There is a question that many people wonder about. What happens when we die? Will we simply cease to exist? Will we somehow be reborn, enter Heaven or maybe even Hell? No matter what you believe in, I don’t think it’s a question that we will ever get an answer to until the moment arrives. Now, I don’t know about you, but I for one am pretty happy to postpone that moment for as long as I can. It’s not that I fear death, but I am pretty happy with living right now thank you very much. But we all check out at some point, that’s pretty much the only certainty we have in life. (Oh yeah, and taxes but I always tend to forget that one for some reason). Well, I can hear you thinking right now: “This is a very cheerful subject:NOT! I’m going to move on and check out something else”. Well, if you do you are going to miss out on a review for the best Korean drama series that I have seen so far in my life. So please bare with me just a little bit longer okay?
In Black we meet up with Kang Ha-ram a young woman who has always had a very special ability ever since she was a child. When she looks at people she sometimes sees dark shadows forming behind them. These shadows are always the signs that the death of that person is very near. Ha-ram hasn’t been happy with this power at all, and the only way she can avoid it, is by wearing sunglasses. One day she crosses paths with police officer Han Moo-gang who she is stunned to recognise as a boy from her childhood, one was always very kind to her. She has not seen him in almost 20 years, but it appears that he has really changed. He doesn’t seem at all like the kindhearted young boy who she remembers, but instead has turned into a very coldhearted insensitive man. And she would be right, as Moo-gang has not only changed but is now possessed by a Grim Reaper. But this is not the only problem that Ha-rang is going to face. When a body is found, certain events are set in motion that will uncover a very dark secret and conspiracy that has been buried for a very long time. And certain people will stop at nothing to prevent that secret from rising to the surface…..even it means killing everyone in their path.
Okay, let me make one thing clear, and this is very, very important. Do not, I repeat not drop this show after watching the first two episodes. I almost did this, and am eternally grateful that I did not. When this series starts you will be very confused. What exactly is this series trying to be? Is it a police drama, a supernatural mystery, or, and this is what I feared the most, a slapstick comedy? The first two episodes were a mess and the “comedy” was so cringeworthy that I very nearly gave up. But man, am I glad that I did not. Black is a show that by the time you start with episode 3 is almost impossible to turn off. The story it tells is tense, gripping, emotional and will have you in tears, on the edge of your seat, as well as laughing all at the same time. It’s a rollercoaster ride that will never let up. The best element in this series is how it draws you the viewer into the storyline trying to figure out how all the puzzlepieces fit together. And just when you think you have figured it all out, it throws another twist at you, and you have to start from scratch again.
There is a huge cast of actors, and as such it’s impossible to cover them all. I will instead focus on the two leads, but suffice it to say that every single actor involved in this series is great. No matter how small their parts were. And no, that is not me just saying so, just to get this over and done with in a quick way. Actor Song Seung-heon plays the part of the Grim Reaper possessed cop Moo-gang. His acting is superb and I love the way how his character evolved throughout the series. He can tackle basically everything, from actionscenes, to anger, to comedy to drama, everything he does is believable. His precense just lights up the screen everywhere he appears. But his chemistry with lead actress Go Ara, who plays the role of Ha-ram is also a huge part of what makes this series work so well. And speaking of her, you will completely fall in love with the character she portrays. Ha-ram is a feisty woman, who always has some very snappy comebacks, but is also very caring and emotional at the same time. This series is really her story, and that’s why it is important to have an actress who can carry that part. Go Ara really gets the job done, and then some.
Black is a series that blends many elements together and that’s why it can be enjoyed by a pretty large number of people. Even though the show has supernatural elements, it never let’s these elements take the upper hand. Above all this is a solid and very cleverly written murder mystery, with a touch of action and suspense and the occasional humor thrown into the mix. And of course there is also some romance, but this only adds to the strength of the series instead of diminishing it. So in case you haven’t yet noticed, I absolutely loved this show. The only reason I haven’t given it the perfect 10/10 score is that the first two episodes just felt out of place. And seriously, I was very close to dropping it, something I almost never do. But the rest of this Korean drama series is so fantastic, that I have all but forgotten about that. If you have yet to watch your first K-drama series, this might be the one to start with. I guarantee that you will not regret this. So, this concludes my review for the second series for the Korean Drama theme month. What’s up next you ask? I haven’t yet quite decided, but rest assured there is one more series review to come. Thank you for reading!
I give Black a 9 out of 10 score.
Not something I would have picked up on my own but your review is definitely tempting!
