u/-greek_user_06-

When I watched Monster for the first time this year, I immediately decided to cosplay as Johan in some of the conventions in my country (Greece). I have been going to conventions since 2024 and I've never met any other Monster cosplayers in Greece. I genuinely think I might be the only cosplayer in my country who has done a Monster cosplay, lol.

I know that I don't have the appearance to support a character like Johan but I am very pleased about the fact people recognize the character every time I go to a con. Monster is very niche in Greece compared to other anime, so it makes me happy to meet other people who like the anime and know the character. I have so much fun in this cosplay, it's definitely one of my most favourite ones.

I plan to improve the cosplay by changing the wig and getting blue lenses but for now, I'm happy with the results.

I watched the first episode of Mouse last year and as soon as I finished it, I decided to put it on hold. I knew that the story would be complicated and at the time, I didn't feel ready to dedicate my attention to a thriller with this type of structure.

Having finished the series, I can confidently confirm that this is one of the most convoluted stories out there. And I'm not saying it in a positive way. I didn't struggle with keeping up with the different timelines, characters and places but the direction of the story stretched the plot so much, to the point my interest just died. The first 6 episodes were fine and after that, came chaos. Each time I would finish an episode, I felt like I had aged up five years. I don't like dropping out dramas so I decided to bear with it till the end.

I was able to guess the plot twist on episode 2 and later on I got spoiled, which confirmed my prediction. But even if I hadn't gotten spoiled, my reaction towards the drama would remain the same. The writer tried everything possible to mislead the viewers but by throwing plot twists left and right, instead of creating momentum and thrill, she made the story more frustrating and tiresome. You do not need to be a descendant of Sherlock Holmes to grasp the writer's intentions after the "brain transplant" subplot. The middle section was unbearable to watch, at some point I wanted to scream at my screen because what could have been crammed, was milked till episode 15.

Mouse's narrative style became too predictable and tiring. An episode opens up with a flashback. Then, we move on to the main story. Some more flashbacks in-between give more hints but not anything clear. Episode ends with a cliffhanger and a fake plot twists which gets debunked on the later episode. This went on and on and at one point, I grew immune to it. The worst writing decision, however, lied on the way the writer made the revelations. In a good thriller, writers usually give hints to the viewers, in order to put the puzzle pieces together. What Mouse did is constantly show the one side of the coin (the misleading one) and then, crush it by showing the real outcome. This happened ALL THE TIME. And this is NOT how you create impactful plot twists. I realised very early on that this is how the writer would play so I gave up and watched the drama with a blank expression. What was the point anyway, if I already knew that whatever the series would show would be incomplete or fake?

The plot, for the first 6 or 7 episodes, was okay enough. Not a masterpiece but I was engaged to see what would happen next. But alas, the ship sank harder than the Titanic. After the "brain transplant" element, whatever interest I had in the story died. And that didn't change even when I reached the ending.

The main issue with Mouse is that it tried to tackle so many different topics but the writer fell victim to her own confusing writing. The premise was already complicated enough, you created a whole psychopathy gene, you could stick to that and call it a day. But Mouse had a big identity crisis because it couldn't focus on one thing at a time. Instead of invoking conversations regarding the psychology of a criminal and psychopathy genes, it kept going from one point to another, disregarding its initial message, only to return to it towards the end. It wanted to explore corruption, biology, science, politics, ethics. Which means that some themes regarding the story and the characters were explored superficially compared to others while some others weren't explored at all.

As someone who is in her third year of psychology studies, I had mixed about the premise from the get-go. I'm not the biggest fan of stories which present mental disorders as something innate, since most of the time, they fail in execution. I was willing to bat an eye but there is only so much that I could turn a blind eye.

Mouse should have never had the whole psychopathy gene element, since the writer wasn't committed to properly explore it. I don't care if this is a sci-fi thriller, you cannot just take such an important topic which exists in real life and utilize it for shock value, for the biggest part of the drama. I am tired of seeing stories which exploit existing issues by contributing to the stigma of a marginalized group. Aside from the outdated usage of the term "psychopath", Mouse constantly presented people with mental disorders as some type of animals, who cannot control their instincts and who seek to breed in order to reproduce their genes. Whatever attempt to tackle the "nature vs nurture" debate was thrown out of the window the moment Mouse chose to prioritize biology and the amount of people who genuinely believe that it's the epitome of media which explores this topic make me laugh so bad. As a matter of fact, Mouse ended up contradicting its own message by allowing the abortion bill for babies with psychopathy genes to get passed.

