cassey
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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SJK at his finest
Mr. Song 'Vincenzo Cassano' Joong Ki at his finest. Vincenzo doesn't take itself too seriously and it knows how to have fun, just what we all need right now, and that's where this hit drama's charm lies. It feels a bit like 'revengey' Suits x sitcom x heist drama. It's about an ex(?) mafia and a ragtag group of neighbors getting themselves unexpectedly involved in a fight for justice.
It's so nice to see Song Joong Ki in a (kinda?) light role again. He get to do a lot of things here, with all those expensive suits, slow mo's and closeups. I still wish he'll do a full blown comedy (like Sungkyunkwan) because he's kind of the straight man with a great comedic supporting cast. Lol I think this show is half a SJK modeling/ad show. (Lord, I want his flawless skin.) I appreciated the fact that he still acts his socks off unlike other hyped actors.
The romance here are basically just crumbs. SJK and Jeon Yeo Been looks good together, she does tend to overact at times, but that's forgivable esp. for comedy, and it's wonderful her career is taking off esp. after Vincenzo. I love that we are getting unapologetic loud heroines like her.
Mild spoilers:
Admittedly I haven't watched Taec for a long time, but he really improved his acting a lot! I wished there was more of him as an adorably bumbling intern. As main villain though, he still lacked that creep factor. It's great they tried a different look for Kim Yeo Jin as Ms. Prosecutor Choi (not very polished), but she also lacked that sinister feel. Maybe it was deliberate casting as the show has to balance the dark with its comic edge.
Kwak Dong Yeon is amazing as always. The whole cast is good, my always fave trope of small town village feel and found family concept because of the colorful Geumga plaza dwellers, and their crazy quest for hidden gold. One thing I hated is the length! I like me some SJK but omg tvn pls cut your drama episodes to 1 hr, it feels extra long and superfluous when bingeing. This probably works better as a weekly watch.
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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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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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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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Urban fantasy kdrama done right
I didn't expect to enjoy this show so much, even if it's in my fave genre. It does rehash a lot of the Goblin/Vampire Diaries type cliches of fated tragic love between immortal & mortal, past lives, reincarnation, and such. But the show executed it well, and kept the story fascinating with rich folklore.The show hooked me from the venture into the mysterious island to the interesting Voldemort-esque villain, and these all connect to the main overarching story of the fated OTP. It borrows inspiration from famous horror and fairy tales, but they made it their own. This was what I wanted Joseon Xfiles to be.
The only thing I wished different is the OTP, I like Lee Dong Wook, he committed himself wholeheartedly as the otherworldy fox from the visuals to even acting in some questionable CGI scenes. He and Jo Bo Ah are good in their roles, but the chemistry unfortunately fell short. Yet again another drama where I ship the bromance more than the romance.
I like Kim Yong Ji since 'The King', she tends to go overboard at times, but what if Kim Bum and Kim Yong Ji are the main OTP here? Yes, they're deliciously wicked in their roles, and she has a cute love arc with the vet, but makes you wonder what could have been right? KIM BUM. YUM. The long wait for his drama comeback was so worth it. He made all complicated facets of Rang shine through, and made a crazy villain like him a sympathetic character. We really need to see him in a lead role soon.
Great worldbuilding and supporting cast, from the fascinating otherworldly characters Yeon and Ji Ah meet, to the Underworld immigration system headed by the sister of Hades and her comical husband, to Shin Ju and Rang's adopted 'kids'. It's such a delight. If you love your supernatural kdramas in the vein of Master's Sun, Along with the Gods, Arang, this is worth a try, good full-blown fantasy kdramas do come far in between.
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Not PHR's best work but still worth a watch
Park Hye Ryun dramas Dream High, I Hear Your Voice, and Pinocchio are some of my all time faves. I haven't finished While You Were Sleeping though because I find Suzy and Lee Jong Suk's chemistry more sibling-like than romantic. I was looking forward to Startup but was not really sure about the casting, which was a foreshadowing of things to come lol.
Startup is not at par with PHR's greatest hits, but it's still a solid, positive, engaging drama about the struggles and perseverance of youth in the technological startup business. Yes, maybe it's bogged down by the controversial love triangle, but well...at least everybody's buzzing about it, and catapulted Kim Seon Ho's dimples to popularity.
I'm the last person to be a fan of messy love triangles, but I think the drama from the start has been obvious that Do San is the end game. It's just that PHR put a twist on the beloved romance trope of mistaken identity through love letters. If she followed the usual trope then Jipyeong is the end game.
