Ophanin

I want to live long enough to see the end of the world, too.

"Zero skills. Maximum chaos." Talking about me?

The heroine steals a child’s ice cream ; Shadow the Hedgehog would be so proud. I became a fan from the very first episode. We share the same references. (That said, I do hope Park Eun-bin can move on from the quirky, sassy roles she always seems to play)
The bloke whose daughter is both ashamed of him and feels sorry for him at the same time, I love him. He's always hanging out with his mates. The ultimate unfit dad.
They're all really touching and funny. Their powers turn out to be really well used, and we all love Katamari Damacy. All the Korean shows about superpowers are a massive hit these days. (Episode 6 !)
This antagonist is truly the worst of all the manipulators.

Nothing interesting to add : it's just excellent. Despite such a serious subject. And they've done the whole thing about conflicts being passed down from one generation to the next. To think that everything could be sorted out simply by talking. It's always the rich people's fault.

A sequel ! Now !

The opening credits are brilliant, aren't they ?
The only downside : I hate Radiohead, I cannot stand them, I don't want to hear them. Go away.

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Seo Ji-hye and Go Soo shine in their roles as the seemingly clueless and the quiet force, like a rising tide you don’t see coming. However, him, he’s always dressed terribly ; unbelievable.

A gripping psychological thriller, albeit a bit slow. The scenes with the Sino-Korean thugs were unnecessary. But the way everything is resolved works well. The clash between two worlds. The reputation of some means more than the lives of others. And once again, we see how a manipulative partner becomes dangerous when confronted with their lies.

Hwang Se-in (with her resemblance to Kim Da-mi) really stands out.

Ep04: was that homophobic bit meant to be funny ? I didn’t get it...

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She's right, Stoics are lame. Get lost, Zeno of Citium !

I've always seen this actress in supporting roles ; I don't mean to be mean, but it's easy to see why. (who am I to say this ?) With her porcelain skin and her mother-of-pearl face perched atop a mantis's neck, she's the only one we see on the screen, but she doesn't have a particularly wide range as an actress. In this case, we're not asking for much either. It's a light-hearted, lovely and cute romance. Ok, it touches on subjects like suicide, domestic violence and child abandonment... but at the end of the day, it's a feel-good, funny series. Yes...
A super-basic story and unbearable music. No real stakes : everything was fine, actually. Ideal for times of intense anxiety.

_The two teenagers competing for their grades are just too cute. They show more maturity than the adults.
_That little dog !

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How awesome when the hero says : "This is where the law stops... And I start... Sucker."
Or maybe it was just some cheesy American guy wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night, I can't remember.

The premise of the series is good, but there are a lot of slow bits, far too many ! and a lot of repetition. I skipped loads of pointless scenes. As for the first two seasons, I don't think they're very well made or well-paced overall. And to be perfectly honest, Lee Je Hoon really isn't a very good actor. He has a likeable quality about him, yes, and I enjoy seeing him on screen, of course, but he acts poorly ; always overdoing it or not doing enough at all. And that's the case in his other roles that I've seen him in before.

The thing about this series and its seasons is that you can pause it at the end of each segment. Watch something else, then come back to it. That’s what it's designed for. So that's what I did. The overarching storylines add absolutely nothing. And it's a pleasure to catch up with this fine team of avengers. Always ready to take down the scum.

But at times, I could no longer indulge my lowest instincts for revenge. You have to know when to take a break. Especially since we always assume that criminals are driven by pure malice. They choose these cases for that reason, of course, but what about all those who are criminalised simply because they're trying to survive ? We don't see them and no one takes revenge on them ; that wouldn't fit with the spirit of the series.
We remain on the side of the victims, whose tormentors are set to get a taste of their own medicine.
The team is always one step ahead. Just when you think the protagonists are cornered, it turns out everything was planned from the start. At times, this is reassuring and comforting. Given my anxiety, I'll take it.

I get the feeling that every case is based on real events... People settle their scores here.

