First the things that I liked... I really enjoyed the relationships that developed between all of the main characters and the staff at The Most (yes, THE Most). Ha Ri and Hye Jin are adorable together. While Ha Ri does have some demons I really do feel like the girls authentic friendship was delightful and not something I see in many dramas. The main couple were cute together but SIWON WAS AMAZING. If it were up to me, his character would be the lead of a spin off show. Also shout out to Shin Dong Mi as the Fashion Director. It was a minor role but she brought a lot of heart to it and was one of the main reasons that I loved The Most staff.
Okay, now despite all of that... the story was pretty superficial and a bit of a mess. We had these beautiful characters but their stories didn't really come together to tell anything meaningful. Hye Jin as a young girl and Hye Jin as a young woman have a lot of similar interests but virtually no personality traits in common with each other. One is elegant, the other goofy and the story never explains how just because she ran into hard times a person could change so much. This is just one example of MANY where the plot details are thrown in but never really integrated into the story. The Management Team, Sung Joon's weird eating/zombie habits, Hye Jin's sister, Ha Ri's bizarre relationship with her parents and step-parents, (which had oddly both too much and too little detail)...and don't get me started about the CEO's son mystery. In the end all of these things just felt like red herrings thrown in to fill time around the central love quadrangle.
In summary, I really, really enjoyed parts of this show but, despite the show being about the importance of what's below the surface, as a cohesive drama She was pretty lacked a lot of depth. Watch it for the cute fluff but don't expect much more.
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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 review may contain spoilers
Have you ever asked yourself what's more important in a drama? Plot or acting? Can a good performance turn a mediocre plot into something unique? Fated to Love You answers this question with a decisive Yes.
Let's have a look at this plot. Aside from it being a remake of a popular Taiwanese drama, this is a collection of old clichés: doormat girl meets obnoxious rich guy, an incident of some sort occurs and compels them to live under the same roof, meddling – and maddening – relatives, random humour, misunderstandings, birth secrets, the 'other girl' and the 'other guy', all spiced up with a lot of noble idiocy (although this might be one of the few cases when the noble act is frustrating but comprehensible). It's not hard to see why I treaded on this very makjang field on tiptoe.
Therefore, my overall 9 has to be ascribed entirely to the impeccable acting and one of the best thought of OST of songs I've come across. Try out the first 10 minutes of this show, and you'll have no doubts the whole thing is going to be played on style, rather than plot substance. The performance of the whole cast is brilliant, but the two leads manage to outshine everything and everyone.
What could have resulted in two trite, annoying characters in lesser hands, becomes one of the best matched couple in melo/romantic comedy. Even when their plot-line drags – and it does, here and there – they are both able to sustain the silence and make it resound.
Jang Hyuk… wow, the man can act. Yes, I suppose this is a very superfluous statement for the many of you who know him, but this is my first time and I was enchanted. The character he creates here has no grey areas: Gun is so over the line he goes from hysterically funny to heartbreaking in the space of a few minutes. At times the two aspects are interwoven, and the viewer gets glimpses of his pain through his laughter. But his best trait in my opinion is that he doesn't give a dry fig about what people think of him: he goes on doing what he believes is right in the craziest of manners.
It doesn't hurt that the actor is seriously hot. Seriously. When he cuts his hair – this is not considered a spoiler, is it? - I was so distracted here and there I forgot to watch the drama and just watched him.
This said, Jang Na Ra is downright brilliant. For the first time in my drama addicted life, I loved a 'weak' heroine. There's a special quality about the rendition of her character that turns her weakness into strength, and her compliance into endearing sweetness. One can see why Gun falls in love with her, because the viewer experiences the same. Possibly, we all know from the start that Kim Mi Young will eventually change, and yet she keeps her true, generous nature intact. With her beautiful, huge eyes she speaks volumes and her chemistry with Jang Hyuk on screen is tangible.
Notable mention for Song Ok Sook, aka Mi Young's mother. I enjoyed every minute of her antics and rejoiced in her relationship with both her daughter and her son in law.
I already mentioned the music. As a rule, I only like instrumental pieces in dramas. I'm making an exception here not only because the songs are beautiful, but because each piece is chosen with the utmost care, emphasising in turn the fun, the suffering, the romance, the absurd. Isn't this what an Ost should do? Perfect score from me.
Because I believe the plot to be absolutely secondary in this drama, I'm sure it lends itself very well to future re-watching.
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Every episode of Hotel del Luna is amusing, captivating, intriguing, stirring, and thrilling due to the perfect balancing of humour, fantasy, myth-making, drama, romance, and horror further enhanced by the gorgeous costumery of the female lead, visually-dazzling production, heartstrings-tugging soundtrack music, cameo roles, and socially-relevant sub-plots that tackled: molka epidemic; prevailing patriarchal assumptions; and toxic netizen culture.
