Hyde, Jekyll e Eu (2015)

Quando il troppo stroppia e i pregi diventano difetti

L'idea alla base della serie non è nuova - come dice il titolo si ispira al noto Dr.Jekyll e Mr. Hyde - ma la chiave di lettura sembra avere un buon potenziale di partenza: un Jekyll freddo, cinico, egoista e per nulla empatico e al contrario un Hyde che invece di essere un alter ego malvagio viene dipinto come un eroe, un salvatore, costantemente permeato da sorrisi e buone intenzioni.
Un meccanismo rovesciato che mi ha incuriosita e che già dopo i primi episodi mostra un ulteriore inversione: Seo Jin non è poi così freddo e calcolatore come si sforza di apparire e d'altro canto l'altruismo di Robin non è proprio così smisurato. Un doppio flip che sembra voler rimettere tutto in discussione, gettando l'idea che "la verità non è quella che appare". In realtà, alla fine, la verità si troverà un po' nel mezzo.
A condire la storia ci sono dei buoni temi a supporto: la psicanalisi, i ricordi del rapimento durante l'infanzia, con tematica poliziesca annessa.
Tanti aspetti positivi, insomma. Eppure...c'è mancato poco che non la terminassi. Il ritmo - non dico incalzante, ma quanto meno coinvolgente - dei primi episodi rallenta a una velocità da crociera. Il giro di boa l'abbiamo a metà serie, con la protagonista che finalmente fa 2+2 e scopre che non esiste alcun gemello, ma sia prima che dopo i tempi sono davvero troppo dilatati, parliamo di 20 episodi che potevano benissimo essere riassunti in poco più della metà. E poiché il troppo stroppia, tutti gli aspetti positivi sopracitati diventano delle zavorre: la questione dell'avvicendarsi dei due sembra voler proseguire all'infinito, la storia del rapimento e del recupero dei ricordi sembra la saga della "storia infinita", la dottoressa segregata, le sedute ipnotiche, ecc... a una certa viene da dire "ok, abbiamo capito, ora però andiamo avanti!". Sostanzialmente è proprio questo dilungarsi esasperante che affossa una serie dalle premesse più che buone. Anche il triangolo amoroso viene trascinato fin quasi alla fine e risolto con un ricongiungimento che non ha il tempo di essere percepito come tale (più che un protagonista che alla fine è sia Robin che Seo Jin, la spiacevole impressione è che lei si sia sposata con Robin per poi trascorrere la vita con Seo Jin). Poteva essere gestito meglio, insomma. In ultimo, c'è davvero un eccessivo buonismo: il dualismo bene/male di Jekyll/Hyde sparisce, e vogliamo far risultare buoni entrambi. Non contenti, anche al padre di Seo Jin viene condonato molto e, perchè no, pure l'amico d'infanzia, che ha fatto da antagonista per buona parte della serie, entra nella squadra dei buoni redenti. Alla fin fine, i cattivi sono tutti spariti, insomma.
Per quanto riguarda i due attori protagonisti, non conoscevo l'attrice ma l'ho apprezzata molto. L'attore che interpreta il Presidente l'ho già visto in altri drama - in primis Suspicious Partner - e lo trovo sempre una valore aggiunto. Quanto a Hyun Bin, servono due parole a parte: l'ho conosciuto nel più acclamato "Crash landini on you", che è stato anche il mio prima k-drama in assoluto, e che ha fatto da apripista a tutte le serie asiatiche che ho visto successivamente. Non avendo termini di paragone, all'epoca, l'avevo trovato ineccepibile - pur nei panni di un personaggio non particolarmente scattante, va detto - ma molti degli altri suoi drama ero finita poi per abbandonarli, ridimensionando la sua bravura a una triste monotonia interpretativa. Con questa serie, invece, si riscatta decisamente: non solo perchè ricopre ruoli diametralmente opposti ma perchè emerge in entrambi tutta quell'energia che mi era sembrata sopita persino nella sua sopracitata serie di maggior successo. Consiglierei questa serie? I primi episodi valgono la pena, ma mettete in conto di non arrivare alla fine.

