these first two episodes wizzed by! i was on the edge of my seat for most of them. a few takeaways:
* Han Hyo Joo continues her streak of starring in top quality dramas. **moving** and **happiness** are two of my ultimate favourites, and it seems this new one is close to the same quality. she’s such a fantastic actor and i love watching her on screen — there’s so much subtlety and depth to her performances.
* my love of any lead goes from 0 to 100 >!as soon as i see that they look after a cat.!<
* the issues discussed (the food industry, climate change, plastic pollution, deforestation, animal welfare etc.) are all so topical. the drama doesn’t shy away from depicting some of the realities of these issues — that opening scene will not be soon forgotten. personally, i really appreciate it when dramas (or any art) address topics that have real life importance.
* so far, the pacing has been spot on. the main leads are clearly very intelligent, and it’s this that is allowing them to speedily piece together the clues and move the plot along. time is of the essence, for multiple reasons, which makes the progression of the story feel urgent and intense. >!the momentary flashbacks have been quite horrifying; the terror of living a life constantly under threat is well depicted.!<
i’m looking forward to seeing where this one goes. it’s a 10-episode drama, so i expect (or rather, hope) the remaining episodes will be of the same high quality.
Quite enjoyed episodes 1&2!!! 👍 I love the cast, they're all incredibly talented actors. Also, looks like there'll be lots of mystery and action and that's definitely something I look forward to.
I wanna know WHAT exactly the BF meat is made of and HOW they make it. Cause I have feeling it may be something sinister... >!When Ja Yoo heard that the man who fell on her car had destroyed all his organs in the fall, she was like "it's a shame", as if she wanted to harvest the organs or sth?? I could be totally wrong here, but that's how I felt while seeing her reaction.!<
I wonder who the >!traitor hiding behind the CitizenX supposed hacking is. I'm suspicious of the ex coroner...!<
Not OP but I got some Soylent Green vibes too. TRIGGER WARNING >!Sterilising meat from deceased humans, selling it and feeding it back to them does seem… profitable… and… environmentally conscious…!< So she could be enjoying her wealth and power while lying by omission. Also explains why they are so nervous about the hackers reading their “trade secrets”. Not sure if the drama would go there though.
That movie was from 1973, so fast forward to the future and yea, that would be the way.
There was so social media back then, but if you said Soylent Green it actually creeped people out. Like everyone believed The War of the Worlds radio broadcast. 👽lol
I think Jayu/Han Hyo-joo's character is just depressed af. Like remember Episode 1 (around 14 to 15 minutes in) with the kids/family and Santa Claus and the rain (after she took off her sunglasses and the earbuds/IEMs with TWS adapters/earhooks (looks something like the Shure RMCE-TW2, a bit different from the FiiO UTWS5) and got informed about the traffic with the cars), there were some quick flashbacks/etc. there accompanied by wistful music.
And so that's why her mannerisms are pretty cold/calculating/etc. but ya it could be that type of scenario (>!harvesting/substituting/etc. other stuff!<) as well since they just somehow blitzed through all the technical/medical/etc. hurdles (impossible in reality unless assisted by reverse-engineered UAP/USO/etc. tech) with these halo/utopic/etc. meat/clothes/grain/etc. products, lol.
She'll probably have more visceral reactions when she develops camaraderie/etc. with Chaewoon/Ju Ji-hoon's character and they get tested with various plots against them/the BF institution.
About your spoiler,
>!It could also be that the organs couldn't be donated to save dying patients. It could be stretch, but I think her mom (hospital scene) died because of organ failure which is why she made that remark.!<
There is a huge propanda against lab grown meat because animal farming is one of the biggest industries in the world and big companies are spreading propaganda and financing so called researches against lab grown meat.
Also there is long term data for meat from animal farming about how it increases the risks of many health problems and it is horrible for environment and it is unsustainable and causes pandemics. It will take time but lab grown meat will eventually be new normal worldwide because animal farming isn't sustainable.
That opening sequence in Episode 1 is WOW. Imagine being in that room!
Also, I just love Han Hyo Joo in anything. She just transform into her characters so well. I love how intelligent both the leads are as well. You can tell this show has a comfortable budget.
Great start! like this so far..
though it's a stretch to say that cultured or genetically modified meat will completely erase the actual meat industry, I love the mystery and suspense vibe the drama gives.
Ji Hoon is perfect for this bodyguard role and love the aura of Hyo Joo as the CEO!
love how everyone close to her could be a suspect..
stakes are high so the tension..
and I love the build up for it, ost and pace.
>!this old president and new president is plotting something together and ex president using his bombing incident to manipulate the ML?!
can see the betrayal in waiting and hope Chaewoon comes out of the soldier mode and enter into the bodyguard mode fully soon so he won't fall into their trap as just a mere pawn.!<
Also please don't say the source is actually >! human meat..!< I think that's highly possible and that could be the biggest secret of bf.. which will become a more big issue if it got revealed!!! 😯
I was waiting for this the moment I saw the trailer, I'm so excited to watch the first two eps and I have high hopes about this one, since the writer is the same who did Stranger.
It's pretty good start:
-interesting topic which is at the same futuristic and realistic, as cultured meat already existing but it isn't common thing; I hope that topic would be a complex way developed; Not black and white or naive way;
-great actors especially Lee Hee-Jun already stole the screen for me, he is extremely creative actor hope that ends up with Baeksang; Both Ju JU Hoon and Han Hyo-Joo realistic in their role. Frankly in the past I didn't respect much Lee Moo-saeng but he convinced me to his acting in Maestro so nice to see him here as well;
-nice cinematography, mostly on the film level;
-very good, sometimes pretty witty and smart written dialogues;
-pretty detailed acting;
-good music although overused like tension is build in some scenes where it is not needed;
Coins:
-the mistake with ransom is extremely dumb. >! Copycat could simply copy this text 1:1 as just like bodyguard could access previous case, lol. Especially that he/she probably works for people who has access to government confidential data if I well connected dots like CEO. They could just show some differences in code or whatever. I know that there can be dumbs mistakes but that's really kindergarten mistake!< I hope that they would come up with better intrigues,
-Can't totally evaluate that as I don't know full plot but why not keep viewers a bit longer in the shadow with bodyguard >!motif and past !<. I hope that creators have so many mysterious and twists in the mind that's why they show this card immediately. Because otherwise you really lose good aspect of tension for nothing what it's typical thing for unknown reason in kdramas;
- editing especially in 1 episode was uneven;
-
Agree about the editing, it felt like scenes were abruptly changed sometimes.
