Tired

Han Sohee I love you babe but this entire show… a mess, a mistake. I could write an essay on how much I hated it and everything that was wrong but I really don’t want to waste any more time on this show. So I’ll keep it brief:

Romanticizing toxic relationships in 2021, really? Absolutely stagnant, two dimensional, and uninteresting characters. Slow, dragged out plot that did a 360, ending up exactly where it started. Superficial relationships (did the main couple talk about ANYTHING?). The horrible tattoos; I absolutely despise butterflies now. I could go on.

Please I’m begging everyone to go read the webtoon. It actually makes sense instead of whatever the heck this was.

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I am a huge Park Seojoon fan, let me start by saying that. But, I am not a blind fan and I can acknowledge his faulty dramas (Hwarang I am looking at you). I don't normally write reviews for shows I don't love either, but I just feel so strongly towards this.

In the beginning, honestly this was a great show. I was in on it, even if both the female leads annoyed me to no end. However, I could acknowledge the distinctive characters, especially Yiseo who was a refreshingly unique, and although we didn't see eye-to-eye (she is a damn sociopath), I would prefer her character over a typical candy girl. However, it almost felt like her character was being forcibly redeemed through the loveline to show her less manipulative aspects but it seemed obvious and awkward. Her character was refreshing in the beginning, but became whiny, childish, and completely annoying. And honestly, I was not asking for her character to change or suddenly become kind, because, again, that would be unrealistic. But, what I would have liked is not some sort of general acceptance of her character, as if she was somehow good or "badass". She was constantly shown to get whatever she wanted without consequences, and I would have much preferred she didn't "get" Saeroyi. It would have been so much better as a plot device to almost "atone" for her actions and realize she can't have everything. Just finished watching Misaeng, and there are so many characters I absolutely despise in the beginning but now naturally love/like, and it really did not feel forced, I almost did not notice I now liked them. Comparing that to Itaewon Class just made her character's awkward growth even more evident. Saeroyi's sudden turn of feelings towards love seemed so sudden and so forced, they should have left their relationship as coworkers and completely omitted any romance, even with Nara's character. I would have much preferred they shown her as a first love that he now knows is in a different situation from the past and let her go. The themes of camaraderie, friendship, and loyalty were so much stronger than the romance, and were the strongest aspects of the show. They should have continued to built slowly on that instead of the uninteresting romance.

Saeroyi's character was also not the strongest, he felt like a typical Shounen lead. However, it would be a lie if I say I didn't love Park Seojoon's version of the character; much like Naruto, even though it felt kind of annoying watching him accomplish so much based on stubborn goodwill (because that is really not how life works), it did feel rewarding watching him win and did put a dopey smile on my face every time seeing him happy. Jang Geun-soo's character switch into becoming an antagonist was also so sudden and his reasoning did not seem enough to make such a drastic change.

The acting was great, Seojoon was incredible (although that is a bit biased). Yoo Jae-myung as CEO Jang was also great and Dami played her role well too. Nara still has a way to go, I was not sold on her acting. The supporting cast was also decent, some stronger than others.

Considering the story, in the beginning it was really interesting and I was really glad it covered inequality, corruption, and also a lot of societal issues. But, eventually the show began to battle itself trying to become too "woke". And often times, the marginalized characters like Toni were shown to be discriminated against, but then the problem was quickly swept under the rug. It felt as if the issue was half heartedly added to make the show superficially look "aware" without actual thought and care being added to exploring it. The fact that the main female lead was openly discriminatory but became nice at the end simply because she saw some profitable value from the people she unjustly disliked was not enough redemption or a valid reason to gloss over the issues. Again, the plot felt very Shounen manga like, i.e. unrealistic problems being thrown at the lead, while predictable solutions just happened to be there too. (What are the chances the guy he saved from being bullied just HAPPENED to become an excellent investment manager, making him lots of money, and still being connected to the other CEO lady? What are the chances that the boy who he just expelled for punching was also the same person that ended up killing his father?).

