There are dramas that start good and become great. And there are dramas that start average and become... really bad. Sadly, Local Hero belongs to the latter. As much as I wanted to prove all those negative opinions otherwise, I just had no chance. It's a wonder that I actually finished the drama although my interest and concentration vanished halfway through.

I feel bad for rating a drama so low because I know that the actors and directors and producers usually put alot of effort in their projects. But I couldn't help myself and I should have known better after seeing the first action scene in the first episode.

So, where to start...
Well, first of all: The drama didn't seem to know what genre it was in. Crime? Suspense? Romance? Comedy? Ridiculous twists? Nothing matched the other. Even if a drama has various genres combined, there should at least be some common vibe during the whole drama. But that wasn't the case.

The plot.
At the beginning it seemed interesting but as it continued it looked like the writers only thought about the next episode but not about the bigger picture. So, everything looked kinda messed up. There were plot-holes and strange behavior by side characters and turns of events that didn't make sense at all. As it went further ahead it just couldn't pull off the excitement and suspense because of all those absurd things that happened as the story continued.

The cast/The acting.
I really, really wanted to give them a chance. It's Park Shi Hoo finally again, dammit. But even he couldn't convince me at at all in the end. His acting wasn't what it used to be back then (That doesn't mean I won't try out other new projects of him though)
I got annoyed by many ridiculous, shallow characters, but most of all by Seo Ahn played by Choi Yoon So. It seemed like she only had one facial expression. She had ALWAYS the same stare. Furthermore, since she was supposed to be the love interest for Baek Shi Hoon (Park Shi Hoo), she had no chemistry with her co-actor. NOTHING.

Choi Chan Gyu was just dump. The actor himself even admitted that he played a dump character who's only good at running. (Well, I'm sure he meant that in a good way. Not me though)

Writer Bae played by Kwon Yu Ri... well, she was average. She had my support regarding a possible love interest but she couldn't keep that up as her character didn't develop at all. But there was definitely more chemistry between her and Park Shi Hoo than with Seo Ahn.

The only one I really, really liked here (among some other side characters) was police officer In Tae Ho (Jo Sung Ha) and his family. All of them were very adorable. He was the only one who actually showed reasonable inner conflicts and a change of heart in the end.

Also, that one bad guy. Yoon Sang Min (Yoon Tae Young) showed more than just one side of him and the actor was convincing in his role.

I'm not blaming all of it on the acting. I'm partly putting the responsibility for the drama's failure on the directing and script. They didn't do a proper job here and they certainly didn't use the full potential of all those (usually) very good actors. There were scenes where they could have shown more emotion whereas in some other moments half of it would have been sufficient.

Action scenes/cinematography:
Bad. Just bad. Camera movements were too shaky. I know that it's also a method to create some mood but in this show it was too much and made the action scenes become either very blurry or just too vivid (not realistic). It also made the fighting scenes look visibly staged or out of focus.

Music:
Well, it wasn't bad but sometimes it was kinda over-dramatized.

Re-watch value.
Not. At. All. Wasted time in my opinion.

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There are already alot of reviews to this drama but I still want to write some words about it.

Back then during the airing I wasn't really interested in Healer. The story seemed nice, the only actress I already knew from previous dramas was Park Min Young. But the poster didn't look very appealing. So, I kind of skipped the drama. But not long ago someone indirectly pushed me to watch it, partly because of Ji Chang Wook. I didn't know him until now.

I think 'Healer' is the ever first drama I gave a detailed 10 point rating in all categories. I have alot of favorite dramas in my list and also one that I like the most (who doesn't). Until now. Although I don't want to rush things, I'm afraid Healer just kicked my current No.1. I'd never thought a day like this will come. But here it is.

What impressed me the most? Or... well, it was more like I got bewitched, enchanted, placed under a spell or whatever you may call it.

First of all the story. Without that... well, everything has to start with an idea, a story to tell. And I must show my utmost respect and gratitude to the writers of Healer. It's not only the plot but also the way how the story unfolds. There are so many moments when you think you know exactly what happens next and what happened in the past. And then peng!, it takes you completely off guard because something totally different was the case. You get fooled quite good. Many times.

