“About Time” Spoiler-Free Review: A Boring Poorly Written Drama
“About Time” was one of the most anticipated kdramas of 2018, almost every kdrama fan is a fan of Lee Sung Kyung, many were waiting to see her comeback with a drama following the success of “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo.”
She made her comeback with tvN’s “About Time” opposite talented actor Lee Sang Yoon and many other talented actors.
First, it attracted attention for being Lee Sung Kyung’s comeback drama, and when Lee Sang Yoon was confirmed, some were skeptic with the age gap, they thought they wouldn’t suit each other.
The drama then made headlines because of actor Lee Seo Won who was basically fired from his role in the drama after he was accused of sexual harassment and threatening with a weapon. He was replaced by idol-actor Kim Dong Joon
However, despite the initial buzz surrounding the drama, nobody really talked about it much after that, why is that?
Today, I plan on discussing one of the most boring Korean dramas I have seen in a long time “About Time.” *ohhh that rhymes*
“About Time” tells an interesting story about a woman who can see other’s lifespan clocks somewhere on their bodies, she meets a hot-headed rude CEO who is all about money, she can’t see his clock but he can stop hers, they fall in love.
The idea is actually really interesting and different, out of many other kdramas outlines I have read so far in 2018, this remains one of my favorite, only if it had actually been as good as the outline.
The problem with the drama is that its boring, really really boring. Even at the climax of the drama, I still found it boring. I rarely skip scenes, but I often did with this kdrama.
It starts out well but slowly falls apart and it becomes clear that the writer might be struggling writing interesting scenes to grip audience.
It drags and drags and drags, after the first four episodes, it becomes harder and harder for anyone to keep tuning in, I love the actors involved in the production but I don’t understand why they chose this drama.
I have seen kdramas that had bad editing, I have seen kdramas that had bad directing, I have seen kdramas with very sloppy scripts, but I have rarely seen a kdrama that has those three elements combined.
The performances of the actors were okay given the fact that it was this script they had to work with, but the problem remained with the writer.
“About Time” is Writer Chu Hye Mi debut project I imagine, she has no other projects under her belt, so I imagine this is her debut project.
Its obvious that the writer thought of an exceptional idea but didn’t have the talent to carry it to the full extent. The thought of the timespan clock idea but didn’t know how to keep it interesting or keep it logical and entertaining.
It starts off very well and you think that it will stay this good for the rest of its runtime, through the middle you start to see the cracks and develop an understanding that the writer might actually be struggling with the characters, their choices and how to keep the plot interesting.
Towards the end, it becomes especially bad and too cliché for anyone who had seen their fair share of kdramas.
The directing isn’t that good either. I actually had higher expectations because PD Kim Hyeong Sik worked on some very good kdramas for the past 15 years, I don’t understand why he chose this project!
No one really shines in this drama, they all do well but there isn’t that sparkly factor. it’s all dull and boring. Many fans including me expected the drama to end on a bad note, i.e. sad ending but the ending was also crafted in such a sloppy unrealistic matter that made me and many others wish the drama actually had a bad ending because it would’ve made more sense.
The editing is also terrible. There are too many shots of Lee Sung Kyung’s practicing for her musical since she’s a musical actress but after a while, we’ve seen enough; there is no need for us to keep watching her practice her lines over and over again. It feels like so many scenes are just fillers with no context or influence on the drama’s plot in the long run.
The drama would’ve been a lot better with 10 episodes, it didn’t need 16 episodes, heck if I were to revise it and edit the script I would’ve ended it with 6 episodes.
tvN toyed around with the concept of time a lot, I am beginning to believe that Koreans don’t really know how to wrap their heads around that concept and execute it properly.
I have rarely seen kdramas that had the concept of ‘time’ and done it its justice or actually kept the script logical and interesting throughout the runtime. They all tend to fall through during the second half.
I am disappointed with Lee Sung Kyung and Lee Sang Yeon’s decisions here. I have been a fan of Lee Sang Yeon for a really long time and saw many of his dramas, I am really shocked by his choice here.
He has many great projects under his belt and he’s been around for a while, you’d think he’d pick a better script.
Lee Sung Kyung is still trying to find her place and mark on the industry; she still has a long way to go. Some thought she was bad in this project, I thought she did well but exceptionally well, I thought she could do better.
I would like to point out that I didn’t like Lee Sung Kyung’s character and actually sided with Im Se Mi’s character because it was more logical. The writer tries to convince you to like Mi Ka (Lee Sung Kyung character name) but I just couldn’t do that.
I also thought that they were making a big deal out of her lifespan clock running out. I had difficulties liking the choices her character made.
Despite that, I am one of the few people that didn’t hate their chemistry as much as others did, I actually thought they were cute together. But I guess this is the fallout of “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo,” she had amazing chemistry with her ex-boyfriend Nam Joo Hyuk. If fans chose to compare they will for sure find her chemistry with Lee Sang Yoon lacking.
If you’re a fan of either lead actor, chances are you’ll probably like this drama, but for people who have watched their fair share of kdramas, I don’t recommend you waste your time.
This doesn’t mean that I have totally given up on Lee Sung Kyung and Lee Sang Yeon. I still think they’re good actors, I wish they would choose better projects in the future.
What about you guys who watched the drama, did you like it? Or did you hate it? Lets discuss in the comment section below.
I am at episode 6 and just don’t watch more. I keep ng I will but there are other dramas I like more . I’m not crazy about them as a couple. Maybe I’ll just watch episode 16. I hate doing that but there is no way I’ll watch 10 more!
I’m so disappointed,when I started watching this drama ,I’m waiting every week for new episodes,but later it’s so bored,and the history it’s not good;I’m don’t finish watching
I am on episode 9 and actually love the drama. I felt like it builds up good. But its killing me by the story line that is so sad. I am happy to know that it didn’t end badly but for me its not boring. I cried a lot tho
I dropped About Time at the end of episode three (In fact, I fast forwarded through most of ep 3). To me it was such a huge disappointment after such a promising start, because the concept of this show, as you pointed out, is excellent and to my mind LSK is a real gem. I just couldn’t handle how quickly the plot fell apart and I found LSY’s character totally unfathomable.
I personally think this was a great drama. It was not poorly written or or poorly executed/ directed. The characters had a clear objective and character development, there was a story arc. Its just a matter of the viewers perception and preference. I think a few would love it if they were only up for the typical fast paced drama. In here it really showed the realistic process and flow of time, which I believe is what the production is aiming. Each character played a vital role on displaying the theme of time that not everyone will relate or understand. Watching this drama in the time of pandemic will make you realize a lot things. This drama is worth watching (but it’s still your own preference).
I watched through episode 9 and told my husband that I was really bored with this drama. I don’t think I have ever said that before. I’m watching the last episode hoping to wrap this thing up before bed. Such a lot of good actors, such a waste.