This review may contain spoilers
Unique and Unforgettable
The only reason why this drama is not a perfect ten for me is because I probably would not watch the first half of episode 1 again, so the rewatch value isn't perfect. But everything else is freakin' dope in my humble opinion.
STORY: The writing is strong, and the plot unique. With the overflow of romance dramas in S.Korea, it's terribly hard to find a gem like this. This drama deals with exorcism (both the Christian and the shamanic exorcism), with very unique Korean traits. Even though the atmosphere is mostly dark and gruesome, the mystery and the characters' relationships pull you in. It has no romance at all, but the very strong family and friendship ties (*cough bromance cough*) make this story a lot more valuable and compelling.
There is foreshadowing in almost every episode, with some red herrings thrown here and there, but most would still point out to the crux of the mystery. My most favorite foreshadowing happened on Ep 8 where the main character, Hwa Pyung woke up in jail. The drunk guy next to him was murmuring something in his sleep, saying "It's all your fault. It's all you."
I'd never think that this scene would mean so much. It's just a passing comment meant to wake up our main character. But it actually does mean a lot for the ultimate twist in the end. There's a lot more foreshadowing that I appreciate (i.e. Yukgwang's fate revealed in Ep 2 and the death of crows in Ep 4, etc. ), but the "jail scene" above is my absolute favorite.
In my opinion, the ability to integrate a lot of meaningful foreshadowing to the story definitely shows the strength of the script. It shows that the people involved are not just shooting arrows into random baskets. They actually know where the story is going, and that's what makes this drama more substantial and impactful.
CHARACTERS: Aside form the strong story, the other thing I like most about this drama is its CHARACTERS. We're not only talking about the perfect casting but also how the story broke all stereotypes for all the main leads:
Psychic Taxi Driver Hwa Pyung - Despite the incredible childhood trauma this guy has experienced, he still remained kindhearted and open minded. His past is so dark and desperate, but his attitude is still sunny and laid back. He's also very gutsy and reckless. And very brave to a fault. He'll do anything to save a life. Not one to be bothered by any formalities, he'd always say what's on his mind. A very capable psychic but a very lousy taxi driver though. He never completed a single trip for any customer throughout the series.(smh)
Exorcist Priest Choi Yoon - TBH, even though this guy's a priest, that does not stop him from being the rudest and most straightforward person I've ever seen in any drama. Probably the most uptight one in the room, but still one of the most reliable friend to have around. But even with his poor bedside manners, he would still be the first one to literally sacrifice everything, including his priesthood and his life, to save people. Self-sacrificing to a fault and uncompromising.
Detective Gil Young - I loved that even though she’s the only female in the series, she isn’t no damsel in distress. In fact, she has the most action scenes in the story. Being the sole protector of the trio, this female lead's stubborn and brave. She's the muscle of the group also the brains, as her incredible intuition saves them most of the time. Has a huge problem with authority (according to her sunbae and chief), but an amazing detective nonetheless.
I also liked how all of them almost lost their jobs because of their mission. Actually, Hwa Pyung lost his taxi driver gig in he middle of the series; Choi Yoon almost lost his priesthood; and Detective Kang Gil Young was suspended and reprimanded a lot of times -- all because of their involvement in the capture and termination of the evil spirit, Park-Il-Do. I like how realistic it got, how it definitely affected and dominated all the aspects of their lives and relationships.
ACTING: Not only the main leads, but even the supporting and minor characters have strong acting chops, especially all the possessed characters. Their realistic acting gripped your attention from start to finish, allowing you to feel both sympathy and righteous indignation to all the people who have hurt them.
MUSIC: It's really hard to pick a favorite aspect of the show when everything is just mind-blowing. From the opening soundtrack to the background music- to the terrifying rhythms and melodies of the rituals and scenes- everything is just flawlessly created. This drama has my favorite track of all time - "Somewhere", which is just hauntingly beautiful. Both the original and memory version of the song has that bittersweet and melancholic feel to it. I simply love it.
REWATCH: I've already rewatched this series many times. So the rewatch value is still definitely high. I just steer clear of the first half of episode 1. Because that episode almost made me "nope" out of watching it, TBH. I persevered thankfully.
TLDR: This is, so far, the best Korean drama I've watched. It exceeded all my expectations. The fact that I wasn't even into horror and gore and it still drew me in episode after episode is a huge thing for me. Really impactful and memorable. I will never forget this series. Thank you OCN for such a wonderful series.
