"You're not dead until you die"; an ode to death and demise.
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. Someone who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." The quote from Mark Twin might be too philosophical for some but it is equally meaningful. This also reminds me a quote from Harry Potter that says that death is like an adventure for the well-organised mind. On that context, death only ends a life, not the relationships, so knowing that you're gonna die soon is more hurtful when you think about the ones who'll be left behind.Every single day of life is moving forward towards your death and the drama beautifully brings out the essence of one's life, no matter they're on the verge of death or have a long to live. Death might be an enemy for the living but embracing it with grace when there's a call for you to bid goodbye, is considered an act of wise, thereby making their lives meaningful.
Produced by KeyEast and broadcasted on JTBC, "The One and Only" is written by Moon Jung Min and directed by Oh Hyun Jong. The production had to halt filming thrice because of staff members testing covid19 positive at different times, but they could wrap up well despite the delay.
"The One and Only" is a story about a woman in her late twenties getting admitted to a hospice for receiving care after being diagnosed with a terminal illnesses, having only few months to live. There, she shares the room with two other, with contrasting natures. Their lives get entangled with a contract serial killer who ends up falling for the first woman and the story is all about the investigative murder case, the individual lives of the three women and at their days at the hospice as they await death.
Pyo In Sook (Ahn Eun Ji) who has been brought up by her grandma, works as a scrubber and is mostly expressionless. At a young age she turns terminally ill and chooses to stay at a hospice. There she meets Kang Se Yeon (Kang Se Won), an ordinary housewife who has never lived for herself and Sung Mi Do (JOY), a social media influencer, deprived of love and a lonely young girl. All three on an usual day encounter Min Woo Chan (Kim Kyung Nam), a hitman, following which these 4 people get intertwined with a mysterious serial killing incident. All these people delivered amazing performances in their respective roles.
Yook Sung Ja (Go Doo Shim) and Pyo Kang Sun (Jang Hyun Sung) are experienced actors who played In Sook's Grandma and Father respectively. The Regional Investigation Unit comprises of team leader Hwang Ma Jin (Lee Bo Ryun), lieutenant Cho Shi Young (Do Sang Woo) and Detective Oh Jin Gyu (Jang In Sub). Gu Ji Pyo (Han Gyu Won) played Mido's boyfriend and LE group's hier.
Other familiar faces are So Hee Jung, Sung Byung Suk, Han Kyu Won, Ahn Chang Hwan, Choi Young Woo, Lee So Mi, Yoon Bora, Lee Hang Na and Joo In Young. The 2 child actress Seo Yoon Woo and Kim Soo Hyung were good too.
About plot development... I've mixed feelings about this and this is the only thing to complain about this drama. The overall story reminded me about "You are my Spring" and "When the Camellia Blooms"; obviously the vibes are different but the overall story felt similar: a feel good romance with plenty of slice of life elements accompanied with a murder mystery plot. Well, the difference is that this drama indulges a coherent investigative plot, unlike the other two where there were lots of other things; the entire script works around one single murder leading to others. Personally, I loved the progression for most of the parts (1-11th); the introductory episodes were perfectly impressive, though it might take some time to get acquainted to the mood. The furtherance was nice.
The life at hospice of people awaiting death was a beautifully emotional journey. It also includes scenes of Insook halmieone and her povs as a family to someone who is fighting death, and I would give a plus point for that. About the investigation plot, it started off really really good but somewhere around 10th, they started dragging it which became plainly visible from the 11th episode. The murder mystery thingy didn't have any pothole but it could have been wrapped up very easily way before than the finale. And the rest of the drama could have been about the hospice and other beautiful elements that made the drama unique (just saying if the case was that they thought the script will have nothing interesting left bcs everything other than that were better, i loved them). It was stretched till the finale week to an extent and I can't ignore it.
Despite all that, I ended up loving the ending sequence. The drama wasn't supposed to be realistic to being with even though it's a slice of life genre for most of its parts, but there were few things I didn't like or thought could've been better not done. The ending was full of life, agony, misery and sadness; I found myself crying and choking multiple times. Even so the script ran out of substance, making the script draggy for a while, it was a matter of relief getting back to track in the finale week. The intended messages were perfectly delivered.
Oh Hyun Jong PD is quite experienced having some hugely acclaimed dramas im his resume and it was reflected in this drama as well. The pacing of the drama, in my opinion, was very apt; the drama is basically slice of life genre and warm pure romance and hence needed the pacing to be slow and steady. The screenplay management and execution is up to par. The cinematography with the pale hue and yellow pallettes were very beautiful.
