I'm not into Taiwanese dramas but I loved this one. Some people who finished The Fierce Wife complained that it was infuriating and moved at a snail's pace. In my opinion, they never got the whole point. This is a story about GROWTH. It is about a woman who found her self-worth after the breakdown of her 10-year marriage. It was slow because the writer and director took much care in developing the conflict in the story and building up the anticipation in order for the viewers to gain a better understanding of the relationships and motivations.
The lead character An Zhen is everything that a man could ask for in a wife. She was loving, thoughtful, sweet and self-giving to a fault. It was obvious from the very start that she was that "type" who would give up everything for her man in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, her husband never appreciated her for who she was nor her efforts because he was so used to having her around, pandering to his every whim and his every need. He abused her love, destroyed her trust and even became so thoughtless as to force her to divorce him while she was recuperating from a car accident at a hospital. Thus, the journey of An Zhen is what makes the drama engaging and uplifting. Indeed, she had become "fierce" but not in the way that most people would think. No she did not become this femme fatale on a mission of revenge against her husband and his mentally-unstable mistress. She became fierce in a way that she was able to find her inner strength and proved that boring, homely wives like her can go beyond the stereotypes and reach boundaries beyond their expectations. I loved not only her physical transformation (Sonia Sui is gorgeous!) but also her emotional transformation.
My favorite side characters in the drama are easily the women: Rui Xuan, the funny sister-in-law, and He Ai Lin. I liked Rui Xuan because she provided comic relief alongside her husband. He Ai Lin...well she never gave a good first impression but she grew on me. She was the typical beautiful and successful career woman who never seemed to get a break until she married the man who was not her type but who treated her so well. They provided such a strong support for An Zhen and dealt with Wei En like no other woman could!
I just have one gripe: I wish that the character of Wei En was given more layers and that the reasons for the affair were more fleshed out. I didn't really like how she was merely designated as a "psychotic" self-centered mistress worth hating. It was necessary to make the viewers understand why the affair took place on a much deeper level. Was there another reason to the affair aside from the fact that Rui Fan was bored and experiencing some sort of mid-life crisis? When is enough truly enough? What truly went wrong? Not everything can be clearly defined as purely black or white after all. In life, we often deal with and make choices based on grey areas.
Would I recommend this drama though? Yes, definitely! But this calls for a more mature way of thinking since it is a journey in itself. Also, the ending (which i LOVED btw) is not really meant to resolve the main conflict in concrete terms. I'd recommend this simply because the drama proved to me that you can be strong without being bitter and that you can be kind without being a doormat. It's a human story that anybody can relate to. Also, the performances of Sonia Sui and James Wen were really great and their chemistry was good even though they played an estranged married couple.
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Acting/Cast: A Love To Kill is one of Rain's best drama. Although my opinion on his acting has changed and I honestly don't really like him as much as before, I feel that he did a very good job playing out his role in this movie. You'd hate him for his actions, you'd think he's better off dead, but at the same time, you feel sorry for him, you understand his pain and his need to detach himself from every other emotion aside from anger. Although the female lead is mainly victimized throughout the series, I don't dislike her acting-she does do a good job- I just mainly dislike her role and how she seems helpless most of the time. To me, the most interesting character is the male protagonist, but it was just enough to keep me watching. I felt that Rain made him very "cool."
Story: The tension throughout the story was built up very well, perhaps some might call it "overly dramatic" but I think the events that happened really fit the whole story up until the very end. It's an example of the older type of infamous Korea dramas: the type that was filled with angst, sorrow and death but it is also the type that moves us most. So if you watch it, be prepared to cry.
Soundtrack: This series' soundtrack is pretty much my favorite. It's the only OST that I bothered to buy. They had very talented artists like K.Will making it and most of the songs were very emotional. Although I would say that more than half of the songs in the OST are sad songs, there are some light-hearted ones as well. It's the best combination of REAL Korean music and not the mainstream K-pop ones we hear nowadays.
