And then some devil said to me "You should return your own world" last night.
I just randomly pick this drama and guess what this is heaven :D
The drama contains mystery, crime and a little bit romance (just a pinch of sugar).
Just one episode,and hooked right away. Just 10 seconds and ? was at the hands of the devil.
Aside from jokes, lets get deeper
Story: it was great. It never make me stop watching or bored. I just finish all episode one day. There are a fex mistakes or blurry spots but you can easily ignore them. Story has depth, crime, passion (forboth sides, the good ones and the bad ones), charismatic villans and mystery. I'm not giving spoilers but I know there are people out here, cannot avoid looking the end. So just ignore these. It is a end for everyone. Actually I choose my happy side . Ahh I really wanna express my feeling and theories abut the end. But i shouldn't :)
Cast: Everyone in this drama series, from the main crew to the little ones, played their roles exceptionally. Especially Jung Kyung Ho and Park Sung Woong. I closed my drama series adventure with Heartless City and opened with him again. He is so grown as a actor at this point I wanna cry. Just watch him, you will understand
Music: I couldn't listen very well becaouse of the thrill and my eating fingernails but music is certainly bring the thriller to the peak
Rewatch value: definitely i will watch tihs over and over again if my heart allows
Just watch it and you will never regret
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Fun and well-balanced
I was so pleasantly surprised by this one, as I don't think I've ever seen a crime/mystery drama where the overarching plot and the episodic cases were balanced out so well, especially in the first half of the drama.I have a few bones to pick with certain scenes — while the law enforcement abuse situations were understandable considering the time period and the situation, the way the drama turned it into comedic relief was difficult to sit through; there were a few scenes where it got serious but I really think they could've gone into that further.
Other than that, the humor was great, the gang's banter was heart-warming, and I just really loved how everyone had their own place in an ever-progressing story.
I have to admit, though, that as someone who likes answers, the ending leaves some things to be desired. It's left a little open-ended, which sucks because I was super invested in the premise of the universe and wanted really much to have different types of closure.
Nevertheless, this was a really good watch — the characters really grow on you and make you love them.
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This review may contain spoilers
A MASTER PEACEI don't usually write comments on drama’s but the reason why I joined Drama list was to leave a comment for LIFE ON MARS which I found absolutely a fabulous Drama.
I was hooked by actor skills of Jung Kyung Ho , who deserves an award and international recognition, I can’t wait to see him again in next coming dramas.
SPOILER:
I had a hard time accepting that TJ had committed suicide and left his work , Ex fiancée ,Life , mother behind so I’ll go with a theory that TJ was already dead from the beginning. He died when he was shot and hit over and the whole series was about him being in some kind of purgatory to deal with the fact that he indeed was dead.
So waking up in 2018 was just part of that journey to finally let go of his mortal life and choosing to stay in 1988 was his acceptance to move to the afterlife, as his doctor said The place you can live with a smile… is your reality.”
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Going into Life on Mars, I'll admit it, I had high expectations. I mean the reviews and ratings were stellar, and I love both Jung Kyung Ho and Park Sung Woong; but after the first few episodes I felt let down. The beginning didn't seem well orchestrated and I felt as though the first couple episodes did a poor job of laying the framework for the general plot. But now here I am, giving it a 9.0 rating.
I have to start with Jung Kyung Ho because he is one of the main reasons I picked up this drama and the reason I stuck it out at the beginning. Jung Kyung Ho does a phenomenal job (I'm not surprised). Even with his character's cool stoic disposition he manages to capture even the subtle emotions and minute expressions that easily could've been overacted or not emphasized enough. He also mastered some of Tae Joo's pretty intense maniac outbursts. To describe our lead man, Han Tae Joo is a rough around the edges. His personality is prickly and he is very reserved and strict. He's a man who cares about following procedures and trusts science and logic more than anything or anyone else. To be honest there were a lot of times that I just wanted Tae Joo to let go a little. I was pining for him to, I don't know, crack a smile for god's sake, maybe even let out a little laugh?? But as the story progressed I came to understand Tae Joo's character and I realized that the beauty of Tae Joo as a character and Life on Mars as a whole, is Han Tae Joo's quest to discover what the truth really is, what his reality is. Recognizing what it is and who it is, that makes him truly happy. Plus I have to say that his hard, stubborn personality was the perfect addition to the whole police squad, but specifically Tae Joo was the yin to our beloved police captain, Kang Dong Cheol played by Park Sung Woong. With Han Tae Joo's level-headedness and Kang Dong Cheol's spontaneous ferocity, they made the perfect police duo but also the sweetest of comrades, and of friends.
