@Growing Beautifully,
I’m transferring your critique out here so it isn’t tucked away in the “What are we watching for April” thread. 🙂 This drama airs every Friday and Saturday. Starring Lee JoongKi (“Flower of Evil”) and Kim Ji Eun (never heard of her, sorry). 16 episodes. It’s on Viki.
Thanks, @GB!
pm3
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
@OAL, @Kate, and other intrepid BODers,
AGAIN MY LIFE – Episode 1 – thoughts and review
*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
Episode 1 – This show does have a manhwa feel to it and even some of the dialogue sounds like it could come from a cartoon, however it is suitable for the premise and the ‘one great hero’ trope.
The first half quickly introduces us to the arrogant, badass Kim Hee Woo, who is larger than life and full of himself. He is able to literally fight criminals without fear (kudos to Lee Jun Ki who does those fight scenes so well in all his shows), and has a grand set of opinions about himself.
He considers himself to be a brave fighter prosecutor who eradicates injustice, a warmhearted prosecutor who cares for the weak and a fair prosecutor who only follows the truth to bring criminals to justice. He defines himself solely by his prosecutor role.
When his over zealousness gets him killed, we get to see his unhappy past and his regrets over his ungrateful treatment of his parents, who died. The lady in red (fashionable Grim Reaper?) who keeps him from staying dead, seems to have an axe to grind with villain Cho Tae Sub. She gives HW a new lease of life, starting back in his post high school days, in return for a promise that he’d make CTS suffer in his earthly life. Lady Reaper thinks waiting for CTS to suffer in his afterlife was too long a wait.
The second half is a warmer, more human unfolding of HW’s story with unexpected comedy provided by Hee Woo’s Father. Death with the return to life in his past has markedly changed HW for the better. He starts to prepare to take down CTS from way in the past (2007), but as in all time jump stories, he must first act to prevent something bad from taking place in his life, in this case, he acts to save his parents.
Familiar questions in time travel/back to the past scenarios:
-We know HW is returned to his past to take down CTS, but is HW also being manipulated for another reason unknown to himself?
-To what extent is his prior future knowledge going to change the future and what will be the fallout?
-If we could live our lives again, would we make the same decisions that we did, or right the mistakes that we made?
While I did not find the first episode to be particularly compelling, it became more watchable. It started off in mostly grey tone, with a coldly rigid HW representing good, and behaving as if he’s the only prosecutor fighting for justice, but brighter, warmer colours came on for HW’s past.
Lee Jun Ki as usual, delivers well and I loved his dad. I may watch to see how the reporter Kim Han Mi – who was also in HW’s past – will play a part in his future. I’d also like to see what the Lady Reaper meant when she said that HW would need her near when he wanted to take CTS down. I expect to see her in another guise, probably as Kim Hee A who has not been introduced to us yet.
I’ll probably watch a couple more episodes at least and maybe all of the show. I’ll want to see if HW can retain his humanity and warmth while taking down criminals in his badass way, and how he will have redefined himself.
Heheheheh! @pkml3…thanks for doing this so promptly!!! I didn’t ask for a thread because I thought I’d watch a couple more episodes to see if show would stick. But it’s good to have a thread where we can come to discuss this show.
It started off more heavy and serious than I’d have liked (coming on after 25, 21) but the few comic elements and lots of warm hugs with HW’s mum and dad, made it an easier watch towards the end. As usual, I’d like the cartoonish characters to become more human and humane. I hope that happens in this show. 🙂
Yes, thank you @Packmule3! I hope this is a goody.
Looking forward to this discussion @GB.
On Viki, it’s still not ready to watch sub-title wise, so I’ll watch and then read your review later today @GB.
Really pleased we’re doing this.
ps @GB – just saw the bottom of your message. It’s nice to have this space to comment and see the series develops but keeping things open ended at this point.
@Kate, Yes, I’m taking the Show slow/slowly. Although I am more in the mood for a light and funny show, I couldn’t pass up on watching another time jump fantasy with Lee Jun Ki in it. Usually I’ll know if Show has grown on me by Episode 4. It’s hopeful already though in Ep 1, since I can see that Hee Woo is not just a 2-D manhwa character, but willing to re-think and change his own trajectory. 🙂
@GB – understood! Viki subtitles allowing, hope to watch by this evening!
Am waiting for Viki subs.As of this writing only at 36 percent.
OK @OAL.
I read what you wrote about 25, 21 and the rubbing out of Hee Do… poor character. I kind of agree with you. No logical explanation of why HD ‘suffered’ such great changes until we feel she ‘disappeared’.
Thank you for posting this, @packmule3, and thank you @GB for your comments. I am planning to start watching ‘Again My Life’ as I like Lee Joon Gi’s acting and this can be an interesting revenge story, if done well (with less blood and gore and some romance, hopefully).
Hi @Phoenix, glad you’re going to watch this.
@OAL, @Kate, Episode 2 was good, better than Episode 1. Music, colours, everything is more upbeat and natural (less manhwa-like) and most or all the main players have been introduced.
Hee Woo gets to live his life again while making changes for the better. With his prior knowledge, it’s satisfying to see what he does. Whom he meets takes on significance too. I’m wondering if his new friend in red has any relation to the Lady Reaper who also wore red.
