maakopla
Finland
The acting wasn't so good, half of the cast overacted the other underacted. The whole plot is so simple it calls for some amazing acting but that's something this drama lacks. No Min Woo played his role well and some of the office employees managed to bring their characters to life. But unfortunately, the main couple had no chemistry and whenever Ji Na sshi and Hee Chul shared screen time Yang Jin Sung became a statue and it seemed like Yung Joon Hak was talking all to himself. This killed all the atmosphere.
Once the side characters grew on me they suddenly disappeared from the picture and in the end the whole plot turned out to be pretty pointless and empty. Some big changes happened towards the end but it wasn't really exciting since everything seemed irrelevant. Now when I look back at the drama I realize that nothing really happened. This show has nothing to offer.
Was this review helpful to you?
The chemistry between the main couple is good and the acting is okay. I'd say this is a good drama if you aren't very familiar with Korean dramas yet or if you feel nostalgic and want to go back in time and enjoy something old. There is nothing new about the plot and it's not as fast paced as the newest dramas but enjoyable, anyway.
This show is really basic (typical romance) and has all Kdrama elements like stormy romance, drama, typical exaggeration, strict parents, "evil" grandfather, strange humor, conflicts, misunderstandings, innocent love, awesome best friends, crazy heroine and the asshole main guy.
Was this review helpful to you?
I love these type of corporate plotting dramas but Korean detective dramas are usually very tasteless so I wish there was no police involved her either. When it comes to antiheroes or 'bad guys turn good' - plot lines Korean do really well as long as the story doesn't concentrate too much on the romance. Even though there was a lot of plotting and dirty games going on I felt like most of the drama was about love and the plotting scenes became repetitive. The bad guy was really obvious too...
The acting was good, except for Kim so Yeon, her character was really dull. even though she was supposed to be mature she was leaving the company all the time for personal reasons but then stuck around after all... I must say that the best one was Lee Shi Eon, this guy really has talent. His character came to life on the screen. Ahn Suk Hwan never fails as the father figure. Jung Kyung Hoo was good but his character wasn't interesting. In the beginning he caught my attention and his character had the spunk but after the surgery he changed into a mess. I wish the writer had paid more attention to character development.
Was this review helpful to you?
On the positive note, the acting was good. Yoochun fit his role perfectly and Shin Se Kyung did great job, I feel like she has develped a lot in acting (she has been on my hate list forever but now I might reconsider). Nam Goong Min was god but I already knew that he is a great actor and didnt expect any less from him! Yoon Ji Seo again disappointed me. She mostly had the same dull face throughout the drama and felt more like a robot than a human being.
After a few first episodes the drama gets entertaining for a while but soon slides into the boredom. The police force is downright stupid, I have never seen as stupid cops as in this drama. Well, at least I liked it how the "seeing scents" was implemented, it was very cute.
I didn't really expect anything from this show so I can't say I am disappointed. From the beginning, I was going to skip watching it but watched anyway. But I really don't recommend this drama to anyone. It's boring.
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting is good and that's what makes this drama so enjoyable. The cast brings Angry Mom to life and it's a pleasure to watch them all. There are no unnecessary side characters and every character feels important, they change and develop. It's also interesting to see how the story plays out, how the bag guys drive themselves into a corner. There are so many levels to this story, the mother - daughter relationship, a parent -child relationship, husband - wife, teacher - student, parent - school, law - citizen, weak - powerful, good - bad, money - human being, etc.
I think, Angry Mom is a remarkable drama in South Korea, it addresses all the current problems of the society very clearly and the message rings strong. This is not some high school drama about students bullying each other or about love, this is a drama about one angry mom who decided that enough is enough and actually went and stood up against the injustice.
What brings my score down is the overflowing melodrama. There was a lot of crying, which is understandable, but when they sniffled for 20 minutes in each episode it became downright annoying. The character development regarding some side characters was lacking and rushed. The repeating pattern with Kang Ja always on the losing end became a bit repetitive and numbing in the long run. Sometimes the story stopped for minutes for some characters to share their poetic and philosophic world views like for educational purposes... And then there were all those super unrealistic and distracting "the easy way out's" for the writers that brought the quality down.
The last episode was a great disappointment. Not only did they rush things but a lot of last minute advertisement was pushed in and it was totally obvious.
