I thought it was only in recent series that Choi Kanghee has started doing characters who are quite feisty and knows how to fight... so this drama had intrigued me after seeing Queen of Mystery as well as Good Casting. Same with Jisung tbh. Like it was interesting to see his earlier works as compared to his more recent works and seeing how much his acting capabilities had expand since.
All in all, the drama was quite enjoyable and not too heavy, which means that you don't really have to stress to much while watching the episode. And the rest of the cast was also pleasant and charming and the comedy was well timed and enjoyable. It was fun to see how Eunseol and Jiheon's story unfolds and how they try to work their way out over the things that life had put in store for them.
Overall, this drama was surprisingly fun.
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At first, it may seem to be a mediocre start as we were initially introduced to the plot setting, as well as the main characters. And the case that was chosen to be the first one being held with a jury seemed to be a simple case of murder, with what seemed to be a clear motive for murder by the defendant. It may turn out to be a boring case as the jurors chosen seemingly more interested in resuming their normal lives rather than taking seriously of the task at hand. But with the eighth juror starting to doubt that the case was as simple as it appears, that was when the plot started to get interesting.
I have to say that I was really fond of Hyungsik's character, Kwon Namwoo in this movie. He was so adorable, even when it seemed that it might be too hard for him to handle the responsibility of being a juror in a court trial. That aside, I love how throughout the movie we can see how the rest of the other jurors also started to take their job as jury seriously because of Namwoo and try so hard to find out whether or not the defendant of the case was truly guilty of the crime that he was accused of. And I have to say the final outcome of the case was really unexpected and sad.
Watching Hyungsik in this movie was really a treat, I really can't get enough of him making his surprised face. And I love how Hyungsik really pull off Namwoo's honest belief and sincerity to want to save the defendant to the point that you could really believe that Namwoo's honesty was what moved the rest of the jurors to change their minds and help him.
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This review may contain spoilers
Was recently doing yet another rewatch of this drama after almost one and half year so might as well write a review. If you're looking for a family drama which is wholesome while also having a bit of chaos in it yet not too exagerated—then this drama is perfect for you.The first time I watched this drama I was drawn to how relatable the Cha Family story was, especially when it comes to the youngest son, Cha Dalbong's story. Well, to be fair... most of the drama characters do feel relatable since they do reflect the struggles of people just trying to make do for themselves—and to people who watches this drama can find their own comfort and consolation while watching this drama. For me, personally, the more I rewatch the drama the more I relate to the life and challenges of the Cha family, considering like Dalbong—I'm also a third child and also felt the same insecurity about myself and the future that I would have. And I have to say, that the drama also helped me cope with my father's death last year. To which, while it wasn't exactly similar... helped me to come to terms about stuff regarding my own father.
That aside, Park Hyungsik as Cha Dalbong was very adorable and lovable and I couldn't help to want to root for him from the beginning to end. Yoo Donggeun as the Cha Sunbong was really the best kdrama father you'd ever see and I love how throughout the drama you can just see how much love Cha Sunbong had for his family, especially for his three children. And yes, these two father-son combo was the main reason that kept me to wanting to rewatch this drama over and over.
Words of warning though, if you're the type to cry easily over things... do prepare lots of tissue before watching this drama.
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Crisis: Kouan Kidou Sousatai Tokusou-han
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As was common with dramas of this genre and one that focuses on the Public Safety division, it should be expected that the drama will have some pretty grim storyline. Yet, considering that we do have Oguri in the lead it's to be expected that there'll be some unexpected light-hearted moments that can brighten up the grim plotlines.
That said, I love how despite the plot was full of conspiracies and the dark sides of humanity there was still a glimmer of hope and good in between; which makes the story not be too depressing at times. I love the camaraderie between the Special Security Squad and I love how their relationship with each other as well as personal struggles gave the drama a heartwarming feel and make the characters be so human and relatable.
Then again, this was a common theme in Kaneshiro Kazuki 's writing and I'm glad that I manage to encounter this drama. But gosh, Kaneshiro Kazuki's pension in ending things with cliffhangers I tell you.... never cease to catch me off-guard.
