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This review may contain spoilers
The Glorious Drag and Plotholes Galore
For a drama that received so many rave reviews and has such a high rating, this was such a disappointment.The key elements of a good revenge drama are (1) great acting, (2) good writing that fleshes out the psychology of the characters well, and (3) well-crafted and tight-scripted execution of the revenge with attention to detail (good screenplay, editing, and writing). I thought Part 1 was average (still watchable though), but Part 2 dragged too much, failing on all 3 levels, with long-drawn monologues and character arcs amounting to nothing, abuse / violence shown for shock value and plotholes that became bigger.
All in all, an average drama that does not deserve the hype and ratings it got.
---------------------------------------SPOILERS AHEAD -------------------------------------
Let's get the pros out of the way first:
1. Great acting by the entire cast, barring Song Hye Kyo.
2. Good cinematography.
3. Decent score (nothing memorable though)
4. The actor who plays Ye Jin's husband - his scenes with SHK were oozing with natural chemistry and spark. I ended up empathizing with him more than the FL because he was the only character in the series that was written with some depth and care.
5. Fitting end for Ye Jin and Je Jun; how satisfying!
Other than that, everything about this drama was a miss.
1. The one-note characterisation with all the characters continued. We never got to know the bullies beyond the abuse they meted out. Their scenes were all about hurling curses at each other rather than doing anything substantive. We never got to know why the hell they let her drop out so easily when they were so cruel. We never got to know about what others in that school went through other than So Hee and our FL. Ye Jin is shown to be someone with zero empathy and then they show that her daughter is her weakness? That makes no sense.
We never got to know the FL beyond the revenge. What was she like before the abuse and how she changed. That mini montage of her smiling in E15 was something that we needed to see more of, not the abuse. How was her personality shaped by the years of isolation and living with the scars of the abuse?
Why was Ye Jin her main target when Jae Jun violated her as much?
She couldn't become an architect because of the abuse. But then she educated herself and became a teacher? So why didn't she become an architect then? Why was it crucial for her to even become a teacher? All that she did could have been done without becoming a teacher LOL
Her PTSD was conveniently used when it served the plot, and conveniently ignored when it didn't. You're telling me she was scared of seeing meat, but has the confidence to face these bullies headstrong time and time again?!
Just how did she make so much money to afford 2 cars, 2 different apartments, those expensive clothes, and all the expenses?
Don't even get me started on SHK's bland, expressionless acting in so many scenes. She's been in the industry for 30 years and yet, her acting has never been improved and remains unconvincing.
2. For someone living her entire life planning this revenge, she was overtly reliant on random alibis that came out of nowhere like the housekeeper and the doctor. What if they didn't turn up? What was her plan even? Just be a homeroom teacher and torture them? The homeroom plot served nothing and her torture was achieved with the help of these two people. As I suspected, the housekeeper was caught and then they showed her getting abused more.. Can someone explain their arrangement to me? Wasn't the FL supposed to kill the housekeeper's husband? So what was she waiting for? They didn't even address that plot point.. because they conveniently just wanted the bully to find out that weakness and exploit?
3. For someone executing a so-called revenge, she revealed her cards too soon, rather than slyly infiltrating herself into their world and then revealing herself in the end. That made the whole drama unrealistic because if these bullies had that much power at school, that too as kids, then imagine the power and influence they would have as adults who are heirs to various empires. Who is she? Just a nobody. The fact that she revealed herself to them one by one at the teacher's residence, the store, then the alumini event and the classroom.. and you're telling me these influential bullies did nothing after that?! She continued to walk around carefree. Given how violent they were as kids, why was the FL not kidnapped or drugged or killed after she became the homeroom teacher? Again you want me to believe they just let her be so that she can play out her domino effect and games?! all the way till the end, these bullies with all their influence and power did not manage to do find anything to blackmail with her or do something to her? The biggest plothole right there.
4. The relationship with the mother - As I suspected in part 1, the mother was found and used against the FL. Again, stupid decision on the writer's part to have the FL just leave her mother there in the lion's den when she has apparently been planning the revenge for over a decade. Second, what was the point of this whole angle? Other than adding another sad sub-plot and more abuse to the drama, what was the point of the mother's character? Why did she wait all these years to put her mum away?
