Yonder

Korean Drama " Yonder " is a sci fi, dystopian story about loss, death and memory.

The drama has short length, but does a great job presenting the story and giving it a proper ending. It is also well paced, as well as well acted, as all the actors and actresses of the cast did a great job with their characters, but the main lead's performances were outstanding.

The story, also, gives a lot of food for thought and it tuckles many sensitive and as well as existencial metters.

The cinematography, finally, is beautiful.

However, it would have been nice if they had explained the world of the drama more.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

Amidst all those full length dramas out there, this short series really stood out by packing a serious punch in just a handful of episodes. The concise storytelling allowed for a focused exploration of its central theme, providing a satisfying narrative arc without unnecessary filler. Both main leads were well characterized and provided a solid performance. However, the other characters weren't on the same level, you can notice the gap. The pacing was brisk yet effective, keeping the viewers engaged from without feeling rushed. I wish it had an extra episode to have a better introduction/first episode. The drama also had a decent cinematography and production value. One last thing, I didn't understand why they based the drama in the 2030s. It was such a big stretch, they went overboard with the sci-fi elements for something set in 2030s. There was no real reason to specify the date, so why not set it further into the future, like the 2060s?

Tepid, bland, the typical tedious soundtrack that are so beloved by Asian films when surely they have something more culturally appropriate they could use.

Anyway there is no sense of passion or loss, or even some lust for gods sake! I think The film The Handmaiden is the only Korean thing I have seen that could be considered 'spicy.'

Well this theme has been done many times in different ways. And this is the least compelling I can remember seeing, it is just so goddamn passionless! I don't feel the desperate heart ache you have in say a film like Solaris to decide to choose a fiction of some sort in stead of real life because you are bereft.

Too many questions remain unanswered. For example: How do you pay for Yonder? Shouldn't people be suspicious about what the company does with all their knowledge? They surely didn't create this artificial paradise for free-so what's the real cost?

What about laws and government regulations? Is all of this even legal?

And what happens if the server crashes? Are you just gone forever?

The storyline outside of Yonder also feels underdeveloped. What happened to the people, his friends, in the real world after the male protagonist chose Yonder? Why introduce them at all if they serve no bigger purpose?

Additionally, it seems like none of these characters has other family or friends. If people decide to commit suicide just to reunite with lost loved ones, wouldn't that affect those they leave behind? But the series doesn't touch on this. Like all those people had absolutley no one left! The world isn't like that. The guy might have had parents, siblings and we know he had at least some friends.

The emotions are completely over the top. No normal person would act like that-and if they did, they would probably need professional help. Plus, the female lead feels like she has no real personality. She's just gentle and considerate, which makes her both unrealistic and boring.

There are also long, silent moments where no one speaks, and only the piano plays. The dialogue lacks depth, making it easy to lose interest or even fall asleep.

And there's a overall lack of action from the characters. I expected them to explore this new world-where can they go and what are the limits? What happens if they commit a crime? Can they even reach people outside Yonder? If every day is the same, wouldn't they try to change it? To spice it up?

Only the ending was surprising.

The series had so much potential! But it really couldn't reach me. I just felt like this is sloppy writing. Too bad.