Agree, agree, and agree.

hmmmmm.. boring.. not for me. i kinda like it more than BBF. Its has more serious note to it.. THE bottom line is i hope u continue giving episode recap on this.

i just skimmed epi 1-4 and the drama couldn't sustain my interest at all. HJM overacts with her acting...either she overdoes her comic or drama acting. i had enough of those...i want subtlety in acting...and sad to say SJS doesn't fit the doctor role...imagine the PD and writer had to bring again his "I am sorry, I love you" character in the latest episodes...rugged and untidy...while HJM the same "PITY ON ME" effect on her drama parts. these actors have nothing new to offer...same genre...i think the only one with screen presence really is Shin Hyun Joo...i am not a person who watches a series for the casts even if i like the casts...i want subtance...unless i am really fanatic to a particular actor/actress.
hope this series will really pick up...because for a big budget series i consider this a FLOP already. none of its rival dramas are on the 25%...and it is still struggling on 14-15%...unlike EOE, which had to compete with GOURMET which was already on 23% then...

oh dramabeans, please just watch episode 4! ):

with the economic struggle people are facing, i do not want to watch a depressing series....i want to see an inspiring and motivating one. this series certainly doesn't offer that...it is more on revenge and rivalry...so negative...

to So Ji Sub, you were great in MISA, but CAIN and ABEL is not written for you. you should have ditched it. some other actor suits the role...but not you...i feel bad your come back series is a flop...anyway, your movie was a success...you cannot have two successes at the same time.

didn't have a 'lacklaster' moment for me when watching this series.....love it from episode 1 to episode 4 and even watch it again for the 2nd time.....though I generally don't like series with 'amnesia' in it but I always make an exception...I satisfy my eyes first before my brain and oh boy seeing So Ji Sub in those 4 hours... my eyes are having a fiesta!

*^&%$%# BRAIN DEAD script is ruining So Jisub's comeback drama! :(
Dr. Choin, can you save this drama after returning ?

Having read your review, I'm now dreading watching Cain and Abel. There really is nothing worse than watching a drama which leaves you with a "meh" feeling, which is how I felt after watching The World They Live In. I'd rather hate a drama than be completely unmoved by it. Still, I don't always agree with your reviews (though mostly they coincide) so I'll give episode 1 a try and see if it has the same effect on me as it did you.

"21 Pretendingtobe - Mar 3, 2009 at 3:28 pm
lets look at a K-Drama cliche list in just the first 4 episodes:"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAH!!

"…because for a big budget series i consider this a FLOP already. none of its rival dramas are on the 25%…and it is still struggling on 14-15%…unlike EOE, which had to compete with GOURMET which was already on 23% then…"

Not ready to call it a flop yet -- I think some people are waiting for the SJS/HJM to kick off. But I think the ratings will peak in the high teens, or it'll drop into the single digits. The medical part of the show really isn't clicking with the audience.

"with the economic struggle people are facing, i do not want to watch a depressing series….i want to see an inspiring and motivating one. this series certainly doesn’t offer that…it is more on revenge and rivalry…so negative…"

Yeah, I think part of BBF's popularity is due to it being a REALLY welcome escape from the current state of the Korean and world economy. I know it is for me. :(

it really does get bettter. episode 5 was really really sad.

I actually watched 4 episodes of this series and I actually got the same reaction as you, dramabeans. I can't say that it is bad because the cinematography, the music and the acting is good. However, I don't feel like it is good either. I just feel nothing after watching it.

Usually, if there is a drama that I end up disliking, it is either because of extreme boredom or that an element in the drama (usually the bad acting) makes me frustrated. On the other hand, a good drama keeps me excited and on the edge.

In the case of Cain and Abel, I felt nothing...just empty. I wouldn't say it is boring because I enjoy watching it to a certain extent but I just don't get curious to what will happen next as I should usually in this type of drams

I should mention that I am a major fan of medical and suspense dramas, and most of them become either a great success in my book or a flop. So I am a little puzzled at my reaction in this case, but oh well.... I guess if I have nothing better to do, I'll watch it...

I don't think it's that bad at all, right now. My feelings might change. I used to think EOE was such an awesome drama too at the beginning and I stopped at ep16. It was sooooo boring and is now picking up for the finale. I hope this drama can sustain my interests and get better & better. I'm going to watch the new episodes now!

I just finished watching Ep 5 which aired yesterday. I reckon the plot is getting pretty good because well, find out for yourself :P haha, anyways, I only watched it to see the come back of SJB. He looks very hot in this drama, but after the 4th ep, he turned scruffy with that moustache and hairstyle of his later on. Gaaah.

