Fighting Hand-in-Hand
This drama is a much-needed drama with a sweet romance to compensate the angst in the recently aired Love and Redemption, and numerous other open-ended dramas. It has a super handsome new actor who is making his debut and it is also one of the many cross-dressing dramas released lately. The story is semi-serious with cute and funny moments littered throughout. The pace is good and the storyline is not complex. It is certainly a very relaxing watch.This is a story about palace power struggle. Right from the start, the antagonist is already made known to the viewers. Though unknown for the protagonists with no concrete proofs that all the mysteries and crimes they’re trying to solve are linked to the antagonist, nonetheless, the eventual outcome does not surprise them.
The Prince of Qi (Zhang Ling He) is a wandering prince who holds no political power. He has a great relationship with his younger brother who is the Emperor, but a nemesis of his uncle who wants the throne. He disguises as a wealthy aristocrat as Pei Zhao and frequents the brothels. There he meets and falls in love with Su Ci (Sebrina Chen) who disguises as a man working as a high-level investigator. Pei Zhao is patient, forgiving, condoning and protective towards Su Ci. He is strategic and very intelligent. Su Ci is upright, unbiased and detailed which makes her a great investigator. Together with their friends, a medical genius, a skilled sword man and the best cook, they make an ideal team with enviable friendship. Right from episode 1, Pei Zhao and Su Ci begin to work hand in hand, literally, solving crimes and unfolding a bigger conspiracy. They’ve never been separated since, everywhere they go, they go together and everything they do, they do it together. It is really very comforting to see they are always at each other’s side and trusting each other. Any misunderstanding is resolved almost as soon as it arises because they are being very honest to each other; it is indeed very heart-warming to see the couple holding hands all the time.
I’m delighted with Zhang Ling He’s portrayal of Pei Zhao/Prince of Qi. This is his first drama but his performance is beyond my expectation, far more convincing than many other more experienced actors. He has a very handsome face and a well built body. Acting as a flamboyant playboy and later as a devoted lover, Zhang Ling He’s performance is believable and lovable. I cannot help myself but looking at his handsome face all the time.
Su Ci has a calling – to find out what had happened seven years ago when her whole tribe was massacred, leaving her the lone survivor. Her investigative prowess helps her unravel the conspiracy and eventually bring justice for her tribe. Sebrina Chen has cross-dressed in several other dramas and she is very convincing, dressing as a man. Having a matter-of-factly demeanor, Sebrina Chen’s portrayal is authentic and wonderful.
The second couple is perhaps the cutest and sweetest side couple. Their love for each other is unmistakable and they help solve many crimes together. The other cast members are both good looking and wonderful in their respective roles. The ending is concluded properly with justice served - the good is being rewarded and the bad is being punished, and the lovers are happily ever after.
This is indeed a very enjoyable drama not to be missed.
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"Together we shared a bond not even death would violate."
This is a review from someone who's new into Cdramas, so my writings will solely be on the drama and nothing about any previous experience or comparison. It might divert a lil to a Kdrama taste bcs I am an avid fan but I shall try my best to stay on line."THE BOND (乔家的儿女)" is my 2nd Cdrama after "You Are My Glory", not that I got into Cdramas bcs of it, it was due to peer pressure, haha. So I decided to watch Cdramas once in 2 months since my plate is already full with plenty of pending Kdramas and movies. But I can't express my heartening feelings to announce that this drama has become one of the best things I have ever encountered; I must mention, it's now my most favourite 'slice of life' drama, next to Reply 1988.
Basically, "The Bond" is a story about 5 siblings and their growing relationship, not just of a particular span of time but over years; from their early childhood to their middle-aged selfs. There is no specific plot, rather portrayal of day-to-day happenings, thereby justifying the slice-of-life genre. What you prevalently get to experience throughout are: complex characters, individual growths, stupendous character developments and bewildering outgrowths in the relationships. What you get to witness along side? That's the simultaneous change happening to the rapidly developing China, it's effect on the society values, lifestyles, economy and culture; all these through the characters of the show. The timeline of the drama is 1977 to 2005 with multiple leaps.
I bet you've not seen such sibling relationship anywhere else, bcs it's never been made or represented like this. The portrayal of siblings' love & care and the urge to remain together as a family, even when you are constantly ageing, is very surreal in the drama. The extent of transparent reality and every check made to counterattack or even embrace it, felt so very actual, you might desire to acquire such a scenario in your grasp and paint your own life with it. Things happen in the ways, you least expect to and the consequences are also a combinations of various possibilities.
From my last line, I also want to mention how most of the characters here are extremely flawed and their transformation that felt out of sudden is another aspect of realism. Some of us might better ourselves gradually but some others also change in a short span of time. This drama provides you the scope to just experience the reality, instead of judging what's good & bad, or right & wrong, because this is how things and people are, in real. It's the situation that makes us decide our paths or choose our destiny but nevertheless, we are responsible for our own actions. It's obvious for us, as viewers, to get annoyed, frustrated, irritared and angry on some characters or sequences of events during the course of watching, but it's a proof how the drama have been able to accurately deliver the mood and the underlying messages.
The overal development throughout the 36 episode is very nice and each episode is full of substances that evokes all kinda emotions. My first impression from its 1st episode was not so great, I simply thought that the portrayals here might be emotional yet underwhelming. But to my surprise, I was hit with so many raw emotions elicited by almost all of the characters, I had no way to run away and I just held onto the drama very closely. I thought and expected the entire 36 episodes will be all about what the synopsis over here says but when the scenario changed outta nowhere, I was again in doubt but then I came to realize that this is a coming of age story.
