Jin Tae-Seok is truly the final boss of this daily. Hye-Ra found out that Tae-Seok (Chairman Two-Face) tried to kill Jung-Won. And now she teamed up with Ha-Neul, Mi-Hyang, Secretary Hwang (who's gone rogue and I love it), and Secretary Yoon. And THEN Nan-Suk too? She's collecting allies like Pokemon! I'm actually excited to see what she does, I'm fine with her redemption-through-revenge arc.
Young-Chae... I do not believe for one second that she truly loves Se-Hun. My theory? She's using him and trying to get him to the top as a form of revenge *for* Jung-Won. Which is genuinely interesting. This makes her character more interesting and not just "an antagonist to be an antagonist". She has a purpose other than opposing Jung-Won. Love it. As for Se-Hun... he's a pathetic idiot. In WHAT WORLD would you directly tell someone- especially a serial killing, ruthless, psychopathic, obsessive businessman- that you're blackmailing them? Are you fucking stupid or what?! I'm calling it now- he's Secretary Hwang's son. I was thinking that since the midpoint part of the drama. Also, it turns out that Tae-Seok did indeed have his first wife killed. Evil, sick man. Wait till he finds out that Jung-Won is his bio daughter. (How come no one's questioned why their blood types matched?)
And the mother of all twists- Nan-Suk didn't kill Ju Sang-Chul (although he was abusive and she *did* attempt to kill him), it was... Tae-Seok! That actually surprised me! I'm very curious about Young-Chae's bio father (Mr. Shin) now. Will he make an appearance at some point? Will he help Jung-Won with her revenge (if she wakes up and doesn't die?) The Nan-Suk/Hye-Ra alliance should be very fun to see. I can't wait to see how they'll take down Chairman Two-Face. (Chairman Psycho, maybe?) Ha-Neul knows the truth, too. Oh boy! By far, my favorite dynamics in the drama so far are Nan-Suk and Secretary Gu, and Nan-Suk and Chef Hong/Grandma.
Now as for Tae-Seok trying to kill Jung-Won again... will he succeed? Who's gonna catch him first, Se-Mi (who has a conscience) or Ha-Neul, the upright hero? They need to move Jung-Won to a different hospital, and Jung-Won must wake up and be reborn for revenge soon! I can't wait to see her be ruthless and vengeful!
I looked up Lee Shia's Instagram, and she looks so much like Park Hana with the brown bob cut! Seems like Jung-Won…
Aaliyah is one of my faves! I love her!
People who think that Jung-Won is gonna stay the same (especially after being in a coma) are either dead-set on hating her, haven't watched daily dramas, or are just ignorant 😠I'd be in my villain era if someone threw me a damn building!
As someone whose fave right now is Nan-Suk, her being Sang-Chul's killer WAS quite the red herring... great job, writer, great job! That was actually a nice twist. I don't need redemption for her either, but her being a menace is great to see!
She seems to have a conscience and was genuinely shaken by what happened to Jung-Won. Se-Mi is more of a spoiled brat than a truly horrible person (plus, Young-Chae is manipulating her too.)
I just seen the pic on insta I thought it was a pic from the set …. Are they doing another woman who swallowed…
You know what, yeah 😂 but the whole makeover/power & wealth gain for revenge is one of the oldest tropes in anything regarding revenge in media. It happened in The Count of Monte-Cristo, Edmond Dantes becoming the titular Count (plus his other identity...) So it crossed over to k-dramas too, and daily revenge dramas LOVE, *LOVE* this trope for their hero(es)/heroine(s.) This drama is one of my favorite recent daily dramas for sure. I'm watching 2 other ones right now and another older non-daily makjang. You got this, man! Lol
Now that I've finished and mostly processed the finale, allow me to yap...
