This review may contain spoilers
I wish this was great, I wanted it to be great but alas ....
I was soooooo excited for this drama the moment I saw a preview on Netflix. I thought it was going to be a romance between a psychopath serial killer and a girl that was super intrigued by this killer (sort of like a fan). That was not what I got. I mean the romance part did show up like halfway through the series but it wasn't the romance I wanted or was expecting. I lowkey prefer what I thought was the concept of the show than the actual show.A lot of the characters were so stupid. The stupidity of the cop in the wheel chair annoys me. Also the serial killer that evaded the police for 1+ year became the dumbest fucker in the end.
I also felt that a thorough explanation of certain events was lacking. A lot of interesting questions were raised or the show introduced a new concept, but none of them were properly developed. It truly felt like a lot of the characters' backstories were lacking and underdeveloped. Pivotal moments in the lives of characters weren't developed or shown even though they were essential to the character. It felt very lacking. As if they tried to do too much at once without giving each storyline or backstory the proper attention they needed and deserved.
I did really love the diversity of the show though. I loved how one of the main characters had asperger, while another badass girlie was part of the LGBTQ+ community, and that the cop in the wheel chair wasn't helpless despite her two brain cells. She wasn't helpless because she was in a wheel chair (more like she was helpless because girlie didn't use common sense).
Also why was there so much unnecessary nudity or like sexual imagery? The drama was very oversexualised in certain moments that just felt very cheap.
Lastly, I gotta give Kim Young Kwang all the kudos. His acting was superb! He was really good and basically the shining star of this show. I mean they truly made him look like the serial killer for who the hell knows why? He screamed 80's serial killer the way they made him look, while he looked the complete opposite when he killed someone for the very first time. His acting was amazing (also those abs). Anything else relating to this character was bad. He did the best he could. Everyone else just fucked up.
Oh I also have to say that I was again hella gay for Kim Yong Ji. She slayed again (despite how her character was written).
THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD!!!!!! But it wasn't...... sad me.... there goes one of my most anticipated dramas .... it goes into the trashcan that says dumpsterfire ......
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My favorite K-Drama of 2022!
Loved this psychological thriller, which is adaptation of the novel/film American Psycho.It has a nihilistic arthouse vibe that's more common in Japanese cinema/storytelling, but this is a K-Drama so it's got that K-Drama technical polish to it. It goes places that make Squid Game look tame. By far the most raw K-Drama release to date.
Acting, direction, cinematography and production quality are first class.
My favorite K-Drama of 2022 so far as it will stay with you after the credits roll.
Recommended for those with an open mind.
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Unconventional art cinema for a kdrama
The whole shooting style of the drama is unconventional art cinema, it's so niche up to the point it's like a very dark and gritty tech noir. The pace though is painfully slow, there are lots of details to look for but the structure of the story itself is pretty confusing with some unclear intentions by some of its characters. It would be better if they could reduce the runtime of some episodes, but at least the resolution part is quite breathtaking. For the portrayal that is sort of broken romance blended with modern crime, they do hit the mark this time.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
interesting story
like most people, i was intrigued by the trailer and decided to watch. i can’t say i was incredibly amazed but i wasn’t disappointed either.regardless of what others ratings are saying, this series is GOOD. it’s dark and raw and the acting is freaking amazing, special shout out to KYK!!!
having said that, it is rather slow ? at times and even though there is 8 hours of it, it feels like some essential parts were missed. the fact that our ML was in love with the FL was stated quite clearly at the end but we don’t see much of him rwallg caring for her that deeply. yes, he caressed her before leaving but that was canceled out by the fact he destroyed her beloved creation. yes, he tells the Sha-man our FL is different than others but we don’t see how he’s come to appreciate her like that. the most emotion that we see him share regarding her is when he’s outside her house crying saying he wishes he met her earlier.
i really did enjoy the series. i just wish i saw more of the development towards their emotional relationship. i feel it would benefit the story, ending aside.
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Why this isn't for everyone but it is good
This is not for everyone for many reasons. I thought it was creepy and shocking to the point of total surprise on what I was watching. The way it is filmed will make people think its "slow paced" or "boring" to me it was correct. It was making you get into the minds of these characters and how their thought process was actually working. If you are looking for a thrilling and exciting show this is not it. If you are looking for your mind to be messed with and brilliant acting from the villain, then watch this. This is the type of show were your secretly rooting for the killer and you can't understand why, because he gets into your head...just like these woman. I would say this is a rating of 8.5 or 8 but nothing lower. Do not watch if you don't like vaguer sexual talk or sexual content, this was a shocking show that had lots of it and blew my mind since most Korean shows do not have this type of content, I also think this is why people are rating it lower.Was this review helpful to you?
