Angel's Last Mission: Love (2019)

Convoluted Mess

Menu= Concept/Outline ~(10)
Ingredients/Recipe= Script/Writer ~(4)
Chef= Director/Pacing/Editing ~(5)
Flavor/Taste= Actors/Performances ~(8)
Restaurant/Decor= Wardrobe/Production-Value ~(3)
Waiter/Service= Cinematography ~(9)

Starter/1st Act ~(10)
Main Course /2nd Act ~(7)
Dessert/3rd Act ~(2)

The story idea is great, but the script was convoluted, it started out great but spiraled into a schizophrenic mess. The ML’s character was portrayed childish in an effort to force forcefully inject comedy/humor into the show, I think humor/comedy through dialogue beats slapstick situations any day.
Because of the childishness and incompetence of ML’s character the romance was unbelievable, forced with little chemistry.
The FL’s character was great and required a competent assertive ML to make her growth arc believable, e.g. “taming of the shrew”.

The wardrobe as a tool to convey each character’s personality was used half heartedly with everyone expect the main leads.
The ML’s wardrobe was childish from start to finish and in no way vibed with the FL’s.

The directing was good, but with a weak script? Well….

1st act was actually riveting and had me glued to the screen, but by the 2nd act you couldn’t tell what the drama was supposed to be. By the 3rd act you could tell the show didn’t know how to wrap things up.
Romance fell flat.
Intrigue was nonexistent.
Humor yeah right.
What are rules for Angels in this drama’s world? Even the characters didn’t know let alone the audience.
The main antagonist was clearly halfheartedly put in by the writer, evidenced by the lack of a clear motivation. It seemed like someone reminded the writer to add villain half into the script.
Finally the breakups, smh, to many and unnecessarily so and all using the same stupid justification trope!!!

I don’t understand the high rating for this show.

Read More

It just kept on giving!

Angel’s Last Mission: Love Review

I had been really sick this past week, sick to the point where I did not want to a show I was currently watching because I was not mentally enough here to enjoy it to the fullest. So, I decided to pick a show that I would be able to just put on and watch, without the expectations of watching it full heartedly. I went into this show thinking I could half-ass watch it, but boy was I wrong.

Plot: I went into the show without really reading over the synopsis. I have previously watched “Thirty But Seventeen,” starring Shin Hae Sun as the main female lead, I remember really enjoying the show and her acting, so I figured I would give another of her shows a try. All I knew about the show going into it was that it was about a blind ballerina meeting an angel, falling in love, and live happily ever after. The show was so much more than this, as well as the blind aspect of the show, somewhat threw me off. As someone who loves to find dramas that portray people with mental or physical differences than the average, I was somewhat disappointed with the way that the drama was said to be and the actual way that it was. I thought that the physical difference of being blind, was going to be present throughout the whole show but was disappointed when it was only present within the first few episodes. And then magically, she wasn’t blind anymore. As you continue to watch the show, you do come to understand why they did this the way that they did, it was needed, but I felt that maybe it shouldn’t have been somewhat of a big deal, like they had made it out to be (in trailers, synopsis’, etc.). As the story goes on, we come to the basic premise of the show. Kim Dan, aka Kim Myung Soo, is an angel sent from above who needs to help Lee Yeon Seo (Shin Hae Sun) find love. Sounds easy right? Wrong.

Rib: The rib, aka Ji Kang Woo (Lee Dong Gun), was the aspect of the show that I felt somewhat confusing. I always found myself getting really mad at the rib, so you could say that Lee Dong Gun did a really job of portraying his character, because the goal was for the audience to be a bit heated, but I felt it was somewhat unnecessary. The rib’s character I felt was never really explained as to why it had to be him or really why he was even there. One could argue that it had to be him so that Shin Hae Sun’s character would find true love *spoiler alert: didn’t work*, but the angel’s mission was to help Lee Yeon Seo love, in general. It was never said that it had to be a love with the rib, but a love overall. The whole thing with the rib losing the one he loved and now going after Shin Hae Sun’s character just because they looked similar, I felt was just creepy. Not in the creepy sort of way that adds to the plot or storyline, but just plain creepy. There was then no explanation as to why the angel had to meet him in the first place, other than him scaring the couple. There was no closure with the whole thing.

