News 
This review may contain spoilers
A very nice and entertaining drama
1/ STORYThe story is well written. The beginning sets up the plot, installs the characters, make them discover each other and interact. They go through sub plots and sub stories which are cute and emotional. Then, the main story develops with the two leads and the evil. There is also the ghost employees’ stories which needs closure before the final showdown, between good and evil. All this is fast paced and fun.
Romance is developing in a very natural way. At the beginning FL is stuck with her one-sided love. Then the main leads develop feelings, under the table for one of them and unknowingly for the other. The events and truths unveiled slowly help them to grow more confident about their feelings...
2/ ACTORS/CHARACTER:
- Go Seul Hae: Nice unsophisticated young woman enthusiast cop dedicated to serve. She has a sad background but remains cheerful. Then she meets ML and his employees and everything changes. She fights villains, spirits, falls in love and become a pretty girlfriend etc... I only watched Jin Ki Joo in Come and Hug me that I dropped. She is doing great here. A very compelling performance.
- Cha Chawoon: A magician who employs ghosts he lives with, to enhance his magical shows. Soon, they are dragged into the civilian police to "serve and protect". From a selfish money grubber nagging boss, Cha Chawoon becomes a real savior and shows his goodhearted side. Park Hae Jin in a very good performance since Forest.
- Choi Gum: 2000 years spirit of the Cha house with a mysterious past who behaves like a silly guy but he has his importance at the key moments.
- Three ghost employees: They are the most fun part of the drama despite their individual sad story which stuck them in their ghost condition. They are fun and good employees. Even if they often complain they truly like their boss.
- Hee Soo: Seul Hae childhood friend and first crush. He is a decent man and a good cop but his timing for love is bad. The actor Kim Jong Hoon did very well in this double-faced role.
- Hae Chun Moo: Super bad guy became super evil spirit and a serial murderer. Scary and convincing enough.
- Ye Ji: young shaman apprentice who is less materialistic than she thought and a worthy pupil.
3/ OST
Good. Nothing cringe or annoying.
4/ REWATCH VALUE:
Very fun and emotional. It is rewatchable
5/ OVERALL:
One of the most fun and entertaining kdrama of this half year. This drama is a great mix of romance, action, fantasy, comedy. The ending is epic and delivers more than expected. Totally recommended. 10/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
What starts as an engaging meditation on how artistic works can take on a life of their own devolves into a jumble of incomprehensible rules and mangled timelines. The bigger thematic ideas get lost as you sense the actual writer struggling every bit as much as her cartoonist antihero to give her work an ending. And unfortunately, just like him, she can’t seal the deal. In a world where everyone can magically draw (or write) themselves out of difficulty, the act of creation gets reduced to expediency, not art. The fans within the show know something’s gone awry, but, alas, the fans in the “real”, real world are left hanging too. As a metaphor for how stories slip away from their authors, this one turns out to be a bit too apt.
Was this review helpful to you?
However this was a huge disappointment. After watching the first two episodes I already knew I didn't like this, the plot felt really poor and Minho and Shinhye's characters annoyed me. I'm surprised I even managed to finish this.
I felt like the story never moved on, they had pretty much the same problems trough the whole drama. Eunsang kept crying over everything and I honestly wonder why in hell did she get two guys crushing over her. Also the ending was really poor. I felt like nothing changed in the story in the end. In my opinion this drama didn't need 20 episodes, it was too much.
There were also too many side stories that didn't have anything to do with the main story. They only left me confused and frustrated.
There were some good things in the drama, though. For example, Woobin's character was my favorite. I also liked Kim Tan's and Eunsang's mothers' friendship. Minhyuk and Krystal's characters' relationship was also adorable. I liked Krystal's character anyway.
They chose good actors for this drama, can't deny that, but the whole script was just a mess that even good actors couldn't save. Kim Tan was uninteresting and Eunsang was a cliche kdrama main actress.
I hated the OSTs. I think they played mostly 3 same OSTs, and seriously, none of them were good. 'Love is the moment' was overly used and if I ever hear it again I think I'll have to hit something.
I'll never ever watch this again, I'm just glad it's finally over.
Was this review helpful to you?
1
1A deeper dive into a gripping tale of revenge, redemption and karma meeting heartfelt drama of life
A webtoon adaptation that did justice and honored the original creation without messing up with the storyline; a proper execution of its true kind!⚠️ Disclaimer: Before you proceed, you need to know that I read both the novel and the manhwa; so my review will have comparison of both original content and the adaptation.
