A fun gripping watch that does loose it’s emotional momentum towards the end though.
I was gripping the edge of my seat in the 2/3 of show. Very gripping, but then when the reveal of the serial killer happens, the show moves towards other things: the police and prosecutors playing their own versions of villains. While the story was engaging, the focus does shift from finding the serial killer to ones trying to hide his crimes to protect themselves. We don’t even get to see the killer going to jail for another murder he does. So the emotional buildup lacks the proper payoff too. And by the mid of the drama, I was totally rooting for Si Young to be the misunderstood character but he is just evil, so that was disappointing to say the least. Especially as we get more glimpses of his past and uncover his own traumas. That said, his elder brother doesn’t make any appearance in the current time. Especiallt since he exploited Si Young’s weaknesses and fears.And don’t tell me I was the only one who found Cha Si Young genuinely regretful of his failed friendship with KTJ. They had such a complex relationship. CSY’s buddy summed it up perfectly: You don’t hate Kang Tae Ju but you don’t like him either. Perfectly summed up.
P.S.: I could guess by the mid who the serial killer was.
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If Only They Became Friends
I fell in love with the cinematography from the very first episode. The drama was beautifully made. Maybe because I’ve watched so many detective dramas before, I guessed the culprit by the second episode. The following episodes were just me being gaslit into thinking I was wrong while stressing over how the story unfolded.There were parts where it lost my interest. I think fewer episodes would have made the drama even stronger.
My doomed bromance. My doomed lovers. I will forever cry about them.
This story is a sad reflection of reality, where the people who are supposed to protect used the power given to them to protect their selves.
I think the ending was quite realistic. Some injustices are simply brought to light, not served with justice.
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nice packaging, weak inside
the drama starts off with a really oppressive and atmospheric tone. the protagonist is sent to a small town where crime seems like a distant rarity. however, a series of brutal murders of defenseless women soon begins, with the killer operating under the guise of a scarecrow.we're introduced to the main character as an honest, dedicated, and principled police officer with a complicated past. but as the story progresses, it gradually spirals into chaos — both in terms of logic and writing quality. the screenwriters try to show how cruel and unjust the system is, but they do it quite lazily. in real life, thousands of police officers worked on this case for years (2 million man-days and over 21,000 people interviewed), while constantly making serious mistakes — torturing suspects, falsifying evidence, and ruining innocent lives. in the drama, all this complex reality is reduced to a bunch of dumb cops and one arrogant prosecutor who just keep repeating the same errors over and over.
what frustrates me the most is the development of the main character. comparing how he was presented at the beginning with who he becomes in the middle and final episodes, it feels like two completely different people. he stops acting according to his sense of justice and ends up no better than the system he's supposedly criticizing. yet the show tries to force us to sympathize with him just because he sheds a few tears.
the other characters are also poorly written. in some episodes they behave as initially presented, and then suddenly do things that feel completely out of character. a clear example is tae-joo's sister. he was the only one who had always taken care of her, but as soon as she learns she has a father who knew about her existence, she immediately runs to him and to the person who killed her fiancé. she becomes indifferent to tae-joo himself, and they stop communicating. then they randomly throw in a car accident and coma. it all feels like it was written on the fly.
the biggest failure is the serial killer. he's barely developed at all. we never learn why he did what he did or what drove him, even though this was supposed to be one of the main themes. i was hoping for a smart cat-and-mouse game between the antagonist and the police, but there was nothing close to that. even the scarecrow didn't work as a symbol — instead of becoming a powerful metaphor for police incompetence, it just turned into a joke.
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it was good!
This drama turned out to be a delightful viewing experience. One of the things I enjoyed about the show is the fact that it has a little bit of everything. In addition to amusing elements, there are also some touching scenes and nostalgic scenes, giving the drama a distinct character. Of course, I adored the overall aesthetics of the work because of its unique atmosphere.There are a few elements in the show that didn't seem to be quite fitting there. At times, I wasn't able to figure out the reason for some scenes inclusion in the show because they weren't fully connected with the rest of the story.
To conclude, I find The Scarecrow an entertaining work. Perhaps, it isn't perfect, but still, it has many good qualities to make it a worthy viewing experience.
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The Real Scarecrow
I just finished watching this drama. In the beginning, it felt like a normal thriller. There was nothing different about it. But as I kept watching, it gradually built up such a captivating atmosphere that you just couldn't pull yourself away. The story is set in the 80s. It truly felt like we were transported back to the 80s. Even the background Music takes us back to that era.The murders themselves didn't create as much fear as the actions of the people and characters in this drama; what they were doing felt much worse. Until the very end, I kept feeling that justice would finally be served. I thought some good justice was about to happen, or there would be some heroic moment. But nothing like that happened.
