Reviews

Interesting premise with insufferable leads and excessive flash-backs, slow-motion and voice-overs

A good drama follows conventional script-writing but excels in it. A great drama breaks that convention but executes it well. This drama, particularly this director, tries but fails miserably.

Typical dramas have a protagonist, a antagonist, conflict and resolution. This drama has a few antagonists that were not properly setup, nor did they get enough screen time.

The one basic thing 101 in scriptwriting that defines a good drama is "show, don't tell". Well this drama has a lot of telling, in the form of voice-overs. Dialogue is deliberately spoken a lot of times in very slow unrealistic speeds. It would work if the dialogue is engaging and touching, but most of the conversations end up like a poor rendition of poetry - they try to inspire but are bathetic.

Instead of having proper acting and conventional conversations, the drama uses excessive voice-overs to inform the audience what the actors are feeling instead of having the actors act them out. There is no nuance and finesse

The other part of the drama that is excessive is the use of flash-backs to the past. The young Yoo Mi-rae and Lee Ho-soo has so much screen time that they dominated in most of the episodes. Yet these younger actors are obviously only support cast, yet they feel almost like the 2nd female and male lead.

The leads also are not properly defined. The audience knows Park Bo-Young is the lead, but is left wondering whether Yoo Mi-rae or Yoo Mi-ji is the lead.

Yoo Mi-ji propels the drama in the first half as we are drawn into her situation without knowing what happened to her. The audience is left to wonder exactly what happened to Yoo Mi-rae, but , but Yoo Mi-ji instead dominated the screen time.

Lee Ho-soo (acted by Park Jin-young) is the male lead, but his screen time and screen presence relegated him to feeling like the 2nd male lead. His romance with Yoo Mi-rae starts only in the 2nd half of the drama, and even then was neither sweet nor dramatic. His character is one that is the most inconsistent and flips-flops.

He hates his mentor Lee Chung Gu for using underhanded ways to win lawsuits, especially in his use of media and affiliation with the judge for Kim Ro Sa's case, but yet asked him for help with Mi-ji's sexual harassment lawsuit. Right up to episode 9-10, he is a coward for breaking up with Mi-ji, lying about the funeral, and shouting at his mother.

Why do the characters in the show lie without batting an eye-lid, and self-pity, make assumptions and self-blame so much until growth only happens at episode 10-11?

The really only good parts were the first moment when the Yoo Mi-twins hugged and cried, moments between Yoo Mi-rae and her grandmother, and Yoo Mi-rae's conversation with Kim Ro Sa (acted by Won Mi Kyung).

Park Bo-Young's acting in both her roles were good, but was given way too self-hating and self-pitying roles (Mi-ji) all the way to almost the end of the drama. She is often typed-cast for cute energetic roles, with a bit of a irrelevant personality, and Mi-ji has sort of that vibe. Mi-rae's role was way to gray - even for a person who suffered from office abuse. She is often cast in those roles because of her stature and "cute" face.

Contrast her performance here as Mi-rae to her performance in Concrete Utopia. Both were adult roles in their 30s. Park Bo-Young shines in Conrete Utopia with her mature acting.

Overall, Our Unwritten Seoul is overhyped. Park Bo-Young delivers somewhat, but everything else falters.

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The least threatening zombie show ever

This is a zombie show where almost nothing happens. The cast is just way too big for starters. For how many characters there are, almost none of them die. This show didn't have any actual intense moments or moments that kept you on the edge of your seat, and it should since it's a survival show!

Here are some things that take away any intensity
-It only takes place over a couple days, and the water and electricity are on for most of it, so there's already not much to worry about in terms of survival there
-A lot of the zombies are blind, so as long as you're quiet there's no threat there.
-Super easy to kill the zombies
-The zombies still go about their lives as if they're still alive and then all huddle in one area with their leader once a day, so if you avoid those places once again, you're safe.
-The zombies have feelings so if they remember you, you're safe

Some other things I didn't like about it
-Again, just way too many characters
-Almost none of the characters were given any backstory so I didn't care if they died
-For how many characters there were, a very small handful were likeable characters, and even they were just not as stupid or annoying as the rest
-The ending...wth was that ending? It didn't feel like a season finale and felt more like an episode ending. Also, it doing a one-month time skip...don't get me started.
-The group of people who were in the greenhouse were given so little screen time that I forgot they existed until they showed up again.
-Ning. I just hated her and was rooting for her death.
-Way too much explaining and theorizing was happening and way too little action

Some things I liked
-The cast! Loved seeing so many familiar faces
-The blood and effects on the zombies were great
-Had a great opening. I loved that it just threw you right in

I could honestly keep going, especially if I went into more of the characters of the show. This show was just not good. Thai horror and suspense are usually so good, so my expectations were quite high, and this was just severely disappointing. Nothing against any of the actors at all, I think it was just a bad script.

