This review may contain spoilers
With "My Secret, Terrius" the KDrama-World shows what it can do, too: simply entertain.
"Terius Behind Me" playfully and lightheartedly balances between RomCom and spy thriller. The series dates back to 2018, but in view of the global corona pandemic, it is probably more up-to-date than intended. That makes the spy story a bit very serious in retrospect. Otherwise, "My Secret, Terrius" is a bit funny - the investigations and relationship dynamics intertwine in capricious ways. It's a bit cute - with the two twins as well as a second "romance" in the subplot. A bit tart - the legendary star spy undercover as an inexperienced babysitter for two bright six-year-olds. Between the two main leads, it's actually a bit about romance, too. But there is also room for a bit of bromance - male friendships. And there is a little something in it for handbag freaks.An exclusive highlight in "Terius Behind Me", however, is the Korean style neighborhood watch - the distinctive esprit of the mothers' association of the Kingsman neighborhood, that is characterized by notorious curiosity (by the way, a man is part of that, too). As the Kingsman Information System (KIS), they prove to be several times superior to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) - especially in terms of efficiency when it comes to their high-tech networking and highly motivated investigations.
In passing, you also gather some impressions of life in typical high-rise condominiums in Seoul´s new development areas, the over-committed mothers in such neighborhoods, and (in case I didn´t already mention it before)... handbags... :-)
With "My Secret, Terrius" the KDrama shows what it can do, too: simply entertain.
Enjoy.
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Of course, I will start with So Ji Sub, who this role seems custom made for. I always admire his acting but to see his more comedic side, even as the serious-faced straight man, was really impressive. He definitely gets to show off his action skills too, and kick @ss in a way that made me swoon, but there are also so many funny scenes that made Kim Bon irresistibly charming. He was matched well with Jung In Sun as Go Ae Rin, who I think played her role well even if I was often annoyed by her character's actions. They may not have had a passionate chemistry, but I loved their innocently flirtatious and sweetly considerate moments together. Normally I would wish for more blatant romance, but considering their pasts in the story I think it was handled just right. However, I do kinda wish that I could see their story keep going beyond the last episode.
This is also the kind of drama where the supporting cast really shines, and I loved the entire cast. There's the KIS crew who turned nosey neighbor behavior into a true art form and had some of my favorite moments in the show. They are mostly there for comic relief, but I love how they were actually woven into the more dangerous and suspenseful parts of the story as well. Then there are the NIS agents, specifically Im Se Mi as Yoo Ji Yeon and Kim Sung Joo as Hacker-Bae Ra Do Woo, who had great chemistry of their own from the start. Joon-Joon were super cute, even though I initially wanted to put them on permanent time out. I guess they needed to do a good job of showing why Ae Rin was so desperate for a babysitter. Even Son Ho Jun grew on me in a way I didn't expect. Although some of the supporting characters and guest roles were cliché and over the top, it worked with the style of the story, which at times was campy, and I think the whole cast embraced that.
As for the writing, even though I was entertained the entire time, there were definitely some weak moments. What this drama does best is balance comedy and action, and both are done well without taking away from the other. You just have to embrace the totally unbelievable moments, but they did do a good job of not leaving many holes. The ending did feel a little abrupt and rushed, but they did a great job of ending the story without leaving any of the characters I grew so attached to ignored or forgotten.
Would I watch this again? Yes. This is a drama I wasn't ready to see end, so I can see myself rewatching more to enjoy the characters than for the plot. I would much rather see a sequel instead, which isn't likely, but the ending does open the door to a possible one which I would absolutely watch!
I don't really have any major complaints except for the obnoxious product placements. I think they made some of the moments extra cheesy on purpose, but especially in the last episodes. I couldn't believe how many commercials they squeezed into the story so blatantly (Did Quiznos really need to become part of the plot??!!! lol)
Overall I am glad this drama lived up to the excitement I had over first seeing the ads for it. If you're expecting a serious spy thriller or an epic romance, you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment, but I still think there's enough in this drama to keep a wide range of fans entertained. This is also an obvious must watch drama for any So Ji Sub fan. I wish he could give me "nose to nose" through the screen, but alas... I guess I have to settle for another drama to add to my favorites list.
