Love Is Not Always Blind…

‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ ( alternatively translated as ‘ It’s Love; Yankee-Kun and The White-Cane Girl’) is based upon the manga ‘ Yankee-Kun and The White Cane Girl’. Adapted to the small screen by screenwriter Matsuda Yuko, ‘ Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ revolved around the sweet and unusual love story between Akaza Yukiko ( Sugisaki Hana) , a girl diagnosed with amblyopia ( a condition where the individual suffers from impaired or degraded vision) who uses a white stick, and a kindhearted delinquent Kurokawa Morio ( Sugino Yosuke). Despite initially being put off by his persistent attitude and self- proclaimed “ feelings ” for the female lead, Yukiko finds herself gradually warming up to the eccentric delinquent despite many obstacles that face them.

Whilst sometimes a quick aside from comedian Hamada Yutaro ( playing himself) or a voiceover by Yukiko could feel a little arbitrary at times , it was evident to see that throughout more predictable romantic setups, the drama desperately pushed forward positive and didactic messages in order to disperse social stereotypes and stigmas surrounding blind and visually impaired individuals.

However whilst praise and commendation must be given to ‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’’s themes and depictions, the acting could admittedly was a mixed-bag . Of course this isn’t to bring down any of the respected actors as individuals. Sugisaki Hana’s onscreen performance as Yukiko captured the mannerisms of her character’s amblyopia subtly, whilst Sugino Yosuke added a heart-melting charm to Morio onscreen. Nevertheless it is notable that certain line deliverances by the cast could sometimes feel exaggerated.

As a character , Akaza Yukiko undeniably has her screenwriting strengths and weaknesses. She’s not defined as a main female lead by being “ frail” or “ timid” female lead trope due to her visual disability, and instead, was often shown to have a more stubborn side when problems arise due to a hurtful experience in the past. Whilst this incident admittedly did play a major role through brief foreshadowing in early episodes, the “tense” buildup could often feel anticlimactic . Foreshadowing towards Yukiko’s past could’ve easily been brought up early on to deliver greater impact in later episodes. In particular this subject could’ve easily been conveyed more frequently through conservations and interactions with her older sister Izumi ( Nao) as well as her father Seiji ( Kishitani Goro).

However this also brings up the elephant in the room in the series also; Yukiko’s family dynamic. Understandably it is not uncommon for different beliefs and viewpoints to be taken by family members towards a visually impaired relative. In the series this was often reflected by the differences between Yukiko’s sister being overprotective towards Yukiko whereas her father Seiji could often adopted a laissez-faire and easygoing attitude. It felt odd that aside from Izumi being the first to disapprove of Kurosawa being “ unworthy” for Yukiko, there was little reaction or insight into Yukiko’s own feelings towards her sister acting this way. Additionally there was rarely little conflict presented between Yukiko and Seiji’s different viewpoints in order to present greater insight for viewers into this differing family bond also.

Naturally this brings us onto main male lead Kurosawa Morio. Morio embodied the stereotypical stock trope of the “ delinquent with a heart of gold”.His physical appearance ( and especially his scar) have given him a bad reputation over the years. However despite first appearances, Morio is revealed to be a naturally kindhearted soul. Throughout the series Morio tried his best to accommodate to Yukiko by asking and learning more about her everyday life. Yet whilst Morio is undeniably a male lead with a big heart , there were certainly moments regarding his character arc which could often feel disjointed. Of course it was not necessarily quintessential that we had to know everything about Morio’s background or past. Nevertheless there was still a lot of potential to have delved deeper into his reasons for being perceived as a “ failure” and dropping out of school, greater social stigma surrounding his “ delinquent” appearance ( aside from a few key scenes when it was necessary to the plot) , the reasons behind his current adopted mindset as well as his home environment also.

Of course this brings us onto the main topic of discussion; the romantic relationship between our main leads. Sugino Yosuke and Sugisaki Hana had fairly dynamic onscreen chemistry together adding to a charismatic and friendly interactions onscreen. As characters it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there were many obstacles presented throughout the storyline to “ complicate” matters between Akaza Yukiko and Kurosawa Morio’s potential relationship. Naturally whilst a lot of these opportunities saw opportunities to facilitate heartfelt and angst-ridden scenes in order to explore relationships, feelings and strengthen relationships chemistry, there were some still some predictable tropes which lacked the element of surprise also .

Overall ‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ is a fairly sweet and laidback love story. The acting front is decent enough ( sans from a few awkward scenes and lines) and the main leads have enough chemistry to keep viewers entertained. Admittedly the characters could often feel archetypical at times but the series enjoyed diverging from expectations and allowing characters to grow from their experiences. Perhaps whilst a few areas and topics which could’ve been brushed up more, ‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ will likely be a fairly heartwarming watch for any romance fan.

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The Road To Happiness Isn’t Always Easily..

Coming across the comment section for “ Hello, God” (2006) it strikes me as surprising that this will be the second review, and the first English-language review posted on this section. Nevertheless it’s important to try to give an honest review for any drama ( regardless of its popularity of time of production) , including “ Hello God” (2006) .

Before we begin with noting the actual critical appraise and inconsistencies of the drama, perhaps it is important to note that “ Hello, God” (2006) is often swept under the rug by a lot of drama fans in favour for more popular contemporary productions from around this period such as “Stairway To Heaven”(2003) and “Hello, My Teacher “(2005) which notably gathers more prolific actors and mainstream appraise by audiences both in South- Korea and amongst the drama-watcher community .

Yet against all odds, “ Hello, God” (2006) is surprisingly a good example of a forward-thinking and philosophical concept loosely based upon Daniel Keyes’ novel “ Flowers For Algernon” ( later adapted into a Japanese 2015 version also called “ Flowers For Algernon” ) , retrospectively trapped in a specific mid- 2000s time warp of dated camera quality, outfits as well as notable romantic cliches .

With evident localisation in South-Korea by screenwriter Kang Eun Kyung ( “Dr. Romantic”, “Where The Stars Land”), “ Hello God” is fairly similar to Keyes’ novel, centralising upon a kind-hearted young man named Ha Ru ( Yoo Geon) who has an intellectual disability and decides to go through a pseudoscientific surgery in order to become “ smarter”.

Yet for a show which attempted to intrinsically focus upon the philosophical questions of morality, “ Hello, God” was often outweighed by its own cliche focus of the “ love triangle” and romantic pairings, particularly between Ha-Ru and his benign feelings for the the “fraud”, petty criminal and love interest Eun Hye ( Kim Ok Bin) , who in turn harboured feelings for the head surgeon of Ha-Ru’s operation Park Dong Jae ( Lee Jong Hyuk).

Although, there was nothing intrinsically wrong with having a romantic love interest for our main lead ( in order to add something extra to the storyline as well), Eun Kyung seemed to overly outweigh the romantic and melodrama cliches, rather than balance this in the show with the more intrinsic philosophical questions which arose throughout Ha-Ru’s journey as an individual.

Arguably “ Hello,God” did have some surprisingly progressive characterisation amongst our main characters - Ha-Ru often acts out emotionally upon his feelings, whilst Eun Hye gradually begins to progress from a self-centred love interest to an altruistic heroine over the course of the series. The acting in the show could be a mixed bag amongst the cliche setups of our main characters,however, Kim Ok Bin, Yoo Geon and Lee Jong Hyuk did help to add charisma and charm to their roles for viewers .

On the other hand , this does not disregard the fact that for a drama with an intriguing and fairly original premise from its source material, the storyline was too heavily reliant upon nonsensical cliches . Nevertheless, whilst there are still some bones to pick with the overall plot inconsistencies brought forth in the ending ( not least the lack of explanation towards the pseudoscience of the series), the delivered finale was surprisingly bittersweet; an appropriate ending , considering the overall storyline of the series.

So, what’s left to really say about “ Hello, God”? Is it a drama which should continue to be buried away by drama watchers , or is it actually worth watching?

Whilst undeniably dated retrospectively with wardrobe attires, format and a mediocre OST, “ Hello, God” has some surprisingly progressive factors for a mid 2000s Korean-drama with a thought-provoking premise, characters who are written as individuals and a fairly well-rounded female lead who doesn’t comply to the typical stock “ generic girl -next- door” heroine popular in contemporary dramas of the time . On the other hand, “ Hello, God” is heavily outweighed by romantic cliches, rather than ethical, moral and philosophical questions (which were naturally hanging over the concepts of the show), as well as the ridiculous pseudoscientific elements (which weren’t explained by the medical professional Dong-Jae at all in the drama). “ Hello,God” is not a terrible show if you’re bored and want something to quickly binge-watch, however, it certainly was not as thought-provoking as it should have been either.

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A Bloodthirsty Journey Down The Rabbit Hole...

