Not dreadful but not great

Nice cast, bit slow at times, some wit and overall an ok watch, but...
Totally unrealistic, like really! The stuff the police, never mind students, get away with, is hilarious. I mean, ok it's not a documentary and entertainment = poetic licence, but there really needs to be a bit more credibility to so many of the scenes.
Half of what they all get up to would mean zero chance of their weird evidence standing up in any court.
I thought irritating and OTT character, Baek Hee, was a step too far ~ she made me roll my eyes once too often and I didn't find her at all funny.
The camaraderie between the friends was nice and how Dong-man and Sun-ho became closer was too, but the romance was dull and chemistry between actors Jung Jin-young and Krystal Jung was not cooking at all; his acting was quite charming and sweet, but I found her very stiff.
The supporting characters were quite amusing, but none really stood out for me.
I felt the plot dragged on, becoming quite dull; there wasn't much feeling of threat and even though they tried to introduce a selection of guilty looking characters in the latter episodes, it wasn't enough to make me that interested, or bothered.
It has some nice moments and overall is fine as a filler, or dip-in-and-out-of drama, but it's not memorable and not one I'd watch again.

Leia Mais

Hugely irritating characters

I quite enjoyed the first couple of episodes, which piqued my interest. Sadly I quickly found myself greatly disliking many of the characters.
Indecisive, selfish, wet, self absorbed, delusional and contradictory.
I was only bothered about 2; Do-hyeok and Gyu-hyun.
Jae-eon was like his butterflies and Na-bi.... well, what can I say.
I also found their art class unreal. The piece Na-bi worked on, for the entire series, hardly changed and yet could be reproduced virtually overnight.
Made a change to have a lesbian couple feature though, rather than a gay one, although Oh-bitna drove me nuts.
Not one I'd watch again.

Leia Mais

A very clever, simmering, at times disturbing, crime drama where one never knows quite what's coming next.
It doesn't have masses of blood, blockbuster style action scenes or romance, but it does have more than its share of shocking moments, an intelligent script, some laughs and what I found to be a gripping story.
I loved the characters; proper villains and a blurring of what makes a good detective. Tested friendships and what seems, at times, blind loyalty from some.
Dong Shik and Joo Won are polar opposites and neither trusts the other at all, for varying reasons that are slowly brought to light as the story grows. They have to work together though and so a relationship of trust/mistrust yo-yos with each episode.
The tragedies in several cast members' pasts are also uncovered and these link characters together in unexpected ways.
Almost everyone looks guilty at some point and the way in which key crime scenes are shown in multiple scenarios, to fit a given character's statement, is brilliant. It also makes it way harder to decide who's done exactly what.
Shin Ha Kyun is excellent in his portrayal of Dong-shik, veering from warm and funny, to maniacal in an instant. His whole face changes when he smiles, but the next minute he can look very scary!
Yeo Jin-goo gives a very understated performance of a character repressing a lot of his thoughts and feelings; no over acting here, thankfully!
The entire cast were great. I particularly felt for Jung Je, such a tormented character, so well played by Choi Dae-hoon. There are some really sycophantic, nasty and loathsome, as well as sweet, caring and strong, characters in this.
A great story with a solid ending.
Oh and I loved the trailing violin music, Bibi's 'Timeless' and gritty song, 'The Night' from Choi Baek-ho; perfect soundtrack.

Leia Mais

Funny, dark and bitter sweet.

Well! Where to start?
This drama honestly has it all. It wasn't quite what I was expecting either.
There's edge of your seat threat, violence, manipulation, deceit, blackmail, bullying and murder. That's balanced by laugh out loud humour, trust, loyalty, friendships and a bitter sweet plot.
Copious amounts of retribution are divinely dished out too.
Some truly awful characters and many I loved.
I wasn't keen on the lead female character (played by Jeon Yeo Bin) at first, but she quickly grew on me, with her quirky antics. SJK was sublime as Vincenzo and I loved Kwak Dong-yeon in this; he really made Han Seo come to life. A very different role for Ok Taecyeon too, so well portrayed.
The entire cast, who seem made to work so well together, were perfectly matched to their roles.
Clever story with twists, turns and some shocking moments. I also shed a few tears.
A superb watch.

