Came for Lee Junho, stayed for everything else

Confession is not a slick KDrama pushed out by platforms like Netflix that tries to be flashy to grab attention, but rather, Confession is crime in its purest form, and I highly respect and appreciate that.

I was on a Lee Junho drama marathon, and therefore stumbled upon this one without too many expectations and my God was this binge-worthy. I've seen plenty of Korean Crime dramas, and this show quickly became one of my favourites which is why I'm surprised this does not seem to have much hype (perhaps it's too realistic?)

Knowing that Yoo Jaemyung (who played Ki Choonho) is also a talented actor that I've seen in plenty of other dramas, it certainly lived up to my expectations. The story writing stood out most to me - the way that the plot seemed to veer into many unrelated paths in the beginning, only to all come back tying nicely together for the finale. The pacing was on point, not too slow nor long. Each episode left viewers with many questions, just like the characters themselves, but also leaving us wanting more - as though we are trying to solve the puzzle alongside the characters which really gets the viewer invested.

Going back to my realistic point, this show is definitely no frills no fanciness typically found in other KDramas (like Vincenzo - don't get me wrong I love Vincenzo for the extravagance and humour). This show is just pure focus on fighting corruption and rooting for justice to prevail. We actually don't find out much about the character's personalities or personal lives other than what is relevant to the story. However, this didn't prevent the viewer from becoming invested in the show. To some, this might make the characters feel a bit unfinished (?), but I feel like this was an intentional decision to keep the focus on the already complicated story, rather than being distracted by the characters' personal lives. This really worked in favour for the show.

On a side note, I was also impressed with Junho's acting. Confession, to me was the drama that really solidified his career and transition from an idol to an actor. By far his acting in Confession is miles better than his previous roles. It got to the point where I actually forgot he was Lee Junho from 2PM, but Choi Dohyun the Lawyer (whereas in other dramas, I'm still painstakingly aware that he is Lee Junho). Well done Junho.

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I think like a lot of reviews on here, this drama really is a hit or miss.

If you're looking for a well-written, deep and meaningful drama, then this ain't for you. If you're looking for a drama you can put on without much thinking, and just want to see some pretty people in an overly sugar sweet fantasy world - then this is for you.

It's very clear that this drama is directed at a young/teenage girl demographic, because I know that if I was 8-10 years younger, I would definitely have been OBSESSED with this drama. As someone already in my 20s, already experienced college life, already has a full-time job, already experienced romance and being in relationships - this drama is merely a fantasy that will never happen in real life.

The only reason I personally watched this drama was because I'm a Yang Yang fan, but as someone who has been watching dramas for 10+ years, this is by far one of the most unrealistic, full of plot-holes, average acting, lacking in substance, super cringe dramas I've ever seen (the amount of times I've rolled my eyes). No one on this Earth can be that perfect, no romance can be that smooth-sailing, nor rich nor successful.

BUT don't get me wrong I'm not a hater. The reason I gave it a 7/10 overall, is that it was also a nice "feel-good" drama, where I could get lost in Yang Yang's looks, reminisce about college/Uni/dorm life, relive the butterfly in your stomach feeling; but that is there is all there is to it.

As long as you're able to look past all the unrealistic aspects and flaws of the drama, it's enjoyable to an extent. I was still hooked nonethtless.

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Aimed at Mirror fans - but still enjoyable

Objectively speaking, the storyline is simple and the acting is average, sometimes a little cringe even. The basketball genre isn't a new thing and We Got Game definitely took all the typical tropes you'd find in a basketball drama, albeit with a Hong Kong spin. The comedy is also typical of Cantonese and HK dramas (slapstick/wordplay). I'd imagine watching it with subs a lot of the comedy will be lost, but as I watched it without subs (as Cantonese is my second language), I found myself laughing quite a bit and therefore was easy to get through.

The pacing was good however, I never found it boring or draggy. There was a good range of characters, I also like how they tried to give everyone a backstory and screen time (typically found in K-Dramas, and something K-Dramas do tremendously well), which shows they wanted to bring some humanity and emotion into it - which they successfully did. I'd say the biggest sticking point is that they used this chance to highlight taboo topics and was progressive for a drama set in modern day HK: the inference of a basketball player being gay and no one batted an eyelid, just because someone went to prison doesn't mean they're a bad person, disability representation and challenging preconceived notions of disabled people, and so on.

I'd say the most enjoyable part was the chemistry between the characters. There were "4th wall" moments with references to Mirror/Error, and the writers clearly played up to that, knowing that these 2 groups do have great chemistry in real life. It also meant the actors matched up to their characters quiet well, so it was almost as though they were playing a version of themselves in the show (KeungTo the popular and good looking ML, Fatboy the best friend and sidekick to KeungTo, Stanley the older and more mature member, Edan the silly and goofy one, Anson the handsome special appearance rival). I'd say the only one that I was surprised about was Ian who has a soft-spoken and gentle persona, made to play someone who was cynical and disliked.

Overall, it was an enjoyable show to switch off to, or if you're looking for something without too much depth or meaning.

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If you go in expecting seriousness, violence and a thrill - then you'll be disappointed.

Contrary to all the mediocre reviews on here which are written around the time of the show's release (and hype) - I'm writing from when the hype is long dead and I'm now watching it a few months on.

I do think if I watched this during the hype, it would have been disappointing, but having gone into the show with no expectations - I thoroughly enjoyed it very much. I also wasn't an SJK fangirl before watching the show, having seen him in Descendants of the Sun (and didn't fall in love with him during that time like everyone else lol) - I can safely say that after watching this I am very impressed with his acting and can see why he is popular not just because of his looks.

If you go in expecting seriousness, violence and a thrill - then you'll be disappointed.
It's a show that's serious but with a funny undertone, where the undertone sometimes overpowers the seriousness (?) I loved that they took the Mafia genre known for being dark/violent- and flipped it on it's head by injecting some good old K-Drama cliches, tropes and humour which I loved. Yet at the same time retaining the violence and Vincenzo's anti-hero character throughout the show.

To some, the sudden gag moments may be jarring, though I found them laugh out loud funny and didn't find them jarring at all, but well timed. The absolute fan-service story-writing does undermine the seriousness, but if anything it made me love the show even more. As a long time KDrama viewer, I actually found these cliches comforting. Can I join the consigliere fanclub too?

This does all come from a place of glorifying the Mafia/violence, which can be problematic to younger viewers however.

Were there plot holes? Yes. Could the characters be written and explored better? Yes.
But only yes if you're taking the show too seriously with high expectations, rather than a typical K-Drama (and from the trailer I can see why they may have overhyped it too much as something else). That's not to say K-Dramas can't be of quality writing and there sure are plenty out there. However, it seems to me that the writers wrote it as a timeless K-Drama piece to be enjoyed whenever and wherever, rather than some next-level disruptive show with some deep meaning. They wrote it knowing and intending it for the international K-Drama lovers - who specifically watch K-Dramas for their cliches and tropes across time.

Loved all the many easter eggs, Taecyeon's acting was fantastic. The quality of shooting , editing and cinematics are very impressive. I am a SJK fan convert and I can see why he is daddy now.

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