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If you go into this story thinking it will be a romance then you won't find that here. Romance it just kind of grazed and only with one of the band members. The romance also did not work for me in two ways. First the only chemistry I saw between the two was the teacher student relationship amd the second is in the age gap which is very unclear and never really said in the series but I assume she is between 6-10 years older than him. Asuka was portrayed very well as the housemother that gave advice and helped to support all the boys and to me I saw the same energy from her with all the members and never got a romantic vibe from her for Dan. On Dan's end I could easily see his crush but it did not feel reciprocated to me.
I did think this had a somewhat realistic portrayal of the pressure and hardships put on pop bands in the industry with these hard to live up to expectations put on them. But I also think that it was glossed over as well. You are exposed to the 'downfall' of the band due to a scandal but then barely given any context or follow through about it. Same with the rise in their success. Maybe it was because it was a miniseries but it felt incomplete.
I did enjoy watching this; loved the acting and performances given by the cast, and enjoyed the music.
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This review may contain spoilers
It is hard to review this show without giving spoilers so I will try my best to be fairly generic. First I am very glad I did not read reviews before going into this show purely because the mystery of it would have been ruined. After having read a few and agreed with several points I will note that I do not feel the same about this show being fresh or new. I felt the entire time while watching this that it kept reminding me of something. Being sucked into a deadly game can be seen in several shows as well as having to turn on your own friends to survive. I do not mind this trope as I find it interesting to watch as survival instincts play out differently depending on personalities and this show did have that mystery/thriller thing going for it that kept me interested till the end to try and understand why they were forced to do this. What this show ends up doing is focusing on the gore and shock factor instead of filling plot holes and creating dynamic characters. That being said there are major flaws in the execution of this show most notably in the story writing and the character development. First, you have the ML and FL that do not seem to have any purpose of being the mains. You are just shown them more frequently and forced to care about them as the viewer. But as characters there really was nothing to them. The FL was made to be weak with asthma and have hallucinations and seem to be fairly well liked or tolerated by everyone in the class. For whatever reason even the bullies seemed to back down to her several times for no real reason because it is never shown that she has a connection with any of them or a large presence within the class. She comes off as a quiet background character but the writers gave her hallucinations to make her seem more interesting and important in the group. The ML was at least the class president and popular but even his character seemed useless as the show continued and the strife among the class carried on for too long.
Then you have the bullies that continue to bully other students but for whatever reason everyone just lets them get away with it. While Kung Jun had very good stage presence and was loud and demanding and was able to get into people's heads, while watching the interactions I could not understand why as a group the others did not think of stopping the violent ones first. In a game that kills wouldn't a first instinct be to get rid of actual threats? The show even reveals fairly early on who the mafia are but then later it seems to forget that they already showed you and tries to hide the identity of the last one for some reason.
The biggest let down of the whole show though is the conclusion. Everything was building up to this huge mystery of why they are there, who is forcing them to follow the rules, and how to get out alive. But the momentum of that buildup was a complete letdown with a mediocre reason behind the suicide and not a believable enough excuse for the game especially when they reveal that the stakes do not seem that high anymore.
Is it worth a watch? Sure. The episodes are not long and it only took a few hours to get through this show and the mystery will carry your curiosity through the finish line. But the ending will leave you unsatisfied.
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Deeper than expected with great OST
This show ended up being much deeper than I expected when I first started this. I assumed it would be a light hearted rom com about finding your way to stardom and love but what it delivered was a poignant journey through pain while maintaining a radiant heart.First can we talk about this string of dramas lately that have green flag men as the male leads? Because I am all for it and both the male leads in this drama are the type of men you wish you were surrounded by as a woman. This drama touches on domestic abuse and suicide which carries a hefty message throughout the drama. Watching these characters navigate these desperate and heartbreaking situations will make your heart ache right along with them.
Exceptional acting from the entire cast, and I'll specially mention the child actors here for their performance. Between the acting, production, and OST this will quickly become one of you favorites this year. And its heavy subject matter turns this from your typical rom com to a bit of a mystery while also delivering beautiful life lessons type of dialogue throughout. It is hard to not enjoy this or root for the characters.
