A delight to watch!
I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this drama half as much as I did.I had no particular expectation for this drama, however, the more I watched, the more I grew to love the characters and simple yet intriguing plot. Each character is greatly fleshed-out, all having their own stories and secrets. With the ongoing question "what's going to happen next?" running through my mind, waiting a week for the following episode was surprisingly difficult.
The plot may seem cliché at first but it gets better as you continue watching. It's extremely well made with the beautiful cinematography and camera work, wonderful OST, great acting and interesting plot, everything is on point and just too good not to watch! Nothing feels rushed or jam packed, the story is unfolded well.
This is one of the many dramas in which I didn't skip a scene or part of an episode because they all seemed important or have a relevance to the story - I commonly find myself skipping unnecessary boring scenes a lot in other dramas so this was refreshing.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed watching Live On and totally recommend giving it a try!
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Han Seung-joo, played by Uee, is not just single - she's alone. Her family are judgemental, abusive parasites and her friends have their own lives. She inherits a mountain from her Aunt that her family is intent on developing into a resort. But when she feels threatened in her own home, she decides to hire a man to be her husband. Oh Jak-doo (Kim Kang-woo) is seemingly a lowly herb-gatherer from the mountain she now owns and he accepts the role in exchange for her leaving his mountain home undeveloped.
At the beginning, this drama had an intelligent script that seemed to be at war with the Makjang direction. It doesn't matter how strong or independent you are, it was saying, you still need somebody to be on your side. In essence, everybody needs a mountain. Seung-joo's mountain was both figurative and literal: when things got too difficult for her, she now had somewhere solid and unchanging to rest.
From the start, the Makjang direction was extremely jarring. Full of intense close-ups, overwrought - almost screeching - line deliveries, and long scenes devoted to the bumbling slapstick antics of three mountain Halmeonis, the direction was a sour note in a otherwise enjoyable show.
Unfortunately, by about episode 14 it became obvious the director knew something we didn't. The show veered sharply into Makjang and never recovered. At a daunting 24 episodes, this meant almost half the drama was full of contrived conflict, opaque character motivations and general audience confusion. And screeching. There's a lot of screeching.
While Kim Kang-woo's Oh Jak-doo is often swoonworthy, the show is stolen repeatedly by the affectatious and pretentious Eric Cho as a second male lead, played with a lot of heart and self-awareness by Jung Sang-hoon. Uee also gives her character a lot of strength and vulnerability but both she and Kim Kong-woo struggle with their characters once their motivations get murky.
The performances are not enough to save what is, in the end, a poorly-written and badly-paced soap opera that has little overall point to make about anything.
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Suggest to watch original
This is condensed version of S1 which is 46 episodes.I've watched the first 10 episode side by side to see which scenes were cut out and decided it's better to rewatch the original.
Yes you can still get the story with the condensed version, but the cut-out scenes were enjoyable as well.
If anything, an extended version would've been more ideal.
It's such an epic series in C drama history!
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T-This was just brilliant. I can't really explain it in any other way. D: The story was super touching, the music was super cute, the cast was adorable, the surprises kept on coming and I-I just loved it!
I can't really underline my favorite parts without spoiling, but the whole movie is just pure genius. It's really well thought through, and entertaining as well as it is just beautiful. It really touched me.
Recommended for EVERYONE at ALL AGES.
You have to be a robot not to love this movie.
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Nothing is dragged or exaggerated, it flows like poetry.
I'm so full of emotions right now.
The story is simple, yet realistic and the chemistry between the two leads is really there.
It started slow, like a joke you tell your friends, and then it became serious.
They really convey this sense of blurred lines between friendship and love and they didn't rush the trasformation of feelings.
When Rae Wan told Eun Seong "I can't get rid of your smell from my body", i started crying. I don't really know why, but i'm sure: Kim Sun Ho did a terrific job.
Lee Yoo Young is new to me, but I instantly fell for her eyes and she's really good. I have no words to describe Kim Sun Ho, as I said earlier. He's just so so so so so professional.
10 out 10. Recommended to every single human on earth.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tragically Beautiful..
