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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I have divided my review into 6 sections looking at the similarities between the original and the remake, the characters, the influence of Korean society on how this kind of story is re-told, cast and OST, finish off with an overall summary.
I hope this will help with understanding why this drama is built the way it is and do you want to watch it yourself or not.
1) Why the Korean remake can't deliver the same things the US original does?
When comparing to the US original, we do have to remember that there completely different norms of what is okay in what environment in Korea, what is taboo and what can be broadcasted or discussed. Lately these borders are getting broader, however, there are still limits.
Explicit violence, extremely gruesome scenes etc. are not okay. In many cases even larger amounts of blood are censored, so are knives and other kinds of blades. The relations in the work environment are different too. Strictly hierarchical structure depending on age, status and years spent in a certain place. Also, the way how people dress and act is dictated by these norms. Similarly, the understanding of the general audience when it comes to mental illnesses and crimes committed because of them.
All mentioned above has a huge influence on the characters (described in point 2) and thus influencing the whole plot and the story. If we compare the original and the remake, simply because of the specifics of society in each of them we cannot expect the same result. For fans of the original, this might be a disappointing factor, however, this show should be viewed not only as a remake but also as its own thing.
2) Characters and their similarities
Some of the main cast characters are molded after the liking of the original, but I must admit they are lacking in the sharpness of originals. The following is a comparison of the characters in both and things missing in the remake, which might be one of the disappointments.
-The role of media specialist JJ in the remake is given to Yoo MinYoung (played by LeeSunBin). The character lack sharpness and determination JJ possessed. It's still a compassionate and brave character when needed, but it didn't feel complete.
-IT wizard Penelope has become Nana (Played by YooSun). The original is very quirky and a very definite odd-ball. As mentioned in 1), there are certain norms that prevent this character to express the same qualities. She can't have colored hear or ridiculous outfits, even though she wears colors brighter than others. She can't have excessive make-up or a whole arsenal of weirdness around her. The social norms of the setting dictated differences in this character.
-Genius Dr.Spencer Reid (who is my favorite in the original series) here has become Lee Han (played by Go Yoon). Even though in the first episodes his higher intellect is mentioned as is his knowledge, it is not utilized as Reid's in the original. Throughout the whole show, his brain power appears very little and is a lost plot point that could have been very useful and interesting. The quirks the original character had have disappeared as well.
-The leaders - Gideon, Hotchner and Rossi have all melted into Kang KiHyung (Played by Son HyunJoo). The character is a good mix of all three but perhaps lacks some depth. From the list, this would be the best match to the original.
-Others I could not pinpoint exactly, as even if they were meant to be doubles of the main original cast, their similarities were very vague or not there at all.
3) Plot - what's good and what's lacking?
My biggest positive is that unlike other k-dramas this does not try to push any romance between the main cast. Before such great dramas like IRIS and Athena of a similar genre have gone pretty downhill exactly because of the romance and emotions. So big plus for that.
The cases explored are interesting and captivating, some being similar to the ones solved in the original series but with a Korean twist in all of them. Sadly, the way how each case is divided into episodes might be the biggest turn-off. Most of them start mid-way one episode and ends mid-way the next one, messing with the viewer a bit. That could be a reason why watching can get tiring.
The two cases that were still active throughout the whole series was an interesting point. However, one was ended a bit too quickly and the other was not represented enough during the mid part of the show.
During the whole series, we find out very little about the investigator team. In the original, we get to know bits and pieces about the team through many seasons, so perhaps one season is not enough to explore it. We do get a chance to know in depth about Kim HyunJoon (played by Lee JoonGi), a glimpse of Kang KiHyung (Played by Son HyunJoo) and just a bit of other, leaving a lot of holes that are just random mentions or filler shots that are never explained.
The team is shown bonding several times through very Korean activities like outings in the park, drinking and others. However, that might seem not enough. As mentioned before the lack of so-called chemistry between characters might be written off on the fact there was not enough time in one season.
The original often delivered at least a small dose of humor even though the show is very serious and dark as well as many heartwarming scenes. Here the humor is, unfortunately, no existent which makes it a bit too serious and a bit too dry at times.
4) Cast - was there a problem?