I never wanted the evil to be good this badly
First of all: I started this drama in the evening, it is currently 1 am and I could not stop until now.The acting is amazing, the characters are twisted and divers. This drama is sexy, evil and absolutely fantastic. There is also a lot of cursing, and explicit language, which makes it more relatable.
As other pointed out before, yes, there could be more depth when it comes to the history of the characters. But on the other hand I do like dramas to be a little open, so I do not only get entertained but involved.
It’s been a while since I was attached to a drama, nevertheless this one made me feel things. It makes you question yourself. Well, at least it did for me. How evil am I, emphasizing with human beings killing others? How can I stay so calm, engaged, because of two people connecting, even tho the outcome can not only be good.
I feel like the drama shows (myself) that all we want is to have a connection with others. In the end we are all lonely, pulling on the last string. And the loneliest, those who understand this the most, can take advantage of it. In the end, they still search for it to end. No matter what the price might be.
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Intriguing, Sensual, Fascinating, Flawed: VERY Worth A Watch
The intensity of the chemistry between the leads is scorching. Kim Young Kwang as Seong Yun-O is scorching and whether he is alone on-screen or in a scene with someone else, his understated but forceful performance is shiver-inducing. Kang Hae Lim portrays one of the most complex characters we’ve had in kdrama for a while, and part of that complexity comes from the fact that she is sophisticated enough to present different sides of herself to different people, even though people assume she is too innocent and pure to be manipulative.This drama is definitely flawed. There are some plot holes that never get properly filled or explained. The worst flaw, in my opinion, is the clumsy over-reliance on the main character’s supposed Asperger’s diagnosis as a way of signaling different moral and cognitive dimensions of her thinking.
That said, when I was trying to think of how to rate and review this drama, I tried to consider how I experienced it ~overall~, not piecemeal. And overall, it was a fascinating experience that made me want to keep pursuing every drop, every moment, to the very end.
Kim Yong Ji as Im Mok Won and Kim Soo Yeon as Yeong Gi Eun also deserve special mention as Sum’s friends. KYJ’s performance is especially electric—her final scene with KYK (Yun-O) is blisteringly intense.
This is not a standard romance drama. Up to the very end, you may well be wondering what the leads really think and feel for and about each other. I suggest thinking of it instead as a thriller and not trying to view it as a romance.
As a thriller, you’re taken on a fairly wild ride, and one of my favorite kinds of ride: what happens when the dangerous killer gets a little too close to someone vulnerable, someone ill-equipped to fight back properly, and to her friends? What will he do to defend himself in that situation? It’s a really delicious scenario—for a thriller. Not so much for a romance. Or is it?? Only you can decide that for yourself.
I highly recommend this drama and I hope it gets all the attention it deserves, despite its serious flaws.
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DAMAGING PORTRAYAL OF AUTISM
While the actors' performances are commendable, this drama falls short in its portrayal of autistic individuals. It successfully engrosses viewers with its suspenseful plot, but it perpetuates negative and outdated stereotypes about autism by portraying the autistic female lead as a psychopath devoid of empathy. In addition, it is implied she is drawn to the serial killer because he is "just like her" (potentially on the spectrum). It is disheartening to witness a 2022 drama succumb to such clichéd and damaging portrayals, ultimately hindering progress in societal perceptions of autism. South Korea, do better!Was this review helpful to you?
I watched it... but...
So this was a funny one. I was totally hooked at the beginning but then it got confusing and the end I just did not understand at all. I also felt that in the middle it was very slow (i fell asleep during Episode 5 or 6 and then the end... well... it kind of left me hanging.The acting was phenominal from all of them, soundtrack I cannot remember so I guess it was not good but also not bad otherwise I could remember it either positiv or negativ.
The shocker really were the sex szenes which were quite explicit (never seen so much nakedness in a Korean movie or series!) and it really made me laugh a bit because the drama EVE on VIKI had an 18 rating (there was hardly anything there!) and this one was rated 16 on Netflix (on Netflix Germany). I dont really mind it if its important for the story and I guess here it was to explain the relationship but it kind of made me question the whole rating thing again.
