One of the things Seung-ho is known for is choosing projects with sensitive, multi-layered male leads and strong, three-dimensional female leads with their own arcs. No female lead in a recent Yoo Seung-ho drama has been there merely to propel the male arc's lead or serve as an accessory. Strong female leads are almost a part of his brand.
The Memorist continues this trend by having a good mutual partnership between Seung-ho's telepath Dong-baek and the profiler, Han Sun-mi. Capable, intelligent, respected and extremely competent, Se-young's character has her own connection to the plot independent of Dong-baek and serves an equal role in the text to his own. This is extremely rare for this genre (and for kdrama generally). And, if it wasn't for the weaknesses of the plot, direction and editing, it would almost be enough for me to persist with the show.
These are two excellent actors doing their best with the material. It's just the material itself that's the problem.
Unfortunately, The Memorist just isn't that interesting. The show is dark - so dark sometimes that you can barely see what's happening - and badly edited, with things moving from action frame to action frame as though it's still a comic book and not a live action version. The characters remain undeveloped at episode 8, with little time given to them as people. To some extent, this is deliberate as Dong-baek's ambiguity is required for several plot points. But it doesn't add to the show's watchability if we can't connect or feel invested in these people as characters.
By episode 8, the show consists of our protagonists chasing a smirking psychopath around in the dark. And while I would usually persist just for Seung-ho and his badass female lead, I am unfortunately bored. Worse even than that, the show has a voyeuristic violence against women problem - a common issue with this genre. It's unfortunate for it that I am very tired of crime shows torturing women for their viewer's pleasure, or for them perpetuating the myth that it's strange psychopaths in the street we need to be concerned about. The real threat to women is men they know and it's about time dramas started acknowledging that.
Having a single strong female lead is not enough to overcome the victimisation of every other female character and by episode 8 this is becoming a real problem.
And so I am dropping the show and hoping Seung-ho's next endeavour is more to my taste.
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In the sea of K-crime dramas, Memorist tries to be a blue whale but ends up being a fluke- the most abundant fish in the waters. It's generic, follows a pattern already used by many others, unoriginal and unfortunately boring by the end of the day.
In order to be apart from the norm, a mystery/crime show has to bring its own color to shine through. Stranger did that with the unique characters, Voice did that with its powerful antagonist, Defendent did that with the brilliant acting but Memorist, unfortunately has nothing that stands out.
Trouble with over powered protagonists (like the ML here, can read memories, is a kickass fighter, super smart, handsome , has a fan base) is that you're less forgiving of their stupidity. The ML's reckless actions and punch first, think later idealogy was less charming and more idiotic to me. It kept him from doing what matters and unfortunately, that meant I'd be stuck with more episodes of the same running around in circles with the plot I have no interest in.
Yoo Seung Ho is good here. He knows how to act but does not have the wow factor to make you connect with him (unless you're already a fan), the FL's character is well written but the actress's portrayal of her is just bland enough to make it meh.
Sure, there's mystery and the whodunnit factor and the frustration of not being able to catch the murderer but to me personally, it felt like I was seeing more of the same thing. And the idea of watching the same thing for the umpteenth of time, digesting all of the info dump with a mediocre setting and characters for 16 hours straight does not sound appealing to me at all. Some people say it got better, others say the plot just became messier as the episodes progressed, I for one don't have the patience to find out.
Maybe more suited for watchers that are new to the genre and fans of the cast but for a seasoned watcher? A hard pass.
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This review may contain spoilers
So this is my first time writing a review for a show on this site and I have to say that The Memorist is becoming one of the best dramas that I have watched so far. I know that we have only had 14 out of 16 episodes, but the show keep you on the edge of your seat wonder "What is his connection to this?" "I thought he was a good guy who was trying to redeem himself."This show while dark, also has it funny moments that show you the human side of all characters, it shows in the bonding of ML with the FL and SCs. I have to admit that while I am use to dramas I am not use to seeing such human emotions brought out, but this is a reflection of life in general.
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First of all... wow... amazing story.. amazing cast.. great ending.Although there are some similar drama like this... but I find this drama very interesting.. and each episode made me curious and wanting to watch the next one as soon as possible...
