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Idiots
The only possible way to be able to produce 140 episodes is through extremely improbable coincidences, absolute negative IQ characters and intense cartoonish overdramatization. Feels like a robbery in broad daylight to have this kind of ending/wrap-up after 140 episodes of numbness. I hope the cast got paid enough because even for them it must have been difficult to endure. I can't stress enough how dunce the writing was. Anyway, it's designed to be this way so whatever.Was this review helpful to you?
Okay....
Keep in mind this is a sitcom not a drama, well, kinda. Just like any other sitcom, the comedy is what makes it or breaks and it's the main focus or so I thought. The first half was a proper sitcom with lots of jokes but the 2nd half kinda turned into a regular family drama focusing on the characters and keeping the jokes to absolute minimum. A handful of episodes would pass without a single joke, I completely forgot it was a sitcom in the 2nd half. Also, the 2nd half shifted the focus to the younger couples mainly, you barely got to see any of the elders. I'm not sure why they took it that direction, the writer was probably changed if I had to take a guess.I enjoyed the first half for what it had to offer but the second half failed to hold my interest. The characters and their stories weren't mature enough to compensate the change of genre and direction. Whenever they had some bloopers at the end of an episode it was always funnier than the episode. FYI, the drama had no canned laughter.
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What a joke...
This drama is without any doubt the worst 'TV Novel' drama from KBS ever. Awful from start to end.Was this review helpful to you?
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Blue-Eyes White Witch
Right from the first 8 minutes introduction they failed to.... no, just failed. The entire story's setup involving the kids was absurd even for a silly makjang. It quickly became apparent that the drama was attempting to do something different from other daily makjang but the execution was nothing but comical, even while adding hints of unintentional parody. I couldn't stand how the drama was structured with its storytelling, it was really tiring how every single key information had 3 layers of truths that kept throwing the blame onto 3 parties. It was really exhausting repeating the same pattern 30-40 times. There's a lot to be said while breaking down everything but I would be repeating myself so here are some random bits. I found it particularly cringe when characters called themselves and each others witches with nicknames, for example 'The White-Haired Witch'. Despite being the face of the drama, Yoo Kyung's lifelong revenge wasn't finalized due to some events which is disappointing. It felt like the male lead suddenly confessed his love with no proper build up or showing prior interest beyond some sympathy, it happened too early in the story even though he was a womanizer a couple of episodes ago. Moreover, the male lead was mostly useless and didn't play as big of a part as most of the other characters. Midway through he was just there wasting time while occasionally being an unfunny clown. I guess he was just there to give the female lead a hug every now and then. On the flip side, the other male lead, Ji Ho, was in every other scene more than any character in the drama. One last thing, the overall vibe and tone later on was very detached and different from the few first episodes (after the kids story setup). If I had to mention something positive other than the cinematography being up to the modern standard with the majority of projects, that would be how secrets don't linger for too long which is because of the aforementioned repeated pattern.Was this review helpful to you?
SUIKA!
This slice-of-life drama was a quirky concoction of midlife crises, emotional constipation, and nostalgia. It’s not going to set your pulse racing or redefine the genre, but it got enough charm to keep you interested, for the most parts. The story follows Motoko, a 34-year-old woman whose life got a kick in the pants when her friend absconded with 300 million yen. Then, there was a sexually frustrated manga artist, a melancholic professor, and an emotionally stunted young landlord. It was basically the setup for a comedic entanglement, but instead, you get slow-burning introspection with the occasional dash of the familiar Japanese absurdity. There’s something hypnotic about watching these women fumble their way to self-discovery, finding happiness in their mundane fractured lives. It had this warm nostalgic glow all over it but that couldn't save it from some inconsistencies and shortcomings. Particularly with its 2nd half where the drama already exhausted most of the personal stories around the housemates and what left was a lot of emptiness. There was an opportunity to dedicate an episode for the young landlord since she was the fourth wheel in the dynamic. Suika was the kind of drama that doesn’t try too hard to impress, and somehow that was its biggest charm. It wasn't revolutionary, but if you’re in the mood for a contemplative drama with a few laughs and a lot of heart, this one might be worth it.Was this review helpful to you?
