The kind of drama that should be a standard for "k-dramas".

Well, this is the story of Hwang Dong Joo whose father was involved in a massive financial scandal and whose circumstances of his death remain suspicious. Hwang Dong Joo becomes a chief of taxation at the National Tax Service. He works hard to achieve his purpose and revenge.

Now the comments are mixed on this series in general and contain only two reviews. I want to say I thought it was a thriller as the tag meant but it was more of a drama overall.
So, I had to give up on the thriller atmosphere that I love in general, and although here it was more colorful and light-hearted, there was enough action and thrilling moments to keep me focused.
The series has its somewhat silly and clichéd sides, where Hwang Dong Joo is a step-ahead of everyone else, the false suspense when you're supposed to believe the antagonists are winning, the slow-motion moments a bit cheesy. Well, if we forget that which is inevitably part of Korean dramas, the series is very enjoyable.

Hwang Dong Joo, despite the fact that it is predictable that he often wins, I like his character, he is a smart-ass and moreover arrogant and frank, a little rough but funny. Honestly, a kind of arrogant character that we love because he says out loud what the viewers are thinking quietly, especially to the antagonists. So his character is really enjoyable and a treat for us.
I have to say that the other characters all pretty much have a clichéd role in traditional k-drama fashion. The somewhat dumb but big-hearted teammates, the sometimes annoying superiors and the subordinates who are assholes, the "evil" director, Seo Hye Young (the FL) who is generous and friendly but sometimes a little dumb, and then the mentor who can be trusted.
In short, a quite few clichés, and I would have liked to see more complexity in the characters.

As for the plot and the story, I must say that it's pretty good overall, we have several cases that come together and that lead to the grand finale and to put the antagonists in sight, the words are certainly technical and the meetings quite incomprehensible for us who have no knowledge of how these finance companies work but it is quite easy to follow overall. We follow Hwang Dong Joo with delight in his revenge and taking down the antagonists who are really too arrogant for their own good. The story is really about revenge with a sassy but fun character who is determined to bring down the entire system if need be. There is a lot of fiction, but also quite emotional moments, honestly this drama gives us a bit of everything, and it's very well done.

I would like to add that there are a lot of series produced in South Korea that I could qualify as made in "k-drama fashion" so comedy, silly, emotional and simple, sometimes bad acting.
This series although not hugely elaborate, should be the kind of standard for the industry, this is what a k-drama should look like, not low-end series especially in acting and script. Frankly, this series is solid for its genre.

So, I would honestly say to at least see the series because Hwang Dong Joo is worth it as a character, it's really him who carries the series and makes us want to follow his adventures, certainly it's not ground-breaking but his character is worth it, and like I said, it's pretty solid.
With that, I'm going to get into season 2 right now.

Ps. It's been hard to get good subs for this series which is a shame because it deserves to be commissioned properly, I believe Kocowa did it recently but only for the American continent and in addition the season 1. So I recommend the links shared by Tax Payers Sub Team who did a superb job to sub this series for international fans and the entire two seasons.

Leia Mais

Not bad but not good.

Well, I'm pretty mixed on this series and I might be one of the few people who think this way.

This is the story of Oh Hyun Jae who used to be a top criminal profiler, but one day an explosion, caused by a serial killer, ended the life of his fiancé. After the horrific incident, Oh Hyun Jae vanished and he now lives in seclusion. Meanwhile, Cha Soo Young is a police officer in the countryside. She has a special ability which allows her to remember exactly everything she sees. Due to her special ability, she is selected as a rookie detective who will partner with Oh Hyun Jae informally.

For starters, I think the show seems a bit all over the place with the story overall, like the script, the plots and sub-plots, too much estranged. Also, the killers have little light and they're pretty much cartoonish - the insane laughter, the grandiosity, the wish to be the best.
As for the "main" killer, I figured out who he was basically three or four episodes before he was revealed, honestly it wasn't hard and the twist wasn't there. But he was the most interesting character of the whole cast, because he was precise, calm and intelligent.
By the way, the killers aren't the only ones too theatrical, the character Oh Hyun Jae was too, too dramatic, emphasizing a lot on his "mystery", like over the top, really playing too much on the behavior, the intonations. Also his monologues which explained the whole situation were frankly cringe and moreover, it does not let the audience think.

