what can i say, it’s really good. the cast is top notch, the storyline is intense and the synopsis is captivating. “Seher” feels she can’t move past that trauma, but she accomplished so much present day which proves she was stronger than she believed.

The two characters (sheng hua and Chen Xi) are stuck in a universal boomerang where the same trauma occurs present day. this seems tragic, but the universe is trying to give them a second chance to defeat their oppressors. the promise they made as teens to give life a try until adulthood becomes the statement which provokes them to finally avenge their past and defeat that part of them that hides and allows the same trauma to repeat.


The friendships of Chen Xi is complicated but genuine at best. even though they’ve made big mistakes, they stayed by her side. that’s seriously enough to show that they do genuinely love her. (the acting from the friends, again top notch). Although Chen Xi runs away from the people in her life as a normal reaction to discomfort, she keeps an open heart for forgiveness. Her past partner, also deserves props for trying but her current partner Hao Ming/Chiang Yu was probably my favorite cast member of the show. he’s rooted in integrity, sometimes maybe to a fault, but he (just like Chen Xi’s brother) practically lives to protect her. a true “ride or die”.
the soundtrack (intro) song matches so well with the events and more so exudes the feeling of protection and love from Hao Ming who falls in love with Seher and is motivated to become a better person after meeting her. it’s truly a beautiful song and show. worth a rewatch as i’m still attached to the characters..

“don’t push yourself too hard. when you’re in pain don’t be afraid to ask for help. even if you feel stuck in the past, be good to yourself.”

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Woo jae would have died regardless. Hae won bias?

I want to say one thing.
Everything would have happened without Hae Won present.
In this roller coaster ride, everyone is the antagonist.

Even the husband, the man who coasts on the brink of insanity, shows signs that he would have killed woo jae the minute he awakened. No one believed his watchful eye over the comatose body was to apologize ?

BUT hae won, would have had no justice…

So she extended the life line and retrieves him from a sunken bed in Ireland. (Essentially giving him one last chance at life.) However, woo jae would have found hui jui himself after waking up and regaining his memories. Even if years later. He would have came after hui jui and ruined her life without hae won’s help. And Lisa would have chosen to save her mom regardless of hae won’s interaction.

Think about it. Hui jui and woo jae was destined to end one another. Hui jui could have gotten off with self defense and returned to life as normal. Woo jae would still be six feet under.

But. Hae won would have had no justice.

Hae won was more than just an envious woman. Was she even that? Let’s not give her so much credit. She’s a pitiful character who adored only two people in the world besides her grandfather. She was crippled by the experience. Her hatred was more obsession, she wanted to be seen by the two she loved most. She wanted to stick around even if it meant allowing them to continue their affair (which she did, and held back more than many would be able to).
She knew they would end each other. Almost like a bet, she watched for her rival to break, but eventually saw that woo jae would self destruct first. She didn’t stop him from leaving that fateful day. You die or I’ll die, we’re her last words. Sending him out in more rage.

She needed that painful experience to get to the other side, to see the light again, and continue on her life. Years before she said cheerfully, “it’s better to learn the skill of art later in life than to loose your passion earlier in life.” She gave hui jui the skill of art, and abandoned it herself. Was it time for hui jui to pay her regards? After stealing everything from her?

In the end. They all granted each other a lifeline. Use it wisely and make your wish. Hui jui (a wealthy lifestyle, AND a true love affair), woo jae ( a hopeful romance for his rebellious life ). Hae won (to become Hannah again, but through a dark kind of inspiration)… A twisted love triangle indeed. Without woo jae, would both women have eventually ended each other? Or was it a miracle they removed the venom which caused them to fight.

Wouldn’t it actually be more pitiful if hae won came back crying and begging for her unnie to apologize? She had every right to pop up and demand an answer about woo Jae’s whereabouts. He was her legal spouse…I’m actually impressed such a happy go lucky girl could morph into such a twisted being who was still able to appear normal outside the secrecy circle.

And I believe, hui jui will be reunited with her family again. Lisa will confess eventually.

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my pressure rises whenever i see this title

I tried to pretend i never watched Nevertheless but for the sake of the lovely side stories, i will leave my honest exasperating review.
I feel that the main character is relatable. These are things we can all understand and/or have been through to some extent. The pep talks you have with yourself, pretending you'll be mad but you give in...all too relatable. But Nabi is a bit excessive, she knows better and our best friend (intuition) warns her but she refuses to listen. So much that it becomes infuriating. Nabi is too smug about "dating" an an emotionally wayward person and she refuses to give herself any self respect. Anyways, I can't properly watch a character willingly be so stupid. This would have been a redeeming story, if we saw nabi realize that her "love" towards jaeon was fleeting. So with willpower and self-discipline she would stick to her guns and avoid him. But nope. Nabi's motto is basically=I Know I'm doing the wrong thing...but regardless/nevertheless, i want to experience (head on) something that I know will bring me pain.

