Kate

That was an exciting and at times sad journey with talented trainees chasing their dreams.

⇢ Cast aka the contestants
Chuang 2021 is probably the most culturally diverse survival show I have seen so far. Not only were there trainees from many different counties, but they also were on the run for the place in the debut team - they weren't there just to fill the spot and get international attention.

There were quite a few professionals in their field, bringing many amazing performances that left me speechless. I could see many trainees grow, not only in terms of music related skills, but also maturity, perspective and personalities. I must say, this is my favorite part of these shows.

⇢ Music aka the the performances
Sadly, I have to say that not all performances were good. Some were even bad, but that's kind of how these shows go. Few I loved, one I am obsessed with and watch daily. The biggest disappointment were the vocal performances of Vocal Group A during the finale. Most of the solo stages were of questionable quality. Lucky, the dance stages that followed brought back the hype and good quality.

⇢ Story aka the production
I have my criticism on this part. Because the show was quite short (only 10 episodes), the production felt rushed and not polished. I feel like we never got enough time to watch the trainees actually practice the songs and interact with mentors.

As for the mentors, sad but true some of them were pretty useless, at least in terms of skill they were supposed to mentor trainees in. I love Amber and she is a GREAT performer, but she is not a professional dancer, dancing is not her specialty and she is not known for it. There were too many trainees far better than her in the field. It was evident she was not much of help in terms of dancing, when all her mentor classes were about the feels and emotional delivery and not actually dancing.

Then we have Vin Zhou... again, a talented guy, but he does not have enough rapping experience to be mentoring other trainees.
I have no idea what Ning Jing's purpose in the show was. All she did was react to performances exactly like the normal audience did. None of her comments were insightful and it was stuff a random fangirl would say: "you looked so handsome on stage" or "you improved so much"... How about giving some helpful advice?

God bless Charlie Zhou, since he was the only person who truly tried to help the trainees improve. His vocal classes were full of useful tips and exercises. He was able to "diagnose" the problems contestants had and help fix them.
Overall, I feel like the trainees were left to figure out most things alone, and not much mentoring was going on.

Another small thing that could be improved and would make a huge difference for the international audience is adding in the subtitles the name of the person who is currently talking. They did that in editing for the Chinese subs, but not for English. It's harder for international fans to remember the names, so I see no logic in not adding the names to the subs.

There were some technical aspects during the finale that I was not impressed with: the backing tracks were way too loud, so at times it was hard to actually hear the trainees' singing and rapping. The audio quality overall was not the best.

One last thing I want to talk about was Lelush. Poor boy. People love to talk about how cruel these types of shows are, but then the same people pull a stunt like they did with Lelush up till finale. Many people who voted for him gave some ridiculous excuses, but at the end of the day they simply did not respect his wishes and treated him like a child who needed to have his life dictated by fans.

Overall, it was a fun watch. I am curious about some trainees and their future project, will be checking out INTO1 works. The best part of the show were trainees, the worst: fans and the production. I'm not completely happy with the top 11, but that's how the shows roll, it's impossible to make everyone happy.

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Killing the innocence, dehumanizing humanity.

Dark portrayals of greed, low self value and distorted view of reality based on the twisted social standards that are rooted in the obsession over money that takes away all the joy of life - all wrapped in a completely unrealistic scenario sprinkled with dark comedy tone, that emphasizes the absurdity of the characters’ choices and behaviors.

The childlike locations and games present a drastic contract to the brutality of the scenarios the characters are facing. The game creators put themselves in the position of innocent keepers of the rules, and any tragic deaths are the fault of the participants for breaking them. No one is forced to participate - you signed your death certificate yourself.

Survival in the game and survival in daily life serve as another good contrast - the physical brutality versus the emotional and existential dread. It’s more than survival games drama, the true horror is the reality of these people outside of the games and what they can do in the given situation to change it.

The aspect of Squid Game I definitely appreciated was the different perspective we were able to witness - we weren’t only following the players. The behind the scenes gave this unrealistic scenario more down to earth feel - witnessing the pink umpa lumpas with some despicable, but human qualities were for me a good writing choice. The whole mystery of the workers was a small part of the plot, yet so interesting. Sadly, it did not really lead anywhere.

