The writing here is exceptional. Since we are going a painful time, the writing makes it not only bearable, but also addicting to watch, by balancing slice-of-life and comedy, yes COMEDY, with war and tragedy throughout most of the story. Romance is there, but in a very subtle manner, just like the way I like it. Though understated, the moment it surface, it brings out all those tingling feelings and excitement. The overall way the characters are written, they feel real, relatable, and more than just good or evil. A lot of times it felt like a character study, and the characters were always more than what they appear. The development was slow but apparent, and very realistic. I got to the point that I felt like part of the people there, part of the family, and was in it with them. Without knowing how it ends, I felt I wasn't gonna mind any ending chosen, and the more I watched , the stronger this feeling became. It goes beyond trusting the writer giving a satisfying ending, and more of me having to accept fate.
I can't help but talk about the characters and their relationship. Jun Shan, the brother-in-law, is the star here. He is one piece of work. My first impression of him was *WHAT THE HELL?!* He's bossy, he's pushy,he's uneducated, he's overbearing. But then I notice, he's loyal, he loves his family. I won't say more and let you discover more of him. Believe me that is just the tip of the iceberg of his character. His relationship with Xiang Jun was a highlight in the drama. Beyond love, there was a certain harmony in the relationship. Then there are the twins. I don't know where to start. They are childish, foolish, reckless, and they certainly need to grow. But they are fun to be around, lively, and sure know when to come through when it counts. Being of different genders, they're growth and maturity come at different pace, but the people we leave at the end of the drama may not recognize those we met in the beginning. A part of me wished they stayed how were, but we can't help but grow up. Specially during war, reality hits and you find yourself growing years at each passing day. Qing Ming is another interesting one. He is an educated soldier, always wanting to fight for his country. He can be pretty stubborn, to the point of acting childish. His view of life, of elders, and of women, is that they are all incomprehensible. Only when he starts to understand them he becomes the man he wanted to be. I specially appreciated Qing Ming's relationship with Jun Shan. One hell of a bromance they make. They couldn't be any more different but somehow understand each other well. Another highlight was the grandma. She is a strong, stubborn old lady, but when she's around, you always know that everything is going to be just fine. Xiu Xiu might have appeared as a sweetheart, and submissive, but I always knew she hid fearlessness to appear when needed. The list can go on and on, but I just wouldn't know where to stop. Lets the say, even the smallest roles have been given thought as to make them real, and their development authentic.
What to say about the acting. Brilliant! It turned the character into real human beings, and not just something written on paper. Everyone gave their all to their character, and I have zero complaint.
Honestly the music didn't stand out for me, but didn't ruin anything either.
If I have any complaint at all, is some side characters that appear later on in the drama that weren't given enough time or focus early on, so it was hard to make the connection. Overall though my satisfaction with this drama goes beyond any complaint. I would say that overall, it deserves a 9 or 9.5/10, but the delight it brought me deserves a 10/10!!
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This is the first time I'm writing a review, I'm not good at wording my thoughts out but I wanted to give this a try because I just really want to praise this drama, if I could give it a 100/10 score I certainly would. It raises the bar too high for all k-dramas and TV shows in general for me. GO WATCH IT NOW! You surely won't regret it.
Plot: it's a remake of the U.K. TV show going by the same name, I haven't watched it myself so I had no prior idea of how the plot would go. I have to say it's outstanding. I personally love crime and suspense dramas so this was definitely my cup of tea and it exceeded my expectations by a lot. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of humour in the drama, despite the heavy cases they had to work on the writers managed to incorporate light-hearted moments and it made the experience even more amazing, nothing seemed out of place. I have noticed that in a lot of k-dramas the plot starts dragging out gradually and they tend to get a little boring in the middle especially but this one had impressive build-ups, there was not one dull moment and each episode keeps you on your toes. The surprises keep coming all the time and you can't seem to predict what will happen next. The cases were well-thought out and there weren't any plot holes. The ending was so emotional and a little open for interpretation, it was bittersweet, but I loved it for the way it was.
Cast/Characters: I was blown away by Jung Kyung Ho's acting, he gave life to his character and this impressive screenplay. The female lead I have to say is one of the most impressive and well-done female characters I've ever seen, this is female empowerment done right, she can kick ass, is not depicted stereotypically, is thoughtful, smart af and level-headed. The chemistry between the five main characters was out of this world, they gave off this warm feeling even if some of them didn't particularly start off on good terms, the fact that the friendship that flourished between them was gradual and not rushed off made it seem more believable. I really couldn't have picked better actors for this show.
OST: I loved the old songs they incorporated in the drama, it made me feel the 80s even more, the songs were chosen really well and put exactly where they're needed without them being too much in your face.
Cinematography: It was AMAZING, it's obvious that a lot of effort and probably budget went into the shooting of the drama and it's well worth it, the scenes and perspectives were really well thought out. This is the kind of cinematography a drama with such good plot and cast deserves.