And no, before anyone will come at me and claim that "I didn't get the message", trust me, I did. I understand what Mouse tried to say. The problem is that it executed it in a bad way. And all of that stems from its identity crisis. It didn't know what it wanted to prioritize, the investigation or the exploration of ethics? By creating a pile of substories, plot twists and different characters, the message got lost in translation and in the end, everything wrapped up in a rushed way. Throughout the watch, I never felt my views getting challenged. What got challenged was my patience towards the writer.

When a plot fails to move me in terms of story, I try to find solace in the characters. But characterisation in Mouse was as lackluster as the story. Ba Reum was overall interesting but I didn't like him that much in terms of writing. Seulgi delivered a good performance but I still didn't feel moved by the character.

Moo Chi annoyed me so much, I expected him to be more complex but he ended up coming across as very one-dimensional. The series could have explored his trauma especially after his brother's death but in the second half, he was reduced to a police officer who kept running around in circles. I don't mind characters who do not discover the truth about the killer early but Moo Chi's inability to put the pieces together became tiresome. I hated the fact that I couldn't enjoy him because I usually love this type of flawed characters. His writing let me down, had it not been of Lee Hee Jun, I wouldn't care about Moo Chi.

And don't get me started on the female leads. Hong Ju was painfully underdeveloped, there was so much potential with her character and in the end, she became the most underdeveloped one. She had an interesting backstory but it was barely explored. Bong Yi started off strong but became too annoying in the second half of the series and a big part of her character centered around Ba Reum.

The dynamics between the characters were very shallow. Moo Chi and Ba Reum barely had any meaningful interactions outside from the investigation, Moo Chi and Hong Ju's relationship was abandoned and I gave zero attention to any attempt to create romantic tension between Ba Reum and Bong Yi. The only dynamic which I actually liked was the one between Moo Chi and Bong Yi, I wish we had seen more of it.

I don't want to make this review any longer. I will probably make seperate posts about Mouse in order to talk in detail about my complaints. For now, I will say that it was very underwhelming, considering the hype around it. I'm happy that most people enjoyed it but I didn't. It had a very ambitious idea but the execution wasn't great. I understand its message but I dislike how it was delivered.

I am in online spaces about kdramas and I have my own cycle of people I interact with. A few months ago, I saw some of them talking passionately about The Killing Vote. I had heard about it before and while the plot seemed appealing, it wasn't one of my top priorities either. However, the more posts I saw about it, the more curious I became so I decided to give it a try, at least.

Whatever I expected, couldn't be compared with what I got. For The Killing Vote has become one of the best watches not only for this year but in general.

The premise is simple. An organization, named Gaetal, emerges from the shadows and starts capturing criminals who escaped harsher punishments and are free to roam in society. While they are captured, Gaetal does a broadcast and let the public vote for the criminals' fate; whether they should die or no. Shaken by this situation, police operates in order to put an end to this but in order to do so, they have to work with Kwon Seok Joo, a former professor who had been arrested for the murder of his daughter's killer.

The story might not be completely unique or extraordinary but soon, it became clear to me that the drama differed compared to other series with similar themes. The Killing Vote had established from early on that it would deal with complex sociological concepts, such as corruption, justice and vigilantism. As someone who has watched a fair amount of dramas with similar premise (such as Taxi Driver and Vigilante), I was curious about the approach that The Killing Vote would choose in order to address these matters. Unfortunately, having experienced some sort of disappointments from previous watches, I was sceptical about whether I would find what I sought in The Killing Vote and I kept my expectations low.

The Killing Vote remained consistent when it came to its goal; to showcase the reason why people succumb to self-imposed justice, after losing their faith to the judicial system. What the series did better compared to others similar stories about vigilantism was to highlight society's opinion, too. The drama portrayed people's reactions in a realistic and plausible way. A big part of the population, fed up as they were, agreed with Gaetal's purpose and supported it while another part found Gaetal's justice extreme and were conflicted about it. On the other hand, as the voting continued and the public opinion started shifting, what started as an act of frustration against the system, became commercialized in order to profit those in power.