@GB – sounds promising! Unfortunately, subbing going very slowly and may end up watching tomorrow now.
Lee Jong Gi is one of my favorite actors, so I watched the first episode. Very very effective and fast. Wow! The cliffhanger when he fights the second knife of the villain (played by Lee Kyung Young, an actor always excellent in the roles of villains, who gained weight here). A good suspense is often when a hero is really saved at the last limit. And the best is when… the hero is not saved! He falls from the roof… so… argh… how can he survive?! Crazy!
Instead, he meets the grim reaper, the lady in red. She gives him some very bad advice on the spiritual side. He must be as bad as his enemy. Really, I don’t agree with this as far as morality is concerned, but also spiritual realism (good fights evil just as ruthlessly, but without using the same deviances). But otherwise, it is true that he has to be smarter and stronger. Because of this rotten advice, I guess the lady in red is not just an agent of the afterlife… she also has a revenge to feed, she is personally involved. That’s why she grants this favor to the main lead to relive his fate. Otherwise, grim reapers don’t do that!
This episode is furious, we have both the protagonist and the antagonist in their respective activities. Both equally crazy and powerful. And right away… the confrontation during the interrogation scene. This drama does not waste a second!
LOL @WE, ‘bad advice on the spiritual side’… Yes indeed, especially since I start Holy Week today.
Yup, the Lady Reaper certainly is out for Villain CTS’s blood in the earthly life as well as in the afterlife. A non-human like her should really evince more lofty attitudes tut! tut! I guess we may see her again in the backstory life of the villain who must have caused her/her family untold suffering. In the meantime, I’m confused that the Asianwiki page does not give us a photo of her and the actress’ name.
I hadn’t considered it before, but I should have known that with Lee Jong Gi/Lee Jun Ki in the show, we’d get some badass, cool fights (I’m not sure if I read that he likes to do some of these himself instead of letting a body double do them).
Yes, Lee Kyung Young really looks much older now and has definitely gained weight. I recall liking him in Misaeng and sighing that he was the ‘villain’ of sorts there.
I found Episode 1 much more fast-paced than Episode 2, but I enjoyed Ep 2 more. Still we speed through the many activities that Hee Woo concentrates on to prepare himself for the showdown with CTS. I like that along the way, he recalls how people who happened to walk along a similar path as himself had fallen, and how he tries to prevent this or saves them. By his positive attitude, good grades and good deeds, he earns new privileges.
This inadvertently (and of course coincidentally) sets him on the right path to meet the right people, so that his preparations to fight CTS can be more thorough. It gels together seamlessly, and makes sense, which I like.
His great success this time around in his life seems to show that he always had the ability, but he had a bad attitude in his first go-round in life. Watching him rectify his deficiencies is heartily satisfying. 🙂
@GB, no one is able to double Lee Joon Gi for fights because he is just better!
– Fourth dan taekwondo black belt,
– first dan hapkido black belt,
– first dan taekkyeon black belt (traditionnal korean martial art, usefull for historical dramas).
– He learned Russian martial art system for the remake of Criminal Minds,
– Thai kick-boxing for Time Between Dog and Wolf.
– Last years, he practice a lot Jijutsu (kind of thing Bresilians introduced in Free fight and is very effective on the ground).
– 2009, he got Martial Arts Actor Award from the Korean Martial Arts Federation. (dramas Time Between Dog and Wolf and Iljimae) .
@WE, you’re obviously a LJG fan.
I just realised that I’ve watched more LJG shows than I was aware of.
My Girl (he looked like a girly wimp then, but Lee Da Hae said he was very manly)
Time Between Dog and Wolf
Arang and the Magistrate
Lawless Lawyer
Flower of Evil
and now watching Again My Life
It’s good to see him always being great in his work and even getting better.
@GB, probably a fan, but a quite bad one, because there is so many dramas with him I didn’t watched yet. 😉
But it’s still nice to have a list of dramas I’ll enjoy later. If I takes Lee Jong Suk, I watched almost all, except the “romance bonus books” thing, as I can’t stand the main female lead (and the actress). Only one I have left and would like to watch is “hymn of death”.
I’ll watch episode 2 of “again my life” and probably the whole drama. I don’t know much about current others kdramas, didn’t have time to dig this. Grid is soon over, so I can keep one live drama. I have to end some others kdramas too… lol, it’s like working!! I probably drop “fate & furry”, I lost any motivation.
I just finished the photo-drama of my Ws2 episode 12, and I need to rest a bit before to do episode 13, additional corrections on 6-11, or change ep14 second draft in an accurate screenplay… What will be a amazing job (hard work but motivation) : it’s an episode full of voice-over.
I told you about that one day. Here or there, I have some episodes with too much voice-over. You know, the SJJ style, like in MOTA. Only, too much is too much! I made a list of techniques to get rid of many, so I’ll use that. I will keep only the best voice-over and translate other things in live action, flashbacks.
I don’t eliminate all the voice-over because if I made it like that on first draft, it’s because I got the intuition it was the good thing to do, to have the point of view of the character and deeper feeling. My goal is to keep what provide emotion and eliminate what is redoundant with the image, or could be translated in image.
I know I’ve still to read properly your Ws2.