Their superiors are self-centered jerks, really it's for the biggest surprise that the female lead, actress Cha Soo Young is the one who saves the drama, her character is relatable, she tries to do her best but doesn't get enough light, and I have found that her colleagues are also the nicest to watch and her relation to her father.

I really feel like overall this series was empty, very little realism, far too much fiction. I couldn't empathize with Oh Hyun Jae, even for his profiler character while I love profilers, also he made me feel like he was more a mentalist than a profiler. The story is based on this killer and the truth of the events that took place 5 years ago, but the show really lacks substance and flavor. As for the end, the epitome of cringiness.

A disappointment to be honest, because the actor who plays Oh Hyun Jae, Jang Hyuk was excellent in his role in Voice, so I expected a lot but he missed the boat. I really finished the series to finish it, but god it was slow, messy and boring, the bad acting of most of the actors really didn't help.

Afterwards, I'm sure that the series can appeal to others, it's quite pleasant to watch - overall - but personally, I haven't seen anything in particular that would make this series stand out.
So do I recommend ? I would say yes, some people will probably find this series fantastic to discover and I think it can fill the time if you are bored, but hey, it's not a masterpiece or a chef d'oeuvre, I have seen a lot better in terms of thrillers produced by South Korea.

Leia Mais

If I had to sum up this series in one word : beautiful.

It's the story of Teh and Oh-aew who were best friends as kids but after a childish argument, they did what a lot of kids do, they didn't talk to each other anymore.
And yet, they never forgot each other.
Years later as they're preparing for university admissions, both pursuing interests in the field of Communication Arts, the two meet again in a Chinese language class, and their reunion as a young adult awakens complicated feelings.

It's really a youthful story of coming of age and the discovery of first love.
I would like to say that the production is stunning, in Asia we could compare this kind of production with that of Korea, but coming from Europe, I must say that this production reminds me of the French independent films which are shown at the Cannes festivals.
This series is short but it feels raw, real and vulnerable.
The tones give off the vibes of 90s films, the sets are far from being so polished as you see in the usual BL Thai series, where you have the impression of being in a model house, but here you really feel that it's filmed in Thailand. We see the streets, the restaurants, the temples, the beaches, the schools, it really feels real and it contributes to the vibes of the series which tells a touching and beautiful story.

As for the story itself, I have to say that I'm amazed, the story is simple, the plot is simple but the acting really changes everything, it makes this banal script become a masterpiece.
And I am weighing my words, this series is in my top 3 of the best BL Thai series.
The characters are just so realistic. They are young, sometimes a little stupid, but vulnerable, they have a good heart and their own challenges.
By discovering their mutual feelings for each other, they also realize that they have feelings for a person of the same sex, they have to come to term with this fact, with their family and the gaze of others.
And it's hard, at any age, in addition to discovering themselves and another person, they have to expect judgments, disappointments.
If you want toxic relationships, ridiculous dramas, just move on, this story is to tell a beautiful story, and it's more about introspection and growing up.

I won't say more, everyone can have their own personal tastes, but to me it's a masterpiece and game changer in the BL genre.
It's really to see.

Leia Mais

Mixed review.

The plot is quite innovative in a way, we don't have many series that tell the story of a couple, one of whom has a dark and bloody past, and the other is a detective who investigates a story that seems be related to her husband and his past.
So, yes, the plot is really well thought out.

And I'm not going to lie, the acting of the characters is really good, especially the heartbreaking scenes of FL which pleasantly surprised me by being determined, and at times manipulative to find out the truth.
I've seen others ML acting better than in this series, I think his emotionless face was realistic but it was more when he was emotional that I struggled.

In reality, the fault was the script, and the tone of the series, which for me was too light. The ML's actions were sometimes slow, hesitant, and for a person not supposed to feel emotions, he displayed way too many. He wasn't cold enough, not convincing enough, and that's not because of the acting of the ML overall, but because of the way he was written.

