When I first saw the news that this was gonna happen, I got excited on the strength of the leads and the potential wacky story scenarios. Boy, was I disappointed on both counts.
Story:
To say that the main plot was far-fetched is being kind. Suspension of disbelief is warranted for the main characteristic of Hwan Ki's character, since that's the hook of the show, but to have this entire scheme to uncover a mystery from left field that left me thinking: "uh... this is not the fun and wacky drama I thought I'd be seeing...", having this was unnerving. The way the protagonist was written had me frustrated. The way that the female lead was acting (from the script, not her actual acting) was irritating. The growth in all of the characters, including the silent monster staff, all came abruptly without minor changes in their behavior could not be noticed. It's as if on cue, they changed their behavior because it was already episode 6, and by episode 7, they should be acting in a certain way towards each other.
The pacing was excruciatingly slow in the beginning, became rapid fire fast in the middle and then slowed down when you were expecting the climax.
I can see how the writers might think that the way the story was written was clever in their minds, but since this is not a sci-fi drama, I can't bring myself to buy the contrived plot and the forced character changes in the middle. Granted a re-write was done to make the female lead more appealing, it wasn't sustained in the succeeding episodes. And speaking of the female lead...
Acting/Cast:
I feel bad for Park Hye Soo. She was given a material that she couldn't execute better. If a different actress was in the role, they could've brought out more from the character. I loved Hye Soo in age of youth, and I felt that her character there was closer to how she normally is, seeing as she was more likeable and believable in that role. For this drama, though, I couldn't believe how easily her motivations changed. She needs more seasoning in her acting chops, and her acting was a major reason why this drama was a disappointment in my eye.
Yeon Woo Jin acted fairly well, and gave the best performance he can, with the script that he's given. He's had better performances, with "Marriage, Not Dating" being his best one so far.
Several supporting actors actually came from the previous drama that the PD worked on, which was superior in every way, "Another Oh Hae Young." The Silent Monster crew was charming in their own way and damned entertaining. As usual, Ye Ji Won and Heo Jeong Min gave brilliant performances as supporting actors. Both were very funny and entertaining as usual, but the limitations of the script and story prevented us from seeing more and enjoying what they can potentially do, given a better script.
Music:
The music was very appropriate, and you can feel how each track was selected to coincide with the mood of the scene/s. But since they used and re-used around 4-5 tracks, it became formulaic. It's as if the drama is telling us: "It's time to laugh.... now, it's time to feel sad..." I understand that this is normal in any show that features sequential story-telling, but because of the really bad script, which in turn translated to less-than-stellar acting, the music just brought me out of the story. Rather than helping accentuate the scenes, and feel the mood based on the scene and the acting, my attention focused on the music. Normally, the scenes and acting are enough for me to feel, know and understand what's happening, with the soundtrack adding that icing on top. Instead, I hear the music, and I'm forced to pay attention to the scene to get the appropriate mood that was supposed to happen. That is an indication of bad story-telling.
ReWatch Value:
There are dramas I like that I rewatched the entire thing, and these are mostly the most exceptional ones that entertained me throughout the run, like "You From Another Star." Then there are some dramas that I just re-watch certain scenes with the lead actors in them, to re-create the feel of the show, without being bogged down by the entire story. This happened to me for "You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin." Lastly, there are dramas that I'd rather not see ever again. THIS DRAMA, created a fourth category for me. The only scenes that I re-watched, were the scenes wherein Han Chae Ah (Chae Ji Hye [Ro Woon's older sister]) were in them. That was how unbearable the female lead's acting was. I enjoyed the chemistry and interactions and the presence (she looked so much prettier) that a DEAD CHARACTER had, more than the female lead.
Over-all:
Over-all, it's like High School for me. I enjoyed half of it, I slept through the rest just to get through each day. I'm glad I saw the drama because I really liked the actors, but I was happier that it has ended because that way, my frustrations ended along with it. IMHO, the female lead was miscast, and the story structure, plot and re-writes made it a big jumbled mess. I've never written a review before because I tend to be satisfied with most dramas I watch, but this one prompted me to hit the keyboard because of how mind-numbingly frustrating this had been for me. You know it's bad when you'd rather watch the story of the dead plot device Unnie, rather than the actual female lead's story.
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