Mr. Plankton was a total gem from start to finish.. It truly set a high standard.. Delivered quality in every departments.. From start to finish there were no bad scenes.. No bad characters.. And not a single bad performance from any of the actors.. Each actor brought depth and authenticity to their role.. Made them essential to the story no matter how small their screentime is.. Cinematography was impressive.. The romance was just chaotic.. Messy and yet strangely perfect.. They were a chaotic couple.. And funny even when they shouldnt be.. And come on what more can you expect from a drama that had two marriages in the first episode and The ML kidnapped both the brides.. It was a rollercoaster of chaos and fun..The first scene itself screamed ' No happy ending here '.. And that was actually the way to go.. The entire story leading to that last moment.. ' His Death '.. That was the perfect ending.. No miracle cure.. Nothing magical.. Just a journey filled with Love..
Comedy and Pure Messy Romance..
At one point.. I genuinely feared that WDH wasnt just acting.. Maybe he was actually going through something himself.. He was that good.. He was really living the character..
The scene where Jae Mi kissed Hae Jo at that the bus stop after kidnapping him from the hospital honestly didnt feel like it was scripted.. It felt real.. As real as it can be.. Such a perfect moment..
And the last scene..
" In the end.. You are the final scene of my life.. I guess that means i had a pretty good life.. "
What a powerful way to end the story.. The ending was expected but heartbreaking nonetheless..
Overall.. Another strong contender for drama of the year.. Loved the characters journey and their warm connection and relationship with each other.. WDH certainly deserves an award for his performance here.. And kudos to the writer for that ending.. This drama is going to stay with me for a long time..
They entered our lives so effortlessly.. And in just ten episodes.. They left us shattered and aching..
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Both Extracurricular and How to Buy a Friend were really refreshing takes on the high school genre, which I had previously lost interest in due to the fact that most dramas of the same vein were now being reduced to simple, relatively mundane rom-coms. Having attempted to watch many other dramas this year that felt like they dragged on aimlessly, the fast pacing was a huge source of relief.
The main characters are, for the most part, morally ambiguous. The world of Extracurricular isn't solely black and white-- there are various shades of grey in between, which makes them all the more fascinating to watch. The cast does a great job of delivering their roles, and while I initially took it up for the boys, I ended up falling for Park Joo Hyun (I can't wait to see what kind of roles she'll be doing next!) Kim Donghee did a great job of embodying the role of the reluctant, disillusioned antihero. I also loved the snappy dialogue and the dynamics between the characters.
The plot isn't entirely unpredictable, but that didn't take away from the story itself. I was still on the edge of my seat at every turn, both anticipating and dreading what would come next. Overall a really fun watch.
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1I recommend this drama if you are trying to watch a high quality drama. Please thoroughly watch this and do not skim some parts cause ik y’all can be impatient sometimes. This drama will definitely make you laugh, cry, and learn *make sure you watch till the end of some episodes to know why you’ll “learn”* Also GIRL THE KISS SCENES YALLLL IF U WANTING SOME HIGH QUALITY CHINESE KISSING THEN WATCH THIS DRAMA THERE AINT NO “GUY KISSING A WALL” SCENES. Ok this my first review ever. Bye
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1This review may contain spoilers
It is all about balance and whole a lot of pain...
In not so many fancy words, I think this movie is phenomenal! Why?• Two hours flew by in a second
• Intimate scenes are so raw and believable, and just the way I want them. If someone can do a nasty yet sensual NC scene that makes your stomach turn is Japanese. This time, the scenes are going so well along the story. Lets be honest, many Japanese movies do have explicit content that can overpower the story, or, especially dramas can lack any kind of sexual or intimate content. This does not make them bad, I am just talking about how well Egoist is balanced compared to Japanese movies, and in general.
• I enjoyed the balance between letting it go and being polite and restrained. Overall movie has that. And all of that is very nicely packed and topped with a hint of luxury and poverty.
• The whole story about financial and emotional compensation left me deeply wounded, so at the end of my short review, I would say this is not a love movie, nor a romance. This is movie filled with love by the people who were severely damaged by life and their families and they did love and they did care, the way they knew how.
• I feel I cannot pick the pieces of my heart after watching this movie and that is not that bad. It made me feel something, it made me feel a lot actually.
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Without sounding too pretentious, this drama is really about human relationships and how societies expectations make us question our wants and needs in our personal lives. This drama addresses those thoughts that we all have to ourselves: “I like this, but what would my friends think about it? What would my co-workers say if they knew I was doing this? What would my parents say!? Am I wrong for feeling this way?”
The lead characters are complex and well acted by Kato and MatsuJun. Particularly with the Momo character, I really liked that there was more to him than meets the eye. He’s not just some shallow, free-loading bum with a pretty face. Just like Sumire, he too has his emotional scars and is being healed by their unconventional relationship.