When I got the news that "Payback" manhwa would get a Thai adaptation, initially I was skeptical as the original language and the setting of the drama were in Korean. So, naturally, I thought we'd lose lots of cultural nuances in the adaptation, as both countries possess different cultures and characteristics of their own. But to my surprise, it was way better than I expected it to be! They religiously followed the manhwa and added all the important scenes and, honestly, I can't be happier. Unlike the Korean adaptations, this Thai adaptation gave justice to the storyline and proved why, in making BLs, Thailand is superior to other countries. The adaptation faithful towards its original material and they preserved all of its raw and unhinged emotions intact to the point that it felt like I was seeing those manhwa characters coming out of the page and taking a human form to present exactly what I had read. I didn't watch this, it consumed me.
"When you truly understand karma, then you realize you are responsible for everything in your life."
Sun knew it.
Storyline wise, this drama has everything, from a sad backstory, thrilling revenge plan, emotional turmoil, finding oneself, a dramatic roller-coaster ride of a rotten system to falling in love with unexpected people in unexpected ways. It covered everything skillfully with its true emotional intensity. This had the most gripping atmosphere spread throughout the series so that one cannot just stop at one episode and keep it for another day. It's so deliciously addicting, that watching this ongoing might feel like an emotional torture.
It'd be a crime if I didn't mention how the intimate scenes of Jay and Sun were unexpectedly bold and beautiful at the same time. They just nailed the right balance of the seen and unseen emotions as they did not hesitate to illustrate their body chemistry. Jay displayed toxic, controlling, and possessive behavior towards Sun initially looked concerning but soon Jay's constant coercion and unfiltered love-shower made Sun break his black and white concrete boundaries and let him free from his suffocated shackles he bound himself with and see the colourful moments of life like everyone else.
Acting wise, I have to say I couldn't find any flaws here. If you have read the manhwa, you'll know how composed, emotionless and indifferent the Sun was. Minlee portrayed the originally written character so well that at first it might feel like he's frozen and can't act well, but his character is like that in the manhwa. On the other hand, Toptap as Jay was a brilliant cast. His overall figure, body postures, way of talking and doing things were too good! He perfectly grabbed the cocky, crazy yet smart, calm and cool executive director aura. Even though both of them were playing the lead role for the first time, they did their homework very well.
From the supporting characters, Sky, manager Kajorn and Jay's uncle Jo stole my heart. They were fabulous. Sky's acting and his backstory brought tears to my eyes. Even Sun's story couldn't do that. I'm just so in love with the manager, Kajorn, and his unwavering commitment to his artists. He was clumsy, nervous at times, funny and heartwarmingly lovely father and manager. He only wanted the best for them. And uncle Jo, maybe he was there for some comic relief, but it was well needed. He was the only one who made Sun smile for the first time. With his silly words, he kept the mood light when Sun was tensed and agitated. The intricate detailing of each and every character was brilliantly portrayed on screen.
Without the clean cinematography and pumped up OST, it would be as impactful as it is including them. They kept the suspense and mysterious atmosphere of the thrill alive.
Overall, I had a great time binging this series. It kept me on the edge till the end of the series to see what happens to the characters. So, if you want to watch something that is thrilling, spicy and full of shady people doing people dirty, then you can trust my words and give it a try.
Was this review helpful to you?
since i am a hard core fan of Korean dramas , comparing this to them can be make this one pathetic. but after seeing all those thrillers, fantasies, etc etc from Korean side we will definitely need a break with something like this. especially for a girl like me. where , a multimillionaire lost love, coming back to his life , all negative characters, witches, after at end everything will be a happy ending yes sounds to be common but sometimes somewhere many likes this and that's why they are making these types of dramas.
Don't get high scopes but it is ordinary, i do skipped many parts still i completed the episodes. you can skip unwanted scenes and save time but actor and actress done a very good job even though you wont to skip they wont allow us.
for me i liked it even though it was common may be because i like these kinds of dramas. so this doesn't deserve so much negative comment
Was this review helpful to you?
This was a very popular drama at the time of its airing. The cast is top-notch, the plot has all the premises for a funny, romantic and passionate love story.
Unfortunately though, the viewer is forced to an extremely long wait for something that never happens, or happens on a very low scale in the last 5 minutes of the show.