On the other hand, there are also many moments you can't get enough of and you think to yourself, he/she should do this now, it's only logical. And as if the drama can read your mind, it just takes your thoughts and wishes and displays it on the screen. Then you find yourself quitely giggling and smiling while watching the leads acting out your only just daydreams.

Okay. A good story doesn't function without good acting. And damn!, they hit the jackpot with those actors and actresses. And not only the few leads. No, even the smaller parts, the supporting roles and the bystanders were awesome in their appearences and carried out their 'missions' perfectly.

The romance part is a special case. Nowadays I'm a bit picky with it. Here it just hits and hits and hits and there's no other way than gazing at the screen and immerse in the mood. And again, giggling along.

Music? Fits! Everytime. Everywhere.

Fighting scenes. I have to mention it because they did such a good job with that. You don't get the feeling that it's just show but that they are actually able to move that way.

Cinematography? 10 points. There wasn't even one scene where I thought the producers missed some editing. Everything just fits in pefectly... Okay, there was one thing. But it's not even worth mentioning because it was such a small matter and could be explained well, fitting the story.

At the end there's only one downer. Too short! It's the first time that I actually think 20 episodes where way too short for this story. At least some more scenes at the end? No? No...

Okay, now I'm off, but still in awe. I have to go track down the OST, so that I can enjoy this satisfying feeling that Healer left me with a little longer.


Oh, and I just love Kim Mi Kyung. Such a talented and charismatic actress.

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I went into this movie with not too high expectations because even though it was such a big project, Korean dramas taught me to still be careful with what I wish for. Well, I can't say that this movie was in any way a letdown. It was definitely not.

I'm always up for a good movie that is based on historical facts. Operation Chromite is not only based on true events but dedicated to the families and descendants of those heroes who are portrayed here. I am not a historian, so I can't assess to its historical closeness. But I do want to believe that the producers were very accurate with the details. And honestly, I don't think there could have gone much wrong either.

The story takes up pace very fast, you don't get bored over long conversations. Instead you have to concentrate alot because scenes change very fast. You blink once and half of the movie has already passed. You blink twice and the movie is already over. Every now and then it has some nice, calm and either heartwarming or heartbreaking moments as well, which is an important asset to make this movie work out the way it wants to be and to deliver the right feels.

Because this film's strength is not the action - although there's alot of that - but the people and their desperate fight for their country. Their determination and desire were infectious and moved me every single time, even though those moments were rare. The cast was delivering such a good job. There are so many really good actors and actresses in this movie that of course not everyone could get a main role. But that doesn't mean that their performances were less important than others. Even though their screentime was limited, they got the best out of themselves and brought forth some nice, raw emotions.

Despite its brutal reality, cinematography was at its best. Beautiful shots and colors that supported the storytelling and its emotions in a caring way. I'm also sounding a note of caution here for all those who are sensible to gore. Although the film is keeping it at a short leash, there are still some scenes that might upset one or two stomachs.

One thing I was bothered by (next to some other things) was first of all Liam Neeson. I know that he's a really good actor and I don't blame him here. But his scenes always seemed kinda choppy and cut off. There was no smoothness in his dialogues either. Only in close-ups his acting could truly shine which made me appreciate his appearances a little more.

Another thing that irritated me was the background score. I'm a sucker for good background music and Operation Chromite does have a great score actually. But it was so badly placed and overused in Liam Neeson's scenes that it almost lost all its impact and disrupted the in other places always well balanced story-flow. All the scenes with the Korean soldiers for example were stunningly coordinated and fluent which makes it such a shame that it didn't work out with his parts.

Overall still a nice and lasting watch that I would definitely recommend.

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Boring, cold, emotionless.

I'm surprised at myself for finishing  this. It's hard to describe what went wrong here. The drama failed in so  many ways. The team never connected on a deeper base, the cases were  interesting in their core but the writing and execution sucked. It was  never able to build enough suspense to make me excited/worried/eager to  watch more.

Don't get me wrong. Some of the individual cases  were pretty gruesome and interesting (and I was shocked how violent they made them look) than what I would expect from a  k-drama. But most times it still left me cold because the writers extended the investigation part way too much while (at the same time) were still not able to explain the profiling part in a comprehensible  and gripping way. It felt like getting food thrown at your face.

