The money problem really serves as a plot device, and very quickly takes a back seat. And even though the series is quite entertaining, it never really develops its ideas. But it only lasts for eight episodes, so... The villains are not nearly as exciting as they think they are. This habit of kidnapping people becomes predictable. The last episode disappoints in this regard.
Lee Jun-ho and Kim Hye-jun are always a pleasure to see in their roles that combine action and humour. Maybe next time they'll do better ?
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My two passions : Jesus Christ and fighting.S01 : 3,5/5
S02 : 2,5/5
S01 : Super funny, although a bit old-fashioned in its staging, which is too functional. This collection of zany characters never misses a beat, they are all prodigiously silly. The villains' henchmen behave like bored children waiting for the school bus. I love this kind of Conan O'Brien humour. (I'll try to forget all the diarrhoea jokes, though)
Kim Nam-gil is so cool. He fights really well, the action isn't neglected at all, and he's so funny ! I didn't know he had this comedic side to his acting. "God gave me the gift of dealing with scum like you, not forgiving them." What a man!
But what about the role of the fat guy who eats all the time ? The answer is clear : no, don't. And actor Ahn Chang-hwan, playing a Thai migrant with an exaggerated, grotesque accent and a high-pitched voice, is perfectly Korean from Korea. It's on a par with Apu in The Simpsons... I've seen enough Thai films and series to know that people don't talk like that over there.
On the other hand, Kim Nam-gil dresses up as a woman (episode 11. And he'll do it again next season) and it's not a comic or demeaning device, he acts 'normally'. He wears a suit in the colours of the transgender flag, by the way. This is probably not a random choice, given that Korean Catholics are particularly reactionary and fight with all their might against LGBT+ rights. We want more Father Kims in the clergy and fewer transphobes.
In episode 15, the prosecutor plays golf and wears a badge that says "bon coup" in French. It doesn't mean what you might think.
And then, at the beginning, we are introduced to a psychiatrist, who later reappears shrouded in mystery, only to never be mentioned again. This character was introduced for no reason. Strange.
S02 : Dear K-drama writers, can you spare us these endless eating scenes ? Please. For God's sake. Or at least make an effort with the sound. You don't talk with your mouth full ! Bad manners. Literally, every other scene involves copious swallowing !
This season follows the same formula of action and humour, with much more slapstick and gesticulation. And shouting, unfortunately. Not really my thing. It gets on my nerves at times. A show that was rather silly has now become downright mind-numbing.
In addition, the lore expands and proves to be more coherent than that of John Wick. The production, meanwhile, follows the evolution of Korean series and their standards, with much more polished staging than the first season. We are even treated to a single-take sequence shot in episode 1 where the heroes fight on several floors of a building. Well done, Father Kim. You're kicking ass like Jesus drove the merchants out of the Temple. What's more, episode 3 has a scene shot from a subjective point of view. They're trying new things.
That said... this season struggles to match the first in terms of pace and humour. It's a bit boring with all these pointless conversations between the antagonists. Twelve episodes in, and in the sixth one we're still being told how bad we are ? Great, I don't care, guys. Nine episodes before anything really happens in terms of the plot. After a while, we couldn't care less about your stories.
I like Bibi, she rocks, she sings, she acts, okay, okay, but where's Keum Sae-Rok ? Where is she ? Free Keum Sae-Rok.
Given the radical change in cinematography and acting, I don't think I'll be watching any more of this director's productions because he's clearly just putting his name on other people's work.
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First of all: end and abolish prison. Also : acab."Tell yourself that you are already dead. And that you remain alive as if God were giving you a bonus. You have to live, whether it's to regret or repent." Wise words from the prison chaplain.
These prison episodes begin in the most fitting way and shift towards the idea that when you want something, you can achieve it, and that only your burning desire will turn the hero into a vengeful monster ready for anything. Let's admit it. But the friendship between these two men is very touching.
The series alternates between tragic seriousness and grotesque excess, without ever making up its mind. The way the hero realises what a trap he has fallen into, for example... The evil genius behind it all turns out to be too stupid to imagine that his victims would talk to each other, apparently. Anyway, the whole series is like that. You shouldn't look too closely, and then you can just let yourself be carried away by the revenge. In the end, the longest part was the first episode ; after that, it flows smoothly.
