365: One Year Against Destiny (2020)

the acting, the actors were INCREDIBLE. have always loved nam ji hyun and lee joon hyuk, and it was incredible to see them together in this. the story may not have been the most mysterious and mind blowing, but it was definitely enough to keep you on your toes and make you want to watch more. Lee joon hyuk really did it for me this drama, i loved his character and he did such a good job playing. the last episode broke my heart though! poor hyeong ju deserved better, but i love the drama still. very refreshing, definitely worth rewatching despite the mystery being known. the characters and their chemistry was lovely. i loved it.

lastly, GIVE NAM JI HYUN AND LEE JOON HYUK A ROMCOM, PLS. they were so cute! need more content. loved them sooo much together and the ending really left me itching for more. yikes. they deserve a romcom for all the heartbreak this drama gave me :p but the good kind!

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''If we go back then, would we be a little different now?''

It was a bit hard to rate this drama to be honest. I believe it has some flaws and it could have been better, but still, it managed to entertain me a lot which, if I have to be honest, I didn't expect.

The thing I loved the most about ''365: Repeat the Year'' is definitely the pace. This type of story is not easy to handle, yet this drama did it quite well. It just gets better with each episode, it makes you extremely curious about what will happen next. I don't think I've ever seen a drama with soooo many plot twists, I'm talking seriously right now. We have new twists in almost every episode. If you think you guessed right, you probably didn't. The writer always managed to surprise the viewers more or less. Even if you can predict something, you still can't get the full picture and the question you ask after each episode is always ''What the heck is going on?!''

I think as a mystery and time travel drama, it did quite well. However, the last episodes were quite... meh. You know, you keep searching for answers throughout the whole drama but when you finally get them, you kind of... don't care? The biggest plot twist was supposed to be the climax and the most shocking one but it really wasn't. Because if the other twists were very undpredictable, the biggest one was quite excpected. And after it, I kind of lost interest and just waited for the drama to end.

Some were left unexplained though. But I guess the drama was complicated enough so if the writer wanted to go even deeper, then it would have been waaaay too messy...who knows.

The acting was quite good. I loved Lee Joon Hyuk as Ji Hyung Joo, he is such an underrated actor and I he was excellent here. Nam Ji Hyun was decent as Shin Ga Hyun and honestly, one of the things I really, really loved in this drama is the fact that the female lead wasn't stupid or something.

The only song I actually remember from the drama is ''Into My Life'' by Say'Z. Such a beautiful song and it was perfect for the drama.

I wouldn't watch this again simply because there's no point. I mean, there won't be any excitement since I already know everything.

Overall, I would recommend this drama if you're looking for a good mystery that keeps you guessing. I wouldn't consider it a ''must watch'', but it's definitely a nice show. And if you decide to watch it, please, avoid spoilers at all cost!

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" 365 : Repeat the Year " was a good thriller.

The drama was action packed, focusing on two main characters who were trying to solve the mystery of the serial killer who was trying to kill them all. There were enough twists to keep things interesting, and tiring at times, as, at some point, the twist over twist was a bit too much. The mystery, however, was not easy to predict, or to guess who was the culprit, as, in each episode, another character seemed suspicious. The drama didn't add romance to the mix, at least not too obvious, which was really a relief. However, the main plot with the going back in time and the whole organization was not properly explained. The ending, in addition, was simply perfect. Finally, the performances were great from all the actors and actresses of the cast.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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This drama was fun, interesting, a bit different but it lacked in some ways.

I will start with what I liked about this drama. The beginning isn't dragged out. The main characters are quickly introduced and the time travel “reset” begins within the first 30 minutes. While the pacing is fast, the story never feels rushed. It is good with the mystery, suspense, and kept you at the edge of your seat, guessing and wondering about what comes next. Ji Hyung Joo is easy to empathize with and brings moments of playfulness to an otherwise intense story. Lee Joon Hyuk portrayed him perfectly. I can't imagine another actor playing his role. What really intrigued/surprised me was that the female lead isn't stupid and can sacrifice herself. She played a huge role to find the killer and helped the Ml. Both of the leads are intelligent and work great together. Every action has a reason. All of the supporting cast has a background and we get to see their story. They have a role and aren't there just to be there.

