ForeverFanatic
Korea
It had a slow start but started to pick up near a third into the movie and kept that going for the second 3rd. the final third of the movie is completely out of left field and ruins what the first 2 thirds built up. Especially the very last scene which further emphasized the pointlessness of the whole thing. I'd only rewatch this movie to try and figure out if it did, in fact, have a point.
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WHO THIS IS NOT FOR:
Those expecting a deep, serious crime drama which makes them reflect on their morality. (strangers from hell)
Those who dislike exaggeration as a character trait or secondhand embarrassment.
~STORY~
If you're reading this review you've probably already heard the premise. I went into this series without it. No synopsis, no trailer, no cast list, nothing but the name of the show. The first five minutes do a really good job of grabbing your attention. And for someone who didn't know anything before the first ep it did a really good job of introducing the main characters, the premise of the show, and the overall tone.
The pacing of events needed some work and the story dragged around midway.
However, that said, it didn't neglect the build up and portrayal of certain psychological issues and injuries.
I wish I could say I was completely satisfied with the execution of this story, however there were logical issues regarding the arcs of a few characters that detracted from the narrative.
~ACTING/CAST~
Yoon Shi Yoon/Yook Dong Shik: I will never be able to say enough about Yoon Shi Yoon. This was the first thing I really saw him in and I was utterly blown away. He is very expressive which seems to be why he was cast for this role. Due to Yook Dong Shik's amnesia and flare for the dramatics Yoon Shi Yoon had to regularly go from nervously giddy, to calm and cold. If you ever get bored just look at how he moves the corners of his lips and eyes. He also has good chemistry with the entire cast.
Jung In Sun/Shim Bo Kyung: At first I thought it was just cause she was the only sane person of the main 3, but as I watched I realized her character is really not for me. The actress does a very good job of portraying officer Shim, but she can't fix the writing for the character. Out of all the things the series prepped well for, it didn't prep for an officer well. There are so many things, especially in the later half, which just don't make sense for her character. She also falls into the trap of damsel in distress. Overall, one of the weakest characters.
Park Sung Hoon/Seo In Woo: Another actor I had never heard of before this. His performance in the first half left quite a bit to be desired and he felt like he knew where he needed to be, what he needed to say, and do, but not how to make it seem quite natural. It was almost uncanny valley of acting. However as the show progressed he slipped into character better and became a real treat to watch. As for the character, he was the most consistent and easy character to understand. A bit flat in the beginning but as they revealed more about him he showed to be much more complex than hatchet swinging serial killer.
Ensemble:
The rest of the cast were pretty fun and had their own agency to them that I haven't seen from many dramas. Even though we didn't know characters well we still could get a general idea of their wants and personalities outside of the main character's life. That is other than the dishonorable mention
Dishonorable Mention:
There is one character, not gonna name names, who has almost no agency and volition of their own. They exist only to aid a single character and don't show any sign of being more than a hollow husk of a person.
I removed a whole star cause this character exists.
~MUSIC~
I JUST WANNA BE BAD!!!
Honestly I love this soundtrack and it's going on a playlist. Besides 'wanna be bad' by the rose, this series sports a few instrumentals. I was actually upset that I couldn't found the sound director in the credits (I'mma have to look for it again). The music fits the energetic dark (ish) comedy tone of the show and really adds to scenes that are already really fun. The opening is very reminiscent of a mix between bond and scooby doo mysteries inc.
~REWATCH VALUE~
The sets are a bit plain but very easy on the eyes, the script episode to episode is decent enough to make a second (or even third) viewing comfortable, and the acting is superb, you may just catch things about characters you didn't realize the first time through. And did I mention the soundtrack yet?
~TL:DR~
Psychopath diary was a pretty well written, well acted, enjoyable dark (ish) comedy. It's really enjoyable the first time through, and easy enough to rewatch. The sound design is fantastic and sets the tone really well.
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De Koning: Eeuwige Monarch
25 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
I watched this one as it came out, and as a result I was disappointed for a lot longer than I needed to be. However with this I hope others don't need to be, and that those who will truly enjoy this drama find it well. NOTE: I added a whole star to the overall simply for the first ep which was really well done. And spoilers are general rather than being about specific scenes/plot points.
WHO THIS DRAMA IS FOR:
1. People who'd watch anything as long as Woo Do Hwan is in it
2. People who are all about aesthetics. Not just the actors/actresses, but also the costume design and scene comp is so pleasing to the eye.
3. People who have no issue with overused tropes, predictable plot twists, and romance that takes up half of each ep.
STORY ~ 3
This one had a strong enough premise, but starts to fall to apart at the end of the first ep. The first ep had the ideals for everything in this drama. The pacing was good, the characters distinct and somewhat likable, the dialogue told more while saying less. Starting from the end of ep 1 that attention to detail drops, only reaching such lvls of quality once in a blue moon. Many plot points were utter wastes of time as they didn't lead anywhere.