Here’s the thing though - I kind of wanted the majority of the people to die at the beginning. They were really painfully unlikable, and not in the “he annoyed me a bit”, but rather “kind of a trash human being” type of way. Luckily, as the drama progressed and we started to understand their backgrounds, I was able to empathize with some, and even if I disagreed with many of their choices, I still felt bad for what may happen and how they might end.

Blood and murder are this show’s best friends - be aware of that before watching. Realistically speaking, this is not some new higher level of gruesome scenes, but they don’t shy away from showcasing deaths and accidents.

The acting from all the adults was truly amazing. Like in any drama, some roles had more depth and were more demanding than others, but none of the characters felt like an empty placeholder to fill the scene.

But then we had the group of foreign actors with such an exaggerated line delivery, I was thinking I’d rather mute the screen. Not one of them did a good job. All sounded like licence free sound bites.

Any flaws or complaints?

Depends on what you are looking for. Do not expect any elaborate death traps and clever tricks - it’s far more simple. It is pure survival with technically simple rules and games. You won’t wreck your brain trying to understand what is going on, since the plot is rather straightforward with no unexpected plot twists that turn the whole plot upside down.

You might want to sit down and analyze the message of the show and what might be the meaning behind. Depending on the viewer it could be a decent kill count watch with a bit of excitement, or a depressing portrayal of collapsing morals and society, as the money sucks all the joy out of our lives.

EPILEPSY WARNING IN EPISODE 4 - not a complaint, but something viewers for sure should know before starting it. This is the type of filming I cannot enjoy. I lose interest when I can’t really see what is going on. I know, it was done on purpose. I know, the chaotic atmosphere was the point. I still don’t like it.

There has also been a random sex scene, and I don’t think we needed that “final” nail in the coffin - it was clear even without it that people would do anything for survival and money.

Some details make exactly zero sense, and I truly mean zero. If you are lucky, you will not notice them at all, since they are less than minor. Squid Game is not exactly free from plot holes, but none of them have a big impact on the story. Some plot lines do hit the dead end though.

The reasoning behind the games? Kind of weak. I was hoping for them to give some unexpected twist, but in the end, they went with exactly what I expected them to show. The more they explained, the less I liked it. The last few episodes started to take away from the message of the show, which lowered the quality of the watch quite a bit. It was going so well… and then it didn’t.

Overall, it was a brutal drama, yet somehow I found myself laughing at quite a number of scenes. The dark comedy, calling out the hypocrisy - all that was truly amazing. 2/3 of the show was a solid 9.5, and I’m a bit frustrated with where the show went after that. Still, quite an enjoyable watch, with interesting set designs, well written characters and some solid thrills. They were able to get me attached to the characters and feel their desperation and pain. One of the episodes truly broke me, and I was thankful for that.

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The greatest cast delivered us the greatest medical show up to date.

Let's be grateful for the perfection this drama is. No power struggle plot lines, no over the top unrealistic medical cases, no flawless doctors with such amazing skills they could be called superpowers. What we’ve got is a realistic representation of a hospital as a workplace with a brilliantly written set of original characters and smart comedy with depth and heart intertwined. I could not ask for more.

Some might argue that the characters were too perfect, but if anything, they were perfectly written. They still had their flaws, but I wasn’t slapped across the face with them. They were insecure at times, scared, and didn't know how to communicate with others. Their small struggles and mistakes they made never annoyed the viewers, because they were realistic and made sense. Rather than frustrating everyone, it made the characters extremely relatable.

The acting was A+... I truly don’t think we need to discuss that. With that cast you can expect outstanding performance and still be surprised with how good the end result is.

Is there anything that could be considered a flaw in it?
Yes and No. I think it depends on what you are expecting to see. There is no one leading plot line. It’s simply the daily life of the characters. Each one of them has something going on, but except for their friendship, there isn’t any big conspiracy linking them together. One could say it’s a slow paced drama, but with shows like that, talking about pace doesn’t make much sense. Since the plot does not progress in a typical sense (from point A to point B), we can’t talk about its pacing. It’s for sure character driven, and I myself love it.