“Alice In Borderland” is one of this shows which (judging from what you’ve probably read by previous reviews), attracts typically three main audience types; diehard fans of the original manga, J-drama fans of either particular cast members and a minority of “ casual” drama watchers who have either stumbled upon the drama during a search or have just been recommended it. For those in the former category, it’s fair to say the biggest question which should be raised is if the first season of Alice In Borderland is actually worth watching, or if it is simply a waste of time.

As you can probably guess from the mention of this drama being a “ first season”, it’s wrong to entirely claim that some of the show’s flaws won’t be fixed in later episodes , however, there are a couple of notable reoccurring themes , inconsistencies and problems which should be mentioned to anyone considering watching this first season.As an idea the show is both intriguing, disturbing and undeniably quite ingenious throughout some of its storyline . From “ Liar- Game” and “ Battle- Royale” -style puzzles and fights , plot twists to the notable name references from Lewis Carroll’s surrealistic classic “ Alice In Wonderland” ( Arisu of course being “ Alice” as our protagonist ), there is of course a notable array of reoccurring and intriguing characters introduced into the show who all play intriguing roles . In particular these include; a mysterious girl and mountain climber called Usagi , the taciturn and conniving Shuntarō Chishiya ( Nijiro Muramaki) and his accomplice Hikari Kuina ( Aya Asahina ) as well as strong militant fighter Aguni Morizono ( Sho Aoyagi).


It should be said , however, that the acting in the show is bit of a mixed-bag .Whilst Kento Yamazaki ( Todome No Kiss and Death Note-2015) is undeniably a fairly good actor, there’s no sugarcoating that his performance as our main protagonist Arisu was a little lacklustre to say the least , with several scenes throughout episodes of fairly generic line deliverance . Similarly whilst Tao Tsuchiya ( Mare, Orange) wasn’t bad as our female protagonist Usagi, her performance was a little questionable in consideration to her fame as a fairly renowned actress. Perhaps the one role which was certainly well-performed in the show and must be given some praise to is Nijiro Muramaki’s (Anohana; The Flower We Saw That Day-2015 , and The Isle of Dogs) roel as the intelligent, mysterious and conniving player Shuntarō Chishiya ; a character who against all odds is more likeable than the male lead.

By all default Arisu had all the right traits of being both a likeable and deep male lead; a traumatic past with his family, experiencing loss and loneliness, intellectual and undeniably socially-awkward at times as well gave boundless opportunities for character growth . Sadly, the biggest issue with Arisu’s characterisation was that against all the action and bloodthirsty moments of the series, there was little time provided for us as viewers to either reflect or see Arisu being able to contemplate these moments both through his interactions with other characters and through his own doubts as well. Whilst it can be argued that Arisu’s poor character depth was a it consequence of the show “ running out of time” than anything else, there is still the notable presence of minor well-written characters such as Kuina and Aguni who actually have quite good character depth, interesting pasts and are fairly three-dimensional in comparison.

This resulted in Arisu often coming off as a notable plot device in the series rather than an actual character; impassive to certain events and only really having the “ driven- angst” when it was necessary for a plot event rather than allowing Arisu to be a likeable male lead.

The ending was undeniably open. This is naturally because the show will receive a second season and allows the plot to extend outwards, however, there were several notable flaws in this first season alone from acting abilities, a fairly lacklustre OST and even our main protagonist’s depth which will probably need to be smoothed out or at least focused upon going forwards. Overall, the first season of Alice In Wonderland was far from a masterpiece ( in addition to some questionable CGI as well) , however, nonetheless it was a fairly thrilling journey down the rabbit hole into a bloodthirsty Wonderland ; undeniably ridiculous at times, but surprisingly a fun ride.

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Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is a hilarious rom-com, with an undertone of gender issues. The show has the usual k-drama tropes; the “rich and good looking” chaebol heir, his antagonistic family, the sassy female lead, the love triangle, and the “boy gets the girl story” after overcoming difficulties and obstacles. However, surprisingly “ Strong Woman Bong Soon” was able to deliver a fairly impactful storyline and sociocultural critiques about issues in South-Korean society also.

Do Bong Soon (Park Bo Young) is a woman born with superhuman strength. A hereditary ability running through the matriarch line of her family, it can only be used for good or she can lose her strength forever like her mother ( Shim Hye Jin) did. Despite her abilities, Bong Soon adores her father ( Yoo Jae Myung) who is a gentle warm character, and her twin brother, Do Bong Ki ( Ahn Woo Yeon) , who works as a doctor in a hospital. However, our heroine often struggles to tie down a job as well as desperately yearning to be a game developer .

There are two other men in her life. One is her childhood friend, Guk Doo , a stern police detective played by Ji Soo who has been her long-held secret crush since their teen years . Also she hides her strength around him, since he claims to have a soft spot for tiny, fragile women, just like Bong Soo seems to be at first glance. The other man who enters later into her life is Ahn Min Hyuk (Park Hyung Sik) the baby-faced CEO of AINSOFTware, a gaming company. One day he witnesses Bong Soon's superpowers against a group of gangsters, and he hires her to be his personal bodyguard to protect him against an anonymous caller, who has been making death threats against him. At the same time a serial kidnapper starts taking tiny, fragile women off the streets as Bong Soon soon finds herself finally using her powers for good by trying to hunt down this mysterious criminal .


Written by screenwriter Baek Mi Kyung, “ Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” is a fairly mixed blend of slapstick comedy, old fashioned romance ( with various successful and questionable effects) and a refreshing look at gender roles and sexism . The series does not sugarcoat delivering criticism towards chauvinism associated with the South- Korean Patriarchy: the police office, the youth gang, the gangster mob in the local vicinity , and the patriarch of the chaebol's family, are all absurdly dysfunctional and over-the-top to highlight notable critiques of gender roles within South-Korean society .

Park Bo Young was undeniably a delight as the petite super-strong female lead with line deliverances that were pure comical gold in a similar manner to costar Park Hyung Sik. As a character, Bong Soon was fairly intriguing by challenging traditional gender stereotypes, however, she wasn’t inherently a perfectly-written character either due to often being a little boorish and fractious at times ( especially with her treatment surrounding Ahn Min Hyuk early on in the series) which may annoy viewers in the beginning. However, Bong Soon does grow as a character by learning to mature , respectful herself as an individual as well as develop an endearing romantic relationship with Min Hyuk.

Similarly, Ahn Min Hyuk isn’t without his faults either. He is often slightly naive, sarcastic and equally fractious as Bong Soon. Nevertheless, Min Hyuk is given an equivocal chance like Bong Soon to grow as a character from seemingly shallow at times, towards having a more complicated familial scenario and circumstances.

The side characters can be a bit of a mixed-bag especially in regards to the second male lead and Bong Soon’s mother. Admittedly, Guk Doo does become inherently more respectful towards Bong Soon as the series progresses, however, his early treatment of the main heroine by putting her down often from her physical appearance and emotionally flaring up in her face at times did become slightly irksome. In a similar manner to Guk Doo, Bong Soon’s mother was equally frustrating at times by her problematic treatment towards her own daughter. Whilst the circumstances were suggested and put forwards to some extent for viewers , her overall relationship development with her own daughter seemed slightly lacklustre.

In addition to this, it is arguable that the ending was a little anticlimactic as well as finally putting a stop to the seemingly “ unstoppable killer” did feel a little disappointing . Nevertheless, “ Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” may not have been flawless within its delivered problems of characterisation and comedy ( at times), but it was inherently a lighthearted fantasy, romance tale with intriguing characters, a fairly well-written heroine and romantic pairing as well as prominent messages and critiques towards gender in South-Korean society.

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A Decadent Rom-Com…

Reminiscent of the bygone era of early 2000s Shoujo ( aimed traditionally at young girls) and Josei ( typically targeted at an audience demographic of older teens and young women) manga setups as well as being based upon the eponymous manga , ‘Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ ( alternatively known as ‘ つまり好きって言いたいんだけど’, or ‘ I Mean, I Want To Say I Like It’ ) tells the seemingly “ unusual” love story between Saejima Chitose ( Ohara Sakurako) and Fujishiro Sena ( Sakurai Kaito). A former teacher-turned manager at a small entertainment company, Chitose’s new position turns into a hellish experience when she’s assigned to be manager to Fujishiro Sena; a haughty playboy actor who also happens to be her childhood bully.

However with a streak of reimbursed and outdated cliches and tropes being inserted into a seemingly decent love story, this does leave Japanese-drama enthusiasts with one burning question ; “ Is ‘Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ ‘s drama-adaptation poorly executed for a modern audience or is it actually worth watching?”

