Kate

There is no real goal nor destination. It’s just part of the never ending journey.

Let’s start with: everything was mild, but in the best way possible. We don’t really get any intense thrilling medical cases, the friendship between the leads is not this deep bond, the romance is more in the background, the development of the characters is a slow and not epic process. And yet it worked and it kept me entertained. Somehow how mundane it was became the asset not the flaw.

Residents Playbook did have a rocky beginning - none of the characters were that likeable and if we add a rather simple and slow paced plot, it does not have a typical start that gets you hooked. It does grow on you, a lot. It’s been ages since such long episodes (around 1 hour and 15-20 minutes) seemed this short to me - I did not even know when the time passed and wanted to see more.

One of the aspects I especially enjoyed was the fact the characters did not in fact get a complete 180 change, removing all of their flaws. I Young did not out of the blue start being passionate about her residency. Nam Gyeong was still focused a bit on how people perceive her. Sa Bi did not become an empath and Jae Il was till the end often driven by his emotions. They all improved in a realistic manner, but their personality traits were still there.

What’s more was the more realistic approach to how it looks like working at the hospital. It’s not everyday high tension hard cases. Sometimes half of your day will be dealing with paperwork. And sometimes there will be emergencies. There are great seniors who will teach you, and those that will take credit for your work. In many areas it’s a workplace like any other, and I like how they did not try to either glamorize it nor sensationalize it.

While I loved the slice of life vibe and how slow paced it was, I have to say - with the length of the episodes and the show I got a little bit annoyed with how little closure and focus we’ve got about certain plotlines. It really is like seeing just a part of characters’ lives without much context and background. The drama does not really start on the day one of many relations, and it does not have a specific ending. It’s like meeting a friend you have not seen in quite some time, talking about how their life is going currently, and then never meeting them again, not knowing where they ended up. Which often is the case with more character driven shows - there is no real goal nor destination. It’s just part of the never ending journey.

Even though the romance was not the focus part of the plot, I still loved it a lot (well, most love lines). They were adorable, wholesome and just kept making me smile. The chemistry was really fun and natural between all involved characters.

Surprisingly, while I loved the whole main cast, most of my favorite characters were the supporting ones: Seo Jeong Min, Ryu Jae Hwi, Cha Da Hye to name a few. From the main cast (I cannot believe I’m going to say that, because I had zero hope for that character at first in terms of making me interested) my heart was stolen by Pyo Nam Gyeong.

Acting wise - perfect. The characters truly embodied their roles making them feel like real people, and at some point friends. Watching this show after a hard week at work was truly therapeutic - comrades in overwork and stress.

I know a lot of people viewed the cameos as highlights of the episodes, but for me they were so insignificant in terms of my enjoyment - I just liked the drama a lot as it was, so while the guest appearances were fun, they were for sure not the best part of the show people should look for.

Overall, I would quite honestly not mind a new season for each year of residency. There is so much potential for these characters and their stories. I feel like I both know them so well, but also barely scraped the surface of their journeys.

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Hits many cliches but still likeable

It’s a really simple story that we all saw hundreds of times. A shy boy and a popular boy on their journey to getting to know each other. Nothing groundbreaking or new about it.

What makes it worth the watch is the acting and the simple concept. Many times the writer and director tries to shock the viewers with over the top plotlines to compensate for a limited length of the shows - it’s truly unnecessary. The Best Story keeps it relatively simple, with few characters and plot lines. What’s best in my eyes was War’s acting. He truly aced the “shy teen crush” portrayal.

Some characters are more likeable than the others. Some you will just end up hating, it’s inevitable. Be ready, because it might be a frustrating watch, especially since the show tries to tackle some sensitive issues by the end, but does not have enough time to dwell on them more.

For a mini series like that, the production quality was quite good. I loved the few aesthetic shots and how they did what they could with a probably limited budget.

That said, the ending caught me by surprise and left me with a big “WHAT” on my face. My initial reaction was closer to: That’s it? Wait… there’s more, right? There will be a 2nd season or something, right? After a few minutes of calming down, I don’t hate it. I don’t think it fits the vibes of the show that well, but it fits reality.