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While I'm not quite taken to the political plot, having the setting where Park Hoon being kidnapped to NK and then being a doctor in that kind of environment pose an interesting conflict to the whole medical plot in the drama. And as to be expected, one can see a good amount of conflicts resulted from the fact the doctors in SK would have some kind of bias against North Koreans in general and how that would affect the treatment on Hoon, despite the fact that he's still a fellow South Korean who had the misfortune of growing up in such a harsh place. And that alone made this drama unique in terms of focusing on cardiac surgeons with a side taste of the North vs South Korean politics.
And Lee Jongsuk pulled the character so well that you can feel such an intense atmosphere around Hoon and can't help wishing for happy outcomes for him. And I love how the music and overall production having this certain sentimental air which was reminiscent of the 80's period when it comes to the North Korean plot. I never thought that it's possible for a drama to have a genre that could only be described as medical noir but here we are.
That said I guess it somewhat fit my feelings regarding Jin Seyeon. Not sure why, but I tend to like many of her noir roles. Provided that the drama had good writer and great production to carry the drama towards its intended goal, I tend to like the dramas that she's in. And I'm thankful that Doctor Stranger really had some of the best writing one could've hoped for. It wasn't always perfect, particularly on the political plot... but the drama did leave us with some hopeful feeling that some things might become better afterwards.
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Have to say, when I first started watching the series I wasn't really expecting to really grow attached to the characters. But hey, that just means that the series did well at casting the right actors for their respective roles as had their personalities written well.
That aside, I love how the drama dealt with the romance sub-plot regarding Mano and Sawaguchi subtly without taking away the focus from the main plot/theme. Then again, that could also be credited to Nishikido and Araki for being able to bring their characters to life, and Dokkun's really is good at playing these kinds of roles XD. That aside, I really love the whole casting of the forensic team. Like I love how at first they're not really so close-knitted, yet near the end you see them becoming more like families and that was partially due to Araki's character.
Other than that, have to say that the plot was well-written. Loved the fact that each episode kept me guessing and made me want to pay close attention to the clues that were revealed in order to unearth the crimes involved.
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This review may contain spoilers
Yoo Seungho played as the main lead... how can I not watch this drama? Though to be fair, this drama kept making me want to rewatch Ruler so many times due to the many scenes that tend to parallel some of parts of Ruler that amuses me a lot many times. And when I say there was a lot of parallel plots, there was really a LOT. The character of Kang Roseo had been set up pretty well with her being a former noblewoman who ended up becoming a moonshiner to make a living. The crown prince Lee Pyo also have his own story to which it also connected with the prohibition order as well as the general plot around it.
And above all, Nam Young seemed to hold the biggest mystery that may lead to a clue that tied the three people together. He's quite a cute character (something that Seungho had a natural flair at playing it) and his upright as well as innocent persona was enough of a charm to make you like Nam Young. Though some may find him a bit annoying but that's how he's been raised. It'll be interesting to see how Nam Young would change even more while being with Roseo and Pyo.
The story was quite light-hearted enough and fun to watch. Though the serious plot would start to creep in the more the plot dwelve more into Lee Pyo's past and Nam Young's locked memories. As well as the romance that started to grow between an unlikely pair of inspector and a moonshiner.
Overall, the drama was really a fun watch. And while there was quite some loose ends that remained unresolved like what happened to some people after the truth was revealed, what will Young do with his life now and I'm still curious about Young's true parentage, the drama ended with a very good note. As much as the lovelines of the main and secondary pair ended up not being expanded enough, I like the fact that the romance didn't feel out of place. Young and Roseo made for quite a goofy pair and Pyo-Aejin pair were quite cute. And I really love the overall visuals of the drama that was as beautiful as the poem the drama was named from.
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This drama had the theme of mystery and detective drama, added with time travel. While the detective theme at first appeared to be main thing that moves the plot of the story, eventually the scifi part starts to kick in and we can see how the time travel aspect with influence the story. And indeed, as the story moves forward we can see how the past, present and future started to mix together. It was interesting to see the drama dealt with the problem of paradox involving people from different points of time meeting each other at different stages of their lives. To which, it might end up very confusing for people who aren't quite used to the scifi genre, especially ones that involves time travel. In before I start quoting Doctor Who but I won't.