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It really is a fantastic show, and one that I highly enjoyed 😀 It’s definitely well worth checking out, and it has the word bingewatch pretty much written all over it lol 😂😂
I hope you will give it a chance at some point and if you do I hope you will enjoy it.
Thanks for your comment 😀
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Thanks for the advice. On Netflix by chance?
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Yes it is😀 I watched this one on Netflix. And it’s a Netflix original, so it should be pretty much available in every country 😀
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Great. Will look out for it.
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This sounds like a series that my parents would definitely enjoy (I think they need a break from all the usual drama K-drama) with the combination of mystery and supernatural.
Thanks for sharing! 😀
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It really was a great series, and pretty big budget as well, which definitely shows too. I hope you parents will enjoy it. And of course, you are welcome 😀
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I guess this is why people say you should give a series at least three episodes before dropping it. Had you abandoned Black after two episodes you would have missed out on a classic.
For what it’s worth, I believe we just cease to be when we die. I fear death, so I would cow-er in terror if confronted by a Grim Reaper named Moo.
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Yeah that is so true. I hardly ever drop a show, unless it is truly something that I really hate (and one of those things is slapstick comedy shows). So I am seriously so glad that I stuck with this. It was really amazing.
Haha: I think we would all cower in terror at a Grim Reaper named Moo lol 😂😂
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Nice review Michel! Like Cozy, this isn’t something I would have gone searching for on my own, but now I’d like to see if I can find it here. What you said reminds me of a new show here called The Orville. Developed by and starring Seth MacFarlane, it’s an homage to Star Trek. The first three episodes were kind of a mess, but it got demonstrably better after that and it’s now one of my favorite shows. 😊
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Thanks so much 😊😊
Well, I don’t think you will have to search very long for it, as this one can be found on Netflix (it’s a Netflix original series ).
I absolutely hate slapstick comedy, and in the beginning that is what I thought this show would turn into. I could not have been more wrong. I hope you will enjoy this one. Knowing your taste in novels, I think this will be very much to your liking.
I know about Orville, but unfortunately this one isn’t available for me here 😢😢 Oh well, it will turn up some time I guess 😉
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Yes! I just added it to my queue. Thanks my friend!🤗
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Your welcom: hope you will enjoy it, and looking forward to hearing what you thought of it 😀😀
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Someday…
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Haha, I understand…the times that I have said the word someday….I think I might have lost count 😂😂
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Still need to get around to Mindhunter and Dark!
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Ugh…yeah those are still on my list as well 😂😂
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Well I won’t see this as we don’t have Netflix! Sounds really interesting though.
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That really is too bad. Oh well, maybe one day you will. Or perhaps some network picks it up sometime. It really was an amazing series that I highly enjoyed that’s for sure 😀
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So DNF exists in TV series too and you nearly did it here? LOL I’ve never watched K Drama in my life but with you explaining all this I may be tempted one day. Fantastic review by the way 😉
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Haha, it definitely exists, although I hardly do that. I was very tempted in the beginning though lol (but so glad I did not do it for real in the end 😂😂).
Well, this one certainly is worth it to be the first Korean drama to start with: and it’s on Netflix which is great 😀
Thanks for the kind words, appreciate it😊😊
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Black sounds great… Going by your review, it’s one I want to try out for myself… 🙂 I have been browsing, starting/DNFing shows on Netflix for a while now without finding that something that reallllly pulls me in, so I am happy to find out about something tried&tested 😀
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There are so many shows that it sometimes really is quite hard to choose 😀 This one surprised me so much by starting off really weird, and almost making me quit, into something that was really so incredibly good 😀
I hope you will enjoy it and thank you for reading 😀😊
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Woohoo! A wonderful review of this drama! So glad that you enjoyed it so much 🙂 You have echoed many of the sentiments I’ve heard about the drama with it be thrilling and twisty with action and romance. People have been loving it.
Interesting you pointed out about the first two episodes. I always read recaps of the first eps of dramas and I did so with this one. And I usually read a lot of reactions to the second ep too. And it really did seem like it was messy and people were confused. So I sort of wrote this one off. But within a few weeks, people were raving about it and continued to do so throughout it’s run. So I put it back on my list.
