Reviews

Renascence Means Revival

There is a reason for this show to be titled Renascence. It’s about vengeance fulfilled, doomed love revived..... and bad editing redeemed (at the very end).

Renascence is adapted from the graphic novel, “The Cry of the Phoenix that Reached Ninth Heaven”, but deviates somewhat from the original plot, according to a number of readers. This is a serious historical drama with sombre themes, intense acting, and a largely experienced cast and crew. Director Liu Hai Bo helmed the exceptional The Rise of Phoenixes while the supporting cast comprises some notable veterans. Even the leads like Chen Zhe Yuan had performed so well in Handsome Siblings. I don’t know much about Li Mo Zhi but looking at her filmography, she seems experienced enough leading dramas, so I had a really high expectation on this one.

In most historical C-dramas, we dread the tragic or open endings while constantly hoping for a happier and positive outcome. Here, we were continuously worried that the conclusion, in any form, would not even be given to us.

What went wrong?
The EDITING, primarily. The show was cut from the originally planned and filmed 70 episodes to 36 episodes. We know why it needed to be cut (new industry regulations, I would think rather than censorship reasons), but why 34 EPISODES CUT, only heaven knows. This affected the entire storytelling and pacing, as well as creating plot holes large enough to inspire viewers to glean invaluable answers from various BTS footage. There were scenes that didn’t make sense, characters that appeared from nowhere and story arcs that suddenly concluded without warning (or concluded too quickly without much satisfaction gained).

There were some acting and casting issues with various characters but that would be nitpicking so I’ll leave it at that.

What went right?
The ending, obviously. Fortunately the producers didn’t destroy the one thing left for viewers to hang on to – a happily ever after ending that mostly ties up the loose ends, which thankfully wasn’t edited out. There were real fears that we would only be shown 30 seconds of that, if at all. Although the final episode did feel somewhat rushed, it’s the closure that counts, and what an end it was!

Chen Zhe Yuan is another redeeming factor for this show. His acting was on point, and he delivered a totally different character in Prince Su here as compared to his previous effort – he was restrained and stoic in comparison with his more carefree and laidback character in Handsome Siblings, and that’s due to his versatility and range. His emotional scenes were convincing, and there were many. Although he doesn’t come close to Cheng Yi - who does anyway? - he did deliver a commendable depiction of the tormented lover who had to see the love of his life abandon him to marry his own brother. Twice.

Initially I wasn’t too convinced with Li Mo Zhi as the FL. I felt Eva Cheng was better suited to lead but, she proved me wrong by gradually growing into her role and showcased such remarkable character development as the show progressed. At exactly the halfway mark (ep. 18, 24:05), she dramatically and majestically turned into an epic badass, giving off serious Zhao Yao, Shen Lige, Chu Qiao, Fu Yao vibes in the process. This was truly the pivotal moment where our completely transformed FL was finally unleashed. It’s interesting to note that Li Mo Zhi bears such an uncanny resemblance to Chen Chiao En (Joe Chen). At times I felt like I was watching the Taiwanese drama queen on screen.

The many plot twists were major talking points throughout the show. New conspiracies and machinations kept coming while numerous villainous characters were introduced and deliciously evolved at frightening frequency. The remarkably fast pacing was no doubt a result of the reduced episodes and lack of fillers, which isn’t entirely a bad thing if only they hadn’t cut the important details out as well. Even till the final stretch of episodes, still the screenwriters kept cramming as many new side plots as possible. This drama truly never ceases to amaze at nearly every turn.

The OST here is outstanding. I’m glad the music wasn’t affected by the editing in the show. The opening theme, in particular, is very good. Track list as follows:

1.叶倾君 - 金润吉 (Ye Qingjun-Jin Runji)
2.涅槃 - 陈哲远 & 李墨之 (Nirvana-Chen Zheyuan & Li Mozhi)
3.春知 - 刘美麟 (Chun Zhi-Liu Meilin)
4. 一诺 - 晏紫东 (Yinuo-Yan Zidong)

It’s worth mentioning how captivating the Emperor’s voice has been in this drama. As commented in the discussion board, he was voiced by a notable voice actor, Bian Jiang (边江) who also dubbed Wang Yi Bo in The Untamed.

