semantichero

Comedy when you least expect/predict it, great sword (graphic use of them too) fighting , superb cast and acting, some lovely outdoor shots (I was really in the mood for something pastoral/set in the countryside with tons of greenery and big sky). The story was not that outside of the box; we have all seen movies and shows portraying the greed and cruelty of the noble class and the subsequent resistance of the impoverished masses and yet despite this lack of freshness in subject matter, I highly enjoyed the movie.

The treasure though?!?! Color me disgusted and dismayed. Not shocked as I have read up on the Imjin war but still wasn't prepared for that scene.

Humans are the WORST animals.

Happy Birthday!

Precisely. Departure and "rebirth".

Disappeared into the vast expanse of the desert maybe? Another stray, an abandoned/neglected, forgotten old thing making space for the new. Symbolic of the entire theme of the movie. This was one of my favorite watches this year. Eddie Peng aging like fine wine. (I had forgotten to come to MDL and mark it as completed till I saw your review on the home page )

I grew up in a happy home during my early, formative years. My parents eventually couldn't make it work with each other but during the time they were together they gave us a great start in life. They remained cordial, never letting their inability to foster a lasting relationship with each other spill into our lives. They never hit us, they cherished us and gave us a foundation of love despite their own personal failings. I watch A LOT of movies and dramas and the one thing that always touches me deeply is seeing parents abuse their children physically. It is said that every parent will scar their child in some way (usually emotionally/psychologically) and I believe that, they are human after all and flawed in their own way. Causing pain unwittingly is a human trait.

But to hit your child, to deliberately strike them with severe, painful blows (not light spankings) is SUCH a HUGE failing. It devastates me to think back on my great child hood and know that so many others have not been as fortunate; to know that there are children, youth and young adults who never know/knew love growing up: to acknowledge how stark the difference is between my life and theirs breaks me. It's sobering and painful to watch but I am glad a KBL is touching on the subject on such a visceral level. This show is reminding me of my good fortune.

Less gloss and more grit from a KBL. Finally.

I am in pain. THIS HURTS.

How I did not even know about this one? Jesus Lord help me. I need three lives, I am getting BURIED with my PTW list.

Oh man!! Not capital punishment!? Surely a light tap on the back of the hand would suffice?!?!?

Episode 6 so far. I am mightily confused and I LOVE IT! So tired of figuring stuff out early, of not feeling like my brain is being twisted and tangled in knots. With this, I am on the edge of my seat, questioning everyone and everything trying to figure out WTF is going on! And then every once in a while Uhm Tae Goo comes onscreen with his raspy, ovary melting voice and diabolical sexiness and I swoon. Pure, dark bliss. lol

Took off .5 for the grating and endless banshee shrieking by an otherwise superb Kim Tae Ri. I don't know, instead of making me empathize with her or feel her despair, it just annoyed me. Personal opinion on the act/delivery itself, I am not judging the actress. I think she is fantastic in general. This could have been a 9.0 but I left off another .5 for some major flaws, The ghost's behavior and strength was so erratic. Sometimes it seemed powerful and deadly then it was as if it just kind of was coasting along, waiting in the wings, unable to defend itself in a meaningful way. To say more would be spoilery. This fact kind of diluted the entire premise.

In regards to the acting, I honestly had no complaints other than the niggle above. Not too scary (I love horror but ghosts and possession themes are NOT my thing), pacing was fine. I DID have issue with time and how these folks were just traversing an entire city and villages etc. , going to multiple destinations in what seemed to be superhuman speed which removed some the immersion. It ended up making the story feel a bit choppy and the events implausible. I am not really a picky watcher (other than the sin of a booooring series I am open to flaws and all content) but sometimes I DO find my enjoyment hampered by little details in a particular show, which didn't necessarily bother me in another drama. One such scene was in episode 12 at the mansion when they get the text...

Good enough show, definitely worth the time but maybe keep your expectations at medium so you are either blown away if you end up liking it or not super disappointed if you watched this based on reviews and rave comments. The actors were great!

Fell in love with the Dasutt song "Lonely Night."

Anyone know where I can watch this other than MUBI?