Perhaps one of the greatest things to clear up about ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ is that it isn’t an inherently over-stimulating drama for your brain . Of course this isn’t to drag down the series entirely based upon this setup alone. “ Fluff” dramas can act as an ideal form of escapism for viewers always from the bogged-down details of reality and fill viewers’ with an uplifting aftertaste. However it should be noted that whilst ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ often crossed over into more melodramatic plot moments, the drama often reached a cataclysmic standstill upon actually trying to execute these storyline scenes onscreen- generic cliches and setups propping up plot where character-driven moments should’ve been became more prominent even after the first episode , and characters who were initially introduced with strong plot motivation and drive soon felt shoehorned into scenarios which made little coherent sense in regards to their character archetypes overall.

The epitome of this poorly-executed screenwriting was particularly present within main female lead Saejima Chitose. By default Chitose had arguably all the potentially good traits of a well-written character; headstrong with her values (due to the incident in her past with the main lead ), possessing a heart of gold and presenting idiosyncratic mannerisms and qualities which immediately attract people towards her. Yet rather than seeing opportunities for Chitose to become a definitive presence in the series and power through her own personal struggles , the female lead’s greatest downfall was that she rarely had definitive character drive.( Not least of all her initial causes for her jobs, her experiences in relationships- romantic and platonic- in later life and whether her experiences from her early childhood had a traumatic or knock-on effect with these relationships were never explored.) ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ often seemed to portray Chitose somewhere between the scapegoat for getting into misunderstandings upon “ her behalf” as well as a carte blanche female lead; happily “ forgiving ” her childhood tormentor Fujishiro Sena ( without a coherent reason aside from enforcing their questionable romantic relationship ). However in between staidly keeping her mouth shut or blowing up in order to keep the plot “ tense”, Chitose’s experiences were often downgraded towards merely being a “ Mc Guffin”; a wasted opportunity to explore her ambivalent feelings and sentience in-depth as her character’s persona was reduced to the equivalent of a doormat for other characters to walk upon and maltreat.

Many overt golden opportunities for character growth and relationships were often tossed aside in ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ and none so was this more for the onscreen role and presence of main male lead Fujishiro Sena.

As the childhood “tormentor” of Chitose and now an aspiring actor with an aloof and haughty attitude, Sena was evidently never supposed to be viewed by audiences initially as a “ likeable” main lead. Yet where dramatic irony became prominent was that when it attempted to “ redeem” its “ unlikeable” characters for viewers, ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ generated more indecisive feelings amongst its audience demographic. Fujishiro Sena was always supposed to play the role of Chitose’s foil throughout the series; whilst Chitose is sweet and slightly naive , Fujishiro is slightly jaded and arrogant. Yet when the open opportunity arose to present Fujishiro in more “ heroic” light the series attempted to go down the route of Fujishiro Sena seemingly been “ pitied” and “misunderstood” by others. ( Without truly delving into any true raison d’êtres for Fujishiro wanting to become an actor or hints into how others perceived him through his past relationships - aside from some of his lovers.) Naturally whilst this did present some differing ideologies between our main characters ( which were never explored also), the drama seemed unaware of its initial presentation of Fujishiro Sena often as a manipulative and downgrading bully even in Chitose’s adult-life - instead attempting to write off these moments as merely “ comical” rather than allowing these to remain an open topic of discussion and truly allow Fujishiro Sena to redeem himself not through the lens of ineffective “ pity”, but maturity and reconciliation .

Consequently the onscreen “ romantic” relationship between Chitose and Fujishiro Sena remained openly crushed under the weight of shoehorning both main leads into an enforced setup where neither lead could truly free themselves from the heavy burden of their shared past, as well as maturely and openly talk about their problems. ( Aside from then permitting an ensue of “ romantic cliches”, misunderstandings and “ plot tension” through heated arguments- leading to an leading to an awkwardly uncomfortable romantic onscreen relationship which presented neither comfort and joy for viewers, or well-written chemistry between our leads.
)Additionally there’s also the side characters of the series; generically fading into the background after their initial introduction in most episodes, and only truly remaining present during a moment of “ tension” or “ plot drive” in order to attempt to keep the plot engaging with audiences.

Another issue which had admittedly divided audiences surrounds the chosen-cast; some may love main leads
Sakurako and Sakurai Koto‘s nearly-farcical onscreen roles and perceive this as irony , whilst some may be turned-off by poor dialogue exchanges and over-the-top acting leading to some choppy scenes for viewers to attempt to get through. Then there’s the cinematography and chosen OST of the series . Rather than using interwoven mise en-scènes in order to explore the emotions and world-building of ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’, the drama was staidly placed on a pedal stool of insipid and forgettable songs alongside long-shot and singular camera shots which did little to truly promote viewers’ intrigue.

So what’s left to say about ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ and is it actually worth watching ? ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ was undeniably lighthearted. Whilst it attempted to offer an ultimatum of “ fluff” and melodrama throughout the story, it often found itself struggle to to subvert itself from unoriginal writing tropes and pitfalls and consequently characters often felt misplaced against scenarios and scenes . The ending was enough to bring events to a close but lacking in surprise by the delivered result.Overall ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ was not an inherently terrible with a sweet premise and concept which is easy enough to binge-watch . However the drama rarely facilitated golden opportunities to escaping its initial status quo reputation by lacklustre writing decisions and directing techniques leaving the drama with forgettable moments and many loose ends.

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A “ Backstreet” Away From Ji Chang Wook’s Successful Roles?

In all honesty Backstreet Rookie isn’t an entirely unbearable drama to watch; the story concept ( although based on a webtoon) isn’t anything new from the “ oblivious and good looking” Male lead ( Ji Chang Wook) to the girl with a secret crush ( Kim Yoo Jung) and of course all the overused tropes seen and done before ( idols, bullying and impoverishment to name just several) , however, one of the saving performances of the show was surprisingly offered not through Chang Wook’s performance, but Yoo Jung’s fairly good acting as Jung Saet- Byul. Of course this isn’t to say that Chang Wook is entirely bad here at all. However considering his renowned rep as an actor, it is fair to say that ‘ Backstreet Rookie’ is one of weaker roles to date.

On the other hand, there’s no beating around the bush that Backstreet Rookie’s sense of plot development, characterisation, and “ comical” moments were just poorly- written. In between the cheap budget special effects,
the drama has received mixed controversy for its outdated jokes and comedy moments. Whilst some may not mind this others may easily take offence. This naturally moves us onto the second problem of the drama; the actual story progression behind the “ chemistry” behind main characters of Jung Saet Byul and Choi Dae Hyun. There’s no denying that by sourcing its material from the eponymous webtoon, the drama had pretty much already sealed its fate to be inundated with classic romantic trope cliches(especially between the “ younger” female lead and the “ older” Male lead).

In all honesty, this isn’t actually main concern over this “ age difference” behind the pairing. Instead, it is more how the drama actually presented the two characters; Saet Byul’s “ feelings” for Dae Hyun through physically clinging on to him could verge at times upon harassment ( especially considering that he respectfully had a girlfriend) whilst Dae Hyun’s ignorance for the majority of the drama was fairly unbearable to watch. The cliche of “ obliviousness” is of course a classic trope in most Korean dramas, however, whilst most shows actually present the respected lead being able to soon recognise or misunderstand their own feelings, Dae Hyun’s ignorance became fairly insulting for both his girlfriend and respectfully Saet- Byul.

This isn’t to say that he should’ve given Saet- Byul , a declaration of his love and run into the sunset with her in episode one, however, it did become apparent how these misunderstandings occurred for Dae Hyun’s girlfriend and what may have caused Saet- Byul to act the way she did if Dae Hyun was sending off wrong “ signals”. This naturally led a lot of the actual relevant plot being directed by numerous cliches and the sometimes unbearable toxic behaviour of Dae Hyun’s parents at times in the show ( particularly towards still using physical corporal punishment against Dae Hyun even if it was supposedly “ playful” and his mother’s rude comments towards Saet-Byul also).

Respectfully from an acting perspective , the show is a bit of an odd and mixed bag; Yoo Jung is probably one of the few decent actors in the drama, closely followed probably by Ji Chang Wook and then his fellow costars who could have some lacklustre line deliverances at moments ( particularly Kim Sun Young and Eum Moon Suk). In regards to Ji Chang Wook, it’s fair to say that although Chang Wook wasn’t terrible within his performance and certainly added a level of less glamour in his role as a 30 year old man still living at home, his performance in Backstreet Rookie certainly hasn’t been one of his best and most challenging performances ( in comparison to Healer, K2 or even Suspicious Partner ) either.

Backstreet Rookie’s scriptwriting by Son Geun Joo, channels the bygone era of ‘90s and ‘00s Korean movies and dramas where comedy scenes and setups were often seen as the norm . Sadly Geun Joo seems to lack awareness towards changing attitudes in South-Korea in a show which feels neither nostalgic of old dramas, or retro but old-fashioned, clumpy and questionable in parts. The comedy will evidently differ amongst viewers but nevertheless whilst the romance has a slightly cutesy air to it, ‘ Backstreet Rookie’ is the epitome of “ I’m going to watch during a binge watching season because I’m bored” rather than a long-time commitment.

