BEST OF DARK HUMOR
My Fellow Citizen is got to be one of the best drama of 2019 .A hidden gem .
Why ?
If you read the synopsis , it's about a con man who's forced to run for assemblyman elections .
Hilarious right ?
Pretty Ironic , Con man and assemblyman in a same sentence .
This drama has the best satire and humour out of all the one I've ever seen.
There are situations which are lame but that's just to build up the plot.
The first 2 episodes are nothing special, it might seem cliche' but that just changes significantly to the point that you can't seem to say this was the very drama you started.
I think the situation build-up to the synopsis point took 2 episode which is why it felt a bit cliche'
but woahhh after that it sky-high .
Everything is just on fire.
It's your loss to miss this golden gem.
The casting and acting is above the clouds . As for the plot , you rarely get to witness such different and interesting plots, moreover if they have the plot, the execution is shit on all those.
This goose has laid all the eggs at the right time.
Don't miss this one.
PS : Just came to know Kim Min Jung won the Bakesang Award for this, shows how truly phenomenal this was.^^
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This is a fantastic romp story about con artist, Yang Jung-gook (the always-fun Choi Siwon) who is married to badass detective, Kim Mi-young (the always-excellent Lee Yoo Young).
Yang Jung-gook's marriage is failing because of the Very Big Lie rotting at the core of their relationship. Both parties are holding on because of their genuine love for each other, but it seems as though their marriage won't last either way. Yang Jung-gook's plan is retirement; the perfect way to leave the life of crime behind him and turn his lies into truth.
The most-recent snag in his retirement plan is loan shark, Park Hoo-Ja (Kim Min-Jung, in the performance of her career), who blackmails him into running for the Assembly. Hoo-ja has big plans for her father's company - most of which involve her taking control of it despite competition from her older Unni, #1, who is in jail (Hoo-ja is the fourth of five daughters).
The premise of a con artist married to a cop was enough for me to press play on this show. Add in the potential romp-factor of him conning his way into politics and I was always going to watch. Amazingly, the whole thing is as fun as it sounds. From the first frame, this show is fast-paced, witty, well-plotted, well-characterised, fantastically acted and just a whole heap of damn fun.
While everyone's performances are top-notch, Kim Min-Jung's brilliant, impatient, entitled, loan shark steals the show. By the end, you're not just hoping that Jung-gook wins, you're hoping Hoo-ja does as well. Her battle against Unni #1 mirrors Jung-gook's battle against political corruption to the extent that you're almost sad that she has to lose in order for him to win. This is really an amazing performance by an actor who was always good but never stood out to me before.
The cinematography, editing and music are original and enjoyable and the show almost entirely avoids tired tropes from any genre. At 18 episodes (36 half hours), you would expect the pacing or plotting to suffer but it never does. It's unflaggingly good from beginning to end.
But what makes My Fellow Citizens so completely satisfying is the inherent sense of justice that underpins the show. This show has a story to tell and a message it wants to convey and it's not afraid to do it. This is as much a show about the corrupting power of greed as it is anything else. It's also a show that never lets a character - whether it's a flawed hero or a beloved villain - get a pass for their actions.
It really is one of my new favourites and I wish it had gotten more love while it aired.
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The dialogue is witty - even the very few boring bits to tie up specific plot lines, are so well done and there is multi-level, clever humour laced and nuanced throughout the whole drama.
There are so many points where My Fellow Citizens! could have gone wrong or ended poorly, but it is easy to see that the writers, cast and production crew and staffs have put 10,000% into bringing this story and its characters to life in a humane way despite their backgrounds, right down to the smallest of details. So much so that the writers have made sure it has an appeal to a wider audience of Asian drama lovers with an even spread of romance, humour, politics and crime.
The cast are competent, well rounded and dynamic, including the support roles who are able to carry their own sub-plots with relevance, and memorability and the music only supports their high energy enthusiasm despite their often precarious situations. This brings me to another thing that I loved about My Fellow Citizens!, which is that all of the characters are relatable at some point and their growth as people is believable and unpretentious. Even Park Hoo Ja, who was a very smart and very strong but albeit formidable and quite evil antagonist learns a thing or two.
I have not felt this much complete adoration for a drama since History of Salaryman - which let me tell you, My Fellow Citizens I can safely say that I liked it a little bit more given the more current underlying issues between the jokes and laughs.
My Fellow Citizens! is a great drama for anyone and everyone - highly recommend.
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-The couple lacked chemistry. That didn't aid the romance and made the drama weak when it came to romance.
-I didn't find it that funny.
-It was too long and for that, the plot was forced to spread too thinly.
-Some twists were repeated and the element of surprise was lost because of that.
However, I did like Hoo Ja, who was the best part of this drama. It was nice to watch a smart, dynamic woman take charge for a change, even though she was the bad guy. Shiwon feated Jung Kook's character as well.
So, overall five and a half out of ten.