Was this review helpful to you?
Acting was mostly excellent except on Jung Ji Young's part. He did great job with Se Chan but once Ray came into the picture his acting reduced to blaaah level. I don't know what happened, but he became very dull and had no chemistry with anyone. Kwak Shi Yang did great job and he literally shone, the chemistry between Se Jong and Hae Ra cracked the screen! Shim Hyung Tak as Tae Poong was awesome and all the scenes between him and mothers were seriously the best thing in this drama. Other cast members did an excellent job as well and every character came to life, it was a pleasure watch them.
What comes to the plot it was interesting but, unfortunately, the middle part of the drama was extremely draggy with the bland melodrama. At times, I felt like the drama has been written by a teenager because "the hardships" were so ridiculous. Because of the boredom the acting suffered too, this drama was at its best during the bubbly scenes and when there was a lot of action. Park Kwang Seon was the only one who managed to pull the melodrama part well enough. Min Hyo Rin was interesting as Hae Ra until the writer and the director decided to ruin her character and turn her into a whiny childish little girl.
Was this review helpful to you?
The beginning scene and the ending scene are both too long and repetitive, to the point that they have no desired impact. This movie is about a rise and fall of an actor, so it makes a lot of sense to have these almost identical scenes to complete the message. But that theater scene is just way too vague and boring and it barely makes any sense. How I understood it was that Oh Young was talking to himself not the woman. In the beginning the director of the play told him that if he doesn't want to acknowledge his co actress then he should go talk to a mannequin doll that is... to himself.
He talks to the doll, imagines it to be the actress, he wants to go to the beginning and start over on a better note. "I wish we could go to how we were." He is talking to himself, he wants to go back to being himself and get free from the role he had been trapped into. The actress says in the beginning "If we get a chance, I hope we could do it again." So in his imagination he looks for her because he believes that she can help him. She also fell from her position and ended up on the stage of that theater. She was starting over and he was only starting. That's what Oh Young realizes only at the end of the movie when he mentally goes back to that stage. The script is about love, but Oh Young doesn't talk about love, he talks about himself and his own desires. "Getting back together and loving someone" is all about getting himself back to reality and learning to love himself. He finally sees himself in that woman. "I'm not that bad, see?" he tries to convince himself. That's why in the end he finally gets his role right, he finally understands what acting is all about. Not losing yourself but being what you are.
Oh Young is a narcissist and he has no control of himself whatsoever, when he gets into a role he really gets into it for good. After he leaves the theater he gets to play gangsters on the big screens and he becomes that gangster because he gets too immersed into his roles. His only role models were the cocky actors, show business gangsters, and his manager who tries to whore him around. Oh Young gets out of control and lives his life like there are no consequences of anything he does, he rapes women and hangs out with questionable people. He is bad yet I was left wishing that his character would have been darker. His only link to reality is his mother but since he Lee Joon doesn't get deep enough into the darkness the contrast between Oh Young who talks to his mother on Oh Young who has turned bad, that contrast is not strong enough.
At some point, Oh Young meets the gangster who almost makes him sell his life for something scary, Oh Young's cousin saves him, but apparently that was not enough for him to grasp the reality. By the way, notice that the gangster man was the only one who actually respected Oh Young, he is the only one who acknowledges the boy after his fall.
No matter what, Oh Young loves acting and even after falling down he gets up and starts over, even if that means becoming a punching bag again. But now we see that other new actor has become cocky too, immersed in his own fame. Everyone falls in this movie, everyone goes up and down except those on the top, the gangsters and the directors, they stay at their respective places. Actors are just tools to them.
For sensitive viewers, this movie might be too hard of a nut to crack. A lot of people were shocked that Lee Joon's character actually raped someone. Get a grip people, this is a movie about those kind of issues. Pay attention to the summary and warnings. Overall, I fount the script too messy. This film tried to be very artistic but tried too much thus failed miserably. The message was displayed too vaguely but not vaguely enough and at the same time too blatantly but too vaguely to be gritty in a cool way, there was no sensibility whatsoever. So instead of being cool the movie turned out lame. Nothing had an impact and everything just melted into a dull draggy boredom.
Was this review helpful to you?
