Kate

I have to say, even with the tragic and full of scandals ending that led to the cancelation of the finale, it’s still my favorite survival show I have ever seen.

⇢ Cast aka the contestants and mentors
The most unique and diverse cast of the trainees I have ever seen. I am not going to lie, I usually struggle quite a lot to remember the contestants - mostly I just give up trying and pay close attention to two or three that I like. Here, there were so many unique characters, I was happy to do my research, make some notes and try my best to use the few brain cells I have to remember as many of them as possible.

I also believe that the production team did a good job promoting some pairing and groups of friends that had great chemistry with each other. The focus was (almost) never on the rivalry, but rather cooperation and friendship, which was simply delightful to watch.

This show also has the sunshine, the only true pure boy - Lian Huaiwei. It would NOT be an overstatement if I said I was completely obsessed with this guy. R.I.P all my friends who had to deal with my spam in chats as I was watching the episodes. Half of the messages were variations of “OMG I JUST LOVE HUAIWEI SO MUCH”.

As for mentors - almost pure perfection. I am slightly salty about Lisa being a dance mentor when she could not be present on set. This affected the dance training, and at times other trainees had to do the job the dance mentor should be doing. I also think she was sometimes not quite careful about her remarks which at times hurt the trainees as a result. I still enjoyed her a lot and her interactions with some trainees were fun to watch, but overall, she was the least mentor-like in my eyes.

On the other hand I want Chris Lee in my life. She was strict, but also patient. She had realistic expectations towards trainees, and knew how far she can push them to not cross the line. Not to mention, her socially awkward attitude was just entertaining.

Both Will Pan and Li Rong Hao took the mentoring seriously - they were both teaching, but also supporting the contestants. The interactions were funny, inspiring and at times heartwarming.

⇢ Music aka the the performances
I was not crazy about a good 50% of the stages, and it’s not on the trainees - the songs/arrangements were just boring. That said, it also had so many amazing bops that I listen to daily - from ballads that make me into a crying mess every single time I watch them, to hype pop tracks that make my heart race.

I appreciated how the trainees had some creative freedom, being able to tweak the stages and performances to add various elements here and there. We were also able to see some self written and produced songs, which is always an additional plus in shows like that.

⇢ Story aka the production
I’m just going to completely ignore the finale issues, because before that I was completely in love with the production of the show.

First of all, “more means more” aka 2 episodes per week was a great idea. The issue with these shows is, they want to showcase 100 trainees in one episode that lasts around 2 and half hours - it’s simply impossible. We get to see at best 10 seconds of some audition stages, not everyone gets a chance to be shown during the practice time, and at the end, we end up with 10-20 trainees we remember, and 80-90 guys whose names we don’t even know. Since YWY S3 gave us 2 episodes per week, each around 3 hours long, we got an actual chance to find out who the trainees are.

Another thing I truly loved was the fact I could feel iQiyi cares about international fans. Providing English subtitles is a bare minimum, but they went beyond that. We always got the indication who was speaking at any given moment (even when it was just an offhand comment made in a crowd). Most of the ranking after stages was translated, so we knew who actually got how many points (comparing it to season one, where the lists were in Chinese, and I was able to figure out the results only by seeing the reactions of the trainees).

The gold editing. Truly, the editing team needs a rise. The fitting sound effects, memes, and other visual effects added made the show so much more enjoyable. They just knew how to turn the entertainment value of the show to maximum.

Overall, it’s an amazing journey with a painful ending. Do the trainees deserve more? Yes. Was it completely iQiyi's fault and should they be canceled for what happened? No. It’s easy to criticize the end result, but if we are honest with ourselves, they could not really make any other choices. The only thing I was truly upset about and it’s truly 100% on iQiyi was the lack of closure. At first they did give updates about the current situation around the finale, but after the cancellation, there was no definite answer. I would love for them to just be honest and say: sadly we will not debut the team. Without a closure it’s harder to move on. And believe me, it was hard to move on. I rewatched the show twice.

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Exaggerated portrayal of how we failed the youth.

Starting from the message, that for me was completely overshadowed by the pure entertainment that the killing aliens brought.
What this show tries to present is how we as society created a false sense of security, purpose and goals for the teens - a path that is supposed to guarantee success and happiness. That path being higher education. The extent these teens were willing to go to get just a few more points that will help them get into a university - it showed how they truly believed that’s the only way to live a fulfilling life, to have it easier as an adult. The empty promises, the use of the pressure teens feel about their future was used to manipulate them to make dangerous choices and control their behavior. Exaggerated in the drama, but sadly truly happening in real life.

