Curtain Call (2022)

The plot has enormous potential, yet more bite and sting really wouldn't have hurt.

The share of Makjang in South Korea's series productions seems to decrease noticeably. After 3 seasons of "The Penthouse" in 2021, taking the evil within the "´War of Life´ to the extreme, it might have been somewhat exhausted? Thus, "Curtain Call" may be a noticeably 'softened' Makjang series (if at all). In this manner however, the KDrama represents a social zeitgeist that should not be underestimated: the desire for reconciliation. Reconciliation with the North. Reconciliation between generations, between the past and today. Reconciliation between duty and dream. The search, the longing, the need for South Korean society to balance itself on a new level - finding peace. To me, that's what "Curtain Call" stands for.

As so often, the focus is on the rich and beautiful. In this family clan, too, the third generation could disassemble itself in the fight for the golden spoon. But somehow things are a bit different here than otherwise in KDrama Orbit.
The head of the family is (quite progressively) a woman. Matriarchy instead of patriarchy, that makes a difference. While she probably represents business acumen and a strong leadership style, for all the respect she receives, she has NOT sacrificed her heart for her grandchildren and employees on the track. Also: For once, she (at least she) does NOT embody the incarnation of disparaging arrogance. She is NOT someone who mercilessly pursues her own interests without regard for human losses. In the contrary, there is a healthy dose of humility, because even in old age she is still close to the very simple roots of her origins. This is also because her homeland is in what is now North Korea. She remains aware of the painful separation throughout her successful life. No amount of money can turn back time or realign the political structures. Like that, she embodies a vicarious pain shared by many family histories across the country. And so an emotional bridge is practically built to the audience - ´halmoni´ gets some sympathy.

The plot has actually enormous potential: the grandson from North Korea, for whom the now old and terminally ill chair(wo)man longs in her last remaining weeks and months, was actually found. However, his personality seemingly doesn't lend itself to a peaceful happy ending - and so an actor who is versed in the North Korean dialect is introduced into the family as a fake grandson instead. He does his job so well that he ends up doubting his own identity...

"Curtain Call" manages to play out some of its punchlines in an emotional sensitive way. Nevertheless, the story remains more harmless than necessary and the potential isn´t realized. The KDrama doesn't take its chances, instead prefers to choose warm colors and soft images. All in all, "Curtain Call" might find its own pitch in the KDrama orbit, yet it keeps a low profile along the way and unfortunately does not take the next step. It rather remains kind-hearted and thus gambles away a dramaturgical chance. In my opinion, more STING really wouldn't have hurt. Too bad.

Nevertheless: "Curtain Call" is nice to watch. The cast is top notch. In places razor-sharp and at the same time pointedly funny, the KDrama also operates (especially against the background of the North-South dynamic) in a good mood with small socio-critical side swipes here, there and over there as well. The dialogues exploit this potential with relish. The bottom line is that "Curtain Call" is probably worth seeing if you DON´T feel like too much excitement, revenge, action, thriller, legal affairs or romance.

Read More

A well played drama.

It surprises me that so many people were disappointed by this drama since it's been a while since a drama impacted me so much. I can agree it isn't perfect, but this drama gets so many things right. I went in without any expectations and couldn't stop tears from flowing by the end. If you've ever experienced a loss of a family matriarch or patriarch this drama may hit harder. This isn't truly a romance drama or a melodrama, it is more a sentimental story about a family facing a major loss and honoring the successes and regrets of a long life. This drama also leans on the familiar trope of a charismatic character who joins a family and transforms it for the better... think Mary Poppins... with a convincing North Korean accent. ; ) I'm a sucker for stories like this, and I was not disappointed.