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Nanba MG5; A Surprisingly Heartwarming Drama…

Adapted from the eponymous manga and its sequel ‘ Nanba Deadend’ by mangaka Toshio Ozawa, the 10-episode Fuji TV series ( sans the specials) ‘ Nanba Mg5’ is a nostalgic love letter to the bygone eras of delinquent school mangas and action heroes.

Although the series could often possess an overinflated element of cheesiness with its one-liners, the inner-monologues of the Nanba family’s dog ( voiced by Tsuda Kenjiro) and its fight scenes at times, ‘ Nanba Mg5’ was surprisingly heartfelt and sincere at times with its tales camaraderie and family as well as the unlikely discoveries and challenges faced for main lead Nanba Tsuyoshi (Shotaro Mamiya).

For those unfamiliar with the setup of the series, the narrative of ‘ Nanba Mg5’ is mainly focused upon male lead Nanba Tsuyoshi. Nanba is lucky enough to be able to get into a fairly good educational institution with his exam grades , Shirayuri High School. However, there is a catch; Tsuyoshi’s family are loud, proud and brazen delinquents.

Determined for Tsuyoshi to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Takeshi ( Shinnosuke Mitsushima) by defeating and conquering different regions of Tokyo and Japan, Tsuyoshi is forced to hide his attendance at Shirayuri from his parents ( Ukaji Takeshi and Suzuki Sarina), his brother and his younger sister Ginko ( Nanoka Hara) by pretending to attend the delinquent school next door.

In addition to hiding his place at the school from his family, Tsuyoshi is forced to hide his delinquent background from his classmates and peers, especially from his crush Fujita Mayuki ( Morikawa Aoi). However as Tsuyoshi is caught between two worlds, he is soon faced with unlikely friendships and alliances such as with delinquents Daimaru Daisuke ( Morimoto Shintaro) and Godai Naoki ( Kamio Fuju) as well as new obstacles and dilemmas that may just threaten to expose his dual identity.

‘Nanba MG5’ was adapted to the small screen by director Katsuyuki Motohiro. Known for his involvement with the popular anime series ‘ Psycho Pass’, as well as ‘ Bayside Shakedown’ series and ‘ Stranger’, it is fair to say that Motohiro’s style of fast-paced action, angsty moments and heartfelt character growth was fairly well-suited for the adapted screenplay ‘ Nanba MG5’.

Noticeably in comparison to some of his previously mentioned titles, ‘ Nanba MG5’ was heavily interlaced with lighthearted comedy and comic relief. While this certainly helped to balance out some surprisingly violent fight scenes and darker moments of the series by offering moments of easygoing respite, it wasn’t without its problems at times either. The comedy was fairly tongue-in-cheek at times, with one of the show’s running gags being the inner-monologues of the Nanba’s family dog Matsu ( as previously mentioned voiced by Kenjiro), the coarse vernacular used by the delinquents of the show as well as Tsuyoshi’s “ Yankee” past and background occasionally being exposed or misunderstood by those around him.

Although for the most part the comical elements of the show were fairly funny, there were times in the series where comical one-liners and Matsu’s monologues could feel somewhat out of place or enforced after a particularly serious moment or exchange. This is not to say that these elements of the show shouldn’t have exited at all but there were certainly parts of the show which could’ve toned these elements down without making parts of the comic relief in ‘ Nanba MG5’ feel so constrained.

The next big part of the series to talk about is the acting. ‘ Nanba MG5’ was admittedly a slight mixed-bag when it came down to acting performances. Although the main cast really helped to animiate their onscreen personas to life with main actor Shotaro Mamiya and supporting actors Nanoka Hara, Shinnosuke Mitsushima and Morikawa Aoi offering consistent performances alongside others, there were moments in ‘ Nanba MG5’ where the acting could feel somewhat contrived by line deliverances.

Admittedly this is not entirely the fault of the cast. Although ‘ Nanba MG5’ was often purposefully hyperbolic and over-the-top with its written dialogue as well as surprisingly direct during sincere moments, the dialogue could sometimes suffer a little as a result of being a little wooden during key moments.

Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding the plot and the trajectory taken by director Katsuyuki Motohiro. Considering the time limit as well as the amount of source material that the writing team would have to get through in a short space of time, the series’ narrative was unsurprisingly cutthroat.

However aside from from evident updates of technology and expressions to prevent the series from feeling alienated amongst its current era, fans of the manga series will likely acknowledge that the narrative is surprisingly faithful to the original manga. ( Although some fans may be surprised to see that some key characters or moments from later chapters in both mangas were cut out in order to make way for the climax and changed somewhat in the drama.)

In terms of narrative build, ‘ Nanba MG5’ could feel somewhat approached in the style of narrative stages.This isn’t an entirely bad thing per say. It allowed the audience to see Nanba’s journey, his passions towards art, his family and peers grow as well as his later struggles and challenges along the way. On the other hand as a result of the series attempting to stage Nanba’s dilemma in the latter half with his identity, it often felt that a lot of key interactions and elements of character growth were quickly dismissed or not fully fleshed out. ( As seen with Nanba’s relationship with crush Fujita. Although Fujita certainly had some serious moments of character redemption in comparison to some of her past actions, the hinted feelings between both characters was a little rushed by the ending. Similarly, Nanba’s dreams to chase art, Godai’s relationship with his mother, Daisuke’s hinted feelings for his old classmate and Takeshi’s redemption arc which were hinted at during various moments of the series and were covered slightly more in the manga, often felt a little disregarded and underdeveloped by the ending.)

Although it is wrong to entirely pass condemnation on the series’ rushed parts with the potential special episode ‘ Nanba MG5: Zenkai Baribaride Arigato-hen’ helping to smooth out the aftermath of events for Nanba and his associates, it did feel somewhat noticeable at times that these characters and storyline events were sometimes put on the sidelines. ( Especially by the ending of the series.)

The stylistic approach to ‘ Nanba MG5’ was fairly simplistic with close-ups and long-distance shots for the most. Of course, the show occasionally dabbed with minimal bright and dreary palettes in order to express mood and tone but its main highlight undeniably came through it opening and closing credits. In order to encapsulate the crazy and unconventional world of Nanba and his situation, the opening and closing scenes would often burst to life with the main characters being caricatured into cartoon sketches in between footage moments of the series. It was a certainly a fun approach to the series although it did feel as though ‘ Nanba MG5’ could’ve benefited at times from having that bubbly and imaginative approach to filming and editing throughout some of its main episodes also.

The OST of the series is a fairly bright and upbeat mixture of vocals and instrumentals. Although certain tracks certainly remained more memorable than others, the main theme song alongside compositions such as ‘ KENKA JOUTOU-KAKATTEKOIYA’ and ‘ SUSPICION-GIWAKU’ were particularly catchy at times alongside others.

‘ Nanba MG5’ could sometimes struggle somewhat with its rushed writing and line deliverances but there was something surprisingly sincere and wildly fun about the series. Despite risking feeling out of place with its subject area and themes at times, ‘ Nanba MG5’ was surprisingly relatable with its themes of school pressure, identity, family and prejudice, as well as still being able to feel like a nostalgic love letter to the delinquent mangas and shows of the past. Although slightly rough around the edges, ‘ Nanba MG5’ is a fun, heartfelt and an entertaining series which is perfect for those looking for something easygoing and heartfelt to watch. Overall, a fairly fun watch.

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‘ Dear Ex’; A Surprisingly Heartwarming Film…

Directed and cowritten by Mag Hsu and Chih-Yen Hsu as well as screenwriter Lu Shih Yuan, ‘ Dear Ex’ is a movie which will likely not appeal to everyone with its soap-opera style cliches and setups.

However despite some notable flaws and inconsistencies which could be found in ‘ Dear Ex’, the prominent messaging placed upon real-life issues such as homophobia , love, intolerance, teen-angst and familial relationships, arguably presented a somewhat niche plot line with an air of gritty complexity and heartfelt moments along the way.

After his father Zhengyuan (Spark Chen) dies of cancer, it is revealed that the beneficiary of the will is not Cheng-xi ( Joseph Huang) but Jay (Roy Chu), his father’s gay lover. Embarrassed and angered, Cheng-xi’s mother Liu Sanlian (Ying-Xuan Hseih), desperately tries to reclaim her late husband’s money, in order to afford her son’s tuition and the family’s cost of living — a process that alternately entails coercion and attempted blackmail.

Yet Cheng-xi, fed up of his mother’s manipulation , opts to live with free-spirited Jay instead. As Cheng-Xi and Jay become surprisingly close during their cohabitation, Cheng- Xi soon begins to question his loyalties towards his mother and his previous beliefs .