And although the producers surely wanted to make the drama as realistic as possible in the sense of a psychological detective series, the colors and tones were not scary enough, the impression of the series was not punchy and dark as in "Mouse".
The intensity quickly left as well as my attention, I finished the series just to finish it but well, as soon as the revelations of the past of ML were made - which were disappointing, in my humble opinion - there was no more addictivity to this drama.

So honestly, with this series they could have made a mind-blowing psychological thriller, with the intensity rising, the couple suspecting each other, the deaths continuing and increasing the pressure for the audience.
But on the contrary, the FL discovered her husband's identity very early - too - soon, then the romance came together to make the ML soft, and the intensity disappeared.
Frankly, I think the potential of what this series could have been left me with a bitter taste, the problem was the producers who desperately wanted characters that were bad but not too bad, to tell a narrative so that we gives sympathy for all the characters.
In short, disappointed with the direction that the plot has taken.

Special mention nevertheless to Kim Ji Hoon, who will soon play in "Money Heist : Korea", he was the only character really disturbing by his intensity, his darkness, frankly the acting of this character was perfect for the vibes of a series of psychological thriller, pity that the script and the tones of the series does not match. He would have been perfect in "Mouse" or "Beyond Evil".

I'm going to end it here, so I think it's a pretty enjoyable drama, the love story is believable but takes it a bit too much of the overall vibes, and makes the characters too soft, so the script is good, no inconsistencies, just not mature and dark enough for my taste.
I recommend it for those who like enjoyable thrillers with a strong romance, however those who really want something dark, very intense with suspense, this may not be for you.

Leia Mais

Another thriller that continues to put South Korea as the best producer of thrillers currently.

South Korea excels in producing original thrillers. Now, the first episode is always critical - for me - in order to know the tone, the rhythm and the show as a whole. Insider from its first episode was so good.

It tells the story of a judicial trainee named Kim Yo Han. After going undercover for an investigation, Kim Yo Han experiences a crisis, and end up in prison.

Insider really did it for me. And although the premise is deja vu, with a man - smart and good/naive - finds himself in a bad situation where he will suffer because of the richest essentially - in general a secret organization - and that he will become more than what he was in order to survive, a powerful adversary, Insider had this vulnerability which brings a difference to this show.

Yo Han will suffer, a lot, and I'm not talking about two episodes at most but many episodes where he endures low blows, attacks, ruthless manipulations and the loss of loved ones. And I think the series really did show how a person who starts off smart and resourceful, given a harsh environment to survive, can become powerful. I mean, the man endures a lot, jail and without giving too much away, the people who hold the power, are cruel to him.

I think the show brings an interesting angle on the legal and political state of the country, as a character says "A prosecutor could kill a person in broad daylight with the population around, and walk away without problem", here we see that institutions are intertwined with politics, shenanigans are endless, no one trusts each other, everyone threatens each other. The show also highlights how much money can buy you a lot in the world, so much so that you can control a country or government. And above all, that no one is irreplaceable, everyone no matter how high and sure of their usefulness can be thrown away and someone will take their place, which also shows a terrible ambition and this hunger for power that it gives people - in these professions - who are very quick to be vile and without humanity.

To talk about the show, we follow Yo Han's growth for a while, his evolution especially as he goes through all his difficulties and his strategies, we also see that no one can be trusted no matter how friendly they appear, the investigation for the truth advances slowly but surely with each episode, and they end in cliffhanger especially towards the end of the series. Now, I've binge-watched the show from the first episodes to the 14th, and then I had to wait for the last two episodes as they aired. And it was hard, because the suspense is there. Especially since the first episode, from the first scene which showcases a chase with Yo Han then we have to go back a year, so this scene made me question a lot, how will it happen ?
The side characters are brilliant and really versatile with good backstories, I found some familiar faces I've seen in thrillers, it was nice to see them playing other characters. The plot as a hole is really done well, because in the end, we don't know what the main character wants except his revenge, but how far he will go and how far can he ?
The end is ... hopeful for those who enjoyed the series as I have, if there is to be a second season, honestly I wouldn't mind because this series is very addictive.