Moon Jung Min PDnim is quite a rookie and has had 2 qualitatively flop scripts before this drama but I see a great jump in her skills here which made me satisfied. I can't say it's something great but judging from her previous dramas, she's improved more than expected. The screenwriting is incorporated with many essence of life, death and struggle for survival, making it very meaningful. The mystery thriller plot which is equally emphasized had a very good basic outline though the execution of it went a lil draggy, but I think it was not that bad, in fact manageable. The character dynamics are well painted with some potential of improvement for few like Min Woo Chan and Ko Ji Pyo, which I think could have been better. The narrative and messages the story wanted to deliver has been accomplished, totally!
Composed by Lee Joon Suk, the OST album has total 4 number of tracks all aptly suiting the mood and vibes of the drama. There was no need of extensive background editing, neither with OSTs nor with different scores; it was a wise choice. "STAY" by SLAY & Avin is my most favorite among all which is about possibilities in life. "Happy Ending" by Yangpa is a song with beautifully written lyrics about cessation of pain and beginning afresh. "The One and Only" by msftz and "Your Name" by JOY (ReVe) are other 2 tracks.
The pacing felt perfect to me given the narrative and method of storytelling. The flux of conversations and shift in moods were aesthetically pretty. The way the characters were learning to love what they were becoming, was a pleasurable treat. It wasn't exaggerated at least.
There are numerous povs (about 10?) to look forward to. Although the story mostly revolves around the major characters as usual, the writer has tried to subsume perspectives of seemingly minor characters at parts of the story, thereby helping the viewers to relate on a larger range and understand their feelings in a deeper sense.
The trio friendship of Insook, Seyeon and Mido is another thing to anticipate about in the drama. They came from different backgrounds and had difference in their mindsets, yet the way they blended with each other and consolidated their friendship on a robust base, was an overwhelming watch.
The long conversations were my most favourite thing about this drama and let me tell you, you'd encounter that quite a lot in here. The simple yet very important topics discussed were heartening enough to jerk tears. The way the characters express their emotions was wholesomely gratifying.
The bucketful romance is surely satisfying if not something very new and has some cliché tropes. I am sure warm pure romance is not everyone's cup of tea but I wish people become fond of it. In Sook and Woo Chan as couples were both adorable and fierce; their chemistry was up to par though not very extensively portrayed, and I think it was intentional and also feel it was of appropriate amount.
Final Remarks... "The One and Only" is a drama of unique mood. It's hugely a story for those who are admirer of quiddity lf life, slow pacing, long conversations and warm romance. I absolutely loved it but given that I can't ignore the technical aspects I would have to reflect the shortcomings in my ratings too. I would definitely recommend you to give it a try.
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Great acting meets somewhat weak writing
This show had a fantastic start. As I begun watching it I was certain it would be one of my favorites of the year, a certainty that slowly waned over time. Now it's solidified as a wonderful drama, I will probably never revisit again. The first half was really strong, but it was after the 10 episode mark, (when one of the supporting actors, who in my opinion shined brighter then all the others, left the show) when the writing became repetitive and boring. It was however rescued by a powerful ending that left me in tears.The premise of the drama was what drew me to it. I was led to believe it was about terminally ill patiens who goes on a killing spree to rid the world of evil before they die. This is not quite what we got. Am I disappointed? Only slightly.
I personally love moral dilemmas, and watching dramas that make you question what's right and wrong. This one wasn't as morally grey as I'd hoped, but the wonderful acting and heartwarming story more than made up for it.
The strongest point this drama has going for it, is the representation of female friendship. It delivers it with lots of tears and laughter. The women of this drama carried it on their back since the beginning. Their ride or die friendship more than made up for some of the boring parts of this drama. I loved how with Seyeon and Mido's help, Insook found the will to live for the first time in her life. Not just survive. Too bad it happened on her death-bed.
If you are like me, and hate dramas where the police are bumbling idiot, leaving the main characters to deal with everything, then you won't be disappointed with this drama. The police are intelligent (aside from a select few), and work hard to sove the case. They were in my opinion a delight to watch (especially you Cho Shiyoung, I fucking love you). The sad trade-off is that the main characters lack a bit in the brains department. I blame Insook's brain-cancer. It messed a bit with her critical thinking skills.
The acting was what in my opinion made this show worth watching. Everyone was believable in their role, to the point I cried when they cried, and laughed when they laughed.
But I would like to finish of by giving special appreciation to Do Sangwoo who played Detective Cho Shiyoung. This is the first drama I've seen him in, and I've truly found another actor to look out for. For many of the episodes I found his scenes to be the most interesting, and I was sad to see him go a little more than halfway through.
