Great transition to afterlife drama

There have been several similar transition to afterlife stories. I liked the formula of this drama - they have a case of the week that our team has to solve and bring closure to the deceased. That kept the delivery each episode interesting. The 'rules of engagement' (ie rules governing how they operate together eg safe zone, Dae Ri jumping into a human host for 10 minutes at a time, etc) were established early on and stayed consistent, unlike some dramas that bent the rules just to fit the plot or to create dramatic tension or because they didn't know how else to conclude the drama.

In terms of negatives, perhaps the weakest point was the romance between the main leads. There was no chemistry whatsoever and they looked awkward together especially when they had to call each other cutesy names, or kiss or hug. The second couple had far better chemistry (at least no awkwardness) but I'd rather the drama just focus on the cases! Second, the last few episodes were especially draggy when they were trying to develop the romantic relationships rather than resolving things. Third, the OST was boring - they had one song and used that to death for everything - sad, happy, dramatic, etc. I'm not expecting a highly listenable soundtrack like CLOY or DOTS, but we're basically going back to the early 90s with Autumn in My Heart and their one song-one-hit-repetitive-wonders.

In contrast, the chemistry between the four 'team members' was enjoyable to watch. I enjoyed how they worked together with a mix of humour, teamwork, and goodwill to overcome the villians. Overall, it was entertaining and I enjoyed watching it but I wouldn't call it the best drama of the year or even of the genre, not even close.

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Another noona dongseng drama

I have not enjoyed a single noona-dongseng drama, although some have been better than others. The best was probably Something in the Rain with Jung Hae In and Son Ye Jin, another popular noona. That explored the social issue of noona-dongseng couplings. However, this drama has nothing to recommend it. The premise of why they have to break up isn't fathomable to those of us who are non-Korean, as I believe it involves some kind of social taboo (e.g., Autumn in my Heart). Gee it's sad that they can't be together but why? The characters are uni-dimensional but perhaps the highlight for me was watching her close friendships and supporting one of them through a major life transition. I watch it purely for Jang Ki Yong ( just as I watched equally boring Song Hye Gyo's previous noona-dongseng drama purely for Park Bo Gum) and that's the only reason I'll finish this.

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Sweet cross-cultural story

I've watched several cross-cultural dramas in the past with Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese casts. This is by far the best. It probably works very well because Chae Jong Hyeop seems genuinely to have a good command of Japanese. It's hard to act and relate to your co-star if you can't speak the same language.

The story itself is cutesy and not very well developed but I liked the innocence of their love story. Don't expect too much from the drama in terms of plot or character development but it's a warm and light hearted show - good for a dinner time show.

If I wasn't learning Japanese and Korean, this show would have far less appeal for me and I'd give it a miss. But this show uses easy Japanese and Korean so it was great for me!

One thing I will comment on though, perhaps it's me being too jaded but I felt he was just slightly stalker-ish. She seemed to be resisting him but he was going full throttle. I felt quite uncomfortable with it but maybe that's considered a full-on courtship.

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Hot confusing mess

This show had a lot of promise but turned out to be a hot confusing mess. With the jumps between the time periods to show what happened in the past, it was very confusing to watch, and painfully slow. Thankfully the show was only 12 episodes and after the first messy 5 episodes, things sped up quite a fair bit.

The best thing about the show were the stellar actors, Every single actor, main cast as well as supporting, were fantastic, including the children/teenage actors.

In short, this is show is like The Ring mixed with a cult. I'd rather re-watch the original Japanese Ring (the movie, not the drama which also sucked big time). Watch it only if you have nothing better to do or like me, I already have Netflix.

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Unexpectedly interesting

When I started this show, I had thought to myself, "Not another romance sageuk" and "Not another show about King Jeongjo." I was wrong on both accounts. Although I traditionally watch sageuks for court intrigue, which this drama lacked, but I didn't miss it. I traditionally also don't like romances and this was the only place I felt that the drama was let down. Will they be together or not? It was a long a tedious question that I couldn't bother whether they answered or not. However, something about the pacing made this drama work, and the actor who played Lee Deok Hwa as King Yeongjo did a fantastic job, as did Lee Joon Ho as Yi San. Not bad for a former boy band member in his first sageuk outing.

For me, the highlight of the show was seeing the relationship between Yi San and his grandfather, whom he concurrently feared for himself and his loved ones, yet was also in awe of. No other rendition of Yi San (in my memory) has showed this fragile side of the man rather than the master who had to constantly juggle and negotiate Noron and Soron politics.

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First impressions - Only for hardcore period drama fans

I am a sucker for period drama and especially those that are based on historical figures or events. This show was sponsored by the Korean government cultural bodies so as you can imagine, would be quite realistic at least from a sets and costume point of view. They do state that it is somewhat historically accurate (as compared to a lot of other period dramas) but still to be taken with a grain of salt for dramatic purposes.

I love the character development and plot development so far, but it's really early days. Comparing this to My Dearest which is broadcasting at the same time, this drama is really only for historical buffs or diehard period drama fans, especially of war dramas. It doesn't have the emotions, flair and sympathy that My Dearest evokes with the on-going love story set within the tragic backdrop (at least so far).

