The moment I set my eyes on this movie and its synopsis, I knew I wanted to watch it, and soon.
An underdog story about an epic friendship between two individuals who complement each other’s weaknesses with their own strengths? And with Shin Ha Kyun and Lee Kwang Soo starring, no less?
YES PLEASE, SIGN ME UP! 🤩
Gosh, how had I even managed to let this one fly under my radar?
Psst: Links to watch are at the end of the review!
Ok, so I know this is a controversial drop, because by and large, drama fans seem to love this show. Which is why I’d like to state upfront, that my decision to drop this one, has nothing to do with Show’s quality, per se.
In fact, I can see why lots of people would enjoy this one. I, however, only managed to watch one episode of this one, before eventually making the decision to call it quits.
It’s just.. not for me, personally. This is absolutely a case of, “It’s not you, Show. It’s me.” 😅
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Not the sweet rom-com Show was marketed to be.
Instead, this one is a thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of personal journey; the ups and downs of life, the struggle to follow your heart, the mistakes you make and their consequences, as well as the growth that you gain, from those mistakes.
Some minor plotlines didn’t work as well for me, but by and large, I really appreciated the way Show fleshed out its characters. Seo Kang Joon and Esom are excellent as our leads, and made their characters feel like real, living, breathing people.
As a bonus, the music is really quite lovely in this, and makes the watch that much more immersive.
The experience of watching this show is similar to what I imagine it would be like, to be on an exceptional winning streak in your favorite computer game: you are in disbelief as you clear round after round, trouncing the system in ways that you didn’t think possible.
You start to wonder if you will – gasp! – actually be able to pull off a perfect game – a feat that is only rumored to be possible. You make it to the final rounds – OMG am I almost there?! – ..only for the system to beat you in the end, after all. *sadface*
And then you console yourself that, yes, you didn’t make it all the way through this time, but you still did really well – and maybe, just maybe, you’ll make it next time.
Sigh. That’s how I feel about this show, you guys. There was so much to love in this one, and it felt so surprisingly fresh in so many ways, that I thought we might actually have a thoroughly amazing drama on our hands.
Alas, Show wobbled a fair bit in its final episodes, to my eyes. I’m disappointed about that, but just like in the analogy of the computer game, I’m consoling myself that being awesome for 14 episodes is still head and shoulders above most other dramas. Right?
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Starkly beautiful yet disturbingly dark, White Christmas explores the issue of nature vs. nurture in relation to the human condition.
How much of one’s fruit is a result of qualities inherent in one’s seed, and how much of it is due to how and with what you water that seed? Throughout its 8 episodes, this psychological thriller relentlessly asks the question, “Are monsters born or made?”
Depending on your preferred answer to that question, your mileage may vary with this one.
Thought-provoking, in either case.