Leia Mais

This drama is one of the best for my point of view. Sadly, I saw it is underrating and I am quite alone in thinking it was a great drama. I loved every episode and every main characters. Hyun Bin made an amazing role, full of sensibility and the struggle with itself was perfectly contrived along all the drama. on the other hand, the psichiatrist was fantastic and his battle seemed real. I think the drama was like an amazing fight and dialogues between Seo Jin , Robin and dr. Yoon, a journey to healing, a journey to survive and to find their real lives. I loved all of this, the drama was full of sentitivity and feelings.

Leia Mais

Look, we've all been there. Watch a drama you absolutely frigging love and then it's over. You desperately try to find a replacement but the problem is you don't have encyclopedic knowledge of every drama made in existence so you don't know what the closest thing to the masterpiece you just watched would be. So you head on to Wikipedia, search up the actors to the drama you loved to death and go "ok, Hyun Bin, what else have you been in that I can watch?"

This is what happened to me and the drama "Crash Landing on You". CLOY is a drama exclusive to Netflix which this is NOT, so if you have Netflix drop everything and go watch that instead. I consider Hyde, Jekyll, Me the rebound drama after CLOY and by god is it sub par in every way. It might fill your Hyun Bin needs but it's just not the same.

Ok, ok, fine you get two versions of him (specifically one with glasses and gelled up hair and the other one without either of those things), like what more do you want?

It's just unfortunate that they wanted to return Hyun Bin to the throne of rom com king after his stint in Secret Garden and while the premise of the story is quite interesting (when will split personalities not be interesting?), everything else just seems contrived. Like the story line exists in order for Hyun Bin to play this interesting role.

For example, Han Jimin's character (Jang Ha Na) being a circus master was laughably 1 dimensional in that she did absolutely nothing involving being the circus master besides: a) being slightly more athletic and being able to use a tightrope and b) constantly whining about how her circus is going to be shut down when their most elaborate shows is on par with a cheap children's party magic show. The whole circus business was merely way to keep Ha Na close to Seo Jin - after the whole Seo Jin/Robin plot took off with Ha Na as an unsuspecting passenger, it no longer matter Jang Ha Na was a circus master.

I don't blame any of the actors for this. On paper, this drama was just asking to succeed because it hit all the right points: rich guy/ poor woman story, pretty leads, quirky female lead, two male leads that cover all the points from likeable, athletic, protective to prickly, tsuendre, and outright cold. However it seems that splitting Hyun Bin into two different people meant Han Jimin couldn't quite build a connection with either sides of the coin. I personally feel it's why it falls short in terms of likeability. But hey, it's a rom com, if you like those, you'll probably be ok watching this one....

(But seriously, go watch Crash Landing on You.)

--- SPOILER BELOW---

I disagree with the way the storyline went with Hana falling for Robin exclusively. I think it would have been a bigger hurdle for her to realize the she like Seo Jin all along and that Seo Jin could have made that personal journey into being a better person through that relationship. It seemed like they tried to do this via the 'merging' of their personalities, but I find that to be the cheap way out. Seo Jin didn't really have a change because that's just Robin merging into his psyche. Hana liked Robin because he was the easier side of the coin for her to get along with.

Leia Mais

Team SeoJin or Team Robin?

First of all, this is one of the greatest series I've watched before and to be honest it's been years since I first watch it. Storywise, it's unique and has a lot of colorful stories inside it but since I re-watched it (and maybe because I got older) I felt like the story was to draggy. It could've been just 16 episodes instead of 20 but still it's a masterpiece. The thriller part at the beginning feels too long yet interesting like finding out how things will turn out then the latter part where you'll be torn between SeoJin and Robin. I wonder which side are you. Hmmmmm.

Hyun Bin is such a legend in terms of dual characters. He did it on Secret Garden and here. I can't count how many characters did he bring into life and all of them are unique and just the gaze gives you away who is who. To be honest, I didn't know Han JiMin yet when I first watched this but I've seen her in several works throughout the years and I can say she's really a versatile actress. It's just that her character as Hana here is a bit immature (but not that annoying).

Oh and before I forgot, the OST on this series is also legendary. I can't stop myself from singing along the songs. It's been on my playlist for half a decade and it never gets old.