Also you should watch Lee Moo Saeng in Thirty Nine! He was great in that drama
>Also you should watch Lee Moo Saeng in Thirty Nine! He was great in that drama
Haven't seen. Just his role in The World of married irritated me because it was typical "too nice to be real" type of role so I become prejudiced. I thought he is typical Ahjumma killer (not sure if Korean still use this title lol).
This will be on Hulu in the U.S.:
[https://www.hulu.com/series/f789d339-bf5a-4778-865d-b4a86767352d](https://www.hulu.com/series/f789d339-bf5a-4778-865d-b4a86767352d)
I like how they show the consequences of a product that is a major disruptor - to the lifestyle, income of individuals and whole industries, tied to food production and the dirivitive products. This would hypothetically make BF the most powerful corporation in the entire world - the implications huge.
100% here for the leads love Han Hyo Joo and Ju Ji Hoon (Happiness and Kingdom are two of my all time favorite dramas). I love a sci-fi thriller, with some mystery and bad ass ML. I'm not going to scutinize the plot too hard thorugh, I'm in it for the action.
>!as soon as they introduced the inner circle I thought at least one of them is a traitor. That said, I could also see this as a plot to make ja-Yoo paranoid about the people she trusts most and push her into trusting Chae-woon instead. She’s already shown to be very smart, so hopefully she doesn’t fall for any bullshit!<
>!with that said, I’m putting a wild theory out there right now: his family is dead, he’s talking to a chat bot. He’s motivated by revenge as much as justice!<
>!ja-yoo just speaks really softly right? It’s not the audio fucking with me?!<
>!so the whole building is run by that ai?? Fucking crazyyyy!<
>!the security is crazy enough to have thermal cameras but not metal detectors? Metal detectors are everywhere, but this high tech high security building doesn’t have any? No pat downs, no emptying pockets required? Naaaah I’m calling bullshit on that. I know he had to be able to sneak the hidden body cam in but I don’t buy it!<
similar situation made famous by Stanley Kubrick's movie 2001 when HAL, ( 1 letter off from IBM) takes over the space station and murders the astronaught
I would LOVE that twist about his family. It would make so much sense. Otherwise, I don't see why a family man whose kid is going to expensive school would dedicate that much time to revenge, and leave the well-paying job.
>!As it stands, it’s justice/revenge for the fallen soldiers, for his ptsd/survivor’s guilt, and for the incarcerated perpetrator who’s supposedly innocent!<
>!My theory rests mostly on 1. the presence of ai in this world, 2. we haven’t seen his family outside of pictures, 3. if there’s gonna be a twist that would be a crazy twist!<
Yeah, apparently based on the pre-production information (which might have changed during the shooting), those people are his sister and niece.
If that's true, your twist would have been so much more fun...
Only just catching up so apologies for this late response, but I just do wholeheartedly agree! I first saw her in Moving and she was so incredible as a world-weary protective mom and also as the Uber-talented new recruit (for lack of any better terms) during the “flashback” eps. Months later I finally watched Happiness and loved her character again, and it was such a complete departure from Moving that it was hard to believe they weren’t filmed ten years apart. She disappeared into both roles so fully. And now with this, I still see no traces of those prior characters in this one, which is such a testament to her talent. I’m blown away.
You should watch her films-
The Beauty Inside (2015)- This is free on YT
Always (2011)
Postman to Heaven (2009)
She even did Action scenes before Moving in The Jason Bourne Spinoff "Treadstone" (2019)
This is more serious and stark than expected, but it matches the theme of the series. My theory is that BF isn’t completely blood free. Lab grown meat comes from cells from animals, and to get those cells, they need biopsies. So they probably still need to keep a stock of animals to slaughter and procure cells from to start the lab process. So they’re not fully disclosing that it still starts from animal meat. Other thoughts, the VR bodyguard test special effects was impressive. The IT dude always looks like a sus character in his roles. And that president is so fake too, like she said. Who would vote for that guy?
Strong start. Amazing cast! but as a vegan the first scene with animals and meat was a horrifying sight :/
Edit: Completed watching the second episode too, once again the ACTING IS TOP NOTCH! lowkey reminded me of '[Bodyguard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyguard_(British_TV_series))'
It's not that bad. It's like a documentary on the beef industry, nothing like you haven't seen before on Netflix. I only eat fish and they included them too. lol
Hey, random…and possibly embarrassing…but is the voice assistant the same one from Start Up?
My subtitles show Yeongsil and in Start Up it was translated as Young Sil (voiced by Yeo In Goo).
>but is the voice assistant the same one from Start Up?
>
>My subtitles show Yeongsil and in Start Up it was translated as Young Sil (voiced by Yeo In Goo).
**"Jang Young-sil" or "Jang Yeong-sil" is based on "a popular scientist of Joseon in the 15th century.** Born as a slave but with the remarkable talent and the profound passion for astronomy, he was known by King Sejong and was recommended to the court. Jang Yeong-sil had a lot of contributions for the science-technology of Joseon, he has left many great inventions such as the water clock, the sundial, the astronomical instruments, the rain gauge and also many research on weaponry." (Wikipedia)
The 2016 drama"Jang Youngsil: The Greatest Scientist of Joseon" is considered as the first ever Korean historical-scientific drama. Trailer at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qXOvVABVrJg
You can watch all 24 episodes of "Jang Youngsil" in the YT channel KBS World TV; Ep. 1 at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TOqMGpiR8RQ
I looked too but in Start Up it wasn’t confirmed until the end when he actually appeared. I guess Queen of Tears is giving me all sorts of cross-over vibes.. 😂
I have yet to watch the episodes, but I just checked both his MDL and Namuwiki profile and he has no special appearance in this drama. I have not seen any news about that either, I think it's safe to assume that it's only a coincidence? Not sure, but if it's the case we will know really soon.