This drama also masquerades as Sci-fi when the writer clearly wanted it to be fantasy, using her usual deus ex machina to fix every.
ACTING/CAST ~ 3.5
--Screen time wasted on shallow characters, and star cast wasted because of bad writing. Protagonists win for reasons, and the antagonists look menacing on the outside but don't accomplish a single thing.--
Main leads: while the main male character was consistent he lacked depth, and while the main female character seemed to have depth with other characters, all of that went away when in the presence of the ML (AKA half the show). As for the acting, it's LMH as usual meaning you'll either hate him or love him (AKA he still hasn't learned how to act). Kim Go Eun gave a solid performance, but with how badly her character is written it's hard to distinguish if her cruddy scenes are due to inconsistent abilities or writing/direction.
WDH/Jo Yeong and Eun Sup: both characters are likable and have much more to them than many of the others. Also with a stellar performance from WDH it's easy to find habits, movements, and speech patterns (not just accent) held by one or the other.
Kim Kyung Nam/Kang Shin Jae: Thought he was gonna be a typical a**hole 2nd lead who was bitter from years of pining after 1st lead, however I'm happy to say that wasn't the case! In fact he easily stole the show for me. As much as I adore Eun Seop and Yeong, neither of WDH's characters had half the depth as Shin Jae's character did. He is such a well written character and he has the only satisfying character arc in this entire show. Kim Kyung Nam's portrayal of him was awe inspiring, really adding to the character.
Antagonists: The antagonists get a 1 star in total for the actors being great, however the two main antagonists accomplished nothing throughout the show.
Ensemble: There were some fun characters in the ensemble cast, however they were still under explored and some characters left me wondering why they were included if they didn't ever further the plot or have their own agency.
MUSIC ~ 3
I've heard it's got a great OST, but considering I can't remember a single word, nor any tune other then the opening one I can't rate this section any higher.
REWATCH VALUE ~ 3
Only worth it for specific scenes or if you can't sleep until you've figure out what the hell is going on.
TL:DR
Great premise but badly written. Great cast (for the most part) but numerous useless characters. A soundtrack that works but might not make you feel anything.
If y'all want specific examples or spoils lemme know and I'll spoiler tag them in the comments.
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Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
I considered writing this review as soon as I finished it, the last episode was quite the finale leaving me on an adrenaline high. However I stopped to continue one of my other dramas and when I came back to review this I no longer felt I'd give it as high a rating. I find this drama to be well worth the watch especially for the finale that required the build up it received, however thinking back the build up left a sour taste in my mouth. Although I'd gladly rewatch the final 3 episodes, the rest of it was only worth one watch.The major issue wasn't in the story, but the characters. Everyone in JungWoo's daily life outside of the goshiwon was infuriatingly plain and served the single purpose to push our main character mentally. His girlfriend was incredibly discouraging and trusting of strangers more than JungWoo, his senior from college only hired him to make him his junior again, and his coworker said the rudest things about JungWoo and treated him like crap for absolutely no reason. None of these characters seemed to have agency of their own and could be summarized by their actions towards JungWoo. His life outside the goshiwon took up almost a third of the show.
Later in the series they introduced 2 new characters to be friends with JungWoo. The first moved in across the hall and immediately took to JungWoo like a younger sibling, the second knew him in the military and, although bewildered by what JungWoo told him about the studio, rushed to the aid of his friend.
one was an incredibly satisfying addition, the other left me feeling cheated and empty.
On the flip side they did a really good job of setting up each character at the Goshiwon, even the sane ones.
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A little disclaimer, I did not read the synopsis for this going into the movie. However by the time the brunt of the main plot began I could tell you the direction this movie was going and even guessed the ending.
The saving grace of this movie was the great cast. Thus far I've only seen Yoon Shi Yoon as the lead in Psychopath Diary, he absolutely kills it in that but I was still expecting less from him because this movie is 5 years old (and I thought it was 10 years old when I started it). He delivered a very endearing performance without speaking.
Next to him you have the amazing Yeo Jin Goo, who's character had the most range of emotions needed. He nailed every single one of them.
Any time those two were on screen together I forgot I was watching fiction and felt very strongly for the characters and their situation.
This is not a movie I'd rewatch, but I do know I'd recommend it to friends who enjoy heart warming movies.
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Worth a watch
Some eps dragged but I actually thoroughly enjoyed it.~ STORY ~
I've noticed I much prefer going into shows blind, the first ep really set up the story and conflict well. However I would not say it was well paced the entire show as it seemed to struggle between telling the romance part and furthering the main plot.
~ CAST ~
The cast of characters was interesting and well varied, and the actors did a great job. If the actors were not as good, I think the show could easily fall into avg category.
~ MUSIC ~
It provided a good atmosphere and I liked it, but I don't remember much of it.
