Very happy with the ending. They kept it real...not a fairy tale run off with the handsome prince and live happily ever after story. Real life doesn't work that way. There are way too many other factors that affect these kinds of decisions. In real real life though, I think they all would have ended up alone. It is very rare that a marriage breaks apart from this much upheaval that you can find 2 people strong enough to take that leap into trying to work it out again. I can say that from vast personal knowledge!!! :)
Absolutely 'crazy' about this drama! Never dreamed going into it that it would have the emotional impact and content it does. These 2 are perfect in their roles. Writing, directing, acting, and amazing camera work make this an absolutely beautiful production. Great article as usual! Thank you for bringing attention to this wonderful program.
Sweet, lovely movie. It covers no new ground, is exactly what you expect it to be and what all the ads and summaries tell you. Yet it's sweet sincerity is as true and heartfelt as any movie you will see. Lovely performances, quietly written, acted, and directed; it is a movie made to elicit tears, but is, above all else, a story of the unconditional love of 2 young parents for their child, and their limitless commitment to living a normal life with him for the time given to them. While tears will fall, at the end of this movie your heart will not be heavy, but will be so full of the joy of being able to share in this beautiful love story that you cannot help but feel blessed to have been able to have spent this time with them and have a reminder that true love does exist in this world.
Dark, unredeeming, sad, futile. A lot of depressing words to describe this movie. There were a lot of bad reviews online. I guess it is the Eye of the Beholder. The cast was a huge plus. Yes, there was a certain amount of meandering in the plot and there are definitely some scenes better left on the cutting room floor, but, I liked it. I'm a big fan of this genre though, so am more forgiving than the general public might be. Fate or Destiny, whatever you want to call it....what this movie says is that Fate isn't predestined, it's determined by the choices you make where your Fate will take you. These men made a lot of bad choices and continued to make them. It also shows that hanging on to "friends" who are bad and bad for you is one of those bad choices you make in your life. The repercussions of those choices in this movie proved deadly. 8/10
This is one of my all time favorite dramas. The look and feel created by the cinematographer, director, writer and everyone involved in this were superb. I'm so happy the writers gave us such a hopeful ending. SO happy that they had the bravery to allow a non traditional couple the opportunity to love and live. And SO hopeful that people will remember the incredible power of a love that transcends age and circumstance and be more tolerant and understanding when faced with such couples in real life! Truly a lesson worth learning.
Brilliantly written! Bravo. I have been holding off, dreading everything you have written. I know it is going to tear at my heart and soul. But. It is KRW. And if he is there I must go too!
I may have been in a really bad mood for the entire run of this show, so forgive me but....................for me, nothing but cliche after cliche. so boring and predictable it was like watching paint dry. skipped 5 or 6 of the last episodes and skipped through parts of 21. For me, I felt absolutely no chemistry at all between the leads. They spent the entire show 'talking' about how much they loved each other yet by virtually no chemistry nor body language did any of that show. And that idiotic pious platitude she mouths off in the final episode about how 'everyone should be happy with themselves and how they look'...pleeeeeeese give me a break! And how fast are you going to have plastic surgery to put yourself back to where you were before? It only took 3 or 4 months to create how she looks now so it should be a breeze to reverse in the same length of time. ugh. sorry....I'm sure I'm in a huge minority so ignore me. On a positive point, it was great to see Joo Sang wook. Just love him! He is so cute and I love him in rom com. Hope he does more...but better writing and a co-star with more of the chemistry like he had in Cunning Single Lady.
Broken has been on my list forever, lost the chance to watch it on Netflix as they have dropped it, and just haven't found that mood to start watching Dark for a while now. But I will definitely watch it. It's my genre. Death Bell 1 or 2 holds no appeal. I detest movies with kids torturing kids. Seen too many and it is too painful. It's one of those things where I can do it maybe once a year, but it better be a movie so superb in story and acting and everything, that I can get through the agony of watching it! I like T.O.P. Big Fan. He is getting better in the acting dept and I am happy for him. He will continue to get better too. You can tell he is committed to it. Unfortunately for him, he has to do it under the Microscope of Fame. He is learning his craft and will be watched like a hawk and criticized as a result. I hope he keeps a thick skin because I believe he has potential. I gave this movie an 8/10. I enjoyed it. It wasn't great and it wasn't bad. And it looked good. It gets an extra point for that and because I think he did a really good job in this movie. He's getting better all the time.
