ColourMePurple

Brilliant show with a terrible ending

I was prepared to give this show a 10/10 rating until I saw episode 15 and 16. So bizarre! I've adjusted my pre-final rating of 9.5 to 8.5 just because of those last 2 episodes.

The story begins with a national level fencer, Na Hee Do, who is now retired dropping her daughter, Kim Min Chae off to perform in a ballet contest. However, seeing her competitor's performance, Min Chae runs away and eventually goes to stay with her grandmother in Hee Do's childhood home. She discovers her mother's diaries and learns about Hee Do's passion for fencing, her rivalry and friendship with Go Yu Rim and her first real relationship with Baek Yi Jin. Most of the story revolves around these characters growing up in the 90s and how they deal with hardships and forming a strong support system for each other. This journey (until episode 14) is the most beautiful part of the series. The realism and the positivity is inspiring.

Then from episode 15, everything starts to spiral downwards eventually crash landing in episode 16. Ep 15 was a drag. There was a huge build up surrounding what happened between Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin and who is Kim Min Chae's father? The answer is weak to non-existent. Of all the obstacles, both endured, the result does not make sense. Even if the writer did not want to deliver a positive ending, which not all stories and real life experiences have, why not answer some questions as to who Hee Do married and why focus on this elaborate story if it was all about the kid going back to ballet?

Overall:
The Good
1. Na Hee Do's fencing moments are thrilling.
2. The rivalry and friendship between Na Hee Do and Go Yu Rim are beautiful! I adored the development and result.
3. The way Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin's relationship develops and their journey as each other's support system is endearing.
4. Baek Yi Jin's struggles from his family facing hardships and his growing responsibilities as the new head responsible for bringing his family together is worth watching.
5. The friendship between Moon Ji Woong and Ji Seung Wan is adorable and provide a lot of comic relief!
6. The coach and Hee Do's mother are wonderful characters and their relationship with Hee Do is interesting to watch with plenty of ups and downs.
7. The OST is wonderful.

The Bad aka the parts that are left unanswered:
1. The writers wanted a sad ending but Yi Jin's choices did not make sense since he switched fields just to avoid ever hurting Hee Do and in the end completely avoided her.
2. Why send a rookie in local news to cover a major international event? This is entirely illogical in the real world setting. It does not sit well with me progression wise.
3. Why did Yi Jin leave coins over the telephone booth at the beach? It wasn't clarified who it was for.
4. Who is Kim Min Chae's father and what was the need to hide his identity towards the end? There is no communication between the family and the father over a call either which is bizarre.
5. Why was Kim Min Chae and the older Hee Do required for the story? Was it all just so that Min Chae is motivated to pursue ballet? Could Min Chae not have the same life experiences without it?
6. The unnecessary dramatic departure that was stretched way too long.

I wanted to rewatch this series but after this ending, I might skip it. I would only recommend this show until mid ep 15. Don't bother with the rest.

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Lovely - if I say so it is!

It was one of the best shows currently airing and a breath of fresh air. The plot of pretty simple really - FL can hear lies in real time and ML is overly cautious of people.

I enjoyed figuring out the mystery behind the ML and the whole what-happened or who-dun-it scenario. Though I figured it out relatively quick, it didn't seem obvious to others so it's a decent mystery.

Watched this for Hyung Min Hyun. His role is similar to that of Alchemy Of Souls where he is a quiet and decent guy who falls in love. We get some nice action sequence initially as well and I hope he does such roles in the future too. I also enjoyed his cute comedy.

Kim So Hyun - I loved her line - if I say so it is. I started using it in real life for fun. I liked her strong yet soft personality. She has empathy for others. The leads had good chemistry.

I love mix genres that mix romance with mystery and if you're like me you might like this as well.

The OST is nice and there are lots of different songs included since it covers a music company and Min Hyun plays a songwriter.

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Strong Start But Flawed

A goddess chooses to be by the side of an immortal man in possession of a divine artifact. There is a lot of like and dislike about the drama so let's start with the positives.

What I liked:
- The plot, though not exactly unique but it was enjoyable. The set up was good I was and sold instantly.
- Strong Female Lead. I love when women are depicted as wise and strong and being able to handle themsleves.
- The cast. I can't say there was a dull character. Boring moments perhaps but as characters go, they were all interesting in their own ways. Leads especially were quite good.
- The action scenes were extremely enjoyable especially in the final few episodes.
- I usually hate slow burn romances but I didn't feel too bothered by it in this drama. I understood why the FL cannot confess her feelings.
- The OST is quite nice.
- The slight humour. I wish there was more to properly appreciate. It is not enough to call comedy so i'm surprised people were appreciating it when there is so little of it. It is mostly quite serious.

