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xXabsintheXx
독일 ~ Where the waves gush against your windows
Well, this one is not exactly the same but there are many similarities in the basic concept. It's about a man who gets trapped in a collapsed tunnel. Luckily, his phone gets a signal, so he can make an emergency call. Otherwise any help would have taken some time since the tunnel itself was a new construction and didn't have much traffic yet.
The overall meaning of this movie doesn't seem to be his struggle to survive until rescue arrives. It rather displays that so many things can actually go wrong, and what the public and single individuals are thinking about the whole incident as times passes. And although I got angry so many times while watching, many things got closer to reality than we would admit. Secret thoughts versus proper behavior versus taking action through the back door. How would one really behave when facing an extreme situation - being a victim, a bystander, a culprit or a person in charge. Who's protecting his interests and who's protecting his conscience?
The movie wasn't perfect. Most of it was gripping but it still had its longueurs. Maybe... if they had reduced some of those parts that made me angry throughout the movie...? Wouldn't have done any damage.
The acting was really good. I'm only starting to appreciate Ha Jeong Woo's acting but I'm already quite impressed with what I've seen so far. There were so many characters that most of them couldn't show any depth and many of them felt like silhouettes and ghosts. But those few who got more screen time were good in delivering the message.
Korean filmmakers have a knack for disaster movies - though in their own way, but they hardly disappoint.
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Ok, the story itself is not a new one. It's not really a surprise how it will turn out. But nevertheless it was quite enjoyable. And at some point I WAS a bit surprised because for some seconds I really thought the ending would be another than what I was anticipating. A little turn of events that made my heart beat faster.
I think what I enjoyed most was this kind of Joseon. Everything was a little lighter, the atmosphere was not as dark and intriguing as in those other more serious historical dramas. Not so much whispering and treason and whatever. The plot was more focused on the young king and the girl. The development of their relationship was so amusing and sweet and I caught myself smirking everytime they were together. I smiled along with them alot, when they were happy about something. But there were also some sad moments where I almost cried.
I liked the acting alot, esp. the king (although he was not an eye candy for me). Still, he convinced me and earned my recognition since he was partly responsible for that sweet romance that both lead actors displayed so well. (But seriously, do you know the feeling when you think the Joseon style looked better on the guy than the present one? :'D)
Ah, don't forget about the little reference to another historical drama that made me giggle in delight.
(Music rating is a bit low because although it wasn't bad, it could have been a little better, something to remember)
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But let me tell you a few things that might convince you to start this nonetheless. I actually think that the poster was a bad choice. It doesn't invite people to watch this. When I first saw it, I thought the drama would be something like "Save Me", but don't ask me why I got that impression. Now I can reassure you, it's definitely nothing like that.
It is indeed about a powerful demon and a small group (unrecognized by the church) of two Catholic priests and three... let's say believers/co-workers who made it their business to fight evil and exorcise possessed humans. As the story goes on, it becomes clear that everything leads to a certain demon whose past is connected with the two priests (yes, of course, it is a k-drama after all).
I'm always cautious with OCN. They can impress as much as they can disappoint. With "Priest" they once again proved how well they can create atmosphere in a drama. You might not have your jumping moments, but you definitely get sucked into its dark and unearthly ambience when the scene requests for it (so if you really want to enjoy the full experience, do yourself a favor and watch the drama at night).
At times that eery feeling gets disrupted by a busy hospital life but still doesn't cut the story in two. Quite the opposite. It not only introduces the female lead, but also happens to be a returning "crime scene". So, people, pasts and places are all affiliated with each other.
Every character has a purpose, no matter how small it may be. In the end they all help create a three-dimensional environment for the main cast and story. Therefore, it's unnecessary to orate about performances because the cast is so smoothly entangled in the script that you just don't pay attention to someone's "acting skill" anymore. That's how good they are and I think that also pretty much paints the picture already.
I do have to mention that "Priest" also reached a point where I actually would have started to complain about some serious things. It stretched its (supernatural) limits quite good and almost slipped off to absurdity. It also felt like they switched genres. BUT - and here I have to refer to the beginning of my review - I did say that this drama doesn't have any real jumping scenes, but it definitely has an ace up its sleeve. A twist I didn't expect. A twist that compensates for almost everything frown-worthy before. It's actually a not so well received trope for experienced drama-watchers. Funnily, here it's making up for everything (not because of viewers' personal desires but because it fits the story so well).