The only things that I think took points away from this drama are the pacing in the first half of the show that made me a bit bored occasionally and the romance was a little lukewarm for my taste. The actors had chemistry but the story did rely heavily on the shared trauma and past to glue the pair together which did work but I would have liked to see some more actual romantic scenes. That is a minor complaint though since the trade off is the well balanced and lovely family portrayal that had plenty of time to capture your heart.
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heavy on romantic fluff, too light on the plot
If romance is what you are wanting then you will probably find this drama very enjoyable. The focus is completely on the love story between the leads. It is visually stunning from the sets, to the costumes, to the CGI of the magic it delivers constantly beautiful, well choreographed scenes and the plot circling around the romance makes this a decent watch. These two characters provide a home for each other when they are each at their loneliest.Overall I did like many things about this. Mu Qingge's character is patient and kind but also smart, strong, reliable, and loyal. She is everything I like in a female character and watching her as Yi Shui's master is truly perfection. Her portrayal of this character's steadfast morality and playfulness as she teaches him was my favorite part of the entire drama. Su Yi Shui is also portrayed very well in his young, angry at everything kind of introduction to the way her falls in love because of the first show of kindness he receives. He contains that protective quality I also love to see in my main men. The pair has a likeable chemistry and watchable presence.
What this story lacks however is a decent plot to carry the romance. There is absolutely no world building in this drama. From episode one to the end you are just thrust into a world they never properly set up or explain to the viewer. You have no real grasp of what kind of world this is, how the magic system really works, the destictions between the sects or even the mortal and immortal worlds and how they work. Instead the story constantly just plunges along with the sole focus of creating drama for the two leads to have to overcome.
While I love Mu Qingge, I don't particularly like Ranran as much. Her constant lovesick version of Qingge makes her scenes start to feel repetitive and boring. While it can be seen as loyalty I often more felt it annoying. This drama is also way too long for what the plot offers. There are several episodes where it felt repetitive as they go in the same circle of him pushing her away, her getting upset but then chasing after him again. On and on again until the end. It also does not help that my two least favorite tropes (master/disciple relationship, and amnesia) are used multiple times in this. The first was okay when Qingge was the master purely because Yishui was a reluctant disciple and never really called her that, but once they switch I found myself cringing everytime I heard her say 'shifu' toward the latter half of the drama. Her amnesia also went on for far too long just for them to end up switching again.
Many characters are also vastly under developed. Mu Ranwu is there to be the villain but with not enough interaction to make the viewer understand why she feels the way she does. I also found the first actress that portrayed her did a much better job. Most other characters are also set up and behave exactly the same even though she is supposed to have reappeared 18 years later. In that time characters would have aged, matured, or grown stronger but they are all exactly the same as when she dies the first time making the time jump irrelevant.
Overall this drama is okay but the writing does not do a good job of building a world that makes you feel invested nor does it provide any kind of emotional response from the viewer. The reveals are all easily predictable and uninteresting by the time they happen.
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Story with all the bones but missing the meat
The whole time I was watching this show I kept feeling like there was something missing and I couldn't quite figure out exactly what that was. Overall the story was there. It was coherent, well planned and executed. It has all the bones present so the structure of the story is complete with a clear layout of the whole picture but it was missing the meat to make it feel filling.The story follows Kawi who is disappointed in his life at 30 and is given the chance to turn back time and return to his 18 year old self to make different choices. His goal is clear; he wants to win over the girl he has loved since college but to do that he needs to best the man she ends up marrying first. Kawi is a very flawed character that is childish, judgmental, and negative with low self esteem. He is quick to give up and run away at any inconvenience and always looking down on himself. His first interactions after becoming his past self again are a bit wild and over the top but reveal a completely different side of himself to the people around him than he had ever shown garnering the attention of others and creating a new future.
Kawi is able to travel from past to future with a crystal ball and is able to see how his choices in the past effect his future but when small changes in the past seem to make big changes in the future he finds himself struggling to fix everything and create the life he believes he wants. The show does an excellent job with character growth when it comes to Kawi. You see him mature and grow more confident as time passes giving the character depth and likability with each episode. I also really enjoyed some of the other characters; Piseag and Max. Max is the advice giver and loyal confidant that you can't help but love. Piseag is kind and in touch with his feelings and unafraid of discovering himself.
