Turtle Stomper
Seattle (USA)
This review may contain spoilers
Let's play "count the flies"...there were a LOT.
First of all, regardless of what the inspiration for this Kdrama was, do not expect anything like (or remotely close to) Killing Eve. For me, that wasn't a bad thing at all. This drama is expertly done, the characters are so well written and the interactions between all the characters are packed with so much chemistry. I've seen some less than positive reviews, but I honestly don't know what left field they came from because this drama is so engaging and well done.
The main villain was really appealing, I totally bought her 100% as the bad guy, she was absolutely insane but in the most pleasant way to watch. The music that played whenever she was going crazy was so memorable and felt exactly what her head must have felt like while she was high on the darkness within. The entire OST was really expertly crafted and matched the scenes perfectly.
The main and side characters were all interesting, there was a lot of humor, and the evil darkness of the plot was so colorfully presented with such rich character interactions. But above everything else, the FL was spectacular. Out of every single minute of the drama there was only one tiny scene at the end where I didn't buy her performance, and it was super super minor. In every other moment of this drama her character is so expertly depicted, I never once felt like her behavior was unrealistic at all. Her interactions with every single character in the drama absolutely made the show successful.
To the dude who scoffed at the dirty gamer chick aspect of things, it isn't just guilt that makes someone like this, it's depression. Living in filth, obsessing over an intricate hobby, failing to bathe, drinking, generally not caring about the world around you, these are all massive signs of depression and I thought the drama did a great job of portraying them. 500% better than dragging someone out of the gutter and having them be suddenly competent and successful. This was, in my mind, completely realistic and very much mirrors how some people deal with grief. Something like the suicide of a spouse destroys most people left behind, and I think it would have been disingenuous to represent it otherwise.
I rated this drama really highly not just because it impressed me so much while watching it, but also because the stories and OST stuck with me long after the drama had ended. I really hope there's a season 2 so we can figure out Santa's whole deal. I'm really glad the show didn't focus on "fixing the broken person" but instead molded itself around her like a blanket, allowing her to retain her eccentricities without trying to force her into some societal mold of what a functional human being should be.
The main villain was really appealing, I totally bought her 100% as the bad guy, she was absolutely insane but in the most pleasant way to watch. The music that played whenever she was going crazy was so memorable and felt exactly what her head must have felt like while she was high on the darkness within. The entire OST was really expertly crafted and matched the scenes perfectly.
The main and side characters were all interesting, there was a lot of humor, and the evil darkness of the plot was so colorfully presented with such rich character interactions. But above everything else, the FL was spectacular. Out of every single minute of the drama there was only one tiny scene at the end where I didn't buy her performance, and it was super super minor. In every other moment of this drama her character is so expertly depicted, I never once felt like her behavior was unrealistic at all. Her interactions with every single character in the drama absolutely made the show successful.
To the dude who scoffed at the dirty gamer chick aspect of things, it isn't just guilt that makes someone like this, it's depression. Living in filth, obsessing over an intricate hobby, failing to bathe, drinking, generally not caring about the world around you, these are all massive signs of depression and I thought the drama did a great job of portraying them. 500% better than dragging someone out of the gutter and having them be suddenly competent and successful. This was, in my mind, completely realistic and very much mirrors how some people deal with grief. Something like the suicide of a spouse destroys most people left behind, and I think it would have been disingenuous to represent it otherwise.
I rated this drama really highly not just because it impressed me so much while watching it, but also because the stories and OST stuck with me long after the drama had ended. I really hope there's a season 2 so we can figure out Santa's whole deal. I'm really glad the show didn't focus on "fixing the broken person" but instead molded itself around her like a blanket, allowing her to retain her eccentricities without trying to force her into some societal mold of what a functional human being should be.
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