lol 🙂 okay! i am at episode 10, i will do what i tend to do with draggy series, read the recaps and then watch and skip the boring/draggy parts 🙂 and then lookout binge!
Read it, loved it. You’ve managed to put into words most of what I felt watching this. Well done! And I’m sure synthesizing (is that a word?) all of that afforded you the closure that you needed because of that @$*%# ending. I’m like you, I wasn’t upset Do Han died. I knew we were going towards Greek tragedy. It was just not tragic enough and you are totally right, we needed him to find forgiveness. You had a priest RIGHT THERE. Su-ji was RIGHT THERE. Even Jesus on the cross forgave the thief being crucified next you him and said to him “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Ugh, so powerful, and to think the writer and director missed that! Now, I’m getting upset again. 😂 Dammit, show, why couldn’t you give us that closure? Oh, i know, it’s because it’s ultimately a business and you wanted desperately for a second season and tried (miserably) to set it up and just ended in a horrible mess. Wherein I think Do Han is still alive somewhere, because he’s physically and emotionally one of the strongest characters written in dramaland this year–despite being eaten up by revenge. And, I’m a bigger fan of KYK now than I was prior, and that’s saying something, because he was my first bias!
It did a bit yes! And then I got really depressed last night but I’m ok now, wooo it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster though, writing it. 🙂
Bless you a million times for bringing up Jesus and the Thief on the cross. Just the perfect example.
Forgiveness is a powerful thing but it’s not often handled accurately or well in writing I find. Not to the impact it can have and does have in real life. I wonder if the writer planned for something more and the director was like ‘nah do this’ though. They definitely had the potential to write good closure.
See, I wish they would just focus on giving us a good story NOW. Finish it well. Finish it on a strong note. Let it become talked about. Don’t make it weaker by trying to get a second season you probably won’t get.
Because yeah, a S2 without Do Han would be pointless, and you’d have to use that shred of possibility that he might even be alive! I’d prefer it if he’d just died well but you know. (although if they did get a S2 I wouldn’t be complaining about more DH on my screen…:D )
“because he’s physically and emotionally one of the strongest characters written in dramaland this year–despite being eaten up by revenge.” <THIS. Sums up what I think I was trying to get at in my review but yes, this.
I've only seen him in two other things. I didn't really pay much attention to him in Pinocchio, but I enjoyed him in the first half of Man Living in Our House, so he was one of the reasons I wanted to watch this in the first place, and now I'm just like AHHH KYK <3 hahaha
Wheeee! Read it! (This is gonna be random because I might remember different things and it’s too late at night to edit or think straight- but if I don’t write it, I might forget what I read)
Loved your ending a lot! I needed some sort of emotional closure instead of that lemme die-no lemme die- okay no I will die for you- thing… I HATED the ending of the show. Basically I hated the last episode or even the last 2 episodes but never got it off my chest cuz I was more in a finish-dramas off phase. Why did they ruin a good show with that sloppy lazy writing and directing at the end. Things were left unexplained and newer things added just so that people could hope for a season 2?
Oh and a minor thing, but what was that fight SuJi had with all those gangsters (?) in the last episode? That was plain stupid waste of time and really bad fight scene in general. She had such kickass scenes throughout the show but they leave THAT as the image that would stay? Not good.
Best paragraph of your writeup? Can you guess what I will chose? It is not the penultimate or the ultimate ones- which I liked- but rather the cute Bomi-Kyungsoo one! <3 They were adorable times infinity! (Though Bomi kinda lost a little of her sass once her story arc was resolved and was relegated to the background a little. But then again, not anyone's fault. There were more stories to tell). Key, I thought, was good but maybe I had too high expectations after Drinking Solo? This character demanded a lot more and he was really adorable in the cute moments but a little bit underwhelming for the parts that required some more gravitas. Still, his cute moments will stay with me for a while.
Oh and you didn't write about the prosecutor guy much, right? Or the priest? I frankly thought both those actors were under-utilized. I felt really sad for Kim Tae-hoon cuz he is such a brilliant actor and he wasn't given enough story/ screen space to do much. Have you seen Fantastic? He stole the show there. And those dimples!