The beginning was slow and boring, the show picked up around ep 5 (that's when it was actually really good) and the excitement lasted until ep. 10 or so, then the show turned flat like a pancake and only kept flattening towards the ending. The two last episodes were completely ridiculous, the writer had no idea about DID whatsoever! The chemistry between main characters died somewhere along the way. This is weird because Seo Jin and Hana had chemistry, but Robin and Hana didn't; they were like two children playing together.
The Acting
I didn't have much expectations, but for Hyun Bin this was a failure. I think he did great job with Seo Jin but perhaps two personalities were too much for him to handle. Robin turned out to be weird (with overacted expressions) and boring, an extremely dull character with no chemistry with the camera or any other characters. Han Ji Min was quirky at first but soon lost her charm and transformed into a woman of one face. Sung Joon had enough charisma and a powerful aura, but unfortunately he didn't have enough space to shine and suffered from repetitive lines and scenes (and bad directing). What a waste of talent. He is worth so much more than this.
Han Sang Jin pulled it through the whole drama with guaranteed brilliance. His character was interesting, he felt and looked like a man who worked in an amusement park. Sang Jin was the only one who truly brought his warmingly silly character to life and he really shone. Shin Eun Jung had the same dull face throughout the drama and her character, despite being smart and having potential, was ruined with poor script.
All side characters except the secretary Know were completely meaningless and the pathetic little love triangle on the side was purely a filler. Okay, I admit that Detective Na vs Seung Yeon was quite a fun ride and there were not enough scenes of them together. But the cops in general were way too stupid.
The Plot
Yeah, what should I say? The whole implementation of hypnosis and all that, it was a refreshing idea but failed because it was taken too far. The whole DID issue had potential but at some point the DID turned into Robin. I understand where the writer was going with this. She tried to create a conflict between the real man and the illusion, with the illusion being way better than the real deal. However, the writer failed miserably because instead of concentrating on the conflict and bringing out the whole heart-wrenching reality of it all, she concentrated on a ridiculous love relationship instead. This drama could have been brilliant, a struggle between real and imaginary, two realities crashing together and confusing everyone around to the point of madness. This whole idea went down the drains when DID became Robin and Seo Jin was sort of abandoned to deal with his problems alone. I am sure that by writing the ending as it was, the screenwriter tried to go for a fresh image. But the point of the whole show was not love to begin with. It was the conflict, which was forgotten, and the show lost its standing. Hana was one of the dumbest and maddening characters I have ever seen.
The first part of the story concentrated a lot on the problems of Seo Jin and his past. It was interesting until several repetitive flashbacks clogged the episodes. I also wished there were more quirky scenes with Seo Jin and Hana to back up the last episode. The silly grudge of children was taken on a complete new level. The trauma of that grudge was never explored fully and in the end it was pushed aside in a hastly manner. The whole idea of that hatred was that it stemmed from pain and loneliness, but the bad guy remained flat, his character was trapped in a superficial shell and never explored to the depths of his soul. I'm saying that the darker moments could have been way darker and with much more impact had the writer concentrated on the right things. Like the battle within, not what was going on outside.
All in all, this show was either a mess with its characters running around out of control or then flavorless snail-paced boredom wrapped in pink, fluff and all cute with some glitter on the top. There were some loopholes, which could have been avoided easily. And the worst thing of it all: despite being a slow run the ending was still rushed. How? Just how is that possible? You had two freaking hours!
Was this review helpful to you?
Acting is decent, I don't have complains or praises. The characters stay distant and there is not much development; they are sort of bland and boring. The plot solely concentrates on taking revenge without much drama. Well, there is a bit of drama but it remains hollow and completely unnecessary. The female character's purpose in this movie is questionable. And personally, I found it hard to connect with any of the characters. The ending had an impact, but I think it was very predictable. And there were some plot holes that could have been easily avoided. A lot of things in this movie happen, sort of, all of a sudden and leave you wondering.
All in all, I think Soo is the type of movie you either like or dislike. It's a mediocre action flick, which doesn't leave you with much to say.
Was this review helpful to you?