Obviously, I had to fall for the most major character, Qiao Yi Cheng, the eldest brother. His character was the best I swear and I want to give emphasis on him in my review. You'll see almost no development in him but that's how he had been all along since childhood. His mother's sudden demise made him the person he didn't expect to become. The way he took care of his 3 younger siblings and managed the entire family for a long time, is totally commendable. Even after marriage and moving out, he was there to back his family as if his life depends on it. He had to raise kids from such a lil age that he couldn't cry or care for his own but his dedication really made me cry at times. Not normalising purely selfless care bcs he had to go through many obstacles too while dealing with things both within and outside of his family plus doing the best in his profession despite. He was the thread to which the entire family was connected and relied to hang onto in case of difficulties. Whenever something was up the other siblings as well as their father looked for him first and he never failed to be there with them. All these things accumulates so much emotions in your heart, you won't be able to help but cry at times. The only time I was angry with him was his decision to marry the girl........ Well.
2nd brother Er Qiang is my 2nd most favourite. Loved how he was always honest with himself and was courageous enough to fight the world for the ones he truly love and care for. He was slow-witted to take a gasp of the situation, yet clever enough to figure out what to do. First daughter, San Li was also the best female character in the drama who was well-behaved and always true to her decisions. 2nd daughter Simei, well hahahaha, she made me take paracetamol twice in row. Yes, I was that frustrated bcs of her behaviours. Not that she was bad but she didn't have the sense of right & wrong and always made choices that went wary for her ruining her life to extents. She was so stubborn that she barely learnt from her own mistakes. The youngest son, Qiqi was a fool but got a character development. I am a bit disappointed that he got very less screentime though he's one of the main characters. Qiao Zu Wang, the father of the family will be one of your least fav character for sure. He and his behaviours made me angry throughout nevertheless, he was a great source of light comedy in the drama.
Among the minor characters, Yiding (Sanli's husband) is my most favourite. They're the best couple in the show and their love for each other is truly heart touching. Qi Wei Min (Eldest cousin of Qiao's) is someone who cared for everyone a lot and secretly wished for everyone's well-being, in fact he favoured Simei and Qiqi the most. The aunt Wei Shu Fang was a good-hearted lady. Ma Su Qin (Erqiang's master) is one of the strongest characters. The Qiao's neighbor, Aunt Wu was one heck of a funny lady.
The final set of couples.... Well... I won't but as I have already mentioned, Sanli & Yiding shared the best relationship among all. What I can tell you is that this drama is not romance oriented even though there are a lot of couple. Of course there is love and growths in relationships but the romance is very subtle which is very apt. Things used to be like this back then in Asian countries and somehow still happens; I mean the period of dating is very less, they just meet and if there is mutual liking, they decide to marry each other in a short span of time. The divorce rates in old china was also high. You'll see these things clearly in this drama.
The dynamic of the characters and their shaping throughout the story has been very well drawn by the writer. The director seems to have a lot of experience that's been incorporated into the execution of the drama. The actors are very very good though I barely know them I loved. The seemingly simple characters might create an impression that the roles don't need much acting skills but my dear friend, even such simple characters with complex dynamics are not easy to play. Not just the final set of adult actors, but also the 2 different sets of child actors did a phenomenal job in playing their respective characters; the emotions they evoked through their expressions will legit make you cry. Also, the actor playing Qiao Zu wang, the father, is another character who did well in acting. His ways of talking throughout the drama via different stages of life, felt like a journey tho he's not a likable character.
What else I also loved is their realistic setups that actually showcased the life and lifestyle from mid to late 20th century that included exploding population, housing problems, poverty, healthcare as well education systems, technology, etc. Various relationships and the way they developed and their way of survival couldn't be more real. I was actually mad with how quick they were deciding to get married but that's how it happened back then and those were also the issues in married life back then.
I always think that being realistic and being real are 2 different thing and The Bond has proved that for me. It was not a drama with a steady plot accompanied by realistic screenplay, rather a drama which was very real that it almost feels like your own life, no matter your circumstances. They kept things simple and natural so that the audience could read and interprete the scenarios, even for the subtle and subverted expressions.
The OSTs are all my favourite. Even while writing this review I am listening to them TT. Ever since starting the drama, I turn the album on as soon as I wake up and they're often on loop. There are total 4 songs among which one has 2 versions with 2 different singers. I loved the way these OSTs are utilised at apt times as required to showcase various emotions.
# Life Should Always Be Bright (生活總該迎著光亮)" by Zhou Shen is soft heart touching song that explains the price of bonds between people and how it essentially helps us grow as persons.
# "Flash (燈筒: Deng Tong)" by Jin Zhiwen is one's urge to escape from all the sufferings. It's very soulful and melancholic.
# "Wild Bird (野鸟) composed by Wang Zihe is an energizing and motivating song and has 2 versions sung by 2 different singers: one by Wang Zihe herself and another by Jin Runji; in different ways actually.
# Space (留白) by Juno Su is like understanding the essence of life, love and living through a softcore melodious track and the vocals are just wowww.
Apart from the havoc caused by Simei what disappointed me is how they rushed the ending a bit. There's no plot or whatsoever they were trying to wrap up but since it's a slice of life drama, one or two more episodes wouldn't have harmed, rather made us happy. It felt like extra scenes were cut off from the last 2 episodes in order to make it a 36 episode drama but anyways It's just me who desperately wished for more. Notably, the last 6 episodes (31-36) becomes heavy and emotional from all terms and there are several peak moments in there which made me cry.
'The Bond' that was created since birth, strived to be stronger on their mother's demise, and was further nourished over years of love, care and affection upon the foundation established by the big brother and to finally find happiness at the end of the life. The Bond is indeed a story about the Qiao family that managed to survive the odds of their life, stayed as one and even thrived till the end, everything together.
