Unoriginal Story with Unlikable Characters

The plot of this story is something that I've watched in the past. Not that it is wrong but the presentation makes a lot of difference. I agree with the assessment that this should have been better off as a movie. And speaking of movie, this drama reminded me of an old movie Dolores Claiborne based on a Stephen King novel. It is about Dolores Claiborne a housemaid, her estranged daughter and her rich employer. Both housemaid and employer have issues with their husbands. I highly recommend this for those who has not yet seen this film. The ending was so touching and beautiful because the characters finally got the justice they deserve and their slice of happiness. With this drama, except for the son, all the characters were just so unlikeable I did not feel an ounce of sympathy for them and did not care about their predicament.

With LHIMG, We have this wife of a wealthy doctor practically catatonic as she prowled her house wallowing in her own misery, a husband who is controlling and mental abuser, an impoverished pregnant woman and her husband who delighted in making her his punching bag. These characters had no redeeming qualities that would stir any sympathy or empathy for them. In the end, after 8 episodes, there were so many unanswered questions and plot holes that were never resolved.

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Park Eun Bin Made Extraordinary Attorney Woo a Blockbuster!

This drama will touch everyone's heart. Heartwarming, at times gut wrenching when one considers the challenges that Young Woo had to endure as an autistic person. It's a humbling journey and makes one realize how tiny their woes are compared to others who must face hardships almost everyday, from the physical challenges to emotional ones when one would never know if she will be subjected to ridicule from the "normal" people, treated with disdain as well as the never ending insults just because she's different.

This was the first drama of Park Eun Bin that I watched and she is just a superb actress. She embodied Young Woo to a T and all I can say is, "Bravo Park Eun Bin." Young Woo, an autistic genius savant who memorized her father's law books when she was a child, graduated summa cum laude, and yet, unable to navigate a revolving door, her fascination and fixation with whales, made her a unique and yes, extraordinary heroine. As Young Woo, her light bulb moments in solving complex issues, when her genius shone through, were worth rewatching.

The cases, some more interesting than others, took a back seat and served as the backdrop for Young Woo embarking on a new chapter in her life as a young lawyer. Her autism became an advantage because it gave her a keen sense of observation that a normal lawyer would otherwise disregard. She had her vulnerable moments but she's able to rationalize and accept the fact that people will not always be understanding of her unusual behaviour. That said, she's is confident in her own skin and had a gift of letting people into her life who, in turn, became her fiercest defenders and cheerleaders.

More than ever, this drama was a teaching moment for the viewers and I guess it was what the writer aimed for. No matter how many challenges life throws at you, you can overcome them just like Young Woo, Her fascination with the sperm whale, this gentle giant, is a reflection of who she is; a gentle human being, happy and contented and as she exclaimed in the last scene, after waltzing through and conquering the revolving door, "A sense of fulfillment. The emotion I'm feeling this morning is a sense of fulfillment."

Highly recommended. A great picker upper when you're feeling down and depleted.

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A resounding 10 for Han Ji Pyung, Halmoni and their love story

I had so much overwhelming excitement for this drama after watching the first two episodes. I held on to that excitement and waited till the drama ended before I binge-watched it these past two days. What I thought was a brilliant concept of story turned into a complete dud. Disappointment is an understatement.

From the beginning, I rooted for Ji Pyung to be the hero who would win Dal Mi' heart in the end. As I watched the succeeding episodes, my mind never wavered as Ji Pyung shown himself to be a selfless gem of a human being. I cherished his scenes with halmoni. They adored each other and the love between them was so pure that Dal Mi's and Do San's pathetic romance paled in comparison. I still believe that he should have been the main character. After watching 12 1/2 episodes, I conclude that he is too good for the likes of ditzy, strong girl turned damsel in distress Dal Mi. She and equally, stupid, cry baby, whiney with anger management issues Do San, deserved each other.

Why the writer thought that Do San was every girl's ideal of a boyfriend was beyond comprehension. There were zero redeeming qualities with this man. He's got loving parents who continued to support him through thick and thin, two very loyal friends, opportunities that opened to him and I might add through Ji Pyung's effort , the fact that the main girl fell for him, and yet, he continually crowed about "poor, nothing me." The love triangle that this writer dragged on for the entire drama was just tooooooo boring and irritating. It's laughable that the only reason Dal Mi fell in love with Do San was that he's got big hands (double entendre). How very shallow and that's how the writer portrayed Dal Mi's feelings for Do San. Dal Mi fell in love with Ji Pyungs letters that sustained her through the death of her father at a young age, the abandonment of her mother and the feelings of being lost and lonely. It's unbelievable that she'd throw all those memories for someone like Do San, who she hardly knew except that he's got big hands. This writer insulted the audiences' intelligence with this ludicrous trope. The fact that most viewers rooted for Ji Pyung and thus, the sudden popularity of Kim Sun Ho attests that they're not stupid after all.

