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However, the daily drama challenge has become so insulting to the viewer that there is now one rule that I will follow -- LET ALL EPISODES AIR FIRST - then read ALL COMMENTS about the ending and the last few episodes - THEN DECIDE WHETHER I AM GOING TO BE INSULTED. Obviously, if it is clearly not worth my time - I will just take a pass. Now, this drama - since I am angry --- I watched after watching Sweet Enemy as well -- good in the beginning and terrible the last 20 plus episodes. The story is just not plausible, women are devalued as being dumb, conniving, and easy to forgive even the most heinous of offences. Crimes are rampant throughout but excused as part of the plot lines. Romance or rather love relationships is just a side thought - not even there - but used to be the backdrop for betrayals and lies. When will the writers be charged with the responsibility of QUALITY, not QUANTITY? I am taking a pause from Korean daily dramas until one of them produces a rating of 8 + at the finality in MDL.
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I actually didn't want to write a review about this because there are already so many of them out there which capture the magic of this drama quite well. But there are so many things I liked and loved in this drama that I somehow needed to write all these things down myself.
There is quite a large amount of crime and suspense dramas out there lately, that it's hard to find some distraction with a good rom-com, and I was hesitant with this because of Yoo Seung Ho. He has already proven that he can act with other dramas but he's also the master of crying - and that not always to his advantage. Whether directors demand him to cry to his heart's content or not, sometimes it's just too much for the drama. But with his latest project it seems as if I discovered him all anew and he did won me over with this big time.
The story evolves around Kim Min Kyu who is allergic to humans. One slight touch results in life-threatening consequences, and because there doesn't seem to be a cure yet, he has to be very careful to never touch another person. Therefore he lives in isolation and loneliness and has developed some kind of friendship with his cleaning robots over the years. Just then he finds out about this new human robot with an AI and decides to test it out.
There is nothing like a unique and new idea in this world and people might be reminded of "AI", "I Robot" or "Bicentennial Man" with this show. But when it comes to K-dramas, "I'm Not a Robot" is still a fresh concept. It won't focus too much on the AI topic, but more on the romance part, and therefore doesn't dive too deep into "conscientious invention for the next generation", even though it might graze those things in a very superficial way as well. For example, there are the geeks who invent for the sake of creating new things that can be helpful for humanity in a peaceful way, or the evil guys who only see money and war toys.
Whether Kim Min Kyu's illness might be too far fetched or not is hard to judge. Maybe it sounds unbelievable the first time you hear it but... ever since I started working in the medical field, I developed this thought that we will never be able to know of all the diseases in the world. There are so many which are not yet discovered or very rare illnesses the majority of people don't know of. And who knows, maybe there really is someone like Kim Min Kyu, too. For me, the drama was able to deliver that subject well enough to buy its story.
Of course, it's not free of clichés and it's very predictable. But in a good way. You know what will happen, you anticipate it and you're happy when it's indeed happening in the end. This drama doesn't always follow reality, it's still a fantasy (and Korean!) drama. Sometimes it might also have some logistic miracles, but seriously, who cares. It's too much fun watching Kim Min Kyu and his experiences with this very human "robot". When I say, you will laugh your ass off, you definitely will. It's been a while since I myself laughed that hard, that often.
What makes this drama so great are its characters and the cast who did an incredibly smashing job. You will find yourself attached to most of them in no time, and you will have this constant grin on your face whenever you see the leads, the research team (and it was so much fun seeing Uhm Ki Joon play a good guy for a change, too) or that little robot that reminded me so much of Little Groot! Too sad it didn't have much screen-time. The female lead's friend and also her family added a lot to the fluff and comedy, and even though I didn't like the brother in the beginning, his timid behavior grew on me quite fast, too.
As I mentioned before, Yoo Seung Ho literally blew me away in this. His looks/styling were dashing and his acting was cuteness overload without getting too cheesy. He managed to show a plausible transformation from a lonesome boy who fears the contact with other people to a guy who slowly learns to build a relationship with another person. His reactions to new experiences was heartwarming and once in love he became endlessly cute. His crying which I always fear in dramas, were kept in line. It was well balanced most of the time and only one or two times where it was a tiny bit too much, but I don't want to nitpick. I'm more than happy with what everything else he gave me here. And wow, he had such an amazing chemistry with Chae Soo Bin. I loved her in Rebel and was excited to see her in this drama. Both of them delivered beyond my expectations. Especially Chae Soo Bin must be praised for her performance of her human character Jo Ji Ah and the robot Aji 3. I was able to tell them apart very easily and create a bond with both of them individually. I'm even a little sad that the robot didn't have that much screen-time. I would have loved to see more of her.