~ REWATCH VALUE ~
I'd definitely rewatch the beginning and put it on in the background while working. Everyone's voice is so pleasant to listen to.
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The Scholar Who Walks the Night
1 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
~STORY~
The premise was pretty great and held great promise for some epic vamp action and nuanced character struggles. However the execution left much to be desired and the 'inner' turmoil was only skin deep, leaving scenes sappy and overall sickeningly shallow.
~ACTING/CAST~
You really can't go wrong with casting Lee Joon Gi and Lee Soo Hyuk as vampires. The acting was well done, except for a few outliers who were horribly miscast.
Lee Soo Hyuk/Gwi: I knew nothing about Gwi before watching the show and was very pleasantly surprised by him as the antagonist. He quickly earned the title 'Korean Loki' in my house. Lee Soo Hyuk's portrayal of him was absolute perfection and often heart breaking. His character, although a ruthless vampire, was more sympathetic than the protagonists. The main issue was there wasn't more of him. There were hints at development for his character but the writers didn't follow through on any of it.
Lee Joon Gi/Kim Sung Yeol: Again very well acted. This guy could make me cry even if his eyes just watered slightly. However there isn't much one can do with a corny script, his character was obnoxiously self pitying and didn't really do anything to improve his situation, he just wallowed.
Lee Yoo Bi/Jo Yang Sun: Lee Yoo Bi is a great actress, but this character shouldn't exist and she should not have been cast for it. Part of the story is that she cross dresses. Even if it's unthinkable for a girl to dress in guys clothing, there is no way so many would be fooled that Yang Sun is female, absolutely none. Everything about Lee Yoo Bi is feminine and she is the perfect example of a pretty girly girl. There was next to nothing to her character, the only thing I can pin down is obsession with the main male lead. all of the supposed traits she was supposed to have were only applied to Kim Sung Yeol.
Shim Chang Min/Lee Yoon: I don't even know what to say. I felt nothing for his character and all his scenes felt like he knew exactly where he was supposed to stand and exactly what he was supposed to say. Since I was rewatching this drama after the third episode I skipped all his scenes that I was familiar with.
Ensemble: There were three/four other supporting cast who did their job well enough, but they can't really do much with the lead characters being as terrible as they are. Just when it looked like two of them might gain their own agency the writers decided to remind us that they are just supporting cast undeserving of their own story.
~MUSIC~
Even after four years this OST is still one of my favorites. Unfortunately it set the tone of what this show could be, rather than what it was.
~REWATCH VALUE~
Only the vampire scenes. If you like vampires - real vamps not sparkling day walkers - then there are some really good vampire scenes in here.
~TL:DR~
A good premise is bogged down by terrible writing and even great actors can't save terribly two dimensional characters. If you like vampires and the OST just look for it on youtube.
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After watching a terribly shot and poorly acted film this one stuck out all the more. The characters were a bit over the top, but based on everything else about the movie this seems to be a stylistic choice.
If you're looking for either heavy romance or bloodthirsty vamps this one probably won't be for you.
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It tried to be something, like that bro who tries too hard to be an adult when he is 9.
Don't get me wrong, the story had potential, but that's about all.I will admit I was suckered in by the first 2 eps which promised some simple entertainment without much thought. The problem was the next 10 episodes. See eps 1 and 2 already weren't very plausible, but the rest took that to a crazy degree with a disjointed presentation style that left me frustrated because it wasn't done well like masterpieces such as Memento and Flower of Evil, it was only used because just showing it in chronological order would make it even more boring than it already was.
The twist: every good mystery needs either a great twist or a well told story, this had niether. I must say I thoroughly decided in Ep 1 that they wouldn't *dare* use such an obvious plot, but I was mistaken. I was only shocked in the fact that:
1. They did.
2. The leads were so clueless.
I liked all of the actors, but most of the characters were boring.
I would only recommend picking this up if there is nothing on your TBR other than "The king: eternal monarch" or "Boys Over Flowers."
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Story: There is one! and it's actually pretty good. The movie had a strong premise and presented it well. However don't go in expecting any intriguing subplots. This is a one-track story and pretty much only delivers on the premise.
Acting/Cast: The main two leads are fantastic! Ji Sung has been one of my favorite actors since his stellar performance in 'Kill Me, Heal Me.' He does very well in this role and plays off Kim Ah Joong rather naturally. Speaking of Kim Ah Joong, I have several favorite scenes where she completely nails her role and sucks me into rooting for this character's happiness.
Unfortunately this movie pushes the rest of the characters to the wayside, choosing to only bother with the main leads and some with the male lead's friends.
Music: To be honest, I'd have to watch this again to pick up on the music, which is why I gave it only 6 stars. there's one or two pieces that stuck out and were good, but I can't remember if the rest of the movie had any. It just wasn't memorable.
Rewatch: Overall it was very enjoyable to watch, this is one where I wouldn't feel the need to only rewatch my favorite scenes.
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