Characters: I found all of them interesting. From the prideful captain to the two lowkey detectives and the dedicated female officer. And the male lead was pretty solid in here with his struggle to define his place in time.
Plotwise: The story was told in a fascinating way with how the lead character experiences living in the past and his constant mind inceptions with the present through TV or Radio channel. This is why this show is so good because we get to learn about the serial killers' background from the male lead's POV. I don't know of any show that has done it this way where the antagonist's life is exposed through the detective that is chasing him's dream of the past. The ending defines the entire story. Especially that last minute epilogue which screams a second season (perhaps the lead detective will find his way back home - again).
Music: I loved the music. It gave the show the vibe the story needed.
Overall: Very good show with interesting characters and story.
Recommendation: If anyone wants a break from the bottomless ocean of kdrama romance, TRY something of this genre. The only way you'd be disappointed is if you had no interest in these types of storylines.
Rewatch - yes.
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I would certainly recommend this to people who are interested in criminal procedural dramas with a pinch of science fiction and a lot of food for thought. The main role going through the constant struggle of facing the reality (?) of his situation makes the audience more empathetic towards his cause. The question of how to return to his original timeline (?) and not being able to give in to his feelings towards the female lead... all make for good character development. The group dynamic is emphasized quite a bit and improves over the course of various investigations carried out.
Background music is another crucial part of this show. It is serene, smooth and flows with nostalgia. All-in-all this was a pleasant surprise to me. Thumbs up for all associated with this show.
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It was certainly a fun watch, not just for the think-instigating interesting premise, the lively and endearing characters, the perfectly balanced thriller and humor, but above all for the story of how one man learned the meaning of trust and what it means to be a part of a team, not just work colleagues but essentially comrades of a common goal and purpose in life. What it means to embrace oneself, one’s past, one’s shortcomings and weakness, essentially one’s need to lean and depend on others.
Knowing this drama was based upon a popular English series that I have never watched before, I obviously decided not to read anything about the original and to simply venture on this one with a fresh perspective. So my review will not be discussing how this came short or excelled its original, rather I will be discussing what I liked and did not like about it as a separate drama.
Story (8.5/10)
The story of a police officer who wakes up after an accident to find himself mysteriously 30 years in the past also as a police officer. The premise wholly depends on the constant questioning, of whether the lead is in a coma and what he’s experiencing is a kind of a dream/hallucination, or if he’s actually time-travelled to the past….or something else more ominous.
There is a main recurring case that offsets the story, we are introduced to it in 2018 and continues into the past, but the main drama follows a one-case-an-episode format for the most part. I have noticed some people did not appreciate that and would rather have had the main case in more focus rather than just popping up every now and then, but I personally found most of the cases rather interesting and were in my point of view a necessity as a catalyst for the main characters’ relationship development, without which the drama would have lost most of its meaning.
Another point I noticed people bothered with, was the suddenness of the time travel in the first episode. I agree to just a certain extent. I found The drastic and sudden swap, where the character just awakes in a moment to find himself transported to the past, was totally understandable, because it served in making the viewer as surprised and bewildered as much as the character itself. However I do believe that the first episode was somewhat lacking in paving the base of the story and more importantly introducing the main lead’s character. We are shown who he is as a police officer, but not as a human-being. When we get to explore his character further during the past arc, we are never quite sure if the traits he display (being mostly timid and depressed for example) are out of amazement and frustration at his current situation or just who he is. I would have appreciated if we could have had a more intensive glimpse of him and his life prior to the time-travel, not just the fragments that show that when it comes to his work he only believes in himself and the evidence and nothing else.
Of course, one cannot discuss this drama’s story without mentioning the ending! I would rather not discuss that in details out of fear of any spoilers, but I will just say that the ending here was an open one, and by open I don’t mean just pointing to a sequel (it most certainly keeps that option available) but rather than that the questions we are constantly having all through the drama along with the main lead are not clearly answered. The final two episodes helped in showing the viewer all the possible options to the answer and providing hints to support each, in other words, we are dealt several cards to pick the one out that suits our own interpretation.
As much as that type of endings seems cool and unique, I have to admit I never found them as my cup of tea. I would swallow a certain degree of ambiguity as to what happens next (a la Signal), but open as in “now you will never know for certain what that drama was all about” kind of way, felt a bit a pinch too much for my taste. The ending is one of the main reasons I score the story 8.5 and not higher, as I have said I am reviewing this drama separately from its original that I know had the same ending. (if you have watched and felt like you wanted a closure like I did, you can check the original series’ sequel “Ashes to Ashes”’s ending for a theory).
