Nathalie B
Do you ever want to get brain rot at a young age? Watch this drama. I originally watched this way to young, and the brain damage from this and QUE SERA, SERA is noticeable. I hate this drama, and yet it is also one of my favorite dramas ever made. (I will put content warnings for the show at the end of the review.)
Things I love:
1. The soundtrack. This show has some of my favorite OST music ever. I hear the soundtrack and I immediately feel emotions, it suits the show and sounds phenomenal, which is a tragically rare thing I can say about drama soundtracks. This doesn’t mean that a majority of soundtracks are absolute stinkers, but rather that they are, at best, a handful of memorable and suitable songs and a bunch of forgettable generic songs with a sprinkle of duds that do not fit the show in any way. This attention to detail just shows how much effort and care went into this show. Also, this show just looks like it had a sizable budget compared to other dramas at the time.
2. The editing and cinematography. I am aware that some will be put off by it but I am obsessed with it. It’s experimental in a way that is extremely rare for dramas of any level. I think it’s a shame that people (companies, directors, etc.) aren’t willing to take more risks like this, especially those with a higher budget.
3. Kim Sa-rang. I have to admit, I am the leader of the Kim Sa-rang fan club - this is the drama that woke me up to her. I am obsessed with her performance, she did the most for this drama and was paid dust in return. It is sickening that she has yet to be the lead in a character-driven, award-winning drama. She has the range. I know that she doesn’t have an agency behind her, and honestly considering the way the entertainment industry is (especially the acting industry), it’s probably for the best. She most likely was getting absolute shit roles, not getting the right pay (the classic “you owe us cause we made you”), or being exploited and harassed. Like people know that these companies often, sometimes even openly, pimp out or at least encourage their talent to “thank” certain individuals. So like Kim Sa-rang deciding to represent herself makes 100% sense and people should give her good material.
4. This is the melodrama to end all melodramas. The acting choices are always the most. Everything that can happen will happen. All is life or death. Simultaneously everything and nothing matters. If you like over the top melodramas, then this is the show for you.
5. The fashion! I know not many pay attention to the wardrobe department of a drama unless an outfit looks like an absolute joke, but whoever was in charge of this production did a very good job.
Okay, so I’m now going to complain about a lot of things. Just know that I do on some level like this show.
Things I didn’t love:
1. The writing. I know I may have implied earlier that I liked the story, and in theory, I do. But this is reality, and I want to sleep forever when I try to analyze the text. There are certain scenes, even episodes, that are phenomenal, but this was written during a time that was…not nice towards women. To quote a notable critic, me, “I literally don’t know how this is a career-high point for Rain like his image should have tanked thanks to this show. Guess the public didn’t believe women were people yet.” This is a warning for all coming fresh into this, this show treats it’s female leads (especially Shin Min-ah) awfully. Explaining how bad can be inferred by a reaction I had while rewatching the series. In one of the mid-ish episodes, Rain’s character drags Shin Min-ah to the hospital. And I mean that in the most literal, brutal sense. She is dragged for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Anyways, halfway through watching this crime unfold, I yell “Wait, is that actually Shin Min-ah!” Not a dummy, but an actual living, breathing woman. (I cannot confirm if it was Shin Min-ah or a body double, but that is still a person who was put through that.) While you can do a feminist analysis, it would be interesting but I don’t think anyone is strong enough to go through with it, it is by no means a feminist text or even woman positive.
2. The writing (the remix). Yeah, I’ma complain about the writing twice, but I swear it’s for a different reason. It’s for the pacing and relationship building of this show. It’s not the best. Especially in regards to Rain and Shin Min-ah’s relationship, it feels rushed. Like, when you get to the point where he loves her I’m like does he really though? Considering all of the insane shit he puts her through? And why does she love him? I just wish there was a natural progression from hating her to guiltily loving her and failing to repress it. Most of the issues I have with this stem from weird or right out bad writing choices.
3. The acting choices. I love most of them, but some…let’s just say I have to question some acting coaches real quick. While some of it is due to the material given to them, the stars all do phenomenal performances (let’s give it up for Ms. Kim Sa-rang). But there is one that just gets me every time, that has me questioning everything I know about acting: Kim Young Jae. Everything this man does is a Choice. He is on a whole other level of melodrama, he is at 100 constantly. I love and hate it in equal parts.
Overall, this drama comes with some warnings for quite a few yikes moments - they are supposed to add to the melodrama but the framing of these events leaves much in the air. I’d say A LOVE TO KILL is a solid 5 on the yikes scale. This is, however, not as bad as QUE SERA, SERA which is the most melodrama of all and has approximately one million warnings before you go in. (Apparently there is going to be a remake? Pour one out for the sucker who’s going to have to adapt that mess and all the crimes it commits against women for a 2020 audience. I think a QSS remake should have been killed in its inception, unless they get the original writer for it there is no way it’s going to be palatable. And from what I’ve seen already, it looks like they already don’t understand what made the original good.)
