Snowdrop (2021)

Keeps you guessing type drama/ unpredictable yet very entertaining

Every episode feels like watching an intense action movie in a theatre.

One of the best acclaim Kdrama this year so far, there are so many emotions you will feel when you watch this drama, you will cry, smile, WTF moments, you will hate characters, you will feel frustration, but don't stop because every moment is eye catching. If you get distracted you will miss something important for sure, it's that type of drama.

I can confidently say this drama will be to your liking if you give it a chance. the casting is really amazing. As of now there were many backlash and allegations against airing the drama due to historical distortion, but all that has been cleared up by JTBC saying it has nothing to do with it and also they have been given the green light by the Blue House. So I hope people can keep watching, I have now completed the drama and it was more than worth it, it was every bit of what I expected.

Rewatch value for this one is HIGH 10/10 for sure

Overall I will keep my score at a 10 for this drama because I enjoyed every character development especially for Young-Ro she was amazing all throughout and I would love to see her in another drama.

Leia Mais

Ending that rather rushed!

First of all, I’m not gonna write a long ass review about every detail of this drama. Just have a few thoughts that I want to throw it out here. Overall, this is not a bad drama, however it wasn’t that good either. It has so many potential to become a great one to be honest, but the writer-nim surely need to be more creative to make it works.

I do have a huge expectation from this drama since this is the first debut of Actress Jisoo, so I really wanted to see her performance and acting (even though I can make myself clear that I wasn’t a fan of Blackpink, not one of the blinks). Still, I’m rooting for Jisoo journey to be an actress. And, I gotta say, she did quite a good job considering this is her first debut. However, the story line do injustice to her role. Because clearly, the drama portrayed her as someone who is weak-hearted and stood still without doing anything worth mentioning. If only her character could grow and develop for a bit, I could really give a perfect score for this drama. But her actions, most often, unnecessary and she always in Soo Ho’s ways and that’s really complicate things. If only, they can let her take a gun and fight alongside with Soo Ho, they could be the strongest couple..

For me, the big problem here with this drama is the script itself. Very repetitive. I almost think the story is about hostages and the spy who got stuck in the dorm and unable to get out even though there’s so many ways to actually escaped from it. To be freakin’ honest, the scene where all the hostages come out from the dorm in finale episodes can be done in episodes 8, but how they took so long just to get out from that dorm? How can they think the idea of escaping by fooling Mr. An and bring the soldier to the main door only after 16 episodes? This is really mind boggling. They should make the second half of the drama for something else, out from the freakin’ dorm but instead they dragged it till the end. Disappointing is really the word I could think of.

However, despite my critiques towards this drama. I really appreciate all the hardwork from the cast members to bring this drama to alive and watchable. Of course, Jung Haein’s performance unquestionably and undeniably good. Yoo In Na’s acting is really great, I am so satisfied with her performance. Thank God she have a good brain to leave the dorm and for once, think about herself. Ms.Pi and Buk-Ok character’s deserved standing ovation. I really hate Buk-Ok for what she did, she boiled me with anger everytime. Jang Ha-na is the real superwoman in here. She really know what to prioritize and I’m glad she did what she did in order to save the students. All the veterans actors did their fabulous job in acting, but their characters often too repetitive and overlapping with one another. And too bad, there’s no scene showing the proper closure between Youngro and her friends, they just left it hanging there. The ending tho quite rushed in my opinion. So many things left unrevealed, and without a proper explanation.

Did I say I would not write a long ass review? Argh, forget that one. I will just continue abit more —

The OSTs from this drama are quite good. Kim Hee Won - Friends & Jamie Miller - Wishes. These two are my fav. Both songs are really unique on its own, sorrowful and heartbreaking too.

Okay, my final thoughts.. watch at your own risk. This is definitely not a lovey dovey melodrama, it’s in fact a slow burn romance that almost burn you with anger. Lol kidding. For a sucker of sad ending drama like me, I’ve seen better and better dramas out there, this is still not that really sad considering you can actually expect that the outcome would be like that. I just hope that they can executed it properly without us audiences thinking that if they do this or that, things could have turn differently. Thus, this drama is just an OK drama that I would not considered to rewatch it again.

Leia Mais

A drama with great potential ruined by controversy…

Story:

Snowdrop’s story revolves around Lim Sooho, a North Korean spy who was used, manipulated, and betrayed by his own country. The story follows his journey to accomplish his mission and return home that had been intercepted by fate, causing his red string to intertwine with that of ANSP’s director’s daughter Eun Youngro, a lively and compassionate college student at Hosu University. Due to a series of unfortunate coincidences that unravels into a much more twisted scheme of the South and North Korean government, Sooho and Youngro face tribulation after tribulation both together and alone. Two people who face an incredible amount of suffering that is too much for any one person to bear. Despite being marketed as a romance, Snowdrop is predominantly an action/thriller drama with splashes of satire and black comedy interwoven with a tragical romance. Opposite of the tragedy that is depicted in Shakespeare’s original screenplay, however, Snowdrop’s twist of Romeo and Juliet veers away from the tragical epic love story and shows its audience a love story that had bloomed through innocence and purity against storms of hardships and suffering.

Snowdrop is a drama that promises a multitude of themes that draw in viewers from every genre, which unfortunately falls short as the drama’s multiple plot lines and characters offsets the balance of the drama as a whole. Snowdrop had convoluted plot lines that ensure plot twists through every episode, but at the same time leads to many other underdeveloped stories. Amidst a satirical black comedy, a tragical romance seems out of place and at times appear unnecessary. Besides Sooho, every other main character within the plot although start off with promise and depth, end up in disappointment due to underdevelopment.

Acting/Cast:

Snowdrop’s cast is a stellar cast with actors and actresses who bring the characters they play to life, allowing its audience to connect with their characters on a much deeper level than what we were given.

