michelleoc

This was a painful watch for me

I'll be honest, this was on my To Watch list for the longest time. I started the first episode multiple times, didn't like it, and gave up. I picked it up again because I'm hoping for better from seasons 2 & 3.

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
My issues with this drama were many:
1) A lot of overacting for the sake of "drama". I like Han Seok Kyu (though he tends to play this type of character a lot) and Yoo Yeon Seok was fabulous in the Hospital Playlist dramas, but even they over-acted at times. Tons of yelling by everyone.
2) For the most part, pretty unlikeable characters. It starts in episode 1 when Dong Joo says he wants to sleep with Seo Jung and that he likes her. Why? Dr. Kim is pretty insufferable throughout the whole show, constantly yelling and demeaning the staff. Dong Joo - self-serving person with a chip on his shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon.
3) Romance was half-baked and unnecessary. I'm usually into shows for the romance, but I didn't buy the leads as a couple from the very beginning, and I never had any reason to change my opinion. I had no idea why they liked each other, I felt that she was playing him a lot of the times, and I actually got mad during the bonus episode when she was saying that she was "letting him go", thinking that he was going to the US. She was very immature.
4)The storyline was fragmented. Seo Jung has hallucinations and tries to kill herself. She had no business being in the hospital environment until she had gone through extensive therapy. Master Kim demotes her to intern, but she's allowed into surgery. The small hospital was associated with the big main hospital (the staff came from the main hospital to the small hospital) yet no one knew Dr. Kim was there? I mean, you can change your name, but background checks still need to be done.
5) I felt that the medical aspect of the drama fell very short of the mark. There was no getting to know the patients (I refer to Hospital Playlist that shows how to do it right). The patients were just moved through to show the medical team in one crisis after another. Almost EVERY patient needed CPR. I was tempted to make a drinking game of it (and I don't even drink!) - every time someone does chest compressions on someone, take a drink! This show was from 2016 - was the timeline in the show supposed to be different? Because the AIDS storyline was ridiculous for 2016. So much more had been discovered about AIDS and caring for patients. This might be different in Korea, but in the US public hospitals can't refuse to treat people. Then there's the fact that Dr. Kim had a pretty severe wrist injury (which there was no scar from), he could hardly move his hand, but he was insisting on doing surgery. Granted he backed down, but it never would have even come to that. There is a case in an early episode about not treating patients if you don't have privileges there, but this rule is thrown out the window in the last couple of episodes. Then, there was cross-contamination going on in the operating room by handing instruments over open wounds, crossing arms in front of themselves to get instruments, etc. Granted, maybe it only bothered me because I'm in the medical field and it wouldn't have bothered others.
6) The bad guy. and his henchmen. I felt like he was evil for the sake of being evil, I didn't get the motivation. I was also bothered by the fact that he had people in the small hospital as spies for him, and no one seemed to notice.
7) Kim Min Jae as Park Eun Tak was criminally underused. Hopefully that will be rectified in Season 2, if I can manage to get through it.

I realize that I am a minority of one with my feelings on this show, but it's been quite a while since I've watched something that has made me say "that's time I'm never getting back".

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Seriously didn't know what it wanted to be

I did not read the web series of this show, so I'm going strictly on what I saw/felt while watching this.

This may not have been a BL show, but it desperately wanted to be. The writing in the first few episodes between the two male leads, the longing looks of Yeo Joon toward Soo Hyun, the romantic music when they were in scenes together, it felt like it was trying to get away with something by not coming right out and addressing the issue up-front. I was in no way pushing for that, because I don't watch BL shows, but there you have it.

Acting: The acting was fine. Park Ji Hoon as Yeo Joon was just beautiful to watch. He's so attractive, and his bleached hair really made him stand out from the others (I thought it was a mistake to make Soo Hyun's brother a bleach blond as well). My only problem was when he started yelling, then his acting was over the top, as was the woman's acting that played his mother.
Kang Min Ah as Kim so Bin was just a bundle of cuteness, and I always enjoy Bae In Hyuk (Nam Soo Hyun) - deep voice, well-controlled use of facial expressions, just that hint of a lisp, yup, I like him.

