A Glorious End

Dong-Eun finally fulfilled her dream. The first few episodes were very thrilling to watch, and after that, the story started to settle down. The acting, as always, was outstanding by the cast. The class of Ha Do-Yeong remains unmatched. However, this time I felt that the dialogues were not as thought-provoking and deep as in the first part. Still, the hardships and bitter realities of life are portrayed in an excellent way. The twists and turns along the way were certainly unexpected.

Park Yeon-Jin lost everything as Dong-Eun promised she would, but I can't help but think that it was Yeon-Jin herself who, because of her stubbornness and arrogance, made things much worse for herself. I don't get why Yeo-Jeong is hell bent on taking revenge from his father's murderer, Kang Yeong-Cheon. As we get to know in one of the episodes, it is exactly what he wants. He wants Yeo-Jeong to remember him. That is why he kept sending him letters talking about the pleasure he got from killing his father. In my opinion, the best revenge Yeo-Jeong could take is to forget him and move on. Choi Hye-Jeong could have effortlessly made it out unharmed if it weren't for her wanting to make it known that she is behind defaming them and taking revenge for all the years they looked down upon her. It was interesting to witness her lust for wealth. In my opinion, Jae-Jun's death was unethical; fighting someone who can't see isn't exactly a fair fight. He did have it coming, though. He should have handled matters with more patience. His careless and impatient attitude led him to his death. Ha Do-Yeong already realized that it was too late for things to be restored to how they used to be. He knew it was best for him and his daughter to cut off ties with Yeon-Jin before things got out of hand. It didn't feel in character for him to push Jae-Jun off the edge of the building while he couldn't see. That spoiled, drug-addicted brat, Lee Sa-Ra, got less than what she deserved. It breaks my heart to think that mothers like Jeong Mi-Hee (Dong-Eun's) and Yoon Da-Kyung (Yeon-Jin's) actually exist in this world. They used and sold their children for their own sake. They leached off of them and put wrong morals in their minds. From the depth of my heart, I wish them a fate that is worse than death. The Shaman's death made no sense to me. Maybe it was a spiritual thing. Now that I think about it, it wasn't just Dong-Eun who wanted revenge. Almost every other character also wanted to get revenge on others. Myeong-O wanted to get revenge on Jae-Jun. Hye-Jeong from Yeon-Jin. Ha Do-Yeong from Jae-Jun, and so on.

In the end, when Dong-Eun was standing on the roof about to jump, the scene beautifully represented what people like her go through. Even after taking revenge, everything remained the same. The past, the scars, the pain, the struggle. All of that still remains with her. She is still carrying that burden of abandonment on her shoulders. I remember how terrified I was in that scene. I didn't want her to jump. But what could have held her back? She didn't have anything to live for. Thankfully, when Yeo-Jeong's mom showed up and asked her to save her son, that is when she realized that she did have a reason to live. Now, it was time for her to switch roles and become the headsman in order to have someone she cared about get his revenge.

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A thrilling and Gripping Finale

The second season surprised me beyond my expectations. It had many things which I found missing in the first one. The games were now much more interesting and entertaining to watch. The character development was on point. Even the backstories of many side characters were shared, which added a sense of understanding and attachment to their characters. The "Queen of Hearts" level was my favourite as it was very convincing and even made me wonder what is reality and what isn't. I was very impressed by how brilliantly all these game levels were made and how much thought was put into making them. Some of the dialogues and scenes were really thought-provoking and excellently constructed. 
The only two letdowns for me were the unnecessary elimination of characters and the epilogue, as I really believe that the characters should have at least remembered each other. Because they were literally willing to risk their lives for their companions. I tried to understand it from their point of view and put myself in their shoes. I realized that I would have felt really lonely if I had known that I was the only one who survived. Furthermore, it made them forget about characters like Kyuma, who believe it or not,by accepting their fate, it actually helped Arisu and the others to survive. The same goes for Tatta. I believe it was unfair to their memory for Arisu and the rest not to remember them. 

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Kind of Reminds of John Wick

The premise was promising and thrilling at first. The fight scenes were outstanding. The story was going incredibly well with the protagonist (Yoon Ji-woo) playing a double agent. The way the story takes a different turn was really predictable. As the episodes went by, it became obvious that Choi Moo-jin might turn out to be her father's actual murderer. I really didn't want that to happen. because it was anticlimactic and his character was portrayed very nicely. He was like a father figure to Ji-woo, which I believe she really needed. I think it would have been nice if there wasn't just one bad side. If both sides had corrupt and good people in them. At the end, I did not understand why they had to kill Jeon Pil-do. I can't understand what significance his death had. I do not believe that his demise was crucial in order for Ji-woo to finally go after Choi Moo-jin. It felt really unnecessary. After finishing this show, I can't stop wondering. After all she has done, what is she left with now?

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What goes around, comes around

"Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, fracture for fracture. The one who inflicted the injury must suffer the same. I don't know. That sounds too fair to me."

What a remarkable series. The direction, cinematography, story, acting and especially dialogues were outstanding. I even noted down some of them. The story is so complelling to watch and the way the events unfold is amazing. It shows you the true face of misery. What helplessness feels like and that your past will always come to haunt you. That everyone has their inner demons that they are either fighting or have accepted. How always pushing someone to the edge of their limits can drive them mad sooner or later. How much dire consequences can your actions have on someone else and certainly, on you.

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Hit and Miss

Jumping into this show, I had no idea how it would turn out to be. I only started watching it after getting many suggestions to do so. I first thought that it was some fantasy series where the protagonist gets teleported to another realm to fight monsters and stuff, but to my surprise, it was quite the opposite. Here, you don't get to see a lighthearted magical story but a dark and twisted one. One that doesn't shy away from showing the true colours of human nature. one that is so gruesome and unforgiving of the fact that a person would go to any lengths in order to survive. While that doesn't apply to everyone, of course, some may not be interested in throwing others down for their own survival, but a large number of people surely won't be eager to sacrifice their own lives in order to save others. And that is exactly what is depicted in this series. How almost all the people want to survive because they have dreams, ambitions, loved ones waiting for them, unfulfilled promises, or just because they value their lives. 
 
Throughout the show, it stays true to its initial concept. I really liked some of the game levels because I got to learn from them, especially "four of diamonds." Once you get comfortable with the characters, you realize how unpredictable the show actually is. Arisu's character development was impressive. His wit and analysis were extraordinary and would amaze me. I also liked Ann's and Kuina's characters. Kuina's background story was touching and excellently put together. 
 
But these are about the only good things I can say about the series. I did not find the show exceptionally good or extraordinary. It was kind of frustrating at a few places for me. People's obsession with surviving at any cost was kind of stupid for me because of my beliefs. And it gets overwhelming at times. There is no benefit to living longer if it's going to be full of regrets or traumas from killing innocent people, as is also potrayed in the series.
So, I couldn't really get attached to this series because the whole concept strikes against my principles. Regardless of that, the show just couldn't get my attention as well as some others have. There weren't any moments where I was thrilled or kept wondering what was going to happen next. It is a highly rated show, and I do not question its ratings. It's nice that people got to enjoy it, but I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea.
 
 
 
 

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