TOHBADDI

The Good Bad Mother actually had some of the most moving scenes of last year, with extremely emotive acting. However, outside of these sparse, poignant moments, much of the show felt painfully substandard. Like, I genuinely cannot believe that truly breath-holding scene in the front yard, with the mother's stunning line delivery, holds space with the final plot. I cannot fault the acting, particularly the leads, but even that could not remedy the final execution. The twins were an absolute treat though 🥹

Every day I'm on mdl, I question my concept of a slow burn—or maybe the shows in question are slow burns, but they’re just very poorly executed ones. Calling this boring would be too easy; it’s rudimentary. I also have to mention the filter/grading because it’s just that bad. The dials for such colouring need to be banished to a digital prison where no other filmmaker or editor can touch them.

Falls short of S1, but Nina's episode eclipses all the shortcomings.

I don't know exactly why, but this felt incredibly fragmented compared to S1. If they do consider furthering this series (which I don't think they should), I hope they consider how they can capture the essence of the initial show.

Every so often, I think about this show and remember we're nowhere nearer to a S3 :(

I really wish they would've concluded this with S1. Standalone, that was pretty strong. I will now proceed to delete S2 & 3 from my memory.

Conceptually, this show was really different, and on that alone, it has its merits. However, a fatsuit in 2024 is egregious. That aside, it was one of the better shows of the year, not that competition was stiff... Not better than Woo Hee's counterpart show from this year though. Amazing actress.

As the previous comment stated, this plot has been done countless times, so you really need to differentiate yourself. They did manage to do that somewhat, but halfway through, I found the story became too convoluted. Everything about the perpetrators and the revenge exacted upon them felt so sterile. I understand there’s a process or protocol for demons, but you could’ve copy-pasted the acts of revenge without any noticeable difference, that's how deeply impersonal they felt. Also, I don't think they did a particularly good job with the romantic progression between the FL and ML, not that I even started the drama for that. Then everything seemed to resolve itself too easily and neatly by the end. I'm split between recommending it as a way to pass the time or simply suggesting other shows that fully execute this concept with more finesse.

I can appreciate a whacky webtoon adaptation, but this was too over-the-top at times. While the nature of the show (and its webtoon) allows for such, I wish there was a bit more restraint in the writing, even if they are in a world not bound by natural laws. I also agree with the critique about it being repetitive; it would have greatly benefited from being shortened. That said, it delivered in the swoon department, so if you can suspend your disbelief for 16 episodes, you might enjoy it. Personally, by nature, I don't take this 'type' of drama too seriously.

It's not particularly noteworthy, but it's something for when you're in between shows, I guess. Just about scrapes an average rating.

Funnily enough, I like this show conceptually more than I like its actual execution, this applies to both seasons. I just enjoy how unique it is; the fashion and the world they created were the standout elements. I didn't find the plot for either season super engaging, but simply for the previously stated reasons, I think it's worth a watch.

As the year draws to an end, I'm accepting this might be one of my favourite dramas of the year.

Let me preface this with I absolutely adore the leads, the entire cast, actually. However, what I’ve found with kdramas in the last year or so is that they’ll have the most poignant writing with a few scenes, but fail to maintain this throughout the show. Some great moments of emotional depth, but then we're kind of back to a state of normalcy. I also found the pacing to be slightly off. Still super cute, with swoon-worthy moments... just not their best.

I kind of feel like people are using "it’s based on real events" as a cop-out. Writers and screenwriters are quite literally tasked with going through these details to create a coherent and engaging story. I hate to make comparisons, especially as people hone in on said comparison and have a tendency to derail, but the stark differences between this and The Worst of Evil are glaring (That's not me saying TWoE was perfect). That being said, it’s not terrible... just not particularly amazing. I will say, there were one or two stand-out scenes; they were just muffled out by everything else. Upside: Ji Chang Wook & Bibi

Starting this, I thought the child actors were brilliant, and I had high expectations based on its really strong start. I have to say, it didn't seem to have as much substance as the initial episodes led me to believe. However, I do recognise they had a lot to fit into the 16-episode format, but for the type of themes they present, it felt flat in delivery. If you're in between shows, it might be something to watch.

This season of the drama isn't rated below an 8, at least according to mdl. I'd be remiss to say it reached the level of the previous season, which, to me, was at least a 9.

I'm not disputing that😭 However, there are many lacking ones.

As the series drew to a close, I couldn't help but feel like everything was overkill. We already get the premise; they’re both filled with immeasurable doubt. I feel the lack of subtlety took away towards the end. That said, I still enjoyed it, particularly the former half, and hope we will get more thrillers; there's been a real drought.

The Trunk isn't the first show to utilise a non-linear narrative concept. These can be super engaging and exciting when the aim is to mislead or create ambiguity. Simply including flashbacks doesn’t automatically constitute an effective use of this device. In this case, I don’t think the drama quite hit the mark—and that’s not particularly a failing on the viewers. I can see what they were aiming for in essence, but ultimately it crumbled under its own weight :(

Having a woman-centric show was a breath of fresh air. I’m not familiar with the source material, but this show was amazing—a true display of acting prowess. I’m sure there’s an accurate term, but the "acting within acting," almost like an infinite loop, was incredible. That said, I do agree with the sentiments about the abrupt conclusion; it could have been handled with more care. Still one of the better dramas of the year.