While an overall okay story it just lacks that extra something to truly make it memorable. The chemistry between the leads is okay but not radiating, the plot has decent movement and timing but also feels a little rushed, and the characters experience change and growth but at the same time doesn't necessarily evoke emotion from you as a viewer. This is not a bad show to watch by any means but will probably not stick with me for long either.
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In the first season we meet charismatic and shining Seo Joon who is an actor that needed to hide as a scandal shakes his world a bit. He finds himself cohabitating with the stone faced Ji Woo whom in every way is his opposite. Despite his cold exterior and very high emotional walls Seo Joon finds himself drawn to Ji Woo and wanting to become closer. Each interaction leaves its mark and Seo Joon begins to fall for him. As Seo Joon realizes his feelings he confronts them head on without shying away even in the face of Ji Woo's seeming indifference. Ji Woo who is afraid of being hurt can't resist the magnetic pull of Seo Joon and the pair find couple bliss.
But as in life, this second season explores the complexity of their relationship and differences. A seemingly perfect romance and happy couple that loses their way and courage. In the first episode we see that Ji Woo has left Seo Joon with just a note before he disappears and Seo Joon spends a year trying to find him not understanding what he did wrong. The season then takes you on a journey of their relationship that can feel totally different from each perspective. Ji Woo's fear and avoidance is expressed in his cold and often mean demeanor as he tries to run away while Seo Joon's honest and sincere heart won't allow him to let go just yet. The pair must face what went wrong and will have to be vulnerable in a way they had not been before. This journey of heartbreak and reconciliation will pull at your heart strings and keep you attached to these characters rooting for their happy ending.
The way the team expressed each characters emotive states, the beautiful cinematography, and shear realness in its depiction of relationships truly leaves a lasting impression. There is not some unrealistic villain that tears them apart of some overly dramatized reason for their separation and instead you are left feeling their raw emotions along with them, reflecting on your own past relationships and mistakes.
Well worth the watch. If I had to nitpick reasons for the not perfect rating then I will say that Ji Woo's character/background could have been better fleshed out. His cold and aloof demeanor remains for almost the entirety of the drama but his breakdown and understanding of himself and what he wants fits into the picture they paint of him; it just may irritate you as a viewer while watching.
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a powerful journey for redemption
I started this show on a complete whim not knowing anything about it but it ended up taking my breath away. I could not stop watching it and ended up binging it for two days with very little sleep. But each episode left me wanting to see what happened next and on more than one occasion it left me in a puddle of my own tears. Such a well thought out drama about transmigration/ going back in time. Every character worked in this drama since they are all developed and multifaceted. Their motives and moves all make sense as the plot plunges forward. The pacing kept me from being able to turn it off with never a dull moment.The two leads did a fantastic job and I could feel the chemistry between them. What really sent these two over the top is their emotive acting in their eyes. The story is by far more about redemption for the main character and the love line takes a side seat as you watch Hua Qian make different choices to change her fate. You see her become a kind and generous woman while remaining strong and stubborn.
The first time I watched this I did not like the ending very much but on a rewatch I liked it a lot. I don't know if it is because I knew what would happen this time and was actually able to pick up more in the characters throughout the show or if having binged it previously into a late night that my tired mind wasn't as happy. Whatever it is I enjoyed the ending far more and even wish I had a special episode to view.
I will probably talk about this drama for a while for its mere impact it had on me emotionally. I love any drama that can bring out enough emotion in me to make me actually cry. Very well shot, produced, and acted. Two thumbs up. Just start watching it and I promise you wont be able to stop.
One note is on Mu Yua. I do not know if it was the actress or the way the character was written but she was the weakest performance. I never once understood how she could have been so well liked in the previous life nor did I feel any chemistry between her and YeLan.
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This show requires your curiosity over substance
This show takes a little bit of unpacking to really understand and enjoy it. It heavily reminds me of A Time Called You/ Someday or One Day and Extraordinary You in both plot and vibe so if you liked either of those then you will probably get some enjoyment out of this one. The unique part of this one is the mechanism/reason for the time travel here but because it is an alternate universe and does not effect her real life at all it kind of all feels pointless as well. The OST here is hands down one of my all time favorites as well.The first scene in this drama is what will draw you in. At least for me it did. My curiosity over what happened to him is what drove me forward even though the first few episodes were truly difficult to get through. The female lead is not relatable in the beginning at all and I can not understand why she would like this guy (once you meet him as a high school student) and then how that high school relationship even ended up with them being engaged and there is only one very short scene later that tries to explain that to you and still fails to make me understand. His attraction to her after she stops following him makes far more sense and I could understand that plot better than her following/badgering this completely asinine character around until he decides to date her later on but then from his interactions with her during the breakup it seems like he treated her like trash the whole time. So WHY did she ever like him?!