Two concerns/questions for you: So it seems like the main guy was a pretty straight forward, not very emotional guy. Is he really like that or does he loosen up? Also, do you think the show feels like more than just a crime drama? I know it’s a mixture of genres, but I’m just worn out from procedural crime dramas and want something serialized that doesn’t just feel like a regular crime drama. From what I know, I’m still pretty unsure how I will feel about this one. Still plan to check it out, but I want really want to like it, lol 🙂
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Haha, you actually had me check my spamfilter just now. At first I only saw a like, and I thought for sure you would comment on this one. But it’s just a very long and awesome comment, so first off thank you for that 😊
The beginning of this was actually quite horrible. I really was this close to dropping it, which is something I rarely do. The humor in those first two episodes was absolutely horrid. But…after that, it went into full on greatness mode. I could talk about this show for hours, and still not run out of steam. This was a truly amazing drama and also not kidding here: for me personally the best Korean drama to date.
As for your questions: I don’t ofcourse want to get into spoiler territory for you, but trust me when I say he is not at all like the lead in Stranger for instance. He really is totally different, and he really has an awesome onscreen chemistry. All I can say is: I would not worry too much 😉
As for your second question: it’s more of a mystery than a real crime drama…/but one that will have you trying to figure out stuff with every episode. Almost like the gift that keeps on giving. I really don’t want to give away too many details…but if I were to compare it with something I would say it has a similar vibe to Goblin.
I really can’t wait for you to see this and hearing your thoughts on it. I really, really hope that you are going to like it. I’m on to my third Korean drama of this month now: woohoo 🎉🎉🎉
Thanks again for your amazing comment 😀😀
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That’s what happens when I do things out of order, lol. I usually comment first and then like, but for some reason I did it in reverse this time, and it just happened to be when I left a longer comment, hehe. Appreciate you being on the lookout to rescue it! 😉
Okay, that’s good to know about the lead. I’ve heard such good things about Song Seung Hoon, but his character description had me worried. Was hoping he would be more 🙂
And glad that it doesn’t feel like a regular crime drama. I like well done mysteries especially with the supernatural aspect. I so hope I enjoy it too as it really seems like it has a lot of potential 🙂 Keep at those kdramas, you’re certainly making great progress!
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Haha: yeah….I plan to at least watch one K-drama each month now, and there will most certainly be another Korean drama theme month later this year 😊😊
I really look forward to a review from you for this one: hope you are going to enjoy the series as much as I did 😀
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I love supernatural stuff. I mean reality is nice but sometimes we get enough of that from real life which makes it pretty satisfying to see. I was planning to see this one and was interested how they were going to play the Grim Reaper them again, after Goblin. I will definitely be watching this. And as always great review!
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Thanks so much again for your kindness! 😊
I could not agree with you more, it’s great to at times let yourself be taken away into supernatural things. Reality at times can be way too hard.
Well, even though it certainly at times is a bit like Goblin vibe wise, it’s totally different. That’s for sure. I really hope you will enjoy this and of course am looking forward to hearing your thoughts for this one 😊😊
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This one’s definitely next on my list. Currently I am watching Pinochio, which I am loving so far!
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That one is very good too. Haven’t yet completed it, bit it is a really fun series 😀
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Grim Reaper possessing people. For so reason, that made me think of the Black Butler Reaper, Grell and how messed up it would be, if you got possessed by them hehe
But enough about my weird random thoughts. This series sounds rather interesting, I’ll definitely have to try and check it out 🙂 It sounds too good, to not at least watch a few episodes 🙂
Great Review. I really enjoyed this months theme. I’m starting to get really into Korean Drama now. Can’t wait to see what next months theme is 😀
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Well…funny you should ask, as that theme will be revealed tomorrow. And there is going to be a bit of interactive stuff going on as well. Nope, not saying anything yet 😂😂
I’m glad you are enjoying the theme. So far luckily the shows have been pretty good as well (with this one being absolute totally awesome 😀😀). I really hope you will enjoy this: it is well worth checking out: just get past the first two episodes…and then you are in for a treat.
As for Black Butler….Ugh…I still haven’t seen that series. Yes I know how terrible that is 🙈🙈
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Oh….Go Ara and Seung-heon-sshi . I like both of them independently but I haven’t thought about them on a romantic light, so this goes immediately on my watch-list. 9 rating is pretty high! I like the theme too based on your review.
And I’ll take your word about surviving the first 2 episodes. If the show is that fantastic, I wouldn’t mind. Nice review and recommendation!
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Thank you very much 😀
Well if it weren’t for those first two episodes it would have scored 10/10. It really is an amazing series and the on screen chemistry between the teo leads is part of the reason of why it works so well 😀
I hope you will enjoy it. Once you get past the first two episodes you will be hooked, I guarantee you that 😉
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NOTED! ^_^
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I was about to watch this drama yesterday but then decided to watch another because my sister said the story was weird. But after reading your review, I guess it’s worth to try to watch it. Great review as always! 😊😄
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Thanks so much 😀😀
I can understand that. This series really started off incredibly strange, but in the end it really is the best drama that I have seen to date 😀 I hope you will enjoy it as well 😊😊
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Amazing review!! I just love the concepts of these dramas!! That’s a good tip about not giving up after two episodes- and I’m glad this was so good!
