The story is really too complicated to even begin to explain. It has twists and turns that keep you guessing, because all of the lives of the characters are so intertwined. The writers really did a great job.
The young people that play the main characters as children are amazing. Kim Yoo Jung is so believable as Chun Hae Joo. For her only being 14, she has been a LOT of dramas. Most recently The Moon that Embraces the Sun. She makes me want to watch that drama.
Han Ji Hye's character is the adult Chun Hae Joo. I have not seen her in anything else, but I think she did a great job in this drama. She gave Hae Joo a strong character. It is refreshing for the woman to be strong in a drama. Kim Jae Won plays Kang San as bright and optimistic. He cracks me up when he speaks in English. It is just too cute. Jae Hee plays Park Chang Hee. This dude can act!!! I really don't know how he gets his eyes to be cold and warm like that. His character went through a lot of emotions and I believe that Jae Hee nailed them all.
I usually hate a lot of side stories and characters, but in this drama I felt like most of them were needed. Hae Joo's mom, Geum Bo Ra was an excellent character. I really had love/hate feelings for that character. Then Hae Joo's other mom, Yang Mi Kyung, was just outstanding. To watch her go back and forth in her emotions was true talent. Veteran actress really know what they are doing.
I enjoyed the music in this drama, but it isn't anything that I will remember.
I probably won't rewatch this drama, because of how long it is and because I already know what happens.
I really enjoyed this drama and I think that it is definatly one you should watch if you like melodrama.
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I think the story was well thought out and there were no inconsistencies. I do think that they used a lot of flash backs, but if you are confused about anything, then it does help explain events. Although they reveal the criminal early on in the drama, it doesn’t take away from the suspense. He is like one of the smartest criminals I have seen in a drama and I was totally happy about it. I get tired of watching stupid “bad guys”. Watching the cyber team try to take him down is very intense and at times I found myself screaming at the monitor. The ending is off the hook!!!
So Ji Sub is my favorite actor so you may see this review as biased. LOL I think he did a great job playing Woo Hyun as cold and serious and then playing Gi Young as Woo Hyun with a more passionate attitude. He seemed like a different person to me and I would have seen right through it. Uhm Ki Joon plays Hyun Min, the “bad guy” with perfection. I could sympathize with why he did some of the things he did even though I don’t condone his actions. I totally fell for him. His smirk is just too cute. You should watch him in Scent of a Woman. If you are watching this for Choi Daniel, then don’t waste your time, because he is barely in this drama. He is in the first few episodes and in flash backs. All of the other actors did a great job too. I especially like Kwak Do Won as the Mad Cow and I always love seeing Kwon Hae Hyo. Hae Hyo is totally underrated as an actor. I have seen in tons of dramas as the supporting actor and he is always awesome!!!
The music in this drama is off the hook!!! I love the Phantom of the Opera music.
I don’t know if I will watch it again since I know what happens, but it is definitely a must see for those of you that like crime dramas (and/or So Ji Sub).
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Iljimae is well written, acted, and directed. I wasn’t bored for one minute. Now, I have to admit that it takes some concentration to keep up with who is related to who. The story totally drew me in from the 1st episode. I have read that a lot of people weren’t satisfied with the ending, but I was more than happy with it. It answered all the questions that I had and that is what works for me.
The love that these people show for each other is inspirational. Even the bad guy does what he does for the love of the king…not saying it is justified. BTW…there is no epic romance. If that is what you are looking for in a drama, then this is not the one for you.
The acting in this is well done even by the supporting cast. Lee Jun Ki as Iljimae and Park Shi Hoo as Shi Hoo do exceptionally well in their roles. The only other drama I have seen Jun Ki in was My Girl, this shows just how versatile he is as an actor. I was totally taken in by him and the way he could go back and forth from Yong to Iljimae. It makes me want to watch Arang and the Magistrate now. I have not seen any of Shi Hoo’s dramas. If this is an indication of his acting ability, then I will look into it.
The man that deserves a lot of credit for making this show worth watching is Lee Mun Shik as Soe Dol. He gave a great performance and his character was the best.
The music is good
I probably won’t rewatch it, but it is definitely a must see on anyone’s drama list. Enjoy!!!
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This drama has it all. It has romance, comedy, psychological and physical terror, politics, family, and action to name just a few. The strength of the characters in this drama is what holds this story together. The writers did a fantastic job of keeping the characters consistent. There is not one time that the action and conversations are out of character. The story was well thought out. The writers may have worked from the end backwards, because it was carefully planned.
The range of emotions that one goes through watching this drama is what makes it excellent and that is a tribute to the actors. The main cast of Ha Ji Won, Lee Seung Ki, Lee Yoon Ji, and Jo Jung Suk is epic. I don’t think anyone will ever find a cast that will be able to compete with this one. The actors are right on the money and made me invested in the individuals they play and the story. The actors that played all the side characters were magnificent. I have never disliked a villain as much as Kim Bong Goo and I think that is because Yoon Je Moon plays him so well. He should get some kind of an award for playing the best criminal in a drama. I would also like to give a shout out to Lee Do Kyeong (Hang Ah’s father) and Yoon Yeo Jeong (Jae Ha’s mother). If it weren’t for them, then the whole story would be different.