I usually don't mention kisses but I was quite fixated on them here. I don't even know why, maybe because I can't remember Yoo Seung Ho's previous drama kisses or because I'm always nervous about them in general because they can either be a hit or miss. But don't worry! They were a pleasure to the eyes and to the heart. Lively and cute at the same time.
The only ones I was a little disappoint in, were the bad guys. Kang Ki Young for example. I liked his acting whenever I saw him in a drama. But here he was... how shall I put it... too bland? It didn't reach me, it felt subdued. As if he wanted to show that he can also take on other more serious roles but failed to express the necessary emotions. His character was kind of "flabby". Maybe he is better off playing funny guys. Same goes for the whole conspiracy plot in this drama. I wasn't convinced even one second. The major problem was probably that it didn't get enough screen-time to build a proper ground. On the other hand I won't complain much about it either because I was way more happy to see the leads all the time. I know, it's a contradiction but I can't help it. And since this drama is just another rom-com, I didn't expect much depth in its evil side anyway.
Phew, I wanted to keep myself short on this but ended up going too much into detail. If you were able to read through all of this, let me thank you for enduring this long text. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and maybe will start this drama yourself~
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The story was good. Childhood accident follows into adult life. They find each other by pure coincidence, romance ensues then follows their hardship. I was a bit lost as to what i supposed to be engaged in .. the romance or the story.
Acting - another stellar performance by Lee Jun Ho, For a relatively amateur actor, he plays his parts very convincingly. I did think though that his acting was brought down by a rookie actress. Nothing against the girl, she did her best ... she can cry but i didn't feel her feelings. Too much push and pull for totally ridiculous reasons and unfortunately she can't kiss .. which for a romance, is quite important. Seo Joo Won i also thought was a weak character. Wasn't enthralled with any of his story line. a few contradictions and .. well he did absolutely nothing to try and woo Moon Soo despite him saying that he liked her. All other parts were played really well especially the grandma. total thumbs up.
Music - a good OST. All ballads. Well used but same few songs over and over. You tend to not listen to the songs in the end as 'you've heard them all before'.
Re-watch - I'm not sure i would re-watch it again. Objectively, there isn't anything wrong with the show, i just personally, don't re-watch dramas unless i find them exceptional.
Overall - not a bad watch. I wouldn't watch because of the romance aspect as it's overshadowed by the story. I rate it as a 8.5
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The main character, Shan Shan, isn't quite a Candy girl - she's an earnest entry level worker at a large company, and while her family isn't well off, they're not suffering in poverty. Due to various situations, she is called in by the boss of her company for a favor, and thus begins their romance. Again, the storyline isn't original by any means, but this is a romantic comedy that knows where its main selling points are: the cuteness of the leads. The conflicts aren't overdone and prolonged - though I definitely think the drama could have been shorter.
You're going to find cliche after cliche in here, but somehow still find yourself grinning from ear to ear. It's just that sweet of a drama - and a lot of that has to do with the adorable Shan Shan. She's naiive, lacks a backbone and conviction at times - all characteristics that drive me batty, but she's an incredibly earnest and sincere character, and she isn't dumb by any means - part of the fun of the drama is watching her mature and learn from her experiences. Roles like this should, in theory, be Zhao Li Ying's bread and butter - her cute, elfish looks fit this kind of role perfectly - and she has the acting chops to add some dimension to a simple character (I'm glad she hasn't typecasted herself, but she's probably one of the few Chinese actresses who can actually play the Candy girl role convincingly).
Feng Teng was a likeable hero - he was your typical aloof, stoic rich male lead, but he was never a jerk. He's a rather jaded character, but he doesn't really ever take that out on Shan Shan, and the way Shan Shan thaws him out as the drama progresses is so cute. Zhang Han does a decent job with the character and had good chemistry with Zhao Li Ying, but I think she steals the spotlight here.
The supporting cast wasn't strong acting-wise by any means, but their characters were all likeable and served a purpose in the story. Even the love triangle dynamics weren't played up too much.
All in all, if you're in the mood for something cute and ridiculously sweet, this will probably fit your needs nicely.
