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I had seen Lee Bo Young in God’s gift: 14 days and Lee Jong Suk and Yoon Sang Hyun in Secret Garden, and I thought they had done a great job.
All in all I enjoyed it, but it just felt a little too pretentious at times. It’s understandable, though, since the basic premise is really ambitious: how difficult it is to find the balance between justice and compassion/sympathy/empathy, trust/faith in others, the inutility of revenge, forgiveness... I really like the fact that it adressed those issues.
I also found the love story and the loyalty involved in it really cute.
I love the fact that the lead female character is a strong, bold and independent woman as well, and that the relationship between both main female characters, the grudge they hold against each other, has nothing to do with a man they're both in love with, for instance, as it happens in other dramas. I really liked that plot. I didn't like the plot about the murderer as much, although I appreciate the fact that there is a message of redemption you don't find in other dramas either.
The soundtrack was also great. Indie band Every Single Day already did a great job in Pasta OST and I think they deserve more credit. They don't have enough recognition.
I really recommend this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Takes time to love
This was a drama that really had to grow on me, because I started out hating every single character except for the main male lead, who was the most straightforward and righteous one of them all. As the drama went on, the characters really grew in subtle yet obvious ways, and it was really nice to see. This goes especially for the two teens still in high school, who grew to be really lovable and relatable for me.The biggest plot point that I hated was the goddamn AMNESIA, which really annoyed me because he was the only character that I cared about and we essentially had to start from scratch for no good reason. It also led to a bout of noble idiocy, which didn't end up terribly but is still one of my least favorite tropes.
I'm also a sucker for the little tidbits of fantasy that are in this screenwriter's dramas (dreams in WYWS, hiccups in Pinocchio, mind-reading in IHYV) and this was no different, but I kind of wish he was more involved in the different cases, like going on investigations. It's understandable he wasn't because he was still in school, but I felt like there was a lot you could do with the mind-reading and it was all confined to him passively reacting to things around him.
Another thing that annoyed me about the mind-reading was just how it was filmed, with frame holds on random faces and voiceover. It made the production value of the drama seem very cheap and took me out of every single thing where that happened. I understand that it's hard to depict something so internal, but still.
Finally: No SLS here. I never liked the second lead.
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One of the Best Dramas in Existence
I just want to say that I cannot see a drama as good as this releasing in the future. This is truly a masterpiece of a drama that I cannot even think of words to describe it. There are only a few dramas where every second truly counts and there are absolutely zero fillers. This is one of them and it is a tragedy that there are people that didn't watch this drama.The story is the best I've seen in any drama and each character is unique and important in their respective ways. By far the best villain I've seen in any drama. This is also one of the only dramas that I've watched that has a clear moral of the story and clear theme.
Each actors played their parts perfectly and I have nothing but compliments for all the cast. If you are a Lee Jong Suk fan and haven't watched this drama, then you aren't a true fan. This drama was literally the birth of Lee Jong Suk but I think Lee Bo Young and Yoon Sang Hyun acted the best.
Music is indescribably nostalgic and very fitting for the drama.
The only flaw in this drama is the fact that it isn't the most realistic drama. Also I didn't cry watching this drama but that is only because I am not the type to cry when watching something.
Overall, I cannot rate this drama below 9.8 because it is truly a cream of the crop drama. If you haven't watched already, then I urge you to try the first episode and continue if you like it. This isn't the drama where the plot gets watered down as you watch. All the way until the climax, you will experience a serious, thrilling, comedic, suspenseful, and romantic drama that you will learn something from.