The cast 'looked' amazing but their roles were written rather poorly and appeared choppy. If this would have been my first drama with those actors and actresses, I wouldn't be interested in any other drama they starred in. Dialogues  sounded boring, the tone of each voice was always the same monotone  sound which lulled me into sleep. Some of the background music were not  helping either. I missed emotions so much here. And I missed those tiny personal  interactions between the leads. A wink, a look, some short random remarks. I don't know.  They sounded like a bunch of people who  successfully memorized their texts... Which is why I couldn't connect to  any of them. They were so one-dimensional.  I admit that sometimes it  looked like they tried to be more, but... well, it wasn't enough.

They did have some kind of steadiness: Constant  stagnation.

And what ending was that? The finale felt flat. Most times I'm quite satisfied with the main villains in dramas. But this one? Nope. There are actors who are able to pull off EVERY damn role they are given, even the bad ones. And they are able to shine in even those. And then there are actors who only suit certain characters. The actor for the main villain in this show failed to impress me - solely because his acting and his appearance together failed to capture an otherwise intriguing figure.

I'm familiar with the original series this one is based on, but I'm not a regular follower. Though occasionally I watch one or two episodes once in a while. And I have to admit that I'm more satisfied with their cases than I was with this show, even though I'm not deeply connected with the leads in the US version either. The reason why I stick with the show when I stumble upon it while zipping through the channels is because I am glued to one special bond between two of the leads. And because their cases feel more compact which leads to a more intriguing investigation. Well, if I want to, I can go into more detail but I think I made my point clear.

So sad this failed to reach my expectations. I so wish I could say something positive as well, but there's nothing I can think of. Everything that started out good/interesting became rather boring quite quickly because they stretched the developing process too far, didn't show crucial details in the leads' behavior/facial expressions and slow/dull scene editing...

But I did like the ending song!

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If you’re afraid to start this drama because of its heavy theme: Don’t be.

I won’t tell you how it ends but this drama is not only about the ending but about everything. It will put you through a lot and you will face an emotional rollercoaster (sad, sincere, exciting, lovely and even funny at some times), but it’s so worth the watch and in the end you’ll be glad to not have missed this out.

I haven’t had the feeling of a perfect drama for some time now. But here it comes, starting slowly and making me fall in love step by step. Am I biased now, writing this review since I’ve fallen for it completely? I wonder, but honestly I don’t think so. In my (hopefully) rational judging this drama is pure perfection. Why? Let me explain.

First of all the story. There is actually a story. One big one. And it goes its way and never wavers. Attention! Since this is the first step to conquer you.

There are wholly formed characters with minds of their own. All of them from lead to support. They have depth, are understandable and are carved quite well – whether it’s the good guys or the bad ones. You can see their growth and their change (of hearts). You can root for them – or the opposite. There are special bonds and friendship between the leads and their close friends who never stray but stay by their sides and it just feels so real you actually want to jump in and support them, too.

An already very good story can’t function properly without a really good cast. So, let me shake hands in gratitude with the people who decided on those incredibly talented actors and actresses. Without those it wouldn’t have been as great as it was. At this point I have to mention Lee Seo Jin and UEE. Until now I’ve rarely watched any dramas where the characters got me so good. UEE was brilliant in her role, portraying a young widow and single mother who has to put up with a lot in her life and somehow still manages to bring up her daughter the right way, even if she has to fight hell and coming up with the most difficult decisions because she can only weigh between bad and worse.

And then Lee Seo Jin. He was a new face to me but he convinced me right from the start. Playing the good second son (of a mistress), always trying to please his rich father… and still care for his mother who can’t let go of that affair of hers after all those years (and in vain). Taking on one unholy task to save her by all available means. His change throughout the drama, from being selfish to someone who would sacrifice everything for the other person (or overcome the hurdle of being a spoiled brat that thinks money can buy everything, and slowly bonding with a 7-year-old girl that’s afraid of losing her mother to someone else) was one of the best displayed characters I’ve seen so far. This man was able to show so many different emotions that it still leaves me in awe every time I think about it.

And most of all those two together. You can see their chemistry and even more important you can feel it.

