i think it was a decent watch with occasional interesting stories and good acting, but as a package it felt a…
i really enjoyed the porn star's storyline (and i thought most of the stories would be grey like hers). a lonely girl who found connection through manipulation that ultimately led to murder. it's such a great morally grey case. i guess i was just kinda tired of it always leading back to the yakuza instead of exploring more morally grey cases like that. or even the first one with the hit-and-run turning out to not be a manslaughter case.
also, maybe i missed something but how was the senior center will case a defense case? was that not a prosecution case considering kujo was going against the perpetrators aka his mentor?
i think it was a decent watch with occasional interesting stories and good acting, but as a package it felt a bit flat for me. it was difficult to truly connect with any of the characters or their relationships/bromance, as all of it felt underdeveloped in favor of the yakuza plots. by the end, it no longer felt like a meaningful exploration into good vs evil, the grey area of law, why defense attorneys choose to defend, or the most interesting characters: kujo and mibu. i also thought it was a little strange how they continuously painted prosecutors and detectives in a bad light. they wanted to highlight that there's always a grey area to people and not always "good" or "bad," which i find intriguing. but then they'll specifically show yakuza torturing, robbing, and killing people and have the mcs specifically say "i hate prosecutors/detectives because..." so i just kept wondering who are we even supposed to root for?
that being said, i cannot call this jdrama "bad" by any means. the production quality is great, there were a lot of exciting moments, and the actors did a great job. it's a 7/10 for me.
I'm genuinely confused, why? The ratings are pretty low, how does it keep being in the top 10
most non-korean dramas on mdl are generally rated much lower. most jdramas on here are 7 most likely due to the difference in watchers. kdramas have a lot more viewers and tend to average out higher because fans often give easy 8s, 9s, 10s. i've also noticed they sometimes attract non-jdrama watchers who tend to rate it lower because of culture shock or lower production quality. a 7.6 is not low for a mdl jdrama and it certainly doesn't reflect its popularity, success, or even rating outside of mdl.
it didn't bring anything fresh to the genre, but it was still a decent watch. fantastic action sequences and pretty good acting, especially from ikuta and higashide. don't expect any deep, meaningful story or message, but do expect some thrilling action.
After watching season 1 (and especially the second story), I was honestly hyped. But the first ep of season 2…
you could always just move onto the second case if you're bored by the first. i won't spoil, but i'll let you know that the games do continue. if it's not your thing, the other two cases are definitely more exciting.
i really like where they took the overall story with xin/nix and the natural evolution of the overworld concept in this season. gabee was a really fun addition. i was a little hesitant at first because i'm not usually a big fan of cast changes, but she brought so much life and positivity into the mix (while still having great ideas too).
the cases themselves were entertaining. i wouldn't necessarily say they were better than s1's cases, but i think the team shined so much more after all they've been through together. their chemistry and teamwork felt much more evident. my favorite part of this season, and a critique i had on s1, was they FINALLY showed their reactions post-case. i'm so glad they did cuz they were some of the highlight moments for me.
overall, i think it's a solid and fun watch. definitely an improvement over s1 while still keeping the same charm.
it was a nice, fun, easy watch. i wouldn't say it's the best show in this genre, but entertaining nonetheless.…
one thing i really wish they did was show their reactions in the aftermath of each case. they had such good chemistry as a team so it was such a letdown for the team to escape and they show no footage of them celebrating or reflecting on wtf just happened.
it was a nice, fun, easy watch. i wouldn't say it's the best show in this genre, but entertaining nonetheless. the cast has great chemistry with solid problem-solving. i actually quite liked how seriously they took the game which helped keep the immersion in the stories. a solid watch altogether.
i was intrigued by your comment so i wanted to put my two cents in. this is at least what i gathered after just…
yeah i def agree too that the plot ended up weak, esp the ending. but i also respect your opinion on everything else!
for the government thing, i thinkkkkk they hint at her being unregistered in the system like mijeon because she ran away when she was young? so she didn't register her real identity and only registered under her fake identities. idk if mok gahui was her original identity either. i don't see why she'd have fake identities prior to that, but maybe there's even a story further back (like her running away) on why she might've change to mok gahui. again, idk lol. i guess it's left open to interpretation on purpose or maybe it just has no relevance in the story.
Another i di ot patronising everyone with their "uh I know people thought this was complex but like im so…
it's not for everyone because of its slower pacing and plot holes. complexity is not mentioned at all. unfortunate that you interpreted my review that way. guess my comment isn't for everyone either LOL.
