Entertaining and fast-moving
This drama held my interest and entertained me, but didn't impress me deeply as much as the last three Chinese dramas I’ve watched---GUI DUI aka THE LONG WAY BACK, THIS THRIVING LAND, and TWELVE LETTERS. They were all impressive.FATED HEARTS moved along briskly, with little or no dithering---a rarity in Chinese and Korean dramas. At times the story went off the rails and didn't make sense---the emperor trying to goad his favorite son into killing him, for example. Or when two people were pierced by swords--- swords that not only penetrated their bodies, but came out the other side--and they both lived to tell the tale. (I guess they were only flesh wounds?) And, last but not least, TWO cases of amnesia.
I've complained in previous reviews about Chinese dramas infantalizing women. But this drama reverses that trend. The women out-fight, out-argue, and out-maneuver the men. Whenever love is on the horizon, the woman involved declares her feelings first. Whenever two men are at each other's throats (or one of them is acting like a spoiled brat) the designated woman will jump in, speak the truth, and often solve the problem.
The main FL is one tough cookie. At first, she's grim and tense, even with her kids---whom she's always scolding. When we meet her, she's battling threats from every direction. But couldn't the writers have given her a few moments of peace or playfulness? As it is, she's a fairly rigid, one-note character---until she finally begins to loosen up, about ten or twelve episodes into the series.
At that point, she, takes charge and gives wise counsel to the sensitive and somewhat traumatized First Prince. I don't mean to imply that First Prince can't hold his own---he definitely can---and he does whenever challenged.
The First Prince's mother, we find out in a flashback, was another outspoken, early feminist---until someone ran her through with a sword (and, with no magical medicine available, she died). His sister is also a strong woman, although it takes awhile for us to see that side of her.
Most of the male characters in this series are either physically incapacitated (poisoned, crippled), weaklings (Second Prince), or dealing with past trauma (First Prince, plus his so-called best friend). Man up, guys! The women are way ahead of you.
The platform I watched this on kept intermingling the words of the background songs with the subtitles, so I had to work hard to follow the dialogue, especially during intimate moments. Someone needs to fix this.
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Excellent Drama
The land is truly the main character in this drama. The need for land-the work it entails, the greed it incites, and the love it inspires-is central to everything that happens.This drama is so well acted by so many that it's hard to know who to single out. But I have to mention, especially, Dahong Ni, who plays the FL's father, a man so craven that he chooses to subject his daughter to rape and disgrace rather than part with the money needed to save her. It's not easy to play a villain, someone who's both utterly despicable-and yet believable and understandable. He's brilliant in this part.
Also, the patriarch of the Feng family, played by Yongjian Lin, is another character twisted by greed-yet he's somehow likable, even lovable at times. His wife, in a role played by Peng Chi, is an absolutely kind, simple, and understated human being who's a healing presence in the family. Both these actors did an outstanding job.
Like many people in both China and America, I come from a long line of farmers, many of them miserably poor. I felt a pang of recognition and sympathy for these simple, hard-working folks, some so deprived they don't even own matches.
Ownership of land is all important in this series--those who don't have land are at the mercy and whims of their landlords. The constriction of their souls have made some of these landlords rapacious and unscrupulous. The working poor, who exist at the edge of starvation, struggle to grow enough food to feed their families. But many still find it in their hearts to share what they have with their neighbors.
One jarring note-whenever any one of the poverty-striken characters opened his or her mouth, I was greeted with the sight of perfectly aligned, gleaming, white teeth-which kept reminding me that I was watching a piece of fiction. Also, I found it a bit unbelievable that (in episode 29 and 30) marginalized, food-insecure human beings would so easily give up their grain reserves in order to feed a mass of unknown refugees swarming through their village. Maybe this was the charitable thing to do, but not psychologically credible, given that every episode prior to this had shown how prized every morsel of food was.
In many Chinese dramas there's one character who's so perfect he or she isn't quite human. In this series that character is the saintly Wendian. (Hey, Chinese movie makers-may I make a suggestion? You don't need to do this to drive the point home.)
