Tae Ho
In the shining galaxy of A.N.JELL, Bangtan Sonyeondan & CNBLUE
I came into this drama for Yeo Jin Goo, and he definitely did not disappoint. In fact I could not think of other replacements for any of the other actors who played the main characters from Ma Wang Joon, Eum Da Da and to Diana. They really did justice to their parts, although admittedly their characters can be lacking in many ways which would be explained below.
First off, some people are bothered by Ma Wang Joon's action as he acted as the over obsessive guy who could not accept that his ex-girlfriend has moved on. Indeed, he can be a very annoying pushover at times, but his actions are well justified for anyone else who would have been at his place. Therefore, although I understand why some people may be really bothered by him, I am by no means annoyed at his character and actions.
Second, Diana's character is the one that has the most potential to really elevate this drama but was wasted and under-utilized. Diana has motives, but the background to the present self was bland and uninteresting, and that was exactly how they concluded her character in the end as well. She said sorry for her evil actions but certainly did not look regretful at all. It's a real pity that such an opportunity to create an interesting character out of Diana was not properly delivered.
Eum Da Da and Young Gu's relationship feels nice and warm, but there is still the unavoidable lingering question of whether or not their love was real. I get it that the writers tried really hard to make us believe that their love was real to stay true to the original premise of the drama, but I can't help but find it a bit superficial. An AI robot may be able to gather the data intelligence about what is love and what maketh love among human, but he would never be able to experience the feeling. Therefore instead of thinking that Young Gu is Eum Da Da's real love, I would think that it is actually more appropriate if the writers make it clear that Young Gu's purpose is more to teach her about love, rather than give her love. That part just doesn't seem right to me.
In that sense, I am more in resonance with how the writers of Are You Human Too has made the character of Nam Shin III a bit more realistic, where he admits that he knows what is love, but he can't give it back because he does not know how it feels until the end. What he was able to provide instead was accompany, support, comfort and friendship which could have also worked very well here in this drama, instead of trying to convince us that they Da Da and Young Gu are indeed a couple in love.
I also have a discussion with fellow MDL user (Kate) who mentioned that the gradual process of learning, understanding and developing human-like feelings by Zero Nine felt more ambiguous in this drama, and not as good as expressed in Are You Human Too (Nam Shin III) where he learnt human emotions by asking a lot of questions mainly to his eomma, David, Kang So Bong and his secretary.
Another thing I was really bothered by was the lack of attention to detail with regard to how Zero Nine's skin actually looks on screen. Even when I am streaming at 480p definition, I could clearly see the textural impurities of Young Gu's facial skin especially in the second half of the drama onwards. This frustrated me to no ends because only a human's skin can have such textures! In that sense, the visual director in Are You Human Too did a much better job in comparison because I remember they completely airbrushed the facial skin of Nam Shin III compared to the human character.
Other than that, I'm actually glad I watched this because even though the rating in South Korea was really bad that they had to cut down four episodes, it was not entirely nonsensical, and there are many love lessons that were delivered beautifully in this drama, such as the importance of appreciating and spending quality time with your partner while you are together, always caring for the other person when you are in a relationship, and being respectful of your friend's decision and continue to advise/support them, but remember that you cannot control their lives. The way the main character's relationship was written may be lacking, but the storyline itself is pretty solid and satisfying.
The BGMs are fantastic, in fact I will remember this drama for a long time because I really love their OST especially by Lena Park - Like a Starlight. Rewatch value is average-to-high for me because I think I will miss the early happy and cute parts of Young Gu and Da Da at some point and will certainly revisit them in the future.
Note: I actually watched this drama twice because I mistakenly watched the cut 36 episodes version instead of the international version of 40 episodes (both versions are available on the streaming site so it was confusing). Nevertheless, I can safely say that you won't miss anything important if you watch the 36 episodes version only.
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I stopped watching this movie midway, and the reason being is I really thought some of the side characters' acting (family members of the ML) incredibly irritating. There's gotta be a better way to hold yourselves together in a situation of emergency other than crying-screaming. Nope, that didn't sit too well with me. The only reason they needed that many side characters for the family members is for the leads basically to get denied of the helicopter rescue, but other than that I'd argue they're pretty damn useless and can otherwise be easily omitted from the story.The first hour of the show was the ML singlehandedly trying to reach to the rooftop all by himself so he could finally unlock the exit door from outside (with a lot of suspenseful moments), and the second half is both of them running and climbing buildings while trying to survive (which was an even better suspense).
