Eleison

I was definitely a bit confused by that scene with Deuk Chan finding out about his wife's affair. Why did we need to know all of that?

Also, Deuk Chan being super upset about his wife having an affair and doing something rash about it is one thing, but why would he do something to his friend's ex (and wasn't this before he was making money off Do Ha? It makes sense to me now why he wants to keep things hush hush, but going to such lengths back then still doesn't make sense to me). We clearly don't have the full story; definitely more development to come as far as the CEO is concerned, cause something's not right!

The 1st part is very well done, but ends on a dreadful cliffhanger. I think the reason many viewers diss the 2nd part is because the 1st part was so good. After it ended, viewers had staggeringly high expectations with very specific ideas of what they wanted from the 2nd part.

The only hope/expectation I had was a happy ending and some hopeful and happy development between the leads romantically (both Jae Wook and Youn Jung are just amazing actors; I thought Youn Jung was SO adorable and endearing in this) and because that was it as far as expectations went, I was able to enjoy the 2nd part. It was very different from the 1st part, but I still think it was just as strong but in different ways. Even in the 1st part the pacing was a bit poor at times, and there were similar moments in the 2nd part.

I think many people miss that the parts mirrored each other. Naksu was the one who freed and empowered Jang Uk to reach his potential in the 1st part; Uk played that role for Naksu in the 2nd part. Naksu is cold and calloused in the 1st part while Uk is a cheerful and endearing chatterbox, full of passion, conviction and optimism; their roles are reversed in the 2nd part. I could go on and on. Just because Naksu never went back to fighting like an assassin doesn't mean she's not a strong female character. It annoys me when people think a "strong" female is only one who can fight well or kick butt in an aggressive, physical sense. I appreciated the more nuanced writing of Naksu that didn't actually fall into gender stereotypes once you look beneath the surface and take BOTH parts into account.

I also think the world building for Dae Ho was incredible, and I think that's another reason a lot of people had unmet expectations, because your imagination can so easily run wild with all the possibilities for this story and these characters. Props to the Hong sisters for building such a fascinating place and for creatively mixing a lot of genres! I describe it to people as Harry Potter meets Lord of The Rings meets Avatar the Last Air Bender meets historical Korean sageuk.

If you liked the 1st part and leave an open mind for the 2nd part (where it will go and take the leads), and enjoy romantic development, you will probably enjoy this part just as much as the 1st part. Give it a try; it's worth the hype! The ending might be a bit underwhelming if you go into it with (again) specific expectations, but it's very sweet and (I think) satisfying.

I didn't think of that when I watched that scene but it totally checks out with the level of thoughtfulness he's shown up to this point. Pretty cute indeed!

I enjoyed this, for the most part! However, there was something about it that was off, and I can't put my finger on what. It was well-acted (Kan San was a little weak, though...), and a few parts of this were really well done, but I couldn't fully immerse myself into the story and world for some reason. What confused me was that the writing was pretty good, and the twists and reveals were carefully timed and thought-through, but it somehow still felt lacking. I can't describe what it is, but I will name a few dramas that had a similar quality to them (for me): Police University, School 2021, River Where The Moon Rises, Lovers of the Red Sky and even to some extent Forbidden Marriage. I hesitate to call the quality I can't name "bad writing" because I don't know enough about the process of making a film or TV show to know how to label it so maybe it has more to do with editing or directing, 🤷‍♀️. Maybe it's just a low budget? None of the dramas I just mentioned created a world that felt "complete" or "developed" enough to enter into it fully.

I agree with many on this thread that think Yi Sheol and the Watchman plot stole the show. I LOVED how you had no idea who everyone was for a good few episodes and the reveal about Shi Yeol's identity (for me) came out of nowhere. They did an excellent job dropping hints about him (that you only notice if you go back and look for them) while still keeping you guessing. Some seasoned Kdrama watchers were onto it much faster than me, but that part was really fun to watch unfold, and the reveal was pretty awesome; it rivaled scenes in some far more popular and established sageuks. So, again, not entirely bad writing, but something was still missing.