First of all, the actors playing the criminals need a round of applause. All of them were brilliant and engaging, believable and captivating, which is a BIG plus in the series.
Secondly, two standouts in the main cast for me are Son HyunJoo and Lee JoonGi. I believe we could see more of their acting and appreciate their skill, their art because they play the two characters we find out the most about. This allowed them to stand a bit higher in the acting rating and drag the average of this section up.
However, I would not entirely blame the cast for some lackluster moments, but rather think about the directing and the script they had. Perhaps with a different approach, they would be able to shine too.
5) OST
OST is one of the best things about this drama. Two solid vocal tracks and suspenseful instrumentals matching the genre perfectly. I just wish there were more tracks for different vibes.
6) Overall thoughts
Even though in comparison to the original I can find a lot of flaws, I still enjoyed the show. I found it interesting, suspenseful and good for a remake of legendary investigation series.
Would I like a season 2 with improvements and to perhaps know more about the rest of the characters in this version? Definitely. Can I live without it? I can.
I would recommend watching it with an open mind and just enjoy a bit different investigation show coming from Korea.
P.S those who might watch this for Lee JoonGi, you are not LJG trash if you enjoy it, as there are no "main" characters here and he is not the constant center. So no worries. ;)
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This review may contain spoilers
Would be a decent watch if you haven't watched the original
CBS's Criminal Minds is one of my favourite non-Asian series, despite only watching the first six seasons. You can imagine my delight when I realised it had a Korean remake. It seemed like a dream come true... but of course, reality is often disappointing.The cases in this story were inspired by some of the various cases in the OG. In case you want a list in order:
○ S1EP1 - Extreme Aggressor
○ S1EP9 - Derailed
○ S4EP18 + S5EP9 - Omnivore + 100
○ S4EP24 - Amplification
○ S2EP3 - The Perfect Storm
○ S4EP11 - Normal
○ S5EP16 - Mosley Lane
○ S2EP14 + S2EP15 - The Big Game + Revelations
○ S1EP14 - Riding the Lightning
○ S2EP7 - North Mammon
○ S1EP17 - A Real Rain
○ S4EP5 - Catching Out (very loosely based)
○ S5EP23 + S6EP1 / S2EP5 - Our Darkest Hour + The Longest Night/Aftermath (mix of two cases combined into one)
○ S4EP15 - Zoe's Reprise (loosely based)
For this remake, a lot of things were changed. I'll start with the good things.
In the original show, S4EP5 was a pretty forgettable episode. tvN, on the other hand, took the concept and made it their own. To fit the more modern Seoul, they changed the setting, the unsub, the method, the victims, and other details. This was a well-thought-out and logical decision. I also appreciated how they combined two cases into one. They did it in a clever and logical manner. So, that concludes the good decisions.
I was frustrated that the writer decided to keep the Reaper alive, but I suppose it made sense. A "big bad" is always required in Korean dramas. This decision would not irritate me as much if it was executed well. Big bads must be terrifying. Intimidating. This cheap Reaper replica was the polar opposite of that. This "Reaper," in my opinion, was not terrifying. It was as if a guy was attempting to portray a psychopathic murderer and failing miserably. Actually... that was exactly it. Kim Won Hae is a prolific actor, but I don't think he's particularly good at playing villains. He felt so lacklustre. C. Thomas Howell's rendition of the Reaper had so intimidated me that KWH's interpretation felt like a joke in comparison. To be honest, many scenes in this remake were acted crudely.
Episode 4 in particular is a prime example of a supposedly emotional scene that is accomplished horribly. In short, if we haven't seen much of Ki Hyung's wife, there was no need to kill her off so early on. I didn't feel moved by the "emotional scene" because I barely saw the woman.
This decision initially piqued my interest, but as it was repeated, I gradually lost interest. It is the choice to make every other case somewhat personal to the team. Whether a member knows someone who becomes an almost-victim or becomes a target themselves. Hyun Joon's younger sister? Hmm okay, that's an enticing route. Min Young's niece? Oh, okay. Do it again, ig. A random person who broke Na Na's car windows, threatened her, and acted exactly like the unsub in the same episode? TF? Was this really necessary?
