symph

...I was particularly let down by the mid-drama breakup, where Seul Bi leaves to go back to Geumhwa hotel where she was once held captive. I know this is necessary so the drama can move on to this plotline (and give Seul Bi and SML screentime). But the way they did it felt very contrived to me.

Let me be clear, Su Gwang's reaction is 100% understandable, His mother died and he also almost died. His life was basically ruined. But I feel like it was all portrayed so poorly, an incredibly confusing mix of Su Gwang saying to Seul Bi "it's not your fault," but also Su Gwang being incredibly cold and literally packing up Seul-Bi's stuff and asking her to move out (after learning that she'd been kept in captivity and also that people are actively looking for her????). Later, he tells her she should just go? back to the hotel?? her old prison? if she was going to do fortune telling anyway (I can "understand" this one slightly more though as a cutting remark said out of anger in the moment and regretted immediately after).

Mostly fluffy and cute - I really liked Seohyun & Na In Woo here!! I think the acting of the main leads (and the acting of the side characters) held this drama together, even when the directing/plot direction started to unravel a bit. While the premise was what drew me in, it was really the work of the actors that helped me finish.

Given the initial episode, the tonal shift around episode 7 was not unepected, per se, but I did feel like it was handled not so well, and hampered alot of the middle episodes. I was particularly let down by [spoiler], while I understand was completely necessary to move the plot along, seemed to be achieved in the silliest way - though I admit perhaps I just really dislike these sorts of conflicts in dramas. I think the show regained its footing around episode 12 or 13, and while certain character arcs felt weaker/ while the ending was not totally satisfying, I thought the spirit of the ending was nice.

I really liked Seul Bi and Su Gwang's relationship. They were very sweet in the lighter scenes and quite touching in the later episodes where they worked to face problems together. I think if you're a fan of either of the leads, this drama is worth watching for them, both characters are pretty loveable and just good people overall.

My frustration stems from the fact that I felt like both their indiviudal characters and their relationship could've been explored much further than it actually was in the drama. I felt similarly about the intial premise, though I understand that dwelling further on the multiple tragedies in the main leads' lives would've probably made the tone of the drama much darker than the directors wanted.

Highlights:
- Unique set designs
- Cute romance & great chemistry. I am now officialy a fan of Na In-Woo.
- It didn't happen all the time, but there were some great lines that really stuck out to me, mostly between ML and FL.
- ML and his mother, as well as ML's friendship with SML.
- Solid performances from the side characters. Shoutout to my favorite, Mr. Wang!

TLDR, stronger when you view it as a romcom than as a mystery, though the latter half's romantic moments are more serious in tone than the initial 6 episodes. Premise is interesting but not explored totally. Good acting. Not so good pacing. I am off to look for other dramas with these actors!

Scenes I really loved:
- Kinoshita's story!!
- Tokai complaining about all the rice his mother kept sending but still clearly cherishing it (see also, offering rice to Hanabusa/Sera, keeping the x-ray file there)
- Takashina & Tokai working together for the remote Caesar operation
- Tokai standing up for Takashina (however subtly) in front of the rest of the doctors (I can't remember the specific circumstance, but it was one of the earlier operations where the Snipe failed)
- Tokai confronting the hospital director that was leaking information (the reveal was such a good ad-lib!)
- Sera and Hanabusa were very cute!

I really liked the advice from Tokai's father to Saeki, & then repeated by Saeki to Tokai. "Just be yourself. Just be normal. Doctors need only to think of their patients. [Just] save people's lives." I think that for both Saeki and Tokai, the heavy burdens on their minds (guilt for Saeki, anger for Tokai) had started to warp their personalities/career (Saeki's suspicious political maneuvering, Tokai's cavalier demeanor and sharp words), far from their genuine care for patients. I mean, I believe neither had completely lost their moral compass (Saeki seemed to always know the end result of his political maneuvering and always had Tokai step in to avert disaster/fully acknowleged Tokai's skill, and Tokai always did save patients, regardless of whatever he said previously and even when prevented from accessing data), but as the show went on you could see both becoming more desperate. So it was satisfying that now that the truth was revealed, Tokai and Saeki can go back to onlying thinking of their patients, and being themselves.