Directors Chih-Yen Hsu and Mag Hsu present ‘ Dear Ex’ with a melodrama edge. Nevertheless during quintessential moments, the directors aren’t afraid to place emphasis upon the narrative’s complex edges; the deeply fraught family history, Sanlian’s feelings of fury and rage by her husband’s decisions and affair, as well as the tragic decline of Zhengyuan’s health and spirit. In particular Sanlian’s change from the niche archetype of the overbearing mother and wife during her initial introduction, allowed opportunities for the directors in order to flesh-out her character as the storyline progressed.

Despite thematic themes hinting that ‘ Dear Ex’ should be a coming of age movie for Cheng-Xi, Chih-Yen Hsu and Mag Hsu placed greater emphasis upon tragic and ill-fated romances and immense pathos for its array of onscreen characters with equal sympathy. However despite Taiwan’s liberal stance upon same-sex marriage and LGBT rights, the movie still highlighted the presiding underbelly of prejudice within Taiwanese culture and society- homophobia and gay slurs often arising during key moments in order to expose this. In addition to this, ‘ Dear Ex’ also allowed some golden-opportunities for character development. One of the most intriguing and climatic in the movie’s narrative surrounding the rocky relationship between Jay and Sanlian; merging from contempt, to animosity before developing into mutual sympathy.

However whilst the non-linear narrative gave a smoothly edited storyline, ‘ Dear Ex’ could often lean into greater problems of incoherent plot holes. Despite some desperate attempts in order to wrap up certain key plot points, viewers were often left in the dark towards reasons and drive within the narrative. ( In particular the decision for Jay to become the main beneficiary, excluding Cheng-Xi entirely.)

The acting performances of the series are solid. Admittedly there were certain line deliverances which could feel somewhat enforced or lacking tact, the main cast were decent enough onscreen. Child actor Joseph Huang and actor Roy Chiu were particularly dynamic onscreen ; offering surprisingly emotional yet dynamic performances throughout the movie.

The pacing of the movie is slow in parts. Naturally it is arguable that certain scenes had to be slowed down in order to focus and build upon characters. On the other hand whilst the storyline did offer some expedited storyline moments, the inconsistent balance could sometimes limit opportunities in order to patch up weaker moments of dialogue, plot holes and character writing also.

Aside from integrating an array of flashbacks into the narrative, it is undeniable that under the directing reigns of Chih-Yen Hsu and Mag Hsu, ‘ Dear Ex’ is visually aesthetic . The emphasis upon vivid palette schemes are brought to life through emerald, scarlet and ruby red tones- helping to bring to life the emotional scope of the movie’s characters. In particular the usage of childish doodles surrounding Cheng Xi, amateurishly superimposed in parts, undeniably helped to captivate the medium for Cheng Xi’s transition into adulthood alongside his ideologies throughout the course of the film. The OST was notably subtle throughout its usage in the background of scenes; a little insipid in parts, but synchronic nonetheless.

Overall ‘ Dear Ex’ is admittedly a niche setup with seemingly archetypical characters and relationships. On the other hand whilst the movie could often fall into the pitfall of barely fleshed-out narrative points, Chih-Yen Hsu and Mag Hsu’s ‘ Dear Ex’ was a surprisingly exposure into the mindsets of its intriguing array of characters, as well as a societal critique into the clashing traditions of new and old in Taiwan. ‘ Dear Ex’ is undeniably flawed in parts, but is surprisingly heartfelt at times also.

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The Detonation Of The Rom-Com…

Takashi Miike has long been known for his blood-soaked and violent movies through his legacy left upon Japanese cinema. Therefore it should come as no surprise that his directed psychological-horror ‘ Audition’ (1999) has led to an onslaught of confusion, surprise, intrigue and horror amongst anyone who has watched Miike’s surrealist film.

Based on the novel by Japanese writer Ryû Murakami, ‘ Audition’ ‘s seeming basic plot-drive could easily be mistaken by the naked eye as a rom-com. Ryo Ishibashi played Aoyama; the middle-aged father and widower who is raising his teenage son Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki). Worried about his father Shigehiko suggests that Aoyama should move on and find someone new.

Aoyama soon urged the help from his filmmaking partner Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimara) to film a fake audition for a melodrama as a way of looking for a young and attractive woman. Soon Aoyama seems to have found exactly who he is looking for in Yamazaki Asami ( Shiina Eihi); an ethereally beautiful young woman who is well-mannered and charismatic . However Asami’s perfection soon begins to slip through the cracks as Aoyama stumbles upon darker truths surrounding his seemingly " perfect woman" and her past.

Takashi Miike’s film is tainted with its equilibrated infliction of violence and gore. However unlike many of the director’s previous works which are often soaked in crimson red long before the rolling credits, ‘ Audition’ is a movie which is poignantly self-conscious about its insidious undertones.The notable emotional emphasis upon Shigehiko and Aoyama’s objectification of women early on in ‘ Audition’ has arguably led to a lot of interpretations and mixed-criticism towards Miike’s great contrast between the first-part and second-half of the movie.

Arguably Miike is purposeful within his initial setup of the first part of Audition in equal rendition to a rom-com with the setup and Kunimara’s awkward and flustered micro-expressions around Asami.

Nevertheless even early early on in Miike’s tedious first-part there are hints towards something not being quite right with Aoyama’s dream girl; sitting alone on the floor in an empty apartment, staring at the phone on the ground and all but disappearing after Asami and Aoyama spend the night together. Miike’s clear emphasis upon the expected subservience of women presented a clear critique upon the expectations of Japanese society twisted and morphed into a monstrous reality as the events progress.

However whilst the first-half of ‘Audition’ can arguably be excused as Miike’s presented innocuous romantic fantasy which takes a darker turn in the second half there is an undeniable problem with Miike’s pacing; it is incredibly slow-burn and in parts tedious . Naturally the events are supposed to be gradual but scenes in the first part could often feel dragged out. Overstretched dialogue exchanges could often disengage audiences in parts which whilst necessary often lacked a great ability to coincide with impactful shock and horror amongst audiences by hooking them in the first-part.

However patience is often said to be a virtue. The second-half of ‘Audition’ acts as an enriched reflection of character study where personal traumas and moral, sexual and social boundaries began to blur and frustrations towards gender limitations became more prominent. Aoyama’s fear against women became a reality through Asami became a reality as a sardonic and satirical tone veiled the movie with a boundary where it was hard to truly root for anyone without having to acknowledge the ugly head of the character’s flaws. Reflected in the gradually illusive cinematography techniques which became gradually more vivid throughout this part Miike’s dark irony was perfectly captured in the final part with a shocking twist to its events.

‘Audition’ is a movie which is not for the faint hearted. It is slow-paced and tedious in its initial exposition and whilst failing to arguably wrap up some key points, it is still a movie which unlike many modern horror films understood the impact of suspense and building fear. The cast were were brilliant within their roles and Miike’s emphasis upon themes of gender and limitations disturbingly explode in clear vision for the delivered conclusion of the movie.

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An Unimaginative Gangster Movie…

South-Korean director and screenwriter John H. Lee’s ‘ A Cut Runs Deep’ (1999) is a movie which is often unspoken about and hidden under the radar amongst South-Korean movie enthusiasts. Yet whilst Lee’s visually streamlined movie presented some intriguing themes within its notable Asian-American cast and certain ultra-violent scenes, ‘ A Cut Runs Deep’ could often fall victim to its cliche-ridden script.

The storyline is set in New York and focuses on half-Korean Ben (Alex Manning); the main character and narrator of the film. Ben works as a delivery boy at a dingy Chinese restaurant which he also resides in and during a particular delivery he ends up encountering a suave and introverted young man called JD (David Lee McInnis). There’s an oddly dangerous air surrounding JD which Ben can’t quite put his finger on but after taking a shining to the young male lead, JD ends up imitating Ben into his gang and leads his down a violent and destructive path.

Admittedly whilst the dialogue could sometimes feel slightly lacking during quintessential moments arguably one of the greatest standouts of the film came through main leads’ Alex Manning and David Lee McInnis’ onscreen performances- adding a touch of brutal humanity even during more generic moments of the series.

However where an ultimate downfall lay with ‘ A Cut Runs Deep’ was that Lee didn’t seem to be trying to add his own personal touch to otherwise overused genre of film . Naturally its evident that there were socio-commentaries in the storyline which were brushed over from economic and social injustice in Asian communities, prejudice and racism which can occur also for biracial individuals. However in a film where our main lead is stuck on the edge between his biracial identity and a seeming ticket of freedom out of his deadbeat job, Ben’s own opinions and character drive rarely seemed to reflect more profound reasoning for the existence of these themes in the movie with Lee executing these commentaries into more effect .