CW: violence, violence against women, attempted rape, sexual assault, just treating women poorly, coerced relationships, poor handling of disability, poor handling of trauma, poor handling of mental illness, on-screen death, not enough Kim Sa-Rang.
Things I love:
1. The soundtrack. This show has some of my favorite OST music ever. I hear the soundtrack and I immediately feel emotions, it suits the show and sounds phenomenal, which is a tragically rare thing I can say about drama soundtracks. This doesn’t mean that a majority of soundtracks are absolute stinkers, but rather that they are, at best, a handful of memorable and suitable songs and a bunch of forgettable generic songs with a sprinkle of duds that do not fit the show in any way. This attention to detail just shows how much effort and care went into this show. Also, this show just looks like it had a sizable budget compared to other dramas at the time.
2. The editing and cinematography. I am aware that some will be put off by it but I am obsessed with it. It’s experimental in a way that is extremely rare for dramas of any level. I think it’s a shame that people (companies, directors, etc.) aren’t willing to take more risks like this, especially those with a higher budget.
3. Kim Sa-rang. I have to admit, I am the leader of the Kim Sa-rang fan club - this is the drama that woke me up to her. I am obsessed with her performance, she did the most for this drama and was paid dust in return. It is sickening that she has yet to be the lead in a character-driven, award-winning drama. She has the range. I know that she doesn’t have an agency behind her, and honestly considering the way the entertainment industry is (especially the acting industry), it’s probably for the best. She most likely was getting absolute shit roles, not getting the right pay (the classic “you owe us cause we made you”), or being exploited and harassed. Like people know that these companies often, sometimes even openly, pimp out or at least encourage their talent to “thank” certain individuals. So like Kim Sa-rang deciding to represent herself makes 100% sense and people should give her good material.
4. This is the melodrama to end all melodramas. The acting choices are always the most. Everything that can happen will happen. All is life or death. Simultaneously everything and nothing matters. If you like over the top melodramas, then this is the show for you.
5. The fashion! I know not many pay attention to the wardrobe department of a drama unless an outfit looks like an absolute joke, but whoever was in charge of this production did a very good job.
Okay, so I’m now going to complain about a lot of things. Just know that I do on some level like this show.
Things I didn’t love:
1. The writing. I know I may have implied earlier that I liked the story, and in theory, I do. But this is reality, and I want to sleep forever when I try to analyze the text. There are certain scenes, even episodes, that are phenomenal, but this was written during a time that was…not nice towards women. To quote a notable critic, me, “I literally don’t know how this is a career-high point for Rain like his image should have tanked thanks to this show. Guess the public didn’t believe women were people yet.” This is a warning for all coming fresh into this, this show treats it’s female leads (especially Shin Min-ah) awfully. Explaining how bad can be inferred by a reaction I had while rewatching the series. In one of the mid-ish episodes, Rain’s character drags Shin Min-ah to the hospital. And I mean that in the most literal, brutal sense. She is dragged for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Anyways, halfway through watching this crime unfold, I yell “Wait, is that actually Shin Min-ah!” Not a dummy, but an actual living, breathing woman. (I cannot confirm if it was Shin Min-ah or a body double, but that is still a person who was put through that.) While you can do a feminist analysis, it would be interesting but I don’t think anyone is strong enough to go through with it, it is by no means a feminist text or even woman positive.
2. The writing (the remix). Yeah, I’ma complain about the writing twice, but I swear it’s for a different reason. It’s for the pacing and relationship building of this show. It’s not the best. Especially in regards to Rain and Shin Min-ah’s relationship, it feels rushed. Like, when you get to the point where he loves her I’m like does he really though? Considering all of the insane shit he puts her through? And why does she love him? I just wish there was a natural progression from hating her to guiltily loving her and failing to repress it. Most of the issues I have with this stem from weird or right out bad writing choices.
3. The acting choices. I love most of them, but some…let’s just say I have to question some acting coaches real quick. While some of it is due to the material given to them, the stars all do phenomenal performances (let’s give it up for Ms. Kim Sa-rang). But there is one that just gets me every time, that has me questioning everything I know about acting: Kim Young Jae. Everything this man does is a Choice. He is on a whole other level of melodrama, he is at 100 constantly. I love and hate it in equal parts.
Overall, this drama comes with some warnings for quite a few yikes moments - they are supposed to add to the melodrama but the framing of these events leaves much in the air. I’d say A LOVE TO KILL is a solid 5 on the yikes scale. This is, however, not as bad as QUE SERA, SERA which is the most melodrama of all and has approximately one million warnings before you go in. (Apparently there is going to be a remake? Pour one out for the sucker who’s going to have to adapt that mess and all the crimes it commits against women for a 2020 audience. I think a QSS remake should have been killed in its inception, unless they get the original writer for it there is no way it’s going to be palatable. And from what I’ve seen already, it looks like they already don’t understand what made the original good.)
CW: violence, violence against women, attempted rape, sexual assault, just treating women poorly, coerced relationships, poor handling of disability, poor handling of trauma, poor handling of mental illness, on-screen death, not enough Kim Sa-Rang.
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