Devilish Judge (2021)

A good drama with an interesting concept but with some downfalls

I was REALLY excited to watch The Devil Judge mainly for the cast because all actors are really good and as expected I don't have complains about this. Every actor did an amazing job here! Jinyoung was really good and he definitely proved that he's one of the best idol actors out there (although he isn't an idol anymore), but Jisung and Min Jung are really the best thing here. Jisung as always portrayed the character PERFECTLY, we can always trust him in acting, and Min Jung was fenomenal too. The way her character is sassy and evil but at the same time she's always classy and calm is *chef kiss*. Jang Young Nam as the justice minister was really good too! As I said I think everyone did a good job here so the best thing about this drama for me is definitely the cast and the good acting.

Among the characters in the drama the most interesting ones were certainly Yohan and Sun Ah. They both did what they wanted and even manipulated certain things but with completely different intentions, as Sun Ah did everything for money. I really enjoyed the interaction of both characters and for me they were the main point to move the story and make the viewer like the drama and want to watch it more. Many may think that Sun Ah`s suicide scene was random but I believe it was the only option for a character who would rather die than seeing that everything she had conquered was for nothing. The justice minister was also an interesting character who captivated me throughout the drama. Unfortunately for me, the other characters were not as interesting as these 3. Despite understanding Gaon and knowing that it was necessary to have an honest character among the corrupt ones, Ga On is quite irritating in the drama and takes extremely stupid attitudes for a lawyer. Ga On`s friend and police officer was nice at first but her attitudes also start to bother me in the drama and I honestly didn't feel her death so much. Sun Ah`s poppets were also extremely annoying and very caricatured characters, they didn't show anything new except that old "I`m evil, I don't have remorse and I just care about money" story.

About the plot, I think that The Devil Judge have a really interesting concept. The dystopian world and how the judgments were showed to the entire population was very interesting. Sure, some punishments may have felt forced but we're talking about a dystopian world so in the narrative it makes sense. The different perspectives of Yohan and Ga On were also interesting as we have Yohan, who thinks that following the law correctly does not matter because power and money always prevail and we have evil people everywhere, and Gaon, who is a honest and naive lawyer and he still believes that following the law correctly is above everything. It is interesting that both perspectives, although different, are correct and can be applied in today's world. (altought as I said before, Ga On was a character that bothered me a lot). Other think I liked was that even though those corrupt politicians left the power, the system was still not destroyed and we still have corrupted politicians because we will always have evil people everywhere, for me this part was really realistic. Yohan being considered a god to the society was REALLY interesting as well because it shows how the society can be really blind by the ministry. However I cannot say the plot was well made in the entire drama. We had some scenes which seemed forced and things miraculously worked out, especially in the final episode. I began to lose focus on the drama and the plot seemed no longer as interesting as before, I was only watching for the good acting and Yohan and Sun Ah, but I believe that the irritating attitudes of the other characters may have contributed to this.

Talking now about the last episode, I didn’t really liked, it was almost like an open ending. Both Yohan and Ga On did a lot of things together in the drama and even tho they fought in almost all scenes the plot kind showed us a “bromance” going on between them. But the ending was too “meh” and Yohan walking away looked like he was saying “yep we did what we had to do and that’s it goodbye”. I don’t know I little expected more for characters that had such connection in the drama. Besides that, the final episode did not please me very much as I thought it was quite exaggerated and the scene of Yohan faking his death and then miraculously appearing to save Ga On was kind forced. The courtroom scene where the villains pull each other out to try to leave and then Sun Ah shoots the president was also a bit over the top for me (although I screamed a lot because Sun Ah was a legendary character until the end). The final scene between Yohan and Ga On was kind meh too, I expected a little more.

Overall The Devil Judge has an interesting concept and definitely keeps the viewer stuck. It's not perfect for me because I think the drama lost a bit of quality in some episodes mainly because the characters attitude bothered me a lot and some things seemed forced in the script, but for sure this is a drama that I enjoyed watching and I recommend.
PS: the direction scenes and OST were amazing too, for sure one of the best things in this drama!

