The Judge from Hell

지옥에서 온 판사 ‧ Drama ‧ 2024
Completed
natijim
1 people found this review helpful
Feb 5, 2025
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers

good, then better.

At first when i watched this show, it was good and i looked forward to it every week, but it wasn't like a perfect show. The more i watched it and when i finished it, unexpectedly i though about how i actually was sad the show was over.

When i see the cover, im like sad it's over and i wish i could watch from new again.

I loved her character's attitude, her home, and her style. She makes me want to be just as her, she's so stylish and very confident. I think the writer did a great job designing her and making her an iconnn.
The ML is kinda just there. She swan, he frog.

The show had a good about of eps and each ep was compacted with substance and not just dragged on eps, barely any parts got boring.
Me in 2025 here!
I rewatched the show, which is rare that i finish a show, let alone, rewatch. I re-realized how amazing this show is omfg. The writers did amazing creating kang bit na's character so two dimensional, i think they could have waited a bit to make her start liking him, but I get this was the case because of how little episodes there were. I wish i would find another show with this vibe and amazing writing, but it's too good that's it's raised my standards. It feels Korean and not an Americanized Korean drama. This might not make sense, but it felt true to their culture. American cinema is probably one of the best around, but it's its own thing, and this show did a good job being its own personality.
I honestly can't use words to describe how amazing this show is, so i am a little frustrated but i hope the people who worked on this show feel proud.

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Completed
StudyDramasPT70
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 16, 2025
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

Satisfaction pro Max

The Judge from Hell is a wild ride—super emotional and definitely gets you thinking. The main characters have a lot of depth, and you really **feel** for them as they dive into revenge. The emotional payoff? Totally satisfying. But the plot does get kinda repetitive. Like, the revenge arc stays the same throughout, and after a while, you kinda know what’s coming next. Still, it hits that sweet spot of justice and catharsis, so it works.

The big question here: is legal punishment enough, or does the cycle of violence keep going? The show does a good job of making you think about it. Also, shoutout to the male lead—he was absolutely adorable! His performance really carried the emotional weight, making the show way more impactful than it could’ve been.

Production is top-tier. The acting is solid, the visuals are great, and the soundtrack really sets the mood. It’s not the most groundbreaking show, but if you’re into intense character drama and moral dilemmas, it’s worth watching.

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Completed
ThaiKdrama
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 29, 2025
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

you better watched this series!????

i really² love the series, Park Shin Hye so very slayable and do her character so very well, i really love her and the Male lead is also the top tier, and those supporting actor & actresses is so slayable tho!💅🏼 i really recommend this drama!!! waaaaa I don't really have nothing to say, but to recommend and admire this series and those characters!!! XOXO!!😻😻😻😻🔥🔥🔥🔥 also i love the production and the story and those music, and Park Shin Hye acting was very demure and slayable, wahhh i loveitttttt!!!🔥🔥🔥😻😻
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Completed
50FiftillidideeBrain
1 people found this review helpful
Jun 18, 2025
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 4.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

✝ Oh HAIL No ✝ °4.5° °repugnant°

What the H£!!?

The 1-sentence review: The door opened and the light blinded her, the sign warned in red fiery letters: “ALL WHO ENTER HERE ABANDON ALL HOPE,” and that is the warning the potential viewer should be cautioned by.

TJFH is not remotely good.

Kang Bitna died a while back. Justitia (Goddess of Justice, though she calls herself a demon, is played by Oh Na Ra from My Mister-9.5 & Racket Boys-8.3), she screwed up that day. Even though Bitna wasn't on the docket, even though she insisted she never killed anyone, the judge had seen and heard all of /that/ before. Only murderers make it to her courtroom, so she sentenced this murderer. Then Bael, her boss, showed up and gave her a punishment for convicting an innocent woman. She must live on earth as that woman and send 10 unrepentant murderers to Hell. Bitna.2.0 (Park Shin Hye from Flower Boy Next Door-7, The Heirs-7.3, Memories of the Alhambra-7) is Justitia in Bitna's body. She's not great with kids. She does recycle, though. Bitna was a judge, so she will see some murderers. She has 1 yr. Finding 10 murderers to clear out in 12 mos won't be easy. Fortunately, there's a loophole: 1 murderer who has killed 10 people would count as 10, just as any other combo of murderers, whose the victims add up to at least 10, would. She realizes it would be great to locate some double-dippers.