The rest of it is a sequel of silly quarrels, food preparing and cleaning. I'd say the cleaning is the main character of the show, to the point you start looking around your house thinking that dusting once a week cannot possibly be enough. Yes, because these two, in turn, dust the huge house once a day, and the director saw it fit to show it to the viewer every single time, just in case one might forget how it is done.
The chemistry between the 2 leads is there, and it's powerful. Ironically though, this alchemy becomes the biggest flaw of the show, because it's like a big amount of electricity never conveyed into anything. One waits... and waits... and waits.
Since watching Full House I'm invariably sceptical about any drama portraying two lovers forced in the confines of a house.
Yawn.
Was this review helpful to you?
bodyguard, mafia, cohabitation, BDSM, he’s a monster but he’s my monster
Adapted from a Y-novel and with real rough beginnings in terms of switching production houses, funding, and distribution which showed in a shaky point of view, weak script, and poorly distributed of couple weight and pacing. By about 3 episodes in I just got pissed off at this show, it was largely inconsistent in all ways which I think is all production issues. It should have been better. It should at least have been as good as everyone else seemed to think.However at 50% car porn 50% actual porn I was game. (That said I got no chemistry from KimChay - I think it was a BIG mistake to switch out Gameplay, and had real issues with several of KinnPorsche’s sex scenes.) The fight sequences were excellent and Kinn’s eyebrows are like seriously aggressive caterpillars - I was half afraid they’re going to strike out on their own, take up the rainbow flag and join the march in Not Me. There’s also a lot of Fighter-inspired shirts (Why R U?) in this show. I suppose mafia DOES have a long tradition of chest forward narrative.
VegasPete were in one drama; KimChay were in another; KinnPorsche were in each of those randomly but then sometimes in their own extremely slapstick cheese-fest alt-reality + Tankhun. There were clearly 2 directors with 2 distinct and conflicting points of view, who apparently never had a single conversation with each other. Was this show good? Nope. Was it absorbing as fuck? Sure. Was it well acted, absolutely. Were the sex scenes great? Yes. We the fight scenes awesome? Actually yeah (special props to Jeff for the hand-to-hand stuff). Did I enjoy the kinky bits? Certainly. But all that said: the VegasPete universe of KP was the only universe I really enjoyed and would like to revisit, and I only got that 1/5 of the time. Mathematics is working against this one, for me personally. So I guess I, at least, am still waiting for the perfect mafia BL. I think it might be up to Japan at this juncture. As a result of fan fervor meets my own hearty indifference, I don’t really know how to judge this show but I have to go with my heart, and KP didn’t win it. No full review, enough people have weighed in on this one, you don’t need my thoughts too.
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
Was this review helpful to you?
Ashes of annoyance(if you ask me)
This story is your epic example of greed and revenge. Its a story entirely based on the actions of a self serving emperor and an evil calculating woman who was not loved by her husband.Up until now i am still wondeing why most people kept on referring and comparing this story to ten miles of peach blossoms. The plots are completely unrelated and so different. The only minute similarity is both stories are fantasy stories and have a handful of realms only.
Now if you are looking for something thought provoking, refreshing and a bit different from the usual stories and typical drama logic then you might enjoy this.
I am however compelled to mention one downside to this drama. THE FEMALE LEAD was super annoying. Yes her character was pathetic throughout the drama but it does not end with the character alone. The female lead's acting leaves a lot to be desired. Her character was poorly written and developed through out the whole drama. Yes in the beginning i thought that is how it was meant to be but after major transformation i expectected her character to change and have a bit more depth but it remained shallow and underdeveloped. So if you can move past this hurdle then you might enjoy this drama indeed. To me she was a constant bother till i decided to focus entirely on the two brothers.
It is everything about her that made me give this drama a low rating. No matter how good the plot is or the acting of the rest of the cast is if one of the leads is a doofus be it character wise or the acting itself then it will bring the entire project down. This is how it was for me. If you can move past her then good for you you will enjoy the drama more.
Was this review helpful to you?
