Healer is an example of a story that knows where it is going from begining right to the end. The writers, directors and actors all contributed in executing the plot with utmost care and consideration in order to make it a thrilling and compelling viewer experience.
There was nothing about this drama that didn't work. The characters, their relationships, the sub plots and the overarching plot all fell into place perfectly. There is a perfect balance between humour, romance (the romance was so adorable) and drama. Each element is tightly interconnected making it near-impossible for there to be any plot-holes (as far as I can recall, I don't think that there any plot-holes). The tension is both extrinsic and intrinsic - with characters having to deal with their own internal conflicts as well the many external conflicts that surround them. And the pacing is absolutely wonderful: we never reach that 15 episode slump that commonly plagues most 20+ episode dramas.
Where most dramas succeed plot wise, they tend to fail character and cast wise. This isn't the case with Healer. As well as there being three exceptionally well-developed and performed leading characters, the chocolate box collection of supporting characters are also wonderfully developed - each with their own unique flavour. I was finding it difficult to decide who my favourite character was: often stuck in a rut between the boss hacker Ahjumma Min Ja, Healer, mini-Healer and Healer's Teacher. (Min Ja clearly won my heart, though. I would love to be friends with that woman.)
Even the villain was nunaced and had his own backstory and reasons for his actions. Yes, his reasons weren't as justifiable as he believed them to be, and yes he had reached a point of delusion, but I did genuinely pity the guy. Everyone, except for the Godfather-esque Elder and his OCD, pushover crony had a backstory and depth.
Above all else, though, we have Ji Chang Wook - Healer/Park Bong Soo/Seo Jeong Hoo - who managed to convey all the different emotions that our hero was going through with what seemed like no effort at all. Yes he's undeniably beautiful, but so are 9 out of 10 of the men we see K-Dramas, the difference with JCW is that the guy is a natural actor. When JCW was playing Jeong Hoo playing Park Bong Soo it was 100% convincing - he pulled of the nerdy and awkward character perfectly, and let the mask of Bong Soo unwittingly slip off WHEN IT WAS NEEDED. IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE ACTING AT ALL! I believed his pain, I believed his sincerity, I believed his happiness because JCW played Healer/Park Bong Soo/Seo Jeong Hoo so naturally it was like watching a real person progress and develop over time.
I can't talk about how great Healer was without talking about his leading lady: Chae Young Shin. I'm not really sold on Park Min Young being a great actress, but the role of Chae Young Shin definitely did suit her. She managed to pull off the quirky heroine, who tries to overcome her own personal trauma in order to be brave and succeed in her goals without making her seem too headstrong or too weak. She successfully portrayed both the strenghts and weaknesses of Chae Young Shin, whilst also empahsising her emotional growth as a character. Her chemistry with Ji Chang Wook was also incredibly sparkling.
Which brings me onto my next point: the OTP. Healer has probably one of the most convincing, adorable and affectionate romances in dramaland. You can genuinely understand why Chae Young Shin and Park Bong Soo are drawn to each other and care deeply for one another. This going to sound cringey, but they are actually made for one another: they complete each other and both help the other to overcome their fears and flaws. Both understand each other, and any conflict that comes between them is quickly resovled - not because the writer threw in some crappy misunderstanding - but because the two understand each other enough to dispel any doubt over the other's morality. True, it's usually Young Shin that does the doubting, but Healer never gets angry with her over it because he - and the audience - know that her anxiety often leads her mind to tread in places that can cause her resolve to waver.
I could go on for days about our OTP, but then I wouldn't be able to mention her third leading character: Kim Moon Ho (Yoo Ji Tae). His character could have easily been overshadowed by the powerful OTP, but he turned out to be a man with some of the deepest personal conflict. Yoo Ji Tae gave us a nunaced performance of a man who wants to protect everyone he loves, whilst also attempting to repent for past sins that he did not commit. He was a great guardian-like figure to our OTP and he was a necessary push factor in order for both of them to grow.
I think now is the moment where I'm supposed to talk about the things I didn't like...Hmm...Well...I guess I bloody hated the OST - especially that Destiny song which was awfully cringeworthy and could disrupt the tone of some of the more emotional scenes. But the sucky song still does not prevent me from giving Healer that perfect 10.
