MJ Koontz

Except the band member that made this statement......isnt actually in the band.

That is, since our ML pretended to be him in episode 1/2...the older man being interviewed never became part of the band and thus, the entire story he is telling in the future, he is no longer a part of...Thus id we fast forwarded to 2023, he would not give this same interview because he no longer has this story to tell.

Meaning it already is all changed, even in 1995 and 2023 the storyline is not functioning as it was supposed to.Thus, what was going to happen doesnt matter as it cant happen anyway.

This is the problem when using time in stories...the domino nature of it. You have 2 people who should not be or were never there, now there...and thus the future will and can not ever be the same. Unless this is a time loop, of which the future became how it is now, because the 2 future children always were going to go back into the past and thus the future became what it was already because they had gone back to the past already....

However this interview is proof its not a time loop, cause the guy told a story of tragedy about his first band...of which he now has never been a member and was not a part of...

That is unless the band he was talking about...was never this band to begin with, and thus the whole warning of tragedy never had anything at all to do with any of the characters in this story...but some other random band....

Seo Joon is completely missing from episode 2...and he is listed as main character and was in all the promo pics even here on mdl...

We last saw him signing a contract with Ran Joo in episode 1....that contract stated that if she sold 20 million albums she would get 50% of the business he was starting and in return he wouldnt pay her until then.

And now he is nowhere to be seen and Ran Joo is destitute without a career or company.

People are worried Ran Joo is going to take advantage of Mak Ha and be bad...but the promo for next week had 2 voice overs. 1) Mak Ha saying, I'll make sure you sell 20 million...2) Ran Joo saying you be the voice.

Im thinking Seo Joon is the bad guy, the ones nice manager that built an empire in entertainment over the past 15 years and is probably veryy wealthy now. He also either burried Ran Joo's career after it made enough that he took on other artists and then he buried her career so she wouldnt hit the contract sales quota...or something happened to Seo Joon and she lost her ability to be a star and he dropped her...

Either way, Id say he is the big bad of the show...and that Ran Joo and Mak Ha will band together after bonding in episode 3...to hit the sales requirement and take the windfall of half his company...to which he will try to stop.

I also think, that Woo Hak will end up being the key player in hurting Mak Ha and Ran Joo as he will publish the expose showing their ghost singer deal. And hell do this likely when he finds out he isnt Ki Ho and that Mak Ha and his brother have fallen for each other....to get back at them....or maybe because he will be tricked by our bad guy thinking he is doing what is right and protecting Mak Ha from being used. But im guessing the first option more...as its a kdrama triangle...and there has to ve a moment where people are willing to let go of the 2nd ml as a viable option.

This will either bring the abusive father back in a last minute trauma that will hurt the family...or reveal that the mom and brother took care of the abusive man years ago and have been hiding it...though i think the first option is more likely.

I'm gunna go deep into kdrama reasoning here and swing a full melodrama plot at ya...

What if Woo Hak's trauma and reason for having amnesia is because the abusive father found them and attacked him thinking he was his son with a different name....

Thus, Bo Guel pretending to be younger with a fake name ended up hurting his brother...which is why he allows his brother to copy him and follow him and is keeping his mouth shut about who he really is even to Mak Ha....which ia guilt and trauma on-top of the guilt and trama of what happened to Mak Ha when they were kids....

There is more that says Bo Guel is our missing Ki Ho...from boat sickness vs marine uniform at station. To adult version still going to station when Woo Hak wouldnt remember, to the shoes, to being in aww of Ra Joon, and working also in editing for a program, amd also always doing something that kept him on water and around islands (searching) to both him and his mother seeming to have the same knowledge of the situation...

But Woo Hak does have the looks, amnesia, and willful personality of Ki Ho. And the Bo Guel and his mom could be keeping it all from him to keep him safe from his father...But then its weird they let him film on newscasts...

But even more importantly is who are our antagonists. Im worried in the end for a brief time Woo Hak will be a problem....that of course everyone will forgive by the end...ill put that in another post.

Anything that is aired on live tv, or broddcast, ratings matter. As it brings ad revenue via commercials (at beginning and end of programs in korea) as well as sponsors for the programs themselves to allieviate costs of production. OTT platforms leasing the content or creating lifelong contracts (such as a lot of Netflix original korean shows) aliviates risk and can turn a show instantly profitable. However, risiduals are a large problem for shows going to OTT platforms, as they do not pay per view and give royalties as old syndication networks did...(something the actors and writers guilds in America have been striking over) Even the creator os Squid Game (Netflix original not aired anywhere else) and is the largest Korean hit as well as Netflix hits worldwide...has stated he has never seen any additional money from Netflix because they dont pay residuals.

