2
9
1
This review may contain spoilers
curiosity didn't kill the cat
I added this series to my 'Plan To Watch' list after seeing the Chinese movie adaptation of the webtoon. I liked the movie, it was fun and cute, but there was a lot in the movie I wish got explored more. I thought the series would develop some of those story beats better, but it was a bit of a mix result. Overall though, I still enjoyed the series.
-------------------------------------------
● REVIEW
-------------------------------------------
[ --LIKES-- ]
✔ I loved the analytical and logical approach that the ML took in order to learn about the FL's world.
✔ The series was thought-provoking. We see how fear, superstition, and the unknown can affect our actions and humanity.
✔ There's a conversation towards the end between our ML and his policeman friend regarding unknown variables that I really liked. It sets up the idea that ultimately, the rules don't matter as long as the two people love each other. There are always going to be unknown variables in life.
✔ The cinematography towards the beginning of the series with Mijeong walking away from school in the snow was memorable. It's used to surround her with a magical, fantastical, and mysterious aura. In the Chinese movie, there is a similar scene but it happens towards the end.
✔ The story felt like a modern Grimm fairytale/fable
✔ We see scenes from the perspective of different characters for flashbacks. We get more info, inner dialogues, and thoughts that we did not have before. Many scenes are repeated, but it's not without purpose. Many scenes are extended to fill in some blanks and gives some more context.
✔ The ML's police friend Junghyeok's story and his role in the overall series had significance and purpose. It offers insight and distinguishes between certain similar behaviors.
✔ The ML's behavior was never something that was brushed passed and was highlighted a few times by himself and other characters.
✔ It's a bleak story, but they are able to inject some humor into it. Like when Dongjin was trying to befriend the loner Junghyeok.
✔ In a world that has been unkind to her, I'm glad Mijeong had people on her side like Eunsil and her landlord.
[ --DISLIKES-- ]
✖ I think the romance could have been developed more. This was one aspect I was disappointed with. In the movie, they went on dates and stuff, so I was actually hoping that the series would build on that more, but they actually developed it less in this series.
✖ The ending, while good, was more grounded and lowkey than I was hoping. I was hoping for a bigger, more magical moment. I think this is partially because I saw the Chinese movie adaptation, so that influenced my expectations a little bit. However, even if I hadn't, the ending still felt very subtle, which is not bad. It's just not very memorable either. It didn't quite deliver the emotional impact that I hoped it would. Even if it was realistic, it felt boring.
✖ ML did a lot of investigation and research into the FL. While some parts were interesting, I don't think we needed to see so much detail into it. There was also a lot of reiterating information we already saw and know. Overall, I just think the actual investigation could have been condensed. I think there was too much focus on it, which made some parts of the story feel boring/draggy.
-------------------------------------------
● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
-------------------------------------------
[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]
Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a girl and her father. The girl was pretty and smart with an air of mystery to her, so she was popular amongst the boys. However, one day, a series of misfortune began to happen. Any boy that got close her would suddenly get injured or ill. In the worst case, if the boy confessed their love to the girl, they would be met with an untimely death. The villagers began to whisper about the girl, deeming her a witch. Everyone began to avoid her. A few boys, brave and daring, attempted to get close to her, not believing in the rumors. However, they too perished. One day, while trying to save his daughter after she got bitten by a poisonous snake, the girl's father died. The villagers blamed the girl, and she was exiled from the village.
From then on, she lived isolated up in her tower avoiding boys for as much as she can. She truly believed she was cursed. However, one boy was different from all the others. He observed her from afar. He refused to believe she was a witch at first, but his findings would eventually prove otherwise. Despite this, he still believed he could find a way to lift her curse as she deserved better. She deserved true love. His curiosity begin to grow. Why did misfortune follow her? What was the reason? He continued to observed her from afar and in secret until one day, he was bold enough to approach her. Like all the other boys, he too was in love with her. Would he meet the same tragic fate as all the others if he confessed his love? He would soon find out...