What’s more, the cast of characters is huge and it might feel overwhelming at first - trying to remember who is who and how they are all connected. I have an advice for you: just watch. Do not try to remember and recognize every intern, student, doctor, nurse or patient. It’s not necessary. You don’t need to remember with great detail who said certain lines. There is no mystery to be solved, no puzzles to create a perfect picture. You can treat it as if you just started interacting with a new group of friends - as the drama progresses, you will slowly learn the names, personalities and motivations of these people. There is no need to stress yourself about being confused at first.

For me this drama was perfect. I’m sad that some of my ships did not sail, but it also makes sense that they did not go with the most obvious choice. A clean 10/10. I just finished it, and yet I want to rewatch it right away.

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I loved it until I did not.

What started as a literally perfect contract marriage rom-com with a fun and confident female lead, and puppy-like pretending to be a cold male lead, turned into such a makjang melodrama with ridiculous conflicts that had no depth and no real resolution. Why?

I honestly adored Ayaka and Togo in the first half of the show. They were amazing together, the chemistry was great and the dynamics between them were perfect. The set up for the promotional videos was a brilliant idea and allowed many different scenarios for them to develop feelings for each other, but also deliver some funny comedic scenes for the viewers.

But then the “villain” entered the picture and I just cannot ignore how poorly written that aspect was. Technically speaking they told us everything we needed to know to make sense of it and the motivations behind the action, and yet it all still felt so superficial and lacked depth. It honestly seemed like a conflict written for the sake of conflict without care if it fits the story and they have enough time and writing skill to conclude it in a correct manner. They didn’t.

The whole villain arc also led to some ridiculous scenes from the characters that I just could not accept and found painfully dumb - from both female and male leads.

The performances were great. Big props to everyone’s favorite character Negi. The dog was honestly the highlight of the show!

Overall, I wish I could write a long review on how amazing this show is, and how it did all the rom-com tropes and cliches so well, but the second half, especially the last 2-3 episodes were just awful.

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The Lost Tomb - Bromance edition.

Yeah, I know, the whole Grave Robbers’ Chronicles is one big bromance party, but this one truly relies on the bromance a lot. The bromance is literally the reason the plot exists here.

It’s a simple, fun and well executed short side story. Most of the characters have valid motivations that justify the risks they are taking. The visuals were surprisingly good. After seeing quite a few tomb dramas/movies I am honestly not sure, but I think the wacky fighting scenes are wacky and questionable on purpose - this seems like a stylistic choice and not the lack of effort on the production team side.

I also appreciate all the deaths. The Tomb installments never shied away from killing side and supporting characters, but here I appreciate that they actually showed the kills.

Acting was great, dubbing - not so much. The line delivery was great, it just barely matched the movement of the mouth. At times it became distracting.

Overall, a quick and enjoyable watch. For sure it serves as better entertainment if you know and like the characters.

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“One lie leads to a hundred more.”

And one untreated trauma leads to many more issues… Han Tuo needs a “hot” date with a therapist, not a boyfriend. Not that a few sessions would not help Lu Jun Xi too. But then, it would probably help us all.

There is a huge difference between supporting your partner while they work through their issues, and working around your partner's issues. And with how it is right now, Lu Jun Xi is going to live a rather exhausting life. And I’m just here asking - why the tone at times became so serious? Either keep it light and fun, or overdramatic and entertaining. But they actually tried to be serious with inner conflicts, while also doing an extremely poor job tackling the subject, since they did not have enough screen time to dive deep into it and explore it enough…

I really enjoyed how chaotic the first few episodes were, the on crack pacing was actually what kept me interested - what random thing will they throw at me next? But then the pacing actually slowed down, and it did not bring much development. Han Tuo was insecure and unsure about Lu Jun Xi's feelings and it kind of stayed like that till the end. They made up a few times, but is the issue actually gone? Then we have poor Lu Jun Xi who in the speed of light had to deal with his newly found discovery of his sexuality AND being in love with his best friend. This alone could (and should) be the internal conflict for the whole show, not a small setback for one or two episodes.

