A doable weekend sitting binge if you like survival shows.

If you like survival shows then you might enjoy this. It felt predictable and I definitely went in expecting this to be no different than Squid Game. The story doesn't really have a takeaway for the audience. I guess it doesn't need one since this theme of human greed and flaws is repeated in every survival show. I think the characters are pretty interesting to watch and what made me want to get through it. In reading the comments, everyone seems to have connected with a different character for different reasons which might make the show feel relatable to viewers. I thought the game rules were solid for the most part and easy to remember. It's not rewatchable though. I don't think survival shows have a lot of rewatch value unless there's a second season, then you'd rewatch to remember. It is bingeable if that's what you're in the mood for.

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For fellow nerds of Economics, Big Business, and Politics

I was intentionally looking for a drama that was dark with themes of scandal, corruption, maybe even murder with the backdrop or themes on economics, big business and politics. I got what I came for so I felt very satisfied on that front. I even learned a couple of things which I appreciate.

I will say the drama felt like it ended without properly resolving the series-long conflict. I don't need happy endings, but it felt like there was NO ending. Perhaps I looked away at a crucial moment and missed it. But there was a noticeable gap at the end.

I'm also happy this drama did not dive too deep on the romance front. It was unnecessary. Not every drama requires romance. And I felt 0 chemistry between the FL and the two MLs. I can clearly read their attraction to her but I saw ZILCH coming from her to them. I guess that was meant to be intentional since she didn't seem to reciprocate their feelings. So I'm not sure why folks are upset by this and/or have read deeper than what was actually presented.

I think the characters were pretty well thought out in terms of morality and motivations. We see opportunists. We see risk averse bystanders. We see champions of justice. We see antiheroes. We see antagonists who feel justified for their actions. We got all the complex characters so I'll give it that.

I did feel there were some weird acting choices on Yi-heon's part but I resolved that to it being necessary to showcase the full range of human expression that is not always one note. So I admire the commitment even if it comes off weird to me personally.

Lastly, I appreciate that the drama knew it would be hard to follow and so it consistently captioned everyone's names, titles, departments, and defined concepts that the average viewer wouldn't understand. Excellent decision.

Overall, if you're nerd looking for these topics in a kdrama, you'll be satisfied with this.

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A bold and daring plot that is more profound than initially perceived.

It's a slow burner that starts off strong, gets a little confusing in the middle, and then ramps up toward the end. Very twisty in unexpected ways that admittedly might lose some viewers. But if you stick with it, it does wrap up neatly.

I found the series to be very insightful on the issue of sex crimes and the intersection of law, society, politics, and media. I think it handled it pretty well and I worry some of the most significant takeaways might be missed by those who haven't spent enough time learning and empathizing with victims and/or those who dismiss them altogether. Those are the people who need to pay the most attention!

This is the first series in a very long time where I found myself wanting to rewatch it to further dissect it and have a discussion with somebody on it. Very thought-provoking drama that I'd recommend to those who like the topics mentioned but also like dramas that require your attention to uncover the messages in between the lines.

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First J-Drama and enjoyed it. Slice of life is hard to execute well but it did it.

This was my first J-Drama and I wasn't expecting to like it but I binge watched it in a weekend. I love Slice of Life but it's a very hard genre to execute. They're quintessentially "plot-less" and so you have to work extra hard to make the story, situations, and characters believable and entertaining. Somehow they did it. I definitely think it's rewatchable if you wanted a slice of life drama with a "coming of age" theme for adult women. If you like the elements of friendship/camaraderie, careers, and romance thrown in too, it'll give you that. I got all the things I was looking for out of this drama.

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