In addition to being smart and well-acted, the drama is downright sexy! Not overtly so, but in very subtle and playful actions between the main characters. It’s funny how some of those moments are intended to be completely “non-sexual,” but still feel as such because of the undeniable chemistry between the two leads. There’s also a lot of sexual tension throughout the series, which is never a bad thing. :)
The script is also youthful and wonderfully comedic. Sumire’s best friend in particular is candid and absolutely refreshing in her role. I love characters that unabashedly say what the audience is likely thinking!
My only complaint about this drama is the use of the Fukushima character. Why must all melodramas portray their antagonist as a typical b*tchy, jealous and spiteful woman? I get really tired of that character. She’s in, like, EVERY drama. It would be nice if writers could re-think the antagonist role, or at least make it more interesting. The Hasumi character is also a bit too gullible for my taste, but he isn't completely intolerable and serves his purpose well enough.
Overall though, Kimi wa Petto is so well-acted, interesting, sexy and funny that the plusses greatly overshadow the small, b*tchy and gullible minuses. :)
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Those who seek revenge dig two graves.
This is a heartbreaking and sobering revenge drama about an ancient Me Too movenment by nine commoners seeking justice. The two main protagonists, Rulan and Meng Wan are apprentices at Yanyu Tower, whose exquisite embroidery are prized by the imperial palace. Underneath his polished and elegant facade, Yanyu Tower's proprietor and master embroiderer Wu Lian is the worst kind of predator; one who uses his power and privilege to repeatedly manipulate and abuse the young women working for him. When Rulan has the audacity and tenacity to seek legal redress, most including her bestie Meng Wan hesitate to help her; knowing how stacked the system is against them. Ultimately her plight and her conviction inspires nine people to devote their entire reason for existence to taking Wu Lian down and obtaining justice for Rulan and in some cases themselves. There are no fairytales in this drama; their stories are utterly devastating; alternately moving me to tears and making my teeth clench and my blood boil.This drama is not for the faint hearted and comes with a ton of trigger warnings. It is ruthless and brutal in terms of its scathing depiction of the unbalanced power dynamics between the powerful and the powerless. It convincingly articulates why regardless of consequences, Rulan, Meng Wan and their friends decide to take a stand against a clever, powerful and ruthless opponent. Their efforts are stymied at almost every turn and many of them pay the dear cost of justice. Wu Lian is almost too smart a villain and too well resourced. It is dismaying to see these nine avengers fall for the same traps over and over. In desperation, some of them take unnecessary risks and make terrible sacrifices with scant payoff in their attempt to gather enough evidence to indict him.
This is a large cast with consequential roles that deliver all around strong performances. Hu Yixuan's portrayal of Rulan's disillusionment, agony, bravery and forlorn quest for justice is harrowing, piteous and ultimately tragic. Wu Qian also impresses as the icily soft spoken, resolute avenging angel and mastermind of the revenge plot. As for Wu Lian, it is rare to encounter such an intelligent and downright despicable villain, masterfully acted by Qiao Zhenyu. All of the support roles come together well to paint a picture of common people from all walks of life with dreams and goals that get disrupted as they come together to get justice. The thief Li Chunfeng and the embroideress Jue Ming charmed and moved me into rooting for them most.
This kind of drama that tackles such a difficult subject matter is unlikely to appeal broad audiences. It is well executed for the most part but tends to be unnecessarily melodramatic in the later arcs. The villain origin backstory left me unmoved and is not convincing. I would expect Wu Lian's father's concubine to have impacted him in a more positive way. While this story ends in a realistic way, I am not satisfied. Wu Lian's enablers who covered for him repeatedly get off way too lightly. Finally the way this wraps up sends too strong a message that those who seek revenge dig two graves. Revenge becomes their sole purpose and end game to the extent that I wonder - did they really win? There is just too much collateral damage and sacrifice even though Humpty Dumpty can not be put together again. Maybe it would have been better to just live well. I needed to see at least one of the victims recover from this and go on to have a good life. The final What If episode 25 made me feel worse not better. I struggle with how to rate this. As much as I applaud the topic, the acting and how emotionally invested I got in the story, it left me with a hollow feeling after the ending arcs. It is still a good, thought provoking watch but I can only rate this a 7.5/10.0.
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What bothers me the most is that this has the ingredients to be a very good story. It's an arranged marriage in which both parts are taking something out of the situation, in which both parties come from very different backgrounds and have different priorities: Chiwa is a hardworking young girl who has to work two jobs to make ends meet while paying for her (terrible) father's gambling debts; Hokuto is a hardworking man with a very overwhelming family, who wants to succeed in business to uncover a family secret related to his past and take revenge. The premise is good.