Something to think about is the label that she has been given by the villagers. They called her a "witch". Is it accurate? Although, technically, it's more of a curse, a person who is a jinx can still be considered a witch, at least, within the cultural context. Whether she is doing something actively or passively, it doesn't matter. It's still the same to some people. What something is will always depend on the cultural context. The concept of things like fairies, demons, and goblins are different worldwide. The same with the idea of what a "witch" is. Whether or not the villager truly believe she was actually a witch didn't matter. To them, she still brought misfortune. It's sad, but it doesn't really seem farfetched that they would drive her out for bringing bad luck as Asians typically are superstitious when it comes to blessing and luck, especially in less urban/westernized rural areas. The series show that humans are sometimes ignorant, which leads to fear and hatred. Fear is the enemy of compassion and sympathy.
Another thing is that the male lead's behavior may be questionable but honestly, I think he's a brave with a good heart. If I was as willful and brave, I might do the same. I'm not saying that the extent he went through wouldn't look creepy or suspicious, but I feel like it was necessary for safety and progress. Whether she was or was not a witch didn't matter, but he couldn't ignore the pattern surrounding her. And that brings me to the next question. Does the end justify the means? Is secretly investigating Mijeong ok if it means they will have a better idea of what triggers the accidents? If it's to ensure his safety as well as find a way to give her a happier life, is his secret investigation acceptable? Obviously, it's not ideal, but personally, I think it makes sense for him to do his research so that he doesn't become another statistic.
Many of the things we know about the world is done through observation. It is how we find solutions to problems. I agree that there is a lot of merit in not stalking the personal lives of others, but I also saw what he did as akin to detective work. Not all stalkers are defined equally. The word 'stalker' has two levels of severity to it. It's important to distinguish them. There is the casual usage of the word to define anyone who follows someone stealthily versus the more legal and criminal definition, which includes bad intent and threat of safety. Intentions is a crucial part in defining which of those two ways we mean. And ultimately, his intentions were good, so the much lighter definition is used here. Given the observation and complicated circumstance, I think his approach was understandable. A better mindset is that he's a doctor trying to help a patient so that she can live a better quality of life. He is being cautious while making an effort to get to know and understand her world. In a fictional situation with fictional characters, it doesn't matter so much because we can see the the character's intent. In real life, it's scarier because we don't know people's real intent. I think it's important to differentiate the two.
[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]
I have zero complaints about the acting. There is a lack of romantic vibe, but I don't really think it was an acting problem, but rather, the story just didn't spend enough time developing it. This ultimately made the ending feel flat to me. I did like a lot of the humor and warmth that Dongjin added to the story, and Jinyoung's acting definitely played a role in that. Jeongeui also played her part really well. She did a great job conveying the cold and loneliness of her character's world. She's also really pretty and there's quite a few of her work on my 'Plan To Watch' list I'll need to eventually get to. Jaehyeok's character was more stoic and less emotional, so it's hard for me to judge his acting ability until we got closer towards the end. His character was more subtle and Jaehyeok did a good job portraying the more reserve nature. Heeryung's character was another character that gave some warmth and life to the bleak story, so I also liked her. All the supporting characters did great to be honest.
[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]
There were some nice scores and instrumentals that I noticed during some of the scenes that I liked. However, for the OSTs with lyrics, none of them really impressed me enough to remember. I had to look them up after and they're ballads, which usually aren't my type of music. I think 'Close My Eyes' is the one I liked the most, but even that won't be making my playlist.
[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]
Honestly, I think I'll more likely rewatch the movie. Actually, I may even go find the webtoon to read so I have more context, but as for this series, I think it was ok for a one time watch. While it offers a lot to think about, there is a lot that could be condensed. Or, the other way to go is that they could have made it longer. Maybe if they expanded on developing the relationship between the ML and FL, it would feel more balanced.
[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]
The world and life is full of unknowns and things beyond our current knowledge, and that can be scary. The series offers a lot of insights and lessons on the ignorance and influence of fear. It causes people to be bullies and to lose their compassion. However, the series also shows us that there are also people who will put in the effort to learn and understand. The world can be cold and dark, but there is also warmth, hope, and light in it.