While watching this I realize that acting is truly a very strenuous physical activity (not that I haven't realized it sooner) and the fact that many of the climbing shoots were done with their bare hands are some of the things I find really impressive about the executional aspects of this movie. They really keep it real as much as possible, which I think is what other viewers meant when they say this movie denies all the cliches of a disaster film.
Definitely a movie highly recommended, and if you were rooting for all the family members, you'd be safe and not feel as irritated as me by the bad/cringey acting.
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To cut to the chase, it was established in the early episodes that the main relationship breaker of the main couple is a great deal lack of communication and NOT lack of love, like typically the cause of many divorces today. Nevertheless, after looking back at the core execution of the drama, it does feel like the writers were trying to remind the main characters as to the reasons they fell in love in the first place, which inevitably made me think that the writers have actually lost their main focus in the effort to tell the story.
I couldn't think of many instances where the main characters actually get to sit down together and talk through their issues, rather the built up was more centered on the unnecessary love quadruple that at the end of it all, was finally meant to wake the ML and FL in their heads that they in fact have always loved each other, and wouldn't have it any other way. A bit strange a proposition, don't you think?
There are obviously not a single villain in this drama since it's mainly about people trying to sort out their own issues in life having given a second chance, and every characters have the potential to tug warmly at your heartstrings though I was not particularly fond of the potential love triangle. The FL character is my favourite in this drama, since she's a mother before she went back 20 years and the pain of having a broken marriage and not having her child by her side was very brilliantly expressed by the actress, Jang Na Ra.
The OST by SoHyang is just the complete recipe to utterly break your heart at some scenes, and I'm really glad to have watched this drama given I'm a sucker for good songs accompanied by cleverly written contexts.
I read many comments in the viewing site that this drama is something that the viewers intend to rewatch when they get older, especially since the message of parent-child bonding, importance of communication in a marriage and love for your child is absolutely brilliantly expressed. I do agree, and I believe that if I rewatch this again at a more mature head space, it'd hit me differently and worse.
Thank you to all the actors and crew, an absolutely brilliant drama otherwise overall!
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There are two main characters listed on the show, but I do find that only Hwang Shi Mok has enough enigma to keep me genuinely invested in the show. Even when I say so, I do find that the main lead very capable, but not charismatic enough. Psychologically speaking, charisma is perhaps a trait that is a privilege for people who are able to masterfully control their emotion, and Hwang Shi Mok is hardly a person able to exercise that. Thus, as much as he is a very rational character who only thinks logically and pursues justice objectively and therefore would come across charming to other people, it becomes the very reason I find it difficult to connect to his character. There's a comparable emotionally muted character in kdramaland portrayed by Jang Hyuk in A Beautiful Mind, which was given enough emotional background and development for viewers to sympathize with him (even though the show was cut short by two episodes due to fierce rating competition during airing time). In that sense, I do respect whenever a writer decided to create a male lead character that has a medical condition of suppressed emotions. However, there should also be enough background materials to properly explain the male lead's behaviour and motives from past to present, which I found this drama has not done very successfully.
Han Yeo Jin as the female cop was quite uninteresting to me. Yes, she's a competent police officer who pursues justice relentlessly and there's a powerful scene where she confronted Hwang Shi Mok about corruption in the police force, but just like Hwang Shi Mok, she wasn't given enough depth beyond her role as a police officer (in fact, hardly any if at all). Young Eun Soo was definitely the most irritable character in the drama to me. Although I admit she comes across very tenacious about her mission, oftentimes she was so reckless and single-minded that it was unbearably difficult for me to like or understand her. I really wished her character to be a lot more sophisticated and cunning, but graceful. Seo Dong Jae is the character whom you literally want to punch on the face because he's so good at being shady/bad, which adds the interesting colours that the show is lacking from its main leads. The only character that was given the most depth and inner motive in this drama is definitely Lee Chang Joon, and the actor delivered it flawlessly.
There's not really a memorable BGM anywhere and I also find this drama not very re-watchable.
If you are looking for really clever screenwriting that tops this, I'd recommend Hello Monster, WATCHER, Confession (2019) and The Crowned Clown instead.
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Ji Chang Wook became my immediate actor crush after this drama because it's obvious how good of an actor he is. This was his third work that I watched after Fabricated City and Suspicious Partner, before I moved on to The K2. He is obviously in his best element under these types of action roles, and Park Min Young played really well for her character as well. Yoo Ji Tae was an absolute delight to look at, but I did find his facial expressions a bit stiff in a sense. The ahjumma hacker was the real MVP of the show I must admit, since she's so unapologetically sassy and badass, haha.