Now, if we add to that every cliche from Josei manga you can possibly think of, that's when things go south. Hokuto is that kind of male lead who is downright a jerk and whose backstory is supposed to make you feel for him enough to forgive him for being a possessive toxic jerk. It doesn't work for me. Chiwa is a very interesting character in premise but the moment she starts getting ~feelings~ for Hokuto, we lose her. We have, however, a couple snippets of the Chiwa who should be, I can count at least 3 times in which she read Hokuto and his family for filth, and that is the direction I wish this would have taken. Furthermore, she has, like I said, a father who is constantly getting in debts and disregards her well-being, but instead of it being taken seriously, the comic relief they (think) they're turning him into transforms Chiwa's struggle into something less important.
To that dynamic, add every other thing you can fit in 12 episodes: love triangles (plural), betrayals, paparazzi drama, multiple near death experiences for various people, grudges with daddy, slut shaming, women hating other women on principle, weird family connections pulled in the last minute and making no sense, you name it, it's all there.
I can't help but compare this with Please Love The Useless Me because a) they're both based on Josei manga b) they both came out this year c) they both have the "cold male lead/cute female lead" premise d) they both have Dean Fujioka. And, in the comparison, Please Love The Useless Me wins by a landslide. The premise of that drama was much less interesting than this one, but the character development was good and it didn't retort to the same cliches to fill the story (no girls hating girls, no slut shaming, no evil ex-girlfriend with machiavellian plans).
If you don't like the same old josei premise as per usual, you don't like the male lead treating the female lead in a questionable manner, you don't like a plot that has everything but the kitchen sink and you constantly question yourself why the girl is doing this to herself, this is not the drama for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Suspenseful, colorful, cheerful and even sweet – entertaining in several ways
"Check in Hanyang" nonchalantly takes elements of the modern lifestyle and the high-end five-star hotel industry of the 2020s back to Joseon, puts up-and-coming stars of today into robes and uniforms of another time and provides them with various challenges and group dynamics as part of their apprenticeship (while making the world a better place).The competition among the aspirants is fierce. Fair play is rare. However, one or the other is eventually less concerned with employment than with their very own, secret mission. The KDrama is brought to life by the charm of these youngsters. A piquant detail, though: one of those young men is actually a woman dressed in men's robes. You may guess, there´s room for plenty of funny situations.
The female protagonist actually has a murder case to solve on her own behalf – but suddenly she finds herself (and everyone else up to the audience) in a suspenseful polit-thriller with romantic icing.
The KDrama also benefits from the sharp chemistry between the owner of the Yongcheonru and his top of the range innkeeper. Here, Kim Eui-sung and Kim Min-jung can directly tie in with their controlled, explosive cat-and-mouse relationship as father and daughter in "Mr. Sunshine" as a successful pairing. With their charismatic presence, the veterans of South Korean cinema and TV significantly contribute to intensifying the dramatic overall pattern. Thus the handful of pretty rising stars may with good-humoured esprit fully indulge into playing their way even further into the hearts of the audience.
Actually, the story is about the hunt for a golden key, of which there are two parts – a key that some are highly interested in, all the way to the king. This hunt even goes over corpses. Thus, the double life of those hunters – old and young alike – is eventually getting quite dangerous.
Suspenseful, colorful, cheerful and even sweet – “Check in Hanyang” is entertaining in several ways. Actually, the first part in particular offers quite a load of fun and games with tricky group dynamics and demanding challenges for the competing candidates. In the course of the second half, however, tension, depth and drama are gradually increasing.
The fictional story draws courageously from the rich tradition of Joseon with a wide variety of selected details. The historical setting is thus mainly inspiring as a colorful, exotic backdrop of a rather timeless political thriller. All of this quite beautifully staged.
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Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area - Part 1
42 people found this review helpful
Korea´s socio-political North-South dynamics suspensefully catapulted into mass consciousness
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" is a remake of the Spanish Netflix production "La casa de papel". As with "Designated Survivor: 60 Days", "Suits" or "The Good Wife", this South Korean remake also sticks closely to the original. Many viewers may work through what is better, whether it is necessary, etc. - Not me, though. Rather, what fascinates me is how specifically Korean socio-political dynamics have been woven into the present story and suspensefully catapulted into a global consciousness.Against this background, the series is truly brilliant. Most viewers might probably miss this or could care less, and thus don't even pay attention to it. Nevertheless, this or that might eventually fall in places, unconsciously. Be as it may be...
