ilovedramas293

I never stopped you from speaking your mind..but if you want to get defensive for no reason, go right ahead. Also whatever you just said doesn't change my point. Based on that one person's opinion, you automatically assumed that the high rating of this is a sham. I've yet to watch this, but just be aware that not everything highly rated is overrated. All I'm trying to say is, you need to judge for yourself. Anyways, I won't entertain you any further.

It's true some dramas are really inflated in their ratings these days, but don't forget all this is subjective. People will like what they like, and not everyone has the same interests. Be careful about taking the opinion of just one person and dropping something, in case you may like it. Also copying and pasting the same comment 3 times is just weird..

The only thing I regret is not watching this sooner. This has cemented in my mind as one of the best crime thrillers. Everything is just perfect start to finish. Tae Joo is now one of my favourite characters of all time, along with the secondary characters who are so well developed and enjoyable to watch. I enjoyed their bonding and angst moments much more than any other crime thriller I've seen, possibly on par with Signal (more exaggerated though). The bromance is perfect, so is the acting, and the plot twists and cliffhangers were gripping. There's so many moral dilemmas and the mystery is always present in the ambiguously well written dialogues by the characters, always making you question what exactly is going on. It's never too clear if he's truly time travelling, and if anyone else in the past knows, because the dialogue is so deceptively written as to confuse anyone watching similar to Tae Joo. I'm so glad there isn't as much focus on corruption in this as there is in most other crime thrillers, and this really lets it feel unique, and give way to more unique plot developments. I also loved the little romance in the series, and I wish we could have got more of it, since it was such a perfect pairing with amazing chemistry between the actors involved. Very satisfying ending too, which is purposefully left ambiguous, similar to Inception if anyone knows that movie.

5 months later....and I have yet to find anything that matches the incredible writing and sublime nature of this drama.

Reposting my 5 mth old short review for newcomers:
Hard to believe this was a director's debut. This is top notch in every category, ranging from the incredible main cast to the actual sports drama and story. This is some of the best storytelling I have ever seen in a drama and every episode had me glued with it's tight and well-written plot. I know nothing about baseball and neither am I into it, but this made me laugh and cry at all the important moments. I learned a lot as this drama touches on a lot of realistic parts of baseball behind the scenes, and I couldn't help my cheers whenever something good happened. There is so much going on in each episode and it can get slow at times, but every episode was gripping and kept raising my expectations. It's intense plot-wise but very grounded at the same time. This is one of the few drama where each episode just gets better and better. All of the characters were super compelling by the end with their own interesting character arcs and motivations, especially KKM who is masterfully played by Oh Jung Se. Truly one of the greatest inspirational dramas I have seen. Sad this is so underrated despite having won awards. I was recommended this as an NKM fan, and this damn well delivered in every respect. I doubt I'll find anything like this again. This is a one of a kind masterpiece that I feel I can never watch again in the same way.

Everything's answered by the end.

Teaser is very interesting. I'm excited for this as a JDY and crime-thriller fan. The actress playing the mother is so eerie that I have high hopes for this.

spoiler this please since people might look at this, you'll ruin an important twist

The writer does? Also, this will probably be written differently than the original anyways.

Can I just say how insanely pretty Dong Yoon is cross-dressed in this with almost no makeup?? I can see why Dong Yoon and So Hyun won the "Best Couple Award" for this. Their chemistry is excellent, and their scenes are easily the best part of this drama. The first half is a lot better than the second half, mainly because the hilarious comedy scenes are so well balanced with the romance and character development, gradually developing the political plotline in the background. It's very rare for a drama to full on make me cry from laughing so hard, but Dong Yoon plays his part as a woman too well. Unfortunately, it's only when the comedy takes more of a backseat to the politics and Nokdu's cliche backstory that the drama nosedived for me. However, the actors and actresses all play their roles perfectly to a satisfying end, and the OST is really not to be missed. This is definitely not the best written show, but I highly recommend at least watching the first half, and you can then choose to drop or continue.

