One of the most interesting Dramas in 2023

No.Let me rephrase it.
One of the most interesting premises in 2023...

Lets break it into some smaller parts.

Music:Although i finished it few minutes ago,honestly i don't remember any piece of music,melody or tune.I wasn't distracted by it but i never felt that added something to the Drama.Dull and totally forgettable.

Production was excellent.The direction always gave the right mysterious and suspenseful vibes.Great camera use, too.But what really stands out is the gorgeous,stunning and absolutely brilliant cinematography.The use of lights and shadows,the color tones,everything was such a treat!

Cast & Acting.Iam not really sure how i feel about it.I always have faith in Korean actors to deliver, so i can't say acting failed me here.But it wasn't super exciting and memorable eiher.Sometimes felt flat but not in any case bad.

Story/plot & characters:

This is not a 10.Definitely not.Is not a 9 either.Not to me.
But is a solid 8 and i will explain why.

Ok first of all i have to warn you.
If you are like me who absolutely loves psychological thrillers,heavy plot,dark and twisted story , deep, troubled and insane characters...this is not the case.If you are looking for something like this do not have your hopes high because you will be disappointed.

I started this because iam a crazy fan of Time Travel,Mystery,Serial killers and any dark story.
After finishing it(just a while ago)i can say this was the most fluffy,sweet and adorable crime/mystery/murder Drama i have ever watched.
For my taste this is not good!Lol.But i loved My Perfect Stranger,kept my interest all the way and never bored me,although it was nothing like i was expecting before i started it.

Iam aware the Time Travel type Drama is not an easy theme to create and develop a fully satisfying story.There are always plot holes,issues with the time line and all these.Iam too familiar so i can't judge it harshly.
But the story is engaging,making you dive into it really easy and fast.It is very clear why the time travel happens,why our male lead returned to the past and how the female lead got involved into this too.In other words is an easy to follow story and as ive wrote in another related review,i was too happy the time travel device was a car.(yes ofc Back to the Future huge fan here!)
I don't want to give away any spoilers.Is the kind of series you really have to go blindly into.The main question here is of course "who is the murderer"

So from episode 1 until the very late episodes the writer have you guessing and squishing your brains and making you losing your sleep on your trying to figure out who the hell done those murders!I was like this for many eps in a row.And then i tried to focus on the motive and not the actual killer.And then i gave up.Lmao.Iam too stubborn to quit but i was frustrated for not been able to solve the puzzle.And this is the main reason this drama is so good and the writer did an excellent job to make a story so interesting and enjoyable at the same time.

So why i gave an 8 instead of a perfect 10 or a great 9?
This Drama can easily be somewhere between 7 to 10 depending on what you expect,how much you like time travel series,how heavy you want the plot,if you pay attention to the details,if you love airtight stories and so many other variables.

My Perfect Stranger is the kind of drama which has an interesting story to tell.Is all about the story.Actually it has nothing to do with the characters,as all of them are here to tell and present the story itself.So the characters are the narrative tools.
And this is one of the main reasons i deducted points and gave an 8.
There is no depth or any kind of character development.They are ordinary,simple people living ordinary simple life.Yes of course our main leads are smart and brave enough to get themselves into this mess,but you know, iam sure we all are looking for that one magnificent character to instantly fall inlove with!Here i couldn't find the One!

The only one that got my attention and if i had to choose my fave, would be her,Go Mi Sook.She was evil in her way and the actress who portrayed her did an excellent job.I wish she had more screen time,though.

Iam taking about the characters but i haven't mentioned the main villain yet...No i will not reveal his/her identity,of course not.But i was disappointed by this char as i have never before with any other crime drama.Not only because he/she wasn't the psycho i wanted to see(hahaha)but mostly because the reason/motive for all the murders was such a bummer!Again i cannot say more to spoil anything,iam just justifying my rate.At the end you will be left with few unanswered questions,but is ok i guess.

All in all is a good drama.It has a bit of everything.Time travel,mystery,serial killings,heart warming family bonds,friendships and a sweet romance which doesn't overlap the story.
It wasn't what i wanted to watch when i started it but i never,not once, thought to drop it.
Go for it,it has many to offer if you like to watch something different.

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Unpopular Opinion.This show is partially Hit and partially Miss.

Production,direction and cinematography in good levels.Nohing stunning.Good but basic. For a 2019 Drama i expected more.

The Music Department failed, big time, to dress this Drama properly.
Songs and music was excellent but way too modern for a Historical Drama.Unfortunately a total misfit.Especially the theme over all the fighting scenes!!Watch just one of those scenes and you will understand what exactly iam talking about.That music carpet is the perfect match to a modern action movie or series.Totally out of place when you watch a swords fighting scene.Many times i found myself distracted by it and i was really annoyed.


One of the main reasons i started watching this was Yi Bang Won.And yes,these days this historical figure is my fixation so i want to watch anything related to him.
Jang Hyuk is such a charismatic and gifted actor,he managed to own his character without been consumed by his over written role.
His acting deserves a 10 but the overall is an 8 just because to me everyone's acting felt too much.Many times the main characters exaggerated.I don't blame the actrors but every role was over- dramatically written.And i guess the actors acted accordingly.Over the top.


I will not talk about the romance as this factor never gets my interest.Iam not interested but every drama has a bit of romance so i just have to suck it.During the romantic moments my attention was somewhere else.It is not heavy though.Is the kind of romance where after one kiss and a long time separation(which you have been in hell during this period)you still "love" and thinking of that one person.Oh well,this plotline never works for me.But i guess if you like it i can say the romance was cute and sweet.


I came here after watching Six Flying Dragons,Tree With Deep Roots and few movies about the same historical era and characters..So if you have watched those 2 Dramas you are familiar with the historical frame,events and people who changed the country.