Overall: it's a masterpiece, 100/10, it was a whole journey I'm glad I took and I can even watch it again which means a lot because I usually don't re-watch things I've already seen. If you wonder what to watch next give this drama a chance.
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First, let's talk about the story. The plot of "Ichi Rittoru No Namida" is taken from a real story of a young girl called also Aya. Even if there was some modification to make it much more dramatic, lot of sentences in the drama are taken from the book. It gives even more impact to the story. I'm always touched by people who have illness so even more when it's this kind of uncurable illness... After watching the drama, I got interested in knowing more about the illness and did lot of research ! I promise you that you'll not be disappointed in watching this drama.
Why ? Not only because the story is well written but also because the actors act really well. First, I'm a big fan of Nishikido Ryo (so of course he do act well) and Sawajiri Erika is someone I already saw playing an ill girl in Taiyou No Uta. First thought: she plays only ill people? Well, that didn't last long because she is really good in playing that role. It's rather frightening. The family of Aya is also played by really good actors and the little girl is SOOOO CUUUUUTE U.U
As for the music, we can say the OST of this drama is... ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN OST EVER IN ASIA. Everyone who will watch this drama will fall in love with Konayuki and Sangatsu Kokonoka. Those two songs are really emblems of the drama. BUT the OST do not contain only those two songs and I'm pretty sure all the songs you will hear in the drama will make you feel moved and cry. Not kidding, just try and tell me.
So much good points lead to a rewatch value really high. I gave 9 instead of 10 because you will anticipate the story afterward and try to skip some parts to not let you cry. Haha. But don't worry. This rewatch value still remains that high even if you watch it 1000 times.
Don't ever hesitate watching this drama. Even if you will feel kind of... depressed afterwards. You will really think: "Wow, that was really a drama."
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A hero’s journey through personal growth, love and friendship
Don’t let the first episodes fool you into believing that this is a childish drama. Yes, the drama starts off as goofy and light-hearted but from episode 13 the tone completely changes to serious and mature and it stays that way until the end. The drama is about the male lead who has lived in isolation all his life until he meets the female lead. Together, with their two newfound friends, they go on a journey to find the truth about the male lead’s parents and the mystical sword left to him by his father.This drama is based on a video game of the same name thus the atmosphere and script feel quite different from the usual wuxia cdramas (in fact I believe it’s xuanhuan genre). All Sword and Fairy dramas are stand alone, they take place in the same world but have different stories.
PLOT:
This is a plot driven drama with some romance on the side. The first 6 episodes are extremely goofy and lighthearted. Until episode 12 the story is at the setting stage, we discover about the world, get introduced to the four main leads and see their adventure side quests with other side characters.
Episode 13 is when the main story begins. The tone is changed from lighthearted to more serious and mature. The main conflict is addressed and we begin to learn the truth of what has happened 19 years ago (which all characters are involved with). The good guys meet the bad guys and the angst begins. Here the drama does a fantastic job showing the characters growth and the many wise life lessons they learn.
MAIN LEADS + ACTING:
The male lead appears dumb at the start but is actually uneducated as he has spent all his life in isolation. Despite that he adapts very quickly and shows us the wisdom he has learned from his father. He is kind-hearted, brave and protective. He has tremendous character growth throughout the drama. The actor Chen Zhe Yuan showed brilliant performance as always. He is the reason I started to watch this and his on screen presence did not disappoint me. The actor has such expressive eyes that all his emotional scenes HIT ME HARD.
The female lead is confident, outspoken, perceptively and brave without being annoying. She appears tough on the outside but is actually soft-hearted. She is quite unique from the typical female leads that I’ve watched. She has fantastic character growth from being morally conflicted and somewhat selfish to becoming the most supportive friend who is the glue of the friendship group. The actress Ju Jing Yi shines brightly like a diamond in this role, her on screen presence is fantastic and her acting radiant.
The second male and female lead are both more reserved and their stories are directly connected to the main leads. The male lead is called an Ice Cube. Despite his cold nature, he has the warmest heart. The actor is fantastic in his performance with micro-expressions and has a strong on screen presence. The female lead is kind but firm.
POSITIVE:
- A fantastic execution of a hero’s journey - from zero to hero.
- Engaging main plot. From episode 13 the plot was executed fantastically and I didn’t find a single episode boring or having the urge to skip parts.
- Villains are usually boring and evil for the purpose of being evil but in this drama the characters were well developed and a delight to watch. Everyone in this drama has a strong purpose and legitimate reason for what they were doing.
- Chen Zhe Yuan and Ju Jing Yi shone bright on screen with their brilliant acting and fabulous character’s growth. Both actors really stood out to me and pulled me into the story. Their performance was wonderful to watch.
- Pacing of the drama was perfect. The mystery and plot was built very well. With each episode the stakes were higher and higher and I could feel the angst towards the approaching end. Until the finale episode, I couldn’t guess what would happen.