TJFH is a 2024 release that is 1 season consisting of 14 70-minute episodes. It is rated 92 on AWiki, 8.6 on MDL and 7.8 on IMDb. I simply find that hard to comprehend. Forget the fact that the plot is sloppy and the romance is utterly unconvincing (in episode 11 they do have a very cute date), TJFH is loaded with gore, blood, violence - extreme violence against women and children - and it makes light of all kinds of spiritual issues that should be taken more seriously. From a technical standpoint it's better than mediocre, but not great. From an EQ-POV it's rancid. I hated this show. Just loathed it. The more I see of the Hulu K-catalog the more they seem to line up with some of the crazy rumors about them. Hulu's Korean lineup is loaded with gore, violence, bad language, and more causal sex than usual. They're trying to turn Kcountry into Hollyweird, and my eyes expatriated to east Asia to get away from that rot. Many of the Hulu shows are good, but not all of them. TJFH is not a good show. Oh HAIL no. Even the great Park Shin Hye can't resurrect this corpse.

Ms Park played the shy and tortured type early on in her career. She's amazing as an eye-rolling kick@$$ in Sisyphus-8 and this is yet a new look for her. She's confident, ruthless, decisive, and rather diabolical. Her drinks come in macabre red and black cans; when she pops them open we can almost hear: “I'm evil,” instead of the scrape of metal and the popping release of CO2.

Kim Jae Young was in 2 shows that I love enough to have already rewatched: My Secret Romance-7 & Black-9. Here, he's Han “Da” On, a cop on trial for using excessive force. This actor always looks slightly sad even when he smiles. He's self-represented. Afterall, he's innocent, so why should he use a lawyer? Even with a fool for a lawyer, Bitna acquits him. He introduces himself to her outside and thanks her, which she deflects. He hands his card to her and tells her to contact him If she ever needs assistance. She deflects that, too, telling him she'll remember his information.

In TV style, she'll need to call him mere hours later. She's been arrested! The police believe she's delusional. The unfavorable psych evaluation that dropped out of her purse might have had something to do with it. “I don't know about demons, but I'm certain God doesn't exist,” Da says to her later on. She makes sure to inform him that humans are the ones that cause the current mess that we're in. Demon or not, Da thinks she's an impeccable judge. He doesn't want to see her step down. They realize they actually have a common case together and the trial starts tomorrow.

She shocks him the next day. She lets a serial, deranged wife-beater off with a small fine. Da is incredulous. The victim is in serious danger of being murdered by this perp.

Her POA to accomplish her mission is short-sighted, but she doesn't need it to work, longterm. She needs a year. It's a mad dash to the finish line. Her strategy is to give these heinous criminals light (or no) sentences so that she can murder them when they're released. They torture people in this show. Sure, some have it coming, however, it's too much. The death penalty is one thing; torture is another.

The other perpetrators of this debacle are Kim In Kwon as Valak, Bitna's assistant; Kim Ah Young as Gremory, Bitna's other assistant; andvLee Joong Ok & Ha Kyung Min on cleanup crew. Kim Jae Hwa is the local Christian, Jung Myeong Suk. She's always inviting the judge to church regardless of the daggers the judge shoots from her eyes whenever Ms Jung is around. (The judge's assistant does decide to take a look at belief from the other end of the spectrum). We learn that Ms Lee's son was murdered a couple decades back. She almost seems demon possessed at the funeral, which we see in flashback. Ms Kim has credits dating back to 2010. She's been in alot of features including Cleaning Up, Ssanahui Sunjeong, & The Tale of Lady Ok.

