jennyanyd0ts

"Mad Concrete Dreams marks Ha Jung Woo's return to TV dramas after 19 years... "
Not true. What about "Narco-Saints/Surinam"?

Agree. I think his retirement announcement is a clever and mature way to handle the mud-slinging. It might take the wind out of the sail of his detractors and maybe he will come back some time in the future, as you suggested

of depicting depression. Most clinically depressed people don't walk around like living ghosts like Da Eun does in this clichéd story! You cannot tell by looking at somebody's face if they are depressed or not. For many people it's a chronic or re-curring condition that they have to learn to live with hence they often mask their true feelings to keep their condition secret.

Here, Da Eun might just as well walk around with a great big sign around her neck saying " Pity me, I'm depressed" .

Sooooo disappointing and backward.... but I suppose a reflection of how mental health issues are regarded in SK.

A full 10 points from me until episode 9....from then on the plot descends into the usual stereotypes unfortunately....

This news is sad. I've always enjoyed watching this actor for his solid presence and memorable looks... I recently rewatched Tree with Deep Roots and his reaction shots as the King's none-too-bright bodyguard Mu Ryul are so numerous and brilliantly funny... It's really regrettable we won't get to see him in future. 🙁 The kind of moral standards actors are supposed to live up to in South Korea are hard to understand and accept.

Just had to drop this after holding out for 9 episodes in the hope the plot would become clearer or they would stop adding more and more AND more characters with each episode!

I am a bit annoyed at the convoluted plot and all the umpteen princes, princesses, magistrates and uncles and masters and jiejies and didis and geges and members of the Jing family and and.. that keep being introduced (not very well) episode after episode..
Who can keep track of this chaotically humongous number of players....?

Well, I certainly give up...

Very poorly written.

I will continue to watch because it's still a cracking good story and I ❤ jidaigeki...
I was just soooo weirded out when I watched episode 1 and had this constant deja vu feeling....

Thank you for your replies.... I suppose it's not that rare to have plots re-used and re-imagined. We get that in alot of Hollywood fare, too, but my point here is in the details. It's not just the general set-up of "death games " that I found so similar but all of the detailled plot points I described above that are just 1:1 repeated (ripped off?) from Squid Game.

As I was watching I was getting more and more incredulous at those familiar deja-vu moments. Then when they showed some kind of evil masterminds, i.e. modern/capitalist Western oriented business types watching with glee while the players massacre each other - that was the tipping point for me.... It's EXACTLY the same as the "VIPs" in Squid Game!!!!!
Or is this also a typical trope of these death games type of stories????

Thoroughly enjoyed the first episode.... but I cannot be the only one to be eerily reminded of the plot of SQUID GAME !! ?

The whole set-up of a group of (destitute) down-on-their luck players entering an obscure game, they only find out later that their will pay with their lives if they don't follow the rules, rule-breakers are immediately shot by rifling squads who surround the players, everybody given a number to ID themselves...!!* , the prize pot alluringly presented to everybody, the sinister rich watchers from afar...... Honestly, the list goes on and on!!That's all identical to Squid Game!!!!

(*I haven't checked yet, if the number of players (456) is identical, too, to the Korean show. I actually wouldn't be surprised - though that would REALLY be taking the biscuit!!! )

Honestly, the similarities are so glaring!! !! I wonder who pinched whose ideas here? Or that there haven't been any plagiarism allegations or law suits filed, yet!! !!
I'm baffled and stunned...

Very good bittersweet drama with heart-warming depictions of female friendships and relations across generations. Love it!

I really enjoyed this drama (unexpectedly) because of its unusual setting, the fantastic Kim Hye Ja and some really imaginative plot ideas. All actors are fabulous and sell this fantastical story really well! But the last episode is the worst I've ever seen! Terrible, just terrible.... Whatever got into the director and/or writer to put such words into the mouth of their actors??? It's soooooo cringeworthy!

Watched 2 episodes so far and I think the underlying plot idea with elite sportspeople becoming police officers is quite original. First time seeing Heo Sung Tae in a funny role - usually he's a crook or villain - and I think he's very good. The humour is a bit slapsticky and in-your-face, but it seems this is typically Korean
I've seen this before in dramas and it always made me drop a show....

👍

Kisskh.co
I use a VPN and IPs from Europe.

I only started this today and I'm already hooked just from watching one episode. Great (melo)dramatic storyline, intriguing strong female characters, beautiful historic setting.... What more could you ask for....? I'll have to pace myself to not watch more than one episode per day, otherwise the fun will be over too soon..

Shitty comment - this is one of the best Korean actors alive ! He always adds gravitas, dignity and oozes charisma in all of his roles and all you see is "an old face"..??? I love his face, since it is so full of character and reflects experience and a past life.

If you like fantasy worlds with lots of plot twists and turns this show is for you. I enjoyed it immensely - I especially loved all the strong female characters who have a lot to say and are pivotal to the storyline.
Though the visuals are sometimes a bit disappointing, the story is intriguing and the actors are all so excellent that the sometimes a bit cheapish looking set can be forgiven.

You're not alone with your confusion... I found the policeman's story the most confusing. I can't remember why he ended up in the afterlife world, either! He wasn't a passenger on the bus, or was he? There are lots of plot holes regarding this character I think...

Intruiging and mysterious with interesting twists and revelations for the patient viewer.
But what a weird disappointing ending!! Near the end of the last episode - or what I thought would be an ideal point for the story to draw to a coherent closure - - they added some kind of aftermath/postscript scenes which ruined the show's impact for me. The show should have ended at that point because from then on for the last 20 or 30 minutes the story just descends into incomprehensible, superfluous piffle.

Thank you