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Dear Hongrang, Mr. Plankton and a new age teen angst of a nihilist flavor.

While I, like everyone else, want to rave about the cinematography and excellent OST, I thought it might be more interesting to talk about these tropes that have noticed in a few other dramas, particularly with Dear Hongrang and Mr. Plankton. Particularly regarding Dear Hongrang and Mr. Plankton both offering a new flavor of chaotic rebellion that propels characters to new heights of angst.

Typically dramas featuring youth rebellion is framed through a coming of age lens - a passage we all must pass through to come to a place of maturity and understanding. But both Dear Hongrang and Mr. Plankton are fueled by pervasive and crippling sense of nihilism until the very end, when salvation comes but only with death at its heels. Their supercharged and paralytic youth is not a passage to make through nor a transitory state to overcome, it's the end. And while reminiscent of greek tragedies, both these shows subvert the typical tragedy with intense self awareness.

I think this underlying sentiment is very current, very Gen Z, and very representative of the hysteria of collapsing social structures that once seemed immutable.

A greek tragedy but make it ironic;

Typically in tragedies, the tragedy lies in the audience knowing along with the ignorance of the characters. Yet in both these stories, the characters are fully aware of their transience and their hubris. While the audience might expect some sort of growth arc from these characters, we don't expect their arc to be their literal end. Yet the characters themselves are aware of their impending mortality, so acutely that in fact, it brings them to the brink of nihilism. This subversion of the classical tragedy is what modernizes these narratives.

For instance, Hae Jo (Woo Do Hwan) in Mr. Plankton grows up quite a privileged life but is unable to overcome the pervasiveness of feeling like a reject, a fluke or a vestigial after thought. His birth is a direct result of a corrupt and rotten system, while Hongrang (Lee Jae Wook) is born within the confines of a corrupt and rotten system and cannot escape it. In both stories, The System is powered by Forsaken Children.

Starting with a Dark and Troubled Past, Hongrang is an orphan trapped in a pretty f**ked up class (and caste) based hierarchy as a slave who is basically kept as a proxy to absorb all of his shitty master's punishments. He's barely a real person, merely an effigy of someone who had the luck of being born in an affluent family. In fact, Hongrang does not even get his own name. He dies, still under a name that is not his own. He may have had his own name prior to the events of the story but that is not for us to know and it is most certainly intentionally left out to make a point.

Nearly *all* of the ruling class don't know how to be decent humans to their subordinates and offer a pretty colourful range of villainy, ranging from the Evil Aristocrat (the Prince), the Corrupt Corporate Executive (the Dad) to the garden variety assholes who are more or less tasked with being a menace rather than actual evil.

In Mr. Plankton, our protag starts out more or less the same. Though his dark and troubled past may not be at the level of Invasion of the Baby Snatchers, but nonetheless, the Child Eater trope is prevalent in Mr. Plankton as well. Hae Jo is as much a victim of circumstance as Hongrang. Both shows feature this stolen innocence, this sufferance foisted on children who bore no responsibility and did not even have any filial piety to uphold towards adults and elders who clearly deserve a hard curb sandwich instead of the obeisance they expect. Hypocritical and delulu parents are rampant, well meaning but toxic, selfish, greedy and unable to overcome their own delusions to keep their children safe and stable. Amidst this environment, Hongrang and Hae Jo were purely random collateral damage. There was nothing personal in their suffering. They just happened to exist.

This leads the protagonists (including the female protags in both shows) to live pretty hard and love like there is no tomorrow. Hongrang does not give AF about the implications of being seemingly in love with his sister, like the optics of it does not bother him at all. Even when his own so-called sister is a little taken aback by the brewing sexual tension.

Hae Jo ruins weddings and gets hunted down like a fugitive, then decides that he's gonna f-ck up his ex's love life and her future that does not have him in it. There is no pausing for repercussions and no crushing sense of responsibility. They're out to burn brightly and burn out fast. There is no future for them, only the abyss.

I knew Dear Hongrang would turn out to be a tragedy the moment Jae Yi and Hongrang actually ran away. I didn't think they would but I kind of enjoyed that they did. Most would think this to be an act of escapism, but in the context of this show, we know that the two of them running away was in fact a willful defiance of the social expectations that requires them to be sacrificial. Them running away hastened their end and they knew it too. Staying low and fighting the greater fight was no longer the driving imperative.

Similarly, I knew Mr. Plankton would turn out to be a tragedy when Jae Mi decides to go along for the ride and Eo Heung decides to pursue. Not because Hae Jo was destined to die, but because he would not find relief until it was too late.

Overall, I think I primarily was struck by the similar vibe in the soundtrack and its cinematography, later to notice more of these overlap in tropes. I wonder if its a pattern or if its just a fluke, considering none of the creative team overlaps except for the music director perhaps.

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Destined With You, and socially awkward and seemingly unlikeable protagonists

I don't often rewatch drama series but mid-way through my watching experience, I went back and watched Destined With You from the beginning. I didn't think I'd really soaked in a lot of the story nuances or the character arcs super well as I was very busy being distracted by Rowoon's insane bod and crazy height.

Before I continue, special mention to the the editor-director team who did an absolute stellar job on highlighting all the visceral feels while Jang Shin Yu got spiritually groped by magic hands. I was so hot, bothered and disturbed by its sexual assault-y vibes that I felt I had to re-experience the drama all the way from the beginning for the second time lmao.

What I thought really deserved special mention was the excellent intertwining and mirroring of Shin Yu and Hong Joo's characters. Jang Shin Yu starts off as the boilerplate Jerkass: insufferable, pedantic, holier-than-thou and a chronic harpy on Hong Joo's daily peace and mental health. This is offset by the fact that Hong Joo somewhat brought this on herself, primarily because she's also boilerplate Creepy Loner Girl. She does stupid, creepy but cute things and incurs the ire of the annoyance that is Shin Yu. Still, her I Just Want To Have Friends is a very relatable experience and a pivotal point of audience empathy towards her character. I would say this is also mirrored in Jang Yu because despite all that he has, he is alone and friendless. Probably feeding into his jerkass character.

Of course, both of this is made more palatable because they are visually so delicious. My lord.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there. My point is, they are both on the same page and equally matched in terms of social awkwardness, jerkass as well as creepy tendencies. Despite the 'morally grey' things they may do (Shin Yu basically cheating on his also-cheater girlfriend, Hong Joo trying to potion her way into love), we are made aware that there is a long backstory leading up to the current situation and we know that a very steep development arc awaits both of them. I think, paired with the fact that Shin Yu goes through an incredible humanizing moment when he comes into awareness of his history with Hong Joo, along with Hong Joo finally overcoming her creepy loner girl status, this created a really powerful character chemistry between the two of them. For me, the way their arc comes to fruition is a rarity in K-media and a powerful journey for two less than perfect characters that were unfortunately wrapped in some other unfortunate narrative decisions pertaining to the plot, particularly Shin Yu's father, a classic Doesn't Know Their Own Child and who is seemingly forgiven for his shitty behavior towards his wife and his son because... Dad Meant Well. All made worse by the fact that too much screen time is attributed to this disaster parental unit.

All in all, I think it was such a marvelous treat to watch Shin Yu and Hong Joo be so socially awkward together while looking like luxury brand models. What more could you want from a fluffy romance?

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The K2 - Choi Yoo Jin as Maleficent

Rating: 4 out of 5

TLDR; The K2 has garnered a LOT of hype primarily because of the gripping premise, incredible action scenes, riveting acting and Ji Chang Wook’s next level hotness. That being said, I’d like to discuss how the show uses Snow White and the Huntsman theme as an allegory and falls just that short from making something absolutely impeccable.

My thoughts ( mild spoilers, you’ve been warned! ):

A bloated vat of political machinations that lose their bearing as the characters stop growing and learning from the pointless scheming leading to nothing. The latter half is a gross misuse of the absolutely stunning chemistry between two of the main leads, devolving into romantic fluff and gossipy men talking sh*t about each other.

I think most people who have watched this show would agree when I say that Song Yoon Ah was the star of the show. She took the whole goddamn show home with absolutely crisp acting. Her emotionally intense scenes evoked empathy and loathing for her character, Choi Yoo Jin, while simultaneously stirring a whole lot of admiration for the sheer chutzpah she portrayed in the face of adversity. Her methods and means were absolutely terrible, but she was by far the most empathetic character.

