National Death Penalty Vote

It's like watching an action movie for kids. I distinctly remember in the first episode how the main character stomped his own forehead on the table, but when their head lifted, the one bleeding and oozing blood wasn't the forehead in the middle but the side of his head. Like, WHATTT??? Even though the middle of his forehead should've been the spot when his head hit the table, it looked smooth without any scratches. It's utterly ridiculous. That's just the first episode, in the following episodes, there are even more nonsensical scenes that make the show increasingly absurd.

The premise seems promising, but the execution is a mess. I don't know if it's the director's fault, the editor's, the scriptwriter's, the makeup team's, or whoever is involved, but they all seem to be working together to ruin this show. Many scenes look like cheap soap operas from various aspects.

The storyline is rambling and dragging. There are so many unnecessary scenes thrown into the story when it could've flowed just fine without wasting time.

I tried to keep watching even though I lost interest, but I only made it to episode 6. I don't want to waste any more of my time.

What is happening to Korean dramas? It's certainly not the sole responsibility of Netflix as some people think, because kdramas are now more evenly spread over multiple streaming platforms. This show is listed as a drama and a thriller on IMDb, yet some of the performances are bordering on comedic. I get you can't have intensity every minute, but the lighter moments of this show are quite awkward at best and seem very misplaced contextually.

The premise is decent. People who allegedly got away with heinous crimes when judged by the legal system are now being judged by the public. A masked person called "Dog Mask" selects a 'criminal', opens up the voting to the public, and if over 50% feel the 'criminal' needs to be punished, that person is murdered.

Most of the actors are fine in their roles. I know they are limited to the script as written and are guided by a director. The delivery of the dialogue and the accompanying physicality through gestures and movement, however, are usually left to the discretion of the actor.

One person is particular is taking me out of the story in nearly every scene she's in. It's Lim Ji Yeon, who I recognize as the evil sadist from The Glory. In that production, her performance was oftentimes way over the top. I mean, seriously over the top. I chalked it up to her interpretation of the character. But I do recall noting at the time that the performance was almost a caricature. It was difficult to watch her. She just didn't ring true to me. Now she's back in The Killing Vote and once again the physical gestures and the maniacal acting out is far too much for me.

I'm going to try to stick with The Killing Vote, but with the amateurish comedy which never lands as it should, and the lack of talent in some of the performers, I can't promise I'll finish all 12 episodes. I may just read recaps. 2023 hasn't been a banner year for Korean cinematic endeavors. Let's hope in 2024 we return to the high standards we've come to expect.

****Edit. After watching episode 6, I must acknowledge they do a very good job of ratcheting up the tension and most of the cast with the exception of Lim Ji Yeon is excellent. The story seems to have found its rhythm, but we have many episodes left.

As for now, i like the plot for this series. Keep waiting for the next episode to come out weekly!

Honestly i like all the actors especially park hae jin and lim ji yeon. But i dont know why i think the character lim ji yeon carry in this drama is not for her. It seems like the females character in this drama are just awkward (especially the siblings) and cant carry their character well.

Stars given goes to park hye jin for never disappoint me in any series he act in until now 👍🏼

But i will continue to watch this ongoing series to see the ending and maybe i might change my opinion at the end, who knows.

If you are a Park Hae Jin fan you will love this drama! PHJ is such a versatile actor. He's quite evil in this drama. Don't worry you will quickly adjust to his menacing role. I've only watched 2 episodes and they left me on the edge of the couch! I am waiting for episode 3 because episode 2 was a nail biter. If you like action and murder mysteries you will love this drama! The cast of actors are excellent and the female lead is from the Glory drama. The only downfall is one episode weekly. I am use to Koreans drama airing twice weekly.

This drama will give many clues throughout the episodes to assist you with determining who the suspects may be. The first episode reveals a relationship. I will say no more. Please watch this excellent drama!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Korean Drama '' The Killing Vote '' is a chilling thriller that combines many criminal cases, but mainly focuses on the mystery of the dog-masked man who kills those whom the law doesn't punish accordingly.

The drama, therefore, has an intense story, with some crimes being really dark and harsh to follow. Also, towards the ending, everything comes together, even those characters that seemed pointless to watch all this time have their own part in the mystery. Actually, all the characters were interesting, especially the professor, who was a tragic character. The performances were pretty great as well, and there should be a special shout out to the younger members of the cast who really shone.

However, on the other hand, the ending was lukewarm. Sure, there were some moments when the drama started getting blunt and tiring to follow, as they kept dragging, but the ending could have wrapped up things more smoothly.

So, overall, six and a half out of ten.