Priest {Review}
It's been a long time since I binge watched a Kdrama and for some reason this one caught my attention. And no, it wasn't because I was searching for something similar to 'The Guest'.I just wasn't in the mood to watch the regular rom-com dramas.
This time around I wanted to watch something darker. Like a drama with a dark concept minus the possibility of dwelling into an overly depressing plotline.
At the time I concluded this was the perfect fit.
I won't lie tho, at first I couldn't decide between this and 'The Guest'
since both appeared to be quite similar with the possession/hot priests elements. But trust me, they're not! (I checked at least 5 episodes of it after finishing this series).
And just by comparing the trailers I could immediately see one was way more obscure than the other. Which helped me choose.
I decided to take a risk and go for the less popular.
Top Questions most people ask about the 'Priest':
•Is it too scary to watch?
A: It depends. Personally, I didn't find it too scary. This drama for sure has its own creepy scenes. As a horror movies enthusiast I can say I've seen way more dreadful possessions and exorcism rituals than the ones that were portrayed here.
•Does the Medical genre overshadow the horror factor?
A: Definitely not! Obviously, it plays a role in the drama but it's not too significant. Don't expect to see business-like hospital politics/corruption or surgeries that last for far too long. The demon is the centre of it all.
•Can it be compared to 'The Guest'? Do they even reference it or do any special appearance?
A: I hate to bring it up again. But sadly 'Priest' comments' section is bombarded with questions of this kind. Which is comprehensible since it aired right after AND they're both from OCN. But the answer is NO. There's no comparisons to make besides the fact both are about priests, possessions and exorcisms. The approach and execution of the rituals is completely different.
Sadly, no. There's no special appearances. Nor do they make a reference whatsoever. Father Mateo does not show up (It would've been so cool tho!).
•DoEs It HAvE AnY ROmAnCe?
A: MaYbE. This was a surprise for me since I was avoiding that specific genre. You'd have to see for yourself.
•Is it worth to watch?
A: If you're into this genre I'd say go for it! This is not a masterpiece but I can assure you it's quite entertaining for what it is. I think it was a bold move to mix two opposite concepts: medical and supernatural possessions. It could've gone terribly wrong. It's one of the components that makes 'Priest' so unusual.
My Thoughts on:
-The Main Characters:
Oh Soo Min ( Yeon Woo Jin)
At first he seemed to be a bit inexperienced when it came to perform an actual exorcism. I was worried I wouldn't be able to take him seriously as an exorcist priest. But thankfully he went through a character growth.
He ends up having an unexpected bittersweet storyline (that caught me by surprise ).
Although he knew very well what his responsibilities as a Catholic priest meant he never forgot that at the end of the day he was only human.
Moon Ki Sun (Park Yong Woo)
Although I loved his bromance with Oh Soo Min a.k.a Father Michael, I couldn't help but feel like there was something missing about his character.
I don't know if it was just the way it was written but sometimes he would appear kind of dull. And I guess that's probably because we end up not knowing too much about him.
I don't recall seeing his backstory or getting to know the reason why he became a priest in the first place.
In my opinion there was so much that could have been added to his character. He deserved more development.
Side note: One of the few things we came to know about him is that he's great at Boxing. And for a Priest he's very athletic. Always in good shape.
Ham Eun Hi ( Jung Yoo Mi)
Well, I must say her skepticism annoyed me in the first two episodes. But I understood it was just part of her character. She's a doctor after all.
Even with proof right in front of her eyes she will disregard every supernatural occurrence as some psychotic disorder or a fuzzy illusion caused by fatigue.
Despite that, she gradually grew on me. I came to admire not only her personality but her strength to keep going.
She continuously fought for what she thought was right even when people said it didn't matter.
The Demon {Whose name we shall not mention} :
No, it's not Voldemort (Even though he's no demon. At least technically speaking). And no, it's not Park Il Do.
For the sake of spoiler alerts his name shall remain unknown.
What can I say... I wouldn't consider him particularly strong or undefeatable like he's supposedly portrayed. He's just, really really reaaaally sneaky. And loves to outsmart everyone. Like any demon would.
In the beginning I thought he was creepy and gave me the chills. With every passing episode the spooky factor was maintained but he gradually became less scary-looking (after his face reveal). I mean, it scared me more what he could do rather than his real appearence. If that makes sense.
Speaking of his looks, I seriously don't know why he looked like that. I also would like to know more about his origin.
