Crap Writing from Beginning to End - Save Yourself and Skip It
This was the worst show. I really tried to like it for the main actors but the writer was SO SHITTY. They kept building up these horrific scenarios and as a viewer you’d think the prosecutors will resolve them to provide some sort of justice. But no, each case was resolved in mediocrity bc the writer focused too much on the ML and FL’s revenge story which itself was resolved without much satisfaction. The writing was just all over the place like the writer was in school and watched a bunch of tv shows and took pieces of it and patched it together for this BS. It was so infuriating watching one case after another get handled like shit. The ML and the FL were the worst prosecutors I’ve ever seen in a show. They were so incompetent and emotional and just blind. How do you go into a case and get surprised because the defense objects to the authenticity of evidence? Like that’s trial 101, to authenticate your evidence. And it was supposed to be a shocking move by the defense??? Who wrote this? Definitely someone who read a Wikipedia summary of trial proceedings and not anyone who is actually a good writer.Also, the episode on military abuse and the mass shooting. They built up so much about how much abuse the poor soldier who went crazy from it and they didn’t even allege temporary insanity or self-defense. Sure they’re prosecutors and not defense but they just let it all go and the abusers got away with everything and even monetary compensation. Like, where is the satisfaction in that as a viewer? I feel so angry watching this bull shit writing. I swear I’m never going to watch another thing by this writer.
Oh yeah, and they cast Ahn Bo Hyun and Jo Bo Ah who have pretty great acting chops and they relegated them to some stupid cliche lines about revenge. Talk about wasted talent. I came here after watching My Name because I wanted a similar genre and man it wasn’t even close. I mean, I know they’re totally different stories but the writer shouldn’t be this mediocre. I mean. Who wrote this mess??
If you’re looking for a good story with riveting courtroom scenes and smart twist, this drama is NOT it. Skip it and save your time. I’m so annoyed I watched till the end.
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My brain is dead, but at least I had fun?
I get people loving it because it was entertaining, but damn this was extremely poorly written. Too many plot points were simply ridiculous and beyond unrealistic and too many things were just vaguely explained. Some scene progressions were questionable at best, distasteful at worst. One of the best examples - the way they switched from showing physical abuse to a silly rap battle made me so uncomfortable. Or when the witness starts with “she almost made me blind”, but they end the statement on “she asked me to buy her sanitary pads” as if that was the worst thing he had to deal with - is this a joke? Social satire? What is going on?I think the biggest flaw of the drama was Cha Woo In. She was stagnant throughout the whole show, and her character development happens before the story starts. She is presented as a basically flawless person - smart, strong, righteous, caring, determined. Anything she had to learn she already did, anything she had to improve she already did.
On the other hand, we’ve got some great development for the other characters, including many supporting ones. Stories that focused on admitting to your wrong doings, facing the consequences and learning from them. Lessons that show kindness can change a person, even if we think they can never improve. Surprisingly a lot of depth considering the over the top scenario.
The highlight of the drama? Everything Noh Tae Nam related. I would love to see a drama focused on him as the main character. This could be some great character study.
Production value was the standard high quality we get from tvN - nothing stood out either on the positive or negative side. The soundtrack was great, especially the opening song - Ha Hyun Woo has simply magical vocals.
Overall, it was fun, but painful for my brain.
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This review may contain spoilers
An Exciting Military Show that Accidentally Takes Itself Too Seriously...
**T/W: Brief mention of SA (once) in this review. Nothing graphic. Please be careful.Hi there, it's been a while since I've written a review so I'm excited to get into it again!This review (unlike my others) DOES contain spoilers because honestly I have a few complaints.