Kim Young Ok (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha-8.2, Dear My Friends) plays O Mi Ja, a Hwangcheon villa resident and busybody. This actress is so cute. Her earliest credited work is from 1957. She's almost 90 and she looks like she's in her 70s. She and Park Shin Hye square off and it's glorious. Toward the end of the show she seems like she's slightly uncomfortable with her hokey lines. Yang Kyung Won from Crash Landing on You-9.1 makes an appearance as a multiple personality (DID) sufferer in eps5&6. He's unbelievable. His performance is incredible. He plays so many different roles. In Big Mouth-7.4 he's the semi-psycho in a crime family that poses as a legit one, and I'm currently watching him in Vincenzo where he is a pawn shop owner who likes to act tough. I didn't recognize him in any of these parts until I looked him up. He presents that differently each time. Oh Eui Shik makes a guest appearance. I've been a fan since Oh My Ghost-10. Everything he's in is good. The director is Park Jin Pyo of Brave Citizen, and the screenwriter, Cho I Su, is just starting out.

“If you stay near that woman you'll both die,” old lady Mi Ja warns. In the meanwhile, another demon is killed for falling in love with a human. The demons have a law enforcement agency devoted to tracking down such criminals. Bitna's totally sus, so Da is investigating her while he acts like he's helping her, while he acts to himself like he's not falling for her. Falling for him never occurs to her until it's too late. She's mystified by her rapid heartbeats and stray tears. Tensions are building.

“I realize now what it is that I have to do. To be exact, it's attaining success and wealth through marriage. I want to go into politics. I'm a great liar, shameless, selfish, hypocritical, and I like money. I think what I have what it takes to be a great politician.” So says one straightforward but ambitious character. Well, firstly, one can see how unimaginative the dialogue is, but hmmm… Maybe it's not a work of fiction🤔. I'm on board with 50% of the premise: Judges who give out light sentences to criminals who, beyond any reasonable doubt deserve more, are doing Hell's bidding.

The whole making light of demons, Hell, Satan, blood, guts, and gore didn't bother me much when I was young, but it just does now. I'm not in that cool club anymore. The world is too messed up. Crime that's been documented to have been committed by devil worshippers is horrific and the rumors of what's going on is ultra horrifying. The softening of public opinion is part of what's alleged to be their playbook. So are the makers of TJFH playing with us or playing us? I can't tell.

From the start, many things about this are uncomfortable. Supposedly, a demon is our protagonist. She's also a “goddess” but definitely from the wrong side of the divide. I hate the moral confusion of elevating bad guys like mobsters, demons, and the devil. That's just what they would want - for us to lower our resolve against evil. All of the imagery is off, too. The end of ep1 is horrific. Bitna focuses on her goal and utilizes horrific means to get it. She's already said she has no empathy for the victims. We will see where this strategy takes her: To an overabundance of violence and blood. There's long and protracted violent imagery. They juxtaposed it with lighthearted words and quirky elements, so the horrific scenes are not given proper gravity. The show's tone is just off.

The show also wanders around without structure or rules while they make light of faith, spirituality, God, Satan and angels. Perhaps what's worse is that it's a mess. It's sloppy, directionless, and incoherent. The disconnect between the show's quality and its score is so profound I wonder if Hulu is using bots.

The opening scene graphics are excellent, from the roses of blood to the inverted cross of light to the bronze statuary come to life screaming and squirming However, Hell’s courtroom isn't really ominous (it looks like the haunted playhouse) and the demon, Bael, is overdone. The filming is loaded up with upended crossees, Bael, Satan, Lucifer, walnuts, baby head sized melons getting chopped, demons, blood, gore, violence against women and children, underground passageways, subterranean lairs, and naturally, the wacko Christian - one of the worst offenders claimed to be a Christian but he gets sent to hell, while the main song lyrics croon “Please don't pray anymore “ Yet, God is said to be the master of all, in the end. Bitna says God gave them their authority. Fascinating.



QUOTES🗣

We didn't know how happy our ordinary days were.

