Let me start off by stating that I've watched this series years ago and this review is an attempt as a re-watch.

Although I've only re-watched a few episodes, I decided to drop it. It captures your attention quickly and easily with the initial backstory of your leads. But the script feels shallow for its setting and genre, even with its good attempt to build intensity into each scene.

1. The male lead for example who tries to hunt down his "first love" in the streets by following strangers. It isn't as if she changed her name from when they met or internet wasn't available. So it doesn't make much sense even when we exclude the fact that he apparently can recognize her by face a decade later (especially when they met as kids).

2. The female lead was fantastic as a child but she somehow turned into a rude, extreme snob as an adult? So much so that she can't say a simple "thank you" when someone finds her wallet and is outwardly rude instead? Very odd. While it was believable that she was a shitty lawyer, it is nonsensical that she somehow gets chosen as a public defender just because she told a tale of her past. It would have made more sense if she had credentials to back it up but she doesn't even know how to search for browser history on a computer?

Her mother got fired as a housekeeper and they had to move out. Not a big deal. It isn't as if she didn't have a loving mother who had her back and a decent roof over her head. Even if you try to apply the "she conceded to societal norms", it is still overreaching. Maybe her one traumatic incident as a kid, just wasn't traumatic enough (especially compared to a kid who saw his father murdered). Yet the series builds so much around this.

Then, somehow her moral fibers start to kick in within a couple of days because of some lecturing and a sudden reminder of how she was once falsely accused herself? What has she been up to all her adult career life then?

3. Who in the right mind would decide to hang on a windowsill just because they didn't want to get caught smoking? Ever heard of dropping the cigarette and saying you just walked into the room? It's not as if the room was barricaded.

It's tough. As mentioned, they did well with the intensity level and the light comedy so I can see why it would capture high scores with some. But if you really look at the basis, there just isn't much depth. I wouldn't have been so judgmental if this was supposed to be on the lighthearted side but it really isn't. Would have given it a lower score but because the actors were able to make it somewhat entertaining, I could have probably sat through it to the end.

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No Chemistry

The series isn't necessarily bad (based on the four episodes seen) and the actors are actually pretty good. But it's just lacking chemistry in all sorts of ways and it's hard to pinpoint why. The first episode is nothing like the second episode forward as it takes a leap from somber to an infusion of comedy. I was pretty excited that it had a relatively similar feel to the Fiery Priest in the beginning but it was short-lived. The ML/FL characters were made to be too extreme in personalities from the start and then shifted out of character very quickly and continually, which made what would have given them their individual charm a blur instead. The supporting actors were even more extreme with their personalities/quirks and it took too much realism out of what is actually quite a decent plot.

As some minor examples, the ML is supposed to be a badass high up on the chain in the Italian mafia. Yet when he arrive in Korea, he's easily drugged by a drink offered by a cab driver and then mugged? I mean, even normal tourists with any common sense would have known to not get into a random black car at the airport when the driver is being overly pushy about using their services. As for the FL, while the actress did the best she could with what she was dealt, the character was spicy but didn't make much sense. They should have highlighted more on the reasoning behind why she was working against her father before she suddenly decided to have a change of heart. The tiny explanation of their relationship right before a major event really didn't do much. Then there are the tenants living/working at the building who are supposed to be regular folk but their characters leans more towards a circus-asylum feel. The ML's interaction with them is equally awkward.

Should reiterate that the series isn't necessarily bad but unfortunately dropping the series because I've already seen how well it can be done with the Fiery Priest.

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Missed the Mark

Always on the lookout for plots that involve undercover characters who go out and help people. One of my favorite childhood series was when the Emperor himself strolled the streets in plain clothes so he can understand his country. So I definitely wanted to like this series but I've been emotionless for all three episodes.

The acting wasn't terrible but was subpar and the main characters had no chemistry with one another (or with any other characters for that matter). But the biggest cause of the series missing the mark wasn't the actors but the actual plot flow. You can see the potential but the execution of each scene was done with poor timing and execution.

As an example, when the FL is helping with the birth of a baby to a dying woman. The male doctor and her are both looking at the baby's entrance point. In historical times, it's unlikely a male doctor would be at ease even being close to that area. The FL admitted she had no experience and despite the dying woman having an arrow stuck in her chest while pushing the baby out, the birth was super effortless. It's difficult to describe in words but you can tell that not much thought was put in with no attention to detail throughout the series. And it resulted in a very unnatural plot flow.

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Not Bad, Just Not Enough

Foremost, I really can't stand this type of costuming in historical settings. But every so often, if the plot and actors do a good enough job, it's something that can be overlooked. It is still cringy though. The long stringy bangs that half of the male actors have and the over-bleached hair colors. I mean, for characters that are supposed to be highly skilled in martial arts, apparently their bangs don't seem to get in the way...