Sweet quiet movie. Wonderfully relaxing to watch on a cold winter evening. Nothing much to it really, no surprises. Just nice to join in the lives of these people for a couple hours. Definitely the kind of movie you wouldn't mind watching again just for the atmosphere of it. 7.5/10
Really good movie for me. Brought up a lot of memories of being in a similar situation. I think that helps. If you can relate to the story, the feelings, the emotions these people are going through, this movie becomes so much more. The Very realistic portrayal of how a relationship can stagnate and how, as a result of misunderstandings, failures in communication, failure to understand the other person's needs, and just plain starting to take that other person for granted, thinking they will always be there, can lead to errors in judgement, sometimes irreparable damage or breakups. The acting in this was very good and very realistic. I loved the pacing, the dialogue, and how well the writer and director were able to show so much of this relationship and what happens to it in such a short amount of time. I really hope they try again and this time, with knowledge and maturity and the pain of loss and regret, hold on to their love this time. I think there is a stronger chance of them making it now because of his obvious changes and obvious regret and longing. She will need to not be so guarded though. 8.5/10
Great article, as usual! I too love the relationship between Chan and Kang Soo. It's pretty obvious that relationship extends past the show. As a mom, watching his little face, you can see the trust that little guy has in this big, gentle man. He goes to him so naturally. And it is so sweet how his arms naturally go around him and he will pet or play with Kang Soo's hair. It is very touching because Kang Soo needs all the love he can get.
And, if you have not watched Choi Jin Hyuk in I Need Romance (ripping his shirt off in a bed scene...it's cable), and his adorable relationship in Emergency Couple, then you MUST put those 2 on your list.
wow 3 for the price of one! Of Course I saw Carnival, twice because I'm a glutton for pain and agony. Amazing performance from JIS...as usual! I would swear I saw 6 Years, will have to watch some of it again to remember. And I will watch the other this weekend! Thanks!
I find it odd that some of the reviews say it was hard to figure out why Ki-tae dies (this is the beginning of the film so not a spoiler). I thought Yoon and Lee Je-hoon (as Ki-tae) did a fantastic job of showing exactly why he did. Their ability to portray the complex feelings of this boy, his desperate need to be loved, accepted, admired, and be the leader.... all covered in his false bravado; all of it done so subtly yet so painful to watch as you see him self-destruct and destroy the only 2 things precious to him, his best friends. It's as if they had lived or were living that boy's life right in front of us.
The split between Ki-Tae and Becky is more subtle than Ki-tae's split with Dong-yoon. But Ki-tae, bit by bit destroyed those relationships. The flashbacks make it harder to understand, but he was unable to stop himself from constantly testing and pushing the boundaries of their relationships. The scene of him 'ordering' Becky to stand as lookout for he and his new buddies while they smoked in the bathroom was only a snapshot of where the relationship was going. This scene was there to show how far Ki-tae had gone in discounting and taking advantage of that relationship. He sees Becky's reaction on his face and suddenly seems to realize that he has gone too far and tries to apologize, but, he has not once nor twice humiliated Becky by this time. He then takes Becky's backpack and makes him beg to get it back, then tries to pretend it's a joke, all the while demeaning and belittling a lifetime friend. As Becky retreats further and further in depression and resentment, Ki-tae tries alternately to apologize and, when faced with Becky's rejection, reverts back to his out of control behavior. The beginning scene where he and his new friends are brutally beating Becky show how far out of control he has gone. Then he faces Becky and asks him how his face scars are doing! He cannot seem to stop himself and continues to use words that are at once flippant and uncaring, yet also seem to hide his true desire to apologize. When Becky tells him he is transferring because of him, you can see the blow this deals Ki-tae as he realizes what he has destroyed will now never be repaired. His inner panic and fear are so apparent it is heartbreaking to watch. He knows he is responsible, he knows he is self-destructing, but he is now helpless in the face of the repercussions.
What happens with Dong-yoon is clearer. As he proceeds to rip apart the reputation of the girl that Dong-yoon cares about, to Dong-yoon's face and in front of his gang, In Ki-tae's jealousy and need to hurt the one he loves most for failing to see how out of control he is and failing to understand and stop him (as if Dong-yoon could), we can see Dong-yoon's face as he slowly closes the door on Ki-tae and their lifetime friendship. As DY continues to sit there and encourage Ki-tae to go on, Ki-tae takes on a snidely 'friendly' role as he continues to spew hateful rumors against DY's girlfriend. Next we see the repercussions, as either Ki-tae or his friends have obviously started spreading the rumors, DY's girlfriend senses the change in him and says goodbye in the tragic scene with the watch. We next see the final repercussions as she is in a hospital bed, wrists bandaged and doctors working to save her. And DY in the hallway knowing that Ki-tae and his friends' words and his cowardice to stand by her have brought her here.
When he faces Ki-tae and is beaten by Ki-tae's friends, we are not told if she dies. Ki-tae shows up at DY's home to try to apologize, to say it was a 'misunderstanding', but terrible damage has been done and it was Ki-tae and his friends who caused that misunderstanding with their ugly words. So DY uses words also in his anger and hurt. And, as only those who truly love one another can, he uses the words that will hurt most. One can hardly blame him. He has lost the girl he loved, been betrayed by the friend he loved most in this world, and for no good reason.
