Initially I was skeptical of the plot because it sounded a lot like Queen In Hyun's Man. But oh well, since it has two of the biggest stars around, it's probably gonna be good, right? Yup it's pretty good. Cheon Song Yi is such a great character - so confident, such a braggart, but so confident of herself in a good way. Do Min Joon, such a fish out of water in Cheon Song Yi's presence. They were obviously meant to be right from the start. There is plenty of humour not just from the lead couple, also from the side characters.
Admittedly, the attractiveness of Kim Soo Hyun, Jeon Ji Hyun and Park Hae Jin play a huge part in the charm and popularity of their characters. But I stand by my opinion that they executed their parts with finesse and they carried the emotional weight of their characters. Jeon Ji Hyun, in particular, as an actress playing a haughty actress with characteristics that the public probably thinks she has, is hilarious. The character was written brilliantly, but some credit goes to her for playing it 100%. Kim Soo Hyun keeps picking great projects that keep his star going higher and higher.
The ending did leave me feeling unsatisfied, similar to the logical loopholes in Queen In Hyun's Man. But overall, it's a really entertaining show with a good balance of laughs and tears.
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The historical events and figures are real, so it means the movie treads the fine line between not changing history and dramatizing historical events and people. My take is that the story tried to do two things - fit the face reader into these events and give him connections with historical figures. It also tried to expound on the character of the face reader as well as the practice of face reading and whether it is valid. This would probably explain the way the movie ended, but the story seems to spread itself thin in trying to explore both aspects.
For a star-studded cast, I was not disappointed by the performances they put in, especially Lee Jung Jae and Jo Jong Seok. Lee Jung Jae was terrific in his role as the cunning and maniacal Prince Suyang, while Jo Jong Seok was both hilarious and heartbreaking as the face reader's bumbling brother-in-law and loving uncle of Jin Hyung.
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This movie is very artfully filmed. Each introduction to a new setting is done seamlessly, in a single shot. Most scenes fade in and out, instead of cutting to the next scene. There is quite a dreamy tone to the movie and many of the important scenes take place in the dark or at night, which was slightly frustrating for me but I guess it adds to the mystique of the film. Each duel is filmed like an art piece, like a dance. Very well done!
Most of the story is not told in your face, but left to your imagination and interpretation. I would say the director assumes that the audience is intelligent enough to infer certain things and interpret certain scenes.
I really like the depiction of the relationship between 'Sad Eyes' and Nam Soon. There are insinuations of a romantic relationship between them, but I gather that most of their relationship is based on mutual admiration for each other's excellent swordsmanship skills.
I had only previously watched two of Kang Dong Won's films, Psychic and Secret Reunion. In this movie, he plays an equally mysteriously character, with very few lines and few opportunities to see that pretty face of his. I'm definitely not complaining.
Ha Ji Won is really good in this film, and I feel that she is the heart of this show. Her character is vivacious, enthusiastic and we can see the conflicts of emotions she feels on her face.
An interesting and stylish watch!
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I felt that the movie tried to cover too many themes and relationships, which made its coverage of everything too shallow. Some themes include the relationship between Soo-Ah and her brother, the parallel brother-sister relationship between Soo-Ah and Ki-Sub, Soo-Ah's struggle with her blindness and trying to be independent, the psychopathic killer himself and his cruel, cruel deeds, etc. As a result, I don't have a good idea of any of these themes.
Kim Haneul's portrayal of a brave, blind woman is worth the watch. Yoo Seung Ho doesn't have as much onscreen time, but he is cute as always.
Despite its flaws, the movie contains some pretty suspenseful moments that will keep you holding your breath.
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It is a charming show at best. The two lead characters' personalities are polar opposites, making them a pretty good fit. More so, they share the same morbid sense of humour and way of looking at their remaining days on earth. In a sense, the story stays true to the title of the show - 'Never Ending Story'. Even though the characters know they face terminal illness, they must live on as normally as they can - EVEN if the subject matter of their dates are pretty heavy stuff, like looking for urns or choice funeral parlours.
Uhm Tae Woong and Jung Ryeo Won are not too bad in this show - they do a decent job.
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Unfortunately most of the action happens at the start, and then at the end of the movie. I did hope the movie could explain more how Jung Tae Min built his empire to become the top in Busan. I think Kim Kang Woo and Joo Jin Mo put it good performances as the brothers who share a love-hate relationship, portraying the conflicting emotions they feel towards each other and the difficult past they've had.
Overall verdict: alright in terms of action, with a moving story about brotherhood.
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So Ji Sub is the main star of this show.
