A worthwhile watch!

Leave behind your judgements for a while and give this series a chance. It is not what you think whatsoever!

Zhang Yi Xiang is a 17 going on 18 year old high school student who is known to be a bit of a spoilt brat. Xie Shu Fen is his mother and a helicopter parent. She is also the chairwoman of their school and thus a very influential person when it comes to the school's decision making and manages to get her son out of trouble every time. Chen Meng Yun is her son's teacher and a new hire. Yi Xiang takes a sudden interest for his teacher and creates problems for her by crossing the line however she discovers that he is acting out at school mainly because of his overbearing mother and is actually helpful towards his peers.

There is a lot to love about this drama. Although it appears like an inappropriate relationship, it is not because of the teacher's direct actions. There are a lot of unexpected plot twists and a whole mystery subplot that makes this series a brilliant and exciting watch. The series also deals with relationships of children with their parents and the stress of parents in trying to help their children do their best.

The show has a decent pace that keeps you engaged. Each actor did a wonderful job at portraying their characters. The chemistry between the actors is good too.

One of the best aspects is the ending. Things are not always as they seem.

I hope that more viewers are able to give Lesson In Love a try and you might just discover something unique.

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Passionate romance that heteros don't get

Most heterosexual plots simply don't get an exclusive passionate romantic plots like this one. They usually have a bunch of other things going on and a bit of romance thrown in. Not here. The focus is on the ML and his journey to discovering love and himself. And it does make me a tad envious because they really don't beat around the bush in Love in the Big City. They explore friendships which are mostly wholesome and endearing.

The show is not all roses and sunshine though. There are some dark topics explored. However, most of the show tries to be positive because the male lead is a cheerful individual making the best of difficult circumstances. Maybe even a little toxic positivity that can be frustrating or concerning for others around him at times.

The beginning few episodes were funny and enjoyable but somewhere towards the end, the show started to feel slow and dull. Not sure if that was intentional. Overall the characters and situations are mostly realistic.

I wasn't too happy about the way the series ended especially since the last 2 or 3 episodes weren't as interesting.

The opening theme is nice but the OST in particular did not stand out to me.

For the most part it is an easy binge watch with good cinematography, interesting characters, good acting and a job well done by Nam Yoon Su.

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Good not great

It's a good movie to pass the time and you certainly won't be bored watching it but the ending leaves more to be desired. It doesn't quite feel complete. There were certain aspects that I thought would be explored but weren't. It only explores the relationship between a mother, Kill Bok Soon and her daughter.

The action sequences were enjoyable but it's not the best female action sequences I've seen. It's good. There's plenty of action in fact. Just nothing mindblowing.

The movie has some comedy and lots of blood.

One thing to note is there is a sex scene. Nothing is shown.

There were a few characters and appearances that I really enjoyed.
Esom as Cha Min Hee, the company CEO's annoying sister. I last saw her in Taxi Driver and loved the contrast in the characters. I was quite amused.
Lee Jae Wook as the young CEO. It's a short role but put a bright smile on my face. This is the first other project I'm seeing of his after Alchemy Of Souls.

EXTRA SCENE
Just after the credits first start, there is a small extra scene so don't forget to catch that.

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Enjoyable but Original is Superior

Don't get me wrong... A Time Called You is well-made and visually wonderful but there are several ways in which it cannot beat the original despite a great effort. I suppose fans of the original, like me, can be happy that they didn't ruin it which is very common with remakes. So that's always a plus. Hopefully everyone will also go and watch the original drama - Someday Or One Day.

One of the strongest points of SOOD was the OST. Both the theme song and the main song - Last Dance by Wu Bai, are magical and memorable. Unfortunately, Gather My Tears can be described as nice at best but not worthy of being THE song that makes magic happen. It doesn't give me goosebumps the way Last Dance did. It's unforgettable. And it was the highlight of the original. However, I didn't get the same feeling from Gather My Tears. Last Dance was also meaningful to the story and elicited nostalgia. 'A Time Called You' made it seem like a song that happened to be liked by MinJoo and it wasn't the highlight of the scenes. Or at least it didn't come across that way to me. That itself took away the essence of the drama.

