IF YOU LIKED IT...YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T READ THIS REVIEW
It's hard to believe a story about a family with superpowers could be so boring. With a couple of exceptions:
What I liked:
1. The special effects were good. Don't want to give it away, so I won't mention specifics.
2. I really liked Bok Dong-hee, Gwi-ju's sister. She was hilarious and charming.
3. The father, Oh Man-seok, also plays the dad in SOMETHING ABOUT THE RAIN.
One of the reasons I like Oh Man-seok, other than his eternally cheerful demeanor, is because he's one of the few Korean actors in a major series with less than a lily-white complexion. Hey, Netflix, how about more brown-skinned Asian actors in your series? Thanks.
4. A satisfying ending.
What I didn't like:
1. My main problem is that this series lacks any logical coherence. Why is there an elaborate wedding--with no guests--mind you, when A) the groom didn't actually propose, and B) the bride never accepted the non-proposal? Did either of these two ever say "I love you"? Did I miss something? This is the stiffest, least-convincing marriage ceremony I've ever seen.
And each person in the family is aware that the marriage is a fraud, and an attempt to steal their money. And everybody goes along with it. Really?
2. Then there's the matter of the brother, Gwi-ju, who apparently needs to "save" someone. While at first, Gwi-ju is out to "save" a dude that he worked with, suddenly the target of his obsession changes.
He's now set on "saving" Do Da-hae, a woman who's moved into the house under suspicious circumstances.
But as Ms. Do points out to Gwi--ju, in a rare display of logical thinking--rare for this series anyway, she actually doesn't need saving as she's a healthy, fully functioning woman. Therefore she must have survived whatever horrible, no good, very bad thing happened to her in the past. You know, that thing that Gwi-ju has a bee in his bonnet about.
3. Firemen don't stand around giving speeches to someone they're trying to save while the building's going down-but someone does that in this drama.
4. The actress who plays Gwi-ju's daughter is adorable, but the romance between the character she plays and the most popular boy in the school is, well, hard to believe. This is middle school, folks.
TO BE CONTINUED... *************
Later: This series is so illogical it's impossible to suspend belief or care about anyone in this family. A couple of questions:
4. What exactly are the rules for Bok Gwi-joo's superpower? At first, he can only revisit times when he was happy-until Do Da-hae enters the picture. Then the rule changes: he can only revisit happy times when he was with her. But then the rule changes again-he goes back to a happy moment he shared with his classmates, without Do Da-hae. Then it changes again, he watches a happy moment between his mom and dad-but wait! A very young Do Da-hae rides by on her bike. Whaaa?
It feels like the writers made it all up as they went along.
5. What side of his neck is Bok Gwi-joo's mark on? Is it on the left? Is it on the right? On both sides? "They say it will never go away." Who said that? I don't remember anyone consulting a doctor.
The ending made up for a lot...but, but, but...why couldn't Mr. Time Travel come back on his own recognizance? It's not like he hasn't done it 1000 times.
Writers, you can do better!
What I liked:
1. The special effects were good. Don't want to give it away, so I won't mention specifics.
2. I really liked Bok Dong-hee, Gwi-ju's sister. She was hilarious and charming.
3. The father, Oh Man-seok, also plays the dad in SOMETHING ABOUT THE RAIN.
One of the reasons I like Oh Man-seok, other than his eternally cheerful demeanor, is because he's one of the few Korean actors in a major series with less than a lily-white complexion. Hey, Netflix, how about more brown-skinned Asian actors in your series? Thanks.
4. A satisfying ending.
What I didn't like:
1. My main problem is that this series lacks any logical coherence. Why is there an elaborate wedding--with no guests--mind you, when A) the groom didn't actually propose, and B) the bride never accepted the non-proposal? Did either of these two ever say "I love you"? Did I miss something? This is the stiffest, least-convincing marriage ceremony I've ever seen.
And each person in the family is aware that the marriage is a fraud, and an attempt to steal their money. And everybody goes along with it. Really?
2. Then there's the matter of the brother, Gwi-ju, who apparently needs to "save" someone. While at first, Gwi-ju is out to "save" a dude that he worked with, suddenly the target of his obsession changes.
He's now set on "saving" Do Da-hae, a woman who's moved into the house under suspicious circumstances.
But as Ms. Do points out to Gwi--ju, in a rare display of logical thinking--rare for this series anyway, she actually doesn't need saving as she's a healthy, fully functioning woman. Therefore she must have survived whatever horrible, no good, very bad thing happened to her in the past. You know, that thing that Gwi-ju has a bee in his bonnet about.
3. Firemen don't stand around giving speeches to someone they're trying to save while the building's going down-but someone does that in this drama.
4. The actress who plays Gwi-ju's daughter is adorable, but the romance between the character she plays and the most popular boy in the school is, well, hard to believe. This is middle school, folks.
TO BE CONTINUED... *************
Later: This series is so illogical it's impossible to suspend belief or care about anyone in this family. A couple of questions:
4. What exactly are the rules for Bok Gwi-joo's superpower? At first, he can only revisit times when he was happy-until Do Da-hae enters the picture. Then the rule changes: he can only revisit happy times when he was with her. But then the rule changes again-he goes back to a happy moment he shared with his classmates, without Do Da-hae. Then it changes again, he watches a happy moment between his mom and dad-but wait! A very young Do Da-hae rides by on her bike. Whaaa?
It feels like the writers made it all up as they went along.
5. What side of his neck is Bok Gwi-joo's mark on? Is it on the left? Is it on the right? On both sides? "They say it will never go away." Who said that? I don't remember anyone consulting a doctor.
The ending made up for a lot...but, but, but...why couldn't Mr. Time Travel come back on his own recognizance? It's not like he hasn't done it 1000 times.
Writers, you can do better!
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