mangodesu

I see the potential but it just never got there

This was an exhausting watch. I suppose you'd expect that given the heightened world of social media but wow did things drag. Idk why i kept watching tbh.

I mainly watched for the social commentary but that felt very flat. Rather than adding something new to the social media/consumerism conversation the same points were repeated and got stale. It’s a shame bc these things should be talked about but the script just didn’t deliver. I was confused about exactly what Ah Ri was trying to accomplish. She wasn’t like the other influencers yet she turned into a hypocrite by imitating the actions of people she claimed she wasn’t like.

The actors were all ok. Nobody was outstanding, just ok. This is the second Park Gyu Young drama I’ve seen where she’s the FL, and I didn't like either of them a whole lot. She suits a side character much better, and personally I think she lacks the charisma it takes to be a FL. Kang Min Hyuk was so mf fine here but I’m afraid that's all he was. Why people are saying the leads had such good chemistry, I don't know. Chae Hee was a CHILD. Shi Hyun was supposed to be the opposite of the two extremes I suppose, but she wasn’t giving me anything to work with. She wasn’t annoying so that’s good. The other influencers were forgettable.

This drama obviously had a lot of effort put into the production. You could feel the weight of the materialism through the screen. It still ended up missing the mark in terms of what it was trying to accomplish. Rather than12 eps this could've easily been 10. Hopefully in the future another drama with this subject matter and bettwr execution will come along.

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life is hard, but you can still find happiness

As soon as I was at episodes 3-4 I got super invested and then the investment fizzled out, prob because my break from the show went too long. It’s weird but after the first few episodes, I didn’t really feel like unpacking the show despite the great things it has going for itself. The thing I loved about this drama was the script. What prompted me to watch this in the first place was a tik tok with Miyeong talking about not caring if the world ended but the way she described her fatigue for her life and people was so relatable I had to watch. One of my fave parts in the script was Miyeong talking about wanting to be worshipped. That was pure poetry right there. The way the character expressed their emotions and worded their hardships really stood out to me so props to the screenwriter. This is one of my favorite scripts now.

The characters were great too. The brother ended up being the most interesting character, even though he was the most ridiculous at first. I personally really like Miyeong and found her to be relatable for the most part. The sister was decent but her storyline wasn’t as interesting as her siblings. The liberation club was heavily underutilized and focused more on the characters than the coworker group at the beginning. I would have loved to see them hang out more together so you could feel their different journeys coming together if that makes sense. Gu was really great. The actor did a great job with portraying the demeaner and facial expressions of the character.

The ending was kind of open but I’m gad for the most part the characters decided to continue on their journey to happiness despite life not being perfect and to me that was the point of this show. The human ability to continue to live and seek happiness even when life becomes unbearable. That message in itself was beautifully conveyed.

I def recommend this drama is you’re into slow melodrama type shows as you might get a lot out of this one. I must admit this show is more of a one episode a week thing for me but feel free to binge if that works for you :)
life is

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Kind of a letdown and lack of chemistry

Overall this is an ok shirt series but I really wanted to love this because I really the two leads involved but man was this a letdown.

The plot was fine but it could have been made more interesting with other things thrown in. Can't believe I'm saying this but I think this should have been at least 12 episodes so we could have gotten more substance. Some may see it as things just getting to the point but because of no misunderstandings or extra characters it made watching quite full. It also would have been way more believable that the leads had feelings for each other if the actors had more chemistry. It's weird cause in the promo interviews they had so much chemistry but somehow it didn't transfer to the big screen. I was kinda disappointed with the outcome of this drama not just because it felt rushed but the lack of chemistry made the ending feel undeserved.

If you're a fan of the main actors and you just wanna binge watch something short then watch this for sure. But if you want something with a bit more substance then this isn't for you.

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Feeds your craving for chaebol drama and mess!

This show most definitely will not fail to intrigue it's viewers. I've already watched Sky Castle, The World Of The Married, and I'm waiting on Penthouse 3 to premiere, so you already have an idea of my taste in kdramas. I was waiting for another's drama like the ones mentioned above to come and my prayers were answered. This one is just as fascinating and with fleshed out characters to match. And a murder isn't a bad way to start off a show either. 