The producers could've been more creative with the BGM as the same song was used so many times, but I really loved the OST that Ji Chang Wook himself sang.
Rewatch value is very high because it's such an enjoyable ride to be able to revisit some action or romance scenes, and this drama has also now been uploaded in full series in KBS World TV Youtube channel. Go watch it if you haven't!
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I had some problems with the first two episodes because some of the comedy felt forced and the introduction of some characters felt more irritating than funny (I had a feed discussion with some users on MDL and they say it's more of a cultural pet peeve, so I was able to get past it and let it slide).
I do think the real fun began from episode 3 onwards, where middle parts of the drama were the funniest, and with the extension of four episodes the last three episodes did feel like it was lacking in that rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-my-ass-off humourous impact, but that by no means takes away the enjoyability of the drama overall.
At the end of the day, I was able to easily forgive and bypass these small parts which probably did not match up to the funniest parts of the drama because most of the time, the comedy is so on-point and incredibly well done/played out. I have also seen some behind-the-scene footages of the late shows by Fallon/Corden and Colbert (USA night time talk show hosts) and was able to be more understanding that coming up with the ideas that makes a skit/joke genuinely funny is not an easy feat at all, so really all props here to the writers, directors and creative team staffs. Many of the scenarios that literally made us laugh out loud so hard are incredibly original and unique; it's really not easy to brainstorm these ideas in such a short period of time.
All the lead actors have done a really fantastic job at playing their characters. [add more here]
The BGMs are really great and fit the overall mood of the story, and this drama overall is incredibly rewatchable.
Literally a masterpiece, because they have made a Season 2 out of this, but the fact that only Lee Yi Kyung was able to reprise his role just made this statement official because the original casts are truly irreplaceable, especially baby Sol.
I am completely unhesitant to give this drama full marks because the joy of watching this easily surpassed watching any typical rom-com out there. It's a real comedy-drama with interesting love lines on the side. Definitely a must watch K-Drama of your lifetime. Enjoy!
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perhaps we the viewers, are more doomed than the figure of Doom himself
wow, i am so mad.i really wanted to love this drama so bad ever since i heard of the news of the actors cast in it (i.e. my top faves).
damn wasted.
in fact, the finale may have made me even angier.
before getting to the finale, spending 15 episodes on this drama truly felt like a chore when the complexity of the story could have been so much more.
the genres that are descriptive of this show that are romance, comedy or fantasy, i can almost say with confidence have failed at all fronts.
i couldn't exactly recall an exact moment where it was anything comedic. it was kinda charming and sweet in some ways, but not comedic. it was romantic in other ways, but not exactly heart-wrenching either. was it truly dramatic? I FCKIN DOUBT IT! was the fantasy, fantastic? NO WAY, FAR FROM IT.
several points:
1. the female deity as the solo interaction/connection to Myul Mang is damn frustrating. literally from start to end, i don't exactly know what is she doing, or conveying with all the annoying metaphors. btw, what's the purpose, or logic in her being a sick patient all the time? can't she be healthy and kickass instead? fucking terribly written character that's so vague and almost felt useless throughout.
2. if the theme of the drama is about the FL facing death especially in a fantasy genre, then I JUST DON'T FCKIN UNDERSTAND WHY THE WRITERS CAN'T BOTHER GIVING US A GRIM REAPER CHARACTER, THAT COULD'VE BEEN PLAYED PERFECTLY BY LEE SOO HYUK. instead he plays a normal office guy who's a side-kick to the second love story. WTF is this nonsense!
3. i saw some youtube comments saying they gave up watching this drama for the main couple, but for the second couple only. well, i have to disagree strongly. none of the primary, or secondary love story worked on me actually. i thought the main couple's chemistry is really amazing, but their romance or love story rather sucked. and the second love story is even more unamusing. both males in the second love story are the cool, laid-back and non-confrontational type that there's literally 'no' polarity to create real tension from. perhaps it's what has saved the writer's arse from having to really think about what story arc would have made the conflict a lot more believable.
4. the Doom itself, what an amazing character potential totally lost in the hands of a sh*tty writer. wished we had more background into his past life, because the scene where he was crying at the funeral of someone was never properly explained. i am so damn curious about him just for him, outside of his romance arc and all the lame-ass interactions with the female deity that felt useless.