I was excited to watch another Drama as i wanted to view any aspect of the History and wanted to take a bit of something from every movie or series.
Of course this is loosely based on history but mostly is fictional.But this was ok with me.
I was too spoiled by the above Dramas so i was expecting to watch well executed schemes, heavy politics,plans,plots,traps and intrigue.
The viewer here is just assuming all these.Everyone has his own agenda but we get to see only the results,the outcome, without knowing the previous steps taken or the procedure.I wanted to be a part of it.To make my brain think along with the protagonists,to scheme with them all the way.This detail took the fun out for me.

The same applies to the time jumps this drama has.Nothing is explained about what happened during those missing years,we don't get any hints and we just assume the leads became stronger,richer,smarter..whatever.No i want to experience all the changes and events and reasons why the heroes and the vilains became like that at the end.I want to see their progress,their interactions,a part of the life they had before you throw me back to..present.After all is a 16, over one hour each, episodes drama so you had plenty of time to expand the story further.

I thought the drama is all about ideals and dreams about a new better country.
Maybe iam too dumb but i never understood the main reason the 2 friends drifted apart.I mean the real reason they ended up enemies.
All the misunderstandings,the grudges,the decisions they made was just too childish to me.
The story has a bad revenge plot.Both main leads supposed to"fight" for their ideals ,which never were clear enough during the whole drama.They chose parts without any ground,led only by circumstances.And they both ended up hating and wanting revenge on the same person.But still were enemies!Of course although their friendship was in bad terms all the time,we clearly see it was too strong to break,and they dearly loved each other.But as others well said,all this was just a repetitve pattern which stressed and tired me so much.So the whole "friends to enemies"trope was lame,bad executed and unnecessary to me.And sadly this is the main core of the story and the reason failed to excite me,overall.

Also too many flashbacks.And i don't mean those which explains the current situation and events.I mean just the same scenes all over again and again played as a broken record inside characters heads.I fed up because didn't add anything to the plot.The definition of fillers!

For me literally everything ended at episode 12.It should.It didn't..How on earth you pierce one's body with a sharp sword,through and through and he is still alive?That was the final drop for me.I overlooked dozen of those scenes where heavily injured human beings stand up and walk after 5 minutes.Yes this drama has many unrealistic scenes.But this one..too much,way too much to take.Im sorry for the mild spoiler.


Also one of the revenge plots was one of the many unreasonable issues in this drama.Until that point revenge made-kinda-sense.After was just crap.The new plan was to take revenge on the person who killed the one you wanted to kill for years.The target of your own revenge.Instead of been thankful,you get mad.Well im sorry for my plain thinking here.You lose your integrity the moment the seed of revenge grows inside your heart.Is a mean to an end.That simple.Anyhow as i said everything went downhills really fast after the 12th episode.As if wasn't a hot mess already.


The Second Lead Syndrome strikes again.After Lee Bang Won,obviously my fave char,Nam Sun Ho was the second best thing to love.More Complex and deeper character,made the most rational and hard decisions compared to Seo Hwi,who behaved in the most childish way from episode 1 to 16.Sun Ho does everything in his power to protect Seo Hwi for so many years.Yes he chose the hard way,nevertheless he was only been appreciated at the very end..He is a great friend concealing his motives and let everyone think he just want to harm Seo Hwi.Well at some point to me ended to be the fool .At the end iam not really sure if both knew what they were fighting for.The screenwriter did a very poor job creating the characters.Its really a shame.

I couldn't feel for our main lead,couldn't root for him.He was one of the most annoying hero characters ever.He was too superficial,too melodramatic without any character development.Seo Hwi was never the right material to make a great leader.He was always the dog,barking and biting and chasing Prince's tail.Unfortunately Nam Jeon was all right about this.

For me there are not good and bad guys.It was one and the same.Just indifferent.And this makes a drama ..not good.
The main villain(as i can name more than one here.The "bad guy"'s role is confusing depending on which side you stand for)always keeps his position and power.Always is been excused by the(very weak and occasionally coward)King who turns a blind eye,supporting Nam Jeon,like a fool. The whole world is falling apart and the King is like "who dares to oppose me?"Nam Jeon always threatening to kill our protagonist.And vice versa of course.And the years are passing by and they keep throwing threats to each other and running into an endless loop.Too tiring,indeed.

I don't care about the morality of the characters.I rarely judge them and to be honest most of the time i do love those who live in the grey areas.What annoyed me the most was the lack of depth of Sun Ho's char.You named him your main lead so Mr Writer you had to work harder on building this char with many layers.How you expect to make a successful Drama wihout strong characters?You cannot count only on Prince,who lets be honest carried the whole drama on his back.



Epilogue:
I gave a perfect 10 to SFD.A well deserved 10.Here the 7 is the best i can give.For all the reasons explained.I cannot solely rate this drama based only on the 2 good characters in it,but only as a whole.And it failed me so the 7 ,which is my average rate, is what it gets from me.If in your watch list is SFD and TWDR,watch those 2 as you can easily skip this one.As i said i mostly started this because of the Prince Lee Bang Won.I finished it only because of Jang Hyuk's amazing performance.So if you are a fan of him is the only reason i can recommend this drama to you!

P.s.The two hottest men holding fans,always and forever be Lee Bang Won and Wen Ke Xing from Word of Honor!

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What did i miss?

This is the polite title.
The alternative one could be "A huge pile of crap!"
And a Sub Title is "Everything in this drama is random"***

Only one good thing came after i watched this.I have realized that is really hard for me to drop any Drama no matter how bad it is.Now i can finally relate to all of you out there who are members of the "Never Drop Disease " Club.I should definitely join you!

I kept watching it even i couldn't be engaged neither to the story nor any of the characters,just because of my stubbornness (call me mule!)my curiosity and mostly because of the many positive comments and reviews.It has so many 10's i thought
"wtf i don't see here?'"
Afrer all everything is a matter of a personal taste and Black & White totally proved this to me.

