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Writing your own destiny is hard work considering so many feel they should write it for you.
This came recommended to me from a fellow MDL netizen after reading my review for Extraordinary You. As with that drama, I had no clue what this was about and actually hit play on the first episode without even looking it up here on MDL. I like going in blind, it averts any expectations I could build and lets me experience the content in the raw. By the end of the first episode I fully understood why this was recommended, and I smiled pleasantly.
Now being a web drama, I was shocked at the special effects and production value. Yes I get all aren't equal, but most of the Korean web only shows I have thus seen are more on the production value of independent cinema. You do not have to worry about that here, the only thing that lets on this wasn't released by one of Korea's big networks is that its only ten 20-30 minute long episodes. Otherwise, you will be treated to some great camera work, high production values, winning soundtrack, and mostly strong acting. So do not fear here.
We open on an ominous library that would make MC Escher proud and a tall drink of beautiful Korean male specimen walking slow motion through its innards. This is our first roundabout meeting of our male lead, Shin Ho Yoon (The sad eyed Ki Do Hoon playing contemplatively stoic) who we will soon learn is a Deity of Destiny. That is, the world doesn't have just one fate, but a working cadre of tall sexy men that divide up the population of earth between them. (Why they are all men, I do not know, maybe it was told to me at some point but I didn't catch it.) Shin Ho Yoon has decided to write the fate of one his charges (Jung Ba Reum played childlike and fun by Kim Woo Suk) as the greatest love story every told. The only problem, he doesn't understand what love is.
In order for him to create his great work he borrows (plagiarizes) plot lines from the teenage essay writings of one of the tenant's daughters from the high-rise he owns to hide amongst the people of earth. Unbeknown to him, this no longer a teenager writer is our female lead Go Chae Kyung (Amongst other names) played by Jeon So Nee. The problem here is that she ends up being the 1st love of his own charge Ba Reum for which he is trying to make a legendary love. Thus, he ends up putting her in the very scenarios she wrote years before to of course deja-vu disastrous results. This causes him quite the pickle and forces him to start spending more time than he intends in the presence of this feisty female writer. This leads us to the crux of the tale, as Deities of Destiny are not allowed to have feelings, connections, or opinions on humans and what is done to them.
This, if you can't already tell, is quite a fun set-up and it is equally fun to watch play out. With the brevity of the episodes everything is always moving at a brisk pace. There are very few lagging moments or episodes. Fun and light heartedness are baked in here, and done quite well. I laughed whole heartily during a scene of "The Accounting of Marriage" (A show our female lead writes within this show) as it took a stab at the utter ridiculousness that is found in many a stories of dramas (Kdrama or not). Let's just say the sexy male leads (One of many cameos from the BL world Lee Shi Kang) abs are the key evidence for a confused family that causes the father to fall to his knees. And trust, the flash of skin will make you fall to your knees as well.
A bulk of the comic relief will also come from a frenemy bromance of another Deity of Destiny Myung (Playfully handed to us by Park Sang Nam). This character is an MVP for the story and steals many of the scenes he is in. As much as he is a nuisance and seems at times callus and cold, by the stories end will be a very warm center that always had a whole lot of heart for everyone involved no matter how close he played it to his chest.
Unfortunately you also have a lot of throw away characters that weren't needed. Our female lead's best friend could have been left on the cutting room floor and not changed a thing. The childlike newbie deity female Sam Shin, who has something to do with pregnancy, offers nothing to the story and has a whole love interest of her own. By the way, does anyone know what happened with this love interest? Is she still in school? Are they dating? Does she still exist at the end? Is she allowed to have feelings since she is not part of people's destinies or do all deities have to be unfeeling and unconnected to humans? Where did she go after that scene in front of the high school?......I dunno any of the answers to any these questions and you will not either.