There are some nuances of unusual relationships (son - mother and gay vibes; being gay is still not openly accepted in S Korean society today). So if that's not your cup of tea, you might want to give this a miss. In those days, it was perfectly normal for full blood siblings to marry (to maintain the purity of royal blood) so it was a different time and societal norms were different.

Trivia: Ji Seung Hyun has a role in both My Dearest and this. I am starting to feel that he does a better job in period drama than modern drama.

Will update my review again at the end.

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Disappointing

This show had a lot of promise. It had an interesting premise and also good actors. The leads have all had successful dramas under their belts so i was looking forward to a story of revenge, mystery, and a bit of sci-fi thrown in. I loved watching Lee Ji Ah kick ass, it was a refreshing change from the majority of her other roles.

The show started off really promisingly in the first 4 episodes. It was fast-paced, filled with mysteries to uncover and revenge to boot. However, by episode 6, it started to become draining to watch. The actors, both lead and supporting, were all stalwarts with many solid roles under their belts. Puzzlingly, they (the actors playing Yoo Ra and Jang Geun Mo and Mother Director in particular) started to waaay overact - their growling and menacing looks really annoyed me while their maniacal laughing really grated on my nerves.

I held off watching as much as i could because I had Taxi Driver 2 to distract me. Since that's ended, I thought I'd hold my breath and speed through to finish this drama. However I'm not really sure I can stand sitting through another 6 episodes or so. This is one of those dramas that suffers from being dragged out to make 16 episodes, when 12 would probably have sufficed (the main mysteries are solved before episode 10). I'm gritting my teeth and hope I make it to the end. I'll be back with an update if that happens.

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An low budget Squid Game

I can't help but compare this to Squid Game in terms of the game show form of a thriller. More accurately, this is like Squid Game meets Survivor meets Lord of the Flies.

I don't know why this has such a low rating. The show starts off slow but that's because they're figuring out the rules. Once they have, then it's about competition and strategy - betrayal, alliances, and backstabbing are inevitable.

This show is about the experience of humanity and what it means to be human - in all its raw ugliness or stark beauty. There's never a dull moment but full attention is required to watch the show. It is a highly intelligent show but only after much reflection. It's probably commentary on the state of politics and society at large -about the failure of democracy, the down trodden and the different classes of society. But for now, I'm just going to take it at face value and say it's a bloody (literally) awfully good show.

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Great acting and cast BUT....

The synopsis looked great. It tells the story of a casino owner from youth till present day. We have seen many other dramas on mafia and gangsters, but none about a casino owner so that's a fresh angle. Are there mafia, gambling, prostitution, drinking. and crooked cops? Of course, it's inevitable that such vices would be entangled with the casino scene. These unsavoury elements become the backdrop for the drama but are not the main plot. Interestingly, the main character (Hoon) only appears around episode 5 or 6. That's very late in the show.

The production value was also very high as it's set (and filmed) in the Philippines with local actors. The Korean cast too are top notch stalwarts. Honestly, this show seemed to have everything going for it.

So where did it all go wrong? The first mistake was creating two parts, which seems to be the new trend in cable TV Kdramaland. That only works if the story is so enticing (like Glory) that you'd want to wait for the next instalment. Firstly, if this show wasn't on Disney, which I'm already subscribed to, and secondly, both parts had already dropped by the time I decided to watch it, I would NEVER have bothered. It seemed like the only reason why it had 16 episodes was to make its Philippine sojourn worthwhile. There was a lot of exposition and side characters, but I wonder if they really added to the plot. In fact, a faster-paced 8 to 12 episodes would probably have been enough.

At the end of the day, he was a likeable rogue. So the main question was - did he really commit all those crimes? Should we sympathise with him? I don't think I had a clear answer at the end.

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Worth watching but be patient

This is one of those shows where I really don't understand the need for 2 parts. Why did TV or cable stations think they were doing? Did they think it was a good idea to have 2 parts? I waited until Part 2 had finished broadcasting before I watched both. Same with Glory and Alchemy of Souls. All there have suffered from a dismal Part 1 (altho Glory was better). If I hadn't had Part 2 to follow up with, I would have never bothered beyond Ep 2.

The Part 1 of this is slow. It spends at leat 4 episodes building up the characters and giving their back stories. Finally, the mission of the characters begins around episode 5. If I had to wait several months/years for the main story to unfold, I would not have bothered continuing on with Part 2.

The actors are fantastic and I won't go further as many other reviewers already have. Overall, it's a good entertaining drama of a different genre (I'm so over romantic idol dramas) if you're able to binge watch.

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Not the same groundhog day

Unlike other groundhog day type shows, this is different. As the protagonists attempt to gather clues by reliving the incident each time, they also test out different ways of trying to solve the problem. Each solution however leads to a different set of consequences. Thus, they have to map out the perfect script to avoid the potential downfalls/consequences.

The show is an interesting glimpse into the human psyche. It is far less annoying that some groundhog type shows and for once, it's refreshing that the characters aren't using their pre-knowledge of the situation to benefit and enrich themselves.

