A Harrowing Depiction of Reality
“Chen Nian, you’re the first person to ask me if it hurts.”Went in without much expectation, but left feeling utterly exhausted— both mentally and physically. "Better Days" is one of the few films I would classify as "masterpieces," which are very few.
The film centers around two young adults who both met eachother connected by their pain and stuck to eachother because of the comfort both provided to ease their pain.
ZDY and JY’s performance in 'Better Days' was more than phoenomenal. The two acted with their eyes. Just scenes of pure silence with the two staring at eachother spoke a thousand words and coveyed thousands of emotions.
Cinematography and production are awe-inspiring. Although the cinematography was relatively simple, the directors really knew how to incorporate the little details, such as background music, certain angles, and other visual enhancers to weave an atmosphere so suffocating, depressing— yet undeniably fitting to the theme of the movie.
That being said, if you’re looking for a tear-jerker, I can’t recommend "Better Days" enough.
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Buckle Up For This 10-Episode Gripping and Adrenaline-Racing MOVIE!
As the title states, the strongest qualities of this drama is the fact that the sole experience of watching it felt like a 10-episode movie. It was action packed, gripping, suspenseful, light-hearted (at times), and even emotional. It never had a dull moment.Another strong point of this drama was the cast lineup. Stellar throughout the board, especially from Yoo Yeon-Seok. As the actor who’s embodied complex roles such as the iconic Gu Dong Mae in Mr. Sunshine, Yoo Yeon-Seok doesn’t fail to impress me with his ability to capture a wide range of emotions, perfectly switching up from an innocent man to a ruthless, perverse serial killer. I nickname him as the "chameleon" of the industry!
Speaking for the plot itself, originality is there, predictability is low, and the flow and pacing of events is above average. Character development, especially from the taxi driver, is what took the prize for this category. We see him going from a naïve old man to a father who’s hell-bent on taking revenge.
It did, however, have some plot holes that needed to be patched up. Most, if not all of these inconsistencies centered around Yoo Yeon-Seok’s character and his past. I feel like we’ve only touched on the tip of the iceberg regarding his family history, which plays into the possible conversation of nature or nurture, why our serial killer is the way he is, etc. Along with that, our serial-killer of a side character has one of the most durable plot-armors I’ve ever seen, logic is out of the window towards the second half, characters that seem vital to the plot are actually cannon-fodders in disguise that make a cameo for 5 minutes episodes then disappear, and the director applied some of their notes from watching soap opera’s into our family-dynamics
Overall, I’d say that A Bloody Lucky Day is definitely a must-watch for fans of fast-paced, adrenaline racing thrillers!
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A Subtle Change of Atmosphere
Admist all the hustle and bustle in the world, we all need some tranquility once in a while.And who would’ve thought that a miniseries like Doona would be the embodiment of just that. Doona! Is the type of film you’d watch on a downcast day, socks off, on the couch while you’re stuck inside admist a huge downpour. It is a healing, serene, and realistic film unlike any other dramas I’ve seen so far. It is unconventional, and surprisingly, some aspects of it are even thought-provoking.
Compared to CLOY, I found that the director experimented with Doona a bit. Still retaining his own unique, creative flair, the film had many "silent" moments— that is, moments that had no on-cue soundtrack placement, since it’s just background noise. Although it did feel awkward and a bit of getting used to at first, I later realized how songs that were used in the drama were so strategically placed. Although silence is there for a majority of the film, I find that the background noise is what sets the films tone. In a way, it allows one to interpret the scenes better.
Acting-wise, you really can’t go wrong with Yang Sejong and Suzy. Although an unexpected duo, these two had insane chemistry that completely swept me off my feet. Characters were dimensional, fun, and flawed. The characterization in this drama was great, and it was only made possible by the actors portraying them.
All in all, Doona! is a really good drama if you’re looking to find something to munch on. It’s may be a mini-series, but the production of this drama is actually really good— as expected from the same director of CLOY, and the plot gives some nice food-for-thought.
