Sandglass (1995, SBS miniseries)

I could tell you a lot about the historical significance of Sandglass: it's famous for its popularity, and for its daring depiction of Korean life under the Park and Chun dictatorships. Or I could dwell on its personal significance as an early part of my introduction to Korean popular culture, along with the movie A Single Spark and the music of Lee Seunghwan. A Korean friend brought over some of the early episodes on VHS, with subtitles; it was years before I was able to watch the whole series.

But I'd rather talk about its entertainment value. I watched Sandglass on DVD over a four-week period, one episode each night, and I was hooked before I knew it. I haven't gotten so caught up in a TV series since I was a kid.

Sandglass follows its three main characters from early adolescence to full adulthood, from the 1960s to the 1980s. Park Tae-soo (played by Choi Min-su) is a charismatic gangster, adored by the men with whom he breaks up opposition-party meetings. Flashbacks tell us that in high school Tae-soo was a fighter and leader, already wooed by local toughs and politicians. He briefly resisted his destiny under the influence of his close friend Kang Woo-suk. Woo-suk tutored Tae-soo and encouraged him to think about college, much to the delight of Tae-soo's widowed mother. But when Tae-soo was rejected by military college because his late father had been a Communist guerilla, he abandoned himself to a gangster's life.

Woo-suk (Park Sang-won) went on to law school, his goal since childhood. As he prepares for the bar exam, Woo-suk keeps aloof from student activism or anything else that might deflect him from his goal. But he's impressed by a bold young woman, Yoon Hye-rin (Ko Hyun-jung) who edits the Student Association's newspaper. They become friends. Flashbacks show us that Hye-rin is the daughter of a rich and powerful casino owner with ties to the highest levels of the Park Jeong-hee regime. A devoted bodyguard, Baek Jae Hee (Lee Jung-jae), watches over her in her student lodgings and her increasingly dangerous activism. By chance, Woo-suk once again meets Tae-soo, who is also impressed by Hye-rin. Woo-suk (who doesn't know why Tae-soo gave up his academic dreams) is disappointed to learn that his old friend is still on the wrong side of the law. When I become a prosecutor, Woo-suk warns him, I might have to prosecute you....

The most spectacular segment of the series is its recreation of the Gwangju uprising of 1980, which takes up most of two episodes. Tae-soo visits a former subordinate who moved back to Gwangju, and gets caught up in the resistance when government troops are sent in to crush the democratic protests there. He doesn't know that Woo-suk joined the army just in time to be deployed at Gwangju. Hye-rin has escaped arrest and has fled Seoul for the countryside. Archival video footage adds power and authenticity to the program's restaging of the rebellion.

Two-thirds of the series still lies ahead after Gwangju, but Sandglass (as its title implies) is really about time, and about Koreans' struggle to come to terms with their history. Tae-soo, Woo-suk, and Hye-rin must overcome their suffering and pursue their aims and destinies, which they do with great energy. At times I did get tired of Hye-rin's Poor Little Rich Girl routine, especially since her impulsive decisions tend to blow up in other people's faces, not hers. And Woo-suk is such a Boy Scout -- clean, thrifty, brave, reverent, blind to the feelings of the people nearest to him, and prone to give up when at first he doesn't succeed. Only Tae-soo, perhaps because he knows he's damned, seems to know who he is from the beginning, doggedly pursuing what he wants over all obstacles.

To their credit, the stars make their characters credible as people, not just symbols. I fell in love with all three of them, especially Park Sang-won, who I think had the hardest job. Woo-suk could have been an intolerable prig. His best scene is near series end, when he returns to his office after having been interrogated for days at KCIA headquarters. His wife finds him dozing in a stairwell, unhurt physically but exhausted, and too proud to let his colleagues see him in that state. Park really looks as if he hasn't slept in days; it's the only time he looks anything but buttoned-up and alert.

Twenty-four episodes allow space to develop minor characters as well. The inexperienced Lee Jung-jae, for example, who plays Hye-rin's lovelorn bodyguard Jae-hee, is at first given little to do but look pretty. But over time he becomes credible as a man who watches and waits, saying little, while keeping his feelings bottled up.

The Korean friend who introduced me to Sandglass tells me he's watched the whole series three times. I can understand why: as soon as I finished it, I wanted to go back to the beginning and watch it again. I'm lucky most television isn't this good.