-The Supporting Characters
Overall everyone was great! Even though I enjoyed watching the dynamics of the Regia 634 team (their team work strangely reminded me of the squad of 'Lookout' - if you watched it you'll know what I'm talking about).
I wasn't too fond of the medical staff only some characters here and there.
-The Writing:
The writing wasn't exceptional. As I previously stated, some characters weren't fully developed.
Somewhere in the middle there was a twist that I thought could be a disguised lazy writing tactic (or not, I'm just assuming). Fortunately, it worked out within the direction the plot was headed.
-The Exorcism Rituals :
In this, I liked the variety of rituals. It was not just splashes of Holy water, crosses above the forehead and holy sanctified shoutings. Although you will hear it, lots and lots of screams. Count in some evil laughter as well.
Final thoughts :
To be honest, I never expected to enjoy watching this drama so much. It got me completely hooked.
There was never a moment of boredom and the plot kept me interested. I was entertained until the very end.
Like I mentioned above, it isn't perfect. It definitely has some flaws. But those flaws don't turn it into an unwatchable mess.
The number one aspect that I appreciated the most was the unpredictability of the events and the main leads relationship.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Yeon Woo Jin and Jung Yoo Mi were the main leads in the Horror Movie 'The Tunnel 3D'?
Apparently this was not the first time they had worked together. They were reunited once again for another thriller.
Anyway, I hope this review helps you decide whether or not watching this might be worth of your time.
I wrote this review on another site but I decided that I should post it here as well.
Thank you for reading and happy binge watching!
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It is a story of a group of people performing exorcism to those victims possessed by demons. There was an event happend eight years ago from the present time which made the main characters struggle for their survival against the unwelcome entity. But this series does not solely talks about the way how the Catholic Church treat demons, in this series, the perspective of those people under the field of medicine was greatly discussed as well.
I can't really tell you guys by details the contents of the story. Why? Because, I, myself was shocked of how the story was presented as well. What I can assure you is that, this series was produced with proper research. They used facts in presenting the story especially on the perspective of the Catholic Church regarding such topic.
Honestly, this series is one of a kind. You can't really expect the great twist which they have done. By the way, the series is not the typical horror stories that you are usually watching. Scenes where demons appeared are not that horrifying, that's base on my tolerance though. :-) I even watched it at night????.
Yeah, seriously speaking. The plot made this series outstanding.
I'll give it an 8.5/10 rating. Enjoy watching!
Different Beliefs / In / One Faith
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That is how I would describe this drama.
If you have watched other OCN dramas you will probably like this too, it´s just mind blowing in it´s own way and really well made. Just give it a try and watch for yourself.
Sadly is the comment section under this drama full of comments and comparing with the dram the guest. I have honesly never seen the guest and it´s probably a great drama to but this have it´s own charm. It´s a bit different from other dramas I have seen and even if people says the writer gave this drama up after episode 6 can´t I see that. It have great flashbacks with a full and well writen story.
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SPOILER AHEAD :READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
At the beginning this drama was so good and then it became a little boring in the midle . But then again the twist that it was fake memory was good but thats where the drama lost its way . In last the ending was rushed and made this a plain drama for the last few episodes . I do not agree with everyone the ending was shitty as hell because he told earlier To the priest about the recorder but he noticed it later it was just stupid and the memory thing was also quite lame like he saved her so thats why she also have to save her in the same way . I think it could hv been better like they both married and in Venezuela the ending scene . Well i spend my 16 hours for an unsatisfied ending . I will give this 6.5.
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Annoying cast
Most of the female cast are darn annoying and seems to love digging through people's stuff, which causes the bulk of the problems in this show. Frustrating to see such a weak female cast.Other than the plot twist in the middle, the rest of the story and character developments were quite meh. Characters which had quite a lot of potential were also sadly killed off. None of the characters really grew on me.
Had quite a lot of expectations for this show but sadly it was totally disappointing. Totally wouldn't recommend this series.
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But let me tell you a few things that might convince you to start this nonetheless. I actually think that the poster was a bad choice. It doesn't invite people to watch this. When I first saw it, I thought the drama would be something like "Save Me", but don't ask me why I got that impression. Now I can reassure you, it's definitely nothing like that.
It is indeed about a powerful demon and a small group (unrecognized by the church) of two Catholic priests and three... let's say believers/co-workers who made it their business to fight evil and exorcise possessed humans. As the story goes on, it becomes clear that everything leads to a certain demon whose past is connected with the two priests (yes, of course, it is a k-drama after all).