The relationships between the characters and the small ways they each individually developed opinions, judgments, and feelings for Tae Joo from the early beginnings to the very end was so touching and realistically executed. I loved the little nuances that we get with each character, the different little ways that they initially show respect or a lack of respect (*ahem* Lee Yong Gi) for our police chief Han Tae Joo and how these little nuances grew into sustainable real relationships. Jo Nam Sik our youngest member of the crew, who demonstrates a quiet but albeit present glow of respect and awe of Tae Joo, the ways Nam Sik acknowledges Tae Joo's presence when he enters a room, the way he earnestly reports information, you can see he recognizes Tae Joo as his authority, but also as the hard-working, clever, deserving police chief that he is. Ms Yoon or Yoon Na Young, whose bright mind and diligence is first recognized by Tae Joo, as she extends her warm smile and helpful hand without hesitation and shows her admiration without restraint. Then we have Lee Yong Gi who shows immediate distaste and doubt in Tae Joo, expressed in his snide comments and quiet grumblings. And last, but not least, no not least, we have Captain Kang Dong Cheol who shows more maturity than Yong Gi but is also skeptical of our lead Han Tae Joo who enters their police team with an air of quiet pride and dignity, who looks and approaches cases from a much different perspective than their norm. But Dong Cheol quickly alters his initial judgment when he sees that Tae Joo puts just as much care and dedication into his job as he does, if not more.
And of course on the flip side, I like the slow evolution that we see from Tae Joo's end. He is, under the circumstances, understandably distant and closed off from his coworkers. He doesn't care what their opinions are of him, he acts as he always does and doesn't let their current culture or ways of doing things influence his own methods and personality. When other coworkers make judgments of him he doesn't show the need to defend himself, he only desires to follow procedures and work towards solving cases. However, one of the things that impressed me and made me like Tae Joo as a character early on, is the respect and encouragement he gives Ms Yoon. Ms Yoon is not recognized as an equal member of the police squad. She is essentially the errand girl, the little secretary answering phones and the one to "fetch us some coffee". A lot of this is probably because of the time period, so I can't fault our other characters/members of the police squad too much. But Tae Joo on the other hand, treats Ms. Yoon as he would anyone else, as an equal which in turn, begins to influence others to treat her the same. He gives Ms. Yoon a fair shot yes, but he also recognizes her potential. He sees how invested she is in cases, the diligence and attention she puts into even the small things, and he notices that she has valuable, evidence based judgments and a quick-wit. Then we have Nam Sik, who Tae Joo treats as an adult despite his young age and short time on the force. Tae Joo knows Nam Sik looks up to him but doesn't let that go to his head and continues to be a consistent role model for Nam Sik. And even when Yong Gi is being a complete tool, 9 times out of 10, Tae Joo maintains his maturity and doesn't let it bother him, the only time he says something is when it directly involves a case. And with Kang Dong Cheol, the leader and most outspoken one of the squad, Tae Joo collaborates. He doesn't belittle him when he knows nothing about Forensics and science, but he taps into Dong Cheol's own unique strengths as a charismatic leader, a people person with a lot of on-the-job experience. As slow as the progression may be, we see that Tae Joo genuinely cares for each member on his police squad. And Han Tae Joo does what he so vehemently fought against, when everything comes crashing down, he trusts them. **Spoiler** That is the moment where it becomes evident that these are not just coworkers, no these are not hallucinations, these people, Nam Sik, Yong Gi, Yoon Na Young, Dong Cheol, are his friends.
