One thing that I’ve learned from watching dramas, is that love has everything to do with timing. Well, guess what, you guys. I’m learning that this principle about timing applies to drama love too, ie, whether or not I end up loving a drama has a lot to do with timing too.
Sometimes, the timing has to do with my mood. Like, maybe I’ve got a rom-com on my screen, but I might be in the mood for a melo instead, and so the rom-com doesn’t work for me. Other times, the timing has to do with whether I’m late to the party. Which, by the way, can go either way. With Memories Of The Alhambra, being late to the party meant that I could adjust my expectations based on the fragments of information I’d gathered from other viewers, and I ended up enjoying the show more than the average viewer. With Chicago Typewriter, however, being late to the party meant that it ended up more hyped up in my mind, from the large amounts of love I’ve seen poured out for this show by other viewers before me, than Show was able to live up to. I guess I’d gotten to the point where my expectations were just too high?
As much as I hate to admit it, I didn’t manage to love Chicago Typewriter as much as many of you did. On the upside, I did like it quite well overall. Let’s dive in to see how that all worked out, shall we?
OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE
Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.
MY OVERALL TRAJECTORY WITH THIS SHOW
Overall, I’d say that my experience with Chicago Typewriter was a pretty uneven one. I really liked episode 1 for its efficient set-up and exposition, and for the intriguing characters and circumstances that it sets out. After that initial very promising starting point, though, I felt my interest dipping over the next episodes, which felt less tightly woven.
I found that I was more interested in the overall mystery of how everything was connected, than I was engaged with the characters. Somehow, I just didn’t find the characters very relatable, nor all that likable, sometimes – with the consistent exception of Go Kyung Pyo’s character, whom I really liked and enjoyed.
Essentially, I found myself coasting by with reasonably alright levels of interest and engagement through episodes 1 to 14. I liked Show well enough, but it didn’t exactly capture my heart. Until the last two episodes, that is. That’s when everything turned on its head and changed, and I found myself feeling all of the feels that I’d been missing, and then some.
It kinda felt similar to listening to someone tell a joke with a very long and elaborate set-up, before getting to the punchline. The “punchline” in Show’s case is really good and I feel like my waiting had paid off handsomely. But, it’s true that part of my brain wonders if 14 episodes is a reasonable length of time to wait for payoff.
Was it worth investing time into this watch, though? During my watch, there were times when I wasn’t so sure. But now that I’ve finished the show and can speak with 20/20 hindsight, I can say, absolutely.
PROS & CONS: The kaleidoscopic approach to the storytelling
To me, Show’s kaleidoscopic approach to storytelling was both a pro and a con. Basically, Show serves up bits and pieces of information from the 1930s timeline, and our present-day characters – and we as viewers – try to piece it all together, over the course of Show’s 16 episodes.
On the plus side, I liked the mystery of trying to put the pieces of the 1930s puzzle together. Show is good at dangling the mysterious bits in front of us in intriguing ways, such that I sometimes feel like I’m maybe getting a sense for how everyone and everything is connected, but I’m not actually sure, and then the next time another piece of information is presented to us, my perceived understanding of everything shifts yet again. I did find this interesting and rather thrilling.
On the downside, the 1930s timeline is extremely fragmented in terms of how it’s presented to us, and therefore it gets very confusing over time. I was consistently never quite sure what our 1930s characters knew and didn’t know, because I just wasn’t sure of the chronological order of the 1930s snippets that we’d been shown.
On top of this confusion, lay on the fact that writer-nim chose to have a lot going on in this story world, and it often felt like we were trying to cram too much onto our storyboard. [SPOILER] At the episode 14 mark, I personally felt like there was too much going on, on my screen, from the kidnapping arc, to the present-day threesome trying to write the novel, to the love rivalry between Se Joo and Jin Oh (Yoo Ah In and Go Kyung Pyo) for Seol’s affection (Im Soo Jung), to Bang Jin (Yang Jin Sung) crushing on Jin Oh, and we hadn’t even accounted for everything that’s happening in the 1930s timeline. [END SPOILER]
I feel like some viewers would love that there’s so much going on plot-wise, and some wouldn’t. I personally felt like I could have done without some of Show’s secondary arcs, [SPOILER] like the kidnapping and the stalker girl [END SPOILER]. That would’ve felt cleaner overall, I think, and easier for viewers to digest and follow, as well.
STUFF THAT WORKED FOR ME
Yoo Ah In as Han Se Joo / Seo Hui Yeong
I haven’t seen all of Yoo Ah In’s works, but I’ve seen enough – namely, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Secret Love Affair and The Throne – to come to the conclusion that he’s a very talented actor with the ability to morph from character to character like a chameleon (for the record, I made it 31 episodes into Six Flying Dragons before I concluded that Show just wasn’t for me).
Do I think that Yoo Ah In did a sound job of playing his characters from both timelines? Yes. Do I also feel like I’ve seen better and more faceted performances from Yoo Ah In? Yes, absolutely. I enjoyed Yoo Ah In solidly well in this show, but I also couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that he’s capable of even more.
But, did I come away with an upgraded appreciation for each of his characters? Also, yes.
Se Joo
Not gonna lie; I actually found Se Joo very unpleasant and unlikable, especially during Show’s first few episodes. I found his condescending attitude towards Seol particularly hard to swallow, with him being antagonistic towards her even though she helps him on multiple occasions, and then saying patronizing things to her, on top of everything else.
In that sense, Se Joo was a bit of a hard sell for me, as a character. To Show’s credit – and to Yoo Ah In’s as well – I did find myself coming around towards Se Joo eventually, even though I found some of the plot points around his turnaround kind of unnatural and jerky.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Here are a few Se Joo moments which contributed to my changing perception of him as a character.
E5. Se Joo’s decision to hold the press conference and tell everyone about the ghost writer says a lot about his character. He would rather risk losing his entire career, than falsely take credit for work that he hasn’t written. That’s a lot of integrity right there. It’s probably largely in part due to what he experienced having his work stolen from him by Tae Min (Kwak Shi Yang), but it still doesn’t negate that this is who he is, and he refuses to lie and bask in false glory. Gotta give him props for that.
E9. It’s really interesting that Se Joo took the realization of his past self’s involvement in Seol’s gun trauma so personally. I mean, he has no conscious memory of it, and it wasn’t even his present self that was involved. And yet, when he realizes that it was his past self that got Past Seol in shooting, he seems to feel genuinely sorry. I didn’t expect that of him, really.
E11. Se Joo seems to have grown a lot as a character, looking at things with a more neutral and compassionate perspective than when we first met him. Not only does he give Tae Min a second chance, he even tells him that he’s not going to be driven by anger anymore, and then later tells Tae Min’s dad (Chun Ho Jin) to respect whatever choice Tae Min makes. That’s huge.
[END SPOILER]
Hui Yeong
From the moment that we first see Hui Yeong as a character, I found myself gravitating towards him more than I did Se Joo. In comparison, Hui Yeong appeared so laidback and easygoing compared to Se Joo, who was so high-strung and suspicious.
The more I saw of Hui Yeong, the more interesting and intriguing I found him. Yes, there were times when he appeared almost cruel, but Show always made sure to give me a glimpse of the heart behind the decisions, and I found him an admirable character, all the way through to the end.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Here are just a couple of Hui Yeong moments that stood out for me personally:
E8. The way Hui Yeong masked himself and saved Soo Hyun, and then took no credit for it whatsoever, says a lot about the kind of person he is. He truly is a man of principle, and will risk his life to act on his beliefs.
E13. Hui Yeong’s guilt at putting the members of the Alliance in danger, and that flash of uncertainty, makes him feel so vulnerable and human.
[END SPOILER]
The almost-merging of the 2 characters [VAGUE SPOILERS]
At around the episode 9 mark, I found that my impressions of Se Joo and Hui Yeong were shifting, so much so that in some ways, it felt like they’d flipped personalities. In particular, I felt like their hardness and softness of character had flipped.
[SPOILER] Se Joo, who used to appear completely self-absorbed and selfish, is now the one who refuses to keep publishing the Chicago Typewriter story, for fear that it would cause Seol trauma. And Hui Yeong, who had before appeared to be so laidback and easygoing and soft, turns out to be the head of the resistance organization, who is the one who insists that Soo Hyun will do a great job of being a sniper, and that if she wants to be part of their organization, this is how she will earn their trust. [END SPOILER]
Over time, I felt like my impressions of Se Joo and Hui Yeong continued to mesh, as the different facets of their personalities came to the fore. As Se Joo’s softer underbelly came into focus to balance out his prickly shell, so did Hui Yeong’s tougher, principled core come across, to balance out the initial soft impression I had of him. I found this quite fascinating.
Go Kyung Pyo as Yoo Jin Oh / Shin Yul
As far as I’m concerned, Go Kyung Pyo stole this entire show, you guys. I just luffed him so much, as Jin Oh. Well, as Yul too, but mostly as Jin Oh. <3
Jin Oh basically grabbed my heart, and then made me laugh and made me cry. His presence was the highlight of my watch of this show, hands down.
[SPOILER ALERT]
When I think about it, our entire story is basically Jin Oh’s journey, from his past life as Yul, to his current existence as a ghost trying to make things right, and that’s why it feels right to me, that I cared about his journey the most.
Here are some of my favorite Jin Oh highlights.
