Life on Mars (2018)

well this drama i guess was really different
it is satisfying in a weird way
you kinda get all confused in the end but you still are like it is good coz the main lead gives a big smile in the last scenes
the criminal cases are interesting they hv a good mystery but not mind blowing ones in sherlock holmes (sherlock is a whole different level)
this drama is not only about cases it also shows us how the main lead starts to warm up to those around him and he finally is able to feel happiness . the character grows a lot within the drama and it is so natural u almost don't notice the change until main leads mom and fiance points out

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What would you do if you lost your heart far away from home?

Life on Mars is one of the most well-written and highly satisfying dramas I've ever watched. It was an excellent concoction of mystery, suspense, thrill, romance, bromance, friendships and life.

Han Tae Joo, a forensic detective, is a stickler for rules. His unflinching adherence to the law and cold demeanour had earned him praise among his colleagues. But, when a serial killer is set free after failing to provide relevant evidence, Tae Joo's life takes a turn. What's more? The killer, Kim Min Seok claims to have known him. While on a chase for him, Han Tae Joo is shot at and hit by a car. Waking up, he finds himself transported back to the year 1988… in a small police station and Inguk.
Having to make do with the very little technological advancement and rather crude methods of his new Captain and his colleagues, Han Tae Joo struggles to wake up from his dream… or is it all just a dream?

Han Tae Joo is one curious character. At first sight, he was as interesting as a cardboard with little to no reaction during several crucial moments. It is after he is hurled into 1988 that we get to see him alive and living his life to the fullest. His character growth and choices are the major turning points of this drama, which vaguely reminded me of Signal (2016). It is evident from the initial episodes that he is stuck in a state of coma from which he is unable to get up. Whether he would pull himself up from it or whether he'd 'die solving old cases' was an important question that hovered over the viewers mind.

Seeing the blossoming friendship between Captain Kang, Nom Shik, Young Pil, and Yoon Na Young was heartwarming. The pacing was just right enough for me to find their growth natural and realistic.

The cases were surprisingly interlinked with the past and the future. I have to give it to the Violent Crime unit for solving it with intuition and skills. The 'domestic' approach to investigations was a wake-up call for Han Tae Joo and I loved watching him stumble. (He is, like everyone, a flawed character.)

By the end of certain episodes, I wished that he did not have to go back to 2018. The present, unfortunately, seemed procedural and artificial.
The Sci-Fi aspect is not strong and I understood why several questions remained unanswered. I for one, found the rather bleak ending highly satisfying.

Sometimes it's worth feeling with our whole heart. And I'm sure that Inguk Police Station Violent Crimes Unit agrees with me too.

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Crime solving goodness with wonderful characters!

I've never watched the original version of this show so purely based on this kdrama I think it's amazing! The different mysteries are interesting and enaging but what really makes this drama worthwhile is the characters. The way the characters develop and their friendship grows is really satisfying and fun to watch. The only two problems I have is that I think there could have been just a tiny bit more romance with Mrs.Yoon and the end of the drama feels like it is setting up for a season 2 and therefore it leaves some unanswered questions. I feel doubtful that there ever will be a season 2 so i don't think it should have ended like that but regardless I really enjoyed the final episode despite some plotholes.

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Solid

I'm not a fan of the writing style that pushes the viewers too hard to interpret and speculate. You're expected to accept whatever is present to you. If writers were to do so, they need a better structure and understanding of world building. Take for example the British series Utopia, it does it brilliantly.

The director must really love the Dolly zoom, although it looked good but I wish there was more visual variations even at the cost of it being experimental. You are already pushing your skill ceiling in all departments so why not shoot for the moon?

Anyway, it's a solid watch and will probably appeal to everyone.