Autumn Fairy Tale (2000, KBS miniseries)

Some might find the storyline to be pretty sentimental, as it tells the story of an undying love between two siblings, although they are not related by blood. Song Seung-un is Jun-suh, and Song Hye-gyo is Eun-suh, who grew up together as siblings for fourteen years. Due to a traffic accident, Eun-suh is hospitalized and requires a blood transfusion. It is then that the parents of the two children realize that Eun-suh is not their biological daughter. As Eun-suh's father probes into the matter, he found out that two female infants were born in the same hospital the day Eun-suh was born. After much investigation, Eun-suh's parents find that their biological daughter is Eun-suh's classmate and rival, Shin-ae, who had suffered through a much tougher life. Shin-ae hates Eun-suh for possessing a much better material life. Also, while Eun-suh grew up with her parents' and Jun-suh's love, Shin-ae grew up with a rather uncouth mother and a very abusive brother.

When the truth is revealed, emotions overwhelm Eun-suh, and being the kind-hearted girl, she choses to return to her biological mother. Shin-ae, played by child actress Lee Ae-jung, leaves with Jun-suh and her biological family for America and stays there for nine years. The show than fast forwards nine years later, as Jun Suh returns to Korea with his fiancee. Jun-suh is reunited with Eun-suh, but alas, Jun-suh's best friend, played by up-coming actor Won Bin also falls in love with her. As the story moves on, Eun-suh and Jun-suh face many obstacles which pull at viewers' hearts...

When this show was broadcast on TV, the love story between Jun-suh and Eun-suh was deemed by many as incest, although they were not biological siblings. Song Seung-hun is charistmatic as Jun-suh -- I personally felt that he portrayed the role of Jun-suh quite well. Song Hye-gyo's portrayal of Eun-suh was also compelling. It was impressive to see her tearing up so naturally in the drama's many heart wrenching moments. The supporting leads, Won Bin (Taegukgi) and Han Chae-young (Bet On My Disco), who played the grown-up Shin-ae, also complemented the two leads well. However, I thought Han Chae-young was a little underused in the show. Despite the general thumbs up performance of the leads, the most impressive performance comes from the child actors. The teenage Jun-suh was played by child actor Choi Woo-hyuk and the teenage Eun-suh, played by Moon Geun-young (A Tale of Two Sisters). Despite the fact that Moon Geun-young was only 12 or 13 when she played the role of Eun-suh, she shows her caliber as one of the best actresses around. Choi Woo-hyuk also impresses the audience with his good acting skills.

Winter Sonata (2002, KBS miniseries)

Another masterpiece by Korea's revered director, Yoon Suk-ho, Winter Sonata is the second installment of his famous four season series, the previous being Autumn Fairy Tale and the latest, Scent of Summer. Like its predecessor, Autumn Fairy Tale, Winter Sonata has a huge following in many parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Its two leading stars, Bae Yong-jun (Untold Scandal) and Choi Ji-woo also gained international fame because of the series.

Bae Yong-jun takes up the role of Kang Joon-sang, an illegitimate child whose mother is an accomplished pianist. Due to his parental background, he is an introvert who does not like to interact with people, and often does not take the initiative to express himself. Even though his mother has told him his father is dead, as a child, Joon-sang believes that he is still alive. Hence, when he becomes older, he decides to return to his mother's hometown, where his parents were lovers, in a bid to look for his biological father.

Joon-sang then transfers to the high school where Yoo-jin (Choi Ji-woo) studies. A couple of entertaining anecdotes then happen between the two protagonists and through these incidents, they grow to like each other. However, as Joon-sang investigates, he realizes that his biological father might be Yoo-jin's late father. Flustered by his new findings, he decides to leave. However, as he decides to rush to see Yoo-jin for one last time, he is knocked down by a car...

Meanwhile, as the rest of his schoolmates including Yoo-jin think that he is dead after the accident, he is in fact alive, but he has lost his memory. In a bid to let him lead a happier life, his mother decides to erase his previous memories and give him new memories with a new identity, Lee Min-hyung.

