In the new slew of dramas Jackpot came in on top at 11.8% again Monster (7.3%) and Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho (10.1%). Director Nam Geon‘s directing style is grand and direct, while Kwon Soon-gyoo‘s writing takes on its trademark meandering style. The two don’t quite fit together, but the epic quality of the first episode cannot be denied, especially not with the exquisite background score and crisply filmed scenes.

This first episode doesn’t boast of the headliners. Jang Geun-seok as Baek Dae-gil makes a torturously short appearance, which seems a bit of a cheat after all the hype surrounding his return after a long acting hiatus. The You’re Beautiful star hasn’t had much luck in drama or film since his raging success in 2010 and is hoping for a solid comeback. That remains to be seen. And Yeo Jin-goo, well, we got to see about ten seconds of his face.

Click here to read more!