Loren Evans
Alchemy of Souls: Part 2
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A Good Chill Thriller Fantasy Action Comedy with Romance subplots
The production staff have done a great job, with the music, costumes and cinematography. It's top notch. I like the actors but I feel many of the characters didn't get a chance to shine. Ten Episodes is however too short for the type of ensemble cast here, and much like season 1 so much was left unexplored in favor of a more fast paced action thirller comedy; this could have made a better 50 episode show than Six Flying Dragons or Empress Ki. With the world building, character relationships and introductions and giving the various characters more time to shine, and story arcs. There was much more to this world story wise than was explored. There was room to expand the magic, of the world, the locations and factions of Daeho. The weakest narrative part of the show is the antagonists, while the strongest is the comedy. So while its my favorite show of 2022, it wasn't the best. It was fun, and left me wanting more. This story has more elements to enrich it than Arthdal Chronicles. The potential here is such that it could have been as epic as the Lord of the Rings. It is my favorite show of 2022. I recommend it to all fans of fantasy works.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Shikakenin Fujieda Baian 1
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Quality Meh
If this movie was made in an age with less media saturation it might have been something special on the back of the narrative qualities. The setting is beautiful, and the costumes as well. Special Effects were a bit lacking, so was some of the choreography but not enough to harm the main plot. The main characters were given similar arcs, but benefited from what seem to be skilled and experienced actors. Japanese movies are notorious for favoring eye candy over developed skill, so this was a welcome deviation from it. The plot is the weakest part of the story. There were a few unnecessary plot threads which slowed down the pacing of the story, some characters weren't even needed. Some plot threads needed more fleshing out, and might have benefited by giving some characters a bigger role, and more of a narrative arc, but the movie is long as it is.It's merits as a movie shine quite brightly. The music and camera work are nothing I can complain about. They must have had a good director, and producer. I will watch the sequel, despite my mixed feelings. It's an excellent dramatic narrative to watch, tackling some heavy themes. It can be the launching pad of a great many discussions. For that reason it is worth watching.
It's the kind of story that benefits from slow build ups, that was the right call. It was hurt by not being able to beef up some plot threads. That made it too slow in some parts. So I deem it to be quality meh. The good parts are good, The bad parts are bad. Some scenes are not needed but most people won't regret watching it.
But don't watch it with you kids, unless you want to tackle discussions most parent find uncomfortable. The story itself doesn't give meaningful answers save on the central conflict.
High scores for the music and acting, average score for the plot, and I doubt anyone will want to rewatch it. Thumbs up. Will be there for the sequel but if you miss it, you won't miss much.
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Angel's Last Mission: Love
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Ambitious philosophically, Beautifiul Artistically,
Firstly, I would recommend going into this show blind. Take the gamble, go in without expectations and see what it has to offer. There is more to it than meets the eye. From the poster and synopsis I'm sure various tropes would jump out, that obscure the unique elements within this drama. I think it's unique work within it's genre.Hwayugi, 49 days, Goblin are excellent examples of the luminaries within the genre, and thus it is in good company.
Very few Dramatic Romantic Comedies as are philosophically ambitious as this, and while I don't think it succeeded they accomplished something special and unique that is worth celebrating and talking about.
One will quickly pick up on the excellent acting, strong start, beautiful music and camera work; most will enjoy the tight scripting especially in the early part, and the authors skill in setting up his/her story. These I'm sure most reviewers will highlight and rightly celebrate.
I'd say the work of the lead actors shine in this drama. I commend them. As well as the director. They must have worked hard. A large part of why this drama just works despite many other "inter-species romance" on offer.
It's ambition is in it's merits as a theodicy (why would a good God allow evil); exploration of love as agency and sacrifice. For one, the divine in this work is very much like what we experience in the real world. A hidden omnipotent mind, other wills are subject to and are incapable of overcoming. Their agency grants them choice, they can choose to submit or choose to defy but it will be according to the will of the Divine mind, who will do as he deems fit. "Divine hiddeness" and the "silence of God" are rare theological concepts seen in Korean drama. On the flip side the anthropology has some question marks. As a work of fiction it works well for the story. I feel it took away from the quality of ending we would end up having.
Theological consistency is rare in supernatural dramas, so this will be refreshing for the philosophical or theologically oriented.
But for the rest of us who watch for the joy of story telling, crying and celebrating with the characters will feel an attachment to don't let the philosophy/theological stuff bother you. They are only part of the setting, and world building helping the story make sense; and for us to understand what the characters are fighting for.
All in all, this is a drama that gets really close to 8.5 without being an 8.5 drama. Excellent work and quality all round. A work I have no qualms recommending to others as worth your time and emotional investment. Excellent acting, awesome music , competent script and director giving us a good story.
