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If this show were a persuasive essay on literally any of its themes, it would fail.
*Not really specific spoilers, but I do describe general concepts of the story which may influence how someone who hasn't seen the drama may understand the show. If anyone sees this as spoilery, just let me know, and I'll put an official warning label on it. Although I'm not so sure enough happens in this drama that one could spoil anyway.*Come and Hug Me is a great example of a story that introduces exciting ideas but never follows through with them in a way that actually make sense. Let's dive in.
Story/Themes:
If this drama were an essay, its argument wouldn't make any sense. We see this through the themes and concepts introduced through the story such as, "Are parents their children?" and "Some people are become monsters." There is even this idea that Na Moo's father has ruined all their lives, but the only way we see this is through sad remembrance and mean people (who don't really seem to bother Na Moo that much anyway?) The argument of this is all very confusing and made little sense to me as I felt like what I was seeing was different from what was said without giving too much away. While there are several problems this storyline, my goal isn't to tear this drama down and rip it apart. Rather, I simply want to review on some overall things that were done wrong or not as well as they could have been.
These ideas I just relayed are examples of ones that were the most developed in the show, but failed to do much more than give the audience surface understandings about them. The writing of the show also confusingly contrasted against its own arguments at times which didn't make any sense.
We get these illogical moves in the story that only seem to happen because the "plot demands it." Not to mention (as many have already mentioned) there are so many flash backs and flash forwards that feel not only out of place but unnecessarily dragged out and sometimes nonsensical.
Cast/Characters:
Oh, the cast. Oh, the characters. I give it a C.
One of the most brilliant parts of the show, to me, was how well done the casting was for the younger roles. They were absolutely perfect and convinced me that they really were their younger counterparts. Unfortunately, the characters were less compelling and hurt what was built at the beginning of the show.
We have Na Moo and Nak Won who are absolutely perfect. The writer seemed to want to show imperfection merely through weakness in being a victim as if the title of "victim" defined who our main characters were.
I mostly had problems with Na Moo as a character. He felt incredibly bland and far too perfect, despite the issues the writer seemed to force on him (it literally felt forced. Again, another one of those things that didn't quite make sense). I haven't seen his actor in anything else before, so I can't judge him too harshly since I have already concluded that the writing was not well done, but I also can't deny that any bland characters can seem interesting enough if their actor is a beast. All that to say, there were problems on all sides.
Going along with the challenges the storyline faced, the writer seemed to have characters do a lot of things and come to so many conclusions that astounded me. The actions of the reporters were absolutely ridiculous (especially after recently watching Pinocchio which slayed it all).
The most interesting character was Na Moo's brother for me. Had he been the main character, I wonder how things would have been different....
Music:
One of the songs sounded like Happy Birthday or something to me every time. Not important...but nothing stood out to me. It did a fairly decent job of raising suspense without going overboard which I love. Somewhat above average with a score of 7.5/10.
Entertainment:
I never rate the rewatch value section and instead adjust it to "Entertainment." Otherwise I would give most dramas a 1 or 2 which just wouldn't be fair. So! Entertainment!
This is a decently entertaining show. As I have said before, the story is interesting with interesting ideas and some pretty good pacing. However, I give it a 4 because all of these other things with the story, the characters/acting, as well as the production problems (which isn't on here but there are quite a few production and editing problems which got in the way). As I am a film major, these things affect how entertained I was. Even though the elements in the story are exciting, they are not executed well through the writing of it that made it less and less entertaining as the plot holes became more and more distracting.
Overall:
I really do appreciate all the efforts that went in to making this drama. It is not easy to put a film let alone an entire show together, so there was a lot of people involved and a lot of work! Everyone really did a great job--it's more than I have ever done for sure.
Despite this, there are certainly things that could have been improved and hopefully will be better done in the future. We see from this show that it really is important to show the logical moves from one plot to another in the story. There are many inconsistencies with children being the same as their parents or not, and very little explanations are given to help further the arguments as to what the show is trying to say.