This is the first Chinese series I've seen that focuses on the rural poor. It was a welcome change. THIS THRIVING LAND is a fine drama and very watchable.
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Enjoyable but weird
A mostly well-conceived, but weird, drama - 8 starsThe first sentence of FAMILIAR WIFE blew my mind. And not in a good way.
We hear a newscaster proclaim the following: “The planet Wolf, 68 light years from Earth, ahead of its extinction, is rapidly becoming a black hole.”
As a science writer, all I can say is, “NO! NO! NO!” Black holes are never, EVER caused by the “extinction of a planet,” imminent or otherwise. To be clear, large stars occasionally collapse into black holes, but never planets.
Nor are exo-planets given names like “Wolf”. (Look up HD 20794d or K2-18b)
The rest of the newscaster‘s report explains that there may be a “change between the Earth’s and Moon’s calendars,”which--excuse me for pointing this out--is absurd gobbledygook.
Hey writers! This kind of thing should have been tweaked.
BUT...to change the focus a bit here--the rest of this series is mostly quite good. I’d even call it a hidden gem--not counting the last four episodes which seem to exist only for the sake of product placement.
The drama focuses on the daily crush of ordinary life and the toll it takes on well-intentioned human beings. How marriages get destroyed. How people forget to be kind and considerate.
As for the acting, the two leads do a fine job, and a number of skillful actors are showcased in minor roles.
In every office there’s someone who marches to a different drummer, and in this office that’s Kim Hwan. Kudos to the writers for imagining him and to Cha Hak Yeon (N) for bringing him to life.
One of my favorites, Lee Jeong-eun, plays the FL’s slightly demented mother. If you want to see what a masterful actor this woman is, watch OUR BLUES, another outstanding K-drama.
I’ll just mention two weird things about the plot--although there are others:
1) How come (except for one scene near the beginning) neither of the main characters seem at all interested in the fate of their two children. These poor kids have been zapped into nothingness due to the ML’s need to change wives. The fact that they’re never mentioned again is downright weird.
2) From episode 9 or 10 onward, everyone suddenly starts wearing stripes–striped shirts, striped blouses, a striped jacket. Why?
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Good series
To be clear, the creepy looking sea animal that appears in several shots in this drama–-the one that called certain characters “murderers”---is NOT a squid. It’s a cuttlefish. Why do all these fictional scientists get it wrong?Any real biologist (and a lot of the public) would know the difference. Just consult a science advisor next time, folks.
I’m guessing there are two reasons.
1. The villain calls himself “Squid.” Would he really have the same menacing gravitas if he called himself “Cuttle”? No? It sure wouldn’t work with the English speaking crowd. (Sounds too much like “Cuddle” and no one wants a cuddly villain.)
2. And, also, live squid are difficult little suckers–-sometimes even cannibalistic. So you’d need a separate tank for each–and they have to be fed six times a day. Better to hope no one notices that a shy little cuttlefish is masquerading as a squid.
Moving right along to the plot...I liked it. I admit I was worried about getting bored with all the do-overs–-every loop day repeating five times–-but it turned out that was no problem. Each of the five loop days had interesting plot twists. Portions of the overall story kept being revealed. The writers would double back and fill in a few details each time–-and each day the story went off the rails in a different direction.
If you’re muddled in the middle of this series–-stick with it. It gets better.
I thought Jingting Bai did a great job in THE FIRST FROST, and I was afraid, at first, that he wasn’t going to measure up in this production–-but he brought it home. The sound effects really enhanced the tension and some of the visuals were breath-taking.
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Enjoyable and worth watching
I'm really surprised at the low-ratings this Chinese drama has received on certain platforms. It deserves better. Yes, it's uneven in places, it drags at the end--and the acting chops of the numerous characters range from overly-dramatic to reasonably competent to blanked out, poker-faced bots. BUT...by and large the female leads are magnetic, energetic, and convincing as the five clever and spirited Li sisters-all of them in the market for a marital match made in heaven.What the ladies get instead is a plethora of trouble, involving in-laws and outlaws and just plain craziness, as each daughter, in turn, finds what appears to be the "perfect match," but in fact--is not.
