A very strong and meaningful message given.
`Story`
Although the web-drama was short and note that I haven't read the web-toon, the development of the characters & plot was amazing. It shows how two people loved each other purely and after their break up even though they're both trying to move on in different ways there's still a sparkle that keeps them looking back and that's cause they're still in love, no matter how many times they're trying to deny it not just to others but themselves as well.
The flashbacks were so touching and sweet & with the combination of comedy during the whole web-drama Istg it was so refreshing and amusing to watch.
`Acting / Casting`
Not going to hide that I am a BJ & IC so of course I adore both Sandara Park & Kang Seung Yoon, but their acting was still surprising and in a good way of course. They're both amazing at acting and even though it might have been weird for them to act as a couple considering the age gap as well, it's amazing how they managed to make us viewers put that aside and get into their characters so intensively. Some of the other actors & actresses were models and I am so amazed at the outcome of their acting skills, I'd trully consider watching more of them each.
`Music`
Not going to mention how much I loved the music. Other than Wild & Young which is a fantastic song, I fell in love with the duets. Acoustic versions suit Dara's voice best & with Seung Yoon's soulful voice it didn't last much before I got them chills.
`Rewatch Value`
I loved this web-drama and I can't wait to see more of both Kang Seung Yoon & Sandara Park as well as the other actors & actresses. I'd def rewatch it not just for the plot but also for the puns made, for example the come back home scene or . . 'glad i wasn't an idol - especially not at yg' :' )
If you want to watch this, I recommend it at all cost!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Cute story, nice acting but I am so mad at the ending. And don't get me wrong its happy and all
BUT COME ONNNNN....
Anyone who has finished this is saying the same thing
Major second male lead syndrome
He is perfect, nice, sweet, caring, patient, cares for her body although its not his I mean heeeellooooo
He gets her her dream job and a new apartment
He hell pays rent
And not to the male lead
Rich guy and he is just ok
He is responsible at work but when it comes to his personal life
terrible
He lets people talk ill off her behind her back, he lets his aunt insult her to her face ...
He never puts her first and yes he misses her and all but that wasn't enough
To be honest he should get shot it something for her and even then I wouldn't forgive him for what he had done
Until the very end he never does anything for her and only wants his way
ARGGGGGGGG
But overall it was fun to watch
That was my rant
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Vagueness - Throughout the movie, the couple faced many problems that were lightly glazed over. The positive is, we as viewers don't have to sit in angst for the characters to reconcile. The negative is, the story feels slightly disconnected. Although, the story is very cohesive considering this.
Acting/Cast - The acting of the main characters was great. There was some cringey or unnatural acting with the smaller roles and one-liner roles (there are more than you think), but not really a big deal.
****Ending - Vague like the rest of it. LOL. Happy in my opinion.
Music - It was good. Nothing to complain about.
Rewatch Value - The couple is cute, but with the plethora of BL dramas and movies I have, I would not pick to rewatch this one. The story is generic. Because of that, my chance of re-watching is low.
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Add Merman to the list of supernatural romances you can't really pull off
I went from incredible curiosity to weird enjoyment to mild annoyance to general apathy, finally landing upon an honest feud with this series. The story itself didn't have as many dimensions as my feelings towards it.At the outset, Lover Merman had the potential to be metaphorical about so many things including identity, found family, hostility towards things we don't understand and finding love and connection in the rarest of situations. But they didn't care to think deeply enough about any of this and decided to go with "ocean vibes" as the plot. Which is honestly fine but you mess even that up and hey, well I don't like it.
The series begins with a crash course on the lore of the Merman of the island Khen, where Phu has come to take over the operations of a bar he owns with his friend Phana, a native of the island. His very first interaction however is with Nawa, a bartender and Phana's childhood friend, and they of course begin with a bit of flirtation. But the minute Phana sees this, he asks Phu not start anything up with Nawa, for reasons he won't say.