Also, ratings are a guage for star wattage. Actors and Actresses, writers and directors, who pull double digit ratings with their content (even in todays markets) will be more sought after and can leverage higher salaries from their successes.

Are ratings as important as before OTT platforms...arguable. Are they still important for conitued business... absolutely. Even OTT platforms are now releasing some sort of ratings info, even if its only top 10 lists or most viewed lists.

ML was corrupt. It is the main point of the show. He entered in the military to become rich, as he had spent his life trying to stay out of it. But when he got "an offer he couldn't refuse" he joined up. Not for any sense of justice or to become a great lawyer...

But to be paid illegally and under the table to throw cases, and falsify convictions.

The begining episodes and the rape are him doing what he is told. The only subterfuge from his side is to leap over the family lawyer and become their number 2. He is solely motivated by money and has no moral compass what-so-ever.

Like I said...as I knew it would...the show spends the last half redeeming his character and showing him the error of his ways...so he can be forgiven by the end.

There is no need to degrade me and say that I lack patience or that the show is written too well and is too complex for my understanding...

The show was not at all written well and is very basic, and you know everyones place in the story and their goals by the first 4 or 5 episodes.

The law cases are laughably simple, underwritten, and solved in the most rudimentary ways.

The two main leads make laughable mistakes just so the plot can move forward and the bad guys can win before the end...it makes you wonder how they had been so successful in their careers until now.

As for the main lead...he honestly doesnt give 2 shits about the victims or the crimes...UNTIL he learns his parents were killed. Until it affects him directly. Until he comes to understand the very people that are making him rich are the very people that mad him an orphan.

And then, once its HIS problem he switches sides. Because when it was other people...who gives a fuck.

And they do bring back 1 case to make him see how he ruined people..and how it ultimatley ended in death itself. And they have him attone for it...and the 1 case is supposed to represent all his bad deeds for the past 5 years....

But the rape case...naww man...he was bowing down in the office of the rapist and having rendevouz in the back of clubs to get rich, get him off, and get a high powered job.

He didnt care once about what happened. And I watched the whole drama. Its a morality tale...where he starts off a horrible person and becomes a moral hero by the end...

But I can't swallow who he was in the start..and didnt forgive him for his actions...the show was stupid and fun though..but Id only recommend it to people who have nothing better to do.

I think the writers or creators thought the audience would ultimately be fine with it because of the 2nd FL storyline.

That he never loved her and didnt want to merry her but is forced, and then she is also a cheater, and then they turn her into a truly Truly horrible person with no redeeming qualities, also the whole destined angle...

So they felt people would be like, okay, you got me. I dont care.

And to an extint it does work.

But the truth of the matter is the truth of the matter, ya know. And a vocal amount of viewers werent okay with it, tho Id say the majority ended up fine with it.

For me it did taint the story...didnt ruin...but tainted it...though so many other things end up being messed up, gaping plot holes, and non-sensable stuff...that It just kinda fell in the pot with all the rest by the end.

I still think the show is enjoyable and worth watching...but it isnt gunna be a favorite and wasnt a home run awesome experience...just good enough that im not mad i spent time here. But also the first 4 episodes are the strongest and the rest just kinda is what it is for me...took up time where i had nothing else to watch and it made me laugh and get engrossed a bit.

Oh but whats worse...is when it all is layed out..the cheating stuff...and this is a spoiler...so dont read if you dont want to know. But he is tech with the main FL but ignores her and wont see her because the 2nd fl, now his ex, asked him not to so she wouldnt be embarrassed working at city hall. So he basically ghosts the fl. Doesnt even tell the fl he broke up with 2nd fl and that he cant see her out of respect for the 2nd fl and her hurt feelings...but just ghosts her and hangs out with the 2nd fl publicly like they are still together...which is just hurtful.

It is just weird...and mainly to create anguish of the audience and fl...and then again...after the ahit hits the fan...he tells the fl the truth of why hes ignoring her...yuck

He knew at a certain point...but still was stepping out before he knew. Just when he found out, he no longer feels bad about it, and also starts stepping out harder...tho still doesn't end things with actual gf...cheating or not...