8/10 overall, but I would rate the first half a 9.5/10 (very minor flaws)

I was only able to finish this for Lee Jae Wook. He's as great as always (so is LJY), but the story, and especially the FL, bring it down after the great first 2 episodes. There is an unnecessary love triangle with zero chemistry, and the girl does not know how to act whatsoever, so every scene with her made me groan and fast forward. This is the first time a drama has completely failed to connect to me emotionally. This should have been more bromance, and they should have cut the FL completely. It would have been a lot better without everything that has to do with her. One of the worst FL actors I've seen in kdramas! 7/10

Didn't really get more invested in the murder mystery until halfway through the drama. I think a lot of it was unnecessarily dragged out in the background, and there should have been more time with the ML and FL to develop their relationship. By the end of the series, I just felt like the whole thing was rushed. There also weren't any powerful moments for the ML or FL to really show their acting skills. It was overall fun when it was about the romance and comedy, but very generic and cliche when it came to everything else. I only watched it for JDY and this is definitely one of the weakest projects he's done.

VERY headstrong and smart FL where I absolutely loved Seol In Ah's acting (basically a no-nonsense girl that doesn't beat around the bush), and the other two MLs are amazing actors as well. JDY is a legend who I've loved from Day 1, and CYW was a pleasant surprise for me. The trio have such perfect chemistry and character writing, which really makes for an exciting and well-developed bromance and romance in this drama. The MLs perfectly play the overemotional and intense moments, as well as the more silent moments with calmer, cold fury gradually building within their eyes. It makes the character transformations really great to watch unfold. I was rooting for LDH's happy ending until the very end as this drama puts him through hell with lots of self-development, but there's so many other characters including the other ML, FL, and their families that really get developed as characters. All of them get very satisfying and deserving conclusions too! Only minor complaints I have is that the production value sometimes feels like it drops and that some parts are dragged out unnecessarily, but it didn't bother me as much. The OST is really great as well. 8.5/10

Now like many say, this drama really plays on historical nostalgia which only resonates with Koreans. Apparently, a lot of the story plots heavily rely on the historical events and implication of that era, so something like that torture scene has a lot more historical context. Even so, as a non-Korean, I really enjoyed this just for the acting, the bromance, the romance, and the OST alone.

When fans just can't think objectively when it comes to one of their favourite actresses

spoiler bar this

Definitely watch the anime. Very faithful to manga and much better overall

It was very interesting for me to find out that almost all of these cases are faithfully based around real cases or labour violations in Korea, which adds a whole lot more meaning to all of them. I especially loved the one about the custodial staff, because that's something I recently saw happen in my own city. The chemistry of the main trio is excellent (JKH is still just as much of a legend with every genre he does) and the comedy is really great when it's focused on, with some action as well. Seeing JKH in a drama is always such a delight, and I'm so glad the other two in the trio are able to match his chaotic energy and deep emotions.

I also learned a fun fact that the statue/Bodhisattva in the first episode is based off a 22 year old Korean (Jeon Tae-il) who set himself on fire in 1970 to raise labour activism and civil rights awareness, when none of the legal and official channels would do anything to prevent the exploitation of workers. This drama is clearly made as a tribute to educate, and I think it did a wonderful job. I'm sure it won't entertain everyone, as you really need to care about the subject matter to find enjoyment in it.

They're all based on real cases from Korea. Makes sense they're predictable, since they're based on real life incidents. This drama is basically a tribute to a Korean symbol that led labour activism.

So glad the love triangle wasn't dragged out. It was resolved quickly and maturely, unlike most melodramas. This let the ML and FL's relationship really breathe and grow at a steady pace. Acting and OST were on point throughout the drama. I also really love how the frames change throughout, and it sometimes puts you into a first person POV where it actually feels like a movie, and you're made to feel what the character is. Bittersweet ending, but the journey was worth the pain. Cried a lot 9/10

Sorry, I don't remember anymore. But it just shows Xu Tan winning the award at the end. It might be on Weibo.

Thanks for the support!