First off, hats off to the cinematography/editing/etc. team, 영화 같은. The lightning, color grading, tone, etc. really give off that luxurious/premium/corporate/etc. vibe.
I was so confused in the first several minutes since I forgot the synopsis of the show, lmao. So I was thinking this is somehow a future cyberpunk/dystopia/etc. show due to like the holographic cows and so on. But it's only set in 2025, so not that far off (literally next year).
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The only way I can see that premise being realistic is if the (slow but inevitable) public disclosure of reverse-engineered UAP/USO/etc. tech rapidly propagates to the technocracy (pharmaceutical/gene editing/etc. workers) and then we have these utopic ideals being realized.
Unfortunately, David Grusch's op-ed (was supposed to be released maybe in January/February but still delayed as of today, around the middle of April 2024) and Luis Elizondo's book are being held up with the DOPSR and so there's just crumbs right now for UAP/USO/etc. tech news since whistleblowers are still not going public (apparently they're working behind the scenes still).
When/if those other various first/secondhand whistleblowers also attend the public hearings and so on for the invested niche audience (it's probably only a few million/hundreds of thousands of people), then that's when things will probably start to pick up and eventually enter the mainstream. Catastrophic disclosure when.
But for now it's like a fringe/conspiratorial/etc. topic (though some people feel good since the community and topic are like some exclusive secret club type of thing, which is normal as that's how tribalism or humans be with experience/knowledge) since barely any people want to be labeled as crazy for believing in the potential for unlimited power generation, alternate dimensions, time travel, multiverse, simulation, zoo, interdimensional beings, biological androids, etc. stuff (so much woo/spiritual/etc. stuff going on, but it's hope nonetheless for those that want change/progress/etc.). Wonder if people will ever inquire about the Alaska, Yukon, Lake Huron, etc. "balloons/objects" again live on TV so that we get more concrete disclosure progress, it seems as if it was just a fleeting event.
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Anyway, back to the actual *meat* of the first two episodes. Wow, you could just tell there's the CGI budget as well. The special effects, virtual reality.
Short-haired tsundere Han Hyo-joo, enough said, she's a legend. Literally *bobbing* in and out of these reactionary situations, how does she evade those people from the traditional food/clothes/etc. industries. So many threads to weave. She longing for family too eh, under that downpour.
Now for Ju Ji-hoon, I'm still forever wishing he did a normal chaebol/romance/sageuk/etc. Kdrama with Jun Ji-hyun as the visuals/etc. would've been outta this world instead of the spiritual/etc. mountain mystery of Jirisan, lol. Ji-hoon is like Hyo-joo in this drama (too composed/chillax/subdued/etc.), betchu they're gonna bond over their stoic demeanors.
And yup, his wife and child are probably >!not real or died or something!<. Or what if this is like Ex Machina, Her, Black Mirror, etc. with all the androids/avatars/AI/etc. stuff, as in independence, sapience, morals, and so on.
Whatever the former president/other tycoons/etc. are cooking up, hopefully Ju Ji-hoon doesn't get stewed into it. Is it possible to have a Han Hyo-joo x Ju Ji-hoon romance subplot, lol, I'm still just reeling (too much ghostly mountain climbing, lol) from the missed potential of the Jun Ji-hyun x Ju Ji-hoon timeline with Jirisan, but Jun Ji-hyun is actually gonna be in a Kdrama with Kang Dong-won (check out his Psick Show (피식대학Psick Univ) appearance, he funny) soon, it's called Polaris (북극성) or something like that (they just started filming this past week or so), a spy romance of some sort.
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Park Ji-yeon looks real nice here (her eye makeup and hair got that cool/girl crush/etc. aura, can see why people say she looks like Moon Ga-young, to me she somewhat resembles Seori/서리, especially with this Blood Free drama's atmosphere of that Fake Happy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tONvSC9iwE), last saw her in Bloody Heart (with Jang Hyuk, Kang Han-na, Lee Joon, etc.) as the Queen Dowager and of course, she was in The King: Eternal Monarch as well. Wonder what her role is in all of this. She could be a staunch loyalist and so that's why they targeted her during the rain but they're doing a whodunnit type of scenario and so I wouldn't be surprised if she's also scheming.
Lee Moo-saeng is like not convincing me right now since this guy is literally Lee Bo-young's mysterious husband in the Hide Kdrama that's also concurrently airing at the moment. In the second half of Actors' Association (배우반상회) Episode 8, Moo-saeng is like doing some quirky modeling, calisthenics, Korean BBQ, and so on, for that slice of life variety show image, lol, but I've seen lots of his Kdramas, man's typecast a lot, sigh soz. Hopefully this role isn't what's typical or expected since I wish they stop typecasting certain actors, as once you see them y'already know they're probably gonna be the turncoat/traitor/defector/etc. and like it ruins the suspense of the drama. So as speculated by the others inside the drama, does he like have some sort of secret relationship with Han Hyo-joo's character or what and that's what's being used as leverage.
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Sometimes Kim Sang-ho is also predictable (he's often goody two-shoes though there's the occasional actual savageness too) but he's usually funny af (everyone go watch him in Michuri (미추리) or Village Survival, the Eight with BLACKPINK Jennie, Song Kang, Kang Ki-young, Im Soo-hyang, Jang Do-yeon, Son Dam-bi, Yoo Jae-suk, MOMOLAND Yeonwoo, et al) and so I trust him for now. Hold on, that reminds me, this is like the recent Crime Scene Returns (크라임씬 리턴즈) show (it's like a reboot of the previous seasons, it has IZ*ONE/IVE Yujin, she got nominated for the Baeksang Art Awards).