The heavens may fall but there will be justice on earth. (On the statue at the courthouse)


IMHO〰🖍


📣5 📝4 🎭7 💓4 🦋4 🎨7 🎵/🔊7 🔚6 🤗1 ▪ 🌞3⚡5 😅1 😭5 😱5 😯3 🤢7.3 🤔4 💤0


Shazams:Crossroad, by SUNMI


Age 18+ Language: b!+ch, $h!+; Violence and bloody crime victims. Brutal violence against a woman and children. Extended violent stabbing and torture scenes. It is alittle much. Rated TV-15


Re-📺? HAIL NAW


In no particular order, here's some recommendations

〰 Getting it on with the supernatural or Mythical 〰

Alchemy of Souls-7.9,
Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds-7.2,
Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days-6.7,
Black-9,
The Bride of Habaek-7,
The Cursed-8.3,
Death's Game-7.8,
Flex X Cop-8.5,
The Golden Spoon-8.1,
Hotel del Luna-8.4,
A Korean Odyssey-7.2,
The Legend of the Blue Sea-7.2 (this show is marvelous except for taking a quality dip in eps 20-22)
Light Shop-8.6,
Missing: The Other Side-8.3,
My Roommate Is a Gumiho-7.9,
Mystic Pop-up Bar-8.2,
Oh My Ghost-10,
Uncanny counter S1 only °S1-8.4 S2-4,
The Wailing-8.8

〰 Crime 〰

Oldboy-9,
Tunnel-8.1;
Inspector Koo-8.4,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay-9,
K2-8,
Flower of Evil-8.9,
Awaken-8.7,
Beyond Evil-7.4,
Moving-8.5,
The Man from Nowhere-8.9,
Law School -8,
When the Camellia Blooms-8,
The Worst of Evil-7.9

〰 Hulu Catalog 〰

Big Mouth-7.4,
Blood Free-8.5,
Call It Love-8.4,
Crazy Love-7.8,
The First 1st Responders-7.8,
Flex X Cop-8.5,
The Golden Spoon-8.1,
Han River Police-7.1,
High School Return of a Gangster-7,
The Judge from Hell-4.5
The Legend of the Blue Sea-7.2 (this show is marvelous except for taking a quality dip in eps 20-22)
Light Shop-8.6,
Link: Eat, Love, Kill-6.7,
Maestra: Strings of Truth-6.8,
Moving-8.5
Pandora: Beneath the Paradise-3.9,
Parasite-9,
Revenant-7.4,
Revenge of Others-8.1,
So I Married the Anti Fan-6.8,
Uncle Samsik-8.4,
What's Wrong With Secretary Kim-6.8,
Why Her?-8,
Wonderful World-7.8,
The Worst of Evil-7.7

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Completed
allinforfantasy
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 13, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers

Actuaciones on point para una historia meh

La actuación es buena porque Park Shin Hye es un valor seguro. Me hace gracia que no hay casi besos porque este casadisima y tenga un hijo. Así se demuestra también que no es necesario que si o si los protagonistas tengan que besarse mucho para demostrar que son pareja y que se quieren. El chico protagonista (Kim Jae Young) me ha sorprendido mucho pues creía que no le había visto antes actuar y al parecer si le había visto antes actuar pero no es hasta ahora que me he dado cuenta de lo bien que actúa , aparte de ser un pedazo de crush. Kim Ah Young, la vi por primera siendo amiga en My Sweet Mobster, ha vuelto ha hacer una actuación impecable dándonos momentazos. Espero que pronto ya sea protagonista porque ahí nos va a dejar flipando a todos.

