Change Your Image
Maya1Q
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Gyeongiroun Somun (2020)
Brilliant and Fun; Season Two Was a Disaster
School bullying and revenge are subjects K-Dramas excel at. This is reality and I'm not mad at it. The actors in the series are all talented and capable of expressing human emotions without pretense and fakery.
Season 1 has a great conspiracy uniting two of the main characters making defeating the evil spirits "a big deal". Along the way come new abilities and character development.
Is So Moon whiny? Yes. But shouldn't he be? For the first time, he's surrounded by strong adults and can be scared and vulnerable. With his high values and difficult live, he's still a likeable protagonist.
Is everyone in the team necessary? Absolutely. They're all very strong in character and make sense. They also contribute with unique skills and behaviours.
The "big evil" itself is represented in so many colours, showing us that deviation can come from privilege or hardship and we should all be thoughtful about living our lives.
The abilities of the spirits make sense and are pretty proportionate, with only one Level 4 who has been developping for a long time.
Concerning The Mayor, People here express disbelief that a person can have as much influence and ask why one murder matters as much. Well, open your eyes people. Politicians and celebrities all across the globe get away with terrible crimes for years. And we're all watching, so maybe kudos for the realism? Also, this one murder they're so eager to tie him to is the only factual occuranse where The Mayor is seen and recorded committing a crime. Just think about it and it'll make sense.
Unfortunately, then came Season 2... Appears that after pumping that much skill development in one character, they became overpowering and created disbalance withing the team. This issue grabs us immediately in episode 1 when So Moon saves several of his teammates without breaking a sweat. And this continues on.
Truth is, after Season 1, the same team would've never worked and they should've just started fresh with new character background and a new common enemy.
Speaking of enemies, while definitely more polished in looks and pumped with power, the evil trio in Season 2 adds no additional layers to the story. They supposedly know each other well (unlike the collaborators in Season 1) but this in no way changed their dynamics. We saw the same overpowering man vs crazy, scared woman communication, just with different looks that quickly become lacklustre. The great female adversary between Ha Na and Gelly also never happened as the writers seemed to be frantically focused on So Moon, even though he got his complete storyline in Season 1 and on trying to make Ha Na a "normal girl" who only wants to find love.
Older team members also suddenly started complaining about being "a burden", a feeling never expressed before. This made the team dynamics even more confusing and unbalanced.
The worst part was the new team member who had the comic personality of So Moon but 0 redeeming qualities. He contributed nothing to the fantasy and drama and brought basic comedy that destroyed the balance between funny and tragic that made the series better.
The plot of Season 2 itself was very cliché and reduced So Moon to his earlier self who's unaware how cruel the world can be and how daemons work. The problem is, he's not a newbie anymore. His team mates also became whiny, lost character and grew weaker with no explanation.
For me, the series never needed Season 2. Would've been 8/10 without it.
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
Cliché after Cliché, and Then It's Over
The three stars are for Willa Fitzgerald, whose acting is great, and for the scene between Lenore and Verna, which though predictable, is at least a bit emotional. The production is also good and the investment there shows. However, that's about it.
I can only explain why the series get high ratings and attention with marketing. This is the most boring, clichéd and slow Netflix adaptation I have seen during the past few years.
There is nothing original about this show and adding horror as a genre is the most baffling thing ever.
Seems like a bunch of people took several classic books and scenarios, printed them and started randomly picking pages until they had enough to create a series. Pointless and ridiculous.
Servant (2019)
Reached a Dead End After Season One
Servant is another show that was written in one season and then got stretched and diluted when the creators were given some cash.
Very good in season one, lost its way in season two and then, you can't even connect the one to the other...it's like a different show.
They could've tried a spin-off concept using the same characters and backgrounds but making four independent versions - one season each.
This would've helped the millions of inconsistencies that plagued the second part of season two and continued.
After the first season, the show felt like they didn't know how to create actual conflict, so they kept digging into the basics to a grotesque level.
I am still to complete the last season, but it's already a complete waste of time - by season three, the writers and I both knew this was going nowhere.
