sharreb
Comedic. Intelligent plot. Loyalty. Fated love. Bromance
ADVISORY: Be Patient & You Will Be Rewarded* * *
Honestly, i initially had a hard time immersing into the drama. I didnt like ML's attitude. Considered dropping but comments on MDL made me give it a 2nd thought, 2nd chance. Fastforward few episodes, i'm glad I stayed.
Wonderful things to enjoy:
- FL is intelligent with a happy demeanor, selfless, loyal and giving
- FL and ML have a special friendship, i regarded as the best foundation
- Identity swap and realisation does not drive a wedge in his trust and feelings for FL
- Uniquely ML acts coquettishly with FL aft he realises his feelings
- SML was funny with straight face and earnest expression delivering cheesy lines.
- Very comedic. Funny lines plentiful
- Love Love Love Father-son relationship. Vy diff from the norm
- Unique role reversals. FL use intelligence to help and even save ML
- ML and SML had a bickering rivalry turn bromance
- The ladies here are gems. FL and SFL both are the type to take initiatives.
- Love triangles. At diff times, diff sets of ppl but overall done well and considered important for both characthers and plot development
- Very intelligent plot.. mostly well thought out with elements of surprise and plottwist
- ML have a very good characther development. By ep 20 I was both very proud of the kind of man he has become and very moved by his actions. So be patient, you will fall in love with him if you havnt at the start.. like me.
Acting wise Im surprise to find another crop of young talented actors. All new to me but all left good impressions. Esther, Liu YiChang and the actors for SML and SFL all have great comedic timings. LYC was also very good at impactful scenes.
Intially i would rate it at 7.5 to 8 for the first arc..but then I didnt expect a light comedic drama to be able to hand out impactful and touching scenes which bumped it to 8.5. The last arc with such intelligent writing, the surprise and also the wrap up that was nicely paced..sealed this at 9.0. I really appreciated Ep 23 alot (the night before) which was so well thought out, answerimg all the emotional elements and was much needed ..so different from the usual rush ending we have in C dramas.
If you are unsure, i urge you to try.
If 1 episode couldnt rope you in, try a few more.
The story turns out to be like sands rubbing in an oyster turning into a pearl. And your time spent watching will be rewarded.
Was this review helpful to you?
Unexpectedly moving. Realistic. Poignant
This C adaptation from original korean source was a more grounded take- the overall tone is much more serious and realistic. What makes it memorable (as i am reviewing this quite a long tome from when i finished it) was how much the story manages to struck a deep chord, resonate with me how parent-child relationship becomes over time, over daily business in career or life. It punctuates all our realistic short comings and even laid bare how the important things are overlooked until finally your days are numbered.The performance from the father to his daughter and sons was nothing short of brilliant. The entire cast was strong.
It is impossible to steel your heart from the story, from the many moments you weep with them. Prepare tissues and prepare the reason why you wake with swollen eyes.
This is a rare family drama that is worth your time. Dont give up when you get frustrated with the doctor-son, and the daughter. They are human. Wait for the episodes of realisation and bleed with them. You've been warned.
Was this review helpful to you?
Secret crush, Supportive romance, friendship, business issues
The review and sypnosis may be alittle misleading. It seems typical fluff C-romance drama BUT the plot isnt that.1. It appears as one sided unrequited love.. but pleasantly its a secret crush too
2. Its pretty romantic FL falls for ML twice.. she just couldnt help herself :p
3. FL is pretty brave from love letters to confessing the 2nd time.
4. ML isnt cold or tsundere as you would expect. First 1/3 was his grudge. He's actually pretty accomodating and sweet.
5. The love triangle is there but does not get irritating or too long to resolve.
6. The drama highlights you are the best looking in the eye of the beholder.. for both ML and FL
7. ML and FL are a vy pleasing CP imo. Good chemistry and vy natural together. They support each other thru the company's struggles.
8. Daddi tang shows his sweeter and kind of goofy appeal. Sun Qian is pretty adorable and girl can pull off coquettish lines too.