Confusing elements?
Concerns and confusion were regularly voiced out by viewers regarding the “soul switching” and usage/ abuse of the bodies in question. The horrendous editing and resultant plot holes, as well as the inclusion of an amnesia arc, all added to the uncertainty of what exactly is going on and WHO the FL actually is. With the plot of the drama deviating significantly from the novel, it was left to the screenwriters to then devise an alternative outcome to the story.

My take on this is that from Day One, it had always been Mo Xin who took over Mo Wan’s body. She did lose her memories at one point, but it was still the amnesiac Mo Xin in Mowan’s body. The person whom Prince Su was attracted to and fell in love with (again) had always been Mo Xin in the guise of Mo Wan. And so it proved, right to the devastating end…although I wished it could have played out a little differently without that tragic sacrifice…

Overall
Regardless of the problems this drama faced, and the confusion it caused because of the poor editing, I still enjoyed Renascence very much. The unpredictable twists and turns in the plot kept things interesting, and because everyone was informed of the impending happy outcome at the end, it balanced out the (minor) angst and frustrations from certain events in the show. I would recommend that you give this show a chance, enjoy it for what it is and really suspend disbelief for as long as you can (hopefully till the end).

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1) The reason I watched this:

I watched all versions of Hana Kimi, thus I wanted to discover the Korean incarnation.

2) Storyline/Plot:

*I already knew the general story which means that I didn’t try to discover it (predictable). I will basically compare storylines and plot changes.

Positive Points:

*Unlike other versions, this one focused on the romantic side; there were too many fluffy moments that would make the drama more enjoyable. Moreover, this Korean adaptation gave the romantic elements its right to be intensively present.

*This version had the best visual cinematography; yes I had to admit that since other versions didn’t focus on this aspect. I am glad that this one took it into consideration and actually pulled it off in a good way.

Negative Points:

*The huge negative point that I found in this version was the absence of friendship and relationships inside dorms, it was the main element in other versions that’s why I felt betrayal when I didn’t find it here. Yes, the version should stand out but cutting such an important element made the drama lose its taste.

*Another important negative point: The lack of humor; It was an important element too, maybe it wasn’t present in all other versions but here, it felt absent or maybe “left behind”. That was annoying; the lack of funny scenes was simply bothersome because it created many boring moments.

*I hated the fact that script writers wanted to cover up for everything by showing the cute romance the whole time, it felt like cheating the audience and creating fan-service scenes by using Choi Min Ho’s body and Lee Hyun Woo’s face.
*Dragging: The drama fell into dragging especially near the end; that wasn’t nice to watch.

Story: 4/10.

2) Acting/Cast:

*This drama’s cast is mostly singers so you can’t expect to have strong acted scenes plus the storyline didn’t allow actors to show their skills since it focused on the cute side. However, that doesn’t deny that Choi Min Ho, Sully and Lee Hyun Woo did a respectable job in this.

*As for characters, Tae Joon’s Sano was a decent portrayal out of all versions I’ve seen. Goo Jae Hee was average: no love, no hate.
Eun Gyeol character was the worst Nakatsu portrayal mostly because it lacked humor and took the triangle side way too seriously, yes, there were some cute imagination moments but they didn’t last for long. That being said, I have to refer that Hyun Woo was the best actor in this drama, it wasn’t his fault that the storyline made his character more serious than it’s supposed to be.

*Side characters were uninteresting most of the time which was the storyline’s fault for cutting and changing many important characters.

*Appreciated character: Min Hyun Jae because he had a different character from what I remember plus his presence was always good to watch.

*Relationships:

--->Romance: On terms of chemistry, I can’t say that it was the greatest ever but there were many cute and fluffy moments all over the place.

--->Friendship: None! I haven’t felt any friendship between characters except some moments with Eun Gyeol and his roommate. Other than that, it was annoyingly absent.

--->The triangle: It was taken way too seriously than other versions so it felt bothersome to watch.

Cast: 6/10.
Acting: 7/10.

4) The ending:

Finally! I kept waiting for the drama to end ever since the 10th episode. It was a normal ending, no special feelings.

The ending: 6/10.

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I was really excited at the beginning but after three or four episodes, I just lost interest somehow.
*This was a disappointing remake for me, I expected a lot from the K-version but I end up watching something pretty and shallow.

*Is this drama memorable: No, I can’t possibly remember this drama because it dragged a lot which made it pretty boring but I may remember the vivid colors and the cuteness overload.

My impression: 3/10.

6) Overall:

*If you’re looking for a cute school drama then you may like this.
*If you watched other Hana Kimi versions and want to see more romance then you would like this.
*If you want something pretty to look at then watch this.