Surprisingly Good
At the surface, the drama explored the abuse cases as expected from reading the synopsis, however, the rabbit hole was much deeper than initially thought. Each episode peeled one layer after another with more haunting revelations up until the last episode. I was worried we would be presented with a superficial showcase of some traumas but the drama actually took its time with each of leads' struggles and constructed a solid story. Although it went off the rails a little bit at the end but nothing too outrageous. I would've hoped if the ending was more grounded but one can look at it serving a theatrical over-exaggeration for the final act. Moreover, the constant jumping back and forth between different periods could've been done better. The side abuse cases didn't hold up compared to what the leads were going through nor did they blend well with the story. Aside from the intense cruelty, that one menacing soundtrack caught my attention. It's the same soundtrack that was used in Silent Hill 2 (White Noiz) which is strange because it's not the same composer. It definitely gave the drama a unique signature that was absolutely chilling whenever it played, though they almost didn't use it in the last couple of episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
Love? Never
The drama’s main plot revolves around a woman whose one defining characteristic is being perpetually sad. Why is she sad? Who knows! The writers certainly didn’t seem to. Maybe because the men in her life are about as reliable as a dial-up internet connection, or maybe it’s because the script was clearly written by someone going through a mid-life crisis and decided, “You know what’s relatable? Pain. Just… constant, nonsensical pain.” Nothing really makes sense, it was unbelievably dull as everything kept going in empty circles through the same events. Every man and woman were interested in the leads for some reason. Breakup was an expected element in such a plot but it was seriously poorly executed. It's the type of breakup you might see in an anime at the first slight misunderstanding, justified by a cheap trope rather than proper character writing. Why would their love be so great? The leads romantic chemistry has all the fire and passion of a wet sponge, it just couldn't sell the viewers on the long distance relationship and love. The drama was just a bloated, meandering, self-indulgent slog that mistakes misery for profundity.Was this review helpful to you?
Lost in Translation
Unfortunately, the drama wasn't as it appears on the surface. Presumably, it was set in China with most of the cast being Chinese, meanwhile the Korean main lead was more of a sidekick and a clown in the story. Although there was a little bit of change but the writer didn't put in the effort to work on his character. Aside from the initial premise of the plot, up to being scammed, the drama got stale and they began to introduce love interests at every down time. That was why they forced the Korean ML to get a love interest so he doesn't fall behind, even then, it fell short and uneventful. I would much prefer if they worked on his character contrary to how he was presented earlier in the story. The story progressed and ended in a very old fashioned Chinese way in delivering lessons and such. On another note, I liked some of the unexpected scuffness like the boom mic peeking on top of the frame.Was this review helpful to you?
Run, detective! Run!
The drama shouldn't have been split up into 2 seasons since it was a one big continuous story. This split created a few more problems along the way. Some of the baddies cast members had a clearer split between both seasons, focusing on a few of them each season despite having one grand story. This created some coherency problems and made it feel disjointed. Personal stories, relationships and side characters had an unequal amount of focus between both seasons. A case in point, the ML's daughter/family had only some focus in season 1 while being completely absent from season 2 (aside from 1 flashback) which took away from the ML's character and drive. Especially when his entire character was built on the ghosts haunting him from his past. The focus shift was exactly the opposite with Lee Sung Ah between both seasons. Anyway, enough about jumping between seasons. The cast members brought a good performance especially our leading shadow detective. I really appreciate the production not turning on the beauty mode on for Sung Ah & Joo Hyeon. You can see the pressure and exhaustion their carrier put on them over the years. The cinematography was good for the most parts, especially with scenes involving the detective alone, but there were some dodgy shots here and there. The story was well written with a decent pace to match the suspense. The thriller and intrigue were blended nicely with some nice action scenes. However, the last stretch of the story got a bit weak and disorganized after building up the story for a grand finale. Also, some overdramatized deliveries ended up backfiring, making important scenes less impactful. The introduction of the last episode was good, as well as that dream sequence. His speech about him wanting to stop running while reciting his past was the most memorable moment in the drama. If that wasn't enough, the very last scene was the cherry on top to tie it all up.Was this review helpful to you?