9. Plot concentrates (especially last third of the drama) on all members of Voya company. They are both friends and comrades in a small business trying to accomplish their dreams and make it big in the app world
10. I like FL's dad and his story arc too.
11. I really like FL's outfit. Shes beautiful with good built and bodyshape too. ML's styling esp hair really suits him too.
My qualms
1. Trailer markets it as romantic fluff. So i was intially awaiting fluffy scenes.. except there werent much. Ofcourse im glad the "cringey, tripping, fall on your lips" dont exist in this drama.. BUT i felt there were a little stingy on ML-FL romantic moments. Dont expect Put your head on my shoulder type.. that spends alot of episodes purely on ML and FL interaction. Would have benefited with MORE cause Daddi Tang and Sun Qian are good actors with good rapport on screen.
2. The focus on their business struggle may not be for everyone. I respect this part of the story as well as the team spirit but again they probably could have done it better by balancing with more ML-FL solo interactions
3. The ending was good but again i was left wanting.. for a more personal scene between our main couple.
So although i really enjoyed it, i find they MISSED out on making this drama - something special, something much more memorable than what we have.
Was this review helpful to you?
Solid plot, 2 sets of romance, 5 friends
Worth starting inspite of the tropes? Yes.Worth the time for 32 episodes? Yes, most of the time.
Things worth mentioning:
- Both ML and SML are steadfast and sure in their love. For SML its sort of love at first sight. PS: ML and SML have diff love interest, which is refreshing
- ML is wise, just and does not covet power.
- FL is observant and skilled at problem and crime solving
- FL has a lower EQ and initially close off due to prolonged staying as a loner
- ML initially appeared flamboyant and despite some post war trauma and eye injury, he is a warm person, quick to smile.
- ML is very attentive and tender to FL. Yet he balances between supporting her with trust and pride and protecting her from harm
- SFL is a bright and straight forward person. Not afraid to take intiative and unpretentious. She is also skilled in poison and alternate medicine.
- Both romance arc was nice
- FL's backstory is poignant and i feel for her. This makes her dancing scene pretty moving.
- Friendship among the 5 of them was gem and this was thankfully retained til the end. Teenager FeiYan was a great character too.
- Other secondary characters that are very likable like the da ren that helps Qi prince and the princess.
Deduction in score cause of some issues:
- Issues with pacing even though overall the plot is good and looseends were tied. But i felt they steamroll the first 5 to 6 episodes. Progress a little too rapidly. Would have been more organic and natural if they allow their interactions to progress steadily. This caused the romance arc to hit a plateau too early. By ep 20 there is a stagnant feel as it loses steam. Hence theres a lack of addicitve feel. ( For comparison: I hav previously watch a historical drama and did not lose that addictive must watch feel for 46episodes.)
- The makeup on SuCi especially her lipstick did not make sense since shes suppose to desperately hide her gender
- Emperor and later the dowager were characters that was very 1d. While the villain who was after power sadly only has that in his life.
Overall in spite of the usual tropes of cross dressing, tragic past, underwater kiss- the whole plot was mostly well thoughtout. It is serious in most cases and doesnt count as fluff drama. It doesnt have the soul searing romance feel that it could be. The acting was ok, not bad at all but wouldnt say amazing either. Sebrina's resting face have a same-ness expression. But other emotions she can still potray. Zhang Ling He is a newbie and while he's still alittle green; he manage to be charismatic and not wooden. The two were believable and manage to be non-cringey but again not out of the park chemistry imo. Was a good drama to binge-watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
SLOW, melo writing with insecure leads
There seems to be an ongoing trend of trio or quadruple women-centric stories in C dramaland. Comparisons have been made by many users with the recently finished Nothing but thirty and newly aired To Dear Myself.*What’s striking*
The four female leads are besties in the best sense. There are no misunderstandings or petty quarrel (like Twenty Your Live On, which was more coming of age). Here Yi He, Ding Ding, Karen and Ren Ran are very supportive of each other and spends time with each other- to an envious extent. The girls communicate over drinks, partying together, exercise sessions, heart to heart sessions, etc. Theres a running tagline that men can be gone after awhile but best friends are forever.