Were they cute? Yes. Was the chemistry nice? Yes. Did I enjoy the friendships as much as the romance? Yes. Were the kids’ scenes great? Yes. Was I getting more and more bored with every new episode? Also yes. I don’t know… maybe because they started with a bang, I expected explosions later on in terms of plot developments, but was met with the emotional aftermath of the blast instead. Blame my expectations, but also they made me have expectations based on the first few episodes, so who is truly to be blamed here?

Overall, it just felt… fine.

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These (basically) 2 hours felt like a summary of the story, not the whole story itself.

From the start I was not exactly amazed. Trauma, depression, and anxiety is a trend in k-bls in 2023 and I’m kind of tired of it. Still, just because it’s used a lot, does not mean it’s written well, so I would not mind a good representation - this ain’t it. It’s not offensive or anything, just painfully superficial. The whole writing lacks details to make it relatable and realistic.

And then they decided to literally put most of the plot and characters progression in the time jump. Not gonna lie, this was an interesting storytelling idea - not really showing the most important developments.

So we end up with Seung Jun who had little to no personality, Jae Hyun who must strongly believe in love at first sight to start liking Seung Jun without any good reason, Joo Won - the truest man-child with toddler tantrums (probably my favorite character, simply because of how entertaining it was to watch him act in such a pathetic manner) and Ho Yeon, a third wheel that is there to fill the space.

Realistically speaking, the best part of the drama was the friendship between Seung Jun and Ho Yeon - caring, supportive, calm and collected, selfless. Because Ho Yeon was such a big part of Seung Jun’s recovery, the relationship between the main couple did not feel as sincere. What about Jae Hyun was so impactful to have any effect on Seung Jun's life - this part of the plot was not really well executed.

The acting was good. Lee Dong Won presented the anxiety in a decent manner and while the writing and directing might have been improved, the performance itself was not an issue. Don’t think Byun Sung Tae had a hard job to do, since Jae Hyun is not exactly the most complex character, but he managed to hold my attention on him during his scenes.

The production was… your typical short low budget k-bl.

Overall, this is sadly a skip.

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Finally, after having this drama on-hold for 2 years, I finished it. I do not regret waiting so long, before picking it up again. I might have rated it lower if I was watching it as it was airing, being swayed by other people's opinions. Now, with a clear heart and head, I can be as true to myself as possible.

STORY
Cults are not exactly the most commonly used theme for dramas, since it's hard to present them in a realistic way, staying true to the complexity of how these organizations work and the mentality of people being involved. This drama did a fairly good job at it. Till the end I wasn't 100% sure if the cult leader is a true believer, or if it’s just an act. There were hints fitting both of the cases throughout the show. That being said, it was unnecessary to introduce the "corrupt politician" into the mix. Next to such a fresh idea of the victims of a cult, giving us an overused story of a power hungry older guy doing anything he can to win, was a mistake. Especially since the drama would be just as interesting without it.

CHARACTERS
The drama tries to sell us a story of 3 young heroes: Sang Mi, Dong Cheol and Sang Hwan. Sadly, they failed. They told us Sang Mi is the heart, Dong Cheol - the muscles and Sang Hwan the brain of the group, but it was Dong Cheol that came up with the majority of the plans, he was smart enough to know not to involve the cops and not to believe in Sang Hwan's dad.
Sang Mi was smart enough to fool everyone involved in the cult and survived there for years. There was no brain in Sang Hwan up until ep 14/15th. A bit too late if you ask me. There was truly nothing going on for him as a character and I was never invested in him and his journey. He was there to show up at times and solve plot problems that might be hard to explain otherwise.

As I was finishing the drama, I finally knew why I disliked Sang Hwan so much: the writer and director tried to TELL us he is the hero of the story next to Sang Mi, but they did not SHOW it at all.

He kept making the same mistakes, never learning from any of them. All the consequences never hit him directly, but hurt the people around him. Don't know if it was the director's/writer’s idea or Taecyeon's misdelivery, but I never felt that he is truly sorry for all the things that he did. The production team tried to put him in the same "I am a victim here" group as Dong Cheol and Sang Mi, which was ridiculous. His mistake put his best friend in jail and an innocent girl in a cult for years, and everyone forgave him like it was not a big deal. I don't believe that there can be a nonredeemable character and they could have made Sang Hwan work, but they did not even try. All the mistakes were just forgotten.

