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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Breezy and cheerful
This one is strictly for fun - breezy, cheerful, and playful. A bit of mind candy for anyone who needs a break from the soul-draining rigors of romance.It's such a relief to see a female lead who uses her powers to right the wrongs suffered by damsels dating dastardly dudes.
OK, it was a bit over the top. The FL's fighting chops were on a superhuman scale, and the second couple's courtship was so abbreviated I barely had time to register it.
But thanks again, Netflix, for giving us a female-centric story with a strong lead (mostly) devoid of victimization, weepiness, and heartbreak. Loved it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Odd Couple
A young, handsome, brilliant, clever, kind, patient, generous, monogamous, honorable, mechanically proficient, streetfighting adonis who likes to cook and clean–and who also has a superpower--falls madly in love with a cranky, narcissistic, self-centered, lazy, not-too-bright, arrogant, indifferent, rude, cold, ungrateful, ethically challenged, and slovenly public defender.And this is supposed to be a match made in – one of those places whose name starts with “H.” More like a fantasy cleverly constructed to hook impressionable teens (of the female persuasion).
As for the acting–the villain was sufficiently scary and despicable to hold my attention. And the ML managed to breathe conviction, authenticity, and adorableness into his character. The young women commenting on the top left corner of my television screen certainly thought he was the bees knees. In fact, they seemed completely besotted with him–poor babies! One of them typed, “Oh, Sweetie! When you get tired of her, come live with me!”
The FL’s performance, on the other hand, was overwrought, over-acted, and downright silly in places. She had to work awfully hard at being awful. (But some of this was probably due to the impossible script–not to any lack of talent on the actress’s part.)
The court cases dramatized in this series were apparently chosen to highlight the ethical enigmas inherent in the legal system. But each case was totally bizarro--fraught with conflicts of interest–and a boatload of complications. Frankly, I couldn’t get worked up about any of them. The timeline was also weird–with some suspects being rushed to trial before the blood had dried on the murder weapon (metaphorically speaking). One loathsome character had murdered at least three people and tried to kill a number of others, including a child–and yet everyone felt sorry for him. Well...everyone except me.
Each time the camera focused on the jury, the jurists were nodding, shaking their head, and otherwise expressing their premature judgments for all the world to see. Yikes!
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Like a car crash I couldn’t look away from...
The contradictions in the fantasies being sold to young girls have never been as in-your-face as they are in this K-drama. But the mesmerizing acting of Seo Hyun-jin somehow holds this hot mess together.Her love interest is a robotic, poker-faced, rich dude who suffers from the “disease” of face blindness or prosopagnosia. Not to worry. He’s found his perfect mate in the FL, who suffers from a condition that changes her into some random-looking specimen of humanity every so often–be it a child of 10 or a sore-encrusted old bald guy.
Whatever the case, folks, True Love conquers all. The most ludicrous scene in this series is the pledge of eternal love between the ML and the aforementioned bald guy. Not that bald guys aren’t lovable! But even Lee Min-ki, the ML, who has serious acting chops (see his performance in BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST LIFE), can’t bring himself to gaze enthusiastically at his newly transformed sweetheart. There’s a Japanese proverb that says: “If there is love smallpox scars are as pretty as dimples.” Ah! If only it were true.
The other over-the-top romance--like an impending car crash you can’t look away from--is between an actor who could pass for an sweet-faced 14-year-old boy and a troubled, but fabulously rich older woman. To be fair, it’s not clear how old these two are supposed to be. (In real life, they’re almost the same age.)
The dialog between these two is beyond idiotic. “I’m bad, but you’re good.” “I love you because you’re so pretty.” Not since Scrooge McDuck have the rich been such an easy target. As in most K-dramas, they’re all greedy and offensive. But there’s hope for those who recognize True Beauty.
More than once, my suspension of disbelief was hanging by a thread over the Grand Canyon. When the FL transforms from one body to another, do her clothes change with her? The 10-year-old’s duds conveniently enlarged when s/he changed back into adulthood. Not so with some of the other transformations.
The schmaltzy song that played over and over and OVER in the background getting louder and louder and LOUDER was enough to drive me screaming into the night.
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Plot Problems
The most amazing, incredible piece of good luck that has ever happened to anyone anywhere occurs at the beginning of this series. A human being comes back from the dead!Everyone is celebrating, hugging each other, and dancing in the streets. Right?
Nope.
Instead we are treated to crying, wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments (two sisters actually rend garments with a pair of scissors in one scene). Episode after episode after episode of misery and regret. As others have said, this series is slooooowww.
If you find yourself asking: What’s gong on here?
I've got an answer for you.
