SunOh

"and if you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

It’s definitely not a film for everyone, but it expressed something I deeply relate to and that was cathartic for me. Anyone who dismisses it as merely weird or perverted is missing how profound it truly is. It touches on everything — from the struggles of adolescence and mental health to a subtle critique of Japanese society with the lack of mental health support, stigma, detached overworking parents, etc. It’s raw, powerful, and honest. The opening line even states it’s meant for those who have suffered through puberty, which sets the tone perfectly. Of course, Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal is part of the film.

The symbolism is brilliant — I especially loved the “other side” theme. It’s probably this impactful because it condenses a massive, masterful manga into just two hours, making the experience intense and overwhelming in the best way. Honestly, this movie found me rather than the other way around.

My personal highlight was Takao's actor — his performance resonated with me like no one else’s could. And the cinematography? Absolutely stunning — every frame was thoughtful, beautiful, and full of meaning.

P.S. You can also read my comment under the review if you've finished watching.

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Romantic thriller about privileged teenagers — an intense work beyond appearances

Review with images and spoiler marks: https://www.reddit.com/user/_sunoh/comments/1ljwqtb/hierarchy_review_an_intense_work_beyond/

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Hierarchy is a drama that, behind an apparent classic structure — elite school, bullying, revenge — stands out precisely through its ability to go further, delivering a human, emotional, and above all, resolved story. And that is its strength.

The story doesn’t need a sequel because it is complete. Kang Ha gets the truth he seeks, and justice is served. No blind revenge, no spectacular payback, but a quest for meaning, understanding, and repair. The drama doesn't dwell on the brutality of bullying as often seen elsewhere, it chooses a more subtle, mature, realistic tone. And that makes all the difference.

Kang Ha, as a central figure, disrupts the established order through his academic excellence, courage and emotional intelligence. The way he prevents the sharing of the video, or his heartbreaking line to Ri An — “Learn to live with your guilt because I will never accept your apology” — gives the whole story its meaning: a life lesson, not a revenge tale.

Every line of dialogue matters, every word carries weight, and it’s in these exchanges that Hierarchy finds its full scope. The final episode is especially striking: intense, accomplished, and deeply moving.

Jae I herself embodies the ambivalence that makes the characters so human. Both victim and witness, stoic yet wounded, she perfectly illustrates the emotional complexity the drama aims to convey. Her performance, subtle and restrained, makes her a memorable character, just like Kang Ha, whose portrayal literally carries the drama. Moreover, all the main characters—and many others—add depth and nuance to the story.

Far from being a simple “aesthetic” drama, Hierarchy knows exactly where it’s going. It doesn’t seek consensus perfection — it seeks resonance. And it succeeds, because every episode is rich and layered, every emotion measured, every transformation believable. Even Ri An benefits from a complex and realistic character arc. And that’s precisely what makes this work memorable: nothing is black or white, and above all, everything is said.

The settings themselves play an equally interesting role. They depict a school of unreal beauty, which makes the contrast with the darkness of the drama all the more striking. It evokes certain dystopian films: a seemingly perfect world where the worst seeps into every crack. This visual dissonance is no accident — it reinforces the drama’s atmosphere and underlines its tensions. And clearly, I’ve rarely seen such beautiful color grading.

It's easy to criticize the drama for a lack of originality, but that's a misreading. Hierarchy doesn’t overplay elitism or corruption — it deconstructs them with finesse. And above all, it highlights a powerful message: the importance of change, awareness, and education — even in the most closed environments.

All in all, Hierarchy is a short but impactful drama. Not because of its spectacular aspect, but because of its sensitivity, accuracy, and its ability to evoke emotion without relying on gimmicks. The drama doesn't aim to shock — it aims to heal, to bring growth, and it does it well.

FMVs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVlEiYP-9el422JsLuJ8Gy_rmUqEzKdN0
My own: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IM7rXnc_Rs (check my tiktok for more edits)

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If something gets bathed in the moonlight, it becomes a myth. I guess our story will become a myth.

~ Why do you think you're the water god?
~ What sort of question is that? Then you, why do you think you are human?

The Bride of Habaek has a lot of meaningful subtext that many viewers seem to overlook. Beneath the surface, it’s actually a beautiful fantasy — a bit unconventional, quietly layered, and laced with gentle humor that gives it its own charm. Not everything has to be about high-budget showcases of flashy superpowers.

The icing on the cake: Saekyeong has a fear of water and Joohyuk is afraid of heights, so they really had to push themselves and supported each other.