Mother Li (played by an outstanding actor) has her work cut out for her. For each of the five, she has to find an appropriate husband, with a modicum of wealth and a propitious astrology chart–someone belonging to a socially respectable, congenial family. And, of course, she has to provide each of her five girls with a sufficient dowry.
Is Mother Li looking for someone her daughters will like and get along with? Strike that last requirement. Personal compatibility was pretty low on the priority list in that day and age.
Not to worry, though, these incredible women are all resourceful, capable, and able to finesse the various situations--marital, familial, and legal--as well as the chauvinistic society they find themselves in. Not all of their shenanigans work as planned and the plot isn't always believable. In fact, the fifth daughter's marriage situation was so ridiculous that I fast forwarded through most of it. Shades of "I Love Lucy" reruns in some of the antics. Her attempts to whip her would-be spouse into shape (and I do mean "whip") went on waaay too long. Personally, I don't find marital abuse funny, no matter how richly deserved or who's doing it.
It would have been nice if the servants were depicted as real human beings instead of props for the nobles to use as they saw fit.
But the costumes and hairdos are to die for. And the absolutely delightful "lion contest" in episode 32 made up for a lot of the cheesier moments.
Who knew that 1000 years ago the Chinese city of Bianjing was such a nest of vipers?
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Slow as a molasses factory run by sloths
It was a struggle to get to the end of this tepid series. The first few episodes showcased the slooooooww build up of the lethargic romance between the two leads. He looks at her. She glances at him. He looks at her again. He blinks. They’re alone in the office. He falls asleep and she touches his nose. She’s had too much to drink and she leans in, but will they kiss? No. Big nothing burger. The director thinks it’s an amazing scene, so they show it twice. Then the two leads experience the least exciting date I’ve ever seen in a Korean drama–a piano recital!Lots of shots of the deserted office at night with one or the other leads or both of them working diligently. They enjoy lots of meals/snacks together, and product placement proliferates. A certain Korean candy bar takes center stage three times. It’s name is forever burned into my psyche.
At Episode Seven, the writers wake up and realize that there’s not much emotional tension in this series, so they throw in a contrived complication. She weeps. He holds her. Will this non-tragedy drive our two lovers apart?
Nope. Back to business as usual. Meanwhile, the insipid dialogue deserves an award for pointlessness: “What’s your favorite weather?” “Did you ever day-drink before?” Another couple exclaim over the fact that they’re both wearing the same style of shoes.
Finally, toward the end, the evil villain makes a move. Now there’s actually a conflict of sorts. But it’s too late. The audience (well, some of us anyway) has been bored into oblivion.
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This one's a gem
I wasn’t expecting such a smart–and genuinely funny--drama from China in 2025. But FIRST FROST is not for everyone. If you want an action-packed thriller, look elsewhere. It’s a slow-moving character study of two imperfect, vulnerable human beings who are trying to find a way to connect, in spite of a lot of misunderstandings and obstacles.The writing, editing, and acting in this drama are first rate. But most of the credit goes to Bai Jing Ting, who brilliantly embodies the romantically obsessed, insecure, brutally honest ML, a devilishly handsome bad boy, a little too smug for my taste (he criticizes her kissing!), although he’s basically a good guy. The target of his affection is the disengaged, oblivious FL who, episode after episode, doesn’t seem to notice the efforts he’s making. She’s convincing too. But later in the drama, I stopped having sympathy for her when she abandoned her cat. Not OK.
The two secondary characters were fun and enjoyable to watch. Totally different in personality and style from the main duo, they were both likable. Yes, these two had their hang ups. But they weren’t so self-involved, and they even had time for friends and family.
I’m glad somebody did. The main couple only had eyes for each other.
Unfortunately in the last five or six episodes (rife with product placements) this drama began to drag. If not for that, The FIRST FROST would have gotten one of my rarely bestowed ratings of ten-stars. The many unnecessary flashbacks went over and over and OVER the same events in the past and made me want to scream. And then there was way too much schmaltzy sentimentalizing at the end. Still, by and large, a real winner.