So, I pretty much loved this show. It was very dark, I'll say that right now. Darker than most dramas I've watched, and I watched all 3 seasons of Penthouse lol. The atmosphere was perfect. BUT! The cinematography, OST, and the acting? Amazing! That BGM kicked ass too! Also, Kim Yoo-Jung is now one of my favorite actresses... this is my first time seeing her as an adult. She made a seriously great impression on me. It's almost like she became Ah-Jin, and it was chilling to see. Kim Young-Dae surprised me as the brooding(?), but flawed and unlikable Jun-Seo... I was never a fan of his before, but his performance was great here. Kim Do-Hoon, who played the loyal but tragic Jae-Oh (RIP to him, he was a real ride-to-die...) I'm checking out more of his dramas. I already plan to watch Moving, because he blew me away here. Lee Yeol-Eum as Im (or is it Kim?) Lena... nothing much to say. She did a fine job. The supporting actors were all great too (it was nice to see Bae Soo-Bin again!)
The story and characters... I will admit, yes, I rooted for Ah-Jin because I love a villain origin story! Did she do terrible things? Absolutely. But I partially rooted for her out of spite, because some of the things people were saying here were wild. I love villain protagonists (YEAH, SHE'S A VILLAIN PROTAGONIST. SHE'S *EVIL!* SUCK IT UP!!!) in general. BUT she was my girl, her backstory with her parents (FUCK the dad) was so sad! It's toxic, it's complicated. Moving onto... Jun-Seo. This is a weird one, because I didn't like him, I found him to be hypocritical and selfish... but that reveal at the end... I didn't expect it. 👀 I'm still confused, though. was he the real villain of the story all along, or was it Ah-Jin? Really makes you think. Onto Jae-Oh... again, very tragic. I didn't like him at first, but when I actually got to know him, I felt so sorry for him! 😠He didn't deserve any of what he went through, and his relationship with Ah-Jin was so fucked up. Wow, my heart is still broken for him. Lena, I don't have much of anything to say about her, I didn't care about her nor did I like her. I was relieved when she left. Bye, bitch!
BEFORE I CONTINUE! Let me say right away, I didn't give a single SHIT ABOUT THE ROMANCE IN THIS SHOW. I did not ship Ah-Jin with Jun-Seo or Jae-Oh at all, not even when they were in high school. Jun-Seo had a massive savior complex and Jae-Oh was essentially in a symbiotic toxic friendship with her. I didn't even care about Lena's little crush on Jun-Seo, and even the relationship with In-Kang (that poor man...) and Ah-Jin felt somewhat out of place. (Yes, I know it was a part of Ah-Jin's plan, but still.)
Do-Hyuk... okay, while I think he was a great villain and I loved his slow introduction... he felt... kinda random? I was cool with him getting away with the awful stuff he did since it reflects real life (all too well), but... I think the issue is that he felt underdeveloped. Yes, and ended up being underwhelming. He drove his wife crazy, tormented Ah-Jin, and seems to be this total control freak, but... why? A backstory would've sufficed, a flashback, anything! Ah... the supporting characters. Sung-Hee? Got what she deserved, and I feel like there was no point to her character. And she reminded me too much of Ha Eun-Byul from Penthouse. Probably why I despised her lol, but In-Kang... another unfortunate casualty of Ah-Jin's ambition. Also didn't care for him. CEO Seo was fine. Ji-Sun- I HATE YOU BITCH! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU AND I HOPE YOU DIED IN THE FINALE FOR REAL! GO TO HELL!!!!! (Yes, the actress did an amazing job.) The grandmother is the only one I had some sympathy for, along with the baseball player (Mr. Choi.) I like that Mr. Choi ended up being one of the few decent people in the end.
Critiques? Some scenes honestly felt too drawn out to the point where it was awkward. Lots of staring, lots of silence, interesting shots. It was likely a stylistic choice, but it kinda hurt the pacing of the drama for me. This is common in k-dramas, though, so whatever. Second, Ah-Jin being tormented by Do-Hyuk went... nowhere? It was beyond stressful to watch, yeah. I feel like she should've realized he was "toying with her", then faked being crazy and killed him "accidentally". Now that would've been WILD! Third, the final episode... I'm still confused. Was Ah-Jin really a sociopath or not? Was it all through Jun-Seo's perspective? What was the point of the documentary? Why did Jun-Seo pick up Ah-Jin when she went into the street? And why did Jun-Seo turn on her like that when he was enabling her all along? I loved the final scenes, though. I hope there's a season 2 that explains everything, or bonus/special episodes... something. (I also wish it wasn't a miniseries, but I can't complain.) I guess the ending being open-ended was fine, it's unconventional which is what I liked about it. Sometimes the best ending is a pyrrhic victory- getting what you want, but at the ultimate cost.