KYK was good… he was at his best here.. I admit that I wasn't on- board in the beginning though. I just hated his character so much that I was projecting it on to KYK. But I realized that was the power of brilliant acting. He had to make the audience hate the lead character and he succeeded. It was only in the later episodes that I started liking his acting. In the beginning I thought it was a little too much (I know now that the character called for it but I felt what I felt)..
You liked the psycho teenager's acting? I appreciated it in the beginning but by the last few episodes, once he actually started getting some lines to speak, he came off as a little unprepared-
which he is I guess, I mean this might have been his debut- so I guess good job still– And well obvious comparisons of young psycho characters follow and he wasn't 100% perfect for what the role demanded (Go check SP for a better acted villain :D, or IRY)
Lol I reached the character limit! :P… That was a long comment!
And now I am starting to forget a little of what I wanted to say or if I had anything more to say.. might read the write up again and add more comments if I have missed something..
Apparently, yeah they were fishing for S2, which unless DH is not actually dead, will be a very bad S2, and probably won’t happen anyway. They should’ve just tied everything off and ended strongly. This is why I don’t like most American shows, because they drag out over too many seasons and stagnate. Don’t start doing the same with my Kdramas please! They’re better in nice little neat packages!
Yes well… it was also the most unrealistic of her fight scenes too haha.
Hahahaha! Not surprised you liked that one! AH! I forgot one of the main things I was gonna say in my write up! That the team kinda fell into the background in later episodes and I thought that actually made the story more boring, eg. Bomi’s sass. I haven’t seen Key in Drinking Solo so I have nothing to compare his acting in this too. I thought he did enough for the role. He definitely got the tone of his character right and I’m not sure if many others could have done that? SIG maybe, but he can do anything. Now that you mention it there was something lacking in his more emotional scenes but I guess I wasn’t as bothered because they were secondary characters and often clearly the comedic relief, and I got all my emotions and then some from KYK, who really ultimately, for me at least, drove the show.
I’m sure you weren’t. Lots of people weren’t haha. And yeah, like you say, it was kinda the point. I also got the ‘is this over the top hmmm’ feel from his aegyo. But then it all kinda fit into place like pieces on a puzzle and he had to be that over the top asshole or else people would suspect him 😀 I just really like it when writing and acting like that makes sense for the character and I’m really impressed by the writer’s character writing ability. Like really impressed. There were still issues, there will always be issues, but just so impressed by it KYK’s acting as well.
I tried to think of more to say on the priest and EJ but like you say I wasn’t quite given enough. They were both really good, but the priest had next to no lines, and therefore very little character development to talk about, and EJ was good, but he never stood out much to me? I wanna put part of that on the directing and editing though, because the bits where he actually did stuff were jerky and in the middle of a whole lot of other stuff. There were more good scenes with him in the first few episodes actually, surrounding his crush on SJ and Yu Na’s death.
Shi Wan- I liked his acting, for a debut I thought he did pretty well, not the best, but still, pretty damn well. I think I was more interested in his character than the actor actually. I found the character super interesting from a writing perspective. But yes, there have been more slimy villains. SP for one, and I actually got the heebie jeebies a lot more from the SWDBS villain than I did from Shi Wan (pity about his backstory though). I never got the goosebumps with Shi Wan, but the musical cues were on point and added to his stares a lot.
Yes please I like Korean shows just like they are. I hope they don’t copy the American format! One of the many reasons I got tired of the US shows.
That’s what. EJ was given something to do in the first few episodes, but then it seems that both the writer and director kinda forgot him. And yes to the faulty editing/directing. The actor who plays the priest has come back to dramaland after almost 6-7 years- he had a rare disease and he has mostly overcome that. So I guess he deliberately chose that role because he is still not fit enough to take up more demanding roles..
Yeah the SWDBS villain was creepy too.. That show though. It just wasn’t good. Except the cute puppies. But the show needs something more than puppies (SKL had puppies but I loved the overall stupidity. Or I just like SIG so I am biased- either way, there was nothing to hate in SKL)
Same. Ugh. I completely dropped US shows and switched almost entirely to Kdramas end of 2015, mid 2016.