Overall: Since it’s a short watch, I’d recommend it if you want to watch a simple, inducing frustration teen love story with little to no plot, but good acting. Going with no expectations would be best.

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Let them stay bad and cunning - for that I am grateful.

To sum it up: great pacing, interesting and likable characters, solid chemistry, thrilling schemes, problematic gege throwing hands at both his enemies and his lady (which in this drama was perfection, don’t call me out). On the other hand, I was not crazy about how all the romances developed and in some areas, the acting could have been better.

Still, top level of solid entertainment. Thank god I was watching it as it aired - otherwise I would not be able to stop and binge watching all of the episodes would simply kill me - I’m too old for it.

It truly surprised me how much I enjoyed the pity palace drama. Usually I’m barely stopping myself from skipping this type of scene, but here they were some of the best aspects. I appreciated glorious slaps, calling out stupidity even on your own team, backstabbing for survival - it all sounds so dramatic, but in the drama itself, it’s presented in an engaging, but palatable manner.

What’s more to love are all the women in the drama. Variety of the characters, personalities, strength and weaknesses - exactly what I want to see. You don’t just get your typical - smart and cunning, and dumb, but loyal. They nicely mix it up. We get the asshole who overestimates her abilities, we have a smart and loyal friend. We saw women who push their limits and ones that prefer to not push them. We have bad, good and morally gray.

On the other hand the drama lacks quality men. Those that are fun are not developed enough, those that are developed more are annoying. Xie Wei being the only true saving grace. Yes, Zhang Zhe is cute and righteous, but that’s all he is. Yan Lin might be fun and good at fighting, but he is the definition of the “supporting from background while having little to no individuality”. I enjoyed them as I was watching, but by the end of the show I had little to no thoughts about them.

I’m glad plot wise the overall arc was well explained. I understood the motivation of all the characters, why they made the choices they made and what was their goal. Some strived for power, some for survival and some for redemption. I do wish the drama was longer. While they wrapped up everything quite skillfully, I still wanted to see more. Especially in terms of romance.

And that’s my biggest regret. Not even a flaw, since the final execution was done well, it just made me crave for more. All the romance driven plot lines were quite sidelined, so by the end, they tried to put 20 episodes worth of development into maybe 8. I enjoyed every second of it, but I wanted more.

Acting was good. Bai Lue did what she does best. In no universe she could fail delivering a character like that - it’s made for her and her only. Zhang Ling He was great in some scenes, not so great in others. Wang Xing Yue and Zhou Jun Wei both did not really have a space to show any skills - how the characters were written did not really allow that. I’m glad that the whole cast had a great chemistry though - be it platonic, romantic or rivalry. And them kissing scenes… we do not get kissing scenes like that often.

I know many people complained about the make up, personally I liked it. The over the top magical red eyeliner that showed up when Xie Wei turned into his toxic hot gege persona. Yes, the eyebrows for the female characters were… a choice, but after a few episodes I just stopped paying attention to them.

Overall, high level of entertainment. Story of Kunning Palace has such a high binge watchability, it’s actually scary and could be a health risk if you are not careful. It’s both exciting, but approachable - balances well between how dramatic, but also easy to digest it wants to be.

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A tale of twisted characters.

I am honestly in awe how refreshing and gripping Beyond Evil was - even taking into consideration how, at times, it follows rather well known scenarios and clichés. The key to its success lies in the versatile characters and dynamic relationships between them.

The plot gives us the same old story of a serial killer on the loose, detectives with personal stakes and bits of political scheming surrounding it. Does not sound that groundbreaking, does it? Thanks to the complex, amazingly written and dynamic characters, the story is not as simple as we might have initially thought.

Each character had their own story, secrets and goals. There were no noble good guys, but we did get a lot of amazingly gray characters and a variety of villains, each of them having a unique reasoning behind their actions and wrongdoings. Slowly we gathered more puzzle pieces that form a complex picture that goes beyond the actions of just one person. I am truly incapable of describing how perfect the set of characters in this show was. They were all so unique and intriguing, I could literally watch them just talk to each other, and it would be entertaining.

