So I took some time to actually watch this series. I kept getting youtube videos on my page but sort of pushed it aside. Then I could no longer resist the pull of Ji Sung. My lord that man!!! I also love Kim Min Jung who gave a stellar performance as usual. The cherry on the top was, of course, Park Jin Young, whom I had never had the pleasure of watching before. Commendable young actor.
The acting, the acting, the acting!
Awesome performances by the entire cast, to be honest. It is one of the few series I have watched where all of the actors do such an amazing job. Truly remarkable. The entire series is gripping and has you on the edge of your seat because of the acting. The male lead characters were phenomenal in every way. Ji Sung was breathtaking in his role, I can tell you what else was breathtaking in him but then that would be a spoiler :) Park Jin Young followed Ji Sung's lead step by step. Neither one of them tried to outdo the other, when one was leading the other generously stood aside. I thought the manner in which their relationship developed was brilliantly written. I enjoyed every moment of their scenes together. Kim Min Jung also delivered her performance as the devil incarnate with impeccable grace. She was flawless. Even the despicable president was excellent. For me, every episode brought with it outstanding acting.
The plot:
I enjoyed the storyline. It was familiar but with a twist. I am relatively new to the South Korean drama scene but have almost only been watching Korean since last September and in this series, what particularly marked me was the ruthless, brutal honesty in how the writers depict the wretched world of the powerful; how manipulative they are, hungry for money, neglectful of the people they are meant to serve. It also makes the audience think about what true democracy actually means if it actually existed, that is. What is a democratic process? The judge faces us with choices that are difficult to make and we are left wondering what would we have done if we were put in such situations. How would have I voted? For me, the story touched on gender, power, politics, equality, opportunity, abuse, cruelty, deceit among other things. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The music: OST
Fresh, exciting, not as repetitive as in other series. A big thumbs up!
Summary:
The Devil Judge is truly one of the best South Korean dramas I have watched in a year. My hat goes off to all the actors. This is the product of a truly homogeneous, hard-working, modest, cast and crew. They clearly worked together towards making this series a success and I commend them and thank them for their effort.