Reviews

Cliche but worth my time. I love it!

Ao Rui Peng and Tian Xi Wei have really great chemistry. I enjoyed their sweet scenes. The first time I watched Ruipeng is The Blood of Youth. So I am glad I came across this drama. Tian Xi Wei is so cute. They are cute together.

The second couple also has good chemistry. I mean all couples in the drama are paired well.

Story wise, it's cliche but I love cliches and these type of stories. I need feel good series to entertain my introvert self. Acting wise, I also like it. The villains in the Qi Residence are on point. I love when all Qi members came together to catch the villain.

Happy ending. Happy viewer here. :)

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HILARIOUS, sweet and surprisingly romantic.

This drama is one of the funniest ever, similar in goofiness to Pegasus Market but also having the heart and surprisingly wonderful rom-com elements of Welcome to Waikiki.
Between all the laughs, jokes, and wonderful dynamics between all the characters, you are surprisingly introduced to multiple adorable couples, with the main couple, honestly becoming one of my favorite kdrama couples of ALL time. Their chemistry was so fire, and it is such an unexpectedly romantic story in between all the laughter. Aziz is the MVP and had me cracking up, if you watch it you will understand. Highly, highly. HIGHLY recommend this drama.

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Trash

Reading the description of this series you know this is going to be bad.
And indeed this series delivers as it is so bad, it is entertaining, but oh so bad. the dialog is awful, the lighting hideous, the sound and subs where also terrible.

The leads where actually not so bad... And the kid was actually both cute and a better actor than most of the adults.

But oh the lighting, the running in the dark, watersplash, watching this you find yourself wondering how bad it will get, can it get any worse?

And well the answer is yes it can.

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The power of money

"Payback" it's a drama about a corrupted reality, where money and power surpass truth and justice, the main characters join in a quest for revenge and to exposed the crimes to the world.

Eun Yong and Joon Gyeong are two people who met unexpectedly when they were young and formed a bond, they reunite when Joon Gyeong's mother is wrongfully framed and killed, they make up a plan to avenge her and make the people who did that to her pay.

Eun Yong's character is funny, clever and really interesting. I loved how he played with the stock market, using that to his favor, making people like chess pieces, since they move around money. The drama is also a critic of that, how money can corrupt people and that you shouldn't live your life seeking only money, you can lose sight of what's really important.
The only thing wrong about the drama is Tae Chun, he's really a boring character. I get his purpose in the story, but they should have put a better actor to do this part.

It's not a drama I would usually watch, but since it's the last drama of Lee Sun Kyun, I had a duty to see, since he was a actor I truly respected and loved and the drama really surprised me, it's really good, much better than what I expected.

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Pretty visual mantra always works !

It's your typical Wattpad bedtime story, where a troubled, sassy FL asks help from a dashing, handsome lad; initially, he refuses, but she wins him over. They fell in love with each other, and suddenly their world fell apart. FL got abducted, then her knight in shining armour ML comes riding horse to save her! *Deep sigh* *Eye roll intensifies*

The storyline has a complicated drug theme; I didn't mind at first, but things got pretty confusing midway. I forget what's the point of all this drama and trouble. Romance was...nice, with pretty faces, slow stares, no way they could mess that. The cinematography was visually STUNNING. It's very aesthetically pleasing. Settings, lighting, camera direction, and acting all came together, which created an immersive, dark, sexy, but intriguing storyline. The production values are somewhat higher for a short-length drama like this.

The actress, Yang Yu Shi was beautiful; her acting was okay. Before this I watched Fan Zhi Xin in "The Lethal Man." Ngl, I enjoyed that more than I expected lol, and I was sure even if I didn't like the drama, I had something to keep me seated.

Overall, a visually pretty drama with a complicated storyline and some cringe-worthy *wiiisshh woossh waashhh and chik chik boom* scenes to rejuvenate your dying soul.

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Fast Cotton Candy Carbs...

This is an easy binge, the type of drama that has no substance what so ever, 0 connection with reality, but somehow drags you in and before you know it you hve binged it and in my case even payed to watch those last unreleased episodes.

The dubbing is so bad, the voices do not really match the characters at all and fore some reason the female lead keeps on singing whenever she is happy, which is nice but the song sounds a bit like something taken out of a horror movie background... lalall... love is great I am coming for your soul type of deal...

