No US show, but it has decent cast chemistry
Wow, coming back to kdrama after a while it really its really something. I had to remember myself that they are special... So, a very short review.
Nice visuals. Mostly good sound design ( I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of things un multiple occasions). Mostly, because a lot of times it is also used as means to induce a "fast-pacing scene on screen, feel the tension, pls" feeling. So, the usual boring dragging kdrama pacing, but also having fast-pacing stuff, reserved for when they wanna give you the "something serious happening now" feel. The fight choreography and the technical aspects were the usual. Good casting. Well, mostly. We also have stuff like: an actress thats supposedly 12yo in the flashbacks, 19 yo present time, but she looks like shes 25ish... At first I thought the character was supposed to have certain health issues, but in later episodes I realised she's trying to act being 12yo. Unless the translation was bad and she wasn't really 12 then, dunno.
And now the good stuff. For those of you that watched the US procedural TV shows, don't expect the same level of competency. No CSI something, no LAPD something, no nothing. Anyone who loves those kind of shows should move to Korea and get a job. Its like those people in some anime, that transmigrate to a new world and they have prior knowledge, and BAM, insta OP. If reality is any as in the dramas, no matter how low/common your levels are, in Korea you'd be considered a genius :)))) Any time there was some sort of conundrum on screen, I was "talking" to them: "why aren't you doing this? Why aren't doing that? Wait, what? Whats that logic? Thats not how it works. Why the fk are you looking at him?" etc. It will really test your nerves :)))
If this is not your first kdrama, you should know my now how the things are done there. But now, the main attraction point would be the chemistry between cast. Oh, and the fact that the MC (the detective), its not some super mega genius, or rich, or any of the usual sort of gimmicks. He's smart enough, and works hard, and tests a lot of his new ideas, some produce result, some are not. That really makes him endearing. That is, most of the times, when the script is ok and the story is not some plot device for fueling drama. The rest of the main cast, also good. Since I started with this section, I have a tiny question. Why would the writer make the Police feel incompetent? I mean, when you hear " its not the hour that we were interested in, why should we bother checking anyway?" sort of thing, you start wondering how does one pass the exams and enter the PD. There's one character that does that a lot, but I've noticed it even from the "section head" or whatever his title was, someone thats supposed to be wiser... The acting was decent enough, again, apart from those typical kdrama scenes when they try to be "look, a deranged person", or angry etc.
As I was hinting earlier, the writing is not that great. A lot of plot devices and plot contrivances going on, mixed with a lot of drama for no real reason but to fake some sort of high stakes. The main storyline was a mess, they had no idea what direction they wanted to follow. So, they gave us a mix... Some sort of a main, but also stuff that might or might not be related. With comically evilmen. Yes, completely with "pls narrate your motives at the end, so the viewers will understand why". Oh, and the last 2,5 episodes were really bad. Geez...
To sum it up, A decent enough drama. If nothing else, the cast had chemistry all around. Don't bother with the heavily-induced "serious" subjects, I'm sure those were specifically selected just to create sensation and people to give them high ratings. "The themes, the themes", I know. So, basically, a drama for those who don't like to think. If you have any tiny bit of US procedural TV shows knowledge, its gonna be a hard watch. Maybe.
I gets a rating of 7, barely. But you might enjoy it. Like I said, the characters have charisma. As resembling real people, not the "omg, I love that actor/actress, I watch all of their work, they so pretty" crap that people usually use to rate something... And yes, I will now watch the second season. And no, not because of the cliffhanger (that was crap, and I was kinda expecting something like that when they give you flags all-around), but merely because I'm curious if the show will now have a better direction.
Have a lovely evening.
Nice visuals. Mostly good sound design ( I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of things un multiple occasions). Mostly, because a lot of times it is also used as means to induce a "fast-pacing scene on screen, feel the tension, pls" feeling. So, the usual boring dragging kdrama pacing, but also having fast-pacing stuff, reserved for when they wanna give you the "something serious happening now" feel. The fight choreography and the technical aspects were the usual. Good casting. Well, mostly. We also have stuff like: an actress thats supposedly 12yo in the flashbacks, 19 yo present time, but she looks like shes 25ish... At first I thought the character was supposed to have certain health issues, but in later episodes I realised she's trying to act being 12yo. Unless the translation was bad and she wasn't really 12 then, dunno.
And now the good stuff. For those of you that watched the US procedural TV shows, don't expect the same level of competency. No CSI something, no LAPD something, no nothing. Anyone who loves those kind of shows should move to Korea and get a job. Its like those people in some anime, that transmigrate to a new world and they have prior knowledge, and BAM, insta OP. If reality is any as in the dramas, no matter how low/common your levels are, in Korea you'd be considered a genius :)))) Any time there was some sort of conundrum on screen, I was "talking" to them: "why aren't you doing this? Why aren't doing that? Wait, what? Whats that logic? Thats not how it works. Why the fk are you looking at him?" etc. It will really test your nerves :)))
If this is not your first kdrama, you should know my now how the things are done there. But now, the main attraction point would be the chemistry between cast. Oh, and the fact that the MC (the detective), its not some super mega genius, or rich, or any of the usual sort of gimmicks. He's smart enough, and works hard, and tests a lot of his new ideas, some produce result, some are not. That really makes him endearing. That is, most of the times, when the script is ok and the story is not some plot device for fueling drama. The rest of the main cast, also good. Since I started with this section, I have a tiny question. Why would the writer make the Police feel incompetent? I mean, when you hear " its not the hour that we were interested in, why should we bother checking anyway?" sort of thing, you start wondering how does one pass the exams and enter the PD. There's one character that does that a lot, but I've noticed it even from the "section head" or whatever his title was, someone thats supposed to be wiser... The acting was decent enough, again, apart from those typical kdrama scenes when they try to be "look, a deranged person", or angry etc.
As I was hinting earlier, the writing is not that great. A lot of plot devices and plot contrivances going on, mixed with a lot of drama for no real reason but to fake some sort of high stakes. The main storyline was a mess, they had no idea what direction they wanted to follow. So, they gave us a mix... Some sort of a main, but also stuff that might or might not be related. With comically evilmen. Yes, completely with "pls narrate your motives at the end, so the viewers will understand why". Oh, and the last 2,5 episodes were really bad. Geez...
To sum it up, A decent enough drama. If nothing else, the cast had chemistry all around. Don't bother with the heavily-induced "serious" subjects, I'm sure those were specifically selected just to create sensation and people to give them high ratings. "The themes, the themes", I know. So, basically, a drama for those who don't like to think. If you have any tiny bit of US procedural TV shows knowledge, its gonna be a hard watch. Maybe.
I gets a rating of 7, barely. But you might enjoy it. Like I said, the characters have charisma. As resembling real people, not the "omg, I love that actor/actress, I watch all of their work, they so pretty" crap that people usually use to rate something... And yes, I will now watch the second season. And no, not because of the cliffhanger (that was crap, and I was kinda expecting something like that when they give you flags all-around), but merely because I'm curious if the show will now have a better direction.
Have a lovely evening.
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