red_string_of_fate
United Kingdom
I can probably guess that most of the viewers of this drama will be major fans of Lee Joon Gi since his popularity seemed to skyrocket after Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. However for me, I was still trying to find a drama I liked that had Lee Joon Gi as a lead. Don't get me wrong, Lee Joon Gi is a talented actor, but I dropped Scarlet Heart half way through as it just wasn't entertaining enough for me and other dramas such as Arang and the Magistrate were lackluster at best.
Lawless Lawyer was alright. That's the only word I can think of that sums up the drama for me.
The acting was obviously the strongest aspect of the drama. Lee Joon Gi (Bong Sang Pil) had some very intense scenes which is the character arc that suites him best in my opinion, going off the rails and being full to the brim with the need for revenge seems to suite him. Although, I found that the cute, cool dude act that he put on for some of the scenes just didn't sit right with me, to be honest, they made me cringe.
Seo Ye Ji (Ha Jae Yi) is one of the strongest female leads I have ever seen in a drama. I loved her character. She was not afraid to stand up and speak up for what she believed to be right and she batted away all those sexist remarks like a pro baseball player. Unfortunately, I found that her fighting spirit died down a little towards the end, she did still make decisions for herself, but they weren't as well thought out as they had been previously, leading to irritating plot lines.
Lee Hye Young (Cha Moon Sook) played a fantastic villain. She always had the upper hand, unbeknownst to the characters and sometime even the audience. Strong female characters are what I live for and she was the cherry on the cake for me. My only complaint with her was the ending she received but I'll talk about that once I get to the plot.
Choi Min Soo (Ahn Oh Joo). I'm sorry but I hated every second he was on screen. I am aware that if an actor playing a villain makes you hate them, then that probably means they are a good actor. In this drama, I really do not believe that was the case. The way he portrayed his character, with the exaggerated voice and the forced mannerism where he licks the inside of his cheek just distracted me. His acting did not feel natural for me and if it doesn't feel natural, you are reminded that you are watching a drama and that's not what I want.
The other side characters were decent. The one that stood out to me the most was Baek Joo Hee (Noh Hyun Joo). The desperation and fear that she portrayed was outstanding, very well acted.
Now the plot was interesting in the beginning because in the first half of the drama all the information is given to us so we know all the details of the case and who is more likely to win. After the audience knows everything, the drama goes downhill. The second half of the drama is just picking one detail of the case and manipulating it, forging evidence or making up a witness.
The ending felt very rushed as everything was tied together in a pretty messy bow in just one episode. The writers had built up the villain to be extremely powerful but the bullets that shot them down felt like they were made of rubber. I felt the evidence was given in a very vague way that wasn't satisfying enough for the audience who were, by now, seething with rage at the immense influence that the villain held.
To be honest I almost forgot about the romance. It wasn't really necessary. Any "cute" moments they had were set up in a way to promote any of the sponsors that the drama had. Most important of all, I didn't feel the chemistry. I think it would have been better if Bong Sang Pil and Ha Jae Yi were brother and sister that were separated at the origin of revenge. The drama would have benefited from completely replacing the romance arc with a sibling one, that way they wouldn't have to dedicate time, that they don't have, to building chemistry between the leads.
None of the music stood out to me at all.
No, I wouldn't watch it again. It was an alright drama, that's pretty much it. After 16 episodes I'm unfortunately still waiting for a Lee Joon Gi drama that I am wholeheartedly obsessed with. I'm so excited for that drama to come, whenever that may be.
Well done if you've read all of this, I just finished it so I needed to get all of it off my chest.
Thanks for reading!