That said, the explanation of the big mystery felt flat. With how amazingly the tension was building, how we could not predict which of the characters were involved - the answers just didn’t do it for me. For some aspect, I just didn’t get any explanation. To avoid spoiling the show, more about it in the comment under the review :)

As for the acting, Shin Ha Kyun went beyond what’s humanly possible in delivering us the compelling character - Lee Dong Shik. There are not enough positive adjectives in the dictionary to truly describe this performance - he was simply talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before… you know what’s up. The acting gave me the best type of goosebumps - some scenes were worth rewatching countless times.

What’s more, I genuinely believe this is the best performance we have seen from Yeo Jin Goo. Just the fact he was able to keep up with Shin Ha Kyun and his performance did not feel flat at all, but rather I saw it as gripping and convincing, means a lot.

Of all the main and supporting actors, I did have a small beef with Son Sang Gyu in episode 11 and 12 - the acting was just not right. There was too much going on for my liking. Taking into consideration this was his first role, and he was surrounded by quite experienced actors, I am not mad about the end result and I am willing to let it slide.

The production value was pure perfection. Not one frame felt off, not one detail has been out of place. From camera work, to editing, up to soundtrack - everything crafted in a way to elevate the story to an artistic level. With no hint of exaggeration, Beyond Evil has one of the best soundtracks in the history of kdramas. Choi Baek Ho’s “The Night” is simply a masterpiece.

Overall, it’s a characters and relationships driven drama, with the plot serving as the background for us to understand and enjoy the ever changing dynamics between them. Beyond Evil might not seem as a masterpiece for people preferring fast paced shows, that said, with how gripping and fascinating the characters and performances are, I would highly recommend everyone to at least give it a chance.

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Low-key masochist/sadist, high-key chemistry.

There are dramas that you feel are too short, but you also saw enough to be satisfied, And then there are dramas like this one - when it's too short and you need to see more. Sure, they did best they could with the limited time they had, but this plot and dynamic deserve more.

Cannot believe we are finally slowly getting Korean BLs with proper plots and new settings. Was the case extremely simple and predictable? Yes. But it’s better this way. There is nothing worse than a complex story forced into a short format - it never delivers. Smart productions know their limits and try to present the best version of what’s possible. BLs are a sub-genre of romance and you do not watch romance for the plot, you watch it for the relationship and the chemistry. Of course having an interesting plot is always a good thing which separates mediocre romance from great romance, but the plot is not the core of the project. So yeah, I am not mad about how simple the story was here. It worked and that’s what matters.

To the more important aspect - the relationship between Lee Chae Ha and Ju Tae Seon. Would I want to swim in the sea of angst delivered by the set up a little bit more, before we move on to mutual positive feelings? Yes. Pinning, angst, contradicting feelings a character has that make them frustrated to the core - I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I just love when characters are so sure of what they are feeling and what drives their actions, to then get all confused when love hits them in the face. But I also understand, yet again, that there was a limited time to show the progression from enemies to lovers and for good balance, you just cannot focus too much on just one phase of that dynamic.

The angry angst era was iconic, the confusion and suppressed care was iconic, the desperate love was iconic. These two truly worked well together. I actually like how cliche they felt - Lee Chae Ha had no backbone for most of the drama and Ju Tae Seon was borderline psycho. If you ask me they are low-key masochists and sadists and that’s how I view their dynamics. Sometimes the aggressive beginnings in dramas make me feel uncomfortable, but here it just worked, because I did feel like Lee Chae Ha was into it.

On that note, the office scene. If you saw the drama you know exactly what scene I am talking about. Hot damn. Masterpiece. Thank you.

For the villains. One, the glorious O Ja Hyeon is presented as one from the beginning and more are hiding in the shadows, but are also rather obvious by episode 2. For O Ja Hyeon - loved to hate her. That one scene where she spilled all the tea was amazing. What a performance from Seo Han Gyeol. She stole that moment completely. I kind of wished she had even more presence in the drama. The other two villains were… fine? I think they missed an opportunity for a plot twist here, and went with the safer option.