So its actually really "grey area", and a lot of viewers took issue with it. I think there is maybe 2 episodes between him finding out and confronting the fl...and you as a viewer wont know that he knows the truth until he confronts fl. And then the show flashes back to qhen he found out...but, as i said, he had already done stuff with FL and caught feelings, and been at the least emotionally cheating before even this point.

I'm not an arbiter of Korean bullying, and I did include the whole world...also I said the matter was in the "grey" area, and also didn't comdemn the actor and said if he he has a career fine, if he doesn't fine too.

I will say, that this wasn't a one and done thing. It isnt Ji Soo made a mistake and his life is ruined for it. This was over years. And his frie dahip with "B" and that group was over a long period of time, including the thr crime ring which came much later and Ji Soo was still friends with them.

So it habitual and continued choices over years...which is a different thing than a one time childhood mistake.

Also, I was just pointing out that this narrative of I am not the bully, just friends with hung out with bullies...seems to be the going narrative now to wash yourself clean of misdoings when you cant fully dissassociate from the situation. It is a trend.

And it is a trend that seems to be working.

And again, I say whatever, its all relative. It just comes down to who one wants to be a fan and support and who one doesnt at this point.

I was simply pointing out, he didn't exonerate himself from wrong doing. But clarified how he was invloved. Different things.

So, I'm very neutral about this guy. I watched a few shows with him in them and he did a decent to good job in his roles. He is attractive but not like gorgeous. I don't mind him on my screen but also do not crave him or get overly excited by there being a show with him either. So, I'm very much, ya know, if he is in more shows cool, if he is not well, ok then, cool too.

But, the news that showed up on TikTok today, that I then went and read sources of, is very I dunno, "grey" on this whole matter.

As I understood it...

Ji Soo went to a new school when he was in 7th grade and didn't have any friends or know anyone. Thus, he became friends with someone called "A" who was apparently not that popular. Ya know, new kid befriending someone who needed friends. Great start to a story right.

But kid "A" was being bullied by another kid now called "B" and that kids "posse or friends". Ji Soo claims to have confronted "B" about the bullying and somehow and for some reason "B" offered a friendship to Ji Soo. Ji Soo, admitted that he knew it would make his life easier to be friends with "B" and thus, he accepted the friendship and became part of "B"'s friend "group or posse".

"B" was not a great person and victimized students in the school, and ended up running some sort of "ring" or scam at some point and during this whole time Ji Soo remained friends with "B". And BTW stopped being friends with "A".

Now, Ji Soo claims he was not part of the ring scam or the bullying done to other's but was just simply friends with "B", the guy doing it all.......

So what I get from this, is Ji Soo betrayed his friend "A" and willingly became friends and hung-out with a guy "B" that Ji Soo KNEW was a bully and did questionable and bad stuff. While being friends with "B" he knew what "B" did to others, and was sometimes there but did not stop, tell anyone about, rectify, or do anything at all about the stuff "B" was doing but stood by idly watching and then remained a friend to him even though he was doing all this stuff. And Ji Soo did this, so he would have an easier time in school.

This to me is still pretty bad and damning. It does not make Ji Soo innocent nor does it make him a "good" person. In-fact the betrayal to his friend "A" is pretty sad honestly, like if you saw that in a show or movie you would hate his character. HATE and want him punished. But because he is a hot star you want him forgiven and "A" is now being thrown under the bus as ruining his career.

Also, in the US at least, we have actual crimes called, Willful Blindness or Accessory to the fact. "Fact" meaning murder, rape, bullying, theft (insert crime here) ect. What this means is that someone has a MORAL responsibility to stop crime and violence even if they aren't the ones involved. Being a person that is witness to, knowledgeable of, and or around violence and crimes and doing nothing, is equal to being part of what transpires. Willful Blindness means looking the other way or acting as if you do not know, and or specifically trying not to be around the crime or violence so you do not have to take responsibility even though you truly know what is happening. It is to stay outside the scope of being an accessory and acting "dumb" or "blind" to what those around you are truly doing.

This is at a "minimum" to what Ji Soo has admitted. He knowingly befriended someone ("B") and had an active relationship with them while having full knowledge of what "B" was a part of and that "B" victimized others. While in this relationship he did not in any way try to stop or help those victimized by "B". And now is claiming he should be forgiven or not held responsible for "B"s actions.

This is also the stance that female actress from "The Glory" is taking, yeah she hung out with bullys and sometimes was there when they did things, but she wasn't the one actually beating people up.