I have a Nam Joo Hyuk allergy from Bride of the Water God, he did better here as Do San, though it's not enough to overshadow Jipyeong. Do San seems like a beta hero made from the same cutout as Dream High's beloved Sam Dong, but Kim Soo Hyun knocked that role out of the park with an endearing accent and trademark heartbreaking cries. Sam Dong also had a life- altering sickness there which would have put everybody on his ship, while Do San's troubles about confidence feels like just our everyday troubles. It lacked drama oomph.
I do commend PHR for trying something different from her usual drama that tackles some kind of whodunit mystery crime. Her trademark endearing relationships and good drama mixed with good comedy is still evident. Suzy was a good surprise! She's always her charming self but I'm impressed with how more controlled her acting looks in this drama.
It's just Kim Seon Ho's Han Jipyeong has such a good backstory, with that gruff but secretly selfless role we're all weak for, and on key scenes that mattered he brought his acting game. Honestly he didn't get a lot of screentime, also pretty Kang Han Na. I really wished there were more Mom-Dal Mi-In Jae scenes, but their personal differences were just smoothed out off- screen, suddenly all is well and there was no emotional payoff from their initial fallout. Despite all that drama off-screen, and what- could-have-been's, I'll be on the lookout for PHR's next project, who knows maybe it'll be Jipyeong's own happy ending.
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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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Nice finale payoff but needs patience getting there
Train had a good payoff and finale but it was a bit of a slog getting there. For a suspense crime noir drama, the pacing was so off. It's only 12 episodes but the 'thrill' part is lacking, there were lots of fillers and rehash of past stuff. There's even not enough travelling between worlds to make the parallel worlds concept more exciting. The music is lacking as well.
I wanted to check this out for Yoon Shi Yoon. He played the dual roles well, but felt he can go a tad overboard at times. His trademark charisma is evident though even in such a serious role so I'm curious to see him in a comedic role next. The cast was more or less forgettable. The actor playing the villain was so bland. His background is interesting enough, but that actor lacks the villain gravitas. I liked that final twist though, and how it all comes together by the last 2 eps.
That romance is weird. Interesting concept but I wished the male lead did not like the girl instantly just because she looks the same as his first love. Hope the writer took time to develop the feelings first. In the end, this is a drama I can only strongly recommend to Yoon Shi Yoon fans.
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Solid heartwarming family drama
What would you do if you can be young again and have a chance to re-do things you regretted in your youth? These are the life questions tackled in this show, and highlights that despite the hardships, fights, and imperfections, usually we don't realize what's the most important are those just beside us all along.Lee Do Hyun was a charming standout, though a bit green in Hotel Del Luna. But here he totally impressed playing a 30 something father in a high schooler's body. Good all around cast, from the main cast to the comedic actors, and some newbie actors that look all promising (second lead syndrome is strong in this one).
I'll have to commend the PD, writer, and staff, how they depicted the transitions from past to present and vice versa, or even when Lee Do Hyun is onscreen to when he transitions visually to Yoon Sang Hyun is amazing and seamless. Umbrellas are already done to death in kdramas, but 18 Again's umbrella episode is one of the best kdrama episodes I've seen in awhile. It might not have done anything new, but 18 Again took the classic flavors we love about kdramas and executed it very well, and made me appreciate my family and what I have right now.
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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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This review may contain spoilers
Wasted potential
Oh Alice, you have such an intriguing overarching scifi thriller mystery, why that messy ending that is hard to overlook? Oh well, the writer already showed his fixation beforehand, I was just too stubborn to drop it.Spoilers:
Joo Won is good in action, I really wished the show just stuck to be a straightforward thriller, and did not insert all those almost 'otp' scenes between Jin Gyeom and Tae Yi. It's plain weird and the worst part of the show for me, which is sad as they are the main leads and the focus of the show. Why show?! Such a waste of Do Yeon and Min Hyuk too.
Jin Gyeom was a bit uninteresting until that twist, which of course Joo Won always delivers. He is wasted on goody goody straight roles. I felt the show lacked the right comic actors too. I also felt more scared with that young evil Jin Gyeom, than the old teacher one (probably because of that weird makeup). 2020 Jin Gyeom warring with young evil Jin Gyeom inside 1 body was so fascinating, the show should have stuck with it more.
Well, all those can be forgiven, but that last part where they have to force the Jin Gyeom-Tae Yi OTP when it doesn't even make sense anymore, just NO.
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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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