This review may contain spoilers
It was okay, until it wasn't
Be prepared to watch this only for the ML (who is not only handsome, but also really kind as well), because the FL is nothing but an annoying, selfish, self-centered jerk who should have no business being married to ANYONE, let alone this dude.There's being independent and working for your dreams, and then there's trampling over everyone and sacrificing every single person in your life to get there.
But all that aside, EP 22 in particular was the one that dropped this rating from a 6 to a 4.5. If you can't see how spending a night in the hotel room with another man - and then defending your poor choices to your husband - could be detrimental to your marriage, then you don't deserve to be in one.
I truly wish the ML ended up divorcing her, but we all know how this stuff works. They always do forgive after a one (barely sincere) apology, don't they?
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Winner Takes All
Squid game is a South Korean children’s playground game that was popular back in the 1980s. It is similar to hopscotch but with a more expansive playing area and team-based approach. It forms the basis of the game setting that is featured in Squid Game.Production Details
The drama is written and directed by the award-winning Hwang Dong Hyuk, known for critically acclaimed films The Fortress and Silenced. Jung Jae Il, who is known for composing the score for Okja and Parasite, serves as the music director. Produced by Siren Pictures exclusively for Netflix, this is a pre-produced drama with all 9 episodes released worldwide on 17 September 2021. It is given an R-18 rating and contains sexual references, nudity, and violence. Strobing effects present in certain episodes (especially episode 4) may cause discomfort for photosensitive viewers. Other trigger warnings include scenes of violent deaths, as well as gratuitous blood and gore.
Premise and Plot
456 participants competing in a “Hunger Games meets Battle Royale” series of challenges modelled after traditional South Korean children’s playground games for a chance of winning the jackpot of 40 million won, rising up to 45.6 million won with the elimination of all other participants right to the last person standing.As for who the organisers are and the reason for the competition, all shall be revealed as the story unfolds..
The story revolves around the points of view of a number of characters who share one thing in common - they are in serious need of cold hard cash to resolve their respective predicaments. Central to the core narrative is the main character and protagonist, Seong Gi Hoon, a gambling addict down on his luck who is facing debt problems and child-custody issues, as well as dealing with his mother’s deteriorating health.
What I Liked
As expected of a Netflix original series, I enjoyed the production quality and values, unique set designs and costumes, exceptional cinematography especially during some of the stunning choreographed action sequences and the game or challenge settings.
The cast is outstanding, comprising veterans in Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo, Heo Sung Tae, Kim Joo Ryung and Oh Young Soo, among others. The newcomer Jung Ho Yeon gives a decent debut performance complete with the North Korean accent. I was pleasantly surprised to see brief appearances by Gong Yoo and Lee Byung Hun. Even with limited screen time, their charisma absolutely shines through to light up the production.
The edge-of-the seat thrills and suspense plays out in a riveting pace. This drama is well worth the binge because it is as captivating as it is addictive to consume in a single seating. Moments of extreme tension are aplenty along with the heart-wrenching emotions which are deftly interspersed amidst the high-octane action sequences throughout. I particularly enjoyed the epic final showdown between the finalists in the concluding arc of the drama.
The music score composed by Jung Jae Il is sublime, along with classic compositions used courtesy of the Budapest Scoring Orchestra and Big Band. They include The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II, Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major by Franz Joseph Haydn and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. A cover of Bart Howard’s Fly Me to the Moon also plays a major part as the BGM for one of the more stunning game sequences in episode 1.
What Could’ve Been Better
As much as I enjoyed the drama, I thought 9 episodes were somewhat overlong. 6 or 7 episodes would have made the storytelling more compact and compelling. A significant portion of the drama was taken up by the story-building of the main character as well as four other major supporting characters. I appreciated the respective backstories of tragic circumstances and such but those components impacted on the pacing of the more engaging aspects a little bit. In addition, the final episode did feel dragged out unnecessarily.
The characterization of the ML Seong Gi Hoon (no 456) wasn’t convincing to me, although I accepted it as part of the drama’s depiction of “character growth”. How an irresponsibly hopeless father, unfilial son, and washed-out gambling addict suddenly developed a moral compass, sense of righteousness, and leadership traits came across as somewhat unrealistic.
Overall
Notwithstanding the qualms I had and as long as expectations are tempered, Squid Game represents great entertainment value complete with a sufficient dose of suspense, thrills and excitement in a nicely packaged production that makes it the perfect binge-worthy viewing experience for an evening at home.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Reality of the Industry
Story: Wow, I’m so amazed at the quality of this series, including the cinematography, production, and fantastic directing. This series really exposes the worse sides of the industry, specifically the BL sides. We see the subtle homophobia when choosing actors, and prioritising NSFW scenes over a healthy, slow and natural bond forming through Gene’s writing. I love that the series he wrote is called “Bad Engineer” because I feel like it might be a subtle dig at all the Engineering BL’s that have slowly gone downhill. There have been several overused themes in other series such as the “kissing while drunk” scene that was taken here and well played out. Despite Nubsib repeatedly chasing after Gene, he didn’t accept Gene because he knew Gene was drunk and couldn’t really consent to anything. Although Nubsib is still very pushy he also respects personal boundaries and takes good care of Gene, which makes me very happy as sadly a lot of BL series tend to romanticise sexual harassment, which is not okay. We also see homophobia from parents that should love and support their children, yet will turn their backs on their own family members just to make themselves look better, which is really sad. Although I was a little annoyed with the jealousy and childhood friends plot line I’m glad they turned it around and demonstrated what a healthy relationship should look like when Nubsib and Gene actually started communicating properly. I do like that Nubsib waited for Gene and never forced him to come out, but I think he could have been more understanding before the press conference about how Gene must have been feeling. I was happy that things turned around in the final episode where we saw Nubsib and Gene exchange sweet kisses and interactions, and they got the happy ending they deserved. I also loved the multiple alternate endings from different romance films/novels/plays as it was a bit of hilarity to distract from the fact that the series was ending.Characters: Poompat as Gene- When this series was first announced I recognised the actor from somewhere, and later realised he was from the famous KA lip care and sunscreen ads. However, this is his first series as a main role, which you would not have guessed based on the quality of his acting. For me, a good actor is someone who can create a character the audience can really relate to, and Poompat did a perfect job of this. Gene is such a sweet, innocent guy and I love that despite not being able to write the stuff he truly loves, he makes the best out of it and isn’t afraid to call out his boss and the directors of their (less than desirable) thoughts and words. Gene is just as clumsy, awkward and embarrassing as myself, which I think is why I love him so much. I really love that despite Gene’s awkwardness, we can still see his emotions through his eyes such as his jealousy during the interviews. I can completely understand Gene’s fears of coming out but I’m glad that he’s surrounded by people who can love and support him for who he is.