The most dangerous message of this drama, especially to young audiences is that bad behaviour like punching your mentor, insulting him, disregarding his advice, being an inexperienced know-it-all is perfectly acceptable even if it's not based on reality. First of all, punching your mentor will land you in jail and you will be dismissed from the company, second of all, you don't negotiate a 3 billion won contract without seeking the advice of said mentor and a competent lawyer specializing in contracts, third, you don't whine and complain and act like an immature person after signing a bad contract through no one's fault but yourself for being that stupid. Somehow, the writer glossed over these realities and painted a romanticized. la la land version.

Did I say that Do San's two best friends were just so irritating? Whenever they're in a scenes, it's like watching fingernails dragging across a chalkboard. Their screeching and stupidly emotional outbursts should have been toned down.

I was ready to hate Won In Jae but surprisingly, I liked her better than Dal Mi. She's got a good head for business, not driven by emotions in her business decisions and actually a good person. She was given a bad rap by the writer to make Dal Mi's character shine through but it was a poor attempt. In Jae endured the way her stepfather treated her in order to protect her mother. She developed a cold facade to protect herself from being hurt but towards the latter episodes, her good character appeared when she owned up to her lies. I wished that the drama revolved more around her and Ji Pyung because that would have been more realistic than the shallow, romanticized version of Dal Mi and Do San.

Will I watch it again? I will finish watching the rest of the episodes only for Ji Pyung and halmoni and then relegate this drama to the dustbin of history. I will forever cherish the scenes between Ji Pyung and Halmoni and maybe, watch them over and over again when I feel a need for a picker upper, especially the scene in the train station, Ji Pyung presenting himself to halmoni after 15 years, Ji Pyung crying his heart out when he found out halmoni is losing her sight and halmoni lovingly cradling his face, and every scene with the two of them. Did I say I love their bickering?

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I'm sure you've heard this line before when a boyfriend dumps his girlfriend..."it's not you...it's me.  This drama had a great storyline, the cinematography excellent and it fits right up my "all I want in a drama" category.  But...in spite of all the positives that I gleaned from watching the first few episodes, I could not continue.  I know, it's not the drama....it's me.  I felt Park Bo Gum was miscast.  He's too young and his face, although handsome, was a little bit effeminate for the role.  Song Hye Kyo as Cha Soo Hyun portrayed a character so controlled and stoic so I thought that what she needed was a more passionate man that would awaken her from the placidness of her life.  The encounter or love story between Cha Soo Hyun and Kim Jin Hyuk lacked the intensity I expected and without that, the rest of the drama became a meh for me.  There was a total lack of chemistry and they looked more like an elder sister and younger brother.  I'm not concerned about the age gap because it does work if the characters have the right chemistry to make it work (to this day My Name is Kim Sam Soon is still my favourite K drama).  A So Ji Sub, Jo In Sung (think What Happened in Bali where both were fighting over the same woman)  or a Lee Dong Gun (Love Now) would have been perfect for the role.  They're not only gorgeous but they have the depth and ferocity to portray a man deeply in love with SHK's character.  

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A Nail Biting Thriller all the Way

One of the best, if not the best drama of 2022. Fast paced action, great acting from Lee Jung Suk and of course, the drama itself that kept me on my toes from beginning to end. I must say I was also impressed with actors Kim Joo Hun as the villain Choi Do Ha and Yang Kyun Won as Kong Ji Hoon who was great in all his obnoxiousness.

I would have given this drama a 10 rating except that, I was not impressed with the partnership of Lee Jung Suk and Im Yoon Ah as husband and wife. Their lack of chemistry bothered me, especially, Yoon Ah's lucklustre acting were at best, hits and misses. She has this frozen look on her face most of the time that there's hardly expressive emotion that say, a particular scene calls for. Lee Jung Suk never disappoints as an actor and to his credit, he did study acting and was exceptional as Big Mouse. But when he and Yoon Ah were together in a scene, they just looked uncomfortable and awkward around each other. I did not feel any love or warmth in their embraces; they were more like best friends rather than husband and wife. They never even kissed throughout the drama which is weird considering they're supposed to be madly in love with each other. This weakness to an otherwise exceptional drama is why I shaved off some points in my rating. Overall though, I'd still give credit to screenwriter: Kim Ha Ram for writing an outstanding screenplay and directors Oh Choong Hwan and Bae Hyun Jin for a job well done.

THE ENDING

I was one of the few who wrote an early review, before I had the chance to read all the amazing and detailed reviews that followed. One of the comments a lot of viewers expressed was that the ending was rushed. For me, the ending started from the moment Choi Do Ha won as mayor and then, to the disappointment of Big Mouse and his team, as well as the viewers, including me (I did not see that coming), the court found him not guilty. To top it all, Chang Ho's wife, Mi Ho died and became one of the many victims of the company Choi Do Ha wrested from the elder chairman by killing him. Just when Choi Do Ha was celebrating his victory and having it all, he meets his death at the hands of Chang Ho.

