The Art of Sarah - A Sloppy Mess
About spoilers: I have avoided mentioning anything explicitly, but I do discuss the writing and character relationships. So if you'd like to go in blind, don't read this (and why are you in the reviews anyway? 😂) But if you want to get a vibe check, this is the review for you.
Let's get this out of the way first - I love Shin Hae Sun, and she knocked it out of the park. She was truly the standout part of this drama; her acting was a 10/10, and if you're a fan, this show is worth it for the gems of her performance.
Everything else, however, was lacklustre. The premise of this show is captivating. The way it begins is interesting, too -- an unravelling into the mystery figure of Sarah Kim. While the show managed to surprise me a couple times, most notably with The Twist (I'm keeping it spoiler-free atm), it wasn't satisfying. There was no build-up, no sense of urgency. Lee Jun Hyuk's character jumped to conclusions quickly and stuck to them, despite very little evidence. Forget physical evidence that he'd need to charge someone, he didn't really have the breadcrumbs to follow the trail he was sure existed! And that was the kind of writing that is the backbone of this show -- the writers wanted something to happen so they made it happen, regardless of whether it made sense or not. The timelines were confusing, the mystique of Sarah Kim wasn't very well laid out, and the overall effect was underwhelming.
I had hoped for there to be more of a cat-and-mouse element to the two main characters as well, but that wasn't there, either. The climax, therefore, never quite peaks, and the conclusion feels shaky.
Here's what I wish had been part of the narrative structure instead (note, possible spoilers ahead):
- a commitment from the writers about FL's motives. Was she driven by revenge? Or a need to push herself beyond her circumstances? We see nuggets of both but it's inconsistent
- More mystique about the character. It should have been harder for the police to realise the various characters were the same person. Instead, from the get-go she is introduced as multiple identities...that doesn't really sell the idea of her being a successful con woman....
- better execution of the last "victim or perpetrator" gambit. I thought that was sloppy and I didn't like how the murder that started this all was resolved. Having hints on screen about lies vs. objective truth would have been fascinating, a mystery for the viewers to solve alongside the story on screen....but we didn't get that.
- Follow-ups with characters throughout. The show jumped around on POV a lot, however; maybe sticking to the investigation POV would have narratively helped reintroduce other interviewees
- how did FL safeguard Boudoir? Having majority shareholders in place is not enough to run a business that was so intrinsically tied to FL. So. How did it survive?
That's just a few things off the top of my head. Given how brilliant K-media can be re: this type of cat-and-mouse thrillers, I think my high hopes here were justified. I will stop here, however, and mention briefly some of the things I enjoyed:
- the glitz and glam. I like the question the show posed about what is luxury vs. what is fake
- Jinhwan's character was very refreshing? We don't often see male escorts like that on screen, and he was also hilariously self centered and duplicitous
- I also liked the marriage arc 😠I wish she had committed to her principles a bit more. Anyone else low-key ship it? jk jk...unless? 👀
- Shin Hae Sun's acting. Hoo boy! she delivered. I've been a fan of hers since...Still 17? And I haven't found a project yet where she disappointed!
Let's get this out of the way first - I love Shin Hae Sun, and she knocked it out of the park. She was truly the standout part of this drama; her acting was a 10/10, and if you're a fan, this show is worth it for the gems of her performance.
Everything else, however, was lacklustre. The premise of this show is captivating. The way it begins is interesting, too -- an unravelling into the mystery figure of Sarah Kim. While the show managed to surprise me a couple times, most notably with The Twist (I'm keeping it spoiler-free atm), it wasn't satisfying. There was no build-up, no sense of urgency. Lee Jun Hyuk's character jumped to conclusions quickly and stuck to them, despite very little evidence. Forget physical evidence that he'd need to charge someone, he didn't really have the breadcrumbs to follow the trail he was sure existed! And that was the kind of writing that is the backbone of this show -- the writers wanted something to happen so they made it happen, regardless of whether it made sense or not. The timelines were confusing, the mystique of Sarah Kim wasn't very well laid out, and the overall effect was underwhelming.
I had hoped for there to be more of a cat-and-mouse element to the two main characters as well, but that wasn't there, either. The climax, therefore, never quite peaks, and the conclusion feels shaky.
Here's what I wish had been part of the narrative structure instead (note, possible spoilers ahead):
- a commitment from the writers about FL's motives. Was she driven by revenge? Or a need to push herself beyond her circumstances? We see nuggets of both but it's inconsistent
- More mystique about the character. It should have been harder for the police to realise the various characters were the same person. Instead, from the get-go she is introduced as multiple identities...that doesn't really sell the idea of her being a successful con woman....
- better execution of the last "victim or perpetrator" gambit. I thought that was sloppy and I didn't like how the murder that started this all was resolved. Having hints on screen about lies vs. objective truth would have been fascinating, a mystery for the viewers to solve alongside the story on screen....but we didn't get that.
- Follow-ups with characters throughout. The show jumped around on POV a lot, however; maybe sticking to the investigation POV would have narratively helped reintroduce other interviewees
- how did FL safeguard Boudoir? Having majority shareholders in place is not enough to run a business that was so intrinsically tied to FL. So. How did it survive?
That's just a few things off the top of my head. Given how brilliant K-media can be re: this type of cat-and-mouse thrillers, I think my high hopes here were justified. I will stop here, however, and mention briefly some of the things I enjoyed:
- the glitz and glam. I like the question the show posed about what is luxury vs. what is fake
- Jinhwan's character was very refreshing? We don't often see male escorts like that on screen, and he was also hilariously self centered and duplicitous
- I also liked the marriage arc 😠I wish she had committed to her principles a bit more. Anyone else low-key ship it? jk jk...unless? 👀
- Shin Hae Sun's acting. Hoo boy! she delivered. I've been a fan of hers since...Still 17? And I haven't found a project yet where she disappointed!
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