Decent watch, but a little underwhelming

Not as thought-provoking as Sky Castle, not as addicting as Penthouse, and not as intriguing as Mine. There is a lot to be desired in terms of writing and character development. Given the premise and genre of this show, I thought this show would get way more ratings, but maybe people are starting to grow tired of these over-the-top dramas that air out the dirty laundry of Korea's top .0001%. With the oversaturation of dramas it becomes harder to stand out, even if you manage to draw viewers in. And the first episode didn't really do a good job of making you interested, but once you get to the end of episode 4 things get a lot more interesting.

The cast is okay. There seems to be more than what meets the eye when it comes to the characters, but the execution of revealing intentions could've been executed better. I really like the FL. She is seemingly perfect like those around her but she too conceals secrets that are yet to be revealed. She has a lot of likeable qualities. She is kind and empathetic towards others. She is humble. And admirably, she is trying her best to adjust as a single mother and giver her child the best support she possibly can for both their sakes. My favorite thing about her tho is that she is no pushover. She seems like she has no fight in her but if you rile her feathers her talons will surely come out. In a lot of ways she reminds me of Woo-joo's mom from Sky Castle. Overall she is just very well-written. Gong Hyun-joo is okay. Kind of annoying at times but then again that's her character. I also like Danny (he low-key fine asf) despite him being shady.

{I'll post my final thoughts her once the drama concludes}

UPDATE: The ending def didn't go the way I thought and things did get a little ridiculous. Bringing the FL's character back from the dead was unnecessary and imo took away from the story. I mean he faked his death for what really? The second wife's storyline could've been handled better and she started to get on my nerves, but I did like her and the FL teaming up together. I think the strongest part of the show is how their relationship evolves and come to see each other as victims who were played by the same guy. My biggest gripe with this show is that it wasn't compelling enough and I found it hard to care or really get invested in any of the characters. This one has a lot of potential but it fell short sadly. 7/10

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Squid Game's less interesting sister

I'm mixed about this one…Intriguing start but it gets slow and even a little gimmicky at times.Shit got real in ep 4. I think it's safe to say this show did the capitalism/hierarchy commentary better than Squid game. No matter what advantage you think you have, there will always be others in better predicaments or those who manipulate the system to work in their favor. Since comparisons are running wild I’ll go ahead and say the shock factor here wasn't nearly as engaging as Squid Game. Another thing SG did better was getting me invested in most of the main characters. Also fyi, this isn’t nearly as violent as people are making it out to be.

The acting was good but it was difficult to care about anyone, even the main guy. Tbf no one person was super likable but by the end I wasn’t rooting for anyone. 8 was pretty obnoxious but she had all the personality. The music choices were nice. I really dug the intro song.

The concept is interesting enough to justify finishing this but half the show is waiting for something to happen. This was an ok watch but it's missing something to make it next level.

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how far can you go with method acting?

What a movie. Even days after watching it I’m still thinking about it. When I tell you my eyes were GLUED to the screen from start to finish they were. The big question was, was it really all an act, or was did real feelings cause the lines between the actor and idol to getting blurry? I think this film is interpretational and leaves you to draw your own conclusion on what was really going on. The movie wasn’t necessarily romantic but rather than implementing a romantic theme it relies more on the performance of the actors to draw you into the events. I found the movie unpredictable as to when the climax happened I was so eager to see what would happen next. Since the film was about to actors in a play, many parts of the movie felt like you were watching a movie in a movie which was really great. I get that this movie can be a little controversial given the subject matter but damn does it need more recognition!
The acting is phenomenal, especially from Oh Seung Hoon. That dude needs to be in more films and the ones with the veteran actors because he’s that good! He did an amazing job as Yeong-Woo. Ngl I thought he was cast because they needed a cute guy to play an idol but damn he did not need to go that hard acting. He channeled the character so genuinely and not once did he come off as awkward or out of place. Actually, both actors were purposeful and very natural in the more intimate scenes. The kissing scenes were so sensual and felt so real. They were so convincing that you would think they were romantically involved in real life!

