maakopla
Finland
The plot is nothing new in Korean gangster film world, but if you happen to love this world you will also love this film. I felt like there was something more to it, more than in usual gangster flicks. There were many layers to the plot, a few stories intertwining together, so the rewatch value is pretty high. A lot was going on at all times, so in general, this movie was not boring. The ending felt rushed, though. And also, because so much was going on and there were so many characters, most of the side characters were flat. There was not enough time to go deep enough into the characters, which was a pity. I think this plot would have worked better as a mini-series.
The acting, it wasn't bad but not outstanding either. I liked Lee Min Ho and Kim Rae Won. Not only because they are hot, but also because they fit their roles. Rae Won was totally badass and Min Ho brought some sensuality into his badness. But still, I think the acting was a bit lacking. I loved Jong Dae's and Yeog Ki's friendship or should I say "brotherhood", it was touching and beautiful. Thumbs up for the bromance! These two were like innocence and twisted nature melting into something wonderful.
Like most of the times, the sex scenes were over the top. Maybe Korean directors think it's artistic but when I want to watch a gangster film I am NOT looking for porn. I know that sex is part of the badassness of gangster life, but those scenes made me laugh because heck they looked like rabbits mating. Can't say anything else to this than LoL!
The fighting scenes were artistic but honestly, I wish one of these directors finally did something new. I've seen bunch of men fighting in rain, in water, in mud, in sunshine, in grains, in *insert whatever you want* but dare I say it's getting old! Dare I say I actually fast forwarded the fighting scenes, because there were plenty and they made me numb. But at least they were well executed, I can't complain about that. The violence got so much more impact when it was exercised to someone by only one person in a form of torture. That was disturbing with an impact.
Love? You could say there was a subtle love plot somewhere in the background for both main characters, but the bromance was the main focus, that and the scheming of all these greedy people around them. I liked the idea how two guys actually dared to stand up to the corrupt wickedness, perhaps their intentions were not any better but it was still pretty cool. The ending was something most of us expected. Notice the contrast between Jong Dae and Yeong Ki! The symbolism was strong in this one.
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The acting is okay. Ha No Ra seems annoying at first, but you get used to her really fast as the story moves on. Hyeon Seok seems really arrogant at first, he pulls and pushes No Ra the way he wants and that made me cringe a bit. I'm not a hardened feminist and don't usually pay much attention to these kind of things in Kdramas but Hyeon Seok... Yeah. In my opinion, the chemistry between the main characters is better in the first half of the show, then it dulls a bit.
The side characters remain vague throughout the show which is a big minus. But an interesting thing is that "the bad guys" are portrayed very human, they are just people who made selfish mistakes in the past. They realize what they have done, regret and are given a second chance.
This show could have been way better with just a few little changes in the plot. All in all, it's a pretty usual Kdrama with the usual Kdrama things in it, some things are not highlighted that much (such as love rivals) and that's a relief, it makes the show more realistic. That's a real good thing about this show, it's pretty realistic.
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The story is simple but engaging, at least until the episode 10 or so when it becomes draggy. The 2-episode extension didn't bring anything new to the drama but only stretched it and added to the boring aspects. The director does a great job pinpointing every character's pain and happiness, there is a lot of beautiful scenery and cinematography is superb. But unfortunately, the movie-like aspects soon become boring and slow down the drama a lot. It this was a 10 episode drama it would have deserved 10 points in all aspects but there are too many repetitive scenes and a lot of crying in almost every episode. The first half was amazing and kept me totally hooked, it was hard to wait for the next episodes.
The acting is very good, every part is played well and all characters have their own place.
The ending was a bit disappointing because, even though all characters got their closure, I feel like the two main side characters were pushed aside. They didn't have much screen time during the drama obviously because they were "a thing of the past", but they still played a big role in the main characters' life and would have deserved more. Especially Tae Jin who had truly loved Hae Jin and whom she had loved too, but she often acted like it meant nothing to her. It would have been nice if pretty Hae Young had more to her as well, not through Do Kyung but genuinely to herself. Also, that "revenge" part felt really forced.
All in all, this is a good drama with a very high rewatch value but it's a bit bland and not very memorable. It stands out a but not in a way that you'd remember it forever as one of the most amazing shows. Rather, this is a calm and slow ride, filled with pastel colors and lots of emotions. Slice of life.
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Yes it's cliched to the max but that's not even the problem. The problem is... ridiculous everything. The plot is boring and the main characters make no sense, at least not the main guy. He behaves like a 1st grader and does unimaginable stunts like "hey I'll take the girl scuba diving and leave her at the sea, later I'll forget about her and leave her dying but in fact it was all just a joke" wtf man? That's an attempted murder! And then he stalks her to no end? Gotta give props to the girl for fighting back though, but this is not even close to Boy Over Flowers.