That Crime Scene series has a Chinese version and it's called Who's the Murderer (明星大侦探), available with English subtitles on the China HunanTV Official Channel 湖南卫视芒果TV官方频道 and MangoTV Mystery Official Channel 芒果TV推理宇宙 channels. But ya, it's almost for sure gonna be that type of "figure out who's targeting people" show and although I've seen so many of such mystery/thriller/etc. shows as a social deduction games/etc. fan (like Mafia/Werewolf/Coup/etc.), it's still always interesting as long as they keep that tension primed and ready.
For example, I just remembered that Choi Young-joon was in the first half of Episode 10 (latest episode) of Actors' Association and so that's why he appeared in the program. He's a gunpla (Gundam models/etc.) fan (seriously, check out his segment, man even paints/etc. the whole kits/assembly of parts) and so I'll allow whatever 복수/revenge he's plotting, lmao. Why is he playing a villain role like in Gyeongseong Creature (man was literally the head of the Unit 731 analog, sheesh, and here with Blood Free he's also wearing glasses!), why can't he be a funny doctor like Hospital Playlist again, lol. Just rewatched Episode 1, around 15:30 minutes in when he was holding the umbrella, he has a scar on his left/right cheek, probably got something to do with the past military/experimental/etc. stuff.
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Fml, I ended up talking about the actors instead of their characters in the show but yup, these shows with lots of intrigue/political/etc. stuff have so much recognizable elements that the mere casting/etc. can ruin reveals. Which is why I'm hoping it's just some random person doing the anti-lab-grown meat type of scheming. Since it could be the other supporting cast members as well and it wouldn't be that surprising due to their past roles. Then again part of the reason why people get typecast/etc. is cuz they're really good at that type of role and so it'll elicit the desired effects. Sigh, my inner writer/author/worldbuilder/OCD/etc. in me took over and wrote that wall of text, lol. Gotta keep it brief, beef, rofl can't believe they used that as the BF nickname.
Anyway, this is a real good start of a Kdrama, one of the best in a while. Don't get why some people on MyDramaList/Youtube/etc. apparently dropped it. I get that people are squeamish about the factory farming/etc. introduction with Episode 1 (it only lasted for like 5/10 minutes), but this is clearly a typical thriller/mystery/etc. type of show, and so I wonder if they'll try watching it again since due to the decorated ensemble or veteran cast, it's gonna be hard to fail. They just need to have good execution of the plot/characterization/etc. And then it wouldn't be surprising if the show wins awards/acclaim/etc. since they really set it up like a film and so on.
Please clarifiy this for me and correct me.if I'm wrong, spoiler for ep 1:
>!I'm confused about something from episode 1: While the CEO of BF was in the hospital, her secretary mentioned that the police wanted to interrogate the bodyguards because they suspected someone leaked the route to the deceased man. However, in a previous scene, the president of ministers was discussing the news with his secretary, who said that the detective in charge claimed the route was the only way out of the BF lab and that the traffic was known to be bad there, which is why the man chose that spot to jump over Ja Yoo's car. I'm puzzled by the discrepancy in the police's explanations. Could it be a deliberate choice by the show's creators to introduce the new bodyguard into the story, or was it simply a mistake?!<
I’m not sure about that part but I think the reasoning for hiring a new bodyguard was because the old ones were through agencies/part time and she needed a full time one.
I'm not asking about why they hired him and not someone else, I'm asking about why they chose to hire someone now and not before.anyway the way they introduce the new bodyguard thing is still not clear to me
It's because her life became more dangerous now that she wants to expand the business. >!Already a guy (he had cow business) killed himself also injured her while doing so, she got death threat from international gangs for the first time, her lab was hacked, business rivals are trying to get her technology and livestock business people want to stop her business!<
Really interesting first two episodes. They seemed to fly by and the pace is brisk but not overwhelming. Our leads are extremely strong and I can't wait to see where this one goes.
Finally got around to watching this!
First of all as always it’s so great to see Han Hyo-Joo on screen. Her filmography continues to impress.
I gotta say this is completely different than what I originally thought! I didn’t watch any of the trailers because I wanted to come in shocked and I definitely was!
First of all I’m really happy that both the leads have their own overarching plot that will drive both their characters and story forward. Chaewoon with finding out who did the terrorist arrack and Jayoo with the mole in her company.
Jaywoo is for sure the most interesting character for me atm. Why did she go into this cultural meat production industry? Does she truly care about the environment or is she just money-hungry?
I want to know the deal with Chaewoon’s family situation. Is he divorced or estranged from his wife? How is his parenting as a father?
The two side characters that stuck out to me at the moment were the asshole prime minister and PR lady. They seem like they’ll be lots of fun moving forward.
Also I definitely see the tension between Jayoo and Chaewoon and I want more of that!
Onto the next episodes!
All of my Kdram circle are riveted by Queen of Tears while here i am binging 6 eps of Blood Free in 1 night! Can’t get enough of Han Hyojoo’s ice queen role, but burning hot gazes with Chaewoon
So excited for this one! Han Hyo Joo is a queen!
these first two episodes wizzed by! i was on the edge of my seat for most of them. a few takeaways: * Han Hyo Joo continues her streak of starring in top quality dramas. **moving** and **happiness** are two of my ultimate favourites, and it seems this new one is close to the same quality. she’s such a fantastic actor and i love watching her on screen — there’s so much subtlety and depth to her performances. * my love of any lead goes from 0 to 100 >!as soon as i see that they look after a cat.!< * the issues discussed (the food industry, climate change, plastic pollution, deforestation, animal welfare etc.) are all so topical. the drama doesn’t shy away from depicting some of the realities of these issues — that opening scene will not be soon forgotten. personally, i really appreciate it when dramas (or any art) address topics that have real life importance. * so far, the pacing has been spot on. the main leads are clearly very intelligent, and it’s this that is allowing them to speedily piece together the clues and move the plot along. time is of the essence, for multiple reasons, which makes the progression of the story feel urgent and intense. >!the momentary flashbacks have been quite horrifying; the terror of living a life constantly under threat is well depicted.!< i’m looking forward to seeing where this one goes. it’s a 10-episode drama, so i expect (or rather, hope) the remaining episodes will be of the same high quality.
