This review may contain spoilers
While reading some of the reviews on this site for Defendant, I think my opinion will be on the unpopular side.Let me start off with the best part of this drama and what kept me going in the times I wanted to abandon it: the splendid acting from all the cast, especially the two main leads: Ji Sung as Prosecutor Park Jung Woo and Uhm Ki Joon as CEO Cha Sun Ho | Cha Min Ho.
I've only ever seen Ki Joon once before in 'I Am Not a Robot' and I thought he was a very good actor but I never expected him to blow me away like this in Defendant. He plays the heinous villain with such conviction and passion that you can't help but get sucked in and end up loving to hate him. Kudos to the actor for making me scream and swear at my screen like I haven't done in a very long while. He portrayed the merciless, conscious-less psychopath stunningly. He definitely became my second Joffrey Baratheon (if you're familiar with Game of Thrones, you will understand my reference). And his chemistry with Ji Sung was electrifying. I was holding my breath every time they were on screen together!
I've never seen any of Ji Sung's work before so I was completely taken aback by the master actor he proved to be. My heart ached for him in every scene and I can't remember the last time I rooted so desperately for a character. He embodied the torment of his story with perfection and at times I couldn't tell if he was acting or living the role. That's how strong his performance was.
Honorary mentions to the support cast as well, especially all the inmates who made this heavy drama breathable, Shin Rin Ah as Park Ha Yun who must be one of the most talented kid actors in the South Korean drama industry, Kim Min Seok as Lee Sung Gyu who absolutely stole my heart from the very first moment he came on screen, Jo Jae Yoon as Shin Chul Shik, THE best sidekick on the planet!
Now for the rest, which is unfortunately less positive.
Before I start I would like to say a few words about myself. I am one of those people that becomes absolutely livid whenever I see injustices so naturally I realized this show will be hard for me to watch as the entire premise of the plot is a framing of the main character and his attempt to clear his name, but I never in a million years expected to walk into one of THE most frustrating, emotionally heavy and scarring dramas I've ever seen.
I will put it bluntly, I think the tone of the story was WAY too dark, tethering on the edge of ridiculousness at some points. There was no balance whatsoever between the good guys making their moves and succeeding and the bad guys making their moves and succeeding. It was one tiny step forward from the good guys then 20 backwards. 70% of the time you feel like there's literally no hope at all. Everything is so desperate, gloomy and tragic that it becomes almost unbearable to watch, especially when coupled with the marvelous acting which makes you feel for their pain like nothing else. I oftentimes found myself stopping and wondering why I kept watching because of this reason. It was excruciating!
But the worst part of this show is the plot development. I have never seen a more nonsensical, ridiculous and convenient plot progress in my entire life. I realized early on this show would exercise a fair amount of suspension of disbelief but after a certain point it was downright absurd and pulled me out of the story completely. It's BAD! Half of the characters are useless for almost the entire show (especially those in position to help Prosecutor Park), characters make absurdly dumb decisions, the Prosecutors office, police and prison staff is made into a laughing stock that can be easily manipulated no matter the circumstances, where no one sees anything (and believe me there is a LOT of things happening that would never in a million years pass unnoticed), some of the most anticipated emotional scenes in the show are handled off screen which absolutely infuriated me, etc.
There is a tremendous amount of killing going on in this drama so besides holding your heart you also need to hold off your desperation at the absurdity with which the investigations of such killings are handled, which also conveniently disappear and are never talked about after a few episodes or even scenes. Some of the killings don't even make any sense. At ALL! They seem to be added as dramatic value. I am particularly pissed off about a specific one but I won't give any spoilers. Just know that if you do decide to start this drama exercise the same caution as with Game of Thrones: don't get attached to anyone.
It's a whole mess. I don't want to ramble too much on this aspect. I saw that not many people were bothered by this aspect but for me it's crucial in a drama of this kind. I am not asking for a perfect script but I do need the minimum of common sense otherwise it's pointless. Completely pointless.
