Now, on to the review.
Firstly, I wanted to write a review because i saw that there are not many reviews and more importantly I think this drama was a little overlooked. Maybe because of the subs that came out so late and are still not so "good".
Story: It's a complex story, that many drama fans may have seen. A scary case that happened a long time ago, a new case that triggered the memories of the old one nowadays, and people who start to investigate it. However this drama is not so simple. Why? Because the story can't go on without characters that start to build it. That is why I want to talk about characters here. Out female lead is a strong policewoman. She is tomboyish and lives happily with her father, but we start the drama already knowing her past. I will not talk about the past but it's super creepy and scary. What is important here is that she can see people's death. well actually not only. She has a fortune telling power from her grandmother. On the other hand we have chic elite detective. His favorite phrase is "do you like science?". As you can guess from it he is someone who believes in science, is great in deduction and may other stuff. So these two get together and try to solve scary mysteries. As the detective says as a joke, she shoots a fantasy and he shoots a scientific crime drama. But together it become super great!Here I want to say a bit about Black it may sound similar. However it is not similar at all. I didn't think about Black even a single moment while watching this drama. Black had a very complex story and even the people who made it messed up in the end because of it. The girl was crying till the end. And the story lost it's logical thread, but had a promising start. Here, everything is different. The female officer is strong. she doesn't cry all the time. If something tragic happens she overcomes it and fight bravely. she is also physically strong and can beat many men. The male lead is also strong physically. (capable police :D) And she doesn't think she is cursed. She accepted her power. She is sad, that she can't save some, but she still tries. She is also smart! And as I said the male lead is somewhat a genius. And more importantly the story is logical till the end. Her powers only grow, and she uses them well. Male Lead also Uses his brain very well, and the story comes to a logical conclusion. So If you didn't like black, Doesn't mean you will not like this one. And visa versa. I can't leave out the second lead who played prosecutor. As he said himself you can't figure out he is good or bad, which makes you curious to see more of him. A man who strong and soft at the same time. You can't really tell what is he. But of course later you start to see other sides of him. The villain character where also interesting. Especially the "small" villains that go used by others. The story starts of as really creepy (like Save me) it gets creepier as the main leads visit a strange island. Later you get used to it and the entangled information slowly reveals itself more and more. Also the little homeless squad :D Honestly I totally loved them!! they played some big roles in this story and they were also a nice breath of fresh air.
Acting: The acting was great! I was seeing the female lead for the first time but she was great!! I was so tired of this super cute, weak ladies who always get in the way and cry. She played very well and her voice was great especially when she was telling the prophesies. The actor of male lead also pulled of smart, cheeky, genius, scientific, sad, angry, serious, stupid character lol. he was annoying at first, for me, but he was great later. The prosecutor (second lead). I saw this actor for the first time in Rebel and I loved him! Here I loved him even more. He pulled off all those complex emotions the character was having - guilt, heart scars from tragic childhood, fear, loyalty, willpower, desire to live, anger, love and more. The villains were good as expected, the veteran actors always end up getting all the hate XD
the "small" villains also did great. They had to show many other emotions and pulled it off fantastically. The homeless squad and other policemen also acted well.
Music: Creepy stuff owes it's creepiness mostly to music. XD well there is also camerawork. But you know those sounds that are usually in scary movies. they help to build the atmosphere here. But thank God it's not much. so It's ok. If you don't like scary stuff like me, don't worry it's not scary (it's like Save me).
This drama has adult cast. These actors are not young. But actually that is a plus for this drama. All the actors were great in it. And the plot actually captured me from the first scenes, because of it's creepiness. xDD
The cons, I think, are the subs!
This drama wasn't subbed when it was airing, maybe this is the reason it was overlooked at that time. Now it is subbed, but at the time a I am writing this the subs are a mess. I mean on the website where I watched it, the subs finally appeared, but they are very very bad. So I guess many people tried to watch it, but the subs were so out of the context that are very difficult to understand. I understand a little bit Korean, but there were parts I couldn't understand and the subs weren't of help. The genders are mixed, women are men and visa versa. From one point all the names started to appear in Chinese. Later that female lead's name Kim Dan was appearing as "altar" "small altar" or "gold altar" lol and there were part were the subs just told whatever. especially on the last episode. in all the important scenes there was written a nonsense. xD
What I was trying to say is don't give up on this drama because of the subs. :)
Overall it was a good drama, worth watching. I don't regret one bit. If you are wonder to watch it or no, I suggest giving it a try. The actual story begins two years from the events happening on the first two episodes. So try to keep on at least until that. Around 3rd or 4th ep. :)
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Hats off to the writer who give birth to such character ,who all the tangled the viewer all the time ,make the viewer worried as in real happen to him .This character achieve sympathy with the viewer .