Two of the most popular young actors today, Lee Ji-eun or better known as IU and Yeo Jin-goo exude palpable chemistry in their memorable lead performances as Jang Man-wol and Gu Chan-seong, respectively. The accursed millenium-old Man-wol is the alluring, chic, ethereal, luxurious, and petulant chatelaine of the mystical and marvellous Hotel of the Moon while the dashing, dutiful, empathetic, and courageous Harvard graduate Gu Chan-seung serves as the hotel's 99th or current human manager.
Veteran thespian Seo Yi-sook leads the trio of superb supporting cast as the mysterious deity with several identical manifestations. She is joined by Shin Jung-geun who plays the 500 y/o untimely-killed Joseon top scholar-turned-hotel bartender and by Bae Hae-sun, the 200 y/o grudgeful murdered daughter-in-law of a privileged clan who is the hotel's meticulously efficient room service supervisor. Also starring are promising actors Lee Do-hyun and Lee Tae-sun; idols P.O and Mina; and Cho Hyun-cheul and Park Yoo-na. Jung Dong-hwan as ex-Manager Noh and Kang Ho-seok as Grim Reaper are also endearing in the portrayal of their special characters.
Hotel del Luna, although a fantastical drama, is actually a foray into the reality of life. It teaches among other things: that like flowers from the moon tree, life is beautiful yet fleeting - and so, we must make the most out of it; that humans are endowed with the ability to make choices and are consequently tasked to bear responsibility for the choices they made; that life is not always easy or fair - as such, we must learn to play the hand we're dealt with much courage and grace; that if the past is a source of suffering or ill-feelings, we must learn to let go and make peace with it and with ourselves if there's nothing anymore that can be done about it; that our way of thinking and feeling can have a powerful outcome or influence; that revenge is sweet for it provides an outlet for pent-up aggression and wounded feelings, but, at the same time, it is also burdensome and masochistically painful for it recoils and does not diminish with time, thus inflicting endless pain on the person who exacted vengeance; that forgiveness has a rending and liberating power; that love has a transmogrifying power which can contour our character - either for the worse or for the better; and as Gu Chan-seung has perfectly shown us - that true love is self-abnegating or it makes you forget yourself and seek the welfare of your beloved.
Unfailingly riveting until the end, Hotel del Luna will for sure hold a place in the hearts of many of us. A big kudos to the writers, director, actors, and production crew for making this drama an enjoyable and worthwhile watch.
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First problem, and I think many who have watched it will agree, that Wild Romance seemed to have lacked a little in the romance department let alone anything "wild". I WISH WISH WISH, there was more romance between the main characters, because I absolutely adored them! Lee Dong Wook and Li Si Young did an AWESOME job in their roles and I have become a fan of both of them because of this drama! :D This is actually rare for me to say but...I WANTED MORE LOVEY DOVEY SCENES BETWEEN THEM! Haha. But I did enjoy the few cute scenes they did share. LDW and LSY are what drove me to finish this drama and they never failed to make me laugh with their silliness. :DDD
Second problem, and I think I will gain a few haters by saying this, but the amount of air-time they gave Jessica (from SNSD) was just...too much. I mean c'mon... side characters are just...SIDE CHARACTERS! It really frustrated me on how much of the drama was focused on her. I have nothing against Jessica of course...I think she's a very cute girl. But like I said, it was just too much for me. But to those of you who are huge Jessica fans, BY ALL MEANS this is the drama for you! :P
As for the story, I thought it was exciting,suspenseful and mysterious and the plot was very good for a such a short drama and I did enjoy some of the songs in it as well.
Overall I think this drama is very underrated and deserves much more praise than it seems to be getting. :)))
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The story is about comic book characters becoming self-aware, so right off the bat it reminded me of Extraordinary You and W: Two Worlds, but it still manages to be original. This drama occasionally pokes fun at C-drama cliches and never takes itself too seriously. In fact, the drama is an altered adaptation (kind of like a parody) of a very corny romance novel that actually exists in real life.
Story follows our FL who is a self-aware comic book actress. She has a lot of experience playing the female antagonist in different comics, and since she retains the memories of each comic, her actual personality is cunning, smart and anti-heroish. (Seldom do we see smart female leads in these kinds of Asian dramas, so this point alone is enough for this drama to score high!) She is tasked to play an antagonist again in a new comic, but when she is thrown into that world, a system error occurs and she ends up become the female lead instead, all the while retaining her self-awareness and villainous personality. Due to the mishap, the male lead (I denote him as OG-ML) which she is supposed to romance with is temporarily incapacitated, and she crosses paths with the male antagonist (ML in this drama) instead. Since both FL and ML have villainous personalities, they start playing 4-dimensional chess with each other and always correctly guess each other's intentions. Not only do they have chemistry, they're pretty much the same kind of person, like a match made in heaven. I really enjoyed their interactions. Feelings of love happen early on but naturally, unlike many dramas with rushed and half-baked romance lines. They even came up with a good excuse to add kissing scenes that can be explained by the plot.
In the later half of the drama is where the suspense kicks in and it kept me at the edge of my seat after every episode. I really could not predict what would happen next with all the plot twists. The drama ticks all the right boxes. And even though it's short, it never felt rushed or shallow. It probably told a better story than a lot of full length dramas.