It wasn’t too long into the show when they start making direct references to Snow White and the Huntsman, starting with locking Anna off into a tower. Choi Yoo Jin fully revels in the role of evil stepmother, mercilessly cutting down her opposition and true to the nature of Maleficient, playing the same game her male counterparts play - yet getting crucified for the very same deeds that are even condoned within the ‘old boys club’. She knows she is a victim of the patriarchy but her ambition and self-destructive behaviour are out of control - which, of course, only Mr Wonderful and Sublime, Je Ha (Ji Chang Wook) can pull her out of that spiralling vortex of self-loathing and resentment. 

In a similar fashion to Snow White and Huntsman, Je Ha and Yoo Jin have a mutual relationship of admiration, respect and a deep fear of each other. Je Ha and Yoo Jin’s relationship is intoxicating and toxic, and the fact that the makers of the show did not choose to really flesh out this relationship blows me away, instead, spending an arduous amount of time trying to foster a spangled romance that directly conflicts with the message that Choi Yoo Jin’s character is trying to address - that the patriarchy is what makes women into monsters and vilifies the very same qualities that they look for in a man. 

Anna’s severely dependent relationship with Je Ha is a farce, in comparison. Where there is respect for Yoo Jin, Anna evokes pity and possessiveness in Je Ha. She is the quintessential damsel in distress and never really goes beyond that. Till the very end, her liberation remains beholden to the very people that repressed her. 

Je Ha’s relationship with Yoo Jin needn’t necessarily have been a romantic one (although I would have loved that tbh) but the opportunity they had to address a much larger theme slipped right through their fingers as the show slowly devolved into political mish-mash and filler romance. The three main characters shared so little screen time in the latter half, I could barely keep my attention focused while old men slung thinly veiled insults back and forth. With episode 12, I scrubbed through all the parts that didn’t have Yoo Jin x Je Ha, Yoo Jin x Anna, Anna x Je Ha interact and I got like 5-10 minutes of total screen time. The political machinations got so out of hand that it became irrelevant at the end. Instead of having Yoo Jin’s character rising to a crescendo, they mellowed her and basically phased her out. In my humble opinion, this decision only made Anna seem insufferable because it became clear that Yoo Jin was capable of kindness and becoming a better person, while in contrast Anna was literally hailed as an angel while doing very little for herself other than.... go from here to there, and there to here I guess...

From the way they portrayed this movie, it was clear that Maleficent I mean... Yoo Jin was the lead here. She has the biggest (and arguably the only) character arc and seemingly they invested their time and emotional energy building Yoo Jin’s character which would only make sense if the narrative focused on Yoo Jin x Anna’s relationship with sprinkles of Je Ha... OR based it on Yoo Jin x Je Ha with Anna floating here and there. With the current set up, it’s basically a polished gem on the inside wearing a cheap, fluffy mask of romance on the outside. 

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Hwarang: eye candy galore

Rating: 4 out of 5

TLDR; REVERSE HAREM GIVE ME STRENGTH! Unfortunately Go Ara’s character spirals into a 2D lovelorn damsel in distress that gets to be saved by a flock of delicious boys. If you’re into that, then this show is actually a 5 out of 5 because the bromance is STELLAR but if you’re seeking something that challenges, embraces or rises above the reverse harem trope then this show is disappointing sorely on the fact that Go Ara’s character regression is just straight up stupid. 

A victim of the reverse harem trope, A Ro’s insipid character falls down from being a feisty and capable woman into a damsel in distress who can’t treat her severely injured patient that she is in love with just because she can’t get her shit together. 

A Ro serves as a plot device really to bring the King and Sun Woo II (and possibly the rest of the cast) together and to build a stronger bromance. The bromance is top notch. Park Seo Joon and Park Hyung Shik have amazing chemistry and develop an amazing bond over the course of the story. Through bitterness, rivalry, love and power Sun Woo II makes Dwi Rang a more rounded character and vice versa. Unfortunately unlike Sungkyunkwan Scandal, the rest of the cast is kinda forgettable. Although each of the hwarangs are solid characters on their own, their interactions are not nearly as fluid as Sun Woo II or Dwi Rang. it seems as if they go from scene to scene just being themselves and doing what they do instead of genuinely interacting with each other. This in part, may be due to the long drawn scripted melodrama and bitterness that each of them is supposed to dwell upon but in the end, I think it just hinders each of the hwarangs from unleashing their ultimate bromance.

wtf was this?! LOL

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Bride of Habaek; better than the manhwa

Rating: TBD post-show

TLDR; Let’s just say i’m glad they deviated from the manhwa.

When I started reading Bride of the Water God a few years ago, I was on a fantasy kick. I just wanted to consume ALL the fantasy roms. Anyway, in spite of being bitten by the fantasy romance bug, this manhwa was pretty dang terrible simply because So Ah, the main protag was just awful as a female protagonist. The art was absolutely, incredibly stunning but she never emoted or even did a whole lot of anything other than go in cyclical motions of questioning her relationship with Habaek and being used as a pawn in various schemes. 

What? she’s crying?! I wouldn’t ever know! This was pretty much the emotional range of all the characters throughout the manhwa.

So Ah is annoying, bratty and ungrateful instead of vapid and bland. Habaek is a pain in the a$$ and a burden on So Ah. It’s all so great!

Anyway, moving on. The kdrama is written by Jung Yoon-Jung who also wrote Arang and the Magistrate. Considering how much I loved Arang and the Magistrate, I thought that it would best to mentally separate the manhwa from the kdrama and boy was it rewarding. The setting is different as Habaek comes to the human world instead of the other way around. So Ah is annoying, bratty and ungrateful instead of vapid and bland. Habaek is a pain in the a$$ and a burden on So Ah. It’s all so great! Their character chemistries are amazing. Well I mean, the chemistry is as good as it gets without Nam Joo Hyuk x Lee Sung Kyung. I mean look at them...

It’s almost unfair to even ask Nam Joo Hyuk to be as charismatic with another female lead after watching him with Lee Sung Kyung.

Moo Ra and Bi Ryeom are amazing supplementary characters as even though they have little screen time compared to Habaek and So Ah, their chemistry is sssiiizzzling! 

I’m glad they’re taking their liberties deviating from the original source (as an adaptation should!). They skipped the whole child-adult Habaek-Mui business which would have made the WHOLE premise 1000x creepier, instead choosing to make Habaek a manchild who literally needs to be taken care of by So Ah. The characters are all self aware and are crippled by their own flaws so much so that they are stuck in a self perpetuating cycle of being unable to live up to how they imagine themselves to be because they are unable to overcome the image that they have of themselves. The narrative parallels are incredible. The irony of So Ah being a dysfunctional psychiatrist reminds me of Lee Joon Gi’s apathetic magistrate from Arang. 

Mental health is a running theme throughout the show and I’m so happy about how they have that reflected in every aspect of the story; from having no real sense of ‘normalcy’ with ‘normal characters’ to having us question our motivations on if and why we choose to believe and support certain characters. 

Mental health is a running theme throughout the show and I’m so happy about how they have that reflected in every aspect of the story;

Their hubris and annoying personalities give us a brilliant setting for developing stellar chemistry when in comparison to CEO Shin who serves as a grounding force against all these flighty a$$ people who come and go as they please. There are no throwaway scenes and each interaction serves a purpose towards various narrative aspects. 

The actors do a great job of encapsulating the key character traits and are just overall a joy to watch on screen. It doesn’t try to be meta or overly fantastical, but focuses on character relationships and growth.

Is it brilliant or genre breaking? Probably not. But it definitely deserves to be distinguished from the bland AF manhwa and to be judged on its own merit. It’s overall an extremely entertaining watch plus Nam Joo Hyuk is so cute it hurts my ovaries.

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Naeil’s Cantabile; Nodame versus Naeil

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

TLDR; Full on disclaimer, I went into this k-drama having watched, loved and absolutely been smitten by the J-Drama version with Ueno Juri so please keep in mind anything I say is probably heavily biased. That being said, I thought this version was a snooze fest without character chemistry and completely missed on the execution of the core message of the story. By merit of it being an adaptation, I gave it an extra .5 stars since it would be unfair to expect the Korean version to be an exact copy of the Japanese show but even by Kdrama standards, this show is booooring. 

The interesting and the most captivating thing about Nodame Cantabile was that it was Nodame’s story that we get to see through Chiaki’s eyes. 