Whether that turn of events was planned from the beginning or just a spontaneous idea later on doesn't matter. It was needed, it was well placed and made the story so much better (it didn't feel spontaneous at all though). The story got back on track and lingering worries faded away with the finale episodes coming closer. The ending suited the impression of the story about sacrifice and fate. Not a fate chosen by some deity but by oneself.
Thought of the day. Amen.
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The story was well written and the theme about ballet was well chosen as well. The fragility of the dance is mirrored in the plot. Ballet is fragile yet strong, and so is the love story of Yeon Soo and Dan.
Though the big finale was predictable, it was still very good. You anticipate it to happen and just want to know how it's playing out in the end.
Not everything was predictable though, there were also many smaller things that surprised me. I'm also glad that not every death was a planned assassination here.
Acting was really, really good. I'm used to Shin Hye Sun's convincing skills, but I have to praise L's performance even more. He improved a lot since I last saw him in a drama. His scenes were never lacking nor were they exaggerated. It seemed as if Dan's character was written for L's body and soul. I can't think of anyone else more fitting.
The cinematography of some scenes were quite an eyecatcher. And to complete the picture, the music was at its best. It was so well composed and placed that the drama would truly have missed out if it wouldn't have been a part of it. It's one of those soundtracks that makes you immediately remember the drama that belonged to it. It was sad and beautiful and comforting and hopeful.
Definitely recommended.
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The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
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A perfect story
The story was captivating, the pace was really good and the storytelling was almost flawless from beginning to end. CGI, costumes and make up were stunning, the choreography of the fights was awesome.I appreciate it a lot that they took their time to tell everyone's story (expect for Bora's, that one came up short, though you might argue whether their was actually enough told for the story). That way I could connect with them, understand their actions and enjoy their adventure. The acting added its sweet part as well, so there wouldn't be anything to complain about. I mean, there was no dull moment, not even for a second.
The music was fantastic. Sweet and melancholic, creating a perfect mood.
A round about satisfying watch that depicts the concept of "Yin and Yang" in an understandable and impressive way. As a side snack you get a nice bromance, too~
(On a side not, what I didn't get was the serpent at the beginning and the one from the main story... That one wasn't the same, was it? But if not, why were there more than one? The story sounded like there was only one. But if it was that one, how's that possible since the main one was concealed at that time?)
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Delicate and Raw
When I randomly started this, I didn't think I would finish it so fast. But here I am two weeks later, giving this one a full 10.If I had to describe this drama with one word, it would probably be: ~"delicate"... and every other attribute you would associate with it. While watching I always felt like intruding some kind of intimate privacy. I know that sounds weird but I just don't know how to describe it otherwise. The music fits so well and adds enough sorrow and longing to the story, to make it even more perfect.
The cast did a fantastic job in portraying their different roles, be it in the past or the present. They did well in showing that even though some of them were reincarneted, they still got different personalities and therefore acted to their experiences, not their past selves. As for the immortal main lead, he went through some dreadful ordeals that explain his 600 years lasting urge for revenge. Even more remarkable was how he faced the new trials that arose after circumstances changed. Lee Jin Wook did an unbelievably awesome job in displaying the subliminal evolution and growth of his character during and after overcoming those challenges and still keeping them locked up to the very last minute until they finally erupted.
The "other" villain was a fascinating individual himself. He was multi-layered and yet he always seemed as if something was missing. Considering his body condition that part was quite accurate and well played. He managed to make me care for him enough to feel somewhat sad at how it all played out in the end.
I'm impressed how well the writers managed to keep me in the dark about the overall story. Whenever I thought I knew what was going on, they added another angle to the story and threw me back to the start. They sit through that way till the end without losing its original tension which many other dramas fail to accomplish, and I'm so glad about that because it gave the story some constancy.
