Tempted

It's reminds me of cruel intentions, pretty good so far

First time i watched this i was stirred and frankly pissed off by the overwhelming amount of bad things people do throughout this drama. Stupid choices and unnerving plot twists that balance dangerously above the abyss of run of the mill, ridiculous soap-opera scripts. However, on second viewing it all somehow makes a near-perfect harmonious ode to the plight of the super-privileged, and rather intelligently puts it all on display. Would perhaps benefit from a slightly stronger actress to sell the very well written, infuriatingly righteous female lead, but who can blame an actress for going soft around Woo Do Hwan...? Anyway, point being: it's really well played and well put together and devastatingly sexy, even more so second time you watch, when you know how it all turns out.

The Great Seducer (also known as Tempted) actually became one of my favorite dramas of 2018. There were certainly some issues with the script and direction; with the plot and writing at times letting down a talented cast. The drama isn't tied to one genre, with it shifting between a darker mystery and a romantic comedy. This could be confusing to some viewers, but I was able to enjoy the way the drama didn't fit neatly into one definition and I embraced both the comedic and the dramatic scenes. The two leads had great chemistry, with Park Sooyoung and Woo Do Hwan delivering fine performances ranging from romance, comedy, and heartbreak. Overall I thought the cast was able to make their characters compelling enough to make this drama a worthwhile view and one of my favorites in 2018.

I was one of those viewers who never saw any teasers, had no idea the show existed, so didn't have any expectations going in. I just watched it now in 2020, and really enjoyed it. I thought the actors did great jobs, and I was really rooting for the main characters to figure things out.

Some of the characters really were mean at times - but I could see why they acted as they did, given their messed up families / emotional problems.

The ending was 'okay', my main issue being that not all ends were tied up. I would have liked to see what happened for all the minor characters. It seemed like the end was a little rushed, with the two main relationship plot threads sort of being resolved in the last 5 mins. But maybe that's just me. I would have liked to see how things ended for the 'tutee' (e.g. girl who was tutored ;) ) and so on.

Screen play: 8/10 moral of story lacking Drama Direction: 7/10 not balanced by a moral Actors: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 well drawn Entertainment value: 6/10 due to sociopathic behaviors Soundtrack: 10/10 Art Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Series classification accuracy: doesn't classify as romance comedy. Watch at your own risk if tender hearted.

Comments: excellent acting by all, not just the leads. This is a high intensity drama with roles showing clear sociopathic personalities. 19 year olds with too much money, little responsibility or direction in life. Idleness is indeed the devil's playground. The Director could have adjusted the end storyline to show how (if at all) the main characters were molded into responsible adulthood. So the end was a real slash and burn with little satisfaction for 15 hours of high level emotional trauma. In other words, an overload of emotional distress dismissed by 5 minute happy ending.

Final thoughts: the greatest consolation in this drama is Joy who plays Tae Hea so remarkably well. Her smile lights up the screen and brings transforming joy, beauty and peace into the darkness Shi Hyun's world.