Worth watching for the action scenes, the suspense and to fuel your justified hatred of the rich. Provided you don't think too much about the many absurdities in the script. (How does this boy finance his vendetta ?) Notably this surprising ability to be stabbed in the stomach and make a full recovery, or that mysterious invulnerability to concussions.
The least implausible thing is seeing the police fabricating evidence and happily obeying their cruel superiors. The villainous tech bro tells us : the rich and their militia are evil simply because they can be.
Bravo for the sword fight. "Washi o washi" as we all say.
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An extremely dark series. Set in a wintery night-time atmosphere. It scares the hell out of you with the most ordinary things (a glance, a shadow on the ground that disappears, someone knocking on the door, your loved one saying strange things) while talking about ghosts. It's powerful. Anyway, spirits don't exist, I say it loud and clear. No one will silence me. If they did exist, we would be constantly harassed by billions of dead people. Through the power of my cosmic brain, I have solved this mystery.The story remains captivating despite its slow pace. Through these possessions, this diminished vision and these growing shadows, we are clearly told about the desire to die. Let me be clear: people who take their own lives also wanted to live. Those who want to understand will understand. That is what this story is about.
"I had never lived solely for myself, not even for a moment. I had never made a decision or gone to a place because I wanted to. Why and for whom did I mistreat myself so cruelly ? The one who dragged me into the darkness was none other than myself. I was killing myself. I refused to die once I realized that. I'm going to start living for myself."
Apart from that, Kim Tae-ri's performance is phenomenal. A very demanding role in which she has to go through all the negative emotions, on the verge of exploding into a thousand pieces, changing expressions, screaming angrily, suddenly crying, seeming lost and then herself again, at the height of despair. The final scene with the lighter is mind-blowing. It's incredible how well she conveys the struggle against herself and her darkness.
However, the dinner scene with her former university friends in episode 5 was unnecessary. Why do people do this to themselves? Why see people you don't like? Why do we have to put up with awkward and painful moments like that? I'm not here to suffer, I'm doing fine on my own. No need to help me with that.
"Even if you feel like dying because you're frustrated and overwhelmed, no one will acknowledge how you feel."
That being said, I hope that seeing everyone absolutely terrified at the thought of someone knocking on their door will give you an idea of the world I live in. Welcome to the club.
However, fellow ghosts, communication is key. You just stare at people silently, and no one understands what you want. Please be a little more serious about your demands. Also, you don't exist. So stop it.
Ps : Naturally, the ghost is left-handed... There's no smoke without fire. (I'm just saying)
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Be close to your friends and even closer to your enemies, as they say. This little game of cat and mouse works beautifully. These two guys are evil incarnate, cop or gangster, same piece of work. Friend or foe, they don't know anymore.80% of the time, they're just a bunch of yob sulking and chain-smoking cigarettes. (I learnt a new word : yob) But the atmosphere and staging are spot on. The police are real bastards, violent and cruel, without mercy. Realistic. (But, of course, at the end we're told that they're the good guys. Make no mistakes !) There are still two female characters (two more than in many stories of this kind) and they are relatively well written, with their own motivations and making their own decisions. (As for the Bechdel test... that would be asking too much, though.)
The fights are very brutal and raw. It seems as though nothing happened because the story remains simple, but in reality, there are quite a few twists and turns in store for us.
It totally deserves its high ratings. Ji Chang-wook is excellent, but to be honest, everyone is very, very good.
The theme music for the series sounds like something Ennio Morricone would have composed. It fits so well with the final scene, where the two "heroes" walk together through Seoul at night. I find that ending perfect. Tragic.
And finally, how convenient that the Japanese and Chinese speak impeccable Korean. And there is a certain view of China... each scene is accompanied by a little piece of music in a caricatured pentatonic scale. All Chinese people are portrayed as cold and violent. We are clearly being sent a message.