Every part of this drama interwines so well with the other ones, whether it be the cinematography, the music, the cast or the script. Putting everything together creates a great watch, I didn't expect to love so much. And I'm so glad that there's no cheesy "I love you" line. That would have ruined the whole thing.
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Interesting story, but lacking in character design
The idea was interesting, the storytelling was good enough to keep me going. As I said before, I liked the cases they were working together, they made me somewhat invested in the characters tragedies.But it was sad that they didn't put more effort into building a solid background for the exorcism itself. They always mentioned some historical infos here and there, so it would help the current case, but it always felt only half-baked and clumsy in thinking it through. Especially the dealing with the cases during the last episodes, even though the action during those episodes was really good.
I always found Jang Na Ra's character very one-dimensional, although I liked her resting b**-face at times. But seeing it throughout the whole 16 eps was tedious. And there was NO character development, a smirk here and there doesn't make it any better. Her male part, Oh In-Beom was way more interesting (even though I'm usually not a fan of the actor). Jung Yong Hwa's acting skills were somewhat limited (or the writing lacked) but still more entertaining than Jang Na Ra here.
Also, the villian!! Please... I'm a fan of Ahn Kil Kang, but the writing of his character was just so, so bad! There was no depth, no background story, no explaining of his character. What a waste of potential.
Overall: Entertaining because of the cases and the CGI. Really, the special effects were really well done! The ghosts at times were frightening, one or two jump-scares (when you watch it at night, alone, lol), and that special faceless one was an interesting idea and a good implementation.
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1. Sato Takeru in a Hakama
2. Samurai
Oops... I thought I would list more things... I didn't even read the summary, so I can't say I went for the plot either.
Apparently, this one's based on a novel and an actual historical event. The film doesn't solely center on Sato Takeru's character. It tells the story of the people of Annaka (today a town in Japan). Its lord is concerned about how his samurai are doing during this time of peace while foreigners (through trading) slowly start to approach that so far closed Japan to outsiders. He sees a thread in them and doesn't want his men to slack off. Therefore he starts a marathon to keep them on track.
At first it sounds somewhat unusual. But it was a really pleasant watch for me. There are no fancy sword fights or overwhelming poetic dialogues or scenes. It simply shows how unstable peace was back then (spies laid low everywhere), how one single letter can change for the better or worse and how people who were only aiming for their own goals before, start to fight unitedly to protect their territory.
I felt really comfortable while watching. The atmosphere wasn't too heavy, though there was still some seriousness to it. The film doesn't go into too much detail and yet you grasp all the subtle circumstances everyone is in.
It starts on a calm note but it never drags. It has a steady rhythm to tell the story, very well paced, in my opinion. You don't always need action-loaded elements to enjoy something like that. Sometimes you just need a well thought through strategy that puts every piece together in the final stage. Combined with some beautiful cinematography, you get a real nice dish served.
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As I watched the movie, I realized once again that only Japan can create that kind of varying atmosphere. It started as some depressing slice-of-life genre, transformed into some fun Sc-fy action, jumped into the Death Note universe and came back for some superhero clash.
Two people of different age and circumstances stumble upon the opportunity to actually try out a "What would you do if you had god-like power"-situation while turning their innermost body parts into a superhuman robot. Due to their varied life experiences, their paths divide into completely different directions. Even though there's an explanation for the cause, they don't reveal the purpose of it all, and instead focus on the main characters development. You know pretty early on that there will be a hero and an anti-hero.
They use stereotype ruthless public bashing to corner the characters even further. Since there's no bloodthirsty psycho, there's no exaggerating use of gore either. But there is a very high death toll that makes you swallow nonetheless because of its simplicity. Like snapping fingers it happens without creating tension, no extensive explanation and delay. Just like that, it hits you in the guts (and that might not be to everyone's liking, just so you know).
CGI was totally okay in my eyes and the constant change between background music and silence I liked as well.
I don't think it's a movie for some real deep thinking. There is that question "What if...", but it's just that. The rest is either to people's liking or not. I for myself enjoyed the movie. And Sato Takeru can definitely pull off a high school kid.