Performances were mostly good. There were a few more intense scenes where I was not completely convinced by Park Si Woo’s performance. The issue could yet again be the length of the show. Sometimes both the characters and viewers should sit on the emotions a little bit longer, but pressed for time, the drama had to move on with the dialogues a bit too quickly.

I liked the production and the soundtrack. I like how the lighting and the music matched the intensity of some scenes. I always appreciate the good use of light and shadows. Also, go listen to Marionette, it’s a great song!
I am not going to talk about the intro - I just kept skipping it.

Overall, a pleasant surprise. It was a lot better than what I expected in all areas - plot, dynamics, acting, production.

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The resilience of college students knows no boundaries.

This is how action comedies should be - simple and borderline silly plot, well choreographed exciting fighting scenes, fun comedy and likeable characters despite their questionable circumstance with a tiny bit of positive message hidden deep behind the badass punches. You truly do not need more and you should not add more.

If you read the synopsis you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. Tone wise it’s for sure leaning more towards dark comedy than grim serious revenge, but that’ s exactly why I enjoyed it. Making it serious when you have a college student being possessed by a hitman would be a circus not many people would enjoy.

What I enjoyed is the fact Matsuoka Fumika was not this defenceless baby who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time - she had agency in what was happening, she made her own choices. That said, she also was freaking out about things that were happening, not being able to fully grasp her situation and potential consequences of her actions.

Initially I was not sure Kudo Hideo as a character makes much sense. He is a hitman, murderer. Why is he so… polite? Nice? Would death truly change who he is at the core? But as the movie ended, it actually made perfect sense - be it flashbacks or current dialogues, they explain his reasoning quite well.

Then we have baby boy Kagehara Riku - the least fleshed out of the main trio, but also the one of the best chemistry with both leads. Not gonna lie, I’d love another project with Kuroba Mario and Takaishi Akari - I don’t care about the genre nor the plot, just put these two together on screen again.

What’s more to appreciate? The fighting scenes. First of all I want to give props to Takaishi Akari for actually doing some of them. With this set up they could have easily made her take a seatback and let Mimoto Masanori do all the hard work as Kudo Hideo possesses Matsuoka Fumika. We had a solid number of fast paced, well choreographed and amazingly executed fight scenes done by all 3 leads. I also really liked the transitions between showing Matsuoka and Kudo fighting moments - the flow was just right and the cuts never felt jarring.

I personally loved the aesthetics of the movie too. Contrast turned up a bit more than usually, colors darker, but popping anyway. While a lot of fighting scenes were filmed in “darker” locations, they were never so dark you could not see anything.

Overall, I had so much fun. Was grinning throughout all the fighting scenes. It had a solid conclusion, though I wished for a different, but for sure less realistic one.

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Failed transition between plot points ruined this drama.

First half was a solid 9/10, second half was a solid 8/10 - when combined it gives me a mediocre 6.5. How they concluded the first half left the bad taste in my mouth as I was watching the second. How they continued the second half of the drama made me feel uncomfortable with what was in the first half. They completely failed at transitioning between two plot points, ruining the whole experience for me. It does not matter how many good ingredients the dish has, when one of them is crap. This is how I felt about this show.

It starts with a rather good depiction of various disorders presented in a way that even people who have little to no professional training in any field related to mental health would understand. The visual pictures they created to showcase the inner struggles the characters were facing was such a great touch to make the issues feel real and not just “in their head”. What’s more, I honestly felt like they managed to humanize the patients - while the focus was on their issues, it wasn’t the only thing we saw. What I saw was more than just their symptoms.

The second half is a great representation of various stages of depression - getting ill, denial, struggling to accept it, treatment, and slow recovery. The raw performance by Park Bo Young was gripping and horrifically realistic. You could see her pain and torment. I appreciate how they did not sugarcoat it too much as if getting treatment solves all the issues. The perceptions the society has on you will be changed forever, you might feel limited by many external and internal factors. In just 6 episodes they were able to show that getting better is a long journey not a sprint.

