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bloomingtide
Currently In A Drama Hiatus
It is ridiculous and fun. Just roll with it
I normally don't write reviews, but with people being so absurd and prematurely hating on this drama without any capability to chill even a little, I felt the need to say something. (I will update this review with my impressions as the drama goes on and of course after its ending two months from now.)
First thing first: Don't go into this drama with the expectation to see a solemn fantasy epic unfolding here, even if it has the typical tropes of past tragic love and loss and reincarnation do-over romance. Because in order to be able to truly enjoy this show, you have to roll with its irreverence and madness it throws at you in abundance already. The tone of the drama is often quirky and ridiculous, but it's not trying to be anything else either! It knows exactly that it is not to be taken serious, and bears its kdrama-crack identity with flying colors. Yes, it does sprinkle in some minuscule tragedy/sad backstory and detestable criminals as Kkokdu's killing targets for flavor, but it is not before long it goes back to more humorous shenanigans between its characters.
To find a lighthearted, goofy drama that runs with that silliness, nor pretends to be deep or grim on top of it, in the current kdrama landscape of doom and gloom is already rare and hard enough. So don't deprive yourself of its fun just because of a chaotic first episode. The second is already so much better, building up on the prior with more suitable pacing. and more backstory for Kkokdu. Also give its plot time to develop. A story-arc is not finished with one or two episodes, especially when there are sixteen episodes and hours in total room for this to happen. So this impatience and criticism due to it being not 100% perfect from the start and a bit rough around the edges is way too overblown and unbecoming, as is the hatred/bias toward FL/actress.
I, for my part, have been wanting to watch and eventually started this drama solely for Kim Jung Hyun. I am so happy about the comeback, since I missed this fantastic, versatile actor and his screen presence so much. Been way too long since Mr. Queen, seriously. His comedic timing, microexpressions and physical comedy has always been something else—and it is so very natural here too. At two episodes in KJH is already a one-man show riot in his interpretation of Kkokdu; a cynic, 10000% done grinch of death who just wants some R&R during his 99 days on earth but is unable to get due to his job/task he so openly and amusingly detests. And on the other side, he seems a tad unhinged with his high-pitched always-on-the-verge-of-hysteria voice coupled with teen girl giggles and anger management issues. He has plenty of reasons to be like this, however. He does have amnesia, hears crazy voices, kills villains every day each 99 years. Who wouldn't go a little cooky?
Once KJH is/was freed from the timid shackles of his human character Do Jin Woo at the end of episode 1, the fun (and true story) starts. It totally shows is that Junghyun has had so much joy playing the petty, blunt, ready for murder immortal, because his acting as Kkokdu has so much energy, vividness, sheer glee and the right amount of world-weary jadedness. It is his comedic and general acting chops that are also bringing out the best in his co-stars (yay for Mr. Queen reunion between the three gods, they are my chaotic faves rn). Even Im Soo-hyang, whose acting hadn't impressed me before, seemed to go toe-to-toe with Jung-hyun once the story picked up. She definitely isn’t as skilled as Junghyun at delivering all the tiny micro expressions that sell the humor of their bickering and squabbling. Even so, these two are pretty fun to watch and with FL exerting her controlling power over his reluctant, unwilling cynic self it's gonna be even more amusing... not for him, though xD
We are just getting started tho, so of course there is not much development in the rom part of the com, but it is bound to happen as a fated lovers kind of deal they are. I just hope we will see more of their bickering rap battles before the inevitable shift of tone to more angst happens. I will definitely stick around to see how the characters and story develop, as tropey as it is, it is simply and simple fun. And sometimes that is all a kdrama has to be to be enjoyable, yknow?
First thing first: Don't go into this drama with the expectation to see a solemn fantasy epic unfolding here, even if it has the typical tropes of past tragic love and loss and reincarnation do-over romance. Because in order to be able to truly enjoy this show, you have to roll with its irreverence and madness it throws at you in abundance already. The tone of the drama is often quirky and ridiculous, but it's not trying to be anything else either! It knows exactly that it is not to be taken serious, and bears its kdrama-crack identity with flying colors. Yes, it does sprinkle in some minuscule tragedy/sad backstory and detestable criminals as Kkokdu's killing targets for flavor, but it is not before long it goes back to more humorous shenanigans between its characters.
To find a lighthearted, goofy drama that runs with that silliness, nor pretends to be deep or grim on top of it, in the current kdrama landscape of doom and gloom is already rare and hard enough. So don't deprive yourself of its fun just because of a chaotic first episode. The second is already so much better, building up on the prior with more suitable pacing. and more backstory for Kkokdu. Also give its plot time to develop. A story-arc is not finished with one or two episodes, especially when there are sixteen episodes and hours in total room for this to happen. So this impatience and criticism due to it being not 100% perfect from the start and a bit rough around the edges is way too overblown and unbecoming, as is the hatred/bias toward FL/actress.
I, for my part, have been wanting to watch and eventually started this drama solely for Kim Jung Hyun. I am so happy about the comeback, since I missed this fantastic, versatile actor and his screen presence so much. Been way too long since Mr. Queen, seriously. His comedic timing, microexpressions and physical comedy has always been something else—and it is so very natural here too. At two episodes in KJH is already a one-man show riot in his interpretation of Kkokdu; a cynic, 10000% done grinch of death who just wants some R&R during his 99 days on earth but is unable to get due to his job/task he so openly and amusingly detests. And on the other side, he seems a tad unhinged with his high-pitched always-on-the-verge-of-hysteria voice coupled with teen girl giggles and anger management issues. He has plenty of reasons to be like this, however. He does have amnesia, hears crazy voices, kills villains every day each 99 years. Who wouldn't go a little cooky?
Once KJH is/was freed from the timid shackles of his human character Do Jin Woo at the end of episode 1, the fun (and true story) starts. It totally shows is that Junghyun has had so much joy playing the petty, blunt, ready for murder immortal, because his acting as Kkokdu has so much energy, vividness, sheer glee and the right amount of world-weary jadedness. It is his comedic and general acting chops that are also bringing out the best in his co-stars (yay for Mr. Queen reunion between the three gods, they are my chaotic faves rn). Even Im Soo-hyang, whose acting hadn't impressed me before, seemed to go toe-to-toe with Jung-hyun once the story picked up. She definitely isn’t as skilled as Junghyun at delivering all the tiny micro expressions that sell the humor of their bickering and squabbling. Even so, these two are pretty fun to watch and with FL exerting her controlling power over his reluctant, unwilling cynic self it's gonna be even more amusing... not for him, though xD
We are just getting started tho, so of course there is not much development in the rom part of the com, but it is bound to happen as a fated lovers kind of deal they are. I just hope we will see more of their bickering rap battles before the inevitable shift of tone to more angst happens. I will definitely stick around to see how the characters and story develop, as tropey as it is, it is simply and simple fun. And sometimes that is all a kdrama has to be to be enjoyable, yknow?
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