O Leitor de Memórias (2020)

relentless justice. my first k-superhero!

(i dont rate rewatch value - neutral)

4K

this is as far from the case of the week detective show as i could've expected when i first heard the premise. it's a straight superhero show, and the villain is pretty much the entirety of south korea.

well, the systems that drive south korea.

dong baek's power is damn near a revelation in that sense, cutting through all the noise of politics and media and what have you by forcing him to literally feel the pain of the victims he scans, causing him to act rash and promptly make enemies of pretty much the entire country. 0 f!#k mode. - because they simply can't feel the extreme emotions he feels. how is one individual expected to stay sane when mentally and physically reliving everyone elses horrors day in and out?

the poster of him in fighting stance reflects that ruthless and fun side of the show, where he kicks criminals in the face and does pretty much everything else a cop shouldn't (including using his powers in the first place), tho the bulk of that is only contained in the first few episodes, really. from then on out the tone is generally a lot more serious. you're made to be as angry as him, theres genuine scary moments, and a whole lot of trauma. everyone seems to be corrupt and nothing is quite what it seems. heck.. han su mi, who is his co-star, spends their introductory period suspecting his ass! gun rly pointed at the head.. which makes her huge smile in the closing minutes of the finale that much sweeter.

i felt cozy with this drama early on and it just kept pulling me in closer by the episode. the no-bs dedication to justice is it's heartbeat, and it results in surprisingly varied storytelling, as every element in this thing is freaking aced. where the hacking/surveillance scenes lack any real depth past convenient transition moments, the room it takes place in has so much character you just love to see it. white mechanical keyboards. same for anything. car scenes, lawyer-y scenes, journalism scenes. prosecution stand-offs, the sweet bonding scenes between characters. it's all so organic. *good* prevails in the truest sense since despite him basically being hunted down for most of the show, the people hunting him down (police force, other agencies) all are kinda hesitant from the get to even do so.. which is why they never do lol. it's the small guys teaming up to take down the top that they all know is corrupt. but it happens mostly very subtly.

then the finale comes a long and everything just perfectly clicks into place. simultaneously graceful for the payoff resolve, but also appropriately ruthless to end with the right bite. it lays the heart bare that you heard beating the whole way. only small lil issue being the the very very final like 2 minutes where the radio broadcast and the scene following it almost lowkey undo that sense of uncompromising fairness and justice that prevails truh this whole thing. it's complicated and i won't spoil, but overreaching is overreaching, and it's not like this drama aint aware that good intentions alone don't eliminate the possibility for evil!

it's pretty much perfect other than that, but it did irk me a bit. especially since they could've easily avoided it by just writing in an extra line or two.

Leia Mais

Noooooo...
I'm so sad it had to end...
I-I just want a season two even though I know it's pretty impossible. One can dream though.
I was so tempted to put this show as one of my all-time favorites but ended up going against it. As much as I love love loved it, some things need to be said.
So let's go on and say it...

Story 〆(・∀・＠): This show is a mystery with supernatural aspects to it. That's a no brainer.
But I love how they incorporated the superpowers into everyday society. Usually, the special person has to hide their abilities, but this show decided against that, which I ultimately loved. I also loved the mystery itself. There were so many twists and turns, which made it so hard for me to put the puzzle pieces together.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
I'm not an avid mystery/investigation drama watcher. In all honesty, I watched this show to see some super-powered action as well as for Yoo Seung-ho (I'm a sucker for him). But I was delightfully surprised to find myself just itching to watch the next episode.
And as much as I can go on about everything I loved, there were a few negative things...
First is that there were so many names and faces. I struggle to remember Korean names if so many are thrown at me during a short period. I can handle the central protagonists/antagonists' names, but in mysteries, there are a lot of witnesses, suspects, and just a lot of other people. They'll come into the story then leave, so sometimes if you don't remember their name, it's difficult to feel the same shock when something surprising is revealed.
Another thing is that there were so many routes the story took. Similar to real life, there are a lot of dead ends in criminal cases. This show made sure to show it. There were so many unnecessary scenes that were added in all to throw the viewer off. While that's fine once or twice, doing it regularly makes it a bit trickier to follow.
With those two main things being said, I didn't particularly mind it. I did have to use a recap website to understand everything properly, but it never ruined my enjoyment for the show. That's why I can't bring myself to give it too low of a score.
I just had so much fun watching it! :D

Acting ｡゜(｀Д')゜｡: Oh boy here we go.
I just wanna give everyone a round of applause. *stands and claps*
There were so many emotional, mentally disturbed, and comedic characters that were involved. And pretty much every actor gave it their all. Yoo Seung-ho was flawless in my eyes and made it so easy to connect with Dong Baek. Even in the first episode, I found myself cheering him on! Lee Se-young also did fantastic in portraying the reserved Han Sun-mi. Usually, with more logical and conserved characters, it's harder to connect with them since it takes longer for them to open up. Although Se-young managed to rock it!!!
I also wanna give a special shout out to Jo Han-chul!!! My god was he amazing.
Even though he wasn't introduced in the beginning and wasn't apart of the main gang, I ended the show with Jin Jae-gyung as my favorite character. I don't wanna say why since it'll spoil too much. But know that the crazy characters.... well... their actors brought and owned it!!!