He’s fun and carefree
E4. Jin Oh always seems quite cheerful, even when he doesn’t have anywhere to go, or when Se Joo’s freaking out at him. It feels like it’s not because he doesn’t care; it feels more like the cares don’t touch him. He always seems so harmless, honest and benign, even when Se Joo is questioning him about how he got into the house, and why he’s there.
E6. The lighthearted ghostly hijinks are so funny, with Jin Oh walking through walls, possessing the dog, hiding in paintings (lol!) and basically haunting Se Joo, all with a good-natured, hopeful smile on his face. He is the most adorable ghost ever, seriously. He never takes Se Joo’s anger or ranting to heart, and never gives up either. He just keeps trying, each effort just as earnest, good-natured and hopeful as the last. I am so taken by him; he’s super endearing.
E6. Yoo’s crush on Seol is very cute too. He’s so happy to see her at the door this episode, and then just plonks himself down next to her at the table, so that he can just stare adoringly at her. It’s no wonder Se Joo is completely distracted and uneasy, heh.
E8. Jin Oh’s expressions are priceless. He’s especially funny at the beginning of this episode, when Seol asks Se Joo pointblank whether he’s being this way around her because someone asked him to do it. Jin Oh’s shock-horror-mortified-relief-repeat expressions are just gold.
The poignant, heart-grabby stuff
E8. I stinkin’ love the way Jin Oh looks at Se Joo and Seol. There’s so much affection and care built into his gaze. I can feel that this all comes from somewhere; in this case, from the lifetime that they spent together, in the 1930s. It’s so sweet that Jin Oh still feels this way about them even now, when neither of them remembers him or the times they spent together. Seol can’t even see him, and Se Joo just keeps on being brusque to him, and yet, he just keeps sticking around, and caring for them, and being affectionate towards them, and basically loving on them. It’s so bittersweet and moving.
E8. That moment as the camera pans away from the hugging OTP, to reveal that Jin Oh is looking on, with a whole lot of complicated feelings written in his eyes. Sniffle. Poor dear.
E8. I felt my heart pinch for Jin Oh when he and Se Joo strut out onto the street, and he basks in the attention of some gawking ladies nearby. Se Joo bursts his bubble and informs him that ladies are looking at him and not Jin Oh, and Jin Oh answers matter-of-factly that he knows. He just likes feeling a little more human again. Aw. He must feel so invisible so much of the time. For someone as warmhearted and affectionate as Jin Oh, that must be so lonely.
E9. Jin Oh looks so helpless and sad, as he thinks about the past, and about how he just saw Se Joo holding a crying Seol. And then not so much later, he looks so grateful to be able to eat food placed before him. How can one not love this ghost? And then he’s so sadly wistful, as he watches Se Joo watching Seol. This is probably killing him on the inside, and yet, he never says a word about it to Se Joo. He just continues to be affable and affectionate, and that just makes me love him even more, while making me cry on the inside. And then, there’s how Jin Oh asks that Se Joo take a picture of him and Seol together, even though he knows that he won’t be visible in the photo. The look on his face is just so affecting. There’s a sad wistfulness, but there’s also quiet acceptance, even as he works to memorize the moment. Oof. My heart.
E10. Jin Oh’s expression, when he hears Seol say that his was the first face that she remembered clearly from her past life, is just so precious. So much burgeoning emotion is written on his face. The gratitude of being remembered, the wonder of being acknowledged, the almost disbelief, combined with relief, mixed with the sheer gratefulness of being remembered by Seol, is so heart-tugging to witness.
E12. It occurs to me this episode that Se Joo and Seol and the memories that they share, make up Jin Oh’s whole world, while to them, they’ve got whole lives outside of their shared memories. The fact that they literally mean the world to him, just makes it all the more poignant and bittersweet and heart-tugging.
E12. Jin Oh being so moved at seeing Seol in the room, even though she can’t see him, is touching to behold. There’s so much emotion written on his face – wonder, joy, sadness, so much so that he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself – and it is so poignant to watch him react to her. The way he handles the flipped coin, taking his time, making the coin spin in the air, before finally placing it gently in Seol’s hand, feels a bit dramatic, yes, but you can just tell that he’s trying to make his moment of interaction with Seol last as long as possible, because it’s the first direct contact he’s had with her, and he’s been longing to interact with her for literal decades.
E13. Jin Oh’s happiest moment in all of his years of existence is the present moment, where he is with Se Joo and Seol, and able to enjoy the freedom of not constantly worrying about the future of their country. That’s so poignant and so lovely, at the same time.
[END SPOILERS]
The burgeoning friendship between Jin Oh and Se Joo
Given the very rocky and antagonistic way that Se Joo and Jin Oh first meet, it was particularly satisfying to witness the burgeoning friendship between them, in spite of Se Joo’s blustering protests.
I was interested in this friendship way more than I was interested in the main loveline, and with good reason, I feel, since the growth of this friendship felt more organic and believable than the main loveline, to my eyes.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Here’s a quick overview of some of the bromantic milestones between Se Joo and Jin Oh.
E7. I love the moment when Jin Oh first reappears, after Se Joo breaks down and agrees to write the novel. He looks glad and relieved, but there’s also amusement mixed in; he also looks like he’s had a good time watching Se Joo come to the end of himself. Hee.
E8. It’s completely reluctant on Se Joo’s part, but he can’t even seem to stop himself from talking to Jin Oh, even in public. It’s like he just fails to remember that Jin Oh is a ghost, which in itself is quite amusing. And there’s all that existing affection on Jin Oh’s part. It’s almost like Jin Oh’s just waiting for Se Joo to come around to their friendship, the same way he waited for Se Joo to come around to writing the novel together. There’s something very poignant about that.
E8. For all of Se Joo’s brusqueness, I did find it very kind of him, when he told Seol that there’s someone who misses her and thinks of her all the time, referring to Jin Oh. He didn’t have to say that, but he did, and in doing so, he’s acknowledging Jin Oh’s existence, and his feelings for Seol. That felt quite lovely.
E9. Even though Se Joo grumps about having Jin Oh around, he’s becoming quite sweet and kind towards him. Se Joo orders that extra breakfast be set out for him, even though it will make his staff think him quite mad, and then agrees to take Jin Oh out to see for himself that the Japanese government building is indeed gone. That’s pretty huge by Se Joo’s standards.
E12. Jin Oh being so moved at Se Joo’s mention of the word “friendship,” even though the context was that their friendship will be ruined, just makes my heart squeeze, so much.
E13. It’s sweet how Se Joo hopes that Jin Oh will continue to hang around and be part of his world, even after they complete the novel. What a long way he’s come, to reciprocating the love that Jin Oh has for him. Aw.
[END SPOILERS]
The 1930s timeline
Generally speaking, I found myself feeling more emotionally engaged with our characters in the 1930s timeline, than in the present timeline. Perhaps it’s the higher stakes that our 1930s characters deal with; perhaps the characters themselves are more emotionally charged; I just found myself perking up whenever Show moved to the 1930s timeline.
[SPOILER] Also, there’s something very wistful and poignant about the 1930s timeline, largely because it becomes obvious that our 1930s characters die young. So the scenes, particularly the happy ones like the dancing scene above, all feel like they’re underscored by a strong sense of pathos. And I find that moment in episode 13, when the members of the Alliance share their dreams for when Joseon is liberated, so bittersweet, moving and poignant, because I feel like many of them will not survive to see their dreams come true. [END SPOILER]
From the time we were introduced to the 1930s timeline via memory flashes of our present-day characters, I always found myself wanting more of the 1930s, and less of the present-day.
STUFF THAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME, SO MUCH
Because Show manages to end on such a strong note for me, I feel almost nitpicky for dwelling on the stuff that I didn’t like. So, let me attempt to talk about it in as concise a manner as possible, so that we don’t spend too much time brooding over the could’ve beens.
Im Soo Jung as Jeon Seol / Ryu Soo Hyun
To be brutally honest, I did not enjoy Im Soo Jung very much, in this show.
Throughout my watch, I struggled to put a finger on just what about Seol / Soo Hyun wasn’t working for me, and I think a big part of it, is my inability to engage with Im Soo Jung as an actress, and her delivery of both characters. I don’t know; I just don’t feel her, on my screen. She doesn’t pop for me like the other actors do. Every other female in this drama world seems more natural and real to me than Seol does. To my eyes, there’s something rather.. insipid running as an undercurrent, to Im Soo Jung’s delivery.
There’s also something ditzy about Seol, where she sometimes – or maybe oftentimes – doesn’t act the way I expect a person to. [SPOILER] Like the way she innocently puts a cone of shame on Se Joo while treating him for his injuries in episode 3. Or her wide-eyed aggressive invasion of Jin Oh’s personal space in episode 12, where she ends up poking him repeatedly. [END SPOILER] These all made her feel more like a caricature than a real person to me.
Also, Seol is often presented as a bit of an adorable ditz, and while some actresses can pull this off well, I feel like this just didn’t work for Im Soo Jung. I couldn’t buy the cutesy that Show was working so hard to serve up, and even though Seol endeared herself to everyone else (more on that in a bit), it just didn’t work for me.