While the teens willing to risk their safety for a few points is believable, the fact teens were able to survive and fight better than train military was not. Did this completely lackluster and stupid take on the army annoyed me? Not really. They clearly showcased how delivering solid entertainment was the biggest goal and they aced it in that aspect. You just have to turn off a few neurons in your brain as you watch.

As long as you won’t question every unrealistic aspect, you will have a blast! The show is great at creating tension and keeping the viewer entertained with great pacing both in overall story, but also the episodes themselves. It had great comedic moments, good action sequences, solid character development, friendship and bonding, and some truly touching and heartbreaking scenes.

Did a lot of people die? Yes. Not enough from the main cast if you ask me. And not the right ones… Not gonna lie, the show got my blood boiling a few times when some of the most frustrating and annoying characters kept surviving against all odds. I also wish a few more students would die to make the stakes a bit more real. This is the luckiest group of teens I have ever seen and at some point I stopped being worried about them dying, because it seemed like they would be able to survive even with a nuclear bomb being dropped directly on their heads.

In terms of acting, what can I say? I am not worried about the future of Korean cinema. With this large cast of great young actors who can deliver a versatile performance, the future of movies and dramas is in good hands.

Production value was phenomenal. I love the design of the aliens, I love how they look, how they move, even the sounds they make. For some strange reason I always thought that if aliens exist they may look like fancy sea creatures, and this is exactly how the spheres look like. I have no complaints about the filming, editing, sound effects, lighting, set design. I only wish the female characters tied their hair, that was a bit so unrealistic even I could not ignore.

Overall, what a fun and exciting watch. With such a large cast they still managed to make all the characters memorable. The level of entertainment and engaging characters (be it for their awesomeness or how annoying they were) allowed me to ignore any possible flaws and just enjoy they ride. I cannot wait to see the second season.

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When the mystery (almost) ruins the show.

I’m just frustrated, because the good parts were really good, but the bad parts made it close to impossible for me to enjoy them.

What seemed like a bitter-sweet slice of life, that will move you to tears and make you appreciate the small things in your life, changed into a ridiculous no brain mystery about a character no one truly cared about and mobs. There was truly no reason to give them so much attention, and I highly doubt anyone would complain much, if they were used just as backstory devices and nothing more.

You know when a heartwarming slice of life shows work? When they are relatable. When the stories told in them hit close to home, since you either experience these things yourself, or you know someone who experienced them. It’s meaningful, because it’s a daily life we all have to deal with at some point. So why ruin the best aspect of slice of life, by adding borderline makjang plot lines and then focusing the majority of screen time on them as the drama gets closer to the end?

You can probably feel my frustration, but it’s because I truly adored a lot of the elements of this show, just for my joy to be cut short by things that were not even necessary.

Everything that was related to the Genie team? Amazing. I loved Gyeo Re and how raw the character was. The complexity of the emotions presented - perfection. Ji Chang Wook made a good choice picking this role and it’s nice to see him back on track with some more challenging projects. He managed to show vulnerability, but also emotional strength. The gradual development of the character was impeccable. Not to mention how his story clearly shows men can be victims of abuse too, and psychological abuse is as much of an important issue as physical abuse.

While I was not amazed with the writing of Seo Yeon Joo, Choi Soo Young did a great job with the role. The character was just slightly too perfect for me. The impulsivity at the beginning was gone after maybe 2 episodes, and from that point, it was close to impossible to find any real flaw in her.

Sung Dong Il is Sung Dong Il - he always delivers. Kang Tae Shik won my heart. Must say though, I liked his (sadly limited) interactions with Ha Joon Kyung the most. She was also one of my favorite characters - such a troubled person with so much pain. I wish the writers gave her a little bit more screen time, so we could truly dive deeper into who she was. That said, she might be a character many people fail to sympathize with. Girl had issues and she created a lot of issues for other characters.

The compliments go to the whole Genie cast - all actors did an amazing job, and the characters felt like real people. Most of them got enough screen time to make them an important part of the team and the plot, and flesh them out a bit.

The stories of the patients and their last wishes were tears-inducing and I welcomed the pain, but also the warm feeling they brought. Some I enjoyed more than the others, but all had meaningful messages and presented cohesive stories that many could relate to.

And then we have two side plots that I could truly not stand - the mystery of room 403, and the mob/mafia. When I started the show, I did not exactly sign up for soft makjang plot lines, but that’s what was delivered. Compared to the rest of the stories told in the drama, these two just felt cheap. Technically it wasn’t a massive part of the plot, but I found these scenes unnecessary, and that influenced how the whole episodes affected me emotionally (or rather did not, since I could not shake off the frustration caused by these two plotlines).