Role of Kim Dan is amazing ,she did great job .She is beautiful and her acting is too good.
The one who play the role of crime officer is all rounder in his expressions ,sometime he is funny , sometime he is stubborn,sometime he is so much emotional.perfect acting
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This review may contain spoilers
Watch for the SML' s story and performance
I picked the drama because of the intriguing title and it turned out a comparatively enjoyable watchalbeit not very original and rather inconsistent in quality. The first 11 episodes are mostly good but in
the last five the writing goes downhill unfortunately. To be honest I ploughed to the end only to learn
what would happen to one character, namely the prosecutor.
The plot is nothing unique. It feels like parts and bits of dozen different movies and series were put
together to create it. The two main leads are police detectives investigating serial murders in the
present. In the process they eventually stumble upon a case of the religious cult members' mass suicide
happened 24 years ago which the Fl is connected to in some way.
The best written part of the plot is definitely a terrifying back story about the cult and the way the members and especially children were treated by the cult leaders. The tone is so matter-of-fact in those scenes of violence that it makes them extremely disturbing and sends shivers down the spine. When the whole story is revealed the atrocity of it is enormous.
The plot of the other part “the present” is not that good and riddled with many plotholes and weird
twists and turns which are mostly filler. Like the crazy heiress abduction case, the organ harvesting
story, the ten plagues of Egypt quest, the Fl meeting her shaman grandmother for approximately 10
minutes and never remembering about her further on. It is especially evident in the last 5 episodes
where the script is getting more and more ridiculous and disjointed by the minute.
The leads are okay, though I was not particularly invested into their stories. The fl is likable in the first
half but later on becomes such a hypocrite letting slide the crimes of her father and at the same time
calling the prosecutor a monster for lesser sins. The Ml is a rather typical quirky detective with the super
high IQ whose antics I would have enjoyed in some other drama but here they feel somewhat out of place. Or
perhaps not well executed. The romance is only hinted at and that is just fine because there is zero
chemistry between the fl and ml.
The true star of the drama is undoubtedly the prosecutor Joo Ha-Min. Sim Hee-Seop gives a brilliant
performance portraying this deeply scarred and conflicted man whose tortured soul is beginning to heal
after meeting the fl. The actor’s charisma and screen presence is strong and compelling. Though the
prosecutor is an ambiguous and “grey” character who is seemingly siding with the evil it is
impossible not to root for him in the end more than for the protagonists. Sim Hee-Seop plays this
complex character so effortlessly, all his emotions seem so real: his bitter cynicism and vulnerability, the
longing in his eyes when he is looking at the fl, the desperation and lingering hope. What a pity Sim Hee-
Seop is not in many dramas. He is sincerely a gem.
Another great performance is Kim Dong Young as a psycho killer Han Sang Goo.
The OST is also the strength of the drama. I like everything: the songs though there are few of them, the
instrumental pieces, and the hymn sung by the choir. The music here is fitting and used well to set the
mood.
Overall it is worth a try if only just to see the prosecutor’s story.
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but then u go and tell me that the both of them starred in a kdrama together?
as detective duo?
literally magic.
i refuse to believe better casting is possible.
this blessing of a show starts as a whole rollercoaster of tones and genres, and for the most part remains true to that, even as things take their turns. always a light just around the corner even in its darkest moments. it exists on its own terms yet is married to the fabric of reality moreso than the kdramas i've seen up until now. this stuff has turned out to rly be a science, and i can't believe that i almost gave up on trying to get into them not long ago.
it's a a technical marvel too, of course. in its lowkey way, score carrying all the things, camerawork grand and simple at once. they did that thing of blending a dark fairytale with real life in a seamless manner that i don't think you could replicate in this form with merely western sensibilities. (which is to say that this show does incoorperate some obvious western tropes, but in a very playful, almost meta way, as compliment to the rest)
when kdrama peaks, it rly does peak.
