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Brilliant Crime Drama Thriller!!

There are so many layers to this story, you have no idea when it starts out, just how many side roads and detours you'll be taken down before you reach the end. You might think it would be confusing with so many sub-stories, but somehow the writing makes it all work out in an easy fashion to turn this into such a fantastic thriller.
Ji Sung & Mi Do make a great protagonist duo. Naturally, their characters don't start out that way, but as the story continues on, they blend with perfection right before your eyes. With so many antagonists in this drama, it's kind of difficult to keep track of who you hate more, but that just compliments the superb supporting cast that delivers great suspense in every episode. Pretty much every person is hiding something, so it's amazing to watch how certain secrets come out later in the series, making events that happened early on, become more understandable in later episodes. It's like watching one big jigsaw puzzle come into focus, that's when you begin to realize just how horrible some of these characters truly are.
The flashback scenes were also brilliant, looking so realistic with the younger versions of the adult characters. It just added so much depth to the longtime friendship everyone had together since high school.
As you approach the later part of the series, I kept waiting for something to go wrong with the story line ... but not so. The last two episodes are the best part of the drama. Everything happened exactly as you could have hoped for, with a few shockers mixed in. In fact, right up to the last few seconds, it's a perfect ending for a truly enjoyable story.
There's a line used toward the end that really sums up what this entire story is about ... " Friendship is genuine. That's how it is with friendship, if you get obsessed, you can hurt each other. When money and greed get involved, it's no longer friendship"

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Truly a remarkably great series from start to finish

I'm always hesitant on rating a series 10's across ... but this turned out to be such an outstanding drama, I couldn't give it anything lower. There are so many layers to this story, the three protagonists are so intertwined with their lives, you get to experience how they arrive at the present day by witnessing their early lives together from years past. A multitude of flashbacks explains the relationship they endured together, as well as the family around them. Each character faces past and present challenges only the other two can help with.
Bo Young does such an unbelievable job playing dual roles as identical twin sisters, just flawless. Each with such a different personality, and she brings out that distinctive mood in each. Her chemistry as Mi Ji with Ho Su is so amazing. The two make the absolute perfect couple you'll ever see. Jin Young equally matches her strong performance, and delivers such a powerful character, you can't help but be on his side, rooting for him every step of the way. When the two finally realize they are meant to be together later in the series, it's a conclusion to an episode you can't help but cheer!!
The supporting cast blends so well, too. It's the kind of cast of personalities you like at first, then you dislike, then you like again. Each of the mothers fall into that category, as do a couple of antagonist, but even they correct for themselves as the series continues on.
As you get closer to the final episode, you do feel like you get a bit of whiplash from things going good to bad to good in such a short period of time, but it's planned out perfectly, so you really do enjoy the ups and downs.
As things conclude, you feel a great satisfaction for each character. Everyone ends up in a much better place then they were when it all began. Regardless of their age, you witness a realization each one has toward themself and everyone important in their lives. Truly a great story, superb writing and fantastic acting.
One line delivered later in the series, really applies to the main tone of the story ... "The promise of a tomorrow is not born from hope, but from resolve"

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Three Dads Are Better Than None

This series starts off a bit silly, lots of comedy, taking nothing seriously in it, but by the end of episode 2 this really turns into a well written, well acted story. There's just enough of drama, comedy and coming of age emotional tones to make this such an enjoyable story to watch.
I've always been a fan of Yuki Yamada, so that's what originally pulled me into watching. He was great as always, but besides Yuki, Arata Horii & Ryo Mitsuya, the two other protagonists he's teamed up with, make a well balanced trio. Three long time best friends, so different in every way, yet extremely close to each other. They're put into a surprising situation when a baby is abandoned at their home. It's great to watch how three totally different personalities come to terms with it.
For me, it was from episode 7 and beyond where the story goes into a deeper drama and somewhat of an emotional tone. It's truly a great story UNTIL ... oh that final episode. I found it somewhat upsetting to forgive someone so easily after abandoning her child for more than a year, but that's how things played out. I must say, however, as the final episode concludes, there was indeed a satisfaction in the entire outcome of the story. It's a fantastic final few scenes and it got rid of that bitterness I was feeling from several minutes earlier.
This story shows how a small child showed up at just the right time, improving the lives of three men, making them better people to each other as well as themselves.
It's quoted toward the end when asked what love is ... "Love is showing our bare hearts without a facade"
This drama/comedy shows us exactly that! Very enjoyable!!!