The Killing (2011)
Atrocious Lead Character
I was surprised to see the positive rating for the series. Season one was decent, mostly thanks to the supporting characters who successfully pulled their own weight. However, there were so many forced plot-twists that any ending would have been dissatisfactory.
The series is getting from bad to worse and its real problem is Detective Sarah Linden. It is puzzling how a person who has tons of serious unresolved issues continues to be a police detective. Don't they have psych evaluation?
This is a weak and inconsistent character who should be a workaholic to a manic level but is instead incompetent and sloppy in every aspect - fact-checking, teamwork, deduction, following protocol, respecting victims and witnesses, negotiation, instincts, and physical abilities.
This is a person portrait as a devoted mother who raised her son on her own but she suddenly just quits on him and lets him live in another state with his father who has not seen him in 13 years (the actual age of the child).
So far, we have poor detective work and poor parenting.
I just rated another show few days ago where people were mocking the female lead for looking good. For me, the real treat are characters like Sarah Linden who have no redeeming value.
No idea why was this show written and what was its goal. I doubt it is raw realism as this detective would have been fired long before having access to a murder case.
If I imagine the series with only the supporting cast, it is much better. However, in this case, "much better" equals mediocre.
Above Suspicion (2009)
Misogyny at its Finest
Before writing this review, I looked around the ones published, to see if someone has made this point so I can just support them with a like.
To my complete shock, there were remarks about the lead detective's short skirts that apparently explain why all of her colleagues are hitting one her as if clothes you wear give every man the right to harass you at the workplace. Just to clear this up - she was wearing a simple pencil skirt, slightly above the knee, which is more than suitable for work.
There were also remarks about her pouting. None mention what it's like to be a good looking person and having to apologise for this and hide it so that your colleagues do not feel compelled to push themselves on you.
I can't believe this happens in these times, where we are so socially conscious about that many issues.
The writing itself pushes a disturbing romance between the two leads that seems repulsive to me. I can't believe a woman who sees someone as a father figure and has refused their advances several times, would fall in love eventually.
The portrayal of a contemporary female was so off to me that I don't think the stories even matter.
Agui Maeumeul Ilgneun Jadeul (2022)
So close to "Mindhunter", it felt uncomfortable
The show is a slow starter and I struggled through the first episode. I also don't think the synopsis gives the right idea on what it is about, hence it did not meet my initial expectations.
The acting is solid and the cases are quite well selected. The profilers are also presented much more realistically instead of the classic American way of making them magicians or superheroes who can catch any criminal anyplace.
However, the mentor- talented recruit relationship, as well as the personal development of the lead character, are so similar to "Mindhuner" (2017-2019), it feels uncomfortable to watch.
The story of the Crime Analysis division is also quite close to what was happening at the FBI in the late 1970's, when profiling was being introduced by FBI Special Agent John Douglas aka Holden Ford from "Mindhunter".
For the sake of it, I would also note a storyline with a misused police ID card the show creators seem to have simply dropped just because it did not have it in "Mindhunter".
Still, I would rather watch two interpretations of one great story than a hundred senseless blunders, so I do not regret seeing the series.
Resident Evil (2022)
As Bad as it Gets
Slow-paced, full of cliches and clumsy time jumps; a messy patchwork mixing cyber punk and sci-fi series we have seen a million times. The main storyline is boring and uninteresting and the "protagonist" is a selfish and entitled person who only acts on a whim - no empathy or lessons learned. The "acting" is really weak but with this terrible script, you need to be at least an Emmy winner to pretend you care. I cannot believe there are people calling the Milla Jovovich movies weak. Just look at this hot mess.
You Don't Know Me (2021)
Forced and illogical from the start
I personally found it quite similar to Showtrial (2021) which was one of my favourites. However, it seems it was about time for this overused magic formula about the last-minute plot twist to fail. The series starts unconvincingly and continues to build up on it. All characters that keep being introduced are not credible and the leads are simply illogical. It all seems to be going towards a very moral tale about how we end up doing the things we once believed to be unthinkable but fails to lay the foundations for this narrative. Cannot rate the acting as the entire story was just flat and bland to me.