I have read alot about it.
I've read about :

-The Bromance.Everyone praises the chemistry between the two male leads.Iam sorry but i couldn't feel it.Yes of course their lines meant to present and show a great bond but all the feelings should've been conveyed stayed only on papers.Even if the word Bromance is too heavy,you can replace it with the word Brotherhood(which is one of the biggest ironies of this show,lol!)still i felt something was missing.If you have watched "The Devil Judge" then you surely know the definition of Bromance.Here..not even close to this.

-The Romance.Iam so glad i never invest into any romance at all.Here,fortunately,it was too light to annoy me.But i have to make a comment about it because if you love a nice,sweet and healthy romance,iam telling you,you won't find it here.The phrase"is complicated" iam sure came out of this series!
A Love triangle that sometimes turns into a quartet and some others into a pentagon!Go figure!Don't be scared everything is on a platonic level!
What bothered me though, was the "I will always love you,want and desire you and i don't give a shit if you are my brother or not" attitude of one of the main female leads.It wasn't spicy,juicy or intriguing.It was just a turn off(and im not prude when it comes to twisted stories..)
I put the spoiler tag in this review because i cannot fully justify my opinion without giving away some spoilers.Im sorry for this.

-The Twists & Turns.Come again??Everyone and i mean everyone talks about some super wow twists and turns,which meant to leave me shocked and totally surprised.
Im not a smartass ,lol,and im not telling you that aren't any(although from one point after was way too predictable,i couldn't take it as a twist.)
But all of them were unrealistic,unbelievable,ridiculous,stupid,silly,out of place and totally lame,to me.I love when im caught off guard and a script can captivate me with unexpected outcome.Just please make this outcome more logical and don't give me some lame events for the sake of awe!I felt like the writer wrote the main story and during he had an epiphany and added an extra story,and again another one after this and at the end he put them alltogether to create this mess.Yeah,that is what i got.

-The Black,White and Grey areas and some character development.What kind of development did you guys see?Where were the grey areas our protagonists walking through??Did you see any depth in any char at all?Did you see them struggling or fighting their inner demons or something similar?Because i didn't see any of those.
One guy is a cheerful,lighthearted,funny and the flirtatious type,takes nothing serious.The other is the strict one,stick to rules and laws,hot-headed,During the whole Drama he only once bends the rules and just for the sake of another turn(again everything is written to fit the lame twists!)
These 2 guys most of the time lives in a colorful world...

***All the random stuff
-The main story.Well,we see 2 -really good looking-police officers,fooling around,flirting,drinking,partying and occasionally doing some police work.
In the first 3 eps all was about a new drug came to town,called Dreamer and the operation to catch the drug lords which eventually failed.And i thought ,"ok this is one of the plotlines the story will be build around"
The next time something was mentioned about this drug was at episode 16 if im not mistaken.You get my point,right?
In early episodes some murders occured which left unsolved and we got no info at all about them.
The writer decided to give a face and a name to "a" Villain,We saw him max 5 times within 24 eps,in some brief scenes,lasted less than 30 secs each.. A decorative villain.Of course later we get to know that another bad guy was behind him and the writer also added few other bad guys just to give us a variety.Oh don't forget to mention a shady organization which makes brain surgeries to create cold blooded soldiers/killers with no empathy.
Also add some corruption,some dirty politicians and what a drama could be without the necessary dirty cops too!
Few characters added throughout the course of the story,without any background or any information about them.Just randomly appeared to take a part to the hot mess.Some bad guys turn to be good guys and vice versa .I think that is the reason everyone talks about turns and twists...Give me a solid ground to be really shocked about those revelations!
3 episodes before the end,within max 5 mins,they gave us some explanations about all those random stuff,which was the point my blood boiled and i felt i was treated like a complete idiot..Im not exaggerating.It was a 5 mins monologue giving some infos about all that happened.Lame,sloppy and totally unsatisfactory writing.

Few words about acting.Average at its best.I don't care if by that period Mls were rookies or experienced.They performed like a camera was following them the whole time.You know what i mean,right?
Fighting scenes.I always make a comment about them because i appreciate any good choreography behind them.Here all were too bad and considering this is an action drama that was a bummer.The most annoying detail though was the silly punch sound over those scenes.

I could easily give less stars.I gave 6 just because i didn't want to cancel all the hours i spent.Yes,iam trying to make me feel less bad about my decision to start it,lol!I do not recommend it.It has nothing to offer.
Over & Out.

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My Most Easy & Smooth Watch

When iam uncertain about what to watch next,i always play safe and go back to my obsessions.
This time it was Vincent Wong's turn.The last time i watched a drama with him starring was few months ago and i really missed him.So I chose Over Run Over because of him and the Time Travel Tag.(ofc!What else!)

I found this only on youtube and i must tell you that almost in every episode,there are scenes of few seconds,without subs and sound.Yes,it is a bummer,but it's ok as we don't really miss something important.

I start by saying that HK Dramas have their own uniqueness and if you have watched few like me,you know what to expect.I also have to declare that i rarely compare Dramas to others not only those from different countries but also from the same.
With that being said i rate every drama solely based on what i've watched.

Let's move on to the Drama itself.

Tbh,i had a hard time to rate it.I was between 7,5 and 8,5.When iam divided i try to be as objective as i can be,because i really don't like to write misleading reviews.Obviously at the end each review is subjective,but at least iam always honest about the things i didn't like,those which were bad etc.

The Good:

Vincent Wong himself.He is such a talented actor.The whole drama is on him.He is versatile.
His comic vein shines here once again.
One moment he makes you laugh hysterically.The next second he makes you swoon all over him cause of his hotness.
And few moments later he takes you to more dark and serious paths.He always delivers.He never disappoints.

Acting from rest of the Cast was good.Not the best,but still enjoyable.

