Korean Storytelling - Twists you don’t see coming.

Before I finally got to watch Korean movies, I was one of those who had the misconception that Korean movies centered all around love and romance. You can’t blame me. Boys Over Flowers was the rave then and even Alchemy of Souls carried a deep romantic vibe.

Anyway, after watching other genres in the Korean movie industry, I realized how wrong I was. One of my favorite tropes in the Korean movie industry is the Revenge/Mystery plot. The twists that come with these are always mind blowing. Things that happen and the background stories that support them are always flawless.

The Korean films are a proof of brilliant minds. Even Manhwas. Take a look at Solo Leveling. It has set the bar so high when it comes to anime that many people like me are struggling to watch anything below that delivery level.

South Korean movies/series start with a slow pace and then you’re thrust into a whole world of guessing games and exhilarating mind plays. That and the fact that they just know how to end a movie. They either give you a satisfactory ending or they leave you to the dust. On more than one occasion, I’ve been left to the dust. This doesn’t discourage me though, it makes me long for more.

A Time Called You was a romance/time travel series that I won’t beg to watch again. It left me a heap of tears and sorrow. Vicenzo was a mix of action and thrill that left me feeling really good. I loved the comedy thrown in it. And then Reborn Rich. That too was some time travel. But sadly, I can’t watch it again because it was way too good.

Movies like No Mercy, series like The Glory, and the likes but none got to me like Deaths’ Game. Bro! Just eight episodes and a well written story with enough background to make it worth watching.

When I started the series, I didn’t know what to expect but I didn’t expect what the end turned out to be. The values they displayed and the storyline all led to one message: be grateful for life.

South Korea is one of the countries with high suicide rates. The movie incorporated action and mystery all the while pointing to one message which is the value of life. We see this at the end of the series, while the character sits on a wheelchair at the end of their life enjoying the breeze and the beauty of the flowers of the field.

During the movie, the character Death made a statement that struck a chord. She felt insulted that people saw Death as an escape from their reality. Death was the best way out and just who says so? Who said that death was the only way out?

I applaud the writers and producers. This series clearly appreciates life with a passion and it was a satisfying experience.

I have some Korean Series on my list. I don’t think I’ll ever tire with their twists and curves in storytelling. Sometimes, I watch one so good it leaves me disoriented for days - just like A Time Called You.