Drama Reviews No. 12

Chicago Typewriter

Revolutionary Love - Byun Hyuk (Choi Si-Won) was very annoying in the beginning, he was grinning and laughing in the most inappropriate moments. He was childish and clueless. Si-Won overdid it with the grimaces. Fortunately films have no smell (yet), otherwise we would’ve watched certain episodes with gas mask. It was frustrating to see how stoic, refrained and rational Kwon Je-Hoon (Gong Myung) was. And again, the heroine - Baek Joon (Kang So-Ra) - was dirt poor but she had as many coats as days (I guess another PPL, along with the shoes and smart watch). I liked it that she was consistent through the whole show. It’s hard to have second lead syndrome when the male lead is Si-Won, but I developed one. I dare to say that Gong Myung stole the show, his acting chops are no joke. And I liked Byun Hyuk’s mother, she had a refreshing good nature.

Chicago Typewriter – This one is good. I enjoyed it from the start to finish. I can’t decide which time I liked the most, the 1930’s or the present. I liked how they alternate them, and gradually revealed the connections. The ghost’s hijinks were really funny. I started to watch it for Yoo Ah-In, but I descovered that Ko Gyung-Pyo and Lim Soo-Jung are also very good at acting. It’s well written and well directed. If you didn’t watched it already, I recommend it.

Queen for Seven Days – It reminded me why do I watch seldom saeguks. I hate conspiracies and those cruel and twisted people from the palace crazy for power. It’s like watching a horror movie in which the action takes place at daytime and the characters have pretty clothes. I don’t have a stress-free boring life to crave such excitement. The first half of the show was fun, until Lee Yeok ascended to the throne. Then the whole thing became gloomy.

Touch Your Heart – I wanted to like this show so much, because I like the leads very much, but I have to admit that it was boring. Without a good script the actors can't make wonders. It wasn't really any conflict, just a pack of very silly coworkers and managers. The show was so sugar glazed that I almost got diabetes from it. Even though Kwon Jung-Rok (Lee Dong-Wook) didn’t have a rival, he caught the noble idiocy virus in the last quarter of the show. We couldn’t do without this drama trope. Dan Moon-Hee (Park Kyung-Hye) and Choi Yoon-Hyuk (Shim Hyung-Tak) attorneys were so ridiculous that I couldn’t laugh at their scenes. Was like watching a Mr. Bean episode. I was envious of Yoo In-Na’s earrings. I want them. All of it. Where can I buy them?

Signal – It was dark but interesting. The radio as the tool to comunicate between times it’s a great idea. The fact that if we correct some wrong made in the past doesn’t make everything right in the prezent and has unexpected consequences, makes me uneasy, but has sense. It started as a crime procedural drama but became much more. Lee Je-Hoon and Kim Hye-Soo had great chemistry, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I googled up and I found out that she’s 14 years older than him. I freezed when the show killed Park Hae Young several episodes before the end, but I had a tiny hope that it will be undone, because it was a precedent. The show had an open end, so I’m waiting for season 2. Let the fight against corruption continue.

Thirty But Seventeen – The little dog stole the show. I appreciate that they managed to sqeeze some reality in the story like when Woo Seo-Ri (Shin Hye-Sun) woke up from the coma, she had to go though some rehabilitation before she could walk and move normally. Jennifer’s character reminded me of The Suspicious Housekeeper, but Choi Ji-Woo didn’t speak as a robot like Ye Ji-Won. I never thought that a housekeeper can have such a wardrobe and work in those outfits. I liked Yoo Chan (Ahn Hyo-Seop), he was so bright and kindhearted, he was the one that brought that “family” together. It’s a feel-good drama. They should’ve hired someone professional for the close ups of playing violin.

My Mister - Tackled some serious questions: what makes us happy, what is happiness, what makes us muster up our courage to step out of our comfort zone, to take a risk and make our life better. The main characters were a bunch of pitiful losers, who struggled through life, but they were relatable. It was a sad show, slow but not boring. I could watch the almost hour and half long episodes without stopping, and wanted more. Some conversations were really ridiculous, like those between the brothers or the lines of the bad actress, but they still spoke volumes (Sang-Hoon's obsession about giving his mother a grand funeral, and Yoo-Ra being very happy that Gi-Hoon failed too as a film director). The show gave me a j-dorama feeling. And IU was outstanding in her role. Well, all the cast was good and spot on. I liked this show. It lingered in my mind for long after I saw it.

Her Private Life – I'm not gonna lie, the visuals are overwhelming. The show is only at it's halfway, but it is my newest crack. The golden lion. Wow. I fell for him. Again. Against my better judgment. Made me a fangirl. The Ryan-Lion pun is cute even as overused. And that face painting as a lion and the car pinned up as a cat... melted me. Reminded me of the fluffy red cat with beautitul green eyes I had. I didn’t like the dressing in drag though. As the show progresses the chemistry between Kim Jae-Wook and Park Min-Young grows, at the beginning they were a little awkward around each other. I love Sung Deok-Mi’s unusual family and I cringed a little when Kim Jae Wook overacted in obsessed fanboy mode around Shi-An. Laica at Dramabeans said in her recap that she hates Eun Gi because he is ”blessed with the dubious talent of mostly being right but always saying it in the most disrespectful, insensitive manner”. Well, I don’t dislike him. He’s inoffensive and mild compared to someone I know, Eun Gi doesn’t make comments with acid irony. My point is: it can be worse. 😀 On a shallow note Kim Jae Wook looks horrible in those large pants. He is too thin for them. And Park Min Young is still short beside him, even if she wears shoes with huge heels. Deok Mi, Ryan and the gallery's former manager, Eom So-Hye (Kim Sun-Young) have wardrobes worthy of a fashion show. Especially Kim Sun-Young, and she rocks those crazy outfits. I hope this turns out to be a great show. (I’ll make my final comments after it ends.)

