Like other reviewers will say, never to be seen again. As this is a true story, you go in knowing that and the events that lead up to Sang Woo's (in the movie) kidnapping, it makes you question whether or not what would you do? Would you allow your child to stay so long outside? Would you never check on your child who is at the playground right outside your window?

This movie definitely brings out the questions AND the tears. The ending when Samg Woo's Dad is on the air; never will I need to see those emotions as well as the pain and emotions emitted by both parents throughout the movie. This is definitely not a movie that would attract everyone to see. But I must say it was a GREAT movie!!

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My score is all over the place and so was this movie. From the beginning until the last 1/3; it was very, very good and this is where my high score comes from; however, somewhere, the story kind of lost me for a few frames and I wasn't sure where they were going with the story. However, the acting was great! A good actor works with what he has. I must say, thanks to this movie, I'll look at Kim Soo Hyun a lot closer now. When he was playing his Dong Gu , he was absolutely phenomenal! The rest paled in comparison. Park Ki Woong, was good but I just couldn't take my eyes off that freaking orange hair! Lee Hyun Woo as the youngest was badass from the beginning.

The action in this movie was well-orchestrated. Every action scene was definite and distinctly different. All of these actors should do more action movies or dramas; they really excelled. Again the biggest hole in the movie was the story towards the end. But be warned. If you are looking at this movie strictly for the actors, I think the ending might be a big disappointment for you but otherwise well worth the 2+ hours. BTW, starting to wonder if the Korean film industry just think SK police are stupid. Just saying.

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Epic romance designation doesn't do this justice; this was a PHENOMENAL romance and had it not been cut left and right (because of religious protests), it would have been PERFECT!! I'm not a romantic. As a matter of fact, I rarely watch them but this was a FABULOUS romance. I was totally swept into the story and loved every minute. Even though it was cut at various points, it really wasn't bad and I forgave them for it because it was beyond their control. Talk about feels! I had them in spades and that doesn't happen very often! The cast was stunning to watch. Tui Teerapat Satjakul (Sharif) was sensational! His handsome persona, commanding presence on the screen just overwhelmed your eyes! Usamanee Kwan (Michelle) is a stunning looking woman. Her character, at times will drive you nuts with the whining and complaining in the desert but simply watching Sharif will make up for it. Great drama!!

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I've said it once but I will say it again: I really love these pre-2000 Japanese dramas! The stories are concise, to the point and if you don't feel happy at the end, they've totally missed their mark. You definitely got the US Movie, "You've Got Mail" feeling but other than communicating with someone over email, that is where the stories differ.

I loved all of the main characters. I especially love Takenouchi Yutaka as Hata/Takashi. He was definitely a man who totally wanted to deny himself love. I've seen him in many dramas now and I must say, I've never NOT enjoyed his performance. This was my first time seeing Tanaka Misato as Amane. Her character was so damn sweet, I felt like I was having a sugar rush! There were sometimes I wished she had more of a backbone. But surprisingly, whenever she had dealings with Takashi, that was the only time you really saw the little tigeress come out. Oikawa Mitsuhiro as Yoshika will remain in my mind one of the worse stalkers I've seen in a drama. Despite his intentions, it drove me crazy! Watch it and see if you get the same vibe. Fujiwara Norika as Kaori; you wanted to hate her but I understood her the most but at least her character was acceptable.

Romance was stilted, only because you have to watch it but the romance in another sense was great and you definitely went away feeling their emotions. As this is an earlier work, this is not for everyone but I must say, it really, really was good!

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Condensed from my blog, I am writing this review: I cannot begin to do this drama justice. From beginning to the end, I was totally immersed into the story; wrote several blog posts and never missed a minute to watch the drama raw, live, as well as subbed.
My Only Complaint
The ending probably wasn't what any of us wanted. Our OTP should have been given more time in the last episode. We, the viewers, felt kind of cheated. I would have preferred at least one episode showing us Crown Prince/King Seong and Solnan as King and Queen; the birth of their first son would have been a nice touch too; however, we can blame that on the fact that the drama was unfairly cut in the last weeks.