*To the Beautiful You was a cute drama that dragged a lot and delivered nothing when it comes to friendship and school relationships. As a remake it was a disappointment.

Overall: 5/10.

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Overall “Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds” is a good movie and it’s easy to imagine why so many love it. Unfortunately the great concept they had going was lost in a so-so story and a main character that you, as a viewer, don’t really get to know.

But even though it has some major flaws, I kind of like it, I would be lying if I told you otherwise. So here’s some reasons why it isn’t an amazing movie, but why it’s still worth the watch.

The first half of the movie feels a bit flat in my opinion. The main character is put through these trials that are somewhat repetitive and don’t really engage you since he feels like a stranger, empty and lacking a clear personality. A problem that persists throughout the whole movie. It’s hard to care about the outcome of the judgments when you can’t really connect with the characters.

Another thing that is off putting with the trials, is the fact that they never get exciting or serious. You never feel nervous for the outcome because of how predictable and silly they are. I still, as I wrote previously, love the concept though.

In the second half of the movie you get to know all the characters a little better, better but not well enough to make them feel like 3-dimensional, full characters. Even though it’s still very predictable, you want to see how the story unfolds and if you are a crier like me, you might even cry a little. I must say though, that the comedy and the tragedy in this movie isn’t that great. They play on your emotions in the most typical ways and often fail.

What I really like about the movie is the CGI. Almost every setting and fight was nicely done, something that is rare for these kinds of movies. The great surroundings truly make the movie come alive.

So all in all, I think that they could’ve made the movie a lot better and way more interesting if they wanted to, but at the same time it is an enjoyable movie and totally worth the watch. At least if you are into things like the afterlife, reincarnation, angels and Gods. I know I am, but are you?

Just because a movie isn’t amazing or flawless, doesn’t mean it’s not worth the ride, so don’t let all the not-so-great stuff prevent you from watching this nice movie.

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The Best Sapphic Themed Romance in a Long Time

You were my dream, my longing and my one and only Prince!”

If someone had told me that a supporting character would rise to be the main lead’s love interest, I wouldn’t have believed them. That was until I watched “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” and was left mesmerized by the romance between Jeongnyeon and Jooran. A classic retelling of the webtoon “Jeong Nyeon” (정년이) written by Seo Irae (서이레) and illustrated by Namon (나몬). If you are worried that the show is a censored adaptation, so it won’t have the same romantic connotations as the original, fret not. “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” encompasses a spell binding romance in the midst of encapsulating the Korean art forms, Pansori & Gukgeuk. For those unaware, there is a difference between both. Pansori is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer, where the singer tells the story by singing and the drummer accompanies her on the drum. Gukgeuk refers to a theatrical performance that combines both singing and dancing. The show embodies the very essence of both art forms that were quite popular in the post-war era. Being an all women production, even the male roles were portrayed by females. We are going to talk about the different facets of this show that strongly betray its homoerotic context!

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/11/19/jeongnyeon-the-star-is-born-series-review-ep-1-to-12/

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Sae Bom & Yi Hyun's fight for Happiness

or should I say — "watching them together is our Happiness"

This drama brings out many versions of humans. It shows how layered this society is… I met a mix variety of people here, those who will help others selflessly, those who may save themselves first selfishly, those who think money is God & everything can be bought even in case of emergency… There are those few confused characters too who are in a great dilemma that if they should help or not…

The drama also depicts that Class discrimination between people from upper & lower class can survive even in such chaos… so the more I started to love the leads, the more HATE I had in my mind for those extra mean characters… by hate I mean I wanted them to just die... If you want to watch this, you need enough patience for annoying side characters.

Han Hyo Joo (as ~ Yoon Sae Bom) is an anti-terrorism trainer & someone who is selfless & fearless. She is kinda reckless at times but she is straightforward. I loved the way she kicks, I was like "Oh my God, that was so smooth!" Definitely a very good Strong female lead. But she doesn't falls under the category of Smart female leads for me cause her decisions were all hasty, without consideration.

Park Hyung Sik (as ~ Jung Yi Hyun) is a detective & a former baseball player who has courage and knows when to use his cop & sportsman skills. He is righteous & strong. PHS has definitely got good action skills. That car slide scene is something I saw repeatedly again and again. He is good at no matter what role he plays. Happiness as Hyung Sik's comeback drama is perfect.