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I have a really high expectation for the drama because it received so many great reviews. it doesn't disappoint me but it didn't quite fulfil my expectation as well. pros first, since this is a police investigation drama, the cases must be interesting, and it did. the cases were good and keep me guessing what will happen next. the acting were amazing, every cast did a really great job in acting their roles. the romance were subtle which is good, because i feel like if there's more than this it will feel kinda awkward. okay the cons, the time travel wasn't stressed enough, i feel like the present wasn't talk about enough. the whole, is this a reality or a dream, means the present wasn't supposed to be completely cut off but they did. the chemistry between the team is really important but i can't feel it here, and the bromance was meh as well. the storyline kinda feels draggy in the middle. all in all, it was a decent drama for me

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kebahagiaan yang sebenarnya?

alur ceritanya menurutku menarik banget, awalnya aku ngerasa kok boring banget ya tapi pas udah ke masa lalu tiba-tiba jadi KOK SERU BANGET?

pertama, taejoo kayaknya kurang darah karena lemes terus, jarang makan dan ansos. tapi kalau aku di posisi taejoo kayaknya aku juga bakal begitu, bahkan gak akan bisa mikir apa-apa, bayangin aja baru dibunuh tiba-tiba ada di masa lalu dan dapet rekan kerja yang ngeselin.

sifat dongcheol sama yongki di awal tuh ngeselin banget, apa apa pake otot, bahkan aku mikir gak pantes deh mereka jadi polisi terutama yongki soalnya dia juga sering ngerendahin nayoung. di masa lalu ternyata parah banget misoginis sama patriarkinya.

hal yang aku bingung kenapa taejoo yang berusaha keras buat balik ke masa depan lagi malah nyerah di masa depan dan milih kembali ke masa lalu? mungkin dia nyaman sama lingkungan dia masa lalu, tapi apa dia gak sayang sama keluarganya yang selalu ngasih dia semangat selama koma? padahal dia udah berhasil nangkep pelaku aslinya di masa depan. sedangkan di masa lalu pun dia selalu denial kalau dia suka sama lingkungan di masa lalu.

but ya udah mungkin menurut taejoo pas di masa depan dia udah gak ada rasa karena terbiasa jadi taejoo di masa lalu, mungkin emang dalam hati kecilnya, dia nemuin kebahagiaan yang gak dia temuin di masa depan. bahkan meski dia gak harus bareng sama keluarga dan orang tersayangnya dari masa depan.

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It's a journey

Having watched Signal before this, I can’t help but compare.

Both are different in a sense. Signal had more impactful flashbacks and every case was linked together but Life of Mars was more a journey, you’ll not only fall more in love with the characters’ personalities, but watching each of them grow for the better is so heartwarming. The climax builds up until the very end. It’s more lighthearted with sprinkles of humour and simpler cases. You just hope the team stays together. The ending is kinda sad, it depends on how you interpret it.

The only reason I wouldn't rewatch it because I've already watched the ending and it wouldn't be as good as the first time.

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Please don’t hesitate to watch this.

Okay where do I start. I don’t have the talent to write reviews but I’ve always found them helpful so I’ll write one for y’all. Let’s start I guess?

(Disclaimer: I haven’t watched the original series so I can’t compare the remake value :)

Everything. Everything about this drama was perfect. I didn’t have very high expectations but this drama was beyond anything I could have expected. IT MADE SENSE, which is a BIG achievement considering the drama somewhat dealt with space and time continuum.

I’ve watched a handful of dramas that messed around with the past and future, and everytime I end up feeling a bit disappointed with the drama. Dramas like signal and kairos have gotten an 8/10 from me, but the fact that the drama basically existed on a belief or like the main character just being special enough to get a miracle, kind of ticked me off ngl. But I couldn’t complain since that literally was the entire plot. And that is exactly what I expected from this. That a detective trying to solve an on going serial murder case and then magically transporting back in time to solve the case before the a dozen of other people get killed. Ya know fixing the problem at its source. But no. It wasn’t like that. The plot almost had no holes, why stuff happened made sense. (I’m really trying so hard not to spoil.)

