jaeyeon_jung

When I saw the CG monsters in the trailer, I thought, "Director Yeon has come up with something strange again" and I didn't have much expectations for this show. Fortunately, the focus of this show was not on the supernatural phenomenon itself, but on the human reaction to it, and the overwhelming insight and originality of the work offsets other technical shortcomings.

While "Squid Game" by Hwang Dong-hyuk or "Train to Busan"(2016) by Yeon himself were entertainers for many people, this show seems to be a work for the audience who put more weight on the subject matter of the work. In terms of originality, it can be compared to "The Wailing"(2016) by Na Hong-jin, and the ending of the last eposode is reminiscent of "Children of Men"(2006) by Alfonso Cuarón.

As a Korean director, Yeon Sang-ho is not yet at the level of masters like Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho. But he has proven within the mainstream that he is an original storyteller that will continue to be noticed.

Just watched whole 9 episodes and my favorite was the 6th, Gganbu. Not perfect nor a masterpiece, but this is very well made and provides a certain level of emotional experience. The overall show was far beyond things that were shown in trailer. Very well directed, performed, and finding its own unique points from the genre mixture of various references such as Gambling Apocalypse : Kaiji, Battle Royale, and so on. Just hope all others enjoy this show not only in Korea but also everywhere!

Ps. Even to Korean ears, VIPs' English conversations were not well written nor performed. I think the drama could stand well enough without their presence and save the budget.