"Was this really necessary?" was a phrase I kept repeating throughout all of the episodes. They had to make a case last an hour. As a result, a lot of stuff was added that had nothing to do with the plot. Red herrings, if you prefer that title. It's also irritating because they make it so obvious that it's a red herring so the viewer wishes they could fast-forward. (Or they already have, lol.) Dramas like these, police procedurals, are typically fast-paced and action-packed. However, many scenes in this drama dragged on far too long.
I should give credit where it is due. The main cast members are all excellent actors (even though their characters are seriously lacking.) The unsubs were excellently played by the actors/actresses. Im Soo Hyang is a controversial actress known for her lack of acting ability but she performed admirably in this drama. Jo Han Chul, who played the normal man gone insane, can be described in one word. Fantastic. He was 1000 times better than the original actor, in my opinion.
Let's talk characters now. Ooh, boy. Kim Hyun Joon (Lee Joon Gi) is the Korean counterpart to Derek Morgan. But, to be honest, they are very different. I wouldn't even consider them to be the same person. Kang Ki Hyung (Son Hyun Joo) is the Korean counterpart to Aaron Hotchner. Both are capable leaders and mentors. Ki Hyung, on the other hand, lacked Aaron's ambiance. Ha Sun Woo (Moon Chae Won) is the Korean equivalent of, get this, Emily Prentiss. I had to look it up and double-check to ensure I wasn't making a mistake. I mean, how could they take Prentiss' character and make Sun Woo... that's kinda embarrassing lol. From a badass woman who is also a nerd to a... block of wood. Bruh. Penelope Garcia's equivalent is Na Na Hwang (Yoo Sun). She's an example of a "character trying too hard to be like the original and failing miserably," in my opinion. They tried to make Na Na as quirky and fun as Garcia, but they messed up her character so badly that she became annoying. Lee Han (Go Yoon) is the Korean equivalent of Spencer Reid and exhibit B. Reid is without a doubt the original show's star. However, Han is a minimal character in this story. It's truly unfortunate how little Han was used. Finally, Yoo Min Young (Lee Sun Bin) played the role of JJ Jareau. Min Young is similar to JJ, with no significant differences. Overall, I was a little disappointed. I think it's because we only had 20 episodes of them, but they all seem so one-dimensional.
There are two non-BGM OSTs in total.
➀ Flowsik, Davichi - 'Higher Plane'
➁ Yoo Hwe Seung - 'Another Day'
Higher Plane had a good beat, but I didn't like the rap parts. (Which is surprising because I usually enjoy rapping.) Yoo Hwe Seung's vocals in Another Day were fantastic. Per usual, his vocals are always slaying.
Most of my complaints, if you haven't noticed, were because of direct comparisons to CBS's Criminal Minds. I tried to watch it with an open mind, but CBS's Criminal Minds was too much of a favourite of mine to not be critical of the Korean version. If you haven't seen the original, I believe this show might become a favourite of yours (bit of a stretch but ya never know.)
aight byeee~
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I'm surprised at myself for finishing this. It's hard to describe what went wrong here. The drama failed in so many ways. The team never connected on a deeper base, the cases were interesting in their core but the writing and execution sucked. It was never able to build enough suspense to make me excited/worried/eager to watch more.
Don't get me wrong. Some of the individual cases were pretty gruesome and interesting (and I was shocked how violent they made them look) than what I would expect from a k-drama. But most times it still left me cold because the writers extended the investigation part way too much while (at the same time) were still not able to explain the profiling part in a comprehensible and gripping way. It felt like getting food thrown at your face.
The cast 'looked' amazing but their roles were written rather poorly and appeared choppy. If this would have been my first drama with those actors and actresses, I wouldn't be interested in any other drama they starred in. Dialogues sounded boring, the tone of each voice was always the same monotone sound which lulled me into sleep. Some of the background music were not helping either. I missed emotions so much here. And I missed those tiny personal interactions between the leads. A wink, a look, some short random remarks. I don't know. They sounded like a bunch of people who successfully memorized their texts... Which is why I couldn't connect to any of them. They were so one-dimensional. I admit that sometimes it looked like they tried to be more, but... well, it wasn't enough.
They did have some kind of steadiness: Constant stagnation.
