Overall the cast did well but I had some difficulties getting into it because of the second male lead (Lee Jae Yoon) who was a litt le wooden (it may be what was requested from script) but once the focus shifted to Jung Kyung-Ho, there was no dropping it. One cannot watch the show without falling for him.
The music suits perfectly the dark and sexy theme of the show.
The show is well-written and keeps you on your toes. It's a crime/action drama and it shows.
It's indeed a Cruel City in which everyone has a good side and a darker one...
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This review may contain spoilers
I know that this is old and there are a lot of reviews for this and I highly doubt my review will get read but it all depends on if people want to see the most recent reviews or just the helpful ones but if the most recent reviews has been chosen you may want to skip mine because this will heavily contain some spoilers.First: Korea....stop blurring out the knives! We know what it is! Why blur out a knife but show guns as clear as day???
I came to this drama because so many viewers reviewed this and gave it high marks. I'm assuming this got high marks from the eye candy, lol!
If anyone has ever read my reviews one will know I watch these dramas to see who's great at martial arts and the action that comes with it. I also watch for the chemistry and yes 'da bromance'!!!
Sadly enough I got one out of the three. The main character who played 'Doc's Son' was awesome. I remember this person from 'Life On Mars'. In my opinion his character was the only one that I liked.
The second male lead got on my ever lasting nerves! He was too bossy and pig headed for my taste. He could put together all other scenarios but he couldn't piece together the main goal he was trying to get to. I didn't feel he portrayed his character that well. He also didn't meld too well with the other characters. I don't know if that was the writer's choice or not.
The chick that played Soo Min really got on my nerves. Her facial expressions just bothered me. It was like she had too much work done on her lips and her pupils were just too big! They say a camera adds ten pounds but this poor girl's skeletal system showed a lot! But I must say she could definitely run in those platforms.
The females in this dressed as if they were-well-let's just say they dressed as if they were in the 'make it rain' profession that also made it hard for me to watch. She played that dim witted love sick puppy that I've come to loathe in Korean dramas. It's why I tend to stay away from dramas that involves romance.
The other female who played Jin Sook was OK. There were moments where I rolled my eyes but then she was a lot better.
I'm trying not to make this long winded but to me this series was all over the place. There were a lot of undercover agents in which one was introduced as an agent but was never explained why they were called an agent. It was just thrown in several episodes I'm guessing to save space. There was also a few episodes where the writers took a character in another direction. It was so out of the blue! I guess when you have to come up with 20 episodes you have to keep it going no matter what.
I kept watching this because I didn't have anything else lined up. The regular shows that I do watch will be coming to an end for the summer so I will go and watch those and come back to my Korean dramas. Hopefully I will find something better than this. I still don't know how this got high marks.
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Give Me a Dark Drama
The premise of this show is absolutely amazing. I want a dark drama on the complex world of drug dealers.That's what I thought I got with this seemingly badass main character for the first episode. It quickly changed when it was revealed **SPOILER** he's an undercover cop. Not only that - as the drama progresses you realize every tom, dick, and harry is an undercover cop. I mean my god are all the drug dealers the police trying to catch their own people?!
Also the main cop is one of the worst human beings and cops ever. You don't just manipulate and throw your dead fiance's little sister into the drug world completely unprepared. Without gangster ahjussi she would've been toast. Ugh he's so manipulative.
I will admit besides all of the many faults of this drama I absolutely loved it the first several times I've rewatched it. But going back for another rewatch I just realized I couldn't put up with the "cop out" for making everyone an undercover cop. Just lean into being bad! Those characters still had fascinating stories that were worth telling without making them "good guys" by being cops who sometimes went bad. This show didn't even want to really explore moral grey areas let alone a main character being a bad guy. Embrace it - bad guys are more compelling.
The charisma, the relationships between the main and his male and female friend are absolutely incredible. I cried so hard at the end. But I think it's just an absolute missed opportunity to not let the main be a bad guy. Or, even if he just *has* to be a good guy they shouldn't reveal it to the audience until the very end. Think of the impact when his lover finds the police tag in his apartment and have that be the audience reveal as well - wasted opportunity.
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Acting 9/10 ... The actors were really good . some of them were credible enough but some of the actors that were supposed to be realistic .. barely were .