- Cute romantic moments.
- Nice visual fight scenes especially towards the end of the drama.
- Great chemistry between the main leads. I was rooting for them from the start. I loved their banter and bickering.
- Many morally grey characters (including the female lead at the start) which I loved to see.
- Fantastic character growth for all important characters.
- Wise life lessons shown.
- Epic adventure vibes.
NEGATIVE:
- The first 12 episodes gave a wrong impression of the drama and were not particularly strong which is a shame as it made a lot of people drop this. There were side stories of side characters that I found boring. The main leads would help side characters and receive a small amount of information which meant it wasn’t a filler but at the same time the actual stories didn’t add any value to the plot. However the guest appearance of these side characters were done by actors that I knew and their acting was really good.
- At the start of the drama there was focus on the romance which made me believe that it would be a huge part of the drama but it wasn’t. In most episodes the romance was completely gone and the plot took the driver’s seat. The hopeless romantic in me needed more romance.
- One sided love stories that I wish weren’t there at all. Not really love triangles but both the second male and female lead fell for the main leads. They didn’t interfere in their relationship and were very respectful so I’ll give them that but I felt it kind of ruined the friendship aspect of the drama. Whenever the main leads would have a romantic moment, the director would always zoom in on the second male and female lead’s unhappy faces which didn’t sit right with me. I wish the focus was more on developing their friendship with each other rather than them falling in love with each other.
- I didn’t like the second female lead most of the time. Her character’s reserved personality was quite boring for me and I found her acting wooden at times especially compared to the rest of the cast. However she did improve towards the end of the drama. Despite what I said, many people loved her character so this is just a personal preference.
- Second male lead stole all romantic moments with the female lead. I honestly didn’t understand why the writers did it this way. But the female lead had so many emotional bonding scenes with the second male lead that were very impactful compared to her scenes with the male lead. I wish the writers focused on writing platonic friendships between them.
OVERALL:
If you are looking for a well executed plot driven drama about a hero’s journey through many trials and emotional growths with morally grey villans + you love Chen Zhe Yuan, give this drama a chance.
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Tree with Deep Roots
44 people found this review helpful
1A vividly told emotional story about the creation of Hangul and its impact. Absorbing. Gripping.
Of course, this historical drama is (as many others) full of intrigues, power struggles and revenge. But King Sejong, the 4th Joseon king, who is the historical subject of this KDrama, was indeed a bright shining star in the Joseon sky. So is this KDrama.King Sejong created the Korean alphabet. Not just him alone. But this great achievement goes back to his driving force and his vision of a mature people. The story impressively tells of the bumpy road to Hangul. It also tells of how important it is as an identity-creating medium for self-confident citizens. Previously, Hanja - the canon of sheer countless characters of Chinese origin - was the country's binding writing. Not only that, but a whole range of Korean words are loanwords of Chinese origin - to this day. At the same time, this reflects the asymmetrical balance of power between the Korean dynasties and the Chinese dynasties. The use of the Han signs not only symbolizes the hierarchy among the peoples, but also within one's own people. Scribes and scholars were needed, who had the muse and time to learn these characters (more than 100,000 in total). Thus, they had the authority to interpret. It was hardly possible for ordinary people to learn. A scripture that connotes words and meanings in characters is based on a completely different concept than a scripture composed of a compact alphabet. Based on the phonetics of the Korean language, King Sejong developed an alphabet finally consisting of 14 symbols for consonants and 10 for vowels. The writing system to apply those in a way to form words and sentences can be learned comparatively quickly, even by ordinary people. What a progressive concept at the time! What a threat to the elite of scholars and noblemen!
The title "Deep Rooted Tree" refers to verses from the 'Songs of the Dragons That Fly to the Sky' - the Yongbieocheonga. This contemporary document about the Joseon Dynasty and its legacy was the first book that was ALSO written in the new Hangul writing system.
"Deep Rooted Tree" is (among many other truly exciting dramatic events throughout the story) about the impact of scripture for the people of Joseon - a story vividly told in an absorbing manner. A truly fantastic presentation. With gripping protagonists. Multidimensional. With high emotional impact.
The dramaturgical setting introduces the king (from the perspective of the male protagonist) as the bad guy. But the 24 episodes (analogous to the alphabet?) provide an impressive insight into the fascinating life´s work of that great king - embedded in the excitingly increasing momentum of the vendetta of a boy from humble origins who grows up to become an outstanding warrior and finally ends up as royal guard.
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This review may contain spoilers
This review is intended to offer you an opinion of what I thought about this drama. It is not intended to sway you in anyways. SPOILERS:
OMG YES!!! What a satisfying ending to such an interesting drama. This drama is interesting to watch, but you must have an open mind. If you aren't into cheating, pseudo incest-relationships (that is Nira and her uncle-in-law kissing etc), gender identity/transgender identity, revenge for the sake of revenge, etc...you will not enjoy this. However, we should always remember that there are lessons to learn from dramas like this.
