A fascinating monster saint in a fascinating cynical story about power and unjustice
This is a review of a series that has left me incredibly drained of emotion and without power. At the same time, I'm overflowing with adrenaline and a desire to share. I'm not going to spoil it because I want whoever decides to watch it not to spoil their experience, I'll just share the information that's there in the description of the show, as well as the emotions I experienced and my opinion of the production and the cast.I don't know where to start.
Power.Corruption. A compromised justice system. Abuses. Theft. Murder. Demagoguery. Manipulation of public opinion. Vice. Fighting for justice in the midst of unjust governance and an unjust justice system amidst a parade of façade democracy.
How can you defeat evil? With good? With effort? Or with evil? The series The Devil Judge presents one judge's struggle with evil using the tools of evil. It shows how the lack of justice gives birth to monsters - at the level of the individual, at the level of the crowd, at the level of society.
As we go through the first layer of the series and its social impact, we come to the core - the soul of man. What happens to your soul as you go through suffering, temptation, fear, hate, anger, greed, doubt, self-pity, pain, pain and more pain. The decisions you make; the paths you take.
I'll be the first to share that I've been skipping this series since it came out in July because I kept thinking it was going to be something contrived; I don't like the sound of the Korean language and I don't like Koreans. However, last week I came across first a few pictures, then a few trailers and videos, and since I have a weakness for dominant men, I snapped it up for this very trivial reason. However...for me it's the show of the year of the ones I've watched and I regret passing it by for so long for frivolous reasons, just as I don't regret picking it up again for frivolous reasons.
Early on, when I started watching The Devil Judge, I found myself in the middle of a major moral conflict that made me physically unwell - tightness in my chest, heaviness in my heart, tension throughout my body. By the middle of the third episode, I resolved my moral conflict by accepting that the "Evil fights evil" formula was just and calmed down. From then on, I just followed events, at times with regret, at times with disgust, and at times with the cynical "yes, it happens often."
The series is well worth it, I don't really want to give too much away because I don't want to spoil the feeling, I'll just say that it's well shot and the characters are very well built psychologically.
All the actors do well with their roles, however the one in the lead role (Ji Sung, 44) who I'm watching for the first time is.... wow! He has built such a complex character that at first glance shows a strong and ruthless personality, but at the same time ( and this is only noticeable in the look, I mean this guy plays with his eyes) you can feel the care, love, support and iron principles behind the demonic image. In a perfect way he plays an elusive pain, I guess this will only be felt by empaths, the rest will need the visual representation to feel it.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Mastery of Mass Manipulation (This drama has me in a chokehold like Yohan!)
This is solid. The drama doesn't pull any punches and it hits the ground running. Everything is fast-paced from the start for a reason. This drama is a Masterpiece and a shining example of what more to expect in Kdramas moving forward. A Trailblazing type of drama that is original in its genre and a blended artwork of cinematography, casting, lighting, acting, writing, directing, sound design, and pacing. This is a must-watch.I did my research before watching this drama. I came across an article that mentioned an interview with the writer of the show who is also a former judge. His writing brought realism - scary realism - to the Dystopian alternative universe of South Korea, post-COVID.
Technically, many of the things that happened in that drama has already happened or are currently happening around the world. Like America for example, the writer said he was inspired by International government policies and politics when creating the universe and it shows! The President in the drama can be seen as a certain President that was running for the Presidental Election in 2016. (Sounds familiar?) Or the many corrupted government officials and CEOs of various conglomerates that helped fund them. Something that is definitely current in many countries.
The writer also said something else that I was impressed by: he writes characters without assigning gender. I love that. He created strong women that can be soft and fragile too. He created strong men that can vulnerable and sensitive too. Kim Gaon
was a 'Babe in The Woods'. He was thrown into a nest of vipers for the expense of someone else and instead that 'viper' turned out to be the most trustworthy person Gaon has ever known. (This story reals feel Gothic in that aspect since Gaon as the Babe in the Woods gets held hostage in the Gothic castle later, a.k.a Yohan's deary mansion in the middle of nowhere!)
