Wonderful World (2024)

Heartburn daily-soap trash masked as slowburn. Robotic female lead. Too many flashbacks.

Heartburn daily-soap trash masked as slowburn. Robotic female lead. Too many flashbacks. Unnecessarily long loooong loooooong scenes.

First of all, 4 episodes would have been more than enough to cover whatever the excruciatingly long rat dwelling sewerage vomit-inducing stench-filled 14-episode long ordeal that this series was.

Now, my detailed rant disguised as the review for this series:

The story revolves around the son of a criminal seeking misguided revenge against the initial victim. The director and scriptwriter attempt to garner sympathy for the criminal's son, as if losing someone, however evil that person was, somehow justifies his actions.

The main lead actress delivers her lines with a monotonous tone and stone-faced expressions, resembling a robot. It feels as if a director was experimenting with an emotionless robot in the lead role. There seems to be a rule book for Korean actors, where they pause mid-sentence for supposed dramatic effect. To appear melodramatic, they split dialogues into multiple parts with prolonged pauses, maintaining an indifferent demeanor, and hence, becomes insufferable to watch.

The series is riddled with too many coincidences and conveniences favoring the male lead, quite similar to poorly written daily soap operas. It is predictable, and the female lead perpetually shoulders all the problems, likely catering to a female demographic accustomed to being doormats, and here I thought that we should respect people regardless of their gender identities, well, atleast I thought so, clearly unlike the director and script writer duo, and maybe this series loving audience as well, who likens the women like female leads to be a welcoming doormat for all beings present. I don't understand why, but I feel a sense of irrational frustration when these types of roles are repeatedly portrayed as the entire personality of the female leads. Please, move on from these. We can have strong female leads who have experienced loss and while grieving, responded by committing a criminal act, but they should not be portrayed solely as gluttons for punishment.

I stopped watching after the 8th episode, as it surpassed my mental endurance. I initially watched with my family, but there is a limit and apparently mine was episode 8.

The director excessively prolongs every scene, and I do mean every single scene, with 70% of the runtime dedicated to characters reminiscing about trivial memories. It feels like the director's basic premise for the series was to delve deep into every mundane detail, extending every action to unnecessary lengths.

It appears to me that the director's approach for this series was something like this - picture a scenario where your character simply wants to grab a coffee. In this series, that simple act would trigger a cascade of reminiscences, starting from your earliest steps, then recalling your first coffee long ago, followed by another flashback about how you selected that specific cafe, perhaps a flashback on acquiring the credit card used for payment, and even a flashback about the source of your income that covers the credit card bill for the coffee. There might also be an additional flashback involving any person, or even everyone, you've ever shared a cup of coffee with throughout your life. This is how the director stretches the runtime, when 4 episodes would have sufficed to cover what turned out to be a 14-episode series filled with unpleasant and overly drawn-out storytelling.

For those looking for recommendation, do not get duped by whoever is telling you that this is a slow-burn, there is a certain charm in slow-burns, this one is far removed from having any sort of charm, instead this in the name of slow-burn just prolongs every single scene like stretching a single sentence to essay writing. This is not a slow-burn, rather this is a heart burn. And, just too many flashbacks. The moment you feel that story is going somewhere, BAM! flashback and, if you think you are done with that flashback, then, another flashback follows probably accompanied by lots of crying. I hate how they used a beautiful song for this man-made trash. This is not a wonderful world, instead it is dull mandatory-flashbacks-every-5-minutes trashy world, where in the female lead cannot act for the life of it.

You will get combo deal of acidity and IBS if you watch this one, consider yourself warned.

Accordingly, I rate this series 2 out of 10. Heartburn daily-soap trash masked as slowburn. Robotic female lead. Too many flashbacks. Unnecessarily long loooong loooooong scenes. Obligatory but off-topic, F U Chi Chan.

This review is a personal critique and not intended to provoke fan wars. If you are a fan of this series or a certain popular idol, please disregard this review if it offends you. I have no interest in engaging in defensive arguments about it. Kindly ignore it and let this review be with zero comments. Thank you for understanding.

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A thriller - and everyone knows everyone

Everyone knows everyone by 6.6 degrees of separation. Here everyone knows everyone by a maximum of 2 degrees of separation and everyone has an extremely tough fate ???

I don't want to say that the show is bad and Cha Eun Woo - I don't really like him as an actor - has made some really good progress in terms of acting, BUT - the story is really far-fetched. What I like is that someone is either good or bad, but - like in real life - has weaknesses and grey areas. So far so good, but what I find really ridiculous as the show progresses is that everyone knows everyone and everyone is intertwined. There can't be so many intertwined fates.