The Ending!!!❤ ❤ ❤

Story & Plot:
Many Time Travel Dramas are confusing and hard to follow mostly because of the messy timeline and plot.
This is not one of those.It was my most easy and smooth watch ever!I hit play,the episode ended and i felt only 10 mins had passed by.The story is common and similar to every time travel series out there.MLs going back to past to alter it in order to save their loved ones.But is so well written,light and engaging i watched ep after ep without realizing it.
In Genres they definitely must add the Comedy tag as well,because it is has not a very serious tone as its mixed-well-with funny and light moments.So bear this in mind.

The Average:
Production overall.Direction & Editing.Music.Nothing stands out.As i said if you have watched other HK Dramas you already know the style they follow when making series.

The Bad:

This is an old drama from 2016 but still i can't help but mention some really bad details.
Fight scenes.Gun shots.Gun wounds.Blood.Stabs.Fires & Explosions.Well almost every visual effect!Tragic.Just tragic.Please overlook!

All in all.I liked it.It has a bit of everything.I recommend it.You will enjoy it too if you go in without many expectations.

Extra Bonus: Over Run Over has the most hilarious and sexy at the same time,pole dancing scene you will ever watch.Trust me.

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The Soft Side Of Corruption

I have watched many KDramas and corruption is always there,either as a main or as sub/side story.
So this one is a pure corruption/revenge Drama but it is mild and light compared to others without this meaning is less interesting.So it was easier to watch and follow as well,without many characters involved to confuse the viewers.

A simple story where good guys fight against bad guys to eliminate corruption,to defend justice,to leave a great legacy behind.
Typical,right?Well not exactly..Why?Because our main lead is not the good guy.Is an antihero disguised as a hero and/or Vice Versa!
Actually he is a Villain ,working for the bad guys,he is cold and manipulative,very ambitious,climbing the hierarchy really fast.And nothing can stop him until one day he finds out he has a terminal illness with only 3 months left to live.
And as expected that was the turning point.The day he decided to go against his corrupted boss to reveal the truth about all his dirty deeds to bring justice to all his victims.

What i really liked about this character was the fact that even when he decided to switch sides and help the good guys,he didn't really change himself.And i applaud the writer for not altering the character for the sake of his illness.
To start with,our main lead was never evil.Bad guy,yes,devilish,no!
So he continued doing what he knew best.Scheming and plotting and setting traps all the way.He knew to achieve his goals the best way was to apply everything he already knew because wearing a Halo and holding a cross wouldn't do much.

Talking about Halos.The ex-current wife is a pure Angel!Never strayed from her path,always righteous and faithful to Justice.
So our main couple work together against everyone else.They have their differences and arguments but their relationship was really sweet and heartwarming.No, do not expect Romance here.But you can clearly see the love between them.Is the Love between 2 people who always and forever will be connected by their child!

Continue with characters...The main male antagonist is a clown!Period!He is the most silly stupid villain ever.During the whole Drama he had only one shining moment.I have many doubts about his IQ and everything he achieved was only because of others.And the really sad truth is that this applies to real life too.Worthless people in high positions..Anyway.

The Villain's right hand did his job right and although many times reminded me of a child seeking his daddy's attention he was a decent bad guy!

Minister of Justice is a bitch!End of story.I was sick and tired watch her saying that everything she does is for the greater good and that she has to sin in order to change the world.Yadda-yadda.No she was evil and selfish,willing to sacrifice her own son to save her sorry ass!No Sympathy for the Devil!Lol.

Minister's right hand to me was the most disgusting character of this Drama.Behind his pretty and innocent face was a sleazy man,betraying his friends,with no morals and ethics.

Obviously all the actors did an amazing job as every character brought to life the best way.

Story gets an 8 from me (i was hesitant whether to give 7 or 8.a big difference to me)
At first episodes i was rolling my eyes every 5 minutes.Poisonous Arrows flying back and forth,backstabbings,and the amount of schemings and twists was insanely ridiculous.Iam not a lawyer but i can tell i spotted many unrealistic details regarding the Justice System and the procedures they had to follow.I didn't know to get signatures to elect ministers,high ministers high ranked prosecutors etc is a matter of hours or days at its best!Lol.

Anyhow,few episodes later i really started to enjoy all this madness,to ignore the lame details and to let myself having some real fun.I was too curious to see what plans the ML had, which traps he set and how the bad guys responded to all this.It was like i was watching a ping pong game!Entertaining!

So,if you like Revenge/Corruption Dramas,easy to watch without heavy plot,watch Punch.
It has nice story and interesting characters.
And although i already knew even before i start watching it that the good guys will eventually win over the bad guys and no miracles happened,i still enjoyed it alot.

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Two Hours Of Great Visuals..

Amazing Cinematography...Excellent Direction...Powerful Music..Brilliant Cast & Acting...Interesting Revenge Story.

All these summarize this movie and i really don't understand why the Rating is below 8.

I usually don't write reviews about Movies because no matter how good a movie is ,it is really difficult to give us a full depth of each character and a more detailed story within 2 or so hours unlike Series.(Of course when they fail to do that in series it means is a bad one,lol)

Same applies here and this is my only complain about Memories of the Sword.I wanted to see more of their background story,the reasons of the betrayal back then and wanted a deeper look inside their characters.Yet i really enjoyed this one,those 2 hours felt like one.I repeat it,i was mostly impressed and amazed by the Visuals and Diection.And don't forget the movie is back from 2015.
Ommited 1 star just because i absolutely love Sad Endings but..sometimes i want a Happy One..

Whenever you are in mood to watch a Historical/ Action with a hint of Romance Movie,choose this.

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Great Story with many Buts

Iam falling really fast down the Rabbit Hole which called JDramas and i love it!
So far,one way or another,,iam rarely disappointed by them.
The fact that usually are few episodes,makes it easier to watch as many as i can.

So to begin with,i have to say that i do recommend this one.It is indeed a great story,a combo of Prison Break and Two Weeks.2 Dramas i totally love!

