3
12
1
Maritza
Serbia
This review may contain spoilers
A great drama - except when it self-sabotages
"The Devil Judge" is a mind bending,law questioning spectacle everyone should experience at least once.Or the first half anyway.This 2021 drama presents dystopian corruption(because good things never die) and a small live court in the middle of this pandemonium.Led by one of the most charismatic characters I`ve seen in a drama recently,Judge Kang Yo Han.If you know about Geum Ja from "Hyena", Yo Han would be the male version of her.And despite these refined elements,why then,am I not giving this drama a higher grade?Well,let`s talk about it.
LIKES
First,in all of my reviews I like to name the good things about a drama as I firmly believe it is hard to create,write,direct and edit a drama.Or any form of media for that matter.With that being said,this drama started off with a bang.The minute our main character(Yo Han is the main character GODDAMN IT)drives past the slums bathed in red,on his way to witness his inauguration,so to speak,really intrigued me from the getgo. Ji Sung is an amazing actor(save for a few seconds of overacting in final episode) and he managed to breathe life into this mammoth of pride,arrogance and hidden motivations clouded by elegant masculine fragrance. Yo Han never disappointed me and his goals,though not the most noble,had a consistent and understandable quality and thought process behind them.Honestly,I loved the way he maneuvered each hearing and what they did with his character,as what he stands for is not lost on me(after all,they weren`t THE most subtle about it). The way this drama was shot is also very commendable and at times even artistic,despite questionable CGI.Some set pieces and numerous instances made me feel for every resident in the slums the rich were using(and most of you will know about the scene I`m talking about).
The concept of a live court is intriguing in it of itself and the process of voting lending itself to the conversation of what democracy is in its purest form is also amazingly put together.The idea of Politicisation of a virus is a novel one as well,and takes guts to talk about,especially in this social climate. Not only that,but we actually got worthy antagonists ranging from the foundation to psychotic,yet charming Jung Sun Ah. Some`d say they took an absurdist route,but me,living where I live,could totally believe people in power would be as despicable as the ones we`re presented with in this drama.And that`s the fact of the matter.If you`ve lived or are living in corrupt society,you understand and agree with most,if not all Yo Han`s notions,because you know how bad it can get. When looking at it only shallowly,many would deem his decisions as extreme and rather on the nose.When in fact,Yo Han deserved more respect and reverence from people around him for being an absolute saint by withstanding their nonsense. But the pillar of necessary evil he embodies would,in reality,be necessary. They had it all.The writing was solid,the production adequate,the acting was ranging from good to masterful and then...the makers of this drama shot themselves in the foot.Because they introduced GA ON.The crux of an otherwise epic drama.
DISLIKES
To those who follow me, me dedicating a whole paragraph to one of the most annoying good guy characters I`ve seen in recent times should come as no surprise.I was very vocal about it. Kim Ga On should`ve NEVER been the main character of this drama.What`s more,his progression and story arcs are the most glaringly repetitive and that makes me even less forgiving.Unlike many,who,while admitting that Ga On is extremely dislikeable,still had the ability to overlook him and laud this drama,I can`t do that because,well,I`ve spent almost fifteen hours with this character.And when push comes to shove and there was a tinge of a chance he`ll die,I didn`t care.And that`s BAD.Kim Ga On being the central character of this drama pushes my gears in more ways than one. Not only was he inconsistently written(much like his love interest),but he was also the least interesting character to follow.Where Yo Han had to face himself,his beliefs and loner traits,Sun Ah had to deal with her wretched love and greed,Judge Oh with choosing between corruption and speaking out,Ga On`s story arc would seemingly complete...and then start all over again.His bias against Yo Han would subside and flare up and this would repeat and grow,like a sore on your back. THERE`S NO RESOLUTION. The first time it happened,I was on board,the second I was cautiously curious...but the third just made me hate this character. In fact,when I think back on it,Ga On could easily be perceived as an antagonist had they just changed how to interpret his actions. His holier than thou attitude being rewarded and fishing for emotional reaction made me cringe. His dilemma was uninteresting and frankly speaking,disrespectful to Yo Han who received him into his home,nursed him to health,showed him what precious law he wanted to abide by really amounted to and just who was responsible for the horrific end of his parents. Yo Han was more than patient with him and deserved a better sidekick. Maybe not even that,as I think that this drama would be a solid 9 without Ga On in it. Or if he had just been a minor character. But with his backstory, it`s almost impossible to see where all this faith in the broken justice system comes from with him. It`s insulting,from a writer`s standpoint. And I really wish they reconsidered his influence and inclusion in this drama. I have no problem in particular with the actor(though he didn`t have a lot to go off) nor the chemistry between Yo Han and Ga On, but he simply wasn`t deserving of this role. Point blank period.
Other than his character,the drama suffers a bit from pacing issues,and I think they could`ve done away with tens of minutes per episode. But I always think that. Finally I wish they worked on the story frame for the way characters act towards Yo Han,as this man deserves all the best and I`m walking away from this drama with the conviction that he`s become one of my favorite male drama characters.