5. Not only did the doctor have zero chemistry with the FL, his character added nothing to the story. I never understood why he fell in love with her in the first place, and why he was so supportive of the revenge (to the extent of revealing his identity to the bullies) and housing her when he didn't know anything about her. Also why did we need his side story with the person who killed his father?
6. That man who buried the guy and Ye Jin's mother - YAWNNNNN. Again, what did this sub-plot achieve? Can't even remember their names.
7. The teacher who took upskirt photos of the kids - Again, what did this sub-plot achieve? It's not like Ye Jin's husband wasn't aware that Ye Sol isn't his daughter.
8. Why was the reveal of Ye Jin killing So Hee on the rooftop dragged to the end? It's not like we didn't know that it was her. That was hinted within the first few episodes.
9. The FL's dialogue to the doctor in the last episode "How could I do this to you just because I am a victim".. HUH?! So what was Ye Sol and Ye Jin's husband's fault? She did all this for revenge because they tortured her and she has her justification for it. This dialogue ruined her character for me, because if you're taking revenge, just own up to it rather than trying to act righteous. Two wrongs don't make a right you know.
10. Ye Jin lost it all in the end (THAT WAS GREAT) but how was the FL not at all curious about what happened to Je Jun at the end?! Again, I never understood why she wanted revenge mainly on Ye Jin and not Je Jun...
11. Why the added plot twist of Gyeong Ran being involved in the murder? How did it add anything to the plot other than increase the length of the finale?
12. The ending scene. NO COMMENTS. They could have chosen an impactful ending monologue about bullying but they chose 'I love you' instead. SIGHHH.
13. The length - THIS DID NOT NEED 16 EPISODES. This could have been told in 10 episodes. K dramas really need to learn to cut down on their length especially when they don't have enough material to keep the show going. In this case, there was potential but the writer chose to add in characters that were not needed, repetitive scenes, filler scenes that added nothing to the plot rather than actually fleshing out the characters of the FL and the bullies, and giving us a strong fight between the FL and the bullies.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Highly recommend these revenge dramas instead, where the writing, pacing / length and performances are steller.
Zeni Geba
Bump Off Lover
All in all, an average drama that does not deserve the hype and ratings it got.
---------------------------------------SPOILERS AHEAD -------------------------------------
Let's get the pros out of the way first:
1. Great acting by the entire cast, barring Song Hye Kyo.
2. Good cinematography.
3. Decent score (nothing memorable though)
4. The actor who plays Ye Jin's husband - his scenes with SHK were oozing with natural chemistry and spark. I ended up empathizing with him more than the FL because he was the only character in the series that was written with some depth and care.
5. Fitting end for Ye Jin and Je Jun; how satisfying!
Other than that, everything about this drama was a miss.
1. The one-note characterisation with all the characters continued. We never got to know the bullies beyond the abuse they meted out. Their scenes were all about hurling curses at each other rather than doing anything substantive. We never got to know why the hell they let her drop out so easily when they were so cruel. We never got to know about what others in that school went through other than So Hee and our FL. Ye Jin is shown to be someone with zero empathy and then they show that her daughter is her weakness? That makes no sense.
We never got to know the FL beyond the revenge. What was she like before the abuse and how she changed. That mini montage of her smiling in E15 was something that we needed to see more of, not the abuse. How was her personality shaped by the years of isolation and living with the scars of the abuse?
Why was Ye Jin her main target when Jae Jun violated her as much?
She couldn't become an architect because of the abuse. But then she educated herself and became a teacher? So why didn't she become an architect then? Why was it crucial for her to even become a teacher? All that she did could have been done without becoming a teacher LOL
Her PTSD was conveniently used when it served the plot, and conveniently ignored when it didn't. You're telling me she was scared of seeing meat, but has the confidence to face these bullies headstrong time and time again?!
Just how did she make so much money to afford 2 cars, 2 different apartments, those expensive clothes, and all the expenses?