Now for the cast. The entire cast was just amazing? The way the executed the plot ooof. I was blown away by the child actor (who I guess was 6 at the time) the way he didn’t seem even the slightest bit awkward and how emotions felt and looked so real. Istg. He was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I guess out of all the other child actors I’ve seen so far, he’s got to be one of my favourite.

From the main cast, I already knew and loved two. One of course being the reason why I watched the drama in the first place; the new love of my life (lmao) — Jung Kyung Ho. Honestly am I the only one that feels he’s underrated? Like how is it that only this year, I’ve learned about him when I’ve been watching kdramas since late 2014? But anywho after watching prison playbook, I wanted to go on a jkh marathon, I guess this is the start. Hospital playlist has been on my watchlist since forever, now I got three reasons to watch that (Jung kyung ho, Jo Jung Suk and Yoo Yeon seok.)

Other than him I knew Park Sung Woong, I don’t remember all his projects that I’ve watched but I remember that I loved his role in “the smile has left your eye.”(8/10) So I knew he’s a really good actor and I guess action dramas really is his shit. I just know that Captain Kang will forever stay in my heart. He really does make you feel so attached. The bromance between him and pretty much everyone else was beautiful.

(Ooof. I just realised that they both are in another drama together. It doesn’t have high ratings but eeek. I’m still going to build up high expectations. )

Lastly hmmm. Production and set. So pretty. I’ve always loved watching or seeing things from the 80s/90s so this drama really was the treat. I think the only other drama where I’ve seen such a plot was Melting me softly (8.5/10)

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a promising premise wrapped in brutality

this show would be great if it weren't for the egregious and unrepentant police brutality. half of the cast is the one doling out the violence, and the other half happily defends the violence and remains friends with the perpetrators.

you might, like me, hope that they will learn through taejoo that violence is not the answer, that they are violating people's human rights, and doing way more harm than good. this seems to be the obvious arc from the first episode, as taejoo is introduced as a whistleblower for police violence/incompetence, and won't let someone go to prison with tampered-with/false evidence. that is an extremely likeable character. and yet, instead taejoo learns that sometimes, beating people into confessing (a method that does not work, there's a reason you cannot use confessions gained from torture) and creating false evidence is necessary. even the most reprehensible character, the asshole cop who's name i can't even remember because i hated him so much, who perpetuates rape culture, wouldn't help a woman being stalked if the others hadn't forced him, and nearly kills a man from "interrogating him" is one we are supposed to see as "the good guy". he's supposed to be a likeable rapscallion because at least he gets the job done. this is not background violence, or an uncritical portrayal of the police - when given the option of how to portray this violence, they explicitly defend it and double down on it each and every time.

because i have a brain, i can watch a drama that has cops beating people up, or intentionally disregarding proper procedure; most cop dramas (even asian dramas) contain these things, it's part and parcel of being a cop drama and being copaganda. it's in the cops' best interest for you to think that them having to do things legally is impeding "justice". but in those dramas i can think critically and understand that that is wrong, and not root for those characters, and most of the time it isn't the point of the drama. in fact, cop dramas are one of my favourite genres. i loved signal, and hoped this show would be similar!

but even thinking critically with this drama, and acknowledging the biases it is predisposed to have, i cannot defend it nor enjoy it. having watched all the episodes, none of which were aided by the egregious (and often-times comical) violence done by the police in every single episode, there's no conclusion to come to other than that this is the message we are intended to come away with - police have to beat people, and fake evidence, and torture people, because otherwise 'bad people' would be on the streets. bad people hurt people and deserve to be in prison no matter what it takes, and their human rights get in the way of that. but when a cop hurts someone, it's good, because they're a cop, and the bad people need to end up in prison.

i could talk about how i liked the characters, and the acting, but there's no character on earth that would let me look past such horrible violence and messaging, and i don't think this show really deserves the praise.

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