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The plot was pretty good. There were many twists and turns that kept you on the edge of your seat for the first half of the drama. However, they recycled the same pattern of events several times to the point where by the end it was quite predictable. That's why it is pretty fair to say that the first half of the drama is far superior to the second half of the drama. I don't want to say too much more about the plot, I don't want to reveal anything that would ruin the experience for those thinking about watching this drama, which by the way, you should. The plot is probably the strongest aspect of the drama as other aspects were quite disappointing which shows just how strong the plot was because it could stand by itself most of the time. However, the romance that was woven into this plot was a little lacklustre. Yes, they had super cute moments but what I want most from a thriller/ romance drama is the subtle intimacies. Like, holding hands, hugs, slight touches, glances, you know, all the kyeopta stuff. They did do some of these things but it was when they were alone and a full scene was dedicated to each romantic action. To be honest, these just felt like fillers as a break from the complicated plot. Less than half way into the drama, they were officially a couple which I thought would mean there would be more subtle romance throughout the rest of the drama. Sadly, that wasn't the case and they just continued with the short scenes of romance. Still cute, just a little lacking for me.
Characters were decent. The strongest character (development wise) was definitely Bo Jinyan. First I'll say WHAT AN AMAZING ACTOR!! Damn son you rocked the slightly psychopathic detective. Anyway, in the beginning he was very introverted due to his superior intelligence compared to others. His only close friend was Fu Ziyu (my fav character) who was pretty much his assistant. In the first half of the drama, you're in awe of Bo Jinyan's intelligence and love watching him slowly open up his heart to those around him when he gets close with Jian Yao. Though unfortunately, by the second half of the drama, we see less of Bo Jinyan doing his job and more watching the events unfold and then getting a brief explanation afterwards when everything is solved. The first time this happened, I didn't mind, it was pretty cool. But that gets old pretty quickly. Don't get me wrong, I loved his character. Watching him experience his first love was super adorable and he always looked so awesome when solving crimes.
The biggest disappointment for me was Jian Yao. In the beginning, she was smart, observant, independent and strong. Everything I love in a female lead. Then half way through the drama, she becomes the typical damsel in distress. We see less and less of her which I can understand to a point, but Bo Jinyan emphasised so much in the beginning that he needed her as his assistant. But it's like that point is completely forgotten and she just sits at home waiting for her man to return from war. WHY? She was so headstrong, I loved that, but no, she just sits at home longing for her man being of absolutely no help to anyone when she contributed SO MUCH IN THE BEGINNING. Sorry got a bit angry there but comE ON. Yeah anyway she was a huge disappointment, I expect a lot from the female leads, I hate it when they just go along with anything the male lead says. BE A STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN.
Anyway, FU ZIYU! MY FAV! He was so cute I loved him. Seeing his reactions to Bo Jinyan finally coming out of the dark isolated corner he closed himself off into was amazing. He looked so happy and proud of his friend. I love his relationship with Jian Yao as well, you can see how much he cares for her and that's always nice to see. No romance implied, just a genuine girl and guy friendship. GUYS AND GIRLS CAN BE FRIENDS PEOPLE.
Then there's Li Xunran. The childhood friend. BUT THE BEST SECOND LEAD EVER! HE COULD SEE THAT HIS FRIEND THAT HE WAS SECRETLY IN LOVE WITH WAS HAPPY WITH HER NEW MAN AND HE TOOK A STEP BACK AND LET HER CHASE THAT HAPPINESS! WHAT A GREAT GUY! Then suddenly he disappears for several episodes and you just sit and think for a second and you're like "Wait, where is he? What happened to him?". That's the same for Chen Mo, Bo Jinyan's pet tortoise. You'll see what I mean when you watch the drama. So random.
I won't mention the american actors since they were mainly to keep the plot moving forward, there wasn't really any character development for them. Though for an Asian drama which usually have terrible English actors, they weren't half bad.
Now for the villains. Not bad. We follow a chap called Xie Han who is you're typical psychopath. Eccentric, whispers when he talks, occasionally smashes things or yells to make you jump. Again, I don't want to reveal too much of the plot but basically whoever you think the main villain pulling all the strings is, it's not them lol. I will say though, I wish they spent more time with the main villain. When you watch the drama, you'll understand what I mean about this.