Personally, I think Yeon-Woo did develop feelings for his co-star as he discovered his liking for acting through the play, however, there were moments where he would tease and toy with Jaeha which makes me think that a part of his behavior was an act, but not completely. The last scene with him gave me a sense that he liked Jaeha, or did he dread returning to the repetitive and restrictive life of an idol? It was clear from the beginning of the movie that he was tired of his life, so that is maybe why he seemingly enjoyed working on the play so much. He didn’t care much for it at first but after Jaeha prompted him to get into character I think he began to feel a form of freedom and self-expression that he never felt before. So I could argue that his time spent with Jaeha didn’t awaken romantic feelings in him but ignited his newfound passion for acting. But then again those steamy kisses and overt sexual tension were hard to overlook. As for Jaeha, I think for the most part it was merely method acting, but that scene in the shed made me think he started to fall for his acting partner. In his last scene, he seemed satisfied with both his and Young-Woo’s performances and walked away with no visible sign of regret or longing. These are the reasons that I doubt that it was all just acting.
Overall this movie is just excellent all around. 9.5/10. The only reason I’m not giving this a full ten is that I’m unsure about the ending. It wasn’t bad but it left me wanting more.

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the significance of human connection

This was on my list for a long time, but I just couldn't get past the premise. A guy who's allergic to people falls in love with a robot? It sounded so incredibly stupid,and yet I still ended up watching after much hesitation. The plot however really shows the creativity of kdramas. The plot could literally be anything, no matter how weird or insane it sounds and the kdrama could somehow make it work. The power of imagination I tell ya.

The plot is not only unique but it's surprising in the sense that the drama ended up better than I expected it to be. The robot storyline was so well done despite it's ridiculousness.

Yoo Seungho did great as the ML. He did a great job of capturing the pain and loneliness that his character had. The drama did a good job on his childhood flashbacks. It was a great way to see how he ended up the way he did and how his illness affected his life for the worse. I don't remember which one exactly but that one crying scene with him really made me emotional.
Chae Soo Bin was pretty good as well. I liked her much more as Ji Ah but she was decent at playing a robot. Of course there were times where her cover should've been blown but if u just go with it you'll be fine. Maybe a part of Mingyu wanted to believe that Aji was real because he was that desperate to feel the love and connection he had never really felt. My favorite scene with her was when she clogged the toilet LMAO.
At the heart, I feel this show is about the need and power of human connection. Having a genuine connection is one of the most special things you can encounter in life. It's what humans were made to do. Connect with one another. I like that this show explores the meaning of having someone be there for you and understand you. Whether you're in someone's life for a short while or a long time, you never know what you can mean to that person.

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THE PLOT was definitely one of the most interesting and original ones that I've seen in a while, however it's also one of the main reasons this drama was so successful. I believe out of the millions that were tuning in while this was airing, there were many viewers just curious to see how the plot will unfold, as well as how North Korea and it's people would be portrayed. If I'm being honest the main drive for me to finish this WAS the plot. I mean, a handsome North Korean army officer who stumbles upon a South Korean heiress by chance? Surely this won't end well.

THE CHARACTERS were all very enjoyable. The officers under Ri Hyeok were quite charming. They were apprehensive about Se-ri coming into their home, but as the story developed, they became so close to the point where they put their own lives in danger to make sure she was out of harm's way. The character growth with them was cute to watch. Seo Dan and Goo Seung Jun were my favorites among the cast. Honestly I got more invested in their storyline than the leads, idk I just got kinda bored after a while with Ri Hyeok and Se-ri. They DID NOT deserve the endings they got. I feel the end to their stories deserves a rewrite. I think they got a sad ending just to follow the "someone has to die during the finale" trope. If anything I think they are more victims than antagonists. I wanted to see Se-ri's mother's character in a better light but she was just reduced to being Se-ri's father's wife, which was a waste of potential. I feel like the negative dynamics between Se-ri and her mother were just thrown into the story for unnecessary emotional conflict.

