Reviews

Story was not bad, but lack of couple chemistry I guess?

The whole vibe of the story is a bit like vampire/dracula as the main character travels fast, strong and have some sort of power. But I really fancy this kind of story so it is definitely a go-go for me no matter what the rating was.

To summarise what I like and dislike about the show for people who are contemplating whether you should go ahead watching!

Things I liked about the drama:
- Handsome male leads with charming characteristics, I meant both Lee Dong Wook and Kim Beom! (Extremely hopeless 2nd lead syndrome here, Kim Beom SO COOL AND CUTE HERE!!!!)
- Unusual warm-hearted brotherhood
- Exciting fighting scenes with effects (More in the first half of the drama)
- Genre (if you enjoyed fantasy you will like this drama)
- Cute second fox couple too (I prefer them than the main ones)

Things I disliked about the drama:
- Female lead (Honestly she had a pretty good acting but I don't know why I felt she is not so suitable for this role)
- Chemistry between the couple (LDW had a pretty good chemistry with Yoo Inna in previous show but not this one), I don't feel the love between the two hence unable to feel the sadness when they broke apart, which it is actually a huge part in this show.
- Although it is a HE, but some parts of the ending are quite speechless and not well explained. Personally I think they should have just cut short the lovey dovey scenes for the couple and do more explanations on the ending (Please don't read below if you do not want spoiler)
***SPOILER***
I don't understand why they made it so deliberately to kill the 2nd male lead just to save the male lead (when all the bad things have already settled down and back to a peaceful life, yet adding in such scene just because 2nd lead is alive). I understand how they wanted to bring out the brotherhood between the two but it was so unfair that they can sacrifice 2nd male lead life but not the male lead ones, duh. So who is the hero here anyway? Also, no explanation on how male lead return, what happened to him and why he became a fox etc.

Lastly, one word to conclude my review: Overall a nice piece and good story that is worth watching but I don't enjoy the couple that much!

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My view on this drama is pretty different from others. So I’m prepared that it is not going to receive much appreciation. That is precisely why I chose to review this drama though. I think it’s better to have different opinions as it will help the future viewers.

The story is basically about lovers who are from different times. The writers did an excellent job presenting the time-slip theme in a simple but persuasive way. It was indeed very different from other recent dramas which deal with the same time-slip plot. The efforts and attention put into the little details of the story was admirable. This drama can be an ideal pick for a romance drama fan. The lead characters fall for each other pretty quickly and as a result we get see a lot of affectionate moments through all 16 episodes. However, I personally wished they spent more time on showing us "how they fell in love" than "How much they were in love".
As the main idea is to establish the divine message of ‘love transcending time’, naturally we get to see two different eras-the Joseon time and the modern time. The love story takes place at the modern time so it was pleasant to watch. However, though I love watching Korean historical dramas, I found the Joseon part of the story utterly boring. The ever confused annoying King and the usual negative characters, whose only job is to sit and conspire, failed to add anything surprising to the typical historical premise. And as a result I was tempted to fast forward the Joseon period again and again.

The rest of the characters were pretty well-written. The ones I loved the most were the supporting characters. The naggy manager who is also a sincere friend, the worthless but charming ex-boyfriend who makes a fool of himself all the time, the devoted girl who is ready to sacrifice everything even though her love is unrequited-all were refreshingly likeable. There was good humor and I smiled a lot at the harmless childishness of the characters. When I did finish the drama, however, I felt that something was missing. Although I did enjoy the most part of the drama, it somehow left me unsatisfied. Apart from occasional boring episodes and side-stories, the reason of my discontent was probably the acting.

