one of the best dramas ive ever watched
i never write reviews but i just had to for this dramaif you dislike this drama, think its boring, or find any of the characters annoying past halfway, im sorry but you should maybe watch and read more works that arent purely dopamine brain rot :D
this is writing!!! im in love with this show, i love how it depicts the realities of working in the force, of life in general, and of peoples lives. i love how it shows all sides of the good and the bad, like that's the whole point!!! annoying characters? they're real life people!! that's how real people are!! surprise! people can be assholes, they can be annoying, and they can have different values and priorities and they won't always align with yours! but that's what makes this drama so interesting and refreshing is that it mirrors reality and isn't a cheesy stereotyped shove in your face over exaggerated over produced piece of work.
you really do end up loving every character and i grew so attached to the whole hongil patrol division crew :') that ost too... man they picked the right songs to use. and honestly the ending was perfect, in a very human, very realistic way. tugged at my heart strings and made me cry happy sad and angry tears <3
this is a must watch, dont listen to the bad reviews they have no taste (it might not be your cup of tea but i think everyone should get to experience such a rare great drama like this... you'll never find another slice of life quite like this one)
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Slice of Life Police Procedural That's Sympathetic to Both Law Enforcement and Citizenry
The Good:• No serial killer cat-and-mouse, genius detectives or glory hounds. Police work is everything from dealing with drunks to navigating departmental politics to high profile/high risk cases and it's all treated with the same gravitas.
• You may love-to-hate or hate-to-love some of the cast, but they all have reasons for the way they act and interact with each other and their conflicts and hang-ups stem from more relatable issues than Kdrama tropes.
• There's no easy answer to systemic societal problems and the narrative doesn't pretend to have any. Sometimes people make bad choices, sometimes they make good choices and sometimes there aren't any choices at all; just consequences.
The Either/Or:
• Because of the profession the issues dealt with are more serious than most slice of life dramas.
• The rookie romance love triangle is fine, but it could have been easily omitted without changing anything important in the story or characters; which is usually a sign that something should have been omitted.
The Bad:
• The final episodes take a dramatic turn which doesn't match the tone of the rest of the story. It's not completely over the top, but the main point - that guns can save as well as kill - was already adeptly proven previously.
• The character stories could have been more tightly wrapped up instead of said dramatics.
Takeaway:
• It's a realistic and relatable depiction of broken people in a broken system trying to help each other without getting too artsy or pedantic in presentation. Highly recommended if you enjoy bleak but hopeful and occasionally philosophical slice of life dramas like Misaeng, Black Dog and My Mister.
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There is so much material to unpack. I never felt like the plot dragged, and there definitely was not a dull moment. Rather on the cases and criminals, there is more of a focus on the ripple effect of a crime. How does it affect the victims and their families? How does society respond and view these victims? How do police officers, whether veteran or rookie, feel as they see these crimes happen day in and day out? I’d put a trigger warning after episode two. A majority of the cases involve sexual assault, rape, and abuse of all types. It is rather graphic, so it may be distressing to see. Its realistic approach shows heinous violence can happen to anyone and anywhere. Oddly enough, I found this drama educational because it touches on conversations, for example, consent, that should be held, especially with parents and their children. I really enjoyed the writing that gives food for thought.
I applaud the cast for their outstanding acting and intense on-screen presence, especially Bae Sungwoo. Their portrayals of ordinary police officers who are simply doing their best to survive and do their job is relatable and realistic. Live continuously reminds us police officers are human beings like you and me. They are daughters and sons to someone, mothers and fathers to others. They are not superheroes who are unperturbed by violence and death. They have weaknesses, too. Not even academy training or decades of experience can completely encase their hearts in stone. I loved how the screenwriter shattered the rookies’ expectations of being a police officer. There is no glory. To wish for a big case to crack in order to achieve merits, it requires a victim, for someone to die or someone to be traumatized. I enjoyed the journey the mentees went through with the help of their mentors who shaped them up to become wiser police officers. I also liked the mini arcs most received because character development is always more than welcomed. I adored the interpersonal relationships among all those in the division. Witnessing the camaraderie slowly built over the duration of the drama warmed my heart. Seeing the officers struggle through the downs of life yet being lifted back up with the help of their fellow colleagues tugged on my heartstrings.
I definitely am someone who watches with my heart rather than brain. Live made me laugh and cry, as I intently followed everyone’s growth. Some parts I simply let pass by with not much thought since I knew they were needed to move the plot and development along. I felt like the police procedures were quite accurate, so there wasn’t anything major to nitpick. The product placements fit well, actually, and I am used to them. With any Korean drama based on crime, I expected the name-calling, boisterous voices, and slapping. These are, I guess, normal when it comes to portraying the police, so they are stuff to keep in mind, if you’ve ever been annoyed with them.
