+/- Plot:
Overall, this drama's storyline was not terrible, I wouldn't say that it was every really dragging and I was never really bored. That being said I still have several complaints. The storyline of the lead couple was repetitive with them hashing and rehashing the same argument over and over; them going stead, him going away on a mission, her questioning if she can handle their relationship, something life threatening happening to her, he saving her, and her falling for him all over. They did at some moment have some cute scenes. However, I was actually finding myself more interested in the second lead couple's romance, even though it did follow some of the conventional Korean drama's storylines. All the adversities they faced while abroad were exciting, even if they were pretty unbelievable at times.
I couldn't believe how forgiving they were of the medical portions of this drama though. Everything was wrong on so many levels. I'm not asking that it has to be completely accurate, but for it to at least be somewhat believable. The scriptwriters were pretty shameless and flagrant about the minimal research they put into it.
Overall, it felt a little like they just tried to mash three different categories of dramas together (romantic comedy, action/suspense, and medical) and I really feel like they were just reaching at some points. And don't even get me started on the amount of advertisements they tried to weave in at every moment possible. I understand that this was an expensive production, but it was pretty unbelievable at the end. I could go on about my complaints, but if there's any DOTS fans reading this I will be burned at the stake as it is.
+/- Acting/Cast:
While there were moments when I was supposed to be saddened to tears in the last couple episodes, I wasn't. This just goes to say how unattached I was to all the characters, and speaks wonders about their acting. To be honest, I just found a majority of their acting a bit cheesy, overdone, and not convincing. I consider myself a fan of Song Joong Ki, but this drama was not effective for me. I was laughing at the "intense" moments and grimacing at a portion of the romantic scenes. Which leads me into Song Hye Kyo; she's cute and I'll leave it at that. I had problems with her character; indecisive and constantly nagging. I felt that Kim Ji Won and Jin Goo's romance was 10 fold better, which is probably why I was more interested in them.
McInnis David was fine to begin with, but let's just say I understand why he's not an A list American actor.
All the other side characters were decent, I would say that some unnecessary; but my favorite side characters were Dr. Song Sang Hyeon and nurse Ha Ja Ae. They played their innocent, sweet romance really well and it was cute to see them act together.
+/- Music:
There are several songs from well known artists, several of which have sung songs for other popular dramas. They were all pretty catchy for the most part, but I would say there was really only one or two songs that stood out too me.
Rewatch value: This drama wasn't so terrible that I couldn't rewatch it, however it would never be at the top of my list for dramas that I would watch again.
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3 Gerberas, 2 Funerals and A Match Made In Heaven
***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone. This review contains spoilers so I suggest watching the film first before reading.***「 ❝An untimely frost upon the sweetest flower of all❞ 」
I just finished watching this, and I must stress that it is not for the faint of heart. If you are super sensitive still want to watch, I recommend bringing a box of tissues because you will probably cry. If you liked 20th Century Girl, you will definitely appreciate this.
General Overview:
Drawing Closer is an astoundingly beautiful film that had a great influence on me, with both its narrative and visual brilliance. From the first scene to the end credits, the film immerses the audience in a universe where every frame is precisely produced, with each shot a monument to the director's vision and the cinematographer's talent. The emotionally charged tale delves into the complex complexities of human relationships, capturing moments of joy, sadness, love, and loss with a raw honesty rarely seen in film. The characters are well developed, their journeys realistic and moving so much so that the story elicits a wide spectrum of emotions that remain with you long after the film has concluded. The performances are outstanding, with each actor adding a distinct and compelling presence to their role, heightening the film's emotional impact. The eerie and evocative musical composition perfectly compliments the storyline, increasing the emotional experience while adding levels of meaning to the plot. "Drawing Closer" is more than a film; it's an experience, a work of art that speaks to the heart and soul, leaving an unforgettable impression on anyone who sees it.
In More Detail:
The plot revolves around two terminally ill teenagers who come into each other’s life.
What to expect:
- Characters dealing with grief/death and how to overcome the inevitable.
- Two artists and how their passion of drawing / painting and seeing the world in different colors binds them together.
- Friendship and familial ties.
- Longing / yearning and first love.
- Secrets and misunderstandings (with good reason)
- A heartfelt, coming-of-age plot
The performance was convincing and well-done. Haruna has a fate she cannot escape, yet I really admire her positive view on life. Akito was a really endearing character. He was so charmingly sweet and soft boy coded. His hopeless romantic side really shined through. I adored how he wanted to make the most of his limited time by assisting Haruna in having a happy and fulfilling life while she still had hers. It's also great that they seemed to have saved each other. She was Snow White and he was her Prince Florian (iykyk)
I would rate this an 8/10 rounded up to an 8.5/10. It was so good it made me cry multiple times (after the 5th time, I stopped counting lol) The emotional side is undeniable, but I wish our leads had more moments together, including the kiss Haruna requested. I think I am being greedy but that would have definitely ended me. I have to say, this is a very pure and sweet story. It's simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.
I loved it and I now have a much deeper appreciation for Gerberas and their symbolism.
I believe anyone of any age can watch this; I highly recommend it, especially if you want a good cry.
I don't think I'd rewatch it "right now," but maybe after some time has passed. I believe Drawing Closer is one of those films you save for when you want to feel something. It's a movie you can watch on a rainy day to let you reflect on the beauty of life.
One of the take away messages of this drama that really struck me was to live your life to the fullest. It serves as a reminder that regardless of how limited your time on this earth may be, you should embrace life fully and love deeply. Treasure those who are close to you because even if you believe you won't influence their lives, there is a huge possibility that you will, and those individuals will honor and respect your memory eternally.
With all that being said, this is a tragic story, and it may not be for everyone, so proceed with caution.
As always,
Thanks for reading & happy watching!
(P.S. If you are in withdrawal please go watch edits of the Drawing Closer couple, you won't regret it)
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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First, I have to say that the acting was very good, especially the main character who was very skillfully portaited. He was exactly how one of my friend (who's autist) is and well, that's amazing how even the way he walks was greatly portrayed. I really loved how each characters was deeply developed.