In fact, the only problem with this drama is that NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE WATCHED IT IN KOREA. I don't think it was a wise decision to have Healer go up against Punch - which was always going to be stiff competition because of the people who were at the healm of the drama. It's obvious that JCW is not nearly as much of a star Kim Rae Won, and Healer was Song Ji Na's come back drama after that horrible fiasco that was Faith. Healer definitely deserved a higher viewership, but I'm glad that is succeeded in getting a cult following because that will prevent it from falling into K-dramaland oblivion for a long time to come.
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Do not miss out on this drama!
This drama made me smile so much. It's a story of healing and love and heartache. It's hilarious and sad and beautiful. I loved it very much. This is one of those dramas I know I will rewatch again, chasing that feeling of watching it for the first time that I will sadly not feel again in quite the same way. But in the words of Winnie the Pooh: "How lucky am I to have had something that makes saying goodbye so hard."Run, don't walk to watch this drama. I don't think it's for everyone, but if this drama is for you then I know you will love it as much as I did.
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It was captivating early on and they paid attention to details with the environment which is key. The acting was fantastic for almost all of the actors, especially for Lee Dong Wook's character, as he was very believable in his charismatic role. And while it wasn't overly gory, let's just say munching on snacks was fine but I didn't choose to eat a hearty meal while watching this.
Although it was only ten episodes, it felt longer. Not because scenes were dragged on, but because some of the episodes just didn't add much depth. They did provide some background on the residents but not enough to empathize much with anyone. It barely touches the complexity of a human mind and it doesn't take you through the journey of how everyone became who they are. Because of this, the ending felt rushed and it didn't trigger much emotions.
Nevertheless, I still quite enjoyed it for its suspense and those strange residents no one should ever have to live with.
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This is the BL We Lived For
This is the BL We Lived For. The BL genre is so saturated right now and its good to see production companies try to deliver unique plots even with limited budget.Short summary. A hunky Guy suddenly appeared in a man's house looking for an evidence of a crime 10 years ago. Guy put the Houseowner in a cage in his own basement because who doesnt keep a cage in their basement, to search for that evidence. Suddenly, Houseowner's friend - an obviously gay twinkie Cop who is looking for a way to clear his father's name, appeared in the house and met Guy - who pretended to be Houseowner's brother. Of course Cop would believe and flirt with Guy because why not? They made love and fell in love. However, Cop realized soon enough that Guy is not Houseowner's brother and is keeping his friend in the basement, but still chose to believe Guy's explanation over his friend. Guy found the evidence he was looking for- same evidence that can clear the Cop's father's name. Chaos ensues as more people appeared the house. After all the killing, Guy and Cop remained alive, and they lived happily ever after, in a beach somewhere.
The good:
1. Great camera work - i dont know what type of camera they used but shots look cinematic, plus great editing and color grading.
2. Unique story.
2. Capable and good looking main leads.
Im so sick of watching Korean BLs with 10+ min per episodes, i honestly dont understand why they cant just make episodes longer when their intended broadcast platform doesnt have limitations on episode length. can someone please explain it to me? That why, i am glad that the episodes for this series are slightly longer than the average Korean BLs. The 5 to 10 minutes added per episodes gave the story enough breathing time so the execution doesnt feel rushed. It felt like a well executed complete story but still i cant help imagine what the show could have been if its a regular length series.
However, the show isnt perfect and there are some loopholes in the story:
1. However twinkie the cop may look, why would he need a self defense training from a random stranger - he is a cop for crying out loud, isnt self-defense and all other kind of defense and offense training already part of cop training?
2. Why would the criminals wait for 10 years to look for the evidence that can implicate them in a crime?
3. its an expensive looking house but people kept showing up unannounced - dont they have a front door or something? Even the father cop suddenly appeared in the living room without even knocking and announcing himself and has the guts to say lets do it by the books.
4. I may get a flak for saying this, i had a hard time identifying all the other cast members - they all look alike with the same styling even in the flashback scene from 10 years ago.
Will i recommend? Yes definitely. it's a 9 out of 10 for me.
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''The day you wasted today is the tomorrow that someone who died yesterday so badly wished for.''