Music ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪: Same old situation for the music category.
The show is mystery based, so most of the background songs were just there to provide a suspenseful feeling. It worked, don't get me wrong. I genuinely felt anxious during some scenes. So the music did its job. I just didn't care much for it, which is why the score isn't as high. The ending song was interesting, though, so I'll give that credit.
But overall, this isn't a show you'd watch just for the soundtrack.

Other (ง°ل͜°)ง: Supernatural stuff. Let's talk about it!
It's so hard to discuss specific details cause then we'd be walking into the spoiler zone. And although I'd love to rant, I write reviews with people who don't like spoilers in mind. But that makes this show a bit more trickier to explain.
Dong Baek can see into people's memories. A very straight forward gift.
Yes, it was used to forward plot but not so much to where it felt forced. I really loved how it was able to fit in with everything. I did have some questions, but the show managed to end with answering most of them. I can't say what they were, but I will admit that there were one or two things that never fully got cleared up.
Thus this show didn't end with no plot holes. There were quite a few but nothing too significant.
I also liked how this show didn't rely on just the same group of police. There were different branches and roles, and the ways they interacted with each other made you question which side you're on.
Something I can really appreciate.

I think the main reason I can't add this to my favorites list is because I don't think I'd watch it again.
So much of it is a mystery, and rewatching investigation shows is just not the same the second time.
Although it can be fun to see small details you missed, this show just had a lot of story routes that led nowhere, and I don't want to have to go through them again.
But the characters and overarching plot stole my heart!
I would do anything for a second season since I'm not ready to part with it.
I 100% recommend this to anyone who likes anything related to the supernatural, mystery related things, or is just in the mood to watch something new.
It's definitely something I'll remember... let's just hope nobody wipes it ;)
Happy watching <3

Leia Mais

Confusing, drain brain,, unpredict villain, still worth for watching

In the first 3 episodes I thought about dropping this drama, because it was very messy and confusing from the start, plus the investigation was so sudden, suddenly checking on information A, suddenly checking on information B ,,,(when they checking information about what happen 20 years ago,,, and about water pump) And the evidence or information they get too not explained very detail,, and and they can go straight to the next destination without being explained in advance where( case prof.nam), sometimes confusing because a criminal has many hiding places


plus they added a backsound that seemed tense, but at that time what I felt was not tense, just confusing and and dizzy

and when the detective Han's subordinates reported the laboratory results, it was also confusing ,, because there were many cases and piled up so didn't know whose report was read plus the confusing subtitle






#### nice part######
The highlight of this drama is ,, the main villain who is hard to guess until the end ,,,

In one episode I saw a shadow and had suspected that the villain was a ........... (forget what episode) ,,, and also suspected very many people, even though I knew the gender but who was the real eraser unpredictable


#bad part of story##

1.ep1 , Since the beginning there is no evidence that Yoon Ye Rim's case related to serial murder is being investigated, but Dongbaek can immediately start the search from investigating the serial murder case.
Because it can only be truly concluded that Yoon Ye Rim's case was related is when episode 5, when Det.han saw a point of similarity about they case

2. Suddenly two detectives of Dongbaek's friends investigated about the water pump, but it was not clear where it was because it was not clearly stated,, plus when they suspect Yoon I Tae ,, the place Dongbaek & Hansunmi go to is different

3. Episode 8-9
was the most difficult episode to understand, very brain-draining ,,,, the words they said, and the place they were going to was unclear ,,,, and when the flashbacks of jinjaegyu's house they mean is different? But from what SANG HA said, the house of jinjaegyu in past was the same as now, so which house was the house with the caretaker?


4. and i don't understand what is the purpose of eraser provoking dong baek and hansunmi?

Leia Mais

Yoo Seung Ho and Lee Se Young together again for a drama! They are one of the few beloved child actors that I really liked and no doubt that they had the acting chops. Plus, the fact that I am a fan of Yoo Seung Ho made me really anticipate this drama.

