Reviews

An Italian point of view

As an Italian, I was curious to see this drama, and also a bit afraid because of the delicate topic they've chosen.

It's not easy to write a story involving Mafia without falling into stereotypes and romanticization. It's something that it's almost never discussed outside of our country, and not many people who talk about Mafia have a real idea of what they are. They aren't the cool and sexy boss who kill just for the pleasure to kill, and that justifies their actions for the sake of "love". They are a plague, a terrific and still existing problem of our country. So many have suffered, especially in the years from the '60 to the '80, but even now in different forms. It's not something to laugh at, something to think as "cool". It's evil and cruel, and I really hope whoever has started this drama had this point really clear.

Now, what about Vincenzo?
The plot itself wasn't that complicated, it's the typical law/criminal kdrama, with our evil guys who kill and don't really care about human life or morals, and we have our heroes, who on the contraries want to bring justice. But here we have someone in the middle. Vincenzo Cassano is "the evil", as he represents himself, but he also works against the even worse evil of the drama, and his purposes are driven by the need to bring justice where the justice system lacks.
The story was nice, a bit slow, and boring in the middle (the whole search for the gold plotline was honestly so annoying!), but it was interesting enough to keep me watching.

Vincenzo's character was generally well written and, despite my worries, he wasn't the romanticized hero of this kind of narrative. I liked how from the beginning he never showed himself as the good guy, he knew who he was, he knew what he did, and what he was planning to do was morally wrong, but in his perspective, it was the only way to bring peace. He was human enough to feel some remorse for his actions, but he was willing to live with those feelings.
In the end, he wasn't really different from the bad big guys and it honestly looked a bit unrealistic how he never suffered from the consequences of his actions. This was the only sign that he was indeed the "good guy" for the drama and for the audience, which was something I didn't really like. Somehow it was strange to see how the people around him worshipped him and his actions... I mean, he helped them a lot, but he was still ruthless and cold-blooded and yet they never criticized him for this.
Also, there were some things that didn't sit well with me. Not particularly with his character, but with the whole Mafia topic. Somehow, especially from the halfway point of the drama, Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young's actions seemed justified just because their enemies were doing something even more wrong and evil. They used some Mafia modus operandi (like the pig blo*d, or even the ending for Myung Hee) as a way to fight their enemies, but they were shown almost like a joke, with funny music in the background and their smiling and satisfied reactions. To be honest, those scenes made me a bit uncomfortable, because it wasn't funny to think about the people who had suffered in the reality.

As for the rest of the characters, they were okay, but nothing remarkable. The big bad guy was the usual big bad guy, crazy, without morals or rules. At least he was handsome.
I really liked Jang Hanseo's character, though. I liked his struggle between the need to stay alive and the desire to be genuinely appreciated by his brother.
And for the Cassano family gang... well they were just the usual comic relief to make the drama less dark and heavy. Funny the first two episodes, then they became overrated. And they were too many, they took so much screen time that could be used to show better the main characters instead of the stupid hunt for the gold (yes, again, I didn't like that part, sorry lol).

The acting.
As always, this part doesn't disappoint. I really appreciated Joongki, more than usual. He worked so hard in learning his parts in Italian and he was also pretty good. I feel sad for those who don't understand the language and have missed all the poetic shadows of his swear words. They were beautiful and perfectly Italian!
Also big shootout to Taekyeon, he's always so expressive when he acts and I really enjoyed his representation.

What else to say?
It wasn't a bad drama, I actually enjoyed it, but I think they could have done better work with the whole Mafia topic. I know I must sound boring, but it's really important. And while they haven't fallen into ugly stereotypes, they still didn't show the reality. The Mafia isn't the "best alternative" to fight the bad enemy, and I wished they hadn't slipped on this part.
I'll probably never rewatch this, though.

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If i will talk about this drama it will take me forever. This drama have a deep meaning regarding relationships with realistic stories and that what made this drama so special to me. Like me as a person love keeping my eyes in the details and for me this drama was perfect the smallest details made me realize how this drama really focusing in everything which i dont think everyone will like this drama i feel its made for certain people who have different perspective of relationships because its not like any romantic triangle love its just more than that, and i have to repeat the drama in the winter because the vibes are just perfect for that season i really do recommend the drama if you are so emotional and think out of the box also missed the college vibes then this drama for you dont expect so much or so little just enjoy how well this drama is directed the chemistry between all the couple in the drama aslo the side stories are amazing and moreover you will enjoy the osts.
its not about who the FL will end up with its about what she really want and at the end nevertheless of all what she tasted sweet and mostly sour moments with park jaeoen she still wanted to be with him, she like being hurt but at least she’s doing what she want at the end. also their characters really do match firstly she doesn’t acknowledge her feelings and he also doesn’t speak or even act upon what he want ( they don’t communicate at all) and i see they deserve each other because both of them are toxic let them be together until they realize that them being together it’s better than hurting other innocent people who deserve better than them.

