LUCA (2021)

Not Good Enough

Korean Drama "L.U.C.A.: The Beginning" had an explosive start, but halfway through changed route and became a completely different drama.

First of all, the main idea of the story is pretty interesting. The sci-fi element was also well managed and didn't lower the quality of the drama. The performances were pretty great as well, and, especially, the action scenes were top-notch.

However, the ending episodes were a completely different drama, with a rom-com family drama twist. That, along with the female lead being an annoying, selfish and arrogant character, along with the miscasting of the male lead, though the actor was excellent performance vice, were the factors that ruined the drama. At least the drama was short and didn't far stretched the story.

So, overall, five out of ten.

Lire davantage

A different kind of scifi mystery

Wow what an exciting drama. The storyline is beyond my imagination it gets better and better the more I watch. Everyone has there own opinion about this drama. I think the cast is doing a phenomenal job portraying there characters. The story started as a person is being chased with a baby and dropped it " saying your not a monster. The ML and FL are building up there chemistry, she always thinks negative of him even after he saves her life a few times. All he wants to know is who his is and get his memories back, I don't think he's dangerous. I feel he's scared and alone and everyone is trying to catch, fight or kill him and in order to protect himself or someone he likes he looses control and electrified everything around him. He didn't ask to be made this way and used as a lab baby and injected with all kinds of concocted animal dna. While keeping a low profile the FL is hit by car and he preform cpr/defibrillator as people are video taking and makes the news. I know the FL is looking for her parent's and needs his memories to return in order to give her some clues if there dead or alive. They only show a scene of her mom and her dad leaving with the ML and never returning. Her dad worked in the research lab and had most connections to the ML not sure
for a new life in exchange for the ML. He hands over the ML and is told once they confirm his blood the money will be transferred as they take blood and a skin biopsy the ML screams in agony and blows up van after that we don't see what happens. During a flash back of Kim cheol soo you see him chasing ha young ji the FL dad asking for the kid and all the lab data and that's it. So now we're at the point of the ML wanting to take control of his life and not involved anyone so goes to Human Tech to confront them and is captured and tortured by his father while they extract blood, tissue and use electricity to see how far he can go before dying then they use defibrillator to bring him back as his body can rejuvenate from injury. I guess he dad felt guilty and didn't kill him told him to live and find his answer. As he trys to break loose he's destroying everything in the lab, on the other FL is looking for him and a fight Break she finds appx6-8 babies and put them on elevator as she goes to help him, she hit in the head he saves her and the babies. Takes her to hosp. She has a fracture in head she is treated when he hears they accused her of 11 murders she takes her to jin soo home while they figure out next step and jin soo remind him of the county where they worked. She call her boss who track the number and goes after her, again there on the run to the country side.. they hide out for 3mo. happliy until she accused of murder again and she thinking to go back in a few days instead while upset they sleep together and she agree to stay a few more days which turns to a month or 2 and finds out she pregnant. Everything was going good they have a baby girl so far normal, but fake news that her parents found dead and caused by electricity so she calls her partner and the chief over hears snd send the bad guys and they kidnapped her/baby. Now the ML is mad and start trouble looking for them in the meanwhile she starts to believes the chief that ML killed her parents.
This is where she starts to becames dumb and chooses to believe the people who have manipulated the news over her husband. Now again she is kidnapped by the cult leader and dr.ryu joong kwon(his parents) who show her how he was made by an experiment and not human and that he killed her parents and she should stay there. He finally finds her after his best friend is killed by Lee son since ML killed yuna. Once at church she does not want to see him since she believes his parents he stills denies and explained that the cult manipulated the news. He try to keep her there since it was safe, but the bad people find them and have order to kill all but the baby and him. He helps her get out and she runs into her chief and still thinks he bad until he take a knife for her and he explained that ML didnt kill her parents and helps her get away. She meet old partners and ask him to watch baby so she can get the guy Ken who killed her parents. She beat him up and took him hostage and meets old partners to switch baby/killer when the cult charges and start killing everyone for the baby. The ML is trying to get there to save FL/baby and now were back to the beginnings of this drama. She takes a bullet for him and says take the baby away. TBC? Part2

Lire davantage

There was potential, but I was let down.

