Raja Raman
This show is just like a Disney production, spectacularly set and lavishly comely to the eyes. But this one just keeps us reminding about the impermanence of such beauty. It establishes promptly that throughout its run, the theme which is gonna be addressed is ‘to learn to let go and move forward’ .
While the stories of different guests were interestingly written while being emotionally deep, it is the main story of the leading couple which suffers from blatant inconsistencies and unnecessarily dragged to diminish the effect of goodbyes.
It sets the show and settings really well in the first few episodes. The comedy works out well here and there. The romance of various couples other than the main one were not sidelined and were actually more interesting when viewed with their backstories and connections to the main plot than the main couple.
As the show progresses the different guests and their issues which sometimes get infused with the main story keeps the show going rather the romance of the two leads.
Still it manages to make us give a little attention to the main story with its flashback sequences with classic viewer deceiving tactics.
The deception works because it keeps us reminding that despite all this extravagant and pleasing looks, there is so much tragedy and sadness within the main character.
It has comically yet interestingly depicted the concepts of God, Heaven and Afterlife, It has meddled with those concepts to create serious and comedic dilemmas for the characters which was interesting to watch.
Even though the side stories were thematically same, each of them had its uniqueness a sort of fresh wholesomeness to them. It was sad yet prepared us for the impermanence of life itself with unexpected variety of stories based on all living beings.
While all the different stories of various ghosts prepare both the viewer and the main characters for the inevitable separation, some bad writing choices greatly falters in closing the show well. It subverts the effect of that inevitable separation just to prepare one of the characters to accept that split well.It also remains irritatingly vague after that particular decision in writing which actually disrupts the core theme of moving on. Thus it stretches out the main arc and also postpones some closure for characters to the frustration of the viewer.
The most alluring aspects of this show is its music, OST, grandeur in sets and visuals.The inside of the hotel, costumes of the lead and depiction of different eras were splendid.
The music and original songs were adding to the mood of the scene, comic and tragic. It really brought out the emotions which were hidden in the visual grandeur.
A dreamy series filled with visual opulence driving home great message necessary for everyone who is alive faltered along the way to decrease the effect towards the end.
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On the face of it, the issue handled here is child abuse. But through numerous powerful moments achieved by brilliant staging, upending the inherent socially constructed meaning of certain daily moments, it has portrayed how complicated and unfairly influential a parent-child relationship is.
There is a prevailing mystery which keeps the show engaging. But you get a feeling that without it there is nothing substantial, This notion is broken when the show reaches a certain point when you are made to feel useless at the helpless state of affairs. Until that moment, the effect of abuse or a sense of appreciation for vigilantism itself was significantly less. This may be since previous victims were not exposed to the audience as much as the one who drills through the viewer. But it could also be because until then, the need for such unlawful heroism was mildly established.
After that point, the show expedites the process of resolving its mysteries. But you start noticing the minor and implicit psychological effects of the victims after that. That one particular point accentuates the whole show considerably. The complex dynamics involved in a parental relationship or any relationship in which one person has some sort of nurturing or forced authority over the other or the minute hierarchy of abuse or the subconscious response to ensure being enmeshed in such a hierarchy can be seen more clearly.
Towards the end, it just clings to classic mystery novel and other tropes by making some horrific reveals. Those are a tad bit extreme but that does not negate the underlying point it has always made throughout the show.
One should not mistake this show as an issue-based one. This a well-done killer investigation drama. There is tension, a well-ordered sequence of revelations; classic cliffhangers at the end of each episode; and a fair share of subterfuge. Multiple intensely staged scenes are placed when the show seems to dip slightly. It had its precursors and payoffs wherein some of those were incredibly disturbing. So this show is a worthy killer investigation drama in the first place. It has smartly plugged in child abuse for the most part without it being contrived.
There are these little details that elevate the experience. For one, this is a dimly lit show. The color tone and the pervasive grim lighting never provides a chance for you to escape this debased world the show is set in.
The world in which the show is built in seems confined. This claustrophobic effect adds to the inescapable situation of the victims.
There is a serial killer here. But the killer is not given a demented outfit. He/ She is not painted as having a twisted view of the world. They do not derive an unpleasant form of pleasure from their acts. Their actions are motivated by a combination of empathy and trauma. They are not addicted but convicted in their ideology to stop the suffering of a kid and punish those who caused such pain. Their actions are not persecuted as deranged but offered a more optimistic approach. This is an amazing aspect because this way the show acknowledges the diabolical nature of the legal system and the torturous flow of bureaucracy. At the same time, does not encourage the concept of judge jury and executioner.