I recommend this drama to anyone who likes fantasy romance. There's literally no reason not to try this - it's short so even if you end up not enjoying it, it's not a huge waste of time.
Positives:
- We get to see romance between two villainous characters, which is very uncommon
- We have a smart and cunning FL who can defend herself
- Plot makes fun of drama cliches (even FL points out how cheesy some of the plot is)
- Unpredictable twists and turns, engaging from start to finish
- Liu Xie Ning's acting really stands out
Negatives:
- Why in the world is this drama so short, when some way shxxier dramas get 30+ episodes?
- Characters are paper-thin, they have no backstory except the several lines of description given to them by the comic
- Certain plot points make no sense at all, such as the knife stabbing scenes in the drama
- The logic of the comic world is unclear and inconsistent, causing problems to arise and get resolved out of the blue without a convincing explanation. This is one of those dramas that are not to be taken too seriously.
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Total run-time: 2 hours 34 minutes over 8 episodes, so each episode is around 20 minutes long. Get this, the intro is 1m 45s, and the credits are 2m 30s! Each episode has more than 4 minutes of bloated credits! Cut that out and the whole show is probably only 2 hours long!
ACTING/CAST: The cast are all very attractive, and play their parts well. I totally loved the part played by the doctor.
MUSIC: Standard drama music. Nothing stood out for me.
REWATCH VALUE: Yes, this is a neat series. Gonna watch with a friend.
OVERALL: Fun series, with cute guys and it's also short. Binge on!
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DEFINITELY worth giving a try
This is probably my favorite MaxNat series they've done so far.The main concern I had going into it was the confusing plot line from the trailer but watching the series there is little/no confusion for the most part. After setting things up in the first two episodes with explanation of the two parallel worlds, the rest of the series is pretty straight forward. The pacing could've been better and is probably my biggest complaint, especially in the last episode, I felt this series needed two more eps because I feel we didn't get much time with the second couple and some other things could've been a bit more fleshed out.
I was a bit hesitant about how Nat's acting would be with this new partner but Nat and Gun's chemistry is great to start out with, not awkward at all; very well done. There are some moments where Nat falls short in certain scenes but overall I see great improvement with him especially in later eps. On the other hand I wholeheartedly enjoyed Max as W1 and W2 Tai and would definitely like to see him play more diverse roles like this.
I loved the gradual build up of chemistry between Max and Nat's characters Tai and Kram. Those two are absolute sweethearts and a couple worth rooting for a happy ending.
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I enjoy this drama so much, always keeps me excited for the weekends.
i laugh hard and i cry even harder till my head and eyes hurt, in almost every episode.
So much feels when I watched this drama, and so much life lesson learned.
Makes you think of future life, what will i be when i get older later and cherish our time even more.
Every time i finished watching each episode, i miss my mom and feel like calling her.
I can say that this drama has taken a special place in my heart.
This drama is beautifully made, i can feel that there's so much heart has been put into it.
Hats off to all senior actors. Everybody did a great job, I can't even find any flaws to be complained about.
Oh so much things to say but i can't put those into words..
I'll be re-watching this soon while waiting for writer Noh's next drama for sure :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Captivating. Cinematic. Action-packed, yet offering impressive quiet & heartwarming tuning, too
Gando is the land of the desperate, the realm of the desperados of Joseon. In the 1920s, it was also a territory in which political responsibilities and affiliations were vaguely regulated. Some things may remind you of the Wild West. Yet this Wild North in the Far East is quite different...“Song of the Bandits” is a brilliant Netflix historical drama about a certain chapter of recent Korean history. Moving. Captivating. Cinematic. It exudes the vibes of an Eastern. The KDrama surely is gory action and turbulence at most times, but offers impressive quiet and heartwarming tuning, too. Action-packed it is, yet humor and romance modestly fit in as well. "Song of the Bandits" is astonishingly well balanced in this respect and for a Netflix production, despite its polished and action-driven choreography for a broad international audience, sticks surprisingly consistently to a more subtle Korean series style. Nicely done at all scales. We get a feeling of the Manchurian landscape with Gando impressions filmed at original locations. This all framed within a consistently beautiful soundtrack. It all lasts for 9 episodes (only! Yet?). In spite the overall ambitious commercial production context, aiming at an international “Squid Game”-like success, “Song of the Bandits” was able to impress me with a historically and emotionally complex story with great mimes - Kim Nam-gil, Yoo Jae-myung, Lee Ho-jung and Lee Hyun-wook in their element. But so is everyone else. This is where KDrama and Netflix perfectly come together...
