I want to enjoy this but the concept doesn't work when they've had so many easy outs yet insist on still playing along like they have no other choice trough saying or doing stupid things.
The actual contract aspect isn't being done very well.
None of the characters in this show are smart. How on earth is the ML a doctor,
Just watched episode 3 and the scene in the cave when the FL got powers back for a minute was so badly done. It was literally power rangers-esque with the cheesy music to boot, making it more cringe. Felt like I was watching a kids show.
What would people say are similar shows in that there's a lot of politicking and warring factions, with some romance sprinkled in? On top of minimal comedy.
Sword Snow Stride sort of fit but it didn't have the emotional connection this did in my mind.
10 episodes in and will probably drop for a while to see what people think of the ending.
ML is too frustrating and naive so the romance angle isn't working for me. On the thriller side it just hasn't grabbed me either as the plot isn't interesting enough. Based on what I've seen it feels like the show might not be worth it.
That last episode was a microcosm of everything that went wrong with this show.
The leads had superficial dialogue right to the end of it. No depth or development in the relationship for the ending to elicit any kind of emotion from me. I'm still annoyed that the ML chose the FL over his sister and the FL the ML over everything. For all the build up about his sister he didn't really care in the end. There was never enough of a struggle shown for that.
The way they ended the show, with the decisions made on what to concentrate on, made this feel like we were meant to be watching a romance for the last 20 odd hours. When that was never the case. Said it before but it baffles me how we can have 16 episodes at the average runtime this show has, yet it still feels so incomplete. They opened too many plot threads and introduced too many characters and barely any of them got a pay-off or decent development. The writing lacked focus. Majorly.
Boon-OK and Ms.Pi's back and forth has been going on the entire series yet we get a 5 minutes in the last episode to tie that relationship up?
They had to give all the NK spies plot armour most of the show to ensure they didn't kill any hostages just so the audience never fully turned on them and to try and make the ending emotional with who dies. The students had non-existent character development, and that was proven all the way to the end. Anyone know what happened to the FL's roommates? Both these reasons are why the dorm situation never felt tense, therefore spending most of the series there was a major bummer in the show.
Having the final spy reveal, who seems like a hardened veteran as the previous scene of his shows, only to have him also turn soft right at the end for the sake of the plot and abandon the mission. Like what!? How many times did they play that card, nearly every significant NK spy in this show abandoned their mission. Honestly, what did that even achieve? They could have the same outcome a million different ways rather then throwing an unnecessary spy in, who we obviously got no background for. Obviously.
What I will tip my hat off to is whoever did the score, as the background music was great. Also Jung Hae-in, Yoo In-na and Kim Hye-yoon put in some great performances despite poor writing. The FL was barely involved in the climax of the show and for most of the second half, she was there as a pot device for other plot threads and characters. Her development was nil, she was naive at the start of the show and naive at the end when she decided to go back. As badly as Boon-ok's character was done writing wise towards the end you actually saw a change from her, all be it it took the last episode for them to do that. The FL went nowhere. I don't think her acting was bad but there was barely any range to what she had to do (teary eyed 95% of the time) and I can't recall the last time I've seen a FL have the lack of screentime she had. In hindsight, it makes sense they were happy to give this "lead" role to a rookie actress that has an innocent/naive look to her. As that was her defining trait.
All in all, this show is just missed potential saved by good music and 2/3 god performances. 6/10 for me.
I think this a very constructive critique. Honestly, as much as I'm enjoying the drama, I would agree with this…
I agree. The story and the characters all have a decent backdrop to them, but the writing has no focus.
The thing is, it feels like they have avenues of exploration and growth.
The FL's dad is a top dog in SK that does evil things. The ML's foster dad is the same in NK That's commonality. That's literally a very key avenue for discussion, especially considering the importance of those relationships in the arcs for the ML and FL. But have they discussed any of this once between them, something very obvious they have in common? No. We got a bit on the sister and brother and that's it.
You have Yoo in-na's character that has a past with the ML but unless I'm misremembering something, it's only a past we have from the POV of her still. It comes across as some unrequited love kind of angle and it hasn't done much for her character.
Boon-ok's character with Ms.Pi - just been left on the backburner with the odd developed in an odd episode.
If you've watched Crash Landing on You, the entourage around the ML, the other NK soldiers, were hugely praised by viewers of the show and they all got popular off the back of it. Why? because they were empathetic, all had backgrounds we could sympathise with and whatnot. The FL's friends in this show and the ML's soldiers? Nothing. if anything, the FL's friends are incredibly annoying.
