Reviews

Identity Theft.

Here we go again - yet another ill-fated master disciple relationship! This starts predictably with a jinxed mortal Wei Zhi barely squeaking through into the prestigious Egret Academy. There her astounding lack of talent catches the attention and empathy of her master, Yan Yue. He is an immortal sent to discover and vanquish the remnant of the phoenix bloodline that is a threat to the Three Realms. You would never guess who the hidden phoenix is or that this cold faced inheritor of the realms falls in love with his enemy?!?

Within a tired and tropey premise, the plot design of Beauty of Resilience is actually pretty good with some interesting and innovative takes. I found the Egret Academy's challenge arc to be very enjoyable in a way reminiscent of the Triwizard competition in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And I was intrigued by the mysterious Zihua Book Pavilion and its Shylock like master who extracts his pound of flesh. I also like that the Heavenly Empress is not just a decorative vase but has a rather important function as the mistress of time. Even the concept of Hua Rong is fresh and mysterious. Yet these ideas just don't quite come together in a good way in terms of plot and character progression.

Indifferent character blueprints, mis-cast roles and uninspired portrayals are this drama's weakest features. While Guo Junchen's portrayals of multiple roles is technically faultless, he is not given much to work with. Yan Yue is just a cardboard xianxia archetype. He only gets to shine briefly as the morally conflicted Chen Yan and in his darker personas but enough to impress as a diverse young actor. He and Ju Jingyi look fantastic together and they actually have decent chemistry. While her acting here is more nuanced, Ju Jingyi, once again delivers the same old vapid, completely indistinguishable portrayal that is her comfort zone. This is compounded by her default styling with atrocious Persian princess head gear and heavy handed and unflattering eye makeup that makes her look like she just waltzes from one set to another. She actually has excellent comedic timing which sadly this humourless script gives her no chance to showcase. Mu Nan is the only engaging and empathetic character but is sadly matched up with the most tedious and mis-cast role. And that is just the tip of the ice berg in terms of how shabbily the writers treat him.

The supporting roles are one dimensional and the cast lacks experience, chemistry and rapport. Everyone is obviously acting and their relationships and interactions are so forced I couldn't engage with or care for any of them. There were way too many identity thefts going on where even the lead actors in the swapped roles are unconvincing as the characters whose identities they stepped into. It was so bad at times it was kind of funny. The villains are quite obvious from the beginning and they weren't satisfactorily dealt with. One of them perished so quickly I literally blinked and missed it. I went episodes thinking they were lurking for the right moment to pop out again. My hope for a satisfyingly long, painful and drawn out demise was never met.

This drama's strongest arcs are the early ones that take place in the mortal realm. After that the drama loses momentum and gets more ridiculous as it progresses. The ending however is quite original and quite cool but was so rushed and poorly executed that it took awhile for what actually happened to sink in. I would say this is something that you could watch up until the wedding in the second arc, skip all the messy and time wasting latter arcs and you'd still end up in the same place. The early arcs were a watchable 7.0/7.5 for me but I'd at most rate the latter arcs 5.0 for an overall rating of 6.0. Watch at your own risk.

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ERROR: Errors could not be found. Please try again. Never.

KOREA FINALLY DELIVERED another masterpiece <3

This will be a tough one. Really. I was having high expectations for this series, and I am extremely glad they were able to adapt the manhwa this well. As I said in another review, the Korean LGBTQ+ industry is growing and improving its series in terms of production and duration. I´d even say that “Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point in this year so far. Alongside "History 3: Trapped", this series would be my first choice to recommend to somebody if they asked me about good series including the love of two men. Why? Read below.


PRODUCTION / Music >> 9.0
Saying that nothing in this series is extra outstanding, and that “Semantic Error” is just like any other Korean LGBTQ+ series would be an incomplete statement. Let me elaborate on this thought:

While the filming itself is getting closer to the normal standard of Korean dramas, the details and highlights are much more present. This is especially noticeable in the use of colours and lights at the ending of Episode 5. The production is finally focusing on the Interplay of all components, both in music, action and especially in the visual. Additionally, the story feels less rushed than usual Korean LGBTQ+ dramas and I am sure we can expect similar dramas to be produced soon. However, - without sounding too pessimistic - as awesome as this drama is, setting "Semantic Error" as a standard could lead to unpleasant disappointments ... Yes. It is that good.


PLOT >> 8.5
The entire series and the original work are unique and exciting to watch and read. When focusing on the adaption I especially enjoyed the energetic but not rushed pacing and the humour of this series. Both characters are written as "extraordinary" people who had an unfortunate beginning in their relationship which makes this a case of ENEMIES TO LOVERS ... AHHHH…excuse me. This was the easiest way to show that I am a sucker for that trope. Honestly/ Personally, if that is not the most non-toxic/ non-forced ETL love story then I don´t know which one is.

Another detail to mention is the focus on the contrary of both personalities. While one of them is a famous and adored extrovert, the other one is an anti-social and overseen introvert who cares a lot about a systematic and calm daily routine. Jang Jae Young‬ and Chu Sang Woo‬ are as different as one can be. They are incomparable but still such an exciting match.


ACTING / CAST >> 9.0
The main leads both did an outrageous job, and I am glad Park Seo Ham and Park Jae Chan were chosen as the main leads, because they match with the characters, thus the entire series is harmonious and gets close to the overall harmonizing couple in the manhwa. Considering that both Park Jae Chan and Park Seo Ham are originally idols makes their performance is even more outstanding. I also love that both support the show a lot on social media, giving no f*** about the haters. It´s something I highly want to point out because in some Korean LGBTQ+ shows I always had the feeling they were forced to promote it but these two (Park Seo Ham & Park Jae Chan) seem to do it willingly. No. These two seem to have a lot of fun doing it. :D

The Supporting Cast also showed a solid performance in their roles. I can't think of anything that I would have found disturbing or unfitting. Well done. Because we don´t get a lot of insight into other characters, it´s hard for me to review their performance. They all did well!


Rewatch Value 9.5 / 10 + OVERALL 9 / 10
“Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point of Korean LGBTQ+ dramas this year so far and I am glad that so many people support and enjoy this show. Personally, it´s one of the best adaptions/ overall shows I came across. No doubts!

“Semantic Error sucks and is just like any other Enemies to Lovers story, duh...”

!!! ERROR 404: Your opinion was not found in the data system. Submit a reasoned criticism for our servers to deal with constructively, if you can't, please STFU !!!

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Botched remake

Unfortunately, this remake failed to deliver the sweet cute chemistry and heart that the original C version did.
I loved the C version and was so excited that they were going to remake it in Korea, but I think they really miscast this. And the director did a poor job of giving the story some heart instead of the typical cringeworthy deliveries.

