rachel
Singapore
This movie really is about both friendship and brotherhood. I am no expert on North-South relations, so I don't know how realistic it has been portrayed through the events in this movie, but I think it has been set up very well to show how both characters dealt with the conflicting loyalties they felt to friend and country.
The pacing of the movie is done very, very well. We are thrown right smack in the early stages of an operation, which escalates quickly. This quickly drew me into the movie and left me hungry to know what would happen next. The next part of the movie afterwards was slower in pace but was full of both funny and exciting moments, and left me emotionally invested in the friendship between the two main characters, followed by the last third of the movie where the pace picked up and left me on the edge of the seat. The ending was well-written.
I am surprised that I have not heard more buzz about this movie. This is a must-watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
Firstly, if you have any knowledge of a real legal system, please suspend all belief. As a law graduate myself, I initially found it hard to sit through court proceedings in the show and discussions about legal issues, because I couldn't stop ranting at the screen about how unrealistic it was.
The 2 lead characters are fabulously crafted. I especially appreciate Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young). She doesn't fit the conventional female lead in a drama - she is feisty, honest, and doesn't stand for any BS. We have waited so long for a lady who can do things for herself, knows what she wants, and says what she wants (well most of the time).
This show not only has a compelling lead couple - its supporting characters have stories of their own to tell and they really shine. Those worth mentioning are Kwan Woo (Yoon Sang Hyun), Doyeon (Lee Da Hee) and Hye Sung's mum (Kim Hae Sook). Not only do they each stand for certain principles and characteristics that are essential to the two lead characters' growth; by the end of the show, Kwan Woo and Doyeon, in particular, evolve as human beings and legal officers to become better people.
There are several funny moments throughout the show, and tear-jerking ones too. The ending is satisfying and full of hope for the future for all the characters. Very importantly, NO MOMENTS OF NOBLE IDIOCY.
The only flaw is the show sometimes spent too much time in court, with our characters going through their legal arguments, which we are already familiar with, and that sometimes made me turn off for a bit.
Was this review helpful to you?
I’ve read elsewhere that the story does resemble that of Forrest Gump, but here I think there is a very different emphasis. Forrest Gump focuses mainly on one man’s journey, while this show also touches on modernity and how it’s perceived by our parents’ generation, and the generation gap between our parents and our current generation.
As a broad sweep through Korean history, definitely a good and well-dramatised one. For non-Koreans it’s definitely quite enlightening since it does feature certain events outside the North-South conflict narrative we usually see in action movies.
But in general, the movie is so moving because of its emphasis on family and one’s duty to family, and that’s why I found it so moving. Bonus fact: watched it in the cinema with my mum and I think it's safe to say there wasn't a dry eye in the cinema hall!
Was surprised to see Kim Yunjin snag such a major Korean role after watching her in Lost. However, Hwang Jung-min’s character definitely takes centre stage in the story. He does such a great job. Oh Dal-soo as usual is fantastic as his comical sidekick.
Was this review helpful to you?
This show, at many points, made me laugh so hard, then made me cry sadly. I appreciate that the romance was revved up very quickly - very typical of Hong Sister shows. What I really love about this show is the personal growth of the characters - Joong Won, Gong Shil and Yi Ryung. Their growth and development is very satisfying to watch onscreen.
One pairing I really grew to love is Kang Won and Yi Ryung. Female second leads still suffer from being painted with a broad brush as being bitchy and jealous, while male second leads are always written as being very well-meaning nice guys who just never get the girl. Yi Ryung definitely won me over by the end of the drama.
Gong Hyo Jin, as expected, acted the heck out of Gong Shil, and has great chemistry with So Ji Sub - as she has had with just about every male actor she has acted with. I was also looking forward to seeing how So Ji Sub, the quintessential brooding man, would be transformed into a comedy star, the way Cha Seung Won was transformed through Best Love. I think his transformation is quite successful!
Some side storylines were somewhat wasted or were badly written and acted, i.e. I didn't have much interest in those characters and just wanted to know, so what happened to them?, but the overall show won me over.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story was not all fantastic, but as with all sageuks, the king and queen come to feature quite heavily in the show.
Cha Tae Hyun is great in this show, as usual. He is pretty hilarious as Jeon Woo Chi. Bong Gu steals the show as Jeon Woo Chi's hilarious sidekick. Unfortunately, UEE is very underused, being the second lead. The development of the villains as characters is also quite poor, but Lee Jin Hoon does a really good job with what he is given as the villain Kang Rim. Thankfully the story is kept moving along quite swiftly through various plot twists and plot devices.