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched this after seeing Pinocchio & While You Were Sleeping. IHYV is very similar to these two, it's written by the same writer who seems to specialize in these procedural supernatural romance dramas, so no surprise there, I wasn't disappointed, for the most part. What's interesting that While You Were Sleeping feels like an improved version of the same underlying story, we even had precognitive dreams in IHYV too, so in originality naturally IHYV wins big time.So let's begin with the negatives. I really didn't like the love triangle, especially around episode 9-11. In a mystery/procedural drama there is no need for this, since there are plenty of tools to keep the viewer on edge, this defo felt out of place. (Pinocchio & WYWS also had triangles, but those were very weak & benign in comparison) Sungbin's story felt unnecessary once her trial was over. I like the actress, but there was definitely problems with her scenes in the second half of the drama, maybe she served as a tool for some clever product placements that I've missed?! The amnesia plot was annoying & unnecessary,it was a low point in the drama. Also there are problems with drama logic, like can the Korean police be really that incompetent...
Positives are aplenty. I really liked the unusual main couple. Especially Lee Boyoung did an excellent job. I also loved the judge character that is played by the guy I already knew from Running Man. The ending was one of the best I've seen so far in a kdrama. Also the bromance between the female leads was really good, even better than in DoTS. I liked the OST, though it's obviously nowhere near as good as in WYWS. The plot (except around ep9-11) had a nice flow & I liked the theme of the show overall. There are more positives, but there is not much reason to talk about them, overall this is a very pleasant watch with forgivable flaws. I think Pinocchio is still the best in this genre, out of those that I've seen, but this is not far behind.
edit years later: Decided to change my rating to 10, while my criticisms have merit, I have seen very few kdramas I enjoyed more & the rewatch value is really one of the best as well..
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A definite Yes to this magical tale!!!
The majority of the elements that I find so intriguing about Korean dramas are present in I Hear Your Voice. a sincere, quirky, dreamy, and just a little bit magical romance. Characters that are completely at home in this imagined yet real world and who give the action tremendous depth and immediacy.
A carefully crafted tale that makes use of well-known tropes to delve deeply into ideas, feelings, and meaning.
Drama and fantasy are present, along with murky secrets and lofty ideals, shrewd legal maneuvering, and philosophical ponderings on the concepts of justice and truth, crime, and retribution.
I Hear Your Voice features both terrifying and touching human interactions that are genuine and unpretentious. But the unique love story between a defence attorney and a high school pupil at the centre of the narrative. A no-nonsense, practical woman who prefers to follow the well-traveled path in life and a remarkable young man who forces her to accept possibilities beyond her wildest dreams.
There are many heartfelt, genuine, and sweet scenes in I Hear Your Voice. A massive swell of feelings and passion is produced by many tiny temporal ripples.
Whether they are sparring verbally or exchanging glances, whether they are worried about one another or living together peacefully like an old married pair, Soo-ha and Hye-sung are lovely together.
The fact that I adore this love tale so much should be clear by now. I adore every single character, as well as the complex acting, clever writing, funny scenes, and the subtle, real-world photography.
Legalistically speaking, there are a few things that might seem a little unlikely. I can only find positive things to say about I Hear Your Voice because of the story's assured storytelling, its compelling central subject, and its satisfying conclusion.
I leave the majority of my praise, though, for Lee Jong-suk, that brilliant young man. In stories and movies, the idea of the man child—a physically mature man with the carefree spirit of a child—has frequently cropped up. Lee Jong-suk invents a figure that is the complete antithesis. He might be considered a young man, I suppose. a young person with an ancient spirit.
Similar parts have been played by Jong-suk in other Korean dramas. For instance, in Pinochchio and School 2013... He portrays people who have encountered trauma and have been shaped by pain; people who are unable to express themselves verbally or emotionally.
They have developed a deep-seated silence because they are unable to communicate their suffering.
Both of these characteristics are well represented by Soo-ha's demeanour. He is able to control his profoundly felt, underground self and give his full, profound attention.
We cannot help but feel moved when we see him cry for Hye-sung, show helplessness and rage because he wants to protect her so badly, or look into her eyes to understand her emotions and pay attention to her silent thoughts.
Because this isn't what we hope for? Someone who will hear us? Someone who will listen to us without assumptions, without disappointments or judgements, just with the kindest, gentlest, and most accepting gaze. also, affection.
