hyeristorm
QUALM 1- “The ending is rushed and it’s not how I envisioned it” : Sadly there were some production niggles towards the end, as the drama was extended when it aired. This isn’t the first drama to have a seemingly rushed ending. It mostly made sense to me, and you could argue it’s my bias. Yet there was so much more to this show, I couldn’t let a niggle like this take away what I loved about this show. It does mean I deducted 0.5 points for the story rating, ha.
I found the ending to be bittersweet and I can’t actually think of a ‘better’ way of ending it. I cried for days after listening to the soundtrack, which is more testament to other factors of the show that grew my attachment to the show (I’ll explain more further down). However that doesn’t take away the impact the ending had on me. And I think it reinforces thematically what the show explores - fate and how our ability to love is very human.
QUALM 2- “Go Ah Ra plays a hopeless whiny character” : I can see where this is coming from, however I loved her portrayal of Kang Ha Ram. Her recklessness and drive to help others is part of what helps 444’s eyes to open to humanity. Their stories run so well with their intertwined pasts, and the chemistry with Song Seung Hoon results in one of my favourite on screen pairings. The acting is sufficient enough to bring emotional gravity, and I think he character resulted more from inconsistent writing towards the end. There was a stronger focus on 444 which didn’t help matters.
- Now to what I loved about this show:
GENRE - This has got to be my favourite genre-bending dramas. It’s a supernatural spin on a crime investigation series. Throw in a dash of dark humour, a girl that can see grim reaper shadows, a case of identity crisis and a long-spamming cold case, we are onto a winner. It shouldn’t work, yet this is one of, if not the most seamless mix of genres. It does it confidently and there’s excellent execution. Makes the story all the more interesting and raises the stakes. The world building is excellently crafted, making it genuine that grim reapers can co-exist with humans. Yet, it doesn’t detract from the fact monstrous people have done terrible crimes- it only highlights the depth of humanity and the darkness of man.
CHARACTERS/ ACTING - I cannot fault our antihero male lead, Song Seung Heon’s acting is phenomenal here. His journey is brilliantly written as he unwittingly finds his humanity, often getting into comedic situations. It balances well with his initially detached intentions, but it’s just beautiful watching him find out the truth and the emotions hit hard. The true anchor of the show.
I loved the supporting characters, whether it was the grim reapers alongside 444 or even the investigative crimes team. The connections were intricately placed with one another, and I felt the backstories helped to flesh them out. It enriched the story and it was wonderful seeing all these clues, and understanding to why these characters were acting like x y z.
The child acting was just insanely phenomenal, I really enjoyed watching their scenes considering the material was very dark. I was therefore frustrated at how Lee El’s portrayal as one of the older characters missing the mark. Only very so slightly because of how strong the child actors were, so I expected a bit more depth to how her past had affected her.
OST - The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful and fitting. It elevated the emotion and the heart of the show, as well as the more instrumental tracks highlighting the supernatural or darker elements. It was brilliant in raising the tension in the investigative scenes too,
PLOT - I love a good crime solving series. This subverted all my expectations because of how well connected the clues and characters were, whether they were involved or investigating the case. It was a harrowing case because it expands on the horror of the crimes committed, and how the decisions adults make can have devastating effects on the younger generations. It wasn’t cheesy, neither was it overbearing- just a transparent look into the darkness of humanity. Which only elevates the emotional impact on us, the viewers.
O V E R A L L : I enjoyed this drama from the strong start, right to the flawed finale. Even with the minor niggles, I loved the characters, and watching how the case would unfold. The comedic scenes and the supernatural twist only added to my enjoyment. It’s ultimately looking at the horrors of man and the beauty of humanity, and these dark themes are explored so humanly. Just like how our characters journey through the twists and turns themselves.
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An entertaining short story, yet nuanced and impactful.
- Surprisingly entertaining and gripping storyline.- Fleshed out characters placed in real areas of conflict- does well to raise the stakes and moves the plot along well.
- Intriguing take on the body swap trope.
- Explores dark themes not usually done in a high school set drama.
- Potentially unnecessary graphic scenes, but adds to the gritty horror of life vs. death.
- Nuanced look at what ‘beauty inside’ means. Not done in a cheesy manner- topic excellently expanded.
- Full of heart and emotional impact comes from Tomita Miu’s performance.
- Quick-paced story perfect for when you’re looking for something short to watch.
- All plotlines are rounded up neatly, but does the ending satisfy? That’s for you to find out!
O V E R A L L : I surprisingly found myself binge-watching this show in one go. V. Entertaining watch & raises tension very well. It brings to life an unbelievable premise, and uses a high-school setting well.
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- The colours, the excellent OST and Kim So Hyun’s amazing portrayal are the highlights for me.
- I can see why people say the premise is ‘Black Mirror’- esque. For me personally, I think it captures the darkness of technology in today’s world. People don’t just use apps, they depend on them. So I love how this series asks the question of what happens when we use apps for our romantic relationships.