Thanks javabeans.

But I do hope for you to give a justice to the drama by review it after you watching (if you want) episode 4. The tradition of SBS's drama. All the bland and cliche stopped after episode 3 and the real adventure begins!

Cain & Abel is what I need and my current drama after haven't finish Korean drama for quite sometime.

Hello,

I wonder if you have the song sang by the girl when she accepted Lee Cho In proposal in first episode.

I watched 5 episodes and i like this drama , SJS is acting excellent as neurosurgeon , It's good to know situation in North Korea and China , This is not
a comedy as Boys over flowers , cute actors just for teenagers , easy life , welldressed , wellmanners but he drama with the plot leading the welltrained
doctor with the good heart to the dark world , but in that situation he still can shine
and help others to see the world in the better angle . This drama requires talented
actors actresses just as Leonardo Decaprio in Blood diamond .

I'm not bored at all! This is getting to be a really good drama to watch. Love the interaction between Cho In and Young Ji so far. Love the separation between good and evil characters. The desert scene was heartbreaking but it will be interesting to see how he survives. Finally, all the medical jargon is fun for me at least since I'm in the field myself. Don't give up watching!

sorry for my poor typing , i mean ... for others see the world through better angles .
a lot people complaint about script , i agree with the big mistake with he gave his
passport for tour guide in China , he trusts people easily because he has a heart
of a doctor , In real life you can not trust people that easy . He's talented doctor
from S Korea , he went missing in China but none of his friend in his ER department
looking for him ? And the ways his fiancee and his brother searching for him were
so passive , i guess because of severe mistakes that why we have this drama ,
I'm interesting to know the dark world of S Korea and China , how people living
there , and how SJS dealing with this dark world in this drama .This drama is getting more interesting from episode 4 , watch and see .

OMG!!!! I just realized that I've actually been to that hospital before!! It's really in Suzhou! This is crazy! I just did a double take when I saw it!

Lol, the power of javabeans is really manifested in some of the comments above! A lot of people seem to share her opinions ^-^! Of course, maybe only those who agree post??

I thought it was extremely boring too. After watching the first episode, I was ready to call quits.
But after watching ep 4, it actually got pretty good.
The beginnings of dramas tend to be a bit rocky.
The same happened for me with East of Eden but now I watch it religiously. :]

Starting with Episode 5, holy #$@#% this may be the most violent (and gory) K-drama I've seen in a long time. It's like watching a Rated R version of East of Eden, or Time of Dog and Wolf.

Also, toward the end of episode 5, happy go-lucky So Ji Sup Lee morphs into Christian Bale in one of his alpha survivor male roles. His eyes radiate fear, confusion, revenge . . . Sigh.

With two of the main characters in seemingly terminal situations, and the other two bound by tragedy, this could be the melodrama of melodramas. The acting is unusually strong given the story, and it's finally paying off in episode 6. The scene where Cho In takes his bigger brother hostage lets SJS and SHJ work off each other, and it's really well done.

"I just realized that I’ve actually been to that hospital before!! It’s really in Suzhou! "

I love the Suzhou location shooting, it's so pretty!

haha and i agree with everyone so ji sub as a doctor = a waste. hes HOT and he's so much more exciting as a badass, or if he has to be a doctor he could at least have some 'tude :).

I just watched episodes 5 and 6 , getting more excited . I still think this medical
drama so real , not like hollywood medical dramas are so fake . SJS is acting so well as caring doctor , then because of all tragic situations he had to go through
he's no longer naive , easy to trust people ,and determines to find the plot which
almost killed him . I can see his acting talent through his eyes , his body languages,, so amazing ! just like Leonardo Decaprio .
It seems like this is one of the best K drama this year .

Dramabeans...Dramabeans....Dramabeans....you let me down with this one! How could you not like this drama!!! I am your fan. If you don't like, I know I won't like it. I wasn't even gonna watch the first episode....but I couldn't not accept this drama with the two leads could possibly be bad. So I watched and was captured from the very first episode...(ok...could be because Im a Grey's Anatomy & House fan, but still...)...You must give this drama another chance.....it must have a chance to change you mind! Its good!!!