CHARACTERS/STORYLINE: Let me start by saying that they could have left all of the women out of this movie (including the FL) and it would have been fine. I didn't feel that any of the women were well-written, except for, perhaps, Young Ran. Mi Joo was a TERRIBLE character. She was totally obsessed with a guy because he helped her pick something up (and he was handsome)? Her lines were cheesy and she just reminded me of a stalker. Her character had absolutely no redeeming value. Kim So Bin's trauma was glossed over for the most part, got addressed briefly, and resolved quickly. I loved watching the Yeo Joon character, but I didn't like him (I don't think I was supposed to) - he was very manipulative and that came off immature as well. I did enjoy the deepening friendships between the three main people. Once they got past all the anger and animosity, their conversations were interesting. I loved watching Soo Hyun opening up. At the beginning he is a total loner, unfriendly and you can tell he has a giant chip on his shoulder. My heart broke for the hardships he had to endure, but when he finally swallowed his pride and opened up, there was maturity and wisdom there.

CHEMISTRY: Most of the chemistry was between Yeo Joon and Soo Hyun. Once Yeo Joon and So Bin became a couple, they were very cute together, but I didn't really feel any romantic chemistry. A couple of poorly executed/poorly filmed kisses didn't help either.

I felt that the bullying was carried too far, but I'll be the first to admit I don't like a lot of angst. I thought it was well-filmed. The colors they used surrounding each of the characters kind of fit in with their personalities.

It's not even close to being the worst show I've ever seen, but it's also not even close to being one of the best. If you have nothing else to watch, I wouldn't tell you to run away from it. You might enjoy it.

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I enjoyed the ride

I didn't think season two could live up to the first season, but I was pleasantly surprised. I love the "case of the week" format, rather than a whole season of trying to catch one villain. The cases were all very interesting.

Bringing Jung Eun Chae on as detective Hye Ra was an excellent choice. You have a new person coming in that doesn't understand how I Soo operates, but she quickly sees the results he is able to obtain. She was a lovely character - a strong female without being a shrew. The friendships between the team members was strong, but they made room for her and she fit right in.

No romance again - thank you very much. The mutual admiration/respect was strong, and that was enough.

Yoo Seung Ho did an excellent job with his part. Charming at times, unhinged at others, perfectly creepy.

I loved the guest appearances (especially the hotel guests!), and if the hint at the end comes true, we'll have a season 3 with a terrific baddie. I only hope, if it does happen, the whole show doesn't revolve around him trying to kill I Soo. I'd much prefer to watch I Soo solve crimes in his own quirky way, rather than spend the series trying to protect himself.

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Glad I finally gave in and watched this one

Upon a recommendation from a friend, I decided to give this one a try. I had been reluctant because 1) I tend to stick to romances with happy endings; 2) I don't do well with violence and bullying; and 3) 16 episodes - these series tend to be draggy.
Y'all, it's been a minute since I've enjoyed a show so much. It was one of those "I'll just watch one more episode" dramas.

I felt the storyline was, if not unique, handled in an original way. I struggled at the beginning because everyone was very morally gray. But the script was tight and cohesive, I didn't feel like anything was wasted. I remember thinking numerous times while watching this how well it was written. I was invested in every minute of it, even though I had to fast forward through the fight scenes and close my eyes through the bullying. The different storylines were integrated so well, each piece of a puzzle fitting perfectly into the next. I really appreciated that everyone got the justice that they deserved.

All of the actors had such great chemistry with each other. There wasn't anyone that "didn't fit". I'm usually all about the romance, but other than a couple of longing looks by the leads, they remained just co-workers. But I thought it was perfect when she came back and said, "I'm no longer your subordinate" and there was a kiss (though we really didn't get to see it).

The actors ALL did such an excellent job, but there were four standouts for me.
1) Ahn Bo Hyun as Do Bae Man. I know, he seems to play this type of role a lot, but it suits him. He has the military, tough guy bearing down to a fine art, which has the danger of becoming a one-note performance, but there's always that hint of playfulness in him. I do, however, wish they'd do a better job with his makeup. He always has an off-color, pasty appearance, often with more lipstick than the leading lady.
2) Kim Young Min as Moon Goo. After loving him as a good guy in CLOY, this was a complete 180 for him, and he nailed it. The power struggles behind the smiles, and he was chilling when he dropped the friendly facade. The fact that he was always impeccably dressed stressed that he always had others do his dirty work.
3) Oh Yeon Soo as Noh Hwa Young. Wow! She was a general that wasn't afraid to do her own dirty work. He cold and calculating demeanor, coupled with that slight evil smile gave me the creeps. And can we just talk about what a terrible mother she was?
4) Kim Woo Seok as Noh Tae Nam. I felt he had the most character development. He was so evil at the beginning. Once his life started to fall apart, his fear and his vulnerability drew me in. My heart broke for the fact that his mother was a soldier first, and a mother second. He wanted her to love him, and that just wasn't going to happen. The trauma he suffered through the mass shooting, his PTSD, as well as the friendship he developed with one person in the military, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Then, at the end, when he was working with the dogs, I felt like he was trying to get his life back, but he was so terribly lonely.

