Brilliant Writing

This show deserves a great amount of love for its many things, but primarily for its innovative, suspenseful and beautifully crafted plot line. Very few kdramas pull of the intricacy of such a complex story (especially in a mere 12 episodes). There’s too much to praise so I’m just going to list my top 5 favourite things about the show:
1. Completely original, women-centric story which is mainly concerned with socio-economic issues and the desire to be wealthy. It is an age-old tale of poor people wanting more, but because of the female perspective, you can see it in an entirely new light
2. The flawed characters: Some people might dislike the 3 FL’s but that’s kind of the point. How many people in the real world read every contract thoroughly, or wouldn’t take a chance to drastically better their lives?! The sisters are relatable in their imperfections and most people irl aren’t very different. We all have our individual set of values, they can be realistic like In-Joo’s or selfish like In-Hye, and sometimes stupidly brave like In-Kyung’s. The beauty here is that they represent real women, who should be allowed to make mistakes and grow cause that’s only natural
3. The ML’s: Opposite to the FL’s with obvious issues, the ML’s are perfect and won’t ever disappoint you which creates a really nice balance between the characters
4. The villains get applause of their own, of course! I wanted to constantly murder all of them, especially the main antagonist. And that really speaks to her acting skills and how amazingly she portrayed a character so completely evil. Great work from all the negative characters
5. The eerie sound-track and the flower symbolism gets an honourable mention cause it truly tied the direction with the script and enhanced the final product very well.
(Bonus: This needs a sismance tag for all the lasting and heartfelt friendships they portrayed. Female characters supporting and truly ‘loving’ each other is a big part of the show and that’s a nice change from the stereotypes).
Lastly, this show is criminally underrated, I’m guessing because of its lack of cheesy romance and the lesser role of ML’s. People looking for that stuff will undoubtedly be disappointed. But, if someone is looking for a more adult suspense/thriller with very prominent class struggle themes, then this show is certainly worth a watch!

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Good graphics; Bad plot.

Tried to like this show… truly, but simply too many plot holes, inconsistent writing, strange character progression. Let’s start with the good:
- Set design - Amazing graphics, a very believable world, all the imagery/backgrounds enhance a great aesthetic. 10/10 for me .
- Music - Wonderful soundtracks throughout the show 10/10 as well.
- Acting - I’ve been a fan of both main actors, they fit the roles given and did a great job. All side actors were also perfect in their roles!
That’s it for the good parts. Now onto the writing (or lack of)
- Plot: What is even happening? The hero goes from being a victim to being the perpetrator, the FL is from the future but is involving herself in past drama like any of it would matter (since you know, the world has literally ended in 500 years), the ML never questions where the world-Turing jade went, even though he knew it was a huge harmful thing?! That’s just one example of all the ridiculous plot holes. 2/10
- Characters: The ML has Stockholm Syndrome, the FL forgets her mission every 5 minutes. Ye Bingchang is NOT different from the male lead, she’s also doing what takes (in her mind) to survive. Writers purposely make her hateable, most likely to instigate fans who they know will jump on things like that. The fox demon doesn’t need that relationship, it seems forced by writers and she’s not over her last one.
The only character I liked consistently for 40 episodes was Xiao Lin. Honest, stuck to his own principles, calm and rational. 4/10
- Ending: The less we say about it, the better. It’s not happy and for me, not worth the whole drama just to lead there 0/10
- Romance: Is there I suppose. There are some very sweet “aw” moments. But the fact that almost all relationships are toxic in a stupid way (not in an entertaining way) really undermines the romance. 5/10
- Arcs: Dream arc - why?! Just why waste multiple episodes on a strange dream that could’ve been told in 1-2 eps. The god/goddess arc is a good attempt, but confusing at times and very awkwardly written.
One positive is that the FL somehow succeeds in her mission and the world doesn’t collapse, although by the end I wanted their fictional universe to be over already. 2/10 for the flow of the story.

TLDR - Special effects, music and actors are great; but the lack of flow throughout the story, confusing plot full of holes and all the unlikeable characters with zero decision-making skills really ruined the show.
Huge budget and good acting, wasted on awful scriptwriting.