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Messy but Charming
Honestly when I watched the first episode of this drama, it was so far removed than what I thought this drama was going to be, I was going to drop it and move on....I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T! If you stick with it, don't take it to seriously, you will be won over and love this drama when you finish with it.STORY: As I stated above, do not take this drama and it's storyline too seriously. Just go with the flow and you will enjoy it more. I am not saying that the story was bad it just had its moments where it seemed very farfetched and messy, some parts even were a little predictable for it being a spy drama. If you don't look that much into it, you will find the story to be charming, exciting, funny and adorable all at the same time. It is a fun ride to be on.
CASTING: At first when I started this drama, I did not like some of the characters because they seemed to be a little tropey and annoying but as the drama went on, the characters got more depth and color which helped you as a viewer fall in love with them and their interactions. By the end of the drama, it was hard to say goodbye to them. MY favorite characters HANDS DOWN in this drama was the Ahjumma group and Jin Young Tae surprisingly (I found him to be annoying at first). I thought the actors did a great job and the drama was well casted.
MUSIC: I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE FIRST OST FOR THIS DRAMA!! I listen to it all the time. I also liked the music that played when the action was happening. It gave depth to the fight scenes and made them very exciting to watch.
REWATCH VALUE: I would rewatch this again if it was a rainy day and I had nothing else to watch. It is an easy drama to watch.
OVERALL: Even though this drama was messy and all over the place, you can't help but fall for its charms. It was a drama that didn't take itself to seriously and had action, comedy, and a little romance. If a second season happened, I would watch it. It would be interesting to revisit all the characters and see where they are. Just watch this drama for an easy drama to watch and go with the flow. Also So Ji Sub with kids is always a plus
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This review may contain spoilers
I liked how the drama started, the concept wasn't something unseen but it had his elements of uniqueness.That element were the kids and the neighborhood. I especially liked how the clueless parents actually discovered key informations without even knowing, it was refreshing and I felt good because usually in spies movies and shows the organization members are too superior to commoners (must be that way to protect the country right? Still, to me flawless people are annoying) and the whole babysitting was cute to the max (those two kids are so pretty and sweet! And I don't even like kids lol).
Also Go Ae Rin was a good female lead, some of her decisions and justifications were not the best (you won't poke your nose around to a dangerous place like j int. out of mere curiosity, they could've make her connect her husband death to that place in order to give her a solid motive to investigate. Like not the whole plot, it would be marysueish xD just an hint...) she still was a complete character with a growth through the drama. I liked her courage.
I think tho, the husband was forgot pretty fast...even if that character is just a catalyst for her to be introduced into the spies world, he was her loved one, the man who was the father of her chilchildren...they tried to justify with "I have to stay strong for my children" but still it felt weak to me.
The spy plot...let's say I like all the reference to all the famous spy movies like mib, 007, kingsman, uncle, and so on. As I said I really find exciting to see how this world collided with the commoners world, but this faded away, especially towards the end. I guessed who the evil ones where and their motivation/plan was really predictable. I admit I skipped towards the end.
The romance was meh..., they started too fast but more consistently and then they backed up in the middle. There are no kisses, just that nose-nose thing with the child and occasionally with the male neighbor who's lowkey gay for the main lead. (There is an hint of bromance between them and the two male leads)
Another interesting character was Young Tae, the conman/thief that's not really the worst person in the drama. I saw this actor in Go Back Couple and I really liked him, he's not as handsome as Terius (truthfully I am not in for the looks, but I fall hard for charisma xD) but he was more interesting to me. So Ji Sub is not a bad actor, but he has always that stoic emotionless scheme in every drama I watched with him (maybe I just picked the ones that are similar), I admit it was a good contrast with the children but the second male stole some spotlight!
The worst thing probably was the product placement. I can forgive the plot holes since I watched it as comedy (so I did't pay too much attention to the evil people plot xD), but the advertisement was a little over the top. Too many products and too much footage of them sponsorizing coffees, fast foods, beverage, jewelry and so on. It was too obvious and ruined the mood :(
It was cute but not to the extent of rewatching it in the future.
I don't recommend it if you like mystery and romance, more like if you're into cute comedy and slice of life
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This show started off really strong. The comedy was gold because I was laughing my butt off for over half the show. And then somewhere around the 3/4 mark the spy part of the story went a bit off the rails (convenient plot devices and inconsistencies in writing and editing), the budding romance stalled, the undercover agents started doing dumb things that would totally have gotten them caught, and the PPL was extremely HEAVY handed. I was totally taken out of the story by all of these things.
So Ji Sub was freaking adorable in this - every scene he was in with the child actors made me a puddle of "awwwww!!!"
