Susan

It was subtle so you might have missed it (Netflix didn't translate all of the on screen text). One of the symptoms of infection was hypothermia. Eun Hyuk had been tracking his declining body temperature for awhile before the end. It was down to as little as 9 degrees Celcius (regular human body temperature is 37 degrees Celcius). He knew he was infected and how soon he would turn into a monster, well before the nosebleed.

Seung Jae, the guy Hyun Soo fought earlier in the episode, is a body snatcher. This was shown earlier on when he was describing his torture. He fled his original body to inhabit the one we got to know him in. Although it looked like Hyun Soo defeated him, Seung Jae survived the destruction of his body and somehow managed to possess and control the armoured vehicle that had broken through their barricade. Offscreen, he took over Sang Wook's body in the parking lot, healing the man's wounds and scars in the process. Sang Wook had been shot while trying to save the girl and was likely on the verge of death himself. His will to live was gone, at least. Ripe pickings for a body snatcher. At some point during the military's siege, the new Seung Jae/Sang Wook retrieved the body of Hyun Soo and drove off with it, presumably because his endgame is to recruit the "evolved" monsters so that they can wipe out humanity. That's speculation on my part, but at one point Seung Jae did convince Hyun Soo that humans could never accept monsters like them and Seung Jae seemed to have come to hate all humanity after his torture at the prison.

@aespa's explanation is good. In the series, at least, there was little explanation as to how desires (everyone has desires) somehow transmute DNA. However, the series seems to take inspiration from the work of H.P. Lovecraft (based on observation), so I speculate there's been some kind of incursion from an alternate dimension into ours and the resultant energy, when combined with the human mind, can cause a person to go crazy and turn into a monster that is an expression of their deepest desires. For example, Hyun Soo beheads the "peeping tom" and later on the group encounters a "body builder." There are some better examples, but any more would be spoilers. ;)

As I said, this is speculation. Likely explanations coming from similar stories involve government experimentation with dangerous new technology, a cosmic event like some weird celestial body coming too close to Earth, and outer space aliens attempting to colonize our planet. In the end, it's easier to accept the explanation given by the show and enjoy the story for what it is. =)

There's confirmation of a second series?! That's awesome.

If they make a call it won't connect because all calls are being blocked somehow. But the presence of monsters will cause a high frequency noise to emit from their phones if headphones are attached. Wired headphones/earbuds can be used as a radio antenna to listen to fm radio on your phone, and to receive emergency alerts when cellular networks are down. Ergo, it's likely monsters emit some sort of radio signal. Considering their similarities to the otherwordly monsters of H.P. Lovecraft, this doesn't surprise me.

yep. ends on a cliffhanger, but hasn't been renewed for a second series yet.

predictable writing, some so-so performances, and a cliffhanger with no actual promise of a resolution? nah. definitely not a 9.

lol. i meant in its visual style, acting, and overall vibe. some of the actors even sounded like seasoned va. i've seen anime and manga adaptions that didn't look or sound or feel like anime. in this case, i could almost see the animation; there were few scenes that didn't have that look.

the whole time I felt like I was watching anime, but overall it was good. season 2 can't come soon enough!

netflix money sure does make for some mighty fine production values. i don't even care that netflix is always in the red, year after year.

To be fair, not unique at all. But great execution.

TL;DR: As the review says, yes he's a stalker. But, if you can get past that, it's a pretty good drama with a great performance by Tabe Mikako and the entire cast of the accounting department. This series isn't a romantic comedy either. However, it is heartwarming, with consistent storytelling from episode to episode and great continuity. Stalking aside, it's a fairly moralistic and optimistic series and I think it's very watchable. Don't let that one review sway you. See it for yourself and decide.

Want to know more? Read below.

