Gyeongseong creature- between not absolutely horrible but not great either
The first 5 episodes honestly made me rethink starting the drama and then dropping it because it fell terribly flat, be it the characters or the pacing. The show really starts showing some actual substance after episode 6. Still the plot and character building was rushed, character development felt sloppy and there were some glaring plot holes that cannot be overlooked as anything but plot armor.The drama in my opinion failed when it tried to do a lot of things at the same time but not hitting the right balance. The atrocities and crimes committed by the Japanese occupation subsequently got overshadowed by the supernatural aspect of the drama. Half the time I wasn't sure how to feel because you have some very dark material that horrifies you and then you see a 10-11 ft monster just rumbling about. You aren't sure whether to be curious and thrilled about what the monster can do when you have a man being tortured still fresh in your mind.
Now, the last 4 episodes kinda brought them together in a good cohesion and an overarching theme to bind them but in a 10 episode length drama thats quite late. Han so hee was amazing throughout, especially her action scenes and crying scenes gave me goosebumps.Park SEO Joon's Jang tae sang character development was finicky but it made him act more like a main character rather than a showpiece so..i guess it's okay. The ending felt like a leeway to season 2 and less like a proper ending to me. Loved the opening theme song extremely haunting and appropriate for a drama like this. Production, cinematography, cgi were pretty good. Overall not bad but not great.
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impactado
estou meio chocado com esse daqui. eu assisto séries de ficção/fantasia sul coreanas sabendo que minhas chances de se decepcionar são baixas e mais uma vez minhas expectativas foram atendidas. eu não estava esperando que a série tivesse um teor tão político, é muito clara a crítica a ocupação japonesa e os danos que trouxe à sociedade, é uma clara demonstração da tomada de liberdade e o que se configura viver constantemente oprimido. além da crítica talvez não tão explícita do modelo como mulheres eram tratadas nessa época. enfim, um show em tudo!Was this review helpful to you?
Interesting genre-bending premise but ultimately gives way to tropes... and romance
First of all, I love k dramas that blend genres, and most of the time they succeed. Unfortunately, this is not one of them.The production value is high, and the cast is high caliber, the premise is intriguing, I also love this time period for dramas, and there's decent action between the long stretches of dialogue.
So herein lies the issue. The tags are Action, Thriller, Historical, and Sci-Fi. I love all those genres. The main genre is actually a Romance. It should be its main tag. It should be at the front of the line. Everything eventually is just about the Romance between the 2 protagonists. Despite having so many other interesting avenues of plot and storylines, it ultimately devolves into a love story. Which doesn't sound terrible but when it takes place in a gritty historical setting with war, atrocities, and monsters, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
It's especially jarring when the ML is a white knight that constantly sweeps in to save the FL despite the FL establishing she is a very competent and capable badass. But then he sweeps in like a male Rey Skywalker in every scene, being good and perfect at everything. Our ML is a Gary Stu (male Mary Sue). He is the best businessman, he's also the handsomest, he's also the best fighter, the best shooter, he knows everyone and everything, he out rebels the rebels and out sleuths the sleuths. At one point he even teleports. I kid you not. He is physically on one level and magically teleports to where the story needs him to be. And all the characters (and I mean ALL the characters) seem to be trying to help the ML get with the FL, all while on the run from soldiers and monsters. It's insane.
And at one point someone seemingly dies. Then they totally do not. What is this!? A MAKJANG???!!! And things like this happen quite a few times.
But in the end, I did enjoy it overall. It's a good production, the action scenes are on point, I'm still a sucker for this time period, and the Sci-Fi and horror aspects I found intriguing. I just didn't expect romance to be the driving plot of the whole story. And the plot logic is all over the place. Just be prepared to suspend your disbelief for a LOT of it and enjoy the ride.