The chemistry of the leads is like so pure. They understand & support each other. They are like one team. No forced romantic moments considering a total action-thriller drama. So, No exaggeration of romance. Just a simple couple who pretended to be a couple but actually love each other a lot deep in heart. Their bond is just precious. I wish these two get more chances of cooperation cause look at them, they look so good together…!! And I'll stop fangirling now haha.

Jo Woo Jim (as ~ Han Tae Seok) is a military informant who wants to help everyone. He plays the hard cold guy role in front of everyone but is actually very caring at heart. There has to be someone who takes the tough decisions & be bad, he chose himself for that. There's one scene when I just screamed that "Oh God, HE IS SO COOL"…… well, there's PHS Oppa in this drama so shouldn't I just cheer up for him more but No, Character-wise, I loved Han Tae Seok more…

Keeping us hooked up… This isn't draggy at all… just a simple zombie drama that goes "little" in-depth with the characters but from the enjoyment point of view, I was personally enjoying watching it. It wasn't very scary in terms of visuals but it did make me nervous about what is going to happen next.

I think I am gonna miss the rooftop of this drama, I just feel very attached to it, I wonder what's so special about that place… then, my only complain here was that I wish they gave more background story for the characters first so that we can connect to them…

Overall, I loved this drama and just that it's thriller and I basically know all the facts now, so I won't rewatch this but what a nice ride this was… Give it a try if it suits your drama taste…

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My Mister C drama remake

It's not that I don't love the C cast, but anyone who watched My Mister the K drama with Lee Sun Kyun & IU will always compare & it's unavoidable. While watching this made me miss Lee Sun Kyun (RIP) more. His voice was so iconic and I watched enough of his dramas where I was deeply saddened by his passing.

They made plenty minor adaptions for the C drama version but overall story is the same. It's worth watching as a standalone but if you watched the K version then the C version will feel different.

-Lee Sun Kyun felt more depressed than Mark Chao
-IU felt darker than Zhang Zi Feng
-Jang Ki Young the debt collector was way more convincing than Zhang Xin Cheng
-The bad guy GU Chen's character didn't give off the one dimensional sleazy vibe so I actually like this character better than than the K drama version.

I am a fan of the C cast but My Mister holds a special place in my drama list

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I was a little hesitant to start watching the drama, because of the storyline. It didn't seem like it was going to be a good drama. When I started watching it I really did expect the story to be overtaken by the conversation of politics and sadness, but it was the exact opposite. The romance in this drama was so beautiful! There was, of course, some political talk, and sadness, but it was replaced with very humorous moments that I have not ever seen in a historical drama before. There were times when I was desperately heartbroken, and others where I was literally unable to breathe, because of something being extremely hilarious. The acting was great all the way through. I have to give huge props to all the actors who played the younger versions of the main characters. They all did a wonderful job, and are beyond their years in the world of acting. I loved, loved, loved Soo Hyun in this drama. He took his character to a knew and complex level. The music was absolutely beautiful!! I can still not get over the music that was played throughout this drama. It had an eerie grand warrior feel to it, if that makes any sense. I would rewatch this drama in no time. I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure anyone who watches it will. Overall, I give this a 9. Based on my personal rating I gave this drama a 10, but I feel that the storyline wasn't the absolute best, but you really cannot judge a drama based on it's initial plot. Loved this drama, and you will to. So! stop reading this review and go watch this drama!!!!!!

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Too much talk and not enough plot.

I expected "Doom at Your Service" to easily become a new drama favorite of mine. It stars
Seo In Guk as an attractive and mysterious male lead, which is his specialty and almost a guarantee that I'll get hooked, but his storyline is hijacked by a mediocre love triangle/fractured bromance that made me lose any interest I had. Instead of getting a fully fleshed-out-fantasy- romance about Doom itself going against character and falling in love with a depressed woman, I got a boring office drama about writers and editors with way too much dialogue and not enough plot. This is also meant to be a tear-jerker yet my eyes remained dry the entire time. This drama went from addictive to barely watchable fast. I almost dropped it in the last episodes because it dragged so much. Maybe a more dynamic female lead could have kept me interested longer. Even though Park Bo Young may be cute, and even likable, she annoyed me as the Tak Dong Kyung.