Leia Mais

Too drawn out

I thought the 2 leads, Zhu Yi Long and Bai Yu, were so good ~ their acting portrayed the characters' attraction to one another really well; the eyes can say it all.
Lots of very diverse characters, action, emotion and different worlds, making for entertaining viewing.
I did have trouble sticking with it though, as it just went on too long for me. The last few episodes were amongst the best of all and saved the drama, to my mind. The emotion from the leads was heart felt and definitely confirmed that Shen Wei and Yunlan loved each other, and there was nothing 'brotherly' about it.
It is a great shame that China feels any sexuality other than straight, is abhorrent. Lines don't need to be crossed, but as with straight romance dramas, they aught to portray love as love. Just what are they so scared of?

Leia Mais

Not only the monsters are bad

This is a great drama I've already watched twice.
The main and supporting cast all give excellent performances, including the children.
The effects of living in an environment where society has broken down leads to very different behaviours for the characters, as they really need to pull together in order to survive. The changing opinions and morals of some, as it becomes apparent no one is safe from infection, makes for many characters developing with each episode.
Our human establishment is yet again to blame for messing with things that shouldn't be and fearing everything different. Tarring everyone exposed, with the same brush, can also be seen as the way in which so many laid blame after the outbreak of Covid. Lessons never seem to be learned, as this has and will, happen time and time again.
The pace is a mix of slow burning, menacing and violent. It isn't a particularly happy watch, but there are many touching moments.
The soundtrack is excellent too.
I believe Netflix are waiting for ratings stats before committing to series 2 and I so hope it goes ahead, otherwise the ending is less than pleasing; that would be my only complaint.
I LOVED it.

Leia Mais

Disturbing

First off, great cast and very good acting. I'm a big Woo Do Hwan fan, but all the leads wete excellent, as were supporting cast.
I found the first few episodes quite disturbing and not an easy watch. I really hate bullies and those that treat physical disabilities as though that makes a person less or stupid.
S.Korea is so often portrayed as a country where those with power, position and/or money, can get away with just about anything. This drama is no different in that respect.
The friendships that are tested and the struggles to "do the right thing" are well portrayed... blood is often thicker than water, as they say.
The story got a bit far fetched at times, but the tension and feelings of threat were well written, directed and acted.
It would need a long time before I'd watch this again, mainly because of now knowing what happens.
I kind of enjoyed it, but watching was also unpleasant at times. Means it's a well made programme though.

Leia Mais

Huge shame it was aired before all episodes filmed, as I've read that COVID-19 disrupted filming and so airing was juggled. This spoilt the flow and in the last 2 eps, the actors didn't seem as natural in their roles.
The storyline at the start of the drama got completely lost. The plot suffered due to this as well, with Fighter & Tutor's episodes completely overshadowing Zon & Saifah's.
That aside, the stories were good, especially F&T's, which felt quite realistic.
Sometimes the actors didn't seem entirely comfortable in their roles (a little wooden), but that may have been due to the series' problems or lack of direction. The last ep felt very rushed. Such a shame, as would otherwise have been a 10 rating for everything!