WARNING:
This drama deals with lots of human issues.
1) transgender identities/gender identities
2) cheating
3) domestic violence
4) Mental Illness
5) Suicide
6) Cross dressing
7) Niece (who used to be a nephew) falling in love with uncle-in-law
You name it, it has it. It was a very well acted drama and every single actor did well in bringing their characters to life. MY GOD, that young woman playing Nira was amazing. I have never seen any of her work, but I have read from others how good she is, and I must say she really gave Nira a voice.
My second favorite character, believe it or not, was her father. He was introduced as an abusive, narcissistic, shallow and bigoted person. He was for intents and purpose a character you hated through the whole series until before the last two episodes, where he was humbled by learning the secret of who Nira was. Yes, as a viewer we are led to hating such a person, but his entire flawed nature as well as his realizing how horrible he had been showed how much range and development that character had. He was brought down from his high horse so to speak. I really loved the way his character did a complete 180 and became someone I actually sort of felt pity for. True he was a cheater and abusive to his wife and child, but losing his son did hurt him in some way. And then to find out he was now Nira, but still lost her when she left, left him as a shell of a man.
I was also surprised with the aunt. She was so unlikable and really selfish, just like her brother, but it was sort of sweet how she took care of him in the end and how she also felt sadness for what she did to Nira. It doesn't completely erase how horrible she had been initially, but again just like her brother's character, she too grew and showed more sides of her.
I was completely HAPPY with the ending we got. I was all for Nira either being alone, but happy with herself, than together with her uncle. Their relationship was doomed from the start. IT was obvious.
Nira had some deep seeded hate and her mental illness did not help. She needed to find herself and who she wanted to be, before even thinking of having a healthy normal relationship with ANYONE. I am so glad, that despite her suicide attempt, the drama ended with her staying alive and learning to love herself.
Supporting cast was also great!
Fantastic cast.
Music was nice and nostalgic
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The drama is special in the sense that the gab is our heroine and the eul is our hero, which is refreshing in the kdrama world. Naturally, the main draw of the drama is the female lead Ok Da-jung. Ok Da-jung is a fast-rising employee at Gold Chemicals and this led to her being the subject of many malicious rumours. In reality, she's a righteous person who does not stand for things such as the abuse of power. She's extremely principled, and believes in having pride in her own work. On the flip-side, our hero Nam Jung-gi, who is a timid employee at a small company, avoids responsibility like it's the plague. The contrast between their characters makes for a very interesting (and comedic) watch.
Ok Da-jung is such a great character that it's impossible to not love her. Lee Yo-won is perfect as the immaculately dressed heroine. It's almost as if the role was tailor made for her! She was spectacular in all of her scenes (the stoic ones, the emotional ones, and even the downright ridiculous ones). Yoon Sang-hyun turned in an incredible performance with his spot-on comedic timing as Nam Jung-gi. In fact, all of the cast delivered splendid performances. The only exception is Hwang Bora, whose crying scenes appear forced and unnatural at times.
Ok Da-jung's relationship with Nam Woojoo (Nam Jung-gi's son) is also something to look out for. Cute would be a serious understatement. Their chemistry is off the charts. Some may even argue that they are the OTP in the series.
The directing and writing of Ms. Temper are all good. The key point being that the drama maintained a consistent pace throughout the 16 episodes, meaning that it does not suffer from the same problems most kdramas do - waning after the mid-point. This is really impressive for a rookie writer. The use of CGI and various sound effects in the drama also adds to its hilarity.
On the other hand, the drama is not flawless. One criticism would be that there are some overly simplistic plot points. Ok Da-jung seems omnipotent in the series, always coming to the rescue when there is trouble. And the Lovely employees always manage to get into trouble. Some may also be bothered about how unrealistic it is that she's had three husbands, and all of them want a reconciliation. That being said, we can hardly complain since that put Lee Jung-jin and Yeon Jung-hoon on our screens.
Overall, this is an enjoyable drama which should appeal to anyone who's looking for dramas centered around a strong female character. However, if you're looking for a drama with more realism with respect to the business side of things, this is not it. In fact, most dramas don't do business correctly. The good thing about this drama, to quote a knetz, is that there is a right blend of realism (the issues that they tackle) and fantasy elements (how everything gets resolved, albeit a little too easily). Also, the bribery and cajoling may not be something that happens in your society, but it is something more relatable to the Korean viewers. So do take that into account when complaining about how unrealistic this drama is.
DISCLAIMER: My unusually high ratings for this drama is because I rate dramas base on the rating given by MDL. In the sense that if I think a drama is underrated, I'm going to give higher ratings for it. A more objective rating would be an 8. But there are tons of shitty dramas getting 8 here and I don't think that gives enough credit to Ms. Temper.
