This K-drama is... Different
I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this K-drama which inspired men to write my own.It's not a bad K-drama, it's just as if it's kind of stuck between being 2-3 different things, ending up by being none of them. It's not very light hearted, but not horribly dark either. It's not really a Whodunnit, nor a typical procedural show. The love triangle/-s is/are interesting, but definitely in the background. The conflicts are there, but not very prominent.
I don't regret watching it through to the end, many of the actors are really good and enjoyable to watch, but this is very unlikely to be something I'll ever watch again, and I'm really glad it's only 14 episodes.
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A Thriller To Cry On
Longing For You really does justice to the unusual title as it really is an unusual experience. A Korean murder mystery, yes it is one, but it is more of a story, that leaves you with a feeling of emptiness. Im speechless ? Yes I am.I did not expect it to be so well executed when I could tell the story myself. It is simple, but incredibly smooth. It has simple characters, simple wishes to belong, simple dreams that shatter. The story is something you will connect with, something you surely have not experienced with a thriller.
P.S Jang Sang Hoon and Jang Hye Jin SERVED.
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This review may contain spoilers
I Tried Really Hard To Like It!
First of all.I put the Spoiler Tag but don't be afraid.Iam not giving away any important detail.Just my thoughts about some scenes,which were way too absurd and nonsensical,in a very vague way.Do i recommend this Drama?
Short answer is NO.Absolutely NOT!
As for the long answer..Well keep reading.
What i liked:
Good Production quality,nice Cinematography and beautiful Osts.I really loved both intro & outro songs(hence my 9 stars)
Yes,iam done with the good part.
Let's move on.
After watching the first episode i was already conflicted about the drama.I should have known better.The first impression is always important!
Cast/Acting:
Oh my!Where do i start..
Half of the actors were seriously miscasted.And few of them really do not deserve so bad written roles.
I made a short comment in the feeds, few days ago,after watching the 1st ep.I copy/paste :
"Iam not familiar with the 2 male leads but the rest of the cast is Top so i guess it won't be any issue regarding Acting."
Iam taking all back...Better chew than talk,maybe?lol
When i saw Jung Sang-hoon was one of the mains i was so happy because he is one of my biases.And to be honest he was one of the reasons i started it in first place.
I loved every role he played.Ive enjoyed his acting every single time.Here ,it was a pain to watch.
I don't know if the actors had full liberty to act as they pleased or were under director's full and strict guidelines.
Either way,acting was mediocre at best and bad most of the times.
The Drama is full of(wannabe)emotional moments and the actors were supposed to convey all those emotions through their lines,their expressions,body language etc.This is what an actor does,right?Well i assure you i can show more genuine emotions and shed some real tears better than them.Harsh comment but true.
And i do know they are good actors as ive seen them in other dramas.I know they have talent.Here i cannot put my finger on what was wrong.I guess is a combination of bad direction and bad writing.
Characters:
Half of the characters were portrayed like clowns.Too many annoying and silly chars,most of them added nothing to the story.Like seriously,apart the 6 mains who were the base of the story,the rest were decorative.
Also towards the end a new character was thrown out of the blue.I wish i could open writers heads to see what the heck they were thinking.
The only mature and really likeable was the little brother.And guess what!He had the least screen time!Go figure!
Story:
The main idea was excellent.The story was interesting.And yes,the cliché conclusion is that the execution was bad.Bad,, bad REALLY BAD!
The story is like scattered pieces picked periodically by the leads during the drama and then they acted like had no idea about what to do with these pieces or totally forgot them.
And here is the main reason iam too bitchy and nagging so much about this series!
Genres: Action, Thriller, Mystery, Drama..
A crime/mystery drama having more silly moments than a verified Comedy,is too much to take.Its something i can't easily digest.Iam not talking about the necessary scenes with a comical touch to relief any tension.Iam talking about those over the top ridiculous moments to make you shake your head and pull your hair too.
I had so many "WTF" while watching..
Please tell me who nowadays finds a fart scene funny??Seriously is there anyone?
Also the amount of stupid decisions made by almost every character,is ridiculously high.
Not to mention the usual incompetence of the police force,including our main detective lead.
Who,under certain circumstances was in a bad shape,but still after finding a very important physical evidence,he just safekeeping it for a year and after he has a delayed... epiphany and thought to search it further.My poor walls had to put up with me and my screams!
I hate(well, not like)Romance but most of all i hate forced romance.No chemistry whatsoever between the leads.And also be careful who you ship with whom..
Again one of those unnecessary romantic plots for the sake of having a non-tagged romance.I can't.
A mild and so-called spoiler:
One of the biggest "WTF" was the scene where inside the interrogation room,a prosecutor gives to a murderer a knife and a fork to enjoy his steak.Oh!the murderer is without handcuffs too!Bravo!Such a smart move!
I can continue and write so much more but i don't want to spoil the fun for you.Lol!
Iam sorry i may sound bitchy and rude but this is not inspiring or creative writing.Its just..sloppy.
When the writers themselves dont have a clear path about their story how do they expect the viewers to like and support it?
I couldn't.
Suggested overall: 5.5 Iam a big heart!Im giving this a 6!
Seriously i must find the courage and start dropping dramas because i can't continue like this!
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It's riveting, and satisfying.
This is a wonderful story, with twists and turns, with no annoying plot frustration, and mentally intriguing all the way through. The plot (and legal case) development is exquisite, with no obvious lame plot devices ... it all makes sense and the ending is good. I'm glad they didn't simply manufacture a happy ending for characters who could not possibly have a happy ending.Memorable characters, character redemption (partial and realistic - which I love), and every actor did their best and performed well. I only gave less than 10 for rewatch value bc once everything is revealed, it's a bit different watching a second time.
Thoroughly recommended. !!
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AN UNDERRATED MASTERPIECE!
I found out about this drama here on this platform. However there were a lot of different reviews regarding this drama. Just as how there were good reviews there were bad reviews as well. Reading those bad reviews almost made me miss out on this beautiful drama.This drama is the EPITOME of a well-written story. At the same time the cast and their acting obviously adds upto it. To anyone wanting to watch this drama all i would say is, don't read the bad reviews and give it a watch and decide for yourself.
Of course different people have different preferences. For people who like cliché rom-coms this drama is definitely not it. Which i am assuming is one of the reason some people might have left bad reviews. I, myself am a huge fan of rom-coms but i also love the mystery, suspense korean dramas. And this drama has made it onto the top of the lists for me.
I can vouch for you whoever is reading this review that this drama won't disappoint. In fact I was hooked right from the first episode itself and finishes watching in one-sitting. So please do give it a watch!
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Offensive and racist Show
The beginning was good, but they decided to ruin it by mentioning Muslims in an insulting and racist way, and talking about the Saudis was their biggest mistake.Pay your attention to the problems of your own country, which is full of suicides and rape cases, and let's not forget the widespread prostitution in your country, so instead of being preoccupied with the Saudi governance system you should be concerned about your country’s problems.
I don’t recommend anyone to watch it.
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superbe intrigue
Cette série est vraiment top, plus on avance et plus c'est bien ! Les intrigues sont tordues à souhait et parfaitement menées au travers des épisodes, on ne s'ennuie pas du tout. Les acteurs sont vraiment bien dans leurs rôles respectifs, le casting est parfait. Je découvre pour l'occasion Na In Woo qui est très bon mais aussi Ren qui mérite un rôle principal prochainement j'espère !C'est un bon thriller, la musique est souvent bien accordée. A bingewatcher sans modération !
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