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Haha, well I am pretty glad that I continued the series myself as well, as really those first episodes seemed as if they belonged to a different show 😂
But yes this series was great, and I highly recommend it 😀😀
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hehe well that’s good to know!! Awesome!
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I’m watching this now and am on episode 9 (just started!) I really like the leads and how it is such a slow build with all sorts of twists and turns. I am getting tired of our reaper just standing around and watching and hope that changes soon. Anyway great review… I’m glad I stuck it out.
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Thank you so much, and welcome to my blog 😊😊
It really is a great series, and it will only get better, trust me on that. The second half of the series is much better than the first, and be prepared for some very big suprises along the way. Glad you are enjoying it! 😊😊
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Amazing Review Michel! This sounds like quite an interesting show!😊 You are the bee’s knees for sure!😍💜💚💙💛Xoxoxox
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Thanks so much again 😊😊 It really is a very cool series and knowing your taste in books, I know you would absolutely love this series 😘 And the best thing is, it’s on Netflix!
Thank you very much for your amazing words, you seriously cool woman 😘❤️
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Oh maaaan, I love the premise of it and it does sound amazing. I was JUST recently told that I should give it a shot especially because I loved Death Note. I might indeed have to get to this ASAP now. And that’s definitely a nice warning about not giving up after the first 2 episodes. They…. sound awful. I’ll try my best to not be influenced by it and check the whole season out. I usually tell people to not give up on a show after its pilot, and sometimes even after a couple of episodes, so that’s definitely a nice heads up. Excellent review as always, Michel. 🙂
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Haha: trust me they are awful those first two episodes. In fact a friend of mine has currently watched the first episode and says he can’t watch it anymore. I have convinced him to stick with it lol 😂😂 But that goes to show that it really means that they are pretty terrible 😂😂
Seriously though, this series really is incredible. It’s storyline with the many twists and turns, and the characters are the main reasons that this show is incredible 😀😀 As always, thanks for the kind words, and I hope you will enjoy it 😀😀
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Wow, really great use of genre mixing! And I’m so glad you didn’t end up dropping this after the first two episodes as that would have been a real waste 🙂
It does sound super interesting, at least the way you’ve put it, and I’m definitely curious to check it out, even if the subject of death doesn’t really interest me hahaha I’m slowly easing myself into Korean dramas, but they’re mostly cheerful and fun and romantic. So I don’t know how this one will fair.
I love the girl’s powers and the police officer’s possession – that’s bound to create some intriguing dynamics!
Another awesome review, of course 🙂
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Haha, I’m glad I do not either. A friend of mine is watching it now, and saw the first episode saying he absolutely thought it was so stupid. I convinced him to continue saying those first two episodes almost seem to have come from a different series alltogether. But, yeah after those initial two episodes things become so incredibly good that it’s amazing.
The thing I really like about Korean dramas is that there seems to be something for everyone. Action, romance etc…every genre has at least one of them.
The chemistry between the two leads is really the thing worth watching it for. That: and the incredible story that unfolds that will keep you guessing. I hope you will enjoy it, and thanks so much for the kind words as always 😊😊
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SOUNDS AMAZING!! I see another binge day in my future… I do so love those days where 16 hrs goes by and you don’t even realize it… *shakes fist at netflix* you know who you are….
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Haha 😂😂 So relatable: I have raised my fist to Netflix way too many times as well: they have never let that bother them though 😊😊
But this really is a great series: and as mentioned don’t be put off by the first two episodes. They really are completely different from the rest of the show, and feel like they have been made by someone else at times. Happy binging! And thanks for the follow and your kind comments: truly appreciate it 😀😀
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This was my favorite drama of 2017
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It was mine as well, even though it started in a really weird way, it turned out to be a truly amazing drama. Glad you enjoyed it as well, and thank you for your comment 😊😊
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Oh, Korean dramas.. I am a Korean, but I didn’t see the drama. ^^;; Thanks for the reviewing and introducing.
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Thank you for commenting and following my blog😊 This drama was on Netflix so maybe that’s a reason you might have missed out on this one. It really was one of the best dramas that I have seen to date, and I highly recommend it. Hope you are able to see it, and will enjoy it too 😀
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