To be honest, this was one of the really classic series of 2015 and I honestly would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of K-Dramas whether newbie or veteran, this series deserves a spot on everyone's watchlist.

Leia Mais

I just finished this drama the 4th time last night, and my heart still soars with joy by the moments from the drama. If you want to watch more Hyun Bin’s work, I recommend this one. It’s not an average rom-com, it requires some emotional investments as the story unfolds the thought process of HB’s character, how he became the way he is now. The character development in the story was one of the best I've ever seen in the world of fiction. HB’s acting in this drama is super superb and his visuals are also perfect. He makes you laugh and cry and fall in love with both characters that he portrays.

This one was my favorite of all time before CLOY. Please ignore the bad ratings, ignore all the comparisons between this and KMHM and give your pure heart a try. Like I said it’s not just another rom com because its plot is complex. But to those who love complicated plotlines and plot twists, you won’t be disappointed. Hyun Bin is simply the best actor.

Leia Mais

starts weakly but more and more becomes AMAZING emotional drama, deep story and characters

from random clieche melodrama to fireworks of emotions and complex characters/relationships!
Don't judge this drama from first 5-7 episodes. There are dramas with so high production quality and details (I mean when even not meaningful details are well thought and exquisite) but often lack of emotions, when you watch, it's really good but you don't feel anything. Well this drama is opposite. Maybe there are some law quality details in overall but characters, relationships are soooo emotional, soo deep and multilayered....

In the beginning episodes It had really bad production value and many primitive scenes, clieches and cring moments, but it kept me interested anyway, all the time. And then it becomes more and more good, primitive moments are less or almost not but story and characters grow, become deep and multilayered, relationships and emotions real and very emotional; Near the end this Drama was soo amazing, SOOO GREAT I would rate it (if not first 5-7 episodes) 10/10... No, 15 from 10!!! There are dialogues and subjects that make you really think about human nature, psychology, emotions... characters (especially Hyun Bin's characters) really grow and make you more and more feel for them, sympathise them...

Now when I write this, I'm surprised myself, how drama with so primitive chieche beginning become soo deep and emotional!

Hyun Bin of course is perfect as always, and FL isn't bad too, I would say she is quite good, I could feel her emotions (because of her acting and because how her character is realistically written). I saw many dislike her, but as character and also her acting is still much better then many FLs in dramaworld, she isn't annoying and is quite logical.

Events and characters actions/reasons develop, not happens out of the sky. There wasn't usual scenario of drama development, when action/interest is in the beginning, then story is puled and complication of (already predictable) story is fastened only in last 1-2 episodes.

Villain wasn't perfect/fully resonable from beginning but as the whole drama he and his character becomes more and more good, not fully dark, he is human with issues and anger, nut just one dimentional evil.

P.S. I tend to love not so nice characters, but there are few dramas when nice/kind character is soo good, soo pure and completely wonderful, no one could not love him, and Robin is one o them <3 his character, story from beginning till the end was so beautiful and emotional, real fireworks of real emotions ...

Leia Mais

I really loved this drama. It was a unique take on a ML with multiple personality disorder. I watched months or a year after seeing Kill Me, Heal Me so I didn't have any lingering feelings for KMHM when watching. I think they are both great in there own way. HJM was less comedy and explored more of the relationship between the original and the second personality. It had its fun and light moments, but the last few episodes drew out the viewers emotions. The crime aspect of the story was good. Some of it was predictable, but it added to the growth of the characters and wasn't boring. Overall I think the relationships between the FL and the ML's two personalities was original and was treated with realistic feelings and actions in such a unique situation. The relationships in the show were mature and showed growth over the drama so it kept the viewers attention.

Leia Mais

Rom-com/thriller/melodrama: The cold-hearted businessman who owns what is essentially “knock-off Disneyland, Korea” has a secret split personality who is his total opposite, and who he will do anything to suppress. Mr. Businessman clashes with the woman who runs the circus in his park, doing his level best to kick her out, but they keep getting tangled together. In a twist, she and his alternate personality end up falling in love. But…only the alternate personality. The “main” personality has an entirely different kind of relationship with her. Which brings in questions: which one is the “real” personality? What does it mean to be a “real” person? And more! An unknown attempted murderer is after the male lead for Reasons, which of course means that the female lead will get dragged into danger.