My rating... tricky. This is one of the best (non daily/makjang) k-dramas I've watched in recent years. Of course, it's not perfect. But it was intense, I got hooked onto it, and I loved Ah-Jin and her ruthless climb to the top. Nailed it as a psychological thriller. So I'm giving this a 9/10. Would I rewatch this? Uh... probably not. Some parts were definitely heavy for me, I had to either skip it or look away lmao, but this was a great drama. And impressive for my first webtoon-turned-k-drama (which I've never liked.)
Overall: 9/10, some parts felt slow, acting, music, directing were all great, characters were all complex/grey (LOVED THIS), the last episode was confusing, but I enjoyed it anyway. Thank you to SunOh and a few commenters on here for recommending it to me and pushing me to start it- glad I fell for the hype. Salut!
I think she is unlikeable for many watchers in the comments but I actually like Jung Won. She is mentally and…
I also like Jung-Won. Like cosmiccosmetics said, it'd be VERY unrealistic if she were some bright heroine after everything she went through. Go watch a KBS1 daily for that. I also loved that Jung-Won was introduced as a grey, scheming protagonist- we don't get that often in daily dramas. I'm rooting for her! I think she'll wake up and make a great comeback.
The way this is turning into Jin Taeseok Must Die...?! I'm here for it.I think Haneul was the star of today's…
I looked up Lee Shia's Instagram, and she looks so much like Park Hana with the brown bob cut! Seems like Jung-Won will be back. I like her a lot, so I don't want her to die... plus, it'd kill the momentum of the drama if she DID die. I don't think Jung-Won will be as impulsive if she lives either.
Nan-Suk is a real one, glad she's showing that she has morals after all and isn't a one-dimensional villain. Also nice to see Hye-Ra redeeming herself. And Ha-Neul actually doing something, nice!
I can see this going one of 3 ways:1. She survives, but with amnesia/memory loss.2. She fakes her death and returns…
I'm not gonna disagree with that either. I wish the drama made this part clearer- did Hye-Ra have an *idea* that Tae-Seok was the mastermind and ignore everything, or did she find out everything much later on and get blindsided by the truth? Writer-nim... explain!
Hye-Ra is complicit for sure though... but her character is already turning around, she's obviously more neutral (I expected her to become another villain, so this is quite refreshing to see.) Jung-Won's accident has finally shaken her up even if it's too late. I vote for HR and JW killing him, getting money, and moving on with their lives! 😂
What's going on? kdramas rating have been low recently
K-drama fans (at least on here) are close-minded and can't handle any drama without romance or black & white (female, especially) characters in it. 😂
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You're right, Hyera DID say that! I can't wait for Jung-Won to be a ruthless anti-hero (or villain!) It's gonna be SO EXCITING!!!
Oh, separately... yeah. I think an open ending would work too.
Jin Tae-Seok is truly the final boss of this daily. Hye-Ra found out that Tae-Seok (Chairman Two-Face) tried to kill Jung-Won. And now she teamed up with Ha-Neul, Mi-Hyang, Secretary Hwang (who's gone rogue and I love it), and Secretary Yoon. And THEN Nan-Suk too? She's collecting allies like Pokemon! I'm actually excited to see what she does, I'm fine with her redemption-through-revenge arc.