All in all, a good enough drama that I'll recommend to everyone who likes this genre.
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Make sure the viewing platform has a "Skip Ahead" feature
Part slice/end of life drama, part murder mystery thriller and part odd-couple bff comedy, “The One and Only” attempts to bridge multiple genres. Unfortunately, it is successful only in proving that a fairly strong cast with a skeleton of an intriguing scenario is no match for a tag team of inconsistent writing and awful directing. Whatever promise this production might have had in its first few episodes comes crashing down in an unrelenting avalanche of tediously circular story arcs and terrible production decisions.Ahn Eun Jin is the main character, In Sook, a terminally ill young woman that scrapes by working in a sauna who lives with her grandmother after she’d been abandoned by her father. Red Velvet’s Joy is Mi Do, a social media influencer with lung cancer and little to count on as far as friends and family go. Kang Ye Won is Se Yeon, another terminally ill woman who is a housewife who is left with caring for her mother-in-law with her questionable mental state.
The marketing for “The One and Only” gave the impression that the friendship between these three was the focus of the show. Perhaps the title should have given it away, however, as it is firstly a show focusing on In Sook’s discovery of her first love, Kim Kyung Nam’s Woo Cheon. As far as romances go, it’s lackluster at best. There’s little question that the two are going to wind up with each other. Once they are together, the two on screen alternate between rehashing typical drama fare or doing nothing much at all. What makes this even more dreadful is that In Sook’s most entertaining moments are when she is unleashing a lifetime of pent-up bitterness on whoever happens to appear before her at the wrong time. That this is her peak belies how unsatisfying In Sook is as a lead character. But once the relationship between In Sook and Woo Cheon takes hold, her anger is defanged and essentially so is she.
For Woo Cheon, he is initially best described as a Korean version of Jean Reno’s reclusive assassin from “Leon: The Professional”. He’s a misfit. He has only a single friend who feeds him his jobs. He likes dogs. But as the show progresses and he awakens, he only becomes more withdrawn but now with In Sook. So rather than opening up emotionally, he becomes more akin to Marvin the depressed robot from “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. It’s as if the director was constantly yelling at him “LESS PERSONALITY! NO INFLECTION! NO EXPRESSION!” And this is the character with the second most prominent role [eyeroll].
Somehow, the crew finds an even less likable character for the cast member with the third most amount of time on screen - Go Doo Shim’s Seong Ja, In Sook’s grandmother. While the cranky and colorful grandmother is a stock character, most have some charm and warmth as part of the role. Here, sadly, it’s all obnoxious and annoying and irrational. Why the relationship between In Sook and her grandmother is so prominently featured when it’s unnecessary narratively is massively confounding.
As for the remainder of the roster of characters, it’s a mixed bag. Joy’s Mi Do is the figure who ultimately is the most intriguing as she faces a legitimate dilemma. Joy as an actress is not on the same level as an entertainer as she is a singer and dancer. She’s fine though and probably would have done better if the script hadn’t essentially skipped over when she finally confronts her dilemma. Instead, the plot shows an ample collection of evidence of why she must make a decision and then teleports to what happens after she’s elected which path to take.
Se Yeon is listed as a main character but is probably, at best, the tenth most relevant character. Like Mi Do, she has an intriguing subplot and it gets a bit of run in the middle episodes of the show, but it gets only perfunctory screen time after a certain point. There’s some more simply bizarre editorial decisions that are made with Se Yeon, but no discussion of them is possible without explicit spoilers. But it’s bad. Really bad.
Lee Bong Ryun is a police team leader that is a badly needed bright spot. It’s not a dynamic role, but she’s a solid casting selection and it’s not a typical police detective. Yoon Bora is a ray of sunshine as a nun at the hospice which is the primary location. She eventually takes a shine to Jang In Sub’s mixed bag of a detective. Kim Soo Young plays the daughter of another hospice patient and shows immense potential as an actor. Someone should make a show simply where she can play a younger version of Park So Dam with whom she bears an incredible resemblance.
There’s a bit of success with the OST but it’s not a prominent feature here. The photography has some nice outdoor shots.
That’s the comprehensive list of positive qualities in the two prior paragraphs. As for negatives, in addition to what’s already listed here, there’s…
-some terrible editing
-Han Gyu Won is brutally over his head in trying to play chaebol heir and Mi Do’s boyfriend Ji Pyo
-the lead investigator and relatively strong character is written off and vanishes
-a character is declared dead but turns out not to be and no adequate explanation is given
-Woo Cheon’s dog, a gorgeous animal, appears early on and then never again. Meanwhile, Woo Cheon is supposed to be an animal lover but seems to have nary a care at all about what has happened with his once beloved man’s best friend
-Great pains are given to demonstrate that In Sook has a severe loss of hearing in the first few episodes. Like Woo Cheon’s dog, it ceases to exist for no apparent reason.