The main problem was the FL. She was trying too hard to appear young. If you ask your parents to give you an impression of a 3 year old, I bet it would be the same as the FL's acting. No idea why they casted her as there are a lot of other actresses who have natural aeygo that could have played this role. And then there's the problem with the ML. He looked too young and did not make me believe he was the smart studious type. And together, frankly it was clear that she was the nuna and he was the dongsaeng which makes it hard to believe in their characters. They pretty much had zero, if not almost uncomfortable chemistry for most of the drama. It wasn't until the very end that it got a little better and I think a large part of that is because the FL dropped the whole toddler act. To be fair, I do see potential in both of them...I just think they need to take baby steps instead of leaping to fill shoes that are too big.

I also thought the 2nd ML did not have any charm. I didn't find him very likeable where in the Cdrama, I would go back and forth between the male leads. Even if I didn't compare to the original, I would not have liked this drama. It's way too cringeworthy. I had to skip a lot of the scenes that made me want to vomit. It's interesting though because the script is almost the same and I did not feel that way at all with the Cdrama which I've watched a few times. Amazing what miscasting and bad direction can do.

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Ugh

After plumbing the depths of my brain in search of a suitable word to express my “enjoyment” – or lack thereof – of this drama, ugh is all I could come up with.
Now, before I start my very long rant, a clarification is needed: this is about the second part of the drama, that is from episode 28 to 56. I thought the first was lovely and captivating, so full of promises it made the wreck that followed so much more painful to endure.

Truth be told, a few hints of puzzling directing and editing extravaganzas were given away in the earlier episodes: perhaps I should have doubted my choice when, 5 minutes into the very first episode, our dark hero is given a cloak to wear, he puts it on with whooshing grandeur, only to mount his horse the next second without it! It gave me such a delicious Doctor Strange vibe, with a flying cloak coming and going at its own accord.
Or I should have sensed looming trouble by the 5th time our hero – yes, he again – stood there like a war totem staring in the distance with fixed gaze. Please do not go micro-expressions on me: when something moved, it was clearly from the very natural and irrepressible need of the actor to blink, now and then.

That Ling Bu Yi was in fact a Marvel character under Han dynasty disguise, became more and more evident as the show progressed, what with slow motion sequences of him swirling Niao Niao around (but still staring in the distance) or appearing out of thin air with black guards in tow to save the day and the girl, not to mention surviving the most improbable wounds/falls/cataclysm etc. His acting improves in later episodes, as though he really started to feel his character, instead of just acting it which, as I’ll mention later, didn’t help the mess this plot became.

But, as I said, the story was still to unfold and held lots of promises. Then Part 2 came.
Another reviewer here said perhaps they employed 2 teams for this script and its mise-en-scène, and I second this theory. The A-team was responsible for Part 1 and a few scenes of 2 but then went on a holiday, on strike or sick-leave and left everything else in the hands of a trainee who didn’t know what to do with it.

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: Niao Niao.
We spent 27 episodes learning that this poor girl has been abandoned at birth in the unfriendly arms of the silliest grandmother ever created and an avid aunt. She had to fend for herself all her 15 years of age and grew up to be unpolished but independent, cunning and extremely intelligent. So much so, that when we are repeatedly introduced with other daughters, all of them born and raised the “proper way” and all of them, invariably, bitchy – with two lonely exceptions – I couldn’t help but deduce that if you want a child to grow up well, you need to abandon her, neglect her, starve her and slap her. The authors spent so much energy at creating a galaxy of female villains, young and old, that any analysis on the family dynamics that made Part 1 so intriguing flew out of the window. Was it a way to make Niao Niao shine by contrast? If so, shame on the author, for that’s a dirty trick indeed.

At first she is the epitome of an emancipated and courageous free-thinker, which gives out the false impression this drama were a celebration of female spirit; alas, there are so many quacking, quarrelling, cruel and jealous women around her that she ends up being the odd one out, hence defeating the object. To make matters worse, Shao Sheng herself slowly grows to become irritating and eventually insufferable.
When we finally come to Niao Niao realizing she wants to marry Doctor Strange… sorry, I mean Ling Bu Yi, I did ask myself why. Why? Trumpets…. Because he saved her several times! We know it because her “epiphany” consists on a series of flashbacks all involving him swooping her in his arms like the macho he is to prevent her from being hurt or killed. And yet she clearly and repeatedly stated she didn’t want to be treated like a damsel in distress. We all know he fell in love at first… hand, but I honestly still don’t know why and when Niao Niao fell in love with him. If her motivation were escaping her mother’s overbearing disapproval, then she chose the wrong environment to move to, something her mother and even Yuan Shen tried repeatedly to make her understand, of course to no avail.

Possibly realizing the direction the show was (not) taking, the authors saw it fit to morph Miao Miao (no typo) into the most annoying know-it-all busybody in imperial China. I spent all the early to middle part of this Part 2 expecting her to pop up at every imperial council, palace banquet, chamber, garden gathering, private conversation to speak her mind on the subject and endlessly preach: and I was never disappointed, cause so she did! To further complicate my personal sense of propriety, nobody in the whole imperial court had anything to object to whatever she did or said – except of course the villains, whose sole scope of existence is to annoy Shao Shang and, by default, Super Ling. We know nothing of these villains’ story or upbringing, for all we know they too went through some sort of trauma, the same we are supposed to use to justify our main leads shortcomings. This dichotomy in treatment permeates the whole drama, depriving it of logic and ethic.

The whole palace part was a snoring fest for me, because at that point the format was repetitive and predictable. I am well aware this is fiction, but the idea that an Emperor of China spends all his waking hours, and some sleep I suppose, playing paranymph to his beloved Zisheng is ludicrous. Is he a nice character? No doubt, but isn’t he supposed to also lead a country in his free time? Doesn’t he have other children? Furthermore, everything about his grand schemes of having Shao Shang and Bu Yi “find each other” are comical, rendering the few heart-wrenching scenes bizarre and filled with shall I laugh or cry dilemma. He basically ruins the party by being the party’s buffoon.

And what happened to the pace? I distinctly remember often having a hard time following the subs in part one, so fast they were. Once in the Palace, dialogues became sooooo slow, at times they uttered one word a minute. The whole Empress arc was kind of painful to watch and tedious to read, and I breathed in relief whenever the Consort come into the picture. My watching became a series of: “here we go again!”, “let’s ff this”, “please come to the point”, “you already said that” and, of course, “ugh”.