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They make an offer you can't refuse

I haven't seen a disappointing series involving Bo Ah yet, and this one is no exception ... I couldn't believe how intensely great this drama turned out to be from the very first episode. Shocks and surprises were intertwined from beginning to end. There were so many layers of this story, it made for such good entertainment, watching each piece of the puzzle revealed, making a much clearer picture of how the past was effecting the present day for all the protagonists.
Bo Ah & Bo Hyun were the perfect professional team going up against all the evil subplots in the story. Great chemistry between the two of them.
I think what made this great, was the changing personalities of the many characters, whether a main or supporting role. Don't be fooled by who you think is good and who you think is bad, because my perception of several characters changed in the opposite direction by the end of the series. Such fantastic antagonists on screen, without a doubt one of the most evil characters you will ever see, General Hwa Young, played brilliantly by Yeon Soo. Oh wow, you could feel the coldness coming through your television when she was on screen. Her, teamed with Moon Goo was evil on top of evil.
Early on I would have included Tae Nam on that same list, but that character, which was performed fantastically by Woo Seok, fell into the category of going from bad to good. I couldn't believe I was on his side by episode 16, because early on, what a horrible person he was.
Several big episode were the backbone of this drama, especially episode 9, which seemed to be the pinnacle episode of them all. That's were pretty much everything is revealed to us, telling us exactly who everyone truly was. After that, episode 15 was the "big one". It made everything worth waiting for ... retribution for all. There were scenes I needed to watch twice, because it was just so damn good to see it play out.
In the end, everything was kind of like you wished for, although I did think the final episode may have been rushed a bit toward the end, but overall an excellent satisfying ending for a truly great series!!!

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Rollercoaster of emotions

This is an incredible story of how differently people deal with grief and tragedy. It shows us how the human mind can bury events deep inside itself, rather than face it. What's great about this story is how the two protagonists, who are both dealing with trauma from the same day, find and help each other ten years later for support. Neither one fully realizing the importance the other person played in their life that tragic day.
It takes about four episodes into the series before we start to see the chain of events from ten years earlier. Bit by bit we start to realize what happened, and how gruesome things truly were.
Jun Ho, as always, is masterful in his role, delivering a powerful performance. I've always said about him, he can make you laugh and he can make you cry. As expected, he does not disappoint playing Gang Du. Perfectly match with him is Jin A. The two create a great bond together. It takes awhile, but they show us how they belong by each other's side, whether being in the past or present.
Episode nine would definitely be the pinnacle episode of the series, in which everything is suddenly remembered from years past. It's a great part of the drama, creating a truly emotional story as you head toward the later part of the series.
There's so many great quotes in this story that explain this drama in a nutshell ... "Living is a repetition of regrets and failures ...it's said that everyone has their own personal prison"
This drama proves just that. Excellent series!!

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You Gotta Have Heart

This turned into a court case like non other I've seen. It wasn't just the story about bringing all the antagonists to justice, but also the four stories that were intertwined, involving a single heart transplant and all the directions it would take. It starts out as a good vs evil courtroom drama, but quickly turns into a complicated, suspenseful & extremely entertaining series.
It may be a bit confusing in the beginning, but eventually everything slowly comes together deep into the story. You find yourself saying "oh now that makes sense from two episodes ago, I got it now"
I'm always a fan of JunHo, and he once again doesn't disappoint. He is excellent in the lead role, giving a strong, emotional performance. The cast along side of him prove a perfect balance together. Jae Myung, Gi Ae & Hyun Been complete the remaining protagonists in the story, each adding greatness to the supporting crew.
The antagonist in this are evil, cold & heartless ... in other words, perfect for this series. There's too many to name, but by the later part of the drama, there's definitely a count down in your head on how each of these horrible people will see their demise.
Besides having so many episodes with great "cliff hanging" endings, without a doubt, one of the best courtroom climactic scenes occurs in the final episode. It's brilliant to watch it happen, almost in slow motion. All the people you despise, they are left with their mouths hanging open, all in the same room. It gives a great conclusion to a terrific series.
Definitely a great watch!!!