The four ladies friendship and their woes in love are the common ground. While all 4 are very different in character and background, you would come to realise half way through the drama that all of them are very insecure in their relationships. Most of this can be attributed to the current men in their lives.
Issues
The drama tries to project this as growth through navigating struggles in life and love, evident in the narration of every epilogue. However the writing of this drama drags alot, in a way it amplifies the problems in both the characters’ issue and their lack of resolve. This makes it too tiresome and the ladies to stay in a pitiful state for too long. Eg. YiHe (portrayed by Victoria Song) is happy, chatty and optimistic person but in love she hides her true self, stays in her bubble while constantly doubting her boyfriend who keeps a lot of secrets from her. She does not comfront and goes in circles in her love life for over 2/3 of the drama. When she finally admits she hates the person she becomes when she is with him..im like Sis, I’ve been waiting forever for you to see clearly. Similarly RenRan who appears the fiercest and hardiest, but this CEO is pinning over a man who cant prioritise her. Karen perhaps have the most poignant storyline, divorced, single-mother, ex-husband who is selfish, mother with terminal illness. She goes into a relationship with a limit, makes decisions on her own and resigned to never marrying again. DingDing, a rich second generation has a much more bland story that i find not as engaging.
Overall i would say the writing of this drama makes it a little too melo for too long and too many instances. I find it a shame that they didnt utilise more characters that had more oomph and more chemistry. YiHe and Chen Nan’s story should have developed better and sooner, so that their time later could be fledged out. The same with RenRan and YouTing. I can do with less scenes from Sam, Lu Hao, Ma Ke.. all these dudes don’t deserve their time OR MINE.
Acting wise Victoria Song and Frida Li stands out for me. They have some powerful scenes.
Music wise i didn’t pay much attention with the exception of the chorus of opening theme was nice.
In the end i used this as a filler drama for filling in my time waiting for new episodes from other currently airing dramas that I’m pursuing. Will not be rewatching either.
Was this review helpful to you?
Go Ahead and watch and be filled with love and warmyh
Go Ahead is a tricky drama to review because i felt i need a million adjectives to describe it. Warm, thats how i feel when watching every episode. And Special, special cause it touches a special place in my heart. It is perhaps one of the best multi-facetted story I have the pleasure to watch in awhile. The ability to achieve such a balance of poignant but heart-warming, painful yet sweet, serious issues yet funny moments is really kudos to great writing and directing.PLOT/STORY
The plot centres on 3 families, 2 more broken then the core (FL and her dad) coming together and bonded through love that had nothing to do with blood in their veins but rather the openness of heart to accept, cherish and protect. Theres that juxtaposition of an unusual family from the norm. Theres that interesting difference and similarities between both elder brothers in character and treatment of their lil sister. Social pressures, parental pressure, trauma from loss, abandonment and depression were all touched upon but the story is delivered in a measurably soothingly acceptable way that pains you but does not suffocate you. Hence viewers who usually steer clear of heavy dramas could still be able to watch and digest this. Many scenes were presented in a well thought out manner in such ways I appreciate nuances and subtlety they convey.
CAST/ACTING
Casting team deserves a medal. I cant imagine another actress as Li Jian Jian. Tan Song Yun really shines in bringing the youth and brightness into her character as well as the ability to create believable atmosphere and great chemistry with the male leads and the rest of the casts. JianJian is optimistic and bright illuminating the darkness in her brothers’ lives. Shes really the family’s fuel station. Ling Xiao is the quieter elder brother but observant, intelligent and thoughtful. Hes closed off emotionally with the exception of the trusted realm he allows. He only truly shares with JianJian, the beacon in his life. Song Wei Long delivered his personal best and gave us a Ling Xiao that appears perfect and mature but have hidden cracks and scars from his trauma. He Zi Qiu is the most sensitive, and insecure from having been abandon and constantly thinking of his self worth and afraid to be pitied. He holds Li ba and Jiajian as the people he is most grateful for and promised to love and protect them with his whole being for the rest of his life.