Product placement. Capitalism at its finest, folks. It's one long advertisement pummeling your unconscious brain.
But I digress. Back to the trauma and the drama...
If you've ever lost someone and want to revisit that aching sorrow at the unfairness of death-have a go at HI, BYE MAMA.
But wait! In the middle of this sob-fest, they, the producers, realized that this was all too much, so they sent two of the ladies zooming off in a hot car for an afternoon of ziplining. Then back to the never-ending tragedy of life.
Other viewers have criticized the feckless males and their total incompetence in the face of so much female grief. But I thought Lee Kyu-hyung rocked as the hapless, depressed husband who always does the wrong thing.
And then there's the repetitious dialogue. "I feel guilty." "I'm to blame." "No, you haven't done anything wrong." "I'm sorry." "I am so sorry." Sob, sob, sob. The point is not to have a logical plot. The point is to keep viewer's neurons susceptible to the main message.
Speaking of the plot: the holes are big enough to swallow the planet Jupiter, so I won't name them all-just a few. Why was that creepy exorcist out to kidnap little Seo-woo? Just to recruit her for Shaman school? Really, deities? What kind of a world are you running?
Is it really worse to see a few ghosts here and there, than it is to grow up without your "real" mother in your life?
As for Seo-woo, when the series opens she's four--but 49 days later (towards the end of Yuri's stint as a revivified human) Yuri says she's six. OK.
Then there's the episode where the three main characters attack another group of mothers at the preschool with paint and assorted objects. And no one gets expelled? And Yuri, the employee, doesn't get fired? I've worked at preschools and, generally speaking, they frown on employees who attack the parents.
Apparently Yuri doesn't care for shamans. But when you see that Mi Dong-daek has to justify the rules of the Big Bosses to the hoi polloi while corralling the chaos-I, at least, had sympathy. No wonder the deities are having a recruiting problem. Who wants to herd ghosts for a living?
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Rejection Galore
In this series, everyone gets rejected by somebody–either by their parents or by the one they love. Some of the characters keep loving anyway, others harden their hearts against humanity. There is a convoluted plot, but it always seems secondary to the pain of rejection, which plays out in all its different colors.The ML is a powerful “master” with a coterie of faithful devotees–one in particular who’s the favorite and therefore subject to more abuse than the others. Of course, Master needs the love of a good woman to melt his icy and (often) brutal heart. For some reason, Chinese film makers seem to think that cold, cruel men are appealing to women viewers. My question is–why?
During 9/10ths of this series, the ML is insulting, threatening, and just plain mean to the FL, who puts up with everything he throws at her with good grace and a cheery smile. Another male character denigrates and insults his female love interest--and even goes so far as to rape her–but all is forgiven in the end.
From time to time the FL visits the frozen castle? cage? in which the ML’s lonely soul is ensconced where she confesses her love and concern. The ML may seem like a monster to some, but SHE knows he secretly has a heart of gold. Give me a break!
If you liked THE LONGEST PROMISE and LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL, you’ll probably like LOVE OF THE DIVINE TREE which “borrows” elements from both and melds them into a precarious whole. It’s rife with magical objects, evil spells, a dragon, and even an adorable kitten who doubles as a ferocious tiger when it gets its dander up.
For me, the last five episodes were like a death march. Does every single dying character need to make a speech before they go?
This fantasy is well-larded with CGI, sometimes convincing, sometimes not-so-much. Personally, I’m a sucker for special effects no matter how poorly done. And, while this story can be repetitious and/or silly and drags a bit, the special effects just keep coming. Is this a serious drama? Nah. But if you want a weepy tearjerker that takes you out of the real world (and don’t we all), this might be a good bet.
My favorite unintentionally funny English subtitle:
Yu: “I have no choice but to walk down this path until I reach the very top.”
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Appealing and entertaining
I recently watched a Korean series that had some of the same problems that ROOFTOP PRINCE has–overused cliches, lack of logic, unbelievable plot. But I didn’t dislike ROOFTOP PRINCE as much as I disliked that first series. In fact, I quite liked it. What’s the difference?1. First, ROOFTOP PRINCE was made in 2012. Some hokey stuff (going to an amusement park, watching fireworks, riding bikes) that have since been done to death--were still fresh back then.
2. The ML and FL were so playful and likable that they added something new to every trope.
3. Big chunks of this drama were zany and madcap and not supposed to be taken seriously. Yes, the actors also overacted in places when they should have been playing it straight. And the plot didn’t always make sense. None of this bothered me, although I’m guessing it will bother other viewers.
It was such a joy watching the uptight, authoritarian prince get his due from an enlightened, modern Korean girl. It was hard not to fall in love with both of them. Both leads played off of each other with ease and affection.