The summary says it all – it’s sounds plain and obvious and the course of story may lead the way everyone possibly imagines – whatever that may be. But reading it and watching it are two completely different things. So, you should jump on the ride and enjoy it wholeheartedly – even if it’s just to see that special relationship between a contract husband and his (contract adopted) daughter. I’ve never seen something more adorable than those two.

All this and that really beautiful OST that emphasizes so well with all those important moments enchants you and makes you want to stay for a very long time. This drama has a really natural feel to it and stands out in the drama jungle.

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Well, I think sometimes it's important at what time you watch a drama. I'm not talking about morning, afternoon or night. I'm talking about the mood you're in. When this drama aired I was interested but I didn't start it right away. It went on my list but at some point I almost forgot about it. So, now, after watching so many crime dramas and other genres, I kinda misssed the good old revenge melodrama. And there it was, Secret. Right in front of me and it didn't fail any expectations.



Since the synopsis is what made everyone curious about the drama first, it's not like you were thrown into cold water. So, of course I knew what was coming. After showing the key incident, the drama starts quietly to show how everything began. After that, most times it just evolves in a way you maybe already foresee - but in a good way, it's not getting boring or someting. It's more like you're anticipating every new development as you want to know whether your judgement was right or not. It's also not without surprises. There are plenty of surprises as well.



What makes the story and the drama so valuable is the cast. Seriously, this awesome cast! Except for Ji Sung and Bae Su Bin I didn't know anyone of the actors here (ok, some of the supporting roles I've seen already somewhere else, but that's not the point here). I only knew Ji Sung from Protect The Boss where he was really good but didn't make me follow his work further. And as for Bae Su Bin... only saw him in 49 Days but can't recall his acting there since it's been too long. So, at the end I was very surprised by all those astonishing actors esp. him. He totally nailed his role here and kinda changed my view of him. So, overall all of them never failed to impress me. Whether it was the bad guys or the good guys or the good ones who turned bad or vice versa. At no point I was ever annoyed by their actions or behaviour whether they acted just like jerks or hypocrites or threw stones in the good guys' ways. I could always comprehend their actions and even loved those moments.



In the end that's the most charming point of this drama, the acting, plus a good script. There are some scenes where you think: 'If that didn't happen, things would have turned out different. She would have ended up with someone else.' It's rare, that I have those thoughts about a drama.



Furthermore, you can actually see the character development here. Not from one person or two but everyone. That's quite enjoyable because you don't have to worry that one of them might fail your expectations. I have to admit, some side characters remained a bit shallow and at some point it bothered me. But in the end I think I can forgive that. (I'm even a little surprised at how the company thing turned out in the end.)



If I had watched this drama when it aired, I don't think I would have had the same feelings towards it. Don't get me wrong, it would still not have effected the rating. Just the feeling would have been somewhat different although I don't know how to explain it.



At some point I thought I wouldn't want to rewatch the drama because the same anxiousness wouldn't be there or at least be the same as the first time. But now I think different. The first half of the drama was very intriguing, watching that vengeful person slowly turning and not being able to resist any longer in the end.



So, to cut it short: I enjoyed this drama very much!

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I want to write a review about this beautiful drama so badly, but I don't know how to start although there are so many things in my head I want to tell you.

At this point I may be already biased in judging this drama objectively. I won't tell you guys to go watch this if you haven't done it yet. It's not possible for everyone to like or love it (what kind of drama can actually do that). It's also not perfect, I admit that. But despite all that I was highly entertained and mesmerized by this one and have a hard time containing my fangirling over this.

Is it truly this awesome? Yes, for me it was. It's like Healer in sageuk style. Not much similarity but the same charm that will capture your heart. The same way Ji Chang Wook convinced and bewitched me, the same way did Lee Joon Gi. Before starting their dramas I had either never heard of them before or didn't complete a drama with them yet. So, I was walking into this drama without a fangirling heart for the leads but ended up getting one.

Not much to tell about the story since the summary is already saying everything, although it's not quite accurate and a little misleading (as summaries always are, imo). But see for yourself if you start this drama.

What I liked about The Night Scholar was in fact the story-telling. The impressive and shocking beginning, the introduction of the characters, the way new events were unfolding and leading to new plot twists... and most of all it seemed like the drama always knew what I wanted to see next. The writer(s) should be complimented for giving me that kind of feeling (of a fangirl that doesn't care for logic but only wants to have her way with the characters) and still make the story work properly and logically.