What I didn't like about this drama: Their way too many plot twists. Due to the plot twists, it became hard to focus and the climax didn't feel that surprising anymore. The impact kinda disappeared and I just wanted it to end so i could figure everything out. The sci-fi element has no explanations-can't say I was surprised. The villain's reasons for doing what they did didn't cut it for me. The villains lacked motive and felt bland. Same old, same old. Both of the villains needed a better backstory, explanation, and development. The only explanation was literally: boredom. I didn't like how they introduced the romance but did something with it in the last episodes. It would've been better with no romance at all or at least developed it a bit more in the earlier episodes. I just felt that something about their romance was missing and I didn't feel satisfied with the ending. Moreover, making only one of them remember the past was a cliche move. I wondered what happened to the rest of the characters in the end, but that wasn't shown. There wasn't a lot of OST in this drama so I missed music.

Overall, it was an interesting watch and this drama is by no means bad. It has a great pace, despite being only 12 episodes. I recommend this drama to people who like suspense, thriller, plot twists, and arent that focused on explanations and convincing villains.

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A MASTERPIECE!!!!!!

Wow!

Haven't Been This Shocked With Any Drama For A While. Loved Every Single Second Of It. Definitely Happy With The Choice Of 12 Episodes, If The Team Had Made It To 16 Episodes, The Drama Would Have Been Mostly Fillers And Would’ve Lost Its Charm.

One Drama Where The Characters Were Smart. Thought About The Consequences And Planned Before Doing Something Reckless. REFRESHING!!

The Relationship Between Gahyun And Hyung Joo Was Nicely Done. The Story Of All The Resetters And How They Were All Connected To Each Other Was Wonderful.

Felt So Bad For Hyung Joo. He Did The Reset Just To Save Sun Ho And He Turned Out To Be The Murderer. I Was Rooting For The Bromance But Boom That Ship Went Down Hard.

I Hope Hyung Joo Gets Gahyun’s Autograph In The New Timeline And They Build A Beautiful Relationship Again.
And Damn Man That Bittersweet Ending!!!

I Highly Recommend It.

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For me this one is a watchable flick as it gave me an above average experience. I would say the director played tactically to bring in the suspense per episode . Time travel is a favourite recipe of Korean creators and I am a fan of it. But apart from signal and Life on Mars, I couldn't find a something on the same class. I won't place this drama in the same league but would place definitely on the class of Tunnel and Circle. The ML is promising and I am waiting for STRANGER 2 and FL was just okay, her dialogue delivery is not up to the mark, like she has a stiff tongue , almost in every drama. All other character especially the freak girl and the thug is applaudable.

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I'm rather surprised that this drama did not have any boring bits for me, and that it was actually a solid watch. The drama focuses more on the plot and the mystery, rather than any character growth, though there is a certain complexity to some characters. I like that the drama did not delve deep into too many things, and only lightly touched issues like stalking, mental health, bullying, cheating, depression, dealing with death etc. The drama continued to keep its focus on the central mystery i.e. the fact that one by one, the people who have undergone 'reset' are dying.
I think that the biggest flaw in the drama is the fact that it does not provide any plausible explanation for the 'reset', the very backbone of the drama itself. I find it rather stupid that you can just drive down a certain route, off a cliff and magically end up exactly one year in the past with your memories of the future intact. At one point the drama showed Miss Shin ingesting a mysterious liquid before reset but that never came up again. The main villains clearly lacked motive. They just seemed to be doing bad things because they were bored.
Despite these annoyances, I did like the drama. It isn't super amazing, but it's pretty good.

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This show was like an adrenaline-induced roller coaster ride and I must admit that I hate roller coasters 'cause I'm afraid of heights and speed. However, THIS ride was one I truly enjoyed. Right off the bat I was immersed in the story and I kept needing more like a total junkie. Hats off to the amazing screenwriters, director, actors, and the whole crew who was behind this stunning show.