The NK Mary Poppins and charm of this drama is Kang Ha Neul as Yoo Jae Hun. He truly shines in this role as a struggling actor dedicated to his craft who is persuaded to play the long-lost grandson of dying Matriarch Ja Geum Sun played by Go Doo Shim. The chemistry between these two is the heart of this drama. Ja Geum Sun's life may have been filled with amazing accomplishments but she also carries hurt from past losses that haunt her into old age. The goal of this reunion with her grandson is meant to give her peace and closure before death but it ends up being challenging and healing for the whole family. Yes, there is a romantic element with Ha Ji Won's character
Park Se Yun which I did think was cute, and they do play the past characters well (especially in the opening scene), but the chemistry that truly mattered in this story was between Grandma and her newly "found" Grandson.

I won't speak too much about specific characters since getting to know the family is a large part of the story, but the entire cast is so good. Their family dynamic is people living together but estranged until they are forced to deal with their ailing Matriarch. There are no over-the-top villains or cheesy fights for succession, instead, it's a fight over hotel ownership that isn't based on greed for once but instead based on emotions. I could sympathize which each grandchild's POV, and although this might not be exciting to some viewers to me it felt more real. I also liked that who would ordinarily be a female second lead was her own interesting character, and I loved the chemistry between the two hired actors. The actors are all stellar and all work well together. There are absolutely no weak links, not even in the staff. The least interesting character was the ex-"Bae" Dong Je, but I think that was just the way his role was written. I disagree with a lot of critics and think all the characters got an appropriate amount of screen time, including Steven Noh as Ri Moon Sung, who even while mostly silent gave a really powerful performance.

Would I watch this again? Yes! If you have any interest in acting it will be hard not to relate to what motivates Yoo Jae Hun to create and perform. And although there aren't many swoon-worthy romantic moments or epic fighting showdowns, watching Jae Hun vs the family dynamic was endearing enough for me to want to watch it all again. There are a few touching moments I wouldn't mind rewatching again as well.

The sentimental music is a bit over the top but appropriate. It definitely inspired tears to keep on flowing.

Overall, I applaud this drama for successfully finding the balance between the actors and the roles they are playing which is not easy to do well. The "plays within a play" parts were done perfectly. And I love that the title actually makes perfect sense, which is rare! lol!

Having lost two close grandparents I often reflect on the things they've seen and endured and survived, and it was hard not to think of them while watching. I also know the feeling of reuniting with a side of my family that I was not raised with and this also made me reevaluate the value of family. I think this drama is meant to relate to viewers in that way, and left me with an inspired outlook in spite of my many tears. I loved that everything felt resolved by the end (yes, everything) but still open to all the possibilities that life could throw one's way. I love that there were funny and silly moments to balance out the tougher moments. I love that there is space for hurt and regret and love in the writing. I easily overlooked some of the weaker parts of the plot because the stronger parts had a bigger impact.

"Curtain Call" is a drama well played. Lower viewer ratings aside, count me among the few that would give this drama a standing ovation!

Read More

What was it about? It's all over the place.

Do you know what made this hard for many? The story was all over the place. This was made obvious when the finale episode itself tried to settle the different arcs in one episode.

If one will ask what this show is about, we will probably get one of the following answers:

* About grandma
* About the South Korean family
* About the long-lost grandson
* About the actors and their “Curtain Call”
* About the hotel
* About the marriage

They even forgot to address the dying wife of the real grandson, the operation she needed, and those gangs after him. Having an open-ended ending for this arc is one thing, but not even mentioning it at least once is another.

Granted, the second grandson having promised the youngest grandson to just ask him if he requires anything, may be a hint that they'll help each other. Maybe he did after grandma passed away, since they jumped forward in time, probably by a month.

And if you think deeply about it, even during the theatrical performance, it was about the fake grandson. I was surprised the real grandson applaud after the curtain call when he was sidelined yet again.

Is he not the main plot? Grandma finding her real grandson?

Oh wait, it was just about “grandson”, it doesn't matter if he was fake or real. Then why bother bringing in the real grandson into the picture, if it was about grandma finding her long-lost grandson and make her happy?

Did you see what I did?

The story is good, don't get me wrong. It's just that they focused on too many arcs, and then they tried to close those arcs in one episode. In the end, it is not clear what the entire TV series is all about.

