The Killing Vote

The killing vote starts from a very clever premise: the justice system is corrupt and inefficient, the people's justice will find and punish devils deemed innocent. Sometimes the story drags too much, some of the dialogue is forced, but the drama is there, some of the actors are really outstanding, and the others are good. There are many twists and turns, many of which are simply brilliant, while others were unnecessary. But overall, it is a series that will make you want to watch it to the end as the story progresses.

I disagree with the reviews of those who criticize the moments of levity in the series. These moments are well contextualized with the characters. You will never see the "professor" (the most dramatic character in the series) laughing, just as you will never see the antagonists making jokes. The series also lends itself to interesting philosophical debates on justice, the writers have done their homework in that Cesare Beccaria is also quoted in the series, and several references to modern digital rights.

The weak point of the series is the ending, but I can understand the decision of the writers to keep things a little open to propose a second season. I strongly suggest watching it in the original language with subtitles; the Korean language is very expressive, so watching it dubbed would kill much of the acting.

What is happening to Korean dramas? It's certainly not the sole responsibility of Netflix as some people think, because kdramas are now more evenly spread over multiple streaming platforms. This show is listed as a drama and a thriller on IMDb, yet some of the performances are bordering on comedic. I get you can't have intensity every minute, but the lighter moments of this show are quite awkward at best and seem very misplaced contextually.

The premise is decent. People who allegedly got away with heinous crimes when judged by the legal system are now being judged by the public. A masked person called "Dog Mask" selects a 'criminal', opens up the voting to the public, and if over 50% feel the 'criminal' needs to be punished, that person is murdered.

Most of the actors are fine in their roles. I know they are limited to the script as written and are guided by a director. The delivery of the dialogue and the accompanying physicality through gestures and movement, however, are usually left to the discretion of the actor.

One person is particular is taking me out of the story in nearly every scene she's in. It's Lim Ji Yeon, who I recognize as the evil sadist from The Glory. In that production, her performance was oftentimes way over the top. I mean, seriously over the top. I chalked it up to her interpretation of the character. But I do recall noting at the time that the performance was almost a caricature. It was difficult to watch her. She just didn't ring true to me. Now she's back in The Killing Vote and once again the physical gestures and the maniacal acting out is far too much for me.

I'm going to try to stick with The Killing Vote, but with the amateurish comedy which never lands as it should, and the lack of talent in some of the performers, I can't promise I'll finish all 12 episodes. I may just read recaps. 2023 hasn't been a banner year for Korean cinematic endeavors. Let's hope in 2024 we return to the high standards we've come to expect.

****Edit. After watching episode 6, I must acknowledge they do a very good job of ratcheting up the tension and most of the cast with the exception of Lim Ji Yeon is excellent. The story seems to have found its rhythm, but we have many episodes left.

As for now, i like the plot for this series. Keep waiting for the next episode to come out weekly!

Honestly i like all the actors especially park hae jin and lim ji yeon. But i dont know why i think the character lim ji yeon carry in this drama is not for her. It seems like the females character in this drama are just awkward (especially the siblings) and cant carry their character well.

Stars given goes to park hye jin for never disappoint me in any series he act in until now 👍🏼

But i will continue to watch this ongoing series to see the ending and maybe i might change my opinion at the end, who knows.

In this drama there is the main thing I appreciate, there is the human story with dynamic of development. After each episode, I have been thinking about the continuation or possible twists in the plot, the authors have made me a participant of the events. I must tell about the perfect acting of the performers, the director was lucky with them. Park Hye-jin is an awesome actor.

With this turn of his head and a glance to the side, he managed to tell everything about his attitude to Joo Hyun . It was happening before our eyes. I hope they can find the time to each other in the second season. The finale leads a reason for the second season. Actually, any ratings are nonsense. Watch and get your own opinion.

The show is absolutely glorious. I wanted to wait until I have watched the full 12 episodes before i write a review. You know, it can go very bad even if the first couple episodes were great. This is not the case here. The show had me glued to the screen episode after episode. The story unfolded as more angles and details are introduced - but in a well thought out manner, unlike many American shows at the moment. The performance of Kwon Kim was outstanding to me. Very memorable. There is little for me left to be desired in the series. Recent shows like this and The Vigilante are more than one step ahead of recent American tv series. The quality here is on another level.