Old school revenge

This was the most camp Korean movie I've ever seen. So exaggerated, so melo, so in your face. I laughed way too much at just how perfectly done it was. Now you may ask why only six stars? Because the cinematography is so dated it looks like a 1970s movie even though it was filmed in 2005 and there just wasn't any need for it to look that bad. In any event, it was quite interesting.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Read More

Disturbing to say the least

This movie has the basest yet most disturbing plotline I've seen in a while and the thought this was made in 2019 almost brought me to the brink of despair. The scriptwriter has to have been a sadist otherwise there was absolutely no reason to tell this half-assed story about a special needs young girl who was raped repeatedly -on screen- in the most harrowing of circumstances. What was the point of this?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Read More

Second time watching and it did not hold up to scrutiny

Princess Wei Young was the second C drama I watched and I suspect the novelty of something other than Hollywood or franchise movies made this seem much more interesting than it actually is otherwise I wouldn't have given in to nostalgia and chosen to watch it again. First off, the lead characters were insufferable and whoever chose to have a whiny arse childish hero and a martyr complex heroine did us a disservice. By the time we reached the 25th episode most of the characteristics that I liked about the leads were reduced to them being/doing/speaking irrationally.

What the heck happened to Tuoba Jun and Wei Young? The initial 10 stars is now reduced to 3.5.

Read More

Plenty of fillers for a story that needed only 20 episodes instead of 36

The issue I had with One and Only was the lack of believable chemistry between Ren Jia Lun and his female co-star, not to say he's a bad actor but he's simply unconvincing as a love interest.
Sadly, that is the same grievance I have with Miss Crow With Mr. Lizard. Funny enough, he had more chemistry with the second male lead than he did with the FL which is disappointing because Xing Fei, IMO, is an actress who actually knows her craft and she completely embodied the lovable, tenacious but naive Jiang Xiao Ning.
So, having read some reviews today, my understanding is that Ren Lun is married and his contracts stipulate there be minimal to zero intimate acts like hugging or kissing; they even have a stand-in for when those sorts of scenes are unavoidable.

How then can an actor in a modern romance truly separate his real-life persona if he's constantly on guard to not inadvertently make it seem as if he's romantically interested in his on-screen co-star? Look, I don't need on-screen kissing or hugging because there's so much that can be done with stares and subtle body language. A good example is Li Hong Yi's flirtatious performance in Love Better Than Immortality which nearly melted our screens. All Li Hong Yi did in the first half of LBTI was stare at Zhao Lusi and I swear I could feel the tension between them. THAT is how you do non-tactile acting. Not this forlorn, detached look that Ren Jia Lun has in all his romance dramas.

Read More

Ji Sung in a suit should be bottled as elixir

The Devil Judge is an intense character driven story that was let down by the plot and the melodramatic performance of Kim Min-Jung who played, Chairman Jeong, the main villain. Min-Jung's acting was just so bad I actually had secondhand embarrassment for her although one might also lay the blame at the feet of the writers.

I must say that the idea of a dystopian SK where the people vote on the guilt or innocence of the defendants was novel and the method with which the tension escalated was well-paced, however, there were too many instances where the story itself was redundant and lacking the emotional connection needed to make us sympathize with the other protagonists, namely Ga-On, Elijah, and Soo-Hyun, the stupid female cop who jumped to all sorts of conclusions without even attempting to investigate.

Overall, a great drama with a captivating male lead who owned the screen from the very first scene hence the ten stars.

Read More

Seeing the murderous Yongzheng brought to life will leave you traumatized

The writers and actors did the best they could with this macabre, true-life story about Emperor Yongzheng who ascended the Qing dynasty throne after plotting against and murdering many of his brothers (and possibly his father-Emperor Kangxi).

I cannot state enough how this story will break your heart. So many deaths, so many betrayals...and for what? Yongzheng barely made it through 15yrs on the throne before he himself was eventually poisoned. The biggest irony is that he killed hundreds of thousands because of his paranoia yet ended up being killed by the one person who slept next to him. Props to whoever that woman was cos she did the whole world a great service.

The only good thing Yongzheng ever did was to sire Hongli, the Qianlong Emperor, who reigned for 60 years and is considered one of China's most successful monarchs.
That said, I did wonder whether Hongli's success was inadvertently made possible because his father had killed off his potential detractors. I mean, there was literally no one left except for some obscure uncles...even Hongli's half-brothers were put to death at a young age. I would recommend watching Story of Yanxi Palace if you don't mind a romanticized retelling of the Qianlong Emperor's harem.

Read More

It was okay for the most part, however, this was an average script that was elevated by the many cute couples but ultimately let down by plot cliches. Best and most hilarious scene was in the last episode when the Emperor and his brother both tried to give up the throne.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXCXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Read More

Looks older than it is

Personally, the Qing dynasty is the most intriguing in that it spanned nearly three centuries and had not one but two long-reigning Emperors who innovated and reformed the arts, religion, cultural, and political spheres. The dynasty officially ended in 1912 so it's not that farfetched to say there may be a few living centenarians who witnessed its demise. All that to say it's one of my favorite dynastical dramas to watch and I've seen a few good ones such as Yanxi Palace and Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. This, on the other hand, is abysmal, especially the cinematography which looks dated as if film stock was used instead of digital; adding to that, the color saturation made every hue bleed at its edges. It was like watching a b & w movie that had been badly colorized.

Similarly, the plot was weak. A watered-down, palace drama with terrible characters that strayed so far from history that it's neither a true historical retelling nor a fictionalized version. What tf did I just watch?