STORY: The writing is strong, and the plot unique. With the overflow of romance dramas in S.Korea, it's terribly hard to find a gem like this. This drama deals with exorcism (both the Christian and the shamanic exorcism), with very unique Korean traits. Even though the atmosphere is mostly dark and gruesome, the mystery and the characters' relationships pull you in. It has no romance at all, but the very strong family and friendship ties (*cough bromance cough*) make this story a lot more valuable and compelling.
There is foreshadowing in almost every episode, with some red herrings thrown here and there, but most would still point out to the crux of the mystery. My most favorite foreshadowing happened on Ep 8 where the main character, Hwa Pyung woke up in jail. The drunk guy next to him was murmuring something in his sleep, saying "It's all your fault. It's all you."
I'd never think that this scene would mean so much. It's just a passing comment meant to wake up our main character. But it actually does mean a lot for the ultimate twist in the end. There's a lot more foreshadowing that I appreciate (i.e. Yukgwang's fate revealed in Ep 2 and the death of crows in Ep 4, etc. ), but the "jail scene" above is my absolute favorite.
In my opinion, the ability to integrate a lot of meaningful foreshadowing to the story definitely shows the strength of the script. It shows that the people involved are not just shooting arrows into random baskets. They actually know where the story is going, and that's what makes this drama more substantial and impactful.
CHARACTERS: Aside form the strong story, the other thing I like most about this drama is its CHARACTERS. We're not only talking about the perfect casting but also how the story broke all stereotypes for all the main leads:
Psychic Taxi Driver Hwa Pyung - Despite the incredible childhood trauma this guy has experienced, he still remained kindhearted and open minded. His past is so dark and desperate, but his attitude is still sunny and laid back. He's also very gutsy and reckless. And very brave to a fault. He'll do anything to save a life. Not one to be bothered by any formalities, he'd always say what's on his mind. A very capable psychic but a very lousy taxi driver though. He never completed a single trip for any customer throughout the series.(smh)
Exorcist Priest Choi Yoon - TBH, even though this guy's a priest, that does not stop him from being the rudest and most straightforward person I've ever seen in any drama. Probably the most uptight one in the room, but still one of the most reliable friend to have around. But even with his poor bedside manners, he would still be the first one to literally sacrifice everything, including his priesthood and his life, to save people. Self-sacrificing to a fault and uncompromising.
Detective Gil Young - I loved that even though she’s the only female in the series, she isn’t no damsel in distress. In fact, she has the most action scenes in the story. Being the sole protector of the trio, this female lead's stubborn and brave. She's the muscle of the group also the brains, as her incredible intuition saves them most of the time. Has a huge problem with authority (according to her sunbae and chief), but an amazing detective nonetheless.
I also liked how all of them almost lost their jobs because of their mission. Actually, Hwa Pyung lost his taxi driver gig in he middle of the series; Choi Yoon almost lost his priesthood; and Detective Kang Gil Young was suspended and reprimanded a lot of times -- all because of their involvement in the capture and termination of the evil spirit, Park-Il-Do. I like how realistic it got, how it definitely affected and dominated all the aspects of their lives and relationships.
ACTING: Not only the main leads, but even the supporting and minor characters have strong acting chops, especially all the possessed characters. Their realistic acting gripped your attention from start to finish, allowing you to feel both sympathy and righteous indignation to all the people who have hurt them.
MUSIC: It's really hard to pick a favorite aspect of the show when everything is just mind-blowing. From the opening soundtrack to the background music- to the terrifying rhythms and melodies of the rituals and scenes- everything is just flawlessly created. This drama has my favorite track of all time - "Somewhere", which is just hauntingly beautiful. Both the original and memory version of the song has that bittersweet and melancholic feel to it. I simply love it.
REWATCH: I've already rewatched this series many times. So the rewatch value is still definitely high. I just steer clear of the first half of episode 1. Because that episode almost made me "nope" out of watching it, TBH. I persevered thankfully.
TLDR: This is, so far, the best Korean drama I've watched. It exceeded all my expectations. The fact that I wasn't even into horror and gore and it still drew me in episode after episode is a huge thing for me. Really impactful and memorable. I will never forget this series. Thank you OCN for such a wonderful series.
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