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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LOVE THE ROMANCE

Phew..that was a roller coaster ride. This drama had everything; mystery, angst, bromance, heartbreaking moments and of course, romance. I love how the romance was woven into a gruesome story about a serial killer. The juxtaposition of Hee Sung/Hyun Soo romancing his wife Ji Won while he had a prisoner in his basement was brilliantly done.

I would have preferred another episode to give closure to the story of Hyun Soo and Ji Won. The ending was understandble because Hyun Soo suffered physical and emotional abuse throughout his life and it's not easy for him to erase those bad memories overnight. It would require a lot of psychiatric help and love of Ji Won to make him whole again. A three-year timelapse in the future when the viewers are treated to Hyun Soo and Ji Won basking in their happily ever after life, and maybe another baby.....that would be bliss.

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Overrated

I found myself thinking that I just wasted 10 hours watching this drama. This could have been impactful because it dealt with the serious subject of crimes committed by high school students but the story did not move me. The problem was the way it was presented. There was no depth. Jisoo, the central character had an absentee father, his partner in crime Kyoo Ri's parents seemed to have subjected her to abuse but there was no way for the viewers to find out more about the dynamics that defined the two characters' relationship with their parents. It would have been clearer if there was a bit of a background story that explained Jisoo and Kyoo Ri's damaged characters. There was also no backstory with the rest of the characters ie, Mr. Lee, how he became involved with Jisoo, Minhee, how she turned into a prostitute and Kitae, the bully and abusive boyfriend.

The characters were so unlikeable. Jisoo, at the beginning gave the impression of an intelligent kid with a heart that somehow lost his way. And then, he turned into a snivelling idiot who was in over his head. Then there's Kyoo Ri who caused Jisoo to unravel; she manipulated him and her stupidity almost killed both of them.

It's like a watching a hodge podge of a story with a terrible ending. Don't waste your time on this drama.

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Whereas most thrillers reveal the villain towards the end, I was pleasantly surprised that the psychopathic serial killer was revealed right away in the second episode. From there, the story followed Cha Young Jin in her quest to avenge her best friend's death.

Cha Young Jin led her life in darkness, blaming herself for being partly responsible for the death of her best friend. She was so consumed to find her friend's killer that she hardly noticed that people around her cared for her like Eun Ho who looked up to her as his hero and best friend. Hwang In Bum, her boss, protected her and willingly accepted being fired so she could keep her job. Her co-workers highly respected her and were also a bunch of very good characters. Unbeknownst to her, she was changing the lives of Sun Woo who cared for his students but felt inadequate as a teacher, his students and Eun Ho's friends, Dong Myung and Min Sung. Through her, they overcame their animosities and became the best of friends. It was towards the end that CYJ realized that she was not lonely afterall and finally appreciated the fact that she's surrounded by good people.

Now, about my beef with this drama. The "New Life Gospel" was just a red herring that was probably used by the writer as filler. There was so much hype and "big" mystery surrounding this little blue book containing hidden codes. The codes were supposed to be interpreted by Ki Ho, but alas, just fizzled to a nothing burger. If the character of Ki Ho (not a reflection against Kwon Hae Hyo because I do like this actor) and the plot surrounding this book were eliminated, it would not change the flow of the drama at all.

Kim Seo Hyung did justice to her character although some of her crying scenes were just a tad over-the-top especially for someone who projected an emotionlesss, aloof and cold persona. I did love her fighting scenes though. She was also far too skinny and she looked emaciated and anorexic that I almost cringe when I see her bony frame.

I love, love the ending. The juxtaposition of dark and light were brilliantly presented through cinematography. In keeping with the theme, the scenes were quite gloomy from the dark clothes worn by CYJ (she was almost always wearing black) to the gloomy background (cloudy days and night scenes). Then, like the sun breaking through the clouds, scenes full of light and beautiful scenery appeared in the last episode when CYJ finally got her revenge and her relationship with Eun Ho and his friends blossomed. She wore white and cream as a reflection of her joy of being finally at peace.

