The Killing Vote

Solid Antihero Thriller, give it a try

first of all this is way better binged so you who haven't watched it yet are lucky ones however,

in my opinion no matter how far i stayed away from this it kept maintaining the level of good and thrill that it had, it always had me so emotional it's a good one .. for me to stick around for more than a couple of months, and with such a long wait and bad airing schedule and i watch the first ep as soon as it aired and kept on going but it was all worth it in my opinion .. i was so invested in the story and ep 12 killed me ...

so i highly encourage you to watch it if you're a fan of the antihero tope and if you like unpredictable thrillers ... of course there is stuff you will predict but like I think this one was a drama that wasn't like one of those dramas that were safe ... like each eps is packed with some " nothing ever going according to plan " elements which i really liked when I'm watching a thriller not to mention good acting .. (except one thing that went down that i'm heartbroken about )

and regarding the ending in my opinion this was a good ending tbh i like the fact they somewhat gave us a vage ending it made much more sense because had they actually tried to wrap it up i wouldn't believe it .. they did not have enough time to answer all our questions so it was smart of them to finish it off the way they did .. which also leaves a possibility for a season 2 which i will gladly watch ( if ever ) beecaauseee the show was so good

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A Mess

I really had to push myself to finish this one and with them delaying the *final* single episode by a couple of weeks just added more pain to the injury. Finished it today, nothing that would change my mind happened.

I went into this one not really knowing quite what to expect other than the premise sounded interesting - someone called Gaetal organises a vote for whether to execute a criminal that the justice system has failed to handle, and they'll happen regularly. Sounds super interesting.

First couple of episodes go by and i'm starting to build up a picture of where I think it's going - and i'm *really* getting hyped for it to go there. This is a bad thing to do, and leads to disappointment. Don't do that. In my view, they were setting the foundations for a really good discussion about vigilantism, why the system exists, that they'd move on to say that "Gaetal" was a concept rather than an individual and there isn't just one "bad guy" here and so forth. It really looked like it was kinda heading that way. Debate about "if you click yes, are you an accessory to murder" etc. What happens if they get it wrong etc. Lost of really interesting things to discuss here.

Then reality dawns and their goals are far less aspiring and much more plain. I mean it's not bad, it's watchable, but I just feel so let down by it and the potential it had. This had "squid game" level capability written all over it, I could see those dog masks becoming as iconic in modern culture as the masks of the guards on SG.

The ending... it's finished, it's a conclusion, but it leaves you with implications for what would happen next and... i'm sorry, it didn't earn enough credits with me to justify that. Had it been more bold it would have been absolutely ripe for it, and even a potential sequel or even series of series! :)

I guess i'm mostly grumpy that it just feels like so much potential lost, a real opportunity to have a challenging discussion.

Is it watchable and entertaining? Yes. If you like your crime dramas then you will probably get into this. But don't get swept up in the incredible hype set out in the first two or three episodes and you will probably enjoy it more :)

Cast are fantastic - some really great crew here no complaints there at all. Music I don't recall at all (so, not good not bad :) ).

Bah humbug. Etc. :)

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Started off to an amazing start and as it kept going... it crashed hard and never recovered. It hooked me instantly with the premise of a national vote for criminals who skate by on their charges due to legal loopholes or money. It slowly turns into plot hole after plot hole and a jumbled mess of questions and story webs that never got connected. The writers tried to keep you guessing as to who Gaetal was until the very end, but the mystery is pretty obvious as it goes on. The twists-and-turns are not even good and just give you whiplash with how unnecessary some of it was.

The good thing about this drama is the actors. It is stacked with big names and they deliver on their parts. Everyone from the leads down to the side characters do a fantastic job with their acting and it really helps keep you watching because the story does not. I liked the dynamics between all the characters and the way they interacted, but even within those relationships were messy, unfinished storylines. The decisions of Seok-Joo were so questionable and I just want to leave it to the bad writing. His character and story could've been so good, but they really butchered it for him.

I was hoping the ending would leave me feeling a little better with the overall story, but that made my rating fall below an 8 which I was going to give. While in other crime dramas within the final episode we are completing and wrapping up storylines for a smooth or open ending, this one just created more questions than answers. It seems open ended leaving you with: "There will always be another Gaetal." + "Another Gaetal will appear." I'm not sure I'll be tuning in if there is another season.

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In one word: disspaointed.

If you are wondering if to watch this show - the answer is that if you really don't have anything else to see right now and you like crime shows with investigation, sure. Would I highly recommend it? No.

Most of the cast did an amazing job, and the story begins so promisingly, with great chemistry and tension between our hero and the villain.
I won't get into what happened as I want to keep this review spoiler free for anyone thinking of watching this show, but they focused on so many characters and minor story that really didn't add up to anything, a plot that in my opinion didn't have enought or any 'big revels' and really sloppy writing. They focus less on the actual invatigation and more on the characters (most of them annoying and have flat personality) that again, seemed to lead to nothing. The first couple of episodes were great and then everything seemed to go downhill. A shame really because the start of this show was so good and I was ready to love that show.