So where’s the issue? The complete mistreatment of Kim Seo Wan as a character. The issue is not that he died, but how his death never got a proper closure and became just a way to give female lead mental disorder to make the second half of the show happen.

You want to tell me that not one person except for the female lead was questioning discharging him, when he literally just got out of his delusion and was clearly struggling with depression? They literally talked about how his mood is down. His parents talked about how he wants to go back to studying, when studying was the trigger for his mental health issues in the first place. He literally faked relapse not to leave. And they still discharged him. The arc was honestly ridiculous and made everyone feel unqualified for their job. Still, I could look behind it if they gave me a proper closure. If people involved in his wrongful discharge at least admitted it was a mistake. Apologized to the parents. If they had one conversation about what and why it happened. But no one took accountability. It was just something sad that happened and then everyone played the victim calling themselves “suicide survivors” - I was so angry I was seeing red.

Then there is the fact that without even giving a good closer to such a devastating and tragic story, they decided to use it to give Da Eum depression. That’s why he died? Not to make the story more deep, to present his characters’ struggles, how sometimes the system fails, how sometimes good intentions to help are not enough. It was there to give Da Eum depression and focused the story on her and her recovery alone. How infuriating.

So when these two halves are combined, I’m just angry. Angry about how they made one of the best and most caring characters' death into a cheap plot device for the female lead’s progression which made me question the sincerity of the presentation of the problems all the other patients were facing. Angry how disrespectful was the set up for the female lead’s struggles and how because of that I could never truly connect to her arc.

What’s more to hate? The romance. I am sorry, but why was it needed exactly? Not only was it painfully unnecessary, the way Dong Go Yun’s character was written gave me a weird type of chill. There was something weird about him.

That said, I still enjoyed the first half of the show a lot. I also really liked the second lead couple. I found the toxic family issue Deul Re was facing and how it was resolved extremely refreshing. Instead of the typical “family is family, one apology is enough, you need to forgive, everyone changes” crap, we got a clear message: abandon your mother. When Yeo Hwan said it I literally clapped.

The acting was perfect. Obviously Park Bo Young aced the role. I don’t think anyone would disagree. One more performance that stood out was Noh Jae Won as Kim Seo Wan. Yes, the way the character was written was extremely charming, but I think the acting had also a lot to do with why I loved him so much.

Overall, I was thinking about writing a more in-depth review, but I’m honestly too annoyed with the show to do it.

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The questions that were never asked, the answers that were never heard.

As humans we have an awful tendency to fill the blanks with things that fit our own perception. We are both egocentric thinking our view is the correct one, but also think we are insignificant and our actions don’t have much impact. And we are wrong.

I went into this movie knowing close to nothing and it was a perfect choice. Rather than just watching a movie, I felt like I was learning important life lessons, forced to face my own shortcomings and reflect on my own biases. I felt the whole range of emotions and I don’t think I’ll stop feeling them any time soon.

It’s a movie that will confuse you, touch you, teach you and most likely humble you. The movie is divided into clear chapters that uncover layers of perspectives and depth.

The performances were phenomenal. There are no words to describe how well all the characters were presented. Extreme props to the youngest cast who in my eyes carried the heart and soul of the whole movie.

Directing? Perfection. The way the message of the movie became so clear with every minute, even if initially I was so confused. The way it highlights the importance of the context. The way everything mattered.

I’m one to write essay-long reviews, but I’m honestly still wrapping my head around what I just finished watching and I think I will be in that state for some time. This movie calls for a discussion and brainstorming of the ideas, opinions and perspectives. It’s a story with a huge impact if you pay attention. It’s a movie on human nature, our flaws and mistakes. Strangely, I also think it’s a movie about cognitive laziness and how it affects us and people around us.

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Hit pause on the turning point.

