Let down after a gripping season 1

NOTE: Spoilers start in second half of review & noted.

Incredibly excited going in and knowing season 2 (S2 for short) was a fresh spin on a tried and true formula in season 1, came out disappointed and with more questions than answers. At the crux of it, the repetitiveness of plot beats in S2 made me constantly compare it to S1, and it just kept coming short every time.

Starting with the good:

– As usual, Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee are consistently strong actors and this season is no exception. Both are great at carrying scenes individually and have great chemistry when they're sharing a frame, but this season lacked the high highs and low lows that allowed them to really shine in season 1 (i.e. when HSH's character finds out the creature is her mother in season 1). The supporting cast did a fine job, but barring Bae Hyeon Seong's Seong Jo, didn't leave as strong of an impression as the House of Golden Treasure squad.

– High production value and special effects + CGI, creating a moody atmosphere and some pretty tense scenes. The only two downsides here were that 1) the 1940s setting of S1 had more charm than the modern of S2 (and personally, the prison / underground was creepier when old-timey than sleek & modernized); and 2) some action sequences were very lowly lit / have strobing lights, which while accurate, make them hard to follow

The bad:
– Tonally, the show was one dark grey slate throughout. There's no time for lightheartedness or camaraderie in this season – the shorter 7-episode length means there's room and only room for high-strung plot intrigue, interspersed by action sequences. Where PSJ and HSH separately and together had their cute / comedic moments in S1, S2 plunges you right into the thick of it and never lets you up for breath – and the leads are suitably broody until the end.

– The biggest disappointment, by far, was the plot. Without going into any spoilers, the show had me hooked with the dynamic between the two leads and many (many) questions that had me binging the episodes to learn more, only for plot threads to be left hanging. There's some interesting dynamics between the characters but the majority are left unexplored or touched on only at a surface level, which leaves characters' motivations flimsy at best.

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

At its core, the show has some straightforward messages: Humans should be treated with respect. Some acts are too terrible to forgive and can never be forgotten – and a fight isn't meaningless even if you're just one person against the system. Friendship isn't transactional, and trust – and love – aren't given, they just are.

Because of the modern setting though, none of these themes truly strike a clear and resounding chord the same way that PSJ and HSH's – and the larger Korean struggle – against Japanese Imperialist rule in the 1940s did in S1. The clear good vs. evil, the righteous fight for justice of the oppressed against the oppressor, the power of love and friendship – these are instead replaced by faux moral ambiguity that don't hold weight when peeled back.

Seung Jo had so much potential to be the core of that moral complexity but ended up as largely a one-note character. We know his cold upbringing with Lady Maeda is why he's so callous with murdering and doing what it takes to get what he wants, but we're never shown his relationship with Jang Tae Sung, which makes the absolute trust that JTS places with him seem ridiculous – especially because all we've seen up to that point is SJ murdering or absolutely beating the shit out of JTS, and for what? Just so he can have 'his version' of JTS back? Why would that inspire friendship, and why would JTS forgive him for both that and putting Chae Ok at harm? We're never shown how difficult of a choice it might have been for SJ to choose between his evil upbringing or the good that was extended towards him, and so his numerous choices up to his ultimate betrayal serve as one-dimensional villain decisions simply to move the plot along. Not only that, but the obvious betrayal also throws JTS' judgement into question.

More broadly, S2 leaves so many questions unsolved. What was the point of Chae Ok staying away (and not even keeping tabs on JTS) for 70 years if she only goes 'hungry' when she gets injured? Why does JTS' investigator buddy make a deal with Maeda to constantly protect JTS (and why was it something his grandpa asked him to do)? What was JTS doing in the 70-odd years after getting a Najin in the 1940s, and why does SJ keep going to meet him? What was the point of showing Captain Kuroko's disabled girlfriend / wife when he's said multiple times that all he cares about is that 'the company survives' (again, a try at moral complexity that doesn't add much to the story)? Speaking of Kuroko, wtf are the black-clad Kuroko armies? Did I miss where all the henchmen that can climb on walls came from? What was SJ's goal of releasing the grandson so he could kill people in public if SJ knew he was going to turn on JTS anyway? What even was the point of continuing development of the Najins – just for funsies (unlike S1, there was no General Gato and his 'next stage of human evolution' fanaticism to keep this convincing beyond a superficial 'we're just evil for evil's sake)?