One thing I want to talk about is the overall feel of the show. It has an aura of mystery but one that affects how you view the characters and their actions. It's hard to articulate but it's like you know what's going on but at the same time you don't. Even if you think you grasp the characters and their motivations, there's this invisible fog that's clouding your judgement. That might've been purposeful on the writer's part but it only draws you in so you can find out more. 

Each family member has secrets of their own and a storyline to go with them. The character I found most intriguing is Seo-hyun. She is the composed member of the family yet she is concealing the most damaging secret! Kang Ja Gyeong's backstory is crazy but the journey to finding out what led her to going up her son was really good. Hisoo is very likeable, which is good for dramas like this. In a world full of sinister characters you need someone to root for. My favorite storyline is that of Suhyeok and Yoo Yeon. They were quite minor but I'm a sucker for forbidden love and I just really found their dynamic interesting.

I definitely recommend this if you're a fan of the previously mentioned shows or if you just want to satisfy your craving for backstabbing rich families and dangerous secrets. 9/10

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a pleasantly relatable watch

Kudos to this series for being straightforward when it comes to the uncomfortable but relatable topics it chose to tackle in it’s short run. Ofc more could have been explored, but I am impressed with what I saw. Korea, can we have more types of these shows with these types of characters? this was a pretty good show.
The show focuses on three teenagers experiencing different issues in life and figuring out how to get through them. My personal favorite story was Jaemin’s. The bits with the online class he was taking had me laughing. Not only was it relatable but I can totally picture a guy doing a no-fap challenge to get a girl he likes. Yu Ri’s story hit close to home with me because it’s kind of what I’m going through currently in my life. I’m sure a lot of girls out there are waiting for a genuine guy with good intentions to come their way but instead end up feeling disappointed and used. I’ve yet to see the last episode but the ending to the first two stories are satisfactory. I’m glad to have finally found a show with teens who have realistic issues that are relevant to their age because you don’t see that much in the kdrama world.
The acting is good too despite the no-name cast(except for Miyeon). All the actors involved seemed to genuinely portray teens in an approachable way, which was fantastic for the viewer. If you’re looking for something quick, lighthearted, and not too silly, then this show is for you.

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great visuals but repetitive

This is the kind of drama where you know it is going to end badly but you find yourself watching anyway. I have no idea where this story is going to go because I didn't read the webtoon but I have an idea and it's not good.
This drama definitely has a few appeals: visually appealing leads, beautiful cinematography, and the romanticism of a toxic relationship. And sure we've seen college dramas, but this one centers around art majors. That's an interesting and unique touch to this show that I like a lot. But despite these things, the show still feels a bit bland. It kinda feels like the same thing happens every episode but in different ways and I'm kinda tired of it. Nabi puts her foot down, calls Jae-eon out on his bs, puts him in his place, and ghosts him, then he'll come crawling back and do something swoon-worthy and Nabi will let him off the hook again and again and again. I get that's kinda the whole point with this drama but my god did it get repetitive fast.

Song Kang has really surprised me by how many shows he's been in lately, not to mention how diverse his roles are. I hear he might be enlisting soon so he's probably trying to establish himself before serving, and I think he has already. His acting still needs improvement on the emotional side. Or maybe I'm just saying all this because the only thing I've seen him in besides this is Love Alarm. We know he can play the handsome, likable guy but I wanna see more depth from him as an actor. Han So Hee is okay here. Her performance is alright but I really expected more from her after her performance in TWOTM. She was very good there even tho her role was kinda minor so I was expecting a lot from her first lead role. Sadly I was disappointed. I like her character's background but it's frustrating watching her make the same mistakes with Jae-eon in every episode. At least she looks incredibly good with the ML, ri

Now unto Yang Do Hyuck a.k.a. potato boy. He is so gosh darn cute. He's so kind and sweet and humble-the opposite of Jae-eon. You prob already know which team I'm on(lol) but if Nabi ends up with Jae-eon and not him I will be so mad. How can you say no to his puppy eyes?

