String theory is the most recent attempt to reconcile traditional physics with quantum physics. It postulates that, on a subatomic level, the universe consists of vibrating 1D strings. Perhaps that's a reason why music, which is glorious vibrations, fundamentally moves us. It connects what's seen and unseen. It blends the dimensions. I believe music and art are divine gifts.

MSoT is a 2023 release that is rated 86 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of 12 60-minute episodes. It's a drama, a high-end soap opera, really, about a small orchestra. They've been coasting, not thriving. It's time for a shake up; a reset. Seeum brings many changes with her as she takes the podium, and the musicians don't appreciate any of it. She makes enemies, and soon her enemies are acting out. Managing Hanphil is a handful.

The use of sound in M is so good, it's almost astounding. The show creators have a deep appreciation for music, and they sell it. The soundtrack isn't an afterthought: It's woven into the fabric of the series, elevating it to float with the clouds at times. Classical music fills M, and it fills it on tempo, beautifully enhancing scenes. Low hanging fruit: At the height of the drama they start practicing Beethoven‘s 5th. It's coming to end, by MADDY, and Story, by Kim On Gi, are VG. M, with its attention to detail, is small and tidy, yet it's expansive. I liked M; I didn't love it. As the episodes went on, it diminished, somewhat - they peaked too early. I wouldn't care to see it again as it left me a tad underwhelmed. But I have respect for M and the many moments of blended harmony it generates.

It opens dark and slick. Classical music fuels the energy. These people are at odds. “I hope I never see you again.” “I'll still come to your funeral.” That's the final exchange of another conductor and the woman, Cha Seeum, who briskly returns to her homeland. Less than 5% of conductors are women, but she is among the best of the best. She's also scary as he!!. Her reputation is not one of warmth.

In Korea, she takes the helm of Hanphil Orchestra. The first thing she does is force the top violinist to step down. That he used to be her music teacher and is close to her father didn't help him at all. Call ‘em like you “See-um” is her rule. Emotions are not a factor.

Lee Young Ae is the FL. She is a superb actress that can carry a whole production on her shoulders. In Inspector Koo-8.4, she plays a kook-savant, an investigative genius that is correspondingly poor at self-care. In Saimdang-8.5 she really shines as a modern-day art historian as well as a Joseon era artist. Saimdang was a real person. The show gives us a peak back juxtaposed against a look at the contemporary art scene in Kcountry. They limited the dramatic license with the historical portion, therefore the ending isn't an ending: The show drifts away, which some viewers surely won't like, but it is excellent, nonetheless. In M, Ms Lee's acting is her everyday superb. She IS a conductor. I love how they make sure her hair gets messed up ~just so~ to showcase her energy and state of mind.

Seeum is a loner. So much so, that she's difficult to identify with. This is probably true for alot of exceptionally talented people. They just don't have many peers. She's obsessed with her work to the detriment of all other relationships. She is also one to avoid unpleasantness. Her mother is afflicted with Remingtons disease, a slowly encroaching degenerative condition that is not unlike Alheimers. It rots away the body and mind gradually, over years, and Seeum has a 50% chance of inheriting it. That has her so freaked out that she won't visit her mother.

Kim Young Ah (Hyena, Be Melodramatic-8.7) is her BFF, Lee Hye Jung. Ms Kim is a Competent actress, but she doesn't have much to do here. They don't build up the relationship so she's on the periphery and seems irrelevant. Having said that, let's get the rest of the bad news out of the way. At one point Seeum's talking about resigning from her post and even suicide, when she hasn't even been tested for the horrible disease she might have. She resists being tested over the years, but once she starts exhibiting symptoms, being tested is the only thing that makes sense. We have to suffer through her epic avoidance disorder. As ep10 began, irritation started to well up in me. I would have liked the show a tiny bit more if Ajin would just take her hand off of her stomach. She started to rattle my nerves. The lighting and/or makeup were off in some scenes. I was surprised to realize how distracting it is to see noses, covered with large skin pores, that are 2 shades lighter than the face they are attached to. The villain, and other surprises, don't generate any thrills as the build-up is missing something. That last concert is arguably silly, but even so, it was exciting.

Lee Moo Saeng (Blood Free-8.5) is Yoo Jeong Jae. He had a past relationship with Seeum that she seems to want to forget. He's the opposite: He wants to relive their time together. So he buys the orchestra. Kim Young Jae (Mouse, Mother, Under the Queen's Umbrella) plays Seeum's husband, Kim Pil, or “Phil,” as in philharmonic. Lee Shi Won (Misaeng: Incomplete Life-9.1, When the Camellia Blooms-8) portrays Lee Ajin, the horn player at Hanphil who is a thorn in Seeum's side. She becomes more and more loathsome as the show progresses. It was frustrating to not be able to slap her. Choi Yoon-So (Love to Hate You-8.9, Woman of Dignity) is Go Yu-Ra, a reporter and Yoo Jeong Jae's ex. Hwang Bo Reum Byeol (The World of My 17, School 2021) plays Lee Roo Na, the new first violinist and Seeum devotee. Ye Soo Jung portrays Seeum's mother, Bae Jung Hwa, who is disabled and mostly non verbal due to a degenerative disease. She's a superb actress. Her resume is jammed with hits: Land of Happiness, Stranger, Prison Playbook, Mother, The Worst of Evil… I've seen her in Link: Eat, Love, Kill-6.7, an average show in which she's one of the best things, Black Dog-8.2, Strongest Delivery Man-6.6, the Along With the Gods films (7.2/6.7), Train to Busan-7.8, and as the moral center of Mine-8. She's always an asset. The director is Kim Jung Kwon (Love to Hate You-8.9) and the screenwriter is Choi Yi Yoon of Love Tractor.

