Favorite punchline - apologies for the laborious set up in dialog from Episode 4: When Lee Hong-joo proposes that she and Kang Hoo-yeong play the game while stranded in the trench/ditch to “share shocking truths that can wake us up. You get hit on the head if it’s not shocking.” Kang Hoo-yeong, the math whiz: “I got one math question wrong on the midterm exam.” Lee Hong-joo: “You really are a genius, aren’t you? Kang Hoo-yeong: “But I got one question wrong, though.” Lee Hong-joo: “I’ve ranked last in the entire school. I chose number 2 for all the questions in the English exam. But I’m not joking; none of the answers was number 2. I complained about it to the English teacher. How could that be? There were five options and 40 questions. Shouldn’t at least eight answers be number 2 for it to be fair? Are you surprised? Was it shocking?” Kang Hoo-yeong: “Yes, even your nonsensical theory is shocking.” Lee Hong-joo: “Right? Yes! It’s your turn now.” Kang Hoo-yeong: “Just hit me. I don’t have anything as shocking as that.”
Favorite musical reference from popular culture: the sound of the Bionic Man [played by Lee Majors] running as the high school physical education teacher Gyeong-taek [played by Hwang Seong-bin] runs to save the English teacher Kim Hye-ji [Kim Da-som] from being hit in the face with a soccer ball.
Loud, relentless, schmaltzy soundtrack heightened the over-the-top melodrama (except for the Theme from Zorba the Greek, which was a very welcome and surprise background instrumental), otherwise alleviated only by the humor instigated by the two male leads.
Bizarre combination of frivolous cliched script that the cast sleepwalks through with a vicious murder subplot of chaebol inadequacies and fear of failure. Very disappointing as I have otherwise enjoyed the works of the leads Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min . Surprised myself, though: considering what someone else described accurately as a "flat" script, I still like the scenes between Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min. Also, happy to see Baek Ji-won, Go Geon-han, Yoon Bok-in, and now Bae Na-ra perform.
A "Mystery Road" vibe with a great cast. Can't believe Ryu Kyung-soo, who plays Kim Young-ho in this series is the same actor who portrayed Han Se-jin, my favorite character in "My Unwritten Seoul"! Kim Hyun Joo reminds me of American actress Regina Hall - I think it's the eyes! Compelling and intriguing, although elements of the mystery are obvious to the audience before the detectives figure them out. Things suddenly fall apart towards the end of episode five when things start being explained (as in: talked out aloud in conversations) that need no explanation, which is odd for a Korean film (in my limited experience).
Would someone please explain this obsession with "first" loves in kdramas?! The male protagonist had an interesting backstory that gave him depth, pathos, and originality in his adult character, but then all of a sudden in about the middle of the series the writers have him fall back on the chaebol cliche of narcissistic statements such as "I'm great at everything" - which does not fit his psychological profile. Male lead's facial features are reminiscent of a younger Jang Ki-yong. One of the most jarring fashion choices is the main female character wearing shorts and a cropped top at work as a Team Leader in an office of a major company/conglomerate. Always enjoy seeing Ko Chang-seok (although he didn't have much to work with here), Kim Young-ah, and Im Se-mi!
Choi Jin Ho does corrupt politicians and steely businessmen so well, but he was absolutely adorable as secretary to protagonist Kim Young-ho, aka John Kim [So Ji-Sub] in Oh My Venus (2015): Min Byung-wook with a heart of gold, unique fashion choices outside of work, and a Frank Sinatra wannabe, singing "My Way" the way the "Chairman" would have! I've just started watching "Search: WWW" and wanted to remind myself that he can be other than the slimey assemblyman he plays in this 2019 movie. Glad I saw OMV first! I tend to be gullible and sometimes inadvertently and subconsciously associate the antagonistic roles portrayed by excellent actors with the private individuals until I see them in a number of movies that showcase their range. It can be a problem if the actor is unfairly typecasted.
Such an interesting trick of writing to have most of the characters comment (too much, in fact) on the handsomeness of the male protagonist - which lets the audience know that he is supposed to be a prime specimen of masculine pulchritude. [The same ploy was used to establish Deanna Durbin as a stunner in "His Butler's Sister" (1943).] Uncomfortable to watch the unremitting talk about the physical attributes of the male secretary to a female CEO - reverse stereotype - when the character obviously has excellent organizational and jobs skills. I'm on episode 5 - hope it gets better!
Great voice, very distinctive! There are a voices I can recognize before even seeing the actor: Joo Min Kyung, So Ji-sub, Ron Masak in "Ice Station Zebra" (1968) et al.
My introduction to Seo Hye Won was her absolutely pitch perfect performance in Business Proposal ("Oh, my God!" - comedic mixture of English and Korean, which if I'd read the previous comments first, I would have known to call "konglish"!) - so it was a shock to see how flawlessly she executed the dramatic role in Alchemy of Souls 1 & 2. Seo Hye Won 's talent is multi-faceted, so I never know who she'll play in a series or movie, but I'm always happy to see her. She always delivers a performance worth viewing, adding depth and/or liveliness (depending on her role) to the plot. It was fun to see her character in a rom-com-dramedy where she finally got the "fairy tale ending" of marrying the guy, but it would have been so much more interesting to see how the couple managed and adjusted to each other after the party was over!
Kang Hoo-yeong, the math whiz: “I got one math question wrong on the midterm exam.”
Lee Hong-joo: “You really are a genius, aren’t you?
Kang Hoo-yeong: “But I got one question wrong, though.”
Lee Hong-joo: “I’ve ranked last in the entire school. I chose number 2 for all the questions in the English exam. But I’m not joking; none of the answers was number 2. I complained about it to the English teacher. How could that be? There were five options and 40 questions. Shouldn’t at least eight answers be number 2 for it to be fair? Are you surprised? Was it shocking?”
Kang Hoo-yeong: “Yes, even your nonsensical theory is shocking.”
Lee Hong-joo: “Right? Yes! It’s your turn now.”
Kang Hoo-yeong: “Just hit me. I don’t have anything as shocking as that.”
Favorite musical reference from popular culture: the sound of the Bionic Man [played by Lee Majors] running as the high school physical education teacher Gyeong-taek [played by Hwang Seong-bin] runs to save the English teacher Kim Hye-ji [Kim Da-som] from being hit in the face with a soccer ball.