I’ve just started it and unexpectedly, it is really deep!
I thought I was going to encounter a typical high school drama, but it’s not at all this topic.
The title misleaded me and I think the title does not justice to it.
Really true drama, a lot of feelings. Wide palette and life topic.
Park Seo Joon portrayed the main character really well. A high school student, a son but also someone becoming an adult.
I can’t help feeling sad while watching this drama, I think the plot and also Park Seo Joon’s actor play.
OST really good and they put this song by Ben Folds. A beautiful song.
“Everybody knows it hurts to grow up.”
Really good pick for this drama, the mood is there.
Park Seo Joon is no longer that actor who played in all those romance dramas. He has now stepped up by a mile, at least in my eyes. I was watching the show, watching his character, and thought I no longer see Seo Joon - I only see Saeroyi.
The drama destroys several k-drama tropes, probably because it was based on a comic book. Such as who the main female lead is (unsure until the second half of the series), the forced meekness of a modern Korean woman (at least on screen), and it introduces us to the issue of racism in Korea and other bigotry.
The female character Yi Seo is my favorite. I was in love from the very first pink helmet head bump, knocking Geun Soo out cold!
Above all, the drama is inspiring. It makes you reflect what have you achieved in your life thus far and what else you want to achieve. It makes you believe if you truly work hard, dedicate yourself to your goal, you could have it all.
Note, I had noticed that people either love or hate the drama. There are no mixed feelings here. Sort of similar as for another current hit “The World of the Married”.
There’s a different flavour about this drama. You can feel it from the beginning, how the characters are, how it was shot, how they tell the story, their voices behind…
It was enough striking from the very 1st ep.
(Just before, I tried ~5 dramas and gave up around the 1st ep. This one I thought I would be bored but surprisingly, it was the only exception that made me stop from typing on my pc and I got excited! Finally I can watch!!)
Since we’re out of the rating/review system of Viki or mydramalist, I think it’s okay to talk about what ppl are currently watching and first impressions or just sharing their thoughts with spoilers blurs just in case.
This drama caught me because of its depth in the characters. Really human. And 2 topics that would interest me: death and injustice. Yup!
I love the messages of this drama!!!
Anyone or a lot of ppl can relate to them.
I didn’t read the synopsis of this drama and just tried it without high expectations. And omg!! This is good!
I like the sound of his name.
I think the author of the webtoon wrote the screenplay? His characters are pretty good. Their own history, background and development.
It’s not focusing on only 1 char, development for main chars.
What I like is the substance of his story. He focuses on characters, their own fears, weaknesses and experiences they had and he manages to show how it shaped his characters.
It’s not too far-stretched reactions from chars, except maybe for the “mean” guy from highschool. A little too exagerated sometimes.
Park Seo Joon, I haven’t watched big hits from him so I don’t know about his romance dramas.
I saw him in Parasite as a cameo and in a cooking reality show. He seems really polite, nice and simple in real life from this cooking reality show. I was shocked!
Finding him on this drama and seeing him play like this… It’s still him, but damn he makes his character alive, we think it’s someone else and a real another person. He’s really into his character.
I think that this role fits him or he fits that role in this drama.
And I like that the chars have their own flaws and they show it. They’re not perfect (good and bad chars) and they are not idealized.
I think he has a big understanding on his character’s personality.
Just for that, I might be interested in seeing him in romance dramas.
I read very bad reviews of the second half. They said they really loved the first half and then it suddenly became absurd and the characters acted out of character.
(it wouldn’t be the first k-drama with this problem)
That’s why I’m curious to read what you’ll think of it when you finish it.
This is one of the reviews. Don’t read it yet, it has major spoilers of course.
Of course there are some glowing positive reviews, but if you look at the date, 90% of them were written after seeing only the first episodes.
Here is one that is overall positive, but still notes that the last 4 episodes were not good as the rest.
