“If you want to protect something, then you just do it.”
i went into this film unaware that it was a sequel but i think that was for the best because i would’ve been far more disappointed with this, and i already am.mantis tries to be a lot of things at once—a comedy movie, an action flick filled with gore, a heartfelt emotional film that focuses on its characters—and it fails at doing most of this considering its less than two hour runtime. i was excited for this because the casting was literally insane and their performances definitely carried the film, but that was the extent of this movies greatness. i absolutely loved park gyu young’s performance and i think her character was the most fleshed out, with jae-yi’s inferiority complex and struggles clearly being her driving motive and acting as the main conflict of the movie as she makes her decisions based on these emotions she’s experiencing. i also thoroughly enjoyed choi hyunwook’s performance as benjamin because he does such a good job playing these bratty and manipulative characters, similar to his character in taxi driver whom i also loved even though he was a little shit. yim si wan’s character han-ul was a very basic character who didn’t have a lot of depth but it was his acting that made him stand out when he wasn’t in an action scene. speaking of those scenes, they were enjoyable for the most part but the best one was honestly the opening scene. the final fight was also slightly memorable but mainly because of a singular shot of yim si wan’s heartfelt and anguished facial expression.
other than the points mentioned above, the rest of the movie is honestly boring. the entire movie is rushed which makes the pacing really off seeing as before i knew it an entire year had somehow passed in the span of like five minutes, there are funky shots in both the good and bad sense as some of them were fun but a lot of them looked ridiculous, and the plot tries to do a lot at once with the sort of love plot between han-ul and jae-yi, the betrayal plot, the group break up, overthrowing and recreating the killer for hire system… it’s just a mess and it’s only mildly entertaining at best.
i definitely won’t rewatch this and i wouldn’t really recommend it, but if you really want to give it a shot i’m sure you’ll at least enjoy the performances done by the really incredible actors in this.
Was this review helpful to you?
“Together, we keep fighting.”
this was such a heartwarming series and definitely one of the best competition shows i’ve seen. when i saw this was upcoming i thought it reminded me of physical 100 but japanese so of course i had to check it out, but i was pleasantly surprised by how different the two shows are. while physical 100 focuses on outlandish challenges and sets to push the participants past their limits, final draft does the same while keeping the various tasks simple while still being entertaining.the bond between both the participants and the crew as a whole was definitely the highlight of this show as we see the competitors living together and eating with one another, having late night talks about their journeys and their futures around a bonfire. there was definitely awkwardness but it was all very natural and endearing and seeing how close the contestants got was adorable. seeing them speak one on one to their families made me tear up a lot considering how basically all of the participants were able to continue on thanks to the encouragement from back home. near the end of the show somebody ends up injured and the competition takes a pause to make sure he was able to get proper treatment rather than forcing him to push through the pain while also giving him a chance to do his very best in the final few challenges. seeing how everyone genuinely worried for him and wanted to make sure he was okay is the best example of the kindness in this show.
i hope this ends up getting a second season with even more challenges because i’d love to see what other kinds of insane former athletes japan has and hear their stories.
Was this review helpful to you?
“This is all just so unfair.”
kang haneul never disappoints as he brings woo-sung, an average salaryman who finds himself down on his luck after buying an expensive apartment in seoul, to life in what is one of the most stressful movies i’ve ever seen. there are dozens of twists and turns that leave you unable to trust anybody we see on screen, even the main character himself, and that make you feel as if you’re losing your mind alongside him. while i did enjoy this i think i would like it more if it were even ten minutes shorter because it started dragging a bit, but it was still a fun watch.Was this review helpful to you?
“Dad, today I made a plan.”
what begins as a dark comedy about a family of con artists infiltrating the home of a family too rich for their own good quickly becomes one of the most engaging and shocking films i’ve ever seen (and even though i haven’t seen many, that still speaks volumes). easily one of the best as well. i’m definitely not smart enough to write hundreds of words like i usually can explaining why exactly this movie works (so if you're looking for a proper review and not just my notes, check out any other one on here), as it’s a feeling far more visceral and personal that i can’t properly put into words, but it’s something i’m sure everyone who’s watched this film can relate to. the feeling of sighing at your computer screen once the film ends, sighing minutes and hours later as you recall what you’ve just watched, knowing that it’s changed you in some form that you can’t exactly give a name. truly just a wonderful film.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“There’s a type of hatred that’s similar to longing. It’s impossible to stop.”
