When the Devil Calls Your Name (2019)

This drama was such a contradiction.

The first half was so poignantly and beautifully written while the second half was just plain bad writing. The music was phenomenal with stunning instrumental and heartwarming lyrics, yet the drama used those songs so repetitively that I got sick of them a little bit by the end. The acting was unbelievably amazing and yet, there was a lot of over done theatrics.
I cried, laughed, cared so much, and yet there were times where I was bored out of my mind.

It appeared quite sunny and cheerful on the surface but it had a lot of deep, dark psychological elements to it. The main character Ha Rip (Jung Kyung Ho) is goofy, sexy, mean like a feral kitten and oh so adorable and yet his actions were greedy, desperate, selfish and downright awful. It's painfully slow at times and yet it moves so fast in others. It's horribly predictable in one episode and then there's mind fuckery waiting for you the next.

It's both so good and so bad. Depending on which you choose to focus on, the drama will become that for you.

Despite all the bad, I personally enjoyed my time with it. I forged a connection with all the characters and felt so sentimental in almost every episode. I wish it was better written and all the unnecessary draggy parts to stretch the episodes weren't added but I felt like the cast did their best with it and it showed.

P.S Jung Kyung Ho. Enough said.

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What a pity the drama ended. I have been saying this since beginning, but I think that it's still underrated. I have a lot to write, hence I don't know with what I ought to start.

The ending! It was so good! For me, no matter how good drama was, last episode is always the worst, even when the ending was happy. I think that a lot of writers and directors struggle with this topic - If I was a one, I would too. It's so hard to let go of your own characters, tie everything together and deliver the right emotions and message to viewers. Here, chapeau bas! I can confidently say that it was my favorite last episode ever. I cannot recall any other ending that did such a great impression on me. I will praise creators of this drama for a long time. I'm almost 100% sure that we didn't have any plot holes and everyone's actual situation/ending were explained.

I truly loved these characters! The actors here were an absolutely top tier. I had been watching actors I knew before and some new faces for me that I automatically added to lists with my favorites. At the beginning of this series I commented here that "all of them have their good and bad sides, which can't be that obvious in the context of this drama". I still think the same. The story and relationships were unique. Creators misleaded us countless times. Also, I learnt so much thanks to this drama. The story, sentences and morals were meaningful.

It is almost hard to believe that this is a drama. It has a lot of movie vibes. I think it would be even better to watch the whole series at one time and I will definitely rewatch it.

I was surprised that a lot viewers were confused with episodes 12/13 and 14. In my opinion, scenes you didn't like, direction and pace of them were somehow meaningful and in the beat of the scenario. They greatly highlighted main sense and concerns of this story, even when you found it extravagant.

I adored all of the plot twists here. Usually, I could predict some of them but here... Not really. It is one of the biggest virtue - you never knew what else can happen. They handled it in the best way and I was surprised almost every episode. Definitely on one of the highest positions in my ranking with dramas which were the best in this topic.

Music. It nourished my soul and I will listen to the one of the best OST's in the history for a long weeks or months. I memorized these songs so well. They're just beautiful: words and melodies are worth every minute. The actors did a great job singing here.

Definitely in my top three of favorite dramas ever. Everything was so consistent and I can't criticize anything here. I will miss it so much. If you didn't watch it, I encourage you to do so.

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This is by far one of the best Kdrama I've watched in the years of my life. It has a unique genre covering a story between God, the devil and human. It also covers about human's greed and selfishness. It's a pity this drama seems to be underrated.

I really enjoyed the story line. The writers are great (kudos to them) for writing the ending. It gave closure to the watchers (not many drama do this nowadays). I especially love the ending as the writers gave each characters a great ending, though not happily ever after kind of ending, but it sure won't leave you to your own imagination.
I really love Igyeong's character in this drama, she was so humble, kind-hearted and unselfish girl (which doesn't really existed in reality). There are some lessons you can get from this drama (some wise advise from Harip towards the end).
A big round of applause to the actors and actresses portraying the characters perfectly. To the point of that annoying Jung Ra-in (but got used to her towards the end as the writer made her to be good). The devil's character was portrayed perfectly evil (facial expressions, etc). It was an AMAZING casts. Thank you for the hard works into this drama.

