Just finished this great drama. It has drama, action, legal aspects, comedy and romance in it. Its my first time watching actor Lee Jong-Suk. He is amazing. I will be watching more of his dramas or movies. I also liked the noona romance on this drama. Its so heartfelt and touching. Its also so cool that Lee Jong-Suk's role can read minds. Overall, casting is good and story is right on. Highly recommended!
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For my preference, I like attorney cha more than park soo ha. Maybe it's kinda weird to have noona and younger boy relationship haha. i think it's better if it does not have love story between Soo-Ha and Hye-Sung. Perhaps they can stay as brother and sister.
Anyway, apart of that, well, the story is good.
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The show that made me love Lee Jong Suk
This was the show that really made me a Lee Jong Suk stan and watch almost all of his shows after. His acting was so good even though he was relatively new here. And the female lead, top notch, totally worthy of getting Daesang that year. She was just so refreshing to watch with her sassiness. Another great acting was the villain, he really made me very scared of him when I watched him when I was 16.Story wise, I think it was a really great plot with good balance between romance and thrills. Perhaps, the only complain I had was how it tends to make the villain invincible and unbeatable as if there were no cops at all. I guess it was to make the story more dramatic and tragic but the heightened tension tends to skew towards the slightly unbelievable. But I realized it might be something that Kdrama would do.
As a whole, I think this was a show not to miss.
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I really enjoyed watching this. There's no dull moments here. Even the side characters are powerful contributors to the vibe of the show. I love how they tied all the themes so nicely together. It made the whole drama a coherent piece of art.
Law
Yes, they're clever with the way they use the words. “not guilty” could there ever be sweeter or more evil words?
Romance
I love that the love declarations are just followed by, “Now off you go.” That Korean modesty is charming.
RAMBLINGS
Don't like the hero's looks. His face is annoying. I liked the opening fight scene. That was fun. Don't like heroine's attitude. But she's not wide-eyed ditzy, which is refreshing. She's mean. Which is also engaging. Of course the clincher is that the dude can read minds. That makes it interesting.
I'm curious as to how the romance will play out with the blatant age gap.
The cops are so friendly. That's nice.
Another trend, the girl patching up the hero...with cotton buds.
I like that he's already shown his physical dominance earlier on so from now on, it will just be mind games.
I'm glad the exits don't have the malicious corny smile.
I kind of like how she's impressed by Cha.
These poor kids, stuck in class till 9pm!
It's kind of cute that she likes the geeky Cha.
I like that she is feisty but she's not going to necessarily snap in hysterics when someone snaps at her.
This mother is always hysterical.
Hye Seong is so terrible.
Aww, oh dear, nobody wants him and now Hye Seong is being all rejecting.
“I'm going to admit that I was wrong, you idiot!”
And then he smiles, and everything is alright with the world.
This is the cutest love triangle.
Park Soo Ha was really quick to apologise. Why is that so sexy?
This kid is really good at crying.
I think there's a really good depiction of the Asian mother who will beat the child, call the child lousy, but yet be so damn proud of her and believe in her.
I don't know, I get a kick out of others being intimidated by the hero just because he knows how to use body language.
It is a bit amusing to watch Secret Garden and then come back to this and imagining the stiff Cha in leopard print.
The title of Episode 10 is “What's the purpose of searching for a painful memory?” With the music and Park Soo Ha's tentative tone, it's a bullseye.
the bromance between Cha and Yoo Chang is hilarious.
And also coming back to this drama after having a week long break, makes me really appreciate the soundtrack.
Even the way they film his body language is so brilliant.
You've really got to love how they develop the romance.
After he tells her the truth...what an incredible scene. Bravo. Bravo. And the music! Gut-wrenching.
“Let's look into each other's eyes and laugh together.” That is probably the sweetest thing she could say to him. Also, she's just going for it. I love it.
Isn't it weird that the judges are so scared of Lawyer Jang?
This guy is so tough as Lawyer Cha. I honestly, have no trouble going between Secret Garden and this. I completely forgot he was Oska.
Good one. “I'm not asking you to bury the truth, I'm asking you to look at the person first.”
She is stupid, but that look of defiance? She's damn brave too.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Do you dream that the world will know your name; so tell me your name." -that could be the tagline (replace name with story) for this fantastic series. (and that particular line comes from an amazing song but I digress.)How many times have we judged someone, punished someone, condemned someone without ever knowing the whole story? Without caring to know the whole story? Because all we could hear was our own voice in our head and disregarded what the other person had to say.
Well, this drama takes a deep look into the notion "there are always two sides on a story/does justice ever find you/truth is always the best policy". And it delivers; it delivers in an outstanding way.
I have many things to say about IHYV and how it all comes full circle but I don't want to give away any spoilers accidentally so I will keep it short and generic-
The acting was magnificent- many a characters in the series had some truly tough scenes to pull off, and they all did.