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Well-constructed drama
I'm a big fan of Liu Yuning and I also like Song Zu Er. As the two leads, they both did an excellent job conveying complicated emotions with slight facial expressions and gestures. Liu Yuning is a master at portraying an emotionally repressed man trying to find his humanity in a society riddled with stultifying rules and terrifying expectations. At least he has wealth, power, and a cadre of underlings to satisfy his every whim. The FL (Xiao Qiao) played by Song Zu Er has a riskier path and has to watch her step at every turn. In fact, she was almost murdered by her suspicious husband-to-be before they'd even met. The series follows the slowly-evolving trust between these two as each navigates the treacherous waters surrounding them..Xiao Qiao is beautiful enough to enchant her husband, but he's not a soft touch. He's suffered trauma and loss at the hands of the male members of her clan, and so he's especially wary of his new Qiao wife. But she's smart enough to weather the storm and allay most of his fears. The English title doesn’t seem accurate. The ML certainly isn't a "prisoner" of beauty--quite the contrary.
This is a slow-moving character study and a lot of drama time is given over to each minor issue as it arises. He reads her out-going letters; she soothes his silly and ignorant mother. He's annoyed that she doesn't wear the hairpin he chose for her. She worries he's interested in another woman.
Actually, all this was a little too much for me. It's true that there are more serious struggles from time to time. But the focus of this drama seems to be on all these trivial slights and misunderstandings. Did I mention that these two--though married--hadn't even kissed by Episode 22?
In THE TALE OF PEARL GIRL, Liu Yuning plays a similar character, a merchant preoccupied by revenge who becomes a more compassionate human being due to his love for a woman. But that drama, although flawed, has a more robust plot than this one, with Liu Yuning displaying different aspects of his personality in a variety of settings.
Also, why is the only fat guy in the series-he's the comic relief, naturally--matched up with the only overweight girl in the series?
Why does Son Zuer keep her mouth open so much of the time? It's quite distracting. Other than that, her character, Xiao Qiao, seems to be admirable in every way. She's a helpmate who continually spares her husband's ego, rarely makes a misstep, and almost never demands anything for herself. She's as soft and doughy as Wonder Bread. Even her calligraphy is perfect. It's true she shows some spunk in the end, but I can't help but get the impression that this woman is being presented as a model of what every young woman in China should aspire to–passively obedient. Lord help us all!
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Lots of fun
I’ve seen some crazy premises in K-dramas before, but this one wins the waffle iron. Are we to believe that Someone-Up-Above has given a young, deceased girl (the ghost) permission to stick around on earth inhabiting various female bodies in order to lose her virginity? Because she couldn’t manage to do it while she was alive? And–oh, by the way–if she can’t get it done within a period of three years, she’s going to pay a HUGE penalty–she’ll be turned into an evil spirit? Have I got that right? Who makes these rules anyway?There’s a cross on the door of the ML’s apartment. But it’s hard for me to imagine that the Virgin Mary would approve of these shenanigans.
After a bumpy beginning, the two FLs–the original owner of a certain body, who’s a sensitive, timid kitchen assistant secretly in love with the chef, along with the boisterous, somewhat obnoxious ghost looking to get laid–agree on a plan. They’ll share the body and work together to seduce Mr. Wonderful, the aforementioned chef.
The idea is that one girl gets the guy. And the other gets an all-expense paid ticket to the great beyond. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
At least that’s the original plan. Of course things soon go awry, when...(Sorry! You’ll have to watch the drama to find out what happens).
Does this drama have depth and nuance? Is it great theater? Nah. While the premise is bonkers, the implementation is pretty entertaining. I laughed and kept watching, which is more than I can say for some other series that tried to be funny–and weren’t. I especially liked the arrogant chef, and his interactions with his crew. He was hilarious. And most of the main characters were quirky and beguiling. Both FLs were likeable and fun–even Bong Seon, the inhibited introvert, who’s (at first) afraid of her own shadow.