Lastly, the musics... I guess.. the phrase "Let the music heals your soul" does really apply in this drama. I love all the musics in this drama. If you really like music, go listen to it. I may not understand Koreans nor did I read the songs translations but the music itself is pleasing to the ears. Some of the songs are already embedded in my brain and can't help to hum it every time I hear the melody.

Overall... if you really like drama.. this is a must watch... this drama is superb.
Hope my review helps...

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A peculiar journey through the soul

I can't deny that I expected something different, or at least I didn't expected this.
The drama turned out to be more peculiar than I expected and the reference "inspired on Faust by Goethe" is not accidental. It is in fact a psychological drama that analyzes and compares human free will with the laws dictated by the deities (deity / evil). The story is completely character driven and evolves around the lifestyle choices made by Ha Rip, his actions influence the lives of others and both he, and the other protagonists, will have the chance to experience a strong character development. The drama has some flaws but on the whole it has been able to differentiate itself from all these similar dramas that run lately. The whole cast did a great job but the couple JKH and PSW obviously is the one that shined the most.

It is difficult to describe the plot of WTDCYN without making spoilers, so I will limit myself to describing to you what are the main topics:

1) the complex relationship of love / hate between father and son, this theme is the trigger of all the actions committed by the protagonists.

2) sell the soul to the devil, a good part of the drama analyzes how humans are willing to sell their soul and for what reasons, not only for greed, but also for sacrifice, love and above all desperation.

Unfortunately, as already mentioned the drama is not perfect, the author has chosen a difficult subject to deal with and not everyone can be Goethe. (no offense). Both the plot and the direction were a bit of a mess, the initial part is very confusing, it's a mix of genres and sub-plots, a sign that the author wasn't sure which way to go. When he finally decided to choose the tragedy, things started to improve. From ep. 6 the true story begins to take shape, the pieces of the puzzle are recomposed and each character shows us a heartbreaking story.

I didn't like the direction because it changed too quickly and too often from one character to another, passing from comic scenes to tragic scenes within a few seconds, at first I liked the switch comedy/melodrama but when it became clear this was tragic I found the comedy a bit annoying.
You didn't have time to digest what had just happened that the plot moved to another character. (Perhaps it is a common problem of character-driven plots, I don't know, I usually don't watch them unless it's a slice of life.)  At one point they also tried to play the romance card and then immediately withdraw it, luckily for us. But there are some "side crush" and romantic implications.

The music / entertainment component is only the sector chosen to set this story but it is not a music drama, despite the soundtrack being magnificent, at least if you like old rock style ballads.

Overall it was an interesting ride inside the most difficult and obscure subconscious of humanity, the soul.

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At first I didn't know about this drama at all. I wanted to download other drama when I stumbled upon WTDCYN's first episode that was just released that day. Out of curiosity I watched it and I loved it right away. So I decided to excitedly waiting every Wednesday and Thursday to watch this drama.

I must say this is not the most perfect drama out there. It was lacking about something and personally I was a bit dissapointed in episode 13 & 14. They seemed so "lost". Like they were in a rush to finish the drama. Though I felt like that, thank Lord it was saved because the fact that I was attached to the characters and the storyline. Like I said, this is not a perfect drama. Other than that, I have no complaint.

The actors were so incredible in portraying their characters. I love I Gyeong's character here. She was so humble and not selfish at all. She only wanted her mom and brother to live life without nuisance and harm. Even though she had painful memory in the past, she just let it go and moved on. I appreciate other characters too because they were amazing.

The soundtracks. Man. Hands down. They have the best soundtracks of the year. This drama deserves this title at least.

I couldn't expect the ending would be like that. I was hoping a bitter sweet ending but I'm still happy about it at the end. I love how SDC decided to live as himself.

I am so thankful that I found this drama haha. I never felt attached like this for a drama after Jealousy Incarnate. So I'M SO GLAD <3

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Unexpectedly a great drama

I found this drama unexpectedly and managed to marathoned it all 16 episodes with the lack of sleep :).