The story in itself is good, although maybe too long. For a perfect show I would've cut a little bit earlier in the story... As there were some romance/irrealistic things that were really different from the rest of the drama. Also, at times you really get the impression that they just want to make the story longer; I guess they should've made the same story but with only like, 35 episodes. They show some scenes during 3 minutes just with a different angle and your like, yeah, well, that's not even the most epic/emotional scene so could we just advance in the story?
And the ending was a bit too much... Lovey Dovey, I'd say. But I guess romance lovers have to be satisfied too...
But that doesn't mean the show wasn't good. You stay on the edge on your seat, wanting always more and more and to know what happens to the characters, whom you really become attached to. You see how the main character grows up and become stronger, and that really is an inspiration for everybody. I actually stayed up until 2am to watch a few more episodes, and I don't do that for every dramas out there- there were really some epic moments !!
As for the music, I really liked the ending song, and the few music out were nice, although not memorable.
What is incredible is how you're projected in the 1950. The set is beautifully done and the clothes are perfect.
As for the rewatch value... Well, I'm sure I'll rewatch some part of the drama- there are some really epic scenes hehe- but maybe not in its entirety.
Anyway, if you like spy/action dramas, this is for you!
And if you love romance, well, there are some hints in the beginning and the last ten episodes are for you, hehe
(Sorry for my bad English~)
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1This review may contain spoilers
A (LATER IN LIFE) COMING OF AGE STORY ABOUT SURVIVAL AND LEARNING TO TRULY LIVE !
***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***
General Overview:
This is the story about a girl named Seo Mok Ha who lives with an abusive father. She yearns to be a singer in order to get away from her mundane life in the country. Like her idol Yoo Ran Joo, she aspires to relocate to Seoul and pursue her dreams as a singer. She enters Ran Joo’s singing contest with the help of a fellow classmate, Ki Ho. At first he doesn’t want to help her but then finds enjoyment in seeing her light up as she performs Little do they both realize they have more in common than they though. Ki Ho is also being abused by his father. Ki Ho has to submit Mok Ha’s entry on her behalf since she is unable to do so after getting badly beaten up by her drunkard father. When she finally wins the competition, she gets to meet Ran Joo in Seoul, but she has to figure out a way to get there because she knows her father won't let her go. Upon learning of Mok Ha's ordeal at the hands of her father, he offers her a safe haven and instructs her to knock on his window should she require his help. They make a plan to leave together however things don’t work out. Her father finds out that she attempted to flee to Seoul by boat and goes ballistic trying to find her and bring her back home. Ki Ho spots him and goes to distract him / ward him off however he is too young so he falls powerless to him and loses the fight. When Mok Ha’s father finds her he end up chasing her aorund the boat until they get into an argument. Seo Mok Ha falls overboard and her father jumps in after her.
Eventually, she regains consciousness after washing up on the shore of a deserted island. She soon learns that she is alone after finding her father's remains. We see a glimpse of her survival during the fifteen years that she is abandoned on that island. Fifteen years later, she is discovered by a crew cleaning up the beach on a deserted island while using a drone. After chasing the drone, Mok Ha is found by the crew and is later rescued and brought to safety. From then on, we follow her as she embarks on a quest to fulfill her childhood ambitions and locate Ki Ho, the love of her life and a long-lost friend. When she returns to Seoul, we watch her attempting to make her way through a world that is so foreign to her while she learns how to be an adult and grow up, fight for her dreams, and stand up for the people she loves. Amidst all of this, tensions build, people get hurt, secrets are revealed, and Mok Ha has to decide for herself what is really important and where her loyalty lies. She must ascertain if she possesses the necessary qualities to become a DIVA!
_____________________________________________
In More Detail (Spoilers Ahead):
This drama surpassed my expectations… I went into this not expecting or hoping for much. To say the least, I was not captivated by the first two episodes as much as everyone else. I found it extremely boring and struggled to find the will to finish episode 1 and 2. I would occasionally watch it, I got up to episode 4 then I stopped. Resuming, I binged the remaining 6 episodes when they were at episode 10. Then I was able to watch this drama along with everyone else when the last 2 episodes aired. For me the story started picking up in between episodes 6-9. But unfortunately this experience was nearly ruined / cut short because I saw a spoiler and was so irritated. Nevertheless I continued and I am glad I did.
Likes:
First of all, I think Ki Ho and Mok Ha's story was really brought to life by the young actors Lee Re and Woo Jin. They embodied their characters' anguish, despair, and desperation on film because they were so emotionally invested in them. I doubt the story would have had the same impact if any other young performers had played the roles. Moreover, their resemblance to the leads were uncanny! That casting and directing here was quite excellent.
I felt that Mok Ha's voice over and monologue gave this production and plot a lot more depth. There were many touching and heartfelt moments, and I believe Mok Ha took (as well as us viewers) could take away a meaningful lesson or message from each episode.
Park Eun Bin’s performance was really good. I particularly felt like she nailed the emotional aspects. I also commend her on her light hearted comedic country bumpkin-esque presence. She really had me convinced she spent 15 years on an Island. Her naivety was at times shocking but you come to realize she just has a good heart and always tries to see the best in people. But do not be fooled she is way stronger than she looks because of how much she had to endure for all those years on the island. As the story progressed you see how those events shaped Mok Ha into the strong individual she is today. I am a fan of strong female leads and it was interesting to see such a complex character grace the screen.
I really liked Bo Geol / Ki Ho… I was so impressed by Chae Jong Hyeop that i’ll be sure to check out his other projects His character was such a green flag and total softie at heart. When Bo Geol eventually tore down those walls and was prepared to let Mok Ha in, it was incredibly charming. Previously, I had always assumed that his icy demeanor toward her was him trying to protect her. I realize that later on he was either unable to hide his feelings or chose not to, which is why at times I felt he was acting a little too strongly or unexpectedly. I think that also explains Mok Ha's expression, as it caught me off guard numerous times.
The chemistry between Eun Bin and Jong Hyeop has to be discussed more. Even though it was just one moment, the intensity, tension, and passion were palpable on screen. I’m sure we could all feel it. That kiss was the result of all those years of longing for one another, wishing, and praying that the other was okay, wherever they were. I couldn't help but smile and kick my feet, especially when it appeared like they could not get enough of each other and had no intention of stopping LOL.
