Undeniable chemistry.

Witty, intelligent at times and interesting.
Message I got was that people shouldn't be labelled just because their tastes may be different to our own, or seem bizarre to others.
What adults choose to do in their private lives should not be for others to judge; as long as no one is forced, hurt or worst, in the process.
Some steamy scenes where the sexual tension was palpable. I did wonder how it never prompted either to broach instigating sex. That question is actually raised.
Character Ji Hoo's ex girlfriend is a real peach and whilst I get the whole guilt around that, I couldn't understand Ji Hoo's ultimate thoughts regarding Ji Woo, at one point.
I loved the character of Ji Woo's mum ~ it's no wonder she is as assertive as she is, with her for a role model.
The issue that friend Hye Mi encountered, was probably better left out. It did nothing for the story and for me wasn't something to be treated lightly, which it was... annoyingly so.
S.Korea often seems strange to me, in terms of not seeming to mind that their dramas and film regularly portray their society as extremely judgemental, misogynistic, 30 odd years behind the times in terms of a person's basic rights and full of bullies. Women are treated like it was the norm in our society to, back in the 80s/90s, except it never seems to be questioned, labelled as inappropriate (never mind wrong), or addressed. I have tge biggest problem with the latter.
I'd like to know what Koreans think of it.
Nice cast and whilst I wouldn't watch it again, I didn't not enjoy it.

Read More

I got pulled in and didn't want to leave.

I shall be honest; I watched this because I am working my way through all Nam Da Reum's dramas (almost done them all now). It's been on my list for a while and whilst I like the entire cast, for some reason I thought it would be dull or maybe even depressing.
How wrong can a person be?!
I ended up absolutely loving it.
The 2 lead characters are very naturally played by actors that feel made for their parts. Their chemistry, projection, expressions, are all excellent. I fell in love with Lee Kang-doo (a very endearing performance from Lee Jun-ho ~ such a good actor).
Supporting parts are very good and well acted too. I did feel the brother/sister company heads were a bit kind of obvious (Jung Yoo-taek's constant angry outbursts, shouting and huge inferiority complex, really got me riled up at times). Both were arrogant and haughty, although Jung Yoo-jin was the typical kind of power woman who treats a subordinate male, better than a female counterpart.
Ha Moon-soo's mother, Yoon Ok, angered me the most. Understandably, any parent who has lost their child will grieve, go through depression, anger and never really get over it. However, she wasn't the only parent to suffer at that time; her husband lost his child too and Moon-soo her sister. She appeared to be addicted to the grief though, wallowing in self-pity, living through a bottle and taking it out on any and every one. She needed a good slap, plus copious amounts of therapy.
My favourite supporting character though, was the street pharmacy Grandma. That actress made that character so real, believable and incredibly warm, even though she was cantankerous, quick tempered and tough as old boots. So wordly wise, intelligent and astute ~ I loved her.
The present day architect, Seo Joo-won, I found a little too good to be true. He carried around the baggage of bitterness and guilt, the latter being misplaced.
Everyone is linked by the one tragic event and those links, and how they have affected the various characters, are uncovered as the story unfolds.
It is not fast paced, but is well paced. The story is revealed perfectly for me.
There are some well used drama aspects, but overall it is well written and directed.
Some may feel the subject matter isn't portrayed seriously enough, but to my mind, being a drama and not a documentary, the screenwriter got it right. It's a romance for entertainment, at the end of the day, and I personally stop watching when something is too depressing or melodramatic ~ that's not escapism to me.
The final episodes did introduce a couple of plot twists that I felt were unnecessary and OTT, but it was all brought together in the end.
I mostly enjoyed the soundtrack, but some of the instrumental music I found a bit depressing sounding, which didn't fit with scenes it accompanied.
I would certainly watch this drama again and recommend it.

Read More

Overly cheesy bits didn't fit

The cast and acting made this drama, more than a story that was intriguing, but peppered with scenes that made me sigh (not in a good way).
The child actors who set the stage in the early episodes, were excellent, especially Choi Myung-bin, who in effect had to play 3 different characters.
There are some very bloodthirsty scenes in amongst the saccharin and the speed with which that changes, results in the odd case of whiplash!
There are moving moments as well, two in particular, near the start, got me. I was actually shocked by some of it, especially when they go hand-in-hand with the aforementioned cheese.
The story in itself is good and pulled me in. It's hard to find a female actress who can convincingly play a young man, but I thought Park Eun-bin did well. She didn't try to be macho, instead playing it reserved, stoic and frosty. It wouldn't be impossible to believe, there are after all, effeminate men (and that does not equal gay). Back then few got close, so I chose to go with it.
What that character goes through is awful really. Dreadful royal family under the thumb of one particular member, who takes the prize for best human without a heart. Surrounding characters are a mixture of funny, scary, torn, mysterious, cowardly and barking.
What I disliked, however, were the awful slow-mo scenes of falling into arms, pulling into arms, meaningful stares and hand holds, backed with whooshing music. The terribly overdone squeezing of clothing and clenching of fists, is in there [often] too.
PEB's chemistry with Rowoon was ok, but wasn't electric.
I liked how he portrayed his character, although my 2 favourites were Nam Yoon-su as Prince Lee Hyun and Choi Byung-chan as the mysterious Kim Ga-on.
There was a lot of action, yet I didn't feel the threat that should have come across in more scenes, as there were few build-ups.
The ending fit where the story wanted to go, but I thought it a tad far fetched, even for this plot. It wasn't awful though. I did enjoy the final scenes of the last episode.
It's a mixed watch; not riveting, but by no means awful either.

