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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This review may contain spoilers
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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Threw in the towel
I’m a huge fan of IU’s work, especially the funny and heartwarming HOTEL DEL LUNA and the absolutely brilliant MY MISTER. So it makes me sad to report that this series, PERFECT CROWN, is far from perfect. I finished Episode 3 and (like many others on this site and elsewhere) dropped it.The problem isn’t so much with IU’s acting as it is with the character she portrays--a vapid, self-centered, arrogant narcissist. I just didn’t like her and didn’t want to spend more time in her company.
It’s possible to create a multi-faceted, slightly villainous, FL who’s intriguing, enticing, and even likable–but the writers didn’t do that here. Maybe she shows another side later in the drama, but I can’t wait around to find out. Sorry.
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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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DO OVER OF SOMETHING IN THE RAIN...
The Netflix writers liked SOMETHING IN THE RAIN so much that they thought they’d do it all over again and give it another name. Hence – ONE SPRING NIGHT.One of the main characters in OSN has a “flaw” that has to be hidden from friends and family of his would-be girlfriend--just as in SITR.
ONE SPRING NIGHT – features some of the same actors playing characters remarkably similar to those in SITR–only with different names and, in some cases, slightly different personalities. The actress who plays one of the mothers softens that role, so she isn’t as rigid and snobbish as she was in SITR. Of the two, SOMETHING IN THE RAIN is the better drama.
This FL has a jealous, acting out ex-boyfriend, though this one isn’t quite as psychotic as the one in SITR. He’s pretty awful nonetheless.
I guess Tammy Wynette wasn’t available this time. However, there’s another equally nauseating song playing endlessly in the background.
The dialogue in SITR wasn’t scintillating. But in ONE SPRING NIGHT, it’s confusing. When translated into English subtitles, many of the conversations are incomprehensible. Hard to care when not much is happening, and what IS happening is kind of a mess.
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A satisfying drama
I wasn’t expecting much from this series, but it exceeded my expectations. Both the ML and FL were surprisingly compelling as two lonely souls undergoing the stresses of modern life and managing somehow to cope. These two are surrounded by other eccentrics–in particular a male cross-dresser who’s included and embraced by the people in the neighborhood. I was blown away by the fact that this character is portrayed as human and likable–not as a monster to be rejected and despised. This drama is funny, well-acted, and poignant. The only negative is the last episode which rushed the ending, leaving a number of plot points dangling. Other than that–a very satisfying drama.Was this review helpful to you?
Dylan Wang nailed it
What I liked:1. Dylan Wang as Dongfang Qingcang completely nailed it. In the beginning he's robotic and unfeeling. Later he's depressed and angry. Finally he's loving and self-sacrificing. Wang delivers the many comic scenes with impeccable timing-and even plays a woman in a man's body without missing a beat. Added later: I just found out that a “line actor” dubbed Dylan’s voice in this series, so maybe not as great an acting job as I thought. But his visuals and expressions are still quite good.
2. Other actors also do a stellar job: Yu Shuxin as Orchid was warm, loving and believable as Dongfang's love interest. Although I agree that her nasal, whining voice almost made me change the channel in the beginning. Another great performance was that of Charles Lin who played ShangQue, Dongfang's faithful servant who is sometimes a man and sometimes a dragon-mobile. His facial expressions and general cluelessness were a wonder. Also Hong Xiao added feminine guile and energy along with a good dollop of humor. And I have to mention Zhang Linghe who goes from earnest to dissipated and back again--and is as charming as they come.
3. Costuming, CGI, and set design were gorgeous and magical. While the story got a little tedious with all the misunderstandings and downright deceit, plus the breakups and reconciliations between Dongfang and Orchid--the pace never slowed.
4. This is the first Chinese series I've seen that was genuinely both touching and funny. The humor worked seamlessly, which is rare with international dramas. Yes, it got a little sentimental in places, but otherwise-- not many missteps.
Things that could have been better:
1. A few blunders. I love the mournful flute solo that Rong Hao plays intermittently throughout the series. There's one scene where he's playing his song and then puts the instrument down-and the flute melody (at least on my screen) keeps playing. What happened to the spikes in Dongfang's body? They're supposed to cause him excruciating agony every night. We see them once, and then suddenly they're gone. Also some plot devices got recycled a bit too often. Repetitive ordeals of pain and suffering start losing their impact after the third time.
2. The music, in general, was OK, although some of the songs got a little tiresome by the end.
3. Speaking of the ending--there were a few dangling threads. For example, what happened with the romance between ShangQue and JieLi? They seemed happy, but were they dating? Were they married? Get with it, guys. It's been 500 years. Also, one of the main characters is supposedly gone forever, but then abruptly comes back. Why? How? Enquiring minds want to know.
Overall very enjoyable.
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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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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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Confusing
In episodes 1 through 4 of VEIL OF SHADOWS, viewers are introduced to a cacophony of characters–humans and demons, multi-tailed foxes and magical entities. Some are allies, others are mortal or immortal enemies, quite a few seem to be in disguise or ludicrously made up. Sword play, CGI, romantic tension, and overacting abound–-wuxia up the wazoo. Someone has been murdered, someone else is getting married (or not). Who, what, or why? Enquiring minds want to know.A few of the characters exchange witticisms and barbed remarks. The fighting scenes are choreographed like a ballet. Still—most of the actors appear to be just phoning it in. No one seems to be taking the plot all that seriously.
If they aren’t, why should I?
After about 20 minutes of chaos and confusion, I give up and consult Dr. Google to see if I can sort out the strum and drang. I can’t. One reviewer assures me that if I hold on until Episode 5, all will come clear.
I do, and it doesn’t. (Or, truth be told, I just don’t care anymore.)
Someone else informs me that the problem is – ME. I’m culturally ignorant and not proficient in the stylized vocabulary of this particular art form.
Well...OK. It’s not as if there’s a dearth of dramas awaiting my perusal.
Guess I’ll move on to something less veiled and shadowy.
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