The plot twist in the end was really good.. Tho some of my predictions were right but I never imagine the plot twist.. which is good... I love dramas like this.
The cast.. was super amazing.. their chemistries are amazing. Yoo Seung Ho really delivers the characters well (knowing he played mellow characters a lot), love seeing him in this drama.
Lee Se Young's acting and character portrayal was great as well.. the chemistry between them was really great...
I will miss their bickering a lot.. as well as the trio (Dong Baek, his chief and Se Hoon).. without the trio... the story line will be too serious...
Yoon Ji On's portrayal of his character (Se Hoon) was really great.. I think without his character and the chief... there won't be much comedy in the drama...
Overall... the story was great... I really enjoyed the drama very much.. will re-watch it later on...
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If you're into thriller and suspense with good plot and spectacular acting then this drama is for you.
I started this drama because of Yoo Seung Ho. We all know he is such a brilliant actor. The actress Lee Se Young didn't disappoint at all either. I could feel the chemistry between them, making the already good drama better. Plus the behind the scenes proved how good the chemistry was between them.
The drama was well written in my opinion and many people didn't find the ending satisfying however that wasn't the case with me. The ending was good enough and with all the twists, i wasn't bored even once while watching this drama. I watched this drama in one go after it was finished since i can't wait an entire week.
Those who want romance, this isn't for you. I'm happy there wasn't any romance in it. I mean, come on, we all know this drama doesn't need romance. It's an action thriller, no need for romance to ruin it.
In short, if you're fan of mystery, action, thriller then this is for you. I thought it would be like he is psychometric but IT IS WAY BETTER THAN THAT. Memorist will always be in my top list of thriller dramas.
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It’s a rollercoaster ride.
This story has a very detailed plot. There are a lot of people to remember the names of and it can be a little hard to follow at times. However, it was very interesting and worth watching because of the plot. This isn’t some thing you can just half ass watch and not get confused. I appreciate the plot and the Details throughout the storyline. Events in the plot really did piss me off and it is violent but nothing like the US TV shows I watch. Some of the story seems like it’s straight out of criminal minds to be honest because of how many curveballs your thrown.I really like the cast and there acting and I appreciate that it’s not a romance centered storyline. It really does keep you guessing and I had a lot of WTF moments because I was surprised. It’s definitely worth watching if you want an interesting, detailed show to watch
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I just finished watching this. I cannot write my thoughts completely spoiler-free but obviously I won't reveal anything major. This is a story of a police detective with a supernatural power and a genious profiler trying to catch a serial killler that has something to do with their past. Have we seen it again? Of course. It was interesting? Absolutely.When you came across a mystery-police thriller you wanted to be unpredictable with suspense, action (a bit) and a good case. And this drama has everything. A good case with suspense from the first episode (and it is torture when you watch it week to week) and really clever way of building and revealing the mystery. Nothing is like it seems and it can trick you. And that it is the best part. He has superpower and she is a genious but they misunderstand and lead themselves to wrong paths. As the plot was reavealing I really enjoyed the whole theme with the power abuse (from the police, prosecution, rich etc) and how they used the power their positions seems to hold to hide their mistakes.
If I find something negative is that at some points the plot was too complecated with no reason, just to be complicated. And I was a tiny bit disapointed from the final ending and the "true villain". I understand their motives and their use in the envolve of the plot and Dong Baek's character but I think was a bit random. That's the reason I give it 9.5. As for the rewatch value, I don't rewatch mystery series a second time because I know the end and I cannot enjoy them. But you can see new perspectives the second time.
Also, really nice cast with special credits to Ko Chang Seok and Yoon Ji On, with their great characters that confirm that the sidekicks are always the best.
(Sorry of any mistakes, English isn't my first language)
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It's super amazing drama of my life
Great cast and performance is fantastic
Cast killed audience with their performance
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First of all I'd like to say that I normally watch a drama when it has fully aired, but with the Memorist I watched it as it aired. It is a different experience and to be honest, I don't think this is a drama you should binge through. I enjoyed watching two episodes back to back and then coming to this site and read everyone's comments and join the discussions... it somehow became a special drama maybe because of it.If you are expecting a drama that shows you where it's heading and hints heavily on the culprit from the first episodes, you will be sorely disappointed! This drama is a rollercoaster and for the most part, a very thrilling one.