I am so glad I finally took the time to watch this one.

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Perhaps I've become jaded

Have I seen one too many body swap dramas? Have I watched too many family/corporate power struggle dramas? Perhaps, but this one did not hit right on any level for me.

First, I was hoping for some comedy. I didn't find anything in this funny.
Too many characters to keep up with, each more evil than the last. Who was I supposed to root for? I didn't care for anyone.
For me, the ML was overacting and his scenes felt completely unnatural to me. Was it because he was supposed to be the chairman?
The chairman's daughter developing feelings for the ML when he was the chairman - just no.
When the chairman woke up in the ML's body, he was excited that his leg was healed. Magically, so was the ML's injury as well.
What was with the chairman's hair?! It was so distracting! Did the hair/makeup person not know how to make someone's hair gray without making it look like a stiff powdered wig?

I'll admit, that based on everyone else rating this so high, I was just in a bad head space to be watching this at this time, but I was greatly disappointed.

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If this show doesn't make you laugh, nothing will!

I have watched all of Run BTS numerous times, and I'm sure I will again. It's fun and chaotic and will make you forget about any problems you are having, at least for a little while.

I started watching this as a baby Army and it gave me the perfect opportunity to learn more about each of them, as well as watch their friendship. I think they are uber-talented, and I hope to actually be able to go to one of their concerts before I'm too old (I'm 67, so time's a wasting!), but I'll be honest, when I watch this show, I think I'd be perfectly happy to sit in a corner and just watch them interact with one another.

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Well-written

The rating is based on my personal enjoyment, not on the intrinsic value of the drama. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so please be kind. If you disagree (and you probably will), please just move on.

Are you one of the C-drama fans that has actually not watched this show, and you are wondering if you should watch it? You definitely should. It is a standout in the C-drama genre. I watched it a couple of years ago and rated it lower. Who knows, if I watch it a couple of years from now, I may enjoy it even more! There is no question that it is, overall, very well-written. The cast was excellent. I especially loved the father/father figure. There was laughter, there were tears. The music helped draw out the emotions of certain scenes.

This drama is, for the most part, about what makes a family. It explores blood relationships, found relationships, and the strength of true friendship. It addresses actions and their consequences. It also speaks to the results of those consequences on others. We don't live in a vacuum, and what we do affects others, whether we like to think so or not. Then, there is the issue of anger/trauma and forgiveness.

The only reasons I couldn't rate it any higher for myself:
1) Too many episodes and some storylines that could have been cut - for example, the woman that kept trying to set the dad up with someone. Also, the constant back and forth of the two girls and their mothers' disapproval of their career choices.
2) Too much changing of who likes who, especially among the friends.
3) Romance fell flat. It wasn't supposed to be the focus, I know, but they never seemed to be more than friends. Even at the end, she still called him Brother. There was an episode or two that tried to develop this, but once they were together, they didn't act any differently than before.
4) I realize that this is a cultural thing, but letting your parents walk all over you for your entire life leaves a sour taste in my mouth. There's a difference between respecting your elders and being a doormat.
5) The parents' actions traumatized their kids enough that they were having nightmares, insomnia, etc., but, with a word, all was forgiven.
6) Regarding above-mentioned trauma - resolved too easily. Counseling wouldn't have gone amiss.
7) Both brothers thinking they like her, but one gets over it in a couple of days. Personally, with their closeness while growing up, I couldn't understand either of them liking her in a romantic way.
8) The ending was flat for me. Especially after sitting through 40 episodes.

Bottom line? I am definitely in the minority here, and I will still recommend this drama to others.

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Minority opinion here

I'm all for a comfort drama, but all I could think about throughout the whole show was, "where the heck is the romance?" When romance is listed first on tags, there should be romance! No chemistry, they held hands at the end. When does a show go from slow burn to watching paint dry?

The FL spent most of the drama apologizing. The ML spent most of the drama just there, not doing much. There was the typical trope of a woman that's liked him for years and can't admit that she's in the friend zone.