S01
_The part about videos uploaded to an adult website (filmed without the victim's knowledge) is discussed by Stephanie Soo in her podcast. The series even includes the boss who wants to kill chickens with a sword. (Yes, really) A boss who, in real life, apologised on camera by reciting a text he'd learnt by heart. Why ? Who helped catch him ? We'll never know. (Probably an employee...)
_Maria, the first victim the heroes come to the rescue of (and who returns in season 3), has her employers using her identity to take out insurance policies and launder money. It reminded me of that Chinese talent agency that used to do that. Their clients obviously have no idea. It happened to the sadly departed Yu Menglong (may he rest in peace); he was starving to death whilst his identity was being used to move colossal sums of money. (When Chinese celebrities are convicted of tax fraud, one can't help but wonder whether they themselves knew about it before the police arrested them and the courts convicted them...)
_The episodes about bullying at school, the same thing happened to me. Two bullies were waiting in my living room ; they were chatting to my mum as if they were my friends. Seeing them when I got home was really hard. You don't feel safe anywhere. I still tremble when I think back on it. I can easily imagine that these episodes are based on a real-life incident.

S02
_The bit about phone scams and people being held captive abroad: there’s also a Korean film on that subject. Citizen of a Kind (2024). A decent little film.
_The section on the cult, how can you not think of the JMS Church ? Not treated at all here as it has in Save Me. An extraordinarily intelligent series that perfectly captures the grip of religion. Watch Save Me !
_BlackSun, I don't think I need to go into detail. When the team started taking an interest in the club, I was pleased, even though they were throwing humour at such a serious matter. But actually, it's a good thing the sense of comedy is there, as it makes it bearable. With the courts unwilling to do anything, and the police equally unwilling as they're completely involved, the K-dramas are taking it upon themselves to punish them… a very small consolation for the many victims whose lives have been destroyed.

S03
_The Japan storyline isn't exactly gripping. I'd already watched season 1 of Tokyo Vice, and it wasn't great, so I'm not particularly excited about this "crossover".
_Ep.04, music from Paprika, correct ? That bit about the submerged cars wasn't very interesting.
_The section on the idol agency is by far the best. Sadly, all too many real-life stories fit the bill. They recruit very young women (or men), control every aspect of their lives, separates them from the world outside, shape their minds and bodies ; how on earth could that possibly go well ? Exploitation in its most basic form : making people believe that working hard to line the pockets of the rich is a privilege. "She's an idol, she can't say anything to anyone"
(Kang Na Eon is excellent as the tyrannical, manipulative manager. She reminds me of the one in the documentary about Katseye)
Go, Elements ! or not. Whatever.
_The episodes about fake adverts that turn into harassment, there's a Korean film on the same theme : Don't Buy the Seller. What a living hell. Absolute nightmare.
_On the island, I thought it was going to be about AHAE, but actually it wasn't. The whole phase of exploring the place works well ; you wonder what mystery awaits them. And the Rainbow taxis that waste the scammers' time were both funny and satisfying.
_The latest investigation involving the army… I hate the army. A profoundly disgusting institution that destroys even its most ardent defenders. Here's the proof. What's more, South Korea has a very dark history of people being killed on charges of communism, whether true or false. To justify its existence, the authorities see threats everywhere, and if they can't find any, they make them up.
"Unity !" behind the guys with guns, I guess.

_No ! I'll NEVER buy your "Kopiko" ! If I want coffee, I'll make it my-self.
_Why is the OST synthpop ?

Ready for a season 4, comrades.

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There will be neither forgiveness nor glory.

"There will be neither forgiveness nor glory."

Forgiveness can mean many things. And it is telling that the Pie Jesu Domine from Fauré's Requiem is the last thing we hear in the final episode, as the two protagonists enter the prison. From a Christian perspective, it means entrusting oneself to God and choosing to accept things as they are. "Lord, forgive those who have offended us." Mortal justice would serve no purpose. That kind of forgiveness does not grant absolution. A loophole that can sometimes save lives… Or impose silence and impunity, depending on who offers it. The heroine chooses neither option. She will take her revenge. They will pay for it, just like in that first scene at the motorway checkpoint.