Yoo In Na did an excellent job as a carefree, lively, cheerful girl. But her acting wasn’t perfect when the she had to act solemn. I’m a girl who cries very easily while watching a drama, but she couldn’t make me cry along with her. I wish Boong Do expressed his love for Hee Jin more through his words, eyes and facial expression than through his lips. There was an alternative reality where Hee Jin and Dong Min gets back together and to be honest (the fans are going to kill me!!) I felt those two had better chemistry. I adored watching their lovely bickering and actually preferred Hee Jin- Dong Min pairing to Hee Jin- Boong Do. The main couple had to endure many supposedly heartbreaking separation but my heart didn’t quite ache for them neither I felt the longing to see them back together. If this was one of my earliest dramas I’m sure I’d have loved it but the problem is I’ve already seen much better ones. I do feel that the main two actors tried their best but their lack of experience was just too visible for me to ignore.

Overall I liked this drama. It made me laugh a lot and I always appreciate decent humor. But for me it lacked the depth which I consider essential to turn a nice story into a great one.

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2nd Underrated Gem of 2025

I put this on my watchlist because I wanted to see SWL in a modern drama and he did very well as did pretty much everyone else sans one villain. This was a series which had all the goodies of creepiness; contortionists, resurrection, evil relics, so on and so forth. This really was the second underrated gem of a drama that I've watched this year.

Pros: The Phoenix entire squad. Even Chubby, though he didn't contribute much other than talking nonstop, was an integral part of this team. I'm glad we finally got a chance to meet the supernatural chicken and it was fun to have. I really loved every single arc until the second to last one. I will speak about that in the cons. Every single thing was connected, obviously laid by a plan, created by the ultimate antagonist. But no matter what happened once the squad was formed they always had each other's backs and if they were in separate locations, they would always be in contact. Misunderstandings would get resolved very quickly. I love how the show kept us guessing with the multiple personalities of MD or the FL we didn't know for a while that she even had two personalities, but it was interesting to see the difference between her and the other one and a half I guess you could say I nicknamed the other personalities as Faith, which was dark MD and Robo Barbie, which was stoned MD. Even though this series didn't have any promotion, I think a lot of things were pretty well done especially CGI and the storytelling in general.

Other than our squad and the supernatural chicken, other favorite characters were MD's family, ML's family as well as his last surviving friend and actually the people from every single case good or bad they delivered on their performances. Also, the fight scenes were awesome. I mean gravity defying stunts and all of that I love very much. I also have to give props to the real antagonist of this show. He turned up in episode 1 and we sporadically saw him until his final arc in episode 31.

The OSTs, production, more or less in general, sets, even though a lot was CGI, but thankfully, it didn't look like they used anything fake like the desert or the village or the mountains. Comedy also hit as it was supposed to. Thankfully, no slapstick humor here.

Cons: This show got a whole point taken off for several reasons; for starters the incredibly choppy editing I have to say that that probably had something to do with cutting the amount of episodes down so production either didn't want to or didn't have time to edit scenes properly because you jump from one scenario to the next and you have no idea how you got there in a lot of the episodes. Also, a lot of times there were cliffhangers that seemed to just not be shown the following episode or they would just be explained in the way that wouldn't make sense. Also, there were a lot of loose ends, not tied. Like the relics are now in their bodies. What happens next? Are they sealed for good? What happens when the characters grow old and die; do the relics come back to life? There's a lot that was not explained in regarding to the relics. I think they should've done a deeper dive as novel readers pointed out. Also, what happened to Mr. creepy antagonist? Is he dead for good or until another 280 years passes and he resurrects like the creature from Jeepers Creepers?

The ending was rushed because the main antagonist was only given two episodes if that to put everything together and do his whole evil shtick. Meanwhile, the crazy creepy cackle Halloween store witch leopard lady was given something like six episodes but she killed that entire arc. Every single time she opened her mouth. I wanted to hit her with a bat. I hated her character not because she was bad but because she was so annoying. They completely miscast the actress or they should have dubbed her over with a Fluently Mandarin speaking actress. But even her acting was over the top; she twirled, and she pointed her fingers with fake nails and acted like a plum fool. You would never think of her as being this ruthless, horrible person that we saw in ML's flashbacks. Honestly, she was basically the equivalent of what a leather wearing, valley girl would be the best way to describe her and she knew neither English nor Mandarin fluently. When she spoke on top of it, her lips did not match the sound that was coming from her voice so obviously she dubbed herself and it was really poorly done and no one corrected anything. I legitimately got through all of her main scenes by fast forwarding her I couldn't even watch her.

