kingsqueen
USA
The acting is mediocre, as is the story (but that could be part of the intent!). This is very short - 10 episodes running at about 11-12 minutes long, which accounts for why the story wasn't fleshed out better. Think of this as more of a parody than a real story and you will probably still be entertained somewhat.
Just don't take the story too seriously and you will still have fun. Try to watch in one go if possible since it's short enough to do so.
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This show started out great - great atmosphere, great story, AMAZING theme song.
But they set up rules for ghosts and didn't follow them. The storyline started going in circles. They spent ages doing the same thing. It was inconsistent, and got terribly stupid. Please do not waste your time watching this junk.
Almost everything I'd like to point out that is wrong with this show would be a spoiler, so I can't do that, but this is the lowest score I've given to a show I've finished to date. I'm not sure how anyone was satisfied with that ending. It was horrible and made ZERO sense. The editing was choppy and confusing at times. And the last episode was not only pointless, but even in a world where there are ghosts - it defied any logic, and I just spent the whole last episode mad about it.
I cannot recommend this show to anyone and would never watch it again. Even for Daniel Choi (I think even HE was sick of this show by the last episode if the look on his face was any indication!)
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I'm not a Lee Kwang Soo fan, so I didn't go into this drama for him as an actor. He overacted a bit in places, but otherwise, he did a fair job playing Sang Soo, which is a departure I believe from his usual comedic roles. I think I was more disappointed in Sang Soo as a character than Kwang Soo as an actor. I do generally like Jung Yoo Mi, and she did a good job in her role, but Jung Oh was also a character I didn't really connect with much or feel much empathy for. She just was. The real standouts for me were Bae Sung Woo as Lt. Oh Yang Chon and Bae Jong Ok as his wife, Captain Ahn Jang Mi. Their marriage and careers were much more interesting and layered than the rookie officers. They are the characters that I related to and cared for. I enjoyed the side characters and they did an excellent job playing their roles. There were many interesting facets to the story.
The officers in this show are often between a rock and a hard place. I feel for them tremendously if this is really how the system is in S. Korea. Of course, some of the things are reminiscent of the way things have been going in the U.S. for the past several years. They are paid pitifully little to put their lives on the line every day, not knowing whether they will make it home safely. They put themselves in harm's way to catch a criminal only to be accused of 'brutality' when the suspect is apprehended. If they are injured themselves, then they are just abandoned to take care of it themselves. In the heat of the moment when it's a choice between taking action or being a 'coward', they can't win. The public cries out that they went too far if use of force is involved and if they don't catch the criminal (possibly being too scared of disciplinary action to take extraordinary measures) they are accused of not doing their duty and wasting taxpayers money. They are the ones that get cursed at and spit on and accused of wrong-doing just for doing their job. And their superiors can't be counted on to have their backs. Who could continue to have a 'sense of duty' in such a landmine of a job? Thank goodness they can at least count on those that are out in the field with them (for the most part) to have some measure of loyalty and support. Why would anyone want to take on a role as an officer when this is the kind of thanks they receive for protecting the public? It really makes you think about their role in society and who will even want to do this kind of job in the future. It also raises questions of how 'social media justice' plays a part in ruining people's livelihoods - there is no repentance in the age of internet. Your wrongdoings will haunt you forever - following you until the day you die. It made me very aware of the reason that the suicide rates in S. Korea are so high.
The music was wonderful and fit the tone of the show well. They had a couple of English OST's - one being Carry Me by Family of the Year, the same group that sang the song "Hero", the OST from It's Okay That's Love (coincidentally, also featuring Lee Kwang Soo). The other song I liked was In Your Light by Jon Allen.
I wouldn't re-watch this just due to the sheer length - 18 episodes running at about an hour and twenty minutes each. All in all, this was a powerful show and worth the time to watch, though.
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I loved the chemistry between all the actors and the camraderie of the characters who lived in the Sejong Apartment. There were lots of beautiful food shots, so if you love food and eating you'll be salivating over the dishes. I even thought the dishes that I would never try in a million years looked tasty! LOL!
The characters relationships are the main driving force of the show more than the story itself.
It's a good watch, light on the romance, heavy on the food porn. I don't know that I would watch it again, but I would watch YDJ play Gu Dae Young in another installment again in a heartbeat! :)
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Ji Sung and Han Ji Min put forth exceptional acting, as always. I was charmed by the entire cast, and enjoyed seeing the different scenarios play out. I was happy and thankful that some things stayed the same no matter which time we were in, even while other things changed. I feel like Joo Hyuk's character went through the growth that he needed to in order for everyone in his life to be happier. He found out what the true source of his wife's unhappiness and anger was, and was smacked in the face with the truth. What will he do about it though? And when Woo Jin discovers the truth....will she take matters into her own hands?