Yeah. He was fantastic in those first few hours, but then he kinda… didn’t do much. Except find out about DH, that bit was good.
Yes! I read that about him! I figured that was also why he didn’t say or do much, kinda just took it easy.
SWDBS WASN’T a good show, not at all. The only reason I give people to watch it is the main couple, which isn’t really enough. Aisshhh.
SKL- I live watched that too and I saw girlfriday I think? Say she couldn’t get into it like she wanted cos she didn’t understand the world it was written in, that kinda wacky reality (something like that I’m probably misquoting her). I on the other hand, loved SKL to bits. It’s wacky reality and silliness was the kind of silliness I liked, and then it trolled me with that faux-second amnesia plot, and it was just wonderful. SIG is such an incredible actor.
Thank God! I couldn’t remember if you liked SKL or not! And I know… I loved the wackiness, the non-evil villains, innocent puppies, taking stale tropes and making it interesting- basically everything! I didn’t even mind the distance between the leads in the later episodes because I knew they will get back together.
I dunno about GF but JB recently mentioned SKL again-
“Man Who Dies to Live: This is almost too campy to be watchable for me, but I’m not writing it off yet because that’s what I thought of Shopping King Louis at first, before its over-the-top corniness mellowed and what initially felt random and strange turned into delightful quirky humor.”
Funny thing is that I loved it from the start. I know the first episode was a little scattered but that was because it was needed. And I was in love by the second episode! 🙂
Oh yes! I adore SKL! I have a friend called Louis, pronounced the French way and whenever I hear his name my mind goes LOUIS-AH!!! It was so close to being a 5* on my review list and then WLFKBJ came along and bumped it out of it’s top spot in my heart but I still love it and would definitely rewatch. Actually I’m gonna make said friend watch it with me, so he understands why I call him Louis-ah 😛
I seem to remember also loving it from the start. It was just hilarious and so sweet and lovely and Bok Shil and Louis were like OTP goals.
Lol poor Louis not knowing why you call him Louis-ah! If someone was named Louis in India (though I don’t think anyone would be named Louis here) they would automatically be called louis-ah… We like to call our friends and family with endearing names so there are a lot of -ahs, -uhs, and -oooo sounds attached, or pet names are used..
Thank you. I needed this.
I recently went through all the comments on the first episode (mine included) talking about our thoughts on DoHan:
” I really wanted to punch Do-han in the face. I have no doubt that I will eventually fall in love with him, but the way he was making it difficult for Suji made me hold a bit of resentment. However, I do still love his character and the promise he will bring.
I just really slightly want to hit him. lightly.” (Episode 1-2 recap) (I’m going to go cry. Brb)
—
Watching the evolution of our understanding of his character was probably the best thing ever. He was his own story in itself, it started in medias res, we eventually understood his beginning, and together watched his end.
You talked about him not forgiving himself in your review, but I think he found some peace when he was falling off the rooftop. Although it wasn’t executed the best, it still held a lot of meaning. It was his blind revenge that lead to the death of an innocent child, and he had used it to manipulate the mother into helping him, a moment which he regrets (Confession scene, goodbye heart). After putting her through so much pain, he uses his last moments to try and take some of it away (albeit in a roundabout way), so while it’s not quite a huge self forgiveness thing, he at least knows he’s making her life a bit better, and that she may someday forgive him.
And as for the last scene of the drama, I loved it (after some thought. My first reaction was “THIS IS IT? YOU ******* ******** ***!”).
Lookout (for me) was all about mortality and life, and how it effects people and how it can be taken away, and how you deal with it after. Throughout the show we saw how characters can react to death (revenge, guilt, enclosing self from world, not caring [if you’re a psychotic dipshit]). In the end, they finally face it upfront, no guns or twisty words, no big confession or trying to run away, it’s just two people sitting down and remembering DoHans life, and accepting his death. It’s quiet compared to the opening of the drama, but it doesn’t need to be loud, it’s not an attention grabbing hello to start a meaningful conversation, it’s the soft words you speak when saying goodbye for the last time.