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This review may contain spoilers
This show is an odd animal. It's like Veep meets Brooklyn99 with a little (very little) kdrama romance added in. The problem is if I look at this show comparing it to those american works it falls short. Sure it's supposed to be a political/crime comedy, but it's not really that funny most of the time. If I look at it expecting intricate plots & interesting procedural proceedings it just doesn't deliver, that said korean political thriller? shows almost always suck. The story is really bad, with so many plotholes that you could drain the ocean with them. When a comedy show doesn't take itself very seriously & it's really funny I can ignore the bad plot, but that's not the case here and it does try take itself quite seriously at times, in an inconsistent manner. They've spent the entire first episode setting up the main leads & then their joint life kind of fades into the background, bad rewrites perhaps?It's not all bad though, like there is a little "Catch Me If You Can" vibe at times and both female leads were quite good. I couldn't help but notice that Lee Yoo-young's eyes are very unique looking! I kind of liked the ending too, normally I prefer long happy endings, but in this genre this 10 seconds long ending was okay, it reminded me of the endings of classic heist movies, such as Entrapment for example.
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I loved the "villain" here though, she's one of my favorites, she was so fresh (and cute), part of me wanted the 3 of them to work together, but that's just because I love the actors ;p Siwon and Min Jung NEED to do a drama where they are both "1st" leads/a romcom couple ;p
things I liked:
+ siwon
+ siwon's smiles and dimples
+ min jung's adorable facial expressions
+ crazy hulk Mi Young
+ that "jingle"
+ the comedy
+ the overall pace was really great, the weekly dose and the whole journey felt "satisfying"
+ cute couple
things I didn't like:
- the random crush 2nd guy had ;/ I am seriously over brother zoned 2nd leads with a secret crush or (hate in TSLOMS's case)
- my two srs girls (cop girl/con girl) deserved better.. usually if the fl is not the "airheaded sweet type" then they'll add random female characters to fill that part.. but these 2 were different and fresh.
- it needed 40 eps. things were really rushed at the end..
- political plot ;p
- for me the marriage and their issues were "inconsistent"
- needed a better "teamance"
ps: I never rewatch dramas, so it's either a 1 or a 10 ;)
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Fun fun fun!
This was such a funny show. Is a comedy and a political satire and a bit of a parody of serious dramas about politicians and corruption etc and I've been laughing out loud in so many scenes. Is a deviation from romantic themed dramas and I checked it initially for Siwon after Oh my Lady, and I was pleasantly surprised by his comedic timing. Is fast paced and doesn't miss a bit and the rest of supporting characters are so hilarious too.The OST is so upbeat and on point when used in the drama.
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STORY: So, without revealing too much of the story itself, this drama is kind of based on a sort of cat and mouse game of catch. It's definitely a different kind of drama in Dramaland. Lots of previously successful dramas are romance-heavy. I mean THIC! Haha! But this was light on the romance but not non-existent. But I don't dislike this new emergence of dramas though because it's something to look forward to in future dramas. In the past, dramas were either categorized in three categories. Historical/period. Romance/drama. Or family/soap operas. It wasn't a very diverse place when it came to entertainment. But as of recently, I've noticed that dramas have started to become more adventurous and expand/develop into different combination of genres. Now, there are several horror/suspense dramas whereas before it horror was only subjected in movie forms. Now, there is fantasy/time-travel. And now, My Fellow Citizens, which is a decent combination of comedy, cop/police, political and light romance. The drama focuses more on the push-and-pull dynamic between male and mob female characters is our story, but also has a second storyline that focuses on the marriage and life of husband and wife. You've got to admit, it's rare to find two storylines that actually carry an equal amount of screentime and focus. Most times, dramas had a main storyline and a side storyline as their "second" plot but is obviously not shown as much as the main and only sprinkled here and there. I like that the writer was able to weave two together in a good balance without overpowering the other.
Anyways, the only gripe I had with this drama though was the way the drama filled in the middle with it's ups and downs. The filler part of the drama wasn't terrible but it did seem repetitive after a while with the cat-and-mouse game. Another reason why I gave this drama a 7.5 instead of 8 was the ending because it seemed a tad rushed. I wasn't UN-satisfied, but, I wasn't entirely satisfied either.
ACTING/CAST: Great casting! I was actually excited to see Kim Min Jung in another drama because I enjoy her acting in past dramas, and really liked her comedic/villainous acting in this, a lot! There were moments where she was scary because of her association with the mob, and times where she did have a sort of comedic flair that was humorous but not super flamboyant. It was subtle! And I loved watching it!
Siwon was actually a bonus and very much see how much he has improved in his acting. I've seen him in two previous dramas before and his acting skills have improved lots! I saw him in Oh! My Lady (when I was on a noona romance bender, haha) and The King of Dramas. I know he was in more dramas than that, but to be honest, I didn't see me liking those dramas if I watched it because of how gimmicky it looked, or I already knew what was going to happen. Although I did see a couple of clips from his drama, She Was Pretty, and he has amazing comedic skills! His expressions are so on point and hilarious and see how fitting he is for this role in this drama. I really hope that after My Fellow Citizens! Siwon will be able to pick and choose better dramas that will challenge and expand his acting career because I see great potential to become a good actor.
