The Judge from Hell (2024)

Haters Be Damned.. Love.. Justice.. And a Touch of Chaos in The Judge From Hell..

Such a horrible drama.. Bad CGI.. Poor acting.. Bad Ending.. What was that all about?? 5 /10 for me..

If you have heard or read comments like this.. Don’t be too quick to believe them.. Trust me.. This show has so much more to offer.. From the unique storyline to the carefully crafted characters.. Every episode brought something memorable which i wouldnt want to miss..

The drama started off strong.. But ep 2 is where I got completely hooked.. The abuser getting to experience his sins and the pain he was in before his death brought total satisfaction.. This is the kind of intense and unapologetic justice you rarely see in Kdramas... And that ending?? When she stabbed the ML.. Just made it more interesting.. How on earth are they going to go from this to being in love?? Well.. They were in love and more than that by the end of the drama.. This isn’t just the usual Enemies to Lovers trope.. This is something even darker and more intriguing.. Killer to Lovers?? Forbidden Love trope??

Seeing her thrash those culprits was so satisfying.. Easily one of my favorite parts of the drama.. Its not often that a show gives us such visceral justice.. And I honestly couldn’t get enough..

I read people complain about the lack of romance in the first half.. But honestly the chemistry was there all along.. Romance isn’t just about kissing scenes and physical intimacy.. It’s also about those micro moments.. From her smirk in the courtroom when she saw him smiling to her disappointment when he didnt trust her.. She was clearly drawn to him even before she understood her feelings.. She was in love long before she realized it herself.. She literally needed a psychiatrist to point it out..
She is a demon who dont know what love is.. But she was quick to clash with anyone who stood against the ML.. If that’s not love then what is??

When the detective went missing.. What surprised me was how casually her abduction was handled.. Even Han Da On didn't seem interested in doing anything.. I understand his reasons but it felt off.. She had disappeared from a dangerous situation.. She was like a mother figure to him.. He should have been searching for her like crazy.. But he didnt and he didn’t even ask Bit Na for help..

I despised the A Rong/Gremory character from the start and just wanted her to die as each episode passed.. I don't know why.. But she really got on my nerves.. However I have to admit she made up for her mistakes later on.. Really loved Man Do.. He was fun to watch..

I read some complaints about the CGI.. While I wouldn’t call it top notch.. I would rate it a solid 8 out of 10.. Most scenes were well done.. Except for a few scenes involving water..

Justitia went from killing him in ep 2 to going on to say:

" I wanted to kill everyone who made you cry..
And I wanted to make you happy so u never have to cry anymore.. "

And she went from calling kissing scenes in dramas filth to asking him to kiss her more.. That transformation was so much fun to watch..

Now.. The whole drama was a masterpiece.. But the ending.. Ending felt lacking.. She has 3 years left in earth but she chose to stay as a Judge that too far from the person she loves.. With whom she wanted to make memories which she could remember for eons?? And he didn't consider transferring to her city or taking a break?? He can work all he wants after she disappears right?? The logic was quite lacking considering what they both went through to reach where they are and the fact that they don't have a future together.. It was such a vague ending.. If they confirm a second season then all good.. Otherwise the ending is really lacking for me..

PSH really outperformed everyone.. Well there was no one as good as her here.. But she was really good.. She is one of the most convincing reason for the drama's success.. Kim Jae Young did a good job as well.. I hope this drama gives him the recognition he deserves and gets more opportunities..

Overall.. The Judge From Hell has amazing actors.. Great chemistry.. But the interaction between Da on & bitna in the first 8 episodes was truly spectacular.. Just stood out for me.. They were the opposite ends of the same coin.. The plot of Da On chasing her was absolutely exhilarating to watch.. The first 9-10 episodes is the reason why this garnered so much attention..

P.S. I find the subtitles for most dramas frustrating.. They often fail to provide accurate translations.. Missing key moments and not capturing the intended emotions.. Thankfully I understand a bit of Korean.. So I can pick up on what they really mean.. But I cant help but think that most people are missing out on the essence because of the terrible translations.. Its a bit annoying honestly..

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a fun watch

What really stands out to me in this series was the acting. I mean Park Shin Hye absolutely killed it in her role as Kang Bit Na. Honorable mention to Kim Jae Young, Kim In Kwon and Kim Ah Young who also played their roles really well. As for the plot, I am a big fan of crime and thriller dramas, so I did enjoy the revenge/vigilante motif and crime solving but the rest of the story was underwhelming. The overarching story was cheesy, predictable and a little stale. Oh also, the cgi is awful, so much so, that it's kind of funny? Nonetheless, the acting and cast still made this an entertaining series. While far from a "must watch", I'd say it's worth giving it a shot.