And what ending was that? The finale felt flat. Most times I'm quite satisfied with the main villains in dramas. But this one? Nope. There are actors who are able to pull off EVERY damn role they are given, even the bad ones. And they are able to shine in even those. And then there are actors who only suit certain characters. The actor for the main villain in this show failed to impress me - solely because his acting and his appearance together failed to capture an otherwise intriguing figure.
I'm familiar with the original series this one is based on, but I'm not a regular follower. Though occasionally I watch one or two episodes once in a while. And I have to admit that I'm more satisfied with their cases than I was with this show, even though I'm not deeply connected with the leads in the US version either. The reason why I stick with the show when I stumble upon it while zipping through the channels is because I am glued to one special bond between two of the leads. And because their cases feel more compact which leads to a more intriguing investigation. Well, if I want to, I can go into more detail but I think I made my point clear.
So sad this failed to reach my expectations. I so wish I could say something positive as well, but there's nothing I can think of. Everything that started out good/interesting became rather boring quite quickly because they stretched the developing process too far, didn't show crucial details in the leads' behavior/facial expressions and slow/dull scene editing...
But I did like the ending song!
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This is a great show they did pretty well comparing to the original.
I usually prefer a little romance but still loved this show without any of it.
Every character are very professional, the acting is done well.
There’s a lot of blood and gruesome scene, but I mean what do you expect this is a crime show.
I know this isn’t a popular opinion but MCW & LJG are so cute together, even if they didn’t act as lovers. Really hope that they’ll collab again as lovers in a historical setting because I prefer historical dramas and still couldn’t get over the amazing Princess’s man & Scarlet heart Original (Bu Bu Jing Xin).
The only thing that I didn’t like was how they had MCW’s hair up and made her dress plainly, but the others girls had on full faces, dresses, just overall they did a lot more than MCW, but I guess that’s just their preferences.
Definitely will watch if there’s a season2.
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UNDERRATED BUT WORTH WATCHING!
Being one of the expensive kdrama, starred (Lee Joon Gi) wth happened with their ratings?!The story on how they investigate cases is not that fresh especially if you've watched tons of Thriller/Mystery drama. However, I like how Criminal Minds being unique with having 6 profilers/law related officers. All of them stunned!! Love their team work ❤❤ Good job!! ❤
Their story-telling is good. Each cases digs dippen. And every cases are impactful. Making you ponder the reality, decision-making, mental health and morals. I loved also how Criminal Psychology/stimulation of culprit psychologically enables them to solve their cases.
MUSIC- Compelling with the intense scenes! Great!
Forget about the ratings!! Duhh, Criminal Minds is underrated kdrama. Such a nice story you mustn't missed!!!
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Interesting cases, psychopaths, mind games, only if the writing was better, it could've been a hit
I haven't watched the American version of this from which it was re-made from so this show is my only reference and I can say that I was pretty disappointed about how this show turned out. The cases are interesting however the way that the story was constructed was way too bland and cliche.There were episodes that caught my emotions and I was really shocked when they took the route where 'someone dies' which I thought wouldn't however that just what it is. Even the main characters lacks depth on their characters and is more on one-dimensional. It felt like I was watching them 20x on repeat with just a slightly different scenario.
It was normal that most criminals especially serial killers have a turbulent childhood which led them to become a-not-so-good citizen however the characterization of the suspects here can be misunderstood as people having turbulent childhood or those who experience mental health issues are harmful and dangerous people which is not really the case. A lot of people who has mental health problems and experienced abuse are good law abiding people.
As someone who watched tons of crime, serial killing, law dramas, this drama is way below the standards. I still do commend the casts though. I love the Lee JoonGi is here also Lee SunBin. And all the other casts. I just didn't like how the whole story was written. There were no thrill or suspense and the ending is also meh. I invested 20 hours to watch this and unfortunately, I cannot recommend it.
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True to the name and theme, it was all about NCI finding criminals. The little sneak peak of background stories of each characters were like cherry on top. They didn't delve much into personal lives other than what needed to weave it into the plot.
It was also perfectly excuted.
I am an ardent follower Criminal Minds the original English series, watching this K-Drama brought back so many memories. And they picked all my favourite episode stories from the original series. The execution of the original story into this version was overall good.
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