The ending wasn't like what usually happens in normal K-dramas, or how we see in fictional stories where the hero defeats the villain. It wasn't like that at all. It showed us what happens in reality—that you don't always get justice. And that's just how it is.
First of all, Kang Tae joo his character is so beautifully written, so emotional, and filled with so much empathy. I truly felt such a deep connection with that character. In the end, things don't turn out well for him. We usually think that everything will be fine for the protagonist by the end, but nothing like that happens to him. Until the very end, I felt so bad for her because he never got what I had hoped he would. he didn't get a happy ending.
Talking about Sun Yeong who plays the character of his sister. In the beginning, I found her character to be okay, but by the end, I don't know what happened to her character. How can she abandon her brother—who supported her since childhood and took such good care of her—for a complete stranger and their family, whom she only met midway through her life? After that, she doesn't even go to meet him or keep in contact. It was his helplessness, but she is the one who cuts ties. Character-wise, I didn't like her at all. I found her character to be really terrible.
Cha si Yeong, who plays the prosecutor, in the beginning, I felt like he genuinely wanted to be friends with Kang Tae ajoo. That is why he kept coming after him again and again, and their bond even started looking quite cute. He had done a lot of wrong things earlier, so I thought his character arc would develop later, he would apologize, and become a good man. That's what usually happens, but no—he just kept doing worse and worse things. He became more and more evil, and I couldn't even understand what was happening. I kept wondering if he would finally realize his mistakes at the end. But no, he didn't. He never reformed and stayed wicked until the very end.
Gi beom's character was also very cute, very innocent, and highly righteous. I liked him a lot. Ji Won character, the reporter, was also very good. There were many lovely moments shared between everyone. The actor who played the role of the killer did an amazing job with his acting. I really loved it. Overall, Scarecrow is a very good drama. You will even find yourself crying by the very end.
As a thriller, Scarecrow is truly a show where we aren't scared of the serial killer until the very end. It is the real-life people who actually terrify us. Those people are far more horrific. I feel this was the true meaning and core message of this thriller.
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OMG ONE OF THE BEST KDRAMAS I'VE WATCHED 10/10.
The acting was phenomenal from everyone. Drama was heartbreaking, infuriating and unforgettable. I cried so much for Gi Beom and Im Seok Man. They were so young and had their whole lives ahead of them. What broke me the most was how corrupt and incompetent the system was—the actual killer had to clear an innocent person's name because the police and prosecution failed completely.What makes this even more heartbreaking is that it's based on a real case. It reminds you that so many victims never get justice, while innocent people get dragged into cases and have their lives ruined because of incompetence, corruption, and people's greed for promotions, recognition, and badges.
Everyone should give this a try!!
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Just depressing
The way the story is told is dark, very dark. No hope, just suffering, injustice, brutality, bullying, betrayal, sadism, torture, power games. I am dropping it because towards the end it becomes more and more depressing.I do not recommend watching this story despite of the good acting and I have taken everything else by this screenwriter and director off my watchlist.
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Proof that time changes no one deep down ...
It's a classic set up story early on, showing us how much of our present day life is shaped by our past. Two friends early on, one a bully and one being bullied for various reasons. Thirty years of a duration in this series and nothing really changes between the two of them. Once a bully, always a bully.Hae Soo & Hee Joon are the perfect pair that continually go head to head with each other, unfortunately the antagonist, Si Yeong, always seems to get the best of the situation , over and over and over again. It makes for a decent story, but it started to lose points with me as you get deep into the series. After episode 4, which is truly the pinnacle episode of the drama, you start to think things might go the protagonists' way for a change ... but no such luck. Tae Ju continues to fall on the sword. I realize you need the "bad guys" to win early on, or the story would end pretty quick ... but so many people are genuinely horrible throughout this series, with very few facing retribution by the end. The last two episodes prove this. In fact, it really shows the rewards people received for being wicked & evil people.
The first half of the drama is so strong and entertaining, that even with the last couple of episodes lacking a good story or outcome, the series still maintains high marks. It's just a bit disappointing, cause had I rated it through the first six or so episodes, I would have given it 10's across.
The acting is brilliant throughout. That never changes. A truly great cast. I just wish the writing toward the end would have matched the acting, and given a better conclusion.
Overall, an entertaining series, but it could have been so much better.
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This review may contain spoilers
Some episodes show superb direction. A very gritty, hard-hitting thriller, ruthless, even. You can feel the Ringo Lam influence, with its raw, unflinching violence ; this isn't meant to be a feel-good watch. It's deliberately infuriating. It really gets under your skin. Everything is rotten to the core. A very good series, but one that leaves you seething with rage by the time it's over."You're just a thug with a badge." We call that a cop, yes.
The story of a sadistic serial killer, set toward the end of the military dictatorship in 1988. We see despicable cops and a prosecutor acting with complete impunity. (Those cowards) We see men behaving as a patriarchal society naturally encourages and rewards them to do. We see female victims who are considered guilty in the eyes of others. We see high-ranking officials who are full of themselves and never take responsibility for anything. We see police repression of pro-democracy demonstrations.