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Mind-blowing Drama

I can’t believe we’ve already reached the end. This drama has brought me so much joy over the past few weeks. Every episode literally kept me on the edge of my seat! The director did an amazing job, creating an atmosphere that pulled the audience in completely. The actors gave outstanding performances, bringing each character to life and making every moment unforgettable. Even all the side characters had their moments to shine and connect with the audience. From the cleaning team to the police officers. They’re not just background characters and do contribute to the plot. I’m truly going to miss everything about this show, and I’m sure it will be remembered for a long time to come.

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EXTREMELY OVERRATED DRAMA

This is drama had a high rating, i really wanted to watch it, i even subscribed to disney plus again to watch it.. only to be very disappointed. EXTREMELY OVERRATED DRAMA.

Firstly, the female lead, Park Shin Hye, i don't think this role suits her at all, she did not portray a demon. Maybe this was the directors vision, but i could feel that she is acting, she did not embody her role at all and consequently, it did not convince me either. However, now that i think about it, i never really liked any of her roles ( i haven't seen a lot though).
Secondly, the relationship. Why are the main leads so damn awkward with each other? and to the people saying they had great chemistry.. WHERE? in the story, 2 years supposedly passed and they kissed like they are both 16 and it's their first kiss. Where was the grand love that made her, A DEMON, become human and stay in the human world? it was an absolute snooze fest. Maybe the awkwardness comes from the male actor, Kim Jae Young, i have only seen him in Love in Contract and he left no impression so i don't know really where the problem lies in this boring relationship..
On the other hand, now Choi Dae Hoon, the random police officer that was a demon, now he embodied a demon and did an absolutely great job. This reminded me that i really want him finally to have a main role in a drama, because he never has a main role ;(
Now the story itself. The thing is, it was not convincing at all. The hell visually was very cliche, and their job was to send murderers to hell.. I am sorry, but is the only sin murder in this drama? why is it so black and white? this type of plot is boring and offers absolutely no nuance. For a contrast, there is this drama, the devil judge, where this kind of topic is explored in a much better way. The judge from hell just felt very childish and was not for me.
Overall, this hardly deserves a 5/10.

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UPDATE: Started strong, but fizzled out.

Original review after 4 episodes: I wish Disney listed it as ongoing. At least where I am however many episodes are up, look like they that's all there is. I thought it was complete and watched the four released episodes in a night and was left so mad at myself, because I wanted more. And now I have to wait until November to see it all play out. 😭

Honestly though, it is good. The main female character reminds me of Sim Eun-Seok from Juvenille Justice or Koo Ryeon from Tomorrow, but at an unhinged level. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about how it would be. I hadn't thought much of Park Shin-Hye as an actress. It isn't that I thought she was bad, it just didn't seem like she had a lot of range based on what I'd seen her in. Apparently that was the writing or direction, because she has shown much more range in these first four episodes than I can really recall from most of the dramas I'd seen her in previously.

I can't wait to see where this goes. I do worry a littttle bit that it might try to do too much. Like I see threads for different plots it could follow popping up and like...if it tries to grab all of them I think it will end up more a knot than a braid. Not my best metaphor, but my point still stands.

Side note, I do feel like spider guy should cut her a little slack. I mean, the guy confessed to killing three people. How was she supposed to know that was more of a childhood guilt thing than an actual confession? She's not psychic, she's just a demon sent to torture and kill murderers and there was a guy in front of her telling her he was a murderer.
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UPDATE: after the first like 7 episodes of supernatural revenge it fizzled out into a forced romance. Whole subplots seemed like they were dropped and the world building was lacking.

A-rong's whole purpose of being a demon punishing demons who fall in love came up once when she killed that random demon from the demon support group. But the group never comes back and her purpose quickly fades to the background in favor of the romance. She went from having her own purpose to apparently just tagging along as Justitia's underling. Man-do's whole thing about him attending church was never expanded on. A high-level angel who apparently was able to just peace out on his heavenly responsibilities to babysit a detective, though mainly in the form of vague warnings. The ultimate evil was scrunched pretty easily once they tracked him down. Honestly, her peer and co-second-to-Bael seemed more threatening than Lucifer in the end. Bael's character confused me entirely since it seemed like he wanted her to fail. I thought it would end up being the big twist/villain situation (since Lucifer was a little underwhelming) that Bael set her up because he was her worried her "I'm the demon of all demons" attitude meant she might try to challenge him and he wanted to basically smack her down before she rebelled. But, no it kind of went nowhere and ended with him being like "I'm glad you're my successor and would be disappointed to lose you". Her being a serial killer leaving bodies of criminals the justice system didn't punish branded with "hell" just kind of get dropped from the plot.