Respecto a la historia cae en ciertos clichés que sabes que desde el minuto uno va a caer, rollo se va a enamorar de un humano, su única sentencia buena va a ser la que dicte para su amor, los protagonistas cambiaran a las personalidades del otro, vamos que caen en ciertos tópicos y te dejan ciertas cosas sin finalizar rollo el Han Daon , se carga los videos y no le sucede nada?? Demasiado conveniente para él,no?. O que no se resuelva el asesino en serie que mata a los criminales...No hay mucha parte de la historia que me haya dejado sorprendida tal vez me ha gustado la vecina católica saber su historia y su fanatismo religioso porque venía pero siento que lo otro ha caído en los típicos clichés.
Ahora legalmente hablando, no se mucho del sistema legal de Corea pero flipo que el mismo juez que te juzga es el que tiene que investigar, a la porra la imparcialidad , vamos es que eso es un sistema acusatorio donde el juez no tiene resquicio de imparcialidad porque ha investigado el caso, porque seamos sinceros aquí la policía ni ha pinchado ni ha cortado ni vaya ni ha hecho nada. Aparte de cargarse el principio de juez imparcial, vamos en el último juez es un claro caso de recusación de juez , como puedes tener un juez que ha tenido relación con los vecinos que son víctimas así como con uno tiene una relación sentimental, normal que le deje hacer un alegato al Han Daon y bueno que luego haga esa sentencia, que si que será justa la sentencia (bueno eso depende de quien lo veas porque el crimen ya había prescrito y depende de cómo veas la institución de la cárcel y los derechos de los presos entenderás si los mismos deben tener derecho a la prescripción de sus delitos), es porque la gracia es que no es imparcial y le mete una condena de muerte (cosa que no sabía que Corea todavía tenga la pena de muerte y más siendo una democracia).
Y bueno ese lema que la justicia que no te la ha dado los cielos te la dé en la tierra , pues cariño mio siento decirte que la justicia no existe y más en un mundo capitalista que se mueve por el dinero

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Completed
Rtconnect
2 people found this review helpful
Nov 2, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Dark Justice: Where Demons Meet the Law!

This series is one of the best I’ve watched in the second half of 2024. I didn’t expect to see Park Shin-hye in a role like this, so I was both surprised and delighted. Known mostly for her dramatic and romantic roles, it was exciting to see her in an action-focused series again—something she’s previously done in Doctors and Sisyphus: The Myth. The plot is unique too, instantly becoming one of my favorites.

The story follows Kang Bitna, a judge possessed by a demon named Justitia. As punishment, Justitia is tasked with hunting down unrepentant sinners who have caused others’ deaths, ultimately sending them to Hell. Along the way, Bitna encounters Han Daon, a detective with a different view of justice, and their chemistry adds a great layer to the plot.

There’s a lot to appreciate in this series:

- It’s satisfying to watch Bitna’s creative methods of punishing sinners, making them feel their victims' pain before their end.
- While there isn’t much romance, the chemistry between Bitna and Daon is undeniable.
- The cast’s performances are excellent, with the actress playing Gremory standing out among the supporting roles.
- The effects are impressive and well-executed.
- The pacing keeps the story engaging, and the music adds an immersive, intense atmosphere.

On the downside, there are a few areas where I had higher expectations:

- I expected more from Justitia’s demon enemies. While Paimon had a strong fight scene, Satan—being second in command—didn’t put up much of a challenge, which felt anticlimactic given Justitia’s rank.
- The “Nightmare Curse” by Satan in episodes 13 and 14 left some confusion, making viewers question if Bitna was still trapped in a nightmare.
- Bael’s role felt underdeveloped. As the one giving orders, I was hoping for a more complex twist around his character.

Overall, this series is absolutely worth watching (and rewatching), especially for those mature enough to handle the darker themes and intense action scenes.

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Ongoing 8/14
oppa_
8 people found this review helpful
Sep 22, 2024
8 of 14 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 5.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

This DRAMA PROMOTE CRIME(murder) and call it JUSTICE

Its new, and refreshing drama
i can see it take inspiration from Lucifer
but had its own work in it, not just a copy

I like it but there is but

overly Hell story forcing viewers to see it as some religious cult driven show
FL is a judge but drama has nothing to do with her being a Judge
Justitia goddess of justice is a vigilante murderer herself

Shin rok told her to murder 10-20 murderers
How this has anything to do with justice ?