not a single boring moment in these eight episodes. from the very beginning there are so many heartbreakingly beautiful shots that tug at your heartstrings, especially in accompaniment with the soft and emotional music that plays in the background. the scene in the very first episode where dong-eun is laying on the snowy roof makes me cry every time i watch this and it’s the first of many instances in which you as the viewer feel so emotionally connected with her because of song hye kyo’s phenomenal acting. it’s moments like these where we begin to hate her bullies even more, and actors like park sunghoon and im ji jeon do insanely good jobs at bringing them to life and wishing for their (characters ofc, not the actors) downfall. the one thing i will say is that the slow burn burns VERY SLOWLY, with not much present-day action happening until midway through this part and even then it’s nothing too satisfying (especially in comparison to the next part). it’s very good at introducing us to dong-eun’s world though as we get to know her character alongside the few true friends she makes in her revenge journey. speaking of them, yeo-jung is one of my favorite characters in this alongside dong-eun herself (for obvious reasons do you see his actor) and i absolutely adore what hye-ran brings to the table in terms of her friendship with dong-eun, with both of them being just the right amount of silly to counter her serious nature. these characters help bring dong-eun to life as she finally gets to experience the happy moments that were stolen from her during her childhood all while watching the shallow lives her bullies have built slowly begin to crumble. the only reason i give this a nine for rewatch value is because some of the scenes are definitely hard to stomach because they're genuinely disturbing and i forgot how intense some of them are.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“I’ll never let you die.”
this was good for a standard death game series, and by good i mean it was mediocre but still entertaining because of the deaths and waiting for the mafia reveals and subsequent crashouts. however, all of the fun i had despite the flaws gets overshadowed by the ending which i’ll talk about later.first i have to talk about the characters. there’s nothing wrong with sticking to stereotypes—especially in the mafia/werewolf death game genre where the same kind of characters can be found in every installment—but they didn’t really take the chance to explore any of them, especially jun hee who’s backstory was hinted at and yet we didn’t get more than the same flashback scene twice which was disappointing. despite yoon soo being the main character and us as the viewers experiencing everything from her perspective, seeing all these crazy hallucinations with her, i struggled to even remember her name because she wasn’t all that memorable. the supporting cast, especially cha woo min and ahn ji ho, definitely outperformed her even despite their antagonistic roles in the show. there wasn’t a single emotional scene in these twelve episodes that even made me tear up (and im a VERY easy crier) which means there weren’t any characters i felt even remotely connected too. the actions of the characters themselves are also incredibly disappointing as everyone is so… questionable, especially during the final two days. the only person who was playing the mafia game properly was somi as she was manipulative and managed to turn the attention away from herself for most of the game, which i was hoping from cha woo min’s character so seeing him stick to his stereotype was disappointing.
now for the worst part of this drama, the ending… i don’t have anything new to add to the conversation that hasn’t been better worded by others who’ve written reviews, but it was completely unnecessary to add in the plot twist of se eun’s parents keeping all the students in a constant mafia game loop as revenge for them being the cause of their daughter’s suicide. i would’ve been perfectly fine with this show being a genuine ghost story or if the kids were in some kind of limbo/purgatory for what had happened to se eun, i honestly think the latter would’ve been a better twist than a virtual world. it made no sense for EVERY kid, including yoon soo who was literally friends with se eun and didn’t even know about the bullying, to be forced into the punishment because half of them couldn’t even be classified as bystanders as they literally didn’t know she was being bullied. as for the bullying itself i was expecting something much worse from how eun ha and so mi were acting when they learned this was connected to their dead classmate, but a shitty deep fake just left me disappointed honestly. the ending really ruined the feelings i had to this show prior to the last twenty or so minutes because i genuinely enjoyed it even though it wasn’t the best up until the ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“You’re playing your own game. You’re the master of your own fate.”
the search for one’s purpose and the meaning of life, if there is any, continued this season and hit me right in the heart as we see not only arisu but even side characters question if it really would be better to remain a citizen of the borderlands if it meant they’d be able to escape from their previous lives. this series is about more than just surviving but about truly living and learning to value your experiences, taking control of your life and making it into something you can be proud of and face the end without a single regret. our characters did a wonderful job of showcasing that while this may look different for everybody, in the end there’s always a reason to continue living.the face card games always stress me out no matter how many times i rewatch them. all of the games are, just like last season, well thought out and keep you on the edge of your seat as you hope that arisu somehow managed to think of a way to turn things around in his favor. my personal favorite game this season is the king of clubs and it’s totally not biased and not because i love kyuma to bits… but i also really love the heart games this season because they’re exactly the kind of mindfuck i expect, especially the queen. i remember the first time i watched it i genuinely believed everything that was happening and was screaming the entire time.