The movie was inspired by Hong Kong legend Infernal Affairs and Hollywood epic Godfather. If you have seen those both movies and remember them well, you will find similar symbolism in New World. The plot is unpredictable. I didn't really try guessing nor did I pay attention to the hints so the ending surprised, but if you pick up Godfather references (that closing door cough cough), you will know the end. New World doesn't reach up to Godfather's brilliance, not even close, but for a Korean gangster movie it's really good, one of the best.
I absolutely loved the cold atmosphere in the movie, the music was ominous and most of the scenes were filmed in "cold" and "emotionless" places like construction sites, meeting rooms, warehouses, empty restaurants. The scenery was absolutely soulless lacking all possible humanity! Another thing that I loved was that the movie went more for a psychological impact than tasteless bloody splatter or gang fights (leaving the latter to minimum). The torture scenes were gripping, a bit too much blood to my taste, but just the right impact. Great job! No unnecessary and forced love scenarios and no blatant sex, only scheming and action!
Acting was great. My only complaint is Lee Jung Jae as Ja Sung, he lacked the charisma. His character was muted and gave more space to other much brighter characters, which was a good thing in my opinion. But still, it was hard to see Ja Sung's plight. The conflict he went through was shattering. He was the only character that actually changed and evolved during the movie. The others seemed to be stuck in their own realities and that's not a bad thing. But that change Ja Sung went through, I wish someone else but stonefaced Lee Jung Jae played him so it would have been more visible. He tried really hard but just like the cold background, he remained sort of soulless and dull.
Hwang Jeong Min as Jung Chung was brilliant, the moment he appeared I loved him! His punchlines were spot on and he brought the comedy in the misery of it all. "Hey brotha", I couldn't get enough of him talking, because every time he opened his mouth it was just... everything he said always fit the situation. "Jung Goo that gaesekki, he is a walking puberty!"
When in the end Jung Chung said "That stupid idiot let the police fool himself." That's when I realized his full potential. Heck, he was smart and he had a big heart, unlike other gangsters in the movie. Notice that he often appeared in warm settings with a lot of people around him. He seemed stupid and everyone was looking down on him but heck, he was awesome. Chinks all the way! He gave Ja Sung what no one else did, what his boss and the police failed to give him, what he had been searching for all this time: trust. Their friendship was what gave Ja Sung the biggest impact and helped him to reach a conclusion between crime and law. We could say that Jung Chung saved his life, literally and figuratively. The symbolism was strong in this one.
Park Sung Woong shines as Jung Goo, the role couldn't be more fitting for this actor. Sung Woong, the self-absorbed twisted devil. Choi Min Shik? The dirty cop who is ready to go for sacrifices but also has the heart to mourn and regret. I don't know if I liked his character or hated him, but I know that it was a great character. It beats me how even the smallest side roles like the Yangbians, everyone had an impact in this movie, no one felt useless, everyone had their own place, no one was a filler character. I learned to like all characters, and acting was pretty good from everyone's part. I just wished Hwang Jeong Min was better.
New World starts with a bang and the plot moves on with a good pace, mostly fueled by dialogs, which is a refreshing breather in typical Korean gangster films. There is not even one boring moment and you find yourself glued to the screen, wondering what's going to happen next. The message of the film is pretty twisted, but I like how it points out that you need to change to get somewhere. If you get stuck in your own comfort zone, you will forever be just a dog used by others. When Ja Sung did what he did, I realized that all his 8 years of undercover work lead him there. He didn't want to go there but was pushed forward and sort of cleaned his path little by little. Finally, he snapped or maybe it was more about him finding himself. His face often showed how sick he was of it all, how much agony it caused him. The flashbacks at the end were a great plus and despite being short they explained so much, once again symbolism was strong.
The ending was perfect, it fit the story. More than everyone getting what they deserved it was about Je Sung's character turning a new leaf. He finally understood what mattered to him the most and he stood behind his own beliefs, he was loyal. Him in the end and him in the beginning, those were two different people. One was insecure, still looking for his place in the world and the other had finally found that place. He lost a lot, but he also gained something priceless.
Was this review helpful to you?
The plot is nothing new in Korean gangster film world, but if you happen to love this world you will also love this film. I felt like there was something more to it, more than in usual gangster flicks. There were many layers to the plot, a few stories intertwining together, so the rewatch value is pretty high. A lot was going on at all times, so in general, this movie was not boring. The ending felt rushed, though. And also, because so much was going on and there were so many characters, most of the side characters were flat. There was not enough time to go deep enough into the characters, which was a pity. I think this plot would have worked better as a mini-series.