Then you have the best friend that stole her fiance and when the FMC went back in time she immediately cuts the friend off and that friend immediately becomes the mean girl for no real reason. She is then only there to be an annoyance and cause friction for the FMC occasionally. Were these girls ever really friends? Her character is so pointless.
Now the MMC is all kinds of a green flags from start to finish of the series. He is the reason I stuck around to even find out what happened and the reason I found enjoyment in the show. His character and reasoning are all thoroughly explained and the actor does a great job.
Finally the story. The show does do okay in explaining things to you throughout so you do not find yourself confused about the plot or movement which I liked. I would not say that it needed to be as long as it was, however. There were several filler scenes in the middle of the drama that could have easily been removed as they did not add much to the plot or forward motion of the show. That is when I began to fatigue a little with this show as it gets much slower in the middle. The romance is cute once it picks up speed and I do like this couple together. Then you have the big scene that leads you into the final 6 or so episodes that will keep you pretty teary eyed. The emotions shown in those last episodes from the FMC as she looks at him are exceptional and her best performance throughout the show. But since this show pointed out several times that it was an alternate universe and does not effect her timeline at all it leaves the show without any stakes. The last episode I also found unfulfilling as the entire experience could be written off as a dream since nothing at all changed or had any consequence other than her finding out the truth behind his sacrifice.
In conclusion I will say that if you are like me you will find your curiosity is what will carry you through this show. But then as it concludes it just feels pretty mediocre. An okay ride at parts but ultimately leaves you feeling like it could have been so much more.
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Badass but predictable
This show starts with such a strong and tenacious female lead. I have a soft spot for badass female characters and Ji Woo has guts and the grit to propel her forward in her quest for revenge after watching her father get murdered. She pushes back as the police seemingly bury his murder by being taken under the wing of a notorious crime boss that claims to have been like a brother to her father. He helps train her and stoke her fire for revenge sending her into the police academy to catch her father's murdered while also being his eyes from the inside.This show was very predictable. You knew what was happening from the very first episode and just stuck around to wait for her to figure it out. That left no true suspense since almost every confrontation you could see coming. You also have to suspend belief a bit as well because some aspects do not make sense if you think too hard on them. For example how she got into the police academy under a false name and background, which is believable until they mention that she never registered her fingerprints. They also mention a mole that set up all the cameras around the crime boss but then completely dropped that plot after it served its purpose. And then you have the secondary antagonist who was a former member of the gang that got kicked out after attacking Ji Woo; for as brutal as the crime boss is it did not make sense that he would let him live after giving him a reason to want revenge and then not notice that a few years later he was stirring trouble and making a new drug until he was at his doorstep. It is just hard to believe that a top crime boss for over a decade wouldn't notice a competitor emerging until that guy comes and slaughters your well trained thugs.
Mostly what this show delivers on is violence and intensity. There were several scenes that I had to look away from the brutality of it. And the actors did an okay job in my opinion but they also kind of felt one note with no real depth to them. Ji Woo is tough as nails and the first two episodes showcase that well but after the time jump and she joins the police academy she ends up becoming kind of boring. She is quiet and stubborn and that is about all that is left to her. Do Kang Jae wanted to be at the top of the gang but after getting kicked out becomes a murderous druggie and his performance felt over the top. Pildo was a stereotypical arrogant cop. Choi Moo Jin had some more depth to him in his character, especially as you watched him struggle with having grown to care for Ji Woo and the situation he was in. There was also the awkward romance storyline that was thrown in toward the end that for Pildo felt more believable than it did for Ji Woo.
The ending came out feeling rushed and incomplete to me as well. So this is not a bad show but it also was not that great. If you want to watch an intensely violent show that is quick then this will hit the spot but do not expect much from the plot or characters.
