One spring night starts off really well. Episode 1 is everything you would want a drama to be and more. As it progresses though, watching it sadly becomes somewhat tiresome. It just drags on and on and on and nothing really interesting happens. Of course there are some tension filled scenes but for the most part, its not all that gripping. But towards the end it picks up again thankfully.
At certain points it was also like 50% dialogue and 50% staring at each other, or the main characters would just be shown looking super sad by themselves. It makes sense though because the slow pace of the drama kinda makes it more realistic but then it's not exactly entertaining. As a result, the rewatch value for this drama is close 0. It took me about 2 months to watch the whole thing, that's how uninterested I was.
The acting was superb though. Everyone did phenomenally well so I don't think any of the actors/actresses could have done that much better to make it a bit less boring.
The music was really good but there were certain episodes where it felt like it was 50% drama and 50% music, that just makes you get sick of the music at times.
Overall I am satisfied with the way things panned out but I kinda wish the time spent showing Yoo Ji-ho and Lee Jeong-in being sad was used to explore other aspects e.g. the complicated and toxic relationship between Lee Seo-in and Nam Si-hoon and/or the fun loving dynamics between Lee Jae-in and Park Young-jae.
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This review may contain spoilers
For the most part, I really enjoyed this drama, there was a point that I binged some episodes. It's not an amazing drama but it's good. I really enjoyed Shi-won and her parents relationship as well as the relationship between the friends, it was really refreshing to watch. I also liked how normalised Joon-hee's (Hoya) feelings for Yoon-jae were played out to be.The thing I hated the most about the storyline was the relationship between the main girl and the older brother, it was SO unnatural and forced. Could the writers really not think of another way to lead the story???
There were a few scenes that felt like fillers towards the end of the drama, e.g. the encounter between Sung-jae and the old woman, their scenes had no significance to the story. Also, the scenes between the father and his older brother also felt misplaced.
The OST wasn't memorable unfortunately :/ but that's not really significant as the drama didn't have a proper original soundtrack of its own anyway.
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Fast paced, informative, and fun!
A good story with interesting plotlines in each episode that never felt boring. I really enjoyed the fast paced nature and I'm also glad that they didn't prolong it to 16 episodes.I do wish that they had not mentioned the former group/cult? that Baek Kang-Hyuk was in because they did not have the time to delve into it and provide the audience with a backstory so that just fell flat.
The Baek Kang-Hyuk character was definitely the best actor by far and although the others did good, they felt very much like caricatures. I imagine that was the intention as the story is based off of a webtoon,
I really enjoyed going through each of the procedures and learning more about medicine along the way, as well as witnessing how the characters dealt with it emotionally.
Overall it was a good show and I'd recommend it if you want something quick and fun. But don't expect phenomenal acting or any profound character growth.
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This show is so heartwarming and real that it almost feels like a documentary. No fluff, just straight up slice of life.
The acting was the best part. Each actor embodied their characters in a way that felt so true and intense.
Im Siwan and Lee Sungmin especially outdid themselves. So much so that I can't un-see them as their characters.
I'm also glad that they didn't feel the need to insert pointless romance or some convoluted side plot.
The middle bit definitely felt slow as the tension in the first few episodes was not built up on. The ending was also silly but I guess the actors/director just wanted to have some fun with the story after so many serious episodes.
Either way. I truly feel like misaeng is one of those kdramas that I will forever cherish in my heart and always miss.
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Thrilling story with great acting
The storyline and execution was really interesting and unique and the synergy between the actors was amazing, they all bounced off each other extremely well. Best part was the cinematography, loved all the shots and the colouring.I do wish we got to know a little bit more about the motivations of the Han character, without that, it was hard to understand his motives as a 'villain' or deeply care about the second half of the plot. Additionally, I would have also liked a bit more backstory about all the other main characters. I think this would've worked better as a 4 part series. The ending was also a bit weak, didn't leave me yearning for more, just unsatisfied.
