cassey
Amazing drama full of warmth and heart
Unexpectedly became one of my fave dramas! Why is this so underrated? It has so much humor, feels, and heart. Don't pre-judge it like me as yet another crime drama because of that poster. This show is a Hotel Del Luna x Black mashup. As Tale of the Nine Tailed, the hidden secrets of a mysterious magical village reeled me in right away. The writer literally took the meaning of a 'ghost' town, and wrote about one. The storytelling charms of 'fish out of water', small town hijinks, 'found family', lost family found again, it's all done thoughtfully in just 12 episodes.Spoilers:
The gist of the story is Go Soo trying to help the poor souls stuck in the magical village to find their missing bodies, so they can crossover on to 'the other side'. I've been wanting to watch Go Soo for the longest time (because he's gorgeous!), and his take on Kim Wook is so entertaining. Wook comes off as brash and rude, but secretly he's soft and before he knows it, he's already helping each lost soul investigate the mystery behind their deaths. He always 'humble brag' about it lol.
The cohabitation hijinks and partnership of Wook and senior guy Jang Pan Seok (Heo Joon Ho) is fun, they have such good chemistry.. Joon Ho is such an amazing actor, he plays a 'good guy' so well, when I'm used to seeing him all stern and villainy in other shows. His serious face with his deadpan quips are comical. I lol'ed at their Goblin strut. Later on they formed a partnership with tech savvy Jong Ah (Ahn So Hee) which looks so cute.
Police guy Shin Joon Ho played by Ha Joon is a good discovery. He looks so much like actor Yeon Woo Jin! Oftentimes, the police are a nuisance in these kinds of stories, but although he is sometimes a step too late, the way he dedicates himself investigating the case is commendable. He made the ups and downs of the character so believable. The rest of the ensemble cast led by the ever talented Song Geon Hee (Thomas) is wonderful.
As each mysterious case of the townspeople is revealed, the show depicts that desperate pain of having a missing loved one, where you go crazy not knowing if he's dead or not, and you don't even have a body for closure, that devastation of being left behind. The show tackles a lot about life and death, but balances it with lots of humor, heart, and charming characters. It will make you reflect and weigh what's truly most important, and make you want to hug your loved ones a little bit tighter.
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Signal x Nine crossover show
Kairos is the baby drama when Signal x Nine has a crossover. Honestly, I'm half tuned out from the show, maybe it's the holiday buzz and I realized I'm not in a mood right now for a suspense drama. Or I'm just the hopeless romantic that needs a good romance to anchor me to a non-romance show (like Nine). But even through that, Kairos is a solid show and they did something different from the usual 'whodunit' drama.The suspense does not come from identifying twist after twist of who the baddies are, But from how the protagonists go about trying to pass every hurdle and change a tragic happening in the past or the future. I like Lee Se Yeong's dual role in Hwayugi and she doesn't disappoint here. All actors are commendable, but Winner guy Kang Seung Yoon really stood out to me.
One quibble I have is how calm Shin Sung Rok's character accepted his wife's 'extracurricular' activities. Lastly this is the rare drama that stuck to its own rules until the end, even if they have to keep the suspense going.
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Solid Romance melodrama
Even though there were one too many stalkers in this show, I enjoyed the romance and relationships in this low-key drama. There is almost always romance in kdramas, but lately it's hard to find romance that is given proper depth, to be all about the two, and all the cute, messy feelings, and angst to go with it.
Oh Anchor-nim. Though Kim Dong Wook may not have the classic looks of a leading man, he is a good actor, and I find myself more and more enamored with his Anchor-nim. Yes, he was such a grouch at first, but when he committed in his relationship, he was so patient and understanding, just waiting for her.
Moon Ga Young's Ha Jin is so pure and precious, and the heart of the show. It's hard not to fall for her charms. I don't know how Anchor-nim resisted for so long, I fell for her immediately. MGY made her so likable, and I'll definitely look out for her future works.
I do have a weakness for heroine chasing the hero trope, in her own cute adorable way. And you slowly see the walls around the grouchy hero's heart melt. Then before he even realizes it, he's already bending backwards for her.
The side relationships are also heartwarming, from Anchor-nim's bff dr, coworkers, Ha jin's manager, to the sisters' relationship. Kim Seul Gi killing it as always. Ha Kyung is the runaway best character. Lee Jin Hyuk impressed me with his good comic timing.
Spoilers:
I don't like all the stalker stuff in this drama though, and the father psychiatrist plotline obsessed with Anchor-nim's condition kind of doesn't feel right too. Despite that, this is a solid drama to sink into, I initially got invested through the heroine's charms, but by the end, it's Anchor-nim who I'll remember it by.
