Doce Lar (2020)

Late runner wins my favourite drama of the year

Wow, just wow. If I don't get a second season, I'm going to become a monster.
Let me start by saying, I hate horror, I avoid it like the plague but after watching the trailer, I decided to sit down and watch some of it, and it hooked me from the start. I have never read the webtoon, so I went into this blind.
The only thing that has a shrug from me: the song Warriors being played. Only thing that irritated me.
The acting superb, two thumbs up for the cast. They had me in a whirlwind emotion of hate, hope, love, among other things.
This drama's manifestation of monster's, both physically and psychologically was brilliant. What added to my delight, was the monsters appearance, almost webtoony in a way. They weren't made to blend in perfectly with their environment, they were made to look unreal, and that only heightened the idea of real monsters. Human's and their shortcomings. When we cut to people, it was gritty, and real, and dirty. The metaphorical beauty of this drama hit me like a bus (or a firetruck).
Another point is the characters themselves. Morally grey. I love when this is done right, and this was done awesome. I had my favourites, and I had those I loathed, and there were those who changed my mind. I grew with the characters, and loved every minute of it. And what brought more meaning was character deaths. They did this so right. They were poignant, and made me stop and think. I didn't just go, oh well, another dead, I actually paused and grieved when a few of my favourites died (or did they?) They had different personalities, different goals, different histories, we didn't dwell on them, but were exposed to them fresh, raw and wholly, which kept the teetering pace.
I think 10 episodes was a great package. I feel like some drama's do 16-20 and they end up with so much filler, or flashback or things that meant nothing. Here, everything was inserted for a reason.
And that ending episode, the twists? Damn, that's an ending done right.
Can I also say the poetry behind Hyun-Su's form? He looked like an avenging angel, and whether he caused that eclipse or not, I can't wait to see them delve further into this world of survival.
Sweet home hit a sweet spot, in a year of drama misses for me, and I eagerly await the next season! Fighting team!

Leia Mais

People say not to compare, but c'mon

I prefer the webcomic much more than this live action. I think the show was going for something that didn't really fit the story and setting.

The original webcomic was a bit more horror oriented. With spine-chilling moments and creepy stuff happening and is kinda slow paced. But I think it shot itself in the foot by going for this over-the-top, action hero kinda show and, how can we forget because it's practically stuck inside the head of everyone who watched the show, using the same goddamn song over and over again everytime something remotely big happens. "Warriors" is a good song, but now I just get annoyed everytime I hear it.

I think if they were going a lot slower, be a little more meticulous, and maybe not have some of the creatures have spasms all over their body at all times, and not turn into a Hollywood action film for some moments, the show would have worked quite a lot better. They went a bit too grandiose with some of the cinematics and action scenes in my opinion.

But still, credit where it's due, the acting itself throughout the show is pretty good. Semi-realistic, and sticking pretty close to the characters in the comic.

Would I recommend it? Sure. If you wanna watch an interesting horror-action show, go ahead. But I implore you, go read the webcomic after watching the show. You might think it's meh, you might think it's leagues better than the show.

Leia Mais

Great show with bad CGI

Sweet Home South Korean Fantasy Horror Drama Directed by one of the best kdrama directors in history Lee Eung Bok person who directed Mr.Sunshine, Goblin, and Descendants of the sun. This is a popular webtoon adaptation by Netflix. First do not compare with Kingdom series. This show is the most expensive Netflix show made in South Korea so I had high expectations but after watching the trailer I was kinda disappointed. CGI monsters look likes garbage to me, yes in this series they look like PlayStation 2 game. That's the biggest weakens in this series. When it comes to practical effects they have done a great job. Sweet Home reminds me of Resident Evil and Train to Busan. The plot is good but there are few plot holes. This is not just another zombie drama because these monsters are not easy to kill and every each monster is very unique that's one of the main reasons for me to keep watch this series. I loved the cinematography and color grading. There are a lot of close-up shots. It reminds me of the dexter intro which is really awesome. This is the most aggressive kdrama I have ever watched, there is a lot of violence and blood. They have a top-notch cast for this series and there not going to disappoint you. Every character in this series felt real to me. there are a lot of character developments throughout the series. There were a few characters that I need a backstory for them. The soundtracks are good but there was imagine dragons song and I felt that is not necessary for the scenes. Overall this is a good show with a lot of entertainment and I hope they develop their CGI in the next seasons.