Loved the realistic portrayal of the OB/GYN profession
A reviewer wrote that the show wasn't realistic. I totally disagree. I was a surgical technologist for 7 years, and the show is in fact quite realistic in almost everything, particularly the OR scenes. The only parts I found questionable was the open sharing of medical information and the huge c-section incisions, they're usually much smaller than what was portrayed. Not sure what the law says about patient privacy in South Korea but in the US talking about medical information with random people is a big no. Otherwise, I found the medical part super accurate. Everything from intubation scenes, blood transfusions, and even the scrub tech was legit. Also the scenes about how important it is to get a HPV shot to prevent cervical cancer was surprising! Cervical cancer is super preventable. Get your HPV vaccine and Pap smear. I worked at a teaching hospital for a few years, and yes interns and first year residents are absolutely clueless and chaotic. Had a few pass out right in the OR, had others almost stab surgeons in the middle of emergency surgery, and other such nonsense just like in the show. I also absolutely loved the realistic portrayal of what it's like to give birth. The show showed many realistic depictions, of what happens during childbirth and what women go through. No medical show in the US would ever show such accurate scenes. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show and was never bored.Was this review helpful to you?
Most people are not ready for this kind of kdrama, but I guess it's time
It is a very unique drama that really needs to be appreciated. It was a big step to produce a full-length drama tackling about different mental health disorders. This drama is very psych-heavy but I guess people need to be aware of these disorders too. They need proper treatment and not judgement. The story is a bit cliche but they really added a unique touch to it. Since this Psych-themed drama shows how their thoughts run in their minds, I love how they portray these thoughts using animation and exaggeration (for differentiation from reality). People with mental health disorders might not be able to distinguish reality from their imaginations, thoughts, or fantasies, but the people around them could. We should show them that we understand them and we care for them (Just like how Gang Tae does it). It's good that they get treatment. I just wish Mun Yeong will also get treated. I know her character will still develop so let's wait for it. However, we must not romanticize her inappropriate actions. She has anti-social personality disorder which makes her unable to distinguish between right and wrong. This must not be tolerated and Gang Tae is doing a great job correcting her. This is still ongoing but it already made us feel different emotions. It's good that people are becoming more aware of different mental health issues and the triggers that can be associated with it. Thank you, It's Okay To Not Be Okay :)Music, animations, acting 100% Seo Yeji's voice? 101%!!
PS. I just hope TVN or Netflix will add trigger warnings. The content can be disturbing to some. Trigger warnings would really help.
UPDATE: IT WILL END SOON AND I DONT KNOW WHAT TO FEEL 😭😭 THE EMOTIONS ARE SO REAL I WANNA HUG THEM :(((
UPDATE: OH JUNG SE FOR BEST ACTOR PLS!!! He really did touch our hearts. I really love his character and how he portrayed it :((( ILY Sang-tae oppa!
Was this review helpful to you?
When it's so bad, that it's good...
Over the top, filled with cringe comedy and ridiculousness; this drama somehow made me go from shaking my head at its antics to thoroughly enjoying it in an endeared mannerFirst of all let's talk about the elephant in the room. I am not going to deny that this show is problematic. Even if we skip the fact that this 'family drama' is derived from a very ethically questionable adult webtoon and is bound to direct attention towards the source material, there are still many other things to frown upon.
In the very first episode, the FL (a highschooler) kisses the ML (an adult and a stranger) without his permission, then goes on to be very handsy with him throughout the show despite knowing that he has a girlfriend, beats up people left and right and well, basically does a lot of what your typical drama 'bad boys' usually do. (It's inappropriate behavior regardless of the gender.)
Then, in a very ignorant fashion, for comedic purposes the drama introduces a supporting character (ML's best friend) that has angered the international community for culture appropriation and rightfully so. Korean dramas have never been known to handle sensitive topics 'sensitively' and should know to stay away from them which Backstreet Rookie clearly does not do. It helps that he has reduced screen-time as episodes progress and that the fast forward button comes in particularly handy for his scenes.
So if these things make you shy away from the drama then it's completely understandable and you should do you.
But now for those who were able to walk past the controversy: The thing is while being ignorant, the drama clearly is not malicious. It's pretty obvious that they are just trying way too hard to be funny and sometimes it strikes true and you're left in fits of laughter and other times it doesn't and the result is just embarrassing.
Soon we realize that the FL; a young girl who doesn't have it easy, who lost her father too early, who has been raising her sister alone is quite a lost child inside. She is aggressive at first in her persuit for the ML (who is the only one who seemed to give a shit about her) but soon she becomes more mature and thoughtful. She is strong, stands up for herself and those she cares for and loves fiercely. After you get through the first episodes, she becomes an increasingly likable heroine and you can't help but root for her.
