This review may contain spoilers
Somebody With Vision, Nobody With a Plan
Disclaimer: This was my second viewing of Somebody. When it first aired, I found it chaotic, abstract, and overly dependent on shock value. Watching it again now, it’s less frightening — but the plot holes stand out more clearly. At the same time, I appreciate its artistic intentions far more than before.
Acting / Cast
The ensemble cast elevates the drama beyond its narrative flaws. Kim Young Kwang, as architect/serial killer Seong Yun O, delivers a chilling, magnetic performance — elegant, predatory, and unsettlingly calm. He embodies the kind of villain who is terrifying precisely because he is controlled. Kim Yong Ji is equally captivating as Im Mok Won, a lesbian shaman whose enigmatic presence adds a supernatural texture to the series. She brings nuance into a world otherwise dominated by cold digital logic. Other characters vary in effectiveness, with Yeong Gi Eun’s illogical and reckless behavior pulling the story down more often than it should.
Score: 8/10
Writing
This is where my feelings remain conflicted. Conceptually, the drama is fascinating: digital intimacy, AI-mediated desire, and the difficulty of distinguishing authenticity from manipulation in the era of dating apps. The story also hides a clever linguistic play — a kind of internal title pun: 썸바디 (Somebody) uses 썸, a Korean slang meaning flirtation or almost dating > the main character is Kim Sum (김섬) — pronounced almost identically > her AI creation is named “Someone”, which visually plays like “Sum-one” or 섬1, as if the machine is her first and closest companion. This layering of 썸 / Sum / Someone is one of the more intelligent and playful aspects of the story, reflecting how blurred the line becomes between human connection and artificial simulation.
Yet despite this sophistication, the narrative execution is unfocused. The plot wanders, suspense drags too long without reward, and by the time the finale arrives, everything feels both abrupt and oddly tidy. Kim Sum’s portrayal as having “Asperger’s” — already an outdated term — feels inconsistent and poorly researched. She is presented as someone who cannot interpret basic emotions yet is somehow capable of engineering complex AI systems and a full-scale dating platform. Instead of nuanced representation, it leans into contradiction for convenience. Meanwhile, the police officer Gi Eun repeatedly endangers herself with absolute disregard for logic, even after barely surviving a violent encounter.
Score: 4/10
Direction / SFX / Music
The direction remains the drama’s anchor. Every frame is stylized yet minimalistic. The quiet emptiness of the settings, the sterile architecture, the eerie ritual scenes — all create a visual environment that’s both hypnotic and suffocating. The soundtrack complements this atmosphere: pulsing, cold, and detached, yet effective in building tension. The cinematography and SFX feel deliberate and controlled, offering a polished backdrop that often outshines the script.
Score: 7/10
Entertainment Value
My viewing experience changed substantially on rewatch. The shock value is far less potent, and without that layer, the cracks in the storytelling become more visible. The suspense is stretched too thin, the narrative loses direction, and the explicit 21+ scenes — while beautifully shot — sometimes overshadow the plot rather than deepen it. Some viewers joke that the drama’s main selling point is the explicit content, and I can partially agree. Those scenes are unusually graphic for Korean TV and end up drawing disproportionate focus. Still, the atmosphere, performances, and stylistic confidence kept me engaged, even when the story failed to support them.
Score: 6/10
Somebody is a series I appreciate more for its artistic intentions than for its storytelling. It is visually striking, thematically ambitious, and supported by magnetic performances. But the writing lacks consistency, character logic falters, and the emotional core never fully materializes. Even so, the layered title pun and the exploration of digital-era intimacy give it a distinct identity.
If you enjoy atmospheric, stylish psychological dramas and can overlook narrative imperfections, Somebody is worth watching at least once. Just don’t expect a tightly constructed thriller — because that’s not what it is.
Overall score: 7/10
Acting / Cast
The ensemble cast elevates the drama beyond its narrative flaws. Kim Young Kwang, as architect/serial killer Seong Yun O, delivers a chilling, magnetic performance — elegant, predatory, and unsettlingly calm. He embodies the kind of villain who is terrifying precisely because he is controlled. Kim Yong Ji is equally captivating as Im Mok Won, a lesbian shaman whose enigmatic presence adds a supernatural texture to the series. She brings nuance into a world otherwise dominated by cold digital logic. Other characters vary in effectiveness, with Yeong Gi Eun’s illogical and reckless behavior pulling the story down more often than it should.
Score: 8/10
Writing
This is where my feelings remain conflicted. Conceptually, the drama is fascinating: digital intimacy, AI-mediated desire, and the difficulty of distinguishing authenticity from manipulation in the era of dating apps. The story also hides a clever linguistic play — a kind of internal title pun: 썸바디 (Somebody) uses 썸, a Korean slang meaning flirtation or almost dating > the main character is Kim Sum (김섬) — pronounced almost identically > her AI creation is named “Someone”, which visually plays like “Sum-one” or 섬1, as if the machine is her first and closest companion. This layering of 썸 / Sum / Someone is one of the more intelligent and playful aspects of the story, reflecting how blurred the line becomes between human connection and artificial simulation.
Yet despite this sophistication, the narrative execution is unfocused. The plot wanders, suspense drags too long without reward, and by the time the finale arrives, everything feels both abrupt and oddly tidy. Kim Sum’s portrayal as having “Asperger’s” — already an outdated term — feels inconsistent and poorly researched. She is presented as someone who cannot interpret basic emotions yet is somehow capable of engineering complex AI systems and a full-scale dating platform. Instead of nuanced representation, it leans into contradiction for convenience. Meanwhile, the police officer Gi Eun repeatedly endangers herself with absolute disregard for logic, even after barely surviving a violent encounter.
Score: 4/10
Direction / SFX / Music
The direction remains the drama’s anchor. Every frame is stylized yet minimalistic. The quiet emptiness of the settings, the sterile architecture, the eerie ritual scenes — all create a visual environment that’s both hypnotic and suffocating. The soundtrack complements this atmosphere: pulsing, cold, and detached, yet effective in building tension. The cinematography and SFX feel deliberate and controlled, offering a polished backdrop that often outshines the script.
Score: 7/10
Entertainment Value
My viewing experience changed substantially on rewatch. The shock value is far less potent, and without that layer, the cracks in the storytelling become more visible. The suspense is stretched too thin, the narrative loses direction, and the explicit 21+ scenes — while beautifully shot — sometimes overshadow the plot rather than deepen it. Some viewers joke that the drama’s main selling point is the explicit content, and I can partially agree. Those scenes are unusually graphic for Korean TV and end up drawing disproportionate focus. Still, the atmosphere, performances, and stylistic confidence kept me engaged, even when the story failed to support them.
Score: 6/10
Somebody is a series I appreciate more for its artistic intentions than for its storytelling. It is visually striking, thematically ambitious, and supported by magnetic performances. But the writing lacks consistency, character logic falters, and the emotional core never fully materializes. Even so, the layered title pun and the exploration of digital-era intimacy give it a distinct identity.
If you enjoy atmospheric, stylish psychological dramas and can overlook narrative imperfections, Somebody is worth watching at least once. Just don’t expect a tightly constructed thriller — because that’s not what it is.
Overall score: 7/10
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