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Fun and creative
I'm so glad I finished this after putting it on hold for years! This has to be one of the most creative Hong sisters drama in years. I want to pick up cdramas for some time now because they always have dramas about deities, monsters, and immortal love, while you find this rare in kdramas where it's usually supernatural- lite.
There's even a scene where it looks like it came from a xianxia (cdrama) and I wanted to watch that show! I've heard of the tale of Chinese odyssey for a long time, and I'm amazed by how the Hong sisters made that story into a modern Korean twist complete with a memorable love story.
They made me like and appreciate each of the characters. I'm first also iffy about the love potion aspect of the geumganggo, but in the end it was executed in a satisfying manner. (Slight spoilers:) What is not satisfying is that ending , but oh well kdrama writers do not want us to have nice things. I'm not as mad as others, maybe because I'm already spoiled by it, I hated how they executed the death, but I'm ok with the ending overall.
I wished Lee Seung Gi and Oh Yeon Seo have more of a sizzling chemistry, but they portrayed their characters well, esp. LSG he embodied Son Oh Gong's cranky, playful monkey really well, a twist on the bad boy falling for the good girl trope.
LSG and Cha Seung Won as Ma Wang have great chemistry tho, no wonder this is their 2nd drama. Their love hate bromance is so comical and cannot be missed. Lee Se Yeong playing as dual character really shone here.
The drama does go on a bit too long, but I don't mind hanging out with this special ragtag group of monsters. It was so much fun. When you leave the drama missing all the characters from adorable Oh Jeong to capricious Pal Gye, you know the drama has done its job well.
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Writer Choi Ran presents you this big puzzle, giving bits of clues here and there, slowly letting you earn and piece together a few at a time, and get a clearer picture with each episode. Even that early standalone episode about the 2 kids, ugh, I'm still bothered and outraged by it. If I have one hangup, she goes overboard with her twists, it's one too many for me. Twists keep things exciting but should still be reasonable within the story.
I was also initially misled by misconceptions about Song Seung Heon and Go Ara's acting. Yes, SSH may struggle a bit with melo scenes, and Go Ara can go overboard at times, but SSH really suited Black, he is the classic k-hero we love with a supernatural twist and oozing with charm. Black is that standoffish, arrogant, unfeeling Reaper 444, just collecting the souls of humans who just tragically died, without any pity at all.
It was such a delight to see his cold heart gradually melt, and it's not only because of Haram, that turning point when he saw the heartless way the husband and wife (who lost their kid in Mujin Mall collapse) were killed. He tried to keep distant but cannot stay as casual observer anymore. SSH also has good comedic chops, it was a hoot to watch Black trying to resist his growing empathy, and even falling for a measly human he used to look down on.
I wished SSH and Go Ara had more romantic chemistry though (Mr. Director, those are the most awkward kdrama kisses ever!), but I like how the OTP's friendship grew. Go Ara also surprised me, she has quiet crying moments that were heartfelt. But of course, this drama cannot escape that trope of the heroine putting herself in danger for others, and Black will be in trouble because of it. The supporting characters were also mutifaceted, memorable, and tragic.
Supernatural dramas are right up my alley, and I'm happy to say Black satisfied those buttons. Yes, it has less supernatural elements than more big budget grim reaper shows like Along with the Gods or Goblin. But the way Choi Ran presents the best and ugly, very ugly faces of humanity, it will touch and hurt you at the same time. The story and life lessons of Black, Haram, and their world will stay with me for awhile. As they should.
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Cruel City tackles the dark world of druglords and undercover agents. It's crime noir, a genre I'm not usually invested in, but nonetheless Baksa and his tragic story gripped me. He is almost superhero like here, saving his loved ones, fighting 10, 20 men at once, and looking stylishly cool doing so.
That OST Hurt will haunt me, it's so good! You can feel the pain of our protagonist's life in Kim Yong Jin's voice. For the romance with Soo Min, I love the concept, but maybe it's their pairing, or how little scenes they have together, and I was not swept away by it. I was more invested in Baksa's true friendship with Soo, Jin Sook despite all the lies, (I'm mesmerized by her beauty, why isn't she in more dramas) and even his complicated relationship with Safari.
That's what's good about this show, it's always grey, it's never black and white. Are the prosecutors and the police really the good guys? Are their enemies really the bad ones? It's way more complicated than that, and sadly that's life for you.