This role doesn't do anything for Ji Chang Wook as an actor. His character is not the typical male lead and not very attractive. He is a pushover, a 30 year old man who lives with his parents, doesn't have a lot of self respect, let's people run over him and despite his good looks, he doesn't do much in the beginning. However, soon you see his strong sense of justice, his love for his own family and the fact that he is literally an actual good human being and so you warm up to him.
The acting is great across the board. The main couple looks so good together (the romance follows with both of them being legal adults) with great chemistry. The OST is stunning and the cringe comedic camera effects during action scenes also grow on you after a while.
The best thing about it, is that even though it's very obviously in your face slapstick, the drama comes with these surprisingly heart warming and emotional moments that sneak up on you and hit you in the feels.
Also, since it is by the same creators as The Fiery Priest, it has A LOT of drama references that are absolutely gold and leave you roaring with laughter.
Overall, it's a light hearted romantic comedy, that doesn't take itself seriously.
So I'd say if you tried the show and couldn't get past the objectionable material, that's perfectly fine but if you are one those who want to watch this show and are hesitating just because of the negativity surrounding it, I suggest you give it a try and let the drama make its case first.
Enjoy!
Was this review helpful to you?
If you asked me to describe this show simply, I would probably liken it to a modern version of Nirvana In Fire, which sounds kind of ridiculous since the contents are so different. While the political intrigue is an integral part of both shows, neither forgets to insert some heart and some solid storytelling to weave its magic - and of course, both shows count on some amazing performances from a largely veteran cast.
Story:
The premise of this show is pretty simple - it's about exposing corrupt government officials, and the twisted web that they weave in a fictional city (and province) in modern China. (FYI - in recent years, with the rise of the new GS, the government's been really cracking down on corruption, especially within government officials, which is why they were okay with turning the novel into a drama).
While Prosecutor Hou Liang Ping is technically the main character, this is really a story about many different people, and how their lives are tied together. The main focus, of course, is telling the politics in a modern Chinese city works, and the scriptwriter does a phenomenal job of outlining many of the problems in Chinese society today without making it too black and white. Because too often, there isn't a clear cut answer, but just acknowledging and highlighting the issue is a major win for citizens.
In this same vein, the characters, even the ones who are exposed to be corrupt, are portrayed in an ambiguous light (and I mean that in the best way). One of the biggest issues with a lot of the shows about political intrigue is that the show is too eager to cast judgement on a character for the audience, but here, you can use your own judgement to decide what you think of a character and his or her actions. Almost all the characters are portrayed in a fairly complete light - so you'll have the full picture of what kind of person they are, what they have done, and why they have done it.
The pace is phenomenal - the first few episodes will leave you absolutely reeling as you're thrown right into a case that opens up the rest of the story - but then it slows down to allow us to catch our breath and to learn a little bit more about the situation and the characters. I think there were some unnecessary scenes, but there was obviously a big attempt to balance the dark and heavy with some light, slice of life moments, and I really did enjoy peeking into the lives of the characters.
Beware - there's a lot of low key and high key propaganda in here - I mean, it is a state-backed show - so it might be a little disconcerting if you aren't used to it, but I didn't find that it took too much away from the story, which was mostly very well thought out, as layers are unpeeled and you learn more and more about just how tangled the web really is.
Acting/Cast:
This show featured probably one of the phenomenal casts in recent history, with a slew of talented, well known veteran actors, who took the roles and absolutely made it their own. In particular, Wu Gang and Zhang Zhi Jian, as opposing politicians, gave amazing performances that gave their characters, who were already interesting, even more depth. Hats off to the other established actors as well (there's too many to name, honestly), in particular Hou Yong, who is probably the reason why a lot of people kept watching the show, as he guest starred in the first couple of episodes as a small town politician and gave an absolutely electrifying performance, and Bai Zhi Di as the elderly retired Chen Yan Shi, who was a cynical and jaded ex-prosecutor and totally reminded me of my own grandfather.
I also loved Ding Hai Feng as the playful police commissioner and Ke Lan, who was a smart, sassy, and hilarious female prosecutor - the two of them often stole the scenes that they were in. If someone ever wants to do a spinoff based on these two, I'm definitely in.
Zhang Feng Yi, who I love, was sadly wasted in his role - he did what he could with it, but it really wasn't an interesting character since Sha Rui Jin was probably the most straight laced character in the entire show (aka boring). He is such a talented actor and I really wanted to see him in a more riveting role.