Most heartbreaking of all is how utterly useless and frighteningly unnecessary all of this was. All of it so avoidable IF ONLY! At what point could all of this have stopped? How far back would we have to go to have prevented all of this terrible pain? The cruel words of Dong-yoon that if Ki-tae had never been there, none of this would have happened keep screaming in my head...and will forever in DY's also. Now there are at least 2 other young men and a father whose lives are irreparably damaged, and in ways that could escalate into yet more tragedy. I fear for DY the most. His burden is immeasurable.
This was, without a doubt a mighty work. No one character was completely wrong nor completely innocent. All are irreversibly damaged. My heart is so heavy right now. It will take me a very very long time to recover from this one.
My guess....he will search out her first true love only to find out that it was him. Yeah this is going to be…
Poor Baby! ;) Here's how I think it would go. She had been on the periphery of his life in the past, watching him. The story will be told in flashbacks. He will find out bits of information from people as he searches for her first love in these flashbacks, but the guy they are talking about will always be faceless because none of these people really knew him either, only what she told him. Each person will send him to a new place where he will find one more bit of info until they get to the end of the movie when he finds that ONE person who puts the face on the guy he is looking for.. and it's him. It's the saddest thing I can think of, so of course that's why I think it will happen that way!!! Chinese movies are horrid that way, with such tragic endings!!! :) But we could all pre write our own scenarios like this and they would close down this page for overloading it!
And, if you have not watched Choi Jin Hyuk in I Need Romance (ripping his shirt off in a bed scene...it's cable), and his adorable relationship in Emergency Couple, then you MUST put those 2 on your list.
The split between Ki-Tae and Becky is more subtle than Ki-tae's split with Dong-yoon. But Ki-tae, bit by bit destroyed those relationships. The flashbacks make it harder to understand, but he was unable to stop himself from constantly testing and pushing the boundaries of their relationships. The scene of him 'ordering' Becky to stand as lookout for he and his new buddies while they smoked in the bathroom was only a snapshot of where the relationship was going. This scene was there to show how far Ki-tae had gone in discounting and taking advantage of that relationship. He sees Becky's reaction on his face and suddenly seems to realize that he has gone too far and tries to apologize, but, he has not once nor twice humiliated Becky by this time. He then takes Becky's backpack and makes him beg to get it back, then tries to pretend it's a joke, all the while demeaning and belittling a lifetime friend. As Becky retreats further and further in depression and resentment, Ki-tae tries alternately to apologize and, when faced with Becky's rejection, reverts back to his out of control behavior. The beginning scene where he and his new friends are brutally beating Becky show how far out of control he has gone. Then he faces Becky and asks him how his face scars are doing! He cannot seem to stop himself and continues to use words that are at once flippant and uncaring, yet also seem to hide his true desire to apologize. When Becky tells him he is transferring because of him, you can see the blow this deals Ki-tae as he realizes what he has destroyed will now never be repaired. His inner panic and fear are so apparent it is heartbreaking to watch. He knows he is responsible, he knows he is self-destructing, but he is now helpless in the face of the repercussions.
What happens with Dong-yoon is clearer. As he proceeds to rip apart the reputation of the girl that Dong-yoon cares about, to Dong-yoon's face and in front of his gang, In Ki-tae's jealousy and need to hurt the one he loves most for failing to see how out of control he is and failing to understand and stop him (as if Dong-yoon could), we can see Dong-yoon's face as he slowly closes the door on Ki-tae and their lifetime friendship. As DY continues to sit there and encourage Ki-tae to go on, Ki-tae takes on a snidely 'friendly' role as he continues to spew hateful rumors against DY's girlfriend. Next we see the repercussions, as either Ki-tae or his friends have obviously started spreading the rumors, DY's girlfriend senses the change in him and says goodbye in the tragic scene with the watch. We next see the final repercussions as she is in a hospital bed, wrists bandaged and doctors working to save her. And DY in the hallway knowing that Ki-tae and his friends' words and his cowardice to stand by her have brought her here.
When he faces Ki-tae and is beaten by Ki-tae's friends, we are not told if she dies. Ki-tae shows up at DY's home to try to apologize, to say it was a 'misunderstanding', but terrible damage has been done and it was Ki-tae and his friends who caused that misunderstanding with their ugly words. So DY uses words also in his anger and hurt. And, as only those who truly love one another can, he uses the words that will hurt most. One can hardly blame him. He has lost the girl he loved, been betrayed by the friend he loved most in this world, and for no good reason.
Most heartbreaking of all is how utterly useless and frighteningly unnecessary all of this was. All of it so avoidable IF ONLY! At what point could all of this have stopped? How far back would we have to go to have prevented all of this terrible pain? The cruel words of Dong-yoon that if Ki-tae had never been there, none of this would have happened keep screaming in my head...and will forever in DY's also. Now there are at least 2 other young men and a father whose lives are irreparably damaged, and in ways that could escalate into yet more tragedy. I fear for DY the most. His burden is immeasurable.
This was, without a doubt a mighty work. No one character was completely wrong nor completely innocent. All are irreversibly damaged. My heart is so heavy right now. It will take me a very very long time to recover from this one.