Story: 9/10
This story is honestly quite interesting, mixing together law, corruption, and a military setting. I'm not someone that usually watches military shows, not even the very famous DOTS despite the raving reviews just because it's not my thing. But I decided to give this show a try after seeing some edits on TikTok (lol) and it was surprisingly really good. The story follows Cha Woo-In and Doh Bae-Man, two prosecutors with their own twisted backstories and intents. There's lots of corruption woven into the story as well as double-crossing, betrayal, and plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. I really enjoyed this show but I found after the 9th episode roughly, it started to take itself too seriously and it led to an overall flimsy ending. Without boring you all, here's the main pros and cons of the story:
Pros:
- Exciting cases every episode that push the plot forward in a meaningful way.
- No filler scenes. If anything, whenever a more light-hearted scene comes on, it feels like a refreshing comedic break from the tenseness of the main plot (most of which we must thank Doh Bae Man's aunt).
- Side characters that change and evolve throughout the story (including having their own motives and interests instead of being glued in one spot as "so-and-so's friend" or "so-and-so's enemy").
- The things that happen throughout the show change the leads, causing them to behave and respond in new ways. It's written very fluidly that I caught myself in one episode actually thinking: "Wow, what a big change. How did we even get here so fast?" Definitely the hallmark of a good writer I'd say!
Cons:
- There was not very much outward romance in this show. Like, at all! But it honestly makes sense within the context of the story as well as certain military hierarchies in place. A lot of the "romance" in this show relied entirely on the microexpressions of characters, as we only really see the leads touch a handful of times and we never see fully see them out of uniform, talking normally, acting like a couple, etc. It was definitely frustrating to watch as I personally LOVE romance shows, and although I understand the plot reasons for why the writers didn't go that route, I think there were definitely some opportunities for sweeter moments that were missed.
- Stereotypically evil villains (meaning we're never really swayed in their direction, and everything they do feels like "yeah, that person would totally do that". However, they DO pull us back in with the extent to which those characters will go and do evil things. And that does add a certain shock factor as a stereotypically evil villain adds depth to their own shadow.)
- Not enough closure for some of the subplots and REDEMPTION of a villain who committed a particularly gruesome crime (SA). No matter what, I just could NOT find it in me to empathize with a monster like that, no matter what else happened to him.
- The show hints at a few points that one of the leads may be related to one of the villains, leading to the possibility that there is more than what meets the eye to that lead's backstory and possibly turn the tables on the entire story. But the writers do absolutely nothing with that, and the story ends exactly how we expect it to from the very beginning.
Acting/Cast: 9/10
I honestly enjoyed the acting of most of the characters in this show. I'd like to start by complimenting Ahn Bo Hyun's acting as Doh Bae-Man. I've seen him in Itaewon Class as a villain, and even though I watched that show many years ago when it aired, I still remember being really impressed by his acting. And once again, I was impressed by how he conveys Doh Bae-Man's feelings, intentions, and ideas. His micro-expressions are really good, conveying subtle emotions like his character's love/pride/worry for Cha Woo-In despite absolutely no outright romantic dialouge and only a few touches throughout the show. That ALONE is what sells the fact that their characters really are in love, even though neither of them act on it outright both due to needing revenge and to respect the hierarchy between them.
Also, I loved the acting of the villains in this show, especially Oh Yeon Soo, who plays Noh Hwa-Young. She is a really exceptional actress, and I also loved her microexpressions. Her character is definitely tough to work with, being a fierce and stern military woman as she is, but she manages to show the greed, the worry, and the cruelty of her character despite remaining cold and sophisticated 90% of the time. Definitely not an easy character to play! I also enjoyed the acting of Kim Woo Seok, who plays the character I personally DESPISED the most in this show, Noh Tae-Nam. Although I really strongly disagree with the ending they gave his character, I must admit he plays the character extremely well. He shows the arrogance and the traumas of his character well and how he slowly changes. Definitely really good work, even though I'm new to both actors!