Kao as Nubsib- Kao has already cemented himself as a fantastic actor after his role of Korn in Until We Meet Again, and has further demonstrated his amazing acting abilities here. Nubsib is definitely the personification of “serious guy who is only friendly around his lover” and Kao did a great job portraying this. One little thing I did notice when he was talking to other characters like Tum, he always looks very serious but when suddenly seeing Gene his eyes light up and entire expression changes. I love how naturally Kao can pull this off, and yet again I’m being dazzled by his good looks. I also love how, despite knowing that he messed up by not being honest with Gene, he admits he was wrong and makes the effort to communicate and let Gene know what he’s thinking. He’s very understanding and does’t force Gene to come out when he’s not ready which made me happy to see no pressure from him. Finally he chose Gene over all else and wanted both his own happiness as well as Gene’s so he waited for the best time so he and Gene could be together without any constraints.
Bruce as Aoey- While Aoey is a character I have a lot of mixed reactions, I can’t deny that Bruce is probably the best actor in this series. Although he seems cute but far too needy/clingy/annoying, I do like that he was already openly gay and doesn’t try to hide this fact (fun fact, Bruce is gay in real life so we have another LGBT actor which is fantastic), which is a nice step up from the typical “I’m not gay I just love you” lines. However, in episode 5 we really got to know his character more, including why he acts and behaves the way he does. If my parents and siblings were so unsupportive like that, then I honestly think I would have rebelled and spiralled off the deep end, so I admire that Aoey doesn’t let his family hold him back. Although Aoey is quite selfish at times, whenever he cries I automatically feel really bad for him, especially the episode 11 scene on the live video and even more in the final episode after he finished the live stream with his fans. One of my favourite sayings is that “A good actor can make you experience different emotions even from the slightest change in expression” which definitely goes to show just how amazing Bruce’s acting skills are and I hope we can see more projects with him in the future, maybe as a main role this time.
Music: The music and sound effects are perfect, they are well placed and really help the overall mood of scenes. In a funny scene sometimes they’ll add little sound effects which make it even more hilarious, and the music is really nice to listen to.
Overall: I absolutely loved this series and how they weren’t afraid to call out specific aspects and show the reality of what the industry is really like. Both Kao and Poompat have a lot of chemistry and all intimate scenes with them made me almost feel invasive, like I shouldn’t be watching something so personal. I hope to see all the actors in this series again, especially Bruce in a main role, and I’ll definitely be rewatching this very soon!
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This review may contain spoilers
Let me just say, if you plan on starting this, prepare yourself, it's going to be hard to watch. Not because it's bad but because the stories being told will get you angry and break your heart. This was the hardest part for me, see the stories of the innocent lives of them being mistreated and abuse by evil people. I won't go into details on what these are. You'll just have to watch and find out yourself.When the law fails at providing justice and safety for the victims, you as a victim just want somebody to turn to. In this case, that's the rainbow taxi, since they all have been through that feeling of not receiving that justice and how criminals goes free or get not as harsh punishment. It all seems well and all and even their actions seems reasonable. Revenge seems sweet. I mean watching this, I enjoyed seeing the revenge but it does come at cost as well. Was everything done by them was right in their eyes or did they miss some crucial pieces with their actions?
Then you have the other side, Prosecutor Ha Na, who believes in finding justice through the law. At first, she's a character who solely follows by the law and believes everything through the law. She's a hardheaded character with nothing else in mind other than solving and winning cases. For me and many others, she was a difficult character to like as she had that kind of snobbish personality for 11 episodes of this drama. However, she was the one with the most growth in my opinion once that hard wall of hers broke and she finally sees the flaw of the law, along with having consideration and feelings for others. I really enjoyed her character afterwards as she works hard to fix this broken system of a law which does involve teaming up with Do Ki and the rainbow taxi crew.
If it's one thing I wasn't too fond about this drama, it's that there are plot holes within the sub stories. Now they did a great job with concluding each sub story in the beginning but towards the halfway mark and the end, there were a lot sub stories that's just didn't have a full end conclusion as I would've liked. I say this because the clients are what makes Rainbow Taxi and the cases. Without them, you wouldn't have any of this to begin with. So that being said, I'm disappointed how this drama didn't have a full conclusion some of the clients with their sub story plot before moving on to another client or sub story.