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This drama is not wonderful at all

What is so wonderful? The title leads one to think this will be epic, heart racing, or perhaps thought intuitive. Beyond the visuals of Cha Eun Woo, I really can’t say much for this drama honestly. Episodes in I should’ve realized sooner what this lacks and been honest with myself about how average this is.

Firstly, the main premise is hard to wrap around and understand. I’ll just say it and I’ll use this word a lot, this drama is just so ambiguous- you wonder what is even going on? I’m not dumb and I know what’s going on, but why? What were some scenes there for? Why do characters talk on the phone in riddles and catch phrases. It’s really not that deep, the writing is pretty dumb with the dialogue. It’s too drowned out to be cool and again, ambiguous, as if it’s smart- when really this drama isn’t saying anything. In fact, episode by episode it seems to loose touch of what it said one episode before and to the next. Combined with hypocritical characters and unrealistic situations I can safely say it’s just awkward at times. So what’s the issue here.. well.. I’ll continue.

Firstly, the foundation for the story isn’t good.
There is nothing intriguing to keep someone watching. It’s honestly just depressing and sad, which I can see working if it was telling a story of someone overcoming that, yet our female lead reminds the audience a lot that she failed in life and wants to start new but is she? Soo Hyun is a mother who lost her child, which is tragic and very sad. That’s just her character, she’s all over the place honestly. This story has given me nothing for her in terms of motivation, I’m just watching and waiting to see why I’m watching this story of hers that is already pretty much over. She went to jail, she ends up with pretty much no family, so what is the overarching story. This could be done if I was given a goal to seek, but for everyone here there is none, and if there is the conclusions just.. aren’t there?

The first two episodes are slow burn, so I wasn’t expecting thrill really. I guess I just sat back and took it for what it is. That’s too bad though because there are dramas that are exceptional with slow burns because the storytelling is good. Here I honestly have to explain and explain what the story is, and not in a fun and creative way. This drama is so generic with adultery plot lines, long wet eyed stares, rich bad people who are bad because they want power.. it’s not fresh or new or exciting. I am watching a K-drama for Pete’s sake, like what is happening. Where is the drama?


I’ll break down what frustrates me and doesn’t make sense.
1. Soo Hyun our main lead i and is unlikeable and hypocritical
.. you are telling me that an accomplished professor loses their child. Which is understandable she can grieve, but killing someone with no regret? That isn’t someone I can fully get behind and watch 14 episodes of rooting for. Maybe if she owned up to it and went into a revenge or something, but to just watch her meander around for 14 episodes. It’s boring and confusing. I get she loves her kid but she’s hypocritical. The drama even says this, but still, that doesn’t justify it. Just because the drama says with Eun Woo’s character pointing it out how she murdered someone only reminds me that she did it and she, in the end is not a good person either. I can watch dramas on bad people if it’s interesting and giving me either horror, action, or an actual plot- but here there is none.

2 . Seon Yul is messy.
Cha Eun Woo is very good at acting without overacting. It’s a blessing and a curse for him, but I can’t ever dislike him and I can see what he’s trying to do. Unfortunately some of the times he looks awkward because what is written for him to act is just dumb. You get actually nothing to know about him. Other than him having a heart problem that he acts himself, but the writers seem to forget here and there this character has a heart issue. That’s interesting. So many potential interesting plot points, yet the writers forgot and instead like to remind you of what you knew already instead of developing a plot or having it go somewhere. I also don’t really like how his character acts like he has the upper hand or a big revenge, but just has a photo of Soo Hyun’s husbands affair. Don’t even get me started on his secret room.. it reminds me of the glory but a whole lot worse. There I understood why she was so motivated and went so deep, she owned that and wouldn’t stop. Eun Woo’s character is an amateur compared to that, and I know nothing about his sad life or anything to justify a revenge. It’s sad his father was killed, but come on now.. think about the logistics because I couldn’t help but wonder on a first watch. This guy, how long does he have to stalk someone to get a photo like that? It’s just not believable, everything about this guy is either over the top or getting nowhere, I wish they’d choose one.