Li Ba is one of the best characters ever created and he’s the core of the family. He represents the exemplary parent that gives unconditionally and only expects his loved ones to be happy. He provides shelter and pure love but never smothering. There are many other parents depicted in these drama that provided many contrast and real struggles in thwir parenting style and relationships with their children and how they affected the child’s disposition and attitude in life.
Ost
The opening theme is one of the most hauntingfly beautiful song. Written in very simple lyrics but delivered so powerfully. Mamy of the ost were awesome and they added the oomph everytime its played on eventful scenes.
Conclusion
Watch this drama and be filled with warmth, be touched by the spirit of family, love and friendship. Laugh and cry with our leads. Its a drama that has that something special and returns you to the thing that matters most- being with the people you love. I treasure all the days watching Go ahead and sad to have reached the finale. But the image of our 3 leads happily going ahead towards their future and the familiarity of family togetherness makes me really satisfied. And i will rewatch this series again. I will also look forward to future works from this scriptwriter, this director and of course, more dramas from Tan Song Yun and Steven Zhang.
Was this review helpful to you?
Rare worthy drama; CP with great rapport & chemistry
You can be put off by the length of drama ( i try to stick to Cdramas less thn 40episodes) BUTThese are why you should give this drama a try:
1. Leads that have something special in terms of character: ML, Lu Yi is someone not just cool but ice cold when it comes to criminal, ruthless and unfeeling as req by his job. He doesn't spare much attention to other things but work to be done, criminals and spies to be caught and justice fulfilled. He's a skilled martial artist but he isn't invincible. He is intelligent and cunning but careful and meticulous. FL is daring, has good tracking skills, is bold but can sweet talk and change her tune to save her own hide. She's also a skilled martial artist as trained by her master and can defend herself. She has an infectious personality and like her name last word means Summer) exuded warmth.
2. Story/plot: The first few episodes developed very well. In very few scenes we got the gist of the main characters. It was vy engaging. And although the Male and Female leads started on the wrong foot, their negative interactions were magnetic. The cases and how ML-FL goes abt solving them adds mystery and intrigue and also becomes the mechanisms that lets the leads understand and overcome their initial misconceptions abt each other. Ep 1 to 45: the story was fantastic, rarely boring. I even like the secondary love story although that arc had some repetitive elements but the 2characters was worthy of your time to see to their own happy ending
3. The love story: Its rare that an investigation, historical C drama can develop such a moving and deep love story. Rarer still that ML and FL are on the same wavelength. Their every interaction was like pilling stone upon stone..until it becomes a strong fort of its own
With each passing case and time working along each other: trust, bond and understanding was built. ML begins to find sth else other than work and crime thats interesting. He begins to have reason for good mood and his smirk turns to fleeting smile. His eyes usually cold and shrewd becomes warm when he looks at the FL. FL comes to understand him. Admires ML's intelligence, sense of justice and finds theres that someone that she could rely on. He would have her back. As the story progresses, the depth and lengths they each go to protect one another (in dangerous situation, in sickness and death) shows how devoted they are to each other. Despite my description, their interactions are sometimes really cute and funny and sweet. You have to watch it to get what i mean
4. The acting: Perfection for the scoring and I couldn't deduct. Tan Song Yun was always likable as an actress but this her role as Yuan Jin Xia was the best yet. She gave life, warmth and depth to her character. Ren Jia Lun was new to me but oh boy did they made an excellent casting in him..he made Lu Yi outstanding. I'm calling this duo Big Eye Couple. And they put their eyes to beautiful use. They were so good with the eye gazing.. so much emotion conveyed even when little or no words were spoken. That chemistry that they could develop from just glancing at each other or smiling at each other or conveying fear was hands down amazing.. it made so many scenes moving and oh so unforgettable. Han Dong was a brilliant antagonist, he was really fleshed out and not your typical puppet villain.. he was scary in intensity, in his cunning and psychotic personality.
Why i deduct little on the score.