All in all - wouldnt watch it again and well, it had its moments but not many.
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Aesthetically neat, the rest? Messy is the word
At first I thought that I wanted to give a good review simply because they’re displaying a type of autistic (“asperger” is no longer a term in the diagnostic manual since bout 2013 btw) that Korean media doesn’t usually share (ones who don’t stim and such, youknow, the typical representation)..Anyway, as the story grows, I feel like the movie is trying to communicate that instead of her being an autistic, she’s more of a ‘psychopath’ (that scene with her mom when she was younger). I understand this but I feel like many people would misinterpret this as a part of her being autistic tho it has nothing to do with her autism..
Overall, I feel like they’re prioritizing their artistic aspects. Well, their lighting, filter, storyboard, and wardrobe choice are the ones that made me wanna stick around. Also, heyyy, not a fan of Kim Yong Ji, but this hair suit her really well, she looks gorgeous.
Well, anyway..
Many plots jump wayyyy too much. I can catch up yeah, but I’m scared that I’d decode the wrong message or something… this style of script… I feel like it’s becoming a little old-fashioned… I understand that the scriptwriters were trying to reveal certain information at a certain timing, but I personally wish that they have a nicer method for it…
Some scenes, btw, just don’t add up. Overall, the characters lack of depth. They’re pretty dumb too (despite knowing the crimes happening between people from the app, they couldn’t be a little bit more cautious, what?). Plus, you can still stir people’s emotion with less duration of sex scenes, no? (Unless if the sex scenes are the actual highlight of the drama, then ok).
Ah also, I thought that the “somebody” app will have the “someone” chatbot.. I mean that’s the thing that brought Sum and Samantha together, no? Well, anyway, why would Samantha made Sum the CTO is they’re simply selling a Tinder. “Somebody” is literally “Tinder”(!?)
Idk what to say about the ending. It traumatized me the way she did that to him, I really wish I can forget that.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love it or hate it
I'll start off by saying I really like this drama, especially with how they used the soundtracks. I'm also a fan of the psychopath/serial killer genre and I like how the "cat and mouse" portions were executed. I just felt letdown by the pacing issues that resulted in some early episodes being a bit of a drag and the last episode a rush to tie up loose ends. Some of the writing wasn't great too, with characters (looking at you, Gi-Eun) making the world's dumbest decisions and putting themselves in harm's way repeatedly. Mok-Won's character also felt really random and underutilized, with the show taking pains to carefully carve out her backstory as a shaman, show her meeting girls in the club etc etc and all that just for her to basically not have an impact on the conclusion at all. Instead, I wished they would have tried to flesh out Fingers and Samantha more, as they had close to 0 screentime yet had a serious part to play in affecting the ending.The acting was amazing, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the female leads are actually rookies. Kim Young Kwang was also excellent and he really embodied the character perfectly. The cinematography was next level and I really liked the arthouse vibe of it. Too often Kdramas devolve into the cliche "slow-mo" while staring at each other type scenes with the cheesy OSTs blaring in the background and I would say this drama stands out among the rest with its cinematography. The creative use of the soundtrack was also fantastic and I'm so glad to be introduced to Schumann's Vogel Als Prophet lol.
This is an extremely polarizing show and you will either love it or hate it. I can see why many have dropped it - plot that meanders aimlessly in the beginning, characters making horribly stupid decisions, excessive sex/nudity scenes, but I would still encourage thriller fans to give this a chance.
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...They confused the Socio vs Psycho traits
Sorry NOT Sorry but Somebody was dumb af, frustrating and uncomfortable and I'm gonna tell you why:1. I blame all this on the writing. The actors and actresses did the work and their job, they did it well but the writing is shoddy, confusing and was not thoroughly researched
2. It's either you're a sociopath or psychopath - you can't be both
3. Both traits are incapable of love or liking or holding a relationship or implying a relationship. It's distorted and not really love/like
4. They implied the police officer was more interested in d!k and not protecting herself and the situation around her by doing the most of nothing and nearly getting herself killed multiple times
5. He has been in these women faces time and time again and have not done anything - again it's either you're a sociopath or a psychopath you cannot be both
6. Nature vs Nurture hence Sociopaths are made and psychopaths are born And I was hella confused by this during the conversation he had with the little boy and the maze
7. They have confused mental illness with autism- she's autistic; on the asberger spectrum
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