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Nine: Nine Time Travels

A TV anchorman discovers that a mysterious bundle of incense has the power to send him back in time, where he has the opportunity to alter the past. A TV anchorman discovers that a mysterious bundle of incense has the power to send him back in time, where he has the opportunity to alter the past. A TV anchorman discovers that a mysterious bundle of incense has the power to send him back in time, where he has the opportunity to alter the past.

• Lee Jin-wook
• Jeon No-min
• 9 User reviews
• 2 wins & 2 nominations

Episodes 20

• Park Sun Woo

• Joo Min Young …

• Park Jung Woo
• Son Myung Hee

• Han Young Hoon

• Oh Chul Min

• Choi Jin Chul

• Choi Jin Chul (Young)
• Choi Jin-Cheol's secretary
• Kim Yoo Jin

• Han Young Hoon (Young)

• Park Chun-Soo
• Park Jung-Woo (Young)

• Park Sun-Woo (Young)

• Joo Min-Young
• Kim Yoo Jin (Young)

• Park Chang-Min

• Kang Seo-Joon
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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User reviews 9

• sarahcarter-57143
• Apr 12, 2018
• How many seasons does Nine: Nine Time Travels have? Powered by Alexa
• March 10, 2013 (South Korea)
• South Korea
• Official site (South Korea)
• Nine: 9 Times Time Travel
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 52 minutes

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The Fangirl Verdict

Completely biased reviews and fangirling.

Review: Nine [Nine: Nine Time Travels]

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A time travel tale that is engaging, absorbing and tightly written.

It took me a couple of episodes to get completely sucked in, but when I did get sucked in, boy did I get sucked in good.

Serving up twists and turns that literally keep you on the edge of your seat (and perhaps your sense of sanity too), Nine is thought-provoking, intense and really rather addictive. The dramatic tension flags in a few spots, but overall, I’d say this is a solid, worthy watch.

If you like your dramas to keep you on your toes and keep you thinking,  and keep you guessing too, this would definitely be up your alley.

THE LONG VERDICT:

Nine is definitely a different beast than your average kdrama.

If I had to pinpoint one single thing that makes it that different a beast, it is that in Nine, it is the plot development and writing that takes centerstage, over and above character and relationship development.

In your average kdrama, the plot developments power the characters forward, and are the catalysts for character and relationship development, which are often given more prominence and importance than the plot developments themselves.

In Nine, however, I sort of feel like most of the characters stay fairly constant throughout the show, letting the writing and plot developments twist around them instead.

It’s an intriguing construct and it works, in the world that Nine sets up.

In keeping with the show’s emphasis, this review will also go a tiny smidge lighter on the characters and their relationships than is my usual, and I’ll spend more time discussing my thoughts on the writing itself.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The cinematography in Nine is excellent, and applied very deliberately to present to us the different facets of the show.

Scenery is framed beautifully and presented with airy, almost magical strokes, like in the opening scene (above) or in this one below:

Cityscapes are dark, slick and polished, like so:

Helpful time markers are overlaid to clue us into which time window we are in, and the use of split screens is applied liberally but judiciously.

Here, it’s used to show details in one given moment, creating energy in the frame:

While here, it’s used to show interactions between characters:

I love the little detail, where characters in the past are framed with rounded corners to give us a retro sort of flavor, like so:

Another important use of the split screens is for the main theme of our show: time travel. We get to see events unfolding in parallel in the present and the past, and that often provides a nice juxtaposition, like so:

I thought the sepia filter was also a nice – and helpful – touch for events happening in the past. It helped to clue me in to which time period we were looking at.

[SPOILER ALERT]

One of my favorite scenes involving the split screen device is of Present Young Hoon and Past Young Hoon both racing towards Sun Woo in the hospital:

So well-shot, and obviously well thought-out and carefully planned. Kudos, Show. Love it.

[END SPOILER]

There were times when the cinematography leaned a little indulgent, such as when the split screen frames whooshed as they moved and changed during a scene.

I found it an interesting device, but it drew attention to itself, which is kind of the opposite of drawing attention to the scene. I got used to it after a while, so no major damage there.

Overall, I really enjoyed the cinematography in Nine. The attention to detail was massive, and clearly the result of a great deal of care and thought, particularly in creating scenes featuring the past, as well as recreating various scenes in the present which echo the past.

It all came together artfully and quite beautifully to support the world that the writers created.

THE CHARACTERS

Because we are dealing with 2 different timelines revolving around one set of characters, we have a pretty huge cast.

I’m just going to highlight our major characters, and for those who are played by different actors in the different timelines, I will differentiate between them prefixing their names with Young and Adult.

Lee Jin Wook as Adult Sun Woo

Sun Woo is the pivotal character of the entire show. From start to finish, Nine revolves around Sun Woo’s journey, and that journey takes eminence over everything else, pretty much. All other characters exist in relation to him, and their importance is also mapped in relation to him.

Lee Jin Wook turns in a solid performance as Sun Woo, effectively portraying him with an almost impenetrable veneer that is at once intelligent, rational and tenacious, while giving us glimpses, in the quiet moments, of the uncertainty, fear and worry that he keeps to himself.

I’d only ever seen Lee Jin Wook in I Need Romance 2012 , and there, he played a character with some striking similarities to Sun Woo [ SPOILER: presents a strong outer shell while hiding an illness, uses humor as a coping mechanism, and teases the object of his affection with an aggravating off-handed sort of charm].

It did bother me a little that Lee Jin Wook imbued both characters with such a similar sort of feel, but thankfully, the story here is so vastly different from the story in INR2012, that it doesn’t interfere.

Sun Woo’s a pretty great character, in so many ways.

He’s smart, quick on the uptake, and fast on his feet. He conducts himself as if he’s fearless, even though there are moments where he admits to being afraid.

He cares about the people around him, and puts his own life on the line without hesitation, if it means there is even the slightest possibility of saving someone that he loves.

He put himself on the line for his father, for his brother and for Min Young too.

Even at the point of dying, after the phone booth hit and run, his concern is Shi Ah / Min Young and not himself.

When Sun Woo hears that Shi Ah is there looking for her teddy bear which her mother neglected to pack, Sun Woo smiles and says reassuringly,

“I’m glad that your mother didn’t pack the teddy bear… Come here. Remember my face. Don’t ever forget it.” … “When you see a man that looks just like me… don’t get close to him. Don’t try to warm up to him. Don’t even take interest.”

Shi Ah asks, “Why not?” And Sun Woo smiles weakly, “He is going to ruin your life. Just stay away from him. Okay? Promise me. Hurry. I don’t have much time.” And they pinky promise while tears well up in his eyes.

Tears. What a heartbreaking scene. T.T

Above it all, my favorite quality in Sun Woo is his resilience.

From the beginning of the show, to the very end, he is resilient.

Whether he’s time traveling and fighting off baddies while dealing with a tumor in his brain, or trying to make it through a time slip while bleeding profusely from a stab wound to the gut, or trying to survive a hit and run, Sun Woo is fiercely resilient.

Even when he allowed himself to get into a drunken slump after Min Young and he agree to live as niece and uncle, he snaps to real quick, when his brother’s whereabouts come into question.

One of my favorite quotes from Sun Woo in the entire series is in episode 19, in one of the messages that he leaves in his phone while trapped under the debris of the phone booth. His voice slightly shaky, he records:

“Third message. I’m really hurt. I still have no way of going back. But I want to believe that this is not how my life is going to end. I have to survive. And I’m going to find a way back.”

That he manages to say that and mean it, while barely staying alive in the lonely wreckage of the phone booth, bleeding out under the relentless thunderstorm, just says so much about the strength of his will even in the midst of extreme adversity.

Yes, he didn’t make it out of the phone booth alive, but he showed such strength of character in the moment. That’s the stuff that true heroes are made of.

Park Hyung Sik and Young Sun Woo

I thought Park Hyung Sik did admirably well as Young Sun Woo, more so when I consider that he’s an idol actor, and we know how so many idols don’t manage the crossover to acting terribly well.

I felt that Hyung Sik’s Sun Woo was a reasonably good echo of Adult Sun Woo, with both Sun Woos giving off similar vibes. While there’s definitely room for growth and nuance, I thought Hyung Sik’s restrained delivery was solid.

One of the most endearing qualities I found in Young Sun Woo, was his courage in the midst of confusion.

There was so much to be confused about, for Young Sun Woo, particularly when a random stranger stopped him in the street and proceeded to knife him with the intent of killing him.

Young Sun Woo’s shaken bewilderment in that moment, combined with his valiant efforts to fight off his attacker and save himself, remains one of my favorite scenes delivered by Park Hyung Sik. He made Young Sun Woo so brave, in the midst of his confusion and fear.

Another of my favorite plot points involving Young Sun Woo, is when he decides that he needs to find a way to communicate with Adult Sun Woo. True to his quick-thinking nature, he leaves messages for Adult Sun Woo where he is sure to see them.

On his guitar, because he knows that it’s so precious that Adult Sun Woo would never dispose of it:

And around the house, because he deduces from Adult Sun Woo’s ID, that he still lives at the same address:

And in his journal, because he believes that Adult Sun Woo will read it:

So smart, that boy.

I love that in him, we see the same qualities that we see in Adult Sun Woo. Truly, a hero in the making.

Lee Seung Joon as Adult Young Hoon

I freaking love Lee Seung Joon as Young Hoon, seriously.

As Sun Woo’s BFF, he balances out Sun Woo’s almost clinical intellectualism with lots (and lots) of care and concern. Mostly in the form of cursing, swearing and railing at Sun Woo to take better care of himself.

Lee Seung Joon’s expressions are priceless, especially in response to all the time-traveling talk and accompanying hijinks that Sun Woo exposes Young Hoon to.

I luff Young Hoon. Such a sincere, grizzled, unkempt, dorky and adorable grumpypants. ♥

I love that Young Hoon’s always scolding and swearing at Sun Woo in the most inappropriate places. Out of concern, of course.

First, in the ER in episode 2 (above), and then again, in a church during Christmas mass in episode 5. It’s like his love and concern for Sun Woo is so big that it bursts out of him; it can’t be contained by mere lips. Heh.

Even better, I find it hysterical that Young Hoon then gets yelled at by his wife in public, at the restaurant, also in episode 5. So, what goes around, comes around? Or, that’s where he learned that yelling is caring? Hee. I was really quite tickled by this little running gag with Young Hoon.

Young Hoon also brings a lot of the comedy in Nine, from this classic bewildered facial expression:

To actual physical comedy, like here, where he’s whooping in horror while running around the hospital, flailing.

I love how Lee Seung Joon plays Young Hoon and makes him look like he’s literally about to lose his mind. And that he goes this crazy because that’s how much he loves his BFF? Love that even more.

I do feel for Young Hoon, though. The emotional rollercoaster he’s constantly going through as Sun Woo’s BFF is no small thing, and he handles it as well as you can expect a normal human being to handle it, under the circumstances.

In that sense, Young Hoon is extremely relatable; his reactions to the craziness of time travel mirror pretty much how any normal person would react.

My favorite Young Hoon moment in the entire show is at the end of episode 9, after he fights tooth and nail to get Sun Woo in the operating theater and promises to save him, only to be ribbed by his best friend, “You’re going to save me? You’re a liar.”

As events unfold in the past and his memories evolve, Young Hoon’s priceless shocked expression gives way to the most endearing, adorable goofy grin as he sees Sun Woo, alive and well, reporting the news on TV.

Young Hoon, all teary, gurgles at TV Sun Woo, “Who says I’m a liar?” … “I just saved your life.”

Aw. I. LUFF. YOUNG HOON. ♥

Lee Yi Kyung as Young Young Hoon

Lee Yi Kyung is an excellent Young Young Hoon, managing to mirror the vibe of Adult Young Hoon to a T.

Not only are they equally dorky, sporting similar plastic-framed glasses and corresponding goofy grins, each loves and trusts his BFF Sun Woo with the same fierce loyalty.

As an aside, I’m particularly tickled by how Lee Yi Kyung is all hardworking & nerdy in Nine, when he was a little gangster brat in School 2013 .

The pivotal moment for me, when Young Young Hoon endeared himself irrevocably to me, is here in episode 9, when he sets eyes on Sun Woo lying in his hospital bed and promptly bursts into tears.

Aw. How sweet is he?

And then, when Sun Woo starts with what would sound like crazy time travel talk to anyone else, Young Hoon listens intently, like so:

Without questioning Sun Woo’s sanity (as most people would’ve), Young Hoon does as Sun Woo requests, and goes to the park to wait for Adult Sun Woo, who had promised to meet Young Sun Woo at 9pm.

Not only that, he waits patiently in the cold for 2 whole hours, warming himself by blowing on his hands and even doing push-ups. All for the sake of honoring his BFF’s crazy-sounding request. That’s loyalty, man.

One of my favorite Young Young Hoon scenes is what follows this scene, when Young Hoon goes back to Sun Woo’s room to check Sun Woo’s pager for him, and finds the sachet of meds that Adult Sun Woo had dropped.

It is Young Hoon who connects the dots between the meds and what Adult Sun Woo had said about someone dying. He says urgently over the phone, “Aren’t you dying of a disease?” … “Hey! Call a doctor! Now!”

Smart, nerdy Young Hoon. He really does save Sun Woo. ♥

My favorite screenshot of Young Young Hoon in the whole show is this one, where he pops up in Sun Woo’s room, with a half-eaten bun in one hand and a carton of milk in the other, as Jung Woo is talking to Sun Woo.

It’s a throwaway moment, but the slight milk mustache, coupled with the crumbs around his mouth and the dorky grin as he silently offers Sun Woo the food in his hands, is just SO. CUTE.

I just wanna squish him, I really do. Unnggh!

Jun Noh Min as Adult Jung Woo

Jung Woo is mostly such a tragically weak character that often, I didn’t know whether to sympathize with him or throttle him.

Despite some glaringly wooden moments, Jun Noh Min does a decently solid job portraying Jung Woo’s brand of hapless impotence.

As with all other characters in the show, Jung Woo’s importance is mostly in relation to Sun Woo, and it is his weakness that is ultimately a key catalyst that drives many plot developments in the show.

From the moment that we first meet him and throughout the show, we get a clear sense of Jung Woo’s awareness of his own weakness, and the resulting sense of guilt, self-loathing and frustration.

For most of the show, Jung Woo lives in a world of regret, ashamed of his past and the choices he’s made; deeply desiring to change the course of history, but thwarted again and again by his own cowardice.

I do appreciate, though, that at his core, Jung Woo very much wants to do the right thing.

In episode 12, when Sun Woo drops the whole time-travel bombshell and the accompanying details on Jung Woo, he spends hours deep in thought.

The decision literally involves Jung Woo’s very life. If he gives Sun Woo the go ahead to go back in time to change things back, he is likely to no longer exist in the new reality.

Finally, Jung Woo calls Sun Woo, and we hear the most heartwrenchingly honest conversation between the 2 brothers. It’s also the first moment that I feel truly sympathetic towards Jung Woo.

Jung Woo begins,

“Is it a dream to have the opportunity to bring the past back? You have no idea… How much I have regretted that moment my whole life. I couldn’t have a good night’s sleep once for the last 20 years. I had hope then. I hoped that I would forget in a few years. But I couldn’t.

It tortures me even today. And since the moment you found out, it has been hell for me. I wanted to die, but I couldn’t. Because of my family. I think what you said is a God-given opportunity. Not anyone has this chance.

So many people live with regrets in their hearts. Having the chance to reverse it is a fortune. I still remember. 20 years ago is when I was filing papers for immigration. It tortured me everyday.

I wanted to turn myself in every time I drove by the police station. But I couldn’t. If you can go back and convince me, I will be able to turn myself in. Do that for me. If you go back, will everything go back to its place?”

Sun Woo answers, “I don’t know either. It never went as planned. Perhaps my life could change completely. But… I think that I have to bring it back. Because the start went wrong.”

Jung Woo then asks about the happiness of his wife and Min Young in that alternate reality and Sun Woo’s answers reassure him.

Jung Woo then concludes, “That’s good then. I want you to get to it ASAP then. The wedding is soon. Do it earlier and make it easy for my wife. I mean for Yoo Jin. It’s just terrible for her.” … “Today could be my last day.”

Sun Woo, tearing up: “That won’t happen. That will be meaningless then. I’m telling you this so that you wouldn’t wander for the rest of your life.”

Jung Woo answers serenely, “It’s okay for me. When I heard that I died in the Himalayas, I thought that it was like me. I’m not saying that this life is bad. But I always felt that something was off.”

Sun Woo insists, “That won’t happen.”

Jung Woo, still serene, answers, “It doesn’t matter to me.” [also could mean “I don’t matter”]

What a tough decision Jung Woo came to, and with so much sincerity. I admired him in that moment.

Another Jung Woo scene that I found rather moving is in episode 16.

We see Jung Woo in the final moments before his suicide, making a phone call to an oblivious Min Young.

His parting words to Min Young are really sad, “Thank you for choosing me as your father when I wasn’t qualified.” … “I’m sorry. Stay well.”

So much meaning in so few words. Poor Jung Woo.

Ultimately, Jun Noh Min made Jung Woo a sympathetic character, which I consider an uphill task, taking into account how infuriatingly weak-willed he was as a character for much of the show.

But I ended up feeling sorry for him, and I appreciated that in the limited scope of his abilities, that he tried hard to do the right thing.

Seo Woo Jin as Young Jung Woo

I suppose Seo Woo Jin did a decent job of portraying Young Jung Woo, since he was effectively infuriating in depicting Jung Woo’s weakness.

I don’t know if it was intentional in the casting, but both Jun Noh Min and Seo Woo Jin delivered their respective Jung Woos with varying degrees of woodenness.

So in an ironic sort of twist, they managed to make Young Jung Woo and Adult Jung Woo have enough of a similar vibe to be believable.

Killing your father by mistake, and finding out that your real father is the scumbag who’s blackmailing you about it has got to be horrible for anyone.

But for Jung Woo, who’s particularly cowardly and weak-willed, that has got to be the worst nightmare ever, multiplied many, many times over.

It’s no wonder that Young Jung Woo mostly looks like he hasn’t slept in years, with eye bags the size of saucers (enough to rival the awesome Editor’s eye bags in Flower Boy Next Door ).

It’s also no wonder that he’s always on edge, and pretty much constantly looks like he’s about to jump out of his skin in panic.

I sorta wanted to feel sorry for him, but.. couldn’t. I found him exasperating and infuriating. And his cowardice was completely maddening.

The point in the show where I felt most aggravated by his weak character was when Adult Jung Woo, wanting to set things right, gives Sun Woo the go-ahead to convince Young Jung Woo to turn himself in to the police.

Young Jung Woo hems and haws and even turns around and makes to leave (I was so annoyed at this point), but I do give him credit for finally plucking up the courage to do it. Yes, he got tripped up by a dirty cop and then nothing actually changed, but, well, he did try.

It is only towards the very end of the show, when Young Jung Woo actually walks away from his wedding ceremony, that marks a truly redemptive arc for his character.

I feel that even more than the decision to walk away from the wedding, the defining moment for Jung Woo is when he sees how badly hurt Sun Woo is, from Choi’s attempt on his life. I think this is when he truly steels himself and summons up the courage to do the right thing.

Afterwards, we get to see him speak with Sun Woo while in prison, and honestly, this is the only time in the entire show that we see Young Jung Woo with a sense of freedom about his face.

He’s no longer a slave to his guilt, and his conscience is satisfied. And while it was long in the coming, his character finally did redeem himself in my eyes.