Lu Yi has received a lot of criticism for his acting, some of which is valid, but a lot of it is a bit unfair given how talented his costars are. Lu Yi does more idol dramas than anything else - I mean, he's not going to be amazing. He was fine - not great, not bad - but serviceable. And considering his character really was just meant to be a foil to some of the other characters so there really wasn't much depth there, he didn't need to be amazing.
Ensemble casts are the best when everyone's performances are elevated, and that's how I felt here.
Overall:
I think you have to have some context of what modern Chinese society looks like to be able to really enjoy this show - even though a lot of the main characters are politicians, there's a relatability factor to it that really strikes a chord with the audience as the show touches on various social issues. I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this show to the point where I'm still discussing it with my parents. For those who dismiss this show as pure propaganda, I feel that's a bit unfair to a well thought out, well acted drama that does have a lot of fantastic social and political commentary. I would definitely recommend it!
Was this review helpful to you?
Baek Ajin is an irredeemable monster.
I was going to wait for the entire thing to air, but I couldn't contain my excitement, so much so that I am barely 7 minutes into the first episode and I am already in love, the intro is perfect just as the webtoon.This and Delusion are my most anticipated webtoon adaptations and I expect the highest level of quality out both, needless to say that my review will be biased, I don't think I can separate the adaptation from the source material even if I try.
I truly cannot care less about what changes are done to the story in order to make a coherent live adaptation, changes are required and expected otherwise what's the point, right? but what I will not stand for is any changes made to Baek Ajin's personality , she's a monster nothing more nothing less and that's what makes the story so good.
I know my current rating is ridiculous having watched 7 minutes of one episode, but it is what I feel for now. I will come back and adjust accordingly after I finish the 4 episodes that are available.
I said I'd come back and adjust rating when I had finished the first 4 episodes, now I'm 3 episodes in and have to take a break, but I'm standing by my 10/10, the series so far is excellent, the casting is impeccable, the acting superb, the minor tweaks done to the story are glorious and the pacing is perfect.
I had to add more after watching episode 4, it's the one with the most changes to the storyline so far, and it's for the better which I thought was impossible to do, it has made the plot more realistic and reassured just how awful Ajin is. I hope and pray that the upcoming 8 episodes keep up this level and if so I dare say this is the best K drama of the year.There's still plenty of time to screw it up though so I'm not going that far yet.
Edit for episodes 5-6.
I cannot put into words how amazingly well this adaptation is going! It's a story that I've read so many times that I know every beat, every character,every single plot point, twist and turn; Yet the way it's being told feels new, I am at the edge of my seat bitting my nails and wondering what is going to happen next.
Rena has been given a brain, has been made more vicious and a far better rival for Ajin, I love what they have done to her so much.
Of all the men in Ajin's life she doesn't deserve, Jaeo will always be my favorite, but Ingang is the one she deserves the least and hurts the most. Drama Ingang is also smarter, stronger, and might not be as easily fooled by her (Hwang Inyoup looks so good in this role!) I am excited and scared of how their relationship will develop and loving this drama more and more with each episode.
Edit for episodes 7-8
So far this review has been part praise for how well the adaptation is going and part a comparison between the source material and the adaptation.
This is where the comparison stops as for episode 7 entierly new plot threads have been added , to a story I foolishly thought was perfect to elevate it to levels I never thought possible, this while still keeping the core events intact and making an already montreous main character even more inhuman, she's not just irredeemably evil, no, she's the Devil.
Edit for episodes 9-10
I Know I said I'd stop my rambling and just wrap up when the series ended but, I'm a little miffed just a tinsy tiny little bit, I'm not going to go into detail what has disappointed me so far because I'm still hopeful that the ending will make up for it and because I got my wish.
I cannot explain how much I love adored that the Fiance character has been expanded, he's barely present in the webtoon but that one glimpse of him shows that he is Ajin's true match, so I've always wanted more of him and more of him we've got.
Major changes have been made to fit the live action's narrative and most of it for the better so I'm still hopeful I'm still satisfied but, it's no longer a 10/10 still pretty damn good. We'll see what happens next week, Will it keep up the good quality?or Will it crash and burn?
My conclusion.