This show starts off as a stretch concept rom-com, but ends up as a surprisingly deep and wrenching commentary on multiple-personality disorder and mental health. The exchanges between his two personalities—via videos that they record for each other, because they don’t remember any time that the other personality is “active”—are fascinating to watch unfold as they begin as enemies sharing the same body and…progress from there.

Most heartbreaking exchange: FL asks the alternate personality if it would be okay if she loves all of him—both personalities. The alternate responds that he is his own whole person, and that he cannot—he will not—share her love with anyone, not even with another version of himself.

Leia Mais

first of all this drama was nice till ep.13
the story was about a man who had a (Dissociative identity disorder) a critical case and his shrink couldn't heal him for years

then suddenly the writer decided to make a circus girl who knew nothing about Psychiatry or even a critical case like (Dissociative identity disorder) to manage with this serious case as if she was a shrink
and above all of that she treated him as if he was two persons not a sick one
she teased me soooooo

i felt that the story underestimated my mind really
i hated it
my opinion it 's really really overrated
i liked sung joon role so much he is a brilliant actor

Leia Mais

Way too long

I wasnt gonna bother write a review for this drama as it had its ups and downs but werent to bad,i found it way to long it honestly could of finished in alot less episodes,but hey each to their own i only liked the odd characters tbh like the main lead his coldness turn soft was great couldnt really fault him well apart from when he became Robin,yeah he was way to childish touchy feely and kinda sulky,loved the assistant lol found him hilarious.Didnt mind the young girls dad her circus friends and the female shrink liked em all, didnt really like the rest of them couldnt stand the father he got on my nerves heartless dick he spent most of the drama constantly shouting his mouth off, didnt like the guy voted ceo he was proper irritating and kinda creepy.
The female lead was just rubbish to be fair dunno if it was just her character as ive not watched her in anything else or just her i felt they could of made this drama just as well without her,she contributed nothing in my opinion she was just there,i got a little confused though ,i thought she was giving both parts of him a try , she seems only interested in robin ,theyre always lovey dovey not seeming to care there's a nutter on the loose whos after the both parts of the male lead,i also found theyre not very cautious,as the crazy doc seems to always get to them,also how do you love one part of a person and wanna date and play house with him ,but not the other is she really that thick ,he wouldn't even exist without mr gu,wake girl they are 2 halves of a whole,think about it:( by the time i finished watching i just couldn't stand her tbh.
The police in this drama were so shite i mean come on......what a let down , no sense at all,couldn't catch a cold to be fair after abit the male shrink who took the doc just again started to get on my nerves who waits 15 years for revenge just to suck at it so bad ,the storyline to some extent werent bad it just got ruined along the way somehow ,others in it to me neednt of been.
I decided to drop it as i felt it was getting pretty silly at this point i mean the bad guy manages to keep escaping and kidnapping people uh uh it was time to drop it,as i said storyline weren't to bad would be better without female lead and i wouldnt watch it again.

Leia Mais

Irritating!

I really wanted to like this drama and Ilike the storyline but am struggling for two reasons -first the female lead is intensely irritating! She acts like a teen /ingenue, with an irritating chuckle. She is supposed to be the lead of a circus? I dont find her endearing or comedic, and many of her scenes with Robin are so sickly sweet its nauseating! Just how old are these two supposed to be? Just too childish for words. I'm not blaming the actors but the writers! She is beginning to show more character and maturity then along comes Robin and she regresses. The puppet scene was beyong cringe making!
I also found the male leads physical grabbing and pushing offensive - I do not like this particular behaviour in so many korean dramas. Violence towards women is just wrong and should not be seen as acceptable.
I just cant seem to engage with this drama - am beginning to fast forward thru the fl scenes just to get thru the story which is not developing fast enough! There is plenty of mystery surrounding how the ML got to be how he is but its dragging!
Oh and the music is also cloying in its sentimentality!

Leia Mais