The love story is the one which paid the highest price in all this, because it too became repetitive, lacklustre and now and then saccharine. How many times can we have these two standing there gazing in each other’s eyes? How many combinations of words can be used to say the same thing?
him - Trust me, I don’t want to control you
her – Don’t patronize me. I am who I am
me – Give me my 40+ hours back
It was incredibly anti-climactic from some beautiful scenes they gifted us with in Part 1. They had a deeper chemistry when they were separated than when they were together, like two positive poles that repel one another. Even their touches, kisses included, looked forced.

Then, suddenly the drama takes a U-turn and becomes gory, melo-tragic, messed up and slightly disturbing. Everyone talks about death, litres of blood are shed and the moral compass becomes so blurred I couldn’t empathize with any of the character. In fact, I started loathing them, mostly our main leads, who at this point I’ll call Brangelina, or Mr and Mrs Smith. “Let’s go save the galaxy, my love, but before that let us bite our arms and do some amusing slaying, just as long as we do it together!” Ling Bu Yi shows his true colours, and they aren’t the shades I like at all. It didn’t help that we have Miao Miao go from “I need no man” to “I can’t live without this man” passing by “You’re all bitches because you don’t respect your men” and other equally contradictory and preposterous statements.

The acting changed too in this Part 2. I’ve already mentioned Leo Wu’s improvement; ironically, his better acting came in pair with Zhao Lu Si losing spark and believability. She was marvellous as a rebel teenager, well blending insecurity and stubbornness; not so as a woman crazily in love. He aced the besotted glance, while she just looked at him as though she was reading a recipe in slow motion – granted, we were told she was a prodigy at everything except reading. I don’t even know what the heck she expected of this guy, at some point I thought she was more blood-thirsty than him and was miffed because he didn’t invite her to the murder fest. Her idea of being equal to her man consisted of becoming LIKE him and do everything together, even those things she had no knowledge, training or experience of. Equally important does not mean being the same. To put it simply, I never bought their galactic love, neither in words, nor in deeds or stance. By the end I felt something akin to aversion for them, both as individuals as well as a pair.

Re-watch? Thank you, but no thank you. The highlights of the drama to me were Shao Shang’s mother, the Emperor’s Consort and the Cheng family as a whole. I would gladly watch a spin off solely focused on them and a love story between Yuan Shen and whomever – except Miao Miao, obviously, who by now will be busy creating an efficient torture device for her deranged man to use.

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2x speed to the rescue.

I have barely any thoughts, because this had barely any plot. They just threw things at me without establishing them well, so for each conflict that happened all I could do was ask “why?” or “since when?”. How did I view the plot? They did not have the content for 12 episodes, each 45 minutes long, so they stretched whatever they had to the oblivion. When you have a slow paced show, with your actors moving slowly and delivering their lines slowly, you should not be adding slow motion on top of that. 2x speed to the rescue.

The thing is, there were a lot of good elements in this. Great acting from both Mark and Zung. The supporting cast delivered a stable performance too. The chemistry was heartwarming and clearly there. The cooking scenes were beautiful and the soundtrack, even though at times cringy, overall, made me happy, and that’s the point. The directing just lost me.

Internal and external conflicts Aek was facing were not there until they suddenly were, and I was just supposed to accept that. Since when? All his outbursts of emotions made little sense and they never explained why he was so paranoid about every little thing in his life, when most of problems were exaggerated and could be solved with one conversation. The writer made him do quite a number of things that did not line up with how he was written in the previous episodes, just to insert more unnecessary drama.

Aue and his ex should never happen. One of the side plots that did nothing to either plot progression nor character development. She was there to add screen time. Instead , they could have shown more attention to the contest plot, explain why it's important for each character.

Overall, I don’t know. The show happened. I loved the first two episodes, good slow paced beginning to establish the characters and their surroundings, but then the pacing never picked up. It was slow the whole time, with few plot bombs dropped here and there. That said, I am excited to see more projects from both Mark and Zung, since I quite enjoyed what they delivered on screen.

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Promissing, but didn't deliver

The first half of the movie is great, although confusing.
The second half is predictable and boring. It completely killed the movie. It's a bit like they tried to recreate Oldboy with little hints here and there to end up with the big reveal. But by that point, you're not invested anymore and everything feels cliché. Another case of a good concept at first, but that ends up falling flat in the end.

The actor are great however. The two main actos and the ones playing their parents (mostly the mother) do a really good job. However, as the movie get into the second part, because the story isn't that great anymore, the acting also suffers from it I feel like. I should be shocked, sad or something, but in the end, I was just annoyed mostly.

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about the ´art´ of becoming an egoist

You may consider "Red Balloon" being one of those family makjang stories that come up again and again in different versions in KDrama-land. Tangled ties of fate and trauma that continue to get even more tangled and traumatizing. You might think “Yeah. Makjang again. Family drama again. Forbidden love again. Ok, you´ve seen it all. You don´t need another one.” So should you watch? You definitely don´t have to. But oddly enough: you may want to. The characters, with all their sometimes almost disturbing ambivalence, drag and pull you under their spell. Subtly, unperturbed, whether we're watching or not: they are struggling to function and survive within their dysfunctional relationships and families... and on top of it: they are even longing for far more than that.

2022/23 "Red Balloon" infiltrates South Korean homes as the red-hot contemporary document of a complicated ordeal, which society increasingly has to deal with. On the one hand, family is regarded as the highest value in society. On the other hand, within the last decades national divorce rate has reached the tops in worldwide comparison. Yet, divorce is still seen as a shame – a topic for ´other´ families only (if at all). Nevertheless, more and more South Koreans are choosing this path, even the 'elderly' (those over 60 and even over 70) are increasingly opting for divorce. The KDrama juxtaposes the hardened socio-cultural fronts within a fictional story that listens to both sides equally, gives space, allows themselves to be rubbed against each other – sometimes loudly, sometimes violently – and struggles to find solutions.

Throughout the KDrama, events and emotional ordeals continue to get worse. Seasoned with gradually increasing makjang tension, with complex personality portraits, as well as poignant, excellent pleas (sometimes for one, sometimes for the other and sometimes for yet another position), the KDrama screws itself deeper and deeper into the increasingly heated minds of the audience. "Red Balloon" succeeds excellently in taking its often head-shaking viewers into truly impassable, controversial socio-cultural terrain and, with the concentrated confrontational dramaturgical charge of emotional ambivalence, exemplifies what would be, could be, yet must not be, however wants to be possible, (and after all IS possible in South Korea 2022/23).