On the sageuk front, this is not an excellent show, but as a lighthearted comedy with some royal intrigue that is not too addictive, I recommend this show.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story in itself is alright and even features some twists and turns towards the end, but it's the characters that make this show a really enjoyable watch. The side characters are given their time to shine and all have their small comic moments. As for the main characters, Woochi is played by Kang Dong Won with an appropriate amount of overconfidence and flair, once again proving how great of an actor KDW is (I picked this movie up because of him). Woochi is portrayed, rightly and very effectively, as a daredevil and lady's man.
The rest of the cast is great in this movie too. There're Im Soo Jung, Kim Yoon Suk, and some other familiar faces you'll probably recognize if you watch enough Korean movies and dramas. Kang Dong Won plays Woochi with such flair and personality. Kim Yoon Suk takes the spotlight when he appears onscreen, which is good since he is the villain in this show. He has a great screen presence and aura about him. I recommend watching some of his other shows, like Punch. Im Soo Jung has a smaller role as the female protagonist so I have little to comment on.
The side characters hold their own and have their own time to shine, in completely hilarious ways. The time travel element of the story also gives us many moments of comedy.
Seeing that there is a lot of action and supernatural stuff going on this show, the CGI, the film spots and the sets are pretty impressive. The story features two eras - ancient Korea and modern Korea. What is really nice is seeing the bright lights of modern Seoul being featured in the movie, including the now-famous Cheonggyecheon stream.
JWC the drama portrays the character quite differently, since it is afforded more time and space to tell the story of how Woochi came to be the Woochi we know today. This being a movie, however, feels snappier and as a viewer, I feel more secure that it knows where the story is going.
Even though I did not get to watch this movie at one go, it is definitely an entertaining watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Interestingly, modern themes like social networking etc don't really figure much in the show, but it doesn't bother me. Every generation will obsess over something trendy, but the friendships and relationships formed around these trendy things will be universal from generation to generation. Where there's a classroom with students, there will be gossip, some troublemakers and lots of friendship. As for modern technology like tablets and smartphones, and why they don't appear much in this show, my guess is this class is mainly made up of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, so they don't possess such expensive gadgets.
As others mention, there is no romance in this show. Personally romance didn't figure in my high school experience, so it wasn't a big factor for me. In fact I preferred that way as I could then focus on other themes I felt were more important. The tone of the show is certainly gloomy. Its pace faltered, especially at episodes 10-13. I could feel like some plots being rehashed at some points. But happily, it picks up at episode 14.
Many episodes brought me on a roller coaster ride of emotions - from moments that made me sob like a baby, to moments where all I wanted to do was bitch-slap some of the villainous and know-it-all characters in the class. Well, all in the day of a Korean drama watcher.
On the bromance point, it is resolved quite soon in the show, leaving us with a good balance of passive-aggressive expressions of concern for each other, and cute moments of friendship and brotherly love among the characters, for better or for worse. I do hope to see Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin more on the Korean drama and movie scene soon (doesn't hurt that they're pretty cute haha).
I was particularly moved by Jang Nara's performance as the caring homeroom teacher of the class. I could feel a teacher's sincerity through each gentle word of encouragement or comfort she spoke to her students.
On previous criticisms that the ending is 'abrupt' or too open-ended, I feel the tone of the drama would have been disrupted if the ending was too neat or fairy-tale. Students' lives won't necessarily be transformed and their problems won't be instantly solved because of one good year with one good teacher (not doubting the transforming power of one good teacher though). In addition, the fact that the characters are young students means the future is always open-ended and open to change. So I actually really like the ending.
All in all, a good line from the show to sum it up is: "It's not yet time to let go of the kids' hands."
Was this review helpful to you?
When it was first released, man it was THE HOTTEST THING on TV. And it was positively addictive. I was a relative newbie to Korean dramas, so this drama meant the world to me and it was an obsession.
The main reason why one may be attracted to watch this at first is the fact that it rides on the goodwill from Meteor Garden and Hana Yori Dango. I'm not here to compare these adaptations though.
The show is full of scenes that seem hilarious and cheesy on hindsight, but on first watch I never seemed to notice them. I was probably blinded by my addiction. The story is also full of holes.
The only redeeming thing about the cast is the induction of Lee Min Ho into popular consciousness. He played his character well. Another consolation is getting to know Kim Bum the actor. Not his first project, but he became more well-known because of this show. Gu Hye Sun - what a disappointment. Kim So Eun did what she could with the material she had.
The soundtrack is positively in-your-face - you will never think of that silly Paradise song in the same way ever again. It appears in every darn scene possible, even those you never thought possible.
Having said all of that, why I put rewatch value at an 8: when I watch it now, it is so cringe-inducing and hilariously BAD. If you have seen it before and have seen top-quality dramas since (eg Gaksital, City Hunter, Best Love etc), I encourage you to watch it again, and enjoy the show, for TOTALLY DIFFERENT reasons from when you first watched it.