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What a ride
Rating this gave me a hard time. That's probably because I didn't see as many baseball scenes in this drama as I'd wished for. I do get that it's more about the people's growth and how things might work in that industry. But seeing some more games to let me root for the players I've grown to like so much would have been nice.Nonetheless, it was still a great drama with an awesome cast and plot. You can somewhat guess, where the story is going after watching the first episodes. A sports team, that loses all the time. Of course there must be some heavy problems, right? Baek Seung Soo (NGM) starts to root out the foul branches one by one. He persuades you that it can really work and you start to cheer for the team to get up again. But well, it's a drama afterall, so don't fool yourself. There are the higher ups who don't want him to succeed, no matter what. And so additional obstacles are spread just when you think everything runs fine.
Nam Goong Min is without doubt a terrifying actor. I always prefer the silent roles because they show the actors' real capability. Baek Seung Soo (NGM) was one kind of a silent character. He seems apathetic, not caring much but still determined to achieve his goal. By no means is he cold though. He has that little brother he's living with who is tied to a wheelchair, and you can see that Baek Seung Soo does care for his family. He's also smart, perceptive and cunning. I've only seen a few other characters who were as calculative as him and I'm happy that the writing and NGM's acting convinced me of these traits through and through. For example, whenever his character came up with his next move, he was of course faced with anger and a strong headwind. But he fought his battles with calmness and evidence based reasoning.
He takes most blows without complaint, instead he works on other ways to still get the results he needs. But when he's really, really pissed (or cornered or just overwhelmed), his nonchalant demeanor breaks for like two seconds and you discover his well hidden emotions. It might be glimpses, but NGM gives them a deep impact. It almost scares you how much he can bottle up and then release.
In the early episodes it seems as if he's just doing a job. Well, that might be true. But as time goes by, he realizes that there are other people, who are as determined as he is, and in a subtle way, he unintentionally creates bonds without knowing it. I kinda suspected from the beginning how his character would be wrapped up work-wise. Even though I might not have suspected anything at all about his growth as a person, something was expected nevertheless. Otherwise the drama would have failed its purpose.
The rest of the cast did good jobs themselves, they supported the leads very well. There was always enough back story to make their characters three-dimensional without giving too much side info. It was enough to either reassure you, so you can name your league of good people, or deceive you, to make surprising twists possible.
The alleged villain... Oh, well. You start from liking him to disliking to hating to... Let's say he's a difficult one. Of course, it gets explained why he's doing what he's doing. You just wish for him to break that damn cage, he's gotten himself into. He definitely grew as a person ultimately, but he still has a long road ahead.
What I found hard at times was to follow the technical jargon. I like baseball but I'm not an expert. While it makes sense for them to talk like that when they are surrounded by their people, it would have been nice if they had somehow made their evaluations more comprehensible. I want to cheer them on so badly, but how can I do that, when I only understand half of it.
The few baseball scenes were like honey. Even though there weren't that many, they did those really well and managed to show off a bit. I enjoyed them so much because they were a nice change of scenery (and I'm always in for a nice game).
Conclusion:
An overall powerful drama about a lone 'ranger', who stands tall, no matter what, who meets a defective baseball team that's in a real mess but opposes the unusual methods of their new general manager. Both sides surprise you in unexpected ways and will sweep you away with a new found team spirit.
So, don't miss out on this one ;)
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Chapeau to a character-driven story
Many people enjoyed this one the same way I did, and I'm glad it did. Sometimes a hype can mislead you, but sometimes it can also display its actual value.While trying to pick a hopefully good drama from that never ending list, this wouldn't have been my next choice if it wasn't for a recommendation of a dear friend. Someone who I'd consider one of the most critical watchers here on MDL. Even though my rating is highly likely more generous than hers, we do feel the same about a bunch of dramas when we actually hit a jackpot. Flower of Evil falls into that category.
Someone once told me that if you start to dream in a language you're currently learning, then you really begin to understand it.
In a way this drama is a language on its own, and it wants to tell a very sensitive and shocking story. A story, that made me dream about. I wasn't able to let go of the characters even after going to bed. The tension already tied me down after switching off the television. And I can't remember the details about the dream but I do remember the strange feeling after waking up the next day. My feelings were caught up in all these circumstances, and the more I got to know, the more invested I became.