There are multiple storylines that are heartily intertwined. But they all deal with the same topic: the critical fine line between a so called ´satisfied´ life (as one normally lives / should / has to live / pretends to live) and a self-abnegating, self-deceiving ´dissatisfied´ life; the latter mostly going unnoticed, though, because actually everyone lives that way and it seems to be the most natural thing in the world... Dissatisfaction only becomes critical, if someone can no longer ignore that this supposedly ´satisfied´ life is actually a 'dissatisfied' one. The subtle psychological tension of the KDrama emerges in the conflict between traditionally unquestioned, accepted customs and the individual urge for deviation, which (here) rages more or less intensely in almost all of the protagonists, and erupts in an attempt to break free. Daring to dream, being honest with oneself and eventually even making the necessary efforts... but, alas, also being sincere in respect to the social environment? Ready to disappointing the expectations of others? Prepared to missing duties and responsibilities? To hurting loved ones, too? Has actually anyone ever honestly tried to truly walk along his/her individual path sincerely upright? (At least when it comes to South Korea 2022/23, so far there are hardly if any role models whatsoever.)

"Red Balloon" can be considered a social study using the example of the microcosm of three families, that are connected, among others, through a (not quite balanced) childhood friendship between two female protagonists. Yes, one could bitch and nag about prevalent adultery among the protagonists. On the other hand, in this case I´d like to set a different focus, that is: Collectivism in conflict with increasingly burgeoning individualism. Against this background, it is more about the 'art' of becoming an egoist. (See side note below). In a society shaped by collectivism, social class and hierarchy like South Korea, 'egoism' (=standing up for individual needs, even in the face of social pressure) has so far not been a quality in itself. On the contrary. The development of such an independent and socially recognized value is in its infancy there. The protagonists are correspondingly insecure and sometimes stumble, doubt themselves, look for a turnaround and reflect on the old values... which include: doing what other, older, financially better off fellow human beings say, want, demand. (And thus, often enough being humiliated, too. A life full of sacrifice, humiliation and shame is quite normal. Most people live that way. Accordingly there is nothing wrong with it, right?)

Shameless adultery might be one side of the medal. The other side, however, represents the widespread, customary long ignored individual dissatisfaction for the sake of ´the group´ (family etc.) that some can no longer cope with. The KDrama team draws memorable portraits of people at different ages, who have their quirks like anybody else. At some point, they try to stumble free from the expectations of others and rather follow their gut. They want to, and choose to live up to their own desires... struggling, staggering, falling in the face of the mercilessly blowing headwind. There might be an urge to break free of a tight corset of expectations and obligations – yet, just daring to think in this direction is considered shameless and despicable... Sympathy for family struggles, sacrifices, deprivation and suffering, on the other hand, is widespread, because this individual pain results out of self-sacrifice for the 'group' and in this case is downright virtuous. (The KDrama Orbit has told countless stories of this virtue since the earliest productions.) Sympathy for 'individual' pain however, e.g. suffering from the group pressures and demands, is hard to find. With a newly found egoism and its associated pains one is left alone... Well, has been, so far. Not anymore. This is where "Red Balloon" comes in… at least with an example of role models on fictional playground.

With its tricky, controversial topic, the KDrama hits the mark of many minds in the country. The audience of "Red Balloon" had quickly doubled and after half of the 20 episodes even tripled. Eventually, for the audience throughout the rest of the world it offers plenty of KDrama-Quality, too.





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SIDE NOTE: --- Life satisfaction in South Korea ---

The latest data on quality of life, published by the Republic's statistical office in 2022, ranks South Korea 36th among the 38 OECD countries. (Only in Turkey and Colombia life satisfaction is worse.)
What feels like exaggerated makjang for some (especially for audience with nationalities of the other 35 member states) is pretty close to everyday life for many (South Koreans) sitting in front of their home TV...




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SIDE NOTE --- The ´art´ of being an egoist ---

In 1976 the book “The Art of Being an Egoist” by Josef Kirschner was published. In it, the author works out the necessary, ambiguous psychological process and the stamina, the required perseverance, you need regarding individual (=egoistic) life decisions that are geared towards personal needs (=against the interests of the community/group/family). Self-love is a crucial step towards accountability (vs. behaviour determined by others) and thus forms the basis for free, responsible, caring citizens. However, even after all those centuries, egoism is (still) widely devaluated in individualistic Germany/Europe, too.
That´s because, egoism and the group are generally at war. The more submission the family/group/society structurally expects of its members, the less space individual needs have and the more shameful and banished they are. The protagonists in South Korea 2022/23 (which is characterized by collectivism and has a strong hierarchical structure) have to deal with just this problem. The theme here is the struggle for a psychologically healthy egoism for one's own good. The thesis behind: Honestly towards myself and content, I am able to approach others sincerely and freely give of myself, contribute and care about others. That´s because I want to. Not because I have to, (even though I feel wronged, indigent or missed out.) I care for myself. And then, additionally, I can truly care for others, too. Like the sign in the airplane says: you should put your oxygen mask on first before trying to help the person next to you…


PS:
(This 'egoism', which is based on self-love and mature personal responsibility, should not be confused with insatiable, ruthless and mostly immature greed. KDrama-orbit is full of greedy contemporaries, because unfortunately greed is cross-culturally human and can thus be found all over the world. Greed has no social component. With greed, nothing positive flows back into the group.)
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The First Romance that I truly fell for (pun intended)

POST POST SCRIPT: It's been a few months since I last watched this and I've cooled down a bit. I still really like this, mainly because of the chemistry. There is so much chemistry-
POST SCRIPT THAT I SHOVED TO THE BEGGINING OF THIS REVIEW:
The drama is a drama meaning that it does have misunderstandings between characters, but they always handle them quickly (like think one episode or at most two) and maturely. Characters don't hurt those that they love during hard times, they rely on each other. Most of the characters also respect each others privacy.
The parents are bishes.
The end :)

STORY:
Are you looking for a sweet romance where the leads only have eyes for each other? Want chemistry? Want tons of cute moments? Want no crazy drama? Want the leads to have most of the screen time? No super crazy and stupid misunderstandings or break up scenes? Want second leads (cuz these are unavoidable in dramas) that don't really matter? Want reasonable characters? Want heartwarming family moments? Then this drama is for you!
I don't typically watch romances, I like detective, mystery, serial killing, etc. dramas. But this one was just so simple and lovable. My heart beat so fast I thought it would burst every time the leads looked at each other.

ACTING:
If you didn't tell me that these people were actors, I would have thought that they really did truly love each other. The acting is perfect down to the very micromovements of the eyes and lips. The dubbing (which can't be avoided in c-drama) wasn't the best - but surprisingly, the acting was so good that it made up for the voice over completely!

MUSIC:
The music is perfect. It captures the beauty of whimsical first love perfectly. My heart flutters every time at their song choice. The music isn't overly loud or soft, it plays just at the right spot.
The people who produced this drama are masters at playing around with the audience's emotions with different song choices. Also, the piano music that was chosen was amazing! Yes, I get it, the actors all used body doubles... but does that really matter? Its not like they have to learn a whole new skill that should take years just for a drama.

