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You'll like it until you don't
This drama had so much promise, and IMO apart from ep 15 and 16, this drama can be easily rated a 9 or 9.5. Till ep 14, the story had a fast-paced, thrilling aspect, and the acting was superb. It looked like the drama was going to end with a bang, but how it decelerated in ep15 and ended on such a low note in ep 16 ruined the overall plot and fell short.
If someone reads this review, I recommend watching the drama for its superb storyline and suspense. Of course, watch it till ep 14 with high expectations because it will keep you on edge. After that, please lower your expectations by a significant margin so that you will still be pleasantly surprised, unlike me.
Onto the shortcomings of the drama:
The most frustrating part of the finale was the lack of acting from LJS. It looked like he could not wait to just be done and over with the filming. The performance he delivers, in the beginning, is expected from a veteran A-list actor. Still, towards the end, it looks like he doesn't even care and seems to have put little to no effort into his scenes, especially when it calls for some serious emotional, messy acting. He looks like his pet rock died and barely sheds one tear, contrasting with how well he cried at the beginning of the drama. I don't know whether the blame is on the director or him. Still, either way, it significantly lowered the quality of the finale.
Another issue is how disgustingly the female characters were treated towards the end. ko mi ho and juhee are the two main female leads. Throughout the drama, the point the director seemed to be stressing is how "a good woman is someone who completely supports her husband." This did not sit well with me. Even without discussing the direction the director wanted to take regarding feminine and masculine roles, it still stands that only the female leads seemed to suffer in the end.
Simply put, they were used as Plot Devices to further the character development of the main male leads. I think a true fleshed-out female character can do wonders to make a drama more enjoyable. Take, for example (off the top of my head) the female leads from Happiness, All of us are dead, IOTNBK, etc., were all thought-out strong female leads that brought color and interest into the drama. They were not simply stepping stones for the male lead to reach his all-powerful state.
Finally, this drama was such a waste of talent. Look at the cast.
LJS lost credibility at the end because of the horrible finale where he underperformed.
Im Yoon Ah put up an outstanding performance throughout even with the decreasing quality of the storyline and IMO carried the drama through a lot of poor writing.
Kwa Dong Yeon deserved a more prominent and exciting role than some sidekick. He can act, and it's been proven repeatedly from his previous works (he caught my attention in Vincenzo, where he shined).
Even Oh Eui shik, who could have potentially been a massive part of the drama, all ended up being minor characters no different from the rest of the extras. It's sad because you have these talented and skilled actors, and you're paying them millions to just become extras?
I think the MVPs of the drama deserve to go to Kim jo hun (who plays Choi do ha-the main antagonist) and yang Kyung won (the character gong Ji hoon). These two did a fantastic job playing these roles, and Kim jo hun should win some kind of award for playing the most bad-ass evil, traumatized character on screen. LJS did not get outshined for sure, but in the end, he simply lost the aura he built up during the beginning, which is a shame. As a fan of his, and his first work after getting discharged, it is a good drama, but it isn't his best.
When it all comes down to it, the drama failed to deliver what it promised. The revenge wasn't sweet. The deaths were not as moving as they were supposed to be. The strings weren't tied up properly. Where does this leave us? Disappointed, angry, and confused. If I was looking to be disappointed, I'd look in the mirror.
One of the drama's plus points is the theme music. it brought out the suspense to a crescendo and fit smoothly into the drama.
The rewatch value is obviously going to be relatively low. I haven't felt this blue-balled since GOT. I loved this drama initially and will never forget the discussion threads with fondness. Reading other people's theories and comments made my Friday and Saturday much more enjoyable. Like someone said, "Maybe Big Mouse is the friends we made along the way." Turns out it's true. Hahhah *cries in disappointment*
If someone reads this review, I recommend watching the drama for its superb storyline and suspense. Of course, watch it till ep 14 with high expectations because it will keep you on edge. After that, please lower your expectations by a significant margin so that you will still be pleasantly surprised, unlike me.
Onto the shortcomings of the drama:
The most frustrating part of the finale was the lack of acting from LJS. It looked like he could not wait to just be done and over with the filming. The performance he delivers, in the beginning, is expected from a veteran A-list actor. Still, towards the end, it looks like he doesn't even care and seems to have put little to no effort into his scenes, especially when it calls for some serious emotional, messy acting. He looks like his pet rock died and barely sheds one tear, contrasting with how well he cried at the beginning of the drama. I don't know whether the blame is on the director or him. Still, either way, it significantly lowered the quality of the finale.
Another issue is how disgustingly the female characters were treated towards the end. ko mi ho and juhee are the two main female leads. Throughout the drama, the point the director seemed to be stressing is how "a good woman is someone who completely supports her husband." This did not sit well with me. Even without discussing the direction the director wanted to take regarding feminine and masculine roles, it still stands that only the female leads seemed to suffer in the end.
Simply put, they were used as Plot Devices to further the character development of the main male leads. I think a true fleshed-out female character can do wonders to make a drama more enjoyable. Take, for example (off the top of my head) the female leads from Happiness, All of us are dead, IOTNBK, etc., were all thought-out strong female leads that brought color and interest into the drama. They were not simply stepping stones for the male lead to reach his all-powerful state.
Finally, this drama was such a waste of talent. Look at the cast.
LJS lost credibility at the end because of the horrible finale where he underperformed.
Im Yoon Ah put up an outstanding performance throughout even with the decreasing quality of the storyline and IMO carried the drama through a lot of poor writing.
Kwa Dong Yeon deserved a more prominent and exciting role than some sidekick. He can act, and it's been proven repeatedly from his previous works (he caught my attention in Vincenzo, where he shined).
Even Oh Eui shik, who could have potentially been a massive part of the drama, all ended up being minor characters no different from the rest of the extras. It's sad because you have these talented and skilled actors, and you're paying them millions to just become extras?
I think the MVPs of the drama deserve to go to Kim jo hun (who plays Choi do ha-the main antagonist) and yang Kyung won (the character gong Ji hoon). These two did a fantastic job playing these roles, and Kim jo hun should win some kind of award for playing the most bad-ass evil, traumatized character on screen. LJS did not get outshined for sure, but in the end, he simply lost the aura he built up during the beginning, which is a shame. As a fan of his, and his first work after getting discharged, it is a good drama, but it isn't his best.
When it all comes down to it, the drama failed to deliver what it promised. The revenge wasn't sweet. The deaths were not as moving as they were supposed to be. The strings weren't tied up properly. Where does this leave us? Disappointed, angry, and confused. If I was looking to be disappointed, I'd look in the mirror.
One of the drama's plus points is the theme music. it brought out the suspense to a crescendo and fit smoothly into the drama.
The rewatch value is obviously going to be relatively low. I haven't felt this blue-balled since GOT. I loved this drama initially and will never forget the discussion threads with fondness. Reading other people's theories and comments made my Friday and Saturday much more enjoyable. Like someone said, "Maybe Big Mouse is the friends we made along the way." Turns out it's true. Hahhah *cries in disappointment*
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