Tokai's not going to be an angel overnight, of course, (and leaving Sera hanging like that was so Tokai, lol), but I like to imagine now that there's no longer a need for revenge, he can soften his sharper edges. He's always going to be standoff-ish and sarcastic, but I imagine he'd be kinder, in his unique Tokai way.

I have some gripes on the actual "truth," simply because sewing the black pean back into the patient seemed a bit anticlimactic, but I can appreciate the symbolism. Saeki stepping in at Tokai's surgery and then Tokai saving Saeki after was also a nice way to tie everything up.

An enjoyable ride! Were parts unrealistic? Sure, but I had a very fun time regardless. This was fast-paced and there was always something interesting going on. Occasionally I found the dialouge to be nicely written (especially in some of the more emotional moments); I also thought the actors were all committed to their role and elevated their characters well above the material they were given.

I rooted for Sera and it was nice to see his growth, though he always stayed kind and empathetic (definitely checking out more of Ryoma Takeuchi after this). I grew to like Takashina more than expected, and I particularly liked that he and Tokai ended up developing genuine camaraderie as colleagues.

Given that Tokai doesn't have much screentime/dialouge outside of insulting everyone (I say this fondly) while correctly predicting future problems in surgery and then saving everyone when said surgery inevitably goes wrong, I think Ninomiya did a great job here. (What can I say, sometimes it's fun to watch someone who is extremely competent, but also a jerk. This was helped because even from the beginning you could tell that even if Tokai is rather arrogant, there's something else motivating him). Tokai's backstory was interesting and conveyed well! I somewhat wish it was explored a bit more, but the glimpses of it through Sera's eyes/from other characters were satisfying, even if the ending episodes/resolution felt slightly rushed to me. I feel similarly about Professor Saeki. The focus shifting to Tokai and Saeki for the ending episode(s) was really nice & one of my favorite parts of the drama.

Really, the setup is quite dramatic and there was -a lot- that could be elaborated on. But Sera is the main character here, so it makes sense that this particular storyline is not as detailed as I'd like for it to be.

A must watch for Nino fans. Tokai is just too iconic. I'm off to watch season 2!

I was very fond of all the characters, but I was a /different/ level of fond for Togashi and Shinkai, gosh. I'm not sure if there was another time I rooted for the second couple so much. So loved their scenes together!!

So good. I was in the mood for a lighter drama that was still grounded in reality, and this one was perfect. (This one pulled me out of a drama slump and really motivated me in the middle of my semester, ha!)

I would say this is is career focused (satisfying mentor-student plotline) with tasteful amounts of romance and friendship throughout. This drama really captures the wonder and awe I have when thinking about planes/flight, with a lot of insightful dialouge/reflective moments throughout (including but not limited to: overcoming fears/the past, learning from everyone around you, empathy and understanding of other people's perspectives, family, etc. good stuff).

You really root for everyone in this story! There's a reason Kimura Takuya is as beloved as he is. He's perfectly cast as Shinkai, who is bold and confident, yes, but also earnest and optimistic in a way that's really quite wise. And ahh, I admit I am biased, but I was really fond of Tsutsumi Shinichi's Captain Koda (Had just finished watching him as the ML in Yamato Nadeshiko.) Great foil to Shinkai, and despite how sharp and cold he could be, Koda was such a scene-stealer when I watched, especially when interacting with Togashi. Togashi was just all-around so amazing (I basically cheered everytime she was onscreen). Ogawa really pulled on my heartstrings and I loved her no-nonsense attitude. Great chemistry all around! Fitting music choices - fantastic ending theme - and elegant editing.

