strawgal

What I love about this is more like a real relationship where a partner tells someone what they did was wrong, even if they think they are doing the right thing,and they effing do it again because in their they think their control is help. Then perhaps you get people on the outside trying to put their spin on things,

Completed as a couple watch. Just amazing, some of the of the special effects where not only well executed but also atmospheric. The quality of the costumes made it seem you could reach out and touch them.
IMO the script managed to handle the themes and made every character have reason to be there and the twists were not based not outlandish character motivations. The slight comic relief was really part of the plot.
It was lovely to see actors being able to do something different, and be able to portray real, raw and ugly emotions.
This genre is not really my thing, manly because I do not believe in the supernatural, it left enough breadcrumbs that a lot could be rationally explained, because who knows what they were putting in the water?
If you liked The Haunting of Hill House or Midnight Mass its that sort of reality bending motivation, feeling.

What struck me a was the shoe, the shoes, the brogue shoes, with leather worn soles,and the 'riding boot's look like stiff box leather, stiff because they are not made to measure when often officers bought their kit and worn for riding.
The fit of the clothing and the quality of the clothe,s o it looks like a serious attempt at the period.
If you look at Overdo, that is costume done really badly, roughly the same period setting.

The only thing I have to add to this is costume and direction, because both of high quality.
It is directed so the audience are almost in the scene and not a 2D play.

I want to like this because it has some interesting ideas, but it is so flatly directed, which perhaps most noticeable in the 'group chats' and the awful set pieces around the tables. It is as if the directer missed the whole lecture on editing and blocking, so lets not bother, lets shoot it like it is copy and repeat of the Last Supper.

Who ever is directing this is doing a good job, because this has a very natural look.

Again, two actors in search of a plot, or even a script, and good direction.
They are trying but what is supposed to be, because the script is not funny or even interesting and it is directed and edited so flatly it is like DIY or work experience has had a go,
When it works it is because of the actors, and I can see the only way out of this circle of poor material is to split up the pair.

Even if you like this it's a frustrating watch because never since Uriah Heep in David Copperfield have I seen so much hand wringing and head bowing, with a touch of the disapproving old maid.
Guan Yue who plays Lu Xiao Fan must have been exhausted because every twitch and lip purse has to be subtle enough not to become comic.
The setting the 1990's is also a bit of the character, because its a time of change and growth after disruption, and things we perhaps see as normal now were new then.
Just seeing some of the old tech, some of which I have in storage prodded memories.

What I didn't like was like a bad detective story you knew something and going on an the big revel at the end was too rushed and neat, and a character in the story left out for episodes just make it work.

So who was using who, I think they used each other. At the start it was for safety and convenience for various reasons, they used each other as a shield, I do not think Bei Lu Qing realised that Lu Xiao Fan had the capacity or means to make a choice, perhaps he was out manipulated?

This is the best thing I have watched all year, we are on ep 5, perhaps even beating A Knight of the 7 Kingdoms in its consistency so far. Some episodes left us breathless.
The constancy of the eps has been excellent, but what I really appreciate is that despite the supernatural themes and the need for villains the people seem real, and it's nice to be see faces with little make up.
I love the weary slacker dude attitude.

I think there only time they are allowed to look or be less than perfect is the horror thriller genre. Watching The East Palace you see Nam Joo Hyuk freckles, even his FL looks to have a bit of a tan.
Kim Young Kwang, who can do romance has gone for roles where he can play full villain and look ugly.
So far it is not as bad as the C dramas, they use so much post post production editing that some of the actors could be AI.
I find it sad because Korean actors are good and by blanking out the face they are restricting their skill, and reducing a human connection to the audience in the pursuit of the perfect look.

I watched this with my husband, and by the end we both wanted it over quickly to put it out of it misery.
The plot which had a good premise had a good start, but then just ended up as a collection of nonsense, and the end was just stupid.
The only characters who seemed to be at least a little bit appealing where supposed to be the bad ones. The M and F lead were pretty soullessly dead behind the eyes unpleasant, and the neatly wrapped up end illogical.
Namgoong Min can act but he is a bit like Tom Cruise he has set expressions and patterns he relies on, there is a POV that this is getting work (and awards) so why not? When I watch something I do not want to see the acting, I have seen enough of his work that to know most of his facial tics, and IMO they are over used, he doesn't seem to have the range of facial expressions that convey thought in real time.

It took me a couple of episodes to get in to this, because the ML face looks like something out of anime, its it is so made up and filtered. Usually they do this to the females this is the first time i have seen so badly done to a male, so the women in this look fairly realistic.
There is not shading on his face at all, which really just leaves his eyebrows to act with, when as someone to lives mainly on the road he should have a bit of a rough look.
The story so far not too bad, just hope it doesn't get bogged down.