This drama had plenty of potential. The plot was very intriguing, and it was something that I personally haven't seen before, the concept was very innovative and thought-provoking, the music was a nice touch, but what really sunk it for me was the execution of the drama itself.

LUCA: The Beginning is precisely about scientists who are trying to create a new species that will overthrow the human race in many aspects, they combine the DNA of several animals that will strengthen normal humans and make them more resilient to various things. A cult-like group that claims itself as a 'Church' is followed by a woman who frames herself as the prophet for the second becoming- or as known as in this drama- The new Human Hybrid that would take over the human race. Zi-O, their first successful product of the experiment enters the scene and causes havoc amongst all.

The drama bases itself around Zi-O and his journey to find who he really is and how he turned out the way he did. Along this journey, he encounters a policewoman, Gu Reum, and learns that they share a past. I started this show with high hopes, it has a nice synopsis, an intriguing trailer and I thought it would end up high on my list, but I was, unfortunately, let down.

The drama is produced well and reasonably acted for the most part (there were some hiccups here and there), but the way they formatted the plot and characters bugged me and they were getting a big inconsistent towards the end. The FL kinda irked me in the end, I really couldn't get behind her attitude, especially (SPOILER WARNING) when she finally figured out Zi-O didn't kill her parents, yet she still left him in the dust. The ending of the show was more like a cliffhanger than a bittersweet, or happy ending, (SPOILER WARNING) Zi-O turning evil and making tons of children like him.

I also couldn't really comprehend that boss guy coming back to life almost every episode after being beaten to a pulp every time, it was annoying after a bit.

For me, if I weren't watching this as it aired, I would have struggled really hard getting through it. I didn't enjoy this drama as much as I anticipated I would. There were plenty of inconsistencies, plot incoherency, poor characterization, I just felt a bit iffy about the show altogether.

The Special Effects were decent, nothing too great to boast about but they were fine. The acting was okay-ish.

'LUCA: The Beginning' had a lot of potential, but it was just poorly executed.

Lire davantage

The sci-fi idea is great, but ...

The initial idea, L.U.C.A, is brilliant. I was intrigued by ML, which perfectly depicts the animal instincts instilled in it. The character is intriguing and I was interested in how it could actually exist in the human world and if it could exist at all? In the world we have now? If it had survived, would it have spawned a new species? I would give 10/10 for that, but:
FL is terrible. From the very first scene, she acts as if she was some kind of mutent herself (maybe she is, I haven't seen the ending). I understand childhood trauma can really turn a person into something strange, but at least she pretends to be a normal human being, a policewoman, and I can't like her in any way, even tolerate her.
What put me off was a crazy nun and a religious sect. Does it really have to be a sect in almost every drama I watch in recent times? It was interesting for the first three times, but it's the tenth time!
And really FL and ML must have a childhood bad destiny between them?
I really don't like this thread of the ex-soldier and the hand of one of them makes me sick. Besides, his whole character has such an influence on me.
The sci-fi thread is very interesting, but putting it in a standard k-drama with all standard schemes does not give me a sense of freshness or lack of creativity on the part of the creators.
I survived 6 episodes and I really don't want more.
I don't even remember the music, so it probably didn't bother me much.

