Plot: What’s it about?
Jang Chae-Ohk (Ha Jin-Wa) has a keen mind, able to solve even the most difficult crimes. Her mind isn’t her only weapon however, as she is also quite skilled with a blade. In other words, she is a woman who can think and fight, but thanks to the rules of the social order, she isn’t allowed to freely practice her skills. The social structure states that women cannot serve as police officers or even in the military, instead she is assigned to serve tea at the police station. But she hasn’t resigned herself to her social status, so when she can, she disguises herself as a man. This allows her to assist in police matters and put her detective skills to good use, even if she does so under false pretenses. But as she tries to balance her personal and professional lives, she faces the toughest case of her career, so can she maintain the intricate balance and solve the case?
While I have seen countless movies in foreign languages, I do know that the presentation does suffer at times, since I don’t always speak the language or have a great knowledge of the cultures involved. After all, if someone has little knowledge of any culture, the subtle touches won’t be picked up on. In the case Damo: The Undercover Lady Detective, I know the story is interesting, but so much of the political and social context is lost on me. I don’t have a lot of knowledge about Korean culture, so I am sure I miss out on a lot and while the subtitles help, they can only do so much. Even so, if nothing else Damo is gorgeous to look at and has some intricate, beautiful to watch action set pieces. Some of the sword fights are quite well done, so even if some of the plot points pass by me, there is still a lot to like here. I had a good time with these fourteen episodes, but I did feel out of the loop at times and the lack of a proper widescreen treatment was a disappointment. But I still think Damo is good enough to recommend, but I think a rental is probably the best choice in this case.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, instead of the intended 1.85:1 widescreen presentation. The end result is that the show’s gorgeous visuals don’t shine like they should. The image looks good, but isn’t as refined as it could be, had this been given an anamorphic enhancement. Even so, the image is clean and never too soft, though grain is evident at times. The colors and contrast look good, with bright hues and accurate black levels. So yes, the episodes look good, but I have to think they’d look even better in anamorphic widescreen.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original Korean soundtrack is preserved, but the soundtrack isn’t as epic as the series itself. The action driven scenes sound fine, but lack the level of power needed. I don’t think the audio reduces the effectiveness of the scenes, but some added boost would have enhanced them, to be sure. The rest of the series follows that trend, with rather basic and sometimes even flat audio presence, so nothing to write home about. This release also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes no bonus materials.