And Jung In Sung as Ae Rin also did a good job - this was my first time watching her and I liked her. I loved ALL the characters and the actors were great. I have nothing but compliments for the acting. But the romance between the leads was only alluded to at best. So the ending was not as satisfying as I had hoped for because of that.
At most, I might rewatch some of the cute SJS/kid scenes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Something was missing
I liked this show enough to finish it but didn't love it. There was something missing and I cannot pinpoint it. I can, though, mention some of the things I didn't like about the show. One of the themes that ruin a show for me is too many unrealistic visits to hell's gates. I mean, c'mon!!! How many times can a person survive gunshots! I know it's the genre but still.Another downside was the whole hidden mastermind thing. All the characters, no exceptions, are portrayed as extremely smart. Nobody doubted Director Shim with all the clues! I figured him out in the first scene which I also disliked because I lost the element of suspense.
The biggest flaw was the lack of chemistry. I love both leads and they're terrific actors. But seriously. So Ji Sub had more chemistry with Son Ho Jun and Kang Ki Young than he had in any of his scenes with Jung In Sun.
No chances of rewatching this. Got it off my plan-to-watch list and that's all.
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There are a couple things I want to get out of the way before I start the actual review of the drama.
First, man am I super susceptible to advertising. This isn’t really a new discovery, as back when the fans tried to save chuck by begging Subway for product placement, I learned real quick that just seeing someone eat a subway sandwich was enough for me to go out and buy one. So, if you’ve ever wondered if product placement ever actually works on people, this jerk right here will fall for it! And man, there was a lot of product placement in this drama, so be ready.
Second, I think this drama should come with a warning label for your ovaries. My biological clock appreciated the heck out of watching So Ji Sub lovingly play with those kids.
Ok, so now that that is out of the way, on to reviewing the drama. There seems to be a pretty mixed bag of opinions in the comment section, and honestly, I can’t find fault with either side. Terrius had a lot of issues that kept it from being perfect, but I can also see how it would be easy for someone to go in expecting a comedy and not looking for plot holes to thoroughly enjoy it.
Cause first and foremost, this is a comedy drama, and the spy and action stuff is kind of thrown in as an afterthought. There are a lot of plot holes and a good dose of bad writing, but for the most part, the characters genuinely are easy to love and root for. The spy stuff was ridiculous and mostly unbelievable, and the twists were obvious from very early on.
So, hopefully I’ve cleared things up for people who are going to go into this for the spy angle. Let’s talk about the romance angle. A lot of people have said there isn’t any romance, and that is true. You don’t get a traditional romance, you don’t get any pda at all. But that’s not to say it’s devoid of romance. It is made pretty clear that they care a lot for each other. It’s just never expressly said or physically shown.
Another disappointment is So Ji Sub’s character. It’s just incredibly one note and flat. I have been really impressed with him in other dramas prior to this one, but here it felt like he never connected with the character, and so I never connected with the character. I’m not sure where the blame lies, if it is a writing problem, or an acting problem, but it definitely detracted from the drama.
Still with me? Cause that’s a lot of negative, and there really is some bright gems in this story that make it worth watching.
First, the extended cast is just hilarious. It wasn’t hard not to fall for all of the side characters. The kids were adorable, the KIS squad was hilarious and even the NIS team had quite a bit of cuteness in the form of Ra Do Woo.
Second, it’s So Ji Sub and twins. What’s not to love there?
Third, it was just flat out funny! Not all of the time, but enough that it kept the story moving at a fast pace and helped disguise some of the little plot holes that were cropping up everywhere.
All in all, this isn’t the worst drama I’ve ever watched, but it’s also far from the best. If you are good at suspending disbelief and don’t need your plots to make a lot of sense, check this out! If not, there are certainly better written/acted dramas out there.
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Mystery, comedy, friendship.
This drama is a reminder to me that I should not read the MDL comments before starting to watch something. I avoided this one as there were so many negative comments, but I eventually watched it and it's a 10/10 for me.For the people who think there is "no romance", what on earth do you want? There is plenty of romance. It's subtle, and not physical, and between the main leads it is appropriate for two people who have just lost loved ones. If there had been blatant physical "romance" scenes, people would have been horrified, as the FL's husband had died so recently.
The kids were absolutely adorable, and brilliant little actors.
The KIS team were fantastic. Not only funny, but more efficient spies than the real organisation.