Overall, I was excited in the beginning and genuinely enjoyed but at the end, watching became a chore so I dropped it with 2 and a half episodes left. I love you Seojoon, but this was not my cup of tea and I really hope your next drama makes you shine brighter than this did.

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The small alleyways with flickering lights, the lone chair under the streetlight, the sloping hill overlooking the sunset, the quiet overpass atop the busy traffic, the studio filled with music, the plants on the window sill, the reflection of the leaves on the ceiling, all the way to the steps to Hawon's home; all of these instances feel so real, feel so embedded in my mind as if I have walked them myself. It feels like I have healed during the walks between these places and the time spent with these characters and that's what this drama was about: healing. Although there were elements of romance and angst, to me, the main point of this drama was the healing and growth of these characters. Too often, I see dramas with insane or "interesting" plotlines that leave little time towards the actual characterization and development of the characters and I am so glad I got to experience this drama as a breath of fresh air. The story was slow at times, yes, but that is the point, growth for people doesn't happen overnight so why must we act like it does? Why must our stories be fast paced and unauthentic? Admitting grief and facing it takes time and acceptance and this drama helped portray that beautifully.

The acting was great, the scene when Jung Haein showed Hawon crying in the cafe broke me because it was such a simple situation but it felt so real because I can honestly say I have times like that, when the small things not the big just set you off in explainable ways. The characters were mostly all mature, most faced situations in an adult like, reasonable manner which just made me like them all that much. I'm glad there was no unexplained animosity, and I was glad the characters were in touch with their feelings. I am glad Seowoo quickly realized she liked Hawon and I liked that Hawon's character realistically showed that feelings are ambiguous: they don't just exist in black and white. There are times you know you're not in love yet, you have a lot to overcome personally, but another person is still important to you and I am so glad he communicated that directly to Seowoo. People like the homestay family also grew on me, and their stories also touched me deeply. The feelings of these characters were handled so sensitively, I am truly grateful to have seen them all grow.

Obviously there were some aspects that felt rushed, but that's not the blame of anyone in the cast, the director, or the writers because that's just the way it turned out. I wish they had focused a bit more on Seowoo and Jisoo's mental health, because those aspects were touched upon but never fully built upon. But, in a way I also appreciate that because in a way, they normalized having mental health problems such as depression, as well as its treatment such as medication, without making it into a big thing which sometimes portrays it in an even worse manner. The only aspect that didn't fully sell me was Soonho's part, but to others her part might have felt more meaningful. But, once again, I am so glad to have watched this, and definitely the tears were all worth it. So far, my fav drama of 2020 and one of my favs of all time.

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Dosan Is Not the Devil, and Jipyeong Is Definitely Not an Angel

This is gonna be long but bear with me. There's a lot for me to say. First off, the experience of watching this drama felt very much like getting prepared to eat a great dish with excellent ingredients. You know they are top notch, the chef preparing it is pretty well known (even though you have never particularly liked any of her dishes, everyone else does), and the dish itself sounds tasty. However, when you end up taking the first bite, all you taste is salt. You keep taking bites every week and it keeps getting saltier, sometimes you get a taste of the other high quality ingredients but in the end, the salt always overpowers everything. The salt in this case? The ridiculous love triangle.

I want to start by talking about Kim Seonho because I started the show for him and I was glad he got a lot of attention from this role but it was a shame it had to be this role because I found Jipyeong increasingly frustrating as the episodes went by. Despite being charming as ever, I never felt anything special about his character, he was a typical tsundre male with a tragic background that I have seen (frustratingly) so many times before, which I have never liked and now frankly hate lol. As he became more and more absorbed in the unnecessary love triangle, he embodied so many characteristics I despise in men: big ego, talking over others, thinking he’s always right, full of braggadocio, putting others down, kindness towards only people he finds attractive, cowardice, etc. But I could never fully despise him because of Seonho, that was until the scrunchie scene which left a horrible taste in my mouth. He became increasingly insecure and kept being a coward, I didn't want to see his scenes as much anymore, especially because they were so closely tied to the tired love triangle (which should have ended at like ep 10 or something omg). Although we did see some growth, it was not until the love triangle ended around ep 15 that I began to like him again. It was when the original, more positive aspects of Jipyeong began to show again. Again, Seonho was charming but I really truly felt him shine during the emotional scenes with the grandmother rather than any scene he had with Dalmi. Anyway, I’m just glad this ended and Seonho can shed the image of Jipyeong and move on to his next role.

