Very different score to season one

Although they did a true continuation from the ending of season one, they probably should have kept it as is... based on this season two. The reasons why I loved season one, took a few steps back in this follow up. Unlike the pacing of a real feel previously, they've upped the dramatics and tried to do too much in a small number of episodes. Because they tried to do too much, there were multiple holes in the plot which became confusing.

However, it's not terrible by any means. Just that season two took the entirety into the average zone. There is potential for them to bring it back up to par if they manage to fill in the gaps on all the unanswered questions and provide the rationales for certain actions into a season three. For the time being, the slightly higher scoring on this is to give a nod to season one as I've already become invested in the characters from it (and because of this, season two still triggered a few tears).

Leia Mais

A journey of military corruption

Having not yet seen season two, season one could stand on its own without one. In only six episodes, this series put me through a journey of much more. My heart swelled in both warmth between our two young MLs and from their desperate crossroads of choosing to do their duties and being human.

While the plot is grim, I wouldn't consider this as dark fiction as it's a very realistic depiction of corruption. There's no excess dramatization, no saviors, and no particular antagonist. It simply portrays the difficulty in choices everyone has to make or continuously make at some point in their lives. This one was just uniquely centered around the military dynamics. If you are someone who ever chose to join a company, a sorority/fraternity, or any group that has any type of hierarchy, how many would speak up for another if it meant risking your own position and livelihood? And even if you were to speak up, would you even have any ability to even make a difference? Then those who blame their immediate authority fail to recognize that the same authorities themselves have high authority to answer to. In the situation of the military, it's even worse than being an employee at a company where you have the option to quit and find a new job.

Most series want to showcase a hero who steps up and manages to somehow defeat all that is bad. This one captures the realism in how multiple people try their best in their own capacity to do what they can, and how a small act of kindness can go a long way. Unlike what we want to believe in our idealistic worlds, the "good and righteous" does lose the battles most of the time so those who live under a rock in stubborn ignorance may not appreciate this series as much. Reality is far darker and stranger than fiction and this series definitely does not have a feel of over-exaggeration.

All of the actors did such a fantastic job in their respective roles. What really elevated the series was the natural injection and focus on the relationship between the two MLs. Their bonding with one another shone some light and humor on the hands they were dealt with and it made the series much more digestible to watch.

P.S. I think every organization out there needs a Han Ho Yul, because he's someone I would totally want around.

Leia Mais

Wow...

When I read the MDL summary for this series, I imagined a plot full of super hero tropes layered with flimsy super hero power action scenes, and some standard sappy Korean-esque backstory with the parents/children. But in addition to the high rating, it came up a few times as a recommendation for other series I've enjoyed, so I gave it a try. And wow... did it far exceed my initial expectations.

Plot flow: Each episode was robust with action, excitement, and anticipation and it doesn't rely on ending on obvious cliffhangers or any particular over-dramatization. The care that was given to delve into the background stories of relevant characters is very much appreciated. The lore is believable and they did a great job between blending a slice-of-life feel with action/tragedy/politics.

Action scenes: Has to be one of the best ones I've come across when it comes down to showcasing superpowers. It was done so well, I didn't care to even make any attempts to even think about potentially critiquing whether it made sense or not (and still don't).

Characters: The characters (and their families) were uniquely interesting and with so many familiar faces in the cast, it's inevitable that they did a great job bringing the them to life. You will also sometimes find yourself rooting for both the protagonists and antagonists.

The only minor negatives were the scenes were sometimes slightly prolonged and the lighting could have been a bit clearer. The scenes shot in the dark weren't very easy watch when I was viewing some episodes during the day. And if it weren't for the obvious hint for a much needed season two, the ending would have been a discussion point.

Leia Mais

No Chemistry

The series isn't necessarily bad (based on the four episodes seen) and the actors are actually pretty good. But it's just lacking chemistry in all sorts of ways and it's hard to pinpoint why. The first episode is nothing like the second episode forward as it takes a leap from somber to an infusion of comedy. I was pretty excited that it had a relatively similar feel to the Fiery Priest in the beginning but it was short-lived. The ML/FL characters were made to be too extreme in personalities from the start and then shifted out of character very quickly and continually, which made what would have given them their individual charm a blur instead. The supporting actors were even more extreme with their personalities/quirks and it took too much realism out of what is actually quite a decent plot.