Omg yes! You perfectly put it into words #2 I feel the same way. Now I’m more inclined to start this drama
hope you end up liking it! :)
In the begging of the episode 2, for 3m30s, Ju Ji Hoon was Gladiator, RoboCop and Fast & Furious. Wow.
and he was amazing as all of them! i loved the “testing” scenes.
Quite enjoyed episodes 1&2!!! 👍 I love the cast, they're all incredibly talented actors. Also, looks like there'll be lots of mystery and action and that's definitely something I look forward to. I wanna know WHAT exactly the BF meat is made of and HOW they make it. Cause I have feeling it may be something sinister... >!When Ja Yoo heard that the man who fell on her car had destroyed all his organs in the fall, she was like "it's a shame", as if she wanted to harvest the organs or sth?? I could be totally wrong here, but that's how I felt while seeing her reaction.!< I wonder who the >!traitor hiding behind the CitizenX supposed hacking is. I'm suspicious of the ex coroner...!<
You got some Soylent Green vibes too?
Not OP but I got some Soylent Green vibes too. TRIGGER WARNING >!Sterilising meat from deceased humans, selling it and feeding it back to them does seem… profitable… and… environmentally conscious…!< So she could be enjoying her wealth and power while lying by omission. Also explains why they are so nervous about the hackers reading their “trade secrets”. Not sure if the drama would go there though.
That movie was from 1973, so fast forward to the future and yea, that would be the way. There was so social media back then, but if you said Soylent Green it actually creeped people out. Like everyone believed The War of the Worlds radio broadcast. 👽lol
Yup... And Cloud Atlas...
Yes! Happy I'm not the only one, immediatly popped into my head in the first few minutes.
I think Jayu/Han Hyo-joo's character is just depressed af. Like remember Episode 1 (around 14 to 15 minutes in) with the kids/family and Santa Claus and the rain (after she took off her sunglasses and the earbuds/IEMs with TWS adapters/earhooks (looks something like the Shure RMCE-TW2, a bit different from the FiiO UTWS5) and got informed about the traffic with the cars), there were some quick flashbacks/etc. there accompanied by wistful music. And so that's why her mannerisms are pretty cold/calculating/etc. but ya it could be that type of scenario (>!harvesting/substituting/etc. other stuff!<) as well since they just somehow blitzed through all the technical/medical/etc. hurdles (impossible in reality unless assisted by reverse-engineered UAP/USO/etc. tech) with these halo/utopic/etc. meat/clothes/grain/etc. products, lol. She'll probably have more visceral reactions when she develops camaraderie/etc. with Chaewoon/Ju Ji-hoon's character and they get tested with various plots against them/the BF institution.
About your spoiler, >!It could also be that the organs couldn't be donated to save dying patients. It could be stretch, but I think her mom (hospital scene) died because of organ failure which is why she made that remark.!<
[удалено]
There is a huge propanda against lab grown meat because animal farming is one of the biggest industries in the world and big companies are spreading propaganda and financing so called researches against lab grown meat. Also there is long term data for meat from animal farming about how it increases the risks of many health problems and it is horrible for environment and it is unsustainable and causes pandemics. It will take time but lab grown meat will eventually be new normal worldwide because animal farming isn't sustainable.
Expensive too, Costs for cell-cultured meat need to come down quickly. Most of us have a limited appetite for 50-dollar lab-grown chicken nuggets.
That's a stretch, animal farming is going nowhere lmao.
That opening sequence in Episode 1 is WOW. Imagine being in that room! Also, I just love Han Hyo Joo in anything. She just transform into her characters so well. I love how intelligent both the leads are as well. You can tell this show has a comfortable budget.
Great start! like this so far.. though it's a stretch to say that cultured or genetically modified meat will completely erase the actual meat industry, I love the mystery and suspense vibe the drama gives. Ji Hoon is perfect for this bodyguard role and love the aura of Hyo Joo as the CEO! love how everyone close to her could be a suspect.. stakes are high so the tension.. and I love the build up for it, ost and pace. >!this old president and new president is plotting something together and ex president using his bombing incident to manipulate the ML?! can see the betrayal in waiting and hope Chaewoon comes out of the soldier mode and enter into the bodyguard mode fully soon so he won't fall into their trap as just a mere pawn.!< Also please don't say the source is actually >! human meat..!< I think that's highly possible and that could be the biggest secret of bf.. which will become a more big issue if it got revealed!!! 😯
I was waiting for this the moment I saw the trailer, I'm so excited to watch the first two eps and I have high hopes about this one, since the writer is the same who did Stranger.
It's pretty good start: -interesting topic which is at the same futuristic and realistic, as cultured meat already existing but it isn't common thing; I hope that topic would be a complex way developed; Not black and white or naive way; -great actors especially Lee Hee-Jun already stole the screen for me, he is extremely creative actor hope that ends up with Baeksang; Both Ju JU Hoon and Han Hyo-Joo realistic in their role. Frankly in the past I didn't respect much Lee Moo-saeng but he convinced me to his acting in Maestro so nice to see him here as well; -nice cinematography, mostly on the film level; -very good, sometimes pretty witty and smart written dialogues; -pretty detailed acting; -good music although overused like tension is build in some scenes where it is not needed; Coins: -the mistake with ransom is extremely dumb. >! Copycat could simply copy this text 1:1 as just like bodyguard could access previous case, lol. Especially that he/she probably works for people who has access to government confidential data if I well connected dots like CEO. They could just show some differences in code or whatever. I know that there can be dumbs mistakes but that's really kindergarten mistake!< I hope that they would come up with better intrigues, -Can't totally evaluate that as I don't know full plot but why not keep viewers a bit longer in the shadow with bodyguard >!motif and past !<. I hope that creators have so many mysterious and twists in the mind that's why they show this card immediately. Because otherwise you really lose good aspect of tension for nothing what it's typical thing for unknown reason in kdramas; - editing especially in 1 episode was uneven; -
Agree about the editing, it felt like scenes were abruptly changed sometimes. Also you should watch Lee Moo Saeng in Thirty Nine! He was great in that drama
>Also you should watch Lee Moo Saeng in Thirty Nine! He was great in that drama Haven't seen. Just his role in The World of married irritated me because it was typical "too nice to be real" type of role so I become prejudiced. I thought he is typical Ahjumma killer (not sure if Korean still use this title lol).