30 but 17

Her Private Life

Drama Reviews No. 11

Voice – This was sick. The screenwriter must be a very disturbed person to come up with such a horror. But I have to praise the make up artists and the special effect team, without their work the show would of be a joke. Jang Hyuk was overacting in the first episodes. Then his madness came in handy. This show is not for the faint hearted. Watching it I was like paralyzed, I didn’t like it, but I couldn’t stop. Like when I saw on TV a documentary on plastic surgery. They showed how the doctors lifted the skin from someone’s face to remove a tumor and to correct the nose bone. It was horrible but I couldn’t press the remote to switch channels.

Lookout – This was an intense drama. I always liked Lee Si-Young, it’s not a strech for her to be a badass, but who surprised me was Kim Young-Kwang, he gave a layered and a good performance. In my mind he was just a model from Runway Cop, I didn’t credited him as a good actor. He proved me wrong. The incompetence of the police and the corruption was annoying, as always. And I have to mention Park Solomon as Yoon Shi-Wan. He was beyond creepy. He surpassed Kim Jae Wook’s character in Voice. The ending pissed me off: why didn’t die or was punished that little monster? WHY???

Deserving of the Name – This was another time travel drama, and still came up with some new things: the instrument (the needles) and the way (dying) fit well the story, they had a meaning and a purpose. The show had a heart, everyone was improving, they became better persons. The comedy and the drama was well balanced. Kim Nam-Gil and Kim A-Joong were fun to watch, they had great chemistry, I even would say, that they were enjoying the filming and working together. The whole cast was good, they are all pros, so no complaining of the acting.

My Sassy Girl – I approched it with caution. It turned out that I enjoyed it more than I thought. If you don’t expect a true saeguk, and you are willing to overlook some overacting, than you can have fun watching it. Everything was solved quickly and easily, wasn’t much angst in it. The colours were bright, the cinematography was beautiful and the characters were over the top. Well, it’s a comedy. The title is misleading, has nothing to do with the film with the same title. Joo Won has good comedic chops but he’s still bad at romancing. Or he just didn’t have chemistry with Oh Yeon-Seo.

Master’s Sun – At first, the ghosts freaked me out (this was the reason I didn’t watch this show ’till now), but towards the end they became less scary. The show was mildly entertaining. The machmaker, Mrs. Goh was really creapy, so were Kong Shil’s wanderings in the cemetery at night.

Because This Is My First Life – I started it for Lee Min-Ki and Jung So-Min, who I thought were a perfect couple on screen, but I ended up watching it for the cat (she’s beautiful! :) ) and to see how many words I recognize, how many expressions and sentences I understand in Korean. Lee Min Ki was so wooden and emotionless like a doll, when he kissed Yoon Ji Ho, it was so out of the blue for me, that I thought, I dozed and I missed some scenes. It looked like Jung So Min was the only one from the cast who could emote normally, but she couldn’t manage to create any chemistry with Lee Min Ki despite her efforts. Esom and Park Byung-Eun’s characters were a nice pair, they were witty and funny in a good way. This show was meant to be a rom-com, but it had little real romance and little comedy. It had lots of plot holes instead. It was a disappointment. I laughed at the cat related product placements.

About Time – At the beginning resembles of Master’s Sun. Choi Michaela (Lee Sung-Kyung) needs Lee Do Ha (Lee Sang-Yoon), he’s a shelter to her because he stops her time, then he’s stabbed in an attempt to save her. I barely managed to watch through the first two episodes. But from the third episode I got emotionally involved. The PPLs weren’t inserted in a very subtle way in the story. When Bae Soo-Bong (Im Se-Mi) said looking at a face cream that her skin is better and better even though she’s under great stress, and it’s the cream’s merit, I laughed out loud. The ending disappointed me. I know that the show was supposed to be a fantasy romance, but the story had melo vibes, so I expected a darker ending. Watching the last episode was like seeing a parallel universe. And two key characters (Beth and Do Ha’s father) had personality transplant at the end. On the bright side Lee Sang Yoon and Lee Sung Kyun made a cute couple as actors and beyond.

Drama Reviews No. 10

Fight My Way – It wasn’t as funny as advertised in the teaser. The romance and the chemistry between the leads was okay but not off the chart. It could’ve been much better with such a cast, I blame it on the director and the writer. The frames and the lights were dull, the fight scenes were poorly made. What stood out for me were the side characters, the leads’ friends who were a couple (Ahn Jae-Hong and Song Ha-Yoon) and the coach (Kim Sung-Oh), they were scene stealers. It wasn’t bad, just lukewarm.

Suspicious Partner – It was hard to balance the humor and romance with the creepy crimes. I liked the trust developed between Ji-Wook (Ji Chang-Wook) and Bong-Hee (Nam Ji-Hyun) despite the bumpy start. I would've like it more if Bong Hee was portrayed as more capable, not as someone slow, who barely can pass the exams. The legal stuff and court speeches were not well written, but the visuals were great, and wasn’t a boring drama. I appreciated that the leads emoted so well and had so much chemistry.