Dong Kyung as a character starts off amazing. She does the unexpected, she appears brave and considerate and clever, but as the story loses direction so does the character. There were too many Park Bo Young scenes with her crying/whining before I had a chance to fully connect with the character's situation. I also felt declining chemistry between her and Seo In Guk as Doom/Sa Ram. What started with an interesting connection turned into long conversations and repetitive fantasy sequences but not a love story I could connect with. I'm just gonna say it, Seo In Guk is much better at passionate scenes and showing depth (like in "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes"), and he tried to carry many of their scenes with subtle choices I loved, but having Park Bo Young play so innocent, almost childish, missed the mark for me. She also seemed too indifferent about literally dying for too long. The denial in the beginning aside, which worked well, as episodes evolved I just didn't believe she was a woman making life or death choices which stopped me from caring enough to cry or just fall in love with the story. I can't say she was bad in the role, she just wasn't good enough to make me buy into this unusual plot. Big Park Bo Young fans may feel differently and be more forgiving, which would make a huge difference in whether you like this drama or not. She is in 2 unique concept dramas that I loved "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon" and "Oh My Ghostess", where being cute worked much better, but not this time. I was unimpressed.

The next problematic character for me is Jeong Ji So as "God". I didn't mind the whole Dora The Explorer Diety Gardner thing, or her performance, but her esoteric unclear presence in the story was more frustrating than interesting. Mainly, again, because she talked too much and showed too little (besides random plants). Maybe some things were lost in translation, but her long conversations and observations may be good in a novel, or a webtoon, but on screen, it just drags and bored me almost to sleep at times. I'm wondering if the dialogue sounds so "beautiful" in Korean that the writer fell too in love with their own words to cut any of it down and remember that showing is more compelling than telling on screen. Yes, there were a few well-done visual scenes but they were still mostly overwhelmed by talking. Too many scenes of the leads just staring at each other in bed (together and apart) was a huge romantic disappointment too. They were damn near platonic for such an epic fated love story, with too much narration. It lacked enough passion to sustain the story to the end and by the time things resolved I barely cared.

Oh, and about that extra love triangle, usually even a cliché love triangle has exciting scenes and chemistry but nope... these 3 characters also just have lots of conversations about the past, about each other, about what they may want to do or should have done, with very little actual progress. I think Lee Soo Hyuk as blunt and straight-faced Cha Joo Ik was supposed to be funny, but I found those banter scenes to be flat. I'm sure much of that intended dry humor was lost on me as well. For me, just having two attractive men isn't enough to fuel a love triangle romance plot. It also has nothing to do with the Doom plot, which makes it seem like unnecessary filler or a different drama.

I did like her brother's character, mainly for cute comic relief, but most of the other characters are just ok, and pretty forgettable (Shout out to poor Kevin who didn't even make the cast list lol).

Would I watch this again? I wouldn't torture myself like that. I'm sure a lot of these actors will go on to better dramas that I'll watch and I will probably forget this drama even exists after a while.

The OST is also forgettable but oh how I love Seo In Guk's voice. Rather, I just love him and his beautiful voice is a bonus. I didn't fall in love with any songs though... or his hair color.

Overall this drama is a huge miss. Maybe it's good if you want to hear more Korean dialogue than usual as language practice (it's A LOT y'all) but I can't call this drama good. It is an ambitious and pretty original idea but that's not enough to make this drama work as a whole. Characters saying how they feel instead of showing it for me felt like a romance buzz kill and lazy. If this drama had no Doom character I would have dropped it almost immediately. I also expected tears, since sadly cancer scenarios are too familiar in my real life, but my eyes remained dry the entire time. And what's worse than abusing flashbacks... describing flashbacks as you abuse and overuse them. I looked up the last drama written by this writer and it was "The Beauty Inside", another drama with all concept and zero plot. Another movie plot idea stretched beyond its means. Another missed opportunity to create a really interesting love story. Maybe I should have double-checked who the writer was before I decided not to drop this. Sadly, those who don't learn which drama writers create shows they should have dropped are doomed to repeat it.

I guess Seo In Guk was too good at his Doom role because he doomed me to complete this.

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Missing parts.

Let me preface this review with a warning - this is a well-loved drama that I simply fail to appreciate. If my criticism of it will offend you or ruin the joy you found in it, best give this a skip.

The soundbites are tantalizing: a taboo romance between a eunuch and a concubine; a ruthless and scheming male lead; a spirited and clever female lead; and palace conspiracies and mysteries aplenty. Not to mention Wang Hedi's Xiao Duo exudes that intense tall, dark, and dangerous kind of sex appeal that screams he is no Lord Varys. So I jumped in despite my reservations over Chen Yuqi's acting. As it turns out, that is one of the drama's lesser problems.