So I guess Soo Hyun doesn’t want Seon Yul to live the life she did? She got her revenge but it turned out horribly? But she said she didn’t regret it.. so what is she doing. She clearly regrets it if she is still in Seon Yul from going through with his. She’s admitting her damaged life but said she has no regret because her son didn’t deserve to die? It takes Soo Hyun 11 episodes in to come to terms with the fact other people have families too? Eun Woo’sand her character are a lot alike, with his taking a while to realize that his dad was just a bad person and that other people can be good and have problems too. It’s a great concept to have them both share a pain of being lonely and lost and spiteful, but the interactions are limited to none.

So I’ll get to the elephantin the room. This drama has no spice anywhere with romantic content. Which is fine, and I’m not saying it has to be risqué or that it should. It’s just there is nothing to hook outside Eun Woo’s visuals, at least for me. There is nothing new this drama is trying to say, no risks being taken at all. I can see a good story beneath all the layers. For this drama as what it is here’s a whole lot happening that literally adds nothing.


3. The doctor brother in law? Seon Yuk’s girlfriend that isn’t his girlfriend but a childhood friend that shares an illness? The ambiguity of his illness? The ambiguity of the relationships?

4. The plot twists are very average and cheap to be there

5. The drama isn’t epic like the music wants it to be. A good thing though is the music, yet I will not be fooled to think anything cool is happening even though the score is good

Somewhere I wish they deepened characters relationships. Beyond the ones falling apart that existed before the story started. I’m seeing no development. With Seon Yul and Soo Hyun their relationship should’ve been full revenge to a climax where Seon Yul breaks and accepts help from someone. Honestly this drama should have had a romance to make it more intriguing.

If it was done you could have the contradictions of hating someone’s family to acknowledging the good parts of them. Understanding and humanizing these characters. The necklace scene where Soo Hyun got Eun Woo’s mother’s necklace was very good for a potential of this. I’m only saying it should’ve been done with a more digestible age gap for the audience, with a much younger marriage. You’d have the husband and his affair make more sense, to this already flawed main character having another flaw of her own infidelity. She is already a hypocrite, so being in a romantic relationship with this other person is fine. She can fully be a person with flaws, and questionable morals. She already is, push that further. Seon Yul could accept help and grow a relationship outside of his misfortune life. He could open up about how hard it was for him as he always had felt alone, had health issues.. etc etc. they could share the same loneliness but grow an actual bond. He could see it as new and find someone to protect other than himself. Soo Hyun sort of does that.. but sees that she can take place as a mother role for Seon Yul.. which honestly is weird to me?

Instead they both are lonely and that could’ve been done, if they talked about their feelings instead of these stupid ambiguous phone calls and meetings. Like they meet up to say a sentence, and then leave. Be direct with eachother, have a space to let out your emotions. You know eachother worst parts and accept them, become vulnerable.. instead the drama has some cry scenes I guess

I could go on and on of how to do a romance and how it should’ve been with younger leads or something. Just do something intriguing. Make Seon Yul completely delusional maybe.. something.

I also think that the plot of the fire shouldn’t have been done if in the end Eun Woo’d character wasn’t the guy? Like the guy they did have (love him go watch the eight sense) had no conclusion. The Husband is just there like a leech now? The list becomes endless with the plot holes, like how does Soo Hyun have money? I get she’s a professor but what about the house? How isn’t she worried to start her life again? I don’t get it!

So I’m passionate because I care and that’s a good thing. This drama isn’t, it’s not good. I do watch it blindly to laugh and think to myself how funny this is because it’s just not good. For recent watch the glory, for Eun Woo watch too toks of him and his romantic comedies, watch the eighth dense also. Watch this if you want.

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Wonderful World is a wonderful drama

I saw Lie After Lie from the same writer so I was positive that this story would be something to look forward and Kim Ji Eun, with all the director and actors and whole team, did not disappoint.

Every episode was great. All the actors were amazing. I especially love Kim Kangwoo and Cha Eunwoo. I really felt that Suho loves Soohyun but I did doubt a little. The storytelling was so great it made me confused. Eunwoo did a great job portraying Seonyul especially his pain. I just knew he's a great actor. And he's so passionate for doing all those action and motorcycle scenes.

The cinematography, bgm, and soundtrack is amazing!!!

Love love the ending! It was beautiful and healing.

I'm gonna miss this drama. Will surely rewatch this!

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Worth the watch

From the beginning to the end, the story captures the loss of family and the different ways we process it.

I really like the portrayal of how loss can bring people together, and how sometimes grief judges our perspective on a situation.
I never watched a K-drama that captured me from the beginning to the end, but this show really did.