For a show that has depended a lot on threatening the lives of the students to drive intensity, they have barely done anything to make us care what happens to them. The fact that they rarely ever went through with any threat due to plot armor that the male lead needs for romance made it even less intense.
I couldn't agree more with - I just want to know them more. I feel l kept tuning in waiting for a change but it just never came and with three episodes left it won't make enough of a difference in terms of viewing pleasure these last few weeks. Oh well
This show had potential but it was just never reached.
I'm interested in how much the script changed due to the controversies at the start of last year. Because the story is a convoluted mess in my opinion. So much happening in terms of plot threads but nothing ever gets fully developed, that goes for the large ensemble cast as well. You have all these characters that get a decent base in terms of character development, you get drip fed info, but then you go 2/3 episodes and the character doesn't develop at all. Bun-ok is a prime example of is. She at one point was the most interesting character (and Kim Hye-yoon is one hell of an actress) but she has really regressed in recent episodes.
They've barely given the FL any development. Her relationship with her dad is a key relationship in the story yet we barely known anything about it, not one flashback. Her relationship with the ML is a key relationship but there is no substance to it, they barely talk about anything deep to develop a growing bond. It's usually just her crying after her umpteenth family member dies or gets shot and him telling her it's going to be okay and that he'll protect her. Him wanting to use the FL leads mum because she wouldn't want to kill the FL is a prime example of that. He barely knows anything about her.
I don't understand how they have 90 minute episodes yet instead of developing plot threads or characters that they already have, they just throw in another undercover spy or another betrayal to start of a new plot thread. This whole intercepting the money just sounds so dumb in context. I feel like I could go on a long time about the shortcomings of the show.
It feels like a show that was forced to change some of its script.
Apologies that was very ranty but I feel like this show falls short in multiple places, and I'm mainly feeling annoyed as I thought the show had a lot of potential and had been looking forward to it since it was announced. I would say I have no idea how it has a 8.7 rating but as the FL is a popular idol I guess it's not surprising.
Then you haven't watched harem dramas where one male has over 15-20 girls surrounding him. I'm sure you've watched…
I've avoided Joy of Life as I'm not a big fan of comedy (especially cdrama comedy) and it seems be lighter than this or Nirvana on Fire. But I may give it a go.
What on earth is a harem drama, do you have a example of one? - wondering what the story could be
I've probably finished around 8 cdramas, started around another 15. This is only the second one I've really enjoyed, the first being Nirvana in Fire which is a 10/10 show.
It's also impressive how there's barely any romance and it doesn't feel amiss at all, as I've never seen a cast stacked with so many visual actresses. Kdrama or cdrama.
As engaging as it was I'm a bit annoyed that it clearly requires a second season at least. One of the things that turns me off a lot of cdramas. The time commitment is too high.
Seeing all these references to weddings is reminding me how in Bridal Mask, a previous work of the writer, the FL died at her wedding right near the end of the show.
Every day I come here looking for people to scream with about the "romance" (finally!) and then all I see is people…
Just because you don't need logic in a story to form an attachment it doesn't mean everyone is the same.
If I'm watching a slasher and characters are continuously making dumb decisions I don't care if they die in the film. Similarly, I can't emphasise with a character if their motivations are weak or decisions lack logic.
Some of the most popular kdramas out their are the ones grounded in reality and in which you can emphasise with the characters for a reason.
You talk as if this is a Heirs or Boys over Flowers type show so we should have come in ready to switch our brains off, not one set against a historical backdrop of a very volatile period that is more trying to be a political/spy thriller.
The FL really could have done with being more interesting. She's your run of the mill young, naive with strong morals character.
She definitely feels like a side character to the ML.
Didn't like Bun-Ok's development in episode 11. She was the best set up character in terms of being interesting, yet it feels for comedic purposes they have her dress up and do this odd song and dance with the captors. Though her scene it Ms. Pi was the best acted one on the show for a while. Kim Hye-yoon is so good at playing these types of characters.
I've realised the reason I've wanted them to leave the school more than anything else is because there's actual dangers outside. Because if we're being honest, to keep the ML redeemable and a viable love interest for the romance, they haven't gone through with anything in the building no matter what the hostages do, as before Dr Kang the ML was the leader and wold have been indirectly responsible for anything his subordinates did as well. It has killed the tension a lot for me,
Is Jung haein an A1 star??Does anyone know about his celebrity status and career status in SK?I know he’s become…
He's known but he's not an A1 star like the others you've listed. His last TV drama (i.e. not Netflix's D.P) had to finish early due to poor ratings for example.