The image that was portrayed, albeit fictional, did not represent a utopia where justice prevails all the time and where criminals face their punishment. Instead of taking a full stance in support of or against self-imposed justice, The Killing Vote presents the arguments of both sides, letting the viewers form their own opinion. It constantly raised questions about morality, the law and capital punishment and even weeks after finishing the drama, I still ruminate about it.

One of the most memorable moments in the drama was what Seok Joo said at Ju Hyun while they were at his home: "Lady Justice wears a blindfold because she's afraid of bias in decisions. If you don't look at cases and the people involved clearly, how can one pass fair judgment?". This quote resonated with me a lot, for I too have thought many times about the symbol of the blindfolded Lady Justice. For me, it didn't represent lack of bias in judgement but blindness when it came to certain people. The justice system is prone to manipulation and corruption and The Killing Vote highlighted this numerous times through the villains. When people of power are not held accountable for their crimes and when justice keeps turning a blind eye to them, pent up feelings are about to explode. And more people like Seok Joo will take matters into their own hands.

The pacing was neither too slow nor too quickly. The story was told in a linear way, using some flashbacks from time to time in order to provide context for past events. The story wasn't too complicating but it had me second guessing the identity of Gaetal's founder. I am aware of the delays that had occurred while the drama was airing but trust me, The Killing Vote is great as a binge watching. Once I would finish one episode, I would immediately go to the next one, in anticipation to what would happen next.

The direction was sharp and impactful, especially it emotional heavy scenes. The director was also the one behind the kdrama "The Manipulated", so as expected, the action scenes (albeit fewer) were exciting to watch. As for the soundtrack, it was enjoyable enough and added tension to the story.

One of my most favourite aspects of the series was the characters. They were the heart of the series and I quickly found myself immersed in their backgrounds and relationships. The way their emotions were portrayed managed to move me, I could feel the pain of the characters and I even cried during some scenes which is something I didn't expect to happen.

The main trio, consisted of Kim Moo Chan, Kwon Seok Joo and Ju Hyun, was a highlight of its own. Three different people who represented different perspectives of justice. Their goal was similar but their methods differed. They constantly challenged each other and in the end, the influence was imminent.

Seok Joo was one of my most favourite characters in the drama. He was more than just a mere murderer. His character was so complex and morally grey and while one wouldn't necessarily support his actions, they would be able to at least understand his motive. He was a pained father, who saw his daughter's killer escape prison and who took justice in his own hands to avenge her. For eight years, he lived in pain and regret and although he hid his feelings behind a cold facade, he harbored great pain inside him.

Park Sung Woong delivered a powerful performance as Seok Joo. I first watched him in Bloodhounds where he played a villain and his role in The Killing Vote showcased his transparency. He portrayed Seok Joo's pain and anguish in a very moving way, especially when Seok Joo would break down. I liked the way he used his face to express Seok Joo's emotions and how the tone of his voice would convey Seok Joo's anger and grief. This drama made me respect Sung Woong as an actor and now I am more eager to check the rest of his filmography.

Moo Chan was another character I came to like. It was interesting to see him resolve to unorthodox methods in order to fight for justice, even if that meant that he had to break the rules. His clash with Seok Joo was another aspect I found amusing because while both characters had opposing ideologies, at the same time, they bended the rules in order to achieve their goal. As the story revealed more context regarding their past relationship, the tragedy that surrounded them and the bittersweet feelings they harbored for each other started making more sense. Moo Chan was against Seok Joo's justice but he felt for him and his daughter while Seok Joo still wanted to make Moo Chan see the world from his point of view.

That was the first time I saw Park Hae Jin and I had a great first impression. He conveyed Moo Cha's inner turmoil very convincingly, especially when he interacted with Seok Joo. He was very captivating and his presence on the screen commanded my attention.

Of course I couldn't forget to talk about my girl, Ju Hyun, who has earned a spot in my list of my most favourite female characters in kdramas. No matter what some people said about her character, I loved her charming yet fierce personality groom her introduction. I appreciate the fact the writers did not reduce her as a typical cold and insensitive police officer by allowing her to be expressive and confident in her abilities. I loved watching her put clues together and solving the case thanks to her intelligence and her development from someone who followed the rules by the book to someone who acknowledged the necessity to bend said rules in order to fight for justice was really good.