Still 9/10 since the main actors managed to cover up the acting of the others
Music was really nice , during the fights and op / end .. good choice and it made it enjoyable .. I have been listening to the ost since the 1st episode
Here comes the story .. 1st episode came with a huge potential it would have gotten a 10 if it kept going like that .. but as things unfolded I was more and more disappointed ..
- many plot holes
- many unrealistic stuff happened .. like : - fights
- the guns
- some of the characters were portrayed as very stupid even though here we talk about world class mafia right ? korea s finest mafia .. cops are included in this also .
Even with all this bad things .. the story was enjoyable , the romance was nice and pleasant to watch
Last episode was what saved it for me ...
This drama is defiantly worth a watch ! - but keep in mind .. if you saw good action movies like the man from nowhere .. i saw the devil .. or even black and white where you could call the action action this will seem like child play .
if you want to watch it for romance + action boy save girls that kinda stuff its really good
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Story (8.0):
Wow, I really loved parts of this story. One of my favorite dramas is Healer, and some of it reminded me of that (and City Hunter, etc) and really a lot of the action was very good.
HOWEVER; The Finale pretty much ruined everything for me. Yes, there were other things that detracted from the overall story: there could have been a better romantic story line (like seriously wth I love action but give us some mc together time); too much making us guess who's actually good (come on I like trying to figure out mysteries, but you can't have everybody be an undercover cop). And the latter half of the story, while still packed with action, was just not as good as the first half.
Despite these, I could have given the story a 10. If it weren't for the finale.
To be honest, I was thinking of giving the drama an overalla 10 at episode 19, even though it wasn't as perfect to me as my other ten ratings.
But that finale. Nevermind that they try to crush your heart and soul.
It's too abrupt. That could be forgiven, if it were logical abrupt. Like seriously did you think you could just kill a few people have a random heart to heart scene between characters who weren't developed enough and then give us a few hallucinations to make us happy? Bwah, I want to kill the writers.
Talking about developed characters... Yes, Soo Min and Ji Hyun were done okay, but honestly they were pretty undercooked.
This doesn't mean the character development was bad. I would almost rate characters a 10 just with Safari, Lee Jin Suk and Jung Si Hyun alone. They were awesome. I really liked Lee Jin Suk's character and seeing the heartbreak towards the end she went through... It was very well developed and this will definitely cross over to the acting section.
They were done so well however, that Soo Min, our supposed main female lead, felt stale. Honestly, she didn't develop all that much...
Acting/Cast (9.5):
I'd like to give this a 10 because there were quite a few actors in here who just knocked it out of the ballpark, seriously. Lee Jin Suk, Jung Si Hyun, Safari, the actors for them did a wonderful job. There weren't any actors I seriously thought were bad at acting, but even Soo Min felt a bit underplayed, albeit I think this is mostly because her character wasn't focused on as much as I wanted.
Music (8.0):
It was good. It wasn't anything I'm downloading though. I'd heard a couple people talking about how they really liked it, but honestly nothing sticks with me. I don't care if it is a good instrumental track or a catchy ballad, I need something that I want to listen to more than once to make me rate highly on a soundtrack. I'm thinking things like Empress Ki theme, Sensory Couple theme, main ballad in Behind Your Smile, etc. This was good but nothing that held my attention after the drama was over.
Rewatch Value (8.0):
There are a lot of stuff especially towards the middle that I really enjoyed. However, I will never ever watch that finale again. Kill me now.
Overall (8.0):
I loved a lot of this show, and there are other shows I've given an 8.0 rating that I loved a whole lot less.
I probably would have given at least a 9.0 if they had given us a decent and fulfilling ending. And I'm not talking Hollywood. Kill anyone you like, just make it meaningful please.
Give me a few months--maybe make it a year--and I'll probably find myself rewatching my favorite parts. But I doubt I'll ever do a whole rewatch.
Simultaneously brilliantly amazing and disappointing.
Give it a shot and stop at episode 19.