One theme that did work for this show is the idea of your real family not having to be related by blood. It was still a little choppy getting to this conclusion, but there are a lot of beautiful discussions on it. The relationship between Na Moo's brother (Hyun Moo) and their adoptive mother was one of the most moving parts of the story to me. There is value in this show which many people have noticed of course because of the high ratings for it which is great. However, as successful as it has been, let's still recognize that some of the most important aspects of making a meaningful story are missed.
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Child actor and actress did amazing work ,totally justified the character ,pain ,fear, all perfectly seen in their and choose adult character is totally match up with the child face and character .All adult characters also did great acting......
Background music according to the situation is just perfect and so emotional that they connected us with the drama so badly they feeling bad all the the time for those four character ......
I like one message from the drama which had been shown last part of one of the starting episode ,it is like this,"..if we survive then we have to live and keep on doing work and then it's up to you how to handle this life or how to live with this life with regrets or to do something good to make each day better.""right Never give up...
Wickedness is not developed ,it is in blood? or it is in choice...this statement confused me ,is this statement related to lead actor or actress. Some dialogue I like it 1 if you want to cry then cry 2.if you want a hug then hug.
Don't keep everything inside otherwise one day you will burst or you will break...3..I like the dialogue said by Na moo and Nak won respectively ,"Even a person like me ,there is paradise","Even a person like me there is a tree to lean on ".. 4.
"in this way our nightmare like story will come to an end.
Na Moo (adult) acting was too good .when he cry I also get tears in my eyes ,his acting (Na Moo character) touch my heart ,too much sympathy I have toward this character
Nak woo (adult) is very pretty and cute and nicely hold to an expressions which totally shows that from outside she is happy go lucky type person but from inside she is scared,sad and worried (about Na Moo).
Hyun Moo also did a great acting when he was frustrated with Na moo because his father always admire his younger not him and then he realised that ge was living with a lie from so many years just like his father he become a bad brother ,bad son and bad human ,he regret for every deed he did in the past and then story take a turn.
The one who play the role of Na Moo father's is totally look like a villian (bad /physco).He should be awardes best negative role .
Then that reporter ,her appearance ,the way she smile totally look like cunning woman .Though she is reporter but she has no mercy at all. She should be awarded as a best negative female role.secondly I thought that reporter also had some past story with both the criminal father and son thatst why she is showing so much interest to long old story but she was murdered in the middle of drama that confused me ..In this way there is ending of this character ...
Too good ,no flaws in any part ,totally connect with story and character.every character in this drama are too good..
Best ending ,cute ending , lovely ending and just perfect..Everyone did a great job too good............Too good but so emotional one..
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This review may contain spoilers
Family doesn't begin and end with blood.
This story is supposedly centered around a tragic love story but in truth, I would rather say that it is a family drama spread over a decade.The story is quite complex and long, but it all starts with Yoon Na Moo. He is a studious and upright young man, who meets Gil Nak Won, a newly moved neighbor. What should have been the beginning of a tender love story between young teenagers quickly descends into hell, and all because of Yoon Hui Jae, Yoon Na Moo's dear father. You see, Yoon Hui Jae is a psychopath and serial killer, over the course of his life he has killed women with no motive. This man who only gives value to strengh, has two sons, Yoon Hyun Moo is Yoon Na Moo's big brother. Yoon Hyun Moo is basically a bully, but this is more complex, in truth, he is a character who has lived with the suffering of not being acknowledged by his father. Considered a "weakling", he never received any degree of attention. So, he's acting out, trying to attract the attention of his father, but also his stepmother who cared for the two boys. In contrast, Yoon Na Moo is the son cherished by his father, whom he holds in great esteem, since he was very young.
With that said, Yoon Hui Jae, the father considers that any kind of love and affection that his beloved son receives is holding him back, making him weak. This leads to a terrible Christmas night where the father murders Gil Nak Won's parents, and attempts to kill her too only to be stopped by his son, who defends Gil Nak Won against his father, calls the police, and later testify against him.