Jo Yoon Hee as Joo Min Young

Because the entire show is written such that everyone and everything pivots around Sun Woo, Min Young as a character gets relegated to a very reactionary sort of place, even though she is one half of our OTP.

As a result, Jo Yoon Hee spends most of her time onscreen looking either very smitten, very pouty, very confused, or very sad.

More’s the pity, because in the few moments that she got to show some spunk, she was quite delightful. I would’ve loved for her to have been a more proactive heroine, but sadly, the writing wasn’t in her favor.

All things considered, I feel Jo Yoon Hee did a very decent job of the role, and I found Min Young likable, if limited in scope.

I thought I’d just highlight a couple of Min Young moments that I liked.

I liked Min Young’s starry-eyed response to Sun Woo’s reprimands during their first interaction at the hospital. I found it pretty cute, that she just blurted out her attraction to him without a second thought.

Girl knows what she likes and isn’t afraid to say so. And I nod approvingly, heh.

Plus, how does she manage to actually look like she has literal stars in her eyes?!?

When Min Young’s old memories are stirred by the muscle memory of writing her vows on the album sleeve, I like that Min Young pursues those memories, undeterred by Sun Woo’s dismissive explanations.

She is so intent and so focused on the memories trickling back to her, that she doesn’t even seem to hear Sun Woo’s outward disdain, and grabs him for a kiss.

Girl isn’t afraid to reach for what she wants. And that felt particularly refreshing in the sea of reactive material that she had to work with for most of the show.

I was most moved by Jo Yoon Hee’s performance here, in episode 19, as Min Young watches her memories evolve in her mind’s eye as her younger self talks with a dying Sun Woo.

Her pain, horror and grief are palpable as her silent tears turn to anguished wails.

This scene brought tears to my eyes, in part because of Sun Woo’s death, but in equal part, in response to Min Young’s grief. In her agony, I felt Min Young’s love for Sun Woo.

I thought Jo Yoon Hee did beautifully here.

Jung Dong Hwan as Choi Jin Cheol

I have to wonder what the PD was thinking (or smoking, for that matter), coz Jung Dong Hwan’s turn as Choi Jin Cheol was the most OTT crazy overplayed and exaggerated I have ever seen him.

Jung Dong Hwan is one of those veteran actors that has appeared in a gazillion kdramas, and we’ve all seen him deliver performances that were more restrained, subtle, and well, sane.

For some reason, his Choi Jin Cheol acted like he had escaped from the crazy-house, even though he wasn’t a mental patient but a respected researcher that the nation supposedly loved.

I endured his extreme bug-eyed facial contortions, but I didn’t enjoy them. This OTT villain was the most distracting thing in the entire show, which was otherwise played straight.

It’s like having Bozo the Clown show up as a character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It’s dissonant, it’s distracting, and it just doesn’t work.

Uhm Hyo Sup as Oh Chol Min

Aw. I really, really loved Uhm Hyo Sup as Chief Oh.

Although Chief Oh isn’t technically a major character, Uhm Hyo Sup made him tremendously likable, and I perked up at pretty much all his scenes.

To Sun Woo, who had lost his own father at a young age, Chief Oh provided everything Sun Woo would have needed from his own father: a father figure, a role model, and an expectation of excellence and high standards, doled out with exceedingly generous amounts of genuine affection, trust and loyalty. And lots of ribbing on the side.

I knew that I loved Chief Oh by episode 2. I loved how he literally put his neck on the line to help Sun Woo, after the stunt that Sun Woo pulled while live on the air with Evil Choi.

I loved his gruff reasoning, which barely conceals the great amount of love that he has for Sun Woo,

“…if we don’t help you, we will have to admit that what happened yesterday was an accident. That’s embarrassing. So you just keep going. Okay? What happened yesterday was no accident. It was planned by all of us. I approved it.”

And then he adds, while giving Sun Woo the side-eye, “I ripped up your resignation.”

So. Sweet. Seriously. How could I not love him??

I love how Chief Oh has clearly had a deep influence on Sun Woo. We see this in episode 17, when Sun Woo takes up Chief Oh’s offer of help, by asking him for his contact details in 1993.

To Chief Oh’s befuddled response, Sun Woo offers this explanation,

“If the police is corrupt, then it should be up to the press to right it… But that doesn’t mean that all the press do their jobs right. You’re the reporter with the most integrity that I know.” … “If I can’t even trust you, then my life was in vain.”

Talk about leaving a deep impression on someone. Loved this moment.

Another favorite Chief Oh moment of mine, is in episode 20, where 1993 Chief Oh – then Reporter Oh – takes Young Sun Woo out to dinner after everything is over.

Sun Woo asks Reporter Oh if he can become a reporter, “I had never thought about it. But I like the job. You did something even the police couldn’t.”

Reporter Oh brushes it off, “Hey! Don’t do it. Don’t even think about doing it. This is a lot of hard work. Why would you want to do this? It doesn’t even look good.” But Sun Woo isn’t easily deterred, “It looks good.”

Reporter Oh protests, “Geez. You know that you have to be smart to be a journalist. Are you smart?” [Sun Woo: “Yeah.”]

And Reporter Oh continues, “It’s not just the brain you need. You also need the face to be a reporter on TV, like me.” Hee.

Sun Woo, without missing a beat, shoots back, “That’s me then.”

Softening, Reporter Oh finally says,

“Just come. And I will take care of you. You have experienced a lot. You will make a good journalist. You will see the loopholes in this society with your heart, not just your eyes. You will have the guts to fight it.

Other babies can never fight it. Study hard and get in. And I will give you a chance.”

Sun Woo jumps on it, “You promised.” And Reporter Oh gives in, saying, “I won’t have to worry about you having a good life. Here. Eat up.”

How sweet is that scene?? How adorable is it, that Sun Woo instinctively sticks to Reporter Oh like the father figure that he is? And how endearing is Reporter Oh’s gruff affectionate way of taking Sun Woo under his wing?

So many warm fuzzies. ♥

THE RELATIONSHIPS

Because Sun Woo is the pivotal character of the entire show, all the key relationships are those in which he is one half of the equation.

I’ve already mentioned some of these relationships in covering the characters above, but I’d like to highlight a couple of these relationships a little more.

In the constant shifting of circumstances, thanks to all the time travel, there are certain constants that remain unshakeable in these relationships.

It is these constants that provide us with a sense of immutability in the midst of the continuously shifting pieces of our characters’ realities.

Note: Delving into the relationships is where things start to get seriously spoilery in this review, due to the twisty nature of the show.

If you haven’t watched the show and don’t want to be spoiled, here’s where I’d suggest you skip to the end of the review and check out the first vid that I posted, which is a set of 2 trailers for the show.

Come back after you’ve watched the show, though, and we can talk and discuss and analyze it all, as much as you’d like. 😉

[SPOILERS DEAD AHEAD]

Sun Woo & Young Hoon

I loved the bromance between Sun Woo and Young Hoon in both timelines.

I loved that in both timelines, Sun Woo never hesitated to share his time-traveling exposure and related thoughts with Young Hoon, even though he must have known how crazy it would sound to anyone listening.

And I loved that in both timelines, Young Hoon gave Sun Woo a listening ear and an open mind.

The amount of trust and openness the two shared is the stuff of epic bromances, and I loved how tightly they rolled, in facing Sun Woo’s time-travel conundrums together.

There was never any doubt that as far as Young Hoon was concerned, Sun Woo’s problems were his problems. By the same token, there was never any doubt that as far as Sun Woo was concerned, that there was no holding back or withholding information from Young Hoon.

In spirit and in practice, these two shared a bond that could not be broken. Not even by crazy time travel stuff.

Love it. So much.

One of the most moving, heart-in-my-throat sequences involving Sun Woo and Young Hoon is in episode 9, where Young Hoon runs towards Sun Woo in the hospital, both in 1992 and in 2012.

Young Hoon’s panic in both timelines, borne out of love, is heartwarming and poignant to witness.

Aside from the tears and conversation that Sun Woo and Young Hoon share in 1992, the exchange between Sun Woo and Young Hoon in 2012 is even more moving and filled with pathos.

As he’s being wheeled into surgery where his chances of survival are faint, Sun Woo weakly chuckles to a distressed Young Hoon with the darkest humor possible,

“I signed it. I was afraid that you would call my legal guardian. You were going to do as you like anyway. I know you. You would have forged it if I didn’t sign it. Just kill me in peace.”

Ow. My heart.

Sun Woo knows that it’s almost guaranteed that he’s going to die by agreeing to the surgery.

Yet, because Young Hoon wants to cling to even the most remote possibility of saving him, Sun Woo agrees to the operation even though it would mean truncating whatever time that he does have left.

That is either the greatest amount of trust, to put your life in the hands of your friend despite the minuscule chances, or the greatest sacrifice, to give up the remaining days of your life, in order to give your friend the peace of mind that he tried everything to save you.

Either way, the extent of their friendship and brotherhood is epic, poignant and completely moving.

Sun Woo & Jung Woo

I found the relationship between Sun Woo and Jung Woo interesting in that in the midst of its bitter contentiousness, there ran a deeply ingrained sense of care. And even though Sun Woo was the younger brother, he often felt like the more mature one between the two.

The very reason that Sun Woo began to time travel was to fulfill his dead brother’s wishes, and even when things went wrong and it ended up messing up his own life, he was satisfied that Jung Woo did not die, and now had the life and family that he hadn’t had, in the original timeline.

That demonstrates to me, the magnitude of Sun Woo’s care for his brother, despite his brother’s failings.

Certainly, Sun Woo’s only human, and there were moments in the show where his frustration with Jung Woo came spilling out. One such instance is in episode 8, where he bursts out in anger after discovering the truth of their father’s death.

In increasingly upset and emotional tones, Sun Woo erupts,

“You should be sorry. You took Father away from me. You took Mother away from me. Then you just left me behind without taking care of me. Then you came back as a dead man.

You made me waste my youth hating Choi Jin Cheol. You left these cursed incense sticks for me to find out secrets that I didn’t even want to find out. You ruined all of my precious memories. And my girl!”

Despite it all, though, Sun Woo consistently gives Jung Woo the chance to choose to do the right thing.

In episode 9, when Sun Woo’s tumor has reached dangerous proportions and he’s faced with imminent death, he decides to call Jung Woo in spite of his anger with his brother.

Quietly, Sun Woo says his parting words to Jung Woo,

“I thought I should call you once at least. I don’t want to have a conversation. So just listen to me. I don’t think I can ever forgive you. This isn’t up to me to forgive. But let me ask of you one thing. You could get her after all that sacrifice.

Be responsible. Don’t just depend on drugs. Fight off depression. Be a good doctor. Make your family happy. If you can’t even do that… Then my life is just too meaningless. Visit Mom often before she passes.

Be a good husband. Be a good father. That’s your duty until your death. Okay?”

It’s heartbreaking and true at the same time. Sun Woo has spent all of his precious, limited time trying to fix everything for his brother, only to be disappointed by Jung Woo again.

Yet, he’s still giving Jung Woo a chance to make it right, by giving him a to-do list to follow, after his own death.

As the timelines in the show continue to shift and unfold, this is one of the things that remains constant:

Sun Woo is very clear about why he can’t forgive Jung Woo, yet, Sun Woo faithfully continues to give Jung Woo the opportunity to make the right choice, in order to right his wrongs.

In episode 12, Sun Woo again spells it out for Jung Woo,

“What Father said to you on that night. How he beat up Mother. I know that you had no choice. But I can’t forgive you. Because you lied to me for 20 years. And you didn’t pay for your sins. If you didn’t fall for Choi Jin Cheol’s trick and took the responsibility for your action…

At least it wouldn’t have been this bad.” … “Choi changed on that day. He was afraid of nothing. He had lost his conscience. If it wasn’t for that day, he wouldn’t have become the monster he is today.

So I’m asking you. Do you have the courage to go back to pay for your crime?”

In episode 17, Sun Woo again gives Young Jung Woo the chance to make the right choice, when he calls the church and tells Jung Woo that he can either run away to America or stay in Korea and pay for his crime.

I have to say, in that moment, after Jung Woo had let us down again and again, I was very doubtful of whether he would pull through. With no more buffer and no more incense sticks, I really thought it would have been safer for Sun Woo to have not given Jung Woo a choice.

But Jung Woo did come through, and I’m glad. And I admire Sun Woo for believing in his brother, despite all indications otherwise, that Jung Woo was capable of doing the right thing, and making the right choice.

Sun Woo could not – would not – act without Jung Woo’s agreement and decision. Respect.

One of the most poignant moments between the brothers is in episode 13, when Sun Woo is stabbed during his time slip and Jung Woo comes to the hospital to see him.

As Jung Woo clasps Sun Woo’s hand in his, he tells Sun Woo that Young Jung Woo has just gone to the police station in the past. He adds, “I’m sorry.”

I love the little detail, even as their hands unclasp and Sun Woo is wheeled away, that Sun Woo is still reaching for his brother.

As tumultuous as the circumstances around their relationship get, two things are crystal clear: Sun Woo’s care and respect for Jung Woo, and Jung Woo’s love for Sun Woo.

Sun Woo & Min Young

Although the OTP relationship takes a slight backseat to Sun Woo’s personal journey, it is still a relationship that has a good measure of substance.

From timeline to timeline, as the jigsaw pieces of each new reality shift into place, one of the big constants is the love that Sun Woo has for Min Young, and perhaps more importantly, the love that Min Young has for Sun Woo.

The reason I say more importantly, is because while Sun Woo is cognizant of each shifting timeline, Min Young is, for the most part, oblivious to the sometimes massive changes that occur in her life, thanks to Sun Woo’s time traveling.

Yet, her admiration and affection for him is just one of those things that never changes. Even when she becomes his niece at the end of episode 4, she is strongly drawn to him.

Throughout the show, we get little arcs and anecdotes that indicate the depth and extent of our OTP’s regard for each other. Plus, we get a nice sprinkling of swoony moments too.

At the beginning of the show, when Sun Woo visits Min Young in Nepal and offers to date her for three months, she is at first confused and annoyed.

But when Young Hoon informs her of Sun Woo’s brain tumor and the prognosis, Min Young decides to accept Sun Woo’s proposal, and she determines to put on a cheerful face for him, even though she’s deeply grieved.

Her basis is Sun Woo’s words, “What is the importance of that smile? I’m trying my best to muster up energy. But I still feel like crying multiple times a day. It’s not just a smile. It’s everything to me.”

And so, Min Young forces that smile, to give Sun Woo strength. And she decides to marry him and give him whatever strength and happiness she can, in the little time that he has.

At the same time, Sun Woo is feeling a new confidence brought on by the discovery of the incense sticks. His closing words to Min Young at the end of episode 3 are quite swoony,

“Don’t you think three months is too short? How about three years? No… should we keep it going for 30 years? That’s good, 30 years! Let’s keep it up until one of us bails out first.” … “You want to bet who lives longer? I’m confident all of a sudden.”

It’s pretty much right there, that we begin to see the depth of the love these 2 have for each other. She loves him enough to condense forever into 3 short months. And he loves her enough, to give her forever.

A quick, almost throwaway scene which I found really cute, is in episode 4, when Min Young wheedles Sun Woo to express his love for her in front of their colleagues, “Make a heart to them. A big one.”

I love that just when we think he isn’t going to do it, he makes the heart at them, complete with a stiffly defiant macho face.

Throwing his dignity away for her? In front of disbelieving male colleagues? Yes, he loves her alright. Heh.

Even after Min Young becomes Sun Woo’s niece, she’s deeply interested in Sun Woo.

I was amused by the exchange the newly minted uncle and niece share in episode 6.

Min Young jumps on the discovery that Sun Woo had a girlfriend, and grills him on why they broke up, and why he isn’t trying to get her back, since he’s so lonely without her.

Sun Woo answers, “Amnesia” … “Don’t you know what an amnesia is? It’s in dramas all the time. The most common disease in the world.” Har har. Way to put a fresh new twist on one half of the OTP not remembering the other half.

Then, in response to Min Young’s question on why he can’t just start over with his amnestic ex-girlfriend, Sun Woo says, “I thought we were strangers, but we were really family. Don’t you know? This is always in dramas too. Birth secret.”

Ha! And Touche.

I love that the writers have a sharp sense of humor and hang a lantern on some of the admittedly more makjang plot developments in the show.

I also appreciate that Sun Woo doesn’t lie to Min Young. He tells her the truth, in a way that makes sense to her.

At the same time, Min Young remains able to read Sun Woo even when she’s his niece. In episode 7, she says to him, “You act like you’re calm. But something inside of you is saying that you’re uneasy. I can see that in your face.”

I love that even though he has mostly kept up a hard outer shell all this time, not really letting anyone in, nor letting any emotion out, that she knows him this well.

One of my favorite OTP scenes is the rain kiss in episode 11.

I like how the writers connect Sun Woo and Min Young finally, through the understanding of a shared memory: The place where they first kissed, in an alternate reality.

After Min Young’s gone missing for hours, she calls Sun Woo and tearfully tells him about her weird alternate memories of their honeymoon becoming more and more concrete.

Sun Woo demands, “Where are you?” and Min Young chokes out, “My… I mean, where Joo Min Young’s first kiss was with her love of 5 years.”

Without hesitation, Sun Woo instructs, “Wait there.”

He drives straight to her, and they finally meet face to face, in the pouring rain.

Confused, Min Young asks, “How did you know that I was here?” Sun Woo answers, “You said it was our first kiss.”

Amazed, Min Young tearfully manages, “You also remembered?”

Grabbing her, Sun Woo says, “You know the word I hate the most in the world? Samchoon.” and he swoops in for the kiss. Eee!

I love that it is a memory that they share in their original reality that reunites them in this new reality. It’s like their love in the original reality is stronger than the fetters of the new reality. That that’s how strongly they’re connected.

Also, in episode 12, in the aftermath of the rain kiss, Sun Woo tenderly says these melty if amoral words to Min Young:

“If you ask me to live with you far away, I would gladly do it. If you say that it’s okay that we stay as family, I will just be a good uncle to you. If you want to see me sometimes without anyone knowing… I’m okay with that too. I will do anything you like.”

I like that despite Sun Woo’s usually gruff treatment of Min Young, that in this moment, he’s tender and he’s genuinely giving her the assurance that he would do whatever she prefers.

Yes, the amorality of some of the options he presents niggled at me a bit, but his sincere tenderness towards her, putting her desires and preferences above even his own moral standards, is hard to ignore.

In this moment, there is no doubt that he loves her deeply and that to him, her happiness is paramount.

Finally, I think many of us would have liked more OTP sweetness over the course of the show. Here’s a photo spasm to soothe those of us who wanted more lovey-dovey goodness for our OTP:

Adult Sun Woo & Young Sun Woo

Perhaps the most surprising and heartwarming relationship in the show, is that between Young Sun Woo and Adult Sun Woo.

This was a relationship that I didn’t even see coming, because I didn’t expect Adult Sun Woo to enlist the help of his younger self in his quest to save his father.

Call it conditioning from watching Back to the Future. Sun Woo basically consistently flouted my expectations when it came to messing with the space-time continuum.

Sun Woo appeared to have no qualms whatsoever in not just engaging his younger self, but identifying himself to him.

At the end of episode 6, Adult Sun Woo wakes Young Sun Woo from his sleep, with the most mind-bending introduction ever: “It’s good to see you again. My name is Park Sun Woo. Born on July 9, 1975. Right now I’m 38. Do you know what that means? I’m you from the year 2012.”

While Young Sun Woo takes some persuading, what I love about this moment is the look of kind affection in Adult Sun Woo’s eyes as he speaks to his younger self.