I did watch Hymn of Death and Romance is a Bonus Book, but those shows are with Lee Jong Suk, not LJG.
Devil Judge (which I enjoyed) meets Count of Monte Christo meets Rocky…!
Using music from Holst Jupiter, The Planets as sound track in places …. not quite sure why – perhaps they’ll use other bits of that piece – Mars, bringer of war etc?!
As @GB says it has a manhwa feel. Fast paced which I like but also a bit predictable/one dimensional so far…
I DO like the idea of central character exploring a different strategy to bring justice and the question of how justice is achieved and what wisdom looks like.
Plot warms up more on his return to 2007… more humanity and potential for rounded characters…
He has gone back as him with his full knowledge as a Prosecutor and his martial arts experience in tact, it would seem. That makes it more fun.
I want to see how things develop now.
ps Will be able to watch Ep 2 later today when subs completed.
@GB and @WEnchanteur … I became an LJG fan when I watched Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo… did either of you see it?
It is engrossing! I am about to do a second watch only a month after seeing it for the first time.
@GB – just read your review through. Very helpful. I agreed entirely and you gave us great questions to ponder! I think it’s the way those questions play out that will make this interesting to watch.
@WEnchanteur — interesting take on the Grim Reaper’s agenda and thank you too for background info re actors and LJK’s martial arts expertise! That final fight before he falls to his near death… was quite something even to my inexperienced eyes.
@GB, Take time. Just finish the W rewatch first. I also need to translate the episode 13 to make the whole thing make more sense.
Then… It’s maybe not so good to read so deeply as you do. Or at least to do it at the first reading. It might even be exhausting. It’s very useful to have a good and real feedback for me, but I think about the audience first. A story is all about emotion, thrills and laughs. I made it to be a TV illusion. When you have the opportunity to read, don’t look for anything special except watching it as a normal kdrama. Just enjoy the ordinary fun without complicating your life!
I avoid some SJJ habits or what is confusing. So, there are often explanations, and when there are not, we know it’s a mystery. I avoid trapping the audience unnecessarily. So there’s no need to think as much. Of course, I can’t garantee I’m successful, even if I want to.
Now, “useless confusion” is on my list of things to avoid. I actually read an article by a famous screenwriter about it (alas, I can’t retrieve the link)… The audience should never feel confusion. Feel a mystery yes, but not confusion. If the audience feels confusion, it is discouraging, and probably a sign that the screenwriter was not able to show it as a mystery.
When something strange happens, it’s normal for the audience not to have an immediate answer, as long as the situation is well understood and well told. But for a story with a High-Concept, my personal thinking leads me to this conclusion: giving explanations sooner or later is necessary, because it validates the concept. It allows the audience to believe in the concept and its logic. It’s just that it has to be done in a fun way, not in an off-putting way, without sounding like an exposition under the nose.
As a generalization, I think kdrama writers often fail on these two aspects, even the ones I like very much. Some people think it’s to challenge the audience, as if the screenwriter was thinking first of having an audience smart enough to understand. I don’t want to spend my time trying to understand something unnecessarily confusing that I never have an explanation for, or else the rest has to be really great!
And I don’t feel it’s what the screenwriter wants to do either, I think it’s more of a failure. The screenwriters are so into their story for months or more, they all understand their story, but at the same time become unable to express it to those who don’t know. There is an involuntary cognitive deficit. Why else would they do something that pushes the audience away?
I often say it, “ordinary spectator”. That’s what I always do when I watch a kdrama. I never try to analyze the first time. Of course, I do it involuntarily because many elements come to me naturally, but without effort. I just try to have fun while watching. And if I like the drama, I will make the effort to analyze.
If I don’t like it… It’s true that it’s a pain. I had a lot of trouble with TKEM for example. I should have even stopped analyzing and rewatching the episodes. Just enjoy the good scenes here and there, because the drama still had some good moments. And I spoiled the whole thing for myself because of my stubbornness!
Now, I think Grid is probably more flawed than TKEM, because at least TKEM, there was a way to explain with the Fantasy, or just to say that it doesn’t matter, it’s not pure Sci-Fi, but also a magical principle, with divinity, mythic artifact, etc. Whereas Grid really wants to look like a Sci-Fi drama. Well, that kind of thing doesn’t make me angry anymore.
And I also try to get something positive out of the kdramas I don’t like. Like Hospital Playlist, where I was able to progress in screenwriting by analyzing what was wrong with it. By finding the precise reason. I’ve already used it to improve two scenes! And also, even if the whole thing was very hard to watch, I managed to find some funny scenes, with the famous maggot doctor! 🙂
@Kate, yes yes yes!
This drama was on my list for a long time. I was very curious because people were very divided about this drama. I have never seen a drama with so much fan-fiction behind it. I thought to myself, if it can make some people so passionate, it makes me want to watch it.
Overall, the drama was good. The pacing slightly too slow on several occasions. But the last five episodes… Wowww! Amazing. I have rarely seen stronger and faster. This drama is worth seeing, already because it’s enjoyable to watch all the way through… and because this last quarter of the drama is a must see!!!