You’re welcome! I’m glad… you erh… needed it? I was gonna say liked it but I dunno if a thing one likes per se… idk
Hahaha I’m sure SuJi and EJ wanted to hit him a lot too 😛 (there there I understand *hugs* *seriosuly I don’t cry much in film but writing that review made me cry*)
Yes yes yes yess! ‘He was his own story in itself’ I think that’s why I liked him so much. I’m a sucker for good storytelling, it’s my catnip I guess. But characters are stories too. Songs are stories. Art can be a story. Lots of things are stories. I love it when a drama has solid traditional storytelling too but a good character just gets me right in the heart. Not that I find them very often. But I think I was able to surpass all the rest of it because Do Han’s character was so strong. When you think about it, the show was more his story than it was Su Ji’s.
I guess I was a little wrapped up in my version of the ending, I forgot to comment too much on how his arc did actually end haha.
I think, I do think that’s what they were going for, that in his death, sacrificing himself for SuJi, that’s how he came to peace, that he did this one final thing for her and now he can rest because he’s paid it back.
But I guess, what I was trying to get at, what I wanted to see, was a forgiveness where he realised he didn’t have to earn it by dying for her, that she freely gave it to him despite everything, and THAT’s why he forgave himself because he knew that he was forgivable… if that makes sense. It’s a bit of a tricky one and I wrestled with it for several hours because I was like ‘but is he dying to save heror dying to earn forgiveness’ etc etc. I think ultimately in their relationship he was dying to save her. That was his visceral reaction, no matter how it was written that’s what it would’ve been.
Which is why I wrote my ending out, because I think that’s what had the potential to happen, and what was there but unsaid.
Oh I actually really loved the church scene, I thought that was very beautiful. It’s the stuff between Do Han’s death and it that wasn’t nearly as strong, and sort of unnecessary and left us with more questions than answers. But I did love the church scene, and I loved that Su Ji remembered DH along with her loved ones, making him also a loved one.
I agree with everything you said, especially that last scene! I loved it as well. On my last episode post I mentioned also that I didn’t know I liked the Happy-go-lucky, Aeygo Do-Han until I saw it again in the flashback. I remembered me actually being annoyed with that scene initially, like Su-ji. I didn’t even know I missed it, and at that point and cried buckets.
But I don’t agree that the priest was just “cute.” He was sexy as all get-out! But maybe you’re just being facetious, and I’m being drop dead serious. Because that’s what I’d be if I ever met him in life–I’d forget to breathe and probably faint. 😆
It was phrased that way as a joke, but I think the fact that I have several pictures (okay, a bit more than several) of him on my phone speaks for how I feel about him. HOw can a priest look so sinful???
I figured as much (about the joking) 😂. I can only fangirl here, because my hubby may divorce me if he finds pictures of “other men” on my phone, even if they are crazy handsome. I can appreciate beauty, in all forms. 😄 And I need Shin Dong Wook in another drama or movie soon.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 22, 2017 at 11:27 PM
LOOKOUT REVIEEEEEEEW. IF I LOOK AT IT ANYMORE I’LL JUST BE UNHAPPY WITH MY OWN WRITING SO HERE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fj95kVTKy0RJHG1PewM7DIeRKtR51d3Hpa8QukR80Bw/edit?usp=sharing
chingu
July 23, 2017 at 2:25 AM
Hahaha, yes, dump it on us! Yippie! Will have to read this later, but thanks for sharing! Will come back to talk all abt it w/ you later.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 23, 2017 at 2:26 AM
Yayyy! Looking forward to it!
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
October 6, 2017 at 1:20 AM
You done yet? kekekeke
Sia
July 23, 2017 at 3:18 AM
will come back to this after i binged lookout!
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 23, 2017 at 3:21 AM
… heeee have fun with both!!! Yes come back and cry with me 😛
Sia
July 23, 2017 at 3:36 AM
lol! will do 🙂 am watching strong woman do bong soon still but it’s slowly losing my interest, have you seen it?