(TW: SA) The hero is assaulted, although the series does not present it that way. He makes it clear throughout that he is not consenting. And he shows no interest in this woman. Their strange relationship is fuelled by silences and his lack of enjoyment in being around this woman. I don't really understand this choice.
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The first few episodes are really repetitive, especially the part about not arriving at school on time... And the parallel between flying away unintentionally and Lee Jeong-Ha/Bong-seok's attraction to Go Youn-jung/Hui-soo is tiresome. It quickly becomes tedious. We get it, they have powers. Ok. And the heterosexual propaganda is exhausting. We're subjected to it all the time. A boy and a girl can just be friends, it's possible, it happens every day !Some episodes are clearly just filler. 20, apparently too long for our screenwriter friends. So all these twists and turns in the form of flashbacks rather bored me, I have to say. I imagined it would be a "human" series, focusing on these two endearing students, but it veers off into a story involving North Korea, the CIA and who knows what else. It drags on. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't finish it. I'm more upset with myself for not liking this series, which seemed like such a good idea.
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Careful ! I talk too much.Last year, Jung Kyung-ho played a lawyer who defended (dead) workers. Stuck in this role, he defends the needy once again, and he almost makes us believe that this is what justice is for. Of course, it's fiction. He's still a guy with bad intentions, but he does good, as does his team of marginal lawyers, none of whom had the means to go to university.
All those pro-LGBTQIA+ signs in the office, spotted. I would have liked to see this support for rights translated more concretely in the series than just a small scene during Pride and these posters. And so, the beginning of episode 3 with the reference to a sadly infamous mediocre saga about stupid little wizards... not very coherent. If we could all agree to erase this thing from popular culture, we would all be better off. Thank you in advance.
I was very enthusiastic at first. The trial with the dog was great. I loved it. And I hoped that the whole series would be like that, the poor against the rich. Justice triumphing over the stupidity of the law.
That being said, I must admit that I feel uncomfortable with the trial concerning the disabled child. Ultimately, it serves to justify the denial of the right to abortion. "No life would be better off without the right to exist." Who can argue with that ? Who ? But it is a deeply dishonest argument. It brings the right to control one's own body, the right to abortion, into the realm of eugenics, when in fact no one could have known whether this child would be disabled. His disability is not the issue. It is the refusal of doctors to respect a woman's rights. The debate is being manipulated. (and this is a rhetorical technique used by anti-abortionists)
Then they add that the child would prefer to go to a "specialised" school, which shows that this was written by people who are not affected by the issue. These schools are segregation, and don't anyone dare argue with me about it, because I won't accept it. We claim to care about disabled people, but we just want to get rid of them/us.
Anyway... What disastrous episodes. But the worst thing is that they mean well. The solution here : the rich old owner of the hospital in question, who refuses to allow abortion, becomes the saviour of this little boy. And we are asked to nod along, with tears in our eyes, while his foundation continues to misinform vulnerable teenagers and refuse to apply the law. What a nightmare.
Later, we learn how Judge Kang, the protagonist, sentenced a boss to prison after a serious accident at his company. And the boss killed himself. The series makes us believe that Kang is the real culprit in this story. That's the central theme of the series. Kang took revenge... and that's wrong... enforcing the law is wrong... For once, a boss has to take responsibility for endangering his employees, and we're supposed to feel sorry for him ! No, never. My eyes are dry. And then it will be nuanced and in the end, it wasn't so bad, the judge went too far but he wanted to avenge his mother, but still, it's not right. We respect the law. Blah, blah, blah.
It's sad, but I actually quite liked the series despite its objectively centrist discourse. It claims to defend positive values on difficult subjects, but when you look closer... not really. What we're really dealing with is a system that explains to us how bad it is, but that it's better than nothing. Even lawyers without degrees can join and help poor disabled people in court, just think about it! All we need to do is reform the justice system and everything will be fine in the best of all possible worlds.