The first episode has some catchy elements, thanks to the magnetism of Lee Joon Gi. And one of the first scenes… He kills his horse!!! What?!!! What?!!!… And a funny (if very unrealistic) scene… He grabs the FL and puts her on his horse (another horse, lol).
@WEnchanteur… could not agree more. The power in those final episodes.
And some of that wonderful anachronistic comedy, too, in earlier episodes…’Fighting!’ and her robot dance!
And… what a stellar cast… they have all gone on to do great things.
The horse killing scene I have to scroll through quickly – I know it was symbolic but really unnecessary to 21st Century eyes! That action would normally be given to a villain wouldn’t it?!
But as a completely soppy romantic that scene you mention where he grabs the FL and puts her on his horse… one of my all time fave meetings of ML and FL…I got goose bumps when I saw that and have re-watched at least 15 times… even watched with my hairdresser (who wanted to know what all the fuss was about K-dramas) who also thought it was swoony!!
@Kate, the horse scene was perfect! So surprizing, even more because it’s the protagonist and not the vilain. 😉 I don’t remember the details but he had a reason to do this. As you show this drama to other people, it’s quite a good drama for people who don’t know what kdrama are. And there is enough comedy in the first part to makes people be hooked. It’s also a good one for people who don’t use to watch historical kdrama, then make them want to watch some other historical masterpieces.
@WEnchanteur… Yes… I am just squeamish! I think…memory vague here too … he was expressing his commitment to not going back to the ‘hostage’ situation with his ‘adopted’ family… I was never clear about what went on with the ‘adopted’ family. Looked brutal.
He is a man of his age… that’s what makes the relationship with FL so interesting.
Agreed – this drama has everything to draw in a K-drama newbie!
@Kate Scarlet Heart Ryeo was my first kdrama ever back in 2016 and I have never looked back! I have been a fan of Lee Joon Gi ever since. I’ve watched all of his dramas post that.
I had thought ‘Again My Life’ might get repetitive as I have watched his earlier ‘Lawless Lawyer’, given that the premises are similar. However, I am pleasantly surprised by ‘Again My Life’, especially episode 2 which handles emotion and action in a well balanced way.
I like the mystery element of our hero piecing together who is who from his previous life, and how they will play a part in shaping the future. This lets him try to pre-empt events from happening or try to set new events in motion. It’s like changing the actions to change the reactions. The mysteries are when he can’t place certain characters, like Lee Min Soo, his new classmate who didn’t exist in his past life.
@GB I had the same suspension about his new friend in red, that the grin reaper lady came in disguise to help him in his quest, especially since the friend appeared to be wise and seems to be a major character.
I like the pacing of this drama and the cliffhanger at the end. I think I’m going to stick to watching this drama to the end, just for Lee Joon Gi’s acting, screen presence and action.
I’m currently watching episode 2.
Lee Joon Gi… this guy is 39 and is able to look like a 20 young guy.
Really, this actor makes me crazy!!! 🙂
@Phoenix – what a great entry point into K-dramas!
I am looking forward to AML Ep 2 based on your comments.
I’m at 2/3 of episode 2… it’s so cool!!! 🙂
On that ending, I have two theories on the last scene. Spoliers ahead, so proceed with caution in case you haven’t watched episode 2 yet.
**Spoilers**
Theory #1: Kim Hee Woo’s killer is just a random stranger following him at this point and has no idea what is about to transpire in the future. Just like Kim had a chance to change the fate of his parents, he may be getting a chance to change his would-be killer’s pattern of thinking or choice of work in some way, and thus stop the events leading to his murder from happening.
Theory #2: The grom reaper lady in red has a strange sense of humour and sent back the killer (after he somehow died) the same way as she gave back life to Kim, maybe with the mission of changing his way of life.
I’m eager to listen to what others think about this sudden appearance.
I can imagine it gave Kim goosebumps to come face to face with someone who he knows is going to kill him.
@Pheonix: I’m a bit slow at recognize some faces and I was not sure it was the vilain’s main killer. So it’s him?! No idea what happens, but it’s a cool cliffhanger!
@WEnchanteur: That man did look to me like a thinner version of the man who had killed Kim in the first episode, maybe he was the suspicious looking in the cap sitting at the restaurant, but I may be wrong. I hope I got the face right.
I do agree that some faces can be a bit too similar. I’m confused between the girl from his college and the one at the restaurant – they look similar to me.
I’m really interested in knowing if and how Kim plans to turn the would-be dishonest lawyers over to his side (for example, the current chief prosecutor, the senior lawyer he is interning with). That way, the enemy camp of Cho Tae Seob will have less power. This can be a possible strategy of winning against the enemy. Already his son died instead of being the one who killed Kim’s parents – so one point already to Kim in this game of Kim vs. Cho Tae Seob. I noticed the chessboard in the opening credits and it makes me think that Kim will start taking away or neutralizing each important chess piece from Tae Seob’s board.
I’m also curious to know who the red lady will be in her human avatar, she said she will be someone close to Tae Seob, and warned Kim not to be surprised when he meets her in real life. She clearly has her own agenda to take out Tae Seob from the inside by betraying him, the question is why though.
So may mysteries to be solved 🙂
*so many mysteries, I mean.
I wonder if anyone has read the Web novel on which this is based.
Hi all.