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After watching episode I actually felt like dropping this drama, because Lawyer Jang'S character irritated me so much and I had the feeling she was not willing to grow and change some of her rotten (sorry, haha) features. Thankfully she changed and proved me that she figured out that she can'T continue the way she did before. [I actually enjoyed watching her, but I thought that some of her character traits don't match with her being a Lawyer].
The story was good and I was really so happy that I didn't have to see Joon Gook all the time. He was such a creepy person who made me have goosebumps all over my body. Jung Woong In did his job really amazingly. I hated him, when he did something despicable, believed him even so I knew he was lying and I had sympathy for him although I knew that he was a monster. Really well done.
Generally Ienjoyed watching all characters. I actually liked allof them. Wait .. no, that's a lie. There was one person who I hated even more than Joon Gook and that is Seo Dae Seok (Do Yeon'S father). He was such a detestable character. I really wanted him punished.
Before submitting my review I have to say something about the ending: You can't believe how relieved I was that this drama had a happy ending. I was expecting a really sad ending with at least one dead person. But this dind't occur. And for that I am very thankful.
The ending was really good. I liked especially the part, where Soo Ha was talking about all the people who brought him to be the person he is now. It showed how much everyone of those characters improved and how the affected each other. That was reall good.
I guess that's it :)
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This review may contain spoilers
I dont really write reviews because, though I love the drama, it takes too much time(time that i can spend watching a drama), but thus drama is just plain outstanding. I've fallen in love with just about everything. It is predictable yet it seems to still be able to surprise me. The actors are brilliant. I cry and laugh, and get very emotional while watching this drama. I'm carefully writing this as to not give out any spoilers, but I highly recommend this drama. Full ten points! Was this review helpful to you?
Don't go by my review
I'm apparently the only person in existence that didn't love this drama. This review is not intended to change anyone's mind, it's to remind me that I've seen the show and didn't like it. This show kind of creeped me out. A high schooler with an adult woman. Not just a young adult woman, but one that's old enough to have become an attorney! She was very immature and he was immature as well, but again, he was a high schooler! I loved the cast of this drama, and normally I'm tolerant of age disparity, but I couldn't get past it in this one. Because, in addition to the fact that there was such an age different, she was completely immature, which I found very irritating. I really have to be able to relate to certain characters in some fashion to get invested in a drama, and I wasn't able to do that with this show.Was this review helpful to you?
The cast.. I'm very pleased with the lead actress, she is very good. She pulls off being cold, warm, strong, weak and smart. It all feels very real when she is on screen. The mail leed is a not my favourite one, but he still pulls some scenes off. I could live without his "break-down" since it's just so ugly and feel fake. The scenes he pulled off where the loving and romantic ones though. Aside from the main actors I really found the judges really amusing. And also the other lawyers. They all did a very good job on making the show more light and heartwarming and not so heavy all the time. I especially want to give credit to the Lee Da Hee who as a supporting role really did a great job acting as the "bad girl"
Music, what can I say about it. I fell in love with the opening song right away. It's great and really sets the mood. They really succeded in having the music at the right moment in different scenes. I absolutly loved it.
And to the rewatch point, I probally will rewatch this sometime, but I feel its such a great drama and it really felt good after watching the last episode. I'm just not sure i need to watch it again, it was fulfilling just by seeing it once.
Give it a chance and the show will pull you in and you will end up wanting to be a mindreader and a lawyer at the same time! :)
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I was so wrong! This is one of the best dramas I have ever seen. I normally don't get in to criminal dramas but this had me hooked from the start, I was frequently laughing, surprised and also a bit teary.
The acting was really great though I wish the lead ended up with Attorney Cha, or even if there was some romantic interest for him in the end. I found Park Soo Ha didn't have much of a personality to be honest, except as a bodyguard. The romance itself was okay but not spectacular, though it was enough to keep me interested when the story started to lag a bit.
Despite this, I recommend this drama to everyone to watch, even if you don't like criminal dramas you will after this. The story is great, the actors are great, seriously watch this now.
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