Story - 10/10

Vigilante aka Kim Ji-Yong, a student at the police university is simultaneously a criminal that's taking the country by storm. Ji-Yong's character from its core is contradictory. A police officer who is the epitome of law enforcement and a vigilante who breaks the law, being the same person is always very interesting. Ji-Yong defies what is expected of him and does purely what he believes is right. He's a dark hero, an evil fighting greater evil.

Vigilantism is a topic that often causes debate. Are acts of vigilantism right or wrong? In Ji-Yong's case, he is a serial killer, murder is murder no what the reason is. On the other hand, death penalty and self-defence exist, they are known as justifiable. The question is where do we draw the line between what is justifiable and what is not? I felt that this drama really moral ambiguities of the characters.

No character was truly "good" in my opinion. Cho Heon although he punished criminals through law, his process of catching criminals wasn't always lawful. He confronted Ji-Yong, telling him that what he was doing was criminal. But failed to see that many of his own actions can be labelled "criminal". Choi Mi-Ryeo, a reporter that doesn't hide the truth and brings justice through he raw reports, her ways of pushing the truth even if it could be harmful or her ways of attaining that truth can also be labelled "criminal". The people who watch the vigilante take action through murder but voice their support for his actions can also be labelled as "criminal". In the end, it was just about who had the capacity to wholeheartedly stand by what they believe in.

The drama was paced very well. There was no scene that felt like a filler. Every moment felt crucial and complimentary to the story. The action scenes were very satisfying to watch. The suspense was never lacking. The story was clear, easy to understand but also entertaining and mysterious in certain ways.

The ending felt complete but it also gave much room for a second season. The battle isn't over. So, I hope we get a season 2.

Personally, I love seeing morally grey characters. They are often more interesting than characters who are defined good or evil. A story about a dark hero who becomes a monster to fight off greater monsters, is never not thrilling.


Acting & Cast - 10/10

Nam Joo-Hyuk, is not really an actor I love. He has always felt rather stiff and quite limited in my opinion. But Joo-Hyuk really proved himself through this drama. I think this is his best role yet. I could feel so much improvement in his acting. This character felt like it was made especially for him. Action and thriller genres really suit him. I hope he takes on more roles in these genres rather than always sticking to romance. Not only Joo-Hyeok but the entire cast did a phenomenal job. Kim So-Jin was the other person that really impressed me in this drama. Her acting was equally amazing. I could clearly see her obsession increasing and taking over her. She did a great job at portraying her character in entertaining way, I could see how much of a workaholic, obsessed, and righteous her character was in a unique way.


Music & Sound - 9.5/10

I was too focused during the drama to notice the music and sound. But the ending OST was very catchy and appropriate. The BGM didn't steal away the focus from acting and did well in enhancing every scene.


Rewatch Value - 8/10

The rewatch value being low isn't always a bad thing. The drama was very memorable to me. I don't think I need to rewatch to be able to recall the drama. I was so engrossed in it that when I close my eyes I can watch the whole drama in my head. Still, I'd be tempted to rewatch for just the sake of rewatching, just to remind myself that this masterpiece is a masterpiece.


Overall - 10/10

Overall, this drama was one of the best action-thriller dramas ever. I throughly enjoyed it.


Thanks for reading so far hehe <3