As for Yo Han, so the actor, Kang Ha Neul, is really brilliant, he manages to show a character who toughens up but remains very human, and who has his vulnerabilities, I love his duality. Frankly, it's very good acting. This series reminded me in certain aspects of "The Veil" on the other hand, Yo Han as the main character with a vengeance, really pulled off the emotional side for me, whereas although Namkoong Min is a very good actor, he was quite robotic and less natural to show the range of his character.
Kang Ha Neul really did a good job, his character shows a lot of realism, I hope to see him again soon in an ambitious thriller series.

So I recommend this series for those who are stingy with thrillers who have investigations, about revenge with interesting and charismatic characters, political plots without being boring, on the other hand, I say it right away, there is no romance, and very few comedic moments - or none - it depends on people's humor.

Leia Mais

When society allows dark justice to take its own course.

Vigilante is another noir series inspired by a webtoon which tells the story of Kim Jiyong, a young man who witnessed the murder of his mother when he was young by a violent individual and suffered the injustice of the law by only sentencing the murderer to 3 years in prison.
Twelve years later, Jiyong finds his mother's murderer who still roams the streets freely with 18 convictions, and he takes justice into his own hands.

We follow Jiyong who becomes a vigilante, reciprocally punishing criminals. I have to say that there is a familiar echo in the cases we are shown and the reality we are experiencing. So many times criminals have been released because the law worked in their favor rather than that of the victims. That's probably why the show is so enticing, it's a sad reflection of reality.

The series also portrays how this initiative is the start of a domino effect on society, where a debate takes place on justice, its application and by whom. The public seems to support his initiatives, to the point where other citizens join in to give justice for the victims, even inspiring a copycat and reducing crime on the streets when criminals turn themselves into the police by fear to face "the Vigilante".

The plot is introduced more broadly with a bigger antagonist in the corrupt police chief and his links with seemingly untouchable CEO and politician who kill people to hide their dark deeds without repercussions.

I must say that Nam Joo Hyuk had a great performance in the role of Jiyong, this character is complex and sometimes even unnerving, he is so righteous that it borders on psychopathy (much like Batman in that sense). His micro expressions are a delight for the eye while his character is a young man of very few words. Although we don't delve much into his background, and the series weighs very little on the emotional side beyond anger, I manage to feel empathy for his character, when he feels terrible pain and loss, or when he screams his rage. He has some scenes that are gripping. Honestly, I hope Nam Joo Hyuk will give us the pleasure of diving into more thriller productions, as much as he's lovely on romcom series, he has potential for more.

As for the rest of the cast, the actor Lee Joon Hyuk was a revelation for me, it was more the script that worked in his favor than the acting itself, but I liked his extravagant and insane character. It's rare to witness a copycat who is not only supportive of the one he's copying even after being rejected, but who is actively helpful. I can only purely enjoy his character for what he is : entertainment. Although I wished they dived deeper in his backstory.
Kim Sojin is also a standout, probably the first time I liked following a noisy reporter, Miryeo. I like that she doesn't let herself be intimidated and like everyone else in this series, she's a little crazy to actively court and protect a violent man but her personal trauma explains it.
The biggest disappointment remains Yoo Jitae, I definitely cannot be convinced by this actor, I have seen him in many series, and his range remains minimal, his acting decent or even bad at times, I remain unconvinced by his characterization of Cho Heon, who only knew how the crack his neck. I know it's to give an unnerving mannerism but Nam Joo Hyuk managed to do that just by tilting his head, in comparison, Yoo Jitae remains bland.

I liked the overall production, with dark tones, great fighting choreographies and realistic sets, the soundtracks are amazing (they need to release those already), and the plot is simple to follow without messy and overly done plotlines.

The only downside would be the lack of emotional depth overall and backstory for the main characters, I had very little care for the characters who died or suffered (aside from Jiyong) and that is probably due to the limited number of episodes but as the ending is hinting the probability of a second season, I think we'll deep dive into some characters stories (specially Cho Kang Ok).

Overall, I can't recommend it enough, it's a very entertaining series and worth your time.