Do Ha's death also signalled the direction Chang Ho was now undertaking with his life, and that is, to continue as Big Mouse. Earlier, he vowed and made it clear that he will only stay as Big Mouse until he puts Choi Do Ha in jail through the legal system. But then, he realized that the legal system was not perfect and people like his wife would die without justice meted on the guilty. Chang Ho bought the building and poisoned the pool that eventually led to Do Ha's death. Now that, by definition is murder, a clear indication that Chang Ho changed the course of his life, from the strait laced lawyer to head of an organization that functions outside the law.

I think it was a brilliant piece of writing on the part of the writer. The writer dropped hints like crumbs where Chang Ho experienced one setback after another so that at the end, the viewers will realize and understand Chang Ho's choice. What better poetic justice handed down to Do Ha than to die the same way his victims like Mi Ho died (radioactive poisoning). The last words of Chang Ho to Do Ha said it all., "The law was made to save people. But you don't need the law."

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It was offensive. Did not like this drama

The story was mediocre at best. The drama made Death more powerful than God when Death is a mere transition from your physical body at the end of your life. The use of a gun for Choi Yi Jae to die every time he assumes the life of another person is so jarring to the senses and it takes on a violence that I find too extreme. It was painful to watch.

What's up with the different characters he had to take? He made a personal choice to end his life and to make him realize he made a mistake through all those characters is kinda too late. For me, it was just a lazy writer's way of creating a story from a very weak premise.

Death has no control over man because man was created by God and granted free will. As the bible stated, "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God..."

I have watched numerous depictions of death and they were good like "Meet Joe Black" but this drama was just too unreal for my taste.

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Warning: Don't read review if you plan to watch the drama.

Story: This drama had the potential of being one of those epic dramas like the now classic Jewel in the Palace. The story started around two brothers who were on opposite sides; Lee Kang-to turned his back on his countryman to be the rising star of the Japanese police force and his elder brother Lee Kang-san, the village idiot who, unbeknownst to everyone including Kang-to and his mother, was Gaksital (Bridal Mask). Gaksital was the hero in the village and the scourge of Japanese authorities as he fought for justice for his fellow Koreans. Close on his heels was Kang-to, bent on capturing Gaksital so he could cement his standing with the Japanese .

Then there's Shujin, a genial Japanese music teacher and Kang-to's best friend who turned to the dark side after witnessing his brother killed by Gaksital and realizing that Oh Mok Dan will never return his love.

I was fully engaged the first 6 episodes, but after Kang San's death, the drama went rapidly downhill. Oh Mok Dan became the central figure. Why??? It was almost comical if not totally irritating that Kang-to and Shujin were trying to outdo each other on who can capture Oh Mok Dan first because she happened to be Bridal Mask's catnip. The story was supposed to be Gaksital doing heroic things for his people not just Oh Mok Dan but for unexplained reasons, the writers decided to make Gaksital into this "romantic" hero. If this was for fanservice, they did a big disservice to the drama's story as a whole.

Acting/Cast: I'm a great Joo Won fan but I was a bit disappointed with his portrayal of Kang-to. His constant frowning expression did not do much for his character and I got the impression that Joo Won was having difficulty grasping the essence of Kang-to. On the other hand, Shin Hyun Joon did an excellent job of playing Lee Kang San. His transition from the village idiot to the hero Gaksital was truly amazing.

Park Ki Woong as Kimura Shunji had his good moments of acting but as a whole, he was a meh for me.

Jin Se Yeon as Oh Mok Dan was the biggest let down in this drama. I stopped at episode 15 because I could no longer stand her acting. Looking at her expression as she stared at her nemesis LaLa reminded me of a girl being reprimanded by her mother to go to her room because she's grounded. That's how bad she is. Most of the time she appeared to be shallow and ditzy. To top it all, her character did nothing but run around being caught and then tortured, then she escapes, gets caught again and then tortured. With the amount of torture she received, she should have been a cripple by the third time it happened.

Production, if you wanted Oh Mok Dan to be the central character of this drama, you should have chosen an actress who could do the job. Someone like a Caitriona Balfe of "Outlander" series. Here's the criteria the producer Ronald D. Moore said he looked for in an actress to portray Clair, "...the fundamental quality of the character was her intelligence. You have to have an actress that really projected this really smart quality because she lands in this time she's able to adapt very quickly and everything flows from her intelligence, her strength of character, her adaptability, her sexuality, her warmth. All of this because of this mind and sort of intelligence. So you got to have somebody who you could watch think on camera,,,,,,"

Overall, as I mentioned above, this drama had the potential if not for it turning into a complete dud. It's biggest flaw was the main actress Jin Se Yeon. A really good actress could have saved it.

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