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This review may contain spoilers
Little things left unnoticed may mean very much to you
I've been looking forward to this drama since I heard about it because of its star-studded cast and the victory of the original novel, "Don't Fall in Love With the Boss" (才不要和老板谈恋爱) by Ye Fei Ran (叶斐然), which I haven't read.This drama is told from the perspective of Qian Wei (Song Zu Er), a twenty-eight-year-old woman who was unable to write the exam to become a qualified lawyer for some reason. She now works as an assistant to Lu Xun (Hunag Zi Tao, aka Z. Tao), a former law school classmate. She saw him as an enemy, a rival who made her life as uncomfortable and difficult as possible, even back in college, when he used to beat her in everything she did. She also had an ex, Li Chong Wen, who was her law school senior.
She is involved in an accident that puts her in a coma one day. During this time, she fantasises about returning to her adolescent self, where she knows exactly what will happen. She seizes this opportunity to change her life. She plans her life to be exactly how she wants it to be. She works even harder to reclaim the things she lost to Lu Xun and swears she will never date her ex again. But something went wrong with her plan, and she fell in love with her very rival's younger self, Lu Xun, without realising it.
She awakens from her coma one day, torn between her perfect life in her dream world and the reality. Most importantly, she has lost her lover, Lu Xun, and is unsure whether he is still in love with her. However, she learns from her doctor that what happened in her dreams could be true because her subconcious brain may develop stories that people tell her while she is in coma. She then embarks on her quest to discover whether Lu Xun is truly in love with her.
I expected the typical office romance based on the title, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story's twists and turns. It was both strangely satisfying and entertaining. With their outstanding acting, the cast also contributed significantly to the success of this drama.
Song Zu Er, who plays the female lead, Qian Wei, performed admirably and convincingly in her role. Her acting is natural and adorable, and she can perfectly capture and execute each and every emotion of the character she is given.
When it came to Z.Tao, he was as charming as ever. Please do not avoid this drama because of his hair! He is, without a doubt, one of the best Chinese actors I've seen in a long time. Anyway, I think he looks better with his hair down.
The chemistry between the leads was fantastic! Much of the drama's great praise was directed at its two leads, who proved in this romantic comedy that they were more than just pretty faces.
One thing that I liked about this drama is that all the characters have their own stories to say and are independent of the main leads. They all have their own struggles to deal with and their own lives to live. Even though there was a love triangle in this drama, it was not chaotic or complicated, which improved my opinion of it.
The depiction of love, both romantic and the kind we feel for our family and friends, was excellent! I was moved to tears at times because it touched my heart.
What I liked:
# Unique plot line and its execution
# Good cast and their acting
# Well developed characters
# Independent side characters
# Uncomplicated love triangle
# Effortlessly humorous
What I disliked:
I have nothing to say except for Lu Xun's hair.
Final Thoughts
This is a fantastic college/office rom-com that has raised the bar for similar dramas. This is a fluffy romance show that is perfect for people looking for drama with a unique story line and an amazing cast. I would recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted drama that will make them laugh and cry at the same time.
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Extremely brilliant storytelling
First screened at the Berlinale 2023, this has one of the most complex plotlines ever seen in a Korean movie and yet it was executed perfectly due to its brilliant storytelling. It's sort of an assassin story driven in classical melodrama styling and vintage visuals. The story centers around a killer agency that runs like a hotshot entertainment company where they define contract killing as putting on a show, while Boksoon has the highest rank in the agency, she's also a mom of an adolescent daughter which plays another bigger part of the story. There's a lot of social commentary within its storyline and every bit of it hits the mark sarcastically with black humor. The cinematography and transitions were handled with some spectacular camera movements, every scene was shot beautifully and the action sequences were really breathtaking, and how they treated the ending with love is just impressive.Was this review helpful to you?