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How to ruin a good original story

Let’s start with some of the pros:
- Good original story. It certainly had a ton of potential and was a great idea for a show
- The villains, despite being cliche were well written and the actors playing them held true to their characters
- The main actor is very good looking, so that was certainly a plus for most viewers (including me!)
That’s all of the pros. Now for the reasons which made watching this show a huge mistake for me:
- The Italian. Seriously. If you have an experienced team creating a high budget drama, the least you could do was open “Italian for dummies”. That would’ve told the scriptwriter that mademoiselle is a French word and the main character’s repeated use of it on top of his already horrid pronunciation completely ruined any “Italian” vibe he could’ve had. He neither sounds nor acts as someone raised in Europe and the fact that the team is unaware of this shows how little they cared about researching another culture. If the situation was reversed and someone tried to pass off Japanese words as Korean, you bet all these viewers would be up in arms about it
- The main characters. All of them. These are some of the most poorly written characters I’ve ever seen in any drama. The female main’s over the top ridiculousness undermined her character as a smart, competent attorney. The male main (once you get over his looks) has terrible facial expressions. The supporting cast is mostly shallow and illogical
- The superhero complex in this show is out of control. Everyone, everywhere simply loves and is willing to give up their life for a magical man with extremely good fighting skills and perfectly manicured baby hands. Everyday people apparently have no issue with him murdering his way through a country which does not seem to have an actual justice system. By the end I genuinely couldn’t understand why they loved him so much
- The extremely lazy writing leaves so many plot holes it’s impossible to count them all but I’ll try. The guy they scammed as shamans runs the newspaper. In the earlier episodes, they showed a huge court case where the main couple arrived in a sports car and got tons of media attention. Does the owner never open one of his papers? Has no one seen these people on TV after they constantly posed for cameras?
That’s just one example of a circus full of low IQ characters getting away with senseless actions simply because the writer ‘said so’.
- Honourable mentions: Over the top comedy which ends up being unfunny, the ‘talented tenants’ plot line was just too convenient, the main villain’s reveal was underwhelming, the romance was forced and the mid episodes were slow/draggy where I almost gave up.
Despite all that, I watched till the end mainly for the story which could’ve been amazing without all the pointless comedic elements and moronic characters. And to remind myself to never trust a Kdrama’s rating since all these viewers are apparently 17 (at least mentally) and just wish to see a pretty oppa doing cool things in shiny clothes.

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In one word: Pretentious. Also, a true insult to the intelligence of all viewers

I thought a lot about why people hate this show so much. Of course bad shows and scripts exist, but the key difference is that they’re not “trying” to be this niche, grey/noir show about corporate finance. The problem here is that a very stupid writer thinks the audience is dumb as well. So, he never bothered to research any finance or business terms, and wrote random nonsense.
The story is set in a magical monopoly of a company called Kangho that does… everything? They seem primarily like venture capitalists, but no one explains anything in this show, except for going on and on about how much insane social and market power their magical business has.
Taeho the ML especially ends up being an awful character since he’s meant to be the “smart one”. Some of his actions include: repeatedly going after his best friend’s wife, not knowing how embezzlement works, establishing a magical paper company that gives him all the power. Pure BS.
Inha is turned from this flawed/not as smart friend to an unexplained psychopath. In the end they don’t tell us the reason why he did the dumbest thing, because they never even bothered to create a reason throughout the show!
Hye won… I hated her character honestly. Completely apart from the actress, she’s written as someone who lacks all brain cells (and emotions?) Couldn’t she just be the politicians aide, since that’s how she ended up anyway, and not marry a man she doesn’t love? (She got the job on her own!). Weird cheater/gold digger cliche who says and does things that make zero sense. I don’t understand why the character’s a part of the show honestly.
I do feel happy for Huiju and second brother, they’re the only ones with a character arc. Brother learns that power and being at the top isn’t everything, and Huiju will live her own life freely after dodging the arranged marriage nonsense.
The acting was excellent from LJW and Jun, them sharing a screen brings me joy. I won’t say anything about FL, she’s getting enough (correct) criticism as it is. But, all in all, this show is a cautionary tale of what happens when a writer is overly pretentious and thinks the viewers are illiterate. I hope he will either retire or pick up finance for dummies before trying this again.

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Unlike all the other versions…

As a teenager in school, I grew up with Boys Over Flowers franchise. With every version I’d think everyone around me wanting to be in Gorya’s place had lost their mind. The Male Lead abuses the FL physically and verbally throughout in both the Korean and Japanese versions. (And no it is not normal to call your partner ugly or pathetic!)
This version on the other hand…
It does the whole redemption arc, and they actually pull it off. To the point where I’d say my favourite character is Thyme. He truly goes through a crisis and tons of self-reflection before making a real effort to change himself. The friendship of the group is amazingly real and the family relations/conflicts of both leads are similarity well portrayed. Some of the highlights for me:
- Gorya’s character is not helpless or easily impressed with money. She’s extremely strong, takes responsibility for her whole family, and only wants to be in the relationship once she sees the change Thyme has made.
- The lack of toxicity: Maybe it’s because it’s Thailand, but I love how the guys are able to cry in front of each other and hug easily. They also share their emotions very often and have a healthy support system in each other
- All the female characters (even Rosalyn)! They’re all powerful and self-reliant in their own way. None of them truly chase after any guy (even with Hana they show that her issues go much deeper than just wanting Thyme). It’s a great scene at the end where they show Mira and Lita successful and happy in their own lives

Truly, the Boys Over Flowers franchise has terrible memories attached to it for me, but this show has made me like an unlikable story, and that’s a miracle.