The review! This drama is beautiful to look at. The camera work is flawless. The scenery, set locations, and action shots are all different from each other with different moods, colors, shadow play, and angles. I enjoyed the variety of these moments. It's a stark contrast from Gaon's small, cozy home in the poorer side of town, to the clean and immaculate office building of the Live Court, to Yohan's cold and dark mansion out in the countryside. This drama took me places and I enjoyed that!
The music is to die for, there I said it, and I won't take that back. There were moments when I was watching intensely at the screen and had to rewind to reassure myself that I wasn't just imaging the music sounding quite excellent at a very emotional or important moment. I wasn't imagining things, the music is 12/10. The OST has a song that is sweet with gentle, female vocals and an accompanying guitar to represent innocent love. Then, there's the swelling symphonies and heavy orchestra for the more chaotic moments and action scenes to rev up my heart rate because the crescendo was bittersweet since you're happy to finally breathe again, but you're upset that it's over. (Rewind button again!) Next, there's a rock guitar type of song whenever Yohan is up to his Batman acts again! Of course, with his trusty sidekick Rob- Gaon, I meant Goan. (But Yohan really referred to him as his sidekick so that's canon right?!)
The casting and acting were wonderful choices and I applaud the crew behind the camera as well as the cast in from of the camera. I loved every character and I didn't hate any character I wasn't supposed to, so this makes this drama the best drama I have seen all year. That's impressive. The women in this drama deserve a standing ovation. When the writer said that he doesn't write characters based on gender, he meant it. He truly meant it and thank you so much for that because was finally got a FEMALE VILLAIN THAT DID EVIL SO WELL! *chef's kiss*
When Seon Ah was walking down the carpet for the funeral.... that moment is seared in my brain. That is a Power Walk - the actress definitely has the legs for them. Her outfits were on point. The styling for each character fits the personality of the characters and no one looked out of place. Every detail in the visual aspects was perfect. Just as perfect as the common imagery of showing certain characters' reflections, or them looking in the mirror to represent the duality of a human being is perfect. Applause, applause, standing ovation.
(Also, the government official Cha Kyung Hee was a terrifying, powerful, cruel, horrible, and pitiful person. I nod my head at her last scene and the decision she made reflecting the proud and decisive person she was always portrayed as in the drama. A fitting end for her and a clever twist to the story.)
So is this the part where I mention the BL? Maybe.... maybe individuals that aren't aware of the writer's intention are clueless to the fact that the story is supposed to be a story of politics, crime, and love between two men. But I am aware that that was the original intention and trying to watch the drama without immediately looking for those BL moments was unnecessary because it's more or less shoved in your face within the first episode. *teehee* The tension!
Could these two characters be any more intense than that first meeting? Yes! Buckle in, because it's only the beginning.
Look, the drama starts off pretty fast-paced and continues to do so until at least episode three where Gaon finds himself in a Gothic horror romance story as the naive, yet fearless (sometimes careless) main heroine. This is why 'babe in the woods' fits him so well. I referred to him as Baby Boy quite often because he's precious and needs to be protected at all costs! (Apparently, everyone feels the same, like his childhood friend, Professor Min, his coworker, and of course Yohan.) Jinyoung's idol looks helped in the 'deer in the headlights' look of naivety and innocence. He's even beautiful when he cries, true talent because I was definitely flinching whenever he was manhandled or hurt. 'Someone save Baby Boy!' or 'Oh no, not the Baby! Don't hurt him please!' I said these phrases often and the actors Jisung and Jinyoung have an age gap of 17 (!!!) years so yeah. He's a baby.
The Devil Judge - the titular character and the drama - was a masterpiece of mass manipulation through media and the like. Some characters in this drama were playing games with other people and secrets. It was refreshing to see so many complex characters with dubious morals and corrupt ethics on-screen in one drama. The calmer, domestic and wholesome moments are between Yohan, Gaon, and Elijah. Also, the mystery behind the church fire was a clever twist and satisfying to know the whole truth. Elijah must be protected too!