This movie is a gentle reminder that it’s okay to just take a moment to breathe and figure yourself out - be it a day, month or a year. There is no point in chasing after things that do not bring you peace and happiness. Yes, you still need to deal with your responsibilities, you need an income to support yourself financially, but that does not mean you need to desire and want what everyone else strives for. We are all different, with different motivations and needs. One person enjoys a fast paced environment, someone else needs more calmness in their surroundings. There are no right and wrong answers in how to live your life, as long as you are not hurting others.

And that’s basically what the movie is about - Hye Won putting her life on pause as she tries to figure out what she truly wants, and if the goal she was trying to reach so far is what she truly desires. She reconnects to her roots, reignites her old friendships and slowly learns about her mother’s decisions in the past - understanding things she was not able to understand when she was younger.

What Little Forest offers is comfort and warmth. Beautiful scenery and amazing short cooking scenes. A message that simple life is meaningful. That making amends with your past is the way to move forward, even if it means starting from the beginning.

Additionally, we get an amazing cast delivering perfect performances. Honestly speaking, the movie is Kim Tae Ri’s, and Kim Tae Ri’s only. She carries the whole film. She fits the rural slice of life genre so well, I would have no issue watching a full 16 episodes show based on Little Forest.

Overall, big recommendation for anyone who loves a calming slice of life content with few cooking scenes that will make you hungry.

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“Okay, but why?” and “Okay, but how?”

Were the questions I kept asking as I was watching, and I did not receive answers for the majority of them. The only things the movie had to offer were gore and the performances. The writing was nonexistent just like the logic behind the rules of the curse/hypnosis.

There were maybe 2 decent characters, but none that truly caught my attention. Most of the teens were either boring and just there to die in creative ways, or borderline psychos, and the laughable attempt to make it seem like “everyone would act this way in a similar situation” just made me laugh. There is a difference between doing awful things for survival, and doing awful things for survival while also laughing and enjoying yourself.

The ending is just dumb. Makes sense in the most shallow perspective, but when you start to think about it even slightly, it all falls apart.

Overall, they should have used some of the money from special and practical effects of gore to hire a better writer. Unless the source material is also this dumb, then there is no hope.

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Behind the whimsical presentation lies the harsh reality and the promise of improvement.

It’s a good drama, but it's an even better adaptation. They did not try to make it more "realistic" and explain stuff that does not need explanation for the plot to progress. They still keep it whimsical, but they also balanced the teens and adult perspective - it felt youthful, but not really childish.

Is this a teen romance show? Yes. But first and foremost it's a coming of age story that presents U Yeon’s journey of gaining confidence in herself, but also in people around her. As the drama progresses, she becomes more open to new situations, people and opportunities. She learns how to set boundaries, how to voice her opinions, and how to enjoy life. As she changes, so does her relationships with her family, friends and Gi Jeong himself. The path was rough with many ups and downs, but that’s how life is - nothing comes easy, not all resolutions are perfect. Sometimes we take a step forward and then take two steps back.

I enjoyed how at first all the characters seemed like extremely one dimensional perfect examples of empty cliche tropes, but as you watch more episodes you see that U Yeon is not as timid as it may seem; Gi Jeong is not really dumb and carefree; Seon Ho is not perfect and Geu Rin is not as strong as she would wish to be. The adult spirit fingers are not as eccentric and weird - while they enjoy the happy and silly moments in the club, we countlessly see how mature they also are.

The contrast between the teen and adult perspective was probably one of my favorite parts of the drama. I appreciated how Pink, Black, Brown and Khaki Fingers were not moralizing or lecturing the younger members - they let them make their own mistakes, learn from them. They knew when to silently support, when to step forward - what time required serious conversation, and when the youngsters needed joyful distraction.

What’s more to love? All the flaws. So many flaws… Not one character avoided having some annoying trait that made them so perfectly human. The egocentrism, making assumptions, too much hesitation, too much boldness. Not knowing how to set boundaries and setting too many boundaries that lead you to loneliness. I truly enjoyed how at times characters made me so annoyed.