Watching Nabi navigate her (simple yet she makes it complex) love life is like trying to convince your hardheaded friend to dump her toxic partner and you just have to sit back and watch it burn to the ground. By the end of the show, i found myself giving up and feigning happiness for Nabi even though i know she'll be crying soon because Nevertheless, people don't change that easily. And he will disappoint you again. But go ahead girl, get the man you want!

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Who really faces the penance

There was a bad guy and the actual antagonist, the mother of the deceased Emiri, Asako. Asako harasses Emiri’s friends for somehow not stopping the murder and causes them damage and trauma into adulthood. In the end, she realizes that Emiri’s murder is closer than she thought and has a ridiculous amount of forgiveness/calmness for him, even after having spite towards the ones not even responsible.

I guess the twist is that she ended up paying her own penance, for causing everyone around her pain.

What was interesting about the cinematography and a little bit offsetting, was the present day was hard to distinguish as present due to the saturated lighting. The past was colorful but present, dim and dry. I can understand that the director may have wanted to emphasize that the girls present lives were depressing and their past was the last bit of brightness and happiness in their lives.

I liked the side stories of girls who had now grown into women. Even though these stories didn’t tie into the plot in anyway it did exemplify how Asako’s grudge keep them stunted. I’d say Yuka ended up being the most fearless and was the only to go against Asako which humbled her a bit. Which is ironic because I had high hopes for how Maki would be but she was the most overbearing while “bear” grew to be the most stunted but paid her “penance” by standing up bravely to her brother and stopping another child abuse case.
I liked Sae, she stood up for herself but also gave into Asako’s criticism of her and was filled with insecurities.

Again, Yuka was affected by Emiri’s murder but in the most indirect way. She simply became infatuated with law enforcement because she was still traumatized by the day of the murder. However in the end, she was able to handle Asako’s delusion by giving her the answers to take care of on her own. Shockingly, Asako couldn’t handle the pressure, her penance was to be put in the girls shoes of feeling guilt and hopeless confusion.

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so sweeeet

Very heartfelt and pure. It takes an unorthodox way to fall in love and normalizes it a bit. What I loved the most was that even after a one night stand and years later, the main male character Jinwook does not try to be a spiteful, coldhearted bad guy. he's really sweet, patient and dedicated to the Yoo Mi. They have great chemistry and the show touches a lot into their complicated family background. Their love story is simply pure. what more can i say. I still adore this drama, for some reason it leaves those tingling lingering feelings. The side characters were great as well.

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I-I-I-I’m speechless

You know how you watch something and your skin craw and you’re jaw is still dropped to the floor days later. I have witnessed the most raw acting… emotionally heart wrenching show I have ever laid eyes on. The first part was pure and sweet. Part 2 took a turn into something very dramatic and realistic. Truthfully, when you’re young you do all kinds of dumb things.

The soundtrack to the 1st & 2nd show was AMAZING. Thanks for introducing me to these amazing actors
Now, Excuse me while I go clutch my knees in the corner, because my heart is still wrenching at this masterpiece

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If you like criminal minds, watch it

Almost like a docu- crime drama portraying the story of the first criminal behavioral analysts in Korea.

Kim Nam Gil plays such a soft spoken/discerning character. Which is astounding given how opposite it is of his personality. I assumed he would be a goofy detective but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the relationship between he and his partner along with Tae Goo. It reminded me of the dynamic of a trio who starts off untrusting and become close friends like in The Guest -of course not AS close as them but close enough to feel a lighthearted appreciation for them all.

Through the darkness Gave a different perspective of some other crime shows, due to the character being an intricate/small detail kind of detective. His findings had me on edge. I love everyone’s faces when he discovers something crazy.
So If you’re into crime series, this is one you kind of HAVE to watch. Especially to understand the history and timeline of South Korea’s law enforcement/ crime division. It’s a good watch and only 12 eps

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Main lead is on the verge of dying. at the very moment of him commiting s** he finds a way to spare himself and meets Main female lead. he finally sees the reason for living, very literally he lives for Hwa Sun meaning he would even be imprisoned for her since he feels he owes his life to her. when i see it this way, i don’t feel so tortured that an innocent man was imprisoned, as this was his only wish. rather than live his sad and daunting life, he finds peace in ensuring Hwa Sun and her niece are at peace. Suk Go’s was willing to protect her till the end. however the ending is bitter. he smiles while she cries. she is clearly suffering as in a perfect world they would just live happy and free. unfortunately a horrible monster came along and changed their lives forever.