Leia Mais

We need more developed BL Korean.

This kind of series makes me impatient for the BL industry in South Korea. The characters have so much chemistry, and there could be a real in-depth story and relationship with more long lasting episodes.

I'll make it short, it's a cute series that would have been perfect with more time, the themes could have been more developed but I think for the time and budget it had, it's nice.

The only downside is that obviously it's a bit cliché with the characters who dare to be together only years later when they meet again, and we didn't even had a kiss — which is terrible because the characters had really chemistry.

Anyway, good mini BL series.

Leia Mais

Enjoyable series.

I really liked this series. I'm not going to lie, there were times I skipped some scenes because they were too boring - for me - and the acting wasn't phenomenal, but it's a good show.

There is humor, love, several storylines - simple, action, lots of friendships. And if the acting of the actors were not incredible, their characters were endearing.

I sincerely think that this series would benefit from having a second season. We followed our characters during their entry, their training, over their college years, now I would like to see what they give as cops. I would also like more depth to their characters, and more complex storylines.

I really think the show scould be elevated further to its full potential.

Anyway, I would say that this series has everything you can look for in a typical K-drama, with a good production, good dialogues, good scenes whether fighting or character interactions.

The series was not that intense, mostly light-hearted. I sincerely hope for another season to raise the level of this good start that this season has given us.

Leia Mais

A little disappointed.

The story picks up a little later where we left off, except that we realize that Han Ji Woo just left leaving a letter, disappearing for over a year and leaving behind a confused Kang Seo Joon.

I'm disappointed because I didn't expect this kind of script. I know the story has to tell something but honestly, I wanted a sequel to discover more about the couple, their relationship, I find myself not only having more scenes where they argue and throw harsh words at each other, specially Han Ji Woo, rather than a storyline that deepens their beautiful relationship.

At one point they also lost me in their chemistry which seemed more awkward at times (during the flashbacks). Speaking of flashbacks I was a bit confused how they introduced them, not very smooth for the audience.

It's such a shame that this sequel was more about Kang Seo Joon running after a reluctant Han Ji Woo to even consider him properly, rather than giving them a proper story.

So, really disappointed with this sequel and also a little with the actors who may have lacked chemistry at one point.

Leia Mais

Very much entertaining.

It's basically the story of Park Changho, a lawyer who is, we can say it, a loser in his job. He is a talkative person and, because of this people call him Big Mouth. He is involved in a murder case and he is somehow accused of being the criminal genius Big Mouse. Due to this, Park Changho ends up in jail.
Meanwhile, Go Miho who is Park Changho’s wife attempts to clear her husband's name.

I'll be honest here, I must say that this kind of show is really great to follow when they are airing, because not only despite the wait it's so much fun to try to guess who is the mysterious antagonist, but it's great to exchange so positively on MDL, week after week with those who like me followed the series. I love that this series managed to make us ask every week who Big Mouse is instead of us being able to guess it easily.

Big Mouth is more light-hearted type of thriller, there definitively more a family and romance theme even though they don't take much space, the production had rather intense tones while having also darker tones.

As for history itself, I think it is separated into two distinct parts.
The first where our protagonists meet, the situation and mysteries unfold, we learn more about Big Mouse. Then, there is the second part, where Big Mouse is revealed and the events accelerate for the conclusion with the development of several storylines at the same time.

I must say that there were a little criticism for part two coming from some viewers and I think it comes from the revelation of Big Mouse. The thing is, we are tricked by the show several times thinking that a character is Big Mouse when they are not, thus when the real Big Mouse appeared, people have continued to theorize on who is Big Mouse even afterward because for them, the revelation was disappointing, they couldn't believe it.
I'm going to be honest, in terms of script writing, the Big Mouse that we have revealed does make sense. On the other hand, in terms of character, I expected someone more charismatic to be honest. And this is where I realized that the series ultimately was not about "Who" is Big Mouse, but how it will link with Park Changho.
The series made us understand, and this from the start, that Big Mouse in truth is replacable, everyone could be Big Mouse, what is more interesting is how we go from there and how our main character blends in all of this. I don't want to give spoilers, but we quickly understand how the series will evolve after the revelation of Big Mouse.