REWATCH VALUE:
I would watch this tens, hundred, thousands of times over and over again if I could (but I don't think my life will be that long LOL).

OVERALL:
Great cast, great story, great script, great message, great feels. The beginning and ending were perfect. The drama talks to its audience quiet literally, they have these sort of "interviews" at the end where different characters talk to viewers about their feelings and its just so amazing all the way through.
The only thing I would change about this is the second leads. The main characters only had eyes for each other and although the second leads were great at acting, it would have been better to not include them. But... you can never ever ever escape second leads in drama world so-
Just watch it. If you don't like it, leave it. If you like it, you've been blessed. MWAH.

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Just finished watching this movie tonight, and I’m pretty much satisfied. The story was just like any ordinary zombie-movie, but this movie had this little pinch of romance, friendship(?) and also something metaphorical about the COVID-19 going on nowadays.

The zombies here were much more scarier than the zombies in Train to Busan, but I think the zombies’ gestures were much more realistic in TtB. But, what I love about this movie is the happy ending! Who hates happy endings, am I right? ;) Plus points for that!

Overall, a 9/10, very thrilling and super fun to watch! ⭐️

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Cannot wait for Season 2! | Update:I was generous on this

Ok let me start off by just saying, this was CLEARLY my first review because I am being very generous with my comments here (as I was kind of forcing myself to finish the series at all), so bear with me. I re-edited the ratings to give an accurate representation on how I feel about this series. Moving on,,

I'll first start with how I feel about each couple in M.E, then I'll go onto some other things. This is also my first review ever so...

P.S: [ + ] < critique most likely includes spoilers that are from like halfway+ of the series

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•Bohn x Duen : This pair is a complicated one. At the beginning of the story, their plot has a pretty good development. You know the standard ‘top chases after bottom despite having seen him only for like a day’. They have cute moments and this and that, but after a while it goes a bit downhill. Do not get me wrong, most of their plot is beautiful in its own way, but some jealousy and miss-communication is visible in both characters at times, But AYE you didn’t hear it from me. Duen is a beautiful but complicated character. He is a kind and very thoughtful person of everyone around him. He understands ram, he understands Bohn to an extent, he protects his sister, and he plays along with games. But at the same time his emotions and ways of dealing with things can be very hard to understand or even agree with. He is a pretty important person in this series in my opinion, he left a very very good impression on me, and I won’t lie, so did his smile.
+ a critique I have for them tho is the lack of character and P L O T development and COMMUNICATION. Like a lot of their relationship is Bohn misinterpreting Duen's actions and who he talks to. Like come on my guy, he's your boyfriend you should be able to trust him. Also, literally NOTHING interesting has happened to them since like episode 9-10. Like it's the same Bohn being jealous type stuff. Then it's them not talking to each other and having misunderstandings. At certain points I felt as if they should have been the side couple instead. But I still love them.

• Mek x Boss : you guys frustrate me . Mek and Boss are super adorable don’t get me wrong, they have their 'hubby' and 'wife' moments and their chemistry is great. But Boss's cluelessness gets me frustrated, but in a good way. It keeps making me go like 'Boss the love of your life is literally right I. Front of you.' They progress that was made is steady and pretty good if you ask me. Mek’s love for boss is honestly a little bit depressing at times, because you can tell how much it hurts him to ‘know’ that he will never be able to have boss. He does anything and everything boss asks him to do. While Boss is struggling with himself and trying to differentiate right from wrong, this can make things get a little messy later on. I just hope that they get a happy end going because boy do they deserve it, especially mek.
+ ;-; Ryan (Mek) will most likely (actually 90%+ chance,) not be in S2 so let’s all cry together
+ MAJOR spoiler: I am soooo !happy !that they both confirmed each other's feelings, I am also pretty shocked ab the fact that mekboss was the first kiss in the whole series like OOP- Also the fact that Boss told him how he actually had ALWAYS liked Mek from the start leaves me going O.O like I wonder how hard it must have been for him to convince himself that his feelings were weird and that dating some females and saying that he loves them was going to help him get over his crush, poor baby. But in the end they're happy and I'm happy so we're all happy.
+ the tiny critique that I would have for this couple is the dubbing, but I'm just nitpicking. But no srsly the dubbing can make me uncomfortable at times with how unnatural it looks AND sounds. Like why did you have to hire a voice actor with a voice that, unfitting to mek?

• Ram x King : Adorable. This word is what I would use to describe them. Ram, while very “introverted” in a sense and very reluctant to let new people in, is slowly starting to let King be in his life. While King is finding ways to help Ram without screaming 'I'm interested in you pay attention to me'. the chemistry? It's there 10/10, definitely there and I am all here for it. as the story progresses the chemistry is developing even more, the progress in character development is visible and is touching to see on screen. The way they both have their own strengths, weaknesses, and fears is fun to watch. The way one has a thing for plants and another for dogs is intriguing too. When King helps Ram in small ways it is very touching, comforting him, but not overdoing it. Even though I personally SOMEHOW did not find them my favorite couple, I would feel like they deserve a series to themselves to be honest.
+ I have nothing 'bad' to say about this couple. I love how they understand each other with no words, and just no how to help each other in different situations. I would love to have even a tiny critique but nah. It's only a music thing that's bothering me but that's in the music section of this review
+ nvM King be true to yourself in S2. Don’t hide your feelings and don’t try to just erase events that happened. Second part also goes to you Ram.

THE RLY LATE COUPLE (they came in way later than the other couples is what I mean)
•TharaFrong: Uhm- yeah. Yep that’s a word to describe them, “uhm”. Look, I have no problem with new couples being introduced like halfway through a series, but at least make it interesting. I know there are a lot of fans who liked how this couple introduced themselves and stuff, but for me after they “met” each-other they just became boring. Now this is to my own personal opinion as I did not want to invest in them nor did I have the slightest interest in mister doctor. But if you do watch the series, I can say that they were pretty “iconic” if you will. I don’t know, they just seemed so ‘unnecessary’ to me.
+ THAT ENDING, OH MY GOOOOOOD. See this couple will just frustrate me more then mekboss bcos bro HOW are you gonna say “brothers” in front of him like that like-damn :(


I'm going to talk about other things now, this is where it can get all over the place


• Storyline : the storyline isn't anything SUPER interesting (interesting as in never seen/heard of before), but I like how the story is progressing. There is nothing Happening as if it would be a story that couldn't be seen In everyday life, or as if it was out of place in the series. It's a cute little story about some cute couples with cute interactions and cute development, it's just a really nice series to watch and tone down to.
+ As the Series continues, the storyline can start to get a little messy for some couples. Like I genuinely do not know what the point of Bohn getting jealous at duen every 2 seconds is for, and how all of a sudden at once mek and boss became a thing(, IT IS CUTE THO I WONT LIE). So yeah at some point it's just repeating actions from a couple, speeding up at the speed of lightening and becoming a couple immediately. And then two normal progressing couples. A couple that started forming WAY later into the series kinda disappointed me if you get what I mean (the end,) so, it is what it is.

