If I only could........
Omg that show was fireyaaaaaa.The story line left my mind blown like you think you know but do you really.The acting was superb especially the villain in the end I call that poetic justice.the pull and push of the main stars romance was amazing because let’s be honest ain’t we all tired of the teasiology that is kdrama’s.I couldn’t help but feel like the blonde hair guy brought some different vibe in a great way.Also let’s not forget the PI I always love everything she acts in .The other characters also worked in harmony to bring the story such light .Such a great show.I am thrilled.Please watch this show and get lost in the different scenarios and remember never get trampled on like Hera the Goddess of revenge said.Get even
I will probably rewatch this at some point when I want to get immersed in a great picture show.
The music was lackluster for me except in the last episode .
Show lots of love for this.I believe it was underrated.
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SWEET REVENGE!
Give it a try and watch! Every once in a while I steer away from the typical Rom-Coms and come across a decent drama with good suspense and twists. This one was pretty good. Fan of Yoon Hyun Min (My Holo Love), he plays these drama roles really well and he did another great job on this one. Thought actress Yoon So Yi (Color of a Woman) had most of the comic relief in her character, she’s adorable as usual. The storyline plot was great, how the main leads get the bad guys, and get them good! I tend to find that these dramas have that typical past connection, but for me, it’s how the writers get creative to get the attention of the audience. They definitely did a good job with this show, certainly kept me entertained. Overall, the best parts of the show were the ways the female lead got her sweet revenge! Enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
It had enormous potential in the beginning, but it was lost
This drama is a mess!I had a lot of expectations when I started, but in the middle I was exhausted and watched until the end because, well... I gave it a chance to see if it got better.
There's a lot of unresolved stuff, important scenes were left out of, and it's very slow and cloying. It could only have 8 episodes to solve everything, weak script.
I mean, I just saw the last episode and I'm nervous that I wasted time. The story had enormous potential and it was all thrown away, each episode got more and more boring...
it's a forgettable drama, I definitely won't remember anything in a few weeks.
Just watch if you don't have anything better to see.
The characters are cool, especially the main ones. Min Jong was my love, maybe because I love Yoon Hyun Min. I just watched for him, being honest.
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Give it a chance
This drama is actually just follow the stereotypical makjang kdrama where there is revenge, drama plotting, big shot villain etc. Beside the typical revenge plot, sometimes the hanging ending makes me curious with the next episode. The acting is good especially the villain.I feel like the execution of this plot can be better but it is understandable for small cable tv channel. The OSTs sometimes feels nostalgic like the typical makjang drama ost and that's quite refreshing in this modern era. I need more romance between the main leads!!
Overall if you are looking for revenge makjang drama you can give it a try.
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Simple. Sophisticated. But not quite.
The Goddess of Revenge is an okay drama. I just dont understand the such terrible reviews for this.As for the story, it's fine. Its nothing extravegant, its decent to say the least. Decent plot twists, decent scenarios, decent premises for every episode. Even if the actual story only starts around EP10 and felt like it would have been better if it was only 12 episodes and it went straight to the point.
Although one commendalble thing on the plot is that its a unique take on the revenge plot. Its not a typical plot, but I dont think it was enough to cover up the flaw of a slow and all direction plot
The acting was fine as well. Kim Sarang's portrayal of Kang Hera was fine. Although she lacked with facial expressions, she still manages to carry the complex character of Hera but not much justice. Yoon Hyunmin on the other hand, was fine as well. I just dont think the actor fits this kind of role, cause I cant really see him as a revenge guy.
The others was fine too, nothing much to commend or critisize.
The OST and BGMs are fitting and quite great. It plays at the correct moments and all that, I think we can give the drama credit for that. Although it was nothing out unique.
The rewatch value is almost little to nothing. After watching, you wouldnt really have any strong feelings for it that you just kinda forget it and dont watch it ever again.
Overall, 6.5 stars. It's something, but also almost nothing at times. Yes, the writers high cause *Makjang* but its personally not a hindrance. I reccommend it if you have nothing to watch anymore, but if you want something better. Sure there are more.
