Em Movimento (2023)

Violence galore lacking meanings and life lessons, too much side stories, good acting

UPDATE: I still think this non-linear storytelling doesn't work well for a 20-episode drama. Many characters were left underdeveloped, their back stories felt like unimportant side stories. I wish they'd cover the core story sufficiently here... So I'm not really looking forward for the 2nd Season.

I have mixed feelings about Moving, I found this action show to be unique and gripping although I do not gravitate to watch a superhero genre. I really enjoy the suspense and stake built within every episode; At any moment the storm is coming and the action really starts where anyone can die. The pacing is fine and what's great is that all the characters are given their moments to shine. Another pro is the CGI, they are great quality and really believable.

Moving spends a lot of episodes introducing us to its many characters and setting up the story. The first 7 episodes highlight the kids' superpowers and friendship while hinting to us that their powers might bring more trouble than they’re worth. It gives us glimpses of the mystery and danger to come. I love the healthy relationships between parents and children throughout the show. I also want Bong Seok to be happy, although I'm not completely sold on a romance between him and Hee Soo. While I appreciated the parents' stories as well, after the 13 episodes of our character's backstories, I still have very little attachment to most characters besides Bong Seok. They are not fully fleshed out. This is way too structured, by the time I get invested in these characters, their story is over already (@,@).

Watching the 2nd half have left me feeling bitter and it does not recover till the end. My main issue is that the writer and director purely highlight violence is romantic in these backstories. In a world dominated by conspiratorial and corrupt governments, the only way you can survive is by murder. Also, the portrayals of North Korean villains as monsters could have been more intriguing if they're written as more morally gray characters. Their superpower is used to kill, not for self-defense, and sorry to say, I really dislike it. If that's the case, then what's the difference between heroes and villains?

-Sept 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Leia Mais

Is it truly the end?

A drama worth to watch, who leaves you pondering about many things.

Careful, spoilers are down below.

This drama shows the stories of families struggling in the midst of a war for power between countries.

Here are the reasons why.

In episode 20, the North Korean agent mentioned to his superior that this conflict repeated itself for 50 years, that North Korea sent Kim Shinjo first and then South Korea sent Kim Doo Sik after.

Am I the only one who thinks it hints on a background for the Kim family story?
Does that mean that Kim Doo Sik is Kim Shinjo's son? Which would make Kim Doo Sik NK from his father.
Is the NK agent who can fly related to them then?
Kim Doo Sik mentioned that when he was a baby, he could fly, that his father left him a knife, and that all his life he lived in the shadows. Why does it seem as though he was raised by the NIS? Maybe the leader boss of the NIS, the woman who doesn't age is involved in this, she most likely was there 50 years ago and planned it thorough.

This drama left me more questions unanswered that I thought.
It was truly amazing. I loved it all, the stories were so impactful.

It also opened a new perspective of the superhero genre.
Most of the time, stories about heros are about saving the world, the characters fight against a supervillain, either a crazy scientist or a rich dude that just wants to control the world.

But here, it shows more the perspective of what if people with powers were discovered by their governments, and what if those governments used them as weapons for their own conflicts?

Superpowered people are the new weapons of the countries, in the same way that nuclear bombs are. They work in the shadows for the sake of their countries.
This drama presents the start of an arm race between governments and how this arm race neglects the rights of the humans involved, and it shows this in a beautiful way through the lives of those families involved that struggle to protect their own.

It leaves a beautiful message about human rights and the fact that human beings are not meant to be weaponized or used in anyway.

Leia Mais

Another overrated Kdrama

By first glance it seemed like a super hero drama, but in fact it isn't, it's more of a romance drama instead.

The main problem is it hasn't got a clear plot, just a bunch of individuals with super powers wondering and interacting with each other, there wasn't even a main story line, that makes it rather slow paced and uninteresting. The story was mainly broken into 3 parts that were loosely connected, there wasn't a clear main character or antagonist or plot to carry through. The cast were fine but they were wasted as the characters were lack of charisma or strong personality that shines, but rather portraits as dull ordinary individuals. When a drama or movie is written it should carry a main story or convey a certain message which Moving has totally failed to deliver, which is a giant waste of talents and viewers time.

Leia Mais

Everything's good.

Apparently its one of the rarest K dramas ever. Everything is good here, acting, cast, music, story, character development, you name it. tbh, I have no idea how did korea come up with this, because you see, these losers are known for making flowerboy garbage romantic stories all the time so THIS one is a complete refresher and I never expected such a show from korea.

Yes it has gore/blood in it. this show was a solid 8/10 then when I saw the ending I realized its 9/10 because the ending is utterly satisfying and just like how its supposed to be. Its a supernatural story and has romance in it too.