If the concept of drama would have that she had to sentence 10 criminal capital punishment according to law of humans, than it would have been a challenge and struggling
But everything is so easy now days for Lead character that, it hard to connect to leads now days they become alien

They call it punishment but it looks like a vacation where she has all her power and some minions has to murder bunch of people

As fantasy comedy with nothing meaningful then this drama is Good
But if they pretend to be something more then just comedy in start of drama then for 15 ep they will do only comedy and in last ep 16 they will be lecture viewer about life lessons

It's Good but it could have been better if director wasn't only focus on making FL look only cool nothing more or less
She should look COOL
Life is so easy for lead characters

ML was IDIOT and he deserve his mother death for sure
that poor woman has to die for ML

as ep 8 end this is also following KDRAMA tradition of becoming a trash after half
MELO ROMANCE of weak demon crying because no matter what she is a weak WOman

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Completed
VivianeVoloch
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 11, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers

A abertura é TUDO

Simplesmente peguei o barco andando (ep 6), primeiro dorama da Park shin hye pra mim, não deu vontade de ver outros, mas adotei o dorama.

Podia ter tanto uma segunda temporada (Não vai ter, eu sei)

adorei a música, a história se perdeu no caminho, mas a música se manteve até o fim.

O final foi... bom.. Eu já vi doramas que o final não parecia o final, então não foi ruim, mas eu adoraria ter visto mais eles. Achei a Bitna (Justina) muito humanizada numas partes que me irritou um pouco (muito)
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Completed
myrnskees
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 5, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Shocked at How Much I Enjoyed This Drama

Do you ever enjoy something so much that you feel the need to share about it the moment you finish it? That's how I feel about this drama. Truth be told, the premise sounded really odd to me when I encountered it, and the fantasy / supernatural elements are not my cup of tea. However, I was in a rut about what to watch next and decided to give it a go. No regrets!!!

It's not really a drama for the faint-hearted, especially if you can't handle blood. I would often have it playing when my sister was around, and she commented a few times about how it was a bit scary and too much.

The acting in this drama was absolutely phenomenon, from the minor characters to the main characters. Each villain really draws you in, leaving you angry at how a human could be so cruel to do certain things. I absolutely loved that Kang Bitna's character would bring the criminal into their own "crime scene" to experience the torture of what they did to those they killed.

While the romance in this drama seems a little odd (simply considering the whole premise), the chemistry between Park Shin Hye and Kim Jae Young was fire. You can't help but want to root for them together even if it doesn't seem logical.

There are also some small comedic elements that help to break up the tension and thrilling aspects. The music was also fantastic!!! And the ending credits? Chef's kiss.

Highly recommend giving this drama a try, especially if you enjoy the genre.

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Completed
Zogitt
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 9, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

Damned if you do and damned if you don't

The subject matter and presentation of this series are outside the box. It is not every day you get angels and demons working together for the greater good, but k-dramas can be quite "creative" at times.

My problem with this drama is that its tone is hard to nail down. It is obviously a dark fantasy but there are also very humanistic topics on display. Law and order, rewards and punishments are the four pillars of this show. The problem is that demons don't play by our rules and they are happy to hijack our justice system to serve their own purposes. It is this clash of values that caused me some discomfort.

Ultimately, you must buy into this show's premise wholeheartedly. Any waiving will undo the spell. If you stick it out, then the show is quite engaging and is a blast. If you start asking questions, then it becomes a self-serving mess. It is go hard or go home.

With the preamble out of the way, let's move on. At its core, this is an old-school morality tale. It is literally fire and brimstone stuff. The not-so-subtle message is that our police is ineffective, and our justice system is opaque with forces at play that might deliver questionable outcomes. Whether it is due to valid rules of law, incompetence or corruption, we shall find them wanting.

So rather than waiting for sinners to show up in Hell via natural causes, Justitia, the Goddess of Justice is send to walk the mortal realm after a bad judgement in Limbo. The odd thing is Justitia is shown to be a demon of the Netherworld and is the heir apparent to Bael. I don’t quite get the connection but please refer to my point about “ask no questions”.

To wit, Park Shin-hye is the undisputed star of this show. She is Dominatrix il Supremo personified and one helluva of a sexy demon/goddess. The ML is too righteous and prim to be sexy. They are the OTP by default, and it took him 2/3 of the show to crack a smile. He defrosts towards the end and they have a few swoon-y moments but let’s just say romance is not the main theme.