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This review may contain spoilers
As a fan of Park Shin Hye and Hyun Bin's work on Secret Garden, I came into Memories of the Alhambra with a lot of optimism, enthusiasm, and excitement for the show. The show's premise was very new and exciting, as the show started, with the story line of a man trying to find the genius inventor of an artificial reality world. The concept was interesting for two reasons. One, this vision of the world being changed through the emerging technological advances of AR is more realistic than fictional, especially when one considers the huge explosion of Pokemon GO! and it's use of AR technology in making fictional creatures real. Two, this concept of having a show revolve around AR isn't commonly used in the tropes of Korean Drama. From my knowledge, only W (which was created by the same screenwriter) had anything close to this concept. The concept of AR created the basis of interest for this show.However, as the series went on, the story line started to experience a drag in story and, at times, character. One key instance of the story dragging was the show's annoying use of flashbacks. At one point of the series, an entire episode was a flashback with the focus on Hyun Bin's character and the reappearance of Chanyeol's character. Park Shin Hye's character (and, in retrospect, a majority of the female characters) were ultimately useless by the time the show ended. Their characters were so stereotypical and narrow-minded that it made the show unbearable to watch at time.
The one thing that destroyed this series was the lack of story and explanation. For example, Se-Joo's (played by Chanyeol) return to reality leaves a lot of questions that are never answered in the finale. Se-Joo, during his escape from the Ghost of Marco, somehow encases his physical self into a different dimension. An 18 year old kid, who invented an advanced AR Game, somehow broke the laws of physics and was able to hide himself into a different reality. Ultimately, the nail in the coffin for Memories is the finale. Hyun Bin's character disappears and, after hearing of his appearance during simulated fights, Park Shin Hye's character ultimately finds him, or rather, his silhouette, a silhouette that is in the shadows and flickers like a glitch. This open ending in the fate of Jin Woo was insulting. To close off a show, in this type of manner, made the viewer's 16 hours of dedication to the show a waste.
While these are one of the many reasons to why the show was a story-line disaster, the show had some bright notes. One, as stated previously, was Hyun Bin's superb acting. Being able to act as though you're sanity is on the brink of collapse and being able to draw empathy from the audience is a trait that is only available through hard work. Hyun Bin's superb acting, alongside Park Shin-Hye's likeable acting, made this show bearable to watch.
While Hyun Bin and Park Shin-Hye brought interest to the show due to their star power, their brilliant acting is not enough to save Memories of the Alhambra from being a slight disappointment. The lack of storytelling and explanation ultimately destroy what was once a promising show into a show that ends with the slap of disappointment.
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This review may contain spoilers
Punch is the kind of drama that makes me reevaluate all the dramas for which I have given a rating of 10. All the elements of a great drama are pulled together to elicit a range of emotions. I cried, yelled, laughed, etc. This drama just wrenched every emotion I guess like being "punched". The writer did a great job of blurring the lines between right and wrong. The main lead isn't exactly a "bad guy", but he has done what he needed to survive in a world of rules that he did not create. I have no moral compass so in my eyes if he manipulated people to further himself while the ones that claim to be righteous were doing the same thing, then it is all good in my opinion. I could go on and on, but I'm on the verge of spoilers so I will just stop for now. Needless to say this drama will have you asking yourself all kinds of moral questions. Also, the dialog is smart. There are so many good quotes from this drama. The relationships between the characters are twisted. Some of them are freindemies. The romance is there and the chemistry is good. It may not be displayed in the typical way, but it is there. Kim Rae Won is an acting genius. It makes me wonder why I haven't seen him before. His portrayal of Park Jeong Hwan's strength and weakness is excellent. I'm not sure if it is just me or if he really was losing weight as the drama proceeded through his illness. Regardless, I love him.
Kim Ah Joong's portrayed Shin Ha Gyeong with great strength and dignity. She is the only one that was true to her values.
I had a love/hate relationship with Jo Jae Hyeon as Lee Tae Jun. I understand where he was coming from and honestly if he had just not done the first thing to hurt Jeong Hwan's family, then he probably wouldn't have been seen as that bad of a guy. However, he went from bad to worse. For some reason though I just can't find it in me to hate him. What a great actor and character.
