Memorable but...

This is a review based on a second attempt to re-watch the series as I recall having watched this many years ago. It is a memorable series because as the characters come to screen, they were all still very recognizable despite how long it has been. This is not something that can be said about many other ones I've seen.

Positives:
- The plot itself is relative interesting with good twists.
- There are some very likeable and fun characters where the supporting actors/actresses play their roles well.
- The comradery was rushed but still good with a nice layer of humorous interactions.
- There were pockets of good action scenes.

Negatives:
- The two main roles, Chen Chang Sheng and Xu You Rong, were just really dull. No chemistry with their romance which the series played on heavily and both barely had a different expression throughout the entire 52 episodes. The supporting roles really were the ones who carried them.
- Chen Chang Sheng is supposed to be this righteous victim of circumstances but there are areas where he just comes off as a hypocritical narcissist.
- While the overall plot itself was good, too many scenes felt very repetitive and much too drawn out. Skip large sections at a time and you wouldn't be missing much. To top it off, the scenes where they should have spent more time to bring more depth to the characters, were brushed over too quickly.
- The fantasy visuals and hand gestures were amateur and sometimes cringe but not over my personal threshold of lenience.

I feel slightly conflicted with the scoring because there were some very positive areas that keeps you interested as you anticipate what's to come next. But the flow was done poorly midway through and the main protagonists themselves were either given poor direction/dialogue or needs improvement with their acting abilities. It's a shame because the story itself had good potential.

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Better Than Expected

I initially expected to see an overbearing and annoying mother who hovered heavily over her spoiled children and was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case. While the overall palace politics wasn't very unique, the dynamics between the royal family was heart-warming and fun. The switch between the Queen hilariously running around hectically trying to manage her duties and turning somber and hardened when necessary was done really well. Her sons also had great chemistry with one another with the major focus on the crown princes.

What does really make this series unique is how they tried to implement different facets of issues with women's rights, which is normally not highlighted particularly in historical drama. And while the Queen is typically a powerful figure, she wasn't portrayed as consistently having to bow to her King or being overly manipulative in order to get what she wants. While manipulation is still naturally rampant, the main relationships are relatively straight-forward with one another and it's also quite refreshing. The best part is nothing was too overly dramatized as with many historical dramas- no drawn out sappy romance scenes and no repetitive and incessant political conversations.

There were a few tearjerker moments but the general overall feel you get from completing the series is cozy. My only two nits is that because the dialogue is spoken pretty slowly at times, I did apply mini-skips to move it along just a tad. And some areas were also a bit overly idealistic but nothing that takes away. Overall, this was one I couldn't help but to binge on with many hours of sacrificed sleep.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Surprisingly Enjoyable

The summary on the site for this series doesn't do it enough justice. There really isn't anything negative to point out: the actors were charismatic, the story flow was done well, the action scenes were good, and nothing was under or overdone.

There are multiple mysteries involved that are relatively standalone (where it isn't being forced into being related to the overall plot). Because of this, I never felt the need to time-skip at all for the entire 36 episodes. The mysteries are interesting with some dark undertones and an added touch of the supernatural. The comradery between the main crew is warm and fun which helps create a balance. An added bonus is that any romance mentioned is relatively minimal and doesn't have any overwhelming scenes as many other series.

For those who enjoy watching supernatural elements along with case solving as I do, this one is highly recommended. I'm looking forward to season two.

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Refreshingly Entertaining

After having seen so many series that follow the recipe of non-stop betrayals, it was quite refreshing to see a solid comradery play out. It was also just as refreshing to see subtle human touches being added to relationships between the mains and the supports. The pacing of the plot was nice and steady, without any overly dramatized cliffhangers or extremely long periods of nothingness. Although there's obvious non-realistic aspects to the autopsies which is one of the main highlights to the theme, it was done well enough to not deter. The other positive is although there was some romance, it wasn't overdone.

The only two qualms I had was that the role of the female coroner was lackluster. I haven't seen the actress enough to know if it's her acting or if it was just how the role was intended. And while the overall actors did a great job, there isn't much character development throughout the series. However, everyone stayed true to character and it was an enjoyable series with an ending that felt both slightly abrupt yet fitting. I look forward to how they plan to expand the story in the sequel.

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Good but not stimulating

This series is a bit difficult to describe because the acting and character chemistry were pretty good. The plot (with exception of the ending) flowed relatively well. But for a 29-episode series, it was lacking that "entertaining" factor and the entire series felt like it was playing to a single note. The drama wasn't dramatized enough and the humor wasn't humorous enough. The cases and mysteries that revolve solely around the protagonists were interesting in the beginning but started to falter when they began to poorly insert new characters. And the ending is really where it begins to crack because there wasn't great character development for the aforementioned new characters and some existing ones. They made attempts to do so with some flashbacks but unsuccessfully. However, as with other average series, this one was still entertaining enough to complete with some time skips. Not much actions scenes and no romance (which I usually prefer).