I can’t think of a better setting than in a high school, and as the story progressed we see the main trio enter their early 20s. It’ll be interesting to see how the next season takes this coming of age theme with the technology in mind.
- The romance rolls pretty quick, but the chemistry of the leads helps to drive it well.
- Beware of some frustrating character decisions, but it helps to elevate the ‘grippy-ness’ of the story.
- This was painfully short, half the amount of the average drama (Netflix is to blame lol). So I have qualms Of it ending in a cliffhanger. However there’s a second season coming (yay thanks Netflix lol). It being short doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. It’s just frustrating, but it’s a good taste for someone wanting to dip into KDrama world. (Although disclaimer, I’d recommend it alongside some great stories that are more of the usual length.)
O V E R A L L : On the surface it looks like another fluffy high school romance, but don’t let that deceive you. The unique technology premise gives the age-old ‘love triangle’ a good shake. Overall an entertaining watch, thankful for the emotional depth of Kim Jojo anchoring this series with gorgeous scenery. We haven’t seen how this story plays out so I’m expecting great fruit to come in the next season.
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Illang: The Wolf Brigade
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A film that frustratingly never reaches its potential...
If I rate it as an action flick, it's a solid 9/10 because of the excellently choreographed action scenes and shots. Very well-made in that respect.However if I had to rate it overall, it's a 6.5-7/10. Occasionally it's okay to overlook certain aspects if characters or the world-building really shines. Sadly here, neither does and so it frustratingly never reaches its potential due to the lack of depth overall.
1. The Characters and Acting.
It's a bit hard to gauge whether it was simply bad acting or whether they were given very little to work with. Honestly, I've seen the actors in better roles. The film's setting could've been a great foundation to explore morally grey characters. Instead, we are given forgettable and oddly cliched characters. The female lead ends up being a damsel-in-distress. The male lead is a tortured soul. The antagonists are tough militants.
The attempt to make the leads a little more interesting in the second half falls flat. It just didn't work in the movie's favour to create these plot twists out of the characters' actions because it just highlighted the tonal inconsistency.
2. World-Building
The opening sequence was fantastic, sets the dystopian world very well. And that's all we see of it. It's frustrating how we never see more development because it would've helped us to understand why our characters are doing what they're doing. The visuals are a little jarring, especially when it transitions from the conflict into present day 2029. Although it's not far off from today, it would've helped if things looked more 'dystopian'. Similar to my comments about the characters, the lack of world-building shone a light on the movie's inconsistency in tone.
3. Music and Action
Best parts of the movie. I have no major issues with how the score accompanied the theme. The gunfights/ action scenes were excellent as the choreography/ direction here was fantastic.
4. Story/ Adaptation
I can't comment on how faithful this adaptation has been, although I've read that it's fairly respectful of the original source material (except for the ending). The story was simple and unfortunately the attempt to deepen the plot with a fairytale analogy wasn't executed well. The illustrative aspects of it was stunning, on par with the opening sequence (and I wished they used more of these visuals throughout)
And then there was the ending! It fit the eerie dystopian setting at all...
5. Conclusion
As an action movie, this is fantastic- the sequences and visuals are well-executed. If a little more thought went into exploring the themes, and world-building, then this movie would be brilliant. My score would go higher that a 6.5. However it's a shame that they prioritised action over substance. I'm not asking for a highly philosophical debate, rather it would've been nice just to give us a little bit more. And maybe I would've cared more about our characters and where they eventually ended up.
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- It was refreshing for once to witness a protagonist with strong morality, and to see him journey with emotions he once thought were lost.
- The plot could’ve easily been another political corruption plot with bad people doing horrible things, but it subverts all expectations. It’s a well-thought our plot that doesn’t keep you guessing endlessly- it has great shot-term and long-term payoffs.
- I can’t fault the supporting cast either, the acting was brilliant and you get a real understanding of their depth, secrets and motivations.
- I loved the ‘Sherlock’-esque ‘mind palace’ scenes of unravelling crime scenes. That was a great addition, although I’d quite like a deeper look into Hwang Si Mok, especially his past.
- As we journeyed with Si Mok’s own journey of emotions and connecting with people, in the end it felt like solving crimes with a genuine family. I loved seeing his growth and I’m excited to see more of this in the next season,
- My only qualm, is occasionally the dialogue-heavy parts rolled on a bit, but the saving grace is that the fast-paced nature meant the plot kept moving forward. It didn’t stop for the more emotionally heavy scenes, which I appreciated because it was great getting to know what shaped the characters.
- The finale was brilliant, there was a lot of twists and turns heading towards it, but the pay off was brilliantly done.
O V E R A L L : Aside from a couple of teething pacing problems here and there, the story flowed well. This is the one to go for if you’re looking for sharp acting, a stimulating plot and tense crime action. Oh and throw in a brilliant production values, and interesting characters- I’m ready for a second season!
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