Overall though it was a good watch and I enjoyed watching the movie. Props to all the actors!
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Really good story
The story was really good. You don't come across many kdrama's with this good of a plotline.I loved the chemistry between the two male leads even though they never met each other and Cha Soo-Hyun complemented each of them well.
I also liked the comic relief Kim Gye-Cheol provided in an otherwise heavy atmosphere.
I have to say though.. the acting could have been slightly more convincing for a story with so much depth, and I wish the ending provided more of a resolution. Another aspect I didn't enjoy was the excessive narration.... like you don't have to spell every single thought out for us.
Also, it really wasn't believable that Soo-Hyun had that big of a crush on Jae-Han back in the day... they could have gone into that a bit more.
Overall though I really enjoyed watching it!
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Dark comedy thriller done splendidly
The story was really good... albeit not fully fleshed out... but really good.One thing I really enjoyed was the cinematography. It was so well captured and edited, props to them for that.
The two main characters also had good synergy and were extremely convincing.. really good at drawing the audience in.
One thing that I would have loved for them to explore more of was Tang's inner thoughts, motivations, and the twisted emotions that led him to what he ultimately became.
Overall, it was really good and highly bingeable!
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Extremely riveting with good pacing
Where do I start... This drama caught me by surprise I must say.The story was an interesting premise that unfolded in an engaging way... Of course we had the typical tropes and endless plot holes.. to list a few - Where was Sora and Yoon Gyeom's older daughter? What truly happened to Sora's mother and even Yoon Gyeom's mother? What will happen to Boram now? because La-El was portrayed as a character who truly cared for kids so it seemed out of character to abandon the child like that.
As for the acting, it was good. I have to praise the actress that played Sora who was extremely convincing and entertaining. Seo Yea Ji was good too but sometimes took on extremely intense facial expressions that she struggled to switch out of when she needed to portray a different kind of emotion.
My main complaint though is with the Seo Eun Pyung character who was a very weird and unrealistic plot device to help La-El accomplish otherwise impossible pursuits. A guy who looks only a few years older than La-El herself but happens to be so powerful in government that a former tyrannical prime minister who commits murder to get his way somehow respects him? It was a very odd choice. Oh and he's in love with her too! Why???
Back to what I liked... the drama did a good job portraying that people aren't inherently good or bad but make certain choices as a consequence of their upbringing i.e. Sora has only known and been taught evil so how else would she have turned out?
All in all, the drama kept me entertained all through. I was never bored or felt like it had lost its way. Truly a good watch!
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Very different story to most Kdramas
I actually really enjoyed this drama. Most of all, I liked how they were able to keep it consistently interesting as most dramas are only good in the first half or the second half.My favourite characters were Woo Suji and Ma Sangoo, they were even more interesting than the main characters who were mostly just timid and annoying at times. Even though the female lead wasn't my favourite, I liked how the writers chose a personality for her and stood by it as although she does experience some growth, she is still the same person throughout the plot, which is something that kdrama writers find hard to maintain.
On the contrary, the male lead's personality did a 360. It was nice to see the contrast between the two. I also really enjoyed watching the other second leads (Wonseok and Horang). The actors' portrayal of their characters was amazing.
One thing that bothered me a bit was the fact that she was struggling to afford rent yet her father had bought an apartment for her and her brother? How was that possible?
Either way, definitely not in my top 15 but it's a really enjoyable drama if you're looking for something different.
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Something different
I thoroughly enjoyed move to heaven. It had an eerie yet homely feel to it, if that makes sense. The main characters all have temperaments that would typically clash yet they became very close and eventually, unable to be without each other. The acting was amazing and the storylines each episode simply got more and more riveting. The one thing I liked the most about the drama was how every scene was meaningful as I can say that I never ever felt the urge to skip. I also liked how a love interest was brought about for the older brother yet it wasn't pushed in our faces, it all felt just right.Was this review helpful to you?