The thing about Nodame Cantabile was that the romance aspect was actually secondary to personal growth through their music instead of music serving as nothing but a tool to create the setting for the various story arcs :/

This is the key flaw of Naeil’s Cantabile. Even though it’s called Naeil’s Cantabile, it’s f**king actually Yoo-Jin’s Cantabile. His character growth is exponential without actually hitting any interpersonal milestones; without actually ever spending a whole lot of time with ANY of them. The Korean version adapts the choicest scenes of the Japanese version without any regard to the build up that occurs with each scene. The interesting and the most captivating thing about Nodame Cantabile was that it was Nodame’s story that we get to see through Chiaki’s eyes. She grows through (and with!) him and thus they are a complete duet instead of Nodame being Chiaki’s lead foot, which is exactly what happens with Naeil and Yoo Jin. Naeil becomes his ball n’ chain, an over the top character without any grounding characteristics that the audience can relate to.

Another one of my absolute pet peeves was the incessant politics that they kept trying to insert into the story. Like an absurd Kdrama twitch, there had to be the evil bureaucrat-of-the-day twist (thus making it a Korean adaptation?!) which took up FAR too much screen time including the absurd Streseman & Mi Na romance! I mean I understand the desire to vary out the age range of characters that are fleshed out properly in order to make it less ‘adolescent-heavy’ but in the end there were over FIVE romantic scenarios rolling at the same time! ( Yoo jin x Naeil, Naeil x Yoon Hoo, Do Kyung x Yoo Jin,  Il Rak x Shi Won, Streseman x Mi Na) so idk when on earth is Yoo Jin going to get personal with an ENTIRE orchestra-size cast, i’m not sure.

I feel the need to say though, Il Rak was the best part of this show and that’s just sad.

Park Bo Gum was the MAIN reason why I watched this, convinced that his angelic smile alone would elevate the performance for me but alas. ಠ⌣ಠ He just never got enough screen time in the end and his romance with Naeil was a farce given that Naeil never really gets beyond the girl-with-asperger’s trope. The whole thing was just weird and forced ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

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Strong Woman Do Bong Soon; feminism and mixed signals

Rating: 4 out of 5

TLDR; It’s a fun watch. Although I bought into the hype and I started out loving this show so much that i think I set my expectations a tad too high. This isn’t anything groundbreaking and to be perfectly honest, I thought it was a huge sell out on the feminism aspect. I know people swear by this show, but before you lynch me, read on and let me know what you think. 

My thoughts (spoilers ahead!) :

Maybe it was the first episode and it’s bold approach to questioning (and reversing) gender roles in Korean society that had me sold right away. This was it, the harkening of change in k-entertainment for women and the roles they play! Make no mistake, I am not Korean and while I may not be a legitimate critic of Korean culture, I feel however, that human stories are universal and that the roles that women play in media reflect a universal outlook. That being said, let’s move on to why I think SW DBS became a farce for me. 

As a light watch, this show is absolutely adorable. Park Hyung Sik is incredible in his ability to be adorable and I just love Park Bo Young. Her expressive eyes speak volumes and are able to convey a multitude of emotions. Ji Soo is cute, but relatively 2D as second lead and never really breaks his comfort zone a whole lot. In many ways, his role was simply to make DBS and Min Hyuk more rounded as characters. DBS and Min Hyuk have great chemistry and are brilliant together. The scene in which DBS, her mom and her grandma come together to share some serious bonding time had me wowed although this was only the beginning of what I learned was a pretty serious misdirect.

Point 1; The weak a$$ sisterhood of the women of the DBS universe:

The first thing that struck me odd was how narrow and limited the women of the DBS universe were for a show that was clearly making a point with feminism. DBS has only ONE girlfriend whom she considers a BFF and a confidante (and plays a pivotal role later) yet Kyung Shim’s character is as flat as cardboard cutout. Do we even know what Kyung Shim likes? other than DBS, obviously. What does Kyung Shim do? Does she have friends other than DBS?! WE SHALL NEVER KNOW! DBS’ Omma and compadres are also strangely equally as narrow. For someone who lived through the trials and tribulations that DBS is currently going through, Omma offers very little support, very little wisdom and instead spends an enormous amount of time being her husband’s lead foot. There are redeeming moments for Omma of course, but her character’s sole existence seems to be to marry DBS off to some rich dude. 

One could argue, that was why Omma lost her powers, but let’s be real, her impact on DBS (and the story) is absolutely minimal. She has no idea that Kyung Shim goes missing and is virtually secluded in her bizarre little bubble. DBS and the other women of DBS universe share so little screen time together, I could barely even understand why DBS flipped her sh*t so hardcore over Kyung Shim’s disappearance. And thus, aside from Grandma who goes irrelevant after one episode, I started to realize that the women of DBS offered very little substance and could potentially just be offering lip service to the feminist bandwagon. 

Point 2; Gook Du and his desire to be DBS’ personal messiah:

Gook Du wants a dainty little cosmos for a girlfriend and imparts some serious misogynistic vibes with his protector role. This is _very_ intentional and they’re clearly trying to make a point. DBS is dainty only in appearance but kind of a ditz and posses far too much strength that a man could consider “comfortable” for his tastes. Yet, as second lead and someone whom I thought I should have felt sorry for, he never really gives his protector schtick up, insisting that DBS be under his wing. He never gives her the full credit she deserves or even acknowledges her full potential, instead, telling her to “stay home and be safe”. He never considers her an ally or a partner. That being said, it’s obvious why he’s second lead because Min Hyuk gives DBS the exact thing that Gook Du doesn’t.... adoration without machismo.

Point 3; Min Hyuk decides to up his machismo, show reveals its true colours.

Lastly, but most devastatingly, when DBS is left bereft and powerless, it isn’t her narrow escape and her realizing her true powers of womanhood that is showcased, but Min Hyuk’s bravado and awsm manliness that is front and center. She is always indebted to him and never manages to tip the scales. Not only does he keep her employed simply based on his whims, but in the most crucial of times, he becomes her saviour instead of simply lending her a hand. I felt cheated in this manner because at the 11th hour, in the face of crisis, DBS is nothing but a damsel in distress. Her powers are shown to be a shallow, supernatural fluke and she is clueless without her man and her celestially imparted gift. And as validation to my betrayal, the comments in the feedback section devolved from “DBS kick some ass!” to “God what a dumb b**ch. She should have listened to Gook Du and Min Hyuk!” 

They try to salvage this grievous detour by making her into Motherhood-on-Crack later on, but the damage is done. Instead of a partner and a friend, she needed a saviour and her strength, turns out, is not actually her feminine prowess, but some random gift from some random source. I felt idiotic when I realized that ‘Strong Woman’ wasn’t a metaphor for her feminine strength but a literal depiction of the masculine ideal of what being ‘strong’ constituted. Lifting cars and breaking people. Instead of strengthening her inner self, she learns that she is nothing without this arbitrary power and as an ordinary girl she cannot even cut her own goddamn apples.

Maybe I was just expecting too much lol

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Guardian (Goblin) The Great And Lonely God; traversing time and pain.

Rating: 5 out of 5

TLDR; Watch it. It’s not even my thinly veiled bias for Gong Yoo showing through, I genuinely find this a masterful kdrama. Read on to see why I think it breaks so many kdrama tropes with such poignant bravery.

My thoughts ( mild spoilers, you’ve been warned! ):

I often feel like the disparity between korean cinema and korean drama is quite obvious in the k-entertainment’s treatment of its art. Korean dramas are clearly created for consumption, to give gratification, evoke the feels, while korean movies seem to be treated with more thought and given more care. 

Dokkebi (i’ll just call it dokkebi since the whole Goblin/Guardian thing seems to be disputed), however, managed to make a potential 16 hour snoozefest into a 16 short films, essentially. Everyone is ranting and raving about it, but what I want to discuss for this review is how in particular Dokkebi uses time in it’s narrative techniques and layers its metaphors pretty thickly. I mean, they can manipulate time, for chrissakes. 

Kim Shin survives over 930some years to find his bride. His sole purpose is to die and thus the concept of humanity has escaped him as he passes century after century in an immortal ignorant bliss. He is not pressured by the fleetingness of mortality and thus everything moves at a slower pace. The camera pans across idyllic vistas incessantly, almost gruellingly slow in every episode. When he meets his bride, time slows down, when things get too heavy, he slows down time. Time is his punishment, time is his gift. The result is incredibly cinematic shots, of course, but if you’ve find yourself thinking “why the hell is this show so slow?”... it’s probably because they want to slow down time for you too. 