In conclusion, would I recommend you watch it? Well, the episodes are definitely true to the genres of investigation and detective work as each one generally revolves around/includes solving a case so keep that in mind. But even within that there are things that make this drama unique, it takes place in a different time period and it's got the psychological twist to it. And of course the relationships, the slow progression that forms solid relationships between the different characters is very organic and realistic which I think makes it all the more heartwarming at the end. If these are factors that interest you, then yes Life on Mars is definitely worth the watch.
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This one definitely gave me the INCEPTION vibes which I really wasn't expecting at all however I can't help but to compare this to other dramas which also had similar concepts such as TUNNEL and SIGNAL, both had time travel fantasy twist, both are crime detective series chasing serial killers and both occurred in the year 1988. I just wonder what special connection do Koreans have with the 80's(insert REPLY 1988 and the movies 1987 and a taxi driver).
pros
1. the attention to details. One thing I always look forward to in time travel dramas is the set production. Compared to reply 1988 (which also gave us incredible detailed props and styling) this drama is obviously at a much larger scale where they filmed at busy streets and open spaces which required a lot of people, cars/transportations, building, malls and night club and they did a great job with it
2. the cinematography gave us retro vibes, it really took us to the 80's and I especially love the mood lighting in the bar where they always hang out. the use of colors and hues during the night time scenes were incredible
3. each of the cases felt real and raw. it wasn't the most original but the way it was done felt really authentic
4. that mini bonding with his younger self was just adorable. I believe most of us would love that opportunity to talk to our younger selves as well
cons
1. Jung Kyung ho. I wasn't sure about him playing the lead role (I haven't seen the US version though) His character seemed to be timid and plain
2. Park Sung Woong. a lot of the time he was overly aggressive, violent and obnoxious
3. that other cop who have curly hair was being a jerk and annoying as hell as well
4. the time travel transition wasn't smooth. Let's admit it, the "time travel" scene is the most awaited part of any time travel drama because it simply highlights the whole point of the story but I was underwhelmed watching it here
5. I wasn't buying the bromance
6. while I appreciate the writers for putting in humor, a lot of times the comedy parts fell flat
7. detective/police dramas are all about the ensemble and the chemistry among them but this cast wasn't the strongest TBH
8. too much filler episodes. I'd rather watch a 10-12 episode drama with a solid focus point than something with 16 or more episodes that have too much loopholes and detours and beating round the bush
9. the episode where he had a reunion with his family was supposed to be heartbreaking, if it was me I would've lost it and broke down however he only had his poker face the entire time. I had the same problem with his reaction when he first realized that he's in the year 1988, was it the actor's fault or the director's?
10. things only started to build up during the second half of the series and even then there's still a lot of filler episodes
11. the ending was a total drag that they could've totally scrapped the entire episode and end it in episode 15 instead.
I believe that tae Joon shouldn't stay in 1988 because two tae joons cannot exist in one lifetime (things that I learned from tomorrow with you)
It's definitely a decent drama at the end of the day, it had all the right makings of a great detective series. But personally I still think TUNNEL, SIGNAL and even CIRCLE and DUEL were much stronger crime/detective dramas over all compared to this.
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1.Jung Kyung Ho is alway my bias
2.cinematography
3.good actors and the kid is really cute
DISLIKE:
1. the ending.Sorry but I am not happy about the ending maybe because I hate the idea he committed suicide.
IT'S BETTER IF:
1.more character development especially Tae joo(Jung Kyung Ho)
2.the story is good because of the mystery of Tae Joo childhood but not really great because of the some uninterested minor case they solved.
3.good storyline about the main killer
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This review may contain spoilers
I will preface saying this: I have not seen many dramas, nor have I ever written a review. But this is a drama that I need to talk about. There will be no spoilers up until the end, I will have a segment for it, so you can read this review if you wish to watch the show.STORY: 9/10
If you have seen the show, you will know that the story is just great. The only thing that I have to take away from it, is that it can be easy to get lost. As a non-Korean, who also does not speak the language, many names and places can get mixed up with one another. Although this is what you sign up for when you watching something foreign. Besides this, there are many plot points that you must follow, and I couldn't help finding myself wondering about the logic behind going back to the 80's rather than paying attention sometimes. I will commend the writing and the story direction for doing everything they possibly could to make a premise like time travel work. It is very hard to pull off in any sort of fiction and they did it.
