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Melo Movie korean drama review
Completed
Melo Movie
1 people found this review helpful
by Zogitt
Feb 21, 2025
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

The forest is very dangerous when you miss the trees

You know some shows are a challenge to watch. Maybe the script is badly written or it is poorly made. Bad acting and/or confused direction can be a deal breaker as well. Melo Movie is none of the above, yet it is still not an easy watch. I'm sure it will test the patience of some viewers.

Our leads are all flawed and they don't wear their emotions on their sleeves. Sure, they are talented individuals but lives mostly mundane lives. They are opaque to their acquaintances. They suffer in silence as they drifting through their days.

Even though our protagonist's backstories are distinct, they share something in common. They have an unhealthy focus on details and they are very introspective. They have a narrow field of vision as if they have blinkers on. They might be in a loving relationship, but they would interpret everything from their own perspective and give scant consideration to others feelings and circumstances. This should ring alarm bells and it is ultimately (self)destructive. This brought on bouts of misplaced anger, melancholia and festering emotional wounds.

For us, this translates to a languid pace. Nothing is clean cut and it took a long time for each character to come to terms with their personal issues and, trust me, there are plenty. This means lots of pensive stares and slow panning shots in solitude. Meaningful, yes, but I can also understand why this show will not work for everyone. It is a good show, but it doesn’t have many hooks. It is as if the drama throws down the gauntlet. Do you have the patience?

Expositions comes late in the piece and can feel verbose. I have no doubt some viewers will bemoan the fact that they saw it coming from a mile away. In that sense, the show is its own worst enemy.

Putting all that aside, there are some wonderful performances. PBY as the FL is solid as ever. KJW as Ko Jun is wonderful but the biggest surprise is LJY as Si-jun. I would consider this his breakout role. While he is technically the second lead to CWS, he outshines him. I just don’t feel CWS brought his A-game. For me, Si-jun feels raw and real while Gyeom is a bit flat and floaty. He needs Moo Bi to drag him screaming and kicking back to the here and now. Thank the drama gods for the swoon worthy moments. That kept me going when I start to weaver.

Am I defending the indefensible? Maybe . . I hope not! Truth be told, the show does make it hard to get into if you just want a casual watch. 2 eps in and you might still be wondering what is this all about. So rather than dragging this out, I will just say this, hang in there. Be patient. FF the slow bits if it helps but don’t give up too soon. It does get better.

BTW, the OST is lovely, and production value is solid. Peace.
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