It was written by a former judge: Moon Yoo-Seok. That explains everything. It's his third series, his third story about judges and attorneys. He wants to denounce the flaws in the Korean legal system, but he does so from his position as a privileged man. (a privileged man who denies women the right to control their own bodies, therefore)
The series manages to remain entertaining and light-hearted. I also appreciate the effort made to include a female autistic character (a tertiary one) without making this her main characteristic. She doesn't appear very often, which is probably what saves her. We also have a happy deaf couple who own their own bakery. I want more inclusivity like this. Disabled people exist. We exist.
Everything starts off so well, but then unfortunately gets bogged down. It tries too hard to please everyone and ends up saying nothing revolutionary. The comedy works like a charm, but the tragic parts are a failure, in my opinion. This is a series with many longueurs, like this pointless review of mine. It is saved by its actors as much as possible. As for the flashbacks, I say no, let's stop that. It must stops.
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The cinematography is truly beautiful, with many stunning shots and natural lighting used to great effect in these picture-perfect Canadian and Italian settings.The two protagonists are adorable, touching, and funny. The first episode is meticulously crafted. And with all this double-dealing about the translator who translates while answering or answers while translating faithfully, we don't know where their relationship ends.
Stop being so cute ! It's illegal. He's always serious but secretly seduced ; she's sincere and kind, not afraid of her feelings. Episode 7, with the writer friend who struggles to get these two back together, is extremely touching... And the whole series should have stuck to that. Because that's a good half of the episodes, after which we get lost in something else. The quality of the writing disappears, in my opinion. I could have given it 4 stars or more if the writers had simply stuck to this touching romance.
It's a shame, then, about these obsessive delusions surrounding visions and personality changes ! I hated it. It ruins all the magic of the series. Nobody acts like that. And too often Cha Mu-hee/Go Youn-jung ends up in embarrassing situations, with her innocent face, at the mercy of others mockery. And then there's her story with her deceased parents, it wasn't worth dragging it out for so long. We understood it from the first hint.
In the end, it must be said that you can watch one episode per day at most. Not much really happens. Do not exceed the recommended dose.
Ps : The movie that made her famous looks incredibly bad. Poor Do Ra-mi.
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Simple, elegant staging in natural settings and historical costumes that aren't necessarily very exciting. Some beautiful, aesthetic shots, but too few and far between. The music remains rough and stripped down, even discreet. Except when it emphasises the humour of a scene, which, in my opinion, detracts from the overall tone of the series. Many K-dramas brilliantly mix registers, but not this one. What remains is a narrative that takes the time necessary to advance its pawns in this game of massacre.Alas ! It is difficult to feel concerned by these stories, as the protagonists, including the hero himself, are so unsympathetic. The latter shows disgust at the way his fellow workers are treated and does nothing about it. He could. He has the ability to change things, we know that perfectly well, and he chooses to suffer for a long time. He sides with the bastard who mistreated him and his comrades before. He doesn't try to help them ; he supports one tyrant against another. Since the power struggles are never questioned, and the ending celebrates sovereign individualism, these script choices leave a bitter taste.
At first, we think that morality means : when you exploit people, have the decency to pay them. Personally, I would prefer that no one be exploited. If your thing is loading rice onto boats and making a profit from it, then load it yourself, you bloody exploiter.
In the same vein, one character protests that bandits collect taxes, but that's how regimes worked at the time. Soldiers in wartime, bandits in peacetime, they are the same people. Aristocrats earn their titles of nobility in bloodbaths ; they have no innate nobility. There is no difference between a nobleman and a godfather of the underworld, between the state and the mafia. That was my awkward anarchist, or Christian, take. (delete as appropriate)
Shin Ye-eun is underemployed. Scandalously underemployed ! An actress of this calibre and a character with so much potential should not be relegated to the background. What a waste, seriously.
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I don't know why, but for some obscure reason, a lot of people in this series go from whispering to screaming in a fraction of a second. In a nutshell : annoying and ridiculous.