This is also what Ji Soo's friend "Nam Joo Hyuk" is claiming in his bulling allegations. (Who also went suddenly into Military when it all came to light". He was friends with these people and hung around them, but wasn't an actual bully. Even though there are "RECREATED TEXT CHATS" that his camp claim are taken out of context in which he does briefly join in in the text bullying.

A bully can only be a bully because those around them allow it. Bully's don't walk around alone, but in groups for back-up, cover, and blame. Is being a part of that group but not actually throwing the punch relieve you from being a bully? Honestly?

How can Korea, and the rest of the world ever really change the bullying issues and problems if everyone is given pass all the time?

Well, good Ji Soo, he luckily didn't have a bad school experience because he became part of the problem. And now good for him, he can be rich and famous because he didn't actually throw the punches to the victims.

It is all relative. But, no matter what, it shows Ji Soo isn't a guy of strong character or morals any which way you slice it.

Its only done on hulu...because hulu is a commercial focused viewing platform. Those black out moments are where they insert commercial breaks. If you oay for the premium teir then its commercial free...whcih im spoiled and wont deal with commercials anymore and stopped watching regular tv due to them. But, I believe, originally Hulu always had commercials the premium teir comming later as streaming got bigger. It was how rhey bargained conntent from competitors because they got a cut of the add revenue. And it was a joint venture between multiple companies...now its mostly owned by Disney and with their buyout of Comcast shares this year it will be fully owned by Disney. So things may change. But as of right now they make it all to insert commercial breaks for more money...

If you watch programs that are also on other platforms, or watch the shows that are on their platform but are shown elsewhere in different countries...the black out portions dont exist. And if you arent a premium teir member this isnt a problem cause thats where commercials start and end in the program meaning you don't notice it. Weirdly the ones who pay the most for the service have to deal with the random blackout moments cuase they use an outdated system of some sort. The blackout comes and then the commercials are skipped cause you pay more money and the program picks back up....

My mother, who is almost 70, whom I got into Kdramas....absolutely HATES if she has to watch it on Hulu due to the blackscreen moments and will literally choose to skip the program, or look for it elswhere, a lot of times and find something on viki or Netflix instead so she doesnt have to deal with it.

I thought episode 4 dragged and it had nothing to do eith the bad guys. I havent brought myself to watch epi 5 yet and came here to see if it was liked...this comment here doesnt bold well for me...as well as i keep reading, some comments later.

Episode 1 was akward and felt in search of itself. Trying to rehash the vibes of the original program (which i never finished) while also trying to make itself stand out as something new and its own. It worked well enough as long as you allowed some issues.

Episode 2 was enjoyable since you had the world somewhat established and most of the key characters explained. It allowed you to just watch it for what it is, and like it or not.

Episode 3 stayed smooth and started to hint at the larger picture or plot of the stort while tying up the first act storylines. Everyone was moving to place on the board preparing for the leap forward of the second act into the meat of the story.

But epusode 4 just hit the breaks. Everything crashed to a halt as we dealt mostly with 1 storyline and issue...which granted was big...yet also didnt come across as that meaningful for the main characters. They had a teary scene with each other and a meal and then...

Wardwrobe change and a hair cut and moving on...except to nothing. The badguys still took maybe 3 minutes screen time. The main plot splitting back into slower moving subplots. No forward moment at all and i got bored.

After the opening 15 mintues or so...the rest of the episode felt like...well the dreaded word...filler. Already in episode 4.

Um....

So, the main charcater in this show is trash. I just finished episode 4. I get it, I have lots of episodes to go...and I'm more than sure there are enough "hes learned his lesson" "will become a hero" "redemption" stories to make you like him by the time the final credits roll on that last episode.

But, he is a guy, who went and released a van full of serial rapists knowing full and well they were guilty. He also was going to shake hands and actively work on getting off the ceo from also being not only a rapist but also violent abuser. Knowing he did these things. He also, went on a high speed flee endangering his own aunts life, who already lost her sister in a car wreck, as well as ya know all the other non police koreans just driving the streets. And then was planning on ruining the woman who derailed his plans to become a wealthy conglomerate lawyer in a life covering up crimes...not to mention the other stuff that hes probably done in the 5 years of being a prosecutor.

But it all changes when he, in the most cheesy way imaginable, realizes that these people who he is working for, making money from, covering up violent RAPE cases, framing people, and making backend deals for....are also the people who killed his parents...

Because none of the other stuff mattered. Only when its his own family does it matter. Then suddenly, he is willing to be on the right side of things.