Defendant – It felt over the top, too exaggerated. I liked the beginning, when I couldn’t figure out what’s the deal due to Jung Woo’s (Ji Sung) repeated memory loss, after that the story became somewhat predictable. Ji Sung’s performance in the second half of the drama was better. Uhm Ki-Joon managed to create another memorable villain character, a real psychopath, with perfect mixture of intelligence, evil and craziness. And with a friend like Kang Joon-Hyuk (Oh Chang-Suk) who needs an enemy? He was outright scary. The irony is that in this dark, twisted story the inmates were the good guys.

Whisper – This drama is better than the Defendant. The casting and the actors performance was spot on. I liked that all the characters were four dimensional, the line between good and bad was blurred, everyone had a shady and a relatable side. The corruption’s web was unimaginable large yet felt real (given the corruption size in my country). In every single episode was a twist, I couldn’t stay assured even for an hour. I wasn’t disappointed of the end, I saw it coming, if it was any different the drama wouldn’t be true to itself. Lee Bo-Young and Lee Sang-Yoon were perfect partners, complemented each other, but the romance was a little forced.

Individualist Ms. Ji-Young – The approach was too simplistic, the tropes of opposites attracts in this case wasn’t appropriate in my opinion. The clinging to girlfriend was overdone, it wasn’t even hilarious. I know it was a two episode mini-series, but still the problem was too easily solved.

The Best Hit <3 – The best. ’Dda Bong!’ It’s about a year that a drama got me this addicted. I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face while watching it. Maybe Yoon Si Yoon’s wide smile was contagious. It was a show that was funny and witty, the comic situations and the serious talk were hand in hand in almost every scene. I had the feeling that the whole cast and crew had a blast filming. I was amazed how cool the characters stayed when they learned about the time travel. No one freaked out. Not even the son whose dad snatched the girl he loved. C’mon, that was unrealistic even according to kdrama standards. But the love story of Yoo Hyun-Jae (Yoon Si-Yoon) and Choi Woo-Seung (Lee Se-Young) was so sweet and swoonworthy that I threatened to curse the show, if it’d kill it at the end. Fortunately it did not. Everyone was likeable. Even stalking fans. When I saw them with those cameras, I burst out laughing. They clearly didn’t know how to use them. At first they didn’t even hold it right. And when one of them took a picture of Ji Hoon (Kim Min-Jae) in the bakery with telephoto lens... Well, she probably wanted to take a macro photo of his nose hair.

2 Outs in the 9th Inning – The Best Hit put me in a retro mood, so I tried for a change an oldie. I think it’s okay to call it that if it’s a ten years old drama. Someone praised it on Dramabeans and made me curious. I want to thank her for that. I didn’t see the main actors in leading roles up till now, and I was amazed how good they are. Soo-Ae wasn’t stiff and self aware like many actresses, she was relaxed and natural, with a beaming smile, and you could read what was Lee Jung-Jin thinking ‘cause every muscle was moving in his face. It’s an understatement that their chemistry was great. I would like to see them in many dramas as leads, in meaty roles. Hong Nan-Hee and Byun Hyung-Tae’s transition from friends to lovers was fun to watch and felt realistic. The ending was somewhat flat, without fireworks, but all in all, it was a good show. Sadly the subs were not too good, but I’m still grateful for them. On the shallow note, I loved their fashion, especially the trapeze trousers. I still keep one of those in my closet. I’ve never seen someone looking so hot in saggy sweatpants and a T-shirt. And I was right, that camera wasn’t just a prop.

Drama Reviews No. 9

I am finally up to date with the reviews of the dramas I watched. And as you can see I'm way behind with the current ones. I have to squeeze them somehow in my busy schedule.

1. Squad 38 (Unit 38) - At the beginning watching the schemes was interesting (even though when Baek Sung-Il (Ma Dong-Seok) was schemed, I was annoyed and angry), but then, when they repeated them several times, it became boring. The corruption was inspired from real life, the rest felt like science fiction. Seo In-Guk was cheeky, fearless and had a charm, but he couldn’t win me over. It was hard for me to finish it.

2. On the Way to the Airport – I liked it a lot. I didn’t care that it was an affair, because the respective spouses were so despicable. In Choi Soo-A’s (Kim Ha-Neul ) case the communication with her husband was nonexistent, it was more like parallel monologues. He was self absorbed and inconsiderate, I would call him even despotic. Seo Do-Woo (Lee Sang-Yoon ) was a nice guy, a good husband, a good father, but he was manipulated and lied to, shut out from his wife’s real life and his feelings were ignored. At first Choi Soo-A and Seo Do-Woo offered comfort to each other, then became soulmates, and ultimately lovers. The story was well told. It was sad but romantic, a melodrama without tears. It’s a must watch.

3. Shopping King Louie – It was entertaining. I can’t understand the thrill of getting the first of a limited edition product or a designer thing with all costs, but I could relate to Louie in having an eye for the quality stuff. Sometimes the funny was at the border of lame. Cha Joong-Won’s fashion was hilarious, still it was worn with so much confidence by Yoon Sang-Hyun that made it okay. In this show Seo In-Guk was more likable than in Squad 38, and he could show a wider acting range. Ko Bok-Sil (Nam Ji-Hyun) was consistent and persevering throughout the show, but I felt only pity for her.

4. The K2 – The fight scenes were extremely long, I usually like them but here I was like ’When will it end? Aren’t they tired? How much more beating can they take?’ It was almost boring. And when I found myself rooting for the less corrupt politician, it was a painful deja vu. Was like real life and I hated it. Ji Chang Wook’s character was a pawn in the story that was a really complicated chess game. I would have liked him to have more lines and less action scenes. Lee Jung Jin was so great in his role, he was creepy. A real match for his ’sister’, Song Yoon-A who was 4 dimensional with a soft spot for K2. Like lots of us.

