I really just don't understand the hype for this. I just could not get into this at all. I was so excited to watch it once I found out it had to do with DID (dissociative identity disorder) as well as after hearing all the rave reviews, but I couldn't be anymore let down. My biggest issue is with the portrayal of the illness (DID) I know this is a k-drama so I didn't expect textbook accuracy with a mental health consultant on site during filming or anything like that, but the portrayal of DID is just so silly and flat out stupid that it completely removes any empathy I felt for Do Hyun's illness. When he switches personalities, it's much more akin to a comic book villain transforming than it is someone changing personalities due to mental illness. I could stand for the corny eye color/tattoo change thing if that was my only issue, but add to that the seizure like tantrums he experiences when he switches on top of that and I just have checked out at this point. Despite my faults with the portrayal of the illness, there was some interesting plot lines here, but they were all so convoluted and muddled to the point that I hardly ever knew what was going on. I've never been one for bureaucratic/corporate espionage and conspiracy plot lines, but the ones here were just so exceptionally dull. It was way too much, all the different family dramas, the corporate theatrics, the mental illness, murder mysteries, all kind of thrown together into one incomprehensible mess. I really wish this had focused much more on Do Hyun staying inpatient while battling his illness and trying to recover his memory, while also dealing with the blossoming relationship between himself and his doctor (the female lead) I had a lot of issues with the tone as well. It's kind of all over the place, and I love a lot of drama sthat transcend genres. This just comes off more as desperate and unfocused rather than creative and eclectic. I also found this show to be quite ugly to look at as well. Just very dry and washed out looking... I don't know. I don't mean to rag on this drama too much as I can understand why some people would enjoy it but there's just too much going on for me. There is a great show buried deep down somewhere in this mess. I just wish I cared enough to dig and find out.
This show was on track to become one of my favorite dramas of all time, but it seems it couldn't keep itself together for the whole 12 episodes. I was completely hooked from the start. The story is brilliant. I know this is a remake, but still, credit is definitely due here. The whole theme of lying, deception, and exploring humanity and morality was expressed so brilliantly through the framework of a game show that involves using lies and deception to win money. It was so fascinating seeing all the drama with production behind the scenes while also seeing the game play out and seeing how it twists and bends the characters morals and decision making abilities. The characters here are simply brilliant and fascinating, and there are some truly unique dynamics at play in the character relations. The contrast between sweet and trusting Nam Da Jung and cold calculated Woo Jin made them so fascinating to watch. And throw in Do Young, the mysterious rich executive who seems to be orchestrating the whole thing and seemingly has connections to the players on his game show. The supporting cast as well were totally fantastic. Dal Goo was probably my favorite, because I love how he subverted the trope of female heroines being harassed by menacing male debt collectors. His brotherly relations with Da Jung were so adorable and probably my favorite part of the show. There is just so much good here and it is such a shame that I feel like it loses it towards the end. By episode 7, things just start to fall apart. The games seemingly ever changing rules were just too hard to follow. I had to keep the dramabeans recap at my side the whole time, and I was still confused. Rules are created and simultaneously broken at random, and it seems like they adjusted the rules of the game show at will to accommodate whatever dynamics and plot twists they wanted to bring it. By episode 9, I feel like the show really lost its original spirit. We saw a lot less of the behind the scenes stuff, and it became less about the characters and their decisions and greed, and more about a convoluted corporate conspiracy. The conspiracy on top of the confusing game show with constantly bending rules was too much for me. I loved this show, I really did. But forcing myself through the final 4 episodes felt like such a chore. Even just reading the recap of the final episodes left me scratching my head and thinking that the journey was a lot more relevant than the destination.