I truely hated Choi Myung Gil as Yoon Ji Sook. My biggest hate is hypocrisy. You will see when you watch that she is the most hateful person of all. (is that a spoiler? If so, then sorry)
The other actors are good too.
The music is good and appropriate.
I will probably rewatch this sometime.
I recommend this drama to everyone that enjoys a good emotional drama.
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A Tale of Potential and Missed Opportunities
Drama set in the Goryeo era, presenting an intriguing storyline with significant potential. The plot centers around a queen who navigates the treacherous waters of political intrigue to protect her kingdom. Despite its promising premise, the series falls short in several areas.With only 8 episodes, the drama struggles to develop its characters fully, leaving many arcs feeling incomplete. The ending, in particular, fails to provide a satisfying conclusion, leaving viewers with more questions than answers. Additionally, the series includes numerous scenes reminiscent of “Game of Thrones” that do little to advance the plot or deepen character development.
Overall, “Queen Woo” offers an interesting glimpse into the Goryeo period but ultimately doesn’t live up to its potential due to its rushed pacing and underdeveloped characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
No Gain, No Love had a lot of promise. It had a lot of classic tropes, it had Shin Min Ah, it was very progressive for a kdrama. But I think that the main issue is that this show tried to do way too much with only 12 episodes. There were so many storylines that a lot of them didn’t get resolved at all (with Ji Uk’s parents, or her ex) or were so rushed that they had no impact at all. Even the main relationship didn’t feel developed, so it felt like it had no stakes. Kim Young Dae really didn’t work for me as a lead and he did not have great chemistry with Shin Min Ah.
Ja Yeon was adorable and I really wish she had gotten more screentime. The show tried to do too much with her character in very limited time. I liked her arc as a romance writer and would have liked that to be more of the focus. The whole murderer dad getting out of jail and coming for her was a pretty unnecessary plot line. I wanted to like her romance more than I did. The way they met was very hard to come back from and it kind of dampened their entire arc.
The third friend’s storyline was completely forgettable and uninteresting. They should have just written her out if they were going to do a shorter show. Everything with Hae-young’s ex was also very annoying and took time away from other plot points.
I could see that there were elements of Hae-young’s character arc that I would’ve liked and could’ve connected with but the show just never delved into those parts in any meaningful way. Even her relationship with her mom felt like afterthought.
After a somewhat promising start, the show really fell flat for me in the last couple episodes. I’d still say watch it if you love Shin Min Ah, but overall the drama felt pretty shallow in terms of the characters and story.
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Healer might sound like a typical justice-prevails story where the good guys go through troubles but win at the end and the bad guys get their punishment; with a super hero jumping across roofs and defeating bunches of guys at the same time. Well that’s true, if you want to think of it that way. But strangely, no matter how ordinary and overused the plot might sound, it’s portrayed perfectly. Genuineness is not only about new ideas but new and fresh portrayals of the already tackled ideas.
Of course acting is superb. Every one did a wonderful job. What impressed me the most was the younger selves of the 5 friends! How could they find people who look so much alike and with such skills? Every time one of them would be on screen I’d simply stare.
The chemistry between the leads and the supporting actors was evident. Everyone seemed comfortable and well-aware of their roles. No one covering for the lack of skills for another.
Not a dull moment. No taking your eyes away. Especially the moments of Healer and Young Shin AND Moon Ho’s emotional outbursts. Moon Ho for me was the best thing about the drama and I officially fell in love with him.
The new Park Min Young was groundbreaking in every single aspect.
As for themes; I loved how they tackled the concept of family in its different aspects and probabilities; in a touching way. How money and authority can change people. How much freedom of opinion are we practically allowed?! Can people actually change each other and help them become better people? Are dreams definite sources or can they be changeable? And the most urging and universal question; does justice ultimately prevail?
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Drama top tier enemy to lovers trope❤️✨
The most important thing in a drama—especially one built on the enemies-to-lovers trope—is ✨C H E M I S T R Y✨. And going into Prisoner of Beauty, that was exactly what I was waiting for: the dynamic between Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao.And. I. Am. Not. Disappointed.