A story with a really fast pace,great acting,amazing characters,many tears,heartbreaking and heartwarmings moments and lots of running!
Ichihara Hayato is excellent in his role,i loved him in Karamazov no Kyodai,who was equally great there too.
As for Suda Masaki,he never disappoints, he is such a baby here!Really young!A talented actor!

But,what we say a scene stealer,is no other than the little girl,Sakura!The absolute star of this show!Incredible,natural acting,captures your heart in a flash!And believe it or not,this character is one of the most mature ,played by a child.
Her lines weren't easy nor shallow.And she delivered all.I wish i will watch her in the future again.

The bond and the friendship which developed between the four main leads is awesome.From their road trip through the country to all the Kms they ran(lol)they shared some amazing moments and this came to me,so easily,i felt part of their team.
As i said many tears.Too much crying from our Mls,but once for a change,this didn't really bother me,as usual.Iam not a Melo fan,but watching 4 gorgeous men crying so much was really something!

And now is time to talk about all those buts..Without them i could easily give a 9 or more but...Yes many flaws,many plot holes
and unfortunately even more unrealistic and unreasonable details ruined the better score i wanted to give.Because i really really loved the story.Actually i gave 7,5 not for the story itself,as the frame was excellent,but mainly for the plot and the development.
It is not uncommon in Dramas for the Police to be incompetent and totaly useless.It is rather the standard portrayal.Combine this with the standard corruption in the Top Hierarchy and voilà!It couldn't be a decent Drama otherwise!Lol.
But here..they took it to another level,seriously.Everyone from the police must quit his job because i havent watched so lame,useless poicemen and detectives before.

Either way,my only advice is to turn a blind eye to all these.Ive learned my lesson too well with other Dramas too,so i do not let the "bad" details to prevent me from enjoying Dramas which i have to throw out of the window my sanity and logic.
After all is not science.Is entertainment.Let the cops being lazy and lame.Let the heroes be heroes and get their Happy Endings.This one was one of the few Dramas i really wanted the protagonists to live happily ever after!
Trust the good actors and follow their works.90 out of 100 you will find really good Dramas,worthing your time.

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A Heavy Must-Watch.

There are sweet,fluffy and easy to watch series and that is great.
But,once in a while,we come across some "a strong punch right to the stomach"Dramas,which leaves us breathless,exhausted and emotionally drained.
Hokuto is one of them and we must be bold enough to decide to hit play,although we already have some notion of what to expect according to the Trigger warnings.

Dysfunctional Family, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse...Not for everyone so be prepared.If you think you can handle all those,do not hesitate to watch it.
During the whole Drama i felt i was watching a Documentary short of,with "real" footage, witnessing real people and their real lives.
Realistic Story,engaging plot and INCREDIBLE acting especially from the Main Lead.
Music and Direction gives the right Dark vibes but is not the kind of Drama you should pay attention to the technicalities.After all is a Japanese one and we all know how raw,dark and disturbed JDramas can be.As usual i got carried away by the gripping story & acting.And although iam a KDrama addict,the more i watch JDramas,the more i love them.

Every time i find Dramas like this,iam trully happy i didn't sleep on them and gave myself the opportunity to watch them.
Heavy,Dark,brought tears in my eyes and felt a cold hand was squeezing my heart all the time.But was totally worth it!
P.s.The low rewatch value i hope is understandable!

Anyhow,don't miss it.Just choose the right day to watch and as i said prepare yourself for a hard ride.

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Good..But it could have been way better!

Let's start with these that stands out.

Cinematography was really great,so the Direction.Everything was very pleasant to the eye.They did a really nice job here.
Music was excellent all the way,every scene had its appropriate music theme.And lets be honest,"Dancing with the devil" is a Killer!Hands off!

Now let's talk about all those things weren't that great and practically prevented me from giving a higher score.

This had all the potentials to be a Super Hit,but unfortunately failed.
No is not the best story out there,nothing is remarkable about it.Nothing new,steps on the old good premises of any Bl.
Enemies to Lovers the most common trope,we just love to hate.Yes to me is always an intriguing trope and i do not mind at all when writers use it so much.
By default is more spicy and gives more room for development,if it is used right.
Here was just too plain,too predictable and occasionally boring.
They decided to start this story the most toxic way they could.

Allow me to open a parenthesis here:
Let me clear, i dont mind toxic relationships,iam not shocked,and definitely iam not prude to curse this kind of stories.Iam old enough with real life experiences and iam not hiding behind my finger for the sake of being nice and acceptable.I don't care.Toxicity exists in Real Life,too.I close the parenthesis here.

So back to the story as i said had great potentials if they had spend more time and effort to develop the 2 main characters in more depth.Always is a plus to any story when we can get deeper to each character.Also it could be more episodes if they had done this.

I would prefer the story was more mature,as the outline could give space for this.Instead, almost every reaction to any action was just childish.Considering the main leads are not school boys( Uni students who also runs family bussiness are adults,right?)they should had dealt with all the occurring problems with more responsibility.
Actually the story was a bit of everything,a mix and match.Wanted to be spicy and..kinky(!!!)but ended up soft and awkward.Lol!There is not a clear path,like in the midway the script was "censored"somehow and the writer had to change the main concept.Or he was confused and not so sure if this was a soft or a hardcore story!At least this was my notion all the way from first to the last episode.

And now i will talk about the main problems this series has.
The Acting is one of them.
If iam not mistaken the main leads are both rookies and Big Dragon was their first project.
It is always great to give opportunities to new actors and having the main roles i guess is big enough but also can be too stressful.But this is the only way they could gain experience,too.
So iam not blaming those 2 kids as they did their best.But yet i suppose they both have a big road ahead,to improve their acting skills and iam wishing them the best.
Stiff,awkward,unnatural,embarrassing,are the words i can use to describe the acting here.
(and if you think is me being a bitch here,i assure you iam not,as i was highly impressed by Bible's acting in KinnPorsche and i praised him a lot even if he was a rookie too)

The second issue was chemistry among the Mls.Or better say the lack of it.Zero,none,nothing.They didnt convince me not for a second that they were inlove,no passion even in the sex scenes.Clearly both were too embarrassed not only to kiss each other but to just touch each other's hand!Yeah for a BL that was a bummer.