While some may have trouble watching some parts of the episodes due to the impression they may have regarding the doubtful relationship between Taeyi and Jin Gyeom, it may help a bit if one stayed open-minded while watching the drama by not immediately assuming that every single melodramatic scene in the drama to be a romantic one. Since the drama will involve a lot of paradoxes as people from past and future inevitably gonna cross each other's path, some emotional scenes may not be as straightforward as it appears. And love can be of any type aside from romantic feelings, so its better to not be so quick to assume the relationship that we see in the drama. Not to mention that we do have a character who had a disability in that he was not able to recognise emotions and understanding the meaning of said emotions.
As a scifi drama that dealt with time travel and parallel drama, I have to say that the plot of Alice was quite decent. While there are some parts that were still left vague and not executed well, overall it wasn't that bad a drama. With genre like this, it helps to have no high expectations and be open-minded to the many unexpected outcomes resulting from the timey-wimey.
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interesting to see how this drama would unfold. Also I checked the webtoon out, and it's pretty well written too
By now Lee Joonggi was no stranger with regards to action and thriller dramas. After Two Weeks and Flower of Evil, safe to say we can expect great performance coming from him. Kim Heewoo was quite an interesting character as a rightous prosecutor who might be a bit too overzealous in doing his job. And the more we get to know him, the more I find Heewoo to be quite an endearing character. And it was pretty exciting to see him trying to redo the events in his past to change his fate as well as the fates of his family, friends and many other victims of Cho Taesub as Heewoo attempt to take him down.
There was quite a lot of mystery remaining unknown to us with regard to who was it that saved Heewoo from death and sent him back into the past, as well as the true nature of the main villain in this story. The writing had been pretty solid so I pretty much enjoyed the show. And for the drama, the ending differed a bit from webtoon... which was pretty understandable considering the few bits of changes made throughout the drama.
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Still, as much as the writing could've expanded better, the plot did progress further and we finally get to see the main villain Gungtan in action. I mean, it would've been lame if the story ended with the main bad guy not really showing his full capabilities.
From the first part we were given a big twist about Yeomji actually allying with Gungtan. And we're finally getting more details on what truly happen in the past and how it could've affected the present outcome. Not to mention we're also given a third party who seemed to have a hand in many things happening... the we never actually get that fair and this plot ended up being open ended.
To be honest, with so many new details it make me wonder if the story could be wrapped up in just six more episodes. But it did and the final episode did provide possibilities for future continuations, should there be plans for it. For a story that was based on a webtoon, I'm happy to see quite a number of pretty anime-ish and webtoon-ish scenes. So in that sense I'm very satisfied. Plus, Kim Namgil plays a half-demon demon slayer, dude... and Eunwoo finally get to have some jedi moments! Rather than dwell on stuff that the drama did not show, one might as well enjoy the pretty visuals we did get.
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This review may contain spoilers
A very human story
If you want to see a supernatural drama involving evil spirits and possessions that leads to people commiting unforgivable crimes, well you've come to the right drama.The Guest is a very human drama about a young psychic and two others as they inevitably had to deal with a strong evil spirit that has set its goal on one of them and proceeds to terrorize everyone who ever come in contact with them. It was a scary journey as well as dark one, yet in a way it was quite healing as we watch how Hwapyung, Yoon and Kilyoung try their absolute best to try saving as much people they could while also trying to hunt down the evil spirits as well as the corrupted people that calls for it.
While the supernatural and criminal aspect of the story could be quite dark and scary, the fact that our trio were able to counter the obstacles and save people who were being possessed carried a healing message of hope that good can defeat evil. And that was quite healing, in a sense.
That said, I love the soundtrack. The main theme Somewhere have fully captured the emotional turmoil of Yun Hwapyung and his internal struggle for being the one targetted by the evil spirit. The song was quite haunting and filled with a sense of loneliness. Yet, there was still a hint of hope as you can hear a plea for help slipped in between the song lyrics.