In comparison, I adored Dosan. People that argued that Dosan’s character isn’t complex, I believe missed a fundamental aspect of his characterization. Just because his backstory was not as convoluted as Dalmi’s and Jipyeong’s did not make him a weaker character; in fact that’s the reason I liked him the most. I personally felt I could relate much more with a burned out childhood genius struggling with the overbearing expectations of his parent’s than an orphan who randomly met an old lady that just happened to help him and convinced him to write insincere letters to a girl he didn’t meet until 15 years later. For me, an overly complex background does not make a compelling character; Dosan felt more grounded and realistic and I felt he managed to embody the essence of what this show was about: a coming of age story about youths learning and embracing themselves. It’s like arguing a movie like Lady Bird isn’t good because it deals with a mundane topic of growing up and regular problems; it’s supposed to do that. I think he may have joined the ranks of some of my favourite male leads, such as Jang Geurae, Nam Sehee, Moon Hawon, and Moon Gangtae.

I, to be frank, felt no empathy during either Dalmi or Jipyeong’s background stories in the first episodes, I honestly found many of the adults decisions and choices confusing. However, you can bet I shed tears when Dosan confronted his parents and stated heartbreakingly: “No matter what I do or how I hard I try, it never seems to be enough” because it echoed a conversation I had not long before. Dosan embodied insecurities I could see so closely in myself and his relationship with his father closely related mine own with my mother, making him an even dearer character in my heart. Nam Joohyuk, I frankly was not a fan of at all (his last project I saw was Bride of Haebaek so please dont blame me lol) but this project changed my mind. He really improved; I felt he really immersed himself to the simplicities of Dosan’s character (the bus scene where he felt overwhelmed just to hold Dalmi’s hand felt so real it made my heart flutter). In addition, the simple changes after the time skip such as walking straighter, maintaining eye contact, being relaxed around people he previously found overwhelming were subtle aspects that showed his growth. I’ll definitely try his project “The Light in Your Eyes” with Han Ji-min and Kim Hye-ja next, I heard excellent things about it and was hesitant but now I’ll definitely take a look!

I also started the show for Kang Hanna. She was incredible as Injae even with the limited (and lacking) screen time. I couldn’t understand her decisions in the beginning (as they mostly stemmed from the same aforementioned confusing decisions from the adults of the show) but she still quickly became my favourite along with Dosan as the episodes progressed. We saw her grow, albeit slowly and I’m still frustratingly annoyed the love triangle took up scenes when they could have gone to her instead. Her meeting with her grandmother was another scene besides Dosan's that absolutely made my heart wrench (and I would have preferred if we had spent longer time on it, but oh well). She was a character we rarely see in kdramas, and I was hoping we would see more of her. Another highlight was definitely Samsan tech trio, they were utterly adorable and hilarious (the CODA acceptance speech video and the knitting club flashbacks are both in my top 3 favourite scenes lol). The romance was cute, I think Dalmi and Dosan were adorable with the innocent puppy love. Again, I felt a little bad for Jipyeong in the beginning but I always found his interactions with Dalmi as more of a mentor/older brother relationship than a romantic one, and I never felt a connection through the letters because he had never truly been sincere writing them. And if he had, he would have probably tried to seek her out sometime in 15 years, or even had shown up and told her the truth right away; instead he forgot he even wrote the letters, even forgot Dalmi's name, and dragged an innocent bystander into the situation.

Back to the food analogy, it was a great set of cast with a promising premise, but the writing felt flat, the pacing was terrible (they focused too much on scenes that were not necessary and too less on those that were), and plot was all over the place. I am excited for the next project of the cast members, and hopefully they will be more promising. Startup definitely had its ups, I was not always upset while watching the show, but again, when it was all said and done, the only thing left on the tip of my tongue was the saltiness that couldn't seem to go away.