Besides that, I still liked this drama. The buttkicking scenes from Lee Je Hoon and also his all around personality his character were my favorite. But also the realness of cases that were presented in this drama as well.
Let me just end this off with my favorite quote of this drama.
"Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good"
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A story of a cat and a cornered mouse
Note: This character-driven movie has explicit sexual content and nudity.STORY (No spoilers)
What happens when a cat who fell in love with a promiscuous mouse long ago decides to back it into a corner? Both are from different worlds and both come with their own personal baggages. Can they make it work?
I've read the manga on which the movie was based - it's one of my favourites because the main characters in it were incredibly flawed and insecure people but their insecurities and issues were just so relatable and understandable, I found myself immersed in their characters and in their story. Now, as an adaptation of the manga itself, I'd give this movie a 65% score in terms of its closeness to the original work i.e. it was generally faithful in broad strokes and in some detailed places, but there were still fairly noticeable differences, especially in terms of character vibe and personality and in some event modifications. Hence, I can understand why fans of the manga might feel disappointed or dissatisfied with this adaptation.
However, I'm going out on a limb here to say that I actually still appreciated this work despite the changes made to it. The movie had none of the internal monologues of the original but through the way scenes were presented and acted, we could still understand the internal turmoil and struggles of the characters and their changing perspectives/ feelings and that was a personal testament that both the acting and the direction of the movie was excellent.
There were also quite a few things about this movie that really fascinated me - some of the dialogue, the choice and arrangement of certain scenes, the camerawork, the use of imagery, lighting and sound, etc. The way it was filmed and presented gave off a gritty, moody, sometimes lonely and desolate vibe, and there was something about the whole combination that made me come away from this movie feeling this interesting mix of unsettled yet at peace, curious yet satisfied, sad yet happy. It's a movie that somehow struck certain chords with me and resonated in a curious way.
The best analogy I can give for my experience of this movie was like listening to a piece of music being played in minor key - the melody has certain notes and chords which give the piece a sort of asymmetrical form or disharmonic sound, but the overall tune still flows as a cohesive melodic piece which somehow evokes a myriad of feelings for the listener after it's all finished. It was beautifully haunting to me.
ACTING/ CAST
OKURA TADAYOSHI as Ootomo Kyouichi. He played a rather different Ootomo vis-a-vis the manga.
Manga!Ootomo was sort of your weak-willed-straight-guy - too accommodating, too eager to please and too easily seduced by women. Movie!Ootomo was a lot more reserved and inscrutable, more introverted and quiet, hiding a lot of thoughts underneath a silent facade. Viewers who don't know about Ootomo's background, habits and tendencies will probably find this movie!Ootomo to be very difficult to read or understand, and sometimes, even I had to pause a scene or rewatch it to try and figure out what was going on inside movie!Ootomo's head.
But, to be fair, if one takes the time to observe a little closely and to put his actions into the movie context, I found that movie!Ootomo was a very interesting and enigmatic character whose inner thoughts can actually be perceived through his actions (or non-actions, as it were). It's like, you can almost see the wheels in his head turning as he observes the situation and the people around him, especially Imagase, and internally forming his own conclusions and decisions. I liked this very subtle and nuanced portrayal.
NARITA RYO as Imagase Wataru. Again, another different portrayal from the manga counterpart.
Manga!Imagase was a very cold, aloof and well-dressed man who, only in Ootomo's presence, would become hysterical and paranoid due to his insecurities and fears. Movie!Imagase had a more laid-back and Bohemian vibe but I liked how you could so totally see his constant desperation and insecurities over Ootomo which he tries so hard to hide beneath a lackadaisical and nonchalant facade. His constant questioning and inquiring, his constant snooping and monitoring, totally expose his paranoia and his fear, and personally for me, some of Imagase's scenes were particularly beautifully directed and shot to show just how lonely and forlorn and pained he felt at times. I liked how the actor Narita Ryo was able to give off this fragile feeling during the key moments of the movie.
MUSIC
Honestly, this was the least memorable part for me. Very subtle soundtrack and score which is probably very suitable for the subdued and muted mood of the film.
RE-WATCH VALUE
If you're not too put off by the disappointing adaptation or by the fickleness and weirdness of the characters, I'd like to encourage you to consider rewatching because I personally found that I understood a lot of the hidden and subtle messages and scenes better upon a rewatch, and that made the movie even more fascinating and interesting to me.
The movie might feel a bit abrupt and truncated vis-a-vis the manga but it still a complete cohesive piece and I found the choice of certain scenes and the way the whole thing was directed gave this movie a very different style, tone and story from its original work, and I personally appreciated its almost indie-like feel.
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I enjoyed almost every episode, some felt like "filler" episodes but were still enjoyable. I didn't care much for Yuri's storyline. Girl needs to get it togther and stop unloading her problems on teenagers! It was also very annoying how cold Uehara was, but I still loved him because I am a sucker like Nao.
I enjoyed this drama so much, staying up till midnight on Thursdays, waiting for the new episode! The acting was very good, I really liked everyone's portrayal of their characters. Nagasawa Koya as Abe and Arai Moe as Marina were my favourites, such good comedic timing! Fukuhara Haruka was very, very good and I look forward to seeing her in more dramas.
I would definitely re watch this, and I really hope they do another season. I would recommend this drama for anyone who likes romantic high school dramas.
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1This review may contain spoilers
“You can always be on the receiving end.”