'Bandit: The Song of the Sword' is the original title. In fact, people don't swing swords so much as they use firearms. The KDrama is epically processed, offers great emotions, while telling about people and the range of motives for which people are prepared to fight. It's about resistance, obedience, venality, oppression, social affiliation, the fight for freedom. There are even some spiritual thoughts attached to it along the way. It is about the Joseon people, some personal fate, as well as 'the' history of Chosen - an emotionally quite ´Korean´ excerpt of modern history. Its thematic historic setting (even if the rest of the world might not care so much about it, as it is not requisite for an entertaining series pleasure) contains a lot of explosive material by Korean standards. Therefore firearms are in several respects quite consistent in this context…
As far as I am concerned, I do care about the historical context. On the contrary, I find it quite intriguing - besides the dramaturgically action-packed and emotionally charged story with its complex, interwoven relationship dynamics and conflicts. As I said, you don't really need to know the background to be enthusiastic about "Song of the Bandits". But if anyone might be interested, see the historical side note about 'Gando', the border region on the north bank of the Tumen river, which today also marks the border between northeast China and North Korea.
PS:
Yep, the ending of the story...
If you like, you can dream of more. It could be possible. Yet, it would still go on and on.
Who knows if there may be a sequel...
Nevertheless, from my perspective the ending is quite fitting. (Whether I like it or not.) In terms of the historical events, things are as they are. We want fiction to write a different ending, but it still wouldn´t be any better, rosier or brighter for hardly any of the various protagonists... Therefore, from a Korean perspective the ending of this story remains true to the spirit of the actual Chosen-history: For Joseon people it is and remains unsatisfactory, unfair and painful. ´We´, as an international audience (temporarily and figuratively with our personal discontent), can/shall/must/may thus empathically share this collective emotion, too.
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SIDE NOTE: --- Gando, also called Jiandao, and today Yanbian ---
Gando historically stands for a specific borderland. To this day it is a region with a high proportion of people of Korean origin.
Gando is a small, perhaps inconspicuous scar in Korean history – yet a scar that is still weeping, sort of...
Gando (and Manchuria in general) is also associated with the regrouping of the Rightous Army and thus with the patriotic pride of resistance against colonial oppression. With "Song of the Bandits", the issue of Gando has now obtained an impressive, international onstage introduction...
This 'Gando', Jiandao or Yanbian was the last nail of hope for an increasing number of desperate people from Joseon (and still is for some North Koreans today) who had nothing to lose and would rather settle for an arduous life and try their luck in this section of Manchuria - a back then relatively undeveloped marshland on the north bank of the Tumen river.
First - in the course of, and especially at the end of, the 19th century - famine and poverty drove poor Joseon people to the far north. Then, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was the hope to escape from Chosen, which was finally officially annexed by the Japanese. The Righteous Army militia was also formed anew in Manchuria at that time.
After the annexation of Joseon, with respect to a relatively large population of Joseon people, the Japanese as part of their aggressive expansion efforts also demanded this coastal territory north of the Tumen from the Chinese. Infiltration was followed by an invasion in 1907, but already by 1909 there was withdrawal again. Officially, as a result of the diplomatic negotiations, the area eventually became Chinese again and Japan received railroad concessions, while the Joseon people remained under Japanese rule due to their Korean descent.
"Song of the Bandits" sets its story in this political quagmire: the decade before the belligerent 1930s, before the Empire of Japan invaded Manchuria, established the puppet state 'Mandschukuo' and used it for its own political and economic purposes. The prerequisite for this was a massive expansion of railway lines - especially the North Chosen Line along the border region between Chosen and Manchuria, that had been built during those previous years, while the Bandits sang their song...
Outlook:
After the end of the Second World War, many Koreans went back to their homeland, but by no means all of them. Around 810,000 people of Korean origin apparently still live in the Yanbian Autonomous District of China's Jilin Province to this day. In 1952, the proportion of the population with a Korean migrant background was around 60 percent. Then, Korean language was official. However, especially since the late 1990s, the Chinese government had specifically tried to force linguistic and cultural assimilation in order to counteract political currents in South Korea and discussions about a possible legitimate Korean claim to 'Gando'. These currents believe that - regarding those dubious events of the early 20th century and Gando Convention between Japan and China becoming obsolete with the ending of the World War II – this Gando territory actually is political void and should now belong to (in this case North?) Korea. Thus, Gando's territorial status for some still is not satisfactorily resolved…
Incidentally, desperate North Korean refugees are continuously trying to get to China via the Tumen river, which is icy during the long, cold winter months. Thus, Gando territory invariably remains a last nail of hope for desperate Koreans even up until today...
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2Striking.
This drama had been shelved for almost three years and I happened to follow it (along with ‘Echo Of Your Voice’ which is heading towards it's own three year anniversary this year) because of Song Yi Ren, whom I personally find to be an excellent actress.It dropped out of nowwhere and released it's first trailer and episodes. So, I was unaware about anything except the Baidu synopsis that has been here since 2021.
Striking is the only word I could describe Different Princess as because oh boy. This drama surprised me a LOT. It's the perfect blend of comedy, tragedy, romance, mystery, fluff, politics, scheming and poisons - all in one package that somehow managed to not mess up until the very end. It is one of most well paced/written dramas I've seen and I appreciate the scriptwriters and the crew behind this for their effort. I can see their sincerity towards the characters and the story, and despite being not promoted heavily and even unconventionally pushed out after years with no warning, Different Princess is truly memorable.
I'm digressing, so let's cut to the chase shall we? I shall also explain why I rated this a 9.5.