This series is a "general public" thriller, although there are many elements of thrillers, it is still the genre that can be enjoyed by everyone and very entertaining. Now, the entertaining side is double-edged because clearly, that reduces realism.
There are so many scenes which are well played but which are purely fiction. While the series like "Through The Darkness" released this year, may be come across as less "entertaining", but it is a dark thriller filled with realism, it is not for all audiences. Same for "Insider", who by the way, has a lot of similarity with Big Mouth in the storyline, and the series is much more violent, with the inclusion of striking scenes of realism. These are thrillers that are not targeted or made for all audiences, I think Big Mouth is made for everyone despite certain scenes, and therefore its very entertaining aspect.

If I had to talk about the series, I would say that this one of the most captivating series of this year, we have been hooked from the start to the end, the writers did an excellent job to make us theorize during several episodes the hidden identity of a criminal, and not to mention the side storylines.
So I think that with Insider, Through the Darkness, King of Pigs, this might be among the best thriller series I saw this year - so far, maybe not the number one spot - but my opinion is biased by the fact that I like dark thrillers - but this series is definitely not to be missed.

Now, the acting et characters. Park Chang Ho is typically a character that will evolves quite quickly - maybe a bit too quickly for my taste, the evolution of his character is really entertaining though and it's one of the best highlights during the first episodes, we certainly don't get bored.
I want to mention Lee Jong Suk's acting, it's an actor that amazes me the more I discover him, and his roles are really varied in general. Here, his versatility was really incredible, he was able to show us many sides to his character, which I really enjoyed.

Also, I would like to mention Im Yoona, and although she didn't have as much depth as Lee Jong Suk, she managed to shine, and for once, I didn't dislike the female lead, she was able to be both strong and vulnerable, she was loyal, fierce and her character is really solid and consistent throughout the series, she supported Lee Jong Suk's character really well.

As for the rest of the cast, we have everything, endearing, captivating, detestable, funny, evil characters. No one, even the minor roles let us indifferent, we either love or hate them, but they are making us react to them.

Also, this series managed to make me hate characters that I loved at the beginning, and make me love characters that I hated at first, which to be honest is rare because I usually get dead set on my opinion on the characters. First examples, Jihoon and Doha. Jihoon is quite detestable at the beginning, and I must say that in truth, after a little hindsight, he was not that bad, just very determined. As for Doha, he is a fascinating character, and I didn't like to hate him in the end but he showed, I think the most change and complexity than all the characters in the series, even more than Park Changho.

Lastly, for part 2, because as I said, instead of revealing mysteries, the series created others plots, which at that time I thought was in preparation for season 2 or additional episodes, but no. So the only negative criticism I have is about the last two episodes. They wrapped up things poorly and quickly while the series was so well crafted until this point. The end was done in a matter of minutes, also they introduced the possibility for another character but in the end, he never made apparition nor given any time which is odd, so a lot of side plots are left in the wind. Plus, the stories of brillant characters ended badly while it had so much potential.

Do I recommend ? Yes, I think those who enjoy thrillers with few romance and comedic moments, while still keeping a violent aspect - do not mistake this series for a light-hearted funny drama either - then this is for you. I must say that the plots and mysteries are really good, from episodes to episodes, as I said we do not get bored and we want more.
It is still enjoyable to watch for those like me, who lean more towards thrillers without romance or comedy, with solid script and realism, you can watch it, it's good.

Leia Mais

Death will save our humanity.

I don't write reviews for movies in general, but I really wanted to talk about this one.

The subject that it touches is that of our humanity. If humans ever arrive with technologies to prevent the inevitable - death - from happening, what are we left with ? Insatiable desires for more money, power, in short, an endless life to take possessions but give nothing. Humans are already so self-destructive, the only thing that is certain is death, if we take it out of the equation, it's the worst we could do to our specie.
Also, as the subject of the death of humans is approached, so is that of being worthy of being saved. Do we deserve it ?
In the end, all humans die, whether from disease, accidents, or by other humans, that is a certainty. But what makes a person more worthy to be saved, and should we save those who are designated as worthy, because nowadays we treat everyone, but especially those who don't deserve it too.