By now you should know the main thrust is the judgment and punishment of A-grade sinners with extreme prejudice and I mean EXTREME. There are blood and gore by the bucket. If you are sensitive to that or might be triggered by bullying, DV and sundry abuse/torture then please don’t even start watching. Even if you are ok with it, you will be desensitized by the end. It is relentless.

In that sense, this show is a one trick pony (but in a good way). It follows its internal logic to the letter. See crime, judge crime and dish out punishment in the most graphical way possible. Rinse the blood off and repeat. It is engaging because the show builds up the angst and emotional pressure until you are braying for blood at the screen. The antagonist is pure evil with no room for redemption.

Speaking of redemption, there are healing and redemption for everyone (except the sinners) towards the end. Life goes on is the final message. The last ep even includes some fan service. The unicorns must be freed! Even if they breath fire. ;)

There are moments when I thought I can’t watch anymore but they’d pass and the show draws you in again. You know where it is heading but you just want to see PSH kick some more perp's arse. I have a feeling she likes this type of roles more than the standard issue ones as well. I don’t blame her.

In the end, I enjoyed this series but with caveats. It is definitely not for everyone. It is ultra violent and moralistic. That should be on a warning label. Yet, it is not all blunt instruments. It does have a quirky sense of humour and a weird charm.

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Completed
Red
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 17, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

Burning Justice paired with Ice-Cold Chemistry

Judge From Hell delivers a captivating mix of fantasy and thriller, setting itself apart from other Korean dramas this year. The storyline is engaging and provides a refreshing approach, making it an entertaining watch for fans of the genre. Despite some predictable moments, the plot remains solid and well-executed.

One downside was the prevalence of spoilers circulating on social media before the drama’s release, which slightly dampened the element of surprise. However, the show’s overall quality was unaffected, offering a rewarding viewing experience. The production benefitted significantly from its star-studded cast and budget, ensuring the drama met expectations both visually and narratively.

Park Shin Hye shines once again in her role as Kang Bit Na. Her experience and talent are evident, with her performance carrying much of the drama’s emotional weight. Fans familiar with her previous works, such as Doctors, will find her portrayal here equally impressive. On the other hand, Kim Jae Young, as Han Da On, delivered a commendable performance, proving himself a solid counterpart to Shin Hye’s character.

However, the lack of chemistry between the two leads was noticeable. While romance wasn’t the central focus of the story, the subplot felt underwhelming due to the absence of a genuine connection between the characters. This aspect might leave some viewers wanting more from their interactions.

The supporting cast added depth and intrigue, complementing the main narrative well. However, some unresolved questions linger, such as the fate of Kang Bit Na’s original soul and her reasons for calling off her engagement. These ambiguities might leave viewers speculating long after the final episode.

Overall, Judge From Hell is a satisfactory drama that excels in many areas, from its compelling plot to its standout performances. While not without flaws, it remains a worthwhile addition to this year’s lineup of Korean dramas, offering an entertaining and thought-provoking experience.

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Ongoing 14/14
Kdrama fanatic
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 28, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 8.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 10

So Far So Good

Love both the ML and FL, so that helps. I’ve been kind of in a bit of a slump lately, but this has gotten me out of that. I kind of wish I would have waited for all episodes to air, but I was too anxious. Now I have to wait every week after they leave the currently airing episodes on a cliff hanger. I so far love it, but you how that goes. It’s a revenge kind of genre which I tend to like, with a very different kind of plot. If you don’t like a supernatural kind of Dramas, don’t bother watching this. So far, the FL character is unlikeable, but I have a feeling this will change. We will see going forward, and I’ll re-score it and review it at the end.

I started with a rating of 9, but it dropped to a 8.5. It was really good, but towards the end, it jumped around a lot. I would watch it again, but I really didn’t like the edits too much. Real short scenes toward the end then black, then another short scene. Liked the beginning more than the end.

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  • Ranked: #319
  • Popularity: #186
  • Watchers: 76,841

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