They have an incredible mastery over how they portray the overall atmosphere of the show as well. Editor / Director dream team really worked their magic with this one. Although the characters in their “normal routine” to SFX ratio is much higher, turns out, the show didn’t need a whole ton of SFX to achieve the supernatural and fantastical vibe. Instead, they achieve this with brilliant acting, with enigmatic cinematography and a ton of light/shadow play. 

The actors have exaggerated reactions and even the most tainted and twisted of characters are able to be vulnerable and wear their emotions on their sleeve. They are extraordinarily child-like and show none of the cynicism that you’d expect a 930 year old dokkebi or a 300 year old grim reaper to have. There are an immense number of scenes which are slowed down, high contrast silhouetting and fog machine going into overdrive added to the high saturation colours of the show creating a somewhat unreal vibe. This slurred reality automatically makes it seem more fairytale-like without all the silly SFX which seems to plague most tv shows and movies across the globe these days.

Into that mix, is the skipping back and forth between time periods when we witness the unravelling of the 3 characters whose fates are so intricately intertwined. We never know the passing of time, just like Kim Shin has lost that sense of telling time and even the time he spends in purgatory is only weighted against Ji Eun Tak ‘physically’ growing up. Time has stopped for her as well. One of the most painful scenes to watch, for me, was when she wept bitterly on her bed for reasons she herself did not know. They weren’t afraid to amp up the sound, drop the music entirely and just have us listen to her crying for thirty solid seconds. The time we spend listening to her weep reinforced how much the stalling of time has taken a toll on her emotionally. Kim Shin’s direct impact on time occurs with or without his presence. As for Wang Yeo... well there is nothing but retribution from God for him. Time is just his punishment and his penance doesn’t seem to end within this lifetime. 

I feel theres a ton of material out there that tries to traverse the love transcending time and fate theme but there’s very, very few that have managed to encapsulate it so well. Not just in it’s plotline, but it’s narrative technique, it’s brilliant editing and the masterful acting are definitely something I feel is unparalleled in tv and cinema across the world. 

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xoxo

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Hello Monster; Spicy (Bro)+Romance

Rating: 5 out of 5

TLDR; I don’t really watch crime dramas as I generally prefer spending my precious free time on comedic relief but Park Bo Gum in the cast was too good to pass up. I’m glad I watched it. While there’s always some romance brewing in every kdrama in some form, the rom-edy was pretty low key even though the character chemistry was spicy. Jang Na Ra and lead hottie Seo In Guk are feisty together and their chemistry never sags. The mystery aspect is gripping throughout and the bromance is just too good for my heart. 

My thoughts (no spoilers!) :

I think that gif should explain everything about why I loved this show so much. All my fangirling aside, I was intrigued by how the show explores the duality behind human nature and good versus evil. I love me some good psychological twists but more often than not, narratives tend to flatten out and become rather one dimensional in their methods of “wrapping up” the story. I mean, how do you give such a complex theme an “alls well that ends well” closure? 

Hello Monster took some great risks in that regard, downplaying the romance in favour of building solid character relationships and creating intrigue. I think it paid of immensely as we learn about the web of lies and misunderstandings between Lee Hyun, Sun Ho and Joon Ho. Do Kyung Soo as the crazy Lee Joon Young is brilliantly creepy and psychotic. I feel like the older Joon Ho pales in comparison to his younger genius counterpart whom I feel encapsulated the babyface killer with perfect accuracy. While there is an antagonist, the empathy aspect is played upon quite heavily in the story as we can never really blame or hate a character. Each character has their own motives and ideologies. The action sequences were beautifully choreographed and I always do enjoy watching Park Bo Gum move around fluidly on my screen anytime, any day.

Would I rewatch this? Probably not. The mystery is gone and I’m still nursing a long list of other kdrama that take precedence over a rewatch. But still. Park Bo Gum x Seo In Guk bromance deserves a 5 at the very least :’)

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The Producers; 2nd lead syndrome & sadness

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

TLDR: It was okay. A fairly solid and short-ish romcom without any janky loopholes or crappy ass story telling. There were a few key narrative issues though that could not bring it up to the 4.5 rating unfortunately.  If this ran any longer than 12 episodes, I’d actually probably have dropped the rating to a 3 lol. 

Cast:

Kim Soo-hyun / Cha Tae-hyun / Gong Hyo-jin / IU

My thoughts ( mild spoilers ahead! ):

There is something strangely meta about the Korean entertainment industry’s acute self awareness. This show is a good indicator of how well they understand their own societal  restrictions and limitations. Yet, as they make you, the audience, privy to their shortcomings, you get to witness a strangely cyclical perpetuation occurring which, in all honesty as a complete and utter outsider I can hardly make any judgements at. However, a part of me still wonders if the world of Korean entertainment is actually attempting to make some sort of statement about their traditions and practices or simply showcasing it in a sort of warped acceptance and resignation?... like a “Here it is. Here we are, love us or leave us.” Hmmmmmm..... <_<

Weird Inception-moments and extreme meta’ness aside, the most offputting part for me in this show was Kim Soo Hyun not being lead man. But that’s just me being shallow and biased.

Firstly, I love that Kim Soo Hyun is _actually_ listed as the first actor in the cast list yet is in fact, second lead in Producers. Can’t blame them, I suppose since he is one of the two reasons I started watching this show, in spite of its initially lacklustre sounding premise. (Gong Hyo Jin being the other reason lol)

Shot in a mockmumentary style format, I think it kind of tries to mimic what The Office had going on, but in the very first two episodes, it becomes pretty clear that they have no idea how to execute this. Primarily because they just don’t have the sheer amount of time to build up the type of slow and voyeuristic unravelling that The Office utilized to reveal character motivations. 

There are in fact THREE camera perspectives rolling at one point which was so INCEPTION!! that it kind of blew my mind. They quickly lost control of this, as audiences were not sure as to when cameras were switching perspectives. They had the “documentary crew” filming extremely intimate moments with extreme close up shots right after which, they cut to breaking the fourth wall as characters spoke into the camera creating an extremely unsettling feeling. It made me acutely aware of ALL the different cameras and that is absolutely never a good thing. I was never sure when they were switching narratives and what I should and should not be privy to. So in order to separate narrative framing, they added some shaky handheld camera effect to the “in show documentary camera”, but all that did was confuse me even more.

they just don’t have the sheer amount of time to build up the type of slow and voyeuristic unravelling that The Office utilized to reveal character motivations. 

Episode 3 onwards, things got much better. I think they so confused themselves that they decided to ditch the whole narrative within narrative within narrative thing and simply stick to character monologues and breaking fourth walls in order to keep the “mockumentary” aspect instead of a in-narrative cameraman that WE SEE following characters INTO BATHROOMS LOL (and actually talking to the actors!)  

Aside from all that camera weirdness, I actually loved the characters. Character chemistry is solid and I just couldn’t handle Kim Soo Hyun. My god, that guy is such a cutie pie, my uterus just exploded. His baby face is like 100% on point with this character. Like I’ve said before, even when Gong Hyo-Jin is being a generally awful P.I.T.A, there is just something I find so endearing about her, I am willing to oversee it all. Possibly because she’s never a passive and “background” female protagonist. Her character portrayals in the shows that I’ve watched (aside from Jealousy Incarnate, but more on that farce later) all have her being varying degrees of a pain in the ass, but shining even brighter than the lead men. I personally think she elevates the performance quality of the cast members around her. 

The love square is great. I love love squares. It always leaves me with hope instead of utter devastation for the one character that gets left behind :’(  Let’s just say my 2nd lead syndrome was pretty bad with this one and it still convinced me that the canon coupling was the right choice. You know character chemistry is on point when that happens. 

Unfortunately, as sad and lonely IU’s character is in this show, I found her entirely forgettable. She’s a pretty classic reactive character, kind of going with the fray, being sad but not really sad enough, just...meh. But she makes Ye jin (Gong Hyo Jin) a much more rounded character and that’s all I really wanted from her tbph lol

 Anyway, it’s a good watch. Gong Hyo Jin and Soo Hyun never disappoint.

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The Master’s Sun; growing to love Joong Won’s garish suits

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

TLDR: I loved it. I veered clear of this show for a long time because I am complete and utter chickensh*t when it comes to horror (or horroresque thriller) but with Gong Hyo Jin in this, I could not not watch this show. I was glad I did because it never crossed that line for me and it was just such a good show.