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" takes place in a fictional economically united Korea. This premise as a setting alone is ingeniously visionary, because it conveys into the mass consciousness such a not sooo unrealistic agreement scenario for the stuck situation between the two countries: An economic union that could be profitable and attractive for all sides... Yet, immediately the potential stumbling blocks are swimming in the wake... Exploitation, fraud, abuse! The promise of freedom and unlimited opportunity turns out to be just more profit and opportunities for those who are already living in the fast lane. The promising scenario for peace and prosperity for everybody might be one side of the coin, a raised index finger is pointing to the other side already: Attention! Wiheom! Danger!
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" is provoking with a dramaturgical "Hello-Wake-Up!" - On the one hand these potential capitalist dynamics could make a promising peace scenario possible, but on the other hand, in the same breath, would also torpedo it. This is where the big plan of the 'professor' comes in. He wants to counteract the machinations of the powerful, who are busy filling their already full pockets, regardless of those, who pay the price. Thus he comes up with a spectacle that will shake up the public (and their decision-makers). In the end this might ultimately force the system to be more mindful and aware in approaching a true joint venture in order to make it work for the people (not only the CEOs and the powerful).
In this context, the characteristic difficulties between Koreans from North and South are successfully demonstrated again and again: the deep distrust that has been actively cultivated for so long. The fear that the war, which has officially not ended yet, will openly continue. The constant spying. The contempt for the other system. All of this was politically tirelessly staged for more than half a century. Families were being torn apart almost at random back then (1950s) - like in Germany after the Second World War. At a time X, some were on one side of the boundary line and others were on the other. Coincidence. Fate. What followed after that was propaganda, both here and there. Building up an enemy image. And what was done back then, even if the framework conditions for rapprochement might been created, has to heal over time first. (This can be learned by the experience in Germany: having reunited for more than three decades, still in society the 'wall' between ´Ossis´ and ´Wessis´ has not yet been truly overcome...)
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" succeeds in weaving a realistic future scenario for a united Korea into an exciting story. With all difficulties and opportunities. In this respect I consider this KDrama a strong production. In doing so, the KDrama brings this possibility of a Korean peace closer into the mass consciousness - first of all for the South Korean society, which is extremely sensitive to this topic, but ultimately also for the rest of the world.
I also have criticism.
This is neither concerning the story nor the actors, on the contrary. And it is not about the fact that connoisseurs of "La casa de papel" will be strongly reminded of the original (including the names of the characters). No. I rather have a more general complaint regarding many Korean Netflix productions (vs. the national KDrama TV productions).
-First, there is the spice up of the narrative style for an international (rather male) eye that is generally used to a good portion of sex & crime and a higher pacing. Well, I don´t need it.
-Second: Why not really telling the story to the end? Yes, it could be "worth" one or more seasons, but nevertheless. They even split the first season into part 1 and 2. I don´t like it.
-Third: The sensitive emotional momentum, that is so crucial for KDramas, is reduced to the max. Yet, the strength of a KDrama, in my experience, is that we are emotionally drawn inside, that we identify ourselves, feel empathetic, and get very close to the protagonists, get involved into their world. International Style on the other hand is rather characterized by keeping a critical distance. Here the audience is watching from the outside. The story and acting may grab you, but you stay outside and watch. You don't necessarily get emotionally involved. What is happening will be and will remain the story of others. In this particular case as well. So unfortunately once again a central KDrama unique selling point was abandoned for the standards of international Netflix world. This is not necessarily bad, yet different. I would say the experience of watching is less intense compared to other KDramas.
Luckily, the KDrama in general has more than one crucial strength and can instead show off some of those others. So does "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area"...
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Yoon Sang Hoon did a best job in a character of a detective. For me, he tried his best and totally succeeded in it.
Ah, Sung Dong Il ahjussi... it's always a pleasure to watch him with a no exception this time too!
Overall I enjoyed this drama, but I think if they packed it all in 16 episodes this drama would have a higher rating and it would be a better watch. l've liked Lee Joon's character, even though he was bad, but there was something great about him and his mind. His craziness was driving me crazy too!
OSTs were really good, especially main song and all those kinds of instrumental played in this drama giving you a thrilling and exciting feeling.
For those who love thriller and suspense genre with a many twisted characters that at some point you want to go into their heads and understand what they're thinking, is totally not to miss!
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