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 23, 2017 at 4:15 AM
Yeah I live watched it. Bout the only good thing in that is the main couple. I wrote a thing when it ended as well, although not this long^!! Haha
Sia
July 23, 2017 at 4:26 AM
lol 🙂 okay! i am at episode 10, i will do what i tend to do with draggy series, read the recaps and then watch and skip the boring/draggy parts 🙂 and then lookout binge!
Ally
July 23, 2017 at 5:58 AM
Read it, loved it. You’ve managed to put into words most of what I felt watching this. Well done! And I’m sure synthesizing (is that a word?) all of that afforded you the closure that you needed because of that @$*%# ending. I’m like you, I wasn’t upset Do Han died. I knew we were going towards Greek tragedy. It was just not tragic enough and you are totally right, we needed him to find forgiveness. You had a priest RIGHT THERE. Su-ji was RIGHT THERE. Even Jesus on the cross forgave the thief being crucified next you him and said to him “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Ugh, so powerful, and to think the writer and director missed that! Now, I’m getting upset again. 😂 Dammit, show, why couldn’t you give us that closure? Oh, i know, it’s because it’s ultimately a business and you wanted desperately for a second season and tried (miserably) to set it up and just ended in a horrible mess. Wherein I think Do Han is still alive somewhere, because he’s physically and emotionally one of the strongest characters written in dramaland this year–despite being eaten up by revenge. And, I’m a bigger fan of KYK now than I was prior, and that’s saying something, because he was my first bias!
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 23, 2017 at 1:46 PM
It did a bit yes! And then I got really depressed last night but I’m ok now, wooo it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster though, writing it. 🙂
Bless you a million times for bringing up Jesus and the Thief on the cross. Just the perfect example.
Forgiveness is a powerful thing but it’s not often handled accurately or well in writing I find. Not to the impact it can have and does have in real life. I wonder if the writer planned for something more and the director was like ‘nah do this’ though. They definitely had the potential to write good closure.
See, I wish they would just focus on giving us a good story NOW. Finish it well. Finish it on a strong note. Let it become talked about. Don’t make it weaker by trying to get a second season you probably won’t get.
Because yeah, a S2 without Do Han would be pointless, and you’d have to use that shred of possibility that he might even be alive! I’d prefer it if he’d just died well but you know. (although if they did get a S2 I wouldn’t be complaining about more DH on my screen…:D )
“because he’s physically and emotionally one of the strongest characters written in dramaland this year–despite being eaten up by revenge.” <THIS. Sums up what I think I was trying to get at in my review but yes, this.
I've only seen him in two other things. I didn't really pay much attention to him in Pinocchio, but I enjoyed him in the first half of Man Living in Our House, so he was one of the reasons I wanted to watch this in the first place, and now I'm just like AHHH KYK <3 hahaha
ObsessedMuch
July 23, 2017 at 11:52 AM
Wheeee! Read it! (This is gonna be random because I might remember different things and it’s too late at night to edit or think straight- but if I don’t write it, I might forget what I read)
Loved your ending a lot! I needed some sort of emotional closure instead of that lemme die-no lemme die- okay no I will die for you- thing… I HATED the ending of the show. Basically I hated the last episode or even the last 2 episodes but never got it off my chest cuz I was more in a finish-dramas off phase. Why did they ruin a good show with that sloppy lazy writing and directing at the end. Things were left unexplained and newer things added just so that people could hope for a season 2?
Oh and a minor thing, but what was that fight SuJi had with all those gangsters (?) in the last episode? That was plain stupid waste of time and really bad fight scene in general. She had such kickass scenes throughout the show but they leave THAT as the image that would stay? Not good.
Best paragraph of your writeup? Can you guess what I will chose? It is not the penultimate or the ultimate ones- which I liked- but rather the cute Bomi-Kyungsoo one! <3 They were adorable times infinity! (Though Bomi kinda lost a little of her sass once her story arc was resolved and was relegated to the background a little. But then again, not anyone's fault. There were more stories to tell). Key, I thought, was good but maybe I had too high expectations after Drinking Solo? This character demanded a lot more and he was really adorable in the cute moments but a little bit underwhelming for the parts that required some more gravitas. Still, his cute moments will stay with me for a while.