Leia Mais

It wasn't for me at all
Know there are a few characters I enjoyed which made me stick with it hoping to pick up but it never did, it plummeted down. Hyun us has saved me a couple of times. The story of being an orphaned teenager that don't interact with others, made me wonder how he would cope. Then turning into a monster making everyone fearful of him but he was way too submissive
Eun Yoo is the one that changed the most from a ballet girl to a leader I found it hard to understand the dramatic transformation at times
The brother that I got confused with the doctor or was it priest? Either way, his leadership saved all their lives. You want to stick with him when the world ends.

Leia Mais

Nice build-up!

Initially, I was very skeptical about this drama because I do not usually watch supernatural dramas. However, I was pleasantly surprised because it turned out to be very good. The build-up was great, I haven't encountered such a neat storyline progression in a while. Unfortunately, most dramas start out strong and only get worse by the episode, however this only got better with time. The ending might have been my favorite part, which is a hard thing to achieve. It left me wanting a second season but was also satisfying enough so that it didn't feel incomplete. Of course, there were some things I didn't like or would have preferred if they'd been executed differently, but overall, I would definitely recommend this drama!

Leia Mais

Can't wait for the second season.

At first I thought sweet home is a survival thriller drama. I never intended to actually watch it. But I did, and was so fucking into the story, setting and the characters.

The story focuses on the theme "inner monsters" awaken by your "desires". And I straight away dig that shit! I liked how the drama was so fucking eerie, even before the monsters come into picture.

The characters are the soul of the story. Sweet home does a great job to make the viewers connect with the characters. You hate some of them and fucking abhor the others. Until you get to know about their back stories and then you start to sympathize with them and even share their feelings.
It is fun to watch when the characters are in moral conflict. When the line between "right" and "wrong" gets blurred, you really look forward to see what the characters do in those kind of situations.

If the show wouldn't had gone a little fast paced at the last half episodes, I would have fucking loved it even more.

Now that I have finally finished watching the drama, I can't wait for the next season. That's why I am starting the manhwa (as it is adapted from a comic).

Leia Mais

Humanity in the horror

I had heard this show was very good but I was reluctant to watch it. I don't do well with horror movies and I thought this show would be too scary/ violent for me. However, if you can handle shows like Supernatural and Stranger Things, this is barely bloodier. So I'd recommend it if you can handle a moderate amount of violence- it isn't really scary, just intense and bloody.

From the very start, this show managed to be exciting and really fun despite all the darkness and gore. The atmosphere and monsters provided the thrills and intensity I was hoping for, without being too scary. The show definitely gets pretty dark, but not so much in a depressing way. I was surprised at how emotional and touching the show was at times. I haven't watched much horror, but none of what I've watched managed to combine violent dread and beautiful moments like this show has. The show is about monsters, but it's even more so about humanity and what it really means to be human. Some of the worst violence is from people, but even amidst all the darkness there's selflessness and hope.

I was especially fond of the soundtrack. The music consistently heightened the intense atmosphere, and the emotional and beautiful "Sweet Home" by Yongzoo is one of my all time favorite ost's.

Even though I'm not even a fan of horror, Sweet Home has become one of my favorite shows. Would definitely recommend.

Leia Mais

PLEASE PROCEED KNOWING THAT THIS SHOW HAS EXCESSIVE VIOLENCE AND GORE

"This was insanely good. I loved every minute of it. Seriously it was just awesome. I really love the webtoon and loved drama adaptation even more. A must watch. The cast was really well chosen. Song Kang will be added to my list of favorite actors. He portrayed Hyunsoo exactly as I'd imagine him being a real person. Lee Dohyun and Lee Jinwook fitted their characters greatly as well. We had added extra character too (firefighter). I loved how story unfolded differently from webtoon. I can't wait for season two & I really hope Eunhyuk made it out alive since his monsterization has started right before building collapsed. We all know Sangwook isn't the one who drove the truck but I hope his original consciousness will have some impact on behavior of the monster. I am honestly amazed. I think season two will detach from webtoon and be completely new thing. Once again, I can't wait."

//

well this was someone's comment on the finale that i have taken. pretty much summed up what i feel except that the excessive gore and violence are really difficult to stomach at some scenes, sh*t.

i have to add that i keep reading comments about how the webtoon had more character depths between the survivors, and also stories of the monsters itself which kept my final score for this drama considerably average/good instead of great. but at the end of the day, this was seriously a very high budget, high tech production which meant they had to cut corners on the backstory to give screentime for the live action so i can totally respect that. i guess the insufficiency of this drama successfully makes me want to read the webtoon already which is a good, commendable thing LOL. i usually don't bother.

phenomenal acting on all fronts. Song Kang is so fckin enigmatic, and i loved that they introduced the badass firefighter girl as a new character in this, and they are going to build up on that in season 2.

for what it was, i can really appreciate this drama despite my initial doubts (i have no attachment whatsoever to Kingdom series). if you can group them in the same/similar genre, then i connect to this one A LOT MORE.