Lim Sooho is the only character that is properly developed which allows the audience to emphasize with his actions, inner turmoils, and tragic back story. Jung Haein was the perfect fit for the role and had incredible control and nuance in his micro expressions that tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings. His unmatched presence and charisma is exuded whenever he was on screen which brought to life a dynamic and tortured male lead. My heart ached for Sooho as I watched him through Jung Haein's eyes. He had too much that he wanted to protect. He carries so much pressure and guilt to not only save his comrades, but also to protect Youngro and his beloved sister. Haein left no room for criticism as he executed his role flawlessly. I am not kidding when I say that this is his best performance to date, and I will be disappointed if he doesn't win a Baeksang for this role.

The essence of Snowdrop's title is in the character of Eun Youngro herself, a flower that bloomed through hardship. Eun Youngro starts off as a character with great potential, equipped with an interesting back story that unfortunately was left undeveloped as her character is shifted towards the background in the later episodes in order to make room for the development of Sooho’s character and his redemption arc. Contrary to many people’s thoughts on Youngro’s one dimensional character, I thought that her character did have depth and multidimensional aspects that just weren’t explored enough to fully capture the audience’s attention. However, thanks to Jisoo’s acting, I personally was able to feel connected with Youngro’s character and was able to emphasize with her actions and thoughts. For a rookie, Jisoo had indeed proven herself in this drama with what she was given and showed great promise for a more successful acting career somewhere down the line. She definitely needs improvement, but for a rookie, I think that she has definitely set the standard for rookie idols actresses/actors. As her fan, I had been completely in awe and proud of her performance as well as grateful that she had the chance to work together with such a talented team for her first drama.

Lee Kang Moo originally was a character that I had despised for his self-righteousness and arrogance. However, as the drama moved forward, I began to like him more and more as his character came to accept the corruption of the ANSP and was no longer blinded by his obsession to capture Sooho. One of the reasons that Kang Moo was able to become one of my favorite characters by the end of this drama was because of the incredible performance of Jang Seungjo. The actor had great chemistry with literally every person he interacted with. He was able to portray the frustrations and resentment the character had for his higher ups as he eventually swallowed his own pride to work with the person he had dedicated his entire career to capture in order to do what he believed was right in the end. Kang Moo and Sooho’s bromance dynamic was definitely one of my favorite things to come from this drama.

Jang Hanna initially portrayed as a reckless, hot-tempered, and confident agent was what drew me to her character from the beginning. However, after the first few episodes, I grew disappointed by her character who lost her cool and rationality whenever Kang Moo’s safety was involved. I blame this on the writing which could’ve given us more background on their love story which would help explain her strong feelings for him and help us emphasize with her. It was such relief to see the shift in her character towards the end when she finally put her sense of duty over her love for Kang Moo. Jung Eugene did the best with her role, and it was unfortunate that her character was yet another character that suffered from being underdeveloped.

Pi Seunghee, better know as Ms. Pi and Kang Chungya are my two favorite characters by the end of this drama. Ms. Pi’s character is one tortured with guilt and self-resentment due to the tragedy of her past that had turned her into the person that she was now. Despite not knowing where her loyalties lie for the first half of the drama, it was clear that she had a strong sense of protectiveness over the students in the dorm and never hesitates to protect them in her own way. Her dynamic with Boon Ok’s character was intriguing to watch unfold as you try to guess the underlying relationship they had with each other. Yoon Se Ah portrayed this character with class and elegance, but never failing to influence the audience to feel for her character. Yoo In Ah also did not disappoint in her role, portraying multiple layers of a character who was first only seen as a mistress to the main antagonist of the drama. Chungya was a character you would hate but also feel for as you see her emotional side peak through when she is in the presence of the man she loves. Her character's ending was one of the very few had left me satisfied.

Gye Boon Ok is the antiheroine of the story and starts off with great promise to be one of the best and most complex characters on the show. Unfortunately, her character’s arc later on suffers as the writer turned her character down a path that I personally thought made her iredeemable. Boon Ok was initially portrayed as a selfish opportunist who is willing to do anything to ensure her survival. I emphasized with her character knowing that she was only doing what she could in order to survive given the unfortunate cards she was dealt with in life. However, there was a point where her character took a drastic turn and lost all sense of morality and rationality which made her impossible to root for. Kim Hye Yoon’s performance of Boon Ok though, was phenomenal and proves that she is one of the best new actresses of her generation.

Soundtrack:

If there was one thing the drama did right, it would be the soundtrack and scoring. Every episode ended with a cliffhanger that was accompanied by powerful and moving OSTs that had me at the edge of my seat. There were also heartfelt OSTs that convey Sooho and Youngro’s doomed romance and that pulled at my heartstrings. Every single OST and bgm was beautifully weaved into the scenes that made the drama much more enjoyable.

Overall/Rewatch Value:

What I wish could've been explored more:
- Dorm/college life set during the 80's
- Jang Hanna's back story
- Eun Youngro's back story
- Kang Moo's backstory
- Room 207's friendship dynamics
- Sooho and Youngro's love story (I was quite satisfied with what was shown, but since they marketed it as a romance, I was hoping for a much more epic tale)
- Hanna and Kang Moo's love story
- Kang Chungya's back story

Snowdrop is far from being a masterpiece, but it is not the worst drama out there. The ending although left me emotionally scarred, also left me incredibly unsatisfied. There was no closure and many characters' endings didn't feel right. There were questions left unanswered and so much wasted potential. However, If one were to ignore the flaws and plot holes, it is an enjoyable watch with interesting characters that help push the story through. The symbolism, cinematography, and plot twists within the drama were enough to pull me in and keep me engaged with the drama. Snowdrop could’ve been great if there wasn’t such an offset of balance in the number of characters and plot lines. The writer was too ambitious and tried to fit too many themes into one drama that didn’t didn’t quite convey what kind of tone the drama had. I came into this drama expecting far too much. My expectations were too high knowing that the drama was helmed by Sky Castle's writer and director. I had ended the drama with disappointment. Had I walked into this drama with no expectations in place, I would've had a less underwhelming experience. Overall though, I had enjoyed it and would watch it again.

