Gamma
This review may contain spoilers
A lot of style, some substance, but zero satisfying conclusions
I'll start by praising the show, especially the music. There are moments I got lost in a scene cause the music was just that good. Songs like Tempest, Nightmare and the nights, soundtracks like Enemy of Truth, Hope of Dystopia and Hello, Master?. All of which worked so well, especially for the characters, to fully bring out their potential.
The narrative of a dystopian Korea was well done all things considered, though there are moments where your suspension of disbelief will truly be challenged. Coupling that narrative with a broken justice system and the greed of the conglomerates, you have an interesting enough plot to drive your drama. Of course, without good characters, that means nothing.
The main character is fantastic and so is the actor. The drama goes to great lengths to show why the the devil judge is considered “the devil” and why he has every reason to be the way he is. It's because of the dystopian Korea that a person like him was needed by this society. In the first half, the 2nd ML acts as an excellent foil to his ideals as he also comes to terms with the broken system he's trying to thrive in. The main antagonist (her actress is exceptional, by the way) is intelligent and charismatic. She has some good character moments sprinkled in between the scheming and strategizing. Aside from Park Gyu Young and Jang Young Nam's characters, the side characters don't do much of note.
The show also knows how to evoke emotion out of the reader because of how well established the characters are. Be it happiness when the MC shows actual growth, tension when their plans utterly fail and sadness when a certain character(s) dies. There are also some genuinely amazing plot twists, but it never feels like the writers are pulling the rug from under you.
What impressed me most is how reasonable the characters were when faced with uncertain situations without jumping to conclusions — at least that was the case until the final 4 episodes. Suddenly, the characters (aside from the MC) are surprised by the consequences of their own actions. They don't fully think before heading into dangerous situations and therefore, the story has to find convoluted ways to get them out of danger. As a result, the ending becomes one of the most disappointing ones I've ever experienced, especially because of its promising run.
Overall, it's a very entertaining show with well written character, very good production and OST, but with a frustrating ending where I kept skipping scenes in the final episode.
It is still very much worth a watch.
The narrative of a dystopian Korea was well done all things considered, though there are moments where your suspension of disbelief will truly be challenged. Coupling that narrative with a broken justice system and the greed of the conglomerates, you have an interesting enough plot to drive your drama. Of course, without good characters, that means nothing.
The main character is fantastic and so is the actor. The drama goes to great lengths to show why the the devil judge is considered “the devil” and why he has every reason to be the way he is. It's because of the dystopian Korea that a person like him was needed by this society. In the first half, the 2nd ML acts as an excellent foil to his ideals as he also comes to terms with the broken system he's trying to thrive in. The main antagonist (her actress is exceptional, by the way) is intelligent and charismatic. She has some good character moments sprinkled in between the scheming and strategizing. Aside from Park Gyu Young and Jang Young Nam's characters, the side characters don't do much of note.
The show also knows how to evoke emotion out of the reader because of how well established the characters are. Be it happiness when the MC shows actual growth, tension when their plans utterly fail and sadness when a certain character(s) dies. There are also some genuinely amazing plot twists, but it never feels like the writers are pulling the rug from under you.
What impressed me most is how reasonable the characters were when faced with uncertain situations without jumping to conclusions — at least that was the case until the final 4 episodes. Suddenly, the characters (aside from the MC) are surprised by the consequences of their own actions. They don't fully think before heading into dangerous situations and therefore, the story has to find convoluted ways to get them out of danger. As a result, the ending becomes one of the most disappointing ones I've ever experienced, especially because of its promising run.
Overall, it's a very entertaining show with well written character, very good production and OST, but with a frustrating ending where I kept skipping scenes in the final episode.
It is still very much worth a watch.
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