The Devil Judge (2021)

Good Enough

Korean Drama "The Devil Judge" is a law drama with strong characters.

The main story is not something original, rather, it's a well-used trop, with the bad rich people in power corrupting the system and using the masses to their own advantages, and some people trying to stop them. The new thing that the drama introduces, however, was the live court theme, which was well handled. The some sort of family that was created in the mansion was pretty sweet as well and created enough cute moments to provide the drama with the right emotions and enhance the dynamics between the characters.

However, the drama started getting boring halfway through and only the live court cases were the main source of entertainment. Also, Sun Ah's character was simply unlikable and forcefully trying to be a strong lead and the main villain. In addition, the first episodes had an interesting camera work and editing which was a bit over-the-top.

Still, the final episodes were pretty intense, with an overused twist though. The performances were top-notch too, and the OST suited the story perfectly.

So, overall, 6 out of 10.

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Not good writing.

I am a ji sung fan, but when a drama is not good I will admit that instead being blinded by a star cast.

At first the story starts with Ji sung character aka the devil judge to be shown as two faced, not directly but through the words of an elder judge who tells our another hero Ga On, played by park jin young. He tells Ga On devil judge may seem like punishing evil, but do you really think he is all that and doesn't have some dark secret behind his good actions. Then the elder judge merely shows up his face now and then in the drama. Anyway , this leads the viewers in first few episodes to doubt the devil judge, we even doubt devil judge may have killed his brother in a fire, we doubt his real intentions when he punishes bad people and all of a sudden writer throws that concept out of the window, without giving a clarity what his actions mean. It is episode 9., the writer didn't give us whether the devil judge is a misunderstood character, or really evil who uses other bad people as an excuse for his actions or a good guy who just uses outside the law methods to catch bad people. In conclusion his character is a heck of confusion for me and I won't even call the character mysterious since it is annoying.

Now coming to our second hero, Ga On, now he is the most undecisive character, one minute he acts like devil judge is someone he cares a lot only to see him hate the devil judge and doubting him the next minute. For few episodes he doesn't agree with devil judge methods, but all he does is complain it, but not take any action. He lives in the devil judge house, first it was for an injury reason which was understandable as viewers cause devil judge house has security, he still lives in the house, so we think he is trying to spy by staying in the house a little longer. Now he is totally living in the house like he is devil judge family member which didn't even make sense to me. Despite his character is shown as someone who will see the real side of devil judge in initial episodes, he now acts like he is a devil judge minion without giving viewers a proper reason why he changed his opinions.

Now coming our female lead, jeong seon ah, she is a villain and opposite character. Out of all characters she is the only one who makes sense to me despite she is shown as a evil character. Although she is a poor girl who now became a powerful chairwoman, how she got such power is still has to be explained.

Now the other female lead, who is yoon soo hyun, now she is friend of Ga On and a police officer. Her character is merely a decoration and does nothing helpful to the plot. Well to be fair the plot in this drama is inconsistent, but still she is of no use till now. Her screen time is even less, compared to her a side character called Elijah, the devil judge niece gets more time.

The plot is set in a dystopian korea, but after seeing the drama it is any other law korean drama's only which has good judges and bad politicians and selfish businessmen. The plot is just all over the place, what is the purpose of the story, what is your characters purpose, everything is inconsistent.

Even the viewership ratings on wikipedia page have dropped since last few episodes because of bad writing. Any high ratings given to this drama in this site is because of star cast biasedness. that's all.

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A tale about the best villians and the worst heroes.

Humanity is a luxury afforded to only those who have every other comfort in the world. It's not easy to be human when you have to hold onto life itself till your fingers bleed.

Story: Set in a dystopian land, it feels too close to home. The people in the story talk like you, walk like you and some even think like you. It's amazing how they have been able to inject such a heavy dose of realism into a tale that's entirely fictional. The pacing is good, and those who are about to watch this after all the episodes are out won't be able to resist bingeing. Each episode is left at a cliffhanger that alters the alliances we get used to throughout the episode. The dense plot is broken up by some light hearted comedic moments, satire and a short love story. It allows the more serious parts to breathe better and ruminate in the mind of the audience.

Characters: We get good insight into all the characters who inhabit the screen. They have their own struggles which gives credence to the reasons why they are putting everything on the line, including their lives to achieve their goals.

Music: Good background score, helps amplify the emotional notes of the scene. I especially appreciate how it isn't overwhelming. Scenes where we are left guessing if the characters are good or bad have muted notes, making sure the confusion isn't cleared up by pointed background music.

Acting: All performances are great. New to the scene Jeon Chae Eun did well in her role, very believable performance of an emotionally isolated teen who just wants to connect to the people around her. Baek Hyun Jin did an especially amazing job as the vile President. Every time he started one of his rants I was glued to the screen. Also so glad to see the mini It's Okay To Not Be Okay reunion with Jang Young Nam, Park Gyu Young and Moon Woo Jin sharing the same screen again.