Acting;
Ji Sung (Cha Do-hyun):
If not for Ji Sung's acting, this show would have fallen flat for me. How can he make me miss him while I'm watching him?? Many times, I was longing for Cha Do-hyun while watching Shin Se-gi and vice versa. He took on each of the seven roles so well and brought the story to life. His acting is soooo believable.
Hwang Jung-eum (Oh Ri-jin)
She's not a bad actress, just very unpleasant to watch for the most part. She's so extra and is incapable of portraying any emotion without moving every muscle in her face, I don't want to call it overacting because she is a good actress but I just couldn't stand this character and her quirks.
Park Seo-joon (Oh Ri-on/ Omega/ Oh Hwi)
I'm coming to realise that I may not love Seo-joon that much as an actor, more so just an individual. Or maybe I don't like the roles he takes on. Out of four dramas that I've watched him in, I only liked his character in Fight for my way. He was really good in this drama and Hwarang too but I just didn't like his characters in either. I understand he feels obligated to be Ri-jin's protector but why is he constantly lurking behind her like a shadow? It's just off-putting.
In general, the only other outstanding actors apart from Ji Sung that come to mind are Ri-jin and Ri-on's parents.
Length;
It did not need to be 20 episodes long, it could have been 16. I don't like the idea that because a complex story is being told in a k-drama, it's elongated to 20 episodes. Unlike many shows (strong woman do bong soon, etc) it wasn't like there were any unnecessary scenes, the scenes were just way too long. About halfway into the show and onwards, most of the scenes consisted of little vital dialogue but mostly just overplayed flashbacks, repeated conversations and long silences, this was actually painful and exhausting to watch so I found myself skipping every 10 seconds, but only enough to not miss any important information within the scenes.
I recommend it if you are tired of shallow k-dramas but do not expect much from how the events actually play out. On the whole, the drama isn't very engaging or binge-able, but the story itself is uniquely gripping. I feel that most people gave it a high ranking because it feels like the show was written by a mastermind but if you step back and think... what more is there to it really?
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This review may contain spoilers
Where can I start.... watching healer was a rollercoaster of emotions. After finishing the show rather than feeling satisfied, I felt myself wanting more, asking more questions and wondering what happened that wasn't shown. Skip to the very end for my thoughts on the things that I wasn't pleased with.Healer is a very interesting watch with a really unique concept. At first strange, but then the story grows on as the episodes pass by. I practically only watched the first half of the show (first 10 episodes) as sort of like a formality. Although I knew the story and understood the intricacies of the situation, I just couldn't bring myself to care. I didn't care for any of the characters or the relationships that were lost or those that were forming, watching the show was just a way to pass time. In the second half though, circumstances change and there are important things at stake, that's what really brings the story to life. Even then, I felt as though the only thing I cared about was the relationship between the two leads, but as time goes on, the rest of the story becomes just as important. The actors were really charismatic and took on the roles really well, but of course, honorary shout out to Ji Chang-wook.
The OST was nice too but nothing special, not very memorable. In conclusion, I would recommend Healer as: a good watch but you really need patience to get to the good part.
SPOILERS (only for those who have watched it)
As I said before, the show ended in a good way but I also felt a bit unsettled, here's why;
- Why weren't we ever shown things from the perspective of Kim Moon-sik? (Kim Mun-ho's hyung) You could clearly tell that he wasn't necessarily a bad person and there were reasons for the things he did. E.g; what led him to join forces with Boss? Why was he so persistnet on having Myung-hee all to himself? Also, we never saw what happened to him at the end, just a half-arsed scene where he was drunk. Regardless of whether he was a good person or not, he needed to be punished for his wrongdoings but that was never shown or even alluded to in the end?????
- This is also related to the previous point; What is Mun-ho's and Moon-sik's backstory? How did two brothers end up being completely opposite people, did they face abuse as children? Who are their parents?