Maybe I'm too harsh. Maybe I came with high expections, compering this show on first glance to Mouse or Hannibal, two shows that I really like. But, as someone who sees a lot of k-drama and other crime shows from worldwide media, this was not a good enough show, in my opinion. I will rank it somewhere beneath middle. I gave it 6 because to be fair it's watchable and if don't you have anything better to watch than it will be fine to see it but honestly, if I wasn't watching it one episode a week I probaly would have dropped the show by now.

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Justice that is extremely rational

There are largely 2 main points addressed in the story.
1) What happens if someone creates a fast lane for all the public to deliver justice as they see fit?
2) What happened 8 years ago and how is it relevant to everyone involved?

Now whether what happened or happens is right or wrong, that's up to the viewers. They just tell you both stories. I'd say it's a well done show. From the practical case & investigation part, it's as good as any decent thriller out there. Nothing more though and nothing less either. As for the concept itself, it's a part vigilante / part revenge style story. But this wasn't an all-about-oppa show and with more people on different sides falling under the limelight, it's kinda hard to pick sides.
I have a strong bias for Park Hae Jin and one of the things many of his roles have in common is they give me a hard time seeing things as black and white. Everyone's performance and acting was good, Park Sung Woong, Kim Kwon, Im Ji Yeon (if she irritated me at times, I'd look at her outfits instead, they were good) and all the supporting actors as well, and so I was swayed this way and that and most importantly had a good interesting time watching this show. Certainly had its set of plot twists, big reveals, decoy plot lines and such. Beware of the last fake out is all I'll say.

Post that, the last scenes are setting up for a follow up story but that is none of our business until it's officially announced. This season reached its own conclusion. So can be watched for now.

Overall, 9/10 from me.

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Had potential but execution fell short

It started off pretty interesting and the suspense was there.. I felt that the characters needed some time to grow on viewers coz a lot of them were still kinda annoying every now and then. However, the motivation of each character was pretty messy. You have no idea what each character is truly after. But maybe that's supposed to be the charm of the show because the plot and characters are supposed to keep viewers guessing until the very end--who is with Gaetal and who isn't? Who is the REAL Gaetal?

The police in this series were definitely really sloppy in the way they worked. Even if they are quick to take action, the way it appeared felt more like they were just scrambling to do stuff. Also, A LOT of yelling. Characters, especially the mains, were very hot tempered and impatient characters, so they yell very often when things don't go their way. The FL and her sister were kinda annoying at times too because they tend to babble a lot and butt in a lot. I have nothing against the actresses though. I love the cast for this show that's why I watched it until the end. But the characters were all very flawed to the point where they come off as annoying. But It was still bearable. The yelling and nagging of the sisters, Mu-chan (male lead) being impulsive and constantly yelling especially in the first half of the series, Mu-chan making decisions that viewers would find frustrating, the police's incompetence. Phew, glad it's over now.

Pace of the drama was good after the half way mark, but for us who watched it while it was still being broadcasted, the momentum just kept getting cut off because of the postponement of episodes. But now that it's over, maybe binge watching it would give you a better experience.

The ending was really anticlimatic for me. But perhaps that's the message of the series. Injustice will carry on forever. Those in power will never be punished. Victims will still live knowing that justice wasn't served. Or they are the ones who end up sacrificing themselves in search of revenge and justice. And even if one Gaetal is gone, there will always be another.

It's sad to say that The Killing Vote was rather disappointing overall to me. It had a lot of potential as a vigilante drama, but it definitely fell short in terms of execution. I wouldn't say it wasn't enjoyable at all because I did enjoy it. But the ending for some characters (not just talking about the final episode) wasn't really satisfying. In a way, I guess this is a different kind of vigilante drama where the main vigilantes barely got any justice and they were mostly given an unfair ending while the real bad guys barely got the punishment they deserved.

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Had Potential but failed to impress...

The beginning was really hard for me to watch, especially the main FL and her sister, who were so annoying. The same goes for the ML, as he always tried to catch the culprit he needed to bring to justice by law, but he knew very well the legal system was broken as he had fabricated evidence so many times. I found the way the teenagers were involved in the case absurd as well. Also, the drama did not catch my attention.They could have done so much more with the plot, it became stretched and boring at the end especially the 3 final eps.

I liked the storyline concept of getting justice as there are so many loopholes within the law,and also it was interesting to see who else was involved in vote-killing.

The ending leaves it open for a new season if there ever will be one.

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This is an amazing drama!!!

