nvwang
This review may contain spoilers
The most affecting drama I have ever seen
I watch a lot of murder mystery dramas; I even listen to tons of true crime podcasts, so you know I'm able to stomach the content and find intrigue in the genre.
However, this drama was no average "whodunnit." This was a rollercoaster ride, from start to finish, and even though I was unfortunately spoiled before I started watching it, I was still surprised and intrigued at how the story unfolded.
This was a deeply human story. It really makes you question what right and wrong are. The basic question that started the first episode, aka "Can you predict a murderer before he's born?", isn't that interesting to me. The more interesting ones are: "Can a murderer change?" "Can you feel sympathy for a murderer?" "Can a murderer redeem himself?". These are the questions I was asking myself as we got to the second half of the drama.
::::::::::::SERIOUS SPOILER STARTING HERE::::::::::::
I think we got a really unique main character in Jung Bareum - at first, I loved how kind and bumbling he was. Then, to see him wake up with memory loss and become scared out of his mind that he may become a murder was truly heart-wrenching to watch. Then, to see him remember his true memories and realize what kind of person he was - that was an honest punch to the gut. It was so, so incredibly difficult to watch this transformation, and in less capable hands, he would have been more of a caricature than a truly captivating character. Lee Seung Gi completely outdid himself here. I have never been more compelled by an actor (the only other time was Ji Sung in Kill Me, Heal Me, another drama where the main character has conflicting personalities). I could not get myself to hate Bareum, even after the flashback scenes where you see how he had disdain for everyone and killed all those people in the coldest of cold blood. LSG does that good of a job at making you sympathize with his character. He was robbed of a Daesang for sure.
::::::::::::END MAJOR SPOILER::::::::::::
TLDR: If you're wondering if you should watch this drama, you should watch it if you like good storytelling, and even better acting. However, this is not a smooth ride. If you're looking for something to just pass the time, this is not the drama. If you're interested in thinking deeply and feeling deeply, then I would 100000% watch this drama.
A modern masterpiece.
However, this drama was no average "whodunnit." This was a rollercoaster ride, from start to finish, and even though I was unfortunately spoiled before I started watching it, I was still surprised and intrigued at how the story unfolded.
This was a deeply human story. It really makes you question what right and wrong are. The basic question that started the first episode, aka "Can you predict a murderer before he's born?", isn't that interesting to me. The more interesting ones are: "Can a murderer change?" "Can you feel sympathy for a murderer?" "Can a murderer redeem himself?". These are the questions I was asking myself as we got to the second half of the drama.
::::::::::::SERIOUS SPOILER STARTING HERE::::::::::::
I think we got a really unique main character in Jung Bareum - at first, I loved how kind and bumbling he was. Then, to see him wake up with memory loss and become scared out of his mind that he may become a murder was truly heart-wrenching to watch. Then, to see him remember his true memories and realize what kind of person he was - that was an honest punch to the gut. It was so, so incredibly difficult to watch this transformation, and in less capable hands, he would have been more of a caricature than a truly captivating character. Lee Seung Gi completely outdid himself here. I have never been more compelled by an actor (the only other time was Ji Sung in Kill Me, Heal Me, another drama where the main character has conflicting personalities). I could not get myself to hate Bareum, even after the flashback scenes where you see how he had disdain for everyone and killed all those people in the coldest of cold blood. LSG does that good of a job at making you sympathize with his character. He was robbed of a Daesang for sure.
::::::::::::END MAJOR SPOILER::::::::::::
TLDR: If you're wondering if you should watch this drama, you should watch it if you like good storytelling, and even better acting. However, this is not a smooth ride. If you're looking for something to just pass the time, this is not the drama. If you're interested in thinking deeply and feeling deeply, then I would 100000% watch this drama.
A modern masterpiece.
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