The Devil Judge (2021)

A Good Start, with Great Possibility for Success, Alongside chances of Falling off the Rail.

This is my Initial review of the show, which I will update with passage of important episodes or at the very end of the show, As, I believe it's important to update the review and the score if a show becomes better/worse compared to the start so that the rating doesn't get overinflated or goes down unfairly simply due to having a great start or due to sheer Star power or the lack thereof.

To start with the review, I will first go ahead and compare this show with "Beyond Evil", the super hit psychological crime thriller drama of 2021. Don't misunderstand, the two shows are very different. One has pretty much nothing to do with the other. What I am talking about is the initial confusion and ambiguity of the important characters, what's going on with them? What are they doing, and why? What's the end game? What's driving the main lead? One thing that was done Extremely well in case of "Beyond Evil" is that nobody could understand what was going on in the first 4-5 episodes. It wasn't anything close to black and white, like you know who the bad guy is, who the good guy is, who is the killer, we knew pretty much nothing. It was a Crazy Unpredictable show in the beginning, then felt like it was going normally, then it became very unpredictable again. The Devil Judge seems to have started that way, and we can't be sure as to what to expect. Although it's not as Dark as "Beyond Evil", as there are characters who you can Easily say aren't really on the side of the Devil, and are trying to simply realize their ideals in a world of Injustice. Let's see how long do the writers decide to maintain the aura of mystery and unpredictability, as it's been just two episodes.

To be honest, a Dystopian Dark Crime Thriller is supposed to start that way, and over time this show can get better. The motivation behind some of the characters to pursue what they are pursuing, isn't really clear, and that's what makes it fun and intriguing. However, shows like this happen to walk on thin line. It's fairly easy to lose direction and cause massive failure in storyline, making it too unbelievable, too much to swallow and basically making it just too much to give it a free pass to. We will have to see about that as the show progresses.

The Cast is very good, with Ji Sung as the main character. Happy to see Park Jin Young getting a major role after his good performance is "He is Psychometric". I am not really gonna delve more into the cast, as I think in "Kdrama Review World", there is just too much emphasis on the cast and their """Visuals"""", something that I feel cringed by to be honest. I prefer to give ratings and reviews based on acting itself, whoever the cast is. So far, the acting has been very good by both the Main Lead and other main characters. The supporting cast has also done a good job, taking their part in keeping the aura of mystery alive.

Because this is a Dystopian thriller, there are some elements that you will have to accept as truth from the start. Like, why do everybody trust the Judge? How can somebody gain so much trust and acceptance from not just the political leaders, businessmen and media giants, but also the people itself? What has he done to gain so much trust? And how it that even possible in a digital world? Can anyone be that faultless in their job?? These are the things that you have to accept as facts, because in a dystopian alternate society, things won't always go the way things go in real life. In real life, a judge don't go shooting a rifle with incredible accuracy to a moving, crashing bus, that too in front of police squad. However, in dystopian reality, that can happen, as the society there can be pretty different in and of itself. Also, that's how many Dystopian western shows have done it for decades, so you can call this kind of exaggeration an element of the genre itself.

The music is actually Very Good, the violin notes are quite amazing. It does well to build up tension. The music actually does justice to the environment of the show, and that's what I like about it so far.

Although, the CGI and Animation could have been better, it looked very sloppy to be honest. Didn't feel the impact of some of the scenes due to that.

That's going to be my review for now. Let's see how it goes.

Edit: So far so good, the show is developing into a pretty impactful drama. I feel like there are some issues that will be made clear in the future. I am keeping the ratings the way they have been for now, I am well above halfway. Hopefully they finish well, when they finish, I will update again.

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inconsistent + poor writing

as expected from Ji Sung, his acting never disappoint, top notch. Kim Min Jeong is also amazing and showed the same level acting as Ji Sung. The interaction between their character really captivating. The concept of the story is actually intriguing with a good dose of mystery and suspense added in it. Unfortunately not executed very well by the writer. The writing of the character is inconsistent. Especially the character Ga On, who supposed to be a smart capable judge. Why the writer decide to write Ga On character as a fool? He is a judge, how can a judge make assumptions and bluntly believe a hearsay (from the crazy secretary that he doesn't even know well) without any evidence or thorough investigation? The writing is not intended to make a good story. Clearly the intention is to stir up as much emotion from the audience and make money. To me, it's watchable only because of Ji Sung & Kim Min Jeong acting. I'll just skip other scenes

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Got me hooked straight away

This drama surprised me so much, I haven't really ventured into crime and legal kdramas and I initially started this since it looked interesting and I was looking forward to seeing Jinyoung act again after He Is Psychometric (which btw i also rlly recommend it was greaaatttt). And straight from the first episode, i was already invested in the storyline and the characters: each character has such a complex personality and nothing seems like how it's shown. You learn more about each character as the episodes progress and even though its only been 4 episodes, you can tell the drama has huge potential to hit big. The dynamic between Kang Yo Han and Kim Gaon is everchanging and leaves you wondering whether they will be friends or foes. One of the drama's catchphrases is "Is he an angel? Or a devil?" regarding Yo Han and the drama really does make you obsess on that question every episode and that's what I love about it. The OSTs honestly fit the mood so well and it just brings it all together. The acting so far has been top-notch and Jinyoung is doing an amazing job as Gaon so that's a yes from me lol
If you're hesitating to start this, i wld say to watch it its amazing

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Can't wait for the next episode!!!