Whether you'll like ''Chocolate'' or not, it pretty much depends on your mood. If you are looking for intense melodrama which focuses mainly on the romance, then ''Chocolate'' is not for you. But if you are looking for a well-written, soothing story with unqiue main and supporting characters, then you hit the jackpot!I'm almost never in the mood for melos which is why I didn't believe that I'll enjoy this one. I've read different opinions from different reviewers and even though I quite agree with some of the negative things they said, I can't lie that ''Chocolate'' is totally my cup of tea and I loved it even with its flaws.
I think the premise of the drama is a bit misleading -- it looks as if it's a story which focuses on the romance the most, but it's not like that. Actually, you have to wait (quite) a lot to see some heart-warming moments between the two main leads. ''Chocolate'' is one of the dramas that focuses on the supporting characters a lot and yes, I know that in a lot of kdramas that is extremely annoying. BUT it's not the same case here. The supporting characters in this drama were so interesting and loveable and I loved every second of them on the screen. The story takes place in a hospice which means that you'll encounter a lot of dying patients so beware that you'll bawl your eyes out. I loved how they appreciated every patient, how they showed their story and left a message to the viewers. I loved every side story -- the ahjumma and the director of the hospital's story was so heartbreaking and painful, yet very touching and beautiful. The FL-s brother -- Taehyun, was sometimes so annoying to the point that I wanted to slap him hard, but he had his own charm and he brought a different light to the story. Plus some of his words were so strong. So I really appreciated his characters, even though he was flawed. I even liked the scenes with Jun's parents especially in the first half. Well, his grandma was a bit... unlikeable.
Now let's get into my absolute favourite character -- Lee Jun played by the charming Jang Seung Jo. He is for sure the character that developed the most. I really hated his younger version, but he progressed with each episode and I fell in love with him easily. Extremely interesting person, whose life was pretty much ruined by his toxic family -- but who still wanted to change himself and live better. I was so pround of my man! Jang Seung Jo was flawless and I believe he was born to play this character. The bromance between Jun and his brother Kang was something that made me smile the most and the development of their relationship was so beautiful.
The main leads were also very strong and intiguing characters. Lee Kang is, undoubtedly, one of the best male leads out there! I'm not gonna lie, I completely fell in love with Yoon Kye Sang and the way he portrayed his character. Moon Cha Young is an actual strong female lead which is not that often seen in kdramaland. I've never been a big fan of Ha Ji Won; I know she is a good actress, but she has that very specific way of acting which isn't my cup of tea. But I have to admit, she was brilliant here and she definitely managed to impress me. Her acting was so real, it was obvious that she acted with her heart. The romance between Cha Young and Kang was amazing, their chemistry was very natural and convincing.
Yeah, there are a lot of things happening in ''Chocolate'', but they were very well-balanced. All the different characters and their different stories brought different nuances to the overall plot which was nice. There are still a few things that I kind of dislike: the time skips in the first few episodes were not very well done? And kinda confusing; the first half was more interesting that the second and the final episode could have been better but I still loved it; I believe some things needed more explanation but yeah, anyways. I don't think I'll ever rewatch this, because it just won't be the same.
So overall, ''Chocolate'' is a very heart-warming and well-written drama which will heal your heart and soul. It has a very soothing atmosphere which will make you escape from your reality. If you've seen ''Uncontrollably Fond'' by the same writer, maybe you should expect something similar to it but with better story and characters. :D
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I fell in love with their story
Where to even start? I absolutely loved this drama! The plot might seem very basic, but it hits some of my favorite tropes – secret crush, age gap, brother’s best friend… My expectations were quite high, and I am incredibly happy that the drama really delivered!Duan Jia Xu & Sang Zhi: the two are so adorable together! Sang Zhi is so sweet and caring. She has had a crush on her brother’s best friend for years and she has at some point lost hope that it will ever be possible for them to be together. But when her hope started to dwindle, Duan Jia Xu started to fall for her. He went through a lot in his life, but Sang Zhi seems to be the ray of sunshine that brightens his days. I was a bit worried about the age gap as the two first met when Sang Zhi is very young, but I really like how they handle that and avoided making it creepy. I think the two are a great fit for each other. The two actors did amazingly in their roles, their height difference was cute. Even the actress who played young Sang Zhi killed her role!
Sang Yan is probably my favorite character. From calling his sister a little demon to always complaining about her and teasing her, there is also not a single thing he would not do to make her happy and to make sure she is safe. I loved the way the two kept bickering, no matter their age, and yet they missed each other when separated. He is also a great friend to Duan Jia Xu, I really had a lot of fun watching the two interact, especially once Duan Jia Xu and Sang Zhi start to date.