The show than fast forwards 10 years later, as Joon-sang and Yoo-jin have both grown up. Joon-sang returns as Min-hyung and as Chae-rin's boyfriend (Chae-rin was Yoo-jin and Joon-sang's classmate in high school, but later went to France for further studies). During this time, Yoo-jin was about to get engaged to her childhood playmate Sang-hyuk, played by up-and-coming actor Park Yong-ha. However, due to a twist of fate, Joon-sang and Yoo-jin meet again and become attracted to each other once more. As the fate of the four intertwines, the show goes on to tell of the enthralling love story between Joon-sang and Yoo-jin.

Winter Sonata is a captivating story. The chemistry between Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo is terrific. In fact, many people were so impressed by them that rumours surfaced that they were a real-life couple. Bae Yong-jun certainly impressed many with his gripping performance of Joon-sang and Min-hyung. This could be said to be his breakthrough drama, as it was through this show that he shot to great fame. Choi Ji-woo also proves herself as an A-list actress with her overwhelming performance as Yoo-jin. One of her scenes which enthralled me was when she was confronting Joon-sang, urging him not to fire an old worker. The feeling of urgency then topped 100%.

As for the supporting leads, Park Sol-mi did a good impersonation of Chae-rin. Park Yong-ha did fairly well, but acting alongside veteran actors Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo, he clearly showed his inexperience in this field. Finally, it would be almost unjust to leave Kim Hae-sook out of the picture. Acting as Yoo-jin's mother, her performance as the Korean "ajumma" added flavour and colour throughout the whole show.

Again, Yoon Suk-ho has proven himself as one of Korea's best drama tellers. With an impressive portfolio, many audience members certainly do look forward to his subsequent dramas. Winter Sonata is an original love story. It's definitely not-to-be-missed!

Success Story of a Bright Girl (2002, SBS drama special)

In a year dominated by long dramas like Yain Shidae and Mermaid Girl, it was refreshing to see this little romantic comedy make its way to the top spots, and make its star one of the biggest attractions in Korean entertainment. Before this series, Jang Nara was a moderately popular singer in search of her first big hit. Fast forward almost a year, and here we are, with the country in full Jang Nara syndrome, with her records hitting record sales, and film offers piling up (she got a record 300 million won for her role in 'Oh! Happy Day' which is hitting theaters soon). Also, her father (stage actor Jang Myun-gyo a.k.a. Ju Oh-sung) has benefited tremendously from his daughter's success, recently being cast in 'Les Miserables.'

Yang-soon (Jang Nara) is a simple girl living in the countryside with her grandmother. She dreams of saving a prince from harm with her martial arts, and living happily with him ever after. Han Gi-tae (Jang Hyuk) is the president of a successful makeup company. He's the classic silver spoon case: spoiled, arrogant, taking everything for granted. His world changes when he accidentally falls in Yang-soon's bathtub (I'm not kidding you). It won't be her first meeting with Gi-tae, because she's forced to move to Seoul to work as a maid. Guess who will be her new boss?

Yang-soon's first contact with city life doesn't begin well. She's bullied at school, and doesn't connect with Na-hee (Han Eun-jung), Gi-tae's girlfriend. Thankfully, she also makes new friends. Seok-gu (Yoon Tae-young) seems attracted to her, and his sister Bo-bae (Chu Ja-hyun) actually becomes her best friend. But, even more surprising, Gi-tae seems to slowly warm up to her. When his career completely changes thanks to rival Joon-tae (Ryu Soo-young) and his father's behind the scenes intrigues, his outlook on life and Yang-soon's personality evolves. She's now the one who's actively trying to help him start his life from scratch, and make a better future for himself.

Yes, it all sounds terribly predictable, but don't worry. Bright Girl smartly takes its paper-thin plot and develops it around the characters, instead of shameless manipulation and/or ultra-convoluted plot developments. This might just be the funniest drama I've seen all year, because it never takes itself seriously. This positively affects the more dramatic portions of the series, so that they become actually touching. Also, while the characters are broad caricatures and follow the dichotomy of the genre, they're treated with such a lighthearted approach that it's hard to not be charmed by Jang Nara and company.