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A K-drama about a chosen family, in a way ? A whole group of merry pranksters, united in adversity and divided in the gold rush. The entire building refuses to give way to a despicable company.It's so zany and grotesque at times, it's like The Fiery Priest but with lawyers this time. It goes way over the top in terms of silliness. That said, I suspect the trials aren't very accurate in terms of how the Korean judicial system works. And, sure, the series is funny, but damn, it's about some really serious stuff ! Killing your employees is not okay. It's not reasonable. Babel, the most evil company in the world. The mafia seems almost more likeable in comparison. (Between us, I think that's the point here, to show us that they're equally bad... except Vincenzo Cassano)
Everyone loves Vincenzo. That heartbreaker. Even pigeons. Nice pigeon, by the way, Vincenzo, congratulations. Not all heroes wear capes, sometimes they're just pigeons. And Vincenzo knows how to make good police officers : force them to resign. An example to follow.
Anyway. But Jeon Yeo-been has class, she's an impeccable actress, I need to see more of her performances. Ms Incognito was really good, even if it didn't get a very good reception, it seems.
So ! I solemnly declare that if I hear that cover of Bach's chaconne in D minor for violin again, I'll go berserk, ok ? I'll smash tiny objects while screaming. My strength doesn't allow me to express my anger any more furiously than that.
Also : those adverts for instant coffee and chocolate squares wrapped in plastic ? Embarrassing. No one buys that rubbish, wake up.
And at some point, we need to take two minutes to think about xenophobia towards Chinese people. They are always portrayed negatively in almost all Korean productions. One character has a caricatured name, "Wang Shaolin", then we hear about "Chinese hackers from the North Dragon gang". It's getting a bit much.
_"This idiot's brain is a black hole." A teacher must have written that in one of my school reports.
_"You're a subhuman, unworthy of being human, you don't deserve to live." It all reminds me of my father.
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"Introductions ! This is Rachel, Phoebe, and Chandler ! Hi !" Nobody loves Monica.Miss Hong is so cool. She and the 'queen bee' are a killer duo ! It was really nice to see a show that didn’t focus on romance with guys, but on female friendship.
When Miss Hong goes undercover on her first day at work, she notices that the managers don't do anything, the bosses don't know how to do anything except to be extremely misogynistic, and the only one who works in the department is the guy at the bottom of the ladder with the lowest salary. Realistic. What's more, it's a financial investment company, the ultimate bullshit job, legendary parasite level. If I've learned one thing in the world of work, it's that there's no point in overworking yourself, you won't be rewarded for it. The wool will be sheared the same from our tiny round backs. Glad to see that Miss Hong's colleagues have understood this. A fine example for young people. "They're overdoing it ! Why give us work ?" A French joke just for fun : They gave us work for four people ! Luckily there were eight of us. And, of course : I talk in my sleep. At night it's annoying, but at work it's worse.
"If experience made you grow, you would be surrounded by saints."
Revenge, then ? We love that here. Especially when it's the little employees that no one takes seriously. We enjoy accompanying this cast of characters throughout these sixteen well-filled episodes. Albert Oh and No-ra annoyed me at first, but in the end, I love them. Everyone has their goals, becomes friends, teams up : the usual stuff. Studio Dragon does a great job of mixing humor, serious topics, and redeeming endings that are comforting after their emotional roller coaster. We talk about harassment, suicide, misogyny, single mothers, domestic violence, working conditions... Poor Kim Mi-sook... And then, No-ra engaged to a man 20 years older than her ? Hell ! But it's a joyful and kind series despite all that.
It should be noted that there are always an investigation, but not by the cops, which is good. Everyone hates the police. All my homies hate the cops.
In any case, the writers manage to make these stories about investing in a company cool and fun. That's why we love K-dramas. I'm ready for season 2. Totally ready.
"A man who disparages you for having lived with him deserves to be judged.
PS : The t-shirt "Vivre est un journey", I don't understand. "Vivre est un voyage" or "to be alive is a journey" but not a mix of two ! It stresses everyone. Never do that again.
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Jisoo plays an ordinary woman whom nobody notices? That requires a massive leap of faith. When she stands in front of her mirror and complains about her dark under-eye circles… but she has the most flawless skin in the world. It’s hard to believe she’s this insignificant, clumsy character. But, to be fair, her acting has improved. (She was already quite good in Newtopia, given the series’ delightfully daft tone)She plays an adorable, heartbroken producer who’s getting over her break-up and taking control of her love life again. We figure that out pretty early on.
