well... that was depressing lmao

the first half is full of intrigue with the narrative told in a slow, suspenseful manner. with the amount of characters this got, it can get confusing at the beginning but they successfully made it engaging for me and mysterious, you want to know what's gonna happen next. and what happens next is an emotional exploration of life and death. it is sad and depressing honestly but it's also thought-provoking. i think there are enough media out there that imagine what's "afterlife" gonna be and this didn't do anything that mindblowing but it did enough to make me emotionally move. the supernatural intrigue definitely helped. literally everyone gave such incredible and compelling performances. but i might give an extra star to mother lee jungeun for making me cry. she's so good.

Leia Mais

very much the bridge to get to the finale but i still had fun

not as entertaining as the first season but then, how could it be? we already know the gag so i guess the challenge for this show was to sustain it and i acknowledge that that's hard. i think it still had its charm and fun moments but i did feel like it is very much the middle season. the bridge to get to the climax which means the pacing here really started slow for me. we didn't get new insights to the game or story. we're still almost at the same place we were when the first season ended... pretty much? i mean we got a new perspective with park gyuyoung's character as one of the pink-tracksuit army but again, not enough insight.

we got a bunch of new characters. acting-wise, i have no complaints here. they delivered in that category alright but these characters are mostly unforgettable. i think it's a mistake not to give them some sort of background stories just like what they did in the first season, even just a little. instead, a lot of the character are already connected somehow and the background stories are just off the screen. the conflicts and fights didn't feel as impactful and this resulted in me not caring much who dies next. well, i do care (especially to that mom who is also a senior! my queen!) but not as intensely as i wanted to. i want to be moved emotionally and to feel hurt and sad. i guess kang haneul's character might be my favorite one but shout out to TOP (man, i haven't seen this guy in years!). and the controversial one which is park sunghoon's trans woman character. i acknowledge this is a step forward in korean media but overall, they really didn't do much with that storyline so there's nothing much to say anyway. both things can be true.

back in season 1, my favorite parts where the games to be honest because it was just entertaining to watch and fun. the betrayals, the desperation, when characters suddenly switched, the drama and conflicts and chaos etc. that was just fun to watch for me back then (hey it was 2020. i needed entertainment lol). i'm glad they changed some of the games but of course, that first one remained. i get it, it was iconic. i just think this was all creative how they incorporated children's games. and i just love the sets and visuals of it all. but i think i'm in the minority because from what i gathered, the part where the contestants vote whether they continue the game or not is the more popular one because that scenes really got a lot of screen time.

but they did leave some mystery with whatever's happening on that boat with junho and i did like the twist with player 001 being there in the trenches with them. i wish he played more mind games with them to be honest lol still... it had its fun moments despite losing the shock factor. i am still gonna be seated for that third season so

Leia Mais

confused why they liked each other lol

oof. this one did not work for me at all. i thought the writing is sooo bad. for a story that has a competition in it, it was so boring and corny (not in a fun way). the dialogues were so bad. i wasn't fond of any of the characters which is so sad. they're all so bland. but most of all, the romance did not make sense to me. i don't understand how those two liked each other. they disliked each other then next thing you know, they're destroying the kitchen area and making out. as i said, i wasn't liking the writing and i think that affects my enjoyment of the characters especially plawan (i'm sorry). i just find him annoying to be honest and i can't believe two people are so into him so quickly. this is making me sad to type because i thought sailub and pon had so much chemistry but these characters in this dream kinda ruined it for me. even the second couple and supporting characters weren't enjoyable to watch. i don't know.... ugh. i'm disappointed.

Leia Mais

oh that phone calls went into a different direction than i expected...

it started strong. compelling premise, intense and the fast-paced style made it more exciting. they always end an episode with a cliff-hanger that would make you want to watch the next episode immediately. but also with this pacing, i think other parts of the show lacked in depth and development. it got really over-the-top in the end there which feels fanfiction-y too in a way which is silly but fun. again, i had a fun time but overall, not as satisfying as i wanted it to be.

the whole phone call thing part between saeon and heejoo was probably the most exciting part of the whole drama. even though, we've seen some stupid moments during that, that was the sequences that made it engaging. i was really rooting for heejoo to play that mind games with saeon but it did not really went there. when that whole thing was over, the romance got intensified. and that intensity threw me off in the end. it just didn't feel right when those two barely know each other. if anything, he treated her so badly that heejoo should've made it worse for him during those phone calls lol except for a couple of flashbacks of them when they were kids, we did not really see much of the development of their relationship. next thing you know, they would literally die for each other. i'm not mad lol but that gave me a whiplash. that whole possesive/over protective thing thing too? oh the girlies are gonna eat that up. i just wish there was more development before all that.