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Heartfelt, Meaningful, and Brutal— Featuring Some of The Most Insane Crossovers In Drama History
"Death‘s Game" is one of those shows you inadvertently stumble on, get hooked on the first episode, and end up devouring the entire plate in one sitting; greedily overwhelming your tastebuds with all those flavors all at once.It’s also one of those really good shows that emerge once every six years or so and leaves you feeling like an entire different person after, like you’ve just lived a once-in-a-lifetime experience solely just by watching it. Everything from the casting, cinematography, storyline, and overall production, are brilliant. Not only did the drama do an excellent job at making a strong impression right at the get-go, it also manages to maintain your attention throughout the drama through its atmospheric setting.
Don’t underestimate those 8 episodes, as you’re going to experience a roller coaster of emotions for each one of them. At times, you’re going to feel like you’re watching a melodrama; at other times, you feel like you’re watching a gripping tale about revenge, or even a psychopathic thriller. I find that the most suitable word to describe the overall plot is by using the term "mixing-pot." now, throwing in a plethora of ingredients (in this case, genre’s) may sound like a call for disaster. However, it can also produce an extraordinary concoction— one that allows the taster to experience flavors of sweetness, bitterness, disgust, revolt, and numbness, and Death’s Game is just that!
Since I haven’t read the original work, I don’t have much of a day in regards to how faithful the adaptation was to its source material. However, Death’s Game was an incredible watch nonetheless. Cinematography, soundtrack, acting, and overall production were brilliant. No complaints there. Plot-wise, it has an original and unique premise, solid pacing, and manages to captivate the audiences attention throughout with its excellent plot execution. Just when you’re a sobbing mess, the plot hits you with some thrilling scenes that’ll leave you with your butt clinched. Sure, there might’ve been a few plot holes and worldbuilding could’ve been focused on a bit more (SPOILER: reincarnation is a difficult genre to tackle. In this case, more clarification was needed to explain where the original hosts souls go after it gets occupied by our main character’s). In addition, the ending didn’t really make any contextual sense and completely disregarded the drama’s worldbuilding. However, I can overlook the first two for the most part because the experience of watching it alone was so mind-blowing and completely destroyed me.
Not to mention, this drama features some of the most ICONIC and UNEXPECTED crossovers in ALL of kdrama history. If you’re a seasoned k-drama veteran like me, you’re going to have a lot of moments where you’re like: "Ariana, what are you doing here?" since you’re going to be seeing characters like (SPOILER) Baek Hee-Seong encountering Mo Tae-Gu and find yourself stumbling for a bit.
All in all, among the 2023-2024 drama lineup, Death’s Game definitely takes the spot for the most memorable, and will remain one of the most highly-regarded masterpieces in (possibly) all off k-drama history.
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This review may contain spoilers
Stellar Performance Throughout, Fell Short at The Finale
SPOILER-FREE PARTFollowing the hype surrounding this drama, I decided to give it a watch.. and oh boy did they put something into it, cause' I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen!
Looking at Moving’s (무빙) synopsis alone, although the premise isn’t entirely new to cinema, it definitely stands as one of the more well-produced ones, both in cinematography and script. For me, there were no complaints for the cinematography, as lighting, shots, angles, ambiance, and special effects were all done immaculately. I am an avid fan of dramas that don’t shy away from gore and the knitty-gritty details. The drama may be a bit extreme and bloody, but ultimately contributes to its incredible ambiance.