The acting, it wasn't bad but not outstanding either. I liked Lee Min Ho and Kim Rae Won. Not only because they are hot, but also because they fit their roles. Rae Won was totally badass and Min Ho brought some sensuality into his badness. But still, I think the acting was a bit lacking. I loved Jong Dae's and Yeog Ki's friendship or should I say "brotherhood", it was touching and beautiful. Thumbs up for the bromance! These two were like innocence and twisted nature melting into something wonderful.
Like most of the times, the sex scenes were over the top. Maybe Korean directors think it's artistic but when I want to watch a gangster film I am NOT looking for porn. I know that sex is part of the badassness of gangster life, but those scenes made me laugh because heck they looked like rabbits mating. Can't say anything else to this than LoL!
The fighting scenes were artistic but honestly, I wish one of these directors finally did something new. I've seen bunch of men fighting in rain, in water, in mud, in sunshine, in grains, in *insert whatever you want* but dare I say it's getting old! Dare I say I actually fast forwarded the fighting scenes, because there were plenty and they made me numb. But at least they were well executed, I can't complain about that. The violence got so much more impact when it was exercised to someone by only one person in a form of torture. That was disturbing with an impact.
Love? You could say there was a subtle love plot somewhere in the background for both main characters, but the bromance was the main focus, that and the scheming of all these greedy people around them. I liked the idea how two guys actually dared to stand up to the corrupt wickedness, perhaps their intentions were not any better but it was still pretty cool. The ending was something most of us expected. Notice the contrast between Jong Dae and Yeong Ki! The symbolism was strong in this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
I liked the beginning and the settings of the story. Simply put, Doctor's Son stole my heart since the first time he appeared, he was way too cool. Later on Safari took his place, he was an amazing character with twisted past and heavy regrets on his shoulders. Soo and Jin Sook, wow. Just wow. For the first time, I actually fell in love with a female character, Jin Sook was a badass and she ruled. The friendship between Soo & Doctor's son was touching and deep, it was entertaining and brought so much warmth to the show. I loved every single bit of the underworld, even Scale (even though Kim Byung Ok is as good at acting as a block of wood). Chairman Jo and his son, they were twisted and insane while managing to look quite normal. Great acting, no, awesome acting here.
What brings this show down a great deal are the police. While a lot seemed to be going on in the underworld the police were useless. All they ever did was mistakes, one after another. I got the point that the line between the good and bad was extremely blurred in the show and that the police was also controlled by the underworld people as if they were pawns in a game, but they were way too useless, to the point that every time it was just boring to watch them. Prosecutor An was brilliant though, he was stupid and useless and had no idea what was going on, but he was so driven by his greed that he kept struggling to hang onto whatever he could grab, until he felt the whole gravity of it all crushing him.
What ruined a great deal of the show for me were Nam Gyu Ri and Lee Jae Yoon. Compared to the other cast they both lacked in acting department so much. Especially Nam Gyu Ri, she was fake and stiff throughout the show and every time she appeared on the screen it literally annoyed the hell out of me. Not to mention her 10cm make up layer which made her look like a Japanese sex doll, no offense but that' what I felt through the show and it was extremely distracting.
Lee Jae Yoon? He is not a good actor and it showed, his character was also pretty hateful. Though, I must admit that towards the ending his character became more likable and his acting also got better, at least after we got over the angst! Unlike other characters in the drama, Hyung Min actually grew and changed, he matured and became more human. Even though Hyung Min's character was hateful, and it probably was supposed to be like that, it was a well-written character, one of the best in drama history. But Lee Jae Yoon lacked the charisma and had difficulties bringing Hyung Min to life, so a lot of that brilliance was lost. He was a man who had the cold and the warm side and those two sides constantly clashed within him, confusing him and driving him to the edge. Jae Yoon was better with the good act than the bad act, which turned out sort of pathetic.
