As a vegetarian from a mostly land-locked country my mind boggles at all the marine life that is consumed in this show!!! Had to stop watching because of that - those poor creatures! Do Koreans really eat that much sea food on a regular basis or is this just due to the set-up of this show???
I love this show! The basic setting reminds me a lot of "Dae Janggeum/Jewel in the palace" as both feature a predominantly female world with set rules and regulations that a uniquely gifted but disadvantaged outside character is trying to penetrate and succeed in. Totally sparked off an interest in pansori - luckily there's a lot of great explanatory content on YT!
is this good? I am wondering if I should give it a try even thought I watched Revenant and I would feel weird…
I love it, so far. If you're interested in traditional Korean arts such as pansori or theatre and a bit of their historical developments, you may find this show very rewarding. It is female-led, which is something I really appreciate. All the main characters are women. The actors are superb (as usual...) - esp. Ra Mi Ran. I can't wait for more episodes!
Kim Tae Ri plays a feisty, resillient, tom-boyish, young woman - the character is considered to have just reached adulthood, so is much youngerthan the characters she usually plays, like in Revenant, for example. She does a good job of portraying the impulsiveness and naiveness of this girl/woman.
Episode one is such a hatchet job! Totally confusing, narratively all over the place. I love science fiction but this storyline is impossible to follow. Maybe it's due to some panicky editing because of the well-known issue with the ML....if so, it's a shame because I suspect there's an intriguing plot and decent TV show buried underneath the frantic unlinear story-telling.
I gave this show 2 tries because of the stellar cast - but I'm afraid to say I just cannot get into it. The historical setting is very complicated, there are just too many characters introduced in episode 1 and I find it impossible to keep track of who is who and what is going on. I'm not completely ignorant of Korean history but it seems this storyline is easier to follow for a Korean audience or really eager history buffs. Maybe a tauter screenplay would have helped?
Anyway, I always struggle somehow with TV series or movies depicting 20th century Korean history because I know most of the events ended unhappily or unsuccessful. I think maybe that's why I often cannot fully commit on an emotional level with the protagonists.
(I dropped Mr Sunshine, for example, bec. I knew in the end all efforts for Korean independence were futile and somehow this spoiled my entertainment .... Weird... I know it's ficticious characters I am watching, but still I can't put aside my disappointment at their eventual failure or demise...)
I just read this news in a British newspaper and I was so shocked! I love Lee Sun-Kyu, just watched 'Sleep' last week and before that 'Diary of a Prosecutor - which I loved due to its light-hearted and clever humour.... And now this....😔😔😔 Such sad sad news! To think we will never get to see him acting again in new productions. He was so talented! I'm at a loss for words. His poor family, they must feel devastated... 😔
Can anyone recommend a site with decent English subtitles for episode 13?? The ones I found so far are so terrible, it's impossible to watch! NONE of the personal pronouns seems to match EVER!!! For anyone having to rely on the subs it's akin to torture watching this sh*te!! Please, are there some subs out there somewhere that make sense??
It feels like train to Busan was just a lucky hit, all other recent work by this writer has sucked or been extremely…
I consider Train to Busan as a masterpiece, it's absolutely brilliant in my opinion. Therefore, I think the writer/director deserves nothing but respect. Having achieved such perfection once in a working life is enough, I think. It's unrealistic to expect somebody to reach such high standards again and again. I will definitely check this out.
And also: wasn't Hellbound really well-received in the US/UK?
'Live' is easily one of my favorite korean shows, shame it never got a second season
I agree! I loved 'Live' and I do like Bae Sung Woo. Glad to hear he's back! The severe censure/ ostracism re. drunk driving in South Korea is regretable - but it's good to see that actors are given a second chance after some time has passed.
I love the slow, elegiac pace of this drama. It's slow, but not boring, quite the opposite, watching the two leads communicate so painstakingly slowly is fascinating! I don't know how they* do this, but I can't get enough of those looong close-up shots of the lead's faces. I find the slow pace very soothing and calming. A beautiful show! Just right for dark dreary cold winter nights.
this drama is so so good, probably the best this year
It's very well written, in my opinion. All characters have interesting aspects, mysteries, backstories that makes you look forward to the coming episodes. I hate the physical violence (but I always do in K-dramas and have come to accept this) but most of it does make sense within the framework of the storyline.
The basic setting reminds me a lot of "Dae Janggeum/Jewel in the palace" as both feature a predominantly female world with set rules and regulations that a uniquely gifted but disadvantaged outside character is trying to penetrate and succeed in.
Totally sparked off an interest in pansori - luckily there's a lot of great explanatory content on YT!
I can't wait for more episodes!
Kim Tae Ri plays a feisty, resillient, tom-boyish, young woman - the character is considered to have just reached adulthood, so is much youngerthan the characters she usually plays, like in Revenant, for example. She does a good job of portraying the impulsiveness and naiveness of this girl/woman.
The historical setting is very complicated, there are just too many characters introduced in episode 1 and I find it impossible to keep track of who is who and what is going on. I'm not completely ignorant of Korean history but it seems this storyline is easier to follow for a Korean audience or really eager history buffs. Maybe a tauter screenplay would have helped?
Anyway, I always struggle somehow with TV series or movies depicting 20th century Korean history because I know most of the events ended unhappily or unsuccessful. I think maybe that's why I often cannot fully commit on an emotional level with the protagonists.
(I dropped Mr Sunshine, for example, bec. I knew in the end all efforts for Korean independence were futile and somehow this spoiled my entertainment .... Weird... I know it's ficticious characters I am watching, but still I can't put aside my disappointment at their eventual failure or demise...)
The rest was very good.
And now this....😔😔😔
Such sad sad news!
To think we will never get to see him acting again in new productions. He was so talented!
I'm at a loss for words. His poor family, they must feel devastated...
😔
And all because he (allegedly) consumed intoxicating substances, he did not sell or deal them, did no harm to anybody...but himself....
😩
Please, are there some subs out there somewhere that make sense??
Therefore, I think the writer/director deserves nothing but respect. Having achieved such perfection once in a working life is enough, I think. It's unrealistic to expect somebody to reach such high standards again and again. I will definitely check this out.
And also: wasn't Hellbound really well-received in the US/UK?
A beautiful show! Just right for dark dreary cold winter nights.
(*actors, screenwriter, director....)
I hate the physical violence (but I always do in K-dramas and have come to accept this) but most of it does make sense within the framework of the storyline.
This is very well written and the actors are great - esp. the young cast. The young couple is so charming and cute.