Overall, Live is one of the better ones, of its genre, out there. It shows you the no-frills lives of police officers without mastermind criminals and cat-and-mouse games. I liked how it shined a light on the patrol division, the one that gets to the crime scene first and interacts with the community the most. The officers respond to every single call with the same passion and sense of duty, the very things that may waver when up against the flawed system but remain resilient in the face of protecting their fellow citizens’ lives.
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This drama is as realistic as it gets, there's no extra comedy or extra sweet romance or super dramatic scenes just to push the story forward(though it obviously has some drama), it's just the daily life of police officers and what they go through.
So why did I watch it? I don't know, there are many things that can't be explained in this world and this is one of them but I did and I'm really glad I did.
After episode 1 I thought the series was decent and decided to try another one. After that I found it interesting and started to get attached to the characters and by the 3rd episode I was completely hooked.
The story, even though there was no real goal to it, was really great. I never felt bored, which I easily am in shows like this(which is why I usually dislike them), I was interested in everything that was going on and really cared about the characters, which for me is about as good as it gets.
The acting was superb and I truly mean that. There were no exaggerated acting which can be quite common for korean dramas and can often be entertaining but would not have been a good fit for this series.
I could not find single fault in the characters' acting, everything was really realistic, in a good way.
The music choice was exceptional, the mix between western and eastern music fit really well and gave every emotional scene extra depth.
As for rewatch value... Will I watch it again? Most likely, though in a few years or so. Will I go back and watch specific scenes as one might do for melodramas and such? Probably not. Still rewatchable though.
In conclusion, as you might've figured out I really enjoyed the series even though I didn't expect to, which to me is one of the highest praise a series can get. So please, even though you might not usually enjoy series like these, give this one a try. Who knows, it might surprise you, just as it did me.
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This review may contain spoilers
easy 9/10
the only reason I take off 1 point is bc I fast forward through some of the non-police personal relationship stuff. but there wasn't actually that much.one of the few dramas Ive watched that made good use of all its episodes. usually, I think dramas' stories end an episode or two before the drama. but not this one!
I would have loved some of the crimes to last longer, and not be solved so fast, but there was always another, so it wasn't that big of a deal.
I would be willing to watch the continuing adventures of these characters if there was more story to tell!
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The best Korean drama to talk about local police
The 2018 Korean Live drama consists of 18 episodes of 70 minutes. I can say that this drama is the best Korean drama to talk about the country's local police. It contains difficult and unpleasant feelings and shows the audience in the best way that the work of the local police is very difficult. I can say the story and the drama's osteo were at the top and the actors' roles were generally excellent and the kimster between them was very good as well Kimsteri was very good between them, and this drama, apart from the tragedy, was one of the best comedy dramas and was not deprived of laughter and pleasure to the audienceWas this review helpful to you?
Best drama
Best drama in reality.Best acting, Best story
Made me very emotional.
Work together as a partner,
I love kwang soo act.
But the romance it just a bit.
Can be more dramatic. Expect that kwang soo can more fight for his love. More romantic. And more sacrifice for the one his love.
Like he got shoot to protecting his girl. Is must be more awesome.
But overall i love this drama. Congrat to kwang soo and all the actor and actreesss this is the best experience for me.
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Life Is Important
The story is about someone who wants to become a police after getting an accident such as scam, rape, etc. After getting through the training, they got a lot of missions. But the longer they become the police, it's become harder and someone even gets killed during the mission. That's where the story becomes interesting.The last episode shows how the law can protect someone when in an urgent situation. It's really amazing to see how they debate.
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This is a simple drama that tells about the daily patrol police.
Precisely because of the simplicity that makes this drama interesting, we are reminded that the police are also just ordinary people who can be afraid like everyone else.
Praise should be given to Lee Kwang Soo. I don't know if he can act this well because usually i watch in running man, he's a reckless person.
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Just simple n short review
Acting 100%Ost 100%
Story 100%
Every ep have nice plot n heartwarming story tht make me cryyy♥️? really love itt. Why underrated kdrama always like thisss. and next monday last ep of lks in rm :'). The ost is so niceee! N their acting is so good. I love all character in this drama. This drama not boring at all because every ep have something tht will make u cry n want to keep watch it. I love lks acting n so many experience actor in this drma like song dong il,jang hyun sung n lee eol. This actor is legendd always see them in best kdrama!! I cry every ep ?
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Poor Officers
After seeing the horror they go through just trying to protect and serve. Yet never even an attempt for them to be protected themselves. Mostly against the pure fckery from the department itself. I'm surprised they aren't out whacking folks off left, and right, all day, and night. Can't say I'd blame them when ish is so crazy they'd have earned the right. How can you spit, and hit an officer of the law? Where TF they do that at? Its pathetic to think the folks that will be so quick to call for assistance. Might end up being the reason you're unfairly punished due to pure BS. How they continue to have the heart to help is a miracle itself.Was this review helpful to you?