Revised:

After having thought about the drama for a bit longer now, as well as engaging in some thoughtful discussions with other viewers, I’ve decided to come back and sort of take back my harsh criticisms for the drama and writer. Although my criticisms still hold true, I also understand that this was the best that the team could do amidst the controversy. Although the plot and characters were underdeveloped, one cannot deny that there was some clever dialogue and symbolism throughout the drama that I now feel like could’ve been very prominent had it not been for the controversy. The writer and director probably had to revise the script several times in order to be able to put the drama in air. They made sacrifices in order to make sure that everyone’s hard work did not go to waste.

It just didn’t make sense how the characters all started off with such great promise but ended up being underdeveloped despite the depth that each character had. One of my complaints for the drama was Youngro’s relationship with her grandma not being explored. But someone had pointed out that the sponsors of the rice cakes seen from Youngro’s grandma in episode 2 had pulled out of the drama which is probably why we got no substance from Youngro’s grandma and she hence why she was never shown throughout the drama.

With these thoughts in mind, all that I feel for the Snowdrop and its team now is gratitude. Despite the hardships and unfair criticism they received, they were able to stay strong until the end and blessed us with such a great drama considering the multiple rewrites. Like I had stated previously, this is not a masterpiece but it is not a bad drama. The fact that Snowdrop is still a much better drama than so many others out there despite the multiple revisions of the script really says how truly amazing and dedicated the Snowdrop team is. Like the flower and Youngro’s character, Snowdrop and its team was able to bloom through the hardships and tribulations. Here’s to the hope that they will one day get the recognition and good karma they deserve. Thank you to the Snowdrop team for not giving up on this beautiful story.

Leia Mais

Seeds of Plot that Never Sprouted

As a personal creed, I never drop any drama as soon as I start to watch it. And so with at that in mind, I was not ready for what awaited me as I started watching Snowdrop. With each passing episode, it became clear to me that the writer had watched every hostage and spy movie produced in the 90's as her source of "Inspiration", only weakly tagging Romeo and Juliet later as her literary source. If Shakespeare had seen what is being considered adaptations of his best work, he would sooner rise from the grave and pelt us with Wilt's and Thou's. In fact, until now, many literary scholars and professors would debate the merits, messages and hidden meaning of Shakespeare's best work. These days, the only scholars and professors who pay attention to Yoo Hyun Mi's Snowdrop, are the ones looking to cancel it.

First off, before we can discuss Snowdrop the drama, we need to quickly touch on the OST. Initially, when I first watched the drama, I found the OST/Music quite distracting as there are so many jarring tonal and musical shifts in the first few episodes that essentially ushers you from one emotion to another, without a second thought to the emotional whiplash you may feel from such jarring tonal shift. From suspense, satire, romance, and slice of life, the music of the first few episodes felt so intrusive, that there was a fierce disconnect between the scenes being portrayed and the music being played. Thankfully the music/OST eventually finds the sweet spot in the back half of the episodes, where the beautiful music intensified what would normally be dull scenes of poor plotting and acting. In the back half, the music/OST are almost powerful enough to save the production. The beautiful tone of the music has a choir like quality which has an uplifting effect, much needed in the drama. But what I found weird was that, although there were a few scenes which seemed to have Christian undertones, the plot did nothing with it, other than to use it as a symbolism of blind faith. A symbolism that isn't presented often enough or given enough credence that the scenes of praying, feel very out of place. This is one of those scenes though, which needs further research to understand. You see, the original name of Snowdrop was supposed to be Ehwa University, a South Korean university that was started by a Boston Missionary Sister. And you know what? The plot does nothing with this information, it becomes just another unnecessary plot that does nothing for the story, but provide them a place to sit down and kneel.

Given the backdrop of 1988, I was half-expecting some amount of nostalgia to permeate its script to allow viewers to allow a reprieve on the dark tone the script intended to take, and appreciate some of the beauty and simplicity the historical refences would have. But instead, the whole drama is so stuck on the message it wanted to force, that there was nary a time to enjoy anything beautiful in the drama, which ironically included the romance between Young Ro and Soo Ho. And with little time given to enjoy anything in the dire situation they are in, the viewership started drowning in the watery plot, started getting lost in the labyrinth of plot holes, as the badly colorized plot started to mesh together, and started blurring lines, that were timid to begin with. In fact, without the buoyant properties of the stellar acting cast, the drama could easily have drowned in all the ludicrousness the plot was touting as realism.

Seeing as each episode boasted a staggering 90 minutes of drama, I patiently waited to see how the plot would grow as each episode passed. After the last minute of the 1,400 minute run time ticked, I was left with an empty feeling. The potentially beautiful garden that the writer had started was left in disarray as seeds of plot were left unwatered, many of the seeds the writer had sowed in the earlier episodes where neglected the necessary sustenance needed for development and thus withered away. Each episode, I waited to see the seedlings grow into the titular Snowdrop, and every episode, I am left disappointed to see the seedlings bereft of even the simplest of courtesies. The garden was riddled with potholes, partially created by the aggressively shouting dinosaurs that decried their existence with wails or shouts.