To say I was impressed is an understatement. I am honestly shocked how well this story was presented, acted and developed for how short it was. It was engaging from the beginning till the end. It completely took over my life for a month. I am not ashamed to admit, this will be a full on positive analysis of the unforgettable story. I will point out some minor flaws I have seen, but for making me this obsessed, I cannot care for them too much.This is a great presentation of how external circumstances can shape a person. How one can be a perpetrator without being a victim first, be a victim and become the perpetrator, and sometimes just be the victim who tries to free themselves out of the abuse. How one cannot be saved from toxic relationships, they need to leave them willingly. How our current situation is not always our fault, but it is our responsibility.
I appreciate so much that Da On did not fall under either a submissive shy mouse, nor a chaotic victim who acts with no reason. I loved how he did try to set boundaries, sometimes he managed to, sometimes he failed. He knew the limits of how much he can do without putting himself in harm's way. There was a clear pattern to his behavior - he was more willing to say no to Su Hyeon in public, than in private. He set boundaries and when the situation escalated, he gave in. Yes, him not being straightforward was frustrating to watch, but that’s life. Su Hyeon had too much power over Da On’s life. There was too much trauma associated with his aggressive behavior to move past it quickly. Leaving an abusive relationship takes time, learning how to set boundaries has to be learned. It’s a process.
Even with limited length, they were able to explain the context of Da On’s life. Being neglected, living in a toxic environment, feeling like he has to carry too much responsibility from a young age, being ridiculed for being poor, isolated from others by Jae Min, attacked and abused, and on top of that abandoned by the person he liked. He did not know what it means to be in a healthy relationship. Or what is an appropriate behavior. He was simply groomed by Jae Min - to trust him only, alone with no other relations. Being groomed for 11 years has a massive impact on you, and you cannot just cut these people off like it’s not a big deal. Even if they do something awful, traumatic, scary - they have been part of you and your life. Da On acting like that was annoying, but it was not lazy writing. People wanted him to go from victim to a completely healthy person with proper coping mechanisms right away, and were frustrated when it did not happen.
Out of all the scenes, the one that truly got me a bit confused was when Da On willingly left the building and got into Su Hyeon’s car just to avoid Seong Hyeon. This scene was weirdly constructed and contradictory. They were really clear Da On wanted to have nothing to do with Su Hyeon… but then he put himself in the position to be with him alone with no valid external reason.
I also lowered my rating from a perfect 10 to 9.5 because of that presentation. That scene was more psychotic than anything Jae Min did in the whole show. After being kidnapped and almost killed, witnessing the man he loves stabbed, having his face smeared with blood… He went and did the presentation. What the actual fuck.
That said, except for these two moments, while his actions were frustrating, they were cohesive, they made sense in the context of the show and who he was as a character, they were believable. I will die on this hill if needed, but I do believe Da On was not a weak person nor weak character. And here comes the compliments for Kim Jun Seo’s acting. I cannot believe this was his first role. To be able to present so much vulnerability and deep emotions, while also showing determination and strength. The duality!
Then we have the toxic and the psycho - Su Hyeon and Jae Min. Can we appreciate that we got two completely different and distinctive versions of different abusive relationships thanks to these characters? We really got a deep dive on what can go wrong between two people. Be it constant criticism and belittlement, psychical violence and intimidation, excessive jealousy and controlling behavior, lack of respect and boundaries that Su Hyeon presented, or lies and deception, emotional manipulation and gaslighting, unhealthy dependence and isolation that we saw with Jae Min. They are both toxic, they are both unhealthy, even if they are vastly different.
I know people love to have a soft spot for Su Hyeon, mostly because of his rather tough upbringing in a psychotic family and how he was not as aggressive in the flashbacks. I get it. But the fact is - there is nothing redeemable about him in the present timeline and I strongly believe even without Jae Min in the picture, he would still turn violent at some point. Why? Because from the start the issue was not Jae Min, but Su Hyeon’s complete lack of emotional maturity and emotional regulation. If it’s not Jae Min, he would snap because of his family. If not the family, he would snap if Da On would not be able to handle the constant micromanagement, jealousy and possessiveness. Su Hyeon does not know how to deal with negative emotions and frustration, they always lead to anger and aggression.
Yes, the flashbacks were great. I agree that the library scene with him pinning Da On on the desk and the chat about the ring was great. But putting it into the context of who his character is and how he behaved - this is way too little for me to see him as a right person for Da On. Or anyone if I must be honest. Maybe a “hot date” with a psychiatrist. Can he get better? Yes. But that would require a lot of work. To be honest, I did not want him to be redeemable, but the last episode changed my mind a little bit. I struggled with seeing what could possibly happen for me to believe he might change. But with how psychopathic Jae Min became, I think the shock of that situation could potentially be enough to make Su Hyeon do 180.
On the other hand I believe Jae Min cannot get better. The difference for me between Su Hyeon and Jae Min is why they act the way they do. Su Hyeon had bad tendencies that were reinforced by his environment - he learned a lot of negative actions from his aggressive father. As far as I see it, Jae Min’s natural negative tendencies were actually held back by his environment. The advantages of acting good and not going full psycho were strong enough to keep him in check. Let’s be honest, if he grew up in the same environment that Su Hyeon did, by university age he would be a serial killer.
And that’s when I knew the one that kidnapped Da On was Jae Min. Because it’s not something Su Hyeon would be capable of doing. Not that he wouldn’t want to, he just couldn’t. Su Hyeon would never go full psycho, because he still has many things that limit him and things he fears - especially his family and his father. He acted out as much as he could with the external restrictions he had.
On the other hand the only restrictions Jae Min had were the ones he placed on himself. He acted as this model teacher, great friend, cool hyung - perfect man, because it was advantageous for him. He controlled himself, because it was worth it. But when he lost control over Da On, keeping that perfect persona was useless, he let go of all the restrictions he placed on himself, and now nothing was stopping him from going full loco.
