Wtf is this? There are many ways/directions to go for after amazing s1, and yet can't believe they chose to make this crap. Damn I would really love a proper s2 remake which gives justice to the story & its chrs.
7.7 , really?? I never thought mdl ratings as fair and take it seriously from the start, but this one having lower rating than many other mediocre cdramas is quite a bad joke. This is seriously one of the best crime investigation dramas I've ever seen in its genre with no plot holes and weak eps.
I just did a rewatch and it still hits me with the same feelings as first time. It is such a comforting yet uplifting & inspiring watch. I just want to do my best whenever I see these kinds of films. 10/10, will surely rewatch this again some time.
This drama suffers from having more eps than it should have; that makes the story convoluted and draggy at most parts. It's also really hard to believe that all of these events in drama happened just within a day. Best thing about this drama would be undoubtedly its stunning cinematography & setting, which is one of the best I've ever seen in dramaland. Acting is also great for most parts. Overall, it doesn't reach its full potential for me; it's such a shame that the premise & setting was really cool and I wish I could enjoy it more than I did.
As a big fan of gu long's novels ( tho I haven't finished reading all including this one so I can't compare with original), I believe this drama shows how gu long's novels could be properly adapted if they really understand the characters and choose right & talented actors to play the roles. A gritty, dark & complex story with compelling characters brilliantly executed by rich storytelling & direction; this is really one of the 'they don't make shows like this anymore ' kind of drama. Also, old dramas has such a rough & realistic feel to it that makes things more interesting; most modern dramas look too clean & bland in comparison.
I've only watched 3 eps so far & I'm really really enjoying this. The story is intriguing & the acting is incredible, especially the actor who plays the main lead li cheng. As a fan of crime & investigation dramas, this is really a treat from cdramaland in a while among generic crime dramas released one after another. I believe this has potential to be great if they could keep the same quality writing til the end.
The last 2 eps seems quite rushed & wrapped up in a boring way. Apart from that, it was a fun one-time watch mainly due to the cast, especially park byung eun who played the villain role.
The first half is really great, but unfortunately it lost its steam in later episodes. No offense to the actor, but I wish the chr shen xiang was played by more talented actor. He was good at only playing naive like earlier eps, but as the story progresses on, he is totally outclassed by others in acting department. The first half is easily 9/10 while second half is hard to rate since I mostly didn't enjoy the plot progression, however overall 7.5/10 for me just about right.
First half was really good & engaging. And then second half became quite melodramatic & far-fetched for my taste , it also felt draggy for most parts and lost its touch.
lack of suspense? I'd say you are disappointed that the painting wasn't what you painted in your mind
For something to be suspenseful/thrilling doesn't mean it has to be totally unexpected or defy the expectations. It has a lot to do with the writing that is plot progression and its characters within the story. In first season, I cared about the story and characters; I want to know how the story would progress & how the characters would develop. Now in season 2, I didn't feel wanting to care for the story & characters anymore. The way they are operating & making decisions doesn't make sense; it felt like it's just for the plot to go the way they want to. The result is the characters felt flat, the plot is dull & stale despite many things happening, and finally the thrills are gone. It would be a long ass essay if I were to go in details.
First season was fun to watch & a good set up for more things to come. But second season fails to deliver the potential. As for a thriller drama, lack of suspense in this season is most disappointing fact among others, mainly due to very very weak & comical villain who can only make stupid facial expressions rather than smart decisions.
It's crazy how much I'm enjoying this. I thought it would be just another cliche & boring paparazzi story, but I was wrong. This has some depth to it and the stories are interesting.
Fun one time watch with solid action scenes. Especially that fight scene in the toilet stall is insanely good. 8.5/10. I enjoyed it more than furious tbh.
As a big Columbo fan, I didn't know the existence of this gem of jdrama until three days ago. At first I thought this is some kind of remake, but I was totally wrong. This is original and clever 100% Japanese style detective show with charismatic main chr, tho his personality is nothing like Columbo. Overall, 9.5/10. Highly highly recommended for crime & mystery lovers and also Columbo fans like me. You can find the link to watch under comment below.
I found good enough English subs on this. Just grab the raw file at drama otaku.