It's exhausting to stay angry. A destructive emotion. It feeds on itself and needs to be fed. You mustn't lose focus and must keep in mind the source of that inner rage. But at times we allow ourselves joy because we're entitled to it ; those moments prove that we're alive... How many days does that add up to in total ? Not many, no doubt. Revenge doesn't change the past and we have a lot to lose, of course, but what about someone who has already lost everything ? The truth is that harassment seeps into the flesh and revenge destroys everything. The two are completely unrelated.
Not understanding it means you're in luck.

An ideal role for Song Hye-kyo, who had just learnt of her divorce from the press whilst she was in China. Her cowardly husband is forcing her to make this choice in public. A rather disgraceful attitude.

"I am not looking for a prince, but for an executioner who will join me in my dance of sacrifice"

I've read that the bullying aspect was exaggerated and too violent. But the (talented) screenwriter drew on a true story. Those wealthy young people who brutalised, confined, burned and SAed a disadvantaged pupil at their school : it really did happen, as the first episode shows. The school, the doctors and the police failed to defend the victim and instead protected the perpetrators.
(Seeing Shin Ye-eun as a sadistic villain wasn't something I expected at all, and her cruel smile is truly cold-blooded)

"Why do poor people believe that good always triumphs ?"

The mere mention of Kim Eun-Sook's name in the credits usually suffices to make you want to watch it. The story unfolds brilliantly, with each element falling into place according to its own logic. And the plot builds tension skillfully, knowing exactly how to show rather than tell, and then confirm without imposing. Exceptional.

I absolutely love the way the protagonist doesn't even try to make these privileged pieces of [redacted] feel guilty. They don't understand what she wants. Simply unthinkable to these people that anyone wouldn't want to make them confess their crimes or squeeze money out of them. And they feel no guilt whatsoever, so it becomes unbearable in their minds. Their "enemy" doesn't think like them ; that is the worst torture they could face. "When one has the intelligence to understand, one has the sense not to ask", wrote Balzac. They will ask, take offence, drive themselves mad, turn on one another, but they will never have the intelligence to understand. Too used to seeing things work out for them. How could it be otherwise ?

These wealthy families inflict violence on others and on themselves. That is simply what Dong-eun, their victim, exploits. Their world is violent ; to survive, they must be violent, to stay at the top of the hill of wealth. People underestimate the violence of the rich. Consequently, revenge isn't even particularly satisfying ; it is simply a continuation of this oppressive logic. Dong-eun derives no satisfaction from it. A clever narrative choice. Very clever. No doubt the reason why some people find the series disappointing or boring ? I, for one, find it fascinating.

The music remains understated for the most part. Bowed strings, violin harmonics, a shift from one chord to another with a pad added. At times it becomes lyrical, with strings and a piano taking centre stage. Kim Joon-seok and Jeong Se-rin do a fine job.

_Sa-ra, the painter, her paintings are reminiscent of Olivier Debré’s. Clearly beautiful.
_The alcoholic mother sent to a psychiatric hospital... I’m not a fan.
_A fine performance by Lim Ji-Yeon ! you almost feel sorry for her character whilst hating her.
_Yum Hye-ran, always in roles as mothers having a rough time on this earth.

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"I don't believe in the law any more than you do.
And you're saying that to a prosecutor ?"

An illustration of how the law criminalizes the poor and does not punish the rich. The justice system protects those who created it by upholding the social order. You can't win a game when you didn't write the rules.

The story manages to stay interesting even though, at its core, they're really just a bunch of scoundrels playing the stock market... But what really caught my interest was its moral dimension, without being preachy.

