Drama Special Series Season 1: White Christmas (2011)

I finished this drama special last night (this morning) at around 1:00 am. There was so much adrenaline pumping through me that I wanted to write my review right then, but at the same time I had to digest this masterpiece for a while first. Because this is a masterpiece, and here's why.

First, I will say that if you like Kdramas, this one is absolutely unique in the entire genre. I've seen over 100 and nothing even seems to have been made on the same planet as this. So it definitely has the uniqueness factor - check.

Secondly, because it was a special rather than a full drama, it has a nice short run time of only 8 episodes, so it is great for those with ADHD or who like Kdramas but not the fact that they tend to be so long. Actually, my only real complaint about this drama is that there isn't more of it!

Of course, the first two positive things I've said about this drama are just shallow fluff and not really the reasons I called it a masterpiece. But they are good reasons that I think this is the ultimate drama for introducing noobs to Kdramas (particularly American noobs as those are the kind I know best).

But now on to the real meat of the matter -- why is this a masterpiece, and not just a Korean masterpiece, but possibly a masterpiece of television, period?

1. VISUALS! Did I say visuals? Oh, and visuals. This is one of the most singularly beautiful (and eerie) things I've ever watched. The PD is Kim Yong Soo and going foward I will watch anything he directs (he directed Equator Man, which while it has its plot flaws, no one can deny its cinematography is stunning). Every camera shot is perfectly framed for maximum visual and emotional impact. At times it felt more like watching a series of paintings or artistic photographs pass by rather than film. The visual harmony between the stark modern architecture, the snow, the shadows and even the physical characteristics of the actors themselves and how they are framed in each and every shot demonstrates tremendous forethought and superior aesthetic awareness. I could have watched this drama with the sound and subs off and still enjoyed it; that's how beautiful it is.

2. Acting. Considering the youth of this cast, the acting was quite good, and this drama could not have been pulled off without their sublime efforts because the claustrophobic, character-driven nature of this drama requires great acting. I read on Dramabeans that when the kids were cast that the writer cared more about physical type (because the visuals and theme were that important to her) than acting ability and that most of the actors were considered relatively inexperienced at the time; although, we know most of them very well now (Woo Bin and Sung Joon, for example). I found this revelation startling in light of the brilliance of their acting in White Christmas.

3. Music. Much like the visuals, the music was also all perfectly thought out at every moment to achieve maximum emotional effect. And for we English speakers, there is deft use of some popular tunes like AC/DC's Back in Black, Arcade Fire's Wake Up and Massive Attack's Teardrop (aka the theme song from House), just to name a few. This actually is my favorite soundtrack of any Kdrama I've seen because much of the music was recognizable and that just added to the overall impact of how well it was used to increase the emotional impact of the scenes and theme, rather than just as background music like so many soundtracks. The soundtrack in this drama practically takes on a life of its own and White Christmas would not be the same without it.

4. Theme & Writing. No bones about it, this is a DARK drama and not for the faint of heart. But once again, what makes it great is that it is not dark in the usual twisted crazy parent, birth secret, killing for money, insane makjang way of most dark Kdramas. This is dark because of the theme and the theme is a very simple and universal one relatable to anyone anywhere (that I am not going to go into here because I don't want to give anything away). Much like with the visuals and the music, the writing was also very focused in this drama, without any of the meandering, unfocused, repetitiveness that plagues the live shoot portion of so many Kdramas. Sure it was only 8 episodes, but every scene, every word, of those 8 episodes was perfectly thought out to elucidate the main theme with nothing extraneous and nothing left out either. EXCEPT....

There was one flaw in this otherwise perfect drama and it's a pretty major plot hole that occurs in the last episode that sent my bulls*** radar pinging. And despite my great love of this drama I refuse to let the writer off. If you've seen it, you probably know what I mean. However, I understand why the writer had to do what she did for the overall structure and theme of the drama, and, therefore, I forgive her. Because, in the wake of this glorious tour de force, I am willing to let a little final-hour-what-the-f**ckery slide.

In summation, watch this drama! You will NOT be disappointed. And if by same crazy miracle you are, there is a scene in episode 6 where all the guys take their shirts off, so hold on until there at least!