And when Jae Min went full loco, he truly did not hold back. What glorious moments these were. I am amazed with Kim Ho Young’s acting. You watch him act and you understand why people believed his fake personality. But you also truly see how out of control he is when the hell breaks loose. Whenever it was his nice act, or the chaotic outburst - they were acted perfectly.
Cha Jung Woo did not do worse. Truth to be told, the whole cast did an amazing job. Kim Su Hyeon was such an annoying character, and yet even I saw the charm he had during some scenes. I could understand why Da On fell for him. And the last episode? Outstanding.
While these character had many differences there was one thing that they had in common - they wanted to own Da On, claiming they love him. Love and obsession are different though. Neither of them truly cared about Da On, his feelings, happiness, life, well-being. All that mattered was to possess him. They both believed it would be better to have him in their life broken (or dead), than set him free. From the start they kept using terms like “What I want”, “What I lost” - indicating they saw Da On not as a person, but as a thing they wanted to possess.
And that’s when Seong Hyeon shows up. And you know what I love about this character? That he makes mistakes. That he is not in fact this perfect green flag with no flaws. He is a human being with his own feelings that also get hurt. He sometimes reacted emotionally, childish even. And that’s what made him real. Because of these moments when he acted more selfish, when he did something without thinking - that’s what made his character more interesting.
While he had a lot of great personality traits like being helpful, kind, patient, mature when dealing with setting boundaries, and confident, he also had many relatable flaws. He was childish and pity when he thought someone was not following certain social norms he deemed important. Sometimes he regretted saying something, sometimes he regretted taking actions. And then at times he regretted backing off.
One of the aspects of his character I found the most fascinating was his ability to be really flexible in his reactions and behaviors. Depending on the external context, he reacted differently to the situation, but it was all consistent with his motivations and goals. He was more straightforward with Da On when he saw he was in a good “state”, he tried to distract Da On instead if he saw he was exhausted. Even without understanding the reasons behind Da On’s state, he was really good at reading his emotions and acting accordingly.
What separates him from Jae Min and Su Hyeon is the fact he knows how to love and how to receive love. How to care for people and receive that help. How to view relationships as mutual support and not transactions. For Seong Hyeon it is not “I want”, but “Can I?”. Can I stay with you? Can I hold your hand? While Jae Min and Su Hyeon try to control Da On, Seong Hyeon gives Da On the choice. He asks instead of stating. While Jae Min and Su Hyeon said they want to be with Da On, Seong Hyeon asks if he can stay with Da On. Yes, he is persistent in his approach, but there is something gentle about it. Rather than forcing himself and his presence, it seems more like a reassurance that he is willing to wait, to fight for Da On, to be there for him. Reminder that he is waiting and still there, whenever Da On is ready.
One thing I feel like Seong Hyeon and Su Hyeon share is the fact they are rather emotionally expressive. The difference? Seong Hyeon is expressive, but in control of his emotions and how he expresses them, while Su Hyeon is completely lost in his emotions and has no control over them. Then Jae Min is not expressive, but also in control of his emotions (until he is not… oops).
Here sadly comes one issue I had writing wise - the non-consensual kiss between him and Da On, and the aftermath of it. Truth to be told, I was not even “angry” at the writer for including the kiss. As I said, I love the fact that Seong Hyeon fucks up from time to time, and this was one of these cases. There was no excuse for that kiss to happen and then continue with Da On being this drunk. But while I can understand what led to it happening, the fact that it was not once addressed later on kind of annoyed me. He apologized for wrong things. It’s less a character fault, but more cultural norm fault though.
Now, Cha Sun Hyung’s acting. I still cannot get over how he switched from Puppy to Guard Dog depending on the scene. The way he was able to present that golden retriever energy, but without looking dumb and silly that often happens with characters like him. He still looked mature, strong and confident.
For the general writing, directing and editing:
I really liked the structure. I think the placement of the flashbacks was perfect. The way they were cut in just the right places to give some information, but also mislead us as viewers. The way they made it seem like Da On liked Jae Min in the past, just to reveal it was Su Hyeon. Or who Su Hyeon attacked and why. They just cut the scenes smartly. How much we want to show, how much we want to confuse the viewers - all seemed like deliberate choices, carefully crafted.
Was the “borderline childhood connection” needed? No. I honestly dislike that so much. This was just… unnecessary and added nothing to the show for me.
I’m not going to lie, I am more of the internal analyzer of the bigger picture and the context, than someone who looks for details and symbolism. So to truly appreciate the production, I had to do some research, because I simply do not pay that much attention to things that are in fact important.
Let’s start with the fact the drama was more or less color coded for specific characters (Da On - yellow, Su Hyeon - green, Jae Min - pink, Seong Hyeon - blue). The scenes for the characters were actually often light in a specific color hue. Even in the intro scene with Da On and Jae Min they used this peach pinkish hue, the scene where Su Hyeon attacked the guy with the bottle was yellowish-green. The color flipped only between Da On and Seong Hyeon. Da On’s narration had a blue background, and the scene between Seong Hyeon and Da On had the yellow/orange warm tone from the setting sun. Am I reading too much, or was it a deliberate choice to hint who the end game is? Who knows, I like to pretend it was all planned and hype myself more about why I love this drama.
Colors aside, they also really did a good job with just the lights and the warmth of it. Perfect example - the scene when Su Hyeon dragged Da On away to his apartment, leaving Seong Hyeon behind. The part of the corridor with Su Hyeon and Da On is cold and dark, while where Seong Hyeon is staning it has this warm orange light.