But because Phu is a rebel, he flirts anyway, an action that is not taken to lightly by Nawa, who is actually falling for the bad pickup lines, or by Phai, someone who has known Nawa since they were kids and is sort of a de facto older brother to him, only he has a big secret crush on the man. Sorry. Merman.
Surprise surprise, Nawa and Phai are Mermen and Phai has a deep distrust of humans because apparently humans have been hunting the mermen because of "greed and beauty" (that's the entire explanation), and for that reason, the mermen who once lived freely and cordially with humans on the island now have to hide their identity. But living on land has it's consequences - because every full moon night, they're required to dive into the depths of the ocean and "release the poison", cleanse their blood that has turned poisonous from being away from the water for too long. And when their blood turns increasingly poisonous, a tattoo shows up on their lower back, indicating that they need to "release the poison"
The characters in this series spend half their time flirting and the other half drinking, and Phu of course gets wankered, stumbles onto a secret cove to sober up and sees Nawa. Nawa right after he's "released the poison" and is in his merman form. Before he can figure out it is Nawa, he disappears and Phu chalks it up to an illusion.
This is all in episode 1 by the way, because nothing else happens after this. Atleast not until episode 7 because between the first and seventh episode, we got declarations of love rivalries, a step brothers plotline, absentee parents, a ton of drinking and some unintentionally hilarious NC scenes. There's no plot, no character development, things just happen. Episode 7, and everything is out in the open - most importantly that Nawa is a merman, which has been a secret from Phu for six episodes now.
But this is where the series hit a new low for me because I would rather have a story that hinged on vibes than a shallow attempt to make a point. I did say they could've made a wonderful allegorical plot but key word? Could've.
They didn't. And I'm furious with how they chose to go all preachy in the last couple of episodes, like they didn't actively avoid every semblance of difficult conversations for six episodes and like the audience needs every single action explained to them.
And by then, we got a terrible couple of episodes, yet again with no character development and one very bad redemption arc.
This is far from the worst thing I've watched but it's still not good. Episodes 1-6 were a whole mood. Episodes 7 and 8 will leave you in a bad mood.
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Hidden Love: A Delightful Concoction of Sweetness and Chemistry!
**Hidden Love: A Delightful Concoction of Sweetness and Chemistry!**"Hidden Love" is an enchanting youth romance drama that effortlessly weaves love, friendship, and personal growth into a captivating storyline. Adapted from the novel of the same name, it revolves around Sang Zhi's secret admiration for her brother's friend, Duan Jiaxu, and the evolution of their relationship. The drama's adherence to the novel's dialogues and its ability to bring the characters to life make it a heartfelt and genuine adaptation.
What sets "Hidden Love" apart is its nuanced character development. Sang Zhi isn't your typical female lead; her gradual and secret development of feelings for Duan Jiaxu adds a touch of realism to the story. Likewise, Duan Jiaxu is portrayed as a kind and supportive male lead, contributing to the authenticity of their relationship.
The drama's balance between romance, family moments, and youthful themes leaves a lasting impact. The talented cast's impeccable comedic timing adds an extra layer of entertainment. While primarily focusing on youth and romance, the drama also delves into deeper emotional themes, contributing to a well-rounded viewing experience.
Chen Zheyuan and Zhao Lusi's performances as Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi are nothing short of brilliant. Their chemistry and ability to convey emotions make viewers deeply invested in their journey. The supporting cast further enriches the narrative, while the cinematography captures the essence of youth and the characters' intimate moments.
While the drama's green/grey filter in the early episodes may be a minor drawback, the overall execution compensates for it. The soundtrack perfectly complements the narrative, enhancing the viewing experience.
In conclusion, "Hidden Love" is a charming youth romance drama that successfully captures the essence of a love journey. With stellar performances, engaging storytelling, and a refreshing take on the genre, it's a must-watch that will leave you smiling, laughing, and swooning. Don't miss out on this delightful gem that offers the perfect blend of sweetness and chemistry!
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It was good at the beginning, i like how they resolve the mystery. But then focus of the story shifted to something else and makes it too draggy.
Romance doesn't seem to be the main plot, the leads were cute, but they don't have much chemistry.
