This review may contain spoilers
Twelve: Don Lee’s Panda Boxing Disaster”
I went into Twelve with decent expectations—especially with Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok) in the cast—but what I got was utter disappointment. The drama introduces angels who are supposed to be millions of years old, yet they’re written and treated like children. Their so-called leader, Teasan (played by Don Lee), comes across less like a wise, timeless being and more like a man-child stuck in a repetitive tantrum cycle. His main “power” seems to be clumsy boxing sequences that look more like a panda swaying without music than a battle-hardened immortal.
What bothered me most is the lack of trust or maturity within the angelic team. If they’ve existed for millions of years, you’d expect wisdom, teamwork, and perspective. Instead, Teasan runs a one-man show, constantly undermining his own team as if nothing has been learned over the eons. This isn’t leadership—it’s babysitting. Worse, Teasan is portrayed like a greedy loan shark, hoarding cash and acting more like a villainous moneylender than a celestial being. Heroes storing wads of money like mob bosses? What kind of “angel” is that supposed to be?
The writing really fumbles with morality. Teasan even kills a boy he raised himself—how is that heroic in any way? The supposed “hero side” feels more like a gang of bullies than protectors of humanity.
On Sung Dong-il’s Character
If there’s one character who defined wasted potential in Twelve, it’s Sung Dong-il’s. Why cast such an amazing, seasoned actor only to reduce him to a garbage-talking sideshow? His entire role feels like filler—just eating up screen time with endless rambling and zero contribution. It’s “sunset acting” at its worst, where an old veteran is thrown in not to shine but to babble.
And let’s talk about that ridiculous “magic stick.” It literally looks like a dual-sided toy you’d expect from a shady shop, not a divine weapon. He waves it around like it’s bedtime routine, and then what? A few seconds of half-baked magic that fizzles out in under two minutes. All the other angels lose their powers, yet this guy keeps his gimmicky stick of doom? Who thought this was good writing?
Instead of being a powerful immortal, Sung Dong-il’s character ends up as comic relief that isn’t funny, a magician whose tricks flop instantly, and a total waste of one of Korea’s most reliable actors.
On the flip side, Park Hyung-sik, cast as the villain, is the only shining element of the show. By episode 5, he feels like the true protagonist—a betrayed underdog whose girlfriend was stolen by Teasan (yes, the same “hero” played by Don Lee). To make it worse, the girlfriend’s memories are wiped, forcing her into a relationship with this old, selfish man Teasan (Ma Dong Seok)
That tragic setup makes Park Hyung-sik’s character infinitely more sympathetic than the so-called heroes, who come across more like the real villains.
In the end, Twelve feels like a wasted premise. Instead of exploring the depth of beings who’ve lived for millions of years, we got immature writing, an unlikable hero team, and a lead actor wasted on a role that reduced him to a caricature.
Final Rating: 1/10 (and that’s being generous)
What bothered me most is the lack of trust or maturity within the angelic team. If they’ve existed for millions of years, you’d expect wisdom, teamwork, and perspective. Instead, Teasan runs a one-man show, constantly undermining his own team as if nothing has been learned over the eons. This isn’t leadership—it’s babysitting. Worse, Teasan is portrayed like a greedy loan shark, hoarding cash and acting more like a villainous moneylender than a celestial being. Heroes storing wads of money like mob bosses? What kind of “angel” is that supposed to be?
The writing really fumbles with morality. Teasan even kills a boy he raised himself—how is that heroic in any way? The supposed “hero side” feels more like a gang of bullies than protectors of humanity.
On Sung Dong-il’s Character
If there’s one character who defined wasted potential in Twelve, it’s Sung Dong-il’s. Why cast such an amazing, seasoned actor only to reduce him to a garbage-talking sideshow? His entire role feels like filler—just eating up screen time with endless rambling and zero contribution. It’s “sunset acting” at its worst, where an old veteran is thrown in not to shine but to babble.
And let’s talk about that ridiculous “magic stick.” It literally looks like a dual-sided toy you’d expect from a shady shop, not a divine weapon. He waves it around like it’s bedtime routine, and then what? A few seconds of half-baked magic that fizzles out in under two minutes. All the other angels lose their powers, yet this guy keeps his gimmicky stick of doom? Who thought this was good writing?
Instead of being a powerful immortal, Sung Dong-il’s character ends up as comic relief that isn’t funny, a magician whose tricks flop instantly, and a total waste of one of Korea’s most reliable actors.
On the flip side, Park Hyung-sik, cast as the villain, is the only shining element of the show. By episode 5, he feels like the true protagonist—a betrayed underdog whose girlfriend was stolen by Teasan (yes, the same “hero” played by Don Lee). To make it worse, the girlfriend’s memories are wiped, forcing her into a relationship with this old, selfish man Teasan (Ma Dong Seok)
That tragic setup makes Park Hyung-sik’s character infinitely more sympathetic than the so-called heroes, who come across more like the real villains.
In the end, Twelve feels like a wasted premise. Instead of exploring the depth of beings who’ve lived for millions of years, we got immature writing, an unlikable hero team, and a lead actor wasted on a role that reduced him to a caricature.
Final Rating: 1/10 (and that’s being generous)
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