The only real reason I have put a 9/10 instead of 10/10 for the acting is the FL Cha Woo-In played by Jo Bo Ah. I have watched the Tail of the Nine Tailed Fox which was my introduction to Jo Bo Ah's acting so honestly...I knew what I was getting myself into when I started this show. Her delivery of her lines is really good, but her expressions are incredibly flat. Her anger, her worry, her fear, they're all almost identical save for a small tilt of the head or so. For me, it wasn't a huge problem because I felt like the fast pace of the show and the chemistry between the leads made up for it. But if you've never watched a show with her in it, I definitely feel like it might annoy you. It's not a huge deal breaker for me though because I like Jo Bo Ah and her elegant vibe. Me personally, I will for sure watch more shows with her in it if they come across my FYP / are recommended to me by others. (And honestly, she might have other shows where her acting is much better, in which case I'd love to be wrong and tune in!)
Music: 8/10
I'm not a big OST person but I felt like the OST was nice enough.
Rewatch Value: 8/10
I'm honestly not someone that rewatches shows often, so it's always hard for me to rate this category. But I think it's a good show and I wouldn't mind re-watching it with fresh eyes in a couple years.
Overall: 8.5/10
Honestly, this was a pretty good show. My main gripes were with the silly misleading hint I mentioned above, the redemption of a certain villain, and the lack of overall romance. But that being said, no show is ever perfect and I think the writers and actors all did an amazing job. So 8.5!
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Patriotism!
We've had plenty of prosecutor shows, but now it's set in a military setting—what a revolutionary twist! The drama was alright and had an interesting introduction, but the overarching story was delayed too often, and interest began to plummet. It would have fared better if the side cases weren't so bland and were better interconnected. Even though there were moments of tension and drama but there was something missing that prevented it from being impactful. The characters were a mixed bag, some of them were great while the rest were too annoying to tolerate. While the ending was fine but I wish there was more to it.Was this review helpful to you?
Honestly I was expecting a lot more than what was delivered.
Maybe I'm just tired of the same old same old revenge plot but this show really just wasn't fantastic. Predictable plot, flat (and annoying) characters, slow parts, the list goes on.I thought the acting for the most part was pretty good but there was just too much of the main characters. I kept feeling like there were these great side plots that I was looking forward to watching, but there was so little screen time for other characters that they were all drowned out. The two paralegals (?) or whoever worked in the office with them seemed like characters that had so much potential for side stories and development but the writing just fell flat. I was expecting a little bit of romance (or just something not totally related to the main characters) for one or both of them to happen and it just didn't.
The part that irked me the most about this story was the frankly bad writing that Noh Hwa Young experienced. She seemed too evil to be believable. Why do we hear like NOTHING about her backstory?? It felt like she was extremely one-dimensional for such a main character. I mean I was left with so many questions. (and not in the way that they intended). Why does she want to be high up in the military so badly?? what happened to her finger?? why is there literally zero mention of a father?? how tf did she even raise Noh Tae Nam??? I mean she was just so evil and I kept craving and wanting any sort of big overarching reason of why she is the way she is and it just never came. I was just bothered every time she apperaed on screen. The actress was good though, very evil feeling.
I expected more from Noh Tae Nam. He was truly my favorite character from the get-go. I felt like he wasn't getting enough screen time and his character development was predictable and just boring. It felt like a story that has been told about a million times before. Despite the poor writing, he still was my favorite character. Kim Woo Seok's acting was fantastic, especially the emotional ones.
now, the main characters.
Both annoying. why are they so dead-set on revenge?? what person is like this?? why dont they give up and live a little without being obsessed with their parents deaths? To be fair, they both had their moments where I felt like I really got the characters (when Do Bae Man realized he was a shitty prosecutor and when Cha Wu In beats the shit out of people) I did like the action scenes. I felt like honestly there was too much of them, there was almost no side plot which makes shows very very hard to watch. Also didn't love the romance thing they shoved in at the end. If they were gonna go romance, go all the way. It was predictable and disappointing. The acting was alright for the most part but I just wish their characters were better developed.
My final thoughts: I didn't hate this show, but I will never ever watch or think about it again. There are much better revenge plot stories if that's your thing, and there are much better military stories, if that's your thing. The writers were frankly dogshit and wrote bad characters. If you want to be disappointed (although entertained by the action scenes and every time we saw Noh Tae Nam), you should watch this show.