(once again, i don't rate rewatch value - so neutral 5. tho with this one i can definitely see myself wanting to dive back in some years down the road.)
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This review may contain spoilers
Before I start reviewing the drama itself, I'll mention the fact that as of the time I finished the drama (a few days ago), the English subtitles that were available for me weren't 100% understandable. As such, how I understood might/ might not be affected by it. Mostly not but a disclaimer just in case I write something about that isn't conveyed in the drama. This drama is amazingly captivating! I've read on a number of forum that some compares it to Black but I don't really see the similarity except for the fact that the heroine for this drama, Kim Dan, is available to look into the future occasionally and witness people's death (mostly after they die!) The storyline is VERY interesting. The fact that they tackle such a controversial subject is really a risk-taker. However, I'm impressed at the fact that they didn't provide for dark themes or rather, themes that were not suitable for a more general audience.
One thing I would criticize about this drama is the fact that they mainly focus the flashbacks and history of Kim Dan. They do show flashbacks that involves the male lead and the second male lead but mostly, childhood-wise, it is centered towards Kim Dan even if there is the mention or appearance of another character. I would have rated it better if they would have showed and explained the other characters' background more. Also, this drama tend to have that 'Touch and Go' element whereby they touch on a pressing issue and solve it but never really see it through until the end, except for main issues. I don't want to give any spoilers but an example I can give is when Character A discovers a death is not accidental. In this drama, they discover it is not accidental and hint at who committed the murder but no repercussions were taken.
The editing skills aren't as flawless as other dramas too as there are scene cuts where music cuts up abruptly but those are all minor issues.
All in all, although it does have some flaws that might frustrate the viewers, it definitely is a must watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
This one is difficult to describe because on the one hand, the suspense of the series was well laid out until it neared the end but it was also littered with plot holes. But despite the plot holes, it mostly flowed better than most with exception of the weak ending. I really wish they zoned in on some necessary areas that would have given it more depth:- It makes total sense for Kim Dan to mourn her Kim Ho Ki but really odd that she never mourned her real mother, not even when she was little. And no, the memory loss later doesn't justify this.
- They never provided any background on the children who were tortured and ended up as murderers, or even much about their interactions with each other. Sometimes it seemed they knew of one another and other times they didn't? How did the rest of the children end up where they did after the major event?
- The whole future vision aspect also didn't make much sense and there's only so much that can be interpreted if there's too many inconsistencies.
Having jumped into this one with just the brief plot summary, thought this one would be more episodic but it all revolves around peeling back layers from a past event. The comedic scenes were actual quite fun but it was awkwardly placed, and it sometimes took away what should have been more serious for the characters. However, what was great about this one was the actors and supporting actors. They managed to pull it together despite the flaws and poorly scripted character developments. And I really, really hope to see Kang Ji Hwan and Shim Hee Sub together again in better written/directed series. Both of them already bring their own charm individually, but they also have great on-screen chemistry. These guys deserve more spotlight in this arena and the higher score is mainly due to them.
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The acting of the main leads are weak, they don't have a strong impact and a chemistry. I wasn't even hooked up on the story from the 1st episode. I think the story is nice, but I find it lacking and dull. Really sad that it didn't met my expectations.
I'll just give it a 4/10. You can watch it if you want too, but I believe there's a lot of OCN thriller dramas that are better than this.
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And here's my opinion regarding the said TV Series.
STORY LINE
Since I am a fan of Supernatural/Fantasy kind of dramas, watching it excites me a lot. The crime related story made it even more exciting. The twists, though some were predictable were properly executed. The transition of the story is not boring as well. This series has its own charm that you may get to know as you watch more episodes but I must say that if you're a fan of this kind of drama you may end up liking it like I do.
CHARACTERS/ACTING
Let's begin with the male lead. I don't know his real name but I'm familiar with his face because I already watched his movie Runway Cop. I'm not good with names plus the characters' names in the drama using the unpolished subtitle were written in Mandarin so knowing their names were kind of tiring hahahaha. But anyways his acting skill was quite good, just his usual self. Maybe because his role in Runway Cop and in this drama is quite similar, a police officer. :-) The female lead is unknown to me, sorry for that but her acting skill was quite commendable. Among all the casts the one who impressed me most was the second male lead especially when he was wearing his poker face. His role as a two faced prosecutor suited him best. Some of the supporting casts in this drama were quite popular as well. :-)
The story line will excite you, the character build up will amaze you but the subtitle will honestly annoy you so beware of that. Well, for me, I somehow endured watching it spite of the terrible subtitle because I'm more into the story anyway maybe you can endure watching it too.