I’ve never enjoyed secondary characters as much as I have the prince’s Korean sidekicks. In most series, the secondary characters are annoying or poorly written or fillers that add nothing to the plot. Not here. Each of the guys was hilarious and irresistible.
One of the things that DID have a weird vibe was the way the ML talked to the FL. He called her “stupid,” “vulgar,” and said he wanted to “rip her mouth out” among other things. He did this with kind of, sort of, a twinkle in his eye–so you could convince yourself, if you wanted to, (and I wanted to) that he was just teasing because he actually liked her so much. It didn’t seem to bother the FL that he was saying these things. She even gave it back to him in spades. So why did it bother me?
Here’s why. Because some men start out by making inappropriate remarks in a teasing way–and later, when the relationship is under stress, they’ll say it again – only this time, no one’s laughing.
Still, there was plenty of evidence that our ML was a decent guy who would take good care of the FL, if given the chance. So I put my reservations aside.
In the second half, the story became more plot driven. The writers gave us a lot of half-baked, nefarious scheming by the villains–schemes that our ML and the FL (especially) should have been able to anticipate. But they didn’t-- which frustrated me and made both leads seem a bit doltish.
Nevertheless, overall this is an entertaining series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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Lots to like
Our hero, the feckless ML, feels that he can’t win in the game of life–that he’s been dealt a hand of deuces and treys. So life (well actually I should say Death) puts him in a TRULY no-win situation.Did I say “no-win”? This is the King of no-wins. He can’t even solve this particular dilemma by dying.
DEATH’S GAME starts out as a male-oriented thriller, with non-stop action, and plenty of violence and gore. Keep watching, though, because this series isn’t easily categorized. One episode has horror film vibes; another fills in the details of the romance introduced at the beginning. Whatever. I guarantee that you won’t complain that it drags–more like a cage-full of squirrels on speed.
What really sets this series apart from others are the excellent special effects, along with some amazing camera work. One shot (pun intended) lets the viewer look at a certain character through a bullet hole that’s just penetrated another character’s head.
If you prefer a narrative with more sophisticated characters and a nuanced view of reality, you might think DEATH’S GAME isn’t your cup of tea. The minor characters are mostly sterotypes, especially the villains. But the ML grows and changes–and the focus is mostly on him.
If you look at the plot too closely, you’ll notice some inconsistencies. For example, it’s not clear what happened to the original inhabitant of each of the bodies the ML took over. Some of the rules of the game seem to change over the course of the series. And I personally didn’t appreciate the demonization of people who commit suicide. Some, no doubt, are selfish, like the ML. Others are sick. And still others have an intolerable life situation.
A crow is blown to pieces in one episode. I see anti-crow scenes like this in a lot of dramas these days. Please, guys, stop setting a bad example by encouraging people to torture and kill these amazingly intelligent birds (look up the research).
You may notice some familiar faces in the minor roles. Kim Mi-Kyung as the mother and Oh Jung-se, whose versatility always amazes me, are just two I recognized.
The pluses totally outweigh the minuses in this series. Nine stars.
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Entertaining and watchable
Four items that work well in this drama:1. I appreciate the racially diverse casting in a couple of scenes.
2. Neither of the two leads is perfect. The plot is mostly believable and the characters likable.
3. Well-paced. So far the story hasn’t dragged.
4. Woo-joo is to die for–a 10 on the cuteness scale
Four items that could have been improved:
1. Too many stale tropes – the small scrape that requires a bandaid applied by the male or female romantic interest, sharing an umbrella in the rain, a work competition in which the female shows her abilities, serious car accident, etc. etc.
2. Exaggerated embarrassment when both leads end up (fully clothed) in the same bed. The over-acting made this scene a bit unbelievable.
3. This drama passes the Bechdel test, but just barely (look it up).
4. The FL seems indifferent and inconsiderate of the ML, a wounded soul who deserves better.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cotton candy with a Buddhist veneer
I was in the mood for a dreamy fantasy, and the first episode of THE UNCLOUDED SOUL looked like it might do the trick. But by episode 2, I began to realize it had turned into a children’s flic with cute little pixies, a demon school for newbies, and a menagerie of talking animals and plants. The meanie demons (not the nice ones) were always dressed in black–so you could tell who the bad guys were. The decor reminded me of Snow White, Cinderella, Peter Pan or even the Wizard of Oz with a dash of Harry Potter thrown in.At first, Demonland ( Valley of Ten Thousand Demons) had a feel-good glow. As for the plot–there were enough contradictions to confuse a quantum physicist. When the FL accidentally tied the match-making red thread around her own wrist and that of the ML, he told her that from now on the two of them would never be separated. They would forever have to stay thisclose to each other. Two scenes later, the FL is back in class with the other kids (her demon besties), but the ML is off doing grown-up demon stuff.
