So...I'm a fan of just about everything Studio Dragon is involved in. I went into this show expecting to like it and specifically selected it because of Studio Dragon's involvement. It's definitely not the sort of drama most Kdrama fans would be expecting. The themes are dark, the morality structure is dark, the ending is unsettling, and there's a complete lack of romance. These people didn't come to give you a heartwarming tale of overcoming adversity or some deeper social/political message....these people are really only here to put themselves on display in all their imperfections and let you watch them exist in that dark world of their own consequence. This is not good vs evil, this is evil vs evil. And this dark horrible drama is absolutely in my Top 10 all time favorites list.

I know that's a bit obtuse of a description for a review. I absolutely enjoyed the shit out of this drama, but it's important to understand the plot is fairly dense and the themes are fairly dark and there is no clear division of right vs wrong. There's no comfort, there's only unease in a bleak gray world of despair. It's the sort of story you might more traditionally find in Japanese horror dramas where things do not get resolved perfectly and life is not forgiving and you make tons of mistakes and there are no redemption arcs to save you. It is an incredibly deep and intelligent plot, and worth watching if you can withstand the unethical immoral behavior of the lead characters.

Essentially it's a drama about revenge murder. Your heroes have made the choice to abandon right and wrong and think only of themselves and operate in a world where their hatred and revenge consumes them. The settings and sets all feed into that same level of disorganized, hopeless depression. The lead female actress does an exceptional job carrying the burden and weight of her character's state of mind in every movement, facial expression, and line delivery. Her portrayal of the lead character is so thoughtfully executed that you do not for a single moment believe she could possibly have ever been happy or light hearted. The choices she makes are wrong and she knows they are wrong and she makes them anyhow.

The child lead is also exceptionally well acted. She is evil to her core by nature, she doesn't try to be good or make morally appropriate choices, she lives only to get revenge on her mother's killer. She uses every device, manipulates every person, does every evil thing she needs to do to achieve her goal. The grown-ass adult actress that plays this child does such an exceptional job expressing a child's single minded unwavering rage and conviction.

These two characters find a tenuous comfort and camaraderie in each other's shared dark view of the very dark world they inhabit. They have almost immediate trust and understanding. They don't need to explain themselves to each other, they don't try to save each other's souls, they simply hold hands as they walk along a poorly lit path toward certain unavoidable doom. I appreciated every moment of their interaction together. They empathize with each other with zero judgement and zero expectation.

I would watch this drama again because it's so intensely intelligently written, but I don't know if I can withstand the gore for another viewing. If they come out with a second season I will watch it ravenously and without reservation.

Side Note: I had to watch it on Dramacool because I couldn't find it anyhwere else....I hate watching shows on Dramacool.