For me I will give this TV Series an 8/10 rating due to its story line and quite good ending.
To See / Is To / Believe
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This review may contain spoilers
If you don't have ANYTHING else to watch don't mind getting annoyed by lack of logic in almost every aspect of the plot, hypocrisy of the main leads, doesn't mind the lack of actual mystery(since you can deduce everything from first 2 episodes) and like ghost connected stories- then go ahead and watch this drama. But honestly can't recommend that.First of all, there are numerous little plot holes almost everywhere through the plot. Starting with ex-detective doing a hearing with a possible serial murderer, going through the unlogical actions of characters(needed to push forward a wreck of the plot since the whole mystery was pretty much obvious since the beginning), ending up with just obvious plot holes making me question why am I even continuing to watch this show (for example, detective get almost killed, the murderer says she will kill her like others- but then when detective arrests her- they say there is no proof???? SHe just attempted to kill someone and confessed to her previous crimes though????).
The answer to that question is simple though- the sole reason that I dragged myself to the end was Popeye- Jo Ha min.
He was an only complexly build and acting fairly logical character in this whole mess of a drama and my heart ached for him.
The main leads on the other hand- oh gosh, it's been long since I last disliked main leads SOOOO MUCH. Their actions and behaviors were just purely illogical and was pissing me off countless time.
I guess the moment I was pissed the most was when the female lead reached the peak of hypocrisy- while calling her "father" who abused kids to the point of them pissing themselves from fear, a "good person" (because he was KILLING AND ABUSING thinking it would bring his daughter back) she treated Popeye- the boy who after losing his alcoholic mother since early childhood was abused, looked at his friends being beaten up, manipulated and just purely robbed from his life-like a literal trash saying "he made a choice to become a monster"?????? Ok if we are heartless and apathetic enough to say that and think it's even remotely true- then what about her father???? And her who also was there and didn't stop anything???
I almost always side with the female lead but this time I kinda wanted to punch her almost whole time...
The male lead too- not minding the woman who sold orphans for organs walking free??? And making plans with her???? What??? And you call yourself a "good detective"????
As I said before- there was no mystery- or more like they acted like there was some while anyone could tell what happened since the first two episodes and all the plot twists were almost forced by a lot of illogical happenings.
Generally- just don't waste your time and nerves, there is a lot of better mystery dramas out there. You may watch it if you really love spirit, supernatural related dramas but there are better ones about that out there. For me the only reason to watch this drama is Popeyes character.
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This review may contain spoilers
My first thought before watching this drama - based on the title only - was that it's going to have to do with some politics power and religion stuff, which turned out to be true. This theme has been used countless times when related back to children especially at those children who at disadvantages and as such, the story plot for this drama became boring to me. Initially I was also thinking not to watch because it may have something to do with children abuse as well (hard to stomach for me) but this theme was not heavily explored/described in this drama (except some physical abuses explicitly displayed and mostly on perusing mental abuse instead) so I was able to continue to watch. Another reason for the boringness was that I felt as if I am watching another continuation of Black (which also an OCN drama on criminal investigation and female MC having supernatural power). The only reason I rated the story as higher than 5 was because the last few episodes towards ending picked up really well although the overall forgiveness theme was overly used in my opinion. There were also things that did not make sense to me but to explore here would be spoilers. Also the way the drama tried to inject quick brief cases to showcase criminal investigations theme was like half a joke styles. In terms of acting, for main casts I find them so-so but the actor who played Joo Hamin (Shim Heesub) was really good in his protrayal. Also this character was well written in the sense it did not really go the conventional way of pushing away responsibilities and being blameful but knowing full well understanding of his own situation and choosing what to do next to determine his own life. Was this review helpful to you?
Unique not predictable plot
The story makes sense more as you watch, and it is boring in the first five or so episodes, but it becomes more and more interesting, intense, suspenseful as it progresses. It is a very unique plot, so nothing is cliche.I think it's cute when the male lead makes sus comments to other men.
The last three episodes had me on my toes.
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