어비스 || 2019

• https://moreblminfo.carrd.co/ 
• https://getinformed.carrd.co/ This is an incredible carrd with information and resources about many of the issues the world is going through right now!
• I find Twitter an extremely useful tool in finding information about these injustices and ways to help.

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Abyss is a rom-com with strong elements of mystery and sci-fi. It aired in late spring-early summer on tvN in the Mondays and Tuesdays 9:30pm slots.

Cha Min (Ahn Hyo Seop) and Go Se Yeon (Park Bo Young) are childhood friends with completely different personalities. Se Yeon is a top prosecutor, with brains and beauty to match. She’s stubborn, driven and somewhat selfish. On the other hand Cha Min is a kind hearted man, who is dismissed due to his looks. Both end up dying, but due to Cha Min’s accident involving some aliens, he is gifted with an Abyss, a marble able to revive people from the dead. Due to his personality, he is revived into the body of a handsome man, however, when Se Yeon is revived her appearance is completely different. The pair work together to uncover the true events that led to Se Yeon’s death.

The plot for Abyss on the surface is so interesting. We have two characters that are now in different bodies and trying to solve a murder, with the help of a mysterious alien object (given by great and funny cameo appearances of Seo In Guk and Jung So Min ♥). However, as soon as the drama starts it’s quickly apparent that it’s a mess.

Se Yeon was working on a serial killer case before she dies and that would have been intriguing and added a great layer of suspense. The problem is, we know who the killer is and we know all the players from the beginning. Nothing is surprising. The actual murders aren’t explored, but simply told. I don’t think I’ve ever been so spoon fed while watching a drama.

The plot became very repetitive, with kidnappings and revivals happening to the same characters. And the Abyss… this damn object made no sense. It was like the writer thought of this idea, but was making stuff up as they went along with no clear plan. It was a shame because the penultimate episode – without any aspect of the Abyss – was so good. The amount of wasted potential with this drama actually hurts.

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The acting was pretty good, with some characters standing out more than others. Park Bo Young was a fantastic lead, she has great comedy skills, as well as serious and emotional acting skills. She and Ahn Hyo Seop have great chemistry and that really helped considering their relationship was quite quick. I liked both characters, but Cha Min was one I only liked after his revival. We don’t know much about him, but we’re told consistently that he’s kind, thoughtful and basically a perfect person. Yet, we aren’t given any evidence of this. I wish we were given better flashbacks to actually build and give our mains more of a solid base. Despite that, their relationship was sweet and I’m always here for romance.

For the side characters, Hee Jin (Han So Hee) started off interesting, but her character became shoved to the background near the end. Detective Park (Lee Shi Eon) was the true MVP. He was part of the comedic relief initially, but he was so much more and was a very stable part of the group. Lee Mi Do (Song Sang Eun) also became a surprising gem of a chaotic, but really likeable character.

Now, the most disappointing part of this drama: the villains. This section with include spoilers.

Oh Young Cheol (Lee Sung Jae) was creepy to begin with, but became a complete caricature of what a villain is. As a serial killer we weren’t really given any depth to why he did the crimes. Some aspects of his past gave answers, but those were more telling of his son’s future behaviour. There could have been a really interesting dynamic relationship explored and a conversation about nature vs. nurture. Prosecutor Seo (Kwon Soo Hyun) started off as a kind of background character that we knew had ties to the murderer. But, when he came into his own and we explored his storyline more I was annoyed that we could have had a complex killer. And we mostly just got Young Cheol being a generic, over the top, cartoon villain. And the set up with the father (Lee Chul Min) of one of his victims being one of the only people who truly knew Young Chul was the serial killer was well done, but again didn’t feel that substantial or utilised fully, especially near the end.

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The payoff in regards to Prosecutor Seo was disappointing. Yes, we tied up the loose ends, but the journey and conclusion with Seo Ji Wook and those around him – especially Judge Seo (Lee Dae Yeon) – could have been expanded on so much more. When I think about this character, it’s the reason I’m so mad at how this drama could have been amazing! Kwon Soo Hyun did a great job in this role.

I’m going to end it here for this topic, otherwise I will rant for days! However, not related, but 1. Park Bo Young is so pretty and not plain or dull looking at all and 2. why did Hee Jin stay the same after her revival?! Like that makes no sense! Se Yeon was a bit vain and could be mean and her entire appearance changes, but Se Yeon commits crimes and Abyss is like nah, can’t be bothered.

End of spoilers.

The ending as a whole was fine. I cried, so I was definitely attached to the characters and it helped that Park Bo Young’s acting really got me in the feels! Plus, it was great that there was no love triangle.

Overall, the drama was well made and the production value was good. Again, my main problem was all that wasted potential. I don’t say this often, because I don’t think I have the right to dictate what others might or might not enjoy, but if you’re interested in this drama, don’t go in with high expectations.

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Ratings:

• Plot: 4
• Production: 7
• Acting: 7
• Enjoyment: 4

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

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Credits:

• Director: Yoo Je Won
• Writer: Moon Soo Yeon
• Network: tvN
• Release Date: 6th May – 25th June, 2019
• Episodes: 16

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What were your thoughts on Abyss? Do you agree with me or have different opinions? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, I hope you’re having a lovely day and staying safe ♥