This drama is an inane attempt at dark satire aimed at the obscene privilege of emperors. It opens with the shockingly cruel practice of sending off childless concubines, known as tribute ladies to accompany the emperor in the afterlife. After high powered eunuch Xiao Duo rescues Bu Yinlou from this dastardly fate, an alliance of sorts forms between the two as they navigate treacherous palace politics in a time of power transition. I like how it was just a mutually beneficial relationship initially and how they disliked and were wary of each other; that the romance did not blossom instantly. Where it falters is in showing me why the two most powerful men in the palace connect with and fall so utterly for a woman afflicted by bizarre facial paroxysms.

Xiao Duo's wicked ruthlessness is gleefully conveyed with wit, panache, and flawless comedic timing by Wang Hedi. This is well matched by Peter Ho's slightly over-the-top portrayal of the deceptively simplistic, cartoonish-ly obsessive, and delusional emperor. Both portrayals convey each character's underlying ethos; a past sadness and secret loneliness. Unfortunately, Chen Yuqi’s jarring and tacky comedic interpretation is far more typical of a slapstick comedy than dark satire. Her exaggerated rapid eye movement and outlandish facial expressions had me triple-checking the synopsis to see if the character is supposed to be epileptic, schizophrenic, or simply possessed. While a huge upgrade from her usual vacuous sleepwalking, for the first 14 episodes, there is little beyond brazen tasteless humor in Chen Yuqi's Bu Yinlou. After that, she gets into character and delivers some really good scenes. She has good romantic chemistry with Wang Hedi that elevates her performance and the more serious tone the story takes also helps. But her acting is not consistent and wobbles again at the ending episodes. It highlights her limited range and is quite inexcusable for someone who is an acting school graduate with a long list of drama lead role credits. This is the best I have seen from her in years but that says nothing at all.

This drama's biggest issue is that it is missing a good plot. The storyline is contrived, naive and so ridiculous it is disdainful of audience intelligence. The writer's ignorance and superficial understanding of feudal imperial inner palace workings are embarrassing. It is impossible for someone like Bu Yinlou to waltz in and out of the inner palace like it is a hotel, live at a brothel and gallivant all over the kingdom with Xiao Duo. The production leaked "cut" romantic scenes like a sieve, trying to blame the abysmal failure in storytelling on censorship. The truth is all the kiss scenes in the world cannot salvage the messy plot and inconsistent characterizations. We are told both leads are smart characters but they are actually the architects of their own troubles. The allegedly Machiavelli Xiao Duo wrests the crown prince from the custody of the one person with the highest incentive to keep him alive and healthy and puts him in the hands of the person with the strongest incentive to kill him dead! As a couple, they have repeated opportunities to escape, but choose not to. Xiao Duo's revenge is anti-climatic and hastily swept under the rug once the killer is uncovered. They flaunt their affair with such reckless impunity they so deserved to get busted. I stopped caring if they ended up together and sat on the meh ending episode for weeks. I finally finished watching this so you don't have to. To my dismay, they got an ending they didn't earn or deserve.

The bottom line is Wang Hedi is the only reason to watch this drama. He is sexy even when he glowers and scowls and his costuming and visuals in this drama are swoon-worthy. In fact, save yourself some time and just watch all the fan-made videos of the romantic scenes hard-core fans have stitched together. You can skip all the rest because as foreshadowed by the eunuch theme, this drama has critical missing parts. I can only rate it 6.5/10.0 to finish at the rock bottom of my completed list for 2022.

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Good idea and message, awkward realisation

The idea of this drama was a good one... in short, showing what virtual reality can offer meanwhile, and showing, what it definitely can't offer.
While everything in a virtual reality is hyper-perfect, hyper-glaring, hyper-cheezy and hyper carefree, in the end, it's meaningless, hollow, empty and unfulfilling. Only the real deal is that - the real deal with real emotions, real joy, but also real danger of getting hurt. So far, so good.

