If you are a Ji CHang Wook fan,this must be on your list

I watched K2 in 2024,for am in a mission to watch every Ji CHang Wook drama,am not even being paid to do so but the man is just mad talented that you wished he was on your screen everyday.
The story is not new for the pre-2020 action/political dramas but stellar cast makes it very interesting and it keeps on the screen wanting to know what next
Unfortunetly MANY VIEWERS expressed the need to pair the ML with the lady villain instead of the FL who was at the center of the story,and i saw why they all felt like that.
Arent we all tired of weak Female leads and K2 gave us the supreme leader of them all..Every now and then i wanted to reach inside my screen and say come on Ann speak up"or do this,but she was just following a script and the writers reall did hr dirty.Nevertheless if you look at this from a human point of view or a reality angle,two strong characters often crashes whenever they are paired together and this would have been the Case if there was a romance between K2 and ms Villain but for sure it would have mmade the drama more intensse adding the love triangle of Ms glasses a.k.a Secretary Kim.So they decided to give K2 a soft love interest that needed saving otherwise where would he have found the need to use and re-use the action scennes that honestly unless you are an action fan,they just became unreal as they progress.
This is an old drama and by 2024 the story tellers and directors have grown and are experienced,Am sure if this had a season 2,It would break the box office.

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A time travel trope done exremely well

I have always avoided time travel trope like a plague.the world of dramas is already unreal,adding another brain frying imagination is tiring in itself.
From an edit on the tiktok,i ventured into this unfamiliar territory and hoped for the best and ma glad I did.
The Synopsis was clear and it didnt derail in the story,which was well told by a very relaxed writer.am starting to think women screen writers are better.

The story is well told,the back and forth is well calculated that you dont notice at all..Normally time travel can be a bit complex which is the reason why
I dont find peace in them.I liked the way the write sedveloped the past story in details that you might think its a whole drama in itsself.and whenedver
Yoo So Joon would step into the future was just a matter of either fixing it or getting information that would help him in the past.
The drama moves at an accurate pace,unless your are extremely impetient, you would say that its a slow burn.
All the side stories were developed to fit the main story and the actors didnt miss a bit.The bromance between Yoo So Joon and his best friend Kang Gi Doong
was unreal,it was a loyalty class,He was the only normal person who knew his secret and he kept it safe for many years,without trying to force him to stop
traveling back and forth but being there in whichever world they met in.Lee Je Hoon the ML though this my first drama of his,am about to watch "Where the stars land".
Just because i find him fascinating,one of those actors with an aura of being present and swallowing a character that its hard to know if its real of fake.
Shi Min Ha will always shine in whichever role she portrays..She is a class A actress and i never have to worry about her peroformance whenver i pick her drama.

Overal this was a good drama from the era where K-drama produced quality stories.Fo someone who dont like Time travel themes,I sure was hooked from the
begining to the end,and i will recommend it at anyone looking for a stable and mature story.It did well on the romance that am adding it to my fluffy/butterflies
producing list that make you kick and screem with happiness.

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Light,fluffy and the right amount of cliches

I love Sung Hoon since Oh My Venus and My perfect marriage revenge so whatever I say
will be biased but for the sake of it,here we go.
I have gone back in time to watch old dramas,going back to 2014 when directors
really took their job serious and the current oppas were still doing some serious acting
and the writers were not misserable.
My secret romance is from that Era.Its fluffy,and the story is light,I think I was coming from
watch a heavy plot,so i needed to relax.
The story is not original,normal 2nd generation Chaebol falls in love with a regular girl, just
from this you already know whats coming next.The only difference was the fact that they
started their relation backward.From a one night stand to love.It normally take 12 episodes
for the leads to hold hands but they went straight to it and this made viewers excpect things
to be tough ahead but honestly the time jump made the whole thing go smoothly.
Its a piece you enjoy on a lazy saturday afternoonenvironment you might finish it in one sitting.
The only negative thing is the overuse of flashbacks but i think i have seen worse

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A plot written to give you Stockholm syndrome

As am determined to watch at least 80% of Ji Chang Wook projects before the end of the year,
I picked up my suspicious partner without going through the reviews..
I told myself that 40 episodes of 30 min each will nt ruin me as long as JWC is on my screen
Also if you are C-drama watcher, you will know thata this is childplay.

