Hanne
Winterland
The story: The first couple of episodes were very good, but sadly, that did not continue for the rest of the series. It became a one story per episode kind of series that felt very predictable. Though they tried to keep the main plot present throughout, it didn't really feel like one story told over several episodes, but more like a story referenced in some of the episodes. The side-characters were by far the most interesting and were a crucial part of my enjoyment of this drama. The best episodes are the first couple and the last couple of episodes. As the last episodes rolled around I came to remember why I liked this drama so much in the beginning. The story is not a bad one, but it had the potential to be much better.
The acting: If you have ever seen any drama with Lee Jong Suk you probably know what to expect. He seems to pick the same type of character to play in most dramas he appears in. He acts quite well, but I didn't really feel anything from his performance (except for a few scenes in the last episodes). Suzy was probably the weakest link in this drama. I wouldn't go so far as to say that her acting was bad, but she won't be winning any awards either. She mostly has the same face throughout the entire drama. Neither did she have any chemistry with Lee Jong Suk. I didn't really feel anything from their relationship. I neither loved it nor hated it. I would not care whether they stayed together or broke up. The rest of the cast did quite a good job. As I mentioned before, the side-characters were done very well. The child-versions of the main characters did a good job as well.
The music: The music was quite good. Not much more to say about that.
All in all this is an enjoyable drama. It does feel kind of repetitive so I might have liked it a bit less if i saw it all in one go rather than watching it as it came out. The acting was ok, but lacked in some ways. If you dont mind a one-story-per-episode kind of show I would recommend this.
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I have always liked character-driven stories more than plot-driven stories. I would rather stay with a bad story with great characters than a great story with bad characters. The characters in this drama, especially Kim Min Joon, were the reason I loved this drama so much. The story can be a bit slow at times and I didn't really find the villains all that interesting, but the main team makes up for that. This story does have quite a lot of political elements that some people might like, and some people might not. It does slow down the drama a bit, but not for long at the time as they have some sort of action in every episode.
The acting was done very well, especially by our two main leads. Both of them are able to portray the main characters as the complex characters they are and have great chemistry with each-other which is why their relationship works so well. Their slow-building friendship is one of the best things in this drama.
If you enjoy watching a team of complex characters working together to fight a common enemy, a bit of action and an overall serious drama (with a a little comic relief here and there) you should try this one.
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In summary: well acted, well written, great music. I cried. Recommended.
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Story: The story is well developed, and though I found it a bit slow in the beginning it picks up quite quickly. It keeps you wondering what these characters all have in common and how it all fits together. The games are well thought out and the twists and turns of this drama are very clever. This helps keeping the suspense up as the drama goes on. The villain is complex and intriguing and the male protagonist is very interesting and clever. The conflict between the male leads is by far the best thing about this drama. The female lead didn't really appeal to me. She was naive to the point of stupidity and even though it gets better as the time goes on, she's still a bit dumb for my taste. She is definitely a damsel in distress. In summary the plot is well written and exciting. This drama does have an open ending though so if you really don't like those, you might want to skip this one.
Acting: The acting in this drama is quite good. Shin Sung Rok and Lee Sang Yoon both did and outstanding job as the two male leads. Shin Sung Rok really do nail those villain roles. I was not as happy with Kim So Euns' preformance. Her acting felt a bit too over-the-top for my taste, but this might be due to bad directing or the fact that she didn't have all that much to work with. I have not seen any of her other performances so its hard for me to judge. The other actors did a very good job as well. Not much lacking in that department.
Music: The music works quite well with the mood of the drama. It adds to the suspense and generally does what its supposed to. Well done.
In summary, this is a very well done drama with complex and interesting characters and quite a unique concept. If you like dramas with clever characters and suspense you will probably like this. And if you like dramas where the female lead is a damsel in distress, even better. And if you don't, just try to pretend she's not there. That's what I did.
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The acting is wonderfully done by all parties involved. The main characters felt very real and complex and very clearly grows as the story progresses without loosing the core of who they are. The side characters were also interesting in their own way, but remains in the background in favor for the main leads. Despite this leading to the side-characters being almost forgotten, i think it was the right choice to focus on the main storyline. More often than not, dramas tend to try to tell too many stories at once and because of this the main storyline suffers.
The music in this drama is not only beautiful in itself, but fits perfectly into the drama and enhances the impact of the scenes.
In summary: great performances, wonderful music and a captivating story. What more could you wish for?
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