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Much much better than the reviews say ...

I'm thinking a lot of people were in bad moods when reviewing this series. I found it to be fantastic!!!
It starts out a little creepy ... with a bloody hand that keeps appearing to crawl up Sin Yu, but later on, we completely understand it. Once we get beyond that, this really turns out to be a great story with great actors & great writing.
Bo Ah, who always shines in whatever she stars in, doesn't disappoint in this drama either. She & Ro Woon are perfect together, although you wouldn't think so at the start, but give it time.
Ha Joon also fits perfect, making a complete puzzle of an unlikely trio. When you add in a couple "evil" antagonists, and I do mean evil ... it balances out to make a perfect story. It makes you believe in past lives and how our destinies are already decided for us, whether we like it or not.
Later in the series, from episode 9 on ... What would a Korean story be without bringing in flashbacks from the Joseon Era. It works out great in explaining the entire past history of all the characters in the present time. It's extremely entertaining to watch it play out.
As you get to the final episode, I have to say, it may be one of the most satisfying finales to a series I've seen. Everything you want to see happen, it does exactly as it should. The good guys win across the board, and the bad souls that really got on your nerves since episode 1, they finally get what they deserve.
A great cast with great writing makes for great entertainment in this series!!!

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So Unique, So Brilliant!!

When I started watching this series, It seemed like it was going to be good, and that we'd see a good tale taking place during the Joseon Dynasty ... but something happened along the way as each episode got you deeper and deeper into the story. The magic that Jun Ho, Se Young & Deok Hwa created was brilliant in every way. Se Young gives us such a great role as Deok Im, and Jun Ho showed what an unbelievable talent he truly is. His powerful performance steals every scene he's in.
The series itself is really in three parts, watching Price Yi San create the relationship with Deok Im, watching the king deal with a mental break down, and then the years that followed Yi San after he becomes the new king. Each story bleeds perfectly into the next chapter as you follow it through.
One thing that made this stand out to me was the death of San's grandfather, The King. Not just witnessing him die from dementia, which was unique enough, but watching the transfer of power from one King to the next. Cleaning out all the dead King's belongings, bringing in all new stuff to suit the incoming King. Normally we never see that happen, so it seemed rather interesting to watch. Deok Hwa, who usually plays an unlikeable character, was fantastic as the elder King, the grandfather.
Episode 12 is definitely the pinnacle episode of the entire series. From that point on, you need a seatbelt to stay strapped in for the rollercoaster ride that begins. As you go from episode 12 through 16 you just can't help being mesmerized by the great writing and acting ... and just when you think you have it all figured out, episode 17 happens. As the finale began, it takes you completely by surprise, not matching up with anything you anticipated. The first few minutes into it, I started to become somewhat disappointed and annoyed, watching all these hours just to lead up to this??? but that quickly changed, and the finale really delivered a powerful conclusion. The acting in this final episode is some of the finest you'll see.
Applause to a great great series. Extremely entertaining, worth watching again!