And don't even get me started on the families! The 2FL's dad almost kills her, and her grandmother wants her to lie so he doesn't go to jail?! It would have been a perfect opportunity for him to dry out. That whole storyline really bothered me. Then, toward the end of the drama they at a murder mystery that just comes out of nowhere and doesn't add anything.

I did, however, really enjoy the young second couple, and once they all became friends. There were really a lot of not very nice townspeople.

Add to that, Netflix gave up on subtitles four episodes before the end. Thankfully it was on Viki, even though I felt it was a waste of time anyway.

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Emotional story

I wasn't going to watch this movie. It looked depressing, there seemed like there was going to be a lot of violence in it, and those aren't the types of shows I like. Well, I'm going to have to modify my first impressions, for sure.

The story itself it heart wrenching. Have you ever known anyone that, no matter what they did or tried, they continue to live under a black cloud of misfortune? That was Kiwan and Marie both. They lived lives that we can't even fathom, the kind of lives we wouldn't wish on anyone. This was a story about going on, about not giving up, and also about the strength we get from others. There is romance, but it isn't about the romance at all. That seemed secondary to me. If this is something that matters to you, it has a good ending.

The acting was amazing. Song Joong Ki was mesmerizing, not only from the fact that he looked completely different than anything else I've seen him in, but his deep quiet voice, his economy of movements and his soulful eyes brought Kiwan to life. I really felt for him and kept wanting things to get better for him.
Choi Sung Eun as Marie. This was a character that we've seen in countless dramas, but she played the part without the extreme hardness that I've seen elsewhere. I was rooting for her almost from the beginning, wishing she could catch some kind of break. The love between Kiwan and Marie actually redeemed both of them.
Jo Han Chul as Marie's father. He's very versatile. If seen him in many things where he's the comic relief, or the bumbling fool. I saw his in something else as a psychopath. In this movie, he was a man living with his grief, trying unsuccessfully to have a relationship with his daughter.

The cinematography was interesting. It was darkly filmed, to go along with the darkness of their lives. Early on, on the few occasions that we it lighter, it was more of an artificial light, the kind that gives skin a yellowish hue and you can't tell what color things are. Counteract that with the ending, out in the sunshine (and freedom), it was very effective.

Though they were supposed to be in Belgium, shooting actually took place in Budapest, which was a treat for me after vacationing in Budapest.

My only complaint was the translation done by Netflix. I don't speak a lot of Korean, but "thank you" is not "I love you". Also, when they were attempting to speak English, by saying "I do not speak English", Netflix translated it as "I don't speak French", and then when they were speaking in Korean, the subtitles said, "Speaking in English".

Don't pass over this just because it's not your usual genre. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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Not for me

I'll say up front that you should give this show a try yourself and come to your own conclusions.

This was a really hard one for me to rate. My rating is based on the way this drama made me feel. I found myself unable to separate my feelings from the overall intent of the show, thus the low rating. As I feel I have to say so people don't attack me, this is just my personal feeling/opinion. This rating serves the purpose to remind myself what I liked and didn't like about the drama.

Story: Very interesting concept. I thought the way the story was woven together, with people's lives intertwined, was well done. As you go further into the story, we find Yi Jae inhabiting bodies of people that he's encountered before. We also see that his downward spiral was the result of his first encounter with someone's death. This drama embodied the concept of "every action has an equal and opposite reaction". I thought the story became more meaningful when it was personal, concerning his girlfriend and his mother. I just couldn't get past all the evil/darkness/bullying/violence. I probably would have enjoyed it more if time was taken to develop some of the characters more, to see why they became the way they did.

Acting: Can we just talk about the cast? I'll admit, that's what drew me to this drama. Each person was excellent in their own right, but the standouts for me were:
1)Kim Mi Kyung as Yi Jae's mother. I love this actress in everything she is in. Here, she embodied someone carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders after her son's death. Her slightly stooped posture, her slow, mincing gait, and her facial expressions (or lack thereof) showed us that she was walking through the world by herself, after losing the person most important to her. I felt her despair. Watching her face, her flat affect, a lone tear running down her cheek, it seemed that it was all she could do to just keep living.
2)Seo In Guk as Yi Jae. I'll admit that he's one of my favorite actors. Here, he hit all the emotions (even if there were only brief moments of happiness shown in flashbacks). Anger, fear, frustration. Watching him moving from hopeful to hopeless, wow.
3) Kim Ji Hoon as Park Tae Woo. Sociopath? Psychopath? His portrayal of an evil man masked as a successful businessman just gave me all kind of creepy vibes.

