"Moving" is the Korean drama with the largest investment in Disney+ and the most expensive Korean drama in history. The production cost of 20 episodes is as high as 65 billion won (equivalent to 356 million yuan), and the cost of a single episode reaches 17.8 million yuan. "Super" has also lived up to expectations and become Disney+'s most successful and influential original Korean drama.
"Superpowers" group portrait poster
It is a pity that Disney+ Korean drama project has been in the Korean market for two years. It has launched many Korean dramas produced with a lot of money, but almost all of them were wiped out. The input-output ratio is extremely low, which is completely incomparable with the success of Netflix in South Korea. The success of "Super" is a very important consolation, but it is also a little late, because in June this year Disney+ has disbanded the Korean OTT project team, and the Korean dramas produced will continue to be broadcast, but in the future Disney+ may No more original Korean dramas.
The reason why "Superpowers" is so "expensive" is that the lineup of the show is really strong. It is adapted from the comic of the same name by top Korean cartoonist Jiang Cao. It is directed by Park In-jae of "Kingdom 2" and brings together Ryu Seung-ryong and Han Hyo-joo. , Jo In-sung, Cha Tae-hyun and other Korean first-line superstars, production costs have skyrocketed. On the other hand, there is the particularity of the subject matter. "Superpowers" is a superpower theme, and there are a lot of post-production of CG shots, which further increases the cost.
Fortunately, "Superpowers" is expensive and valuable, and it does bring the audience a luxurious and unforgettable drama-watching experience. It not only successfully combined the theme of super powers with South Korea's political history and achieved "localization" innovation, but also captured a very touching love and family relationship under the shell of super powers. In the final analysis, the story is about "protection", protecting people, protecting lovers, and protecting children.
"The people are innocent"
There are many film and television works involving superpowers. There are many superheroes in Hollywood, and there are also many Korean dramas and movies. However, in the past, super powers were mostly inseparable from themes such as saving the world, punishing evil and promoting good, revenge or personal growth, and the audience was somewhat tired of it.
"Superpowers" first made a small localized "innovation" within the framework of the superpower genre - combining it with the political intrigue that Korean dramas are good at, and also featuring South Korea, North Korea and the United States that often appear in Korean movies. The elements of the game between the three countries are presented with a cold political struggle cut into the living situation of the superpowers, bringing a certain sense of freshness to the audience.
In the setting of the story, there is such a group of superpowers in South Korea: some of them can fly, some have magical self-healing abilities, some can generate electricity, some are extremely powerful, and some can move instantly. Some have super-sensitive five senses... This group of superpowers are used by South Korea's intelligence agencies. They become "agents" and are specially used to carry out some difficult and shameful tasks.
The character played by Jo In-sung in "Superpowers" has the ability to fly
The top leaders of South Korea's intelligence agencies only regard superpowers as disposable pawns. This group of superpowers is restricted, not free, and unable to control themselves. After retiring, they finally lived a stable life.
However, South Korea's intelligence agencies are targeting the next generation of superpowers - they have inherited the superpowers of their parents; in the intelligence agency's "National Talent Development Project", the next generation of superpowers were selected early. The parents were worried that their children would repeat their tragic fate of being "tooled", so they started fighting against South Korea's intelligence agencies.
The next generation of superpowers has been secretly selected
Also involved in this struggle are forces from the United States and North Korea. The CIA agents first sent "scavengers" to eradicate the superpowers, because South Korea had received instructions from the CIA for the "dirty" tasks previously completed by the superpowers. These superpowers are alive, and the CIA is at risk of being exposed.
The superpowers know too much about the dealings between the United States and South Korea
North Korea's top leaders also learned of South Korea's plan to cultivate superpowers. These people with superpowers are also part of the country's military competition. There are also superpowers in North Korea. They sneaked into South Korea and shouldered the task of eradicating the superpowers in South Korea...
Of course, the situation of North Korean superpowers is much worse than that of their South Korean counterparts. While "Superpowers" severely criticized the northern regime, it also showed great sympathy for the compatriots in North Korea.