For a thriller, this drama was also heartwarming in that it demonstrated that love and friendship do triumph over evil.

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The first half of the drama was captivating. Son Ye Jin proved her versatility in tackling not only dramatic roles, she showed her comedic talent in this drama. What can I say about Hyun Bin; he's drop dead gorgeous eye candy. Together, SHJ and HB had excellent chemistry and were great in their respective roles. The other characters, the gossiping ahjummas, Jung Hyuk's comrades and Seri's assistants, although they were a tad naive, they provided delightful entertainment. I'd like to make special mention of actor Go Kyu Pil as Hong Chang Shik. He is a natural actor and I love watching him. I hope he'll have meatier roles in the future. He could be Korea's answer to Jonah Hill. I did not like the secondary characters portrayed by Seo Ji Hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung Hyun as Koo Seung Joon nor care about them. The writer attempted to create a love story for these two but it was unconvincing considering these characters were both unlikeable.

What I find frustrating in a number of Korean dramas is that, they start at a very high note and then become duds in the end. Unfortunately, I regard CLOY as one of them. It started out brilliantly in the first few episodes then went downhill fast. The repetitiveness ie, the number of failed attempts to send Seri back to the South, the near death situations of both leads, the loss of focus on the story of Jung Hyuk and Seri with unnecessary scenes involving the supporting cast, was a clear indication of a writer that was losing ideas and could not sustain the integrity of the story.

The last two episodes made me want to pull my hair. The cinematography in Switzerland was so beautiful and picturesque and with it as the backdrop for the last two episodes, this drama could have ended on a very high note. Too much melodrama involving the near death of Seri (again?), constant scenes of the ahjummas, comrades, SD and JH were frustrating. The pathetic attempt of changing SD and SJ into these sympathetic characters culminating in SJ's death was poorly executed. SD was obsessed with JH and SJ was a conman who was in love with Seri and for these characters to all of a sudden fall in love with each other was unbelievable. This drama was not about them and removing their characters' presence in the last two episodes would not have change the story.

Since it's an unusual love story, it should have been celebrated. I would have wanted a wedding in Switzerland and maybe an epilogue of JH and Seri walking their baby.

In conclusion, this drama did not inspire me and made me sad.

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Where do I begin. First and foremost, the exceptional, amazing and powerful acting from two of the best actors of K-dramas, Park Shin Hye and Ko Hyun Jung.

It's seldom to watch a drama with a female villain and in that sense this made the story unique. Ko Hyun Jung's character, Im Jung Hee embraced the dark side to avenge the unbearable tragedy brought upon her and her sibling as part of a group of children living in a welfare centre. I was mesmerized by KHJ's acting as she wielded power over everyone around her. She was soft spoken, hardly raised her voice and yet, behind her smile one can sense a seething anger and the promise of a tragic ending for anyone who dared to cross her path. She was highly intelligent and used that intelligence and cunning to break her enemies and in several instances, outsmart Lawyer Jo.

The other half of this powerhouse couple was Lawyer Jo Deul Ho, the friendly neighbourhood lawyer. He was on the right side of the law, fighting for the poor and downtrodden. His disheveled appearance and questionable approach to hygiene aside, he happened to be a brilliant lawyer, totally devoted to his clients and dedicated to uncovering the truth like a dog with a bone. I can only describe Park Shin Hye's acting with one word, outstanding.

Together, PSH and KHJ made the drama addicting, gripping and spellbinding. This was for me, more character driven as both Lawyer Jo and Jung Hee used everything in their power to outdo and outwit one another so that the story became secondary.

I'm surprised that season 2 did not garner higher ratings than season 1. Season 1 was ok but forgettable and the main lead actress' poor acting ability was blatantly obvious every time she's onscreen with PSH.

Overall, if you like crime thrillers that this drama has in spades and magnificent acting, I highly recommend this drama.

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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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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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