1.If you like good and real acting from professionals,please go ahead and watch.
2.If you like good court drama and crime solving,please go ahead and enjoy this.
3.The support team and the friendship that came out of this was incredible.
4.If you are triggered by handsome criminals with mesmerising visuals,maybe skip it
5.If you get easily angered by a hot and cold female lead who take 38 episodes to decide,
6.If you have enough time on your hands to watch an amazing cast doing amazing acting

Key people to keep in mind:
No Ji Wook the versatile prosecutor played bythe multi talented Ji Chang Wook
Eun Bong Hee, the unluckiest FL turned lawyer,nicknamed "dirty but pretty" by No Ji Wook
Jung Huy-Soo,The smoothest handsome serial killer who started the whole nighmare

Note:It doesnt mean the whole drama was superb,but any plot hole that showed up was covered
by good acting.Like the child that witnessed the murder and was confused if he should testify or not.
I know it was added so that Procesecutor No Ji Wook can sort out his own story but the way it was never
solved or developed didnt make sense at all.Having in mind that this wasnt a small plotline.

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There is nothing wrong with a spoiled brat with blue hair

Every now and then life becomes hectic and you want to crawl on your
sofa and watch an unnecessary amount of other people making mistakes.
Secondly,I was also getting dragged into the 40 episodes of "Suspicious partner"
so I needed a break from the serious plot that drama was serving.

To be honest,there is nothing wrong with the ML storyline,its common,
the usual Chaebol spoiled kid,whose purpose in life is to max out his parents'
credit cards,but the twist is that he is "broke chaebol" because they purposely
plotted to freeze out his source of money and let him inherit a debt ridden property
from the grandfather and they expect him to turn it into a profitable business.
But no kdrama will be drama without the childhoof traumatic event and our ML has a
good one and is the premise of why he left Korea and has been rooming around.

To be honest this could have gone well,with some good side storyline and proper character
advancement,if the writers didnt throw in the most annoying FL character in the history.
Am not talking about her storyline,Am Talking aabout her acting crazy and obnoxious.
If I had a dollar,everytime she would scream,i would be rich.She has the worse communi-
cation vocals,she cant say anything without screaming and kicking,at one time I had to
reduce my volume to avoid my eardrum bursting open,the problem was not in her acting
because whenever she was calm,you could see her skills showing.
The problem was with whoever wrote her character and told her that everytime she opens her mouth
her soundwaves should hit the roof.i believe the writers were drunk when they wrote her character.

Dont even get me started with the obssessive 2FL who literally made us go through torture
using emotional blackmail to our ML to the last episode.I cant find the right words to describe this.
Its rare to find the side characters more enjoyable than the main leads and this happened to this drama.

I will admit that I stayed for Sung Joon's acting and his visuals and probably this drama cast a spell on me.

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A CHAOTIC START THAT BECOMES SOLID BUT ENDS IN CHAOS AGAIN

**The below review is based on personal views and preferences.Dont let them influance your choice to pick or pass this drama.

THE STORY:
The usual childhood silent crushes that are separated with time and reunited by "fate/destiny" when one is trying to save one of
her grandfather companies and the other trying not to sink with the same company..Not only they try as much possible to stay away
from eachother,they later realise they are both fighting in the same direction, and so on and forth,i really dont put importance on the side stories.

THE CAST:
This drama might not have been on my top 30 but it sure introduced me to a new actor that has entered on the list of my all time favorite actors.
Not only he is really talented but the visuals are from another world.This is not a professional review so am going to be as mondaine as possible
while talking about this man..He is absolutely beautiful man and he deserves to pick romantic projects and he is allowed to showacase his chemistry.

The most memorable character in this drama is the FL's Grandfather who is chairman,He made this drama enjoyable and he gave us the comedy we needed
when the chaos was chaoting.He was charming,witty,slick and he didnt take nothing serious,he must be a veteran in the industry because he was the really MVP.
I love FL that is strong with a can do attitude and is not afraid to face hardship and she serves this,of cause writers didnt miss the usual angst and annoying
lines but at least she had a good relation with the grandpa and she was fearless with him and you can see how much he loved her very much.