Plot :

Seriously did not expect that fantasy, slice of life, entertainment drama can be this good and managed to intrigued me. Watching this drama until the end feels like watching a life lesson about greed. For me, this drama manage to made me emotionally involved that I cry on every single episodes since the first 3 episodes whether it is sad, happy, frustration, and any other emotions that portrayed by the character especially ML.

The story is well paced up until the last 2 episodes it seems a bit rushed but still ended in satisfactory and expected way, imo.

Acting:

Honestly, Jung Kyung ho and Park Sung Woong performance are top notch. Other actors also really did well in this drama. This drama introduced me to Song Kang as a really great potential new actor and it shows (seeing his filmography up until now 2021).

Music:

This drama is about musicians and it make sense that it has a lot of OST. However, I rarely like most of the OST of a 'entertainment & music genre' drama OST. It did surprised me how every single one of the OST managed to make it on my playlist up until now even the 80/90s version of the OST.


Rewatch Value:

I often rewatch it for the key moment and when they sing the song. Especially when Jung Kyung Ho and Song Kang busk together.

Overall:

I can say that this is one of my top 5 drama of 2019. i wish it get more recognition from others. It is sad that many people steer clear of this drama due to the 'devil' and fantasy aspect of this drama and missed out the essence of this drama that it tries to deliver is beyond the devil and the fantasy.

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This drama was absolutely gorgeous, the music was breathtaking, the acting was mesmerizing, every single minute was wonderfully staged. The only problem was the slow, stumbling pacing and inadequate script. Another review uses the word "lost" to describe the story — I wholeheartedly agree.

First off, the actors delivered in their roles as incredibly well-rounded, challenging human beings. In particular, I want to highlight Lee El as it's one of her best roles in ages; if you're a fan, this is a must-watch as she single-handedly delivers tons of incredibly tender and dazzlingly cool moments. Jung Kyong Ho gave a solid performance as this deep raspy-voiced wizened old man who transitions into a whiny young master-type with smooth ease. And of course, his dispairing breakdown scenes totally shook my heart. The real break out gem was Lee Seol, who wasn't on my radar before (I wasn't impressed by her previous works), but displayed an incredible range and totally made me stand up and take notice by the middle (note that the actress doesn't sing the main songs, but that's hardly a demerit). Park Sung Woong was tons of fun and had great chemistry with the cast. It's a rare series where not one character fell flat; even the role of Lee Choong Ryul was turned out wonderfully; I really wanted to beat his face in (and then pinch his cheeks)!

Soundtrack of the year, hands-down. Until I get my hands on the CD, I'm rewatching the drama just for the music.

Where the series really fell flat was the lengthy, repetitious monologues and overextended pacing; it was very much "tell, don't show." The worst part was, it didn't even tell that much, but instead kept repeating the same old lines up until a big rush to wrap up the plot at the end. To be sure, the drama kept me on the edge of my seat —but after a while, it got far too tiring with too little payoff. The ending came as a relief, but the plot seemed to just jump and skip so many steps in character development to get there that it just wasn't that satisfying. I can understand why the ratings were so low.

Just to nit-pick on plot, and in case you're looking out for some of your favorite smaller actors—The Kang Ha side-plot was bafflingly shallow, and in my opinion the entire character should have been cut or at least more closely integrated into the main storyline. Ditto for Yoo Ra In and Mr. Kang; this drama's attempts at including comedic foils were fell flat for me, and therefor I couldn't get too invested in their characters when they started getting deep and serious. In comparison, Lucca's plotline was so flat, the character barely had time to develop—his only use was to be banged around as a plot device to force events to keep going (great acting, though, I'm keeping an eye out for his lead roles). On the other hand, Kim Won Hae's character hardly made a dent despite being essential plot fodder.

In comparison with other dramas, all of these negative points come to nothing. But since every other element of this drama is so brilliant, they stand out like a sore thumb.