This show is doing quite a lot right but one of its few pitfalls is character development and annoyingly it's one of the biggest ones a show can have.
I don't care about most of the characters or their relationships so do not care what happens to them. That annoyance is accentuated by the fact that the stakes never seem that high as the NK troupe never go through with anything they say no matter how many time they get disobeyed (though something finally happened in episode 9 on this front) so it leaves intended intense scenes as a bit of a dead rubber.
I'm wanting to see how this ends from a story perspective but I don't have much investment in any of the characters, apart from Boon Ok. They really could have done more on that front.
I thought the FL hate was over exaggerated like it is in a lot of comment sections but Hwang Jung-eum's acting and character in this is really not it.
I thought they were a good duo in Secret so didn't think much of it but her acting, or more so character I guess, is pretty annoying in this. Nearly everything she does is over the top, no subtlety.
The actual contract aspect isn't being done very well.
None of the characters in this show are smart. How on earth is the ML a doctor,
Don't think this show will be for me.
She still looks much younger, thought the same Mr Sunshine as well.
Sword Snow Stride sort of fit but it didn't have the emotional connection this did in my mind.
ML is too frustrating and naive so the romance angle isn't working for me. On the thriller side it just hasn't grabbed me either as the plot isn't interesting enough. Based on what I've seen it feels like the show might not be worth it.
The leads had superficial dialogue right to the end of it. No depth or development in the relationship for the ending to elicit any kind of emotion from me. I'm still annoyed that the ML chose the FL over his sister and the FL the ML over everything. For all the build up about his sister he didn't really care in the end. There was never enough of a struggle shown for that.
The way they ended the show, with the decisions made on what to concentrate on, made this feel like we were meant to be watching a romance for the last 20 odd hours. When that was never the case. Said it before but it baffles me how we can have 16 episodes at the average runtime this show has, yet it still feels so incomplete. They opened too many plot threads and introduced too many characters and barely any of them got a pay-off or decent development. The writing lacked focus. Majorly.
Boon-OK and Ms.Pi's back and forth has been going on the entire series yet we get a 5 minutes in the last episode to tie that relationship up?
They had to give all the NK spies plot armour most of the show to ensure they didn't kill any hostages just so the audience never fully turned on them and to try and make the ending emotional with who dies. The students had non-existent character development, and that was proven all the way to the end. Anyone know what happened to the FL's roommates? Both these reasons are why the dorm situation never felt tense, therefore spending most of the series there was a major bummer in the show.
Having the final spy reveal, who seems like a hardened veteran as the previous scene of his shows, only to have him also turn soft right at the end for the sake of the plot and abandon the mission. Like what!? How many times did they play that card, nearly every significant NK spy in this show abandoned their mission. Honestly, what did that even achieve? They could have the same outcome a million different ways rather then throwing an unnecessary spy in, who we obviously got no background for. Obviously.
What I will tip my hat off to is whoever did the score, as the background music was great. Also Jung Hae-in, Yoo In-na and Kim Hye-yoon put in some great performances despite poor writing. The FL was barely involved in the climax of the show and for most of the second half, she was there as a pot device for other plot threads and characters. Her development was nil, she was naive at the start of the show and naive at the end when she decided to go back. As badly as Boon-ok's character was done writing wise towards the end you actually saw a change from her, all be it it took the last episode for them to do that. The FL went nowhere. I don't think her acting was bad but there was barely any range to what she had to do (teary eyed 95% of the time) and I can't recall the last time I've seen a FL have the lack of screentime she had. In hindsight, it makes sense they were happy to give this "lead" role to a rookie actress that has an innocent/naive look to her. As that was her defining trait.
All in all, this show is just missed potential saved by good music and 2/3 god performances. 6/10 for me.
The thing is, it feels like they have avenues of exploration and growth.
The FL's dad is a top dog in SK that does evil things. The ML's foster dad is the same in NK That's commonality. That's literally a very key avenue for discussion, especially considering the importance of those relationships in the arcs for the ML and FL. But have they discussed any of this once between them, something very obvious they have in common? No. We got a bit on the sister and brother and that's it.
You have Yoo in-na's character that has a past with the ML but unless I'm misremembering something, it's only a past we have from the POV of her still. It comes across as some unrequited love kind of angle and it hasn't done much for her character.
Boon-ok's character with Ms.Pi - just been left on the backburner with the odd developed in an odd episode.