I don’t know if you can trust my opinion lol because we might not have the same taste and I don’t want to mislead you! Maybe you will hate it or love it like bozoli fairly said. So perhaps have your own opinion
(I think if it’s in the romance department and we’re looking for something light and a cute romance, it won’t be satisfying. For the moment, it’s the feeling I got, it doesn’t focus on Love with a big L.)
I watched it and I liked about 90% of the drama. There are some parts that I sat through with a “are you serious right now?” on my face. I couldn’t enjoy those parts in the drama. I didn’t read the webtoon, so I don’t know how that one ends and how close the drama is to its source material.
I do think they did a good job portraying people with antisocial personality disorder in a more realistic not-so-over-the-top way and in general I thought it was a pretty good enjoyable drama. Just wish certain things were done differently.
The thing is that romance dramas in which he played are mostly highly produced fluff. She Was Pretty, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, even Witch’s Romance. In “Kill Me, Heal Me” he didn’t have a very memorable role for me, asides from being endlessly confused by Ji Sung’s female personality.
So, all in all, there was very little pain in the characters he played. Very little struggle. SO that for me made his characters thus far flat, classic and uninteresting.
This drama was a whole new ball game. As I said, I no longer saw him as an actor or him as another character. There was only Park Saeroyi, and it helped me get immersed into the story almost immediately.
I’ve just finished the drama!! It was great for me from the beginning until the end!
I think I can understand why some ppl were left dissatisfied.
I wasn’t dissatisfied and the kinder surprise was Park Bo Gum! Lol
Maybe I was fine bec:
I am not biased by previous works from PSJ (didn’t watch).
I didn’t expect and focus on romance.
I was interested in the chars dev.
Love can also have a different development from what most scenarists are used to make us watch or hope.
I watched it without having a type of end I would have liked in mind.
I’ve enjoyed the drama and I don’t want it to end without reading the webtoon (English v). For the moment, no much change from the author, a few details like orphan, hens/pigs, PSJ didn’t cry at the beginning, motocycle/car
I think all chars were interesting and their development was not predictable (at least for me).
I found 2 actors outstanding in playing their chars because of their charisma: PSJ and Kim Da Mi. They have their own style and can show different expressions that feel not fake.
I won’t recommend it for the romance.
I would recommend it for the emotions, the messages in it and some cliches, or like PSJ said in his interview, real societal pb they put in evidence.
It’s a big change for me and I’ve liked this change.
It feels more real than some dramas I could have watched. Authencity in raw feelings and in chars.
The drama is a mine of quotes.
Yes, I wish they made more dramas like this. And you are right, if you expect romance from this drama, you are more likely to get disappointed. I think I was disappointed by the heavier reliance on tropes towards the end and some things characters did that felt out-of-character.
But again, I was really impressed with the portrayal of ASPD, especially in relationships, because in media they tend to portray misconceptions such as that they aren’t able to fall in love. Sure they can, but it’s different.
I understand what you mean.
It went pretty fast towards the end, like an American action movie for me xd There was a sudden change in the last 4 ep (from mid 12 or 13).
But I thinķ each time they skip time (at least 3-4 times in this drama), I’ve liked that they are not the same anymore. There’s an evolution and they kind of hide this evolution which makes the viewers a little lost (at least for me).
I couldn’t find the full translated version of the webtoon just found the beginning. Wish they could allow or sell an English version of this webtoon like the Korean one!
I believe it’s on Netflix in most jurisdictions. There might be some jurisdictions where it’s available elsewhere, as the term Netflix original can sometimes be a bit misleading
Personally I think he should fire his Agency/Agent. they are destroying his future bc he has so much potential. An example? He was wonderful in his role kill me/heal me drama although it wasn’t a big one(he made us laugh). He is AWESOME in this movie (although the subject might be too strong for many ppl.) But this role shows he has what it takes to play other roles. I didn’t like itaewon class based on the story plot not bc of his acting.
just found the beginning. Wish they could allow or sell an English version of this webtoon like the Korean one!