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This review may contain spoilers
In a unique way affectionately told. Critically nuanced. Not off-the-shelf. Still easy to digest.
I might have easily missed “Not Others”, if I hadn't volunteered to help out with the German subtitling. I'm glad I didn´t miss it, because "Not Others" turned out to be an unorthodox surprise - being unexpectedly substantial and also pleasantly true to life, thus rooted in a rather simple, normal, everyday world. It is the story of a family, above all of a single mother and her daughter, but there are also a few contemporaries who are related by blood or by choice.The story goes on and on as life goes on and we go with it as a matter of course (and gladly so). (Well, at least that's how it was for me.) There was nothing particularly extraordinary and exciting about it. Just normal madness.
Well, admittedly, a bit more than normal madness... after all, the mother herself is still a teenager when she has her child and doesn't want to give up on some of the youthful pleasures in life - regardless of responsibility for the child. However, the script and the two leads find a good pitch for this very special, unusual and inherently difficult relationship dynamic with all its challenges. A clearly structured 'I'm the grown up and you're the little one' doesn´t exist. It is rather upside down here. Instead of the classic authoritarian hierarchy between parent and child, they both ended up bonding as allies sort of, in a world from which they have fallen. Due to the unusual role constellations, the arguments between mother and daughter often have a slightly funny touch. Behind this, however, lurks a rather unconscious overburdening on both sides. And this earnest approach of this emotionally tricky situation shines through again and again in the strategy of both of them trying to cope with everyday life. However, mother and daughter are overall impressing with their casual authenticity as well as pleasant directness and openness - a communication style that clearly sets them apart from so many others in the story. Choi Soo-young shines here, but especially Jeon Hye-jin, who can show herself from a completely different side in the role of the still youthful mother...).
At some point it's about a criminal case - eventually almost symbolic for the unwanted and eventually professionalized role of the daughter within the mother-daughter-relationship: the need to/the urge to look after her mother. And at some point it's also about romantic love - symbolic for the very human longing to rely on a partner on eye level, to lean on a shoulder... This human need actually concerns mother and grown-up daughter alike. But can there even be a place for 'outsiders' within the mother-daughter relationship?
Please don't take "Not Others" as a crime thriller or even as a RomCom. (The men in particular come along rather secondary...) Ultimately, it is the complicated emotional behavior patterns that characterize the family life of mother and daughter in the context of their very close and extraordinary relationship. This makes the KDrama breathe in and breathe out in its very unique pacing. It is primarily about this uncommon family, with an affectionate, yet critically nuanced look at their very special relationship dynamics. "Not Others" is cautiously questioning established (conservative) family models, too...
Overall, “Not Others” is no off-the-shelf KDrama (like so many others in 2023...).
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But that all quickly went downhill when the Big Misunderstanding that plagues many dramas hit and not only was it really not executed well, but suddenly everything just kind of fell apart. The writing was mediocre at best, the acting was cringe-worthy, the story was less than exciting, and I really did not care much for the leads anymore. Such a pity! There were still a few shining moments in the later episodes that tried to bring back a little of that initial charm this drama had but overall: I was over it.
I was also not a fan of the ending. It was a really frustrating and confusing last episode that did not leave me satisfied at all. The very end itself was awkward and didn't make sense. Whatever.
I can't completely say it isn't worth a watch, since as mentioned before the first half was really, really good. It might also be a little better if you can just binge your way through it in it's entirety without having to break for new episodes later on as I did. *insert shrugging emoji here*
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1. I have no problem focusing in long dramas
2. I can be patient with the right plot and drama.
Since the first episode to the end, gonna say is cute, lovely, and NORMAL. And yes when I say normal, I mean about two people falling in love (ofc, in this case is a drama and always will be a drama) as a normal couple. Without dramatic plot twist, or mean people around (well, I'm not saying they decided delete all the stereotypes haha). And that's what I was waiting for, because sometimes even when I want to run away from my real life and escape to dramaland , in others I also need to watch a realistic and cute couple thing, as all these living in harmony around us.
I you want a refreshing and lightly drama, This is your drama!!!
Story 9/10
CHdrama needs to be better producing a drama.
But overall, the drama is good , the plot is plain but refreshing, and the leads have a good chemistry.
Gamers on board,
See ya!
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This review may contain spoilers
More interesting than it seems
At first episodes seem to have no connection at all, but if you follow with attention you see they are actually CONNECTED.The catch here is that the episodes are in reverse order. There are hints here and there to this. But if we watch from Episode 8 back to Episode 1 it makes more sense.
Also Episode 8 is the longest and provides the story, and the others are shorter and no story is explictly told, but they build up on each other.
Taking into account the details I will point out bellow, I think Goedam is a work of a GENIUS, and that is why I liked it so much.
Made me curious enough to see if my theories are right.
But in order to point out those awesome details I need to explain what happens in each episode.
