recommended

❤️ (not an essay, trust)

I am very picky, especially when it comes to detective series. I went into Mystery to Iu nakare with no expectations, and came out with it being my favorite series to date! (both in its manga and live action form) . Throughout the series, Totonou is regularly considered the “odd one out”. Other characters often call him “pompous” or tell him he has a “bad personality”. Yet, more often than not his perspective benefits others, allowing them to grow as people. Through Totonou, the author delivers a not so subtle criticism of Japanese society. If u pay attention, you’ll notice that more often than not the story’s cases and the people they concern evoke major issues in Japan: bullying, abuse, sexism, work culture… Totonou often voices his thoughts, and in sharing his pertinent perspective(s), he allows the people around him to deconfine themselves from the box that is theirs.

From the very first ep I saw myself in Totonou, frighteningly so, in fact. He’s a psych student and I’m currently taking a psychology course, we’re both picky eaters, we share a love for poetry and words and we both give much thought to the world around us. we both have difficulty sleeping w other people in the same room. he will likely make or break the series for u: he’s highly neurodivergent coded, socially awkward and will periodically go on long philosophical monologues.

Honestly, I love every1 in this show. Mystery to Iu nakare’s characters all get proper development, aren't sidelined, n feel very grounded: they r not caricatures dependent on defined tropes.

Only reason i can't give this a 10 is that they re-ordered the cases so there's some stuff back to back that just shouldn't be.  also (I think)  some of the cases are show-original and those tend to be a lil bit more messy n less believable than the manga ones.

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PLATONIC CHEMISTRY >>>>(i love the main duo sm) anyways THIS SHOW oh my god THIS SHOW. at first was kinda put-off by the idea of a show focusing on deserter police... cuz it could've been pro-military or something. but NO. quite the opposite, it is a show focusing on critiquing the mandated military service and highlighting the fact that deserters have their reasons for deserting.  the character development is stellar and while the show is episodic there's likely some underlying plot that will be covered eventually.  i was a lil iffy on the first ep but the second ep got me into it... finished it in a day!! do note, despite the humor provided by the friendship between the two mains, this show is dark and ticks off a lot of trigger warnings.. so beware of that. do not usually comment on sound but the ost is stellar. 

This show puts emphasis on the fact that soldiers are people too (I mean look at the cover and intro theme), and that trauma does not always make you stronger. Ho Yul stops functioning when threatened with a knife. Joon Ho hallucinates multiple times throughout the show and doesn't know how to reconnect with his family, so he self-isolates. Intense bullying leads one of the kindest characters in the show to go insane. The ending is beyond bleak but it makes the point that one man's actions,  no matter how drastic they may be, can't change the entire military's system.

characters: 10 | entertainment: 10 | plot: 10 | rewatch value: 10

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officer yoon is my goddamn role model you go girl. this drama taught me that sometimes breaking the law is okay. not into romance but still whatever han tae joon and officer yoon had me grinning ear to ear :D anyhow awesome team dynamics and amazing character growth. surprisingly lighthearted and funny at times, ever1 grows on you as the show progresses. the way tae joo uses his medical knowledge once he travels back in time, despite not having the same resources, is really cool ><

there's this trope where a character goes back in time n sees misogyny and magically fixes it, but i like how the show keeps it realistic. this definitely improve with tae joo's arrival but u can't change societal views just like that. parallels between the tae joo and one of the main antagonists hurt my soul.

also rlly cool story ngl! deffo could have appreciated this even more if i was knowledgeable on south korea's history, i'm sure there were even more jokes n refs i missed. no idea how this compares to the original bbc rendition, but loved it regardless.

I cried so so much during the last 2 eps of this show and having to say goodbye to this series is heartbreaking. will definitely always hold a special place in my heart.

my one gripe is the ending. was already feeling conflicted with how it seemed the show was going to end within the last couple mins, but was coming to terms with it after speedrunning the 5 stages of grief. however, i feel the epilogue was unneeded as it did the kdrama thing where they set up plot for s2, and as there seems to be no announcements regarding s2, i will be left feeling unsatisfied. feel like s2 would be unneeded anyways n highkey wish they just ended it without the post credit scene. all this to say:

DO NOT WATCH POST CREDIT SCENE UNLESS THEY ANNOUNCE S2!!

characters: 10 | entertainment: 10 | plot: 10 | rewatch value: 10

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the name "hell is other people" is much more fitting imo. all of the characters are highly flawed and obnoxious but that's the point. this is one of those shows that i actually liked more after finishing?? it's very strange, idk it just had a good aftertaste.

also somebody has a like 72 page google doc of analysis on this series so there's that. certainly did its job as a thriller cuz i binged it in less than 3 days. i think they slightly overused the zoom in to object to other object transition because this is the first time ive actually rlly noticed show transitions lmao. anyways, the show's plot n climax is not unpredictable but it's the fact you know where it's going that makes it worse. comparable to waiting in trepidation for someone else to rip a band-aid off of u.

im reading the webtoon rn and imo they did quite a good job adapting it, even didn't pick the same villain to make it interesting.  would go so far as to say it surpasses the source material. 

im sure the ending could be perceived as lazy or unfulfilling but tbh i think it's quite suitable for such a show. it started eerie and ended eerie so you're left with an unsettling feeling that just doesn't go away. 

eden's residents could have probably used more development although it seems that might be covered in the prologue. besides their insanity they sort of felt like empty shells, for lack of a better word.

