Reviews

a lot of potential

Overall: I wish this was released on an official international platform with high quality subs but even then, the story would still have felt choppy - too much was left unexplained. 50 short episodes between 1 and 2 minutes.

Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blood, beaten up off screen, past intimate partner abuse

What I Liked
- the premise
- tension
- visuals

Room For Improvement
- too much was not explained, what exactly defined 'scumbag', did he keep doing it?, scenes sometimes jumped from one scene to something totally different
- nonsense stuff: how did he not have any money because it seems that he would have money if it was requests from people, police hadn't caught him?

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PURE ENTERTAINMENT

Big issue is a good drama . The one which keeps you wanting for more .
A totally new outlook from the perspective of paparazzi media , with retro vintage music combined .
In short Big Issue is a complete package of enjoyment.
Everything makes sense.
Greed, power, money, nothing's much overhyped here like all K dramas do .

It's all within the limits of the person's capability .
The difficulties they face , I mean even being that to is not easy .
Each and every relevant fact have been factored out .
In short
This drama is a masterpiece .

ACTING :
You know many actors and actress play certain roles but in this drama they have this Aura of the character they're playing .
They have one of the best chemistry .
Specially Han Ye seul , What a gorgeous beauty .
She has the talent of acting with her eyes and expressions .
I was just mesmerized by her throughout this .

ROMANCE :
Are you a fan of cold romance ?
Then welcome to the club .
This drama will make you crave for it .
But you'll get really nothing except little niggles in b/w .
This has one of the coldest romance ( If you've seen K2 you know what I'm talking bout ).

PS : The biggest hidden lesson is the social media outlook .
Photos , how dangerous can they be ?
I mean just think of the fact that if you're being monitored everytime . How would that feel ?Even thinking bout that makes you cringe , right ?
Now what if it gets leaked to the world .
That's it I will leave you here to wonder .

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Palatial Mediocrity

I. The Good
First up, let's appreciate the elaborate costume designs. The costume team outdid themselves, for both the ML and FL's costumes (except for that decision to add two shoulder handles on the imperial robe). It's been awhile since I've looked at male costumes and thought, 'That's a gorgeous piece of work'.

Another gorgeous piece of work is LZH (ML). I agree with the comments that LZH's nuanced and compelling acting chops has what it takes to promote him to full-length drama cast. One could see the physical changes as he assumes the demeanour of the crown prince or discarding it like a robe to embody the persona of the second prince. He singlehandedly carried all 3 hours. That's not to say that XZZ's (FL) acting was bad; LZH so brightly outshined everyone else that it left searing afterimages preventing us from observing anyone else. I did love LZH's sizzling chemistry with XZZ, especially when he was flirting with her as the second prince. Special mention should also be given to HEY (ML's sidekick, Du Bin), for his expressive comedy and chemistry with LZH, reminiscent of Gao Hanyu in Legend of Fu Yao.

The choreography for the fight scenes were so graceful and well-executed, it was like watching a dance. In the first episode itself we are treated to beautiful, fluid sword work by the ML and the seamless performance as the FL whirls around to assassinate her own assassins.

It has an open-but-leaning-towards-happy ending, which appears to be the concept of this drama. At the end of 24 episodes, you realise that the drama comprises shadowy wisps of storylines held together by elaborate costumes, ornate sets, dynamic chemistry, and whimsical humour.

II. The Bad
The plot is boring. The premise starts out strong: The solemn crown prince ML has a flamboyant twin brother who seems determined to aid Shattered Star Valley in undermining the royal family. The ruthless Shattered Star Valley assassin FL is assigned the task of assassinating the crown prince. Taking on the identity of the Duke of Yin's daughter, who is destined to wed the ML as his crown princess, she plans her murderous plot during the day. In a twist of circumstances, she is compelled to obtain royal sperm from the second prince, only to find out that the second prince is a Shattered Star Valley covert operative who has no qualms flirting with his sister-in-law. However, the storylines were predictable and uninspired. You're left watching it only for the sporadic comedy and gorgeous views.

III. The Ugly
There were some scenes that were so excessively unbelievable that it cut through the mood and slapped me like a giant flapping tuna. For instance, in episode 6, when the FL prevents the assassin from killing the real Duke of Yin's daughter, she's shot so hard, she's pushed 2 kilometres out from the forest, into the open, and over a cliff.

There were also scenes that dragged out for absolutely no reason such as when the ML is rescuing the FL from her homicidal aunt or the moments before the imperial physician is about to stab the ML's acupoints.

IV. The Verdict
This is a visually magnificent, easy-to-watch drama, if you are able to ignore the banal plot. I would have rated it an 8 or even a 9 but for the storyline.