OVERALL:
The story would have been good if it had met sober writers,but this bunch of men or women were all over the place,the cam around in the middle and the story
became enjoyable but in the end they went off course and I cant count how many times i rolled my eyes..It became the worse version of "You are my glory"
And the CP never ending monologue made an entrance and the whole drama went south.

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How an actor who has signed a"no physical contact" clause manages a Romance drama..

There is just something that puts me off from watching dramas of actors/actresses who are married.
This has been one of those,no matter how much i wanted to watch Bai Lu doing her things,but
Ren Allen being married doesnt help my delulu..so i kept passsing this one.When the dramaland well
dried up and there was nothing captivating to watch,I broke my own promise and pressed play.

I never saw the prequel One and only so i had no back story to fall on to but the FL's flashback memories
helped to understand that she was a "reincarnation" from the past and from what i red this prequel had a sad
ending that broke people's souls so it was good that the characters were given a second chance to live.

That aside,It is just a good drama,the creators did a good job to bridge both project without washing off the
historical setting.Its a modern drama with a histirical twist in terms of the storyline and the Set/architecture
The viewers who had wathed the prequel,could identiffy who is who from old to new.

Now here comes my pain,I and a thousand others.Ren Allen. a solid actor and to be honest I would watch him
again but not in drama with romantic tags.I though the "no physical contact" clause was a roumour but watching
him and the directors playing hide and seedk with anything that would bring him an inch closer to the FL,went from
anger to what in the name of all saints is this to now this is comedy.

It could have been ok if he was paired with a cold FL who has no personality but common,we are talking about Bai Lu
here,even her smile and facial grimace tell you that she is down to whatever..
Anyway I will going to go on and on,I have already recovered from this so lets just say that its ok to have these types
of boundaries on paper but it is also ok to send your manager a memo that says dont acccept romantic dramas.

Overall,It was a good drama my grievances are just from personal opinions.If you dont mind wathing a frustrated wife
with a clueless but smart nerd husband with green flag qualities,You will enjoy the SLOOOOOOWWWW BURN

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THERE IS ONLY ONE THING WITH SECRETARY KIM..SHE IS SECRETARY KIM AND WE WANT HER TO BE MORE

THE FOLOWING IS ENTIRELY MY OWN OPINION AND INPUT

NOTE: THE KISS SCENE THAT HAS 350 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE CAME FROM HERE

I watched this long time ago but back then MDL didnt exist and I have already had it of the list of my top 30
all time favorites so I had to rewatch it so that I can review it and am glad i did cos it felt like am watching it
for the first time.There was an Era in K-drama industry that produced really mind blowing projects(2011-2021)
And Whats wrong with Sec Kim belongs to that Era..I have found myself avoiding anything that came after that.

Lee Young Joon is a typical Chaebol boy with charm and confidence the size of Mt Everest,and he knows it
tHis is the character that makes those peoplle who like to throw big words like "narcissist" "misogyny" will have
a field day with.Did I mention he is also the King of 2018 Rizz and as his favorite quote goes,He oozes an "Aura"
That makes everyone around him bow as he passes.He is a character you can choose to hate or love depending
on which side of the highway you are standing on.but he has a certain weakness that has gone unnoticed for long.
He has a twisted past,entertwined with his brother and he has a dependency desorder to his Secretary who happened
to be part of the past he would wsish to forget but internally resolved by keeping her close to him and to his heart.

Secretary Kim Mi Soo is Lee Young Joon's lifeline,She is the engine that circulate his oil but his world comes crumbling
down the day she decided that she has had enough after 9 years together,not that he treated her wrongly but she has held
this position long enough that she has forgotten who she is other than Sec Kim.This anouncement mark the beggining of
a very long drama of 16 episodes which i think could habeen 12 but ok.