Analysing the main characters of the show, I will start from Dongbaek, the memorist detective. He is a little firecraker who ends up more times than I can count in the hospital, he's cocky and comes across as arrogant but hides a painful past. What I liked about how the show approached his powers, was when they spoke about how scanning people's minds can actually be violating someone's human rights... and honestly it is a valid point. Therefore, for his scans to be considered as evidence, like with any other type of evidence, they have to be collected legally and with a warrant.
Han Sunmi is the female lead and a great profiler. She is cold and smart and determined to find the culprit for her father's murder. I found at the beginning of the show that her personality was a bit inconsistent but eventually the writers seemed to have found the balance and made her a more solid and likable character.
Both main characters are surrounded by various side characters who don't have much space in the story, but are well written. My favourite characters being DB's team members who, as the story progresses, grew in me a lot.
The story also features plenty of evil characters, but by far the most important is Jaegyu. Mysterious at first, you eventually get to know his whole life story, and to be honest, I ended up sympathising with him. His character was by far more interesting than the eraser, which brings me to what I DIDN'T like of the show
The Eraser:
Few times a show introduces a character that truly terrifies me, but in the memorist they did a great job with the eraser. This evasive character full of hatred and insight. I had never thought before that erasing people's memories could be such a strong weapon until I watched this show. From beginning until the final episode, his identity is never revealed, and once we find out it is Dongbaek's sister, it kind of makes sense... it couldn't really be someone else and yet... it left me feeling really disappointed. I'm sure if I re-watched the series all over again, I would find a million reasons why it doesn't quite fit right, and the series had been so good until then that my expectations were maybe too high.
All in all, I was going to give the show 10 points, but the last two episodes dropped it to 9. It is a VERY different and enjoyable drama whether you like crime shows or not, and it does make you think much more than I am used to.
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This review may contain spoilers
This review first appeared on: https://frommelbtoseoul.wordpress.com/2020/05/03/review-the-memorist/(NOTE: there is a spoiler discussion at the very end of this review, but has been marked with a warning beforehand)
I am a complete sucker for crime-related dramas, seeking the thrills and shocks that come from solving a case. In comes The Memorist and the last 8 weeks has been a rollercoaster of emotions with me strapped in tight in the front seat.
What I loved most about The Memorist? The writing/plot layout and ability to explore notions of power, freedom of choice, and whether bad deeds are justifiable in the face of good intentions.
The series hooked me in quickly, choosing to start off with the crime-solving nature of the show and slowly letting us learn about the characters throughout the first few episodes. I liked that the pacing was fast from the get go, and kept it up for the majority of the drama. It meant that I was on the edge of my seat from the suspense and sudden twists that were included. In fact, what the drama did really well was build suspense in the last few minutes of every episode before leaving us on insane cliffhangers. I kept thinking my heart was going to explode from the intensity and thrill that was packed into 5 or so minutes. It also meant that I kept wanting more. It’s always hard, when you’re watching in real time along side a drama’s release schedule, to maintain interest between weekly episodes. Or at least for me anyways. If I find that week’s episode to be lacklustre or not heading in the direction I’m enjoying I will tend to not want to revisit the drama the following week. I guess maybe I’m just picky?
Another thing that I really liked, although have seen mixed reactions towards, was the inclusion of a number of plot twists. Usually, I would not advocate for numerous plot twists in a drama because I find that they can be distracting to the overall storyline and some dramas even lose the sense of direction. However, with The Memorist that didn’t happen at all. Instead, I found the plot twists created really successful shock value, which again, kept me engaged, but also served to add layers to the story. None of the plot twists, I found, were useless or absurd. I will note that for a drama that, despite being set in the real world with real life elements, has characters with somewhat abnormal or supernatural abilities, then anything becomes fair game. I wouldn’t nitpick a plot for “unrealistic” when it resolves around a character that can access memories. Bottom line, the shock factor to this drama was well delivered and really made my watching experience that much more enjoyable.
