Punch (2014)

"There are no right answers in life. There are only choices."

Punch is a drama that could have been a masterpiece, but unfortunately had stumbled on its own greatness. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it's a great political thriller that feels fresh compared to the other shows with the similar premise. It's fast-paced, exciting and well-conceived... to the certain extent.

The highlight of this show, and something that I'll personally associate with it forever, are absolutely brilliant dialogues. Really thought provoking, full of rich and vivid metaphors and references. Sometimes, it reads more like a philosphical novel than a tv show.

The story dives deep into questioning the human condition, the corrupt and destructive nature of all of us. Our selfishness, greed and the desire to gain power. But it's also a story about self-redemption and the willigness to take responsibility for your actions. The show refers to relativism a lot and tries to question what ideas like "justice" and " rightousness" could mean. The main character, Park Jung Hwan, started his journey with the belief that "the world is just, only when it's good to me" and you can't really change the hypocrisy and inequality of the world. He later decided, that to die without regrets, he has to try and fight those whose corruption destroys the society from within. It's like a battle between his consciousness and the reality which is never ideal. He tries to make a world a better place, by being honest with himself first.

Which you can't say about other character who are blinded by greed. They are more than willing to throw their friends under the bus and then shake the hand with their enemies. The rivalry between the main antagonists of this story, Lee Tae Jun and Yoon Ji Sook, is like a neverending game of constantly changing alliances and backstabbing each other in order to gain the most power. But they're not your typical villains with the lack of complexity. Despite their corrupted natures and the lack of compassion towards their enemies, they truly care about their families and are not total sociopaths. And Tae Joon has a really special relationship with Jung Hwan, that is some twisted version of usual father-son dynamics. There is hate and resentment, but also respect and a deep bond that maybe once was a true friendship. The complexity of these characters is as fascinating as it is terrifying. How many people like that are aound us?

The funny thing with Punch is the fact that the writing is the strongest and the weakest part of this show. What I've mentioned above is obviously the highlight. The bad thing is that the plot is based on one formula that is repeated over and over again. New information is presented -> someone betrays one side/ alliances are changed->one side of the conflict is winning -> another new information is revealed, and so on. The same thing happens with the evidences that usually are "the new informations" that I've mentioned. One side has the evidence -> the other take it back -> the evidence is detroyed. And that's it, that's the plot.
Not to mention the constant arrests, interrogations and accusations thrown at the same people, who happened to be the most powerful prosecutors in Korea. It was overdone and it affected the credibility of the show.
The plot suffered from some illogical mishaps as well .For some reason Ha Kyung played the main role in those events. For example, she was a main prosecutor in the trial of a case that directly affected her and her husband? And she called for paramedics because she wanted to barge into someone's house without a warrant? She interrogated a witness while she was in jail? Come on, that's too convenient. It boggles my mind that the same person who wrote one of the best lines I've heard in any tv show ever is also responsible for those illogical bits.

The other thing that bothered me was an inconsistency in the production. For example, in the first half of the show we had that old-school narrator doing a recap of the previous events at the beinning of every episode. Or that (unintentionally hilarious) sound effects that accompanied every plot twist, like a gun shot or deep tube sound. They were gone after few eps. And near the end we suddenly got an ending song? All of these changes made the show less old-fashioned and I actually appreciate them, but either stick with something 'till the end or don't change it at all because the final product will look unpolished. That's why I think drama should be pre-produced, to avoid mistakes like that.

With that said, I enjoyed this drama a lot and I'll forever remember it as "that show with amazing convos", outstanding acting and really fascinating characters. But I wanted to like it more! It could have been a masterpiece, but unfortunately writer's pen slipped a few times. I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking for fast paced show full of politics, dirty games and a dose of philosphical dilemmas. Just turn off your brain here and there and you're gonna be fine.

Leia Mais

I'm not sure if I want to write a full review to this drama. It's almost 1am and I just finished watching the last episode. My eyes are swollen and my heart hurts. But I feel the need to, at least, try to convey 1% of this drama's majestic quality, so that maybe whoever reads this will have the courage to go through 19 episodes of tension, desperation, anger, frustration, and cruelty.

I decided to watch Punch because of my boyfriend. He said Kim Raewon was his favorite actor and that I had to watch this show to understand why. I'm so grateful he recommended this show to me because I wouldn't have watched it otherwise since it's not talked about a lot; in fact, I had never heard about it.
I'm the romantic comedies and bl's kind of person. Dramas with powerful ost's, about youth and dreams and love. Well, Punch was definitely a challenge for me. The first episode was so hard for me to understand that I had to read someone's review of the first (and second and third) episode online so that I could understand what was going on. I don't know anything about law or politics and corruption has never been something I'm too aware of. But the first episode intrigued me. Probably because of Junghwan's ambiguity as the main character and the strength of the female lead, Hakyung. These two actors blew my mind. Of course, Lee Taejoon also played a big role in my admiration for this drama. And the other "villains" too. I could understand why they had to be punished and although I hated them I also hoped for a redemption. In the end, I have to admit, Lee Taejoon was the only one I believed to have a heart.
What to say about the script? I don't have any words, to be honest. All the metaphors, subtle remarks, the plot twists. I simply have no words. I'll only say that it's without any doubt the best plot of anything I've ever watched. The writer deserves all the awards and recognition.
Even the music fit in perfectly with the drama's theme and the episodes' brusque endings. I think I heard one ballad once for like ten seconds during the whole show. It doesn't matter, at all.
Rewatching this show? Oh, I certainly will. I'll make my boyfriend watch it with me and watch me cry like a baby whenever Yerin appears on the screen. The actors did such and amazing job, along with the writer, director, the whole team. How could I never watch this again?