What I disliked. First, the police aren't allies. They suspect everyone and want to implicate everyone. Even a witness can become a suspect. They spend more than half of the time trying to avoid being implicated. Under that circumstance, why would anyone want to help the police?

Second, I was thoroughly disappointed by the ending. Each episode carefully went and plugged all the holes but the ending undid all that meticulously laid hard work. I felt the writer sacrificed a very tight storyline for the sake of propaganda.

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It didn't need 20 episodes

This show had a great premise and great actors. I even liked the OST even though it was a repetitive 1 or 2 songs played at the correct time. However, as other reviewers have stated, it really didn't require 20 episodes. 16 would have been more than enough enough. I only once felt sad for the 'king' in recognising that they couldn't be together. And they only had maybe 1 episode of being together as themselves. The rest of the time was dreary politics which wasn't even really useful. We didn't see her as someone who cleverly schemed to thwart the baddies or to help those around her.

Concurrently airing was Red Sleeve Cuff which as a sageuk is superior in every way. The plot moves faster, and even though there isn't much court politics and intrigues, the love story was very real and well done. I much enjoyed that instead. If this wasn't on Netflix, I would have given up at episode 6. I only finished it because I was subscribed to Netflix.

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Slow but stirring

I have to admit that I started watching this show solely because of Lee Min Ho. I was disappointed on that account because this certainly is not idealised romantic drama that elevates him to idol status. Instead, it s a slow and plodding show but full of meaning. It is set against the Korean colonial past and how that plays out in the lives of those who lived through it and how it subsequently impacted their descendents.

The story unfolds very slowly and the co-mingling of the two timelines - young and old Sunja make for confusing watching. While some directors in similar shows have used cues such as different background colours or filters to demarcate the two timelines, here, the audience here is expected to know whether we are watching young Sunja in the past or her grandson in the 'future'. I use their clothing as a cue.

Up till now (end of episode 5), I still see little relevance between her grandson's exploits and her past. In her past, Sunja is the main character but in 1989, her grandson is. That's where it gets discombobulating in trying to reconcile the two parts of the story. I'm hoping we get to the 'point' of the story but I'm losing hope as we're more than halfway in.

This show is certainly no Oshin. The only upside is watching the acting which cannot be faulted.

EDIT: I have now finished the season. Note that the show has an incomplete ending. The series creator followed the book quite closely. He envisaged that the show should unfurl over 4 seasons. Unconvinced that Apple will allow him to complete all 4 seasons, he put in a special documentary at the end of season 1. In my opinion, that's probably the best part of the entire season 1.

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Idol drama. Nothing more, nothing less.

I was so disappointed by this. I really love period dramas (sageuk), but perhaps I had the wrong expectation. I really shouldn't expect too much of 12 episodes. I really wanted to love it - I love both the leads. The plot elements could have been fantastic together: there was a underhanded scheme going on with a mystery. There was a super clever maid. There was a sad king. There was cutesy chemistry between the two leads. There was a second lead romance. There was a brave sidekick. There were hilarious sidekicks. The first few episodes were funny.

Don't get me wrong, I can and do appreciate well crafted sageuk not based on history e.g. Red Sleeve Cuff, Rooftop Prince, and most recently, Bloody Heart.

However, this was an idol drama; nothing more, nothing less. This was a fantastical (ie I'm being sacarstic and rolling my eyes) drama.

The story suddenly introduces new characters and new plot points in the final few episodes.

SPOILERS
She survives attempts to kill her, jail her, etc etc so easily.
She SUDDENLY became eligible to be queen due to her newfound eligible heritage. (not previously mentioned)
The sidekick who was poisoned and his hand whitered away yet SUDDENLY and MIRACULOUSLY he survived and his hand heals.
She was SUDDENLY saved by someone who would become a key ally, in the last 4 episodes. We hadn't seen this person previously.
END SPOILER

I'm going to attribute this to the fact that there were only 12 episodes. No self-respecting sageuk can unfold over just 12 episodes. The writers didn't weave in a backstory (probably not enough episodes to). They simply threw assumed facts in your face to solve key plot points.

My only plus point: precisely because it was only 12 episodes, my pain wasn't prolonged.

In short, have the correct expectations when starting to watch this. Watch it because it's entertaining if viewed from a modern lens, like a fantasy drama. Do not expect an intelligent, authentic, sageuk experience.

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Very very dense

This will be a quick review as I'm struggling. I want really to like this show because it has a stellar cast. However, it is very very dense and needs your full attention. Even though my grasp of modern Korean history is so-so, it still didn't help me in this show.

The first episode just drops you in and you don't really know what's happening and who everyone is. However, I can see the bones of a good story unfolding. One does need patience. I will update the review again at the end.

Update: It was still very dense at the end. Too many side characters and trying to keep track of each character's dynamic agenda and ever-changing allegiances was tiring.. It felt like the show's writers tried to keep it true to history (interspersed with historical segments), yet it was not meant to be historical (as the beginning caveat clearly states).

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