Memorist (2020)

Yoo Seung Ho and Lee Se Young together again for a drama! They are one of the few beloved child actors that I really liked and no doubt that they had the acting chops. Plus, the fact that I am a fan of Yoo Seung Ho made me really anticipate this drama.

Memorist is a drama that I would definitely love to see for multiple seasons. It had the tone of a great series similar to US' CSI or NCIS or other crime thriller drama. It also had the supernatural tone to it with the main lead having the power to look into the memories of whoever he touches. Dong Baek is the typical arrogant lead but the thing is he knows what he's doing and he knows that he is good at it which frustrates all of his team mates. I love his relationship with his team chief Goo Kyung Tan and his partner Oh Se Hoon. The addition of the reporter Kang Ji Eun made the drama like a legit multiple-season crime thriller drama. Lee Se Young as the strong-willed Han Sun Mi also gave the drama its color.

This drama is a reminder that a series can be compelling and brilliant even without the romance angle.

Leer más

WOW WATCH IMMEDIATELY

JUST WOW

Not only was the acting amazing but also the story, the twists and turns. It left me on the edge of my seat, always wanting more. I cried like a baby at some points which means I was invested A LOT.

At first I thought that 16 eps would be a lot to chase one serial killer and that I would be bored BUT I WAS SO WRONG. The story kept me enthralled until the last second.

The levels of everything were just perfect in this drama. Yes it was very serious but had comedic moments that just fit perfectly in to lighten the mood and showcase the relationship between different characters.


I laughed, cried and shouted while watching this. One of the best dramas I have watched.

Leer más

All my braincells are dead (in a good way)

THIS DRAMA, my god this drama took all my brain power to process. The story is so delicated written and the threads are so well threaded that it takes all your attention to fully understand what's happening.

I started watching this drama with cero expectations and got extremely surprised when I finished it. I love a well-written thriller / suspense plot and I can totally agree that this drama reached the bar.

Honestly I'm at a loss for words cause I don't know what to say. The story is fantastic, it has layers and layers of situations that connect with each other. Just when you thought that you got all figured it out, the contrary happens and all your theories are thrown to the trash. You can't even trust the main protagonists. More than one time I was at the edge of my sit, making all my braincells work to try figuring out what the hell was happening.

The relationship between the main team is just absolutely adorable. The trust they have in each other, they are willing to sacrifice their own lives just for the sake of the others. It felt like a family the way they protected each other.

I feel like each character suit the actor. The performances were amazing, the chemistry, everything. I'm very happy with the final result.

Latly, the suspense. MY GOD THE SUSPENSE. I couldn't take a breathe with all that happens. Heart beating so fast, my mind working at 10000km p/h trying to solve the misteries, the nerves at their highest point, the rush of adrenaline. Amazing.

Truly one of the best dramas of 2020.

Leer más

One connection which is missing if anyone can help me understand it

One connection I dint understand. Jin jae gyu when he was 7 or 8 years old his mother will be killed and after that he was sent to some mental hospital and over there he meets some one (From a brick a person catches his hand) and after that he escapes and tries to live normal life, then he gets married and as doctor says he may die soon, so he plans to give his money to his wife after his death (If he dies) and she has a daughter, and she plans to kill him by poisoning his food but he will finds out it is poisoned and then he even finds out for his money she is planning to kill him and also her daughter, so for saving the little girl he kills his wife and her boyfriend. And then the little girl thinks her father killed her so she runs away from home. Then later jin jae gyu feels someone is watching him and erasing his memories and following him, even though he installs camera he won't findout anything, Jin jae gyu runs away from the country and he return after 20 years maybe and again he feels Eraser is following him, which is present. NOW I DONT GET THIS POINT. ERASER IS DONG BAEK SISTER, WE WILL KNOW THIS IN THE LAST EPISODE. BUT ERASER STORY STARTS FROM 2000 (20 YEARS BACK FROM PRESENT) BUT JIN JAE GYU KNOWS ERASER MORE THEN 20 YEARS ... HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE???? Did I miss any thing KEY point???? Linking between ERASER AND JIN JAE GYU????? Can anyone tell me....