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A+ Story, Acting, Series

'Search' is definitely in my top 5 dramas of all time. I was hooked from episode 1 on the eerie subject, location (DMZ), and suspicious characters. When I began the first episode, the opening theme immediately reminded me of the movie 'Sicario' (another creepy one!).

While stationed along the DMZ, the main character, a South Korean military dog handler named Dong Jin, falls into an unexpected situation when he is just one week from discharge. Something strange is afflicting the land and people surrounding the DMZ. The writers tied that opening synopsis into the ending SO WELL, I nearly cried. Learning all about Dong Jin's past, the 1997 DMZ incident, and how each of the unit's characters fall into play together, kept me hooked. I can't recommend this series enough. I normally only watch romantic comedies, but took a chance this week and picked up 'Search' -- I was quite pleasantly surprised!

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i regret watching it till the end

i give this drama 3/10 overall is solely because of their acting and (kind of) strong female lead. the whole plot and storyline? is too cliche for me, nothing new. Because you see, once they have childhood memories, the drama will definitely be a turn-off to most people because its predictable. There are so many problem/problematic scenes in the drama but i keep watching it in hope it will get better (and keep watching it because of the main characters). Not to mention, the age gaps. Please don't misunderstood me, i like the MCs, individually, but pairing them together? the casters could've done better than this but in the end its the actors' decision....to appear on the drama

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Simply remarkable

Finally an intelligent series/drama! With a real story. With real dialogues. With an exceptional acting, Nam Yoon Su in particular. When he smiles, all of Seoul lights up. Love is the permanent quest but the extraordinary faithful friendship is there. And on the top of all these emotions, there is the humor. We laugh often. but never at the expense of certain characters like in Thai or Filipino series. There are no caricatures, just the real life of a young queer man in Seoul, Just the real life of a son facing his dying mother but still reluctant to accept the life of his only son. And the emotion that underlies the whole episode 7, the escapade with a passing lover, totally highjacked by the imperishable and joyful memory, in love with his story with his great love, Gyu Ho and their stay in this same city.
Addictive and deep, brilliant, radiant and funny.
I will now read Sang Toung Park's novel and wait for the film to come out on American screens... It's hard to leave this character of Ko Yeong.

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A series with heart and hope

I don't like series with an attitude of "in-your-face" regarding sex. It's a question of personal taste. Due to a series of circumstances, I had gathered that "Love in the Big City" would be sex-driven. A prejudiced view or not, I opted for not watching it.
Following the attempted censorship by conservative groups, I decided to be a part of the resistance: to support the series and watch it.
As such, a thank you is provided towards the conservative groups that attempted censorship: my world was made more open thanks to you.

"Love in the Big City", the series, is a series with heart and hope at its core. It's a kind of bildungsroman, a series where we watch the protagonist grow up. Yes, Ko Yeong may be deemed a narcissist, a very difficult person. That may be true, and yet Yeong is also very human, capable of kindness and warmth. He's not a role model, and the trauma he carries takes its toll on how he engages with the world.
But, from episode 1 to episode 8, there is growth. Even if this growth may not reach the standards of before. In the world we live in growth is difficult. The series addresses that.

I was preoccupied that this would be an "Americanized" series. For those of us who are from the Western part of the world, part of the charm and interest in Asian media may be its difference in tone and, overall, ways of addressing social relations. While, yes, there is a pertinent argument to be made on this series' focus on sex, this belongs mainly to the initial episodes - even then, sex is generally understood within the contexts of relationships. Those who navigate social media have been bombarded with the salacious aspect of the series, so one could be excused for mistakenly thinking this is all about sex - or only about that.
So, yes, there is this liberating aspect of being able to transgress the strict boundaries regarding depictions of sex between two men. This must be acknowledged.
Even more so, that the series is not limited to this. In this, the provocative aspects of the trailer and interviews and other promotional material is only that: provocative, to engage with this feeling of breaking boundaries.
The series is more complex than that.

I think it's a must-watch experience, even for those who feel squeamish, even for those who are particularly sensitive to certain depictions of sex/sexuality.
It's a humanizing experience.

Kudos must be given to the cast. In particular, Nam Yoon Su, who seems to have been made to play Ko Yeong. It will be a travesty of epic proportions if this man isn't showered with all of the prizes and then some. He incarnates Yeong to an extent that is unbelievable.
Equally Jin Ho Eun, who is perfect in his role.
There are several instances throughout the series where I found myself wondering at the details: the gasps; certain touches, certain movements; small decisions that seem to me to have been informed by the actors themselves. These characters are embodied by these actors. These actors have understood something in these characters, they have connected to some very important, basic truths regarding who these characters are.
Yoon Su and Ho Eun lead a stellar cast in providing us a lesson on acting.

The cinematography is beautiful, and sometimes I felt I was watching a movie. This is the power of the image, to capture a certain state, a certain emotion, with the impetus not to lie but rather to communicate a very powerful truth. A poignancy.