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Entertaining story and Characters
The headline summed it up.The changeover of the ML who was initially concerned with himself, his ambition and the money he can get in the beginning is typical but the character is interesting in that he's physically talented, smart, discerning and perceptive. He could read the room and the people he interacted with and immediately get on with them.
The FL is as capable and on par with the ML so it's fun to watch them get together when they realised they have the same goals. Their journey has its ups and downs but they overcame to triumph so it's satisfying to see them seal their relationship at the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
SO much fighting , cruelty, beatings & blood.
I was not expecting this drama to be as engaging & interesting as it was because it's very violent with alot of military & political drama. [not topics of interest to me]. Excessive amount of fighting , cruelty, beatings & blood. ( Would have given a higher score if there was less of that). The leads do a great job & are very appealing. What they are up against is insurmountable so you have to suspend disbelief. Though there is no "romance" per say, the main characters have a definite connection & though there are no sparks or warm fuzzies, there is a happy ending for main couple with a satisfying kiss at the end [ for those of us who like tidy relationship conclusions]. I thought there were too many bad guys & that it seemed like it was - again-, the older generation who were the worst offenders (like it's always up to the younger generation to fix things !)Was this review helpful to you?
Bad acting + ordinary revenge plot= okay series somehow
The story isn't any special the same usual revenge story.The acting was really bad form almost all actors except Kim Woo Seok (Noh Tae Nam character).
The music wasn't great .
The fighting scene were acceptable can't complain about it.
But don't why or how i still enjoyed watching it somehow and finished it on a small period
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Oh. My. God.
This is incredible. One of the best series I have seen honestly, absolutely in love with every single moment of it, and I really recommend it.The story, the Plot twists, betrayal, trust, anger, sadness, joy. it is a brilliant, BRILLIANT series with everything you could hope for (INCLUDING hints of romance, and comedy, all fit suitably between the drama and darkness).
and the soundtrack, oh my GOSH, the soundtrack!!! I am absolutely OBSESSED with My zone by Saay, and the energetic instrumentals through our are so fun and lively.
And don't even get me started on the characters and how well the actors portray them. they felt so fleshed out, and the character growth on so many different levels was exhilarating.
it covers sensitive topics on all fronts, and especially the mental state of various characters and what they are managing with and how that affects them. mommy issues, abandonment issues, self worth issues, and especially the issue of greed for power, money, control.
I love this series so much, 10/10 will definitely watch it again. it is clear some people missed the entire point of this series, and it's message, but y'know what, most people have the braincells to be able to look into the bigger picture lol.
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Refreshing
Maybe I've been watching way too many historical dramas about kings in disguise and ladies in disguise who are smart and read books and stuff, but I found this drama a genuine breath of fresh air. It is very fast-paced and there is virtually no romance and the main leads are generally likeable and they have a dog so it's all great. In all seriousness though, there are many tropes that are so often found in law dramas - the heroine is a petite boss lady who beats up gangs of cartoonish villains in her spare time and there is revenge for dead fathers and dead mothers and good always prevails against insurmountable odds - long story short, it's cliché-studded. It's almost a miracle that among all that there is a moving story with two-dimensional villans and a friendship and some truly profound moments, and yet here they are.The ending is stupidly rushed, that's true. I took half a star away for that.
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From the scheming behind the scenes to the courtroom, the show keeps you entertained all the way through. Let’s be fair who doesn’t like a good bad ass character with awesome fight scenes. And the revenge best served cold makes it so satisfying to see once all of the scumbags get a taste of their own medicine. Last day also want to see the character development that you’ve seen some of the characters are also just immaculate to see someone go from a scumbag to an actual good person feel somehow good. Overall, I think it’s a great watch. That’s definitely worth your time, but it’s also something where the morally grey aspects will also make you sit in question a bit.
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