if it's just romance, yuri and sangwoo are the ones that made me kick my feet in the air, you know? that hyper gf and calm bf dynamic who also investigates a case together. plus they are adorable and hot? hello, i want more!

acting-wise, no complaints here. yoo yeonseok? that man can act and has range. very happy for chae soobin getting this project too. i gotta say, the scenes between chae woojin who played dojae and saeon were the ones that really moved me emotionally and probably, one of my favorite moments too.

the villains are over-the-top. it got really wild and dramatic there in the end with the plot. it did bother me at times when they did those "what if" or "dreaming" sequences. oh he actually wasn't shot? oh. lol that's just for shock value. also, i think they could've done more with the selective mutism storyline but oh well.

anyway, it's not a favorite but a good time overall. now i wish there was a version where there's no romance or more like, the two only started falling in love while they're trying to catch the real killer and also, more push back from the female lead and phone calls where they play more mind games with each other lmao writers in fanfic community, do your thing.

Leia Mais

when you root for them individually and together... it's magic

ohmygoodness this put me through it (and i love it). don't you just love it when the main leads are both hot, smart, skilled and can be funny too? then it even gets better because they have so much chemistry! that's song mo and dou zhao. i've never rooted for a couple's happiness and triumph so hard. i admire their resilience and how they actually made each other better. every wins our leads get, it was so satisfying. that's also thanks to how good the antagonists in this story and man, we got multiple villains here and when i tell you my blood was boiling everytime omg lol i don't know how i'll rank them but wang ying xue that bitch (she's so freaking good). so yeah from the acting to the story to the romance, this delivered for me. at first, i was overwhelmed with the politics and the names but once i got the hang of it, i was good. this brought out the emotions in me. i cried, i laughed, i got mad and i cheered.

meng zi yi and li yun rui are officially on my favorites list now. they did so good. but even the supporting actors are amazing. again, the villains! especially the women! also shout out to ming (again wang ying xue you stupid bitch lmao) and ansu (i, too, was heartbroken when i saw how song han started changing. their ending! sad but incredible).

ps: it's actually the king and duke of ding's love story if you think about it lol

Leia Mais

i mean it was a level up from love mechanics i guess

right off the bat, this one is gonna require your suspension of disbelief because what happened in that 1st ep... you just gotta let it go lmao. production-wise, this was such an upgrade from the last yinwar project. i think both of their acting has improved as well. the story tho... i wasn't crazy about it. hmm well after you let go of how that scene in the bank went in the first ep, i thought it was interesting at first but then it just got boring in the middle. i would've loved it if joke's reason for doing what he's doing is deeper than "daddy issues" but oh well. for me, the more serious and action sequences did not blend well with the comedic antics of the characters. it just wasn't executed smoothly. there are times where i don't think this knows what tone they wanted to have. the villains in this story became such caricature in the end there that it's so ridiculous because again, the tone is trying to be ~serious~ but they're acting so silly. what do you mean you're supposed to be powerful and scary then lost to a hangman game!!! Zorry, i just did not buy it lol

however, i did think yin and war still have that chemistry. i love my slowburns but the romance did feel like it was put on the back burner at one point. i don't know that they pulled off a "good slowburn romance" to be honest. it just lack some more development(?) or more yearning(?) i guess. don't get me wrong, i love them together and i definitely had that "finally!!! :)" feeling when they got together but i guess i wanted more??? especially the development of them getting to know each other after 5 years. they were basically strangers even before joke went to prison so.... yeah.

Leia Mais

did i expect too much or what

i just thought the story would be more exciting and fun than that, you know. this just didn't work for me personally and it just became boring as it went on. as soon as i found out the dad knew all along about the "kidnapping" and it actually just lined up with his plan, they lost me lol the romance is just eh, i also thought it'd be angstier than that but min was a goner the second he saw q with a guitar (lmao a classic). i feel like they could do so much (so! much!) with the romance with the themes that they had but it just never went there. because of this, i didn't really feel emotionally attached by the characters either. i guess mhen and and min's sibling relationship is nice and sweet but not really enough to emotionally move me.

ohm as a simp is always a good time tho because that guy knows how to do the heart-eyes lol like i just instantly believe him everytime. he's just good at acting being in love. when it comes to emotional scenes, i think leng's acting is still lacking. i mean there's always room for improvement but yeah, just like i said, didn't really move me emotionally.

i would be interested to see ohmleng again in a a different story. maybe they should just give them something light and fun instead! (but not in a school setting pls lol)

