1
Strong Premise But Plays Very Safe
I really, *really* wanted to love this. It doesn't really pick up until Episode 8. The finale felt somewhat rushed or lazy. This is a cross cultural series that should work: gorgeous couple, strong supporting cast, award winning ML, and Korean FL with impressively learned Japanese. All the right ingredients are there. It just feels built around safety. Maybe you will feel differently. There's a lot of box ticking going on, well worn tropes galore.
Akaso feels underused and very mature for this role. He works hard. If you’ve seen him in the film 366 Days, you know how compelling he can be. Here, it feels like a bankable name was chosen over best fit. Kang did her best with a one dimensional character that is melodramatic and constantly needy, and little nuance to explore.
Pacing and potential is the biggest issue. It probably would have been a great binge series, but drags as a weekly. The story arc moves in slow circles. With sharper timing, fewer clichés and more creative courage, this could have been genuinely compelling. I watched to the end, but disappointed with the sluggish pace and characterisation.
The other thing that annoyed me, most of the key actors are playing almost a decade below their actual age and so there's several instances of super soft focus. If they hired age appropriate actors, instead of well known stars with guaranteed "bankability", this show might have been amazing for many reasons.
Akaso feels underused and very mature for this role. He works hard. If you’ve seen him in the film 366 Days, you know how compelling he can be. Here, it feels like a bankable name was chosen over best fit. Kang did her best with a one dimensional character that is melodramatic and constantly needy, and little nuance to explore.
Pacing and potential is the biggest issue. It probably would have been a great binge series, but drags as a weekly. The story arc moves in slow circles. With sharper timing, fewer clichés and more creative courage, this could have been genuinely compelling. I watched to the end, but disappointed with the sluggish pace and characterisation.
The other thing that annoyed me, most of the key actors are playing almost a decade below their actual age and so there's several instances of super soft focus. If they hired age appropriate actors, instead of well known stars with guaranteed "bankability", this show might have been amazing for many reasons.
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