The relationship between Mok Ha and Ran Joo was fantastic. They seemed like sisters to me. Sometimes Ran Joo was the elder sister, offering Mok Ha insightful counsel; other times, the roles were reversed, and Ran Joo was gaining a lot of knowledge from Mok Ha. It seemed as though Ran Joo's singing career was over, but with Mok Ha, she had a future in songwriting and producing/directing. They seemed to be mirror images of one another, with Mok Ha reminding Ran Joo of her past self and what it was like to be young, fresh, and ready for the world and all its opportunities. In contrast, Mok Ha Ran Joo was teaching her the importance of strength and determination in order to succeed in the industry. She made Mok Ha realize how important it is to put herself first rather than giving of herself all the time and then allowing other people to take advantage of her. In any case, you could sense their love for one another and that they only had one other's best interests in mind at the end of the day.
I also thought the competition between Mok Ha and Mo Rae made for an interesting dynamic. I definitely I rooted for Mok Ha through and through but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I eventually warmed to Mo Rae and I’m glad in the end they ended on amicable terms.
The assistant Yong-Gwan was sour at first but I liked his backstory as it gave us insight into his character. In the past he aspired to be an idol or celebrity but fell short due to lack of courage and being a pushover.
I have to say I enjoyed most of the songs although I felt the song Dream Us was played way too much. It got annoying so quickly in my opinion. The poignant ballads "Here I Am," "Until The End," "Someday," "Open Your Eyes," and "Fly Away" by Mok Ha are my favorite songs. I was particularly moved to tears by the last song "Fly Away" It was breathtakingly beautiful and just magical. I was really moved by Park Eun Bin's vocal performance. Mok Ha really slayed with that last performance and I was sold on her actually stepping into her destiny and becoming an idol / international sensation. When the song is finally released, I'll be listening to it on repeat because I loved it so much!
Dislikes:
To be fair, there’s not much I disliked. At times I felt like Mok Ha was too naive, trusting and easygoing and it made her seem like a pushover but at the same time – I’m glad she remained true to herself / who she's always been and did not let people’s influence or the industry pull a wool over her eye and change her / her morals.
I think the whole plot of Ran Joo and Mok Ha being outed on that live television broadcast was insane. I’m not sure how I thought she would have gotten recognized for her singing or for the truth to come out but I was not expecting them to go that route at all. It seemed like too many events revolved around that one singing TV show / set area. I wished there was a little bit more to it than just that.
The love triangle involving Mok Ha and the brothers was perhaps the aspect of the story that I found most irritating. It was superfluous, in my opinion, especially considering that Woo Hak had no chance at all because Ki Ho had been on her mind all these years. I felt horrible for Woo Hak, especially once he realized that he wasn't Ki Ho at all, after being misled into thinking he was. It was difficult to see him avoid Mok Ha, especially after he discovered that Bo Geol still harbored affections for her. Instead of arguing with his brother like we see in other shows, Woo Hak just wanted him to be happy, which is why he is such an amazing person! It's admirable, in my opinion, that he honored their decision and only wanted Mok Ha to be content, even if it wasn't with him. I literally teared up when his father consoled him after he admitted to having developed feelings for her. Like Woo Hak, I think that Mok Ha is quite endearing and gives others a sense of being seen and valued. Seeing Woo Hak go through that was difficult since, as previously mentioned, he is such a kind soul. Both brothers are such good guys who deserve the very best.
Additionally I feel like the father got off too quickly with such an easy death by suicide. He deserved to rot in jail and worse for all his crimes toward his so called “family” I really hated how he literally just walked up to Sang Doo in the middle of the street and stabbed him. That just made my blood boil… the fact that their family went through so much because of that psychopathic stalker and there was no real sense of justice was so heartbreaking. Woo Hak, Bo Geol and Ha Jung deserved so much better.
_____________________________________________
Quotes I Liked:
“In my eyes, you seemed to lack a lot. You lacked maturity, manners, and thought. You also lacked worries, gloominess, concerns, or reasons to cry. So whenever I looked at you, I was annoyed.”
“Become so famous that no one could dare mistreat you.”
“15 years ago, I liked her because of how much she lacked. She lacked worries, gloominess, and concerns. But she seems to be full of them now.”
“No one is cowardly or deceitful because they want to be. We all become desperate and make choices for our own reasons.”
“In life, it feels like the world mistreats you. And you take your anger out on the wrong person.”
“How long can a secret remain a secret? If we cover the secret under layers of lies, can we keep the secret from surfacing?”
“If you keep worrying about the future, then you’ll end up with just as many regrets down the road. From now on, I’m going to do whatever I want in that moment.”
“Relationships often change depending on the circumstances. We couldn’t share the same path in the past. But now, things have changed.”
“I’ll probably regret it a little. But I’d regret it even more if I never even try. At least for ten years, I’d be doing what I love the most.”
“They say failure is the mother of success. I’ll just take it as learning a lesson from another mother and move on.”
“It was all or nothing. Do or die. I made up my mind and jumped into the water. And then, before you know it, you’ll learn how to swim and you might be able to catch a ton of fish.”
“Let’s become the best at all costs.”
“I guess it’s true that givers create takers.”
“Why are you a taker? You’re a gift.”
“One person is lying to protect his children, while the other is lying to punish them. Then, which one do you think is the real father?”
“In life, you’ll learn that some people become happy over other people’s misfortunes. You’ll learn that many become jealous of other people’s success. That’s because when their lives become pathetic, they refuse to blame themselves. That’s why they blame it on others and want to bring them down. Because that’s easier.”
“When we almost lost dad, I realized not expressing your feelings can be the biggest regret in life.”
“There’s a sword in my hand so I might as well wield it.”
“Having gone through it now, I learned wishes don’t always come true right away. They don’t come true when you want them to. They take a long time. You forget about them, then suddenly, they come true.”
“Don’t cut ties just because you don’t like them. And don’t give up even if it gets tough.”
“Stay strong, endure it, and hang in there. Then one day, your wishes will come true in unexpected ways.”
