Blood Free (2024)

I can't believe Lee Soo-yeon wrote this

I can't believe Lee Soo-yeon wrote this. It bears saying twice.
The first four episodes showed evidence of her deft procedural hand as BF CEO, Yoon Jayu (a flat and uninspiring Han Hyo-joo) finds her company beset by internal and external challenges just as it's overcome the challenge of cultivating seafood. She recruits one-dimensional sex bot Woo Chae-woon (a flat and uninspiring Ju Ji-hoon) to be her bodyguard. A job which seems to involve wearing turtlenecks and hair gel, driving her into ambushes and never wearing a bulletproof vest.

Chae-woon secretly has AN AGENDA, which in a better Soo-yeon show would mean something (everybody has AN AGENDA after all) but is rendered meaningless the minute it's revealed.

At episode 5, the show then quickly degenerates into a somewhat shallow (at times farcical) mess of cliches and tired conspiracies, combined with a dose of Alpha superhero nonsense that clashes wildly with the show's attempt to canvass Korean gender issues. Is it about political corruption? Corporatism? The impact of a disruptive technology? A study of humanity? A canvassing of corporate ethics? A warning against the widespread use of AI?
Who the hell knows. Not me and not the writer either.

For a writer famed for exploring Korean social issues from a place of nuance, perception and intelligence, her villains are suddenly crass and stupid while her protagonists' moral and ethical failings are swept under the rug or even portrayed as somehow acceptable. Character motivations are opaque and contradictory and if there was a theme(s) there I couldn't find it.

The acting, direction, lighting and cinematography do not help. All are approached with a lacklustre paint-by-numbers sensibility that suggests the whole thing is half baked. And while Lee Soo-yeon has long struggled with the strictures put on her by a Disney that has the money but a legendary lack of courage and imagination (just look at what they've done to Doctor Who), this is such a mediocre piece of work that I have to ask again.

Did Lee Soo-yeon really write this?

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nice concept of the storyline but not executed very well

Despite the rating the comments are very positive so I gave it a try. To be honest at episode 7 I was loosing interest and I wanted to drop the drama but it only has a 10 episodes so I finished watching it.

The concept of the story is good but it was not executed very well. Unfortunately nothing about this drama stands out for me. Also I don't like the open ending, specially if there is no sertency that there will be another season.

The acting is okay as their performance is average and I did not build any sympathy or feelings towards the characters.

I really liked the edvanced technology they showed but it is a shame the drama is lacking in so many ways.

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A rare K-Drama Sci-Fi that hits it out of the park

It's not too often we get to see a sci-fi K-Drama, especially one with a high budget but this is exactly what Disney delivered here. This show has very similar vibes to the "Bodyguard" from Netflix, revolving around a Bodyguard who applies to a company in order to find out if its CEO was responsible for a terrorist attack at his old military base.

Through these 10 episodes, we get to be a part of a thrilling political drama with amazing action sequences, the final episode felt like something I'd see in John Wick and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if that was an inspiration. Firstly I'll go into the acting which overall was amazing, Ju Ji Hoon and Han Hyo Joo were amazing in their roles and honestly I very heavily disagree with another review I read where they claim both of these characters are robots. Not every K-Drama needs to have overdramatic soap opera-style acting, these roles were incredibly realistic, and both characters are written as determined and calculated; they're not going to burst out in emotion like a Shakespeare tragedy. The subtle tension created through our lead's acting was amazing, it made me yearn for more interactions.

Outside of the leads, I thought everyone else also acted quite well with the exception of Woo Geun who was the Chairman of the rival company to BF. Dear god his acting was so so so so so bad, I've seen this actor in a few other shows and it wasn't anything to speak either way about but this performance was just so bad I need to look at the director because it honestly largely falls to them. I can't even describe what was wrong with this performance because it was so awful from top to bottom. The last scene with him and his son I had to rewatch out of hate.

The story is quite good, the beginning creates a lot of immediate tension and each episode pushes the plot along at a good pace while mixing in a good amount of corporate/political drama with investigative work and action sequences. I have a problem with how quickly the dialogue seems to move because there were many times I rewound to understand what exactly was going on. There were a lot of moving parts and this show never paused to let the people-watching process exactly what was being said. I loved the ending as well, there was an insane amount of suspense, and the fight scene was one of the best EVER in a K-Drama, it honestly shocked me that he was straight-up killing people because so often we just see dudes getting knocked out, it really had me giggling at the sight.

There is one caveat though, there needs to be a season 2. I don't mind open-ended finishes to shows, in fact, if done well they're amazing. But the way this show finished, it truly needs a second season, there are a lot of stories or plots still to explore and despite reading some 'theories' on what exactly happened at the end I don't like the fact the show did almost nothing to set or backup those ideas with more hints if that was what the writers are going for.

Overall I gave it an 8 but that's assuming we get more of this show, if not I'd probably lower it down to a 7 just because the ending is unfulfilling.

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One of the best dramas all-time, a k-drama veteran verified thriller masterpiece!