Most of the characters are childish, some ridiculously childish, this is supposed ot be Chinas top athleets yet they keep on making rookie mistakes and lack discipline... The twists are so obvious they had me rolling my eyes over and over again. And the found family trope here is good but also a bit waisted potential...

Tha male lead is a adorable, obvious from the start, and has this honey dripping puppy look on his face whenever he looks at the female lead, from start to finish. however I felt like they dragged out the romance a bit to much and did not fully deliver the scenes promised in frame picture between episodes...

But other than that its an easy binge, not nearly as good as other dramas in the genre but it does have less propaganda preachey feel to in than many other dramas have also it is short enough to even make you want another episode or two.

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Haters to lovers to haters to lovers done well

10/10.

I loved the ending.

I dislike the more usual rushed endings to some dramas where most of the last episode stuff is still happening and everything gets closed of the last ten minutes with a quick overview of where the characters are. Following the events of episode 11, I thought this would share a similar fate. But, the madness of the plot twist in episode 11 got wrapped up pretty quick **—** which I loved**—** and the rest of the episode was a slow wind down from the wedding prep to the second leads having their love fulfilled to the final scene were they finally met at the promised spot.

Dare I say, it was perfect.

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A respectable attempt at a remake, but misses the mark in some crucial ways.

The original Korean version of this story was already sort of short on actual substance. As a story it has very simple moving parts, and the engine that drives everything else is the magnetic fiery attraction between the ML and FL. It is the centerpiece of the drama. The Japanese version tamps down that fire, and lacks the same level of chemistry, which is a huge mistake, because it sucks what precious little substance there is right out of the story and leaves you feeling like you watched some empty avant garde show about nothing.

Sure there's some chemistry in the Japanese version, and the ML and FL look like they could share a nice wicked kiss in an elevator or something. But in the Korean version, the ML and FL look like they are always 3 seconds away from leaping over the table and attacking eachother right there on the floor. This is a CRUCIAL difference in the shows. The whole POINT of it is that the ML is a player, and the FL makes him completely unable to be impartial or emotionally divorced from their insane attraction. She knocks him off his game, and he tries to hide that from her. Whereas in the Japanese version, the ML feels enigmatic and calculating, smooth and controlled. His eyes don't have that wild dark animal look for her. What he looks like is a womanizer who finds that the FL tugs at his heartstrings. That's a totally different dynamic, and one that doesn't work for this story.

So we have two totally different ML's. And we also have two totally different FL's -- In the Korean version, the FL is capable of seeing her world through the glasses of realism and caution, but at the end of the day she is a free spirit, and she is unconventional and independent. When she gives in to her attraction to the ML, it feels like she's liberating herself; shedding a restrictive part of herself that gives her pure relief and joy to take off... like she's flying. That's not the essence of the Japanese character's FL. When the Japanese FL gets together with the ML, it feels like she's driven by wild impulse that frightens her when she confronts it. She doesn't feel the sensation of flying, she feels the sensation of vertigo. She worries, she becomes insecure, she doubts herself and doubts him.

I can see how they tried to create a good artistic take on the original, but you can't make a story that's supposed to be about a wild powerful intense attraction, and then dial down the actual attraction between the ML and FL and expect to faithfully recreate the story. The Japanese version is "sexy" but that's not enough for this story. It needs pure fire to drive it, or else it loses its original meaning.

And what stylist dressed these actors, it's completely god-awful.

Korean version = better version

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A great drama♥

A great drama, and there is no doubt that the drama deserves all the awards it has recently won. Perfect casting of two actresses that I really like .. A drama that touches, among other things, on the right balance between private life, family and work, the power and empowerment of women and the friendships that are built between them. It has monologues and wise sentences that can be used in life.
The drama revolves around divorce issues and various reasons that led to divorce/arrangement or compromise, painful betrayals, relationships between parents and children, abuse (physical, verbal and financial).. A drama that kicks in the soft stomach of those who have experienced divorce proceedings and child abuse on the one hand, and on the other hand sensitivity to the needs of children in divorce proceedings. .... A wonderful soft and gentle soundtrack .. In between there is a small love story in the background .. Highly recommended drama 10/10

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Park Shin Hye rules the court in this devilishly entertaining fantasy thriller

Over the years, the kdrama scene has significantly changed its focus from romcoms to thrillers. Three years after her hiatus and on her second kdrama this year, Park Shin Hye delivers devilishly good performance in this supernatural thriller.