The main plot is essentially the same so I won't spoil that but there are a few other differences that I'd like to highlight from memory which count as spoilers. This review might be more appreciated by those who have watched both versions.
- One of the basics, they changed from the original is how the FL discovers the photo of the 3 friends. That was unique in SOOD and tied a bit more into the destiny theme perhaps.

- One big moment that stood out was when the FL, Han Jun Hee first arrives in the body of Kwon Min Joo, she is so shocked to see Koo Yeon Jun. That was supposed to be an impactful scene but it didn't feel that way. It was one of the FL's weakest scenes in my opinion.

- A memorable FL's dialogue from the original is her highlighting the age gap between her and the school boys which also added to her awkwardness at seeing her fiance's face. every time Something this show glossed over.

- They changed the way the ML meets the child FL of the past. The original encounter was far more memorable from the perspective of a child. I wish they hadn't changed it.

- There were times when I didn't see much difference between Jun Hee and Min Joo when it should have been more blatant. Alice Ke, in the Taiwanese drama, was masterful in that way. But Yeo Been's final scenes with her counterpart matched the emotions of the original's actress very well. I appreciated that a lot.

- Comparing the male actors, Ahn Hyeo Seop did a good job and there were moments when he really shined but Greg Hsu had bowled me over (considering I didn't think I would like him initially). He was far more charming and cheeky and one could see why he was popular. AHS's character didn't stand out as much to be a popular guy. I also felt his hairstyle wasn't great. However both male and female leads fit the ages they were portraying well.

- The lame jokes scene was just immensely better in the original. It felt terribly flat in this Korean version and lacked soul considering how important it actually was.

- One of the reasons I was keen to watch the Korean version was for Kang Hoon. Although I feel his character was given more importance here than the original which I liked, the original had a bit more heart. His hearing disability was inconspicuous and forgettable for the most part. The original depicted his liking for the FL far better. You could also understand his pain better in SOOD.

- The ML's accident was quite different from the original though I wasn't really upset with the change.

- Koo Yeon Jun and Tae Ha (Rowoon)'s moments together was an interesting take on the original story.

- The show failed to highlight Min Joo's attacker and his obsession the way the original did. It was a bit muted.

- The weakest points of the original was the ending so it was good to see A Time Called You address that which required SOOD to release an additional clip. Though it would have been nice to have a little bit more.

It's been over a year that I watched Someday Or One Day and I'm glad I could not recall all the details especially towards the end so I could enjoy A Time Called You a lot more rather than just comparing scene for scene. But I would always recommend the original before this one and it will always be one of my most favourite dramas. Watching the remake just made me want to rewatch the original again because that's how impressive it is.

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Try not to fall asleep

Updated with final thoughts.

What started as a unique concept became tiresome at times. Sometimes shows drag a few episodes but I've become tired at how slow this show has been moving. I've been watching it at 1.25x or 1.5x speed because the show is about to complete and it's dragging. It feels like there wasn't much of a story to begin with so what could have been completed in 10 episodes was stretched out to 16.

The earlier episodes of the show were enjoyable but you slowly start to get fed up and just wish the characters would tell each other what's going on. By the 14th episode, you are just waiting for things to be done already because you've lost hope in anything redeemable in the plot.

As far as acting goes, the male lead has only been able to express concern and sadness and the rest of the time he is straight-faced whereas the actress had to play a clueless bunny who weeps frequently. Not the actors fault for having to portray such characters.

Spoiler:
If they had established that the sister was dead and they just needed to find out what happened to her, I would feel less frustrated with this story. And the chef has not been able to open up his restaurant until the 15th episode which just adds to the madness. I had hoped that the ending might be able to redeem itself but alas, it continued to drag. One final question remains. Why? What was the motive? It is never explained. It seems like no one was interested in finding out if there were more possible victims. Everything else just seems like an attempt at rescuing this show but there's not much they could do at this point.

High expectations. Low return.

I am going to leave the final score at 6 but honestly I would not recommend nor rewatch this show.

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Trauma Girls

First and foremost, this is an extremely graphic, violent show which includes depicting rape and implied self-harm as well as nudity, stalking, domestic violence against women, etc. So please choose wisely if any of these make you uncomfortable.