Overally, this drama is for everyone and definitely a must watch slice of life. And I'm sure you'll remember this for a long lomg time. Again at the end, I just wanna express my utter happiness for deciding to watch the drama, that too at a perfect time and I am grateful to everyone who have made this possible. Thank you so much!
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TO THE POINT!!
This drama is so To The Point. This is what dramas should be like. where can i find more dramas like this? T-T also., why does this not have any reviews?? (guess im the lucky one to be writing the first, lol) So going back to the drama, The drama ooof, ...Its so good that I cant find out any single flaws here. well, maybe there ArE but idk they were unnoticable to me. Soooo, You should watch this drama cuz it has:No complicated storyline
No love triangles
No jealous SFL/SML
No sad ending
No useless quarrels between ML FL & misunderstandings
No complicated court shit
A SuPeR hawt, badass, attractive & sometimes cute looking ML (he made me a simp bro)
cute FL
Excellent visuals, settings, costumes, makeup & camera quality
& Finally, No reason for you to not watch :DD
By any chance if you stumbled upon this drama, DONT SKIP. Its actually VERY GOOD for a short drama. It takes like 2hr or so to finish this & i would totally love to rewatch this anytime soon. The rewatch value is 8/10 for me. The story is repetitive & not that unheard of so. i would give it a 7. As for the acting/casting, im not the one to judge but for me its a 10. & the music too, i really liked it. Its so sweet and calming to my ears..
moving furtherr, I believe that the ML here has a lot of potential in the entertainment industry and should be recognized more. In my opinion, he is perfect for playing ''cool & badass'' roles. Even though he is not portrayed as a baddie in this drama, he gives off such a bad guy vibe. I would love to see him play a badass character in the future." & coming to fl now.. The fl did a good job with her role. She should get more opportunities to roam in different genres and characters in future. Also not neglecting the side characters & other guest roles, they also performed their roles to their fullest aswell.
Sooo, in short, The drama is very nice. The characters execute their roles perfectly & the storyline and eps are very simple to follow. Its good to watch when you are free and have nothing else to do. Basically, VERY MUCH RECOMMENDED FOR YALL to watch when you feel like you have nothing to watch. If not for anything, just watch for ML bro lmao.
signing offf,
yours Angel
Thanks for reading the review <33
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THIS IS SO UNDERRATED
❤️ok❤️ so from what I see not many ppl watch this drama and the ratings are not great... besides dramatist, on douban, it has less than 10000 ratings (which is quite little for there), and it only has like 6.3 rating. I mean its not horrible but I dont understand cuz I think its not worse than those 7+ or8+ dramas.lmao ok so my point is at first I was not gonna watch it like there are no reviews of it and it has bad view count and bad ratings, but one day I was bored and saw a mv of it...it was H O T. im not like horny or anything but I was bored so I thought id check it out for fun.
HOWEVER, from like 5 minutes in, I was captivated, and I never skipped a second of it. ig that is to be expected from a 16 episode 30 min each drama, but that doesn't mean much I can sit through much more and be happy with a drama. (shoutout: STORY OF MINGLAN IS AMAZING)
either way, it was at a very good pacing; I didn't feel as if scenes were cut or stretched.
even though im not a big fan of these fighting and violence modern dramas, I really liked this one. The dangerous background stories they shared together had me crying all night, and I felt as if I was there friends cuz I was praying as I watched for a happy ending.
as for the characters, BOTH ARE BADASS AND I LOVE IT. ml is so smart and fl is not the typical naive dumb dependent fl. they have misunderstandings but it gets cleared up real fast. even if it didn't, it is actually understandable for me so its not exactly annoying. but DONT WORRY ABT THAT cuz they are well most of the time.
im also particularly in love with second lead couple. tbh the 2nd fl was harassing 2nd ml in the beginning and I won't deny that. it was kinda wrong, but hey im a part of the audience. their ending scenes had me crying of happiness and sadness and everything and I knew was that they loved each other.
also xing Xing (their late "master"'s child under the care of 2nd couple) was adorable. I found her annoying at first but she's a child and later she was so mature and caring and understanding and adorable and yeah
music was okay, ive heard better but the story made up for it.
acting was great too. alike, ive seen better but it was more than enough to make the drama amazing. ps. ❗️kissing scenes were superior no dead fish
❗️ALL IN ALL❗️(im back in elementary lmao), it was a thrilling, quick ride for me and I loved it. some characters had their fault but i come to feel for them very soon. In the end, I love everyone (not the villains though I dont hate them either) ((they were pitiful and for some reason, I never found them particularly annoying)) (((they didn't last long anyways))) WOAH WHAT IS WITH ALL THOSE PARRENTHATHESIS apparently I cant spell either. ;-;
well this was definitely not a waste of time and I think it should be rated better and have a bigger audience. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
u prob cant read anything I wrote but ITS AMAZING, and I added emojis 😎 cuz I think what I wrote is like PeRiOd and needed to be emphasized
sorry im werid, byebye
edit: I FORGOT : ❤️HAPPY ENDING❤️ GUYS SO DONT WORRY again I had to emphasize
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What I got, however, was a very real story of broken individuals with difficult family lives who deal with very believable and relatable situations just trying to figure things out as best they can. There is no antagonist in this piece other than life itself.
In the first half of the movie, we see Jeon Do-Yeon playing a very stoic mother of a mentally handicapped boy who we later learn seems to be the glue that is holding her marriage together. Once she is back on home ground, however, we see her in a different light as she is successfully running her family fashion line and seems more confident that she was in Finland. The moral conflict caused by the affair is more apparent in her character and she portrays the hesitation very well.
Gong Yoo’s character is one that pleasantly surprised me here. Granted I am biased with all matters Yoo, however he lost points when choosing to depict an adulterous father of a depressed child and mentally unstable wife. This role portrayed by any other actor would have come across as sleazy and stalker-ish but with him there is an innocence and vulnerability that oddly makes you root for him and the couple.