The Bride of Habaek starts with a little girl talking to an old man, introducing its universe as a balance between both realms, the Gods serving to maintain the nature, a symbolic scene of So Ah's story, an unfinished painting of Habaek. The Gods simply appeared many years ago, with no such thing as growing up. Ironically, they aren't much different from us. With their own complicated stories, sometimes immature, sometimes selfish, sometimes clueless. The story is the journey of a psychiatrist who sees Habaek as another of her patients, and they grow to be more human together. Why Habaek lost his powers? Why did he get them back only to save her? Remember his conversation with the old man when he asked why he had to go the human world to deserve his future title.

A fun detail: Habaek is actually part of Korean mythology, and there is a sequence where So Ah tells him what she read on the Internet, which was false.

P.S. I haven't read the manhwa, and I'm not interested in the historical genre. But if you like sageuks and a more serious, darker story then read the manhwa. The drama adaptation was advertised as a modern spin-off named "The Bride of Habaek 2017" where their relationship is one of a servant and her God. If you liked The Bride of Habaek, I highly recommend The Heavenly Idol, which is about a depressed fan who used to work in the industry but retired due to a tragic event, and her favorite idol whom she first met by chance and brought light to her world, but who she thinks turned crazy because of the pressure.

About the ending: (in the comments)

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Great spin-off

Best cartoon drama - loved it, the couple, particularly Ong Seong Wu (love his jackets!), and just about everything such as the scenes in Mongolia, secretive/rich environment (along with Penthouse-like OSTs) and play on capitalism, female empowerment with the mother, the grandma (who had their own backstories) and Nam Soon of course, great comedy like with the lazy brother (he was so funny kind of like the sloth in Zootopia), making fun of misogyny without being offensive like the Barbie Movie (we know some losers complained about it), little moments like Nam Soon looking at Hee Sik dancing from afar thanks to her super vision (iconic scene) or the rain falling above him with the rainbow and when he disguised himself as a woman, Nam Soon keping a picture of Eunwoo in her journal in Mongolia saying she wants to date a good-hearted Korean guy and then fate happens in a really fun way, open-minded take on old couples, contemporary issues, vulnerable people, family relationships (some more complicated than others), adoptive parents/finding your biological family back, teamwork, side characters (the homeless couple, Mr. Bread and his OST, the semi-villain Hwa Ja who impersonated the real daughter, the detective Yeong Tak), etc. I liked how it was a big fight revolving around drugs and Russian mafia, and Nam Soon had bigger superpowers (and the "link" they had in their family). The production quality was high, the ending was great (satisfying conclusion and then surprise), and Season 2 is apparently coming out! (https://kisskh.at/798770-strong-woman-jang-chung-dong)

I didn't think it was poorly written, and there wasn't too much content either. It was all tied together and there was 16 episodes of 1 hour each, which is more than enough.

People hated it because "the villain was hot" (he has a terrible backstory, so yeah). I'll never forgive them for insulting the leads, saying the male lead is ugly and hating on them, the whole cast and story (even saying, "who cares about an old couple, I skip their scenes, only watching for the villain"), saying the prequel was much better and this is the worst drama that nobody with taste should enjoy, even shipping Nam Soon with that massive murderer (I always feared their interactions because she was pretending and past some point I was even disgusted when he showed her affection, I started to really hate him when he did one specific thing, I'll write it in spoilers in the comments). The villain had small appearances at first but although I thought he was really good and a fitting casting choice, it's absolutely untrue that he carried the drama. Everyone did - it's an ensemble cast. (Unlike the prequel.)

"there are too many characters/storylines so we can't get attached to them except for the villain" this makes no sense. Even the music and acting would be rated a 1 because "everything was annoying and cringe except Ryu Si Oh". About the music, it had kpop songs because it was exactly what the drama needed.

The prequel: focus on romcom/CEO romance (Hee Sik and Nam Soon had great chemistry too, it was just different), typical love triangle, popular male lead who acted all cutesy... And while the girl was childlike there too oh let's complain about Nam Soon even though you see how she grew up and her personality and also complain about Hee Sik because he's "boring"??? Well yes, the romance here was more mature if anything. I loved his acting all the time, he always improves and showed his range the best here, I was glad he got a role in a big drama like this, it was popular in Korea too (JTBC is a paid channel and it got high ratings) and I've seen the reels of him in the military with his mates holding fan items, which was lovely (he watched the drama with them). At the time a dance contest of Seong Wu actually got viral in Korea, and if you don't know about him he was part of Wanna One. Anyway just to give an example of his acting here, the fear in his eyes when he was about to lose another loved one was very impressive. Seong Wu is a goated person with a big heart and this cruel world doesn't deserve him.

