It's been awhile! After I watched Extracurricular, I took a break from Kdramas and finished all 3 seasons of Dark, which was absolutely riveting. And then I started on Move to Heaven due to rave reviews, but took ages to finish it because I changed postings at that time with a completely new role (from clinical to admin based), and also started my part-time Master's degree, so I simply did not have the bandwidth. Finally managed to finish this show after almost 2 months as we had a recess week for the Master's.
Move to Heaven is about Cho Sanggu (Lee Jehoon), a boxer released from prison who gets tasked to become the guardian of his nephew, Han Geuru (Tang Joonsang), who has Asperger's syndrome after Geuru's father, Han Jeongwoo passes away. Jeongwoo and Geuru run a trauma cleaning business, helping to organise the belongings of those who have passed away.
One of the reasons I really like Netflix shows is because of the shorter run time and a set number of episodes which is usually lesser than usual kdramas, which means that there is a clear story that the writer has planned out and the writing is tight with little unnecessary scenes. I really dislike dramas that extend their episode run time or fill their episodes with filler and flashbacks. While the first half of the show was slower and kind of essential to build the groundwork, the first few episodes didn't really grip me. Partly due to my other life circumstances (as above), and because of the episodic nature of the show which makes it hard to care for a character that I've only seen for 40minutes. But, the second half of the show was really when all cylinders were fired and it was revelation after revelation, heartbreak after heartbreak. My tears were just free flowing in episodes 8 and 10 especially. Episode 8, in particular, which explores the past relationship of the 2 brothers, made me BAWL. Even when I knew what was coming, the way everything was set up was so perfect.
The writing formed the core, and was brought to life by the wonderful acting. Not enough words for Lee Jehoon who has always been amazing, but episode 8 was really REALLY good. I cried along with him as he realised the truth. Tang Joonsang was so convincing as the young adult with Asperger's, from his mannerisms and demeanor to his facial expressions and manner of speech. I was really surprised to find out that he is so young and he definitely has a bright future ahead.
I also really liked Namu's character, who provided a lot of levity to the otherwise pretty dark show. I actually liked her interactions with Sanggu more than Geuru because the loggerheads dynamic was so entertaining.
The guest stars, especially Ji Jinhee (such a warm wonderful dad) and Lee Jaewook put in heart wrenching performances as well.
The directing was solid and effective, especially when we follow Geuru's mind in figuring out the little mysteries of the week. I have also noticed that Netflix shows do not have an OST, which worked fine in this show.
I was initially let down by the high expectations after all the praise I had seen online, but as the episodes progressed, I totally understood why it got the praise it did. Fully deserving of all the rave reviews, Move to Heaven is something I will not hesitate to recommend and Netflix shows continue to impress this seasoned kdrama watcher with their fresh themes, deft storytelling and outstanding cast.