Another review said much of what went through my mind so I won't regurgitate the same, however, I can't stress enough just how terrible this series is. Even Yang Mi couldn't save it.

Read More

An exploration of life lessons

I now find most Korean dramas offputting because 5 out of 10 dramas will be some melodrama that advances the plot by throwing grenades when a simple lighter would have sufficed. Most are vicious, violent, classist, and demeaning to those who aren't part of the super-rich, mostly though, I'm tired of how the characters are always so damn loud which makes me simultaneously cringe and sigh. Like, seriously, do Koreans not have an inside voice?

All that aside, Woo-bin gave an excellent performance and I pray he's cancer free forever because the world needs more kind people like him.

Read More

If you like Joy of Life or Snow Sword Stride, do not miss this

Never have I watched a series that kept the suspense level up as this one and not once could I even imagine what the next episode would bring. Whoever wrote the screenplay should be lauded for giving this such depth and strength. The main and support characters were drawn well although I didn’t much care for the FL, Yingying, who was nothing more than an airhead but I suppose her character was pivotal to the evolution of the ML’s character from a seemingly unperturbed good guy to one who could very well turn into an anti-hero. In all, the storytelling was outstanding and for once, I did not want the 48 episode-long drama to end.

A word of caution though, it ends on a cliffhanger and the likelihood of us getting a second season is low. Still, do not allow this to deter you since season one gave us a definitive resolution.

Read More

Here’s my problem with modern C dramas. They’re terribly cliche and C writers have yet to understand how to make a rom-com without the usual rude CEO and skinny female lead. K drama writers on the other hand have such a variety of themes with tight pacing and unconventional plots. The lone exception to this in C dramaland would be the engrossing “Dating in the Kitchen” which I watched right before this one but I suspect that was because the main leads had scorching chemistry and the writers gave their characters depth, qualities that were lacking in My Bargain Queen.

It might also be the lead actors who failed to delve deep into their respective roles because I’ve watched Lin Geng Xin and Wu Jin Yan in other dramas where they gave above average performances. LGX in particular was superb in Princess Agents while WJY was part of the great ensemble for Story of Yanxi Palace. Could it be they’re not suitable for modern dramas because it requires different methods of emoting? Anyway, whatever it is, they flopped big time and I would not recommend this to anyone unless you’re being forced at gun point.

Yes, it’s that bad.

Read More

Nothing new

For some reason, this reminds me of King The Land in that we have all these beautiful people and set design yet the plot itself is the epitome of cliche. As much as Kim Yoo Jung can be considered a veteran actor (she's been acting for over a decade) I still think her performances are average. Don't get me wrong, I love her as a person but the characters she plays all seem to be on the same spectrum. Anyway, this drama, as other reviews have mentioned, brings nothing new to the table as we've been there and seen it all when it comes to K dramas about gods and demons (go watch the exceptional "Goblin"). Currently at episode 8 and I've already started fast-forwarding because this has me rolling my eyes and scoffing. I can't imagine having to go through eight more episodes.

Read More

Ill-defined and unfunny

I could stare at Lee Jun Ho all day long cos that man is both gorgeous and a talented actor which is why I hope he fires whoever told him to choose King the Land as a follow-up to the enrapturing drama that was The Red Sleeve. I tried so hard to care but I was bored of the excessive and sometimes vulgar display of wealth, likewise the ingrained classism that continues to permeate most K dramas. In addition, there was something so uncomfortably trite about yet another subservient female lead and her equally poor female friends. Like, aren't these showrunners tired of this formula? I certainly am.

This is deserving of a 1.5-star rating, however, the site moderators are a bit overwhelmed with the Arab Prince controversy and have been deleting anything below 3.5 stars, so that's what I'll have to rate it.

Read More

The overarching issue is the plot itself which is fundamentally flawed and laughable, the only way I could stop from rolling my eyes every 5 minutes was by playing it at 2x speed. I had so many questions.

1. Why didn't the Queen have a palace support system in place? After all, she's been TQ for almost 20 years.

2. How could she have been so complacent about the history of the palace that she didn't even know how her husband (the King) ascended the throne?

3. As a mother, what was she doing while her first son was fainting all over the place and the other Grand Princes played truant? Did she not have caretakers who reported to her? And if she didn't, what exactly was she doing with her day? Arrrrrghhh...I'm so mad that these writers imagined everyone would swallow their BS just because they snagged Kim Hye-soo to play the Queen. In addition, if the writers want us to believe that this is a take-charge-no-nonsense Queen then they should show us her antecedents or at the least, her sphere of influence. Is it the Concubines, courtiers, ladies-in-waiting, etc? What power does she wield?

4. What is her relationship with her husband and how on earth do you sit aside and allow him to acquire nine concubines and other companions? More importantly, why didn't she just tell the King that the Crown Prince was ill, and for that matter, why didn't she simply tell her sons their lives were in danger and they needed to shape up and be on alert?

5. With each episode we're drip-fed new info with hardly any forward momentum which I suspect is a consequence of the scriptwriter's attempt at some sort of psych-thriller; however, the story is particularly cruel and vicious in that the lives of these fictional Princes hold little value to the palace machinations. Personally, I feel nothing but disgust that the writer couldn't or wouldn't choose an intelligent method to introduce shock and intrigue without losing its soul.

Finally, I know these gripes might be addressed in time, still, I feel like fewer episodes, a tighter plot, and fast-paced storytelling would have been better.

Read More