Head-scratcher as Japan is full of great writing - not this one
It's not feel-good, it's not cute, it's not sad, funny, mysterious, exciting, it doesn't even intend to anger although it ends up doing that. There is a toxic story that is clear on its intention, and then there is this that is lukewarm on every aspect. Just what is the purpose? It portrays yet another weak female who gets taken advantage of because she lacks opinions, and in the beginning she's encouraged to take a stand for herself only for that to later be used as the attractive point (no opinion, doesn't stand up for something = goes with anything = a guy's fantasy). With that you have the male who does with her whatever he wants from touching to kissing, while the female recoils, unsure, and most of all, he made her feel that his affection didn't belong to her. He made her a bigger liar than she already was. Did she enjoy? Yes, with pain and disgust. Did he enjoy? Yes, without realizing what he put her through, and without her realizing what he put her though.Liars are given an easy pass. They get an ending that I don't think we need more of in fiction.
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I didn't look for the A-list actress, the A-list actress found me
Is she evil is she good? I guess you'll never know. That's exactly what makes Go Hyun Jung so irresistible to watch. She embodies ambiguity with precision. It was a fun surprise to learn she was also in Mask Girl considering I found her acting amusingly spectacular there, and this was no different.It becomes clear that the twists exist less for depth and more to stall before unveiling the real antagonist. Still, it's not a bad ride.
Having seen many in the same genre, the lack of chemistry of the investigating team here was difficult to overlook. There are archetypes filled in every k-crime series. In this one, several characters drifted either toward caricature or underdeveloped.
In summary, Go Hyun Jung was this drama's defining force and she made it worth it.
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Experience becomes better when viewed as a movie rather than a drama
The first aspect that stood out was Yohan's name being rare in k-dramas, which leads me to believe he is a direct reference to Johan Liebert, the benchmark of manipulator antagonists, though the two diverge significantly. Unlike Liebert’s subtle psychological coercion, Ahn Yohan issues direct commands to his targets. In this context, The Manipulated feels like a misnomer.Initially the episodes were feeling dull until I started seeing it under the lens of an action movie. The story begins to gain momentum by episode six. A glimmer of hope emerges, but the good-natured protagonist relentlessly gets hit by one misfortune after another. I found myself deliberately staying stoic to avoid becoming frustrated by the storytelling. In the end the antagonist had a way to burrow under the viewer's skin. The supporting characters also succeeded in eliciting emotion. Both enhance the show's merit.
The characters fall into recognizable archetypes and stock roles, which makes it feel hollow. That said, the cast brings enough charm to make it overall enjoyable.
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What should she have done then?
The lead actress asks the same question.Those who demand to deny choice in the pro-life vs pro-choice debate rarely volunteer to shoulder the hardships of the would be mother. Likewise, are the people condemning her willing to shield her from the forces bent on suffocating her?
This isn’t an endorsement of her actions nor an absolution, rather an invitation to recognize the weight and complexity of lives we do not live and acknowledge that moral certainty is easy when it is not us who bear the consequences.
It is one of several dramas with morally twisted protagonists but why I think the show rises above surface level appeal is that despite the cards already in her hands she does not seek to make her life more "interesting" than necessary. She moves through her world not looking for enemies who just happen to relentlessly come to punch her so she punches harder. Her actions stem from survival not villainous desire to orchestrate just anyone's downfall, though at some point it came at the cost of few innocent people.
The drama delivers an episode8-level bomb (kdrama watchers know this) as early as episode three. The first two are their own bam and kaboom too, then it breathes and adds enriching layers to the webtoon.
There are a few points where it falters:
Initially, the narrative moved as if it showed comic panels rather than achieving a seamless flow. The school antagonist's recklessness felt inconsistent with her status as a top student. It was strange that she would be bold enough to antagonize Ah Jin so publicly alone with minimal family influence. It still felt artificial, the acting still felt like a performance. She returns later to contribute little beyond superfluous screen time. The tension between Jae Oh and his father lacked, Ah Jin's manipulative lines to young Junseo bordered cartoonish- she was more subtle in the webtoon.
But by episode three, all of that changes. The emotions sharpen and the story takes off to find its rhythm.
The spectacular restraint gives the portrayal depth. Her laugh does not slip into an over-the-top deranged laugh and her cry bears no resemblance to the familiar cry of a wronged victim. She fills the spaces with an unsettling mix of emotions revealing an emotionally nuanced character, who is molded by circumstance so she decided to shape it in return. The show is brilliant at focusing on that. There is a toxic devotion in the background, sub themes of corruption, power, jealousy, meaning of love, the promise of a savior, but at the end of the day this is all about her and her story alone.
Whether the series wins you over or not, it is far from a wasted viewing. It offers several elements that are objectively impressive: the portrayal of the actors including the children, the storytelling choices, cinematography, the score and silence at the right moments. The parallels and symbolic imagery are fun subtle easter eggs for the sharp-eyed as well.
Ultimately on a viewer-level, suspense, delight, heartache, awe, disbelief, laughter, tears, laughter through tears, gripping hair .. DearX broke records for how fast it made me feel everything.
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Still offers something new after all these years of watching action movies
I was in a joyless mood and looking for something cool without requiring thought: if I would guess a team coming together, some training, gadgets, the usual spy fantasy, under a great mentor. While the intention was cognitive suspension, I suddenly found myself sitting up just to properly watch The Shadow.I also assumed my interest was primarily for Jackie Chan, but the title turned out to be surprisingly accurate. The Shadow really is the point: unnerving, intriguing. The story itself is as straightforward as it gets and can feel predictable, but the action alone justifies the experience. There aren't many movies now that I imagine would be enjoyable in a theater, and in this economy? This one leaves a sense of longing for the big screen.
