Left Feeling Unsure
There are multiple factors that I really appreciate about the series and other factors that watered it down. Foremost, most of the actors did a good job in their roles, particularly our two main protagonists. It would have stepped up a notch if they provided more depth to the character's backstories. Although there were hints and minor flashbacks, it wasn't enough to really draw you in to any of them in particular.Although the pacing was initially slower than what I'm accustomed to for this type of genre, it did create that essence of realism. The series did a good job transitioning Han Dan Soo's character from a struggling lawyer who kept getting screwed over by trying to do the "right" thing to finally getting fed up and deciding to utilize his skills to fight corruption by becoming corrupted. After all, those who have a conscious and have experienced something similar in life, would be able to generally relate to these multiple decision-making crossroads. It also secondarily depicts the realism of how people feel when they are being used, or when they are the ones putting in the "hard work" only to help others reap the large rewards. So there are multiple scenes where it has you questioning yourself on what you would do in their shoes.
However in the last three or so episodes, the pacing paradoxically became both too dragged while the plot felt overly rushed. It's hard to explain except that I started to lose interest in the heavy-handed shifting of the backstabbing between the various parties. So while the ending wasn't bad, it also felt rushed because of how slow the build-up was to it. If the positive factors weren't there for the overall wrap-up of the series, I would have given it a lower score. It's otherwise still an enjoyable watch but not one worth re-watching again.
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A Crime Thriller That Will Peg Your Attention
So, when I googled for the meaning of “Evilive”, I found it literally means “to pay back evil with evil”; which pretty much sums up the gist of this storyline. Starring Shin Ha Kyun, Kim Young Kwang, Shin Jae Ha in pivotal roles, “Evilive” depicts main lead Han Dong Soo’s slow yet steady descend into the evil world of crime. What leads him there and will he survive the ordeal remains to be seen? I just got done with watching “The Worst of Evil” and was unsure about starting another noir action. The only reason to start this drama was Shin Ha Kyun and Shin Jae Ha; both are fabulous actors and this show having a male centric casting drew my attention. It isn’t an easy watch, must add that. Manipulation, lies and deceit seem to be at the centerfold of this thriller, and each twist or turn is profoundly bewildering. You can expect the unexpected with this drama. Set in the 1980s, the cinematography is picturesque and reminiscent of the era where desktop computers were still in use. We are talking about them, because the show majorly focuses on the advent of online gambling. The first fours episodes are evenly paced, the storytelling is intriguing and indulgent. Let’s drive into this world and learn more!Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2023/10/28/evilive-first-impressions/
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