I think we can all agree that 5 more episodes would have made this drama perfect in its execution. But overlooking that, I found this drama addicting and oh so satisfying. I never thought I’d watch a drama so soon after Ugly Alert that once again, exceeded my expectations ten-fold! The acting was stellar and some of the scenes are ones you may never see again in a saguek drama. Well worth the 54 hours of my drama life; wait, I think it is more because I've re-watched episodes again! Highly recommend it for the story, for the romance and especially the STELLAR acting.

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Aka Tough as Iron, I just had the pleasure to go see, thanks to tickets from C&J Entertainment. It was an honor and privilege to see a wonderfully told story. Yoo Ah In, as usually with his handsome self was tremendous as Gang Chul. He projected his love and care for his alzheimer mother, played by Kim Hae Sook in such a way to totally touch your heart. When I watched, I couldn't imagine having the patients and ability to care for my mother in the same way; even though I love her dearly!.

Kim Jeong Tae as the gang boss, Sang Gon; as usually, he plays bad well but let me give HIGH praise to Kim Sung Oh who plays Whi Gon, Sang's brother and supposed bodyguard. As the stuttering and evil brother of Sang, I must tell you he excelled! When he was stuttering his words, I wonder how much he practiced for that because it was done so well, I just wanted to help him finish his sentences! Yes, it was perfect.

The other characters of Jong Soo, played by Lee Shi Un and Soo Ji played by Jung Yu Mi (my first experience seeing her), both served their purposes well. Jong Soo, the misguided and downright stupid friend, even though he made poor choices, he was heart was in it. The romance between Soo Ji and Gang Chul was really not explored because the real romance was between mother and son.

This really was a well written and cast movie and I look forward to looking at it again.

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Some many twists and turns. Don't blink and don't turn your head. Jung Jae Young as the tortured Lt Choi and Park Shi Hoo as Doo Suk were excellent. The supporting cast also did a great job in reeling you into the story. The action sequences like the car chase, the alley chase as well as the ending scenes were well done and choreographed. Like I said, don't turn your head or fast forward because you will miss some serious details. Park Shi Hoo should do more action. His scene in the elevator was great to watch. Here's hoping for a comeback in the movies. Still can't wrap around my head people saying this was boring! Never a dull moment to me. But be warned, this is NOT a romance!!

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One thing I can say about Taiwanese dramas and I'm just going to put it out there, they tend to do romances better than Korean dramas. Sure, there are exceptions but the more that I watch, the more that I come to this conclusion. This was a GREAT story from start to finish!! 21 episodes and I was never bored!! It took us from the very start of a relationship, to the end. It shows the conflict, very well done as well as the happy times! The chemistry between the two leads, Barbie Hsu and Vic Zhou, off the charts!! The protagonists were many but unlike Korean dramas, those story lines were not dragged out to the end, I hate that!! I especially liked how the secondary characters, Da Ye and Qing Mei were portrayed. We got to watch their story and relationship evolve and you can't help but love that too!! This drama deserves high ratings and the I will definitely be re-watching it and recommending it to my drama buddies!! If you want a really, well-done romance to watch, this is it! Guarantee!!

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What a masterfully well done drama! From start to finish, it held my attention; brought forth the tears and definitely made you wonder: Is outcasting (bullying) really this bad? You say what about Teacher Ma, played superbly by Ko Hyun Jung? Even though at times, Teacher Ma was harsh, when you brought the situation into context and really thought about it, she really was guiding them through life and the disappointments that they would encounter. As far as the children, I will not singularly point out one in particular because they ALL EXCELLED! But then, I really wasn't surprised because most of them are on my "Child Actor to Watch" list and they did not disappoint. I think everyone should watch this: young and old but especially people with children. The attitude and reactions in relations to what goes on in the classroom was really realistic! Having been there and seen that; I know. Excellent drama; highly recommend it.

