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Strong start, but weak finish

I'm always a fan of Young Woo, because of his great past performances ... so I stuck with this series right till the end. It was a great story at the beginning, along with great acting by the four protagonists in their roles, but somewhere about halfway through, things changed a bit for me. I found the direction of the plot a bit confusing at times, but as I said, I stayed with it, hoping it would correct itself. Unfortunately that didn't happen, it really didn't seem to be as interesting from the middle part of the series through episode 11. The finale did have some good direction toward the very end, but I think it was just a bit too far gone for me at that point. To no fault of Young Woo, Yi Hyun or Kang Yoon, giving all strong performances, but I just wish the last six or so episodes were as enjoyable to watch as the first six.
Looking forward to his future projects!

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Almost a Great Series!

This series had me glued to my seat, not being able to turn it off. A very powerful story line with a great cast of actors.
Se Ok & Deok Hui was fantastic. Their characters had the skills of being believable, with just a touch of evil below the surface.
Being a big fan of Yoon Chan Young, I wish he would have had a bigger role, but he was great as a supporting actor in this. He gave a touch of comedy and sensitivity during the really dark moments.
The series did become a bit of a disappointment at the end. Without giving a spoiler, it ended sort of flat, nothing like I was expecting. Without knowing if there will be a season 2, it sort of flat lined the story and really left us waiting for the big moment that never came.
Hopefully a season 2 will happen.

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Great from start to finish

It's really rare for a show to come along that can make you laugh & cry just minutes or even seconds apart from each other, but this drama definitely did that. Going into it, I didn't think it would be as terrific as Hospital Playlist, but it came pretty close.
Every Protagonist in this series added something special to the continuing story. The supporting cast was great as well. We watched all the characters mature throughout each episode, which made everything become more interesting.
For me, Jae Il was my favorite character, as well as You Seok who portrayed him. He brought a childish playful situation to each scene, but showed his serious side when it was needed. He was great at doing that. The relationship that developed between him and Sa Bi was done perfectly, as was the romance between Youn Jung & Jun Won's characters.
I think the only negative I found was a bit of "slowness in the story lines" during the middle part of the series. Some episodes seemed to make you want to check your watch to see how much time was left ... but having said that, once you got to the final three episodes, everything really came together, making a masterful end to the drama.
The retiring doctor's speech toward the end of episode 12 kind of sums up what this series was all about ...
"Facing the timeless truth of life & death everyday ... through every moment of despair and joy"
Definitely an enjoyable series to watch. Hoping for a season 2.

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Fighting fighting & fighting.

If you like bloody fighting to the death, this is your series. You can't help but get hooked on how Ji Jun get's out of every situation he's in, whether he's facing one person or an entire room of people. After a while, though, it does get a bit tiring how he just keeps killing every single person he comes in contact with. I think the story becomes a bit lacking ... leaving just the fighting to watch as entertainment, but not too much in the way of substance.
The supporting cast give a good back up to all the fighting. Jun Mo played by Gong Myung makes you really wish for a painful death on his part ... which he eventually gets!
Young Woo, who I've become a big fan of, gives us a dark and sinister character of Geum Son. He does a great job at showing his acting ability with a personality he has never shown before.
I wish the writing would have equaled the acting & fighting ... but it did make for some good action, and lots of blood!!!!

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Painful but satisfying to watch

At times this series was extremely painful to watch. It was probably the first time I was watching a series and rooting against the main protagonist, Ba U. Most of the series I found that he was the one that was really clueless, not Hun. It's true that Hun was way over the top possessive toward Ba U every minute of the day, it merely showed us how much in love he was with him for so very long.
To see Ba U list his best friend of more than a decade as "stalker" in his phone, I just felt that was a heartless thing to do, especially since he really did care for Hun so much. Taking the advice from Ha Min, who he only knew for such a short period was annoying, plus that character really needed to get out of the way of these two friends.
BUT, that said, after watching episode 8, I just canceled most of the negative stuff out I was going to write about the character of Ba U. He finalized realized the true feelings they both shared for each other. It's just a shame they couldn't "go back in time" like Hun suggested and do it over again. Unfortunately, none of us can do that ... and the series showed us that. Even Ha Min did the right thing in the end, which kind of surprised me.
The painful part was watching two best friends both living with the pain of not being truthful to each other for more than a decade. The wasted time they both experienced because of it.
Min Ho & Je Hyeon were both great at pulling us into the pain their characters were feeling. In the end, the chemistry between them definitely showed up ... I just wish it would have showed up a bit sooner.
All in all, it gets high marks in the way everything wrapped up!

