gcolt-29658

Even though this series came out in '22, it has an old-time charm to it. Good guys vs bad guys, some of them very bad. Underdog vs powerful, honest vs. Dishonest, etc. It's a military ensemble work and it's done well. Secondary-role actors are universally good. The writing is good, albeit, some of the characters' parts, such as the law office minions, are just over the top. One of its best elements is the male lead, played ably by Mr. Ahn Bo-hyun, an excellent but corrupt attorney who matures into and honest, brave and selfless advocate for those unable to defend themselves. This is the kind of positive message one regularly finds in Korean dramas of this ilk. The main antagonist is expertly played by Mr. Kim Young-min, who seems to have made a successful career out of being a despicable villian. It never gets old with Mr. Kim. Park Jin woo is hilarious in the role of supervising officer in the prosecutor's office. The female lead, played by the beautiful Ms. Bo Jo-ah, is perhaps the only weak element in the production. Her beauty makes her the object of desire for many male characters and her determined pursuit of justice is an inspiration for everyone. Her acting is adequate, However she exudes smug satisfaction as though she realizes her attractiveness to others is, well, justly deserved. The way her character demeans or quietly ridicules others can get bothersome at times. However, the viewer still hopes that the mostly suppressed attraction between her and "Doberman" eventually surfaces. This series doesn't deserve to ranked among "must-see" Korean productions, but it's a fun, mostly wholesome romp and will provide multiple evenings of enjoyable Korean tv.

Given the many Joseon-period dramas, one can understand the attempt to offer something innovative to stand out. However, this attempt is seriously flawed and leaves the viewer wondering why they were subjected to so many weird or violent themes. The story revolves around a struggle for power combined with a romance with rivals vying for the beautiful princess. Pretty familiar stuff. That's until we discover the romance features two rival suitors who are family--one a brother by adoption, the other pretending to be a long-lost brother. Needlesss to say, it treads too close to a theme that Kdramas, with their wholsesome approach to love, have typically avoided. It might be an innovation but it's neither interesting nor dramatically effective. One wonders whether this series is a product of Netflix inspiration rather than typical Korean fare. Violence comes in several common forms--swords, knives and fists--but veers into a bizarre form of artistic mutilation. As I say. It's weird. The series merits a "3" becauase the actors are reliably good. Problem is that they are saddled with making this weirdness work. No easy task. The series also suffers from storyline discontinuities. Finally, it ends poorly with death being the only resolution to the various conflicts. We are left with the warning that all of this weirdness might come again. Skip it.