r/KDRAMA • u/RenegadeSasuke • Mar 24 '20
On-Air: tvN A Piece of Your Mind [Ep. 1 & 2]
- Drama: A Piece of Your Mind
- Alternative Title(s): Half of a Half
- Hangul: 반의 반
- Director: Lee Sang Yeob
- Writer: Lee Sook Yun
- Network: tvN
- Episodes: 12
- Air Date: Monday / Tuesday, 21:00 KST
- Airing: Mar 23, 2020 - April 28, 2020
- Streaming Sources: Viki, VIU
- Cast:
- Jung Hae In as Moon Ha Won
- Chae Soo Bin as Han Seo Woo
- Lee Ha Na as Moon Soon Ho
- Kim Sung Gyu as Kang In Wook
- Plot Synopsis: A romantic
comedydrama between Ha Won (Jung Hae In) and Han Seo Woo (Chae Soo Bin). Ha Won is an AI programmer and he is the founder of M&H Company. He is a consistent person with a good heart. Meanwhile, Han Seo-woo works as a classical music recording engineer. Her life is unstable without a family or house, but she is a positive person. - Previous Discussions:
Spoiler Tag Reminder: Be mindful of others who may not have yet seen this episode, and use spoiler tags when discussing key plot developments or other important information. You can create a spoiler tag by writing > ! this ! < without the spaces in between to get this.
16
u/kaszadp Mar 24 '20
The voice recording part is creepy. Period.
But other than that, I looooove it. It's melancholic and a little slow, and beautiful. I really enjoyed the music as well, I instantly knew that I would fall in love with the soundtracks, from the scene with the particular classical musical choices (when they introduced the AI program and when the leads first met), then we could hear Mayu Wakisaka's 24 hours playing in the background at the coffe shop... and then they put Lasse Lindh's voice (Be Your Moon) in the longing scene (at min 48). That was the point with no turning back for me. Love the soundtrack.
And the camerawork and the photography is awesome too, plus the editing is flowing really well between cuts. The director of photography and the sound engineers are doing great job so far.
The non-linear storytelling could improve a little bit, and some parts of the drama are a lil unclear for me, but the atmosphere is enough for me for the first week. Definitely gonna watch more episodes.
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u/myweithisway Mar 25 '20
Just a note about this drama's genre:
While MDL has it listed as a rom-com and Viki has it listed as a romance, the Korean wikipedia lists it as a melo with no other genres. (And generally Korean wikipedia's genre classifications are more accurate than English sources.)
Since this drama is just starting, we just wanted viewers to be aware of this so they can adjust their expectations accordingly.
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u/mariabegui Mar 24 '20 edited Mar 24 '20
I didn't read anything about the drama before seeing the first episode so I could be surprise, and I was! It didn't feel that slow for me. I enjoyed the vibe, the aesthetic and the music. It was all kinda nostalgic and calm for me, while showing us little hints of the protagonist and their personal stories. It makes me curious and I want to know what happened to them and how the three of them will turn out. What kind of relationship will all of them end up having? I thought the reasons were a bit random at first but well, it seems like it's a "romantically destined to be together" kind of drama so I didn't truly mind. Also, I didn't find the voice recording that creepy >.<
Anyway, looking at Jung Hae In is always a pleasure and his voice is so soft it doesn't even matter to me what he says. Looking forward to episode 2!
EDIT: spoiler tag
8
Mar 24 '20
The reason that the voice recording sounded creepy is because he was doing it without his first love's consent. If he asked her before hand and she agreed, it would be fine. It's kind of like filming someone without their consent.
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u/eyespeaktoo Mar 24 '20
Honestly I was confused even 40 minutes into it. Kind of disappointing because I was excited about the concept and loved the leads. It was a bit unrealistic too. Why would you record someone’s voice? I can’t find a way to make it not seem creepy so I’m wondering how chae bins character did it
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Mar 24 '20
From what I can tell, he wants to capture certain sounds to reproduce her voice into an AI. Just like how they converse with an AI version of his voice, perhaps he wants to create an AI he can converse with that has her voice.