5. Goblin – It was an epic show. With so many insightful moments and even more funny ones and jokes, for me it was a match of genres made in heaven. I loved it. The Goblin (Gong Yoo) and the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-Wook) were so good together, and when they added Yoo Duk Hwa (Yook Sung-Jae), the ’nephew’ in the same scene it was frenetic.  I didn’t feel the romance between Kim Shin and Jin Eun Tak (Kim Go-Eun), she looked more like a niece than a love interest of the Goblin. But the Grim Reaper and Sunny (Yoo In-Na) had great chemistry, there were sparkles in the air when they were together in a scene, it was believable that they once shared a love story. The first episodes of 90 minutes didn’t feel long and the storytelling wasn’t draggy for me. Lee El’s mask as an old woman was a masterpiece, and Park Joong Hun’s ghost made me have nightmares. Worth even rewatching.

6. Legend of the Blue Sea – It exceeded my expectations which were high. The first few episodes shoot in Spain were hilarious, then when they got back to South Korea I was in a constant fear so that the mermaid, Shim Chung not to be discovered. And then not to be caught. It was interesting and fun to watch, I wasn’t bored for a moment. Jun Ji Hyun and Lee Min Ho were great together, they had so much chemistry that I had the impression that Lee Min Ho fell for Jun Ji Hyun for real. That kiss at the end was longer and deeper than necessary. And all the cast was spot on. I was loving this show so much that I planned to paint a vase or a glass bottle with Heo Joon Jae and Shim Chung like the one in the drama. I just didn’t have time for that yet.

7. Jealousy Incarnate – Gong Hyeo Jin was typecast again. Her character was a whiny, mopey pushover. At times she reminded me of Pasta. I think something must be wrong with the writer’s head, because no sane person would make a comedy out of cancer and tumor. This bugged me so much that I halted watching the show for several months. I know too many people who have died of it or are still struggling with it to consider it funny. And when I finally decide to continue to watch, it was this laughing at the funeral, practically in the face of someone who lost his brother and was devastated. WTF?! Let’s say that the writer and the PD wants to be seen as a nonconformist and to smash some taboos, but in this way? They are completely wrong. I get the educational purpose, but still. And don’t get me started about the male lead’s assy behavior. After the 8th episode it becomes watchable if you suddenly get amnesia.

8. Nightmare Teacher – I was expecting something entirely different. But ultimately it wasn’t bad. It was a supernatural psycho-thriller. I caught on early that the teacher picked the insecure students with a - how should I call it – weakness, addiction? Maybe obsession. Those who had something that was very important to them. And played with them a game they couldn’t win. After a time it wasn’t that creepy. This webdrama’s editing and filming was minimalist and simplistic compared to TV dramas. 

Drama Reviews - No. 8

It’s interesting what remains with you, what you remember of a show after some time when the sparkles and bubbles of it’s magic are gone. I remember more of One More Happy Ending and Ms. Temper and Nam Jung Gi than of Descendants of the Sun.

1. Twenty Again – It was annoying to watch. Not the directing, not the storytelling, not the cinematography, not the actors, but the story itself. It pained me to watch Ha No-Ra (Choi Ji-Woo). The two persons who she loved and cared for the most, her husband and her son, who should have been supporting her and cheering for her, were putting her down and were ashamed of her. It was a miracle that she found herself in the end. Well, with some help from Cha Hyun-Suk (Lee Sang-Yoon).

2. One More Happy Ending – This was one funny ride. Who wouldn’t want a neighbor like that? Han Mi-Mo (Jang Na-Ra) and Song Soo-Hyuk (Jung Kyoung-Ho) were just a little bit crazy, but that was like a pinch of salt that makes the meat tasty. They conveyed their emotions so heartfelt and with so much intensity that I rooted for them non stop through the end. But all the characters were relatable. It’s a feel good show, worthy for a rewatch.

3. Second Love (J-drama) – What comes to my mind is that there were lots of shades of greys and whites, cloudy days and blinding sun. I had a bit of a shock seeing those students being rude and insulting their teacher. It ruined the picture in my mind that all Japanese people are nice and well-behaved. The dancing scenes were gorgeous, emphasizing the well structured body of  Kazuya Kamenashi. The romance was sort of low key yet intense. It was a complex story about pursuing your dream with a realistic approach, and how success and distance can affect relationships. It tackled also the negative emotions of coping with failure, frustrations, fear of change and challenge.

4. Descendants of the Sun – I think the most memorable scene was the overused morning exercise of the troops. The scenery was beautiful, the actors are beautiful, but the story was thin. All things were resolved fast and too easy. I liked the bromance and the second lead couple. I guess I’m not alone with that. I think the bickering was he show’s strong point. Around the end I was a little afraid of how it will be, but I trusted the writer that she won’t kill her babies. Song Joong-Ki and Song Hye-Kyo were the show’s engines, they pulled the ratings up (and maybe Jin Goo, too).

5. Ms. Temper and Nam Jung Gi – At the beginning it was kind of weird, the role reversal was pushed to the extreme. Lee Yo-Won’s character is too bossy, fearless and cold, on the other hand Yoon Sang-Hyun’s Nam Jung Gi is a total pushover even if he is competent, he is so pitiful that makes you cry. It looked like all his family members were losers with a big heart. But after you get to know the characters better, it doesn’t feel that awkward. I liked how she gave him strength and make him more confident. It was also a David and Goliath fight between the companies, they shown us lots of unfair business practices and under the belt blows. I liked Nam Bong-Gi, he was so refreshing in his shamelessness.

