nini
I actually don't know how to summarize this one, I just believe everyone that can watch it should watch it. I haven't read the webtoon so I don't know how fans of the original material will react but, judging it on its own two feet, it far surpasses any expectations I had.
STORY
Honestly, this story almost felt like two, in the best way possible. Going into it I had this expectation of what would occur and what kind of avenues the story would take based on the teaser, but it proved me wrong. Weak Hero isn't just brilliant action, it's a deep dive into how interpersonal violence and bullying can affect and harm people long after the physical threat has disappeared. It's a case where I found every episode better than the last. The script and directing use foreshadowing masterfully, there are parallels that provoke so much thought and every moment feels deliberate. There are parallels everywhere, and the use of foreshadowing is deliberate and beautiful. Thought-provoking isn't even enough to cover it. Of course, there are issues with the script, some things are glossed over to fit the runtime, and the theme came off as confusing to some (not me) but overall I enjoyed the story it told immensely. The character motivations and progression all felt natural and understandable. It's a complete and interesting story that doesn't require additional knowledge from the webtoon to fill in the blanks and its end, though open for a second season, is satisfying and will leave you wishing you had more time with this world.
ACTING
I don't usually go to action flicks for character studies and heartbreaking emotions but the cast delivered on both and on stellar fight sequences that hurt just to watch.
So little disclaimer I am a Jihoon fan, but I will try not to be biased. Park Jihoon acting as Yeon Sieun was amazing. In the story put to screen it would've been very easy for Sieun to be one note, but Jihoons acting and eyes brought him to life.
Hong Kyung gave me the most compelling performance of the entire year. You have to watch it to know.
Choi Hyunwook brought a lovely levity to the story and his well-known ability to charm his way through the screen is at full display.
The entire supporting cast really showed out for this drama, the viciousness and vulnerability of boyhood were on full display. Special shoutout to Kim Sugyeom whose venom playing Youngbin almost burned through the screen.
MUSIC
The OSTs and music choices throughout the show helped evoke teenage listlessness and despair beautifully.
REWATCH VALUE
I considered placing this at a lower mark because some of the scenes are very hard to watch. Watching this drama inflicts a lot of emotional turmoil, but I honestly think it could only get better on rewatch. The point of the twists and turns is not to shock you, they're natural and understandable consequences of the violent world that bred them. Every choice makes sense, and the hunt for parallels in the script and directing upon rewatching would make it all the more worthwhile.
This easily falls into the top 5 dramas of the year for me. I would recommend any day! Also if you want to discuss it shoot me a friend request and a message I have so much to say.
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This is a once in a lifetime drama.
I never write reviews so bear with me but I am struggling to put into words just how beautiful this show is. Before this show I never got when people would say 'my lifes drama' but I think I get it now. When I started I was scared because 100 episodes is quite a lot and figured I would drop it halfway or I would find it boring the way I did with father is strange and makjangs ive tried. I was completely wrong. this drama was perfect in every sense of the word; casting, pacing, dialogue its hard for me to find things to hate about this drama after completing it its genuinely perfect.STORY
While the story looks really simple and boring the way its written is so incredibly well done, there's a great blend of romance, comedy and drama that get you to become emotionally attached to every character down to the two episode cameos. The main plot focuses on the song family which includes the mother and father and their four children who each have trouble within their love lives. This is a really simplistic breakdown but the writing is extraordinary, its very deft in the way that it helps you empathize with characters, even when they're in the wrong you want to root for them and for their happiness. The truly annoying 'makjang' bits never go on very long and are always resolved amazingly. The characters see genuine growth which is very rare.. by the end of the show each and every character feels like a real person you can relate to and love. Characters in Once Again all seem human, they focus in on each and every person you see and give them real motivations and traits, the writer is extremely talented and im so thankful to her for this show. It tackles a lot of issues that you wouldn't expect at first glance and it teaches you to never be stuck in your assumptions on people (or even on the characters in the show) because everyone is capable of change for the better. At times I found myself jumping around like an 8 yr old and in others I was crying out of genuine heartache for these characters. Yang HeeSeung took a simple premise and made a masterpiece out of it.
ACTING
Stellar. literally perfect casting to the point its almost funny like I genuinely cannot imagine anyone else having played these roles. Lee Minjung and Lee Sangyeob absolutely nailed their roles and nahee has become my favourite kdrama character of all time. Lee Chohee and Lee Sangyi won everyones hearts in this show. Oh Yoonah showed amazing skill as a divorced single mother taking care of her kid while trying to find a way back onto her own feet. Oh Daehwan played his role beautifully and nailed the big brother vibe to a T... I could go on and on because everyones performances here was truly astounding it felt like watching real people and how they live their lives. Some of the older actors overacted (because this IS a weekend drama after all) but it just added to the charm because it was almost a physical generation gap and only highlighted everything beautiful about the show. the side characters were all acted PERFECTLY my personal favourites being hyosin and seoyoung~
MUSIC & REWATCH VALUE
These two aren't as important imo but nevertheless the music was so cute and all the osts make your heart feel like its about to burst with sunshine plus I just finished this show a few days ago and im already rewatching. It makes u happy seeing this family (that while I watched almost felt like my family) grow and become their best selves.