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Nine has romance that is oh so good yet oh so painful, omg that pining! Samchun sniff. Kdrama male leads need to pine more! Lee Jin Wook's smiling eyes charmed my socks off, and his chemistry with Jo Yoon Hee sizzles. Ok ok Park Sun Woo is a jerk. All writer Song Jae Jung male leads are probably like that. But she loves torturing her heroes to the brink, and in the course of following the tragic sacrifices Sun Woo got into for his loved ones and the heroine, and you find yourself again hopelessly rooting for that jerk.
I appreciate how the story amidst all the angst ended with a positive outlook. Despite trying their best not to, our OTP fell for each other again, even in another time, and they probably will, again and again. Sometimes you keep on trying to change something but the path is already laid out. As Sun Woo said, why concentrate on what awful things happened in the past, or worry about what more godawful things will happen in the future. All one can do is be decent, make good choices and stand by them, love whom we love, pray and live our life without all those excess burdens, hope for the best, and enjoy the ride.
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Fun Urban Fantasy
It's been so long since I wanted to binge a kdrama, Island might be tropey or not particularly memorable in the long run, but it sure is having fun wielding its demon slashing blade along the way.Great chemistry among the cast is a gamechanger for me, yes, it's a waste for Kim Nam Gil to play a badass stoic demon hunter, as he can express his way through anything , but I'm such a sucker for these types of grumpy/sunshine loveline. He's so good at "longing yet irritated" gazes directed to Lee Da Hee.
Cha Eun Woo looks like he's having a blast playing that cool exorcist priest. There might be quite a few Mi Ho being chased around by demons, until Van saves her, but here's hoping it grows into her developing her powers and they can all kickass together. I love this trio, and can anyone blame me? I'm kind of sick of all the doom and gloom in other shows.
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Fun spacy escapism entertainment
Space Sweepers happen when Star Wars crosses over with an adorbs kid. The show is set on a dystopian Earth, and tackles humans inhabiting space, that's looking less and less inevitable.
Good cast, it's great to see Song Joong Ki again, Kim Tae Ri and Jin Seon Kyu stands out. Waste of Yoo Hae Jin though, as only his voice can be recognized, but I watched the dubbed version (which I regret a lot). There are no subs for the foreign English speaking actors, and I don't hear English clearly now, maybe from years of Asian drama watching and reading subs lol.
I was expecting a lot more Korean cast, but it's good the show is ambitious enough to take a step towards pushing k-ent into becoming more global, even if some look awkward. It feels like a Doctor Who space episode. The plot was far from perfect, there were quite a few 'deus ex machina' moments but the movie is a lot of fun, and always remained hopeful and positive. This is just the right escapism entertainment we need at these trying times.
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But the cast was so endearing, it's Gong Yoo's first drama back in so long, his chemistry with Lee Dong Wook was so on point, Shin & Grim Reaper were adorkable beta heroes kdramaland don't always get, and I'm a sucker for fantasy about gods so I stuck on.
It might have started with getting entertained only through Shin's first love squeeing, but gradually per episode, I was feeling more for the OTP. Once Eun Tak admitted her neediness came from a place of fear of being alone, it's truly wondrous to watch her settle down and mature. I've grown to appreciate how good their relationship is, finally not keeping secrets from each other and just a great support system for one another. They chose to fight their destiny together, and not go all noble idiotic on me (or rather noble idiocy I can get behind on).
Once the show finally got over the first pulling of the sword out of the way, the pacing improved and slowly built up. When most of kdramas lose their way at the end, Goblin is part of that 1% that saved the best for last and went out with a bang, leaving me with all the feels and tears that makes it all worth it after all. Faults and all, I'll always treasure the drama for what it has done for the kdrama fantasy romance genre (which I'm craving more of). And like the rest of Goblin fandom, I know I'll forever feel a little bit blue when the rain falls.
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Inspirational Park Saeroyi is worth 16+ hrs of your drama watching time
At first, I was not that into the show, just finished Sweet Home, and here's yet another show where there is nonsense bullying, a corrupt parent enabling their child's evil deeds, turning the child into a mini-version of themself, and the evil cycle continues on. But Park Saeroyi (Park Seo Joon). It's impossible that he will not grow on you. He's just so decent (How to be you?), which is so rare nowadays. Itaewon Class is a great inspirational underdog (revenge) story.As the world becomes more and more chaotic, it's becoming much harder to be a stickler for the right morals and principles, as people struggle to survive in a 'dog eat dog' world. It's so easy to conform, and take the easy path. Saeyori knows the righteous path is usually the harder path, but he knows no other way.
I appreciate that the writer veered away from the usual 'Candy' heroines, both Soo Ah and Yi Seo (Kim Da Mi) are complex and driven characters, but the romance has to be the weakest part of Itaewon for me. The idea of a Romeo and Juliet type of romance between Soo Ah and Saeroyi felt more drama epic, I wished the writer showed more of Soo Ah's struggles along the way. For Yi Seo, it was hard to understand her very frank ways at first, I'm also not comfortable about the fact that she risked it all for Saeyori. Maybe I'm more forgiving in fantasy dramas than real-life setting lol.
