Nice cast, with Nam Da-reum and Kim Sae-ron working so well together in their lead roles. Their chemistry was just right for these characters.
Supporting cast were very watchable too and the show is a great platform for its young actors to shine, as they have the majority of roles and screen time.
Should carry a trigger warning for references to suicide really, I feel though.
The stresses of high school exams and grades are taken to a whole new level in this.
I found some of the adults scarier than any ghosts or demons!
Nicely done and an enjoyable watch.
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Thought provoking
A very unsettling drama, as one can imagine that if something like this ever became possible, there would be power crazy dictatorships and wealthy countries happy to abuse and use engineered humans as weapons.After all, with cloning, growing a human ear on a mouse and even working on growing human organs in pigs, this drama is not total fiction.
There are many very unlikable characters and the usual abuse of and arrogance towards, ordinary people, by those with power and money, is a key part of the story.
Ji Oh reminds me of Frankenstein's monster; lonely, naive and innocent. Sadly that also makes him vulnerable and easy to manipulate by those he mistakenly thinks know best. It's people's abuse and cruelty that leads to the monster emerging. Kim Rae-won was so good in portraying the role.
The character of Gu Reum was really well acted by Lee Da-hee; tough, principled, but ultimately, I found her to be fickle. Ji Oh never hurt her, but loved her and only ever wanted to protect her; yet, at crucial times she listens to those very people that cause all their problems and no end of pain.
To think that she could protect something precious alone and that Ji Oh would be OK with that, was crazy. There were so many things she could have said to him to compromise his mistaken beliefs, but she didn't even attempt it. There are ways around memory loss.
I found every episode gripping and the story well thought out, but the final one was bizarre. That Gu Reum would rather leave something hidden, risking it not surviving, than to tell Ji Oh where it was, I found unbelievable.
L.U.C.A. is the beginning of something altogether quite horrifying ~ not the super humans themselves, but what most likely would happen to them and ultimately, us.
Well worth watching and very thought provoking.
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It's all about the girls
This is such a good series and I love the characters. It's a great message for women of any age, in that the different views, levels of experience and personalities, of the 3 main female characters, are so different, but respected within the story.No judgement is passed on a chosen lifestyle, but via the series, the assumptions and rumours of others about them, are explored.
I loved how supportive each woman became of their friendships and that no pressure was put on, or fun made, the more naive and inexperienced character.
There are also very valid points made about the importance of sex and sexual health education, plus the need for easily obtainable routes to qualified, empathic and sensitive advice.
A really nice watch.
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What does happen when a father raises his 3 kids after the loss of their mother, allowing them to do what they like and then at a turning point in his own life, rebels against them?
The problem for me at times was the ridiculous dialogue between characters, seemingly written just to move the story into evermore convoluted realms.
It veered sharply between farcical sitcom and melodrama.
I loathed the middle son; a cold, ungrateful, arrogant, self pitying, snob. The actor (Yoon Park) did well to make me dislike him to much. I couldn't warm to him even when the story tried to redeem his character later on. Just unforgiveable.
The massive slice of Korean large family life portrayed in this series, would have me running away. Never before have I seen such nosy, intrusive, manipulative, selfish, immature and thoughtless characters wrapped up in 3 main families, in one drama!
It just went on too long, for me, as well.
Not one I would watch again.
Was lovely seeing a young Seo Kang-joon and Park Hyung-sik though.
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Money, manipulation and murder
I was gripped almost immediately. Powerful figures are top of the food chain and the mistreatment of those below cascades down, very painfully. Those bullied from above, take it out, often with relish, on those below.Even when it began to dawn on me who the main culprit was, I found myself doubting whether I was right. That's great character writing.
Jun is excellent on his portrayal and acting, as are all the cast. Top marks though, to the younger cast members, who all gave credible performances.
The family dynamics of the powerful were as often seen before, with parents using their money, position and contacts to further their children's futures. The green light this gives them, in terms of feeling a right to mistreat and manipulate their fellow students though, is a lesson this drama, I feel, attempts to teach its viewers.
The pace was good, although each episode covered too much ground from the end of the previous one, so I found myself FF each one.
The outcome for several characters was too clipped at the end and I wish they'd made more of the final court room scene, for realism.