That very first moment—when Wei Shao opened the curtain and saw Manman… yeah, that scene was insane. The shot composition, the way the camera held on his gaze, the shift in his expression—it genuinely felt like time stopped. You could literally see the moment something changed in him. And from that point on, the chemistry? Already there.
But what makes it even better is that it doesn’t just stay at that level—it builds. Slowly, steadily, and then suddenly… it explodes 🔥🔥🔥
This drama really understands the essence of enemies-to-lovers. It’s not just about two people who dislike each other and suddenly fall in love. It’s about tension, resistance, denial, and then eventually—acceptance. And here, every step of that journey feels earned.
What truly won me over is Wei Shao’s emotional progression. At the beginning, you can clearly see the distance—even a hint of disdain—in how he treats Xiao Qiao. He’s guarded, controlled, and emotionally closed off. But as the story unfolds, layer by layer, that wall starts to crack. And when he finally falls… he falls completely. The way he looks at her changes. The way he speaks to her softens. His actions become quieter but more meaningful. It’s not loud or overly dramatic, but that’s exactly why it hits harder. You can feel that his love isn’t impulsive—it’s something that grew, something that he allowed himself to feel.
And Xiao Qiao? She’s not just there to be loved. She holds her own emotional weight. Her reactions, her vulnerability, her strength—it all balances the relationship. So when their feelings finally align, it doesn’t feel one-sided. It feels mutual, intense, and deserved. Their interactions are filled with small but powerful moments—eye contact that lingers just a second too long, subtle shifts in tone, unspoken understanding. It’s those details that elevate their chemistry from “good” to addictive.
Beyond the romance, the drama itself is solidly supported. The storyline is engaging without feeling messy, the cinematography is beautifully crafted (some shots genuinely feel cinematic, not just typical drama framing), and the dialogue is layered—sometimes strategic, sometimes emotional, sometimes even quietly devastating. And let’s not forget the cast presence. Every character feels like they belong in this world. No one feels out of place, and that adds to the immersion.
Overall, Prisoner of Beauty doesn’t just deliver romance—it delivers a journey. A love story built on tension, growth, and emotional depth. The kind that pulls you in, makes you stay, and leaves a lingering feeling even after it ends. If you’re into intense slow-burn romance, emotional push-and-pull, and that satisfying moment when everything finally falls into place… this is absolutely a must-watch. Personally? Easy 10/10. No hesitation 😭🔥
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Sasaki Nozomi was outstanding as Rio, I was seriously impressed with her ability to master every emotion out there from tragic lover to cold ice queen to bubbly school girl. I often find angsty characters a bit of a bore however hard their lives are but I loved Rio! Her friends were equally likable and I almost wished we could have seen a bit more of them but overall I'm glad the story didn't try and steer off into millions of sub-plots that never get developed like a lot of movies do.
The thing I loved most about this film however was Tanihara Shosuke as Kouki. He was such an ordinary guy, nothing special about him, but the way we saw him through Rio's eyes made him appear to be the most special man on the planet. I was initially put off by the age gap but a few minutes into this film and it was completely forgotten. Straight after watching the film test yourself, would you pick Kouki over a thousand Matsujuns? I felt I could and would (if such a miracle ever occurred).
The story was touching, sad and the leads relationship felt very real, overall a romantic, interesting and heartbreaking film.
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This review may contain spoilers
It was such a great one at first . Bored of waiting man , I had higher hopes, to be honest.
I expected more, but it was pretty one-note.It was a total let-down.
At first it was just hatee that yu lie had for ke ke , he always hated the fact that his own sister admired chen ke a lot . I just can't believe that particular hate converted into love .
It's another serie that I'm watching rn , and Ik it's so much good cuz I watched it idk if people are actually liking it but about me I love this . Recently China is getting the title of a country for all great bls , I just can't believe from China's side these kind of impressive bls are coming up , day by day China's bls are getting fabulous ,
they all have great storylines with impressive and handsome cast better picture quality with great vfx .