Itaewon has an unforgettable OST that's just perfect for the motivational message of the drama. Good cast, I watched Ahn Bo Hyun in Kairos first, but he's a phenomenal villain here that comes off a little unhinged. All in all, Itaewon is more than a classic revenge story in a modern setting, it also tackles struggles of the youth and life lessons, including timely issues like transgenders, racism, business startup, and that there is no single path to success. Saeroyi is definitely worth 16 hours of your time.
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Solid survival drama, song kang is love
As kdrama-land hypes for this show, please don't mind me here on the side hyping for Song Kang! He has a magnetic presence on screen, and he made me feel for the trials of the conflicted male hero Hyun Su. Even though I find the storytelling pacing a bit off, esp. in the earlier episodes, it does get its stride in the 2nd half.This is a solid entry in the 'zombie' survival suspense genre in the trend of Train to Busan and Kingdom. For me, it's not that scary per se but be warned there are some scenes that are uncomfortable to watch, and trigerring content like suicide, bullying, child abuse, violence and a lot of gore as the show tackles the dark side of the human soul, and the everyday struggle with ourselves to be better than our darkest desires.
But the show does balance all that with hope, community, sacrifice, and perseverance.
Such a solid cast with a mix of both upcoming and veteran actors, and I love the ladies esp. Lee Shi Young, our badass firefighter. There's a disconcerting feeling watching such a timely dystopian drama, now we're living in a world with covid, while Sweet Home tackles infections, human evolution and survival. What used to be only escapism entertainment before, now hits a little bit closer to home. Unfortunately, as Netflix shows are, this is not a standalone story, there will be a s2, but more Song Kang to love so I can't complain much.
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Good office drama in the world of sports
A breath of fresh air, Stove League is a good choice if you want a change of pace from romcoms, suspense crime thrillers, medical, and supernatural kdramas. Stove league is more about office politics in the world of baseball. It doesn't have a lot of the actual playing baseball scenes to be honest. It's about how a smart and competent manager, who may came off as rude and unfeeling turns around the Dreams team as last place in the stove league.
Payoff is satisfying as you feel as you've been with Manager Baek and his group go through every hurdle and surpass it. Nam Goong Min gave a more controlled but still solid performance as competent manager Baek Soo. What a solid cast, from very familiar faces we've all seen as amazing character actors from other dramas.
I've been wanting to watch Park Eun Bin for a long time, and she doesn't disappoint. Her aura is so endearing and earnest. I really need to see more of her dramas, and hope she will have more main roles in the future. What I'm surprised is Jo Byung Kyoo. He is so charming and entertaining as comical Jae Hee. I can't wait to see him as lead in Uncanny Encounter. He is just so animated on screen, and watching him banter with Park Eun Bin is a delight.
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One of its kind kdrama with good OTP
No wonder W is one of the more iconic kdramas of the new era. It's high concept and way ahead of its time with the parallel worlds and cartoon characters transported into the real world. Even the visuals, how they depicted the webtoon stuff blending into real world stuff is impressive. It may not have executed all it set out to do without hiccups, but I had lots of fun going along for the ride.Among writer Song Jae Jung dramas, I still have a soft spot for Memories of the Alhambra the most, yes it's also a mess, but maybe I watched it first, and Hyun Bin! He might be more well-known and dreamy in CLOY, but he was so good in Alhambra. I loved the Alhambra romance, but wished it had more like W, where the OTP felt more epic, Kang Chul and Oh Yeon Joo have been through a lot.
I love how the W romance has a little bit of everything: time-travelling partner concept, and pining for a loved one who lost memories of you, which I'm weak for. Song Jae Jung is partial to her 'very very nice to a fault' heroines but I have to admit Han Hyo Joo's Oh Yeon Joo had more to do, than Park Shin Hye in Alhambra. Solid W cast: Lee Jong Suk is still the undisputed king of aegyo acting, and tortured heroine Han Hyo Joo was good, but dad Kim Eui Sung shone the most doing dual roles.
I admit it got a bit all confusing there towards the end, with new 'out of nowhere' rules being introduced to make each episode more exhilarating, but this is such a breakthrough kdrama that I can forgive it for that. W just cements the fact I'll always be how 'Oh Yeon Joo is to Kang Chul' at every Song Jae Jung drama: I'll be the sucker fan who'll wish for her drama's happy ending, despite all the ??? in the end.
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