What I liked about LYJ was his intelligence and his confidence that If you are sensitive you might mistake is as arrogancy.
His monologues that made this drama really enjoyable.It is not a bad thing to actually complliment yourself and Sec Kim
has gotten used to his self proclamations that she let him have his way.I kept laughing how he would turn something as simple
as "Am calling you because I miss you," to "Am calling because I dont want you to miss me"

What I can critises is the mismatch or imbalance in the chemistry formular .LYJ knew from day one when he was 8 and Sec Kim
that he would love her forever and when that time came while they were adults,he gave his all to her but because she had been
in this position for long,it became hard to separate the carrer and love.She was so immersed in being his secretary that when it came
to their relationship,it was impossible for her to shift emotions,something that they mentioned often,when he wanted to serve her or
do something for her..This issue came through in the screen case i felt like she had this same posture and manerism even during their
intimate scenes.I kinda low-key wished she actually resigned so that her character can grow and bloom into something else.

Overall it was an engoyable watch.This is probably my 4th drama by the FL,she is one of the best in the industry for a reason

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IF YOU CAN WATCH IN A PLATFORM W/LIVE COMENTS,ITS LIKE A FOOTBALL MATCH ?

In search of J-drama that will not leave me buried in in tissue box,I contacted my man Sakaguchi Kentaro,
Before I deep my feet in his just finished to air "What comes after love" I want to prepare myself for the angst
that is coming in that drama.And I made the righ choice because this was one of those dramas that keep you
on a life line..You want to punch the wall but at the same time you want to keep going so you can see how much
character developement can one human go through in 10 episodes.

Japanese script writers are known to walk on a very thin line between normalcy and insanity and this project topped
the list of "what are they smoking".The story was actually normal contract marriage trope,rich and stable ML with
struggling FL,add a dose of an ML with extreme OCD,who is an entrovert with questionable social awkwardeness
combined with a handsome face supported by an ethereal jawline wich is a dream of overy cameraman.

If you are triggered by cultures that you do not understand maybe this is not a plot for you,or you can just seat
for 10 episodes watching Sakaguchi Kentaro being absolutely breathtaking,hiding behind the Tokyo haircut.
This is is to say that,even though marriage tropes are not realistic in our world of the 99%.The writers just
decided to put two people of the opposite worlds under one roof,and it was comic to see the struggle.

Watching on a platform with live comment section made it double awsome,it was life watching a football match
Some hated it,then loved it as episodes progressed,then hated it again and finally there was nothing to say only
blame the referees who are the ever enduring japanese writers.
8.5/10 I will recomend,cos at least for once no one dies and Kentaro is enough to glue me at the screen
even though they made him the "slowest" brain frozen,probably virgin ML I have ever seen.Oh and be prepared to be
diagnosed with 2MLS

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I CAN'T SEE BUT I SEE EVERYTHING..I CAN'T HEAR BUT I HEAR EVERYTHING...

Am not a Manga reader so whenever I give any manga insprired drama,I have no expections to meet.
And when it comes to japanese melodrama I go in looking for winter on a summer day,life lessons
or tears.Either way I always get what am looking for..mostly tears,for Japanese writers are gifted at that.

I read reviews and many were positive with a "But" neverthless I saved this for my PWL and I did like it,
somehow it kept me on edge because i had a weird feeling that something bad was going to happen,
even though many had spoiled the end but who can trust Japanese writers?

Tomohisa Yamashita is a veteran actor and he never does wrong in my eyes and I was thinking he could
play Steve Wonder so easly.Its the first time watching any Yuko Araki work but I think she did a stellar job.

Japanese cinematography and production are never up for discussion,they know what they are doing.
The story was beautiful,I learnt permenant lifetime lessons on disability,love and the fact that giving up
should never be an option.It makes you appreciate the gift of sight,hearing and ability to speak.
There was some plots holes which I wished were filled butI dont want to mention
them to avoid spoiling it.But In a two hour movie,its not easy to close all the gaps.