The opening scene is a dramatic one: a Crown Prince and his consort are both killed off by a ruthless villain, who then takes over the throne.
Flash forward following the opening title card, we learn that this tragedy was concocted by a Web novelist Hua Qing Ge in an attempt at being innovative and making her novel memorable… by killing off the main characters. Her idea backfires in a twisted way – the readers are left enraged instead of upset, and promptly trash her for writing a plothole ridden story with no character logic for sheer popularity. She adamantly refuses to change the ending even after being threatened.
What she does not expect is to be sucked into her fictional world as a self-titled canon-fodder character who is killed at the night of her wedding to the villain Ji Chu.
Thanks to her being the creator of the world, she manages to escape with the help of Ji Yun, the leading character and Crown Prince whom she had killed off in her novel. But, as she decides to dismantle Ji Chu’s plans and seek justice for Ji Yun, she starts to realize that she knew nothing about the characters and the world she had created, including the terrifying arch villain Ji Chu, who is hell bent on thwarting her plans.
Why I Think You Should Give this Drama a Chance.
*THE CHARACTERS*:
The drama has several important characters - the cast has both long time and new actors, but never once did I feel that anybody was miscast. Even the ML, despite of being a newcomer, fit his role well, and did not try to overdo it. Nobody seemed unconvincing and it looked closer to certain serious dramas, rather than an obscure 36 episode drama that decided to drop its trailer and episodes within the blink of an eye.
This is probably the first time I'm seeing a Chinese drama where all the main characters are smart. (Particularly the royal siblings - Ji Yun, Ji Feng, Ji Chu and Ji Wan’er. May it be EQ or IQ. There was tension that could be cut with a knife in scenes where the four of them were together, but there was an unshakeable bond within, whether they admitted it or not.)
Pretty sure that this is what makes the plot move quite quickly and had me on the edge of my seat, because Different Princess does not run out of plotlines to explore.
There are plenty of characters and plotlines. But, I'll start write off with Hua Qing Ge, our eponymous female lead/writer of the novel.
Being a long time reader of novels, I've heard a lot about techniques that writers adopt during the process of outlining a story. I'll give points to Hua Qing Ge for managing to squeeze in plot threads (that she openly admits, she had written to fill up the word count), but I can see that she had zero sincerity towards what she was writing.
It's evident that she has a rich imagination, but within the first two episodes, it's clear that her reviewers were not baseless in their criticisms.
It looked like she wrote the fan favorite male lead Ji Yun with the intend of getting him killed off – and for that to happen, she randomly threw in a villain with a backstory that is gleaned over.
(I know an author who told how hard she cried while killing off a character and realising that there was no other choice. Qing seemed quite happy with the ending, indicating that she had pre-planned it quite earlier, but lacked the patience to execute it well.)
Moreover, she never concentrated once on the process of the story or ‘why’ the villains existed, but rather the ending and perhaps the leading characters, Ji Yun and Xiao Yao.
She ‘is’ smart, but unfortunately for her, the villain is smarter. And she is straightforward, thanks to being thrown from the modern world to the ancient one, bringing hilarity at the least expected moments.
I loved how she tried to maintain her composure and accept her fate.
Ireine Song is perhaps the most apt actress for such a role. I know that most people will skip over this drama, but personally to me, she can pull off any character with ease.
She managed to turn even the most emotional scenes into comedy - - her modern background was never really tamped down, her inner monologues and sudden bursts of hilarity at the most unexpected times made Hua Qing Ge alive.
That gets us to Ji Chu - the villain of Hua Qing Ge’s original story. How she managed to tangle him in a love triangle in her original plot, I have no idea. Because within the first episode, the dude was plain terrifying.
He was an excellent schemer, making back up plans and taking risks, making Qing question his decisions and constantly on her toes. [Different Princess also has one of the most comedic first meetings ever. EP2 will remain my favorite because of this very reason.]
The way he outsmarts Qing in the first few episodes had me laughing.
One thing that is consistent throughout the drama is that Ji Chu ‘is’ not a fairy, although his actions are justifiable. He is ruthless in his quest for revenge, making radical decisions that plays with the life and death of people.
He was a very clear-headed character from the opening scene to the very final shot - the writers clearly knew what they were doing.
To support him, there exists Gong Ye Qi, a physician whose entire family was wiped out by the Liang Royals. Both of them made a dangerous duo and I liked their brotherhood snd sincerity.
Thus is Ding Ze Ren's first drama as a leading character, and although it's evident that actors for Ji Feng and Ji Yun have much more experience
with emotional scenes, he was perfect as the cold-faced and enigmatic Ji Chu, whom no one really knew well. Seeing him genuinely smile was a delight since he was almost always sardonic.
"A person can't be everyone's dream man."
That brings us to the intended male lead of the novel - Ji Yun, the Crown Prince. I can understand why he was the leading character in Qing's story. Or atleast in the rewritten version. He was one of the most genuinely nice character on screen, but his very loyalty to his blood is his Achilles Heel.