As I mentioned before Lee Joon Gi was impressive and found his way into my heart. His display of the vampire Kim Sung Yeol was great. His turmoil, his growing love, his overcoming over his past love...

The other characters grew on me, too. Kim So Eun was great in portraying two different characters, esp. the conflict of her second role here. Shim Chang Min and Lee Soo Hyuk did a solid job of their roles as the Crown Prince and the evil vampire Gwi, and the supporting actors also did their parts well. Not outstanding but a solid, (most times) convincing performance.

The reason I didn't give this a 10 is simply because there were times when I wasn't fully convinced with the fights. For a mystery drama the special effects were really good. But as for some battles and confrontations... sometimes they looked a little too staged and/or forced. No matter how much I enjoyed this drama I couldn't overlook those parts as they were continuously knocking against my head. But on the other hand big compliment to the make-up artists. They did a great job with all the blood, the look of the vampires and everything else (esp. the ugly duck turning into a swan scene).

Putting that aside... Let's talk about the music. Great plus as most times in sageuks! Harmonizing with the story and making the scenes look even more emotional. I'm already in love with the OST.

Phew... looks like I still got to say all the things I wanted to tell, haha~ Hope, you enjoyed this review (although it got quite long...), despite the fact that it might sound biased.


Ohhh, wait! Before we go on with our lives... Can someone please admire the scholar's garbs?

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I didn't want to write a review because there are already so many for this drama. But I looked through them and I was a bit sad because most of them are either too exaggerated in praising it or a bit too cruel. I know everyone has their own preferences in what they look for in a drama and everyone has their own gusto. I just want to say that the drama is indeed good. Not fantastically, awesomely, breathtakingly good. There were flaws and not everyone's acting added up to the necessary emotions. But the overall story wasn't that bad either and many of the main cast did a fantastic job nonetheless.

The story had a slow start and I admit that I had thoughts of dropping it right away. The cast was unfamiliar to me and esp. in the beginning they didn't do much to persuade me. I don't know why I kept watching. Maybe it was the first serious encounter of the male lead with tragedy and his following performance which was rich of emotions. I think that was the key moment when I realized that the story could actually be worth a try. Now, reminiscing about it, I couldn't even fathom what cruel turn of events it actually had up its sleeve. I'm not into K-Pop, so I had no idea about the idol actors in this. Therefore I also didn't have any prejudices. But as you can see, Park Jin Young convinced me.

The slow unfolding of the main story kept reigning over the first half of the drama. Most of the time I wasn't bothered though. I enjoyed Park Jin Young's and Kim Kwon's interacting. They delivered a great performance of a really complicated relationship and I looked forward to every scene with them in it together.

I think the speciality of this drama is that you have a hero and a superpower which doesn't consequently mean that he's above everyone else and therefore a superior being. Quite the opposite. He can't control his power and therefore creates more problems rather than solving them. He has to learn how to do that, he wants to help but he's not the most ambitious guy out there and even tries to get to the final line by cheating. He's short-tempered and forgets to view things from all sides. Therefore he's not able to see the whole picture. The process of him learning step by step is wrought very smoothly. He's very human in his reactions to certain events.

Which leads me to the Shin Ye Eun and thus to the weak link. While I kept watching I started to wonder why I can't enjoy the drama as much as I wanted to, even though the story, the twists, the characters were interesting. Until I figured out that it was the female lead who bothered me. I know that others praise her but I don't think that she was the right choice for this kind of drama. Her performance was too weak and the actress is too inexperienced to actually convey the feelings and difficulties her character had to go through. I don't want to bash her acting, she definitely tried. I'm just saying that it wasn't enough and led to boring scenes with Park Jin Young which also includes the romance. A hundred per cent unnecessary feature in the story.

As much as I was disenchanted by the female lead, I reveled in the display of detective Eun Ji Soo. Kim Da Som did everything I missed in Shin Ye Eun's acting. And in the beginning I was even skeptical of her. She really grew on me throughout the story and I wouldn't want to miss her now. Next to the relationship of the two brothers, Eun Ji Soo had another very interesting connection to Kang Seung Mo. Instead of the main romance the writers should have focused more on that part because I think it's a bigger deal to have her influencing Seung Mo than Yoo Jae In and Lee An chasing each other in out-of-context-scenes.

