Reviews

Who wants to live forever…

For four episodes I’ve been sitting on the fence…falling off it…then looking for a ladder to climb back on. Episode 5 may finally be turning me into a believer.The push-and-pull between James and Ken finally creates the tension I’ve been waiting for. Instead of the series simply telling me these two are attracted to each other through romantic music and beautiful scenery, I finally felt it. Their relationship now has resistance, frustration, anger and desire…a much stronger springboard for what could become an exciting relationship.Meanwhile, Ji and Chita decided to demonstrate just how well they can kiss. Maybe Chita is simply enjoying his catch a little more. But just like in my previous review, something about Chita continues to bother me. It’s that limp. I keep getting Keyser Söze vibes. I have this crazy suspicion that one day Chita is simply going to straighten himself up, walk perfectly normally and reveal that he is far more powerful than anyone imagined…perhaps even the supreme Nour. And there goes poor Ji’s embattled heart.But the scene that really changed the episode for me was James holding the gun on Ken. That was intense.Finally…darkness, anger and tension with purpose. Boss made James’ anger believable without simply shouting his way through the scene, while Tongtong gave Ken the opposite energy…calm and collected while standing in the middle of James’ fury. This is exactly the kind of intensity I wanted from the finale of Mr. Kill. Off could take a few lessons from Boss on portraying anger, while others could learn from Tongtong how stillness can sometimes be more powerful than shouting.And suddenly my original Highlander comparison came roaring back. Sean Connery’s Ramírez understood the cruelest part of immortality: you don’t simply live forever…you watch the people you love grow old and die while you remain behind. Perhaps that is finally the key to understanding Ken. Maybe he isn’t afraid of loving James because he doesn’t feel anything. Maybe he’s afraid because he does.For James, falling in love means imagining a future together.For Ken, falling in love means knowing how that future eventually ends.And then came that scene. Well…fire. Whatever chemistry I complained was missing during the first few episodes suddenly arrived. Boss and Tongtong weren’t simply going through the choreography of an intimate scene. Their eye contact, hesitation, kissing and physical responses made the attraction believable. Whether one was enjoying the scene more than the other…I’ll leave that to everyone’s imagination. And yes, I noticed what the camera perhaps didn’t intend me to notice when James pulled Ken’s pants down. With kissing like that, perhaps Method acting has its occupational hazards.More importantly, this is what I want from actors playing lovers regardless of their own sexuality: commitment to the character. When the camera rolls, I shouldn’t see two actors worried about how intimate they look together. I should see James and Ken wanting each other. Boss and Tongtong finally sold that to me.And kudos to the cinematography. That classic swinging hanging light creating movement across their bodies was such a simple technique, but visually effective…sensual without needing the camera to do all the work.Episode 5 finally gave me what I’ve been asking NOUR for since the beginning: context, tension and chemistry.I fell off the fence. You gave me a ladder.Episode 5 finally made me climb it.

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The truth revealed, and hearts opened

I won't comment on the intimate scene, but the good thing is that James knows everything there is to know about Ken now. And they even said they loved each other. 🫣😳 And finally being able to put their minds together to solve the Nour case with ALL the info? Let's go! Because it's been proven a gazillion times that two minds are always better than one. 🙂‍↕️☝️Ji and Chita, hmm...Chita is like a fluffy little pet — he's shy and does seem very pure and innocent. And that reason alone is why I forbid that Nour chick from harming him in any way. 🙅‍♀️But I'm not sure about Ji... Chita said he broke up with his previous partner because of that person lying to him, and Ji's face looked a little suspicious to me at that moment. Could he be lying about something to Chita that could potentially affect their relationship? 🤔

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Another 10 on 10 episode

After heart-breaking episodes 20 and 21, Episode 22 was a breath of fresh air. But Honestly, I still think, this dram deserved the original planned 32 episodes, as the second half still feels too rushed. Just 2 more episodes remaining. The music and cinematography is top notch. The acting was great, the Norway Aurora scene brought tears in my eyes, what a performance.Also the timing when the OST hits in a particular scene matters too, because it is misses the timing, it won't enhance the scene, but over here it enhances the experience tenfold, especially the reveal that Luke indeed travelled to Harbin to see her and followed her, but never met. Loved the music during that scene.

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