Adamas (2022)

Although the twin had different styles with different clothing to make them distinguishable enough but I found it a little tiring to keep making a conscious effort to differentiate between the two. Maybe throwing on some glasses would help or I'm just too lazy. The first episode felt too tame and didn't show enough gripping elements. That scene in the forest at the beginning of episode 2 really sat the overall tone of the drama moving forward. At that point, it was obvious it's going to be the type of show that would waste time on nonsense, fail to deliver the information and dance around aimlessly. I though I would give them the benefit of the doubt; they might deliver on that with clever plays but they never did. Not even the twins element was utilized enough. After about 4 episodes, the drama lost most, if not all, of its engaging elements. The mystery turned into a snoozefest. This was beyond what's considered a slow burner. It took 11 long episodes for something noteworthy to happen. The ending was underwhelming after all that wait and they had the audacity to set up some teasers for possible continuation.

South Korean series go from strength to strength, for the most part and Adamas is shaping up to be yet another success. Intelligently written, with well rendered characters and a complex crime thriller plot, Adamas is instantly engaging. Its different enough too, to represent a departure from other series, in a similar vein. Like a lot of Korean series, you really need to pay attention, as the plot and sub plots are complex and multi layered. Depending on how you approach this, that fact can be a blessing or a curse. That said, given the poorly written, often simplistic, ideologue ridden nonsense, coming out of the West, I personally find this kind of intellectually engaging, thoughtful entertainment, a welcome respite. An Eastern gem in the making. 8/10.