It's not a happy one filled with romance, but it's raw, showing the truth, that unfortunately happens to a lot of people. It kind of reminds me of the movie "Silenced".
Good and bad is really blurred in this one, and it makes you think hard about if murder is ever okay.
The beginning is very different from the end but in a good way. We meet this mother and wife, Woo Kyung, who's a child psychologist, working at a children's centre. She appears to have it all, but as the show goes on, the curtain is drawn away, and doors that had previously been kept closed are opened, shaking her whole reality. You really fell for Woo Kyung in a lot of ways. There are moments where you don't fully understand her actions, but I guess that's because she too doesn't understand herself. People are complicated.
Then we have Ji Heon, our hot-headed detective. At first, he comes off as this really tough guy, with a dark past, but he really isn't much different from most detectives in drama-land. He's one of the leads, but we don't really know much about him throughout the whole show, except for a few things, which in some ways adds to the show. However, I would've liked to know a bit more about him and his past.
Cha Hak Yeon as Eun Ho really showed his abilities as an actor in this one, and he was probably one of my favourite characters of the show. He's kind, loves children, and is an overall good person. He has a bit of an arch in this show, and as we get to learn more of his past and what he's gone through, you'll find yourself wanting to give him a big hug, and a shoulder to cry on.
Lastly, we have our rookie detective Soo Young, who's new to the whole detective thing. We know next to nothing about her, and it kind of stays that way. She was a bit of a flat character because the few things we know about her. But, for that reason also, I'd say kudos to Nam Gyu Ri, for her performance, since she didn't have a lot to work with.
All of the child actors were great, I can't wait till they grow up. I'm sure they'll be at the top when they get older. Their performances were extremely raw and honest and didn't feel forced at all, like a lot of the times in dramas. The creators of Children of Nobody really hit a home-run when it came to the child actors.
A couple of things are left to your imagination - which I guess is for the best, since some of the neglect and the abuse is really horrible. But it does add to the show's overall feel and message. The biggest things are often the ones left unsaid and for a reason.
So, if you're in the mood for a raw, sad, mysterious drama, where you'll question your morals, then definitely watch it. BUT, if you yourself has gone through any kind of abuse, I would reconsider watching it, since that's one of the main factors of the show.
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I'm glad I did. I def see myself re-watching this in the future.
It is not for the faint of heart. I have PTSD from an abusive childhood. This show has been very triggering. I actually considered stopping myself from finishing the show as a form of self-care.
Well... damn, my intrigue outweighed my self-care.
The only, real weakness I can identify with is the female co-detective's backstory.
Her backstory was literally introduced in episodes 31 and 32. WTF.
It was like the writers thought "oh! we forgot about the detective's side story...let's fit her background in two minutes." Honestly, it was unnecessary and crude.
They should have (1) shown a scene where the detective shows extreme empathy and later explains the origins of why her reaction was triggered, or (2) dialed down the backstory-related characters' actions and treated the detective with respect and dignity.
Go in with a box of tissues for each episode.
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This drama is like a puzzle
This drama is like a puzzle every episode exposes another piece and at the end you have the whole picture. Once yous start watching this drama you want to keep watching another and another episode because you want to know more about the characters and the whole story. All the characters are really interesting and the cast did very good job in portraiting them. The OST/music that this drama has is not much played in the drama but when it is it's really good too. I felt all the emotions from it. I would say it's one of the best kdramas I have ever seen and it's a pity that it's quite underrated, I think that people should know more about this drama. But I have to say that you can't watch this whole series in two days or so because it really effects your psychics and if you watch it in a shirt period of time (like I did the first 11 episodes from 16) you'll be a bit depressed but of course not everybody might feel like that.Was this review helpful to you?
Poor
This drama primarily focused on serialized cases involving child abuse, while gradually developing its overarching plot. However, it failed to delve into anything profound or captivating, lacking the ambition one would expect from the first drama with such a theme. Furthermore, I don't think they did a good job handling the subject anyway. Its characters are its biggest problem. Initially, most of them were given over representation but eventually they didn't contribute much to the story. The FL's daughter was barely seen or given any involvement in the plot, wasn't even seen in the last episode. You would think she would be because of the theme and what FL went through.The characters remained static, lacking meaningful dynamics or genuine human emotions, which is particularly disappointing given the drama's thematic focus. In addition to the shortcomings, the color grading employed throughout the drama was remarkably poor and even embarrassing. The constant shifts between overly saturated green tones, flat magenta hues, and subdued blue shades were highly distracting and detracted from the overall visual experience, if it had any to begin with.
Ultimately, this drama offered little beyond a series of sad child abuse stories. It failed to deliver a compelling narrative or explore its themes in a profound and meaningful manner.