In the end, "The Devil Judge" had a winning formula which they couldn`t complete just yet.But for what it`s worth it`s still a formidable entry in the world of law dramas. And if for nothing else,I`d watch it for Kang Yo Han.
#KangYoHanSupremacy
LIKES
First,in all of my reviews I like to name the good things about a drama as I firmly believe it is hard to create,write,direct and edit a drama.Or any form of media for that matter.With that being said,this drama started off with a bang.The minute our main character(Yo Han is the main character GODDAMN IT)drives past the slums bathed in red,on his way to witness his inauguration,so to speak,really intrigued me from the getgo. Ji Sung is an amazing actor(save for a few seconds of overacting in final episode) and he managed to breathe life into this mammoth of pride,arrogance and hidden motivations clouded by elegant masculine fragrance. Yo Han never disappointed me and his goals,though not the most noble,had a consistent and understandable quality and thought process behind them.Honestly,I loved the way he maneuvered each hearing and what they did with his character,as what he stands for is not lost on me(after all,they weren`t THE most subtle about it). The way this drama was shot is also very commendable and at times even artistic,despite questionable CGI.Some set pieces and numerous instances made me feel for every resident in the slums the rich were using(and most of you will know about the scene I`m talking about).
The concept of a live court is intriguing in it of itself and the process of voting lending itself to the conversation of what democracy is in its purest form is also amazingly put together.The idea of Politicisation of a virus is a novel one as well,and takes guts to talk about,especially in this social climate. Not only that,but we actually got worthy antagonists ranging from the foundation to psychotic,yet charming Jung Sun Ah. Some`d say they took an absurdist route,but me,living where I live,could totally believe people in power would be as despicable as the ones we`re presented with in this drama.And that`s the fact of the matter.If you`ve lived or are living in corrupt society,you understand and agree with most,if not all Yo Han`s notions,because you know how bad it can get. When looking at it only shallowly,many would deem his decisions as extreme and rather on the nose.When in fact,Yo Han deserved more respect and reverence from people around him for being an absolute saint by withstanding their nonsense. But the pillar of necessary evil he embodies would,in reality,be necessary. They had it all.The writing was solid,the production adequate,the acting was ranging from good to masterful and then...the makers of this drama shot themselves in the foot.Because they introduced GA ON.The crux of an otherwise epic drama.
DISLIKES
To those who follow me, me dedicating a whole paragraph to one of the most annoying good guy characters I`ve seen in recent times should come as no surprise.I was very vocal about it. Kim Ga On should`ve NEVER been the main character of this drama.What`s more,his progression and story arcs are the most glaringly repetitive and that makes me even less forgiving.Unlike many,who,while admitting that Ga On is extremely dislikeable,still had the ability to overlook him and laud this drama,I can`t do that because,well,I`ve spent almost fifteen hours with this character.And when push comes to shove and there was a tinge of a chance he`ll die,I didn`t care.And that`s BAD.Kim Ga On being the central character of this drama pushes my gears in more ways than one. Not only was he inconsistently written(much like his love interest),but he was also the least interesting character to follow.Where Yo Han had to face himself,his beliefs and loner traits,Sun Ah had to deal with her wretched love and greed,Judge Oh with choosing between corruption and speaking out,Ga On`s story arc would seemingly complete...and then start all over again.His bias against Yo Han would subside and flare up and this would repeat and grow,like a sore on your back. THERE`S NO RESOLUTION. The first time it happened,I was on board,the second I was cautiously curious...but the third just made me hate this character. In fact,when I think back on it,Ga On could easily be perceived as an antagonist had they just changed how to interpret his actions. His holier than thou attitude being rewarded and fishing for emotional reaction made me cringe. His dilemma was uninteresting and frankly speaking,disrespectful to Yo Han who received him into his home,nursed him to health,showed him what precious law he wanted to abide by really amounted to and just who was responsible for the horrific end of his parents. Yo Han was more than patient with him and deserved a better sidekick. Maybe not even that,as I think that this drama would be a solid 9 without Ga On in it. Or if he had just been a minor character. But with his backstory, it`s almost impossible to see where all this faith in the broken justice system comes from with him. It`s insulting,from a writer`s standpoint. And I really wish they reconsidered his influence and inclusion in this drama. I have no problem in particular with the actor(though he didn`t have a lot to go off) nor the chemistry between Yo Han and Ga On, but he simply wasn`t deserving of this role. Point blank period.
Other than his character,the drama suffers a bit from pacing issues,and I think they could`ve done away with tens of minutes per episode. But I always think that. Finally I wish they worked on the story frame for the way characters act towards Yo Han,as this man deserves all the best and I`m walking away from this drama with the conviction that he`s become one of my favorite male drama characters.
In the end, "The Devil Judge" had a winning formula which they couldn`t complete just yet.But for what it`s worth it`s still a formidable entry in the world of law dramas. And if for nothing else,I`d watch it for Kang Yo Han.
#KangYoHanSupremacy
Was this review helpful to you?