When I started this show, I had barely any information about it. I did not anticipate how dark it was and I may have even passed on Mask Girl. It is not an easy watch by any means. Every episode makes you feel uncomfortable especially as a woman and if that was the point, then the director and actors certainly achieved their goals. As though the society doesn't already make us feel uncomfortable about ourselves in more ways than one. lol.

Mask Girl starts out to be about a woman who works in an office but has a persistent dream to be loved and applauded for her performance. But because her mother persistently made her feel ugly, her insecurities led her to hiding behind a mask and performing online to a bunch of incels who were praising her consistently. Due to a drunken mistake, she gets suspended. However, things start to get serious when her "fans" want to meet offline. From then on, it is just one bad thing happening after another.

This show doesn't just depict one woman's suffering but several women suffering repeatedly unable to escape the violence and abuse in their lives. Not only are the women forced to deal with the abusive men but also the abusive and unjust society. Other women also continuously attack and harm those women. Never letting them breathe. We also see women pitted against each other to settle scores.

The plot is engrossing, albeit slightly slow but you never feel satisfied. The depections smack the reality of victims who chose to fight back instead of laying down to die in your face. Meanwhile their abusers are barely questioned. It's unconscionable to ever blame the men who created the tragic circumstances in the first place. /sarcasm

The actresses in the series are all brilliant and the only positive in all this is how women centric this series is. Unfortunately, I can't really enjoy such kinds of graphic shows. The problem is that the presentation of the series never really lets you feel much empathy for the characters. Many would watch this and blame the women for whatever happened to them. If you caught yourself saying, "what did she expect when she was...", remember that it is so ingrained in us to blame women even when there is no excuse for rape. Sadly, there is always a "but" in people's minds. In that case, what is the point of such a show other than to create content for shock value? Every episode is shocking and it works for that reason but that is why it doesn't appeal to me.

Don't bother looking for a happy ending with this one. It just more trauma. All the points I'm giving is for the superb acting. All the points I'm deducting is for the handling of the story.

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Potential but Underwhelming

The series is related to accounting and for those unfamiliar with the terminology will feel lost because there really isn't much explanation. You'll have to read up on it to enjoy the show because there is a LOT of tactics and plays based on that. You can ignore and try to get the gist of things.

The story is about a high school graduate who joins an accounting firm in order to take it down because his adopted father's company was run to the ground which resulted in his death. The story felt had so much potential but right off the bat I didn't exactly enjoy the first couple of episodes. A lot happening but hard to make sense of it. But the actual story develops quite slowly. Makes sense because it's not easy for someone who has no idea of the inner workings of an accountancy firm to do any real damage so the first few episodes are just him trying to learn the ropes. I only started to enjoy the show midway when a lot of exciting things were happening - both good and bad.

Until episode 11, I was finally enjoying the show and happy with how things were being resolved. Episode 12, however, was a big let down. When you think of all the crimes committed by a certain someone and the way they let things play out, it feels like a betrayal to the time I, as a viewer, put in. Some like of think of it as realistic but we aren't exactly watching a documentary. And even if we talk about realism, the director seemed to want us to experience some kind of empathy for a horrible character. Are we supposed to forget the people who lost everything including their lives? I don't see how the male leads can be happy considering the circumstances. It doesn't feel real to me at all.

Overall, I just feel disappointed.

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Not the finest show but it has it's good moments

The drama had potential. I enjoyed the cases although some of the science is questionable. The side stories are too time consuming and I found myself a bit bored during the first half. Some of the comedy was funny like the ex-wife randomly climbing a pole or the chief feeling overshadowed. But other aspects like the male leads bickering just made me wish they would get on with solving the case. This comedy style was not working for me. I was more invested in the mystery element which improves in the second half.

When it came to the actual cases, it had my full attention. I was invested. I just wish I didn't have to watch the other aspects which felt like fillers. I might be in the minority but then everyone has a different taste in comedy. The first episode was a miss for me but the subject was intriguing enough to make me want to continue. After the case of episode 6 was over, I fell asleep watching the side plot.

Around episode 7 - 8, the series really improved. The cases were good, the bickering was less, the mystery element was more and I started to enjoy the episodes. But towards the end, the series started to plateau a bit.

As for the finale, I was disappointed if I'm being fair. The second half of the finale had some nice moments, but the first half made me roll my eyes at it.

Skip the next paragraph to avoid spoilers.