As the episodes rolled by, I wondered why the writer kept needlessly adding new plot points which she will have to cover up later. The quick answer is, that she didn't bother covering up the plot holes, or she hastily glossed them over in lieu of more new tragic plot points. In fact, after a certain point, it doesn't become a question of HOW the writer will make the FL/ML for tragic, but rather WHEN. As I kept writing theories, and kept predicting how the writer could write herself out of her predicament, the writer would surprise me, by denying these lifelines, and opting instead to martyr her plots over and over again, until there is nothing left but chaos and discontentment. Whenever I feel the writer had an opportunity to add complexity and creativity to her writing, she instead re-iterated some of the same old tired jokes she used earlier. She overused some plot lines and jokes so much, that seeing them rear their repetitive head over and over again worked against the writer as these jokes, which were not funny to begin with, became distractions. Much like the boy who cried wolf, after the 2nd or 3rd time, people will stop caring about these plot devices.

It's not like I don't believe in love at first sight. But you see that isn't the direction the plot took. Young Ro, you see, is just a poorly disguised Deus Ex Machina, that existed solely to keep the Male Lead company during his eventual redemption arc. The writer was so focused on making sure that the Male Lead had a coherent characterization that she neglected to focus any effort on making the female lead's character relevant or real enough on her own merit. And even though the FL is seen as the sole reason for the ML's existence, we are given to many HOWs and never really any WHYs. In fact, it is not just the FL, a lot of the female characters in Snowdrop do not past the Bechdel test as most if not all of them let their lives revolve around the men in their lives. One of the characters in particular literally throws caution in the wind for her "Man", while obviously that man is shown to be cool as a cucumber throughout the show. In fact, ironically, the only women in the plot who has shown a certain duality in her character is also the most reviled one in the drama.

No review of Snowdrop is complete without at least quickly touching on the controversy that mired Snowdrop in lower than expected domestic ratings. After seeing Snowdrop to fruition, I can't help but ask myself the question of WHY? Why did the writer feel she needed to tell this story using this particular historical backdrop, especially if she is picking and choosing what she wanted to be a fiction and non-fiction anyway. When I first read the synopsis of the drama, I had assumed that the writer intended to tell a love story that grew in the tall weeds of political chaos. But instead, what we get is a drama that ironically felt more like a subliminal left wing propaganda ad that reared its ugly head at several times in the drama in obvious and distracting way. The only clear message that the Drama made sure not to miscommunicate to the audiences is how evil and corrupt the ANSP was. But unfortunately the writer wasn't nuanced enough, and instead of allowing the ANSP atrocities to exist as a backdrop for the story, it allowed the backdrop to become a distracting flower bush that continually blocked the intended story from being seen. In fact, as soon as you felt, you would catch a glimpse of the story, the drama would feel the need to remind you of the ineptness and corruption of the ANSP.

Very early on in the drama, it becomes painfully clear to me that the idea of cause and effect were being thrown out the window. The plot doesn't pay much attention to consequences and ramifications, and instead focused on shock tactics that loses its novelty the less tense the situation becomes. As the characters pointed phallic symbols at each other over and over again, the lack of anyone getting shot, made me wonder whether these weapons of non-destruction were nothing more than military grade paperweight. In fact, I should put the word thriller in air quotes, because I was severely bothered by the lack of it. By episode 5, after a lackluster first 4 episodes, it appeared that finally, the plot remembered it's base genre. But after an interesting Ep. 5 though, the plot decides to languish back in it staid writing as if by clockwork. Every supposedly tense situation is diffused by illogical reasoning, and nobody really is punished. The writing, and the plotting had so neutered the spy scenes, that the whole hostage situation felt more like breakfast club, rather than a hostage crisis. People inside the dorm are wondering more whether they would still be able to voted prom queen and king rather than walk the line between life and death.

Of course, if you dig deep enough you will eventually find the depth and complexity of what Yoon Hyun MI is trying to portray, but depending on where you live, you are more likely to hit water and drown in the innate stupidity than find any complex meaning in the writing. When reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, finding the depth and complexity isn't too difficult, and the emotions, although shrouded in Shakespeare own unique language, is relatable to us; the characters, minus all the killings, feel real. To fully enjoy Snowdrop, you really need to turn off certain parts of your mind as it is a struggle to find the realism in such cartoonish characters, whose portrayed more closely belong to a museum of stereotypical acting, than a supposedly complex plot.

With such a long run time, it would have made more sense for the writer to flesh out backgrounds of the main characters, or flesh out the characterization of the different characters. But as if she has an obsession's with huge ensemble cast, Snowdrop instead contained a huge cast of characters, who in the end didn't amount to much, except as weak plot devices to keep the plot plodding along. That is not to say there are no good moments in Snowdrop, there are a few moments that are worth watching, but you would need to slog through at least 10 episodes before you reach them, and by that time, if you are binge watching, your mind might already be turned to mush, and your emotions already numbed enough that when the impactful scenes may not be good enough to shake yo from your reverie. The truth of the matter is that proper world building would have made many things in the drama, including the tragic experience and romance shine much more.

Now for the good things. I already mentioned that I felt the OST/Music was vital in making the drama watchable, but the writer/director also lucked out with the casting. Quite a few of the actors I believe put in the performance of their lives, and their acting prowess acted as buoys to keep the drama floating. The power of emotion of Jung Hae In in particular was strong enough to uplift Jisoo's acting as well. And although, I don't think Jisoo's acting was that great, as a rookie actress, I cut her some slack, and she did what I expected a rookie to do; a lot of this also maybe because her character wasn't written that well. Kim Hye Yoon as well deserves a shout out, because at only 25 years old, she is proving to be one of the best actress in the Kdrama industry.

What may be the ultimately infuriating thing about the drama is that although most of the episodes were dull and lifeless, the last 4 episodes were actually written quite well. The writer's vision finally came to fruition in those last few episodes, in those episodes we finally see what the writer was intending in her drama. But unfortunately for me, it was too late, there was too many flaws in the first 10 episodes that became hard to overcome by a few good episodes. If the writer had kept the same tone, style, and plotting in the first 10 episodes, I may give Snowdrop a substantially higher rating. It seemed to be that the writer did not have many ideas to put on paper, and she kept her best plot points for the last 4 episodes, whilst keeping the first 10 episodes for repetitive filler scenes.