Finland itself seems to be a character in the movie as it visually depicts the isolation felt by our protagonists as well as the lack of any warmth in their current relationships. I could go on about the symbolic significance of the sauna in the woods, the hotel suites where our couple has their trist or their train ride in the second half of the movie but that would take forever.
If you are looking for a bubbly romance or are watching with boxes of tissue ready at hand, then this may not be the one for you. If however, you want to see the world from an alternative point of view or just really feel something down to your soul, then I highly recommend this movie.
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This show is short and sweet, leaving you with a smile on your face. Because Of You almost gives me Long Time No See vibes, just because its something you can sit and watch all in one sitting and not feel tired.
The series itself seems a bit shakily produced, as if they wanted to put in a deeper plotline, but gave up halfway through. It's not exactly bad, but you can definitely tell something's missing there.
I also felt as if three couples was too much for this little series to handle. There's only about two hours of air time, if even that, and yet somehow they expected to fit in three love stories?
I'm not saying I didn't enjoy all three couples, because i did. They each had their own charms and strong points. I just wish perhaps they could've focused on one main couple instead of trying to fit in an hours worth of screentime for a couple into only a few minutes of each episode.
I do admit i favoured one of the couples over the other two (although, i think we all do haha). Jun Cheng and Lin Xun's chemistry is just out of this world, and i hope they're able to do a full-length series together in the future.
All-in-all, i thoroughly enjoyed this drama as a quick watch as i wait for the next episodes of the full-length series I'm watching.
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Cute, Sweet, Precious, Inspiring, Touching
I consider a drama good when it captures my emotions - it makes me laugh as well as it makes me cry - it touches and relates to me. Unlike those crappy dramas that I cannot wait to jump to the final episodes to watch the conclusions, with good dramas, I carefully watch every minute of every episode and relish every moment without wanting it to finish; I want more of the story. Legally Romance is a story like this - a captivatingly good story with amazing acting and memorable characters.I picked up this series randomly in between releases of new episodes for Royal Feast and Dine with Love. The title, in both Chinese 才不要和老板谈恋爱 (literally means don’t want to date the boss) and in English Legally Romance, sounds cliché. Initially I thought it was an office romance in a law firm. Turns out, for two-thirds of the drama, it's a youth romance of law school students. I am taken by surprise how enjoyable this drama is. This is another version of the Michael Fox’s Back to the Future movie (1985) whereby in both productions, the main leads go back to their youth and try to change their choices, hopefully getting a different and better outcome.
Qian Wei (Song Zuer) is a feisty, struggling but upstanding and smart paralegal assistant for Lu Xun (Huang Zitao aka Z.Tao) who is a partner of a renowned law firm. Lu Xun is wise, mature and intelligent. He was also Qian Wei’s classmate from law school. She attributes all her current hardship in life to Lu Xun being always on top of her throughout her college years, from academic grades, to winning all competitions in debates, student council etc.
On that fateful day, Qian Wei gets into an accident and in her unconsciousness, she dreams she goes back 11 years ago to her first year in law school. The dream is actually her subconscious mind that gives us the backstory. There, back to 11 years ago, she vows to start over in her second life and to work doubly hard to win back everything that she has lost to Lu Xun, and to right every choice she has made before, hoping she can change her fate and have more favorable outcomes in the future. She also meets her ex-boyfriend whom she vows she would never date this time. Most importantly, she wants to help her father so that she can avert his untimely death. However, she hasn’t anticipated something that she has missed all these years: Lu Xun is in love with her. This time, she notices everything Lu Xun does for her, from blood donation to fixing the streetlamps to distributing public notices clarifying her innocence etc, all done without telling her; he has always been there for her, protecting and loving her, quietly.
The drama is inspiring as our main leads strive to help the vulnerable with their pro bono legal services. To them, even when something is deemed legal, it doesn't mean it's ethical or right morally. Though a lawyer's role is to protect his/her plaintiff's interest, it should also be done ethically without unduly harm done to the other innocent parties. This is the stance our main leads are upholding firmly throughout.
Though this drama makes me grin from ear to ear most of the time, there are moments that touch me so hard that make me shed my tears. And here is the most touching letter from a father to a daughter.
Song Zuer is a first-class actor; she is cute, beautiful, natural, real and so convincing. As Qian Wei, she brings out the wittiness as well as the silliness of the character. She makes the character so enjoyable to watch and to relate, at the same time, very heart-felt and touching when it comes to her love for her father.
When I first saw Huang Zitao in Episode 1, like many viewers unfamiliar with the actor, I thought, "What's wrong with his hair?" I believe some viewers even get turned off by his outrageous mullet hairstyle and drop this wonderful gem prematurely. But, oh boy, Huang Zitao is charismatic! After the first episode, I grow to like him and by the end of the drama, I love this gorgeous actor. He is genuine, his acting is natural and very believable. As Lu Xun, I love his dynamics with Qian Wei and their exchanges are so adorable that I don't want to miss a moment of their scenes. I particularly love the moments when he sends her love letters in the form of origami which are mistaken as his sarcasms and are returned in an undignified way – she throws them back at him. Being feisty, Qian Wei tends to push Lu Xun around and he goes along with her all the time. I love how he loves her but always gives her space. Even in tense moments, Qian Wei is still so silly and Lu Xun still so funny. Their interactions are simply adorable and hilarious. If you want to watch Huang Zitao's kissing scenes, this drama is full of them.
The whole cast is amazing, including the actors who play Qian Wei’s good friends and ex-boyfriend, both Qian Wei’s and Lu Xun’s parents, and the second couples. There are also the unethical and greedy antagonists who turn murderous. Bravo to the production team.