The misunderstanding between them doesn't dragged for too long. But throughout the drama, they keep lying and pushing each other 'for their own good'. When i thought, 'they finally understand that they need to be honest with each other', they lied and hide again. It's just a tiring circle.
Instead i like the side couple, like xiao chen - ying yu and su zui - princess yu they got better chemistry in my opinion. Prince Ning was also a good character, he comes off as clumsy most times but was smart when needed.
There are some annoying characters, but they didn't bother much.
The acting were okay. I think the problem lies within the script. Don't expect much from the cgi and fighting scenes.
Conclusion; it's not bad, but not good
I do like the comedic part. But overall, it's not my favorite.
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Amazing and Talented Young Cast, but the Storytelling couldn't keep up with them.
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75In the early episodes of “Taste”, it reminded me of another K-drama, “Celebrity”. Set in high school, teenager Bambi has always wanted to be popular and famous. But no matter how much makeup she puts on or tries to distinguish herself, nothing is working for her.
This is until she becomes the Princess of Trash, and with this viral fame befriended a group of rich and popular kids. You know the drill, her eyes are really open now into a world she’s not familiar with. She wants to not only stay there but climb to the top.
I binged through the first 4 episodes of “Taste” easily. We are slowly introduced to the dynamics and the background of the teenagers. We also follow the initial steps Bambi took to distinguish herself. You may not agree with her ways, but you can’t deny her courage and persistence in achieving her dreams. However, the second half of the drama falters. It became too melodramatic and lost the initial fun. The pacing also slows down. It’s already a very short drama, yet these 8 episodes feel very long. “Taste” was unable to find the balance in the latter half when it dived into the consequences of actions. The tone shifts understandably as it should be, but the execution is where I have trouble with. Of course, it also could be because I was very tired after work, and I just couldn’t focus more on the serious stories.
I actually like all the characters, though not all are saints. They are grey and interesting. I wish the drama would be longer so that it can develop the relationships and friendships between them better. At times, things seem to move really fast, and at times, it has no development but harps on the same tune. I want to know more about the friendship between Pure and Namkhang instead of just a couple flashbacks. I want to know more about Tokyo and his boyfriend. I want to know more about Bambi and Mhong, similarly I want more than just flashbacks. I want a little more development between Diesel and Dream when they were gaming, since after they met in-person, all things happened too fast. So much is being glossed over with a couple flashbacks here and there.
On the other hand, I think the major strength of this drama is the incredible and talented young actors and actresses. I have to say, I am incredibly impressed. Before watching “Taste”, I think I only recognized Phuwin and Charlette (I might have seen the rest in other roles that I don’t remember). I’ve seen Phuwin in a few dramas before and was very surprised to see that he can really act. I’ve seen Charlette in “Bangkok Blossom” and already knew she could act. But I have to say, she was more amazing in “Bangkok Blossom” due to her character, but she’s good in “Taste” as well. Mabelz as our female lead was amazing. Her big eyes are mesmerizing. I have to say she was a big surprise because as I went through her drama list, this is only her second drama and first main role. Oh and I discovered the cute patootie, Tony Anthony. He’s the sweetest guy in the whole drama, and he’s just so adorable. LOL. The rest of the supporting cast is awesome as well and they are all very charismatic. What a talented cast!
This is not a cheap production. You can see there’s some money poured into the drama with beautiful costumes, hair and makeup, lighting and sets. I guess they make good use of the money they get from all the advertisements. Unfortunately, I was unable to find good English subs for this drama. I watched the second half with very poor AI-translation and that’s not helping when I already was having a hard time enjoying the last few episodes
“Taste” has the potential to be a much better drama especially with such a talented cast. It has the ingredients of very interesting characters but does not have enough time to develop them all. This could easily be a 12 to 14-episode drama with better developed stories and pacing. I am disappointed to not rate this higher because I did have a hard time watching the last few episodes. It’s not a bad drama, but the first few episodes raised my expectations and I was disappointed. I was debating a 7.5 or 8.0 rating for a long time. I am going to settle with 7.75 (rounding up to 8.0) because I like the cast so much.
