Anna

ANNA (2022), for me, was a missed target. A real let down, to be honest. It really could have been great, but completely missed the mark. Now the confusing thing is there were things about the show that were actually pretty great, for example an intriguing premise with endless possibilities and a lot of room for suspense, and the cinematography and artistic eye behind the camera made the show eye-catching and great to watch. Quality.

Starting the series I felt for sure it would turn out to be a real gem, a wonderful suspensful and dramatic show, full of twists and turns. Why? Because it just looks so good, like you can feel right off the bat that a lot of care went into it. It's quality and has high production value, great visuals, great music, intriguing premise, a big actress starring in it, strong supporting cast. What could go wrong?

First of all, for me this wasn't actually a suspense, mystery, thriller drama. It ended up being quite unsuspensful. The pacing was almost incredibly slow. And listen, I love a good slow burn mystery drama. Intellectual, political, psychological. Those can be great, some of the greatest really. So I don't even think that the fact the marketing misled me on the genre description as the fault of this show failing in my view...

It's difficult to explain why it missed the mark exactly, except maybe that it was lacking in some key ingredient that make for an excellent drama recipe. Namely character development and character acting. After watching the show, I can honestly say I still didn't really feel any attachment to Lee Yu Mi, the main character, played by Kpop idol Bae Suzy. By no means do I mean to bash on her acting ability, but to me her portrayal of her role felt so bland and dry. Boring, unmemorable and somewhat irritating. Sterile, unemotional, robotic. I don't think this was her best work, though certainly not her worst either.

I felt like the director maybe should have guided her more, encouraged a better performance or at least a different variety of expressions and reactions. Often it felt to me that she was just not invested in her role at all, or maybe she thought the same expression would carry her through the show. And truly that fact itself, that it didn't carry her is saying something too, because she's quite lovely to look at, but that certainly doesn't mean she was suited to the role and in my opinion, she definitely wasn't.

Now, in Bae Suzy's defense, a weak character can also happen in series as short as this one (6-8ep), given much less time to develop onscreen and hence less time to connect with the audience, especially given there are other characters, other moving pieces and plotlines also needing sufficient screen time, so perhaps the short length was partly the reason why. And while I admit, I haven't seen many series with this lead Actress, Bae Suzy, in it, I am certainly well aware of her high status and reknown, especially in Korea. And I'm sure she's great in other shows, and certainly as a singer, which is how she started and gained her popularity and fans. So no hate, truly.

However, this series just didn't endear me to her. I'm not trying to criticize her, personally. I'm sure she's a great actress in other things. I'm thinking the writers here didn't do her character justice or perhaps they encouraged a more subdued, muted performance for whatever reason, which definitely wasn't the course to go. For me, I rarely felt attachment or concern for the characters, but least of all for her, which is definitely not a good thing for a drama. The Main Lead is someone the viewer needs to bond to, connect with, vibe with and root for. The supporting cast made her character appear even weaker, by how strong they all were. Also, another thing of note was that the two younger actors for the same character (both the child and adolescent) were more memorable than she was in their respective roles.

The character of Yoo Mi felt often like a passive doormat and then at random intervals more like a sly manipulator, someone you can pity but not admire or relate to. And there didn't seem to be any given reason for this behavior nor growth from it, no redemptive path. It was a pity, because this could have been a strong feminist character with morally ambiguous motives and vast range of character development. Instead, I felt myself rooting for the moral secondary character, the political journalist, Han Ji Won and more interested in the charasmatic and selfish character of Lee Hyun Joo. At least they both felt more dynamic and more multi dimensional.

I must also add before closing, the premise was indeed quite intriguing and I admire dramas that offer social commentary and make room for deeper intellectual discourse. This series was definitely good in that way. There is much to be said and to analize here about human behavior, human nature, tendancies that can worsen, the evolution of a lie, how ego and hubris can effect identidy, how one lie can turn to many, and eventually spark an all consuming fire that inevitably destroys. The ripple effect, the consequences of that one lie. The reality that sinks in. Really some good ideas to chew on...

Anyway, all this to say this good show felt weighted down by weaker acting, a weak lead character that never had the chance to develope onscreen, perhaps poor casting choices, poor character development/writing and honestly a pretty weak ending. A beautiful face does not equate to a powerful or skillful actor. A great famous singer does not equate to a great actress. Great acting can be hindered by poor direction and writing. A great show or work of art can be hindered by poor editing. Perhaps this show would have been superb with different circumstances. Overall, this was more of a dissapointing watch for me and didn't live up to what I felt it could have been. Very conflicted about this drama.

The main reason I started Anna was Suzy. And the main reason I finished it? Also Suzy. Actually, I was so obsessed I ended up watching it twice. Because somehow, even in a show that's slow-burning, tense, and emotionally heavy, she shines so effortlessly that you just can't look away.

Anna isn't your typical K-drama. It's not about romance, comedy, or some grand, flashy revenge plot. Instead, it's an unsettling, psychological character study wrapped in a stylish, haunting atmosphere.

It follows a woman who starts with a tiny lie-just one small, seemingly harmless deception. And before you know it, that lie snowballs into a whole new identity, a whole new life. It's like watching a slow-motion car crash-you know it's going to end badly, but you have to keep watching.

And let's talk about Suzy's performance because she absolutely owns this role. She's played bubbly, strong, and badass characters before, but here? She's something else. The way she subtly shifts from vulnerable to calculating, from terrified to coldly composed-it's brilliant. You believe her, even when you shouldn't. And that's what makes the show so fascinating.

Anna isn't just about one woman's double life-it's a sharp critique of ambition, privilege, and the suffocating pressure to be someone you're not. It's frustrating, it's heartbreaking, and at times, it makes you want to scream at the screen because you know the downfall is coming, and there's no stopping it.

Is it perfect? Not quite. The pacing could have been tighter, and some side characters felt a bit underdeveloped. But honestly, when a show has this much tension, style, and a lead actress delivering a knockout performance, those flaws barely matter.

I watched the Directors cut which has 8 episodes and not the 6 episodes which were shown on TV. There was controversy between the director Lee Joo Young and the production house over the editing of the series, she even asked for her name to be removed as the director and screenplay writer. I was impressed with the direction and screenplay as the main character is seen to make decisions which are wrong but you can empathise why she chooses the path she does. Suzy Bae is very suited to the role as even though her acting has been criticised in the past her muted style suits the character who seems to be selfish initially but is wronged as a child and slowly over time her small lies lead to major deception.

Tense scary involving and binge worthy. The lovely Suzy Bae does a great job at looking sympathetic and beautiful as the conflicted heroine who borrows an employer's identity to better her life. Her life spirals into a nightmare involving a crooked politician husband. The villains are well played including her husband with political ambitions (Kim Joon Han) and the real Anna played by Jung Eun Chae.

The story is well constructed and doesn't drag since it's only 6 episodes. Liked the way things resolved logically but not predictably. The look of the show is glossy and attractive despite the characters being so dark. There is a moral fable here.

This show has beautiful cinematography and good pacing. I liked the main character, she was intelligent, knew what she wanted and went for it even though it was wrong. The story follows a clear development, climax and end so everything was wrapped up nicely within 6 episodes. Although some parts may seem underdeveloped, overall, it was written well.