The Devil Judge (2021)

Ji Sung in a suit should be bottled as elixir

The Devil Judge is an intense character driven story that was let down by the plot and the melodramatic performance of Kim Min-Jung who played, Chairman Jeong, the main villain. Min-Jung's acting was just so bad I actually had secondhand embarrassment for her although one might also lay the blame at the feet of the writers.

I must say that the idea of a dystopian SK where the people vote on the guilt or innocence of the defendants was novel and the method with which the tension escalated was well-paced, however, there were too many instances where the story itself was redundant and lacking the emotional connection needed to make us sympathize with the other protagonists, namely Ga-On, Elijah, and Soo-Hyun, the stupid female cop who jumped to all sorts of conclusions without even attempting to investigate.

Overall, a great drama with a captivating male lead who owned the screen from the very first scene hence the ten stars.

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Explosive, cathartic, and thought provoking

Is the life of a murderer’s worth more than a victim’s?

If you find yourself brooding over this question, you will love this drama. Because this is just a taster of what the Devil Judge offers to the mind.

A rating of 10/10 isn’t enough to show how much I recommend it.

I initially clicked because of Ji Sung (as we do), but this gave me so much more that I anticipated. The drama ticked the boxes for a great plot, twists and acting. Even the soundtrack is wonderful to accent certain moments (Something Stronger is fire), and not to mention we got to witness a brilliantly written anti hero and female villain (which is rare). Every drama has its flaws, and the lack of development in some of the characters, particularly Kim Ga On and Yoon Soo Hyun, had become the sacrifice for top tier setting and subject.

Personally, I found that the thought provoking element ultimately makes The Devil Judge one of, if not, THE best drama I’ve seen in my years of drama indulging, and I haven’t felt like this in a long time. In an era where dramas and film are churned out like a machine, most of it doesn’t actually involve thinking anymore.

There are certain scenes that would be enough to snag DOTY alone (particularly Ep4), if not for the depth which this drama possesses. You’ll find yourself noticing the sublime details (such as the total number of trials), that shows a lot of care has gone into this.

Given the heavy parts, I have to commend the humour sprinkled in between. There are a lot of good quotes and heartbreaking, beautiful, hilarious, intense scenes that linger in your mind long after the ep is over, more than I can say here. Just to give some perspective, I’m not someone who gets emotional easily, but there were parts where my heart was physically in pain, and the sudden realizations are the ones hurt the most.

I hope this drama doesn’t get buried, because much of the philosophical questions raised couldn’t be more important today. After the final scene has ended, I still contemplated if there’s a line to be drawn when it comes to achieving justice. And…what is justice?

Paired with dark themes, undertones of hatred and compassion, room for interpretation, and silent expressions that spoke more than dialogue, it attempts to answer this question through an anti hero, all the while never providing a straight answer.

And in the end, even the title hits very differently from when you first started; for you, as the viewer, have already judged Kang Yo Han before the episode had even begun. It was bait that I was guilty of taking up until Ep2. Everything about TDJ is really quite remarkable, and shows how much kdramas have evolved.

If you’re hesitating, don’t miss out on this craft. This drama has one of THE best opening episodes I’ve ever witnessed, and it’s coming from someone who’s only seen 1 other work of Ji Sung’s in 2020 (Doctor John) so far. I like to think I’m unbiased, but the man is an acting master if I ever saw one, and this work only further emphasizes it. The entire cast was sensational in their performances, for I just about covered every possible aspect of the human emotion watching this.

From the very start, unbeknownst to the viewer, the Devil Judge asks us to put our full trust in KYH and his choices, eventually siding with him when no one else did (when that is, depends on you). Where I’ve once faltered in Ep 1, I now find it hard to let go of his character.

