Krauser24

I enjoyed this show, BUT....

Like everyone else, I think it could have been done better too. The central plot has a lot of potential, because there's something so very unsettling about religious horror. It's just that most of the storylines were half-baked, including the main one, and had they given it atleast two more episodes, they could've done justice to the story.

I really had a problem with the lack of lore exploration. I would like to bring about some comparison with the movie 'Svaha'. Svaha also had a similar Buddhist outline, and did pretty well in terms of lore exploration, enough to have us creeped out, but ultimately failed when executing its final act to combat the supposed root of evil. Monstrous on the other hand executed its final act to combat the spirit well, but it was unsatisfactory because, other than the fact that the Buddha statue was haunted, we were provided with little to no information on the 'whys' and 'hows' of the statue: Why did a holy statue built under the jurisdiction of a Buddhist temple get possessed? How strong was this measly con-man, so much so that he could possess a BUDDHA statue, and require a super powerful monk's help to seal it's energy? Was something inherently wrong with the statue beforehand? Who lived to tell this tale so that Ki-Hoon could identify the rain as Monstrous rain? How did Ki-Hoon know about the mysterious protection symbol? I'm sure no ordinary Buddhist historian could just whip that out of their text books. I could go on, and could definitely say the same for the other storylines, especially with regards to the crazy gangster man, the crime that put him in jail, and how he came to be so insanely crazy. The relationships between characters other than that of the main leads were also abandoned due to time restraints: the cop and her kid, the kid and the gangster guy and the gangster guy and the cop. AND what on earth happened to the rest of village during the aftermath, considering the fact that more than half of it's population got decimated? So many plotholes. An episode or two to explore these would have made the show deeper and intense, leaving a dreadful feeling behind. Similarly, plotlines that required suspense, like revealing who the spirit may have been, were easily evaded and handed to us on a platter due to TIME RESTRAINTS once again.

To be honest, this lack of lore is what led to the show leaving but a little impression, despite stellar performances by the leads. Since the show heavily leans on Buddhism, which has a rich historical background, there are many precedents or stories in its ancient texts that can serve as a basis for a well-rounded possession storyline. Compare this to Hellbound, in which the events that take place have no precedent or historical background, which justifies the lack of lore and the unfolding of new information gradually over 8 episodes.

However, I was impressed with the bird scene. Put me on the edge of my seat. That scene is what Birdemic should have been, but alas.

I get the direction this show is going in. If my guess is correct, this may be an anthology series (much like the Conjuring movies, with Ed and Lorraine Warren at the helm), with Ki-Hoon and Soo-Jin facing other monstrosities every season. The new one looks like it would touch upon aliens and whatnot.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the show for what it is. If only it had been fleshed out better.

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Adrenaline-packed, high-octane and incredibly exciting!

I'm going to give my two cents on this show and it's my honest opinion - it's amazing and anyone thinking about watching it, should. We rarely get good Korean comedies, much less action-comedies, and this was the best of the season.

This show felt like an homage to all those awesome Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and wacky Stephen Chow movies, and it's sad that a few people can't see that down in the comments. The fights are how they are because of this - full of adrenaline, high-octane and exciting. Hell, I think it's mentioned somewhere that Yun Ga Min practices Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do style of martial arts. If you've watched Stephen Chow's movies, like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, you'd understand how flying about while crushing your opponents toes in place, or punching their chest into the concrete floor at an unnatural pace is the foundation for some of the best choreographed fights. It takes a lot to adapt these for screen - it's not tacky, it's a stylistic choice and Hwang Min Hyun manifested it all fantastically.

Talking about Yun Ga Min. People seem to think he's plain dumb, but I think that's a very shallow understanding of who he is. It took him brains to fight too, guys. That scene where he flipped the leader of the school disciplinary gang was actually well thought-out. He's just bad at tests, and it's clear he has some anxiety related to that. I know people just like this - they're brilliant, but get incredibly anxious during tests, causing them to score low. More than anything, he wasn't one dimensional - sure, he was often the smiling idiot who was blissfully unaware of things, but when things got serious, he was confident enough to buckle down and take charge. Honestly, I liked everything in this show, acting included . I enjoyed it for what it is, and it got me kicking my feet like my twelve year old self when watching Shaolin Soccer.

Lastly, don't expect the show to be Weak Hero Class 1. Study Group is in a different genre. This is an action comedy, and Weak Hero is an action drama. Bullying is a common element, but it's dealt with differently in both. Study Group is somewhat idealistic, and that's fine. We need a break from the nitty-gritty sometimes, and the show gives us the satisfaction by answering the question: "what if the good guys won period?"

Put aside all your seriousness, grab some popcorn and enjoy the adrenaline.

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