Particularly, I gotta say that Lee Joon Hyuk did an outstanding job in his role as detective Ji Hyung Joo. He played the role with such passion and dedication that it was impossible not to empathize with his character and become completely invested in his story and care for him. Detective Ji is such a noble character who’s only trying to do what’s right. He’s definitely one of my favorite kdamaland male leads. He’s my most precious baby who must be protected at all costs. Plus, he’s such a blessing to the eyes of the viewer. There’s a reason why I have him as my profile pic hehehe. He sure is one dashing man. Nam Ji Hyun is a goddess and she also delivered a brilliant performance. I was rooting so hard for both of them to make it safe and sound to the end that I was crying big fat tears with that long-awaited meeting in the last few minutes and that’s how my sister found me crying like a baby in the couch. I’ve come to love and cherish these characters so much that I’m heartbroken to see them go.

The story and especially the pacing of this drama keep you on the edge of your seat and you can never be sure of what’s going to happen next. I think that’s one of the main highlights of the show, in addition, of course, to the characters and their hidden motives and drives for doing what they do and the interactions among them. Lee Shin was such an interesting and complex character in my opinion. Right almost ‘till the very end you’re not really sure of what she’s gonna do. Is she going to help Hyung Joo and Ga Hyun or is she gonna follow the professor? This drama really poses the question of what would you if you were in a situation where you could help save people at the risk of losing someone dear to you. SPOILER. In the end, I’m glad she accepted trusting in the unknown future but for a minute there I was so outraged ‘cause it was as if now that she’d made peace with this decision, she didn’t really care about anyone else or the things she’d done. If only she’d come to this decision earlier, maybe more people could’ve been saved…but now I’m just rambling. I’m still glad she told Hyung Joo about how to go through with the reset.

My only problem was the culprit. SPOILER. I mean, yeah, I get that he went crazy after that car accident because he didn't want anything to stain his recently earned promotion, but still...I didn't get why he started to kill all those other people before he found out about the reset and decided that it was his fate to kill the people on the list that was in Hyung Joo's notebook. So, yeah, that was kinda off-putting for me.

All in all, this was a spectacular drama and I would recommend it to people who enjoy adrenaline-filled mystery shows packed with a good dose of action and even a bit of comic relief here and there and heartwarming scenes. Plus, the chemistry between the leads is muah! *chef’s kiss* I totally need to see them together in a romcom now. I’ll definitely be re-watching this sometime. And once again, congratulations to the whole team who made this beautiful masterpiece possible.

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WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD - If you have not watched this show, DO NOT READ unless you want the entire plot to be spoiled for you, and believe me, you don't want that for this drama.

'356: Repeat the Year' is a suspenseful thriller drama about a group of people resetting their lives for different reasons. This simple line was basically what made me decide to start this drama (plus, too much time on my hands), as I love deeply time travel plots that stick to their main line and have no apparent or too obvious plot holes. This genre is quite difficult to portray without making this type of mistakes, but I am glad to know that 365RTY managed to deliver such an interesting story until the very end. I bet that if I rewatch this drama soon I'll find inconsistencies or differences between the initial premise and the ending, but I don't think they would be too big to ruin the later events and that's enough for me.

The 12-episodes format was definitely the best choice for this story. I feel like if this had been a 16-episodes drama the plot would've gone lost at some point and we would've gotten many filler scenes that may bore the audience, so I'm glad that it was short, although I will miss it a lot. But still, the pace that this drama had was one of the best things about it, as we were always straight to the point without running in circles or making confusing story lines that would end up in nothing (yes, I'm looking at you, Memorist). At some point I thought I was breaking my head trying to make up theories that would eventually be debunked or were simply not likely, but this was another of the best things about this drama, that you really could never expect what would come, which doesn't happen that often since dramas can usually be easily predicted, but I'm really glad to know this wasn't the case.

Ji Hyung Joo and Shin Ga Hyeon will forever be one of my favorite couples even though there was no explicit romance ever, which makes me only a bit sad. I loved their friendship so much, how they cared about each other and how willing they were to sacrifice themselves for each other. I loved the character development that we had for Ga Hyeon, as she was a particularly dark person (obviously because of what she went through before the reset), but by the end of the drama, we had a very cheerful woman who was determined to solve this case and get her life back. I don't think we got much development about Hyung Joo, but I think he still became more mature and less reckless, more cold-headed, which is very important for a detective.