The plot starts in Episode 1, temporary stops in the middle of Episode 2 when Qian Wei returns to the past where the backstory explains and the plot builds, and then continues from Episode 23 when she returns from the past. Some viewers lose interest after watching the first episode because they find it boring or confusing. If that is the case, I would suggest to start from the middle of Episode 2 when she goes back to 11 years ago, bringing with her today's experience and wisdom. There's a lot of flashbacks of what she has done then when she was younger and what she would do this time to change the outcome.
My verdict
This is a delightful and sweet youth drama with unexpectedly well storytelling and plotline. The story is cute, the characters are lovable, the romance is sweet, and the acting is commendable. Don't be deceived by Huang Zitao’s wild haircut. Once you get through the initial shock, you'll start to love his mullet hairstyle. I do. As both Lu Xun and Qian Wei are excellent speakers and they are very eloquent in debates, therefore they speak very fast especially when they fight. Non-native Mandarin speakers may find it hard to keep up with what they are saying. Huang Zitao is also a singer and he sings the ending song You are the Rest of My Life which is very good. The other OSTs are equally good and unforgettable.
The story reminds me of the song, I See the Light, from Tangled, a Disney production, when the lyric sings ".... suddenly I see ... Now that I see you". For more than 10 years, Qian Wei doesn’t see Lu Xun while he is around her, quietly watching her, loving and caring for her. Now she notices all the things, big and small, that he has done and are still doing for her; she sees him.
If you get a second chance to live your life again, would you want to change anything for a different outcome? If so, what would it be?
This is a MUST WATCH! If you love to laugh, you'll love this drama. Don’t miss this great story.
TWO THUMBS UP!
P/S Don't miss the epilogue at the end of the final episode after the end credits. It is life after a few years later ....
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This review may contain spoilers
dark, disturbing, disgusting, but beautiful
Such a story makes speechless. It's a story of two man who suffered a lot, especially one character has a deep trauma because he was sold as a child to a sick man who sold him out to other sick people who sexually abused him. It's a story of two people changing each other and heal each other, first in baby steps but later their bond grows strong.I can't describe what feelings go through you when watching this, It's the whole bandwidth from disturbing, disgusting, aghast, angst to beautiful when you see both getting closer together. Due to the theme it's not a fluffy, funny show, you normally expect a BL to be. This is not really a BL but a drama where two man happend to be gay and finaly love each other.
When you can stormach such heavy stuff, this is a must see. If you are too sensitive seeing abusive scenes, you may watch with friends and help each other process the episodes one by one, If you are suffering from depression or other mental problems, you should not watch it at all. It was extremly brave for the team to take on such heavy non mass compatible material. The actors did an incredible job, cinematography is top notch and we get an intro which does not spoil the whole series which is so common in many series. My respect goes out to all involved in this project delivering such a unique show.
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1The devil is in the details
The Devil Judge is conceptual, surreal, provocative and very much character-driven by one man, Ji Sung as Kang Yo Han, the eponymous main character of this drama.Based on only the second screenplay ever written thus far by Moon Yoo Seok, a former judge himself, who created the well-received Miss Hammurabi in 2018. This time he presents viewers with an imagined version of the judiciary operating within a dystopian setting. In particular, the concept of a “live court” where trials are streamed in real-time and the verdicts are decided by the general public via online voting. This premise revolves around the titular devil judge who presides over this unconventional justice system.
What I enjoyed about this drama
The technical execution is top notch. Direction, editing, cinematography, cinematic visuals and special effects are all very good. The absence of awkward scene transitions or inconsistent camerawork and sound mixing throughout makes for very pleasant viewing indeed, from an audiovisual standpoint.
The high production values reflected in the overall production quality, set designs, shooting locales and costuming are very impressive. From the grandeur of high society events and soirées, the opulent mansions, luxury cars to the uniquely futuristic setting of the supreme court, along with its distinctively cultish ceremonial attires.
The tale of one man’s vengeance by taking the road less travelled that reads like a contemporary and twisted version of the Count of Monte Cristo. The approach falls into the category of cutting-edge dramas that pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling. Or at least it makes a decent attempt to do so. It is a fusion of psychological thriller, legal drama and mystery that are interwoven with themes of revenge, love and betrayal, as well as elements of politics and corruption. For the most part, the combination of the myriad aspects has been seamlessly integrated into the narrative which induces considerable thought-provoking debates, certainly among viewers, on matters pertaining to morality and justice.
Most of the main and supporting characters are intriguingly written and superbly rendered. No one is purely black or white, and almost everyone is shrouded in grey mist. Where allegiances lie and what motives prevail are constantly being second guessed. Over the course of the entire drama, viewers slowly peel layers upon layers of these multi-dimensional and sometimes larger than life personas.
This is very much the case with Kang Yo Han, the titular character and main protagonist... or is it antagonist? Perhaps somewhere in between, no one can really say for sure because this is one personality that’s open to diverse interpretations, depending on where your moral compass’ true north is set. In a recent interview, Moon Yoo Seok had intimated that having written a good and just main character in Miss Hammurabi, he was inclined to explore a character that is the total opposite and who operates within a contrasting environment, in this case a failed state and corrupted judiciary.
This in-depth character study into the so-called devil judge, is made even more compelling by the excellent portrayal. I’m well aware of Ji Sung’s talents and accolades in the industry, there’s no question what an experienced and fantastic actor he is. But still I was taken aback. His embodiment of the role is utterly immersive, inspiring and captivating, for he truly possesses the gravitas, screen presence and versatility to succeed in this powerful characterization.