Read More

Tried to be a little too clever

Not a bad watch overall, but it got quite confusing at times, in terms of what was role play and the real thing.
Some interesting characters, the females weren't just eye candy and reliant on the guys, but intelligent and outspoken in their own rights. I particularly liked Kang Sol's personality, as coming from a poorer background gave her a totally different personality and perspective to her peers.
Character Joon Hwi was suited to Kim Bum's poker face, when he was up against it and his cheeky, arrogant side, when messing with people.
It is a drama and I didn't feel they were going for realism. There were some light moments in an otherwise 'whodunnit' classic format.
I didn't dislike it and thought the cast were good, but felt it got a bit convoluted and I lost concentration and interest at those times, as some aspects felt laboured.
The usual jealousy, pushy parents, cover ups by the wealthy and abuse of the poor are all in the plot.
Not one I'd watch again, but not disappointed I chose it either.

Read More

Compelling

If anyone watches this gritty and hard hitting drama without feeling some kind of emotion, they are not human. Mainly because its core lies in the realities (for possibly a few, but that's still too many) of military life (not just in S.Korea).
Fear, powerlessness, helplessness, abuse, bullying, trauma and cover ups, are all presented in a tight, excellently paced and acted drama.
I feel this series is quite brave, as it doesn't pussy-foot around so many of the wrongs Koreans know exist in both their national service and culture.
Excellently written and produced, with an OST that never did anything but compliment what I was watching.
All the darkness and hurt is tempered by sublimely introduced sarcasm, wit and affection.
So many characters are pit against one another, through no fault of their own and with no choice, in an environment where seniority holds all the power and with no easily accessible recourse. Cascading down from the top of command, all the main characters are subject to being humiliated and mistreated by their immediate superior.
The closing 2 episodes are shocking and heartbreaking, as that helplessness and despair bursts out in an explosive finale.
The dialogue and story of the Series 1 closing scenes, should really make the real-life powers that be wake up, feel ashamed and strive to clean up their house.
I am so needing S2. A must watch.

Read More

Slow paced

Great cast of actors, all of whom kept me watching more than the story did, to be honest.
Occasional bit of uncomfortable character portrayal from Yoo Ji-tae; maybe he was directed to be a little OTT at times and that's why.
Woo Do-hwan was excellent as the cocky, detached and guilt-ridden younger brother, seeking the truth about what happened to his estranged sibling on the fated flight this drama's based on.
Lovely seeing Ryu Hwa-young, who I thought acted well alongside WDH. Her acting is subtle, with some great facial expressions.
It has all the right ingredients for a mystery; twisting plot, corporate greed and conniving, fractured families, betrayal, outcast private team of insurance fraud investigators, made up of different personalities, with friendship, loyalty and humour in the mix.
The plot was pretty good, with twists and turns.
For me, however, the pace wasn't the problem, but the length of the show. 16 episodes was too long and the story ended up being drawn out. It became too convoluted at times.
The last 2 episodes, like earlier ones, were very good; if only they'd left out parts that felt like padding, rather than valuable additions to the story.

Read More

Humans being typically, mindlessly violent

There were not many surprises for me, in this violent and unsettling horror drama.
It is the usual portrayal of people manipulating events, putting a divine angle on them and then basically running their part of the world, as they see fit, under the guise of it being in the name of their God.
It happens for real, of course, minus the supernatural element we have here.
Hypocrisy overflows like Niagra, with the scum and thugs of society using the punishment of sinners as an excuse to gleefully maim and murder. "Where is their punishment?" I ranted!
Yoo Ah-in's character is suitably dark and creepy. He rarely over-plays his characters and this was no exception.
There is a time jump part way through, with new characters. I wondered what happened to some and there is one in particular whose identity I'm not sure I understood correctly.
Some people are truly disgusting in this and there are the usual onlookers, making no effort to protect or assist the most vulnerable and outnumbered, against mere mortals.
As with several relatively recent Netflix series (Sweet Home and The Uncanny Counter particularly spring to mind), I just hope they make a S2 with a cast that flows, otherwise the ending is less than satisfactory, with more questions than answers.
A good cast and plenty to shout at your TV about.