-------------------------------------------
● NOTE
-------------------------------------------
I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.
♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥
-------------------------------------------
● REVIEW
-------------------------------------------
[ --LIKES-- ]
✔ I loved the analytical and logical approach that the ML took in order to learn about the FL's world.
✔ The series was thought-provoking. We see how fear, superstition, and the unknown can affect our actions and humanity.
✔ There's a conversation towards the end between our ML and his policeman friend regarding unknown variables that I really liked. It sets up the idea that ultimately, the rules don't matter as long as the two people love each other. There are always going to be unknown variables in life.
✔ The cinematography towards the beginning of the series with Mijeong walking away from school in the snow was memorable. It's used to surround her with a magical, fantastical, and mysterious aura. In the Chinese movie, there is a similar scene but it happens towards the end.
✔ The story felt like a modern Grimm fairytale/fable
✔ We see scenes from the perspective of different characters for flashbacks. We get more info, inner dialogues, and thoughts that we did not have before. Many scenes are repeated, but it's not without purpose. Many scenes are extended to fill in some blanks and gives some more context.
✔ The ML's police friend Junghyeok's story and his role in the overall series had significance and purpose. It offers insight and distinguishes between certain similar behaviors.
✔ The ML's behavior was never something that was brushed passed and was highlighted a few times by himself and other characters.
✔ It's a bleak story, but they are able to inject some humor into it. Like when Dongjin was trying to befriend the loner Junghyeok.
✔ In a world that has been unkind to her, I'm glad Mijeong had people on her side like Eunsil and her landlord.
[ --DISLIKES-- ]
✖ I think the romance could have been developed more. This was one aspect I was disappointed with. In the movie, they went on dates and stuff, so I was actually hoping that the series would build on that more, but they actually developed it less in this series.
✖ The ending, while good, was more grounded and lowkey than I was hoping. I was hoping for a bigger, more magical moment. I think this is partially because I saw the Chinese movie adaptation, so that influenced my expectations a little bit. However, even if I hadn't, the ending still felt very subtle, which is not bad. It's just not very memorable either. It didn't quite deliver the emotional impact that I hoped it would. Even if it was realistic, it felt boring.
✖ ML did a lot of investigation and research into the FL. While some parts were interesting, I don't think we needed to see so much detail into it. There was also a lot of reiterating information we already saw and know. Overall, I just think the actual investigation could have been condensed. I think there was too much focus on it, which made some parts of the story feel boring/draggy.
-------------------------------------------
● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
-------------------------------------------
[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]
Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a girl and her father. The girl was pretty and smart with an air of mystery to her, so she was popular amongst the boys. However, one day, a series of misfortune began to happen. Any boy that got close her would suddenly get injured or ill. In the worst case, if the boy confessed their love to the girl, they would be met with an untimely death. The villagers began to whisper about the girl, deeming her a witch. Everyone began to avoid her. A few boys, brave and daring, attempted to get close to her, not believing in the rumors. However, they too perished. One day, while trying to save his daughter after she got bitten by a poisonous snake, the girl's father died. The villagers blamed the girl, and she was exiled from the village.
From then on, she lived isolated up in her tower avoiding boys for as much as she can. She truly believed she was cursed. However, one boy was different from all the others. He observed her from afar. He refused to believe she was a witch at first, but his findings would eventually prove otherwise. Despite this, he still believed he could find a way to lift her curse as she deserved better. She deserved true love. His curiosity begin to grow. Why did misfortune follow her? What was the reason? He continued to observed her from afar and in secret until one day, he was bold enough to approach her. Like all the other boys, he too was in love with her. Would he meet the same tragic fate as all the others if he confessed his love? He would soon find out...
