Caution ⤵
If you only enjoy shows with a HEA (Happily Ever After), you may want to skip out on this one. The show was beautifully done, but my heart won't be getting over that final episode ANY time soon. ???? P.S. This show is available on NF as of 3/20/19.
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Oldie but Goodie!
I loved and hated this one at the same time.So let's see the pros and cons.
Music: A perfect 10!A variety of music themes and songs.You never get bored.From the sweetest melody 🎶 in the romantic scenes to the beating tunes in kick-ass scenes, reflected every emotion so perfectly.
Production:
I started this not having my hopes high regarding the whole production,because i knew it was an old one.
So yes,this is old.And it looks old.But definitely is not bad.Their budget was pretty high considering alot of scenes were filmed abroad,Hungury and Japan.
I cannot judge /rate based on today's standards.But anyhow i find it in a very good level.I guess back then was excellent.
Cinematography:I liked it.Loved the sceneries.The hot springs/snowy scenery was absolutely beautiful.Also all scenes in Hungury.
Direction; One of the biggest issues here.Though iam not sure if it is 100% director's fault, as i don't have the right knowledge.
So my problem was the alteration /swapping of the camera.It was way too fast,made me really dizzy.Jumping from one scene to another faster than normal was annoying and tiring.But i had to suck it and eventually get used to it as the whole show goes this way!Maybe was under director's guidance,or it was cinematographer's fetish or just editor's fault!I don't care!I have to blame someone here,Lol!
Cast:I loved Lee Byung Hun.He was perfect for the role.I liked the rest of the cast except Kim Tae Hee.That was my first time see her in a drama but i have my reservations if i will watch any other with her starring in.
Acting: Again same as cast i liked everyone's acting except our MFL's.
The second issue for me in this drama.
In my humble opinion what makes an actor good, is his ability to use his body,facial expressions,moves and gestures to deliver emotions to the viewers.
I found no flexibility in her acting.She was rather stiff.But what annoyed me the most was her facial expressions.Or better say the non-existence of any facial expression!All the time no matter what scene she plays,her face has the exact same look.
She laughs..she cries..she loves..she hates..she is mad..she is happy..I don't know!I can't tell!I can't see any difference.
This character had all the potentials to express so many feelings but Alas!
Characters:
I will not analyze that much the chars as i usually do in my reviews.I didn't see any depth to give me many reasons to dip in the characters.
Good written but way too simple and plain.If i had to choose my favorite char tho,it would be definetely the second FL.The North Korean Agent.
She is the only character that we can see both sides of her-in depth, not just superficial -As an Agent she is strong,cold,lethal and a badass.But shes also a woman inlove.There is a sensitive side too.The actress managed to balance these 2 sides perfectly.
This char is the most complex one among all the others.Or maybe the only one.
She falls for the ML and although she knows she has no chance.alhough she is a scorned woman,she kept her dignity and pride.
She never pulled any cheap tricks on him.
Story/Plot :
I will start with the easy and light stuff and will continue with the most complicated parts.
My 2 favorite scenes/moments of the entire drama was 2nd Fl's confession to ML-a very powerful scene-and their good-bye scene.This one got me really hard.Damn brought tears in my eyes(and i asure you im not the sensitive type!)Of course no need to mention that i was rooting for then so hard but oh well Love is always Blind!
And here is a question to all the writers.Why the heck you are not more bold?You-writers-are thinking and writing the biggest and most wow plot twists,but when it comes to love,the romantic part of the story,you are cowards!!!
Just for a change,once surprise 😲 us and give the "bad" girl to the "good" guy and the opposite.
Villains deserves their Happy Endings too!(Stolen from O.U.A.T.wink 😉 wink 😜 )
Another question:Why on earth back then Kdramas had nice and real kissing scenes and today they barely touch their lips?Why????Grrrrrr!
Let's move on with the serious parts now:
This is a full packed action drama.It could easily be a scenario for the next MI movie...
Spies,conspiracies,politics,good guys chasing the bad guys and a romance to tie all.
The main frame is EXCELLENT!(for the genre of course)
It would be a perfect 10 if it was a 2hrs movie.But is a series with 20 episodesx1 hour each.So it can't be a perfect 10 because there are issues.It has flaws--alot!-It has plot-holes(Many!!!)