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Slow paced rollercoaster

I found myself having mixed emotions at the end. In the beginning I quite liked the romance between Kate’s husband and Rat. It was sincere and showed a softer side to the otherwise unforgiving personalities. But I began to dislike Rat more as the series progressed and his true nature revealed itself. There was even a moment after Chad’s death that Chad was shown in a different light. I couldn’t forgive him for the abuse towards Kate, However everyone who seemed innocent in the beginning, started to look more guilty in the end and vice versa. I will one day return to the series, knowing the ending and see it in a different light. In the end, Kate avenged herself as the unbeatable character who charms people into being as delusional as her. Oddly enough I was still routing for her until the end. After all she was a victim right? Well it’s true that delusions can be so strong you can’t even realize you’re sick. That’s how Kate was.
I wish I could have known the opinion of Kate’s mother. Did she know her daughter was sick, or did she only intensify her condition by blindly leading her.
Tew did not deserve the ending he received. But when fatal attraction is involved, it’s best to leave before it’s too late! An unorthodox similarity to the tale of Romeo & Juliet.
His final message was reflective, leaving watchers with an awareness of how much we find ourselves sympathizing with bad people, and to make sure we aren’t fools to our own tragedy.

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The saving grace is Shinobu who was such a great friend so of course I was upset that they killed him off. When asuka planned to die for the demon the demon ended up taking another causality to death which made no sense when she already agreed to be it’s sister. If you look at the Japanese predecessor “Dark Waters” the mother agreed to die and be the demons mother..and she was able to spare her innocent daughters life.

It also didn’t make sense that a ritual was happening to save them and it had zero effect on the demon at all. If there was a sequel it’s obvious that the demon would still follow around Asuka since she’s who it made the promise with.Unless they were able to rid of it but it isn’t clear in the ending at all.

Asuka was so off psychologically that it made ZERO SENSE why she was even living alone. Only towards the end we see she actually has some support system yet they only stepped in when she was already double traumatized to the point of no return.
The elderly deceased spirit next door had more effect on waking her up more than anyone else. Also makes no sense she didn’t realize she was in a time loop even after admitting to her hallucinated parents that they were repeating themselves every morning.

From the very first scene I already knew the main character was going to be dreadful. Her poor decision making skills despite her ptsd was frustrating. She couldn’t realize that it was odd a child was playing alone with no parents and continued to befriend the kid demon. Even if it was a normal kid she didn’t question this at all. Maybe her trauma caused her to loose brain cells as well…
It was a good one time watch with a good twist however

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Who would really do this for money?

A Korean twist to the Japanese action Alice in borderland which I’m a big fan of. It was nice to see the cultural differences in two similar plots.

There seems to be an intentional difference between regular kdramas and international blockbusters like this and Parasite. Certainly made for international buzz. I heard the overhype from family and coworkers and it fits their taste more than it did with me.

However I do enjoy the cast and have watched a few of their other works. I think the ending was well enough if the main character simply went to take care of his daughter I don’t understand the message of seeking revenge/going back for more because unlike in Alice in borderland, the humans have a choice of being there. He was a good guy but unpredictable which could be frustrating at times.

There is no story line to continue in regards to a second season, I think it’s more just for the action of it all. Game playing is an interesting genre to many I suppose however It’s forgettable for me unless the entire world bombards me with anticipation like they did for s1 causing me to not be able to form my own expectations which will result in another disappointment. I however did enjoy those mild moments of reality in between the characters admission/re-admission into the game, which explained why they would ever be so desperate as to return to to this crazy game (and no, none of them were justifiable imo )

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Wow what a nostalgic show, a cherished show indeed

Watching this as a 12 year old was certainly overwhelming but in a good way. I couldn’t believe there was such a tragic story and such a crazy stop at nothing antagonist, Subin. The wild character tropes & storylines would be something I would come to see often in the world of kdramas and I was well prepared.

I didn’t even know Yoona was a pop star when I watched this as I knew of kdramas before kpop. Thankfully this show along with ‘Happiness in the wind’ was part of a cultural awareness slot which premiered on non cable tv back then for a few hours a day. Very grateful.