Overall this drama left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and a hollow feeling in my heart. The 6 stars go to the cast for their absolutely incredible acting. All the rest was majorly disappointing
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SO MUCH FUN
The immersive experience alone should convince you to watch this. I REALLY had so much fun watching this.The world building of this drama sets it apart from all the other game/transmigration dramas, the writers put their all into creating a world that would let the watchers experience the game with the FL. There's also the fact that every single character is layered and complex although just NPCs, it really let's you reflect on the multiverse and reality. Am I real? Am I also a game character? Had me rethinking my life a few times.
The storyline although at times a bit confusing (a tiny bit really), unraveled nicely, none of that Cdrama choppy nonsense. There's a lot of twist and turns that keep you on your toes.
Of course, for all Cdramas everyone is probably wondering if the FL character is annoying and the answer is......
No! (imo, cause some of y'all hate material gowrls, but I LIKE them ). I actually found her quite refreshing, I was surprised to learn that our FL was a mean girl, wore make up and never missed an opportunity to give her two cents. She speaks her mind so much that I think she's the reason why it felt like I was playing the game with her. She's all of us in a character and I love her for that.
Cons:
1.The ending, its a good ending, of course, but it left me thirsty for more. I would have loved to see a full episode of her life in the real world.
2. ML's acting at times was very stiff and lacked micro expressions. Some people might disagree but the 2nd ML was objectively more attractive on screen. I've seen a few people complain of an incurable second lead syndrome. WATCH IT STILL.
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The best Thai TV series ever made!!!
Each episode was perfectly executed by the director. This is a very interesting Thai serial, supported with actors and actresses from various age. Their acting is so natural and professional. When it first broadcast, no subtitle and after few days, the English subtitle is added. When watching this show, be prepared for the unexpected plot twist and keep your tissue close by. You will need it anytime. Bravo!!!At the end of every episode, the trailer is going to make you crazy as audience are left with high curiosity as what would happen next. I think, this project is so captivating and audience are pampered to the max.
As for me, I have to be extremely patience while waiting for the next episode every week, the story makes me feel like want to turn the globe faster to get to the next story line.
I can't praise them high enough for such a good job.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a very well crafted drama. the directing, the costumes, the casts, the quality, the characters are all executed excellently.what won me over:
Characters:
Honestly, after Wu Pin i cant see anyone that can compare to him. he is too perfect that i dont know how shen xing yi is going to surpass Wu Pin's love for zhou ying. but i was wrong. i hated SXY, i hated him so much, i was annoyed by him initially but over time his character develops and u can see he loves ZY just as much as WP loves for her. he mature up, and try his hardest to win her over and he won. the process of winning her over was what won me over with this drama. he was a spoilt, childish, self-centred brat who only knows how to have fun. after a big blow between him and ZY, he decided to change. i was really blown away by his changes. he became a more responsible, diligent, hardworking, loving and ultimately patient man.
and then, theres zhao bai shi. he is such a true gentleman. even after wu yi has slandered him, even after him finding out the truth never once he mistreated her. even when he was forced into it, he respected her oh god what a guy! and despite his close relationship with ZY he still oblige his duty.
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Of course the main attraction of this drama were the characters. For me it was more how they were easy to relate to more than anything.
-Soo Jin is a hardworking girl who wants to produce meaningful movies. To do that she has to accept working on movies she's less enthusiastic about.
-Myung Soo is a webtoon artist who's getting by (though I don't know how he would afford a Burberry blancket :P). He's a positive person, chill and fun to be around.
-Hwa Yeong is a career woman with a crazy side to her that needs to be kept in check.
-Ji Ah is a woman stuck in the image of a classy madame, but yearns for freedom from it.
-Rara gives off the impression of a loose girl who'd anything to reach her dream when in reality she's a sweet person who needed someone to remind her of her value.
-Jo Geon is an artist at heart, with all the negative and positive that comes with it. He's moody, he's unpredictable, he's got a temper, but he's warm, doesn't judge others and reflective.
