On Christmas Day of 2020, I was doing only one thing all day. That was to binge-watch Sweet Home Season 1. Since then, I've tacitly made a vow to see the show every year. And yes, I did... even exceeded the count. I've binge-watched the series approximately 7 times since its release.
You see, I'm no Cocomelon watcher, lol. Those kids who could watch their fave shows over and over again. I refuse to watch more than once usually. Why? I love to retain the integrity of my initial feelings and thoughts when I first immersed myself in the story world of my beloved shows. You gotta admit it, try to watch some series you were crazy about 10-15 years ago, and chances are, you would ruin it for yourself now. But Sweet Home is the difference.
Source: https://mydramalist.com/705721-sweet-home-2
So, as I suffered insomnia tonight, I just decided to write to remind everyone (lol) that the Season 2 of Sweet Home will be out December 1st on Netflix, at 4 pm Philippine time.
What do you need to know about Sweet Home Season 1?
Well, personally - if I haven't said it - the show made my all-time favorite K-drama list. And I say there were quite only a few up there.
What resonate a lot with me about Sweet Home is the captivating and relatable main lead, Cha Hyun-su, as befittingly portrayed by Song Kang. He is a high schooler who has identified a Hikikomori, the Japanese term for a shut-in. His case is on the severe side, as going out of his room is an ordeal. Later on, it would be magnificently yet subtly shown how he will break free from this condition. That scene is understatedly great, like finding an Easter egg made only for those who would take the story seriously.
Source: https://netflix.fandom.com/wiki/Sweet_Home
Hyun-su used to be a normal jolly kid until a bullying gone mad changed his life forever. A lot of things happened, which ended up with his parents and sister randomly killed in a car accident.
The show picked up with Hyun-su moving alone into a rundown apartment, with only a backpack and his gaming computer equipment. After entering his apartment - not without the interruption first from the apartment's guard who almost chopped his head with a flying razor from a dysfunctional garden weeder - he decided to go up the rooftop and was next seen stepping into the edge of the building, with one foot up in the air as though he would jump to his death.
His plan was disrupted by the distracting view of a dancing ballerina right across the messy rooftop. He wasn't alone. The said ballerina was ballsy, to say a few about this character. She impressively told Hyun-su, "Don't die here. You will only cause trouble for a lot of people here. Find somewhere else to die." What a badass way to dissuade a person from doing suicide.
From here on, the 10-episode series slowly ramps up to ultimately expose the monsters surrounding the rundown apartment where everyone is locked inside. Yes, this show is all about monsters but not in the way you might boringly think of. This is far from those cliches. It is like a zombie invasion, but the infection doesn't come from being bitten. It is a mystery you would want to resolve while following Hyun-su and a lot of other remarkable characters.
Overall, the series is a showstopper and very deep in the way of dealing with symbolism. The acting is solid, as expected from Korean actors. And when I say immersed, you surely would feel the emotions of people hopelessly trying to escape the hell of the world as is, meanwhile surrounded by thousands of monsters, without knowing if they will be one next. All I can say is that once you get started... I will just welcome you to the bandwagon because you will be in until you finish it for sure.
"This is a story about us, the ones trying to find a reason to live in a world where this is even harder than merely surviving."
-Narration, Episode 1
If you haven't watched Sweet Home Season 1, go for it now. You still have time until Season 2 drops at 4 pm. You will surely not regret it!