Starring:
- Kim Jae Joong as Bong Pil
- Uee as Kang Soo Jin
- Jung Hye Sung as Yoon Jin Sook
- Baro as Jo Suk Tae
- Jang Mi Kwan as Park Jae Hyun
- Lee Sang Yi as Oh Dal Soo
- Kang Hong Suk as Yang Koo Gil
- Kim Min Ji as Hong Jung Ae
Acting: 6.5
Storyline: 6.5
Overall: 6.5
Grade: C+
No matter how many times I see Kim Jae Joong or Ji Chang Wook on screen, their uncanny resemblance never fails to amuse me.
With Ji Chang Wook just entering the military, Jae Joong’s back with his much anticipated post-military comeback drama “Manhole: Feel So Good”.
Jaejoong’s probably better known as a member of JYJ. However, he has more of this “bad boy” vibe (not just the tattoos or his visual rock makeup) and 阴柔 feel that Ji Chang Wook doesn’t have. It makes him more versatile in a sense, as to the roles that he can take on.
However, the ratings for this drama are really pretty bad; with one of the episodes being the 3rd lowest rated of the time slot in history. Nonetheless, I pretty enjoyed the drama, which brought me some laughter and entertainment value. There are some parts which could have been faster paced, but did not pose much of a problem for me to complete the drama.
原本看似是部“时光隧道游戏“的喜剧，就长得帅但头脑简单的丰必，一直不敢表白，为了阻止喜欢了28年的秀珍和别人结婚，而乘时光隧道，试图改变历史，而闹了不少笑话。
They are the typical 欢喜冤家.. 明明喜欢对方，却因为长久以来，彼此一直在身边而不敢坦诚对彼此的心意。
It’s pretty entertaining when you see him becoming an entirely person after he returns from the past every time, such as being a gangster, someone in comatose with his soul wandering around, policeman, etc. It also alters the future and relationships between his friends. It’s pretty hilarious when you see him “living” a life that is so diverse beyond his imagination every 12 hours.
You also feel his exasperation and turmoil when no one else believes whatever he said, because no one will remember what happened after he returns back to the present. He just kept repeating his life in a different manner and it just draws Soo Jin apart from him as time goes by with all the misunderstandings.
I chose this drama because it seems to be a pretty comical time travel drama. There’s a little of 那些年, but also a lot of fun and energy with its young and energetic cast.
It is also a good break from all the very heavy-hearted dramas that I have been watching as of late.
While it may be just another time travel drama to many, there are things that will trigger you in reflecting over what’s been going on in your seemingly typical daily life.
Most time-travel dramas probably spend a lot of time in the future or past before they return to the present. Manhole is the medium that transports Bong Pil to his past within the last 10 years, every 12 hours.
It is interesting to discover many things that he had missed out through the years and while trying to put things right, it creates a ripple/ butterfly effect and would affect the future.
在那几天的时间里，每12小时过着回到过去改变历史/命运的时刻，试图挽回，却发现12小时后回到2017年后，那小小的举动居然会对”未来”其了那么蝴蝶效应般的变化。
是否回到了过去，就能逆转人生呢? 若人生能从来，你会做一样还是不一样的选择呢?
在时光隧道来来回回了几次，才能拼凑出，原来所有发生过的一切，会造就过后的人生。
若你试图改变任何一样，在未来就会有”蝴蝶效应”。那变化可大可小，大至改变了人的命运或会危害生命。
如果是那样，你还会试图做任何改变吗?
在几次回到年轻时候的过程，丰必也发现了许多事情绝非“偶然“。
每个人都有“邪恶“的一面。即便是最好的朋友，也有可能在某一瞬间，为了私欲，做了某件事情，而阻挠了你们的未来。
当然故事也想告诉我们，若有什么话想对身边的人说，就应该尽早告诉他们，不要等到一切都来不及了，才来后悔。
Maybe most viewers get bored when he kept shuttling within the last 10 years and the present just to stop the wedding of Soo Jin, but it gets more interesting later on as they unravel more stuff in the process and there’s also traveling to the future 1 year. He gets to time travel every 12 hours and I thought the pace was still pretty okay.
The only thing is probably we all cannot imagine how the main character, Bong Pil, can be so blindly in love with Soo Jin for 28 years, aka all of his life. His life revolves only around Soo Jin and nothing else. He has no other dreams and is someone who is very 慢半拍 and is unemployed, but he will give his all just to keep Soo Jin safe.
Uee’s acting is okay and there are also some fun moments within the group of friends but you would also feel sad for Jung Hye Sung’s character.
If you remember the villain in “Strong Woman, Do Bong Soon”, Jang Mi Kwan is back as another 令人咬牙切齿的 antangonist. He’s really got the potential, and gives you the chills as someone with anger management issues and would turn very violent when things don’t go his way. We may see another “Namgoong Min” in the making, in terms of his potential in attempting “villainous” roles.
While this drama may not be that well received, it still serves as a nice 无厘头 rom-com, if you just need a break and breather from your busy daily lives.
I think the cast had fun filming this drama together. It’s good to be able to re-live your adolescent years from high school to university, etc and all the excursions you had with your friends.
A little bit of 那些年 is good, when you want to be away from your current woes.
The skies, the sea and your bunch of friends…
That’s typically heaven already.
That’s the kind of ending we all hope for, with someone we truly love.
But what are the chances in reality, if your life would not turn back once or many times more?
If you are a fan of Jaejoong, I’m sure you will still pull through it and be thrilled with the surprises he would give with his many outfits and images.