Leia Mais

what a great surprise !!

Waw, I'm writing this review at the end of episode 7 (yes I decided to start this series when it wasn't over yet... ayyy the pain of waiting). I'm very disappointed in Disney+ for not promoting this series properly. I haven't seen anything on this series except for a few TikTok. At one point, it piqued my curiosity and I started, without reading or seeing the trailer so I had absolutely no idea what it was about. I was surprised to see the superpowers but what a good surprise!! First, even if we talk about superhuman powers, it remains strangely coherent (human weapons, competition between countries, shooting down pensioners, inheritance of powers, schools that bring them together, etc.). The story is well done and its structure is very interesting: we develop each character at the same time (or family), and it's not boring at all!! There are 20 episodes in all so it will surely still be very well developed. In terms of cinematography: incredible. I love the positions, movements, colors of the camera. It looks great, it's fun to watch. I find the trio very endearing. We don't know much about super-man yet, but I guess it's best for last grrrr. I really like the friendship / romance between the two characters from the beginning, too cute. Besides, I really like this actress, a beauty + talent!

Leia Mais

This drama is a very peculiar drama but it is satisfactory on every level

1/ What I liked:
- The peculiar narration of the drama. It felt very like a comic book or a manhwa with different chapters. Each one dedicated to a specific character or group of character and them all of them in the final.
- The characters: I loved the good guys but I also some of the bad guys. It is not about good ones and bad ones, but it is about humanity.
- The dual timeline between the story of the parents and the children and how they meet in the end.
- The action which is 50% of the time made of brutality but it is a very enjoyable brutality as it is not human but superhuman. Some scene are bloody and sometime gory bit still I enjoyed them as they were like fantasy and fun.
- The story overall is really interesting from the parents ‘one to the kids ‘one told in an unconventional manner.
- The fun. Some very good fun even in the saddest or most brutal moments. It is like not intented but still fun.


2/ What I liked less:
- ML's characterization to make him innocent was pushed too far. Made him look retarded and silly. I am glad in the end he progressed fast.
- Confusing timeline with flashbacks in the flashback.

3/ OST: Appropriate. Very gripping at times.

4/ Rewatch value
So fun. I will surely rewatch it or scenes of it.

5/OVERALL
Best drama I have watched in 2023 so far. 10/10. This drama has a really great story told in a very special and nice way with endearing and complex characters, very emotional moments involving love, friendship, family love, partnership, rivalry... insisting on the human side of people facing the brutality of the real evil ones. A MUST WATCH.

Leia Mais

The Drag Nearly Killed It

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

If you're like me and you hate flashbacks, you probably won't like this drama.

Acting/Cast: Top notch easily. Great cast, great acting. The acting made me feel things, especially in the first half of the drama. 10/10

Writing: The writing was great in the 1st half. I liked the story between Bong Seok and his mom. I found the kids to be interesting and how they each deal with their "condition". This isn't really about superheroes...they're more like everyday people that have an ability that has made them outcasts. I found that approach to be compelling. It reminded me of the plot of a book I read in school called Hidden Talents by David Lubar. So, in the beginning, when the focus was on the kids in this school together, I really enjoyed it. Then, the story went into flashback mode that lasted for way too long. The story wasn't very linear anymore and it jumped between characters. Because of this jumping around, many characters that I enjoyed watching were completely absent from multiple episodes in a row. I just wanted the flashback to hurry up so I could get back to watching the kids at the school. Don't get me wrong, the adults had interesting stories too, but they were dragged out for way too long. I almost dropped this drama because of this. They should have cut back to the kids in the middle of the flashbacks or maybe cut the total number of episodes down. Towards the end, a character was introduced, given a back story in flashback fashion and everything. It seemed out-of-place. Why spend so much time on an insignificant character this late in the drama? I guess it was to give the characters connected to him a little bit of background and humanize some of the "villains"? Maybe if they didn't drag out the flashbacks of the 2 main kids' parents, they could have had more time to appropriately flesh out some of these side characters. However, despite almost dropping this drama in the 2nd half, the ending was decent. 6/10

Direction/SFX/Music: I didn’t like the flow/pacing of the drama. Flashbacks lasted so long that I nearly forgot what the faces of characters on the backburner looked like. However, the production value was obviously high. Most of the time, the SFX was very well done. However, there were some flying scenes that I thought didn't look so great. The music didn’t grab my attention, but at least it didn’t annoy me. 5/10

Entertainment Value: The first half kept me engaged. It was emotional and unique. I found myself looking for a plot but instead, I got a barrage of flashbacks. The story dragged on, and I longed for the simpler times that took place within the school for extraordinary children…which did eventually come around again, but too little, too late. 3.5/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 6/10 mainly due to my hatred for flashbacks.