Would I recommend it? I totally would, despite the choppy editing and one crappy antagonist. The show was great and sadly not promoted, but it deserves a watch, especially if you are into creepy type shows with a supernatural aspect.

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Don't like the ending at all!!!

This drama was great at the beginning but in my opinion she was really mean to him, and in the end he always came back to her i think she was really narcissistic and thinks only on her and not on hyuk feelings for my it wasn't fair or gain at all , and she only said that she loves him in the last episode when all he did for her from the beginning was love .
They deserve better ending, the secondary leads had better ending than theirs this was a complete disappointment for me because it was a great drama.
For me was more gain than love , for the secondary actors than them .

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Kim Nam Gil shines in lacking profiler drama

I wanted to love this drama but came out thinking it could be so much better. My criticism might seem harsh but since people usually rave about this drama I will focus on the negative aspects. That doesn't mean I didn't highly enjoy watching it and still gave it a 4/5 rating.

The argument 'Through The Darkness is a lesser Mindhunter' has been made so often and it might be true, but that is no valid criticism of the former so I won't hold that against it. In general I'm tired of the automatic reflex to compare every Asian drama or film to Western media and will judge it on its own terms.


Through The Darkness tries too many things at once. There are dozens of crime shows or dramas that focus on the police procedural aspect of crimes. We don't need one more.

The theme of building a new organizational structure and developing a new angle in police work is vital and is well told.

The actual profiling, the interviewing, analyzing clues, hypothesizing, coming to conclusions is not given enough room and breathing space. They seem to gloss over or misunderstand basics of profiling, starting with body language they exhibit to what they discuss before, during or after interviews. At one point we are told that they have done hundreds of interviews. This is an informed attribute since the understanding and knowledge base that should come with this amount of experience simply isn't there. Through The Darkness takes a very long time for the profiling to get off the ground and for the profilers or interviewers to actually understand their job.

Literal Title: Those Who Can Read Hearts Of Evil. Can you, though?


The main character Song Ha Young is all over the place. He is at times overwhelmed with anger and repulsion, is highly judgmental, empathic, analytical, sensitive, righteous, obsessive, stoic, starting to become evil, understanding and volatile. Of course he can be all those things but I fail to see a natural progression of those psychological states.

The drama feels both rushed and drawn out. They could've easily made it into a 16-episode drama, expand on cases, show more interviews and allow scenes to linger for a little bit more for impact.

This is mostly a quiet job in a dark room and Through The Darkness focuses very much on the thrill of the crime instead of the thrill of the crime analysis.

The music adds to that as many scenes have underlying music made to heighten the tension and thrill. Since the music competes with the dialog it takes away from an already tightly scripted scene which isn't allowed to shine on its own.

It seems the creators didn't really trust their material.


All the involved actors are great and Kim Nam Gil does an outstanding job with a very difficult, not very flashy, very introverted and highly sensitive character. As far as I know he has never played anything like that before (Lovers Vanished and One Day come close) but he is made for it.

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Living for Tomorrow

Tomorrow tells the story of a select band of Grim Reapers who perform the exact opposite of the Angels of Death’s conventional job description as we know it. They don’t accompany the souls of the dead to the afterlife but instead seek to ensure that the souls remain very much intact in their current lives. In other words, their sole purpose is to prevent folks (who are intent on dying) from dying.

Presented in an episodic format with a series of standalone cases - each story that comes complete with its own unique themes and ambience - against the backdrop of an overarching mystery that spans several centuries in the making. This tale of urban fantasy masterfully blends light comedic undertones with extremely sensitive and serious subject matters, such as the prevailing issue of suicide as well as potential triggers like sexual assaults and violence.