Kwak Shi Yang as Baek Tae Min / Heo Young Min
Since both of Kwak Shi Yang’s characters are of the unsavory sort, I’ll say that Kwak Shi Yang did a good job, in the sense that he made both characters effectively very unlikable. On the downside, I will also say that Kwak Shi Yang’s delivery did fall on the.. limited and wooden end of the scale.
Putting all of that together, I just didn’t really look forward to nor enjoy any of his scenes, unfortunately.
Also. The moment Tae Min is shown hurting his own cat in a fit of anger, in episode 6, he was dead to me. Dead, I tell ya.
Having almost everyone in love with Seol
For a show that has a premise that feels fresh and original, I was rather disappointed that Show falls back on such a strong cliche, that almost every man in our drama world is in love with Seol. There’s Se Joo, Jin Oh, Tae Min, and even Dae Han the chef (Kang Hong Suk). That’s a lot of love interests, which I felt like we didn’t need. I mean, when do you really need a love pentagon, right?
Additionally, I wasn’t pleased with how Show presents Seol as an object that the boys fight over. [SPOILER] For example, in episode 7, Tae Min tries to strong-arm Seol into taking a ride with him, and then Se Joo steps in and strong-arms her into leaving with him, with a classic wrist-grab. I mean, why couldn’t Show have allowed Seol to shake off both guys and walk off by herself, thankyouverymuch? And, even Jin Oh gets into the act, by asking Se Joo to chase away the guys who are hovering around Seol. I mean. He’s a ghost, so he really has no business interfering with whom she hangs out or chooses to date, no? [END SPOILER]
I found this all very frustrating to watch, and that’s not even yet taking into account the fact that I already didn’t enjoy our female lead very much.
The comedic rivalry between Se Joo and Jin Oh for Seol’s affection [MINOR SPOILERS]
At around the episode 12 mark, Show ramps up the rivalry between Se Joo and Jin Oh for Seol’s approval and affection, and treats everything with an OTT comedic touch. I personally found this quite tonally jarring and unnecessary, to be honest.
I found it exaggerated and out of character, especially for Se Joo, who’s generally not treated as a comedic character.
[SPOILER] For example, in episode 12, the thing with Secretary Kang (Oh Na Ra) and Bang Jin and Dae Han talking to Se Joo and Seol simultaneously about how they’re like Pavlov’s dog, is quite jarring and weird to watch. In particular, Se Joo’s reaction at hearing Seol’s name, when Secretary Kang pretends to call Seol into the room, is completely exaggerated and out of character. [END SPOILER]
The rivalry between Se Joo and Jin Oh to impress Seol is consistently played for laughs, but I honestly didn’t find it funny. I know that Show probably included this lighter stuff to balance out the heavier stuff, but to my eyes, it takes away from the gravitas of the heavier stuff. I guess it’s just not to my taste. *shrugs*
STUFF THAT WAS NEUTRAL: The OTP relationship [SPOILERS]
Like I alluded to earlier in this review, I felt rather indifferent to the main loveline. I would say that I felt more for the mirror loveline in the 1930s, but even then, romance never felt like the Main Event for me, with this show.
The present-day loveline
To be brutally honest, I generally felt like the OTP milestones in this timeline didn’t feel very organic, and I often found myself having to rationalize the OTP milestones in order to make sense of them.
For example, the OTP hug in episode 8 didn’t really feel organic to me. It felt kind of like it was shoehorned in because this is episode 8 and it’s usually at the halfway point that we get some OTP confirmation. Seol being so torn up about not seeing Se Joo around, and crying when she felt so relieved to see him, feels almost like it came out of nowhere. I had to go back and revisit Seol’s last interaction with Se Joo, to be able to rationalize that she basically felt like he’d abandoned her after hearing her story about seeing her past life whenever she holds a gun. The fact that I had to go back and investigate why she’s so sad means that Show didn’t do a very good job of bringing that across. That, and I do feel like Show’s making a mountain out of a molehill, so that she’ll be crying, so that Se Joo will have a reason to hold her.
Additionally, I struggle with Show’s idea of romance. For example, in episode 12, we see Se Joo wresting the phone from Seol while she’s talking to Tae Min, and then taking over the call and threatening Tae Min not to call Seol again. That is really not cool. But what makes it worse, is that we then see Seol smiling to herself in a pleased manner, like she’s happy Se Joo did that. Headdesk. :/
As a silver lining, Se Joo does become much more encouraging towards Seol as we progress deeper into the episodes. In particular, I like Se Joo’s interpretation of their past lives and how it flows into this life, in episode 11; that because she couldn’t protect him before, she will protect him now; that because he couldn’t love her freely before, he is going to love her freely now. That’s a lovely sentiment, and there’s also a touch of poetic justice built into it, which I like.
Another silver lining, is that Yoo Ah In can deliver a very sensuous onscreen kiss, and he proves that a couple of times during the course of our story, heh.
The 1930s loveline
Comparatively speaking, I did feel more interested in the loveline between Hui Yeong and Soo Hyun, even though this loveline has a much more poignant tone.
Although we are given to believe that Hui Yeong is secretly in love with Soo Hyun, and is masking his feelings with a facade persona that is cool and almost cold in his calculatedness, it still disturbed me to hear him say things like Soo Hyun will get caught at some point and tortured, and that is why she must never know that he is the head of the organization. He’s also generally rather cruel to her, when she approaches him and tries to get close, or questions whether he’s the one who saved her, and I feel like that cruelty is quite disturbing. At the same time, sometimes Hui Yeong appears tender, when he’s not with her, but thinking about her. This all added up to make me feel rather conflicted.
However, Show makes up for this, when we eventually see the depth of Hui Yeong’s care for Soo Hyun, when he eventually stays back to save her in episode 15, in spite of his strong principles.
I found the scene in episode 13, of Soo Hyun talking about what she hopes for Hui Yeong and herself in the next life, so full of pathos. They’ve put their personal feelings aside for good, and can only articulate a different hope for a next life that they don’t know for sure will come. The brushing of the backs of their hands feels so final, as Hui Yeong walks away, like it’s a final farewell, and this just got me right in the heart.
LOGIC STRETCHES
Even though Show has a fantasy premise that requires suspension of disbelief, there are still a bunch of instances where I felt like logic was stretched beyond what was reasonable. Here they are, for the record:
[SPOILER ALERT]
E2. It’s kind of weird that Se Joo drafts in longhand instead of typing everything directly into his laptop. I suppose it’s to make the scene possible, of Seol doing the typing for him, and him reveling in the immediate feedback of her reactions, but it’s still odd, and we don’t see him drafting in longhand for the rest of the show.
E3. The whole thing with Seol using the cone of shame on Se Joo is just bizarre. I get that she used to be a vet, but any amount of common sense would tell you that you don’t actually need to put a cone around a human’s head to prevent them from licking their wounds?
E8. There’s a logic error in the bit where Se Joo takes Gyun Woo to the vet, and then leaves. From Se Joo’s disgruntled expression, we’re able to deduce that Jin Oh is in Gyun Woo and just lapping up all the attention from everyone at the clinic. But, when they leave the clinic, Jin Oh appears by Se Joo’s side, but Gyun Woo is nowhere to be seen. Now, Jin Oh is supposed to be able to possess Gyun Woo, not take Gyun Woo’s form at will. This was a mistake.
E9. It’s quite a stretch that Soo Hyun would recognize Hui Yeong so easily, after covering the bottom half of his face with her hand. I mean, it’s been at least 6 years since the night he saved her, and she only saw him in the dimness of the moonlight, and for only a hasty quick moment at that. She must have a photographic memory, if she’s able to remember him so clearly after all this time.
E12. It’s a huge stretch, that Soo Hyun would be able to decipher the code on the newspaper, just because she saw the date, and that triggered her memory of the day’s events. Without knowing the code and how it’s deciphered, no one would be able to piece it together, because it’s made up of characters strewn throughout the article.
E12. I felt that I needed to suspend disbelief with the whole communicating by tapping on the champagne flute thing. I mean, yes, it works, but just minutes ago, Seol could see that Jin Oh could type on the typewriter, and that he can hold things, like the champagne flute. They could have communicated by him typing on the typewriter, or by writing down his responses with a pen.
But I get that Show wanted something simple, so that they’d eventually run out of things to talk about via this limited form of communication, so that when Se Joo tells Seol that he’s running late and can’t come back early, she would feel that it’s time to leave – which would then finally trigger Jin Oh to call her name, because he didn’t want her to leave, which would then cause her to be able to see him. So I get the mechanics of it, but I do think that the writing wasn’t especially smart in this instance, in terms of how to get us there.
E12. I get that it’s a great visual, but I don’t actually understand how this typing at three different machines at the same time thing works. How do they go from there, to one cohesive script?
[END SPOILER]
A SPRINKLING OF HIGHLIGHTS [SPOILERS]
There are two particular things that I thought Show did very well, and I wanted to shine the spotlight on them, for a little bit.
E5. This ghost reveal is very well done. I like how Show builds up to it. We get little clues that make us question what we see, like Jin Oh’s consistent surprise that he’s been caught, and as that question of whether he’s a ghost builds in my mind, I start to pick up on little things, like how Jin Oh is not shown opening his own car door or unbuckling a seat belt. And then, the reporters looking befuddled when Se Joo indicates that the person next to him is his ghost writer, and then following Se Joo out of the room, leaving Jin Oh behind on stage, all alone. And then, finally, the reveal, as Se Joo looks back on the footage and realizes that there’s no one in the frame with him. Very nicely done.