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The Doctor’s Son is on Call
A young woman inserts herself in the criminal underworld to seek revenge for her sisters death. Undercover as a prostitute she meets a man and begins an entanglement. But when she finds out he may be the illusive “Doctor’s Son” suspected of killing her sister, they are both set on a path neither of them are prepared for.If you are looking for a dark mafia type romance that will take you on a ride of emotion Heartless City / Cruel City is the show for you. Just a warning this show did make me cry.
I watched this on Viki and subtitles are available.
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This KDrama proves to me that you never quite know what your tastes are; that there are exceptions to every rule. Personally, I lean towards romcoms with romances that warms my heart and comedy that gives me the giggles. Action and crime dramas are not my preference at all. But Cruel City... was the PERFECT exception.
Heart-pounding, blood-boiling, mind-racing: these are the words I would use to describe how I felt the duration of Cruel City, from the first episode to the absolute last second. Captivating action and suspense scenes that had me literally clutching my heart and mysterious characters that had me constantly analyzing whether I was meant to root for them or against. Plot-wise, full of twists and unexpected scenes which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Villains that made me feel sick to my stomach. You will be shocked and surprised while watching this and you’ll never be quite sure what the outcome will be. I both loved and hated this aspect of the drama, as there were times where I felt so stressed without the confirmation of knowing what was going to happen to my favorite characters but then the momentary relief after a scene was over could be so satisfying.
What drew me into watching Cruel City, after it had been sitting in my plan to watch list for years, is Jung Kyung Ho. After watching him in Falling For Innocence and in episodes of Hospital Playlist, I knew I was addicted and, looking for another excuse to watch Jung Kyung Ho, Cruel City became the perfect candidate. I've only recently discovered Jung Kyung Ho after having watched KDramas for about 6 years which totally frustrates me as I am just now witnessing how completely flawless he is. Jung Kyung Ho is one of those actors who can completely submerge themselves into a role. His talent is such that you almost get tricked into believing that his character exists in real life. Jung Shi Hyun, Doctor's Son, is a character that I think will haunt me for ages now that I’ve finished Cruel City. Jung Shi Hyun, like most of the other characters in this drama, had an aura of mystery; but in the most appealing and addictive way. He is masculine and threatening, harsh and cold. There were times where looking through the screen into his eyes even scared me. But his unmatched loyalty for those he cares about, his fierce resolve to stand tall and sacrifice himself for his loved ones in every situation, makes his character so powerful and breathtaking to watch. He does not allow his constant inner turmoil between what he is meant to do and what he wants to do break him; but rather it motivates him to fight with everything he has. I heard others raving about this being Jung Kyung Ho’s best role, and now I can understand why. The mask that he wears as Doctor’s Son with his emotionless, calculated gaze, contrasts so well with the highly intense moments wherein he is forced to let his true heart and inner spirit burst forth. Jung Kyung Ho was consistently the scene-stealer. I was completely impressed/satisfied with all of the other actors' performances as well, special shout out to Yoon Hyun Min as Soo and Kim Yoo Mi as Lee Jin Suk, who both slayed their roles.
Looking at this drama critically, there were a couple things that I wish had been done differently that would’ve brought my rating up to a 10 and coincidentally they all are in the last episode. The main thing that bothered me is in the last episode an unusual amount of characters acted in ways that were out-of-character. Characters who, for the whole 19 episodes, were meticulous planners, consistently exercised sound judgment, who were always two-steps ahead, were suddenly brash and short cited. Okay, so no one's perfect all the time, of course characters will sometimes make mistakes and act unusually, however, a majority of these characters all making these oversights at the same time? Idk. Moving on, I also felt the ending was rushed/incomplete and lacked closure, for frankly, all of the characters. Everything was kept up until the last minute, last second really, which to me, is a double edged sword. On one hand I completely agree that this was one of the charms of Cruel City, the fact that they do not drag things out and that episodes are kept consistently fast paced and forward driving. However, being that this was the last episode, I think they should’ve made an exception to that pattern. I felt a twinge of bitterness lingering at the end; it seemed like they cut everything off while I still hadn’t had a chance to finish processing my emotions resulting from some highly climactic scenes. My other “beef” with Cruel City comes in the last episode as well. The revenge theme in this drama was sought after so hard by so many characters in this drama, it is unarguably an essential ingredient in each episode, but then at the end of it all, when revenge should’ve been the sweetest, it felt so unfinished and lackluster. In lieu of the name “Cruel City” I would be a fool if I believed everything would end perfectly, wrapped with a big red bow on top, but the final climactic moment seemed unpolished.