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The King and The Clown is not a comedy. It's an adult situation historical movie. The story is about a troupe leader who makes a simple request to perform for the King.
I enjoy watching this movie because it was entertaining, artistically and mentally. Despite the simple title of this movie, it open the doors to many dark sides of society including abuse, harassment, and childhood trauma.
The movie, The King and The Clown, is definitely for adults. It was never meet for teenagers and children to see.
The story and plot of the story is easy to follow.
The actor and cast did a superb job. I enjoy watching the overprotective friendship between the two lead actors, Kam Woo Sung and Lee Jun Ki.
The music was great simply because it fit the historical time.
My overall score is a nine for this movie. I did not give it a ten because I wanted to know the real back story of the two lead actors.

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This dorama already got great reviews that I totally agree with but thought of adding my two cents as well ;) It was the drama that I was most anticipating of the summer, and maybe of the year. As an anniversary drama, it is star studded as expected. It's the first drama for Tsumabuki Satoshi in 5 years ( except he had a guest role in an episode of Higashino Keigo Mysteries in 2012) since the lead a taiga in 2009. He's reunited here with Mitsushima Hikari (Villain) and Eita (Orange Days, Dororo) rounded off with award winning Aoi Yu. With that cast alone, expectations flew through the roof.

I was certainly looking forward to the reunion of Mitsushima and Eita and seeing Tsumabuki in a drama again after so long sure is a delight. Whether the drama met my expectations or not cannot be answered with a simple Yes or No.

My main reason of watching was for the cast, so in that case I can't say I was disappointed. The characters felt real for me, the relationships authentic, and the chemistry is present. I was invested enough with the family that watching them every episode was bliss. Acting from the main characters was top notch. Asahi's character got many criticism of being over-acted, but I found it was actually well thought out. I think if he were played any other way it would've been too dramatic so I cannot imagine anyone playing it better than Tsumabuki. Other performances varied from great to okay but none felt miscast. Yoshioka Hidetaka didn't really add much to the characters so my shallow self wished it would've been a better looking actor that took the role XD He wasn't miscast but not too great either.

The story overall is heartwarming and sweet, but we had some story lines that were stronger than others, some more relatable than others, hence some episodes stronger than others. The story line revolving around the three older siblings were the most engaging. The story of the 2 youngest siblings was set-aside in the background and needed more attention from the writer. For that reason I found their resolve a bit shallow. Episodes about characters other than the siblings were less interesting. There were also a lot of cheesy dialogs running throughout the drama. It certainly isn't something new to Japanese dramas but dramas without cheesy dialogs have been done and this could've benefitted without as well

The soundtrack was used effectively here and the theme song added this timeless enchantment to the drama.

On the whole, not a perfect drama, but still touching and uplifting, with great performances and memorable roles. I will miss this drama for sure.

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Go into this drama believing that true love really does exist after a long time-7 years- and it'll be easier to watch this drama. I have to say that reunited love is one of my favorite storylines so although this drama was draggy in some parts, and the plot wasn't that unique- I still thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Wallace Chung has good chemistry with Tiffany Tang. Physically, they look great together and Yi Chen (Wallace) demonstrated his anguish for Mo Sheng (Tiffany) very well. Yes, he was dubbed but that's necessary since Wallace's pronunciation in mandarin isn't that good since he speaks Cantonese natively. It's fine though because his dubbed voice is nice and the dubbing is in sync. The story itself is nothing that new but this drama was calm and beautiful. It's an easy watch even with some annoying characters that I fast forwarded through.

The flashbacks were also a main aspect of this drama, they used flashbacks periodically within episodes to slowly unravel the misunderstandings and backstories. Though this drama was slow-moving, the anticipation created within the flashbacks made me want to come back for more episodes; in that respect, this drama was kind of addicting for me. I admit that they did repeat the same flashbacks over and over again in the end but I just fast forwarded it so it wasn't a problem. In the flashbacks, the director used different actors for young Yi Chen and Mo Sheng. Props to the young actors, they channeled Yi Chen's and Mo Sheng's spirits very well. Young Yi Chen even kinds of looks like Wallace and young Mo Sheng was so cute and bubbly.

I liked how their love never wavered for one another throughout the whole drama, and that the antagonists couldn't tear them apart. There were tons of misunderstandings in the beginning, but it didn't take that long, and once they were resolved their relationship was wonderful to watch. I really liked Yuan Feng and Xiao Xiao (Viola Mi) here. They were both hilarious and had such character depth; they felt like real people.