5. coming back to one of the most lame finale i have ever watched. if Dong Kyung was so tortured and in deep agony by Myul Mang's disappearance, then why is it that when he came back to her life in a human form and immediately proposed to her, that she refused, or dismissed him? at least THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT WAS IN THE VERY LAST SCENE, she was still dismissing him. not fooling around with him, but it really seemed like that wasn't in her agenda for anytime soon. and here i am, not knowing how to deal with that garbage of an ending, sh*t!
to conclude, i truly feel this is lazy, sh*tty and almost brainless screenwriting on all fronts. the concept itself had amazing potential in the hands of an otherwise really talented writer, and the ensemble of such amazing cast. one can wish. honestly, i would've rated this drama so much lower if not because i hate doing that to a drama where Seo In Guk was in.
i don't think i'll ever get over how mad i am at how this drama turned out, considering i love Seo In Guk's sexiness way too much to pass this from being a 'tolerable' enough multiple re-watch. the real doom then perhaps, is on us.
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some people were satisfied with its ending, i was not one of them
NOOOOOO!that ending literally ruined me :(
i know some of you are satisfied with that ending, but i am definitely not one of them. i'll explain.
first of all, i feel like there was so much thrill in the chase for the manicure serial killer, either in 2018 or in 1988 (that also involves the brother duo, Kim Min Seok and Kim Hyun Seok, as well as some mysteries surrounding the ML's traumatic childhood, or his father).
however, around ep. 14 to conclusion when Captain Dong Cheol was suddenly entangled in a murder case, and the real culprit turned out to be Chief of Seoul Police Station who got transferred to Insung, Ahn Min Sik, i feel like the story became slightly disconnected. Ahn Min Sik is a murderer cum corrupt police officer in 1988, but in 2018 he's actually the head neurosurgeon that operated on Han Tae Joo.
(of course by 1988, i mean his dream/hallucination in a state of comatose)
so i feel like that part about him was so random and didn't connect well to the rest of the story that preceded it.
also, instead of creating a lingering feeling after that conclusion, the ending actually wrecked me like crazy. it reminds me of IU's song Eight (ft. SUGA) that has a cheerful tone with very sad undertone (about her friends that passed away).
in this case, we seemed to enjoy a glimpse of Han Tae Joo reuniting with his teammates in 1988, but actually before that he jumped off a rooftop to give up the 2018 life.
of course i read comments speculating that he has never indeed woke up from his comatose state in 2018, therefore the last two episodes (ep. 15-16) of him successfully catching the serial killer brother duo were insinuating that it was a dream inside a dream, and that he's actually still unconscious.
plus, the fact that we were told that his teammates in 1988 actually died in the gang members attack, so i felt like the conclusion has only declined even more, or become sadder than it should be.
WHAT WOULD HAVE MADE THE PERFECT DRAMA for me would be if his present/reality is even more blurred than it is being presented. for instance, we started the first episode with Han Tae Joo waking up from his nap after reading case files of cold cases in 2018, and then waking up suddenly in the year 1988 after being shot in the head.
alternatively, the story could have also been written in the opposite way. he and his prosecutor/detective ex-girlfriend lost the criminal in 1988 and he was shot/badly injured, thus dreams of traveling (or actually tele-transported physically) into the future of 2018 where he meets his team members in that era. although the ending would be such that they may not stay together, at least all of them need not die during a mission.
welpppp! THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE WHAT TUNNEL IS, HAHAHAHA. no wonder i liked that drama so much, the chase was very intense from start to end.
//
basically my point is, i tried to imagine a different way of telling the story in a way that would arrive at a happier ending that i would have liked more, but yes it's difficult as i realise it'd lose its unique retro charm and flavour, and would be more/exactly like Tunnel.
i'd better stop complaining LOL, as the more i write would probably make me look like i am making a fool of myself, lmao.
some people say they would have loved a more concrete show of romance in this, as Yoon Na Yeong is such a catch. i agree. i love the team's camaraderie and i understand that what Han Tae Joo is dealing with constantly is too chaotic for him to return her love interest, but i feel like the scriptwriters could have at least given them more sweet moments for us to look back and cherish.
because the romance factor is almost completely lacking, and the serial killer chase is like a one-off suspense-type thrill, i feel like this drama does not have very high rewatchable value, at least in my book.
i am glad for the journey this was, BUT THAT ENDING RUINED ME.