Lire davantage

I thought people were exaggerating

Well... turns out they weren't. This drama is worth your time, but only up to episode eight. As other's claim, it went downhill from there. Don't be naive like me and ignore the reviews just because it looks promising at first glance. If you're looking for an ending you'll be satisfied with and a drama that keeps your interest all way through, this isn't for you. I am personally very into thrillers and I bet you are too! It starts out so good and promising that even I thought people left poor reviews for no reason. It was totally my type of drama and I was very happy to have found this content as I am currently in a lack of dramas to watch. However, this didn't make the cut and there's so many better thrillers out there that didn't mess it up this much. Also, the problem doesn't come down to anything but how the male lead develops in the end and completely goes against his own morals. More or less, he becomes the bad guy in the screenwriter's desperate attempt to build up for a possible second season. All of which gave the opposite effect: I have lost all reason to watch another season. Again, if you want to save yourself some time and disappointment, make episode eight your ending and you will leave satisfied. My rating is high solely for the first eight episodes, as I think episode eight would have been the perfect way to end the drama. If I were to only rate the four last episodes... let's just say it wouldn't be this good. And if it would have ended like it should have, it might just have been one of my favorite thrillers.

Lire davantage

A great start : We get to see human greed at its finest but the pacing midway went downhill for me

P.S. This series is for viewers who are not uncomfortable with graphic scenes such as violence etc. because this drama's plot is driven by human and animal experimentation and abuse. Basically, this serves as a warning.

The drama kicks off with a great start as it actually leaves the viewers an impression as well as a lot of questions to be solved as the viewers dive deeper into the series. We get to see a great production as well as a solid cast. The acting, OSTs and effects used right at the bat catches the viewers / audiences attention. The hype for the 1st episode is intense and truly, worthy. Moreover, the OSTs used are also meaningful and emotional most especially when you read the lyrics of the OSTs because it portrays the characters' inner struggles.

I'm also glad that SK is actually producing more dramas that aren't just mainly oriented for the audience who are fond of Romantic Comedies so L.U.C.A. gets another plus point. Moreover, the last time viewers were blessed with a Sci-fi focused series was on 2018 when "Circle : Two connected worlds was released" and that show started and ended off pretty well so if you haven't yet watched that series, I highly recommend you to check it out because it has a lost of twists and it is also one of the most underated SK series.

Since L.U.C.A. is also a unique series because of its genre and plot (Sci-fi, Action, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense), it is advisable that you don't watch this as a passing because there are a lot of mysteries to ponder.

The pacing at the beginning of the story is also done well but here's where the series starts to go downhill.

In the middle of the series, there's actually a point where the characters suddenly developed a romantic relationship and I actually find it to be out of character because at the first episodes, we see them as friends then boom, they got together really fast. We didn't get to see much progress.

Furthermore, you may actually start to question at the middle of the series on where it was going. Like the characters are not even consistent and some parts of the series might bore / disappoint you.

Lastly, the series ends off with a depressing note as well as a cliff hanger. I will not expound this further in order to not give a spoiler but yeahhh.. *sigh*

In conclusion, this series deserves an applause for its unique take based on Charles Darwin's theory of Evolution. Its plot is more oriented on human experimentation towards human evolution and its Genre will immediately catch the attention of the viewers. There are Cons for this series because of some plot and character inconsistencies but if you're interested in a series which will make you ponder a lot, you can add this on your watch list. I cannot guarantee that this is a 100% great series but it's still an entertaining watch despite of its Cons... ;)

Lire davantage

It went downhill pretty fast

The serie started great.
But it went downhill after episode 7.
It feels like the writer just don’t like women.
The FL character was put down like a dumb person who believes every word their enemy told.
The ML fighting for both of them but she don’t believe him, after all she witnessed?!
Sorry but from the moment she listened to the lies and believes them but not JI HO I flipped my table.
It was done.
Also it looked like they just wrote that part to fill the last 5 episodes .
It is only watchable till episode 7.
The music is great. And the acting of the actors are nailed.
That gave the serie a 6.