What I disliked:
- There is a trend in wuxias/xanxias that the gods/immortals will commit the worst crimes and this drama is no exception. The gods are selfish, useless, or have essentially checked out. Towards the end, their existence is next to none which was the most ridiculous part of the story and put me off the most
- The story started to drag in the middle and that is where I started to use 1.5x and 2x speeds to watch the drama. If I do this for most of the drama, then that drama has lost a high rating from me.
- I do enjoy dramas with adventures involved but not when it goes on and on and characters are stuck in one place too long then it gets frustrating.
- Worst was that I fell asleep watching and just skimmed the episode. And yet I didn't miss anything of the story.
- Second Female Lead being too afraid of the Second Male Lead seeing her true form. Get over it already. He already knows everything.
A Moment But Forever commited all these sins.

The ending was ok. I neither liked or disliked it.

Started off quite well but was slow for most of the middle of the drama and the final few episodes had great action. It had potential and I could forgive it for being slow if they didn't make the gods so ridiculous. That is where they lost me completely.

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Behind the scenes toxicity but good for a casual watch

This was my first kpop survival show and even though the production quality was good, the contestants are a good mix from far east Asia, the production team seemed to be toxic. Right from the second challenge, the controversy started when they did not care about the contestants's health. Lee Seung Gi as a judge was unbearable to me and I used to like him before. Now my perception of him has totally changed because his remarks were so nonsensical.

Also the final line up of debutants was disappointing. I was already upset that a lot of my favourites didn't get to top 18 despite being better than some of the contestants that did. But then some of the not so good contestants even took the spots of the actual talents in the top 9.

I also had an inkling that the contestants that the team kept highlighting and focusing their cameras on were the ones who got more votes because the others were simply not shown much or at all. Thus they could not develop fan bases. And when 2 of your consistantly top contestants withdraw because of the harsh and unjustified comments they received, you really need to think hard on what kind of company you are.

If you want to watch the series casually, go for it before it is enjoyable and their Signal song - Good Luck as well as their final song for fans were good.

ADVICE: Don't get invested because this show is almost like the GOT of survival shows.

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Beware if you can't stand cruelty

I truly loved the first 2 episodes. Until about episode 4 I found the show exciting and then things took a turn for the worse. Life can already so miserable so if you're looking for an escape, this show isn't it. It depicts the worst of human nature, frustrating characters, the insanity and of course the sadistic aspect. It was extremely hard to stomach. It hit me like a gut punch and that's where I started to lose interest and had to speed up just to get through to the end.

Would a show with pleaasant people have been as entertaining? Perhaps not for such a genre. But then I also do not find these kinds of horrific shows entertaining and I keep forgetting to check details of Netflix Korean dramas which tend to contain nudity (male in this one) and extreme forms of violence (torture) compared to what ordinary Korean dramas would consider depicting. Basically I just read the synopsis and went in blind.

Another aspect that I disliked is the awful ending that is quite underwhelming but teases a second season. I'll pass thanks.

I have rated it a 6.5 because I thought the concept was quite good (a bit like Squid Game - similar set-up but worse in many ways). Also because I enjoyed the first half as well as the mystery behind each character. However I still don't understand the actions of some of the characters while some were just a victim of lazy writing or ignored entirely. The only positive is the unpredictability of many characters and the perspective and conundrum of a very ordinary unspectacular male lead.

If you aren't triggered easily then you might find this show more enjogable than I did. Personally, I will never be able to rewatch this.

I didn't notice the OST other than the "i'm so lonely" sped up as the intro. It was meh.

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Excelled in every aspect

From the plot, the acting, the cast, the production, the CGI, the action sequences, the comedy, the romance and the OST have all been top notch.

I consumed this drama so quickly, it was hard waiting for more episodes to come. It is ideal to binge watch because you can't stop once you start watching.

I enjoyed the strong FL and mature depiction of affection between the two leads. But romance is more subtle and the story deals more with the responsibility these two characters carry. It had a strong start and I don't believe any point of the plot did I find the story boring. There are some interesting plot twists so avoid spoilers. Some of the comedy towards the end was most enjoyable. The action sequences paired with the OST is thrilling. The CGI is quite beautiful in those moments as well.

I enjoyed most of the secondary characters as well especially a female character towards the end - lady in red. But Shen Li definitely is the show stealer and it is nice to see a female given such a strong role.

I happened to watch this drama by chance and I'm glad I started it. Will definitely be recommending to others as well.

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Not predictable but not exceptional - trigger warnings discussed

I enjoyed the series considering a lot of people didn't. Most didn't seem to like the directing style which didn't bother me. The show wasn't boring at any point but the focus of the show seemed to shift drastically towards the middle with the male lead being sidelined. The other characters are also interesting but it felt odd by the end. The story direction took away the impact of their lead.