Lastly, I loved how smart the writing was in The Memorist. What I mean by this is that the complete reveal of the killer and the reason behind why the killings were happening was such an “ah-hah” moment to me. I don’t particularly care for the who the killer was, although I did notice that many weren’t sold on who it was once it was revealed. However, what I liked that the show did is use the character who was the perpetrator as a vehicle to deliver strong messages around choice and responsibility of action. I won’t say much more here, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but look further down if you want to see a quick discussion about what I mean! To me, the entire storyline was solid and made sense. I fully believe in why the perpetrator did what they did and how everything shown in the drama, character and events, were necessary to the completion of the story. Again, I experienced a lot of “ah-hah” or “ohhh” moments – moments of revelations really.
The Memorist was a solid drama. The crime-solving aspect kept me captivated and by focusing on just the one crime/criminal, it allowed for the drama to really flesh out the story and keep things distraction free. I wouldn’t watch this drama for the characters, in that I didn’t grow emotionally attached to any of them. I liked them enough but really only enjoyed the show for the story it offered. I do however, appreciate, that there was barely any romance in this. Not all scenarios in real life would result in a love story, especially when it comes to resolving a serial killer case, and if anything, liked that the bond built between the characters revolved around comradeship and loyalty between friends. So refreshing to see in a Korean drama! Give this show a watch because it is well worth your time!
SPOILER DISCUSSION:
This my warning that the next few sentences will be a spoiler filled discussion on what I really meant about how the drama utilised the killer, Eraser, as a vehicle to explore some thought-provoking ideas.
At first when Eraser was revealed as the timid maid in the evil lady’s house my reaction was “oh” until the drama explained why and how she became to be Eraser. For me, it was such an intentional move in trying to showcase the difference between individual’s choice and the consequences from that. The Eraser turns out to be Dong Baek’s sister and they both have the same ability. However, despite Dong Baek seeing all the terrible memories and actions that were committed, which caused harm to so many people including him, he never strayed from the belief of combatting evil through justice and law. On the other hand, his sister lost all faith in achieving justice through the legal system. Instead, she seeks to serve justice herself, and in that sense, starts to succumb to the terrible actions that she was trying to punish people for in the first place. Dong Baek makes a great point in that even though he could, he chooses instead to use his ability for good or to better himself. He would rather not see it as a tool anymore and instead reflect on what the ability delivers to him. This was honestly such a fascinating addition to the drama, in that it made me think on how we all have the ability to act, it’s just a matter of what we choose to do and the consequences that will come with it. Also, there is the classic question of whether bad deeds are justifiable in the face of good intentions. This is a much harder question to answer for me as not everything is black and white but props to The Memorist for really making me think instead of just consuming what is on screen.
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This review may contain spoilers
Casting is great. Music is great. The story/plot is great but the pacing for me is too fast, and I feel like there’s no room for to breathe sometimes because each episode is mostly intense. There were episodes that included comical scenes, but I guess I would love to see more of the comical side of the Main Character (MC). And it felt like they jumped right into the plot with not that much introduction and development for the MC. I do sense a lack of character development even though each character has their own personality, but I guess it’s too soon to say that because we’re at 4 episodes at the moment. I say that about the character development because the characters are into solving cases so much that there’s no time for them to build up their character through personal communication with one another. This results in the audience feeling there’s not that much connection between the MC and other characters.Overall, this kdrama has potential and looks promising. I got hooked because of the story/plot. I hope they do something about the characters connection with each other. If you’re into intense stuff and love thriller, crime, law, and superpowers, you’ll like this kdrama.
(Just a recommendation if you like this type of kdrama but a lighter version — While You Were Sleeping won’t disappoint you. I’m 100% sure)
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My romance lover ass would love to see some romance too, even if it's not the main point of the drama. But maybe it would ruin it, who knows. I don't see romance tags on the drama so it's possible that it won't happen, though.
Anyways, totally looking forward to the next episodes and I wholly recommend it!
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