The drama does not lack female characters either. Ji Wan'er, described as the smartest character out of everyone by Qing, was surprisingly strong girl. Her scenes with Gong Ye Qi, particularly one at the end of EP28 was one of the most emotional ones I've seen to date.
Xiao Yao (the Crown Princess/Coroner aka the FL of Hua Qing Ge's novel), was the perfect counterpart for Ji Yun. She was calm and perhaps the wisest character. Some of her speeches and dialogues, particularly in EP36 were noteworthy.
Even the Empress and Consort Wei had their moments. You'll have to watch to know why. 😉
*THE PLOT*:
What Qing cooked up, I guess we'll never know. What we do know starts from Chapter 3 of her original novel - where the fictional Hua Qing Ge is killed by Ji Chu.
Qing did plot an excellent tale when it comes to mysteries. She had the key to answers, which gave her the upper hand, but the plot begins to veer off course, and Qing questions if somebody else was writing her story.
What initially begins as a defeat-villain-save-Crown-Prince plot soon starts to pop out hidden characters and plots, before finally terminating at the gates of the Imperial Palace.
The screen time and duration were carefully utilized so that multiple character threads progressed equally well without lingering on anyone in particular.
So, I suggest that you brace yourself for some major fight for power before you proceed.
The last few episodes in particular are plot focussed with no filler, so that might be jarring.
*RELATIONSHIPS*:
The romance was an added bonus and not the focus of the entire story. But, also very integral to it without taking away it's edge.
Ji Chu's budding romance with his ‘victim’ Hua Qing Ge was definitely the other highlight of the show that kept people watching.
Both of them were already a married to begin with, although one of them was trying to murder the other and the victim in question was openly sitting on a throne of thinly veiled lies all the while being directly under her assailant's nose. Ji Chu was not stupid to begin with and I liked how he trapped Qing with her own words. Although, he was dangerous while trying to force the truth out of her.
Their relationship was well paced and made sense.
From murder attempt, plain suspicion, bickering, master-servant, and being fish baited, to finally giving off an old married couple vibes, it's a wonder how they ended up where they are now but the journey there was one of the sweetest I've seen.
Now that I think about it, neither Hua Qing Ge nor Ji Chu ever openly said that they 'loved' each other to their face; rather they were a 'show' not tell couple.
I usually don't feel this way, but I did not want their story to wind up so fast. It was one of those rare 'to infinity and beyond' romances that was worthy of my time.
Gong Ye Qi and Wan'er's plotline was definitely the more dangerous one to me. They had a lot going on and inspite of their contrasting personalities and views, they were sincere to each other.
If Ji Chu + Qing and Wan'er + Gong Ye Qi were a deeply passionate mess, Ji Yun and Xiao Yao were the less lovey-dovey couple. There was an intense understanding and maturity between them. Xiao Yao in particular was exactly whom a character like Ji Yun needed.
The friendships and rapport between several characters, even transient ones did not feel superficial. Xiao Yan, the 24/7 guard of Ji Chu was a scene stealer in this aspect. Mo Yu and Qing's hilarious conversations lightened up even serious atmospheres. Also - the siblings. May it be between Ji Wan'er and Qing, Feng and Wan'er or even Ji Yun and Ji Chu, there was a tacit understanding of each other. T
*COSTUMES:
Ji Chu, the villain had some of the most beautiful costumes and outfit designs I've seen in CDramaland ever. He had both bright and dark coloured clothing and they were coupled with unique head accessories (the star/sun thingy was my favourite) and embroidery that were eye cat hing.
One thing I noted was that Qing and Chu had couple outfits, even though there were not many of them.
Qing had simpler, but elegant attire. Ji Yun’s wardrobe reminded of the Lan Clan from Mo Dao Zu Shi, unfortunately. He was always in blue. Wan’er and Ji Chu had plenty of color in theirs.
*MUSIC:
The opening and ending songs are haunting and foreboding. Particularly the lyrics. They make me feel that I've lost something.
The Soundtrack and BGMs altered, but never overshadowed the scenes.
**FROM THE WRITER'S DESK*:
I can tell that Different Princess will probably end up getting buried beneath the ridiculously excessive number of CDramas released per year. The Douban oage for the drama is almost dead and to top it all off, the very cookie-cutter plotline of a transmigrating writer never attracts jaded viewers.
I did not regret beginning this. Because Different Princess was indeed a different kind of delight. For a low budget, brushed-under-the-rug drama, it has done better than many of the hyped up budget blowers.
The ending is the best that the writers could've given, inspite of all the everything. I know viewers might not be satisfied, but believe me when I say that this is one of the better endings out there. But, the fact that viewers are dissatisfied itself speaks volumes about how much the writers excelled in making us root for the characters.
A 9.5/10 from me.