Hyung Min was a tragic character who got his life and dreams crashed in the very beginning of the show, his heart broke and he turned into a robot. But then, he met Safari and something changed "Undercover cops are human too". The change in him was well written, it became obvious how much those words had affected him and ever since hearing them you could tell that he had finally found peace. He was whole again and he was ready to face the crime in a calm and collected way. I am sure that his meeting with Safari also changed his attitude towards Doctor's Son. And later, it was Hyung Min who gave Doc what he needed, support, trust, freedom and courage to face Director Jo and later, himself. Hyung Min was there, somewhere between crime and justice, brooding from one side to the other, unable to find his place. In the end, Doc put him on his rightful place and gave him a new chance, taking all "evil" on his own shoulders. Hence, the ending and the feeling of him being able to start over on a better note. I believe him and Doc would have made a great team.
Doctor's son was a cool character, muted and distant but also very lovable. His relationship with the underworld circle was touching. Even though sometimes friends turned into enemies and enemies turned into friends, his feelings always remained the same. Unlike Hyung Min he had found his place and he only lost everything precious to him towards the ending. His story was the opposite from Hyung Min's, it was one about loss while Hyung Min's was about gaining. Doc was strong even though he had his vulnerable moments, you could see how the crime had hardened him but not to the point of numbing, just enough to survive. He also had support of Soo and Jin Sook and even Safari. He strived to protect them "I will go alone", he often said, always trying to avoid clashes and deaths. Even though it didn't seem so, he stayed true to his beliefs and never forgot who he was, hence his fallout with boss Min. His last meeting with Director Jo was remarkable "Nothing will change", but something will end. I would like to underline that 'something will end' part. "Ahjussi, finish what you started." Because change is not possible you have to end it. Someone else will try to continue but then you just have to end it again and again until you manage to put a stop to it.
I am actually a bit confused about the "bad guys". It was obvious where the face-off happened, one of them died the other learned from his mistakes, took responsibility and stepped down from his position. Here is the core of good and the bad, and finally the line in between becomes very clear. The good is the one who is able to change and the bad one has to be erased for the good to thrive. What I like about the whole story is that the good and bad actually changed places in the end, that is pretty amazing. But even so, I am still confused as to what was the whole point of their conflict. Was it that one strayed from his path while the other struggled to find his? Hence, Doc's role in the conflict, he was the one who stirred things up so much that a change had to happen eventually, nothing could remain 'the same' anymore. There actually was a change even though it had seemed so impossible for anything to change at all. Doc had a goal throughout the drama and even though he sometimes strayed and was fooled into doing things against his own will, he always came back to what he stood for. Justice.
In the end, when he cried in Jin Sook's arms like a child, that was one of the most touching scenes in the whole drama. For once, he dropped the cool guy act and showed his true feelings, the hurt, disappointment and sadness, everything spilled out. He had sacrificed himself and it was unfair, everything was so unfair when it came to him. Even though, his illusions crumbled down one by one when the lies unwrapped, he never once lost himself unlike Hyung Min. Doc was strong and admirable in that sense. He was honestly cool and he managed to be that way thanks to love and support he found in the underworld, in a world that he was supposed to despise because it took away his mother.
Doc too went through a battle, the good world and the bad world mixed inside of him into confusing mess and he tried to protect them both because he was unable to choose. But in the end, the underworld was what protected him, not the good world he had believed in, that good world stopped existing once the he found out about the truth and then he was able to finally chose his path. He knew what he had to do and he did it, because that's just how awesome he was. Because he had sunk so deep into the darkness that was what eventually saved his mentality. He tried to balance but always steered towards his friends and "family", he was loyal. And the most beautiful thing about him was that he was loyal to himself above all. He believed in himself, that belief might have faltered at some point but in the end, he kept faithful to his principles. He was admirable and Hyung Min admired him too, it was Safari who managed to change Hyung Min but it was Doc who saved him.
The director invested a lot into cinematography and most of the scenes were beautiful, but he failed to bring life to his beautiful scenes. Every time a new scene begun, there was a setting which looked good as a picture but it didn't come to life, the actors found themselves trapped and the atmosphere became stiff. I blame the director for a lot of things, especially how he handled Gyu Ri. I am sure he must have noticed that her acting is just not up to par with others and when I think about the settings and the way she reacted to some things, it's so damn stiff, theatrical and forced. He gave her advices but she failed to bring those advices to life and he failed to help her with that.