I love that from deep and bewildered suspicion, Young Sun Woo comes to trust Adult Sun Woo implicitly.

In episode 9, as Young Sun Woo muses to Young Hoon about Adult Sun Woo’s no-show at the park, his trust in Adult Sun Woo is clear: “I think something else went wrong… I think the person who is going to die is me. He’s not calling because he can’t.” … “Because I’m dead.”

In episode 17, as Adult Sun Woo puts a wounded Young Sun Woo in a taxi with the video evidence, Young Sun Woo asks, “Was my father really killed?”

I love the matter-of-fact, yet kind and assuring response that Adult Sun Woo gives,

“You will find out soon enough. Don’t hate the killer. He had no choice. It’s no one’s fault. It will be hard for you to accept it right now. But you will understand when you’re my age. And that’s not going to ruin your future.

You will have a good life regardless of that. And you will be happy. Okay?”

I love, too, the look of trust in Young Sun Woo’s face, as he hears that. And it’s evident that he takes Adult Sun Woo’s words to heart.

In episode 18, when he visits Young Jung Woo in prison, he says intently, “I still can’t understand you. But he said that I will understand later. I’m trusting his words that I will some day.”

The most affirming and bittersweet exchange between the two, is their final messages to each other in episode 20.

Adult Sun Woo leaves a voice message for Young Sun Woo, which says,

“My last message to the me of 20 years ago. I will be going back at noon. I can never come back here again. No matter what message you leave me, I can’t answer you. So forget me, and live your life. You don’t need to find out how I lived.

Because every decision you make will make me. I told you right? You always made the right decision. You will have a good life. So forget about my existence. If you live every day the right way then you will find me in the mirror after 20 years. I will see you in 20 years.”

So kind, so reassuring and so full of belief and trust in his younger self.

In response, Young Sun Woo writes a message to Adult Sun Woo in his diary,

“My last message to myself 20 years later. Did you get back alright? I will trust you that I will understand my brother someday. I will also believe that I will always make the right decision. You seemed like a good person to me. You were also brave.

I won’t leave a message to you again or try to find out what you are doing. I’m a man of my word. You know that right? I will see you 20 years later. Bye.”

Equally affirming, and reciprocating Adult Sun Woo’s trust by promising to keep his word. Love it.

I love how consistent both Sun Woos are, in their trust and belief in each other, and in their strength of character, and the purposeful way they both set their eyes to the future, determined to keep their words one to the other.

I love, too, that we get to see that eventual reunion in the mirror, even though it is bittersweet.

What an unexpectedly awesome bromance, between a man and his younger self. ♥

THE WRITING

The writing in Nine is some of the tightest, most well-thought-out writing that I’ve ever come across in all the kdramas that I’ve watched.

The painstaking precision the writers take with the little details totally shows.

The way the pieces fall into place is impressive; bits of throwaway conversation suddenly gain significance as characters learn new information.

Like Jung Woo saying on the phone: “It bothers me how you attacked Chairman Choi.” or Sun Woo musing, “I’m worried… That I’ve done something very stupid.” … “I changed Joo Min Young to Park Min Young.”

The first time we hear these words, they don’t seem to mean anything. But on hindsight, they mean everything.

One of the reasons this device works is because Sun Woo answers questions with the truth, and that’s why Min Young can piece things together later.

Eg. About Joo Min Young not remembering him, and how it would be wrong for them to be together because they realized they are related.

How far the writers must have planned ahead, to plant these unassuming decoys. Well done indeed.

The writers also clearly put in an enormous amount of thought to flesh out the mechanics of the time travel, the inter-workings of the parallel timelines, and the ripple effects of every twist and turn resulting from each time slip.

Where the writers didn’t fill in the blanks, I mostly got the sense that it was because they chose not to, not because they overlooked to do so.

There were some instances where I questioned the consistency in logic, which I’ll get to later. Overall though, I’m very impressed with the writers.

The Mechanics of Time Travel

Because the writers don’t spell things out for us (versus, say,  Operation Proposal , where you get a Time Conductor explaining the rules), understanding the mechanics of time travel in this drama is like a journey of discovery for the viewer.

As things happen in the show, our understanding of how it’s supposed to work gets clearer.

It got a little confusing at times, but overall I’d say it was a fun puzzle to piece together.

Coming from the people who brought us Queen In-hyun’s Man , it’s no surprise that Nine’s treatment of time travel is somewhat similar. The past is positioned as a parallel timeline to the present, and both timelines unfold concurrently.

This means that Sun Woo’s own timeline doesn’t gain or lose time when he moves between timelines. Essentially, it’s almost like a geographical movement instead of temporal one. This also means that when Sun Woo time travels, he basically goes missing from the present.

This set-up made for interesting developments, which I’ll touch on in the next section.

I also found it interesting that we got to see events unfolding from Young Jung Woo’s and Young Sun Woo’s points of view. That’s an open door that I hadn’t expected.

I’d thought we would experience everything from Present Sun Woo’s point of view, particularly since he was the one doing all the time traveling. I liked that this shifting lens also added interest and texture to our story.

In terms of the mechanics of Sun Woo’s location as he moved between timelines, I thought it was rather convenient that the writers chose to have him return to his original location in the present, regardless of his location in the past.

But, the writers were consistent with this, which made it easier to buy it as part of the construct of this show’s time travel device. Plus it saved our hero from drowning in the river, so that’s a good thing.

One thing I was puzzled about for a bit, was the way physical items from previous timelines remained even after massive changes to the present reality.

It’s good though, that the writers point out the inconsistency themselves. Sun Woo muses,

“Strange isn’t it? My brother didn’t die in the Himalayas. I didn’t go to Nepal to retrieve my brother’s stuff. But I still have the incense sticks. I still have the LP record that I picked up from the mountain.

The memories do not exist anymore. But I still have the remains. It’s a mystery isn’t it?”

Just as I was asking my screen the question,

“Yes, but why would the LP still be there? It doesn’t make any sense?” the writers have Sun Woo helpfully reply, “It’s pointless to ask that question. Nothing that happened in the last few days is possible. This is the problem.

Just like the objects are not disappearing… The memories should be gone physically. But they don’t go away forever. Can I live on with two memories? Even if I get healthy. How can I live on if I miss my alternate life?”

I was a little deflated that this quirk in our time-travel universe was not explained and that I had no choice but to buy it if I wanted to continue to enjoy the rest of the show.

Plus, if it had worked the other way, meaning the objects couldn’t remain behind after timeslip-related shifts in reality, then after Jung Woo didn’t die in the Himalayas and Sun Woo didn’t go to retrieve his body, the incense sticks wouldn’t have remained either.

And we kinda needed those for our story.

In the same mysterious vein, we never understand why Sun Woo’s tumor grows larger and his life gets shortened with every time slip.

Neither are we told why Sun Woo continues to have the headaches after he’s cured. Nor are we told why the headaches seem to stop after some time. Nor are we told whether the time travel after that point affects Sun Woo’s health negatively in any way.

Eventually, though, I realized that the writers never actually spell out the rules of the time travel even though rules are implied.

So I guess I can’t quite blame the writers for inconsistencies because, well, this time travel incense never promised consistency. Heck, the incense didn’t even promise return trips .

They only promised time travel. And they delivered on that.

Inter-workings of the Parallel Timelines

Timelines Unfolding in Parallel

One of smartest uses of the parallel timelines unfolding concurrently, I thought, is the way the New Past affects the present as new events unfold and the ripples from those events create big changes in the New Present.

A number of the show’s best moments stem from the events in the New Past affecting and creating a New Present.

Like Min Young disappearing from right in front of Sun Woo at the end of episode 4, because her younger self calls Jung Woo, which triggers his reunion with her mum, which then prevents his death in the present, which then makes her Sun Woo’s niece.

Or like Young Sun Woo deducing that he is the one who was going to die, then Young Hoon finding the pills and them linking the two to deduce that Sun Woo would die of a brain tumor, and then having that save Sun Woo in the present.

Or like the incense stick disappearing in the present out of Young Hoon’s hands because one stick gets stolen from Young Sun Woo in the New Past.

I read that some viewers believe Adult Sun Woo and Young Sun Woo become 2 people, divorced from each other, and that’s why Adult Sun Woo has to read the journal in order to find out what Young Sun Woo is thinking.

I actually disagree that they become 2 people, even though they interact as such during Adult Sun Woo’s timeslips.

To me, it actually makes sense that Adult Sun Woo has to read the journal everyday to find out what Young Sun Woo was thinking.

After all, these two timelines are unfolding concurrently, in parallel. He would remember details from the Old Past, since those memories pre-exist and don’t change.

But as long as it’s the New Past that’s unfolding, Adult Sun Woo wouldn’t be privy to what happens until it unfolds in the New Past.

The only thing that I think got overlooked here is, shouldn’t Adult Sun Woo’s memories evolve as Young Sun Woo writes in the journal?

As with other characters who can see their memories evolve in their mind’s eye as their younger selves take new actions, logically Sun Woo should have experienced the same. (More on that later)

As a side note, I thought it was funny that Adult Sun Woo could hear the scraping of the screwdriver on wood as Young Sun Woo left him messages around the house.

I wonder if that was intended to just be some cool effect, or if it was meant to indicate that the barrier separating the two timelines was thinning?

Much as I would like to go for the cooler explanation of the barrier between the timelines thinning, I’m pretty sure it was mostly for dramatic effect.

Speaking of cool effects, I really like this particular use of the split screens and the concurrently unfolding parallel timelines.

Time traveling Sun Woo in the past, looks down threateningly at Past Choi, while Present Choi sees it unfold in his mind’s eye through his evolving memories and looks scared and threatened. And what we see, is Sun Woo in the past, threatening Choi in the present.

Nicely done, Show. That’s what I call clever editing.

Changing Fabric & Evolving Memories

By episode 5 we learn that the tilting camera angle is to clue us in to a change in the fabric of reality.

We also see for the first time, someone actually experience the shift in reality and the related evolving memories, in Young Hoon’s stunned moment in the OR.

Comparing it to the previous time, when Sun Woo tested it on him with the Christmas card, it had worked differently then. Young Hoon had gained the memory without realizing it. It’d felt natural to him the first time.

Based on the experiences of other characters in subsequent episodes, my conclusion is that the condition for being aware of memory changes is first being aware of the incense sticks and the time travel.

That’s how both Young Hoon and Jung Woo became aware of memory changes stemming from events occurring in the New Past.

I thought it was really interesting that subsequently, characters began to see their memories evolve in real time, in their mind’s eye. Like how Jung Woo could see his memory evolve in the moment, as he watched his younger self struggle to muster up the courage to turn himself in.

We’re not told why this happens, since previously, characters’ memories had always adjusted in one shot, whenever a key event changed.

I wondered if it was because the ripples of the New Past increased in force and speed as the 2 time dimensions continued to interact, but, as with many other questions, this went unanswered.

I’d like to think that it was because the ripples of the New Past increased with speed, coz that’s the cooler explanation. But I also kinda think it probably was a decision made for greater dramatic effect.

Either way, the memories evolving in real-time was a cool device that made for some excellent dramatic tension. I liked it. I just wish the writers could have been even more consistent with it. Only Sun Woo doesn’t experience it, which feels unfair and convenient. (More on that in a bit)

Ripple Effects

I am impressed with the attention to detail that the writers serve up, particularly in relation to the ripple effects of Sun Woo’s time traveling.

For instance, when Young Sun Woo tussled with him and hit his head, I liked that the writers remembered to give Adult Sun Woo a corresponding scar on his forehead.

And then when Min Young became Sun Woo’s niece and I realized that she wasn’t aware of his brain tumor, I had to think about why.

I realized that as his niece, Min Young wouldn’t have been crushing on Sun Woo and they wouldn’t have had all those conversations and she wouldn’t have called Young Hoon and that’s why she didn’t know about his illness in the reality where he was her uncle.

That’s a lot of thought right there, that needs to go into every single bit of plot development in this show. The writers need to track every ripple’s possible effects.

It’s a herculean task for sure, considering the number of shifts that take place over all the time slips, and I think the writers did a great job of it.

Despite the multitude of ripple effects, though, there are certain things that remain constant, and the show makes it a point to remind us of this.

After the big shift causing Min Young to become Sun Woo’s niece, he muses,

“Fortunately, [Min Young’s] life hasn’t changed much. Other than that her step-father is now a doctor instead of a lawyer. If her life had changed a lot, her character would have also changed.

Fortunately, she still doesn’t use her brain much. She is still as bright as ever. My brother finally got together with his dream girl… But he still left Mom and me. He’s still not a good son or a good brother. But I guess he is now a good husband and a good father.”

Inconsistencies

There are a couple of smaller things that don’t make sense in the show, like how it was odd that paramedics were rushing Sun Woo’s very dead father away in an ambulance. But I’m not going to nitpick about those things.

I’m only going to highlight the biggest one which directly relates to time travel & its mechanics.

I’ve asked the question earlier in this review and I’ll ask it again:

Why doesn’t Sun Woo’s memory evolve like everyone else’s? If the condition for being aware of the memory changes, is knowing about the incense sticks and the time travel, then Sun Woo, above everyone else, should qualify.

Even if, arguably, characters only see their memories evolve in their mind’s eye as the ripples become more advanced, it still doesn’t match up, because to the end, Sun Woo doesn’t see the memories unfold in real-time.

Like, when the incense stick disappears from Young Hoon’s hands, logically, Sun Woo should have an altered memory as soon as Young Sun Woo discovers the loss. But I can rationalize that possibly, Young Sun Woo never checked on them and didn’t know they were taken?

STILL. There’s that other big incident where Young Sun Woo is confronted by the guy with the knife.

Adult Sun Woo should have memories evolving in his mind, in the moment, like how Jung Woo could see his past self deliberating on whether to go to the police station. That Sun Woo doesn’t have the same is not consistent.

Instead, Sun Woo has to deduce what is happening, based on the scar that’s forming on his forearm: “I think I’m going to die soon. But I don’t know where I’m going to die.”

Well. It makes for nice dramatic tension, but I just couldn’t shake the thought that this was terribly inconsistent.

On a smaller note, it niggled at me that during Sun Woo’s final timeslip, the 30 minutes – no, 25 minutes, and that was just his best guess – lasted a ridiculously long time. That he could do so much in 25 minutes – including having a leisurely conversation with Choi – was just unbelievable.

Plus, he moved in such an unhurried manner, which didn’t make sense to me, considering that he knew his younger self was seriously injured and could possibly be killed.

Tsk. The things that get sacrificed for dramatic tension.

My Take on Certain Details

I thought I’d give my take on a couple of questions that I saw raised by other viewers.

1. Sun Woo’s headaches

After Sun Woo’s tumor is confirmed to be gone, he continues to experience pain, and he theorizes, “I have all the memories and all the objects. I have the pain too. I guess that’s how it works.”

After some time, though, the headaches seem to disappear, coz we don’t see Sun Woo wincing in pain from them anymore. (Side note: Lee Jin Wook was very convincing at Sun Woo’s headaches, I have to say. Every time he had a pain spasm, I tensed up in my chair.)

I don’t know if that was deliberate, or an oversight by the writers.

I like to think that the residual headaches were akin to the way amputee patients continue to feel their phantom limbs. And I expect that, as with amputee patients, that sense of the phantom limb, or in this case, the phantom tumor, faded with time.

2. Seo Joon’s affected looks

One of the questions I saw thrown about among viewers, was why Seo Joon (Oh Min Suk) kept looking at Min Young and her family from afar all through episode 15, with tears in his eyes and a conflicted look on his face.

My take is that he probably felt guilty for calling off the wedding based on his presumption of the truth.

After all, he called off the wedding without any real proof, or anyone’s admission of the truth. So he’d called off the wedding on a hunch, technically. And now, stemming from that, or at least apparently so, all manner of terrible things were happening.

Since he’s written as a decent person at heart, he’d likely feel guilty thinking that if he hadn’t done that, that the entire media circus and Jung Woo’s suicide wouldn’t have happened.

That’s how people respond. Unless they’re evil like Choi, that is.

3. Jung Woo’s missing alternate timeline memories

I saw another question about episode 14 which I found interesting: Why doesn’t Jung Woo seem to have alternate timeline memories?

At first, I thought the person who asked the question might have hit on an inconsistency by the writers. Upon closer inspection, though, I found that the writers were consistent.

Min Young’s alternate timeline memories were regained through repetition of writing the words she’d written as Joo Min Young, not through knowing about the incense sticks.

On the other hand, like Jung Woo, Young Hoon doesn’t regain alternate timeline memories either. The only thing Jung Woo and Young Hoon gain from knowing about the incense sticks is the awareness of changing memories as events unfold in the New Past.

Therefore, it makes sense that Jung Woo didn’t gain alternate timeline memories, and instead, gained the ability to see the memories evolve in his mind’s eye as his younger self made those new memories in the New Past.

The Emotional-Mental Hook

All series long, I felt a tension between the mental versus the emotional hook of this show. What I mean is, I felt mentally engaged much more than emotionally engaged.

Through most of the drama, I moved forward based more on curiosity than actual emotional engagement. Chewing on it to figure out the reasons why, here’s what I came up with.

What Blocked the Emotional Hook

1. Sun Woo’s Character

When we’re introduced to Sun Woo, he’s a character that appears mysterious and emotionless. He keeps everything to himself and keeps other people at a distance.

I feel like he’s also pushing me away, vicariously, in a way.

As the show progresses and he starts to time travel, he’s dogged and determined and almost never seems deterred, no matter the obstacles that he comes up against. Most of the time, he’s like a machine, plowing through, with focus, without emotion.

It’s hard to feel for someone who feels like a machine, basically.

2. Twisty Writing

I think one of the big reasons I felt more mentally engaged by this show than emotionally, is because I had to switch on my mind so much in order to keep up with the show’s plot points and its related web of implications.

My brain was so preoccupied that my heart couldn’t engage as well as it usually does.

If I didn’t have to switch on my brain this much, I’m guessing I might have felt more for the characters?

3. Makjang Mood

Somewhere along the way, I realized that a good number of the plot points were quite makjang, really.

I mean, a death was covered up, and the body burned, so that the wound wouldn’t be detected? And Jung Woo’s father is Evil Choi? And Min Young is really Shi Ah?

So we have birth secrets and murder. And fauxcest. And crazy people. And disapproving fathers. That’s kinda makjang, you hafta admit.

The thing is, the moment I realized the makjang bent of the plot twists, I actually felt myself being less invested.

4. Time Travel Device

Perhaps the biggest thing holding back my emotional engagement, was the nature of the show itself: time travel.

Because it’s a time travel show, there’s always this thought hanging over everything, that things could possibly change if Sun Woo goes back to the past to fix it.

So even with Jung Woo’s death, I didn’t feel any sadness. Instead, I felt only a clinical sort of interest, in terms of how the writers could possibly turn this around with a time slip.

What Helped the Emotional Hook

Despite my relatively weaker emotional engagement with the show, there were definitely moments that moved me. Here are a couple, for the record.

1. Other Characters

Playing opposite Sun Woo’s Terminator-like focus, Young Hoon and Min Young were much needed foils.

Young Hoon’s upset-ness at Sun Woo was believable, likable and relatable. I also liked the way Min Young reacted to Sun Woo’s illness, with tears and anger.

Young Hoon’s and Min Young’s reactions helped to humanize every situation where Sun Woo withheld emotion.

2. Cracks in the Armor

Thankfully, Sun Woo does show cracks in his armor, and there were moments when I really did feel for him.

In episode 8 (above), when Sun Woo cries in grief, and perhaps hopelessness, marks the first moment I actually really feel for him as a character.