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One of the best kdramas I have watched

So this Kdrama really gripped me. Not going to lie, I started it because of the cast but I wasn't expecting it to be this gripping

If you really like suspence and mystery, this is one of the best kdramas for you. The plot really kept me wondering who the real bad guy was although it was kind of clear, it still made me doubt everything while keeping it interesting and putting in more information bit by bit.

The character death were unexpected as one wouldn't really expect such important characters to just end up dying and it really added a lot more emotion to the drama. There were small happy moments that kept me alive even in the darkest part of the drama which I was greatful for because many dramas completely remove all happiness when dark or deep parts appear making those dramas very depressing. This one was different in that way.

The ending was bitter-sweet which left a deep impression on me as many dramas have either a happy ending or a sad one.

All in all it was a worth while drama and very well played out by all the cast members. The acting was amazing! I shed a lot of tears and smiled at the heartwarming moments.

I really recommend this drama to everyone

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I enjoyed it a lot!! at first Idk it was set in dystopian korea, so it was really strange and a very new world. plus there is almost no introduction... so it was kinda ehh?? for me. but thats the reason i was invested in the storyline. I wanna grasp what was happening and the next thing I know I was so into it. oh and plus, i really think this is like makjang for political and law related genre. sometimes it doesn't make sense and goes overboard, but thats the unique thing bout the drama. Acting was obviously amazinggggg and great i have nothing to say. anyways, i like it the storyline and all, but im not like a big big fan of makjang so thats where i cut my rating and sometimes there are few parts that were draggy and little bit boring. and thats it. but overall i enjoyed it

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One word - UNIQUE

This drama is set in the dystopian setting, where everything is just messy and frightening and does not make any sense but could be real in the real world. This drama is very unique and never seen before - to my knowledge, in any Korean dramas. However, I feel like the concept of dystopian in this drama is not enough? But I'll let it pass since the story is good. The story is interesting and exciting, the only thing that I find it undesirable is the slow burn this drama is. Kim Ga On always have distrust issues with Kang Yo Han, and while I understand his feeling but when I watched episode 15, I give up at Kim Ga On at some point because he has no trust when they're at war.

The casting for this drama is perfect. Jeon Chae-Eun can improve her acting skills, there are some scenes she acted that comes flat, but considering it's her first drama, she did a good job. Kim Min-Jung is the star of this drama I'd say. She did INCREDIBLE, if you remember/know Lee Yoo Ri got a daesang for playing a villain in Jang Bo-Ri, then I think Kim Min-Jung deserves a daesang this year. Not only she can play a psychopathic, manipulative behavior, she too can play an anti-social personality disorder without being flat af. Park Jin Young did a great job too, so does Ji Sung, I mean c'mon Ji Sung SERVES in every drama so..

I can't get over the judges outfit though lol, they look like altar boys lowkey.