Then we have the symbolism of chess connected to Jae Min - how from the start it was hinted (for some less, for some more obvious), how he was the mastermind behind it all, how he manipulated both Su Hyeon and Da On for years. How he was the one controlling the situation.
Also, extremely random thought, but white is such a psychopath color, so the fact Jae Min was the only one wearing the white outfit in the intro is just cherry on top. And how it had a comeback when he completely lost his marbles in the last episode. Greatly appreciated.
Overall, what a fucking ride. I get it. This drama had flaws. It was not some high budget production, but the way it won my heart is illogical. One could say I was in a completely toxic and dependent relationship with it for the past month. I’m Da On - blind to flaws the same way he was blind to all these red flags.
If you want to tell me that I’m reading too much into it, overanalyzing things that make no sense. How there was no logic behind the characters behavior and it was all ridiculous - you are free to do so, I might even entertain you with a few replies. But I am not changing my mind. I’m annoyingly stubborn.
Added characters' analysis in comments under spoiler. Written them after episode 6, and damn Jae Min's one had to be quite tweaked - I overestimated how loco he was.
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End of review, thanks for reading.
Indeed, I could end my review here, since the above is basically all the drama left me with. But to the precious 18 hours – or something – I’ve dedicated to this show, I owe at least a more in-depth epitaph.
"Something in the rain" would have worked wonderfully as a 2 hour movie: the plot can be easily condensed in so short a time, we would have enjoyed a lovely on-screen chemistry and there would have been still room for the artsy cinematography the drama likes so much to sport. But, alas, the writer and director opted for a long narration, taking one conflict and a half and building this repetitive and aggravating slice of “real” life around it. What in the beginning seemed like beautiful aesthetics meant to create an atmosphere and enhance the plot, turned soon enough to be a trick to hide the lack of it. Because of that, the cinematography became, in my eyes, one of the drama flaws.
Let me make this clear: I have absolutely nothing against a slow pace that helps the viewer enter the world of the characters. I love small details: a meaningful glance, a trembling hand, a quiet dialogue that says it all, but here scenes are simply overstretched, even the most mundane, irrelevant ones. I have actually timed a scene: a character gets out of a taxi and walks unobserved on the road for as much as 65 seconds (try to count in your head and you’ll realize it’s an eternity). The camera stays still and the character walks. No close-up shot of the face expression, no weird or telling gate, no encounter to be remembered later on, just a walk that bears no significance whatsoever in the plot, except perhaps that it teaches us how people walk in Korea. I could go on describing scenes like this one, there are a handful. When a 2 whole minutes hug came, I truly became restless. And bored.
All the while, most characters are extremely bi-dimentional. No explanation, flashback or insight is given to justify their motivations. They are trapped in this present bubble and immortalized with one or two character traits only. We are left to speculate about their past, future and, at times, present. This show isn’t centered around a meaty plot, but does not focus on characterization either. There’s only so much a believable on-screen chemistry and artsy aesthetics can do to keep my interest alive.
Which brings me to the love story itself. The only positive trait of this romance is it’s realism, at least in the beginning. However, because these two jump from meeting on the road to being madly in love, I was deprived of my favourite part of romance, that is the falling in love process. Worse, episode after episode I started feeling like a voyeur, peeping through the keyhole to spy on an ordinary albeit pretty married couple in its daily routine. Since voyeurism isn’t my favourite hobby, I lost interest very soon in the nth walk with or without umbrella or yet another scene with these two frolicking around with the ever-present music that should tell a story but does not. They have no heart-to-heart chat, they don’t talk about their dreams, their plans, their future together, they hide more than they tell. Why these two people who have very little in common should love each other is not for us to know. Ah, yes! They are both gorgeous, that must be it.
The tension is all built around the opposition of a mother who’s in serious need of good therapy in whatever culture we set this story. Don’t get me started on the ex boyfriend arc and the harassment on the working place: the first goes nowhere and the second takes an eternity to go… where did it go?
Not yet happy, these badly outlined characters are for the most part disagreeable. If I have to watch a slice of life drama, I want to become attached to these people, but here I grew increasingly indifferent to all of them, otp included. The heroine is possibly the one who frustrated me the most and no amount of sociological analysis on the customs of South Korea will ever make me love a grown up woman who can’t stand up for her rights and for the people she supposedly loves. The fact that the author decided to portray a female lead who never learns from her own mistakes put a huge distance between me and her and makes the ending, good or bad, senseless. If it was my fault to expect something different, than I’ll take the blame, but at least I have learned something and will try to be a wiser viewer in the future (i.e., drop the hot potato before it scorches).
Finally, the music! Two good songs repeated ad nauseam and another old-fashioned two that made seaweeds grow in my ears. That’s the ost – an inappropriate definition anyway, since ost stands for “Original Sound Track”, that is, songs or music created on purpose for the show. I doubt Carla Bruni (?), Bruce Willis (??) or even talented Rachael Yamagata met to create this meager ensemble.
It’s extremely ironic and sad that the episode I enjoyed the most is the discussed last one. If only everything had taken place much earlier on, I’d have liked this drama. Unfortunately, as it stands it makes little sense and the prospect of subjecting myself to a second watch is unthinkable.
My dear 18 hours, RIP.
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Fluff sprinkled with emotional dread - best combination.