Min Young asks why he keeps calling her Joo Min Young, and Sun Woo answers weakly, gently, thoughtfully, “No, you’re Joo Min Young. Although you probably do not remember. I only remember Joo Min Young.”

When Min Young asks, “Why are you crying?” Sun Woo whispers hoarsely, tears streaming down his face, “It’s a secret.”

I felt for him so much, in this moment.

3. Moment of Liberty

Just as much as I liked to see the cracks in Sun Woo’s armor in terms of expressing his weakness and fears, I also really appreciated this brief moment of happiness that we see at the end of episode 3.

Sun Woo records in his voice diary: “I still can’t believe this fortune. I’m still afraid that it’s a hallucination. But in front of death, everything is simple and crystal clear. Believe in the fantasies you want to believe. Love the girl you want to love.”

I love the liberty in those words. And anything outside of Sun Woo’s dogged emotionless armor, helps to humanize him to me.

He tries so hard to hold it in. But it’s only when the cracks in his armor show, that I am able to feel for him.

My Thoughts on the Ending

I confess I was a little underwhelmed by the sudden lack of dramatic tension in the last episode. After so many episodes of taut tension, this sudden slack felt unfamiliar and a little dissonant.

I get what the writers were doing in killing off Original Sun Woo, I think. It was to cut off one timeline for us, so that we could just focus on New Sun Woo walking in the new reality that Original Sun Woo had paved with his very life on the line.

Having Original Sun Woo stuck in the past was good dramatically, but because the writers didn’t give us an explanation for it, it felt a bit gratuitous. Sun Woo’s reasoning of “I am the incense” made no sense to me, and I couldn’t buy it.

I did like that Jung Woo now seemed like a more confident person. Probably an effect of having made the right choice, and having cleared his conscience. I was glad to see him no longer living in guilt.

I also liked how the show filled in the gaps for us for all the characters. We got to see the rewrite of events in New Sun Woo’s life, so in a way, we got to savor the fruit of Original Sun Woo’s labor.

I liked the call-backs to details from earlier episodes, like scenes built similarly but now different (Sun Woo and Jung Woo meeting in a coffee shop, Jung Woo with his red parka, except this time it’s for food and not coffee, and Jung Woo isn’t asking for money), as well as consistent details like what Sun Woo says:

“December 4, 2012. My first message to myself. I don’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate that your will didn’t work. Joo Min Young loved me regardless. I can no longer live without not caring about the future. Perhaps this is what happened.

Because you left a strong impression to Min Young when she was young. She fell in love with me at first sight. I could have become a reporter because of the connection you made for me in the past.”

“If that’s true, then I can save you. I can prevent Min Young from being unhappy because of me. But that’s not true. What would you have done right now? I would keep it simple right now. I will just believe what I want to believe. And I will just love the girl that I love.”

The closing bit is very reminiscent of what our earlier version of Sun Woo had said at the end of episode 3, when he’d found the incense sticks and felt the freedom of hope: “Believe in the fantasies you want to believe. Love the girl you want to love.”

This provides some sort of confirmation that this version of Sun Woo is essentially the same person as the earlier version that we’d gotten to know. Except this version is unfettered with the burden of a brain tumor and a guilt-ridden brother searching for a way to change the past.

So in the end, all the time traveling that Original Sun Woo had done, did do something positive in creating a new future for New Sun Woo.

That he had to die doing it, is not the way I had wanted it to be resolved. But I consider this a technical out, coz the writers never did explain to us the finer rules of the incense sticks.

My thoughts on the ending credits scene:

There are so many ways to interpret the scene that played during the ending credits. An older-looking Sun Woo, with a fuller more wrinkly face, sporting a graying goatee, saves Jung Woo, who’s collapsed in the snowy mountains, with incense stick in hand.

I came up with a couple of interpretations.

1. The scene is a hint that the writers created to communicate 2 things. 1, that New Sun Woo didn’t die in the past in this timeline like Original Sun Woo did, coz he looks visibly older in this scene and 2, that he somehow still time travels in this new timeline too. So, some things don’t change.

Essentially, he’s still who he is, and he still time travels for the sake of saving his brother, who still seeks out magic incense sticks. But New Sun Woo has a brighter, longer future than Original Sun Woo who died in the past.

2. New Jung Woo heads for the mountains and dies in pursuit of the incense sticks, and New Sun Woo waits 20 years in order to come back to the right point in time to save him.

3. We’re looking at another timeline where other versions of Sun Woo and Jung Woo exist.

4. It’s the same timeline, but this is another version of Sun Woo, from another timeline, come to save Jung Woo.

5. The ending credits scene is literally taking us back to the first scene of the show, and showing us that it was a version of Sun Woo from the future, who had found Original Jung Woo in the mountains, clearly with the intention of saving him.

Of course, that attempt failed, as we saw in the early episodes of the show. Basically, this is to show us that the window of time travel that we were privy to, wasn’t the start point.

That there are other timelines and other versions of Sun Woo (& everyone else, for that matter), all intersecting at various points of their time-space continuum depending on the decisions that each version of Sun Woo makes.

That the circle of time travel that we’ve spent time with, is just one part of the bigger picture of this multiple-timeline universe.

My favorite one is #5, coz I think the concept of there being many parallel timelines is intriguing and way cooler than thinking of these 20 episodes as a once-off split and re-joining of 2 timelines.

This reminds me of the Griffin character in Men in Black 3, the fifth dimensional being who sees multiple timelines unfold in his mind’s eye, depending on the decisions that people make.

I feel like there are multiple timelines existing in the world of Nine, and the writers chose to show us this particular one to end the series.

I also like the idea that after spending 20 whole episodes together, that Interpretation #5 completely overhauls our foundational beliefs about the world of Nine and how the time travel all started.

I love the idea that one key piece of information changes the whole game, akin to how the writers planted unassuming bits of decoy dialogue early in the show, that later took on a lot more meaning and changed the way our characters saw things.

While some viewers prefer to believe that the original timeline and its inhabitants that we spent 19 episodes with ceased to exist with Original Sun Woo’s death in 1993, I find that hard to accept.

Even while watching New Sun Woo pave new inroads into the New Present in episode 20, I still had that nagging feeling, that in the original timeline, there was a heartbroken Min Young who had lost her groom and a tortured Young Hoon who had lost his best friend.

Just because the writers choose not to show it to us, doesn’t mean that it stops existing.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Throughout the run of the show, the question keeps coming up: as humans, can we really mess with who lives and who dies?

In the show, Sun Woo first seeks to save Jung Woo, and then he seeks to save their father. Both attempts result in messy and unexpected aftermaths. Which begs the question, who are we to play God? And what is the price, for playing God?

At one point, Sun Woo sends this message to Young Hoon:

“You were right that the incense sticks were not a blessing, but they were a curse. I shouldn’t have bitten the fruit of knowledge. Some secrets are kept as secrets for a reason. Bringing the dead back isn’t something up to a man.

I only realized that after experiencing it myself. I’m such a fool.”

Young Hoon, at another point, says to his wife: “What’s the point of trying so hard? Our fates are all decided already.”

That’s definitely a core question in any time travel drama – Can we play God? And what’s the price, of playing God?

In the end, we see that Original Sun Woo’s time-traveling efforts did result in a freer, better future for New Sun Woo. The price, though, was his very life.

At the same time, the show also demonstrates that no matter the timeline, we are essentially the same people. There is a character consistency across timelines that doesn’t bow to human meddling.

Min Young loves Sun Woo, never mind the dire warning from a dying man. Sun Woo chooses to save his brother, chooses to believe what he wants to believe, and love the girl he wants to love.

Although we can be shaped (Jung Woo living guilt-free = Jung Woo being more confident) our core doesn’t change. And consistently, through it all, only the past can shape the future.

Thought-provoking stuff indeed.

THE FINAL VERDICT:

A rollercoaster of a ride. For thinking thrill-seekers.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Edit: You may also be interested in Trading Thoughts: Nine where Betsy Hp and I dig even deeper into the workings of the show.

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I am still trying to find a story that can rival the anime Steins;Gate when it involves time travel. Anime was my gateway to k dramas. Queen In Hyun’s Man isn’t as intense but still great. I’m use to Asian storytelling, in my case anime, having four types of endings. Good, bad, end season on a cliffhanger and hope for another season, or read the manga to find out how it ends. I tend to look at reviews to see if something is worth my time. Is it a cultural difference? It’s not about the end but the journey? It’s like watching someone train for a tournament and have the show end before it begins like the start of the first match. In other words, I found your extremely thorough reviews to help lead away from disappointment. Thank you for your reviews. Btw I chose to start my first K drama, Master’s Sun after finishing Clannad. I wanted to watch something “happy” that won’t tug on my heartstrings. I was wrong but still enjoyed it.

Hi there Vekster, thanks for enjoying the reviews! I’m glad they’ve been useful to you. 🙂

Reblogged this on mamabatesmotel .

I had the misfortune of watching this after watching W. I say ‘misfortune’ because a lot of this drama clearly influenced W and because W is significantly better. Whereas W was gripping for a full 16 episodes, I felt this was 4 episodes too long. There was a lot of padding throughout and times where I was bored.

As genius as this writer is, she suffers from a tendency to write passive female characters who collapse and spend entire episodes on IV drips so they can’t interfere with the narrative. I found it annoying in W but even more so in this.

You’ve touched on the acting in this review and I completely agree. At times wooden, at times so over the top as to be laughable, some of the performances threw me out of the show with how bad they were.

One thing I didn’t have a problem with was the time travel. I loved the idea that the existence of the incense sticks meant that the 20 year period between 1992/93 and 2012/13 was perpetually in flux – a period of potentiality that could change at any point. Nothing was ‘fixed’ until an event was more than 20 years previously. This allowed the two time periods to unfold simultaneously and for characters to realise and remember events almost as they happened 20 years before. Because those events didn’t really “happen” until they were more than 20 years ago.

I also had no problem with the tumour growing. The incense sticks were always going to kill him; it was just a question of how.

The ending was too obscure for me. It brought the one plot hole I struggled with earlier in the drama. The tumour was the impetus for so many of Sun-Woo’s actions including declaring his love for Min-Young. I didn’t understand why he still did that even after his tumour was gone. Because of that, I didn’t understand why the incense sticks came into play again at the end. Or even if they did.

Hello there. Nicely written and very well done. Probably the best review i have ever read so far! I like it! I hope i was not too late to share my little thought with you as i just watched this drama last week and just finished it today. It was about the last scene of the storyline.. i was a little bit confuse. Because we knew that old jung woo turn in himself to police station, then why the present jung woo still want that incense stick again? Why would he go to himalaya again? I think they should have make part 2 of the drama 😂

Aw, thanks nabiihah! I’m glad you enjoyed this review! 😊 Honestly, I think the last scene is meant to be open-ended, and I honestly think the writers themselves didn’t have a fixed meaning in mind when they wrote the last scenes. I think it was to make the audience think and debate and analyze what it all meant – and to that end, I guess they succeeded! 😉

I think your suggestions have worked spot on so far, so I’m gonna take our advice in this one too 😉 .

And about the handsome fellas, I drooled over them for quite a while, so thank you very much for taking all fangirls’ hearts into consideration <3

You really think I'm gonna squee when I see Lee Min Hot 😀 <3 ? Cause I really hope so! He's so handsome! I mean, if guys in dramas are so good in everything, how am I supposed to settle to a real guy :)))))? But then again, I've had several crushes on characters from mangas and manhwas as well so maybe I'm at fault :)))) ?

I'm going to watch all your loves (dramas 😛 ) and give my honest opinion, as I've done so far 😀

Thanks again for the quick replies and sorry it took me so much to write back 😛

Oh yes, I definitely think you’re going to squee over LMH in City Hunter! I mean, I’m not even a fan, and I found myself squeeing over him in City Hunter! XD So I conclude that you will squee even more, given that you’ve already got an appreciation for him! 😉

And don’t worry, we all (well, almost all, I’m sure!) crush on our drama men, so you’re not alone! I guess the trick is to temper our Real Life expectations with it comes to real men and real relationships? It does tickle me, though, to imagine real men trying to re-enact all the backhugs and piggyback rides that are so common in dramaland! XD

Don’t worry about laggy replies.. sometimes Real Life gets busy; it happens to all of us. I’m likely to be slower with my replies in the next week or so, as I’ll be traveling for work and will be online a lot less. But I’ll work towards not lagging too much, I promise! 🙂

Ok, so! I am here to vent my frustration! I hate, HATE the father! What kind of human would force the boy he raised and swore to take care of to become a murderer?! Just do it yourself!! And threatening to kill everyone just to coerce him into doing what you want!!

Let me start from the very beginning. I am 12 episodes in City Hunter, I am squeeing my heart out to LMH (so hot!!), I love the main actress (so down to earth, so lovely <3 ), I love the Ajusshi, but the father!! I could jump inside the show and kill the m@therf@cKer!! What the hell is up with him?! I sure hope he redeems himself by the end of the show because right now I can't even hate the real bad guys, that is the politicians, because of him!

Thanks for understanding. My time with Dramaland and you and your blog will be reduced even more because I'll be away on several business trips and I'll have no time whatsoever… I hope Dramaland misses me in the meantime 😛

Oh yes, the father is nuts. But that’s part of what makes the show addictive – you just want to kill the dad yourself coz he’s so warped >.< And yes, LMH is hot and very appealing in this. Even as a non-fan, I swooned over him in City Hunter. And Ahjusshi is so sweet, I loved him. You'll be pleased to know that Park Min Young, the female lead in this, is also the female lead in Healer, and she's the best I've ever seen her, in Healer. Even warmer and more real, I felt. You will love her.

Bummer that your business trips will interfere with your drama time.. But I suppose absence does make the heart grow fonder? 😉

Hey! Just finished the show and, as I expected, the father did redeem himself eventually. And he did love his “son” in his own way.

But was that the whole ending?! I mean, it did clean some loose threads like Na Na’s father and stuff, but I wanted to see more. That’s why I skipped a couple of hours of sleep :)))

I cried when my dear, dear prosecutor died. I hoped until the very last moment he’d wake up and walk, like Lazarus did.

And I can’t wait to see the actress again. I think she’s becoming my favourite. After playing in Sungkyunkwan Scandal as well (though, I think she lacked experience in that one, but still did a really good job) and now City Hunter, I look forward to seeing more of her. But right now, as promised, I’ll start School 2013 as soon as I can. I really wanted to see how City Hunter would end, so I kinda skipped meals and sleep and so on :))))

Absence will definitely make the heart grow fonder and it’ll also give me time to actually digest everything I’ve watched in the biggest hurry so far 😛 . I think this hunger of mine isn’t all that good because I don’t give myself the time to fully understand what I’ve watched before diving into the next drama. I’ll try to space them a little 😛

Have a fresh and lovely week 😀 !

Wow, you’re moving fast, business trip or no! I love that nothing stopped you from powering through City Hunter like a woman on a mission! XD

I agree the ending was a little underwhelming, in that the writers left it open-ended, and it’s one of those endings that you have to use your imagination to flesh out. In my head, they live happily ever after, of course. And there’s definitely some heartfelt hugging and kissing after they lock eyes in that last scene. And yes, I was really sad about Prosecutor’s death too. Loved Lee Joon Hyuk in the role.

About Park Min Young.. I liked her in SKKS and in City Hunter, but honestly, I feel like she found some hidden lever within herself when it came to Healer. She seemed to break through into a whole new level of acting, I feel like she really became the character. No vanity, just very natural in every way. LOVED her in Healer. <3 I can't wait for you to see that show, but honestly, I'm also really stoked that you're moving on to School 2013. Coz, BROMANCE. And WOOB <3 <3 And Lee Jong Suk of course <3 It's very different from Heirs, I promise!

Safe travels as you go on your trips – can't wait to hear how you find S2013, when you get to it! 🙂

Well, we are talking about LMH here :)))) I wanted to see much more of him as fast as I can 😛

My mind fabricated some more suitable endings too. Kissing and hugging, of course, maybe a wedding, maybe teaching the kids how to fight <3

In that case, I can't wait to see Park Min Young. I'll start School 2013 asap and as soon as I finish that one, I'll dive into Healer 😀

Lee Jong Suk is already a full fledged actor in my mind, a really good one, so I started watching this one mostly to see Woob 😛 You are so infatuated with him so he has to be some special man 🙂 Though I am really curious about LJS too. He really is good <3 I've said that before :)))) And I'll surely be back with opinions on S2013, no worries! Sharing ideas is the best part in watching a drama, after all 😀 !

Thanks! You too 🙂 These weeks are going to be so full… Thanks for the encouragement <3

Gah. Sorry about this late reply. You might’ve gotten an email alert with a reply from me that’s since been deleted. I’m so late to tending my comments section, and got so confused, that I didn’t realize I’d already replied to that comment! 😛 I’m getting sorted now, and I hope you’re done with your business travel and are still enjoying dramaland very well!

Handsome fellas, I agree <3 ! What's beautiful, even God likes 😛

I've read your appreciation on Lee Jong Suk. It's spot on with a touch (or more than a touch 😛 ) of fangirl squee :))))) I discovered Lee Jong Suk in Pinocchio. I happened to stumble upon Pinocchio and gave it a try cause I wanted to see how Park Shin Hye has grown from her role in You're beautiful. I have to admit that LJS stole the show! I mean, he was seriously so good! I was impressed with his performance in this show, so I jumped head on in IHYV, which, again, left me speechless in terms of his performance. He really is a very good actor. I wanted to watch School 2013, but Nine appeared out of nowhere, so I got derailed 😛 . And then Goong happened and I got derailed again :))))

I am planning on watching School 2013 as soon as possible (I don't know if I should watch it before or after City Hunter and Healer – whaddya think?) and I'll analyze Kim Woo Bin as well and see where your love resides 😀

Tee hee. I have more handsome fellas on my site that you can, er, appreciate 😉 You can check out my K-Loves page , as well as the Pure Pretty page , if you’d like to gaze at more k-handsomeness! Of course, it’s not exhaustive, and I’m likely to post more as I go.

Oh yes, LJS is a very good actor, I really like watching him! Loved him in both Pinocchio and IHYV, and in S2013 of course. He’s got a way of reaching out of the screen and grabbing your heart and not letting go. I just can’t help but care about his characters, in the shows that I’ve seen him in. I am so sure he’ll have you by the heart too, in S2013! As will Kim Woo Bin, I’m quite certain! 😉

As for order of dramas, although I really really want you to watch Healer quickly (coz I love it), as well as S2013 (coz I love it too), I think it’s probably best if you go with City Hunter next, follow that with S2013, and then watch Healer. My reasoning is, you’ve just finished Goong, where a large part of the story is set in high school. To give you a break from the high school setting, I feel like it’d be better to delay S2013, at least by one drama. And then, because I think Healer is a better show than City Hunter, I feel like you should probably watch City Hunter first, and squee over Lee Min Ho in it, so that you can enjoy City Hunter to the fullest. Because Healer also has a superhero sort of flavor to it, I think having a break between City Hunter and Healer is for the best. Whaddya think? ^^

Hey again 🙂 !

Just finished “Nine”, really liked it, but there were some things that I thought could have been handled better. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any notes, so bear with me 😛 .

First of all, I really wanted Real Sun Woo to make it back and it made me wonder what happened to everyone in his universe. I get that at some point, probably, the universes merged into one, but I still wanted to see him, Min Young, Young Hoon and even his brother happy in the universe he tried so hard for. Even so, when the grownup Young Sun Woo remembered his other self, it gave me a sense of accomplishment for the Sun Woo that died too.