It is not all doom and gloom however as it provides the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” by instilling a hopeful and inspiring closure to each featured case that this supernatural team attempts to resolve, at times with adorably hilarious consequences but for the most part, are stirringly emotive.

Based on the 2017 Naver webtoon of the same name by Llama (her nom de plume), this MBC production is helmed by Kim Tae Yoon (his first drama) and Seong Chi Wook (Kairos). The screenplay adaptation is written by Park Ran (What’s Mama) as well as Park Ja Kyung and Kim Yu Jin in what is their first ever drama script. Jo Seong Woo and Won Ho Kyung serve as music directors. Principal photography took place at several iconic locations, amongst others that include Seoul’s Dongjak Bridge, MBC Global Media Center, Yongin Daejanggeum Park, and Jung-gu Freedom Hall.

A total of 5 songs are released as part of the drama’s OST, as follows:

Seunghyup Lee ( N.Flying ) - Red Light
Ahn Da-eun - Don't Leave My Side
Suran (SURAN) - When My Loneliness Calls You
Yoo Hoe-seung ( N.Flying ) - Still love you
Ben - My Only One

What I Liked

Without delving too much into the psychological and mental illness aspects, and having not read the source material, I’m just going to comment on the drama based on its own merits and also the entertainment value that it brings as a webtoon adaptation.

To be honest, this drama is deceptively more profound than I initially expected. It starts off comical and lighthearted before steadily tugging at the heartstrings with the emotions and finally evolving into a full fledged sob story (or stories, for that matter). I usually avoid sad and depressing content, which this drama has plenty of, but I appreciate the way that these elements are conveyed and the overall narrative is one that is ultimately positive even if the viewer has to experience the whole gamut of negativity along the way, if that makes sense. The presentation is powerfully captivating and inducive of no small amount of tears.

Among all the individual cases presented, my personal favourites would have to be the earlier ones involving the singer-songwriter and the old army veteran. That is not to say the others are not as good but rather they are compelling in a somewhat more sobering and gut-wrenching manner. I don’t want to scare people off watching this show but you have to be emotionally and mentally prepared for what is to come.

In terms of the production values, Tomorrow is a high quality offering that utilises many special effects, for obvious reasons and which are decently rendered. I love the aesthetic intro which is accompanied by the stylish opening theme. The costuming aspect is nicely done with a range of contemporary, futuristic and traditional (Joseon) outfits. I particularly like the FL’s styling as well as the overall set-up of the Grim Reapers’ appearances. The classy touch to the design and set-up of their headquarters alongside the more unsophisticated workplace of the Risk Management team provides an interestingly vivid juxtaposition to the roles of the various factions of Grim Reapers in the story.

The extensive cast for this show provides some memorable performances indeed. Kim Hee Sun’s Goo Ryun is a character that possesses more layers than meets the eye at the beginning. There is a remarkable duality in her evolution from being the cold and inexpressive leader of the team to one who is emotionally vulnerable yet enduringly resilient. Rowoon is the biggest surprise for me by showing that since his recent appearance in The King’s Affection, he has grown by leaps and bounds in this show as the ML, Choi Joon Woong. I still think comedy would suit him best but there is certainly potential for versatility and further improvements.

Perhaps the most intriguing portrayal of all is provided by Lee Soo Hyuk as the antagonistic Park Joong Gil. This man would make an excellent villain in any production but he is convincing as an extremely grey character with anti-hero vibes as well. Yun Ji On rounds off the main cast with his depiction of the stoic and deadpan Im Ryung Goo.

Certain supporting and guest cast members are worth mentioning for their unforgettable appearances, including veteran Jeon Moo Sung as the ex-soldier Lee Young Chun, the adorable child actress Noh Ha Yeon, Min Ji Ah who plays Ryung Gu’s mother, and Kim Young Ok as Lee Jeong Mun, just to name a few.