Was this review helpful to you?
My issue with the show is how the story basically plodded along. I could see from the outset what kind of story was aiming to tell and the tone it wanted to set. But because it was written to be heartwarming and lesson-teaching, there was little drama, and the story didn't have strong peaks and valleys. It became predictable and boring at times.
Some relationships were not properly developed, so the way the relationships played out or were resolved by the end of the show were not very convincing to me.
Joo Won is naturally the star of the show, since he plays an unconventional character in the Korean drama world. At times I was moved by his character, at others, I was frustrated. I particularly enjoyed Joo Sang Wook's character, Professor Kim. It's my first time watching Joo Sang Wook in a major role, and I think he put in a good performance. I can understand why he has previously been always cast in the CEO role.
At times, the music was quite jarring.
Was this review helpful to you?
In this movie, money was definitely no limit in the special effects department. The flames, explosions and collapsing scenes were scary.
Being a Korean movie, you should not be surprised by the melodramatic elements in it. Perhaps that is a weak point of the movie - that the characters and their stories are cliched, the movie is trying too hard to knock the 'moral of the story' into your head, like how the rich always escape unscathed, yet are the least deserving to be rescued, pride will always befall man, etc. In fact, in light of stories that have emerged from recent disasters like Sewol in Korea and Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, perhaps the human stories are still the most important in bringing hope in the midst of tragedy.
Not a deep and meaningful movie, but still an alright way to spend 2 hours.
Was this review helpful to you?
Without a doubt, Yoo Hae-Jin is the star of the show and that was the biggest plus of the show for me. Without him, the show would probably have looked like a typical rom-com. YHJ played the assassin character with such gusto, enthusiasm, and earnestness, that I was absolutely won over by him by the halfway point of the show, despite his gruff outward appearance.
Lee Joon is good as usual. To be honest, even though his character had swapped lives with YHJ's character, his character development was quite different from that of YHJ's character, so it was not as enjoyable for me.
Jo Yoon-hee does an alright job as the kindly paramedic who gives him shelter and helps him to navigate through his new life.
Overall, a good watch for some light entertainment.
Was this review helpful to you?
The first part of the movie was relatively charming, as we were introduced to the main flower boy trio, and the mundanity and charming qualities of rural village life. But the movie took a very strange and unexpected turn into rather dark territory, some of which touched on themes like loyalty, and I just didn't understand why the characters took the actions they did.
There were a number of themes that were so underdeveloped that could have made the movie more whole - the spies' relationships with the villagers, Sohn Hyun Joo's commander character, who I was expecting to have more significant screen time, but again, a waste.
You can call me a bitterly disappointed viewer.
Was this review helpful to you?
The more outstanding characters include Rie (La La), played by Han Chae Ah, and Shunji, played by Park Ki Woong, mostly for the inner struggles they face throughout the show between love and loyalty. They are villains in the show, but the writing keeps pulling us back from completely demonizing them by reminding us of their humanity.
I do wish Mok Dan were written as a more dynamic character. Also, since the actress is a relative newbie, she might be forgiven for a less compelling portrayal of a not-so-compelling character.
Joo Won does such an excellent job with a character that is well written, but could have easily been very one-dimensional if portrayed by a less committed actor.
The noir genre and the dressing of the period lends some benefits, in the form of those snazzy suits and cool fedoras Joo Won and Park Ki Woong get to wear every episode.
Was this review helpful to you?
Song Kang-ho brings 110% to every role he plays. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance, as always. He put in a convincing performance for a character who starts off in the story as a slimy and money-faced lawyer, but grows and evolves to become a man and a lawyer of conviction who is utterly convicted of his beliefs, and who you would be proud to support. Kim Young-ae puts in such a moving performance as Jin-woo's kind-hearted and wise mother. Im Shi-wan is really good as a fresh-faced but principled young man.
This movie was a hit in Korea, understandably so. It addresses a pretty recent part of Korean history, it appropriately brings you through the emotional highs and lows, is based on a true story, and has a fantastic cast. Highly recommended.
Was this review helpful to you?
The lead couple have sizzling chemistry - you can feel the intensity of their love for each other and the mutual attraction. Jung Woo Sung's character Chul Jin - he's the man every guy wants to be, gruff, oh-so-cool without being pretentious, and the man every woman wants. Dependable, caring, loving, and will sweep you off your feet, all at the same time.
The music is well-chosen, reflecting the whimsical and fairytale-like romance they experience during their courtship, and then the bittersweet tone of the second half of the movie.
I discovered this movie by accident on my local TV channel many years back, but could not complete it because it was too late at night. Glad to have finally finished watching it. Dementia may slowly erase your memories, but it can never take away from the happiness of the moment, the joy of experiencing the here-and-now.
Was this review helpful to you?