"The public no longer trusts the police." I think that's a sign of good health.
The acting is incredibly intense. Serious stuff. A cop protagonist who's been through the worst and is forced to work against his will with one of his former tormentors. He thinks the police protect people, he believes they bring the guilty to justice… A constant in this kind of crime series : the cops are terrible at their investigations and ruin people's lives by wrongly accusing innocent people left and right. I don't know to what extent this is intentional. It comes up so often !
Not to brag, but I figured out who the killer was right from the start. My only flaw : too good. It's a fact. (Everything screams him, right there !) The solution doesn't come at the end but along the way, so it doesn't matter and doesn't ruin anything. It's the kind of series you can still enjoy even if someone with bad intentions spoiled it for you beforehand.
The culprit is every bit as cunning as those who claimed to be hunting him down. The theme is the rot at the heart of the social order. The back-and-forth between 1988 and 2019 confirms that nothing ever changes. The killer bears as much blame as the police and the justice system.
"Admitting your mistakes and asking for forgiveness takes even more courage." And that's how we move forward. That's why people in positions of power never admit their mistakes. They don't want things to get better for others.
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The truth will set you free
The Scarecrow proves to be a really well made noir murder mystery with the performances, from the entire cast, being its strongest point.I can’t say this is a kdrama anyone can watch as it’s deeply frustrating and infuriating. Especially when you know it’s based on real events.
Unlike the famous Bong Joon-ho film, this kdrama flips the story and delivers a first hand account on what the victims of this case went through at the hands of the police and prosecution. Even decades after the events.
There’s no justice in this story, even when the truth comes out. The pain lives on as a open wound, festering, leaving those who had to go through this terrible experience changed forever. The good are broken down by guilt and the weight of responsibility, the bad get away with murder for too long.
Still, the final scene let us know there’s hope for healing. The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.
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Some things were left unanswered
I really liked this show, but there are a few things that I didn't care for. I finished it yesterday and wanted a day to let it sit specifically because of the ending. I loved the concept of the show and loved that it kept it you guessing who the killer was the whole time.I liked Tae Ju, Ji Won, Gi Beom, and Yeong Beom. Pretty much all of the other characters I either didn't care for or just hated. They did a good job making you really hate the characters like Si Yeong and the other couple cops.
I will say the back and forth between 1988 and 2019 felt like it wasn't really needed until the very end with the trial and everything. A lot of the stuff throughout the earlier episodes with the 2019 plot just felt pointless to me. Maybe it's also because I guessed who the killer was very early on, but who knows.
There were a few things that they never circled back to which bugged me a little bit. Why did Sun Yeong want to breakup with Gi Beom? Especially because she then acted like that conversation didn't happen. Why did they never show Yeong Beom a picture of his dad? I get why they didn't say exactly how he died, but you couldn't even show him a picture...why? A lot of it for me has to do with Gi Hwan and the killings itself that just left a lot of things unanswered. Why did Gi Hwan begin killing? Why did he change his name? Why was he even arrested? (because it was before they found out what he did). Why was the case reopened and why did it lead to him being the killer? I have more but I'll stop there. The show just had a lot of things after the finale that felt unanswered and incomplete and that's where it lost some points for me.
As for the finale...I had to let it sit for a day because my immediate reaction was that I didn't like it. After sitting with it I think it's okay but not great. To me it felt like they thought they had an extra episode or more and then didn't so they just did the best with the last episode as they could. I obviously wish Si Yeong and the cops got arrested or in trouble for all they did, but I think they were going for the angle of sometime not all justice is served. So I didn't mind it when thinking about it like that.
Overall I enjoyed the show and enjoyed the mystery of it all. I liked it mainly taking place in the 80's as well. All the acting was incredible! I watched it for Park Hae Soo to begin with and really enjoyed it. I am glad I binged it once it was all out rather than watching it weekly because I do think it's a show that's better to binge just because of all the details you don't want to miss. If you like cops and murder mystery shows than I think this one is pretty enjoyable.
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Grim Reality in Great Production
It was a good watch. Park Hae Soo and Lee Hee Jun did a tremendous job, their acting was really great. The same could be said about the rest of the cast. Music was very fitting, especially the opening song really got you and sent shivers down the spine. The story was quite good; however, the exposition was not always the best. The camera sometimes pointed at something so aggressively that it was almost insulting, as if it were saying "see, this is the thing that was mentioned seconds ago, and it is here!!! here!!! look!!!". Two last episodes felt kind of rushed, I wish there were more shown about the present time. The characters were its strongest point. Sometimes, even the "good guys" are not that good and sometimes, nobody really wins.Was this review helpful to you?