Lee Yoo Young, I've only seen once in Tunnel. I enjoyed her acting in that drama, but that it seemed a bit bland. Here, I do see she's improved but also see that she needs a little more work. I can't really say much beyond this because I haven't seen much of her, but I think she can become better over time as all people do when honing a craft!
MUSIC: I'm not picky about music but I loved the music score that they picked for this drama! Especially that comedic soundtrack when things got hinky. It's fitting, hilarious and enhances the scenes comedy! Spot on soundtrack!
OVERALL: I think of this drama as more of a stepping stone towards a more variety of future dramas to come! But, to speak of this drama specifically, I enjoyed it and thought it was well-done overall! It had it's flaws but nothing you can't just turn a blind eye to and enjoy the ride. The pacing was more or less steady and balanced, the character development was nice, and the tone was spot on! People wouldn't think it, but when combining several genres together you really have to make sure atmosphere and tone are balanced and harmonic or else you'll end up with a hot mess and the drama ends up being an angst-y teen that doesn't know what they want to be.
THIS DRAMA IS FOR YOU IF: You like a slice-of-life comedy genres! It's not as slow-paced as a regular slice-of-life and has a faster tempo to it's beat. This drama is about a man that thought he was the big bad, until he was revealed to the world of politics and realized that he was small fry compared to the real villains in the world. With his strong convictions towards his own principles, he ventures to make a change. But is it a change for the better....or worse?
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Dark humor about politics
Likes:1. The interesting premise of a con artist and detective getting married without knowing each other's jobs.
2. Yang Jung Gook's growth from a sleazy con artist to an honest assemblyman. I guess politics is the same in every other country. Choi Siwon did a good job of portraying Yang Jung Gook. As usual he is OTT hilarious but when needed, he can bring in the tears.
3. I loved the campaigning episodes and all the smart ways that Jung Gook can think of to get himself out of sticky situations. He may not have graduated in SNU like all the smart and arrogant assemblyman but he sure is street smart! And by the end of the drama, it feels like it was really Siwon in the National Assembly fighting for the people's rights!
4. I loved the first part showing the romance between Miyoung and Jung Gook because it set out the whole reason why he wants to protect her at all cost. I just wished she had more scenes. But loved the second half where they teamed up to take down Park Hooja.
5. Park Hooja was great! She was funny and bad. And first to see Kim Ui Seong as a good character.
Dislikes:
The neverending cat and mouse game between Jung Gook and Hooja was a bit tiring. And didnt understand the ending. Was Hooja never caught? Did she go mad?
I wouldnt mind a season 2 with a different set of baddies!
To summarize Yang Jung Gook's words and the whole drama, to all government officials: "Dont abandon the people for your personal gains. That is the least you should do for the people." .
Rating: 8/10
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What you don't expect from a political drama--Comedy and Character Development
I loved this show, but definitely hated the first 5 episodes (in reality the first 10 episodes were slow, but the first 5 were EXTRA slow). I am all about the pacing and story of a drama and this one did pretty well. Although it's more like an 8.5/10, drama the ending was so great I gave it an honorary 9.Where to begin, the Male Lead #Mr. KingofSmiles, is a great conman and an even better actor! His storyline is so funny and unique you find yourself loathing him but rooting for him as he goes through immense character development (rare in politicians). P.S. his sister is a funnier character than him. The Female lead I wasn't so enamored with in reality she looks like the meek cornered character (just her face) but she definitely tried to make herself look like a tough cop. The villainess has an attitude like Veronica Park, if you get me, she is definitely full of herself. But her character can be annoying (but I guess that is the type of villain the writer chose for this comedy).
The story is en pointe after episode 10 and after you pass that milestone you are not going back. The drama well deserves your time and your eyes. Enjoy! Let me know what you think of it!
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This review may contain spoilers
Enjoyed this very much, witty and funny. One of the best casting in kdramas, all actors and actresses were perfect for their roles. I was really overjoyed to see Mi Young, I saw the actress first on Tunnel and love her acting. Also enjoyed Park Hoo Ja's character here. Almost a 10. I felt that the ending, although a good ending, was a little abrupt. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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EXPECTED MORE
After reading other reviews I thought to give it a look. The story of a con artist turned politician married to a police woman was different. Other reviews said they laughed often. It is true there are some very funny parts but why after 36 episodes do I feel let down? The male lead was perfect in the role. Female lead although not my favorite actress was convincing enough. The female villain was also perfect in her role. I am always mesmerized by her voice. The very last scene was confusing and not sure what exactly I was supposed to get.Was this review helpful to you?