I liked the parts where she made the killers suffer the same fates as their victims. It was not only kind of satisfying (though I personally liked the psychological aspect of them having to feel what their victims did more than the just-straight-beating them up), especially the stalker who almost drove his ex to take her own life, but it really showed off how talented an actress she is when given the right scene. Honestly, I would have preferred to drop the romance and have it be more like Youth Justice where each episode is a different case and then her balancing being a human judge and demon judge to give them justice. Maybe still keep her paired up with a detective to balance the justice vs. vengeance aspect.

As for the romance...I mean, I don't get it. He was drawn to her first from their first trial but then was pretty quickly against her and only following her in the hopes of taking her down and proving her a killer. He wasn't even like trying to be nice to get the information, he made his suspicion 100% clear. He also accused her of killing the other demon after she had basically stepped in to save his life from being killed by that demon. And lectures her about like "oh, just 'cause you're a demon, you think you get to demon things". So, other than his looks, I'm not sure what she saw in him to become so obsessed with him that she was basically ready to risk everything to keep him around. And then he goes from being all "killing killers is bad and makes you bad" to "kill this killer for me" in less than 24 hours. And he then transitioned from capable cop a bit over his head in a supernatural situation to just kind of being a damsel in distress.

I feel like it tried to so much from the start and then had to let things go. Like, if they dropped the whole Lucifer thing and all the moments of Man-do going to church, that would have given them time to establish the romance more.

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Enjoyed The Novelty But Can’t Recommend

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I was immediately excited to watch this because it’s a Park Shin Hye (박신혜) drama. Also, she’d be playing a completely different type of character than I’m used to seeing. I was so interested in this idea because I think Park Shin Hye is a pretty bad actress (not the worst, but she’s down there) and I really want to see her improve. She was the lead female in the first K-drama I’ve ever watched (The Heirs), so there’s a sense of nostalgia when I watch her.

Acting/Cast: I am happy to say Park Shin Hye killed it (pun intended). Her character was by far the most entertaining aspect of this drama. I already knew she could do action, which is a huge thing for me. So, I figured that was a big reason why she got this role. She did great with the action as well as the acting. Her sidekick was also a well-acted character. I like who they cast to play Bael. That was a nice surprise. My biggest issue in this category is the male lead. I don’t remember ever seeing him in anything else, so, unfortunately, I can only gauge his acting off this drama alone. It was terrible. I could not tell at all how he was feeling by looking at his face except for when he was literally crying. He looked like he was daydreaming, honestly. He had zero chemistry with Park Shin Hye’s character. It was a bit cringey. He wasn’t half-bad in the beginning though…what went wrong? 5/10

Writing: It’s all over the place. I feel like this drama switches the plot on us multiple times. Characters are introduced and done away with quickly. Things happen that don’t make any sense. The lore doesn’t even make sense. Characters change their minds suddenly to suit the direction in which the writers decide to take the plot. I think what people like about this drama is the revenge aspect. It’s brutal revenge, as well. Park Shin Hye’s character doesn’t do things by the books (unlike most K-dramas), but instead tortures and kills the murderers. In K-drama world, she’s only allowed to get away with this as a female lead because she is already evil and it’s her job as a demon. Loop holes… Anyway, the male lead is a cop and a human, so he can’t take revenge in this way because it would make him “evil”. So basically he just ends up taking a backseat for the duration of the drama. If he doesn’t physically do it, even though he’s not stopping someone else from doing it, he’s still good. What a cop out… (I’m usually not this punny. I swear.) He’s just there to watch along with us I guess. I usually like revenge type plots, but I didn’t feel this one was very satisfying. Especially, the judgments on the murderers who weren’t part of the main storyline. I don’t know these people. I haven’t had enough time to emotionally connect with their victims. I don’t want to see them get tortured. Honestly, even if I was able to emotionally connect…I still don’t like seeing that stuff. I think the revenge in The Glory was really satisfying because she outsmarted them and got them to destroy themselves and each other. And in Revenge of Others (another satisfying revenge drama), the vigilante tortured perpetrators because the law was letting them get away scot-free. He also wasn’t killing them afterward, so they had a chance to repent or be punished by the law as well. Plus, the drama allowed us to fully connect with the victims before enacting revenge. In The Judge From Hell, I also really didn’t like something that happened near the end. I can’t say too much but… we watch revenge dramas because we want a feeling of justice being carried out, wrongs being righted, and we root for the victims and underdogs. There was a victim in this story (this person wasn’t “good”, but still a victim) that was robbed of that and there was really no reason for it. It’s like they just threw it in there because the writers wanted as much death as possible or something. I was a little perturbed during the last couple episodes because of this. 1.5/10

Direction/SFX/Music: Scene cuts felt jarring at times, but I realized it was just the style. They would jump ahead and then backtrack to show the events leading up. The special effects are well done and the soundtrack, although it wasn't quite my style, is distinct and adds personality to the drama. 8/10