From the acting to the story to the music, this show is really worth watching. The chemistry between all the actors were great, and it brought out really great storyline between the characters and the overall storyline

would really recommend people watching this 10/10

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A Powerful Portrayal of Loss and Redemption

A heartbroken mother who returns home from imprisonment after killing her son’s murderer; only to discover more shocking & disturbing truths!

I had commented on Kim Nam Joo’s acting skills in my “First Impressions” and I had like to take my words back. Daring and inspiring, Eun Soo Hyun might be murderer, but to many; she could be a source of strength. Both Kim Nam Joo & Cha Eun Woo have strong portrayals in this murder mystery that is centered around a forlorn mother who finds it difficult to accept her young son’s death. The first two episodes quickly steamroll through this catastrophe, so the remaining show is focused on Eun Soo Hyun’s journey as she seeks justice. Cha Eun Woo’s Gwon Seonyul is a character shredded in mystery; for the first half he plays an idealistic role and switches to antagonism in the second half. Gwon Seonyul is majorly a misled son who seeks revenge for his parent’s supposedly wrongful death; until he discovers the horrid truth that leads him on the road to redemption. This was one of those shows that leaves you guessing but beneath the veneer, it strongly supports the notion that “Justice might be delayed but it is never denied”.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/04/14/wonderful-world-series-review/#more-734

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Took A Major NoseDive South!!!

14/04/2024
Last Update:

SPOILER ALERT!

The last two episodes were boring and not so thrilling, but at least it left no loose ends.

Eun Woo was great in the earlier episodes, but not so much in the last 4 or so.

If this had stayed consistent with it being sinister and twisted like it seemed to be from the start with her being the target of revenge and and it not ending well for certain individuals involved - it would have been better.

Instead this turned out to be nothing more than political corruption at the core which is nothing new to movies or television.

08/04/2024 (April)
Update:

12 episodes in now and it seems this one borrowed a page or two from Sky Castle and stole a few chapters from Penthouse.

With this drama unfortunately there is a good measure of overused tropes such as: the cheating husband, a best friend's betrayal, the cover up of murder plus political corruption overload.

It did have some interesting moments, but not enough to really make it outstanding or original.

As for the extra marital affair side to it - that carried over through at least six episodes and still has a presence.

Something about it just hasn't t oozed enough oomph for me nor has it gone where it could have after the first 2-4 episodes. It could have hit the ball out of the ballpark if they had kept us guessing right until the end as well as her remaining the target.

Instead for me it has become a real hit and miss.

02/03/2024 (March)

I've really really tried to like this series, but can't stand Kim Nam Joo as something about her doesn't appeal to me as an actor at all.

To think I was looking forward to this drama being released!

Will still give it a chance, however, as there are other actors plus I want to see if it is worth continuing or dropping.

What has bothered me about her?

One example is her character, Eun Soo-Hyeon, at her son's funeral - it was hard for me to connect to her as a grieving mother as she simply wasn't believable or convincing enough for me - not one bit.

Another example - when rain starts to fall on her when she is sleeping at her son's grave situated on a hill, she carries on sleeping like it is a normal thing everyone does or something. It isn't a normal human reaction at all! No natural reflexes, flinching or twitching. When unexpected rain falls and you are sleeping it would most definitely trigger a physical response of some kind like being suddenly startled, maybe opening one's eyes and grimacing at the change of weather or instantaneously shielding one's head and face from getting too wet. Some kind of response! Not nothing.

Joo's acting has been over the top in some scenes and underwhelming in others.

Was her acting licence obtained from the back of a cereal box or what?

SPOILER ALERT!

About the drama itself:

a: The storyline isn't original.
b: Two episodes in and it is a bit slow going in parts and centres mostly on the aftermath of Eun Soo- Hyeon's son's death and her being in prison.
c: E.S.H took the law into her own hands and that is why she is in prison.
d: It seems the person she ran over mightn't have been the one that actually killed her young son.

Think I have worked out who the real culprit is, but if there are unexpected twists along the way anyone could be the guilty party.

Eun Woo's character is right at the start of episode one (suspicious as) and in episode two is teaching a choir "Oh Holy Night" as well as at the prison when she runs her hand under a sewing machine by accident, also, working at a car wreckers (I think) as well as eating there with his mates. Either he really is doing a number of part time jobs or is a secret Undercover Agent...

I really hope that he isn't going to be her new love interest if her marriage goes South. Not sure how young his character is supposed to be, but in this series it looks like he is in his 20's and she is in her late 30s-40s yet at times could easily pass as a 50 something year old. I think she is on the older side as it took years for her to conceive if the translation was right.