Don't even get me started on SHK's bland, expressionless acting in so many scenes. She's been in the industry for 30 years and yet, her acting has never been improved and remains unconvincing.
2. For someone living her entire life planning this revenge, she was overtly reliant on random alibis that came out of nowhere like the housekeeper and the doctor. What if they didn't turn up? What was her plan even? Just be a homeroom teacher and torture them? The homeroom plot served nothing and her torture was achieved with the help of these two people. As I suspected, the housekeeper was caught and then they showed her getting abused more.. Can someone explain their arrangement to me? Wasn't the FL supposed to kill the housekeeper's husband? So what was she waiting for? They didn't even address that plot point.. because they conveniently just wanted the bully to find out that weakness and exploit?
3. For someone executing a so-called revenge, she revealed her cards too soon, rather than slyly infiltrating herself into their world and then revealing herself in the end. That made the whole drama unrealistic because if these bullies had that much power at school, that too as kids, then imagine the power and influence they would have as adults who are heirs to various empires. Who is she? Just a nobody. The fact that she revealed herself to them one by one at the teacher's residence, the store, then the alumini event and the classroom.. and you're telling me these influential bullies did nothing after that?! She continued to walk around carefree. Given how violent they were as kids, why was the FL not kidnapped or drugged or killed after she became the homeroom teacher? Again you want me to believe they just let her be so that she can play out her domino effect and games?! all the way till the end, these bullies with all their influence and power did not manage to do find anything to blackmail with her or do something to her? The biggest plothole right there.
4. The relationship with the mother - As I suspected in part 1, the mother was found and used against the FL. Again, stupid decision on the writer's part to have the FL just leave her mother there in the lion's den when she has apparently been planning the revenge for over a decade. Second, what was the point of this whole angle? Other than adding another sad sub-plot and more abuse to the drama, what was the point of the mother's character? Why did she wait all these years to put her mum away?
5. Not only did the doctor have zero chemistry with the FL, his character added nothing to the story. I never understood why he fell in love with her in the first place, and why he was so supportive of the revenge (to the extent of revealing his identity to the bullies) and housing her when he didn't know anything about her. Also why did we need his side story with the person who killed his father?
6. That man who buried the guy and Ye Jin's mother - YAWNNNNN. Again, what did this sub-plot achieve? Can't even remember their names.
7. The teacher who took upskirt photos of the kids - Again, what did this sub-plot achieve? It's not like Ye Jin's husband wasn't aware that Ye Sol isn't his daughter.
8. Why was the reveal of Ye Jin killing So Hee on the rooftop dragged to the end? It's not like we didn't know that it was her. That was hinted within the first few episodes.
9. The FL's dialogue to the doctor in the last episode "How could I do this to you just because I am a victim".. HUH?! So what was Ye Sol and Ye Jin's husband's fault? She did all this for revenge because they tortured her and she has her justification for it. This dialogue ruined her character for me, because if you're taking revenge, just own up to it rather than trying to act righteous. Two wrongs don't make a right you know.
10. Ye Jin lost it all in the end (THAT WAS GREAT) but how was the FL not at all curious about what happened to Je Jun at the end?! Again, I never understood why she wanted revenge mainly on Ye Jin and not Je Jun...
11. Why the added plot twist of Gyeong Ran being involved in the murder? How did it add anything to the plot other than increase the length of the finale?
12. The ending scene. NO COMMENTS. They could have chosen an impactful ending monologue about bullying but they chose 'I love you' instead. SIGHHH.
13. The length - THIS DID NOT NEED 16 EPISODES. This could have been told in 10 episodes. K dramas really need to learn to cut down on their length especially when they don't have enough material to keep the show going. In this case, there was potential but the writer chose to add in characters that were not needed, repetitive scenes, filler scenes that added nothing to the plot rather than actually fleshing out the characters of the FL and the bullies, and giving us a strong fight between the FL and the bullies.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Highly recommend these revenge dramas instead, where the writing, pacing / length and performances are steller.
Zeni Geba
Bump Off Lover
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