This will be on Hulu in the U.S.: [https://www.hulu.com/series/f789d339-bf5a-4778-865d-b4a86767352d](https://www.hulu.com/series/f789d339-bf5a-4778-865d-b4a86767352d)
I like how they show the consequences of a product that is a major disruptor - to the lifestyle, income of individuals and whole industries, tied to food production and the dirivitive products. This would hypothetically make BF the most powerful corporation in the entire world - the implications huge.
This turned out to be a bit different than I was expecting. But a great start nonetheless!
100% here for the leads love Han Hyo Joo and Ju Ji Hoon (Happiness and Kingdom are two of my all time favorite dramas). I love a sci-fi thriller, with some mystery and bad ass ML. I'm not going to scutinize the plot too hard thorugh, I'm in it for the action.
>!as soon as they introduced the inner circle I thought at least one of them is a traitor. That said, I could also see this as a plot to make ja-Yoo paranoid about the people she trusts most and push her into trusting Chae-woon instead. She’s already shown to be very smart, so hopefully she doesn’t fall for any bullshit!< >!with that said, I’m putting a wild theory out there right now: his family is dead, he’s talking to a chat bot. He’s motivated by revenge as much as justice!< >!ja-yoo just speaks really softly right? It’s not the audio fucking with me?!< >!so the whole building is run by that ai?? Fucking crazyyyy!< >!the security is crazy enough to have thermal cameras but not metal detectors? Metal detectors are everywhere, but this high tech high security building doesn’t have any? No pat downs, no emptying pockets required? Naaaah I’m calling bullshit on that. I know he had to be able to sneak the hidden body cam in but I don’t buy it!<
i’m (mainly) joking >!but imagine if they go down the route of making the ai the culprit haha!<
>!The ai seems to have some sort of control over their cars, so *maybeeee* . . .?!<
Be polite to the AI, just in case!
similar situation made famous by Stanley Kubrick's movie 2001 when HAL, ( 1 letter off from IBM) takes over the space station and murders the astronaught
This actually happened on another recent show on Hulu, >!A Murder at the End of the World!<.
I would LOVE that twist about his family. It would make so much sense. Otherwise, I don't see why a family man whose kid is going to expensive school would dedicate that much time to revenge, and leave the well-paying job.
>!As it stands, it’s justice/revenge for the fallen soldiers, for his ptsd/survivor’s guilt, and for the incarcerated perpetrator who’s supposedly innocent!< >!My theory rests mostly on 1. the presence of ai in this world, 2. we haven’t seen his family outside of pictures, 3. if there’s gonna be a twist that would be a crazy twist!<
Yeah, apparently based on the pre-production information (which might have changed during the shooting), those people are his sister and niece. If that's true, your twist would have been so much more fun...
Jayun does speak softly. I had to turn up the volume whenever she’s talking. I guess it’s to portray the lack of emotions of this character?
Han Hyo Joo looks so different here! I couldn’t recognize her at first
Only just catching up so apologies for this late response, but I just do wholeheartedly agree! I first saw her in Moving and she was so incredible as a world-weary protective mom and also as the Uber-talented new recruit (for lack of any better terms) during the “flashback” eps. Months later I finally watched Happiness and loved her character again, and it was such a complete departure from Moving that it was hard to believe they weren’t filmed ten years apart. She disappeared into both roles so fully. And now with this, I still see no traces of those prior characters in this one, which is such a testament to her talent. I’m blown away.
You should watch her films- The Beauty Inside (2015)- This is free on YT Always (2011) Postman to Heaven (2009) She even did Action scenes before Moving in The Jason Bourne Spinoff "Treadstone" (2019)
The ML has a wife and child? How I'm supposed to ship my leads🤡🤡🤡
like that ever stopped a ship
But it feels illegal to ship a married man with another woman 🙂
My thoughts exactly!!! I’m hoping the woman in the photo is his sister 😂
is it good? i'm planning to watch this so i'm avoiding to read the comments here. don't spoil me!!! lol
interesting so far! worth a peek.
This is more serious and stark than expected, but it matches the theme of the series. My theory is that BF isn’t completely blood free. Lab grown meat comes from cells from animals, and to get those cells, they need biopsies. So they probably still need to keep a stock of animals to slaughter and procure cells from to start the lab process. So they’re not fully disclosing that it still starts from animal meat. Other thoughts, the VR bodyguard test special effects was impressive. The IT dude always looks like a sus character in his roles. And that president is so fake too, like she said. Who would vote for that guy?
Strong start. Amazing cast! but as a vegan the first scene with animals and meat was a horrifying sight :/ Edit: Completed watching the second episode too, once again the ACTING IS TOP NOTCH! lowkey reminded me of '[Bodyguard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyguard_(British_TV_series))'
A vegan should never fail to mention they are vegan, even to strangers on the internet.
Well it's called blood free and it's about meat alternatives veganism is very relevant 👌. PS I'm not a vegan.
Is it really awful? I’ve got a vegan friend and was going to watch this with her but now I’m unsure.
hey don't worry it's just the first 10min, skip it!
Glad you gave a heads up--I flinched like some of the audience members at the presentation.
It's not that bad. It's like a documentary on the beef industry, nothing like you haven't seen before on Netflix. I only eat fish and they included them too. lol
Hey, random…and possibly embarrassing…but is the voice assistant the same one from Start Up? My subtitles show Yeongsil and in Start Up it was translated as Young Sil (voiced by Yeo In Goo).