Wow ok this is a really long review, kudos to you if you're still reading lol, I'll wrap it up now.
OST. Nothing special. There was some cool rock music that played in the background whenever a new plot point was discovered. But that's all that was memorable for me.
Would I watch this drama again? Probably not. I did enjoy watching it and I would recommend it but unfortunately there was no consistency to the intrigue factor for the entirety of the drama to tempt me to watch it again. There were some great moments, but they were spread pretty thin in 24 episodes. Not enough butter for the toast sadly.
Overall, a good drama and a good watch. If you're like me and love thriller/action dramas then you should definitely watch this.
That's all for now, enjoy the show, bye lol.
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Plot:
Now usually I need a lot of romance in dramas to give my brain a break from any complicated plot lines or heavy subjects but with this one it was hardly needed. Just the deep, beautiful connection that Gil Dong had with his immediate family and his group was enough for me. Don't get me wrong, the relationship that developed slowly between Gil Dong and Ga Ryeong was so touching and realistic.
Anyway, with sageuks, I usually get very frustrated with the plot as there is always so many lies and misunderstandings that I just flip the table over in anger. However, that was not the case with Rebel. Everything was just so perfectly spread out and well paced that I didn't get the chance to get frustrated because I was distracted with Gyun Sang's beautiful face and some damn heart wrenching scenes (there may have perhaps been one or two moments when slight frustration bubbled up in my heart but they were so insignificant that I didn't bother including them in my overall rating). DO NOT BE PUT OFF BY THE NUMBER OF EPISODES, TRUST ME. Also, this drama was incredibly well written. There was so much emotion and deeper meaning to everything that was said, all linking to the same idea of justice and respect for everyone, no matter what class they are. Of course, these lines would not have been as substantial if not for the incredible performances of each and every actor involved.
Acting:
My god. There is nothing bad I can say about the acting. Everyone brought their own magical piece which all fit together to form the beautiful jigsaw that is Rebel. This drama would not be the quality it is without the amazingly talented cast. Damn I feel like I'm going to cry again just thinking about their performances. It takes serious talent to keep an audience entertained for 30 episodes, all lasting an hour each. IT IS SO WORTH IT! This may be one of the longest dramas I have watched and even dramas that have been just 16 episodes long have not kept me as invested as this one. Honestly, just watch it, it will raise the bar for sageuks so high it'll be hard to beat.
Music:
For me, the song that stood out the most was Nightly Rain by Jambinai (feat. Park Min Hee). This song was so beautiful and so well placed in the drama that honestly whenever I listen to it I cry without fail.
Rewatch Value:
I know this might seem like a low score even though I've just sang immense praises for the drama. But for me personally, I don't have the time to invest 30+ hours into a drama (though I wish I did). So it is unlikely that I will watch it all again.
Overall:
An amazing drama. It will take me a while to get over this one. Other sageuks that I loved were Faith and Gu Family Book. They were (slightly) shorter than this one which many of you will probably prefer but please watch this drama, it deserves so much more recognition.
Thanks for reading, here's to another great year of dramas in 2018!
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So the plot, very entertaining. Each episode has a new ghost with their own backstory that must be fought and each one is more entertaining than the last. Oh and I should mention, in the summary for the drama, it says the male and female lead "accidentally kiss and sparks fly". To be honest this is kind of misleading. This isn't a love at first sight, kiss, touch or whatever drama. In fact, maybe because of the age gap between the lead actors, the kisses are sometimes fake. You know, the camera trick kind of kiss where their heads just hover awkwardly close to each other. God I hate that. But they still have really cute moments that make up for the lack of real kisses so I didn't really mind. Anyway, the sparks it refers to have a completely different meaning and it's very interesting. Although, the main plot point that is revealed several episodes in is quite predictable, usually I don't like that. But, luckily, the comedic aspects of the drama made up for it. As with many dramas, I think the first half of the drama is slightly more refined than the last half of the drama. It's to be expected really, that's when everything kicks off and the writers are trying desperately hard to wrap the plot lines up into a neat little bow in 16 episodes. But again, the comedy makes up for it (though there is less comedy in the last half as the funniest characters aren't involved with the main plot line). Seriously though, this is quite possibly the funniest drama I have ever watched, but I will talk more about that later on. So yeah, the plot was good, I enjoyed it.
