lord_varvara

I find them too predictable and samey. With the exception of Kingdom, it's always the same tropes, same plots, same characters played by different actors. Also, I've never seen historical dramas that wear the same clothes for 100s even 1000 years. In Western dramas, characters from 1801 are not going to dress the same like characters from 1830 for examples, but sageuk characters dress the same whether the story is set 1000 years ago, 600 years ago or 200 years ago. It's evolutionary impossible to wear the same fashion for so long. It must be just lazy costume department. Also, no offense but lamp hats and white socks are ugly fashion items. I cannot take anyone seriously as a warrior if he wears white socks. Sorry culture or no culture white socks are NO!

I guess Korean market devours them (patriotism?) but they are doing poorly on Netflix. I don't bother with them but I check Netflix rankings and they are at the bottom.

Game of Thrones

Another K drama that shares the name with an American or European movie. I secretly hoped this was a remake cause Van trier's Melancholia cause the premise is pretty bonkers.

it's good to know that a number of terrible dramas (Lovers, Doom, that one with constipated Rowoon) have at least a redeeming ost. As GOT proved, OST can be an unsung hero. Even when Season 8 sucked (well, make it Season 5 to 8 with one or 2 episode per season 5-6 excepted). OST was divine.

So more power to composers and singers! Great thread to honor their work!

ha ha same. such a loon but I appreciate they have a character like that on the show. I hate her and I'm ridiculously intrigued. The toxic one that needs to go away is the youngest wife, the coal mascara wife. She's awful but in a mundane been there done that way. We've seen those types before and better. But erotomaniac stepmother is something else.

I see. hard to keep track who was offered what but people mostly remember who accepted what. so if you hear that actor X accepted a supporting role after just seeing him in a supporting role, that creates illusion that he was never offered a lead. While actor Y is always in the news for accepting leading roles.

all of this. I see that she's on some reality show with Lee Seung Gi lol. Why is he doing trash like that? Isn't he a big star? But anyway, staying away from that thing because of her. And yes, her ridiculous eye-expressions are just unbearable. if there was an actor unsuitable for acting it's her. It's like looking a loon try to act.

me too. I was, like, no way! That's Gong Yoo ha ha. And he was absolutely awesome. What perfect casting for such a cool role. Absolute chad.

SG had great package, just great. I mean, look at the first gif, it isn't even close.

I wouldn't call either drama too emotional. I think both had enough of it to keep audience engaged but not too much to need Kleenex if you know what I mean. :)

I also think that people REALLY loved Gong Yoo as the Slapchad. That was one of those instantly iconic cameos that you just want to re-enact ha ha. Everyone was talking about him. AIB didn't have that kind of Easter Egg, though, granted, huge number of SG audience unfamiliar with K dramas and K cinema just loved the character without the extra oomph that's knowing what a big star he is.

But yes, I can see why there will be a continuing SG or AIB debate and SG success reignited interest in AIB so that's very good. Call it a synergy.

I like strategy too. I just think that drama quality drop once they reach the beachhouse was sharper than SG's last 2 episodes. At least SG had that twist that makes you rewind the film and see familiar scenes in different light.

that's why I said "mainstream" but should have rephrase it as mainstream from Western POV. There, deathgame with unwilling participants is (almost) a rule.

I think Squid Game became more popular because it turned the deathgame concept on its head, at least the concept that is mainstream. Instead of having a group of people who are forced to play the deadly games (Hunger Games, Battle Royale, AIB, Escape Room, Saw) , Squid Game is all about choice to play at all. You see, in a typical deathgame where participants are unwilling, it's all about how far they will go to survive the game that they cannot stop playing because there's no such option. Here, there's an option to vote against continuation but there's a lure of the prize above all else. So that's an extra dilemma that drives characters' motivations and provides a more interesting dynamic than just "nooo, I don't want to kill...oops I just did!". Also, oversall idea to give child games a deadly spin resonates more than complicated games typical of the genre (see AIB). There's something very unnerving and fascinating if a familiar, harmless thing is used as a tool for terror because it makes everything grounded as in "this could actually happen". Unlike more fantastical games.

I think that both dramas have stronger start and middle than last batch of episodes. In AIB case, change of setting (beach house) wasn't nearly as effective as the city, while Squid Game's rich VIPs were just terrible in every sense and could have been easily removed from the drama.

Finally, Squid Game was designed with memes in mind. instantly catchy, colorful, easy to replicate for cosplay tracksuits and masks, familiar classical music, creepy giant doll that kills or at least points the snipers whom to kill, the tone change from euphoria to horror while still remaining fun - that was one helluva marketing and the drama delivered most of the time. There were easy to distinguish characters, the ones to cheer, the ones to boo, the ones to keep you on the edge, a few twists, 2 big uncredited crowd-pleasing big name cameos, it really had it all.

I think that Alice lost the character appeal with the change in the part of the cast. The original crew ( from before the beach house) was better, had better chemsitry, made more sense, and had viewer's emotional investment. It also didn't have the kind of a big twist that got everyone talking that SG had, nor those fun A list cameos that created chatter whether they will be back and in what capacity .

In short, SG is a more buzzy concept and execution.

same. I still can't forgive the bait and switch with Italy. I honestly thought the drama would take place there the whole time! lmao what was I thinking? :)

well, those essays received replies so it looks like they are read. Also, having too much time on my hands to criticize a wooden actress >>>>> defending the said actress without having any investment to do so since you are neither her agency nor her mom. :)

perhaps it was crap role from his POV. from my POV, his role in Vincenzo was great while Vincenzo was a crap role, total Gary Stu. Also, FL role was crap cause she was just ridiculous, inconsistent and you could remove her from the story which would only tighten up the plot.

yep my eyes glaze over every time I see something is based on a webtoon. Sorry but not convinced webtoon = quality.

another poster says he declined a leading role in another drama. I think that was a Netflix drama that both he and LDH declined. IMO< it's better to take an interesting side role than a boring lead and then take it from there.

if it was a crap role or something he felt wasn't for him, good on him. Too many actors and actresses think they are perfect for something but they are not. Some level of objectivity is needed. also, I admire actors who don't accept just about anything just because it's a leading role. without naming any names, some actors should pause and reconsider dramas they keep signing on on.

she was terrible in every conceivable way - unlikable beyond belief, bad actress whose attempt at dual role boiled down to "good" character cries, bad characters laughs but otherwise there was no difference cause she looked evil all the time (crazy eyes), ZERO chemistry with her leading man who wasn't better either. Just awful. No way I give her a chance ever again.