There were a lot of plot twists, revelations through-out, some very good action scenes, captivating and dark topics, as well as a few touches of sweetness between mainly the second leads.
There was not much romance between the 2 main leads, and as a romance-freak I thought it would affect how much I enjoyed the series, but I can say that the main lead's relationship is also very nice to watch and you defnitly won't get bored because of the lack of romance.
The story was well written and, although sometimes I though that the flashbacks went on for a bit too long, the beginning, middle, and end are too fast paced and jam-packed with action and storyline that you won't get bored and want to skip episodes. They also did a good job of captivating their audience with their opening scene, the first 3 minutes of the first episode.
Its one of those series that you just want to binge-watch because of the cliff-hangers, but Ipersonally tried my best to not watch too many episodes per day so that I could enjoy it longer, and I think it was more enjoyable.
Acting/Cast: I think most/all actors did a very good job in playing their roles, and I never thought to myself during the series that "oh, that could have been better played".
Music: Another thing I LOVED in this series was the OST. They really put you in the mood of the scene, and boy.. Amen ment buisiness. When you heard that song, you knew things were about to go DOWN X)
Rewatch Value; I haven't rewatched it yet, but because most of the drama has a lot of revelations and plot twists, I imagine it would sometimes be a bit boring to rewatch. But I might try after some time passes.
Overall: After finishing this series, I decided it was my favourite of all the ones I've seen so far. Very cool main female lead, interesting male lead, I also love Soo Ji's accomplices, they were really likeable and I very soon got attached to them and their backstories. Basically, you should definitly give this drama a try. If you just watch the first 3 minutes of the 1rst episode, you should know if it's your type of drama or not. :) Happy watching!!
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Overall I'll give this drama a 7/10. I watched a lot of action drama (mostly on OCN) and in my opinion there's nothing really extraordinary in this drama but it's still great and the plot of the story is nice.
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Straight off the bat, I fell in love with my usual favourite character. The smart-ass, hysterical and weird one.
Oh and then I fell in love with the badass mum who can do anything she puts her mind to, thank you.
And then the .... I'll stop.
Strong female lead? Quad-ripple check.
Now, yes, there are some predictable moments, but they happened to suit my taste, so they never bothered me.
What a story, a twisted, in depth look of means and justice, what's wrong with how we've built judicial systems in modern society, what it takes for innocent people to stand up to those who ruined their lives for no reason, and the impact that cruel people have on innocent lives.
All the main characters have been mistreated by the justice system, had horrible things happen to them for no reason but the ruthless actions of people in higher power.
And we get to see the toll it takes on them, giving up their previous lives as they're forced to live on, and turn their energy into obtaining their justice, working together to achieve what they'll fight so hard for.
Acting. Brilliant. Key, special shoutout, did an amazing job as Kyung-soo and brought so much depth to the character.
But. Kim Young Kwang stole the whole thing.
With the opportunity to showcase everything in his acting, with such a diverse, 4D, more like 12D, character, he displayed the themes, and depth and message of the drama so brilliantly, and though, unlike many, I never disliked his character, the plot and his development of his character will have you twisting and turning through genuinely questioning motives and means.
Is giving up on the system you work for, going on the run, really the thing to do? Not even Soo-Ji knows, but it's what she does.
You follow these characters as they press forward after having been through events so traumatic that many would have lost their own will to live. They are all strong, there are no useless characters, no weak moments, no relationships shallow.
There are also no stupid moments on the antagonists' side, it's a high-stakes, one slip up and they're onto you environment, you really don't know at any given moment how it will turn out. And boy....
It really IS the perfect drama for me, as it has all the tropes I like and some of my favourite types of characters, but it's also so deep and packed with so many details that you can't blink if you don't want to miss them, there's that many.
The action scenes, while a lot to look at, and tense and dramatic, were never over the top to the levels that other shows would take it.
The feats that seem a little far fetched are only ever performed by people who had training, beginners can't fire off a gun, they have to figure out another way to achieve their goal with their own skills.
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Otherwise, fantastic drama. Young Kwang did great with his adorable self. Perfect for the role. Everyone else did really great as well. I love the story, marathoned this in like 2 days just because I had some work to do in between. Probably could have got it in one.
Music was my favorite. And I am positive I will rewatch this several times over. Just a really great drama.
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Acting: I think the actors did a pretty good job, I really enjoyed watching the onscreen.
Music: OH MY GOD the music for this was really good. I mean the ending song was amazing, and it came on in the right places too.
Rewatch Value: I don't really rewatch stuff ever, but I this one I might, just because there was so much happening.
Overall: Overall I think this was one of the best drams of 2017, the story was good as well as the acting. Just wish that they had tied all the string as the end, but except for that, it was great. People who love mysteries, and action, should definitely watch this.