6. Whirlwind Girl 2 (C-drama) – Let’s look at the bright side: you don’t really need subs for this one. The story is thin to non existent, the dialogue is so childish, that a 12 years old can do better. Anyway, you watch this either for Ji Chang Wook or the fight scenes.

 

Short Reviews of Dramas - No. 7

Ex-Girlfriend Club

1. Producer – This was my first drama with Cha Tae-Hyun, and I enjoyed every scene he was in. Even if Kim Soo-Hyun is a bigger star, he doesn’t shine in this. But the scene-stealers were Kim Jong-Kook and Ye Ji-Won, she nailed that secretary character brilliantly.

2. Secret Garden (I know, I should’ve watched it years earlier.) – I wasn’t so taken by it. Yes, the body swapping was fun at first, and I laughed out loud, but the ego and rudeness of Kim Joo-Won (Hyun-Bin) was too much for me. I liked more Oska, Yoon Sang-Hyun’s character with all his flaws.

3. Liar Game – It was like watching aerialists performing without a net. I was always afraid they will fall. It disturbed me that I couldn’t trust anybody exept Nam Da-Jung, but she was naive and got conned often. I was holding my breath until the very end. I don’t like reality shows and for certain, I wouldn’t watch one like this if it was for real. Lee El was fantastic in her role, she was shrewd and unpredictable.

4. Ex-Girlfriend Club – It was hilarious. I felt like Song Ji-Hyo carried the this whole show on her shoulder, like her character in the drama. It was fun to watch the ex-girlfriends evolving from enemies to friends. And their behaviour around Bang Myeong-Soo, their ex, was so ridiculous, that sometimes couldn’t stop laughing, yet relatable.

5. Oh, My Venus - So Ji-Sub and Shin Min-A had great chemistry, they made me overlook the plot holes and the slow pace. Shin Min-A wasn’t really fat even in that fat suit, they should’ve make her bigger. The thing that Kang Joo-Eun was told to and then she wanted to slim down, so that she could feel attractive, didn’t bother me, because like that she became healthier. And health is very precious, you realize it just when you get sick. Kim Young-Ho’s sidekicks (Sung Hoon and Henry ) were adorable. The actors should’ve learn to pronounce the word Venus, because the way they did, sounded like an entirely different word: the male organ. As a conclusion, if I had a trainer like that, I would exercise more.

6. She Was Pretty – It was an okay drama, but not exeptional. It was hard to believe that Kim Hye-Jin (Hwang Jung-Eum) was so ugly that Ji Sung-Joon (Park Seo-Joon) couldn’t recognize her. And it was even harder to see how she put up with everything when he was treating her bad. If it wasn’t for Choi Si-Won and his character, I probably didn’t watch it to the end.

Oh, My Venus

Drama Reviews - No. 6

These are all love stories, except one. I guess I was in the mood for that back then.

Ho Gu’s Love

1. Ho Gu’s Love (Fool’s Love) – such a nice drama, heartwarming but delivers some big laughs. Choi Wu Shik making cute faces to the baby and not only. I couldn’t sweep off my smile. You just want to hug Ho Gu and his family. Takles new territory for a drama with a mature approach and understanding. The mistranslation in episode 3 (?) and then the flashbacks mislead me, and hated the jerk, until I read the recaps on Dramabeans. Then seeing him so pityful, tortured by his believed gayness was almost rewarding. I know I sound cruel but I’m just being honest.

2. Falling for Innocence (Falling in Love With Soon Jung / Beating Again) – I approached this drama with moderate optimism, but was better than I expected. It was fun to watch how a total ass was transforming due to his heart transplant. I liked that first the heart was remembering and then the mind. The female lead felt cold from the beginning to the end and I didn’t like that. Strangely the work related stuff and intrique didn’t bore or annoy me.

3. It’s Okay, It’s Love – I cought on early in the first few episodes of the resemblance with A Beautiful Mind. The talks and presentation of mental illnesses are very schetchy and superficial (maybe except the main character’s). I liked it more in Kill Me, Heal Me. But the reaction of the people around those afflicted felt real.

4. My Unfortunate Boyfriend – The first 4 episodes were mostly boring and annoyingly idiotic, with few glimpses of what it could be, nice composed moments with some meaning. Everything was based on silly coincidences. No Min Woo is terrible at acting stupid or innocent, he’s much better at making sad faces. The introduction is too long. After the 5th episode I got engaged with the show by the main characters, not by the story. I liked their simple love and how they conveyed their emotions, it was so heartfelt. Yang Jin-Sung carried the show she was the only good actor among the younger cast members. The rest were barely serviceable.

5. Yong Pal – I had so high hopes for this and the first few episodes were fascinating, but then the whole thing fell flat. Kim Tae Hee was cold and emotionless, she had no chemistry with Joo Won. The side characters were more lively and stronger, they controled the show, the main couple was at their mercy.

6. Hidden Identity (Hide Identity) – It was okay, not outstanding. The episodes were linked, even though in the beginning I didn’t see the connections. Kim Beom’s character was really masochistic, he took so much beating every time that it was hard to watch and even so he never gave up. He still has to work on the acting part. Yoon So Yi was the first actress at who’s action scenes I didn’t cringe, she’s tall enough, a little skinny but she was believable. At the last 4 episodes things got more serious. At last I felt engaged to the story, this was what I missed earlier. But I was irritated by the scenes, where the otherwise professional team members were staring at things or persons for precious seconds when it wasn’t time to waste ‘cause it was a dire situation. And can someone explain to me the logic why they blurred the knives every time, but they didn’t do the same with guns and bleeding wounds?