- I'm back after a month of seeing the finale and I gotta say in really disappointed in the ending.
(CAUTION: SPOILER ALERT)
So unrealistic yet unrealistic at the same time. Maybe I played myself but I had a small glimmer of hope that Nabi would choose neither of the MLs and perhaps take the self-improvement route. That to me was the more ideal and healthy ending. It's clear guy #1 wasn't good for Nabi AT ALL and I find it hard to believe that he really changed for her, but at the same time Potato Boy wasn't a good choice either. Yes he is the boyfriend that Nabi deserves but not the one she needs atm. She really needs to stop dating altogether and develop some sense of self worth, make get therapy for her previous traumatic relationship, and then seek someone who will truly value her for who she is and not what someone can get out of her. But instead we got her openly admitting to the second lead that she knows Jae-eon is bad for her and constantly hurts her, but she cant control her feelings for him so she ultimately choose him. I'm gonna be honest, I understand her logic as a girl with no self esteem or worth, but that did not make me any less livid. The last ending scene was the icing on the cake for me. Its just not possible for Jae-eon to do a complete 180 with his behavior because he "loves" Nabi. When he refused the girls advances and numbers, I thought the only reason he did that was because Nabi was around, bit given his track record, I guarantee if Nabi wasn't there he def would've entertained those girls. And that's the gripe I have with the writing the last episode. Jae-eon's "change" towards his relationship with Nabi was horribly done and felt insincere because it wasn't earned. I'm sorry but once a fuc boi always a fuc boi. Guys like Jae-eon don't change, especially for nice naive girls like Nabi. I already wasn't going to rate the drama so high but ep. 16 made me drop my rating even more.

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I was addicted to this drama from start to finish. There are NO skips necessary. Every episode engrosses you further into the story and there isn't one scene that is dull.

THE PLOT was very interesting to me. Some may just dismiss this drama because of the "good girl meets bad boy" trope, but if you keep watching you'll see that it's not as black and white as it seems. The writing and dialogue were the two strongest points of this, hands down. This drama truly lives up to its title. As serious and melodramatic this is, there are still moments that are softening and endearing to watch, yet as fast as you smile, it will leave your face just as fast as it came. The main cast executed their scripts to a T! The portrayal of their characters really showed, and it definitely helped progress the story. THE PLOT TWISTS ARE UNPREDICTABLE and the final one left me so stunned I was literally SO SHOOK. I was so shocked as to how the story took many twists and turns in ways you never expected.

THE MAIN CHARACTERS were exceptional and outstanding at the same time. The dedication that Seo In Guk, Jung So Min, and Park Sung Woong put into their characters deserves just as much if not more praise for the drama itself. The chemistry between the leads was through the roof. You really believed they were a couple who was just going through the motions. There. were barely any scenes where I didn't believe the emotions that were being conveyed, except for some scenes with Jin Kang. I felt she was too lenient with the actions of her brother and Moo Young, but then again her character was made to be very forgiving. In a way you almost pity her for being so naive and failing to face the reality of things, but that's what made her character so human. Sometimes our love for others blinds us from seeing them for who they really are. Moo young was not a good person, even to her, at times, and the audience knows this, but Jin Kang is so convinced that Moo young is good and he can do no wrong, that he is the way he is simply because life has dealt him a bad hand of cards, and that is so earnestly human. Now I'm going to talk about Moo Young. What an amazing performance. EVERY TIME HE SMILED THERE WAS NO SMILE IN HIS EYES AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLE TO WATCH. you never knew if he was really being sincere with anyone, no matter how convincing he seemed. Seo In Guk delivered the best performance from a male lead in a drama I have seen thus far. I haven't seen him in anything besides this but I will for sure check out more shows with him in the future. What a complex character. Dangerous but somehow approachable at the same time. He is cold, arrogant, selfish, manipulative, and dismissive of other people he doesn't care about(he enjoys messing with people's emotions which kinda comes off as a sociopathic), but under the surface is a severely damaged young boy who is desperate to find his identity and learn the reason behind his suffering and tumultuous past. What's sad is he grew up believing that his past defined him, and how many people out there do the same exact thing? As for Yoo Jin Gook, he played the role of Jin Kang's brother very well. He is very protective of Jin Kang, but only because she's the only family he has. As annoying as it was watching him withhold the truth, he was the perfect example of what happens when you are not honest with your loved ones. I understand that he did not reveal Moo Young and Jin Kang's past because he wanted to protect them, but had he just said the truth early on, it would have prevented a lot of the events leading up to the finale from happening(I just find it wild that he really let his sister sleep with her brother like wow). However what makes him human is the fact that he really thought he was doing Jin Kang and Moo Young justice by withholding the truth from them when in actuality it worsened the situation of everyone involved. I'm sure there was a time where we didn't tell the truth to protect someone we cared about. My only real complaint about Park Sung Woong is I felt like he could have shown off more of an emotional range. A lot times he looked too stoic and lacked the emotion that a scene demanded. Although he is flawed you understand the actions he makes and the reasons behind them. As an orphan he did the best he could to raise Jin Kang and protect her at all costs.