i think the only major flaw of this season was trying to introduce a new player, akane, into the cast and quickly trying to make us care for her by throwing in her first game and her backstory. while i think her character is an important message and not only paired well with aguni as his supporter but gave us another perspective on why people struggle and live against all odds, it was a bit rushed considering all the other things that had to get done in this season. i think if there were more episodes she would’ve really had a chance to shine. on the topic of the cast i really loved how we took some time away from arisu to explore the other games from a different perspective, and it being chishiya made for really fun and insightful moments. his nonchalantness caused a lot of unintentionally comedic scenes but also seeing how his games contributed to his character development and his big moment near the end made me love him even more and gave his character more depth. usagi also had a lot of growth this season after meeting the kid and participating in the queen of spades game and it made me appreciate her character even more than i already did which is saying a lot. while there was a lot of development there was also one character who stayed the same and i’m glad they didn’t try to redeem him because he acts as another truth in our world; some people are evil and they don’t change. i loved how they approached our existing characters while also bringing the game masters, like kyuma, to life and how every single character is so complex.
aib is a series i love with my entire heart because of what it represents and as someone who’s asked these questions to himself dozens of times it gives me hope that my story could end up like arisu and kuina’s one day. im writing this a bit before season three airs and i couldn’t be more excited for it <3
Was this review helpful to you?
“We are still alive! We’re all in this together… and we have to fight to end it all!”
the BEST death game drama ever. if you can handle gore/death/blood/all the fucked up shit that comes with these types of shows, i strongly recommend this to you. every character is so carefully crafted and despite the little time we spend on their backstories and motivations, their personalities shine through with every second of screen time they have. from chishiya’s nonchalant demeanor to aguni’s stone face you can tell what kinds of people they are and yet they’ll still manage to surprise you with the depth they hold as we learn what kind of people they truly are in a series of life or death games that determine their fate. every character (save for niragi…) is very near and dear to my heart and i truly believe there’s somebody for everyone in this show because they have such a wide range of personalities that make them really stand out, and as we watch their development we learn to love them. seeing how these characters change from the beginning of the show to the end is honestly essay worthy, especially with how intertwined our cast is.the very first game will have you invested in the world that’s slowly introduced as we follow arisu and those who reside in the mysterious borderlands through their new daily lives as they struggle to find purpose. each card suit offers a new and unique challenge that they must overcome in order to see another day and each game will leave you at the edge of your seat up until the very last moment. in particular the final game of the season always leaves me impressed no matter how many times i watch it and i cry over different parts each time. each scenario is so well written and it keeps you locked in from the very beginning, with the music amplifying the experience tenfold as it works to try and push you over the edge in terms of stress and immersion. while i personally prefer the games in the second season this doesn't mean i think the games in this season are boring, on the contrary i think they work perfectly as introductory games that are still very high-stakes as we're still easing into the world this show has to offer. the actors also work their asses off to deliver believable performances as the lines between the seemingly sci-fi world of the borderlands and the harsh reality of the real world blend into one. its nearly impossible to predict what the truth of the game is and what will happen next because before you know it there’s a panther trying to attack our main characters.
all in all i think this show is definitely worthwhile, especially with s3 right around the corner and god knows what in store for the returning characters!
Was this review helpful to you?
“We were born humans… and we’ll die as humans.”
i haven’t read the manhwa yet and while my feelings towards this may change after i do, as somebody who knew next to nothing going into this it was insane in the best way. i love an ensemble cast and this series delivers as we get to know the true nature of the residents of green home as they’re thrust into a survival situation in which monsters, both in the literal and metaphorical sense, are a constant threat to them. i loved everyones acting in this, especially kim nam hee, song kang and of course lee do hyun to name a few. with so many characters there are of course dozens of plot lines that we switch in between simultaneously, meaning there’s never a dull moment. this coupled with the time skipping doesn’t make for the best watch for me because i tend to multitask while i watch a show, but it’s still easy to follow the events that are happening. the action scenes are definitely the selling point for this and this is also the main genre for this despite what the other tags may say, meaning the scenes are well done for the action thriller this ends up being.i loved the development we got from some of our characters, especially hyun-su as i relate to him, but i feel more could’ve been done with them. this is what usually happens when a show tries to include so many characters at once, many of them begin to fade into the background even if they’re present in every single scene. while our cast is the key to this show as through them we explore what it really means to be human and how greed and desire changes people, this kind of gets lost in translation as we near the ending of the season. it felt as though they knew the vibe of a carnby kim work yet missed the mark as they were more focused on the action scenes and playing warriors behind them for the nth time. a lot of moments still made me cry because i’m a crybaby, but some deaths could’ve been even more impactful for sure. that being said, the use of sweet home in the final scene never fails to make me sob.
despite all this, i still really enjoy this show and its flaws (as i do with many shows if you look at any of my other ratings) because i prefer to focus on how much fun i have while watching rather than looking into all the technical aspects. i’ll leave the proper reviews to other people on this website.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“Let’s just be free, yeah?”