** SPOILERS **
Episode 8: Birth
It starts with the tale of Yeommae hex. We find out that shamans abduct children, starve them and kill them to capture and use their spirit.
We can see then how the shaman kills a child.
Afterwards we see a customer whose husbands has and affair, and she wants him dead so they won't divorce. The shaman gives her a talisman to be put in the pillow case.
- Director spends here a lot of time focusing on her jewelries, especially on her ring, showing her (or her husband's) wealth. This is strongly connected to Episode 7.
Then we see a mother asking the shaman to find her child. Her child must be the one that shaman killed at the beginning of the episode and whose feet were buried near a tree, as in the end we see the mother hanged above her child's feet.
But before that, we see the birth of a monster baby.
The talisman plays important role both in Episode 8 and Episode 7.
Episode 7: Threshold
It starts with a boy tripping. He is going with his mother to visit his grandmother.
The woman tells her husband not to take off the talisman from bedroom wall because it brings bad luck. Also informs him a boy and a cop went missing.
While being home alone the man steps on hair, and after pulling the hair out he hears a scream.
After he comes back home he takes down the talisman and a monster appears while he sleeps.
The monster looks like being made from cut pieces (like the feet from Episode 8), and also looks like a grown up version of the child born in Episode 8.
Some important details here are:
- The monster was there even though the house was "protected" by talismans (at least 2 shown, one above each door) .
- In the house you can see the child's and wife's items, like toys and make-up, but no items belonging to the man. There are also no wedding photos. It gives a feeling that he doesn't belong there.
- There is also only one bedroom and only one bed.
- The woman has a cross, a gold necklace, showing man is wealthy enough, but no other jewelries, not even a wedding ring. Why would she wear the cross, but not the wedding ring? Also if her faith in Christianity is so strong, why would she need talismans?
Maybe the reason for all these is that the man is the husband of the woman from Episode 8. We know for sure the woman from Episode 8 wants him dead, before they divorce, but what if the apparent wife from Episode 7 works with her to kill the man? A talisman like the one from Episode 8 might be hidden in the house.
Episode 6: Dimension
We see a video from an elevator where a boy lies down scared by something. However, the police found a dead body that is too deteriorated to belong to the boy and also the clothes are different.
Then, the detective in charge finds that the boy posted online about interdimensional travel.
While going up and down according to the list posted by the boy, the detective sees himself and then a woman appears out of nowhere.
The woman asks him to press number 1, but the elevator goes down without stopping. Afterwards, she kills him. However, she does not appear on camera.
When the police finds the body again it looks much worse, but they can conclude that the clothes look identical to the detective's clothes.
At the end we see 2 girls getting in the elevator. But if you pay attention you notice that the 2 girls are actually the girls from Episode 4, Min-yeong and Se-hui.
Here, Se-hui is scared something might go wrong, while Min-yeong is the more curious one, mocking her friend for being so scared.
Episode 5: Red Shoes
In the classroom 3-2 students talk about Jin-gyeong that jumped in front of a truck, having her lower body crushed.
The teacher then comes in and tell them not to tell anything to police and not feel guilty (because they bullied her). She also wants o make sure everyone deleted the evidence of bullying.
The teacher asks then for class rep to draw attention of her colleagues. The class rep is Ji-ye KIM that appears in Episode 1.
The one but last that leaves the classroom is Seo-hui PARK that also appears in Episode 1.
We can see that at this point in time both Seo-hui and Ji-ye are alive and well.
The only one left in classroom is Hye-su SHIN.
At 9 PM the teacher receives a messages from Hye-su asking her to come to classroom to talk something about Jin-gyeong. (75% battery left)
When the teacher gets in class she finds Jin-gyeong upper body that complains that Hye-su lower body didn't fit and asks the teacher to borrow her legs.
Episode 4: Curiosity
We see the 2 friends, Min-yeong and Se-hui, that got in elevator in Episode 6 watching a video from CAM 6 (this is a REFERENCE to Episode 6) in which a monster appears.
Se-hui is sure the video is a hoax, while Min-yeong gets scared and wants to go after their books.
Knowing Min-yeong gets easily scared, Se-hui already prepared a prank on her and stops between floors 2 and 3. On wall it appears at 3/2. Remember about classroom 3-2? And she asks Min-yeong to bring her books too.
In her friend's cabinet Min-yeong sees the scary doll.
After getting out of her classroom Min-yeong sees a scary woman from which something is getting out, similar to the birth from Episode 8.
Min-yeong runs down the stairs, but she is in an infinite loop between floors 3 and 2. But she never meets Se-hui which we can see waiting between floors 3 and 2.
Min-yeong trips and sees the 3/2 sign and realises something is wrong.
The monster aproaches and we see the eye division.
Seeing Min-yeong is not coming back, Se-hui goes to look for her. And we can see monster coming down.
The difference from Episode 6 is that now Min-yeong is the one that gets easily scared.
