THE DEVIL IS NOT WHO YOU THINK...

When the show was good it was really good but when it was bad it was really bad. The first 8 episodes are undoubtedly the strongest from the show. The first episode itself had enough political intrigue and theatrics to convince the viewer that watching this to the end was worth it.

PLOT - The plot was definitely enough to peak my interests and convince me to enter this dystopian world. Ironically enough most of the corruption that was displayed by the political figures and business men are happening in our world today. That made sinking into this setting all the more realistic.

CHARACTERS - I'll start with Ga On. He's my favorite character. Those side eyes bed give KHY TOOK ME OUT. Of course I still have my issues with him but I like the do-gooder passionate side that craves true justice. There were times however when he was too naive to the point of being obnoxious. It's like he's in this fantasy world where everyone has good intentions and no sinister motives and that was annoying to watch. He got so caught up in KYH's business that he failed to notice himself being used as a pawn in Sun Ah's plan. Jin Joo was so unbelievably oblivious it got stupid. Almost every scene with her was confusion. It was unclear to me if she actually wanted to be a judge or a pathway to being a celebrity. Towards the end she decided to work in the juvenile court but tbh I thought she cared more about the glitz and glamor of the court show. Jung Sun Ah was no doubt a dangerous individual and was alluring at first but I soon grew tired of her temptress tricks and that silly saccharine smirk she has plastered in her face every scene. What didn't make sense to me was when she broke down after finding out about the human subjects for the president's secret project. You literally killed people and showed no remorse but children is what makes you show emotion? Get out of here. I also get down with the fact that she based her entire life on the delusionaI notion of being with KYH one day. Given everything that she did up to ep 16 it didn't compute with me. I was so mad when she killed herself. It was such a cop out and I wanted the satisfaction of her living to see herself in ruins. The president's character was a bit overdone but we got the message. Elijah was cute and added the lighthearted humor the show needed at times. Watching her relationship with Ga On and KYH develop was sweet. Soohyun was good but imo her and Ga On were better as friends. Their relationship was rushed and they really made them kiss only to kill her off. I thoroughly enjoyed Minister Cha. I was sad she ended her life cause she was too good of a character. Minister Jungho was a plot twist I did not see coming and that really hurt me lol. The betrayal I tell u! And Finally Kang Yohan. I must say that his character was written so well. I think it was obvious at a certain point that he wasn't the devil everyone was making him out to be, but the unfolding process was well worth it. When the truth was revealed I was mind blown. The buildup was so artfully done and it all made sense. I don't watch Jisung much but his performance in this was great.

I will say the finale felt messy and rushed but they tied up most of the important subplots and left me satisfied with the finished product. Judt watch for the rollercoaster ride.

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entertaining but that climax NOPE!

This was good. The first show I’ve seen where a girl goes after her father’s killer. They set that and the organization up pretty well.

The characters were good. Han So Hee really shines bright in this. I loved how badass and independent she was. She really had fire in her eyes and nailed the anguish and anger that Jiwoo felt. It’s impressive that the actress chose to gain weight and go to action school for the role as that shows her dedication. The scenes where she interacted with the organization were always satisfying to watch. Choi Moo Jin was a scene stealer for sure. Park Hee Soon was mesmerizing in the role and I wouldn’t mind him playing a mafia boss again in the future because he’s just that good. Lee Hak Joo was good in TWOTM but I like him much better here. He was the charming and loyal right hand man to Mujin yet he had a humane and soft side that was pleasant to see. It’s almost like sometimes he regretted certain actions but you were never really sure. Pil Do was a good support system for Jiwoo. He didn’t fully understand her but he did recognize that she had to complete her mission and offered to help her.

All 8 episodes were enjoyable in their own right but I have to admit that things got repetitive after a while: Jiwoo would be told a piece of information that she thought would get her closer to the killer only to find out the info was a loose end and she would start again. I wanna note that the intimate scene between Jiwoo and Pildo was special. It wasn’t overly sexual but relevant to the story because that was the first time Jiwoo found someone that understood her pain and allowed her to let her guard down. It was beautiful actually. The payoff wasn’t worth it imo. We never got an actual reason as to why Mujin lied to Jiwoo in the first place and it irked me even upon second viewing. My best guess is that he wanted to see if Jiwoo would become like him during the process of finding her father’s killer, so stooping as low as he does would make her worthy or something. Idk yall. That angered me. Jiwoo literally threw away her life and a great future only to discover her mentor and trusted ally was the perpetrator. I was just as livid as he tbh. Overall, entertaining show.

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well-written story and great acting!

Ngl I went into this thinking it was gonna be boring asf and hard to follow but I liked this show way more than I had anticipated. I avoid historical dramas like the plague but I watched this because a friend recommended it and I thought my mom would like it and decided to watch along with her. And I gotta admit, I like the show WAY more than I anticipated and I would actually consider rewatching this in the future. The plot is undoubtedly the strongest element of this show. The first two episodes are easily the strongest ones. The child actors who played young Hwi and Dani were really good. They absolutely deserve a shout-out.

CHARACTERS - Park Eunbin undoubtedly had the hardest job out of the entire cast. She plays both the Crown Prince Hwi and Dami, but she does both personas well. I didn’t think she’d be able to play a man but she was believable enough. I think a part of it is because approaches the role with a regal aura which contributed to how well she portrayed her role. There were times when she clearly sounded feminine and was seen looking like a woman but if her secret identity was found out early there would be no story. Even so, I still think it was kinda dragged out, and as expected, there were multiple times where Dami's identity should've been revealed. PEB also portrayed the torture and anguish of being trapped in someone else's life so beautifully. Now unto Rowoon. He was better than I expected. Especially with the emotional scenes, even though he could still improve. For an idol actor, he actually did a decent job. Nam Yoon Su was also good. Not my favorite side character that he played but he was cute for sure. I like the support he portrayed towards Prince Hwi. I also absolutely love the guy who played the grandpa. He was a trip! But he was very entertaining to watch.

Overall this was a very satisfactory watch. It also may have some replay value for me. I’d definitely recommend this show if you love historical dramas or as a show to watch in between shows.

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a surprisingly fun watch!

I picked this as a time passing drama between shows but I did not expect to be enjoying it this much. Normally I don't go for fantasy but this show is super likeable despite my personal taste. Despite the premise I ended up laughing a few times during this and that surprised me.

THE CAST - I am absolutely in love with the leads. I've seen some dating rumors about the leads but I'm not surprised. Their chemistry was through the roof and they look so good together. This is coming from a person who decided to watch this because of JKY and LH's 1st Look Photoshoot. I've only seen Jang Ki Yong in Come and Hug Me but in this role he gets to be a bit comedic as well as strong and stoic and he pulls it off very nicely. There are times when he's serious and protective but he was also funny and gentlemanly at differing times. He was nice looking to me before but damn did he look good here!-this drama had me swooning over him in almost every scene between him and his co-star. I've heard criticisms about Lee Hyeri's acting but I could see where they're coming from, but imo her whacky facial expressions and somewhat adolescent performance for the role of Dam very nicely. She's a young person in college so making Dam young relatable was good on the writers' parts. Believe me, I had my doubts in the first episode but I like her acting choices.
Overall I think both JKY and LH brought their characters to life beautifully and you can tell they had a lot of fun filming as well as behind the scenes. The side characters are surprisingly fun to watch. The FL's best friend was great. He genuinely made me laugh a few times. He was supposed to be the clingy-loser friend to the FL but I found him really cute and endearing. The SML was extremely likable despite his school reputation and lack of development. All we really know about him is that he's a player and he has a mad crush on Dami. Hye-sun was pretty good too. Her ditziness was a little ehh sometimes but it was her relationship with Woo-Yeo that kept me interested in her character. As a side note, I much prefer Kang Ha Ma's role in Start-Up much more to this.

THE PLOT- The plot is nothing new but there are certain things that are unique. For one the whole marble thing. Ngl the sequence of events leading up to the leads meeting and living together was ridiculous and made me chuckle lol. But there's a fine line between ridiculous and stupid and this was ridiculously good. The second thing was the fact that ML didn't change upon meeting the FL but he more so opened himself up to her. Woo-Yeo has been alive for centuries but he wasn't really living. He was just going from period to period, person to person. Once he started spending time with

Overall I'm giving this drama a 9/10. Didn't expect to rate it this high but I'm really enjoying this. Definitely recommend!

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promising premise, but plot falls apart

The name, premise, and look of this drama were very promising. At first. I don’t really go for horror or fantasy type dramas, so I really went out of my way to watch this. And the first few episodes were really going somewhere. But towards the middle I found it extremely hard to keep track of wtf was going on. Like what even was the plot? The characters were likeable, but their motivations felt lost towards the end and there seemed to be action just for the sake of action.

LDW was charming and cheeky. Pretty good with his acting, but throughout the show I feel like he was just Goblin 2.0 but Fox version. I was getting major Grim Reaper vibes and given his success from his role in Goblin, I feel that was intentional. His mysterious backstory was intriguing, but once I found out what happened to his first love I was kinda creeped out. He fell in love with a child?! Very odd choice for storytelling. After discovering that it was extremely hard to get on board with his mission. Ah Eum was okay. I don't know if this will make sense but she looked the role but couldn’t play it. I liked her character’s motivations but her lack of chemistry with the male lead took me out of the romance aspect of the show. They had cute moments for sure but I never fully bought them as a couple. The first few episodes did her character justice, but then it was downhill from there. She just became a damsel-in-distress and unrootable. My favorite character was Lee Ram hands down. He’s kind of the I-wanna-hate-him-but-I-just-cant type character of this show. I found the scenes between him and LDW the most compelling in the show. They gave me Stefan/Damon(Vampire Diaries) vibes and I was here for it. I didn’t think his character would have an arc but he did. A bit rushed, but he was my favorite person in this show.

This show had the potential to be something more but it just became a confusing shit show towards the end. I wanted so badly to like it but the jumbled plot and inconsistent characters made it impossible. Ultimately a waste of time. 6/10

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I don't know exactly which American movie this reminds me of but I've seen something like it before. I believe taken is the movie I was thinking of while I was watching this. I found the storyline engaging enough to check this out and it was an overall interesting watch. This has more blood and gore but if you enjoy that sort of thing as well as great action scenes, then this is for you. Won Bin did a great portrayal of his role. He brought a mysteriousness to his character, and as a viewer, that made me more intrigued to find out more about his past. I wish his backstory was given more information because he was so interesting to watch. Jeon Somi was cute and funny. Honestly, I didn’t expect her to make me laugh so that was a nice surprise. She was also able to deliver emotion. She didn’t get much screen time but she did well with what she was given.

OVERALL I give this movie a 7/10. Ngl I think this film is slightly overhyped, mainly because Won Bin is in this. I didn’t find this film amazing but it was pretty solid.

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I really liked the premise of the movie(despite it's overdone trope as a plot) and I really liked Joo jin-mo's role. I like the whole “ugly girl turns pretty and becomes successful” trope, however I don't really understand the underlying message of the movie. Was it supposed to shed a light on how shallow society is? Was it promoting self-love? Ultimately I think the movie could've tried not to be so surface-level, but movies with these kinds of plots don't go very far. I still expected a little more. I still like this movie and I’m willing to give a second watch to it.

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This was my first Chinese drama. If you're looking for a lighthearted rom-com with lots of cute moments then this show is for you. The plot is basic and most of the plotlines are predictable but it's still enjoyable to watch. I thought both male leads were cute but I liked Lin yi yang a lot more.I also liked the second lead couple more than the main couple. I liked how the relationship between Qing Quing and her grandpa developed. The female antagonist was just annoying and only present for the sake of conflict. It's one of those dramas where it starts off good but becomes a mess towards the end. But if you're not the kind of person who pays attention to details you'll like this one. But prepare for a lot of cheesiness cause this drama has a lot of cheese.

Overall I give this a 7.5 out of ten. Would’ve rated higher if it wasn’t for the messy climax.

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Given all the hype surrounding this drama, I came in with high expectations. This didn't blow me away but it was interesting enough for me to keep watching. This was a good drama but I didn't feel anything special walking away from it. Idk maybe my expectations were too high. I've seen a lot of people comment about how the romance in this is one of the most uncomplicated relationships in a drama and I can say that is very true. The first few episodes are slow but the story starts to pick up eventually.


THE PLOT was pretty interesting. If I had to complain about anything it would be the flashbacks with the parents. I know they were put in to reveal more about the past but I just didn’t find them that compelling. It was the dynamics of Kim Moon Hoo and his brother and Healer and their possible connection that kept me tuned in. 


THE MAIN CAST was very good. Ji Chang Wook did something to me after K2, so naturally, I went from Suspicious Partner to this. I still think his best role was K2, but he was still pretty good here. He is a very talented actor and his good looks just add to his greatness. It was funny seeing him go undercover as a shy person to get closer to Yeong Shin. Chae Yeong Shin was strong-minded and independent, which is something you don’t see often with female leads in kdramas. She wasn’t cheesy and she seemed believable, so that’s good. Ahjumma was a nice balance to JCW and played off of him nicely. The chemistry from the two leads was very nice. Their romance is slow but sure. JCW can easily convince you that he’s in love with anyone with his acting skills. The most interesting character to me was Kim Moon Ho. He was the cool and charismatic celebrity reporter, however there was just enough mystery around him that made me want to find out more about him and his sinister brother.  I also felt the action scenes, although good, could’ve been better.



THE MUSIC was good. I really like Ben's "You." It has the perfect amount of emotion. "Eternal Love" gives a feeling of nostalgia and I like that.


OVERALL I give this an 8/10. Although this was good I felt like this how didn’t give me the emotional climax I needed. I felt like something was missing but I can’t exactly say what it is. Even though this drama didn't make it on my favorites list I still enjoyed watching. Rewatch value is low, but I'd be open to watching this sometime maybe in a few years.

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I LOVE the plot. However, looking back in hindsight the drama isn't as woke as it's trying to be. It constantly preaches that looks don't matter but you made the male and female lead attractive. It would have been more relatable if kyeong-seok was in a relationship with Mirae and she DIDN'T get plastic surgery. Plastic surgery is so common in Asia yet it is barely talked about in society let alone TV shows. In this you get to see potential effects it has on a person after they go under the knife and how it could change their life for better or worse. Mirae really tug at my heartstrings with her sad backstory and conflicted emotions. After the surgery, she had seemingly gotten what she always wanted from those around her: love. But on the inside she still felt the same, and Im Soo Hyang's portrayal of a conflicted beautiful girl was great. She delivered an emotional performance and she had me tearing up even though I never went through anything remotely close to what she did.

I actually enjoyed all the characters. Even soo-ah tho she got the side eye a lot of times.I heard in the webtoon her character was more in depth but in this they just reduced her to a mean pretty popular girl, which is disappointing to me because I actually wanted to know more about her backstory. Wooyoung was my favorite character. He was cute and charming and kind-hearted and understanding. AND PATIENT. Just a good guy in general. if guys like him existed where I live I wouldn't be single. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want Mirae to be with him and not kyeong-seok. I really felt for him when he was rejected by Mirae. Second lead syndrome definitely happened to me.

The acting was very good. I can see why some people had a problem with Eunwoo, and I can definitely see where they're coming from. Oftentimes he seemed cold, standoffish, and dull, and I feel like he stays like that until the last few episodes. He just posed a lot like a model lmao. Like ok we get it, he's handsome. But he didn't do so bad. As for Im Soo hyang, amazing job. You can really tell she embodied her character to the fullest extent.

IMPORTANT MORALS I LEARNED FROM THIS DRAMA:
1. Plastic surgery can't fix an internal issue.
2. Being pretty doesn't necessarily mean you have an easier life. From a certain point of view being beautiful can be a negative thing.
3. What's the point of being beautiful if you're not happy?(this one's the most powerful)

Overall I give this drama a 9/10. Thinking about rewatching it soon

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Interesting plot with a mindless story

The plot interested me, but the story itself seemed kinda mindless. However I really like Seo In Guk, so I was bound to check this out. But as I got further into this I kinda lost interest. I stopped around episode 7. I just never bought Louie's amnesia. oftentimes amnesia or forgetfulness is used in dramas when the writers are too lazy to write a real story. And even if it was believable, the main event of a drama is supposed to bring out change in the main character but I didn't really see any development with him. I've read other reviews that say Louie stays the spoiled undisciplined brat he does even after he gets his memory back, so for me that was a sign to drop this. I like the idea of this drama, I just could never really get on board. I really did try to like this one though. Overall 6.5/10.

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Love conquers all

Dramas with casting like this either end up being really good or overrated. This landed somewhere in the middle for me.