Leer más

I just finished this drama, I don’t know where to start on how good it is. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be one of my favourites, dongbaek just seemed like a character that I would get tired of watching with his impulsiveness. But I found myself unable to drop the drama, even though I usually prefer to marathon dramas instead of watching 2 episodes a week because of my short attention span. I followed it closely every week, the storyline just got better and better and dongbaek slowly grew on me. And Han Sunni omygosh, she’s my idol. I loved Lee Seyoung in this, I really hope she gets more of these serious roles. Yoo Seungho is one of those actors I like but don’t seriously follow, but he did decent in this drama I guess, I would personally have preferred if he was more intense and fierce, but at this point I don’t think it’s his acting but his boyish visuals HAHA.

The plot is great but I feel like the pacing could have been a lil better. The prologue was dragged too long, and I felt like I was most likely to drop the drama after the 1st two episodes. Otherwise, episodes 4-14 onwards were all pretty great. I also felt like the last episode was a lil rushed. Things just kept happening and they could’ve been developed a lil more. Also not a fan of the last episode “smile while doing everything” ”tie up loose end vibe”, but that’s just me. I love the fact that there’s no romance in this. If they tried to squeeze in a kiss or some slow or heart fluttering moment I would’ve probably dropped this. The characters stayed true to their personalities and watching their teamwork made me smile. These 2 individuals which are so drastically different in their thoughts and actions always managed to reach the same goal with their own methods. The storyline is not like your typical serial killer, 1-case-per-episode drama, it was an entire web of discovering his past + identity, corrupted officials and a thin line between right and wrong, many characters struggled because of their unwavering belief to follow their morals and *no spoilers*

Alarge part of what made the drama so good was the cinematography, the appropriate use of angles and slowmo. It made the tension rise at every scene and I was always left in curious confusion after every scene. Seriously!! I can’t elaborate on this because I’m not an expert but it really really contributed to how great this drama was and is honestly one of the most essential things for crime dramas.

I saw a lot of people complaining about the music but I personally didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. I loved the 2 themes they played at the end of each episode and the beginning theme got me excited for each episode. Also that one creepy track they played everytime one of the detectives went exploring made me so anxious and tensed.

Loved it, as much as every single one of my romance or contemporary faves. Definitely worth a watch and rewatch.
9/10 because it doesn’t deserve that full marks yet, but it was A in every sense.

Leer más

Though the cases they dealt with are quite brutal for me, the story was never a boring one. It has a lot of twists but it was not tiresome. Though it was quite like a different version of "He is Psychometric", this was a more interesting drama. I guess this is the first mystery drama that I never got to figure out who is the real killer till the story revealed it. The real killer was so great in hiding his identity.

I'm not really a super fan of Yoo Seung Ho, but he was way cooler here than in "Remember". His acting was great and was very sense appealing. He also appeared more charismatic here.

I loved that Lee Se Young is the leading lady here. She really suited the character she played. I was awed by her acting before, and she never disappoint me even a little bit in this drama.

All the other casts are amazing - from the villains to the police officers & heads - they were all amazing, and no one's quality of act has been left behind.

This was the first drama where I saw Yoon Ji On, and I was amazed by his character and the way he played it. I will look forward for more of his drama.

I love everything in this drama. I love the story. Though it has a lot of twists, it was never boring. Every episode was interesting. I love the fact that the villains' act were justifiable and not just out of insanity or what, and I love how Baek showed them that doing thing in a right way is the more reasonable approach in relieving their grudges. I love how things turned out for everyone of them - from the leading characters to the villains. The ending turned out great but still realistic and not too idealistic. I have enjoyed this from beginning to end.

Good job everyone!!

#memorist
#yooseungho
#leeseyoung
#yoonjion
#mustwatch2020
#mysterykdrama
#kdrama
#kdramahookedbylady28

Leer más

I had really high hopes for this one after hearing my sister give it rave reviews. And it wasn't horrible! It definitely did not disappoint (that much). However, I am really someone that is very critical of any thriller themed material I consume be it TV show, movie, books etc.