Set Design: I want to specifically mention how truly amazing the set design for this series was. Very dictator chic. The different sets were enough to put us into the world that looks and feels like ours but isn't the same.

Anyone would enjoy this series, whether you're new to kdramas or a veteran.

~~~~~~SPOILERS!!!~~~~~~
Please don't read ahead if you want to avoid spoilers!

I wanted to discuss a little bit about the motivations of the different characters and also the overarching theme of the series. This part contains HEAVY SPOILERS so please do not read ahead if you want to avoid them.

Kang Yo Han: He is the personification of despair. This man has nothing in his life that gives him joy. Nothing in his life that gives him hope. He kept his niece safe with the dedication of a soldier on a battlefield. He is the best of the villains. He's cold and calculating, predicting the moves of his opponents even before they figure it out and then cornering them to play like he wants. I think Kang Yo Han finding a way out of the explosion is true to his character. He is not kind. He is not a martyr. He only wants to keep his niece safe like his brother kept him safe. In that sense the true hero of the story would be Isaac. Had his brother never cared for him, Kang Yo Han probably wouldn't have loved his niece.

Kim Ga On: He is KYH's foil. Where KYH is determination and cruelty, Kim Ga On is hesitation and decency. He is not the worst of the heroes, that distinction is someone else's down the line ~cough'gyosunim'cough~ but he was his worst when he was trying to be a hero. And that's only because abstract ideals like honesty and justice are only possible when people, who you want to fight for these morals, are well fed and have a roof over their heads. In this dystopian land, everything may seem okay on the surface but cross a single street and you'd see homeless mothers with young daughters. In this land, at this time, Kim Ga On was his best when he had the devil on his side. He was efficient when his humanity was leached from him. That's because the ones who have nothing lost their humanity first. And to truly walk in their shoes you'd have to lock yours up so tight it could suffocate and die. When Cha Kyung Hee (Minister of Justice) died and Kim Ga On went to check for the file without skipping a beat, that is when his humanity died. He became someone unrecognizable to himself. However as the series was coming to a close it was evident that these monsters that we posses can be put to rest, tucked away in their cellars when their objectives have been completed, just how Kim Ga On was regaining his humanity.

Kim Min Jung: All she wanted was money and affection. Perhaps in a better world she would have managed to hold onto to both but the fact that she was attached to Kang Yo Han and any woman who had a childhood like hers was her downfall. Unlike Kang Yo Han, it seems no one really showed her kindness or love when she was young. Which is probably why her monster never went back to sleep.

Ahn Nae Sang: Gyosunim is the goddamn worst. There's nothing more nauseous than a self righteous hero fighting for justice and peace over the mangled corpses of the oppressed masses. Of course we should not turn a court hearing into a direct democracy akin to America's Got Talent but jeez read the room dude, there are bigger scarier monsters out there tearing through the streets. The guy who himself quoted Nietzsche when he said if you stare at the abyss long enough, the abyss stares back decided to stick with the one who killed Soo Hyun? Just wow. He's the worst hero. All talk of revolution while maintaining status quo.

Heo Jung Se (President): With wave after wave of populism sweeping across all levels of politics it's unsurprising how chilling and effective his presence is in the show is. He comes across as the most harmless of the bunch, the jester, the puppet. But he's the most evil of the lot. High on his own influence, his priorities shift from greed to fame, even if it comes with bloodshed. He was all bark and no bite, till they showed he was the one behind the forced human trials. No evil is more dangerous than the insidious.

Final thoughts:
When we go to war we put our humanity aside, leaving it with our spouses, our families, our friends. But what happens when the war enters our homes, our schools, our streets? Can we keep humanity safe? What are we fighting for if not peace and happiness? Who are we fighting? The corrupt officials at the top or their special brand of thinking that prizes hunger for money, power and fame above all else? How can we be happy if we aren't even human?

The series left me with a lot to think about. That's what makes it great. It can spark a conversation. Did you watch it? What impression did it leave on you?

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a better version of MacBeth

With the amount of action, mystery, and plot twist...this drama was almost perfect. I think the main thing that made it something i would recommend and enjoy is the message/story regarding politics.

"Absolute Power corrupts absolutely"

When a leader/person has lost sight of their original belief and gets blind-sighted with the power obtained...they forget who they are and start following a false belief. Every character in this drama either failed to realize in time or got killed for standing up for the people. Reality is scary. This is why people today have trust issues, it's true and a chance to become true.

I hope to see some of these actors in more dramas! The way they played their character was perfect.

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Alhamdulillah i didn't watch this on-going

I just want to lay down and stare at the ceiling to see how could i break the bond i built with the characters
I'm facinated and surprised
Characters' next moves are totally unpredictable , the events were very intense from the first to the last minute that i couldn't judge anyone's behavior as The situation couldn't be judged by the regular standards and values we use in our daily life (or that's what i see)