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Will leave you laughing
I have rewatched this show several times now because it brings me such joy and entertainment. The first time I turned it on I actually was having a very hard time getting through the beginning and turned it off. But on my second attempt I forced myself to get through the first episode and then found myself hooked. Now I like to rewatch it by fast forwarding to all my favorite parts to get some smiles between other dramas.The two main characters really shine here, especially So Yong that pulls off playing a man in a woman's body so hilariously well. From the way she speaks and the inflection in her tone to the way she moves her body, her acting here is superb. Even Cheol Jong was convincing as the spy hiding behind the spoiled puppet king persona and he grows on you with each passing episode as he grows and changes while interacting with the Queen. You don't take this show seriously at any point but it is just fun. The character development is executed so well and the pacing of the storyline keeps you interested and moving forward.
This is not a show you watch for accuracy, believability, or depth but for pure enjoyment and that is exactly what you will get out of it. You'll laugh and have fun at the interactions between the King and Queen and at the over the top ways the show pokes fun.
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The actors did a good job with their characters and its acted fairly well with how it is written though the emotional scenes don't carry the weight to make you feel them as the viewer. The story however did not stay consistent throughout the show. It is told very much like an outline of a story that hits all the main plot points without any thought behind the how or why of it all. Business problems that don't seem to make sense, money problems that aren't explained, and the characters almost seem to devolve as time passes. In an early episode there were many comments about how Qingqing was so young and even Mr. Gu made a comment about them having a generational age gap though they never actually tell you his age. But in all the flashback scenes of their childhood, which felt like they were added as an after thought purely to try and give the couple a past connection, the kids looked very close in age. The first half of the drama is fairly fluffy and fun with their bickering and Qing's character was made to be immature and at first it really was not a huge deal and easy to overlook. But when the couple finally get together later in the series it became painfully childish to watch most of their scenes together. The couple set rules that felt like you were watching two high schoolers in love for the first time not two adults and the fights and misunderstandings between them were immature.
I wouldn't recommend you spend your time on this drama. There are far better fluffy romances that deliver much better chemistry and a more coherent story than this. I would have rated this higher before I got to episode 20 but after that I found it difficult to even finish because of the behaviors of the leads.
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Things to note going into this from the first is that the characters all have a dramatic change to them. These will not be the characters you got familiar with previously. The personalities are all very different, again to me it felt so much like watching a fanfiction. In comparison to the last season this season had better cinematography, wardrobe, and story line. It executed the story in a more straight forward way this time and focused a lot on the relationship growth.
That being said it was almost too fluffy for my taste. You can't take any of it serious, including the antagonists as they are so over the top and silly. The romances, this focuses on two romances this time, do progress fairly naturally and have their cute moments throughout. But there isn't anything about this series that makes it great. If you just want something that you can turn your brain off for and will make you smile occasionally then this will be it for you. If you want something that will hit your emotions or leave a lasting impression then you won't find that here.
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As for the production of this series it was really mediocre. The performances felt wooden from the cast, there were some scenes that were so bright it was hard to watch, the sound effects and music weren't incorporated well or were too sparse, and the wardrobe choices felt weird at times. I believe this show was created more for fans of W to reminisce but it just falls very flat.
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Where this drama truly stands out is in its nail-biting edge of your seat twists and turns. Every episode delivers something surprising and unexpected at a fast pace that will have your heart racing as you watch. These unexpected events keep you guessing all the way till the end of the show so if thriller dramas is what you are looking for then you will find it here. The twists do often connect the coherent dots as the story moves along, even if you don't particular enjoy those dots at times it will still have your emotions on hyperdrive.
Where this drama had trouble was with the romance portion. I don't know if it was a lack of chemistry or not enough scenes to really convince you that the two actually like each other but the romance here was just boring. There were several cute moments in the first few episodes as they get to know each other but then too quickly and without reason the relationship progressed and that forced story line began to feel a bit awkward. The emotionally heavy scenes were not carried well between the couple either which just left you feeling a bit blah about their relationship. There was also too much hopping between worlds that occasionally got confusing and tiring. The ending also did not give me the sense of completion that I was hoping for. Almost like it just wasn't enough of an explanation to make me happy.
Even with its flaws I would still highly recommend you watch this drama as it kept me firmly attached to the screen and continuously guessing.
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