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Sometimes it’s a monster wearing human skin
Oh, I liked it! The cast was perfect. The story was mysterious. Plenty of suffering was there as well. The production, camera and storytelling were all on point. Was it original? I mean not really. Did I enjoy it anyway? Oh yes. I didn't know we needed this power couple. Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee We're a perfect fit. Their chemistry was amazing. And I don't have to tell you that they both look so good on screen. Their visuals are captivating. I loved the ending so I am really curious about season 2.Was this review helpful to you?
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A Rebellion, A Monster and a Weak Love Story
A mission to find a government official’s side piece leads down a rabbit hole of horrific human experiments, a rebellion against the Japanese occupation and of course love.I generally liked the leads in this but am on the fence about whether PSJ was the right actor for the ML role. He wasn’t bad in the role but I think there are other actors out there who could’ve really owned the part. His acting is good but I don’t think he’s the embodiment of who Jang Tae-sang should be.
The monster being created by the Japanese was a creative way of referencing the history of the experiments they conducted on Koreans during the war and its horribke impact on those individuals. However, how the monster worked within the story wasn’t always consistent. Some managed to fight off the monster and escape its attack unscathed while others were completely eviscerated by it. This was driven more by plot than logic. Same with the anthrax attacks.
The action on this show was pretty good, but what engaged me the most was the human stories of those impacted by the war and the Japanese occupation as well as those working in the rebellion in an attempt to fight back.
The implied feelings developing between the leads was not believable because they have no romantic chemistry and the development of those feelings was random. Having the ML join the rebellion due to his feelings for the FL made no sense for the previously mentioned reasons. There was more than enough going on in his life to drive his change of heart without the FL being the reason.
The production value was superb, save for the CGI of the monster which was hit or miss. The episodes were a little too long, but overall the acting was good and the show entertaining.
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This could've been the next Kingdom but never quite lives up to its potential
The comparisons between Gyeongseong Creature and Kingdom will be obvious as both are Netflix originals with impressive casts that blend the supernatural/horror with historical events, and I really really wanted Gyeongseong Creature to be as good as Kingdom (which is one of my favorite kdramas of all time), but sadly, it never quite lives up to its potential. That's not to say this drama is bad and in fact, there's a lot to like about it. The cast is excellent (special shoutout to Choi Young-Joon for his chilling portrayal of Colonel Kato) and many of the characters and their relationships are easy to root for, the way the story weaves fact (the Japanese occupation of Korea and human experimentation) and fiction (the inhuman creature) is incredibly compelling, and its core message about freedom and resistance continue to be relevant, now more than ever. But where Kingdom is elevated by an incredible script with impeccably developed characters, Gyeongseong Creature is unfortunately let down by mediocre writing and lackluster character development.What makes Kingdom so SO good is that the writing hones in on the themes of hunger and power in Joseon-era Korea and explores it via the supernatural element of zombies. The zombies are not the point of the story, the hunger is, and that core theme is woven into every aspect of the show and explored over the course of 12 episodes, resulting in a tight, cohesive story about how hunger can drive a nation to the brink of destruction. Gyeongseong Creature tries to follow this playbook and tell a story about freedom and resistance and the way war makes monsters of us all, sometimes literally, but the writing isn't strong enough to deliver on that lofty theme.
It was a huge miss for the show not to dive more deeply into Tae-Sang's journey from selfish rogue to reluctant freedom fighter, and even after watching all 10 episodes, I still can't tell if he's supposed to be a charming pawnbroker with a secret heart of gold and patriotic streak or if he's simply a rich man who wants to protect his riches and will only support noble causes if they happen to align with his own interests. The writers tell us he's the former, but end up showing us more of the latter and the fact that the show never truly integrates Tae-Sang (the main character!!) into the resistance storyline is a huge missed opportunity. Park Seo-Joon does his damndest to bring some nuance and depth to Tae-Sang, and the fact that he succeeds at all is a testament to his skill as an actor rather than the quality of the script. The other main character, Chae-Ok, is presented as a righteous character who has seen the horrors of man and the fact that she and her father don't become part of the resistance movement is honestly not really believable to me. The only character we know by name who is actually involved in the resistance movement is Jun-Taek, but he makes no real impact on the story until the end of the season, and that's really only as a plot device to introduce explosives into the narrative in time for the finale (what a waste of Wi Ha Joon). But for me, the most egregious missed opportunity to incorporate the theme of freedom and resistance into the story is with the treatment of the titular creature. I wanted so badly to root for the monster as the physical manifestation of the evils that Japan inflicted on Korea, as the horrifying culmination of the atrocities committed by the oppressed now exacting righteous vengeance on the oppressors, but we never really get to know Seong-Sim as a human and we see so little of her before her transformation that she's never really allowed to become anything more than just a monster.