Again, I return to the overall feeling that Yeong is this flawed character. He sometimes acts peevishly, immaturely. But we are not being led to glorify his behaviors, of whatever sort they may be. Relationships start and then they crumble, in many different ways. In the horizon there is hope for reconnecting with a desired lover who was thought to be lost; or perhaps not, maybe that won't happen. Many of us wouldn't be able to support Yeong in our lives; or perhaps, only in very small dosages.

"Love in the Big City" stands tall for its portrayal of characters who love but may not understand love; who suffer yet hide their suffering. Who try to cope sometimes in not the best, or perhaps even healthiest, of ways.
But this is not programmatic; the series isn't trying to show us what is right or wrong.

It gives us a glimpse into this particular world. And in this, I felt I have learned something precious and important.

In particular, I want to recommend episodes 5 and 8. These are my most favorite, true works of art.

So, thank you to those who sought to censor this. In a sarcastic move, may I be made aware of what's to be on the censorship list next? I want to support that too.

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Thumbs up for the drama. Not typical love story. Love how they illustrate the computer games world with the real world one. One strong point i love is the story is based on university students life. They played games most of time, but the drama still show the casts still studying hard and have exams to do. Most of student life drama didnt showed this. Even both lead casts is popular in the drama, the story didnt too focus on showing them big like others drama. Try watch, i totally recommend it. Read the novels too but still hoping the make 1 or 2 sequel episodes based on it.

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Lenta, aburrida y con personajes inconsistentes

Leeeeeeenta como tortuga renga. Aburridísima. Capítulos enteros en los q no pasa naaaaaada. Miradas, silencios, recuerdos y mas recuerdos. Encima, personajes incomprensibles que actuan como si no tuvieran registro de la realidad. Que toman decisiines tóxicas innecesarias. Fue un enorme esfuerzo terminar de verla. Una pena. Tiene un gran elenco que hizo lo que pudo peeo no se.puede sacar jugo de las piedras. Amo a Yoo Yeon-seok desde Mr Sunshine así que la esperé con ansias. Quería que le fuera bien. Tenía grandes expectativas, pero hasta ahora es mi decepción del año. 😔😔😔😔😔

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MANO!

Esse filme foi maluco, genial, surpreendente. Uma história bem diferenciada, e bem desenvolvida, mas é necessário prestar muita atenção, por conta dos pequenos detalhes que fazem toda a diferença para a história. A Kim Tae Ri foi maravilhosa como sempre, a personagem dela foi incrível! Ryu Joon Yeol arrasou e Kim Woo Bin meu amor, nunca decepciona.

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Perfect! I really liked it

This movie had amazing action, nice friendship dynamics and even a bit humor! Though if you are sensitive to the topics of sexual assault / rape (especially towards children) then you shouldn't watch this movie alone.

I personally really like that they stocked to material art until the end, expect for a few expectations where he used a teaser or threw things at the guys, instead of only using it halfway through and then sticking to only weapons. I have seen a lot of kdrama and movies that involved too many guns which in my opinion is a bit unnecessary, maybe I'm just a bit old-fashioned in this but I prefer my action with proper fights so I definitely wasn't disappointed in this movie at all.

I also really like that none of the friends of the main lead didn't get hurt or that there wasn't any "betrayal" kind of thing. Also really like that the main cast didn't smoke at all, I've seen a lot movies/dramas where they made one or multiple of the main cast smoke so they seem more "badass" which is so unnecessary in my opinion.

I also really liked that it was a happy end, as I personally don't like sad noir open ends.

Only thing I didn't like is that one incident but nothing I would give less stars for.

I kept rooting for the ML the whole time especially because he has a good personality and good intentions, very empathetic and selfless.

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Sad Ending

Ji xoaxu is Dead in the last Yan is Remembering moments of her
I expected atleast a Happy Ending
After so much troubles
But Drama is Worth it
Each episode has a Story
😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟
Ji xoaxu is Dead in the last Yan is Remembering moments of her
I expected atleast a Happy Ending
After so much troubles
But Drama is Worth it
Each episode has a Story
😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟
i xoaxu is Dead in the last Yan is Remembering moments of her
I expected atleast a Happy Ending
After so much troubles
But Drama is Worth it
Each episode has a Story
😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟
Ji xoaxu is Dead in the last Yan is Remembering moments of her
I expected atleast a Happy Ending
After so much troubles
But Drama is Worth it
Each episode has a Story
😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟😢😟

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This...Theres no words to describe this drama. It was the best drama I have ever seen. It has been on my watch list ever since i first heard about it last year, and wasnt really that interested. But I was hugely mistaken. Drop what ever you are watching and go watch Goblin now!!! The cast where beautiful, the music was amazing, it was just all round amazing, I shed so many tears for this show, either of saddness and happiness. I hope to who ever watches it next or is currently watching it, that you enjoyed and loved just as much as i did. Beautiful!!!!
Definate Re watch.

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