E9. What an amazing scene, where Jin Oh stands and looks upon Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbuk Palace, marveling that the Japanese General Government Building is gone, and then muses that it was worth giving their youth, that they’d won in the end. It’s a rare thing, to have a scene where it’s possible for a freedom fighter from way back when, have the opportunity to stand and actually witness the fruit of their labor. And then, to have Se Joo, representing the people of the present, having enjoyed the freedom that has been wrought with great price, thank him for fighting, just gives me chills. Wow.
A QUICK SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODE [SPOILERS]
Finally, we get an episode that’s almost solely focusing on the 1930s timeline, and it feels solid, cohesive and cogent. As hard to witness as some of the events are, I feel like everyone is acting in character.
I can believe that Madam Sophia would put her own son before her comrades, because blood is thicker than water. I can also believe that Soo Hyun would refuse to reveal that she knows the name of the leader, and would rather suffer torture or even death, than betray Hui Yeong. Hui Yeong refusing to allow personal emotions to get in the way, and leading by principle, makes a lot of sense too. I would believe that he would do that. In the same way, I totally understand why Yul would put himself in danger in order to save Soo Hyun; he’s just that kind of emotional guy with enough naiveté to believe that all he has to do is confess he’s the leader, and that will solve everything. And I can believe that he would sooner betray Hui Yeong’s name, than watch Soo Hyun get shot. And finally, I can totally believe that Hui Yeong would sooner kill himself, than allow himself to be captured.
The scene where Hui Yeong finally lets his emotions come through, and he thinks about Soo Hyun and cries a few tears, is really nicely done. It shows us, quickly but clearly, that Hui Yeong does feel deeply about her capture, despite his strong facade.
And finally, the goodbye scene, where a vision of Hui Yeong visits Soo Hyun to tell her that he loves her and is sorry for being mean to her, and that he promises to be the first to recognize her in their next life, is quite lovely. I would have preferred if he’d visited her as a ghost, ie, after the scene where he shot himself, and then vanished before her. That would’ve made more sense. But still, the scene was poignant for its honesty, long-awaited by Soo Hyun.
THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]
What a finale, you guys. Given that my emotional engagement with these characters has been patchy over most of Show’s run, I am so pleasantly surprised at the heft of the emotional punch that this finale packs. Yes, it requires me to suspend disbelief at times, but for the sake of the feels that this finale gives me, I’m willing to close both eyes for a little bit.
We finally get the full picture of what happened around each of our protagonists’ deaths in the 1930s timeline, and there are two scenes that hit me most in the heart. The first one is of Yul reading Hui Yeong’s letter, where Hui Yeong thanks him for everything, and leaves him his most prized possessions, asking Yul to complete his novel for him, and requesting that they meet again, even if it’s in death.
It’s beautiful and poetic and so very bittersweet, that I can’t stop the lump in my throat, as Hui Yeong’s voiceover meshes with Yul’s tears.
“Please write our story in my place now. The story of us living on this land at that time. We lived diligently in the dark reality. How we hurt fiercely and hoped in desperation. How we found happiness within the danger. How we loved and fought with all our might.” … “If a god asks me if I was happy in this life, I’ll answer, I was happy because I met you guys. If a god tells me “Good job living a hard life.” “You lived it well.” and pat my shoulder, then I’ll ask for a favor. If I am to born again… I’ll ask to be with you guys again.”
Just, so much heart and poetry and pathos. Sob.
The other scene that gave me chills, is when Soo Hyun goes to kill Yul as an act of justice on behalf of the Alliance, and falters. It’s Yul who tells her to take Hui Yeong’s pocket watch, and it’s Yul who literally reaches out to steady her hand while she points the gun to his head, as he tells her again, not to be afraid of the rebound, and to keep her eye on her target.
When Soo Hyun asks if he has any last words, he softly asks that she execute him with her own hands, because he thinks that will give him peace. Augh. How heartbreaking, that Yul is so broken by his actions, that his conscience is so seared, by how he ended up betraying Hui Yeong. Soo Hyun steels herself to pull the trigger, and as Yul bleeds out over the typewriter, she collapses onto her knees as she weeps.
How completely heartbreaking. My heart.
At the same time, the thing that I love the most in terms of how this is all handled in the present, is that it’s all about forgiveness and release. Se Joo assures Jin Oh that even in Hui Yeong’s final moments, even though he knew that Yul had given away his identity and location, he didn’t blame him and only continued to fully trust him. And Jin Oh assures a sorry Seol that Soo Hyun only did what she had to do, and that it’s not her fault, while Seol assures a regretful Jin Oh that Soo Hyun knew that Yul’s betrayal was his way of saving her. It’s wave after wave of healing and release for our characters, and I love that they are literally setting one another free, of the guilt and condemnation that they’ve lived with all this time. It’s beautiful and freeing, and I love it.
In terms of what I wanted done differently in the 1930s timeline, I was a little underwhelmed by how Soo Hyun’s death is handled. We see her walk to the top of a hill, pale and exhausted, where she sees a second vision of Hui Yeong. She expresses that she wants to leave with him, but he tells her that she should stay alive, so that she can see the liberated Joseon they’ve been fighting for. She tells him that she wants to, but is too tired, and then she leans on the tree, closes her eyes and we see Hui Yeong’s pocket watch fall from her hand. I felt that was rather anticlimactic, to be honest.
I thought it would’ve been more powerful narratively, if Soo Hyun had killed herself, to be honest. I sound really bloodthirsty in saying that, but in my mind, Soo Hyun never wanted to kill Yul, and taking his life, killed her on the inside, even though it was something that he felt that she should do. Plus, she was also so torn up about being the indirect cause of Hui Yeong’s death, that I feel that she would have decided to kill herself, to join her comrades in the afterlife. I would rather have had her stand on that hilltop, looking over Joseon, and telling Joseon, “I want to be able to see you liberated, and I have fought for your freedom with my life, but now, I will continue to watch over you in death,” before pulling the trigger on herself. And then as she bleeds out, it would’ve been a great time for her to have her final conversation with Hui Yeong’s ghost, while Yul’s ghost watches from afar, too guilty to go near.
I mean. Wouldn’t that have been a pretty appropriate, narratively sound yet powerful way to wrap up the story of our 1930s trio?
Back in the present, it squeezed my heart so, to see Jin Oh literally pour himself out to practically the very last drop, in order to fulfill the promises he’s made to Hui Yeong, and to pay the penance which he feels he ought to pay. He literally gives no thought to his own wellbeing, as he presses on to complete the novel, despite his own worsening condition, as the lesions on his body increase and threaten to shatter him forever. That complete dedication of himself moved me so much.
And I love that when Jin Oh has finished writing Hui Yeong’s novel, Se Joo asks him to make a new promise, that he will stay with Se Joo until their story – Han Se Joo and Oh Jin Oh’s novel – is complete. I love that Se Joo has grown to love Jin Oh this much, that he would search for any way to save his friend, even write a novel in which he hopes Jin Oh will trap himself, until they are able to meet again.
My heart squeezed again at the scene where the trio go fishing, and Se Joo starts to thank Jin Oh for all that he’s done – and Jin Oh disappears before Se Joo has finished speaking. Ack. I literally thought that was the end, for Jin Oh; that he’d finally succumbed to the lesions and dissolved forever.
But, Show comes back with a one-two punch that feels so surprising and gratifying and satisfying, that I feel ready to forgive Show all of its faults prior.
We see Se Joo successfully launch his new novel amid praise and adulation from fans and media, and we see him give a heartfelt tribute to Jin Oh, whom he calls his muse, a ghost, and his friend. Afterwards, we see Se Joo and Seol wonder how Jin Oh is doing, which is when we cut to a scene at Carpe Diem, where Hui Yeong finishes his novel and refuses to let Soo Hyun read the ending as she asks. And that’s when we see Jin Oh walk in, saying that independence would surely come, and that he’d dreamed a dream of them living happily in a liberated Joseon.
Then, as Jin Oh muses with a quiet smile and his hands in his pockets, he discovers the photograph that he’d taken before with Se Joo and Seol, in front of the main gate of Gyeongbuk Palace. And this time, in this space, he’s visible in the picture. He continues his musing in voiceover: “The dream of me being there with you guys for a short while. And the hope… of being with you guys again someday.”
Augh. AUGH. I loves it.
To be honest, it took me more than a long minute to realize that Jin Oh made it safely into Se Joo’s novel. Because every time we’d seen Carpe Diem in the past, it’d been in the context of what really happened in the 1930s, I immediately assumed that somehow Jin Oh had time-traveled back to the 1930s, and had somehow brought the photograph with him. But that was so off the mark, ha. I should’ve clued in much earlier to the fact that this wasn’t the real 1930s timeline, because in the real 1930s timeline, Hui Yeong never finished the novel and that’s why he’d asked Yul to finish it for him, whereas here, in this world, Hui Yeong finishes the novel. Way to ignore the biggest clue of all, Past Me. D’oh!
First of all, YAY that Jin Oh doesn’t shatter into smithereens. And YAY that I was wrong, and he didn’t actually time-travel to the 1930s, coz that would’ve been so illogical. And most of all, YAY that Jin Oh’s safe place, where he’ll stay and hide away, is a world that feels like home to him, where he will be with Hui Yeong and Soo Hyun, for as long as it takes, until there’s a chance for him to see Se Joo and Seol again.