Probably the most surprising and refreshing concept and execution of it we have seen in any k-bl so far. The seamless transition between the cute romance and borderline psychological horror was masterfully crafted, making me crave for a longer and more developed version of the same story.Not gonna lie, the show peaked during episode 6, and the ending fell a little bit short of my expectations, but even with that. I am quite satisfied with the overall progression. Yes, it does face the usual issues as a result of a short drama limitations, like underdeveloped side characters, less detailed world building, lack of side plots to make the story seem more full.
But the good was so good, you kind of don’t care about the rest.
First of all, Tae Myung Ha was a surprisingly complex character forced into an unusual situation that made him face both internal and external struggles, leading to well executed character development. And honestly? He was also simply extremely fun. His cheeky one-liners and confidence of an adult in a teen “drama” was a blast to watch. Lee Tae Vin’s performance just made the character so much better. Easily one of the best performances from k-bls, especially when the actual emotional stakes start to make their entrance.
Cha Yeo Woon was adorable. I do think this character had less to offer compared to Myung Ha (to be fair, it also might be the result of me focuing more on Myung Ha compared to Yeo Woon), but it was also impossible not to care for him with his surprisingly well balanced mix of cat and puppy energy, which Cha Joo Wan aced in his delivery.
Still, out of all the characters, Chun Sang Won was the one that stole my heart. What an iconic character, one that deserves a spotlight and his own drama for sure - especially since we’ve been hinted about his own personal struggles. Fun, driven, confident, but also compassionate and perceptive. Oh Min Su better get his main role project soon, or I will riot.
While the drama is for sure not character driven, and you won’t get any elaborate commentary on social and personal issues, it still torches some topics close to many people's hearts, being a good opener for personal reflections: What happiness means to you? How to open your heart to others? How to allow others to help you, care for you? How to well balance your own needs and the needs of people you care about?
All that said, I think the biggest highlight for me was the execution of the concept with a “nice” twist. Instead of going full silly rom-com, they used the game scenario to add some depth to the characters and some painful thrills. Undoubtedly the director had a clear vision of what and how they wanted to present and thanks to that thoughtful approach, the contrasting atmospheres fitted well together. You think you know how the show will progress, but then you get a massive error and all your expectations fall apart.
What’s more, using the game scenario also allowed the director to deal with the usual issue of “time skips” and not enough screen time to showcase the whole time progression. I need to appreciate when directors and writers use their own set up to their advantage when dealing with potential issues and shortcomings. All the confusion and the feeling of “randomness” was clearly intentional, and for me, matched perfectly with the story.
Overall, extremely enjoyable, well produced, beautifully directed, perfectly acted (especially Lee Tae Vin), with nice and cute chemistry, fun jokes and less fun, but just as enticing stakes.
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Truly wonderful series
I think this is only the 3rd time I've rated something a 10. Note that this is a review of the uncut version - the cut version is significantly less good, and it also cuts out almost all the love scenes, which are mostly very well-done and lovely kissing.The writing is excellent, and personal to the author, which shows in the realism of the writing. The characters are not 2D archetypes - they are complex and flawed, and there are no villains or heroes. The plot is well-thought out, and does not go for a cheap ending. The writing respects the intelligence of the audience, which is a nice change, and there are none of the tired cliches that seem to clog every BL. The two leads don't fit into two neat seme/uke boxes - they are fully realized characters, who react like normal people to situations. Even the house's protecting spirit is a complex character.
The acting is some of the best I've seen in a BL. Partly that's because there are a lot of adults with important parts and they cast very experienced and effective actors - but the two leads are fantastic in this. I thought Nut was terrible in Oxygen, but that must have been bad directing because he's amazing in this - he does the most realistic crying I've ever seen, managing to communiate real grief without childish sobbing. Green has a 2-ep role and he's truly spectacular, putting in a powerful performance (and he's clearly a trained dancer), again contrasting with The Tuxedo where he's distinctly underwhelming. Plan Thanawat as Phat is so cute I can't stand it, and on top of that he can really act - his character can be childish and self-absorbed in a realistic way, balanced by all his good qualities. I really hope we see a lot more of him.
This is not just a cute ghost meets boy story - it really explores how things don't always work out like we hoped, and the need to both seize happiness wherever you can find it, and let go of things you can't change, like the tragedies we all have to face - and even how sometimes you can't completely move on.
There was not a single episode that I walked away from disappointed. None of them are filler, and there is no manufactured drama in Ep 9. There are a few plot lines that probably seem pointless in the cut version, like a lot of Dream and Luck, but their story reinforces the importance of respecting each other's beliefs.
The music is great, from the theme to the use of classical music to the instrumental score, which which does a great job of supporting the story.
I really loved this, and for me it's the best BL of this year so far, and this is turning out to be a fairly strong year.
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This review may contain spoilers
CEO loses his memory and learns to experience emotions !
This drama is your somewhat cliche drama of the male lead losing his memory and the female lead pretends to be the financee, regaining memory . I must say the first half is quite slow and not very interesting!Female lead use to be the student of the male lead( He was her instructor). He eventually becomes an investor of a company basically a CEO. The male lead is special because he doesnt experience any types of emotion. People think he is stone cold but doesnt know that his personality was due to trauma family incident. His ex fiancee couldnt get pass that he doesnt love her. Also in male lead's company the vice president/vice ceo tries to do the male lead dirty by trying to get hi injured in a car accident in Thailand.
Female lead is the secretary of her good friend's company. She is the one that deals with the business which so happens that the male lead's company is also interested. She follows him in Thailand to find him in an car accident. Male lead loses memory and the female lead takes care of him. During this time she knows there are still people after him , so she protects him !She lies and makes up stories about her relationship with the male lead. Honestly those episodes were quite boring. There was also flash backs to when she was a child and the interactions she had with her mom.