Ep 46 to 54: I didn't like the final arc of the story. I felt birth secret thing that was revealed and the repercussion from it detracted the beauty of the story. It was there for heart wrenching and sad reasons. Yet It took away the precious beautiful thing between the leads. Ep 55 was a rewarding episode. That mooncake scene was brilliantly written and delivered beautifully. It concluded well but perhaps a bit rushed.. given the hardships they faced (and viewers had to bear) last 8 episodes it would have been nice if we were given a bigger reward.
Rewatch: I already missed the leads. I love how FL is very open with her affections for ML and openly admires and admits her admiration for him. Given how cold he was in the beginning, his first confession was really moving. And later on how he surprises her when he doesn't mince his words to convey how important she is to him. So worth rewatching.
Was this review helpful to you?
Pretty but bland
PlotEp 1 to 10: Quite a breeze watching. FL was cute.
Ep 11 to 30+: Quite forgettable, didnt register much. I skipped quite alot cz it was boring, oacing and development wise
Issues: The directing and writing focuses on the pretty and this makes the story quite dull. They nvr focus on the sad n difficulties of FL, her mon and bro's sickness in the right intensity..so although its there, it fails to resonate. The growth of FL again although its there it lacks focus. There should hav been more thoughts to develop FL and her ring of friends better. On romance section, I dont know if its considered slow burn.. but intensity of their feelings again couldnt feel it cz it was not written and develop properly. Lack of skinship is not the problem; theres lots of other C dramas that can convey beautiful love between leads without kisses etc. You just dont feel it here
Acting: If you watch BTS (behind the scenes), you would know director works closely with actors (esp the young cast) to work out how to convey the message in each scene. So i will blame the director in how the acting was carried out. JJY is not a new actress, acting wise she hasnt progress or regress from Legend of Yun Xi but as YunXi she was much more memorable. SWL this was his first drama that i watch, i previously watch him as a dorky teen/campus guy in a film..he was better there. The direction and his character here was flat..and boring. He didnt bring any extra on the table. The other 2 male leads had a more colourful character and hence was much more memorable.
Cinematography and costume etc were all nice. I just wish there was more depth where it matters! Story! And not an after thought.
Was this review helpful to you?
A precious journey through youth
Plot:Have you thought how it would be to meet your mum in her youth? This is a precious opportunity the daughter who was miserable and lonely growing up with a single mom..gets to experience.
And through this she gets to experience the beauty of friendship and young love. And the important lesson that life in the end is made up of experiences good and bad. And that sometimes to live is to savor the moment, the now, the journey and not so much the ending.
This drama was a rare precious gem. That instead of the usual travel back time plot, the writer had a clear message to deliver. It manages to be warm amd endearing, sweet and touching, realistic if not poignant.
Acting:
The leads were all new to me. But a good script and in the hands of a good PD, they were all believable in their role. Amy Chen in particular was really good.
Verdict:
Dont sleep on this drama. It deserves to be watched. It had that nostalgic touch and the time spend with the teen mom- daughter duo Qin Tong and Jin Bu and their friends plus love interests was really worth it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Entertaining and also irritating at times
Acting: Eleanor as a FL was very natural and easy on the eye. She could emote. Shes also a great singer and i love the ost she sang. Connor was the weakest link. He was horrible in Meteor Garden that i was so shock hes headlining a new drama as the main lead but the MDL ratings push me to try. I can say he did improve but hes just mostly awkward on screen. Even if its a scene wheres he's standing or walking, he looks so ill at ease. His character was suppose to be charismatic and he just doesnt deliver. The only plus point is that you can still feel chemistry between the MLand FL.Story: The premise was good and NuanNuan's struggle transitioning out from a failed idol group, and starting from zero into a working culture was something fresh and yet realisticaly potrays the lives of many trainees hoping to make it big and be the next star. That and the story of finding her talent in things outside of singing kept me interested. But the romance direction wasnt so good. The pace and the setting and how the leads handle themselves wasnt as enjoyable as i hope it would be. The secondary couple although visually cute but were amateurish. I keep wanting to feel more depth about everyone and yet finding little. So theres a real issue in both the writing and the directing of this drama. Han che was also not utilised properly imo.
Rewatch. Not for me.