The Acting: (9.5/10)
Very strong performances from all the cast with no exceptions. In particular and as usual, another stellar performance by Jung Kyung Ho <3
Music (9/10)
Rewatch Value (9/10)
It was definitely a smartly written and exquisitely shot drama, interesting in terms of story and characters. I might give it a go again in the future.
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So.. do I recommend it? 10000% YES!!! What are you still doing here, reading this??? GO WATCH IT NOW!!!
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A highly recommended drama!
“The place you can live with a smile is your reality." – Doctor Jang, Life on Mars (2018)Just brief info about this drama, Life on Mars is based initially on a British series and is an adaptation.
Okay, so first of all, I can't believe how underrated this show is! Life on Mars is literally one of the best korean dramas I have seen in a while. Well, OCN is given to have really good thriller dramas but this easily tops as one of my faves along with Duel and Tunnel. If you are really into a slice of life and comedy along with suspense, crime, and thriller genre, this drama is for you!
What to expect upon watching this drama? (Note: This review contains NO SPOILERS!)
To be honest, I started watching this with no expectations at all. Maybe that's why it didn't interest me much after watching the first two episodes. But as I continue watching the show (one of the best decisions I have ever made!), I started liking it and ended up loving the drama so much beyond what I have expected. You will love the bond of the characters that they would make you feel like you belong to their world. You will laugh and cry with them along the journey and at the end of the drama, they will leave you with a lot of lessons about life.
So if you are looking for a sign to watch this drama, TAKE THIS AS A SIGN! Watch it now and thank me later! Don't miss out on something really good right in front of you. I hope this review helps!
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Nice location and crime story. Detective and ways to investigate is refreshing. Not a common romantic comedy movie.
Humor is evident, but it is the overall design of the main leads’ growth coinciding with the lessons they learned from the legal problems they handled.
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EternalSunshineOfTheSpot
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The plot is not shockingly original but it is really good.One be especially thankful for the lack of heavy melodrama,yes there are some heartbreaking moments but you won't hear crying and violins in the backround in every episode after mid season,like you would with other kdramas.Then there are the comedy parts which are iconic.There is especially one scene which is made with such a amazing editing,acting,music...that one cannot forget.Finally,there are the moments of confusion,they are so haunting the viewer can vividly feel the character's agony,much like in shows like Doctor Who,Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and Black mirror.and the music has a lot to do with that.
Last but not least,is the superb acting that makes all of this believable enough for the viewer to get absorbed in no time.I'm not going to lie,I had mixed feelings about Jung Kyung Ho when I was watching Missing 9,but his other works have completely changed my mind.And what can one say about Park Sung-woong,he is simply brilliant.
In other words...just watch it!I have watched a lot of tv shows so far and this is one of the best,not just korean best but in general.If you feel a little bored in the begining just wait the the character to go to 1988,this is where the fun begins ;)
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Very well made, but with a question mark…
I usually don’t like to write reviews because everyone has their own view point on things and everything is very subjective.But something that it was really weighing on my heart to mention here is, (though I loved how well made this drama was), that we need to be careful of what we are applauding for.
The storyline was great, but in the end it shows that if committing suicide will take you to your happy place, then that’s not an anthem I would want to partner with.
Suffering is a part of life which no one can avoid. Mental sickness is also something we don’t choose. But because suffering exists and we don’t feel alive in the reality that we are living in, doesn’t mean that it’s alright to escape it by committing suicide or any other kind of coping mechanism to take you to your own version of happy life.
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The main character gets hit by a car in the first episode. As a result, his mind gets a little messed up. He ends up time-traveling(???) back to 1988. Or was it time travel? I honestly don't really know. You'll have to watch and decide for yourself. Anyways, he ends up getting transferred to a police station in 1988. He ends up with a new team whom he solves different cases with. These cases are for the most part related to the events that happened in the first episode. Throughout the various cases, he begins to question his sanity. As he begins seeing hallucinations that suggest that the current time period he is not reality.
I really liked the way that the drama was told for the most part. It's still told like a k-drama, but we sort of get to see it in the lens of the main character's mind. I liked it because the drama told the story in a way which made me have an emotional connection with it. I was confused when the main character was confused. I felt anxious when he was anxious. Awkward when he felt awkward, and so on. It's just plain great storytelling when a drama is able to put you in the main character's shoe (Or in this case his mind lolol...).