P.S.

Below is an excerpt from a deep dive analysis I made on Boon Ok's character, I hope for people to give the character a chance, and sympathize with her the way I did. The whole analysis can be found in the discussion portion of Snowdrop entitled "The Tragedy of Boon Ok".

"To further talk about Boon Ok, we need to quickly touch on the characterization of Young Ro. Are we surprised Disney is behind Snowdrop? Young Ro’s characterization literally screams Disney Princess. The romanticized fantasies, the prince charming, the evil stepmother, the heroic tendencies and the overly optimistic persona are all qualities most modern Disney princess encapsulates. But you know what? Disney princess are called that for a reason, most of the time, they are gilded in fantasy, they don’t often represent realistic portrayal of life. In many ways Young Ro represents the best side of humanity, the side is always optimistic, the hero in all of us. It’s the goodness in humanity we don’t see often. She’s the perfect Kdrama Mary Sue, the heroine, she allows us to stay entrenched in the escapism Kdrama offers."

Leia Mais

Snowdrop, the perfect blend of chaos and an emotional rollercoaster.

I won’t make this long and boring so here goes nothing. Watching Snowdrop, you will feel every emotion humanly possible. Laughter, anger, sadness, happiness, butterflies in your stomach, anxiety, anticipation, etc. etc. I started watching this for Jisoo but stayed for each and every cast member.
This show has a little bit of everything- Romance, Suspense, Action, Drama and Thriller.
The best part about watching this drama is that you absolutely can’t predict anything. You can come up w your own theories but never be sure of a possibility.
Now let’s talk about the casting:
Jisoo: I was a bit worried cause I thought it might be too heavy for her to pull off such a character as her first but damn she killed it. She ATE it and left no crumbs. If I were new to kpop/kdrama, I’d think she’s already a very experienced actress.

SooHo: Perfection is an understatement to describe his acting skills. Every emotion was executed with detail and perfection. I’ve been watching him for a long time so I knew what he was capable of but he exceeded all of my high expectations.

Kim Min Gyu: I was planning to only add the above 2 but HAD to mention him. I’ve been watching him for a long time as well but was never “Awed” by his skills. For me, he was always the “Cute or Creepy hot dude” but here- he went out of him damn shell and was absolutely impeccable. I’m so impressed with him here.

The rest of the cast was also ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!
Honourable Mentions:
Kim Hye Yoon (never fails to impress)
Miss Pi
Nam tae il
Kang Moo
Hanna
Yoo in ah (never thought she could pull off such a role w perfection)

Also, the bromance between Kang Moo and Soo Ho was pure bliss to watch!

Music was also on point.

To sum it up, I 100% recommend to watch it. Give it a shot, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Leia Mais

Beautiful ost, Not so romantic, Tense drama

This drama was overall a well executed production. The storyline was unique and although it had a fairly limited setting, the dilemmas and conflicts kept the drama tense and on edge. It may be partially romance but it wasnt heavily written into this drama, having said that, the relationship does pull on heartstrings due to their illfated love. As for the actors, well... i might get hate for this but... i dont think the female lead was the best fit. Her acting is too shallow as a beginner and this drama really requires in depth, experienced acting. For me she just didnt show a variety of emotion in her face such as anger, frustration or confusion. In contrast the male lead actor was particulalry good at expressing his rollercoaster of emotions. The supporting cast were also very well casted and presented a mixture of characters who u either hate to the bone or u really sympathise with. An especially beautiful aspect of this drama was of course the soundtrack. Jamie millers ost really gave the drama an emotional atmosphere, and its definitely in my top 10 kdrama osts. Overall, it is a beautiful romeo and juliet scenario story and i would recommend it. However, whether its rewatchable, i would probaby not watch it again, because of the emotional twists and turns.

Leia Mais

A lot of potential missed

Snowdrop is a political based drama more than anything, the romance element was an marketing plan which I feel like delivered snowdrop the attention it needed, amongst other things. But if you're going into this drama thinkings its all romance. Don't. The actors all did a spectacular job in portraying their characters, what an cast. That is what kept Snowdrop afloat mostly. Although every episode kept you on the edge, it was hard not to notice it becoming repetitive towards the middle and ending, the whole time the SK party was trying to win the election and the hostages were trying to escape alive with their plans changing all the time. It kind of got frustrating. Screen time was wasted going back and forth in terms of getting out of the dorm and that impacted the rushed ending. In the last episode, stories of the characters were finally revealed which could of been more flushed out and extended.

There was so many questions unanswered in the last episode and rabbit holes not addressed. I have to say the story and screenplay got weak in snowdrop towards the middle and ending. What kept me hooked was the romance between the leads, the limited scenes between them created more anticipation but also disappointment as this was marketed as a romance. The politics in the drama can get very confusing if you don't keep up and even if you do, you may still find yourself struggling to remember. This was truly an sad and tragedy filled drama with so much pain. I feel like they tried to deliver this drama too realistically that they forgot about the screenplay. The politics was realistic as in real life politics is very messy, no one trusts anyone so things get complicated but their romance felt like drama romance. Maybe they should of balanced out the drama and realism aspect. The OST was one of the best things. The director mostly grabbed the audience's attention with emotion filled scenes and the unrequited love between the leads, which did the job for me as I'm a sucker for this type of romance but if you're not, the drama won't suffice. A lot of potential missed, but the ambience, the OST, it being set in the 70-80s, the cast, their love and being a huge fan of Jisoo and Jung Hae-in kept me watching till the end. I would still say give it a shot.