That just leaves my heart so full. <3 Nicely done, writer-nim. Nicely done.
THE FINAL VERDICT:
A somewhat uneven ride, but the fresh concept and the eventual emotional payoff makes it more than worthwhile.
FINAL GRADE: B++
TEASER:
MVs:
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love your review. i found myself nodded my head for certain points. we did share same concern about some scene that turned out bizarrely. for Seol, bluntly, i adore her more in her past life. she was so strong, bold and determine during her past life. remember a scene when she had been harassed while singing on the stage. she muttered to the harasser “do you want to get shoot on head?”, fearlessly. I stan that.
I was thrilled watching the scene at the town whereby Seol and Se Juu travel to past time with the help of Jin Oh’s match. The time they arrived, they saw Ryu So hyun was carrying out her duty as a sniper diligently. Seol said “that’s me” and Se Ju proudly said “Ryu soo hyun” . She slayed during that moment.
And one more mesmerizing scene that astonished me was in the last episode when Ryu soo hyun massacred everyone in Carpe Diem including all the traitors and pro-Japanese high person. I love bold and strong woman like Ryu So Hyun. In love with her character.
I wonder if anyone notice about Seol’s crying scene. Seol cried quite frequent in this drama. Honestly i love all her crying scene in her past life. all of the scene looks so painful and i was engulfed with overwhelm grief and sorrow thru her eyes especially while she was being tortured by Heo Young Min. With her face full of blood, she communicate with Shin Yul thru her eyes “don’t reveal Hwi Young”.
I can feel her and the tears seems to roll very effortlessly on her cheeks at the moment shin yul reveal the name of Joseon Alliance’ leader. that is so top-notch acting skills indeed!
Talking about her crying scene in her present life, the good one is only the scene which is at hospital before Se Ju kiss him. That is the only crying scene that deserved praised.
For other crying scene seems not going into my heart especially when she suddenly cry when Se Ju visit and give her medicine in front of her house and the scene at the shooting range(at the time han se ju came and hug her).
For the character of Seol, I’m a little bit sad that I can’t feel that Im So Jung portrayed her cute and clumsy side so well. At certain scene, she looks good, but certain scene seems awkward but actually not too worse. It’s maybe because of her maturity as the fact that she approaching 40 during filming this drama.
She still looks pretty, matured and calm whenever she tried to make herself witty and silly in her character as Seol. the director wants her to be a bit more young and easy going person in her present life scene.
Yet i still love when she being soo lovely and kind hearted person in her present life. By looking at her calm face especially at the scene when she is sleeping, soothed me. i can’t take my eyes looking at her clear and glass skin.
I can’t believed that she approaching 40. her face looks like she only in her 20’s . She is so pretty, i would say. still love her.
Hmm i i think it is just normal for one person to have its own taste of good watch dramas and movies. So for those comments about being stuck in early episodes, its ok! Maybe the drama is not for you 😉 No need to push yourself to like a drama because everyone loves it. Choose your best tea that suites for your taste 🙂 We live in a free world. Hehe
Thanks for this review!
Oh and btw, im a fan of Chicago Typewriter! Yes! Haha
i really love this drama but i hate the ending because Yul is back to 1930.. reading your review make me realize that Jin O safely resting in the novel.. it will be totally nonsense and illogical if it is time travel..
thanks a lot for your review..
I feel so relieved after reading your review. I can’t finish this drama. The FC is terrible, she feels so dumb and awkward. I can’t relate to this show at all. Characters are blend and annoying. I was so afraid not to like this story because everyone does, but I will drop it right now. The pacing is so terribly slow that I can’t help but fee tortured and looking at the remaining minutes all the time. Thank you so much for havigg bff the courage to write this! It takes some guts to tell the truth about a show everyone is so mad about.
I need to take it out of my chest
I HATED THIS ShOW
Hahaha, it’s ok that you don’t like this show, Yuri.. and if it wasn’t working for you, it makes sense that you shouldn’t force yourself to continue. 🙂 I’m glad this review helped you with your decision, and that you feel better now after dropping it! 😆
@Yuri and @Kfangurl – I would advise Yuri, like I did you – if you’re going to drop it anyway, you might want to check out the last two episodes because most of it takes place in the past (which was always more interesting and more focused than the current day portion of the story) and is pretty breathtaking, not to mention the actors give some of the best performances I’ve ever seen.
I must agree that the last 2 eps were excellent, and made me (almost) forget that I hadn’t felt so hot about the 14 eps prior! It was worth hanging on, for me! 🙂
I was kinda late to this series too, I started watching this after all the good reviews I’ve read and like you I felt like I was a bit disconnected to the modern characters also. Your review took all the right words and points in my head while I was watching it, even up to the smallest details we were on the same track. Your review of Im Soo Jung I think is on point, I got to watch her first on “WWW: Search” and her character there really suits her– a very strong, independent and cold girl boss– traits that I was looking for in Jeon Seol. I actually liked Ryu Soo Hyeon better, she had more guts and wasn’t too ditzy hehe. I understand their side too though, the story is very unique and had its own share of painful scenes that will make you cry. The OST actually for me had a big impact on the show, it made the scenes more vulnerable and really sets you in the right mood. I can’t help thinking that I should have watched it at night rather than daytime, maybe it would’ve added more feelings while watching it hahaha. Overall I liked it also, Jin Oh’s last scene in the fishing pond really got me, I thought I would never cry! But alas, it brought out the tears in me. I love this review, hwaiting!!
PS I’m also listening to the OST right now while writing this review, brings back the good and bad memories.
Hi there Natalie, thanks for enjoying this review! 😀 And wow, hi5 that we feel so similarly about this show! 😀 Yes, I liked Im Soo Jung MUCH better in Search: WWW. In comparison, I didn’t enjoy her even half as much, in this. And because I saw this show first, I almost gave Search: WWW a miss when I realized she was our lead character. Happily, I didn’t, because I loved Search! <3 I do think the writing didn't do her any favors, in CT.. some of the modern day scenes were just really weirdly written, for Seol, and it required her to act ditzy and cutesy, and that just doesn't suit her, I feel. And aw, Jin Oh.. I felt for him the most, in this entire story. So if I cried, it was always for him. 😭
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What i want to know is how seju’s manager saw and talked to yoo jinoh??
@Yasmeen. No one else interacted with Yoo jin other than (I can’t remember the characters’ names at this point) Yoo Ah in, Im Joo sung (audible only), Im Joo sung’s friend and her mother (both audible only) and the Psycho that stole Yoo Ah in’s first book.
Everyone else is our assumption in the scene. I’ve watched the series several times. The second time was just to watch for those scenes where I thought others had interacted with Yoo jin.
I bought the series because it enchanted it me with all its different parts (genres).
you mean the scene outside the mansion?
that baffled me as well. but if re watch it, actually, seju’s manager was not talking to Yoo Jin Oh.
He just murmuring to himself at that time. Yoo Jin Oh also replying back as he is having conversation with the manager casually but in fact, they are not talking to each other. hahaha.. that’s so tricky
Chicago Typewriter was sort of a mixed bag for me. I found it really difficult to connect with the modern day story and characters, but I absolutely loved the historical portions. I wish they would have spread the historical parts a little more evenly throughout the drama as I think it would have helped me connect more to the modern portion. Overall, I just found it an okay watch, but those last couple episodes were really fantastic!
Oh wow, looks like we feel very similarly about this show, Kay! I liked the historical bits a lot more, and wanted more of those scenes. And yes, those last couple of episodes were truly SO good. Worth the wait, I felt, even though the overall experience was a touch patchy for me.
Like you I only got to watch this drama quite late in the piece. I’m glad I have not read your review before watching this drama though because I might not even have started it if it had a B ++ rating ( or maybe I should watch dramas that you rated B+ and up from now on?!). I ended up falling in love with the drama from episode 6 onwards. Jin Oh had a lot to do with it but I also love Yoo Ah In in both characters. I love stories that highlight historical patriotism. I agree with you that perhaps a different actress might bring out a different ‘feel’ to the whole story with better acting. I too think the villains in this drama is a bit lame. Overall still a fabulous drama with fantastic soundtracks. A winner for me :).
Actually I feel terrible with what I said about Im Soo Jung the actress. There were some scenes that I thought she acted awkwardly but overall she did very very well in acting both as a badass comrade and a vulnerable woman abandoned by her mother.
Aw, don’t feel too bad about it. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy Im Soo Jung all that much in this role. I found it oddly written, and I found her delivery a little lacking in soul, even though I could see that she delivered certain difficult scenes well. I don’t know what it is; I just didn’t enjoy her delivery of either character. :/
I thought the actress fit the 1930’s part well, but. for me, I thought she didn’t fit the current day rom-com parts for me.
Hi there Clementine! I’m glad you loved this one, even though I didn’t. Lots of folks love this one, and I’m the odd duck that didn’t love it so much. I did very much love Jin Oh though; such a sweetheart. <3 Also, I consider B++ a very solid grade, so yes, maybe you might want to give some of the B++ and B+ shows a chance! 😉
Hey fangirl, a bit of my heart breaks to hear that you did not enjoy Chicago Typewriter as much as I and many others did. You know what I was so wishing that you review this gem of a show sometime and eventually you did. Actually, most of the time before I begin watching a K-drama I come to your blog to see how have you rated a show but this one I watched on my own whim as it wasn’t reviewed on your list. And, I loved it so I was really curious how you will feel about it.