Sometimes I started to compare the drama to "I remember You". Well, it's not quite the same. But if you look for a special and complicated bromance, then you're definitely right with this one. Does the plot have holes? Hard to tell, smalls flaws in my opinion. I also could have done without the corruption part since it was just a tool to make the investigation and the grounding for an already sturdy concept more complicated. But the main focus of the drama is worth a shot despite all that.

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God, I just bawled my eyes out (silently, of course).

That was such a sweet little drama to watch. Even though there are some things that doesn't add up or weren't enough explained, I will forgive the story its flaws since it only had 3 hours to build up the whole thing, including the fast romance part.

Everything else was fluffy and funny. The female characters might have been stereotype, exaggerated  and a little too childish but some of them still grew on me. Most of all the lead and the ghost. I was especially impressed with the leads acting and I'm excited to watch more with her. She has some real potential to pull of some awesome roles. Her transformation (also the visual one) throughout the drama, from someone who looks like a witch in training from Wicked, to a fangirl that almost faints at the sight of her idol to a girl who experiences her first love, was fun to watch, even though it might not be realistic.

Suho who plays the male lead... Well, he might not be the biggest actor of his generation (yet?) but he did well enough to make the story work and make me care for his love story. That he can sing is a given considering that he's EXO's leader (=frontman?). I'm wondering if he would be able to manage more difficult roles, too. So far his acting is not sticking out from the crowd.

I really liked the visual aspects, colors and cinematography, and the directing style which totally added to the fluff but also to the heartbreaking scenes. They even had some unexpected side twists at the end, I wouldn't have guessed at the beginning.

I totally liked the music. Not only the Korean song that were sang by the lead himself but the whole contributing part of songs that carried the mood. Instead of underlining the story with instrumental pieces or other Korean songs, they used well known English hits. I loved that. It was kinda different, and even though I usually don't like that in dramas, here it kind of gave me a nostalgic feeling due to the fact that I recognized them and my own fangirl period.

Of course, quite a generous rating from me again but I don't regret watching this. A short piece of fluff and lighthearted melo, but worth it if you don't mind minor flaws and remind yourself that this is nothing too deep.

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I avoided this drama for such a long time. The poster didn't look appealing, the cast not interesting enough.  But now I've finally finished this gem within 2 to 3 days. There were so many things I loved about this drama, and it certainly made me put everything else aside. I rushed through the story like I haven't done for a very long time because I fell down a very deep rabbit hole. And despite my sudden addiction to this, I had a hard time rating it.

The drama has a very good, fast pace throughout the whole  story. There was a well woven net of deception and order of events that led to a well carried (but also kinda calm) finale, even though I still  felt like being in the middle of the story at the beginning of the final episode. I could have watched so much more. Seriously.

Characters (played by a high level cast) were so well written, so multifaceted, so likable - some more, some less. There  were bad guys who were bad and clever, good guys were good and clever,  the police was actually police and seemed to get its job done properly while the power-division/struggle was evenly shared and well balanced. There was always the right amount of give and take and there was no one who would always have the upper hand.

Action scenes were also very well choreographed without looking excessive, but still emanating some coolness. The best thing about that part: Even though there were many fights with one guy versus many gangsters... They never made them look like superhumans with endless physical strength and stamina. Regarding the environment they grew up, they were of course well trained. But that never meant that they were able to take on a bunch of ruthless thugs and get away unscathed. They either got beaten pretty badly or were able to run away in the end. And that is way more realistic than everything else you so often see in other dramas.

Romance was... intense and hot but sometimes also on  the short side. I mean I'm a fan of dramas where romantic scenes appear  rather rarely. Because when they do happen they feel so much deeper.  And I just wished that those rare scenes in this story would have been  extended a little bit. Though I can't blame the writers either because  there was so much to tell in this story since there were so many great  characters, that it must have been difficult to pack everything in 20  episodes.