Naturally this resulted in the seeming chronicle transition between Ben being an “ innocent child” and a “ gangster” rarely feeling more impactful for viewers due to lacking scenes of being able to see the main leads’ development in more depth. Consequently Lee’s heavy reliance upon an an abundance of snipped and inauthentic “ gangsta”-style dialogue and poorly-developed stock characters ( “ the prostitute girlfriend” and the “ intimidating loose-cannon boss”) often create awkward and forgettable scenes for viewers. A low-budget admittedly did not necessarily give the drama a great start with filming advancement, but the dichotomy between imaginative and generic filming techniques by Lee became evident throughout the film, with an ending which didn’t seem to truly deliver its intended greater impact also.

Overall whilst not an unwatchable film with decent performances by our main leads, social commentaries towards issues which are still prevalent today and certainly should be given some praise amongst attempting to subvert certain generic stereotypes and cliches of Asian-gangster flicks of its time, Lee’s ‘ A Cut Runs Deep’ is a fairly generic gangster flick which lacks elements of ingenuity and memorability also.

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Entering Twilight Zone in Shinjuku ; The Peculiar Humanity Behind “Midnight Diner”...

Alternatively known in Japanese as “ Shinya Sokudou”, the drama first graced the small screen with screenwriter Mukai Kousuke behind the works of one of the most successful Japanese dramas of all time with numerous seasons and adaptations in other countries ( including South-Korea, China and Taiwan).

Notably everything about “ Midnight Diner” ‘s storyline should not appear inherently gripping for audiences. Whilst the “ omnibus” formula can be intriguing, there’s the evident problem which would seem to happen with “ Midnight Diner” at first by falling into a cataclysmic rabbit hole of a formulaic structure around the mysterious owner “ Master” ( Kobayashi Kaoru) accounting his interaction with a customer for the audience with little sense of breaking routine or new ground .

Yet against all odds, Mukai Kousuke presents something greatly attractive about the reoccurring and new characters within the series through a mixture of the mundane and magic realism, without crossing into the overtly supernatural or horror genre.

Whilst some individuals such as the three office women who Master dubs as the “ Ochazuke Sisters” are played for humorous gags in a similar manner to the surreal characters of the series such as the stripper
Matsushima Marilyn ( Ando Tamae) and the pornstar ( Kazama Toru), there was still something fundamentally human behind these characters rather than their labels alone. The trio of office women seem to represent the contemporary struggles of dating for older Japanese women, the pornstar hides a sad past with his mother, whilst other reoccurring characters such as the yakuza gangster Ryu Kenzaki (Yutaka Matsushige) and his odd friendship with gay cross dresser and bar owner Kosuzu ( Toshiki Ayata) as well as transgender bar owner Jun ( Genkaku Yuko) helped to present the versatile range of customers and individuals present within Japanese society.

Perhaps the one notable weakness of “ Midnight Diner” did occur at times within acting quality and line deliverance, often feeling a little discordant from the more realistic and hard-hitting themes of loneliness or individualistic stories in each episode. In addition to this as mentioned before, the formulaic styling does become a little predictable for audiences even when a new episode has shifted onto a new customer or characters. Nevertheless, “ Midnight Diner” can be seen as a surreal and transgressive journey into the bewitching life stories of Shinjuku’s night owls, with an oddly heartwarming edge even for the most unlikely of characters and friendships.

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The “ Healing” Approach To A Drama...

Healer revolves around Jeong- Hu ( Ji Chang- Wook), a courier who goes under the mysterious alias “ Healer”. Carrying out numerous errands for his clients with the help of “ Hacker Ahjumma” ( Kim Mi Kyung), Jeong- Hu is determined to be able to put together enough money to leave Korea and spend the rest of his days in luxury on his own island, away from the problems of civilisation. His dreams to leave the country seem to be put on hold, however, when he attracts famous news anchor Kim Moon Ho ( Yoo Ji Tae) to use his services in order to protect aspiring journalist Chae Young Shin ( Park Min Young). Going undercover as an unnoticeable intern, Jeong- Hu finds himself torn between his mission and his personal feelings when he realises a connection between Young Shin and what happened to his biological parents nearly twenty years ago.

It can’t be denied that the Healer takes on so many action tropes it’s untrue . From Bourne Identity violence to the Clark Kent setup seen later in the drama as well as some downright strange plot moments, Healer may seem a waste of time, however, what the show certainly doesn’t lose out upon is a well- written plot , a developed male lead and female characters who felt flawed and most importantly human. This is undeniably all thanks to Chang Wook’s portrayal of Jeong- Hu’s contrasting personas throughout the show ; a fairly mind blowing moment of acting in regards to watching Chang Wook going from a stuttering intern to a confident and brazen fighter several minutes into a scene, away from the preying eyes of Young Shin. As a character, I’ll be honest in saying that there was a lot more which could have been fleshed- out with Jeong Hu, not least dropping a gradual build - up to his past from almost episode one rather than rushing this crucial storyline in a matter of a few episodes instead. On the other hand, one of the most impressive features of Jeong- Hu was undeniably crossing the “ moral grey hero” threshold for drama leads; typically sugarcoated by writers to be the heroic moral citizen, rather than beating up corrupt figures( even after they have begged for mercy) , going against the police ( let’s not forget even breaking into a police headquarters as well) numerous times and the shocking scene in the
last episode as well. This really helped to solidify Jeong- Hu as not merely a plot device, but flawed and more importantly, an individual who makes mistakes and possesses a conscience.

Of course, Park Min Young easily matches Chang Wook within her portrayal of Young Shin. Min Young plays the role with a level of comical brilliance as well as heartache, something not entirely to any Korean drama, but certainly refreshing within her character’s mould. In regards to Young Shin as a character, it’s easy to say that Young Shin is the perfect archetype of the “ fleshed- out” female lead, quick to speak her mind and having grown up in an environment of ex- convicts, more than “street- smart ‘’ especially as she grows to becoming accustomed to Jeong- Hu. Whilst the show undeniably relies upon the classical tropes of Korean dramas within the traumas and romantic setups between Shin and Jeong Hu, the one thing which I must give the show credit for with Young Shin, is that she isn’t overly blinded by love to deny her individuality and sense of duty as a journalist, something which I’d certainly hope Korean dramas will do more within portrayals of female characters in more recent portrayals of women in similar shows with strong female leads, such as Hotel Del Luna and Its Okay, Not To Ne Okay.

Last but not least, it cannot be forgotten the comical brilliance of Mi Kyung as “ Ajumma” within her talks to Jeong Hu and her surprisingly touching moments when we begin to learn more about her past as well. On that side note, the one character who you actually grow to adore a lot more than you originally intended to do so, was undeniably Moon Ho. Ji Tae was brilliant in his portrayal as a seemingly minor and somewhat creepy news anchor; one of Young Shin’s crushes ( besides Healer) and who shares an intriguing link to the pasts of Jeong Hu and Young Shin.

It came to my fears at first when Moon Ho was introduced properly in the series when he began working with Young Shin, that the scriptwriters would write him off as either a second Male lead or destroy his characterisation in seconds flat , but, his surprising redemption within his fraternal relationship with Jeong Hu, added to some brilliantly light- hearted and touching moments in the show, something which I valued a lot within bringing out the other characters’ humanity as we saw vulnerable moments between the leftover members of the original gang as well as Jeong- Hu. Overall, the show is trapped in cliches which aren’t entirely new to Korean dramas , but, it easily surpasses these faults through strong characterisation and moments as well to add The extent of the individual humanity to these characters.

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An “ Cheesy” Drama With A Surprising Ending For Getting Out Of The “ Trap”..

Cheese In The Trap is based on the webtoon of the same name. The drama centralises upon hardworking university student Hong Seol ( Kim Go Eun), who takes a year out of education for a study break partly due to tensions arising between herself and fellow manipulative classmate Jeong ( Park Hae- Jin). After nearly a year, she returns back to school only to find more tension between Jeong and herself. With the support of her friends Jang Bo-ra ( Park Min- Ji) and Kwon Eun-taek ( Nam Joo Hyuk), Seol hopes to guide a sense of normality within her hectic life, however, the arrival of troublemakers Baek In-ho ( Seo Kang- Joon) and In- Ha ( Lee Sung- Kyung), the deceitful natures of her classmates , school life and a strange proposal from Jeong could threaten everything Jeong’s hope for normality and an easy school year.

Before I begin my review, I must emphasise that my criticism does not come from like most drama reviewers, from the ending of the series. In fact, it was somewhat refreshing to break out of the escapist cliche of romance dramas in which the female lead and Male lead live happily ever after and never have to worry about anything ever again. Cheese In The Trap instead offered a reflection of reality in the series; a chance for Seol to escape her controlling and toxic relationship with Jeong and to learn a weary lesson of being cautious around those who ask too much , and for the other two main protagonists ( Jeong and In Ho), to continue onwards with their lives.

