This is a story of interests.
Two ideals, clashing since the beginning of the world.
Two high-ranking officials in the Prosecutor's Office. Two right-hands for each of them. Conflicts of interest. Twists and turns. Conflicts of interests bis.
I basically summed up the storyline. Add some intense drama here, a tragic element there; sprinkle with a background story of a couple ruined by their ideals, and top with the every vilain's motive ever: The Journey to A Better World, and you get Punch in a nutshell.
This drama couldn't have been any better than this, because there's a problem with the storyline: it's too repetitive. It is one idea: plot twists, extended on a period of 16 episodes, considering the first three are an intro. 16 episodes of twists, twists, twists.
You know what's also repetitive ? Lines. Many lines were said more than a handful of times during the series, only sometimes they changed a word, but mostly they remained intact. I probably never read the phrase 'See you in jail' as much in my entire life than while watching Punch (and it was always another character saying it after yet another plot twist)
And those flashbacks.. Sometimes you just gotta play it subtle. No need to bomb the viewer with 5 flashbacks to refer to a certain line or a certain scene. The whole series could've easily been 16 episodes if they only just got rid of filler flashbacks and repetitive lines. It would've been much more digestible.
As for the acting, it depends. Some characters were portrayed in a really plain and annoying, sometimes unrealistic way (hello Yoon Ji Sook, hello Choi Yeon Jin), and although I loved Shin Ha Gyeong's character, she was more on the plain side too, but Jo Jae Hyeon and Kim Rae Won were a pleasure to watch. Kim Rae Won especially. He was excellent on his illness scenes.
...Which leads to yet another plot issue: the main character is supposed to be sick, that's the tragic element, but it doesn't feel like he's sick at all. It is known to the viewer that he's going to die, but the symptoms started showing only near the close end ? Not realistic.
To me, the last episodes really saved it all. Plot twists (again!) but they were intelligent. Lots of crying, so prepare a box of tissue. This was a 7.5, yes, but a nice 7.5.
And although Punch is not a romantic show, it has the most beautiful portrayal of true love, which some people could confuse with affection, but that's really it, a strong affection, genuine care. No passion here. No lovey-dovey scenes and butterflies everywhere.
But one child, the physical link between two people; and one idealistic goal:
that the child grows up in a world of justice.
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