Aged Like Milk
There's an obvious case to be made around the exploration of the ups and downs of being a young adult, but this drama was an excruciating exercise in superficiality, offering nothing but a hollow shell of what could have been a worthy experience. From its cardboard characters to its cringe-worthy dialogue and moments, the drama failed to maintain an attractive hook, opting instead for a glossy, saccharine portrayal that felt more like a caricature than a digestible imitation. The stories were equally pretty shallow as well, its attempts at drama fell flat, overshadowed by its overwhelming lack of substance, conviction and commitment between most of the characters, relationships and dynamics. Its surface-level approach with everything left no room for any proper investment to be had. By every metric possible, the 2nd season was a significant downgrade to what was an already struggling piece. Yoo Eun Jae was undeniably the weakest link in season 1, recasting her actress to someone who's struggling to play it, made things 10 folds worse. The replacement was trying really hard to mimic the original while the actress facial expressions, fluency and intonations were the polar opposite. It doesn't take a blind man to be appalled by the comparison, not like the original was any better. Unfortunately, things got even worse, her continuous story, background, conflicts, motives, and character writing were a nauseating concoction of utter literary incompetence and creative bankruptcy, a slap in the face to anyone with even a modicum of taste. To be fair, both Ye Ri & Eun Bin brought a much needed improved performances into the 2nd season, their characters as well had a better fit. Overall, the drama was a disappointingly bland and forgettable entry that failed to leave any lasting positive impact. If you care, streaming services like Netflix cut off any inner songs/tunes/humming/reading-lyrics-out-loud, the first episode is +3 minutes shorter than TV.Was this review helpful to you?
Raw Proposal
I can assure you, it wasn't a delicious proposal. The romance in general was really not good here. The drama was a bit of a mixed bag. At a first glance, the cast was undeniably stacked, Son Ye Jin, So Ji Sub, Ji Sung, and Kwon Sang Woo, however, everyone except the male lead Jung Joon was a side character, he was the main focus throughout. Even Son Ye Jin didn't do much in this drama despite being the female lead. The story could use some spice and maybe other ingredients as well, something was always missing, it didn't feel complete. The male lead character was kinda bland and didn't fit a lead's mold for a drama. There were some nice moments that remind you of the good old raw kdrama days, but they weren't enough to make up for the overall lack of taste.Was this review helpful to you?
Justice of The Dead
The drama had a good mix of cases and personal attachments which helped raising the tension and to have higher stakes. Most of the cases were interesting and entertaining. On the other hand, season 2 cases had less personal attachments other than 2 incidents, one around the middle and another for the last case. Stella existence was problematic to the drama, both the character and the actress. She was out of place and her scenes were insufferable since her introduction. She was added to the drama as a fun and quirky element but that backfired immediately. Sally was her replacement in season 2, the drama attempted to replicate Stella but ended creating a worse version which made her scenes even more insufferable. I can't stress enough how insufferable both of these characters were. Season 2 had another unsuccessful addition, that is the character Do Ji Han, his character took away from the drama rather than adding or enhancing any value. Judging by what they did with season 2, It's preferable to not get another sequel. Unfortunately, they left a lot of threads open for a possible continuation. On an unrelated note, the corpses in season 2 had more censoring than season 1.Was this review helpful to you?
Dysfunctional Characters
The drama kicked off with good modern visuals and an interesting fantasy setting on a mystical island. However, it quickly unraveled. The fantasy elements, though visually appealing, peaked in the first two episodes, while the remainder felt like a rehash of what we'd already seen. It's strange that they revealed all their cards in the beginning, leaving the rest feeling empty. The female lead was sent to the island to work as a teacher, but this plotline was completely irrelevant and didn't last for more than one episode. The direction the drama took with the fantasy story turned out to be quite disappointing afterwards. More on characters, the female lead was an unstoppable cringe generator with her non-serious interactions, especially with the male lead in the earlier parts. It was the writers way trying desperately to build chemistry between the two, but it was impossible without rewriting the characters themselves. However, the character that suffered the most from both the writers' curse and the cast choice was Goong Tan. It doesn't take a blind man to see what was wrong. The drama ended up being this shallow shipwreck of recycled ideas and bland characters.Was this review helpful to you?
Did They Try Their Best?
It had a pretty normal start with introducing the story and the characters, nothing about it peaked my interest. The story itself was too safe, tame and outright boring, they didn't attempt any challenging situation even when they wanted to create conflict or tension. The comedy was a hit or miss, they didn't have a lot of material to work on in the first place. The main running joke was the unemployed main guy which got really stale overtime. The drama also lacked good dynamics between the cast, the small size of the active cast didn't help either. The side stories ended up being white noise. Too many of them had a good potential to craft something meaningful but the drama refused to take any of them seriously and gave each one a halfhearted resolution at the end. I can see problems and gaps from translating the manga into a live action format, something didn't click. I'm sure the manga fared better for such themes and stories.Was this review helpful to you?