The verdicts for the crimes in the show are just, unethical but just all the same. I truly enjoyed the moments where the corrupted criminals realized that the system will not let them off because Yohan is no one's friend. Especially those who are responsible for the broken system in the first place and/or benefit from it. This was cathartic to watch. Yes, I got excited at the scenes with the public flogging, castration, and electrical chair but look at it like this: an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind.....so let me enjoy this before we all go blind! Now, the public flogging, I thought it was going to be on his butt with a long wooden paddle that I've seen in historical Korean Dramas, but that kind of flogging was acceptable too. The scene with the electric chair was more complicated since there was a scene where children were participating in something that they really couldn't truly understand and such knowledge of their actions would be very detrimental to their mental health. That moment showed the downside to such 'swift/easy justice' as Professor Min quoted in the show.
I would say watch this drama. Watch this drama and watch this drama. If you like dramas like House of Cards, Sherlock, or Law & Order - you'll love this drama for many more reasons than you were aware existed.
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Just me passionately waxing poetic on The Devil Judge:
The Devil Judge is a dystopian legal drama starring Ji Sung and Park Jin Young as judges Kang Yo Han and Kim Ga On. Dystopian means that chaos settles upon society, drawing a stark line between the rich and the poor. There’s an open distrust and hatred toward the leaders of the nation. In an attempt to quell this, a live reality court show is born with Kang Yo Han becoming the chief judge for the people. Citizens have the agency to cast judgment on the defendants as the trials and verdicts are broadcast in real-time. Behind the scenes, a bitter rivalry is growing between Kang Yo Han and the seemingly benevolent Social Responsibility Foundation.Sexy, shiny, and unapologetically cruel, "The Devil Judge" tells the story of broken souls yearning for revenge within their shattered dreams. Mind you, the trials are so over-the-top and can be illogical, but stay calm; that is dystopia. "A trial is a game; fail to serve evidence, you lose," said Kang Yohan. This is not only true for these trials but also perfectly describes our leads' arcs. The evil scheming is fun, ridiculous, and never boring as we’re constantly rewarded by thought-provoking and intense twists. I also appreciate the cinematic sets and aesthetics in this drama.
Of course, I have to talk about the masterfully-written characters. First, the complex, well-spoken Yohan, brought to life by Ji Sung with his arrogance, elegant sensuality, his smirk, and his wink that is worth A-Million-Dollar-Swoon. Just as impressive as him, Park Jin Young as the feisty and smart Gaon is an appropriate match for Yohan. Whoever cast them goes to heaven! Also, Kim Min Jung as Sunah is one of the greatest femme fatales whose presence dominates everyone. Her motivation is intriguing and a delight to see.
Beyond a law-revenge drama, we have a subtle but deep romance that keeps you thrilled throughout the entire drama (and I am not lying). Shrouded in the shades of Beauty and the Beast, Yohan is like a loner Beast who wants Gaon by his side even when Gaon hates him, while Gaon is obsessed with Yohan, at the same time he hates Yohan since he is such a hypocrite, but Gaon still finds truth in his words. They have the best chemistry beyond their dialogues and gestures, in silence and behind the scenes. They are constantly skating on each other's vulnerability while playing out power roles in fascinating ways.
TL;DR: Yohan and Gaon are made for each other, and I stan by them forever, till death do us apart. It's just beautiful to watch their bonding together, Gaon giving warmth to Yohan's family, which story I won't delve into to prevent spoilers... There's just so much love in this dysfunctional family; and I think without this found family aspect, the drama would not be as wholesome.
Honestly, I could go on, and it wouldn't be enough to express my passion, but I will stop here and I hope you won't miss watching this drama if you haven't seen it. I would recommend “The Devil Judge” to all.