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Overrated Revenge Drama Show
I enjoyed the first half but the second half became repetitive, draggy and predictable. Kang Hera employs the same style to expose and execute her revenge of going live all the time, which I found boring since it’s repetitive until the end. I had a lot of “I am so annoyed” thoughts while watching this show.I know this is a fictional show but some unrealistic and dumb things I cannot give a pass:
-Organ Auction - seriously? The people in that room were thugs! They are sneaky, calculating and I refuse to believe they are that dumb not to see that camera phone in plain sight!
-Cha Min Joon getting stabbed in the sight of policemen and a prosecutor! Like WTH! Tae On was walking with a big glass shard and they just stood up? I don’t think law enforcers are that dumb when someone was walking with a dangerously sharp weapon!
One thing that calms me everytime is Ga On! Such a lovable, handsome boy who are in the midst of crazy adults! This show is overrated. It was a happy ending for all but I don’t know why I didn’t feel happy after I watched the finale.
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Not Good Enough
Korean Drama 'Goddess of Revenge' was a let down of a revenge drama.The story, though it starts out strongly and introduces some pretty compelling characters, it doesn't keep up the momentum. Rather, it decreases in entertainment value gradually to reach the well expected and predictably lukewarm ending. And the main culprit of that outcome is the main story. Even though the small cases that were presented were suspenseful and thrilling, the main story was a been there seen that. It was cliche, with boring villains and a confusing and thus, messy mystery. The romance that was added was unnecessary and the main characters were uninteresting and too basic with no extra qualities to set them apart from the rest. At least the side characters were pretty dynamic and strong to support the plot.
Finally, the performances were pretty decent and the OST generic.
So, overall, 3 out of 10.
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Punchy, surprising but unfortunately, not till the end
This was supposed to be it. The holy grail. The chosen one. The drama of the year. It all started absolutely perfectly, first three episodes were flawless. At the end, I was speechless. I was ready to give it a perfect score. But then something happened. Something unthinkable. Something I was afraid that will happen. The drama started to fall back. But let me start form the beginning.I have to admit, I was absolutely in love with this series since the first episode. Because this show started with a bang. Kang Hae Ra is a successful woman with an even more successful but abusive husband. Her life starts to crumble when during dinner with helpful fan she blacks out and wakes up to the accusations of a romance with much younger man. Her contracts are terminated and bank account seized. Cancel culture at its finest. Hae Ra gets suspicious seeing the recording allegedly showing her entering hotel room with an other man. But the woman on the recording is wearing completely different shoes. Hae Ra hires Hu Eun Hye, reporter who quickly discovers that something’s wrong. Hae Ra is ready for her revenge.
The magical thing that shook me the most after watching this episode was how Hae Ra was shown till this point. She was supposed to be this weak, abused woman. But suddenly we see that she hit her husband back. That she knew before that he was cheating on her, but without concrete proof and with her husband being public figure she couldn’t do anything. But now, with proper recording she can get her revenge. And she does that completely cold blooded.
After that another characters are coming to the team. Cha Min Joon is a cold blooded attorney that decides to help Hae Ra in exchange for her continuing her revenge channel. She’s supposed to help women that were wronged by Min Joon’s clients. Soon it turns out that it might not be the only reason Min Joon needs her help.
So first of all, characters are absolutely amazing. They all have very clear motivations, are amazingly written and are overall very believable. Even villains here are interesting. I have to admit, the character of Hae Ra’s husband was my favourite at the beginning. Of course he was a human trash, but writing this kind of character in a way that viewer wants to know more about him is something. In this case Lee Hoon Seok is cold, calculated and absolutely ruthless, yet still on the outside, for medias, he’s calm and composed. Perfect scene showed him on the conference’s backstage, when he talked with Hae Ra, and turned his microphone in perfect moments for audience to hear his accusations, without showing the whole conversation that would put him in bad light. Conflict between him and Hae Ra, where they basically throw the ball back and forth trying to make their life miserable was absolutely fantastic. And this may sound as if I was a sociopath, but it was just so well written.
And at this point, after couple of episodes, I was hoping only for one thing: let it last. I was just hoping that the drama would just maintain this level till the very end which will easily grant it a ten point score for me. I was ready to announce it being the best drama I’ve watched so far.
In my native language we have saying that goes more or less like: don’t praise the day before the sunset. And this fits here perfectly, because at one point, around episode sixth or seventh I was noticing something bad, and it got only worse with time.