There are bursts of META folded into the story dealing with tropes of romances, dramas, ideas of love, and of course fate, but they are far and few. The show keeps its storytelling light and airy never wanting to dig too deep into anything. This is okay, again what is on screen is enjoyable and fun and everyone, and I really do mean EVERYONE, is down right beautiful, so very easy to watch. But, I will say that it leaves you with an empty feeling.
I'm not sure why, but I was entertained, I was laughing, I was lusting, and I was finding out what other shows our male lead is in because I knew him from somewhere (Catch the Ghost BTW) and wanted to see where I could feast on him after this was over, but I wasn't emotionally connected.
Everything is sleek, stylish, high quality, interesting and fun. But also detached, hollow, superficial, and very much gliding across the surface of a very rich mythology, world, and concept. When the last half of the show starts to unravel secrets and move more into emotional territory, it was simply fine. My heartstrings are never tugged, tears never well up, and I'm never really "moved." Myung's character ends up striking the strongest chord of emotion in the series, and he is a support character with no romantic attachments to anyone, (Unless you want to fantasize a possible BL one). And when the actual leads are running towards each other in slow motion trying to beat time with soaring music it felt over-the-top, melodramatic and a blunder.
The underlying theme of taking control of your own life, and writing your own destiny seems more a plot device than a lesson. I am not sure if the show expects us to honestly do this for ourselves. Both the characters that are given a peek at the annals of time, and the power of their own pens, do so by the will of Deity wanting to hand it to them. Everyone else still stays bent to the will of the gods. The gods themselves are still stuck in the rules of their omnipotence. And the end seems to keep the cycle repeating even for our own lead. Thus, fate, destiny, and the future still seems the writing of others and not ourselves.
Ultimately I did enjoy this romp and had a good time. I'm very happy it was recommended to me. But, I also didn't love it and wish there had been more. While the story does build the idea of a great romance that spans time, it does so hectically and with the bulk rushed at the end right before the bough breaks and the whole of everything comes tumbling down. That is, I do not get to spend enough time cherishing what love there is, living inside of it, and feeling the loss of it. If you wallow in the fun escapism of this story you are going to have a great time, there is heaps to enjoy here.
7.5/B/ 3 3/4-Stars Shows its flaws but remains strong and will likely be enjoyed.
Now being a web drama, I was shocked at the special effects and production value. Yes I get all aren't equal, but most of the Korean web only shows I have thus seen are more on the production value of independent cinema. You do not have to worry about that here, the only thing that lets on this wasn't released by one of Korea's big networks is that its only ten 20-30 minute long episodes. Otherwise, you will be treated to some great camera work, high production values, winning soundtrack, and mostly strong acting. So do not fear here.
We open on an ominous library that would make MC Escher proud and a tall drink of beautiful Korean male specimen walking slow motion through its innards. This is our first roundabout meeting of our male lead, Shin Ho Yoon (The sad eyed Ki Do Hoon playing contemplatively stoic) who we will soon learn is a Deity of Destiny. That is, the world doesn't have just one fate, but a working cadre of tall sexy men that divide up the population of earth between them. (Why they are all men, I do not know, maybe it was told to me at some point but I didn't catch it.) Shin Ho Yoon has decided to write the fate of one his charges (Jung Ba Reum played childlike and fun by Kim Woo Suk) as the greatest love story every told. The only problem, he doesn't understand what love is.
In order for him to create his great work he borrows (plagiarizes) plot lines from the teenage essay writings of one of the tenant's daughters from the high-rise he owns to hide amongst the people of earth. Unbeknown to him, this no longer a teenager writer is our female lead Go Chae Kyung (Amongst other names) played by Jeon So Nee. The problem here is that she ends up being the 1st love of his own charge Ba Reum for which he is trying to make a legendary love. Thus, he ends up putting her in the very scenarios she wrote years before to of course deja-vu disastrous results. This causes him quite the pickle and forces him to start spending more time than he intends in the presence of this feisty female writer. This leads us to the crux of the tale, as Deities of Destiny are not allowed to have feelings, connections, or opinions on humans and what is done to them.