Oh and you didn't write about the prosecutor guy much, right? Or the priest? I frankly thought both those actors were under-utilized. I felt really sad for Kim Tae-hoon cuz he is such a brilliant actor and he wasn't given enough story/ screen space to do much. Have you seen Fantastic? He stole the show there. And those dimples!
KYK was good… he was at his best here.. I admit that I wasn't on- board in the beginning though. I just hated his character so much that I was projecting it on to KYK. But I realized that was the power of brilliant acting. He had to make the audience hate the lead character and he succeeded. It was only in the later episodes that I started liking his acting. In the beginning I thought it was a little too much (I know now that the character called for it but I felt what I felt)..
You liked the psycho teenager's acting? I appreciated it in the beginning but by the last few episodes, once he actually started getting some lines to speak, he came off as a little unprepared-
which he is I guess, I mean this might have been his debut- so I guess good job still– And well obvious comparisons of young psycho characters follow and he wasn't 100% perfect for what the role demanded (Go check SP for a better acted villain :D, or IRY)
ObsessedMuch
July 23, 2017 at 11:54 AM
Lol I reached the character limit! :P… That was a long comment!
And now I am starting to forget a little of what I wanted to say or if I had anything more to say.. might read the write up again and add more comments if I have missed something..
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 23, 2017 at 1:37 PM
Apparently, yeah they were fishing for S2, which unless DH is not actually dead, will be a very bad S2, and probably won’t happen anyway. They should’ve just tied everything off and ended strongly. This is why I don’t like most American shows, because they drag out over too many seasons and stagnate. Don’t start doing the same with my Kdramas please! They’re better in nice little neat packages!
Yes well… it was also the most unrealistic of her fight scenes too haha.
Hahahaha! Not surprised you liked that one! AH! I forgot one of the main things I was gonna say in my write up! That the team kinda fell into the background in later episodes and I thought that actually made the story more boring, eg. Bomi’s sass. I haven’t seen Key in Drinking Solo so I have nothing to compare his acting in this too. I thought he did enough for the role. He definitely got the tone of his character right and I’m not sure if many others could have done that? SIG maybe, but he can do anything. Now that you mention it there was something lacking in his more emotional scenes but I guess I wasn’t as bothered because they were secondary characters and often clearly the comedic relief, and I got all my emotions and then some from KYK, who really ultimately, for me at least, drove the show.
I’m sure you weren’t. Lots of people weren’t haha. And yeah, like you say, it was kinda the point. I also got the ‘is this over the top hmmm’ feel from his aegyo. But then it all kinda fit into place like pieces on a puzzle and he had to be that over the top asshole or else people would suspect him 😀 I just really like it when writing and acting like that makes sense for the character and I’m really impressed by the writer’s character writing ability. Like really impressed. There were still issues, there will always be issues, but just so impressed by it KYK’s acting as well.
I tried to think of more to say on the priest and EJ but like you say I wasn’t quite given enough. They were both really good, but the priest had next to no lines, and therefore very little character development to talk about, and EJ was good, but he never stood out much to me? I wanna put part of that on the directing and editing though, because the bits where he actually did stuff were jerky and in the middle of a whole lot of other stuff. There were more good scenes with him in the first few episodes actually, surrounding his crush on SJ and Yu Na’s death.
Shi Wan- I liked his acting, for a debut I thought he did pretty well, not the best, but still, pretty damn well. I think I was more interested in his character than the actor actually. I found the character super interesting from a writing perspective. But yes, there have been more slimy villains. SP for one, and I actually got the heebie jeebies a lot more from the SWDBS villain than I did from Shi Wan (pity about his backstory though). I never got the goosebumps with Shi Wan, but the musical cues were on point and added to his stares a lot.
ObsessedMuch
July 24, 2017 at 12:50 AM
Yes please I like Korean shows just like they are. I hope they don’t copy the American format! One of the many reasons I got tired of the US shows.
That’s what. EJ was given something to do in the first few episodes, but then it seems that both the writer and director kinda forgot him. And yes to the faulty editing/directing. The actor who plays the priest has come back to dramaland after almost 6-7 years- he had a rare disease and he has mostly overcome that. So I guess he deliberately chose that role because he is still not fit enough to take up more demanding roles..