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One of Jun Ho's Best!

This is definitely Jun Ho like you've never seen before ...
Some reviews were so brutal here, I'm not sure we were watching the same series. I found this drama to be so fantastic in every way. Jun Ho is masterful as always. For anyone who lost a parent and had to pick up the pieces of their lives and go on, this series shows us exactly that. In the beginning, you can't imagine Tae Pung taking over the family business for his recently departed dad, but not only does he transform himself, but everyone around him changes for the better as we get deeper into each episode.
Watching the two lead protagonists fight the evil and dishonest practices of the main antagonists, Hyeon Jun & Bak Ho (Pyo's Owners), it's exhausting to say the least. At times it gets a bit too overwhelming, watching the evil father and son get the best of Tae Jung over and over again ... but you know eventually things will change. It does take forever for this to happen, but don't give up hope. It really does happen!
Early on I couldn't see or feel the magic of Tae Jung & Mi Seon becoming a couple, but somehow it happens and becomes quite believable about halfway through the drama. They become perfectly matched, making for a one two punch tag team to keep Typhoon Trading alive. I think episode 8, the Thailand trip, is when it begins to show us anything is possible, especially seeing Jun Ho sing in English. That was definitely the pinnacle episode of the series. That's where everything started to gel with all the characters, and you could see and feel an unofficial family starting to bond.
Toward the end, I must admit I was hoping for a better demise of the wicked Hyeon Jun. Even though he gets what he deserves, it would have been nice to see the full retribution that was coming his way. The writers seem to leave that up to our imagination.
Throughout each episode, as things kept appearing to be so bleak for Typhoon Trading, one line used earlier on, seems to apply many times over... ... "stars still exist even when they can't be seen"
Don't give up hope!
Extremely enjoyable series with great performances to match!!

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Every emotion you can feel is in this drama

This is an absolute rollercoaster ride of different emotions. Starting out happy and innocent to sad and extremely depressing, all within a matter of two episodes. Not knowing what the title "366 Days" really means when you start watching, you just need to stay focused and just keep watching.
Gordon Maeda, who I'm a long time fan of, gives a fantastic performance, playing really two roles, Haruto before the accident and Haruto after the accident. Alice Hirose is also brilliant at showing the difficulties when dealing with a catastrophic event in one's family or relationship. The two of them match perfectly together to make for a very believable story, giving you several tear-jerking moments.
The supporting cast is great, showing the importance of friendship, and how "best friends" are always there for you, in good times and in bad.
I must admit, I started having a change of heart toward this series around episode 7, not liking the direction is was going at all, almost to a point of not wanting to watch the final three or so episodes ... BUT I'm so glad I stuck with it. If you're watching it and feel an annoyance to even anger come over you later in the series, stick it out, you'll be glad you did. The final episode definitely makes it all worth your while!!!
A line given early on in this series definitely makes total sense at the end, "No one knows what the future will bring. You have to work today, for the sake of tomorrow"

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You're in it for life!

I must say, a lot of people were in bad moods when reviewing this series. I'm not sure why, because I thought this was a pretty decent drama. It kept your attention and curiosity coming back for more. Was it Wookie's best? definitely not, but overall, the combination of him and the rest of the supporting cast, it proved some good entertainment.
I thinking about halfway through the series, things started to slow a bit too much, and what usually happens, did ... the story got rushed toward the very end. Instead of dragging several story lines too long in the middle of the series, it might have been better to shorten certain parts and stick more with the main characters.
I know the series is called "The Nice Guy", but Wookie's character, Seok Cheol was a bit too nice, a bit too laid-back for a gangster. Nothing against Dong Wook, I think he did a great job at showing us the character he was suppose to be, a guy trying to have a normal life with a normal job and a normal temperament.
The ending also matched the Nice Guy theme .. while it was a happy ending pretty much all around, it kind of lacked a great conclusion to the story. No big surprises, no major revelations to any of the characters. It basically delivered exactly what you thought would happen in the end, a nice finish!!