CHARACTERS: 10/10
One of the strongest points of this show was the characters. It felt so incredibly nice to see the characters not only interact, but grow with one another. People say this about most great works, so it may sound cliche, but there is a reason that they say it about many great works. It was very easy to get attached to these characters, and I am sure it was the same for many others as well. I will go further into this on the spoiler section.
ACTING: 10/10
In many dramas I watch, there is at least one or two actors that seem a little off to me. For example, Lee Je-hoon, lead actor in Signal had many moments in which his acting felt strange to me. He did a wonderful job, do not get me wrong, but all actors have a few scenes like that. But with this show I never felt it. This had one of the best supporting casts I've seen in any kind of media. Even those who did not receive more than one line fit in perfectly. Even rookie actor Noh Jong-Hyun fit his role perfectly and did very well. I must give huge props to the main cast though. Jung Kyoung-Ho, Park Sung-Woong and Ko Ah-Sung were A M A Z I N G.
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 100/10
I can not tell whether I had just not payed attention to the previous dramas I've watched, or they just had terrible cinematography, because in this show it was amazing. I feel that with all the kdramas I've watched, great shots and great framing were never something I noticed. It may be because I didn't notice things like that back then, but even so, I most definitely noticed this time. There were so many beautiful and just picture perfect shots in this drama. And most of them weren't even landscapes or backdrops. It was usually just the actors together. I will go a little bit further with an example in the spoilers.
MUSIC: 100/10
Just like the previous, this category is up up and away. The music selection in this was amazing. At many points, it is just chilling, almost scary sounds. If you watch it, you will notice that. But that works perfectly. Like most kdramas there are a few select pieces of music used, each for a certain plot point, and that was used the same way here. But many times, this was broken, and you hear what is actually being heard in the show by the characters. We all have seen this, and it is nothing new, but its usage here was phenomenal. I will continue in the spoilers section as well here.
RE-WATCH VALUE: 7/10
This is purely because this drama is a mystery. I gave a it seven for the fact that I would re-watch this for everything mentioned above even though I knew what would happen anyway. Please do not let this discourage you from watching this, this part of the review is only if you want to watch it twice.
SIDE NOTES (SPOILER FREE):
Apart from the cinematography, many of the filming locations were just brilliant. The drama does a fantastic job at balancing story and comedy, which is one of the best selling points of this show, it is not often that I laugh at a kdrama, but this one had me chuckling and rewinding to watch something again.
SPOILERS SPOILER SPOILERS SPOILERS!!!!!
CHARACTER CONT.
Skipping to the point now, the character development was amazing. Especially Tae-joo's. You can tell the intention was to clearly have a beginning and end to Tae-joo's character. It is brought up many times as sorta checkpoints whenever Na-young wonders if he has settled in yet, and is happy. By the end, seeing him willingly ignoring the things about his "home" really shows how far he went. After visiting modern day, there was not a moment in which he felt truly happy (other than when he was thinking about Na-young ;) ). There was something that wanted to bring me to tears when he was imagining his colleagues. Another shining character in this show was Dong-chul. From the very first time you see him, he lets every one know who he is. "Greatest Captain", or something along that line. Up until the very last time you see him, driving away singing, he is still that Great Captain. Of course, without Park Sung-woong's acting, this character would not shine the way he does. Also, I would like to touch on the surreality of Kim Min-seok's character. The fact that this show pulled off such a crazy, unorthodox character still amazes me. An absolutely fantastic villain.
CINEMATOGRAPHY CONT.