The music was lovely. It complemented all the tranquil and emotionally anguished scenes. Wallace's real voice in one of the songs was also really good.

Re-watch? Maybe, maybe not. I recommend it to people who don't want to watch a crazy plot, and just want to watch a beautiful romantic drama. (9/8)

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Yes there is a lot, like a lot of sex scenes, but I don't this it was to much or to explicit sex was part of the plot there's more about the movie than sex. This about Love, different kids of love, there is friendship, true love (no matter how it started)and the extremely obsessed one this is what I think the movie is really about.

The acting is flawless, great job, every single character was well played and which I bet it wasn't easy to play.

The music is outstanding traditional Korean music that helped no only to understand the scene but also to understand the characters feelings.

If you're over 18 (just saying), should watch it, and see there is more deep than just just sex.

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plot = 9
writing/development = 5
directing = 10
mystery/killer = 1

the theme of this drama was great, the the 2 (or more) parallel worlds and the butterfly effects that ensue from the smallest of interactions, each choice and the aftermath and the way the worlds were different were really clever.
the acting from the 2 mains was amazing, I'm not a big fan of Yoon Shi Yoon's previous projects but I could see the great improvement and he finally broke away from his type castings.
I've been a fan of Kyung Soo Jin for a while and I'm glad she finally got a main main for well made drama.
the "killer vibes" were way too obvious and their "revelation" was too shallow and uninteresting.

at some points I thought this drama should've been longer, the "romance" and chemistry between brown DW and blue SK made 0 sense, well maybe it made 1% sense in the form that "I'll love and protect every you ever existed" and in some ways the miserable life blue SK lived through made brown DW have a bigger sense of "prince complex, ie I need to save you"
I wish he didn't have romantic feelings for brown SK, or I wish they gave us more eps so brown DW and Blue SK actually bonded beyond "I loved you in another world"

and in some ways with the last ep, that was blue SK finding brown DW, so like why didn't he look/find the "white" SK? what made blue SK special? since white DW was a "higher up -can't think of a title ;p" would white SK also be "happy" and well established and independent for brown DW to feel useless around?

so in some ways both brown DW and blue SK were the most miserable forms of themselves and they found "comfort" in each other but what about brown SK? was she nothing? so basically the whole doppelganger love was a fail.


now for the killer vibes it took too long for them to be literally the 1st person one suspects but that ending ep where the mom went through 4 worlds and had to suffer through loosing her son, plus killing her own counterparts was actually really clever I wish they focused more on that.

basically this is one of those "got a 12ep deal because they didn't know how to plan out their plot"..
the directing was beautiful, clever and really well done. and the ost was nice but I feel like they only had 1 song that was overused, and I never rewatch stuff ;D

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One of the best suspense movie I've ever seen so far!

The story was very detailed. It was very very interesting... Everything fits perfectly. All my whys were answered. You wouldn't want to miss a single scene... Some of the scenes are quite unpredictable and the psycho was really terrifying.

The characters were absolutely great. The psycho (Yoo Ji Tae) was amazing... I was really afraid of him and the next things he might do and what else he is capable of doing. The little girl who can't speak did a superb act as well, also her mother, the DJ.

The movie made me realized, how powerful words and media can be... (^-^). A must-see movie...

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Decent romance that may be worth your time

Pretty good overall!😊 The pacing and plot development is pretty good. Since it's only 24 episodes in total, I am glad things are going quickly in terms of plot. There are some parts where it feels like it's happening quite fast and other times where it's a bit draggy. There is a plot twist at the end (last two episodes) but it didn't really feel like it. There wasn't much suspense leading up to it, so I didn't feel the shock of the twist. It was more like "oh... okay." But the ending was happy and rather touching at a point.

Besides, the romance aspect is worth the watch. A light romance with good humor. I find myself breaking into a smile because of some of the scenes/dialogue. To add, the OST is beautiful and the main cast is not dubbed!! ❤

The female lead has great chemistry with both male actors and plays the two roles quite well that I can differentiate between the two. I've never watched her before but she's good (not awkward at all). She is especially good at the emotional/tense scenes cause you can see the emotions in her eyes. I already ship her with Chen Mo as Xiao Mu. 💕Their scenes are so cute and comedic. I find myself laughing/smiling unconsciously. The actor who plays Chen Mo is a bit stiff at times with his facial expressions and body language but he's still decent. So, I would definitely say the FL is carrying the drama compared to the rest of the cast.

The writer tried to add some angst when the lead couple had a conflict but it didn't really land. The mood felt kind of forced. I honestly like them better when they are being funny and bantering with another. And then the writer also attempted to put conflict between the twins, which worked, but the resolution was a bit too rushed for my liking. Meng Gui's sudden 365 in attitude in the last episode was a bit jarring but I'll take it since everyone got a happy ending.