Soo Min, oh boy how much I hated her. She had no chemistry with anyone, at all. Her inability to embrace her role ruined a lot of things like her relationship with Jin Sook. It was a strong bond which evolved from something forced into a beautiful story of a lasting friendship. They connected and Soo Min found the unni she had lost in Jin Sook. She brought the human out in Jin Sook, the good and warm side. And thanks to Soo Min, Jin Sook was able to accept Doc when the revelation hit her. "You knew and you still loved him?" That's what touched her deeply and made her reflect on her past mistakes. Without Soo Min, Jin Sook would have turned out to be different and the whole plot would have changed drastically.
Then Soo Min's relationship with Doc, I still don't know what to think about it. I like how it was written but since Gyu Ri couldn't bring it to life I feel like there are a lot of missing puzzle pieces. Doc's part was better played but it was impossible to say what the whole relationship meant to the story because Gyu Ri ruined it. She completely destroyed this part and I hate her for doing so. I am sure her feelings for Doc were supposed to bring out the "normal guy" in him, not the underworld him, but just a guy, a man who also yearned to be loved and accepted. She gave him all that and even more, she touched him on a deeper level and he treasured her but... I believe that there is a much deeper meaning to their relationship, but I failed to see it. I failed to see love between them and I blame Gyu Ri for everything. She didn't fit her role and she ruined a great deal of the story for me. I hate her, sorry about that, but I downright despise her and I blame the director.
Jin Sook and Safari were conflicted characters, they affected Doc but he also affected them. When they weren't together they were not human but when they were together they were just normal people trying to live their lives the best they could. Their bond was unbreakable until the very end, their feelings for each other never faltered. I pity Safari, he was the most tragic character of them all, a good example what the battle between good and bad does to it's pawns, destroys them from inside out. He went through a lot of emotional torture and I appreciate it, that he did it all for the sake of his loved ones. Hands down, one of my most favorite characters of all times.
Jin Sook, she was the mother, a sister, a woman. She was the one who helped Doc to stay on his path because he wanted to protect her, but she was also the one who threw him in the pits of deepest hell because he loved her. I never stopped to wonder about what type of love they had, it seemed to border between platonic and romantic, but neither of them ever decided on it. They were connected and that's how I like to view it, they had a strong undefined bond and even Soo Mi couldn't break it, she just made it stronger. Jin Sook's fallout with Safari was unfortunate, but she never stopped believing in her "ahjussi". Doc and Safari, I believe that they never hated each other, there were things they didn't agree on, but they always protected each other despite everything. I am sure Jin Sook was jealous of what Doc and Safari had but Safari was also jealous of what she and Doc had, in the end Doc was what kept them together.
All in all, this drama is very entertaining because, indeed, a lot happens all the time. The first two episodes just swallow you and grip you hard but then something happens and ep 6-12 are rather bland, too much angsting and crying. 20 episodes is too many and the drama feels dragged, ever since the beginning. But surprisingly, for once the middle is boring and then the show picks up. I often found myself wishing there were less emotional things and more action. Soo's and Doc's friendship was beautiful and fun and I wish there were more scenes about it. In the end, Soo is pushed in the background and becomes sort of useless until his final mission. I hate the writer for this. She should have concentrated less on Soo Mi x Doc and more on Soo x Doc.
There are small annoying matters when it comes to the police, like SWAT force should always go in first to stabilize the situation and the detectives are not some freaking action heroes. I could have forgiven this if it wasn't used as plot device. Like, the police running in before the swat team and ruining the whole mission. Or Hyung Min going to arrest gangsters without any backup and surprisingly he fails... Also, Hyung Min used his cell phone as a flashlight, seriously... And the handguns they used, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? They are the police and they use freaking toys? Bring in the Glocks dammit!! Also, Hyung Min torturing his suspects in the beginning was rather crazy, I mean yeah... sure just go and shoot the woman's leg with the sniper. That's what cops do to each other. I know it was supposed to emphasize the extent he was willing to go to just for the sake of uncovering the murderer but give me a break. And when a person is stabbed in the stomach it hurts, like a lot. So I was annoyed when people kept walking around with injuries that, in real life, would have sent them to the ER. I laughed when Soo Mi gave Doc band aids when he had been stabbed. Okay, she didn't know and in the end that band-aid turned out to be rather symbolic but still. This all annoys me because otherwise the drama managed to suck me in but these little matters threw me out all the time.