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Opposites attract ...

This is a very slow moving story at the beginning, but definitely give it a chance. It turns out to be quite entertaining with a good story line & good acting.
The story is pretty basic, being attracted to and wanting someone you know it not good for you, but you can't help yourself.
Kaito Matsukura gives a great performance as a person searching for that special person that will give him what he's looking for in life, excitement and happiness. The problem with his character, Hiroto, is he becomes a bit blinded by what he thinks is love, but is really infatuation. Sone, the girl he wants, is so care free and such a wrong fit for him, but that makes him want her even more. Yuki Katayama is great at playing hard to get, showing a definite coldness throughout the series towards him. She does warm up a bit later on, but it's a long road in getting there.
I think my favorite character was in fact Ryo. Leo Matsumoto is fantastic as showing us his total disregard toward a truthful and monogamous relationship. He's such a smooth talker with the looks to back it up, so he gets away with doing or saying he wants. You want to hate him, but he makes it extremely difficult to do so.
Having been in Tokyo many times, but not actually lived there, this turned out to be spot on & very realistic for me. I think the writing, along with the entire cast was great. There's a line used toward the end of this series that applies to this drama ...
"Love makes everyone frantic. It makes them look pathetic at times"

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Good, but the story needed a bit more to sink your teeth into!

If you start watching this thinking this is going to be a deep story with twists & turns, you'll be extremely disappointed. This was a simple BL with a vampire theme thrown in to make it more interesting. The story does work and there's really no major surprises along the way.
I wasn't familiar with any of the actors in this series, but they all blended well together. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of them as their careers get going.
I guess the one complaint I have, would be wanting more of an in depth history on how everyone came to be. How, where & when they were turned into vampires, what happened before and after being turned ... just the basic stuff. Nothing was ever really shared about that. I think it would have added as a big positive to the series overall.
In the end, things all work out for a nice happy ending, just as you would have expected. No stake through the heart, no dirt filled coffins. That would be for a different type of series!

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Dark & Mysterious

This wasn't what I expected when I began watching, but it does turn out to be a very in-depth story to follow with a lot of twists & turns. It becomes so bizarre at times, but you can't stop watching it.
The main character, Hong Rang, appears to be antagonist at the beginning, but this is the type of story where nothing appears to be what it is. There were so many times I forgot who was actually good and who was bad in this series. It changes so much, you get mixed up on who to root for.
Bo Ah is great, as always. She never disappoints in bringing out every emotion possible on screen. Her, paired up with Jae Wook make a great team, although you wouldn't think so early on. These two evolve into a very believable couple.
Another character that really fools you into showing his true colors was Mu Jin. This character was tough to figure out, and Ga Ram shows us both sides of his talents at being liked and being disliked.
I think though, without a doubt, the most disturbing and evil character was Prince Han Pyeong. What an excellent job Kim Jae Wook does at bring out this wicked madman on camera. He's the perfect antagonist giving us such a disturbing performance. His death scene at the very end is brilliant and so well deserved.
Overall, it's a dark toned thriller & love story rolled into one. It makes for a great watch, becoming extremely entertaining, especially the later episodes.

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Dark, Suspenseful & Mysterious

This is a series that pulls you into it within the first ten minutes. A t times it gets confusing and one flashback seems to stumble into the next flashback, making your mind work harder to keep everything in order. However, once you survive to episode 5, the clouds begin to part with major revelations in the story. From that point, everything really goes off the rails and anything seems possible for each character.
One thing that makes this thriller interesting, is the fact that several protagonists sort of swap into antagonists half way though. You find yourself wonder who the good people are, if any exist at all. People you found yourself having empathy for, suddenly show their evil side, which leaves your mind in a tailspin.
Episode 7 is definitely the pinnacle episode of the entire series. that's when you come to realize why everyone is the way they are, which is basically nuts!
Ryosuke Yamada without a doubt plays a better dark, sinister character, rather than a gentle & kind one. Early on he didn't seem to be giving a strong performance as Eiji, but when he turns into B1, that he handled like a true pro. He really brought out the dark nature of that character and gave it his all!
Up until the last couple minutes, I had higher hopes on how things would end. I was a bit disappointed with the final outcome of the two protagonists. It just seemed to be a little flat at the very end. although , overall a very good thriller with many many twists and turns.

