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Thought-Provoking Drama
Wow! This drama was truly something special! It felt real and unique, with all that action and tension between the characters. The concept of organ culturing for eternal life seemed incredible initially, but as the story unfolded, it became chilling. Yet, amidst all the horror, the writer managed to weave a thoughtful moral message. Awesome!Was this review helpful to you?
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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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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.
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Great show with a very confusing and unnecessary ending
It started of very interesting with good acting and intruging characters.But ep 9 and 10 ruined the show for me! I dont know what they were thinking. They took so much time to develop the plot and then they just crashed it into a wall. I might even skip a season 2 if it ever comes out.
Great casting and great actors! The music fit perfectly. Its just so bothersome that the story started off so good but then....
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Kept Me Hooked Till The End!
I watched this drama solely because of Ju Jihoon. I was kinda curious at first because the plot is a bit different than the romcom lovey-dovey dramas I usually watch. Tbh, the plot sounded very boring at first, but I watched it anyway. It was a pleasant surprise for me because the story revolved around the biotech company 'Blood Free', politics and prominent figures in South Korea who were affected by a terrorist attack or who were present during it. I honestly loved the cast because the acting was phenomenal. I'm not exaggerating or anything; even the side characters like the female lead's assistant were cast so well and they understood their assignment. Otherwise, I would never be interested in watching a drama like this. Also, the drama has several action scenes which were directed pretty well. But beware, this drama doesn't have any romance, but the ML and FL have a subtle platonic thing going on like friends (I wouldn't say lovers because they didn't show any scene of them being intimate toward each other). I hope there will be a season two! I wanna know how everything gets wrapped up now because the ending felt a bit rushed for me.Was this review helpful to you?
An intriguing Sci-fi & Thriller genre drama with a great potential PLOT
The drama with a fresh and unique plot-making, starts with a boom in artificially cultured meat, which endangered and reinvented the sector, pushing several firms to the edge of bankruptcy. It could be argued that BF single-handedly takes control and creates a whole new sector raising significant issues.Yoon Ja Yoo, CEO of BF, a successful businesswoman who has been gaining property and power from innovating a new product, is also dealing with some challenges, including the quality of genetically modified cultured meat and risks to life from both within and outside trying to gain control over BF. Woo Chae Woon used to serve in the army, is now discharged and has become a bodyguard for Yoon Ja Yoo with the desire to investigate the terrorist incident that happened in the past. The show begins quite slowly but after episode 2 everything suddenly becomes quite interesting and makes you curious about what will happen next.
The director created a film with excellent cinematic scenes, with a dark and melancholy tone as the main color of the film, increasing tension. The writer is amazing, the creativity in her writing is crazy, and her last drama "Stranger" is a masterpiece.
Another to get attention is the chemistry on screen between the two main leads, I just get butterflies whenever they are just sitting or even standing next to each other, the way ML protects, and cares about FL is so natural making me think he has secretly fallen in love with her, also the way FL trusting him after 2,3 of meeting him is unbelievable because she in the situation that hard to give a trust to someone even her colleagues.
Han Hyo Joo after MOVING, did it again with her masterclass acting, her micro expression acting, lines, and body language all screaming that she's one of the best and most versatile Korean actresses ever. I have had a crush on HHJ for a long time since saw her the first time in "Shining Inheritance" with LSG, she has grown so much as an actress.
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Almost trope free, and the drama has a female CEO
Imagine a world where meat is biotechnologically generated and cultured. This eliminates the need to slaughter animals. Of course, such an advancement could solve world hunger. BF Company has hopes that in the near future all food will be cultured using biotechnology. Blood Free does not have many of my usual circle of acting friends in it. However, since it met my “Love it or Leave it” 15 minute criteria in 2 minutes, I thought it best to investigate further. Blood Free has a high technology driven plot-line. CGI and cinematography are through the roof.I love a great romance drama. This ain’t it. However, the intelligently written story will keep you in suspense. Therefore, some should try to get out of their comfort zone and add Blood Free to their shopping list. Now for the guys. You have been asking for this Korean Drama. I think that you will enjoy Blood Free. For the girls. I know that actor Ju Ji Hoon starred in Kingdom, a drama I did not see, but wow, where did he come from?
The ML is Ju Ji Hoon (Jurisan, Kingdom) and FL is Han Hyo Joo (Moving, W:Two Worlds, Happiness).
I am excited about this drama Blood Free. The drama does not follow the usual Korean Drama tropes. The story is innovative and exciting. That acting and action are great.
A company has learned how to culture fleshly meat products and this company is poised to take over the world market. Can life be that easy? Not in a Korean Drama. I like Blood Free a lot. This drama is a total change of pace. The use of video gaming tools and drones to fight the bad guys is sure to please. CGI and Cinematography are great, with a great OST
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No BS drama
i like there story acting and how they directed iti just don't get how in ep5 FL suddenly become so blind about her bodyguard,
how she discriminated between two of her bodyguards, one is more important then other ?
until ep4 they were so professional about it, but suddenly in ep 5, CEO is enjoying sleeping in bodyguards bed and worried about Manshik out of nowhere ?
and now he got super hearing power too...
after ep 6 ML become worse,
they way they neglected other bodyguard and look down on him
ML become a cry baby and took his anger on Other bodyguard because he do not have guts to do that same to his master
ML then become too arrogant to even talk just because he received BJ from FL in there secret LAB
AFTER ep 5 it started getting downhill,
ML then show fake concern about his partner...?
he don't know if his partner was Worried about him but he know his madam would be worried to death for him ?
at end of ep 6 i see ML wait and wait until killer finishes his job to reach his partner who wasn't given super powers unlike him
that Man died for what ? just salary no BJ and nights talking with CEO, dude got nothing but died... while ML was waiting there standing without doing anything, his super hearing doesn't work at that moment
other bodyguard die and nobody cares, ML even try to make it look like his death help them find a mole so. his death was good for them
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Will be waiting for the 2nd seasonn
With some high and low moments, getting better by each the episode. For me this season ended perfectly, with the desirable suspense and all. The main actors are amazing veterans, not news, and it was very nice to see Moo Saeng acting a good and trusty character for a change.It's not a lightly drama but also not that heavy to watch. it brings a new concept, not very far from todays society. It was fresh to have a perpective of a possible outcome and consequences. Although I felt the story was not highly focus on that but instead on the characters own stories and the terrorist attack. Worth watching it.
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One of the best dramas all-time, a k-drama veteran verified thriller masterpiece!
.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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A great watch
I initially started to watch this out of boredom. But then it started to get interesting. I mean the first 15 minutes of this series got me hooked. When it first came out I thought it's gonna be very boring because the poster was not giving and the summary was not good enough to get me into watching it.But then I started to watch it and it was awesome! I'm a student of Biochemistry-Biotechnology with Genetic Engineering. So it was fun for me to watch as the series topic is related to my subject. It was interesting how they produced everything within a short period for the benefit of human beings. You see 10 years is all they needed to produce their products without any error and everything which is still hard for us in real life. It is gonna take 20 more years to produce the genetically modified goods to be completely pure and out of any error so that they are compatible with the human body. Now produced genetically modified stuffs contain microplastics, not enough nutrients and can cause neurological if put in our bodies.
The technologies they used are very much possible irl and I'm very impressed with the writer's thinking and the director's work.
Hence, If you a person with a STEM or is into Biotechnology world, This drama is definitely for you!
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