Young-Chae... I do not believe for one second that she truly loves Se-Hun. My theory? She's using him and trying to get him to the top as a form of revenge *for* Jung-Won. Which is genuinely interesting. This makes her character more interesting and not just "an antagonist to be an antagonist". She has a purpose other than opposing Jung-Won. Love it. As for Se-Hun... he's a pathetic idiot. In WHAT WORLD would you directly tell someone- especially a serial killing, ruthless, psychopathic, obsessive businessman- that you're blackmailing them? Are you fucking stupid or what?! I'm calling it now- he's Secretary Hwang's son. I was thinking that since the midpoint part of the drama. Also, it turns out that Tae-Seok did indeed have his first wife killed. Evil, sick man. Wait till he finds out that Jung-Won is his bio daughter. (How come no one's questioned why their blood types matched?)
And the mother of all twists- Nan-Suk didn't kill Ju Sang-Chul (although he was abusive and she *did* attempt to kill him), it was... Tae-Seok! That actually surprised me! I'm very curious about Young-Chae's bio father (Mr. Shin) now. Will he make an appearance at some point? Will he help Jung-Won with her revenge (if she wakes up and doesn't die?) The Nan-Suk/Hye-Ra alliance should be very fun to see. I can't wait to see how they'll take down Chairman Two-Face. (Chairman Psycho, maybe?) Ha-Neul knows the truth, too. Oh boy! By far, my favorite dynamics in the drama so far are Nan-Suk and Secretary Gu, and Nan-Suk and Chef Hong/Grandma.
Now as for Tae-Seok trying to kill Jung-Won again... will he succeed? Who's gonna catch him first, Se-Mi (who has a conscience) or Ha-Neul, the upright hero? They need to move Jung-Won to a different hospital, and Jung-Won must wake up and be reborn for revenge soon! I can't wait to see her be ruthless and vengeful!
People who think that Jung-Won is gonna stay the same (especially after being in a coma) are either dead-set on hating her, haven't watched daily dramas, or are just ignorant 😠I'd be in my villain era if someone threw me a damn building!
As someone whose fave right now is Nan-Suk, her being Sang-Chul's killer WAS quite the red herring... great job, writer, great job! That was actually a nice twist. I don't need redemption for her either, but her being a menace is great to see!
https://youtu.be/ePfCVavwCHg?si=HbVBTswLwvKxYYHy
So, I pretty much loved this show. It was very dark, I'll say that right now. Darker than most dramas I've watched, and I watched all 3 seasons of Penthouse lol. The atmosphere was perfect. BUT! The cinematography, OST, and the acting? Amazing! That BGM kicked ass too! Also, Kim Yoo-Jung is now one of my favorite actresses... this is my first time seeing her as an adult. She made a seriously great impression on me. It's almost like she became Ah-Jin, and it was chilling to see. Kim Young-Dae surprised me as the brooding(?), but flawed and unlikable Jun-Seo... I was never a fan of his before, but his performance was great here. Kim Do-Hoon, who played the loyal but tragic Jae-Oh (RIP to him, he was a real ride-to-die...) I'm checking out more of his dramas. I already plan to watch Moving, because he blew me away here. Lee Yeol-Eum as Im (or is it Kim?) Lena... nothing much to say. She did a fine job. The supporting actors were all great too (it was nice to see Bae Soo-Bin again!)
The story and characters... I will admit, yes, I rooted for Ah-Jin because I love a villain origin story! Did she do terrible things? Absolutely. But I partially rooted for her out of spite, because some of the things people were saying here were wild. I love villain protagonists (YEAH, SHE'S A VILLAIN PROTAGONIST. SHE'S *EVIL!* SUCK IT UP!!!) in general. BUT she was my girl, her backstory with her parents (FUCK the dad) was so sad! It's toxic, it's complicated. Moving onto... Jun-Seo. This is a weird one, because I didn't like him, I found him to be hypocritical and selfish... but that reveal at the end... I didn't expect it. 👀 I'm still confused, though. was he the real villain of the story all along, or was it Ah-Jin? Really makes you think. Onto Jae-Oh... again, very tragic. I didn't like him at first, but when I actually got to know him, I felt so sorry for him! 😠He didn't deserve any of what he went through, and his relationship with Ah-Jin was so fucked up. Wow, my heart is still broken for him. Lena, I don't have much of anything to say about her, I didn't care about her nor did I like her. I was relieved when she left. Bye, bitch!