As the story goes on i got so attached and immersed that i couldn't think correctly about what's going on , i was like on of the audience, just watching kang yuhan bringing people to the court and reacting to what i see and not so sure about what decision i should make ,am i the hero or just a criminal ?
The plot is so beautifully and impressively written especially the noticable effort on writing a complicated character like kang yuhan and the script has so many good lines. I really admire how the writer managed to direct the plot although it was insanly chaotic especially the late episodes
I also totally loved how yuhan and gaon's relationship was displayed , and how each one of them as time goes by leaves his traces on the other and how they get more and more attached to each other .It is clear that both left a bit of them in each other's self
As for gaon naivety i can't blame him and i will never like to be in his place , i understand how shocking the truth was and how hard it was to chose , between either what's right and what have to be done.
I was majorly surprised by jinyoung acting skills , his expressions was so good in the emotional face but at the early episodes some of his reactions weren't so distinguishable , of course i have nothing to say about jisung i just got more fond of him
The actor playing SunAh *chef's kiss* even though her arc wasn't so understandable but it's still so good
I loved sohyeon and gaon's relationship but i wasn't so moved by them dating , this side of their relationship wasn't well displayed , they could've stayed as childhood friends and it wouldn't mainly affect the plot.
Overall it's a clear 10 out of 10 , it's not an ordinary dark mystery drama it was so vivid and had many aspects rather than just the courtroom scenes and what's around it . Probably the best

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Unexpected gold

While there were a few choices I could nitpick, the Devil Judge overall had a solid story throughout and I never found myself bored while watching. I added an extra 0.5 points to a show I'd normally give a 9.0 to because it had so many archetypes I adored, and I haven't found myself falling in love over a kdrama like this in a while.

PROS:
- Kang Yohan. I haven't seen another morally grey character in kdramas so well acted and written
- The plot moves really nicely, and even though I had been spoiled for some scenes, I still found myself on edge for majority of the show
- The dystopian setting helps offset any unrealistic aspects of the live show court
- The relationships between characters are nicely done, especially between Yohan and Elijah

CONS:
- The female characters were underutilized, they had so much depth that didn't feel completely paid off in the end. That being said, Sunah is a fantastic villain
- Any romance between Gaon and Soohyeon felt very unconvincing, especially since they didn't have too many moments together and the writers seemed to be torn whether or not they wanted to show subtext between Gaon and Yohan instead
- The last few plot points could have benefited from at least one more episode

The Devil Judge is definitely one of the best dramas of the season. You will come for beautiful cinematography and dark plots but stay for the characters and found family. Give it a few episodes and if you find yourself liking the vibe, you won't regret staying along for the ride.

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The Matrix, Reimagined As A Courtroom Drama.

This drama took me a lot longer to finish than I expected. Usually, I will wait till a drama is fully aired and then marathon watch it. This drama was different. I took my time and paused for a day or two after each episode because there was so much to unpack and I wanted to draw it out and really savor every scene and revelation. The story is so well written, the cast does an amazing job, the emotions were a lot more raw and realistic than I usually see in Kdramas.

I was fully immersed in their world and the overarching theme of judgement. It was not lost on me that the main characters are judges and every moment of every episode is about the judgements we form in every interaction with people. We perceive this world through the eyes of Kim Ga On, a young and impressionable judge. He is thrust into situations constantly where he is surrounded by his own impulse to judge others and influenced by other people's judgements in turn. Seeing things through his eyes allows the audience to naively fall into the same traps Ga On also falls into, casting judgement on things he doesn't fully understand and later regretting his actions.

The whole world is blindfolded, and the main protagonist is the unwelcome devil who removes the blindfolds so that we can look past the illusion that surrounds us and see the world, and ourselves, for what it really is. This drama was really cleverly done. As the show and episodes progress each pivotal clue scene gets replayed and shuffled to show how each situation, each action, each piece of information can be read differently based on the information you have. Like tarot cards being reorganized to support a different verdict from the same cards.

I've read a lot of the reviews here that talk about the drama being about social injustice, but I think that's a pretty superficial observation. The social injustice isn't there to highlight the unfairness of the world or to make a political/social point, it's there to help us understand how willing we are to be fooled, led into judgements that end up being the essence of the injustice we are trying so hard to overcome. Every single character gets misunderstood, every single character misunderstands others, every single character is guilty of acting on a judgement based on an incomplete assumption. The drama holds a mirror up to us and asks us to assess our own judgements of others, to examine them instead with the understanding that our experience and information is only a small piece of the puzzle and not the complete picture.