I stuck around because I wanted to see the cute lovey dovey kissing scenes!Honestly the intro song shouldnt put all the cute scenes in! It was a lot better when the female lead finally fell in love with the male lead. Man... where there some steamy kisses! Their relationship is super cute!
The storyline picked up fast after he regained his memory! It went in a good direction and a lot of the story flowed well! It was hilarious to see the ceo male lead kinda take revenge on the female lead for lying to him. It was cute that she helped cure him of his not being able to sense emotion! He fell in love with her again! So cute.
There were some side characters that was also the evil/annoying characters, but they didnt have too much screen time!Which is good, too much and this drama would of been complicated. However I felt some characters were kinda unnecessary, like her dad and older brother. I mean her dad was a cute dad who loved the daughter. They dont really have a good relationship until up to the very end.
I would recommend this drama but be ready to skip/forward the first half/ >_<
Love their chemistry, relationship , their kisses !
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I give the production kudos for effort, especially the special effects. They were awesome! They look so real, they merged seamlessly with the real world. I can honest believe that their world is real with all those stuffs in it.
Acting wise, 10/ 10. They cannot pick a better cast.
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This review may contain spoilers
Kill It is a dark intense Korean crime drama that discusses nature vs nurture, illegal organ harvesting, research ethics and medical ethics. The drama is about a professional killer (Kim Soo Hyun) who kills for money and is trying to find out about his past, and an ex-ballerina turned detective (Do Hyun Jin) who is trying to solve the mystery of the serial killings. Soo Hyun was adopted by an experienced professional killer for hire who taught him the profession, and has almost no memories from before he was adopted. I loved the story and finished the drama within two sittings. This drama had a lot of grey areas. Although he is a murderer, Soo Hyun is no where close to being evil, and at times I really felt bad for him. The cast was great. Jung Hae Kyun as Do Jae Hwan was great as the main villain, and I really hated his character. The music was good and fit the drama very well. If you are searching for a happy-go-lucky drama then this drama is definitely not for you. If you are searching for a drama with an amazing story that touched upon touchy subjects, and isn't afraid of watching dark and intense dramas then this drama is for you. Overall I would recommend this drama, and the ending made my eyes water. Was this review helpful to you?
More than just the simple BL it appears to be
Story:Wow, although I know that there have been various BL series where the couple adopt a son, this series took that theme to another level. I think it’s important that this is a Taiwanese series as Taiwan is the first and so far only (not counting Israel) Asian country to legalise same sex marriage and allow partial adoption for same sex couples. This series deals with some serious and prevalent issues that unfortunately many LGBT couples still face to this day, including homophobia, child bullying, and adoption as prime examples of this. It’s clear both Jerry and Damian don’t have supportive parents due to the simple fact that they are hiding their marriage and adoption from their families, and in episode 2 and 3 I understood why that was when watching Jerry’s mum. I’m honestly really happy to see LGBT dramas portray such realistic aspects of gay relationships, such as societal pressure and trying to come to a consensus with something both Jerry and Damian can agree on (in this case it’s having children). I love the fact that they dug deep into Kai’s confusion with having 2 dads instead of a mum and a dad, because it really shows the heteronormative society we live in where children are expected to have a mum and dad despite this fact not affecting anyone else except the family. Episode 5 was by far my favourite because it does such an amazing job to present the fear of coming out, especially to conservative parents which I’ve definitely had a lot of experience with. It was so heartwarming that their love could be accepted and I nearly cried at the final scene. Unfortunately episode 6 was when everything went downhill and they left it with a cliffhanger which will cause a lot of drama if a second season is made. I’m hoping that people uploading episodes illegally won’t affect the production from season 2, because I really need to know what’s going to happen now.
Acting/Cast:
—Melvin Sia as “Damian”- Melvin was such a great, natural actor. He has fantastic expression management and his acting is so natural and realistic, which I’m not surprised about knowing he’s already won several awards for his acting prior to this series. His interactions with his “son” and with Mike are so natural I could hardly believe this was the first drama where he played a gay character.
—Mike Lin as “Jerry”- Jerry is another amazing actor whose acting has such a natural feel to it and really draws you in. Jerry is definitely a very relatable character who just wants to travel the world and has such high aspirations yet, with a supportive partner, is still able to settle down while doing whatever he wants. In episode 5 he did an amazing job portraying the fears that those in the LGBT community still face to this day when coming out to close family members and friends. With Melvin I wasn’t surprised to see he was already a successful actor, but I was shocked that Mike is still so new to the industry, having only acted in 1 other series and 2 movies prior to this. Despite being so new he did an amazing job and I really hope to see him in future series too.
Music:
Other than the opening and ending there is nothing particularly memorable about it.
Overall:
A definite 9.5/10 for me. This may only be a short series, but despite its length there is a very strong portrayal of a married gay couple and their adoption, versus how those around them and society as a whole reacts to these connections. It’s definitely worth a watch but I would recommend avoiding the last episode until news of season 2 is officially announced, otherwise it’s going to be a very inconsequential watch.
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Had a bad day? Your own real life romance not going how imagined it would? Work/ school is hard? Then you shouldn't watch another drama about a pair of star crossed lovers who aren't allowed to be together ( although I do like those a lot) and you for sure don't need to watch that drama where two people keep on misunderstading and hurting each other. You don't need to. Not just yet. Just watch these 12 episodes and you'll feel better. Maybe I just got lucky and watched this very normal drama at a very correct time and place and setting of my life ( A time where I needed such lightness) but I hope that happens to you aswell...
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