Leia Mais

Good slice of life superhero series

The acting and VFX in the Korean drama series are both excellent, but the editing is so lazy and uninspired that it ruins the entire experience. The series is a snooze fest for the most part, with long stretches of exposition that are interrupted by sudden bursts of violence. The editing is also riddled with continuity errors that break the immersion of the series.

For example, in one scene, a character may be shown crying, but in the next scene, they are suddenly smiling. Or, a character may be shown walking down the street, but in the next scene, they are suddenly standing in a different location. These continuity errors are jarring and can take viewers out of the story.

The series' editing problems are also evident in its pacing. The series is incredibly slow for the most part, with long stretches of nothing happening. The filmmakers seem to be afraid to cut anything, even though there are many scenes that could have been removed or shortened without harming the story.

For example, there may be a long scene in which the main characters are talking, but they are mostly just repeating themselves or saying nothing of importance. Or, there may be a long scene of a character walking from one place to another. These scenes could have easily been cut or shortened without losing any important information.

The series' climax is also often overlong. The action sequences may be well-choreographed, but they go on for too long and become repetitive. The filmmakers could have easily cut the action sequences by a few minutes without losing any of the excitement.

Overall, the series' editing is simply terrible. It's clear that the filmmakers didn't put much thought or effort into it. As a result, the series is a chore to watch, and it's impossible to get invested in the story.

If the filmmakers had taken the time to edit their series more carefully, it could have been a much better series. The acting and VFX are both excellent, and the stories have potential. However, the lazy and uninspired editing ruins the entire experience.

In addition to the above, here are some specific examples of editing problems that are common in Korean drama series:

* **Excessive use of slow-motion:** Korean drama series often overuse slow-motion, especially in romantic scenes. This can make the series feel slow-paced and draggy.
* **Unnecessary close-ups:** Korean drama series also often use unnecessary close-ups, especially of the actors' faces. This can be distracting and take viewers out of the story.
* **Poor scene transitions:** Korean drama series sometimes have poor scene transitions, which can make the series feel disjointed and confusing.
* **Inconsistent tone:** Korean drama series sometimes have an inconsistent tone, shifting between comedy, drama, and romance abruptly. This can make the series feel jarring and disorienting.

Despite these editing problems, Korean drama series remain popular with viewers around the world. This is likely due to the fact that they often have well-developed characters, engaging storylines, and high production values. However, it is a shame that the editing of these series often lets them down.

Leia Mais

Usual teen drama with elements of interesting superpowered spies fighting for survival

I'm gonna be honest, so far I couldn't give 2 damns about the teens and their storyline.

Too much focus on the will they-won't they romance and the typical teen drama arcs (school bullying, teen angst and rebellion against parents, accepting oneself) which completely doesn't go well with the extremely serious and thrilling plot of the 'adult storyline' full of spies, murders, hunting people for their abilities, betrayal and the John Wick style of trying to survive.

In my opinion, show would be 10/10 if you removed all of the teen stuff and focused on the parents instead and lean into the teens' pov at the last few episodes, instead of the other way around. I'm way more interested in Lee Minhyun's, Kim Doosik's, Lee Jaeman's and Jang Juwon's characters than their kids - Lee Kang Hoon maybe being the exception because I find his family's story particularly touching and heart breaking.

As of now, I really cannot go through the scenes with the teenagers. It's just too boring when compared to every scene with the adults. If you go into watching this expecting a lot of action, then be prepared to skip a lot of scenes of teens running around with a crush.

Leia Mais

To protect my kid, I'm ready to become a monster anytime.

?️Do you sometimes have that dream where your body is weightless and you can fly and jump effortlessly? And can you easily manage your movements there? The ability to fly is Kim Bong Seok's secret, and keeping your mind and body under control during puberty is no easy job, especially if there is cute and kind Hee Joo around.

On the furtile soil of North and South Korea's confrontation and secret agencies, engenders and flourishes this inspiring enthralling drama about people with superpowers.

?️Althouth the North Korean agents are, as usual, murderous terrorists, they have backstories too. Some of them were regular people before the dictatorship grabbed them in its claws. E.g. the North flying agent merely wanted to earn enough money in the special forces to put food on his family's table, while some North Koreans were threatened to use their powers to "serve the great republic", and "The Big Clap" guy Lim Jae Seok was nurtured into the borderline animal state in a North concentration camp for 20 years. The tall tough North Korean guy breaking down in front of Hee Joo was a beautiful scene too. My only complaint: the captain of the North team suddenly becoming sentimental and sacrificial is too sweet of a tale.