We then follow the characters over the space of 12 years, as they grow up and try to live with the terrible memories of that night, still mysterious to the public. Yoon Na Moo tries to atone for his father's crimes by being a police officer.
The story becomes more complex when murders by a serial killer begin and a stalker tries to take Gil Nak Won's life.
The series initially relied heavily on flashbacks to emphasize the relationship of each character, their motives and actions. The characters in the family are well developed. And if at the beginning we are carried away by the love story between Gil Nak Won and Yoon Na Moo when they are young, and which continues over time, quickly the family relationships in the Yoon family become the center of the intrigue and the main engine of the series.
Despite how fucked up the characters are, discovering the obsessions and unhealthy relationships they have, I can't help but have affection for them. Whether it's the mother-in-law who fled with her little daughter, witnessing Yoon Hui Jae one night with a bloody face, and who is trying to make up for leaving the two boys behind with their father. The big brother who tries to repair a family that no longer exists by committing crimes but also by sacrificing himself. The little sister who loves her two brothers unconditionally. And the more fascinating one of the psychopathic father with his youngest golden son.
This is an intricate and tragic web to behold.
As a final mention, I must say that I loved hearing the pronounced dialect of the main characters, I found it very charming.
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Definitely worth the time
it's like a roller-coaster ride and every cast plays it parts amazingly maybe for some it's not their cup of tea but for me I enjoy it very wellthe main couple is not that cringed type as the story progresses it will show their bond from their childhood days to the present one and even the brother of the main lead althrough the half of the show you're going to get mad of him but the second half it shows the other side what an amazing turn of events and I think every fan of mystery/crime/romance drama will live this show
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This review may contain spoilers
There were more hugging scenes than I could count, as well as flashbacks. The show kept me in fear as I watched how our leads dealt with their next harrowing situation. Jin Ki Joo and Jang Ki Jong were splendid in their roles. Their younger counterparts were also very noteworthy. The villain was exceptional, making you have shivers whenever he appeared on screen. The show did get repetitive after the beginning with similar dialogue for certain scenes, and the plot was barely progressing. Still an enjoyable watch surprisingly though. Was this review helpful to you?
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KIM KYUNG-NAM
Honestly i couldnt care less about the romance between the main leads. The family dynamic between the father, mom, brothers n sister is wht i actually loved abt this drama. My rating is purely based on their scenes only. I think the child actors portrayed the love story better. Jang Ki Yong for some reason had 2 levels of acting in this. One absolutely wooden performances with the fl. Bt then had really good performances with his on screen brother. Maybe Kim Kyung-nam brought the actor out of him. Whch brings me to my fav character n performance. KIM KYUNG NAM, the man that u r.Was this review helpful to you?
a story that explores good & evil & presents both sides objectively w/o playing the devil's advocate
tropes: #secondchance #sharedtrauma #softmalelead #angst (short-lived) #firstlove #norandombreakup #healing #trauma #codependence #violence #goodandevilah, what a journey. this show was really good and emotional with a solid story. i thought the show represented the side of the victims, as well as the mentality of the abuser(s) very well. the show itself, while showcasing both of these perspectives, didn't shy away from endorsing the victims' side, as well as making a point out of the offenders' logical fallacies.
Namu and Nakwon had such a great love. the kind where they could never even look at anyone else. it's so interesting because, in this story where the FL's parents are murdered by the ML's father, the FL never once blames the ML. Nakwon didn't even blame him on the day that it happened. she had just watched her parents die and went through the most traumatic event anyone can experience, yet she worried about letting Namu know that it wasn't his fault. i just felt like they loved each other so deeply. i think it might've been the innocence that falling in love as children brings to a relationship or the fact that they could never heal all those years that they were apart that made their love so great.
if i had to pinpoint the main focus of this drama, i would say that this is a story about healing. more than any of the scenes, i found the last scene where Namu and Nakwon saw their 16 yo selves and hugged them the most emotionally devastating. it was an amazing portrayal of 'healing your inner child.'