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Jung So Min and Hong Jong Hyun have really good chemistry and it's cute how awkward he is because it just shows he's good at adapting to his character. I like how they made him evolve and how you learn more as you pay attention not necessarily through being told.
For how creepy this movie can get, it also if a heartwarming story of first love, family and then its a bit sad because it's also about the misery that family and love can bring about.
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Crisis: Kouan Kidou Sousatai Tokusou-han
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When the very system at its core is broken.
When the political leaders wield both the law and the police / military for their own private protection and gain.
When the government officials seek to accumulate money and status for themselves and their children at the cost of the people they swore to protect.
When there is no hope under the law and no justice to be found in the courts.
What are the people to do?
The drama points to the issue of vigilante justice. The instinct is to argue that vigilante justice in those situations is wrong (you can see this in the comments for the drama here on MyDramaList) . . . but that raises a new question -- what then should they do? Should they surrender to the system? Many would argue that rather you should go through the legal procedure and justice will eventually prevail. But that seems rather naive.
The legal system in the drama is flawed. It has crumpled under the weight of powerful men and women who obey it only when it conveniences them and then break it in the name of "national defense" whenever the law threatens them. These people are corrupt. Their children are corrupt. And they keep passing their positions from one corrupt individual to the corrupt people below them who bribed their way into that role.
And the citizens, and their children, and the grandchildren they will someday have are all suffering under the burden of this government. As parents and future adults, what is the responsibility of the citizens here? If it is not revolution or vigilante justice, what is the answer? How can they change a system they have no control over? What do the people do? In the past, people have ignored it, until events just piled up one after another. Now the next generation is fed up. Done. They are reaping the ill benefits of the past neutrals. And it is breeding a growing unrest.
It's about how people who are backed into a corner, betrayed by their government and abandoned by their fellow men, can be easily led into a bad situation.
This drama is not a happy one, and there is no happy ending. In my opinion, this drama is not meant to be entertaining. Instead, it's more like "Animal Farm" or "1984" -- a work intended to make you think. And it should make you think. I like that it asks the questions people are raising in the political forum today. It's the same problem we see century after century, from the days of an insane Nero and his cronies to France gone wrong before the French Revolution. The drama does not encourage vigilante justice . . . . but it does ask viewers to consider what alternatives are left and what kind of political system would result in a rise of vigilante justice. Can a system survive, is it truly a good system worth protecting and defending, if victims and civilians feel their only recourse is to take matters into their own hands? And if you do think it is too corrupt, can you really just turn a blind eye and walk away? Knowing that your children and grandchildren will suffer because you did nothing?
The drama offers no solutions, but it does at least ask some important questions.
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I Did Like The Cast & The Music & The StoryLine
None Of That Really Bothered Me
It Was The Pace Of The Show Somethings Just Felt At Times For Me
Kinda Scattered
I Did Like How That Guy That Could Turn Into Ghost Mode
EveryTime The Girl Was Revealing & He Had A Nosebleed
But Yeah I Did Kinda like it
It Was't Like Most Drama's Where Your
frustrated annoyed with the drama as soon as you'r done with it
it's more like ehh
it would have been more great with some romance .
but its great to watch if you are in a slump and don't wanna jump in a
Drama That Makes You Hate The Way You Feel
And You Just Feel You Need A Ehh Ohh Well
Lets Get Rid Of Wanting To Hunt Down The Writers To
The Last Drama .so this drama does't really effect you'r emotions
only lack of romance like it's not there at all.but oh well
ok hoped it helped.
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The cast are perfect!
Ofc we all know Lee Seung Gi but in here you'll get to love each of them, Lee Sang Yeon, Sungjae and Se Hyung; different personalities but they blend well with each other. As you get through the eps you'll be immersed with each of them, plus the bromance~~~~ hahahahha.
I hope that this show end up with hundreds of eps and I'd definitely be there to watch it.
Hmmmmm. So far it's good recommendable ofc!
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I absolutely loved the story: it's not very eventful, it doesn't have many surprises or crazy plot twists, but it's exactly what made me love it so much. The build-up is slow and realistic: I didn't get bored at all and couldn't wait for each episode. Despite the not-so-realistic accident which is the core of the drama, it was very easy to get into the story and believe it's real. Actors did a wonderful job and the chemistry of the main leads really gave a "realness" to their relationship (and its evolution). I was really surprised by Junho's acting and I enjoyed discovering Won Jin Ah.
