Tag: The Judge from Hell

K-Drama Report: The Judge from Hell, Part III – God Mode

January 19, 2025

In the first Report, I said – and I quote – “Shin-hye should be god mode in Grand Theft Auto,” in expressing frustration over her character’s limitations. In the second Report, my wish came true, and I was excited and terrified. Now, in our final Report on The Judge from Hell, I think it’s time to deconstruct this term, “god mode.” While I watched the first five episodes in a matter of days, the next nine took me practically the rest of the month. The first lull came with episode six, right before Kang Bit-na was about to lay her righteous beating on a condemned soul. This actually turned out to be “the elevator scene” I was crowing about. Of course I wanted to see more of Park Shin-hye beating people up; that’s the most amazing thing I can think of. So why couldn’t I hit play (or rather, open Disney+ and hope it didn’t crash or ask me to sign in)? It broke my heart to realize, but I had to admit: I was bored. … More K-Drama Report: The Judge from Hell, Part III – God Mode

K-Drama Report: The Judge from Hell, Part II – Park Shin-hye Beats the Stuffing Out of Everyone

January 3, 2025

Okay, maybe not everyone, but I’m still satisfied. Previously on the K-Drama Report, I complained that for a show featuring Park Shin-hye as we’ve never seen her, empowered with the infinite power of hell, her character was woefully underwhelming. Add in unpleasant scenes of domestic violence, and I was ready to call it quits. I’ve been had before, and maybe in my old age, I’m too frustrated by failure. Well, it turns out, there’s a reason why the first episode doesn’t end with the cathartic release of Shin-hye’s character Kang Bit-na (or Justitia the demon) beating up the abuser guy for a couple of minutes. No, no, The Judge from Hell had something much greater in mind: twenty minutes. Yes, friend, you read that right. A sustained sequence where she’s just blowing this guy up. … More K-Drama Report: The Judge from Hell, Part II – Park Shin-hye Beats the Stuffing Out of Everyone

K-Drama Report: The Judge from Hell (2024)

January 2, 2025

The IMDb logline for The Judge from Hell reads as follows: “Kang Bit Na, an elite judge with a beautiful appearance, is a demon whose mission is to punish those who have wronged others and send them to Hell. However, the righteous Detective Han Da On is determined to change her ways.” You know what? That sounds really good. I’ve been dying for a show where Park Shin-hye plays against type and, ironically, into her public persona as a bigger-than-life celebrity who everyone loves. At the very least, her biggest roles have been characters easily described as “nice” or “shy” or even “do-gooder”? I feel like she’s been slapped in the face so many times, though she did give it to Kim Ji-won – the Queen of Tears herself – in The Heirs. But no more. Now she’s playing a demon! … More K-Drama Report: The Judge from Hell (2024)