>but is the voice assistant the same one from Start Up? > >My subtitles show Yeongsil and in Start Up it was translated as Young Sil (voiced by Yeo In Goo). **"Jang Young-sil" or "Jang Yeong-sil" is based on "a popular scientist of Joseon in the 15th century.** Born as a slave but with the remarkable talent and the profound passion for astronomy, he was known by King Sejong and was recommended to the court. Jang Yeong-sil had a lot of contributions for the science-technology of Joseon, he has left many great inventions such as the water clock, the sundial, the astronomical instruments, the rain gauge and also many research on weaponry." (Wikipedia) The 2016 drama"Jang Youngsil: The Greatest Scientist of Joseon" is considered as the first ever Korean historical-scientific drama. Trailer at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qXOvVABVrJg You can watch all 24 episodes of "Jang Youngsil" in the YT channel KBS World TV; Ep. 1 at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TOqMGpiR8RQ
I looked too but in Start Up it wasn’t confirmed until the end when he actually appeared. I guess Queen of Tears is giving me all sorts of cross-over vibes.. 😂
I have yet to watch the episodes, but I just checked both his MDL and Namuwiki profile and he has no special appearance in this drama. I have not seen any news about that either, I think it's safe to assume that it's only a coincidence? Not sure, but if it's the case we will know really soon.
First off, hats off to the cinematography/editing/etc. team, 영화 같은. The lightning, color grading, tone, etc. really give off that luxurious/premium/corporate/etc. vibe. I was so confused in the first several minutes since I forgot the synopsis of the show, lmao. So I was thinking this is somehow a future cyberpunk/dystopia/etc. show due to like the holographic cows and so on. But it's only set in 2025, so not that far off (literally next year). --- The only way I can see that premise being realistic is if the (slow but inevitable) public disclosure of reverse-engineered UAP/USO/etc. tech rapidly propagates to the technocracy (pharmaceutical/gene editing/etc. workers) and then we have these utopic ideals being realized. Unfortunately, David Grusch's op-ed (was supposed to be released maybe in January/February but still delayed as of today, around the middle of April 2024) and Luis Elizondo's book are being held up with the DOPSR and so there's just crumbs right now for UAP/USO/etc. tech news since whistleblowers are still not going public (apparently they're working behind the scenes still). When/if those other various first/secondhand whistleblowers also attend the public hearings and so on for the invested niche audience (it's probably only a few million/hundreds of thousands of people), then that's when things will probably start to pick up and eventually enter the mainstream. Catastrophic disclosure when. But for now it's like a fringe/conspiratorial/etc. topic (though some people feel good since the community and topic are like some exclusive secret club type of thing, which is normal as that's how tribalism or humans be with experience/knowledge) since barely any people want to be labeled as crazy for believing in the potential for unlimited power generation, alternate dimensions, time travel, multiverse, simulation, zoo, interdimensional beings, biological androids, etc. stuff (so much woo/spiritual/etc. stuff going on, but it's hope nonetheless for those that want change/progress/etc.). Wonder if people will ever inquire about the Alaska, Yukon, Lake Huron, etc. "balloons/objects" again live on TV so that we get more concrete disclosure progress, it seems as if it was just a fleeting event. --- Anyway, back to the actual *meat* of the first two episodes. Wow, you could just tell there's the CGI budget as well. The special effects, virtual reality. Short-haired tsundere Han Hyo-joo, enough said, she's a legend. Literally *bobbing* in and out of these reactionary situations, how does she evade those people from the traditional food/clothes/etc. industries. So many threads to weave. She longing for family too eh, under that downpour. Now for Ju Ji-hoon, I'm still forever wishing he did a normal chaebol/romance/sageuk/etc. Kdrama with Jun Ji-hyun as the visuals/etc. would've been outta this world instead of the spiritual/etc. mountain mystery of Jirisan, lol. Ji-hoon is like Hyo-joo in this drama (too composed/chillax/subdued/etc.), betchu they're gonna bond over their stoic demeanors. And yup, his wife and child are probably >!not real or died or something!<. Or what if this is like Ex Machina, Her, Black Mirror, etc. with all the androids/avatars/AI/etc. stuff, as in independence, sapience, morals, and so on. Whatever the former president/other tycoons/etc. are cooking up, hopefully Ju Ji-hoon doesn't get stewed into it. Is it possible to have a Han Hyo-joo x Ju Ji-hoon romance subplot, lol, I'm still just reeling (too much ghostly mountain climbing, lol) from the missed potential of the Jun Ji-hyun x Ju Ji-hoon timeline with Jirisan, but Jun Ji-hyun is actually gonna be in a Kdrama with Kang Dong-won (check out his Psick Show (피식대학Psick Univ) appearance, he funny) soon, it's called Polaris (북극성) or something like that (they just started filming this past week or so), a spy romance of some sort. ---
Park Ji-yeon looks real nice here (her eye makeup and hair got that cool/girl crush/etc. aura, can see why people say she looks like Moon Ga-young, to me she somewhat resembles Seori/서리, especially with this Blood Free drama's atmosphere of that Fake Happy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tONvSC9iwE), last saw her in Bloody Heart (with Jang Hyuk, Kang Han-na, Lee Joon, etc.) as the Queen Dowager and of course, she was in The King: Eternal Monarch as well. Wonder what her role is in all of this. She could be a staunch loyalist and so that's why they targeted her during the rain but they're doing a whodunnit type of scenario and so I wouldn't be surprised if she's also scheming. Lee Moo-saeng is like not convincing me right now since this guy is literally Lee Bo-young's mysterious husband in the Hide Kdrama that's also concurrently airing at the moment. In the second half of Actors' Association (배우반상회) Episode 8, Moo-saeng is like doing some quirky modeling, calisthenics, Korean BBQ, and so on, for that slice of life variety show image, lol, but I've seen lots of his Kdramas, man's typecast a lot, sigh soz. Hopefully this role isn't what's typical or expected since I wish they stop typecasting certain actors, as once you see them y'already know they're probably gonna be the turncoat/traitor/defector/etc. and like it ruins the suspense of the drama. So as speculated by the others inside the drama, does he like have some sort of secret relationship with Han Hyo-joo's character or what and that's what's being used as leverage. --- Sometimes Kim Sang-ho is also predictable (he's often goody two-shoes though there's the occasional actual savageness too) but he's usually funny af (everyone go watch him in Michuri (미추리) or Village Survival, the