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most wholesome law k-drama i have ever watched, yet!
wow, absolutely fckin brilliant!i don't think a wholesome law drama like this can easily be beaten. it's truly so well done from start to finish.
interestingly some gruesome factor wasn't exactly toned down but i bet this is the kind of dramas that the entire family can watch together because it's so well made and balanced that way.
in particular, i am not sure if i am the only one not properly understanding this. but the 'assumption' of an existence of a parallel world itself isn't entirely correct.
since there are two versions of Ra Si On and two versions of their daughter (one Se Rin, one Bo Na) and quite frankly everyone else, but there is only one version of Lee Jae Sang.
and we also saw that Lee Jae Sang didn't exactly transported himself physically to the parallel world and meet his other self in that world, and then they crossed each other's worlds (which i half expected the direction of the story was going to be middle-way through the drama), rather it was him dreaming of all these happenings when he was in the coma.
obviously masking this dream as the existence of a parallel world is very smart and a way of creative liberty way-out in telling the story because the writer needed to use that storytelling device to make a case that those experiences were real, and about to be replicated as a form of dejavu in the real world, rather than as a mere hallucination.
therefore, despite having such gripe in the story and finding there's logical fallacy (well, courtesy the fantasy element), the script really managed to stay outstandingly coherent and consistent that it never glaringly lost focus or balance. this is truly an effort to be applauded!
also, unless i can come up with a better, more logical way of reconnecting these incidences than how the writers have come up with here, i don't feel the need to deduct a point for its story. i truly believe that the writers have used up their imaginations enough to think of other possible ways/directions to tell the story, and they really ended up with the best option.
only that Ra Si On in particular, at times wasn't very likeable. she's violent and also in the 'parallel world', she's rash and always puts herself in danger incessantly. so i feel like if anyone would have a problem with the story, that would be her character LOL.
Bi Rain did such a fabulous job portraying the characters of a wicked lawyer, a wanna-be righteous prosecutor, a greedy selfish bastard and a wonderful husband/father that i believe it's impossible not to get lost and drawn in his character immersion.
he truly is phenomenal in this role, and quite possibly could not have been acted better!
shout out to Shin Jae Ha who played Yun Pil Woo, the character with such a sharp contrast in the 'parallel' and the 'real world'. that was such a bomb plot twist and he's such a phenomenal, convincing actor. i really hope this boy gets more leading roles in the future.
also, the finale episode was very rewarding. it's one of the best finale episodes across many k-dramas i have watched and nothing really feels rushed and things feel so well-concluded. i also loved how there was a little scene at the very end where the two worlds seemed meshed or joined together.
definitely one of the most rewarding dramas i have come across, ever. i cannot praise the work of everyone behind this gem of a drama enough. enjoy!
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Voice 3: City of Accomplices
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Voice series are the perfect mash of slow burn psychological and fast-paced crime thrillers
finished, wow.i think the final episode is the weakest of all the episodes that precede it. without giving out spoilers about its ending, the physical fight at the end felt kinda lackluster because they used guns to finish it fast and cleanly LOL. i'd love to have seen some more physical struggles between the two, but the villain actor here is not exactly an action actor so maybe that's why they can't execute it so much. it would have been a much stronger finale if they had done something like what Strangers from Hell did for the finale. their final episode there was awesome and batsh*t crazy!!
also when people say they liked Kim Jae Wook's villainess in season 1 the most, i think i can understand why. the gore in that is quite insane. but i also liked Kwon Yool too. the thing is in season 1 of Voice, they introduced Kim Jae Wook rather late, so they sidetracked a lot to someone else. in season 2, Kwon Yool was introduced/identified early and therefore more directly integrated into the story. in season 3, they used similar tricks to season 1 in introducing the real villain so we get several accomplices, and he comes through more towards the end. and unfortunately with that limited screentime he doesn't even have that many impactful scenes. considering his murder tool is the wire that can cut blood nerves very fast and cleanly, he may not have to be muscular and well-built. but i definitely wished it was played an actor with such physicality and someone who fights really well, because i think it'd make the creepiness factor a lot more intense. someone like Cha Seung Won, Park Hoon, Go Joon or Jo Dong Hyuk.
therefore, based on the series, i would say i loved Season 2&3 the most from the three seasons so far. Lee Jin Wook's extremely complex character and particularly Kwon Yool's villain character in season 2 really made such a huge impression on me. also, i am forever a trash for Lee Jin Wook because of this drama. i first watched him in Sweet Home and his brutality in there creeps me out a lot, so my favourite character there was actually Song Kang's. but from the first seconds i saw him here, i was already hooked. he's a very mesmerizing actor!!! i am so glad they split his story arc in two seasons, it ended up being insanely satisfying for me despite the tragic ending.
i was really close to giving this a 10 until i finally see the finale, but 9.5 is good enough. really one of the best out there for its genre!!!