The story never lets out- I didn't feel any episode dragged anything unecessary which is really important because the writers had a clear direction of what they wanted to do, and they did it.
The music was subtle but when it needed to be dramatic, it was.
I guess the only "flaw" I could pinpoint to, if I had to, was that sometimes certain scenes of the past didn't need to be flashbacked again and again but honestly the writing was so good, that I didn't mind seeing those scenes again.
This is an extraordinary series, that truly deserves the praise it got. You should hear its voice and you won't be left disappointed!
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However, if this drama is one that could weave its magic for you, it would be a gem not easily forgotten, as it was for me. I held off watching this drama for years even although it was considered by some to be the ultimate in Noona romance - a favourite trope of mine - just because I could not stand looking at Lee Jong Seok and not a fan of Yoon Sang Hyun either.
However, Lee Bo Young and Lee Da Hee captivated me, so after coming off from another disappointing drama, I opted to plunge into this classic.
Story:
As a wannabe legal and courtroom drama, it might come off sorely lacking in many aspects, and many-a-times laughable - but with the many miscarriages-of-justice in real life at the back of my mind - I could not fault the show’s at times wide-eyes idealism when it comes to law and its principles (and I was reminded by a different review that Korean law would be very different from laws in other countries, so bear that in mind when we compare the procedural here with what we gleaned from UK/US shows, which were not always accurate either).
At the heart of this show was its sincere believe in the inviolable notions of truth and justice, a theme threaded throughout, as were other more spiritually illuminating lessons, peppered across the the storyline, which in actuality were catalysts for and vehicles of learning and growth for the characters. I also thoroughly appreciated the beats of comedy dotting the story, which had me chuckling each and every time, as ridiculous as they could be sometimes.
The strength of this drama was not its plot - which was overall quite simplistic and straightforward - but its ability to weave in the disparate bits and pieces of each sub-story to build towards a momentum highlighting the relationships and growth of each of the main/secondary characters, while delivering heartfelt messages, a feat in my estimation.The pacing was also gold, with not many sub plots leading us on a merry chase, as most were resolved within an episode or two at most, which meant not too many unnecessary fillers. Even the extensions were put to good use, fleshing out more of the secondary characters and providing skinships for our main OTP.
Characters/Cast:
The drama excelled in its characters and the development arcs for each, whether they were the leads or seconds, even the minor and villainous characters. Solidly competent acting backed up each, though I was wholly impressed by Jung Woong-In (as Min Joon-Gook) and Kim Hae Sook (Hye-Seong’s mother, Eo Choon-Sim), top notch veteran actors who stole the show even with the little screen time they had.
Lee Jong Seok and Yoon Sang Hyun mollified me with the actings chops they brought to their roles, and made their characters wonderfully lovable and engaging. Still, I had to keep myself from covering LJS’s face nearly the whole time I was watching the drama. I got used to his visuals just as the drama ended and rewatched the series for the ‘love story’ afters, since that was after all the original reason for which I watched this drama (a first for me, to rewatch just after completing a drama, and generally not fond of rewatching except for particular scenes).
Lee Bo Young and Lee Da Hee, while not really wowing me with their acting, did so excellently in the roles they were given that they embodied Jang Hye-Seong and Seo Do-Yeon for me, both of whom were amazing female characters I adore.
Lee Bo Young, with her elegant beauty, had my eyes glued to the screen all the time with her wonderful interpretation of Hye-Seong.
Romance:
I won’t actually categorize the romantic relationship for the main pairing here as a romance, as I didn’t feel any romantic vibes while watching. The progress in the relationship was executed organically in a somewhat low-key manner, excepting the constant comfortable domesticity and skinship. What we undoubtedly have, however, was a love story in the true essence of such.
The beginning of the love story began with a courageous choice, and the progress, marked by loyalty, determination, familial love, sacrificial love, comfort, caring, courage, honesty, trust and acceptance. The dynamics of their relationship were such that each spurred the growth and maturity of the other, nudging them to be better people by the end. After all that, why not a romantic and sexual bond too?
While the life-and-death situations in the show gave our couple the adrenaline to bond over, the reciprocated small gestures of care and love, as well as the honest communication shared, that cemented theirs as a relationship and love to stand the test of time and other ravages. (I never imagined that I would be getting a love story after my own heart in a drama, but colour me happily surprised).
Music/OST:
I did not find the tracks or music particularly appealing while I was watching the drama, but they grew to become favourites after the fact. The listening durability of the tracks were high, and am glad I stumbled upon some good singers and bands via the lovely OST.
Overall, am one of those who fell under the spell of IHYV, and felt extremely fortunate because of it. How often does a story and its messages pierce our heart and mind and do not let go even through the passage of time? Not often (in my case), and hence I treasure those moments when such a story comes into my life. This drama shot into my short list of Favourites after a long, long drought, and the emotional and intellectual resonance from it has been extremely satisfying, if nothing else. Truly a gem of a drama.