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I loved this drama. It had everything; love, hate, fear, death. I was extrememly interested in the psychology aspect of the drama as I am a psych major. I gave it all 10's b/c the story was amazing, the acting was perfect, the music was awesome (had a lot of songs that I listen to), and it overall messed so well that I will watch this over and over. I have recomended this drama to my friends at work and will to any1 else that I know. I loved the concept that was born and how it all played out. A wounderful question that I have myself been trying to answer since I work in behavioral mental health. Whomever thought this up has a very analytical mind and knows how to go beyond the boundries set for experiments in the psych field. It is a very fine line that can be crossed at anytime. I probably like this more because it is based on a topic that I am interested in anyway. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

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If you're looking for an action-filled drama of hide-and-seek with a murderer, then this is not the drama for you.

But if you're looking for a thought provoking drama where you can spend half the time guessing whom the murderer is, and the rest of the time studying the abilities of the human mind; then this is the one for you.

This drama is based on the question "Are monsters born or made?" and focuses on the psychologic part the story. Now before you back away (I know I usually back farfar away from movies that have a psychologic theme) this one is really worth the watch!

There were frustrating parts and questions that weren't fully answered. I also wish that there had been more shown about each characters background. I rated the rewatch value low only because of the fact that once you have watched it, you will already know how it will end and who the murderer is.

Over all, a very interesting and thought provoking story that pulls you in and allows you to ponder about one of life's greatest questions; "Are monsters born or made?"

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In Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", ten strangers gather to an isolated island where they will have to witness a murder - just to become hunted themselves. It's a psychological thriller where we get to see, not only the people's deepest thoughts but also the group dynamic in a very extreme, absurd situation that you can only create in fantasies.

White Christmas' main themes are very similar to the masterpiece by Agatha Christie that was written over seven decades ago. What happens to the people in extreme fear when they can trust no one but themselves and they can't escape the danger they are confronting? Each of them reacts to the situation in their own way and various different social bonds are formed. But while "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie is clearly a detective story where the reader is fooled until the very end, White Christmas offers us rather clear hints throughout the series. I would say that in the end White Christmas' best offering for the viewers was not the mysterious guessing game but the psychological themes it dealt with.

The characters of the story were very well written. They had realistic background stories, as well as the personalities they had formed until now. The most interesting was to watch how they all would develop in the journey of eight episodes. None of them was entirely good or bad, and everyone of them had to deal with their own problems, their own values and their own emotions, and to answer the main question of the drama: "Are monsters born or created?"

Besides the great plot and characters, the production of the drama was done very well. The drama was very artistry - but not in a way that it would look forced or unnatural. The set was very simple but in the same time even more stunning. In the end you don't need some fancy effects if you know how to film: the talented use of the angles, light etc. The silent scenes with stunning views and some well-thought music, and you have everything you need for a very emotional scene. And not only was it just nice to watch - the talented production made the atmosphere very eerie and stagnant, something to get you completely absorbed into the story. I also liked the fact how the characters' uniqueness was emphasized by the way they were filmed - all in their own way.

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The above was my main thoughts after watching the the whole drama in one day (night, woops :D) - I will discuss more of the cast, music, story etc. below! :)


Story - The story was in the end pretty unpredictable although that viewers were given pretty clear hints about the mysteries in the drama throughout the series. Altogether White Christmas is a fresh and unique drama among the sometimes very cliched dramaworld. The greatest pros in this drama were the deep, well-thought characters and the many thoughts it offered to the its viewers in every single episode. Some illogical gaps though made me reduce half of a point in this section.

Acting/Cast - I have nothing bad to say about the cast or the acting. Although there were many rookie actors (e.g. Kim Woo Bin, Sung Joon) I never felt that they were actually "acting" - was it then the direction of the drama or the well-written characters, I really got into it and felt more like they were real characters rather than just normal people behind the characters they were trying to create.

Music - This soundtrack didn't have songs of its own but it borrowed many famous and also not-so famous songs from around the world. Majority of the songs were Western songs, varying from pop to alternative rock and ballads. But who could have imagined that Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus would actually be so creepy?

Rewatch value - Although I love thrillers, the series always suffer from it as well. As you know what's going to happen in the second time when you're watching the series, it doesn't really feel exactly same anymore. That's why you should always cherish the moment when you watch a drama for the first time. (:D) But with great production quality and the many thoughts that the drama offered, I think that it would still be pretty enjoyable when it is watched for the second time! (And I'm sure that I'm going to watch it for the second time for sure! ^^)

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This drama was very unpredictable which is what got me continuing to watch it in a 3 day span. I liked it because there aren't a lot of episodes, so they packed everything into the 8 episodes they had, making use of all their time wisely. So there were no stupid scenes or useless side stories in play. When I first started watching, it was sort of slow because everyone is trying to find the sender of this letter, but once you get into it, it is no longer about a mere prank but life and death with the serial killer. I must say though that after they discover the killer, that's when the psychological games begin.
Another side note, it helps that the people are very attractive, so that kept me watching as well ;)

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I just finished watching and I just have no words to explain what I think of this.