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This review may contain spoilers
It actually surprised me that this drama was not actually an adaptation of the Black Jack or even a parody of the manga, considering the fact that the main character Hazama Eisuke had a lot of throwbacks to Black Jack.But seriously though the plot felt like an interesting scenario of what kind of story it could be if there's a genius doctor like Black Jack who can only practice medicine illegally yet still try to save lives in the current age and sociopolitic environment where there's an inequality in terms of people access to health care between the poor and rich.
And it's interesting how despite the Masked Doctors seemed to benefit in offering their service at an extravagant price, they managed to also execute their own brand of 'justice' in the form of medical vigilantism in order to save people's lives.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama reminded me of some of the older series like Shark, Nice Guy, Bad Guy and Master of Revenge so I might as well take a look. Got to say that it was a refreshing take on the old revenge kdramas and quite well-written at that. While the school bullying plot wasn't really a unique plot, it was actually an interesting setting for a revenge drama to be based on.I like how well the writing of this drama has been done. I like how the events of the past and present were written in a way that wasn't just a massive info dump and flowed naturally to keep our attention rooted. And I like how the drama, while fleshing out Dongeun's back story and plan on how she will be conducting her plan; there was barely any backstory given to the perpetrators to justify any actions that they've done or allow any hints of sympathy given to these characters. Gotta say that this is the few times that I like the shorter number of episode format since that means you barely gonna get any filler scenes that may sidetrack you from the main plot. And as much as it wasn't really that obvious, I like how this first part showed us Dongeun's revenge strategy that was quite like her own baduk strategy where she first started putting her pieces around and bidding her time.
As much as the bullying scene was a bit more violent than what had been shown in past similar-themed kdramas, I like that the drama did not focus too much on the gore but showed enough why the act of bullying someone was really bad. And I appreciate that as much as this was a Netflix drama, scenes that involve sex and nudity weren't really done excessively. The montage intro for the drama was also done well to foreshadow the coming plots.
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While the overall cases mostly followed the original Voice 2 cases, there were some noticeable changes, like the circumstances of the murder of the new Team Leader were different. The plot involving Kangwoo ends up being split between Higuchi and Ishikawa, with a few adjustments. The plot about Kangwoo being somewhat a loose cannon and as crazy as Jinhyuk was given to Higuchi while Ishikawa getting the PTSD plot that in a way overlaps with Daeshik's similar plot. Eunsoo's plot with her abusive boyfriend was transferred to Komatsu while her role as the secondary leader of the team was transferred to another character. Likewise, the plot involving Seoyul was given to Ogata.
That said, the Doctor Fabre cases were somewhat simplified in this drama and it also had a few changes made. For one, the mastermind's MO and his identifying traits differed. The guy's occupation was also different so it would still get people guessing what the real culprit's identity was. Some of the cases ended up concluding differently than the original series. As much as this second season was based on Voice 2, there are quite a number of twists that should be based on the other Voice seasons. I can't really be sure about that but it does feel like it.
Overall, even if you've seen Voice 2 you should still be able to enjoy this series and be surprised at some of the twists since it wasn't quite an exact adaptation compared to the original Korean series.
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I knew about Ahn Hyoseop from Red Sky so I expect him to be great as the main lead. But dang, if I thought he was such a charmer before... I can't even describe my thoughts about him now. Taemoo was really an adorable character and Hyoseop really excel in bringing out Taemoo's many charms as well as inner turmoil. I never thought this drama could be so adorable with all the chaebol tropes as well as the many cliches but here we are.
I've seen quite a number of dramas Sejeong was in, and I have to say... it's about time we see her in a proper romcom. Like the last time I see her work was I wanna hear your song and that was more a mystery thriller rather than romcom. I love the fact the Hari was written to be so quirky since that kinda traits fit Sejeong's character so well.
I really enjoyed the story and the comedy and I have to say, I wished that the drama could be longer. Like the two main couples were very cute and easy on the eyes and the grandfather was cute and even Youngseo's cousin was charming. And I love how the drama also include a makjang parody which was quite in contrast with the main romcom storyline. I wouldn't be surprised if Hyoseop gonna win Best Couple this year for the third year in a row www
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