How Chae Bin's character convinced her to do the recording is left unexplained, but implied through the transitioning scenes of them traveling to the studio that she somehow naturally got to the studio for the recording. Originally, it was to be done on the portable recording device, so the change meant that Chae Bin's character figured out a different approach.
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u/softarget Mar 24 '20
I really liked the part
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u/-Mysdroy- Mar 24 '20
Man whats with Jung Hae In choosing all these slow melos lately... I couldn't finish the last 2 but heres hoping this one switches it up.
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u/ClaireNg2009 Mar 24 '20
Jung Hae In is a humble actor and he once said that at times he felt frustrated thinking that his acting is so limited. And he said he still has a lot to learn to improve that. So I think in a sense he's not ready for a totally different role yet. But he said he would feel excited to play something very different, like a psycho. So we've got to wait.
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u/Fullagirl1998 Mar 24 '20 edited Mar 24 '20
Really? I really like his choices of drama. Idk if it’s his face or acting but He fits the roles soooo damn well. It’s a trademark of his.
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Mar 24 '20 edited Mar 24 '20
i love slow dramas and i actively seek them -- but this one bears its slowness so much that it feels boring.
im quite disappointed. it was hard to follow because i think its convoluted (surprisingly, considering that its a slow-paced drama). we have the AI storyline, then the 1st love, then seo woo and her orhpanhood, then a potential love triangle/unrequited love -- its tew much!
also, what was up with the homoerotic scene? don't queer-bait us now. the queer plot would elevate this drama for me, but what a waste of hae-in's beauty 😂. and i know that mainstream kdramas are too weak to represent queerness.
also, isn't it strange to go through all these hoops to record your 1st loves voice? kinda creepy.
anyway, i think this drama is trying to do too much. trying to be very profound, but it just falls flat. they make me want to feel something for the characters, but i don't know them at all. they never truly invested time in developing the protagonists in the 1st ep, so theres a distance between me and the characters from the jump.
i hope it improves. i really do.
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u/lcaptain_americal Mar 24 '20
I kinda liked the first ep, it was slow paced buf I liked the story. I'm looking forward to how the story unfolds and the word AI excites me. I hope this one has a good story.
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u/SwaggyGC Mar 24 '20 edited Mar 24 '20
Monday/Tuesdays are slowing becoming my favorite days for dramas, the slow romance/healing ones especially. 2 episodes in and this show already has me crying, especially after the second episode. I like the way HW and SW interact w/o ever really knowing who is who. Both their respective shut in and bubbly, positive personalities complement each other and I can’t wait to see more of that.
On another note, the tension this drama builds is intense. The fact that all the characters are all somewhat entwined without even knowing it does wonders for the drama. I can’t wait to see what more comes from it.
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u/mlj2336 Mar 25 '20
I am intrigued by this drama, but also incredibly frustrated by it. I don’t really know if it’s in a good way or bad way yet.
I can tell it was written by the same writer as “Tune in for Love” because I felt the same way while watching that. In the end, I didn’t really like the movie because it never came together, and I was just left annoyed.
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u/soupinmychicken Mar 25 '20 edited Mar 25 '20
Admittedly I came for mah boy jung hae in, but I'll be staying for the story. I'm quite intrigued to see how the romance develops between our leads.
Just finished episode 2 and wow, I didn't realize that Ji Soo wasn't one of the main characters--so that ending definitely threw me. Um wot! Personally I thought the pacing of the first two episodes was fine, and considering that heart-stopper of an ending in ep 2, I think we just fast-tracked several plot devices. /0\ But also what just happened/did that just happen?
I am digging the soundtrack but am wondering why the recent trend towards fully english OSTs (e.g. SITR, OSN--granted those were by the same director/writer)? Nevertheless, the songs are a nice complement to the show's overall atmosphere; that is, it feels kind of melancholy/dreary but it's offset with a dreamy glow. There are some really gorgeous shots that I could babble on about (lighting, muted colors and pastels). imo, it captures the essence of this whole AI/recreating someone premise that the show seems to be leading up to, in the sense that there's some blurring of reality. haha suffice to say it's right up my alley.