I've said it before, the last two episodes of a TV series is as important as the first two episodes, be it Korean or Western or Japanese or even Martian (if those even exist). The first two episodes set the tone and expectation, the overreaching arc. The last two episodes concludes the main arc, not side arcs, and refocuses the audience that hey, this is what the series is all about. The first two episodes should start strong, and the last two episodes must be stronger than the first two.

To quote Mr. I-Want-To-Marry-You in episode 16:

“Was there a reason why you wanted to sell the hotel? You had a reason when you started, but as you kept chasing after it, you started focusing on the chase regardless of the reason.”

It is a common pitfall for many writers. Not just screenwriters, but novel authors. A writer had a great idea for a story. They started with that idea at the core of their story, but as they kept writing, they started to focus on their writing regardless of the story.

My rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Read More

What was the reasonnnn?!

First things first, this drama was all over the place. I love Kang Ha-neul and I've never had a problem with his acting before now. The whole North Korean façade was awful and that voice??? Atrocious.
Majority of the cast was annoying as well.

Also, what is this drama about? Was there even a storyline? It was so predictable and there's nothing wrong with that, when it's done right. This was not done right. I got an ick from this drama as well. The leads are supposed to be cousins and yet the female lead was attracted to her cousin? Incest aside, said cousin was married, with his wife right there, I mean. Granted, nothing happened until after she found out they were fakes but still. It was so uncomfortable to watch.

The whole hotel fiasco. One wanted to sell, one wanted to keep. I understood why Se-Jun wanted to sell because the hotel was what drove his parents to death and I also understood Se-Yun because the hotel is their legacy and a part of the parents. Honestly, that whole plot was unnecessary to me as a viewer.

It was really annoying that there was not much shown about the real Ri Moon-Sung. I would have liked that more. I wish there was more shown about his life and marriage. Everything was centered around the "Fake" and it was annoying and dragged. He seems like a good person and them labeling him as "a cold blooded person" was again annoying.

Mr. Jung was constantly in that room whispering with them which is once again, annoying. Sure, nobody was really paying that much attention, which they should have. I would have been so suspicious about this "cousin" being around.

Now, the SET??? It literally looked like a set. Maybe they wanted it to look like a play but honestly no. Rich kdramas are always luxurious and cute to look at, this set was a cardboard and a dream.

I hate that it was turned into a production in the end. Just my thoughts. I would never recommend this, but everyone who's interested should watch. These are MY THOUGHTS.

Read More

The overall story is inconsistent and failed to bring out absolutely nothing.

I really don't want to tell this to a drama by Kang Ha Neul and Ha Ji Won, but this drama really isn't the best. The overall story is predictable and the characters are ridiculous and irrational. At times I even wondered what the writer was trying to bring out in this story. Family Love? Regret?? But smashing up some illogical storyline to give out a meaningful story was a failure in itself.

Park Se Joon was the most ridiculous character in the story. He is some 40+ something adult, but complaining like some little girl and trying to sell the Hotel that was created by his grandma with sweat and pain just because he thinks his grandma didn't love him enough.

And Park Se Yun, who acts as both the grandma's younger version and grandma's granddaughter. Did they run out of actors??!! It was sooo offputting to watch Ha Ji Won and Kang Ha Neul, putting up a loving couple act of the grandma, grandpa version and the next moment having to watch their all awkward cousins act.

Park Se Kyu, putting up the playboy act was the only enjoyable thing in this entire drama, but still, it was kinda annoying when he's being like a weed swaying in the wind, watching his brother and sister fighting over the hotel.

The overall story is inconsistent and failed to bring out absolutely nothing. To sum up the story, it's about some rich kids who are fighting over a hotel/money while their grandma was dying. And to spice up the story, they just randomly put up some grandson from NK that the grandma was longing to see before her death. BUT they went ahead and made a fake grandson, but the old woman figured it out before her death, then the real grandson pops up saying he wants to get back at his grandma (he is also complaining like a lil girl) because ...idk his reasons don't make a lot of sense. What could he possibly expect from a grandmother from SK, when he is all the way in NK???

Anyway, this story doesn't make a lot of sense and def, not the best watch.

