4
Never give in! Hwaiting!
This is a quality drama, that I can attest. I wish I can say it is a fun watch for me as well. This is both its strength and its weakness.
Firstly, this show is all about Lee Jun Ho. He is ably assisted by Kim Min Ha. Their chemistry is nice and sweet. There is no doubt who carried the show though. The ML made it watchable even when the going gets tough. LJH seldom disappoints and he brought his A-game to this party.
Secondly, this drama did a great job portraying the so-called IMF Crisis circa 1997-2001. They did well to replicate the look and feel of the era. The A-plot is strongly focused on the fallout of that economic crisis and its impact on Koreans. It is not all gloom and doom but those are harsh years.
We watch the ML and his team struggle. It is not just your typical daily grind. We are talking about extinction level events. This gets even more complicated when you factor in the antagonist's machinations.
Speaking of the antagonist, the father and son duo are somewhat overblown. You’d think they are criminal masterminds. Not so, at least not going by textbook definitions. The father is a shrewd businessman, and he is willing to play dirty to get what he wants. His son is worse as he is a vain, spoiled brat who has some serious anger and daddy issues. I know it is dog-eat-dog out there, but they are singularly focused on the destruction of Typhoon Trading.
As I mentioned earlier, I don't find it a fun watch. The ML and his team worked their collective butts off. They have small wins, but their joy always turns to dismay before the end credit rolls. It is unrelenting.
Your level of enjoyment will depend on expectations and forbearance. The ML helps the medicine go down, but it is still a bitter pill.
As expected, this test the ensemble cast's mantle. The senior cast did well. There is depth to most characters. Having said that, the 2CP storyline does feel a little tacked on. They are a nice CP, but their romance has very little to do with the A-plot.
This presents me with a conundrum. It is a variation of the form over function argument. While I can appreciate many aspects of this quality production. I would be lying if I say I look forward to each episode with relish. Time and again, I groan inwardly as the same "how low can it go" formula is repeated. Not only is it depressing, but it also makes the progression quite predictable. Thankfully, after several iterations, we finally reached the end game.
I'm not go to spoil the ending. Let’s just say it followed the well worn path. While the last ep is probably the most enjoyable in the series, it also feels a little disassociated from the rest. There is certainly a marked shift in tone.
Reluctantly, I have decided to deduct 1 point from my score. I need to balance the style vs enjoyment equation. This is a thought-provoking show. A show that will stay with me for some time, yet it will not be in my rewatch list. Peace.
Firstly, this show is all about Lee Jun Ho. He is ably assisted by Kim Min Ha. Their chemistry is nice and sweet. There is no doubt who carried the show though. The ML made it watchable even when the going gets tough. LJH seldom disappoints and he brought his A-game to this party.
Secondly, this drama did a great job portraying the so-called IMF Crisis circa 1997-2001. They did well to replicate the look and feel of the era. The A-plot is strongly focused on the fallout of that economic crisis and its impact on Koreans. It is not all gloom and doom but those are harsh years.
We watch the ML and his team struggle. It is not just your typical daily grind. We are talking about extinction level events. This gets even more complicated when you factor in the antagonist's machinations.
Speaking of the antagonist, the father and son duo are somewhat overblown. You’d think they are criminal masterminds. Not so, at least not going by textbook definitions. The father is a shrewd businessman, and he is willing to play dirty to get what he wants. His son is worse as he is a vain, spoiled brat who has some serious anger and daddy issues. I know it is dog-eat-dog out there, but they are singularly focused on the destruction of Typhoon Trading.
As I mentioned earlier, I don't find it a fun watch. The ML and his team worked their collective butts off. They have small wins, but their joy always turns to dismay before the end credit rolls. It is unrelenting.
Your level of enjoyment will depend on expectations and forbearance. The ML helps the medicine go down, but it is still a bitter pill.
As expected, this test the ensemble cast's mantle. The senior cast did well. There is depth to most characters. Having said that, the 2CP storyline does feel a little tacked on. They are a nice CP, but their romance has very little to do with the A-plot.
This presents me with a conundrum. It is a variation of the form over function argument. While I can appreciate many aspects of this quality production. I would be lying if I say I look forward to each episode with relish. Time and again, I groan inwardly as the same "how low can it go" formula is repeated. Not only is it depressing, but it also makes the progression quite predictable. Thankfully, after several iterations, we finally reached the end game.
I'm not go to spoil the ending. Let’s just say it followed the well worn path. While the last ep is probably the most enjoyable in the series, it also feels a little disassociated from the rest. There is certainly a marked shift in tone.
Reluctantly, I have decided to deduct 1 point from my score. I need to balance the style vs enjoyment equation. This is a thought-provoking show. A show that will stay with me for some time, yet it will not be in my rewatch list. Peace.
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