Honestly first episode was great, I have been struggling lately to get interested in watching dramas as well as…
i was intrigued by your comment so i wanted to put my two cents in. this is at least what i gathered after just finishing the series.
she was not a genius, merely good at understanding the root of what people desire. her dream was one more akin to revenge. falsely raising her own luxury brand from the ground up to metaphorically get back at the industry that once ruined her, no matter how she got there. her connections were merely stepping stones to her achievements.
host jihwon and hong seongsin initially began their relationships with her for material gain (one money, one a kidney). yet, they both stayed because she gave them purpose in a world where they lacked companionship and understanding. giving jihwon the hope of one day living free from his host life and giving seongsin the hope of living through his failing kidney. her taking the stabbing meant she could be trustworthy enough to write his will to. however, he found out she was a liar hence why he sent her men to kill her. but his mercy allowed her to live and therefore why she donated her kidney.
the point wasn't to know exactly who sarah was. we know most of her story already. the title is called "the art of sarah" because sarah kim is not supposed to be a specific person. it's a crafted persona that represents the idealism of "having it all." sarah kim = boudoir. her goal wasn't to just build a luxury brand and get rich. her identity WAS boudoir. her life's achievement representing that she could achieve those things despite being born poor, despite what others said. her victory represented how identity conflates with elitism. like the fake handbags she created, the value was based on the branding. sarah kim was her branding. she built herself up like she built boudoir up. it doesn't matter what her real name is or where she came from. the point is who she is now (and ig who she'll become). idk if i'm explaining it clearly or not, it's kind of a difficult concept to grasp, let alone explain in words lol.
i thought this was a fantastic mystery thriller that doesn't hold your hand or explain everything to the audience. interweaving stories leading to a final reveal is one of my favorite subgenres of mysteries and i think this one was well-crafted. its symbolism about luxury akin to identity is a fascinating topic that i surprisingly enjoyed more than i thought. sarah kim herself is a fascinating character. i love shin haesun and i feel like this role was on another level for her.
i could see complaints about plot holes or it being slow-paced and boring. no, i don't think this is for everyone. it's thought-provoking and the twists will hook the right viewers. the entire cast did a phenomenal job, especially shin haesun. i'd recommend it for avid mystery lovers and those who love interweaving stories. it truly surprised me.
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also, maybe i missed something but how was the senior center will case a defense case? was that not a prosecution case considering kujo was going against the perpetrators aka his mentor?
that being said, i cannot call this jdrama "bad" by any means. the production quality is great, there were a lot of exciting moments, and the actors did a great job. it's a 7/10 for me.
the cases themselves were entertaining. i wouldn't necessarily say they were better than s1's cases, but i think the team shined so much more after all they've been through together. their chemistry and teamwork felt much more evident. my favorite part of this season, and a critique i had on s1, was they FINALLY showed their reactions post-case. i'm so glad they did cuz they were some of the highlight moments for me.
overall, i think it's a solid and fun watch. definitely an improvement over s1 while still keeping the same charm.
for the government thing, i thinkkkkk they hint at her being unregistered in the system like mijeon because she ran away when she was young? so she didn't register her real identity and only registered under her fake identities. idk if mok gahui was her original identity either. i don't see why she'd have fake identities prior to that, but maybe there's even a story further back (like her running away) on why she might've change to mok gahui. again, idk lol. i guess it's left open to interpretation on purpose or maybe it just has no relevance in the story.
she was not a genius, merely good at understanding the root of what people desire. her dream was one more akin to revenge. falsely raising her own luxury brand from the ground up to metaphorically get back at the industry that once ruined her, no matter how she got there. her connections were merely stepping stones to her achievements.
host jihwon and hong seongsin initially began their relationships with her for material gain (one money, one a kidney). yet, they both stayed because she gave them purpose in a world where they lacked companionship and understanding. giving jihwon the hope of one day living free from his host life and giving seongsin the hope of living through his failing kidney. her taking the stabbing meant she could be trustworthy enough to write his will to. however, he found out she was a liar hence why he sent her men to kill her. but his mercy allowed her to live and therefore why she donated her kidney.
the point wasn't to know exactly who sarah was. we know most of her story already. the title is called "the art of sarah" because sarah kim is not supposed to be a specific person. it's a crafted persona that represents the idealism of "having it all." sarah kim = boudoir. her goal wasn't to just build a luxury brand and get rich. her identity WAS boudoir. her life's achievement representing that she could achieve those things despite being born poor, despite what others said. her victory represented how identity conflates with elitism. like the fake handbags she created, the value was based on the branding. sarah kim was her branding. she built herself up like she built boudoir up. it doesn't matter what her real name is or where she came from. the point is who she is now (and ig who she'll become). idk if i'm explaining it clearly or not, it's kind of a difficult concept to grasp, let alone explain in words lol.
i could see complaints about plot holes or it being slow-paced and boring. no, i don't think this is for everyone. it's thought-provoking and the twists will hook the right viewers. the entire cast did a phenomenal job, especially shin haesun. i'd recommend it for avid mystery lovers and those who love interweaving stories. it truly surprised me.