I loved every part of this play. I'm not the biggest fan of trailers, but you can't miss this one. It was the best way to tell the story, in my opinion. Really interesting, but at the same time unexpected.I loved every part of this drama. There were a couple of twists and turns that were really great. And you really can't guess who Getal is no matter how hard you try. I like that this is a drama where you can love the bad ones as well. While I'm at the story, I really feel like the ending was something that hurt me a little bit, even though I don't think it's bad, but I still have hope for a second season. The actors were also great. Everyone did a great job, especially Professor Kwon and Michan. But what I really liked the most was the OST, it was just fantastic. Each piece fits into each other. Of the mysteries section, this drama deserves an excellent rating. And the worst part is that it has just 11 episodes, i needed more. All in all, it is such a great mystery antihero drama and everyone should watch it!

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One of the best depictions of self-imposed justice out there

I am in online spaces about kdramas and I have my own cycle of people I interact with. A few months ago, I saw some of them talking passionately about The Killing Vote. I had heard about it before and while the plot seemed appealing, it wasn't one of my top priorities either. However, the more posts I saw about it, the more curious I became so I decided to give it a try, at least.

Whatever I expected, couldn't be compared with what I got. For The Killing Vote has become one of the best watches not only for this year but in general.

The premise is simple. An organization, named Gaetal, emerges from the shadows and starts capturing criminals who escaped harsher punishments and are free to roam in society. While they are captured, Gaetal does a broadcast and let the public vote for the criminals' fate; whether they should die or no. Shaken by this situation, police operates in order to put an end to this but in order to do so, they have to work with Kwon Seok Joo, a former professor who had been arrested for the murder of his daughter's killer.

The story might not be completely unique or extraordinary but soon, it became clear to me that the drama differed compared to other series with similar themes. The Killing Vote had established from early on that it would deal with complex sociological concepts, such as corruption, justice and vigilantism. As someone who has watched a fair amount of dramas with similar premise (such as Taxi Driver and Vigilante), I was curious about the approach that The Killing Vote would choose in order to address these matters. Unfortunately, having experienced some sort of disappointments from previous watches, I was sceptical about whether I would find what I sought in The Killing Vote and I kept my expectations low.

The Killing Vote remained consistent when it came to its goal; to showcase the reason why people succumb to self-imposed justice, after losing their faith to the judicial system. What the series did better compared to others similar stories about vigilantism was to highlight society's opinion, too. The drama portrayed people's reactions in a realistic and plausible way. A big part of the population, fed up as they were, agreed with Gaetal's purpose and supported it while another part found Gaetal's justice extreme and were conflicted about it. On the other hand, as the voting continued and the public opinion started shifting, what started as an act of frustration against the system, became commercialized in order to profit those in power.

The image that was portrayed, albeit fictional, did not represent a utopia where justice prevails all the time and where criminals face their punishment. Instead of taking a full stance in support of or against self-imposed justice, The Killing Vote presents the arguments of both sides, letting the viewers form their own opinion. It constantly raised questions about morality, the law and capital punishment and even weeks after finishing the drama, I still ruminate about it.

One of the most memorable moments in the drama was what Seok Joo said at Ju Hyun while they were at his home: "Lady Justice wears a blindfold because she's afraid of bias in decisions. If you don't look at cases and the people involved clearly, how can one pass fair judgment?". This quote resonated with me a lot, for I too have thought many times about the symbol of the blindfolded Lady Justice. For me, it didn't represent lack of bias in judgement but blindness when it came to certain people. The justice system is prone to manipulation and corruption and The Killing Vote highlighted this numerous times through the villains. When people of power are not held accountable for their crimes and when justice keeps turning a blind eye to them, pent up feelings are about to explode. And more people like Seok Joo will take matters into their own hands.

The pacing was neither too slow nor too quickly. The story was told in a linear way, using some flashbacks from time to time in order to provide context for past events. The story wasn't too complicating but it had me second guessing the identity of Gaetal's founder. I am aware of the delays that had occurred while the drama was airing but trust me, The Killing Vote is great as a binge watching. Once I would finish one episode, I would immediately go to the next one, in anticipation to what would happen next.

The direction was sharp and impactful, especially in emotional heavy scenes. The director was also the one behind the kdrama "The Manipulated", so as expected, the action scenes (albeit fewer) were exciting to watch. As for the soundtrack, it was enjoyable enough and added tension to the story.

One of my most favourite aspects of the series was the characters. They were the heart of the series and I quickly found myself immersed in their backgrounds and relationships. The way their emotions were portrayed managed to move me, I could feel the pain of the characters and I even cried during some scenes which is something I didn't expect to happen.

The main trio, consisted of Kim Moo Chan, Kwon Seok Joo and Ju Hyun, was a highlight of its own. Three different people who represented different perspectives of justice. Their goal was similar but their methods differed. They constantly challenged each other and in the end, the influence was imminent.