Agreed – a very entertaining second episode! I am just awaiting the final 12% of the Viki subs for Ep 2. May have to come back tomorrow and comment on your discussion.
I also have difficulty recognizing faces after just one episode… but loving it nevertheless. So glad he has all his present-day skills to use in 2008.
I am guessing the girl who was helping the woman with dementia for our hero’s love interest. She looks like she will be a good partner to him in his new quest.
@Kate You can watch English subs of both episodes on Daily motion. That’s where I watched them, because I wasn’t patient enough to wait for Viki subbers😝
@Phoenix – thank you! Off I scamper to watch.
Ooh err …that final sequence, *great* use of sound track, gave me goosebumps too!
@Pheonix and @WEnchanteur …Yes, I’m pretty sure it was the guy from ep 1 who was brought in to dispatch our hero in 2022.
And what is our hero doing staggering in a drunken state across a deserted bridge…? He needs to wise up from now on!
@Phoenix – theories re the mystery? Hmmm – mine are variations on yours I think.
My immediate response was that original assassin was part of Lady in Red’s team of agents who live outside of time.
But what if he works for our original bad guy (Tae Seob) and is approaching our hero, in secret, back in 2008 to find out if our hero wants to work for the baddies and be sponsored by them through college?
The plot thickens!
Love the idea of the human chess game played out with some foreknowledge but all those variables too.
I also wondered whether Lee Min Soo might be a guardian angel or Red Lady agent playing a role to put our hero off the track. But other characters know him so my theory doesn’t hold water at the moment.
What is suspicious is Lee Min Soo making that contemporary (taking a photo?) shape with his hands ….
@Kate I’m glad that man looked like the murderer to you too, an younger version maybe. Some faces look similar and I get confused too.
I too think in the future, that man was hired by Tae Seob to kill off the pesky prosecutor. There was a foreshadowing of that when Tae Seob was having dinner with his ally. I think he paid a hired murderer to kill the prosecutor (also those female assassins who must be part of the same hired gang).
In the new life, I think either the man is still not yet in touch wuth Tae Seob or like you said, he may have been sent by Tae Seob. I think one reason could be because Kim’s father had testified against Tae Seob’s son who was guilty of drunk driving and died. Maybe Tae Seob wants to keep that secret from getting publicized.
Lots of theories here, but I think this drama is full of mysteries and excites the imagination!
Did you also find the extra character of the new friend to be a bit mysterious? Why is there this difference from the past and how will that impact the outcome of the battle between the hero and the villain? I wonder what role this new friend (who seemed to want to force the friendship) play? I somehow think he has been planted by fate (or the red lady) to help Kim.
Let’s wait and watch😃
Ooh yes, Kate, I just saw your comment. So you find Lee Min Soo’s appearance a bit strange too, just like GB and I do.🙌 I too found that contemporary photo clicking gesture suspicious🤔🤔🤔
@Phoenix – yes indeed. Looking forward to further discussions en route!
Ahhh – yes – the connection with Tae Seob’s son…that sounds a plausible reason for sending TS’s henchman to do something to our hero. Good thinking.
@Phoenix… Yes! I missed your and @GB’s comments on LMS.
Just wondering whether he is in the same boat as our hero and has been returned to that point in time, having died in an untimely fashion, to do a re-do his life and help out in the task facing our hero.
He dropped a very heavy hint when he said ‘You look old like I do ‘ or something to that effect +n the contemporary photo clicking gesture… He seems out of context doesn’t he?
Wow @Phoenix, I like your imagination. It goes several steps ahead of mine!!! LOL.
I like this theory. Hee Woo’s 2nd chance at life is giving him the opportunity to meet and influence the people he knows/is aware of in his 1st chance at life, as well as to meet new people who may become instrumental in his main objective.
I’d like to imagine that HW makes friends with his would-be killer, so that matters will not go according to CTS’s plans.
However the other comment about how CTS may have sent henchman over to accost the son of the man who testified as witness to the drunk driving, is possible too. Like most overly entitled chaebols… CTS may feel that HW’s dad dared to report on and thus besmirch the name of his son, and so HW being his son, is fair game to him for petty revenge.
Theory #2: The grom reaper lady in red has a strange sense of humour and sent back the killer (after he somehow died) the same way as she gave back life to Kim, maybe with the mission of changing his way of life.
I’m eager to listen to what others think about this sudden appearance.
This is so funny. You mean in the future, when the killer dies, he’s also given this chance to change his trajectory? That’s looking far ahead. If his character takes on a bigger role, who knows?
Let’s see if ‘friend’ Lee Min Soo consistently turns up with red clothes/accessories etc… we suspect him of being the Lady Reaper in Red or her minion. He’s inserting himself into HW’s life so insistently!
Yes Kim Hee Ah seems to be the love interest after 1 short episode 2. It’s all in the way the couple looked at each other, and how they filtered out Min Soo LOL.
@Kate, wow another theory!
Not Killer (Dr K) but Min Soo is possibly another soul who died and sent back by Lady Reaper? Yes, very possible. He’s been given the role of the garrulous, free-loading guardian angel (of some kind) to help HW along the way. He offers added assurance that HW can keep his promise to Lady Reaper. Maybe he has to report to Lady Reaper from time to time as well.
