O Monstro de Gyeongseong

Gyeongseong Creature was my first big encounter with South Korean series production and after watching the first season I can say that it was certainly not the last. Genre-wise, it is a strange blend of romantic drama and war sci-fi with many horror and comedy elements – an unusual combination that may be a stumbling block for many viewers. For eleven hours, we dive into a world of twisted human experimentation, rescue operations, and lots of slow motion shots that managed to thrill, amuse, and move me. The look of the monster is not that good, here the creators could definitely have invested more. But I praise the musical score – well, except for the k-pop episode closers. Overall, the series could certainly be trimmed in a few places, but I still enjoyed it as a whole and looked forward (thanks to the purposeful cliffhangers) to each new episode. The last episode set the stage for the next season and I'm curious to see what direction the creators will take. (01/02/2024)

I guess I was honestly expecting a bit more. The trailers caught my attention with their setting during the Japanese occupation, a touch of Stranger Things (when lab experiments don’t go as planned), and the participation of actress So-hee Han (from My Name!). Let’s be honest… Technically, the series is top-notch compared to the competition (the costumes and locations are first-rate). However, the CGI for the central monster is quite lacking. It’s disappointing, but at times I felt like I was watching a cutscene from a PS2 game. :( Such a shame. Otherwise, the series offers a decent amount of action (sometimes quite brutal), humor (South Korea has little competition in this area), and, last but not least, romance. I could do without the romance, but I understand it helps broaden the potential audience with female viewers. So… In summary… It’s not a disaster. Just a digestible snack for a rainy winter afternoon. I give it a 6.5/10. (13/02/2024)