I always love a good epilogue, and this show was not the exception. I feel like the writers wrapped this show up VERY soundly, even if they took the entire last episode to do it. The ending felt a little meandering, even though it was nice to see the continuation of progress for our characters.
I liked that even though I thought I knew where the show would go, the writers surprised me a couple of times. And although they didn't go where I had hoped with the script, we got something possibly better for all of the characters and not just the leads. The travel in time affected the side characters as well - at least in some ways.
The music was nice, and fit well with the scenes. I enjoyed the song No Longer Mine by Roy Kim the most.
I doubt I'll re-watch this one anytime soon, but it is definitely worth a one time watch!
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I liked all of the parts of Tae Ha and Yeo Reum re-kindling their lost love and discovering what went wrong and seeing their growth and maturing process. Like with AMO and MND, the relationships were complicated and messy and raw. I both loved and hated this show for the frustration of it all, but in a way that meant that the writing was good. These characters are flawed, and you feel like you can see each of their points of view...and my feelings toward each fluctuated as I learned more about each.
I loved Yoon Sol and Do Joon Ho as side characters. They also provided a lot of the tension relieving humor throughout the show.
The push/pull was hard to watch sometimes and I felt that the love triangle was solved way too late. My biggest complaint about the show as a whole, was the ending because I feel like they didn't leave enough time to make it as satisfying as it should have been considering the turmoil they put us through along with our OTP. I would still recommend it for a one-time watch.
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Admittedly, I watched this just to see TOP (and bonus, TOP 'top'less - which, if you are Big Bang fan, you will know is a 'very big deal.' LOL!)
But I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It started off with some funny scenes, and quickly became a Korean Tarantino movie. I lost count of how many times my eyes about bugged out of my head and how many times I had to pause it to catch my breath and calm down from the intensity of the scenes.
TOP's acting is superb. It would be worth watching just for him...but I got a roller coaster ride of crossing and double crossing, mixed with laughs AND blood. Shin Se Kyung as Mi Na played her part so very coolly. (I believe this is my first time seeing her act.) And the friends and enemies that Ham Dae Gil meets along the way are not to be missed. You'll never know until the end where loyalties lie.
If you can handle the blood, you should put this movie on your PTW list pronto!
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The story was simple, but quietly and effectively told. If you are adverse to mature scenes, this will not be the movie for you. While there is not much in the way of skin shown, a couple of scenes are pretty explicit.
They are not gratuitous, though and they are integral to the story we are being shown. Jang Hyuk's character finds himself in quite the predicament for a moment's indiscretion. His student swiftly spirals out of control and so does his life. I can't give away what happens, but the buildup of tension and ultimate climax (no pun intended) left me with my jaw hanging open.
Acting was sensational. The actress that played Young Eun gave me goosebumps. Her portrayal of YE was the best performance in the movie.
Music - don't really remember the music, so it didn't stand out
Re-watch value - marked lower because the punch is gone once you've seen it.
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Story - I thought the story was handled very well. There were lots of twists and turns that turned me into a "tv detective". You know - where you are sitting in your comfortable spot, watching your show and making guesses as to the "real" culprits and motives. :)
The only criticisms I have for this is that the cases handled by the detectives were too neatly intertwined (but it's a drama - not real life. We all know coincidences like this are not reality!), but they had to do this to move the story along. And also the Chief's backstory arc could have been stronger -I thought the concept was a little weak. Other than that, this show kept me very entertained and kept me intrigued about the mystery. The writers did a good job at drawing out the suspense and keeping you on your toes. I don't want to give away too much and spoil the enjoyment. I don't feel like there were any lagging or boring episodes and that every episode moved the story forward. There was a little bit of romance, but it was not the main focus of the story in any way.
Acting - The acting by the main cast was well done. Cha Seung Won did a wonderful job in this, as did Lee Seung Gi and Go Ara. I thought that the characters of Ji Gook and Tae Il were a little on the weak side, but I understand why their roles were not stronger stories. I think they did an okay job of acting out their roles as they were given. Tae Il was given a little bit of a backstory - but just enough to explain why he became a detective. Ji Gook wasn't given much of anything at all. They were just mainly there to help along the plot, so very much supporting roles and nothing else. The other side characters were well used and played their parts well.