Up until now I hve been mostly positive in my review, despite stating that I'd be biased and I am 100%, however, I adore the cast so much that I also let that bias my review, I have let tweaks that change Ajin's personality slide, even though I also stated that that was thr one thing I wouldn't allow. That being said, What in the world were those last 2 episodes??!! I get taking creative liberties or whatever, I wasn't expecting the ending to be exactly like the webtoon, but no, this is too much, no. It makes sense I guess, and it is fine but I much prefer the original ending.
I'm not going to go into detail because I don't want to spoil anything. I'm not going to drag this drama and say it's garbage because it isn't, it's good and up until that one scene in episode 8 I loved it! I'm sure that for the unbiased this is probably a great drama.
The acting was superb and the soundtrack is fire, the story was practically flawless episodes 1-8 except the last scene and then it went too far, the ending changed too much and it disappointed me a lot.
I do recommend to read the webtoon. It's free on the webtoon app, just 62 chapters a quick abd very entertaining read and it's different enough that it won't seem repetitive, Also if you haven't, read Delusion and join me in the wait for the upcoming drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A recipe with too many ingredients
It’s a story packed with too many ideas, but the poor execution left me disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely good elements, and it was entertaining in the beginning, at least until about halfway through. After that, it went downhill fast. It honestly felt like two different writers worked on the script. The first half was brilliant, while the second half was painfully bad. If I didn’t know the production spent 300 million on this project, I’d have thought it was a low-budget drama. The cinematography was average. The wardrobe was average too (some side characters literally wore one costume for the entire show). They would change XQS's hair in one scene and change again on the next without reason. The editing was sloppy. The saving grace of the show was the fight scenes and fight choreography.There are many more points I could bring up, but I’d have to rewatch episodes to fact-check, and I honestly have no interest in doing that, so I’ll leave those out. Here are the main thoughts that stuck with me:
First, I didn’t like how some of XQS’s greatest achievements, despite him being smart and quick-witted, ended up coming down to sheer luck: swallowing a 60-year power pill, being bitten by a mysterious white snake, receiving power from eight heroes, and so on.
Towards the end, I couldn’t understand why Chief Li knowingly drank the poisoned wine, then went back to the palace again fully aware he’d have to face the same poison and might not survive. He’s supposed to be one of the most powerful figures, yet he came across as utterly defeated. On top of that, the Emperor who gave him the poisoned wine acted surprised and even saddened when he learned of Chief Li’s death. It really makes me question the credibility of the writers.
A lot of questionable choices were made. Characters with strong martial arts skills and big entrances were introduced, only to be taken out by trivial things... Crazy Yan, Chief Li, Rong-er, etc. And just before the final fight between XQS and his second brother, why bother with the sand timer on General Wu instead of just killing him off directly?
The show also hinted at a love triangle between Tang Gege (LSF), Tang Fang, and Red Phoenix, then abandoned it, only to patch it up in the final episodes as if it were an afterthought. Honestly, I started losing interest once the story shifted direction and introduced a new villain, while suddenly making the old villains into “misunderstood good guys.” Their past crimes against the heroes were brushed aside and forgotten. For example, if it weren’t for the Power Gang, the Xiaos wouldn’t have been trapped in the safe house without water and would still be alive. But all was forgiven just because they preserved the bodies (of people they helped kill) as evidence and helped track down the killer. If I were XQS, I’d have held them accountable, maybe made them clean the graves every day for ten years or something.
LSF’s hatred of the Xiao family was so extreme that destroying them consumed his every thought. Yet he never truly got revenge on the person behind the massacre, nor did he apologize to the people he wrongly blamed, especially the Xiaos. He caused a lot of damage, but there was no “I’m sorry.” They just swept it under the rug. And with that, LSF’s purpose was lost. The feud between XQS and LSF disappeared without closure, and LSF ended up as a useless character. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one looking forward to their big showdown.
Another disappointing aspect was the lack of a strong sense of brotherhood. It was there, yes, and their friendship was solid, but within the trio, XQS shone brightly while the other two felt like dim little fireflies, simply existing in the background.
By the time the new villain came around, I had lost focus completely. He felt like just another bad guy I couldn’t care about, and I only kept watching to finish the story. There were still good moments here and there, but overall, the mishandling of the storytelling left me unsatisfied.