So on sixth episode I’ve noticed the pattern. And it’s never a god thing, especially with the drama that’s main strong point is unpredictability. But it was there, because Hae Ra every time just let anyone corner here and by cleverly placed phone she get the proof good enough to get her revenge. So since there all I had to do was just wait for the phone to be revealed.
And when on eight episode we got a White Truck Of DeathTM it was a beginning of the end really.
And don’t get me wrong, by this point the drama still got that initial punch. Still was able to absolutely surprise me in the most unpredictable moments.
The main plot was great, it was witty and well written. But side lines were sometimes just plainly ignored. Till the end I was waiting for explanation of some very important parts. And some events seemed to just be ignored by the characters. Like someone betrays your trust completely, you just don’t quickly forget it and go on with your life.
The series started the best it could but lost its momentum half way through. It become repetitive and stagnant so bad that I’ve barely watched last three episodes.
Character were rather well written, but there’re so many side characters that it’s easy sometimes to lose track on who’s who, especially that they like to change side from time to time, and we get those minor characters that just come back after a few episodes and viewer needs to search in memory who this person is.
First episodes were amazingly thought through plotwise. Characters actions were logical and justified. So it pains me twice as much seeing all this ridiculous things that happen in the last episodes. It’s like writers just took a day off and quickly scribbled some solutions to emerging problems.
So just to sum it up somehow. I still love this series. I still think that it was one of the best ones I’ve seen recently. That’s why I’m so sad that it turned out just average at the end. I’m so sad that the punchy, cliffhanger episode endings that carried this series in the beginning were gone. I’m sad that we get so many repetitive solutions to the problems. We have characters in situation that is seemingly hopeless and then boom, 180 turnover and suddenly everything goes according to plan. And it’s great one, or twice. But seeing it almost every episode just seemed so unrealistic.
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Were they even trying?
It's never a good sign when a drama have a bad set up from the very beginning. At least that helped eliminating any expectations I had to begin with. Unfortunately, the drama failed to make any substantial recovery or improvement after its lackluster beginning. It can be deemed as one of the most soulless revenge dramas out there. Even trashy revenge soap operas have more to them compared to this disappointment. Furthermore, the cast and overall production of the drama were barely average, at best. One particular aspect that showed how lousy the writing was is how they felt obligated to pair everyone in the last episode despite the drama having no romance or similar direction.Was this review helpful to you?
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Run of the mill revenge drama
Well, actually, since this revenge drama had absolutely zero originality, here are my notes in guise of a review.Makjangs always start the same: a dramatic scene preferably a fire and the main antagonists facing each other. And then flash forward or flashback depending whether the scene is the root of the revenge or the endgame!
Half an hour in and this screams stupid abused FL oblivious of being set up! I don't think I can deal with another annoying FL.....And of course it looks like her abusive husband is behind it all! So 45min in and she has lost everything: her reputation, her career, her husband (not much of a loss there!), her house, her bank accounts! All she is left with is her life and the clothes she is wearing! Such a typical makjang beginning! Though nothing is ever what it looks what it is in a makjang ...So, then, paf! the surprise ending! Promised cliffhanger is well and truly there! On with the show!
In ep 2 we are introduced to the chaebol heiress and her father. They look the same age so I looked the actors up: and, guess what? They ARE the same age! Really good casting choices?????? The plot thickens! What is the connection between the lawyer and the FL? Apparently she does not know him, but he....?
Ep 3 so the lawyer is on the revenge path against our FL as well: while pretending to be nice to her, he actually hates her guts. And now they're involving a kid? I do not like it when the kids are being used like this....The FL and her husband are in a mud battle? Who will win?
On ep.4. Fine! I admit it! I am hooked and can't be bothered to notice insignificant details! The revenge on a sleazy CEO acted! Nice! Now for the whiplash!
In ep 5, the FL after the initial success has become arrogant and starts again behaving as an idiot. Back to the beginning! Are you kidding me? An ultrasound photo of a fetus? On a grave? How pro life! Americans would love this!
And the makjang keeps on makjanging: the guy has been stabbed and she asks him if he is ok?Really?!?
Ep 6 is even better: loan sharks human organ trafficking! The writers are using every possible trope there is! Yey! How original!
I have seen my share of makjangs but every new one I watch seems to go further than the previous one. Frankly, Koreans are amazing here! Secret remains my first and favourite one but all the others are just mindboggibly addictive in spite of lacking credibility and realisme.