So my final words about Big Dragon.
It could be so much more.It could be FIRE and one of the most hot Bls of 2022.
A more bold script,a little more depth in characters and maybe different actors as main leads could have give the right push to be a Hit.
Still it was enjoyable and got a 7,5 from me,passing the average and be in the good "league"

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A Genuine Piece Of Art

I will not waste your time with a long review.There are many awesome ones with great analysis if you want to find out about this Masterpiece.
Or,better,you can go completely blind,knowing the minimum.I guarantee,the experience will be greater this way.
Iam writing this to bring it up for those who haven't watched it yet and mostly for those who hesitate to start it.As i did too for a long time until few days ago when i decided to start it with a cold heart to be completely honest.
Once again words like Romance and Melodrama prevented me from start watching it,as these 2 Genres are not my cup of tea.
4 days later and just few minutes after i finished it,iam telling you this was my best watch decision in 2022.

If i had to use only one word to describe Mr. Sunshine,that would be the word "EPIC"

Epic Production/Direction/Cinematography/Acting/Music/Story/Characters.
It is a flawless,fair and square,amazing, 10!No doubts.No debates.End of story.
For me,Mr. Sunshine,is a complete Drama.It doesn't lack anything.Is not good there,average here and bad further.No, is PERFECT all the way.From the first minute to the last second you don't want to take your eyes off the screen,you don't want to take a break to use the toilet or go to sleep.

24 long episodes,over one hour each and yet after finishing, you are craving for more.You wish this journey never ends.
It is a piece of art for the eyes(amazing cinematography and visuals)for the ears(the Ost is unforgettable)and mostly for the soul.
Gosh i cried as i never had before with any other Drama.I felt so many emotions.Had shivers in my spine.Butterflies in my stomach.My heart was beating fast.Sad moments.Happy moments.Funny moments.
Great friendships.Amazing love stories.Sacrifices.Fights for a free country.

Ok i must stop here cause i can write all night.

Just pause what you are currently watching,add Mr. Sunshine to your watch list and hit play.
Make sure you have plenty of snacks and water nearby.You MUST watch this before 2022 ends,so you will have an excuse to rewatch it in 2023!
Enjoy.

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Revenge by Proxy!

First let's talk about the boring technicalities:
Direction during almost the whole drama was really bad.Weird close-ups,bad camera use and many shaken scenes,made me dizzy.Unfortunately direction not only ruined my experience but also the acting partially.There were many emotional moments when Ml expressing his feelings,and the damn camera was turning from one face to another every 5 secs and the scene seemed so incomplete althought the Ml still was saying his lines.I mean i was pissed,seriously,practically ruined all the emotions the actor was trying to build up. Rough editing and average cinematography too. Overall not a very pleasant watch regarding the visuals.

Music:One of the best Osts.Made me wanna modify my profile page and add it there.I really liked it,mostly instrumental,i felt the dark story was told through the notes.Especially the main score was just brilliant (i think violin is the main instrument there,but i might be wrong,)and every time i think the word Revenge this tune comes into my head.Although not much variety and kinda repetitive,still got under my skin."Prince of Darkness", "Don't love me" and "거짓된 사람들,false people" Just listen once and you instantly fall!

Cast & Acting:
Familiar actors except Uhm Tae Woong,the Detective.This was the first time watch one of his works.I can't really judge as this is an old Drama and i can't tell about his development or progress as an actor but surely he wasn't bad.
As for Joo Ji Hoon,obviously not just a pretty face!Loved him in Hyena but here..oh boy!Yep he was amazing!Into his role 100%,delivered the range of all emotions.He carried half of the show along with the other ML as the story is mostly about those two characters.

Story & Plot:
Pace is slow.Is not really about the number of episodes or the length of them.Althought 20 hourly eps were indeed too many.But it wasn't boring at all.It has the bizarre excitement of how things will go on wihouth having the expected suspense.Why?Because within the first few episodes,we already know the story and the main Villain.Not that it was too hard to guess,anyway!The purpose is not to keep us guessing or confuse us about his identity.

That's why it was given too easy and too fast.And that is the appeal of this Drama.The true beauty is the two main leads,their characters and the ill fate which connects them.The "after the revelation" story.Past and present is mixed up to give us the "what,who,where and why" behind the main story.And most important the true colors of each character.Their feelings,their history,their inner fears,remorses and struggles.We get to see their souls,undressed layer by layer,until totally naked.

A masterfully organized and planned Revenge plan unfolded infront of our eyes,step-by-step.The Master pulls all the strings,making his puppets dance in his tune.He is always ahead of the facts and everyone around him.He has thought every single detail,using people and has no regrets.Yes he is an evil character..(is he really though?)Dead bodies piling up around him.He has that cold smile but he is not a psycopath.He is not doing the deeds himself.He has the "charisma" to manipulate people.That is why i chose to give the "Revenge by Proxy" title here!He is so focused on his Revenge,it consumed him,he gradually looses himself.The references to Dante's Inferno were brilliant but at the end he himself experienced his own journey through Hell...And as always,when it comes to Revenge...Dig two graves!

The Detective is fighting with his own Demons as well.Hard working and dedicated to his job he wants to redeem himself by doing his duty the best.Although many clues and hints were thrown around him about who was behind all these,he took him way too long to connect all the dots.I got too excited when he did,i literally screamed. That part was a bit frustrating for me.It would be more interesting if he found out sooner and made his own plans to uncover everything and play a hide and seek game with the Lawyer.I guess this way the pace would be faster but oh well never mind.

The FL and her Supernatural gift was there to unify the story as a main link. Not a very exciting character but at least wasn't annoying.
Not room for Romance here.A tiny hint between FL and one of the Mls but thats all.I didn't miss it,anyhow.