Seolganghwa (2021)
Slow and Uninteresting
I am not familiar with K-Drama, hence I am not aware if this is the usual directing, character building and pacing. I will also stay away from any politically-related criticism and will just treat this as a work of fiction. I wanted to like the show as, from what I read, it was not a public favourite. I ended up completing the last few episodes at x3 speed and was more than grateful for my ability to read the subtitles as quickly. The series is slow and spineless, making it hard to follow. There were two great characters - Jang Han Na who was interesting and distinctive from start to end and Kang Cheong Ya who won me over with time. Unfortunately, none of them was a lead one. There was also the great vibe of Room 207 and the all-female student dorm. This, however, was pushed back, leaving space for the more "dramatic" part of the story that just did not cut it. The two leads' romance and their love-hate relationship were so childish and unfounded that I just wanted it to get away. It also seemed as if all strong characters were gradually pushed back and toned down in an attempt to give the lead duo a chance (e.g Lee Kang Moo). Don't get me wrong, this was not poor acting but poor writing. The proof is the ending of episode 16 where Im Soo Ho and Eun Young-ro deliver quite impressive solo performances. There was only that much they could do with this backstory and development. Definitely not the worst but simply mediocre. Being 16 episodes long, about 90 mins each, the show is bland and messy enough to be practically unwatchable.
Ojing-eo geim (2021)
I honestly do not understand the hype
The plot is very predictable and the protagonist is the reason for the downfall of humanity. The idea itself is quite exhausted and all of us can easily name at least five shows/movies with the same plotline and message. I am rating the series as high because of the visuals and the specifics of the games, which are (at least to me), intense and worth watching and because, currently, there is a lot of trash on TV.
Kitz (2021)
Congratulations to the team who secured funding
This is the worst patchwork between all known teen movies and some classic soap operas. There is no point or message whatsoever, no continuity or development. The characters make no sense and the acting is poor but I am not sure if this is not the only realistic thing in it all - people are indeed selfish and entitled, especially in our teens. There was the "plot twist" at the end - something I have figured out or at least suspected since probably episode two. Again, respect to whoever secured the financing for this.
Carnival Row (2019)
Unfortunately-boring and unoriginal
I am a big fan of fantasy movies and was eager to see this one as soon as I noticed a poster with Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be the most boring TV series I have seen lately. In fact, I barely made myself complete the first season.
What is the problem? Well, where do I start? No soundtrack, inconveniencing costumes and character design, trivial worn-out stories.
I am also not a fan of the acting, which combines many various approaches in representing a character rather than full-blooded actual people who serve the realism of the story.
There are so many plot-holes and so little originality, I feel sorry for the movie. The story of the murders happening in town is the only intriguing idea, but the creators made sure to push it to the back as much as possible and save it for season two, so we are left with an unconvincing love story. trivial political bickering and pseudo-artistic disputes on racism and acceptance.
The Black Raven - a group of rebels Vignette joined shortly was also introduced, but we never understood why. We were also never told or shown the reasons for her joining.
Characters are weak and hard to remember and you know what will happen in a scene, as soon as the first lines are delivered.
While the series unfold, there are more and more fantasy elements added without giving them any justice.
We witness the fae people during a flashback, when there is war on their lands. Usually, flashbacks are the best part of any movie, but I watched this one at double speed as it was terribly cringy. The love story between the two lead characters seemed the worst part, until we understood the reason for the drama - Bloom's character left Delevingne's character when fleeing the battlefield to safety, so that she is safe...wait what? Yes...that was the explanation.
I will just note that the fae people who live in the mountains dress in coats and look like regular people who are REALLY cold and grim. I mean - wouldn't they feel comfortable and at ease at the place they were born?
In addition, one of the warring nations possesses an ability to turn itself into a werewolf-vampire species. Why and how, no one asks or tells us, we just hear Philo (Orlando Bloom) say something along the lines of "Oh, my...they even did this ☹"
The movie is so bad, that I can just summarise it to support this statement. I am stunned there will be season two and am hoping they have not destroyed all options to tell the "proper story", the one of the Jack the Ripper-like murders.