If I had to name any flaws of the plot itself - probably how they handled U Yeon’s family conclusion. A little bit more realism would be preferred - not much, just a little bit more.

Production wise I am happy they did not waste time on explaining things we did not need the explanation for. Who cares who pays for the freaking tennis court in the cafe so the group can have fun themed meetings? How many rooms are there even in that cafe? Who cares? That’s the whimsical aspect that was the main charm of the setting in webtoon, and I am so happy they did not try to rationalize it or make it more realistic for the sake of the drama.

Then we also have a nice attention to the details - little things you need to think about and include on all stages of production to make the characters feel more real and the story more cohesive. For example - how the characters go to the club: U Yeon who had a more shy personality always changing into her outfits in the cafe, and then Gi Jeong being dressed up, no matter how flashy, already on his way not caring for the attention he is getting.

Acting wise - perfect casting. As someone who read the webtoon years ago, I was quite scared if they would manage to find proper actors for all these vibrant and unique characters, but they managed. Not only that, they aced it. The one casting choice I was unsure of was Cho Jun Young as Red Finger/Gi Jeong. The drawing style of that character was far more sharp in facial features, so the cute baby face Cho Jun Young has seemed like an ill fit for me - Gi Jeong was supposed to feel more intimidating than that. Boy, was I wrong. Cho Jun Young ate the role - the way the crazy ass seemed so real and relatable was amazing. Gi Jeong is honestly quite unique of a person, so to make him feel like a teen you could actually see on the street was a challenge.

The soundtrack was nice, but not exactly memorable. Maybe that’s good. The whole drama is rather flashy in all aspects, so an OST that accompanies the scenes well without overshadowing them or distracting the viewers seems like a good choice.

Overall, what a pleasant watch. Could the story be better developed? For sure. Would it be nice to see more of all the side characters’ stories? Obviously. But with the limited time they had and rather challenging source material in terms of tone and setting, I think they did an amazing job bringing this plot and characters to life on screen.

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What started great died a slow painful death.

I really wanted to love this season, and I did enjoy it a lot at the beginning. I found all the cast entertaining and interesting and what’s most important: everyone actually felt unique. But then we started to get the same annoying drama between the same few people over and over again and I was just done.

There were many production wise choices that made the show less enjoyable. First of all not everyone going to the ex room changed a lot - that’s the thing that usually puts possible reconnection into movement. Then we have the double ex idea that was just shocking as a revelation, but then changed close to nothing in the actual show itself. When they decided to introduce new people was also ill timed and did not allow them to truly explore their options. What’s more, I wish next time they will encourage more dates with a variety of people, especially at the beginning. Make them choose more blindly, for example - pick a person for a date based on the ex letter, not knowing who it is about. Pick a person to go on a date based on a photo they took, favorite movie.

I’m just kind of disappointed. There were not that many romantic and butterfly inducing moments, and a lot of crying and blaming each other, borderline manipulation etc. One of the reasons the first two seasons were so fun to watch was the fact it was less dramatic, more genuine. But this season just pushed the drama to the forefront instead of focusing on the positive connections.

Overall, would not really recommend…

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What a useless husband…

Finished the movie and my first thought was - this would have a different ending with a better husband. Not that he was the only useless character, but his lack of fucks given was surprising.

The movie is almost 2 hours long and they do not try to get rid of the doll for more than half of it. The denial that something shady is happening reaches new heights. The doll be running in front of them, climbing on their backs and we get “I must have imagined it”, baby girl it’s not the case of “seeing movement in the corner of the eye”, this doll was less sneaky than Annabelle. Even Chucky was better at pretending to be a normal doll.

The professionals in the movie were also of questionable quality - the psychiatrist ignoring clear signs of panic and delusion, the police that does nothing except getting in trouble, the spiritual experts that fail over and over again.

All that said, it was still such a good and fun movie. From the opening scenes I thought it would lead more towards serious psychological drama, but it quickly took a u-turn into wacky supernatural madness. Some scenes gave me goosebumps and the “nope, that’s it, I’d be out of this situation yesterday”, some scenes were borderline funny almost bringing me to tears.