Lots of familiar faces in this drama. I was so happy to see the cute and sprightly Lee Jeong eun playing the part of a spirited Bodhisattva/Shaman. She’s such fine actress and she did a superb job here.
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Don't miss this one
Skillful acting makes this series a success. This drama is worth watching if only for the sake of the impressive range of Kim Nam Gil who plays Heo Im, a Joseon doctor who transforms from youthful arrogance to clownish clutziness to heartwarming tenderness to heroic competence without missing a beat.The secondary characters are mostly effective, and there are even a couple of lovable animals--in particular, a certain baby pig that steals every scene he's in.
The pacing is good, the plot moves along and (mostly) doesn't drag-although there's a little too much hand-wringing and wailing in the last two episodes. But just when you think you know where things are going, the writers pull a switcharoo and send things reeling in an unforeseen direction. I like that in a drama.
Is it worth a watch? Absolutely.
Now--for the not-so-good. No series is perfect and this one's no exception.
1. The product placement is a little too in-your-face for me. Would a man who had lived most of his life in the Joseon period really be amazed and delighted by the excellence of packaged noodles? Maybe not so much.
2. Throwaway characters. The stellar acting of the main couple make it easy to overlook the minor characters who are treated unfairly. Everyone should be a three--dimensional human being, even if the viewers only get hints of who they are or what their ultimate fate is.
For example, there's an orphaned brother and sister that the main couple meet in Joseon and travel with for a short period. The kids are passed off to some random guy who seems to know them. We never find out what happened to them. There's also Mak-Gae, Heo Im's loyal 15-year-old assistant. In her case, it's out of sight, out of mind. After a certain accident, instead of showing concern, the main dude goes chasing after his lady love...leaving Mak-Gae to fend for herself.
3. Metaphysical inconsistencies. The "rules" of time travel are confusing. Conveniently, it turns out that physical wounds are healed when someone leaps through the chronosphere. Got a sword thrust through your belly? Not to worry. You can die in the past and emerge unscathed in the 21st century. Except it doesn't always work that way. Someone gets slashed in the back and, whoops!, it turns out, time travel doesn't heal all wounds after all.
4. Other contradictions. It's not clear why some of the older characters, who seem to have been back and forth from Joseon previously, can make authoritative pronouncements about the "rules" of time travel-most of which turn out to be malarky. The ending is another head scratcher. First Heo Im goes away, and then he comes back. Choi Yeon-kyeong accuses him of being unreliable, although the viewers just saw that the return was a complete accident. Instead of straightening her out on this point, Heo Im acts like he made some kind of deliberate choice. OK, maybe they're just joking around, but whaaa? This also would be a good time to mention that he accidentally brought someone else along with him. But no...
Still, I give this series a solid eight stars.
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Uneven but worth a watch
As an English speaker, trying to follow the plot through subtitles–I was confused. Why? The series features a set of identical twins with similar names who decide to temporarily switch places and take over each other’s lives. One actress plays both girls as adults. A different actress plays both girls as teens. In addition, there are the male leads who are interested in the two girls.That wouldn’t be so much of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that a lot of back story has to be filled in for ALL of these characters. And the focus jumps back and forth in time and place without clear indication when a switch happens.
It helps that one of the twins has long hair and the other has short hair. The first twin (long hair) has a corporate job in Seoul, while the other one (short hair) works on a strawberry farm. This would work if they both stayed put. But, no, Ms. Office Worker comes home now and then and Ms. Strawberry Farm finds time to visit Seoul. Mi-ji, the twin with the bubbly personality, is likable but immature–she pouts, shrieks, sulks, and throws temper tantrums. It gets tiresome after awhile.
Each girl–when I say girl we’re mostly talking about these two as 30-year-old women–has to fake it when the people around them mention incidents that occurred before the identity switch took place. Viewers have to keep the timeline remember the date of the switch–and also whether or not the short-haired girl is wearing extensions in order to pass for her sister.
Let me add that everyone in this series has psychological issues, including the parents, the grandmother, and another older woman who, it turns out, has also switched identities with someone else. Aaargh!