She fell like a raindrop
And I finally felt love for one
-Sooho

Leia Mais

Worth Watching

I've no words for Jisoo's acting. She nailed it. Her acting is so good. She has shown her great acting skills. Jisoo is not only the best K Pop Idol, she is also the best actress & she has proved it. The chemistry of the couple is on another level. I loved them so much. The story, cast, acting & everything in this drama is perfect. Everyone have put a lot of effort in making this masterpiece. Thanks for giving us this great drama. Best K DRAMA, worth watching and from now on my most favourite and closest to my heart. I loved this drama so much. As the episodes are coming, it's getting more & more intense. The little touch of comedy is so good. The writer had portrayed all characters well. The cast is big & best. The visual effects are the best. It really feels like they all are in 1987. The love story of the lead couple is pure & filled with hardships. It makes my heart flutter. I don't what's the fate of those two but they need to be together. They both are from two different countries but still love each other a lot. Jisoo has shown all the emotions perfectly. She is one of the best actress. She has put a lot of effort in making this drama & her character. Kim Jisoo is one of the best actress.

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The juice wasn't worth the squeeze

This show infuriated me by the end. Snowdrop came in with a bunch of promise halted by waves of controversy — if you avoided this show because of that, congrats, nothing about it should tempt you to watch it after all.

To be honest, this show started with a bunch of potential. I loved the nostalgic vibes and shiny wide-eyed jaunt towards first love. Snowdrop started to lose momentum once they got into the hostage situation. It dragged on way too long. I understood the point it was trying to make about politics and corruption, but we got the point after just a couple episodes. Someone joked that they blew their whole production budget on the dorm, and honestly, that sounds like the most plausible answer (considering they had to pay an all-star cast too... but we'll get to that in a second). Moreover, the last couple episodes were tropey and infuriating beyond belief. I didn't care enough about the romance to feel anything for Youngro or Sooho; the show didn't do enough early on to make us cheer for them. And then before we knew it, we were being bombarded by noble idiocy and regular idiocy galore. So many situations toward the end could've EASILY been preventable. Trust these competent agents; don't insert yourself into situations unnecessarily (this is directed at BOTH of our leads).

Jisoo especially frustrated me. All of the actors were incredible EXCEPT for her. And I swear, I enjoy Blackpink music! But she was so clearly out-acted throughout the whole show. She was tolerable for a couple of episodes, but once the hostage situation kicked in, she was clearly out of her depth. She gasped so much throughout the rest of the drama that I'm surprised she didn't pass out from the hyperventilation. She was the most useless person in the whole drama — you could arguably consider her a "candy" (not in the classic kdrama definition of the trope, but by effectively serving as bait for the ANSP and Sooho). Worse than a candy girl though, I'd argue that she was a straight-up liability. She was unwilling to compromise or sacrifice anything for the greater good of others. This was exemplified in a situation at the end that involved saving a random side character and harming four other main characters in the process (even leading to the demise of the one she cared about the most!). She blindly ran into situations without a plan and without being equipped to do anything, thus putting other people at even greater risk as they sought to protect her and achieve whatever random agenda she cooked up. I hate that she faced no consequences for this behaviour either; it wasn't even acknowledged as problematic. Jisoo's acting was awful too — I always knew I was watching JISOO, not some character named Youngro. This character could've had so much nuance and depth: idealistic, innocent, and in love, sure, but she could've also been defiant, emboldened, and thoughtful. If her actions were clearly borne of some strategic thought, I would've sympathized with Youngro. Instead, she was stubborn without seemingly any rationale, which made all her actions seem rash and ultimately stupid.

Then let's talk about the romance: it was cute at first, but based on where the story went, it really should've been relegated to a side-plot that took up less air time. Leave it as "Not meant to be" and move on. We lost so much closure and momentum towards the end of the drama by unnecessarily focusing on the romance. Think of all the moments Sooho and Youngro spend gripping each other, asking the other to go, and staring into each others' eyes without any interruption. You know what they could've done in that time? THEY COULD'VE ESCAPED INTO SAFETY TOGETHER. Of course, the more realistic situation would've been if there were constant pressure and action instead, with no time to shoehorn their longing for one another. Because of those moments, especially towards the end, it made their entire tragic situation seem completely avoidable. I found myself shouting at the TV during each of these moments, yelling at them to just GO already instead of standing there (in the basement).

Aside from Jisoo and the romance, the other actors did a wonderful job. I never cared for the moms' machinations (although I suppose they added some levity) or the political squabbles (how silly they turned out to be, although perhaps that was the point?), and I felt too many people were overly motivated by love (Jang Hanna, Kang Cheong Ya, and Lim Sooho especially), but some of the acting was truly superb. To me, there were four standouts: Jung Hae-In excellently blew past his archetype as only playing the boy-next-door in noona dramas. Kim Hye Yoon (Bun Ok), you somehow make me sympathetic towards you while truly giving us the least to cheer for. My only qualm was your choice to help Youngro save Ms. Oh towards the end — how was that choice in any way aligned with Bun Ok's motivations to SAVE HER OWN HIDE above all else? Yoon Se Ah (Ms Pi), I CANNOT believe you are the same person that portrayed Noh Seung Hye in SKY Castle — un-freaking-BELIEVABLE how incredibly she embodied that role as the headmistress. I would seriously watch a movie based on Ms. Pi's life alone. Yoo In Na (Kang Cheong Ya), who knew you had this role in you? I honestly wished Sooho spared her a single glance (or even wound up escaping with her as a way to avoid putting Youngro in harm's way). The rest of the cast did their job too; shout-out to students like Jung Shin Hye (who I liked to think of as "Madonna" for her stylish 80s fashion) and Kim Mi Soo, may she rest in peace.