Displaying a quite impressive Chungcheong-do accent (at least from a non-native speaker's p.o.v.), she makes Yang-soon emerge from the walking cliche she seems at the beginning. Her stubborn insistence on only calling Gi-tae 'ajusshi' instead of 'oppa,' up till the end. Her devotion to her parents (no matter how often they get in trouble), and her manners perfectly convey her country girl upbringing, never mocking it (think of it as an affectionate tribute). Jang Nara might not be a great actress, but she has an addictive personality, a tremendous energy and screen presence which is evident from the first episode. Her chemistry with Jang Hyuk couldn't be better. He overacts a little too much, but most of the time that turns into laughter, too.

Bright Girl also benefits from good supporting performances. Kwon Hae-yo is always a pleasure to watch, no matter how small his roles are. He might just be the most underrated character actor working in Korea today. Yoon Tae-young and Chu Ja-hyun also make their characters likable and a little more realistic than the paper thin plot seemed to allow. Yang-soon's parents are a riot, and while Han Eun-jung shows little else other than her beauty, Ryu Soo-young is surprisingly effective as Joon-tae. His latest movie appearance in Summertime consisted of pretending to masturbate and having sex with Kim Ji-hyun, so that probably made his job in this series much easier to digest.

Despite the obvious flaws (this is not exactly an unconventional and terribly creative series), Bright Girl is really fun to watch. The characters are well developed and the performances very good. The manipulation never bothers, and it has a quick pace which will help even the most skeptic casual fan. In short, one of the funniest, most charming miniseries of the year.

Romance (2002, MBC miniseries)

After watching Romance, the success of teacher-student comedy My Tutor Friend (over 4.8 million admissions) seems easier to accept. Perhaps it was Kim Ha-neul's performance in this series prompting the producers to cast her in the film (an adaptation of an online story, retelling the struggles of a poor tutor having to deal with a spoiled rich brat who forces every teacher they throw at him to quit). She plays the young teacher who's still too inexperienced for her profession very well. And, with a few exceptions, her performance considerably improves the series.

Kim Chae-won (Kim Ha-neul) is a bright young teacher in her mid 20s, but she still has a hard time adapting to her profession. She accidentally meets young singer and high school senior Choi Kwan-woo (Kim Jae-won), and they instantly form a bond. Of course, they're lying about each other's age: Kwan-woo says he's a college senior, and Chae-won doesn't reveal she's actually a teacher, and considerably older than him. When Kwan-woo is forced to move to Seoul because of a family problem, their lies start to produce consequences. Kwan-woo has to enroll in Chae-won's school, and she'll be one of his teachers!

The setup is familiar, and even if a little controversial, it's well played out. The series thankfully doesn't rely excessively on the typical themes of 'impossible romances.' Parents are kept at a distance until the main characters are developed enough to let us care about them, and it's not until their relationship becomes serious that the usual obstacles are put on their way. The first part of Romance is very good TV: the chemistry between Kim Jae-won and Kim Ha-neul is excellent; the supporting characters, while certainly stereotypical, are fun to watch. Also, with the exception of Kim Hae-sook's predictable typecasting as the troubled ajumma, the parents are actually a little more colorful than expected. Chae-won's mother runs a jeans company, and is a bit of a nut, shouting 'Oh My God' at random and sporting wild haircuts. Her father is obsessed with the formalities of the father-daughter relationship, such as insistence on deferential tone. He will later play a big part in Kwan-woo and Chae-won's future as a couple, and is a well developed character.

What helps the series in its first part is the fact there's very little urgency. The writers feel no need to reveal a major plot development every week, which usually forces viewers to keep tuning in to understand. The drama is introduced slowly, and doesn't completely upstage the comedy, which makes for better viewing. Characterization, at least by TV drama standards, is quite good, although a few missteps along the line don't allow this drama to reach the depths of shows like Ruler of Your Own World. For example, the 'bad girl/guy' character isn't played out like a constant obstacle to the main characters' romance. The writers try to make a case for those characters as well, and most of the time --at least for the first half-- they succeed.

Then, things suddenly change when the series moves 3 years ahead. It's clear they couldn't go anywhere with Chae-won and Kwan-woo anymore, without becoming repetitive. While the focus on secondary characters is understandable given the main couples' forced division, their complete takeover of the show ruins the pace and atmosphere. Kwan-woo's sister (Kim Yoo-mi), and Chae-won's former love affair and soon-to-be husband (Jung Sung-hwan) become centerpiece, and the parents' importance grows exponentially. The relationship between the main characters is updated slowly, every week building to the big finale. In theory, it's good writing, but when acting isn't there, the series is likely to become dull.