Drama Reviews - No. 5

There are still many dramas I watched. I want to publish all my already written reviews, so that I can get closer to those that I watch or I have watched recently.

These dramas are from the second half of 2014 to early 2015.

1. Witch’s Romance – (Noble idiocy is a disease that both sexes can develop, induced by the approaching end of a drama, and causes temporary brain demage. It seams like there’s no pill for it, and it takes a few episodes to heal by itself.) – Hilarious, lighthearted, illusional and a little dellusional. I loved the chemistry between Uhm Jung Hwa and Park Seo Joon, both had wonderful friends, and the supporting actors were all great. The age difference was played out well. Nothing to complain for except the noble idiocy part. Worth watching.

2. Nemureru Mori no Jukujo – It’s a starting a new life drama. If I have to make a comparition, I would say it resembles of european films (but not mediterranian!). It is quiet, no shouting, no romance, the characters slowly muster up their courage and find their path in life. It has an optimistic and uplifting end.

3. Bad Guys – Well executed, not too dark, with some violence and tomato juice, but that wasn’t much disturbing. The connections were slowly revealed, which was good, because I wouldn’t like a solve-a-case-and-move-to-the-next type of drama. It was interesting to see how the bond started to develop between the convicts almost against their will. On a shellow note: with this haicut Jo Dong Hyuk looks mighty fine.

But this drama didn’t make me bite my nails, sometimes it was hard to remember what happened last week.

4. Tomorrow Cantabile – It was silly not funny, the characters were idiotic and over the top. I understand that the concept was to present a bunch of genious weirdoes, but still. I was afraid that the actors will look fake while playing those instruments, but for the drama’s credit, they weren’t. But I’m not an expert. Joo Won’s conducting was convincing, and he’s really made for wearing suits. What I can’t forgive is the famous conductor’s horrible German pronunciation who supposedly lived most of his life in Gemany (or Austria? I don’t want to look it up). It hurt my ears. For Pit’s sake, producers, directors, managers, find someone to teach these actors to pronunce those few words, sentences in that foreign language correctly! If you have to, force them to learn. I refuse to believe that they couldn’t find a decent German teacher. They could even go to the German ambassy or consulate, I’m sure there’s a secretary or an office worker who would’ve happily taught that ’Franz Stresemann’, who by the way was called the whole drama Pranz. On this note, I have to praise Joo Won for his good English pronunciation. The music was good though. And before you ask, I didn’t see the Japonese version.

5. Healer <3 <3 – I was under it’s spell for a lot of time. It was painful to wait till the next Monday and I had withdrawal symptoms after it ended. I knew that Ji Chang Wook was a good actor, but he made me fell for him as Seo Jeong Ho and Pak Bong Su. From the comments I saw, this drama was a hit or miss. For me was a hit. I’m a sucker for not-in-all-aspects-great heroes. And I can’t understand the rather low domestic ratings. Seems like the international audiance appreciated it more. It’s a nice mix of genres, it has a little of everything. My favorite parts were the comedy and romance, the action scenes were not that thrilling and well done. I have a feeling, that this drama will make a new trend in kdramas with more ordinary and down to earth characters and fewer clichés.

6. Discovery of Romance (Discovery of Love) – The drama is mediocre, light, but it’s good for numbing your brain. It has petty characters, lots of bickering, misunderstanding, making jelous and bravados. Eric and Yung Yu Mi made a believable ex-couple, they had sparkles, but Sung Joon was unfit for the role. I can’t understand why they cast him lately as a much older guy. He’s still green, even if he has lots of dramas under his belt. Yoon Hyun Min was ridiculous in his role not funny, and I don’t know who’s fault is it. His or the writer’s.

7. A Gentleman’s Dignity <3 – In short: four infantile men in their forties acting like hormone driven teenagers. Their friendship is ’all for one, one for all’ of a kind. They even think of themselves as the four musketeers. They have complicated love lives and are pressured by the thought of ageing. The heroine is an ethics teacher and a baseball umpire. The latter is so and so, but the teacher part... Pffff. I’m ashamed for her. I don’t know how she got her degree. (This comment was made in the drama, but in a later episode then the one I was watching when this came to my mind. :D) She’s a caricature. Well, all the characters are. And she causes the others’ growing up process, although she’s immature, too. In the beginning I wanted to slap her to come to her sences. Anyway, this combination makes for a hell of a comedy. I loughed out loud. It’s a must watch.

8. Kill Me, Heal Me <3 – I’ve never thought that someone with a mental disorder can be cool, but Ji Sung made it look that way. (In real life it would be really scary.) The most cooler of his personalities, for me, was the fearless Se Gi, who didn’t look girlish even with tons of guyliner on (and some lipstick at times). But, boy, they were crying a lot, and seeing that running snot in high definition was disgusting. They never ever used a hanky. Park Seo Joon just broke my heart with his sweet fake twin brother act, and his on-screen parents were a nice match. I really appreciate kindhearted parents in kdramas, because they are so rare. The mistery lasted until the very end, which was nice, and I’m not unhappy with the threads not being all neatly tied in a bow. 

 

Drama Reviews - No. 4

With time my taste has refined, so all dramas from this list is a good one. But it's also a bit of luck. And among them is my first j-drama.