Still, the drama offers more good than bad. The production value was top notch - screenshotable for sure. Soundtrack, while not exactly memorable, fitted the scenes and overall atmosphere of the show. The songs I personally enjoyed the most were: I Can't Forget You by Kim Feel; I'll Protect You by Choi Yu Ree.

Overall, If You Wish Upon Me is similar to a protagonist from any well written drama - great spirit, depth, complexity that makes you emotionally invested in them, but also having a major flaw needing a major character development. Sadly, dramas don’t get character developments so the flaws stay as part of it forever.

Bonus: I want a short 2nd season with Lee Yoo Mi. She can deliver anything. Just don’t add mobs please ;)

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“It feels like I’ve been stuck here in silence for so long.”

What for me this drama represents is a feeling of technically living a rather good life, and yet feeling trapped in the normalcy, habits, memories and past that blocks us from moving forward. So we just stay in that safe zone of known patterns. And that’s where more or less all the characters were stuck - hunted by their past.

What at first seemed like a mish-mash of different people living completely different lives, ended up presenting a rather small community with many entangled relations I did not notice at first. Slowly I was understanding more and more about their past, present and potential future. The pacing and storytelling made me feel like a new neighbor who gets to know people living next to me in a natural manner.

“Why don't you aim for something more than just a “certain extend”? Try enjoying your life to the fullest.”

It is amazing how with just 12 episodes each 20 minutes long I do feel like I know and understand all the characters rather well. Some were stuck because of guilt, some because of fear, others because of the sense of responsibility… or the past traumas. Some stayed behind for people they care about. All uncertain, all searching.

But it never felt heavy, even if the subject they were touching cannot be called light either. Subtle presentation is a fitting description. Sometimes too subtle if you ask me - a deeper exploration of at least some of the themes would make the show better for sure. I’m kind of hungry for me… a bit unsatisfied.

Performances wise - great. Be it the main cast, or the supporting cast, everyone delivered. At the same time, I don’t feel like any performance was excellent to the point it especially stood out.

Directing and editing was exactly what you expect, but also what you love about Japanese shows. Really distinctive and unique style that sets it apart from the “high production aesthetics” from other countries. This more raw, simple and realistic approach fits the tone of the writing and story really well.

Overall, a nice watch. Personally, this was my “right after work, let’s get into chill mode” pick for the past week. Had some touching moments, some questions left unanswered, but at the end of the day, it was a positive experience.

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Low key uncomfortable.

When the dudes are flirting in some questionable moments and situations, it’s impossible to even care about the romance, which was sadly the biggest part of the plot.

I think the whole story lacks depth and details to create a more realistic picture of the events - it’s simply a juvenile presentation. There are no answers for the most basic questions the writer should ask themselves while writing a story. Did Kawin’s mom and her sister not contact each other for over a month before Kawin went to Thailand? How come they were not informed about what happened? Who paid the bills in the house? The set up was just ridiculous.

Then we have the issue of the romance, that made me feel a bit uncomfortable because a lot of the flirting and make out sessions had weird timing. Every time there was some romantic progression, all I could think about it - it’s not the right time for it.

The saddest part was the fact the family was actually the best part of the show and they were sidelined by the couple and their mediocre romance. What opened as a wholesome family comedy, became a weird mix of drama, slice of life and romance with cringey “spicy” scenes. Why?

If only good acting saved this show, but we did not even get that. During the wholesome daily and comedy bits everyone did great, but every attempt to deliver anything more emotional was flat and unconvincing. They just did not tap into whatever the characters were supposed to be going through.

The editing and directing was also a bit questionable. The progression between specific scenes was not smooth, and I had to check a few times if I played the right part of the right episode.

Overall, you can skip it.

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Sherlock Holmes on crack.

Ever thought that some of the Holmes’ cases are rather unrealistic and impossible to predict from the perspective of the reader? Well, this is worse. Not gonna lie, for some that might add to the entertainment value, but for me, it just made me completely not interested in the investigation itself.

That said , the great chemistry between the main characters was amazing to watch. Serizawa Go was for sure my favorite. I loved how he was trying to act low-key, but in fact was truly interested and engaged in the cases. Him trying to keep the good image also led to many funny moments. Aoto Junko was a good case of a smart and strong female character. She was not perfect, sometimes driven by her emotions too much. Yet, she possessed many good characteristics which made her quite a lovable heroine.

Enomoto Kei was quite a mystery - after seeing the whole show and the special episode, I am still not sure who he truly was. He did have one of the most interesting “conclusions” of all the characters, but I wished his backstory would be more integral and a bigger part of the show.

So, if the cast was so good, why did I not quite like the cases? Putting aside how unrealistic and at times convoluted they were, they also at times sent a questionable message. I especially felt a lot of discomfort after finishing the Go Game episode.