I was already familiar with Im Ji Yeon after having watched her in The Glory and since then, I've been wanting to get into her filmography. I personally loved her as Ju Hyun, she was whimsy, charming and energetic, in contrast with her role in The Glory. She did well in the more serious scenes and the only thing I would have liked to see more is her character to be more emotionally expressive, like Moo Chan and Seok Joo.

The rest of the supporting cast did a good job, too. Lee Min Su was a villain you loved to hate and Kim Kwon was perfect for this role. He portrayed Min Su's personality and obsession with Seok Joo in a very uncanny way and yet, I couldn't stop looking at him. Kim Yoo Mi as Min Ji Young, Min Su's mother delivered another good performance, this mother-son dynamic was disturbing to say the least and both characters made my blood boil.

On a more lighter note, I adored Ju Hyun's sister, Ju Min and Ji Hoon, a classmate of hers who became her friend. These were two characters I loved the most and their dynamic was so fun. Both actors did a good job with these roles, their chemistry was very natural and they conveyed their characters' emotions very convincingly, particularly Seo Young Joo as Ji Hoon.

Of course I will not turn a blind eye to the drama's flaws. I acknowledge that during the last episodes, there was a dip in quality, particularly in the last one. I believe that for a more cohesive conclusion, at least two more episodes were needed, because the climax was handled in a rushed way. Additionally, there was room to develop some characters and their dynamics a little bit more.

As a whole however, I really liked The Killing Vote. The ending, bleak as it is, gave me some type of catharsis when it came to the characters' final arcs. I understand that many viewers were upset but in my opinion, the outcome was logical for this type of story. Justice is a very complicated topic and when the law allows criminals to pass because of their status, people will riot. Maybe, just maybe, some radical actions are needed. The drama doesn't dictate what's right or wrong. Watch and judge by your own.

I honestly felt so sad about Johan and Nina once the truth about their past was revealed. I was so angry at all the adults that had failed them and had doomed their family. I harbored great anger towards Bonaparta and even though by the end of the anime, I didn't hate him as much as I did at first, I still felt cathartic once Roberto killed him. He had ruined the lives of many people and he didn't deserve to keep living in peace after what he had done.

Since the ancient times, people have been engaging in hypothetical ethical dilemmas, challenging their sense of justice and morality. One of the most popular philosophical thoughts experiments is the trolley problem, in which a trolley is about to kill a number of people and the driver has the option to divert it onto a sidetrack with less people. Just how can we measure death and life? How can we dictate who gets to live and who is left to die?

Bloody Flower started off as a psychological thriller which centered around the aforementioned dilemma: would you rather kill other people if that meant you would save other lives? Woo Gyeom, an aspiring medical school dropout, gets arrested for the murders of 17 people. According to Woo Gyeom, he was working on a treatment that could cure any type of diseases, not only simple ones but incurable ones too. The prosecutor who is responsible for this case, Cha Yi Yeon, is doing everything in her power to sentence him to the death penalty. And then, a third person gets involved; a lawyer, Park Han Jun, whose daughter suffers from brain tumor and struggles to get treatment.

The drama had a strong start. It established its themes regarding death and life from early on, making the viewers question every decision of the characters. On the one hand, Woo Gyeom wanted to prove that his cure was real while Prosecutor Cha, on the other hand, was adamant about sentencing him to death. As for Han Jun, he became entangled to this case by choosing to defend Woo Gyeom in a desperate attempt to save his ill daughter, if Woo Gyeom's cure would be proven real. These three characters had their own motives and beliefs and it was up to the audience to criticize their actions.

The first half focused more on the moral aspect of the story and the complexity of the situation. While Woo Gyeom had targeted criminals only, the fact he had murdered people couldn't change, therefore he should receive capital punishment. But how can could they sentence him to death while he was claiming to have found a cure for all diseases?

