity and those who strongly object to the "objectification" of actors. Interestingly, it seems that both these groups gather under the feminist movement. My take on this falls somewhere in between; I don't think that this new era of sexual liberation has necessarily done the world any good but I also think that it's unrealistic to completely try and ignore the fact that human beings are sexual by nature. We are literally one of only few species on this planet that have sex for pleasure. Sex has always been and will always be an integral part of humanity.

However, that doesn't mean that sex in its excessive manifestations in pop-culture helps to "empower" or "free" anyone or anything. In fact, it seems that the oversupply of sex we've seen in recent years has resulted in more young people in particular having less sex than ever before. When nothing is left to the imagination, the mystique and allure disappear. Because of this, I think it would actually be helpful to look for a sweet spot where people's desire for something sexual is fulfilled in the media / pop-culture without the need for excessive, borderline pornographic content. In this framework, shirtless scenes for men and something comparable for women (because men and women are different) seem like a happy medium.

Let's take a moment to appreciate how meticulously the actors have learned to act out their instruments. As someone who used to play violin, 99% of the time it is absolutely painful to watch how actors who don't have the proper posture for violin and flail the bow around like they're having a seizure are supposed to pass as professionals. Everyone in this drama knows their instrument and "plays" it believably. We've even been able to see some pretty impressive vibrato and I, for one, really appreciate the effort that has been put into learning it.

I cannot remember the last time a drama would have made me feel this much. The characters are just so well written and the acting is incredible. And Kim Minjae is too handsome...

What an explosion of action, thrill and violence!! Such a good drama! This was well-written, well-acted, well-casted, much darker than "regular" K-dramas and executed from start to finish without a single boring moment. The chemistry between Jisoo and Gyuri was so intense that I already miss seeing them together. Despite their differences and constant bickering, they make a great team. It was great to see a lot of new faces instead of the usual top names of Korean TV but of course the legendary Choi Minsoo was as brilliant as always and absolutely stole the show.
There definitely is room and demand for a lot more story to be explored so let's hope there will be a second season and that it comes out fast :)

Why is it sad that you disagree? Isn't that the best part of this thread? That we can share our opinions and thoughts freely and have discussions or debates if we so choose.

Ye Seo is an irritating know-it-all, self-entitled and a total bitch, but she is honest and strives for an admirable goal. It's not her fault she was born with privileges and grew up to be greedy and selfish. At least she isn't exploiting people. I'm really worried what that crazy lady plans on doing with her. Hopefully she isn't the one who pushed Hyena.

Hyena, on the other hand, I can't stand. Sure, she has had a hard life and you can't blame her for turning out rotten, but the extent to which she has gone is disgusting. Not only is she taking advantage of Woojoo, a perfectly nice boy who has been nothing but good to her, but she dares to drag Ye Bin into the mess? A little girl who has no fault and who sincerely likes her. She provokes people just for the fun of it, has no respect for anybody and no real motive for her actions, except for petty revenge. If all she wanted was for her dad to acknowledge her, she should have first approached the family kindly, not start plotting to ruin their lives from the get go.

I have loved Yoon Se Ah for years but she has really out-done herself in this one. That panic attack, the desperate scream, it was all so convincing. Her character is probably the nicest one in the series, excluding the Hwang family. I hope things stay that way.

Thank you for your input, this was a really interesting take :) However, my earlier comment still stands, as it was made solely based on this drama. I have not seen the original version and I knew nothing about it starting this drama. The incest/non-incest story line was never spoiled for me; I actually started watching this because I thought it would be about a woman who falls in love with a murderer.
The reason I personally would have liked for them to really be biological siblings is because I like the shock factor, controversial topics and dramas that make me feel conflicted / question societal standards. Thankfully I knew not to expect something like that from a PG Korean drama and was hence not too disappointed.
To repeat, this was a really good drama that tugged on my heartstrings. it just wasn't as risky as I was hoping for it to be.

I would have preferred it if they had really been siblings and killed each other in the end but the plot was still tragic enough for me. Beautiful story, beautiful couple and best on-screen chemistry I've seen in a while. A solid 9.

It is a historical drama so I expected quite a few people to die but I simply wasn't prepared for the sheer onslaught of massacre that was thrown my way. Most of my favorite characters had to meet their tragic ends. For Dong Mae, Hina and Huiseong it made sense that they died fighting for their causes, but I really wished for Eugene to make it out alive and reunite with Ae Shin. I guess they wanted a realistic ending, rather than a happy one and while I respect that, it will take me a while to accept it.
While Ae Shin and Eugene were something comparable to soulmates, I actually found myself more consumed by Hina and Dong Mae's relationship. It was more painful, raw, complicated and real. There was no love at first sight or incredibly romance, it was just two people growing together and learning to lean on each other. I know it was implied that Dong Mae never stopped loving Ae Shin but to me his one and only true love was Hina, the woman with whom he stayed until she faced her end. He was the only one to call her by her real name, the only one she fully trusted and truly cared for and they understood each other better than anyone. Ae Shin was Dong Mae's first love and obsession but Hina was the woman he respected and cared for above everyone else.
Huiseong also turned out to be a much better man than was initially suggested. He took responsibility for his family and found something to fight for, even managed to save a young woman by agreeing to marry her simply because it was the right thing to do.
And I can't quite explain how much I cheered when the two main pigsTakashi Mori and Lee Wan Ik were killed by Eugene. Best thing ever!! And btw, it was such a boss move by Hina to remain so calm when her father died and even set it up as his doctor having committed the murder. She's so great and beautiful.
Okay, that's it. Sad it's over but it was a great watch :)

One of the few, and I do mean very few, dramas where every cast member actually pulls their weight. Lee Byung Hun absolutely deserved his Daesang; I mean he acted flawlessly in three languages. What is this sorcery?
The story was beautifully crafted within the framework of real historical events but it also introduced elements of surprise and constant excitement. I wasn't bored once and the cinematography made the viewing experience that much more wonderful. The budget for this drama was insane, 28 million dollars (?!) but it definitely didn't go to waste.
My favorite character was Hina, followed very closely by Dong Mae but I actually grew really fond of all the five main characters. They were ridiculously strong, irrevocably determined, reckless and flawed, strangely relatable and very, very believable. Aside from the main characters, especially the main villains stood out to me and made me want to rip their heads off. The cast was vast, diverse and featured some incredible performances.
I would highly recommend this drama for everybody, regardless of whether it's their preferred genre or not, because the viewing experience is one of a kind. However, go in with a word of caution: there will be blood, lots of it.

I swear to god if they kill off all five mains imma flip some tables and then mourn for a year. They're all so great and deserve happy endings.
Let's hope that this rule of no tragedy tag pans out :P

Dong Mae is so hot I can't even O.o Even that scene in the preview where he's covered in blood looks so sexy it feels almost wrong.
On a side note, why do I keep getting this ominous feeling that Hui Seong is going to die? I really really really hope I'm wrong...

The pain of watching currently airing dramas - the dreadful week of waiting.
Ep 11 preview got me so excited for next week though; are we finally gonna see some sparks between Dongmae and Hina? I've been shipping them from the beginning, hopefully it leads to something. I mean that bath scene was full of sexual tension ;)

The wait is killing me every week. Episode 8 was crazy, I need to know more right now and not in five days.
On a side note, Hwayoung was so awesome when she beat up the fake wife. Liking her more and more :D