The chemistry between main characters is near - 0 and it's even hard to say why the girl would fall for an asshole like him. The comedy is mostly not funny but annoying, everything is simply annoying. The second half is incredibly draggy. Acting is pretty bad an annoying too. This drama is simply just boring and annoying.
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Acting was awful and they really ruined all the beauty of the original manhwa characters, especially the main girl Chae Kyung. In drama her character lost all the spunky feel and she was just annoying. No matter how well Yoon Eun Hye can act I still learned to loathe her for this role because her character was idiotic.
Joo Ji Hoon was a boring prince with one expression for all occasions, he was nothing like Lee Shin should be. I guess my expectations were too high. In fact, I liked Kim Jung Hoon performance the most.
The only good thing about this drama was music and the settings were pretty nice too. Seriously, there was no chemistry between the leads and the whole feel of the show was apathetic.
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The plot is pretty unique but feels too stretched, 16 episodes would have been way better. There are a few interesting plot twists, but it's just not enough to make this show outstanding on any level. If you are looking for something new and refreshing this drama is a good pick, but it's not that entertaining. The acting is only okay and the characters stay distant, most of the characters are not introduced that well. Overall it's a mediocre show. At first, it's even hooking because you want to find out what the heck is going on, but later that element gets dull because it's stretched for too long. The ending seems a bit rushed, they are building the atmosphere almost for the whole episode and everything happens during the last 10 mins.
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The movie was inspired by Hong Kong legend Infernal Affairs and Hollywood epic Godfather. If you have seen those both movies and remember them well, you will find similar symbolism in New World. The plot is unpredictable. I didn't really try guessing nor did I pay attention to the hints so the ending surprised, but if you pick up Godfather references (that closing door cough cough), you will know the end. New World doesn't reach up to Godfather's brilliance, not even close, but for a Korean gangster movie it's really good, one of the best.
I absolutely loved the cold atmosphere in the movie, the music was ominous and most of the scenes were filmed in "cold" and "emotionless" places like construction sites, meeting rooms, warehouses, empty restaurants. The scenery was absolutely soulless lacking all possible humanity! Another thing that I loved was that the movie went more for a psychological impact than tasteless bloody splatter or gang fights (leaving the latter to minimum). The torture scenes were gripping, a bit too much blood to my taste, but just the right impact. Great job! No unnecessary and forced love scenarios and no blatant sex, only scheming and action!
Acting was great. My only complaint is Lee Jung Jae as Ja Sung, he lacked the charisma. His character was muted and gave more space to other much brighter characters, which was a good thing in my opinion. But still, it was hard to see Ja Sung's plight. The conflict he went through was shattering. He was the only character that actually changed and evolved during the movie. The others seemed to be stuck in their own realities and that's not a bad thing. But that change Ja Sung went through, I wish someone else but stonefaced Lee Jung Jae played him so it would have been more visible. He tried really hard but just like the cold background, he remained sort of soulless and dull.
Hwang Jeong Min as Jung Chung was brilliant, the moment he appeared I loved him! His punchlines were spot on and he brought the comedy in the misery of it all. "Hey brotha", I couldn't get enough of him talking, because every time he opened his mouth it was just... everything he said always fit the situation. "Jung Goo that gaesekki, he is a walking puberty!"
When in the end Jung Chung said "That stupid idiot let the police fool himself." That's when I realized his full potential. Heck, he was smart and he had a big heart, unlike other gangsters in the movie. Notice that he often appeared in warm settings with a lot of people around him. He seemed stupid and everyone was looking down on him but heck, he was awesome. Chinks all the way! He gave Ja Sung what no one else did, what his boss and the police failed to give him, what he had been searching for all this time: trust. Their friendship was what gave Ja Sung the biggest impact and helped him to reach a conclusion between crime and law. We could say that Jung Chung saved his life, literally and figuratively. The symbolism was strong in this one.
Park Sung Woong shines as Jung Goo, the role couldn't be more fitting for this actor. Sung Woong, the self-absorbed twisted devil. Choi Min Shik? The dirty cop who is ready to go for sacrifices but also has the heart to mourn and regret. I don't know if I liked his character or hated him, but I know that it was a great character. It beats me how even the smallest side roles like the Yangbians, everyone had an impact in this movie, no one felt useless, everyone had their own place, no one was a filler character. I learned to like all characters, and acting was pretty good from everyone's part. I just wished Hwang Jeong Min was better.