-other than the mother of Kim Soo Young’s character, none of the residents of the hospice seem to have any ailments at all, at least if one were to view their outward appearance.
-Jang Hyun Sung plays In Sook’s father for the sole purpose of to show up every so often in a bout of planet-sized self-pity and to advance the storyline not a single iota.
It’s really a travesty because Ahn Eun Jin is an actor with every necessary quality in copious amounts to be the centerpiece of a blockbuster hit show. Hopefully this quagmire of awfulness won’t preclude that possibility in the future.
Not recommended.
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Tissues Needed At The End
I knew going in that this would be sad, and I was right. The last 2 episodes were especially sad. The story takes place in a Hospice, so you should know what to expect from that. It is especially hard to watch when you’ve had someone close to you die. It kind of brings back those feelings, of what it feels like when they are just a memory. The plot and acting were excellent, with a good sprinkle of revenge thrown in. Basic story was about 2 lost souls that found each other and fell in love. This changed them in ways that they didn’t expect. It had a lot of unexpected twists to it, and a good mixture of friendship, uplifting events, sad events, love, revenge, murder, family devotion, family regret, etc. It had pretty much everything. If you don’t like sad heart wrenching dramas, don’t watch it. There are plenty of others to choose from.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Jolie Ode à la vie
Ce drama est clairement un drame, avec des sujets lourds, sombre et chargé émotionnellement : 3 Jeunes femmes en fin de vie se trouvent mêlées à un meurtre, dans lequel intervient également un tueur à gages.Entre les histoires policières, les histoires de maladie, de fin de vie, de choix, où est le plaisir de voir ce drama finalement ?
Et bien parce que pour moi, la finalité de "The one and Only" a bel et bien été le message de profiter de la vie, de chaque instant, car même malade, n'a-t-on pas le droit à ça ? Au bonheur, à l'amour, à l'amitié, à vivre sans responsabilité ni charges qui ne nous appartient pas ?
J'ai adoré tout les personnages, et particulièrement la mère supérieure. J'ai adoré l'univers de l'hospice, "cette famille" et les histoires secondaires.
J'ai versé plusieurs fois ma larmichette, mais finalement il ne ressort pour moi que du positif de ce drama de par le message qu'il véhicule.
Alors il ne faut pas en attendre de l'humour, de la légèreté, mais bel let bien de l'amitié, de l'amour, des difficultés, des épreuves et de la vie, tout simplement, pas toujours rose, quoiqu'il nous arrive.
A découvrir.
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Another lazy one...
This is not a good writing. Overdosing on misery will only backfire in this case. Subjecting a single character to all of the common tropes of sadness will lose the emotional impact and genuine human connection. This is also resulted in making the drama feels infinitely longer, you'll keep wishing they just die already. Yet, that wasn't the worst part about the drama. The entire murder/mystery/investigation element was effortlessly bad. At one point the entire nation was chasing them until they gave up, no one cared and no proper follow up. The drama could've been easily cut in half without affecting the narrative at all.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Todos os humanos morre. A única diferença é se você sabe ou não quando vai morrer.
"Quando tivermos alguém, seja por um longo tempo ou por um período curto, não importa, o bom será ter tido esse alguém conosco" - Coração de SofiaEu amei esse drama, eu chorei bastante, mas também sorri. A trama foi muito boa. A química maravilhosa dos protagonistas. A amizade única das meninas do quarto Raio Verde. E cada lição que o dorama passa a cada episódio. 10/10 💛
Uma pena que esse dorama tenha tido tão pouca audiência. Eu fiquei muito ansiosa esperando uma semana pra sair as legendas.
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Loved the Concept, Kind of Poor Execution
Overall, "The One and Only" was a decent drama. I think the crime portion made a mess of the show in the later half which is unfortunate.Story- It's about 3 terminally ill women moving to a hospice where they get entangled in a murder case and a hitman. I understand why the writer added something else because a drama about people dying is depressing (the show is sad but also has lighter moments. It has a balance of some sort, hard to explain), but the crime took over which I didn't find the greatest. It overtook all of the personal stories of the hospice patients and the bond between the 3 mains. I wish less time would have been spent on the crime and more on the personal stories. The crime case was dragged out and became repetitive so it didn't need the amount of screen time it had. Episodes 9-12 felt like fillers so it slowed the story down as well. Finally, I also thought In Sook and Woo Cheon's moments became repetitive but they were still endearing <3
Acting/Cast- Everyone did a really great job!! The show stopper for me was definitely Ahn Eun Jin, she was amazinggggg!!! I will say I wasn't a fan of Mi Do but I think that didn't have much to do with Joy, more the way the character was written. It's a shame because she had a much deeper story that wasn't really given enough time.