On another note, Soo Yeong is somewhat a fierce cop/detective yet there was a brief scene in the last episode of her being physically abused, that was the most redundant and unnecessary scene in the drama. It served no purpose to the narrative and contributed nothing to the story. On another another note, it's a mockery seeing people defending Eun Ho, if an old ugly guy was to play his character then nobody would dare to say anything.
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That being said, I am so glad Lee Yi-Kyung got to experiment with such a remarkable character exhibiting his versatility, given his flair in comedy has already been established. The story is very engaging and binds everything with so much finesse. Every scene and dialogue is important leading up to the conclusion. Top-class acting as expected from the ensemble as they have already made their mark in the industry.
Kim Sun-a has such a character arc and portrayed her turmoil and frustration with such ease. Her eyes do speak a lot more than what is hidden. The final episodes showcase her explosive acting skills when everything is exposed in the end.
The drama is so well written, much kudos to the writing team for shedding light on a grim and less-explored reality of children.
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Boring but interesting
Hmm I don’t really knw hw I feel after watching this drama,the drama is deep and dark is slow and mysterious look boring bt interesting this drama is very different frm Movies/drama have seen so far , u will get to stage in this drama u think u no where is going but trust me u don’t I wanted to drop it at 1st because I didn’t understand wht I was watching bt I keep getting deep and deeper with it couldn’t drop it. Is definitely that one film dat keeps u at d edge of d couch I still don’t really knw how to describe it ....Bt if u want to see something completely different frm rom/com and all dat check it out this drama will make u understand that is not every human being dat looks sane on d outside is sane on the inside .... I definitely can’t rewatch this drama cuz is just too deep and touching this are type of movie u watch just once and love demWas this review helpful to you?
I appreciate the attempt to bring to light various forms of abuse and its various lasting effects through adulthood no matter how stable one's life turns out. Also appreciate the highlighting that not all victims are saints themselves as everyone has their own type of sin.
However, while I'm not one who minds the slower-paced type of series/movies. This one just felt like a slow-pacing in circles over and over again. The actors were awfully bland even for a somber setting. Making it through over half of the episodes (with lots of fast-forwarding), there is pretty much zero character development. The female lead's character feels so one-note that I've grown annoyed by her screen time. Despite the trauma she's apparently gone through, she is really just selfish and self-righteous underneath her overbearing gentleness and occasional rage. For a child psychologist, she really doesn't have much empathy. It would have been fine if she was given any type of personality growth by now in the series. If the expressions on the majority of the actors didn't feel like permanent Botox, it might have worked better. The only actor that pushed the episodes along was really the main detective.
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautifully Written - Don't watch if you are after "excitement" / twists & turns
I really think this was a beautifully written drama that did cover a really sensitive topic. They did manage to make good use of the number of episodes they had for this series.It does raise the argument of what is "worse", which you find yourself thinking about each time a child's story is explored. Sometimes, I felt like Red Cry was doing the right thing and other times, I did not. In regards to "who Red cry is?" it was pretty clear as the writers laid it out in front of us.
Even though some may watch this drama expecting it to be filled with twists and turns as to the revelation of the killer. Though, the killer was a big part of the drama, I just don't think it should be the only thing to focus on when watching. The main topic is childhood abuse and trauma, if you're looking for a drama to give you excitement, don't watch this.
This drama did tackle the different types of childhood trauma faced by both kids and when the adults were kids too. The Female lead Woo-kyung was an example of this. The memory loss she suffered due to a tragic and traumatic thing she witnessed first hand. I felt for her because she was continuously brushed off by her stepmother and the fact that there were barely any photographs of her childhood. It was tragic but a harsh reality some people do face.
So-Young (the female detective) even talked briefly about her experience of getting beat by her brother and how her natural reaction to his beatings were.
This show does raise awareness of the effects of abuse, especially childhood abuse on people.
I think the cast did a wonderful job acting together and alone in this drama and I would 100% recommend this drama to anyone who has patience to watch the story unfold.
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Good but with some shortfalls
This drama was quite intriguing, I really enjoyed the first 10 or so episodes (well if you consider it as 16 total eps, the first 5 or so episodes). I enjoyed the mystery that it started with, especially with regards to Cha Wookyung’s past. The focus on the topic of abuse was also reasonably well handled, I felt for the children and got the message they were trying to impart for the most part.However, by the end I felt it lacked a strong ending. Like, I understood what they were trying for, but it felt a bit flat. The focus was also heavily on Wookyung, and while I didn’t mind since I was invested in her the most, it made the underdeveloped police leads stick out like sore thumbs. They just felt like plot movers, especially the female cop. And since they mostly drive the story, it made the plot feel like the writing was more spontaneous than well planned. But still the story was pretty good. I also did enjoy the music and the acting (mostly from Wookyung and Jiheon). Solid 8 from me.
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