It may not have been the ending that we entirely wanted as viewers, but even after reading the original webtoon ending; it still rose to my attention that the drama series offered possibly the best outcome for Seol as an individual, rather than a plot device.

On the other hand, I’m not going to say that Cheese In The Trap was a either . Where my criticism really lies is with the events that lead up to the ending and more importantly, the cliche choices by the scriptwriters with dealing with the characters. First of all, I must comment that Kim Go Eun truly matched up to the expectations of Seol. Whilst Go Eun is memorable within her youthful looks in Goblin, Go Eun was perfectly cast not as you’d expect as a glamorous goddess , but your everyday student, something which was refreshingly portrayed by Go Eun’s stylist within her everyday clothing, her slightly roughed hair and Go Eun’s quiet mannerisms as well. Anyone who has experienced being like Seol as a hardworking , introverted or a fairly studious student in higher education at high school, college or university , can probably easily relate to the same experiences as Seol around fellow classmates and teachers .

Park Hae- Jin could seem a lacklustre at times within the show, something , which even before we got into the plot, dragged me into the gnawing suspicion that Hae- Jin had been typcasted again to play the brooding quiet type. Hae- Jin, however, did exceed my expectations at times within the show by his portrayal as Jeong; the cliche “ rich heir” ( thankfully was not induced too much in the plot, until later, however , it’s entire purpose did make me question why it hadn’t been picked up previously apart from dodgy scriptwriting), who is exceedingly disturbing and manipulative. Hae- Jin could truly make the hairs on the back of your neck stick up at time’s within his portrayal as Jeong, during his nearly sociopathic traits and manipulative nature. Undeniably, Jeong was a horrific character on all grounds especially over his control of Seol during their relationship, however, this did not take away the fact that he was additionally intriguing as a result of this.

Park Seo Joon was undeniably top-notch as In- Ho ; fairly parallel to Go Eun as Seol. He was able to portray In Ho with a surprising level of comical brilliance during his moments with Seol and his flirtatious teasing of her “ natural curls”, and levels of sincerity around his complex relationship with his sister and their abusive childhood at the hands of their aunt, Jeong’s actions and giving up the piano as a result. It was fair to say that In- Ho played upon the countless cliches of the “ nice second Male lead” ; yet he was also portrayed as an individual as well, something which was somewhat refreshing as a Korean drama. This is additionally where I point out one defence for the drama not allowing In - Ho and Seol to be together as many fans complained about within the ending of the series. Just as Jeong was manipulative, In- Ho carried a lot of emotional baggage especially in regards to what his sister In- Ha did to Seol at the ending of the series. Whilst I agree it would have been more touching for the either the drama writers to have induced more establishment of In- Ho’s feelings for Seol ( and vice versa) or simply written their relationship as a platonic friendship rather than beating around the bush, In- Ho’s relationship with Seol would have demeaning for both characters as individuals and their ability to move on with their lives, rather than stay weighted to their pasts.

This moves us onto our next female lead; Lee Sung- Kyung as In-Ha, the materialistic sister of In Ho and head over heels with a crush on Jeong. I’ve always admired Sung- Kyung as an actress after her ability to break out of the “ pretty girl role” in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo as the titular protagonist ( not forgetting the irony here that Joo- Hyuk is also in this drama) , however, I’m not going to hide that Sung- Kyung’s acting was unbearable at times within the show from overreacting and yelling moments . Of course, this is also on part of her character as well, who became questionably despicable over the course of the series. Whilst there’s no doubt that In- Ha has some moments of genuine emotional vulnerability such as her abuse at the hands of her aunt, her actions upon leeching on her brother, manipulating Seol and of course being able to walk on a light sentence despite her crimes in the series, seemed untrustworthy cruel by both the scriptwriters and the lacking lessons given to In- Ha’s characterisation. Although the show delivers a great casting selection and plot themes of relationships, education and youth problems ( including a refreshing portrayal of a gay couple), the show is often too lost certainly near the middle-point of the series upon the characters as plot devices rather than individuals and the drama between Seol and her classmates at times, grows to the point of stupidness especially in regards to some students such as Kim Sang-cheol ( Moon Ji- Yoon), who would have undeniably been a raise of concern by the teachers over some of his actions . Whilst this is naturally to add drama more than anything else, it did devalue a lot of the show as we soon became lost within tropes of trauma and romance which took away a lot of the possibility of how the drama could’ve built up this good ending without falling onto the cliches.

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A Drama Which Certainly Doesn’t Disappear From Your Mind With The First Snow...

When skimming over reviews on this website for drama recommendations , I’m sure that most fellow drama watchers can agree that you should take what “ critics” sometimes say with a pinch of salt, especially when a drama gets 10/10 on all categories. Of course, it’s human nature that our tastes differ from one another. I’m sure most drama watchers have been in my shoes, where someone will blatantly say to you that “ this drama, is the best one in the world” , and when you come to watch it via their recommendations, you can’t get even get through the first ten minutes of it without internally screaming at the screen.

Goblin is no exception . I remember the first time watching Goblin and as one of my first few Korean dramas , I was undeniably a biased fan. I denied a lot of evident faults which has arisen to my attention in the drama, because I had been enchanted from episode one by the show’s cinematography. ( As a fan of Ghibli Movies, the drama reminded me a lot of the detail behind characters and setting put into some of my personal favourites ) . For a long time, I remember maintaining this biased opinion upon Goblin , until, I gained a new perspective from a friend who had never watched Goblin ( though she had seen a lot of Korean dramas before) , and out of curiosity, I asked her to give her own honest feedback after watching it.

Her own thoughts on the drama ? She hated it with the passion. It surprised me a lot when she gave me her honest feedback on the show. We’d nearly always seen eye to eye on movies, shows and books, so, it was surprising that her opinion differed so greatly from my own. Out of curiosity, I asked her to elaborate on what annoyed her about it. Her list was certainly endless, but, it did help to bring to mind even at the time, the classic
Marmite slogan ; you either love it, or you hate it, and, Goblin is truly one of the two for drama fans .

I’ll be honest in saying that my thoughts on the show didn’t magically change overnight, however, my friend’s criticisms did make me rethink a lot about my biased views on the drama. As a consequence, I decided to rewatch it, and it was only through watching again without rose-tinted glasses, that I began to understand my original thoughts that I had buried down in place of my love for the drama, after watching the show again .


First off, I will agree with nearly all of the reviews, that Goblin is a fairly original drama . The blockbuster hit across Korea and overseas, does present a fascinating combination of Korean mythology in a modern day setting with intriguing characters, an unforgettable OST and of course beautiful backdrop settings as well. So, where can we find any faults, with it then?

First off, the episode lengths between 70-80 minutes. Of course, in comparison to some dramas, Goblin is about average for a Korean TV programme. It did come to my attention , however, that in a lot of drama reviews, few critics have actually bothered to mention simply slow- paced some episodes became when a “ short” storyline was paced for nearly three hours, rather than finished in one completed episode in order to progress the storyline . Arguably, the drama did use some of this time to establish some key techniques , not least introducing our protagonists and foreshadowing later events as well. On the other hand, it still remains prominent exactly how key writer Eun Sook and of course the cast, were able to truly establish our characters in this seemingly endless amount of hours as well.



Gong Yoo’s performance as Kim Shin, was fairly impressive. I’ll be honest in saying, Gong Yoo was not notably memorable in comparison to other performances that I’ve seen by actors, however, he still portrayed his role with a level of emotional appeal for viewers. Portraying a former general trapped in a cursed immortal body, I’m sure you can imagine the amount of raw appeal and questions of philosophy which were arisen by thoughts of immortality and morality within the show. On the other hand, it did come to my obvious attention watching the drama again ( and a shared criticism by my friend) , that Eun Sook had left out a lot of realistic qualities and characterisation techniques for Kim Shin. This is because Eun Sook had written not suggested any truly profound psychological or pondering qualities towards a man who has lived for nearly a millennium with “ no love interests”. Whilst I appreciate the romantic element of ‘ first love’ in the drama and of course concepts of chastity in Korean culture, it was beyond ridiculous for Eun Sook to even mildly hint that an adult man who had lived for centuries , had never had a one night stand nor interests in any woman before Eun Tak.

By far, Eun Sook did give Ji Eun Tak some story writing justice . This was explored brilliantly by Kim Go Eun taking upon a younger, yet arguably a more complex portrayal of an adolescent at the time and Eun Sook making
Eun Tak a more relatable and empathic character to audiences than Kim Shin . Sadly, this didn’t entirely mean that she was a more ‘ fleshed - out’ protagonist either. Whilst it was certainly a lot more believable upon Eun Tak’s passing fancies for Kim Shin and her old classmate, Eun Sook seemed to be focused a little too much upon Eun Tak as a ‘ younger schoolgirl ‘ for a major proportion of the drama, highlighting an unrealistic correlation between her naivety against her age, intelligence and circumstances shown within the show.