Read More

As warm, witty and moving as S1

I'll be honest, S1 seemed brighter and had more impact, but S2 is excellent in its own right.
The same great wealth of characters, excellent relationships between the main cast friends, lovers, families and the hospital's patients' too, with their individual stories.
As with S1, I didn't feel it got too overly melancholic, or ridiculous. When people grieved it felt real, not over acted.
The ongoing plot lines of S1 were picked up well and concluded, so I can't imagine there'll be a S3. I shall miss them and the weekly band meets. I will definitely watch both again one day.

Read More

Alternative to a crap legal system

With a high budget feel, great stunts, bags of action and a credible cast, this was a pretty thrilling drama.
Plenty of revenge providing satisfying viewing when a multitude of incredibly unsavoury characters, got their judgement calls.
I honestly felt like this drama was giving a pretty big finger to the country's very flawed legal system, which favours wealthy and connected citizens over guilty ones.
It was a little odd, therefore, to include details and phone numbers for various crime departments at the end of episodes. A Premium Taxi Service one would be better.
Some of the cases made for very disturbing viewing, from violent bullying to rape, sexual assault and murder.
It is a very violent series, so those affected by realistic cases and cruelty, should avoid it.
It's pretty OTT, but for the vast majority of the time, gets away with that comfortably. It feels weird to say I enjoyed it, but I did, more than not.
I only rolled my eyes up in disbelief a couple of times and was made to laugh occasionally too.
One episode near the end even made me cry; because the hurt was understated and realistic, not melodramatic.
At one point, when the initial storyline was wrapped up, it did drag/dip somewhat and I thought they shouldn't have stretched it to 16 eps. However, it then picked up again and I enjoyed it to the end.
There is one factual case in a latter episode's epilogue, involving a trumped up, wrongful conviction. This resulted in an innocent man spending a long time in prison and it also really disturbed and angered me, because it involved an 8-year old child. What the police back at the time did, was shocking, shameful and unforgivable.
It really is like the writers (they were changed part way through following a disagreement between the original and director) want the country to recognise how flawed and corrupt their systems are, and how they let people down. An argument for the statute of limitations being dropped was also featured, which is applied by many countries and enables perpetrators of older cold cases to get off . Same applies to double jeopardy really.
I loved both Lee Je Hoon and Esom in this; perfect for their roles. Not a weak actor in it.
Whilst the action was often pretty fantastical, it's still a thought provoking watch.
The OST was suitably heavy rock orientated, in fact sometimes a little too much so, but overall pretty good and appropriate.

Read More

Pointless

I honestly wonder what on earth I just watched. Cast, acting and some of the OST aside, this is one of the worst storylines I've ever encountered.
Apart from Won Tak (whi is by no means faultless), every other character was totally unlikeable... selfish, arrogant, immature, greedy, heartless and/or oblivious. That's not even touching on a so-called Doctor cornering a patient into sharing extremely personal info.
Personal character attacks that were laughable, discussing third persons like they didn't have a say or weren't there and laughable dialogue. Worst of all, for me, is a virgin unsure of whether she's been raped and yet happily staying around the suspects for years. SERIOUSLY?
Then there's the shotgun.... safer than being left behind, a 'secret', yet openly carried and seemingly taken everywhere. Most cast members took a turn at wielding it as though it were a fairground prop, rather than a loaded weapon capable of blowing someone's head off. No one seemed that scared of it though, happily allowing 'friends' their turn.
What exactly this drama was trying to say, is totally beyond me. How not to behave under any circumstances, possibly.
The ending was woeful too.
Complete waste of time, even with short 15-min episodes.