I still thought it was a decent finish though and would happily sit through it again. Recommended.
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This review may contain spoilers
A lovely, complicated but not impossible, film
I loved this film. It needs watching a couple of times to really get the plot, as the subs are not great and, as the film is a little complicated already, that doesn't help!Hye-Joong has no memories before the age of 4 because they've been suppressed. She consequently suffers nightmares that are beginning to affect her actual life and at times (when she has the urge to harm herself) is actually possessed by the spirit of a character that's introduced later.
Soo-ryun was hired as a nanny, because Hye-joong's mother was sick and when she arrives, has with her, her own baby, Hwan. There's no incest as the lead characters are not related (it would have been impossible for her Dad to have fathered Soo-ryun's baby and it be born, in such a short space of time!)
The tragedy, I felt, happened because a character had misunderstood something they witnessed and what they were told about it, in an earlier kitchen scene.
Attention needs to be paid to the scene towards the end of the film, directly after Hye-joong is separated from Hwan, because the things that are shown at the site at which she ends up (baby Hwan's grave), explain how its possible for the film to end the way it does.
The fairytale like qualities of this film and the lead actors, Hong Jong-hyun and Jung So-min, portraying their characters so well, made this a magical, if at times very sad, film. I found the character of her Aunt pretty irritating; she asks a Shaman for help (in fact forces her), but then proceeds to completely ignore her advice at the most crucial times! I liked the Shaman character and thought Lee Seung-yeon portrayed her well.
There is blood and ghosts (I didn't find them scary), but everything fits and doesn't feel like it's been plonked in purely for shock/effect.
This is only my take on the film and I've left a lot out so as not to spoil it completely with this review, but as so many posts have indicated that the film is impossible to follow, the few semi-spoilers I've written will hopefully be enough to help explain the story.
I recommend watching!
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Near perfect drama
It's quite hard to put into words just how excellent in every way, this drama is.Screen writer Jo Yong and director Park Shin Woo really nailed it, together with a cast who so eloquently brought their characters to life.
Gang-tae, who becomes a care giver at the OK Psychiatric Hospital, seems completely balanced and together, but has closed off the life he shares with his autistic older brother, Sang-tae. Moon-young, a children's author, is totally self absorbed, feisty and used to getting what she wants.
The meeting of these characters and the journey they embark on, played out in the drama, to understanding themselves and others, feels like a dark fairy tale at times, however it is very real. Their emotional stories and those of the hospital patients, are both very funny and moving.
I especially liked a guest appearance by Kwak Dong Yeon as patient Kwon Gi Do, who had me reaching for tissues.
A favourite actress, Kim Mi Kyung, plays Kang Soon Deok (Joo-ri's mother) so well; she was actually a linchpin, to me.
There were no clichés that I can think of at all and no overly sentimental scenes either. It was actually adult in its presentation and very honest.
A scene in the final episode, shows how grown ups should be portrayed in a relationship... it can be done.
Every actor was great, but for me, Oh Jung-se deserves an award for his perfect portrayal of Sang-tae. He made the character very central, important and one that evolved possibly more than any other.
This is one of those rare dramas that I cannot imagine anyone saying they did not like it at all.
I am going to miss this so much and will definitely watch again.
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What I loved: the cast were all excellent and I so enjoyed Shin Sung Rok's portrayal of the churlish, phobia and allergy ridden lead male! He played it really well and shone at the times when he was acting shy, awkward and at odds with himself. He comes across as younger than his actual years.
The message I took from this drama was a positive one; that one doesn't need to be slim or beautiful to be loved. Self belief, self respect, self love all need to come first, as this provides self confidence. It's also how we make others feel about themselves that can affect their feelings toward us.
There was comedy and sadness, with some touching moments.
What I didn't like: the story became too drawn out and I felt like the writer lost their direction. Too many scenes were repeated and some scenarios were ridiculous, even for a fantasy.
Whilst a lot of it was good, the music was all over the place and veered too quickly from moment to moment. (One song that stood out for me though, was Queen's 'Lily of the Valley', a 1974 B-side single that I never expected to hear in a K-drama!)
I loved watching Sung Rok, but this isn't a drama I'd revisit.