Acting/Cast: [8/10] Personally I thought the acting was just okay. The focus of the story is on the main character's point of view. Everything is seen through his eyes and through his distorted reality. The focus is all on him, so it's sort of hard for anyone else to outshine him in terms of acting (or to have great chemistry with a female lead, there were "hints" of a love interest, but essentially no romance). The police team had nice chemistry, but I think that was more so because of the storytelling and not because of the acting.
Music: [8/10] This is the general/average music score I give to the music category. The drama gets a higher score usually if it's a music based drama or has a great OST. A 7 or 8 is usually average for me, anything lower usually means below average.
Rewatch Value: [8/10] I generally don't give a lot of dramas high rewatch values unless there's something special about the drama. This drama definitely had a very great plot. The investigation were intense, fast-paced, and complex. You didn't know what was going to happen and you didn't know what was real and what was fake. A lot of shows now a days has contrived twists and turns in dramas that seem fake or they are just there for the sake of having one twist at the end of each episode. This drama did a good job with keeping me on my toes trying to guess what was going to happen. I would definitely rewatch this again in the future if I hd time.
TLDR: This show had an amazing plot for an adaption of a previously made show. The acting/cast was okay. There were 2-3 actors that I've seen from other dramas. Otherwise nothing really special. The music was okay too. Overall, I definitely recommend you watch this show if you like crime/mystery dramas. The show currently has a 9.0 on MDL for a very good reason.
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Watch only if you think you can handle the "ending"
Aint gonna lie .... i totally HATED how it end ( escaping reality by COMMITING SUICiDE?) .... much less explain what was really going on in the first place..... is it the mind ? is it reality ? which is it ...... if its time travel stick to it .... don't mess with audience about ifs and what nots....I would have given this a 10 if REALITICALLY speaking .... common sense would tell you THAT it SHOULD end the way its should. i mean what was he at the end ? fact or fiction ? was it even explained ????
dont get me started about THAT phone call!!!!!! oh and only in Kdrama land where you can have brain surgery and STILL have a full set of hair post surgery .... HILARIOUS !! =) gotta love Kdramas!!!!
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A Hidden Gem !!!
I am an avid fan of thrillers who is always in search for good drama. I got recommendation in reddit and I decided to watch. OMG it's amazing, first 2 episodes was a little bit slow and confusing and then the drama picks up like a jet. Every episode was made like an art, the investigation part, the characters was all carefully written. It was a unique experience to watch a crime investigation taking place in 80's like when there is not much source to easily get information. Jung Kyung Ho and Park Sung Woong are both my favourite actors and as usual they have nailed their role. Their bromance was really good. And I liked the ending, At first I found it confusing but rewatching the episode again I found to be very unique and happy ending. Please watch this drama, it deserves a lot of love !!!Questa recensione ti è stata utile?
A Story Worth the 2 Remakes Across the World
This show proved itself to me as to why it was remade on both sides of the world from the original. It’s unfortunate that watching one will spoil the others, but the others may still be worth a watch.First of all, the cinematography is just striking. There were so many times where I paused just to admire the framing. They make a good use of perspectives and how they distort it to express the main character’s mental state. There’s a long take in episode 3 where the scene transitions from a stable insert shot to a handheld long take from the main character’s perspective as he literally starts losing balance. They use the camera to show so much of the character development and it’s all so eye-catching.
Most of the characters served as a reflection of the main character in the context of being in his subconsciousness. Nam Sik is the sense of innocence he lost as a child. He’s the youngest and often gets scolded for making mistakes. Tae Joo is never the one scolding him, though. In the end, he comforts him. On the other hand, Yong Ki is who he doesn’t want to be. In the 1st episode, we get a glimpse of who inspired Yong Ki from 2018. Tae Joo always stands up to Yong Ki and his efforts to do things the old fashioned way. Ms. Yoon is his passion for his work. The Captain is who he could be someday. One day, he will be the outdated guy, but he doesn’t have to be like Yong Ki. The captain may seem to do things the old fashioned way at first, but he surprisingly keeps an open mind to Tae Joo’s more progressive tactics.
Finally, it truly provoked my own introspection at the end. The line “the place where you can smile is your reality” hits so hard for an ending. The main character earned being told that line.
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