Leia Mais

A reflection on society today

First I rewatched S1, as it's been ages since that came out. Sailed through it and enjoyed the watch all over again, especially knowing I could go straight into S2.
Yoo Ah-in was a tough act to follow, but I have to say, Kim Sung-cheol, picking up the character Jung Jin-su, was excellent.
There was a flashback to a pivotal scene from S1, which obviously couldn't just be edited in, due to YAI's sad departure. His acting in that scene was excellent and I would have doubted it could be replicated.
However, KSC was so good, and must have watched it umpteen times, to recreate YAI's part so faithfully, as well as accurately.
The dark and somewhat depressing society that emerged from S1, is by no means any better in S2.
As humans do, the supernatural events that unfolded in S1 have been manipulated by groups, with leaders determined to make money and/or rule over others. (It is exactly what some do with religion now; use it as an excuse to murder, control and wreac havoc.)
Their 'laws' are contrived and as seen in S1, often an excuse to abuse power, bully and use violence against others.
It is sickening how those groups, including the government, spout 💩 about sins and damnation, when they themselves are the most guilty.
The drama's Director has said he's used the drama as a vehicle to send a message about the state of today's society (he's not wrong, either, with how in S Korea for example, K-nutz judge, slander and even drive some to take their own lives).
The shocking 'Decree' given towards the end of S1, together with Jung Jin-su's revelation, and the new twist of resurrection, changes everything.
Groups fight for power as they also have different stances on what to do about resurrection.
Many characters are present from S1, but the dynamics have altered considerably.
It's a bumpy, sometimes confusing, and violent, frustrating ride.
A gripping watch!

Leia Mais

Rushed, but still highly entertaining

Sep 2024
I love the Sweet Home trilogy and whilst S1 is still my favourite, the 3 combined make for gripping viewing.
As much blood and gore as in S1&2, but far fewer monsters, as this final instalment focuses on the main characters that survived S2, together with a slight twist to the story.
Song Kang is brilliant in this, to my mind. He doesn't overplay the part, but exudes a kind of power and always gave me the feeling there was something more to his monster side.
Further characters lost in S2 are swiftly replaced by the fast moving storyline... a little too fast at times.
There are several surprises, but a couple could get lost in clarity and importance, if not getting enough concentration.
Couple of totally bizarre storylines as well... one being the little boy from S1, which definitely had me scratching my head.
The final scenes were a bit weird and in one instance for me, slightly disappointing, but at the same time not without emotion.
I might give it a break and then watch the whole thing (S1-3) from start to finish.
I really hate these stupid season breaks Netflix and other Western production companies, inflict on us. Really spoils the flow and when the gap between is ridiculously long, the story definitely suffers. Cramming the story's conclusion into the final 2 episodes, doesn't help either.
Having said that, I loved the cast, the premise and with how my imagination carried the conclusion forward, what I perceive as the intention behind the ending too.

Leia Mais

Pretty funny at times

Sep 2024
Bit of fun with a mildly darker element running in the background, as a "too nice to be true" detective (who tries to cover it up by being off-hand), from a somewhat haphazardly run crime team, meets a cold, but brilliant neuro scientist, who's fallen from grace and gets assigned to the team.
The team is overseen by an awful man, stuck in the past, who has a huge complex, using his senior position to verbally bully a mild and weaker character on his team. That's meant to be comical, but often fell very short.
There are very funny moments though, but also the overly silly ones so often included, too.
The idea that psychopathy can be mapped in the brain, is based in fact, but the methods in this make for the darker element, as does the mystery of the death of a main character's parents.
I liked the cast and enjoyed it overall. Would make a good filler whilst waiting for episodes of a currently airing drama.

Leia Mais

Disappointing story, but loved the cast

July 2024
I think I'm going to be in a minority here, as this really didn't do it for me.

I did like the cast a lot. As an aside, I have to say, I find the difference a head of longer hair makes to JKY's features, astonishing. It totally softens his appearance and he looks younger than he does in some of his other roles (which are quite diverse). Took me a minute to recognise him!

I thought the latter half of the drama was better, as the pace picked up, but none of the characters grew on me. Bok I-na got a pass because she was young and surrounded by a selfish bunch of supposed adults, in her terribly dysfunctional family.

Every character in that family annoyed me. All wrapped up in themselves, cold and narcissistic. Whilst they may have lost their powers, it quickly became evident they did nothing wortwhile with them before. The poor father figure was nothing more than a servant and completely taken for granted.

I have only ever watched 2 dramas that involved time-travel, where the plot didn't either cause confusion, or lose its way, and this isn't one of them.