Cast:

So Ji-sub / Gong Hyo-jin

My thoughts:

I gird my loins and set out to watch this show in spite of the horror tag simply because I love Gong Hyo Jin. (Also, Seo In Guk, hello? How can this man get any hotter?) I find her endearing even when she whines and complains and is my personal number one hottest k-drama actress ( saranghaeyo Gong Hyo-jin 😘 ) 

I endured Jealously Incarnate for her which unfortunately she could not salvage with her awesomeness. That’s how shitty it was. But Master’s Sun definitely did not do her stellar skills any disservice. The thing I actually had an issue with from the very beginning was So Ji Seob. I could barely stand the way he carried himself, his arrogant hand gestures and ugly wardrobe. I hated the way he treated Tae Gong Shil ( how dare he?! ) but then again, all my absolute fave kdramas have started out with me hating (or at best, not really caring about ) the lead man. I think that’s really the intention and I think the full range of character growth that it yields has got to be the most satisfying aspect of watching kdramas.

( mild spoilers ahead! )

Master’s Sun took me on a complete ride and the immense character growth was enthralling and fully emotionally immersive. The horror never really got scary and the plot never got convoluted with nonsense antics from random characters. Even the side ghosts shared meaningful interactions with Gong Hyo Jin, which is #1 reason why it never reaalllly dipped into unwatchable horror for me. As the audience, we grow with Tae Gong Shil and learn to not be afraid of the ghosts that follow her. We learn to accept and love even those who have been forgotten, as she does. Even Joong Won’s awkward speech delivery, gaudy wardrobe and abrupt mannerisms become endearing as he learns to rely on and (surprise!) love Gong Shil. The character chemistry is awesome because even though Gong Shil is needy and dependent, she is never passive. Joong Won signs up to be her personal shield for ulterior (but not really) gain and learns that being needed and wanted feels pretty dang awesome. I will be honest however, with Seo In Guk in the picture, I was 100% conflicted the whooooole time about that love triangle. In fact, till the very end, a very big part of me was rooting for In Guk. Yet as the series carried on, my heart knew that it would be cruel for Gong Shil to be with anyone else other than Joong Won. 

Yi-Ryung as the antagonistic rival to Gong Shil never disappoints either. She is pure comedy and even though I disliked her from the very beginning, I begrudgingly supported her quest to gain that one unattainable guy. (I won’t say who!) I just wish she played a bigger and more pivotal role in the whole scenario but I was okay with her just being that one kinda-maybe-sorta friend to Gong Shil because Yi-Ryung never was a hinderance simply for the sake of driving plot and her relationship with Gong Shil actually goes through a growth arc as well. Alls well that ends well when it ends with a good ladymance. 

I wish there was a bigger range of character interactions for Gong Shil, but I think her isolation is the whole point. Her neediness never gets undesirable and is strangely pragmatic so watching her cling to Joong Won was actually kind of cute because of how much it unsettles him to have her invade his extremely wide personal bubble.

Anyhow, if you’re looking for some really good supernatural rom com, Master’s Sun is for you. I gave it 5 out of 5 because I probably will actually watch it again. And I never rewatch stuff. On that note, I should probably bump Aarang and the Magistrate to a 5 star as well because 100% will re-watch that Joon-Gi dancefight again ;)

Annyeonghaseyo In Guk-sshi~ You shake that bottle 😘  <3~

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Cinderella and Four Knights; meh.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

TLDR: If you have time to burn or really just want to indulge in some reverse harem love quadrangles. Or pentangle in this case.

Cast:

 Park So Dam / Ahn Jae Hyun / Jung Il Woo / Lee Jung Shin / Choi Min Sung / Son Na Eun 

My thoughts ( no spoilers! :D ):

What makes a reverse harem storyline interesting (see Ouran Host Club), is the varied relationship dynamics that exist within the universe. Which means, all parties involved have differing and interesting interactions with the heroine. Focus on romance can be heavy, but romance won’t make a shitty story float without the supportive side arcs that make the ultimate canon so gratifying. Good ones are far and few in between since most writers/directors simply want to stuff as much spice, drama and eyecandy into their narratives as possible...often at the cost of the plot and character development.

Anyway, It’s difficult to approach something titled ‘Cinderella and Four Knights” with heavy expectations. I’ve watched many a reverse harem, many of them... a crushing array of disappointments unfortunately, but I’ve never given up hope. So once I saw this beaut on DramaFever, I queued it up immediately. 

The plot doesn’t get too far away from it’s base but sometimes starts dwelling on things a little too much for my liking. Eun Ha Won (Park So Dam) is fun and energetic, in contrast to most bland reverse harem heroines and and is fun to watch at times. However, her naive optimism quickly devolves into self righteous claptrap and that’s where she started to lose me. An overzealous, naive yet optimistic heroine is not a bad thing in itself but in comparison to her CLEARLY flawed and overbearing compatriots (Ji Woon, Hyun Min and Seo Woo), this comes off as preachy and holier-than-thou simply because the other three are able to reflect on their actions and rectify their mistakes. Many shows fall down this pit simply because they take their heroines far too seriously. They try to fit their female protags into moulds instead of letting them drive the story with their character. If the show treated Ha Won as the focus of the show instead of her romance, I would have been a lot more inclined to enjoy it far more than I actually did. Her zealous optimism becomes a deterrent and a P.I.T.A for many characters but it’s never addressed or rather, she never sees it any other way. Ha Won ends up as 2D character who does things just because that’s how her character is written. Boring, bland and contrived. 

Conversely, the men in the show display a wide range of character facets and actually show immense growth. Hyun Min is the tropey playboy, Ji Woon is the standard thug but sweetheart on the inside, Seo Woo is the cute and popular softie...blah blah blah. Yet they’re still great to watch, in spite of being formula characters because they show growth. A goddamn crying shame because if Ha Won was a better character, this show would have been incredible. 

All that being said, Hye Ji (as the pentagonal love interest) is MORE boring and bland than Ha Won. She sulks for 98% of the show and moseys across empty streets for the other 2%. If Son Na Eun is a good actress, this show definitely did not do her any favours.

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Reply 1988

Rating:

4.5 out of 5

Summary:

I was pretty turned off by the Reply series after watching Reply 1994 (2nd instalment) and reluctantly started this show primarily for Park Bo Gum and his super cute bowl cut. In all honesty, it took me a while to warm up to this series since I was so besotted with the first Reply 1997 instalment that (not surprisingly) featured Seo In Guk as lead man. Additionally, each episode being 1.5 hours long gave me some serious lead feet in terms of getting through it faster. All that being said, once I got the gist of each of the character quirks and eventually caught on to the deliberate slowness and concealing of character intentions as well as motives, it all started to seem much more intriguing as each episode unveiled the seemingly inane events and actions. I grew accustomed to the pace that each episode challenged me through and realized that this show was meant for a different generation and a different culture. It’s key motives were evoking nostalgia and the sense of slowness that came with the time period. The comedy brought tears to my eyes and never got old or janky. As such, even though I did scrub through bits and pieces of immensely long pans, I ended up enjoying it immensely.

Plot Review:

The plot is simplistic in it’s basest form. It all boils down to answering the question “where are they now?” and then giving us a deeply informative backstory of the Ssamungdong neighbourhood. Unlike the previous two instalments of the Reply series where we’re simply thrown into a family, the older characters of 1988 are introduced to us in the form of a mockumentary, addressing the audience and ‘answering questions’ as they recall their childhood. In contrast to the shoddy storytelling of Reply 1994, in which they intentionally toy with audience trust and empathy all in a lame attempt to to 'keep the mystery going’ for each relationship (thus creating character rifts and unnatural character decisions) Reply 1988′s incredibly slow (but intentional) pacing of the show, never lets the plot feels stale or pointless. No one character has more importance over the other, and events that occur involve multiple characters and often affect several story arcs. The ‘neighbourhood’ is intricately linked and each family grows through its trials and tribulations.  The narrative was well done since as events unravelled, it almost always came full circle with previous themes. The editing is done brilliantly as, instead of relying on formulaic plot devices (such as naming multiple characters the same name), they focus on real storytelling, focusing on multiple character perspectives, actions and reactions and masterful editing. The narrative point is not obvious and often misleading as it shifts through point of views of different characters.  I would mention however, sometimes the sound effects seem overdone and at times, it was jarring. I had to simply tune it out in order to not let it hinder my enjoyment with the other aspects of the show. The romance is secondary in terms of over-arching themes and only becomes the cherry on a deliciously hilarious cake as a result. The characters are situationally as well as emotionally tied together and eventually force each other to grow as they move on with their lives.