Likes:
- The story was really very solid and the piecing together was exciting. I was intrigued and shocked every time some parts were revealed and bits of the story slowly came together
- The two main leads had great chemistry and I was really glad that no romance transpired between them! The side characters were also so wonderful and you find yourself suspecting them but also rooting for them at the same time :P
- It was not too long and the pace was good. I didn't feel like I was forced to sit through anything or that any parts were draggy.

Dislikes:
- Even though the final reveal made sense and was pretty cool, I was a bit disappointed.
- There were lots of elements and I think there were moments of confusion that weren't explained. I think there were also too many red herrings and this definitely was not going to be a mystery that as an audience you could have pieced together because you aren't given all the clues.

If you like thrilling/mystery themed dramas and want a break from the rom com life, I highly recommend this!

Leer más

One thing that kept me amazed while watching this drama is its ability to fool its viewers.

Of all drama genres, good thriller/crime dramas are the most difficult to achieve because most of the time, the plots are cliche. Having serial killers/murderers, detectives/police that has past relationship with the suspects etc. Although this drama is almost as cliche as the others, one thing that it differs from the rest is its ability to fool its viewers. (Ngl, i always thought it was Chun Ki Soo who's behind the mask, but I got fooled. Then, I started to think that it was Lee Shin Woong, and I got fooled again.) This alone, made the drama become more interesting and thrilling.

As expected, Yoo Seung Ho (Dong Baek) always nails his role. He's a flexible actor who can do every genre and this is why I like him so much!!! After Remember: War of Son and My Strange Hero, he hasn't done any crime/thriller dramas so I was really waiting for this!! Lee Se Young (Han Sun Mi) is a great actress as well, i've only watched her on Hit The Top so I never knew her that much, but seeing her acting here, she's a great actress and deserves more recognition!!! She portrayed the superintendent role very well!!! And Jo Sung Ha (Lee Shin Woong), I don't know why he always portray the villain role in korean dramas but he always nail the role as well!!! And appreciation for Oh Se Hoon!!! He was such a good partner and friend, I wanted to have a friend like him, willing to fight with his friend even though he knew that it will risk his life.

This drama was good as I have expected. Yes, there is no romance but that makes this drama more interesting, because it focuses on their story, the reason why they fight, who they are fighting for etc!! Although I've been craving for more scenes of Dong Baek and So Won because they really suit each other in the drama, and I got really teary eyed when she died and Dong Baek blames himself because he thought if he did something (shook the hand of girl who killed So Won), he could've saved her. I also got teary eyed for Dong Baek's sister, imagine dealing with all those scumbags. Although what she did to give justice was wrong, I'm thinking that it must have been difficult for her too since she saw all their memories, she knew all those crimes that they did, so she must have felt the pain that her loved ones felt.

Overall, I liked the acting, the story, and the major plot twists that got me fooled every time. Having no romance in this is also an advantage since it showcased more the beauty of this drama!!!

Leer más

I finally managed to finish watching this drama and was happy that it turned out to be good. This drama was pretty enjoyable when you can just marathon watch it in one go, cos if you watching it as it air you may end up losing interest in the middle as the tension goes down.

This drama was yet another good show featuring a detective with a supernatural telepathic ability to read minds and to my delight, the drama made good use of the plot idea while also showing realistic reaction of how the public would respond knowing that such a person existed. If anyone had seen He is Psychometric, the story had a similar tone though Memorist had a much more darker and sinister cases and mystery.

I've watched quite a number of dramas by Yoo Seungho and grew to really like his character Dongbaek in this drama. As always Seungho was able to bring out the sincerity of the character and the anguish felt by Dongbaek, enough to make you care about him to keep watching the drama. You just can't help rooting for Dongbaek as he continues to push forward to save lives while also being cornered into unfavourable situations.

That said, at first I wasn't really taken in with Lee Seyoung as the profiler character, Han Sunmi. Though that probably also influenced by my initial impression of the actress from her character in Korean Odyssey, to which I had some mixed feelings about. But once I set that bias aside, I was able to like the character as Han Sunmi's pasts and motivations were unveiled.