However, the characters were pretty charismatic and the plot flow skipped along okay. The action scenes were typically of series with this type of costuming: lots of floating around, actors who try to make the martial arts believable but it's obvious they don't have any real training, and attempts to make up for the lack in martial arts by incorporating heavy CG (of which, some were pretty decent). It's a fantasy setting so there's no high expectations of realism and while the negatives mentioned above are not as bad as some other series, it's still a bit overdone for my personal taste.

Stuck around for 11 episodes mainly for the plot, the charismatic actors, and the nicely incorporated humor. But it was one of series where you can do some chores on the side, miss out on some dialogue, and not feel like you've missed much. It's good enough where I can probably continue to watch to the end but not enough to feel like I have to get to that next episode.

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The positive. The team has a nice bond between them and it has a fun vibe. Got a few laughs out of it.

Started the series in the mood for a bit of the supernatural but this didn't quite cut it unfortunately. Reminds me of anime live actions where it tries to but fails to capture its essence. That's in my personal opinion of course, since taking an imaginary world of endless possibilities and trying to bring it into the "real world" is a daunting task.

I think they tried so hard to incorporate a little of everything that no one bothered to actually sit through it to consider whether any of it made sense. It's like let's just make it look cool and hope no one notices. There are times when things can and should be overlooked but if even the actions scenes felt mundane, it accentuates everything else that much more.

- A high school kid (as usual) has become the team's main hope to defeat demons and despite having a zero fighting background, he ramps up almost immediately (of course). How did the supernatural spirit survive without him all this time?
- The detective who has amnesia knew enough facts about his prior life but apparently spent the last seven years not caring to look into it? He knew he was a detective and at which station but again, never even met the female detective who signed off on his suicide case? Nope, didn't get emotional or care until he met the high school kid who reminded him of a business card he had in his pocket.
- Ignoring the corny theme of spirits choosing human grim reapers and living in a white room, the grim reapers only exorcise demons but only the ones who commit violent murders? Who takes care of other demonic predators then?
- Having been given instant superhuman strength, what was the point in dramatizing the detective doing calisthenics on the bars? It would be impressive for a normal human but completely pointless for him otherwise? And worse, it hints that the high school kid who was handicapped for years and never worked on his physique is actually the stronger one in strength?

Only being four episodes in, the reason for dropping it isn't even about the inconsistencies because it could have just been categorized as entertaining. However, the flow was just all over the place. You couldn't really tell if you should find the serious moments amusing or if it was meant to be taken seriously. Then the obvious scenes that were meant to be serious transitioned with poor timing or just didn't make sense. If they focused more on the fighting demons aspect instead of trying to incorporate multiple genres right off the bat, I might have made it through more episodes.

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If a high school drama club wrote the script and played the roles, they would have probably been graded pretty high. Unfortunately, there just wasn't a "good enough" reason to keep watching.

They tried to incorporate a bit of everything into this when it comes to martial arts, the supernatural, detective work, etc. but didn't execute well. I initially overlooked the less than average acting, fight scenes, and the odd modern music attachment because it had a lighthearted, comedic undertone but there were just too many fails in the plot and character builds. One example is you have a character who is supposed to have some type of super strength but yet they couldn't get themselves out of being tied up with normal ropes? There just isn't any consistency.

The one positive is that at least the costume-work and makeup wasn't as tacky as I've seen in some of the other historical series. Whenever I attempt to watch series in the historical era and they change the image of the leads into a boy-band looking outlier, it usually lays the groundwork of someone trying too hard to appeal to other cultures or the younger generation. Fortunately, they weren't too heavy-handed in that aspect here.

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Unreliable review

This is likely an unreliable review as I only managed to get through two episodes. But the two episodes were enough for me personally.

The initial scene was relatively intriguing but the actions of our main made no sense from the get-go. Let's say he slaughtered everyone because he was trying to be completely obedient to what he was asked to do. Yet he makes a scene about his regret, and then manages to leave the organization by doing self harm. If those he assassinated were really that important to him to begin with, couldn't he have just done exactly this to prevent himself from being a part of the murders? He makes another scene about how his self harm is part of his redemption, yet when the pain flares up, he does everything he can to ease the pain. Then the odd transition of wearing some mask to disguise himself so he can just drink his life away and be a bum... is pretty distasteful.

Insert the female who starts a fight with him, after an odd and awkward obsession to communicate with a bum. As if she's a two-year old who has never seen bums before. The fight causes damage to the carts of innocent bystanders, and they just prance off as if they are supposed to be respectable good folks. Insert again, some wealthy kid who also just coincidentally happens to be obsessed with befriending the bum out of nowhere after having met him for two seconds. Only for his family to be slaughtered later and this bum just decides to watch for a while until suddenly trying to step in at the last second to be a savior. Insert yet again, the male companion of the aforementioned female. The fight scene between the two is a dramatized dance rather than an actual fight.

Yea... no matter how good the costuming or background is. There's nothing that can redeem these details in only the first two episodes.

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