                                       ****MILD SPOILERS AHEAD!*****

Character Review:

Duk Seon: Hyeri plays Duk Seon with wonderful charisma and zest. Duk Seon, in essence is the heart of this show, establishing and fostering multiple relationships between characters that may or may not have been as strong without her. That being said, however, she is never the glue to their bond and her existence only allows the relationships around her to grow stronger with her presence. She is more reactive than I’d like her to be, especially in comparison to Sung Shi Won from Reply 1997 whose best trait, you could most certainly say was aggressive proactivity. Yet she is anything but boring and has wonderful chemistry with ALL the characters in the show, from Jung Hwan’s father to Dong Ryung, her partner in crime. Her romance never sizzles even as she moves from guy to guy, eventually maturing and understanding her own desires and limitations.

Sun Woo: At first go, I was all in the Sun Woo bandwagon. He was just so adorable and cute. We initially witness Sun Woo through Duk Seon’s lenses and as such, the story leads us to make assumptions about him that may or may not be true. I discovered this over time and eventually got bored with his blandness. That being said,  Ko Gyung Pyo makes a wonderful Sun Woo, who in contrast to Jung Hwan’s moodiness is refreshing and. He is a strong, stable and protective of the ones he loves. 

Jung Hwan: in my opinion, was one of the most interesting characters in the entire show. One of the more masterful storytelling devices in which they unravel the story arcs, is where we unknowingly get a peek of Jung Hwan’s inner (silent) dialogue and his emotions. We witness his love for Duk Seon grow as he does, yet we remain unaware of his motives. And as we continue to root for him his inability to act on his thoughts causes much frustration. This is also elaborated and reinforced with the stillness and awkward hesitancy with camera pans and shots of him simply hesitating and trying to make decisions. Ryu Joon Yeol captures his teenage complexities with effervescent purity as he tries to overcome his awkward moodiness to protect and be strong for the people he loves.

Taek: the underdog. The guy that I actually sat down to watch this show for. My favourite, Park Bo Gum :’) Taek kind of sneaks up on you from this hapless, near autistic child into a fully matured man (with childlike tendencies). Park Bo Gum’s smile explains it all....

Even though he’s fairly simple at heart, he is anything but complacent or boring. We learn about how proactive he truly is, his desire to compete stronger than anyone else. He, if anything, acts as a bonding agent between all his friends; their desire to protect and be good to him over all else. The bromance between the guys is unparalleled and it made me giggle, laugh and cry the whole way through the show as I saw them grow up together and cherish each other. Their sense of “bro’ness” isn’t bravado or some warped sense of masculinity, but simply in the deep intimacy and bond they share with each other. 

Taek x Dong Ryung x Sun Woo x Jung Hwan was my ultimate ship. Regardless of the romance,  this was the one thing I would have not tolerated sinking. 

Dong Ryong: I personally loved Dong Ryung over some of the other major characters. His comedic quips, yet deeply sensitive emotional intelligence served as a refreshing counterpoint to the denseness of the other boys. Unlike most ‘comic relief’ characters, Dong Ryung was multi-faceted and not ‘dumb’. Even in contrast to Taek who is technically a prodigy, yet unable to really function on his own, Dong Ryung watches over him and acts as an older brother. 

Additional:

It’s hard to review everything about Reply 1988 without giving away massive spoilers. But all in all, if you have the time and want to watch something deeply fulfilling with great build up and character, I think Reply 1988 can be a really gratifying watch. It made me nostalgic about my own childhood in India and brought me to tears a few times. The ending was deserved and while I initially felt like it could have served more for the romance aspect, I realized that, that was not what this show was about at all. Family, friends and love. Such was the intricately woven web of priorities for the show.

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Shopping King Louis

Rating:

4.5 out of 5

Review Summary:

The satisfaction of getting exactly what you wanted out of a kdrama is unparalleled especially when it’s as heartwarming as Shopping King Louis. It is indeed as saccharine as the pink-tinted vibe of the show suggests. I recommend this if you need a break from angst-ridden (yet gratifying) melodrama. I can guarantee you, in the very least, you’ll come away not regretting the time you spent watching it.

Plot Review:

The premise is quite simple and straightforward. It doesn’t try to throw unnecessary wenches into plans simply to drive plot forward. The primary focus of the story is really on character development and chemistry. The overdone amnesia trope is actually a central key to character growth and many times, when kdramas utilize the whole amnesia bit, I ask myself...could they have executed this without giving someone memory loss?... the answer is usually yes. It’s almost never necessary other than to derail characters or plot. However, Shopping King Louis almost requires the whole amnesia in order for him to end up where he does and see the world differently. The story would have never occurred without Louis’ amnesia. As such, the plot has no throwaway scenes or moments and the flow of events feels natural and candid.

Character review:

Louis/Ji Sung: Seo In Guk shows his versatility with this character. Moving between his sharp and deeply cynical and analytical character from I Remember You to this overly sheltered, baby-like dude, In Guk never loses his endearing aspect. Throughout the show, I was constantly afraid he’d dip into this weird pit of oversized manbaby but he actually somehow never does. He retains his sense of maturity and adultness showing a varied range of emotions. From wanting to hide from the world under Bok shil’s wing to his desire to protect and provide for her, In Guk never lets the audience feel as if Bok Shil is a substitute mother for him. 

Bok Shil: Bok Shil's growth as a character is surprisingly subtle yet great to watch nonetheless. She is introduced as a country girl who has no clue about living a city life. She isn’t stupid, however and eventually matures into a modern woman. The show is great in showing her progress without making her into that “makeover girl!”. Her ‘makeover’ is not the key focus and thus her somewhat offscreen change is reaffirming of her character strength (that is, her inner self remains unchanged). She is however, in some ways, strangely 2D. Some many disagree but she doesn’t display as wide of a range of emotions as Louis and remains steady and almost unchanging (yet kind and strong) yet I would say, this would be imperative as a counterpoint to his erratic demands. If anything, I’d say Bok Shil would be a harder character to portray since she’d be walking a fine line between mother, sister, friend and girlfriend to Louis. She has to be caring and dependable, warm and firm yet feminine and vulnerable enough to let Louis do his thang when needed to. Either way, their character chemistry was incredible beyond belief. 

Cha Joong-Won: The necessary love triangle in this other wise angst free story was actually quite heartwarming and never intrusive. I suppose part of it might have been because it was quite obvious who the leading man was from the very beginning, but even when over stepping his boundaries, he’s never undesirable or insensitive. I empathized with him and couldn’t help but root for him whenever he did try his best. You could say it was just sympathy support but IF they did decide to make his case stronger against Louis, I don’t think I would  have been entirely turned off. 

Overall: I would recommend this show, 100%. It’s just heartwarming and fun to watch.

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Mirror of the Witch

Asianwiki summary:

A young man Heo Jun (Yoon Si-Yoon) and Seo-Ri who was born a princess but became a witch. Seo-Ri's mother Queen Sim was unable to have a child. She went to a shaman to help her have a child. With the help of shaman Hong-Joo's black magic, Queen Sim was able to have a boy and girl twins. The girl, Seo-Ri, was put under a curse and abandoned deep in the mountains. She meets Heo Jun there.

Wikipedia has a better summary here.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Review summary:

If there was a show I’d ever watched where I wanted back all the hours I spent watching the drivel unravel, it would be this drama. It starts out with a bang, beautiful music and stunning visuals. The story is promising and the actors are top notch. 3 episodes in, I was so certain this would be my new fave, that up until the 20th episode, I was waiting for it to redeem itself from the claptrap it had devolved into starting from the 6th episode. It starts to lose focus and go in bizarre circles that have awful things happen to random characters but lead to no plot development nor character growth. The plot starts to regurgitate scenarios over and over again with no conclusive results to any of the events that unfold. I think however, the biggest crime of this show is that they devote so much screen time on the antagonists (AND THEIR ROMANCE?!) that I would say that the antagonists are in fact the main characters of this story. Now, if the antagonists were amazing characters and had incredible character growth, that would have actually panned out to be an incredible show but not only did they have no idea whom the story was about, they had no idea whom they were writing it for.

Additionally, it may have been the immense age gap between the male and female protags that might be the cause for the intimacy never crossing a certain threshold, but it ends up as an overblown Disney princess movie in the end. Except Disney movies are 1.5 hours long, instead of 20 episodes of teeth grinding agony in which Sleeping Beauty is actually about Maleficent being an awful being to everyone and everything and Aurora being the ultimate scapegoat.

