Pictures of saddening truths which led to committing evil acts filled the stories traversed on Voice 3.
Closing the unfinished business from its second season, the Golden Time team races to uncover an organized syndicate operating through the internet.
- Main Cast: Lee Jin Wook | Lee Han Na
- Network & Episode Count: OCN | 16 Episodes
- Official Website: tving Voice 3
- Streaming Site: Netflix | Viu
Voice 3 Quick Review
- Plot Trajectory: Consistently engrossing with minor plot hiccups along the way
- Plot Pace: Nicely-paced
- Character Portrayal: Main Character Anchored The Story
- Writing: Smoothly penned but still has overlooked gaps
- Watch on a binge or intervals?: Either choices apply
- Crowning Moments: Strong Male Lead Portrayal | Interesting Crime-solving Narrative
- Thrill/Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Re-watch Value:
- K-Dramas of Similar Vibe: Voice | Voice 2 | Train |Phantom |
Quick Plot Summary
Featuring an abominable internet-based cartel which sells body parts and snuff films, side stories leading to a heartless villain, ultimately pushed Detective Do to get to the bottom of his inner woes. With his psychopathic tendencies becoming more evident, time is ticking for him to pin down the monstrous villain.
Well-received with an average of 4.2% nationwide viewership ratings, Voice 3 kept the franchise exciting with new crime stories solved by its designated protagonists.
Leading the fictional police emergency hotline is center manager Kang Kwon Joo (Lee Ha Na) and detective Do Kang Woo (Lee Jin Wook). They work on rescue operations of crime victims based on calls received from the emergency call center hotline. In the precarious time of life and death situation, the team work together through their keen deduction on how to apprehend the offender.
Voice 3 Peak Points
Intriguing and engrossing crime cases
Supporting the main conflict hounding the team is those cases ranging from ill utilization of technology and even human smuggling. Additionally, identity fraud and high-end drug are also set for some of the side stories. But the story primarily focuses on solving the mystery behind Auction Fabre – a dark group communicating through the internet. Its clients are eccentric rich and powerful people who bid on mummified body parts from murder cases.
Before working on the final stretch of pinning down the antagonist who is disguising as a human rights activist, Voice 3 has kept the audience’ attention stable. Sacrificing key characters is also inevitable owing to how the villains operate in an organized group controlled by a smart leader.
Part of the charm of the series for me is how it avoids unnecessary drama. Making sure it stuck to its core genre, it has conditioned me to watch its disheartening images without fear and inhibitions. Parading different types of wickedness and presenting how those can be defeated have been staple points of the series. Despite its repugnant mood, it somewhat gives hope that good always triumphs evil.
Coupled with the efficient character portrayals, losing track of the story flow is not an issue this season. In particular, we see the supporting characters given highlights through the cases featured in the story. It makes the character connections in the fictional story close-knit, thereby inciting support for the team as a whole and not directing the attention to its main leads.
Setting cohering flow but keeping the fire ablaze with side bends projected by the crimes not related to its main conflict, provides the addictive drive of the series. While the core problem has its own appeal, and I have enjoyed the labyrinthine drive tracing the culprit, it would have been exhausting if not for the side stories which functioned as the resting points of the series.
Lee Jin Wook
SPOILER ALERT!
For the two seasons shared by Lee Jin Wook, it is but fair to miss his character. Opting to give a sad yet realistic closure for him, instead of say settling him somewhere in the woods fighting his killer instincts with wild animals was acceptable.
Taking the bulk of action and emotions of the series, the actor delivered by staying consistent to his character sketch. A cold and distant front, but a warm-hearted person inside.
Through Voice 3, the back story of his family’s misfortune was unearthed. Shedding light to his connection to Voice 3‘s anti-hero was heartbreaking especially in the climactic moment of the last episode, when he had to do an agonizing – yet for the better choice.
Voice 3 Series Musings
Famous for its notable villains, I found Voice 3 villain not so creepy. Never did I flinch on the captured frames showing his fiendish actions compared to Lee Jae Wook and Kwon Yul. However, since the execution of resolving the crime cases related to him was neat, I chose to overlook it.
I’ll take Kwon Yul’s epilogue scene to be a possibility of another season for these crime chasing detectives. From the get-go Voice franchise has melted its dark yet interesting mood to keep its following steady.
Still worthy to binge-watch, Voice 3 is something fulfilling on its first serving. But you may forego seeing it a few years after if you want to re-watch it. As the franchise already established its niche in the crime genre of K-Drama landscape before, it has successfully made use of its trademark approach.
Although, I still find Lee Ha Na’s portrayal not gravitating, her function to the picture of the series was imperative. So better disregard the portrayal and just accept the character.
Enthralling with its evident commitment in giving the bare faces of iniquities, Voice 3, like its predecessors, may not appeal to the faint-hearted ones. But if you are up for crime-solving adventures, then you would certainly enjoy it.
Regardless if you did not catch the second season, Voice 3 was still able to revolve its story well on the groundwork focusing a cyberspace organized syndicate. But you will never go wrong if you decide to watch the whole package.
Photos: OCN
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