I guess the timing might be a bit off and maybe you would have enjoyed it if you have watched it when it was quite fresh. I became a fan of its OST and the background score so lovely it is. Regarding the two timelines I was really appreciative of the past timeline as compared to the current one. I really wished that there was more screen time given to the past timeline *just a thought*.
I think the OST really worked with my brain nerves and I enjoyed this show a bit of too much.
Aw, I’m sorry I didn’t like it as much as everyone else too, soumya! :/ I’m not sure if I would have liked it more if I’d watched it live with everyone else, since aside from the praise from everyone else, I still did have issues with the writing at points. I also wouldn’t have minded more time given to the past timeline; somehow the characters grabbed me more in that timeline. Overall, it was not a bad watch, and I don’t regret checking it out! 🙂
I have tried on three different occasions to finish this drama. I think I’m stuck around episode 7 or 8. I need to check. I had already given it a go when the rave reviews started coming in so I knew I wasn’t feeling what everyone else was though generally even during the hype, people were honest about the flaws. I haven’t dropped the drama though. There is enough about it to keep it on my pending list especially knowing it ends strong.
I think if I’d watched CT live, I might’ve gotten stuck with it just as you did, Kat! I honestly wasn’t feeling the show much, until the final 2 eps, which when ALL of the feels came rushing in. Not everyone felt the way I did, but I’m guessing that might be your experience, since you’re not feeling it much the way I wasn’t feeling it much. If you do manage to push on, I’m guessing you’ll love the final 2 episodes just like I did. 🙂
If you recall, in my first request for you to review, I stated I did not know what show was and wasn’t sure if Show knew what it was (even though I loved it) – rom-com? ghost story? time travel? fight for historic civil rights?
But I loved it in – all its parts – separately at first, enough to buy the dvd. After re-watching it my love for it expanded even more so and I began to badger you to watch it too! Sowwy.😣 I almost ruined it for you. 😢 I just couldn’t wait to hear your thoughts because, just as I expected, your review has made me ready to rewatch again! ❤
I so agree about Im Soo Jung in this part, although, I liked her better in the 1930’s than I did in the modern day. Especially when *ish got real for her freedom-fighter self near the end. 😯
As to the wrist grab, I know a lot of people get really upset by it but I don’t think Korean women do – IF – it’s the RIGHT man doing it. Culturally it signifies a relationship. If you notice, more often than not, if the character really detests a guy, she’ll break the hold. But if she “detests” him in a typical rom-com bickering way, she “reluctantly” follows along with him. Like it or not, S. Korea still has gender roles and the wrist grab signifies a lot to the woman about how this man feels about her and to others watching. Yes, it is possessive. (sigh* You can LOL and SMH at me I don’t care. LOL) The attitude toward the wrist grab may change with the ongoing “me too” movement going on over there, but for me, it doesn’t bother me at all. Probably because I’m old enough to have enjoyed having a man call me “his woman” and I referred to him as “my man”. (African-American culture which was very similar to Korean culture in this way.) I know, I KNOW! my attitude toward romance is outdated. Thank goodness for Kdrama or I wouldn’t have the chance to watch stuff that turns me to mush. \_(ツ)_/¯
As to the logic gaps, because it IS fantasy, I didn’t even notice them, probably because of the huge gaping holes we get in supposedly dead serious K-dramas all the time. (Right now I’m watching “Kill It” and every few scenes that make me go, in frustration, “Well, that doesn’t make sense, why would…?” or “Couldn’t they find a better way to write that into the script rather than make the character obnoxious just to get that in? ” – then I chant to myself “It’s OCN. It’s OCN.”) 😄
For me with Chicago Typewriter, it’s the acting in the final two episodes that does EVERYTHING for me. It seems you feel that way as well.
I’m just so glad you finally saw it. And reviewed it. I felt like I knew about this great thing but had no one to share it with. 😪
I’m going to go get my CT dvds out right now! Thanks. 😀
P.S. 31 episodes of Six Flying Dragons and it surprises and baffles me everytime you say you didn’t finish it! I loved Yoo Ah in’s performance so much that although Jang Hyuk is one of my all time favorites, it’ll be hard to watch him portray the same character Bang Won (again for him) because now, for me, no one can follow Yoo Ah in’s portrayal. He made me love a character that I had to continually remind myself not to root for him by saying “he’s not a good guy.” And mentally list the moral crimes he committed right there on the screen in front of my eyes. That show did such a good job of showing what could have made a person into the person that he was that did the horrible things he did and yet still did great things for his citizenry.
Ok. I’ll let it go and stop badgering you to finish it. 💙
No need to feel bad, Beez! For the record, you weren’t the only person who urged me to check out CT, there were others who were CT ambassadors as well, which is why I decided that it really must be worth checking out. But I guess being late to the party was a bit of a double-edged sword, since the glowing reviews did amp up my expectations. On the other hand, there’s no guarantee I would’ve stuck it out, had I been watching it as it was airing, since I only really felt the full feels in the final 2 episodes! It all worked out, in that, I did get to enjoy the last 2 eps, which I loved. 🙂
About the wrist-grab, I didn’t used to mind it as much. In fact, I think I used to be closer to where you are with it, in terms of finding it romantic. I guess lately I’ve been much more conscious about appreciating women being given personal agency and independence, and it just somehow began to irk me along the way, every time I saw a man butt in without even giving the woman a chance to stand up and speak up for herself.
Ah, about Kill It.. I checked out E1 and it was a weird outing but not one that I disliked. I mean, an assassin with Alzheimer’s isn’t something you see every day, after all. But since then, I haven’t been in the mood for E2, and now that Show’s ended, chatter about its lack of logic and lazy writing is making me less keen to continue with it. Your remarks about the show kind of make me think I would likely be better off dropping out of this one, before I start to regret it, lol.
As for 6FD.. I don’t know what it is.. loads of folks love it, but I never felt much for the show or the characters, even 31 eps in. And because it’s a long one, it’s unlikely that I’d have the time or interest to go back and try again later on, in the hope that I’ll feel differently the second time around. Unfortunately, this means that it’s pretty much, “Yeahh, yes that one just isn’t for me” on 6FD. 😛
Nicely done. thank you. I really enjoyed you review.
But how come you missed writing about most passionate and desperate kiss which we saw in a Kdrama? I was anticipating to read a review about the kiss in 1930’s where they shared. If you can please write more about Hui Young’s emotions towards her. The main thing i love in romance of the story is Hui Young’s suffered love for her…
Thank you
I’m glad you enjoyed this review despite me not writing about the kiss! 😉 I’m sorry to say I wasn’t feeling the romance as much as you probably did, and what I wanted to say about the relationships, emotions-wise, I’ve already said in my review. The emotions of the star-crossed relationship in the 1930s moved me more than the actual kiss itself. The brushing of the backs of their hands said more to me than the kiss, to be honest. That choice that they each made, to put aside their feelings for each other, for the greater good, felt noble and pure to me, and I was touched by that.
i love when you mention about the ‘brushing of the backs of their hands’.
that gesture is beautifully portrayed. it is a gesture but it explain everything. i wondered why the camera zoomed and slow motioned that scene. indeed it is really ‘something’ and i’m glad that i’m not the one noticing the value in it <3
Everyone says the same thing about this show – that they connected more with the 1930s plot line and loved the last two episodes. Maybe it’s because I don’t generally like historicals but I felt the opposite. The writing in this show is not perfect by any means and certainly parts of the relationships and plotting in the first few episodes is clunky – the female lead’s friends, for example, only exist to deliver extended exposition about her when she’s not in the room (like people do, of course – not).
But I enjoyed the show a lot nonetheless until the final two episodes where I was bored as anything. Nothing at this point was unknown so they proceeded to waste two episodes re-enacting things we already knew. I kept waiting for us to come back to the present and deal with the modern day characters, resolving things from their perspective. But the extended flashback just went on and on and on telling us nothing new.
I have to say though that my appreciation for this show is something that grew after I finished. Regardless of my frustrations and gripes while watching, after finishing it I was left with a good memory of this. It resonated with me in a way I didn’t appreciate while I was watching the actual episodes. There was just something very satisfying about it overall.
That’s really interesting, that you preferred the present day timeline to the 1930s timeline! I guess our personal preferences and personal contexts really do make our individual experiences of a single show unique to each of us! I personally don’t have a particular liking for the 1930s time period like some folks do. I find that period hard to watch coz typically it’s a period of angst and freedom fighting, which is just not my usual thing. But somehow, between the two timelines, the 1930s one came alive more for me. I think that’s why my reaction to the final 2 eps was exactly the opposite of yours. These were the 2 eps that I felt most strongly, while these were the two that bored you to tears. 😂 How funny! But I’m glad you have good memories of the show nonetheless, it’s one that I don’t regret watching, also after the fact. 😉
My issue is always with getting flashbacks that tell us information we already know. If you’ve already told us, you don’t need to show us. You certainly don’t need to take two hours to show us with lots of sweeping slow-mo and earnest close-ups. Considering how many shows do this – and not just in Korea – I may be in a minority. I get very bored with it very quickly, especially if the plot points have been telegraphed.
