“I finally came to understand that being reborn time and again as different people was all pointless if I could no longer live as my true self.”
TVING’s Death’s Game (2023-24) is based on a popular webtoon of the same name about an ordinary man who realizes the meaning of life after being sentenced by a mysterious being with twelve times of deaths and reincarnations before he falls down to hell.
Having seen eight full episodes, here are some key points that made me think that this drama is one of the best Korean contents ever released:
Warning: Sensitive content.
Screenplay/Plotline:
The story follows Choi Yee Jae (Seo In-guk), a job-seeker who is diligent in pursuing financial security and a stable life but loses his will to live after a series of rejections from various companies for years.
Uncertain of the future and emotionally exhausted to survive in an unfair world, he decides to take his own life only to wake up in the hands of a mysterious being called “Death” who rebukes him, “You are guilty of coming to find me before I came to find you.”
He then faces punishment from “Death” by going through the cycle of 12 reincarnations and painful deaths through different bodies to teach him an important lesson about life. Death considers this a game, wherein Choi Yee Jae (Seo In-guk) either dies or survives and goes to hell or not with his chances of 12 lives.
The plot then leads viewers to various realistic stories that portray humanity’s struggles and evil nature, unveiling mysteries from one character to another, which makes the drama thrilling and engaging overall.
Characters/Performances:
It is seldom to watch a drama with multiple appearances of well-known actors, young and veterans alike, and still manage to create a seamless flow of storytelling, without neglecting the main protagonist of the show. It’s awesome how every unrelated character is connected by death and how each one’s story weaves together to create a meaningful story in the end.
I’d like to commend screenwriter-director Ha Byung Hoon for his excellent script and direction. I haven’t read the original webtoon but I learned from others that the drama made an excellent modification of some characters and events, without changing the central message.
The performances from the main characters to special appearances, all leave an impact according to the story being portrayed.
Seo In-guk as Choi Yee Jae seamlessly delivered important emotions to portray his character in the face of various circumstances. He makes you understand his feelings of unworthiness, depression, hopelessness, confusion, anxiety, anger, rage, sorrow, guilt, revenge, regrets, fear, and extreme pain. He exemplifies portrayal of thousands of emotions through facial expressions in one drama alone. Insane!
Park So-dam as “Death” was totally convincing with her dark, cold-blooded, and authoritative personality from her visuals, range of voice, eye acting, to delivery of lines. The way she looks at you makes you feel you are doomed! Impressive!
Supporting actor Kim Ji-hoon fully absorbed his role as the psychopathic villain, elegantly slaying with his amazing range while Yoo In-soo showcased various faces and emotions in one character, proving his brilliant skills at acting.
The special appearances who played the reincarnations of Choi Yee Jae (Seo In-guk) were also notable with their given characters including Lee Jae-wook as the aspiring MMA fighter, Kim Kang-hoon as the bullied student, Kim Jae-wook as the mysterious painter, Oh Jung-se as a police detective, Choi Siwon as the rival CEO of his brother, Lee Do-hyun as a model, and many to mention.
Theme/Message:
Death’s Game (2023-24) carries a powerful message that presents two sides of a coin. The most important key it tries to deliver is “realization” betwen the dark and light, death and life that gradually uncovers from the beginning to the final chapter of the story.
While it explores the struggles to live and survive amid a world of uncertainty and failures, it also addresses the impact of pain on loved ones left behind when someone takes his own life. It allows you to realize life with the protagonist on a broader perspective and moves your lens from the pain of a miserable man to the agony of the loved ones left behind, or rather from a state of aloneness to a sense of community where you can experience a life of shared sorrows and victories if you allow people around you to endure with you, no matter the circumstance. When Choi Yee Jae (Seo In-guk) saw the lingering pain from his mother and girlfriend due to his sudden departure, he reflected, “Why didn’t I realize then that I had people in my life who would cry with me during difficult times?”
It’s noteworthy how the script sheds light on humanity’s imperfections and struggles, how humanity never listens no matter how much you warn them, and how humanity takes every opportunity for granted. I loved how it shows the painful process of pruning so that Choi Yee Jae (Seo In-guk) learns to value the price of life. Realistic!
While Move To Heaven (2021) highlights the pains, sorrows, and unspoken words of the deceased, Death’s Game (2023-24) explores the heart-wrenching cause and effect.
Every dialogue and all lines about pain, fears, death, chances, and regrets are delivered powerfully that they move you to tears as if they are your unspoken words or the words you needed to hear to keep trudging onward amid a broken world.
The finale serves as the most powerful reincarnation and story of all as it brings Choi Yee Jae (Seo In-guk) to a deeper look at his own life through living the life of someone wounded but strong and who is close to his heart. There he begins to realize the value of life and how the pain that he thinks engulfed his whole life was only a small part of it. I must say, it was a perfect ending, excellently done, rewarding and satisfying.
“A clear day. A rainy day. A windy day. I learned that life was made up of these different days. And that it was okay to fail as long as I kept going.”
Conclusion:
Despite the dark theme, Death’s Game (2023-24) is surprisingly an uplifting drama that addresses the sensitive yet crucial topic of life and death. Even the song towards the end speaks healing to your soul. It’s a great mix of fantasy, mystery, slice-of-life, romance, dark humor, action, and psychological thrill. All production elements delivered excellence from cinematography to VFX, even musical score, execution, editing, and camera works.
Overall, Death’s Game (2023-24) is a phenomenal piece that is worthy to be recognized as one of the best Korean dramas ever released and you shouldn’t miss binge-watching!
Warning: However, one must be prepared to see violence, the topic of “suicide”, and the intense emotions that death brings portrayed in every character.
Webtoon writers: Lee Won-sik, Ggulchan | Screenwriter-director: Ha Byung Hoon | Original network: TVING | Available on: Prime Video | Images: TVING
KORB 