If you've watched Crash Landing on You, the entourage around the ML, the other NK soldiers, were hugely praised by viewers of the show and they all got popular off the back of it. Why? because they were empathetic, all had backgrounds we could sympathise with and whatnot. The FL's friends in this show and the ML's soldiers? Nothing. if anything, the FL's friends are incredibly annoying.
For a show that has depended a lot on threatening the lives of the students to drive intensity, they have barely done anything to make us care what happens to them. The fact that they rarely ever went through with any threat due to plot armor that the male lead needs for romance made it even less intense.
I couldn't agree more with - I just want to know them more. I feel l kept tuning in waiting for a change but it just never came and with three episodes left it won't make enough of a difference in terms of viewing pleasure these last few weeks. Oh well
I'm interested in how much the script changed due to the controversies at the start of last year. Because the story is a convoluted mess in my opinion. So much happening in terms of plot threads but nothing ever gets fully developed, that goes for the large ensemble cast as well. You have all these characters that get a decent base in terms of character development, you get drip fed info, but then you go 2/3 episodes and the character doesn't develop at all. Bun-ok is a prime example of is. She at one point was the most interesting character (and Kim Hye-yoon is one hell of an actress) but she has really regressed in recent episodes.
They've barely given the FL any development. Her relationship with her dad is a key relationship in the story yet we barely known anything about it, not one flashback. Her relationship with the ML is a key relationship but there is no substance to it, they barely talk about anything deep to develop a growing bond. It's usually just her crying after her umpteenth family member dies or gets shot and him telling her it's going to be okay and that he'll protect her. Him wanting to use the FL leads mum because she wouldn't want to kill the FL is a prime example of that. He barely knows anything about her.
I don't understand how they have 90 minute episodes yet instead of developing plot threads or characters that they already have, they just throw in another undercover spy or another betrayal to start of a new plot thread. This whole intercepting the money just sounds so dumb in context. I feel like I could go on a long time about the shortcomings of the show.
It feels like a show that was forced to change some of its script.
Apologies that was very ranty but I feel like this show falls short in multiple places, and I'm mainly feeling annoyed as I thought the show had a lot of potential and had been looking forward to it since it was announced. I would say I have no idea how it has a 8.7 rating but as the FL is a popular idol I guess it's not surprising.
What on earth is a harem drama, do you have a example of one? - wondering what the story could be
It's also impressive how there's barely any romance and it doesn't feel amiss at all, as I've never seen a cast stacked with so many visual actresses. Kdrama or cdrama.
As engaging as it was I'm a bit annoyed that it clearly requires a second season at least. One of the things that turns me off a lot of cdramas. The time commitment is too high.
If I'm watching a slasher and characters are continuously making dumb decisions I don't care if they die in the film. Similarly, I can't emphasise with a character if their motivations are weak or decisions lack logic.
Some of the most popular kdramas out their are the ones grounded in reality and in which you can emphasise with the characters for a reason.
You talk as if this is a Heirs or Boys over Flowers type show so we should have come in ready to switch our brains off, not one set against a historical backdrop of a very volatile period that is more trying to be a political/spy thriller.
She definitely feels like a side character to the ML.
Didn't like Bun-Ok's development in episode 11. She was the best set up character in terms of being interesting, yet it feels for comedic purposes they have her dress up and do this odd song and dance with the captors. Though her scene it Ms. Pi was the best acted one on the show for a while. Kim Hye-yoon is so good at playing these types of characters.
I've realised the reason I've wanted them to leave the school more than anything else is because there's actual dangers outside. Because if we're being honest, to keep the ML redeemable and a viable love interest for the romance, they haven't gone through with anything in the building no matter what the hostages do, as before Dr Kang the ML was the leader and wold have been indirectly responsible for anything his subordinates did as well. It has killed the tension a lot for me,
I don't care about most of the characters or their relationships so do not care what happens to them. That annoyance is accentuated by the fact that the stakes never seem that high as the NK troupe never go through with anything they say no matter how many time they get disobeyed (though something finally happened in episode 9 on this front) so it leaves intended intense scenes as a bit of a dead rubber.
I'm wanting to see how this ends from a story perspective but I don't have much investment in any of the characters, apart from Boon Ok. They really could have done more on that front.
I thought they were a good duo in Secret so didn't think much of it but her acting, or more so character I guess, is pretty annoying in this. Nearly everything she does is over the top, no subtlety.
Also the actress playing Kim Yu-ra is very attractive. Can't believe she's 42.