I just don't know why people are not talking about it .
It's a great bl according to me , and I believe most of the people will like it if they try itt .
About the story :
Yu Lei used to be very jealous of chen ke's great performance in studies and stuff , idk why he hated ke ke for being so good to him .
They started talking slowly and yu lei actually understood that ke ke has the opposite personality from what he used to think . They got so much close and I could say that they kind of felt something for eachother , I could see the sight of jealously in ke ke's eyes when he saw ouyang clinging arround yu lie , but he tried his best to avoid that feeling cuz they were just friends according to yu lie , I don't know what the logic behind yu lie saying friends kiss each other to show intimacy .
I knew it's just yu lei would was avoiding his extreme feelings for che ke . He's so jealous when his sister spends time with ke ke , but he just didn't realise that it was jealousy . He was so in love with ke ke that he wanted to meet him after the break so much , wanted to talk to him more and more waiting for his call during the break .
Look at how worried he was when ke ke burned his leg , he even skipped baseball game to just celebrate ke's birthday , the main thing is he didn't like the fact that his sister was already there to celebrate ke's birthday .
I feel butterflies throughout my whole body just by the way they looked at each other , I could see from Mars that lei lei adores and admires chen ke a lot . He was admiring chen ke while playing the piano omgg he looked a boy admiring his first love .
I didn't like it when chen ke started to feel like he's the third wheel because of that ouyang .
In ep 5 yu lei cleared that he didn't like ouyang , I hope he stops meddling between my cuties , honestly i quite like the pair of ouyang and li ming .
I want my cuties to figure out their feelings and clear out all the misunderstandings .
It's a very good bl , so I want to recommend this drama → those who are looking for something like this ( as I mentioned above ) , please try to watch it you will love it for suree .
DISAPPOINTING .
Yeah , till now I actually felt like its so good but ep 7 disappointed me a lot ,
Don't you think they just took a lot of time to confess , idk what's wrong with them , why is it so hard for them to say a simple “ I like you ” both have been struggling with their feelings , whenever they tried something just came up every time . I wanted them to focus more on each other but how can Chen ke even suddenly say that he's leaving for abroad studies just like yu lei 's cousin , leaving him all alone , at the end he decided to let go all his feelings and his first love just to improve his academic performance but what about yu lei huhh .
Whatever atleast Yu lei showed how he felt at the end . Why this Chen ke is so cold , ik it hurt but he can't just leave like that .
The next episode , I hope it's better but from the teaser i don't think so , another problem is coming up , why the script is this much lengthy , y the leads can't stay happy just for a while .
There were go another problem .
Mannn , why can't they just have a simple time together , it's boring to wait , when are they going to confess , they're just so tight liped , literally it's the last episode and now they're confessing .
I don't think it was worth waiting for it at this point.
Honestly the last episode itself is not that impressive ,
I think the relationship between the second couple is far better than the main one , they're so clueless , in which era are they even living in , they literally didn't know how they felt which is dumb , cuz anybody can tell .
Not that good
Not worth waiting
Boring
Everytime unlucky
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A fine spicy artisan cheese for red-flag ML lovers.
ML = Ryan Ren is a fireball of talented hotness. He has a devastating sanpaku stare, and knows how to strike the right tone between comedy and deadly sexy-serious, which is often a difficult balance for actors. He's amazing.FL = Li Xing Yao is a magical combination of sexy and cute, and she happens to also be an incredible actress. She is so natural on camera playing her role, that there are parts where she sounds like a RL person caught on hot mic.
THESE TWO BRING THE SPICE! If it had been two other lesser actors in these roles, the story would be unwatchable. If this drama is worth a watch at all, it's because the ML and FL are both total powerhouse actors that carried this piece of shit script across the finish line.
Director = Did a pretty damn quality job, for a short-length. Clean, attractive camerawork and an unrushed feeling as far as pacing. Great styling, solid bgm.