I've also read reviews talking about the character Kim Ga On being unrealistically naive and impressionable. But to me, having lived in this world a decent amount of time, it seemed very realistic. People, in general, seem to be happy to accept the blue pill, content in their ignorance. People, to me, seem to want to be fooled, not force fed a red pill by some shady hot dude in a black robe. Ga On being naive is a representation of the entire world's population, throughout every time and every culture, willing to believe the easy lie, fighting against incursion from the ugly reality. Ga On had to be naive for the story to make its point. He had to be force fed the reality he wanted to overcome, fighting his innate urge to accept assumptions and lies. He had to be naive because we are naive, because there isn't a human alive who is not guilty of falling for a pretty lie, because he needed to be a reflection of who we are as humans.

This show for me was easily a 10, the story was masterfully crafted, the directing was expertly done, the acting was across the board incredible, the music was perfectly timed and themed to the show. I would 100% watch this drama again, and that's rare for me.

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An Absolutely Amazing Series

OH NO! It's Over ... And this is my second time watching this series!

The acting, it's very impressive! Everyone did an awesome job of portraying their characters. There were a lot of emotional scenes and not once did I feel let down.

The chemistry between Kang Yo Han and Kim Ga On (as well as Elijah) is too good, their bond just kept growing and it was nice to watch. And not to mention, how strong the other main characters are, both physically and in personality.

Cinematography and overall production value was the best, the scenes were so realistic and believable.

The OST, is totally fitting and right on target with each scene.

Enemy Of Truth & Mirror City, what can I say?

This is a series that, given a few months in between has so much story to it, you can rewatch it because there is so much you forget.

All in All, one of my favorites!

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Impossible to stop watching

Once you start this drama, you want to end it. The story is really catchy and well written, maybe some people won't like it, because it is an exaggeration of what the judicial system could be, and everything is messed up. I mean, do we, in the real world, have justice? Would we agree with Kang Yo-han?

Well, it's something to think about.

Now, I'm not a film critic, but I'm a viewer, and I have nice and not nice things to talk about this drama:
1) Jisung and Jinyoung have amazing chemistry and acting skills.
2) The story is really good.
3) The president and company are despicable, It's hard to watch because their acting is great.
4) Personally, I didn't like both female protagonists acting skills, especially Kim Min-jung acting, it was a generic acting of a sociopath/psychopath (whatever she is).
5) The romance was not it, and it was really bad, no chemistry, just words. They could ignore any romance in this drama, like Beyond Evil did ( I mean the heterosexual one lol).
6) Kim Gaon really gets on your nerves sometimes, Kang Yo-han was really in love y'all.
7) Kang Yo-han is hot.
8) Jeon Chae eun, our beloved Elijah, was AMAZING, what a great character and actress.
9) We need a gay director's cut, then it would be perfect.

Overall, it's really worth watching!

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I don't know how to express my feeling, but this series is a masterpiece!!!!

First of all, I personally prefer bromance-rated series over BL-rated

Because it involves a real and strong love relationship without the need for hot scenes (my religion forbids sexual relations before marriage or those that are harmful to humans, etc... Therefore, the classification of bromance is the best option, but I watch some BL series) as well as bromance series that focus on strong friendship and love Pure, loyal and willing to sacrifice, this series also shows the strength of their friendship.

I really enjoyed this series and was also sad because of the last episode with an open ending.
I will watch the series again if I get the chance.

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A Cinematic Masterpiece

Honestly, while everybody is talking about if this show is BL or not, i want to point out what stood out to me the most. This show has one of the most amazing cinematography I’ve seen in asian dramas. Especially when it comes to the dystopic series. I think Asian productions are unprofessional compared to the western ones. So even if you want to convey a good story, the lack of production value can kill all the joy. However, the locations, camerawork, costumes etc. everything is top notch in this drama, I would say it’s on par with Hollywood ones.

The acting performances are great. Especially Ji Sung, he’s so talented that he made Kang Yohan this iconic. Casting overall is perfect. The story isn’t fast-paced hence why some people say it’s kinda boring but it’s quite normal for this kind of dramas when the topic is Justice and morals. Action and lead interactions all over would make this show less serious so i loved the fillers. It’s catchy and entertaining.

This show has one of the most iconic characters like Yohan, Sun ah, Gaon, elijah etc. each of the leads have great chemistry with other characters but of course Yohan and Gaon dynamic steals the show, with all the tension and conflict going on between them. Absolutely one of the best drama couples for me.

Also the OST for this drama is amazing. Both for soundtrack and scores. They’re all so fitting to dramas theme. Overall this show was definitely worth watching and iconic for me and it even deserves more recognition than the other Korean dramas with high ratings out there.

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