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Traces of reality

A drama of peaks and troughs, in that there was a slower pace during scenes of plotting and vulgar celebrations while ordinary people suffered. The pace accelerated quickly during trials and action scenes. Excellent portrayal of threat, corruption and suffering in a dystopian world.
There were actually references to the realities of the inconsistent S.Korean laws and punishment for crimes, where, for example, sentences for GBH and sexual assault, are vastly different when they involve alcohol. Someone abusing, or causing grievous bodily harm to another person, whilst under the influence, is not deemed to be in their right mind and so gets a lesser sentence. Yet someone using drugs, who doesn't affect anyone else by doing so, gets a hugely inconsistent sentence in comparison. Drunks even get away with murder. It is farcical and sickening.
The dystopian society setting for this story is multi layered. There are the filthy rich and country's most powerful, who abuse the poor, their position and are covered in bribery and greed; the ordinary, blue collar, working, middle class who are largely unaware of, or unaffected by, the abuse of power (apathy); and the poor, who bear the brunt, as usual.
There are horrendous examples of what it might be like if the wealthy ended up with total control.
The ex-actor President figure, with his OTT cheap rhetoric, greed, nationalist diatribe against foreigners and zero conscience, was like a cross between Trump and Hitler. The types in society who latch on to that and use it as an excuse to maim and murder, are portrayed excellently. Cowards and thugs.
An excellent, amoral, mentally unhinged, inferiority complex ridden and purely evil female character, who is a great puppet master, is portrayed really well by Kim Min Jung. The times I wanted to climb into my TV and punch her!...
The whole cast were great, with neither Ji Sung nor Jin-young overacting, although there were times scenes of grief were stretched out too far, for me personally ~ but that's down to direction, not acting.
The pivotal story of a fire years before, is always in the background. Ji Sung's cold, menacing and detached character of Kang Yo Han is really good.
I honestly wasn't sure about him until a lot further into the drama.
The dynamic between Ji Sung and Jin-young's characters was brought to life by the actors, who I thought worked really well together.
There's a little romance, but I never felt sparks between Jin-young and Park Gyu-young ~ a kiss was decidedly mediocre, considering it was between 2 people that had avoided their attraction to one another for years, over fears of wrecking their friendship, and were no longer teenagers. Their chemistry as the closest of friends, however, was really good.
There was a scene where Elijah was alone with Soo-hyun on Ga-on's rooftop apartment terrace and when they left, I immediately wondered how the hell they got up there (never mind down again), with a wheelchair (no lift). That to me is lazy directing. There were several occasions the story veered a little too far away from what would actually be possible.
Overall I enjoyed this drama a lot though. It felt great when Yo-han found loop holes to exact punishment on criminals, that those he was ultimately after, were trying to protect.
The power of the media (but also the need for it to be independent), of spin and of how it is more than possible to frame someone by manipulating facts, should be watched with a huge dose of caution about the realities of such things, which are prevalent in today's societies throughout the world.
Dictatorships brainwash and control their citizens. Those of us lucky enough to live in democracies, should fight to ensure life stays that way and be thankful for it.
It also spotlights the realities of baying for blood, when it's others who will carry out and have responsibility for taking that person's life ~ regardless of why.
Some scenes are difficult to watch, but fit perfectly, are not done purely for effect and carry a heavy message, if looked at as more than just another action/thriller drama.
The OST is near perfect too.... Huckleberry Finn and more, were a genius choice.

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Finally dystopian dramas!!!

The drama deserves a high rating, although at some point the story one became too far-fetched, but I think the ending made up for it. I feel that the drama is kind of a satire that says a lot in low tones. Where there is tyranny and oppression, it will give rise to a monster seems to be the central theme for this drama, I liked how the drama gave us a visual of how it would have been in a world of live court shows where people could actively participate. I learnt a lot, like yo han used to say, 'no one is really innocent', most people who hold themselves out to be so righteous turn out to be the worst hypocrites, we shouldn't be too quick to pass judgment on people's character. Most importantly, I liked how the drama ended on a realistic note that in the end, the fight against corruption is a destination and is not something that can be achieved quickly.

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Sun-ah...

tw: mentions of rape sa Bruh... i feel like sun-ah got so downplayed at the end. it felt like they implied they all raped her when they talked to director seo before he died and then they never brought it up again...? i honestly thought after she saw the orphan she would've been the one to stop all of them and then yohan would've stopped her idk..? like i was expecting a little more.. and the fact they left GAON IN KOREA????? he has nobody left in his life ???? if yohan killing the PRESIDENT couldnt save korea from dystopia wtf was gaon gonna do... like i wish they would've all went and had the family they always wanted 😭💔

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I'm gonna miss this series

Can't believe that it's over! Two months gone- just like that! And the ride that this series carried me on! What a journey!

Story-9/10
This was an amazing story that just left me shock week after week and made me eager to see what would happen the following week. Sometimes when you think it's going to go one way- a curveball is thrown just to blow you away. And it was also so good to see that all of the bad guys got their just desserts in the end. I couldn't give it a full 10 due to these two major things- the characters of Kim Ga On and the portrayal of Yoon Soo Hyun.

Kim Ga On's character was easily persuaded by any individual once they say 'Yeah, this is what happened.' And that what annoyed me a bit. I thought that maybe, just MAYBE he wasn't that gullible (or some might say trustworthy) to believe basically what anyone says. He was a lawyer. His character needed to be more analytical as he needed to think with his brain and not with his emotions. Basic knowledge is that there are three sides to a story- the two people who are telling the story and the truth. That's just plain common sense (this also goes for his teacher, Min Jung Ho).