Jung Kyung Ho was fantastic in almost every aspect...  Yes, you heard right. "Almost." :P And this is probably only a personal  matter of taste. I'm not really a fan of those high pitched sounds when someone is crying. I mean... don't get me wrong, it totally fitted the  moment and showed an increased level of emotion necessary for that  scene, and it was definitely done splendidly by him. And maybe I'm only complaining about this tiny little thing, because I was looking for perfection after all that praise, but it still got me a little distracted. Though I wouldn't let this small matter affect my rating.

It was a great and very entertaining, moving  and captivating drama nonetheless, and it by all means deserves all the  praise it's getting.

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What a hard time rating this.

I had to compare it to Boss & Me and... Love O2O is in no way inferior to B&M. Both of them have their flaws and slow pace, so I think 7.5 is a good rating for them. This is based on a webtoon/novel as far as I've heard. And after watching this, I can imagine the webtoon being the exact same way.

The drama follows that basic romance concept many shoujo-mangas have. From beginning to end. So, it was quite easy to guess how the story would unfold and also end. It only varies in their executed subtleties.

As for the pace... Like I already mentioned in earlier posts, it's very slow. Though the beginning was more interesting and thrilling in a certain way, the second half becomes very weak. It was an up and down as repetitive trouble for our leads kept appearing, and not all of them could hold my excitement.

The romance part is clear and straightforward. Regarding its execution... It has its sweet times, that even make you blush sometimes but it also had some problems with showing passion in... certain moments. I enjoyed some of the characters alot although they were quite stereotype. The one I grew fond of the most was the male lead. He will linger in my memory a very long time.

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I actually didn't intend to write a review for this. But since there's only one submitted so far, I thought one more opinion can't hurt.

The King's Case Note is not a movie with deep meaning but purely for your enjoyment. It's about a king and his scribe who together investigate strange occurrences which turn out to be part of a conspiracy (again). I know, it's nothing new, I thought the same. The beginning was a bit slow and unspectacular, and the plot was very predicable.

But I still enjoyed the movie because of its cast. The further I watched the more the characters and their bonds (even though only shallow) grew on me. Lee Sun Gyun just has this special charm and his voice is like a clever bait or something. Silky as honey. Then there's his acting which always gives his characters something unique. He played his majesty and was striking. He was fun to watch and by no means stuck up or something but rather flexible in his actions - and still preserved his royal demeanor.

Even though the story itself was not new or deeply impressive, the dialogues and comedy were still amusing. And together with some other colorful elements, it felt like a historical steampunk movie that doesn't take itself too serious.

Whether you watch this to pass some time or to enjoy the hidden gems in this (aka Jung Hae In or Jang Young Nam), it's definitely not a complete waste.

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Despite all the other good reviews, imo the drama was not perfect. Therefore my rating is only 8. But that's still good, so no need to worry.

The only reason why I started D-Day was because I heard that amazing song on youtube, Jung Dong Ha - That Day. I was sooo moved by it that I just had to watch the drama behind it.

Ok, where to start... the good things? Doesn't really matter, right?

What I was most impressed by from the very start, was Kim Young Kwang. I only saw him in Pinocchio and Yong-Pal before and he didn't stand out that much. But here, woah... His acting was so strong that I almost fell for him. Seriously. (I don't like curls either, but it made him very handsome, too.) Many other actors/actresses did also a good job, although not all of them. And I don't like Ha Suk Jin. He just opens his eyes so strangely wide when something schocks him, that I couldn't take him seriously.

Lee Kyeong Yeong's character on the other hand... Well, I hated that guy the most. Seriously, never hated a person in a drama like I did here. And still, in the end I liked him the most, because his 'departure' and change was the best of them all. He didn't fold completely. He may have understood his wrongdoings, but he still maintained his personality and conviction what made him look even more human. In most dramas, the bad guys changing at the end seem like they changed their souls or something. But not in this one and I was very pleased with that.

Another good point of this drama were the surguries. There were alot of them and thank God most of them didn't have a dramatic showdown, though many of them were quite dangerous and tight in success.

What else... the scenery or better said the special effects. It was a drama but that didn't stop the producers from doing a great job on those. You can see that they put alot of effort into the realistic view of the distaster and that was just candy for my eyes.

What I also liked was that there were not only black (bad) and white (good) people. There were many grey persons, too, like someone who is trying to help, but in order to do that he has to make some difficult decisions, even if it means to become the black sheep among them.