Yeah, having watched a bunch of JBLs adapted from mangas I am kinda used to the cramming. Especially given the short episodes, a lot gets left out. Sometimes the shows' creators manage to make it work and other times, well...

I read a lot of manwhas, mangas, danmei etc.. I find I am either disappointed in the adaptation or relieved I read the source material first so I can fill in the events/blanks left out in the shows (making them even more enjoyable). Very rarely am I left with no opinion either way. It's hit or miss, like every other art form/medium.

This show is interesting enough with some episodes being wayyy more enthralling than others. It is mostly held together by the superb acting but my goodness the music is so over dramatic sometimes. It just overwhelms in the bid to heighten the feeling of dread, suspense etc. and it's really annoying me. Loud crescendos leading to/in a "nothing really happening" scene. (Minor gripe I had to state)

OK, I'll own it! haha But take note, I said she is a LITTLE SHIT (pain in the ass/smarty pants/brat etc.) not that she is THE SHIT. 😆😉

Due to my emotional health being topsy turvy I had put this on hold (I was picking and dropping shows left and right 'cause my attention span was at ZERO). I was enjoying it, started other dramas and never went back. Thanks to your comment I remembered it lol

Came to bump my years old rating of 8.0 to a 9. What was I thinking back then? I remember this show verrrry fondly. Such a great show. MDL why does it have to show as "completed" when I only came to change a rating? (Mild griping)

Also how is the policeman father not locked up for providing live "sacrifices" to these assholes? How is Apostle Kang free after the discovery of so many bodies? What happened to Sang Mi's father? How is the detective getting away from charges when he was aiding and abetting the governor in getting rid of his political enemies? So much left in an untidy pile of "HUH?!"

Every single father, from biological to spiritual, was an abysmal failure in this show. The slowish pace showed how the descent into cultish chaos is not a sudden drop but a gradual, insiduous process of isolation and brainwashing. This isn't what one would call a high adrenaline drama but it was filled with many nerve wracking scenes and frustrating behaviours.

The cult leader was depicted EXACTLY as I have always imagined and read them to be: mesmerizing, eloquent, dynamic, personable, charming, able to sway impressionable minds with their smooth talk and promise of escape from pain, grief and worldly turmoil. True wolves in sheep clothing, preying on the most vulnerable, giving succor to the spiritually needy until you cross them or question their motives and beliefs then out come the fangs. His quiet manner belied the pure evil, sadistic asshole he truly was and the fact that he never really got OTT until the end made the whole thing even more eerie. The only time he showed "fire" was on the pulpit, maintaining the respectable facade while others did his dirty work. He was truly diabolical.

The acting was top notch but some strings were just kind of left to dangle, sub plots abandoned and the wrap up a bit too tidy and hasty. They could have ratcheted the tension just a wee bit more and would have earned a 9/10 out of me. I was petrified for Sang Mi and Dong Cheol but there was a sort of disconnect for me emotionally. I saw her fear but never quite FELT it to the degree I hoped I would based on rave reviews. Personally, something was just missing. Still very much worth the time invested. NEXT!!!! :)

Nonetheless, it was a good show, glad to finally have it under my belt since I had heard so much about it.

Counting the days till I can binge this. Been so long since a Korean BL got me even mildly excited.

There is something weird about the site. It shows as 1080p ( in PIP) but the full screen plays at 480p. The first episode was at 480 for me then the second at 720. (Edited this after messing around on the site.) I put the show on my PTW list and haven't watched it yet so not sure about the other episodes. Sending you this link to see if it helps you. https://faq.dailymotion.com/hc/en-us/articles/20340347073426-Watching-videos-in-eco-mode-to-reduce-carbon-footprint

Also clear your browser cache.

Didn't move me, didn't bore me. The pace of the relationship was SUPER fast and it lost me somewhere but still a good fill in the gap show. Even a so so JBL is enough to sate some of my hunger in a year of BL drama drought.* There is a magic in them that is unbeatable.

*To clarify, yes there are many 2024 BL releases but I have been hard pressed to finish some/say I REALLY enjoyed them.

I truly hope you enjoy it. It can be a sometimes frustrating watch (not in terms of being a bad show) due to the actions of the characters but stay with it, let the story play out.