What also got to me (even though I cried when she died) was that they basically used the fridging trope on Yoon Soo Hyun. Fridging is the practice of killing off or hurting a minor character (yes, I know she is a main character in this series, but it still works) in order to motivate or torture a main character. And it can clearly be seen here. We don't really get any in-depth background story from her character except for she went to school with Kim Ga On and loves him and that she's a cop. We don't have any background story of her life. And because they used this trope and didn't develop her properly, I am clearly annoyed.

Acting/Cast-10/10
Everyone's acting was amazing. There were characters who I hated with a passion from the beginning to the end. Some characters I felt were even able to redeem themselves (there were two female characters who annoyed me, but in the end they changed my perspectives on them). this series makes me want to see more series that stars Ji Sung, cause his acting was phenomenal. I also felt that Park Jinyoung's acting is improving as he is taking up more series and different characters every time.

Music-10/10
The music is beautiful and top notched!

Rewatch Valu-9/10
Okay. Here what- I'm going to give this a 9. Cause there were a few things that annoy me, but this series was still excellent. So, I do want to rewatch it, but still have to gear myself to watch it again.

Overall-9.5/10
Overall, it was an excellent series that I did enjoy. And I would most definitely recommend this to other viewers.

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Confier la justices aux "like" sur un smatphone, est-ce une si bonne idée ?

Ce drama est présenté comme une dystopie, et il n’est pas mauvais d’en rappeler la définition :
(wikipedia)
Une dystopie est un récit de fiction dépeignant une société imaginaire organisée de telle façon qu'il soit impossible de lui échapper et dont les dirigeants peuvent exercer une autorité totale et sans contraintes de séparation des pouvoirs, sur des citoyens qui ne peuvent plus exercer leur libre arbitre.

Ici, il est évident que la volonté de rendre la justice la plus transparente possible en y associant le peuple par le moyen des réseaux sociaux et des applis de smartphones démontre largement les dangers inhérents à ces idées qui pourraient paraître bonnes, avec leurs dérives dictatoriales et populistes qui vont avec !
Ce que j’en ai pensé :

Drama passionnant, qui tient en haleine par la force de l’histoire (la vision assez terrifiante d’une justice expéditive rendue par les clics des gens sur leurs smartphones, ) et par les différentes enquêtes qui s’y infiltrent, soit des enquêtes par épisodes, soit le fil rouge qui suit tout le drama concernant l’incendie de la maison du juge Kang.
Drama passionnant par la puissance des personnages principaux, aux personnalités extrêmement bien écrites, fouillées, jamais manichéennes, avec assez de zones d’ombres et d’ambiguïtés pour ne pas tomber dans ce piège. La relation amour/désir/haine entre Yo Han et Sun A est magnifiquement écrite, soutenue par le talent remarquable des deux acteurs, Ji Sung et Kim Min Jung. De tous les rôles de Ji Sung que j’aie vus, c’est celui-ci qui m’impressionne le plus, et pourtant sa carrière se caractérise par des choix de personnages difficiles ! Kim Min Jung, je ne l’ai vue que deux fois, mais chaque fois aussi impressionnante dans la diversité des choix de personnages. Jin Young fait une entrée remarquée dans le monde du drama, j’ai hâte de le revoir sur le petit écran ! Sa relation quasi filiale avec Ji Sung est une superbe bromance à la fois tragique et profondément chaleureuse. La filiation est d’ailleurs un fil rouge important du drama, recherche d’un père parti trop tôt, absence d’un frère aîné très aimé… La jeune actrice de 16 ans (l’âge du rôle !) Jeon Chae Eun est aussi à surveiller dans l’avenir, elle donne une vérité, sensibilité et fraîcheur au personnage de la jeune sœur paraplégique de Yo han.
Face à ces personnages, on voit s’agiter un groupe d’hommes et de femmes qui touchent parfois au burlesque, mais un burlesque tragique, marionnettes ridicules poussant au maximum de la caricature ce qu’un régime dystopique pourrait donner ! L’opposition entre l’exagération débridée de ces personnages et la rigueur, glacée et totalement maîtrisée du juge Kang et de la secrétaire Jung A donne une force supplémentaire au drama. Entre les deux, Ga On et son amie d’enfance policière Soo Hyun, ainsi que la jeune sœur de Yo Han, cherchent leur équilibre, quelle route choisir, qui suivre, et s’interrogent sur comment survivre et ne pas perdre son âme.
Ces trois groupes de personnes assurent un équilibre au drama, qui lui permettent de ne jamais tomber dans un genre particulier mais de rester à la limite de plusieurs…
La réalisation joue sur le côté « démoniaque » du juge Kang, qui n’est en fait qu’un art consommé de la manipulation, mais laisse entrevoir par des cadrages, des couleurs, des musiques, des décors très étudiés une atmosphère presque fantastique et surnaturelle. Cela donne un ton très particulier au drama, à la limite de plusieurs genres, sans jamais trop charger l’un d’entre eux : policier, fantastique, psychologique, satyrique, social, et même horreur… Cet équilibre des genres se maintient parfaitement presque jusqu’au bout, et c’est là qu’intervient mon bémol : les trois derniers épisodes sont alourdis par trop de flash back, en particuliers certains déjà vus et revus, et par l’abus des ralentis. C’est dommage, on passe vraiment très près du drama parfait !
Ceci dit, c’est un défaut que je reproche souvent aux dramas coréens, mais c’est peut-être justement ce qui fait que d’autres les préfèrent ! C’est une affaire de goût, et cela n’empêche pas ce drama d’être vraiment excellent !
L’OST est superbe, en plus, donc je le recommande chaleureusement !!