I thought the character development was great and that the story arc was satisfying. Also had a very satisfying last few episodes. I'm definitely saving it to rewatch when I need motivation or when I'm in the mood for a feel-good story. I really enjoyed it!

Currently rewatching - as thrilling and magnetizing as it was the first time! Also - what a fantastic OST. Kudos to the composers as well as editors for being very smart on where to insert music and when to keep the silence. Builds up tension super well.

The entire past life sequence was shot with rather overly bright lighting - which I feel kind of obscured the emotional impact it could've had - but geez? Poong Baek and the Princess had a really moving story? It was really sweet seeing that Cha Cha Woong was the shy one in their previous life, and that he had once used his magic for good (and only good, that he insisted he could not use it to hurt others), and that Seulhae was as forward and kind as always. In line with my comment above about how I felt the ML and FL shined more in quieter, slower scenes, I thought their acting really sparkled in this section.

The Princess and Poong Baek at the pavilion - Poong Baek presenting the ring - the Princess joking around at first that it's a proposal, but then it's like something more serious settles over the characters (and thus the audience) and you can just tell that this is the start of a deep connection, that it isn't just The Princess fangirling over an amused Poong Baek, that's there's just that /something more/.

Poong Baek not acknowledging his feelings because he knows there's a big gap between them and that he's already a big target, then their reunion in the cave with all the flowers blooming (imo this was the most cinematic scene of the drama)...

How happy the two were to be married! Then the utter despair of knowing they couldn't be. The Princess being defiant, Poong Baek feeling defeated, both terrified. Poong Baek saying they should complete their duty, but unable to respond when the Princess asked for what /he/ was truly feeling. And then the horrible, greedy Prince not being satisfied with what he had already taken, framing Poong Baek - the tie in that even in his previous life, Cha Cha Woong had faced envy from people that wanted to use him for his magic, but also never fully trusted him - and then conspiring to murder him...and their thoughts as they lay together. Really, A+ work from writers and everyone here. It just felt a tiny bit out of place given how silly and carefree the drama had been up to that point.

Bonus: PHJ's acting when Cha Cha Woong wakes up in the hospital after remembering their past lives and sees Seulhae is SO. GOOD. I felt allllllllll the feelings.

Light-hearted magic-mystery romcom. Save the last arc, it doesn't take itself very seriously (this is meant as a compliment). Relationships are devloped and mysteries are figured out without too much angst. The style of humor that this drama had loads of early on isn't really my cup of tea, but I was still able to enjoy much of it.

While I enjoyed the romance a lot (cute friendship that evolved into a cute romance,) I actually think the most unique thing from this drama was the great ensemble cast - all three stories from the 3 ghosts really moved me, and everyone had great banter with each other. The other is the [spoiler] arc, which I loved to bits (and will ramble on about in another comment).

I was excited to watch this because I had seen both leads before (PHJ in Man to Man, Jin Ki Joo in Come and Hug Me) and trusted that they would act well. Indeed, any limitations I felt with this drama felt like it was more of a "writers could've written this better" over a "that was badly acted" issue. A few of my favorite scenes were the slower ones, where the writer/directors gave their characters more time to contemplate certain emotions and ideas, and dialouge that was a little more thoughtfully written. It didn't happen as often as I would've liked, especially since I know both leads can act very well - but not every drama needs to be so complicated, and I appreciate From Now On, Showtime for being a fun little show that made me smile!

On the [spoiler] arc:

Completed a rewatch reccently and I just have to add: Kwak Sun Young does an amazing job as Song Ji Yun, So Eun's sister. I really liked how the writers went about her storyline. Really, I'd consider their sisterhood to be a highlight of the drama, even if there isn't a ton of time spent on it!