This review probably seems harsh but it's only because this drama had SO much potential and I really wanted it to be so much better than it was. Don't even get me started on Lady Maeda, who is easily the most intriguing character on this show. She's revealed to be the puppet master behind the whole nefarious plot at the hospital, and for what? I'm sure the show is saving these answers for the next season, but by doing so, it falls into the same trap that Sweet Home season 2 did - they spent more time setting up season 2 than they did actually making a coherent season 1. As an aside, I have to say that Netflix is really ruining the pacing of its originals by splitting them up into parts 1 and 2. This show should've ended season 1 on episode 7 once they escaped the hospital because the remaining 3 episodes felt super rushed and ruined much of the tension and momentum they had built with the previous episodes. Pushing the storyline from episodes 8-10 into season 2 would've given that story more time to develop and it would've made the return back to the hospital and its bombing all the more impactful. I don't know what the hell to make of the time jump at the end but I know it wasn't a satisfying way to end this season.
All that said, I did mostly enjoy this show despite how negative this review is. The history of Japanese occupation in Korea is an important one and I think the writers did a decent job conveying the horrors of the time, both real and imagined. I'll certainly be back for season 2, but if you're like me and were hoping this would fill the Kingdom-sized hole in your heart, you're probably better off lowering your expectations for this one and rewatching Kingdom again once you're done, which is certainly what I plan on doing.
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Is it just me? No thanks.
I should have paid attention to the synopsis of this drama before jumping in, I didn't know it was a colonial era drama. Also wtf is going on in here?One minute people will be talking in Japanese, pretending they don't know Korean, and the next second, they'd switch to Korean without batting an eyelid and continue conversing like that didn't just happen.
The CG for that creature is good though, but the pacing is too slow, ML character is flawed and not well developed, FL lead feels a bit too cold, my screen is frosting whenever she's on. And why is every other scene in this drama a shouting show down? Is this how it was during the colonial days? Everyone shouting to be heard? This drama missed its mark with me. Next time, PSJ.
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Gyeongseong Creatures: A rough monologue watch
Time is 1945 and place is Gyeonseong which is old Seoul. Just few years left before getting free from evil holds, and Spring has arrived arrived earlier this year. A girl comes in Seoul, hiding behind a huge hat and learning the truth that has never been sold. Boys are complied to join the force if want to live. If you deny, you will not be beaten but will be tortured to death.Jang Tae Sang- self made man, heart of every celebration and the hand behind golden treasure gets caught as a suspect of secret donor of the independence army? The golden house- from things received in dowry to Italian suit — everything is bought here for mere won. Jang Tae Sang is the hand behind the house and also is the one whose finger operates everything in Bonjeong. They use the saying “if you want anything in Bonjeong, go through him”. Now the question is — is a good person or a bad person?
Fear sucks human life. It is worse than death. Fear makes you do things which even you don’t know you are capable of. It brings out your darkest side and makes you nerdy You forget what you are capable of and instead crouches down even before trying. In the earnest hour of 1945, old Seoul witnesses people getting missing from their homes, leaving no trace behind. With Japanese army nestling all over Joseon, people are biting own family, it is difficult to distinguish between evil and bad.