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Brilliantly Written

To say this was a great series is an understatement. It's such an original story, which is pretty hard to come by, especially since there are so many dramas about the Josoen Dynasty. These twenty episodes flew by, not one of them were boring, each adding something special to this drama. As you watched everything unfold in the first half of the series, you couldn't imagine it getting any better, but then episodes 10-12 happened. These three were definitely the pinnacle episodes of the show. From that point on, it was so addicting to watch, wondering how on earth this was going to play out.
Eun Bin was over the top as Dam I and Ro Woon, who I'm always a fan of, gives just a fantastic performance. These two, together with a great supporting cast, especially Yoon Su, really blend so perfectly together.
To watch important characters getting killed off early in the series made this really unique, not something you see happen, especially in a 20 part series.
The antagonists were equally talented in showing the evil side of the story, always balancing out money, greed & power. The writers do a great job at giving us punishing endings to all who deserve it, while giving us happy endings to all or most of the protagonists. It doesn't seem likely that everything will end in a good way as you go through the last couple hours, but somehow it comes together to give a very satisfying ending.
Excellent series to enjoy!!

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Complete Perfection

Once in a while a series is so great, it's difficult to put into words the magnitude of its greatness. This is one of those series.
From the very beginning, episode 1, it grabs onto you and just doesn't let go. Drama, comedy, romance, suspense, it's all intertwined throughout every single episode. Hye Soo is so fantastic as the queen, giving us a rare look at how Her Majesty worries and protects her children inside and outside the palace walls, showing how motherhood takes center stage over being the Queen. The four rambunctious teenage children, her Princes of the palace are wonderfully fit into so many different story lines, you really get to appreciate the bond these four brothers have toward each other, along with the love they have toward their mother.
Each Prince has their own personal problem to deal with throughout the series, and the actors that play them are matched spot on. Without a doubt, the most emotional story comes from Grand Prince Gye Sung. Sun Ho gives such a touching performance, with several tear-jerking scenes between a mother and her son ... beautifully written.
There are so many good antagonists in this drama, but non better than Hae Sook. She is brilliant being the evil Queen Dowager, self centered and so wicked. You can't help but despise her and her sinister laugh. She brings out the worst in everyone, making you wish her a horrible death as you move deeper and deeper into the episodes.
Another major plus in this series was the pacing of the different plots ... nothing dragged on and nothing was rushed either. So many times you see a plot get boring, carrying over too many episodes, only to get rushed at the very end to find completion. That doesn't happen here. Nothing ever gets boring, with a final episode that delivers complete satisfaction to each and every plot of the story.
There's a line delivered early on in the series that really spells out the two sides of this drama ... "When a cow drinks water it becomes milk. When a snake drinks water it becomes poison."
Extremely enjoyable, wonderful entertainment!!!!

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Whatever part of the world you're in ... Lawyers are all the same!

Harsh Harsh reviews for this series. Why I'm not too sure. Maybe some of the cases didn't end happily???
Whatever the reason, I found this drama very entertaining.
I think the one negative, It was apparent to me that it lacked in chemistry between Jong Suk & Ka Young. I found Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji a much more believable couple in the flashbacks from 10 years earlier. Present time was kind of difficult to watch their relationship play out. There didn't seem to be too much enjoyment or playfulness between them. As for the rest of the cast, I always enjoy watching You Seok in whatever role he's performing, he didn't disappoint with the character of Chang Won. Funny, witty & dramatic, all rolled into one. The remaining cast blended perfectly, showing the bonds of friendship they had built together over the years. That was the strongest part of this series, showing the strength of their friendship in the cut throat world of the legal system.
Oh, and the food. Wow, do they love their food!!! It's definitely the kind of show you should watch on an empty stomach, you will get hungry in a hurry.
A thumbs up!!

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Jung Hyun never disappoints

I'm still waiting for a bad acting performance from Jung Hyun, because I have never seen one yet. He truly is an amazing actor, he can make you laugh & he can make you cry, this drama is no exception. Reading some of the reviews ahead of time I was going into this series ready for a disappointment. That never happened. This series was great from start to finish. Besides Jung Hyun & Soo Hyang playing perfectly together, the entire cast really brought this fairytale to a great completion.
I have to admit that some of the characters in the beginning of this series were really annoying, especially Han Chul & Jung Wan, but the transformation that takes place over 16 episodes, you really find a soft spot for them. They definitely become part of the family. Woo Yeon & Da Som become extremely likable.
Chung Hwa & In Kwon were also fantastic as the flirtatious couple throughout ... they were the laugh relief this drama needed at times. They both did a great job doing it.
I think the only thing that fell a little short for me was the main antagonist in this story, Pil Su. He was portrayed in a great way by Kwang II, you really despised him throughout each episode, but we really never got to see his true punishment after his trial. It would have been nice to see his retribution for all his evil doings. beyond that, a wonderful and truly entertaining series!
One line given by Kokdu early on really applies to this drama ... "What's real is what you see, and what's fake is what you want to see"