The End: Speaking of closure, I did not get any. I went into the show thinking it would just be some mindless show I could watch, but turns out, I was hooked. I was whole heartedly watching it, it made me cry, multiple times. So, when the end came and nothing was really said, I felt so much utter disappointment. I was following and understood why the story had progressed the way that it did, God is a bitch sometimes, but the actual end, was not enough. I am going to be honest, when I was about 12 episodes in and I was scared, so I googled whether there would be a happily ever after or not. After a basic google search, I came to know that there would be, but it caused some disappointment to the audience. I did not read further so I wouldn’t get anymore spoilers, but let me tell you, that was an understatement. Usually, disappointment that comes with a happily ever after, comes from the rushed ending of making everything magically happy within the last episode or within the last two episodes. That was not the case here, it was worse. Instead of pushing things to the last episode, like some do, they pushed it to the last 30 seconds of the show. No explanation. One frame. Zoom out. The. End.

Read More

Pleasantly surprised

I'm happy I watched this drama! The title seems very cheesy (as many kdrama titles do) so I wasn't expecting anything too great. However, I was pleasantly surprised right off the bat when it turned out that the main character was visually impaired. Personally I have never seen any representation for the visually impaired in kdramas, so for me this was a big plus (spoiler: even though it doesn't last for the whole drama).
Moreover, this drama has many characters with heartening character development. Especially the female lead goes through some significant changes, but also side-characters like Archangel Hoo are fun to watch throughout the whole drama. Speaking of side-characters, I really loved both Jung Yoo Mi and Hoo. Great casting for the leads as well as the side-characters.
Furthermore, the main romance was, in my opinion, very believable. I could really feel that they cared deeply about each other. I've also never seen a kdrama where they kiss quite as much as they do in this one (not that that's super relevant, but still something that stood out to me).
The story was also interesting, it's cheesy, tragic, lighthearted and extreme all in one. However, it took a really long time to get to the main event of the story, the dancing. I feel like this drama could've easily been 12 episodes. Nontheless, I enjoyed it, even though the last few episodes didn't grab me as much as the first 3/4th of the drama.
The biggest thing that annoyed me about this drama were the 'villains'. They were poorly written and didn't feel like fully fleshed-out characters. Especially Choi Young Ja felt extremely empty and her scenes were simply hard to watch. Geum Ru Na was slightly better but still felt very empty. Ji Kang Woo also annoyed me a lot of the time. He was way too persistent in pursuing Yun Seo.
But overall I enjoyed this drama and I'm glad I watched it. The backstory of the main characters is very interesting too. I believe this drama has a little something for everyone!

Read More

Ambitious philosophically, Beautifiul Artistically,

Firstly, I would recommend going into this show blind. Take the gamble, go in without expectations and see what it has to offer. There is more to it than meets the eye. From the poster and synopsis I'm sure various tropes would jump out, that obscure the unique elements within this drama. I think it's unique work within it's genre.

Hwayugi, 49 days, Goblin are excellent examples of the luminaries within the genre, and thus it is in good company.

Very few Dramatic Romantic Comedies as are philosophically ambitious as this, and while I don't think it succeeded they accomplished something special and unique that is worth celebrating and talking about.

One will quickly pick up on the excellent acting, strong start, beautiful music and camera work; most will enjoy the tight scripting especially in the early part, and the authors skill in setting up his/her story. These I'm sure most reviewers will highlight and rightly celebrate.

I'd say the work of the lead actors shine in this drama. I commend them. As well as the director. They must have worked hard. A large part of why this drama just works despite many other "inter-species romance" on offer.

It's ambition is in it's merits as a theodicy (why would a good God allow evil); exploration of love as agency and sacrifice. For one, the divine in this work is very much like what we experience in the real world. A hidden omnipotent mind, other wills are subject to and are incapable of overcoming. Their agency grants them choice, they can choose to submit or choose to defy but it will be according to the will of the Divine mind, who will do as he deems fit. "Divine hiddeness" and the "silence of God" are rare theological concepts seen in Korean drama. On the flip side the anthropology has some question marks. As a work of fiction it works well for the story. I feel it took away from the quality of ending we would end up having.

Theological consistency is rare in supernatural dramas, so this will be refreshing for the philosophical or theologically oriented.