Final Thoughts

I was left breathless at the end of it all. Tomorrow doesn’t really warrant major criticism, in my humble opinion. Perhaps the slight comedic tone might come across as subtly jarring, at least at the start, but that general sense of levity eventually evaporates into something intensely complex and deeply heartfelt, if not agonisingly heart-wrenching. A drama worthy of recommendation but not without due preparation and ample supply of tissues.

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Give it a chance Please!

It’s a really good BL I’ve been watching and being fan of BL, for over 10 years I’ve seen every single type there is and I’m telling you this one is worth watching, not only does the cast is really talented but it’s really weird to find bls with this type of stories and the few they are are not that good but this one is really good it dosent emphasize the vampire stuff that much so it’s okay cause it focuses more on the romance also it has character development and it takes it time is not so fast forward as others, for me it’s a 10/10 just watch till 3 and you’ll see believe me! So obssesed!!!

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What´s life if our heart threatens to tear? Emotionally intense KDrama. About crime&politics, too

“Wonderful World” is painting a wonderful psychological picture of people desperately trying to come to terms with their inner suffering. The focus is on feelings that we would rather not experience. Accordingly, the KDrama is anything but funny. This is once again a KDrama that isn't afraid of drama.

What is life like when our heart threatens to tear? If someone is losing their child, for example... There is no stent nor bypass for that. Guilt and loss of control, the desolation of existence and sheer agony are shaping the terrain through which one has to survive every day. At best there is grieving. But to get there even, that is a long way... “Wonderful World” takes on these emotional dimensions – carefully, sensitively, seriously and urgently.

At the same time, this KDrama vividly documents how the selfish decision of individuals, who see themselves as elite or want to be seen as such, unscrupulously, ruthlessly and brutally throw the lives of 'insignificantly normal' people completely out of balance. It is thus a political drama about a world that is not as 'wonderful' as it claims to be, too.

“Wonderful World” is also a crime thriller because there is a murder to be solved. This brings tension and additional dynamism to the story. “Wonderful World” could also be understood as a story about one or two revenge missions. In my opinion, however, these are more stencils in the background. In the foreground unfolds the emotional world of those who feel left alone in their pain and their helpless anger - but still, they carry on, somehow. Two humans see and understand each other in their suffering and are/feel/come close to each other because of this ...and ultimately try to regain a sense of control over their lives. Therein lies the power and beauty of “Wonderful World” (I think anyways).

As I said, this KDrama is not afraid of drama. It's right in the middle of it and even better. The increase in entanglements, and the music, too, remind me in places of the early KDramas - and gladly so. A great script. Yes, bitter life experiences, admittedly. Nevertheless. Intense acting. Serious. Authentic.

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(Just a heads up ONE: I may be biased because I love Reba and TWO: After a long time on MDL I finally made an account so this is my first review)

Short review:
If you're looking for something serious with an amazing plot and thorough story telling then you should look somewhere else, BUT if you're looking for something sweet, funny, relaxing etc. then I'd say this is the drama for you!
A lot of people say you have to push past the first few episodes (a bit cringey) and I would agree, most people say that around ep 5/6 things start to get less cringey and more enjoyable. I personally found it hilarious at times and some of the eventual scenes between the main leads are super cute!! The key is to not take it too seriously, it ruins the fun~

Longer review:
Story -- for the most part the story/plot was interesting but nothing new besides the Dream aspect of the story, which was unique and also one of the funnier parts of the drama and I enjoyed them a lot. However, later in the story the writers seem to forget about the dreams altogether which was a bit disappointing. The conflicts started to get repetitive and I felt like their resolutions were a bit lacking as well. All that being said I think the story still did it's job of putting the characters in situations to be expected in a 40+ episode drama: meaning that if the main couple got together early on, conflict would happen to pull them apart etc. (typical drama stuff that we all both love and hate)
There are also occasionally these little animations/graphics on the screen that add to the hilarity or fluff which I quite enjoyed!