Aside from KYH, Jung Sun Ah is a character that mystifies the most alongside a complex story arc of her own that is no less fascinating. She comes across as charming, disturbing, manipulative and opportunistic. In reality, she is a psychopathic and surrealistic dominatrix as well as a complete femme fatale. Played by the prolific Kim Min Jung who injects, in no small measure, a nuanced passive-aggressive vibe into the profile. Some may argue that the character is one-dimensional with ambiguous motivations, but it’s quite fitting that she and KYH share a kind of dysfunctional chemistry and power dynamics that make them the perfect adversarial / love-hate pairing from hell.
Among the supporting characters, Heo Jung Se, the President, catches the eye as the most OTT yet amusingly so at the same time. Baek Hyun Jin is essentially reprising his performance in Taxi Driver with the exact same portrayal. Ahn Nae Sang has been seen in many dramas of late and here he plays the Chief Justice, Min Jung Ho. It is a measure of his experience that he manages to infuse the character with sufficient misplaced idealism and self-righteousness that infuriates most, if not all, viewers. Deftly portrayed with understated conviction and believability indeed. Jang Young Nam as the stoic Minister of Justice, Cha Kyung Hee delivers a commendable depiction where she projects the aura of an iron lady to perfection. The wheelchair-bound Kang Elijah, portrayed by Jeon Chae Eun, is another that's deserving of praise. For someone so young, she showcases such range beyond her years, especially in the last two episodes.
There are a total of 4 OSTs in the soundtrack, of which two resonate with me the most. The poignant classical instrumental piece, Enemy of Truth, and Tempest, the alluringly intoxicating pop-rock fusion. If ever there was a song that fully encapsulates the characteristics of the devil judge himself, it would be this track along with its distinctive guitar riffs and accompanying MV. Additionally the BGM, comprising delicate piano pieces, further elevates introspective moments throughout. Credit must go to the music director, Jung Se Rin for the impressive original score.
허클베리핀 Huckleberry Finn – Tempest
정세린 Jung Se Rin - Enemy Of Truth (진실의 적)
Sondia – Nightmare (악몽)
Zeenan – What You Gonna Do
What I didn't enjoy as much
Issues with the plot development. Despite a really promising start along with numerous twists and turns as well as cliffhanger endings in almost every episode, somewhere towards the tail end of the second half, the story begins to feel repetitive and static. It was a case of one step forward and two steps backwards in a kind of time loop where certain characters repeatedly play out the same scenes time and again. I’m really referring to Kim Ga On and Yoon Soo Hyun here. Overdosed with a crisis of conscience, these two are either constantly disputing KYH or doubting themselves and even each other. The initial intrigue from their mind games and relationship dynamics eventually devolves into a rather superfluous recurring pattern. The presence of a considerably pivotal event in a later episode renders a particular character as nothing more than a mere plot device for the final arc.
If I’m being totally honest, the characters Kim Ga On and Yoon Soo Hyun do feel quite inconsistently written. The lack of profound evolution or at least palpable growth in either character who continuously exasperates with their appalling nonsensical decision making that contributes absolutely nothing tangible or substantial to the overall storyline, other than to recycle dramatic angst that detract from the more compelling direction of the drama. Park Jin Young, who plays Kim Ga On, isn’t the most convincing supreme court judge. He looks fresh out of college and somewhat lacking in life experience. Perhaps his role was intentionally written to be such, to instigate an emotional reaction from viewers and to set up the climactic end, which he does so competently. He does possess much potential, if only his character had been written with more depth.
Likewise Park Gyu Young, who elicits a similar response to her interpretation of police detective Yoon Soo Hyun. She spends most of the time pointing her service revolver at nearly everyone and jumping head on into situations that are beyond her control, oftentimes irrationally and without adhering to procedural protocols i.e. calling for back-up. I do think she’s a promising actress, having previously seen her in Sweet Home. Perhaps she would fare better with a more suitably written role in the future.
Although the nature of dystopia being depicted is supposedly totalitarian instead of post-apocalyptic, scenes of great injustice or suffering aren’t particularly apparent and not in abundance anyway. Apart from an isolated slum neighbourhood in the outskirts where small scale skirmishes break out and montages of public protests interspersed among certain episodes, the atmosphere very much looks like present-day Seoul. This gives rise to a feeling of disconnect between the purported setting and the featured visuals.
Final thoughts
All things considered, despite the misgivings that I have, The Devil Judge remains a compelling production worthy of viewing for its innovative concept, truly exceptional performances by its main leads and no holds barred storytelling. The final point worth mentioning is that the drama does eventually make good on most of the issues I have to redeem itself and ultimately end on a hugely satisfying note.
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this is a drama with a story that i doubt i will ever find it again, i love it as much as i hate it, and i have this kind of mixed up feeling while watching it, what they did is really bad and wrong but i really want them to be together and happy bcuz they suffered enough for their whole life and their relationship is really beautiful (exclude the crime).
i will recommend it to everyone who wants something different and unpredictable, it's dark and heavy though but it's a great drama, the music is good too, overall i love it, but i won't rewatch it, i don't want to endure the same torture i had while watching it. you will understand what i'm talking about if you watch it.. enjoy.. :D
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Glad I stuck with it
After the first couple of episodes I was tempted to give up on this one. I thought it was lacking in lots of ways and really wasn’t keen on the flashbacks. I kept hanging on because I liked the actors and wanted to know Amber’s backstory. Also, it’s a long time since I watched a Taiwanese BL and I like the vibe. With a small budgets they rely heavily on the story being good as they don't have the money to gloss over / disguise a bad one. In this, they literally walk you through some scenes (the slow motion car crash for example - no spoiler - it's the very first thing you see) to tell the story. As a viewer, it is perfectly do-able to fill in the gaps and makes a refreshing change after being spoon-fed so often. It was imaginative with the way they framed the shots too - it’s a bit like reading a comic. Some of the things I initially felt were lacking in the production I decided to embrace as part of its charm. I sped through the flashbacks which are mostly at the beginning of each episode. By ep 6 I was into it, and after that it just got progressively better.Cast/characters:
I really liked Tannie Huang as Yu He. She's a bit in your face and surprised I didn’t find her irritating – but it was cute her being unfiltered and direct - came across very human. The way she behaved after discovering Amber’s secret was a disappointment to me but it was (sadly) the most realistic reaction. It was true to her friendship with Ah Le and maybe turned out to be the catalyst everyone needed in the long run. I liked how honest she was about her feelings and thought her relationship with her brother was really touching - esp during their conversations in episodes 9-10. The actor playing her brother is also in Plus & Minus but I'm finding his role in that a bit limp, so wasn’t expecting to like him so much in this.