I noticed that at the last scene, we have a happy and bright Ga Hyeon and I was a bit confused because she was not like that before the reset, so I was thinking that they gave her the same personality that she had before dying in the previous timeline, but then I remembered that the final Ga Hyeon was never paraplegic, so this dark episode was not a part of her memory, therefore she's a happy girl with her cute dog. It's funny to think that Hyung Joo saw 3 types of Ga Hyeon, though. A dark Ga Hyeon on a wheelchair, an abled Ga Hyeon but with dark memories, and finally another abled Ga Hyeon, but with a bright aura. There's no way I won't believe he didn't have at least a crush on her, so I want to think that's a win for him.

My only problem with this drama is the reveal of the culprit. This drama takes about 8 episodes to understand the reason why all the resetters are dying one by one and eventually get to the reveal of a serial killer who happens to be a Violent Crimes Detective who kills people... For no reason? With no killing pattern? A detective serial killer with no pattern or motive... That's high bullshit for me, honestly. I don't think it was likely to make him suddenly a psycho who just started killing by mistake and ended up liking it, having fun doing it. It just doesn't match either Sun Woo's personality, or serial killers at all for that matter. Still, I think they managed to make it make sense because I have heard of rare serial killers who began to kill after doing it by mistake too, so it's not like it can't happen. But I just don't think this "I wanted to see how all of you would keep believing my perfect crime scenes" matches the type of character that Sun Woo was, especially because even after becoming a serial killer he was fond of Hyung Joo. I just don't see a proper character building there and that's like, one of the most important parts of this drama's plot.

But that aside, I loved the spontaneity of this plot and all the twists that we got. I could accurately predict about 20% of this drama, to be honest. Whenever we believed something, at the end of each episode we would find a completely new way to see things and to me, that proved that the writers and director really did an amazing job to create this story, with the exception of Sun Woo's character building.

Every side character was important to the story and I really liked how all of them had a hidden past that was revealed at a peak and crucial time. The most surprising ones for me were definitely Kim Se Rin and Mr. Hwang. I didn't see any of their stories coming, but it was very pleasant to be surprised in that way. Also, until the very end I thought Lee Shin had gone crazy while trying to hold onto her daughter's life and decided to reset these people's lives just to watch them, but it was actually Mr. Hwang's motive, so all of this was so interesting to see.

Also, did anyone notice that Lee Shin decided to hold onto her daughter's life and rode the train which would actually crash in that very day? It's sad to know that she decided to see how her daughter would grow after 6 years of repeating the same year in order to avoid her dying, but they embarked on a train that would end their lives. This "unexpected future" may not have been the best thing to choose, then. I ended up pitying her and Ms. Song, both of them were basically toys of a mastermind.

I always wonder whether our lives are predicted and if what is meant to happen will happen, and what's not will not no matter how much we try, so I really liked about this drama their strong efforts to change their futures that looked like they would always go the same way as if we're trapped in a never-ending loop. Of course, this is fiction and there's time travel involved, so not the best realistic inspiration, but I like to think that our lives and our future depend entirely on what we do today to change our tomorrow. I will take this as a life lesson from this drama and keep trying to change my fate too.

To conclude this review, I just really want to express how much I loved this drama and that I will be missing our favorite detective and writer so much next weeks! I hope Lee Joon Hyuk lands more leading roles because he's a really good actor and cute as f*. I don't really like Nam Ji Hyun, so I hesitated for that reason to watch this drama, but again, I was bored and ended up loving it. But I really liked her character and acting here, so I may give 'Suspicious Partner' and '100 Days My Prince' a try next time.

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In terms of plot, this has got to be one of the best suspenseful drama I've seen. I love dramas where you can't easily predict what's going to happen next. It makes you think one way only to find out that you've guessed wrong. The writers know how to make an audience viewer long for more because that's how I felt every week watching 4 episodes. Don't know why ratings are low for S. Korea viewers. I think they tend to miss out on good dramas a lot in my opinion and like the dramas I considered as poor.

We got a strong male and female lead. At first it seems like they're just vulnerable weak characters but don't let that fool you. They are intelligent and once they have a focus on something, they go through with it. A little bit of comedy and a little bit of romance but honestly that's not the focus of this drama so at times it throws me off when either or happens in this suspenseful drama.