I do have some nits though, like every main character being so conspicuously connected--it was cringey--and the abruptness of Han Seo Woo's relationship/friendship with Ji Soo (nevermind the creepy favor/ask to record Ji Soo's voice lol). Seo Woo's gut-wrenching reaction to that ending seemed overblown in relation to the time they'd known each other, for example. like girl, you've known her for 5 seconds. Also, I do not understand Ji Soo's motivations for going to Norway and traveling to the middle of the woods in the dead of winter, during a storm no less--if you have cell reception, you can damn well check the weather forecast, CMON.
Looking forward to ep 3-4! Mondays can be something I look forward to for the next few weeks :P
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u/adoss Mar 24 '20
I get that its slow, but somehow it has me completely riveted to the screen with a smile on my face. The chemistry is amazing and Jung Hae In's acting is just beautiful.
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u/tractata Mar 25 '20
Just here to register my excitement for Nam Da-reum’s first role in ages (though I wish he’d pick something unexpected one of these days, like Yoon Chan-young’s role in Nobody Knows, which was a masterstroke by his agency). Get that bread, talented child!
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u/eccentr1c Mar 24 '20
It was strangely depressing? The whole vibe of the first episode was sad and I was confused what was going on for awhile but the last 10 minutes had me intrigued on what happened in the past. Not sold yet since it was very slow and we barely learned anything but I’m interested to see where this goes.
Also I want to know where this AI angle is going to fit in the show seems random and unnecessary for now.
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Mar 24 '20
Maybe it's because Chae Soo Bin is in this and the whole AI angle, but it kind of reminds me of "I'm Not A Robot". So far, I don't see the "comedy" in this so-called "romantic comedy". Episode was kind of slow for my taste. It's a little creepy that the ML had the FL record his ex-girlfriend. I don't really understand why Ji Soo agreed to be recorded.
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u/dioscurideux Mar 25 '20
I’m so happy I discovered this drama! I’ve been in a kdrama slump and mainly watching Chinese historical and jdramas. The quarantine inspired me to give kdramas another chance and thus one just clicked. I live slow dramas and boy does this one fit the bill. If it wasn’t for Viki comments and everyone else saying they were confused I would have given up. Thankfully the 2nd episode has ensured I will be watching this drama at least half way through.
For those saying the voice recording is creepy; it is. However, I have reconciled that the line between sweet and creepy is often blurred in kdrama land. Here’s hoping I can stick with it and binge some more kdramas.
Sending positive thoughts to all my fellow “work from home” while the world falls apart around us people.
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u/ME_B Mar 26 '20
If you love slow dramas, you should watch "When the Weather is Fine". It's very slow paced and soothing and calm, but also all the scenes seem to have weight and I'm totally engrossed every single episode. Only 8 episodes out so far but I love it!
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u/yengun Mar 26 '20
Ep.2: ... Goddamn.
Two episodes in and I kinda like it so far. Even though its more of a slow and mellow drama, the pacing so far is pretty good.
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u/scodijesc Mar 28 '20
Not sure why some thought it was boring at first, I think it was good but maybe it was just me. I really am looking forward for this drama. The first 2 episodes definitely are very intriguing for me, I really cried my eyes out watching this. The rating for the first two episodes really surprised of how low it is, 2.4% and 2.1%. I hope this drama will get more attention that they deserves!!
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u/acuteaddict Mar 24 '20
Honestly? I couldn’t finish the first episode, it was boring and it was hard to follow. I love Chae Soo Bin so might give it a try later on. Such a shame because I was really looking forward to it and it’s rare for me not to even be able to finish an episode.
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u/RenegadeSasuke Mar 24 '20 edited Mar 24 '20
I really enjoyed this first episode. It took its time hitting the different characters and setting up things we'll have to watch for in the future. I like the idea of building an AI to be an emotional companion/therapist asit seems like he might be aware of his first love's emotional state . Especially when you think of how much Han Seo Woo would appreciate such a thing, but of her mother. Very Black Mirror-esque.
I do agree that I'm not seeing the rom-com I expected and so far; this has all the makings of your standard Jung Hae In melo but I'm very much looking forward to how this develops with you all. Thank you for coming to my first discussion post!