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Final un poco agridulce

Quería mucho empezar este drama porque quería mas de park jin young después de verlo en when my love blooms además de que esperaba mucho su relación amorosa con park kyu young y teniendo a ji sung de principal, este drama tenia todo para engancharme pero no contaba que dos actrices que no conocía me robaron la atención como lo hicieron y estas son kim ming young siendo una perfecta antagonista en la historia la cual podías odiar y amar al mismo tiempo, sin dudas su trabajo fue excelente y la otra actriz en cuestión es jeon chae eun que es una actriz que solo tiene 2 proyectos pero que tiene un enorme y exitoso futuro por delante con el talento que tiene, su habilidad para los detalles mínimos a la hora de gesticular sus caras para transmitir emociones me dejo impresionado.
En cuanto a la historia, nada para decir porque fue atrapante en todo momento y jugo tanto con los sentimientos de todos todo el tiempo que estoy seguro que todos terminamos el capitulo 15 y estábamos en la misma situación de ga on de no poder asimilar todo lo q estaba pasando hasta el momento y hasta ese capitulo yo no tenia ninguna queja sobre el drama porque emoción que intentaba transmitir y era emoción que sin dudas yo podía sentir sin problemas pero el final se separa de todo este excelente trabajo que se venia logrando, siento que después de la muerte de soo hyun que fue un punto de quiebre para muchas tramas del drama no hubo significativo equivalente a esa muerte porque la muerte de los antagonistas no tuvo impacto y la muerte que vendría a ser de la presidenta no habría existido de tomar la mano del juez kang y el posterior suicidio iba en contra de la muerte que el juez kang le había prometido cuando mato a su compañero por eso siento que este final, aunque no fue malo, no concuerda con lo excelente que venia siendo el drama.
En fin es un muy muy buen drama y sin dudas de mis favoritos de este año, la trama pre-final me encanto y sin dudas las actuaciones de todos se llevaron los aplausos.

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A must see. It amazing to watch

WOW" Dont be fooled by its name. Its like a spider web of how all the fraudulent activity within the government and conglomerate. This shows how powerful people think they are above the law and as long as they have money and stick together they can commit or cover up any crime. That is til they decide to do a virtual Court Room that the public can be the jury and vote on. The higher up wanted to make money and heighten there careers off of this, but when things take a wrong turn hell break loose and this is an example of what happens: The first case is the Minister of Justice Cha Kyung hee son was arrested for assault, battery, intoxication and more she goes nuts because charges weren't pressed, but his records showed more than 10 settlement. The people find him quilty and he flogged 30+times then put in jail. As each episode goes on to take down hugh companies that cause injustice to the people and those backing them. As Yo han is slowly tearing down those that hurt his family and Ga on families and so many others. I feel he helps Ga on more since he looks identical to his dead brother and tries to protect him. As the show goes on the big guys are getting nervous and making some mistakes. Ga on didn't like the way the Yo han handled things until he find out that the man who swindled people out of over $1 billion won and caused his parents & so many others suicides was switched out with someone else and only 130,000 was confiscated. Also Cha kyung hee husband's business was going bankrupt at the same time and was saved.. I wonder how?