Am all for friendship and healing - just nothing more.

I will be watching more episodes to give it a fair go, but if Kim Nam Joo keeps failing to impress me with her mediocre acting...

Fighting!!!

EPISODE THREE:
SPOILER ALERT!

Bit of an interesting twist in this episode...

It seems it isn't a car wreckers, but possibly a junkyard.

When Soo-Hyeon finally found the "boy" that survived the fire, Seon Yul (Eun Woo), the closure she was trying to establish really was for the prisoner that died - not him. He said as much as well and it seemed like she opened up a can of worms - she should have just left him alone from there on instead of stalk him like she did.

Kim Nam Joo wasn't too bad in this episode plus the character Eun Woo plays is about 29 years old so I had it right about his age group.

What has taken an interesting turn is that someone is stalking her and her family - the son or relative of the one she murdered. There is a chance he might be connected to Seon Yul as there doesn't seem to be any photos of Seon Yul on his wall, also, Seon Yul seems to live a bit of a double life.

There might be an actual connection or it could be just a coincidence.

Is Seo Yul the real deal?

The husband having an affair is a bit cliche or an overused trope - it would truly be incredible had it not gone down that road.

Somewhat predictable especially as she was in prison for 6 years and wanted out of the marriage.

This drama may head towards Seon Yul saving a damsel in distress and becoming a hero if there are no ties between him and the murdered man's son. It all depends on what twists they want to introduce or not. The thing is - Seon Yul has something else going on (photographing people/school break in for documents) so there is a chance he may be working with the other younger man, on the other side of the law or definitely a secret agent.

He could still be something else altogether as well - someone quite sinister.

I wonder how predictable this one will be or not as it continues...

EPISODE FOUR:
SPOILER ALERT!

Maybe not as intriguing as the previous episodes, but what has been great is seeing a different side to Eun Woo's character - as in a darker side that is tormented by his past.

He may still turn out to be a hero after all.

Kim Nam Joo still keeps a poker face, but at least she isn't rubbing me the wrong way like she did in the first two episodes.

I think this series will become more and more predictable unless it switches back and forth to confuse it's audience - it isn't too bad and I do want to watch more of it to see how much further it keeps me entertained. However, it is Seon Yul I want to know more about as well as seeing him in more scenes then the stalker followed by everyone else...not so much Soo-Hyeon.

If this was mainly on Seon Yul, the stalker and small doses of poker faced Soo-Hyeon it would be one heck of a roller coaster ride I reckon.

EPISODES 5 & 6:
SPOILER ALERT!

The storyline is kind of so so and feels like it is a rehash of multiple tropes like the marital affair, death of a child, the want for revenge and others connecting from the past to present.

With episode 6 it did leave us on a cliff hanger at the end, but maybe it shouldn't be a complete surprise as there have been obvious hints throughout plus Seon Yul was in the car at the very beginning.

His character is becoming more and more interesting as the plot thickens though - either he is an up and coming secret agent/undercover cop or a serial killer in the making.

What we do know is - he isn't the person we were made to believe and therefore could be a total deviant hiding behind a facade. Also, it seems he might be the "actual son " of the man run over by Soo-Hyeon and the woman hospitalised in a coma.

Or... is he someone else?

There is some connection between the stalker and Seon Yul as I'm sure the stalker gave Soo-Hyeon the name of the woman in a coma.

Episode 1 didn't exactly leave anything to the imagination with Seon Yul in that car facing you know who.

Time will tell!

Somehow I feel the husband of Soo-Hyeon is connected to everything that happened from the very start for some reason because he isn't exactly clean cut or are we being mislead.

EPISODE SEVEN:

It is all coming out in the open now.

Seems the only connection between him and the stalker is that both want revenge and justice, but directed at different people.

However, the Politician husband has everything to do with it all, I reckon - just not sure to what extent.

Will there be any further twists to turn this around - am sure hoping so!

EPISODES 8-10

It is getting more and more boring and totally predictable.

Am so over the *husband having an affair or three" trope - the affair should have been wrapped up over a few episodes not been drawn out through episode after episode like a long lasting nasty smell that just won't go away.

Eun Woo has improved as an actor, but this drama series has taken a real nosedive South in the last three episodes or so and am not sure if it can redeem itself for the remainder of the series.

Who knows?

All I see is someone dying if he continues on the same path and no real winners because of what else goes on in the background with other players - something has to give at some point and someone will pay the price.

However, this doesn't make it original or unique as others dramas have been there and done that already with a similar tone.

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