I would say that you have to be a fan of action, crime and suspense to love this KDrama, but I do not typically prefer those genres myself and I loved this. The romance in this is also pretty steamy which of course I didn’t mind. This is the type of drama to exhaust you but I mean that in the BEST sense. It is captivating and compelling and after each episode I felt like I had been holding my breath for too long as my heart would just be racing. Yes I would 100% recommend this drama. If it's not your usual genre, just keep yourself open. Despite my reservations, it's now one of my favorites, and I'm sure it will remain in my head and my heart (cheesy I know) for a long time.
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'police' . This has been the second one I watched. It was the best choice I have made, to give it a chance.
From the very first episodes you can feel the power of this drama. And by power I mean, it's magic, it's beauty and it's intense action. Yes, the action was so good, so interesting, that it captivated me and without noticing I was already absorbed in the story.
Initially I didn't realise how much complexity each character's psychology had. What it actually means to become an undercover police officer? A person who has to live as someone they are not and become that someone in order to survive in a 'cruel world' . A place where crimes and justice go hand in hand. And by that I mean that for justice to be made, crimes are needed and so is for crimes, 'justice' is needed for them to happen. And after all that, how can you still trust those around you? How can you still trust yourself when you will never be what you used to be.
Also, the acting was brilliant. Each actor had an unique role and each role had it's importance in all the crazy action that just doesn't seem to stop.
It will make you stop breathing, it will bring you from shock to tears and from tears to relief. But don't just wait for everything to work out easily, as it will get more and more awesome!
The music was perfectly placed and it made all the cool fighting scenes and all the intense interactions, even more realistic and more enjoyable to watch.
In a nutshell, this is your cool, fun to watch (if you like the adrenaline or action of this type of drama - i personally didn't, not until I watched this) and with an incredible story drama, this is truly worth watching whatever your preferences are. This made me fall in love with this type of dramas.
Want to try it? Don't think twice!
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Jung Kyung Ho made me fall in love with Doctor's Son. Like many of the reviews already said, what a refined, elegant, brooding, and beautiful character!
Rather than saying the story was well constructed, the pacing of the drama is what stands out. Each episode built upon the last. There are stakes, for sure. There are villains that needed to be taken down. There are plot twists and lots of secrets. Instead, there might have been too many plot twists that the twists themselves no longer become surprising at the end.
But it is the characters that really draw you in. You love the bromance between Jung Kyung Ho's "Doctor's Son" and Yoon Hyun Min's "Soo." You are enamored with the love that can only be built with time between Doctor's Son and Kim Yoo Mi's "Lee Jin Sook." Kim Yoo Mi's acting also added elevated tones to what could have been a very shallow and contrived female character who just looks pretty and sits around on beautiful furniture. Even the romance, which came out of nowhere as a result of poor writing, became convincing between Jung Kyung Ho and Nam Gyu Ri, due to the tortured, brooding looks by JKH.
Excellent action scenes. Beautifully shot with fantastic color schemes across the set. The outfits worn by the characters also highlight their roles.
The ending made me mad. Other than that, expect a great ride along with the characters in the drama. It is truly worth the time to watch!
I watched this in 2017 and I'm still blown away. So far, have not found any role in dramaland that can replace such a charismatic and complex character. It'll be awhile until I find the next best drama.
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JKH is love his acting his facial expressions his everything he never disappoints. the lead female can be somehow( veryyyyyy) very annoying but not to the extent of affecting the drama, if u like her you can ignore her annoying parts.
the story is wonderful and extremely well written, it has many plot twists that will keep you off your seat, it opens your eyes on many facts as it makes you fall for the so called "bad people" (for whom i always fall anyway lol) , there isn't a single boring moment , there was one" unrealistic" scene but you can simply ignore it, the ending is even more thrilling, i don't know how to describe this piece of art, it is just DAEBAK , worth watching and re-watching a million times.
my fav OST was WOUND still on playlist
Overall, if you are still hesitating pleaseeeeeee do not , there is no regret here. and thank me later.
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