Seok Joo was one of my most favourite characters in the drama. He was more than just a mere murderer. His character was so complex and morally grey and while one wouldn't necessarily support his actions, they would be able to at least understand his motive. He was a pained father, who saw his daughter's killer escape prison and who took justice in his own hands to avenge her. For eight years, he lived in pain and regret and although he hid his feelings behind a cold facade, he harbored great pain inside him.

Park Sung Woong delivered a powerful performance as Seok Joo. I first watched him in Bloodhounds where he played a villain and his role in The Killing Vote showcased his transparency. He portrayed Seok Joo's pain and anguish in a very moving way, especially when Seok Joo would break down. I liked the way he used his face to express Seok Joo's emotions and how the tone of his voice would convey Seok Joo's anger and grief. This drama made me respect Sung Woong as an actor and now I am more eager to check the rest of his filmography.

Moo Chan was another character I came to like. It was interesting to see him resolve to unorthodox methods in order to fight for justice, even if that meant that he had to break the rules. His clash with Seok Joo was another aspect I found amusing because while both characters had opposing ideologies, at the same time, they bended the rules in order to achieve their goal. As the story revealed more context regarding their past relationship, the tragedy that surrounded them and the bittersweet feelings they harbored for each other started making more sense. Moo Chan was against Seok Joo's justice but he felt for him and his daughter while Seok Joo still wanted to make Moo Chan see the world from his point of view.

That was the first time I saw Park Hae Jin and I had a great first impression. He conveyed Moo Cha's inner turmoil very convincingly, especially when he interacted with Seok Joo. He was very captivating and his presence on the screen commanded my attention.

Of course I couldn't forget to talk about my girl, Ju Hyun, who has earned a spot in my list of my most favourite female characters in kdramas. No matter what some people said about her character, I loved her charming yet fierce personality groom her introduction. I appreciate the fact the writers did not reduce her as a typical cold and insensitive police officer by allowing her to be expressive and confident in her abilities. I loved watching her put clues together and solving the case thanks to her intelligence and her development from someone who followed the rules by the book to someone who acknowledged the necessity to bend said rules in order to fight for justice was really good.

I was already familiar with Im Ji Yeon after having watched her in The Glory and since then, I've been wanting to get into her filmography. I personally loved her as Ju Hyun, she was whimsy, charming and energetic, in contrast with her role in The Glory. She did well in the more serious scenes and the only thing I would have liked to see more is her character to be more emotionally expressive, like Moo Chan and Seok Joo.

The rest of the supporting cast did a good job, too. Lee Min Su was a villain you loved to hate and Kim Kwon was perfect for this role. He portrayed Min Su's personality and obsession with Seok Joo in a very uncanny way and yet, I couldn't stop looking at him. Kim Yoo Mi as Min Ji Young, Min Su's mother delivered another good performance, this mother-son dynamic was disturbing to say the least and both characters made my blood boil.

On a lighter note, I adored Ju Hyun's sister, Ju Min and Ji Hoon, a classmate of hers who became her friend. These were two characters I loved the most and their dynamic was so fun. Both actors did a good job with these roles, their chemistry was very natural and they conveyed their characters' emotions very convincingly, particularly Seo Young Joo as Ji Hoon.

Of course I will not turn a blind eye to the drama's flaws. I acknowledge that during the last episodes, there was a dip in quality, particularly in the last one. I believe that for a more cohesive conclusion, at least two more episodes were needed, because the climax was handled in a rushed way. Additionally, there was room to develop some characters and their dynamics a little bit more.

As a whole however, I really liked The Killing Vote. The ending, bleak as it is, gave me some type of catharsis when it came to the characters' final arcs. I understand that many viewers were upset but in my opinion, the outcome was logical for this type of story. Justice is a very complicated topic and when the law allows criminals to pass because of their status, people will riot. Maybe, just maybe, some radical actions are needed. The drama doesn't dictate what's right or wrong. Watch and judge on your own.

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What did they even think before ending it like this!!!!!

What i lookout for in a suspense thriller is for the last few episodes to unveil the hidden puzzles and to have a good wrapup, This series is faaaaarrr from being it.

Only the first 4 episodes were interesting to me but later i was confused and at the end i was disgusted. Why the hell did i even waste my time on this ,

I saw park hae jin anf sungwoong in man to man and was super excited to see them together in yet anither drama. I have no doubts nor complaints on any of the actors in this series, they portrayed their roles flawlessly. But just good acting couodnt save this drama, the writters messed it up.

MuChan is the most foolish main leads i have ever watched. Now i dont even want to think about this series anymore. This will be perfectly erased from my memory with no traces left.

There are much more interesting and well written thrillers out there, better go and watch those rather than wasting your time here on this drama.

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