I wish So Ji Sub would take on a different type of role. The character he plays here is, like so many others he has played (see Always, Ghost etc). Silent, brooding and seemingly evil on the outside but has a soft/loving heart on the inside.
Verdict: mehh.
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The Koreans love their gritty and violent crime dramas and this show is firmly in that category. There is plenty of dark humour which is befitting of the themes in this show and brought some much needed comic relief to the heavy subject matter.
Kim Sang Joong does a tremendous job. Although Park Hae Jin does appear to be in the spotlight of the story for a good chunk of the show, i do believe Kim Sang Joong’s detective character is the true lead of the show.
The 11 episodes were definitely not enough to delve into all the backgrounds and backstories of the three ‘bad guys’, but there was enough story to pique a viewer’s interest in seeing these characters onscreen again. If the writers were gunning for a sequel for this show they definitely made sure they had plenty of material to write one.
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In terms of the story, on one hand the pacing feels rushed. On the other hand, I understand the need to dive straight in to the main crux of the storyline - the lucid dreams and follow-up detective work. There is a twist towards the end of the movie that honestly is not all that surprising.
Go Soo does a decent job and most of the other characters are quite ancillary to his character. But honestly, 'rubbish in rubbish out'. A good actor can only do so much with mediocre material.
A slightly entertaining watch.
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Ironically, it was the relationship between Park Sung-woong's and Park Hae-jin's character that felt the most rewarding and kept me the most invested.
This was a great cast and they acted the heck out of the script. It was so pleasant to watch Park Sung-woong act as a goofball, since he can most often be seen acting in serious roles (both good guys and villains). Kim Min-jung and Park Hae-jin are drama veterans so they definitely did a great job.
Still an entertaining watch overall.
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The love story was really not very convincing, but OK, I rolled with it anyway.
The ending felt like the writers had run out of ideas and just decided to write a WTF-worthy ending for us.
On the technical and behind-the-scenes aspects of the show, the first episode featured a few really bad editing screw-ups, including terrible, terrible CGI. Joo Won also looked extremely exhausted by the end of the drama. Very obvious that the live-shoot system caught up with the show by the end of it.
A plus point is that this show features strong female characters, who aren't simply helpless damsels-in-distress crying out for the male characters to rescue them.
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Before watching this I had never seen Go Ah Sung in any show before. She did well with the character and the material she had. I had only ever seen Lee Dong Hwi in a comical role in Reply 1988 so it was nice to see him show off his dramatic chops in this show. Hoya's acting felt a little bit stiff. I am a huge fan of Ha Seok Jin so I really have no complaints about him in this show.
Overall, an okay watch which was enjoyable at times but a bit draggy in the second half of the show.
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There were funny moments in this movie, though my enjoyment of the movie was marred by some really substandard English subtitles online. In terms of story, it isn’t terribly predictable, but the turns in the narrative arc are rather obvious and quite disjointed, so there’s a minus point in my books there. The movie has some pretty visuals in some scenes.
Cha Tae-hyun is comfortable playing a character who is lonely and eccentric, but does not lack emotional depth. Nam Sang Mi was just okay.
This isn’t a movie that made a deep impression on me, nor is it one that I would rewatch. But it’s not a bad way to entertain yourself on a boring weekend.
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To me there are 2 important factors to make this show enjoyable - solid plot twists that will take the viewer by surprise and great cast chemistry. In terms of the cast, they're alright. Song Seung Heon is polished and sleek, Krystal does a decent job, and Lee Shi Eon serves his purpose as comic relief in the team. But in terms of storyline and plot, this show was somewhat lacking. At several pivotal moments in the show, I could predict what would happen next in the story. Plus some of the cons pulled off by the characters were almost too smooth and easy to be believable or true. Of course, this is a drama so it requires some suspension of belief. But still, I was not that impressed.
Still, for all its predictability, it was an enjoyable show.
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Eric and Jung Yumi’s chemistry makes the drama even more watchable. The hurt from their previous broken relationship is palpable in their scenes together. I’ve never watched Eric in a drama before and I’m thoroughly impressed by his acting skills. I’m quite sure his gaze can melt the iciest of hearts and convince anyone that he is 200% infatuated with them.
Yoon Hyun Min and Kin Seul Gi deservedly steal the limelight as the cute, bickering pair of friends. I’ve watched both of them separately in previous shows and am glad to see their chemistry is so good in this show.
I also enjoyed the soundtrack - it wasn’t too in your face, like many Korean dramas tend to do. It would do its job in the background but not overshadow the dialogue and the characters.
Recommended if you’re looking for a light romance.
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