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Not the Worst/Not the Best (Somewhere in the middle)

Let’s start with the good parts:
- The OST is very catchy and sung by super talented singers.
- Despite some other comments, I do believe the actors all tried their very best and did the roles great justice. - - - The pairing of Zhao Lusi and Yang Yang might seem odd but personally, I think it worked quite well. I love how she portrayed the mannerisms and little quirks of her character. (Also Yang Yang I’m that navy robe: Huge Plus!) . Apart from the mains, all supporting actors did a great job and fit their characters very well.
For the more questionable part:
The Story. I’m not sure what the screenwriter’s thought process was, but to cram the majority of the plot in the last few episodes while most of the show follows an emotional, overly dramatic family is almost criminal. I’m also not sure why they felt the need to make Hei Feng Xi so meek and sentimental when he’s clearly shown to be a cunning spy master. They didn’t weaken BFX’s character but the annoying family of horrid people definitely cut into her much better arc. I won’t compare show with novel too much cause they changed so much it can barely be recognized as being based on the novel. (Making Yu Wu Yuan’s character evil, not understanding how grey characters work when the book is full of them etc. were some of the things that annoyed me) The last few episodes had the best of the plot but were also the most rushed. It was satisfying to watch the story unfold, but could have been done much better.

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Led astray by good reviews

I wish there was a more official/critical Korean review website, as MDL has led me to another bad show with their strangely high ratings. I’m dropping the show at 4 episodes, because of many reasons:
1. Lack of plot - a lot (seriously a lot) of time is dedicated to action sequences, which aren’t bad but it leaves very little time in the episode for character/plot development
2. Inconsistency of plot - I understand that it is fictional, but a little too unrelatable for them to be having fights out on the street, gangs running around, knives everywhere, and no police presence at all. Even when the police does show up they simply hang back until the very last moment. It seems very inspired by some 70s action flick and I’m not sure how that is still being popularized in 2023, set in a country that is actually full of cameras and police on patrol. Also, the lack of the perpetrators wealth makes little sense in a very hierarchical society where the poor rarely act so openly.
3. Plot holes - One example is the fentanyl issue which was shown to be a big deal, but then simply disappeared from the story without any legal recourse over the next episode
4. Pacing - The show gives the illusion of being fast paced due to all the fights, but the actual story has a painfully slow pace and I’m failing to see any background/ character info (for none of the main guys) even going into the 5th episode.
*The only positive are all the ML’s and their acting skills.
I came here after Season 1 of The Glory which is based off of true events, in search for a similar high school bullying/revenge drama but this has been a strange experience reminiscent of the old action movies I’ve never been interested in. Overall, watch this show for entertainment but not for a deep or profound social commentary because Weak Hero Class 1 doesn’t have any substance to
it.

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Heartwarming slice-of-life show

It would be difficult to describe in works how amazing and likeable this show and these characters are. It definitely gives off a vibe of “I want what they have”. It showcases the better and more idealistic side of both the medical profession and friend groups. The musical score is very well done and they’ve truly gone all out creating an official band and recording cover songs in a studio. Shoutout to the female characters for being excellent portrays of strong, professional women.

There isn’t much to the plot really, it is mostly just a light, relaxing show. Something pleasant and enjoyable to watch after a long day at work and to forget your troubles as you laugh and cry with these beautifully crafted characters. It is certainly aimed at a more mature audience looking to unwind rather than the typical immature, unrealistic romance dramas or the amazing but time consuming plot heavy shows. HP was one the best shows I’ve ever binge watched, especially during a pandemic.

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Fake reviews?!

I’ve decided to finally drop this show at episode 5 because of the horribly inconsistent writing, dumb characters and zero-logic plot. Some highlights:
- The pill causes the illness but they’re not recalling the pill or issuing a warning to stop people from taking it
- They won’t track down pill users, instead locked everyone together, increasing the number of the infected
- FL is getting all the hate (internalized misogyny from the mostly female audience no doubt), but ML is equally stupid and tries to play hero for no reason (running outside with the people who took the money etc.)
- They can’t put the child with social services? Grandparents? She has a heart disease and they think it’s wise for her to be with a “good guardian” while being locked up?!
- The murderer/doctor and the management woman are senseless characters with illogical motivations.
- Contrary to what people say, the military man is the only one I like cause he’s rational but still trying his best
The writer really questions the intelligence of the viewers and given the unusually high rating, he’s certainly proven correct. I read all the positive reviews but now that I’ve seen the show they’re either fake, or we’re watching 2 different shows.
TLDR: Don’t watch if you can’t completely get rid of logic, common sense and the need for decent writing.