-Finally, though we didn't see much of Yeong Jae, I found him much more refreshing now that he got rid of that perfectness when it comes to relationships.
I find those are all traits we can relate to, to some degree and I really enjoyed the focus on it. Any fight, breakup or argument came from within, and not from any flimsy external factor, or stupid misunderstanding. The development in the relationships felt natural, and the characters had chemistry. The friendship between the ladies was a delight it reminded me of one of my favourite high school romcom movies "John Tucker Must Die".
I'm not sure if the episode cut was a positive or a negative occurrence. On one hand there was no time to waste on any extra angst, so even annoying characters had to wrap up their act fast, actually making them more likeable. On the other hand, there were some events that felt got wrapped conveniently fast an could benefit some a deeper exploration.
Overall light watch with relatable characters and unique comedic moment,
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Best GL out there
Everything is perfect in this drama. The director Eda is a genius. Mio and Ichika did a great job. Their acting is so good. The aesthetics are top-notch. I have never seen such great visuals although I have watched countless dramas so far. Impressed with everything. I wish they would continue the series and there will be a second season two because the chemistry of MioChika is out of this world. As individuals, they are amazing people in real life too.Mio and Ichika chan you guys are amazing and have all my life. Fan for life.
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This review may contain spoilers
New #1 BL
Never have I felt so down that I've come to the end of a series, and neither have I felt the need to write a review on a show just to let people know how much more this show deserves.Despite the lack of budget, this show delivers in all aspects.
The focus of the entire series itself (politics, injustice) is just so extremely fresh in the BL industry that makes you doubt how interesting the story can get (imo politics are boring lol). But when such a genre of BL becomes so educational and lets the viewers understand more about the world, you know the director is amazing. The story goes deep into topics like monopoly and impunity and how it affects the society as a whole, and such a fresh take in the BL world really draws you in.
Not to mention, the casting for the characters is spectacular. You know nothing can really go wrong when Gun takes on the main role of Black/White, even though its hella challenging. This show really stretched him as he needed to show the stark difference in behaviours of the twins, and if you ask anybody that watched this masterpiece, they would all agree that Gun nailed his characters. I don't really have to say much about OffGun as a pairing because who doesn't know how good their chemistry is lol.
Moving on to DanYok/GawinFirst damn yall have no idea how hard they robbed my hearts. Every tiny bit they had in the show brought so much impact in the emotional aspect. Gawin did so well in showing his eternal dilemma of whether to follow the system, and First shattered all our hearts by displaying the yearning pain felt by Yok from seeing Dan betray him after putting in all his trust. Really didn't expect the chemistry of this pairing to be so phenomenal, would really like to see them act together again.
Now on to the music, I really didn't notice myself cringing at the background tracks and it shows how well P'Nuchy picked out the songs. Each track helped amplify the emotions felt by the viewer and didn't feel unnecessary (which happens rather often in BLs for some reason). The OSTs suited the show so much too (although the ending track sang by OffGun ruined my crying sessions after certain episodes LOL) Overall the music in the show is amazing.
THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. It reached a whole new level in the BL industry in a way that it perfectly conveys the characters' emotions. The 4Kness of many shots really embraced the idea of 'no filter' and I really sat through the scenes with content. It's just unexplainable. The rawness of the shots really showed how realistic this BL could get (in the aspect of both plot/love scenes).
In conclusion I'm so glad that I watched this show and I think I would have equally loved it even without the love aspect in it because IT REALLY DELIVERED. Would definitely rewatch it if im craving for tears or even just really good acting.