Note for those who are sort of interested but cant be invested to watch the entirety, you can opt to watch a FMV clip, just chk on youtube. It can be sufficient and feels you didnt miss that much anyway.
Was this review helpful to you?
The pros are miles long but i'll sum it up without getting too wordy.. hopefully:
- a very easy watch with good flow that keeps you going from an episode to another. Even when the story are simple daily lifes of students
- nothing over dramatic or makjang
- no hateful or annoying characters
- wonderful friendships of diff types and forms
- great rapport of ML and FL. And very natural progression of frenemies to deskmates to being each other's drive and support
- realistic potrayal of school life. Including struggles of studying, of hopes and dreams and the fears that comes with it
- ML despite earlier depicted as rough ard d edges n curt in speech but never overtly so. His sensitive, cating n even protective side comes out. As the drama continues he makes you swoon with the simple actions
- FL nvr potrayed as most beautiful or most dumb. Shes the average girl with her own charm, cute and doesnt try to overthink too much. She has her own strengths and limitations and own dream too. I love she was nvr overly "desperate". She instinctively does things that touches n moves the ML.
The length of the drama was just great. Never draggy.
The acting may not be the most perfect. Zhao Yi Qin was good at potrayal of Lan Tian Ye. He had the level of charisma without coming off pompous. He was cool without being cold or stiff. Li Jia Qi, this is her second work i've seen. I thought she was adorable in Meteor Garden as Xiao Yuo. Theres some sameness in her portrayal but while she might not be as versatile, she never came off as cringy or overact. ML and FL had believable chemistry and i think their acting was greatly helped by the story and directing.
For whatever reason you are hesitating to watch, hope this review gives you the push to start this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
1. Acting: Xu Kai Cheng and Simona Wang were both good actors with their own charms. Ian Yi as Chu Yan really stood out.
2. Characters: ML isnt a stuck up chaebol. Isnt cold n stoic. Instead tends to express his feelings or affection. FL isnt whiny and would apologize if she kbiws shes in the wrong. Many side characters that are likable. Mr. Driver, FL best friend, grandma and Chu Yan (the 2nd male lead that was refreshingly unselfish). A lil side we didnt see more of the other girl that appears in Chu Yan' life.
The lows:
1. The plot: I had a hard time accepting, much less liking the plot. Ive seen worse of cos fr fluffy C rom-coms. But the tagged of romance n melodrama, i wish the plot was better crafted, less preditable, more thought provoking or touching. It never reached any peak for me. I even fast forwarded some bits which is rare for me to do so in a short drama (20ep only). My major petpeeve is how the ML got the FL. I see it as obssessive and manipulative. Good looks shouldnt excuse such selfishness. I dont want to elaborate to the extent of spoiling. But when you watch to mid way you would understand my comment.
2. The chemistry: Now this was a suprise since i said both ML and FL are good actors. And they were given a lot of setups, cohabilation hijinks and scenes as a couple, as husband and wife. Yet their kissing scenes or skinship scenes never evoke depth to me. Theres no passion or tenderness. Its like okay, liplock for this scene and move on next scene. So although theres comments that theres many kiss scenes for me quantity does not equate quality. I like seeing ML FL scenes but i felt disengaged evytym they lock lips. I dont know if its the directing or the actors couldnt loosen up and immerse in the scene. I rant on this cause the drama is hard selling the romance n yet i feel it lacking.
Rewatch value: very low for me. I did rather rewatch bits of Time teaches me to love or I hear you, both C modern romance dramas i watched before this one..while they are not perfect, they atleast stir my heart more.
Was this review helpful to you?
I can say the journey watching was worthwhile. Yet i felt a bit let down by the ending.
The other thing is both male leads and female leads are great actors. They both fit their roles. Female lead has a beautiful infectuous smile and adorable like the cat she could turn to. Male lead was nice to see him thaw and trust in female lead. Their affectionate scenes were great but the more intimate ones like kissing werent done well.. not sure if its a directing issue.
Was this review helpful to you?