The other thing that bothered me is there is a blaring female full frontal nude scene disguised as a sex scene. Meanwhile the male is cleverly hidden and wearing full clothes. It felt like a cheap attempt at gaining viewership. Such a Netflix thing. There aren't any strong female characters in the series unfortunately or at least not for very long. Mostly the women are side characters. The show does deal with sexual assault but despite being a show surrounding justice, the audience isn't given much time to empathize with the victims. They are almost secondary to the plot. The story just skips over quickly to the next case. It feels like the production didn't care too much about those victims. The focus was mainly on the men and their way of handling situation.

Another trigger warning for those sensitive to such topics - suicide and attempted suicide has been depicted. Sadly I can't really applaud them for the way it has been presented as it doesn't really deep dive into the emotions of the characters. Everything is shown in bites and then the story moves on.

The gore is just bearable, I'd say. They somewhat toned down the brutality of the murders by slowing scenes down or cutting to a different moment in time, imposing other shots in between to take you away from the moment of horror. The story also showed less and less on how murders impacted the male lead and his psyche. There was a drastic shift from his world view to story of the other characters.

I binged the series in about a day. It's got a decent pace for the most part. But if you enjoy thrillers or plots revolving around killers, vigilantes, and justice, etc, then this show is one of the weakest since it leaves you longing for something more. Nothing exceptional has been presented here. However, if you do watch, you certainly won't be bored.

Nothing really stood out from the OST for me.

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Couldn't Connect

I was extremely excited for this season after enjoying the first season but somewhere in the middle I lost interest in the plot.

The story seemed to be all over the place. They killed off a character which I didn't quite understand the rationale behind. The show was still all right till that point albeit a bit slow for my liking. Story in between is forgettable. Then one by one new characters came out of the blue. One to serve as replacement to complete the trio but it just wasn't the same. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I don't understand why a certain character came into the picture. Convenient placement?

I liked that they added the autopsy scenes but it wasn't as impressive compared to the firefighting of the earlier season. They didn't really highlight a lot of medical and technical advancements.

The shows certainly goes for the shock value towards the end with the final criminal. Some incorrect medical statements were also made. I'm not sure how the system works in South Korea but since they are working with bombs, shouldn't a different department have jurisdiction? In that case, it would have been earlier to find the seller using legal means. I might also be mistaken but it takes less work to access the dark net which is why so many criminals can frequent it in the first place and nothing can be done about it.

Part of my interest dwindled when I had figured out the mystery of the final story so I couldn't enjoy it as much. It wrapped up quick which was good. I rolled my eyes at the US officials being certain of the result of a trial that hasn't even taken place. It's not like perpetrators ever get away through a mistrial or lack of evidence, right?

I wish I could score this higher but at the same time don't want to rate it too low since the actors did portray their characters well. They did try with the story. It just didn't strike a chord with me the way I wished it had and I don't have the patience to rewatch for now.

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A gem!

I didn't expect to love it so much.

It's a very simple series about two people struggling with mental illness and the friendship that forms between them. It gives one insight into how people feel and how leaning on another can make things a bit easier. You also get to see how their families are dealing with their own issues.

The actors did a good job, especially the male actor. I really understood how he must have felt with the circumstances he was dealt. He did a great job emoting. There is a little bit of humour in the show as well which is cute.

I really loved the title and the message this show is trying to send. I hope this show finds more viewers!

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Left me confused

I have to admit, Grid started off really strong but towards the end, it lost it's steam and the ending was just confusing. I'm all for mysteries but the audience should have some understanding of where the plot is going even if you want to end on a cliffhanger.

Grid is an electromagnetic field around the Earth created to protect life from harmful solar winds. The mystery surrounds a "Ghost" woman who appeared out of nowhere and created the shield just in time to save humanity. However, in the process, she left a man dead by burning him with a futuristic device leaving his minor son in trauma. Decades later an Administration Bureau is created to monitor and maintain the grid. Behind the scenes, the team has also been investigating the "Ghost" and trying to capture her throughout the decades whenever she emerges.

This series is slow-moving for the most part with the story being revealed in bits with every episode and revealing more about the Ghost. By the 8th episode, the story starts moving at great speeds but fails to explain a lot of things by the finale leaving you to come with with theories about what could be happening. In a normal mystery it is fine to do but in the case of a sci-fi, time travel story, you, the director, have to provide at least some clues to build a basic level of understanding for your audience. Instead I am left with more questions and confusion wondering if I missed something because of the incorrect translation or if it was the series itself. If I find a satisfactory explanation, I might upgrade my review.