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Voice season 2 literally sealed my faith in writer-nim as one of my ultimate faves in kdramaland
goodness Lord. wow, that was such a great drama that completely blew me out of the water.first off, i don't think this drama could have given what it has given if not for Lee Jin Wook. wow. his performance in this is so fckin brilliant and enigmatic. when he's on-screen, my eyes are completely focused on him. his screen presence is insane and the way he portrayed the character is absolutely immaculate. i could not imagine someone else playing that character!
Lee Ha Na playing Director Kang, i have no issues with her. even when i first watched her in High School King of Savvy with Seo In Guk, i thought she did very well within the circumference of her character though a lot of people bashed her acting there. i think she's very good at playing this role, and boy do i not love the little sparks between her and Team Leader Do.
third mention will have to go to Kwon Yool who played Bae Jong Soo. in almost the entire run of the drama, he plays it really calm and cold-hearted, but at the very last confrontation scene between him and Team Leader Do, the way he acted out the crazy psychopath scene was just absolutely brilliant! mad respect.
now, in terms of story, i must say this drama exceeded my expectation in terms of its delivery, though the story/complexity may be a bit lacking since they split the entire arc into two seasons. compared to season 1 of Voice, the episodic cases here are in a way simpler though i liked that the cases are very contemporary.
i must also add that i read comments saying that they liked season 1's villain more, not sure if it's because of Kim Jae Wook or what. but some said that it gets frustrating that the villain here is always one step ahead of the detectives, and it's not very realistic or likens itself to a major plot hole.
on the other hand, i did not think that. i was definitely a lot more invested in this villain more than in season 1. in season 1, the real villain was introduced very late after they have taken a detour by insinuating someone else. here, at about as soon as episode 4, they already revealed the face of the true culprit. in a way, that makes the villain here a lot more engaged into the story, and we get to be more invested in him.
i also personally think that the real villain here, Bae Jong Soo is one of the most complex and fascinating psychopathic villains i have come across in a k-drama. i don't think it's entirely unrealistic that he's always one step ahead of the police officers when we can assume that he's a master hacker. to top it all off, we also came to know that he's very deadly, being extremely skilled with knives and swords. on top of that, he's very manipulative and has successfully built a secret group of allies who are willing to die for his cause. his charisma and genius mind are actually insane!
therefore, as a matter-of-fact, i was surprised when watching this drama that people didn't rate it higher. i was very engaged in all the characters throughout the drama, and that bombastic cliffhanger at the end. damn. I CAN'T WAIT TO START SEASON 3!!!
of course this drama is not without problems. there are scattering marks of plot holes dispersed through the drama like the reckless handling of evidence and inconsistent use of Director Kang's super hearing ability to fit the plot (which i thought was worse in season 1). however, i am not usually extra sensitive about these things so i don't fret too much about them.
would like to wrap up that i think this drama proved that the screenwriter is officially one of my ultimate crime thriller writers in all of k-dramaland, alongside the writer for Black that i just completed recently. i consider them as master story-tellers who really know their craft. hats off!
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Mary Stayed Out All Night
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Jang Keun Suk made the whole drama work for me, LOL
well i watched this drama because of JKS oppa and he obviously didn't disappoint. i liked this drama so much better than You're Beautiful.in terms of story, i think i've almost forgotten almost entirely of what happened in the first half because Mary's character annoyed the hell out of me. the way she was intrusive to Moo Gyul's home and was physically clingy towards him made me feel like i was drawing blood from my eyes out of frustration LOL. i bawled my eyes so many times at the way Moo Gyul kept tolerating her when i would've literally just kicked her off to the curb, LMAO. but it's after ep. 8 specifically that the story has really drawn me in, when the two were handcuffed due to the prank by Moo Gyul's bandmates and how they finally owned up to each other's feeling that they kept on suppressing and denying all this while. so my favourable marks towards the story has obviously got a lot to do with the second half of the drama.