“Let the failure of others become a lesson to you. Learn what you can and ignore the rest.”
“By replacing those answerless questions with other things to fill up the time, I survived one day after another.”
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Final Thoughts:
In conclusion, I believe that the drama needed more romance and additional episodes. Although the kiss between our protagonists was beautiful, I thought there might have been more at the ending. The promise, tension, and chemistry were all there. Then again, maybe I'm just being greedy. Since Ki Ho and Mok Ha have reconnected as adults, I also wish their relationship had progressed further. It seems like we missed out on seeing them be an actual couple who hang out / go on dates and get to know each other all over again. Additionally, I also needed to see what happened with Ran Joo’s career, Mok Ha’s climb to success, the tabloids interfering with her private life and how she was coping with her instant fame etc.
Would I rewatch this drama? Yes, I think I’d rewatch it when the events are not so fresh in my head and if I had nothing else to watch. Again, it was hard for me to get into but I’m glad I stuck with it and waited for it to get better. If you told me a month ago I’d end up liking this drama as much as I do now I would not have believed you.
Overall, I think the difficulties were handled quite nicely. In the span of 12 episodes, Mok Ha underwent significant growth. Her monologues conveyed her emotion and heart, and I found her to be a rather trustworthy narrator. We had the pleasure of accompanying her on this coming of age journey and I just feel so blessed we got to see her transformation.
If you love mystery and intrigue with a dash of lightheartedness and sad/heartbreaking backstories, then I think you should definitely check out this drama. I adore how this drama strikes a perfect mix of comedy, drama, mystery, music, heartfelt moments, and excellent voiceover/storytelling to give us a glimpse into Mok Ha's mind. There are so many things to enjoy and you wouldn't want to overlook this drama at all.
With all that being said, I give this drama a solid 8.5/10.
Thanks for reading and happy watching! ❤️
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Unexplainable thriller, and definitely not a social commentary
I'm going to be honest, I started this movie only because of Siwan, and since the plot seemed interesting, I thought it would be worth watching it beyond the fact that I love to watch Siwan's shows and movies. However, I must say that his performance (and Chun Woohee's) in this movie was the only thing that kept me watching it.If you want to watch 'Unlocked' looking for a movie that criticizes our society's dependence on smartphones and technology, don't. This is not a social commentary and it doesn't approach the topic like that. This is a movie about a psychopath with no background story or reason to kill, and once again, shallow female relationships that make you wonder if these writers have ever seen women in real life.
I'm going to start with the fact that it bothers me personally that psychological thrillers these days - and by these days I mean in the past several years - are all about male psychopaths with a nonsensical obsession to kill young women. No, I'm not saying that we should give these psychopaths a troubled childhood in order to justify their actions as adults. I'm saying that a story should have a reason to be, whatever it might be. But lately, kdrama writers, and those at Netflix in particular, seem to be making these stories about killing women just for shock value and nothing else. The fact that the reason 'Oh Junyoung' killed these women was just because they dropped their phones is the weakest and most boring reason I've seen in this type of dramas, and that's a lot to say considering that I keep thinking about the drama 'Somebody', which I feel the same way and worse about (if you watched it, you would know what I'm talking about).
Now, another bothersome plot point about this movie is the fact that the killer is always smarter than everyone and can anticipate every move, action, and thought from his victims, making it impossible for them to ever escape their fate. But then again, this wouldn't be so irksome if the writers provided the psychopath with at least a reason to kill or an explanation as to why he's doing what he's doing and why he's so good at it. In this drama, however, we don't even have a name for our killer, which wouldn't be that much of a problem if we at least had any type of information about his background or what he did before the movie started rolling. The only thing that we know is that he impersonated the detective's son and wanted to frame him for his murders. But why? Why did he start impersonating this man? How did they meet? Why was the detective so mad at his son? Why do the writers give us information about the detective's wife and their family situation in general, when it won't even be resolved or explained, or even shown what the link between all this is? The killer wasn't even actually the detective's son, so why do we even need to know this, when we won't know who our killer is or what his reasons are at all? Who did the killer have a grudge against to be going around doing all this, to begin with? There's absolutely no explanation for anything ever and the more I think about this movie, the more questions pop up in my head that will never be answered.
Moving onto the female characters, this is probably what makes me the most upset. The female lead had her phone hacked and discovered it, but the first thing she does is blame her best friend after consulting a man that she met two days ago, and against whom her father warned her. It's kind of annoying how she dismissed the very reasonable concerns of her dad, but I won't even get into that. What I will question, though, is, why do you live in a house without a code? Why does your best friend scare you about having someone breaking into your house? Why do you believe a man you met two days ago over your best friend since middle school? Why does your best friend get immediately upset with you and decide to cut contact with you for a misunderstanding you had in a moment of extreme distress after your life was literally ruined by some psychopath? I don't understand why they made their friendship so shallow and ridiculous that you would decide to cut contact with your friend. Yes, I would also be absolutely hurt if my best friend suspected me of pulling such a horrible thing on her, but to go beyond that and warn her to never contact me again, and leave her all on her own to deal with such a dangerous situation... It pisses me off to think that these writers think women would do that.
Also, after the female lead finds out that her phone was hacked, she simply decides to keep using it as if nothing was happening. Girl, the first thing you needed to do was throw it away. At least she came up with a reverse strategy eventually, but I just kept thinking about why she simply decided to keep using her phone after everything that was happening to her.
These dramas and movies written by men about psychopathic serial killers that outsmart their victims all the time, and in which said victims are the dumbest people you'll ever see really gives me an unsettling feeling considering the incredibly high rates of this type of murder in South Korea.
Overall, this isn't the worst movie you'll ever watch, but it's only a movie to watch if you don't have anything else to do and if you don't feel like watching a complicated story. Don't let the thriller tag deceive you into thinking you're down for an actually good psychological thriller because you are really not.
At least Siwan did amazingly as expected, and Chun Woohee was a very good actress. In general, the cast is pretty good and there are many familiar faces if you watch a lot of kdramas, but other than that, this movie is very weak and not really worth your time.