I'm so glad I took on the challenge of watching something completely out of my comfort zone. It was eye-opening.
Needless to say it is one of my favorite dramas of all time.

So, if you're reading this, please watch it. If you only have one day to live, watch all 19 episodes of this drama.
P.S.: I'm obviously joking!! Spend time with your family!
P.P.S.: But seriously, it really is THAT good.

Leia Mais

I felt like this drama never became too predictable. I liked the fact that the villains were sympathetic (well, except for Hosung, whose pretty face I wanted to punch (haha) by the end). Yes, there were legal bloopers but they weren’t so distracting that I couldn’t shrug and get past them. Most of all, I liked the point counterpoint as everyone tried to manipulate and out-maneuver everyone else. I sometimes feel like I’m losing brain cells while watching some Korean romantic comedies. With Punch though, I think that I had a net gain in brain cells because I was also trying to figure out Jung Hwan’s next move.

Leia Mais

I suppose I may be the only one on this planet who didn't enjoy this drama. I confess that after the first two episodes I watched the rest of it on 2x speed, I felt that detached.

None of the characters were worth my sympathy, despite the writers giving them supposedly moving backstories. The main lead Jeong Hwan is revealed to have a deadly brain tumor in the start of the drama. I knew next to nothing about the character and thus felt no sympathy for him. Similarly Lee Tae Joon tells us what a destitute life he grew up in, his father's alcoholism and his drive to rise on top, however his actions and his villainy made it very difficult for me to feel anything for him. His brother's death and the scenes leading up to it were painted as very angsty emotional scenes, however I knew that Lee Tae Seop was a murderer, and that both brothers had committed crimes to make money. Furthermore I hardly think one episode is enough for the audience to feel sympathy for the brothers. Jeong Hwan's sister was a very useless doctor. She kept hiding things from other family members which showed her lack of feelings for them, and despite being a doctor was of no help to her brother at all. She was unable to judge that Jeong Hwan was hiding his illness from everyone, she was of no comfort to her mother and simply served as a newsbearer to Ha Gyoung or Jeong Hwan. I didn't understand why her character existed at all. Ye Rin too was simply there to make the audience's lip tremble every time she cried. Most of the time the child was absent from the scene and her parents would be running around being prosecutors or criminals. Every character in the legal scene except Ha Gyoung was corrupt and that made very hard for me to attach myself to any single character. The worst of all was Minister Yoon Ji Sook whose drive and motivation was completely lacking. Why did she pit herself against Lee Tae Joon? What was her personal grudge with him that she wanted to tear him down no matter what? Again, I felt nothing but frustration every time her character came on screen. Jeong Hwan's mother was an unlikeable character as well. She seemed to harbor hate against Ye Rin, would never comfort the child when she would be sad, and against Ye Rin's mother as well. Speaking of Ye Rin, you're telling me that her dad who didn't bat an eye when he found out that his daughter nearly died in a bus accident, who picked his boss over his wife and his child, suddenly has feelings for his child and wife when he finds out he's dying of a brain tumor? I didn't think that Jeong Hwan's fierce loyalty towards Tae Joon and his subsequent actions where very justified. Again, I wasn't convinced of his flimsy motivations.

The other characters kept switching sides between Tae Joon and the Minister, often making calls to each other in the blink of an eye, threatening each other, demeaning and mocking each other and in the very next moment grovelling in front of each other for help.

This brings me to the plot, which frankly was a bit of a mess. The characters switched sides and snitched on each other multiple times in a single episode that it at first baffled, then bored me. It was a pattern repeated like crazy, and it made me stop caring or being surprised. Ho Sung's betrayal was just beyond my understanding. Fine, you're telling me that everyone holding any sort of position/office is corrupt and greedy like hell, but then you present me with a very idealistic fairytale ending in which the evil is banished and the good reigns supreme. Really? The ending was unbelievable. Both Jeong Hwan and Ha Gyoung are on the operating table, one losing the brain and the other losing the heart. The doctors quickly do a heart transplant and behold! Ha Gyoung is back! -rolls eyes- It was such an Indian soap move that I had to shake my head in disappointment. None of the characters really changed for the better, leading me to think they were all very two dimensional and static. Jeong Hwan's desire for vengeance against Tae Joon wouldn't have come if he hadn't been dying, Ha Gyoung remains the same throughout, the Minister was nasty from the start and posed to be righteous till the end, Lee Tae Joon too remained villainous through it all.