i definitely prefer this cast more, but i like the progression of season one better so this is definitely a tough rating. like i mentioned for season one, this show is mindless turn your brain off fun and this is the main reason why i enjoy this show even though i realize it's far from the best. i absolutely love dindin, dex, and code kunst and ofc lee siyoung, and taeyong and eunbi were fun additions as well in comparison to last season’s na-rae and tsuki (as they were really helpful during some of the major moments). the out of character bits were absolutely hilarious and this season makes me laugh a ton which means i enjoy it way more, but some of the missions weren’t exactly my favorite. for instance, the helicopter part where they have to choose people to sacrifice and how this becomes something common throughout. while there were only a couple, there were some missions that couldn’t have been won unless somebody sacrificed themselves in comparison to not only last season but also the other missions in new blood where it’s possible for everyone to survive. it seemed like a cheap way to cut down the cast and add stakes. that being said, i still really love the missions in this season regardless of that. the train moment with the references and the subway tunnels are really fun and offer lots of humorous moments. if there’s a season i’d rewatch more it’d definitely be this one, although it’s not exponentially better than the first one.Was this review helpful to you?
“Guess you’re my catch of the day.”
sometimes you just want a no-stakes, action packed film and that’s exactly what this movie brings to the table. the plot was set up from the get-go and it’s very easy to follow, with the scientific explanations behind the new generation not being too complicated and the setting being quickly established (lizard people are real and WILL hurt you). the cast in this was great and the action scenes were even better with dozens of decapitations, gunshots and swung fists that kept me entertained throughout. ma dong seok is of course the highlight of this movie as his presence is unmatched and his fight scenes are incredible but i also really enjoyed lee jun yeong in this. i loved him in whc2 and seeing him play a different role was really fun, ill definitely be checking out more from him. the female leads were also wonderful as well, with ahn ji hye playing the absolute badass that was eun ho and roh jeong eui playing the strong-willed su-na. these characters don’t have a lot of depth or backstory to them but they aren’t the focus of this movie which makes it okay. while it has its emotional moments this is far from a tearjerker, but it definitely works for some mindless fun if you don’t have anything to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
“There were a lot of scary moments. But I think it was less scary when we were together.”
the best way to enjoy this is to turn your brain off and have fun with it. are some of the cast annoying and useless at times? most definitely, and i do think it impacts the viewing experience to an extent, but it's easy to simply ignore them and enjoy the rest of their antics without taking the show so seriously. the unserious nature of this show is what makes it so entertaining and the times where, despite their immersion, the cast members break character are some of the best moments because of how ridiculous the interactions are (in a good way). the concept is also unique for a reality show and even though it has a lot of limitations, like the lack of action scenes you’d normally expect from a zombie show and the need to suspend your belief that they’re actually turning once they’re bitten, it’s still entertaining enough to get by. the people who go into this expecting a serious show will definitely be disappointed, but those who go into it knowing it’s not the best will manage to enjoy it.Was this review helpful to you?
“I will never abandon these people!”
i’m not a big fan of the historical setting, whether it be in dramas or manhwas, so i definitely didn’t vibe with this as much as i would’ve if i was a fan of the genre but it was still pretty good. i came for the zombies and definitely stayed for them, especially with the twist in the final episode that nearly made my jaw drop. i love how the origin story is written and how they used the time period to really bring this story to life as well as how it ties into the politics surrounding the royal lineage. the actors are all great and i love how not much about them (save for our main character the crown prince) is stated outright by them, and how we instead have to look at their actions to understand them since we don’t get much of their backstory due to the short amount of episodes. they definitely could’ve added at least two more episodes to really flesh things out in the first season but hopefully we get a bit more in the second season to make up for it. this was still enjoyable for what it was although it wasn’t my favorite thing ever.Was this review helpful to you?
“Because it’s the path I chose.”
the episode where the contestants had received letters from their parents made me ugly cry. especially when gunwook bursted into tears like holy fuck. classic mnet with the evil editing, repeating the same shots five times, not including half of the contestants in the show and literally causing one of them to write a disstrack about it, but isn’t that half the fun of these shitty survival shows? i absolutely adore a lot of the groups that were formed from this, zb1 of course but i’ve also been in love with onepact (jongwoo was one of my favorite contestants, especially during the home performance), xlov (rui was another one of my favorites and is completely unrecognizable in his new group in a good way), and the other groups formed from the bonds made during this show. while this program is far from perfect and definitely problematic, great things came out of it that i’m thankful for.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“Thank you for everything.”
what starts as an action-fueled zombie flick quickly turns into one of the most tearjerking and depressing movies i’ve seen as we enter the second half and characters begin to drop like flies. this movie decides to focus on the preexisting stories of the living rather than the origins of the dead and by introducing these characters to us at the end of their lives we can somehow understand them as if we’ve known them for the years leading up to this train ride. the tense scenes are top-notch and every single death made me bawl my eyes out. i cry for a solid five minutes after the final death scene every time i watch this.Was this review helpful to you?