The acting? Great. From the main cast, to all the supporting characters, all did an amazing job. There was no exaggeration of facial expressions and line delivery, and even though most of the characters were quite eccentric, the portrayal done by the cast made them rather realistic and approachable.

Overall, quite an enjoyable ride. Even though, for me, the cases were lacking, the cast was so entertaining, I still had a good time watching.

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A slice of a slice of life.

Try to see the whole picture from just a few puzzle pieces. That’s the essence of the movie. Figuring out the relationships and backgrounds of the characters from their short, taken out of their lives' context conversations. Why they are? Why they met? What will happen after they leave the table?

Have to say, not all the stories were equally interesting and enjoyable. Without giving any spoilers about the characters background, I’ll try to describe why they resonated with me or not.

Yoo Jin’s story - one that evokes the most emotions in me, and by emotions I mean anger and frustration. While at first I was unsure where it leads, with each new line I could sense the probable direction.

Kyung Jin’s story - the most chill and down to earth, the only one that put a smile on my face. The easiest to understand from the start too, you kind of know what you will get right away.

Eun Hui’s story - serving some unexpected twist as the conversation progressed. To some extent moving, if we try to understand the characters a little bit.

Hye Kyung’s story - the one I did not vibe with at all. Not only I couldn’t resonate with Hye Kyung, I also strongly believe Yeon Woo Jin is incapable of having chemistry with any of his female co-stars.

Overall, for a short movie like that, which tries to present 4 completely unrelated stories, it did a fairly good job. The acting was truly good, but then the characters and scenes were not exactly complex and well-developed to serve as an acting challenge. As I mentioned at the beginning, the entertainment comes from trying to understand who the characters are, even though nothing is set nor explained by narration or exposition. You are thrown into a random moment in their lives.

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Rather thrilling and gripping, yet quite predictable movie. I don’t think they served even one plot line that was not obvious. Even with that, I still enjoyed it quite a lot.

I think the best part of the movie is the lack of realism and sanity? These characters had issues, and I mean serious ones. The whole setup made little sense. They were committing crimes in daylight, often showing their faces, yet no one knew who they were. Sure. Suspension of belief is required to enjoy it.

Another aspect that I greatly enjoyed was the performance. Yeo Jin Goo as Hwa Yi was one of his strongest performances. The amazing on screen transformation that teen went through was just an interesting tale, with quite a satisfying conclusion.

Kim Yoon Seok as Yoon Seok Tae could be described as a cold, tamed madness - rather terrifying character. At the same time, the more I saw of him, the more pathetic he seemed. That said, I am thankful all the bad characters were truly awful, so I could watch without any sense of empathy towards them.

The movie had some unnecessary elements. While I understand why Yoo Kyung was an important person for Hwa Yi’s journey, I believe keeping her more as a symbol of normal life compared to actually getting her to interact with him would be better.

The emotional aspects of the movie depended on the well built relationship between Hwa Yi and the gang members, yet I barely felt anything. There were a few moments that showed him and Yoon Seok Tae have quite a deep, but also complicated bond, but I needed more than two or three scenes of it. Not to mention how all the rest of the characters were painfully one-dimensional.

The visuals were nice. They dive a bit into those gruesome scenes, not shying away from violence. The most powerful scenes though were the few emotional bits delivered by Yeo Jin Goo.

Overall, I would recommend watching for the performances. The cat and mouse chase between Hwa Yi and Yoon Seok Tae was exciting, and the emotional games and manipulation thrilling.

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This movie made me uncomfortable, scared, annoyed, speechless, confused, angry, and I think it's amazing. Truth to be told, this review was written for myself, to make sense of the movie and how I see it, not for others. There are so many different interpretations everyone can have, I don't think anyone is truly wrong with how they view it.

I went into this movie without knowing much about it. I have seen the trailer once and that was it. Miraculously, I was able to avoid any spoilers, and I'm sure it made the experience even better.

While „Parasite” is often described as dark comedy, the comedy aspect died for me pretty quickly. The whole set up for every family and the situation made me feel extremely anxious. For the longest time I felt scared for the Park family, seeing Kim's as more questionable people. It frightened and frustrated me how easily they were able to slip into the house and daily lives of Parks. The closer we got to the ending, I was starting to see more flaws in the rich family too. The biggest one was their ignorance about anything not related to their life. They lived in the bubble, being scared of even rumors that might break it. That's why they didn't even try to find out the truth about the driver and Moon Gwang. It was easier to just cut them off and pretend like the problem never existed.