There was just too much of Gwi-ju revisiting specific scenes, refusing to give up on trying to alter events, which his 'superpower' doesn't allow him to do.

He himself seemed to begin to question reality / time, as did Da-hae and to be honest, I was in there with them!

Da-hae's 'family' were unpleasant as well, running a sauna and ruthlessly scamming people on the side. I thought they were all made for each other.

The story attempts to salvage all their personalities, but for me it was too late. I did feel a certain amount of sympathy for Gwi-ju, but more for poor I-na. Regardless of the past, he had a duty of care, but instead wallowed in self-pity. The Grandmother was no better and probably my least favourite character, together with Baek Il-hong.

I found a fair bit of Gwi-ju's bouncing around his past very confusing and most of the time, pointless. The plot feels made up as it goes along at times, with no explanation of why certain things are possible. What lies in the future is another can of worms.

Considering they were born with powers and grew up around them, one would have thought they, and definitely Man-heum herself, would be used to her dreams and how to interpret them; but no.

I found the ending bizarre and simplistic, as well.

The very point of their powers was never touched on either and I certainly couldn't work that out.

Very disappointed; I expected more.

Leia Mais

Every instalment of Himura Kenshin's life is epic!

I watched, back-to-back, in this order:
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, 2021
Rurouni Kenshin: Origins, 2012
Rurouni Kenshin 2: Kyoto Inferno, 2014
Rurouni Kenshin 3: The Legend Ends, 2014
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, 2021
I watched the first 3 ages ago, but decided to watch all of them again, in story, not release, order, which I recommend doing.

I absolutely love these films to bits. The life of the main character is a mix of almost aimless at times, tragic, enlightenment and atonement.

The fact the film about Kenshin's origins, was made 9 years after the character first appeared on screen, is amazing. The main reason being, when watched in the order I did, it is a seamless story.

Many cast members appear throughout, pieces from the earlier, film 1, are blended in so when watching the next instalment, it makes complete sense. I was honestly blown away.

Satoh Takeru is brilliant in every film. The sword fights are incredible and they must have taken all the cast involved, a huge amount of work and energy.

The pace of each film is excellent, with a balance of action, everyday life, love, friendships, fighting for a cause (sometimes blindly) and defeating not only enemies, but those taking advantage of the powerless. Some sad elements too. There is also humour and a growing camaraderie between some characters that began as enemies.

I love Himura Kenshin and how he evolves. Supporting characters are varied, some villains are pretty OTT, strong female characters and the cast in all the films is great.
Films are rarely, if ever, perfect, but these just do it for me. Firm favourites.

Leia Mais

Every film in this epic saga is an amazing watch.

I watched, back-to-back, in this order:
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, 2021
Rurouni Kenshin: Origins, 2012
Rurouni Kenshin 2: Kyoto Inferno, 2014
Rurouni Kenshin 3: The Legend Ends, 2014
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, 2021
I watched the first 3 ages ago, but decided to watch all of them again, in story, not release, order, which I recommend doing.

I absolutely love these films to bits. The life of the main character is a mix of almost aimless at times, tragic, enlightenment and atonement.

The fact the film about Kenshin's origins, was made 9 years after the character first appeared on screen, is amazing. The main reason being, when watched in the order I did, it is a seamless story.

Many cast members appear throughout, pieces from the earlier, film 1, are blended in so when watching the next instalment, it makes complete sense. I was honestly blown away.

Satoh Takeru is brilliant in every film. The sword fights are incredible and they must have taken all the cast involved, a huge amount of work and energy.

The pace of each film is excellent, with a balance of action, everyday life, love, friendships, fighting for a cause (sometimes blindly) and defeating not only enemies, but those taking advantage of the powerless. Some sad elements too. There is also humour and a growing camaraderie between some characters that began as enemies.

I love Himura Kenshin and how he evolves. Supporting characters are varied, some villains are pretty OTT, strong female characters and the cast in all the films is great.
Films are rarely, if ever, perfect, but these just do it for me. Firm favourites.

Leia Mais