Ji Sung plays Judge Kang Yo Han who was born and tossed away by his father who showed nolove and only beat him. Thankful he had his stepbrother that tryed to protect him from his dad. His father excuse was he's like me and locked him in the basement only to come out when told. I feel bad as he didnt know what he did was wrong. His emotion turn on/off especially the scene with his niece when he tries to smile and talk to her ep7/8 10+++.

Park Jin Young plays Kim Ga On the young attorney who is trying to stop the scams that killed his parents and Kang Isaac (Elijah dad and Yo han step brother & protector)

Kim Min Jung plays Jung Sa Ah who says she loves Yo han since she worked for his family, but she would steal anything shiny and blame him and he would be beaten by his dad. Until One day he tells her to jump if she likes him and she did.. She is definitely in need of psychological help and a crazy B**ch and thats being nice.

Park Gyu Young plays Yoon Soo Hyun a police office and best friend to Ga On since childhood. She proposed 5x and he reject and tells her to ask again later they as they rely on each other and he doesn't want to loose her over a misunderstanding.

Ahn nae sang played Min jung Ho who was on the Supreme court and advisor/friend of Ga on and Soo hyun. He keeps telling him that Yo han is bad and to work for him and get info to take yo han down. I think jung ho is bad.

Park Gyu Young plays Yoon Soo Hyun a police office and best friend to Ga On since childhood. She proposed 5x and he reject and tells her to ask again later they as they rely on each other and he doesn't want to loose her over a misunderstanding.

Ahn nae sang played Min jung Ho who was on the Supreme court and advisor/friend of Ga on and Soo hyun. He keeps telling him that Yo han is bad and to work for him and get info to take him down and also stirs things up between soo hyun and ga on. I dont like him i think hes bad.

**The other 4 characters: Cha Kyung Hee [Minister of Justice], Heo Jung Se [President], Min Yong Shik [Chairman], Du Man [Saram Media Group Chairman] and there wives are just as bad as them money hungry 🤬🤬

Yo han has a personal grudge against the blue house and conglomerate(animals) for using the church and convincing his brother & wife to donate everything (10+billion won) to build the Dream home, village etc projects for the poor and homeless. "NOT" its going into there own greedy pockets and going to develop there own project and sell it overseas. As he was walking away he heard screaming and ran back to the church to get his family out, but these animals just pushed, climbed and shoved each other. When he finally got in he grabs his niece from under his brother & wife and as he walked away the ceiling clasps on them and he protects her. He walks out later with his niece
back scared. Even as a child when he killed the bird in class, he saw the fear on the girls face and thought he was helping, but again was called monster to many times you become one. IF ONLY someone would have taught him right from wrong and loved him from the beginning i think 🤗 he did what he did to protect his niece its just his mind works different,
The show continues with Yo han, Ga on and Oh jin joo taking down criminals that the higher up were protecting(for money of course) thru other reason that put them in jail. There are some unnecessarily grouse killing that make you want to cringe especially when they all sit around a table and just drink, joke and laugh so sad. The president convinces the public there is a virus and they are taking care of until yohan, ga on, oh jin exposures them on live Tv to show the public how they are beating everyone old/young and even kill a grandfather. Soo hyun show up and gets shot and now Ga on is going crazy and Min jung ho convinces him that it was manipulated by Yo han. Ga on makes a mistake and Yo han is arrested and put in jail and now he tries to fix his mistake and finds out everyone close to them is taken so he goes sneak into the farm. Then a flashback we see the wives talking about going to the farm to see if there crops are growing in Dream village medical. Now Ga on is inside and video what he sees and hears and finds hwang yi yon so now he tries to sneak her out and is caught by a nurse who helps but ask him to expose the farm. Omg when all the truths come out and ( i got it right from the beginning YoHan secret.) i found the ending quite satisfying with no questions unanswered. A must watch A+ PS: have tissue available

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