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Best KPOP Travel Reality Show
Frrr, my therapy!! I feel so empty that this was over ㅠㅠ I really love every second of the show. I don't know if this is just me, but this show just allowed me to witness the side of seventeen I thought I already knew. I've been a carat for 7 years, so I know their personalities really well. But Nana Tour made me see them as normal human beings, just a group of friends going on a trip, not celebrities or K-pop idols, and I'm so happy and grateful that through Nana Tour the boys were able to experience new things, be carefree, and get the real rest they deserved and needed for a long time. I'm a bit upset that Cheol couldn't join them, but thanks for making us feel his presence, Cheolie, our bluetooth traveler :P Hopefully, we'll get Nana Tour season 2 with all 13 members. I highly recommend this show to everyone!! They really highlighted the members' personalities and their bonds so well, and it made me realize once again why I love them in the first place and why the love keeps going stronger. A huge thank you to Egg is Coming, na PD, Shin PD, production teams, and all staff for making this happen for the boys. Nana Tour definitely holds a special place in both seventeen and carats' memories. Salute 🥂🍻Was this review helpful to you?
More than a love story
This was a rollercoaster of a ride!This film had a similar tone to Kimi No Na Wa minus the scifi element. The film's pacing started real fast but gradually became consistent and took its time building and developing the characters.
I loved the film for exploring each characters life journeys. It did not hesitate to show realistic obstacles of children and adults within society. The raw emotions and music played a huge role in bringing a strong, lasting impact on the story. I also appreciated when the film gives a clear backstory and glimpses between the characters.
The chemistry was clearly present between both Komatsu and Suda's performance. The supporting cast nailed their roles and left some strong, lasting moments.
I was surprised the casting director managed to find a child actress resembling Komatsu-san (or it could be make-up).
The story could be rather depressing due to it taking an authentic approach and long duration, which affected my rewatch value. Despite that, I still found the film to be quite inspiring and informative.
If you are interested in a film which explores the themes of self-discovery and gradual slow romantic build up, then I would recommend this film.
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The first thing you need to know about this drama (you're reading this probably because you haven't watched it, right?) is that it's very fresh, and different from any other kdrama.
For me the most awesome thing about this drama, and the reason why I'm giving it a 10 it's the story. The writing is superb. Each character exists completely, and it's really human. You can feel all they're feeling.
The story doesn't have any cliché and unlike other "musical" dramas (coughheartstringscough)the musical part is really there. Musical is part of the character's lives so it becomes another character in the drama, making it more beautiful and allowing us to feel.
The acting is quite amazing. The performances that, for me, need to be like high lighted were Oh Man Suk's and Im Joo Eun's. They truly stole the show, and their characters were the best.
The music was for a musical but it had different genre and I must say that the vocal part of the songs were great. I hadn't realized Daesung had such an extraordinary voice until this.
I don't think I'll watch this again because this is the kind of drama that you must watch once to be amazed by it and discovering each character little by little, so I don't think I'll feel as deeply as I feel now about it if I watch it again.
This drama left me with a feeling of change, like I was a different person just by watching it, as if by watching it I was somehow becoming part of the story, so I'm happy to say that this is a drama that I won't forget soon, because it taught me a lot, and it definitely has a special corner in my heart, so I hope that by reading this, you'll also want to have that experience! Go watch it! Oh Man Suk rocks! =)
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When it comes to story, it's nothing new, but it's done in a proper way. The romance flows so naturally that at one point I stopped to think, 'Okay, when did that happen?', because it was realistic to that extent of making me fully aware of it, without overreacting the scenes and adding unnecessary angst into the cart.
The acting is superb, I can't point out any person from the crew that failed to bring the game. I also grew to love Wang Ji Hye in this drama, because she made her character so cute and likable that I'm painstakingly relieved she wasn't yet another generic second female lead.
Music was interesting, it didn't disturb the scenes, although it didn't make much of an impact either.
Now, I'd like to make note of the shortcomings... such as lack of thrill to the episodes, since there wasn't enough happening for the viewer to be enthralled with the plot, so it was a tiny bit too contained for me. Not saying that it's bad, it's a change for this drama type, but it could've been a bit more exciting to watch. With that being said, it also made the drama a bit longer than it should've been, 2-3 episodes less maybe?