Its so pathetic, small minded, and sad to watch. I still cant get over what he was actively doing for the rapists. And the story, so far, is just making it a plot point...

God, i wanted his aunt to cath him so bad. I wanted for him to see the hurt, pain, dissapointment, resentment, and anger in her eyes as she watched the boy she raised in a back room making a deal with that guy. I still hope i get that scene somehow...

Im really bored.

I will admit, procedural dramas arent my thing. I know most people think of law/crime/cop shows...but a lot of other genres fill this bill as well...doctor shows a huge entry. Fantasy is a smaller niche precedural...but exist. Western shows like Charmed, Supernatural, Grimm, izombie...and even technically Buffy are examples...and this is where this falls.

However Buffy is arguably my favorite show and Move to Heaven which is also Korean and Netflix is technically even closer to Mystic in nature and I also loved it. So I say this because very well written and developed procedurals can still grab me and earn high marks. But Mystic is not doing it at all.

The epsidodal cases are mostly dull, the comedy is all slap stick over the top 3-stooge like silliness. The characters so far have yet to change or grow in any meanigful way, and the main story or "thread" that will link everything together, and likely take up the last few episodes is still just random moments sitting on the back burner.

I'm almost done with episode 7, and I don't really want to watch more. Its only 12 episodes in length, and all these comments said it made the writing tight with no boredom...plus I liked the cast, and so I hit play. But for me to be more that halfway through and falling asleep...(twice now) with no development of chracters or main plot, is the exact epitome and slow, boring, and loose writing.

The cases per episode go from dark and tragic to superfluous and childish. One story trying to press important meaning of life and world, another is trite and superficial, and then some are just zany romps. Possibly while airing it worked as you had days or weeks between the tonal shifts. But in a binge session comes off jarring, frustrating, and exhuasting. Some episodes Im kinda into and others I just can't wait to be over.

I wanna know whose who...who is prince...who is the evil guy. How will it ultimately end...etc. but getting there is a trudge, and I'm not winning the battle against giving up. Which is why Im writing this instead of watching the show...its paused.

Considering there are less souls that need to be saved than episodes left...and that..my intuition is that the final soul is our hostesses own...I know this episodic storytelling will end and give over to the main plot...which I think Ill be into.

But how much longer untill that happens?

Always true. Dramas are the best choice for adapting written eork with the least lost, cause you have the time and space to explore...

But budgets and flow as well as pacing, and a multitude of other factors still force changes and truncations.

Good point, music matters...Also, his facial expression. It was kinda, seedy...I guess is the word. Like not friendly

Ominous maybe...

As a stand alone work, having prior knowledge of who is who from somewhere outside the drama itself is cheating and not a basis of who is 1st and 2nd male lead.

I have no knowledge of this story at all. And the show OPENS with Hyun mins character and he is also listed first in cast roster and opening.

All of that infers he is the ML. As it is very very rare for a story to begin with the non main character, unless it is plot set-up and or back story outside of the main story.

Since, I'm minutes in, I also don't know who is in the final scene...but do know already who will get who because of these posts...

Hope the ride is at least fun.

Whole heartedly agree

Aww...hehe...I think we all missed many things in this one. I mean I'm doing gymnastics trying to make it all work in my head.

Im kinda really getting behind the revenge shaman plot idea...it makes the story make so much more sense to me!

But Rowoon was cute...hehehhe.

So your saying the original box that she held the spells in, that he stole and was taken from him on the battle field then buried in the woods was NOT the same box that is featured in the beginning of the show?

But he dug up that different box, which he could open, stole the spell book, only 1 book the good one, and then takes this book and puts it in a different box, ALSO adding a dark spell book of curses, written by her as well, (I guess he had it on him somewhere) but hides this one in a secret compartment when he adds it and then has a different shaman seal it that it cant be opened except by her.

He then takes this new now sealed box by a dofferent shaman with both good and bad curse books inside and again burries but in a different location just in case they are reincarnated at the same time some point in the future.

That's a lot to accept. Especially with only a short silent cut scene to infer it all.

And in the meantime he remarries and has some kids and him and his family remain fiflthy rich for generations even after directly going against the king and freeing a shaman who was buried alive after being found guilty of killing the crown prince. Also killing a bunch of palace guards in the process. With no ramifications.

Also, a whole lot.

That's a lot to accept

Also, just remembered there was a bounty for the spell book that included land. Is that why he took it, to deliver it and get the reward which is why his family is still so welathy and land owning today?