Read More

At times compellingly haunting and thought-provoking; at times slightly uneven and meandering

You need to be in a certain mood for this one. It is slower and more contemplative than other shows currently airing.

I like that it's a family drama with touches of the familiar makjang elements (inheritance, arranged marriage/one-sided crushes, some disagreements) but done in a way that's refreshingly clean (no backstabbing, no evil family members, no hysterics). A bonus factor for me is seeing Ha Ji Won playing an elegant chaebol heiress for once.

This series is at its strongest when it focuses on the core story of the grandma, her grandchildren, and the legacy she has built. It is also at its most heartbreaking when you think of what real people had to contend with over the arbitrary splitting of a nation (a war that they did not start or even want).

What could have definitely been improved is the length (shorter would have made the story feel more compact) and the choice to focus more on certain characters (the real Ri Moon Seong should have had more moments). I am not too keen with how Kang Ha Neul portrayed Ri Moon Seong also. Maybe it was done on purpose to highlight how different he is from the real one but it did detract slightly from my viewing experience.

Bottomline: This was a good watch. Not flawless, but it did deliver some excellent messages across and it had some outstandingly heartwarming moments.

Read More

A great drama without too much hot sauce.

If you are into dramas that are emotional, lots of backstabbing and in essence "hot sauce" then this drama is not for you.

I simply loved this drama because it was about love & longing. Every drama has to have some controversy to make it interesting and in this case the sale of the hotel was not controversial enough. The family members had their reasons and that was good enough. In my opinion the message of the drama was about "love" between the players and each player to realize "what do I truly want".

I was impressed that all behaved themselves and loved their grandmother. I gave it a 10 because I am tired of same old contrived situational dramas between a good and a bad guy. In this drama there was no BAD person..

I define a hero or heroes who transformed and in this drama, all players transformed in one way or another. Thus they were all heroes. The narrative at the end said it all to me. I quote here because I want to preserve the narrative for my own records:
"As grandmother, who had lived fiercely with her lifelong longing and love, left on a very faraway picnic, the curtains fell. The people in the audience departed in search of their own happiness with the memories of the performance. This was because they had an audience for whom they wanted to take of the masks of their roles and face with their true faces."

Very profound!!

My interpretation of the above: "We all live our lives as a hero in our own drama/life with our longing, desires and wishes until the end of our lives. Our family members (mostly) are the witness/audience of that life and at the end of that life, they shall move on to look for their own happiness with the lessons learned from the departed one. ". If I am the one for whom they are willing to be authentic and take off their "masks" then perhaps I have lived a good life.

I thank the author for writing such a loving drama and the actors for their brilliant performance

Read More

A must watch

Bear with this one, the first handful of episodes are setting everything up and then it just rolls effortlessly.

I have no doubts that if you are the type that wants fast paced energy in all your shows with oodles of romance, you just won’t find that here. Approach this show with no expectations and be pleasantly surprised. The cast is fantastic who are for once playing mature roles in a way we rarely see. The character growth for so many of the roles here is evident and nicely done.

The story is heartbreaking from the very beginning in only a way two people torn apart by the cruel restrictions in place between North and South Korea. The scenes from the past are beautiful- even the agonizing ones. So well done.

There is room for this story to have been further developed and the ending (as per usual in dramaland) is rushed. It is however satisfying.

A solid authentic drama that is a real showcase of storytelling at its finest. Give it a chance, you won’t regret it.

Read More

What a waste of potential

First of all, I think the plot would have had great potential... but the story was terribly executed....

