diachiong
PHILIPPINES
pros:
1. Rain's acting is in a whole other level than the rest, he's one of the few who can really do anything
2. I never thought I would say this but those fighting scenes were bad ass! Very well choreographed and directed. I did not skipped one bit of it the entire series in which I usually do
3. Fantasy twist to a detective drama like this can bring a whole lot of freshness and excitement to what could be a boring and predictable drama (reminds me of SIGNAL, TUNNEL and DUEL)
4. I love the sound of her sketching, it's quite eargasmic
5. I liked that her sketching ability was utilized wisely all throughout without overdoing it
6. Usually it's the OST that always gets the credit but I have to say the music score in this drama is really good, it highlights the mood of the drama
7. I liked that the cases are easy to understand because most detective dramas like this tend to be overly complicated which makes it hard to follow
8. That plot twist really caught me off guard. I really didn't saw that coming at all.
cons:
1. I personally think 16 episodes were a bit too much, I think 12 episodes would've been enough
2. it started really really strong and I was worried that it just might fall flat at the end just like some dramas and it kinda did. There was so much fire from the beginning and at the end the flame kinda fizzled out a bit
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Go kyung pyo is such an effective actor, he really makes you believe that he is the character.
I like that the first few episodes started at the prison setting and eventually making his way to the hospital which made it set apart from the usual medical dramas. I also like that there's no love interest because it usually takes away from the core of the drama.
One thing though, I thought that he's "special vision power" is unnecessary to be honest, I mean if you're going to write a character with a special ability, you better make sure that it plays a vital role and is used all throughout the series.
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This one definitely gave me the INCEPTION vibes which I really wasn't expecting at all however I can't help but to compare this to other dramas which also had similar concepts such as TUNNEL and SIGNAL, both had time travel fantasy twist, both are crime detective series chasing serial killers and both occurred in the year 1988. I just wonder what special connection do Koreans have with the 80's(insert REPLY 1988 and the movies 1987 and a taxi driver).
pros
1. the attention to details. One thing I always look forward to in time travel dramas is the set production. Compared to reply 1988 (which also gave us incredible detailed props and styling) this drama is obviously at a much larger scale where they filmed at busy streets and open spaces which required a lot of people, cars/transportations, building, malls and night club and they did a great job with it
2. the cinematography gave us retro vibes, it really took us to the 80's and I especially love the mood lighting in the bar where they always hang out. the use of colors and hues during the night time scenes were incredible
3. each of the cases felt real and raw. it wasn't the most original but the way it was done felt really authentic
4. that mini bonding with his younger self was just adorable. I believe most of us would love that opportunity to talk to our younger selves as well
cons
1. Jung Kyung ho. I wasn't sure about him playing the lead role (I haven't seen the US version though) His character seemed to be timid and plain
2. Park Sung Woong. a lot of the time he was overly aggressive, violent and obnoxious
3. that other cop who have curly hair was being a jerk and annoying as hell as well
4. the time travel transition wasn't smooth. Let's admit it, the "time travel" scene is the most awaited part of any time travel drama because it simply highlights the whole point of the story but I was underwhelmed watching it here
5. I wasn't buying the bromance
6. while I appreciate the writers for putting in humor, a lot of times the comedy parts fell flat
7. detective/police dramas are all about the ensemble and the chemistry among them but this cast wasn't the strongest TBH
8. too much filler episodes. I'd rather watch a 10-12 episode drama with a solid focus point than something with 16 or more episodes that have too much loopholes and detours and beating round the bush
9. the episode where he had a reunion with his family was supposed to be heartbreaking, if it was me I would've lost it and broke down however he only had his poker face the entire time. I had the same problem with his reaction when he first realized that he's in the year 1988, was it the actor's fault or the director's?
10. things only started to build up during the second half of the series and even then there's still a lot of filler episodes
11. the ending was a total drag that they could've totally scrapped the entire episode and end it in episode 15 instead.
I believe that tae Joon shouldn't stay in 1988 because two tae joons cannot exist in one lifetime (things that I learned from tomorrow with you)
It's definitely a decent drama at the end of the day, it had all the right makings of a great detective series. But personally I still think TUNNEL, SIGNAL and even CIRCLE and DUEL were much stronger crime/detective dramas over all compared to this.
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pros
1. KIM JUNG HYUN. (notice the caps) OMG! what a revelation! BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT. great actors are chameleons and from his role on WAIKIKI to this is a complete 180°. I have never been moved by an actors performance in a kdrama since Yeo Jin Goo in CIRCLE. Someone please give this guy an acting award
2. Kim Joon Han. wow! his character was a refreshing take on an antagonist. his low-key evilness would make you somehow still root for him
3. the love story. two broken souls found each other just when they're giving up on life. Really nice chemistry, nothing was forced and cheesy, it was just a realistic portrayal of how love develops
4. the ensemble. this just goes to show that with a perfect casting, it can turn any cliche writing into something else good
5. this drama is therapeutic (at least for me). for those who lost their will to live and survive then this series is for you. there's so much life lessons to take away from this
cons
1. seohyun. I wasn't really bothered by her acting, I just think that she could improve more on being convincing. A lot of times you can tell that she's "acting" instead of being really believable, well maybe because she's surrounded by actors who really lived and breathed their characters
2. towards the middle of the series it felt like the true meaning of the show got lost and veered into different direction. I wished the writers stayed committed to the title and that would've given us so much feels
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I get the hype for this drama because Koreans love their romance dramas but for me I don't get swayed by just a handsome oppa.
It seemed like they're going for a more American style type of drama, the cinematography I liked but that's about it. The plot is so weak and thin that there's nothing I can hold onto to keep my interest awake.
I dropped this after 5 episodes cause I just can't go on anymore with their cheesiness. The only best thing that happened in this drama is at the end of episode one when she was dancing to 2ne1.
I'm sorry but I couldn't recommend this even to the newbies.
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It reminded me of SECRET FORREST and WOMAN OF DIGNITY where one dead body sprouted all of the ruckus.
This is how you do a mystery drama (regardless of whether it's a remake or not), it's gripping, nail biting, risque and full of suspense. As the episode went on the lesser I skipped on the scenes because you really have to watch and listen on what's going on, yes it's that good (I even didn't skipped the "chasing" parts which I usually do).
Great tension build up throughout the series, I even find myself solving the mystery along them. All leads and the supporting actors really did a great job, no scenes were left to waste. definitely HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
p.s.
like the other reviewer said, the reason why I rated one star to the rewatch value is because with mystery dramas like this, once the mystery is solved there's just no thrill left anymore to watch it again
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