In short, if you like comedy/mystery dramas with a running theme of family, friendship and helping each other out, this one's for you.
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This is So Ji Sub.....its So Ji Sub playing Kim Bon a.k.a Terius. What do you expect? If you have watched kdramas long enough you know this household name. If you are a rookie fear not, i am here to guide you.
Before i write anything i will start by kneeling down and bowing giving my heartfelt thanks to the drama gods for gracing us with such a gift. I personally have taken a back seat when it comes to kdramas. I just dont watch anything and i pick selectively. I picked this drama for 2 reasons and 2 reasons only because it has So Ji Sub and its So Ji Sub. Yep i am that crazy about his dramas and acting.He is so good, so good to the extend that he is reason why i am here.
Now enough raving about Ji sub now back to the drama. I have not watched a drama that leaves me hanging after every episode in a long time. A drama that makes you think and think again who could possibly be the bad guy. I came up with 1 but thought otherwise and changed again and changed again and again.
I am not a fan of crime dramas. I dislike those but i have watched a few exceptions and and this drama is one GREAT EXCEPTION. It will leave you at the edge of your seat and trust me this is not a drama you would watch sitting still. It is that great. I especially loved how they mixed the serious stuff with the cute fluffy stuff that will leave you swooning. You are drooling and swooning this second and the next guns are blazing, someone is being betrayed and the next second you are laughing your head off and next you are hit with a plot twist that will leave you scratching your head wondering what just hit you. It has so many sweet and hilarious moments and a fair share of heart wrenching moments as well.
Unfortunately if you are looking for romance then dont even start watching because you will be disappointed. They kept romance at bay but the plot is still perfect.
If you are looking for gun fights, schemes, espionage, betrayal, tons of comic relief in between then this is the perfect place.
I cannot stop recommending this drama. Everything about is perfect and it deserves a full score 10/10.
Everything is just perfect. I am fighting so hard not to get into the story so i will end here.
IF YOU ARE STILL UNDECIDED AFTER READING THIS THEN JUST TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH. You will thank me later
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A Comical Spy-Thriller, Though Lacking In Character Depth..
‘Terrius Beside Me’ regurgitates the classic trope seen in dramas before when the “ tough and rough” agent ( So Ji-Sub) is launched into an unfamiliar and everyday environment in order to pull out exaggerated comedy and awkward scenarios . In the case of our main lead, this manifests through becoming the clueless babysitter for the two children of his kind-hearted neighbour ( Jung In-Sun). It is undeniable a generic and ‘’subtle’’ setup between domestic blandness and oddly light-hearted fluff, yet amongst the more angst-ridden moments of the show, the balance between action and the bittersweet experiences that the characters are subjected towards often felt lacking in greater characterisation and defining development.Our main lead and agent Bon is a definitive example of this problem. Undeniably, So Ji Sub is a veteran within the acting field, and his ability to capture the stoic, yet comical brilliance of an agent stuck in the unfamiliar environment of everyday life helping to provide the majority of the comical elements of the show. As a character , Bon is an intelligence agent, used to appearing apathetic, cutthroat and struggling to emotionally reach out to others as a consequence of his traumatic experiences when he was active in the field. Bon’s “ mission” in the beginning of the shown to collect intelligence , also acts as his first chance in a long time to interact with individuals outside of his line of duty. This is what makes the show somewhat endearing in certain comical moments, as Bon learns to develop emotional attachments with the most unlikely characters ( the children and their parents who live in the apartments).
On the other hand, a major problem with the show’s tackling of Bon as a character can be seen through turning a slight blind eye to the evident emotional and psychological problems which arose as a consequence of his backstory. Although it was understandable that the show may have deemed this “ too dark” within Bon’s interactions with the children and it would take some of the more light-hearted moments of the series, it seemed odd and a poor plot point to bring in darker themes of death, torture and emotional manipulation, without the ultimately mentioning or developing upon the consequential effects for the individuals.
This naturally draws us onto the main female lead Ae-Rin; another defining example of a character who had many traumatic experiences , but ultimately seemed detached within her responses. Whilst it is hard to truly fault the brilliant talents of Jung In- Sun, her character’s emotional responses and actions throughout the show felt greatly mismatched towards her actual background as an “ everyday individual” unknowingly caught up in this odd conspiracy.