Lire davantage

for me the drama ended in the 8th episode

The plot, and chemistry between the charcaters deteriorated from 8th episode, while the heartbreak was anticipated; the ending was just unecessary?
like you give a plot armour to an antagonist but not the FL?
I wanted to skim to so bad, given the foreshadowing from the 1st episode but I thought maybe, maybe we could get lucky and we'll get an ending like Vagabond.
At this point I was invested in the Captain and Yo Na's story too. But, the plot went down the drain, and not even the leads and amazing soundtrack could save it.
The plot deserved better and so did I.
I am getting unlucky with dramas this year.

Lire davantage

Mostly a hot experimental mess!

Likes
1. Interesting premise and first few episodes.
2. I liked badass Gureum at the start. But i didnt like her in the middle. It was really all her fault. She knew Zi0 was dangerous yet she was stupid enough to fall in love and more.
3. I was disappointed in Zi0. He was the male lead and yet it felt like he was the real villain after everything else that happened.
4. The conversations and debates about cloning, human vs monster, etc were interesting but were not executed well enough for viewers to feel inspired.
Actually have nothing else good to say or highlight. Haha. Felt like i have been watching this for far too long even though it was only for 12 episodes and i fast forwarded a lot of the scenes.

Dislikes
1. Not sure when the story started to get messy. I think ep 7-8. To some it maybe the best part of the story (and where it should have ended). To me it was the worst part of the story and shouldn't have happened.
2. Skip ep 9-10 or fast forward them (like i did). Everyone's actions and decisions stopped making sense. They just kept running after Zi0 and Gureum. And semi-good people kept dying, the bad ones kept surviving. It was exhausting.
3. From the very start i thought the best possible ending was to kill off Zi0 and put everything back in its place. But the ending actually made sense for a scifi drama. Scary if it happens in real life though.

Lire davantage

It was a strange drama but interesting at the same time

I really enjoy watching this, but after 9 ep I became stressed and nervous due to Gu Reum. This woman make me to ”kill her”
She trust Ji Oh and after 30 min. she run away from him and again, she trust him and run, and again throughout the episodes. It was annoying. The ending was... awful. Why she chose to blame him for a such thing when was obvious that he could destroy the world for his family. I don`t understand this woman at all... Why he decided to trust those people, whose goal was to make, again, experiment on him.
In other words, the story was spellbinding, the acting was impressing and the plan in which they played was brilliant.
this drama it would be a really successful if they worked a little more at the end and at the woman character

Lire davantage

Ok

Good story, but the end/the last two episodes shocked me in a very bad way. The acting, music, atmosphere has been very good. I have nothing to complain about.

But why did the ending have to be like this? Somehow it didn't fit. Ji Oh has changed so much, although he had a completely different view in several episodes, but suddenly he changes everything after a conversation? And what about his baby? No one saw that his baby was thrown from a high building, even though it was so obvious?

Gu Reum has been very annoying at the beginning, but after a few episodes I liked her. Now comes a BUT again. In the last episodes I couldn't stand her again. She believes everything she is told and then apologizes to Ji Oh as if nothing happened. He suffered all the time and what does she do? She doesn't trust him even though she has been able to spend so much time with him and see what he is like. But no, she immediately believes people she doesn't know. People who wanted to hunt Ji Oh down and kill her....

I give this drama a 7 because I thought the episodes up to 10 were pretty good.

Lire davantage

This is like AWAKEN v2.0

I was hooked from the very first episode. This one has the same vibe as the TV series AWAKEN, promising plot with a frustrating ending.

Lots of mystery/crime fighting within the show. What I didn't expect was the mellow romantic parts, but I really appreciate it. It gave a little heart to the show.

I also like the cast, lots of familiar faces. Good acting and good OST too.

Now, what I don't like is the fact the villains are almost impossible to kill. The good guys are always thwarted, fooled, betrayed and most of the time killed. Why did the characters suddenly turned stupid?

The final episode calls for a second season. If there's none, then the bad guys won and it has a lousy ending.

Would I rewatch it, maybe not. But I'm interested if ever there's a second season.

Lire davantage