One of the more interesting characters to watch was Apostle Kang. There were moments when we could slowly see her breaking out of that "salvation" mindset and seeing how things truly are in Goosuwon. It made me question and wonder how her character will develop and which side she will be standing on at the end. I appreciate that she stayed true to her beliefs, no matter how twisted they were. It just shows the true power of manipulation and brainwashing that had happened in the cult.

ACTING
Except for Taecyeon, all the cast did an amazing job. I must say, I might be biased though. I never liked Taecyeon acting, not once have I thought he did a good job with the role given. I just don't feel any deep emotions and those nuances in his facial expressions that distinguish amazing actors from just an actor. Being placed between such a strong cast, I could see that he still lacks in some areas of the delivery.

On the bright side though, Jung Hae Kyun and Yoon Yoo Sun did a fantastic job, easily overshadowing the rest of the cast with their acting. Everyone truly hated Joo Ho and felt pity towards Bo Eun. Many people think acting "crazy" is an easy thing to do since you just have to do random stuff, but it's hard... really hard to make it believable. The random stuff are not really random, there is a reasons they do them, do stuff that no one else seems to understand. You need to understand the reasoning behind the unreasonable actions to be able to portray them in your character.

Overall, really good drama. The frustration that keeps rising during the watch makes the ending even better. Even the comical death of Jung Ki was a good choice, and if all the actions leading to it were not as serious and heavy, I might say they overkill him. OCN knows how to deliver, and we should be thankful.

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The set, the scenes, the dialogues - it all felt empty and painfully staged. The story itself was rather simple, but fun to follow. Fish out of water scenario makes it easy to create some comedic elements, and Jun more than delivers in the role of Eun Ho with his facial expressions and natural line delivery, making the show worth the watch.

Seeing how the drama has a fantasy element and the whole background of it to explain, they truly wasted a lot of time on Lee Heon and his storyline. Who is there to kill him and why - truly unnecessary. Him being the abandoned Crown Prince that needs to hide to save his life is enough information.

Then, there is also the issue of Eun Ho just gives up on trying to find out why he traveled to a painting and finding a way out. Good few episodes he has been just chillin with the prince and his glam bodyguard, without making any effort to figure out what was going on. A few too many times I said to myself “What is going on?” for me to conclude the story was well paced and presented.

Not gonna lie, I did finish the show purely for Jun and his portrayal of Eun Ho. He was great with his funny, but realistic reactions and it was worth spending these 12 minutes a week on the rest of this rather mediocre project. Yoo Hyun Woo was fine during the soft and calm scenes, sadly, his delivery in more emotional ones failed to evoke any emotions in me. Kim Tae Jung was just there. With the way Go Geum was written, I don’t think he had that much work to do.

Overall, I believe this show would flow better as a movie. Watching it two episodes per week was a mistake. I am also not quite happy with the explanation of why it all happened - I feel like all we’ve got was “coz why not?”. Go for it, if you can binge watch all the episodes like a movie. You won’t be amazed, but it will give you a few entertaining bits here and there.

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Love is two souls dwelling in one body…

And when two matching pieces meet, the audience dies. For dance you need the restraint of passion. Sugiki Shinya had restraint and control, Suzuki Shinya had passion and expression, together they completed each other.

Why did my 30+ years old self felt like a teenage girl when I was watching it? All these proper and perfectly delivered romance themes just melted my brain. The tension, the chemistry, the perfect pacing - what more could I ask for (maybe better editing for the opening and ending, but that’s later to complain about)? They gave me all and more.

First of all, I went into the movie with an idea of who the characters are and the movie slowly destroyed my misconception. What I thought I was getting is the free-spirited man slowly breaking the walls of the stoic and restrained one. Boy I was wrong. Who was breaking whom, when and why and to what extent is a whole big part of the storytelling that held my mind captive for two hours. The one broken by the end was me.