It's an enjoyable watch nonetheless!

Yes, the premise is creative and they're playing with the nuance in a satisfying way so far, I think! It's not deep enough to be super philosophical, but it's delving into the complicated nature of relationships. I'm a little worried about what they'll fill the second half with, but hopefully the writing continues to be consistent moving forward!

Haha, I think (I hope) the confusion is intentional and will be cleared up as we get more information about both Do Ha's past and Sol Hee's power. 🤷‍♀️ Or it could just be poor writing. Time will tell, I guess!

Yes, I already found the fact that Kdramas have OSTs with singing/lyrics distracting from the story, and would prefer to not read the subtitles for the lyrics on top of that, but I think some people like them because they can be related in theme to the story or scenarios? I don't know. I've never been a huge fan of music in flim/TV shows being anything by instrumental (except for like a time skip/time passing montage), but to each his own. I've reconciled myself to a pop singer crooning in the background when something romantic happens now. 😔 Sometimes I think it's nice but often I think it makes the scenes feel cheesy... All that to say, I agree with you. 😅

Yes, I agree! Just because it's set in a dark period in Korea's history doesn't mean they have to kill her off at the end, and in such a lame way. Her death was so unnecessary!

This is a gripping watch! I'm not usually into political dramas/tv shows (I haven't seen the original American show so I don't know how it compares), but I really liked this one.

I loved watching Moo Jin gain confidence as acting-President and see him solve controversial quandary after controversial quandary by thinking outside the box and never settling for the lesser of two evils. It's probably an extremely optimistic take on solving political issues, but still, I liked this story's optimism. It reminded me a little bit of the American TV show Madame Secretary, but this felt less episodic and a lot less soapy/dramatic.

My favorite character ended up being Young Jin, though (the actor did a fantastic job, too). I did not care for him at first but as he became inspired and impressed by Moo Jin' repeatedly wise and thoughtful solutions to seemingly unsolvable issues, he slowly became the most compelling character for me. Just as the Chief Secretary in some ways was the linchpin to the original President's cabinet and administration working properly, Young Jin (due to his adept and brilliant political insight) came to be the one who could choose to make or break Moo Jin as the new acting President. I loved watching him turn from his cynical, calculating self to someone re-awakened to goodness and justice by choosing to go all-in in his support of Moo Jin by the end of the drama. Moo Jin reminded me of the sort of person in power everyone says you want: a person in power who doesn't want that power. They are the only ones who won't maneuver for self-gain and who will not get corrupted by the immense possibilities of their influence. At one point they play with the possibility that Moo Jin might be falling into the perspective of a normal politician, but it's a red herring, don't worry!

The budget felt a bit limited at times for the scale and ambitious nature of this drama, but if you overlook that, the struggles of the characters to always do the right thing in the middle of crisis is really satisfying (though a bit stressful) to watch.

I unfortunately don't have a Disney+ or Hulu subscription, so I haven't watched this yet, but I'm curious if it feels like Western superhero movies/tv shows (like Marvel stuff), or does it have a different feel to it? Or is it a Kdrama/Marvel hybrid? 🤣 It seems like a mix of genres from the comments I've read.

If the response continues to hold strong, I'd like to watch this eventually. (I might just wait until it's over so I can binge it in the timeframe I would have a free trial for Hulu 😏). It seems most people on MDL are enjoying it, and I love Han Hyo Joo and Go Yoon Jung.

I'm still team Do Ha, but I did like the scene where we find out when Kang Min started liking Sol Hee. I enjoyed his reaction and seeing the growing smile on his face when Sol Hee apologized for her mom and told the police to go ahead and prosecute her if she did something wrong. 😅 That he fell for her because he admired how she handled a tough situation made me like him more.

