A must-watch!

If only for the novelty of it in kdrama world, this is a must-watch series that I would recommend to any of my friends. At only 6 episodes long, it is a bite-sized series that kept me watching from start to finish, episode after episode. Although the story itself is not that remarkable, the message and execution is commendable and inspiring. For who doesn't know yet: The Sound of Magic has a lot of ... music. The story itself plays out when it needs to, and is supplemented by songs and dances à la La La Land. It is this musical-like feel of the series that makes the series stand-out. The series reminds us to go for what we truly want in life, without being constrained by the expectations of society, friends and family. But ultimately, the series made me feel a sense of wonder and hope.

For all of you who could use some joy and a reminder that everything will be alright: this is one for you!

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Must-watch thriller for anyone that enjoys cat-and-mouse storylines

Because I have a lot to say, I'll write a short and long review to make things easy.

In short, this is one show that will remain in my memory for a long time. It kept surprising me at every turn, and although the story was at times maybe a bit too plot-twisty/unbelievable, it didn't bother me enough to make me stop watching as if I was nailed to my seat. The main thing about this drama is the amazing acting by the two main actors and its interesting concept. If I were to say one thing: nothing is as it seems - especially first few episodes. When I watched the first two episodes I thought this would be quite straightforward and wasn't yet pulled in as much, but a bit later I was absolutely hooked. To me, this is now one of my favourite k-dramas so far, and the best thriller/crime drama I've watched yet.

The synopsis of this drama doesn't say all that much. It didn't speak to me so much either, as it says so little about the actual story. However, any synopsis that doesn't spoil anything would do this drama a great injustice by making it seem too boring; but a synopsis that tells you what it is really about would spoil too much and ruin the story. So if you are in doubt because of the lack of a clear synopsis, I'll tell you now: it's worth it.

One thing I should mention is that some say this drama is about whether psychopaths are born or raised - that is not so much the case here. The series takes on a viewpoint that lies more firmly on the side of 'they are born'. The entire show starts off with the premise of 'what if we could detect people with psychopathy before they were born?', based on the existence of a psychopathy 'gene'. (Whether or not this is credible scientifically, I won't go into; although there is evidence on the gene MAOA having some influence on it.) But even more central than that question, is the following: "What if psychopathic murderers could feel guilt, remorse, pain?" - I refer to wikipedia for the backstory on how the scriptwriter came up with this idea. Although you won't understand what this question has to do when you start watching, it will become clear near the ending how this question has effectively created this entire plot. As for me, I think they definitely succeeded in what they set out to do.

Okay, now more in depth.

Plot: all in all, I absolutely loved the entire plot line. It pulled me in, and I was hooked all the way through. Although at times far-fetched, it is not so much so to put you off if you can suspend a bit of disbelief (for example, some medical improbabilities - for example the existence of one 'psychopathy gene'). In hindsight I absolutely see why these were necessary in fulfilling the central question/goal of this series. Most plot developments I did not see coming; or I saw them coming but the story convinced me otherwise so that I was surprised even at both the smallest and biggest plottwist of all. That is why I would rate this plot wise 9: thrilling, mysterious, dark and satisfying, with the exception of the few plot-twists that were a bit unbelievable.

Acting: this is what really elevated the drama to a 9.5 overall for me. Lee Seung-gi did a great job in portraying all aspects of his character and made me really believe in everything he said or did. He made me feel both sympathy and disgust, and is absolutely what kept me watching every time. Truly, his acting was phenomenal here, and for that alone I would recommend this drama to anyone who is debating whether or not to watch. Lee Hee-joon also did a stellar job in establishing his character's motivation and emotions. The supporting actors also did a great job.

Music: great - although I am one that is more geared towards the background soundtrack and not so much the songs with actual lyrics. The bgm was suspenseful and kept tension all throughout.

All in all, I think this is a must-watch for anyone who likes thrilling storylines and phenomenal acting. It is in my top 10 series, and perhaps even my number one crime/thriller/suspense kdrama so far. I will definitely be rewatching sometime in the future.

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Interesting start that falls a bit flat near the end

Well made, but after 10 episodes or so we know everything that's truly important... The last episodes were much less interesting than the first, and so it falls a bit flat near the end. Still, a solid 8 in my opinion, and a thriller worth watching.

What I really liked was the backstory and the interesting character of Namgoong Min. The background music was also very good and added to the dramatic feel of it all.

What I liked less was the scientific nonsense. It's to be expected in any story that attempts to incorporate sci-fi elements of course, which makes it forgivable as long as it is not too obvious - I could forgive it here because I've seen worse. It definitely paints scientists as people without a conscience though, willing to sacrifice anything for an endgoal. But then, every story needs a bad guy so that too is forgivable. And as opposed to other kdramas, they do make the police upper management not entirely corrupt but more of a grey zone, which is something I haven't seen too often: they're either made out to be the bad or the good guys.

Regarding the storyline. It starts incredibly strong: you're wondering who the culprit is, and then Captain Do is this fascinating mystery. But at a certain point half-way into the story, all of his mysteriousness is gone. We know exactly who he is and how he came to be at this point in his life, why he does what he does. And sadly, as his mystery is gone, so is the plot development and my interest. At that point, the story is just like this. Team Evil tries to get Captain Do, they fail, and Captain do tries to find their location and gradually gets closer but never close enough. The story just doesn't move along anymore.

And so, while it was interesting enough to watch the show completely, it doesn't match up with the best of the best thrillers out there.

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A romcom that makes you want to fall in love

Love To Hate You will likely be in my top 5 (if not number 1) of 2023 dramas. Honestly, romcoms are usually not really my thing. At most, the jokes make me smile a bit and the romance is often sweet but at times a bit toxic. In contrast, Love To Hate You made me laugh out loud at many scenes, and it features a mature relationship between adults who respect each other - something more dramas should aim to portray. Watching this drama made me think, "This is the kind of relationship I want", and it made me want to go out and find someone. My heart is a puddle and I think I need to go and recover now, it'll be a while until I find another kdrama this good.

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