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stop whatever kdrama ur watching and watch this one right now.

if you have not watched the devil judge go ahead and buy urself a netflix subscription or watch it for FUCKING FREE ON VIKI>?????? this show is so good it shouldnt be for free. its so good you should be on your knees thanking whoever allowed it to be free cuz why does viki have these trash ass kdramas only available for premium viki members. watch it while you can because if its gone ........ youre gonna have to get a virus and watch it illegally. im not kidding. it is so unbelievably good this kdrama will have you spiraling and not knowing what to believe like bro i was in circles the male lead YOHAN had me in a daze like r u good bro. im not joking when i say this is one of the best kdramas out there you wont find a similar plot. if ur into dystopian crime lowkey thriller and suspense kdramas THIS IS YOUR SHOOOOW it is the best thing in the world. the plot is super unique and you will not regret watching at all in fact youll wish for a s2 even though thered be no point. thats how empty youll be once you finish it. youd wish you died and came back to life just to watch it for the first time again. oh and dont get spoiled cuz it does ruin the kdrama DUHH now go watch it rn or else .....

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THE DEVIL IS NOT WHO YOU THINK...

When the show was good it was really good but when it was bad it was really bad. The first 8 episodes are undoubtedly the strongest from the show. The first episode itself had enough political intrigue and theatrics to convince the viewer that watching this to the end was worth it.

PLOT - The plot was definitely enough to peak my interests and convince me to enter this dystopian world. Ironically enough most of the corruption that was displayed by the political figures and business men are happening in our world today. That made sinking into this setting all the more realistic.

CHARACTERS - I'll start with Ga On. He's my favorite character. Those side eyes bed give KHY TOOK ME OUT. Of course I still have my issues with him but I like the do-gooder passionate side that craves true justice. There were times however when he was too naive to the point of being obnoxious. It's like he's in this fantasy world where everyone has good intentions and no sinister motives and that was annoying to watch. He got so caught up in KYH's business that he failed to notice himself being used as a pawn in Sun Ah's plan. Jin Joo was so unbelievably oblivious it got stupid. Almost every scene with her was confusion. It was unclear to me if she actually wanted to be a judge or a pathway to being a celebrity. Towards the end she decided to work in the juvenile court but tbh I thought she cared more about the glitz and glamor of the court show. Jung Sun Ah was no doubt a dangerous individual and was alluring at first but I soon grew tired of her temptress tricks and that silly saccharine smirk she has plastered in her face every scene. What didn't make sense to me was when she broke down after finding out about the human subjects for the president's secret project. You literally killed people and showed no remorse but children is what makes you show emotion? Get out of here. I also get down with the fact that she based her entire life on the delusionaI notion of being with KYH one day. Given everything that she did up to ep 16 it didn't compute with me. I was so mad when she killed herself. It was such a cop out and I wanted the satisfaction of her living to see herself in ruins. The president's character was a bit overdone but we got the message. Elijah was cute and added the lighthearted humor the show needed at times. Watching her relationship with Ga On and KYH develop was sweet. Soohyun was good but imo her and Ga On were better as friends. Their relationship was rushed and they really made them kiss only to kill her off. I thoroughly enjoyed Minister Cha. I was sad she ended her life cause she was too good of a character. Minister Jungho was a plot twist I did not see coming and that really hurt me lol. The betrayal I tell u! And Finally Kang Yohan. I must say that his character was written so well. I think it was obvious at a certain point that he wasn't the devil everyone was making him out to be, but the unfolding process was well worth it. When the truth was revealed I was mind blown. The buildup was so artfully done and it all made sense. I don't watch Jisung much but his performance in this was great.

I will say the finale felt messy and rushed but they tied up most of the important subplots and left me satisfied with the finished product. Judt watch for the rollercoaster ride.

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Dynamic characters, satisfying plotlines

A fantastic mix of Taxi driver, self righteous court dramas, think titles like Witch at Court, Suspicious partner and Beyond Evil this was an amazing ride.

The female characters are some of the most well written in all of the kdramas I've watched so far. Jung sun ah is unparalleled in her range, and her story line, plot arc, and general wonderfulness made her the most ferocious female villain I've seen so far. Some may say that she played a character, but I personally think that her performance was the highlight of the show.

We all know that Ji sung did a great job as Judge Kang. I thoroughly enjoyed his story and arc as well, and his relationship with his niece Elijah.

This is a must watch. Highly recommended.
The plot was wrapped up satisfyingly, though I do feel like the last episode was very very jam packed.