In the second half however, the drama started to lose me. It was as if I was watching a different story and the characterization felt inconsistent. The story delved deeper into Woo Gyeom's past and his connection to Chaeum Medical Group but 8 episodes were far too few in order for the story to breath. In addition, there were some scenes that felt kinda out of place, particularly the ones between reporter Cho and Min Gyeong. I love myself an entertaining duo, especially if they work together efficiently but at times, I felt like their humorous interactions disrupted the flow and tone instead of providing some breath of fresh air.

The villain was very underwhelming, Kwon Soo Hyun did good as Chairman Chae but acting alone is not enough to carry lackluster writing - and the same applies to the other characters too. Hewas painfully underutilized, I understand that through the few flashbacks we got, there were some hidden layers of a complex, abused character, but alas, these layers remained vague, leaving everything to the imagination of the audience.

Ryeoun did a respectable job portraying Woo Gyeom but at times, I felt like the script didn't allow the character to unfold more. Ryeoun's expressions and gestures conveyed Woo Gyeom's attitude convincingly but personally, I would have liked it if the story had delved into the emotional aspect more. At one point, the way Woo Gyeom was portrayed felt too restrained in order to flesh his character out more, which is a pity because Ryeoun is a great actor and he could have easily pulled off something more demanding.

Sung Dong Il delivered a performance that was expected from a veteran actor like him. His acting was subtle yet it carried many emotions while Han Jin's character was dealing with his inner conflict. I found Dong Il to actually be well-written, his developing relationship with Woo Gyeom felt organic and I really wish we could have gotten more scenes between them.

The biggest fumble however was Prosecutor Cha. At first, I tried to understand her point of view. Although her determination to sentence Woo Gyeom to death and her arrogance irritated me at times, I found her rather intriguing and alluring and I expected her to develop more as a character. At the end of the day, she represented the law, therefore the fact someone had committed 17 murders, should have been punished accordingly. She was a necessary force to enhance the moral conflict the drama wanted to address. But the problem wasn't that. The problem was the way the writers treated this character.

The way her character was handled was beyond lackluster. In the second half, her actions and attitude were very inconsistent compared to the first half, which couldn't be explained by her development as a character, simply because the story didn't explore her change of heart in depth. What the writers wanted to do couldn't been handled in eight episodes only. The rest of the main leads got enough scenes to flesh out their motives and development but Yi Yeon was sidelined in my opinion. In an attempt to create a strong yet flawed woman, the writers didn't let her develop properly, which is a pity.

Keum Sae Rok's performance, while good and commanding, took me out at times. I found some of her gestures over dramatic for a cold and calculating character like Prosecutor Cha. It was as if I was watching an entitled teenager, instead of an overconfident prosecutor. While I understand that Yi Year's arrogance is supposed to be an act of immaturity, it came across as too childish at times. I would have preferred something less flashy and more subtle but that's a complaint aimed at the director, not the actress herself.

The ending was both climactic and underwhelming. Some events were emotionally heavy but due to the overall writing, the dramatic moments didn't hit as hard as they should. Many unfinished business was left and instead of wrapping up the story for good, the writers gave an unnecessary nod of the possibility of a second season, which will most likely never come to fruition.

In conclusion, I didn't enjoy Bloody Flower as much as I wanted to. I don't know if the novel which inspired the drama was better but the series felt poorly written for such an ambitious plot. Had it had more episodes, it could have been better developed. I don't think I'd recommend this drama to avid fans of the genre but if you want something quick and challenging, it might be your cup of tea.

The Judge Returns was a drama that caught my attention the moment I read its synopsis. I have developed a keen interest to series about law and judicial system so it goes without saying that I decided to give this one a go.

The series' start was very strong. The first two episodes were a very good setup for Han Young's backstory and eventual development. From the get-go, we get introduced to a cold judge, who delivers "justice" based on money instead of the law and ethics. We witness him at his lowest in terms of morality and yet, when his eventual death followed, I couldn't help but pity him and wish for his growth in the second chance he got to redeem himself.

This was the first time I watched Ji Sung and I can already tell that he's about to become one of my most favourite actors. He embodied Han Young and he made sure to steal the spotlight every time he appeared on the screen. You could see the fire in Han Young's eyes and his thirst for justice and fair punishment. Han Young's charismatic, charming and yet cunning personality was encapsulated perfectly by Ji Sung. I loved the way he changed his body language and the tone of his voice based on the characters Han Young interacted with, adding more layers to the various dynamics.

