With an interesting subject and a trustworthy cast, did “Connect” meet the audience’s expectations?
Disney Plus’s new film “Connect” is the first Korean drama directed by Takashi Miike, who is well-known for his maniac genre. Expectations were high as Jung Hae In, Ko Kyung Pyo, and Kim Hye Joon attempted a new acting transformation with an attractive and new subject. Did “Connect” meet that expectation?
Han Dong Soo (Jeong Hae In), who was kidnapped by an organ-trading criminal organization, dies on the operating table with his eyes stolen. After a while, from his wound sprang up a bizarre bundle of tentacles, tearing the wound and quickly healing it. As a rookie “Connect” who never dies, he barely escapes after recovering only one eye. A few days later, Dong Soo is connected to someone’s vision, and it is ironically serial killer Oh Jin Seop (Ko Kyung Pyo) who received the transplant with his lost eye. Dong Soo starts chasing Jin Seop to get his eyes back, but he is in danger as he is suspected by the police to be a serial killer and is targeted by organ trafficking organizations. However, an unidentified Choi Yi Rang (Kim Hye Joon) suddenly appeared to help Dong Soo.
The first impression of the early episodes is likely to be quite interesting for fans of this fantasy genre. The series has a B-class gore and slasher color unique to director Miike. Gory scenes with torn flesh and blood splashing appear everywhere, and bizarre tentacles grow and cling to and recover from the torned body parts. The actors’ performances are also impressive. Jung Hae In realistically describes how he suffers from intense pain whenever he receives the shared eyesight with one eye covered with an eye mask. Kim Hye Joon presents a charming appearance and colorful action acting that crosses the boundaries of good and evil, reminding viewers of her role in “Inspector Koo.” Ko Kyung Pyo exudes a gloomy atmosphere and perfectly portrayed a serial killer who pursues a beautiful death.
Unfortunately, however, “Connect” does not seem to be enough to captivate viewers until the end. As lines that seem to be translated directly from Japanese sentences increase toward the second half, the Korean conversation between the characters sounds awkward. In addition, there are more and more scenes unique to Japanese animation films, which do not blend well with the characters, making it difficult for viewers to get into the character’s emotional development.
A bigger problem is that the series’ setting is inconsistent. At the beginning of the play, Dong Soo is described as having little fighting ability, but in the fighting scene in the middle, he avoids the coming fists as if he had hidden talent in his body. In addition, Dong Soo says that only Jin Seop’s vision is shared with him through the stolen eyes, and nothing else is connected. But in the second half, the two even invade each other’s brains at some point and conversate with their thoughts. In a broad sense, it can be read as a development for later, but it is awkwardly connected as if it was a misplaced detail. Such details give the impression that the show is not properly organized and prepared.
The ending of the drama is also somehow sloppy. The organ trading organization, which was aiming for Dong Soo, was brutally wiped out by a giant “Connect” that Choi Yi Rang suddenly brought with her, while Jin Seop, who tried to confront Dong Soo with only a gun, was eventually overpowered by him and got his eye taken. In addition, the drama ends in a state of urgency surrounded by a new organization’s helicopter squad – probably the pharmaceutical company that created “Connect”. “Connect” at the moment feels like the first half of an unfinished story as it seems to pass all the clues to the next season, including “Connect”‘s true identity and its relationship with Jin Seop. As the drama ended with an ending that desperately needs a season 2, let’s just look forward to a better story next season.
Source: Tailor Contents