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OVERALL

I really enjoyed this drama, i think that any other thriller fan will enjoy it the same. If you're someone that has begun watching the drama but the earlier episodes don't suit your taste, just hold on as it changes as time passes. It gradually picks up pace as the drama goes on. This is definitely a must watch and probably one of the best k-dramas.



STORY

As a person who immerses themselves in various cinematic and dramatic media, I would say that I am somewhat hard to please. I tend to find myself being very critical towards any type of content I engage with. Having said that, I loved this drama. I have watched many thriller k-dramas and "Blood Free" (BF) takes a place amongst the top ranks. I've seen many people mention that the drama was quite slow especially in the early episodes. However, I felt that I was enticed from the first episode itself. The first episode was almost too uncomfortable to watch and it was gruesome but it was that explicitness that conveyed the emotions in their message of advocacy. I do have a very small attention span and I get bored quite easily, even-still I was fully engrossed in the drama. In my opinion the drama was well paced. The more I watched, the more I wanted to watch. From scene to scene, the story kept me on edge, waiting to see what would happen next.

The concept such as of BF's feels very new and novel. There have been many before BF that have had their attempts at creating an advanced world in the near future and most have failed in their execution. BF did very well in executing a large combination of elements: medical, sci-fi, thriller, power-play, and drama.

With all the appreciation that I have for BF, I don't think that it was completely perfect. The earlier episodes took a path of storytelling where advocacy for environmental protection was tightly intertwined in the dramatic elements. However, mid-series that advocation aspect disappeared and it began more of a typical (still well written) power struggle. I would have appreciated the drama keeping its consistency and bringing in a stronger element of advocacy into their storytelling. That would have kept this series unique throughout. There were other loopholes that I had noticed while watching the drama but they aren't gaps that most would notice on their first watch.

The characters were all very interesting but I wished that there was character building that was done, somehow their backgrounds and foundations felt incomplete. This could be the writers intentionally keeping information in order to reveal them in a later season. However, the characters felt slightly surface level. I loved the main character (the female lead - FL). I thought that her personality and mannerisms were quite unique and interesting. I hadn't come across many FLs like that, she was different in a good way.

The drama left so many unanswered questions that it practically requires a second season. I am very excited for this new season that hasn't even been announced yet!



ACTING & CAST

The casting choices were on point. It was the cast that elevated this series from average to exemplary. The phenomenal acting by the cast brought the story together. From mannerisms to speech, it felt that the cast had truly embodied their characters. Han Hyo-Joo and Ju Ji-Hoon rightfully stole the show as the main characters. Ju Ji-Hoon exuded a mature aura to him. He was the textbook definition of a hot bodyguard. Han Hyo-Joo played a more complex role, Hyo-Joo had lived her character in even the smallest mannerisms.

To me, Han Hyo-Joo stole the show with her acting skills. She truly proved herself as a versatile actress. Ju Ji-Hoon is talented in picking characters and dramas that suit his style of acting, he delivers every role with perfection. Over time, I have felt that the characters that her employs are all quite similar at their base. That does not change the fact that he plays his roles phenomenally or that he is most definitely one of the top actors out there.

When it comes to Han Hyo-Joo I truly feel that she is underrated. She is very popular and well known but she still deserves even more recognition. She has played roles which are vastly different to each other. Spunky and sassy characters, cute and lovable characters, badass and strong characters, Strict and model characters, adventurous characters, played mothers and daughters, physically fit to intelligent geniuses... she has acted it all. She deserves more global recognition for her talents.



CINEMATOGRAPHY & EDITING

Honestly, i didn't love the editing and cinematography. There was this specific cut where it's a tour through the hallways of the BF company building in a spiral motion and it felt so out of place to me, it did not match the serious and warmer undertones of the drama. The colour grading was good, but i felt the cinematography could have definitely been better. If it was better, the drama would have been even more exceptional. Even though I say this, the cinematography wasn't horrible or even bad, it was good - better than most.



Thank you for reading my review!! <333

o(>.<)o

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Opening Doors for future K-Series

Writer - Lee Soo Yeon ( Stranger series )
Production House - Disney+ ( I cancelled mine because the subscription went up )
Actors - Ju Ji Hoon, Han Hyo Joo, Lee Hee Jun ( Strong Cast and Strong Support Cast Roles )

"Blood Free" marks a compelling departs from conventional and focuses more on storytelling and character-driven narratives, setting a new standard for K-Series

Don't skip or click the advance 10 seconds button in Disney don't drop it because The story will take new side from Cultured Meat to organs transplantation, see what technology can do these days, specially in todays topic of over population and ageing. At first guess, I was wrong on who the villain was, don't know the bald character, which leads me to think their is continuation or not.

Yes, The drama's serious and well-paced narrative will keep you on the edge of your seat, expertly crafting a thrilling experience that's more focused on intellectual suspense,

STORY

1. Spearheaded by writer Lee Soo Yeon, "Blood Free" boasts Mystery until the last episode, which i was surprised. Which there are surprises.
2. The series dives into the conflict between humanity and technology (very hot topic on reality) offers a compelling glimpse into a future world from the present. Through advanced technology disrupting the food chain, "Blood Free" presents thought-provoking themes that resonate with contemporary environmental and ethical concerns.