SPOILERS coz I can't explain without them:
- The brain waves battle was very unscientific with poor graphics. Both male leads were under stress, that itself should have allowed some of their waves to match or to reject the results off the bat. And there was another way to beat the results. For Myung Se to trick his brain as well so they can "meet in the middle" and thus win the game. Also, what happened with Hwang Dong Woo was also a bit over the top.
- The only thing I can appreciate is the happy ending for Myung Se and So Jung's character. That was sweet.

To sum up - this series was a mixed bag where I really enjoyed the good elements and some of the comedy really made me laugh. Whereas, the bad parts bored me to sleep. If you like the actors and the comedy is more your style, you might enjoy Brain Works more than I did.

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Light-hearted

You don't have to watch the first season as they do recap it in the first episode but it's better to watch it as you understand the background of how the male lead got his name 'Poong' and the situation of the female lead. Also the circumstances in which he started working in the clinic. Also the last episode will make more sense if you've seen the first season.

The second season was quite enjoyable for me. There was more focus on psychiatry in the second season which was one of my biggest complaints with the first season. I personally enjoyed this season more. Though there was some good mystery in the previous season as well. Don't be turned off by the SFL as her part is not much. But the SML can be annoying. The thing that bothered me is why Man Bok's character was not properly used. It didn't make sense.

There is more romance in this season but don't expect too much. Most of the time it is just awkwardness and spending time with each other.

If not for the finale, I would rate it as 8.5 because I was entertained. The final episode was underwhelming. Missed opportunity of cashing in on the couple that everyone wanted to see more of. It was overall sweet. Just missing some bang or maybe that's how I usually expect finales to go.

I actually didn't think I would even watch the second season after the first but I'm glad I did.

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The most incredible show of 2022

As of 28th August 2022, I have never been this excited to watch a show and waited with bated breath for each episode. The hardest part was the 2 week gap when I started rewatching the episodes from the start in case I missed anything as well as got my friends to watch it just to be able to discuss it with them. That's how much I loved Alchemy Of Souls. I can tell you that it does not disappoint.

The original plot summary was confusing so I would describe it as follows. In a fictional country of Daeho, there are mages calpable of manipulating the environment around them. Jang Uk is one who has been forbidden by his father to learn spells. He has been seeking a master who is willing to teach him but none are willing to disobey his father's wishes. Naksu is a powerful female assassin. Due to a spell called the alchemy of souls she switches bodies in an attempt to escape harm. Fate brings Naksu and Jang Uk together. Will she take him on as her pupil?

The Alchemy Of Souls starts with a bang. The intro of Naksu and her skills is depicted in a breath taking manner. We are also introduced to the magic and power of the mages and their wondrous world.

The story also builds upon the cards Jang Uk has been dealt with and his character.

The bonding of Naksu as Mudeok (as she is known after switching bodies) and Jang Uk is the heart of this series. Their firey personalities bring moments of comedy and delight.

We are also introduced to a second lead, Seo Yul, another powerful mage and friend of Jang Uk. He gives such sweet vibes but he will not hesitate to kill an enemy with a swing of his swords.

The crown prince Go Won has one of the best character developments on this show. He is not what you may expect from a character in dramas usually which is why it makes it so wonderful seeing him.

Some of the other amazing characters are Master Lee who adds a new dimension to the story, Maidservant Kim who brings a loving touch to the story and the two along Park Jin bring a lot of the lighter and comedic moments to life.

The entire casting has been praise-worthy with each character bringing the mystery, intrigue and excitement to the show. You will feel all sorts of emotions that you did not expect as you embark on this journey.

The sword fighting with magic inbued into the swords brings something unique to this fantasy drama set in historical setting so do not be put off by this genre and allow it to blow you away!

Even though this is not the end and there is still a second season (or second part) to complete the story, the direction the show is headed can only get better. I will be watching will high expectations and I hope more will join. Start the series and most likely you will be aching for more before you know it.

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Don't know how I made it to the end

There are quite a few issues with this series unfortunately. Some massive and others subjective. I'll list them and leave it to you to decide how you feel about watching this series.

1. The series drags a bit and could have been wrapped up sooner. I almost didn't feel like continuing several times. Nearly 70% of the episodes were watched in 1.25x or 1.5x speed for this reason.