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Great Acting with a Great Story

This was truly such an enjoyable drama to watch. It was depressing at times seeing what Geu Roo was going through in his life, but Jun Sang was simply amazing at portraying such an involved character. Seeing him in several other dramas over the past few years, you really appreciate his performance acting as Geu Roo. The supporting cast, plus the several new stories introduced in each episode, they were a great fit as well. Some of them extremely powerful stories.
Je Hoon, while not giving us a likable character as Sang Gu early on in the series, he performs a great transformation, showing us his good and caring personality toward the end.
The only thing I was a bit disappointed about was the very ending of the series, literally the last sixty seconds. Maybe I missed something, but I was hoping for some other kind of finish. That being said, it ended up for me being a great great series overall.
Definitely a winner!

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Absolutely A Brilliant Series!!!

It's kind of difficult to put into words the magical perfection this series brings. It's unbelievably brilliant in every way.
Sometimes it was difficult to figure out what direction the story was heading. Each episode left you guessing, left you asking yourself "how can this work out well for the characters?" At times it seemed like doom and despair, but that shows the brilliance of the writing in this drama. You just sat back and enjoyed the ride, not knowing what was coming next.
From their first meeting, you can feel Jeong Hyeok & Se Ri being a complete couple, you just know it's going to happen.
Hyun Bin & Ye Jin have instant chemistry that gets strong with each passing episode.
The supporting cast is fantastic as well. Jung Hyun delivers the perfect character of Seung Jun. He goes through such a great transformation from bad guy to really liked and lovable later in the series. As usual, Jung Hyun does not disappoint. He's fantastic.
Another great part of this story are the four North Korean military men. Watching Se Ri turn these guys into little boys at times, it so great, particularly when they find themselves in South Korea and learning to adjust, seeing what life is like outside of their home country. It's so entertaining to watch, hilarious at times.
When they all appear to be retuning back to the North, you get to wondering again how things could possible end for the best. Once again, the writing proves to be marvelous, showing us many happy endings for many of the characters.
Truly one of the most enjoyable and marvelous series I've seen. Complete perfection from start to finish.
The line given early on in this drama by Se Ri, shows up again at the very end of episode 16, to make us realize what this series was all about .... "Sometimes the wrong train takes you to the right station"

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Perfection from start to finish!!!

I can't say enough positive things about this series. It was absolutely fantastic in every way imaginable ... comedy, drama, romance. It had it all, and it was all brilliant.
The supporting cast is spectacular, each adding something special to the story, but without a doubt, the two protagonists in this drama are truly amazing.
Jung Hyun & Hye Sun are not only the perfect match for each other, but they individually shine in every scene they are in. You really saw the talent these two have inside them. Two great roles played by two great actors!!
I wasn't sure this series would stay interesting over 20 episodes, but it not only kept you watching every minute, it got better with deeper story lines, plot twists and so much growth in the characters as you moved along.
The Head Chef & Court Lady Choi definitely were the comic relief in this. In Kwon & Chung Hwa were over the top funny, alone or with each other, they were hilarious.
The final episode was just the icing on the cake. So many times a great series gets ruined with the last episode, but not this time. Nothing was rushed in the end, and everything you wanted to happen actually did play out to great satisfaction. The antagonists all got what they deserved, and all our main characters had the best outcomes with many happy & funny endings for each.
At the very end, Bong Hwan says a line that really applies to this drama and I guess to life itself "If you keep trying to change your life, the world will get changed someday"
Applause & standing ovation to a great great series!!!

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