**The show introduced me to the complex society of south Korea and their fundamental societal roots. As a young American pre teen at the time, I certainly learned the vastly different culture in which I still appreciate to this day.
I honestly can’t say if it’s a must watch, it’s just a special show to me and watching the beginning credits sends a wave of nostalgia in which I can vividly remember bombarding my family with this show every evening, sitting closely to the tv to see what was happening in the newest episode, feeling like I was somehow connected to the county miles away.

If you like drama centered around family as well as romance, well this is packed with that you’ll laugh and cry-not even being corny I remember sobbing while trying my best to copy the Korean words I was learning sloppily. Shows like these are more in depth than the typical 16 episode series nowadays, so you should watch if you’re a true Korean culture/drama fan and appreciate the era of 2008-2010.

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A special show for my 12 year old self

This show was a bit more meaningful to me than maybe the causal viewer simply because it introduced me to KDramas. 2010 was a world away from the reliable world in which we know today in which Korean entertainment is easily accessible. I’m thankful for my standard non cable American tv having a Korean broadcast which only came on A few hours a day in which they premiered this show along with ‘You Are My Destiny’ starring Yoona.
The show was so complex and introduced me to everything I now know about Korean society. It was a good impression and I certainly was able to find a new love for ‘daytime tv’, I was able to find an alternative to the dry and boring American soap opera and the typical kdrama attracts all demographics which is innovative indeed.

I am still a fan of Kim SoEun & JiHan(YiHan) to this day
and found their storyline so fascinating and inspirational. No matter how many amazing kdramas I watch, A Good Day For The Wind To Blow (Happiness In The Wind as they premiered as back then) still holds the most special place in my heart. I rewatch every few years to get that dose of nostalgia. I completely recommend this old timer to any true kdrama enthusiast.

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“SOFT”

I feel “soft” sums this drama up well. Ji woo is instantly annoyed by the superstar because of their differing backgrounds. He believes he’s nothing but a pretentious superstar and takes everything he says as offense. But this doesn’t stop Seo joon from showing immense kindness. He also sees through Ji woo’s tough exterior and falls for him quickly. This moves Jin woo of course but he’s reluctant to get involved due to his past heartbreak.(I felt he liked him from earlier on also, he notices he has a hearing issue and looks out for him) Seo joon, being the sincere, forward and understanding character he is, has patience with him until he comes around. It’s a really sweet love story.

I love how they continued the character of PilHyun from “Where Your Eyes Linger.” That was a nice touch. The cast had a lot of chemistry as well which was nice to see in the behind the scenes clips. Woohyun is not only a total babe but he’s literally the same outgoing, friendly and social being as his character.

This also has one of the best kiss scenes from the very few BL dramas (Viki originals specifically). That last scene was… oof

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Storyline was extreme to say the least

The two main characters were kindred spirits in which their love story was gut wrenching and pure. The soundtrack was beautiful. Actors? Acting? A1! But the storyline was so unrealistic (even as a drama) that it became infuriating. To have have a demon have such extraterrestrial powers they never would have in reality with the never ending ability to wreak havoc and chaos was irresponsible and frustrating. Even as a shaman, the main female character was POWERLESS to stop the demon. In the end, I guess the message was that Good wins ultimately. But after how many casualties including the wipe out of the main cast? I’m left feeling lost and slightly annoyed at the story writers. This is amongst my favorite genre but now I have trust issues. I would guess the attitude towards the viewers was a bit sadist. If it ended anything like ‘The Guest’ for example, I would have felt GOOD actually won with somewhat of a happy ending. Tragic that they all perished. The only closure was that they met again in their next life.

I'd like to add that the first Hwang Daedu was literal sh**. He was already an evil person to begin with who worshiped and summoned the bastard from the dead. It was pleasing to see him gone.
The 2nd H.d.d played him perfectly. the laugh, the annoying wicked smile and voice was all similar. (Yoon Junghoon did fantastic. not trying to glorify his terrible character btw)
the 3rd Hdd was the worst imo.(even though the actor did amazing with playing two possessed individuals alongside his own character) The writers just completely forgot who Hdd was. He went from being someone with OCD who only kills methodically to randomly offing anyone in his path. It didn't make any sense and the drama completely lost its continuity. Having him have some kind of emotional moment in the end was worthless. You can't feel sympathy for evil. Plus he wasn't trying to change at all. he used his past to garner sympathy and make his targets loose focus.

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