The dynamic between the leads was just enticing. The question of who was in control - be it of the external factors, the other person, or their own feelings. The tension was tensioning so hard I might have pulled a muscle or two. Suzuki Shinya was the unrestrained seduction that set the screen on fire, while Sugiki Shinya was the domineering force that grabbed all the attention.

With the limited screentime it’s an amazing romance with interesting internal dilemmas. I was so entertained and fascinated by Sugiki Shinya’s character that I could write a psychoanalysis of him. There was so much more depth in both lead characters - I went into it for well delivered cliches, but was surprised by some twists and turns on that insanely captivating journey.

For the acting - damn. For everyone who is traumatized by closing elevators after Cherry Magic!, fear not - we for sure do not face the same issue here. They both committed. Putting the romance aside, the thing that I appreciate the most was the depiction of hesitation and fear. In the context of the movie it had to be obvious for the audience, but clear to be something they wanted to hide and they both performed it perfectly.

I cannot speak on the actual dancing, because I know less about it than the actors themselves. All I can say is - I enjoyed watching the dancing scenes and for a clueless person like me, they were beautifully shot and delivered. For the music though - I wish they went less “cliche” with their choices. I am sorry, but River Flows in You should be banned from being used in any cinematic project till the end of the universe - it has Twilight copywritten in the brains of millions.

Visually speaking - they knew exactly what they were doing. This movie for sure does not give cheap vibes, even if they use “cheap” moves - I do appreciate the abs on the forefront with hips not lying. Somehow they still made it feel expensive and tasteful. Maybe because they truly did take their time to build that tension and they were not rushing any scenes.

For the complaints I think my biggest issues were the editing for the opening and ending scene - the clear cut to the title screen just punched me in the face for no reason. The hard cut did not really fit the pace of the overall story. And as I already mentioned - the music. Could have gone a little bit more creative.

Overall, I feel blessed. That was the holy experience I needed before Christmas. We truly do not get movies and dramas that are so unapologetically focused on the romance, tension and connection between the characters.

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Too little internal conflicts, too much external bullshit.

What started as a fun cliche rom-com, ended up as a dumpster fire of convenient resolutions and dumb plotlines with close to zero proper development. How?

Romantic comedies are as good as the characters and the chemistry between them - be it couples, friends and even rivals and villains. Sadly for Would You Marry Me, the writing left a lot to desire. None of the relationships was set up, developed and explored enough. When the big changes in dynamics happened, big plot twists that should have huge emotional impact on the audience, I actually felt nothing. Not only that, at times it felt as if the characters barely felt anything. Why are you reacting to this life changing moment as if it was nothing more than a daily annoyance?

Woo Ju and Meri were cute together, but all the crap happening around them made their relationship actually barely exist on screen. How do you even have time to develop the couple? Or any character? Or any of the plotlines you introduced? The same way dramas have main and supporting characters, they also should have main and supporting plots and use the proper ratio of screentime on them. Here it’s hard to even point out what the main plotline is. Was it the fake relationship and the house scheme? Maybe the mystery about Woo Ju’s past and his family? Both too poorly written, developed and concluded to be called the main. What exactly was the focus? What was I supposed to take away from this show?

I was watching episode 11 and 12, where everything was supposed to slowly get resolved and it just felt empty. Convenient ways out of serious problems, the most lucky police work when the evidence literally walks into their hands, last second relationships progresses - and I did not care at all.

I cannot even say the acting saved the drama, since it was rather mediocre. Not because of the actors and actresses - I know they are great. Jung So Min is one of my favorite actresses and I started this drama for her. The writing was just so bland and it lacked detail. Honestly, I don't know if this lackluster presentation was the result of poor writing, directing, or mix of both. One way or another, the show ended up as a huge disappointment.

On the positive side - I did like a lot of separate scenes. Some jokes were funny. I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Woo Ju and Eung Su (if Eung Su had more screen time he would probably be my favorite character). I found Baek Sang Hyeon’s story the most interesting and I liked how he was not necessarily just presented as a victim of circumstances, but also his own choices. Not to mention all the scenes with the second lead couple that seemed far more… natural and interesting than the leads.

I don’t have much to say about the production - your typical pretty shots with little to no innovation.