Kim Yoo-mi is pretty good, given her character's development and the way her problems come into play. But Jung Sung-hwan is terrible. He's not able to go beyond the same facial expression, no matter how important his reaction is to make the scene compelling. As a result, even if his character is not played out as a caricature, he doesn't allow it to come alive, and hurts the series' middle portion. Also, the constant use of fatalist, ultra-emotive mothers who faint at every sign of difficulty feels out of place for a breezy, lighthearted series like Romance. Kim Hae-sook is a good actress, and has become reliable in portraying this type of character, but she disappoints here.

I admit I liked the rather predictable and quasi cop-out finale, but in light of the final 2-3 episodes leading to it, I can't really say they built it as well as they could. The urgency level was upped by 300% in the series' third act, only to make it more conventional. Romance is a good series, marred by little inconsistencies and a mediocre supporting cast. If you need any reason to watch this show, it's the chemistry between newcomer Kim Jae-won (who's great as Kwan-woo) and Kim Ha-neul. Every time they're together the series improves a few notches, and even if Kim Jae-won understandably shows inexperience -- and Kim Ha-neul still overacts on occasions -- at the end they make this show worth watching.

Ruler of Your Own World (2002, MBC miniseries)

They're called "Mania" Dramas. TV Series that, for many reasons --including their competition with top rated shows, or lack of major stars-- fail to capture the masses, but manage to slowly build a faithful audience which supports the show until the end. Ruler of Your Own World might be one of the best examples yet. This is a different show, far away from the diabolical convolutions and contrivances of the prototypical TV melodrama --like, say Winter Love Song-- far away from the usual weepy, over the top atmosphere. Far away from stereotypical characters.

There are no major stars here, but everyone down to the smallest supporting character does an excellent job. If Shin Koo's superb performance as Bok-su's father is no surprise, the real find is Yang Dong-geun and his partner Lee Na-young. After a career as a child actor, Yang slowly built his acting skills thanks to important roles in films like Kim Ki-duk's Address Unknown, and started to become popular after appearing in the hit TV sitcom New Nonstop. Following his successful turn in the nostalgic dork comedy Bet on My Disco, he started to get recognition from both the public and critics. His portrayal of Ko Bok-su is fantastic. He swings between the character's innocent naivete and guilt for his past with ease. You can really relate with his problems, being a simple task like showing his parole officer that he's a changed man, or a big one like accepting Jeon Kyung's (Lee Na-young) affection. Yang shows impressive range here, and seems the perfect leading man for the series' ever changing mood.

The other surprise is relative newcomer Lee Na-young. If you're tired of super-pretty plastic beauties overacting at every chance they get, here's finally someone who can convey different emotions without making a fool of herself. Kyung's charming personality comes across impressively thanks to Lee. When she smiles, she does it with her whole face and it feels sincere, as much as the opposite evokes the same reaction. Her character is difficult to portray: Kyung is a simple young woman. She's not particularly attractive --at least compared to the conventional canons of beauty in this kind of set-up-- is rather shy and has a hard time opening herself to other people. As the series begins, the viewer will likely have a hard time connecting with her. Little by little though, as she begins her relationship with Bok-su, you'll start to relate to her, and understand her personality.

It would be almost criminal leaving Kong Hyo-jin out of the picture. Despite her charming personality and great raw talent, she's been underused for the past 3-4 years in both TV dramas and movies. 2002 was probably her breakthrough year, with her first leading roles in Emergency Act 19, Conduct Zero and A Bizarre Love Triangle. She's also a lot more active than usual on TV, lately starring in MBC's Snowman, with Cho Jae-hyun & Kim Rae-won. Her portrayal of Mi-rae is interesting, because it mixes a lot of elements from her supporting roles (lots of cutesy and quirky moments) with a more 'grown up' personality. This is the best performance of her young career, and it finally gives a new spin to the 'bad girl' character you often find in series like this. That's of course only the leading stars, because the supporting cast is equally good. Jung Doo-hung, for example, impresses once again with a role that basically mimics his real life occupation (action director). He's a tough, no bullshit man looking at him from the outside. But, he reveals himself to be one of Bok-su's best friends. Jung seems a natural for this kind of role, and he's been leaving a mark all year long. All his performances in 2002 (No Blood No Tears, Champion, Resurrection of the Little Match Girl) showcased his charisma and screen presence.