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As Sequels Do Often

Foremost, I appreciate how the sequel picks up right at the ending of it predecessor. If you enjoyed the first movie, this one is definitely worth the watch as it covers a significant portion of the guardians' past lives. Unfortunately it lacks the same charisma (potentially due to losing Cha Tae Hyun as a main) and the characters all get a bit cornier. Outside of the guardians' backgrounds, the blanketing plot around the grandfather and kid is pretty dull and the lackluster acting for the roles enhance this. The actions scenes however have improved a tad and the animation work feels even better this time around.

Most sites I've used to stream the movie has the same horrible subtitles. It left me guessing incorrectly on what was going on and twenty minutes in, I would have unfairly given the movie a significantly lower rating. Make sure you find one with subtitles that actually make sense (personally went with Viki).

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Unexpectedly Entertaining

When giving series/movie a first watch, I don't really dive into who the actors/actresses are. So seeing Cha Tae Hyun as a main was a nice surprise. He has the perfect expressions for comedy-dramas, my favorite blend of genres.

The movie doesn't have the most complex or intricate plot but it has enough of an unpredictable essence that will keep you on your toes. Why was it unexpectedly entertaining? Because I do have a slight bias toward movies that lean too far into animated work as they tend to be poorly implemented and have even poorer dialogues. If you can stomach a few less than average actions scenes, this one was actually done pretty well. And although Cha Tae Hyun's story is a pretty basic tearjerker, it is one of those that will still jerk those tears. So if you looking for an easy watch with likeable characters that will also have you laughing out loud, definitely recommend. I'm looking forward to watching the sequel.

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Dropped It Once

The first time I tried watching this many months ago, dropped it relatively quickly after a couple of episodes. Mostly because at the time, I was looking for a series with actual substance. However, this is a perfect series if you enjoy the "mystical" genre and need something very casual to watch (i.e. don't care if you miss out on a conversation or two).

The plot is simple/predictable, and that has its own entertainment factor, especially when the actors are still charismatic. Just go in without any expectations of a tightly-knit execution of a story. This is one where characters just drop in because it is convenient for the plot to progress. The fantasy/action visuals also have the low-budget feel but it does kind of tie into the series' overall comical theme.

Overall, it can still satisfy those days when you just want a couple of laughs, don't want to get in too heavy, and still catch a bit of feel-good moments.

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After recent attempts to find a good crime series (that hasn't already been seen), finally came across this one that was enjoyable from beginning to the end.

This is one where in addition to your fantastic mains, all of the other actors also did a great job with their roles so it didn't feel like anyone was pulling any heavy weight for the rest. The plot maintained enough suspense to keep the momentum going and the pacing worked well. Unlike many others in its genre, there wasn't any glaring or obvious issues with how the crimes scenes were managed and it doesn't rely on excess dramatization to keep it interesting. Although some actions/reactions didn't always seem to fit the characters, it's easy to overlook because we in the real world aren't always rational.

The minor disconnect I had was they tried to interweave too many players into the underlying plot without providing enough background/focus on some of them. They gave just enough for you to see the connections but not enough for you to really feel them, if that makes sense. Because of this, it can slightly feel as if the plot drags on for just a bit at times. Nevertheless, the character developments were done well and the dynamic between Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo in itself makes it worthwhile to check out.

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This one is difficult to describe because on the one hand, the suspense of the series was well laid out until it neared the end but it was also littered with plot holes. But despite the plot holes, it mostly flowed better than most with exception of the weak ending. I really wish they zoned in on some necessary areas that would have given it more depth:

- It makes total sense for Kim Dan to mourn her Kim Ho Ki but really odd that she never mourned her real mother, not even when she was little. And no, the memory loss later doesn't justify this.
- They never provided any background on the children who were tortured and ended up as murderers, or even much about their interactions with each other. Sometimes it seemed they knew of one another and other times they didn't? How did the rest of the children end up where they did after the major event?
- The whole future vision aspect also didn't make much sense and there's only so much that can be interpreted if there's too many inconsistencies.

Having jumped into this one with just the brief plot summary, thought this one would be more episodic but it all revolves around peeling back layers from a past event. The comedic scenes were actual quite fun but it was awkwardly placed, and it sometimes took away what should have been more serious for the characters. However, what was great about this one was the actors and supporting actors. They managed to pull it together despite the flaws and poorly scripted character developments. And I really, really hope to see Kang Ji Hwan and Shim Hee Sub together again in better written/directed series. Both of them already bring their own charm individually, but they also have great on-screen chemistry. These guys deserve more spotlight in this arena and the higher score is mainly due to them.

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