Characters/Cast -- the characters themselves took a bit of getting used to and the dubbed voices didn't help, but soon I found the characters and their interactions with each other cute/funny and the main cast did a good job in acting both the comedic bits as well as the more serious scenes. I wasn't completely invested in EVERY character but I did care about the main 6. For the most part each character was pretty consistent in their personality and the decisions that they made but while QiQi is definitely a bit childish early on, she (slowly) matures as the story progresses, and Bohai slowly opens his heart and we get SO MANY adorable scenes (and behind the scenes) between the two! They also did a good job portraying the different friendships between the characters which I always appreciate. I also liked that all of the characters were flawed in their own ways and they struggled to overcome these flaws and become better versions of themselves (at least the main 6).

Music -- opening song always had me dancing and the ending song by Deng lun was good too :)
Overall -- writing could have been better but it's still an enjoyable watch, funny and cute, and the actors/actresses deliver!

Rewatch value - as a rom/com drama it's definitely rewatchable, there are so many fluffy or funny scenes that I have already rewatched and will probably come back to watch again and again but in all honesty I'd probably skip through some of the villain scenes, but I do that with almost everything :D

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extremely dissapointing

I am sorry but I am shook the ratings for this show are so high. The plot has very little substance and it seems unsure of what direction to take. MC was an elite student then suddenly becomes a violent guy who doesn't beat people with his smarts he just beats them by grabbing the nearest weapon. I thought he was going to do some Sherlock Holmes, brains over brawl kind of thing but nope. That can't even be considered character development, that's a 180 change in personality with no explanation. Had high hopes for this series based on reviews but was shockingly disappointed.

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I will say this before anything else. Everyone please stop complaining about the Chinese ban. Yes, it's horrible and irritating. But on the flip side, I think TPTB who are doing this work are doing an amazing job and I'm freaking thankful that China is allowing them to do this AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL work. I don't know about you but I have an imagination. The acting and chemistry between the characters with the writing is so well done that I don't need sex to get the idea. I'm currently watching the Japanese drama Todome no Kisu (Kiss That Kills). There is so much kissing--it's unbelievable. The most romantic, where all of who were watching our hearts skipped a beat was when the lead characters hugged each other. The guy grabbed her and she was like...do you want to kiss, are you sure you don't want to, and he's like no...I want to hold you. We just died. It's not about the sexuality people, it's about the emotions and relationship.

China ONLY shut down the sex on the drama and kissing, but they didn't shut down ANYTHING else and that's what we were given by the writers en masse. This drama was brilliant. I truly loved it. All the boys in this drama are extraordinarily gorgeous. I have no clue in what pits of hell they found them, but dear lord all mighty. I have always said...on the level of hotness when it comes to East Asian guys---Koreans are on the bottom. The ranking is Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Filipino, and then Korean. The Chinese guys all looked like hot vampires with abs and shit and moved in slow motion.

Anyway, all the pairings made sense. Xia Yao and Yuan Zong came together because YZ's sister, Yuan Ru, has a thing for Xiao Yao. As a note, Xiao Yao, rolls with a bunch of his co-wealthy rich kids Xuan Da Yu and Peng Ze. All three of them are of a long line of royalty. XDY has a thing for XY---of course. PZ has a thing for a girl but rolls with a guy to get a girl---irony. Anyway YR asks YZ to get involve to help her with XY---you usually get your friend not your bro (who then seems to be rather psychotically obsessive over XY)...makes no sense---irony again.

However, the greatest irony of it all is that rather than being irritating, nonsensical in some respects; it's truly romantic and you connect with the romantic end of the story). You then understand the story. You want all of the male characters to advance bravely towards their respective partners in their respective relationships; and you want their respective relationships to advance bravely in society.