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very grounded series. unlike most mystery/thrillers there isn't a serial killing every week, and the drama makes good use of time skips in order to keep things interesting. episodic but still got me very invested. some characters may seem annoying at first but dw they get better promise, and it's rather realistic after all: people have a hard time accepting change. 

mc reminds me a lot of will graham lmao, the show does a good job portraying the slow  deterioration of one's psyche from being exposed to too many disturbing things. 

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The whole trio is absolutely cringefail but in a hilarious way. The friendship (or whatever was going on) between Pu Yi Yong and Cao Guang Yan really carried the show though: they had top notch chemistry. Their antics were so silly: I was laughing almost every episode! The main characters are all awesome and receive really neat development over the course of the series. Despite having a lot of comedy, a more serious plot does exist (although it's mostly episodic in nature). The show does cover 'darker' topics like death, grief, obsession...etc 

The series does a surprisingly good job of balancing comedy with its darker themes. Although I did love the show, I do have a few critiques. The special effects looked low-budget (doesn't mean they were) and one of the lead's acting was stiff, although it did actually work for his character (I think he's a pretty new actor as well). Lastly, I do think this show could have maybe benefitted from being longer? I don't usually say that but I do feel like something was missing.

heart-wrenching, gut-pulling, emotion-devastating  hell of a show. some stuff hit too close to home, and i was near crying every other ep.

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you ever finish a show and it just leaves you in awed silence? that's double for me. 

warning!!  SPOILERS in regards to the nature of takara & yujin's relationship. 

and they were roommates... i haveee sooo many feelings about this show 

I was going into the show expecting an unhealthy friendship weighted by unsaid jealousy.  But ultimately their relationship was so complicated I can't quite put it into words. The relationship dynamic between takara and yujin deffo carries the show (although Double definitely also provides an interesting look into the acting industry).  

my heart was slowly tearing every other ep cuz AUGH i want them to be happy. i dont wanna say yujin is manipulative but in making takara actualize the dreams he's unable to, he also unintentionally brainwashes him into thinking he can't act without him. The story follows takara's journey in splitting himself off from yujin and growing as not only an actor, but as a person. 

Takara needs therapy methinks, my heart broke upon the realization that he was having hallucinations D: side-note: ain't no way takara isn't neurodivergent. My heart also aches for yujin and his conflicting feelings in giving birth (metaphorically) to an actor that ended up surpassing him.  

There was also a lot of visual symbolism I appreciated, like when takara was up on stage, shining, whereas yujin was in the audience obscured in the dark or yujin wearing takara's famous white shirt during the role reversal. 

quotes that hurt my soul:

"i can't take you outta my mind" (takara)

"it's because they're friends that hatred prevails" (yujin)

"i want to be his friend" / "i have feelings for him" (takara)

"mere words can't describe the misery i feel" (yujin)

deffo gonna go read the manga. 

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best platonic trio ive seen in a drama thus far <33 GAH anyways tbh it wasn't that scary and im not too sure how i feel about some of the twists but man was it entertaining. poor hwa pyung cannot catch a break my god. maybe not the most original show but it sure did do its job well. did get a lil repetitive but not too much :D

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Navillera delivers the powerful message: You have one life so live it to the fullest. Do what you want to do while you can still do it. A bittersweet story of growth, moving on and moving forward when reality itself seems to be against you. The supporting cast is truly strong, and I think they really help carry the show. The show immensly greatened & cemented my appreciation for ballet: the dances featured were truly beautiful. 

Chae Rok's story really resonated with me. As an athlete forced to give up their sport due to an injury, I'm happy he was able to continue. 

My one gripe with the story is Ho Beum not truly facing the consequences of his actions. It would be one thing if Ho Beum resented Chae Rok because his dad wasn't violent towards him. However, he was. Ho Beum and Chae Rok were both victims. Ho Beum continued the cycle of abuse by essentially extorting money out of Chae Rok for who knows how long, and bullying him. 

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could have deffo been shorter but AGH my poor heart. the character relationships are what i would say are the highlight of this show. do not go in expecting a fast paced thrillers. actually rather realistic in that mega corps do not go down in a day. i have also never wanted to strangle a fictional character more than i have the villain in this series. Seo Jin Woo is the lead of a Shakespearean tragedy. Some of the best character development I've seen from both leads and supporting characters. I almost cried so many times.  

there is some romance and the age gap is ... but it's so in the background it doesn't really matter. 

rewatching this would be like dying twice. 

plot holes galore but 10/10 entertainment value. found the premise ridiculous at first but it ties itself together pretty well. highlight is 100% the characters + the small comedic moments in all the darkness

Admittedly they put the webtoon on steroids with that pacing but welp, it still turned out pretty good! 