The realisation of this drama did lack in several aspects though. Contrary to many others I do not think it was Jisoo's acting, I even think she did comparably good in this one (and don't really undertand why she gets bashed so much when there - at least in my opinion - are a ton of educated actresses who are acting way worse, but anyways)

What this one lacked is realistically showing that significant difference between virtual realities and real life emotions.
The whole relationship between the FL and the ML, which only started in episode 6, came totally out of nowhere. Full five episodes before there was not even a hint the ML had only remote interest in the FL - no, not even hidden, also not hidden in obvious bickering, it was just non-existent. So when the ML suddenly confesses to the FL, it seems (and that is the bad thing especially in that storyline) like another artificial, cheesy line, not fitting reality - just like in the virtual reality programes the FL visited before. Accordingly, the following interaction between the FL and ML feel - totally unreal, staged, like some lines learned before a play. Also Seo In-guk, (who in former dramas ('The smile has left your eyes'!!) proved he is a fantastic actor, especially if it comes to real life drama) couldn't safe this, the writing and directing was just not good enough.

So, unfortunately this did not deliver, while the idea and basic storyline where interesting and had a good message.

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In spite of all the horror and struggle for survival, there is still room for the heart note

"All of Us Are Dead" isn't specific to South Korean culture, but it's not surprising that the story was born on South Korean soil... The story picks up on the sheer horror that South Korean youth are exposed to in the face of their brutal educational system. There, the enormous pressure to perform is higher than almost anywhere else in the world. For some, bullying is one way to reduce stress. The bullied, in turn, are doubly stressed. Other options include withdrawal, drugs, or suicide. South Korean society is largely blind and/or helpless in the face of this. The pressure to perform and, in this context, the psychological suffering of young people seems to be without alternative in view of the nationwide (and worldwide, economic) competition - a price that society has to pay in view of the greater good. And with that, the youngsters are left alone to somehow survive in this merciless world. However, this applies (perhaps not so blatantly) in a similar way to young people in many countries around the world.

This is where "All of Us Are Dead" comes in its impressive and striking way.

The original title is something like "Currently at our school", so the focus is actually on the school and their students. In fact, the horror of everyday school life, which is more existential for some and less existential for others, mutates into a horror for everyone. A troubled father wants to create a way for his suicidal son to finally stand up to his bullies. The experiment goes astray. The vicious, zombie-like virus is sweeping the entire city and beyond. Disaster control, state of emergency, martial law - the whole program is needed to get the situation under control. And here, again, the young people are left alone in their existential need.

The story telling and expression of various group and relationship dynamics between the young people represent high-end KDrama quality - intense, powerful, sensitive, excellent. Almost everything is on the table. For me, this is the strength of this KDrama and the reason why worth watching.

Besides the problems, dynamics and approaches of trying to 'master' the threatening epidemic somehow sums up what we have had to go through worldwide in the past 2 years marked by Covid. When the rules are overridden, individuals (those who happen to have something to say) rule against the backdrop of their (helpless) personalities - arbitrary or scientifically based, rational or irrational, mostly driven by fear and from a safe distance and/or on the (argumentatively) safe side. Then real quick nobody takes side of individuals anymore, the big picture being more important...

Seen in this way, "All of Us Are Dead" is a qualitatively demanding KDrama in several respects. In spite of all the horror and struggle for survival, there is still room for the heart note.

However, I would like to emphasize that the virus is turning people into flesh-eating zombies. So the abundance of screaming, rattling, biting, blood-smeared zombie scenes, which simply lack any aesthetics for the eye and ear, is part of the story, too. In general this drama is brutal. This is obviously very popular in the international zeitgeist and thus (being published on the international netflix platform) stagily staged. I would say, brutal details and zombie-screentime could definitely have been less prevailing (in order to still tell the story).

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A complete rom-com fit for 2023.

This is my first time reviewing a series on MDL and I start now because I just really felt the need to tell people how great I found this series. I have marked it spoiler as a precaution because I might end up spoiling unknowingly.

This kdrama's ensemble of characters looks like this - an independent and confident female lead, an open and understanding male lead, a very fine second male lead who is the best bro a man could have, and a very caring and supportive second female lead who is just a tad bit self-doubting.

The story has everything from hilarious little bits, to toe-curling scenes, moments of hate and moments of understanding alike. A little thing to dislike is the pacing in the very last 2 episodes BUT I entered watching this knowing the pacing might suffer due to the short length of the series and it'd be wise of everyone else to do so too. Because otherwise the show's storyline, plot points everything was on point.