Entertainment Value: Now that I’m thinking about it, this drama really has Tale of the Nine-Tailed vibes. The plot is all over the place, it has interesting characters that bring a sort of charm to the drama, one lead is great while the other is terrible, and there is no chemistry between the leads. For me, this drama was a lot more fun to watch though. I never felt like dropping it. Although, I did get annoyed toward the end.
6/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 5/10. It felt like going to an amusement park and buying an overpriced, not-so-great souvenir. It was a fun time and the souvenir’s purpose, although underwhelming, is just to help us remember the good memories we had that day. I definitely would not recommend this if you want to watch a good romance and/or you dislike violence and gore. However, I would recommend it if you like watching Park Shin Hye. It’s the best acting I’ve seen from her.

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Many unwanted elements.

This my first ever review from this profile and I especially wanted it to be "The Judge from Hell" since I followed this drama while on air every week.

Note: This review is not to discourage anyone from watching this drama . Personally I gave this a try since I liked PSH's Dr.Slump and this was airing at that time.

First ,I would like the summarize what I liked about this drama first before my critics or ranting:

1. Park Shin Hye acting - Imho she pretty much carries this drama with her performance. Considering that she got majority of screen time, I would argue that she justified her role and hooked me into watching this drama.

2. First 8 Episodes - Keeping aside the fantasy setting, the first 8 episodes were really interesting, which shows ruthless or how much evil the each criminals were and how they were punished, which was really satisfying to be honest.

3. I really liked the Music in this Drama, though it was a bit dramatic at times.

Now onto the my rants:
As mentioned in the tittle "Many unwanted elements" :

1. The Romance plot was very forced. There were no hints that the ML is interested in the FL for 8 or so episodes then suddenly push a dire situation on to the leads to force Romance. Forcing romance like this is not the best option to bring emotional changes to a character.

2. I am sorry to say this but the ML went on from being persistent cop to a Damsel in distress in the later half of the show. They made his character slow witted just so the FL can save him from dire situation and force the romance plot.

3. The Criminals shown in the first 8 episodes even with limited screen time were more interesting than the main villain of the Drama, who I found very weak whatsoever he did.

4. The plot was all over the place during the last 4 episodes and there were too many plot conveniences just to conclude on a happy note. But I would rather have bittersweet or sad ending with no loose ends.

5. Apart from 1 or 2, the supporting cast was not memorable along with the ML.

That pretty much wraps up my review or rant about this Drama which pretty easily engaged me with its initial episodes and let me down at the end.
Personally I would rate 8/10 for the first 8 episodes and 5.5/10 for 9-14 episodes.

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Exploring Moral Dilemmas and Supernatural Justice: A Review of The Judge From Hell

The Judge From Hell is a captivating fantasy thriller that hooks viewers with its unique blend of supernatural elements and moral dilemmas. The premise, which cleverly incorporates law and justice within the realm of demons, adds a compelling complexity that keeps the story engaging. Bitna's character exemplifies this contradiction; she initially appears as an unstoppable force, executing judgments with precision, but her growing emotional attachment to Daon creates an inner conflict that adds depth, even if it sometimes slows the plot's momentum.

The trials Bitna administers reflect the moral principle of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and I found her brutal yet fitting approach to justice both intriguing and thought-provoking. While these sequences carried emotional weight and were integral to the narrative, some felt drawn out, affecting the overall pacing. Additionally, the haunting soundtrack enhanced the dark atmosphere, adapting beautifully to the show’s emotional range and elevating the viewing experience.

Despite some pacing issues, the performances were strong, particularly Park Shin-hye as Bitna, who brought fierce energy to her role. However, I found Kim Jae-young’s character to be a bit divisive; his rapid discovery of Bitna’s secrets diminished some tension. The cliffhanger ending leaves the future of the story open, which could either be a clever setup for a second season or a frustrating conclusion if unresolved. Overall, I would rate the series 4 out of 5 stars, as it successfully weaves a strong premise with engaging characters and a compelling mix of moral dilemmas and supernatural elements.

READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE: https://diyarisks.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-judge-from-hell-2024-series-review.html

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This might be the best kdrama of 2024 for me.

just 4 episodes out but i think this drama is gonna be my favourite from 2024 (sorry to qot fans). Park Shin Hye was my first favourite Korean actress maybe because i started my kdramas journey with most dramas where she played the lead but after memories of alhambra, i lost interest in her dramas but i am surprised with this one. I have missed just two of her dramas but i could say i've never seen her with this much of jolly or funny-going expressions in her previous dramas. The drama is worth watching people. Also i feel like the main character's character is highly inspired from the main character's character from Hotel Del Luna, not that i am complaining.

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