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Great Music and Plot

I really enjoyed this show. It had some really great music in it. The main girl was really nonchalant and had a really rough life. It has a supernatural element as he makes a pact with the devil to become famous and young again so there's that. Devil character became relatively likable and grew a bit by the end (just a tad). Things I didn't like however was the selfishness of the main character sometimes. I felt that he only really cared about his goals and didn't really consider the feelings of anyone else.

Again, this show is a great watch for music and some supernatural drama. Also, I thought there would be romance, though I didn't want any, but it surprised me they didn't make it romantically focused.

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Quando iniciei esse dorama, talvez até por causa do poster e trailer achei que teria temática pesada, não que não tenha, mas me surpreendi os toques de comédia que muitas vezes suavizaram.

Em algum momento pode sentir que não vai para frente por causa do ritmo, mas vale a pena continuar pois cada detalhe que é adicionado muda sua perspectiva sobre o principal, então para quem está tentando se convencer a continuar, indico ver pelo menos até o oitavo episódio, pois é onde tudo começa acontecer e o ritmo muda.

O principal não é um santo como deve já ter imaginado, até porque ele vendeu a própria alma, no começo achei que Harip era apenas um homem egoísta com grande ambição, as vezes ele era mais cruel que o próprio diabo. Só aumentou durante vários episódios, mas a partir do oito em diante vi seus outros lados e as respostas dos “porquês”, fiquei surpresa e ganhei uma nova visão sobre o caráter dele. Por isso posso afirmar que ele entrou para minha lista de personagens mais humanos que já vi. Incluindo todos seus defeitos e virtudes. Na verdade este é o objetivo do dorama, dizer que todos humanos tem falhas

A principal me incomodou muito por ser tão entorpecida, porém conforme via mais detalhes de sua vida entendi o que fez ficar assim, mas ainda não concordo de como ela apenas aceitava as palavras duras do Harip.

Falando no diabo, sinceramente não gostei do seu bloco com a Seo Young, nada contra a atuação ou coisa do tipo, apenas achei um desvio muito grande de rota, claro que a ideia é boa, mas a insistência me incomodou. Mas entendo o motivo.

Também tenho que elogiar todo figurino e maquiagem, cada coisa foi pensada nos mínimos detalhes, como a capa do ost parecer antiga, as cenas do passado que passavam do preto e branco, sépia a coloridos harmonicamente e tem uma OST linda.

Sobre romance, não há, a parti de um certo capítulo o roteiro nos faz acreditar que vai acontece, mas não tem, eu acho isso ótimo, porque dava para ver que o principal não tinha foco para isso e a via como uma memória carinhosa apenas. Então se está com medo de ver por causa disso não precisa se preocupar.

É um dorama maduro que instiga o pensamento, o final foi emocionante e reflexivo.

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The drama is decent, although not my favorite Jung Kyung Ho drama. I think that he did a great acting job as usual, along with the always terrific Park Sung Woong and Lee El. I think that Lee Seol suffered by comparison, particularly her one-note portrayal of Girl Gone Bad. But it was the script and story arc that I had the most problems with. The drama took on the topics of free will and divine guidance and made kind of a mess, which isn’t that surprising considering that theologists and philosophers have wrestled with those topics for centuries. I appreciate the fact that this drama made the attempt. I’ve noticed a lot of recent dramas dealing with the subject of free will and a character’s struggle to act independently of an omnipotent being, whether it’s a god or gods, manga writer, or game creator. It’s an interesting subject and deserves a better drama.

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Absolutely great start, okay ending and below average middle parts.

Absolutely great start, okay ending and kinda below average middle parts. Once the fantasy elements/devil was revealed to the characters one by one (eps13), the drama got goofy, comical, cheap and turned generic. The ending was okay but underwhelming. The light saber fight was bad, like seriously bad! I wonder if the screenwriters were changed after the initial episodes. The drama is still watchable but a huge potential was wasted. Feeling 5.5/10 at best!

Let's talk about hairstyles. Why most of the characters got a similar long-ish hair style? It didn't hit with me seeing Jung Kyung Ho with a long hair, I'm too used to his usual short hair. On the other hand, Lee El with the short blond hair was an absolute stellar!

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