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Even a great cast could not save this failure
Aug 2023.I was really looking forward to this , but found it so disappointing, apart from Taec-yeon and some other cast members who kept me watching, it was pretty poor.
Great idea, but such lazy writing and poor direction, ruined it.
Such childish humour, that frankly I see starting to pop up in too many K-dramas where it doesn't fit, and woeful plot failures...
No heartbeat means no breathing is necessary, so stuff getting up their nose and making them sneeze just would not happen.
Sensitivity to the sun was completely forgotten from one episode to the next, depending on what the story needed from the scene :-/
Both female characters were the most irritating of all. The FL veered from doe-eyed and mushy, to petulant, spiteful, loud (lots of shouting that was way more than necessary for the scenario) and aggressive. I get she was meant to be cold and distant as a form of protection, but her reactions were overdone. There was a mace/pepper spray incident that was like, WHAT?!!! So not funny, at least not to me.
The supporting female character was dull as dish water, not to mention psychotic/delusional, which we see far too often in poorly written K-dramas.
Inappropriate reactions, drawing out parts of the story until they were so thin they were transparent and a woefully weak baddy.
The humour this show craved was witty dialogue, subtle looks that can speak a thousand words and make us laugh, not the overreactions, characters getting hit, shouted at and generally acting stupid, which is what we got.
Also, there's a guest house that never got a guest, which would not have been a profitable business, me thinks :-/
Lots of clichés too, which again were not necessary; there was far more that could have been done with those moments.
The sets were nice.
The cast were nice to look at and did their best.
I honestly could have done without watching and not once did I shed a tear, when there were times I should have, as the story was definitely aiming for that.
I never tell anyone not to watch something, as we're all different and you might love it; many others did.
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Gripping
Very apt, relevant and thought provoking.The mysteries surrounding what happened in the research station on the moon, who was responsible and more, are shockingly brought to light.
It really is gripping stuff and in the slightly claustrophobic, creepy environment, everyone is on edge. The different personalities of the crew and their strengths/weaknesses become apparent.
It is very rarely light hearted, can be shocking and gory, and the ending might disappoint some, but I thought it was fitting and so good.
I felt it was as much about portraying a warning of sorts, as telling a neatly packaged story.
Great cast; I loved Gong Yoo's cool, level-headed and accomplished Capitan figure. Typical military achiever who unquestioningly follows orders. Events see his character grow, however, and his view of Bae Doona's Scientist, changes too.
She is great ~ as always, and created a believable, detached (but for a reason), yet compassionate, strong and stubborn personality, who is brave and not afraid to ask questions.
I was so happy to see Lee Joon back in drama. He can play a range of characters and I feel is a little underrated. Very much enjoyed his acting and character in this. He had me!
The mission was riddled with problems from the start and I could not help but make guesses about characters, almost from the beginning.
It was a solid story, but some aspects raised questions about 'how'.
Also, if there was an abandoned research station on another planet, that might carry the answer to saving our earth, one would think it would be guarded by those that set it up. Satellites would surely pick up any other space craft heading its way.
If an operation were so hush-hush, crew would surely be searched (regardless of reputation etc) before setting off.
Strangely, I can't really place the music now. Maybe that is a good thing, as it means it never 'got in the way' or spoiled my viewing.
Sci-Fi aside, the catastrophe of earth drying up could one day be a reality. I'm relieved I won't see it.
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Feel good
March 2024Great cast, great location, great story, great fun! This has everything. Family, community, enduring friendship, loss of purpose and mystery. It's all wrapped up in a more sedate coastal life, where the most exciting thing to happen, outside of the local ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling) team's matches, is a local dog constantly slipping its leash and running off, hotly pursued by the 2 local police beat officers.
The warmth this drama exudes is so lovely. It's a small town, where everyone knows each other's business and when they don't, gossip takes over. In some cases small lives breed small minds, but as happens, many find it hard, or even impossible, to face up to their mistakes and mistreatment of others, when they should know better.
I loved that there was NO stupid, slapstick humour in this, even though it's a comedy-mystery-romance. There are plenty of laughs, generated by daily comings and goings; main character, Kim Baek Doo's, innocent, simple (NOT stupid though), contemplative personality (wonderfully interpreted by Jang Dong Yoon); and the often comicly mundane.