I really liked other side characters as well. Sang Zhi’s parents were really supportive of both of their children and always tried to make sure the two were happy, even when the two were driving them up the walks. Sang Zhi’s roommates were a lot of fun too. I enjoyed the fact the four of them were so different from one another, yet they really developed a close relationship with one another. And while I didn’t like Jian Ying as a character (which was also the point), the actress who played her did an amazing job in the role.
The story progressed nicely from episode to episode. It wasn’t rushed, they took their time with it, but it also didn’t drag on. The story takes places over several years, so giving it time to develop at a slower pace made it easier to follow and to truly understand how their feelings started to grow and change.
The cinematography was beautiful as well. The locations, the soundtrack, the styling of the characters… everything was on point. I honestly don’t think I have any complaints about it.
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Not for the Anti-fans
This is the second series I’ve seen in real time. Usually I binge-watch all the Asian dramas I want to watch. The series makes me think and I try to review my knowledge of Greek Mythology as I view the storyline every week. I enjoy the romcom elements. I relish watching Park Shin-hye being so kick-ass with her combat skills bad-ass with her pink guns. Despite being such a hardcore female, Kang So-hae still has a soft and vulnerable core. Despite his genius, it’s great to see Han Tae-sul being so playful, witty and funny. Just seeing the range of Cho Seung-woo in this drama is a treat. Maybe I should check out an episode of Stranger.As for the story, all the questions seem to have been answered. The leads belong in a different time-space, it would be a stretch to expect a happily-ever after. This is not straight-up Makjang or full-blown romcom as others prefer. It makes you ask questions, formulate theories, draw conclusions. It makes you appreciate Park Shin-hye and Cho Seung-woo even more, propel you to check out their past and future projects.
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No female programmers, just coz one messed up hard in the past... now just think of scenario vise-versa if it was a male programmer, then what? no male programmer rule, I don't think so. And I know this mentality sucks.. as the drama.
One might think...'Cute Programmer' is cute, sweet fluff, but other than having a cute programmer there's nothing cute or even much programming. It's rather more frustrating and torture.
The first thing that got me to take interest in drama was cross-dressing and as a fellow fan of the gender bender trope, but it is merely there like 1/5th part of the drama, and it's not the only reason for my disappointment... it is poorly done as if they didn't even put any efforts... this girl with eye-liner (clearly visible) full makeup disguises as a boy... wow I mean just wear short hair wig and baggy clothes there you go, you're a boy! Which company out there recruites employees without any documentation only on the resume? what a lousy management team from an IT company.
Okay she disguises herself as a boy (even when I'M GIRL is written all over her face), and then she takes the advice on how to behave like a boy... from a friend who is the girl (if you have watched plenty of dramas then you, of course, know what kind of 'advice' leads get from their friends lol xD here the problem was supposedly 21-22-year-old girl don't know how boy behave. I mean she doesn't have any encounter with any boy in her life lol... now on this subject, throughout the whole drama it is almost bombarded female programmer is once in blue moon thing, so I assume she must have the majority of male classmates during her college days... and in those 4 years, of course, she doesn't do anything other than studying right? that's why she doesn't know how boys behave.. #dramalogic
The story is pure trash, and definitely not made for 2021... too old, tropey, and torturous, sometimes even challenges morals. The thing is being sooo stupid and illogical, things just don't make sense wasn't the only problem... I've good endurance illogical or bizarre plots but when characters are messed up then... it's a big NO.
Lu Li other than being smart (only book smart lol) and talented in programming she is no different from our female leads in cdramas super naive, gullible, innocent... sometimes even worse. She doesn't even have self-esteem or confidence. The fact that makes me annoyed by her was for-no-good-reason she's head over heels for our male lead (who isn't even likable let lovable aside) not to forget... she loves him for a long time, now taking consideration of out MLS persona, one might thing... he must be saved her life or did something magnificent that made Lu Li blind in love, pff, no there isn't any blockbuster backstory lol, and her love or obsession towards him doesn't make any sense.. honestly shallow as he has no other qualities than being smart and handsome... I want to scream girl get a life! every time I see her lol
Yi Cheng.. ah what can I say, unbearable? his attitude sucks, even after brain wrecking I couldn't find a single thing that I like about him. He is just so childish, stubborn, rude-arrogant for no reason dude... He gets on my nerves every time he appears on the screen. He is so narrow-minded...if you're sensitive then you might get super irritated by his homophobic behavior in prior episodes.