What makes the movie so good, was the idea that there are no good characters here. Everyone is twisted to some extent. Kims are willing to cross a lot of lines to gain a better life, but they never put the effort into making a realistic plan. Gi Taek does not act like the head of the family, and in my eyes, he was the one dragging them down. He seemed like the least skilled of them all, failing all his businesses. Both Gi Woo and Gi Jung had amazing potential that was killed by the environment they were living in - both economic and social. They adopted the existence of their parents, dreaming of a better life, but not striving for it, which can be clearly seen in one of the beginning scenes when they barely put any effort while working for the pizzeria. Even the ending shows how twisted the view of reality Gi Woo has. He does not have any meaningful plan, he just wants to be rich. He doesn't want to create, has no idea what he can offer others, that would make them want to invest in him. He has no idea. He just wants to be rich to buy that house. The dream that is impossible to reach. He does not want a better life, a life out of poverty. He wants to be rich, buy the house that became his obsession and live there with his family.

Moon Gwang and Geun Sae had the most parasitic-like mentality from all the families. Geun Sae accepted his life the way it was, in the dark basement, not even being part of the society. It was far more like an existence, as passive as possible. Both he and his wife did not find the situation that strange, keeping it as it was for 4 years. They got used to it, so they didn't really try to change it, until the external situation forced them into action. Even then, they didn't even have a plan. When they've got the upper hand over Kims, they didn't try to come up with an way out of the situation, they just enjoyed their time in the house, making fun and treating Kims like less of a human. There was no planning, no future in their minds.

Parks are living in denial of reality. Their biggest sin (how much I hate this word) was their ignorance. They didn't deliberately try to hurt anyone, but they were not aware of the suffering of others. It simply didn't even cross their minds. My biggest struggle while watching the movie was placing Yeon Kyu somewhere in my judgment bin. She was a good person extremely unaware of everything that was going on around her. She was oblivious about the advantages she had based on her social and economical status. She didn't try to hurt anyone, but she also didn't try to help and be concerned. All she cared about was herself and her family. It never crossed her mind that the choices she made might have tragic consequences for people around her.

The problem of economic differences and inequality is huge and truth to be told, almost impossible to solve. The idealistic idea of taking away from the rich and giving to the poor is "nice", but would never solve anything. After some time we would end up with exactly the same social structure as we have today. Some people who were on top would not be able to climb back, some who were poor, would be able to invest in their life. But we would still end up with people barely surviving, and the rich getting richer. Some people would be able to produce goods that others want to buy, while some would have no idea how to invest the money to have a long term profit from it. The movie presents an amazing social commentary on the topic that just breaks my brain when I try to think about it. At the end of the day, the money made Kims, Moon Gwang and Geun Sae do despicable things, treating each other like bugs and dogs, not worth even being called humans. It also allowed Park's to ignore it all and not care about the painful events of people who, to some extent, are part of their life.

I think it's also important to add how amazingly shot the movie was. Even just the beginning scene gave me chills. The stunning scenery we've got, the symbolism behind some scenes. It all made a perfect picture that will hunt me for some time.

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Villains downgraded, entertainment maintained, Jimnam still hot.

Even though I was not as disappointed in season 2 as many people were, I do understand the complaints, since not one aspect of the production was improved, while some actually declined in delivery. Still, was it fun? Hell yeah.

The plot just continues from season one - Jian and Jinman forced to be against Babylon. Same good team, new villains, no nuance. While some plotlines and characters had good potential, it was never used. Schemes on top of schemes, twists on top of twists - don’t try to figure it out, just enjoy the ride. The plot and motivations of the characters are not deep enough to use any brain power on them.

What can I say about the “good” guys… decent guys? Gray characters? Still love Jian and Jinman. I love when the focus relationship that drives the whole show is not a romantic one. It always feels more refreshing, no matter what. I found Jian’s arc to be rather well paced and presented. Her resistance to accept the fact she is part of that dangerous world and there is no turning back anymore was decently developed and the turning point for her acceptance also made sense.

Jinman for sure is one of the best written and consistent characters in both seasons. Every decision he makes makes sense, his objectives have clear purpose - there is no guessing game why he does what he does, it’s clear from day one. Protecting Jian is his life mission, but I like how it’s not a stagnant arc. He goes from trying to protect her by hiding things from her, to accepting the fact the best way to protect her is supporting her own choices. It’s also wise to remember how hot Lee Dong Wook is in this role.

While I enjoyed good-ish guys a lot, I cannot say the same for the antagonists. I cannot comprehend who thought it was a good idea to write off all the most distinctive fun and entertaining ones, to leave us with the psycho who is nothing, but the empty shell with no substance. That’s what the second season lacks the most - good villains with well developed motivations. Kusanagi Jin gave me nothing writing wise. I am sorry, but making your bad guys act completely psychopathic is not enough anymore, the audience wants more.