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A not super homage of a superhero story
A rich guy in a powerful position with a vigilante hobby and a tragic backstory. A young protege' that lost his family. A wheelchair bound woman that's a whiz with computers. A coterie of corrupt men in power. A ambiguously good/evil female that to has a romantic interest in the rich guy. A city awash in crime.Figured out yet what story this is? So there's some surface-level differences but the similarities are too numerous to dismiss. It's not a fatal problem, but it does set a bar of expectations fairly high. It's a high-quality setup that requires excellence in execution.
The budget is definitely there. Ample sums of money have been spent here on special effects (lots and lots of fire and explosions and smoke). There's some big set pieces with lots of crowds. There's lots of fancy vehicles and a big house and the wardrobing is wonderful.
The majority of the cast is strong. Ji Sung clearly has the intensity and physicality to play Kang Yo Han. Among the supporting cast, Jang Young Nam, Baek Hyun Jin and Jeon Chae Eun stand out. Kim Min Jung pushes a bit much in to caricature than needed, but is passable. But Park Jin Young is the central character in the narrative and, while he's not the only issue with the character, he's not helping this production with his limited acting skill.
The fatal flaw of "The Devil Judge" is the character of Kim Ga On played by Park Jin Young. This is a show of intrigue. It's a deadly game of five dimensional chess where subterfuge and strategy are critical to survival. Kim Ga On, however, shows no traits that would make him useful in any conceivable way. Ga On doesn't control his emotions. He doesn't keep secrets. He doesn't conceal his intentions. When he attempts to dig up info, he is easily caught. He doesn't listen to simple directions. He is not only useless to someone playing in such a game, he's an obvious liability with no redeeming value. That Kang Yo Han has selected him among a legion of more worthy potentially useful allies to be his sidekick is inconceivably poor scripting. Yo Han is an unforgiving man bent on revenge and a brilliant tactician, but his choice as his wingman would struggle to outsmart an inanimate object.
Even more frustrating is that Ga On is the lifelong friend and object of affection for Park Gyu Young's Detective Yoon Soo Hyun. There's a backstory as to how they were childhood friends but it is entirely unconvincing as to why Soo Hyun has any feelings for Ga On. He has no apparent reason for not returning her feelings despite the fact that does actually like her. There are times when drama characters may not immediately become an item based on sketchy reasoning, but this is over the line of any credible basis.
There's more bad logic in the storyline here than needs to be reviewed. And it should be noted that entertainment or art in general should be permitted license to ask the audience to engage in some degree of suspension of reality. That's part of the point - to disengage from the stress and fatigue of our daily lives. But there's still a requirement that a story have solid footing. A line exists that should not be crossed. "The Devil Judge" crosses it and then sits fire to it and then salts the earth where it once lay.
As an aside, Park Gyu Young still deserves a leading role. It would be a bonus if it was on a show that didn't seem so bent on making her look as bedraggled as possible.
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Masterpiece
One of the best drama ive ever watched, i really thought that nothing can be as amazing as Mr.Sunshine, but I was wrong!1) Story
The plot is really interesting. We don't know till the end who is good and who is bad, we don't know the past of the main lead. And even that, the story isn't very complicated, which means that we have a lot of amazing plot twist without need to write everything we have known earlier. Also the "romance" is amazing. "Romance" cause the drama leaves this part to the imagination, but we have really great chemistry between Yo han and Ga On mainly (i also enjoyed Yo han and Min Jung). Maybe support characters hadn't a lot od the screen time but it has to be said that i don't mind it. Yo han. YO HAN <3
2) Cast
Do I really need to say anything?
Ji Sung. If i have him the other characters can be played by pigs. Sorry, but he steals all the show. He has AMAZING talent, he is handsome, charming and I just love him in any drama. But other actors also played good! Jung Sun Ah - as I said I really love mr.sunshine and seeing her in this show was great.
3) Music
Love so much. OST is awesome. I still listen to Tempest, Enemy of truth, Different from the outside, I am the abbys and few more. Really amazing. Btw my friend is now watching TDJ (her first kdrama) only because she heard Tempest, which was played in my home.
To sum up, this drama is amazing. In every aspect, Graphic, colors, music, cast, story... I really reccomend this. To everyone. It's interesting, mystery but not too heavy. Overwhelming sometimes, but in a good way. Sad, but not too sad. Just perferct.