In this story i couldn't take parts.I couldn't favor neither the Detective nor the Lawyer.It was like i was detached.I was there for the drama..Not because i didn't like those two characters.Not because i judged both were guilty.Nothing of these.I was afraid to get too emotional and pick a side because I LOVED them Both.I feared to choose.I didn't want to "lose" none of them.I felt i had no right to judge and if it was on me i would redeemed both.


To summarize:
This is an old Drama.It has some serious issues regarding the direction(my point of view)
Due to it,i didn't enjoy the acting that much,but all actors were really good.
It has a slow pace,focusing mostly in characters through the plot.
Is not for impatient viewers.

Watch it because..
Has great music themes.
One of the best revenge stories.
Characters with real depth.
It will make you question about the human nature several times.
Also has one of the most compelling endings.Honestly the last 15 minutes is an unquestionable 10!Not for all but definetely the kind of ending i do love.
I gave 9,5 instead of 10 only because of the really poor direction.

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A Time Travel Drama for everyone.

First of,i liked the title and the reference to the Greek Mythology.Athough through the whole Drama i couldn't find any relation,but at the last episode all made sense.Brilliant is all i can say!

Good production.What stands out is mostly the Music which i liked better than the other technicalities.But i don't mind as most of the JDramas focuses basically on story and characters.This one does the same.

Acting was in a good level too.Kids were great at their roles(i wish " The Bad Kids" was a Jdrama...) and Suzuki Ryohei's (The Father)performance was excellent.

The scenario has few inconsistencies but not the silly and annoying kind which distracts you from the story.

Actually i think this is the first Drama i see everyone believing in the time travel story the protagonist says,so easily and fast.Anyways that wasn't a bummer!

Ofc as any related Drama which respects itself,travelling back to time and try to change the course of the events,always has its consequences.Always there is something to win and something to lose.Our main lead here seems not to take this too seriously,as he is always focused on clearing his father's name at any cost.Even if he has to sacrifice his own future and happiness.

There are many heartwarming moments between the family,to lighten up the mood and the dark vibes.For me it is a very well balanced Drama.It has a bit of everything.Crime.Mystery.Serial killer.Time Travel.Suspense.Lovable characters.Family bonds.

Of course in the center of all is the mystery about who the real murderer is,and later on the why all these happened.It has a light intense but is here all the time.The culprit plays hide & seek with our protagonists and us as well.Few baits thrown to us to keep the suspense,and this job is done right.It does keep the interest in a good level,always questioning everyone.

And now let me explain something here.Is not a spoiler just my personal feeling as this is a review for future watchers.


Until 30 minutes before the last episode ends,this was a solid 9,5 regarding the story mainly.10 minutes in between there was a detail(i can't describe it otherwise without spoiling)which totally ruined my mood and i was a bit pisssed to be honest.So i thought to give a 7,5.Yes i was really annoyed!And then the final 10 minutes..What a nice and warm feeling!Made me forget my anger,and recalled all the previous and exciting hours this Drama gave me.So as you can see the final rate is 9, but you can interpret it differently than me.(Better or worse!)

Even for those who are not too familiar with the genre,is easy to watch and follow the story.Not confusing at all.No messy time line either.
Bottom line i liked it a lot.No regrets and i do recommend it.

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The most boring Crime Series..

As a fan-even fanatic,lol-of Crime/serial killer Dramas and movies i cannot recall any other time with any other Drama using the word boring to describe it.
Voice is the first one and honestly i didn't expect to be like that.
I know the Voice Franchise is very popular and i have bookmarked all seasons ,including the 5th future one.


I started watching it over a year and a half ago.Yes,you read right.I watched the first episode back then and i clearly remember that i dropped it afterwards.Don't ask me why,i really don't know.All i know is that i was too excited about this series because back then already 3 Seasons had been released so i thought it was great to have so many episodes available to watch and satisfy my lust for crime Dramas.

A few months passed by and i decided to give it another try.I even watched the 1st ep again to catch up.I could managed to watch 3 eps in total until i dropped it one more time.And after almost half a year I ,yes,decided to continue watch it.Iam way too stubborn, i really wanted to find even a tiny detail to excite me about Voice.
Long story short,the last time i tried to watch was last August and i finally finished the 1st Season just today...

The things i liked:
Jang Hyuk's acting.Great and natural.Believable as a fiercy and stubborn detective,driven by his personal revenge to find his wife's murderer.
Kim Jae Wook has the perfect cold look for a psychopath,an excellent choice for this role and great acting as well.The fact that he is so handsome and sexy didn't really help to hate his char!
Ok here ends the list with the things i liked.

What i didn't like??Oh,so many i don't know where to start.

Ml is ALWAYS angry with EVERYTHING,most of the time with No reason at all.He swears and curses to justify his mad-dog title!This is how his role is written,ok i get it.But WHY?Even when he is sad or frustrated, anger overlaps any other feeling.I was like "cool down a bit,please!"

FL:A detective with a great gift.An excellent hearing helps her to solve cases,find clues and suspects.Also seeks revenge for her father's death.An interesting idea and a more interesting role.Maybe in some other's actress hands this role it could be a success to me.

Passionless acting ending up to ruin the char and eventually make it hypotonic.
This char suppose to be on speed all the time,because every second matters in every crime case.But no...
The way she talks,she walks, she acts..I felt everything was in slow motion every time she was on screen.!I was screaming "please add some fire!put some energy and passion,make me believe you do believe all that you say and do"She always had that dull expression on her face. Even if the world set up on fire infront of her eyes,her reaction would be the same!The wailing tone of her voice like she was in a continuous mourning.Her heavy breathing...Ughh all these,really got into my nerves.

I was waiting for some character development.Or for some unexpected twist.Or for more dark and evil villains.Or for more skilled and efficient detectives.I don't know why i had my hopes so high here...