The cast did their best to make the sometimes terribly bland characters somehow lively... even though even Ha Ji Won miserably failed and only managed to give her character creepy smiles and an overall weird personality which made me want to punch her in the face every time she was on screen. And she was "the good one". Don't even get me started on some other side characters.
What was the worst however was that the story itself did somehow not really understand what it wants to tell us. For example: Why does the main character look exactly like the grandfather? No one seemed to care, which is so very weird if you ask me. Given the fact that he grew up in an orphanage and does not know his origin himself.
Then what the fuck has happened to Ri Moon Songs wife? Is she alive? Did she die? Does he want to go back and bring her to South Korea? Does he matter at all anyhow? What hurt the most, was that the only interesting character which was the real Ri Moon Song was given an overly bland story "bad guy, who does everything for money" with nearly no room to explain himself except a very short sequence with the fake Ri Moon Song.
And what the fuck was wrong with this family? They welcomed the fake Ri Moon Song with open arms, all smiley and happy, but when the real Ri Moon Song appeared everyone hated him and was not even interested! Not even the Grandma! Please just fucking tell me why I don't get it! Yes, he is a criminal, but ffs we are talking about North Korea here. Do people in South Korea really expect North Koreans drinking Iced Americanos and watching South Korean dramas? Because the drama makes us think that way and I cannot imagine people being so blind... even the Grandma who I'd expect to take an interest in what's going on in the North... but no. Everyone just accepted the stupid and obnoxious lies from the fakes. I hated it!
And don't even get me started on the forced romance... please tell me what the fuck was that? Not only is Ha Ji Won about 14 years older than Kang Ha Neul but... they had no, zero, nada chemistry at all except as a Noona and Dongsaeng.

Overall, (I realize I should stop), the drama was bad, non-sensical and very insensitiv. I regret having watched it and wasted my time.

Read More

A good family drama

It is a family drama that talks about love, affection, protection and the pain of loss and separation. There are many interests on the table, romance, friendship, jealousy, inheritance dispute, but what marks this drama is the feeling of belonging to a family.

It's the story of a fugitive from North Korea who ends up getting separated from her husband and son. In South Korea, however, she prospers and builds a hotel that would serve as a decoy, hoping to one day see her family again. Over the years she ends up remarrying and having another child, and that child in turn giving her 3 grandchildren. But as much as she loves them, nothing can erase the pain of not having saved his family from the North. After a while, she finds out about the death of her North Korean husband, and that her son also gave her a grandson. But as fate would have it, both sons died early, leaving her alone with her grandchildren. Unable to locate her North Korean grandson, she spends her life with this pain in her heart.

The drama begins with she receiving the news that she has only 3 months to live, and her biggest frustration is not having found her grandson. Her secretary found out where he was, but an investigator tells him that the grandson has become a total outlaw. Not wanting to bring the real grandson to the family, the secretary hires an actor to impersonate him and turn brighten the last days of the grandmother's life.

Read More

Good Enough

Korean Drama " Curtain Call " is a family melodrama with a sweet and emotional story.

The drama does a great job of presenting the relationship between the grandmother who is trying to heal her old wounds, and her fake grandson, who discovers that he is yearning for a family as well.

On the other hand, there were some things that the drama handled awkwardly. The romance, for instance. It was unnecessary and shifted the focus from the family drama to the couple, who were cute together, yes, but most of the time the female lead thought that the male lead was A) her cousin, and B) a married man. The love triangle was, moreover, doomed from the start.

Also, the situation with the real grandson was oddly managed. For some reason, and even though the drama kept pointing out that he wasn't really a bad person, they also wanted the audience to love the male lead more than him. At least, they gave an almost proper ending for everyone in the end.

The performances, finally, were all great by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, six out of ten.

Read More

The Blandest not interesting family drama ever

I was interested at first, I dreamed of thrilling episodes, action and evil work then resolving everything for the greater good
I thought the grandson was a gangster and he will try to get his inheritance by force or try to harm the male lead that took his place or the other guy who wants to marry the female lead fights for her dirty fights or any kind of oh my god what will happen moments?
NONE OF THAT
so unrealistic so bland to the point of what was the writer thinking, this is boring
where are the melodramatic scenes, where are the evil deeds and it's effects, where is the most heartbreaking scenes that make you cry your heart out
why are all those people forgiven and very okay with everything
where is that kind of family that has everyone a decent person and accepts everything even if it is wrong?
even the gangsters who held the grandson's wife hostage we didn't know what happened to them
this is utter boredom and an inconsistent story

Read More