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A great watch

Tbh, I really enjoy this drama from start to finish in the end. Yet another drama done amazingly by Ji sung, this man really is an amazing actor and he always leaves me amaze whenever I watch him. So, I would recommend just for people to see this man work his skills :) Also, Jinyoung, it was so nice to see him do a show like this, I feel like his acting skills have greatly improved and he too also left me in awe throughout, I'm so proud of him. With the story, although I sometimes found myself lost in the drama and everything happening in it, nearly everything was revealed and the ending left on a high. Although strangely I feel no closure, especially for Ga on and Yo Han. Questions like, what will Ga on do now? still linger with me as by the end this man is basically left with nothing, like actually nothing. While Yo Han is leaving to another country, Ga on Is left to try and help the law, I guess??? anyway I wish that was wrapped up a little better, but it is what it is, and I don't thing there'll be a season 2. anywayyysss overall it was pretty good !!!!

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Because of Ji Sung.....

I am a huge fan of Ji Sung after watching Dr John and Innocent Defendant. He is an intense actor and has never failed to bring his characters to life.

It took a while for me to adjust to this story because it is set in a dystopian society. But, overall, it proved entertaining enough.
Storyline of having a live court show is something not yet tackled in any Kdramas I have seen. Part of me liked the idea of having the citizens vote on the verdict of the criminal. However, this would never be welcome in reality.

The rest of the story was really nothing new. The gist was about government corruption, a problem which has long since been prevalent in any government around the world. It was just a manner of how they depicted the actions surrounding these corrupt individuals.

I would have wanted to see more interaction between Elijah and Yo Han though. While the few scenes showed how much Yo Han loved his niece, just felt that there could have been more. The actress portraying Elijah is very pretty and has potential to be a future lead. Hopefully, many would have noticed so that future projects will be upcoming for her

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Even The Devil Was Once An Angel

” If the devil really exists among us it would be the self-pity of the powerful “

After the 1 hour and 22 minute pilot episode named " A Monster Emerges in Turbulent Times " was over I knew I was in for something good, when the last scene of the episode starts and the song " Enemy of Truth " from the original soundtrack kicks in I got chills, what an episode and what a way to get the audience hooked.

But could something that started so strong keep up this steam for another 15 episodes? Both yes and no. I'd say that MAYBE one episode in the second half of the show was dragging a bit but overall the long runtime of each episode ( at least 60 minutes ) was used well and I always wanted more.
The cliffhangers made me press " Next Episode " faster than I could read the text saying " Next Episode "

The Devil Judge could be described as a courtroom drama but it is so much more, sure the scenes that are the live streamed court cases are great but the show quickly moves on the to bigger picture of it all, why does Yo Han want to live stream all these cases and what is his end goal?

This is one of those dramas in which the journey is equally as good as the destination. The small cases that appear along the way all lead up to something much bigger and when the credits are rolling ( After a 95 minute long final episode!! ) you will definitely feel satisfied.

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O juiz justiceiro

Não sei se gostei do final, manti muitas expectativas com o drama no começo, gostei bastante, me intrigou muito. Me surpreendi com a atuação do jin young, ele foi um espetáculo!!!!! Acho que um dos motivos pra eu desconfiar tanto do Yo Han era igual a Su hyeon, ele foi um vilão que ao mesmo tempo era bom e fez vingança de um modo diferente, comparando com outros dramas nesse estilo de vingança sempre temos um bonzinho que faz pelo meio certo e sempre dá tudo errado, ele escolheu o caminho mais errado o que gerou desconfiança mas ele queria fazer algo do bem e tinha a mesma cabeça do povo ruim. Ele fez história, um grande ator. Acho que Seon a foi uma vilã espetacular também, mas acho que senti falta de mais profundidade na história dela e a morte também.... Gyu young como a su hyeon te amo!!! Quero mais ela em dramas de ação por favor.
Bonito foi ver o ga on até o fim defendendo o Yo Han, ele sentia que ele não era assim tão ruim. Enfim, foi um drama muito bom mas eu já tava ficando de saco cheio nos últimos 6 episódios, não tava mais conseguindo me prender, principalmente com a morta da Su hyeon que eu já achava que fosse acontecer e era minha personagem favorita.

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