It is refreshingly noticeable that the show didn’t rely upon the typical trope of Bon and Ae-Rin’s relationship overtaking the main storyline. Instead, the romance between the two characters is noticeably more subtle, however, it soon becomes apparent for viewers that Ae-Rin’s responses and behaviour is oddly misrepresented by her responses to her surroundings.
For a woman who has lost her husband, looking after her children and struggling to find a job early on in the series, Ae-Rin seems to neither bereave, contemplate or be emotionally affected her scenario at all. This is not suggesting that instead Ae-Rin should have a “dramatic mess” as noticeably individuals do respond to grief in different ways. On the other hand,, after its initial use in the first episodes, the storyline never truly brought up or explored the realistic element of Ae-Rin’s actual response or time to contemplate memories with her husband. In fact, we learn very little about exactly Ae-Rin married him, how they met and naturally about her own experiences growing up at all in the series- elements which would have easily fleshed-out the female lead and touched upon the more realistic elements of the show.
There are other minor characters in the show such as Do Woon ( Sung Joo) and his evident lacklustre pairing with the other minor female character and agent in the series Ji Yeon ( Im Se-Mi). Although an undeniably “ sweet” relationship progression between the two characters, their interactions and lack of screen time didn’t really engage or motivate the viewers to feel strong emotions or responses to these characters as individuals.
The other centralised characters of the show also include Sohn Ho Jun as Yong Tae , the reluctant and minor antagonist of the series . Yong Tae is often played off comical relief for a major proportion of earlier episodes, yet he surprisingly has an intriguing backstory and a deeper sense of morality which oddly grounded him at times a lot more than our main characters. On the other hand, Yong Tae’s motives and reasoning sometimes felt a little half-baked. It was supposed to obviously dramatise the plot, but a lot of coherent reasoning behind Yong Tae’s actions often felt lacking in greater depth.
Ultimately the action scenes of the show in between the light-hearted comedy and jokes was often lacklustre. By default, this should have been prominent within an action-comedy, however, the fighting sequences were often lacking in greater suspense, and the outcomes for the leads are fights or dangerous situations was often too glamourised in order to offer a “ less explicit” censorship for the network.
So, is “ Terrius Beside Me” actually worth watching? The show ultimately acts as a fairly sweet comedy with light-hearted moments, fairly decent acting and intriguing plot, however, the more profound edges of characterisation, coherent plot line and unexpected, well-written twists were lacking during the show’s more profound and moving scenes. A generic action-comedy which is undeniably fun to binge-watch, but certainly not worth watching if you’re expected a memorable and profound storyline.
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great characters, great comedy but underwhelming action
A great set of characters with dynamics that I haven't seen before in other dramas with a strong, smart female lead and the most adorable child actors you've ever seen! But while the characters were amazing and hilarious to watch, the action felt sadly underwhelming.To begin with, I would totally recommend you watch this drama because the characters and their relationships alone make the entire 16 episodes worth watching. The kids were unbelievably adorable and stole the show for me which was followed closely by the KIS. The group of King Castle residents were seriously hilarious and so genuinely endearing. I was worried it would be one of those "poor female lead looked down upon by all her peers for being a weary, struggling single mum" but the KIS team were so supportive towards her and each other. I would happily watch an entire spinoff of just KIS going about their daily lives. I'd seriously love to know more about these characters.
Another thing I love is the FL, Aerin. She was so clever and so self-reliant that it was such a breath of fresh air to watch. Even though she wasn't a trained spy or anything, she's able to get herself out of situations with her wit alone. I think that's so cool and it was so fun to watch her surprise everyone. I specifically loved her chemistry with Yong Tae, one of the villains. They were seriously like Dumb and Dumber together and I loved them!
Speaking of, Yong Tae... I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!! That is all.
The romance was cute and a very slow burn, though also underwhelming. The chemistry between Aerin and Kim Bon was really sweet and I liked that it was slow, but I do feel like other relationships on the show eclipsed theirs.
Now to my criticism... I don't know what it was but the action scenes were so boring. They were seriously underwhelming. I think the fight choreography just seemed stiff or perhaps it was the way it was cut and edited because there wasn't any tension or excitement about them. I don't think it's the actors. They seemed able to do the fight choreography so I think it's something else. The actual "spy/drama" side of the story was pretty underwhelming too. I don't mind a predictable plot as long as the reveals still keep me on the edge of my toes but the "reveals" were just long and weirdly shot that I found myself more bored than not towards the end.
It was a fun drama overall. I just wish there had been better direction and production.
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