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Amazingly Absurd/Strangely Realistic
This project is helped by experienced actors and competent technical staff, but weakened by being a story with excellent setups but too little time to pay them off.Among the things to appreciate in the story is the character interactions, the comedy which I found to be cringe and still ended up amused. Talented actors playing their roles pretty well and since it's a comedy you can expect more of the absurd to slap you on the face.
The strongest elements of the story came in the initial part, taking the form of a slice of life and the struggles of a father, in an unconventional job he can't speak much about, unable to balance both his home and work life. This is creating great strain to him and his family even though it's a family full of love.
The plot is weakened by an overarching thread that doesn't have the details and development that worked well with the slice of life elements. This I think for some will be a turn off. The mystery elements in the story didn't quite support the overall plot.
Thematically what I appreciate the most in this work is it's treatment of family life and marriage. In particular a modern marriage with all the flaws that make divorce almost inevitable without some extreme measures; and how meeting the needs of both involves lots of negotiation and sacrifices on the part of both; and the extent both the man and woman must push for each other to protect the relationship, even if it entails putting trust at risk. This is paralleled with the interactions with the extended family. Contrasting family as tied together by blood, friendship and/or marriage.
How many lies do we tell our loved ones? How do they affect our friendships and relationships with each other? What effect does it have in our relationships with each other? What does it take to stay together despite the many mistakes that we make?
As for it's examination of marriage and what it takes to make it work is quite poignant, considering drama explorations of marriage tend to be quite simplistic. For the marriage to survive and work out it involves making serious choices. Same is to be said when it comes to being a parent. Being a sibling. Being a child. Be it we are orphans who suffered exploitation and abuse at the hands of the authorities in our lives affecting how we have relationships with others; or grown up in a loving close knit family forced to take employment than traumatizes and warps your personality.
It is why I praise the actors while lamenting the overarching plot. The setup for too long for the type of climax we were being given, that I wonder if it would have been better to sacrifice it and have it as more episodic stories with the family's absurd shenanigans. True such a thing would get old real quick but it would be tempered by the growth each of the characters learning their lessons and overcoming their weaknesses as they suffer through the consequences of their actions.
Music and cinema work is excellent. Competent action and stunts. Music that works excellently with the story. Themes that explore the most important relationships we have in life. So the only things that hurt the show is plot and re-watch ability.
I'd give it an 8. Settings and Characters are not cliche though might seem to be at first. Explores a wide variety of themes really important to explore given the social issues of our age due to the breakdown of social institutions and public trust and it's impact on family and work life. Great visuals and costumes. Competent Action, drama and Comedy. Which would have benefited more from more time and care given to the characters and their development.
The set up should have been shorter or the story made longer with less repetition. Not bad story for a family to set up discussions about these issues, and the things we sweep under the rug. That element I think counts in favor.
This show is not for binging. It's more useful for family members to have honest conversations about the choices they are making and how they affect each other.
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Average to a Fault
So far gotten to episode 52, these are my thoughts so farRight of the bat, this drama is in many respects watchable but also forgettable. While the story has an admirable message, it suffers from being just competent. There is nothing that has been done exceptionally well, and nothing that is exceptionally bad; aside from a few of the plot lines being nigh unwatchable.
The show suffers from a lack of creativity; it won't stand out, and will be forgotten quite fast. The plot is too predictable, the setting uninteresting and the character arcs. The plot twists are easy to see, and the conflicts quite obvious. It feels a bit rushed in writing, there is a good message in this story but it's like they didn't have time to edit the script to throw in a few surprises, improve the comedy, and make more compelling character arcs.
This show is average to a fault; you can watch it, but it doesn't pull you in, it doesn't know how to be compelling and I think this is because once you've seen several family dramas this one hasn't figured out what it's good at, and has not focused on that. I think most people will drop it. Some bits are skip able. There are some good and experienced actors in this but they are not given time to shine.
I think it should have either been made longer, and the characters arcs made more compelling; or shorter and remove some of the characters and plot lines to have made this show good. There are seeds of a good story in this, but they are not watered and weeded well.
As a plus. The show hasn't had an egregious plot line, there hasn't been unbelievable craziness that ruins the plots of some dramas. This makes it watchable and partially believable. Nothing jolts you into thinking "this is absurd". Overall I give it a 7 since here we rate things leniently. If other shows were rated properly it would be a 5 or 6 rated show; for us the MDL crowd 7 is a fair rating. You can watch it, but you won't be itching to talk to your friends about it.
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Is there such a thing as a Christian Horror? Refreshing Old Tropes
Horror is a genre frequently described as meant to "hurt its audience"; it's supposed to evoke "negative" feelings such as disgust, dread, fright, squeamishness. To that end, authors use a particular set of tools to evoke particular sets of feelings, and since there are so many horrors, nothing new ever really happens.There are three main things to like about this show. The refreshing of Old Tropes common to these kinds of stories. Combining tropes that normally not put together for this kind of show to give it a feel of creativity and newness. The use of skilled and experienced actors to give life to old material.