Something to think about is the label that she has been given by the villagers. They called her a "witch". Is it accurate? Although, technically, it's more of a curse, a person who is a jinx can still be considered a witch, at least, within the cultural context. Whether she is doing something actively or passively, it doesn't matter. It's still the same to some people. What something is will always depend on the cultural context. The concept of things like fairies, demons, and goblins are different worldwide. The same with the idea of what a "witch" is. Whether or not the villager truly believe she was actually a witch didn't matter. To them, she still brought misfortune. It's sad, but it doesn't really seem farfetched that they would drive her out for bringing bad luck as Asians typically are superstitious when it comes to blessing and luck, especially in less urban/westernized rural areas. The series show that humans are sometimes ignorant, which leads to fear and hatred. Fear is the enemy of compassion and sympathy.
Another thing is that the male lead's behavior may be questionable but honestly, I think he's a brave with a good heart. If I was as willful and brave, I might do the same. I'm not saying that the extent he went through wouldn't look creepy or suspicious, but I feel like it was necessary for safety and progress. Whether she was or was not a witch didn't matter, but he couldn't ignore the pattern surrounding her. And that brings me to the next question. Does the end justify the means? Is secretly investigating Mijeong ok if it means they will have a better idea of what triggers the accidents? If it's to ensure his safety as well as find a way to give her a happier life, is his secret investigation acceptable? Obviously, it's not ideal, but personally, I think it makes sense for him to do his research so that he doesn't become another statistic.
Many of the things we know about the world is done through observation. It is how we find solutions to problems. I agree that there is a lot of merit in not stalking the personal lives of others, but I also saw what he did as akin to detective work. Not all stalkers are defined equally. The word 'stalker' has two levels of severity to it. It's important to distinguish them. There is the casual usage of the word to define anyone who follows someone stealthily versus the more legal and criminal definition, which includes bad intent and threat of safety. Intentions is a crucial part in defining which of those two ways we mean. And ultimately, his intentions were good, so the much lighter definition is used here. Given the observation and complicated circumstance, I think his approach was understandable. A better mindset is that he's a doctor trying to help a patient so that she can live a better quality of life. He is being cautious while making an effort to get to know and understand her world. In a fictional situation with fictional characters, it doesn't matter so much because we can see the the character's intent. In real life, it's scarier because we don't know people's real intent. I think it's important to differentiate the two.
[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]
I have zero complaints about the acting. There is a lack of romantic vibe, but I don't really think it was an acting problem, but rather, the story just didn't spend enough time developing it. This ultimately made the ending feel flat to me. I did like a lot of the humor and warmth that Dongjin added to the story, and Jinyoung's acting definitely played a role in that. Jeongeui also played her part really well. She did a great job conveying the cold and loneliness of her character's world. She's also really pretty and there's quite a few of her work on my 'Plan To Watch' list I'll need to eventually get to. Jaehyeok's character was more stoic and less emotional, so it's hard for me to judge his acting ability until we got closer towards the end. His character was more subtle and Jaehyeok did a good job portraying the more reserve nature. Heeryung's character was another character that gave some warmth and life to the bleak story, so I also liked her. All the supporting characters did great to be honest.
[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]
There were some nice scores and instrumentals that I noticed during some of the scenes that I liked. However, for the OSTs with lyrics, none of them really impressed me enough to remember. I had to look them up after and they're ballads, which usually aren't my type of music. I think 'Close My Eyes' is the one I liked the most, but even that won't be making my playlist.
[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]
Honestly, I think I'll more likely rewatch the movie. Actually, I may even go find the webtoon to read so I have more context, but as for this series, I think it was ok for a one time watch. While it offers a lot to think about, there is a lot that could be condensed. Or, the other way to go is that they could have made it longer. Maybe if they expanded on developing the relationship between the ML and FL, it would feel more balanced.
[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]
The world and life is full of unknowns and things beyond our current knowledge, and that can be scary. The series offers a lot of insights and lessons on the ignorance and influence of fear. It causes people to be bullies and to lose their compassion. However, the series also shows us that there are also people who will put in the effort to learn and understand. The world can be cold and dark, but there is also warmth, hope, and light in it.
-------------------------------------------
● NOTE
-------------------------------------------
I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.
♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥
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