Completed: 7/18/2025 Review #604
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more like 8.8?
apparently there's a difference between a movie and a film, the 1st one has an obvious plot and development while the other is deeper more symbolic, and this falls in the 2nd category.they don't talk alot and the story is reeaaallly uneventful, but the 1st part and the last part were really well done, I was emotionally invested in the last part and I went through so many emotions!
I started this 90% for my Yoo Teo week and another part for Chun Woo Hee from Be Melo but Jung Jae Kwang stole the show, he was slightly stalkerish and there were alot of unnecessary scenes but over all I really enjoyed it
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I am a sucker for a good meet cute and it was really fun to see these two leads have such electric chemistry from the very beginning. Their chemistry was definitely the strongest part of the show. Moo-hak ended up as a very sweet character that I enjoyed, but it was hard to watch the way he yelled at her so much in the beginning. Da-li on the other hand was so passive that it was very frustrating. The show explains it away as her being just kind of rich and naive, but she seemed to lack any survival or basic life skills altogether, which felt odd when she’s a thirty-something woman who has lived on different continents. The dynamic between the two of them was a little rough towards the beginning when Moo-hak was acting so hostile, but it was enjoyable after he softened a little. At the end of the show he was so obsessed with her and sweet to her, so he did have a good evolution of his character.
A lot of what didn’t work in this show was all of the scheming subplots. Everything to do with the different companies illegal maneuvers was so boring to watch and it really took away from the rest of the show. The plot could have been much stronger if they focused on the romance and Da-li struggling with losing her father and having to grow up, but instead they threw in all of these random real estate crimes, drug trafficking, and other crime plots that made things really convoluted.
The second male lead is probably the worst one I’ve ever seen, he was like a cartoon villain. It was infuriating to watch the scenes he was in. Moo-hak’s family also really seemed like terrible people and it did not feel like they deserved a redemption arc at all. I know Korea has a very different culture, but the adoption plot line was baffling. I have no idea if the way the show made it so scandalous is at all accurate, but it felt way over the top.
The final episode was such a huge letdown that it really bothered me. It felt like the show was trying so hard to pull one over on the audience that it was willing to have a terrible final episode as long as they could do that.
The art museum as a backdrop for the show was a cool idea and some of the installations and exhibits were very visually interesting. Da-li’s dad was also very endearing and it would’ve been great to see more of him, even if just in flashbacks.
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Cafe Midnight Season 3: The Curious Stalker
14 people found this review helpful
Confusing but worth it
This was hella confusing but come on...we all came for Doyoung.This drama gave me a headache even before it aired. I was scurrying around looking for sources to watch it and after the "first episode" aired, it turned out to be the whole drama. (https://youtu.be/gL9dbtDRl2M)
As for the story, I didn't watch the previous seasons because I also couldn't find them. It was confusing at first, but near the end, I got the hang of it. They definitely needed to spend more time on relational development in the story, especially Son Ji Woo and Kang Sun Min.
As for the acting, Doyoung was good considering this is his first acting gig. The female lead's acting was much more natural, considering that this is also one of her first acting gigs alongside "True Beauty" as a minor role. The support characters did their fair share of confusing me, but I don't think I should dissect this too hard because it's only a short.
The best part of this drama is probably the OSTs that we got from Doyoung (https://youtu.be/PyWedT7IVkw, https://youtu.be/gmzSPOx5gmQ) I especially liked 'Night Air.'
Overall, I would only RECCOMEND if you are an nctzen. If not, I don't think this is right for you :(
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The plot veered off tracks slightly past the halfway point. There's a decided shift in direction so noticeable that I'd thought the writers had changed hands. In truth, apparently internal politics at SETTV coupled with need to meet public demand caused this; either way it seems the writers clearly bit off a little more than they could chew. Character motivations became muddy; one promoted character totally vanished. Plot lines disappeared partway, then reappeared only to be wrapped up unsatisfactorily. Those that were necessary were often shuffled along in favor of trying to fix the problem of choosing the OTP, but even this was somewhat rushed.