I actually like this drama. It entertains me well enough but then again I do enjoy medical dramas. Fluffs like BOF is good too. haha

I love SJS. Always have and always will. He is one terrific actor and one of the best korean ones I've seen. He can do such a diverse number of different characters. I actually like this drama since the start. I suggest giving it a try b/c it gets better as you move past the first few episodes.

ahh
;;
i can agree with you at one thing which is
Something you didnt expect

At first i thought the show would be so boring and blane.
but after watching the first show i got so hooked i loved the characters and the plot of the story..
unlike the other dramas i saw this one the pieces connect and you dont have to guess what the heck is gonna happen?

This show brought a new light to So Ji sub to me he plays a new character ive never seen him protray before so that was amazing to me
but overall

this show is soo addicted i love it ;;
i cant wait for the next episode :D

So I've known about So Ji Sub for a while but I just recently took an interest to him after seeing him in "Rough Cut". I absolutely loved him in the movie and was excited to see him in a new drama. I'd have to say that Cain and Abel really disappointed me when I started watching it. Like you, dramabeans, I just felt "blah" about the first couple of episodes. I thought the characters were rather cliche and the plot seemed pretty predictable and overly melodramatic. Plus, I'm just not a fan of medical shows, including the super popular US ones like Grey's and House. But that's just a personal bias because I'm a medical student and I find these types of shows to be way too unrealistic and sometimes just completely incorrect in their patients and treatments.

However, after reading all these comments about the plot picking up in episode 4, I might just have to give this drama another try. I really can't imagine Han Ji Min and So Ji Sub in a flat out bad drama. Hopefully this won't turn out to be a disappointment!

we all have different taste in drama , for me i think they're acting very well as neurosurgeons , much better than hollywood medical dramas , for sure not in real life in hospital . In real life , hospital works are dealing with life and death , stressful.
very serious works , no fun , no romance at all here in North america . The relationship between doctors and patients are strictly medical problems , no personal , in Asia might be different .
Medical dramas are not real life but as long as reasonable , just watch the plot and see how they're acting , this is will be one of the best drama of this year .Beside this is not totally medical drama but the plot to control this hospital business between family members .

This show is actually getting better & better by each episode. It's getting more interesting & exciting at the same time! I can't wait till the next episode to air!

I love this drama very much.

Watching it does get slightly boring STARTING episodes 4. for the next couple to like 7. Episode 9 is when things in the drama really start to establish, and a grow into the main character discovering himself and those around him. ITS actually pretty good. and worth giving a chance. i dont exactly see the first 3 reliable to fairly judge this drama. But Good review!!!

Thanks for taking a few of us.

i was quite surprised to see the title of this drama... Cain&Abel is actually a tool used to hack into system and also for network monitoring and so on...hahahaha...

I am soo hooked with this drama. The storyline is very good and actors/actresses are amazing. I would recommend highly to watch it.

I agree with everyone else who posted that it really picks up at episode 4. It did seem a little bland until cho in gets amnesia, but then he gets all angsty/badass and then you get sucked into the drama. (on a side note, i think so ji sub looks better with stubble than clean shaven)

I started watching this drama recently and boy am I addicted! So Ji Sub and Shin Hyun Joon are very good actors. Han Jim Min is not at the same level but she is getting there. It kind of reminds me of Green Rose but I'm feeling this drama more maybe because I like So Ji Sub a lot! XD

Agree on most of it. The cast was great and SJS certainly did a good job acting. But the plot (at least up to episode 6) was very bad, especially the parts shot in China. The fighting scenes in the chinese jail was ridiculous, with jail staff wearing uniforms like back to the 1950s?? And the slogans on the walls are very much outdated, apparently the writer hasn't updated his understanding of a modern world in china. Many parts shot in China are not realistic, and that's a major reason why so many SJS fans in China have decided not to watch this drama. Hope the next SJS drama will be better !

I have finished the series...and its like Ive watched I'm sorry I love you all over again ( w/o so much tears)...SJS acted his character as Lee Cho In so well..overall they acted so well...Lee Sun Woo (bravo)...its like seeing Tristan (Stairway to Heaven's)...what I feel about the whole series after seeing its conclusion a few nights ago is like being beaten me up the whole day because the series is full of hatred...Lee Sun Woo's Mom, Lee Sun Woo and eventually Lee Cho In succumbed to getting revenge..