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CUTE,FLUFFY,CHILDHOOD TO ADULT WITH A HOT SURPRISE AT THE END

This is going to be short and short so here we go.
Everytime i get traumatized by a drama,I try to find something
that will cleanse my brain palate and will warm my heart no matter
how cute and childish it is.And this was the best candite.
Nothing original here,same old highschool,childhood to adulthood.
where the leads grow up together,its like a lighter version of Go Ahead
And When i fly towards you.
What I really liked was the ML.He had a commanding chemistry even though
It was met by FL natural butterfly character that had a personality of a 12 yr
But he kept it grounded and loved her as she was and protected and cared for
her alot.
He gave us a surprise of very hot scenes,we didnt know we needed.
For those who knew the actor from the k-pop idol group SEVENTEEN were
shocked to see how he managed these scenes ,even though he is know to be
of a quiet nature so I would really wish he can do more acting.

You could see how he helped the FL to be comfortable in her own skin.

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A BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY WITH AN OVERDOSE OF FRUSTRATION

I cant believe that this is my first review of a japanese drama so I will do my best not to scream.
I honestly believe if there was a K-drama adaptation of this,it would be a bit.And I have few leads in mind
Zo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo would slay it..Remember "The winter the wind blows?

Japanese writers live on sadness,they pay their bills with our tears,there is no J drama that i have watched
that didnt leave me bitter and angst.The only thing I enjoy is how they make the pain short and wrapped in 10 episodes

But for the first time I cried only once and this is a record breaker.
I dont know why the title is Perfect world but there is nothing perfect about the story, it should have been called
Resilient world because that what the characters went through.Resilience.

Its a beautiful love story of a woman Kawana Tsugumi who falls in love with her high school crush and when they meet years later
even though life hasnt been good to him,she is still in love with him regardless what her surrounding says.
Unfortunetly things dont turn out as she hoped for,it seems her fighting spirit can't save the love of her life Ayukawa Itsuki
He has already decided that love to him was not something he should try due to his disabilities and no matter how genuine it feels.
They had a mixture of good and extremily annoying characters that made you want to pull them out of the screen and slap them.

Japanese writers are generally wierd and fear nothing in terms of walking on thin ice,they tend to lean toward abnormal storylines
that would make editors in other film industries scratch the floors with nails.
I won't spoil the rest but be ready to roll your eyes in anger and lots of WTF moments.

I won't talk about the technical and cinematography stuff,we all know Japan does it best.
But I will talk about the FL wardrobe.Thank you wardrobe team for ignoring those manga style,
And giving our FL a proper,chic and beautiful outfits,she was looking like spring in all the shots.

Overall,I liked it for it was more on an educational spectrum about disabilities.
But I wish there was some good romance in there..Just dose of it would have been perfect
although the powerful vows at the end made up for my yearn for these two to be lovey dovey..

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A WORKPLACE NOONA STORYLINE DONE INTELLIGENTLY

Let's get something out of the way first;

The following review is from the POV of a millenial.So it will only be based on my own opinion.

And please dont listen to the comments who judged the whole drama based on the episodes between 35-40
The ML made the right decision to allow the FL to separate herself from an emotional fortress and reality.
He wanted to start over without all the complication of their "fabricated marriage" because He really had fallen in love with her
But she couldn't differiante feelings and ambitions

Am unashamed to say that I enjoy noona romance(older FL younger ML) and personally age is just 1234, a numeral number and I dont get triggered as long as it's within the legal bracket.With great luck,writers didn't put it in our faces repetitively and in the end it was never an issue that was visible.
Am a sucker for a FL who is strong with a badass attitude and the creators picked one of the best in the industry Ms Yang Mi,not only she came with beauty and determination but with her,she showed up on the scene with a brain and a glorious wardrobe.

In the field where the glass ceiling is higher than the Eiffel tower and decisions of who advances or who stays at the cubicle desk are made in the boardroom and in the bedroom.So you better be playing chess not checkers,and if you are a woman the game is even worse.

So the whole drama is based on a “tiny” white lie told by her mentor during her hiring process after she was rejected by everyone because of her status and this became a premise of her rise or downfall.

Enters our ML played by Xu Kai,Just your normal introvert but genius with a touch of OCD.who fell from grace and is hiding in his parent house who have decided that 4500 RBM per month is all he needs to survive,without knowing that for the last 2 years he is been someone’s perfect husband in a couple’s picture somewhere in a lawyer’s office and as fate would decide they meet at a party where he is giving in to his mom constant request to go on a blind date and our FL is trying to get her foot in the door by socializing and networking with the same people who don't want you to even come to the door.

