I think the movie was good, but I think it could've been great. The cop storyline was good, but cliche. I really liked Guo Guo and would've loved to see more of her. But the most interesting storyline were the thieves. Their background, training and plethora of skills, the found family concept, it was all great! The movie would've been way better if they had been the focus.
What in the world?? The opening sequence which is the same cliche backstory was edited so well! It was actually intense, dark, and heavy. The sound design makes everything feel thriller as well. Wow this is some good directing. Even if the plot wasn't great, the directing was amazing! Everything felt so creepy too.
The writing is so good! The raw moments of humanity, the creepy and monstrous cases, it was all amazing. I cried almost every episode for the characters. I adored Maki and wanted him to be okay; my heart hurt each time he hurt. The acting was insane from the amazing Itagaki Rhihito to all the side characters and intense antagonists.
I'm sad I didn't like this more nor have the willpower to complete it. I adored the FL. She is messy, flawed, and there is emotional weight to everything she's gone through in the past. The trauma, abuse, neglect shaped her into who she was. I loved the first two episodes as it felt like it'd be a journey of her slowly finding hope. Scenes felt heavy and intense, the melo was working wonders. But then it's like the writers' speed-run suddenly in episode 4? She's suddenly a part of a start-up company and feels jealous about Yeon Soo moving on. It turns more into a romcom instead of a melodrama. I could care less of Yeon Soo, I would've much rather the show be about Gang Hui slowly finding her passion, gaining confidence in her skills, and moving on from her trauma. Weirdly enough, I'd rather this not be a romance? I just feel like the romance took away from what we could've gotten from the FL. It should've stayed dark and heavy, a pure melo if they wanted the romance to be good. But the romcom vibes did not mess with the darkness of her trauma. Made it feel like they were invalidating the FL's entire issues and journey through trauma.
From the comments I've read, it seems like her trauma takes a backburner in the ending too. All the abusers and toxic villages just apologize and its hunky dory instead of a slow and steady change as if they were real people.
The plot is pretty plain, a simple slice of life. But the characters are what drive the show. The leads are dynamic people that feel real with so many quirks and traits. They build their relationship upon respect, admiration, maturity, and communication. I'd rate the plot 7.5, but the characters and lead's beautiful relationship are an 8.5.
Na Eon has to be one of the worst FL's I've ever come across. An absolutely vile human being that I don't get why we're supposed to root for her? Are we supposed to believe she's a good person? She's not morally gray, she's genuinely evil like what??
I actually really enjoyed the ending. It's gotta be one of the best work arounds I've ever seen writers do for…
So the 1st timeline is Zhenzhen's autobiography. Her novel ended with her committing suicide after the money incident. The 2nd timeline was Jiangling writing himself into her story. In the present day reality, they're both authors on different sides of the coin. One hugely successful while the other is suffering from depression and hopelessness until they both fall in love through the story they created together.
Zhenzhen's past childhood experiences affected her life so largely, that they became an inspiration as she wrote her autobiography even ending it with committing suicide. In real life, she even walks in front of a car still feeling that hopelessness. Jiangling reads her work and is so moved that he falls in love with her past self as he writes himself into the second timeline. He offers her support in every way that she needed it back then.
The two's past selves fall in love with each other. He writes and falls in love, she listens and falls in love. So technically, each timeline and reality were real because the emotions were real.
I actually really enjoyed the ending. It's gotta be one of the best work arounds I've ever seen writers do for Chinese censorship. The censored ending actually added more layers and complexities rather than take away like it normally does. The writers did an amazing job!
From the comments I've read, it seems like her trauma takes a backburner in the ending too. All the abusers and toxic villages just apologize and its hunky dory instead of a slow and steady change as if they were real people.
The 2nd timeline was Jiangling writing himself into her story.
In the present day reality, they're both authors on different sides of the coin. One hugely successful while the other is suffering from depression and hopelessness until they both fall in love through the story they created together.
Zhenzhen's past childhood experiences affected her life so largely, that they became an inspiration as she wrote her autobiography even ending it with committing suicide. In real life, she even walks in front of a car still feeling that hopelessness. Jiangling reads her work and is so moved that he falls in love with her past self as he writes himself into the second timeline. He offers her support in every way that she needed it back then.
The two's past selves fall in love with each other. He writes and falls in love, she listens and falls in love. So technically, each timeline and reality were real because the emotions were real.