Well, their actions make me want to punch on their face, as both characters are stupider than high school kids. I know there's nothing wrong in having a high IQ with very low EQ or not being street smart even if you are book smart... but at least give them some maturity lol, their mental age and decision-making ability aren't even par to their supposedly high IQ brain.
Where leads were more than enough to annoy me to death... voila! don't forget our bitchy sfl whose life purpose is just to destroy leads relationship, as if she doesn't have any other purpose for her life, not to forget zero consciences. Of course, her action makes you wanna strangle her. Not to forget she gets plenty amount of screen time to make our blood boil.
Even leads are poorly written what can we expect from supporting roles lol, Yi Ming is like stereotype sml flooded with all good qualities.. apart from all the mess I do appreciate the fact they didn't create a love triangle thing with Yi Ming and let him just be a good friend for Lu Li, though I wish him to run away from Zitong every time coz she is just so noisy, annoying and clingy, their story didn't make me interested coz Zitong almost forced herself onto him.
The story sucks, characters suck more... ah now just little expectations from acting. Zhao Lin is a master in such roles coz he's just the same as his past roles before... maybe a little more annoying. So I wouldn't say I've encountered his extraordinary acting skills. Oh gosh it was hard for me to endure Bambi Zhu's acting apart from her silly, poorly written character, she just can't act... even in emotional scenes I can't feel sadness or any kinda feelings from her, I also don't like when she uses weird smile during sad scenes I'm sad inside but wanna show I'm happy scenes, it gives me chills. Acting is on par level... can't save this sinking ship.
In this whole mess who bothers to concentrate on music with being busy in ff lol I didn't even notice any other song other than the intro. The production quality is okayish but the last episode's green screen was meh.
But surprisingly I stuck to it till the end... yeah just for sake of ranting about it, but this ridicules sometimes a bit vibes of makjang, can be entertaining in the purpose of bashing or making fun of it... coz it was a pleasure to write this whole rant xD
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Started strong, ended really bad
This drama was very underwhelming. For the positives, Kim You Jung's acting was amazing, she just has the face of someone that can act like a sociopath. The OST and the production of the drama were also really good. For the negatives, Kim Young Dae's acting could be better, some scenes the viewer couldn't understand his emotions at all. For the argument itself, the story is bad. A girl that was abused, abandoned, tortured since a child ends up being the bad guy of the story. It is true that she used the first man to cover up her father's murder, however the rest she wasn't the one to be blamed at all. And the end was terrible. Jun Seo acknowledged that A Jin was in an abusive relationship and still his first thought was how evil she was and how he could blame her, no sympathy at all for her situation. In fact, if we analyze the entire story, we understand that she was a victim of the circumstances. Her stepmother drowned her, her father beat her up every time he was with her. Re Na bullied and physically assaulted her, In Gang was already deep into his depression before committing suicide. Grandma fell of the stairs, her high school stalker stabbed her and Jae O wanted to die for her. Honestly, she can be barely blamed, at all.Was this review helpful to you?
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The back-up story would have been there, but the willingness to actually tell it was limited
So here it is, the second season. The historical coat is stripped away and the story transforms into a modern thriller, the theme of which revolves around a horror that only humans are capable of.Pleasing and pithy: Some script scenes from the first season were hinted at and entertainingly mirrored in the present day mise-en-scene. That´s fun to watch. The confrontation with the longing for power and immortality also has its moments and insights. Additionally: the leads give their all, again.
On the other hand, someone in production probably didn't really feel like it anymore... There is only minimalist suggestion of what may have happened during the past 80 years. This could actually be a substantial story, yet they are not going to tell us. This serves merely for shaping a coarse (albeit promising) framework, unfortunately remaining pretty lean. Thus it is raising more questions than it feels like answering, its only mission being turning the two leads though the mill of horror once more. Accordingly, the story almost constantly takes place in gloomy night, dark rooms or sinister underground.