Another thing was that so many people were actually undercover on both sides to the point it became ridiculous already. The way the undercover agents were trained it was simply "are you kidding me" - material. "Do the stuff I want you to do and I'll make you a cop", something tells me this is not the way it should be done. Undercover missions require a lot of trust, and even though I can see why some people agreed to do these things and where that "trust" was coming from, but it wasn't convincing enough. Basically, this drama was excellent, but it was full of small poorly executed details, which could have bee fixed easily.
Overall I recommend this show and the rewatch value is high too. I can't give full points because I really dislike the director, he ruined a lot for me, plus two main characters were played by actors with no acting skills whatsoever. The beauty of fragile love, which managed to bloom despite the ugly reality and hopelessness of it all, was destroyed with the unnecessary melodrama and typical Korean forced innocence. Let's face it, we all knew what Soo Mi started once she went to work for Jin Sook, keeping her innocent was lame and stupid, it ruined a lot of authenticity for me and also damaged the brilliance of her character.
Was this review helpful to you?
This is a story about a man and only about him, strictly from his perspective. It's as if the movie was written for So Ji Sub and if you are his fan this is a must see. But then again, if the main actor was someone else I would say the same thing. There is nothing special about the plot, but it's well thought with no holes or loose ends, the script and directing are flawless, acting is great too. There are no over the top bloody fighting scenes, no gore, no bloodbaths. Alongside the action there is a wonderful love story, it brings a certain balance.
The ending reminds me of a computer game, that's when I realized that this movie is soulless. It didn't stir any emotions in me, the plot is predictable and if you have watched enough Korean gangster movies you will guess the plot twist too. But as mentioned before, acting and scenery are superb so it's still worth watching just for the fun.
Was this review helpful to you?
The reasons why I stopped watching? There were many. The first thing was the father-son relationship which didn't seem to get anywhere. I was anticipating to see a lot of bickering and fighting, there was some but the plot was mainly about the father's love relationship. There is more father-son action in the latter part of the drama but the plot just drags badly and honestly speaking I felt extremely bored. To my disappointment the father concentrates mostly on 1. trying to stay alive longer 2. trying to take over the company himself 3. trying to take his revenge on his horrible family. This is all utterly selfish but above that boring. For several episodes the son goes around doing who knows what, seriously. None of that is even relevant to the plot. I was also extremely disappointed with the main couple, I just think there is something weird about it. First of all they barely have any sparks and this makes their relationship boring. Second, I wanted her to end with someone else so badly. Because I think she compliments that other person more.
All in all, the acting was okay and the music was fine. I liked the settings in each scene and the clothes used by the characters. It's just that none of the characters shone and everything became gray mass eventually. I couldn't find myself caring for anyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
Jae Min feels like In Wook is taking all his women.
In Wook feels like Jae Min is getting his women.
Young Joo feels like Soo Jung is taking all her men.
Soo Jung? She just has to choose but is having a hard time.
But choose between what?
And so the show goes on in small circles, again and again and again. The force what drives life and moves the world is money and it dictates the laws of darkness. There is no love, no happiness, nothing meaningful in money but everyone needs it. One doesn't have it, second has too much and third experienced both situations. No one became happy. That's life folks.
The whole drama is boring and drags on like your feet after walking 100 miles but... BUT! The beauty of the show comes to light after you have finished it! This dark show is not to be taken too lightly, you have to analyze everything and you will understand the beauty within!
The cast is wonderful and acting super good. The main girl, of course, super annoying. She is miserable but at the same time hateful. Then there is Young-joo the nasty girl. I liked her pretty much. She is bad and desperate but well... everything makes sense in the end.
I am sure many people will find this drama hard to like and easy to loathe but give it a chance and dive into it as deep as possible. This one show is deep and needs devotion, you won't get anything out of it without analyzing the psychology behind every action. It's going to be a depressing and miserable ride but that's what life is about sometimes.
What happened in Bali?
Happiness.
Complaints? Well, backgrounds of some characters could have been explained better and there were some questions left unanswered. And there could have been less episodes. And it's a bit unsatisfying that instead of getting over their problems these people... well... yeah.
Was this review helpful to you?
