OVERALL
One of the best of 2014, without question. It's not only an attention-grabbing show, but it's also deep, coherent and well-executed (finally another all-included drama!). Watch it, no ifs, but maybe keep it for later if you really have a hard time watching shows with only subtle (very subtle) signs of romance.
THE STORY
I need to start by saying that I have neither watched the Japanese drama nor read the manga both shows are based on, so I had no prior bias for or against the drama and can honestly say, with complete objectivity, that it's a.ma.zing. Although the drama seems to be about games of lies and betrayal, more than the games, the characters that take part in them - how they evolve through the games, how their past came to shape who they are and how they act in the present - are really at the core of the story. The games themselves are interesting (though sometimes complex), but it's the action behind the scenes, the mystery on which they stand and the character development that really pulls the drama forward. The characters, are, by the way, absolutely fabulous. I liked how each main lead personify something - Nam Dajung is trust, Kang Doyoung is deception, Ha Woojin is insight, and how many secondary characters have depth (also are given space and conflicts of their own). Dajung doesn't seem as profound as the other leads and sometimes recedes to the background, but she also goes a long way, and her infallible faith in people is very much the heart of the story. The pace of the plot is steady, the suspense is ongoing and sometimes bordelines creepy; twists are numerous, hints, events and interconnections are mindblowing, and the end is very satisfying. I have only three small, tiny regrets: 1) The last episode, without being bad, just doesn't feel as dramatic as it should, 2) why couldn't they give us just one romantic scene?, and 3) twelve episodes, really? Couldn't the show have been longer? I need more games, more Doyoung, Woojin and Dajung, more action!
THE ACTING
Nothing to say other then that it was awsome. Everyone was amazing, from leads to secondary actors, but especially Shin Sung Rok, the actor behind the sly, cruel, weird, psychopath-y Doyoung. Lee Sang Yoon and Kim So Eun had good chemistry (*sigh* such a pity it was not exploited), and the interactions between all cast members were 100% believable.
THE MUSIC
Absolutely fitting for the show...but nothing to keep on listening to now that it's over.
REWATCHABLE VALUE
Definite yes!!!! The plot is so dense that I'm sure rewatching will give more insight into the characters and the games. Will be rewatched once by me before the end of the year, I can promise you that!
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