THE MUSIC was excellent. At times I think the OSTs took over some scenes but once Yerin Bark's "here I am" started playing I feel like time stood still for Se-ri and Ri Hyeok. I personally found the music memorable and even downloaded some of OSTs to my playlist. I felt the music for each scene was just right.

THE ENDING kind of had a neutral ending. Given the current situation between North and South Korea, I figured that Se-ri and Ri Hyeok would not get that happy ending that everyone wanted. But I'm fine with the way the writers decided to wrap up their story. Not entirely sad but not entirely happy. Just neutral.

Overall I give this drama a 8.5/10. It's a good drama to binge watch during the weekend. I probably won't rewatch it because the episodes are 1 hour long and midway through the story things slow down.

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I heard a lot of hype from this show so my curiosity eventually led me to watching this. I definitely think this deserves the hype it gets.

PLOT the beginning each scene was engaging and the plot that unfolds leaves you wondering what happens next. The storyline is very much like goblin so can't really say its original but it was still interesting nonetheless. A lot of plotlines from the other characters and the ghosts from the hotel were thrown at me but I was more interested in finding out about Man Weol's past. I must admit that I did think the overall storyline of the drama was kinda confusing and even after finishing this not everything makes sense. I do think that the show spent too much time focusing on the storylines of the ghost who would come into the hotel. Like sometimes they were interesting but I wanted to see more of Man Weol and Gu Chan Sung, damnit!

The CINEMATOGRAPHY is beyond beautiful. There wasn't a single seeing that wasn't any short of wonderful. Even the boring scenes we're nice to look at because of the amazing production that went into the sets.

The COSTUME DESIGN was exquisite. The main cast always looked good but IU's wardrobe was on another level. Her clothes matched her character so well. She definitely look the part. Gu Chan Sung wore suits most of the time but hey you can never go wrong with a suit ;)

The ACTING was excellent and the scenes between the Man-wol and Chan-sang were so enchanting to watch. Each interaction between them was truly captivating. I couldn't get enough of them both on the screen together. I definitely think they had some chemistry.

The OSTs are literally so amazing I have no words. every song was right for the scene it was put in. The music truly transported you into the story as you were watching. Taeyeon's "all about you" and Paul Kim's "so long" are my favorites. Punch's "another day" was very good also. This is the first drama where I actually like all the osts.

OVERALL I give this drama a 8.5/10. I started watching dramas last year but out of the ones I've seen so far this one is one of my favorites.

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Very mid but I liked it

I'm kinda gonna go against the grain here, even tho I agree with the outstanding majority. The general consenses is spot on--The show has tons of wasted potential. The most redeeming qualities are the pretty cast and cinematography.

That being said...I still enjoyed this, at least the first 4 eps. But even after that I cared enough to see it to the end. Let me be honest: As someone who loved Penthouse and Sky Castle I came into this for rich people mess and high school shenanigans. As crazy as they get, you gotta have a high tolerance for bs and throw logic out the window with makjangs. Compared to those dramas this pales, especially in the mess department. Still, I have to think a drama is really bad or boring in order to drop it. Eps 4-5 is when things started downhill. And it did go downhill. But...I want a S2. I found it likeable enough to want to see more. The finale was open ended enough and the premiere was successful so it'll prob happen.

The biggest reason why this wasn't impactful is there simply wasn't enough time to flesh out anything. 7 eps isn't long enough to bake the cake. The outside is delicious but the inside is underdone. I don't call for this as much anymore but 16 eps seemed better this instance. That way we could've had more room for the plot to cook.

Characters were ok overall. Unpopular opinion: Lee Chaemin carried. Losing sight of his motivation was what ultimately brought him down. It would've been more interesting if he led Jae-I on as part of his revenge plan despite actually liking her. Only then would I have gotten behind them as endgame.

To sum it up this was a good example of presentation >> substance. Its true we got a half baked cake but I still ate it up. Maybe folks should lower their expectations next time?

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