The drama has so many strong treats, that I can't decide which one I should mention first. The main leads? The supporting cast? The acting? The writing?
Starting the drama, the first thing you notice is one of the most adorable married couples you've ever seen in the dramaworld, only completed with one the most precious little daughters out there. At first sight they look perfect. Too perfect actually. And as the plot summary already reveals, there's something you can't see right away. Something that starts to tear down those perfectly built walls from within. Being experienced with alot of crime tropes, I knew there was something fishy about that dark past, they wanted to sell me. Seriously, how far would a drama go with making the main lead the bad guy? That question constantly followed me while my suspicions changed all the time.
The script was fabulous in overthrowing my theories over and over again, only to make me realize that I was wrong from the very beginning. There were plot twists I'd never dreamt of. However in the later episodes I became quite suspicious of alot of scenes. But the precise draft of the plot kept my confidence high that everything would play out comprehensible.
No doubt, Lee Joon Gi pulled a big one here. I don't want to exaggerate but his performance was brilliant. The characters' writing was so detailed that I as a viewer was able to understand his whole nature even before he himself knew his true colors. Moon Chae Won was the perfect counterpart to disclose all the given layers, designed by a well balanced push and pull of both of them. I rooted for her character as well as I did for her husband. At some point though she kinda disappointed me, but... I guess that's what you call human nature. So, despite that one situation, I was glad that Do Hyun Soo (LJG) didn't let me down during that time. If he did, I would have questioned the whole concept of his character.
The villain was a league of its own. I don't want to give away too much, so let me just say, what an astonishing display of 'antisocial disorder' this was. My inner profiler screamed 'what a warped mind to study!'.
The side actors supported the story big time, thanks to a neatless writing and a well selected cast. Hyun Soo's sister Hae Soo, Reporter Kim and Hyun Soo's step parents got enough background story to become tangible pieces who you could relate with (whether you liked them in the end or not).
The members of the police force weren't given that much background, but each member made a perceptible contribution to push the plot forward. Usually I don't give much credit to police officers in dramas, because they keep messing up in unbelievable ways. These guys however, I can make an exception with a clear conscience. Their actions were always reasonable and well thought-out. Even though you don't know much about them, you could feel the teamwork and trust that was built over the years. I could accept their decisions, for better or worse. The few character treats they were given were used well enough to make them not look like brainless drama puppets.
Somewhere in the middle I realized that this was not the first drama with Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won working together. 'Criminal Minds' were another one, a drama I was highly disappointed with because it felt cold and lacked empathy. While that one proved once more that if a script sucks, the best actors can't save it either, Flower of Evil confirmed that great writing can pitch its actors to another level.
Thank you, Flower of Evil, for giving me such a delicious watch and such a remarkable and catchy OST (my next earworm indeed).
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Watching the trailer, I knew I would definitely start this when I get the chance. Excitement, suspense and the hope of some good mystery (whether it might be supernatural or not) led me to the impression that I wouldn't waste my time with this one. Maybe you're going to watch the trailer now, maybe you already did and just decided to start the drama. Well, sometimes producers tend to put the most exciting moments into those two minute clips to attract a lot of people. Unfortunately that often results in viewers being disappointed because all the already known suspense is getting served in the first one or two episodes. There's a big chance your interest has been piqued by then but the further you watch the more sober you get about the plot and you just know that you won't develop the same gripping emotions you had in the beginning.
Does that make "Search" not worth the watch? Don't worry, it still does. But don't let your imagination and excitement run free, don't expect too much or set the bar too high.
The story itself is still very interesting and most times they did a great job telling it. You can guess one or two things and connect some dots along the road as more details come to light, intentionally or not. I don't think it's a bad idea to show pieces of the puzzle here and there (I definitely wouldn't call it predictable) because I for myself like to guess things and I'm happy when I'm right about it. And I really enjoyed the net that was woven. Even though the drama left me with one or two unanswered questions (I'm still really curious about those - i.e. the explanation for the "cause" was pretty vague), most things were explained in the end.