Just a plus point to the story were the visuals which is what attracted me to the show to begin with. I also enjoyed the acting of the main cast overall. The problem more or less lies with the progression of the show. I hope season 2 will release soon and will redeem this series.

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Crying Fest

From episodes 3 through 6, I have just been crying so much. So if you have lost someone close to you or know what that's like, this might hit you hard as well.
I had been waiting for this for a while now and it certainly didn't disappoint. I didn't really read much about it and just let it take me on a ride with it's storytelling. If possible, try to do the same. For that reason I will avoid getting into any details.
The leads had great chemistry. I genuinely loved the female lead. The show sets a great contrast and the female lead portrays it so well especially her past and present.
There was something I was curious about and I think they left us hints and that makes me a bit sadder.
Overall, I really loved how they not only depict the main leads but also the supporting characters and insight into their experience. It's not an easy watch if you are an emotional person but it's certainly worth it.
The OST is quite beautiful too.

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The Absurdity Will Make You Laugh

The show is not great to be honest and the acting lackluster but this drama made me laugh a lot simply because of how ridiculous situations get. I have given it a 7 just because I was entertained. Just not in the way it was intended. If you need to uplift your mood, watch this for the heck of it.

The writer decided to throw every possible trope into this. Abusive husband, dead child, twin sister, step-mother step-son relationship, concubine, a ML that just won't die, childhood friend, buried alive, drowning, forced kisses, revenge, phobia, kidnapping, blindness, amnesia, attempted rape, death of a parent, death of a sibling, etc etc.

The supporting cast even asks the male lead why he won't do a common sense thing and then exclaims, " The scriptwriter won't allow it". 😆 I wish the whole drama actually did some tongue-in-cheek breaking the fourth wall type of stuff so that it was more obvious that they are going to extremes on purpose. It would have become more enjoyable.

For the most part I enjoyed it but I was just a bit annoyed towards the end. I had had enough with these pop-up villains. I actually raised the rating from 6.5 to 7 because the FL gives her evil husband a good beating and her revenge idea was actually interesting. If only there was more of that version of the FL till the end.

In any case, it was a quick watch. I wouldn't recommend it as such but if you do watch it, try to enjoy the silliness of it all rather than taking it too seriously.

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Stunning Couple Average Drama

The leads are probably some of the best looking leads that I have seen in this year's drama but the drama separates them as quickly as they get together. There is a lot of drama in the plot, some of which is interesting most of if wasn't because most of it was unnecessarily dragging the story. I was a bit bored at the start and towards the end.

I really loved the second couple as well but I kept waiting for them to get together and it never happened. Why is it that divorced men with kids are allowed to date and remarry but when it is a woman, there needs to be hesitation and time given for her to accept love in her life again? I feel like Taiwan and Japan are ahead of the curve in this matter when it comes to drama depictions of divorced women experiencing love again.

Still I can appreciate the age-gap relationship which is not really much but it is something. Hardly any older woman younger man dramas are being made where both are adults so I'll take what I can get.

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Gets Progressively Worse

Disappointing is an understatement for this series. It starts off interesting and you enjoy the bonding of the 4 main characters but slowly you start to lose your patience. It became hard to watch and I had to leave half the episodes for the end to binge which I watched on 2x and it still felt too slow.

There really isn't much for me to say about this show. It doesn't have comedy but maybe a few moments that make you smile. Romance is barely there. It's best not to pick up this show for that reason. The mystery isn't really worth watching for either. There aren't any extraordinary fight scenes. The leads are charming. The only other good thing is watching their friendship and bonding in the first few episodes of the show.

The ending was okay. I wasn't blown away by it nor did it redeem the second half. The chips just coincidentally fall into place.

The OST is alright.

There is a suggestion that there might be a second season but I really hope they don't bother. There is nothing left to be told that would be of any interest.

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Under Awful Circumstances

I have seen Win in F4 Thailand and Enigma but this might be his worst body of work. The dialogues were cheesy and clichéd. The acting was pretty bad from both leads. It somewhat gets better in the second half but only for a little bit. I was really not buying their chemistry. I couldn't understand why Parin was getting drunk instead of looking for his mother. And what kind of hotel has a suite but does not have a concierge service? Or at the very least, a male staff should be the one to assist a drunk man to his room? And expecting your female staff member to take care of a drunk guest and be at his beck and call all by herself is not only unethical but also putting her at risk of harassment. No wonder they are understaffed. Who would want to work in such conditions?

I'm not sure if this was a low budget production or it was just so bad that it comes off that way.

The ending is also very clichéd and disappointing. I found it pretty boring to watch. Clearly it wasn't a movie for me.

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