There will probably be some people that dislike this drama because of one incident. Even though it was an emotional event, I believe it made this drama even better. The acting that was involved in that event sent this drama over the top.
The music in this drama is good too; especially the scenes where the Jae Sin and Si Kyung sing.
I really do believe that this may be one of the best dramas that I have ever seen. I would rewatch it in a heartbeat.
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This review may contain spoilers
I couldn't decide if I liked this movie or if it was ultimately ridiculous. For that reason I gave it high scores.Since I can't give spoilers in the review, let me just state that the purpose of this movie is the part that is ridiculous. Everything that leads up to the end is great. The action is off the chain.
The acting is spectacular. Jung Woo Sung plays the good. I could listen to his voice forever. I enjoyed his acting in Padam Padam. His character is far different in this movie. It proves that he is a versatile actor. Lee Byung Hun plays the bad. I have never seen anything he has been in. If this is any indication of his acting ability, then I will be sure to watch more of him in the future. Song Kang Ho plays the weird. His character was my favorite. He did a great job and I will be sure to watch more of his movies in the future.
The music fits the movie.
I will probably rewatch this in the future. It was that good.
I would recommend this movie to everyone that likes a good action movie and enjoys the strange and unusual.
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Don't Look Back: The Legend of Orpheus
12 people found this review helpful
Kim Nam Gil was as good as ever in his portrayal of Yi Soo, but they didn't give him much to work with. He portrayed his character's split personality due to his trauma very well. There are scenes where he gets to show case his acting ability, but they are few. Also he does well with his grown up romance with Hae Woo. Son Ye Jin was good playing the conflicted Hae Woo. Under different circumstances, I might have felt sorry for her character. I did feel sorry for Ha Suk Jin's character Joon Yung, who the writers didn't even give much resolution to at the end. Poor guy!!!
Honestly, the only characters that I was fully invested in were the Detective, his wife and Yi Hyun. They were a breath of fresh air. Nam Bo Ra is really coming into her own as an actress and I see her gaining lead rolls in the future.
The other actors were good as well including Lee Soo Hyuk. Although again the writers could have developed Soo Hyun a little more.
Really it wasn't the acting that was bad, it is the writing.
The music was ok...nothing stands out.
I will NEVER rewatch this.
If you like revenge dramas, then I can recommend several that are better than this. Just hit me up and I will let you know. :-)
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The acting is good regardless of the story. One thing that I noticed is that even though the cinematography doesn’t compare to the Korean version, it seemed more realistic this way. It worked for me.
I won’t rewatch this. If you can get past the fact that Zhi Shu is a jerk for most of this drama, then I recommend you watch it. Otherwise just skip to the last 3 or 4 episodes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Daebak!!! I know most people will hate the ending, but the writers hint/warn (depending on how you take it) at what the ending will be from the start of the drama. It gave me the feeling that there could be a sequel drama, but considering they meet under a crescent moon with a peach tree, fate could play out the same only in a modern atmosphere. Anyway, can't say too much or it will be spoilerish. The story has a great mix of fantasy, romance, action, and suspense. I really enjoyed every episode most especially the special effects, sword fighting, and martial arts. I think it is cool that what everyone claimed as a monster was more human than the humans that acted like monsters. I usually don't like a lot of extra characters, but this time I think it adds to the drama rather than taking away from it. In the end it had a mixed feel of Sungkyunkwan Scandal meets Arang and the Magistrate.I will start with Suzy as Yeo Wool. I know a lot of people don't like her, but I thought she did a great job. In the beginning her acting was a little stiff, but as the drama progresses, she gets better. It may be because she is learning and acting with some really great actors. Lee Seung Gi was beautiful as Kang Chi. I felt for his character deeply and he wrapped me up in his emotions. His smile is to die for. Yoo Yeon Seok as Tae Seo and Sung Joon as Master Gon were also great. They added so much to the emotions of the drama.
I enjoyed Choi Jin Hyuk as Wol Ryung also. His character was the best. In the end though, I thought that his son had more hope and less fear than the father. Otherwise, why didn't Wol Ryung do the same thing that Kang Chi did in the end??? Just a thought.
I could write all day about the actors. They were all great. I loved seeing one of my favorite actresses, Yoon Se Ah as the adult Seo Hwa. Lovely!!!
The music for this drama is good too. 4MEN's "Only You" and Lee Sang Gon's "My Love is Hurt" are songs I will be listening to for a while. Lee Seung Gi also sings an OST for the drama called "The Last Words" and Suzy sings an OST called "Don't Forget Me". Both are well done.
I will probably rewatch this at some point.