A last thing, the romance isn't bad simply because Hee Sik got attached to her quickly. He was just a kindhearted policeman and I loved how they got entangled. Their relationship was so cute, how she found her dream thanks to him.

I also appreciated the contrast between both dramas. By the way, you can watch it without having seen the prequel but Bong Soon and Min Hyuk do have a cameo, Nam Soon is Bong Soon's distant cousin.

P.S. There was a Parasite and Nevertheless reference too, that was awesome.

On edit: Two things I've learned, there is a spin-off manhwa "Strong Girl Geum Ju" (Nam Soon's mother) and the drama actually surpassed Strong Girl Bong Soon in the ratings.
https://myanimelist.net/manga/167932/Strong_Girl_Geum-ju

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A poignant and philosophical take on the end of the world

"Together today, tomorrow, till the end."

The Fool of the End was such a powerful title, but I'm not surprised they changed it in English. Thankfully, the few scenes removed from Yoo Ah In didn’t hurt the drama, since I think I know what was removed and it's not much (maybe some less important scenes too, no idea tbh). Like one of the top reviews said, it allowed for a stronger focus on the protagonist played by Ahn Eun Jin. Yoo Ah In was amazing as everyone else, and I hope he is doing okay. South Korea absolutely needs to change, but that's not the topic here.

It’s definitely not a drama for everyone, but it reminded me of recent real-world events like the covid lockdown, Korea’s sudden martial law, and, on a more personal level, the sense of community my grandma shares at the church. The timelines were handled well (so I was quite confused about the criticism, because the drama was giving you clear hints like showing the date and changing the color), and it was satisfying to learn about each character and connect everything together. I loved the unsettling but also calm atmosphere despite the chaos, how it kept my mind engaged, and how it moved me. It can sometimes feel ambiguous and require thinking and patience, but to me, it was in a good way. What Goodbye Earth offers is a deeply human story with a portrayal of hope and despair. I was hit so deeply in some of the scenes, even if it wasn't loud.

The drama focused on the perspective of ordinary people whose lives suddenly became extraordinary, and on what the catastrophe meant to the protagonist. The script wasn’t bad—the worldbuilding and storytelling were fascinating, and the introduction was great. Hae Chan (one of the kids) narrating the story to the audience as if you just opened a book? Perfect. I've read that the pilot was bad (the first episode), but I couldn't disagree more. I got chills right away and was more hooked than with most dramas. This is far beyond a simple slice-of-life as suggested by others, and yes it is a thriller. Anyone looking for raw intensity and complexity should definitely give it a chance. Every character has a meaningful place in the story and is given truly beautiful development. That's not to say everyone is likeable, obviously... I however loved that one female villain, she had an amazing presence. Despite the vast cast of characters, that was also handled well as I felt closer to them along the way.

The directing was amazing, and in terms of cinematography, it was the best. So much meaning in every frame and every scene. From the start, I loved how the lyrics matched the ending scene of episode one, and how the flashbacks used black and white along with other cool effects. The soundtrack was also a masterpiece, and the performances were incredibly raw and compelling. Revolution by Hwang Sang Jun and Pre-holiday is not just an OST, it's an hymn. Gloomy Day is my second favorite. Pray is also a great song, and the BGMs fit perfectly.

On top of all this, the drama was also progressive in more than one way, and I salute the screenwriter for that.

One flaw for me was the fact that I didn't understand In Ha's military storyline... I felt a bit lost with some of the military stuff. Maybe it was just me and hopefully I understand it better upon a rewatch. It definitely looked cool.

Side note: As stated in the opening, Goodbye Earth is the adaptation of a Japanese mini-bus novel, which is a first.

I will comment about the ending below.

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Dark human truth, deepfakes, dystopian interconnectedness, fake news: Powerful.

"Maybe if we had a better childhood, things would have turned out differently. Others have happy memories to remember, but we don't."

The true meaning of the title is beautiful: Can you escape your sins?

Again, I love stories that aren't truly about revenge. But it's a great base for any story. So this one spoke to me. Season 1 was agressive from the start, and yet so fun and refreshing. Season 2 was the real deal. I came for the villain protagonists and I was not disappointed. This was a story of broken people who went through hell and redeemed themselves.

How Ra Hee's plan failed but she prayed to God for the Five to redeem themselves and said she knew her fate was already written, like when she prayed to give her a second chance when she fell down on the snow. The tree scene where she reunites everyone means everything (the metaphor of planting a seed). Plus the fireflies making this moment even more magical. They started to question Ra Hee and themselves until they all found each other at the same place. But of course it wasn't that easy and they were still doing mistakes, until Myeong Ji's death and her last words happened.

My favorite scene was Ra Hee and Do Hyeok exchanging a look when she saved him before dying.

