Squid Game is nowhere near as good as AIB, which was more suspenseful and enjoyable. I keep recommending AIB & Liar Game...Japan just does mind games so much better :)
For me, the first half of AIB was superior to the second, but I'm still very intrigued to see what happens in season 2.
For Squid Game, what let it down was firstly the games themselves were just..blah. No wit, strategy, nor psychological warfare needed like in AIB. The Wolf game and Distance game still linger in my memory from months ago now, but the games in Squid are nowhere near as sophisticated.
Next, so many plotlines were super obvious like what happened to Ali, who won the game in the end etc. Also the cartoon-like VIP villains at the end made me cringe!
Happy to see a K-drama craze be ignited worldwide, but for newbie watchers there is a whole world of dramas out there that are far superior.
If you're looking for cutesy fluff that still has some heart, this drama is for you. The ultra charming ML and his wicked dimples are what kept me watching, not gonna lie :D
Outstanding drama. I watched The Bad Kids last year and gave it 9.5/10. The Long Night blew me away and is a 9.75/10 for me (-0.25 for the super obvious PPL !)
Even when I had already guessed small key parts of the overall plot in early episodes, I was completely wrapped up in the story. It takes a lot to make me binge a drama these days, and this is a supremely binge-worthy series. The way it all unfolded was so gripping. The three timelines were interwoven expertly, going seamlessly between them.
I cried several times from episode 10 onwards, that's how much empathy I had for everyone who had been wronged, and touched by the true friendship of the trio of guys who had each others' backs. Phenomenal acting across the board.
As of episode 14, I think this drama is better than the sum of its parts. It is nothing really new or special…
Perfectly put, thanks! The main couple's chemistry somehow elevates the standard cliche drama. I was trying to describe it to a friend and couldn't quite find the words so will borrow yours, if that's ok :)
I wish they had cast someone else as FL! Argh! She didn't fit the fresh-faced rookie cop image at all so I kept getting thrown off by her :( Honestly if the script had called for FL to be a seasoned cop with a decade's experience I would have no complaints. However if a pivotal plot point is that she's a young inexperienced police academy student, then please cast accordingly.
I don't stan anyone because putting people up on a pedestal is completely delusional.
I have to give credit to KSH, because I never thought he was a particularly good actor but damn he was great at playing a squeaky clean nice guy for years!
Had to drop this 14 episodes in. I gave it a good shot but the plotline was just ludicrous. I was excited to see a strong, badass FL, but she was a major disappointment. FL was reckless, fainted as a damsel in distress multiple times and couldn't even recognise the subject of her assassination...wtf. So many holes in the plot that triggered me, had to give up.
what the hell was that ending TT...... i have so many questions.... okay i have read that many people also questioned…
The ending completely let down the series. So many questions left unanswered, like what was Qiao Ya doing all this time, who was her bf? what was on the laptop? Her father was undercover for 20 years but her sister helped solve the case in a few months?? Very strange indeed. The ML was super bland, and we never got his backstory. I would have actually preferred Qiao Nuo and Wei Yu Tei to get together, they had better chemistry in my opinion! She could have gone to work at his legal firm.
Dai Xu's acting is the standout performance. I went from rooting for him to absolutely despising him, which just goes to show his talent! Never seen any of his other work before, but I hope he gets main lead roles in the future. The kid who played FanFan was also great. It's interesting to see how the Chinese legal system works. They don't have an independent jury and punishments can include execution. We don't have capital punishment where I'm from so that's pretty wild to me. The cases were intriguing & it's always a joy to see a clever FL. The ML was kind of bland. Some major major plot holes and a very weird hurried ending, but overall, this was an enjoyable watch.
This is an amazing article, thanks so much for the effort of pulling it all together!
I'm often conflicted when I watch dramas (not only C- but also K- & J-dramas) because of this issue. On the one hand I want to simply enjoy the fluff but on the other the fact that really toxic behaviour is normalised is very disturbing. I feel that Disney made a generation of young girls think that the solution to all their problems was a handsome prince sweeping them away. Now C-dramas (& K- & J-) are normalising disrespectful, toxic and sometimes even criminal behaviour.