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Conflicted Literature
PrologueMy mind never fails to go completely blank right before writing these.It feels somewhat like a line of astounding talents gone ahead before me, and my absent minded ass is up next. No idea what to write, how to portray these thoughts that future me can look back on and feel every word of it as if I’m in front of the television again pressing play for the first time. What do they want to see from this review? How do they feel of this drama? Man, wouldn’t it be so much easier to just be like the rest? Well my dear silent minority, we aren’t like the rest. Our thoughts differ, lights dim out, voices hollow, presence uncertain.
But, every now and then some of us gather the strength to shout our unpopular opinions loud enough for everyone willing to hear. Lights begin to flicker back on as we approach our biggest momentary fear, the stage is ours. Make no mistake, no matter how nor if the audience responds back to you, you’ve done something for us that will always inspire those after. There’s no telling when you’ll feel like this again, nor get the chance to express it.
You then realize those lights that were so intimidating before were never dimmed. At last , a star is born.
Man vs Everything
I’ll get my biggest frustration with this drama out of the way first to make up for the rambling. Jeongnyeon is not a complete drama. In fact, you’ll feel there’s something missing at the very beginning, but it only becomes apparent towards the end. There’s several components to a story, and that one thing you’re having that gut feeling is missing in this one, is conflict.
How so? We’ve seen many antagonists introduced, as well as internal and external struggles made out as obstacles in our leads’ way. Poor upbringings, jealousy, underdogs, loss, scandals, defamation, the list goes on. Well, could you really make these things out to be conflicts when even the characters absolutely refuse to?
First we have our favorite little star Yun Jeong. Dimwitted, until she’s not. Inexperienced, until she’s not. Star of the show, until she’s not. Daring, until she’s not. Determined, until she’s not. Damn near mute with multiple medical professionals’ ruling it as so… until, well.
My surprising favorite that deserved closure and proper writing all around, Yeong Seo. I haven’t seen a single thing from the actress until now with this drama, and i can still tell this is easily the best performance she’s put on without needing to see any other. In fact, i won’t even butcher her character here any more than the writing already had. Just know, she deserved much, MUCH better..
Speaking of deserving better, let’s reel in the last few who deserved worse. Despite my unpopular perspective with the Prince of the stage herself, I’ll admit, Moon Ok Gyeong is hands down the most fascinating character that’s completely open to interpretation. She’s a fan favorite to many, both in and outside the drama. To me? She’s the epitome of toxicity and the most subtle portrayal of an antagonist I’ve seen this year. I know that opens alot of doors for discussion, and to be fair, they’re probably not even opened at all had the webtoon been adapted faithfully enough. But we’re going from the abomination they chose to throw out for us to mindlessly consume, and that being my conclusion.
Now here’s someone i feel for certain couldn’t have been redeemed well enough in the original work to make sense of, Ju Ran. Another popular favorite, but i see no logical reason why outside of some piss poor GL teasing. Her storyline was the sole confirmation that cuts that shouldn’t have even been considered , were made. The heavy censorship behind her relations with everyone was adding gasoline to a forest fire. I see no potential redemption of this character in even the webtoon whenever i decide to pick it up. But hopefully I’m wrong.
To make something clear, this drama is by far Kim Tae Ri’s most innovative and expressive role yet. And it’s clear to me now what she’s been going for all along aren’t good scripts, but challenging roles to take her own acting range another step further. Even her weakest work steps all over 95% of the industry, and that’s no exaggeration. She has been my favorite actress in this drama land since I’ve first came across her, and she’s only reaffirmed my obsession with her work and talented eye for scripts here. If you feel even remotely similar about her, you will enjoy every last bit of this drama as i have, minus the rant after, likely.
Jeongnyeon is a successful, aspiring drama that failed as an adaption. Have i read the original webtoon yet? Not a single word. But i know a cut and rushed mess when i see it, as I’ve seen too many at this point. Want to know what else I’m aware of ? My opinion being the minority , as well as my genuine enjoyment throughout watching this series. I can go longer than this run on sentence about this embarrassment of an adaption as much as i can rave about how even Kim’s worst work is better than your fave’s best and you’d be doing yourself the disservice by not trying this title out as any fan of Kim Tae Ri or even Shin Ye Eun.
I applaud the effort of the impressive cast and remarkable production. Our star has yet to dim, it’s just another was born.
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1
1
1Best things come in pairs… and season 3 proves the third time is definitely not the charm!
Season 3 landed, and honestly, it struggled to justify its return. The surface-level spectacle is undeniable...the visuals remain stylish, the action choreography is polished and the CGI is praiseworthy. But once the gloss wears off, what remains is a story that seems desperate to convince that it still has depth, when in reality it’s just circling the same drain with more expensive props.Starting with the positives, I enjoyed most of the games. Following the legacy of the previous two seasons, they were imaginative, tense and shot well. The sets were grand, and the larger-than-life vibes were definitely there. The adrenaline rush was present, reminding me what made AIB unique.
But once that wears off, I found it a bit underwhelming. The main issue was the set up itself especially Usagi's return to the Borderland. The reason wasn't justified enough, plus the idea of dealing with trauma and getting closure was very questionable. She was always this resilient, voice of reason kind of person and grounding force for Arisu, but the writers kind of shoved her emotional arc into the background.
Arisu was still the guy trying to strategise his way out of impossible games and succeeding. He really tries to keep it together, but life keeps dealing him impossible hands and somehow, he still manages to play them like a pro.
In previous seasons, seeing them together gave a humane side to all the chaos and tension. Like an escape for us and them...but this season that bond felt eroded and side-lined. In theory, yes, we did see them together, but it barely translated on screen.
We were also introduced to new characters this season and sadly, most of them didn't leave an impact on me and felt like background noise. Some have tragic backstories, sure, but with barely any screen time, it’s hard to actually care. I still remember deaths from season 1 and not from season 3 that I watched yesterday and it is self-explanatory.
You know how we discard the Joker card while playing most games. I had hoped this season would give the Joker card some real weight, but instead, it turned out to be the weakest leader we had so far.
Ryuji caught my attention as a character but the story never fully allowed him to shine. Whether it was the six-episode format or the uneven pacing, many of his traits and potential arcs felt rushed or underexplored.
