Perhaps it may come across as an unpopular opinion, but I think WDH is tailor-made for the Noona-Romance and BL genre. He has got to do projects in these genres at least once. He has done action, fantasy fiction, rom-com, melodrama, bromance, and sageuks (criminally underrated performance in My Country). He has given us different looks and characters. And I think instead of going the cliched route of doing a "psychopath" role that most Korean (mid) actors embark on to 'pivot' in their careers. I think the pivot he should go for is a more uncharted territory for top male leads cos it doesn't always work. I find it an overused and termite-infested crutch, this "psychopath" avatar, that seems to appear on every Korean actor's filmography. I think WDH has the range that conveys the nuance and profoundness of such characters that are basically taboo in Korean society. I really think if he gets a well-written role in BL and Noona genre, he should go for it. Would love to see him stretch that under-utilized romantic lead feather in his cap.
This one is perfection. Acting and storytelling of course. Direction, editing obviosly. But can we just shout out to the cinematography and the color of the film. The complexion and feel of it is so rich. I love it. LBH is a Korean ace.
Nope - not an actor. Just an SM idol being shoved down network projects (who tend to prefer idols in main roles cos it gets audiences to tune in). Mid performances. Girl doesn’t even change her look for a role. I cannot take any actor seriously if they don’t even change their look once. In every role you get Yoona served lukewarm on a mid range. 🤦🏻♀️ someone give her a cooking show or something.
This whole KPop idols being forced fed to us in the form of actors just to benefit from their KPop fanbase capital is just … 🤢. Yoona cannot act. Please stop selling that snake oil. I am watching this show for the first time in 2025 btw. And I have watched Yoona in other projects now and I have been underwhelmed. But seems like she has been giving mid acting performances for a while now. Please someone give her a cooking or reality show. Get her off the acting roster
The FL suddenly morphing into a klutz hormonal dense potato is very unnecessary. Fumbling, tripping, dropping, trembling lol it was meant to be a stupid romcom but this stupid. 😒
And I agree with you, Ji Chang Wook's acting is excellent. He's an actor who creates a character, giving them…
To be fair, I wouldn’t mention Worst of Evil in the same sentence as The Manipulated or Gangnam B Side. Although not an original undercover cop story, it is a masterpiece. It thrills you even when it’s winding down. It is the best and criminally underrated performance and series. Not a single award to any of the creatives involved. Director, cinematography, editing, stunt, production, actors. Not a single award to Worst of Evil. Unfortunate and tragic.
I had a lot of ho-hmm moments in this show throughout the 12 episodes, where I was thinking “now where have I seen this before” or “wow, did we really have to go this far?” and “what’s with the invincibility-serum, one less than godlike phenomenon of the villain”. The zaniness of the villain is comical and also his side-chick mother-in-evil. It’s meant to be grotesque in its blank sterility juxtaposed to the desperation of Tae Jong. But it really feels like porn. Gratuitous and unrefined. The almost-orgasms both mother and son feel at each other’s egging on to indulge in heinous desires. I can’t give any merit to DKS. I got to know he’s some KPOP Idol. Well that explains the overzealous laud from the population he’s getting for this performance. Apparently, KPOP capital if brought to an acting career, tends to add hype to a project and also helps audiences turn a blind eye to “mid at best” performances. Maybe the character on paper had not much to offer DKS as an actor, who knows. But it’s a pale and lifeless character and a lukewarm and bland performance. Now, Ji Chang Wook however, is the meat, the bone, the heart and the soul of this project. He throws himself in the mirthless fate of his character’s drudgery. He doesn’t miss a beat. In action sequences and in emotional close ups, he delivers it hot and on-the-mark.
If I had to summarize this show for someone I’d say this show is in 3 parts. Part 1 is The Accused. Part 2 is F1 meets Hunger Games meets Squid Games, and Part 3 is The Revenge. Part 2 being the weakest in my opinion. Suddenly we see criminals being wannabe race car drivers was unnerving.
To an overall predictable story, and foregettable characters, JCW is the star performer (no surprises). I have to say Gagnam B-Side disappointed me with how formulaic and boring it was. But still, The Manipulated is a crisp addition to JCW’s catalog. He is the highlight of this series. All else fades into the background. A relatively generous 7.5/10 for me.
It’s silly, it’s ultra cheese, it’s a hot mess and it’s just what it always set itself up to be, a tropey rom-com. I really don’t mind it at all. It’s not trying to be anything else nor is it too intelligent to get too deep about. It’s just fun and ultra cheese. So go into with only that expectation only. Do I wish these two actors had more to work with. Absolutely, I really like the pairing and there was definitely potential in these two doing something serious and hard-hitting. But it’s okay. Enjoyment that ain’t deep has its own place.
It drags and yawns and falters and bores. Could’ve been 8 episodes only. It has all the tropes. Nothing original nor surprising. Nothing to see here. Now we wait for Made in Korea 🤷🏻♀️
If I wanna see Bae Suzy beauty shots I will go to her instagram. Girl can’t act. It’s the 5th thing I am watching her in and I always come away with the same sense of frustration: a pastiche of beauty shots and that’s it.
K-Drama 
But Yoona is the worst part about this drama
If I had to summarize this show for someone I’d say this show is in 3 parts. Part 1 is The Accused. Part 2 is F1 meets Hunger Games meets Squid Games, and Part 3 is The Revenge. Part 2 being the weakest in my opinion. Suddenly we see criminals being wannabe race car drivers was unnerving.
To an overall predictable story, and foregettable characters, JCW is the star performer (no surprises). I have to say Gagnam B-Side disappointed me with how formulaic and boring it was. But still, The Manipulated is a crisp addition to JCW’s catalog. He is the highlight of this series. All else fades into the background. A relatively generous 7.5/10 for me.