What makes this unfortunate is that the main cast is so lovable. Nikki Hsieh has fine chemistry with everyone else in the drama, believably interacting with any character according to their intended relationship. She also does a great job in her dual role, because there are even speech differences between Da Hua and Liang Yan. James Wen is a personal favorite, but he was calling in all of his talent to keep his character from imploding. His Lin Guan Jun was handled poorly by the writers and his actions often made little sense in the final episodes. Wen has a natural charm about him though, so the eye is always drawn to him regardless.
Chris Wu is the favorite for most viewers, because he's such a talent; Terry could have reasonably been as interesting as cardboard. Instead, he's gorgeous, magnetic, compelling, and sympathetic; it's easy to see why he won the hearts of viewers so easily...and he's likely the primary reason many kept tuning in. I can't blame them.
My personal favorite part of Substitute Princess is the music. This is one of the OSTs I will be importing once it's available. Both the intro and outro suit the show unbelievably well, from the tone to lyrics. Each insert song is memorable and used effectively also. A special mention has to go to James Wen, who sang Guan Jun's love theme "Why Bother." Once when it played it got me teary-eyed due to its effective usage; it's such a beautiful song and his voice is quite pleasant.
Sadly, I can't think of any reason to re-watch this drama once you've completed it--unless you want to relive the experience that is Terry. I probably won't be coming back to it any time soon.
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Forget everything you know about "toxic romance."
Don't worry, there's a way to save the series: JUST MAKE FLINT THE VILLAIN, AND HAVE SUN END UP WITH SOMEONE ELSE OR BE ALONE.Why does Flint keep clinging to Sun all the time? I know that kind of scene is meant to create tension and give us butterflies, but when it happens 5 times in the first few episodes, and it's implied that the protagonists didn't have a history of flirting before, it feels strange. They know each other from the past, when Sun was still in high school and Flint still saw her as a little girl, so it doesn't make sense for her to just start attacking the girl every time she has the chance. It even seems like Flint made some kind of bet or something, because she goes after Sun every time she has a chance, even though there's NO atmosphere for it. And why does Sun always seem to be on the verge of tears? Does she have some past trauma or something? If so, fine, but if it's just to show how fragile the character is around Flint, I didn't like it. In 2 episodes she almost cries about 4 times. Enough already!
Another point I didn't like was Sun explaining herself by saying, "Do you really think I'm that kind of girl?", referring to the fake news that she was seen entering a hotel with a guy. What would be the problem? Couldn't she be dating a guy and go out with him on a date? Please! It's ridiculous for her to say that to Flint as if it were "absurd" for her to go out with a guy. Flint's justification is "You can't tarnish the company's image," so Sun can't be seen going out with a guy, but it's okay if she's seen going home with Flint? It doesn't make sense.
And when Flint keeps interfering in Sun's work? What was that? Please, there's no way to ruin an artist's career more than always having someone behind them, demanding scene changes, script alterations, etc. And the worst part is that Flint believes everyone except Sun. It doesn't matter if the girl says 20 times that she's not dating a guy, Flint always believes others, discredits Sun, and even demands behavior from her that Flint herself doesn't have... Flint is like: "Don't flirt with guys, don't date anyone, don't act in on-screen kisses, don't even let your photographer touch you... but I can do all that with you, even though we're nothing to each other"... But Flint, she already said she's not having a romance with that actor! - "But the actor said he is, and I believe him more than Sun." But Flint, even if she were dating the actor, that's none of your business; it would even be good for boosting ratings for their show! "It doesn't matter! I act as if I'm dating Sun, as if she were mine, so she must obey me, submit to my interference and not talk back... and anyone's word is more important than hers."
And the worst part is that she makes up that she slept with the girl because she was annoyed with Nope! SERIOUSLY? Who's more awful, Nope or Flint? I'm honestly starting to think Nope is a "better" option. How can the show criticize Nope for inventing a romance when the protagonist herself does the same thing?
