Reviews

I'll try to do this without spoilers since there are already plenty of reviews that reveal the ending if you want to know it.

This mini series is getting some unjustified hate for it's ending. To an extent, I understand why. The ending really is a bit...um....not what anyone expected or wanted. In terms brilliant irony and the overall message, it's a masterstroke. If you're looking for lots of action and the mind bending twists we've come to expect from contemporary dramas, yes you may feel let down. The message, however, is powerful and the ending is crucial for that

In terms of acting, I think it's outstanding. The little girl in particular is an impressive actress. I highly recommend watching it in German with subtitles as the dubbing brings the drama down.

The criticism that the science is unrealistic is justified in places, but then again, I know many popular dramas with unrealistic science. Admittedly I wouldn't have known what bits were unrealistic until it was pointed out to me, so if you're not clued up on spacey science, you may not even notice the unrealistic bits.

Overall I highly recommend this drama to people who love thoughtful suspense and sci fi with not all that much action but with a carefully thought out message and solid acting.

I'm completely baffled by all the horrible reviews. Did those reviewers even watch the same movie I watched? Is this the best sci-fi I've ever watched? No. But it's pretty decent. The visuals are fantastic. The CGI is convincing. The acting is solid. The storyline is bittersweet and, in some ways, unusual. This is a far-future robot AI sci-fi that has the love between a daughter and her mother at it's core, with no romance (refreshing!). Yes, there are some plot holes. For example, why are they working so hard to make a combat AI robot who keeps failing in simulation when the police AI that society already possesses is so advanced? Still, it doesn't deserve such atrocious reviews and I hope you won't let yourself be put off from trying it.

It's a source of constant confusion to me that outstanding foreign language series regularly get much lower ratings than English series of similar quality, and this one is no exception. The story kept me fascinated and the acting from the entire cast is flawless. Yes it has a lot of flashbacks and non-linear storytelling but I was able to follow without a problem and it kept the tension high. The lead actress was sensational and the story raises painful points about justice versus law. Without relying on cheap 180 degree surprise twists, the writers keep you guessing. The events keep being just that bit different from what you expected. Personally I always use subtitles instead of dubbing so I can't speak for the quality of the dubbing. Highly recommended.

This is an outstanding Chinese science-fantasy series with Lara Croft/Tomb Raider vibes. Ni Ni, one of my favourite actresses, is sublime as always, and the rest of the cast keeps up with her. Yes it's long compared to Western series, but the suspense doesn't let up. I've sadly noticed a trend that foreign language movies often get rated lower on here. I understand that not everyone enjoys watching with subtitles but I highly recommend giving this one a try and appreciating the cadence of a foreign language along with the stunning visuals, superb acting and suspense. Definitely one of my favourite science fiction series of all time.

As a fantasy fan, I loved both season 1 and season 2. Ever since I started season 1, this has been my favourite Western fantasy drama and season 2 definitely didn't disappoint me. I REALLY appreciate the fact that season two reaches some sort of conclusion and doesn't end on a massive cliffhanger like so many series do, making us wait forever for the next season and possibly never getting a satisfactory ending if the show gets cancelled. Sure, a bunch of new things happened and I will definitely be watching the next season. But if the story ends here, I'd still recommend this as a satisfying watch. I feel like ratings often tank after a first season, maybe because we all build up expectations about how the show SHOULD continue. As a fantasy lover, all I can say is I absolutely loved this show and I can highly recommend it. Not sure where the claim that the storytelling in the second season is bad is springing from. Yep there are some cheesy lines but honestly, what "happy ending" show doesn't indulge in a few of the "you're stronger than you think" lines? I could forgive these easily because the rest of the series and acting was so strong (in my opt... clearly tastes differ dramatically). I will say that I havent read the books, so I'm not approaching this with any expectations of fidelity to the novels. I recommend ignoring the negative comments and just make up your own mind about this series :)

Yes the writing isn't always that great and yep, the plot has major holes, BUT WOW the acting is great! Every single person in the show - and there are a ton of characters - has been perfectly cast and really lives the part. I was so convinced by the characters' stories that it went a looong way to covering up the writers' flaws. I also loved how nuanced the characters were and how we end up hating a character in one episode, only to feel bad for them in the next... or vice versa. I agree with the viewers who say it gets better after a few seasons. I definitely wanted another season or at least closure on how it all ends.

Wow I cannot believe this isn't rated way higher.... I can only assume it's because non English language series tend to be rated lower for some weird reason. This is truly an outstanding dystopian / post apocalyptic series. The acting, the shots, the pace, the character development, the storyline.... Everything is on point! Seasons 1, 2 and 4 were for me all riveting. I wasn't as convinced by season 3, but the quality really came back for the last season. I definitely recommend giving it a try. As other reviewers have pointed out though, do use subtitles rather than dubbing. Dubbing is just annoying when audio and visuals don't match up.

It's actually a pretty decent post apocalyptic series. Definitely recommended when you're in the mood for a dystopian drama. Responding to some of the other reviews... Yup the characters make some stupid decisions. People do that sometimes. Yup the leads were immature at times, especially earlier on. Surprise, they're kids/teens/young adults, it happens. It did not take away from the believability of the series for me. The stuff the virus did in season 3 gave me more to complain about than immature kids I really enjoyed watching it as a non English language series too. I did not enjoy season three as much, but the strong last episode really pulled it together for me.

So I'd normally give this a 7,5 ranking but bumping it up to try and make up a bit for the completely unnecessary hate this show is getting. Is it because the original is in Spanish? Because the story idea is intriguing, if not brand new, the acting is solid and believeable, casting choices are spot on, the plot unravels at a steady pace, with always another intriguing mystery just ahead, so far no plot holes that are too glaring, likeable main characters, good work from the film crew on capturing important plot points subtly with the framing they use.... Sure,the genre is being done a lot, but if it's done well, like this one, then I'm happy to get another. The only thing that annoys me is the improbably fashionable outfits and cute crop tops this supposedly self sustainable and eco friendly cult runs around in. The cliff hanger at the end of season 1 is annoying, especially as I worry that the bad review may impact chances of a second season.... a season I REALLY REALLY want to see. It's not as good as the absolutely outstanding Portuguese Netflix original 3% (plot has similarities to both this and hunger games), but it's still a solid foreign language offering on Netflix. If you like exploring dystopias, this is definitely highly recommend!