if i make any sincere attempt to detach Kang Moo Gyul's character from the actor JKS who played him, then i can obviously make a fairer assessment. he obviously does comes across very prideful at times. like when he went to Jung In's house one time and saw Mary trying out wedding dresses because she was instructed to, and she walked in her high heels to chase him, but he literally didn't stop to look at her. Jung In was the one who followed Mary, gave her his jacket and walked back with her when she had blisters from the heels. times and again such scenes happened where we can see Moo Gyul is the stubborn one and Jung In is the more gentlemanly one, so we as viewers started to wonder whether Mary would be better off with Jung In rather than Moo Gyul.
but throughout the story, i think the drama has also quite successfully laid bare the deeper parts of Moo Gyul's personality and how she's slowly melting his ice-cold heart or changing him to be more warm-hearted. this was probably the part i enjoyed the most while watching the show, the showing of his sensitivities and vulnerabilities worked on me, and i could relate and empathize to his character and childhood abandonment trauma deeply. by the end of it, that factor definitely determined my high level of enjoyment in watching this drama.
i definitely believe the low rating is caused by the way all three set of parents are written in this drama that comes across very absurd and despicable. Mary's father forces her to marry the son of a rich guy because he wants her to live a comfortable life, Jung In's father forces him to marry her because of his own undying love for Mary's mother and Moo Gyul's mother is literally a parasite who comes to him and goes whenever it conveniences her. but when i think back, the writer is not entirely wrong to make the parents this despicable because they do give motive to the story and happenings in the entanglement in the lives of their three children who got caught up in this mess.
without the parents' absurdities, Mary would not have pretended to be married to Moo Gyul and Moo Gyul if not as broken as he was, probably would not have found himself tolerating Mary's bullsh*t better LOL. and Mary's father is not entirely wrong to persist in wanting Mary to marry Jung In, after all, he's well mannered and well-to-do, someone who can secure a comfortable life for his daughter which he hasn't been able to do as a father, and when he finally fell in love with Mary too, that's literally game over for Moo Gyul, LOL. honestly i think Mary is a really lucky one in this case because her first love is someone who's fully committed to staying loyal to her and can steadily make a name for himself because he's so talented in what he does. first love rarely ends well as her father himself puts it and especially true for someone who's as novice as her in a relationship, because people do get blinded in love and ignore any red flags that may come their way.
all in all, i think this is the kind of couple that's really bound to last. it's the kind of drama that i feel has quite successfully build the case for a realistically well-matched couple, such that the drama ended not exactly at a fairytale romanticized ending but one that realistically say, "yes they are different, yes they still have issues that lead to childish breakups but as they mature more, they will also love each other better and that's how they'll survive this relationship until old age". ENDS
as for the music, the four songs that Jang Keun Suk himself sang that are I WILL PROMISE YOU, HELLO HELLO, MY PRECIOUS and TAKE CARE OF MY BUS are all outstanding, kekeke. i have them on my replays, the songs are really good and obviously I FCKIN LOVE HIS VOICE AND CHARISMA ON STAGE.
i'll definitely re-watch this at some point. definitely one of the better romance dramas out there despite all of its problems.
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Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation
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LOL they ended on a cliffhanger! but i am completely okay with it since this dream team deserves a continuity, they are really rocking it.i wish the main story arc this season is a little more complex and punchy. in fact i am not sure why the director would give away the clue to the real killer mid-series. coming from Memorist which was so brilliantly written, this definitely pales in comparison. plus the revelation to the real killer was so average-like, i don't understand why the killer would expose their identity so easily to the FL at the second last episode.
this could've definitely delivered so much more if it was a 16 episode series.
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funny that i finished this only for Woo Do Hwan LOL (started this before and didn't finish) and he only had very few scenes in the entire movie before he was shot dead LOL WTF. like i don't understand what the director was thinking when he gave us glimpses of this hottie rookie, and only placed him in the movie as nothing more but left-wing bodyguard. he should have been the villain's main bodyguard for goodness sake!in terms of the story, wow this has got to be one of the messiest execution I have come across in a movie. it feels like some of the scenarios that are actually important to appreciate the investigation properly are only glossed over, and they expect us to understand what's happening with very little cues. bear in mind this is not an easy subject to follow since the story deals with expert money launderers. by that I didn't mean I wanted the movie to be longer, in fact the movie would have benefited from a simpler but more concise execution especially in the first half.
the part when the villain was finally captured actually felt a little flat, as in he naturally surrendered to the police when cornered from all sides, and did not resist at all (i find that weird, since we've had the impression all the while that he's so badass). the part where Jang Goon transferred all the recovered laundered money to all the victims feels very comical too, since this is not a Batman story saving the people of Gotham, so it would have been nice to have a more realistic ending IMO.