Leia Mais

in the end, mr. plankton did receive unconditional love :')

Overall, this was bittersweet. It has a sad theme yes, and it had its emotional moments for sure but the tone of the show is adventurous and fun. There were high highs and a few lows. I think the biggest strength of this is the acting and chemistry between the actors. From the humorous scenes to the tearjerkers, all three main actors brought their A-game. Our main lead Haejo (or Seunghyuk)... Woo Dohwan successfully made this character so likeable despite his flaws. Lee Yumi, playing Jo Jaemi, your classic kdrama leading lady, the sunshine the baby the baddie. And ofcourse Oh Jungse, we know him, we love him and he will always act ACT. I actually want to highlight how much I love Eo Heung's character arc because I think it's one of my favorite parts. I love that he had a coming-of-age story and the way it was incorporated in the middle of all the storylines without it feeling messy is really good. Plus the fact that he's the oldest one in the group makes it even greater because it shows growth and learning never stops.

Now with the romance, as I said, the chemistry between the actors/characters are so great. Haejo and Jaemi are so fun AND funny. They did the bickering and banters so good, I was giggling alright. Personally, I am a sucker for a second chance romance. It's not for everyone but it is for me. I love that yearning and when the characters know each other really well. WITH THAT SAID, I gotta say, Haejo put Jaemi through it oh my goodness. The push and pull? Yes, he's going through something that's really hard but you can't always use that as an excuse especially if he kept repeating it. I just wish they gave Jaemi a big emotional scene calling out Haejo's behavior. I mean I guess they did have multiple "That's not right" "I'm sorry" scenes but man, I wish she made him grovel way more. Again, I love those two but whew, it was a lot.

Also, to highlight Lee El's character Bongsuk. Omg talk about kindness?! That whole storyline is of course the heart of the show. Unconditional love. I was so sad when Haejo said he stopped believing in unconditional love when he had been receiving it from Bongsuk all that time. I mean I really can't blame him for it after what his adoptive parents did to him. I'm just glad to know that in the end, he knew and realized he had people on his side that truly loved him.

Now one thing that did not feel satisying to me was the storyline with his adoptive father. Only because I did not hear that man really apologized for what he did. If anything, it was still Haejo who came to him. That does not feel right. Yes, he kept his pictures and room but I wanted him to do more than that especially after he got his contact number. Not Haejo's baby sister doing the moves instead of the adult. Yeah whatever, I just feel like that could have been fleshed out more. Same goes with Jaemi's biological parents storyline. Still, I did like that this whole thing is Haejo and Jaemi accepting that these issues with people who abandoned them do not matter anymore in the end because they already found their people.

Yeah, I really liked this drama. It made me laugh and it made me cry and give me a little existensial crisis too lol I'm so glad to see Woo Dohwan again and in a lead role like this where he was able to show his range.

Alex Landi being here is so weird btw lmao

PS. So bold of them to use California Dreamin?!

Leia Mais

where is the oomph

oh i wish that was shorter. it was cute at first but then it really dragged on the 2nd half to the point that it became boring for me. i wish they made the billiard competitions way more exciting than that to balance it out since the romance has been pretty much easy and again, we got 30 eps! it's too long for a story like this. listen, in real life, i love that of course lol but as a drama watcher, i would love to be entertained with a little angst and drama here and there. i just wish the couple is more playful than that. they're athletes! i feel like there's so much potential here but they didn't do much. honestly, this male lead is sweet and he's a provider alright. i've never seen someone down that bad so quickly omg. i do think the writers gave his character more depth and personality than the female lead which disappoints me. i just wanted more from yin guo as a character. so yeah, visually beautiful couple. i do think these actors have chemistry. decent acting. but the writing, romance and characters didn't have that oomph ya know

ps: lin yi yang did not have to sing in front of everybody in the end tho omg lol i can take the other pda stuff but oof.... thank god that was a short scene hahaha

Leia Mais

tor... you are an acTOR alright

overall, that was a satisfying story and has an ending that makes sense. for a show that highlights euthanasia, i like that they presented different people's views and perspectives on it and just let the audience know what they feel about it. it did not feel preachy at all. this is my first time watching tor who played dr. kan and i gotta say, that man can act oh my gosh. he was able to portray this compassionate doctor but in a blink of an eye, could turn into someone so sinister. his performance in the last episode was one of the best ones i've seen from thai media (not that i've seen a lot, i don't think) and even made me tear up. his chemistry with jj was great. with romance as a supporting narrative only here, their chemistry is still palpable. i wish it was developed more but i guess, they did the best they can with only 8 eps. there were times where the investigation and police scenes made me roll my eyes but hey, that's not really something new in fiction stories like this and it's not a crime series so it's fine. as a psychological thriller, i think this one did it successfully.

