[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Man-hole" Episode 10

Although Pil is still spazzy, it is in this episode that we see that he is learning to care for more than just his own love. He cares about Jin-sook even if that caring doesn't equate to the same kind of love that she feels for him. But these two aren't the only ones who suffer from love woes and we see that love lines are still as complicated as ever.

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Seok-tae is less of a shifty friend than he once was. His love for Jin-sook has given him goals and centered him. I wish he was this interesting in the earlier episodes and that the production had given Cha Sun-woo more to do at that point as well. The same holds true for Jung-ae, Goo-gil, and Dal-soo's characters and actors. They are involved in relationships that are typical to the genre, but they aren't further developed. Surprises don't come as much of a surprise, like Dal-soo's chaebol background, because its hard to care about someone poorly developed. What is the writer trying to do with the love triangle between Dal-soo, June-ae and Goo-gil, anyway? It seems like a needless push-and-pull. Perhaps it had once aimed to explore friendship and romance, but no longer.

I'm sad that Jae-hyun is such a typical villain and that Jang Mi-kwan has accepted another role similar to his last. This could lead to some serious type casting for him. I wish there had been more mystery around him or that Pil would investigate him, not just stalk Soo-jin. In that way both Pil and Jae-hyun are the same: they're Soo-jin stalkers. I think that Pil may start to look into Jae-hyun, but like all other plot elements in "Man-Hole", it seems like it'd be too little too late.

All of the drama in this drama would be cut out if Pil and Soo-jin would just talk to each other. Even though personal tensions are built this way, to base an entire relationship (or lack thereof) on poor communication skills makes for dismal engagement. And that, my friends, is what drags "Man-Hole" down.

Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Man-Hole" is directed by Park Man-yeong, written by Lee Jae-gon and features Kim Jae-joong, UEE, Jung Hye-sung and 'Cha Sun-woo'.

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