Completed now, and still loved it. There was a bit of a weird twist at the end that doesn't get fully explained, but I didn't mind that it made no sense because it was kind of adorable.

Also, I enjoyed the little cameo at the end from Jin Young! He and Dong Wook were really cute together.

I thought Park Seo Joon was fantastic in this, and it was fun to see him in a role where he was serious rather than comedic; this showed he can do both genres very well.

I actually liked the romance in this, since the 2FL just didn't support the ML and was so wishy-washy and (sorry) weak; Yi Seo was far from perfect, and had a lot of immaturity and selfish quirks, and I can see why some people didn't like her character (she definitely crossed professional boundaries when they were working together near the end of the drama), but I thought their relationship made sense and ended sweetly. I think it made sense that Saeroyi was so oblivious about his feelings towards her for so long because he had tunnel vision for revenge, and along the way took her presence for granted since she was such a huge part of making his dream come true. I found the part where the pieces started to fall into place for him about Yi Seo very satisfying; it was a long road getting there, though, with so much time watching him be clueless.

My favorite moment was probably when Saeroyi was talking on the bridge with his father in the vision he had while in the hospital. It was just beautiful; I loved the stuff about being willing to give life another try, even though it was riddled with suffering and hardship. The idea that such difficulties get so much easier when you have people to do life with. He was finally able to face life because he had people who gave him hope for a better future, and allowed him to see life outside his desire for revenge. Love that!

I got kind of over the revenge plot by the end, but I still think this drama was enjoyable and well-written.

This drama also has my favorite score from any Kdrama. I have no idea who Studio Curiosity is, and I'm very sad they've never written music for another Kdrama. But I just love, love "I Don't Have To Convince Others About Who I Am" and "You Are Always Shining Too Bright To Me."

I'll admit, I skip all the villagers' scenes...

But this drama is just so cozy, like being wrapped in a soft blanket while drinking hot tea on a cold night. Love the friendships of all the young'uns, and the way they learn to support one another. Highly recommend!

While everyone is lovable I think Na Woo Chan was the show stealer in this. He was also fantastic in Weak Hero Class 1. Can't wait to see what he does in the future!

I agree with you about KYD's acting; an accurate assessment of his talents, I think!

I don't think there's anything to write home about regarding this story's plot, since I thought it was pretty messy, even sloppy, and not very "realistic" (I know, no Kdrama has a realistic plot, but this one felt even less realistic than the average Kdrama plot). I didn't care for the anachronisms in this, either. Not one of the better fusion sageuks, in my opinion (I even like Hwarang better in this respect). I wouldn't recommend this drama for a tight, well-written plot.

The leads had really excellent chemistry, though, and the only scenes I really liked in this were theirs. Young Dae was so cute as Lee Heon and while So Rang was a little less likeable (I don't like deception plots very much), I think she still did a good job. She kind of went Victorian lady on us near the end, which always frustrates me in Kdramas. It's one of my least favorite tropes.

The really memorable part of this drama for me was the BGM. I couldn't wait for the drama to finish airing so I could add some of the tracks to my Spotify playlist. My favorites: Night Walk, Sorang's Theme, and Shinwon's Theme. Going music nerd here: very lovely orchestral arrangements that showcased real string players rather than a synth, which is one of my struggles with Nam Hye Seung's scores (IOTNBO, CLOY, Mr. Sunshine, etc. she has nice melodies, but the synth just doesn't cut it for me). This is why I prefer music by Lee Nyeom/Kim Min Ji/Park Sejun (Extraordinary You, True Beauty, The Crowned Clown, Start Up, Racket Boys, etc.) and Fara Effect (Tales of the Nine-Tailed, Temptation, King's Affection, Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People, etc.). Sorry, music producers, but technology can't beat out real musicians. At least not yet.

Completely agree! Have strong, mixed feelings about this drama.