As a consequence, this does raise a lot of issues with the age difference between an emotionally vulnerable high schooler and an adult man as well. Am I being biased and arguing it would have been different if Kim Shin had been given to a “ young and fresher” actor like Sung Jae instead? No. The age gap is not actually the main problem, it seems. Whilst the issue of gaps certainly raised an eyebrow for me early on within the show, I can’t deny that the setup between the two characters does explore a maturation of different love forms between the two leads from friends to near family to a romantic setting in a somewhat gradual development for audiences. Where my criticism lies is certainly within the factor that neither leads are truly explored because of this age gap, as being realistic love interests for one another. There were no explorations of emotional trials, similar tastes or expanding their feelings realistically to one another at all within the show, even in the apparent emotional conclusion of the final episode.

Then of course aside from our main leads, there’s also the portrayals of the Grim Reaper (Dong Wook) , Sunny (Yoo In-Na ) and spoilt Chaebol heir Yoo Deok Hwa (Yook Sung Jae). With regards to his role as the Reaper , Dong Wook interestingly said in an interview once, his embarrassment at not living down his role in the show and it’s easy to see why . Dong Wook’s portrayal from the seemingly callous and sardonic figure to a soft-hearted soul, added to some more touching and humorous moments in a show centralised upon romance. Aside from his comically heart -driven romance with Sunny, the Reaper’s relationship with the Goblin was portrayed in brilliant fraternal-style for audiences which will easily make you laugh and your heart breaking within later scenes in the show. Although there was some out -of -place lines and cheesy acting moments, Eun Sook did undeniably do Dong Wook justice in this role, however, in a similar manner to Shin and Eun Tak, there was a lot of left out realism within the Reaper, especially psychologically.

It’s undeniable that Sunny and the Reaper’s relationship had a level of comical chemistry between essentially a naive man with lacking social interactions , and a social butterfly each seeking their own comfort within one another’s company. Yoo In-Na did give a genuine sense of authenticity within her portrayal as a healthy sister figure for Eun Tak as a character, something which thankfully didn’t drive downwards into the typical cliche of female animosity, however, in a slightly more honest manner, Yoo In-Na nor Eun Sook, truly add anything
jovially new to the cliche female flirt role of Sunny. Whilst she did play her role intriguingly later on within the show, for a high percentage of the drama, she was a perfect example of a ‘ stock female lead’; flirtatious , comical and a perfect plot device, but certainly not a sincere human being with with any exposure in flashbacks , relationships prior to any of the other protagonists or expressions of any sincere emotions.

In a similar manner whilst Yook Sung Jae doesn’t shine out as much as Go Eun or Dong Wook, his performance was still surprisingly well retained as the stereotypical “ spoilt heir” who shows a deeper side to his personality during the course of the show. My biggest complaint with Eun Sook’s characterisation of Deok Hwa was that there was a lot of brimmed potential with Sung Jae ‘s portrayal. Rather than giving Sung Jae any justice in a similar manner to In-Na, Sung Jae is left as the sort of stock ‘ clown character ‘ of the drama. What makes this even more ironic is that Eun Sook suggested later in the show a more complex and intriguing quality to Deok Hwa, which was unsurprisingly disregarded later that episode and once he had been of use to this particular storyline, Deok Hwa was nearly entirely disregarded as a character by the ending of episode 16.


In addition to this portrayal of characters and questionable storyline , there’s the other slightly more trivial complaint of excessive product placement. Whilst this doesn’t entirely take away from the originality of the plot, seeing a Subway or a placement for Paul’s Boutique in the middle of a scene which could have been used for original character progression and storyline considering Eun Sook’s missed links, did irk me a bit personally. Critically, I think it’s fair to say that I can only give you my personal thoughts on the drama. Goblin is one of those shows which you you sort of have to watch yourself to work out whether you love it or hate it. There will be some people who have entirely disagreed with everything that I’ve said in this review, and arguably some who have felt the same as well, and that, is perfectly entitled either way . Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, Goblin has strengths and faults for everyone, but it’s certainly a show you shouldn’t miss out upon as well.

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Compelling, But Ultimately Disjointed...

’Million Yen Women” was undeniably a captivating show with an intriguing premise, characters and pacing, however, a noticeable problem with the show came within trying to piece together parts of storyline which often felt confusing and disjointed.

This drama starts off with an intriguing concept from its eponymous manga : five women are clandestinely given invitations to live at the house of Shin Michima ( Yojiro Noda) a thirty-something struggling novelist. In exchange, they are required to pay one million yen each month to cover living expenses, though this should be far more than is actually required for his apartment. The women have been instructed that they must not answer any questions about themselves, keeping Shin just as much in the dark as viewers about what is going on .

At the heart of this uncertainty lingers the ultimate questions behind the identity of its mysterious tenants - a high-school girl (Rena Takeda) with a mysterious past, a charmer who turns out to be a famous recluse (Yuko Araki) , a polite yet socially awkward young woman ( Miwako Wagatsuma), an amiable bookworm ( Rena Matsui) and a confidant exhibitionist (Rila Fukushima) as well as our main protagonist Shin; the most mysterious of them all.

When Shin is introduced, there is the typical cliche setup inferred towards the protagonist as the ‘’ mundane, yet suffering’’ writer. It would seem apparent in this stereotypical cliche of Shin and his setup of living with his fellow female tenants, to be the ‘ awkward antisocial NEET’ trope- struggling to interact with the opposite sex either due to an ‘excessive trauma’, or a ‘ bad relationship’ which is ‘’suddenly resolved’’ in the following episode.

However, Shin’s backstory provided both to defy this cliche honey trap for writers by inducing a surprisingly well-written and profound backstory .Yet whilst Shin undeniably had the most intriguing backstory of the series, his development as a character was arguably a lot less impactful. There is of course the reasonable argument appointed towards the male’s lead often dull personality being a result of severe depression from his traumatic experiences.

On the other hand, it also seems apparent that depression or trauma can often be provide an asset within characterisation or seeing a character develop over the course of a show- notably, something which Shin was never truly given the chance towards being more ‘’fleshed-out’’ as an individual, rather than just a plot device.

It is wrong, however, not to bring into the discussion the argument upon the importance of our female tenants in ‘ Million Yen Women’. Against all odds, ‘ Million Yen Women’ subverted the cliche expectations of the female characters . Each of the five female tenants in the series represents a stereotype associated with the “ modern Japanese woman”: the insecure student, the demure housewife, the bookworm, the glamorous beauty and the promiscuous young woman, however, as the mystery within the show heighten , the women begin to reveal that their true natures are nothing like their labels.

Yet whilst it is hard to truly fault the talents of our female tenants in the shoe with fairly well-scripted, nuanced and original performances, the backstories behind the characters were arguably less impactful. This is not to say that the backstories for the female characters weren’t interesting, per say, but there was little time to actual contemplate upon each character as an individual through her experiences. As a consequence, the sudden transition of backstories felt half-baked and oddly mismatched in the overarching storyline.


The additional introduction of notable characters and minor antagonists such as the Chairman of the Literary Committee and the literary critic who hated Shin’s guts, served the only purpose of being red herrings. Although they were still interesting characters in their own right , they felt a little useless in the grand scheme of the storyline with posing little actual threat or a cause of concern for the male lead. Other antagonists such as Shin’s, rival author Yuzu and his manager Ryuichi Moriguchi, were ultimately cliche and lacked great depth as worthy or intriguing villains.

Although ‘’Million Yen Women’’ undeniably has some captivating, aesthetic cinematography(like one beautiful scene where light is shown projecting beautifully through a window) and a fairly decent OST, the
was often flouted by quality and precision. This undeniably did offer the drama ‘’ grittier realism’’ ,however, ultimately in more dramatic and emphatic scenes, the tension was often taken away by the low-budget and nuanced filming techniques, making the show feel often disconnected for viewers.

So, was ‘’ Million Yen Women’’ a subtle masterpiece or a waste of time for viewers? It’s fair to say that ‘’ Million Yen Women’’ had an undeniably good cast and an intriguing concept for mystery lovers, however, the show’s ending felt both disjointed and incomplete. Although it did heighten the uncertainty and vagueness of the overarching storyline by leaving it upon a high cliffhanger, it is hard for those familiar with the genre to keep up with pacing and storyline. The show attempts to cram in a lot of storyline in a short period of time, resulting in various parts of the story feeling often lacklustre and confusing for viewers to comprehend. Ultimately, it depends what you’re looking for in this show - a quick, binge-watch to pass the time? Definitely. A memorable storyline which feels well-written and coherent ? Then, probably not.

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