(it does make think.... do i really want to have the option of euthanasia for myself too or that's that me be being depresso idk... no really, i want it lol)

Leia Mais

not the most satisfying but it was bittersweet

seeing hyunsu and eunyu and eunhyuk all in one scene is the highlight for everyone right or is that just me lol??? not gonna lie, i don't always fully understand what's happening since s2 but when those 3 were all together, i was like, this is worth it lmao acting-wise, my god, no complaints here but lee siyoung as yikyung saving her daughter? so incredible, probably my favorite performance overall. song kang changing from hyunsu to his alter ego monster, good. i do like when pretty actors play these psychopathic or villainous characters. go minsi is always amazing. in this last season we had some side stories i love (hani and that ahjussi), side stories i didn't care much for (the priest and sunhwa, sorry!), scenes i love (again the main 3 + hyunsu vs eunhyuk scene, sergeant tak's way of saving the remaining survivors, yikyung and yisu etc etc) and so many questions still (neohumans???). i think there's so much still to explore with the neohumans and yisu's potential. so many of our characters from s1 wasn't there anymore. the last few eps of this is like waiting for how the next character woud die actually. in the end, it was just bittersweet

Leia Mais

incredible dads and moms... who probably should not be moms

so wholesome and fun. it was able to pull of my heartstrings but also made me laugh. just that classic kdrama feeling. the found family dynamics are amazing. what an incredible father we have here. the dad and haejun's story?? yeah that is probably my favorite part of the story. the relationship dynamics between the three main characters are so fun to watch. not gonna lie, there's a part of me that did not want a romance between any of the main 3 so naturally, i was way more invested in dal and haejun's story (like i would watch a drama between those two for sureif the kdrama gods would cast them again together). not that i don't adore sanha and juwon together but i was kicking my feet in the air for dal and haejun dumdum ass lol. anyway, in the end, the romance isn't the highlight of story anyway.

sanha and his mom's story? heartbreaking and also, rage-inducing, my goodness. honestly, i like that they didn't really give her a redeeming arc. like, yeah just go away. i don't know if haejun's mom and juwon's dad ending up together was necessary tbh (part of me thinks she got away with abandoning her son a little too easily oop) but, i'll just let it go. my little compaints here and there but overall, i had a great time. so emotional and very entertaining. that's my family!!!

Leia Mais

how did they make it cringier but not in an entertaining way lol

even cringier than the other version lol the thing is because it has even shorter running time, it's even worse. this is a very wattpad story with the corniest plot and dialogues, i knew that we all knew that. but the writing in here is really bad, like how did they make it worse lol some scenes i had to look away and no one was even singing or pulling out the guitar, it's that bad lol there's no real development of the romance and the acting or chemistry don't save this one either. it's just corny but not in a fun way other bls have done, ya know. i just want to be entertained at leasttt

Leia Mais

don't overthink it ;)

honestly, it's just simply fun and silly and cute. you get fantasy, action sequences, romance, found family dynamics and friendships. it's perfect for if you want to watch something entertaining and choose not to think too much into the plot because, yes, if you do, you will find it unsatisfying and see loopholes for sure lol. i don't just love the chemistry between the two couples but the overall chemistry of the ensemble. a group of people going on an adventure to complete a goal and bonding and building genuine friendships along the way, that's just my favorite thing. they were able to make me care about everybody in the group so that's really nice.

i have watched ding yuxi and esther yu before in "moonlight" so i know they got on-screen chemistry. so fun to see actors get to have a drama together again tho (because that's rare in cdramas right?). acting-wise, they were decent and have managed to moved me during emotional scenes. they seemed to have improved since their first drama. not gonna lie tho, i wasn't the biggest fan of esther's acting style especially when they make her do child-like things. but then i guess it works for the roles she gets. this is my first time watching zhu xudan tho and boy, is she beautiful. i think she's my favorite character. i was anticipating for a big emotional scene for when she finds out his brother is half-demon and it ended being anti-climactic and ziqi got away with it easily lol so yeah as i said, some unsatisying scenes and plot lines for me especially in the end there (i wish we saw them actually see each other aw) but i'm choosing not to overthink it because i was very much entertained overall.

and of course i was really shocked too that there's no kissing scene between the main couple. good thing, i adore their hugs and banters and little sweet moments here and there but what's up with that?

Leia Mais