This review may contain spoilers
Great idea, poor execution
I love the story pitch but disliked the execution. They should have just told the story in a liner fashion with only a few flashbacks for exposition.The director tried to hard to be artistic, jumping back and forth between the present and the past making it difficult to follow, and he did not use any technique to let we the audience know which was the present and the past. To a directors out there not everyone is a Christopher Nolan.
I was so excited after reading the synopsis, trepidation set in once I saw the title card “one year later” that always signals doom for the clarity in storytelling.
I wish they had focused on situations that displayed his so called quick wit and fighting skills with a dash of romance to enhance the flavor.
The right ingredients where there, the kitchen/production-value was decent, restaurant/actors very good, but the chef/director & sous-chef/script-writer failed the diners.
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METICULOUSLY KNITTED THRILLER PLOT WHICH WILL UNFOLD MYSTERIES LEISURELY!
WOW!!! Just WOW!!!First started this drama cuz I was bored af and at the same time I didn't want to start another courtroom drama, cuz thay makes me go insane. Inspite of that I believed in Kang Haneul's supremacy and stayed for his magical acting methodology. And now I'm smitten!
From beginning to end there's no time to slack off. Each and every incident made proper sense in a way that will make you suspicious of each and every character. Every episode has that element which will make your heart drop a beat then accelerate it to the top that you'll be left wanting more and more.
What I learnt from this series is that one thing that makes you weak, that has the same energy to make you stronger.
On top of that if you're a person like me who doesn't really know much about card games, you'll grow interest in how gambling and casino works, what are those terminologies means??!!
Brilliant, magnificent drama... But way too underrated!
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This review may contain spoilers
I started this drama on a whim and it has not disappointed me. The characters are all great, the acting is great and the storyline is very interesting though complicated.I am not familiar with poker or card games but this drama explains it in such a way that you’re not left wondering.
I kinda hate that they have explanations for everything sometimes as I like to research things myself when watching but I understand that for newer viewers it may be helpful. For eg. “hyungnim”. I have watched enough dramas to understand so I don’t necessarily need to see the translation ,but if I were a new viewer it would be great.
Every episode leaves you wanting more and I that’s such a good thing for Kdrama land.
Absolutely love!
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Another thriller that continues to put South Korea as the best producer of thrillers currently.
South Korea excels in producing original thrillers. Now, the first episode is always critical - for me - in order to know the tone, the rhythm and the show as a whole. Insider from its first episode was so good.It tells the story of a judicial trainee named Kim Yo Han. After going undercover for an investigation, Kim Yo Han experiences a crisis, and end up in prison.
Insider really did it for me. And although the premise is deja vu, with a man - smart and good/naive - finds himself in a bad situation where he will suffer because of the richest essentially - in general a secret organization - and that he will become more than what he was in order to survive, a powerful adversary, Insider had this vulnerability which brings a difference to this show.
Yo Han will suffer, a lot, and I'm not talking about two episodes at most but many episodes where he endures low blows, attacks, ruthless manipulations and the loss of loved ones. And I think the series really did show how a person who starts off smart and resourceful, given a harsh environment to survive, can become powerful. I mean, the man endures a lot, jail and without giving too much away, the people who hold the power, are cruel to him.
I think the show brings an interesting angle on the legal and political state of the country, as a character says "A prosecutor could kill a person in broad daylight with the population around, and walk away without problem", here we see that institutions are intertwined with politics, shenanigans are endless, no one trusts each other, everyone threatens each other. The show also highlights how much money can buy you a lot in the world, so much so that you can control a country or government. And above all, that no one is irreplaceable, everyone no matter how high and sure of their usefulness can be thrown away and someone will take their place, which also shows a terrible ambition and this hunger for power that it gives people - in these professions - who are very quick to be vile and without humanity.
To talk about the show, we follow Yo Han's growth for a while, his evolution especially as he goes through all his difficulties and his strategies, we also see that no one can be trusted no matter how friendly they appear, the investigation for the truth advances slowly but surely with each episode, and they end in cliffhanger especially towards the end of the series. Now, I've binge-watched the show from the first episodes to the 14th, and then I had to wait for the last two episodes as they aired. And it was hard, because the suspense is there. Especially since the first episode, from the first scene which showcases a chase with Yo Han then we have to go back a year, so this scene made me question a lot, how will it happen ?
The side characters are brilliant and really versatile with good backstories, I found some familiar faces I've seen in thrillers, it was nice to see them playing other characters. The plot as a hole is really done well, because in the end, we don't know what the main character wants except his revenge, but how far he will go and how far can he ?
The end is ... hopeful for those who enjoyed the series as I have, if there is to be a second season, honestly I wouldn't mind because this series is very addictive.
As for Yo Han, so the actor, Kang Ha Neul, is really brilliant, he manages to show a character who toughens up but remains very human, and who has his vulnerabilities, I love his duality. Frankly, it's very good acting. This series reminded me in certain aspects of "The Veil" on the other hand, Yo Han as the main character with a vengeance, really pulled off the emotional side for me, whereas although Namkoong Min is a very good actor, he was quite robotic and less natural to show the range of his character.
Kang Ha Neul really did a good job, his character shows a lot of realism, I hope to see him again soon in an ambitious thriller series.
So I recommend this series for those who are stingy with thrillers who have investigations, about revenge with interesting and charismatic characters, political plots without being boring, on the other hand, I say it right away, there is no romance, and very few comedic moments - or none - it depends on people's humor.
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Watch for fun but stay for the plot
Of course I watched this because of Kang Ha-Neul but the storyline here make me engaged until the latest episode! Other cast I rarely seen also one of the reasons why this drama is a hookup for me. From the face expressions, voice, acting and all the other aspects are all amazing and incredibles.As the starter, I just watched for 2 episodes and proceed to other episodes and unknowingly I already caught up to the latest episode. For 2022, just a few dramas I can watch until the end. Cliches and predictable plot are the reasons for the most of time. If you a fan of crime genre, give this a go I bet you it’s hard but good.
The OSTs is quiet good mainly for Howling! Very catching to the ears and suitable with the drama and it’s really made for Insider. I don’t even lookup to the song yet but I’m so anticipate for the ending in every episodes.
Does this drama deserve to rewatch? For me it’s a no. But if you want to understand better for the plot then it’s a yes as it can be complicated if you distracted.
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Inside Out
It started with a lousy introduction and a decent premise that was simple on paper and then began to jump between one plot after another until the end. There was a desperate need for a better coherent structure and pacing. The plot got overly convoluted for no practical reason. Up until the end, it kept introducing more and more new characters to widen the connection and keep the story running in circles. The characters were more or less fine but a lot of them came off in the form of a generic gangster in a Korean thriller. I appreciate not shoving romance between the leads, it would've been out of place for sure. I liked what they've done regarding the resolution of the bad guys, it had all the ingredients to end horribly but it didn't.Was this review helpful to you?
Phenomenal
Absolutely phenomenal 😭😭😭The rating did make me rethink a few times on starting this show but I AM SO GLAD I DID!
The script phenomenal
The plot phenomenal
The crazy bad guys phenomenal
Kang Hanuel PHENOMENAL 🌝🌝🌝
I don’t usually like plots such as insiders but damn the writer took his merry time writing this down to perfection if anyone’s looking for a romance thriller this show is not for you it’s very plot heavy the way the story unfolds is just *chefs kiss*
LOVED THE SHOW also who allowed Seon oh (Kang Young Seok) to be this fine 😭😭😭
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