Overall, I’m just disappointed. There was so much going on plot wise, and yet I was painfully bored the whole second half. There were too many stupid external conflicts and issues with poorly written resolution and not enough internal development to truly make me feel connected to any of the characters. I wanted to love it, but the drama was on a mission to make me fail.

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A gentle escape where kindness takes the lead.

Beautifully humane, focusing on different generations, their daily lives, struggles and happy moments. And what I loved the most was: it did not have a "main character".

This is what I feared a little bit when I started watching it - will Park Bo Gum overshadow other cast members and the core of the show itself - the villagers? I’m happy to confirm he did not and the production team did not try to put him in the center of every moment. It was a team journey and it felt like it. Park Bo Gum at times feels like the synonym to “kindness” so can other people keep up with his perfect image? Yes, they can, with their own charms and good qualities (also, Park Bo Gum is unreal and we don’t deserve him).

I started it for the cast, but kept watching for all the villagers. The way I truly feel like I know them, how it felt like I was getting my own weekly dose of healing after a stressful work. It was a great reminder that it’s okay to slow down, take a moment to yourself, to appreciate small moments. I also love the bond that was made between the actors and the guests of Bogum Magic Curl. The unique charm small towns possess: the feeling of unity, kindness, warmth and support.

On one hand I want to write detailed thoughts about all the customers and at the same time I want to say as little as possible, because experiencing it as you watch is the correct way to go. They are all subtle and small moments that had a great impact on both the cast and me as a viewer. Living in our chaotic times this show is the healing we all need.

Overall, what a treat. The only reason I am not giving it a full 10 is I kind of wish we had more, but shorter episodes and more celebrity guests - they always brought a new and fun dynamic to the Bogum Magic Curl. Still, I can pass more celebs, but more episodes would be great. Reality is what it is - I know all these actors cannot spent more time in production of one variety show like that.

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So when are we getting a spin-off focusing on Xiao Sheng and Lan Jiang?

Expectations can ruin this drama. They definitely made me enjoy it less than I could have. With the angsty set up, I did expect the show to be a bit more dark, the stakes to be higher and the leads to be in constant danger. What I’ve got was a light version of that.

The tone of the show was probably what I found the most disappointing. The number of times the plot hit the point when they could have easily leaned into a more serious and angsty story, yet more often than not it was used for comedic undertones. Why?

What’s more, I honestly did not care that much about the “big picture”. Separate cases were interesting, well written and engaging, but the overall plot and the mystery I could not care less about. They kept the bad guy in the dark for too long so when he was finally revealed I was like “okay” and then shortly after that the drama ended. Last episode was basically an underwhelming podcast - all talking, no action.

The separate investigations were interesting, told in an easy to follow, but engaging manner. With every story we’ve got some info about the overall plot too. They were setting it up close to perfection. Loved how they were morally not clear - the victims being perpetrators, the abusers becoming victims. They left a lot of room for reflection and many uneasy feelings. Sadly it’s like having great materials, but the final design needs improvement. Separate stories were great, the final main plot was mediocre.

Then we have the romance, which was fine, but not really enticing. Surprisingly more in the background than I expected. I don’t mind, since it was the weakest part of the whole drama. If it was in the front and center, I’d probably drop the show mid way through. I think the moment that Pan Yue started to develop feelings for Cai Wei with her new face is unclear and questionable. They did hint at him being confused about his feelings and starting to develop them before he found out the truth and it honestly bothered me. He was devoted to one girl from his childhood, but now shortly after what he thought was her death, he starts to warm up to a girl whom he remembered to be an awful human being and had zero interest in? Even with her reminding him of his lover, it still did not make much sense for me.

Casting wise… you do not put the stronger actress to first portrayal the character that will be replaced by the actual leading actress. It took me around 15 episodes to truly warm up to Ju Jing Yi. I felt like there was no communication between her and Zheng He Hui Zi about who the female lead is and how she should be played. Cai Wei from the first two episodes is not the Cai Wei we see in the rest of the show.