now, this is definitely a heavy show that puts the viewer through a lot of different emotions. some scenes can be quite triggering. there are depictions of murder, more specifically femicides committed by a man who targeted women who were weaker than him to enact violence. there are themes of trauma and depictions of the impact trauma can have on people, such as nightmares, or different tendencies. there's death and blood shown, of course. so beware of those themes.
all of these actors gave the performances of a lifetime on this show, by the way. the leads. the reporters, the brother, the mom, the dad. everyone acted their ass off and brought this story to reality. in the beginning, i saw so much of a resemblance between the young Namu and Nakwon and their older versions that I truly believed in their story. i felt like i could see their young selves every time i looked at them. the continuity was amazing. i also loved how Namu just became that little 16 yo kid every time he was with Nakwon and looking into her eyes. i felt like that was such a great representation of a traumatized kid who never got to grow up and heal. a lot of that was Jang Ki Yong i think.
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The acting was mostly incredible. Both young and adult actors for the male lead were able to portray this impossible sadness through their eyes. Supporting actors did not underdeliver either. They allow me to overlook the female lead. I don't think it was her acting so much as the injustice to her character. Gil Nak Won is commendable for her positive outlook on life even though she's witnessed and experienced horrifying events, but other than that, she was just not that interesting. Almost every supporting character was more interesting.
It's been a long time since I've watched a drama without wanting to check the ending. It was definitely worth not doing so. While this isn't something I'd rewatch, I enjoyed every moment of the first run.
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...empty
I wanted to love this drama so bad. The first 12ish episodes were absolutely amazing and I was sure this drama would be a 10/10 or a 9/10 at the very least. But after the main idea was introduced, nothing more interesting happened. It’s not really a good sign when the synopsis of a drama is the most interesting part about the drama. The plot just kind of went in a weird direction and never really recovered. I was hoping the main plotline would be centered around Yoon Hui Jae but it ended up being around one of his weird little underlings for most of the drama. To me it seemed kinda dumb to include him at all besides to make the audience think that the older brother was the murderer and then make the brother out to just be a victim of Yoon Hui Jae by revealing this other psycho dude to be the one that caused all the crimes in the first place. I definitely would have enjoyed this better if YHJ escaped earlier and was hunting them the whole time instead of just in the last 8 or so episodes. The entire plot also felt too safe and too diluted if that even makes any sense. Like everything was moving at a snail’s pace for some reason and it just got really boring after a while. Someone needs to take this speed up button away from me because the last third of this was watched at 3 times speed and it was still too slow. I agree with another review that said the emotional depth between the leads was not there. I feel like there’s supposed to be something but their entire relationship feels very shallow and one-dimensional. My guess is because they didn’t allow for enough screen time to flesh out their relationship and the drama focused more on the serial killer plotline. With the snail’s pace they took, they could have honestly done both. I’m convinced that Jang Ki Young just doesn’t pick very good romance dramas because I didn’t like anything that I watched him in except for The Boy Next Door. I really don’t know what to say besides that I wanted MORE from this. Just more of everything. More drama, more angst, more romance, more fleshed out characters. Just more. Still a 7/10 because I believe this is a decent story but it just felt oddly empty to me.Was this review helpful to you?
I guess its only to blame the other dramas that aired together with this show otherwise they would have made it a bigger hit.
It is not your typical "this is going to happen" kind of show, not really predictable unlike some other shows. Actors be it they are main roles/supporting roles/young actors, they are all amazing imo. Especially the killer and main casts. The killer gives out the perfect 'aura' around him whenever he talks and it just get on my nerves. Young actors/actresses had really good chemistry besides the adult version too! Totally love the boy just like how i loved him in Pinnochio, aigooooo~
He's gonna be a next big star like Yeo Jin Goo or the rest!
I would definitely rewatch this drama in a few years time because i would say it's worth my time being thrilled by the father. It's probably better than Defendant to me because it has the essence of fluffiness from the main characters that everyone's missing.
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