Thank you @Kate for naming the music. I’m horrible at knowing or remembering names for pieces that I find so familiar.
Intriguing, isn’t it, the choice of Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity. I’m tending to think that it might be a nod to the fact that it’s the piece used for patriotic: “I Vow to Thee My Country” because HW was so full of patriotism in terms of fighting for justice/to eradicate injustice in his country. Still, we will look out for excerpts of other ‘planets’ in future episodes.
In the quest to ever be ‘educated’ no matter how simply, I found this https://www.classicfm.com/composers/holst/pictures/holsts-planets-guide/neptune/ to know a little bit, about what Holst created.
To listen to the whole suite … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be7uEyyNIT4
Lee Min Soo… A guy that the protagonist never knew suddenly arrives, and tries to stick him. I find him very suspicious because of his red sweater… RED!!!
His conversation is weird too. Maybe he’s connected to the grim-rippers?
I really want to share this!
Lee Joon Gi, in a hidden drama… that doesn’t exist.
But that seems real!
I found this by chance while listening to this song from Fantastic Duo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8B_NxRcQ6w
That’s put the sun in yours hearts!
The song is so catchy that I wanted to listen to the original version of the singer Lee Soo Young (title: Grace). Fantastic Duo’s version seems to have some harmonic changes or something extra, by the way. And these three ordinary men are so talented. I guess in a country with a strong karaoke culture, it’s possible! By the way, the singer Lee Soo Young is amazed, because the singers come in cascade and all have beautiful and surprising interpretations.
But however, watching the video clip of the original singer…
This clip tells a story of kdrama. Kind of like the MVs, except that there is an order to the scenes. With Lee Joon Gi as the main actor of course. The clip is so convincing that it looks like it’s really from a drama, which we would like to watch by the way. The last scene is incredible, something like this has certainly never been done in a drama. This clip makes you dream. There are a lot of tropes, which makes it easy to understand everything.
Here, this 16h kdrama, told in 5 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glef1XK4rak
There is a second version, with the same song and subtitles. It tells the same story but showing different scenes, absent from the first clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlRvAIK0AUM
la la la lala la la… la la la lala la la.
@GB… I think you are right to emphasise the use of the Holst music for ‘I vow to thee my country’ and therefore as an expression of our hero’s goals as a seeker of justice and so forth. That makes better sense than Jupiter Bringer of Jollity.
@WEnchanteur … red sweater… aha! It looks like we are being given more than one clue…
@WEnchanteur… just caught your other post – intriguing, will watch with interest. I’m up in the wee small hours here and am heading back to sleep.
I like the theory of Lee Min Soo being another dead soul revived and sent back by the grim reaper to aid Kim.
I love all the intriguing theories😃
Thanks @WE, that was a great song, and yes, a ‘show’ that we never knew we wanted to watch with LJG in the lead, LOL. It has a haunting quality as many songs of longing seem to have. Fortunately this one is more upbeat.
The other one I’m still stuck on is the 25, 21 by Jaurim/or better yet sung by Kim Se Jeong.
@WEnchanteur – enjoyed the song and their blended voices. Super!
The film – do you know there they took most of it from … the scenes where they are practising fencing etc? I’d like to find the original.
@WEnchanteur – clearly, I am in need of a lengthy break! You explained there was no film. LOL. So did the footage come from a music video?
@Kate, Yes, that’s what I understood from reading some comments. This mini-drama was made just for the song. What I find crazy is that in such a short time, we can feel the emotions of the story. A story that we manage to understand, except for a few points: I’m not sure who the second girl is. At first she seems to be a rival, but eventually a friend. The main couple seems to have an argument at some point, but I don’t know why.
There are lots of excellent shots. When Lee Joon Gi winks. When he does the Piggy Back of the heroine, she cries and her tear lands on his cheek. There are several references to balloons throughout, but the ending still surprised me. I vaguely understood that the girl is in love with him and he knows it. But on her side, she doesn’t know if it’s a shared feeling. I think she has the answer on the balloon!!! 🙂
On this drama, we have two rookie screenwriters: Kim Yool and “Jay”. I couldn’t find any previous work. By rookies, I guess they still wrote a lot of stuff (never shot) and were assistants for years for other screenwriters, as it works like that in Korea. There might be some clumsiness, but I can see the quality of their team, after reading the first chapter of the manhwa.
The manhwa starts directly with the scene on the roof and the fall of the protagonist, then the appearance of the grim reaper! And of course, after watching the drama, I know that this was not the best thing to do. The drama takes the time to introduce the characters, the main conflict, and turns the rooftop scene into a compelling cliffhanger. A powerful scene, because I hadn’t read the drama’s pitch, so I was surprised. The exposition time of the first half hour also benefits the rest of the story.
I think it’s a shame that dramas are so often inspired by webtoon now. It’s not a style of writing that is interesting because I suspect that many are written in a run of the mill fashion, whereas a drama is best when structured from start to finish.
I guess it depends on various factors. This is a kind of story board already. Then a strategy, making dramas promotes webtoons, in the context of cultural expansion and hallyu. The Koreans cannot promote manga because the niche is taken by the Japanese. But the webtoon is a concept linked to the Internet and Korea likes to show itself as the most avant-garde country in this field. As well as that of smartphones.