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I am so lucky to be able to come across this drama. That is the main gist of what I want to say. I never imagined giving a drama such a high rating, especially an office drama omg. I finished this a few days ago, but it honestly took me a few days to sit down and write this because a huge part of me didn't want to let this go. Another reason would be because this drama touched me in such a way it's hard to even put the feelings into words but here I go:

Wow. Just wow. This is easily one of the best kdramas I have ever seen in my life. Half of me wants to go back in time to when this drama first came out and kick myself for looking at the plot with disinterest, because I am embarrassed to admit that at that time, I was one of those people who only watched romance dramas. However, the other half of me is so glad I watched this drama right now, as if the universe knew this is the time when I needed it; when I'm in a place so familiar to Geurae and the other newbies: struggling in a vast corporate world where I'm desperate to find my own footing.

To the people who might have found it slow, I would like to argue that's why it was so unbelievably touching. It focused on growth and actual development of characters rather than a fast moving, wacky plot; and much like real life growth is slow and progress feels almost dragging. It was so rooted in reality it almost felt painful to watch, but thats what made the high moments feel even more euphoric. It was so mirrored in reality, with some days being endlessly painful or uneventful, but then turn around and become chaotic and surprising. The plot wasn't unexpected like a gripping action movie or a suspenseful thriller, but its unexpectedness was based on its similarity to life's ups and downs, how it lands us in unfamiliar places.

Honestly, I want to keep going but I'll praise it endlessly. The actors were beyond amazing. I don't remember the last time I've seen an ensemble cast where everyone carried their own weight, everyone shone during their own time, everyone matured and grew in a way that even characters I hated, I ended up adoring. I don't even understand how it happened, but that's what happens when there is CHARACTER GROWTH and actual delicate CHARACTERIZATION instead of merely focusing on creating a unique plot. The direction was incredible; so many times the shots were taken in ways that the viewers almost had trouble grasping what the characters were thinking, so much like real life where we struggle to connect with others and understand their point of view.

Despite not knowing much about Baduk, I loved the analogies and I can only fathom how much more impactful it must be for native Korean speakers to watch this, especially Korean Baduk players. I can understand why this was such a hit, why it is still a cultural phenomenon in Korea. It truly connected with me on a level I didn't even expect. I listen to the OST's like they are the soundtrack of my life, everything was almost flawless and fit together in this show like a perfect puzzle. Now I only hope, with inspiration from Chief Oh, to keep enduring in my "misaeng" (incomplete) life and to someday win, and achieve my own "wansaeng" (complete) life.

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Best of 2021

Wow, I finished this when it first came out but I couldn't put my thoughts into words; I just kept thinking about it.

Such a gritty and real show, so disturbing at times (the last scene had me sick for a while, and I'm usually alright with violence). So many times I had to close my eyes or look away, it really became so painfully real. The cast was phenomenal, which probably made it even more heart-wrenching because all their experiences felt so real. But, I have to mention Jung Haein. Wow. I've always loved his roles, acting, and his choice in projects but I feel like he outdid himself here. A character like Junho, so reserved and stoic yet, you could always see an unbridled anger underneath him, like it would erupt any moment. There are no sappy overdone emotional backstories, yet short but impactful glimpses of what Junho has experienced and what he is experiencing. His brief smiles and slow warming up to Hoyeol was so genuine, definitely one of my favourite duos ever. Koo Kyo‑hwan as Han Hoyeol was amazing as well,; a charismatic and eccentric character, yet would absolutely kill those emotional scenes. There is not one weak member of the cast: from the bullies, the victims, to the superiors, everyone nailed their roles.

The story itself was amazing, the opening credits really setting the question meant to explore in DP: if we all seem to have these human emotions, these universal experiences of growing up, why are we so cruel to one another? Why do we turn the blind eye to one another? The descending of Jo Sukbong into madness was so gradual yet so understandable, by the last episode it was shocking that it was the same person we had seen in the beginning.

Overall, I have nothing but praise. A difficult, yet rewarding watch. One of the best of 2021, if not the best.

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