THE MUSIC was so moving and fit the theme of emotion for every scene. Just perfect. The melody to "Lost" really stuck to me and I can't stop thinking about the scenes between Moo Young and Jin Kang.

Overall I give this drama a 10/10. I wouldn't rewatch cause I don't like rewatching things I've already seen even if I enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean it was anything less than amazing. The ending wasn't happy but given the tone of the drama, it wouldn't have felt right if Moo Young and Jin Kang got happily ever after. I felt a certain peace knowing that in the end, regardless of their intertwined pasts and mistakes, The two had fully accepted one another and were willing to face anything together-including death. One thing that stood out to me was that Moo Young was always self-aware of himself so he was never too far gone, and somehow Jin Kang was able to get through to him and convince him to change his ways. Had he had more time, I would like to believe that he would've become a better man. He had already started, but it was too late. It really is inevitable for a person's deeds to catch up to them. The end of their saga was beautiful and tragic at the same time, but I wouldn't end it any other way.

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THE PLOT was promising at first but soon fell flat. I liked the premise but there was no climax. I mean there was a main conflict but it was too underwhelming. If you like kdramas with good character development than this isn't for you.

THE CHARACTERS were surface level. They could've been more but everyone was mediocre at best. I liked Secretary Kim but I don't feel like she evolved. I was actually rooting for her to quit being that self-centered boss's secretary because she deserved better. In the end she got the side eye from me because she ended up with him. I didn't like Lee Yeong Joon too much but his character is fustrating. He's rude and selfish, and the comedic relief he provided only served as a cloak for his narcissism. But the worst part is he shows NO CHANGE. In the last episode I felt he was the same person from the beginning. Yeong Joon's brother had potential but it was wasted. I found him cuter than his brother lol.

THE MUSIC was rather forgettable. The only OST that stook out to me was "it's you" jeong sewoon.

REWATCH VALUE is non-existent. I won't ever watch this again.

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grief gets better with time

I didn't read the webtoon so I have no reference but I liked this one. I was a bit hesitant to start it as I mostly avoid high school dramas. The premise however led me to believe that this one might be different. Of course it still had the typical hs stuff but at the core of the story is a woman whose grief has consumed her and put her life on pause because of it.

What I really liked about the show is how it went to the past for flashbacks and back to the future. That way it was easier to see how previous words and actions affected the lives of the characters involved. I knew Hamin was gonna die but I got the cause of his death spoiled for me online. I don't think that impacted the story for me as I still felt strong emotions.

Kim Mingyu and Kang Hyewon were ok. It was clear they were just there for visuals but Hyewon was rather decent and natural for the role she was in. Mingyu widened his eyes too much and often came off stiff. He has room to improve though. I've heard some people criticize the kind of relationship he had with So Mang and how their "closeness" was a little inappropriate. I somewhat agree as there were times when their grief caused that line between teacher and student. The excessive touching and intimate moments between them were understandable but So Mang is still in a position over Jaemin and should act accordingly. I really liked Hamin's character. I think the events leading up to his demise could've been tweaked for more emotional impact, especially the argument scene between him and So Mang. That part kind of made his decision look petty when in reality his situation was much more complex than that conversation. At least from the perspective of the drama, it was unclear as to what exactly pushed Ha Min to that point of no return. Maybe the webtoon is more focused. Ju Yeon brought the emotion and tenderness that was needed for this role and she got me teary-eyed at times because of her performance. My only other complaint with her character is the fact that she didn't read that last letter Ha Min had for her. It would've been painful, but it felt right for her to have unpacked the contents and accepted whatever last words Ha Min left behind. It was interesting for me to see how the characters dealt with loss differently. Ha Min's parents seemed to avoid the topic all together whereas So Mang constantly lived within the days leading up to the tragedy.

