theematchabun
somewhere out of nowhere
Even aesthetics can’t save this drama from dullness!
I was curious to see what the buzz is about since this drama garnered an international fanfare & the god/deity-human relationship seems to be popular in dramas in recent years although the storyline of ‘ancient man-being’ meets ‘pitiful young woman’ seems to be overwrought in Kdrama land.
The show definitely had a big budget as to why they were able to do many things from CGI visual effects, costumes, set production & film location. But money can only do you so much if your writing is stale as a burnt toast with bland & forced characterization. This show relies a lot on aesthetic. Gong Yoo is an excellent actor but his role here is so drab. He’s a 900 year old goblin but talks & acts like an insolent teen-man. First time watching Kim Go Eun. I’m not a fan of the childlike mannerism or kiddish voice. It’s a bit overdone & comes off unnatural.
The opening sequence of Kim Shin’s backstory is great. The only part worth watching. Fast-forward to the present, Kim Shin realizes his fate is tied to a poor teenager. Eun Tak’s financial woes is suddenly fixed by an ancient rich man & Kim Shin’s life problems is at the stakes of a teenage girl. This doesn’t make an interesting dynamic. I’m not buying KS & ET ‘fated’ relationship or romance. It’s ridiculous. There wasn’t any development to begin with for them to feel remotely attracted to each other romantically. It’s all too superficial given that they were complete strangers from the get go. The development is totally inorganic. No chemistry between the actors nor the characters. The dialogue is insufferable with repetitive & dull scenes with a cast of characters that does nothing interesting. Everyone is just walking around looking pretty & talking without any depth. The playback of the flashback scenes is redundant. The comedy is cringeworthy with unintentional laughable moments in a not-so-good way.
The only saving grace for the show is the stunning cinematography and great OST. The directing is overly melodramatic with a plot barely half-baked.
Also, the product placement is so apparent, the drama reads like an ad commercial.
The show definitely had a big budget as to why they were able to do many things from CGI visual effects, costumes, set production & film location. But money can only do you so much if your writing is stale as a burnt toast with bland & forced characterization. This show relies a lot on aesthetic. Gong Yoo is an excellent actor but his role here is so drab. He’s a 900 year old goblin but talks & acts like an insolent teen-man. First time watching Kim Go Eun. I’m not a fan of the childlike mannerism or kiddish voice. It’s a bit overdone & comes off unnatural.
The opening sequence of Kim Shin’s backstory is great. The only part worth watching. Fast-forward to the present, Kim Shin realizes his fate is tied to a poor teenager. Eun Tak’s financial woes is suddenly fixed by an ancient rich man & Kim Shin’s life problems is at the stakes of a teenage girl. This doesn’t make an interesting dynamic. I’m not buying KS & ET ‘fated’ relationship or romance. It’s ridiculous. There wasn’t any development to begin with for them to feel remotely attracted to each other romantically. It’s all too superficial given that they were complete strangers from the get go. The development is totally inorganic. No chemistry between the actors nor the characters. The dialogue is insufferable with repetitive & dull scenes with a cast of characters that does nothing interesting. Everyone is just walking around looking pretty & talking without any depth. The playback of the flashback scenes is redundant. The comedy is cringeworthy with unintentional laughable moments in a not-so-good way.
The only saving grace for the show is the stunning cinematography and great OST. The directing is overly melodramatic with a plot barely half-baked.
Also, the product placement is so apparent, the drama reads like an ad commercial.
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