I really liked the coastal setting (filmed in a small area of Pohang, North Gyeongsang), which felt so normal, rather than picture-book pretty. It wasn't unpleasant, by any means, just normal, if that makes sense!
A serious incident leads to the lives of almost everyone in the heart of the town and connected to the ssireum team, being affected one way or another, as tensions build.
The past comes rushing back and some old scars are revealed, to be finally allowed to heal.
Whilst simplistic, it really is a great watch and although I guessed the culprit, it didn't spoil my enjoyment at all (typecasting has a lot to answer for).
The ssireum matches were fabulous and honestly had me twitching in my seat!
Not one character irritated me, even though there's a fair bit of physicality between a few. They get away with it though, because it's not mean or nasty, but out of affection and simply how they interact. Very exuberant.
Most characters are pretty noisy, too; but again, it's how most (not all), speak to each other. Their accent is fabulous. I really found myself engaging with so many of the characters and the cast did themselves proud.
Definitely one to try. I'd happily watch it again.
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Hugely irritating characters
I quite enjoyed the first couple of episodes, which piqued my interest. Sadly I quickly found myself greatly disliking many of the characters.Indecisive, selfish, wet, self absorbed, delusional and contradictory.
I was only bothered about 2; Do-hyeok and Gyu-hyun.
Jae-eon was like his butterflies and Na-bi.... well, what can I say.
I also found their art class unreal. The piece Na-bi worked on, for the entire series, hardly changed and yet could be reproduced virtually overnight.
Made a change to have a lesbian couple feature though, rather than a gay one, although Oh-bitna drove me nuts.
Not one I'd watch again.
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Who watches the watchers?
Seo Kang-joon and Kim Hyun-joo back together (they were boyh in 'What Happens to my Family'), with Han Seok-kyu, making a really good team fighting corruption within the police and prosecution service.It's not a light watch, so concentration is needed to follow a story that twists and turns. Never have so many characters looked guilty!
Well written and acted with a decent soundtrack too.
There were several occasions though, when I felt that, given the circumstances, characters blindly entered into dangerous situations far too naively.
I wonder if we'll get a season 2? I shall definitely watch if we do.
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Simply beautiful story
Such a believable story, understated acting, superb characters. Moving, emotional and funny at times. All aspects of relationships and human frailties and strengths are explored. Just perfect.Jung Hae-in is a wonderful, natural actor.
The entire cast were perfect and give the viewer wonderfully varied, 'real' characters. A joy.
With 12 episodes, this is shorter than most dramas, but the story never felt rushed or packed in and neither was it dragged out. I felt the pace was perfect.
The locations were unusual too and it made me want to visit the coffee shop, buy a eucalyptus plant and a ticket to Oslo!
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This is one of those dramas, where the storyline can be taken as light, or as meaningful, whichever way you want to see it.
On the surface, it's a comical, sometimes mildly angsty, young romance, with a decent mix of characters ~ including a good % of quirky ones, which I like.
If wanted, it can be viewed more deeply... a gender stuck in the wrong body. That's something, which is experienced irl, possibly by more than are able to admit it.
It wasn't perfect, and there were some cringe moments, but personally I was hooked by it! I enjoyed every episode and thought the acting fit the concept, and young fresh vibe.
The female characters were an interesting mix, and Kang Min-ju was as annoying as she was doubtless intended to be! Well played by Chuu.
Yoon San-ha was very believable as the intelligent, slightly nerdy, supportive and sensible boyfriend, Yun-jae. Arin was perfect for the role of girlfriend Ji-eun; and Yoo Jung-hoo was so lovely as 'The Man!' of the title, Ji-hun.
No overacting or hamming it up, which I was grateful for. Disliked Yun-jae's mother and sister ~ 2 annoying characters in one family... poor son/brother!
A favourite was Ji-eun/hun's grandpa, fabulously played by Yoon Joo-sang - criminal that he doesn't seem to appear in any cast listings.
Several other storylines run alongside the main one, which meant this drama rarely got boring, and quite a bit was packed into 12 episodes.
I actually rather loved it ~ and Yoo Jung-hoo/Ji-hun.
Well worth a look.
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