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The reveals remain impactful even for someone who was spoiled
There's acting that moves the audience to applaud in awe while watching, and then there's Lee Seung-gi whose performance is so immersive that it’s easy to forget I'm watching a drama. The feeling of it being very natural is primarily the reason I want to give the show the highest rating.Within the landscape of detective kdramas Mouse has one of the most efficient character utilization. Even though the cast fulfills familiar character templates - the cool chief, the slightly clueless but useful sidekick, the rat, the dependable detective, the rival, the ex partners, and the detective who crosses between good and evil with compelling reason - the portrayal is balanced and does not lean on exaggerated clichés.
Where the storytelling stumbles is the abrupt disconnect in the middle. From a cohesive narrative episode by episode the jarring transition to an unrelated arc pulls the viewer out of the previously built momentum.
I give merit to the idea of science-fiction though it does not appeal to me. The morality discussion will be left to those who are inclined to dig into it.
One aspect surprisingly overlooked is the mother’s role. With her insistence on shouldering the blame for her son, she never fully confronts that she maneuvered circumstances that significantly shaped who the characters became. The pd lady was another character with useless lines. Aside from her program being too convenient for the plot, she attempts to position herself as a key figure especially in moments where she provokes the “father of all psychopaths” only to ultimately contribute little to none. The plot is better served by the two other characters who take over the crucial end.
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In this age where mental health takes priority, are we really interested in the
character development or lack thereof of a player and a reckless woman?I wanted to see what the writer tried to achieve. The message is unsubtly expressed by:
a) the professor - "It must have been tough, but it was worth it wasn't it? You've spread your wings. There's no need to overthink it. Eat what you want. Do what you want to do. Like the people you like. That's all you have to do"
b) the aunt who respects the female lead's mother for going out with whoever because she is not afraid to "love"
c) the development (or not) of the male lead.
Bring back stoning for communicating an idea that should not be entertained for the sake of women's safety.
Is this the work of someone who tries to justify their past? Are they convincing themselves there is nothing to regret because it's just a part of life to have your dignity removed by yourself sometime, somewhere? Or is it the work of someone trying to appeal to the dreamers that there is such a thing as accomplishment in being 'that' person a player had [a brief] romance with?
Forcing a deep thought in an otherwise played out story, it urges one to ponder that there is not one way to live life correctly. Life is to be experienced. This happens, so what? That happens, so what? We grow from mistakes we only learn after they're done... all of this is true.
BUT in the face of one that we are aware of? It's not very "so what." It defines what kind of person we want to be.
On the other hand, the show can also be a reminder of the growth women have reached in their life. It's very easy to spot now danger signs and the mind no longer falters at deciding.
I almost dropped it because at least two of the side characters were painfully childish, but it's not all bad.
What I like about it is that the intimate scenes are not slapped on the drama for the audience. It has just the right amount and right videography for the characters. It may be frustrating to see stupid decisions but the characters portray their roles close to reality:
- the woman devoid of self-respect, filling a hole that she thinks must come from being valued by a man, aware she deserves better but "what if..", the excitement of the forbidden, the inner rebel that is freed despite the pain that comes with it
- the man keeping her confused, saying and doing just enough to keep her on a leash but reserving more than enough to be unreachable.
The attention to details is worth a compliment. She physically shrinks in front of him, not in a play-a-character kind of way but how a manipulated person behave in the real world. The male lead shows emotion only twice in 10 episodes, faint and yet strong to move the audience. But should we believe this? Is it ground to give the person a chance for newfound sincerity? I lose one experience and that's it. I'm not too hungry for such heedless interests.
The OSTs had me shazaming every now and then.
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Brings back feelings I almost forgot!
The premise is pretty simple and you'd have to close eyes about the coincidences but it's all worth it as the characters are such a joy to watch. It's mostly focused on two couples and an overbearing grandmother, but my favorite support are the female lead's father and the male lead's secretary.I don't often find dramas with osts that aren't either too quiet or too loud at the most cliche times, so I'm biased when the soundtrack is done right. The original music of this drama isn't shy to add to the full experience of enjoying the scenes.
Choi Hyun Wook just climbed up the top of the versatile Korean actors to watch out for in my book with roles varying from melodrama to comedy to action.
Moon Ga Young's character is headstrong. Such in dramas can sometimes be stereotypical or annoying but hers involves practicality and understandable innocence.
I appreciate the attempt at covering what's considered "weird and low" in certain societies such as having particular hobbies, being divorced, a soft man pursuing a woman in a serious way without making the character humorous to pair with the cinema of a dominant woman.
It's a lovely drama that makes me remember a relationship can feel good.
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Chaotic yet brings a feeling of steadiness
In this era of skimming through series at 2x speed, this drama demanded to be watched at its own rhythm.The narrative is beautifully crafted offering nothing gut-wrenching but plenty OH.. moments without forcing shock and dragging out reveals. When it feels like the world is burning and everything is falling apart, it pulls the viewer back to a proper, grounded story. I doubted it at one point thinking they added a piece just for the sake of it, but each piece was strung together with clarity. Before long I was already caught up in the chain of "who did what" and where do I stand on this.
It’s one of the best-cast dramas regardless of how I feel about the characters or actors; everyone makes sense. The intelligence and vision of everyone involved in this production are highlighted in the way Judge Son Hyun Joo delivers his lines and chairman Kim Myung Min shapes the direction of the story.
The show engages with questions of moral complexity. - why you root for some sides, it's not just two sides, why you hesitate to root for others, why you can’t root for anyone at all, or why you change your mind about it - but it doesn't flex that theme to preach and pose itself as a profound drama.
What's profound is Son Hyun Joo's delivery. I’ve mentioned it before and it deserves to be mentioned again.
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