Another great thing about the story, South Korean special forces aren't angels either. They may have climbed up to a high spacious sunshine-lit glass building on the mountain, but they still stayed the way they were founded during the military rule of president Park Jeong Hee "and Co". "We work in the dark to serve the light" - but at what cost? Army and special forces naturally attract more agressive individuals, and that's the fact. The only young person in the drama who came to work for the intelligence agency is Kang Hoon who wanted his dad's criminal records erased in exchange.

You can easily see the writer Kang Full's attitude towards the big government structures and political rivalries between countries: all the "glory" comes at the expense of regular people whose talents and lives are used to destroy, not create.

Most of the episodes are the stories of the parents, and I'd rather like the drama to be more present. Because I can hardly believe two untrained highschoolers can suddenly take out a veteran merciless North Korean agent.

?️Moving doesn't create some unearthly different world for superpowers but allows them to exist, gently wraps the non-scented Korean city around them creating a very unique authentic feeling. The cinematography leaves enough space for the light to come through to shape the voluminous world. The numerous stunts and graphics are great (over 7000 CGI shots). No wonder it took 2 years and the record-breaking budget to make.

Leia Mais

Leave them alone! They just want to live a normal life! (+ Blood, Gore, Violence)

I never thought “Moving” would take the top spot of the most violent Asian dramas I’ve watched, beating “Bulgasal” and “Arthdal Chronicles”. I thought this drama would be about superpowers, kind of like the Thai drama “The Gifted”. Little did I know this was way more than I bargained for.

I am not sure why this drama was named “Moving”. Maybe because the characters' background stories all moved (aka touched) me. Each of the gifted just wants to live a normal life with the people they love. Why can’t the evil governments let these poor souls be? Getting to know each of the characters is the best part of the drama for me. The adults and the villains have suffered so much. We have devoted parents who give up everything, so that their children can be safe, and won’t be exposed and exploited. We have parents who just want to live an honest life and make a living, yet are forced to be trained as soldiers and assassins. At the end of the day, there are only 3 characters I hate - Deputy Chief of NIS, Principal of the high school and the North Korea dude.

If you are watching this drama for Zo In Sung and his return to the small screen after 7 years, you will be disappointed. His screen time is so limited. I was expecting to see him more towards the end. He’s great as usual but was reduced to a supporting role more than a main role. His chemistry with Han Hyo Joo is great. Their love story is so sweet and adorable yet sad and heartbreaking. You can totally see how his son, Bong Seok, takes after his super dad in the romance department. Lee Mi Hyun is a badass single mom. It was so hard watching her raise her son alone and the ways she tried to keep him safe.

Fried Chicken Man, Jang Joo Won, must have the most violent scenes in the drama. Every time I see him fight, I mentally prepare myself to look away. But when he’s just a single dad, he’s so sweet, like a big teddy bear. His little love story has the same awkward adorableness as Kim Doo Shik. Both men just want to spend the rest of their lives with their wives and children. Is that too much to ask for?

I was not really prepared for the drama to focus on the kids/teens so much in the first 7 episodes. Their stories are pretty good, but not as interesting as the adults. There are some cute and funny scenes between Jang Hee Soo and Kim Bong Seok. I like how their friendship slowly develops into something more. However, I find the transition from kids to adults storylines somewhat disjointed. The back-and-forth switching of the timelines could be confusing as the drama tells the stories of different characters.

“Moving” has a star-studded cast of veteran actors. I thought to myself, “Hey, I know you!” as there are so many supporting roles played by amazing actors. There’s no reason to worry about the acting in this drama. The makeup department needs to get an award. The wounds are amazingly real, that’s why I had to look away. It was too much for me. On the other hand, the CCI of flying is quite hilariously fake. Maybe I am more used to C-drama wuxia wire work.

I would recommend this drama if you enjoy super powers, thrillers and action scenes. “Gore” is one of the tags, so be warned. Each episode is captivating and keeps me entertained. 20 episodes went by really fast and I wanted more. Will there be a season 2? We shall see!


Other Random Observations:
1. Don’t forget to watch past the ending credits!
2. Bong Seok’s accidental floating and Hee Soo trying to hold him down - very cute!
3. Dong Shik, “An Intentional failure is not a failure.”
4. Monster is a romanticists, reading ‘romance’ novels, e.g. Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain
5. Like parents, like children - Bong Seok and Hee Soo with the sky + ground attack, just like Doo Shik and Joo Won.


Completed: 9/22/2023 - Review #357

Leia Mais