Luckily, the acting was as strong as we would hope it would be. This is an action packed drama, so I need to appreciate the hard work that was put into delivering well choreographed fighting scenes. The dominant emotion that was presented on the screen was desperation, and it did translate in any and all aspects of the performances. The deliveries that stood out for me were: obviously the man Lee Dong Wook - he needs to stick to these darker and more serious roles, this what suits him the best. I’m gonna speak from my heart - he is just so hot when he is all fighting with blood on his face. It is what it is.

Kim Hye Jun also made sure her performance was on the same level as her co-stars. Jung Yun Ha saved Kusanagi Jin with her acting, because the writing was not it. And we have to talk about Okada Masaki as J - I wish for a prequel focused just on J and Q. What an entertaining ride that would be.

As for directing - still fun. I don’t think anything truly stood out. The storytelling was far more linear, there were less unique ways to present the plot and the twists. The story just sailed smoothly from point A to point B with little disturbance. Which is a little bit disappointing.

What I liked about season one was how they delivered non-linear storytelling. Cutting the scenes and moving between the timelines at just the right moments to create the suspense - this is what this season lacked for sure. They went for typical plot twists that at some point were painfully easy to predict. While season two kept the entertainment aspect high, it lacked the tension.

As I already said - the fighting scenes were still amazing. Well choreographed and well acted - you can see they did put some effort into practice to make them seem realistic and dynamic. What I did not like were the Terminator-esque robots showing up a few times - they looked extremely fake and took me out of the show every time. Except for them, all the other CGI and special effects were good.

Similarly, the set design was fine. Nothing truly stood out either in a positive nor negative manner. Sadly, while I love the soundtrack, I think they did not utilize it to its full potential. These songs hit hard when you listen to them outside of the show, but when you watch the scenes they are used in, they do not have the same impact.

Overall, it was not as good as season one, but I also think it was not as bad as people claim it to be. The biggest mistake the show made was writing off all the best antagonists, leaving the viewers with mediocrity in the second half.

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The long ballad of supporting characters.

Amazing development, reliable traits with believable strengths and flaws, emotionally gripping stories that made me invested in the plot progress - what I’ve got from the supporting characters and side plots. Confused teens with good fighting skills are what the two main characters delivered.

So why did the main leads not work for me? Poorly presented context of their struggles. Li Chang Ge was introduced as a military prodigy for her young age. After facing the murder of her parents, she sets on the journey of revenge, that leads to countless self-reflection and changes of her goals and motivations. The issue is, the drama made me feel like an idiot.

All the characters around her kept saying how impulsive she is, how her actions are wrong, how the killer of her family is a good and a nice guy. I was sitting in front of my laptop questioning my sanity and the character's morals. Yes, I understand that there was more behind the story. I understood that the relationship between her and her uncles is not all that we see. My issue is, even the characters that had no reason to like or trust Li Shimin, ended up on his side right away, and I was just supposed to accept that. The writer wanted to make sure the viewers see Li Shimin as a good guy, without explaining why we should not view him as the villain. Even the most loyal people of the late emperor changed their affiliation in one or two days.

I was amazingly frustrated how no one tried to explain anything to Chang Ge, and she was just supposed to accept everyone’s claim that the new emperor is a good guy and she is wrong. As if everyone did not try to hunt her down without first giving her a chance to understand what truly happened. She was the traitor that needed to be killed.

Because of the unreasonable context, her journey just felt flat to me. Not to mention, while they showed her to be physically strong, she was extremely easily influenced by other people. Her morality, goals, views on the world shifted each time she met someone new. While self-discovery is based on exploration, the fact she just adopted whatever principles the people that were currently around her had, was a bit much.

Then we have Ashile Sun. There were fascinating ideas that could have been explored on a greater scale: how long are you obligated to stay loyal to the people who helped us in the past, should you accept all their demands or is our individuality as important, how long can you surrender to others’ demands and what are the long term consequences? His internal conflicts connected to Yan Li Khan were sadly overshadowed by his instant love for Li Chang Ge.

And the romance was not that great. He literally fell for her because “she was not like other girls”, remembering all the behaviors she presented that are usually linked to masculine traits. He fell fast and hard, and she was the initial reason for his character’s development - I find it disappointing. Often he did not feel like an individual character, but rather a shadow of the female lead.

Luckily, we’ve got some interesting side characters who made me like the show a lot. Easily my favorite, Li Le Yan had one of the best written character developments I have seen in a while. Her character development was built on her already existing characteristics. She did not become a completely different person - she simply worked on her flaws while staying true to her peaceful and gentle approach. She trusted the people around her, knew her limits and when to ask for help. She showed maturity and emotional strength when other characters were struggling to control themselves.