All her scenes with new virtual boyfriends are strangely good. It plays on clichés deliberately, so it doesn’t treat us like idiots. I've found myself laughing stupidly far too often to say anything bad about it. I’ll admit it, I liked it. There, I’ve said it ! The humour saves the day when it gets a bit saccharine.
This series is pure binge-watching (there isn’t even an opening credits sequence), a short, simple, funny, pinky, very pinky story… Pinky but blackened (this joke : illegal in 197 countries) by this dating game, which, when you get right down to it, is quite terrifying. Losing consciousness every time you start it up ? I’m not sure I’d like that. I’ve already played Dark Souls, ok ?
And what about her working hours... can we take this up with a trade union, please ? Both in the series and in Jisoo’s real life.
Gong Min-jeung, the "annoying" author, is the best. Keep it up, madam. Screw them !
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It's hard to ignore the limited special effects, to put it diplomatically.
You have to be really into celestial palace intrigues between millennial beings in an bad RPG landscape. I lasted until halfway through. 17 out of 33 episodes, no less. The cardboard sets, the ridiculous superpowers, the scheming between clans I didn't know existed five minutes ago, death but actually no I'm coming back as a spirit and I'm alive again (are you elves, actually ?), all of that got the better of my patience.
Wang Yinglu is exceptional, naturally. In 'Twelve Letters', that same year, she played a completely different character with great intensity. She's a superb actress. And she undoubtedly deserves better roles than that of a servant to a capricious god.
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I'm not Korean, but I was bullied throughout my entire school career. I wish I could say that everything in Episode 1 is exaggerated and ridiculous... but not really. Students who insult, hit, and humiliate other students, with no one coming to the victims' aid, and sometimes even with the teacher's support (yes, really), well, that's the reality. Episode 1 isn't that far-fetched.Violence doesn't solve anything in this case. But the series suggests that it does, that it would be the ultimate solution to everything. No, the bullies will take revenge on their victim. All it does imply that if violence comes from the stronger people (adults), then it's valid. And consequently, adults have complete authority over minors... because ? Because, period. Thus, violence in school would simply be an educational problem caused by the parents alone. I'm not sure I support that. (I believe above all in the collective responsibility and individual courage proposed by philosophers like Arendt or Sartre. At some point, we must act even if we stand to lose something, even if we aren't personally responsible : we are.)
That said… it's hard not to find it thrilling when a teacher goes to the home of a privileged bully (the son of a high-ranked politician) just to piss him off. And he couldn't care less about threats from a potential future president of the Republic. I admit it.
There are also some very serious issues that aren't handled all that badly. It goes beyond just school. We seek revenge for the powerless. And these "teachers" are only there for a specific mission.
Well, here I go complaining again… I love revenge in movies or TV shows, but in real life, it accomplishes nothing. I wouldn't be any less devastated if I learned of the death of my bullies or attackers. It doesn't make things right. And it's individualistic, too. An individual solution for every systemic problem ? No. (Or else we must expect that many of our relatives and family members will disappear in prison or be executed...) And it happens after the problem. It's already too late. Neither violence nor the death penalty dissuades people from committing crimes !
The series takes on a cartoonish tone starting in episode 2. The students are total thugs straight out of the worst mafia movies. How many times have they repeated a grade ? Paradoxically, it becomes much more watchable. From that point on, it takes on a satirical approach, the ideology takes a back seat, and you can watch it as a usual action comedy. If the whole series were like that, it would be just fine. But, it's not.
Episode 3 and its false accusation of a teacher sexually harassing a student. I just can't handle that. What about the real accusations ? Do we just ignore them ? It leaves me completely dumbfounded, I can't stand it. And Jin Ki-joo finally shows up ! Finally ! (My main reason for watching this series) But I couldn't appreciate her absurdly authoritarian approach as much as I'd have liked. I dropped the series right there. That's my limit. It's probably a shame, but I refuse to waste my time on stories about false accusations.
(Ignore the note. It's just for my own reference, so I know not to try again.)
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