Male character isnt a typical tsundere. He doesnt mingle much but isnt a complete recluse. He has his principles in life and is focused and perhaps a little rigid at first. Yet when taught and exposed to things he is perceptive and willing to learn and see things in different perspective. Even as it dawns to him Bei Er Duo draws him in and first time in his life another human being's emotions coiud affect his, hes mature in dealing with his burgeoning feelings. That's such a breath of fresh air in a male lead character..who is perceptive, observant, and helps out the female lead in meaningful ways.
Bei Er Duo is equally well written because they dont dump down her character. She may hav financial difficulties or difficult mother but she doesnt whine, begrudge ohers or dwell on the negatives. Instead shes hardworking and persistently strives to fulfil her dream. Her mostly cheerful demeanor puts you in good spirits everytime shes on screen.
Although the intial set up was typical.. the subsequent interactions felt very natural. The pace and flow was nice and did not felt forced. The leads communication and sharing of thoughts and dreams were also highlights that i enjoy.
Although im not that critical of my rom coms..i want to state that theres alot out there full of fluff, sometimes too cheesy or not believable. This drama was sweet in a palatable and soothing way. Even the second leads were good.
I felt this drama warrants more viewers. Do give it a try
Was this review helpful to you?
The positives:
Plot
Each episode but one delivers a new cold case that needs solving. Unwavering each episode starts moments before a crime took place. The writing dives straight into the task force gathering clues, gathering info, meeting potential suspects. Unlike C or even K dramas that take time (or too much time) developing individual characters of main cast, this drama lets you observe their characters as they so the job. And through each case, we saw how it may connect to the main cast member. How it effected them and drop hints of the ghosts in their closet. Simple interactions as they meet at work or after work allows you to peek into their lives. Its something to pick up on your own, yet its purposeful and never as afterthought.
Character
Captain Ishikawa is like that woman you admire. Who is proficient, efficient and sometimes blunt. Who seems to be steadfast yet rigid in her stance. Who looks calm on the surface but like a deep pool of water, you are attracted to find more about her and indeed theres much in her past that made her the way she is now.
Takagi, the new guy who quickly found his groove with the rest of the team. He seem to see thing on the surface but you come to find out his many strengths, not just as a member of the taskforce but as a person. I find his nature sometimes sweet, sometkmes gullible. But he forms a fascinating contrast to Ishikawa
Motoki, the vice and moat senior from appearance to demeanor was always in control, dependable and conducts his team in a soft leader manner. We also saw a bit of how his work ate away on his personal life and family.
Tachikawa and Kaneko rounds up the team and both are very likable. Tachikawa exudes a sometime male egoism and biasness but hes a good cop that gains your favor as the drama progresses. I look forward to knowing more of them as character and their own background story in Season2.
Acting
The actors playing the main casts were all spot on and effective in their roles. Yoshida You is new to me and she amazes me with her own screen charisma. Shes the type of actress that draws you in from both performance and appearance. Not just attractive appeal but her portrayal of Ishikawa was multi facet, sometimes strong and tough, sometimes calm and sharp, sometimes bias and emotional and when she cracked, vulnerable and even broken. Exceptional is the only word i can sum up for both the actress and her character.
Music
Opening theme and songs used were very nice. A lot of nostalgic english songs used too.
Crime and story range
Almost every theme, with different victims in different background, decade, was explored. Suspects, motives and culprits were variable too. Cases involving kids were particularly emotional for me. Most of the cases gets you emotiobally invested and a few makes you put not just your detectice hat on but criminalpsychology too.
The negatives
I wish the season is longer. 10 episodes wasnt enough for me. The other was tje development in Cap Ishikawa's sister while i dont hate it, i didnt particularly like it either.
Verdict
If you enjoy the genre of crime, investigation,detective and mystery, this drama tick all the boxes. Theres not much frills and diversion, a major plus in my book. Im amazed that even though each episode isnt long and total episode count isnt alot, it manages to develop the main cast with the limited screentime on their personal lives. Season 2 will be out in less than a week at the time of writing this review. My suggestion is binge watch this drama's season 1, you wont be disappointed.
Was this review helpful to you?