Hao Du, everyone’s favorite. Truth to be told, it took me a while to truly understand why everyone was so obsessed with his character, but he does creep on you - you don’t even know when, and you love him. I wish his story had a bit more screen time, so the development would be more gradual and well paced. Sill, the progress from distant, lone wolf to lost, adorable puppy was extremely entertaining and endearing to watch. I also appreciate his efficiency - kill first, ask questions later.

Even if not as well developed, the other characters that I appreciated by the end of the show were She Er, General Li Jing, King of Mobei, Gongsun Heng, Situ Lang Lang, Zhen Zhu and probably a few other supporting characters. They all had distinctive personalities, motivations, goals and aspirations. They all played an important role in the plot, affecting the events in a meaningful way. None of them felt like a background filler.

The characters made the show, because the plot was slightly all over the place.

Then we have the production issues. I am sorry, but they did not even try to make the cross-dressing believable. When Chang Ge was addressed as “he” after her first appearance, I had to pause the episode, I was so confused. All I could think about was: how could anyone ever assume she is a guy? And the show did not improve on that aspect at all.

Then there is the issue with kissing scenes. One could say - small detail if we take into consideration the whole show. But romance was a huge portion of it. The romance was what drove a lot of the characters. So when we’ve got birds’ make out sessions, a non-existing kiss fading to a white screen and even a dead body getting more action than the lead characters, one would start to get frustrated.

The Long Ballad had a lot of unintentionally hilarious moments. The new emperor being surprised his daughter was starving when she was a refugee (little grasp on reality he had, no?), “think for yourself” being seen as a lifelong experience that can be passed on to only the worthy one, the fact male lead had to be told he loved female lead 31 episodes in, after he risked his life and lives of other people he cares about for her, the overall vibe of “people die, get over it” everyone gave, female lead telling male lead he can’t kill his brother for killing his mother, while she herself has been on the revenge trip for months to kill her uncle for killing her parents. To sum it up, everyone lacks brain cells.

Overall, The Long Ballad was addicting and entertaining and I had a lot of fun watching. Undeniably sharing my rants and views on mdl feeds did make the whole experience a bit better, but even without it, I would appreciate what I’ve got from the show. For 49 episodes, it was a quick watch with likable characters, fast paced plot that does not require much brain power to understand, which makes it perfect late night binge watch material.

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Rather simple, but well constructed plot that, thanks to the interesting cast of characters, serves as an entertaining watch.

The best thing about this show was for me Wang Zhi. While at first I was quite cautious about him, soon he became one of my favorite characters from all the shows I have seen in 2021. Loyalty, desperation, wits, drive - all fitted into this one, morally gray character. Whatever he said or did, I could not stop myself from thinking “he makes sense here”. Did I sell my soul to Wang Zhi? Maybe. He could be going around killing and torturing people and I’d be like: good for you honey, keep it up!

Even though Tang Fan and Sui Zhou were not as complex of characters, they still presented some nice nuances. On one hand, Tang Fan, in a quite refreshing way, combined reasoning brilliance and social stupidity. At the end of the day, a lot of problems he solved in a clever way, happened because of his social ignorance.

On the other hand, Sui Zhou represented both strength, emotional maturity, but also vulnerability and emotional struggles. It was interesting to see that the character who seemed the strongest, was the one that had to face his internal demons and tragic past the most.

The trio had an amazing dynamic, pushing each other to strive for better, while not ignoring each other's shortcomings. How it usually went, you ask? Tang Fan causes the problem, Sui Zhou tries to help Tang Fan, Wang Zhi actually does all the work to clean the mess - what a perfect group of friends, relatable af.

All the supporting characters had their place in the story, and none felt redundant. What's important, most did not just vanish after their cases were solved, and they've been brought back at the important plot points. This small detail of not removing characters from existence after they've done their part, made this whole fictional world seem more real.

Another aspect of the show I had to appreciate was the pacing. For some, it might have been slow - it took them quite a few episodes to deal with each case. For me, it was perfect. Watching crime related shows, I want to witness how the cases are solved, what actions and steps have been taken, and it’s impossible to achieve in the "one episode for one case" format.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty presents the viewers with some amazing visuals - from the scenery, sets to beautiful costumes. Do you like food? You might want to prepare some nice snacks before watching the episodes - the cooking scenes will make you hungry even after eating dinner.

That said, the show is far from perfect. To be honest, I did not notice many flaws since I was preoccupied going crazy over Wang Zhi, but there are a few that caught my attention. First of all, there were not many characters that were just… normal people. Everyone was highly skilled in something, and me being a typical potato could not relate to the skills and brain power going on. At the same time, around episode 44-45 everyone’s brain collectively shuts down, to make room for the villains to try their schemes.