• Actors: All the actors are adorable and amazing and portray their characters to to the best of their abilities. Poy is a new face, but something about him just makes you wanna squish his cheeks and protect him forever like HIS SMILE? don't even get me started. Cooper isn't necessarily new so I was expecting, and he met those expectations pretty well. I didn't know any of the other cast before this series but they've proved themselves to me, like they made their series my FAVORITE one that's airing right now, they're topping whyRU and 2gether (I have absolutely nothing against these two series, I also love them very very much, to support them too). >>> Ok I love the acting. Perth (Ram) is impressing me more with each and every episode that comes out each week. Some characters frustrate me but that's good because that's what their role is tying to do, and if they do it successfully then it's good. In all, almost every single character is impressing me.

•Music: ok idc what ANYONE else says, the music in this series is amazing to me personally. From the sound effects to the OST, stream The person I waited by MOD3G x Joelong by the way (It's the My Engineer opening ost) . The music is perfect and no one can convince me otheriwise.
+ ok that one scene where Ram was asking ab his dad to his mom and they played that meme music- it's not their fault they probably didn't know that the music they chose was 'meme music', but it was kind of annoying cause it's like 'we're having a MOMENT HERE

•conclusion: This series is worth watching, because why not? Why not enjoy yourself? Exactly.
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My personal favs: for some reason, I literally don't know how I feel about all the couples anymore, maybe later on, but for now....

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WHAT A JOURNEY IT HAS BEEN

First of all, i just like to say that this Series is not for everyone. I know everyone has different tastes especially in dramas. Aside from being a HUMAN HEALING DRAMA, this show is a character driven kind of drama. You have to immerse yourself in the drama to fully understand and go through the process of healing while watching the show.


STORY - I really love the story. It's unique and refreshing how the writer used many fairy tale and folk tales references and combined all those stories into one. It's so brilliant.

ACTING - Now let's talk about the performances for the Actors.

Immediately after watching episode 1, you will be amazed already of Oh Jung Seng's performance. It really is a role of a lifetime. He is so effective as Moon Sang Tae. I cry on most of his scenes with Gang Tae. He exceeded everyone's expectations and he will definitely get many awards from this show.

Seo Ye Ji's role is also very challenging. She is phenomenal as Moon Young. I cannot think of anyone who can do this role as perfect as her.

Supporting Roles from the younger casts, CEO, Juri, SEung Jae, Jaesu, Director, the OK staff and patients. Everyone had amazing perfomances.

Now for my bias, Kim Soo Hyun.... I have to be honest, as a fan of KSH, i really did not understand at first why he chose this project. Maybe i was used to A list actors to work with more known and award winning directors and writers. After his last drama The Producers in 2015 and military enlistment in 2017, i was really waiting for his comeback and has high expectations on the first project he'll work on. THANK GOD, he chose It's Okay to Not Be Okay. He really took time in reading many scripts and he really wants to challenge himself. His role is not as flashy or flamboyant as Moon Young and Sang Tae.... What makes his performance a stand out was the fact that his character wasn't a stand out. SYJ and OJS, being such amazing actors themselves could have easily stole the limelight from KSH. Moon Gang Tae's character was less explosive and more contemplative. His role is very deep and requires consistency. Many of his emotions must be conveyed using his eyes alone. and he did it perfectly. His crying scenes have different emotions and meanings especially his breakdown scene on episode 9. It felt like he poured his heart and soul on that scene and the audience felt it. The fact that KSH was able to get rave reviews for his performance both internationally and locally, and many people became a huge fan of Moon Gang Tae's character.... and lastly, that KSH was able to showcase such amazing and brilliant acting range for a role that's quite a challenge... that's really IMPRESSIVE and not all actors would be able to accomplish that.. I'm just happy that KSH is a risk taker and took this risk and not doing the usual OPPA dramas.


CINEMATOGRAPHY/MUSICAL SCORING/EDITING -
We have to commend the cinematographer of this show. WOW. just WOW! the camera shots are so perfect. i love how the cinematographer used different techniques. It was so effective. Same as the editing. I love the transitions from one scene to another. Not just the cool transitions but just the regular transitions where musical scoring is used to properly connect one scene from another.

OVERALL - this show will be one of my all time favorites. I have to admit that i expected more from the mother's plot. maybe because i watch too many crime dramas and i wanted more explanation how the mother survived or what really happened. I guess i overthought and had watched too many theory videos that i forgot what the show was all about. Thank you to the Finale episode"FINDING THE REAL FACE". My take on the mother's plot is very simple. The mother survived and whatever stories we saw from the father's POV and MY's are not really accurate since the father had brain injury and even had major surgery for that, and MY was too young and grew with too much trauma to remember everything and just remembered the trauma she experienced during her childhood. Once the "Finding the Real Face" story was told, everything made sense to me that this drama is not about MY's mother. It's about the journey of Moon Young, Sang Tae and Gang Tae. From episode 1 to 16 we saw their character developments and how they were healed in the process of knowing each other. There might be an evil witch who took their real faces, but like in any fairy tale, there will always be a happy ending.


Reading this definitely gave me some closure on the mother mystery :

https://chasehermes.tumblr.com/post/625989613310394368/i-was-thinking-about-why-the-show-did-not-discuss


I have to say that this drama has one of the best finales and most satisfying endings I've ever watched. I don't know how many times i cried watching all episodes but one thing is for sure , i learned so much from this drama. I immersed myself in the show and this show really healed me to overcome some of the trauma and regrets i have in my life. The title itself is such a meaningful and powerful phrase that "It's Okay to Not Be Okay". Here are some of the lessons i learned from this drama.

- Family is Beyond Blood Relations
- Fight for your Happiness
- Don't Make Rash Decisions
- Don't Judge a book by its cover
- Confront your Trauma
- Remember Good Memories
- Speak Up for Yourself
- Reach Out for Help
- It's Better to Kiss than Fight

"When you're tired get some rest. When your sad, go ahead and cry. It's okay to do that."