Yeah the SWDBS villain was creepy too.. That show though. It just wasn’t good. Except the cute puppies. But the show needs something more than puppies (SKL had puppies but I loved the overall stupidity. Or I just like SIG so I am biased- either way, there was nothing to hate in SKL)
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 24, 2017 at 1:03 AM
Same. Ugh. I completely dropped US shows and switched almost entirely to Kdramas end of 2015, mid 2016.
Yeah. He was fantastic in those first few hours, but then he kinda… didn’t do much. Except find out about DH, that bit was good.
Yes! I read that about him! I figured that was also why he didn’t say or do much, kinda just took it easy.
SWDBS WASN’T a good show, not at all. The only reason I give people to watch it is the main couple, which isn’t really enough. Aisshhh.
SKL- I live watched that too and I saw girlfriday I think? Say she couldn’t get into it like she wanted cos she didn’t understand the world it was written in, that kinda wacky reality (something like that I’m probably misquoting her). I on the other hand, loved SKL to bits. It’s wacky reality and silliness was the kind of silliness I liked, and then it trolled me with that faux-second amnesia plot, and it was just wonderful. SIG is such an incredible actor.
ObsessedMuch
July 24, 2017 at 1:22 AM
Thank God! I couldn’t remember if you liked SKL or not! And I know… I loved the wackiness, the non-evil villains, innocent puppies, taking stale tropes and making it interesting- basically everything! I didn’t even mind the distance between the leads in the later episodes because I knew they will get back together.
I dunno about GF but JB recently mentioned SKL again-
“Man Who Dies to Live: This is almost too campy to be watchable for me, but I’m not writing it off yet because that’s what I thought of Shopping King Louis at first, before its over-the-top corniness mellowed and what initially felt random and strange turned into delightful quirky humor.”
Funny thing is that I loved it from the start. I know the first episode was a little scattered but that was because it was needed. And I was in love by the second episode! 🙂
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 24, 2017 at 1:50 AM
Oh yes! I adore SKL! I have a friend called Louis, pronounced the French way and whenever I hear his name my mind goes LOUIS-AH!!! It was so close to being a 5* on my review list and then WLFKBJ came along and bumped it out of it’s top spot in my heart but I still love it and would definitely rewatch. Actually I’m gonna make said friend watch it with me, so he understands why I call him Louis-ah 😛
I seem to remember also loving it from the start. It was just hilarious and so sweet and lovely and Bok Shil and Louis were like OTP goals.
ObsessedMuch
July 24, 2017 at 2:02 AM
Lol poor Louis not knowing why you call him Louis-ah! If someone was named Louis in India (though I don’t think anyone would be named Louis here) they would automatically be called louis-ah… We like to call our friends and family with endearing names so there are a lot of -ahs, -uhs, and -oooo sounds attached, or pet names are used..
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 24, 2017 at 2:41 AM
THankfully he does kind of know because I explained it to him haha but I want him to watch it so he gets the full Louis-ah experience keke
aardvark
July 24, 2017 at 7:18 PM
Thank you. I needed this.
I recently went through all the comments on the first episode (mine included) talking about our thoughts on DoHan:
” I really wanted to punch Do-han in the face. I have no doubt that I will eventually fall in love with him, but the way he was making it difficult for Suji made me hold a bit of resentment. However, I do still love his character and the promise he will bring.
I just really slightly want to hit him. lightly.” (Episode 1-2 recap) (I’m going to go cry. Brb)
—
Watching the evolution of our understanding of his character was probably the best thing ever. He was his own story in itself, it started in medias res, we eventually understood his beginning, and together watched his end.
You talked about him not forgiving himself in your review, but I think he found some peace when he was falling off the rooftop. Although it wasn’t executed the best, it still held a lot of meaning. It was his blind revenge that lead to the death of an innocent child, and he had used it to manipulate the mother into helping him, a moment which he regrets (Confession scene, goodbye heart). After putting her through so much pain, he uses his last moments to try and take some of it away (albeit in a roundabout way), so while it’s not quite a huge self forgiveness thing, he at least knows he’s making her life a bit better, and that she may someday forgive him.