Also, not all of those who did bad things were punished. That makes it even more realistic.

Another plus? I just like the main pairing! They were great together and really cute. I wish there would have been some more 'cuddle/hugging' scenes or something. My romantic heart wasn't well served!

I guess, now we have to go the things that made me rate this drama an 8.
First of all, I know that a situation like this, a distaster is not only ruled by heroes but also by individual fates and people who start acting only intuitively which implies the ever first rule: Self-preservation/survival.

But nevertheless, many wrong behaviours just seemed too excessive. And with every new episode I was getting more and more annoyed by the director's attitude which didn't even budge an inch. At least once I wanted to see his pride as a doctor.

Well, that's it. No matter what and despite this one point of criticism, I still enjoyed D-Day (I had to cry alot, too.). Only my rewatch value is a bit low. Don't take it the wrong way, I just don't think I will rewatch it. Listening to the song mentioned above is quite enough for me.

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So, here are my humble thoughts about this exceptional show.

First of all, this is definitely one of the better crime investigation dramas out there and evidence that OCN can indeed produce great shows. I lost faith after Neighborhood Hero, but Missing Noir M was able to mend my shattered heart.

The acting was thoroughly awesome. Not only the leads who had great chemistry in a non-romantic way but also every single guest actor/actress who played important roles in each case. They were able to make me excited to a point where I couldn't stop watching while at the same time I was worried that I'd finish this drama too fast. It's unfortunately only 10 episodes but I could have watched 10 more of it. The cast delivered their emotions and messages so well, that I'm still stunned when I think about it. Though I didn't really cry, they still moved me to tears so many times. This was about interpersonal relationships which were put to proof under extreme circumstances. It's about justice and injustice, and about trust and suspicion.

What I loved so much here was how every case was built. Disclosing one secret always meant to find ~10 other secrets within that had to be solved in order to see the whole magnitude. Layer by layer and in the end the picture always looked completely different from what you had expected in the beginning.

Though I must say that I didn't enjoy the last case as much as the earlier ones. Maybe it's because I prefer psychological mind games over corruption cases. I know what they wanted to tell their viewers with that last one, but I still think that it didn't really fit well between those other mind-blowing puzzles. It seemed rather short and rushed and failed to properly explain its own story. It felt plain compared to the other cases.

There were also some loose ends, especially the reason why they even formed that special missing persons investigation team when they were so worried about opening Pandora's Box. It was quite well explained for the first case but for all the other ones, it remains a mystery to me.

Background music was, as I already mentioned some days ago, exceptional. So damn well composed, balanced and in sync that it managed to liven up every important moment to its full potential.

Rating 9/10 - Great ride and exciting watch ?

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Going to school, be able to vote, marry whoever you want to or simply follow your dreams without many restrictions. All of these things are so natural to us that we lightly forget what hardships our ancestors had to go through to accomplish those rights. Though history differs from country to country, many of them went through similar events.

Secret Door depicts the conflict between a king and his son, each of them having his own conviction of what is right and what is wrong and how a nation should be ruled and led to the future. Based on true events the drama tells a neat and thrilling story, that most times weighs heavy but still works just fine thanks to some brilliant performances of the leads and their supporting figures. It's such a pleasure to see so many different characters develop and change in reasonable ways throughout the drama. To turn somebody's conviction into the opposite or a completely new path is not an easy task. Yet they managed to show just that with believable methods.

I bow my thanks to Lee Je Hoon and Han Seok Kyu, they were badass in this and without them the drama wouldn't have functioned properly and sent out the same sparks. Though it's simply impossible to wholly imagine the extent of their characters' burdens they had to carry along the way, those two actors did a magnificent job.

While I already saw Lee Je Hoon in Signal and thought he was great in there, only now I start to really appreciate his efforts thanks to Secret Door. I'm glad I got to know his true potential through this and I dare declare to have found another gem in the Korean industry that hasn't been fully acknowledged yet.

My only regret in this drama is Kim Yoo Jung. She was as great as all the others. All the more I am unsatisfied with her replacement for an older version of her character as well as how the significance of her role was scaled down.

I highly recommend this drama to everyone who doesn't mind political sageuks. It is worth the watch and certainly deserves more love.

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