To clarify, yes Yamada Taiyou (Shigeoka Daiki) DOES exhibit stalker-like tendencies toward Morikawa Sanako (Tabe Mikako). He obtained her private number without her permission, and yes he is INCREDIBLY persistent to the point of wearing her down so much she agrees to eat ONE meal with him just to get him to shut up. And she clearly wasn't into it. This entire subplot is an all-too common trope in Japanese dramas, especially the "Getsu Kuji" (Mondays at 9 PM) rom-com dramas that are all too popular with viewers.

Is it creepy and weird? Yes. Does it ruin the entire drama? Actually, no, it doesn't.

Look, maybe it's the 16+ years I've been watching these dramas, but I can easily relegate the stalker-romance BS to background noise and enjoy the overall performances and story of the series. There have certainly been worse offenders; like 5-ji Kara 9-ji Made (2015), which was about a frickin' priest of all people that super-stalks and then KIDNAPS a teacher; and the more recent Kono Otoko wa Jinsei Saidai no Ayamachidesu (2020) which is all about stalking, power harassment, and just plain gross behaviour from its entitled, narcissistic male lead (I actually watched it all and even kind of enjoyed it). KoreKeihi is downright normal by comparison.

I don't think the "stalking her into loving him" trope is going away anytime soon. Somehow the Japanese audiences thinks it's... funny? I just find it weird and, well, wholly unrealstic. That's a lot dramas, manga, and anime; Unrealistic male fantasies. If you're going to keep watching jdramas, you're going to have to get used to it.

Especially in this case, you've just got to let it slide. Moriwaka (Tabe Mikako) is hilarious and I really enjoyed watching her grow and change as a person throughout the series. I also really got into the little office dramas that were the focus of each episode. As I said in the tl;dr, it's a heartwarming and optimistic drama. The "bad guys" usually get some kind of take down (even if it's just to have their expense request rejected or their new business deal fall through), but it's also refreshing that not every case is so black & white.

If you already like the OL/Salaryman/Office Culture types of shows, then I think you'll like this one. If you're a fan of Tabe Mikako, she shines in this. If you're an accountant in a large company, you'll probably identify with this.

Anyway, you're probably like me and watching this fansubbed on an illegal streaming service, so whether or not you watch it won't change anything. Especially not now, in 2020. Just don't buy the DVDs. =P

Hilarious, despite the repetitive gag! I see them all coming, still enjoy it.

I haven't watched this kind of drama in a long time. It's pretty cute and makes me want to try making cream puffs.

I really hope so.

I found her to be alright, if naïve. I blame her new coworkers being dicks; isn't it part of their job to train the new hire? Expecting someone that's never worked in a company like that before to adapt and know everything on day 1 is unreasonable. I thought episode 2 was poorly written in that respect.

She reminds me more of a young Inoue Mao.

Same directors as Nagi no Oitama, thus same style and gives a fluffy/cozy feeling . I'm 3 episodes in and I already love this drama!

P.S. Older men marrying much younger woman is not at all new, or even a recurring trend. Age gap relationships have been documented throughout history in many cultures and is still a fairly common occurrence. Though maybe not from such unconventional meetings like Nagisa and Mei's.

Most age gap relationships don't usually work out (and are kind of creepy), but I think if Nagisa and Mei were to get married, they would be a good match; I think they have expectations of a partner that can't be met by anyone else. Mei can give Nagisa the opportunity to be a "mother" and Nagisa can be the supportive "family" Mei needs to continue in her career. And I think the subtle emotional connection between them has been written very well so far. I expect it to develop, despite Mei's other potential suitors.

This drama reminds me of Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu in many respects, but so far I like this story better. Omori Nao is a fantastic actor. I like his portrayal of Nagisa here. Tabe Mikako, though not a favourite in the past, is great in this drama as well.

WTH does, "where Nao Kodaira who won a gold medal at the 500m Woman's speed skating at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018 works" really have to do with this drama? Is this how TV Tokyo promoted the drama, or is this something the contributor added for some reason? Not even going to mention the horrendous grammar in that one run-on sentence.

edit: Okay, that is how TV Tokyo is promoting it, but I think the contributor botched the translation.

Great first episode, btw.