The political leaders of the three countries in the play each have their own purposes and demands, but without exception, they use superpowers as tools and superpowers as a tool to "eliminate dissidents"; what they believe in is conspiracy and They fight fiercely to the death, and values such as "humanitarianism" are trampled under their feet.
The superpowers represent a rare and precious kind of humanitarianism. Whether it is South Korea or North Korea, the superpowers do not believe in superpowers or "people can be sacrificed at will." What they believe in is goodwill, trust, tolerance, and mutual assistance between people. They do not want superpowers to become political. means of fighting and involving innocent people.
Therefore, Korean superpowers teach their children, "What is a superpower? Empathy is a person's true ability. Being able to understand others is the most important ability."
The series’ important explanation of superpowers
Therefore, the superpowers from the north roared at the commander, "Too many innocent people have been sacrificed in this (struggle) process." When the chief said, "Sacrifice is inevitable," he replied categorically, "The people are innocent."
"The people are innocent"
Therefore, in dilemmas again and again, between loyalty to power and justice, morality and friendship, the superpowers chose the latter. The superpowers in North and South Korea all "betrayed" the cold-blooded superiors, and their humanitarianism won the final victory.
In short, from the perspective of the genre framework alone, "Superpowers" is very watchable. It combines South Korea's special political and historical background very well, so that it will not be lost in the super hero themes that Hollywood has made. In the end, it also exported A universal concept that is correct and has a certain meaning but is not preachy or empty.
love romance
The audience was moved by "Superpowers" not only because of its political criticism + superpower genre framework, but also because of the emotional lines in the play. This is what makes "Superpowers" even more special. The chapters on love and family constitute the core part of this drama.
In the first 7 episodes, it not only lays out the background of political conspiracy, but also introduces the love between the next generation of superpowers; episodes 8-14 are the touching and tear-jerking "parental love", as well as the relationship between the superpowers and their descendants. The family memories of a generation's childhood; episodes 15-20 are the decisive battle between the two generations of superpowers in South Korea and North Korea and the three political forces...
Episode 8 begins with "Parental Love" unfolding. When they were young, Lee Mi-hyun (played by Han Hyo-joo) and Kim Doo-sik (played by Jo In-sung) both had superpowers and were both affiliated with the South Korean intelligence agency. Because of the "humanitarianism" they displayed while performing their missions, they were regarded as potential threats by the heads of the intelligence agencies.
The superior ordered Lee Mi-hyun to "seduce" Kim Doo-sik. He deceived Lee Mi-hyun that this was a test for Kim Doo-sik. In fact, it was the superior's conspiracy to kill two birds with one stone: he tested both Lee Mi-hyun and Kim Doo-sik at the same time. He wanted two people with similar values to fall in love and make them mutually beneficial. The other party's "hostage".
Lee Mi-hyun (played by Han Hyo-joo) and Kim Doo-sik (played by Jo In-sung) "encountered" in the elevator
Kim Douzik knew Lee Mi-hyun's "intentions" from the beginning, but he was still willing to enter her "trap" step by step; after Lee Mi-hyun had "failed" the mission, he was still willing to pretend that the mission was still in progress, and they were all trapped in this " Love at Public Expense". Appearance is justice, especially with so many strong details of love, and the beautiful Korean shots. The compatibility of the two people is perfect, and the audience is also moved by it.
Two people "acting for real"
I thought that the love between Lee Mi-hyun and Kim Doo-sik had been sealed, but I didn't expect that the "parental love" of Jang Soo-won (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) and Hwang Ji-hee (played by Kwak Sun-young) that followed would make the audience cry in a storm.
Zhang Zhuyuan, codenamed "Jiulongpu", was once a "reckless man". With his super self-healing ability, he acted as a human shield for gangsters. But he has always been a "chivalrous man" at heart. He loves to read Chinese martial arts novels and upholds the value belief that "love and justice are worth a thousand pieces of gold."
Zhang Suyuan (played by Liu Chenglong)’s understanding of martial arts novels
After his dream of being a knight-errant was severely crushed by reality, he lived in a motel in despair, reading martial arts novels to survive. Until he met the coffee girl Huang Jixi, she took the road-crazy Jang Soo-won out of the alley, and she also helped him find his direction in life.