The only good thing about this show, and what saves it, is the secondary couple!
I wasn't going to say anything, but since it's a sensitive subject, I decided to elaborate: Regarding the "problematic scene," all I have to say is:
* She was crying;
* Pushing the person away with all her might;
* Afraid;
* Asking to stop several times;
* And she says "Yes" at the end because she saw that if she gave in, it would end faster, because there was no way to escape, because Flint wouldn't "hurt her as much," and because she would come out looking "right" in the end.
This is not consent, it's instinct for self-preservation: When we give in to something we know we don't want and that will be painful, but we know that if we don't give in, it will be worse. It doesn't matter if she has feelings for Flint or not, and whoever uses that as an excuse is normalizing marital rape, be careful! Loving doesn't mean having a duty to give in even if you don't want to. If this scene were between a man and a woman, we wouldn't even be discussing it.
And before you say "but that's how it is in real life," "but that's a problematic relationship that will get better later": 1) In what life is this "normal"? In the life of a victim! Because in a RELATIONSHIP this is not normal, and if it is for you, I advise you to see a psychologist urgently. Yes, in real life this happens, and when it does, we call the police, report it, and separate the victim from the abuser. We don't leave the abuser with the victim and say, "calm down, he will improve in the future! Your relationship can still work out." 2) This is not a problematic relationship. A problematic relationship doesn't include a victim and a criminal; it includes two people who have PROBLEMS that can be solved with conversation, therapy, etc. Problems, not crimes. Understand?
It's crazy that in "Call Me By No Name" exactly what's happening now is happening. A woman abuses another woman, but when she reports it to the police, nothing happens because people claim that "this doesn't happen" between women, people don't see it as a "crime" because it's illogical to think that a woman could abuse another out of "malice." It must just be a misunderstanding... So you who are defending this scene are exactly the same as the people who didn't defend the protagonist of "Call Me By No Name"... I never thought I'd see this happening.
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Short, beautiful and well made
The story is simple but deliver some great message and reflection to real world which we ended up thinking about after finishing watching such a short story.I have nothing much to say about the plot except I want everyone to watch it and I really really wish they made this into a series instead of just one hour special because I already loved both Mizuki and Ryosuke.
Here I want to point out what I noticed about the writing choice of making Mizuki a lemon farmer and Ryosuke an elementary teacher. For it, when I first heard the plot it was almost too random and hilarious. Why so oddly specific?
However, after watching it I think I noticed something and how those are important to shape the characters and their story here.
First of all, Ryosuke as a teacher who works with kids, he wanted to make everyone happy even though It’s out of his reach. He didn’t tell his childhood sweetheart He’s gay afraid that it would hurt her feelings and it ended up making her wait endlessly for him. He didn’t tell his fiancé that his family didn’t approve of gay marriage bc his fiancé told him he wants a wedding in front of everyone. He fell into a deep dilemma because he was desperate to make everyone happy. The whole mess started because he was too ambitious to please everyone and it made him selfish and hurt the one he loves instead. For Mizuki being lemon farmer led to the comparison of his relationship to the bitter sour taste of it and yellow color is very aesthetic. Speaking of aesthetic, I hope you also notice how they purposely made Mizuki and ryosuke wear clothes that complement each other color both their casual and wedding suits lol IMO made the movie very pretty and pleasing.
Overall, it’s well thought and I’m glad I watched it.
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Good premise marred by cliche storytelling
Firstly, this show blows the bechdel test out of the waters. There really is nothing more attractive than powerful women, ambitious women, women being straight out "badasses". This was something Samuel L Jackson said often about The Long Kiss Goodnight, that the industry needed to produce more of these "women being badasses" shows because they just rock. Despite this, I could not give this series a high rating.To begin with, I found Do Hee's redemption arc implausible, to say the least. The plot pivots around her "awakening" from having seen an employee "commit suicide" after Do Hee had been hard with her. Really? She's never caused someone's death before in all the years she's worked under psychopathic chaebol matriarch Young Shim? Really?!? Mine eyebrow is duly raised. Secondly, how did Kyung Sook manage to camp herself on conglomerate property for her protest for so many days? That's clearly trespassing. How did she manage to evade security?
