Chicago Typewriter (2017)

Being a Literature fanatic, this drama was right up my street. I loved the chemistry between all three main actors. The show was so interesting because it incorporated so many different genres: historical fiction, crime, drama, romance, action, comedy etc. Honestly one of the best directed dramas I've ever watched. Definitely recommend anyone to watch this drama... you will regret not watching it tbF. It's something that really shouldn't be missed. I am also planning o re-watching this show, just because the romance in this drama is too good!!!! I didn't particularly pay attention to the OST so that could have been better. But other than that, I have nothing negative to say about this drama! JUST WATCH IT ALREADY.

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So I just finished watching this drama and I must say it was very creative!!! Just kidding???? The story was not so creative but the way it was executed was pretty new. At first I just loved the drama. It kept me hooked from the first episode until the 13th episode but after that I didn't really feel like watching it as it got really boring but just because I had to finish it I kept watching. It was not that bad but it was also not the best.
So I give it an 8 just for the actors whom I loved from the beginning itself keeping aside the behavior of the main lead which was pretty annoying sometimes. But other than that it's a thumbs up. Definitely a one time watch!!!

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Un écrivain ne peut laisser une œuvre inachevée même au delà dela mort .

La situation met un temps fou à se mettre en place ! Les deux premiers épisodes font 1 h 1/4 et 1h 20 et franchement ils feraient juste une heure ce serait suffisant ! En plus je me disais "alors, il arrive quand l'autre ??" et c'est peut-être pour ça que ça m'a paru long !!
Ceci dit, c'est une histoire très intrigante dès le début
J'ai fait l'erreur de le commencer sur Viki où ils présentent les SP en premier.
le SP N°2 n’est fait qu’avec des scènes en coulisses, préparatoires, etc. Donc moi j'ai zappé mais ça peut être intéressant (en particulier la rencontre entre Yoo Ah In et celui qui jouait son père dans 6FD et qui là est aussi son père adoptif (ou pas ? ) et c'était assez touchant, vu le sens incroyable des Coréens pour le respect à la différence d’âge !
Mais il est certain que le personnage est complexe et mérite une bonne mise en place mais en fait il a fallu 6 épisodes pour installer complètement la situation…

En regardant l'épisode 3 je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de rigoler, car le syndrome chute de la falaise a encore frappé et pardon !!! Quelle falaise !!
Normalement la voiture aurait dû être complètement démantibulée et lui complètement cassé... Mais il s'en sort avec une écorchure sur le front !! Franchement ils auraient pu choisir un accident plus vraisemblable !!
Ce qui ne m'empêche nullement d'apprécier le drama !!
C’est une façon originale de traiter le twist temporel, vu qu’il n’y a pas de vrai déplacement dans le temps (ou presque pas) mais tout se passe au niveau de la mémoire d’une vie antérieure où les protagonistes ont vécu ensemble les heures terribles de l’occupation japonaise et de la Résistance qui, historiquement, s’est mise en place très rapidement ! De plus les acteurs sont vraiment excellents, tous, même si j'ai une tendresse particulière pour YAI, dont j'avais bien vu le potentiel quand il était Geol Ho(SKKS) !!
Mais surtout le travail d’écriture, la disparition de l’inspiration, la nécessité absolue de finir un roman pour un auteur, même par delà la mort et le temps, tout cela est dans ce drama, lui donnant une belle profondeur au delà du côté anecdotique. D’ailleurs la maison de Han Se Ju est une magnifique et vaste bibliothèque aux murs couverts de livres jusqu’au plafond, et le fil rouge qui relie passé et présent est la nécessité de terminer une histoire ! Le drama montre l’auteur écrivant un roman, et parallèlement le vivant, la trame des vies réelles et des vies de fictions s’entremêlant, d’ailleurs, à la fin, quand Han Se Ju présente son nouveau livre la différence entre la fiction et la réalité ne se place que dans l’esprit des protagonistes : les spectateurs pensent qu’on leur présente une fiction (qui croirait qu’un fantôme est venu finir une histoire ? ) alors que l’auteur et son amie savent bien ce qu’il en est.