Sorry for my english, cause its not my 1st language. Have a good day!
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WHY OH WHY!!!
When I started watching it, I was so excited. WoW!!! Another great Korean Drama.. I love the characters and their chemistry and their flaws! The two male leads bromance chemistry is just beautiful, between Yo Han and Ga On, how the older being protective over the younger. The baddies are bad you can almost hate them and wish they were run over by a steamroller. The storyline is way more exciting than anything I have seen in Korean dramas so far. The plots are so interesting as they build up towards the final quarter, and then towards the end of Episode 12, shit happened. What happened? All the beautifully build up plots and storylines just fell out of the bottom, they just turned into waste. All that expectations all that hope and excitement just turned into one big disappointment! Devoid of logic and a clear explanation to all the things that happened. And things just happened for the sake of drama. I think it's the case of the writer/writers trying too hard and failed to deliver the goods.If they have kept the plot unusual and simple like they always do in Korean drama and that's why we love them, it would have worked so well, and I would have given it a 9.2 even, but what a disappointment! Am I going to continue? Hell, of course, I have invested so much of my time in it, at least I will see it till the end. But now, no matter how fantastic the ending is, it's going to be a non-event because the tidal wave that we ride on died around episode 12 and there won't be a THUMP on the beach, but a mild flat trickle..... We were building to expect a wad, but we got only a trickle.... Not nice. Not nice at all.... What an anti Climax!
Love the acting though.... even Ga On whimpish character that makes you feel like slapping him over and over again.....
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Too theatrical and too grotesque
Delightful music is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of this drama. Stunning music and phenomenal Ji Sung whose acting stunned me.Unfortunately, that's as far as praise goes. The drama is done too artistically for my taste. The cinematography, the set design, the costumes - everything is beautiful, but I was too wrapped up in the beauty where the plot was lacking. The first episode in terms of carrying out the process enthralled me, but then everything started to break down. There was too much of something that verged on caricature and not enough of the elements that are most important to me - something that would draw me into rooting for the hero. The theatricality of this drama, sometimes grotesque, took away my feeling of satisfaction from the first episode and took away my pleasure from watching. I abandoned this drama two or three episodes before the end and came back only because I saw the phenomenal Ji Sung in an older drama and wanted to compare the acting.
The drama is aesthetically pleasing but for me it was a bit too much in terms of form and the characters were cartoonish.
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Give it a try you won't regret it
At first the drama could see like messy but while the time pass you would understand everything like why happened those things, I like that they don't introduce the drama like in a boring way and they keep that line of surprise in every episode, I love the chemistry that Jisung and Jinyoung have, what I don't like is that the writer made Gaon like stupid he keeps making conclusions out nothing but anyway apart from that I love the character and the evolution he has every episode, I love Yohan in every aspect, but the character I hate is Oh jinju that's sorry but the worst character I can't deal with her. Anyway give it a try you might like it, is easy to watch and the cast has an environment so friendly all the time I hope we can see them together in the future.Was this review helpful to you?
Interesting but heavy
This is one of those dramas where you kind of have to focus and "think" with the characters which is why I rated the rewatch value pretty low. It's not exactly the type of drama I'd want to rewatch and go through the process again. The plot is interesting and the acting is superb, but it's pretty heavy. Definitely not something you'd want to play in the background while doing something else.In a way, I kind of know how it's going to end anyway. To win the villains in power, you gotta be evil. That seems to be the message Kdramas these days like the deliver (i.e. Vincenzo, Penthouse, etc.). Regardless, I love the whole thinking process and how the plans are executed so creatively. Ji Sung, as per usual, is an amazing actor. He is the one actor whose expressions I can never seem to decipher (in a good way). Is he good? Is he evil? It feels like I have to brainwash myself everytime I watch him: "He's the main character of this drama. Of course he's not evil. He's like a dark hero."