New World starts with a bang and the plot moves on with a good pace, mostly fueled by dialogs, which is a refreshing breather in typical Korean gangster films. There is not even one boring moment and you find yourself glued to the screen, wondering what's going to happen next. The message of the film is pretty twisted, but I like how it points out that you need to change to get somewhere. If you get stuck in your own comfort zone, you will forever be just a dog used by others. When Ja Sung did what he did, I realized that all his 8 years of undercover work lead him there. He didn't want to go there but was pushed forward and sort of cleaned his path little by little. Finally, he snapped or maybe it was more about him finding himself. His face often showed how sick he was of it all, how much agony it caused him. The flashbacks at the end were a great plus and despite being short they explained so much, once again symbolism was strong.
The ending was perfect, it fit the story. More than everyone getting what they deserved it was about Je Sung's character turning a new leaf. He finally understood what mattered to him the most and he stood behind his own beliefs, he was loyal. Him in the end and him in the beginning, those were two different people. One was insecure, still looking for his place in the world and the other had finally found that place. He lost a lot, but he also gained something priceless.
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This drama was really well written, acting was nice and music effects interesting. The chemistry between the main couple was good and Jang Mi was a fun, surprisingly sane heroine. There was a lot to laugh about and many lovable characters.
It's hard to find much to complain about but if there is something I must mention is how one dimensional the side characters appeared. Too much time was given to boring pasta making, Jang Mi eating and Ki Tae's mom.
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1. It doesn't get boring, not even a bit.
I marathoned this series in two days because I couldn't stop watching. This is perhaps the only drama which gets past halfway and simply doesn't get boring.
The comedy is awesome, I kept laughing all the time and the acting is outstanding too. The chemistry between main characters is good and realistic and I just love how all unnecessary misunderstandings are kept away or really short. There is no draggy drama.
What this show lacks is a good baddie. Plotwise the performance sure is poor. I mean the story is very basic: an unforgivably arrogant rich guy is molded into a fine hardworking gentleman by your average nice girl next door. The schemes of the "bad guy" are pathetic, simply ridiculous. Even a 10 years old kid could come up with better stuff.
Yet, the comedy and romance fix it all. I think this show is a rare gem because midway is not boring, it simply isn't! Okay the ending is an ultimate that kind of ending but still, because this drama is simply way too entertaining it's easy to ignore the faults and just enjoy it while you can. Comedy simply bumps up the rewatch value.
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What I liked a lot were the clothes, the pastel colors which gave the drama a dreamy feel and the settings like houses, shops and that kind of things. Everything looked and felt good. For the first time I actually felt like this about a Korean drama. . Okay, I must say Lee Min Ho did not look good with the pink lop gloss, seriously! The OST was great too, very young and hip, different in a sense it was pretty rock.
The plot was rather simple and now when I look back nothing really happened, but while watching it didn't feel boring. At first I thought the few first episodes when the main characters met in America were pretty useless but then I realized that it was brilliant to put the main characters into an environment where class differences didn't matter before putting them back into the poor and rich categories. They realized that it was possible to be free. I also liked how big brother's love story was mature and calm compared to Tan's fierce teenage feelings that were all over the place.
There were many characters and I wish their stories would have gotten more screen time. But then again one thing what I really liked about this drama was that the writer concentrated on the main couple instead of bringing in all other side characters too much. The focus was clear. Though, more school time would have been fun, instead of showing all the old people plotting against each other.
The ending was quiet realistic too, sort of open but good enough. We can't be sure if Tan's dream came true or not. But if it did then a lot of things must have happened, it couldn't come true just like that.
The cast was great and I liked everyone, except Park Shin Hye who is always really dull and boring.
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The beginning was awesome but after wrapping this up I now look back wondering what did I even like about this in the first place? What? The show rings hollow, 16 episodes and nothing really happened. The characters didn't really grow, bad won over the good, pathetic ending, unanswered questions.
I must admit acting here was pretty good, SHK was like a really blind person, JIS was intense and Kimbun cute. What else do you need? They really invested a lot into cinematography but that's about it...
The intensity of the first half was replaced by boredom around episode 10 if not before that. The director and writer did it so well, they cheated me into thinking like something was happening but the more I watched the more I realized that nothing was going on at all, the whole story could be wrapped up in some 2 hours. This would have been a great movie.
I feel betrayed by the ending which didn't make much sense in general. The plot twist was pathetic, unreasonable and felt like a last minute decision. Sure it came out of the blue but seriously, it just made no sense.