Read More

Great for a binge

For a drama of short episodes, this packs in a lot of story.
All the things that humans are guilty of doing, not just in school, but adult life too, are incorporated into the plot.
There are characters being labelled and judged based on their appearance (when it should be character), unhealthy obsession, one-sided crushes, jealousy and the spitefulness that brings out, feeling alone/rejected and the importance of friendship.
The cast are pretty natural and suit their roles. I thought some of the best female acting came from supporting cast member Joo Hyun-young, who was convincing as a no-nonsense, level headed and loyal friend.
There were aspects of the story that could have done with being treated more seriously, seeing as the issues were introduced in the first place....
The obsessive character of wannabe boyfriend Heo Jin-soo was no joke; he harrassed, had tailed and got physical with Yeon-doo, all pointing to the possibility his behaviour would escalate further, not to mention using his father's position in the police and bullying tactics (he had no problem using violence or seeing another person get seriously hurt) ~ hopefully consequences will come in S2.
The teacher accusing Hyun-ho with no evidence and in front of the entire class, was also wrong; if that's an example of S.Korean teaching, it's unprofessional and unethical... so much for supporting efforts and welcoming change; I also didn't get why those that knew didn't speak up immediately.
The sudden and prolonged attack from Se-chan was very weird, especially with where that suddenly went, which was bizarre given he seemed to relish the attack. No comeback there though.
I didn't like how not just 1, but 2 characters, 'conformed' and changed their images to fit in with people they liked ~ to me that is a message to youth saying society and peers will never accept you unless you look 'normal', clean-cut and don't stand out unless it's for grades or achievements. I get that in school a uniform isn't just about establishment ~ it's also about belonging and does actually ensure poorer kids aren't as noticeable based on their wardrobe, or those dressed by mum and picked on for it. However, that had nothing to do with this. Instead of the judgemental attitude changing, the character did ~ that's a major let down for me.
This series was pretty entertaining to watch overall though and I liked all the main characters.
Be interesting to see where this goes in S2.

Read More

Moving and touching with lighter moments

Wonderful acting from both Lee Je-hoon and Tang Jun-sang in the main roles; the latter must have researched Asperger Syndrome to give such a credible performance. LJH played his troubled, detached and tough guy role really well, being a selfish, but kind of lovable, if grungy, rogue. A very different look for him!
There are some violent scenes that are a hard watch, but fit the story rather than being for shock effect.
The stories that emerge of those that have passed, whose effects it is also the job of 'Move to Heaven' trauma cleaners to pack up and dispose of, are varied and very moving.
With Geu Ru's amazing memory, observational skills and ability to connect clues, they are able to provide closure for those who cared about the deceased.
In tandem with this, are Geu Ru and Sang Gu's own personal issues, which are revealed at a perfect pace.
Na Mu, well played by Hong Seung-hee, can be an irritating character at times, but her care for Geu Ru is plain to see and she is protective of him, even though she has an overly vivid imagination at times! She can also be quite fearless... or possibly stupid, depending on how one looks at some of her actions.
There's a great supporting cast too and I particularly liked the lawyer, Oh Hyun Chang, perfectly portrayed by Im Won-hee, whose no nonsense approach and sometimes disdainful looks, are a great source of amusement.
I also liked the lighter moments in the relationship between Geu Ru and Sang Gu. The latter does not pity Geu Ru and treats him as a means to an end initially, but can't help gradually seeing how incredible a person he is.
There was a glimmer of romance for him at one point too, which I was rooting for.
Geu Ru is so likeable and whilst he communicates differently, is quite inspirational at times. He steps out of his comfort zone on occasion too and when he fixes on something, is an immovable force.
There are several aspects to this drama that are additional stories crying out to be taken further, especially one character and their hinted affect on Geu Ru, at the end.
That's where the story's conclusion, for me at least, is exceedingly frustrating. It's not a case of an ending where imagination can fill in the 'what happens next', but a real "what?!... you're leaving us here?!"
If a series 2 was on the cards, I'd be fine with it, but whilst the writer has said they'd like to carry on and has the apparent agreement of the cast to return (I read in an article), nothing has been said or planned by Netflix.... yet.
We live in hope.
Were it not for that, I'd have rated the story a 10.
I also liked the music a lot; some beautiful and fitting classical pieces.
One I'll watch again.

Read More

So-so comedy drama

Whilst I'm not familiar with Choi Kang Hee, so don't know her other roles, I am not sure she was the right casting for this drama. Her chemistry with Kim Young Kwang didn't work for me, as the romance just wasn't believable, they were more like good friends. I am familiar with him, and whilst he did well portraying a lead male who's immature (but not completely clueless) and 'disinterested-in-the-company heir' type character, I'm again not feeling his casting quite worked, but that may be due to aforementioned lack of chemistry with FL.
Apart from the 2 company kitchen staff ladies, Geum-ja and Mi-ja, none of the characters stood out for me, and Ha-ni's younger self, I really found quite unlikeable.
It's also another one of those lead female characters who, whilst in her downtrodden mode, is shown as unattractive and frumpy. I get fed up with that, although I suppose it did show that a person's overall image has less to do with features (or even build) and more with hairstyle, flattering clothing and a little makeup; they worked wonders in her character's case.
Her family were also forgettable and treated her extremely badly, I thought, especially the awful sister.
The plot didn't fully engage me either and I lost interest quite early on, when she readily accepted being treated as a doormat. How the arrival of her younger (selfish, whiney and conceited) self, spurred her on to take a restock of her life, I honestly questioned, as she wasn't exactly a great role model.
I also didn't get the odd shaman character, or her younger self's return to the past, although that could be due to losing interest in the overall story.
Certainly not one I'd watch again and with so many other, better, dramas out there to see, not one I'd recommend either.

Read More