ML and FL: I admit I was a little grumbly when first watching the drama because I guess I was expecting a romance - but I grew to really enjoy the light banter they had and how they worked together. I think Hyung Joo had feelings from the beginning to the end (lightly at the start, more intense as the story went on), but I think Ji Hyun didn't really until the very end, and in my opinion that was a fitting way for it to go. I think the decidedly not-romantic/only hints of romance approach was really the correct one - this made the ending episode more impactful and meaningful. Thus, I don't view the ending as a cliffhanger, even - the reveal that in this new timeline, Ji Hyun and Hyung Joo immediately feel a mutual spark (her eyes light up in a different way) marks this ending as a nice and happy one :)

Antagonists: The bad guys in this drama were imo the weakest parts. I don't really know what would've helped, but I also think they didn't take away from my enjoyment too much, which is good!

Ending: This drama's ending is on my list of "most satisfying k-drama endings," I really thought they wrapped up everything very nicely!

A very smooth watch - clearly the writers knew what they wanted the story to be, and stuck to their plan. Cleanly shot, with very straight-to-the-point pacing and basically no filler at all. I really appreciated that there weren't unnecessary frills, over-the-top visual effects, or humor that seemed out of place. It meant we could focus on the story, which was twisty, but satisfyingly so.

Great acting from everyone - I quite liked these two leads! To me, all characters were pretty perfectly conveyed. Understated, but far from boring - in other words, realistic. (This is a MUST watch if you're a fan of Lee Jun Hyuk, btw - one of my favorite roles from him. Especially in the latter half of the drama & last episode, he really shines!) They used their brains - which is really! nice! to! see! - but at times fell prey to their own emotions and flaws, which also made sense and was done in reasonable ways.

If you're planning to watch, I would strongly suggest staying away from specific spoilers about the plot because the mystery really is the point of the show. There's a reason this drama pops up in discussion of good time-travel dramas - I really enjoyed it!

Some thoughts on romance/chemistry, the antagonists, and the ending:

Technically an open ending, but one that very strongly implies a happy ending will happen soon. Personally, I cried happy tears. I'd give it a shot!

That is so nice of you to say, I'm glad it made sense! I feel like the affection I have for this drama simply grows by day, so much so that it's become difficult to describe it concisely. It is definitely something I will return to often in the future as well!

I certainly think that he had at least subconciously acted upon his feelings for her a long time ago - he really took care of her so much, from then until now - but like you said, he felt so guilty about his father's actions that I believe he had purposefully restricted himself to having a sibling-like relationship relationship with her (because he felt like he would be a terrible person if he hoped for more). It wasn't exactly working though, because even Se Kyung could tell they could have something, hence the confession and then her anger after, because she could see that Do Won wasn't being honest with her.

I just think the actual, concious realization (labelling of feelings) was a little delayed - Do Won had become at relatively content with staying by her side/protecting her without actually having a relationship, even if it meant pushing her away & becoming a heartless person in her eyes, because he whole-heartedly thought that was the best path to take.

I think the show emphasizes that after losing her, Do Won fully understands that while he had noble intentions, Se Kyung from World A had been hurt by his actions and words immensely, and if you're hurting the other person like that, can you really say you're caring forthem? Therefore, he's much more direct when it comes to Se Kyung in World B, doesn't hold back on showing that he cares. It's a nice change!

I 100% agree that Do Won had always deeply loved Se Kyung, though. For a thriller, Train somehow crafted a love story so astounding that I think I remember it more clearly than some other cut-and-dry rom-coms. Really impressive work from everyone!!

I know second-act breakups can be frustrating but for this drama it felt entirely necessary instead of contrived. Even as FL and ML were happy together there were cracks (imo mainly on Cha Soo Hyun's side, reluctance to tell Kim Jin Hyuk about her worries and fears) and there was a change after - Soo Hyun realizing that Jin Hyuk wanted to be by her side no matter what, and that her withdrawing before was akin to telling him she didn't trust him and ultimately the most hurtful. Resolved well too - Soo Hyun being the one to run to Jin Hyuk in the end. Really written very well, I enjoyed every bit of it!