This was filmed in a very dark way. I understand that it was part of the whole experience, but some scenes were so dark, that if you watch it in a well-lit room, you won't be able to see what's going on. So, watch it in the dark.

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It's a 30-minute movie on YouTube

I happened upon this gem quite by accident. I almost don't know what to say. Start with the fact that Park Hyung Sik is in it, need I say more? But that's not the point (well, not totally).

This film was quiet, slow and calm. It was beautifully filmed in blues and grays with filtered and hazy camera work. Close up camera work made me feel like I was in the world of the visually impaired. We only got a token look at a couple of the characters because of the time constraints, but this film demonstrated the difference between assisting those with disabilities and pitying them.

I loved seeing all the classmates interact with one another. I appreciated those that are willing, able and have the heart to work with the disabled. Also, the hidden heartbreak - pay special attention to when the middle schooler is taking a picture of his mom - her face just brought me to tears.

I was tempted to rate it a little lower because it WAS so short, but then thought that they probably would have made it too long anyway, with too much filler, and all the magic would be lost.

This is one I will definitely be revisiting.

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I liked it, but...

I don't care for bullying, corruption, violence, and gore. If you like all those things, definitely give this show a watch, because it is extremely well-written. It's fast-paced (a little draggy toward the end), and pretty interesting throughout. There's a lot going on at all times, and I think you'll have a hard time deciding who is worse, humans or demons. This drama really highlighted man's capacity for evil. Personally, I think there was too much evil coming from too many places. It might have been better if there had been one Big Bad, as opposed to multiple bad guys.For the aforementioned reasons, my rating is lower than I'm sure most people think it should be.

However, can we just talk about the cast? I'm a sucker for found family, and this drama really did a good job of demonstrating that. The Counters are people that, in normal circumstances, might never even travel in the same circles, let alone be friends. Once they got together, they truly were a family, bickering and all. The bickering was so great, because that's what real family does, "I can badmouth you because we're related, but no one else better say anything bad about you!" There were numerous emotional scenes that really worked - they made you feel their pain, but they also brought something that made you root for them.

Cho Byeong Kyu as So Moon - he's the newest Counter. He did amazing things with this role. His grief, his anger, his disability, and portraying teenage hormones all worked together to make him so interesting. He's a beautiful crier. Trying to learn his powers, then trying to control them, often skirting around what Counters are allowed to do. I loved his relationship with his grandparents, as well as his school friendships. The transfer of power from them taking care of him, to him watching out for them was really good. Also, I liked that, for the most part, he and Ha Na had a sibling relationship, and the writers didn't try to force a romance.

Yoo Joon Sang as Mo Tak. He's the strongest Counter. His character seemed to be the most fleshed out, since a lot of the show was about corruption, and he had been a cop. The romance aspect was a waste and completely unnecessary. He becomes the father-figure of the group of Counters, and he had some amusing scenes.

Kim Se Jeong as Ha Na. Angry Counter (that's what I called her). She had a chip on her shoulder a mile wide. She doesn't like to be touched, she doesn't attach to people and she's got that "keep away" vibe going on. First, this role was completely different than her role in Business Proposal (of course!), and if I didn't recognize her voice, I might not have known it was her. This was a character that, if not played well, you would totally hate her. She made it work, and I enjoyed watching her coming to terms with letting others into her life.

Yeom Hye Ram as Mae Ok. I hated her so much in Goblin and loved her so much here. She was the mom of the Counters, looking out for the others. She formed such a strong bond with So Moon, and when she had to heal him of his wounds, that just wrecked me. I loved her character.

There were some beautiful songs in the OST. As for re-watch - no. I'm not even sure I'll watch The Uncanny Counter 2. Just a little too much darkness for me.

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I couldn't get past the student/teacher relationship

This show was totally played for laughs, thankfully, but still... why couldn't they have made her just a few years older than him, but still in school? The low rating by me is pretty much due to this, it was uncomfortable for me to watch. That said, you should try it if...

1) You want somewhat over the top humor.
2) Don't mind overacting (purposeful in this case, I think)
3) Like the "fated to be" trope
4) You are in the mood for something light to watch, without angst
5) You don't like 2FL storyline. There is one, but it is resolved really well
6) You like to watch shows about friendships and the importance of friendships
7)You like some fantasy in your shows. I mean, she thinks she's in love with a manga character!
8) You like a cute ending.

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