Caporegime
@danlightbulb
Korean film and TV seems to be generally more exaggerated in style than is normal in the West. Nothing wrong with that, we're just habituated to the style of Western film making far more and have accepted its many weirdnesses and story telling tropes. For me, it's part of the enjoyment of watching non-Western stuff.
Re: Ali & the marbles. I thought it worked. Ali has been established as a very trusting character who likes and respects Sang-Woo and believes he owes him something. He is motivated to believe that there is a way for him and Sang-Woo to both live and thus for him to avoid the responsibility for killing his friend. He also checks the bag by lifting it to check the marbles are there (although I suspect in real life the difference between marbles and stones would be more obvious that it suggests).
Korean film and TV seems to be generally more exaggerated in style than is normal in the West. Nothing wrong with that, we're just habituated to the style of Western film making far more and have accepted its many weirdnesses and story telling tropes. For me, it's part of the enjoyment of watching non-Western stuff.