The cases featured in Memorist were written quite well. And while there were some pretty hard cases that involved implications of rape as well as religious cult stuff that may be a bit unbearable, the rest of it was pretty fine. The mystery elements as well as supernatural were pretty balanced with the normal detective stuff so it was good enough to draw you more into the story without making it too unbelievable. And I love the fact that as much as there were a lot of corruption in the drama like the many abuse of powers by people of influence, the drama still had a lot of hope for things to become better. And the writing of the Eraser and Executioner character was done so well that it didn't feel out of place when those characters started to be redeemed. Only thing I regret was that I wished the drama could be longer because Dongbaek was really such a lovable character.

Leer más

Ripetitivo, pasticciato, elefantiaco

Iniziava così bene... I primi episodi erano così tensioattivi, adrenalinici, ti tenevano sul bordo della sedia con gli occhi incollati allo schermo. Riuscivi perfino a tollerare che fosse quasi sempre tutto così scuro, buio, tanto che spesso non si capiva cosa stesse succedendo e si era costretti a rivedere alcune scene più volte. I personaggi acquistavano spessore a poco a poco, i misteri si dipanavano uno dopo l'altro e tutto sembrava un gioco a incastro particolarmente ben riuscito.

Certo il fatto che gli attori fossero in gran parte così belli e bravi giocava la sua parte, e che la musica e gli effetti sonori fossero così adatti e contribuissero al crescere della suspense contribuiva alla riuscita dello spettacolo.

Solo che, a un certo punto, la storia ha cominciato a diventare ripetitiva. Matrioske, o scatole cinesi così numerose, alla fine, ti stufano. Ogni volta seguono una pista e sono sempre 10 passi indietro. Ogni volta credono di aver trovato il colpevole e invece no, è sempre qualcun altro. Ogni volta c'è qualcuno ai vertici che interferisce con le indagini. Ogni volta presentano qualche personaggio nuovo, e hanno tutti nomi simili e facce simili! Sono di media intelligenza, ma evidentemente non basta: non ci capisco più niente e, quel che è peggio, non mi importa nemmeno più di capire. Ad un certo punto, l'accumulazione è tale che si arriva non più alla noia, non più al fastidio, ma alla vera e propria esasperazione!

Sono arrivata a metà dell'episodio 12 e ho deciso di arrendermi. Ho dei sospetti, ma ormai non mi interessa più di vederli confermare o scoprire che mi sbagliavo. 4 episodi e mezzo... non ce la faccio più, né voglio saltare all'ultimo. Semplicemente, abbandono. Vado a cercare qualcos'altro, con buona pace di Yoo Seung Ho, carino finché si vuole, bravo finché si vuole, ma in definitiva non stiamo parlando di materiale da oscar che giustifichi da solo 4 ore abbondanti del mio tempo.

Purtroppo bellezza e bravura sono state messe al servizio di una sceneggiatura per certi versi troppo ambiziosa, ipertrofica, ripetitiva, senza alcun senso della misura. Come se non bastasse, alcuni personaggi si comportano ripetutamente in maniera idiota senza alcun motivo apparente. Il continuo susseguirsi di colpi di scena e un cast elefantiaco han fatto sì che l'attenzione, inizialmente calamitata dalle vicende, scemasse progressivamente, fino ad arrivare al punto di non ritorno. Abbandonare un drama simile dopo averne visto 3/4 è anomalo, ma indice di profonda insoddisfazione e di un problema di fondo. Rinunciare a scoprire il colpevole significa essere esasperati intollerabilmente. Pazienza.

So che molti non saranno d'accordo con me, ma non posso farci niente, io per prima sarei stata ben felice di veder finire questo drama con lo spirito di scoperta e l'entusiasmo con cui l'ho iniziato. Non è andata così.
Lascio comunque la sufficienza perché fino a circa metà era veramente tutto quello che mi aspettavo da un thriller soprannaturale. Hanno voluto strafare. Peccato.

Leer más