The second couple were sweet and funny and wholesome. They didn’t dominate the story and I didn’t feel I wanted more or less of them but was glad they existed. Lin Wei Jie is so fricking cute.
In love with Eric Lin's performance as Amber. His acting was understated - and the character came across painfully lonely in his self-containment.
I don’t want to slag Lukas Huang's acting off because I got a strong sense of Ah Le as a character - I was convinced of his good nature and he carries this reassuring solidness - but the scenes in which he needed to convey extreme emotion seemed a little pained - particularly during the scene with his mum in the final episode. That conversation though was really moving – the words just kept rolling out of him. Really beautifully written.
The relationship between Amber and Ah Le is so gentle and pure - it's the main reason I liked this drama so much. Pre final episode (which I loved every minute of) my favorite part of the show was in episode 11 - their conversation and hug, followed by the teddy-shaped coffee. It felt like a real interaction and comforted me.
Also loved the music.
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A highlight in KDrama history in terms of the processing of women´s beauty-dilemma
Admittedly, "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" is comparatively old. Here you can experience Hyun Bin very young, almost boyish in his early 20s. Nevertheless, I consider this series to be a highlight in KDrama history in terms of the thematic processing of its content. Yes, there's a lot of nagging going on in Korean style. But the arguments and what is being carried out, it has it all.It's about women's beauty ideals, especially about being slim. About last-minute panic among women over 30. About romantic ideals and the reality of relationships. About professionally successful women (and those who want to become or thus have big dreams) - not only the protagonist, but also her mother, her potential mother-in-law and the male protagonist's restaurant manager and ultimately also the male protagonist's ex.
The underlying question is whether a woman, who does not define herself by her slimness and beauty, has a chance of 'getting' a handsome, nice man. Is she even perceived as a woman? Taken seriously? From what else can a woman draw her self-esteem beyond 'beauty' to find her place in life - self-confident and happy. Is that even possible? Is attractiveness in the sense of the ideal of beauty a prerequisite for marriage, family and/or for success at work? And is all this the prerequisite for a happy life? Or maybe the question is completely wrong? Shouldn´t it not be a happy, healthy life at the beginning and then you see what else might be added to it? ...love and self-love - the thing with the chicken and the egg...
"My Name is Kim Sam-soon" tells the story about the female flaw without miraculous transformation. At the beginning (and at the end!) there is a self-confident young woman who is overweight (I would say ´normal´ (vs ´ideal´) weight, but obviously not by Korean standards). She has quirks and doubts, talents and visions, hopes and charm. She doesn't let the adverse winds in her life get her down. Her courage sometimes fails her, but she knows exactly what she wants and even better, what she doesn't want. Although her body dimensions do not meet the standards of the fashion industry - she is painfully aware of this, because that is what those around her tirelessly mirror - she does not question herself. As best as she can, she stands by herself and what she thinks is right.
Kim Sun-ah has won multiple awards for her portrayal of Kim Sam-soon. I have the greatest respect for her, because she lives her role to the fullest, just as if she were Sam-soon for real. In a world dominated by the eyes of men, she convincingly fights on behalf of several generations of women for gender-independent self-confidence, for quick-wittedness and for unconditional self love. She had put on quite a few kilos for this role in order to get away from the usual ideal of beauty. So she wins tons of hearts of women (from all over the world), for whom she carries out her inner and outer struggles on their behalf. In 2004, ratings at times reached almost 50 percent. ...The topicality of the subject has not diminished around 20 years later (one could say: "unfortunately").
The original title is: 'My name is Kim Sam-soon'. Internationally, the KDrama is marketed with the title "My Lovely Sam-soon". That's actually an insult (in my opinion). Didn't the 'decision makers' (they must have been men) actually see the series? Why do they focus the narrative perspective on the male protagonist and also emphasize his possessiveness with this possessive pronoun? And why do they only reduce Sam-soon to her appearance again? I do not get it. I assume that these ´decision makers´ probably didn´t understand anything. Even if it's possibly meant to be ironic, I consider that impossible... In any case, I choose the appropriate international title "My Name is Kim Sam-soon".
By the way, "Sam-soon" is an old-fashioned name for the third-born. It has a certain charm that this 'old-fashioned' birth name represents a bigger self-esteem problem for the female protagonist than her looks...
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Ok, let's talk a little bit about the story:
It mainly focuses on the relationship of nine students from the fictional Nadao Bangkok high school where they course 11th grade.
The drama tells us several stories step by step, focusing the attention on every character and not giving too much importance or relevance to an specific one.
Something that I really loved about this drama is the pace it follows. It is divided into 13 episodes but each episode tells a different story focusing in one or two and sometimes 3 characters per episode and their individual stories. Of course it also follows a main-central story but what makes this drama so good is each character and what they have to face, we'll encounter several teenage problems like sexual orientation, confusion, sex, pregnancy, first love, alcohol, parties, school, stress, family, future, friendship, love and first times... For example the first time going to a concert or joining a band or the first time having sex or falling in love, the first time cheating on a test and so... And, who didn't have a “first time”? We all had a first time doing whatever, so we'll be able to relate with the characters.