The things I did like: (1) the acting was superb, especially Lee Tae Joon's and Jeong Hwan's facial expressions and dialogue delivery were on the spot, (2) I did like the love-hate relationship of Lee Tae Joon and Jeong Hwan.

I think that the big mistake was that there was so little information about the characters' pasts that it made their motivations flimsy and their actions a little hollow. For example, did Jeong Hwan break down and have depression after his divorce with Ha Gyoung? Did he really love her to pieces? I don't know. But he surely became angered when Ha Gyoung was falsely convicted of murder. Things don't add up.

If you want to watch the drama, go ahead. I hope you enjoy it better than I did.

Leia Mais

The Soft Side Of Corruption

I have watched many KDramas and corruption is always there,either as a main or as sub/side story.
So this one is a pure corruption/revenge Drama but it is mild and light compared to others without this meaning is less interesting.So it was easier to watch and follow as well,without many characters involved to confuse the viewers.

A simple story where good guys fight against bad guys to eliminate corruption,to defend justice,to leave a great legacy behind.
Typical,right?Well not exactly..Why?Because our main lead is not the good guy.Is an antihero disguised as a hero and/or Vice Versa!
Actually he is a Villain ,working for the bad guys,he is cold and manipulative,very ambitious,climbing the hierarchy really fast.And nothing can stop him until one day he finds out he has a terminal illness with only 3 months left to live.
And as expected that was the turning point.The day he decided to go against his corrupted boss to reveal the truth about all his dirty deeds to bring justice to all his victims.

What i really liked about this character was the fact that even when he decided to switch sides and help the good guys,he didn't really change himself.And i applaud the writer for not altering the character for the sake of his illness.
To start with,our main lead was never evil.Bad guy,yes,devilish,no!
So he continued doing what he knew best.Scheming and plotting and setting traps all the way.He knew to achieve his goals the best way was to apply everything he already knew because wearing a Halo and holding a cross wouldn't do much.

Talking about Halos.The ex-current wife is a pure Angel!Never strayed from her path,always righteous and faithful to Justice.
So our main couple work together against everyone else.They have their differences and arguments but their relationship was really sweet and heartwarming.No, do not expect Romance here.But you can clearly see the love between them.Is the Love between 2 people who always and forever will be connected by their child!

Continue with characters...The main male antagonist is a clown!Period!He is the most silly stupid villain ever.During the whole Drama he had only one shining moment.I have many doubts about his IQ and everything he achieved was only because of others.And the really sad truth is that this applies to real life too.Worthless people in high positions..Anyway.

The Villain's right hand did his job right and although many times reminded me of a child seeking his daddy's attention he was a decent bad guy!

Minister of Justice is a bitch!End of story.I was sick and tired watch her saying that everything she does is for the greater good and that she has to sin in order to change the world.Yadda-yadda.No she was evil and selfish,willing to sacrifice her own son to save her sorry ass!No Sympathy for the Devil!Lol.

Minister's right hand to me was the most disgusting character of this Drama.Behind his pretty and innocent face was a sleazy man,betraying his friends,with no morals and ethics.

Obviously all the actors did an amazing job as every character brought to life the best way.

Story gets an 8 from me (i was hesitant whether to give 7 or 8.a big difference to me)
At first episodes i was rolling my eyes every 5 minutes.Poisonous Arrows flying back and forth,backstabbings,and the amount of schemings and twists was insanely ridiculous.Iam not a lawyer but i can tell i spotted many unrealistic details regarding the Justice System and the procedures they had to follow.I didn't know to get signatures to elect ministers,high ministers high ranked prosecutors etc is a matter of hours or days at its best!Lol.

Anyhow,few episodes later i really started to enjoy all this madness,to ignore the lame details and to let myself having some real fun.I was too curious to see what plans the ML had, which traps he set and how the bad guys responded to all this.It was like i was watching a ping pong game!Entertaining!

So,if you like Revenge/Corruption Dramas,easy to watch without heavy plot,watch Punch.
It has nice story and interesting characters.
And although i already knew even before i start watching it that the good guys will eventually win over the bad guys and no miracles happened,i still enjoyed it alot.

Leia Mais

Jo Jae Hyun didn’t disappoint. He sure knows how to make me hate whatever character he’s portraying. Yet somehow he manages to still get me to root for him even for a second or two.

One of favorite actors is Lee Gi Young ever since I saw him in Lovers. Unfortunately his character ended up dying. Even though his character was not nice I loved how he and Tae Jun were devoted to each other.

As hard as I tried I couldn’t get into the main character. I wish I could’ve seen more of what made Hy Gyeung fall in love with Jeung Hwan other than him being handsome. I could never forget that he was going to try to take his daughter away from Hy Gyeung. His excuse for trampling on people was that everyone does it; as if that makes it alright. He was an awful person. I felt he needed to die because he’d go back to being his awful self. Only time I liked him was when he was with his daughter.

I hated that Ho Sung allowed himself to be corrupted. I was surprised that I ended up hating him the most. I was happy that Hy Gyeung got to send him to prison.

Leia Mais