Acting-wise, you can just look at the lineup and can’t help feel content that you’re not wasting your time seeing emotionless characters and botched crying scenes. Also, can we just give a quick round of applause to the young actors? Admittedly, Korean cinema is filled with so many young talents, and Moving greatly demonstrated their potential to the world.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Looking at the plot, the synopsis is as straightforward as it can be. It doesn’t take much effort to understand what’s going on, courtesy of the dramas excellent worldbuilding and pacing, which sits at a comfortable level that keeps you on the edge of your seat, eyes locked in and all— at the right time. It also leaves you anticipating for the next episode to come out— a suspense factor, which is something I feel most action and thriller dramas lack nowadays, along with its unpredictability. Character relationships developed steadily and didn’t feel awkward or draggy. Despite that, the flow of the drama felt a bit off and confusing at times (at least for me). Keep in mind that this drama is flashback galore. We spend a good chunk in the past, so the present timeline feels more like a side story than the main. Adding to this, certain important events that occur throughout the drama tend to appear in mixed order, so not chronilogically, so it takes a bit of effort piecing this event with another and constructing a mental timeline of what events took place first, and how it later contributes to a future event. To my disappointment, I was left with quite a lot of plot holes, even after the story wrapped up, from the SCAs ultimate goal (why are they actively hiring someone to assassinate the Korean supernaturals, the breeding program that was briefly mentioned by the leader of the NIS, Kim Dooshik’s whereabouts, Ki-Soo’s ankle scar and its relation to the temp teacher, the headmasters assassination, and the mysterious identity shrouding the bullied classmate.
I would’ve also liked to see more of Gang-Hoon, as he had a rather weak presence throughout the drama. His story was just so.. lackluster compared to Bong-Seok’s and Hee-Soo’s.
Meanwhile, the ending felt rushed and just.. incomplete. I didn’t read the original webtoon, but I heard that the drama adaptation strayed quite a bit from its source material, so if there was a chance to revise the script, I would’ve definitely extended the drama’s length to tie up some of those loose ends.
If you’re unfamiliar with how I rate a drama’s storyline, check out my bio! Today’s ride scores a C!
SPOILER-FREE PART
Nonetheless, it was an awesome binge. Was it a masterpiece? No. However, it was still well worth the watch. I would recommend Moving for anyone. After all, you really can’t go wrong with a good superhero-themed drama to comfort your inner child with.
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This review may contain spoilers
Gore, Amateurs, and Exhibitionists— A Recipe for Masterpiece or Disaster?
It’s.. uh, interesting.Yeah, let’s put it that way.
I watched 4 episodes so far and here are some of my thoughts. I’ve made some references to the original Korean version, but I’ll just advise you all to watch this drama as if it is its own separate work. Save yourself the trouble of pulling your hair out.
For an adaptation of a drama with a tight script, there are some aspect of this drama that are very loose, almost ridiculously so. First of all, the police proceduling is messy and amateur, like the guys on the investigation unit graduated from the academy by going off a ‘how to catch serial killers 101: for dummies’ book or something. With the original, it really did feel like I was watching a group of seasoned officers doing their job. Like, Ko Moochi’s detective skills are top-notch. His deductions and the way he handles the investigation all make sense and connect to one another. In this drama, however, we have ABC kindergarten-level investigation. Sometimes, the ‘leads’ spawn out of nowhere and I’m just here like: “How on earth did you just come up with that? What led you to think that?” Not to mention, we have killers going around slicing peoples throats with their bare hands, no masks, faces exposed for you and your grandma to see.
Chanya is also heavily involved in this drama compared to Choi Hongju, and she’s a bit annoying lol. I’m not too impressed by her acting so far, and when she shows up, I just have the urge to skip. I’m sorry. She just spawns here and there and I’m like, “you really have no place being here right now.”
Spoiler for this one. Proceed at your own risk.
At this point, I’m just out here laughing at the killer. I mean, they’re just begging and pleading on their knees to be caught or something. Like, no one just shows up on your first day where, when presented with the details of the case, hits the hammer right in the nail. Wit’s sudden: “It may be related to the 5 precepts” had me wanting to hurl my laptop out the window. Are you trying to oust’ yourself, bro? Even JBR wasn’t this sloppy. He was an exhibitionist no doubt, but Wit is even more of a madman. I would usually not complain, but Wit is unfortunately too confident and boastful for his own good. If he doesn’t get arrested by episode 5 for not knowing how to keep his mouth shut, you all can call me ancestor. Unfortunately for a bunch of amateur police officers, Wit could be considered as ‘smart’, which is utterly mind-boggling.