And a small rant: whoever invented that drinking cup/saucer design clearly intended half the drink to spill on the ground as an offering to ancestors, because otherwise it’s just a terrible design. The tea cups were perfectly fine. 😅 Okay, don’t come for me on that one, it was a joke.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
the different opinions on this show's ending are actually funny, and totally understandable.
i am not going to lie, at first i hated how the show ended as well, it was so unpredictable (even tho i knew what youngsoo would do); but as i sat down and thought about it more, i realised how and why the ending made perfect sense.part 1 was an introduction to the story, to the war, to the spheres. an introduction to our characters. a way to show development and underdevelopment. we see them acting according to how the adults want them to act, having no right to choose what they wanted to do after signing that paper (which was also signed by their parents, some of them not even being allowed to say if they wanted to do the military training or not). our main characters are building up relationships, platonic or romantic, they are starting to love each other as more than just school colleagues. we see them being together 24/7 in a world that is could be destroyed.
while part 2 is the destroyed world. we get no adults introduced (other than the criminals in the prison, who aren't even humans to begin with), our main characters are able to vote, to communicate, to make decisions together with no adult telling them otherwise. we see betrayals, fights, and lastly, a massacre. youngsoo was the world character of them all, and not in a way that he was written badly, but in a way that he was a criminal. he did not care about no one in the classroom, from the first episode to the last. if someone says that i am wrong, please remember the time when younghoon died and he was happy he wasnt there anymore because he didn't have any more competition in the classroom. he was only thinking for himself, which until the end was, at most, understandable. but his actions were wrong. extremely wrong. not only did he try to sa soyeon, he killed the only witness (ilha), and then he killed almost all his friends. yes, he went crazy, but his reasoning for his mental stability going down was not it.
at the same time, tho, all the trauma they were going thru, plus the pressure from the adults who were using them, i can try to understand him (not what he did). his character had depth, that i don't really care about, but if i did, i could talk about him for hours. as the story was progressing, i hoped that, maybe, they won't keep the ending from the webtoon, i was wrong. it traumatised me in the worst way possible, but i am here writing this with a smile on my face.
we are seeing three wars in the series, one against spheres, one against adults, and one against each others. part 1 was all about the spheres, and the adults, it showed how the kids could fight against both of them and survive. with little sacrifices happening. in the second part, we see the war against each other, which showed us different sides of the kids. they were more mature, not whining that much when they had to do something or when things dont go their way. we see them getting tired, wanting to go home, but still sticking together. there is so much going on in 4 episodes, and ep 7/8 weren't even that long. it keeps you in a state where you can't wait to get to watch the next episode. i was scared the whole time, hoping all of them were going to be alive at the end, yet still knowing that wasn't happening. i was doubting them when they were doubting each other. i felt betrayed when they betrayed each other. i was hurt, i cried with them, i laughed with them, and at the end, something in me died with them as well. altho they didnt stick to the original plot of the story, the main line was still there. kids in war time. no matter what the war was. some of you are failing to see that. they went thru a lot of ups and downs together, they had hopes and their hope died, they were, at the end of the day, just kids.
watching this kdrama was a rollercoaster. i was happy, sad, crying, laughing, anxious, hopeful. but at the end of the day, it gave me comfort (with a lot of anxiety on top). all of my fav characters ended up dead. yes, i did like kimchi, hana, aeseol, and nara, but jangsoo, tae man, yujoong, ilha, soyeon, bora, soocheol, youngshin, all of them, ended up dead. and with ilha's death, followed immediately after by jangsoo, i was petrified. when jangsoo said he'll go find youngsoo, i knew what was going to happen. and when he opened that damned door, i couldnt breathe. he was the reason i was so excited about part 2, and even tho i knew how he ended up in the webtoon, i had a little hope. jangsoo, i miss you.
that 'in other universe' ending, with them graduating, i will take that as the actual ending, and im pretty sure they added that scene as a way for people to choose what ending they want to believe in. younghoon is there, and honestly i never believed he actually died, so thats a bonus. they all graduated guys, they did. and they ended up going to college, and having jobs and families, and happy. thats the real ending (source: trust me bro).
i didnt expect duty after school to be more all of us are dead than all of us are dead, but looks like that title fits them more. i will miss them a lot, somehow i hope for a season 2, even tho i know why they ended part 2 like that (for people to not ask for a season 2).
the actors did such an amazing job. imagine playing jangsoo and having to open that door like 7 times and filming your death in 2 different ways (first they thought it was a sphere that killed him, then they showed youngsoo killing him). i am so glad i started watching this and meeting this amazing, and beautiful cast. can't wait to meet them in a new kdrama.
Was this review helpful to you?