A mezmerizing watch from beginning to end! I found it so calming and healing. Wonderful cinematagraphy and OST. Memorable, well-written characters, from the main cast down to the side characters. Rightfully focused entirely on the romance, with conflicts and obstacles (both internal and external) that made sense for both the characters & story.

I really liked that the relationship developed naturally without feeling rushed. You can tell that the ML and FL were taking this seriously, contemplating their feelings carefully, but still couldn't help but to be drawn to one another. A perfect example of how finding your right person can be truly magical, even fairytale-like. Ah, just literally makes me believe in love.

Really, bravo to the entire team!

I wish there was something a little more about the blue eyes - felt like a missed opportunity for symbolism, if not an extended plot point.

I really liked ML confronting the researcher in the greenhouse in the final episode. ML's question to the researcher ("Have you thought about your daughter while using another child?") specifically was on point. Their entire conversation laid out the tragedy of the story well - ML wanted to know more about the past but he did choose to take the job in the first place, and even though the researcher was avenging his family, he had lost the moral high ground a long time ago by ruthlessly threatening people he knew ML cared about. It's ironic, because the ML wanted to save the numbered children regardless, so I feel like the researcher didn't even need to really threaten ML like that. Just unessesary brutality.

"Why did ML leave the door to his secret base open/why was he so obvious that he was an assassin?:" I'm fairly certain (especially by the later episodes, after ML got the feeling FL figured him out,) ML had already accepted that he'd be caught and would either go to jail or die. Maybe it's a stretch, but I could argue that ML had already had a guilty conscience for a long time, I almost felt like he /wanted/ to be exposed, starting from after the two figured out their connection, (or even from when he intervened to save Seul Ki.) The last unsolved thread of his past - Lee Young Eun - was solved, so all that was left was ensuring no more people would get hurt. Perhaps not the most logical choice, but he was ready to die, so what can I say?

Seul Ki being the child that was rescued by the nanny was a neat way to tie things up. I liked the line that she was someone plenty of people sacrificed themselves for, so to please protect her and ensure her life was worth those sacrifices. Ending scene of FL letting the paper plane fly was nice as well. It's like finally, with the help of Hyun Jin, Soo Hyun can be free :)

Soo Hyun's death: could see it coming from the very start and really wanted a happy ending, but I also think it was necessary to conclude the story that way, even though it feels unjust. Nana's sorrow was so realistic, one of the best I've seen in a drama, I cried a river with her!

This drama had just the type of angsty romance I like so much: the one that ends before it could even truly start. The two never even held hands, but the audience is left knowing that something beautiful could've started if they had met under different circumstances, perhaps in a different life. Though the ML & FL's chemistry wasn't really fully explored (like it would've been in a rom-com, for example) the glimpses of it were very touching!

I quite liked how streamlined and focused this drama was. Scenes flowed together smoothly, and even though you may expect a "thriller" to have a faster pace, the slower development of Kill It worked really well for its story, in my opinion. Nice OST, helped by the fact that it was used sparingly.

I also believe that the better question to ask yourself when watching isn't "What happened?" - because many important developments are revealed to the audience relatively quickly & it's not that difficult to figure out - rather, it's "How will these characters react and what will they do next?" In that sense it's really not a whodunit, and I had a much better time watching once I put my attention on the characters, their thinking, and their emotions.

I started watching for Jang Ki Yong (Kim Soo Hyun) - really liked the restraint in this character - but ended up being especially impressed by the acting from Roh Jeong Eui (Seul Ki) as well as Nana (Do Hyun Jin). Seul Ki really tugged on my heartstrings by the end and her strong belief in ML's good character really stood out (espcially when FL was having doubts). She /is/ a child, after all, and shouldn't be forced to grow up more than she already has had to. I really liked Hyun Jin's character, and her directness (without being cold) + compassion (without being totally naive) was a breath of fresh air. Lee Jae Won as Phillip was also great, I wish we could've learned a little more about their friendship.

On certain plot points, character motivations, and the ending: