Cititorul Gândurilor (2013)

What a great drama!!!!! I started to watch because of Lee Jong Suk because people sang odes about him :) And REALLY! Every girl would be the happiest in the world if they have a boyfriend like Park Soo Ha. He is a typical hero. He was sweet with Jang Hye Sung. (I want a Park Soo Ha PLEASE!!)
Hye Sung is a really individual personality! She wanted to look like uppish and scornful but she was fair what I liked in her. Her character changing was very good.
While I watched the drama the age difference didn't disturb me. The casts were harmonic and the episodes were engrossing. I couldn't bored 1 minute neither. It's one of the best dramas for me. There are always interesting twists and affairs. Must see!

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A deeply touching love story wrapped in revenge, reget and the law.

If you're looking for the sort of "fun while it lasts but forgettable when it ends" Kdrama romcom format that's all the rage these days you won't find it here: I Hear Your Voice is anything but forgettable. Its message that everyone deserves to be heard and treated with compassion to avert deeper tragedies - on the personal or societal level - is both melancholy and cheesily heartfelt in the best way and the romance has the same mix of emotional complexity and lightheartedness.

First, let's lay some groundwork:

1. The age gap. If you enjoyed Hidden Love it's doubtful you'll have a problem with it considering the leads are the same age when they get together: ML is 19 and FL is in her mid-twenties.

2. MDL complaints about every noona romance having "no chemistry" smack of toxicity. So if you can't get over the visuals of an older FL with a younger ML: don't watch it. Maybe examine your life and your choices.

3. It's no surprise most negative reviews are from people who hate FL or the romance because it features very non-traditional gender roles for a Kdrama. FL plays the ML role: she's an arrogant tsundere who brings home the bacon and can't trust or rely on others. ML plays the FL role: he's a supportive sweetheart who does all the housework and struggles with self worth. Somehow this makes both leads awful to a certain subset because ML behavior from a FL (and vice versa) is unforgivable. See again: your life, your choices.

But enough about the patriarchy. On to the plot.

The format is a mix of episodic and main story with the episodic cases introducing you to how public defenders work in South Korea sprinkled with social commentary. Judges and prosecutors have all the power and a 99% conviction rate; the public defender's job is to make nice and plea for leniency. Not that that stops FL once she gets going because even at her apathetic worst she has a better sense of justice than prosecutor frenemy SFL who's one step away from "I am the law" authoritarian. It's their rivalry that drives the legal story, aided by FL's pragmatic boss, idealistic co-worker SML and ML who forces FL to see the best in herself and is always ready to lend a hand when she can't.

The revenge is a slow burn that develops with the romance as it guides all the connected characters back together to deal with the fallout from a series of events in the past. Not exactly unique for Kdramas, but the difference here is how intensely personal everything is. There's no psycho villain, genius mastermind or corrupt chaebol pulling strings behind the scenes: just flawed people who make difficult choices they have to take responsibility for and struggle and grow as they do.

And no one starts more flawed or grows more than ML or FL. Their romance is them patching up the damaged parts of each other (sometimes literally) through their give and take relationship. It's not a perfect green flag with the circumstances but if you want to watch two leads work out their issues while cutely cohabiting and desperately trying to save each other this really doesn't have a match. FL's journey from someone unwilling to risk herself for others to standing up for ML, her clients and what's right even when there's no chance of success is inspiring to watch. Same with ML starting as someone who completely denies himself in heartbreaking ways because of his trauma to someone who values himself enough to assert himself in heart fluttering territory. I've never rooted so hard for two leads to get together or felt so fulfilled when they finally did.

Honestly, the worst thing I can say about I Hear Your Voice it is it has some gratuitous wrist grabbing near the beginning, some messy SFL family drama near the end and it looks like it was made in 2013. Because it was! If you can get past the older tropes and the uncanny valley of the soap opera effect, it's smooth sailing to a memorable story and the best noona romance I've seen yet.

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Wow, this drama is a masterpiece.

Story: I loved it. There was never a moment when I was bored and it was indeed a very well written story. The villain really was impressive. In this drama, I cried, laughed, and felt anxious. It was like a rollercoaster ride. There is suspense, romance, and lastly, A GOOD ENDING! The romance was NOT too much! It was perfect. There was a balance of everything. One of the kdramas I've watched that did not disappoint. And I mean it. It deserves a 10. Good pacing too! Everything is connected, no plotholes!! I'm usually a fan of HongKong dramas due to their fast pacing and great actors/actresses but this kdrama lived up to all of my standards. Definitely a must watch. Needless to say more? PERFECTION.

Acting/Cast: Even though, Lee Bo young & Jong Suk aren't the best couple imo, they definitely acted beautifully!

Music: Ooooh, the feels.

Rewatch Value: I will watch this drama again sometime but I already have recently so it'll a while until then.

Overall: This well written masterpiece deserves NO LESS THAN a PURE 10/10. Must watch. I definitely recommend.

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Only discovered this recently and, boy, I'm glad I did! Thinking this was made in 2013, I'd say this show was ahead of its time with strong female lead who fiercely faced social issues of age and economic gap, or being in a competitive field which favored men. Wide age gap between the leads were overcome by their exceptional chemistry. Their conversations were also very mature despite much younger male lead (no bickering trope, thank god). This has the best, most peaceful and natural cohabitation of leads shown in Korean dramas.

There was no over-the-top antagonist and the villain was well used for the show's crime-thriller genre. Female lead acted really, really well and young male lead was also very good. The supporting cast equally did well in the acting department which made the show even more lovable. Show and the characters were well-written, where all the leads (main & secondary) have the biggest character growths seen in dramas.

There's never a dull moment in this show. It got me so hooked that I finished it in 2 days. And I so love the soundtrack!!! Definitely a classic you'd love to re-watch over and over again!

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I loved this series until about episode 10. The story was good. A hint of thriller/suspense, a strong helping of humor, some mystery, and [coughgagcough] romance.

The relationship between the two female leads is pretty awesome, not because it's healthy, but because it's STRONG. I love the way they mirror each other and how obvious it is that they could be each other, given only slightly different circumstances. This is the relationship I watch, not the primary love triangle.

The supporting cast is pretty strong. I love attorney Cha. His attitude is, as another character alludes, contagious. He gives a lot to the cast and story. I also really like Go Sung Bin -- she's cute, energetic, and sweet. Both of these actors take advantage of showing their characters' depth.

BUT by episode ten/eleven, it's totally losing me. I really can't stand Park Soo Ha--I think his acting is pretty terrible. It probably doesn't help that his character does some pretty questionable/creepy things to the female lead in some of the opening episodes. His monotone voice resembles his monotone character arch.

This was a pretty good show, but now I don't know if I'll finish the season. I'd like more of the female frenemy relationship play out, and definitely more of the mom. :( But I'd pretty much take anything over Park Soo Ha. And since he's a primary character......

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REVIEW:I Hear Your Voice (2013)

If I had known Lee Jong Suk/Park Soo Ha was in this drama I would have watched it ages ago. I found it now and its on Netflix. It has only 18 episodes so a good day solid watch. Its so exciting and kind of romantic, just the way I love Lee Jong Suk. There is a few familiar actors that I have seen before in here so I’m totally ready to watch this.

So he’s a stalker now following the love of his life who stepped up to testify that she had seen a man kill his father when he was young and was about to be the only witness she said she was it and even had photos on her cellphone.

It started with a murder. How could I be so naive to think that this could be just a nice little romance. It turned into a nightmare. Kim Hae Sook/[Jang Hye Sung's mother] was killed by the first murderer. He was lying to the prosecutor saying he didn’t kill the very first victim and Jang Hye Sung was wrong when she said that she saw him kill the driver with an iron bar. When she said there was not only her Jong Hye Sung who was a witness but there was another witness as well and that witness was her Lee Da Hee/ Seo Do Yeon The prosecutor. He stopped speaking then.

Her mum last words were “people who harm you are just jealous. Don’t hate those people have sympathy for them. Feel sorry for them. Okay!” The murderer was with her at the time and listening to every word she spoke. He idea was to turn the daughter into a vengeful savage. The mother was confident that she had taught her well and that would never happen. The mother continued saying “ Promise me. Don’t waste your life hating someone. Okay??? You only live once. There’s barely enough time to love people. Okay! Good! Good Thats my daughter ” Don’t do it girl don’t go against your mother’s advice. She supported you through thick and thin and believed in you. Just have faith in your mums words.

A colleage in her office her now boyfriend is forced to defend her mothers killer. He is finding a way to get him off the hook. There must be some truth stories like this where the perpetrator is released through lack of evidence.

How come in this day and age homes in Korea do not have automatic washing machines and still stamp on their clothing in a plastic tub.

Their aquarium looks like our Kelly Tarletons in New Zealand.

Lee Jong Suk/Park Soo Ha is such a good actor. I’m glad I found this one now he’s gone into the Military. He’s only about 23 years old when he was in this drama. He’s so good. I think I need to bring him up on my favourites lists of actors. He got the cutest, sweetest shy smile. Flip flop my heart.

So in Korea they don’y get an automatic jury trial for murders like in New Zealand.

Bits of this drama is so sad, especially when she is trying to cut him out of her life. She is so ruthless, cruel and heartless to him. Telling him he never like her and she hated him. The other lawyer Yoon Sang Hyun/Cha Kwan Woo trying to make her his girlfriend, He has all the advantages, same age, same jobs, same intellectual level. He Lee Jong Suk/Park Soo Ha is starting to remember things.

So hard to put yourself into the position of the other person and make a decision about your own life and the process you are going through without malice. So this is “double jeopardy” Korean Styles.

Gee they drag it on sometimes instead of just spitting it out and getting to the point. Just tell him she is not dead already putting them through the mill.

AHHHhhh! Its over now but such great drama. You can tell it pretty good when you watch all night without getting tired and its daylight without you noticing and then you keep watching all day a still don’t get tired. Lots of humorous bit keep up your interest and you laugh out loud.

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I started watching this drama because of the cast (ok, I admit that I'm a sucker for noona romances as well). I didn't know much about the plot, I wanted the element of surprise.
I had seen Lee Bo Young in God’s gift: 14 days and Lee Jong Suk and Yoon Sang Hyun in Secret Garden, and I thought they had done a great job.

All in all I enjoyed it, but it just felt a little too pretentious at times. It’s understandable, though, since the basic premise is really ambitious: how difficult it is to find the balance between justice and compassion/sympathy/empathy, trust/faith in others, the inutility of revenge, forgiveness... I really like the fact that it adressed those issues.

I also found the love story and the loyalty involved in it really cute.

I love the fact that the lead female character is a strong, bold and independent woman as well, and that the relationship between both main female characters, the grudge they hold against each other, has nothing to do with a man they're both in love with, for instance, as it happens in other dramas. I really liked that plot. I didn't like the plot about the murderer as much, although I appreciate the fact that there is a message of redemption you don't find in other dramas either.

The soundtrack was also great. Indie band Every Single Day already did a great job in Pasta OST and I think they deserve more credit. They don't have enough recognition.

I really recommend this.

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My favourite noona romance and a wonderfully quirky female lead. This show could not have entertained or engaged me more.

In Short: A show full of wonderful characters and a great setup. Noona romance with cohabitation is rare, but glorious. Everyone should have a puppy like that.

Pros: I love everyone in this show. The female lead is superbly flawed, in a good way. Super cute chemistry both with first and second male lead. A rarity indeed: I also liked the female second lead. Go figure.

Cons: Some of the courtroom stuff was drawn out. Sesame street law was a little hilarious, but not always in a good way. For the main case, they should have considered real law.

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One of the Best Dramas in Existence

I just want to say that I cannot see a drama as good as this releasing in the future. This is truly a masterpiece of a drama that I cannot even think of words to describe it. There are only a few dramas where every second truly counts and there are absolutely zero fillers. This is one of them and it is a tragedy that there are people that didn't watch this drama.
The story is the best I've seen in any drama and each character is unique and important in their respective ways. By far the best villain I've seen in any drama. This is also one of the only dramas that I've watched that has a clear moral of the story and clear theme.
Each actors played their parts perfectly and I have nothing but compliments for all the cast. If you are a Lee Jong Suk fan and haven't watched this drama, then you aren't a true fan. This drama was literally the birth of Lee Jong Suk but I think Lee Bo Young and Yoon Sang Hyun acted the best.
Music is indescribably nostalgic and very fitting for the drama.
The only flaw in this drama is the fact that it isn't the most realistic drama. Also I didn't cry watching this drama but that is only because I am not the type to cry when watching something.
Overall, I cannot rate this drama below 9.8 because it is truly a cream of the crop drama. If you haven't watched already, then I urge you to try the first episode and continue if you like it. This isn't the drama where the plot gets watered down as you watch. All the way until the climax, you will experience a serious, thrilling, comedic, suspenseful, and romantic drama that you will learn something from.

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This was my first kdrama and I had noticed it on the top ten list. This kdrama is quite incredible in the plot that begins it, however I noted many unexplained plot parts as I went through the series. Some points it grew quite disjointed although I did acknowledge the fact that they did create sudden dramatic points very well. It doesnt really seem like the main character's further family situation was explained enough. The soundtrack however was well-produced and suited the main love triangle within the show. Could have ended it with a little segment from one year into the future but that's all I have to say really.

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