The Hymn of Death (2018)

Going into this drama I didn't really know anything about it, but the actors I had previously seen In other works. I was going to find out how much I would like it and how the story was generally pleasing to watch?

The story opens on a mysterious ship going across the Pacific Ocean with two passengers on board Yoon Yoon Shim Deok and Kim Woo Jin that have disappeared. This opening really got me interested in the drama and made me want to keep watching to find out what happened to them.

Then your thrusting into the past where Yun Shim Deok Korea's first soprano is practicing a song that has to do with love, which she knows nothing about yet. Her singing sounded pre-recorded or in other words fake and that really ruined the feel of the scene. It also affected future scene for me, because all I hear is another person in a recording studio sing that part for her and I really wanted authentic singing portrayed in this drama. I do understand why they did it, but it would have made the drama way better by having an actor that could actually sing soprano.

Yoon Yoon Shim Deok and Kim Woo Jin meet and the meeting goes not as planned and it takes her a minute to accept the offer to perform on behalf of the association. Their romance does not start right away, which is nice and slowly starts to develop with real sincere emotions being exchanged between both of them. There is a conflict going around and this put struggles on both of them having to endure being treated so harshly by the Japanese officers, but they perceive and they plan to leave the country together. They both hold each other on the bow and slowly walk over to the edge of the side of the boat and jump. This is just sad and hurts while nearing the end of the drama.

Over the feelings of the drama were sadness and a few happiness. If you love a tragic love story this is for you with clear emotions unfolding as you watch, this is for you.

Read More

Actors can bring characters alive

Strength of drama
Cast- FL was awesome she brought the character to life. Amazing how they got good actors to do even smallest roles. Example FL father , fiancée, the recording owner are well known actors with good acting skills. That was the strength of this drama

The filmography and direction- the setting , the scenery , locations, the way it progressed was very skilfully done ??.

Ost- pretty cool music as it was centre of the story.

Weaknesses-
ML - LJS is pretty cool actor but not in this drama. Except few scenes like dance scene or the parting scene he dint shine in this drama. He looked rather dull in front of FL.

Conclusion- was rather hurried and did not feel like it was aptly done. The hopelessness of having no way other than the end was lacking and felt like abruptly done.

Over all - cast was awesome so was the ost if only our ML acted upto his immense capabilities (which he has) it would be much enjoyable ?

Read More

WOW!!! Just wow! I absolutely love this drama. I think it is such a heart-breaking and beautiful story. It should be said I am a sucker for dramas based on true stories and sad endings, so this drama was right down my alley.

The drama stars Lee Jong Suk and Shin Hye Sun, two fantastic actors and their chemistry is just too good. You really believe their love for each other.

The story is over many years and even though the drama is only three episodes the story feels so long without be either rushed or boring. The speed of the plot is just right and I didn’t skip any part of the drama. Moreover the OST is perhaps one of the best I have ever heard!

Read More

This review appears on: https://frommelbtoseoul.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/review-the-hymn-of-death/

I came across this after a quick glance at what Korean dramas Netflix now has to offer, feeling pretty surprised at the vast options available. The first thing that caught my eye with this drama was that the male lead is Lee Jong Suk. I couldn’t not add it to my Watch List. However, what I did next may have ruined my watching experience. I googled the title of the drama and was immediately spoiled.

The story between Yun Sim Deok and Kim Woo Jin is immensely well-known. If you already know about their story then it won’t be a spoiler, but as I had no clue who they even were or what would be involved, googling the premise of this drama straight away revealed what waited for the characters at the end. In saying that, knowing how the story ended didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed watching the actual show. I would’ve liked to have not known just to keep the element of surprise, but overall, I still enjoyed every moment that led up to the ending.