Also, are you telling me that Maeda's entire, convoluted plot was to:
1. Force JTS to take back the Najin by 'threatening that he'd die in front of CO'
2. Allow JTS and CO to escape with SJ's help to gain their trust (and hope neither dies in the onslaught of Kuroko)
3. Hope CO and SJ ride in the same car and JTS is separate, so SJ can inject her to take away her powers
4. Subdue JTS via Kuroko to bring him back to the compound
5. Capture all of JTS' friends
6. Make JTS choose between the 3 friends and CO as what, some sort of test of 'people aren't all equal'? When Maeda had just killed all of JTS' House of Golden Treasure friends all in one go? I could even understand it if she was just blatantly holding a (LONG) grudge against JTS for rejecting / rising up against her, but they had to pull some moral question into the mix that felt out of left field

I don't believe it.

All that to say – don't regret the 7 hours, but that's not another 7 hours I'm going to be spending to rewatch this. Rewatch season 1 for the superior version.

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The Best Drama of 2020

Tons of spoilers ahead!

In short: absolutely fantastic.

MCW and LJG knock it out of the park with their acting. LJG especially–the scenes in which he breaks down and bawls his soul out, especially contrasted against his normally stoic and unruffled character, is brilliant and hits you right in the heart.

In terms of character, Hyun Soo and Ji Won are nearly perfect. They're an absolute power couple. Ji Won is smart and a capable detective, with seemingly unending love for her husband, and the trust she has in him is admirable. Hyun Soo is so painfully misunderstood. When I watched the first few episodes, I was truly confused about how they would make Hyun Soo a likable character (especially after he'd kidnapped the reporter), and the writer went above and beyond. They transform Hyun Soo from a frankly intimidating, cold manipulator into someone who's been manipulated his entire life, by his father, his neighbors, his fake parents, the entire country, to the point where he doesn't even know who he is anymore. His emotionlessness makes him a tool to everybody else's desires, destined to mold himself to satisfy others; in reality, it's a trait hammered into him over a lifetime, and it's heartbreaking to see him discover love and pain and sadness for the first time, and then latch on to them so tightly (to the point where the thought of losing Ji Won tears him apart and nearly pushes him to the brink). He's really internalized what everyone tells him, like how he gradually starts to imagine seeing his dead father because the villagers all think he's possessed, and isn't that feeling, that you care so much you believe what others say of you?

And then it's doubly heartbreaking that, after all of their emotional growth and the challenges they've had to overcome, Hyun Soo sacrifices himself to save Ji Won and loses his memories in the process. At first, I was frustrated–another amnesia plot? But it gradually made more sense as the episode ran: Hyun Soo has never lived for himself, /truly/ himself, before. And Ji Won has never had the chance to see Hyun Soo for who he really is and make her own choice. The memory loss gives them both a chance for a new start, and it's heartbreakingly sweet that they choose to take that chance with each other, together. They have to restart from day one, without 15 years of a life together, but the pieces are there in shared moments and memories. For all of Hyun Soo's lying and manipulation, he was lying to himself too, that he felt nothing when in truth it was always Ji Won for him.

The reporter is great too, an unexpected source of levity in an otherwise serious melodrama. And I was particularly surprised and impressed at the last speech he gave to Hee Sung's parents about being complicit in evil acts (I honestly thought he was gonna get killed lmao). Ji Won's police squad are all awesome: I came to love all of them (even the annoyingly nosy one), and I'm so glad there was not one bad, two-faced one among them. Hae Soo served her purpose and I'm glad she ended up where she did, but ultimately she was the one character I wasn't fully sold on. She just wasn't as compelling as everyone else.

Of everything, the one thing that frustrated me was the lack of communication, especially on Hyun Soo's part (and partly Hae Soo as well). He always had to do everything on his own without telling people about his plans, which often led to dangerous situations or misunderstandings, especially between him and Ji Won. It's understandable that he's been taught to trust himself and has deeply internalized it, and makes it even more of a significant achievement when he reaches out to Ji Won for help. But other times, even after they've established trust, he still goes behind her back, and the viewer in me wants to reach across the screen, give him a slap, and tell him to just share with his damn wife already!

The story really just kept chugging to the last episode, where it slowed down (but the last episode was still great in terms of wringing some really emotional scenes out of the main pair). I was so scared of reading spoilers because I legit had no idea where the story was going to go. The accomplice had me constantly guessing in the first half (even when he was finally revealed, I was still suspicious of other people lol). And then the accomplice turned out to be a master planner and DHS + CJW kinda let me down in their planning abilities but we just accept it lol.