I think the ending is relevant to real life when So Mang is forced to really move on and let go of what once was with Ha Min and begin living her life in a way that would make him smile. Even upon going back to her old school she was still living in the past and refused to move forward. Doing right by Jaemin on behalf of Ha Min was a part of the grief process and that in itself was nice to watch.

Overall I liked this one. Def gonna check out the webtoon now :)

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Didn't live up to the set up AT ALL

[We have to acknowledge Sudden Shower being the best OST of 2024. That song carries soo much emotion]

PLOT - The synopsis def caught my eye. As much as I typically avoid shows that use time travel but I wanted to see this play out. The set up was too good: a young talented idol gives hope to a girl who seemingly has nothing to live for. She becomes a die-hard fan and attempts to attend his concert one night, but to no avail–That same night he dies tragically after giving one of the most touching performances I've seen in a kdrama. Soon after the FL is magically transported into the past and ends up back in high school with her beloved idol. She uses this strange situation as a chance to save him from the dreadful fate she knows is coming in the future. The pilot is one of the best in a while. It's Oshi No Ko pilot good. After that I expected an uphill trajectory...except that didn't happen. None of the emotional story elements were addressed, and the show had no interest in finishing what it started. Instead the heavier topics were sidelined and character development went out the window to make way for a cop-out happily ever after. Real ones know it was a disservice to all the good this had going for itself. The time travel aspect got more inconsistent the longer this played out. The show also had tone issues at times.

CHARACTERS - I agree about the mains being well acted. BWS IS Ryu Sunjae. Tho she was grating at times, you could tell KHY immersed herself in this role. But even with all the great chemistry neither character progresses. They became devices for fan service and boy was that fan service pushed. Ofc they were cute asf but I couldn't help but feel the shallowness of the relationship. I believe it was a mistake for Sunjae to fall in love with Sol. His first arc was written so well and we lost that so he could become a simp. Once we went from platonic love to romantic, my investment collapsed. I would've been fine with SJ not surviving in the end. That seemed like the natural course of events and would've made this show truly impactful. Had that been the case I'd prob be writing a different review... The SL seemed pointless and only existed as plot device for unnecessary conflict. Seeing more of SJ's dad and his relationship with him would've been nice. In Hyuk served his purpose ok as comedic relief. This show def needed it with all the crying scenes.

The screenwriter here is the same one for True Beauty. Both works mirror each other in the sense of setting up rootable characters and launching difficult subjects only to abandon everything for superficial romance that doesn't feel earned. What a missed oppurtunity to discuss depression and how it affects both regular people and celebrites. Where's the social commentary? Where is the payoff?

In conclusion, this ended up being a big ball of wasted potential. I'd be lying if I said parts of the show didn't still linger. The essence was good and I enjoyed the feels but this didn't live up to what was promised. This had the makings to be one of the best dramas of the year but ended up being just ok. Now back to those OSTs

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Lee joon gi is mesmerizing as gong-gil

Wanted to check this out cause the plot intrigued me. The story reminded me so much of the webtoon. "The Painter Of The Night," but with more drama and violence. First of all, let me just say that Lee Jun Ki is one of the most beautiful men I've seen. And such pretty eyes. They have a unique shape, but they're so pretty. Jong-Gil was such an enchanting character, visually and theatrically. Apparently because of him and this movie, the "flower boy" look started in Korea, and LJK was the first one ever.  The movie started off slow to me, but once Gong-Gil and Jong Saeng reach the palace, things get very interesting. The king's character was more complex than I realized. A lot of his weird habits and irrational decisions stem from the traumatic memories of his mother's death, and it literally drove him mad. I would have liked to see more of Consort Jang. She caught my attention the first scene I saw her in. My only real complaint about this film is that it ended too quickly. I think it could have easily been 30min-1hr longer because I personally wanted more scenes between Gong-Gil and the king. 8.5/10

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calming and mellow film!