Park Hee Son as Kang Sin Jin was an absolute gem, from a visual and acting point. He owned this role and the authority he radiated in his scenes was unmatched. Sin Jin was a multilayered character and Hee Son did a magnificent job portraying his polarizing morality. His micro expressions andsubtle movements made Jin Sin more intimidating and unpredictable and it showed why he had so much influence. His chemistry with Ji Sung was one of the strongest aspects in the drama, emphasizing the ongoing silent battle between Han Young and Sin Jin, their scenes together were so exciting to watch and the build-up to their final confrontation made me eager to watch more.

The rest of the cast was very modest, some performances being more remarkable than others but overall, everyone delivered what was expected of them. I especially loved Tae Won Seok's role as Jeong Ho, Han Young's friend. I watched The Judge Returns before watching Bloodhounds and I couldn't believe that the ruthless bloodhound who made Woo Jin and Gun Woo's lives a hell shared the same actor with a kindhearted and supportive CEO. His versatility was very impressive and although his role wasn't very demanding in terms of emotional delivery, he stole the show whenever he would appear on screen, bringing a breath of fresh air.

The ongoing battle between good vs evil is the most prominent and yet the most complex theme in the drama. Instead of a simplified presentation of the judicial system, the writers highlighted the complexity that lays behind the scenes. There's the famous quote about justice being blind. Everyone is equal before the law and justice is ought to be served regardless of financial power, status or connections. While both sides in the drama strive for this, the means they utilize clash, resulting to a battle of deception.

On the one hand, Han Young, in search of atonment and redemption, is ready to do whatever is possible in order to ensure justice and apply the law fairly. On the other hand, Sin Jin, in pursuit of justice, bended the law and utilized power and money, thus betraying his initial goal for a justice system that will protect everyone equally. Both sides, in theory, fought for the same future, where no one will be treated unfairly. But the methods they used couldn't be any more different and thus, a great dilemma was present. Are we supposed to fight injustice with injustice? Or should we have faith in law?

While I appreciate the drama for its ambitious premise and although I recognise its qualities, unfortunately, once I was done with it, I realized that my feelings weren't as strong compared to my initial reception.

The first half always had me at the edge of my seat, I was looking forward to Han Young's redemption and his confrontation with Sin Jin. At the same time, I enjoyed the domestic moments between him and his friends, which toned down the hectic political aspects and left room for more humane interactions and bonds. The blend between comedy, action and slice-of-life was handled very well in the beginning and kept my interest more than alive.

Alas, in the middle of the road, my feelings for The Judge Returns started to change.

Once the series reached its second half, I noticed that my interest had started declining. I didn't rush to keep up with the released episodes and my attention was deteriorating in some parts. In the end, I decided to put the drama on hold and I put it off for 5 months. Now, putting a drama on hold is by no means an indicator of its quality, but once I resumed it, I understood why it failed to keep my attention.

I love slow paced stories. In fact, the majority of my favourite books, movies and series are slow paced. But while The Judge Return's pacing was not an issue for me at first, in the second half, I found the plot dragging to the point I almost considered skipping some scenes. There were some moments which felt like fillers to me and I wished that instead of them, we would get something that would contribute to the development of the characters and the story. One can handle only so many dialogues between corrupted men. The last two episodes in particular were very hard for me to watch and I almost felt relieved when I reached the end.

Aside from that, the scenes started to feel disjointed, which contributed to the slow pacing. One moment something dramatic would happen and then, the setting would change to something else. Which yes, it can work in terms of narrative but it became predictable and annoying because it ruined the flaw.

A pet peeve of mine regarding the technical aspects was the soundtrack. In thrillers, I prefer it when the soundtrack evokes some emotions and is used to create a suitable atmosphere. But in The Judge Returns, I found the usage of the main theme, particularly the opening, to be used in random moments, thus making the scenes less serious and anticlimactic. I am aware of the fact that soundtracks do not make or break a series but when it fails to deliver the best result, it can affect the viewing experience.