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Suspense and tension
The Guardians was full of suspense and tension. The writing and direction were very good until episode 31 and 32, when logic, communication and collaboration went out the window, and confusion, idiocy and tragedy entered the room.Kim Young Kwang made the show sparkle, with his great height, wardrobe and acting. Kim Ki Bum (aka Key) did a very good acting job, which should make him viable for future acting projects. Kim Seul Gi also showed her acting range throughout the drama. Lee Shi Young did a very good job with the physical aspects of her role, but her monotone voice throughout the drama, made me cringe.
The music was very good, and upbeat. I could not locate the full OST on Itunes.
The final episode had the typical bad K-drama ending, that included a time jump that was unnecessary and extraneous, and a waste of the filming budget. Was I stupid, to hope for a great ending to a very good drama? Yoon Seung Ro's masterplan for a second season could have been five minutes long, and the remaining eleven minutes could have been put to better use.
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First of all, I want to compliment the story. Oh my god.. it had me caught from the first minute. The beginning was so cool that I had to keep watching no matter what.
I was so absorbed by this drama that I kept watching it all day.. I barely got myself to leave it and go to sleep. This series will keep you on until you finish it. I couldn't even care for other kdramas while watching this.
Now then, another thing that deserves appreciation is the soundtrack. The series has such meaningful songs. They match perfectly every scene. And I have to say that I fell in love with ???? (Damiano) - AMEN Feat. ??? (Jenyer). It is the song playing on the cool scenes. You can hear it in the beginning. It matches action scenes sooooo well, it just makes everything so cool.. They couldn't make a better song for this. And me complimenting songs in kdramas is a big deal.. I usually don't even notice the music.
The last thing left unsaid is how good the actors were. They were all amazing! I watched this kdrama after Risky Romance so I was already used to Lee Shi Young. She's amazing and the others were amazing as well. PS: I know all the actors in here, and they're all good, but she just came in my mind since I recently watched Risky Romance.
IT IS A MUST WATCH! if you still have doubts, just watch 5 minutes.. It will be worth it !
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You'll hate it at some point but you can't stop watching it.
First few episodes are interesting. Becomes a bit frustrating at the last few episodes then voila a disappointing ending.At first I thought it is a perfectly plotted drama with great casts. Then the plot becomes ridiculous. The plot is only good in the beginning. The ending just ruined everything.
Actually, overall it is a good series but you might wanna think twice due to the last few episodes.
IDK how to feel about it. I'm kinda mad at the writer. Like WTH.
The show has a lot of potential and it could have been better. Last few episodes are a bit illogical. It makes me mad how a good series ended up being dumb which makes previous episodes nonsensical.
What I like:
1. Kim Young Kwang (Jang Dohan) - I watched this basically because of him. I want to hate his character but I just can't. I loved his evil smirk. And I loved how he acted two-faced. His expression can change in just a split second. Dang. His character will make you think 'Is he a good guy or a bad guy?'. His choices will make you think and thorn between justifying the evil things he did over the reasons he had. How it ended just frustrates me. The writer makes him the evil guy who did things for revenge but all things he did seem to be nonsense. The show was there because of his revenge. The Guardians/ the group was formed because of him.. but the finale makes all his efforts gone. Agh. So frustrating.
2. Bomi and Kyungsoo (I love his name. Hi there EXOLs hihi) their story is the only refreshing thing in the show. Their love/ hate relationship is so cute.
3. I love that they didn't forced any love story between the FL and ML like any other KDramas. Though at some point I wished they would have even bit of a fling. Even a little. Haha. At least no unnecessary dramas between them.
4. There are a lot of scenes and plot twists that I liked. It made you think how the hell did they do that. Then they show you how.
5. I loved the ending part where they shows Prosecutor Kim remembering Prosecutor Jang as a friend. IDK but I loved that scene.
What I hate:
1. Sooji's rushed action that messed up a lot of things in the series. And her actions towards the Leader is kinda unnecessary. Although maybe she's just being cautious. IDK.
2. There's a lot of plot holes. The writer may have thought that viewers have no choice but to accept how dumb the show becomes.
3. Siwan's hate towards Sooji. IDK why he hates Sooji that much. Sooji didn't do anything about him at first. He doesn't have the motive. Or maybe he's just really a psychopath.
4. The effin ending. Like yeah, let's just kill someone and call it a day. Though the ending was not that clear and they made it look like an open ending. I don't think I'd watch it if ever there'll be Season 2. I don't want another season of a good drama that will just be ruined in the end. (Though still depends)
I still have a lot to say. I still have a lot of questions unanswered but I will end it here as I am really kind of frustrated in the ending. This might look like a rant rather than a review if I continue it.
You can watch it for the casts. All of themdid great. But don't be fooled by the beginning. The ending will mess it all. Watch it because Kim Young Kwang was great on this. ;)
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