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Okay, sorry folks, this was the BEST so far this year!! It is so rare that you can watch a drama from beginning to end and never, I say NEVER be bored!! This drama went from funny, to serious, back to funny without a hitch in the story!!

Kang Ji Hwan, I now have a totally worship of his acting ability. Sure, I had liked him in various movies and have watched a couple of dramas that were watchable but in this he totally shined as a consummate actor! He showed us joy, laughter, happiness, and even sadness very effectively! He is truly a comic genius.

Hwang Jung Eum, I was already in love with her and my love affair will just continue! Her portrayal as Jae In was hysterical! I enjoyed watching her transform from the unsure of herself daughter of a powerful woman to a woman willing to do anything to save her man.

I could list all of the cast at this point to espouse about their great acting but let's just say, the right actors were picked and they did their jobs!! Everyone was great!

Overall, if you have not watched this, you must!!

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As my adrenalin continues to be revved up after the completion of this movie, all I can say is, I cannot conscious recommend this to ANYONE!! Why? The beginning of the movie that features the conflict between the two male leads is so hard to watch, so raw with anguish and disgusting behavior, no sane person would say watch this. Again, I am always awed and amazed at the depiction of bullying in Korean schools. It is unimaginable to think that anyone who is a victim survives with their sanity. And that is the crux of the story.

Yang Dong Geun as Chang Sik was superb, as usual. Joo Sang Wook as the tortured and never to have recovered Joon Seok was utterly amazing! The story is SUPER raw and an emotional roller coaster. Not too often you can watch a movie and say "Kill them ALL".

So can I say this movie was good? Not good, AMAZINGLY GOOD. Can I recommend? Unless you have the stomach to watch severe levels of abuse, rape, beatings, and few other things, you might want to skip this; however, if you can handle those subject matters, this is an well-acted and amazing story whereby the ending is exactly as you expected.

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AWESOMENESS AWESOME!! Heart...stop it!! That was GOOD!! I don't know where to begin because I am not going to give anything away. I must say, this is not for the faint of heart. Within the first 10 minutes, you'll be jumping out your skin. As I was watching it, it reminded me so much of Silent Hill (no, I never finished that) but story was reminiscent of it. Lee Si Young was AWESOME in this role as Ji Hyun. I already have mad respect for her but now..She will creep up as being one of my top 10 favorite actresses. Uhm Ki Joon as the Det. Ki Cheol was so brass as the cop who basically continued my negative opinion on Korean police. But his acting was definitely stellar. Give it up to Hyun Woo as Young Soo. As Ki Cheol partner, he handled the role well. But again, not everyone can watch this. There is some seriously twisted and scary scenes in this. From start to finish, you didn't really know where the story was going to take you but that ending. Loved it! I still have goose bumps!

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Talk about bittersweet ending? I'm still drying the tears from my eyes. This was a well written and acted story. You could not help but be sucked into it from beginning to end. What I especially liked about this story, it was not a love between two characters of different backgrounds. What it was, was a story about a young man, Natsuo, who effortless brought up his two siblings and continued to run their family bike shop business. Being such a helpful person, it made sense that he would meet Yuki under these circumstances.

The love that Natsuo had not only for his brother and sister but also for his sister's boyfriend is portrayed very well here. The absolute love for Yuki was amazing to watch as a slowly grew. The diving sequences were also well filmed. This was my first time seeing Domoto Tsuyoshi. Even though he was new to acting at the time this was filmed, his portrayal of Natsuo will be cemented to your mind. Hirosue Ryoko as Yuki was also a treat as I'd seen her before but again both actors did a hell of a job. Last but not least is the surprise of seeing an extremely young Oguri Shun! Such an accomplished actor he was even back then!

If there is one thing I can tell you, make sure you watch through the credits as the story continues and what ever sadness is left after the end, will be wiped away. This is why I feel Japanese dramas do an excellent job in making you feel better even with a sad ending.

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