I'm always cautious with OCN. They can impress as much as they can disappoint. With "Priest" they once again proved how well they can create atmosphere in a drama. You might not have your jumping moments, but you definitely get sucked into its dark and unearthly ambience when the scene requests for it (so if you really want to enjoy the full experience, do yourself a favor and watch the drama at night).
At times that eery feeling gets disrupted by a busy hospital life but still doesn't cut the story in two. Quite the opposite. It not only introduces the female lead, but also happens to be a returning "crime scene". So, people, pasts and places are all affiliated with each other.
Every character has a purpose, no matter how small it may be. In the end they all help create a three-dimensional environment for the main cast and story. Therefore, it's unnecessary to orate about performances because the cast is so smoothly entangled in the script that you just don't pay attention to someone's "acting skill" anymore. That's how good they are and I think that also pretty much paints the picture already.
I do have to mention that "Priest" also reached a point where I actually would have started to complain about some serious things. It stretched its (supernatural) limits quite good and almost slipped off to absurdity. It also felt like they switched genres. BUT - and here I have to refer to the beginning of my review - I did say that this drama doesn't have any real jumping scenes, but it definitely has an ace up its sleeve. A twist I didn't expect. A twist that compensates for almost everything frown-worthy before. It's actually a not so well received trope for experienced drama-watchers. Funnily, here it's making up for everything (not because of viewers' personal desires but because it fits the story so well).
Whether that turn of events was planned from the beginning or just a spontaneous idea later on doesn't matter. It was needed, it was well placed and made the story so much better (it didn't feel spontaneous at all though). The story got back on track and lingering worries faded away with the finale episodes coming closer. The ending suited the impression of the story about sacrifice and fate. Not a fate chosen by some deity but by oneself.
Thought of the day. Amen.
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well at first im so hesitant to watch this drama because its not contained a full romance story, i really like fantasy with a lot of romance hehehehe, but as i started to watch this drama i feel amazed because there is a lot of twist that i cant imagine and all i can say is WOW, although its hurt a lot that soo min is watching her lover and he cannot do anything because he decided to become priest but hes one of the rare guy who sacrifice himself to protect the one he loves. i will never forget this drama, Cet avis était-il utile?
It's hard to review this show, as there is close to no valuable content in it. There are two massive plot twists close to the end that make the majority of the plot redundant or have the plot have no effect on most of the characters. The stakes were non existing. There was quite literally no character development, not only for the mains, but also for all the supporting characters.
Maybe, if the finale was stronger and had a nice conclusion, it could make the show decent, but the last 4 episodes were painfully bad and rushed. They tried to connect all the dots (there weren't really that many dots to begin with if I must be honest) in the last 15 minutes, so when the show ended I just sat there and asked myself: that's it?
Soo Min was an amazingly annoying character who made mistakes and had to be saved right till the end of the show and, with how the plot was written and structured, it was impossible to actually give him the development needed. He was the center part of the plot and the only one who truly was affected by everything that was going on.
The supporting cast was quite nice, but yet again, all the characters were more or less ruined by that one unfortunate plot twist.
The good? Most special effects and possession scenes were nicely done. The visual aspects of the show were truly good and I enjoyed the soundtrack, especially just the instrumental parts.
Overall, I quite honestly would not recommend it to anyone.
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Super underrated drama
This drama is SUPER underrated. It has everything: an interesting storyline, thrilling scenes, great acting and an amazing plot twist. In my opinion, one of the most thrilling dramas to watch, especially when you're home alone.? I don't know what it was, but something kept me hooked from the first episode all the way to the last. I will admit, this drama really caught me off guard. Maybe because I never watched something like this. If you love thriller/horror dramas, I highly recommend you watch this.Cet avis était-il utile?
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Decepcionante
Estoy confudida, hasta el capitulo 8 fue una buena serie, no era nada del otro mundo pero era entretenido pero despues... Siento que los escritores realmente quisieron hacer un nuevo duo con la monja y el padre Oh, pero fue tan malo que volvieron atras y fue horrible, decae terribelmente toda la serie. No venia por una historia de amor solo por los exorcismos y dejaron de importar como toda la trama, ademas tampoco se explica porque el demonio queria tanto a la doctora.Cet avis était-il utile?
So many plot holes and unbelievable situations... I just couldn't deal. Every cliche you could think of is in this drama. I started this because it seemed like it would be similar to The Guest and because the rating for it here is so high. I seriously do not get the ratings some people give dramas...
Anyway, I HIGHLY do not recommend this drama ESPECIALLY if you're hella into horror like I am- you will be disappointed.
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