Here it goes:

Empress Ki

1. I Hear Your Voice – Nice and funny interaction between the characters, but too much legal stuff to the point that bored me. Everything was predictable. Those speeches of the prosecutors and attorneys were so flat and childish, that I was shouting to my screen at the writer who didn’t bother to do some research and learn how to do it so that she could make acceptable lines. What cracked me up was that those lame speeches were admired in the drama. And a rare thing nowadays: all the main actors were brilliant in what they were doing, they deserved all the awards they got.

2. Who Are You (2013) <3 – Despite it’s flaws I liked this drama. I liked that they mixed genres, the horror scenes from the beginning were a little too much for my taste, but I understood the purpose of that. I enjoyed the goofing of the side characters, and even Taecyeon’s acting was believable and serviceable. The story was nothing new just the approach, and they handled it quite well in my opinion. And I’m not pissed with the ending, I saw that coming, and actually it makes sense for me. But I would’ve liked to see more of Kim Jae Wook.

3. The Suspicious Housekeeper (2013) <3 – I was captivated by it from the first episode. It’s not a funny, light or romantic drama, it’s some sort of melodrama but without crying your eyes out. Makes you think about things that you otherwise wouldn’t want. It’s about how to cope with loss, face the problems like a man and find a way to solve them properly. I didn’t mind that it turned into a thriller towards the end. Translating it is quite draining emotionally.

4. Last Cinderella <3 <3 – That was just wow. The things in it happened with such a speed, one had to put in some effort to keep the pace. The dialogue was witty and funny, and I didn’t know up to the end which guy will end up with the heroine, and I liked that. It’s something I’ve never seen in k-dramas. And the two leading men were smoking hot.

5. My Love From Another Star – I watched the first two episodes just because I wanted to see what’s the hype about, and it only got me from ep. 3. All in all it was a good drama, was fun, but kind of brainless fun. I liked how bad the baddy was, he took being bad to a next level and I liked how spoiled and bratty Jun Ji Hyun was as Cheon Song Yi (sometimes I would’ve liked to slap her), but I wasn’t so amazed by Kim Soo Hyun.

6. Queen’s Classroom – Liked it. It tackled the subject why we are going to school, what we learn in it, and what for. The depiction of bullying shocked me, even though I was aware of the phenomenon. Watching the struggle of the children was very hard. In that class were all kind of children, with all kind of family backgrounds, but I still felt that they were too idealized. And another thing I can’t let slide: those teachers were terrible in teaching subjects. What kind of teaching is that when you write like a robot on the blackboard without a word, without explaining what you do and why when you solve a math or science problem, or just put the pupils read from the textbook?

7. Empress Ki – I enjoyed it, but it was very long for my taste. That’s why I seldom watch saeguks. Ha Ji Won was great, this role really fits her, but Joo Jin Mo was washed out, I never felt the sparks between the two of them. So I was cheering for Ji Chan Wook, he was a breath of fresh air, has a strong screen presence, and had a good chemistry with Ha Ji Won. I didn’t care about historical accuracy, I just went where the story took me. And there were a bunch of fantastic side characters. But the last third of the show was out of fuel.

8. History of the Salaryman – Not bad, all the actors were good, it was packed with action and scheming but they dragged it for too long. Would’ve been enough 16 episodes. That workplace fighting for power is not my thing, and I couldn’t care much for the characters however righteous they be.

9. Secret Love Affair – To sum it up: good music and good leads. Contrary what one may think reading the plot, the story was written quite realistic. It wasn’t flawless but this drama handled well the emotions. It’s a quite and subtle love story that’s growing on you. The only problem I had with this drama is that the bad guys got away without any punishment. That’s too realistic even for me.

10. Capital Scandal – A period drama which is a fairytale is a rare thing. The serious stuff is just for decorum. It has over the top characters. Even the bad guys turn out to be good. It’s all funny coincidences, I would call it a classical comedy. I liked how badass Cha Song Joo, the famous giseng was. But watching this drama I couldn’t not compare it with Gaksital, and I was somewhat frustrated how light this is.

11. Sungkyungkwan Scandal <3 – I loved that ravishing quartet and every second of this drama. Yoochun and Park Min Young together were fun watching, but Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In stole the scene every time they appeared on the screen. Speaking of the latter, his miraculous healing ability made me laugh, and interestingly Cho Sun, the famous giseng had also martial arts skills. So can we conclude that being a fantastic giseng requires to be an assassin/fighter with black belt? Anyway, this drama is a gemstone.