CHARACTERS - Hae In was a refreshing change up from the typical FLs in kdramaland. I found her apathy and dark sense of humor amusing. She wasn't exactly painted as a super nice person but nuance was def there. Granted she had a lot of family issues and suffered a big loss. Even still, the way she treated Hyun Woo made me feel for him at times. Gotta say, I was taken aback by the interactions between the two. This couple was supposed to be married and they treat each other like this?? And this is before we get into the messed up family dynamics. A huge reason why I continued watching was to see how their marriage reduced to such toxicity. Hyunwoo truly was the beating heart of this drama. I never believed he really wanted to divorce Hae In, and a huge reason why is because it was obvious he still loved her dearly, even after everything. Ofc he's wrong for withholding the truth and playing in her face but let's be real--neither person was innocent in this situation. No matter how ugly things became, Hyunwoo's unwavering dedication to the relationship came through. It was easily the most compelling aspect of the show. I hope one day someone loves me the way Hyunwoo loved Haein cause damn lol. The other characters didn't particularly stand out to me. The villains had an ok setup but were ultimately one-dimensional. We learned again that Park Sung Hoon is good at playing scummy people lol. Kwak Dong Yeon continuously playing pitiful characters has become the norm. Will he ever escape?

In conclusion, this was a decent ride, all flaws considered. Things did get draggy, even feeling a little chore-ish towards the end. But when this hit it hit. Rather than being overrated QOT is overhyped, but that was bound to happen given the actors involved. I prob won't rewatch but i don't regret investing my time at all.

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intense and gripping

This was def one of the more original and interesting dramas I’ve seen. It was not your typical show that you might be used to seeing. The subject matter was unique and hadn’t really been explored before in dramas but this one did a great job of pulling you into the absurd and frightening world of being in a religious cult. Certain episodes will challenge you not to lose your sanity as the madness around the characters ensues. The writers did a great job with everyone’s characters, especially Sang-mi. Her brother’s death was just heartbreaking. She had suffered much tragedy in her life and her entire family had been turned upside down, so it was extremely easy to root for her to get out of the crazy situation she was in. Seo Yeji is really an amazing actress and I will definitely pay attention to her dramas in the future. Taecyeon as Sang-Hwan was great, but Woo Doo Hwan was the better lead. He didn’t always get a lot of scenes, but when he did he nailed them. I can’t believe he was just a rookie actor in this drama. Also a special shout-out to Jo Sung Ha for his portrayal of the deceiving father of the cult. I’ve seen him play a corrupt politician in another drama but this role is his best I think.

This show doesn’t have much rewatch value. It got slow for me after the first few episodes but things intensified towards the end. I love intense gripping dramas like these as they are more my taste. 8/10

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I decided to try my hand at one of the classics, but this one didn't do anything for me. I like the story and seeing Kim Soo hyun's face on screen(that man is gorgeous) Ji-hyun's character was alright. Her high maintenance haughty attitude was kinda what made her character her, however I actually liked it. She managed to get a chuckle or two out of me. As for me, I don't really think anything in this drama was that memorable, except for the ending OST "you are my destiny" by Lyn. That's iconic. But in hindsight I really can't remember what actually happened in the episodes. It felt like I was just watching to finish and not really fully being engaged and what I was seeing or hearing. Most of it was boring at best, however I do vaguely remember the last episode. Probably because it was the end LOL. Overall I give this a 6/10.

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I actually really liked this one...more than I'll admit to myself. I loved mostly every scene between Xia Lin and Ling Yizhou. They have great chemistry and definitely portrayed that "dream marriage" very well. I enjoyed the kiss scenes in the skinship a lot. Xu Kai Cheng is very handsome and this show makes that apparent every chance it gets. My favorite character was probably Chu Yan, Yizhou's best friend. He was funny, charming, and added the lightheartedness and humor that the show needed at times. I also liked Yizhou's assistant. He seemed dull at times but I think his character developed nicely in the end. I didn't like the antagonists at all, which is good I guess because you're not supposed like the villains anyway. An Ran became kind of annoying towards the end of the series and Jin Tian was pretty good at first but became laughable in the last episodes. I'm not going to say any spoilers about the plot twist but just know that it is low-key problematic.not only that but I feel like the main conflict was resolved way too quickly.it didn't ruin the show for me but it just wasn't realistic with the way it played out. I ended up watching the series twice and I literally never do that with any show so damn I guess I like this. It's like a guilty pleasure for me. Overall I give it an 8/10

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