@WE. @Kate, for fun, I looked up the MV of Grace. I’m not sure, but it seems that there were 3 parts to that song’s MV. The 3rd part had a different song but the actors were the same and there were other scenes that were not in the first 2 parts.
This is supposed to be Part 3, but the subs are in Vietnamese.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yNirHGU108
Here’s a fan’s interpretation of the 3 MVs.
https://forums.soompi.com/topic/22690-lee-sooyoung-music-videos/?do=findComment&comment=1607664
There’s even an interview with LJG and Lee Soo Young, but again the subs are in Vietnamese.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxiQusgUSDo
Anyone have a Vietnamese-reading friend? LOL.
@WE, it’s good to know that the start of the show turned out better as re-written by the Show Writers than if they’d followed the manhwa strictly.
While more Shows are adaptations of webtoons, the writers seem to usually make the relevant changes that render the work better as live action on screen. It must be an interesting way to work as well, loosely basing a story on the pictures drawn more than or as much as on the dialogues, while veering off to make changes when more ‘meat’ is required. The writers will also have to create or find the right ending, since webtoons go on indefinitely.
However I do agree that a properly structured drama where the end is already in view and the action works towards it, is usually the better screen-writing method.
@GB, great for your discoveries, I’ll take the time to watch this.
My opinion on webtoon is subjective. I did like some dramas based on it though. For example “My roomate is a guinmho” was funny, but not very deep. And it’s hard to see plot-twists prepared from the beginning. There is one in “Let’s fight ghost”. For Yumi Cells, of course with a writer as monstrous as SJJ, she was able to give depth and build incredible scenes. But others… ah it’s superficial. I have a bad feeling about this process. I’d have to read a lot of webtoon to see if the writers really know where they’re going. I don’t see a webtoon have something as powerfull as “Empress Ki” or “Jang Ok Jung” for example. Or just any kdrama I really like, W, MOTA, etc. All this stuff need a so precise set-up and crazy deep preparation of the whole story, before to go on paper. Some japanese manga are still very good, but maybe they prepare that much. Just “death note” for example, there is a plot with so much logic and unfolding on the long run.
@GB, I saw the part3! It’s a different song.
Otherwise, there is a lot of information that was missing. For example in part1, the scene with the chemicals, I was wondering what it was doing there. So he takes the products in the face and ends up in the hospital. There is every possible explanation about the loss of an eye. But the explanations are confusing. Does the short-haired girl really give him an eye? And poor thing, she will remain the SFL anyway. But nothing surprising. In any case, she seems to be a rival, and not the sister of the protagonist. The way she’s grabbing him from behind in the hospital.
I think we need to put Packmule3 on the case. ahaha!!!
The only thing I understood in the interview was that Lee Joon Gi is asked to imitate a feathered animal. 🙂
@WE, About the Grace MVs – whether he received a donated eye and from whom will remain a mystery, I guess. I was even under the impression that the little girl was the daughter of the other young woman whom he smiled at. But there’s no indication that he’s the father.
You can probably take the ideas offered in the videos and in the article and do your own screenplay! With LJG in the lead, of course!
@GB, ahah, I don’t have time for that. But I put this in my memory as a good way to resume a convincing love story with just a 5 minutes montage and a drama song. It goes with another good example of this: the 5 first minutes of Hi Bye Mama. 😉
@WEnchanteur & @GB – what an enjoyable and informative conversation. Thank you both. It’s a nice way to finish off my working day reading through your conversation. I studied modern languages at uni and read a lot of drama and although I don’t do anything like that now professionally at all – I find this business of plots and screen writing and what goes into them – especially in this K context – fascinating. Why do some dramas hold you in their grip and others become moving wallpaper backgrounds? etc
Hi again @GB and @WEncanteur,
Again – what fun! I watched the linked items you sleuthed out @GB.
The plot of that small MV is certainly complex! Perhaps MVs simply don’t need the same level of rigorous plot development – just nods to logic!
Yes, we could do with someone with Vietnamese or an app that translates subs!
Good news, I’m probably wrong about webtoons. I just asked someone who reads a lot of them. This person told me that usually, the script is written before they start drawing. I assume an important structure of the episodes, an outline. Maybe the detailed writing happens afterwards, I don’t know. We’d have to find some interviews about it.
@Kate, How can this grip, while others are like wallpaper? I wish I had the answer, but there’s probably no obvious answer. If I talk about it, the post will be three pages long. lol! What we observe as an audience is being genuinely moved. If not, it’s quickly forgotten and it was just entertainment. I think that kdramas are enriching, not on an intellectual or cultural level. They are enriching because they awaken sincere emotions in us, and therefore make our heart come alive. This can be done in five minutes like this clip, or longer dramas. And sometimes dramas, although they seem very good, have little impact.
There is no problem of thematic, good direction, intelligence, just touch. An old drama badly done, with microphones sticking out, a blatant melodramatism, notorious flaws, some episodes badly done (yes, I think of the classic “stairway to heaven”!), is still better than a modern drama basically poorly visceral.
@WEnchanteur – what you write above makes a lot of sense. Thank you.