This might be a sign that Dimension changed (in Episode 6).
Episode 3: Special Guest
This episode is about Sae-rom's virtual housewarming.
She is doing a live vlog and wants to trick viewers into thinking that house is haunted by letting a plush toy fall.
Santokki donates 30,000 balloons.
Then the book is moving and falls off the shelf.
Some of the viewers worry for her, while others think it is just a hoax.
She wants to end the live but she leaves it going on by mistake and everyone finds out she faked everything.
While she wants to take the thumbnail for her video, she notices that phone sees more persons in her room.
She then gets smashed by someone looking identical to her.
The way of killing is very similar to the one in Episode 6.
The one killing Sae-rom replaces her.
Episode 2: Destination
In the intro we can hear the news that tell that a shaman was found in a shrine in Gyeonggi. The victim is SHIN, a shaman in her 50s. The shaman must be the shaman from Episode 8.
The news are heard at 2:20.
Now if we go back to Episode 8 and check minute 2:20 we can see something similar to a voodoo doll with a nail sticked in it. And this means death.
Being tired the taxi driver stops.
We see again the clock turning from 3:29 to 3:30.
If we check again the Episode 8 at that minute we see the shaman killing the child.
This is clearly a sign of what is going to happen to the taxi driver.
He wakes from sleep when a woman dressed in white gets in taxi and asks to go to Samjeong Motel in Ilsan. However, GPS show no result for Samjeong Motel.
She asks many times to turn right, but there is road to turn onto.
Next frames show that the taxi has no passanger.
He feels her fingers on his neck, looks back and does not see her, then she appears in front of his car.
He stops, but when he looks again the road is empty. He looks back, she in his car, but her eyes are missing. He gets scared, and she shows him her eyes.
Next frame shows the radio: FM 6.4.24.
Then we can see she took out his eyes, probably to replace her eyes, similarly to how Jin-gyeong replaced her legs in Episode 5.
Another theory about 3:29 is that it is a reference to class 3-2 and hour 9 at which the teacher received the text message in Episode 5. It also the thumbnail of the Episode 2.
Episode 1: Crack
In intro we see Seo-hui PARK, that also appeared in Episode 5. She is anxious and is biting her nails.
On the desk in front of her is a white flower.
She asks the teacher for permission to go to bathroom.
On the walls we see is no. 2 in her school, while Ji-ye KIM is no. 1. We can see that Ji-ye's moving in her photo. This is a hint something is wrong with Ji-ye. The pictures also appeared in Episode 5, since it is the same classroom, but there the pictures are just normal ones, because back then nothing wrong happened to Ji-ye and Seo-hui, being also shown alive and well.
On her way to bathroom Seo-hui notice the lights turning on and off repeatedly.
After she gets in bathroom, we can see in background a presence disappearing on doors.
In the bathroom she heard strange noises and when she looks she sees hair getting in toilet. Then she is pulled by dead Ji-ye only her legs being left in bathroom.
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Fated Love - Neither Time Nor Distance Can Prevent It
First Love: Hatsukoi has beautifully captured the twists and turns of destined love. With Fate pushing two people together but also pulling them apart when tragedy occurred, it was an addictive emotional roller coaster ride filled with the rapture of first love, the regret of lost love, and the joy of second chances.A wonderful story about a love that transcended the sands of time, this drama fell into comfortable and familiar tropes. However, in this show, I found the cliches charming. With such strong chemistry between the leads (younger and older versions), I was happy just to be along with the ride and watch the heartfelt romance unfold.
Using distinct color palettes and compelling imagery, the director, Kanchiku Yuri, and the cinematographers breathed new life into tired story elements. Fluid camera movements transitioned the viewer seamlessly from the flashbacks of the leads' past into the reality of their present circumstances.
I liked how the director used elements like the snow, the sea, and the sounds of planes; many scenes were like expressive photographs with period details. In this show, color was not only an emotion, a state of mind but also part of the story itself. The way the show filtered and focused on the colors allowed me to experience the story through a unique lens that drew me further into it.
Of course, the music was one of this drama's most notable aspects. After all, Hikaru Utada's songs- First Love and Hatsukoi, inspired the story. In addition to these two, the drama music, including instrumental pieces by Taisei Iwasaki and other songs, captured the emotional moments flawlessly - joyful, nostalgic, or heart-wrenching. The music evoked empathy for the characters and was crucial to the narrative.
Despite a few rough spots that needed smoothing out, the story was well-written and flowed nicely. I appreciate that the plot was not only about romantic love but also about coming of age and the consequences of choices. There were also risque scenes which was an interesting change from the more conservative Chinese and Korean dramas.
The excellent acting also made this drama enjoyable for me. The characters were likable and relatable. The female lead's mother had moments where I wanted to smack her, but her heart was in the right place.