The cast did an adequate job, some more than others and in the end the acting was good enough for the story. I thought that Jang Dong Yoon (ML) would be my light of the day, but it was actually Moon Jung Hee and Yeon Woo Jin. Oh, and of course the dogs, Leo and Mac! They were trained so well. Makes me wonder whether they really used military ones.
Aside from a pointless romance that already ended before it had even started, the main problem for a plot like this was that they revealed too much physics of the main "thing" too early, which took out all the "mystery". Therefore the main force was pulled down right away and never rose again. That makes you start to concentrate on the side dishes and you discover small details that bother the flow if you put too much thought into it. For example, I'm no expert regarding military behavior, but how can they chat about private things in the middle of an operation. In the dark. With an unknown target. Like yeah, no. But don't worry, those situations are quite rare. And maybe it's just me who noticed those things which happened only once or twice.
Would I recommend this? Yes, I would. Despite its flaws it's still a good watch. And for people who don't nitpick about every tiny crack, it can be quite a show. I did feel entertained by it. My expectations were just too high right from the start.
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I was very fascinated about that special father/son relationship. It was complicated, and subtle gestures, words and looks created a really good feel for those both as well as for me.
I also liked that there were so many grey-ish characters, some of them explained more detailed, others less. Being in the medical field myself I can relate to the daily struggles and difficult decisions the doctors have to make - and it's stressing you out a lot. Of course, for us it looks like "Omg, he's such a bad person." but well... it's never easy to make life changing decisions, right?
I also mentioned before that I'm in love with the constellation of the cast, right? This drama has so many of my favorites actors and actresses in it, that it was pure pleasure to watch them - even if the script was trash. Though that is definitely not the case here. The plot, the writing, the dialogues and the execution were great. Except for the last episodes. I wouldn't have minded two more. I think that it would have been better for the story flow because the finale feels a bit flat and rushed now. Also, for the development of the relationship between Lee Young Oh and Gye Jin Sung, especially how she is slowly changing him. Both of them together got less screentime because of the cut since the drama also had to solve the criminal part.
But nevertheless, Park So Dam and Jang Hyuk were... well, they completed each other? I mean, they were able to pull off the differences in character and how they completed each other (even though I feel that Park So Dam's character fell a bit short on that part). They had really good chemistry, even though I also enjoyed Jang Hyuk's and Park Se Young interactions in the beginning (yeah, part of it was Money Flower-induced... :p).
Those Power Rangers below (excluding Jang Hyuk, ofc)... and the rest of the medical stuff were a nice addition, and even though they were either not the nicest people or just too undefined in the beginning, they grew on me. Though Dong Ha was my favorite from the first minute :p~ And he and Jang Hyuk... I need another drama with them together!
The medical part is very... tumor-heavy, one could say. It makes it look like there are just no other diseases out there. I always told myself that there are a lot more patients with minor illnesses, but just not shown for the viewer. And for the sake of the viewer they picked the more dangerous and rarer ones. I can't blame them. First of all, it was very interesting to get to know about some of them. And secondly, not every "tumor" means "cancer". "Tumor" just means "lumb/swelling" where the structure of the cells is either slightly or gravely different from the usual ones. I learned that in school recently, but I'm sure that the majority of people who don't work in the medical field and don't research those things on their own, don't know about it. There's a difference in cells and benign tumors (the good ones) can be removed if the location is not too dangerous and it won't re-appear. Benign tumors also won't "spread" because their cell walls are definite. There's a lot more to the subject, so I will stop here since it's quite the dry material. I just wanted to point that out because I know a lot of people freak out when they hear "tumor".
If you listen to "Dirt" by Park Bernard, the songs makes you all warm and melancholic and sad with a spark of hope. Not every OST of a drama is worth mentioning, but this one needs to be. It's captivating and so different from your usual songs, and stays with you even after the song has already finished for some time.
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So, where to start…
If you look at the basic story alone, it’s actually a quite interesting case. I was really curious about all the new revelations and how things were connected. But the writers messed up the whole concept of “keeping suspense”. There was none. And if this wasn’t enough already, it felt like they were going backwards with the thrill and make it even more boring.