Damn, there so many life learning quotes in this show. Watching this while on air is the best decision i made this year. Usually i will wait for a show to be completed before i binge watch but i made an exception for IOTNBO. I really invested too much in this drama. I'm happy to be one of the active posters in IOTNBO page and one of the users who broke records of having 16k+++ comments on the 16th episode. Most of all, i'm very grateful for this show because i met many friends who will be my forever MDL friends!

I felt like i was also riding in the camping van when the show ended. It really is a great and amazing journey. Thank you OKAY Family! Thank you IT'S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.

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Mame, why?

Also, Kate why? Why are you always giving a chance to Mame shows, even if you know where it leads and how it ends. Why am I torturing myself?

Theoretically speaking, Mame's ideas are not bad, but for the love of God she cannot write a good story based on them. So she adds bullshit plot lines to fill the screen time that should be used on developing well written characters and relationships.
Don't Say No with better writing would be legit good BL, focused on the realistic portrayal of friends to lovers (with all the awkwardness and unsureness of it), the struggle with accepting your past, thinking it's holding you back, or affects how your loved one views you, found family trope...

But she just cannot put these ideas into writing. There are truly good scenes here and there, but they are surrounded by so much trash. What seemed like a refreshing story of two completely different individuals with different past and romantic and sexual experiences trying to make their relationship work, turned into a bingo game of what kind of external excuse will Fiat get for sleeping with people. I guess having someone who just likes sex and does not mind having different partners is still too much of a taboo topic.

As I said, it started well. I loved the scenes where the internal monologues show how both Fiat and Leo are unsure, how Fiat's past affects both of them and the choices they make in their current relationship. None of them wanted to take the first step - Leo in fear of being seen like the other Fiat’s partners, who only wanted him for his body, and Fiat in fear of looking like an easy guy who only thinks about sex. Scenes like that were truly well written, and presented both the lead's perspectives and what type of problems they need to face.

But then we’ve got the usual Mame tropes of sexual assault/rape (yes, blackmailing someone into sleeping with you when they don’t want to, and would never do it willingly is a rape). I just don’t understand the reasoning behind these themes in the majority of Mame’s adapted works. They are just cheap ways of making the show more angsty, and one of the lead characters to be either jealous or protective. The dynamics between Fiat and Leo were interesting enough to fill the screen time without adding that dark past. Why is this woman so obsessed with toxic sexual relationships and rape? It’s not like I’m completely against using these toxic tropes in the stories, but there is no novel of hers that does not include them. At best it shows her lack of skills in writing good quality conflict, at worst showcases her unhealthy view and romanticisation of assaults.

That one plot line addressing the blackmail annoyed me for one more reason - the focus that was placed on how bad Leo felt about it, and not Fiat who was the actual victim. Everyone was going around asking Leo if he was okay, Fiat included. I am sorry, but what the heck? Shouldn’t they care a little bit more about the guy that was the victim, and not his boyfriend?
Then there is the mom with psychological issues, Fiat’s suppressed trauma and the explanation behind his bad relationship with dad. Why? Was it needed? No. Not to mention, the whole topic of child abuse, like always in Mame’s adapted stories, was written with complete lack of understanding and respect.

The second couple was cute, and that’s kind of it. Pretty much the cliché stereotypical BL story of a shy good guy who is reserved about the hot playboy, who was never in a serious relationship but wants to give it a chance when he meets that cute shy potato. That said, I did like their ending a lot. It just makes sense. Relationships end, sometimes the timing is not right, sometimes there are more important aspects of your life that you should prioritize.

One of my favorite aspects of the show was Fiat’s interactions with Leo’s family. The found family trope is strong here and I’m all for it. Loved how Fiat and Leon seemed more like real brothers - bickering all the time, but caring for each other a lot. Watching Fiat and Leo’s mother just made me smile more than once. It was amazingly heartwarming and pure. If only the writing focused more on Fiat gaining the confidence while being surrounded by people who love and care for him...

Moving to the actual performance of the actors. I actually liked Ja a lot. He is quite good at conveying emotions with his eyes. The melo and romance were more believable than the few instances of him getting angry, but he just does have this soft aura about him.

And then we have First and I want to cry. This child is so cute, but he truly cannot act. Probably some of the worst dry eyes crying scenes I have seen in years. Even his less emotional scenes were sadly not the greatest. He tends to overreact with his face. I did not mind his line delivery though. It was all about not being the greatest in controlling his facial expressions.
The supporting cast did fine. There were no outstanding performances, but I also have nothing to complain about. I liked Smart a lot, but since the role itself was not exactly demanding, I can’t go into detail about his performance. He also lost me a bit in the last episode.

Production value and music are the typical Thai BL quality - good, but not breathtaking. Have to say though, the styling of Fiat is just amazing. Makes little sense for him to be the only student wearing checked long sleeved shirts over his uniform and walking around the house in a fashion show like outfits, but I still loved it.

Overall, I have no brain left. It started well, taking into consideration past Mame works as comparisons, but then it went into the same rabbit hole of toxic tropes. I don’t even want to talk and think about the stalker girl and King.

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A journey of group with full of mysteries ...

As this is my first drama which is adapted from a game rather than of a novel , it is a perfect drama in every aspect ...this drama starts from cute and fluffy and is going on a way to angst ...

in this drama there are two people who wake up together after losing their memories with great martial arts powers . one thing i want to clarify is they are not siblings , FL do not remember her surname so ML gives his surname to her ...
so in journey of finding their memories they start to unravel mysteries of martial world and in their way they meet their companions ..

Casting is really great , both xu kai and yu shuxin knows how to express emotions with their eyes , even side characters are showing their ultimate level of acting ...
Double role of Xu kai is the key concept for me in this drama ..

Production - Tencent has done a great work in the production of this drama , set , CGI , dressing everything looks perfect ...

OSTs - as expected the music is the heart of this drama ... after a long time there are such good ost ...

this drama is continuously breaking records in every charts of dramas in china and the upcoming teasers are all more exciting , because many mysteries are ahead of our young heroes .

although i do not want to write review now but because of some haters i have to write this one ...
when this drama ends i will edit this one ...

love for Xu kai and yu shuxin ......

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This Series Would Probably Have Been Put Together Better By A Single-Celled Organism...

With Kim Hong Seon, PD of masterpieces such as Voice and The Guest behind the works of the show , an ensemble of fairly talented actors ( not least Kim Rae Won, Kim Sang Ho Lee Da Hee and Kim Sung Oh) taking up the personae of screenwriter Chung Sung II ‘s characters( The Package,Your Honor), everything in relativity about “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” screamed out " masterpiece" . Then, not even several episodes into the actual story, we find ourselves going down into the previously mentioned rabbit hole of cataclysmic screenwriting, which only seemed to crumble further into the abyss as the series went on...