For season 1, the dramaturgical technique of hinting at historically shaped, individual fates may have had an effect, enhancing identification with characters. For the second season, continuing with this method only works to a limited extent, because by now we are already closely identified with them.
All in all, the second season comes across somewhat indecisive. The back-up story would have been there, but the willingness to actually tell it was limited. On the other hand, it is still fast-paced and emotionally dense. Nevertheless (at least for me) it is somehow unsatisfying, almost unnecessary. Second seasons for Netflix-KDramas haven´t really convinced me yet. Neither does this one.
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Fun, dramatic and mindnumbingly stupid Season 2 of the Makjangiest Makjang on the block
Even though I enjoyed this A LOT, I have mixed feelings about this show so I'mma break it down into pros and cons. Read till the end before getting triggered.Cons:
▪︎The first half:
"Can this show get any more ridiculous?" asked my tired brain after it finished yet another episode full of repetitive, pointless misery that was only half as entertaining than what it used to be.
Don't get me wrong. The shock value is still high albeit it gets more and more predictable with every episode. The black comedy is still top notch, I was morbidly laughing my ass off 90% of the time. It's still a fairly easy to watch show. Kinda like junk food, you know it can't possibly be healthy for you but you're still watching. Almost begging for it to get better.
This is a Makjang. So, I trust that if you like those and you've watched season 1 you already expect this to be over the top and exaggerated.
However, despite how OTT it was, season one had a solid direction and the characters were actually built nicely.
Behind all the noise, if you looked, you could find some nuance and thought behind the way characters functioned. So, by all counts it was a well made show and it wasn't a surprise that it became a household name in Korea. That's great but then obviously the drama creators got greedy and they wanted to prolong the victory for two more unnecessary seasons.
By ending the last season the way they did, they found a sure shot way for us to continue. Surely, we were all angered by the triumph of the bad guys and wanted to see justice prevail. Going to watch season 2 was the easiest decision for all of us. Unfortunately, in just a few episodes, the drama writers made me effectively stop giving a shit about everyone in the show.
The writing was just terrible, nonsensical and laughably bad in this one. It's like they ate a bunch of plotlines and then vomited it out on screen. There's no point of this show because things happen just for the sake of happening. During most of the drama, there isn't a single character you can root for and the evil characters that were interesting and charismatic asf in season 1 start to seem hollow and one dimensional in this.
It's the same old thing over and over and over again. Bullying, murder (but not really), revenge (but not really) and Repeat. And we are getting no where. It gets tiresome to watch a repeat of season one with none of the wow factor.
The worst thing is that for most of the show, the protagonist is Yeon Hee who is the single most brainless character to ever appear on tv. She was horrible in season 1 and unfortunately, worse in season 2. She functions on half a braincell and only knows how to whine and scream my ears off. That's it. Not a single ounce of sense in that woman.
There are a few hilariously unfunny plot twists that the writers pulled out of their ass and they stank of bullshit.
Yes, the antagonists did deliver their best. Cheon Seo Jin killed her performance as always. The acting didn't suffer and remained at the top but what's the point when you've stopped giving a fuck about the story and the characters?
It's just a cycle of seeing miserable and mindlessly evil adults and teenagers be pointlessly cruel, greedy and annoying for 13 hours straight.
The direction is still crisp, the drama exudes luxury of the Hera Palace and I love the brilliant music pieces but we already saw all that in season 1.
For a show to function, the good guys need to be on equal footing as the bad ones but here the antagonists >>> protagonists. Even when the bad guys suffer it's mostly because of their own stupidity and infighting. Hardly any badass good guy moments in 70% of the show and at one point, you're just wishing for them all to just kill each other and save you the frustration.
▪︎Pros:
So, I wrote all that and you're like um, is there anything left to say? Yes, there is. The show finally picks up in the second half. Don't get me wrong, the writing is still completely bogus and the plot is very silly and unrealistic BUT you finally get a character you want to root for.
This is the 30% of the show that absolutely makes you want to power through sitting right at the edge of your seat.
I don't want to give spoilers but I'll just say a badass bitch is back in the house and once she comes, watching the show becomes much easier.
Episode 12 is literally one of the most satisfying episodes as slowly but surely our good guys get ready to whoop some major asses.