As I said in the side-notes, there were many times I would skip back to watch something again. Just like that, there was one scene in particular that I watched 5-10 times. On the very last episode, after Tae-joo returns and saves his colleagues, they show up at Mr. Yang's restaurant. It opens with an overview above the ceiling and you can see through metal framework, Mr. Yang walking forward. It then cuts to all five of the main cast standing in a line, all doing small various faces. There was something about these two shots. I could not even finish the rest of the scene before re-watching it like five times. The way they line up just felt so great. Then Dong-chul then requests for food and Mr. Yang promptly declines. Through the midst of back and forth, the camera zooms up on each persons face. Brilliantly, when it is Tae-joo's turn to be shown, Dong-chul happens to be talking. So they position the camera as if it were watching him but with Tae-joo in the background. But they instead flip the focus so that the roles are almost reversed. It was stunning and took me back for a moment. And then after that, Lee Yong-Ki gives two hilarious lines about the food he wants, which made me watch the scene a few more times. ANYWHO, this scene is amazing and almost makes the rest of the show worth watching just because of it.
There is no music continued, but I will speak of it briefly in the next segment.
EPISODE 7: 999999999/10
This, single-handedly, is the best episode of a K-drama I have ever watched. Despite it not being hugely necessary or beneficial to the plot, it is an amazing episode worth of emotion. As a quick reminder, this is the episode where the prisoners run away and hold a family hostage. I have so much to say about this episode. I do think that this episode is perfect. I've only seen it once but I noticed no flaws. Lets start at the beginning. I did not expect to watch something so great since I just wanted to know what happens with Tae-joo's dad. With this, I can't exactly remember what happens in the very beginning, so I apologize. All I remember is Nam-sik informing the team of the hostages. Anyway, I will now talk about the meat of the episode. So the back and forth between the prisoners and the detectives were amazing. Knowing that they were so close to each other, but feeling so far away because of a wall gave a strange and unnerving feeling. The suspense held up for so long and they did so well doing so. One notable thing before the whole fiasco was the reporter standing on the van. This really set up the message and overall meaning of the episode very well. With this, the episode was entirely about the media and the perception it give people on an issue like this. After the swat arrives, the severity of the situation rises. The ongoing tension between Dong-chul and Kim Kyung-se is incredibly high at this point and it is evident by the way they speak to each other. Taking matters into their own hands, after Kyung-se reveals Na-young's identity, Dong-chul and Tae-woo enter the house through a window. Being all sneaky, they get caught early and are tied up. This is where everything changes. Before this, you never saw the inside of the house, you only had the information given to Tae-joo and Dong-chul. You find everything out with them as they go in. This is amazing because the director easily could've let you know even a little bit more. This really made an effect since you had the same feelings as Tae-joo as you both had no idea what would happen to Na-young. Anyway, the three are tied up. There is slight comedy relief, which was wonderfully placed as things were only going to go downhill from this point. Right before they can break free inside the room, one of the prisoners takes them out to do something about the hurt one in the living room. Tae-joo does his thing, as you all know. After this, all three prisoners are able to communicate with one another and to the hostages. This is the turning point. After this, amazing acting and dialogue is shown. The interactions between Dong-chul and the leader were amazing and so suspenseful. But what really set this episode apart was what happened next. This episode was easily the saddest. The feelings of these prisoners are shown, and you understand everything they feel. A wonderful job is done as you want to feel sorry for them, knowing well that they've done wrong. They speak of how the rich stay innocent, and the poor stay guilty. As tensions raise higher, more and more is revealed of their states of mind, the helicopter shows up. This is when the first one kill themself. This is a very hard thing to watch, it is deeply saddening to see happen, but the message and impact it brings is something unmatched. Then, the other one does as well. And then, Tae-joo is shot, knowing he will return to his home. And then he wakes up, the truth is revealed. And you know what happens.I'm beginning to realize I just told you the entire episode. I am sorry. I will go on now. Another great part of this episode was it's music as well. Hearing the Bee Gees song as everything terrible goes down was chilling and heartbreaking. And then, a happy-ish ending with Dong-chul being alive was relieving.