I also agree with the direction, but its starts on the page. It's as if they do not want to offend anyone, although they did have a divorced couple which was first for that age group I have seen, and the younger boyfriend dynamic.
The vast hole gap in the plot was he was her boss, which in most work places relations in the work place is frowned on, if not written about in the HR policy, and often you get moved out of the department,
I really want to understand how they makes these choices.

I can not fathom how the writers thought that bland safe 'drama' with no serious conflicts, with characters no personality beyond being like a bowl of cold congealed oat porridge make this drama worth this amount of episodes.
I just want to know the thought process, or do they really think that everyone who works in tec or in an office is mentally , and emotionally stunted.

I dropped after 10mins, you have almost made me think I missed the fun, but I think your post was probably more entertaining than the script. Well done for completing the mission so other did not have to.

Well that was a cliff I didn't think he was going to jump off, it puts all the formula revenge dramas to shame. If you are going to spread muck make sure it goes every where. Of course they could all have collective amnesia or this pretend they dreamt it.
I suppose it is one way perhaps for his family to get some hush money.
I lovely that they are all so self involved that when he says huh they think is agreeing with them, when he is marking their card.
I think Guan Yue is gives the best performance I have seen all year in any genre.

I keep dipping in and out just to see if it gets any better
There is a old film Brief Encounter t(1945)hat is very much of its time, where everyone speaks in very clipped in RP English accents, unless they of course the are not posh or aspiring to be. It is the source of many comedy skits, even though its classed as a great romantic film, that won a Cannes FF. This drama had so many stock characters and camera angles that it is ripe for comedy gold.

I am not sure if the director was thinking of 1940's weepy and a inspiration, Waterloo Bridge is another classic melodramatic romance drama, with two of the top movies stars of the day, This looks too modern , particularly the costumes,and hair, and not knowing enough to carry it off.

I have been thinking about this and I do not think he needs forgiveness. He has made a choice that improving most of the lives of many is more important than the comfort of himself and his lover, who must know about the issues to choses perhaps not to think to deeply about it. The meal was a symbol of that, class, money and culture against the reality outside. They are living in a bubble that they both know at some level will end, and they can not see over the edge of the horizon.
Phob I would expect that being on the 'right' side will be able to give his prince some protection, even if he doesn't accept it or is angry with him. He is taking that risk but its not a risk that benefits only himself, Tin gave him up to please his father, Phob forgave him because he understood the pressure and loved him, I hope Tin can see that the choice Phob made was basically a reasonable one.

We are watching it as a couple, and the main failing for me is I am not emotionally engaged with either of the main characters, and just about every character is in it for something,that are hiding which only leaves the crazy couple with any sort of personality you can actually engage with, there is shut down and depressed but usually they are not functioning at a high level. I would know what the direction notes where for the main couple, play it dead behind the eyes? I don't think they were ever in love, he was a controllable opportunity for her, hence her dissatisfaction in not having the poster perfect marriage and for him she was a stepping stone, s now trapped and the child would have been collateral damage eventually.

My husband is now bored, what ever dramatic tension or excitement has been lost in a muddle, and there is a string vest amount of holes in the plot.
I think they should have script readers if they haven't got them I know domestic drama tends to be longer, but long and stupid? Let hope AI did write this because they seem to have little understanding of how people behave, never mind plot development.
I have met many senior surgeons and doctors in my time and what they all have is a personalty, you may not like their personality but Dr House in some respects is not that far out. Even the affable ones have a mind like a steel trap.

We may leave to the end and just just watch the last episode. My greatest wish is the FIL makes an exit, now I could understand all his family wanting to get rid of him

Well I had to give it a ten.
I am old so I have watched a lot of film and drama, and perhaps because it is set in the past where school was important, but it didn't rule your life, and you had groups of friends that were constants, you squabbled and fell out, made up and were allowed to explore life what ever your sex in comparative safety, it is a comforting watch. Set in a time where you were out for hours and only came home when it was dark of it was time for a meal.

I was going to give it an 8.5, but the last episode IMO was exceptional. So many dramas fall down on the last ep wanting to tie things up neatly, especially in this genre, when life isn't like that. The last episode showed the reality of life in how you change and take on responsibilities in life, and being in a long term relationship means that sometimes not perfect is still perfect for you, and you have to allow for space for changes. It also showed how from the outside people perhaps have a view of a couple, when the couple have made an active choice in what suits them. They will still being squabbling about the same things thirty years later.

I was also impressed in how the parents are portrayed, because most parents want the best for their children, and sometimes life and worry can cause 'conflicts of interest', it's, what perhaps a late teen sees as control, pressure is still trying to guide them to a safe place. In drama it is too easy to make them the villain for a plot point, when they are doing the best that they can even if their child thinks they are an ogre.
In short it has great acting from a young cast, great script as a whole, and directed with care.
I suppose the only thing I could compare it to is the film Stand By Me, with the soft glow of the past, and friendship.