Also, the whole series relies on Do Hee's capability in the performance of her duties however, when the employee says that those messages were not txted by her, that should've alerted Do Hee to the need to verify. Something as simple as ringing the phone number on the txt msg, which she does later on, should've been the first point of order, but no. She just brushes the employee's comments aside. She believes the guy's word for it completely without doing any investigation into the veracity of his claims which doesn't come across as competence but extremely incompetent. One doesn't investigate because one distrusts a party's claim but to know the full scope of what to expect, what needs to be protected, and what reprisals would be forthcoming from the victimised party. Queenmaker? Hmmm...
The rest of it are stereotypical "gotcha" games where a male powerbroker's weakness is always connected to his groin (mistress, indiscretion etc) and so he is easily blackmailed that way. As someone who's familiar with legal procedures the rest of the series really devolves into WTFs. While finding out the truth of corruption on the enemy side, it's all easily subverted by them with tearful pretentious displays and mercurial social media moods. However, when the enemy side makes up a "truth" about Kyung Sook and her campaign, we are led to believe that her past allies will just forget about their past friendships and loyalty and public won't ask for an investigation into whether the evidence stacks up or not. For the enemy, there needs to be solid evidence which is easily subverted; for Kyung Sook's team, the enemy side just needs to fart a BS and the whole house of cards crumble to the ground. It is just too implausible. Are the Korean public idiots? The part where her son was charged with a criminal offense was just... what am I seeing here...?!?! I don't know how the Sth Korean justice system works but it's not a given that the minor will go to jail just because the antagonists say so. There are systems in place to ensure a fair trial. I'd like to believe that the prosecution isn't so incompetent as just to be easily bought out. Plus, there are evidentiary requirements too. And I'm making this conclusion from legal kdramas I've seen which shows that Sth Korea's criminal justice system doesn't deviate so much from where I'm at.
Plus the male counterpart strategist was just another WTF buildup to a nothing. Dragging an old senile man and leaving him in an unfamiliar place where he eventually got run over was not strategy. It was criminal. For all the talk about Carl being THE kingmaker, the character was nothing but an amateur and a thug who brought a chainsaw to a surgery that required a delicate scalpel.
There were several, several, nails on the coffin—when Do Hee doesn't even clean up her loose ends well enough to ensure that her father is out of danger, when she doesn't even ensure her own safety, but the crowning one: when there were moles in Kyung Sook's team. It's always the same sh#t—they need money so they're willing to betray their principles. Seriously? Why even bother doing anything if money is the common denominator. It's too cheap and too easy of a plot device to use and, as a psychological motivational tool, too illogical. Kyung Sook has spent time with the protestors. She's put in effort and heart into their fight. She represents their suffering and the overcoming of it. To have us believe that a single parent would go against her own survival, and that of her children's, by doing something so short-term as getting monetary gratification now... these people were screwed over by the very conglomerates offering them bribes now, are we to honestly believe they'd side with them again to stab Kyung Sook in the back? The writers need to research into the various electoral results in the democratic countries that Sth Korea shares governmental constitution with, as well as union members' community spirits. Corruption has not been met well regardless of how much a politician has tried to show a "caring parent" side to them nor do union members forget whom their allies were in their times of fight.
Despite all this, I do look forward to season 2 as it looks like they're pushing for one. It would be interesting to see if the writing would get less cliche and much more in line with the premise of this project.
Would I recommend this? Honestly... I would. If only because I know series like this are rare as a hen's tooth so the first few attempts would be shite to begin with but, as per economies of scale principles, it should improve as more of these types of shows are made. Plus... there is one memorable part in the series where I ended up applauding at the screen. There was a scene where young Dong Joo slams himself against a moving vehicle to stop them. I had never seen such a ridiculous move before—using a flesh and blood body against a hard, metal and iron object. It was memorable for the extremely creative application of physics.
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