Music- It was good, nothing in particular stood out but it fit the show :)
Rewatch Value- I don't rewatch shows but if I did I wouldn't rewatch this one. It was okay but it's more of a one time watch.
I'm sad the show didn't have good ratings because it wasn't bad at all! I would recommend trying if you're looking for a sad show or love Ahn Eun Jin!
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Edited With A Serrated Knife
Tbh, this started out pretty good. I was enjoying it despite the rough editing cuts and a few other random flaws here and there.But then all of a sudden around Ep. 10, one of the main police characters disappeared. It made the whole murder mystery situation a complete mess. The cops looked like fools who aren't out to seek justice but just to do the bidding of chaebols giving orders or placating the rest of society to pretend like they're actually trying to do a job they are not. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth....
Then after that the story fell apart into a rotating cycle of the same topic: they're hiding, they're lying around in each other's arms waiting for death, the bad guys find them, bad guys tell the cops, cops chase after them, catch them, then release them....and we just rinse and repeat this cycle until the show is over....
The end was a time skip, with stuff that made no sense.... we didn't see any of the hospital process, and why is the head nun giving medical advice and not a doctor??? There was nothing to cops doing their job... it was all 'in the background".... We just basically watch a group of people cry over each other when we already knew this shit would happen from the start... There was VERY little character development except for the OTP... and that was an aspect that was truly overlooked and lost as a potential to bolden this plot.... but this writer just wanted to do 'depressed and sad lives' and keep us there.... Hell, we don't even get to truly see the results of the bad guys... just a partial TV news report... which was just as weak as randomly cutting a main supporting actor playing a cop without any real rhyme or reason for it... don't believe me??? Go look at the comments to the ending... people STILL don't understand what happened and think he was written out for personal reasons, not because the writer wanted to do it for the plot... but there's no confirmation either way... which just proves the sloppy writing this had...
It's really sad because the actors, especially the grandma, acted the shit out of their characters and really truly tried to sell us the whole thing... but even with all of that, they couldn't save the final snooze fest of 3-4 episodes of nothingness the writer put into that script.
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"Maybe life is all about memories"
I haven't ever written a review but I would really like to write one for this amazing kdrama. Before I started watching it, I was discouraged by some comments/reviews but I'm glad I gave it a go. First of all this kdrama is the saddest one I've watched until now. I bawled my eyes out almost every episode(and I'm not an emotional person at all). I've watched a lot and I mean a LOT sad melodramas and dramas but this one won the first place for me. It had so much potential and meaningful sayings/quotes about life and the point of living. I learned many new things and I'm really happy for this. "The one and only" even tho it was heavy I found comfort in it. Some people might get bored because they do not understand it's real meaning, since it is very deep and complex. I definitely recommend watching it, especially if you struggling in life or want to come across a different perspective of it. Both acting( every time the ml looked at her had me screaming, all his feelings were portrayed in his eyes ) and story was superb. If you put yourself in their shoes and understand the whole vibe/mood im sure you will like it.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
so touching and wholesome
Not going to lie, going into the first few episodes, I thought it was super depressing and hated how sanha's father got away with his abuse towards his family and even In Sook's grandma. However, as I continued on from the second episode, I realized how intricate the drama was.I loved everyone's side story; the relationship between the 3 main girls, In Sook and WooCheon's relationship development, and the environment at the hospice. It was honestly really sweet and moments like these were able to distract me from the heaviness that some of the other scenes contained.
The concept of "sweet escape" left me lowkey anxious because I knew that even though they were safe for the time being they were being chased by time, the police, and so many things that were built up from their past. (the two main leads).
Honestly, I'm pretty sure there was not a single episode where I didn't cry. It's so bittersweet and you can't help but feel the emotional damage after certain characters pass. I think this drama allowed me to accept death, as unimaginable as it is, I felt like I was growing and also mentally preparing alongside the characters for the passing of another.
Overall, I really loved the vibes, the pacing is relatively slow in a good way. The actors did amazing (a few familiar faces here and there but some new faces). The OST is on point, it matched so well, I'm binging the soundtrack for sure.
I'd recommend this drama if you would like to sit down and watch something that is both peaceful but heavy at the same time. Prepare yourself and some tissues on the side :)
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