- What led Ajumma to that stage in her life? They started to show a backstory but then just ignored it.
- Why was it so important for Healer's mom to abandon him as a child? Who threatened her and why?
I know I'm somewhat reaching but these are just the little things that bothered me, not to the point that it stopped me from enjoying the show though. I just don't like it when writers aren't able to fully portray the situation their characters are in. Anyways Healer is a really clever story and an enjoyable drama.
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I did not like the female lead at all just because of the character's personality, but her acting was actually quite good. Chanyeol did better than he did in Exo next door so it's good to see some improvement. It's always nice to see him doing something on his own, I'm tempted to watch Missing 9 to see if he's improved.
I liked how vivid the colours in the movie were.
The OST is not too bad too, I guess.
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I know this show is meant to cater to exo-l's but I am disappointed in the production for thinking that exo-l's would enjoy this joke of a show, It is an insult to us. Sure, if you're looking for something short, light-hearted and silly to occupy your time with, then this might be for you but you would get annoyed too many times because of the stupidity of the plot. Chanyeol's acting was below average, the other members didn't do much better either, but I would commend D.O. Also, the whole situation between Suho and Chanyeol was just so unrealistic. Most times, you will find it impossible to sympathise with any of the characters. The female lead was purely annoying, irrational and her mannerisms were not cute at all, I feel bad that the actress (Moon Ga-young) had to go through that.
Now one thing I did like about it was the OST- beautiful, Baekhyun did a great job, it's still one of my favourite songs out there.
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Even though I have given a very high rating, there were still some faults;
- Why did Guk-doo always seem to be in a bad mood? And come on, how can he say that he didn't realise Bong-soon was head over heels for him, now that's just ridiculous. Also, why were we never shown an interaction of he and his mother? Why did a mother and son who were recurring exist as completely separate entities? I always looked forward to their interaction (for some reason) but it never came. I know that Guk-doo was not written to be a character that we would obsess over anyway, so I would forgive his 24/7 straight/angry/confused face.
- Bong soon's superpower was over-exploited, she did some things that they weren't even able to explain e.g. we were never shown how she saved those women even though the place had been set on fire. Just a tad bit toooo unrealistic at times.
- I wasn't a hundred percent convinced with Ahn Woo-yeon's (Bong-ki) acting. A lot of the times he just had a confused expression, as did his to-be girlfriend Hee-ji, I guess they fit perfectly, two confused characters. I also have questions regarding how she so easily fell for him after one interaction but I don't want to be too fussy.
- Why was Bong-soon's mother's treatment toward the father tolerated? It was funny in the first few episodes but it got worse and worse and just became... abusive. I did not enjoy watching those scenes at all. Also her (Bong-soon's mum) and her posse were overdone, they became boring and were just a filler (I skipped a lot of their scenes)
- The comedy around the gang members (the ones she beat up in episode 1) was also overdid to the point that it became annoying and had me skipping scenes.
- The comedy around the police was also a bit overplayed, however, I liked how Guk-doo's personality contrasted his work colleagues, it helped him shine more as a main because a lot of the time, I forgot that he was a main; to me, he merely existed in Bong-soon and Min-hyuk's shadow.
Notwithstanding all the points aforementioned, I would still rate this drama a 9.5/10, I wish I could give it a 9.75/10 as that would be more true to my feelings but MyDramList does not provide/allow that option so what can we do. Again, the things I didn't like about it were merely small issues, they do not heavily influence my decision.
One thing that was portrayed EXCELLENTLY though was Bong-soon and Min-hyuk's relationship and both their individual character developments. Although I have one little complaint; how is it possible that he fell so deeply and easily for her? But you know, never try to see the logic in dramas or else you will have a million questions. Anyway, I found myself always anticipating their scenes together, they MADE the show and they also fit so well together.
Lastly, a lot of people did not like the mix of genres but I think that brought the show to life and was executed quite impressively.
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