There’s a school “test,” which is described by the “teacher” as having two goals 1) steal a pillow, and 2) make a human child cry. The pillows are duly stolen, but...make a child cry? Really? I was hoping for Darth Vader, but these folks have all the menacing gravitas of a group of trick-or-treaters on Halloween.
The FL learns a spell to make silver, but seems to have totally lost this ability in a later episode when she needs a couple of ingots to pay a merchant. A certain character, supposedly an immortal, is stabbed to death. Other “immortals” are also killable. Little things like this had me grinding my teeth.
On the other hand, the FL is cute and spunky. The ML, in spite of being a demon, is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, protective, warm, and sensitive. He even learns to cook the FL’s favorite foods for her birthday.There’s something sweet and poignant in their relationship that kept me hanging in there. Then there’s the dashing captain whose only flaw is that he takes himself way too seriously – and that he’s a little too bonded with his sword, who is also his sister (don’t ask).
A group of human women (including the FL) are sent to a mysterious island ruled over by a a beautiful immortal who has kidnapped the ML and injected him with poison, in an attempt to break his spirit. These women are forced to cook and clean and dodge magic manifestations in a series of degrading competitions, meant to bring out their greed and selfishness – all for a chance to become immortal. Mixed in with this display of sappy banality is a haunting atmosphere of tragedy and gloom that hangs over everything like a pall.
In short, this series doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Is it a children’s story? A romance? A tragedy? A Buddhist morality play? I felt pulled in a dozen different directions at once.
*******************
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Half-time check in...
Having now watched 23 episodes of PURSUIT OF JADE, I have to agree that–although in places this story is unbelievable, and certainly brutal--it’s one of the most entertaining and original Chinese dramas of the year.What I like (so far).
1. There are certain cliches that pop up in Asian dramas again and again. This series has fewer of those than almost any drama I’ve seen up to this point. The slight, skinny FL is no helpless victim. If anything, she’s almost unbelievably strong and assertive. I said “almost” because, well, I questioned a couple of her physical feats. But I suspended my disbelief for the sake of the overall narrative, which never flags.
2. Speaking of the plot, it’s unusual for me to be so engrossed in the action that I have problem turning off the TV when my own life is calling. That’s how this drama affected me–it’s utterly absorbing.
3. The originality of the plot, the physical details of the house and yard, plus other visuals frame the story in a way that adds authenticity. For example, the uneven and ramshackle fences that encircle the Fan house looked altogether real (I looked them up–and, yes, rural fences do sometimes look like that).
4. The way the impoverished villagers help each other out, the malicious gossip, even the slaughtering of the pigs–all contributed to the overall credibility. The main characters, and many of the minor characters, are appealing and likeable. The plot is succinct. If there’s any filler in the first 23 episodes, I couldn’t find it.
5. Some of the visuals are clever–others are downright stunning–for example the scene where the camera follows the white hawk as it soars through the clouds. Breathtaking.
6. Delightful little touches like the ML sneezing when his wife and teacher each sing his praises without either realizing that they’re talking about the same person. (In East Asian cultures, many believe that sneezing indicates that someone is talking about you behind your back.)
A few difficulties--
1. Suffice it to say that this story is brutal in places. You probably shouldn’t watch it with young children. There are a few graphic sequences where a pig is slaughtered, or at least seems to go unconscious before its killed–although we’re told that “no animals were harmed in this episode”. In another scene, a young child is psychologically tormented.
2. The political machinations are too convoluted, and culture specific, for me to follow. Luckily viewers don’t need to understand the details to understand who the villains are–and who’s trying to off whom.
3. I counted four times that the ML was out of commission because of injuries sustained in a fight–and I might have missed a few. Too repetitious for a drama that mostly avoids this kind of overkill.
NOTE: Linghe Zhang has been criticized as being a bit subdued, poker-faced, and tepid in his role as the ML. But that’s how the part is written. If you want to see the same actor’s wild, zany side, watch his performance as Changheng in LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL, especially the sequence where he’s been reincarnated as a fun-loving mortal.
In this drama the good far outweighs the bad. I’ll be back to finish this review at a later time.
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Incessant Product Placement
Whew! I've been on the verge of giving up my Korean Drama addiction because, so far, so many new series have been duds. At first I thought LOVE NEXT DOOR was better, but now I'm having second thoughts.During the first half of this series, the male and female leads–played by two well known heart throbs--were mostly believable, especially Jung Hae-in who can make anything work.