2. Casting issues that feel confusing. The FL is depicted as knowing the ML as a child while he was already an adult. But later they seem to be of the same age. Similarly, an adult female character is introduced to two children and later they look like they are older than her or the same age while she hasn't aged at all.

3. The FL is initially shown as a powerful force and a strong woman but her character deteriorates significantly. She becomes unbearable, overbearing, a bully, extremely suspicious without justification at times, breaks and enters while portraying a cop, beats up the ML, her fight scenes are a joke, she ruins investigations and leads by the ML, and is the worst character in the series.

4. No chemistry between the ML and FL. I don't understand why they even like each other.

5. The humour is funny but at times cringeworthy. For example baby talk, split pants, pulling faces. Not really my style.

6. The action was ruined in the finale. Something that I had been looking forward to. Almost fell asleep at one point.

The good aspects that got me through.
1. The cafe Minamdang team has good chemistry and they are the heart of this show.

2. The male lead acting as a shaman could have easily come across as over the top but he kept it classy. He lives up to his character as a profiler and is good at catching clues.

3. The mystery element is decent.

4. When the humour is good, it's entertaining. I am glad that this was a light show considering the number of murders taking place.

5. If you enjoy strong female leads then that would be the character of the sister. Enjoyable persona.

Cafe Minamdang is not the best mystery, detective, comedy, action series so I wouldn't honesty recommend it for any of these genres. There are better shows out there. But if you like the male lead then you'll enjoy it.

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The clue is in the title

Depending on what you are expecting in a romance drama, you might like it or hate it. I enjoyed the series over all. I was a bit frustrated with the ending and felt like there was an opportunity to be a positive impact and that was foregone in exchange for a more realistic take. Let's break down what I enjoyed and what I didn't. Spoilers for 'The Bad'.

The Good:
- The chemistry between the leads is excellent.
- Both the lead characters are great on their own.
- The revelation of the issues they both had as people was quite realistic and eye-opening on how you could be perceived.
- The second couple were great too. Also very realistic because they were complete opposites but they made positive changes in order to be together.
- Realistic issues that are common in real life but not usually depicted in dramas.

The Bad:
- Both the leads had annoying mothers and long-standing issues with them which was resolved ridiculously fast but the main leads couldn't resolve theirs?
- The fact that a misunderstanding led to the problem and it was never discussed. Is that realistic? Yes. But it is frustrating nonetheless.
- The male lead was taking positive steps but they still left it as is.

I wouldn't mind if the show ended with them separating because they were at an impasse but not when there was a misunderstanding that caused the break-up and the male lead was making positive strides in order to overcome his avoidant presonality. It felt like a disservice towards a loving couple.

It's still entertaining. It's a different kind of an ending than the usual. It's watchable if you are willing to have an open mind and accept in not all endings are happy.

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High Octane Drama

I have been looking forward to Duty After School for quite a while and it's quite the adrenaline rush that I was seeking!

Managed to binge the first 6 episodes over 2 days. The first episode took time to build the story and get to the aliens but once they started to come, they just kept coming! The series is more of a thriller than a horror but it did make my heart race in one particular episode and I almost didn't want to look. This is for those who are a bit weak (like me) when it comes to scary movies and shows.

The characters are interesting and developed slowly but not in great detail which might disconnect viewers. The focus is on one particular class in one particular school. And at times I thought, is this the only class that survived? They could have used a few more extras to represent a proper school.

Story is interesting and exciting though there are some moments where I felt common sense was lacking. Like trying to retrieve a key from behind a cupboard when they could have tried to use some kind of stick to extend their reach but didn't. Moments like those felt quite frustrating. But on the positive note, some characters show growth and others show weakness which is especially important in a real crisis. No character can be strong all the time so plus points for that realistic take.

The CGI is pretty good. The aliens are visually beautiful, almost flower-like. Reminded me a bit of Stranger Things. And the added aspect that they are intelligent besides not understanding much about them is what adds to the fear-factor. It was a good touch.

There is plenty of blood and gore though it is not too gruesome. And mild comedy and other light moments to balance out the series.

All the episodes end on a crucial point which is the perfect recipe for a binge watch. I just dislike splitting up shows for no good reason. It makes less sense that as this series is just 4 episodes short. For this reason, I can't give it a rating higher than 9 as I don't know if I'll enjoy the ending. But taking it's flaws into consideration, I'll give it a 9.

