Hi all, just want to share an edit I made for this series, hope you have a great time watching:https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1bmjj9r/edit_fmv_the_spirealm/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Honestly speaking... I have a great empathy for this series. Many people compare it to the book [which is unavoidable]…
I love them both and they are a package deal, I don't want to choose. I started the series in the first days after people managed to download it, but right at the beginning the only subs available were machine or auto-translation, with the exception of the first 4-5 episodes. I started reading the book after having watched the first 11 episodes because I wanted to understand the story better and I just didn't want to wait for manual subs. I was head-over heels-obsessed with The Spirealm, it was all I did, all i talked about, I don't think I've ever been into something quite like I've been into this. My love for the book is undeniably tied to the series because I read it the picturing Jun Jie and Zhi Guang as LQS and RNZ and it made my experience feel complete. In my opinion JJ and ZG are perfectly cast, I adore them to bits since this series and I can't picture anyone else playing these characters, I refuse to.
I love the book for it's own thing, for exciting plot, the action, the in-depth on the world of doors and for the elements they couldn't include in the series due to censorship or simply the show-runner's creative endeavors. The horror elements did give me many sleepless nights though but it was a price I willingly accepted. I also particularly loved the ending.
At the same time, I love the series for it's own thing: for beautifully played characters, main and supporting, for the beautiful visuals, for the haunting soundtrack. I found the series Zao Zao and LDY much more lovable and their story led me to ugly cries. The rest of the supporting characters were great at well. The chemistry between Nanzhu and Jiushi is magical, the various ways they expressed care and love without direct romantic skinship made my heart sing with joy. And I cried rivers of tears with them during the many heartbreaking moments happening till the end. I loved the ending precisely because it tore my heart to shreads. The BTS scenes are the cherry on top, they were the highlight of my week with each Friday new release.
My love for the book wouldn't be possible without the drama because I fell in love with the drama first and I wanted to read the book because I needed to be even more with these characters. I owe this series even more because since then I've only been reading danmei and I've been living my best life with these books, they've rekindled my passion for reading.
I was really hoping to like this more but the push-pull is really tiresome by episode 5. Seeing grown people acting so insecure and weird is exhausting and not in a good way. Yes, they are sometimes adorkable but they're also annoying many times. By they I mean the FL. I don't have patience for misunderstandings, miscommunications in the form they're presented in this series. I'm still going to watch until they end but I'm sure she will continue to be irritating with her shenanigans. How many more confessions, grand gestures, flirting, chasing does she need to get that Tae Oh is in love with her.
I don't know what's happening, I used to love romance J-dramas but I've just grown tired of the heroines acting like a deer in the headlights at 30 years old.
Meh, she's much more suited with Hojo. Jun is like her dad, he looks and acts 35+, and she acts very much like a child, no maturity at all. Don't give me the 'this is Japan' spiel, I have watched other J-series with big age gaps where the relationships made more sense because the younger leads weren't being childish all the time and you could kinda see it but here the age gap is so in your face, I can't ignore it.
Na Eon was a horrible as a love interest. Yes, she apologized in the end, but did she make up for all the horrible things she did? Her redemption arc was weak as hell and it doesn't make any sense that Eun Ho would fall in love with her after planning to get revenge on her for 5 years.
Eun Ho as the junior who had a crush on her after attending her lectures sorta makes sense, Eun Ho seeking revenge for his girlfriend's death while Na Eon barely (scraping the bottom of the barrel barely) became better as a person by the end makes zero sense.
I have to admit I was prejudiced against Soga in the beginning. I thought he was dull and dry and thought Mizuki was better for Sakae. But I've gradually warmed up to him and now I think he's really sweet. They keep having ups and down but I like them together, they're so cute, I'm rooting for them, I hope we get a proper happy ending.
Have you ever seen the person you like kissing another one? It's a gut wrenching feeling.
I don't wanna fill in the gaps for lazy screenwriters. I didn't make it about the romance, the writers did when they had TaeOh mopping over a relationship we saw nothing about on screen. Good for you you're happy to fill in all the blanks, other people have other expectations. Go enjoy the drama and leave it this thread be.
I get this impression that they both like her for her looks with the way they’re rushing the love triangle lolLike…
You're right, the screenwriter made it like they fell in love with her on the spot because she is just that gorgeous, no personality needed 🙄. I hope we get to see more character development from the 3 of them for the rest of the show.
Have you ever seen the person you like kissing another one? It's a gut wrenching feeling.
Yeah, absolutely, when you really like someone, you've probably liked them for a while and you know them as a person. He had a couple of beers with her and glanced at her a couple of times, how does that translate to gut wrenching? The insta-love here is not convincing at all but whatever.
I was hoping to like this more but I thought it was pretty meh so far. These episodes were super rushed and I'm not really sold on anything. I don't feel strongly about TaeOh and InHa's friendship and TaeOh's interest towards over HyeWon feels super out of the blue too. I'm just not buying that he's into her, nor InHa . I don't mind her having dodgy intentions and whatnot but I don't feel like she has chemistry with either of them, she's like a piece of cardboard in the background. The shocked pickachu face when he saw them kissing made me think 'overacting much?' You knew InHa said he was interested in her and she basically told she's after InHa so what's with the 'I've been stabbed in the back!' looks?
I love the book for it's own thing, for exciting plot, the action, the in-depth on the world of doors and for the elements they couldn't include in the series due to censorship or simply the show-runner's creative endeavors. The horror elements did give me many sleepless nights though but it was a price I willingly accepted. I also particularly loved the ending.
At the same time, I love the series for it's own thing: for beautifully played characters, main and supporting, for the beautiful visuals, for the haunting soundtrack. I found the series Zao Zao and LDY much more lovable and their story led me to ugly cries. The rest of the supporting characters were great at well. The chemistry between Nanzhu and Jiushi is magical, the various ways they expressed care and love without direct romantic skinship made my heart sing with joy. And I cried rivers of tears with them during the many heartbreaking moments happening till the end. I loved the ending precisely because it tore my heart to shreads. The BTS scenes are the cherry on top, they were the highlight of my week with each Friday new release.
My love for the book wouldn't be possible without the drama because I fell in love with the drama first and I wanted to read the book because I needed to be even more with these characters. I owe this series even more because since then I've only been reading danmei and I've been living my best life with these books, they've rekindled my passion for reading.
I don't know what's happening, I used to love romance J-dramas but I've just grown tired of the heroines acting like a deer in the headlights at 30 years old.
Eun Ho as the junior who had a crush on her after attending her lectures sorta makes sense, Eun Ho seeking revenge for his girlfriend's death while Na Eon barely (scraping the bottom of the barrel barely) became better as a person by the end makes zero sense.