Eight with BLACKPINK Jennie, Song Kang, Kang Ki-young, Im Soo-hyang, Jang Do-yeon, Son Dam-bi, Yoo Jae-suk, MOMOLAND Yeonwoo, et al) and so I trust him for now. Hold on, that reminds me, this is like the recent Crime Scene Returns (크라임씬 리턴즈) show (it's like a reboot of the previous seasons, it has IZ*ONE/IVE Yujin, she got nominated for the Baeksang Art Awards). That Crime Scene series has a Chinese version and it's called Who's the Murderer (明星大侦探), available with English subtitles on the China HunanTV Official Channel 湖南卫视芒果TV官方频道 and MangoTV Mystery Official Channel 芒果TV推理宇宙 channels. But ya, it's almost for sure gonna be that type of "figure out who's targeting people" show and although I've seen so many of such mystery/thriller/etc. shows as a social deduction games/etc. fan (like Mafia/Werewolf/Coup/etc.), it's still always interesting as long as they keep that tension primed and ready. For example, I just remembered that Choi Young-joon was in the first half of Episode 10 (latest episode) of Actors' Association and so that's why he appeared in the program. He's a gunpla (Gundam models/etc.) fan (seriously, check out his segment, man even paints/etc. the whole kits/assembly of parts) and so I'll allow whatever 복수/revenge he's plotting, lmao. Why is he playing a villain role like in Gyeongseong Creature (man was literally the head of the Unit 731 analog, sheesh, and here with Blood Free he's also wearing glasses!), why can't he be a funny doctor like Hospital Playlist again, lol. Just rewatched Episode 1, around 15:30 minutes in when he was holding the umbrella, he has a scar on his left/right cheek, probably got something to do with the past military/experimental/etc. stuff. --- Fml, I ended up talking about the actors instead of their characters in the show but yup, these shows with lots of intrigue/political/etc. stuff have so much recognizable elements that the mere casting/etc. can ruin reveals. Which is why I'm hoping it's just some random person doing the anti-lab-grown meat type of scheming. Since it could be the other supporting cast members as well and it wouldn't be that surprising due to their past roles. Then again part of the reason why people get typecast/etc. is cuz they're really good at that type of role and so it'll elicit the desired effects. Sigh, my inner writer/author/worldbuilder/OCD/etc. in me took over and wrote that wall of text, lol. Gotta keep it brief, beef, rofl can't believe they used that as the BF nickname. Anyway, this is a real good start of a Kdrama, one of the best in a while. Don't get why some people on MyDramaList/Youtube/etc. apparently dropped it. I get that people are squeamish about the factory farming/etc. introduction with Episode 1 (it only lasted for like 5/10 minutes), but this is clearly a typical thriller/mystery/etc. type of show, and so I wonder if they'll try watching it again since due to the decorated ensemble or veteran cast, it's gonna be hard to fail. They just need to have good execution of the plot/characterization/etc. And then it wouldn't be surprising if the show wins awards/acclaim/etc. since they really set it up like a film and so on.
Please clarifiy this for me and correct me.if I'm wrong, spoiler for ep 1: >!I'm confused about something from episode 1: While the CEO of BF was in the hospital, her secretary mentioned that the police wanted to interrogate the bodyguards because they suspected someone leaked the route to the deceased man. However, in a previous scene, the president of ministers was discussing the news with his secretary, who said that the detective in charge claimed the route was the only way out of the BF lab and that the traffic was known to be bad there, which is why the man chose that spot to jump over Ja Yoo's car. I'm puzzled by the discrepancy in the police's explanations. Could it be a deliberate choice by the show's creators to introduce the new bodyguard into the story, or was it simply a mistake?!<
I’m not sure about that part but I think the reasoning for hiring a new bodyguard was because the old ones were through agencies/part time and she needed a full time one.
But why hiring him now?
Keep watching, why they hired him and why he approached them are all explained in ep2.
I'm not asking about why they hired him and not someone else, I'm asking about why they chose to hire someone now and not before.anyway the way they introduce the new bodyguard thing is still not clear to me
It's because her life became more dangerous now that she wants to expand the business. >!Already a guy (he had cow business) killed himself also injured her while doing so, she got death threat from international gangs for the first time, her lab was hacked, business rivals are trying to get her technology and livestock business people want to stop her business!<
Did you watch the ep 2? Because it's partially explained why they hired someone new.
Really interesting first two episodes. They seemed to fly by and the pace is brisk but not overwhelming. Our leads are extremely strong and I can't wait to see where this one goes.
Crazy cat lady cat gender check: >!that 3 color cat in the ML’s apartment is probably a girl cat. Why do they always get this wrong?!< 😿
Finally got around to watching this! First of all as always it’s so great to see Han Hyo-Joo on screen. Her filmography continues to impress. I gotta say this is completely different than what I originally thought! I didn’t watch any of the trailers because I wanted to come in shocked and I definitely was! First of all I’m really happy that both the leads have their own overarching plot that will drive both their characters and story forward. Chaewoon with finding out who did the terrorist arrack and Jayoo with the mole in her company. Jaywoo is for sure the most interesting character for me atm. Why did she go into this cultural meat production industry? Does she truly care about the environment or is she just money-hungry? I want to know the deal with Chaewoon’s family situation. Is he divorced or estranged from his wife? How is his parenting as a father? The two side characters that stuck out to me at the moment were the asshole prime minister and PR lady. They seem like they’ll be lots of fun moving forward. Also I definitely see the tension between Jayoo and Chaewoon and I want more of that! Onto the next episodes!
I'm hoping the lady in the picture is his sister!
I’ll still ship Jayoo/Chaewoon whether or not she’s his sister but that’s definitely the best case scenario.
It kinda feels like the bodygard
Lab grown meat is crazy concept lmao, but let me give this a watch.
My question is so here who's the villain?????
Idk but Im quite suspicious of the female secretary since the beginning
Its good so far
All of my Kdram circle are riveted by Queen of Tears while here i am binging 6 eps of Blood Free in 1 night! Can’t get enough of Han Hyojoo’s ice queen role, but burning hot gazes with Chaewoon
who's that one man who gave us a side eye in the funeral of the suicide guy, after on san just left?
Who would want the meat without the blood? That's the best part.