Miscellaneous things. Too much blood and gore. In fact, I could probably fill a whole carton of milk that could feel a whole village with the amount of fake blood used. Production is low budget. While I usually wouldn’t mind this, at least put some effort into making the ambiance right. This is a crime thriller, not some rom-com. I’m questioning why we have the HD filter on full brightness for this drama instead of a gritty, noir-like hue. Also, is this some sort of silent film? Why is everything so quiet? I could practically hear crickets in the background. What made the original mouse special was the soundtrack and its placement. A good soundtrack is what makes or breaks a drama. It can elevate even the most low budget ones. But this one is quite literally a silent film. We have sound effects here and there, but I wish there were more. Sometimes, the sound effects are too repetitious and sounds like something straight out of a bop-it. Stabbing sounds don’t just stop at one or two, no no. We have 10 seconds of 360p-equivalent mushy and gushy stab sounds that makes me faceplant. Dialogue could also be better. 90% of the things the characters are saying are just making me do a lot of ‘Huh?’ and ‘My man, are you sure you’re an officer?’ In a nutshell, there are definitely more shortcomings than positives so far, unfortunately.
On the bright side, acting is good pretty much in general. The ones who stand out to me the most so far are Ramil’s brother (that man can ACT), phicha, and Wit. The rest are also good, but those are some of the most notable. Not that much screen time but when they appear, they do make an impact. Pacing is just.. alright. Now that the investigation is going underway, I hope that it will take a more slow and calculated approach because unraveling the ‘Gold Leaf Killer’ is no child’s play. There can absolutely be no shortcuts.
Overall, I’d just give a mid rating so far. It’s a bit disappointing, to be honest. But I’m rating this as someone who’s only seen 4 episodes. I’ll try to stick to it and hope that it’ll get better. The next time y’all see me hop on here, expect either a praise or a rant.
EDIT: So.. I dropped it. I really just couldn’t sit through another episode for the same reasons stated above. As we make it throughout the show, the acting is just.. subpar. Everything is just.. for a lack of a better term, ‘mediocre’ (I know that’s very harsh, but it’s unfortunately the truth).
Heres a big rant about one of the characters. Jung Bareum is a character I hold near and dear to my heart, hence my username. He is not a simple, 2D, ‘black-or-white’ villain, he’s very layered and complex. I feel like what made the original mouse stand out was because Lee Seunggi’s portrayal of him was so impactful and poignant. There are stages to his characterization that you see unfold throughout the entire drama, like you’re witnessing a butterfly undergo the cycles of metamorphosis. You see each layer being slowly peeled off, one by one. It’s a grotesque process, but there’s a certain haunting beauty to it. That’s how I would describe his acting. It’s not exaggerated like Jung Bareum’s portrayal in this drama but rather, it’s a slow, agonizing process that’s meant to evoke sympathy and pity among the audience. Same goes for the other characters. Dialogue is a huge part of that as well. Good dialogue in a drama really sticks with you for a long time, and that’s what made me love Mouse. Through it, you see how the characters words and actions go from pointing the blunt end of a knife into Jung Bareum’s chest to the sharp end. You witness that change, which I feel like this drama lacks. It fails to create the same emotional depth and lasting impact.
Overall, it’s unfortunately a flop for me, which is a bummer considering I’ve waited two years for it. Some people may enjoy having that butt-clinching aspect (and that’s totally fine. If you’re into that, be my guest and watch this!), but I feel like that’s all this drama offers. It’s definitely action packed and suspenseful, buts that basically.. it. In a nutshell, this adaptation focuses too much on cheap thrills and gore without understanding the tight script, psychological depth, and impactful storytelling that made the original a masterpiece. I’d pass on this one. Next!
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