The problems I had is that they tried to show a small bit of romance but never went through with it. I mean even the ending seemed like there was some sort of spark. I rather not have the romance at all if they're not going to go all the way with it. That kinda ruined the ending for me a bit even though it was a decent ending. Though this did wrapped up all of the loose ends of this drama, I think they stalled out this problem too long, making the last 2 episodes felt very rushed.

OST Music is good. The only bad part is you've rarely heard any in this drama. This drama isn't bad but mystery solving dramas aren't re-watchable for me because I know what happens already. It's only good for a first time viewer of this drama. Overall, I think you'll like this drama if you're into crime solving suspense dramas. Just don't expect a lot of romance or humor from this drama.

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**This review was cross-posted on r/KDRAMA subreddit with a few changes

Messing with time is always a dangerous thing. Finished 365: Repeat the Year a few days ago and it took me some time to gather my thoughts. But if there's one thing this drama did to me, it would be leaving me with a lot of afterthoughts and tears. It wasn't the most mind-blowing drama, but it did keep me thinking for days, especially with that ending.

I just find it fascinating that the writers wrote a story about toying with the human mind, most especially with the fear of the unknown future/playing with death. We have characters that try to play God and "offer redemption." And then we have characters that were blindsided with wanting to change their fates by going back in time, that they never thought of the consequences it could bring, leading them to make some hasty and immoral decisions. Sometimes, it made me wonder if they deserved such gruesome endings.

The cast was amazing, and I was satisfied with the complexity they protrayed. They showed various shades of white and black, that there were times wherein I couldn't differentiate them. And I can't even recall a moment where I did not suspect every single one of them and the reasons on why they reset. On the other hand, Nam Ji Hyun and Lee Joon Hyuk's chemistry was on fire!!! Their strong sense of justice brings light amidst all the mystery and betrayal surrounding them, and I could truly empathize with their plights. Their dynamics was pretty compelling, too! Watching their relationship grow was so heartwarming. They started off as strangers, then friends, and eventually to the point where they cared for each other deeply that they were willing to risk their lives for one another. They complement each other so well that I wouldn't even mind if romance was part of the story . And finally... we got strong leads who are actually SMART this time around!

Pacing-wise, it was well-executed, ALTHOUGH I wish the writers could've expounded more, maybe even scientifically, on how the reset came to be, and more so on Professor Hwang's and Sun Ho's motives. I just find the latter to be a bit shallow and not really convincing enough, along with other plotholes + inconsistencies. Like who kills people for no reason? I'm not sure if this was a writing choice, but I do understand if certain limitations played an influence, which led some things to be better left unsaid than end up being lost, too dragging or worse, a writing mess. I don't mind 365: RTY as a 12-episode format, though.

But overall, 365: Repeat the Year was still a solid and beautiful watch. Like I said earlier, it wasn't the most mind-blowing drama, BUT its unpredictability, as well as my curiosity, kept me on the edge of my seat. When we think things are going one way, the show surprises us and introduces a different take on the situation. Moreover, I just find it intriguing that no matter how big or small an action or situation may seem, it definitely triggers a domino effect amongst all the characters.

The finale had me crying and left my heart in shambles. Bittersweet is one way to describe it. I can't imagine the pain Hyeong Ju must've felt when he watched Ga Hyeon die with his own eyes; and all the more for having to do the reset with Ga Hyeon having no recollection of anything. But then, I also felt that it was a more "realistic" and fitting ending amongst other alternatives. A part of me felt hopeful for our leads this time around, that they could build their relationship without the pressure or fear of someone playing games with them. It also made me think that they were truly fated to meet, no matter what the circumstances or timelines may be -- that what's meant to happen will happen.

365: Repeat the Year is definitely one of the most solid dramas to have come out this year (sans the inconsistencies, of course). Lee Joon Hyuk is a certified scene stealer in this one, and I'm just amazed with his versatility on the roles he portrays across various dramas. He's one of the only actors who I've gotten quite invested with when it comes to binge watching their catalogues. You can bet that I'll definitely have my eyes on his upcoming works!

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