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Based on a true story…

I’d like to remind everyone watching that this whole show is based on a real case. So if you think it goes “overboard” in any way, remember that a real woman lived through that curling iron horror.
That said… I think of the show as a whole, so instead of comparing the 2 seasons, I’ll be putting them together.
The FL’s revenge is near-perfect in its execution. Yes, she gets help from other people, but honestly she’s been alone for far too long. Also, it’s not as if everyone in the world is a psychopath without empathy, so of course normal/decent people will want to help her. The story unfolds very well, and I especially like how the other characters cause each others doom. It was set-up quite obviously if you watch the 2 seasons together. They were never real friends, always felt jealousy/anger towards each other. So it makes a lot of sense for them to turn on the next person. For Sa-ra, she was in withdrawal after not getting her drugs. For Yeon Jin’s mother, she was always that selfish and uncaring. They stayed true to all characterizations.
Shoutout to all the actors playing antagonists, they did an excellent job of making us hate them!
For our main leads, I love that the FL has hope and joy in her life finally! The ML’s storyline was kind of pointless, they should’ve just given background and left it at that. No need to show his detailed revenge as well. Honestly, I notice the same negative comments here that are on every kdrama with older actress/younger actor. Don’t pay any attention to those hypocrites I’d say. They love to watch shows where FL is younger and acts 5 with older mature MLs, but if you flip it they suddenly can’t “see the chemistry” anymore. Funny how that always happens in all such shows huh. For me, I liked both main male characters, they were amazing, and whoever the FL chooses is good for her!
Lastly -1 for the overdrawn plot. They keep stretching it to the point where I have to forwarded the unnecessary scenes. That could’ve been avoided, but overall one of the most satisfying revenge dramas out there!

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Dumb in the best possible way!

This drama has been a very fulfilling experience from beginning to end. Show of the year so far! A list of amazing elements:
- The pilot episode: Hear me out, every kdrama so far for me has been a struggle to get into. No pilot episode by itself has ever held my attention the way this one did. KHY’s acting alone in the first episode was enough to pull me in. They did an Excellent job on writing the best pilot episode in the entire dramaland!
- Excellent FL! One of the best FL’s I’ve ever seen in a kdrama. She’s brave, determined abd puts him first almost everytime. Also, the actress is incredibly entertaining and has the most cheerful temperament. She’s a delight to watch!
- A ML who is worth all of the struggles! Sun Jae(a)… is sweet, shy, caring (the whole list of positive adjectives lol), but also kind of an idiot/loser in front of Im Sol. He truly brings life to the show with his smile and infectious energy. (And his ‘aggressive’ kissing scenes 😂)
- Usually I’m not the most interested in romantic shows, but this is certainly Romance done right! They’re overly cute, but when you consider the timelines and everything they went through, the cuteness/aegyo makes sense!
- The supporting cast (In Hyuk, grandma, Kim Tae Sung, mom, dad, manager) were all perfect in their respective roles. All of the supporting cast had their own mini story, and a purpose in the plot, which is refreshing since they weren’t simply adding pointless characters.
- The music/orgininal soundtrack from “Eclipse” charted for real in Korea, since that’s how amazing it is!
- Exceptional acting from all of the actors, but especially from BWS as this is his first large scale male lead role!
A few cons (unfortunately!) :
- I liked the best friend, but in the early episodes Im Geum and her story was the only parts I forwarded in the show. It didn’t hold my attention, seemed a little pointless, and it kind of made me cringe. (Like them happily married with kids in the future though!)
- Plot holes: regardless of how interesting or amazing the show is, it has quite a few plot holes. In one of the early episodes Sun Jae says “I would have still done swimming at 19 even if I knew how it would turn out.” That made me so sure he knew what was going on, or time travelled as well. Since the original webtoon has that story, perhaps they planned for it but changed it after? It was just a little strange that the ML ended up being more of Mary Sue character (very iconic lol) despite multiple parts that make you believe he knows what’s going on.
The time travel has some issues as well with timelines not matching up and some stuff they missed. Sun Jae’s unexplored depression and Sol’s disability were kind of pointless at the end and should’ve been explored more.
I’m not usually the person to say this, but there’s enough sadness and social commentary in real life. I like the idea of the leads having a miserable fate and a fun adventure which leads to a way happier ending. Ultimately, it’s good, direction, acting, singing, so I can overlook the writing here because of the joy these dumb characters bring. And the show is worth more than 1 watch, which isn’t something I’ve felt about any show before!

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