There are stories that receive a neatly packaged closure - sometimes hopeful, sometimes tragic. Then there are some stories that are just not meant to end. And Ji Chu and Hua Qing Ge's tale is definitely one of them.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great Chemistry, Questionable Plot Execution
This drama was a mess and parts of it didn't make much sense, but I enjoyed it mostly because of Mos and Bank.What I didn't like
This 8 episode drama had too many plot points packed in, none of which were fully developed. We had:
Child acquaintances
Dealing with the loss of a parent and a new step mother
Enemies to lovers
Playboys falling in love
Working together on a work project
Arranged marriage that the main character didn’t want
Studying abroad opportunity
Love triangle with the friend coming back from overseas
Going to the same university but in different faculties
One person falling in love with the other years before they actually fully met
Date rape (whatever happened in the first episode)
Any of these plot lines or maybe even 2 or 3 of them fleshed out properly would have given us a great drama but because they decided to include all of those plot lines, the drama was all over the place.
The editing could have been improved because scenes didn't seem to fit together and some felt unnecessary. There were also enough cliché shots to make it noticeable (like focusing on some kisses too long, the rain falling randomly during the fight and the lights at the claw machine). Some of the kisses were really good, but others not so much.
Don't even get me started on the messed up premise of the show, that they never even full addressed/ explored. Like I'm all for a dark storyline, but it needs to be done well.
What I liked
Mos and Bank's chemistry. I'm talking about the way the look at each other and the natural skinship that Mangkorn and Yai had in the series. Just beautiful.
The conversations about equality and same sex marriage in Thailand, even though not always well incorporated, these conversations are still important.
The OST is amazing, though it might not capture the vibe of the show, Bank has a beautiful voice.
The drama itself is visually pleasing in terms of the contrasting of colours Mangkorn and Yai wear, the expensives cars and the pretty locations.
So, if you are watching this show because you saw how adorable Mos and Bank are in their interviews and vlogs, then this show is worth a watch to support the actors or even if you want something to pass the time and don't want to think too much, then watch it. However, if you are watching it for a logical plot and good progression of the storyline, then I'd say skip it but watch ep 7. It's so cute.
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An ELECTRICFYING THRILLER WITH STUNNING STYLISH ACTION ! SOLID and GRIPPING ! Need Season 2
Season 2 confirmed - Guns Gadgets Gangs Bombs Foes Alliance !!" A Shop for Killers" is a stylish new wave action kdrama about the survival of his nephew "Jian," who was targeted by suspicious killers after her uncle's death " Jin Man " .
This was a really excellent action thriller with amazing fight choreography, suspense, and action sequences. Each episode that is DARK, violent, psychotic, and wants to kill everyone, survival. The cast gives outstanding performances, and the plot is gripping and interesting overall. Each actor gives excellent performances as their respective characters.
LET'S SEE WHAT MADE THIS DRAMA IS AN UNIQUE ACTION DRAMA STANDOUT MODERN CLASSIC ACTION THRILLER --- 9.5/10
Modern style explosive action sequences :-
Unlike other classic K Action dramas using feasts in high-voltage action, I'm sure this drama standout as a modern classic action drama with complete new Action sequence adaptation like Modern age guns, Drones, Robots, and other modern fire arms. Kdramas are well known for best filming locations that we explore new places in S Korea through the kdramas freely, but in this drama the most important point out aspect is " Singular location story telling " this makes A Shop for Killers as an unique action thriller in classic K Actions.
Director completely adopted modern machine attacking style ( drone bombs, automatic machine guns carried by drones and ' DRONE GUN TACTICAL ' realistically advanced and exaggerated cinematic scene featuring bombs, drones, and a highly skilled Sniper attacks on Jin-man's home that whole scene is really terrific, warehouse underground technology. Close combat action scenes just wow !!
SUSPENSE DEVELOPMENT/BUILD-UP :-
the first four episodes focus on introducing the viewers to the characters, setting up bonding between uncle Jin-man and Ji-an, and establishing the relationships between other supporting characters and Ji An. This drama takes its time with its delivery of story progression, so it allows us to get to know Ji An's life with her uncle, her childhood and build the mystery surrounding Jin Man.
SINGULAR LOCATION STORY TELLING :-
It is rare to see simply because being in a singular location is not exactly a cinematic experience (to some watchers) and it can be extremely challenging to tell an entertaining story from primarily one place. But, when it is done right, and a director nails the blocking, and shot design, and there is a compelling narrative, it can create some of the best cinematic experience out there, so just trust the director work here before dropping the drama. Also for me this is the first time I'm watching a singular location story telling in K drama ( watched in movies ), For me the director and cinematographer succeeded in this aspect providing a gripping story telling with quality camera work and good colour grinding.
WRITING & DIRECTION :-
Directing writing is error-free - Though it's an eight-episode drama, some characters aren't given enough screen time. Overall, however, the drama's creators did an impressive work of presenting it, keeping the action and suspense at the same level from start to finish. In Singular location story telling Cinematography plays a crucial part ' Quality work of Cinematography and Camera work shines in every scene. And the director writer's excellent effort Brightens in every episode, amazing story telling with flashback connects to present story, outstanding screenplay that helps to understand the story progression easier.
CHARACTERS/ACTORS :-
Lee Dong-wook as Uncle Jeong Jin Man who played perfectly as an elite mercenary and an uncle who hides secrets throughout the eight episodes. Unlike the soft and witty appearance he showed in his previous works, Lee Dong-wook gave freshness with a normal but mysterious and sometimes grim face.