What I appreciated most from The Hymn of Death was how beautiful it was. It was so pleasing to the eyes, starting from the costumes to the camera directions and framing positions. Every single character was dressed so well, the men in well-fitted suits, and the women in fashionable and chic outfits. The drama is set during the Japanese occupation, so you see a different type of style that isn’t seen as often in Korean dramas. There is a lack of traditional clothing (hanbok) and they’re not at the stage for modern clothing yet. I especially love how pretty Shin Hye Sun appeared in the drama and the outfits that were chosen for her. The directing in this series was also something I was in awe in. I rarely pay attention to frame and camera positions, but I noticed how purposeful each frame and scene was positioned. It was so pleasing to the eye but also forced myself, as a viewer, to really understand that the director wanted to either contrast the characters, position us in between the characters to understand the tension or take in the entire scene from afar as though the characters were sharing a private moment only they could understand. Lee Jong Suk and Shin Hye Sun are also pleasing to the eye on their own but also as a couple. I cannot believe how beautiful Shin Hye Sun is, really.

Yun Sim Deok and Kim Woo Jin’s lives was fairly condensed in this 3 part series. There is a lot more that can be told about their story however, I didn’t mind that there was 3 parts. I found the drama was able to, surprisingly, showcase what was necessary to understand their story, but also in a way where I could really believe and see the emotions that each had for the other. It helped that Lee Jong Suk and Shin Hye Sun had chemistry and were great in portraying their characters. Both were great in portraying both the sad and happy emotions, especially as they began to face the challenges of deciding what was right. For just being 3 parts, The Hymn of Death wasn’t rushed and came across quite impactful.

Definitely give this a watch if you want to learn about two historical figures that played some part in Korea’s history. Not only do you get to learn about how Yun Sim Deok becomes a famous singer and Kim Woo Jin is known for his writing, you also get a glimpse of Korea during the time it is occupied by Japan. Also, I can’t stop playing one of the songs from the OST. It is so moving and well suited to the drama.

Read More

My heart broke over and over again

This is a really short and powefull drama.

I loved Lee Jung Suk and Shin Hye Suns acting they portrayed so many emotions, cold, warmig upp, hot, love, dispsir, joy... I could really se how both soles slowly died during the drama. And how desperat they where both for each other and for their freedom.

Lee Jung Suks reading poetry made my heart melt and the almost kiss was probably the hottest scene I have seen in a drama.

They where really stuck, and well it's a true story, but I feel the need to remind you that collective suiside is not a preferable sullution. There was probably not very much help in the 1920s but there is in the 2020s.

Read More

I had finished Mr. Sunshine a couple weeks prior to watching this short drama, and I was craving more historical romance with a tragic ending. This drama also came in handy since I binged it on a long bus ride when I was on a road trip. To keep things short and simple, it was not the tear jerker I sincerely hoped for it to be. Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jong Suk are some of my favorite Korean actors (Shin Hye Sun is actually my favorite actress), and I loved watching them on screen together. However, the storyline just didn’t do it for me. It was pretty dull and dragged out way too much, to the point where I had to check the time remaining in each episode every few minutes out of boredom. The romance, strangely enough, actually ended up being extremely rushed, and I genuinely felt absolutely zero chemistry between Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jong Suk. I’ll give it a higher than average rating for the actors and the beautiful directing, however I wish the storyline was less dull at times. Overall, I would still recommend this to anyone wanting to break out of their comfort zone and try a new genre. This is a short enough drama that I don’t regret watching it in the slightest, despite some obvious drawbacks.

Read More

Duet. Exit. °8.4° °Excellent°

“I beg to differ.” That's what our FL tells our ML when he reaches out his hand and says: “It's nice to meet you.” He needs a female lead for his play (Oh Eui-Sik looks dreadful in a dress) but she turns him down flat. When he acts like he doesn't care, she says she'll do it after all, but only if she can sing. She will also quit if things appear dangerous.

Dangerous? Tokyo isn't exactly safe for Koreans in 1921 - nor has it been in most of history. The police thugs barge in for an impromptu search. A group of students? That makes the police suspicious. Kim Woo-Jin will not cower and almost gets shot. “At first, I thought you were reckless. I thought it was foolish to rebel against something you can't win. But I don't think that way anymore. It's fine even if we can't change anything. The fact that we're trying something with hope is what matters… Thank you for changing the way I think.” Now she begs to differ with herself. Her initial distaste has dissipated; Yun Sim-Deok seems to fall for Kim Woo-Jin rather quickly.