FAN OF SONG KANG FOR LIFE!!! BRAVO! the ending scene when Hyun Su was fighting the other half-monster who made him turn into one, reminds me of the final fighting scene in the exorcism movie that has Park Seo Joon and Woo Do Hwan in it. so so good!

and yes, Hyun Su is my favourite character in the drama and i think Song Kang was perfectly cast for the role. he's so pitiful and my heart always breaks for him. my boy is slayin' it!!!!

p/s wish it had an excessive violence and gore warning plastered all over the drama page. it's really no joke and i think it can be very triggering. i hope people who proceed, do so with caution. i certainly would have been better mentally prepared. sighh

Leia Mais

Webtoon vs Kdrama

I did read the webtoon and with the very first episode I was kind of disappointed, though that didn't stop me from continuing the show. After the first episode, I enjoyed the show a lot more. I don't know if it was just me or that I kept connecting the show and the webtoon together... Anyways the show kept the true meaning of the webtoon which I really appreciate, because it was one my reasons why I love reading Sweet Home. The show also kept a lot of the characters the same with a little mix into it, meaning things were gonna be different from the webtoon. I liked that because I wouldn't be able to expect things to happen. The ending was also very different from the webtoon even though I loved reading that ending, I really loved the ending they did for the show. They left it more open meaning there could be a season 2, hopefully!
Overall It is a great show with a hidden meaning. If you do not like the first episode like me I recommend you try the second episode. I hope there is another season and everyone in the show did such a great job!

Leia Mais

A monster series with big teeth and a bit of a limp

"What makes us human?" is one of the biggest questions in any art medium and the zombie genre has made exploring this question one its most consistent themes. While "Sweet Home" is not a true zombie production, it shares enough characteristics to fall somewhere in that corner of horror entertainment. One of the common threads that pops up here is that sometimes the most evil beings are the ones that are still unaffected-on-the-outside humans. The twist, and it's a good one, is that not all the creatures that look like monsters are monsters.

It's particularly poignant with Song Kang's Hyun Soo who alternates between struggling with wanting to live and a battle to retain his humanity. Although there are some exceptional human vs. monster melee's, the high points of "Sweet Home" are unquestionably the quiet exchanges between Hyun Soon and Go Min Si's Eun Yoo. The quality of Song Kang's work tends to peak and valley and this is definitely among his finest performances. It does falter and the show does in general in the final two episodes as the first primary arc pushes to a resolution while setting up the next act.

The crew has put together a mostly excellent package of special effects, sound and camera work. There's a couple of instances of less convincing cgi that detract but it's a minor distraction.

It's a fairly solid cast although only a few stand out with notable performances. Kim Gab Soo is one of them who exudes optimism balanced with knowledge of the grim reality. Lee Shi Young and Park Gyu Young both shine as strong women battling both personal emotional loss and deadly creatures.

A few holes emerge too. Although the setting is an apartment building in Seoul, there's not just a massive amount of people that never appear, but there's no attempt to explain their absence. Dozens (possibly?) of creatures appear outside the building in moments, but that still leaves millions in the city unaccounted for and scores within the building. Two mutants appear, one early and one late, that fall right on the human/monster line and seem ideal for additional attention, but don't receive it. Overall, the coherence of the narrative is uneven but the spotlight is focused enough for the most of the series. But when the plot has to expand to incorporate new introductions and beyond the group's struggle survive within the apartment building, the tension subsides and the flaws begin to protrude.

Some entries in this genre are must-watch even for viewers who aren't hardcore horror buffs. "Sweet Home" falls short of that bar, but it is an entertaining and, at times, compelling series. Whether it remains so in a follow-up season will require more disciplined storytelling as it appears multiple arcs will splinter off. And it may need more range and intensity from Song Kang than his body of work has shown he's capable of providing.

Leia Mais

THE BEST

I loved it more than I thought I would. It's just amazing!!! Every single second was good and I cannot stop fan-girling over it.
I loved the gore and also some of the friendships that were bonded. It had a little bit of everything but they were all well spread out.
I love Hyun Su... he needs a hug. When he got one from Du Sik it was heart breaking to see but in the same time it felt warm.
I did think that some of the people in the building were dick-ish but ehh what can you do.
Also, I would have like to know how some of the monsters looked like when they were humans, like that speedy deer legged guy or the ugly fat one with anger issues. Maybe even the guy who likes to french kiss people until they are dry.
Anyway, if Sweet Home meets your liking then please watch it. Like I said, it's AMAZING.

Leia Mais