Cinematography is bomb. The OST is BOMB. I've been playing Feel You by Shin Yong Jae on repeat for days. IT'S SO GOOD.

Overall, definitely one of the best dramas of 2020. Would I go through the wringer and rewatch it again? Idk, it's just such an emotionally taxing drama (in the best way possible). But if I ever need a tearjerker, I'll definitely rewatch the scenes when LJG and MCW bawl their hearts out.

A few remaining questions:
1. Hyun Soo said he didn't remember any of his life from before he was 10 years old. I wish they explained this more.
2. Ji Won did find a bloody zip tie in the basement when she first got suspicious, but it seems to have been just glossed over. Why didn't this prompt more suspicion / questions?
3. What happened to Jeong Mi Sook (the last victim) + her husband?

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TLDR: A fantastic drama that is worth the watch!

Overall, extremely impressed with the show. It's certainly one of, if not the most, well-written serial killer mystery k-drama I've had the pleasure of watching. Unlike most other dramas that reveal the killer relatively early on (with the latter half just focused on finding evidence / catching said killer), this drama continuously keeps you guessing–every character is a potential suspect, and no one is free from suspicion until you learn the Eraser's true identity the very last episode.

The story was also incredibly compelling. Dong Baek's powers are badass, and the ways it's used is so cool. It's also been a while since I genuinely felt so bad for a character–Dong Baek's past (death of his mother, guilt from the death of his best friend), coupled with the burden he has to carry from all the memories of crimes, really struck me. He's just a poor soul :(

Admittedly, the drama does become messy with all the twists and turns it tries to plot. There's a huge ensemble of characters, which makes it sometimes difficult to follow. The show sometimes feels like it's just revealing pieces of information one by one instead of allowing you to figure it out yourself, as a mystery drama should (SPOILER: for example, there are no hints about Dong Baek's past / the existence of his sister until the very last episode, beyond the fact that the Eraser has similar powers).

Some plot points are also retrospectively strange given the final reveal. For one, what was the point of the Eraser sending a painting of the angel with the claw hammer to the cult leader, if it was just to taunt her own brother? Or of the two women in plaster casts, to taunt Sun Mi? (Or maybe I'm just missing something....)

Acting-wise, Yoo Seung Ho and Lee Se Young did an absolutely fantastic job with their roles. Yoo Seung Ho is probably born for these hard, badass detective roles tbh, and Lee Se Young kills it as a takes-no-bullshit officer. The Avengers team (the two main + the two sidekick police officers) make an absolutely adorable team. I was pleasantly surprised that there was no romance between the two main leads. Not to say the leads didn't have chemistry (they did–a lot), but it was incredibly refreshing to see a drama where the leads just work in a professional capacity.

Not too many sung OSTs, but the instrumentals were all great! A lot more than I thought there were, and gave the drama a great ambiance. Would recommend a listen to OST: Sad Song.

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Honestly not sure why the drama has bad reviews and such low broadcast ratings–if you're a fan of cats or cheesy dramas (or L aka Kim Myung Soo), you'll enjoy it! It's a wholesome ride throughout, with a pretty adorable main couple and cute cat antics.

The chemistry between the two main leads is great. Shin Ye Eun is always happy and bubbly, and injects a positive energy that keeps the drama from feeling too down. Kim Myung Soo (L) does a great job acting like a cat, and certainly seems to have done the research into adopting cat-like mannerisms (his slow blinks are everything). Contrary to other reviews, I actually quite liked Seo Ji Hoon's stoic demeanor, especially when it breaks in front of L's innocence and earnestness. In fact, I thought the bromance that slowly but steadily grew between the two male leads was probably one of the cutest parts of the drama.

I do agree with other reviewers that L's character didn't experience a lot of development. For the most part, he maintained his honest, earnest nature throughout, and I wish they showed him trying to adjust to the human world more. Also wish the character was just a tad bit more dramatic when expressing his emotions, but L did a great job with what he was given.

The story itself is pretty straightforward, and doesn't make too many odd logical leaps imo. The secret of L being a cat that can turn human is a tidbit that could be bothersome–it drags on for longer than it should, helped in part by a good few coincidences and a somewhat oblivious and slow-on-the-uptake female lead. The ending, too, was a bit disappointing, just by nature of the fact that I wished there was more finality and happiness to it. I do believe the shortening of the drama from 16 to 12 episodes helped tighten the storytelling (even though I can't help wanting more! I'd happily watch four more episodes of L and Seo Ji Hoon being reluctant bros lmao).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone in need of a few hours worth of easy watching1

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