The reason why I loved this story so much and the reason why you'll probably love it too, is that we can identify with the characters. When I was watching the drama I was all the time like “omg I already lived this”, “I did this too when I was at school” or -I also was in a band-....This drama manages to connect with the viewers because of that.
Hormones undoubtedly took me 4 years back in time, the time when I was still 16 years old and was at my last grade at school and everything was new to me... *sigh* My teenage days...
This show put a smile on my face all the time, and sometimes it almost led me to the tears, I remembered my first time going to a concert with friends, or my first time falling in love, and the exciting feeling of experiencing something new, the feeling of growing up and the feeling of getting mature and independent and also the pain of that process... This drama made me realize how beautiful my teenage years were and how much I enjoyed them, and I’m sure it will cause the same effect on you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Overall, I have mixed impressions of the drama. Weirdly enough I enjoyed watching it (in terms of entertainment factors), but I will definitely say that this drama had a LOT of issues and weirdness about it, but a few good points to almost balance it out.STORY:
The plot line for this drama was honestly all over the place. I know it was based off of an IP novel, so maybe it made more sense in writing? IDK. I also know that it's supposed to be an "Odyssey" which I guess it really was, it was just such a convoluted path to get there.
The story began easily enough. Rich, young, beautiful daughter of a court official buys an amnesiac boy from a market. Girl also meets a city detective and together they solve crimes around the city with some help. Ok, cool. There's a bit of fantasy involved (obviously), but for the most part, it's relatively logical (for a Chinese drama at least xD)
Fast track to the middle of the drama, the slave boy remembers his true identity, has stolen a precious treasure, and returned to his original homeland. The female lead (IMO) has been getting more and more immature as time passes and is just downright whiney most of the time (I still love Janice Wu though). The second male lead is weirdly one of my favorites at this point in time (he's mature and brave, but still has a bit of a playful personality behind him). The fantasy aspects pick up more, and things start taking a weird turn.
By the end of the drama, we have people turning into dragons, bats, and moths. There's "soul splitting" occurring (Hey, Harry Potter), time travel (multiple times), and magical spells running amok. Relationships are fully formed by this point, and just overall there's honestly a lot going on that you somewhat get lost in the mix.
The romance is super slow burning, which isn't a problem (there are still a lot of cute moments that happen throughout), BUT my biggest issues are how they played out the various romances.
*** SPOILER *****
*** SPOILER ****
The writers spend basically the first half of the drama with Yuan'an having a crush on Lan Zhi, (which honestly I kind of preferred because he was matured and balanced out her somewhat stubborn and child like tendencies). And at the same time, she showed that she cared for Mu Le, but wasn't really in love with him (even though other people just kept saying it to her as the writers way of making people care about Yuan' an and Mu Le's relationship). They keep this going for more than halfway through the story, up until the point that Lan Zhi is no longer an option. So basically this way, whether it's true or not, it feels like Yuan'an is only going to end up with Mu Le because she couldn't have Lan Zhi anymore. Not because she actually chose him.
And to make matters worse, it's not until after Mu Le remembers who he really is that Yuan'an and him get together (so now she not only chooses him because she doesn't have another option, but she only realizes her feelings when he's not her slave boy anymore. Cool.)
Obviously this isn't how the writers want their relationship to be portrayed - probably aiming more for a "she didn't realize until he wasn't her slave boy anymore that she was in love with him and loved him no matter what his real identity was." But honestly, I personally feel like it backfired for them because it undermined her credibility for falling for him.
Also I really disliked Ming Hui as a character for the fact that she spent the majority of the drama being an adversary to the characters and never REALLY redeemed herself (to anyone but Lan Zhi), but gets to have a happy ending by the end. Bleh.
Overall, the story made sense (I guess), but it just wasn't well paced and fluid like I would hope. You're taking your audience on this epic journey, so making things make sense and fit together is a big part of that.
ACTING:
Overall I think the actors were all pretty good.
Janice is very good at the cutesy and stubborn personality types, though there were a lot of times I couldn't take her seriously when she got angry and what not. (I do think it was refreshing that her character was so blunt and somewhat sarcastic. It's not super common in Chinese dramas).
Zheng Ye Cheng - very believable as the loyal and loving Mu Le. Had a very innocent charm to him. As Ah Ying, (and it might have been his age playing into it for me) but I certain times couldn't take him seriously as a powerful prince. But he was very good IMO.
Zhang Yu Jian - it might have been more of his character (kind of my type lol), but I honestly really liked him as an actor. As I mentioned, he was a very matured character with a strong sense of justice and loyalty, but he had his moments of being romantic and also being playful/flirty which balanced him out well. I personally think he was the most well rounded of characters because you saw his strengths and faults more clearly and ZYJ did a good job portraying those different parts.
OVERALL:
Again, I didn't severely dislike this drama. I honestly think it was relatively captivating and fun to watch, BUT there were just a lot of plot issues and character problems that I wasn't a fan of, hence my lower score. It seemed to be a fairly popular drama while it aired, which I can see why, but looking at it overall, there were too many core problems I had with it for me to give it a higher score.
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If I were to describe this story, I'd say, imagine tossing a stone into a pond. This drama is about the ripples extending outwards from the stone; but not only are we looking at these ripples, we are also prompted to ask ourselves why the stone was tossed in the first place. It's of interest to note that the title is translated literally as, "The Distance Between Us and Evil," which really says a lot, because a major theme in this series is examining the distance between labels: good/evil, victim/perpetrator. In the end, the story serves as a wakeup call for society, a reminder that we all tread between the lines.
I would recommend this to those who prefer serious, heavy dramas that bring important topics to the table and enjoy character studies. This is produced by HBO Asia, so those with HBO subscriptions may be able to access it; if not, hopefully subtitles surface soon.
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