The most exciting part was that every single episode always ended with a cliffhanger!Good thing this is an old drama so you can binge-watch it.
The pace is fast.You have to catch up with everything, fast too!The story is speeding like a race so you have to follow.
My mistake,especially in the early episodes,was that i paid too much attention to the details.Another issue of the drama.The details are problematical.You have to pass and take it as it is,otherwise it could be really confusing and you will miss the whole fun.An example:Our main lead many times is on the edge of been killed,captured,revealed..Deus ex machina save him all the time!But ok!Iam sure just can't apply in real life,but oh well who cares?This is fictional.I just mention this for those who are really bothered from some unrealistic scenarios.Iam telling you to skip or overlook some details.Thats why i said this was my mistake.Because mostly at the beginning,i didn't pass them.I was pausing the episodes to google for historical events and facts and other infos too, because the plot(the little details)bothered me.(I even remember me searching for Muzzle velocity!!Seriously how f**up i was?Lmao!there is a scene the bad guy shoots inside a running car to another running car..Yeah don't mind!just suck it!)So this way i kept distructing myself overanalyzing things.In latter episodes i decided to stop doing this and just sit and enjoy the show.
I gave a total 8 because i really enjoyed it but i wanted to be as much objective as i could too.
There is a S2 and i will definetely watch it as the story in S1 is actually incomplete and i want to know the end of it!
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This review may contain spoilers
This show is by far my favorite kdrama to date, there is not much I can express without spoilers so I will just have to say that it's a wonderful action packed, tear-jerking, explosion filled thrilling ride, that I'm overall happy with experiencing. I recommend this if you enjoy gluing your eyes to the screen as it slowly rips your heart out while on the edge of your seat. Was this review helpful to you?
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I tried
I'm one of the few who found this to be a true dud. I tried to make it but by the 4th episode I was done.From the episodes I've seen all it was was sappy romance between the ML & FL which was faker than aspertame. I couldn't stomach the lovey dovey crap with no action.
When I want to see a Korean Drama I want fighting, action, comedy. Not rom-com stuff. I'm so not into that!
There have been a lot of favorites for me but I'm also finding a lot of duds. This was one of them.
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Loved the OST, acting, love scenes,especially loved the fight scenes. Action packed drama from start to finish. Korean actors are just too smexy, lol. T.O.P. was good at being bad, sexy in black.
Would definately watch again also. Because of this drama I also watched Athena Goddess of War.
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Ох, как же я болела за Ченжуна и Сонхва, хотя и понимала, что ничего у них не будет от слова совсем. Но она призналась в своих чувствах, он их принял и всё. А как она всегда смотрела на него и Сынхи, боль в глазах была такой явной и всем понятной.
Сама идея тайной организации а-ля масоны не просто не нова, а так уж стара как... мир. Так и не понятны остались мотивы "Айрис", хотя поверю и в деньги да власть, потому что даже у северокорейских террористов, окрыленных борьбой за родину, было больше огня в глазах, чем у наемников в последних сериях. Но списать все на одну организацию, никогда не работало. К сожалению, в мире таких "Айрисов" в каждом государстве, и не факт, что не государством и лелеемые.
Ну да ладно, зато есть повод для сиквела.
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Une certaine déception une fois ce drama terminé
Etant toujours à la bourre dans mes séries à regarder et étant donné que celle-ci allait sortir du catalogue Netflix, je m’y suis mis et ai regardé les 20 épisodes en une semaine et demie.Le début est assez prometteur même si la série a mal vieilli et que l’on est loin des standards actuels. Néanmoins, on se laisse prendre au jeu, au moins pendant la moitié des épisodes.
Après, malheureusement, cela devient très confus, les événements s’enchaînent sans lien, les indices sont trop facilement trouvés et le héros s’en tire toujours même face à 30 hommes armés jusqu’aux dents…
Bref, cela manque un peu de réalisme et la surenchère des derniers épisodes m’a laissé dubitatif. Sans parler de la fin, qui est totalement surréaliste. Sans spoiler la série, je ne comprends toujours pas comment cela a pu se produire de la sorte. Il 6 a tellement de facteurs imprévisibles à prendre en compte que cela n’aurait pas pu se produire dans la réalité.
Bref, sentiment mitigé pour cette série avec une première moitié intéressante mais une seconde partie bâclée et incohérente.
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