This drama got my blood pressure up from the suspense; very much shades of SKY Castle. Unfortunately, it didn't critique current issues or hit the zeitgeist the way SKY Castle did, and it also didn't have the cathartic payoff due to its lacklustre, romance-oriented finale. Save yourself the pain of finishing this one!

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‘ Snowdrop’; Where To Begin With One Of 2021/22’s Most Divisive Dramas…

It isn’t uncommon for dramas to sometimes land themselves in hot water over various scandals in South -Korea and JTBC and Disney’s ‘ Snowdrop’ is no exception to this problem . Of course, this shouldn’t prevent viewers from enjoying a series or affect the overall quality .

The storyline of ‘ Snowdrop’ was intriguing, the casting choices are certainly impressive and there are admittedly some surprisingly impactful tour de force moments also. On the other hand, it’s hard not to address one of the biggest elephants in the room surrounding ‘ Snowdrop’’s mixed-reception and controversy; the storyline’s time-setting and take upon historical events.

The backdrop of the narrative focuses upon the precursor events leading up to the historical 1987 political movement in South-Korea. Eun Young-ro ( Jisoo) is a student at Hosu Women’s University and the daughter of the director of the Agency For National Security Planning (ANSP) Eun Chang-soo (Heo Joon-ho). After a blind date, Young-ro ends up meeting the mysterious Im Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in). A man of few words and having previously studied abroad at a prestigious university in Berlin, Soo-Ho captures Young-ro’s interests with his like-minded tastes and philosophies . However after Soo-Ho stumbles through a window at the university, covered in blood and wounds, Young-ro is forced to face some shocking truths and revelations about her crush Im Soo-Ho…

It is important to note that whilst there are some inescapable elements of “fluffy” and lighthearted romance in ‘ Snowdrop’, venerable screenwriter Yoo Hyun Mi (‘Bridal Mask’, ‘ SKY Castle) and director Jo Hyun Tak ( ‘ Who Are You?’, ‘ SKY Castle’) mainly focus upon the network of political mind games and tension throughout the storyline . In particular, screenwriter Yoo Hyun Mi adds a notably sardonic tone towards political strife and satire in 1980s South and North Korea.

On the other hand, Yoo Hyun Mi often seemed unsure at times towards the direction of the drama. Whilst it isn’t out of the question for a series to attempt to relieve tension with lighthearted banter, niche setups and comic relief, the screenwriter could often overplay at times somewhat fractious comedy and scenes without interspersing this into the storyline with more tact. In addition to this there is admittedly a complex issue to bring up surrounding the wider controversy of the drama; the fictional take upon real-life events and figures.

The series often attempted to depict important figures and events with a certain artistic licence. Whilst it is arguable that a lot of the storyline events were only loosely based upon the memoirs of a former POW and were never supposed to be a “fly-on-the-wall” depiction of events , it is still a sticky situation when viewers become aware of the actual historical context. ( In particular, the drama’s somewhat “glossy” depiction of tragic historical figures, groups and events without acknowledging brutal realities. )

Controversy aside , ‘ Snowdrop’ admittedly offered viewers a fairly impressive casting lineup, specifically with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, rising star Jung Hae-in and A-lister Yoo In Na drawing attention for viewers .

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo starred as the main attraction of the drama as main female lead Eun Young-ro. Whilst Jisoo’s initial performance was admittedly somewhat questionable, the BLACKPINK idol’s acting debut was certainly decent enough with an ability to capture an emotive edge to her character in later episodes.

Costarring alongside Jisoo was main male lead Im Soo Hoo as Jung Hae-in ( ‘ D.P’, ‘ Prison Playbook’, ‘ Something In The Rain’). The actor is no stranger towards taking on versatile roles and whilst there were moments that Hae-in’s delivered dialogue could feel somewhat stiff, Hae-in was able to add a surprisingly complex charm to his onscreen persona.

The chemistry between our main leads is admittedly mixed at the best of the times. Whilst the events surrounding Jisoo and Hae-in’s onscreen counterparts are quintessential towards the main storyline, the actors’ onscreen chemistry could feel somewhat stunted due to few opportunities in order to explore the scope of their characters’ onscreen relationship.

Yoo Hyun Mi’s pacing of the series was variable. Whilst she allowed some opportunities to see tension buildup and gradual events unfold, the attempt to drag -out plot points even in a space of sixteen episodes, could often lead to events of the narrative feeling somewhat tedious and dull. In particular, screenwriter Yoo Hyun Mi fell into a notable habit of inducing a tense plot point, climatically building up events only to deliver a somewhat anticlimactic and trope-induced result and then repeat. ( In particular, the conclusion of the series suffering from the full weight of Hyun Mi’s formula.)

Nevertheless it is noteworthy that under the directing reigns of Jo Hyun Tak, the filming of ‘ Snowdrop’ is professional, slick and stylistic. The oozing tone of gradients and camera shots helped to convey the tension of key plot points and in addition to the emotive OST composed by Kim Tae Seung, helped to present ‘ Snowdrop’ with an aesthetic flare.

Jo Hyun Tak and Yoo Hyun Mi’s ‘ Snowdrop’ is a series which will likely satisfy and displease viewers of equal measure. The controversy surrounding the drama’s depiction of historical events is an unavoidable issue. On the hand whilst ‘ Snowdrop’ did boast a star-studded cast, a venerable screenwriter and director behind the scenes as well as some emotional punches , the drama did admittedly still suffer under the weight of poor-pacing, predictable setups and lacklustre opportunities to explore characters and impactful events ( including the ending) with more depth. Controversial, emotive yet somewhat niche in parts, ‘ Snowdrop’ is a drama which whilst watchable, will still divide audiences greatly…

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A very particular drama but I enjoyed it a lot.