The acting in this show needs to be mentioned as this show is heavily psychological. The actors have brought out every form of good, evil and trauma and sometimes all juxtaposed in a character. This is especially true for child actors. It is difficult to show an emotional wall built whilst hiding deeply disturbing memories behind for a kid. It is not just about being quiet, There should be something disquieting behind that quietness. The lack of expressiveness should be expressed. And this is what the kid does. And finally, during a particular moment when that wall breaks, it is elevated to be the best scene of the show.
Also, some characters’ development is well written. This is brought to the screen by some subdued presence with sporadic emotional bursts.
Even though this show does well in blending mystery and message, it fails to do the same for some of its characters. Their dynamics ls criminally underexposed.
Towards the end, mild redundancy starts to set in. The ultimate reveal does not produce any effect. This may also mean that while the show hooked in the viewer for its suspense, it made them stay for its heavy pathos.
This show may not be revolutionary but it does offer a must-have perspective into Corporal Punishment. The underlying point mentioned earlier is slowly etched in the viewers’ minds. It is not in the face of or explicit but once you complete watching it, you get their point about the issue. Corporal punishment of any degree is bad. It doesn't matter what your reasons may be or how small it is, it should never be the option one should opt-in parenting.
“ A child’s whole universe is its parents. There is no bigger horror when that universe starts attacking it.”
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Character with superhuman powers is not something that is new to Korean Dramas. But it is unusual to find one in which the powers are not well defined and used casually to make up for lazy writing. The ability bestowed upon the character by the writers were not overused. Yes, the stories were bent to suit the power but they did not seem forceful at any point.
The other lead, a tortured police officer on the path of vengeance might come off as a little irritable and at times getting on the nerves of the viewers. But he served as a symbol of defiance against a hierarchical system mired in corruption, bureaucracy and lethargy.
Different cases handled by the team, individually, had a nail biting screenplay and/or exuberant pathos. The evil in each of the cases were progressively diabolical from one to the other. So the victims needed to be really powerless and their weakness was written really well by amplifying the dementedness of the bad guy/s.
It is because of this very reason the main big bad of the show seems weak with a cluster of cliched psychopathic tropes amped up by dark biblical and literary references. He is neither astute nor enigmatic. There is nothing remotely engrossing or even likable about him. A flawed attempt at writing a character with flaws.
This show has the one of the most alluring cinematography and elevating music with nice balance of sound designing. Some of the shots transcended the screen to show pure evil while the music just enhances the experience. Since this show is more about the minute sounds, there needs to be an amplification of the same during a tense situation along with background music. It had its fair share of appropriate scoring with the congruent noises enhanced.
A show need not picturize all the events in a particular arc or phase of the story. Some of those would be obvious and it is subconsciously understood by the viewer. But here, they have ignored including some scenes assuming those fall into the above category. It is really difficult to conclude how the characters came upon that clue or a particular revelation. The chain linking it all seemed to have forgotten to include a few things. Adding to this some logical errors, it causes a massive harm to an otherwise decent thriller.
The flow of a good thriller with immersive cinematography and chilling sound design and music were interrupted sporadically by these errors which are not negligible enough.
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The show starts off in a little convoluted manner where you find it difficult to establish the relationships between characters and their motives. But as it progresses the thrill of investigation keeps the viewer hooked in and demands your attention to decipher the aforementioned problem.
It deals with backstabs and betrayals throughout the first half of the show so that you are unable to trust most of the characters. Then it settles down and moves towards revealing all the mysteries.
Even though it has a social message in the end, it doesnt preach you but rather warns (this is especially relevant for the local South Korean audience) about the danger.
The acting of the whole cast is top notch. It actually elevates the writing.
Music does its job creating the environment for a thriller.
The drawback is that it remains subtle in its revelation of twists and answers to some questions throughout the show which may warrant a second time viewing and it probably will irk some of the viewers.
It does pursue a line story among many which felt unnecessary in retrospection at the end.
It keeps you hooked in primarily due to the pacy writing and complex plot. If you are one for simple dramas, this is not your cup of tea. Otherwise, this is a must watch.
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