@Kate, @W3nchanteur, @GB, Have been out of touch because my son was in this week end. Started watching Again My Life because I’m a LJG fan. He never disappoints. My entry level drug was Flower of Evil and want very much to see Scarlet Heart Reo. LJG is so good. He is a chameleon. Like Kim Tae Ri, he credibly plays an adolescent. His emotional range is deep and then, to boot, he’s a real action star. Jackie Chan and Bruce and Jet Li were phenomenal, but I’d bet my last dollar that they couldn’t do Shakespeare. LJG is the whole package. I would love to see him pIred with KTR-how dynamic would they be!
Regarding this drama and the whole issue of webtoons, I suggest that these come c from a long tradition if cinematic stories based on various cultures Mangas, Manhasset, anime, comic books. And if you dig deeper, they all go back to mythology. There are origin stories, world building, ancestry, tragic motivation, etc. In this drama we have a superhero story cloaked in mystery, and legal drama. LJG is not brawny but is so powerful here. And I also have to say there are no slow spots, so far for me. I am totally engaged. For me this is a perfect transition from 2521 and Business Proposal. The action comes at the right time.
To BODers, am looking forward to fun discussions.
@WEnchanteur, put LJG together with Kim Tae Ri, just a couple of kids. These two have to be cast in something. They are so charismatic. They can both do physical acting and are great doing deep psychological work. The only problem may be that they don’t have “chemistry”. However, I think that because they are great actors, that t h e today be excellent scene partners, having fun working off each other. Neither of them seem like they have an ego problem. If there are casting lurkers out there, please consider pairing them. Pretty please….
@AOL, impossible, she is right in the opposite of my ideal type. I find her repulsive, no matter how she can be good about acting. I can’t even watch a drama like 21-29, even if I could enjoy it because the ML lead, just because I’ve no way to believe in the romance with her. It don’t happens often, but sometimes, it happens, last time was “romance is a bonus book”. Unwatchable, even if I like Lee Jong Suk too.
I’ve paired LJG in my Ws2 drama, because I use photos, and one of the character use Lee Joon Gi! So, I’ve already the perfect woman for him. ^^
@OAL — so good to see you and this is going to be a super discussion isn’t it? I love your paen of praise to LJG… I am only entry level but find him so compelling to watch.
Here is where I found Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo, btw
https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2006593721?bstar_from=bstar-web.ugc-video-detail.related-recommend.all
I love the c-drama route back into mythology that you trace. Oooh! More to discuss there I think.
I’ll will soon end bussiness proposal, I wasn’t sure what drama I could watch next, but I will just watch all LJG dramas I missed. Starting with historical ones. ^^
Sounds great @WEnchanteur!
@WEnchanteur, Oh well, no problem, we can’t all agree on actors. I know that I got a distaste for Shin Hyun Been after HPL. And after his scandal, dimple guy from Start Up lost a lot of people.
I will say it that our to chief villain, played by Lee Keung-young had a no actual bad scandal in 2002 that involved prostitution with a minor, where he promised her a movie on to loo role. He did community service, prison time and probation. It is public record.It apparently didn’t seem to affect his career because he’s worked steadily and won awards since. I suspect that he accepted his punishment and admitted guilt as well as apologized profusely. I first saw him in Vagabond and li KK ed by his performance. He does a great job playing villains. I guess that also accounts for his longevity.
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@Kate, Thank you for the link!😊
@WE, since you’re ending Business Proposal, I’ve been wanting to ask if you’re up for yet another time loop show. @Cleo, @Viva and I are planning on watching the cdrama ‘Reset’ in a couple of weeks’ time. We’ll be doing it slowly though, just 1 episode or so a week.
@Wenchanteur and @GB,
I have the song Grace going round and round in my head on a loop this morning! I will now have to re-watch the MV and get it out of my system.
@Kate
I think that way, you’re going to entrench it more into your system, LOL.
@GB…good point! I’m laughing here too.
@GB, It’s difficult for me to watch c-drama, as I have to rely on english subtitles and honestly, I’m not enough good in english to watch a drama with these subtitles. It moves too fast and except the very simple sentences, I easely have problems.
However, I have maybe a way to watch Reset, after some search on internet. I’ll need to test that and say you later if it’s ok.
Okie dokie @WE. I hope it will be not too much trouble. In any case, we are watching it slowly, so I hope that there are days in between, to get the translations.
Episode 9 of Grid and Episode 4 of Soundtrack are up!
@WE, Just wow!
Hi @pkml3, a Blessed Easter to you and your family!
Please put up the new thread for Again My Life Episode 3 and 4. Much thanks!
I’m up to date, job done! I watched Grid 9 and Again my life 3 & 4.
Commented a bit on MDL. Some more episode of Reset. It’s nice but not the kind of drama I would like to rewatch. It don’t need because all is so clear and clean. Also because I think the story could be shorter, but don’t really know how.
Hi @WE, I’m also up to date on the episodes, and I started on Reset. Strangely, I find the simpler Reset more compelling than Lee Junki and Again My Life.
@GB, it’s two drama I can’t compare. About Reset, it’s of course compelling. But as episodes passe, I have the feeling to be in a reset loop too. Bus/Police station. It’s repeatitive with the same sets. It could even be a movie. Else, when I have time, I’ll make a list about the narration technique.