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In terms of the cases, I do find that they have picked the most unique and interesting cases in this drama so I did find myself very invested in the villain's acting more than the lead characters' acting most times. The most memorable villains to me were Jo Han Chul, Jung Tae Woo and Kim Won Hae and I might pick the episodes they appeared in to rewatch although those can be pretty gruesome because they are such amazing show stealers!
Although the cases were primarily interesting enough, there seem to be some noticeable problems in the editing room. For instance, in multiple episodes, the transition from the ending of a case to the next especially when it happens midway the episode instead of as an ending cliffhanger was rather awkward. For instance, in one of the later episodes, the case was frustratingly not properly concluded, and the scene just moved on suddenly to a rather jovial Nana Hwang in the office inviting her colleagues for a drink.
This scene could have been added to show off some camaraderie between the team members, but it was awkwardly placed, and very far off or little in-between. There was also some interesting backstories with the character Ha Sun Woo (the FL), but at the end of it, we are not sure if those were the only issues that made her character so cold/frozen in demeanour. Likewise, contrary to some viewers who thought the actors who played Lee Han and Nana Hwang were trying too hard to be quirky, I didn't find them that way at all, in fact, I really liked them for they are all so competent at what they do. The only problem here is that these characters were not given enough screen time to develop their personalities more and make them more engaging outside of their investigative roles.
Team Leader Kang and his subordinates are a great team, but I also understand when other viewers say they wished we managed to see more of Kang Ki Hyung-Kim Hyun Joon bromance beyond their supervisor-subordinate relationship, something like what WATCHER has given us in the relationship between Do Gi Kwang and Kim Young Goon. I also read somewhere that Lee Joon Gi's character in this remake is an addition to the original, so that may explain why some people find the character of team leader Kang a bit stiff/boring, since most of the kickass scenes were carried out by Lee Joon Gi himself (not that there were many of it). I also respected that the writer/director did not explore a deeper relationship between Kim Hyun Joon and Ha Sun Woo here, but I wished we at least got to see more of their friendship and not just some work-related stiffness. Well, the reason I get her character is that there are female investigators out there in real life who's demeanours are as stiff as a rock exactly the way she portrayed here or in the original, but I am not sure if that worked in favour of this drama given her character came out rather flat and largely uninteresting. Lee Sun Bin is a great actress, and more than just a very beautiful face; there's a specific episode here which proved that.
There were two directors actually for this drama and PD Lee quit before the first episode airing so the remaining of the show was directed by PD Yang. We are not sure at which episode of the drama did he quit, but many viewers seemed to note that the quality of the directing may have improved from episode 3 onwards. Nevertheless, I cannot testify to this, because the problematic transitional scene editing I mentioned above actually happened way later, in episode 15. But the middle part definitely had the most interesting cases in the entire series.
All in all, the more favourable reviews most likely came from viewers who have not seen the original, and the least favourable ones came from those who have. This show definitely had its multiple glaring flaws mainly of its lack of leads character development, the rushed process of criminal profiling itself (or some very rushed case's conclusion), the lack of showmanship of team members' chemistry as well as the miscalculated editing for some transitional scenes. That being said, these, in my opinion, were most likely issues with the episodes constraint, as they finished the entire drama in only 20 episodes, and many things felt rushed and could have been given more space to be explored properly had it was given more screen time, say at least 24 episodes or more. If only there were more episodes to this, I am sure THE FINALE SHOWDOWN COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
This is the first drama where I seemed to have picked up on the difference between the writing vs. directing of a drama, maybe hugely because this is a remake. My entire reviews to-date have noted more on the writing, but this drama seemed to have more noticeable flaws in the directing side. Therefore the marks I deducted off the story is actually for the directing, not writing.
However, definitely a drama worth the watch, because the great things that kept a viewer engaged were enough to make the viewing experience redeemable, bearing its obvious flaws. I leave the overall score very high because I remember really liking Hello Monster a lot as an overall story, but the crime part there was just not dark enough, and the cases here had the kind of brutality (read: realness and impact) that I like in a police-procedural series, so I favour this drama a lot in that sense of comparison. In all seriousness, the cases are really great though again, some profiling here felt rushed or appeared out-of-nowhere, but definitely a good homage to the US show, so all props to the scriptwriter of the original series!
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