After watching Kingdom, Connect, it's normal to anticipate same level of quality acting from Kim Hye-joon and she delivered exactly what I expected perfectly, outstanding performance. The relationship between uncle and niece was attractive, fun and emotional. She gave an excellent performance in both action-packed scenes and deeply emotional ones.
Seo Hyun Woo ( Flower of Evil ) heated screen with his dark role, this is my first to see him in dark roles, never expected from him, i think he's perfectly fit to dark roles, i want to see him again as a Antagonist.
Such cool acting. Park Ji Bin watched his previous Drama ' Blind ', he got same type of role here but well performance by him as Jung Min.
Geum Hae-na as So Min-hye is a top-tier assassin with stunning action sequences created a great impression on her character role, she impressed me more after Jin Man.
Jo Han Sun as Bale as psychopath mercenary, He got less screen time but whenever he appears on screen it's just a firing moment, especially his eyes are really scary.
Child actor Ahn Se Bin impressed me more, she perfectly captured micro emotions of her character and same perfectly conveyed them.
FINALLY :-
As an action fanatic, I relished each and every action scene, delivering the ultimate action dramatic experience. In addition to having an action plot, it also shows a strong emotional connection between every character, which captures our interest in drama.
I enjoyed 8 eps, the plot not only focuses on the Ji-An survival and on her uncle Shop as primary story ( black market selling weapons and arms) but also drama runs with revenge plot in secondary story.
The eight episodes were masterfully directed, providing a compelling story. The plot and how it develops are what matter most, considering all the thrilling and suspenseful aspects of A Shop for Killers make you the best dramatic experience.
Just go watch and enjoy the drama.
If you are looking for fast paced action thriller you will binge to watch this drama !!
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ENDING + SEASON 2 CHANCES
Where is Jinman vs Bale story ?
In the meantime, Jeong Jin-man's biggest enemy, Bale, has yet to make any moves to carry out his threat to murder Jeong Jin-man's relatives and friends.
Yes, there is no specific ending of Bale like Seong Jo. Now everyone's question is Where is Bale? What happened to Babylon ? He's the main guy for the whole consequences, but the drama ended without his ending, so they will cover these questions in season 2 ? although ending is just perfect for every character who died and who is alive.
It's also unclear what made Jin-Man to supposedly die and then reappear, where he's hiding till to end ? So many unsolved questions left in 8 eps. These all led to the possibility of a potential season 2 with big story like Babylon, Bale and new enemies, I hope makers will plan to bring after they left us in a middle of puzzlement.
(Personal review) - Shinnosuke_Lee
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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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its my first review writing!! so please ignore my mistakes
okay ! HUA JAI SILA OR HEART OF STONE is my second Thai drama as I prefer action , suspense over a typical romance and torture that can be often seen in THAI DRAMA , but you know this made 'an exception' for me [even with presence of slap and kiss] because of following reasons-1. ACTING- wow bang !!! everyone did a great job especially Thanapob Leeluttanakajorn (P'TOR) and his step mother , Ann Siriam Pakdeedumrongri . At least i feel so.
2. SUSPENSE- you won't believe me every episode feel like a new world with new suspense. Each episode makes you carve for another episode.
3. ROMANCE- its sad to know that at least till 16th episode you will find less scenes of MIN and SILA/P'TOR . Its surprising to know that in between [from 1st to 16th] i found minimum 20 scenes of them together . I CAN't tell for further episode as while i'm writing the review , drama is still airing
*EDIT-IN FURTHER EPISODES YOU GUYS WILL EXPERIENCE MORE SCENES OF THEM TOGETHER*
ROMANCE BETWEEN THEM IS SO SWEET!! good chemistry between actors !
4.REVENGE- way of revenge will be the main attraction of this drama. I literally jumped many times on my sofa when p'tor took revenge from his step relatives [mom n brother]
5. MALE LEAD- yes you read correctly! actually i became so much attracted by Thanapob's [ P,'TOR] sarcastic smile. Well i know it won't be a reason to watch for almost everyone but if you are looking a drama with an actor having great personality and acting skills , you should prefer this.
6. THRILL-omg I just can't explain this point .This one you will find in later episodes but it would compensate for earlier ones.
7. RE-WATCH VALUE- its 10 on 10 from my side (*_*)
8. Music- OPENING SONG (ost) is very nice..
9. ENDING-its most important thing for some people (for me too)...its of course a happy ending we all expect for [marriage n all] but the main thing is it will taught u A GREAT LESSON ABOUT LIFE. I'M REALLY INSPIRED WITH 3-4 LINES SAID BY ML ....[U SHOULD CHECK OUT IT ON UR OWN]
At first i had also prefered a TYPICAL ROMANCE BUT NOW I PREFER ACTION MORE AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A TYPICAL ROMANCE OR FANTASIES THEN DON'T GO FOR THIS , I REPEAT DON'T WATCH THIS .
By typical romance i mean- a genius boy or rich boy with clingy or naive or poor girl
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