And Ra Hee's story... After they made a pact with the devil, she became what she hated, a subordinate, to the man who betrayed her at that. And that's why she looked empty compared to Season 1. It lasted for a while until the only thing that could break her happened, aka seeing the moment of Da Mi's death.

Hwang Jung Eum did one hell of a job. The scene where she repeatedly slaps herself, saying she doesn't deserve to punish, she's not human, she doesn't deserve to cry... Wow. And that first episode marked history for me. It was the first time I genuinely cried and felt anxious.

Of course, Season 2 had a different vibe from Season 1, but I loved both. I cried a lot in Season 2. But Season 1 gave me chills so many times, it was pure adrenaline.

The fake news theme: It's a critic of provocative Korean media, headlines, youtubers and society (people going along and writing malicious comments). I wish reality could be like the end of Season 2 where a law was created against them.

And about the deepfakes... That was also close to reality by now, with AI getting stronger than ever.

Even K's story was very tied to the theme of "being fake". I loved the plot twist (definitely did not see it coming lol), his story and his character in Season 1. As a protagonist, Matthew wasn't that convincing for me (but I liked the bromance with Do Hyeok, and the betrayal made it even better), so I found that the twist strengthened the drama. It was cool how K didn't know that Lee Hwi So was scared of water because of trauma in prison. But first of all, it would be a revenge story like Penthouse, and second of all there was no "personal scene" to connect with the viewer apart from when it was actually the dad. Do Hyeok as the ultimate protagonist is what I'm talking about! I liked better how focused the drama was on the Seven. K's mask, his laugh and his inimaginable schemes is everything I love, but he was not a complete cartoonish villain either, his story showed his frustration and you could see his expression when he ordered to kill his real father and he called him "Son." Uhm Ki Joon was able to show a great range here both as the protagonist and as the bigger evil. Kim Do Hoon's acting when he killed his mother (with a biblical painting at that, his mother's favorite) and had tears behind the window was awesome. I was very glad he still appeared in Season 2 when Do Hyeok faked his appearance.

The plot twist did have me shocked though. K was really fun to watch when he kicked them down the stairs after torturing them in the amusement park. The ending of episode 12 with the Six teaming up against Matthew and Ki Tak jumping off the cliff with him and into the water before verifying his identity was great too.

The switched at birth twist was also peak makjang (Do Hyeok being the biological son). There was a flashback in high school where K saw Do Hyeok with his mother as he learned about Do Hyeok's true identity, Do Hyeok had a genius mind and was good in everything while he was pushing himself until he got nosebleeds. After K killed his mother, his father was going to send him to some island so he was forced to replace Lee Hwi So with him, but while he wasn't really happy with his new face he did like being respected and his true goal was Seongchan Group.

The new villain's twist... I personally found him scary lol. He had no sad backstory like K, just cold. Honestly with K's new hair (well, he just wanted to be more like himself than Matthew) he looked a little pitiful in front of Chan Sung who was taller than him. I hated him when he was keeping Mo Ne's mom captive... (Btw, it was really important to not end the episodes too quickly because there were scenes like Ra Hee saving Mo Ne's mom and also the scene where she listens to Da Mi's video and chooses the name Medusa because of it.) And well, it showed that Mo Ne was seriously unlucky to end up with him. And to say this is pretty close to reality for women getting with abusive men... I was so happy when she stabbed him and Do Hyeok and Ki Tak came, what a relief.

Do Hyeok and Mo Ne's romance was everything to me. I was so sad and scared for her when she left Do Hyeok after the campfire with the others. It was beautiful when Do Hyeok was saving Mo Ne's mother and the fire brought back his trauma, and she hugged him...
(My favorite FMV of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkRg__8GsE)

I liked everything from Ra Hee and Ki Tak's relationship and backstory, Jin Mo and Paeng Hee's story, the kids, Jin Mo and Myeong Ji's romance (the bonding between them in Season 2, the hatred, revenge and tragedy... thanks god they were alive still), even Cheol Woo and Ju Ran's romance, Ju Ran's mistake due to Ra Hee's revenge, Cheol Woo hating her and then reconciling. Considering how serious Myeong Ji's character got, the only "comic relief" characters left were Cheol Woo and Ju Ran. But because of that, it made sense that Cheol Woo would meet a tragic end. As a cop, he redeemed himself by trying to protect the others.

The ending: Symbolic and well thought-out for everyone. Also poetic and spiritual. K's parallel to Ra Hee with the shot in the leg and burned down to the ground by Do Hyeok was amazing as well.