I don’t really have much to say about Liu Xue Yi. He looked extremely fine throughout the drama, but Pan Yue was such a mid character with not many ups and downs I was getting bored. On the other hand Li Ge Yang completely stole my heart as Zhuo Lan Jiang. The way I wished him and Wu Jia Yi were the leads, the way I found their story to be more engaging and interesting. They were criminally underused.

Visually speaking, I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve seen a few dramas that tried to make every shot visually stimulating, and it does get exhausting. Here they kept it well balanced - highlighting specific moments with more grand visuals, while keeping the rest pleasant to the eye, but not overwhelming.

Overall, it was a fine show. The first half was for sure better than the second. The more they focused on the main mystery, the more boring it became.

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“Just let your instinct guide you. That way you won’t get lost.

The moment you throw yourself into the unknown, you’re not adrift anymore. You become a drifter. ”

Imagine you are having a truly awful day, nothing works out, you feel like crying and giving up... and then you hear a really dark joke that is like a final blow to your misery, but somehow it feels liberating - this is how this drama made me feel.

I didn’t really like much about it, but it was a strangely appreciated experience. The characters were well written, but also awful for the most part. We are left with them taking the first steps to self-improvement and it’s unsatisfying , but hopeful at the same time. And yes, that includes Eo Heung, who also had a lot of issues he had to figure out.

The romance was a mess, the characters were a mess, the plot was a mess and it perfectly captures the essence of the drama and it makes sense. Why? Because more often than not life makes no sense and we are just powering through complicated emotions pretending like we know what we are doing, making awful choices and trying to handle the consequences.

That said, I for sure liked the second half of the show more. I liked how the characters started to create one cohesive picture instead of everyone doing their own thing. Wish we’ve got more scenes between Hae Jo and Eo Heung - these were for sure some of my favorites and probably some of the more impactful ones. I guess I would love to see Eo Heung catch up to them faster - less chasing, more bonding.

A lot of plotlines were left on a truly uncomfortable end for me. Especially in terms of the leads’ parents. It did feel like a deliberate choice though, not a “we ran out of screen time” type of a deal. These endings were unsatisfying for a drama, but understandable for real life. I guess if someone watches dramas just for the pure escapism, this show would slap them in the face with reality.

For the performances - Woo Do Hwan and Oh Jung Se for sure shined the most. Both performances were rather raw when needed, but witty and uplifting when the scenes required. I am honestly amazed how Oh Jung Se could portray the character that by all means would be seen as a country pumpkin, clueless and naive idiot, but with this performance he had so much depth, warmth and drive to him.

Funny how I was the most excited about Lee You Mi as Jo Jae Mi, but with every episode I started to lose more and more interest in her. I feel like all the characters had clear motivations except for her. Till the end Jae Mi was shown as a character put in the context of other characters, and not once as an actual individual.

I don’t think I have that much to say about the production quality - it’s your typical Netflix production that looks pretty, but nothing really stands out that much.

Overall, I feel like it is mostly a show about overcoming your fears, whatever they might be. I might need to discuss it a bit with friends to form more in depth opinions about the themes, but I have to admit, it’s a drama that invites reflection.

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Would I be able to see the person behind the crime?

It took me 3 days to finish this movie, it simply made me uncomfortable - not because of the content presented, but rather my thoughts, ideas and values. It made me think about a lot of issues and reexamine some of my opinions.

Many of us like to pretend the rehabilitation of the criminals is the goal, that the justice system should strive to make sure they can reenter society and live normal lives. At the same time, we don’t really treat said people in the way that would support what we think. The punishment for their crimes does not really end with their release from prison - they only face obstacles after obstacles even after regaining even partial freedom. How can they start living like humans, when they are not treated as such?

And that’s what the movie focuses on. What is more important - punishment or rehabilitation? How long should criminals pay for their crimes? Agawa Kayo tries to see the best in people, she believes people deserve 2nd chances and that they need support to live an honest life. And that’s what she strives to do working as a probation officer - be that one person support system. We observe her interaction with different parolees, how these interactions change both her and the people around her.

Arimura Kasumi and Morita Go delivered amazing performances that could break one's heart. The amount of pain, fear, but also hope - all so natural and clearly visible through their acting.

Overall, it’s not an easy watch if you watch it while reflecting on your ideas and values.

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