“No matter how hard it gets, keep going!” Seeum almost sounds unhinged. That's because her life has become unhinged. Bickering~Plots~Jealousy~Resentment~Gossip~Rumors~Hatred~Partiality~Phoniness. It's lonely at the top. The stage is like a battlefield, Seeum asserts. Talent alone isn't enough. It takes perseverance, hard work and knowing when to give & take, and when to make demands.

Obsession is a string that ties some characters together. Seeum is obsessive about conducting, Jae is obsessive about Seeum, and the perpetrator obsesses over Seeum. I can't say that obsession is always a bad thing. It propels people to do magnificent things - People like Seeum. But obsessing over a person is never a good thing. One-way crushes and obsessions are not only a complete waste of time and emotion, but they are often based on illusion. Most one-way crushes are about a projection of what we think of the person, not the real person. They are a poor substitute for self-improvement. Put Your time and energy into being the best version of you. Love and friendship will follow.

‘Are you capable of doing anything on your own, without me?’ Seeum queries her spouse. At first, Phil seems like the salt of the earth - A decent guy, certainly… Right? Wrong! He's just quiet. As we get to know him better, we'll see that he's actually obsessed with himself. He hasn't composed anything in 3 years. People that are self-absorbed often can't create art that will speak to others as they lack a view of the bigger picture. Kim Pil married a person more skilled and accomplished than him. If he truly loved her, he would be thrilled at her successes. Instead, this egotist only felt smaller next to his wife. Self-focused people don't like feeling smaller. They're the biggest thing in their own little worlds and they don't like their delusions being interrupted. He struggles to find relevance in all the wrong ways. The measures he takes to hold on to his cushy life only reveal how unworthy he is of her devotion. To be fair, it doesn't seem that Seeum is the easiest person to be in a relationship with (though Jae doesn't feel that way). It's a 2-way failure, but Phil has more of the fault than does Seeum. His attitude probably led to her withdrawal. For years he fed the self-monster. People prefer lies to truth, particularly the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves. He believed the lies he told himself about himself, so he failed to learn and grow. When things got rough, he had no core. He had no clue about the right thing to do (not that he would have done it anyway). He implodes. Then he rebuilds himself into a soulless, ego-feeding villain.

There's a romance afoot, albeit a minimalist one. Jae is devoted. Most men would have given up or frozen to death. He's easy to read, but she's an ice sculpture. The closer the viewer watches her performance, the more we get from it. He carries it the whole show, while her expressions morph subtly as the show matures. In ep7, suddenly, these 2 characters start to (unconsciously) match their clothes. There's no true romance until she cracks a smile towards the end of ep11. What they manage to convey in the last scene, by way of minimal dialogue and micro expression, is really impressive. It ends on a high note.


〰? IMHO

RATINGS
Directing 7
Writing 7
Acting 8.3
Romance 5.5
Flutters 4.5
Art 7
Sound & music 8.3
Ending 8

LEVELS
Warmth 3
Action 4
Laughs 1
Tears 4
Fright 4
Tension / Anxiety 4
Gore 3
Thought provocation 5
Snores 2
?7 ?7 ?8.3 ?5.5 ?4.5 ?7 ?/?8.3 ?8 ▪ ?3⚡4 ?1 ?4 ?4 ?4 ?3 ?5 ?2


Age 13+ Violence and scary elements, affairs and pregnancy
Language: relatively rare PG-13 verbiage like @$$h0le, $h!+


Re-?? I'm borderline on this. The music is wonderful as is Lee Young Ae's performance. I think it reduces to a question of time. Due to physical issues, I watch lots of tv now, so M was worth a look. In my old life, my viewing times were limited, and there's a long list of better dramas that would queue up in front of this one which would place it on the back-burner indefinitely.

⛔️SPOILER BELOW⛔️
They never reveal the test results. Seeum opens the envelope, reads them and walks away with Jae. She's moving on with life. She's going to live - and not alone. It doesn't seem like she has the disease.

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

Modern Day -
A Witch's Love 7.8,
Love to Hate You 8.9,
Touch your heart 8.2,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9,
Love Struck in the City 7.3,
Why Her?-8,
My Liberation Diary-8.9,
Misaeng-9.1,
Call It Love-8.4,
Mine-8,
Anna-8.1,
My Mister 9.5
The King's Affection 8.3,