1926 starts the show, but we quickly go back to 1921, Tokyo, and the troupe will eventually return to Korea. The Joseon empire technically fell at the turn of the 20th century, but our protags still refer to home as Joseon. They've been thru war, occupation and loss. “Ten years ago, we had freedom. But today in this land, freedom no longer exists.” Though the script had been censored and approved, as they tour through Korea Kim Woo-Jin is locked up due to the play anyway - for that entirely accurate line. For reference sake, these events roughly take place between 10-20 years after the time period of the show Mr. Sunshine.

HoD is the real-life story of singer Yun Sim-Deok, who recorded Korea's first “pop-song”, and playwright Kim Woo-Jin. Sim-Doek recorded her biggest hit, “In Praise of Death”, in 1926. They were unable to create a life together in the tumultuous 20’s. Japan had taken control of Korea and things were cooking up towards WWII. While every generation brings change, the changes going on in Korea at this time were dramatic - Out-of-hanboks-and-into-hose dramatic. Some women ditched the traditional robes and started wearing slim skirts and nylons. The show opens with the two having just committed suicide, so the viewer won't have to worry and guess about what's coming next, or whether the couple will to work things out. HoD is a 2018 release that is rated 93 on AWiki. It is a short series consisting of either 6 35-minute episodes or 3 60-minute ones, depending. Either way, it's the length of a long movie.

Lee Jong-Suk of Romance is a Bonus Book and While You Were Sleeping fame plays ML Kim Woo-Jin. His mother died when he was 5 and his domineering father went on to marry 3 more times. He has some superb moments in HoD and hands in an overall excellent performance. He's completely different in WYWS and not so similar in RIABB, which is evidence of his range. The couple only has 1 or 2 deeply romantic moments in the show (they keep it chaste) but he is at his romantic best in these scenes. He is a playwright, but since he was raised in “privilege“ he has responsibilities. His father never wants to see him pick up the pen again, except to sign documents pertaining to running the family business. His traditional family has exerted control over every inch of his existence. There's always a contrast between generations, but the contrast between old-fashioned and modern in HoD is striking. We see near-flappers next to hanboks. Our male lead prefers something more modern.

Yun Sim-Deok, the FL is played by Shin Hae-Sun who is completely different in everything, such as the lead in Mr. Queen (hilarious)and support in Legend of the Blue Sea (broding) and Oh My Ghost (sweet and shy). Yun Sim-Deok comes from a poor family and is the sole breadwinner, due to her father's disability. Her younger siblings are relying on her for their education. Kim Won-Hae is Yoon Suk-Ho. He improves every production in which he appears. The compelling Lee Sang-Yeob is reunited with Lee Jong-Suk after doing WYWS together. He plays Kim Hong-Ki, who is rejected by Yun Sim-Deok (like any woman would reject him! That's gotta be the only time). Oh Eui-Sik, who always does a great job, is another player in the troupe.

Does true love take unsparingly or give unsparingly? HoD explores that question. In terms of romance, we view it from a mile up in the air and only get intimate once or twice. Here are two people crushed by society. They were pushed and pushed and pushed. If they had never met, maybe they would have survived, but once they tasted true love, nothing else would ever be good again.

When there is life there is hope. Suicide is not the answer. In the show, My Liberation Notes, a character talks about those who unsuccessfully attempted jumping to their deaths. Every single survivor said they regretted their decision 3/4 of the way down. Before I went through emotional, physical and financial devastation all these topics were academic and easy for me. Those who easily judge another's pain have not felt excruciating pain. Only faith and my ironclad pre-determined ideal, that taking one's life is never the answer, kept me here. The show doesn't glorify suicide, but it doesn't comdemn it either. What the viewer should reflect on is the pressure and pain that we put on others. Kim Woo-Jin’s father exercised complete control at all costs, and he never saw the bill for the ultimate cost coming. We cannot (accurately) judge another's pain. Therefore, we should always be gentle with others and only work on controlling ourselves.