Memorist is a drama that I would definitely love to see for multiple seasons. It had the tone of a great series similar to US' CSI or NCIS or other crime thriller drama. It also had the supernatural tone to it with the main lead having the power to look into the memories of whoever he touches. Dong Baek is the typical arrogant lead but the thing is he knows what he's doing and he knows that he is good at it which frustrates all of his team mates. I love his relationship with his team chief Goo Kyung Tan and his partner Oh Se Hoon. The addition of the reporter Kang Ji Eun made the drama like a legit multiple-season crime thriller drama. Lee Se Young as the strong-willed Han Sun Mi also gave the drama its color.

This drama is a reminder that a series can be compelling and brilliant even without the romance angle.

Leia Mais

WOW WATCH IMMEDIATELY

JUST WOW

Not only was the acting amazing but also the story, the twists and turns. It left me on the edge of my seat, always wanting more. I cried like a baby at some points which means I was invested A LOT.

At first I thought that 16 eps would be a lot to chase one serial killer and that I would be bored BUT I WAS SO WRONG. The story kept me enthralled until the last second.

The levels of everything were just perfect in this drama. Yes it was very serious but had comedic moments that just fit perfectly in to lighten the mood and showcase the relationship between different characters.


I laughed, cried and shouted while watching this. One of the best dramas I have watched.

Leia Mais

All my braincells are dead (in a good way)

THIS DRAMA, my god this drama took all my brain power to process. The story is so delicated written and the threads are so well threaded that it takes all your attention to fully understand what's happening.

I started watching this drama with cero expectations and got extremely surprised when I finished it. I love a well-written thriller / suspense plot and I can totally agree that this drama reached the bar.

Honestly I'm at a loss for words cause I don't know what to say. The story is fantastic, it has layers and layers of situations that connect with each other. Just when you thought that you got all figured it out, the contrary happens and all your theories are thrown to the trash. You can't even trust the main protagonists. More than one time I was at the edge of my sit, making all my braincells work to try figuring out what the hell was happening.

The relationship between the main team is just absolutely adorable. The trust they have in each other, they are willing to sacrifice their own lives just for the sake of the others. It felt like a family the way they protected each other.

I feel like each character suit the actor. The performances were amazing, the chemistry, everything. I'm very happy with the final result.

Latly, the suspense. MY GOD THE SUSPENSE. I couldn't take a breathe with all that happens. Heart beating so fast, my mind working at 10000km p/h trying to solve the misteries, the nerves at their highest point, the rush of adrenaline. Amazing.

Truly one of the best dramas of 2020.

Leia Mais

I just finished this drama, I don’t know where to start on how good it is. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be one of my favourites, dongbaek just seemed like a character that I would get tired of watching with his impulsiveness. But I found myself unable to drop the drama, even though I usually prefer to marathon dramas instead of watching 2 episodes a week because of my short attention span. I followed it closely every week, the storyline just got better and better and dongbaek slowly grew on me. And Han Sunni omygosh, she’s my idol. I loved Lee Seyoung in this, I really hope she gets more of these serious roles. Yoo Seungho is one of those actors I like but don’t seriously follow, but he did decent in this drama I guess, I would personally have preferred if he was more intense and fierce, but at this point I don’t think it’s his acting but his boyish visuals HAHA.

The plot is great but I feel like the pacing could have been a lil better. The prologue was dragged too long, and I felt like I was most likely to drop the drama after the 1st two episodes. Otherwise, episodes 4-14 onwards were all pretty great. I also felt like the last episode was a lil rushed. Things just kept happening and they could’ve been developed a lil more. Also not a fan of the last episode “smile while doing everything” ”tie up loose end vibe”, but that’s just me. I love the fact that there’s no romance in this. If they tried to squeeze in a kiss or some slow or heart fluttering moment I would’ve probably dropped this. The characters stayed true to their personalities and watching their teamwork made me smile. These 2 individuals which are so drastically different in their thoughts and actions always managed to reach the same goal with their own methods. The storyline is not like your typical serial killer, 1-case-per-episode drama, it was an entire web of discovering his past + identity, corrupted officials and a thin line between right and wrong, many characters struggled because of their unwavering belief to follow their morals and *no spoilers*

Alarge part of what made the drama so good was the cinematography, the appropriate use of angles and slowmo. It made the tension rise at every scene and I was always left in curious confusion after every scene. Seriously!! I can’t elaborate on this because I’m not an expert but it really really contributed to how great this drama was and is honestly one of the most essential things for crime dramas.

I saw a lot of people complaining about the music but I personally didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. I loved the 2 themes they played at the end of each episode and the beginning theme got me excited for each episode. Also that one creepy track they played everytime one of the detectives went exploring made me so anxious and tensed.

Loved it, as much as every single one of my romance or contemporary faves. Definitely worth a watch and rewatch.
9/10 because it doesn’t deserve that full marks yet, but it was A in every sense.