Sungkyungkwan Scandal

Take 3 - Drama Reviews

1. The Virus – This is a medical thriller and takes itself serious. It’s the phobia-inducing kind. The atmosphere is grim, with lots of corruption and unscrupulous people. The characters are static and one-dimensional, it’s not much challenge for the actors, the show visually is dark, with enough scenes when you want to cover your eyes. The thing that made me watch it was the story, which was very realistic and daring. And the ending wasn’t the Hollywood-like everything turns out well in the end, it showed a bigger picture. I liked this drama. Even though I had some issues with the choice of the mastermind’s race in this context. But for exchange the actor did speak well English, his acting was serviceable, it’s not his fault that some of his lines barely had sense. The irony was that while the show was airing it was announced a new flu epidemic in Asia.
2. Heaven’s Order – It wasn’t an exceptional sageuk drama just a fairly good. I would have wanted a lot more cute scenes with the main couple, as the ones in the beginning. Fortunately after the first few episodes were less medical terms, but that was compensated with lot more plotting. So Choi Won had to run and hide, and again, run and hide. I think he lost a few kilos because of that. I like Lee Dong Wook but he wasn’t good in this role, he just can’t do the serious and grave face. But in the comedic scenes he shined. And thank God for the comedy in this show, ‘cause this makes it stand out from the sea of sageuks. I liked the good hearted thieves, and the Red Demon with his ‘slave lady’, their interaction was so cute. My new discovery was Song Jong Ho who is not a newbie at acting but I didn’t saw him before.
3. The Chaser – If you managed to get past the first episode, and you can swallow that cruelty, you’ll get hooked. I admit this show made me cry, the pain of the parents who lost their child looked so real that it touched me. It’s a well balanced drama, the good and the bad are a match for each other. The bad guys’ characters were so well written that I gritted my teeth watching them, and I rooted with all my heart for the good underdogs. I specially liked the realistic ending.
4. Coffee House – I thought it was going to be a regular kdrama Cinderella story, with a not-so-bright heroine and a mean but handsome prince, where the pretty and smart lady will get only his friendship, if she’s lucky. But this show made an exception. The first half was brainlessly funny, I laughed with tears. Jung Woong In was so cheesy and ridiculous in his role, I never thought he could be like this, and when they went against each other with Kang Ji Hwan, that was priceless. However, it’s not a drama that you will remember for a long time.
5. Heartless City – This is a pretty drama. Not only the actors looked good, but the cinematography was gorgeous as well. The story was packed with action, with huge fight scenes, which were slightly unrealistic. It was like a delicious and beautiful cake, it tasted so good, that after a slice I wanted more and more, even though I knew it has too much calories, it’s too much butter, cream and sugar in it. So it wasn’t without flaws, there were too many undercover cops, the baddies switched sides and formed new alliances at every blink of an eye, and the story was going in circles. And I couldn’t stop laughing at the leads’ miraculous healing capacity, now they were beaten up and were nearly dead, and ten seconds later in the same scene they were running and fighting like nothing happened. I liked the characters, and the actors were mostly doing a great job, even though the leading man had the same expression almost the whole drama.
6. Incarnation of Money – The introduction was too long, and when the adult version of Lee Cha Don and Bok Jae In appeared, they looked like from another movie. Their comedic scenes were so exaggerated, that I cringed. What I’m not okay with is the way the film makes fun of an overweight person with eating disorder, and it gives the plastic surgery as a solution. And if you look closely only her face is fat, her body is almost normal. The unintentional fun of this is that Hwang Jung Eum really looks like she had tons of plastic surgery on her face (she admitted only a few). Only in the second half of the drama the main couple starts to behave normal, and that’s when I started to really enjoy the show. And another flaw of the script is that all the schemes went way too smoothly on both sides.

The Virus

Dramas I Watched - Take 2

Faith

Here is the second batch.

1. The Moon That Embraces The Sun – It failed because of Han Ga In, she’s pretty but can not act. Plus in the last third of the show the story was dragged. And the directing was bad. Another case of wasting time, money and talent.
2. Pasta – Again lots of cooking with pointless and annoying bickering. Both main characters should consult a psychiatrist, the guy is a sadist, the girl is a masochist. They make a good pair on paper, but watching them wasn’t that much fun. If we could have taste the pasta they were making, it would have compensated for the waste of our time. Those three cook assistants should have had more screen time.
3. Wild Romance <3 – I loved the main characters, both of them were silly, and for exchange the girl wasn’t a mat. I didn’t care about the fact that it was very little romance in the show because I enjoyed the funny scenes and the thriller part of the story. And it didn’t get flat towards the ending, what’s more, it went out with a bang.
4. Rooftop Prince – A mediocre drama. I enjoyed the beginning, when the Joseon’s time travelers didn’t know how to use the modern technology and what those items are for. But they have adjusted far too easy. And the story became boring with tons of drama clichés. The romance was nice. And the baddies were very bad at acting.
5. Faith – I liked it. The characters and the story as well. Although Lee Min Ho was kind of wooden and I didn’t like those terrible manes of glory he had. It could have been a better and more spectacular drama if wasn’t cut off the initial budget, and the director was better at his job.
6. Nice Guy – It mesmerized me. In a way that a snake does. I liked the acting but I couldn’t feel for the characters. They were like aliens. The drama had a good directing and great soundtrack. It was painful for me watching Park Si Yeon’s face, she looked almost like Jacko due to the amount of plastic surgery she had.
7. The King of Dramas <3 – This is a good drama about making dramas, and I enjoyed it very much. The characters took themselves so seriously that it was ridiculous. And the cast was chosen spot on for their roles. After watching this I notice every product placement in a drama.
8. Bridal Mask <3 <3 – This drama was heart wrenching and elevating. It was flooded by raw emotions from the beginning to the end. The fighting scenes were breathtaking and the cliffhangers at the end of the episodes made you bite your nails till the next one. Props for the writer and the director, they had balls for tackling some sensitive matters.
9. Level 7 Civil Servant – The writer probably was smoking pot. The director was lazy or crazy otherwise he wouldn’t film scenes with so many inaccuracies in them. Before the show started airing they released a statement that the show was meant to be a satire. Well, it was more like a parody. I don’t remember seeing such incompetent agents in any TV show or movie. Unfortunately it was hilarious and I liked the cast so I watched it.
10. Ghost – This is a clever drama and it’s educational, ‘cause you learn about many kinds of cyber crimes. It’s kind of scary what can be done with a computer. Opposite to the previous drama, in this one everyone is übercompetent. Not much action but you get the thrill.
11. Sirius – It’s gloomy and dark. I felt sorry for almost every character, even though I couldn’t empathize with all of them. But you don’t need hankies for this show.

 Dropped:

          Dr. Jin (ep.4) – I just couldn’t watch more vomiting and diarrhea.