Music - The music was not standout, but it served its purpose as a backdrop to what was happening on screen.
Re-watch value - I didn't mark the re-watch value very high because of the nature of the drama. Once the mystery and suspense are given away, then the second round doesn't have the same punch. However, it was very enjoyable and may be worth the RW regardless.
Overall - This is a fun and suspenseful show, and I think it's a worthy recommendation for drama lovers or even new kdrama watchers.
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Park Seo Joon was not on my radar before this show. I thought I disliked him after watching She Was Pretty, but after starting this I want to see everything he's in. Kim Ji Won is super adorable as Ae Ra as well. The actors did a great job holding the romantic tension -- I was wound tighter than a drum waiting for them to get together. And when they finally did, it was magical! The show treated us to lots of skinship and I gobbled it up like a Thanksgiving feast. I had nothing but heart eyes for our main couple.
Our second leads did a good job as well, although they had a different trajectory than the main couple. There are completely different feelings for their romance. The other side characters were well played, and as always, Kim Sung Oh makes a great supporting cast member.
I have relatively few criticisms for this show. It is what it is - a romantic comedy with a little drama to keep things interesting and move the storyline along. The show did its thing well and I was along for the ride every step of the way, anxiously awaiting new episodes every week, and am feeling quite sad to let Dong Man and Ae Ra go so soon. If you love a good romance, this is your crack. :)
Re-watch? Already started.... :)
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I dropped it but picked it back up and finished
I don't know if I would have disliked this drama if I had binged it all the way through. I got through the first 8 episodes months ago, and then paused and didn't think I would finish. I don't know what made me decide to go ahead and finish it up.This is a very slow story and has a twist to it that wasn't wholly unexpected but not completely how I though it would play out either. I don't want to give it away, but this show ended up being pretty raw and ended up making me cry in the end. I don't think it's for everyone, so I can't say that I'd recommend it for everyone. I feel like some people will hate it, and some people may appreciate it for personal reasons like I did.
Kim Hye Ja is a great actress and really carried this drama. Nam Joo Hyuk seems sort of awkward, and for Han Ji Min, I don't think she got enough of the spotlight but did a good job with her role.
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I enjoyed all the cast. So Yoo Jin as Ahn Mi Jung, the main female lead, was really enjoyable and a very likable actress. I wish there was more she had done that I was interested in watching. Ahn Jae Wook as Lee Sang Tae, the main male lead was also charming and his character was a steady rock. The show stealers were Sung Hoon as Kim Sang Min and Shin Hye Sun as Lee Yeon Tae, though. Their couple was so adorable and heart-fluttery. Sang Min was such a doting boyfriend and wooed shy Yeon Tae very romantically (and sometimes cheese-ily..yes, I made that word up.) and gently instructed her in the ways of dating without being over bearing or pushy. I could have watched a whole drama around JUST those two. The actors playing the parents all did a good job because their antics could definitely have crossed over into the annoying meddling parental roles we've all seen done to death. But somehow, they were still likable even with all that sort of behavior that I usually abhor. I think the couple I was least interested in was Lee Ho Tae and Mo Soon Young, but the Yoon In Chul and Kang So Young couple were the least developed character-wise and didn't really fit well into the rest of the story. I enjoyed the Kim Tae Min and Jang Jin Joo couple also, even though I thought I'd dislike Jin Joo at first as well. I think she had some incredible character growth during the series. The child actors played their parts well also. I have nothing bad to say at all about the acting. Wonderful casting!
The story was not that original maybe, and not realistic in how they were all intertwined together, but they still wrote an engaging and entertaining story that kept me wanting to see what came next.
The music was good, but not really stand out. They had a cute little theme song, and I heard several American songs as background when the characters were meeting out and about at cafes and restaurants.
If this were not such a long drama, I would not mind rewatching it. Due to the length though, I will probably just rewatch some favorite scenes at most (and they are pretty much all Sang Min and Yeon Tae scenes!) I'm still thinking about these characters days after I've finished, so I think that says a lot.
If you are new to family dramas, I would say that this is a solid choice to get your feet wet with! :)
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The two main leads did a nice job with their acting. And the kissing scenes were really nice. The rest of the cast did a fair job, but their characters weren't very well developed for the most part.
Music was nice, serviceable.
I won't be rewatching this show as it didn't impress me in any way. In short, the re-write only made the characters more palatable, but screwed up the story. Either way, this one didn't live up to its potential.
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