CAST

Powerful Cast,
Is there a romance, if the lead actress is that intelligent, i can assure you even in reality, no romance will happen
there is no intelligent Founder/CEO falls in love, she will look for ways to breakthrough technology and disrupt businesses.

MUSIC

OST is meh!!!, some BGMs are good specially some sequences on later episodes.


CINEMATOGRAPHY !!

The Cinematography and the graphic CGI is brilliant,
a lot of video lines was use to be able to pull off this kind of effects on the screen


And Any chances for REWATCH --

Perhaps it is good that something never gets touched on, writer is from stranger and when she writes, its all about the storytelling, i will be surprised if Yeon, Lee Soo Shi explore other genre. if you are a fan of her work, a definitely a rewatch
because it will make you think. if your a fan of stranger, this is a good series. first time that i reviewed that all 8.

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Singular PLOT

The first day I watched 7 out of 10 episodes! Interesting plot that fascinated me.
This company would produce meat without killing animals and at the same time design organs for transplants. Many people will be against the Blood Free boss and others will want to get all the secrets to live forever. She will need bodyguards to protect her and find out who is behind the blackmail and threats.
Cyber ​​attacks, accidents, deaths, "moles", transplants...
Small negative note, they could have avoided the ambush of the detour. Even a child would have understood that it was a trap.
I appreciated the acting of Ju Ji Hoon (the bodyguard Woo Chae Woon) who I had already seen in "Jirisan" and "Hyena", the revolutionary idea of ​​this project and all the pros and cons of the technological world that helps but can also be very fragile to attacks.
I recommend seeing this series for people who are not sensitive to blood.

Lire davantage

Intense action packed sci fi series

The show is about an ex-navy officer now working as a bodyguard to infiltrate corporations that he believed to be linked to a bombing of a korean foreign military base a few years ago, that killed a number of local children, his best friend and injured the prime minister of that time. He is now working with the former prime minister to track down the mastermind behind the bombing, which eventually brought him to BF, a biotechnology company that specializes in cultured meat - or so he thought. His time there unravels things that he could never have imagined, and eventually led to the real culprit behind everything that was happening around him then and now.

This show started off rather slow in building the plot, i almost dropped it cuz I thought it was more to corporate power struggle rather than an action packed show. Glad that I stuck through, it actually turned out to be quite an intense action packed thriller sci fi show. The Finale is mindblowing with plot twists I didnt expect.

The performance of every single person involved in this show is excellently mindblowing. I mean, even the unnamed lady who were lining up to send off the prime minister Seonu Jae was full of facial expressions that looked really genuine - she really looked like a staff who loved and admired her boss and is sad to see him leaving the office. The casts are THAAAAAT good.

The action is really intense, fights are superbly choreographed and thrilling. It really blows my mind how much fake blood had to be spilled for those action scenes. Theyre aplenty ?

The music is good too. Sounded modern and intense in dual language. I think im looking it up. And i really love the futuristic setting with the Jang Yeongsil AI that gives off the ironman vibe.

They didnt leave any untangled knots regarding the conflicts at the end of the finale. No cliffhangers on the main plot. Everything is amicably resolved at the end although they kept the viewers on edge for hiding our leads throughout the last quarter of the episode, I really hope theyre making season 2.

Lire davantage

Intense drama that me people hooked

I started to watch Blood Free due to the casting of the ML (by Ju Ji Hoon) and FL (by Han Hyo Joo), actors/actresses that I really liked and I am happy that this drama did not disappoint.

The drama revolves around ML Woo Chae Woon trying to seek the truth of an accident that happened to him while he was in the army. Now, serving as a bodyguard, he ended up being employed by FL Yoon Ja Yoo and together, both of them worked together in seeking the truth of what happened to both of them previously..

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What makes Blood Free interesting was the creative story telling, which I had not seen so far in the K-dramas that I had watched. The cultured meat that Blood Free was well known for (part of the drama summary) sets the overall tone and the direction of how the drama progresses.

The drama was fast paced, filled with a lot of action (scenes by the ML) but at the same time, was able to show the backstories of the characters (in this case, the ML and the FL).

The casting for Blood Free was solid, and the actors and actresses were just amazing.

The only thing that I thought was a bit disappointing was the ending, which was like a cliff-hanger that left more questions unanswered. It would be good if Blood Free has a sequel that helps to address the questions.

Otherwise, it was still a great drama to watch, one that I will recommend.

Lire davantage

A fresh and intriguing watch

This science fiction drama gives a break from typical science thrillers.

The story lives in a world where people are hunting down for harming animals to satiate their carving. It includes a desire for non-vegetarian food. While developing livelihood, immense damage has been done to nature, and the company Blood Free or BF has been dictating this issue in this drama.

Highs of the drama
1. Fresh concept: Unlike typical science fiction, it feels close to reality
2. Performance: It lies in the shoulder of the actors to pull a great story. And actors in this drama deliver a high-quality performance that is smooth like butter.

Lows of the drama
1. A few twists were predictable: It is hard to create mysterious twists in every alternate episode.

This whole drama gives a thrilling vibe. As each episode unfurls, a completely new twist comes into account.

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