In the end, there is not necessarily an answer, I know that human beings will one day arrive at a stage where in some way we will become immortal, just as I know that one day we will populate our solar system and even our galaxy, it may not be for now, or in a hundred years, but it will come. Well, if our planet Earth has not left us before because of our relentless destruction of it.
Human beings are going to die out, one way or another, just like our galaxy is going to die. It's written in the universe and life, death is part of it, and even if humans manage not to kill each other and survive the death of planet Earth, our hope will die in this solar system.

Now, it may seem tragic, but I think we've done enough, we'll discover enough, our existence in the history of space is nothing but a drop. And I find it reassuring, it all started in silence, and it will all end in silence, and if other species ever come to live long after humans, let's just hope that their intelligence won't be a path to self-destruction too.

Anyway, this movie is one of many on the subject, and I'm glad it helps get people thinking. Immortality in human hands would mean our end, and that I am sure of it. But I know the human greed, and we'll achieve immortality but not invincibility, we will die among ourselves, if that's not ironic.

Well, good movie, the production is pretty good, the characters too and the story benefits from a good script.

Leia Mais

Filler drama

It's the story of a group of people who find themselves working together two years after a suspicious airplane crash took place. Choi Kang Woo created his own investigation team, after he lost his wife and son in the accident. He and his team meet Kim Min Joon, a genius former swindler whose brother was also a victim of the crash.

Now, overall the series was nice, I have to say that it actually started off very slow, and even though I wasn't super entertained by the story, I think it's not bad. The story is pretty basic actually, we've seen it before, it's the typical trope of people banding together to uncover the truth behind a tragic incident that ultimately has to deal with powerful people using their power to make money regardless of the victims. Here, the only change is that we have the insurance aspect.

So afterwards, I don't think anyone will be amazed by the story, but they did an overall good job.

I saw a review called Woo Do Hwan a "show-stealer" and I can only agree on that. This actor, whom I have seen now in a few series and different roles, is truly a talent of his generation. Not only for me he is the one who made the show interesting, but all the scenes in which he appears are just really good. The character Choi Kang Woo, who is the grieving father and husband, is supposed to appeal to my empathy but I haven't once felt like I connected to his character. While the only time Kim Min Joon, Woo Do Hwan's character, cried, I had tears in my eyes. He had quite a mischievous character played, I could see his eyes fill with mischief, sometimes he was bold and cold, sometimes touching, sometimes funny, he was everything.
It's to say the contrast, a young actor, so I want to mention that here it was only his second main role in a series manages to touch the viewer while a veteran actor does not even make me smile.

Now, I don't want to slander Yoo Ji Tae, but he's not a fabulous actor to begin with, I've seen him in a few other series, and no matter the role, he always seems the same to me. His tears are just overrated, his character here is basically dumb as he gets out-smarted by Woo Do Hwan most of the time. For his role, I expected him to live up to Woo Do Hwan who shone. I don't know if it's the script, but even Woo Do Hwan managed to shine in it, so I'd say it's really the actor who is the problem.
However, don't take my words as saying he sucked into it, I'd just say he was pretty decent, he was there to be there, to fulfill his role, it's just that his acting wasn't good enough to rival that of his co-star Woo Do Hwan.

As for the other characters, I would say that Ryu Hwa Young was written and performed with some depth, and even though we don't get to dig deep into her character, she does shine the most after Woo Do Hwan, which is a surprise for me because female leads tend to be annoying. She shows several layers, and I would have liked her to be explored more as there was so much potential.
As for Kim Hye Sung and Jo Jae Yoon's characters, they were there typically for the comic relief moments, they didn't bring much else, but their characters were enjoyable for what little light they got.

I won't drag this out any longer, but if I had to sum up this show, it's kind of a filler after a show that's been very intense, it was long and to be honest I skipped several scenes but it's got a bit of everything - comedy, action, emotion and drama, a bit romantic echo - it's pretty basic and enjoyable for the most part. The production is good, the script correct and Woo Do Hwan was THE highlight.