Second, the writing. Fans of TV Dramas often put up with a lot more bad writing than those who only watch Korean movies can tolerate. After all, if you're a sucker for melodrama, you can sometime forgive sappy music, manipulative plot developments, and stereotypical characters. I think most of the people who enjoy these dramas do so for their emotional content (remember, the major target demographics here are Ajumma's), they're not trying to find great writing. Instead, Ruler of Your Own World features some of the best writing I've seen on a TV drama. Characters seems stereotypical at first glance, and actually trick the audience with the usual set-up of the genre (boy 1 likes girl 2, girl 1 is pissed at girl 2 because she loves boy 1, dysfunctional families galore, and so on), but emerge from that set-up as multidimensional and realistic. Ko Bok-su is neither a simple thief nor a perfect man. Kyung's emotional state often gets the better of her and she avoids problems instead of facing them. Mi-rae can be pretty egotistical and short-minded, and that's just scraping the surface. There is never the feeling that things are rushing to the usual mega-convoluted cliffhanger, or that a mysterious sickness or death will come out of nowhere to further the plot. Whatever happens here does so for a reason. I never got the sense of urgency felt on other melodramas. This series shows a good mix of lighthearted, even silly moments with more serious and touching ones. And, the most important thing, it's successful in hitting the right notes. Even when things get a little manipulative, it's that kind of manipulation like in Lee Jung-hyang or Hur Jin-ho's films. One you can happily live with, because you care about the characters.

With a fantastic ending and lots of questions left to the viewer after the conclusion of the story, Ruler of Your Own World does something I haven't seen for too many Korean TV series. It takes the most overused plot device (a fatal disease) and actually uses it to convey something. It's not just a facade to bring tears to your eyes, no matter how successful at that some TV dramas are. Up to the last episode, the atmosphere never goes the usual way, there's no tragedy here. Bok-su builds a beautiful life out of his last days on Earth. He tries to make life better for him and the people he knows. He makes new friends, makes his parents' life meaningful again, and why not, he lets people who love him enter his life. The only flaw of Ruler of Your Own World is that, sadly, it eventually has to end. The best TV drama of 2002.

Loving You (2002, KBS miniseries)

Cliches, that's what Korean dramas are famously known for. Consider this scenario: Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, parents' objections, revenge, evil third party, and another good-hearted fourth party who always helps our protagonist whenever they are in need of assistance. This is exactly what Loving You has to offer.

Park Yong-ha, fresh off his previous high profile drama Winter Sonata, takes on the lead role of Lee Hyuk, an aspiring director with a hot and short temper. Eugene from popular girl band S.E.S, is Jin Da-rae, a good-spirited girl who lives by the sea.

After a fatal accident in the sea, Lee Hyuk lost his best friend due to his insistence on shooting a scene despite the dangers that entailed. Ever since, he halted his directorial pursuits and worked at a subsidiary of his father's company. Although Lee Hyuk also fell into the ocean, he was saved by Da-rae. At the same time the accident occurred, Da-rae's father also passed away due to an accident.

As the story goes on, Lee Hyuk and his brother Lee Min, both fall in love with Da-rae's high-spirited personality. Also in the picture is the evil girl Cho Su-kyong, who decides to fight for Lee Hyuk's affection, after learning that he is the elder son of a rich entrepreneur.

Loving You is an okay story, neither interesting nor boring. The cast did a good job. Park Yong-ha took on the role of Lee Hyuk relatively well. In fact, it seems like there was very little variation from his previous role in Winter Sonata. Eugene, in her drama debut, could be said to have portrayed the role of Da-rae quite well, perhaps because the role seems to be especially written for her.

The supporting cast did a good job as well. Lee Yuri, taking on the evil third party role, portrayed the bad girl nicely -- in fact, I thought that she was better than Eugene. Young, charismatic and talented, she definitely has the X-factor needed to become the next big thing. Lee Dong-wook in comparison, perhaps due to his poorly-written role, had very little chance to show his potential in this drama.

Last but not least, viewers can finally heave a sigh of relief when it comes to an end. A storyline which is debatably either good or bad, it is a relief that the story is only 10 episodes long.