But for the rest of us who watch for the joy of story telling, crying and celebrating with the characters will feel an attachment to don't let the philosophy/theological stuff bother you. They are only part of the setting, and world building helping the story make sense; and for us to understand what the characters are fighting for.

All in all, this is a drama that gets really close to 8.5 without being an 8.5 drama. Excellent work and quality all round. A work I have no qualms recommending to others as worth your time and emotional investment. Excellent acting, awesome music , competent script and director giving us a good story.

Read More

Noisy Gongs and Angels... good match?

I immediately fell in love with SHS's acting in Mr. Queen and when I saw that she was in this one too, I knew that I had to check it out. Of course, she delivered with perfection- her eyes could act better than many actresses found today ;) On the other hand, I first saw L in Meow the Secret Boy, which was one of my least favorite dramas ever. Seeing him in this, I initially believed that he was an alright actor. I was so glad to be proven wrong- although there were some scenes that I could sense that he wasn't fully immersed in character, the majority of the time his acting pulled through.

Now onto the main storyline- everything worked out well until they started approaching the religion aspect. There were just a few too many holes for me to not notice- they range from subtle loopholes to glaringly obvious plot hols (the ever-so unforgiving god becomes super forgiving and willing to _______?), esp the ending of ep. 16. The side characters were also really flat and brought little to the story, only to serve as a way to push the two leads closer together. For example, Ru Na stating that her sole mission was to get her sister to be Giselle? That's one of the weakest motives I've seen in my 50+ dramas. Despite the blundering issues with the last 3-4 episodes, I really enjoyed everything else. The revelations of the secrets that Dan held and how Yeon Seo was connected to them made me tear up, and I really enjoyed how everything was intertwined with each other. The angel and God aspect could have been a bit less ambiguous and confusing, but I'm not a Christian, so can't speak on that behalf.

The OSTs were some of the best in dramaland! Notable ones such as STAY, My Angel, and Pray each made me tear up every single time I listened to them on Spotify, reminiscing about the emotions I felt while watching this show.

Regardless of all the issues I had with the show, if you're willing to just go with the flow and not linger on the problematic aspects too much, I think this will be a great watch. A drama is a drama, dramatizing aspects of human society- it's not meant to be taken too seriously. After all, these shows were made with an audience's enjoyment in mind. With this drama being filled with a story of perseverance and an angel's love, Angel's Last Mission made it into my top 10 dramas of all time.

Read More

Funny, intense, wholesome.

Started this drama because I was intrigued by the summary, and stuck onto it because of L’s expressions and SYS’s character. Angel’s Last Mission starts off with an intriguing introduction and continues to build throughout. There are many moments when you’ll be left amazed with SYS’s acting. She’s done an incredible job in portraying a hard hearted character with walls drawn up, who finally starts to open to one particular person/Angel in her life.

This drama has little bit of fantasy, reincarnation, childhood connection, and heartwarming chemistry between the leads.

Read More

Absolutely Magical

Hoo boy, I haven’t cried this hard in a while. Angel's Last Mission: Love is the type of drama to put you in a week long slump because of how good it was. And I have no regrets, despite currently being in a major slump thanks to THIS drama. So let's talk about it. I went into this drama purely because of the ratings, Shin Hye Sun, and because it was *finally* taken off the Viki Pass Plus list, meaning I 1. Had no idea what it was about lol and 2. I basically rushed to complete the drama I was watching at the time to start this one. I went into this completely blind (excuse my terrible joke) and came out absolutely in love with everything this drama had to offer. I'll talk about the plot itself last, so just bear with me. I think the casting of this drama was perfectly done, and I honestly cannot imagine anyone but Shin Hye Sun and L playing the lead roles. I had last seen Shin Hye Sun in 30 but 17, and the roles in the two dramas were complete polar opposites, though both of them still had the similarity of a struggling artist "getting back in the saddle after an unfortunate incident" type of backstory. I had not heard of L from any other drama and was at first a bit apprehensive when I heard he was an idol actor. Thankfully, he's just as great of an actor as he is a singer. He was perfect for the role and the chemistry was sizzling! I think the majority of the tears I shed over this drama were all due to the absolutely incredible soundtrack. Every single song connected with me deeply and I especially cried TONS when Pray by KLANG came on during the emotional moments. If I could, I'd give the soundtrack 20/10. I'm not joking when I say that during the past few days I spent recovering from this drama, I listened to the 30 minute OST at least 10 times on repeat. Now, on to the story and the reason why I (really wanted to but) couldn't quite give this drama a full 10 stars. Everything was absolutely perfect, and I had, for a while, considered giving the drama a 10 star rating, but after thinking it over, I realized that the last half of the drama was just not up to par with the first half. That is not to say it was bad, it just wasn't AS good as it could have been and it frankly got a tad repetitive with the forbidden romance. All in all, however, this drama is definitely one I will remember fondly, and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Read More

