[Moving Disney+ Review] Tell the life story of a super-powered hero in a Korean-style that delves deep into the past in every episode.

Moving A 20-episode Korean superhero-themed series on Disney+, adapted from a webtoon, tells the story of a group of covert individuals with superpowers who are forced to hide from society and conceal their extraordinary abilities. Over time, their children inherit these powers from their parents, and they begin to face threats from people who seek to track them down and eliminate them.

 

Moving Disney+ Review (20 EP No Spoilers)

This is a long-running genre of supernatural series that has been produced by Western creators for a while, starting with ‘Heroes‘ 20 years ago. The common theme in these series is the presence of characters with special powers hiding among us in the world. There are mysterious individuals who pursue them, forcing the hidden characters to start using their powers in response. Most of these series tend to be set in the present, telling an adventurous story with continuous events, leaving us wondering what will happen next.

However, what sets ‘Moving’ apart is that it begins in the present with the younger generation, focusing on three main characters to provide some initial context. Then it takes us back to the past of these three characters, linking it to the past of their parents. After that, it briefly narrates the current lives of the parents before delving into their extensive pasts. This leads to various events that eventually unfold in the present.

The series chooses to narrate the backstory of each character in great detail, including even the antagonists. Despite this, the present-day storyline advances very slowly, as a significant portion (70-80%) of the series consists of flashback scenes. This storytelling approach is intentionally designed to create a unique and clear distinction. Perhaps this is because it’s the first season that closes the past chapters comprehensively to move on to the second season in the present (although it’s not certain; they might find more material in the past to explore)

 

Due to its emphasis on the past, the series aims to highlight that the older generation of parents possesses much greater power than their children. The action scenes in this series primarily take place in the secretive past, and the true protagonists of the story are the “parent characters.” After the initial three episodes, the younger generation receives limited screen time and their storyline doesn’t progress much. Despite attempts to establish relationships among the three younger characters, there isn’t significant development by the end.

The parent characters are the central focus of the entire series. Even though action scenes use powers from both the past and the present, there is a notable difference in power scale, with the past exhibiting much more. The story unfolds as a covert mission spanning North and South Korea, China, and the Soviet Union, delving into events from 20 to 30 years ago before gradually returning to the present. The way of telling the story like this makes it quite slow, but if someone likes it, they will enjoy it nonetheless. Personally, the writer can accept it, but they also feel that the story progresses too slowly in many parts, even though it is told briefly, and it can be understood in the same way.

Even though it’s a storyline in the supernatural genre, there’s a significant level of over-the-top elements, such as the protagonist’s power to almost become invincible, the ability to fly, and exceptional sensory perception. However, the powers in the entire story remain somewhat grounded compared to Western series like Heroes, which involve time travel and shooting energy beams. It’s important to note that this series is produced by Disney+ and has a higher budget, not a regular Korean TV production. The creator of this series is also the director of Netflix’s Kingdom, which was a high-budget production. Therefore, this is a Korean TV drama that focuses on character development but incorporates supernatural elements more than directly emphasizing superpowers. This allows the story and emotions to follow the Korean drama style with a comprehensive approach. This is a thoughtful decision by the director not to excessively play with superpowers and risk becoming repetitive like Western shows.

 

But the best thing about this series is undoubtedly the excellent cast selection. They excel in terms of looks, acting skills, and how well they fit their respective roles, from the three child actors to the teenagers. The standout is the teenage female lead, Go Yoon-jung, whose exceptional beauty and charm make the childhood portion of the story much more engaging than it might otherwise be. Furthermore, every character, both young and adult, has well-developed and equal roles. There are no characters left behind, and even some of the antagonists have multi-dimensional aspects to their lives.

The weaknesses of this show, apart from the flashback scenes, which some may or may not like, lie in several peculiarities in the reasoning of the characters. These are also crucial scenes in the series. For instance, there’s a scene where the entire school captures video footage of someone using their powers to the fullest, but the show remains silent, offering no explanation whatsoever. There’s also a scene where a bus driver pursues a villain recklessly on a highway, leading to a blood-curdling chase that ends with the bus breaking down. However, once that scene is over, everything goes back to normal, with no further explanation. The police don’t investigate the incident again, and it’s as if the government has hushed up all the news. This kind of pattern is used too frequently. It seems like everyone has a cellphone to record events and instantly share them worldwide, but the storyline contradicts itself. There’s uncertainty about how much power each character possesses, as they seem to fight with unique abilities, yet almost everyone fights like they have the same level of power, For example, they can punch through walls or send people flying, even if they don’t have any inherent strength. At times, it devolves into a brawl among ordinary people, which may leave viewers questioning this inconsistency, especially Western viewers.

In summary, it’s a Korean series in the supernatural genre. While the plot involving superpowers may not be entirely new in this era, the content and storytelling approach heavily emphasize delving into the characters’ pasts in great detail. It is filled with a wide range of emotions, executed well in the style of Korean series. It also features quite a number of action scenes. The standout performances from the cast make the 20-episode storyline engaging, even though there are moments of slow storytelling and occasional illogical events. Overall, it’s an enjoyable and intriguing, with a satisfying conclusion to the main plot of the season, leaving room for a second season in the future.

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