And as for the last scene of the drama, I loved it (after some thought. My first reaction was “THIS IS IT? YOU ******* ******** ***!”).
Lookout (for me) was all about mortality and life, and how it effects people and how it can be taken away, and how you deal with it after. Throughout the show we saw how characters can react to death (revenge, guilt, enclosing self from world, not caring [if you’re a psychotic dipshit]). In the end, they finally face it upfront, no guns or twisty words, no big confession or trying to run away, it’s just two people sitting down and remembering DoHans life, and accepting his death. It’s quiet compared to the opening of the drama, but it doesn’t need to be loud, it’s not an attention grabbing hello to start a meaningful conversation, it’s the soft words you speak when saying goodbye for the last time.
Also the priest was cute.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 24, 2017 at 11:28 PM
You’re welcome! I’m glad… you erh… needed it? I was gonna say liked it but I dunno if a thing one likes per se… idk
Hahaha I’m sure SuJi and EJ wanted to hit him a lot too 😛 (there there I understand *hugs* *seriosuly I don’t cry much in film but writing that review made me cry*)
Yes yes yes yess! ‘He was his own story in itself’ I think that’s why I liked him so much. I’m a sucker for good storytelling, it’s my catnip I guess. But characters are stories too. Songs are stories. Art can be a story. Lots of things are stories. I love it when a drama has solid traditional storytelling too but a good character just gets me right in the heart. Not that I find them very often. But I think I was able to surpass all the rest of it because Do Han’s character was so strong. When you think about it, the show was more his story than it was Su Ji’s.
I guess I was a little wrapped up in my version of the ending, I forgot to comment too much on how his arc did actually end haha.
I think, I do think that’s what they were going for, that in his death, sacrificing himself for SuJi, that’s how he came to peace, that he did this one final thing for her and now he can rest because he’s paid it back.
But I guess, what I was trying to get at, what I wanted to see, was a forgiveness where he realised he didn’t have to earn it by dying for her, that she freely gave it to him despite everything, and THAT’s why he forgave himself because he knew that he was forgivable… if that makes sense. It’s a bit of a tricky one and I wrestled with it for several hours because I was like ‘but is he dying to save heror dying to earn forgiveness’ etc etc. I think ultimately in their relationship he was dying to save her. That was his visceral reaction, no matter how it was written that’s what it would’ve been.
Which is why I wrote my ending out, because I think that’s what had the potential to happen, and what was there but unsaid.
Oh I actually really loved the church scene, I thought that was very beautiful. It’s the stuff between Do Han’s death and it that wasn’t nearly as strong, and sort of unnecessary and left us with more questions than answers. But I did love the church scene, and I loved that Su Ji remembered DH along with her loved ones, making him also a loved one.
Good looking pair of step brothers indeed 😀
Ally
July 25, 2017 at 9:48 AM
I agree with everything you said, especially that last scene! I loved it as well. On my last episode post I mentioned also that I didn’t know I liked the Happy-go-lucky, Aeygo Do-Han until I saw it again in the flashback. I remembered me actually being annoyed with that scene initially, like Su-ji. I didn’t even know I missed it, and at that point and cried buckets.
But I don’t agree that the priest was just “cute.” He was sexy as all get-out! But maybe you’re just being facetious, and I’m being drop dead serious. Because that’s what I’d be if I ever met him in life–I’d forget to breathe and probably faint. 😆
aardvark
July 25, 2017 at 10:57 AM
It was phrased that way as a joke, but I think the fact that I have several pictures (okay, a bit more than several) of him on my phone speaks for how I feel about him. HOw can a priest look so sinful???
Ally
July 25, 2017 at 12:38 PM
I figured as much (about the joking) 😂. I can only fangirl here, because my hubby may divorce me if he finds pictures of “other men” on my phone, even if they are crazy handsome. I can appreciate beauty, in all forms. 😄 And I need Shin Dong Wook in another drama or movie soon.