While the actors do a skillful job with the script they’ve been given, the plot was just too convoluted for me. I could follow it, but it made my brain tired. And in some places, things just weren’t believable. For example, each of the male leads has to convince the viewers that he’s only interested in ONE of the two girls–and that he can not only tell them apart (although their mother can’t)–but loves his chosen girl’s unique characteristics.
Maybe it could be true in the case of the dude who loves the girl who has some verve and personality, but the other twin is despondent, poker-faced, and impassive–and she seldom responds or reacts to her admirer in any way whatsoever. Also, there’s a sexual abuse situation that’s so minimal that if you blink, you’ll miss it. But all the characters talk about it endlessly. I loved the older characters, especially the mothers, played by two amazing veteran actors.
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Characters need therapy
Another series that takes 50 episodes to portray a simple mis-communication between two equally confused and immature characters. The drama is stirred up by the advice, threats, and manipulations of the people surrounding the main couple. Lots of problems with this series-mostly, a lot of tired old tropes. They get together, they're driven apart, they get together, they're driven apart. Ho hum.1. I'm SO TIRED of being told in K-dramas and C-dramas who's pretty, who's handsome, and who's ugly. And there's a whole lot of that going on in this series. Let the viewer make up her own mind. No one person gets to decide what's beautiful for the rest of us.
2. Shan Cai. This actress who plays her looks and acts like a 12-year-old and pouts like a 7-year-old. She's as charismatic and assertive as a wet noodle. Si keeps calling her "stupid." Is she? Anyone who knocks on the front door can push their way into her home. Anyone who says they want to be her friend, is treated like her best buddy. Si grabs her, takes her things, puts his hand over her mouth, pulls her this way and that, slaps her--and she just lets him do...whatever. Is she madly in love? Who knows? Her standard expression is blank, and the kisses between her and Si seem really contrived.
Her idea of a fun date is to feed her face with, not one, but four obscene desserts slathered in whipped cream and syrup while Si watches in disgust-and this girl is a nutrition major. No matter how many of the other characters call her "fierce" or "incredible," she isn't. I read that Dylan Wang wrote a letter to Si when the series ended. Among other things, he said, "I don't understand one thing. Why don't you just get another girlfriend if she's so indifferent to you?" He has a point.
3. Si. This dude (the character, not the actor) is seriously disturbed. He's rigid, violent, abusive, and a bully. But he's sometimes the only person speaking truth. He's right when he accuses Shan Cai of dodging questions, being evasive, and changing the subject whenever he asks her a straightforward question. He's frustrated, and I don't blame him.
4. The couple together. Their toxic relationship is ruining the lives of everybody around them. Wake up Lei, Meizuo, and Xi Men Yan! Don't let these crazies mess up your entire college experience.
Here's what needs to happen. Shan Cai should say: "I appreciate your good qualities, Si. You're loyal, generous and brave. But if we keep going like this, ten years from now, we'll either be divorced or one of us will be dead.
She should add two things:
A. Please deal with your crazy mother. She has to stop trying to intimidate-or destroy--me and my friends. Just get it done. If that's not possible move out of your family's house. Otherwise: good-bye.
B. From now on--no violence, no bullying, and no physical abuse. When I say, "Stop!" you need to stop. And you'll treat the people in our lives with kindness and respect. Got it? In return, I promise to answer your questions in a straightforward and honest way.
5. I'm a little disappointed with Dylan Wang. A socially retarded and emotionally damaged dude finds his one true love, manhandles and bullies her. There must be other scripts out there that can show-off this guy's amazing acting skills.
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Korean Drama at it's best
What I liked:1. I almost missed this marvelous series because–who wants to watch a drama about the daily grind of a bunch of ordinary office workers in a large corporation in Korea? I gave it a try because of the high ratings, and I’m so glad I did. This story is absorbing.
2. It’s hard to single out any one actor because everyone’s work was outstanding. How Ling Sun-min is able to convey a whole world of emotion with his poker face is almost beyond comprehension. Im Si-wan’s acting was also remarkable. His character and confidence level subtly change as the story progresses.