Having said all of this, after the show ended I always recommended CT as a good show and worth watching. It was kind of funny reading your review and going “oh yeah, x,y and z bored me and a,b and c was clunky, and YAI’s wig did better acting than the female lead”.
I personally think YAI is the best actor in Korea though and so he can elevate just about anything.
Yes, I agree there were a ton of flashbacks; more than we really needed. But I get that Show was aiming for a kaleidoscopic effect in its storytelling, which is why we keep seeing the same flashbacks over and over, albeit from slightly different points of view, or with slightly different contexts. So I get the coolness of the concept, but the actual watching of scenes repeatedly did wear on me. In contrast, the last two episodes felt like Show was finally allowing me to see the full picture, instead of fragments which I wasn’t sure I was piecing together right. In a sense, that felt like the veil was finally lifted or removed, and I felt free to actually enjoy the stories from the 1930s without having to guess at what happened. I’m thinking that’s why I didn’t object to what felt like rehashing to you, in the final 2 eps. And indeed, YAI is extremely talented; definitely an actor to watch!
I usually complain about K-flashbacks because they’re far too many (except when I NEED one because something happened so many episodes back that I DO need to be reminded and, of course, they don’t show one then) and too often they are literally 30 seconds after the scene just played out. A lot of times they’ll show a scene and then the character is on a park bench wringing their hands or crying and the show thinks we don’t know the reason they’re upset unless they show us that scene again like “Hey, this is what he’s thinking about”. It’s because of the upsetting scene 30 seconds ago. EYEROLL ALMOST OUT OF MY HEAD. Annoying.
But in CT, I agree with Kfangirl, I did feel like each “repeated” backslash revealed something slightly different.
Hi there Fangurl –
Your review is, as always, thorough, professional, informative and a doggone good read. And did I forget to mention the lovely music bites?
I can sum up my recollections of this drama in one sentence – I came for Yoo Ah In and I stayed for Yoo Ah In.
That young man is flat-out fascinating to watch.
Aw, thanks phl! You really do know how to make a girl’s day! ❤😘 Thanks so much for the kind words, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the review! I must agree that YAI is fascinating to watch. Even though I feel like I’ve seen him do better, his very different portrayals of both characters was very interesting to see. 🙂
Show did not skimp on getting Yoo Ah in a great looking wig!
That WAS a great looking wig indeed 😉
Funny thing is, Yoo Ah in had a short reality series a while back and his modern day character in CT kind of reminded me of his real life self. Probably because the premise of the reality show was a foreign girl who spoke Korean (although she hadn’t mastered the difference in formal vs informal) was to be his guide (I don’t remember where they were), but she said to the camera that she’d heard how YAI was a trip or a pistol (or something along those lines) but she could handle him. She was quite confident and a little arrogant about it. So when they met, you could tell that he was offput by her aggressiveness but he remained polite and didn’t respond to her attempts to get a rise out of him, but his staff jumped all over the guide because of what they perceived as her disrespecting YAI. So despite a touch of arrogance that you could feel on his part (he was a lot younger and being touted for his textured roles unlike most young actors), he finally stepped in on her behalf to stop the bullying by his staff after the guide broke down in tears. It was a very interesting dynamic to watch. So while his author character in CT was strange, it wasn’t so strange to me because it reminded me (just a bit) of the real him when he was younger.
I kind of know what you mean, actually. I’d seen YAI in interviews before, I think round about the time he did SKKS, coz I remember he was wearing a goatee during the interviews, and I remember feeling like he was a bit of a rogue. Like, he didn’t speak like other k-stars, trying to be all politically correct. He said what he wanted, and sounded like the sort of talented rebel that no one knew what to do with. I remember finding him quite fascinating in that sense. So your description does align a lot with what I saw previously. Also, I remember when I watched E1, that I thought YAI in this (present day) role reminded me of his real self. Hi5 on having the same thought! 😀 I guess what didn’t work for me so much, was the way the character was written to develop. That felt choppy and uneven, to my eyes.
Kfangurl,
Totally agree with every word in your review. The writing ghost guy was my favorite. I also thought that the 1930s story line was far more interesting. The music was very good too. Why is it that stories set in the past are almost always more engaging? I guess that is one of the reasons I love sageuks so much.
I did like Six Flying Dragons, but, as good as Yoo Ah In was in it, it was Byun Yo Han who totally stole the show (and my heart too). He was the reason that kept me glued to the computer for 50 episodes…
Hi Snow Flower! Thanks for enjoying this review, and hi5, our resident ghostie really was the sweetest, most endearing thing about this show! 😍😍 I’m guessing that at least one of the factors is the higher stakes in period dramas, because they make everything feel more compelling.. like, people could actually die, or the country could really be lost. At least, that’s part of it for me.
I’ve heard such good things about SFD, but just couldn’t ever get into it properly, unfortunately. I’m glad you enjoyed Byun Yo Han in it tho! 🙂
I watched this till the end because of the adorable ghost. Agree that Go Kyung Pyo stole the show.
As for the rest, I can only remember that YAI looked sexy in his long hair version. The story had potential but the execution was wrong somehow, I never felt too invested, except regarding the happy ending for Jin Oh.
Hi5, Elena, looks like we essentially had very similar reactions to this show! 😀 Go Kyung Pyo was THE reason I tuned in episode after episode, because my heart was putty in his hands. <3 I feel like Go Kyung Pyo was just PERFECT to be our adorable ghost! 😍 And yes, YAI as Hui Yeong really does exude a distinctly sexy vibe, which I was quick to notice and er, appreciate. 😉
Show did not skimp on getting Yoo Ah in a great looking wig!
Sadly, kfangurl I didn’t even last two episodes when Typewriter first came out. Despite what many have said about it, I haven’t been able to go back to it. Show does have many elements I would normally like, and I wanted to like it, but I found it lacked appeal very quickly.
So, that being said, what new shows have taken my fancy of late? The Banker (right up my alley), Her Private Life (not a bad start – just a tad bit strong re the fangirling element at the minute), Special Labor Inspector Jo (solid – reminds me of a former life). My Fellow Citizens has some wonderful performances by the ladies. Current shows getting better and better: Doctor Prisoner (May turn out to be the thriller of the year), and Possessed (a great relationship in this one). Kill It is still mesmerising (but could lose altitude). Psychometric is watchable but at the end of episode 10 I nearly pressed the dropped button. Unfortunately, Item tanked and I dropped Haechi 😱
I actually know what you mean, Sean. If I hadn’t been watching this with my friend Michele, I think I might’ve lost interest and steam on my own. Lots of folks loved this from the get-go, but for me personally, it was really the last 2 eps that made it all worthwhile. And to be perfectly objective, 14 eps is a lonngg time to wait for payoff from a 16-ep drama! 😛 Happily for me, it was worth hanging in there for all the times that I felt bemused by my lack of emotional engagement with Show. But would I recommend someone who didn’t love it immediately, to hang in there just for payoff at E15 and 16? I don’t think so! 😅
Yeah, I heard that Item tanked.. and I’ve also scratched Haechi off my list, coz it just doesn’t seem like my kind of show, the more I look at it. 😛 Her Private Life is on my list, and I’ve got high hopes mainly because I like both leads, but we’ll just have to see how Show handles itself. I’m intrigued that you’re loving The Banker, coz it’s not my usual cup of tea, but I do really like Kim Sang Joong. I might check it out just to see. I’m curious about Psychometric coz lots of folks seem to be loving it, but it doesn’t seem to be rocking your world. I’m still keen to check out Kill It, so I’m glad to hear that you’re still giving it your tentative stamp of approval! 😀
It’s funny re the payoff in shows. I’m watching a Kdrama at the moment that is 120 eps (with 96 completed) and I have no idea why I keep watching it 😂😂😂 On the otherhand, there is a Japanese show I watch that is 150 eps (although it’s 15 mins per episode) and it’s brilliant.
With the Banker, it’s personal and reflective of some of what I have had to do in life. In terms of Psychometric, as others have said, it has a lot going for it, but it hasn’t wowed me. I also have a problem with shows that suddenly have characters do a u-turn and make them contrary to who, or what they are. The reality is I enjoy Psychometric’s side stories much more.
In May, my next cultural experience begins as I take up residence in Australia’s only monastic town to run the local government in that district for the month. It’s a Spanish Benedictine community that has on display artworks by the Italian and Spanish masters (16th Century) as well as prominent Australian artists and items gifted by the Queen of Spain. I can see it now – Memories of Alhambra perhaps 😊
It’s funny the things you learn while discussing Korean dramas – like the fact my country has a Spanish Benedictine community. That’s so interesting, Sean.
Wow!
Yes, that’s so true, sometimes I keep on watching a show and I’m not even really sure why I keep on watching! 😆 I’m in the last stretch of C-drama Well Intended Love right now, and while I found it fun and watchable in the second quarter or so, it’s become a lot less enjoyable, and yet, I’m still holding onto it. Maybe it’s because I only have a couple more episodes left, lol.
I’ve heard some good things about Banker, but ended up starting Psychometric instead. I’m enjoying it reasonably well so far, but I’m only a couple of eps in, so I don’t know how well I’ll take to this one in its later eps. Seems that lots of folks continued to enjoy it into its final stretch, so that’s something!