This, if you can't already tell, is quite a fun set-up and it is equally fun to watch play out. With the brevity of the episodes everything is always moving at a brisk pace. There are very few lagging moments or episodes. Fun and light heartedness are baked in here, and done quite well. I laughed whole heartily during a scene of "The Accounting of Marriage" (A show our female lead writes within this show) as it took a stab at the utter ridiculousness that is found in many a stories of dramas (Kdrama or not). Let's just say the sexy male leads (One of many cameos from the BL world Lee Shi Kang) abs are the key evidence for a confused family that causes the father to fall to his knees. And trust, the flash of skin will make you fall to your knees as well.
A bulk of the comic relief will also come from a frenemy bromance of another Deity of Destiny Myung (Playfully handed to us by Park Sang Nam). This character is an MVP for the story and steals many of the scenes he is in. As much as he is a nuisance and seems at times callus and cold, by the stories end will be a very warm center that always had a whole lot of heart for everyone involved no matter how close he played it to his chest.
Unfortunately you also have a lot of throw away characters that weren't needed. Our female lead's best friend could have been left on the cutting room floor and not changed a thing. The childlike newbie deity female Sam Shin, who has something to do with pregnancy, offers nothing to the story and has a whole love interest of her own. By the way, does anyone know what happened with this love interest? Is she still in school? Are they dating? Does she still exist at the end? Is she allowed to have feelings since she is not part of people's destinies or do all deities have to be unfeeling and unconnected to humans? Where did she go after that scene in front of the high school?......I dunno any of the answers to any these questions and you will not either.
There are bursts of META folded into the story dealing with tropes of romances, dramas, ideas of love, and of course fate, but they are far and few. The show keeps its storytelling light and airy never wanting to dig too deep into anything. This is okay, again what is on screen is enjoyable and fun and everyone, and I really do mean EVERYONE, is down right beautiful, so very easy to watch. But, I will say that it leaves you with an empty feeling.
I'm not sure why, but I was entertained, I was laughing, I was lusting, and I was finding out what other shows our male lead is in because I knew him from somewhere (Catch the Ghost BTW) and wanted to see where I could feast on him after this was over, but I wasn't emotionally connected.
Everything is sleek, stylish, high quality, interesting and fun. But also detached, hollow, superficial, and very much gliding across the surface of a very rich mythology, world, and concept. When the last half of the show starts to unravel secrets and move more into emotional territory, it was simply fine. My heartstrings are never tugged, tears never well up, and I'm never really "moved." Myung's character ends up striking the strongest chord of emotion in the series, and he is a support character with no romantic attachments to anyone, (Unless you want to fantasize a possible BL one). And when the actual leads are running towards each other in slow motion trying to beat time with soaring music it felt over-the-top, melodramatic and a blunder.
The underlying theme of taking control of your own life, and writing your own destiny seems more a plot device than a lesson. I am not sure if the show expects us to honestly do this for ourselves. Both the characters that are given a peek at the annals of time, and the power of their own pens, do so by the will of Deity wanting to hand it to them. Everyone else still stays bent to the will of the gods. The gods themselves are still stuck in the rules of their omnipotence. And the end seems to keep the cycle repeating even for our own lead. Thus, fate, destiny, and the future still seems the writing of others and not ourselves.
Ultimately I did enjoy this romp and had a good time. I'm very happy it was recommended to me. But, I also didn't love it and wish there had been more. While the story does build the idea of a great romance that spans time, it does so hectically and with the bulk rushed at the end right before the bough breaks and the whole of everything comes tumbling down. That is, I do not get to spend enough time cherishing what love there is, living inside of it, and feeling the loss of it. If you wallow in the fun escapism of this story you are going to have a great time, there is heaps to enjoy here.
7.5/B/ 3 3/4-Stars Shows its flaws but remains strong and will likely be enjoyed.
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