A couple of “forced” scenes, for instance when Jin Cheol crashes his car into the phone booth the window doesn’t break then, but it breaks when wounded Sun Woo hits it… Why would Choi Jin CHeol be allowed to leave the hospital after the trial when he was already convicted to 10 years of incarceration (where’s da police?!) and a couple more, but I don’t remember them now (I finished the show last night at 1AM and I am writing this comment in my spare time at work at 8 o’clock in the morning :))) )

I didn’t find believable the delivery of Choi Jin Cheol. I’ve seen Jung Dong-hwan in other dramas as the big bad wolf before, but I thought, as you’ve said before, that I am looking at a cartoon character, a clown. I understood his motivation for being evil (having everything you’ve worked for your whole life be taken away from you in an instant can drive anyone crazy) but I felt that the delivery was waaaay over the top.

Young Hoon was the best friend anyone would wish for. Their friendship was so touching that I found myself wanting Sun Woo to succeed not only for himself and his girl (fangirl heart 😀 ), but also for his best friend who is waiting patiently, who worries so much and who rushes at any hour just to be beside Sun Woo. Too touchy, I swear (heart) !

Chief Oh was the perfect father-figure I wished at some point even Jung Woo would have. He was just perfect and I’ll leave it at that. The two most perfect scenes between him and Sun Woo were: 1. Of course, when he comes to Sun Woo’s house and tells him they’ll have to go against Jin Cheol as if they’ve planned it and that he will back him up no matter what (the best dad ever!) 2. When Sun Woo knocks over Min Young and the Chief starts scolding him for ruining the atmosphere (so funny :)))

The brother, oh, the brother! Frustrating, weak, in no way dependable and the source of Sun Woo’s misery! The only thing I was grateful to Jung Woo for was that this time travel gave Sun Woo the heads up on his tumor. I couldn’t help but think of IHYV when I was watching Nine and I kept thinking about one of the leitmotifs of that drama, which is “Choices make you.” Even if he had a rough life, his choices could have been better for his own sake and everybody else’s around him. I’ll forgive him because he was weak, not evil, though that is usually worse.

The last (but not least) one I’d like to mention is Min Young. I really liked her, though I don’t usually like the cute-dumb like heroine. She was likeable nonetheless. And that love that she has for Sun Woo no matter what universe or what hardships she has to face is at least admirable. When she remembered that she had met the dying Sun Woo in the past and she connected the dots, that cry broke my heart. I felt her pain like a dagger in the feelz. I wanted her to have a good friend like Sun Young Hoon is for Sun Woo to help her get through that pain. But their relationship at the ending was so cute! I thought that the relationship at the beginning might have been a bit forced, maybe because I was used to seeing draggy love stories. But the story at the ending made it seem everything was ok again. Sun Woo’s smirks every time he’d upset her were so cute! Melty, I might say 😀 ! And the prospect of her finally being happy after enduring so much made my heart jump and dance of joy! I wish there was a sequel to see their love bloom even more, but I think that would spoil the whole idea of the show which is suspense 😛 .

Overall, I really liked it and I’ll watch Heartless City after Goong too 😀 . Sorry for the long comment 😀 !

Hey there Sabina! 😀 Great to know that you enjoyed Nine overall!

I agree that this show, despite being very solid and robust for the most part, wasn’t free of flaws. Some of the show’s internal logic wasn’t very strong, and yes, I definitely wanted Original Sun Woo to have lived and not died. :/ That made me sad. But, I did like what the show did in general, and found it thoughtfully conceived and tighter in its execution than many other kdramas. That’s really tough to pull off, particularly in k-ent’s live-shoot system. So much falls through the cracks when the production is pressed for time and racing against the clock, that I am still impressed with what Nine’s production team pulled off, despite its weaknesses.

THANK YOU, I also found Evil Choi way too OTT to be taken seriously. In fact, I found him downright distracting. But kinder viewers (like Betsy Hp who did the Trading Thoughts post with me) actually found his brand of evil acceptable and even entertaining. And yes, I loved Young Hoon. Isn’t he such an adorable loyal grumpypants? <3

You're right, a sequel wouldn't work for a series like Nine.. Unless they took our characters time traveling again, which would just make things even more complicated and harder to keep straight! XD

Heartless City isn't twisty the same way Nine is twisty, but it's a solid watch if you're in the right (dark, bloodlusty) sort of mood. Goong's more for when you're in the mood for sweet cuteness with a side of melodrama. What're you moving onto now? I think I might be just as excited about your progress on the k-train, as you probably are to be on the k-train! XD

Believe me, this is exciting :D! I am literally marathoning through Dramaland right now :))))). I am for any kind of drama, though I have to admit that strong melodrama or those unrealistic themes like memory loss and leaving for your pair’s sake and stuff aren’t really my cup of tea. I tend to be more rational, even in love (if that makes any sense :))) ) and the whole sappy story about me loving you but having to leave because whatever reason…. This lack of interest in these sort of dramas might also be because my mom used to watch argentinian soap operas back when I was still too young to know what I want :)))) Fortunately, she stopped :)))).

As for Nine, I loved it despite the flaws. It was enjoyable, engaging and endearing. I wish it would have been longer and that says a lot because if I had to choose between 16 eps and 20 eps, I’d choose 16 :))))

Honestly speaking, this ride of mine through Dramaland is so much more enjoyable thanks to you 😀 ! So, thank you 😀 !

I’ll take a break from the twisty now and go for Goong because you so strongly recommended it. The whole idea of modern kings felt intriguing for me 😛 . Speaking of which, would it be to much to ask (of maybe you’ve done that already and I haven’t discovered it yet 😛 ) to make a list with all A+ dramas you’ve seen? and also the other categories. I find your reviews really useful and having them sorted according to the impressions the dramas have left on you would be awesome!

Again, thanks for the quick reply 😀 !

Aw, YAY that I’m able to add fun to your romp through dramaland, Sabina! That makes me happy! 😀

The cliches that you mentioned are pretty common in dramaland, unfortunately, so it’s a rare drama that doesn’t have at least a smidge of what we refer to as noble idiocy (I must leave for your own good). The upside is, there’re still lots of great dramas to enjoy in spite of it, and I’m happy to send recommendations your way! It always makes me happy to point someone to a good drama, coz more shared drama love = more friends to squee with! ^^

I don’t have a full list of all the dramas I’ve seen, but here are 2 pages on the blog which you might find helpful. This is a full list of all the shows that I’ve written about on the site, with my rating next to them. And this is a list of my favorite dramas. There are more favorites that I haven’t added to this list, but I do love whatever is on the list.

On top of that, there are also shows that I’ve loved that I haven’t written about yet. For example, this year, I LOVED Healer, so much so that I want to write it a proper monster of a review (like I did for YFAS). I’m about to start actually writing that review as I type this, but that means that nowhere on the site does it state that I highly recommend Healer. (Add it to your list if you haven’t, pretty please? Healer stole my heart this year the way YFAS stole my heart last year, if that gives you an indication of how much I like it!). Long story short, I’m still happy to talk through drama recommendations with ya, one – or several! – shows at a time! 😉

Oh, my! So many, so many! When do you find the time to watch all the dramas AND write reviews AAAND answer to the comments?! Respect!

I saved the two lists in my Bookmarks and I’ll start watching the shows slowly (probably :))))) )

Actually, this whole drama thing started from japanese dramas for me and the first korean drama I watched was You’re Beautiful. And I liked it. Though Park Shin Hye’s character (the only actress whose name I know :))) ) wasn’t so believable. I get that preparing to be a nun would cut her connection to reality, but I think she could’ve played the nun and Go Mi Nam better. And some time ago, I happened to stumble upon your blog and while reading the reviews, Dramaland perked up my interest once again, only this time I had a whole variety of shows to choose from 😀 .

My favourite asian language is japanese by far, but I’ve started to enjoy korean as well and its sounds. What I don’t like about either of them (japanese and koreans) is that they talk with their mouths almost closed when they want to be cute or complain “silently” about something and that spoils the language for me 😛 (this was kind of like a sidenote :)))) )

I am looking forward to your review on HEALER. Meanwhile, I’ll start Goong 😀 . I am soooo cutting back my sleep :))))))

Thank you for the lists 😀 !

Lol. Well, the list is cumulative, and I’ve been writing reviews for about 2.5 years, so the list has grown as I’ve added reviews to it. I’ve actually watched at least double the number of dramas on the list, coz I started watching in 2007, but only thought to start the blog at the end of 2012. I figured there’s no way I’ll ever catch up on writing reviews for everything, so I only selectively review older dramas that I’ve watched (Goong being one of them!). I work part-time, so that gives me more time than the average person, to keep a drama blog running. Even then, though, there are periods when I have to put the blog aside for a bit, as Real Life demands more of my attention. You might’ve noticed that there haven’t been new reviews posted in the last 2 weeks or so. That’s because I decided I wanted – needed! – a Healer rewatch, for the feels, and for the purpose of writing the review, and so I put everything else on hold for a while. 🙂

YAY that you stumbled on the blog, Sabina, coz it’s been such fun talking drama with you, and sending drama recommendations your way! 😀 Believe me, I’ve got more recommendations to share with you, when you want them! 😉

As for Park Shin Hye, I totally agree that her portrayal of Go Mi Nam was quite unbelievable. Still, I found it an enjoyable watch. And, happily, Park Shin Hye recently did really well in Pinocchio, which changed my mind about her as an actress. I used to find her pretty meh, but I genuinely enjoyed her in Pinocchio. Which is another show that I haven’t written about, but which I really did like. Oh, btw, Pinocchio was made by the same team that made IHYV, so the look and feel is a similar warm, cracky sort of vibe. It even stars Lee Jong Suk! XD So you might want to add it to your list, if you haven’t already!

I really hope you manage to enjoy Goong, Sabina. Some viewers who picked it up in recent years (vs when it first aired) found it rather slow-moving, but I found the pace good for teasing out the OTP relationship in a realistic, believable manner. I’d love to hear how you find the show! And yes, I feel ya, sleep often gets delayed & sacrificed in the name of drama love! We ALL know what that feels like! XD

Oh, well, we can get some sleep when we die, right :))))? (this creepy phrase is actually a saying from Romania, especially for students who are trying to catch up at the last minute before the exams :)))) )

I’ve watched Pinocchio already and really liked it! (this is when I started liking Lee Jong Suk 😛 ) I was secretly hoping for your review on it 😀 . I watched Pinocchio after The Heirs and I have to admit that it helped me get rid of the Heirs bad taste. The good thing about The Heirs is that I got to “fall in love” with Lee Min Hot :))))) (btw, if you have any good dramas with Hot in them, feel free to share 😀 ).

And about Goong, I’ll watch it first and then decide if it’s too slow 😛 . It might be a breath of fresh air since everything seems to be going only on fast forward these days… It’s frustrating how I never find enough time to do everything I want to do.

And about the recommendations, keep ’em coming 😀 ! I’ll try to watch everything on your faves list by the end of 2015. And then start with the A’s on the other list 😀 . It’s fun to talk about the things you like 😀 !

Anyway, I’m looking forward to your next reviews, hopefully Pinocchio and Healer 😀

Oh, you’ve already seen Pinocchio! My bad, if you’ve already mentioned it to me! 😛 Yay that you liked it though!

Lee Min Ho is an actor that I’m fairly indifferent to, for the most part. But I really did like him a lot in City Hunter. He’s pretty badass in it, and he also managed to deliver pretty impressively in several difficult scenes. Sadly, since City Hunter, I’ve not enjoyed him in any of his dramas. Lots of people enjoyed Personal Taste as well, but I was generally rather underwhelmed by it.

On a tangent, City Hunter is a little bit like Healer in the sense that both shows have got a bit of a superhero flavor to them. I really loved City Hunter when it came out, but I now think that Healer’s a way better show. So perhaps to enjoy both shows to the fullest, you might want to watch City Hunter first?

My Healer review will probably be the next review that gets posted on the site 🙂 It may take me some time to get to Pinocchio though, since I’ve taken a break from current shows, and I foresee that I’ll want to get reviews out for recents shows like Oh My Ghostess and Scholar Who Walks the Night, by the time I’m done with my Healer review. I do plan on reviewing Pinocchio though! 🙂

Nope, I haven’t mentioned about Pinocchio before 😛 . I’ll take your advice and watch City Hunter first. I’m still not very familiar with what good or bad acting means in terms of k-dramas, so right now I’m easily impressed by looks (ooops 😛 ), but I do think that Lee Jong Suk is a good actor. Either he chose really good roles or the roles became really good thanks to him. I wasn’t really impressed with his looks, but he has charisma, style, softness and toughness and his smile is really cute and manly, at the same time. Having all that is better than being just handsome 😛 . Maybe that’s why Lee Min Ho doesn’t try that hard…?

I’m looking forward to the review, but in the meantime I’ll get started with Goong. Actually, I’ll start it tonight :)))

Thank you again for the quick reply 😀 ! It’s really so much fun to exchange ideas with you 😛 !

Lol. There’s no shame in appreciating someone just for his looks – trust me, I know! 😉 While I love that many of the actors I admire have solid to sometimes great acting chops, I also have lots of appreciation for actors who look great but still have a ways to go in the acting department. For example, I think Hong Jong Hyun is really handsome:

But his acting style falls on the stiffer end of the scale.

And Nam Joo Hyuk, who needs a lot more improvement in the acting department, but whom I really like for his onscreen warmth and his handsome good looks:

So handsome <3 😉

I agree with everything you said about Lee Jong Suk! He's such a chameleon, really. You can read my appreciation post for him here , if you haven’t come across it yet. 🙂

Also, how are you liking Goong so far? I remember finding the manhwa touches really cute, especially in the introduction sequence. And, absolutely, it IS fun to chat dramas (& actors!) with ya! It’s why we even come on the internet, really. To find other fans who GET our passion. 🙂

I wrapped up viewing the drama this morning. My! What a mental roller coaster ride this show. You’re right, there were some things that were left hanging. Nevertheless, it is a very well written drama.

My thoughts? Hmmm… Though I did not like much the open ending, it did propelled my mind to many convoluted endings. Haha! Exactly what the show wanted me to do.

Most of the actors here are new to me. I think the OTP gave a pretty solid personification of their characters. And I like the happy moments they shared in episode 20. It even made me think they could do great in a romcom. And Lee Jin-wok, so manly! I’m a little not sold out at how old Young Hoon was delivered. Well, I’m expecting a doctor to be more restrained, much like the younger one. But he’ll fine with me if he weren’t a doctor. Oh well, maybe, that’s just me and my preconceived notion of doctors. I did find Jung Dong Hwan’s Choi Jin Cheol over the top. I’ve seen him in a lot of dramas and I’m familiar with his acting. I don’t know what happened here.

I like how the heroine is written, though she did not get much screen time. She’s very real, idealism was set aside. Its not often that a heroine is written as an honest, forward woman whose relentless in pursuing her object of attraction. Suggesting the honeymoon, asking for a goodbye kiss, demanding a proposal–so so real. And I love it!

I have to give credit to the casting personnel. The resemblance in the young and old Sun Woo, as well as in the old and young Jung Woo, is quite striking. Kudos to the director as well in ensuring that the young and old versions of the characters are consistent. Big comes to mind where Shin Won-ho as KKJ was subtle and refined for his age but KKJ in Gong Yoo’s body was quite childish.

I did have many other questions but what I can think of right now is how old Sun Woo could not remember where he went and why he was late for his brother’s wedding. I’m surmising that the old Sun Woo reads the journal to ensure he doesn’t miss a detail as attention to it is very important considering the amount of things he has to do in 30 minutes. However, for something as important as almost missing your brother’s wedding, even forgetful people remembers. I think this concurs with your question as to why Sun Woo’s memory doesn’t evolve as that of the others.

That’s it for now.

It IS a mental rollercoaster, isn’t it?! Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel as emotionally engaged, coz I had to work that hard to keep up? I don’t know.

As for Evil Choi, I hafta blame the PD. Or maybe the writer. Coz obviously it’s not his usual acting style. Someone must’ve told him to do it that way. Maybe after seeing him goof around behind the scenes. Ha.

Oh yes, the casting for young & adult cast was great. My favorite is the casting for young Young Hoon as well as young Sun Woo. I could “see” the young and adult versions in each other. Credit to the actors, seriously, coz it’s not so much about physical resemblance, but the vibe of the character that the actors bring across.

As for the non-evolution of Sun Woo’s memories along with everyone else’s, Betsy has some interesting thoughts on that, which you can check out here , when you have some time ^^

I will have to read Betsy’s thoughts as well as your combined post.

Take your time, kaiaraia!! Working on the combined post with Betsy really opened my mind to lots more ideas – it’s fascinating how differently we can each respond to the same show! – so I hope you enjoy the read! ^^

Right, the physical resemblance in the young and the adult versions was enhanced by the actors consistent vibe and facial expressions.

Exactly!! I think some credit has to go to the styling, coz that does do something. Mostly, though, I think it has most to do with the actors bringing out the same vibe, from the character’s body language, to his way of speaking. All the little details add up, and do so much to make us feel that it’s the same person even when the character is played by a completely different person. Such a treat, when it’s done right! ^^

I thought I wanted something light and funny to watch, but having read this makes me wanna put my thinking hat on. I love well written scripts, especially so when the writers think of intelligent audience. What to do… so long a must-watch list, so little time. Waaa….

I’m gonna say, go with your mood, kaiaraia! Whatever your mood dictates, that’ll be the show to hit the spot. If you’re not in the mood for twisty, then even the most well-written twisty show won’t feel satisfying, y’know? ^^

A little over three months after, I’m back here and very much in the mood watching this. Yep, I’m sucked in and already at episode 9 in day 2. I love that this is strictly time travel. What do I mean? In most time travel shows I’ve seen (American), it’s always a time and space continuum. The one with the time machine can choose the place, the date and the exact hour he wants to be at. But here, Sung Woo is only projected to exactly 20 years ago in the same place at exactly the same time as the present. It’s limited but I like how it adds to the tightness of the scene. Also, I can’t help but wonder and anticipate what’s gonna happen next now that the incense were left in 1992!

Did not read much of the review yet. Will do that when I’m done. Okay… so I’m back to watching…

Aw! I know you mentioned you’re out of your drama fatigue, but it’s just such a pleasure to actually witness you happily inhaling a drama that you like, kaiaraia!! 😀 9 episodes in just 2 days?!?? Wow. That is some impressive progress! I totally agree that Nine is a drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat! I was also always wondering what was going to happen next, and the show managed to keep me on my toes all the way through. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the show after you’re done watching it! ^^

PS: Happy New Year, kaiaraia!! May 2014 be full of joy, health, love and cracky dramas for ya! ;D

Aww, I loved Nine! It was the only drama that my mom&sisters&I all enjoyed. We have different tastes, so it’s kind of hard to satisfy all of us, but this one did 🙂 I miss the late night discussion with my sister trying to figure out what the heck just happened in Nine…we were drawing timelines and making hypotheses and creating time theories, lol. Nine is definitely a drama you can enjoy much better if you have someone to discuss it with 😛

That’s true! There’s so much to discuss and hypothesize over, coz the writers leave so much deliberately unexplained! It’s up to us viewers to either discover it unveiled later, or form our own theories. A great pick-apart sort of drama for viewers who love to think and analyze!