In addition, there were issues with the writing of some characters. Yoo See Hee started off strongly and I was looking forward to see her development both individualy and with Han Young, considering their relationship in their previous life. However, while the character was promising and while Oh Se Young did a good job portraying See Hee, the writing was underwhelming. I found her to be too dependent on Han Young and it would have been nice if the writers had explored her feelings outside of their relationship. There was room for more development and in the end, while I felt proud of her progression, I was left with a lackluster impression. Moreover, the subtle romance between See Hee and Han Young left me unmoved, I was eager to welcome it if done well but in the end, it was done poorly (not that I blame the actors, of course).

But my biggest grip was the way Kim Jina's character was written. Seriously, what was that? You have her being marketed as a main character and yet there were supporting characters which had more screen time than her. And no, I will not listen to any arguments about her being important to the story even with less screen time. A main character is supposed to be a main character and it's a shame she got sidelined. Won Jina was great and I'm sad I didn't get to see her full potential because of the way her character got treated by the script.

Another aspect that could have been handled better was Han Young and Sin Jin's relationship. It would have been interesting if we had seen more of them as "partners" because it would have added more impact to Han Young's betrayal and Sin Jin's broken trust. The scenes we got were definitely magnetic, albeit too few in my opinion. It would have also been nice if they had more exchanges of their different viewpoints (in a subtle way of course, since Han Young couldn't reveal his true beliefs). A bigger debate between them would have added more food for thought compared to what we got in the end.

The Judge Returns doesn't try to offer to the audience a utopian dream of a fair world and a justice system based on equality. Unfortunately, no justice system can be equal and accessible to everyone, at least with the current social standards. But it tries to show that it's still worth fighting for law no matter what. We shouldn't be what we sought to destroy in the name of "justice". What we should do is try to be better humans by helping those who are in need for help.

I definitely recommend The Judge Returns to people who like law series or Jisung's fans. But I don't think it's that profound to not miss it, if it's not under your randar. There are better series in my opinion which tackle similar themes in a better way, such as Pro Bono, a kdrama which became one of my favourites. I definitely do not regret watching The Judge Return but it's a pity it didn't reach its full potential in terms of writing.

Bloodhounds was one of the kdramas which had been on my watchlist for some time. While the premise seemed intriguing from a first glance, I was hesitant to get into the series and I postponed it. Having watched other similar action-packed kdramas which left me kinda underwhelmed, I was afraid of Bloodhounds not being able to deliver - a fear which didn't come true.

From the get go, we get immersed to the world of Bloodhounds, which is grim, violent and ruthless. Physical violence aside, the writers of Bloodhounds did a good job in establishing the great lengths greedy people go to in order to gain more power and status. The villains relied on their physical and economical advantages in order to exploit the weaker individuals and amid the semi-realistic setting, their schemings highlighted the painful reality of our society - thus, adding more weight to the characters' goal to stop them.

Many people have sung praises of the main duo, Kim Gun Woo and Hong Woo Jin. To be frank, their relationship was one of the main aspects which contributed to my eagerness to get into the series in the first place. I love myself an interesting pair of characters and I was sceptical about whether Gun Woo and Woo Jin would deliver. Well, the boys did not disappoint for a bit.

At first, I expected that Gun Woo and Woo Jin would start as rivals and develop a strong friendship later on, which is the most typical route for most male duos in kdramas. But the series proved me wrong very quickly since they hit it off in the very first episode. I found this to be very refreshing and realistic. They met by chance as rivals on the ring but they quickly became an inseparable duo once they took off their gloves. And yet, this encounter would affect their lives like they would have never imagined before.

I adored the boys' relationship. Their bond was very strong and they treasured it a lot. Both Gun Woo and Woo Jin were willing to move heaven and earth in order to help each other and that was shown multiple times. The writers showcased the influence each one had to the other, especially Gun Woo who managed to make Woo Jin care more about ethics instead of money and power. While Gun Woo and Woo Jin differed in terms of personality, they completed each other like two puzzle pieces and together, they unlocked their true potential not only as kick boxers but as human beings too.

Although Bloodhounds is full of action sequences, the writers put great emphasis on the characters' dynamics too. By providing the drama with a more layered and humane tone and by highlighting the bond between the main characters, Bloodhounds managed to differ from other action packed series which prioritize the action more than the characters.