I really appreciated the writing of the characters above all. None of them is an archetype or a cliche. I was very pleasantly surprised by how non-stereotypical they all were, especially the main leads. The female lead isn't a poor girl saved by a man, she is strong and lives well from the start, despite her difficult past. The male lead isn't your typical drama man, he isn't the usual "rich jerk". He is shown with his flaws and struggles, which were very well portrayed.
Even the secondary characters were pleasant to wach, as they were all surprising in their own way. The depth of each of them, their growth and evolution is really the strong point of this drama. It was very easy (too easy?) to get attached to them all (and now I miss them T_T).
I didn't expect this drama to touch me so much. It made me cry but left me with a warm feeling of hope: it's a touching story of love, healing and recovery, that I definitely recommend (if you're ready to feel all the feels!).
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You also get to see the initial pebbles leading to the transformation of the characters from "closed off geeks" to domineering and perfectionist men. It's a good lead-in and understand, in hindsight, why TPTB would produce this for the drama. Unfortunately, they would only have known to produce the zero, had they known the drama would have been the success it became. And it was a massive success. One of the greatest romantic dramas ever!
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This show was like a fighter jet whose pilot had a heart attack half way through the flight... To sum it up... Crashed and Burned!
I am not saying its a bad show because there will always be people who will like it and those who will hate it.
This show had soooo much potential, but noooo. They had to drag it on and screw it up. Honestly speaking this show has a great setting and theme; Modern day Fantasy/Romance with a hint of Historical (not really sure if that is the correct term), It HAD a good story, Decent cast, and very good music. The show was also very captivating (mostly) for the first half but then it slowed down and that is my biggest gripe because when I say slowed down I mean it almost stopped moving. Did I forget to say Confusing, Yes my friends at one point it becomes very confusing and you loose sight of what the show is even about.
To sum it up, If you have time to waste... Please go ahead, Watch it. Otherwise you know what to do.
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I have been watching dramas for over a decade now and I can fairly say that Black Knight is one of those Love it or Hate it drama. Personally I like it, it wasn't spectacular enough to take me to the love level but it was warm enough to bring me to like.
So if you find yourself looking for a drama were you know that there is 99% of chance that the plot and story progression will go nowhere, then you have found yourself at the right stop. Because that is exactly what you will get plotwise here :" NOWHWERE". But don't let the nowhereness of the plot deter you from 20 hours of free cheese and well place laughter if you know how to turn off your overthinking cap.
Let's give props where there are due.
Go into this drama with zero expectations of wow moments and you will be the happiest person on earth. Go into this drama with a mind set that is ready to jump at every plot whole and expecting (a+b)=c moment and you are going to be the most miserable person on earth.
I came into this drama for Kim Rae Won and I was not disappointed, he showed that yes he is a veteran actor and he can work with whatever is thrown at him. And let's thanks this drama for giving female viewers out there a somewhat healthy male model, Soo Hoo was kind, hard working and mature. He acted like a gentleman from the moment we met him and showed us that it is possible to want to attain childish dream while being an adult about it. Something that we have to admit K-drama don't always show us. So if you want to just chill and watched KRW do his thing then watch this.
Jang Mi Hee another veteran actress also shined in the mastery of her craft. She portray reformer Baek Hee with class. Making us laugh at her eccentricity at the right moment and cheering for her to attain the absolution she so wanted. Go in at least just to check in Beak Hee moments even if you have to skip through the drama.
Seo Ji Hye truly surprised me with her portrayal of Sharon. I'm not going to be singing her acting prowess because to me she more of a hit or miss actress. But I have to say that she nailed Sharon essence. If what we wanted from Sharon was a emotion spot holder than an actress with better control of her facial expressions and mastery of acting would have been better. But for what the drama came to give us of Sharon SJH was a good choice. She has that entitled feel to her. If you have to check this out well at least check some of Sharon clip, she was at least funny in her eccentricity. Yet also delivered the right amount at annoyance at the mastery of the lack of development her character went through ( which I personally think was intentional.) It occurred to me that maybe the point that the writer was trying to make with Sharon lay in her lack of moral or personal growth.
Acting wise these three are the only one that stood out for me. While it was quite cute watching Shin Se Kyung and Kim Rae Won be cheesy and cute together. Shin Se Kyung once again failed to invest me in her character, she seemed to be a simple place holder around which everyone else gravitated in order to be positioned right.