I’m in tears, love your thoughtful reviews. So thorough and you literally transported me back episode by episode. Funny story to share with you: I was in Incheon watching two raw episodes with this cleaning ahjumma on break. In my broken Korean I told her the kissing in the rain scene was so awesome and lovely, she agreed and we both wiped our tears. LOL. I enjoyed my time with her and I know we both weren’t happy at the end because we wanted more. She formed a fist and punched her thigh and I comforted her “ahjumma, gwaenchanayo.” LOL

This is by far the best time travel drama in awhile. I do see some flaws especially towards the ending; being the phone that was left behind. Heh I’m not going to complain much knowing this is a nearly perfect drama in a while. I was pissed with the ending simply because it just left it at where it starts. I don’t know, did he mature enough not to light the incense? Or is it another going back to square one and he jumped onto the time travel wagon again? I wanted a clear cut ending. I need a closure and I didn’t get one *sobs sobs*

By the way, please consider watching Cruel/Heartless City once it is done. Very different vibe, I love the twist in this one too and romance isn’t the main course. 🙂

Aw, yay that you enjoyed the review <3 This definitely ranks among the top amid the time travel dramas; the writers clearly put a lot of thought into it. And the ending definitely wasn't closed nor clear-cut! I guess having an open ending that allows us room to draw our conclusions is still a step above an ending that is definite but that sucks? ;D

Heartless City is definitely on my radar – I've heard so many squeals around the dramaverse that I can't ignore it. Plus, once-upon-a-time perennial beta-male Jung Kyung Ho as a badass tattooed gangster? This I SO gotta see! ^^

And what an adorable story of you and the ahjumma crying together in Incheon Airport over kdrama!! XD You are SO cute! <3

Love your review! Also, you totally blew my mind with your throw away comment: “As an aside, I’m particularly tickled by how Lee Yi Kyung is all hardworking & nerdy in Nine, when he was a little gangster brat in School 2013.”

I was like “whaaa?” And then I had to look up Lee Yi Kyung and his actor pics look totally different from Young Hoon. So then I was very frowny faced because I couldn’t quite place him. And then I looked up his pics from “School 2013” and… mind blown! I totally adored his character in “School 2013” and his frustration when his two best buds were fighting and yet I didn’t make the connection at all. I cannot believe it’s the same actor even as I see it’s totally the same actor. That is totally awesome. Talk about acting chops!

So… once I taped my brain back together — your review has filled with me with tons and tons of questions and responses and opinions just a slight sift from yours (and also opinions in complete agreement — like the adorableness of Young Hoon whatever timeline). I shall put an email together that will (hopefully!) be slightly organized and then we can dig into it! 😀

Y’know, I didn’t place Lee Yi Kyung straightaway myself. It’s just that as I watched him, I was just CONVINCED that I knew him from somewhere, particularly his smile and his sharp, angular profile. So I looked him up and when I saw his name, it started to click for me, since his character in School 2013 was also named Lee Yi Kyung. I LOVE that he’s so different in both roles, yet he’s totally the same. There’s something really likable and endearing about him, & I’m curious to see how he next shows up on my screen ^^

WOOT! Tons and tons of questions and responses and opinions sounds fabulously fun! 😀 Lookin’ forward to digging in with ya! <3

I finished Nine recently and quite liked it as well! It’s one of the few show I’ve managed to finish (so far) in 2013. The other one being School 2013. It was a really well done show and I remember being surprised by the new twists and turns every few episodes. Talk about a wild ride!

This show was not my crack, but I really looooved Dr Yoong Hoon (so adorkable!) and Chief Oh! There were so supportive and sincere, it’s quite a rare feat in k-dramas!

Sadly, I never really cared for the OTP. I guess that it still proves that the show was good because I kept watching despite my lack of love for the lead characters 😛 I really liked young Sun Woo, but his adult counterpart was just ok (but Lee Jin Wook was totally hot!)

Hehe it’s nice to be back to your lair, superhero unni 😛

OMG I LOVED Young Hoon & Chief Oh too!! Both so adorable in their own ways, and so full of their own gruff brands of warmth and care <3 I wanted to squish them both! Wait, I mean all 3 of them, coz I loved younger Young Hoon too!

Yes – TOTALLY with you on how Nine is objectively good, even where it lacked in emotional connection. The cliffhangers were mostly of the "OMIGOSH-what-happens-next?!?!? variety, which is really rare in dramaland.. Gotta give credit where credit's due 😉

And lil ninja maknae is ALWAYS welcome in the fangirl lair *smooths maknae's nifty ninja hairdo affectionately* <3

Nice review, as always. 🙂

It’s quite possible I’ll never finish ‘Nine’. I got stuck in ep 4 for quite a long while and this week, when I finally decided to pick up where I left from, I watched 2 episodes and didn’t have any urge to continue. I still don’t. On surface Nine should be ‘my kind of drama’ but …. something is missing, a connection of some sort maybe.

Well, it’s not like I don’t have stuff to watch, LOL! Still blown away by ‘Heartless City’ and ‘The Blade and Petal’ is…. strange and kinda wonderful. *g*

You’re right – on the surface, Nine TOTALLY looks like your kinda show! Much as I was hooked by it, though, I did feel a lack of emotional connection, and possibly that’s what you’re feeling too.. But, yay that you’re loving Heartless City – that’s a show that I definitely plan on checking out! And I’ve heard such a mixed bag of comments on Blade & Petal that I kinda feel like I need to see for myself so that I can decide whether I think it’s terrible or terrific! ;D

I think you are right, the emotional connection is missing and without it the whole thing feels kinda….. empty, despite of how well put together it otherwise is.

Oh yes, Heartles City keeps brining it on and now I’m sort of desperate for it to stay that way till the end, LOL! It’s twisty and yet balanced. Packs a hefty emotional punch too so you frequently have ‘the feels’ for even some of the nasties. It’s a world shaded in gray when it comes to the characters, no good or bad there.

The Blade and Petal is for what they call ‘an aquired taste’. 🙂 It is polarising and comes down to how you take to the directors style, his vision and his way of telling the story. The 1st ep was a shocker, LOL! I’ve now watched all 4 aired epis and the funny thing is that unlike in the 2 modern dramas of his (where it irked me to no end), I actually like his style in TB&P. I can understand why a lot of people don’t get it at all though. It harkens back to a much older cinematic style that people are not used to any more. Acting is on a complitely different level too and oddly enough it’s another thing many don’t seem to get either…. Yup, I do think you need to see it for yourself to decide. And now I’m really qurious to see what you’ll make of it. *g*

Yes, emotional connection is definitely a biggie.. Which is why it’s the one thing that I wanted more of, in Nine. It got all the twisty down pat and my mind was fully engaged, and then some! If only my heart could’ve gotten more engaged. I did feel for the characters, but it was an ebb and flow thing. There were moments where I felt a lot more, and moments where my interest was purely clinical.

Which is why Heartless City is sounding pretty awesome – sounds like it got some major things right, to be both twisty AND emotionally engaging! I’m looking forward to checking it out!!

Heh. After your quick introduction to Blade & Petal, I’M really curious too, about how I’ll take to it! It definitely sounds like the kind of show that you either love or hate. Color me intrigued ^^ I plan to at least give it a good go, to see if it sticks.

Gesh. I think I like this show even more now that I read your review than I did when I watched it originally 😉 I especially like your take on the split screen stuff—especially the rounded corner business. I totally didn’t notice that.

Ooh, what a compliment, thanks Amanda! I’m really chuffed that the review actually upped your appreciation for the show! 😀 And totally, the team took so much care with the little details, like the rounded corners, that I’m sure there’s stuff that I missed too. This is probably one of those shows that gets better with the re-watch ^^

Man, oh man, I love your reviews 🙂 They are always so well thought out and thorough!

I haven’t watched NINE and whenever I encounter it I would sort of shy away. As a Doctor Who fan I take time travel seriously and get very agitated when it is dealt with inconsistently/with little thought. There has to be consequences! It has to be taken seriously!

Thanks to this review I know I can add NINE to my To Be Watched list! It’s probably time for another genre bending show for me.

(Random: I was just in France where many Kdrama’s are not licensed to be watched. Major letdown BUT I got totally hooked on this Taiwan drama called Love, Now. Only 17 episodes in out of 72(!!!) but I’m totally hooked and watching it every spare moment. A classic romantic dramedy with great characters, chemistry and twists. Culturally Taiwan seems to be quite similar to Korea and it’s fascinating to watch this after so many Kdrama’s. Admittedly Love, Now is taking away from the many many Kdrama’s I am dying to watch but when a show is good, it’s good ;))

Aw, THANKS Megan!! <3 And yes, I would say that the writers did an admirable job in Nine. The writing isn't perfect by any means – I don't think there's such a thing, as a perfectly written drama – but they clearly put a lot of thought into the mechanics, consistency, consequences, and ripple effects. I think it'd be sufficient to satisfy your standards ^^ I wished I could've been more emotionally engaged, but there was enough of a mental hook to keep me going for the whole length of the show. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it when you do get to it!

A 72 ep TW drama! That's going to take you a while! Enjoy your new crack! I enjoy long dramas too, but of the kdrama variety.. TW dramas are just not my thang. I'm currently watching FOUR long kdramas, on top of my mini-series stuff! XD

I totally agree with you on the lack of emotional hook which for me, really lessened my enjoyment of this show. And totally agree about the makjang, which is what i wrote in my review (although with alot less in depth and detailed as you)! My interpretation of the end is that old SW died, new SW waited 20 years to travel back in time to save his brother. Which left me an unhappy camper :). I didn’t get that old SW death brought about a better future for SW, coz i was reading it as just a way out for the writers to hv a happy ending. but i’m totally grumpypants here coz i think i expected alot coming frm team of Queen In Hyun’s Man which i adored! nice write-up 🙂

I loved QIHM too!! I do think the team did a fine job executing the time travel concept in Nine.. I wish the emotional hook could have somehow been stronger. But it’s hard. Coz for me, it had everything to do with the concept as well. If Sun Woo could go back and keep fixing things, then it’s hard for events unfolding to feel weighty.

I think the ending of Nine is similar to that of QIHM in that it’s an ending that requires the viewer to make an interpretation that works. Many viewers hated the phone device in QIHM, but I managed to find an interpretation that made me happy. I think the hardest hurdle to overcome in Nine, is Original Sun Woo’s death in 1993. That kinda made New Sun Woo feel like a substitute. But he wasn’t the one that we spent 19 episodes with, so it still doesn’t quite feel right. Which is why I prefer Interpretation #5 for the ending, coz it changes the whole game ^^

The deux ex machina in QIHM didn’t bother me too much, because i was so swept away by everything else that came before, i let that one go. as for nine, i guess if i was more engaged emotionally i would’ve felt kinder towards Nine. I’m all about the emo with my dramas :P.

Definitely, the emotional connection makes up for a lot.. I’ve forgiven other dramas too, for much worse than a phone device, based on emotional connection 😉 Plus my fangirl tendencies sometimes overrule everything else. I forgave Big coz Gong Yoo got to be so awesome and so delicious on my screen, heh.

It’s too bad I couldn’t feel a stronger emotional connection with Nine. Objectively though, I still credit it for doing a lot of things really well ^^

Ah yes would I hv sat through Big if not for Gong Yoo?? Methinks not. I checked out of that one mid way, and spent the rest of it watching it like i would a Mindbridge catalogue 😛

Lol! That’s not a bad way to appreciate Big at all! ;D I just ignored all the bad writing and focused on the GY awesome. And there was a lot of GY awesome to make me happy, which why I heartily forgive the show. I hope the next drama he picks manages to be good WHILE letting him be awesome 😉

I am intrigued. You are always so thorough and your writing so thoughtful and engaging. I happen to really dig time travel so this one will probably be right up my alley! Also, I do appreciate a tightly written script. Another reason to probably put this one on my list (the list that I cannot seem to put a dent in)!!! Well done! 🙂

Aw thanks Michele! <3 Yes, you should definitely check out Nine! 😀 Y'know, if you dig time travel, you should also totally check out the previous show this team put out, Queen In-hyun's Man. Also a very well-done time travel story, and it's got an epic romance at the center too. One of my all-time faves <3 <3

Hmmm…should torrent that one! 🙂

Absolutely! Knowing how much you enjoy romance, & now that you say you love time travel, QIHM is a show you should definitely bump up your priority list! ^^

Consider it done!!! By the way, we need to finish up Chuno so we cam move on to IMY!!

Indeed! I’m getting back on the Chuno train tonight with E18. We’re entering the last stretch! ^^

I think I am on 20….oh, wait, I wonder if I can get here because I have a HUGE flatscreen in my room. Omo…can it be that I can watch Dae Gil while I am actually in Seoul???? That would so rock my night and make some of this sadness go away! 🙂

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• K-Drama Review

K-Drama Time Machine: “Nine: Nine Times Travel”” Notches A Clever Time-Slip Series With Lee Jin Wook & Jo Yoon Hee

A few years ago, tvn’s 20-episode nine: nine time travels ran a mind-blowing experience for its thrilling fantasy premise..

Achieving peerless cliff-hangers, Nine: Nine Times Travel  mocked all the time-traveling stories with seamless presentation of consistent timeline transitions and convergence, when the genre was predominant in that period of time.

Title: Nine: Nine Times Travel Distributor: tvN Theme: Fantasy, Time Travel, Romance Length: 20 episodes Broadcast Date: 11 Mar 2013 – 14 May 2013 Main Leads: Lee Jin Wook, Jo Yoon Hee Overall Rating: Re-watch Value: Related Dramas: Tomorrow with You, Tunnel

Nine: Nine Time Travels will excite your Sherlock veins through its incredulous hero’s journey. Chronicled with ample thrills, the series injected inconceivable trajectories using its supernatural premise.

It is the story of a man who obtained nine incense sticks that functioned as a time-trekking device. Utilizing the enchanted incense sticks, it helps him leave clues to his past self to escape his looming death in the future. His time warping adventure brings him to events of 20 years ago. Presenting the pieces of information that his future self uses to change the course of time in the past, it gave a riveting picture as he protects the people he loves and his life.

Highlights & Drawbacks

Imaginatively conceived, Nine: Nine Times Travel paraded a stunning picture which will challenge your focus and deciphering skills. But the series has always emerged victorious in going different to how the viewers deconstructed the path and curves of where it was heading.

For a change, I witness a hindered love story that does not involve vengeance or inability of the couple to communicate thereby jumping into wrong conclusions. This time around, there’s no trusting blindly and no let’s leave it to fate resolution. Instead, we got a love tale fighting to survive the odds with the aid of nine incense sticks.

The fluidity of the characters from past and present helping each other to pin down the villain was depicted efficiently. On that note, the wicked villain was a more contrived worker than the joint protagonists.

Leaving clues for his future self to pick up, the hero successfully left the last clue to the woman he loves. Therefore enabling him to save his brother’s supposed frost accident which started his awareness of changing the past.

True, this was a hard to follow drama as the supernatural kicks bordered to beyond impossible. But, that was also what made the series strong. It was not afraid to push its limit without abusing its metaphysical element.

The well linked conflicts and the focus on just one villain helped in drawing a clear flow on the main character’s battle. Instead of myriad problems coming incessantly with no basis, the hero-villain showdown was solid from beginning to the end.

Series Afterthoughts

Leaving the audience decide what closure he wants for the series he religiously watch is always a challenging task. Nine ended on a calm emotion, like it was giving me a cranial massage for all the brain activity I had to out through.

For me, it was a satisfying ending that fulfilled the hard work of all those time sojourns for the male lead. I stuck to my preconceived notion that it will be the couple’s love that will resolve everything. Explaining that the hero’s unfortunate fate was bound to happen. It yielded unrealized warnings that he needed for him to survive and to make everything right.

Although, the connection of the sticks and the hero was not explained to the fullest, we can conclude that when he used it, its binding power can be luck or curse depending on how his mind works to process the incidents presented to him.

Nine: Nine Time Travels  is one of my favorite K-dramas even now. It was an exceptional labyrinth themed story that banked on the coherent flow of its narrative while linking the timelines.

With its smart characters and nifty writing, it is one drama that would keep you on an addictive spree.

* Nine is streamed on Netflix.

*All photos from tvN

• 100 Must-Watch Korean Dramas In The Last 20 Years

ABOUT THE WRITER

abbyinhallyuland reads and sleeps a lot when she is not traveling. Her calendar reminders are mostly K-Drama broadcast schedules and birthdays of her favorite Korean actors. Promoting K-Drama watching as stress therapy is her life advocacy. She is fond of Spencer Reid, Gregory House, Kenshin Himura, Starwars saga, Haruki Murakami and Hunter x Hunter .

Recommended Korean Dramas: Reply 1988, Nine,  Misaeng , Gaksital, Discovery of Love, Because This is My First Life, Descendants of the Sun, My Love from the Star,  Healer , Punch,  You’re Beautiful, Coffee Prince, Princess Hours, The Greatest Love, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, City Hunter, Crash Landing on You and The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.

E: [email protected]

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K-Drama Review: “Nine: Nine Times Travel” Notches A Clever Time-Slip Series With Lee Jin Wook & Jo Yoon Hee

A few years ago, tvN’s 20-episode Nine: Nine Time Travels ran a mind-blowing experience for its thrilling fantasy premise.

Achieving peerless cliff-hangers, Nine: Nine Times Travel  mocked all the time-traveling stories with seamless presentation of consistent timeline transitions and convergence, when the genre was predominant in that period of time.

• Title: Nine: Nine Times Travel
• Streaming Site: Netflix
• Main Leads: Lee Jin Wook | Jo Yoon Hee

• Related Dramas: Tomorrow with You | Tunnel | Circle

Nine: Nine Time Travels will excite your Sherlock veins through its incredulous hero’s journey. Chronicled with ample thrills, the series injected inconceivable trajectories using its supernatural premise.

It is the story of a man who obtained nine incense sticks that functioned as a time-trekking device. Utilizing the enchanted incense sticks, it helps him leave clues to his past self to escape his looming death in the future.

His time warping adventure brings him to events of 20 years ago. Presenting the pieces of information that his future self uses to change the course of time in the past, it gave a riveting picture as he protects the people he loves and his life.

Nine Times Travel Peak Points

Imaginatively conceived, Nine: Nine Times Travel paraded a stunning picture which will challenge your focus and deciphering skills. But the series has always emerged victorious in going different to how the viewers deconstructed the path and curves of where it was heading.

For a change, I witness a hindered love story that does not involve vengeance or inability of the couple to communicate thereby jumping into wrong conclusions. This time around, there’s no trusting blindly and no let’s leave it to fate resolution. Instead, we got a love tale fighting to survive the odds with the aid of nine incense sticks.

The fluidity of the characters from past and present helping each other to pin down the villain was depicted efficiently. On that note, the wicked villain was a more contrived worker than the joint protagonists.

Leaving clues for his future self to pick up, the hero successfully left the last clue to the woman he loves. Therefore enabling him to save his brother’s supposed frost accident which started his awareness of changing the past.

True, this was a hard-to-follow drama as the supernatural kicks bordered to beyond impossible. But, that was also what made the series strong. It was not afraid to push its limit without abusing its metaphysical element.

The well-linked conflicts and the focus on just one villain helped in drawing a clear flow on the main character’s battle. Instead of myriad problems coming incessantly with no basis, the hero-villain showdown was solid from beginning to the end.

Nine Times Travel Series Musings

Leaving the audience to decide what closure befits the series that was religiously watched is always a challenging task. Nine ended on a calm emotion, like it was giving me a cranial massage for all the brain activity I had to out through.

For me, it was a satisfying ending that fulfilled the hard work of all those time sojourns for the male lead. I stuck to my preconceived notion that it will be the couple’s love that will resolve everything. Explaining that the hero’s unfortunate fate was bound to happen. It yielded unrealized warnings that he needed for him to survive and to make everything right.