Pour parler de la fin, je l’ai trouvée un peu bizarre ! Il semble qu’on nous présente maintenant toute l’histoire comme un rêve de Yoo Jin Ho, sauf qu’il sort de sa poche une photo avec ses amis mais venant du futur… Alors ? Rêve ? Réalité parallèle ? A nous de choisir…

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Friendship and love in two lives? This is Chicago

Here I will organize in a not very organized way some considerations I made about Chicago:

1. I was very doubtful about what grade to give to the drama. I was between 9 / 9.5

2. Why the romantic plot it is interesting because it addresses the idea of ​​reincarnation, but it did not captivate me as much as the friendships between the main characters, for example.

3. Mainly Shin Yul's friendship with Se Ju in both lives

4. In relation to the two lives, I liked the one from 1930 more, not only because it touches on an important historical moment and movement for the history of Korea, but I thought that the relationships were better explored / developed, despite actually deepening in the last 6 episodes.

5. So much so that for me the depth of the couple's romance is the previous life, that I can get into this concept of tragic love / destiny. Depth that I think was lacking in 2017

6. Despite being a possible demerit for drama, this factor shows a little of the talent of the main actors for embodying different characters so well

7.Regarding character, my favorite even with what happened, the so-called betrayal, continued to be Shin Yul / Jin-o, because it was not something intentional, nor involving malice, he did it for no other reason than despair. What somehow destroyed him is clear when he does not show any reaction to death, as he had already died inside. The greatest proof of his regret was the more than 80 years he waited to redeem himself, which he did.

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My first review. I’m nervous. But I couldn’t NOT leave a review for this amazing show. I originally was not interested at all in watching this drama but having been mesmerized by Yoo Ah In in a few other dramas I decided to give it a go. Great decision on my part.

The only criticism I have of the entire drama is that occasionally the camera work made me dizzy and some glaringly hilarious continuity errors. Outside of that... perfection.

All of the characters are so well developed both in the narrative and the acting. The main trio are serious #friendshipgoals . It's funny, romantic, intelligent, suspenseful, and heartbreaking. The soundtrack is almost the most perfect soundtrack I've ever seen in a drama. I love it and have had it on repeat for months now (I'm not obsessed or anything). The plot takes its time in a careful and articulate way. At the end you are left with a warm glow of a beautiful friendship and love that leaves you breathless.

Since I'm a closeted K-drama fans (only my family knows my obsession) I have never recommended any drama to anyone. This drama changed that for me. I outed myself to a friend who I thought would absolutely adore everything about it. So far she hasn't seen it but I know I'll make a convert of her once she finally does watch it. It's that good.

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This drama is one i wont ever forget. A blissful relief from usual plotlines. the story was beautifully writte, and just as beautifully acted out. Yoo Ah In was perfect as always. Never have i ever seen a story so beautifully written about friendships, and fighting for what you believe in. Impeccably carried out with A+ cinemtatography and my gosh, a beautiful OST that i cant ever forget. The story left me not knowing what to do with my life anymore. Ive seen so many shows, but none has clicked with me as much as CT. Kept me on the edge of my seat and brought me to tears with its intense dialogues and themes of sacrifice, love and friendship. a perfect blend of fantasy, history and romance. a definite must watch. brilliant.

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Lovely Story and Concept

This drama absolutely stole my heart. I loved the past and present approach, it made the romance and general feeling of the show beautiful. A big part of the show I enjoyed was absolutely the relationship between the three leads, entertaining and heartfelt all around. I was not a big fan of how the show was wrapped up in the last 3 or so episodes, but I have very little to complain about them, apart from pacing and maybe the kind of low-key wrap up. I adored every one of the leads and they gave a powerful performance, even the antagonist! I also loved the OSTs, many times they add to the emotions being portrayed, especially in key scenes that moved the main romantic relationship, I'll totally be hearing Satellite Love in my dreams haha. If you're looking to swoon and feel, I'd say this is a great choice!

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WATCH THIS DRAMA 100S OF TIME!!!!

im.smone who watched pretty a lot n nvr rewatched any drama but this one is worlds best drama. i hate how this drama is soo underrated. i hate myself too to watch this drama so late.. okay so about this drama the plot is great acting is great song is for sure gonna be in ur playlist on repeat n i can assure that there wont be a single second where u will feel bored (i usually skip boring part but i nvr had to skip any part in this) this drama is the definetion of mystery love romance friendship country love suspense thriller curiosity emotions acting is thre anythng else to mention. well the only ques this drama leaves us with is is there really anyway is drama isnt perfect. WATCH IT!!! I DONT CARE WHO U R WATS UR FAV GENRE WATCH THIS YES IM SCREAMING TO WATCH THIS RIGHT AWAY U WILL REGRET IT IF U WONT WATCH THIS SOON. WATCH IT!!!!

