Park Hyungsik pretty much carried. The story - while flawed, is still worth watching
Honestly, I waited a very long time for this drama and had high expectations, while it did not meet all my expectations, it was a good watch, and I did enjoy watching this.
First of all, Buried Hearts is a makjang. It has over the top - crime, action, family drama, power grab, etc. that is not supposed to be realistic. If you look for realism in the story, it'll be a hard disappointment as it does not exist. You have to accept everything at face value and enjoy the ride.
For the most part, it was an easy ride for me as there was never a dull moment. There was always something happening which kept me interested despite my short attention span. The suspense and the pacing were also done really well that new elements and mysteries seemed neither too fast nor unreasonably dragged and kept me at the edge of my seat every week.
On the flip side, this also means there were too many elements with little connectivity thrown at the audience which may come off as overwhelming when binge-watching.
Which brings us to the biggest issue of this drama - the general lack of strong plot. Every few episodes, there is a new agenda which is good for suspense but when put together, it contributes little to the story. The story went in circles for a good part of the drama, and when I look back - all I remember is Seo Dong Ju almost dying and coming back stronger, of course, while looking absolutely stunning.
Now, if you are a Park Hyungsik fan, this drama is a must watch. Hands down, no questions asked. Not only did he look magnificent, but he also did an incredible job embodying Seo Dong Ju. He is easily the best part of this drama and hence, the title of my review. His acting was really good and as his fan, I could just watch him play Seo Dong Ju for about 16 hours straight. Unfortunately for the non-fans, this drama was not very far from it. Buried Hearts is heavily centered towards Seo Dong Ju, in contrast, all the other characters are very subsidiary with little growth.
Thankfully, Seo Dong Ju is an interesting character to watch as he is sassy, smart, driven, with arguably a grey moral compass. He knows what he wants and goes for it. Seo Dong Ju is always at the top of things, knows how to effectively get back at people and has all the markings of a main character. Though after some point, his emotions do get buried as he operates on autopilot to survive which kind of undermines his traumas, but I think by the end, it was wrapped up well.
Now onto my second issue with this drama, the lack of character development. In my opinion, most characters in this drama had very interesting premises and their potential were endless. Unfortunately, none of them were explored effectively, including the villains, the female lead and the main supporting characters which left the audience feel like we are supposed to be feel sympathetic towards them without invoking any real emotions.
Personally, I think the female lead was hit the hardest. Yeo Eun Nam was portrayed as calculative, self-centered and not being afraid of using other people for her own ends which would've been rather interesting but after a few episodes, she kind of faded into the background, becoming a pacemaker for Dong Ju instead of being a driving force to the story.
The romance here is another example of wasted potential. The actors had such incredible chemistry but failed to make a solid space in the storyline. In hindsight, the romance was probably never supposed to be a substantial part of the story so that's something to keep in mind when watching this.
Now if you're wondering why I still liked this drama, I admit it is flawed but somehow Buried Hearts made it work. Despite, the lack of strong plot and character development - the dialogues, the acting, the cinematography, the OST (oh I love the OSTs) and just the entire production really came together and made Buried Hearts a good drama. The ending can be a bit controversial to some, but personally I found it fitting and think the story did come together by the end. (I'll leave my thoughts about the ending in the comments to avoid spoilers).
So, if you are considering watching this drama, it's definitely worth a shot. Just beware of Kopiko ads! They are the uncredited main characters of this drama.
First of all, Buried Hearts is a makjang. It has over the top - crime, action, family drama, power grab, etc. that is not supposed to be realistic. If you look for realism in the story, it'll be a hard disappointment as it does not exist. You have to accept everything at face value and enjoy the ride.
For the most part, it was an easy ride for me as there was never a dull moment. There was always something happening which kept me interested despite my short attention span. The suspense and the pacing were also done really well that new elements and mysteries seemed neither too fast nor unreasonably dragged and kept me at the edge of my seat every week.
On the flip side, this also means there were too many elements with little connectivity thrown at the audience which may come off as overwhelming when binge-watching.
Which brings us to the biggest issue of this drama - the general lack of strong plot. Every few episodes, there is a new agenda which is good for suspense but when put together, it contributes little to the story. The story went in circles for a good part of the drama, and when I look back - all I remember is Seo Dong Ju almost dying and coming back stronger, of course, while looking absolutely stunning.
Now, if you are a Park Hyungsik fan, this drama is a must watch. Hands down, no questions asked. Not only did he look magnificent, but he also did an incredible job embodying Seo Dong Ju. He is easily the best part of this drama and hence, the title of my review. His acting was really good and as his fan, I could just watch him play Seo Dong Ju for about 16 hours straight. Unfortunately for the non-fans, this drama was not very far from it. Buried Hearts is heavily centered towards Seo Dong Ju, in contrast, all the other characters are very subsidiary with little growth.
Thankfully, Seo Dong Ju is an interesting character to watch as he is sassy, smart, driven, with arguably a grey moral compass. He knows what he wants and goes for it. Seo Dong Ju is always at the top of things, knows how to effectively get back at people and has all the markings of a main character. Though after some point, his emotions do get buried as he operates on autopilot to survive which kind of undermines his traumas, but I think by the end, it was wrapped up well.
Now onto my second issue with this drama, the lack of character development. In my opinion, most characters in this drama had very interesting premises and their potential were endless. Unfortunately, none of them were explored effectively, including the villains, the female lead and the main supporting characters which left the audience feel like we are supposed to be feel sympathetic towards them without invoking any real emotions.
Personally, I think the female lead was hit the hardest. Yeo Eun Nam was portrayed as calculative, self-centered and not being afraid of using other people for her own ends which would've been rather interesting but after a few episodes, she kind of faded into the background, becoming a pacemaker for Dong Ju instead of being a driving force to the story.
The romance here is another example of wasted potential. The actors had such incredible chemistry but failed to make a solid space in the storyline. In hindsight, the romance was probably never supposed to be a substantial part of the story so that's something to keep in mind when watching this.
Now if you're wondering why I still liked this drama, I admit it is flawed but somehow Buried Hearts made it work. Despite, the lack of strong plot and character development - the dialogues, the acting, the cinematography, the OST (oh I love the OSTs) and just the entire production really came together and made Buried Hearts a good drama. The ending can be a bit controversial to some, but personally I found it fitting and think the story did come together by the end. (I'll leave my thoughts about the ending in the comments to avoid spoilers).
So, if you are considering watching this drama, it's definitely worth a shot. Just beware of Kopiko ads! They are the uncredited main characters of this drama.
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