So, what you get here is a crime serial that combines tropes from several other genres to give the show a fresh feel. To say more is to spoil some of the twists the authors placed within the story. By placing these tropes within a crime serial and connecting it to cosmic justice made it enjoyable, even when some events are predictable. Since there are still surprises, and twists and turns to take us to the climax. The predictability did not make it boring. It was smart of the author, "even if we know where all this must end, what interesting and surprising ways can we get there. The twist is in the journey rather than the outcome. We are working with Character twists and character journey twists rather than plot twists.
We have interesting and likable and loathsome characters. We have a plain, common setting. We have a serial plot with lots of room to grow and the possibility of expansion. So, on technical merits it scores high. Good Characters. Mid Setting. Good Plot. Mild Gore. Good Music. Great Actors, and at times mind blowing acting. So how do we deal with a "plain, common, setting."? The author extends it. Indicating some mysteries beyond our typical Korean city, hiding beneath the surface. I truly wish the author, and actors might have been afforded more time to flesh out the world more and explore more intricate story and plot arcs. It would have done wonders to make the setting more interesting. The other experienced and skilled actors might have also gotten time to show their skills more.
There is another merit to this work the person watching for entertainment might not consider. The show is great. Watch it. The best production of 2024. The Plot, Setting and Characters together are interesting, even though separately mid. That is my review as a piece of entertaining K-Drama.
The real meat of the show is in the philosophy of the work, the thinkers and ideas I think were adopted for the inspiration of the story; and the themes explored. Divine Providence, Cosmic Justice and Legal Justice. If we take C.S. Lewis (Screwtape Letters, till we have faces) Dostoevsky (The Demons) and the Bible as launching pad. This work is an excellent piece of death education, philosophical theodicy to the problem of justice and interesting challenge to moral nihilism and how legal justice is powerless in the face of it all. There are things seemingly played for laughs or to show the quirkiness of the characters that turn out to be significant. What is it that can change "Dostoevsky style demons"? Can it be related to the silence of God? What is hell like to the soul given to depravity?
The first watch, it's a fun serial, with laughs and tears. The second watch is more serious. A Christian horror tackling the silence of God and Cosmic justice. So, watch it, and if you get a chance afterwards; read "the Screwtape letters", "Till We have Faces" and if you can stomach it add "The Demons". Then watch it again.
If you really have time, and love reading (all by C.S. Lewis), you can throw in
The Weight of Glory
The Great Divorce
The Problem of Pain
Miracles
The Final Battle (The last book of the Chronicles of Narnia)
The Abolition of Man
To further the appreciate the philosophical and theological depths of this drama. I might even be inspired to give a spoiler review for those who might want to watch it a second time and look out for interesting stuff.
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Competent Jekel and Hyde slow burn rom com?
I have mixed feelings about this drama, but in my assessment 7 would be a fair score. The production is top notch, amazing locations, props and costumes. The story isn't really treading any new ground, but it is competently done. The acting is competent as well; the comedy is hit and miss. Usually after two episodes one knows if it is going to be good, but this one has many threads in which it could go towards, I can't confidently speak on the subplots. Depending on the direction the author takes it will be hit or miss.It's not a bad drama by any sense of the word. It is not trying to take any risks either. The supporting cast might be too large, and many subplots might remain undeserved. In short, this is a chill drama to watch with someone, or some people. It will be bland for experienced drama watchers. It will be fun for those new to the genre. The strongest bit of writing thus far is in the comedy. I like understated irony as the basis of comedy.
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A set up good for family viewing for a Conflict not suitable for Family Viewing
As far as Family oriented romantic comedies go, making use of experienced actor is always a good plan, since very few plot elements and conflicts will be new. It's a genre due to the nature of story telling will have very little room for creativity. The introductory setup was done decently, riding off the talent of the experienced actors and they dispensed of the back story as quick as they could.There are signs of concerns as well. Is this a 50 episode romantic comedy story, or is it a 50 episode family drama? The material of the conflict does not seem like enough for 50 episodes certain mysteries tend to be quite annoying if they are dragged. Long drama need talented actors, and hinge alot on the characters.
The prelude was meh, the set up much better. So the show is on a precipice. If the comedy quality goes up, and they temper the incredulous this might be another "Father is strange" or "What happened to my family" shows that benefited greatly by leveraging on the ensemble cast.
The characters aren't exceptional but the actors experience covers for it... So far.
The plot isn't that ground breaking, but good writers know how to work around that... so far.
The Setting is pretty much standard for the genre.
It's just getting started, and it has started well. Now it's up to the writers and actors to keep or raise the standard so that it doesn't become a slog.
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