For starters, the story is about an elite devil named Justitia banished to the human world after making an erroneous judgment. In order to go back to hell, she must catch and kill ten remorseless murderers while she is lives in the body of a judge named Kang Bit Na.

What I appreciate in this show the most is how it addresses loopholes right away. Fantasy thrillers need to establish laws and rules that govern the world which in this case is hell. The story is smart and clever on its first act. It also didn't rush the blossoming romance between Bit Na and Han Da On, a police officer whom she met and rightfully acquitted in one her trials.

I find it surprising that Bit Na takes her job seriously even though technically this is not part of her mission. Bit Na punishes the criminals still in a lawful manner. Once Bit Na learns the defendant is unrepenting and unforgiven of their murderous crime, she acquits and kills them consequently once they are released from prison.

The highlight of this show is how Bit Na punishes and puts the criminals in the shoes of their victims. These fight scenes are deliberately drawn out to give the criminals the taste of their own medicine. Truly, the golden rule is the ultimate, all-encompassing principle of ethics: Don't do unto others what you don't want done unto you. It's interesting this kind of ethics is relevant to Hell.

There are loads to love from this show – it's unpredictable, fast-paced and entertaining although only for the first half. It also delivers some of the laugh out loud devilish shenanigans: a devil saying "what the hell" and getting blinded by the Cross. Demons also apparently study bible, do charity works and attend Mass while wearing protective equipment of course. There are also cleaning boys who are the complete opposite of SOCO as they erase every piece of evidence in the crime scene. It somehow makes a point that demons are actually better than greedy humans.

Bit Na and Da On's love story is the epitome of enemies to lovers – lots of banters, playful back-and-forth fueling romantic tension and the inevitable close proximity They may hate one another but they pine for each other without them realizing it. It is entertaining how they play cat and mouse with each other and which of them will catch the criminal first.

I prefer this show to Nam Joo Hyuk's Vigilante as Judge from Hell emphasizes how the criminals are unrepenting and unforgiven for the crimes they did. It took its time to narrate the motive and nature of the crime as well as the perspective and emotional turmoil of the family's victims. Bit Na does not simply kill criminals just because they easily got away from law, they were not remorseful of their actions at all.

This is also way better than Song Kang's My Demon because it has a clear story world-building about demons. It was interesting how Bit Na said they did receive orders from God to punish sinners who doesn't repent and are unapologetic for their crimes. In the realm of The Judge from Hell, demons are created for the sole purpose of prosecuting and punishing ruthless individuals.

The true star of this show is Park Shin Hye and steely grace portrayal of a devil judge. Her unhinged, electric energy is matched by her flashy and statement outfits she wear during the punishment scenes. Despite her brooding appearance, Shin Hye still manages to bring humor without relying on gags and musical cues.

Although this kdrama tackles vigilantism and crime procedural, it does not take itself seriously and has lots of funny moments in between. The show is gripping and thought-provoking but infuses light-hearted moments outside the court.

Ironically, the weakest point of the show is the villains. They were initially thought as invincible. But at the very last minute, they either changed their minds or easily got killed. All the issues came up and were resolved instantly which felt so anticlimactic.

All in all, The Judge from Hell is an easy watch with its intriguing premise and a fun lead performance. Punishing remorseless criminals has never been this hella satisfying. This series just proves the idea that on a certain degree greedy humans are way more scary and evil than demons themselves.

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Exactly what it was supposed to be

So soundtrack number one was so good like so much better than I expected. I give it a solid 9 out of 10. Would I have watched 16 episodes of it? No, but that's what's so great about it is that it knew that it was too slow to be a normal drama, so they just did 4 episodes and it was perfect. Anymore would've been too long. Any less would've been too short. I felt like it gave you just enough time to fall in love with these characters and to root for their romance. You really, really wanted them together. After seeing their friendship for so many years, it waa just like you knew them and you just wanted them to be happy. You just wanted them to have a beautiful, happy relationship. You saw his torment and you didn't want that to continue. I really expected it to be so boring that I didn't really care about the characters. But the fact that it got me to care in such a short amount of time and it and in such slow moving plot line was very surprising. It was very aesthetically pleasing and wintery. The fact that they could invoke in me a sense of care and love for these characters and desire to see them a couple is a credit to the writing as well as to the actors. So Bravo!! Great Kdrama to end the year with.

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