My rating is an effort to be more ‘objective’ about shows, and while they might be lower in relative to others, it is not a reflection of how I feel or think about the show. I love IHYV and it comes highly recommended, but it is not a 10 and I can’t in good conscience give it that even if my heart tells me otherwise.
It is also in acknowledgement that loving something and considering it “Daebak!” is very subjective, given the many people who could not get into or enjoy IHYV. The good thing is, though, that there are so many wonderful stories and dramas out there that there is one bound to appeal. Enjoy.
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If you like Lee Jong suk
I honestly didn't think I was going to like this as much as I did. I thought for the longest time that Lee Jong-suk was just another pretty face, but his range was amazing in this drama it really made me appreciate him as an actor. Those who are not considering watching, I would tell you to definitely give it a try, there were parts when I just wanted to stop watching, but I kept on watching because as the story carried on it was amazing. I personally love dramas that show how flawed people can be even the main characters, and how people's judgments aren't always right even if they believe the, to the fullest. This drama showed that we won't always agree with the main leads and how they are people too. At times I was made at Soo-ah (Lee Jong-suk) and Lawyer Cha (Lee Bo-Young) and others too but that just shows how great their character were written. The story has everything you need, romance, action, drama, and even comedy. The smallest things have callbacks, things as a view that I didn't even think were important, and people too.Was this review helpful to you?
First of all, I think this is one of the (if not the only) dramas that I have watched where you can learn something that you can apply in real life. I really really cannot believe this drama has been around for almost 4 years now and I've only decided to watch it now. To be completely honest, the main reason why I wanted to watch this is because I am currently obsessing over Lee Jong Suk after completing W, and boy was I not disappointed at all.
At first, it seemed kinda dragging, but it's not the drama's fault at all. The problem was with me. I was looking for something that would compensate for what was lacking in the latter episodes of W, which was romance. But then I realized, this was a 2013 drama, where knives had to be censored and people were a lot more conservative then than now.
I may be biased, but I think Lee Jong Suk was perfect for this role. He had conveyed the emotions effectively. Overall, I'm giving this drama a 9.5 because though it is not perfect, I love how everything came together in the end.
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A Great Story
An unusual story of the supernatural combined with a murder mystery. It was entertaining from start to finish. There was a lot of emotion and drama that will keep you immersed in every episode. I liked every side story and every character in this drama. The script is very well written and will make you laugh and cry.The only thing between a 10 and my rating of 8.5 was the romance. It was sold as a romance so I looked forward to watching that unfold. For me, it never really did. The kisses were awkward. The last kiss, which followed the loving stare of two people, looked like she couldn’t wait for it to be over. I wonder how many takes they had to do to make it look even that good. It looked like he was trying but she was not into it. In fact, she never sold the chemistry between them at all. The words were there but words don’t make chemistry, romantic acting does. This is just one man’s opinion.
So don’t let my opinion of the romance stop you from watching this great drama. It is well worth your time.
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The story is original and unpredictable, however what really sucks you into are the characters. None of them is your typical hero or heroine. Obviously there's still a drawn line between protagonist and villlain, but you won't find perfectly moral and just people who always fight for the right. And that's what makes it so interesting, the inner conflicts of each character and their relationships with others and the law as well.
Lee Bo Young does an incredible work with Jang Hye Sung. I'll admit that I had a problem with her character in the beginning, but as I started to see her layers I started to appreaciate, and even like her prickly yet quirky personality. Also, althought the first drama I watched with Lee Jong Suk left a bad taste on my mouth, I still managed to like his skill and his character as well. He did a good job.
Kudos for Yoon Sang Hyun who did a good job as Attorney Cha haha Sometimes he was irritating and obnoxious, but in the end we all knew he was a good person. He also was a good contrast with Hye Sung's detached (at first) approach to her job. As for Jung Woon In, his villain at first seemed kinda generic and uni dimensional, however as the episodes went by we start to see his real self and motives. Obviously nothing excuses what he did, but at least you feel bad for the guy and even shed some tears.
My only problems with this drama were only two: the lack of both romance and a good represation of law. I know I'm not an expert, but some things were kinda cringy to watch, especially coming from people who are, supposedly, impartial and unbiased. As for the romance, I admit I'm a huge sucker for fluffy and squee-worthy moments, but I can kind of understand since the main focus of drama seems to be on the law/mystery/thriller aspect. Still, the small amount of moments was good.
Also, I don't have a problem with age gap, and even if you have don't worry too much because that isn't even the focus (althought focusing more on it would be interesting for the drama).
The music was good but forgetable. I like OSTs that not only are good, but also make me want to download it and listen, hence the slightly low (compared to the other aspects) grade.
Overall it's a very good drama. Not my favorite, but good anyway and I guess I'll rewatch it one day, more than once actually. It has a good feeling to it despite it's heavy themes, so it's pleasant to watch.
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