Adapted from a Japanese manga, this morose series focuses in the Japanese occupied Korea in late 1940s. Helmed by Jung Dong Yoon-the man behind psychological thriller Its okay to be not okay the series consists of only ten episodes. Historical dramas presented by Korea have always came with an unexpected twist. Kingdom already gained immense popularity with zombies in Joseon time. Now the pre-independence time comes with unsung creatures that are disrupting lives through their impeccable abilities. Unlike creature showcased in two installments of Sweet Home, this latest creature who are developing in 1940s still have heart inside. The fight of Chae Ok’s mother will melt your heart.
Park Seo Joon, after delivering stellar performance in critically acclaimed The Concrete Utopia, and the slow burner Dream, the man has returned with an expected grey shade this time. His Tae Sang has been born out of greed-the greed for recognition and acclamation. His eyes speaks of the pain which he hides behind his expensive outfit. Han So Hee is becoming the new charmer with magic wand. After her effervescent performance in Soundtrack, she is back as dark Chae Ok, who is in a lookout to find her mother missing for more than ten years. She brings in the nuisance and touch of arrogance that Chae Ok needs. Kim Hae Sook as the filial subordinate to Tae Sang fills the mother space just as much needed. Im chul Soo, Jo Han Chul, Choi Young Joon as supportive cast adds as the perfect hem to this storyline. After playing the bad guy with silver lined heart in The worst of Evil, Ha Joon is back with another thriller. Learn his character as you watch the story.
Though the fantasy thriller played utmost in weaving every element-from romance, horror to political mix throughout this historical remix, it failed in balancing the taste as the story shaped up. The love story between Chae Ok and Tae Sang failed to bring the taste we hope in war love. And then the political crux which is just as we calculated felt not so necessary in the trail.
If you are a fantasy series fan, just rewatch Kingdom, All of us are Dead and even Duty after school. Zombies are still panache than this crux creatures who appearing less convincing.
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never seen anything like this before
a historical fantasy set in korea during japan empire's rulethemes of action, suspense, mystery, thriller and romance. all twisted together to create one of the most action packed shows i've ever seen to date. full of betrayals and new alliances and crime. the best performance i've seen from park seojun and hansohee. all the characters were very well done. the pacing was done almost like a novel and follows your standard fantasy plotline.
devastatingly tragic, had me sobbing. heartwrenching. gasping and gripping my seat. i don't have any other words. wow
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This surpassed my expectations by miiiiles
Oh MY GOD I did not expect thr reaction I had at the ending. Starting this drama I expected a horror/ thriller drama by the book with all the typicall tropes but I was in for a riiide. There's not only the experimantation but also the true horror of the Joseon people (which is similar to certain timely events) and this drama really depict the hurt the people go through. I've watched dramas about this era and fight before but this one took the dark perspective. I love the perspective of not blaming the people's acctions they did in order to survive and that it was about a fight together and not wasting their time with little disputes. Just wow. I need to let this sink in for a while. I still have questions about the ending so if you wanna discuss I will discuss. Okay. See you for season 2 this year and if you haven't watched season 1 yet, don't sleep on it too long. Just blew me away.Was this review helpful to you?
Thriller
The show started with the best actor and actress stuck in a cave digging their way out of the creature. The Jap was mentally taking over the world by inventing their new weapon only to realize that it destroys everything. The epic thriller and ride to not give up was worth the watch. The romance was meh, but the storyline was very promising.Was this review helpful to you?
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What was this ending!?
Oh my God! I'm freaking out!! I mean, the drama was amazing by itself, all the characters, the story, the very well-done war scenario, it was all incredible. BUT THEN, Chae Ok suddenly comes back to life, AND THEN Master Jang appears as another person IN THE FUTURE!?Is it like a "past life lovers" following the time line? Like... past first then present? No boring flashbacks but a season for each time!? I'VE NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED FOR A SECOND SEASON IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!
I completely loved it, the romance was incredibly well-developed, the historical content was very good and detailed, it made me feel into that time, and sweet Jesus, Jang Tae Sang just give me so much Gatsby vibes!! The 30's vibes with the new money aesthetic, with his wealthy clothes and all... I'm just in love!
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