As some minor examples, the ML is supposed to be a badass high up on the chain in the Italian mafia. Yet when he arrive in Korea, he's easily drugged by a drink offered by a cab driver and then mugged? I mean, even normal tourists with any common sense would have known to not get into a random black car at the airport when the driver is being overly pushy about using their services. As for the FL, while the actress did the best she could with what she was dealt, the character was spicy but didn't make much sense. They should have highlighted more on the reasoning behind why she was working against her father before she suddenly decided to have a change of heart. The tiny explanation of their relationship right before a major event really didn't do much. Then there are the tenants living/working at the building who are supposed to be regular folk but their characters leans more towards a circus-asylum feel. The ML's interaction with them is equally awkward.

Should reiterate that the series isn't necessarily bad but unfortunately dropping the series because I've already seen how well it can be done with the Fiery Priest.

Leia Mais

Exceeded Expectations

This is one that does a good job with blending drama/horror, humor, and tear-jerking moments. I've been holding off on watching this for quite some time because this is a genre/plot that usually isn't done very well. But happily, it became one where I continued to look forward to every next episode until the last.

The main crew of the cast had fantastic chemistry with one another- one that makes you smile with them, cry with them, and root for them. The plot flow was done really well and there was enough "houses to sell" stories in addition to the main underlying story to keep it satisfying. (Sometimes feel tricked with other series where they start off with one or two individual stories and then just drag the rest of episodes into the main one.) It isn't the most complex plot you'll come across but it also isn't an overly simplified one. There are some plot holes but a perfect plot with heavy attention to detail isn't something that should be expected too much for a supernatural genre.

There is a light layer of corny such as the FL always being dressed in black and the ML being dressed mostly in white, etc. But in this case, it works well as it's part of the charm. It is quite difficult to be able to smoothly incorporate a natural lighthearted feel for a plot with multiple darker undertones, so the higher score for the series is well deserved. The only distracting negative was the very obvious ad placement/marketing in certain scenes where it took it a bit too far with the selling of the drinks/snacks/skincare. Nevertheless, highly recommend for anyone who is looking for a balance of emotional triggers.

Leia Mais

Draggy and a bit corny but...

The series started off at a good pace, where I found myself binging the first 10 or so episodes until the romance scenes began to drag on and then all of the scenes slowly disintegrated into long drags. The remaining episodes were completed through a heavy-hand of time skipping. But there is something to be said for the effort of even making it through to the last episode rather than just dropping it completely and it'll be easier to just highlight the negatives into a list:

- While the acting was average, there was enough chemistry with the ML and FL that the trials and tribulations of their romance will tug at your heart.
- The action scenes/CG effects started off okay and slowly deteriorated (even on the sound effects). And the number of times people will bleed from their mouths in the series has got to be record-breaking.
- They increasingly incorporated way too many flashback moments that only contributed to the drag.
- The plot also increasingly deteriorated with each time skip era.
- The characters started off well and then would bounce around between being out of character and then back into character for no naturally good reason.

However, despite all of the above, there was enough suspense of wanting to know how things end. Unfortunately, the ending was lackluster. The concept of the plot is really interesting and it's a shame they didn't do a better job with the series. It started off with so much potential. If they didn't spend so much time on the drags and focused on diving into the supporting characters and their character evolution, or if they put a little more effort into the details of the events unfolding instead of just jumping into it, or if the cut down on the repetitive romance scenes, it would have produced a far more well-rounded effect.

Leia Mais

Not Bad, Just Not Enough

Foremost, I really can't stand this type of costuming in historical settings. But every so often, if the plot and actors do a good enough job, it's something that can be overlooked. It is still cringy though. The long stringy bangs that half of the male actors have and the over-bleached hair colors. I mean, for characters that are supposed to be highly skilled in martial arts, apparently their bangs don't seem to get in the way...

However, the characters were pretty charismatic and the plot flow skipped along okay. The action scenes were typically of series with this type of costuming: lots of floating around, actors who try to make the martial arts believable but it's obvious they don't have any real training, and attempts to make up for the lack in martial arts by incorporating heavy CG (of which, some were pretty decent). It's a fantasy setting so there's no high expectations of realism and while the negatives mentioned above are not as bad as some other series, it's still a bit overdone for my personal taste.

Stuck around for 11 episodes mainly for the plot, the charismatic actors, and the nicely incorporated humor. But it was one of series where you can do some chores on the side, miss out on some dialogue, and not feel like you've missed much. It's good enough where I can probably continue to watch to the end but not enough to feel like I have to get to that next episode.