I highly recommend it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Overall, Mostly Same Plot to the Original but There are Some Noticeable Differences
I loved the original and this remake. Watching this remake gave me the same feelings I had when watching, "I'm Not a Robot". I like them both to be honest, but despite the same plot, each has their own spin to it. Some of it I liked in the original while there were other things that I found I liked in the remake more than the original.I'm making note on what's different from the original and the remake. Feel free to skip this part, but if you're interested, have a look at it. It does contain spoilers, so you've been warned.
What's different from the original
* FL's character doesn't have and live with her brother & sister in-law. Remake changes to uncle and aunt.
* Robot & FL's hairstyle are switched. Original: Robot had long hair, FL had short hair. Remake: Robot had short hair, FL had long hair
* ML's assistant was the FL's brother in the original. Here the assistant is his own person
* SFL's character didn't have a big role in the original. She was just there. She didn't really seem that important. The remake makes the SFL more involved and she's very likable.
* Secondary couple changes: Original had the female glasses researcher had a crush and fell in love with the SML (the lead researcher). This couple didn't happen until the very end. In the remake, the lead researcher & the SFL falls in love with each other and a lot earlier.
* Original had (although not as bad as I've seen) more of weak a love triangle. The remake doesn't have this at all.
* In the original, the ML was more furious at the FL, to the point where the FL received a small injury from the ML breaking a glass. It takes a whole explanation from the FL for the ML to finally understand and forgive the FL. The robot group left the ML due to the ML's lost of trust from them. The remake is completely on the lighter side. ML gets angry but the constant visits from the FL and the love ML still have for the FL made him forgive her easily without her having to explain at all. Robot group stays with the ML never leaving him.
* Company and the evil people in the remake are much harsher here than in the original. ML was threatened to lose his title as CEO in the original but still kept his house. Remake, almost everything is taken from the ML.
* In the original, the robot finds her way back home, filled with many sweet encounters the robot has made and the robot is alive. The remake makes this part doom and gloom, only a few quick nice scenes with the robot's encounter. Robot finds her way home only to die due to self-destruct mode, which was never in the original.
Other thoughts:
* Some people said the FL's character was really bad at pretending to be a robot. That was the whole point though. They kept this same character concept from the original and I for one thought this FL did a great job at when she was pretending to be a robot and when she played the actual robot role. While I think the ML, Yoo Seung Ho, from the original outshine more in his character than the remake, the ML here, Leon Leong also did a great job portraying his character as well. I also love how the SFL had more of a role here than the original. The best part is she's likable.
* Romance, while still a slow burn romance, I think this handled the romance better in the remake than the original, though, don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of sweet moments in the original as well.
Final Thoughts:
I feel like the remake of this drama stops around Ep 27. From there on out, it appears to be different content, including a kidnapping scene which just shows how wicked they made the bad guy in this remake. I guess that's what happens when you add too many episodes. You have to fill it with dumb things that strays away from the original story plot, which is why I lower the score for story a bit. That's the downfall of this remake drama but even with that setback, I think this remake gave us more of a conclusion on the ML's story than the original did. I'm very satisfied of how this drama ended. Overall, not too bad for a remake and I may rewatch it again.
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This review may contain spoilers
This movie kinda reminds me of the thai movie " A Crazy Little Things Called Love" and a bit of "American Pie"I think this is my first time that I watched a Taiwanese film.
I read somewhere that this film were a phenomenal hit in their country and in Hongkong too if i'm not mistaken.
After watching several romance flick recently which often left me disappointed or just see them average, finally this one has an edge. Enjoyable, sympathetic and realistic with some exaggerated presentation.
The story is based on true story which i give it a plus. The plot were simple enough but full of substance and disturbing scenes lol. Spoiler Alert!!....no one will die ehehe, there is no pathetic scenes or sudden scenes of twist from nowhere, everything is real and everybody can relate especially "boys".
PS: The film was based on the school life experience of the writer/director himself. ^^
PS2: (= my score rating may adjust in the future, pls comment if you find it not that accurate thank you =)
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