A drama that sparkles brighter than the stars in the sky

What do I say about this drama?

It is magical, heartwarming and just beautiful, not just in terms of the story, but the set, the cast, the costumes.

A graceful and lovely set up where you can find love, sorrow, chaos, resentment and companionship.

I love the characters, their personalities, their growth and how they are all linked so beautifully to one another. The leads sold their romance in such a way that I doubt I can ever recover from how magical it was. Everything about them, their individual and combined journeys were a feast to the eyes.

Shin Hae Sun killed it. Her portrayal of Lee Yeon Seo was tragic and beautiful, a flawed character with so much loss that she stays alive out of sheer grit. Kim Myung Soo’s Kim Dan was the perfect complement to her character. Lee Dong Gun and Kim Bo Mi were also amazing, actually the entire cast did a stellar job.

I’ve got to say, this one has a lot of crying potential. Most of the characters have something at stake, be it ambition, pride, dignity or even their lives. But I laughed, smiled, got angry and cried with them. Isn’t that what a good drama is all about?

I recommend this drama to all romance lovers.

Read More

Original story and great acting

At first I was afraid to watch this for fear that the portrayal of the angels would be unrealistic and cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised to see how realistic the angels looked. They weren’t cheesy and silly or overly powerful and egotistical either. The cinematography was impressive too.

The male leads portrayal of the innocent yet clumsy angel was really good. I’m not surprised he won so many awards for his acting. He earned it. And the female leads portrayal of a ballerina was just amazing. She had me convinced she had to have been involved in ballet for at least a few years.

There’s real kisses and lots of chemistry here too. The romance is very touching and sweet. And I like that even though there’s some angst and sadness, it’s not overly done. It’s by no means a melodrama. It’s a great romcom with some twists and turns and drama but not too much. It’s very balanced.

The story has depth and is completely unpredictable. I just couldn’t see how things would work out and I usually have a drama figured out after just a few episodes. I loved the originality of this drama as well.

My only complaint is how god is depicted in this drama. They portrayed God as being someone who doesn’t take his angels feelings into consideration. If one of his angels loved someone else more than him his punish was quite severe. Which meant no romantic relationships whatsoever. Also, his angels seemed very unhappy at being unable to make their own choices in life. God gave them assignments and chose their course in life for them. And if they didn’t adhere to his plans for them the result was death. If it weren’t for this one thing then the drama would have been just about perfect.

But overall, I’d say it was a really good drama that’s definitely worthy of its high ratings and awards. Don’t miss this one, it’s a great drama

Read More

GOD WHAT DID I JUST WATCH???

L's is so over-acting every scene. He's just using his own face to compensate hus bad acting skills which doesn't work for me.


Bad male kead choice could've been better if it's played with other actor

One thing I hated about it is the childhood troupe, could've been the other way around. I get that's it is fantasy, can't you just write his childhood background without involving the love interest's?

This drama doesn't really works for my taste so cringe-worthy. I loved the 'My love from the star' vibes it gives off but this is so detrimental.


Don't like it periodt

Read More

Amazing but shall I rewatch it?

I really liked this series the character development was good. The charectors were great and cute. The story was really well developed and it was like that for me the episodes were flowing like water. I was a little disappointed by the end though like they should have gotten more screen time together.

I guess the writer was confused in the end too that how should I end it because the end really was confusing.
Did he die? Did he not die? How come the touch make her see him? Making less sense

But overall it was amazing the episodes flowing like water I am watching and then I am like huh where did my 3hrs go?? Though it is termed a romance but the romance was not shown that much main focus was on the character development

It is a great one time watch not sure if I am gonna re-watch it

Read More