This was a pure masterpiece! Full 10 out of 10 and I think this goes to my favorites here on MDL. If possible I'd give this 11/10.

I absolutely loved the acting in this one.

The actors may be young and yes, flower boys, but they are the kind of flower boys who knows how to act. At least that's what I think. In my opinion there are 2 kinds of flower boy actors: the ones who are there for eye-candy and just for that. And the ones who are there to act and offers some eye-candy too. This drama has the later.

There are few things in the drama that didn't make sense...
The ending was good but I don't quite understand the meaning of the ending... Maybe I need to sleep through the night and recap the drama on my head while sleeping and then I'll realize the meaning of the ending?

The music was really good and haunting. Except the Britney Spears song that was used as the ending song for some episodes... I skipped the ending song :D

I think Korea should make more dramas like this one.
It's a rare gem and I haven't stumbled upon Korean dramas like this one before.

My rewatch value for this one is really low because... You already know what's going to happen and how this is going to end.

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--> In one line <-- : If you've never been confronted to this genre before, it's a way like another to discover it, though not exactly the best start."

For over half of the episodes I tried and during the five episodes I've gone through, not once did I feel entertained. But then again, maybe it isn't entirely the drama's fault ; it had been sold to me as a particular genre, and therefore I was waiting to see a story fitting the said genre ; except it had nothing to do with it. Then the question is, would I have enjoyed the show if it had been sold properly to me ? Maybe....but probably not. Whether or not this was sold to me properly shouldn't have been an obstacle to feel entertained, but I wasn't. The question now is why.

Let's start with the plot. For the majority of the seen episodes nothing mattering occurred; if the scenarist's inspiration was Gustave Flaubert, a French writer bragging how he can write about "nothing", then he succeeded, but missing the writing style. One would say it is used to build up the suspense or to get to know the characters better ; I felt none of the two. I simply did not care ; at fault isn't really the story, in itself, it is neither bad nor good, just boring ; the real issue, is the acting performance of the cast.

The cast looks bored, and inevitably, when an actor isn't entertained by his own job, the interest in the performed character is immediately hindered and in this case, it includes close to the entire cast. So if they are bored, why should I, on the opposite, feel entertained ? I am after all the receptor. As for the characters themselves, they are generic and don't leave much of an impression, except one or two. Well, on the other side, it is also the role of the director to guide his/her actors' properly so they can perform at their best and how he/she wants the characters to be. So the actors, even if bored or not, aren't entirely at fault, the director shares the blame.

A second issue, with the story, is linked to the situation they are in : teenagers cut from the rest of the world in a building with one of them being a murderer ; and most of the time, I have absolutly no sense of danger ; the characters are way too calm and composed and only start to react in a more realistic way in episode 5 (if the question is why I didn't continue when it was finally starting to have a ray of entertainement is that I simply forgot about it and couldn't care less anymore) ; even the simulacre of investigation, or the revelation of some pasts and some shades of mystery being solved aren't enough for it to build suspense or entertainment.

The music is very often redundant and the same song used too often per episode, but apart from that, there's no real formal issue with the production ; and then, considering some musics they use, they certainly lost a good amount of money simply to pay rights. Don't expect many asian songs in this, there's a fair amount of older occidental songs. Like, dislike, but do not forget they'll be quite repetitive and sometimes overused.

The rewatch value....well, obviously....when one drops it, it can only be quite low.

Overall....as I said...the show isn't bad, just uninteresting and generic. If you've never seen this kind of story, you might appreciate it, because naturally it'll appear fresh and new like every first time, but then I hope you'll encounter many more stories of this genre in the future, because if it isn't bad, it isn't good either and there's a lot of good fictions with similar stories waiting out there.

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This was a very interesting drama. It kept me on my toes, meaning, I kept wondering what was going on. And when a hunch of mine seemed to be right, I found another point that kept me interested.
It's definitely one of those dramas you complete easily because it makes you want to know what's going to happen next.
Definitely for people who like twists and turns.
However good it may have been, the ending did however leave me quite puzzled and some questions.
I guess, people who'll be watching this will definitely see what I mean. It's recommended to everyone who likes a good mystery, and for those who try to figure out what's going on as the story progresses.