The premiere episode of ‘ L.U.C.A’ did initially introduce some fairly innovative story writing techniques. The most evident offering hope for viewers to grow alongside our protagonist Zi O ( Kim Rae Won). Like our amnesiac main lead, we know little about Zi O’s world, identity and his mysterious link to detective Gu Reum ( Lee Da Hee). This should have by default allowed us to become attached to Zi O emotionally, had our hearts pulled out when he confronts the terrible and clandestine truths about his past and felt broken-heartedness to part with him and Gu Reum in the finale also.

Instead, trying to become attached to Zi O as a character even later on the show was fairly out of bounds for viewers . This is mainly because the characters lacked the innate, individualistic core of profound personality flaws and traits, rather than cliche plot mechanisms in order to keep a poorly-paced storyline motivated.

Whilst dramas often like to take the approach of the “ wild card” rebel trope in order to keep audiences entertained, this approach to Zi O soon began to collapse when every episode would follow this expected , fundamental structuring of Zi O having “ lost control of his powers again” or “ gone into a fit of rage” over a small (and often trivial) issue. It is not necessarily always a terrible approach to a character, but normally a show tends to foreground why this personality transition should be so shocking or surprising for viewers. Naturally, as we know little about his past, this aspect of knowing more about his identity , is drawn out of the question until later episodes. On the other hand, it is still interesting to note how Zi O’s character slowly begins to fall into the cesspit of lacklustre characterisation, even from his initial introduction in episode 1.

When Zi O is first introduced, he is notably marked as being “ different” by screenwriter Chung Sung II. He had few qualms over animal abuse , but somehow easily allowed his emotions to boil when someone who had grown close to him such as Gu Reum, was injured. This is not saying that Zi O should have remained an emotionless android in the drama, but it did seem peculiar for a character who struggled with emotional and psychological isolation over the course of the series, to suddenly see Zi O transitioning into emotional outbursts and tantrums. This can be mainly sourced to the problem of having few focal points over the course of the series which allowed Zi O to come to grips with his state of mind or mature as an individual.

It is important to address the controversial dilemma of miscasting for Zi O as well. Before anything else, it is important to state that Kim Rae Won is a good actor. However, Zi O as a written character respectfully felt slightly younger that Rae Won. This is not claiming that a “ fresher actor” would have been better at the role( as anyone would struggle with what was given to them by screenwriter Chung Sung II).Again, this is more the fault of poor casting than Won’s ability as an actor, however, it will certainly raise eyebrows for viewers to see a man nearing his 40s taking a temper tantrum as his character onscreen before storming off in order to ‘’ cool down’’.

This naturally draws us onto what led Gu Reum from being possibly one of the most profound female characters in a TVN drama, to a senseless cardboard cutout not even several episodes later. Gu-Reum is a character who was initially established as the “ advisory cop” archetype with a prolonged desire to find out what happened to her parents. It wasn’t honestly an original backstory, but it did bring the potential to explore Gu-Reum as someone caught in the crossfire between duty and morals over the course of the drama, who learns to becomes stronger as a consequence of her enmity towards Zi O.

Instead, Gu Reum seemed to have been a female lead drawn into this unexplained cliche of having an inferiority complex against her male associates in early episodes before being completed reverted into a “ damsel in distress” who faints, or gets clunked over the head by an object in the later storyline . Da Hee certainly was quite a good actress in the show, however, it was hard to take her role seriously when her character transitioned from intelligent cop to unintentional comic relief in seconds flat , especially due to with her relationship with Zi O.

The “ enemy to lovers” is a popular trope amongst dramas and given the right storyline and characterisation, this can work incredibly well. Yet, “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning”’s problem can be found by the sudden and illogical transition from Gu Reum being at Zi O’s throat in early episodes and Zi O “ accidentally” pushing her around with his powers, to Gi Reum suddenly eloping and holding his hand affectionately like a shy school girl not even several episodes later . If you think it can’t get worse than this between the two characters and their “ affections”, then (without any spoilers), it is important to confirm that it certainly does. Although this was necessary to the storyline, there’s little sense of actually building up the characters , let alone pairing them off from enemies to lovers in nearly seconds flat.

Whilst the pacing of the show was quick in parts, a major issue with its sudden fast-pacing can be found through the myriad of plot inconsistencies which arose throughout the drama. Whilst there are some evident reasons explained in the plot behind this, it naturally draws more concern how Zi O, a mutant who has never been registered for official residence was able to not to be caught as a figure of interest amongst CCTV footage after initial reports in the past as well as not legally queried over his job entitlement as well. Whilst minor, it often subjugated the drama’s “ unintelligent violence” without deeper meaning, or at least unique film techniques to make these fight sequences more than a brawl, but fine art.

Arguably our show has several “ main antagonists”, however, the most reoccurring and prominent “ puppet working for the brains” in the series appears as the gruff former-solider Lee Son ( Kim Sung Oh).With an interesting and personal motive behind the reason for getting back at Zi O, Lee Son had the potential to be a fairly well-crafted, Machiavellian antagonist with actual depth due to his experiences in the field and profounder reasons for working for nefarious scientist Ryu Joong Kwon ( Ahn Nae Sang). Instead, Lee Son turns more into the classic “ brainless and inhuman combatant ” than a worthwhile or interesting opponent, often resulting in his actions coming off as more “annoying” than “baleful” .

On the other hand, the one character in the show who was surprisingly intriguing came in the form of Choi Yoo Na ( Jung Da Eun). Although Da Eun hasn’t received as much credibility in performances as some of her costars , she did surprisingly capture interest within her well-performed role as the mysterious and laidback Yoo Na; a young woman who became a field agent for Jong Kwon’s organisation after the initial operation upon her leg ( as shown in the first episode). Yet like most side characters out there, Yoo Na didn’t really have the opportunity for viewers to see her character grow or deepen over the course or the series.

Meanwhile, the ending of the show took a cliffhanger approach rather than particularly “ bittersweet” or “ happy”- appropriate for the genre, but nevertheless a little disjointed and arguably anticlimactic rather than an ending which felt complete and worthwhile.

“ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” can probably be seen as the epitome of the recent problem of “ throwaway” dramas emerging out of the action genre in South-Korea. With notable recent predecessors such as “ Alice” (2020) and “RUGAL” (2020) also suffering from the same fate of being high-budget extravaganzas, but often lacking screenwriting quality , it is probably fair to say that “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” is the type of show to watch if you’re bored and want to binge-watch something with mindless violence without a second thought . However, “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” greatly suffers from its own demise as a memorable and well-written show due to poor characterisation, miscasting, plot inconsistencies, deeper meaning and plot incoherency as well. A shame for a drama which had potential to be one of the best dramas of 2021 .

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