While I found Tang Fan being an idiot, cute and funny, I can see how he would make some people’s blood boil. Some mistakes this child made were on a whole new level of “I forgot to bring my brain to work today”.

Since this is an adaptation of a BL novel, it will not satisfy people who watch it for the bromance. Honestly speaking, the show has little “censored adaptation of same sex original work” vibes, to the point that these few scenes, giving the bromance feeling, actually felt out of place for me.

Overall, great directing and writing, good acting, nice soundtrack - everything making this story an addicting and fun ride. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me bang my head on the wall. I became obsessed with Wang Zhi, and had withdrawal symptoms right after I saw the last episode.

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Nishiogikubo Mitsuboshi Youshudou is a short, yet surprisingly deep drama that made me dwell on various social issues.

Each episode focuses on a different customer of the bar and their personal problems and worries. Amamiya Ryoichiro serves a role of a mediator, rarely ever giving his own opinion on the subject - focusing on making the guest comfortable enough to share their stories. On the other hand, Nakauchi Satoru and Kobayashi Naoki present usually opposite takes on the presented situation, which helps the viewers see that most issues are not just black or white scenarios.

Taking into consideration the short duration, the social issues are never presented in a complex and detailed way, but the show still opens the door for the viewer to reflect on the topics on their own.

The acting was on point, and the casting team did a fantastic job, not only with the main characters, but also all the supporting and guest roles. The natural expressions and line delivery, mixed with simple directing created this familiar feeling that made it easier to relate to the characters, even if we could not get to know them that well.

The only criticism I have would be the lack of backstory of the main characters, especially Amamiya Ryoichiro. His character was like a blank canva - focused on reflecting what is happening around him and guiding other people's thoughts and emotions. While it might have been a writing and directing choice, I wish we could get to know him and his story more.

Overall, it’s a short yet meaningful series that presents you many interesting and realistic stories in a heartwarming and pleasant way.

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The first half was tense and anxiety evoking, the second half was pure entertainment, the last 10 minutes were not to my liking and the last scene was perfect closure taking into consideration the theme of the movie.

The Witness dives into the exploration of Bystander Effect, a situation when individuals are less likely to help a victim or interfere in a situation when there are other people present. Why? Because they assume someone else will help, that there are others, who can take that responsibility on themselves. While Sang Hoon's actions were frustrating, they were also perfectly understandable. Everyone likes to think that if they were in a similar situation they would help. Let me enlighten you: you wouldn't. Most likely I wouldn't. It's easy to be a hero sitting safe in front of your laptop. That's why, even though the male lead's inaction has terrible consequences, I can't really condemn him for his weak and cowardly behavior.

That said, the creepiness and intensity the first half had slowly died, and the movie started to be more entertaining in nature. It wasn't just the killer lurking and hiding in the shadows anymore. The confrontation was approaching, but when it actually happened... It was lacking. I don't think they gave enough reasoning for Sang Hoon's behavior towards the end, but I kind of accepted it because... fun?

The performance of the cast was amazing. The paranoia in Sang Hoon and the desperation in Jae Yup were clearly visible. We haven't seen that much of Tae Ho, but that was the smart choice. The more of him we saw, the less intense and interesting the movie became.

Overall, it's a fun watch. Even though the first and second half give different quality and might even seem like parts of different movies, the ending scene quite well brings us back to the tense and eerie vibe we see at the beginning.

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Too much drama, not enough variety.

In my eyes, season three repeats the same mistakes season two made. Everything felt scripted, even the jokes and fun interactions between the cast.

While in season two the plot presented at least seemed interesting, and separate cases were for sure fun to follow, here... I couldn't care less. The crimes were not exciting, the games were not entertaining. I was left with close to nothing.

I'm not gonna lie, there were moments when I could not stop laughing, but they were few and far between. More often than not I wished the episode would just end and I wanted to skip some scenes.

One thing that truly took me aback was the amount of violence in this season. Some in the form of jokes and some part of the plot. I get it, it's a crime driven show, but it does not mean we need to witness someone getting killed (mostly shot) outside of the investigation, aka the dead bodies that were the source of cases. Not to mention the recurring "slapping" joke. It was funny the first time, but after that, it was too much.

I still love the cast, some of their interactions were amazing, but the script was weak and the overall flow of the show depended too heavily on it. The best and most memorable moments for me would be the traveling between houses in the last episode. It felt organic, natural, funny and not painfully rehearsed and scripted.

Since there will be no season 4, I am truly confused why they included the last scene in episode 8. They wrapped it all up quite well, just to open a new door that will never be closed.

Unless someone is a big fan of the cast, I wouldn't really recommend watching it.

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