Although the connection of the sticks and the hero was not explained to the fullest, we can conclude that when he used it, its binding power can be luck or curse depending on how his mind works to process the incidents presented to him.

Nine: Nine Time Travels  is one of my favorite K-dramas even now. It was an exceptional labyrinthine story that banked on the coherent flow of its narrative while linking the timelines.

With its smart characters and nifty writing, it is one drama that would keep you on an addictive spree.

Photos: tvN

[wpedon id=”3227″ align=”center”]

abbyinhallyuland

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Nine: Nine Time Travels - Season 1

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20 Episodes

S1 e1 - season 1, s1 e2 - season 1, s1 e3 - season 1, s1 e4 - season 1, s1 e5 - season 1, s1 e6 - season 1, s1 e7 - season 1, s1 e8 - season 1, s1 e9 - season 1, s1 e10 - season 1, s1 e11 - season 1, s1 e12 - season 1, s1 e13 - season 1, s1 e14 - season 1, s1 e15 - season 1, s1 e16 - season 1, s1 e17 - season 1, s1 e18 - season 1, s1 e19 - season 1, s1 e20 - season 1.

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The Best Time Travel Movies On Netflix To Watch

Vote up your favorite time travel movies currently streaming on Netflix.

When you want to watch a time travel movie, it's only natural that you'd turn to a streamer, and there are always some truly great time travel movies on Netflix. Not quite a genre, the time travel film is more of a sub-sub-genre within science fiction, and Netflix has an odd array of movies that add time travel into body-swap stories, romantic comedies, indie thrillers, and even serious dramas.

Even just among Netflix Originals, you'll find movies as different as The Adam Project (a Spielberg-inspired adventure starring Ryan Reynolds as a time-traveling future pilot) and When We First Met (a romcom in which Adam DeVine uses a time traveling photo booth to seduce Alexandra Daddario). That's not even counting established heavy hitters and deep cuts among Netflix's time traveling movies .

With so many options, a temporally curious viewer can use the help this list offers. Folks just like you are voting up the finest Netflix time travel movies, so you can rest assured that they'll lead you in the right direction. You've got your Netflix, your popcorn, and even an ice cold soda. Now let this list help you pick that final element of movie night.

This sci-fi thriller directed by Rian Johnson,is all about Joe, a "Looper" who assassinates people sent from the future. It's a steady job, until his next target turns out to be his older self. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis play the younger and older Joe, respectively, and their already dangerous relationship grows even more ominous when young Joe encounters a self reliant mother, played by Emily Blunt, and her mysterious, off-putting young son.

The Adam Project

This '80s-flavored sci-fi drama directed by Shawn Levy rides shotgun with Adam Reed, a fighter pilot from a dystopian 2050 traveling back in time to prevent his wife Laura's murder. Ryan Reynolds stars as the older Adam, with Isaiah Haegert and Walker Scobell as the 8 and 12-year-old versions of himself with whom Adam teams up. In addition to altering the past on behalf of his future/past wife, the mini-generations of Adam also gets to revisit his mother and father, played by Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo.

13 Going on 30

This romantic comedy (with a dollop of fantasy) directed by Gary Winick revolves around Jenna, a 13-year-old girl who makes a wish to be "thirty, flirty, and thriving," and wakes up the next day as a 30-year-old woman. Unlike many body-swap movies, this one actually jumps forward in time from 1987 to 2004, making it a body-swap-time-travel film. Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo play the older Jenna and her childhood best friend Matt, who has grown into a man the old fashioned way while Jenna was leaping ahead via whimsical time travel.

Hot Tub Time Machine

A party comedy (with science fiction as an excuse for time travel shenanigans) directed by Steve Pink, this one centers around a group of disillusioned friends - Adam, Lou, Nick, and Jacob, portrayed by John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke - who unwittingly travel back to the 1980s through a malfunctioning hot tub. Trapped in the past and afraid of altering their future, the quartet (one of whom hadn't been born in the ‘80s) have a good time and confront the choices that have defined their adulthoods. Also Crispin Glover has a ball as a bellhop with one arm wrapped around destiny’s shoulders.

Galaxy Quest

A very, very Star Trek -ish comedy directed by Dean Parisot, Galaxy Quest follows the cast of a defunct sci-fi TV show led by Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith as Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, who become real-life heroes when they are whisked away by actual aliens who believe the show was an all-facts historical document. Nesmith's crew includes Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub), and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell), who must play their parts to save a naive alien race from war. Sam Rockwell steals the show too. Time travel has a small but pivotal role thanks to the  "Omega 13," a device that reverses time by 13 seconds, allowing Nesmith a second chance to save the day.

When We First Met

Directed by Ari Sandel, this romantic comedy with a splash of sci-fi focuses on Noah, played by Adam Devine, who discovers a magical photo booth that sends him back in time to the day he met Avery, a woman he's convinced is the only one for him, despite her engagement to another man. Alexandra Daddario plays Avery, the object of Noah's affection, who sees him only as a friend even as he hops back in time throughout the 2010s attempting to make her fall in love with him. Butterfly effect consequences with a funny slant ensue.

This sci-fi drama directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead follows two New Orleans paramedics who encounter a series of bizarre, gruesome deaths linked to a mysterious new drug called Synchronic, which messes with users' place in time, sending young users traveling into the past and allowing grown ups to observe different times. Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan star as Steve and Dennis, the paramedics whose friendship and lives are upended by Steve's investigations into the drug's origins and the sudden disappearance of Dennis's daughter.

In the Shadow of the Moon

This noir thriller with sci-fi elements directed by Jim Mickle, is the story of Thomas Lockhart, a determined Philadelphia detective, played by Boyd Holbrook, who becomes obsessed with a case that spans decades. Lockhart's pursuit begins in 1988 when he first encounters a serial killer, played by Cleopatra Coleman, whose crimes not only predict the future but also occur with inexplicable regularity every nine years. As the narrative unfolds, the killer's motives and the mysterious role of time travel become clearer, propelling Lockhart through a temporal chase that defies the linear nature of time.

See You Yesterday

This sci-fi drama, directed by Stefon Bristol and produced by Spike Lee, tells the gripping story of high school prodigies, Claudette "C.J." Walker and Sebastian Thomas, who invent backpacks that allow them to travel through time. Eden Duncan-Smith and Dante Crichlow play the duo, whose ambitions take a tragic turn when they use their invention to prevent the wrongful police shooting of C.J.'s brother, Calvin. 

• Time Travel

As they say in well-written scripts, "You mean... like time travel?" + also a few bizarre stories about real people who have claimed, despite every law of physics, they have traveled through time.

8 Best Time Travel Movies on Netflix Right Now

Let’s be honest here: I haven’t met a single individual yet who either wouldn’t want to travel back in time to correct a few wrongs, or to have a glimpse of what their future holds for them. That coupled with the inevitability of it all, the very real nature of time being irreversible and its independent physical construct is what I think allures the human mind to the concept of time travel so much, because what greater pursuit than one that is with the current means, unattainable?  However, that didn’t stop a few dreamers from dreaming of it. Literature and films have been telling stories involving time travel since as far as I can imagine, and due to the very reasons specified above, the audience just can’t seem to have enough, so much so that time travel movies can clearly be identified into a sub-genre of their own.

But sadly enough, Netflix’s library has currently omitted a number of time travel classics and fairly obviously definitive films from their library, including the ‘Back to the Future Movies’ and ‘Groundhog Day’ that popularised the sub-genre in the first place, and current modern classics like ‘Looper’ and ‘ Predestination ’ among others, and that is with respect to the current streaming scenario fast changing. However, we did a little digging and found some of the finest  movies involving time travel and resultant time loops as a relevant plot point for you to watch. So, here’s the list of really good time travel movies on Netflix that are available to stream right now.

8. ARQ (2016)

I honestly didn’t expect ARQ to blow me away the way it did. The film is about an engineer who is able to develop a perpetual motion machine that in turn leads to him experiencing a home invasion scenario again and again, stuck in a time loop. At less than 90 minutes, ‘ARQ’ is taut, relentless and doesn’t let your attention waver for a second. It is not a perfect film by any means. In fact, it has quite a number of flaws and discontinuities that stringent viewers might not be able to wrap their heads around. However, if you know what you are getting into: a small film with a few characters, virtually no location to boast of except a room inside a home, and a timeline spanning only a few hours, but telling an interesting and entertaining story, you may come off completely surprised, like I did.

7. Looper (2012)

Starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, and Paul Dano, ‘Looper’ is a science fiction action-thriller film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The movie is set in the near future, where time travel has not only become a reality but is used extensively in the black market by mobsters for their twisted goals. Putting the illegal technology to good use, the criminals sent back their targets in the past where hired guns called Loopers were waiting to execute them.

Joe is one of the many killers used by mobs who have become immensely rich by indulging in illegal activity, but his life takes an unexpected turn when the mob not only decides to close the loop but also have Joe killed. The action-packed drama that unfolds captures Joe’s high-stakes attempt to survive while the mob relentlessly tries to hunt him down.

6. Long Story Short (2021)

Directed, written, and co-produced by Josh Lawson, ‘Long Story Short’ is a romantic drama film. The Rafe Spall and Zahra Newman-starrer follow Teddy, a young woman who accidentally ends up kissing Leanne on new year’s eve after mistaking her for his then-girlfriend. As she has peanuts in her mouth at the moment, he goes into an anaphylactic shock and has to be saved by Leanne’s presence of mind. A few years later, the duo not only fell madly in love with each other but also got married.

However, things take a surprising turn when the morning after the marriage, Teddy realizes that he is jumping one year into the future every few minutes. As his life begins to fall apart, he must find a way out of the cruel time anomaly before he loses everything and everyone.

5. Synchronic (2019)

Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, ‘Synchronic’ is a science fiction horror film. The Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan-starrer follow Dennis and Steve, two paramedics working in New Orleans, Louisiana. Although their job requires them to spend a lot of time in dangerous conditions, nothing could have prepared them for a series of strange deaths, all of which are linked to a designer drug named Synchronic.

As they investigate further, Steve and Dennis learn the otherworld effects of the drug, which even alters people’s perception of time. Before they could put things into perspective and solve the mystery behind Synchronic, their personal and professional lives begin to fall apart, forcing them to act before it’s too late.

4. In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)

Jim Mickle’s ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’ is a science fiction thriller film that features stand-out performances by Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman, and Michael C. Hall. The movie centers upon Police officer Thomas Lockhart, who, along with his fellow detectives, comes across a series of murders that appear to be connected with each other. As he investigates further and finally corners the suspect, it turns out that she somehow knows the future and even predicts her own death.

Although the case is closed after that, the strange murders begin to occur again several years later but are initially thought to be committed by a copycat. However, as Lockhart comes closer to the truth, his personal and professional life begins to fall apart.

3. Mirage (2018)

I don’t think a better title for the film would have sufficed, even if it’s translated. The film deals with a similar idea that is undertaken by ‘The Butterfly Effect’ and ‘Mr. Nobody’, of small happenings in time snowballing into completely different parallel realities. ‘ Mirage ’ is the story of one such woman who wakes up one day with her life and reality completely altered and her daughter, not existing in the current sequence of events. This strange happening seems to be connected to another eerie set of events from 25 years ago, linked to the house she recently moved in. I won’t spoil much for you, but hear me when I say that ‘Mirage’ may just be among the year’s best thrillers and sci-fi films. To add to the already twisted narrative, how the woman finds her way out of the time continuum is truly mind bending stuff. Watch for yourself.

2. The Adam Project (2022)

‘The Adam Project’ is a science fiction adventure film that features powerful performances by talented actors such as Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Walker Scobell. The Shawn Levy directorial centers upon the distraught fighter pilot Adam Reed in a dystopian 2050, who embarks on a perilous mission to save his wife, Laura, after stealing a time jet. Although he planned to go in the year 2018, because of an accident in which he injured himself, Adam ended up in 2022 instead. There he meets his 12-year-old self, and the two of them join hands to save the future, all the while trying to rescue Laura before it’s too late.

Read More: Best Maths Movies on Netflix

1. See You Yesterday (2019)

Inspired by Stefon Bristol’s short film of the same name, ‘See You Yesterday’ is a science fiction film produced by Spike Lee. The movie follows two young science prodigies who are obsessed with their invention that enables time travel and opens up prospects for era-defining changes that could not have been previously imagined. However, their lives take an unexpected turn when one of them loses their brother, and the two vow to use their unfinished invention to go back in time and save him.

Read More: Best Rags to Riches Movies on Netflix

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'The Adam Project' & 9 Best Time Travel Movies on Netflix

For more mind-bending time travel adventures.

Read update

No matter the time period, time travel movies have always been popular. Whether it is the latest Ryan Reynolds and Netflix collaboration The Adam Project or the sci-fi action masterpiece The Terminator , time travel fans are spoiled for choice. Netflix in particular has plenty of great movies in the genre worth visiting, and some of the best time travel movies on Netflix will have you watching them over and over again.

In Netflix time travel movie The Adam Project , Ryan Reynolds plays a fighter pilot from the future, who crash lands in the present and meets his 12-year-old self. Together they must save the world in a journey that harkens back to Amblin classics from the 1980s while featuring some great needle drops.

Time travel stories have always been a popular narrative choice, with the highest-grossing film of all time, Avengers: Endgame , fitting in the genre. Videogames such as Mortal Kombat 11 also use time travel to great effect. But with The Adam Project being a Netflix original, there are more time travel movies on Netflix to watch after seeing Reynolds quip his way through another memorable performance.

Updated on May 28, 2023, by Ty Weinert:

10 'naked' (2017).

Rob ( Marlon Wayans ) is about to marry the girl of his dreams, Megan ( Regina Hall ). But after a night out with his best friend results in Rob waking up naked in an elevator, he must race to the altar to make it in time. Failing that, Rob wakes up again in the elevator, realizing he is trapped in a time loop and must relive the hour over and over again.

Working like a mix of The Hangover and Groundhog Day , Naked will appeal to anyone who enjoyed those screwball comedies. While it is not one of the best time loop movies , it still offers some laughs and is a good enough way to kill an afternoon on the couch.

Watch on Netflix

9 'Captain Nova' (2021)

Like The Adam Project , Captain Nova follows a fighter pilot who is sent back in time to stop a catastrophe. Nova ( Kika Van De Vijver ) finds herself transformed into her younger self due to her journey through time, however, making it hard for adults to take her seriously as she warns them of the dangers to come.

Hailing from the Netherlands, Captain Nova makes for a nice change from the American movies that dominate the time travel genre on Netflix. Due to its protagonist's youthful transformation, Captain Nova is a kid-friendly take on the formula and can be enjoyed by the whole family.

8 'See You Yesterday' (2019)

Produced by legendary director Spike Lee , See You Yesterday follows two teenage scientists, who are attempting to create a time machine. After one of their older brothers is killed in a police shooting, the pair activate their machine to travel to the past and save him.

While still following the conventions of time travel movies, See You Yesterday stands out with a plot that focuses on relevant social issues. By bringing light to matters that are still plaguing society four years after release, the film is a unique choice within the time travel Netflix catalog.

7 'In the Shadow of the Moon' (2019)

Beginning in 1988, In the Shadow of the Moon follows Thomas Lockhart ( Boyd Holbrook ), a police officer determined to become a detective. When his city is plagued by a serial killer, Lockhart begins investigating, eventually discovering the killer comes back every nine years. As the case deepens, time travel eventually becomes a factor.

In the Shadow of the Moon feels like a callback to the detective thrillers of the '90s, like Se7en . While it does tend to lose focus as more outrageous plot points are introduced, In the Shadow of the Moon remains a solid choice for anyone looking to discover their next crime obsession.

6 'Synchronic' (2019)

Another quality entry in acclaimed duo Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson 's trippy shared universe , Synchronic stars Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan as paramedics and lifelong friends. After a new drug sweeps their city, resulting in the deaths of its users, the pair investigates after Dornan's daughter goes missing.

The film delves into time travel in ways that will not be spoiled here, but needless to say Synchronic is a trippy film with a central mystery that unravels over time. Both leads excel in their roles and share great chemistry, with Mackie, in particular, delivering a fantastic performance that shows what he can offer when given more meaty roles outside the MCU.

5 'ARQ' (2016)

Waking up to intruders breaking into his home, an engineer ( Robbie Amell ) finds himself trapped within a time loop. With each death sending him back to the start of the invasion, he works to defeat his pursuers and escape with his lover ( Rachael Taylor ).

ARQ works as a sci-fi spin on films such as Happy Death Day , with the audience learning new information alongside the protagonist with each subsequent loop and eventual death. While not as charming as Happy Death Day , ARQ still offers an enjoyable take on the genre.

4 'When We First Met' (2018)

When We First Met follows Adam DeVine , of Workaholics fame, as he repeatedly goes back in time to try and win over the girl of his dreams ( Alexandra Daddario ). Being a romantic comedy, the film stands apart from other time travel movies that focus on more serious consequences.

While We First Met does not offer much new to the genre, though DeVine gives an admirable performance to help carry the film. Fans of his stand-up or the aforementioned Workaholics should have a good time watching his numerous attempts to escape the hellish nightmare called "the friend zone."

3 'Long Story Short' (2021)

Waking up the morning after his wedding to discover that his life is jumping forward in time every few minutes, Teddy ( Rafe Spall ) is forced to use his dwindling time to stay with the woman he loves. With every jump causing them to drift further apart, time is running out for the bumbling lead.

Like When We First Met , Long Story Short uses time travel in a romantic comedy , albeit in a more urgent way. The Australian film was directed by Josh Lawson , known to audiences as Kano, the best part of the recent Mortal Kombat film.

2 'The Adam Project' (2022)

When fighter pilot Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) travels from 2050 to 2012, he is forced to work together with his 12-year-old self in order to get back home and save his deceased wife Laura ( Zoe Saldana ). The two Adams end up going on a journey full of heart and humor as they travel through time.

The latest in the long line of big-budget blockbusters on Netflix, The Adam Project is one of the best free movies you can access on the service. Reynolds is always a charming lead, and along with Saldana, they are supported by a winning cast that includes Mark Ruffalo , Jennifer Garner , and Catherine Keener .

1 'Mirage' (2018)

When Vera ( Adriana Ugarte ) and her family move into a new home, they discover that a boy died there thirty years ago. Finding a way to communicate with the boy in the past, Vera warns him of his death and saves his life, only to change the flow of time in the process.

As the best time travel movie Netflix has to offer, Mirage is a compelling mystery thriller from Spain. As more circumstances of the boy's death emerge, greater narrative threads are pulled into this time-bending journey, with Ugarte delivering a great performance as the central character.

NEXT: The Best Time Travel Movies Ever Made, Ranked

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Netflix’s Time Patrol Bon is a sci-fi anime odyssey about the value of human life

The smallest of actions beget the most profound of consequences

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Most time travel stories are either stories of intervention or preservation; following protagonists attempting to either alter the past to correct for something in the future, or doing everything in their power to return to their own time period without drastically altering the past. Time Patrol Bon sits squarely in the middle, which is exactly what makes it a beloved cult classic manga — and a surprisingly prescient adaptation from Netflix.

Based on the manga by Fujiko Fujio, the comic book-writing duo known for creating the beloved Japanese pop culture icon Doraemon , Time Patrol Bon (stylized on Netflix as T.P Bon ) follows Bon Namihira, an ordinary junior school student living in present-day Japan. He inadvertently crosses paths with a time-traveler named Ream from the future and learns of the existence of Time Patrol, a technologically advanced organization that travels through time and space rescuing innocent lives while maintaining the course of history.