Leia Mais

Not For Me But...

I'm dropping the series mostly because even up through episode 8, the action aspect of the plot never picked up pace. And personally really dislike the typical romance stories with overly innocent and useless women. What's worse is the rest of the other women so far have been portrayed as either being just as useless, full of drama, evil, and/or manipulative. This is very typical of the old-school ideal of Asian romance and couple portrayal. Poor woman/rich man, innocent and sweet woman/powerful and misunderstood man, attached with unrealistically cute voices that belong to girls who haven't gone through puberty.

But for those who love these types of sappy stories, I can see why this one is on the higher-rated end and would definitely recommend. Personally I was putting up with the heavy romance scenes for while hoping the action and backstories would pick up at some point but it's been a slow burn.

Leia Mais

Missed the Mark

Always on the lookout for plots that involve undercover characters who go out and help people. One of my favorite childhood series was when the Emperor himself strolled the streets in plain clothes so he can understand his country. So I definitely wanted to like this series but I've been emotionless for all three episodes.

The acting wasn't terrible but was subpar and the main characters had no chemistry with one another (or with any other characters for that matter). But the biggest cause of the series missing the mark wasn't the actors but the actual plot flow. You can see the potential but the execution of each scene was done with poor timing and execution.

As an example, when the FL is helping with the birth of a baby to a dying woman. The male doctor and her are both looking at the baby's entrance point. In historical times, it's unlikely a male doctor would be at ease even being close to that area. The FL admitted she had no experience and despite the dying woman having an arrow stuck in her chest while pushing the baby out, the birth was super effortless. It's difficult to describe in words but you can tell that not much thought was put in with no attention to detail throughout the series. And it resulted in a very unnatural plot flow.

Leia Mais

Not For Everyone

This isn't a series for those looking for a thriller or fictional suspense story. It's a series that is a laying out of reality with no twists and turns meant to entertain the audience. It follows the simple format of a broken legal system and a judge who does her best to both implement the law while getting to the bottom of the truth with each case. It personally resonates for me and may not for everyone.

For some reviewers who question the "dramatization" of the cases, I can only assume they've grown up in relatively safe and comfortable homes with others to rely on (who they usually take for granted). Because those who get it, get it. And those who don't, usually never will. After all, being spoiled has nothing to do with finances but rather those in their lives who've emotionally spoiled them. The actuality is that these cases are still pretty watered down in comparison to real life situations, but still vivid enough to make its point.

What I additionally appreciate about the series is the emphasis on how even those with the best of intentions, end up being hypocrites when it comes to something hitting their own "home". And while those sitting comfortable behind their computers with little or no responsibilities will shout their criticisms, it's a very real and human dilemma that occurs in everyone's day-to-days. It's easier to judge others' choices when it makes no impact to their own personal lives, and easier to self-justify when it comes to their crossroads of sacrifices.

There's no glaring negative other than the pacing of stories and its developments (certain scenes that weren't as believable when it came to how the judge found evidence). There were also some moments that felt a little too prolonged and other moments that felt too abbreviated. But overall, if what I've discussed above also resonates with you and you're fine with a somber environment, you'll enjoy this series.

Leia Mais

Sort of tricked into somewhat completing the series

The series had a good introduction and followed up well on the suspense, until around halfway through at episode seven. Then it abruptly just nose-dived from the initial uncovering of the truth, which was pretty lackluster despite half of the episodes leading up to it. It continually only worsened with characters making odd decisions that made no sense. It's hard to describe but they spent so much time building up the ML/FL, only to have them look like blubbering fools for the rest of the series. The further diving into the truth also begins to develop large plot holes that weren't pieced together very well. I found myself becoming more and more disinterested with each latter episode and ended up not liking any of the characters at all. Because seven episodes had already been invested, the rest of the episodes were sped through with aggressive skipping just to get to the full unraveling of the mysteries (with exception of a few historical flashback moments). The slight twist in the end would have made the plot halfway decent if it weren't for all of the items mentioned above.