First of all, there was the constant power struggle between the bad side characters. It was chaotic and obscure to a point where it reached the level of a sleeping pill. It made you unable to get interested in all the schemes they were weaving whenever it was needed. And what made it even more tiring was the acting in those cases. It had such a monotone tune without even one attempt to accelerate the intensity or change certain expressions in the characters to make them more dimensional. I would have been happy about some independent single cases to loosen that grey, depressing atmosphere of the drama and get the drama back to life.
Secondly, the main characters. Even though I liked that bit romance they had added to the story, I was not satisfied with the rest of their behavior. Choi Jin Hyuk did a good job with his acting, but I was not always fond of his character. I liked him during his private time when he was not working at some case. Those times he was enjoyable to watch. But whenever he was doing some prosecutor stuff, he got on my nerves because he was always picking a fight with his supervisor, was disobedient and got in trouble all the time.
Baek Jin Hee… I liked her so much in Missing 9, but here she’s rather a disappointment. Her acting was boring and could have been way more expressive. She looked like a wet puppy most times. At the same time her eyes seemed uninterested in the surroundings and the dialogues and it felt like there was a child doing some grown-up stuff (nooo, not what you guys think). Her character seemed out of place. She was timid and without any confidence. There was always someone who cut her short and she obediently let it happen. At times she was like a child and very stubborn when it came to her own case. Her approach to solve that one was in no way clever and the most ridiculous thing was that she and her team displayed the whole progress on a board in their office room for everyone to see.
Choi Min Soo… He was great. I liked his acting a lot and his character was seriously interesting. He made mistakes in the past and tried to hide them, it was never sure on what side he was on, but deep down you knew that he had some good will roots. Sometimes though, he was a bit exaggerating and acting too extreme. He was on the verge of the abusing his power towards his subordinates (most of all whenever he was angry with the female lead he invaded her personal space to a point where it should be called “harassing”). That was the only thing I hated about him.
I also like the veteran supporting actors, i.e. Kim Na Woon who played the mother of the female lead. Or Son Chang Min who was equally entertaining as Choi Min Soo. Also, Choi Woo Shik was a funny character as well. He was not without flaws and it was fun to see him trying to escape the “going up against my superiors”-road every time.
Also, the father of the female lead. I didn’t like the actor in “King of Baking”, but here he was very impressive, even though his screen-time was very short.
On the other hand I was not happy with the clothing of the females in this. Call me prude, but it was totally inappropriate for them to wear extremely short skirts and do the “I’m too sexy for this job”-dance.
Overall a drama with a good start and an interesting idea. But failed pacing without suspense, bad placed revealing of secrets and a consistently grayish atmosphere made the drama a tiring journey.
But most of all: Why the hell are people allowed to prosecute cases they are involved in themselves?! And then the ending… What was that?
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Several years ago I didn't know about the korean market, dramas, movies etc. I wasn't into that stuff yet. I just randomly bought some japanese horror movies (at least that's what I thought, lol). I didn't even notice that this one was korean. Well, I liked the story (watched it twice) and then forgot about it.
Now, after almost 15 years and to complete my drama list I digged it up again, and while reading the contents I had to laugh out loud after recognizing so many actors I didn't know of back then. (Like: 'She's from Angry Mom and Faith!' and 'He's from The Greatest Love and You're all Surrounded!' and 'That one's from The King's Face!'...)
The Story itself is really nice and interesting but since this movie is from 1999 the special effects are (of course) not as good as today. Low budget and all included. Doesn't mean it's bad though. The atmosphere is just like those old Godzilla movies. The acting itself is average. It fits the movie but nothing special. The only strange thing was how the scenes were assembled and edited. Hard to explain.
I have to admit after being spoiled by all those great dramas these days this movie could get a bit strange and maybe a little bit boring. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it because of the romance part, although it's like: 'Oh, and now they like each other!' It's not the best but hell, I liked it anyway.
Back then I watched the movie with German dubbing. Maybe some of you know what I'm talking about when I say western dubbing on asian movies doesn't fit most times (It's the same with animes, btw). This time I watched it in Korean and Aigoo!, it made a huge difference (although the German subtitles sucked alot - listening to the Korean language for several years now makes you notice).
Music... not much to judge here but I really like the ending song.
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