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indeed as the previous comment said , it is a must to watch drama. When I started to watch , it was just of boredom who knew that I will get this addicted ( one episode after another until I finished season 1 ) .   FYI I am a fan of vampire stories , here in the description it didn't say anything at all although it contains it . Until now I don't know why did I like it this much , I have no Idea . The plot is filled with multiple genres ( comedy , adventure , fantasy , romance , supernatural ) and the story is well established although it is divided into 3 missions but it was smoothly connected  in a way that makes u want to watch what happens next .

The acting as was superb starting with :
Ma Ke : no word an describe him , where was I from this actor , he is incredible and very handsome . He is the most attractive vampire my eyes ever seen
Ye Yin : her energetic character was well protrayed , she was great ( funny , straightforward ) .. what I liked the most about her the idioms she used and the supporting words she gave to the other character I truly fell for it
Si Yin : can't describe his character exactly ., he had many incarnation , but his ability to apply all of them is amazing

the opening and the ending music was out of the world truly amazing and addicting
probbably 100% I will watch it again
so after all of this I hope u r convinced to watch , it wont disappoint  u  . thx for reading

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The Shades of Justice

In this gripping thriller, we delve into a world where the boundaries of justice are not clearly defined. The story revolves around a young servant who masterminds a heinous crime, leading to the murder of his master's entire family, heirs, and servants. With their wealth in his hands, he vanishes for years, only to be confronted by justice two decades later. This short drama, spanning just 12 episodes, is a rollercoaster of enigmas, mysteries, ironies, suspense, and dark humor.

Constable Qu Sangeng, portrayed by Bai Yu Fan, embarks on a harrowing journey to uncover the gruesome murder of his beloved superior, whom he regarded as a father figure. Soon, a string of similar murders emerges, all pointing to a common culprit. Qu Sangeng must untangle the web of connections between the victims and decipher the motive. The trail leads back to an incident that occurred two decades ago at the Lu mansion, which was razed to the ground, claiming the lives of most of its occupants. Only Lu Zhi, played by Yu Yao, and a handful of others managed to escape.

As the narrative unfolds, viewers will empathize with Lu Zhi, understanding the circumstances that drove him to commit these atrocities. As a clever adolescent, Lu Zhi believed he had executed the perfect crime, unaware that someone held knowledge of his dark secret. This mysterious individual resurfaces two decades later to exact vengeance on those responsible.

While Lu Zhi's story is the genesis of these events and the serial killer's vendetta sets Constable Qu Sangeng on his quest for justice, they are not the central characters. The focus of the story shifts to Qu Sangeng and his decision to prioritize justice over personal vengeance, as well as Song Chen's struggles, portrayed by Ning Li. Both the adult Lu Zhi and the serial killer make only hidden or fleeting appearances as the story progresses.

Every character seems to harbor a motive and arouse suspicion. As the present-day plot unfolds and investigators attempt to piece together a complex puzzle, flashbacks shed light on the events from two decades ago. While the drama hints at hidden and illicit affairs, there is no central romantic subplot, reflecting the societal norms of the era.

Without good translations, some viewers may find this drama hard to understand as it is laden with riddles from verses and poems by the ancient sages. Even those well-versed in Mandarin and written Chinese may find themselves struggling with certain scenes and story elements, as the narrative moves swiftly and some details remain unexplained, catering to a more discerning audience. Rewatching becomes essential not for cherishing particular moments or characters but to gain a deeper comprehension and capture the subtleties that might have been missed.

My Verdict

This thriller is an adrenaline-pumping ride, offering a captivating storytelling format, top-notch direction, and commendable performances, with Yu Yao's portrayal of the juvenile Lu Zhi and Ning Li's portrayal of Song Chen standing out the most.

What makes this drama truly striking is its realism, even in today's world, in depicting the complex backdrop of wealth and power. Characters like Lu Yuan Bao, portrayed by Zhang Xi Lin, who transformed from a bandit to a wealthy and influential figure, highlight the murky waters of power dynamics. The story also portrays corrupt government officials who can be easily swayed, and the wealthy who, despite their outward respectability, remain to be despicable and thuggish. The concept of justice is portrayed in shades of gray, demonstrating that what one person sees as justice may be viewed as injustice from another's perspective. This theme resonates with the contemporary geopolitical landscape. For Qu Sangeng, choosing justice over personal vengeance is a wise choice given his superior's role in his father's death which he remains unaware of.

Great watch!

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