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Ok, first: DAEBAAAAAAK!!
I´ve really never seen such a good thrilling drama yet! Revenge, hate, pschological, love and some other aspects that I don´t remember right now were very good brought!

Plot: A very interesting and catchy story! I think the writers did an awesome job in here! The answer whether monsters are born or made into one is an answer that lots of people are asking themselves, including me!
Acting: The actors did a great job! You could really mistake them for really being like that! The charakters had very detailed peronalities and I loved everyone in White Christmas! Especially Park Mu Yeol, Mad Mireu/Kang Mireu and Choi Chihun! :3
Music: The music always fit the Situation, I especially loved the opera song everytime something thirlling like finding a corpse was Happening.

I will definetly rewatch White Christmas, coz it really deserves this Rating!

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After the sixth episode this was easily on my favorites list not because the plot is relatively original or mind blowing, but it is very well done and something rarely seen in K-dramas. However, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and the japanese manga and anime Monster have done a great job with this concept.

The reason this does not quite get a ten from me is that I'm a tough grader and while it does not have many flaws, it still has some. For one, thrilling moments in this plot are triggered by coincidences or fate. I feel like for such a well done and thrilling drama that seems a little ridiculous. Seven students of the top private school in Korea receive a letter that compels them to stay in school for the holidays. First of all, this school is known for its rigorous and strict rules and you're telling me seven students are going to stay in a school they consider a jail just because they received a letter... Yeah, okay. As a person who went to boarding school can I just attest that no threatening letter would have stopped me from going home.

In the midst of the mysterious letter, an injured stranger appears around the school area seeking help. A person ends up dead and hence starts the mystery. Who has sent the letter and are the deaths connected to the letter? Dun Dun Dun *mysterious music*

Nonetheless, the story is amazing though yes, a point was docked as towards the end, yet another mysterious person appears which honestly was slightly overdone. Furthermore, the fundamental question of this is never quite answered. It somewhat takes a cop out. The question being a nature and nurture type of question. Are monsters born that way or are they made? Well, that is ultimately left to your interpretation. There are moments where this drama feels tangled in it's own philosophy and doesn't quite know where to go. However, despite what seems like a negative review, the characters are absolutely great, the plot very well done and the directing is stellar. The acting is also fantastic and this drama engaged me to no end. I watched episode after episode with little pause. A strong recommendation.

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What should I write? Where do I start? This drama is probably the worst thing to happen to me. And with worst I mean best. Honestly, this drama ruined me and I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my life.
Omg, I don't know what to say. Maybe I should stop writing about my feelings ..

Well, this drama was really good. The story was brilliant and the characters were really well developed.
What I really liked was that there were only a few persons in this drama (if you ignore the parents and the police, etc.) and that the whole drama found place in just one place (again with a few exceptions). This way we got familiar with the place and got to know the characters better.

White Christmas reminded me a little bit of SAW. A person playing around with people and terrorizing them. But White Christmas plays on a more psychological level whereas SAW is more brutal and bloodier.

I watched this drama in one day which wasn't hard considering that it only has 8 episodes and I honestly felt empty after finishing it. This ending wasn't what I was rooting for. I really didn't expect it to end this way. For me this was the worst thing that could happen. I was just shocked and felt like tearing my hair out. I was so heartbroken and mindblown. I am honestly still not over it. And I still hear this awful/awesome music in my ear that was often the reason for my goosebumps because it fit perfectly into this drama and was really helpful in creating an emotionally disturbing atmosphere.

So you are asking yourself why I would probably not rewatch this drama if it was so good? Well, it WAS good, but I honestly couldn't go through all this pain again. It would be too much. Generally I am not such a fan of psychological dramas/movies/etc. because they mess too much with me and devastate me.
I actually just gave it a chance because of the cast and the good reviews I read about it and also because I liked the description of it.

At the end I want to say that you should give this drama a try BUT if you are more sensitive than I am (as if you know how sensitive I am, haha) you should give this drama a wide berth.

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How come that this drama is not recommended that much by people on MDL ?
Young actors but such great actors ! I've never been as much under pressure while watching a drama than in this one. There is a lot of Suspense and my heart was like an "emotional elevator".

You'll never know how this drama will end. You never know what will happen, how the characters will interact or what influence they will have on each others.

The place chosen by the scenarists is perfect, the people tighten closed in this hell are perfect, the music fit perfectly with the story.

I screamed and shout, I laughed and cried, I was nervous and happy. Such an emotional show in here !

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