Now this is very superficial of me, but before I get into anything story-related can we talk about how gender Young Jin looks? Hello? Can she share? Anyways, she's an absolute girlboss, and her relationship with Eun-Ho, her friend/pseudo-son was really sweet and heartwarming. Found family galore!! The characters were interesting, and the side-characters also received stellar development over the course of the series. The meaning of the title becomes more apparent as the show goes on. Although the main antagonist was a little over-the-top for me but they still ultimately ended up being enjoyable.

Binged this in 2 days >:D girlboss mc ftw she was great!! awesome character dev from every1, the characters were deffo what made this show. the friendship between misumi &  shoji n their banter was amazing. learned a lot of stuff bout corpses ngl and im not complaining. also congrats to rokuro on being friendzoned an entire season im crying lmaoo. 

heartwarmingly heartwrenching?

heartwrenchingly heartwarming? 

I want to start off by saying that Guo Jian's actor (Chris Wu) did a fantastic job portraying his character. While on paper Guo Jian's character might not seem complex, Chris Wu's acting truly brought him to life and added flavor to what otherwise might have turned out to be a bland character. The other characters were absolutely wonderful too, I'd definitely say the writers did a great job. Yao Ya Ci was such a well-written and complex character. In fact, all the side characters all got amazing treatment and were never forgotten. Special props to the actor playing the main antagonist, his expressions were top-knotch. I can't say too much else without avoiding spoilers, but the show's pacing is fantastic: no episode bored me or felt too long. 

Having watched many (many) mysteries, I was sort of able to guess the main antagonist from the start, however the show was engaging to me regardless. The writers definitely know how to build up tension. I also really liked when they use cooler color grading in order to make scenes feel more clinical. Anyways, I definitely recommend this show if you're looking for a thrilling shorter mystery series!

Also the last two episodes were so freaking hype, had me on the edge of my seat!! (although I do have to admit there was a bit of plot convenience). The ending also felt a little too easy, like everything was wrapped up in a bow. h the transitions to warmer colors almost made me cry tho...

This show is a perfect blend of mystery, thriller, and first and foremost comedy. Anti-hero Hae-il is absolutely hilarious and so is the rest of the wonderful cast. While it may take you some time to warm up to some characters, by the end you'll be cheering them on. I think some of them were a little bit underdeveloped (like Sung Kyu) but the chemistry the characters have with each other completely trumps this. My only other critique would be some of the antagonists' motivations. 

While the show starts off slow with the heroes repeatedly losing, that just makes their victories taste all the sweeter! I'd overall recommend watching this show for the laughs and the characters rather than the plot. One the show picks up pace, you'll find yourself flying through the rest of the episodes. Supposedly there will be a second season which I'm very much looking forwards to!

hella slow-burn plot, but manages to maintain interest throughout. characters are well written n developed (they managed to give a not half bad redemption arc to a character that'll piss you off for like the first half of the show) shi mok is a good lead albeit a bit bland, but man oh man can someone get this guy some help!! do not have enough fingers to count the times he placed down his lunch tray, took two bites and then left to go back to work ;; how he is still standing is the greatest mystery of stranger. overall the show doesn't really bring anything new to the table but it does what it set out to do pretty well. also ml and fl duo with no romance??? lesgo!!

my favorite exchange of the show:

"I like pretty women too." (Yeo Jin)

"What do you mean by that?" (Se Ah)

A cute and heartfelt three-episode show that's definitely worth your time. Despite its short nature the series' progression and the characters' growth does not feel rushed. I'm sure the ending may upset some but I'm glad the show maintained realism throughout. The characters are definitely the soul of the show, and having myself experienced the loss of the ability to do something I love, I found them very relatable. Yoo Seul's struggle with parental pressure really hit home. My only two small critiques were what seemed to be low production values and lackluster editing.

haven't watched enough zombie shows to say if this is cliche or not, but i enjoyed it regardless. nice cast, not even close to subtle social commentary (not that that's a bad thing). 

deducted points for romance bcz.. im sorry but Soo Hyuk and Nam Ra have 0 chemistry... negative chemistry even. like ok maybe if u started liking her after she opened up and gained slightly more personality but how are u gonna fall in love with a blank template. had they focused more on the individual characters rather than the romance i feel this show could have shined twice as much.  

also like 90% of gwi nam's lines were "lee chung san" it's kinda funny.  crossing fingers gwi nam n lee chung san's dynamic gets explored more in future... speaking of which

s2 come home soon u can't leave me w that ending aaaaa

i am not okay. having read the webtoon i knew it was coming but stilllllll why

anyways i kinda prefer gray's backstory in the webtoon but i still enjoyed this show anyways. kinda crazy they made a whole show from like a few chapters

cinematography

ep 6/10

am i going to be okay when i finish this