And then there’s the great “mystery” of Borderland. I was hoping this would flip the tables for me but why give clear answers when you can always drown us in psychological symbolism that looks fancy at first glance but ultimately is all smoke and mirrors.
By the end, instead of feeling like I had been on a gripping, mind-bending journey, I felt like someone had reheated leftovers from the first two seasons. It technically fed me, but there was no flavour.
Acting-wise, it was good. We have some big names in the cast, and they deliver. It's the writing that held them back. The visuals are really good and polished. Also, Netflix needs to stop milking every golden goose. First Squid Game and now this... *sigh*
So would I recommend it? Honestly, yes and no. If you have already come this far, I am sure it's hard not to give in. It's not unwatchable, but if next to its predecessors, it's pale and weak.
But if you are new and considering starting from season 1...I would recommend to stop at season 2.
Thank you for reading my review! <3
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This review may contain spoilers
Now that it's finished I'm rewriting this review so what you read now will be a little different than what you read before. This is because TharnType has flaws, man, serious flaws. And every attempt the writer made to overcome its flaws was hamstrung by either the source text or the dictates of Thai BL generally.At its core, the latest addition to Thai BL had a surprisingly intelligent script with nuanced characterisation. Tharn is ostensibly a confident and comfortably gay man while Type is traumatised by sexual abuse when he was young. They find themselves sharing a room where Tharn's overt sexuality clashes with Type's apparent homophobia.
Unfortunately, the script was given the full Thai BL treatment, especially in its first few episodes. Type tries to bully Tharn out of their shared dormitory, Tharn responds by aggressively sexually harassing and even assaulting the younger man. It's impossible to see either of these things as desirable or romantic behaviour, yet the producers seem determined for us to be titillated by the sexual violence and amused by the bullying. I had neither response and nearly dropped it, since the normalisation of sexual violence is a problem I have with Thai BL generally and Type is at all times a rude and bigoted asshole - a fact that Tharn himself acknowledges at one point.
it seemed weird at the time and even weirder in retrospect that Tharn would respond to a roommate who openly sees him as a sexual threat by sexual assaulting him. I cannot reconcile this behaviour either with the character as we come to know him or with simple logic. Both Type and Tharn's behaviour is wrong and unfortunately the time constraints of the series meant we leapt through necessary relationship progression and decisions to get to where we ended up. Show should have devoted this entire season to the two navigating their way into a relationship. Maybe then viewers wouldn't have needed to do all the cognitive work in explaining it.
One thing TharnType definitely has going for it is its acting. Mew is an excellent actor who portrayed Tharn with a natural subtlety that gives his character a lot of layers. While Gulf (Type) isn't quite as good, he is elevated by working off the more experienced actor and as a consequence this has some of the best acting I've seen in a BL. The acting is possibly one of the reasons I kept watching it when I would otherwise have dropped it. That and how the show began to develop as it moved past its first few episodes.
Once the show begins to settle into itself, it tries to break free of the dictates of the genre the script has unfortunately been forced into. Tharn is a lonely man, disappointed by love and terrified of rejection following the manipulative abuse of an older man when he was young, and Type is a very confused, very damaged one who has a long road to walk in terms of coming to terms with his identity. I take issue with the idea it's Tharn's job to fix Type but thankfully the script moves away from that sharply, dealing as much with the complexity of Tharn's psychological trauma as with the obvious trauma of Type's. Or at least that's what it seemed to be doing.
It would be unreasonable to expect a Thai BL to adequately grapple with the intersection of identity, social gender constructs, trauma and bigotry. And I certainly didn't. But I wanted to give the show credit for at least trying. Some of the show's decisions around portraying trauma and assault seemed nuanced and interesting, others seemed trite and tone deaf. But even while TharnType did a better job than expected, it dropped all these themes entirely at the end and went straight for full-bore Lakorn nonsense.
I'll be blunt - I don't care about Lhong. I don't care about his character, I don't care why he became a total psycho and I also didn't need a Machiavellian villain mastermind to pop his head up at the last minute. This couple has real issues to deal with and instead we get some second-female-lead garbage ripped from a soap opera. The fact this is a gay male instead of a woman doesn't make this whole thing better, it makes it worse. For a show with an actual real openly gay character, this show's representation of the gay community got worse and worse.
I get it, I get it THE NOVEL but the novel is clearly stupid because this is ripped straight out of a bad Thai Lakorn. Worse than that, by shifting to an external issue to solve, the show refused to solve this couple's real problems - Type's trauma and refusal to accept his homosexuality and Tharn's inability to be honest due to a fear of rejection. None of these issues were dealt with (what about poor Kom, still convinced his childhood best friend hates him for being gay?). And it's not as though the finale didn't have time, devoting screentime to an endless showdown with Lhong that I personally couldn't give a fig about.
Because of this the happy ending feels shallow, a common problem with Thai BL. It reminds us that for all its pretensions, this is just another BL. A quick flash forward to a timeline after its sequel and companion piece, Love By Chance*, shows us they have no intention of ever dealing with these issues. We'll never see Type being brave enough to come out to his school friends or his parents, among many other important character moments we needed.
To say that I'm disappointed in TharnType is to imply that I expected more of it. I didn't. But I did have hope and that hope was obviously not fulfilled.
*This show is a prequel and companion piece to Love By Chance, both being based on source novels by the same author and set in the same universe. It's a universe with a great deal of sexual violence and, while the show is grappling with these issues in the main OTP, it doesn't have as much success with other plotlines across both shows. Having seen Love By Chance it is difficult to watch, for example, Techno being a loving and supportive friend throughout the show knowing that his brother's friend is going to rape him. In fact, Techno's brother being complicit in the rape is mirrored in Thorn (Tharn's brother) being fine with his brother's abuser still being in his life too. It's a dynamic that's hard to watch in both shows and, I guess, that won't be resolved unless there's a second season of Love By Chance. I can only hope that when all plotlines are resolved, the show can come down heavily against sexual violence in whatever form it takes.