It’s only after discovering Bon plays a pivotal role in the history of humanity that they choose not to erase him from history to protect the secret of Time Patrol’s existence; instead they offer him an opportunity to join their cause. Accompanied by Buyoyon, a sassy, ghost-like extra-dimensional creature, Bon joins Ream as her apprentice as they travel across history saving lives while growing into his new responsibilities as a Time Patrol agent.

It’s a fascinating premise, one that naturally begs a question that’s not all that dissimilar from what multiverse stories often broach: What is the value of a single life in the totality of existence? And who, if anyone, should have the authority to decide that? In the case of Time Patrol Bon , that authority is the Time Patrol Research Office, who are dedicated to finding and saving the lives of individuals who will not impact the course of history. In emphasizing the value of good, but otherwise unhistoric people whose lives were cut short on account of tragic accidents, misunderstandings, or overt malice, T.P Bon makes a case for the abiding value of all life in and of itself, as well as the importance of human relationships.

Take the anime’s eighth episode, wherein Bon and Ream are assigned to save one — and only one — kamikaze pilot during the Battle of Okinawa. Torn between his compassion for all human life and his obligation to uphold Time Patrol’s parameters lest he compromise the organization’s mission and very existence, Bon ultimately resolves that saving any life, even if only one life, is a worthwhile and noble endeavor if it can be done. It’s a really profound moment that nails home both Bon maturing into his responsibilities as a member of a Time Patrol, but also the series’ overall humanistic message. To put it another way: Not everything that is faced can be changed, but that’s not an excuse to do nothing. Even the smallest of actions is worth doing if it contributes to lessening the sum of human suffering.

By his own admission, Bon is an average everyday teenager. He doesn’t have any special powers, isn’t especially physically gifted or academically accomplished, and isn’t even all that popular at his school. From a glance, he barely registers as a footnote in the history of humanity, let alone the grand scheme of existence. If someone like Bon can go on to impact the future of humanity, aside from his role as a member of Time Patrol, then anyone can.

It helps that T.P Bon is helmed by respected animator Masahiro Ando, known for his work as a key animator on 1995’s End of Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell , as well as his own 2007 anime film Sword of the Stranger . Such a resume helps the show be all it wants to be: T.P Bon is an excellent blend of whimsical sci-fi spectacle, drama, and occasional edutainment, with stories featuring Bon and Ream rescuing sailors lost at sea, thwarting prehistoric poachers in the Jurassic period, and even inadvertently inspiring the 16th century legend of Journey to the West. In creating a series that strikes the balance between light-hearted adventure and existential meditation, Ando and studio Bones have delivered not only a faithful and worthy adaptation of Fujiko Fujio’s original manga, but one for the ages.

T.P Bon season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.

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Why Is ‘Baby Reindeer’ Such a Hit? It’s All in the Ending.

The Netflix stalker series combines the appeal of a twisty thriller with a deep sense of empathy. The conclusion illustrates why it’s become one of the most-discussed shows of the year.

By Noel Murray

This article includes spoilers for all of “Baby Reindeer.”

The mini-series “Baby Reindeer” arrived on Netflix on April 11 without much advance hype, but it quickly became one of the most talked-about TV shows of 2024.

It’s not hard to understand why. Based on the Scottish comedian Richard Gadd’s award-winning 2019 one-man stage show, “Baby Reindeer” baits its hook in the first episode, which introduces Martha (Jessica Gunning), an emotionally fragile middle-aged woman who appreciates the kindness shown to her by Donny (Gadd), a struggling stand-up comic who offers her a free drink in the pub where he works.

By the end of that first episode, Martha’s neediness has begun to shade into creepiness. And by the time Donny discovers that his new friend has a history of stalking, she’s already begun what will eventually become a torrent of abuse, as she floods his email and social media with poorly spelled messages that insult his character and sometimes threaten sexual violence.

What makes “Baby Reindeer” so effective is that as Martha pushes further and further into Donny’s personal life — attending his comedy shows, befriending his landlady, calling his parents — the audience shares his mounting feelings of powerlessness and frustration, cut with flashes of pity for the woman who is ruining his life. The show has the “slow-motion train wreck” appeal of a twisty true-crime documentary, but balanced with empathy for two profoundly broken people.

A story as dark and uneasy as this one needs a proper ending, though. “Baby Reindeer” has one that is satisfying in its particulars, if haunting in its implications.

Gadd (who wrote every episode) plants the seeds for the finale in the penultimate episode, the sixth, which ends with Donny having a career-altering meltdown while competing in a stand-up comedy contest. Donny’s comic style is highly conceptual, involving corny props and awkward jokes, designed to leave his audience wondering whether or not they’re meant to laugh. He’s like a Scottish (and much less effective) version of Steve Martin in his “Wild and Crazy Guy” days. (Or, as Donny puts it: “I’m a comedian when they laugh, a performance artist when they don’t.”)

When the crowd can’t get on his wavelength at the competition, Donny ditches his props and just talks, sharing with a stunned audience the story that we have been watching for the previous five episodes. He tells them about how when he was a young and inexperienced comedian, he took an unpaid gig working for Darrien O’Connor (Tom Goodman-Hill), a well-respected TV writer who repeatedly drugged and sexually assaulted him. He tells them about his transgender girlfriend, Teri (Nava Mau), whom he’s too embarrassed to kiss in public.

And, of course, he tells them about Martha, the angel and the devil on his shoulders: sometimes telling him how sweet, funny and handsome he is, and sometimes calling him a weak-willed, talentless degenerate.

As the show’s seventh and final episode opens, a video of Donny’s train-wreck performance has landed on YouTube (under the title “Comedian Has Epic Breakdown”), bringing him viral fame and new opportunities. The pressure of that higher profile — coupled with Martha’s ceaseless string of threatening voice mail messages — prompts Donny to confide in his unexpectedly sympathetic parents about being raped. All of these confessions feel liberating.

Not too long after, one of Martha’s threats is dire enough to get her arrested — and eventually jailed. Gadd brings the conflict between Donny and Martha to a logical conclusion, with Martha finally acknowledging the harm she’s done by pleading guilty.

So Donny lives happily … but not for ever after. More like for a day or two.

The unsettling ambiguities of the “Baby Reindeer” epilogue — the real ending, which comes after Martha is safely locked away — are a big part of what has made the show a word-of-mouth hit.

First, Donny finds himself going back over Martha’s old messages, and turning every one of their past interactions into pieces of a puzzle that he then pins up on his wall — like a detective trying to crack a complicated case. His inquiry even leads him back to the doorstep of the man who molested him, where Donny falls into an old pattern of deference and eagerness to please.

Then, in the series’s knockout closing scene, a bartender gives a teary-eyed Donny a free drink, echoing what Donny once did for Martha. What makes Donny so upset? Take your pick: He’s still processing what Martha and Darrien have done to him. He’s furious with himself for not standing up to his abuser. He attained the fame he always craved and found that it didn’t solve his problems.

The final trigger comes when, as he listens to one of Martha’s old messages, he hears her explain that she always calls him “reindeer” because he reminds her of the stuffed toy that comforted her during a rough childhood. For a moment, this former terrifying nuisance goes back to being a person worthy of understanding and even grace. Or maybe, again, it’s actually empathy: Donny ending the story in the same state in which he first encountered Martha makes manifest the bond between them.

Part of the global popularity of “Baby Reindeer” is no doubt a result of the web sleuth dimension — the online rush to identify the real figures behind Martha and Darrien. Gadd has discouraged such speculation , and innocent people have been accused.

But much of the show’s distinctive appeal comes from how, at a time when trauma narratives almost have become cliché in high-end TV drama, “Baby Reindeer” presents a more nuanced version of one. It authentically depicts trauma and mental illness as confusing, unpredictable and deeply personal, all of which is underscored by the emotional ambivalence of its conclusion.

“Baby Reindeer” relies a lot on its subjective point of view. Donny’s voice-over narration dominates every episode, recounting in vivid detail his disgust with himself. The series’s two directors, Weronika Tofilska and Josephine Bornebusch, often keep the camera trained on Donny’s face, capturing his feelings of disorientation as even his best moments are disrupted by Martha’s constant intrusions. Viewers are drawn deep into Donny’s neuroses, which include, he and we begin to understand, an addiction to being the object of one woman’s obsession.

But while this show holds close to Donny’s perspective, in a way it also sees the world through Martha’s eyes — or at least to the extent that Donny identifies with her. She’s out of his life by the end of the finale, but he still has to live with that part of himself that feels exactly how she feels.

Throughout “Baby Reindeer,” Donny struggles to explain why he’s not more proactive when it comes to Martha. Why doesn’t he warn his friends about her? Why does he take so long to get the police involved? Why doesn’t he freeze her out the first time she turns weird?

The answer is that, on some level, he gets it. He too is lost, lonely and awkward much of the time. That’s why there is no real triumph in besting Martha. For Donny, it’s like defeating himself — something he already does nearly every day.

The 10 Best Time Travel TV Shows of All Time

Time-traveling stories make the best TV shows, as they can explore the characters, while trying not to destroy the past, present, and future.

Time traveling has always been a rich place for fiction, as the idea has been used in many novels and movies. In the last few years, and with the Golden Era of television, more shows have been using this subgenre, as it’s a great way to explore characters and their actions, and it gives big stakes to every one of their stories.

There have been all kinds of time-traveling TV series. Some follow the Back to the Future idea of going to the past while trying not to change anything. Others are more like Groundhog Day , and use the time loop idea to examine their characters. Some try to use the science behind such a thing as one of their storytelling pillars, while others say that time traveling is just “A big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey whimey stuff”, so the subgenre has many possibilities and sides. Here are the 10 best time-traveling TV shows of all time, ranked.

10 12 Monkeys (2015 - 2018)

Inspired by the 1995 movie of the same name, starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, 12 Monkeys is a show about a deadly virus and traveling through time to stop the sinister organization that creates it, the Army of the 12 Monkeys. That’s what James Cole (James Stanford), Dr. Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull), and the maybe crazy Jennifer Goines (Emily Hampshire) try to do in every episode.

Why We've Included 12 Monkeys

What starts as a simple time-traveling mystery gets more complicated as time paradoxes, surprising twists and turns, and new characters appear. The lead characters and the chemistry between them are what make the show worth it, as they try to keep connected through time and space while knowing that they might never see each other again.

Stream on Hulu

9 DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (2016 - 2022)

Dc's legends of tomorrow.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow started as a serious time-traveling show where some discarded heroes from the other Arrowverse TV universe became heroes. What started as a serious story about destiny and avoiding time aberrations became something much more fun and hilarious.

Why Legends of Tomorrow Makes the List

Every season has some great moments , but from the second season on, the series improved greatly. From then on, it never took itself too seriously, and it became the show in that universe with more diversity, fun, queerness, meta-commentaries, and a great running gag about a weird toy named Beebo. They always break the timeline, but they’re also the ones who fix it in the end.

Stream on Netflix

8 Lost (2004 - 2010)

Oceanic Flight 815 has an emergency landing on a strange island, and as they try to survive, they discover this place is like no other, as it has polar bears, and maybe even a monster. That’s what happens in the Lost pilot, and from there, things keep only getting weirder and weirder.

Why Lost Belongs Here

The show was many things all at once. It created a new narrative tool in TV series, as it used flashbacks in every episode to tell the survivors' stories from before they landed on the island, and worked in all kinds of genres, from drama, and action, to sci-fi and, yes, time traveling. The show has an incredible cast who has kept working , and the latest seasons of the show are the ones that are more in this list genre, but what makes it great is how that phenomenon affects Desmond (Henry Ian Cusack), and his love story with Penny (Sonya Walger), especially in the time-traveling episode, “The Constant”, one of the shows’ best.

7 Outlander (2014 - Present)

Based on the novel series, Outlander follows combat nurse Claire Randall from the year 1945, who is mysteriously transported back to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world and sees her life threatened. However, when Claire is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a genuine and passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two different men from two clashing lives.

Based on the series of novels of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander tells the story of Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a World War II nurse who is somehow transported into 18th-century Scotland. There, he meets Jamie (Sam Heughan), and they fall in love.

Why We've Included Outlander

There are not that many time-traveling romance stories, and only because of that, this TV series should be on the list. But this show is much more; the chemistry between the two actors is swoon-worthy, and once she goes back to her original present, things get much more complicated for both characters, for the better, making their love story one for the ages.

6 Timeless (2016 - 2018)

Timeless tells the story of a team trying to stop time from being changed for the worse, as an ex-NSA agent, (Goran Visnjic) steals and uses a time-traveling machine for his nefarious purposes. The team is formed by the three kinds of people you would always need on a time-traveling adventure; a history professor (Abigail Spencer), an engineer who helped create the time machine (Malcolm Barrett), and a soldier (Matt Lanter), for when everything goes wrong.

Why Timeless Makes the List

The chemistry between the three leads is great and makes you want to spend time with them on their adventures. If that wasn't enough, most of their time traveling takes them to times known to audiences, from the killing of Abraham Lincoln to the Hindenburg disaster, or the killing of Bonnie and Clyde, creating stories that also affect the lead characters directly or indirectly.

5 Russian Doll (2019 - Present)

Russian doll.

Read Our Second Season Review

Russian Doll is a time loop show as Nadia (Natasha Lyonne, who also created, wrote, and directed the show) keeps repeating her 36th birthday party. Things get even weirder when she discovers the same is happening to Alan (Charlie Barnett), a man she has never met.

Why Russian Doll Is Included

The time loop idea can get tiring, but Russian Doll keeps finding ways to change and improve the idea in every episode, creating a show that has comedy, drama, and many surprises, while keeping the sarcastic, sardonic, voice of her creator and star, Lyonne. The second season is even weirder and wilder, and fans are still hoping for a third one.

4 Quantum Leap (1989 - 1993)

Quantum Leap was one of the first TV series about time travel, and it still holds up . The show explores the time jumps of Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula), as he helped good people in the past, “leap” into their identity, and better history in the process with the help of his hologram companion Al (Dean Stockwell).

Why Quantum Leap Is a Must-Watch

The show might look a dated now, but it had a great premise and was the perfect idea for a procedural show, where in every new episode, Sam had to play someone different with their own problems, making it a rom-com one episode, a thriller another, and giving it space for social commentary the next, so that the character could learn some lessons and help those in need. The idea was so ahead of its time, that the show got a revival two years ago and is back on TV, with Raymond Lee playing the scientist leaping through time, while his friends and fiancée are trying to help him in 2023.

Rent on Apple TV

3 The Lazarus Project (2022 - Present)

Read Our Review

The Lazarus Project starts when George (Paapa Essiedu) notices he’s repeating a day in his life, and he doesn’t understand what’s going on. He later discovers there’s an organization, The Lazarus Project, that can reset time to July 1st, if there’s a need to prevent a mass extinction-level event. Since he can see those resets, he becomes the newest agent in the organization.

Why The Lazarus Project Makes the List

After a first episode with a lot of exposition, what makes The Lazarus Project great is how it focuses on its characters and how the knowledge that there’s the possibility of resetting a timeline affects their behavior, and what they would do for a loved one. The characters are the most important thing in the show, although that doesn’t mean avoiding car chases, shooting, and fun spy shenanigans, so they can avoid the world’s end.

2 Doctor Who (1963 - Present)

Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.

Doctor Who has had many lives since it started in 1963, but the gist of it is always the same: The Doctor (who has been played by many actors over the years), explores time and space through the TARDIS with a human companion, and has unique adventures.

Why Doctor Who Is an Obvious Choice

The imagination of its stories, the many time periods it holds, and how you can see the changes in society and technology through the years and its more than 800 episodes. Since the show was revived in 2005, the storytelling has been less innocent and has given the Doctor dilemmas like never before. When the show comes back, it will have a new Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa ( Sex Education and Barbie ), and we can’t wait to see what kind of personality he has, and what kind of time-traveling adventures he gets into.

Stream on Max

1 Dark (2017 - 2020)

Dark starts with the story of a child being kidnapped in the quiet German town of Winden. From there, the whole community is affected by many time-travel stories, as this has happened before, and their people experience the past, and the present, and how that changes their actions.

What Makes Dark the Best Time Travel Show of All Time?

This is not an easy story to follow, as there are stories in more than one time, and it rewards multiple viewings. What makes it great is the fact that it uses time travel not as a means to an end, but as a way to explore family, love, how a person can touch another and change their behavior, and much more. The show keeps surprising viewers, as nothing is what it seems, and has incredible acting, script, and visuals that lasted three seasons, and has a perfect ending, making it great for a time-traveling binge.

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Disney shares tumbled 9.5 per cent on Tuesday even as it reported the first profit in its core streaming business since it leapt into a battle with Netflix five years ago.

The Disney+ and Hulu streaming unit earned an operating profit of $47mn in the quarter to the end of March, compared with a $587mn loss a year earlier. Disney achieved the milestone months earlier than expected thanks to cost-cutting and the popularity of Hulu programmes including Shōgun and The Bear .

But investors appeared to be more focused on a potential slowdown in the company’s theme parks, which have rebounded strongly since the coronavirus pandemic restrictions began to lift.

Bob Iger , chief executive, highlighted the quarterly improvement in streaming and its experiences division, where theme parks outside the US, including Shanghai Disney, performed well. “We are turbocharging growth in our experiences business with a number of near- and long-term strategic investments,” he said.

In a call with investors, Hugh Johnston, Disney’s chief financial officer, said higher expenses from the launch of two cruise ships would limit growth in the current quarter. He also said the post-pandemic travel boom could be running out of steam.

“While consumers continue to travel in record numbers and we are still seeing healthy demand, we are seeing some evidence of a global moderation from peak post-Covid travel,” he said.

Rich Greenfield, an analyst at LightShed Partners, said that message was jarring to investors who have been “counting on the post-Covid normalising of demand” at the theme parks to continue.

“The parks have been so strong and so solid quarter after quarter,” he said. “Now they have introduced concerns about that growth slowing.”

The improvement in the streaming business came as Disney reported a net loss of $20mn — owing largely to goodwill impairments — on $22.1bn in revenue in the quarter to the end of March.

Excluding those impairments, Disney’s adjusted earnings of $1.21 a share were up 30 per cent from a year ago and topped the $1.10 Wall Street had expected. The company also raised its adjusted earnings target for the full year.

The group’s total direct to consumer streaming business, which includes sports service ESPN+, narrowed its operating loss to $18mn in the quarter.

The streaming business has lost more than $11bn since its launch, but Disney has cut costs and raised prices in an aggressive push to achieve profitability.

“Crossing the profitability threshold early is something that we can feel very good about,” Johnston told the Financial Times.

Forrester analyst Mike Proulx said: “It’s extremely rare in streaming to hear the word ‘profitable’ but Disney finally achieved it, kind of. This is a big turning point for Disney and for the streaming market in general.” 

Disney+ would lose money in the current quarter because of Disney+ Hotstar in India, though the combined streaming business was expected to be profitable in the fourth quarter, the company said, as it forecast further improvements in streaming profitability next year.

The earnings report was the first since Iger fended off a proxy challenge from Trian Partners’ Nelson Peltz, who was seeking two seats on the board. Iger said the latest results were proof that the “turnaround and growth initiatives we set in position last year have continued to yield positive results”.

Iger’s plan to reinvigorate the company’s film studios will be put to the test with upcoming releases including Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes this month, Pixar’s Inside Out 2 in June and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine in July.

On a call with analysts, Iger said he was “working hard” to restore Disney’s creative output after a string of box office disappointments.

“I’ve been working hard with the studio to reduce output and focus more on quality. That’s particularly true with Marvel,” he said. “We’re going to about two TV series a year, down from four, and reducing our film output from four a year to two, or the maximum [would be] three.”

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