Acting, loved it. Ok Taec Yeon and Kim So Hyun worked very well together. They put across the emotions of the characters really well. I'm sure it's very difficult to be accepted in society when you tell them your girlfriend is a ghost and I think they dealt with the matter in quite a mature way. To be honest, I would rather they didn't have the awkward fake kisses and instead have more subtle intimacies. Can't turn down a tight hug or a forehead kiss. But anyhoo, despite that, they work so good together as a team. I don't know about you, but if I see a couple that have a cool handshake or high five a lot, I am on the floor. I don't know why, I guess I just love it when a couple are best friends as well as lovers, that just makes their moments extra special for me. Also, the way Bong Pal cares so much for Hyun Ji just squeezes, punches and slams my poor, sappy kokoro on the floor. The way he looks at her... UGH! Yeah anyway, I love their relationship and even when a spanner is thrown into the works they bring it back round.
Joo Hye Sung is the villain in this tale and he is your typical template psychopath. Talks slowly and quietly, smashes things, yells at random moments to scare you. It works. Damn he was creepy. Sometimes I find that villains in dramas have pretty weak reasoning as to why they are killing people and all. But in this one, his past is perfectly woven into the genre and plot of the drama. His actions aren't predictable either, you're constantly wondering how the protagonist and antagonist are going to meet and battle it out. I also like how we're not introduced to him at the very beginning. The writers weren't like, "Hey, here's your villain, watch out lol". They slowly introduced him and his actions became more and more deadly as time went on. All in all, he was a well written villain, though slightly stereotypical.
KIM IN RANG AND CHOI CHEON SANG! MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS! POSSIBLY MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS OF ANY DRAMA EVER! My god they were the funniest duo I have ever seen. Literally every scene they were in made me cry laughing. Usually it takes a lot to make me laugh in dramas, I have a very specific sense of humour. But they nailed it with these two. I'm laughing just thinking about it now. The choice of actor for these two couldn't have been more perfect and the way their characters were written was masterful. Even if you don't want to watch a supernatural/horror, just please watch it for them, you won't regret it. Kudos to Lee David and Kang Ki Young for portraying such hilarious wacky characters. They are what I miss the most about this drama. Incredible.
Finally we have Myung Chul. What a lovable character. Since Bong Pal lives by himself, Myung Chul is like a father figure who eats A LOT. That's probably why I relate to him so much. His character works as an exorcist who is in a bit of a slump. His glory days are long gone and now his reputation has hit rock bottom. Despite this, Bong Pal still trusts in him, mainly because he is his only confidant who is human and knows that he can see ghosts. I love the way Myung Chul is written in this story. He is so protective of Bong Pal and just wants him to be happy. What a guy. As he, Kim In Rang and Choi Cheon Sang are supporting characters, there isn't much to say development wise about their characters, but I still think they make one hell of a contribution to the drama.
I think the OST fit really well. Though the song Midnight Run is pretty metal and I think that was a bit over the top for the scenes it was used in. My favourite tracks have to be Console Myself and U & I. Console Myself was perfect in this drama, it was quite haunting in a way. How ironic. I love U & I just because it's a tune lol.
Would I watch this drama again? HELL YES. Mainly because of Kim In Rang and Choi Cheon Sang. I'm not even exaggerating they are hilarious. I watch a lot of melodrama and action/thriller dramas so this was a really nice change of pace.
Wow sorry this is a really long review but I had a lot to say, well done if you have read it all. I hope I have convinced you into watching this drama because honestly it's so good and it deserves more recognition.
Anyway that's all for now, bye lol.
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