The drama's title gives way to the ultimate meaning the character's relationships progress go through in the story. I do feel that Peng Ze's relationship was the one that was forsaken in the story. It could have been because his partner was not only the youngest but also the one that looked the most feminine of the group. That would have been a dangerous one to portray on screen too much. I think TPTB could have sold it...but I can see why they kept it at the minimum, but at least they put it in there. PZ's kid is like 21 to everyone else's 27 or so and YZ is 31.

Of course, I'm going to love the second pairing---just like I did with 2 Moons, Xuan Da Yu and Wang Zhi Shui. Slow build up...not enough air time when they did get together. They fulfilled the need both of them were seeking. I liked that Wang Zhi Shui was the most persistent. I don't know why I see them as such a long term couple that I would watch for eternity. I would love to see them with their own short series. I'd like to see Wang Zhi Shui interact with Xuan Da Yu's family if they do show up---his continuous bouts of fear of rejection. Ditto for Da Yu dealing with Zhi Shui's possible nightmares and fears and his backstory which we REALLY don't know all that much about.

AB is great and I recommend it to all.

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A Waste of Time

Honestly, this show was a huge letdown for me all around. The production value was great, the acting was overall pretty good, but the story? The relationships? A big, hot mess that never truly got solved by the end.

We can start with the positives. I liked the actors (for the most part— to be honest, New's crying scenes felt inauthentic at times), and the chemistry between the couples was pretty good. Not mind-blowing by any means, but enough for me to buy that they were actually attracted to each other. I loved pretty much all of the friendships, as well! Kuea and Kon-Diao were great best friends, and actually supported each other equally in a way I feel I hardly ever see in fiction. I also really enjoyed all of Kuea's school friends— they were hilarious and so much fun to watch on screen. And honestly, Syn and Nuer's little side relationship was the best-executed plotline in the whole show. The last positive was Foei, who was a side character that stole the scene every time he showed up; I enjoyed the comedy he brought immensely.

And now, the negatives. For starters, a lot of the storyline and plot felt very, very nonsensical. The arranged marriage aspect felt very forced, because there didn't seem to be an actual reason for Lian and Kuea to be arranged to be married. It was like the writers wanted to make us see that they were really in love and not actually being forced into marriage, even though that's the whole point of an arranged marriage plotline. There was also so much weirdness around how Lian and Kuea had known each other since Kuea was a baby, and yet at some point (we never find out when, because why would they ever give us any answers??) Kuea starts acting like a "perfect little doll" and hiding who he actually is. But it's also pointless because the viewer learns early on that Lian knows everything Kuea is trying to hide from him— so what is the point of Kuea hiding it? Why don't they ever just communicate about anything ever?

And that's not even starting on the mess that is the Yi/Diao plotline. Somehow, that one makes even less sense than Lian and Kuea's, since Yi and Diao aren't even together prior to the start of the show! It's weirdly written where it's made to look like Kuea and Diao are in the same situation of pining for their fiances while they think the Hias don't actually love them back, and yet it's not until way into the show that we find out that Yi and Diao aren't anything like that. And pretty much nothing about them and their situation is ever explained, presumably because the writers want to do a sequel series surrounding them.

In the end, the only way to enjoy this show is to just not think about anything and enjoy each scene for what it is rather than as it should be as part of an overall narrative. I wouldn't recommend watching it, as pretty much every other drama I've watched thus far has a more cohesive storyline with relationships that actually make sense.

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During much of its run, the primary buzz surrounding Medical Top Team was how poorly it fared in weekly ratings. While it competed against goliaths Secret Love and The Heirs, such a deficit might be expected. One may even go on to argue that ratings do not necessarily measure the quality of a show -- and typically I would agree with that person. Yet, despite undeniable starting potential, I can't help but think the viewership was onto something with this one.