In real life, it's not ok for your partner to yank at your arm, to repeatedly tell you you're stupid, to force kisses on you, stalk you, break into your house, force a co-habitation situation etc etc.
The most worrying thing I think is not even the more obvious toxic behaviour (stalking, non-consensual physical contact etc) but the more insidious behaviour. When the ML is acting jealous & overly possessive that's not "cute" or "sweet". It's the sign of a serious personality disorder!
Really liked the concept of teaching teenagers/young adults actual skills in a boot camp. Two standout competitors in this series : Ye Yuzhen & FanFan are both great musicians. Really looking forward to what they get up to in the future!
For me, the first half of AIB was superior to the second, but I'm still very intrigued to see what happens in season 2.
For Squid Game, what let it down was firstly the games themselves were just..blah. No wit, strategy, nor psychological warfare needed like in AIB. The Wolf game and Distance game still linger in my memory from months ago now, but the games in Squid are nowhere near as sophisticated.
Next, so many plotlines were super obvious like what happened to Ali, who won the game in the end etc. Also the cartoon-like VIP villains at the end made me cringe!
Happy to see a K-drama craze be ignited worldwide, but for newbie watchers there is a whole world of dramas out there that are far superior.
The Long Night blew me away and is a 9.75/10 for me (-0.25 for the super obvious PPL !)
Even when I had already guessed small key parts of the overall plot in early episodes, I was completely wrapped up in the story. It takes a lot to make me binge a drama these days, and this is a supremely binge-worthy series. The way it all unfolded was so gripping.
The three timelines were interwoven expertly, going seamlessly between them.
I cried several times from episode 10 onwards, that's how much empathy I had for everyone who had been wronged, and touched by the true friendship of the trio of guys who had each others' backs. Phenomenal acting across the board.
I wish they had cast someone else as FL! Argh! She didn't fit the fresh-faced rookie cop image at all so I kept getting thrown off by her :( Honestly if the script had called for FL to be a seasoned cop with a decade's experience I would have no complaints. However if a pivotal plot point is that she's a young inexperienced police academy student, then please cast accordingly.
I have to give credit to KSH, because I never thought he was a particularly good actor but damn he was great at playing a squeaky clean nice guy for years!
what was Qiao Ya doing all this time, who was her bf? what was on the laptop? Her father was undercover for 20 years but her sister helped solve the case in a few months?? Very strange indeed. The ML was super bland, and we never got his backstory. I would have actually preferred Qiao Nuo and Wei Yu Tei to get together, they had better chemistry in my opinion! She could have gone to work at his legal firm.
The kid who played FanFan was also great.
It's interesting to see how the Chinese legal system works. They don't have an independent jury and punishments can include execution. We don't have capital punishment where I'm from so that's pretty wild to me.
The cases were intriguing & it's always a joy to see a clever FL. The ML was kind of bland.
Some major major plot holes and a very weird hurried ending, but overall, this was an enjoyable watch.
I'm often conflicted when I watch dramas (not only C- but also K- & J-dramas) because of this issue. On the one hand I want to simply enjoy the fluff but on the other the fact that really toxic behaviour is normalised is very disturbing. I feel that Disney made a generation of young girls think that the solution to all their problems was a handsome prince sweeping them away. Now C-dramas (& K- & J-) are normalising disrespectful, toxic and sometimes even criminal behaviour.
In real life, it's not ok for your partner to yank at your arm, to repeatedly tell you you're stupid, to force kisses on you, stalk you, break into your house, force a co-habitation situation etc etc.
The most worrying thing I think is not even the more obvious toxic behaviour (stalking, non-consensual physical contact etc) but the more insidious behaviour. When the ML is acting jealous & overly possessive that's not "cute" or "sweet". It's the sign of a serious personality disorder!
Two standout competitors in this series : Ye Yuzhen & FanFan are both great musicians. Really looking forward to what they get up to in the future!