The Story = Cheese lovers rejoyce!!! This one's for you. Its just a silly thrill-ride. This isn't wall-to-wall insanity like My Lethal Man. It's just a light snack, and amuse-bouche if you will. But it's entertaining and sexaayyy.
The Weak Points: Firstly. They could have gone a little bit darker with the tone, because this ML is so smoldering and intense onscreen, they could have really bent the story a little bit more to the serious and obsessive side to highlight his strengths and match his energy. The FL carries an aura of sweetness that could have really juxtaposed to that well. They gave off a really good "devil/angel" vibe that they could have explored further and didn't. Secondly. The last episode got lazy. It's sort of OK, but mainly it's facepalm city.
The Strong Points: Breakout performances by both lead actors. The comedy plays well. The story moves along quickly, lending itself to a one-night binge session. The high spice level throughout the show is a nice change of pace from our usual c-drama fare. Great direction that turned a garbagey screenplay into a very watchable drama.
It was fun, and I'd do it again.
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Overall and Story:
As a remake, there were many similarities between this and the original such as: the plot, some characters, and the concept. The show is based on criminal profiling and being able to “predict” an unsub’s (aka unidentified subject) actions through their psychological state. With the understanding of the unsub’s mental state and upbringing the team can help solve cases and prevent the unsub from striking again. The drama did “well” in this aspect. They broke down facts and solved crimes, but some details came out of nowhere. For a few cases, the profiling of the unsub felt far-fetched and unrealistic. I caught myself constantly wondering how the team deducted this information, but we never found out how.
The first few episodes were refreshing so the show felt promising and was intriguing. However, as the show progressed the cases and the criminals felt sapless. The cases may be similar to the original, but they lacked depth. The overarching antagonist in this drama also lacked intensity causing the drama to not have a strong and interesting (in a morbid pleasure kind of way) plot.
Acting/Cast:
About fifty percent of my decision to watch this was due to Lee Joon Gi. He portrayed Kim Hyun Joon who is an original character in this remake and as usual, I was charmed by his acting. Moon Chae Won is where I’m most dissatisfied. There’s no doubt that Moon Chae Won is a great actress, but the role of Ha Sun Woo was bland and stiff. I’m all for a tough female who doesn’t need romance in her life and can kick butt, but she was uninteresting to watch. The scriptwriter’s idea of a strong and independent female was far from amazing.
While we’re on the topic of the scriptwriters…they ruined the original Criminal Minds team. Lee Han was supposed to be Reid, Na Na was supposed to be Garcia, and Kang Ki Hyung was supposed to be Hotchner. I say supposed to be, because they failed miserably. I understand that there will be deviations here and there with remakes, but their character deviations were just atrocious. Lee Han reminds me a smart weakling who does nothing to add to the team, Na Na is trying so hard to be quirky she’s coming off as an annoying auntie who is a computer geek, and Kang Ki Hyung was…dull. There’s something about being the head of the team and going through what this character goes through that makes him stoic and fierce. His role knows the bitterness of the job, but sticks with it because he wants to better the lives of others by keeping these criminals off the street. The character, Kang Ki Hyung, was colorless and had no impact. I have not seen these actors in any other roles, but I don’t think it’s the actors fault that these characters were appalling. I truly believe it was the scriptwriters.
Last Thoughts:
It was hard to watch this series as a fan of the original because it’s difficult to not compare. Some of the cases are almost identical to the original so I couldn’t help but to compare. I firmly believe that the downfall of this drama wasn’t the cast, but the scriptwriters. The story and characters weren’t captivating. Maybe it’s because this series is so short that the scriptwriters had to rush the plot along, but a drama doesn’t need length for the content to be great.
If you’ve seen or are a fan of the original Criminals Minds I would not recommend you to watch this. If you’ve never seen Criminal Minds and enjoy crime/detective dramas I would recommend this with a grain of salt. It’s definitely not the best drama I’ve seen, but it’s also not the worst. It just lacked something to make it captivating.
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