Throughout the show there are some very touching moments in the way the parent and child relationship is portrayed. Some scenes were really nicely executed and I got some major feels even when overall the drama lacks emotion because of the inconsistency in pace and writing.
The ending is also very satisfying but annoying in equal measures.
Overall, is this drama WACK? Yes.
Is it trying to be anything else? No.
Will I be watching season 3? Fuck yes.
This is the crack I run on. You don't have to use your brain while watching it and it's strangely addicting.
So, keep your expectations low, turn off your brain and enjoy it to the maximum!
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No.
I'll be very honest with this review because I have a lot to say about this series.Many people overlooked the toxic, abusive and just plainly ridiculous plot lines this series had just because of Mew and Gulf, which is very sickening to me. I can't actually believe this series got so much love with all of these aspects that shouldn't be a part of a healthy relationship. I watched this series in hopes of them correcting the mistakes made earlier in the series (sexual assault, serious bullying etc) but they just made it worse. Not only did they not do anything to show that what Tharn did to Type in the beginning of the series (rape) is not okay, they also showed physical abuse and manipulative behavior between the characters (Type mainly being the toxic one). The toxic behavior from Type was explained as him being overly jealous and apparently easily agitated but that is not a reason to punch your s/o.
What else was wrong with this series? The representation of mental illness. The total ignorance towards Type's mental illness was terrible. The way everything was displayed made me feel disgusted. I don't even have any words about that.
There is so much media that discriminates and shows only negative sides of gay relationships and ignorance of mental illnesses. It's literally 2020 so it's time to show healthy representation of gay people and mental illnesses. Tharn type is not that.
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A must watch
This series has been one of my Top favorite series. I totally recommend this series who loves kdrama.Would have never expected this series to have everything in it. It has Romance, Drama, & comedy.
from 1st episode this series is hilarious
The actors Shin Hye sun after angels last mission with all lady like acting doing this role was one her best decision.
And kim Jung hyun after CLOY omg was so excited to see him in this series.
All the characters are taken so well, not just the main actors but the one supporting them. Lady choi & Royal chef is too cute you fall for them. This series will be on my re-watch list all the time.
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Vinchenjo Quassano is *chef's kiss* - [update: the drama is a cathartic experience you won't forget]
If you are looking for a comedic, thrilling, creative, and oddly-satisfying drama to brighten your weekend, then Vincenzo is it!STORY: If you liked dramas like The Fiery Priest or Chief Kim, then you will love the plot, characters, action, dialogues, and style of story-telling here. It's absurd, wacky, funny, but also very serious in its themes of crime, corruption, revenge, and justice. There is a good-mix of lovable characters and crazy evil villains (the main bad-guy is perhaps the biggest surprise, definitely takes the crown for the most iconic villain reveal!). The plot twists, comedic timing, chemistry between characters, and anti-hero vibes are immaculate. Also, so many great one-liners!!
CAST: Song Joong Ki, Jeon Yeo Bin, Ok Taecyeon, need I say more? With such a star-studded main and supporting cast, I think that should be enough to urge you to watch! All the actors and actresses are perfect in their respective roles and bring the characters to life. Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young have chaotic energy as partners and I'm all for it (I also ship them so much!!). SJK's Italian rants leave you mesmerized and laughing, and JYB's unique take on the quirky, eccentric female lead will leave you dying for more! And Taecyeon's acting as a ditsy, lovable English-speaking intern is (almost*) the best thing ever!
MUSIC: Thrilling, catchy, exciting. I love the vibrancy of the OST and the Italian/opera-inspired music that plays whenever something funny happens (especially when poor Vincenzo is suffering LOL).
RE-WATCH: The drama isn't even over yet and I already rewatch episodes, so there you go!!
If you haven't started watching this yet, what are you doing?! This drama is the highlight of my weekend, and now that we're nearly half-way in, I've been itching to write a review. So far, I am loving every minute of the drama, so I had to share my thoughts!
EDIT 5/3/21: Just finished the drama and I stand by everything I said 6 weeks ago! Vincenzo is a masterpiece and I dig the message at the end. The cinematography and production quality are absolutely top-notch. The entire cast and crew were absolutely wonderful and let's just say... there are bad villains, and once in a while, there are good villains too. A special shoutout to my precious baby Jang Han Seo. Excuse me while I go cry and feel empty for days now that the drama is over. What a cathartic experience.
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