My very favourite part about the series is that the female lead has not been shown as a troubled damsel of any sorts, neither has she been forcibly empowered. She is a hard-worker and good at her job. And she lives her life as she wants without much concern for judgement of others.
The male lead is wary of women for he has only ever met the manipulative ones, but after meeting the female lead, he starts understanding her and liking her for exactly who she is. And THE VERY MOST IMPORTANT THING is that he RESPECTS her. Which is perfect because for the female lead hearing 'I respect you' is more important than hearing 'I love you.'

And I feel this year in 2023 I think we should strive for this sort of kdrama, one which emphasizes on the mutual respect required in a relationship. Because we have seen enough love, hate, hate-to-love, but all of that is useless when there is no respect in the foundation of the relationship.

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best of cdramas

this was a great cdrama, and before the buts I'll talk about the good points:
1- the fl was the main hero, she woke up 1st and she "solved" most of the problems, though at points they did seem to always praise the ml (once the cop even praised him for remembering "something" but at that timeline the fl did all the work)
2- each passenger had their own lives, as the leads suspected them all, each one of them revealed their own struggles and hardships (I do think they glossed over them too fast, but in the end they were all "heroes" eventhough most time lines they didn't want to intervene)
3- the cat guy UWU
4- the different interpretations of how each action resulted in a different reaction (though they were a little too repetitive at times)
5- I'm glad the final showdown was done by the fl

now for the buts~
1- I think one pervert one time was not enough for her meltdown. if someone touches you, SCREAM right away. there were many people there, her story felt like a simple "backstory" on why 2 people wanted to blow up a bus..
2- going to prison for terrorism and mass murder attempt probably has a higher jail time than sexual harassment, which is sad cuz that dude deserved worse...
3- I thought this was like that ep of "Mystery to Iunakare" where the kidnappers took the bus with all the suspects of that event, though indeed it'd have been harder to track down the pervert which results in my "solution"
4- this should've been revenge. like they did find the pervert but he got out easy and they wanted more..
5- at one point the ml was too controlling, the fl was the hero that did most of the job while the ml always nagged her
6- this needed half the ep counts, they had too many repetitions
7- I'm not into cdrama osts

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THIS ADAPTATION SHOULDN'T EXIST

You didn’t adapt ORV. You just used its name.

From the moment they announced the cast, it was already giving POPULARITY over accuracy. Jisoo as Lee Jihye? Lee Minho as Junghyook? Be serious. Did they even read the novel? Jihye is one of the most uniquely written characters in ORV—“We added the gun because Lee Jihye js not interesting enough” my ass. She didn’t need the gun, Jisoo does. She had her sword because she’s literally the incarnation of the Martial General. They didn’t give her a gun because of plot, they did it because Jisoo couldn’t handle the stunts. Don’t reduce a whole character just because your idol can’t swing two swords.

And Bihyung. My fluffy brown-clothed dokkaebi 🥺. They turned him into a Labubu-looking creature. You really took the most beloved chaos creature in ORV and made him unrecognizable. I actually cried when I saw him. That was NOT my lovable bihyung.

But the worst part? This. The plot. The core of ORV is how much Dokja LOVED the novel. He lived, suffered, and D!ED because of that story. And the author? They wrote it for HIM! “This novel is just for that one reader.” That line DEFINES the whole thing. TLS123/Han Sooyoung shaped the plot to fit what Dokja needed—she literally created entire characters for him (Hayoung??). So to have her say “write it yourself”?? That’s not just OOC. That’s erasure. That's disrespect.

This isn’t a reinterpretation. It’s not a creative twist. It’s straight-up bowdlerization. A shallow, fame-chasing rewrite of something deeply personal to us, fragments. YOU CANNOT BE CALLED A FRAGMENT IF YOU WATCH THE LA. Don’t watch it.

[This is a review from a member of our ORV GROUP PAGE; I sent this here for more people to know.]

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How to be a people pleasear | lack of romance

So sad to watch another drama where the FL is an example how to be a boxing bag, how to be a victim, how to not trust yourself at all, to be a people pleasear... the toxic life of koreans.... to be abused but to continue the contact, working with abusers. I dont understand how can be an example for young girls that whatch this kdrama.

How can you have, treat with kindness, even visit a frind that always wanted nothing for you. Bullying is a thing that koreans like so much... it become a normality to entrain.

I would have loved to see how she fights for her, how to gain self-confidence, to be in her own power, how to stand for yourself, how to speak for yourself.

The romance is absent completely.

There are some beautiful stories also and for this I give it a 5 but I don't recommend.

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