I also loved the start of Season 1 with Da Mi's appearance as a ghost (white dress and long hair) which makes you wonder if she's going to return from the dead. Then my favorite arc of Season 1: the divine punishment on the deserted island. The paradise illusion with the food and drinks on the ship, the fruits on the island, the unicorn, and then the disillusion that reveals it's a trap from hell. The illusion of water, brutally killing a monster only to realize those were real people after waking up (and the centipede), thinking it's Da Mi's curse, getting hit by a wave, fighting and leaving on the boat as the Seven's reunion (with some epic BGM).
(This video also shows what a few of the "victims" on the island did: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdbz3t-VNM)

And how could I not mention the Mission Impossible reference with the BGM during the mirror scene at the end of Season 1? Well, it wasn't even the only reference to fictional stories since there was also the Skull Island (possibly), or The Ring when Da Mi came out of Mo Ne's TV The Ring, and Marvel was also mentioned.

The Island arc, Season 1's finale, Season 2's underground prison arc, those were all unforgettable. I will always be grateful to Kim Soon Ok, my favorite screenwriter of all time thanks to this drama. I haven't watched The Last Empress yet, only Penthouse but this was a beautiful end to her "makjang trilogy." Maybe that's too personal to include, but when it was almost over with Season 2 I watched it with my best friend when I was going through a hard time, and those are unforgettable memories to me. Even if logic took a backseat to spectacle, it didn’t break my immersion, quite the opposite. All in all, it was a very powerful and exciting drama.

Season 2 even had video game vibes with Medusa's hacking abilities and that one Watch Dogs-coded scene (incredible directing and to say this is the first main work from the Season 2's directors) or K literally playing with Do Hyeok in the car (Ra Hee having to risk everything to save them and rightly getting mad for being so naive).

There was also an artistic teaser for both seasons, I'll link them in the comments.

Plus, like in Penthouse, the opening is very symbolic as you get to watch it and analyze it every episode but it's a shame that just like with Penthouse, Viki only showed one version of the opening. Again, I'll link the one with K.

Season 1's opening:
The first statues: Anonymous commenters.
The nail holding Da Mi's bobble: K's hand. (see the tattoo on his nail)
Ra Hee: Greed, spikes growing, but also a foreshadowing of her amputation.
Mo Ne's dress: Childbirth.
Do Hyeok's fire: His family's tragedy.
Jin Mo looking at Do Hyeok with a knife behind his back: He was behind the fire.
The snake on Jin Mo's arm: K.

Season 2's opening is more biblical. The snake biting the apple (the original sin). Ra Hee being the last one to break, becoming the shield of Medusa that Do Hyeok is holding and turning K into stone.

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"coming like a storm into your town, you can't catch me now"

The ending is faithful. The moment where Tang shovels the snow in front of his house so his mother notices him… all I wanted was for him to get away, but it’s still sad. I almost cried when Tang tells Roh Bin he’s scared at the end of episode 6. It’s as if he found a goal in his life, and the end is a new beginning, so it’s still beautiful.

I love the character of Tang as an outcast of society, which makes me relate to him, and the thematic of the characters in general. Their names, their stories, how they relate to each other. The dynamic between Tang and Nam Gam made me think of the line "coming like a storm into your town, you can't catch me now" of Olivia Rodrigo's Hunger Games OST. And no, the sex scene wasn’t “unnecessary.” For me personally, it made the connection to Tang and his story better.

The directing was very creative, and I’m not surprised to see it’s the same person who was behind Strangers from Hell.

A Killer Paradox isn’t your typical thriller. It’s a black comedy, and I think it’s good at that. I was fully captivated from how the first episode ended, with the shot of Tang walking in the street, depressed, standing out from the others, almost looking like it could end there, until the quiet finish of the last scene with the beautiful Korean ballad ‘Ordinary Person’ by Lucid Fall.

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Falling in Love, Falling Apart

I really liked this. It portrays reality well—how a relationship can fade over time. The story captures the growing distance between them, along with her struggles at work, in a subtle and believable way. That one confrontation between them is particularly well written, with sharp dialogue, strong performances, and a palpable sense of tension.

The female lead comes across as almost sociopathic—not in a purely villainous sense, but in her detached curiosity about human nature, which makes her fascinating to watch. The second male lead is genuinely endearing, and the drama weaves in understated societal themes, as you’d expect from a J-drama.

In the end, the characters reflect on their mistakes, revisit how they met, and remember why they fell in love in the first place. The climax, underscored by classical music, is especially striking, heightening the emotional weight of the episode. The final scene then settles into a quieter note, as they exchange a simple “good morning” and look at each other with a mixture of regret and affection. It all comes together for a deeply satisfying conclusion.

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