omg!! i love this drama so much!! (not as much at BBF though). i love the ost's as they are but in the drama, i found them a little reapetative. it reminded my of full house, where they played the same song evr and over agaion. it made me like the ost less ... i didnt find the beginnning of this drama "boring" but i thought of it more as just wantiung to know a little more to get interested. at episode 4 or so, i really began to enjoy this drama :D the violent scenes are usualy the part for me to look away but the great acting made me not want to stop watching. i could nvr get used to the surgery scenes though :P the connection between cho in and young ji is so sweet XD i really enjoyed watching them act together. during the time where he is in themidst of regaining his memory, it really captivated my interest. *SPOILER ALERT*!!!!!!!! when he remembers his phone # and hears his voicemail :D loved that part. it was so "sci-fi-ish" when he's remembering the #. im onyl at like, episode 8 and i plan to continue watching till the end! i love this drama and i hope every1 else will too!

the best drama of all time , masterpiece of Kdrama . for 2009 on top up there w/east of eden . Han Ji Min and So Ji Sub was the best in the drama . I'm watching it for the 4th time on viikii.net

i finally got around to watching Cain and Abel this week. and while I'm pretty happy with the story so far, I COMPLETELY agree with you when the drama goes to the hospital politics, whatever suspense or climax was building up just *poof* disappears.... however, i think the acting is great, and the non-hospital part of it is rather interesting. well, i'm only 6 episodes in, i'm interested to see what will happen when lee cho in gets back to his life and other things. :D as always, i appreciate all the time you spend giving us your opinions of dramas and other kpop culture related news! (i've started to only selected dramas to watch based off your dramas >.< hahahaaa)

I started watching Cain & Abel, since I’m a huge fan of “sad-eyes” as I call him, So Ji-sub. As soon as a finished the first episode, I did research on some reviews of the drama and came up with yours. After reading your review, I was more than interested in the drama instead of the other way around. I thought the first episode was pretty plain for a revenge type of drama. I have seen dramas like, Green Rose and, Time Between Dog & Wolf – the first one not so good, the latter excellent – and I found a new passion after having watched Coffee Prince and Beautiful Days; I absolutely love revenge dramas. They provide drama, suspense, adventure, comedy, love, etc. These all contributed to my desire to keep on watching and give it a chance despite your comments of being bored, which (don’t get me wrong) I’m not criticizing at all. I respect your reviews and the way you rate dramas very much. I have done some major browsing on your website :)

I find that Cain & Abel has what Green Rose lacked in abundance, and lacks a little – just a little – of what Time Between Dog & Wolf never did. During the first three episodes, yes, you might feel like it’s a bit slow, but after that it gets intense and very interesting.
An incredible cast. I mean, So Ji-sub, WOW. And the rest of the cast wasn’t bad at all. I really like Han Ji-min, she is very natural in her acting. Didn’t know she is the one from All In (young Angela) until I went to DramaWiki to find out more.

I hope you find the time to go back to it, and watch it. Just go straight to episode 4 (since you already saw 1-3) and enjoy.

well, i love this film very very much..i really enjoy it..espicially for the character played by soe ji sub..i love him much...

I've heard that this isn't popular so I sampled bits of an episode and thought it's better than what I expected. At least it's not like East of Eden - i dun like period pieces. As for "bland-ness", I'd reserve that for dramas like BOF...

For BOF, I dont have a problem with the actors, just that the story/plo has been to tried and used to incite any excitement. Also, it doesnt help when I'm not a fan of the story in the first place.

After resisting watching this drama for the longest time I started to watch it last night for lack of anything better to watch. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm at episode 6 and so far so good. Different, interesting and intriguing.

i have canceled watching Cain & Abel because of the hospital scenes. i don't like to watch blood and people cut open other people head. but then i give it a try after months. i finally watch it and finish it except for the last 20 minutes of 마지막 episode because i don't know why my DVD stop playing. maybe because i used it for marathon DVD in a day, ha ha...
well, after prepared my self to watch it. i think the drama is ok, but not so that good as i expected. when i saw the story, the cast, i thought it will be good. but i don't really get it. the drama is too fine. a bit flat. however, i love so ji sub here. he's so cute. when i saw the drama poster, i thought he will act like when he in 미안하다, 사랑한다, but he was not. but then whatever. he's still a good actor even Abel character not really fit on him.
i quite agree with you dramabeans, sometimes watching this drama like numb, it gave me no feel. but then it's an ok drama from, quite worth to watch, especially to see the Cain and Abel conflict. and so ji sub.
my final comment, it's a nice drama but not the best one. give it a try.

does anyone knows where to watch Cain and Abel drama? Because I serached everywhere the video cannot be played Vikii, mysoju, youtube, dramacrazy, epdrama, daily motion
can someone give me the website? I want towatch it badly