I might need to watch this again but it was quite a beautiful film. Each of the piano pieces created such vivid scenery and emersed you into the moment. I also liked how you, the viewer, got to see how much intricate work goes into tuning and fixing pianos. The subject matter should've bored me but it was actually very interesting. You could feel the passion from all the characters, especially the girls whenever they played. It was inspiring in a way.

Although the script was poetic at times, what I took away was more of the nature scenes that accompanied the music. This isn't really plot-driven--not much happens, just a lot of pianos lol. But def watch if you wanna get swept up in the pretty music and lovely imagery of lush green forests.

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A unique story filled with warmth

This drama was a pleasant surprise pertaining to age and fulfilling your dreams with no regrets. It was very wholesome to see a 70 year old man pursue his dream of becoming a ballet dancer when his health and family seemingly stand in the way. We also meet a talented young man who is gifted in ballet but has his own struggles to overcome. Once they meet they form a reverse teacher-student bond that eventually leads to a grandpa-grandson bond and that is nice to watch.
I'm really impressed with how diverse Song Kang's recent roles have been. As an actor it's not good to box yourself in and allow yourself to be typecast. He has good looks but he isn't always going to be playing the hot guy and that's good for him. Back to him in this drama tho. I was really impressed when I learned that he trained in ballet for 6 months and was taught body lines for this role. It makes me happy to see when actors go the extra mile to present their character in the most authentic way possible. Knowing this gave me a bigger respect for him.
The actor who played Deok-chul was equally as impressive. Ngl the whole old-man-wanting-to-do-ballet thing was kind of funny and some scenes were funny but I commend this show for committing to the bit, even if it is based off of a webtoon.
As for the ending I feel like it should have ended sad but this drama was supposed to be a light-hearted inspirational type show so I can see why things went the way they did. Since Deok-chul got Alzheimer's, I imagined he would slowly forget everything, eventually leading to forgetting about his passion for dance and his mentor/son Chaerok. I really thought he was going to end up forgetting Chaerok but I'm kinda glad that didn't happen. Even if things would be more realistic.
Deok-chul had the courage to live his dream and perform Swan Lake and complete his lifelong dream before he passes and that is wholesome in itself. Didn't care for the side story with Chaerok's school bully thing. That guy was just despicable, and after injuring Chaerok to the point of jeopardizing his dance career, he was unforgivable in my eyes. Even if he did "change" in the end, that was just frustrating to me. Overall good show. 7/10

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JAW-DROPPING PERFORMANCES AND UNPREDICTABLE SCORES

I didnt watch Queendom cause Im more of a bg stan but omg this show is so good! I wasnt a fan of every group that was participating but now i love them all. The performances are sooo good like i keep getting surprised. The second episode had the best performances out of the show so far. The boyz always have the best stages, but ONF have the best music arrangements. My only complaint is that the show has eliminations, which is incredibly cruel on mnet's part but something has to make this show high stakes. Im even more excited for the lineup for Kingdom which is the next installment. Even if you dont wqtch the show you gotta see some of the performances. 9.5/10

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Let me start off by saying that if you can't handle blood than this movie might not be for you. Zombie movies have a lot of that. There isn't really any gore, but it still might be difficult for some people to watch.

THE PLOT is sure to keep you on your feet. I'm not a fan of zombie movies/shows but I decided to watch this because of all the hype surrounding it. And I wasn't disappointed. The story is quite a thrill.

THE CHARACTERS were great. Seok Woo's character development was very good. He literally went from a selfish man that only looked out for himself to someone who was self-sacrificing and giving. Geong Yoo gave a great performance. I was surprised at how well the lead's daughter was at acting.it was heart-wrenching to hear her scream for her father at the end.

REWATCH VALUE is low for me because as I've said before, movies like this aren't my thing. Probably won't watch this again but it was a nice break from the rom-coms that I've been watching. 8/10.

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