If we go by plot points, there are so many separate acts here, but the transition between them and the pacing was well done - it did not feel jumpy, they all connected smoothly.

Acting wise, the biggest props to Ikemura Aoi who played baby Mai.

For the production, I have to say they must have been drunk when they were constructing the face of the doll in the second half. Is it creepy? Yes. Is it hilarious? Also yes. The teeth… These just made me feel uncomfortable.

Overall, it’s not new, it’s not groundbreaking, but it does a good job of delivering the obvious story in an engaging way.

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Nothing is as simple as it may present.

I’m your local overanalyzer - trying to predict the twists, understand the plot and the motivations of the characters before the drama actually explains them is one of my favorite things to do while watching any show. So for a drama to make me give up and just enjoy whatever they throw at me, and it all actually making sense by the end - that’s a miracle. And 3 Nen A Gimi achieved that.

I want to start with the best aspect - Suda Masaki’s performance. He ate the role, he delivered the raw emotions and the complexity of the character in literally every frame. Hiiragi Ibuki is a character you cannot get enough of. He was fascinating to watch. Trying to understand his motivations and goals and if and how “sane” his plans are - all A+ entertainment. The duality between being a strict teacher and compassionate adult never felt like a contradiction.

One could think - how can a drama that takes place in basically one room for 10 days be engaging? Will it get boring? No, it won’t. Each episode delivers a side story of students that are being hostages, while also adding layers to the overall plot. It’s a perfect buildup with many great twists. At some point you won’t trust any new revelation, doubt every scene, as you know there is more to it than the eye can see.

I already talked about Suda Masaki’s amazing performance, but the whole cast did just as well. I was quite impressed with the students - that’s a large group of young actors and actresses, some misdeliveries would not be surprising, and yet we got none of that here Each and every cast member did exactly what the role required of them to do.

That said, even if I loved the overall plot and the performances, I do think one of the last scenes and revelations was an overkill in terms of the presentation. They really hammered the message in my face and there was nothing subtle about it. For a drama that is all about making us “think”, they really made sure to tell you exactly what you are supposed to think by the end, instead of giving the viewers opportunity to figure it out themselves - at least in terms of details and complexity. Honestly speaking, that’s probably the only complaint I have.

Overall, what an exciting and great story with a message that will forever be relevant and something worth reminding us from time to time.

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Wikipedia pages narrated.

Honestly feel like this season delivered close to nothing. Other installments I have seen were either completely ridiculous so I could laugh about them or had a great and interesting cast of the characters I got extremely invested in. Here they gave me some of these for a few episodes, but the rest was just boring.

I think the biggest issue was the length of the show - this was not a plot to be stretched for 40 episodes. 30 should have been the max they went for. Too many scenes seemed like filler and I was slowly losing any focus and interest. By the last 10 episodes I was completely lost about what exactly is going on, since the story was not told in an engaging way.

Storytelling wise one thing that I was not on board too was the countless flashbacks and side stories from various different timelines. I truly did not care about the majority of them.

All that said, I enjoyed the chemistry between Wu Xie, Qi Ling and Pang Zi. These three together were so much fun to watch. Just them chatting was enough to keep me entertained. They all had vastly different personalities and that’s what made the dynamics that engaging.

The acting was great. The fact they were able to keep a serious and straight face with all the flying fighting scenes and Scooby Doo monsters was impressive. I also appreciate Cheng Yi’s portrayal of Zhang Qi Ling. His version of the character, even though still stoic and detached, was more humane and relatable.

Production value was definitely higher than the first drama in the series. While the CGI still left a lot to desire, the improvement was clearly visible. What I found disappointing was the lack of wide shots of the scenery. They filmed in quite a few beautiful locations and I wished they showed it a bit more. Another aspect that could have been improved was the poor lighting. I understand that tombs are dark, but there are ways around it. Many adventure driven shows and music found ways to introduce more light sources in said tombs, so the beauty of them could be appreciated more.

Overall, I sadly barely had fun.

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