Jang Soo-won is tall and thick, but he cried because he got lost in an alley.
It turns out that Jang Soo-won, who looks rough, reckless and violent, not only values love and justice, but also has a gentle and shy side. He can be so romantic even though he is clumsy. He ordered coffee delivery again and again just to meet the girl he liked; he was claustrophobic and kept the window open, fearing that she would be cold, and finally closed the window for the first time; when she asked, "Why didn't you ask me , how did you end up in this kind of job, why do you need to rely on this kind of job to make a living?", he replied, "You must have your reasons"; being crazy, he finally found her half a year later, " You are obviously a road addict, but you still found the right place unexpectedly," he said. "I still couldn't find the road, but I could only find you."
Zhang Suyuan was right, "Martial arts novels are actually inseparable from love stories. The good guys will win in the end and spend the rest of their lives with their loved ones." Zhang Suyuan was also wrong. He was a good man, and he finally lived with his lover, but they did not grow old hand in hand.
A car accident took the life of a loved one. When Zhang Soo-won found out from the hospital that his daughter had inherited his superpowers and survived a car accident, he stumbled and cried loudly to the mourning hall to tell his beloved wife the news. There should be countless viewers in front of the screen crying with him. This may be the most touching love scene so far this year, right?
So tear-jerking
In addition to "parental love", the drama about the next generation of superpowers is also beautifully filmed, with a green atmosphere and a romance unique to Generation Z.
The young couple are also very romantic and cute
beloved son of parents
Family love is another emotional support of "Superpowers", and it is also the motivation of the superpowers to fight.
Lee Mi-hyun and Kim Doo-sik have a son, Kim Bong-seok (played by Lee Jung-ha), and Jang Soo-won and Hwang Ji-hee have a daughter, Jang Hee-soo (played by Go Yoon-jung). In order to prevent their children's superpowers from being discovered and to prevent their children from repeating the path of their parents, they chose to remain anonymous. , doing everything possible to protect the children.
Lee Mi-hyun has always been worried that Kim Bong-hee will fly, and tried every means to increase her son's gravity; after the head of the intelligence agency realized that superpowers can be inherited, Jang Soo-won erased all traces of his life and left with his daughter overnight; for those with mild symptoms For the intellectually disabled Li Caiman (played by Kim Sung-kyun), the way he protects his children is to fulfill every agreement with his son "on time"; Quan Qidao (played by Cha Tae-hyun) also realizes that his unspeakable father has always been... Loving myself in his own way...
The way Li Caiman, who has intellectual disabilities, loves his son is to sit at the door on time every day and wait for his son to come home. The seat where he sits is polished.
Fathers have different personalities and different ways of protecting them. Many times, they even "care about their children" and "use too much force". However, without exception, children are their weak point. Profound".
This mentality of "parents love their children" does not distinguish between countries, races, and systems. In the short historical introduction to the superpowers of North Korea, it is also mentioned that the reason why they endured the pain silently is for their families; and their final hope is that the cruel dispute between the North and the South will end with their generation. The next generation can escape the fate of the previous generation and live like happy ordinary people from now on.
A group of superpowers from the north, against the orders of their superiors, chose to let go of Korean children with superpowers.
Therefore, without the various labels attached to this show, "Superpowers" has a very soft core. What it wants to tell is, look, even if the protagonist has superpowers, even if some people can heal themselves after being injured, some can take off, and some can move instantly... But they are also "like ordinary people, they always talk about their families." ; Like ordinary people in the world, they cannot escape birth, old age, illness, death, separation and death; and like all people with soft hearts and good natures, they will become "captives" of love, and will develop weaknesses because of love. They love their families and compatriots. Love strangers, love the world...love will also give them gifts, give them a better world, and let them feel the greatest and most abundant sense of belonging and happiness.
After all, superpowers are just like ordinary people, love is their weakness.
But it turns out that love is the greatest superpower. We have the ability to love, give love and deserve to be loved. We are the "superpowers" in this era of inability to love.