3. The plot was unpredictable, but believable–at least until the ending, which I’ll get to below.
4. Another great feature is that the cast consists (mostly) of characters who look like ordinary people, not glamorous movie stars.
What I didn’t like:
1. Hey guys! Movie makers have an unwritten contract with the audience. If the film starts out as a horror film, it shouldn’t suddenly change into SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. If it begins as a musical comedy it shouldn’t suddenly turn into a crime drama.
Sure, surprises within certain boundaries are fine, but you don’t undermine the fictional world you’ve set up by pulling the rug out from under the viewers. This series does that.
For some reason, the directors decided to change things up at the last moment. And suddenly we were all watching RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC.
Next time wait until the credits roll before you move on to the next project. I deducted one star because of episode 20.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not perfect, but close
I’m not a fan of baseball or prison stories, so you’d think this drama wouldn’t be for me.You’d be wrong. It's excellent.
PRISON PLAYBOOK walks a narrow line-sometimes basking in sappy pathos, and at other times careening into hilarious caricature.
The creators of PRISON PLAYBOOK get it mostly right-with a few flubs. Is it always believable? No. But the story is original and entertaining enough for viewers to overlook the relatively few flaws.
Park Hae-Soo nails it as Je-Hyeok, a lovable, honorable lunk-head, who winds up in prison. But shows he has some brains when push comes to shove.
Jung Kyoung-Ho's portrayal of Je-Hyeok's loyal best friend is so convincing and touching that I now want to watch every drama he's ever been in. Another stand-out was Choi Moo-seung. He brought tears to my eyes more than once. What an incredible performer!
Captain Yoo, played by Jung Hae-In, enters this drama as a supposed vicious murderer. Yeah, right. This sweet-faced actor is about as scary as a kitten. In every other drama, he plays the perfect boyfriend - see LOVE NEXT DOOR. Not to worry. He improves throughout--as do most of the others.
A few negatives: Lots of product placement going on-which mostly didn't interfere with the meandering plot. The wrestling and fighting between the cell mates often looked staged. And when Go Park-sa was suddenly rushed out the door, a promising secondary plot involving corporate malfeasance was cut off at the knees. What was that all about?
Soundtrack: When a mournful oboe is wailing in the background or a saccharine piano melody is plucking at our heart strings - additional sound effects interject a note of humor and frivolity (dharma drums, off-key chords), as if to say, "You guys aren't taking all this too seriously, are you?" Nice.
I could have done without the incessant bird whistles.
In a real prison, things aren't quite as benign as presented in this series. Or so I’ve been told.
Here, the seven or eight rotating cell mates-a unique collection of lock-down losers-are all endearing and likable. Most are societal victims. Some get justice, some don't.
Sort of like life.
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Mr. Plankton hits a home run
I’ve been waiting for months to be able to give an enthusiastic endorsement of a (recent) K-drama. Now I can. This series is laugh-out-loud funny. But it also has more depth and originality than the fare we’ve been served up lately by Netflix and others.It’s nice to see a female lead in a K-drama who shows some agency and energy. Some of what she does is misguided, but so what? She’s a fully formed human being. I can think of other series–IT’S OK, THAT’S LOVE and MY DEAREST come to mind--featuring strong female leads. But most K-drama heroines seem like passive players in their own lives. Not this one.
Woo Do-Hwan commands the screen and gives a nuanced, affecting perfomance.
Crazy hilarity abounds. Some of it works, some–not so much. Nobody’s perfect in this drama. Characters hurt each other–but eventually understand that the secret to a meaningful life is to love another flawed person more than yourself. (Nobody hits you over the head with this message–but it’s subtly implied.)
Because the writers are willing to take risks, believability flies out the window here and there. Another problem is with the editing. There are a lot of slow sections that could have been tightened up. I loved the way the soundtrack moved from classical, to folk, to rock. I especially liked the music played when the credits rolled at the end of each episode--always a pleasant surprise. Kudos,
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