CONCLUSION
This is a really special show, Ive forced like 10 people to watch it and every single person has loved it to no end. It makes you happy and it comforts you, its the ray of sun on a cloudy day. if you're wondering if you should watch I say go right for it!! its a must watch in my books and probably one of my favorites, if not my number one kdrama of all time. The 100 episodes will fly past and by the end you'll be wondering where on earth you'll find another show as great as this one.
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ZZZZZombies
I've been waiting for this drama to air for an obscenely long time, I cleared my schedule today to fully binge this and I’ve got to say, I’m disappointed. There's a lot to be said and I’m sure some people enjoy it, but there's just very little to redeem the story and its ridiculous rabbit holes.STORY
There's really nothing special about this story despite the fact the very idea of a zombie outbreak at a school gives a lot to work with. The writers stuff so many different plot points and social issues into the script and they're never fully elaborated on. But the worst thing is the fact the writers don't have something to say. Instead of the perceived problem of the message becoming too preachy, in a way common to the genre, there just seems to be no message at all. They touch on bullying, teen pregnancy, harassment, etc but there's nothing to be gained from it, you leave the viewing experience underwhelmed and slightly annoyed (especially because of the ending). There could've been many explorations in this story, a dive into pure human nature, an interesting perspective on strength, a deep look at grief. Instead, there are plot twists that make no sense, random characters and stories that have zero effect on the story, death without meaning, and repetitive plot points that leave you bored and exhausted. Some characters are interesting while others are one-note, with most characters having disappointing wrap-ups to their arcs/lives. Every aspect of the story is a complete letdown. It feels like the story writers missed an English class in 5th grade and forgot that every story needs to have a theme, subject, and message... My frustration really cannot be expressed properly, it is genuinely a shame.
ACTING
I'm going to link this acting and these characters together because in all honesty most of these characters are completely flat, we follow them for over 10 hours yet somehow know nothing about them or their motivations. But the cast! These kids are all wonderful, some of the side characters are uninteresting but even then their bonds with the mains and each other seem real and interesting, The main cast, especially Yoon Chanyoung, Yoo Insoo, and Jo Yihyun, are truly amazing, often showing up their older counterparts with the depth they managed to bring their characters. The true strength of this show is based entirely on how the actors managed to bounce off each other and deliver spectacularly when the camera decided to point at them. The show would be much worse off without this cast.
MUSIC/OTHER
I'm not an ost person so music has never had much of a deciding factor, the instrumentals were good if forgettable. I'd actually like to talk about the choreography of the fight scenes and visual effects. They were INCREDIBLE!! There were fight scenes in every episode and every one made use of beautiful staging techniques and were a delight to watch. The zombies ere really terrifying to see and the ever present threat was only heightened by the lovely special effects. The dance choreographers and VFX designers really delivered.
REWATCH VALUE
Like I said, there's really nothing of merit in the story and I feel like rewatching would make that even more pronounced.
OVERALL
To be honest I really wanted to love this drama. with everything in me I really did, but the plot and its meanderings are just really hard to bear... I really hope it does well though because this cast has some really special talent and id hate to see it go to waste.
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Contemporary & Cute
Love In The Big City is a contemporary coming of age flick, and its interests are decidedly commercial with an intent to shift audience perspectives. As a fan of the novel I had to switch my lens while watching this, and I think if youre one of those people that only wants to see what was on page put to screen it might be better to skip. Despite that, I quite enjoyed this movie. It was reminiscenf of those early 2010s office movies about characters struggling through their twenties and the filmmaking style was reminiscent of kdrama, even shooting flashbacks similarly. It has great performances, especially from Kim Goeun, and the central friendship was a beating heart that kept the story alive and from feeling too saccharine. It is still pretty over the top though, a film manufactured to be rewatched over and over on a laptop as you go about your day. In watching the movie I initially found it to be a bit generic in appeal, but that criticism seems a bit harsh as time passes. Its commerciality seems to work in tandem with the bitterness of the upcoming series, this movie works great when watched with friends and family in theaters, to help a closed off audience empathize and care for queer characters. Its not exactly revolutionary, but its ambitions lie in creating a feminist and queer narrative in a neat clean package. It wants to be a hit, and the promotion for it is insistent on it as Korea itself becomes increasingly polarized and unkind to women and minorities.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