Unlike most dramas, this is not the kind of drama that is stuck in my mind. I don't think about the previous episode all the time and I don't crave or anticipate for the next episode. 2 episodes per week is just right for me. Overall, I think this drama is worth watching, but not exactly the top drama on my list.
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This is a must watch!!!!!
The story is really great it started with so many mystery and kept it till the end pushing you to watch it till the end. The acting is really great....Ji Sung passed himself this time...Ji young acting was good thinking this is something new for him.....the girl which plays Elijah is only 15!!!! but her acting is wow....the actress which plays Sun Ah is great but I thought she would do much more in the drama....the actress which played the minister of justice was amazing...the bada$$ roles suits her so much...ep 15 was really shocking there is only one episode left and it seem a little bit rushed...I think would be better if it had 20 ep...but this won't stop me watching it again ? because in overall is a masterpieceWas this review helpful to you?
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A good time but could have been SO much better
I wouldn't have even known this had existed if not for MDL. That's how it popped up on my radar. You guys were seriously obsessed when it was airing. Lol. But despite the intense hype, the FMV's, and the fanfiction at the time, I didn't watch it. Granted, months later, I caved. This was one of the few times I decided to follow the masses like a fellow zombie to see what was so interesting.Was it worth it?
Overall, yes.
I'm a sucker for anything with dystopia. This was at least in the realm of realistic dystopia, which I definitely enjoyed. The imagery was spectacular, the soundtrack was grand, the plot was unpredictable (thanks to one ML in particular), and the acting from the two ML's was no joke. Kang Yo Han as a character was just epic! Ji Sung (Kang Yo Han) nailed every scene he was in. He embodied the complex judge. And Park Jin Young did an excellent job too as Kim Ga On. He was just as good here as he was in He is Psychometric, if not better.
In my opinion, the first 10 episodes were enthralling perfection. Spot on. Highly recommend.
Now, after that was where the problems hit (though I did have some before but they were mostly ignorable, mostly). Not enough for me to hate the drama or want to drop it. But, enough to make me highly annoyed at times.
Rant incoming:
What was always annoying was the forced romance with the FL, Yoon Soo Hyun. That didn't work. At all. For one, we as the audience weren't given enough to care about her, or like her with Kim Ga On. And, for me, it was over the moment she admitted her true character. She admitted, aloud, that she confessed her feelings to Ga On every time he cried and was at his lowest and in emotional turmoil. What kind of fucked up person does that? Seriously, wtf? That is the definition of manipulative! And the drama frames it as romantic! Which it's NOT, in case you're wondering!
And, look, the chemistry just didn't work between him and her. She was like a sister, a mother, and a best friend rolled into one. Not a potential love interest. Sorry, not sorry.
Not only that, but him "falling for her" came out of nowhere, wasn't convincing at all, and felt like the writers just decided to shoe-horn in a Straight romance because "every K-Drama needs one."
When Soo Hyun died, I felt nothing. Because they didn't make me care about her.
Hot take, but not really:
This drama would have been bordering on fucking amazing if they had decided to buckle down and follow through on their Bromance-that-honestly-goes-beyond-Bromance and make Kang Yo Han and Kim Ga On be in a relationship. I said it. The chemistry between them was already absolute fire and you can't tell me some lines and scenes didn't make you think "Hmmm.... that seems questionably not straight..."
What also annoyed me to no end were the "fallouts" between Kim Ga On and Kang Yo Han. Whenever they "broke up" (for lack of a better phrase) it was because Kim Ga On was manipulated by someone/the writers decided to do a 180 on his character. I was yelling at my screen when he bought into things. And Kang Yo Han having no one to lean on anymore physically pained me. Pained me!
Lastly, the plot itself outside of the terrible romance and "break up's" got a bit too muddled and complicated during the last few episodes.
The acting and connection between the ML's definitely saved this drama when it got near the end. That, and the pure badassness of the first 10 episodes. Lol.
I may sound like I hate this drama. But, I really don't. I really enjoyed it. Or, at least, most of it. I seem that way because I'm pissed off that this could have been a 10/10 but wasn't.
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