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In terms of the story writing, I felt that the foundation of the series as to why each character behaves in such a way does not justify their actions. This is probably due to the poor script writing which ends up ruining such a good series that could have been the best K-series if done right. The most frustrating thing about the show is probably the fact that the "genius" male lead isn't a genius at all. He made alot of mistakes that could have been well avoided. The show kinda felt like it was trying to achieve the level of money heist where the protagonist is well liked by the people despite the wrong doing but yet due to the conservative thinking, they decide to fall back to its safety net where the show served as a lesson for us to think about how each mistake leads to a dire consequence and there is no turning back.
Despite the poor writing, I must commend the actors and actresses for their emotional and impactful acting. Their character were however, difficult to relate to which results in a lot of conflict trying to understand how each character felt and why they make certain decision.
Regardless, I managed to finish the series as it kept me on the edge with every episode and made me continue watching as I had to find out what will happen next.
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This review may contain spoilers
Another Good Drama To Inspire Your Life
Please noted, this review is from TSY fans point of view.Its hard not to compare As Beautiful As You (ABAY) vs. Master Of My Own (MOMO).
Both are TSY dramas about work-place and career. The differences mostly rely on the romance side.
But I prefer MOMO because its more realistic and heart-warming. While ABAY is more romantic and sweet, the romance scene could make me blushed just like while watching her drama Road Home.
The ending both following novel with some adjustments. So in short, ABAY is a mix of MOMO (career) and Road Home (romance).
For youngsters, please watch this drama, it might give you some inspirational ideas to do in your career life. It’s all about taking a chance while you can, be brave. Talent is fundamental, but later you need to learn negotiation skills, get fundings, network relation, experiences and much to make this life meaningful to you and ultimately for many people.
Music : Not my style, easily forgotten, not ear-candy. TSY sings 2 songs in this drama, its okay but not as ear-catchy as her songs in Flight To You and Road Home.
Rewatch : It would be, because you will miss the sweet scenes anyway
Story : Bit of typical career-drama, but it's not wonder, because so many novel adaptions, so many dramas produced and released, the storyline would be similar, the differences mostly rely on the casts and acting skills.
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"In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream…"
Choi Han Yong’s ‘ The Silent Sea’ is a series which will like divide its audience demographic greatly. Notable A-listers such as Bae Doona and Gong Yoo will likely attract drama enthusiasts towards the drama’s cast lineup and involvement. However ‘The Silent Sea’’s amalgamation of different sci-fi stories and Han Yong’s attempted execution of these plot points may naturally lead to some divided opinions amongst drama enthusiasts and sci-fi aficionados alike.
The plot takes place in a dystopian alternative-future where the earth’s water coverage has been reduced by nearly forty -percent. In an attempt to govern humanity and ration supplies, citizens are assigned a “water grade” based on a hierarchy ranking system that determines how much of the liquid they’re allowed to access. So in an attempt to resolve problems humanity attempts to look for answers ( quite literally) in the stars.
Astrobiologist Dr. Song Ji-an ( Bae Doona )is sent on a salvage mission alongside gruff soldier Han Yoon-Jae ( Gong Yoo) in order to collect samples at the deserted Balhae moon station. With both characters having their own personal motives for taking on the assigned task the duo come across some startling and horrifying secrets as they begin their mission.
Netflix’s ‘The Silent Sea’ origins were admittedly still quite visionary by being based upon Han Yong’s notable short movie ‘ The Sea of Tranquillity’. Yet unlike the art-house-style influences of Yong’s original directed work, ‘ The Silent Sea’ notably markets itself to a wider audience demographic as a “ sci-fi and dystopian epic” with slow- burn mystery ; a mini-series that is likely to eagerly please and disappoint in equal measure.
The plot twists and turns that become apparent throughout ‘ The Silent Sea’ will likely divide those familiar with the sci-if genre; action sequences straight out of Ridley Scott’s ‘ Alien’, a suspenseful tone familiar to Christopher Nolan’s ‘ Interstellar’, bilingual exchanges paying an evident homage to Joss Whedon’s ‘ Firefly’( changed evidently to Korean and English ) , a key plot point nearly strikingly familiar to Jo Sung Hee’s ‘ Space Sweepers’, and an unsurprising likeliness to the water -themed 2009 British series’ ‘Doctor Who’ special ‘The Waters of Mars’, will possibly highlight the fine-line between paying homage and striking similarities to other notable works throughout the drama.
Of course whilst the familiarity of some of these plot twists does come into question when looking back at ‘ The Silent Sea’ it’s important to point out that the series does facilitate a solid pace with its revelations and twists right up till the last episode. However while the plot surprises are still interesting to some extent , ‘The Silent Sea’ could often neglect a crucial element to delivering its attempted tour de force moments: the cast and the characters.
Bae Doona and Gong Yoo are the undeniable star- attractions of the drama through their idiosyncratic performances offering a subtle touch of mystique and heartache as their onscreen counterparts.
Nevertheless given the evident potential for character depth in a series which explores the complexity of humanity, it will likely strike viewers as slightly unusual that ‘ The Silent Sea’ rarely diverged into using even initial exposition for establishing character personalities and adding a tweak of depth to their seemingly profound egocentric motives . Whilst later episodes place a quintessential limelight upon the characters’ roles to play in the events of the series and plot-drive, without baseline personalities ( aside from Doctor Song), notable main and important characters in the series could often slightly shallow and uninteresting .
The design of ‘The Silent Sea‘’s “ advanced” technological world and the cinematography are decent enough during viewings. There is an undeniable high reliance on CGI throughout the filming of the series; not out of the question for a series set in space, but also leading to some heavy artistic licensing by Han Yong. ( Astrophysicists, engineers and science experts may want to look away from these scenes as the logic is often devoid during these scenes .) The established setting is also not too preposterous for audiences ; several holographic displays subtly reminding the audience that this is series is set in the near-future every so often but admittedly not quite being awe-inspiring either.
‘The Silent Sea’ delivered a promising sci-fi mystery epic that brought together a myriad of sci-fi plot point twists to an original concept. With that said the series felt as though it could’ve had more episodes in order to actually flesh-out characters and the world-building of the series , leading to a mixture of mixed-reception with the final production. Viewers looking for a quick binge-watch investment with some familiar faces along the way may revel in the series’ end result . However fans of the sci-fi genre may be slightly disappointed by Netflix’s s high- budget extravaganza which whilst satisfactory for the most part did lack more of an impactful punch.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama needed a soul......it was so lifeless and cringey
The minute you label the genre as romantic comedy, then a thousand expectations are dropped but yet only a handful remain.And if you can't even met those then the drama needs to be trashed.