If you like fantasy, action and romance, then you will enjoy this drama. Did I mention that there are a lot of romantic scenes and some really well done kiss scenes. :-)
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Ok, the reason why I couldn't give this perfect scores is the execution of the directing. I felt like something was missing at times even though the acting and emotions and even the setting was good. I can't pin point what it was. It is just a feeling. When it first started I was really excited about the fantasy aspect of the story, but it was underused. I don't know if it was budget restraints or what, but this could have been better if they had played up the fantasy powers. How many times can someone get poisoned??? Ridiculous!!! Another thing was the romance between Choi Young and Eun Soo was really underplayed also. They were cute and had great chemistry. I don't know how many times I yelled at the screen for him to kiss her. What a waist. It was a drama that didn't have a love triangle/square so you would think they would capitalize on that and make it more mushy. Obviously the story was more about their romance and their faith that they could be together through anything. I really liked that part of the story. I also liked that once they decided that they were in love with each other, they didn't falter. The king and queen were too adorable and I really enjoyed their love story. I'm glad they didn't focus so much on them and focused more on Choi Young and Eun Soo. Too many times a director gives too much screen time to the supporting roles. I could care less about all the political junk and although there was some story concerning Choi Young's relationship with the king, I think most of the story revolved around Eun Soo. LOVE THE ENDING!!! It wrapped everything up and explained so much.
Now for the acting...I thought Kim Hee Sun as Eun Soo was great. She was quirky and strong. Yeah, she cried, but I never felt that she cried because of weakness or self-pity. I enjoyed her acting, because she expressed her emotions very well. Lee Min Ho has charisma as an actor. I felt Choi Young’s pain and happiness and was really worried about how he would react when Eun Soo disappeared. I believe that is all due to Lee Min Ho’s acting ability. Ryu Deok Hwan as the king and Park Se Young as the queen did an excellent job. It is really hard to express yourself when you are supposed to stay in control of your emotions. The Woodalchi were great also especially Kim Jong Moon as Dae Man. Although I was sad that Lee Philip had to stop during the drama for eye surgery (hope he is fine), I was glad they didn’t play up his part to be the second love interest of Eun Soo. He did well as Dr. Jang though and he is just too cute. I also like Choi Young's friends that were "bandits" or whatever. The "bad guys" are also good. Shout out to Park Yoon Jae who really made me hate Prince Deokheung. I wanted to strangle that guy.
The music was good, but sometimes awkwardly placed.
I would rewatch this if I was looking for something sweet. It really doesn’t have that much angst. I was never once worried that either main lead would die. Although I prefer melodramas, this is a refreshing change when needed.
Overall, it is a drama worth watching. Just lower your expectations from epic to sweet love story and you are set.
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The story isn’t bad once you realize that the whole plot is based on Dr. Jin trying to save the girl. All the rest is just his journey as he tries to achieve his goal. There are so many holes in this time jump story that it becomes ridiculous. So, I say just ignore all of that and enjoy it for what it is. Honestly, Dr. Jin wasn’t my focus in this drama anyway. I spent most of my time concerned with Kyung Tak, which is the son of the “bad guy” in this drama.
Kim Jae Joong plays Kyung Tak to perfection. I felt more deeply for this character than any of the other characters. He stole the show!!! I gave the acting a higher rating based mostly on him. Song Seung Hun is Dr. Jin and he does a good job, but I didn’t really care what happened to his character after a while. They don’t really explain anything anyway. Park Min Young acts well and is as pretty as ever. I liked both of the characters she plays although you only get glimpses of her as Mi Na. Lee Won Jong who plays Joo Pal is in like a ton of dramas and he always does a good job, but seriously…how many dramas can a man do in one year??? It is crazy!!!
The music is fine, but nothing that I remember.
I guess I recommend this drama to people that like historical dramas and medical dramas. I don’t enjoy either, so I’m not sure why I watched this in the first place. LOL However, I am happy because I really enjoyed Jae Joong and look forward to seeing him in more dramas.
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This also has a really great love story under all the violence. I always find it amusing when the "bad" guy/girl screws with the wrong person and gets exactly what he/she deserves. They never learn that if they just leave the person alone that things will work out better in the end.
Anyway, I love this movie and I think everyone who likes action movies should watch it.
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I love Kim Jae Joong. I know that there are tons of people that don't think of him as a good actor, but I think he is good. I finished Dr. Jin and this drama just for him. I like it because I feel what he is feeling as Heo Young Dal. Of course, Lee Bum Soo is like a legend in acting and doesn't disappoint as Jang Dong Soo. Im Shi Wan is just too cute. Who cares if he isn't that great an actor. Although, I think he did a passable job as Yoon Yang Ha.
I actually watched this drama because I adore Baek Jin Hee. She is a great actress and I can see her growing into an excellent actress. She played Oh Jung Hee well even though I thought at times she didn't have much to work with.
There are a lot of extra characters in this drama, but I don't think it takes away from anything and that they all did a good job.
The music is good.
I might rewatch this...or at least the parts I liked most.
If you like revenge dramas, then this is one to try.
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