1/ STORY : Its a spy action drama filled with politics. The romance is just here to make the ML and FL endearing and it works but their romance is a missed romance rather than a real romance. If you like simple plots, spy movies, political schemes, rivalries between stupid henchmen, silly ajhummas, you can try it. It is about poor people who fight the powerful ones and some escape their claws. Some don't.

The drama follows 3 rules: One plot, One place, One time.
- One plot: “Higher ups from NK and SK collude to uses pawns to achieve their respective goal and the pawns fight back”.
- One place: Almost all the action is happening in an all-female dorm of a university.
- One time: the action happens in continuous over a span of time of two or three weeks. It is short and it is has an impact on the psychology of the characters.

ACTION PLOT: Simple and well made. The bad people are clearly identified and their action are outrageous but readable. The situation is complicated for the good guys in the beginning because they need to come together from different sides (this part is quite dark) but when they do, their strategy and actions are quite clear and the tone is more fun and comical.

ROMANCE PLOT: The romance is a sub plot but it is what makes the story endearing. ML looks a very human and sensible person. FL is a naïve young woman who is friendly despite having plenty of family issues. They meet and fall hard in love at first sight but they don’t have the time to express their feelings that they are stuck in such a situation where their blooming feelings can hardly find a way to say “I recognized you are the first moment”.

2/ CHARACTERS/ACTORS:

2.1/ Good ones

- Romantic Spy Soo Ho : Great character. A NK spy but he is motivated by family values and brotherhood rather than blind fidelity to the party. He looks a liaison agent, not an action spy and he is quickly overwhelmed by the situation. His priority is to save lives and protect people. Jung Jae In at the top of his form and of his talent.

- Pragmatic efficient spy Kang Cheong Ya: Total allegiance to the Party but smart. She quickly sees the broad picture, adapts herself, she has ideas and instinct. Annoying at first but she is she one who makes things happening. Superb Yoo In Na.

- Naïve heroine: Endearing young woman who is cheerful despite family issues. She is a fake strong person and she feels guilty all the time. Her infatuation for the ML is cute. A typical “well educated” girl of these times in her first crush. Good portrayal from Ji Soo and promising performance.

- Bad cop and good cop Lee Kang Moo. A reckless cop who would do anything to catch the bad guy in his eyes but in the end, he must acknowledge everything is not just black or white. The actor did well.

- Funny cop Jang Han Na: looked good then bad then good again.

2.2/Bad Ones

- Silly Kye Boon OK: She should have not survived. The theory of evolution strictly forbids it. Don’t know why she survived. Kim Hye Yoon was great.

- Reckless NK soldier Joo Geok Chan who made everything complicated just to be granted the most miserable demise of the drama. Liked the acting tho. So different from what I have seen of the actor so far.

- NamTae Il: really dumb and coercive and abusing at the same time.

- Eun Chan Soo: delinquent dad, rotten politician, traitor to the nation. Young Ro, you don’t choose your family.

- Ahn Kyung Hee : A valet and a rascal at the same time.

- Miss Pi: sad fate and questionnable choices.

OST:
It was nice. Still have some songs in mind

REWATCH VALUE:
Well when you know the format (80 mins an eps*16) and the 3 rules and the outcome… Hard to watch again but I have to say, yeah it was the hell of a ride. The kind of drama to follow week in week out to really appreciate it. After it is too late because the spoilers are everywhere…

OVERALL:
A very courageous drama which did not hesitate to take the most risky format and the risky 3 rules of traditional theater and a risky context of story as well. In this end, the ride was really good for me. I was really able to put myself in the shoes of these people and I enjoyed following them in this journey. 9.0 overall but I will give 1 more point for being such a particular drama but still it managed to be entertaining.

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I don't care: review about a show where nothing really happens

If I could interview the writer, surely things would develop like this:

Me: So what were your initial ideas for the show?
Writer: (gives me a summary of the script) Basically, I want the story to start at this point and go to this point.

M: And how do you plan to do that?
W: Repeating the same events in every episode.

M: Every episode?
W: Every episode.

M: ...
W: I left you speechless with this genius idea of ​​mine, didn't I? It's just that if I always replay the events and put on some dramatic music in the background, I'll always leave the viewers on the edge. And since events will always repeat themselves, people will always be on the edge and they will always be excited about my show.

M: ok... and what kinds of events do you plan on repeating?
W: Well, it's quite simple. Look:
- Yong Ro cries. Repeat.
- Tie Kang Moo. He escapes. Beat him and tie him somewhere else. Repeat.
- Someone proposes a deal to Soo Ho. He is betrayed. Repeat.
- Boon Ok misbehaves and there are no consequences for that. Repeat.
- Han Na screams and has irrational attitudes. Repeat.
- Almost shoot a hostage, but never materialize it. Repeat.
- Threaten to blow up the dorm. Don't explode it. Repeat.
- Finally blowing up the dorm. The explosion is minimal, insignificant. Repeat once.
- Man Dong's son threatens Boon Ok. Repeat.
- Hit Man Dong's son. Repeat.
- Create tension because of Nam Tae's new super Machiavellian plan. The next minute, the plan is undone. Repeat.
- Create tension because of Eun Chang's new super Machiavellian plan. The next minute, the plan is undone. Repeat.
- Create tension over Chef An's new super Machiavellian plan. The next minute, the plan is undone. Repeat.
- Discussions between An, Eun and Nam every 10 minutes. Repeat.
- Conversations between wives.
Etc.

M: ... Is it true that actor Hae In was asked to get strong so he could carry the entire show on his back?
W: wha...

M: Sorry. Next question. I see you have 4 powerful man: An, Eun, Nam and Kang? Who would you say you got inspiration from to create these characters? Michael Scott or Pink (from Pink and the Brain)?
W: (leaves the conversation)

M: Wait! I haven't even asked about the plot holes yet!

- deep silence -

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