What if I said Medical Top Team had a split personality? Several weeks ago, panicking network MBC announced a change in scriptwriters; whether or not a switch actually occurred is dubious. In any case, the focus and tone of the drama seemed to shift rapidly around the same time. What we began with was a somber medical offering, complete with meticulous operations and multitudes of jargon. Cases felt realistically engaging and hospital politics well-written and relevant. Character interaction possessed an understated, slow-burn potential, though most attention was paid to the overall workplace atmosphere. Viewers searching for something more technically sound, like me, would have enjoyed this to the end.

However, around midway, much more focus was placed on individual characters (including romances and personal drama). The result was a marked shift away from the surgical team element, which was sort of the entire point. Other stumblings include muddied simplification in hospital politics, plot-lines hastily handled, and character trajectory which sometimes felt pandering or out of line. Relationship evolution of and between certain characters became the worst offenders of this, especially within the last five episodes. Overall development was incredibly rushed, right up to the ending; little to no focus on romance suddenly becomes episodes without scalpels, but stuffed full of sudden hugs and almost-kisses.

Performances suffer inconsistencies as well, stemming from both issues with the script and fizzling chemistry between actors. This comes from a person with many favorites present in the cast.

For instance, Jung Ryeo Won plays a role lacking in everything from settled back story to likability; her presence can only be called wooden, which is *not* the standard for this talented actress. What worsens the effect is how little spark exists between her and either male lead, though particularly Joo Ji Hoon. Zero chemistry, there, platonic and otherwise. But on that note, Joo Ji Hoon manages to have the best portrayal and most consistent character in the series. Late episodes allowed him to show more range and were very kind to him, though the styling department never was. His work with Kwon Sang Woo (whom I found likable) and Jun Noh Min (twice now, after Five Fingers) was strangely fun to watch. Favorable mentions go to Alex Chu and Park Won Sang, while the huge amount of airtime enjoyed by Oh Yeon Seo will forever have me scratching my head. Her acting wasn't great though she very nearly eclipsed Jung Ryeo Won as female lead, a disappointment of itself: Dr. Seo needed the extra time.

Fine music stands tall as the best element throughout Medical Top Team. Most instrumentals are memorable and suit each situation well. There are also two very nice vocal pieces including the stirring "Firelight," (John Park) and catchy number "Can You Feel Me?" (Melody Day). Other positive highlights include an actual, modern hospital used in filming, deliciously bright color palettes used for sets and clothing, and sharp cinematography.

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I don't know where to start! My drama friends have been trying to get me to watch this for awhile and I was hesitate when it was being broadcasted because I was watching too much drama. So finally I took the challenge of marathon watching this. Man, am I glad that I did. Let's start with the acting:

Everyone did a fantastic job! From Lee Jin Wook as Sun Woo to Jeong Dong Hwan as Choi Jin Cheul! I loved the way everyone played their parts and held your attention whenever they were on the screen. Jo Yoon Hee as Min Young was simply charming. I have to point out that my favorite was Sun Woo's buddy played by Lee Seung Jun was amazing! His portrayal of Han Young Hoon was STELLAR! He amazed me with his expressions, his tears, his joy, just about everything.

Music: I loved how you had a blend of every type of music from the 90's, whether it was western or korean; just about everyone was featured. I loved how the music fit the scene and helped, you the viewer feel what was going on in the scene.

Action: AMAZING!! That's all I need to say!!

Direction and Writing: This team of Director: Kim Byung-Soo and Writers: Song Jae-Jung, Kim Yoon-Joo; they must continue to work together. Studios? Just keep them together!! With this being their second work together (Queen InHyun's Man being the first), this is a team that no other can match!!

Romance: We got real kisses, folks!! Big smack-a-roos and deep soul kisses! I have no complaints on the romance! No deer in the headlights for this drama.

So is it worth 20 hours? Damn right!! Will you be bored? Most definitely not! The ending kind of left you open but what do you expect for time-travel where the cause and effects are definitely shown here brilliantly!! This is now my #1 favorite Fantasy drama!!

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