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Please give us a third season, we beg

I loved this season as well! Once again, the relationships Sieun builds in this season are just so fun to watch! I love all the new friends he makes! I even really liked some of the new bad guys this season! I love that every character is more than a 'bad guy' or 'good guy'. No one is perfect and every character is so fleshed out. I love all the action scenes this season as well, especially the one on the roof. This show never fails to amaze me in how it can make you feel every emotion. The actors all did incredible of course!

I did enjoy season one more than this one, but I'd still give this one a 10/10

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Easily became a favorite of mine

Giving this series a perfect 10/10 for the first time in a long time for kdramas. This show is absolutely incredible! It makes you feel every emotion and get so attached to the trio! I don't have a single complaint about this series at all. The acting from everyone in the cast is outstanding, especially Park Jihoon's. The way he can express so many and so much emotion with just his eyes is incredible.
I love how this show makes you feel part of their trio and betrayed by Beom-Seok when he switches sides. Even if you don't like Beom-Seok, you still feel so bad for him for everything he's been through. You fall in love with Suho and want to be his friend too. You just want Sieun to be happy and finally make friends.
I could go on and on about this show because it is just that good. I've shown it to all my friends and all of us have said that easily became one of our favorites. I've watched it many times now and it's just as enjoyable as the first time!

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Another Luo Yunxi Triumph

The Truth Within is another Luo Yunxi triumph. His prodigious talent easily crosses genres, and in this modern crime drama he delivers a nuanced, deeply human portrayal of a medical examiner coping with profound personal trauma.

The plot is engaging and keeps the audience invested throughout, with echoes of the classic Quincy, M.E. series in the way it blends forensic investigation with emotional depth and moral issues. The supporting cast is strong, well-balanced, and delivers believable performances that elevate the story even further.

In summary, The Truth Within is a compelling and well-crafted series that I highly recommend. It offers strong performances, emotional resonance, and a storyline that will engage both longtime Luo Yunxi fans and new viewers alike.

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Characters need therapy

Another series that takes 50 episodes to portray a simple mis-communication between two equally confused and immature characters. The drama is stirred up by the advice, threats, and manipulations of the people surrounding the main couple. Lots of problems with this series-mostly, a lot of tired old tropes. They get together, they're driven apart, they get together, they're driven apart. Ho hum.

1. I'm SO TIRED of being told in K-dramas and C-dramas who's pretty, who's handsome, and who's ugly. And there's a whole lot of that going on in this series. Let the viewer make up her own mind. No one person gets to decide what's beautiful for the rest of us.

2. Shan Cai. This actress who plays her looks and acts like a 12-year-old and pouts like a 7-year-old. She's as charismatic and assertive as a wet noodle. Si keeps calling her "stupid." Is she? Anyone who knocks on the front door can push their way into her home. Anyone who says they want to be her friend, is treated like her best buddy. Si grabs her, takes her things, puts his hand over her mouth, pulls her this way and that, slaps her--and she just lets him do...whatever. Is she madly in love? Who knows? Her standard expression is blank, and the kisses between her and Si seem really contrived.

Her idea of a fun date is to feed her face with, not one, but four obscene desserts slathered in whipped cream and syrup while Si watches in disgust-and this girl is a nutrition major. No matter how many of the other characters call her "fierce" or "incredible," she isn't. I read that Dylan Wang wrote a letter to Si when the series ended. Among other things, he said, "I don't understand one thing. Why don't you just get another girlfriend if she's so indifferent to you?" He has a point.

3. Si. This dude (the character, not the actor) is seriously disturbed. He's rigid, violent, abusive, and a bully. But he's sometimes the only person speaking truth. He's right when he accuses Shan Cai of dodging questions, being evasive, and changing the subject whenever he asks her a straightforward question. He's frustrated, and I don't blame him.

4. The couple together. Their toxic relationship is ruining the lives of everybody around them. Wake up Lei, Meizuo, and Xi Men Yan! Don't let these crazies mess up your entire college experience.

Here's what needs to happen. Shan Cai should say: "I appreciate your good qualities, Si. You're loyal, generous and brave. But if we keep going like this, ten years from now, we'll either be divorced or one of us will be dead.

She should add two things:

A. Please deal with your crazy mother. She has to stop trying to intimidate-or destroy--me and my friends. Just get it done. If that's not possible move out of your family's house. Otherwise: good-bye.

B. From now on--no violence, no bullying, and no physical abuse. When I say, "Stop!" you need to stop. And you'll treat the people in our lives with kindness and respect. Got it? In return, I promise to answer your questions in a straightforward and honest way.

5. I'm a little disappointed with Dylan Wang. A socially retarded and emotionally damaged dude finds his one true love, manhandles and bullies her. There must be other scripts out there that can show-off this guy's amazing acting skills.

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