Plot Review:

The story starts out with a supernatural-esque setting and an incredible build up of the events that are to unfold. The foreboding aspect is done extremely well and they have amazing atmosphere and mood that establish the tone of the story. However, once Yoon Hee leaves the sanctity of her prison, it quickly devolves into a repetitive regurgitation of the same formula. Yoon Hee gets into trouble, gets killed, doesn’t die, is saved then continues to be on the run. Around episode 14 onwards, they start to make actual progress but in a strangely ‘monster of the day’ fashion where she manages to light a single candle per episode.... all leading to the ultimate disgrace of an ending. I would normally never do a review for an ending but I feel I need to discuss this, so please skip the next section if you don’t want spoilers.

 [THE ENDING *SPOILERS* ]

I was appreciative of the fact that they didn’t resort to a ‘alls well that ends well’ scenario. In order to keep the weight of having a ‘true love’s sacrifice’, the ending was particularly poignant and heartbreaking. Yet come episode 20, what do I find? The antagonistic witch Hong Joo is in fact who gets the satisfying conclusion to her horrible misdeeds noy only by disappearing into the night peacefully, but also in the arms of the man she’s always loved. Till the very end, Hong Joo is able to keep the man she loves by her side (albeit in a really messed up manner) and achieves an incredibly poetic end which given the horrible deeds she’s committed to attain a really arbitrary and poorly thought out motive, is just an insult to audiences. Meanwhile, not only does Yoon Hee have to separate herself from Heo Jun in order to overcome Hong Joo, she sacrifices herself to save Heo Jun by drinking some bizarro poison- oh, sorry, “elixir of sacrifice” in the middle of some random forest. That is literally how she meets her end. Queue Heo Jun dream/death sequence that was actually really sweet and poignant but I was so angry at this point, It actually spurred me to create this tumblog JUST so I could bitch about this horrible end.

Character Review:

Yoon Hee / Seo Rim

Kim Sae Ron plays Yoon Hee with heartbreaking maturity and sadness. Her expressive and emotive eyes convey a thousand emotions and her sorrow shows through every scene. Her character growth is immense and she eventually overcomes her tragic beginnings with strength and confidence. The way she confronts Hong Joo is startling and amazing to watch how empowered she gets simply with the strength of her love for Heo Jun and her desire to survive. She was the sole reason why I put up with this show and I was devastated to watch her unjustly fall into shadows of Hong Joo’s fate because the writers couldn’t write their way out of a donkey’s butt.

Heo Jun

He was charming, adorable and so devoted that I couldn’t help but love Heo Jun. The ONE thing I really appreciated about this show (aside from the gorgeous music) was that Heo Jun was never a knight for the damsel in distress. He was Yoon Hee’s aid and her friend, but not her saviour. He empowers her and grows to love her regardless of what her ‘true nature’ might be. Yoon Si Yoon plays Heo Jun with the most charisma and sensitivity and despite the age gap between Heo Jun and Yoon Hee, their chemistry is never awkward and their love is delicate yet strong.

Poong Yeon

Ugh. I could do without this character. He quickly devolves into an overly possessive second lead without purpose and a warped understanding of virtually every situation he is in. He manages to deter every single character, protagonists as well as antagonists alike, from anything they’re doing and yet take so little responsibility, it blows my mind. 

Hong Joo

She was actually amazing as Hong Joo. Her character was creepy and stunning at the same time, yet when her backstory unraveled, I came to realize, her poorly written backstory in fact, made me dislike her character even more. There was little correlation between the magnitude of her misdeeds as an evil shaman to the offences she endured in the past and all it does is simply establishes her as nothing more than a 2 dimensional power hungry lunatic with too much time on her hands.

Choi Hyun Seo

Lee Sung-Jae was not the problem with this horrid character. Like his son, Poong Yeon, Hyun Seo  holds virtually no weight in terms of narrative impact other than to simply drive plot. He continually makes random decisions that serve no purpose other than to get Yoon Hee into trouble, and keeps secrets when he really doesn’t need to. Much like Poong Yeon, most of his character time is spent hindering other characters and being a general P.I.T.A by never being able to actually do what he says he’s going to do. The pointlessness of his actions is surprisingly, acknowledged by Poong Yeon at one point in the story, but of course, he ends up not contributing in any form in the end. There is no rectification of his dumbness by making things better at some point. He starts out stupid and ends up just as stupid as he started out. I did feel a pang of sympathy for him though when he just wants to die and Hong Joo won’t let him.

Queen Shim

She was one the better characters in my opinion, displaying a full range of character facets and immense character growth. She starts out as a young Queen, subjugated by the oppressive whims of her mother-in-law, the Dowager Empress and grows into a strong Empress herself, learning to accept her role as a mother and fixing the mistakes of her past. She gains strength from her trials and adapts quickly to her situations. Aside from Yoon Hee, Queen Shim was my favourite character and I was full of empathy for her from the very beginning. Her desperation and her growth is heartbreaking yet inspiring to watch.

Music / Art / CG

One of _the_ best parts of the show, hands down. It was seamlessly done, without showy visuals yet complimenting each scene with elegance. The costumes and the sets were also gorgeous and vivid, making each scene a joy to look at. Unfortunately the beautiful art direction and music could not salvage the rest of it from falling into the pits of boring suckiness.

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Rooftop Prince

AsianWiki Summary:

After the death of the Crown Prince Lee Kak's wife, the Crown Prince transports 300 years into the future and arrives in 21st century Seoul, South Korea with his retainers. In the present day Seoul, the Crown Prince meets Joo Se-Na, who has an uncanny resemblance to his deceased Princess.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Review Summary: As much as I love time-skip romances, I’m generally wary of them as they’re usually poorly thought out and lazy writing can send a solid story into a spiralling mire of stupidity. Yet Rooftop Prince, remained true to it’s message and theme and didn’t let inconsistent and shoddy time-semantics derail the plot. Character chemistry was stellar and everyone, including the antagonists who were not only loathsome, but also incredibly empathetic and human. The tragic aspects of the story rose from the comedy and vice versa and I actually enjoyed every single episode. I find that normally by the 20th episode, I’m just waiting for it to end, but this time the ending was bittersweet and left me wanting more. I loved Rooftop Prince and it is now one of my all time favourites!

Plot Review:

If you’re looking for a blow-by-blow account of how time-skipping is feasible and a foolproof understanding of time travelling, this is show is probably not for you. However, in spite of it’s loose understanding of logicality and reasoning, it was overall extremely entertaining. The time-skipping characters this time wasn’t just one person, but the entire royal posse on a mission to solve a rather perplexing case while getting sucked into the petty scheming of the two primary antagonists. I appreciated that even though the plot seemed to segue into seemingly rando side-arcs, they always brought it back to the core plot. There were the inexplicable bouts of frustration when you think characters are being led astray for no reason, but the trials and tribulations of the character are never for naught and they actually grow to be better characters out of it. I didn’t think there was major lulls in the story at any point, keeping me riveted through most episodes. The tragic aspects of the story serve as counterpoints to the comedy and leaves an overall bittersweet feeling.

Characters:

Park Ha/ Boo Yong ( Han Ji-Min ) 

It is my opinion that even with a shoddy plot, it is the characters and their development that can elevate a story from the pits of shittiness to a riveting narrative. I think Rooftop Prince had a cast that was pretty close to that ideal set of actors. Park Ha (Han Ji-Min) had to work with 4 other actors in such close proximity, that it could have gone horribly awry but she manages to have every interaction with all 4 of them with great meaning and intimacy. Her growing friendship with them solidifies the sadness of her past and the tragedy of the inevitability of their future.  Her chemistry with Park Yoo-Chun is incredible and intimate. For me, the best character pairings are the ones that can be great friends over anything else and their character progression together is a testament to their friendship and love.

Lee Gak / Yong Tae-Yong ( Park Yoo-Chun )

I had never watched Park Yoo-Chun in anything previously so I wasn’t expecting a whole lot. Boy, did I enjoy his performance. So much so, that I immediately queued up Sungkyunkwan Scandal after this show. He had a difficult part to play between a misplaced Joseon era Prince who talked like one amongst modern day Korea and then switch off and on between 21st century Tae Yong. I thought he did a great job, making each character believable. Although Tae Yong didn’t have nearly as much screen time as Prince Lee Gak, he establishes the differences with certainty and confidence.

