All In (SBS, 2003)

Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject: All In (SBS, 2003) Post Rating: 0

synopsis (dramawiki): As a kid, all Kim In Ha ever did was follow his uncle around and help him cheat in gambling. As a high school student, he hung out with his friends at the basement of a theater. As Kim In Ha gets to know Choi Jeong Won, a model student and also the son of a very rich family, In Ha tries to tempt him into doing mischevious deeds.
check all other info here: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/All_In

I can't believe I couldn't find discussion thread for this drama. I bet many ppl have seen it right? I like it. Though I really dunno if Lee Byung Hun is truly a great actor or just really bad. He is such a fish face but that could be only cuz his character is like that. I mean he always has that goofy expression on his face it just cracks me up. Well guess he is a good one cuz he has won so many awards and has been in so many dramas too^^ He kinda look sliek Arnold Swartzenegger with that haircut. I kind apity him with all that bad luck T_T

Song Hye Gyo was so pure in the beginning. How did she become like that in a monastery or whatever nun house she lived in? Well I say I gotta hate those awful lipstick all women were using. *shiver*

Plot is pretty interesting. I'm on ep 12 myself. All in was broadcasted in 2003 not that long ago but compared to new dramas it looks kinda old, it's not that glamorous either. But it's fun. Not very intense and atmosphere reminds me of Godfather (the american movie) though its not as wicked. Music is kinda lame I only like one song out of them all. And it's amazing how all characters bump into each other so much. Well it's normal in Kdramas but to bump onto each other this much... I feel like there is too much romance, I want more action and atmosphere is not very intense. Though I like the idea of bad guys fighting each other a lot more than bag guys vs police. I want to see more gang fights and such. But guess that action part is all ahead. It's only half of the drama what I have seen.

Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

There are a few older dramas that doesn't have an official thread here, such as Autumn Tale. It's up to people like you to start one Smile

I was a bit disappointed with All In, considering that it's supposed to be about gambling, it doesn't really have much gambling in it at all! Not much action either, but I guess, it is after all, just a romantic drama. I found it interesting enough to make it through the 24 episodes, but I did find it to be incredibly draggy at times. Especially that scene where In-Ha promised Soo-yeon he would build a house and live with her. They played that scene over and over again ad nauseam.

The soundtrack I liked though. Most of the songs have a very nostalgic feel to it, and I still play the OST every time I'm feeling a bit...umm....nostalgic Smile

It's a decent series but it's not the type that would attract a lot of interest in communities such as d-addicts.

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:25 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

overall, All In was a disappointing experience. it got some fame when it aired but - is it because, 5 years after, some better similar scripts have been made - i thought that Kim In Ha was a boring character with Lee Byung-Hun acting like a dead fish and providing a totally flat & dull performance. Jin Goo was far better at portraying the young In Ha, a brat, a player with a flame in the eyes (it made me think of what people said about Song Seung-Hun & Kim Bum's portrayal of Lee Dong-Chul character in East of Eden).
yet, after watching similar resurrection-type dramas like Green Rose, Resurrection/Rebirth, or even Time of Dog & Wolf, All In doesn't really aged well. another similarity between those dramas is that the female characters never had a lot to do beside beeing a cute doll for the heroes, a superficial angelic figure.

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

You'll find most Korean dramas don't really age well especially because they keep on rehashing the stories so if you've seen the newer versions, the older ones just don't cut it. That's why I'm glad I did a lot of backlogging when I first started watching k-dramas because if I started watching All In today instead of 2 and a half years ago, I might throw my monitor through the window.

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:03 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

i liked the fact that Kim In Ha keeps falling down during the whole drama too but couldn't acclimate his sudden character's change. he acts tough until he goes out of prison and then, it's a tunnel of melancholic looks, sad faces and LBH made a ghost of his character, like someone who took too much beating. and this is exactly how it is but, still, i thought that he should have add a bit of angst, some fury at some point to balance the various repeats in the screenplay. in fact, i found Kim In Ha to be a really passive character and LBH's acting to be a bit complacent.

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:12 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:03 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Will watch this someday. I'm always reluctant to start 20+ episode dramas though. But two of my Korean friends claim that All In is "the best thing that has ever happened to K-drama".