From the creator of the crazy memory that was the penthouse saga and the director of “One the woman” comes another revenge tale of a woman who finds out about her memories from the past, so how was it?
Note: this article is a first-impression review, it doesn’t mean this is the writer’s final thoughts on the drama. This is a spoiler review.
Firstly, It feels like its a drama made by Kim Sook Ok. However, this time it feels like the craziness or campy-ness is dialed down and it takes itself a bit too seriously at times which is unironically funny. I think its likely due to the director being a different one from the one she worked with for a while now and the fact that the screenwriter is different.
According to Namu Wiki, it says she’s the producer of the drama. The screenwriter is named Hyun Ji-Min who previously assisted her in the writing for “The Last Empress,” and “The Penthouse” series, so of course, we’d have that penthouse series feel but something feels off if you know what I mean, not in a bad way, but I think some wikis mixed between who wrote and who produced.
The editing for the premiere episodes was notably choppy and it feels deliberate, it seems like the director really wanted to convey the confusion felt by Tae Ra.
The plot itself seems very outlandish, a young teenager being trained to kill a president.
But I found it often than not that the premiere episodes of the drama were unintentionally funny. It takes itself so seriously despite having such outlandish plot. At least in the penthouse series, it was so ridiculous it was fun. The idea of a kid assassinating a president successfully seems like its straight out of a parody Hollywood movie about spies and trained assassins and such.
Thus far, the premise intrigues me, but I’d say the premiere wasn’t as good as I had expected it to be. Someone pointed out that Lee Ji Ah is always taking revenge in her dramas for some reason, just thought it was a fun tid-bid.
She’s ok alongside Sang Yoon in terms of chemistry thus far. I need to see more episodes to comment on that more accurately.
I would love it if the reason behind why Jae Hyun ran for president is actually selfish and not about his wife. It seems rather weird anyone would run for president to protect their wife putting her in more spotlight…. especially a billionaire CEO of a tech giant, he can just hire someone to kill those people with ease. I hope they have a good explanation for it considering how they’re taking themselves so seriously.
I wish it would also mean that her husband knows of her issue, I think that would make for a smoother watching experience and it seems this is the direction its heading towards.
Its said the drama will be 16 episodes, which I don’t know how to feel about. I have a rough idea of what the over-arching theme is but I shall wait to see it play out and find out whether my guess was true.
Overall, I’d say it was a fun premiere. I do hope it gets better!
So these are my thoughts on “Pandora: Beneath The Paradise” premiere, so what about you guys? did you like the episodes? let me know what you thought in the comment section below.