Man-bo/Chi-san/Yong Sool ( Lee Min-Ho, Choi Woo-Sik, Jung Suk-Won )

What is any show without bromance, really? The chemistry between these three (and the prince) was most certainly 50% of why this show was the distinguishing marker from a potentially mediocre romance into a really entertaining and heartfelt show. We get to know all 3 better as they forge friendships and learn to cope with their modern surroundings. They learn to rely on each other and come a tight-knit group, including Park Ha who grows to love and depend on them as well. She becomes like an older sister for them and overall, it’s just a lovely time watching them be a family.

Hong Se Na/ Hwa Yong (Jung Yoo-Mi )

She is just a horrible, horrible person from the very beginning. It seems too that the tragedy of being destined to be a shitty human being through eternity makes her character that much more loathsome in the beginning and Hong Se Na continues to quickly becomes the bane of pretty much every other character in the show. As the show progresses however, In spite of her incredibly awful character, we grow to empathize with her awfulness and I think, see a bit of ourselves in her (although she takes sibling jealousy to the nth degree...) Her existence gives the Lee Gak x Park Ha romance that much more strength and substance as their love eventually transcends space and time. So, I guess she deserve some thanks for that.

Yong Tae Moo/ Moo Chang

I guess every antagonists needs a partner in crime and Tae Moo is Hong Se Na’s ticket to hitting rock bottom and eventually, he serves as her platform for becoming less of a shitty human being. Aside from that, he too, is destined to being a horrible person across space and time and I suppose he gets my sympathy for having to live with himself over and over again. 

Overall:

My overall appreciation for this show is pretty fair. If there was a second season, I would most likely watch it and that’s saying something because usually 20 episodes of any kdrama often has me scrubbing through the progress bar through pointless melodrama, attempting to end the agony quicker.

[candidllama]

Arang and the Magistrate

Summary from Asianwiki:

Set in the Joseon Dynasty period, a female ghost (Shin Min-A), who was murdered, appears in front of a government official (Lee Joon-Gi) and pleads for the man to punish her murderer. The government official then attempts to appease her wishes.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

REVIEW SUMMARY:

On my hunt for historical dramas with some rom-com, I came upon Arang and the Magistrate and enjoyed it thoroughly. It fulfilled what I wanted it out of it, primarily in terms of an entertaining plot, good character chemistry and cute dialogue. In fact, I thought the best thing about this show was the character chemistry. Arang breaks the standard sageuk (historical drama) female mold very well given the boundaries of the time period that she exists in. ( rather than genderbending female protags or time-jump roles that allow female characters to be more ‘bold’). I loved the fact that this was a story about two relatively unknown people in a relatively small town, rather than the grandiose political conspiracies of the palace. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed. With less reliance on showy wire-work, the fight scenes feel more like dance moves and are simply delightful and entertaining and Lee Joon Gi is just beautiful to watch. Shin Min Ah’s chemistry with Lee Joon Gi is top notch and makes up for the somewhat shaky plot that may or may not throw some people off. I actually took some of the holes in stride and with suspension of disbelief, I was able to enjoy this drama thoroughly. Primarily because the writers KNEW that they were asking audiences to take leaps of faith as opposed to shoddy and lazy writing that a lot of historical dramas are riddled with.  

PLOT REVIEW:

The story is supernatural and somewhat horror-esque but it never actually takes it into horror territory. A particular scene with a so-called demon comes to mind in which I was actually terrified of how it would unravel. I’m deathly avoidant of horror themes but it never actually hit that threshold. They also did a really good job of not allowing side arcs from derailing the main premise of the story and focusing on what the real theme of the story was. Since characters never made un-character-like decisions and everything within the universe made sense, even with plot holes, I was able to accept the events that occurred and empathize with virtually all characters in the story.

I actually really appreciated the tongue in cheek humor and it made me love this drama. Lee Joon Gi plays Eun Oh, the magistrate who is teased by Arang often over his “Mommy complex” and teenage angst. I thought that was really refreshing from the overbearing emotional turmoil that a lot of sageuk heroes tend to wallow in for large amounts of episodes (and that often get in the way of story progress). There are many instances where things don’t happen up until a certain point in which you ask “How could he miss that? OBVIOUSLY, that’s the first thing _I_ would do.” yet this is recognized by the writers in the actual dialogue and justified enough so that you know that the writers wanted it this way and that the turn of events unravelled in a certain manner for a certain reason. CHARACTER REVIEW: Arang Arang is adorable. Shin Min Ah did a stellar job as Arang. She’s got an adorable smile to match the quirky ghostess persona who is not only courageous and passionate, but naive and lonely. She plays all aspects of Arang really well. Without getting into details, I think the biggest factor that sold this drama for me was the incredible character growth that happened not only for Eun-Oh but for Arang as well. She can be cowardly but is aware of what her actions entail and result in and she’s able to stand up to protect not just the people she loves, but her own principles. Her insecurities make her stronger as the show goes along and she learns where her true fears lie. I thought the show did a wonderful job of giving both characters incredible amounts of screen time and character development. In spite of the campy premise, the romance between Eun Oh and Arang never felt cheesy and the humor was executed with awareness and cheekiness. Eun Oh / Sattou: I won’t lie, I developed a gigantic crush on Lee Joon Gi after this show. Primarily because he executed his role with such finesse. His role as an angsty neglected and spurned son of a woman obsessed with revenge rose above its cliche’d premise as he made Eun Oh’s pain so much more real. I think partly because Arang never let him wallow for too long, it never became a downer but more of a healing experience for him whenever he had to re-open his wounds. Conversely, Eun Oh’s emo was countered with Arang’s whimsy and childish optimism and it resulted in some hilarious encounters.  His character growth was the most obvious and enormous as he comes out of the entire experience a complete different person. Shin Min Ah and Lee Joon Ki had incredible chemistry, being able to engage in active banter and look like best friends above all else.  Joo Wal My first reaction to Joo Wal was “Is this guy just awful at acting or is he really just a weird character?” - fortunately, turns out he was really just a weird character - and potentially one of the most tragic ones that I have ever encountered in any show. He plays the secondary antagonist but never quite rises above Hong Ryun, the primary antagonist... neither does he draw enough at my heart strings to wish him a better life. His luck was really, really shitty, let’s just say. Honestly, Joo Wal is tragic but unfortunately Yeon Woo-Jin (Joo Wal) just didn’t sell me on it. I’m not one for second-lead syndrome, but I was hoping that at least by the end of the drama, my sentiments would be more along the lines of “My heart just hurts for him” instead of “Well, that his ending kind of makes sense.” 

Eun-Oh's mother / Hong-Ryun: She is another tragic character, the primary antagonist. In some other shows, I've found myself enraged at the aspect of tragic antagonists not getting their poetic justice, simply because the writers completely forgot what they are writing about and whom they're writing it for, instead choosing to indulge in the sad and patheticness of the 'tragic' aspect of the character; milking the audience for the feels, if you will. I definitely empathized with Hong Ryun but I did not pity her enough to wish any thing other than what she got.

Dol Sae: The trusty old companion to Eun Oh was the primary comic relief along with the shamaness Bang Wool. I loved the Eun Oh x Dol Sae bromance-comedy-show and I love how Dol Sae and Eun Oh both grew and changed together. As soon as Dol Sae and Bang Wool’s romance begun, I was sold on the side romance. I normally don’t enjoy side romances unless they are required in the story, but Dol Sae’s and Bang Wool’s romance made me look forward to their moments on screen together. 

Bang Wool: Along with Dol Sae, she provided countless amounts of entertainment and in fact, actually played quite an important role throughout the show. She was never sidelined as a comic relief and then forgotten. In fact, till the very end, all the characters in the show actually play essential roles. There's no throwaway characters that are added for the sake of having the plot move forward.

ART/COSTUME/SET REVIEW:

Overall, good enough that I bought it. Scenes with the Old King Jade and Yeol La are comic enough that I don't get nitpicky with the awkward wig placement and overly foggy background sets. The goat with the garden on it's back legitimately made me laugh out loud the first time I saw it. I think I just grew to love the A&TM universe the more I got to know it. The character chemistry between all characters was intimate and well balanced. The end was an 'alls well that ends well' but with a strangely saccharine yet heartwarming and incredibly cute plot twist that, even though left unanswered questions, it was straightforward enough that I came away completely satisfied with the 20 hours of my time I spent on this show lol.