HOD has the feel of a BBC production- that's a compliment. It also feels like the recounting of a true story. They don't squeeze every tear from the viewer and they also don't spring anything on the viewer. The pain is tolerable. They are reciting facts even more than dramatizing. I looked it up to verify the truth of the story because of the real-feel. I suspect that they didn't exercise much dramatic license out of respect, as the show is quite respectful of the subject matter. To judge it as a drama alone isn't entirely fair, since the ghosts of the past do possess the atmosphere of the production. All-in-all, HoD is well worth the 3 hour investment for the walk back in time. At this time it is not available for streaming, but it is bound to pop up somewhere.

QUOTE?
Passionately, I listen to the curses put on my fate. She was the only Safe Haven in my life besieged by the devil.
11/26/21 Trace of Heart

IMHO〰

Directing 8
Writing 8.2
Acting 8.3
Romance 6.7
Flutters 7.3
Warmth 5
Art 8
Action 4
Sound & music 8
Laughs 2
Tears 6.6
Fright 3.5
Tension 6.7
Gore 2
Thought provocation 6
Snores 0
Ending 6

Age 12+ Language - b!+ch × 1

Re-watch? I wouldn't oppose one day down the line

Tie-in shows would be: Romance is a Bonus Book 7.9 (same male lead) ; Oh My Ghost 10 (superb romdramcom, and HoD's FL is a side character) ; Mr. Queen 8.5 (same FL and she's hilarious); Saimdang 8.5 (another true story with a fantasy tie-in to modern day and a similarly less-than-satisfying ending, but an excellent show nonetheless); The King's Affection 8.3 (another person forced into an impossible situation); and Mr. Sunshine 9 (a show about a love affair with one's country that further chronicles Japan's aggression toward Korea).

Read More

For a drama that’s so short, it wasn’t rushed at all. It had a perfect pace that went well with the story. I don’t know the true story it’s based on, but the drama was beautiful. I think the actors played their characters well. It felt more realistic and sincere than other dramas I’ve watched, the facial expressions weren’t dramatic like some dramas. The actors did a very good job. The literature in the drama was also beautiful and heart wrenching. Even though it had a tragic ending, the ending was almost beautiful that you didn’t feel sadness for them. This drama was beautiful and I definitely recommend it. It was refreshing to see something that had emotion and realistic that wasn’t a cliche romance.

Read More

What happens when your heart rules you.

I have very mixed feelings for this short drama. The actors were excellent and the sets, costumes and scenary where all excellent.

The story, however, just did not do the trick for me. All I could think about was how so many tears could have been saved, had the leading guy confessed about the situation he was stuck in right from the very beginning. It would've stopped the female lead from having her heart terribly broken.

I do feel sympathetic to Kim Soo Sun, whose life was delineated by his father. I could see why he made certain questionable choices when it came to Yu Soo San.
And also, this is the first time I'm seeing a piece of entertainment which fiercely depicted the cruelty of the Japanese. It was blood curdling and disturbing. A huge respect for everyone who dared to stand up to them!
Well. It was a pleasant watch, but definitely not something that I'd rewatch.

Read More

Awesome

Awesome
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Read More

Star Crossed Lovers

I started watching this show because of Shin hye sun. I loved her acting in Mr. Queen and wanted to watch her other works. This is my first show that i watched of Lee jong suk so I didn't really have any expectations for him.
STORY:
I know that they both will die at the end before I even started watching but I was genuinely surprised to see that the first scene itself they showed their ending. This melodrama has everything in it for it to be perfect. I loved the way the story started spinning around the main characters.
CHARACTERS:
Thing that I loved the most is that the actions of the characters are believable and you can understand them for what they did. There is no one in particular who is a "villain" in this show. Every actor gave their best.
OST:
The parts where the heroine sang was beautiful so is the background score.

From the set to the pace of the story, this show is really spectacular for its barely three hours run. The only thing I wished is to see the aftermath of their death and how the other characters reacted to it.

Read More