Strange characters kept popping out, they stayed for a few minutes and then disappeared. In fact, the whole drama went in depth only with Yongie and secretary Wang, the others were left in the shades. Like, why would anyone care about them? Even Soo's background was introduced hastily and in the end his character stayed one dimensional after all.
Okay, and I must mention that Yongie, the main girl, drove me crazy with her annoying character. During three last episodes I downright loathed her for being such a disappointment to simply everyone around her.
Since the secrets were revealed quite late in the show I was waiting for something interesting but to avail. What was revealed wasn't anything special and it turned out the truth had been there all along, the boring truth.
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The acting wasn't so good, half of the cast overacted the other underacted. The whole plot is so simple it calls for some amazing acting but that's something this drama lacks. No Min Woo played his role well and some of the office employees managed to bring their characters to life. But unfortunately, the main couple had no chemistry and whenever Ji Na sshi and Hee Chul shared screen time Yang Jin Sung became a statue and it seemed like Yung Joon Hak was talking all to himself. This killed all the atmosphere.
Once the side characters grew on me they suddenly disappeared from the picture and in the end the whole plot turned out to be pretty pointless and empty. Some big changes happened towards the end but it wasn't really exciting since everything seemed irrelevant. Now when I look back at the drama I realize that nothing really happened. This show has nothing to offer.
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The acting is good and that's what makes this drama so enjoyable. The cast brings Angry Mom to life and it's a pleasure to watch them all. There are no unnecessary side characters and every character feels important, they change and develop. It's also interesting to see how the story plays out, how the bag guys drive themselves into a corner. There are so many levels to this story, the mother - daughter relationship, a parent -child relationship, husband - wife, teacher - student, parent - school, law - citizen, weak - powerful, good - bad, money - human being, etc.
I think, Angry Mom is a remarkable drama in South Korea, it addresses all the current problems of the society very clearly and the message rings strong. This is not some high school drama about students bullying each other or about love, this is a drama about one angry mom who decided that enough is enough and actually went and stood up against the injustice.
What brings my score down is the overflowing melodrama. There was a lot of crying, which is understandable, but when they sniffled for 20 minutes in each episode it became downright annoying. The character development regarding some side characters was lacking and rushed. The repeating pattern with Kang Ja always on the losing end became a bit repetitive and numbing in the long run. Sometimes the story stopped for minutes for some characters to share their poetic and philosophic world views like for educational purposes... And then there were all those super unrealistic and distracting "the easy way out's" for the writers that brought the quality down.
The last episode was a great disappointment. Not only did they rush things but a lot of last minute advertisement was pushed in and it was totally obvious.
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For the first time I actually cared for all characters in the drama, everyone had their place, they were interesting and fun to watch. Of course, Seo In Guk impressed with his acting, his character felt real to the core. The relationships were well portrayed and it was fun to watch everyone's interaction. Min Seok's with his friends were a sassy energetic bunch. Though it's sad to say that without Seo In Guk this drama wouldn't have been as good.
What caught my eye at first was how this show was filmed, it had that office feel to it. New in Kdramas for me, very lively and entertaining. There was a lot of comedy in the show but at times it was also very serious,the balance was well maintained.
It's actually hard to find anything negative to say about this drama, except that extension was not needed and the show felt a bit stretched. Even 16 episodes is too long, just enough for any show (no matter how good) to lose it's sparks.
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I liked the cast and the fact that the main girl was actually boyish and strong and not some whiny heroine! Comedy in the show is awesome, especially in the first half of the show. But as usual the second half gets a bit boring.
The most annoying thing about this drama was that "the world" aka settings were so one dimensional. There was this small company with like 5 people working there? Everything happened within this company and there was pretty little interaction with the outside world, except a flower shop and a few guys from the rival company. What I'm trying to say the settings felt really artificial and unreal. Like the characters were cut from the outside world and lived in their own little realm.
As a good note the usual "plastic" superficial feeling I get when watching teenage dramas like Dream High and You Are Beautiful is missing. You know, looks pretty but doesn't have a soul? I feel like those high budget dramas are too polished and artificial, like a face after plastic surgery. This one has a gruff charm to it, and I'd really suggest watching this drama rather than You Are Beautiful. This show is entertaining, funny and doesn't really drag much.
As many people mentioned already the ending is pretty bad due to 16 episodes being cut to 14. There are a lot of loose ends but you can assume the results so it's not that bad, it's just that the show has an unfinished feeling to it. And the last episode is super rushed, they could have wrapped it up better without making it feel so rushed... but I think the team lost its hopes on the drama and gave up halfway or something...
Anyway, an interesting show if you like the genre, if you are not much into cross dressing comedy then this show doesn't have much to offer for you.
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