I liked and respected Mitsushima Hikari's Noguchi Yae, a character that I would describe as resilient. Society forced the idea of some being better than others and imposed unfair judgment on people like Yae's mother, but regardless, Yae knew that she and her mother deserved just as much as anyone else. Hikari was so lovely to watch, and her beguiling performance, along with Satoh Takeru as Namiki Harumichi, added the depth that completed the show. Takeru, with his melt-your-heart gaze, portrayed Harumichi perfectly. He is a really subtle actor whose eyes and micro-expressions speak volumes.
I also enjoyed the portrayal of the younger versions of the leads by Yagi Rikako and Kido Taisei. They were able to convey the feelings of an all-consuming idealistic young love, and Taisei's earnestness won me over as young Harumichi.
In summary, I do recommend this drama! I love a good love story, and this was definitely that. It is a story in which you cannot spend too much time thinking about the details. You just have to accept that the universe has plans for everyone, and everything will play out splendidly. As long as you enjoy the show in its little contained, cliched world, there is plenty to relish. Don't forget to watch the ending credits scene to the very end.
For posterity, I have included the Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWTSDEMZlKWZw?si=282686721a124f1d
Other songs:
- Escapade by Emro: https://open.spotify.com/track/71Pu8L7LWuig8tY3zuKH8C?si=44416f6cad1c4963
- Sleep With You by Egil Olsen
https://open.spotify.com/track/6dJabU4OhnOfyByP8NQeOF?si=caf81692d1dc4e4d
- Hard Work and Fate
https://open.spotify.com/track/29mpuWWmRUdH9P2zXz9a4k?si=858ee21bbd2040e4
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This review may contain spoilers
No Just no
First of, this Cdrama is not your typical romance where ML and FL fall in love and end up together, no, instead what you get is a DEEP and VERY annoying love triangle between ML, SML, and of our FL.It begins with the ML and FL dating, and as things move forward, the rich and annoying SML starts to flirt with FL, and guess what, she is giving him the time and day despite having a boyfriend(ML).
Thats not the end of it, soon after breaking up with ML because of "something related to the death of her parents" she attempts to make the ML move on by marrying the SML, Oh did i mention she was pregnant with MLs baby but never told him? Yep, and our ML throughout this continues to pursue the FL to the bitter end, despite FL playing with both men.
Never been so furious while watching a drama since watching this one.
I would never recommend this cdrama to anyone.
Save your time and energy because it'll drive you crazy.
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1) The first couple was cute but I found them a bit boring and the masturbation addiction really threw me off, as I didn’t expect it to center the first 2 episodes. I liked that they openly mentioned how sex/masturbation compared to some dramas where they hide away from it especially highschool ones.
I kept watching as I didn’t know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised with the second couple.
2) This couple need to have their own drama, the actors chemistry and looks really kept me hook on their episodes. Their plot is good, the fake dating trope was really well done and their end of story really wrapped up well. Their kissing was so much better than some other couples in dramaland, it wasn’t cringy or awkward as you would expect from highschool dramas. Like I already said if you don’t want to watch the full drama episode 3-5 are the much watch and you will not regret it. If I ever rewatch the drama I would be likely to just go back to this couple as I already done twice already.
3) I was slightly disappointed with the 3rd couple, I really didn’t like how the plot surrounded the girl’s weight, (especially the fact that in my opinion she ain’t fat but more towards healthy). Additionally I couldn’t enjoy the 3rd couple to the fullest as the second couple really put the bar high and therefore it was hard for them to keep me as hooked. The ending also left me slightly dissatisfied, but overall this drama is a good watch.
The music didn’t stick out to me so I won’t talk about it as I got nothing to say.
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--All the characters are likeable:
I always have a problem with the lead female character of any kdrama. I find them very annoying or clumsy or
childish -That's why I stopped watching "The Healer". Here, the female is perfect. On the other hand, I've always loved the cliche personality of the the lead male character - very cold and unsmiling. In "kill it", the protagonist plays this role on another level.
Note: You can definitely feel the chemistry between characters. That's better that kissing and hugging scenes.
The other characters are sweet and funny, but they don't lose the drama's tone.
--Fast development of the story: Unlike other people, I found the story very fluent. Everthing was revealed at the right point of the story, and the fact it was only 12 episodes long makes it easy to watch.
The OST: I haven't listened to a good OST since "The K2". It's excellent. It's the first time I like all the songs. Even though my native language is Spanish, I am trying to learn the lyrics. Then, if you don't want to watch "Kill it" because you have read negative reviews about it, at least listen to the OST. You won't regret it.
SUBTLE SPOILER:
--Right ending: The ending suits the story. Even though, it is not what we hope, it is what we expect.
Note: For our hopes, there is an extra scene that makes us feel satisfied and to some extend pleased with the drama.
My wish: I would love to watch another season even though I know it will be irrational to fix the ending. However, I won't be mad if they do it.
ADVICE:
If you are so used to romantic comedy. Then, I would recommend not to watch it, but please listen to the OST.
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