I am tired so I will end this now. I give this a 9.7, but MDL can only take 9.5, so I will settle at that. I hope you will or have enjoyed this K-drama. Goodbye.
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All the time I was watching the drama I was feeling like intoxicated, I even couldn't get rid of the goosebumps. However it was a wonderful experience: surreal but also introspective and capable of reminding some philosophical concepts one knows but often forgets.
The storyline consisted of the main intrigue (the srongest point of the drama) and some sporadic detective episodes (very traditional and probably the weakest aspect of the drama). Although many times the events reminded a traditional detective, the main story never failed to captivate.
The acting of Jung Kyung Ho and Park Sung Woong was absolutely amazing: convincing and delicate, undoubtedly, above the average in the kdramas.
Although the soundtrack didn't damage the atmosphere, considering the quality of the drama could be better. Also, in spite of the wonderful experience you have while watching the drama, the strongest point of it is the intrigue and the psychedelic efects which are the strongest the first time you feel them, so it's not the type of dramas you usually will choos to overwatch many times.
However, its a drama with a strong impact witch doesn't leave you indifferent.
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Reignited my love for kdramas
I was kind of hesitating and bored to watch a kdrama again and this was the one who made me binge many kdramas again lol. Absolutely good story with good characters and a good mystery. Excited that it is getting a season 2 but little bit sad because I heard the main heroine won't be returning due to clash of schedules. But nonetheless hope for a good season 2 in the future.If you are also like me and are bored of normal kdramas and want to find that spark again,who knows maybe this will make you love kdramas again.
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it is satisfying in a weird way
you kinda get all confused in the end but you still are like it is good coz the main lead gives a big smile in the last scenes
the criminal cases are interesting they hv a good mystery but not mind blowing ones in sherlock holmes (sherlock is a whole different level)
this drama is not only about cases it also shows us how the main lead starts to warm up to those around him and he finally is able to feel happiness . the character grows a lot within the drama and it is so natural u almost don't notice the change until main leads mom and fiance points out
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What would you do if you lost your heart far away from home?
Life on Mars is one of the most well-written and highly satisfying dramas I've ever watched. It was an excellent concoction of mystery, suspense, thrill, romance, bromance, friendships and life.Han Tae Joo, a forensic detective, is a stickler for rules. His unflinching adherence to the law and cold demeanour had earned him praise among his colleagues. But, when a serial killer is set free after failing to provide relevant evidence, Tae Joo's life takes a turn. What's more? The killer, Kim Min Seok claims to have known him. While on a chase for him, Han Tae Joo is shot at and hit by a car. Waking up, he finds himself transported back to the year 1988… in a small police station and Inguk.
Having to make do with the very little technological advancement and rather crude methods of his new Captain and his colleagues, Han Tae Joo struggles to wake up from his dream… or is it all just a dream?
Han Tae Joo is one curious character. At first sight, he was as interesting as a cardboard with little to no reaction during several crucial moments. It is after he is hurled into 1988 that we get to see him alive and living his life to the fullest. His character growth and choices are the major turning points of this drama, which vaguely reminded me of Signal (2016). It is evident from the initial episodes that he is stuck in a state of coma from which he is unable to get up. Whether he would pull himself up from it or whether he'd 'die solving old cases' was an important question that hovered over the viewers mind.
Seeing the blossoming friendship between Captain Kang, Nom Shik, Young Pil, and Yoon Na Young was heartwarming. The pacing was just right enough for me to find their growth natural and realistic.
The cases were surprisingly interlinked with the past and the future. I have to give it to the Violent Crime unit for solving it with intuition and skills. The 'domestic' approach to investigations was a wake-up call for Han Tae Joo and I loved watching him stumble. (He is, like everyone, a flawed character.)
By the end of certain episodes, I wished that he did not have to go back to 2018. The present, unfortunately, seemed procedural and artificial.
The Sci-Fi aspect is not strong and I understood why several questions remained unanswered. I for one, found the rather bleak ending highly satisfying.
Sometimes it's worth feeling with our whole heart. And I'm sure that Inguk Police Station Violent Crimes Unit agrees with me too.
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