They say people have to take responsibility for their choices, that's what the former prosecutor says. She has the luxury of being able to resign. When you don't face irreversible consequences, you can indeed allow yourself to take responsibility for your choices. But regarding Eun Yong's friend (who, for his part, remains in the service of loan sharks), it's made clear that if he'd had the chance to meet good people with the means to support him in life, he wouldn't be in this situation. It's refreshing to see this nuance. And to see that a person addicted to substances isn't held responsible for their misfortune. (No drug phobia, please.)

Overall, the series aims to portray the gray areas of the characters in a relatively neutral light. As a result, characters shift from enemies to allies without any lingering animosity, that's just how this society works. Our employers will never be our friends. The law will never be on our side.

I just think it's a shame that, in the end, it turns into a game of cat-and-mouse. The hero always manages to stay one step ahead. We know nothing can stop him, so it loses its impact. It pretty much undermines part of the amoral narrative that had been so compelling up to that point.

Strangely enough, the flashbacks add something and give the characters more depth. In the final third, they disappear, along with some of the characters, for that matter. The brother and sister share a beautiful, tender, and affectionate bond as they struggle through the vicissitudes of life. Sometimes you have to work in less-than-glorious places to support your loved ones. I like that it doesnt wallow in these people's misfortune. And I wish the series had focused more on that rather than revenge.

The power struggles among prosecutors are quite ruthless. It seems quite realistic in a world as corrupt as the justice system. The antagonist prosecutor, who brings down someone just as corrupt as himself, is also in an unbearable situation from which he tries to escape. The law serves the powerful, and those who are even more powerful.
Life in prison involves brutal, indiscriminate violence in stark contrast to the civilized, bourgeois violence of the corridors of power. The creators of this K-drama do a good job of portraying class struggles. It's right there in the title : money and power.

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If I hear one more note of Clair de Lune, I'll make a killing. There are composers for your series, you know ? The same three truncated excerpts from Bach, Mozart and Debussy are a no-no. I know the pieces, I listen to them myself if I want : in their entirety ! It's almost less annoying than scenes and flashbacks repeated three or more times because we're obviously stupid... And the plot only progresses by deliberately not giving us the info, an artificial way of creating interest. 4 episodes of seeing the same scene without ever adding anything to the story ? I didn't get to the end without skipping scenes. Sorry about that. (it may be disrespectful of me but respect goes both ways)

Otherwise, the story begins a bit like Pasolini's Teorema. Except that here it's an unbearable character, Su Yeon, who yells at everyone and breaks your face but... becomes your friend ?! I've seen Weak Hero too, and I solemnly ask : are Korean schoolchildren all right ?

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So this series was the first milestone in Jin Ki-Joo's “I'm an adult pretending to be a student” universe.

I too wish my mother had never met my father. And that she'd live a better life than she had. (Look, I didn't cry at the end, okay ? I'll sue you for libel)

It takes place in 1987, and it's good to have brought in this political dimension. We were expecting it, and it arrives in a rather intelligent way. It's one element among others.
Having said that, the local cops are portrayed as good guys who are a bit dim-witted, especially the uncle inspector ; but he lets his colleagues beat up his nephew. This dirty cop blames himself ? you can blame yourself, scumbag.
And let's never forget that everyone hates the police.

(ps: surprising presence of a small bust of Lenin in episode 11. Nothing escapes me. yep. I saw it)

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It's very, very hard to see the injustice suffered by some of the characters. Even if the aim of the series is to show situations of harassment and abuse in the workplace and then seek redress, it's still hard to watch (although the solidarity between the workers in the warehouse was great to see, despite the grim fate that awaited them). To say that it's a comedy series... I'm having my emotions played with here. The humour helps to get the message across, of course. A series that's both useful and entertaining.

The three of them are great. And the lawyer is flawed, a bit lost, but he's also gifted with a relentless and unconditional empathy that's all Christian. And when we learn more about his life, it's hard not to shed a tear...

It's high time we abolished work, comrades. And it looks like Buddha is on our side. Long live the strike and down with the cops and the bosses!

(We're hoping for a season 2)

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