Leia Mais

Though the cases they dealt with are quite brutal for me, the story was never a boring one. It has a lot of twists but it was not tiresome. Though it was quite like a different version of "He is Psychometric", this was a more interesting drama. I guess this is the first mystery drama that I never got to figure out who is the real killer till the story revealed it. The real killer was so great in hiding his identity.

I'm not really a super fan of Yoo Seung Ho, but he was way cooler here than in "Remember". His acting was great and was very sense appealing. He also appeared more charismatic here.

I loved that Lee Se Young is the leading lady here. She really suited the character she played. I was awed by her acting before, and she never disappoint me even a little bit in this drama.

All the other casts are amazing - from the villains to the police officers & heads - they were all amazing, and no one's quality of act has been left behind.

This was the first drama where I saw Yoon Ji On, and I was amazed by his character and the way he played it. I will look forward for more of his drama.

I love everything in this drama. I love the story. Though it has a lot of twists, it was never boring. Every episode was interesting. I love the fact that the villains' act were justifiable and not just out of insanity or what, and I love how Baek showed them that doing thing in a right way is the more reasonable approach in relieving their grudges. I love how things turned out for everyone of them - from the leading characters to the villains. The ending turned out great but still realistic and not too idealistic. I have enjoyed this from beginning to end.

Good job everyone!!

#memorist
#yooseungho
#leeseyoung
#yoonjion
#mustwatch2020
#mysterykdrama
#kdrama
#kdramahookedbylady28

Leia Mais

I had really high hopes for this one after hearing my sister give it rave reviews. And it wasn't horrible! It definitely did not disappoint (that much). However, I am really someone that is very critical of any thriller themed material I consume be it TV show, movie, books etc.

Likes:
- The story was really very solid and the piecing together was exciting. I was intrigued and shocked every time some parts were revealed and bits of the story slowly came together
- The two main leads had great chemistry and I was really glad that no romance transpired between them! The side characters were also so wonderful and you find yourself suspecting them but also rooting for them at the same time :P
- It was not too long and the pace was good. I didn't feel like I was forced to sit through anything or that any parts were draggy.

Dislikes:
- Even though the final reveal made sense and was pretty cool, I was a bit disappointed.
- There were lots of elements and I think there were moments of confusion that weren't explained. I think there were also too many red herrings and this definitely was not going to be a mystery that as an audience you could have pieced together because you aren't given all the clues.

If you like thrilling/mystery themed dramas and want a break from the rom com life, I highly recommend this!

Leia Mais

One thing that kept me amazed while watching this drama is its ability to fool its viewers.

Of all drama genres, good thriller/crime dramas are the most difficult to achieve because most of the time, the plots are cliche. Having serial killers/murderers, detectives/police that has past relationship with the suspects etc. Although this drama is almost as cliche as the others, one thing that it differs from the rest is its ability to fool its viewers. (Ngl, i always thought it was Chun Ki Soo who's behind the mask, but I got fooled. Then, I started to think that it was Lee Shin Woong, and I got fooled again.) This alone, made the drama become more interesting and thrilling.

As expected, Yoo Seung Ho (Dong Baek) always nails his role. He's a flexible actor who can do every genre and this is why I like him so much!!! After Remember: War of Son and My Strange Hero, he hasn't done any crime/thriller dramas so I was really waiting for this!! Lee Se Young (Han Sun Mi) is a great actress as well, i've only watched her on Hit The Top so I never knew her that much, but seeing her acting here, she's a great actress and deserves more recognition!!! She portrayed the superintendent role very well!!! And Jo Sung Ha (Lee Shin Woong), I don't know why he always portray the villain role in korean dramas but he always nail the role as well!!! And appreciation for Oh Se Hoon!!! He was such a good partner and friend, I wanted to have a friend like him, willing to fight with his friend even though he knew that it will risk his life.

This drama was good as I have expected. Yes, there is no romance but that makes this drama more interesting, because it focuses on their story, the reason why they fight, who they are fighting for etc!! Although I've been craving for more scenes of Dong Baek and So Won because they really suit each other in the drama, and I got really teary eyed when she died and Dong Baek blames himself because he thought if he did something (shook the hand of girl who killed So Won), he could've saved her. I also got teary eyed for Dong Baek's sister, imagine dealing with all those scumbags. Although what she did to give justice was wrong, I'm thinking that it must have been difficult for her too since she saw all their memories, she knew all those crimes that they did, so she must have felt the pain that her loved ones felt.

Overall, I liked the acting, the story, and the major plot twists that got me fooled every time. Having no romance in this is also an advantage since it showcased more the beauty of this drama!!!

Leia Mais