BEFORE I CONTINUE! Let me say right away, I didn't give a single SHIT ABOUT THE ROMANCE IN THIS SHOW. I did not ship Ah-Jin with Jun-Seo or Jae-Oh at all, not even when they were in high school. Jun-Seo had a massive savior complex and Jae-Oh was essentially in a symbiotic toxic friendship with her. I didn't even care about Lena's little crush on Jun-Seo, and even the relationship with In-Kang (that poor man...) and Ah-Jin felt somewhat out of place. (Yes, I know it was a part of Ah-Jin's plan, but still.)
Do-Hyuk... okay, while I think he was a great villain and I loved his slow introduction... he felt... kinda random? I was cool with him getting away with the awful stuff he did since it reflects real life (all too well), but... I think the issue is that he felt underdeveloped. Yes, and ended up being underwhelming. He drove his wife crazy, tormented Ah-Jin, and seems to be this total control freak, but... why? A backstory would've sufficed, a flashback, anything! Ah... the supporting characters. Sung-Hee? Got what she deserved, and I feel like there was no point to her character. And she reminded me too much of Ha Eun-Byul from Penthouse. Probably why I despised her lol, but In-Kang... another unfortunate casualty of Ah-Jin's ambition. Also didn't care for him. CEO Seo was fine. Ji-Sun- I HATE YOU BITCH! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU AND I HOPE YOU DIED IN THE FINALE FOR REAL! GO TO HELL!!!!! (Yes, the actress did an amazing job.) The grandmother is the only one I had some sympathy for, along with the baseball player (Mr. Choi.) I like that Mr. Choi ended up being one of the few decent people in the end.
Critiques? Some scenes honestly felt too drawn out to the point where it was awkward. Lots of staring, lots of silence, interesting shots. It was likely a stylistic choice, but it kinda hurt the pacing of the drama for me. This is common in k-dramas, though, so whatever. Second, Ah-Jin being tormented by Do-Hyuk went... nowhere? It was beyond stressful to watch, yeah. I feel like she should've realized he was "toying with her", then faked being crazy and killed him "accidentally". Now that would've been WILD! Third, the final episode... I'm still confused. Was Ah-Jin really a sociopath or not? Was it all through Jun-Seo's perspective? What was the point of the documentary? Why did Jun-Seo pick up Ah-Jin when she went into the street? And why did Jun-Seo turn on her like that when he was enabling her all along? I loved the final scenes, though. I hope there's a season 2 that explains everything, or bonus/special episodes... something. (I also wish it wasn't a miniseries, but I can't complain.) I guess the ending being open-ended was fine, it's unconventional which is what I liked about it. Sometimes the best ending is a pyrrhic victory- getting what you want, but at the ultimate cost.
My rating... tricky. This is one of the best (non daily/makjang) k-dramas I've watched in recent years. Of course, it's not perfect. But it was intense, I got hooked onto it, and I loved Ah-Jin and her ruthless climb to the top. Nailed it as a psychological thriller. So I'm giving this a 9/10. Would I rewatch this? Uh... probably not. Some parts were definitely heavy for me, I had to either skip it or look away lmao, but this was a great drama. And impressive for my first webtoon-turned-k-drama (which I've never liked.)
Overall: 9/10, some parts felt slow, acting, music, directing were all great, characters were all complex/grey (LOVED THIS), the last episode was confusing, but I enjoyed it anyway. Thank you to SunOh and a few commenters on here for recommending it to me and pushing me to start it- glad I fell for the hype. Salut!
Nan-Suk is a real one, glad she's showing that she has morals after all and isn't a one-dimensional villain. Also nice to see Hye-Ra redeeming herself. And Ha-Neul actually doing something, nice!
PS: Love the "Romeo Must Die" reference lol
Hye-Ra is complicit for sure though... but her character is already turning around, she's obviously more neutral (I expected her to become another villain, so this is quite refreshing to see.) Jung-Won's accident has finally shaken her up even if it's too late. I vote for HR and JW killing him, getting money, and moving on with their lives! 😂