Well crafted episodes made to drop cliffhangers and leave us wanting more yet satisfying in the rollercoaster ride it takes us on when it comes to the story. The conflicting characters and chemistry between Jinyoung and Jisung is just... Wow. Can't wait.

The female leads adding a dynamic alongside the mysterious backstory is definitely something to be noted. The good guy- bad guy combo wins us over for sure.
Also, can we please talk about the star cast? All of them shining like diamonds over the awesome plot... It's a dream come true and I wish to see more from our GOT7 Jinyoung.

The only complain: Why isn't the next episode up yettttt?!

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Once you watch to episode 1, you will wait for another video.

Drama ini punya cerita dan alur yang sangat menarik. Pembawaan aktor dan aktris yang natural membuat drama ini lebih hidup dan bernyawa. Setiap background musik yang muncul membuat setiap adegan menjadi lebih serius dan menegangkan. Bumbu romance, thriller, dan drama yang pas membuat The Devil Judge pantas untuk dinantikan setiap episode nya. Selain itu, setiap episode membawa cerita dan masalah nya sendiri, yang membuat penonton semakin tertarik mengikuti drama ini hingga akhir. Angle shoot kamera untuk setiap adegan penting, pencahayaan, latar belakang suasana dan tempat, yang tepat membuat setiap adegan penting menjadi lebih nyata terasa dan menarik hati penonton.

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all rounded , it makes you feel empty after completing !

the writers know what they're doing !
this was "for me " a struggle between the good and the most benevolent in a manipulative world .
it starts as a Typical show off Korean style at first episode i mean what are the forces doing if civilians are going to shoot fire and save people could've been courageous in an other way dear writers or is for gaon to fall for yohan it must be at least this imaginary.
Some scenes are made in an artistic way Very beautifully "intentionally" you think you're looking at a master piece and it provokes something inside you that you might as well review your way of thinking the relationship between gaon an yohan is pretty and well written jisung is phenomenal but i wish side judges had more role in the rulings /verdicts i like how kim yohan is more calm and collected than the other Characters and how he is on a whole other level of cognition and perception of the world
On an other hand the music is superb
at the live court show the attire of the judges making yohan look Like a god and the side judges look like little devils beside him

those guys of social responsibility Never cease to make me feel sick such a Hippocratic punch they have succeeded their job .
my favorite scenes :
-when yohan was preparing for his first trial looking at his god like attire wearing the cross on his hand
-when gaon found out the truth about the con artist who caused his parents death wasn't even in prison with a shook face and the word morality was written in large font on the wall behind him (thanks translators) Very artistic ,
i would only re-watch this to catch those artistic details
-the yawning scene while gaon is looking
- all the family like scenes when they are each other comfort
the actress playing jung sun ah is such a queen
episode 15 ending was such a tearjerker
also did i say the music i shall repeat the music so many dramas lack this so fit for the emotions conveyed
definitely worth watching and re-watching !

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Intense drama

Without giving away too much of the plot;

Ji Sung is THE Superstar Devil Judge, the lone revenger, who recruits a protege, to help him take out the elite, narcissistic villains who control the dystopian society of Korea. There was filler material and a ton of unnecessary flashbacks to clutter the viewers’ concentration. Editing Department went out of control.

Acting:
Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung showed their seniority and acting caliber. The other actors gave either basic or over the top performances. President Park must have escaped from the asylum for lunatics. Give that man a straight jacket.

Fashions:
Men’s fashions were on point, Women’s fashions were average (…Cha Kyung Hee) or outlandish (…Jung Sun Ah).

Story:
The plot was hindered by the flashbacks, flashbacking and choppy editing. Storyboard was all over the place. The church fire reveal was underwhelming. The writer should have pinned it on Jung Sun Ah instead.

Editing:
Too many repetitive flashbacks and choppy editing! Viewers cannot focus when they see past and present juggled in front of them.

Music:
Average

Conclusion:
Rushed, but gratifying

What I read into the final scene, is that Judge Kang has gone off the radar, to complete his revenging mission. Cue to Season 2.

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