Leia Mais

Poor Plot Flow

While this series isn't one of the worst as there are flickering moments of relatively good scenes, it's pieced together pretty poorly. The introduction in itself wasn't done well with a slapping together of the main leads who continued to not have much chemistry with one another. But when the supporting actors do a much better job in acting than the leads, it's difficult to stay interested. The lore of the reapers world was not believable even for a fantasy/supernatural genre. As a minor examples (among many), the comatose state of the "new guy" was at the fault of the reapers, and yet the choice they gave him was three years of coma which could be reduced to six months of coma if he joins the team. There's no explanation of why they can't just reduce the come to a month or to just release him from it, if they are capable of providing different time ranges. Another example is when they are apparently forbidden to change history when going back into the past, but the "new guy" is pretty much allowed to make drastic changes to the past like preventing a death from occurring and yet, there's barely any repercussion before the plot just moves on.

Because I can probably continue watching this on a very casual mode mostly due to the supporting actors and their stories (hence the slightly higher score), but as none of the mains are likeable, prefer to drop it instead.

Leia Mais

Binge-Worthy

I'm usually not a big fan of time-slip types of plots because it just usually isn't done very well. Had this series on the plan-to-watch list for a while because of this. I also tend to avoid anything that appears to be romance heavy. However, this one outwitted my initial expectations and had me fully invested until the last episode. You have certain series which are just good and then you have those that will pull you into their world, and this was one of them. This is also one of the rare times where I'm in agreement with MDL's average rating.

The cast was fantastic including the support roles. Because they based this one on written/accepted historical events, it will keep you guessing on how they plan to follow or diverge from the past. The concept of a male being in the body of a Queen took the entire plot up a few notches (it wouldn't have been as great otherwise). Within just 20 episodes, your emotes will pleasantly be balanced with laughing, crying, biting your nails, and smiling with warmth. As for the romance aspect, because the FL/ML were both interesting characters with such good chemistry, that I didn't mind any of the romance portrayed within the series at all.

The only slight less than positive comment is that it felt just a tad long-winded with the political aspect of the plot in the first half but nothing in comparison to other historical dramas. It doesn't take away from the binge-worthiness of this series and I've admittedly lost more than few hours of precious sleep.

Leia Mais

Well Done

Started this series with the expectations of dropping it in the first couple of episodes due to expecting a Wuxia theme, only to realize the setting is actually within the modernized world. But before I knew it, each episode had me hooked to looking forward to the next. Here are some key points that makes this series unique for me:

- The blending of a historical essence with modern times was actually done really well and is far more believable than what other series with similar settings try to achieve.
- The action, costuming, and CG work (though I'm not an expert of any sort) was fantastic actually. This aspect is usually one of the main reasons why I drop series. Typically dislike things like "colored hair" that's utilized in historical settings (because it makes no damn sense) but because this is within the modern world, it works.
- Although not all of the acting was done well, there was enough great actors/actresses to make up for it on a whole.
- The humor-injected drama can throw you off every so often but it was also equally refreshing (with just a few scenes that were a bit excessive). The layer of humor is key as well to overlooking any potential loophole with the superhuman powers involved.

What brings the score down for me would mostly be around the plot. Although the story wasn't bad, it felt rushed within the latter half of the series. They did a great job in the beginning with character introductions and did a pretty good job in delving into their personalities but it wasn't very complete. In order for them to finally get to the ending of this first "arc", they left too many holes around the details behind the whole mystery and the characters involved. There were also some sections where I did find myself fast-forwarding a tad because it felt just slightly long-winded and unnecessary. However, I'm very pleasantly surprised at how well they did overall and it was a very enjoyable watch.

Leia Mais

Hits the Spot

I love these types of plots where help is being provided to different individuals/families, particularly with a supernatural baseline. Most series don't do it very well for one reason or another. This one, despite my initial judgment on the title name (which of course is why should we shouldn't judge based on cover/name), really hit the spot with exception of some minor gripes.

Everyone involved including the supporting cast jived well together and had great chemistry. There are scenes that will make you tear up, scenes that will make you laugh, and scenes where you're anticipating the unraveling of situation. There's nothing overly gruesome or frightening (though I wouldn't mind it) and the blended-in humor helps ease any of the darker aspects.

The only character I didn't care much for was the female cop. It is more of how she was written rather than the actress herself. She was more immature than the young MLs, selfish (though somewhat self-aware), much too needy, and didn't know when to stop talking. The other minor grip is the series ended with many unanswered questions and rather abruptly, but is also a bit expected with only 12 episodes.

I found myself looking forward to every next episode and would highly recommend for folks who also enjoy these semi-episodic and supernatural plots. The series gets extra kudos for doing a great job at this particular type of plot/genre.

Leia Mais