Your work always sounds so varied and interesting! Running a monastic town for a month, where there are artworks by masters on display? Wow! 😱 I’m just in time to wish you a great start to your month there – perhaps you’ll have time to play Memories of the Alhambra while unwinding; it sounds quite apt? 😂
PS: Thanks for the words of support over on Twitter; I’ve since written a lonngg email to WP to explain exactly what is frustrating me about their helpdesk system. Let’s see if that will reap any improvements from the user experience perspective.
I am avidly watching three C-dramas right now, after bailing out of so many over the last year or two. They are: From Survivor to Healer (A good portrayal of a couple reconnecting), If I Can Follow You (fabulous, mature relationship), and Put Your Head On My Shoulder (light years ahead of many young rom coms out there).
I ended up dropping Psychometric in the end. I know it is very popular, but it lost its magic for me during episode 10. Another show that wobbled, but perhaps righted itself was Kill It. Confession appears steady as you go, as does My Fellow Citizens (has some very funny and laugh out loud moments). Doctor Prisoner continues it’s awesomeness and Inspector Jo has become a firm favourite after The Banker. I’m even looking in at Fiery Priest – some good fun there too 😊
I am finally ensconced tonight at my new destination. New Norcia, as such, is just one of six towns I will be administering during my stay. Some of the artworks at the monastery are by Raphael (The Head of John the Baptist which is part of his tapestry that hangs in the Vatican). Yes, I need to warm the guitar up!
Hopefully, WP will respond positively to you. They need to back up what they say about themselves out there 🤔
Great to hear that you’re enjoying the C-dramas!! I’ve had Put Your Head on my Shoulder on my list, since it’s from the same writer as A Love So Beautiful, but the other two sound intriguing as well, so I’ve popped them on my list as well. 😀
I’m just a few eps into Psychometric and liking it quite well so far. I’m not sure how I will do with it in the later eps, since that’s where opinions seem more divided. Some folks still love it, while others found the show stopped working for them. I wonder which camp I will fall into? As for Kill It, I watched E1 and found it weird but interesting enough, what with an assassin suffering Alzheimer’s and all. I haven’t had the urge to watch E2 yet though, and since Show ended I’ve seen some dissatisfaction with the show, so I’m unsure whether to try very hard with it. 😛
Glad to know you’ve arrived safely and have settled in! It sounds like quite a unique location with a lot of rich culture and history – which sounds like just your kind of place! 😉 I wish you a fruitful and enriching experience, even as you do your work in helping the towns!
WP is.. trying. Sigh. I honestly feel like Support needs training, in terms of communication. Not just in how they process and read information but also in how they respond to users and how to express understanding and empathy. So far, it’s been a fail on all of those counts. I recently received a longish email from a Team Lead, which I haven’t yet responded to, so let’s see if this gets me anywhere. I’m honestly afraid to allow myself too much optimism on this, it’s been really rough lately. 😛
I think PYHOMS is wonderful. You have the geeky male lead who is not arrogant for a change, a terrific female lead whose character is quite smart and a story that allows their relationship to develop over a lengthy period of time. Even the little touches between them are endearing 🤩
With Psychometric, you might enjoy those things I didn’t. In terms of Kill It, can I sadly say, it would be wise to put your viewing time elsewhere 😢
Thank you for your well wishes. I will be wearing a Hawaiian 🌺 Shirt tomorrow – it’s Friday!
As Karl Albrecht said a long time ago: if the strategy is not clear, the people (staff) are not engaged, and the systems are hit and miss, you will never draw the customer into the heart of the organisation. WP can learn a lot from you kfangurl 🤗
Put Your Head On My Shoulder sounds like a keeper! 😀 I’ve come to favor male leads who are nice, and female leads who are smart, so this sounds like a potentially great little show. <3 I will dive in soonish – right after I finish off Well Intended Love, which is not super, but which for some inexplicable reason, I'm planning to watch the last few eps of. 😛
Sad to hear that Kill It didn't work out after all.. I remember you liked it very well in the beginning. :/ I'm now curious about Nokdu Flower and Different Dreams. In the meantime, I've started on Her Private Life. 2 eps in, I think it's still settling into its groove, but it's cute and would likely appeal to the fangirls in/among us. Which means it might not be your thing..! 😅
Thanks, dear Sean. Your encouragement is like a balm on a sore wound. I wrote another long email explaining what I think are WP Support's systemic problems, with examples, and another team lead came back to me promising to look into my blog case history emails to explore what I'm talking about. My hopes aren't super high at this point, but at least I don't feel like throwing things, and I'm not currently thinking of quitting the blog altogether. 😛 But, let's see what happens when I publish my next post. WP Support has a particular talent for aggravating me when I reach out for help, and I tend to need to do that these days, right after publishing a post. Working on a review for Touch Your Heart now, and proceeding with.. caution, lol.
PYHOMS seems to have become one of those shows that everyone likes. It deserves the positive reaction and attention it is getting.
Both Nokdu Flower and Different Dreams do look very interesting, so I plan to check them out soon.
With Her Private Life, I found Ep 7 was more to my liking, but now I’m faced with the dilemma of whether I can watch Ep 8, as a major plot change appears to be on the horizon. On another note, I had a look at The Secret Life of My Secretary. I’m sad to say that I lasted a total of 17 mins and 26 secs before I pushed the dropped button 😱
And once upon a time in the realm of the IT Crowd 😎:
https://media1.tenor.com/images/3fbc187130b121d801ff063d4ae6ce8a/tenor.gif?itemid=5598174
@Seankfletcher So many things in your comment that I didn’t understand. lol I clicked on the link you provided but still had no idea.
As to Secret Life of My Secretary, I swear that’s the EXACT same plot as last year’s Rich Man, Poor Woman (horrible drama). I totally get that there’s not much original under the sun but geeze oh pete, “a boss who has face recognition disease and can only recognize his secretary”. Couldn’t they both have different professions at least? And the title sounds like one of those alternate names for Her Private Life. You know how you are aware a drama’s coming out and you’ve been told for 6 months that the title is something like “Speedy Runner” but then you finally find it listed as “Quick”. [Sorry, I couldn’t make up better examples] lol
Hello Beez, I will reply here as I couldn’t reply directly to your comment below.
With the link, the IT Crowd is one of my all time favourite shows. It’s the story of a very inept IT Department, which specialises in ignoring providing any level of customer service. The GIF is of one of the IT team in action – Moss. Listening and solving problems was not their strong suit 😂😂😂
From what I read, the male lead in Secret Life of My Secretary was going to be blind. I guess they changed his condition to face blindness because the shows that have used this as a storyline up until now have turned out to be popular. Having said that, Rich Man, Poor Woman was bad (both the Jdrama and Kdrama versions). I also had the same initial thoughts re the name of this show sounding like an alternate to Her Private Life.
Speaking of which, with Her Private Life, it crashed and burned for me at Ep 10. I was expecting something completely different with this show. So, I ejected it’s remains out into the Kdrama universe graveyard.
Do have a look at Put Your Head On My Shoulder (PYHOMS), should it become available where you are. As everyone else has said here, it is a real delight. There is also a special. I’m also enjoying Absolute Boyfriend. It’s another robot show, released two years after it was made. It was probably held back because of I’m Not a Robot and then Are You Human?, but after Crowned Clown there’s a willingness to cash in on Yeo Jin Gu’s earlier shows (he’s excellent as the dating companion android by the way).
I was wondering why it was taking so long for a Kdrama version of Absolute Boyfriend. I watched. the Japanese and Taiwan (I think) versions a good long while ago.
I’ll check out The IT Crowd. I googled and see that it’s British. Sounds fun.
I rarely watch anything that’s not Korean as I’m trying to learn the language. It’s soooooo hard. *whiniing*
seankfletcher – so i’m ten minutes into The IT Crowd and already I love it! I see it was made in 2006 which is why I stoppped just to write to you and say – it puzzles me how British shows always manage to look 20 years older than they are. I think I said this to you a while back when we were discussing are You Being Served (the 70’s version); and Patricia Rutledge’s show; and the sci-fi show Red-[something or other]. Is it the style of film they shoot with? But that’s not the only thing, the clothing and hairstyles also seem dated (much farther back than 2006). Well, anyway, I’m going to go back to the episode now. (I can’t believe this is on Netflix who always touts their “great” algorithm that’s supposed to guess what we want to see but they haven’t recommended anything I want to see since they switched from the star rating to thumbs up or down. 🙁
I really loved this series, it tugged at the heartstrings!!! And Yoo Ah In’s 1930’s character just got me swooning. <3
Oh, I get what you mean, Phets! There was just something extra sensuous about Hui Yeong. The principled passion of his cause just upped the swoon factor even further. 😍
Thanks for the review – CT is one of my favorite fantasy series. Parts were amazing, parts were flashy and promising but not entirely successful and other parts – well, just not needed. I still don’t believe any of the modern day family stuff – those relationships were straight out of a telenovella. I understand there were echoes of the past but – it was stupid. The soundtrack – Oh, it’s an amazing way to remember all the best parts of this show.
Ah, I know what you mean, humbledaisy!! It was a little uneven and patchy in some ways, and there are just some things that the story didn’t need. But oh my, did Show manage to pack one heck of an emotional punch when it got to its finale! And indeed, the soundtrack is so evocative – I was listening to it as I worked on the review, and it did bring back all of the feels. <3