ML : basically the only person/object/character worth watching. He is the only reason I endured 16 hours of cringey material.
FL : goddess of goodness. I wish more girls like this existed - but they don't because her character was fake and so was her smile. Outrageously created do-gooder, star winner......just nauseating.
Main Couple : I couldn't find the chemistry within 16 hours of torture. Romance is tepid, no sizzle, no heart fluttering scenes. Please don't call it a romance if you cannot make our hearts flutter. It's the only request we have for you.
The friendship between 3 females : they should really edit out all the scenes with the 3 friends because it is an embarrassment to young women. Who behaves so idiotically? Are these stolen clips from a 70's drama?
Bad coworkers : Yea,right
Trip to Thailand: ridiculous joke
Arab Prince: The comment and review sections are filled with this so go figure.
This drama had a hope, some good bones. Unfortunately they wanted a quick fix so the whole thing came crumbling down.
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Weak Hero Class 1
84 people found this review helpful
1Intense. Brutal. Yes, I recommend it. And with a heavy heart I am also considering it valuable
"Weak Hero Class 1" leaves me with mixed emotions. It is an intense KDrama, in which the young people are remarkably slow-paced, sort of numb, at times bordering on apathy. On the other hand, there are violent outbursts. Extreme. Brutal. A cruel parallel world that actually should have no place whatsoever in the everyday life of high school students!What kind of society do we live in? It is simply too much, what young people have to go through and deal with. KDrama didn't invent it. Neither does the webtoon, the story is based on. It is a sad and scandalous reality in many schools, in many classes, in South Korea and elsewhere.
"Weak Hero Class 1" doesn't sugarcoat anything.
And it ends just the way it is... no end in sight...
I admit, I was about to drop it. Too much frustration and violence - it actually goes on and on. (Even if the 'weak hero' develops cunning, inspiring recipes to fight back... it still remains a world of violence.)
But then the relationship dynamics between the boys (and girls) are quite intense and what they go through inside and out is touching. Ultimately, it doesn't help to look away - even if it's painful to look at. In fact, "Weak Hero Class 1" is a great, impressive production. It is a disturbing inventory - disturbing because the story leaves no perspective, no silver lining, no substantial room for hope. (At most marginal sparks of light here and there.)
The largely indifferent attitude towards life that prevails in posture and movement of the young people is one thing, the massive outbreaks of violence another. Each soul seems to have long since fled its young body, so that there are only roughly apathetic youths on the move who occasionally act as numb thugs who kick helpless bodies on the ground, or vice versa. It's actually unbearable. It's traumatizing on both sides. And yet it is everyday life. This creates a very unique flow in the world of the students. In this world, one may search in vain for serious, responsible, courageous adults. They are lacking. The kids are alone in this world and have to find their way to live in it, or rather: to survive. Which side will you be on? Perpetrator? Victim? Rescuer? Spectator?
What agitates me the most in connection with "Weak Hero Class 1" is the enormous enthusiasm among der age-group of 13-17, who with this story obviously feel seen right on. This may be 'only' a fictional story, but it obviously tells the story of the youth, we (adults) usually dont´t get. Many are thrilled. In fact, I'm NOT thrilled. I'm impressed by the intensity of the production, yes. But primarily appalled by the dominance of bullying and the severity of violence among peers in everyday school life today. I am also shocked by the documented, self-evident aimlessness and helplessness of the adults. Ultimately, I am frustrated by the lack of a positive outlook and affected by such a disillusioning world of experience of the young, growing up generation.
"Weak Hero Class 1" is based on the template of a web toon and has (via KDrama) by now reached an even wider audience, especially among the 'adults', regarding bullying among schoolchildren. I appreciate that. The KDrama was released on the young streaming platform Wavve and was thus able to give plenty of dramaturgical space to the violent excesses. Maybe more than necessary? Or just right? The KDrama has a simple mission: to show what 'we' tend not to see because 'we' (adults) have no place in this parallel world of schoolchildren. And as a matter of principle, the story does not provide any answers in terms of a way out. No.
In the contrary: 'we' adults are in the pillory... What have we done (and also missed) that it could have gotten this far! Where is this going to end? What can we do about it?
Anyway, bottom line: I recommend the series. And with a heavy heart I am also considering it valuable especially for all those who call themselves adults, parents, teachers, social workers, officials in youth welfare offices, police officers, etc....
Hello, wake up!
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This review may contain spoilers
START-UP IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE "SHIPS", DON'T MISS THE WHOLE POINT.
The story was really inspiring. The viewers can see how much a start-up can really grow as a big company. Seeing the hardships of Dosan and DalMi to reach their dreams welcomed me to "follow my dreams".Only JiDal shippers say it's disappointing. I get it that you want your bias to win over DalMi, but it's your fault for getting your hopes up too high when you know that the drama is made for NJH and Suzy in the very first place. Also, the poster says it all. Anyway, people who just see and measure start-up based on "ship" missed the whole point of the K-drama. Start-up is a series more than the love story. It is about family, dreams, and friendship.
Set aside what others are saying that it's not good. You'll see, Dosan and DalMi is a perfect match, too! ❤️
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Minus.
I'm not even going to compare this to the OG, because I refuse to count this as anything remotely connected to Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. Strong Girl Namsoon is in a league of its own. One of the worst dramas I've seen.I wanted to drop it post ep4, but damn, Ryu Shi Oh is one fine character who has me captivated; 10/10 for that role? Maybe because he was the only one with some story going for him. 0/10 for everything else happening in this show hence, I've come to a generous 1/10.
The story and acting deserves a MINUS. The amount of rubbish they've stuffed into this show is mind boggling.
Could have been a 4-6 episode mini series and called it a day, because everything else was just fillers.
Absolutely nothing worked about this show apart from the Bong-bong Min-min cameo ❤️ and Ryu Shi Oh's character because at least he had a backstory going for him.
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