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An engrossing magical journey that will also bring tears to your eyes

This was a xanxia drama that I had been waiting for for quite some time and for the most part it doesn't disappoint. I'll explain this point towards the end. It is fun to binge and visually quite splendid! I'll elaborate why I loved the show as well the few areas it was lacking.

VISUALS:
Starting from the theme song, which I believe are hand painted scenery and a thing of beauty! The costumes are incredibly beautiful, detailed and luxurious. The CGI is spectacular as is the world they have created. I loved the fight scenes and was happy there was so much of action involved.

STORY:
The series has a very strong start. The world of Till The End Of The Moon has many layers and each layer is unraveled as the episodes go on. Even if you find yourself a bit lost, the show will reveal things in stages. And of course, if it still gets confusing, you can always ask all the incredible fans of the show. One thing that you should keep in mind is that there are 3 main arcs where the story is set. And each arc has it's own significance. The plot includes A LOT of suffering on the male lead's part so be prepared for angst, frustration and pain. It is also the reason why you feel attached to the character. YES THERE IS ROMANCE! I don't want to give anything away.

ACTORS:
The main leads have incredible chemistry and it is very easy to get attached to the male lead's character even though he plays the role of an anti-hero. His subtle emotions are just enough to get your attention and understand his emotions. Even though I have not seen other dramas of the male lead, this series has given me pretty good insight into his acting capabilities due to the range of the character that he had to portray and it has made me want to look into his other body of work. I also loved that the female lead in this series is a strong and determined woman who is also gentle where needed. There are so many other characters in this series and each have made this show a success. Another favourite character of mine is Pian Ran who is a crafty and jovial fox.

MUSIC:
The theme song, that is currently stuck in my head though I don't understand Mandarin is quite melodious as are many other songs in the show. I rarely notice a show's OST unless it is ACTUALLY good and this show has amazing OST that is worth looking into.

The few negatives that kept me from giving this a 10:
- Because the series was cut short, some parts of the later episodes are confusing. Not enough to lose your interest but it is still sad that there are any negative points to mention at all.
- For one part in a later episode, the editing was a little bit of a mess and I wasn't feeling it. Though it is not that important a portion. Just found it a bit funny and not up to the mark.
- There is a moment in the dream arc that I found a little confused about and it would have been nice if that was resolved a little better.
- The ending... I kind of saw it coming but I still wish it was done a bit differently. I don't regret watching the show but the ending might be controversial.

Overall, the show is sensational. It's all you will be able to think about and it will whisk you away into it's world. Give it a go and have fun!

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A slow journey with gradual build-up and a face plant end

One of the rare times that I'm dropping the rating of a show post the finale. Adamas isn't for everyone and I'm most likely included in that list. The show had a very promising start and suddenly started to drag it's heels at the beginning making it a hard watch.

I was excited to see a dual role but by instantly separating the twins and shooting scenes separately for most of the show undid that excitement. It might as well have been played by 2 actors. The camera work that excited me at the very beginning of the series was no where to be found. The writer twin spent majority of his time roaming around the mansion repeatedly which I would just watch at 2x speed. At the time, I found the role of the prosecutor twin more exciting. But soon that too felt like it was heading nowhere.

Most of the excitement starts around episode 9 onwards. By then a lot of the secrets about the mysterious Adamas are exposed. The people fighting the bad guys all seem to be helpless and powerless despite their status and connections. It is frustrating to see them failing so badly at times and you have to wonder why they have no result to show for all the work and manpower they've put in.

There was a rare opportunity to wind everything in a positive and thrilling way but it was a disaster after disaster for the good guys. In fact, episode 14 may have been the best episode. The ending leaves you scratching your head and wondering what happened? The satisfaction that one might get from watching a crime drama is nowhere to be found here. Do some bad guys get punished? Yes. But it's so underwhelming. And one of the characters realises, "truth holds no power". This is the entire theme of Adamas.

Acting and production is good quality but if the story telling fails to enthrall you, the hard work of the cast and team is meaningless.

SMALL SPOILER:
They tease an open-ending and if just makes you think, do I want to put up with that again in the second season? Probably not, in my opinion.

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