Ep. 9 and our lawyer is having a change of heart, impressed by our FLs guts. He is starting to feel more than he should and thinks that maybe she is not what he thought her to be! Well we have reached the halfmark of the drama: they must be in love now according to the drama rule book, whether they know it or not! On the other hand, the FL's stupidity rises along with her arrogance and she is being set up again: how can she believe a tv company who is owned by the insurance company she is fighting against, would help her? I cannot watch her any more! And the lawyer is falling apart as well: going down the stupidity road as well and playing the way the big baddie wants him to! The more the revenge develops, the more brain cells are the main leads losing!
I am currently on episode 10 and want to rant about the lack of cliffhanging cliffhangers. Nothing was really surprising anymore after the first episode!
Do people really not notice when a car has been following them right behind for miles, stopping when they stop? It looks so obvious but the bad guys do not suspect anything?!?!?
Would it be possible to have for once a chaebol family where every member is not out to get the other family members, preferably get them killed?
The lawyer, the FL trusted betrays her and she's OK with that? He takes her son away, and she says nothing and continues working with him? Now, in ep 12 they are friendly! She does not seem to care he was instrumental in her probably never seeing her son again!
Ep 13 and the lawyer is working diligently for the big baddie, helping him cheat. I hope he is not because the big baddie is getting a trp ready to get rid of the lawyer. The battle of smarts! Who will win? Do we really need to ask?
So the big baddie has been arrested, but guess what?Surprise! A rotten politician bails him out in ep. 14. Wow, so unexpected! Not! Can't they be more original? Fortunately there is the big baddies daughter who is even worse and completely mad because of a traumatic event and therefore killing everyone who stands in her way. Chaebols are not considered human, right?
Security guards must really be particularly stupid, right? That seems to be the first requirement: be stupid and obey. How can anyone find the private detective credible, disguised as a cook with her hair flying around? Very sanitary! The music in last episodes is like something from american heist movies from the '70s!
So going into the last episode after that ending which wanted to be suspenseful but it was expected: everything that happened was obviously a trap set up by the crazy chaebol daughter. I just hope they have a live streaming camera in that ambulance!
Really how stupid can you be? The mad daughter is attacking the FL and instead of pushing her away you decide to become a human shield? Yes, it is more cinematic, sacrifice for redemption and all that idiocy.....
Last episode and the kid is dressed as a baby chaebol and not a kid!
And of course a corny ending with a hint of romance for the second couple and the "revenge task force" taking on another case and walking all importantly towards new victories.....
Otherwise I could just say that this was another cliché filled revenge drama, with predictable heroes and villains doing predictable things. It was an OK watch, rather suspenseful but apart from the first episode cliffhanger, every other fell flat. The acting was decent, the cinematography classical, the writing lacked originality.
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A basic formula, competently executed
This was not high art, but it was an example of a tried and true formula being executed competently. It was predictable, of course, the only slight surprise for me being that someone I was convinced would show up, DIDN'T turn up at the end. But there's nothing wrong with a well-used recipe where you know what to expect.The leads did their job well, and I was especially delighted to see Yoon So Yi again. There were a few little niggles naturally, where the level of suspension of disbelief required was risibly high, but that's the definition of makjang, so they didn't detract TOO much from what was overall a fun watch
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Revenge is a dish best served cold or in this case sizzling hot
I started this drama because I liked the trailer and premise of it and more so because I'm interested in seeing Yoon So Yi in a new drama and Yoon Hyun Min, of course. That said, I'm not sure how I feel about him as Cha Min Joon, a lawyer, who defends the rich despite their guilt, or even the man who feels guilty and compensates their victims with his own money for it. But seeing him at Hae Ra's book signing deepened my curiosity for him. There has to be a story there.The moment I saw Kim Hyun Sung at the train station, he gave me bad vibes. I knew he was staged and most likely by Hae Ra's husband. A coward of a man who uses his fists rather than his words, and as they say, violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. So, as I watched, I found myself thinking there didn't seem to be anything special about this revenge plot until I saw Yoon So Yi at the agency (I am already in love with her role in this) as the plotter, I found myself getting excited. There's an absolute satisfaction in watching the filthy rich and their equally amoral pawns get hoisted by the very people they dismiss as good for nothing. It's so wholly appealing; I'm all in with this drama, at least for now.
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