Reading this I can see yourself asking what I'm trying to get at and what the point of these long review that doesn't really say much. Well I what I truly want to say is, ignore the nagging people and the eternal discontent. Grab a bag of popcorn on a rainy and watch this, even as a place holder to cure that itch that you have for waiting for the other drama that you really wanna watch. It would not be a wasted 20 hours. It would just be 20 hours that you spent enjoying some nice cinematography, you will have some decent music and some visually attractive people to watch for about 20 hours. Then you will move on with your life.
Don't come in with expectations and enjoy the laugh and MOST OF ALL: DON'T OVERTHINK THINGS.
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If you’ve read the real history of Prince Sado, you would know that he was a horrible monster of a man. The tales are filled with his brutality. He’s one of the most controversial figures in history. A man so scarred by his father that he lost his mind along with his humanity. But this film is not about the atrocities he commited. It’s about what made him that way. What turned a bright, warm-hearted and full of life man into a madman starved of affection, who wreaked havoc wherever he went. It’s an entirely different interpretation and considerably more heart breaking. For this movie, do away with all your past knowledge of history and shatter all the preconceived notions. Because if you let it, it will move you to an extent you didn’t know was possible.
Kings cannot be fathers. Sado is essentially a story about how a King driven by his own fears and inferiority complex, destroys his son’s life. It’s about a filial son who could never win his father’s favor no matter the extent of loyalty and affection he showed. It’s about little sacrifices and huge betrayals. But most of all, it’s about how love holds no meaning when there is no understanding.
This film isn’t an easy watch. The emotional and physical abuse of such a pure--hearted man breaks your soul. There are a lot of gray areas. No concrete villains or heroes. No absolute goodness or evil. Even when you want to detest some characters, you can’t. Because the tragedy of it all is just too great.
The moment I started this film, I knew I won’t be coming out unscathed. I had a tight ball of dread firmly lodged in the back of my throat and as I continued watching, that ball quickly transformed into liquid misery and came running down my cheeks. As soon as I wiped my tears, they were replaced by more. So much so, that I just stopped wiping them at all. Halfway through, I could literally feel my cheeks burning. And my heart? I felt as if there were a thousand hammers crushing it to dust.
The funny thing is, I didn’t even watch this in one go. During one of the most intense scenes of the film, something urgent came up and unfortunately I had to put a stop to it. The only time I had, to pick it back up was an hour before I had to go somewhere. I was dressed up and had my makeup on. Only 30 minutes of the film was left and because so much time had passed since I first started watching it, I thought “oh well, now the tempo is broken, I won’t be as affected anymore. Let’s get done with it and lay my curiosity to bed”. I was wrong of course, because the moment I pressed play I was back in that horrible world- as if no time had passed at all.
I remember just staring at the screen for at least 5 minutes even after the ending credits had rolled and needless to say, my makeup was a mess. I had to do it all over again.
I know that this is an acquired taste. Nobody likes too much sad shit- excessive sobbing and you lose the emotional appeal entirely. But the thing with Sado is, even when it is over the top, it somehow feels justified and doesn’t fail to pack jarring punches one after the other. It’s disturbing and yet, simple in its execution.
After this movie was released, people invented the term “ Yoo Ah In Shi Dae” which means “Time of Yoo Ah In” or “Yoo Ah In’s Golden Age” and I honestly cannot refute it. There are no words, no expressions in which I can describe the brilliance that was his acting. This, in my opinion, is his best work ever. You can see him go the extra mile and portray an extremely controversial character in such a heart-wrenchingly sincere way that it makes you weep.
The rest of the cast hold their own. They are all spectacular. The women, The King and especially the child actors.
It’s been 11 months since I last gave out a ten rating. Usually, when I rate something I deliberate a lot about it but surprisingly whenever I give out my 10’s, I don’t think or fuss at all. It’s always spontaneous and absolute. I know there could be flaws but my heart completely overcomes any critical thinking I could have done and I have no regrets.
The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, both manic and melancholic; perfectly embodying the Prince’s life. The fusion of past and present is impeccably done. The movie caters to small details, for example: the resemblance between the the actors playing the past and present of a character is remarkable, thus increasing authenticity.
I will re-watch this. There’s no doubt about that, but only when I’m feeling particularly masochistic.
Watch this if you want to experience the cream of Korean Cinema.
Enjoy!
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