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Listened to the OST for a week after finishing the drama

Context:
1. Not a big fan of fluffy romance
2. I enjoy the "tragic ending"
3. Love when there's a good friendship arc

Plot-wise, I do thing the past + present did tie in well together. The way they switched between present to past scenes and the pace they revealed the details in the past was done smoothly. They revealed just enough each episode to keep you interested to know more. As a side-note, at some point, I did find the present scenes a bit dragging. But it might have also been because I started losing interest in the romantic scenes. Please note though that my love for this drama might have been influenced by the kinda-sad ending. There's something about tragic romance that really gets to me.

Acting-wise, I really enjoyed Yoo Ah In's (ML's) acting here. I have to say that I was never his biggest fan but after watching this, I'm interested to see more of his works. The FL and 2ML were good but I don't think I could say I was blown away by their performances.

Music-wise, I LOVED THE OST. As you can tell from my subject, I replayed the songs for a week. They fit well with the scenes with their OST as the background music and you can tell from the multiple fan made video montages. It also helps that I love listening to sad OSTs after watching a sad story.

Character-wise, I really liked the friendship between the characters. While there is a romance aspect to the story, they was sufficient screen time to watch their friendship develop. It's one of those dynamics where even if you know that 2 are going to end up together, the 3rd friend is still an important part of the group and not just a plot devise to spur the romance of the furst 2 characters. This trio is honestly one of my top drama squads. I also liked the comic relief that the girl's other friends bring.

Overall, it's a story with good flow, interesting characters, solid friendship and relationship development, and a great OST. It's a good introduction to historical/period piece, since the other half is present-day. Be ready for some heartbreaking scenes which are super worth it and fit really well to the overall story. I really love this show; the only reason I wouldn't say it's my top drama is simply because I hated the present day fluff. But if the combination of that is your cup of tea, you might find you next favorite drama!

P.S. It's a great introduction to Yoo Ah In if you haven't watched him in other shows. And even if you have but haven't seen this show, I just want to say: 1930s Yoo Ah In is just *chef's kiss*.

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This is one of the first dramas I ever watched and I’m so glad I’ve finally finished it, although it’s a bittersweet feeling, because I feel like I’ve had a piece of me taken away.

As a history student, I have to admit that I’m a little biased towards any storyline related to the past. This drama strikes the perfect balance between the thrilling, nostalgic sights of the 1930s and the modern present day. There is an acute nostalgia and yearning for the past in this drama; though the history we are given is dark and painful, it is also homely.

As well as this, the storytelling is very clever. The slow unravelling of the past which is contrasted against the present is so smart and well done. As the series goes on, more and more parallels are drawn between the characters, their relationships and the storylines. It’s a very satisfying feeling and as a result is very nice to watch. If I’m honest, the first half isn’t as gripping as the last half, but there is a pretty good set up and if you stick with it everything is revealed so perfectly.

The narrative itself is a little slow and, as a lot of people have said before me. is full of filler. Yet the cute and funny scenes give depth and sweetness to the characters and help you get to know them better. The slow and often silly tone of the story adds to the general feel of the show, and therefore I don’t really see the pacing as a flaw. Giving the characters time to interact with each other and have fun together makes the heavy parts of the show (which are excellent) a lot lighter. Generally, the shows atmosphere is moving, funny, and painful, which is coupled with the most perfect soundtrack that is so lovely to listen to and definitely adds to the scenes.

It’s clear though that, other than the atmosphere, the characters in this drama are it’s strongest area. The casting is perfect. Im Soo Jung is particularly strong here, and delivers a complex, hilarious depiction of both a fangirl and a sniper, who are so different and yet so similar. The other lead, Yoo Ah-In, is spectacular in presenting two tortured and interesting characters who are both lovable and irritating. And of course, Jin-oh’s actor is incredible at giving us our perfect second lead, and the other members of the cast are just so good at presenting characters which are morally grey and a delight to watch. The antagonist, Baek Tae-min, is someone who I hate very much, yet he was still so fascinating and complex that I couldn’t look away in his scenes.