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Average but to see.

This is the story of Ji Na, a hotel employee who is tracking down her older sister’s disappearance and returns home where she finds herself surrounded by suspicious neighbors. Detective Min Soo will be the only one to believe in Ji Na's words and help her.

Well I have to say, I expected more. To start with the story, although we end up with similarities as in "Strangers from Hell", it was better handled. Already, we keep the mystery about the neighbors and their exact role in the disappearance of the sister, we know somehow that they are related and especially that they are weirdos, but the mystery remains total. On the other hand, what disappointed me was that the show didn't explore more about that, I mean, they kept the mystery but didn't really try to make us believe that one of them was actually responsible. Early on, we can see that some characters are just stupid and weird, and often problematic, but not the author of the disappearance, and that's a shame.

The thing is that I watched this series because I was promised a huge plot twist, despite the fact that I quickly understood who was behind the kidnapping, I continued to watch because precisely I was expecting a plot twist at the last minute and some elements didn't add knowing the responsable.
Now, we also have in the background, very briefly, the fact that there is a major reconstruction project, but as it is approached so few times, we even forget why it is there, and they mention it more at the end of the series to link new revelations to this.

Overall, the promised twist plot wasn't as sensational as they say, the story is overall quite slow despite some action scenes, like, we know they're investigating but we feel like we're stalling during the season whole. The characters did show good acting, even the side characters (not something amazing but good enough). And for the two main characters, we see that there is still a lot to explore, especially their bond, and honestly I think that's what keeps the series flowing, because without their interactions, the series would have been so boring.
The production of the series did keep the impression of watching a thriller, the tones are dark and sometimes even tragic, so for that they succeeded.

So I would say that this series is not extraordinary, their plot is predictable even if the series managed to end on a cliffhanger which makes us want at least to know the sequel (if there is one), the two characters where the highlight.

A lot of questions are left unanswered in this season and mysteries remain to be unraveled, and I'd probably watch season 2 just to find out where this all takes us, but overall, yeah, not ground-breaking whether it's in the story or the acting. I couldn't even tell if the show is character-driven or story-driven, both are just average.

So, I recommend, but prepare yourself for a rather slow pace and average story. I do hope the story step up next season.

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Interesting story on the Justice System

This is the story of Hyun Soo, an ordinary college student, suddenly becomes the primary suspect in a murder case. Shin Joong Han is the only lawyer willing to help Kim Hyun Soo.

I'll try to keep it as short as possible, but I enjoyed this story. It reflects the justice done by man-made laws, in reality, justice and truth, it is not what prevails, there will be things overlooked, people biased and half-truth.
It's really just telling two different stories about the events of a case, and the one that's better told wins the case.

Here, it was clearly seen that the prosecution wanted to paint Hyun Soo as the murderer at all costs, and at the same time, they overlooked other possibilities, which ended up coming back to bite them later during the trial and after.

Now, about the series, I must say that Kim Soo Hyun did an outstanding acting, he is really very talented. The overall story of a young man who found himself just doing what young people his age do, and later awoke to a nightmarish reality, and those bad choices out of fear painted him as the murderer in the eyes of law enforcement. I really liked this story, and Cha Seung Won too, who showed us a somewhat pathetic but determined, kind and supportive lawyer.
I was also surprised to see Kim Sung Gyu as an inmate, who although he is feared by all, takes under his wing Kim Soo Hyun and really helped him, he is a talented actor whom I discovered in "The King of Pigs" which is also a thriller that looks into the heavy bullying at school. I can't wait to immerse myself in "Kingdom" to discover him in another role.

Now, to stay in the story, I don't want to say too much more, but as for the production, I must say that the story holds up very surely, the tones/colors are dark and suits the heavier theme, it is presented with a lot of realism especially on the aspect of the Korean judicial system.
Honestly, it's not ground breaking but it would be a shame not to discover this mini-series which is very well done, and the characters very well acted whether from the accused to his family, the lawyers to the opposite side with the prosecution, the police.

I don't think it's a series that necessarily needs to be seen several times, but at least to be seen once.

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