The quiet and domestic moments between the boys and their friends were a breath of fresh air to an overall hectic and troublesome plot. Mr. Choi, Hyeon Ju, Yang Jeong and Du Yeong, all of them became a second family to Gun Woo and Woo Jin. Mr. Choi's relationships with the other characters in particular, transcended the connections between an employer and his employees and together, they formed a group akin to a family. I especially enjoyed the bond between Gun Woo, Woo Jin and Hyeon Ju, who was always there to help the boys despite her initial reluctance to accept their assistance.

The performances from the actors really elevated the series. I couldn't think of a single miscasting, everyone depicted their character so effortlessly. Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi were phenomenal as Gun Woo and Woo Jin respectively, their chemistry was off the charts and they conveyed their characters' emotional turmoil perfectly, especially Woo Do Hwan. Kim Sae Ron as Hyeon Ju was alluring to watch, every time she appeared on the screen, I wouldn't take my eyes off her. It was the first time I watched one of her dramas and I'm saddened about not being able to see her in anything new anymore...

The rest of the actors were equally great to watch. The veteran Huh Joon Wo delivered a memorable performance as Mr. Choi and Park Sung Woong embodied Myeong Gil in the most convincing way. He encapsulated the villain's unpredictability perfectly, his body language and the tone of his voice made me feel so uneasy. As for Tae Won Seok, he did so good as Kang In Beom. I got introduced to him from The Judge Returns and the discrepancy between these roles couldn't showcase his versatility more clearly. I could barely believe it was the same person!

As much as I enjoyed Bloodhounds and although I came to really enjoy the series, I must say that I don't find myself getting crazy about it, like many other people did. I understand that compared to other action series, it did some aspects better but for me, some other elements prevented it from earning a bigger reaction from me.

While the pacing was overall very good (it benefits that the episodes were only 8), the last episodes felt like they dragged. I totally understand that due to Kim Sae Ron's DUI controversy the writers had to make some changes to the script but they could have handled it better. After the sixth episode, it was as if the drama had lost its park (which is logical, considering the events that took place) and I wasn't that engaged to the story. The police operation bored me at times and I would have liked to see more of the aftermath after Smile Capital's attack.

Because of the drama's length, some characters and plot points were left unexplored. I would have liked to see more of the characters' past and ordinary life. It would have made an even bigger impact to the story and it would have made the viewers connect better with them. I feel like Woo Jin was sidelined compared to Gun Woo, I wanted to see more of his lifestyle outside of his interactions with Gun Woo. I loved him with Woo Jin but he could have been explored more in some areas.

All in all, I am very happy about watching Bloodhounds at last. I totally understand the fuss around it and it's more than understandable why it gained so much traction. I am excited to watch season 2 as well, this universe is so exciting to watch and I have connected with the characters a lot. I strongly recommend the series to those who are looking for something quick to binge and if you love action packed media, do not miss out!

I have been yapping about Monster to my friends for months, ever since I finished it. My birthday was some weeks ago and my friends surprised me with these two Monster t-shirts. And both of them had Johan on them!

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I was so excited when I received them, I struggle a lot to find Monster merch and these t-shirts were exactly what I needed. And the designs are sick af!

So, after episode 7, I must say that I am a big fan of whatever is going on between Aokiyama and Tamura. Their dynamic was hilarious, watching them basically fight over Nakamura made me wheeze and their bantering was amusing to say the least.

Obviously I do not support the idea that every woman who interacts with a man should be shipped with him but you know what? Even the few scenes we got were very good and I lowkey enjoy the potential ship between them.

They really hit so many tropes already:

Rivals to lovers

Opposites attract

Ragebaiter x ragebaited

Cool gf x nerd bf (Tamura is not exactly a "nerd" but you get what I mean)

Plus, we don't get the dynamic of the girl being the one to annoy the boy in a ship so often since it's usually the opposite, so this makes the ship more intriguing to me. Aokiyama looked so smug when she annoyed Tamura, I love her so much.

Maybe I'm the only one who indulged in this dynamic. Also, once again, I don't want to force this ship to anyone, I am aware of the fact that many people do not like shipping male and female characters together when they get the bare minimum compared to queer ships with more plausible dynamics. I just wanted to share my opinion. I'd like to see more of them in the next episodes, their interactions would be hectic to say the least!