The plot lurched off the rails in a few places, with enough crying and carrying on to deplete Korea-'s entire stock of menthol tear sticks. The parents, especially Seok-ryoo's mother acted crazy and abusive (and not in a fun way).
The actress who played Mo-Eum was winsome and likable, but she overacted. I liked her, so I liked the character. But I couldn't warm toward Seok-ryoo in this drama--she was just too arbitrary and cruel.
Let me just mention one other minor character, the ML’s mother. This woman loved her son, but she allowed someone else to raise him. She loved her husband, but she never learned to cook. Instead she’s had a wonderful, professional life–traveling the world and learning about other cultures. And how does this series present this unique woman? As someone who deserves punishment, someone who’s about to lose it all--friends, family, and her marriage. The subtext is clear–if insulting to modern women.
The incessant, in-your-face product placement disappointed me the most. I thought episode 11 was bad, but in episode fourteen, one of the leads actually shows the label on the can to the camera and says, "I had no idea alcohol tasted this good."
There were at least three major bouts of alcohol consumption (and product placement) in episode 14. Apparently, the writers aren't even trying to be subtle.
Nothing against alcohol here, but I really resent the cheap commercialization. Hey Studio Dragon (and you too Netflix)--please don't go down this path.
Why are Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min who are both incredible actors damaging their artistic reputations this way?
Throughout, the writers created trivial excuses and pretexts for various main characters to go on a bender. Whatever the problem–minor spats, bad news–hey, let’s all get drunk. It just seemed like the writers were looking for any chance to push the products.
Still...until the whole series fell apart toward the end, it was mostly watchable. The leads did a good job and hit all the right notes for a good, solid romance. I wasn't looking for high art, but the constant (and obvious) viewer manipulation ruined this one for me.
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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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No deeper meaning
The first three episodes of THE IMMORTAL ASCENSION were promising – they take place in a gorgeous setting and show a warm relationship between the two boys. Both boys are under the care of a menacing antagonist, in the guise of an old “master.” Yang Yang’s acting was superb in these episodes.Then the series fell apart.
The rest of the drama seemed to be slapped together without much effort or forethought. This version of taoism seems too materialistic to me. Shouldn't the “masters” who represent the epitome of sagacity be looking for truth and enlightenment? Instead they seem to be bereft of any real wisdom and to have no real moral compass.
Han Li was a constant puzzle. Where was the meaning in his life? His goal seemed to be to acquire magical artifacts, to rise in status, and eventually achieve immortality. He's not interested in creating any meaningful connections with anyone--male or female, human or immortal. He did have a few tender moments with an animated mouse. Even his affection for his family seemed almost non-existent.
A number of mostly forgettable women pursue him. Does he have a capacity for intimacy? For love? If he did, I sure couldn’t detect it.
Generic demons and bad guys show up, fight Han Li, and are destroyed. We know they’re evil because, they scream at their underlings, smirk and laugh diabolically, and try to kill the good guys. Monsters include lizards with glowing eyes, a serpent, and a mantis demon or two, each, in turn, dispatched to the great beyond. Lots of spiky golden wheels turn in the sky.
I DID like the ending, and I’ll probably watch Season 2.
As for Yang Yang the actor, I understand he studied dance and plays the piano. I’m glad he’s got other interests. Hope there’s someone around him encouraging him to build a life on something other than his youthful good looks (which are mentioned by reviewers incessantly) so that he’s not totally devastated when they’re gone.
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Schizophrenic
I watched this drama to the end. Many viewers will probably like it, but for me it was too contrived – with a unpalatable mixture of silly hijinks, gratuitous violence, sadism, ridiculous wishes, and bogus profundity. It had a convoluted plot with too many secondary characters, and a lot of elements that just didn’t come together in a cohesive whole.In the beginning, the ML is a a big goof ball of a genie who can do anything with a snap of his fingers. Somehow he’s also Satan. He can put out a raging fire or catch someone who’s fallen off a tall building, He can appear and disappear and travel through time. He can fly, burst through the walls of buildings, and deflect bullets. No problemo.
As for the FL, she just doesn’t give two figs about anything because she’s a psychopath (or maybe not). She’s trying to be decent, but she has the soul of a killer. Why should the viewers care about either of these absurd characters? There’s nothing at stake. Neither of them want anything–-or anything substantive–-either from the world or from each other.
As the story progresses, wishes are granted, wishes are postponed, unforeseen circumstances arise. When a romance develops, it seems completely unmotivated.
When are the good people at Netflix going to hire writers who can actually construct a story with heart and nuance–one that doesn’t rely on gimmicks?
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