From the time they bump into each other to contracts being signed and sharing the same space,their intellectual banter is what really kept me hooked,no matter how much the crybabies in the comment section kept on being impatient.
The two characters had the most memorable communication I have ever seen in the C-drama world.They really completed each other without even noticing that they are yin and yan.
She brings home all her frustration of the day and he picks her shoes which without malice she tends to leave at the door and he cooks,cleans and soaks her feet in the bucket to release her stress.As the drama is called, He is the perfect husband.But there is more….
How will they continue to survive as the truth of the lie keeps getting in the gossip circles closer to the office and their families who came with their baggage?
I was immersed in the topic and the character development that I don't think talking about production,Set,OST or cinematography is necessary because it was a top tier production and thank you to whoever designed all the sets and houses..Should i mention the wardrobe team? Yes they slayed all the looks,You could feel the Shanghai soul in all the looks and the location that were used..It felt like 1920 has incarnated into 2022.

OVERALL;This is a beautiful drama that requires the viewer to love the subject and patiently look forward to how Yang Hua will solve Qin Shi’s puzzle in any of her cases that has fiances in them.

WHAT I DISLIKED: The last episode.The jump of a whole 7 months from the airport scene where the FL thinks the ML has left the country..I won't say where he was to avoid spoilers but that last episode could have gone a lot better.

Yang Hua’s famous line in my books,He had many philosophical and poetic ones whenever he was drunk but this one was epic while he was sober.

“I have never been wrong about money and numbers”

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IF ALL HOSPICES IN THE WORLD WERE THESE GOOD..

Ji Chang Wook would play a snaill and he would do it well,Its hard to pick holes in a drama with two of the most seasons actors.My man Sung Dong IL been aroung for some moons.
I went into this drama ecpecting rivers to flow and box of tissues to be overly used but shockngly It wasnt so...I dont know why but every death seemed like ok,at leat this person will not suffer anymore,It might be maybe because they chose characters that are advanced in age,the only character that made me shade a tear was a younger lady who had a dream to become a musical actress..this explains the phenomen that it never a good feeling when young people die.
Personally I loved the calmness and the quietness of the show,in scenes where someone was not being beaten by a baseball bat(this was really excessively used by the way)I dont know why the bad guys just found bats and golf sticks more appealing as weapons
The show was going well until midway when some story lines started taking centre stage more than necessary.Yes they have to connect to the ML past but a sidestory should not take more than 3 episodes especially in a 16 episodes drama..The gangstar stuff took more airtime than necessary,this time should have been used to grant more people their last wishes..Am not fun of funerals but the drama would have done its sad purpose if they did show us the Captain Kang Tae Sik's funeral,it would have been really sad,imagine all the characters coming together to bid fairwell to the legend,and how broken would Yun Gyeo-Rye(Ji Chang Wook)would have been watching his adoptive father/savior leave this world.
I would have wanted to see Jang Seok Jun and Ha Joon Kyung meet in the outside world,their character development was one of the highlight of the show for sure.
Overall I call this a light drama with a heavy subject that makes you question alot about end of life

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The Title should have been:The heart haas left your body

I have another review to write but let me get this one out of the way while my pulse is still high cos thats what this drama will give you.An emotional rollercoaster and a high blood pressure.
I dont care what anyone say, if you want to see how the past traumas can ruin innocent people's lives.
I dont have much to say about the story cos you have to watch to make your own judgement but it will leave you with anger and bitterness towards adults and their decisions at a split of a second and lives are ruined forever.
Seo In Guk has officially entered in the my guiness book of record as an actor whi shoulders strong enough to carry a character that is demonised and hated by everyone..A devil they say but what kind of devil is he?Is He really?
THis is the first drama where i watched the ending before starting it so i knew it was going to wreck me but decided to watch it like a book.I enjoyed the journey and burried the end at the back of my head and assume it wont happen.Call it voluntery amnesia.
I was scared to watch this project but am glad I did because out of it i learnt life lessons that i will pass on to my off-springs;Cure past traumas before they kill you,and tell everything no matter how painfull it is

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