What’s interesting about this drama is the flaws it gives it’s characters. It doesn’t shy away from messy personalities, painful backstories and questionable motivations; every character is interesting in their own right. The relationship between them is what drives the story - the main trio are a heartbreaking representation of immortal friendship and their love for each other is so, so heartwarming and at the centre of this story. It will be with me for a long time - I’m not usually a fan of dramas surrounding friendship, but I think I’ve been converted.

The romance was so lovely. Very tender and very heartbreaking. Every romantic scene between the leads was delivered perfectly and always made me either squeal or cry. Definitely a good slow burn. I also like how Yoo Jin was never selfish and always loved Jeon Seol wholeheartedly, and this never ruined any friendships... it’s a more mature take on romance and a love triangle that isn’t suffocating. Plus, the prioritisation of friendship over romance in this drama works so well! I’d say there are many tropes and cliches, which are sometimes a little over the top, but they don’t take away from the story and are super cute.

The ending itself was moving and a good way to wrap up the show, but admittedly I liked scenes prior to the finale a lot more (most notably the goldmine that is episode 15 and some parts of episode 16 were strong). The ambiguity, which is also at the heart of this show, means you can basically form your own ending in your head. Either way, I wasn’t disappointed and I wouldn’t say it was unfulfilling. Each storyline is basically resolved, although some are left untied, but like I said ambiguity is central to the show and you can come to your own conclusions. Most character arcs were well developed and I especially loved the development of Han Se Joo! This show is so good at character development.

Another striking thing about this drama was it’s use of places. Carpe Diem and the writing room are key examples of the use of scenery to add to the story, to the point where they feel like characters. The subsequent use of these sceneries throughout the show just really gives them a sense of familiarity and it’s really nice to watch the characters interact and push forward in the places they call home.

Music, scenery, atmosphere and the characters were all put together perfectly to create a drama with it’s own personality. It isn’t perfect by any means, but it has its own spirit, moving characters and the most heartbreaking of stories that will be so hard to forget.

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this is real gem in k drama world which should not be missed

I generally don't write reviews even after watching many great dramas but this one was exception to it.
I was so submerged into it i never skipped any part of it.
if you are planning to watch something different yet great drama this is it at first I was hesitating to watch it as i was not into serious dramas but this one is different if u are planning to watch something this is it
at least watch first episode if u r confused...it is totally worth it..
at last all actors did great job cant even imagine any other person in that roles.....
one of the masterpieces must watch

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A Masterpiece

I was reluctant to watch Chicago Typewriter as I had the impression that it was sad, dark and depressing. An angst ridden trauma of a show. I couldn't have been more wrong. There is a lot of humour in the script, superb acting, particularly from Yoo Ah In and Go Kyung Pyo. I binge watched as Chicago Typewriter is leaving Netflix at the end of September 2021.

If you've read the synopsis of the story, you'd know that the story follows two men and a woman in two eras, one during 1930's Japanese occupation and the other in the 21st century. The lives of the three characters are entwined in both eras.

Ultimately it's a story about love and friendship. Devotion to others and loyalty to their country and the willingness to sacrifice to achieve the desired results, regardless of personal safety.

Han Se Joo/ Seo Hwi Young (the always brilliant Yoo Ah In) is a writer in both eras, successfully so in the current time, but suffering writers block.

Yoo Jin Oh/Shin Yul (Go Kyung Pyo) is a free spirited bar owner on his past life, and a mysterious Ghost writer who helps Se Joo with his writing slump.

Jun Seol/Ryu Soo Hyun (Im Soo Jung) is a veterinarian and Jill-Of-All-Trades, she is Han Se Joo's first and most devoted fan. She was a sniper for Korean liberation and her skills with a firearm have bleed over into her current Life.

The story moves between to two time period as our three friends in the 21st century attempt to unravel what happened in the past.

The three actors have lovely chemistry, and have individual relationships with each other in both lives. The two men have an amazing friendship and great love for each other. They both love Seol/Soo Hyun but it doesn't effect their friendship.

The OST was very nice, soft and uniquely suited to both eras. The ending was just right.

A very special (and extremely shallow) mention to Yoo Ah In's hair. He can rock a buzz cut and holy moly he was beautiful with his floppy 1930's poet hair. Old school dreamy.

I highly recommend watching Chicago Typewriter. Boo to Netflix for removing it from their roster.

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