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A bizarre Love Story

For me, this was such a unique, bizarre & mysterious series. I think anyone that went into this thinking it was going to be a horror or suspenseful thriller, because of the title, would be highly disappointed ...
That being said, this was a drama that truly captivated me from episode 1, simple because you couldn't figure out where this story was heading. Episode after episode Dong Jin tries to explain the events surrounding Mi Jeong, but falls short to any conclusion other than she's a witch. You know that can't be the case, so you continue to watch, hoping for some reasonable explanation. It's along wait, but I didn't mind.
Early on, I think it's fantastic how they show us different points of view of the same situation. You get to see the different interpretations, depending on who is telling the story. Jin Young is so great portraying Dong Jin, a great character throughout the drama and he does such a wonderful job at showing us how not to give up on something you believe in. There are so many touching moments with him and his mom, played by Hye Jin. If you don't find yourself tearing up, there's something definitely wrong with you.
As we move through the later part of the series, so many things begin to come into focus. I think the biggest revelation comes when Mi Jeong explains how she knew of Dong Jin all along. He thought he was being so inconspicuous watching her, but she noticed all the time. Truly a great part of the story.
As you approach the final episode, the mystery continues, especially since the main protagonist is completely absent. It's taken down to the final minutes, but we finally understand most of what's happening. There's a few things left unexplained, but that's life after all.
There's a line said by Dong Jin's mom that really hit home with this entire series ... "The people we are destined to meet will surely come, as it is meant to be". ....
A very enjoyable series.

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unexpectedly great!

I started this thinking this would be a typical high school story, nerdy kid getting bullied, getting involved with the girlfriend of the kid that was doing the bullying ...
It was a mouth dropping moment when you realize the actually story you're watching. Nothing like you expected to happen. This drama is so fantastic, because as you try to guess the direction everything is heading, you guessed wrong, right to the very last episode ... actually, to the very last couple of minutes in the series.
Dong Hee does a great job at making his character mysterious in many way. Ji Soo , although not to likable for many reasons early on, you can understand his family history as to what made him the way he is. You do feel for him and really root for him as the series continues on.
Ju Hyun also gives a great performance playing another unlikable character, I mean, truly unlikable after the first two episodes, but that changes as you get deeper into the drama. She goes from villain to hero in a short period of time.
There's also several antagonists throughout the story ... but the one that tops the list for me would be Ki Tae, portrayed by Yoon Su. Since I have seen him play good guys in other roles, he really gave us a great "bad guy" performance. Definitely someone to hate in this drama.
As everything begins to come to an explosive conclusion in the final episode, we're still lead in different directions then what's actually going to happen. It's written beautifully, so you really are caught by surprise with the last few minutes.
I think the only thing that I found annoying was the ending. There were several pieces of the story left up to us to decide the final conclusion. I think I would have preferred a more solid ending, letting us see what actually happened to our protagonists. However, overall a fantastic series ... one that you can watch in a binge without hesitation!

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A difficult watch

It seemed like it was going to be an interesting BL at first glance, but I found myself totally lost after episode 1. Trying not to give up on it, because it seemed like a really original story, I stuck with it, which I was kind of glad I did. You need to put some time and effort into this series for things to begin to make sense. By the middle of the series there is somewhat of a turn around in the quality of the story. It really wasn't until episode 7 when I found things finally become interesting. We started to see several twists in the plot and the actors started to gel together.
Nothing against the cast, each added something to the drama, but I think there couldn't have been more depth with the past lives they shared. Jae Wook & Cha Min didn't seem to have the chemistry needed to hold things together early on, but eventually found something on screen toward the end, unfortunately for me, it took a bit too long for that to happen. I found Taek Jun and his character of Gwi to be the most interesting. I kind of wish he had a larger role in the series. I think it would have added a lot more to the drama.
Overall, it was a good watch, especially the second half, I just think it had the potential to be so much more.

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