Gyeongseong Creature S2 review: Although Park Seo-jun and Han So-hee's romance blooms, Claudia Kim is the monster who shines

3/5

Story:

Gyeongseong is still not safe from monsters. While season 1 of Gyeongseong Creature saw a literal creature, this time they serve as humans. Many twists and surprises unfold with this season.

Review:

Gyeongseong Creature S2 goes for the big impact. Despite the dark subject with a lot of questions left lurking from season 1, season 2 sees a serene start. It is also iconic because, like the last season, it all begins in the fall season. The introduction theme remains brief and almost the same.

While season 1 was set in the Joseon period, we now move on to Korea in modern times, where Park Seo-jun's character is no longer Master Jang Tae-sang in the public eye. He is now Ho-jae, a name that was hinted at the end of season 1.

The suspense of the show is built from the very beginning, and the iconic moments, including eating the candy, are back. This time, Seo-jun is the one on the bike, but for a brief period.

Season 1 saw the actor bring the charm he has a person with his behaviour and body language (touching the hair when nervous). With season 2, he has a similar boy-ish charm like playing cham cham cham. At the same time, there's a big secret about him waiting to be unveiled. Both his sides are equally charming, to say the least. There's also a major surprise related to his character.

Han So-hee's return is not as iconic as the last time. It is kept hidden for a long time, but that works for the show as much. She shines in the role of Silverbill.

The first meeting between the leads is once again action-filled, and you can already guess who takes the lead. The reunion, though, is too emotional to handle. Their chemistry, nonetheless, is undeniable.

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Heo Joon-seok as Jang’s BFF Kwon Yong-gil is pleasant to watch throughout the series. Even in a briefer role, he is loveable. Park Tae-in as prisoner no. 17 aka Ahn Jong-hyeok is connected to Master Jang, and the same is revealed only in the very last episode. He, too, suffers the same fate of a brief role and plays his part well.

Episode 1 - Between Awareness and Blindness - is ironic because our lead actor now wears glasses to see better. The threat is only touched upon with the episode. The mystery is kept alive through a new face working in the shadows. He's the one who has control over the creature this season. The background score for the episode works best, for it is a lot of recollection from season 1.

There's no Lt. Kato (Choi Young-joon) or Ichiro (Hyun Bong-sik) this season. One of them, however, serves an inspiration this season. The story gets entangled once again because of this mystery man named Seung-jo (Bae Hyeon-seong). His fight with Chae-ok introduces a whole new world. Get ready for a shocker once his real identity gets revealed. This man is full of surprises once his real motive is revealed.

Episode 2 - Between Fact and Distortion - is where you get to know what exactly happened that Yoon Chae-ok (So-hee) is alive. It is something you had imagined but hoped wasn't the case. The episode is once again about Sign, like season 1, but there is no sign in particular.

Episode 3 - Between Memory and Oblivion - is about Chae-ok's struggles in her new life. The episode, Pieces of Memories, establishes the emotional aspect of the show. Both our leads have lost memories in one way or another, and this episode is about finding it. The scare actually begins from this episode. That is mainly created with immense confusion. The scene most definitely could have been shot better, since what was originally horror converts to comedy. Easily, it is the weakest episode among all.

Episode 4 - Between a pretence of Virtue and Vice - is based on separation and finding oneself through it. The episode, about The Other Side, is where a new creature is born. The piano music in an important scene is the highlight of the episode. The minute you are transported to the past is when this series gets a little better. The nostalgia of the original is what works best for the series. Wi Ha-hoon's Jun-taek, Ok Ja-yeon's Young-chun, Kim Hae-sook's Nawol, Ahn Ji-ho's Beom-o and Park Ji-hwan's Gap-pyeong are back, and they serve the best memory on the show. This episode where you see history repeat itself, with a better twist.

Claudia Kim's return as Maeda, claiming back her power, is the changing point for this show. There's a lot of history and much more waiting to be explored with her entry.

Episode 5 - Between Curse and Blessing - is where everything changes for the better of the series. The episode, The Creature, makes the big revelation. The past is here, and some questions are ready to be answered. With this episode, you know that even in the new era, the threat still remains. At long last, Seo-jun gets the heroic entrance with this episode.

Episode 6 - Between Life and Death - works on the struggle that comes with being part-human and part-creature. This episode, Bait, explores Sung-jo's story beautifully. It is what makes him what he is today. With this episode, your perspective on Sung-jo changes.

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Episode 7 - the final episode in the season - is Between Benevolence and Exploitation. The episode, Marginal Man, is the final and best fight of the season. Seo-jun redeems himself as the hero at the very end. Jang's conversation with Maeda is one for the books. It finally sets the thrill and suspense missing in this season for so long. At the same time, Chae-ok proves she's much tougher than she looks. It is their romance that takes limelight till the very end. This time, though, it makes sense because they are out to protect each other. Once again, Seung-jo is the one who shines in this episode. Meanwhile, Maeda gets her kind of lovely ending. Of course, there's something beautiful for our leads too. With a promise, the series comes to an end.

The dream sequences making it too often to the series makes the scenes lose their charm. For some apparent reason, the story always shifts back to the romance between the leads. Although they are deserving of it after being put through so much and they have a great chemistry, this season does not have as much to offer as the first because this takes all limelight.

The action sequences this time around do not have as much impact. It is never a fair game, and so, it barely ever works. The music, though, works each time.

The post-credit scene confirms another season in the making. Claudia Kim got a worthy replacement, someone who can switch between angel and devil and you wouldn't even be able to guess which one is he in the moment. But, the danger is now fourfold and there's going to be a creature in every nook-and-corner of the city. Yep, that's the kind of impact he has.

Verdict:

Gyeonseong Creature season 1 excelled because it had a scary looking creature with a relatable back story. In comparison, although season 2 set out to literally state how humans are the real monsters, that worked against them. If ignoring that aspect, everything else in the series almost works in its favour. From the romance between the leads to the level of monstrosity some can bring to the table, it's all too beautiful if that one aspect can be ignored.