As for the story,it may be interesting in theory but the execution was poor and many times bad as well.I will not complain about plot holes.I lowered my standards in order to be able to watch and finish this.

I also won't complain about police inadequacy or cops drinking during duty(!!)I know this is a standard portrayal in Kdramas.Corruption,dirty politicians and rich businessmen having the top brass at their payroll.Yes,all so typical!

But the main story and the side crime cases...seriously how can a crime case can be sooooo boring?Few were interesting, but overall i was seriously bored not only about the cases but mostly about the procedure police had to follow to collect evidence,find clues and catch the culprit.
And what annoyed me the most was the fact that in every case everything is forced to fit the Fl's ability(her super hearing)I wish someone could explain me how she was able to find out the culprit's height while he was just walking outside her door.I guess this detail will stuck in my head forever as an "unsolved mystery"Whatever...

Also Mr Writer it would be really kind and polite of you if you had given us the reason or the cause how and why the Fl acquired her super power.Thank you!

I overlooked so many details.In good will i excused the lame behavior of the police officers.The stupidity level,unfortunately,was too high.I wanted to like at least one character.Didn't care much if was in the good or the bad side.I trully wanted to like this Drama.I forced myself alot about so many lame and unrealistic details.

As for the rest Seasons i will watch the first ep of each.If still cannot find any interest at all i will delete everything and never look back!

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Failed to pull me in.

I usually don't watch this kind of Dramas.Apparently,for a reason. Shamanism,talismans,rituals,exorcisms and evil spirits, not really my thing.I thought to give a try just to make myself more familiar with this and check if i like the genre or not and The Cursed seemed too intriguing and a nice start as the story was interesting somehow.

Music added much to create the necessary suspense especially in those "creepy and scary" scenes when bad evil spirits fighting against each other.But quickly fades,just leaving an echo.Nothing memorable.

Actually nothing was really scary,spooky or creepy.Horror and Gore in a very light version far from give me chills.

Acting was nerveless.No chemistry among any of the characters.Their acting was like doing chores at home.Like they were bored to say their lines.Anoher typical day at work. It is the first time in a Kdrama i felt this way.It was quite shocking!

Villains weren't bad and evil enough. I guess this was because i cannot see Sung Dong Il as an evil character.He is a great actor but in my eyes he is like a sweet uncle!This role wasn't for him.The presumed good guys were more evilish than them.

First of all you must throw your morality out of the window,to enjoy this.Exactly as the two FLs did.Otherwise you will curse the protagonists and you won't be able to justify any of their actions.Started off good and promising but couldn't keep my interest in high levels.The 2 Fls working together without remorses or any hesitations about causing harm to others was intriguing indeed.As they suppose to be in the good side.The idea of fighting fire with fire was interesting as the scenario is not what exactly we say "politically correct"And i liked the way the Drama was going.But in my opinion it never reached its peak.It was in a flatline most of the time. Very few moments gave the kiss of life but wasn't enough.I FFW many scenes and i never ever done this before with any other Drama.This says a lot about the level of boredom this series gave me.

It left me with more questions than answers,during the progress of the story i wanted more clear explanations about the evil spirit,its role and how powerfull it is,which criteria needed to possess a body etc etc.If those info were sufficiently given to me,maybe this Drama would keep my interest.But it didn't.

Its either me not at all into shamanish and stuff,or the Drama wasn't good or both.I don't know.I have checked my watchlist, i have few more similar to this but iam not willing to give a try any time soon.

There is a movie and an upcoming S2.Not for me!

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When Robocop invites Terminator to have a bath in Wanted facilities!

This one is an easy and light to watch Drama.No need hard thinking. Is full of action and more action.

The story is simple, far from been unique or original.Nothing deep here.Plain story and even more plain characters.Take it as a big in length action movie and you will have fun.Take it seriously and expect character development,meaningful messages,high morals,life changing experience,and you will curse yourself for wasting your 16 hours!

I gave story a 7 because ive watched similar scripts dozens of times.It is full of clichés,it has few tiny fine moments and some sparks, but unfortunately didn't turn into fire. Yet to execute such plain(occasionally lame) and common script with such "mastery" needs talent.And i appreciated this.Simply because it didn't fail to entertain me.

By the way,whats with the carved wooden chairs all the Big Gang Bosses chooses to sit and show off their superiority? Is it a fetish or what?Lol.Obviously stolen from Cruel City!(One of the best Dramas of all times to me)It was a detail my eye caught ..Anyways.


The main idea actually take us back to 80's and 90's.
Iam not into AI and obviously i don't have knowledge on the subject,so pretty much i buy everything they serve me.Lol.I guess that is the reason i liked this series more than others.
Half Humans, Half Androids or partial anyways,working for a secret government organization (Rugal)to take down another dirty Organization,Argos.
Simple as that!As i said nothing new,Nothing we already haven't seen.

Fighting scenes are soooo cool!Probably THE BEST part of the Drama. Choreography in kick ass scenes is absolutely amazing. Choi Jin Hyuk is so hot wearing those black leather outfits!And Park Sung Woong is so delicious playing the bad guy.And i think this is the first Drama i saw him as an evil character.Ofc i love both actors but here i can't really say they had the opportunity to unfold their talent in maximum, as their roles are not too demanding.Park is as always amazing,even when he has to portray a not so deep character.He was scary and i loved the craziness in his eyes.

Tbh, i didn't like the westernization here.I love Asian Dramas because they follow their own and beautiful Eastern culture.The way they approach things has more dark and twisted side which is one of the main reasons i stuck on Asian projects and rarely and very selectively watch Western anymore.Ofc here is the genre which limited Rugal to be more "Hollywood liked" and less Asian.

As a final thought Rugal is a very decent action drama,you will have fun and enjoy it especially if you are a fan of the genre.
I recommend it if you want to take a break from heavy plots and want to give your brain a good rest!.It is entertaining!

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