100%

As others have commented, this drama is a hard one to pin down. Some scenes were breathtakingly beautiful and powerful (when Shunji and Kang To were riding the bike through the field together and sobbing their hearts out as they grieved their loved ones, when Kang To finds out Gaksital is his brother, when Shun Ji finds out Kang To is Gaksital, and when Kang To reveals to Shun Ji that he killed his own brother without realizing it--these moments sold me on this drama.). The music is beautiful, and the time period and setting (minus the cheesy 30's sets and how over dramatic everything is) is unique and fascinating. I love the idea of a person playing two roles at once and trying to sell both convincingly.

But the plot goes in circles, especially later on in the drama. They could have done the dual roles of Kang To as a policeman and Gaksital so much better in terms of him disappearing and reappearing and how he manages to elude detection and the notice of his policemen peers while playing their mortal enemy, and I wanted to see Shun Ji and Kang To as friends longer before we see them wanting to rip each other apart (this was one of my main issues with My Country: A New Age as well; this and that the plot made no sense from start to finish). And the torture, gosh, so much torture! Seriously, enough with the revolving door of getting captured, tortured and released. That on repeat over and over.

This is why I really, REALLY want this redone. If someone kept the premise and all the really strong parts and improved the weak ones, this could be a fantastic and unique drama, especially with the improved production value of Kdramas now. Someone, please remake this!!!

I'm almost done with this drama (in Episode 15), and it's wonderful! I've found it compelling and interesting, well-paced with characters you care about and root for, and plenty of twists and turns. Kept me guessing the whole time who the killer was.

It has a very similar feel to Signal and Tunnel in terms of the tight writing and pacing (I think it was easier to follow than the two I just mentioned, as those at times got super twisty and confusing), but maybe more character driven, with a big emphasis on family (think Back To The Future, but without the comedy). It has romance but it doesn't distract from the main plot. I can see why people said the leads had no chemistry, but I think it's because the romance shows more as a deep admiration and companionship that grows between the leads as they work tirelessly to save people and improve everyone's future. That's why we see no lovey-dovey behavior in this; it would have immediately given the drama a different feel and tone, and shifted the emphasis from its main focus. There is another romance in this story that actually sometimes becomes more of a focus than the one between the main leads.

I think the part that made this story feel different than Tunnel and Signal and which gives the drama its unique flavor is that because the leads are not detectives and because of the family emphasis, they have a very different perspective than the main leads you normally find in mystery/thriller dramas and that causes them to go about investigating the case(s) differently (since they are trying to save people from their fates that they already know about AND find the killer all the while navigating deeply personal connections to people in the town of Woojeong; these dynamics made it difficult for the characters to see everyone around them objectively, which made for a fascinating setup for this drama).

My only gripe is the 80's downtown of Woojeong. It's painfully obvious it's a set. It looks like the lot used in The Bridal Mask that was supposed to look like the 30's and in this, it's meant to be the 80's. Another part looked like the neighborhood set used in Reply 1988 that somehow looked less like a set than here (do they think we can't tell the plants are all fake? C'mon, we're not that oblivious!). This aspect pulled me out of the story a bit more than I would have liked, but it's still well done in other ways!

I actually loved both the leads in their roles; 1987 Hee Seop (as a character and the actor himself) was a highlight for me, and I thought the actress who played 1987 Mi Sook did an excellent job making me shudder every time she was on screen cause of how psycho she was; just her expressions and the way she talked drove me nuts, and I think that was intentional. She reminded me of K from Inspector Koo (which I thought was terrible; there was way too much screen time for K in that as she was SO crazy and yet I felt like the drama kept trying to make us like her and empathize with her which I couldn't stand); if Mi Sook had as much screen time in this drama as K had in Inspector Koo, I would have bailed on this drama.Thankfully, that was not the case! In this drama Mi Sook is shown to be a person with a really tough life, but who still has no excuse for some of the awful things she chooses to do.