2
Horror that gets under your skin...
STRANGERS FROM HELL (Hell is Other People/ Tainuen Jiokida) based on a webtoon by the same name, was an excellent psychological horror drama, full of dark, gritty weirdness. It many ways it takes you down the rabbit hole, so to speak, delving into dark topics on the basis of human nature. Are we good? Are we evil? Perhaps there's only a fine line in between. Strangers from Hell showcases all that darkness of human nature and exhibits the increasingly troubled mind of our struggling young protagonist as he deals with other people, and their various forms of evil and darknesses.Everything escalates from there. And what we get is such a masterpiece, though one that might be difficult to stomach, as its themes get increasingly darker and darker. Suffice it to say there are many references of murder, torture, cannibalism, and other forms of cruelty that can make most of us a bit squeamish. The slow build up, jarred with occasional but shocking scenes of violence or the macabre, makes the whole experience rather tense.
As a whole, the show completed what it set out to do. Give us viewers a dismal and disturbing glimpse into human nature, as through a mirror darkly. It does so brilliantly. Combine the excellent cast and acting, great original soundtrack, with great story buildup, and elements that mix the mystery, crime, suspense, and horror genres, you get an utterly twisted journey such as this series. It definitely might not be for everyone, especially for the faint of heart. It gets under your skin.
Was this review helpful to you?
Mystery, Action & Romance
JUDGE DEE'S MYSTERY (2024) is an excellent Chinese mystery drama based on the original Judge Dee book series of historical detective novels by Dutch author Robert van Gulik, featuring a magistrate and detective from China's 7th-century Tang Dynasty, based on a real historical figure, Di Renjie (played by Yiwei Zhao), who was excellent in his role.For a while, I've been searching for historical fiction dramas that are set in a fantasy / fictional world and yet firmly grounded in reality and historical atmosphere. This series fit the bill, and was just perfect, in my opinion. This series was super enjoyable with a great cast and settings as well. The locations are fantastic as well as the sets and costumes were all visually stunning. I absolutely loved this series.
"A brilliant investigator incurs the wrath of a shadowy foe when he travels to a border town to tackle crimes and misdeeds on behalf of Empress Wu Zetian."
Overall, this series was fantastic. I enjoyed almost everything about it, from the mysteries to the incredible cast to the exciting fight scenes. A great series! Hoping for a sequel season soon!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Slow Burn Crime Drama
QUEEN MANTIS (2025) is a really good Korean drama, based on the original french drama, La Mante.It is a slow burn crime series, concerning a serial killer and her copycat serial killer. While not a thriller or action packed series, the mystery keeps the viewer progressively more and more engaged. The violent crimes perpetrated are upsetting and grotesque making this series quite dark and not for the faint of heart. There is quite a bit of graphic gore and murders depicted.
While the show is definitely a slower mystery, rather than a fast-paced thriller, I highly enjoyed it. The concept of copycat killers is an interesting and very mysterious one, and this drama shows how tricky it could be trying to find the true motivations of the 'copycat', before being able to finally catch them. Vaguely reminds me of another excellent Taiwanese series called 'Copycat Killer', with a few notable differences.
"A cop must work with his mother, known as the "Mantis" - a female serial killer who murdered 5 men decades ago - when suddenly copycat killings emerge. He's hated his killer mother his entire life."
The story, locations and acting were all great, honestly. The characters were memorable and unique and most of them were very compelling. Go Hyun Jung specifically, as the mother / serial killer, Jeong I-sin, was simply superb in her complex role, adding the perfect balance of cunning and crazy to the character. She is unforgettable in this role.
The ending was intense and beautifully done. I would definitely appreciate another season, as it seemed to imply there might be, judging by the ending. Overall, this was a great watch. Glad I gave it a chance. Recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
Hotel Romantic Comedy
KING THE LAND (2023) is a pretty funny, light-hearted Kdrama about a hardworking, young woman that works in a five star hotel and the love, rivals and friendships she acquires along the way. I really don't watch too much of these types of rom-coms so the only thing I've seen that was striking similar to this was the Cdrama, Fall in Love (2022).The show was pretty funny in the beginning and quite enjoyable, though it gradually became more clichéd and predictable. It has all the ups and downs of a rom-com drama, all the while keeping up some laughs, but ultimately missing something.
”Amid a tense inheritance fight, a charming heir clashes with his hardworking employee who's known for her irresistible smile, which he cannot stand.”
Im Yooh Ah, a very hilarious talent, was great as Cheong Sa Rang. She definitely did what she could with what she had. This series was light, fun, and entertaining for the family. It certainly was far from perfect, yet I really don't get all the hate folks have for this one. It was missing some depth and complexity, sure. It was cheesy and cringe at times, but not the worst. I digress.
Overall, this was an okay watch and worth a chance, especially if you're looking for something fluffy and light to pass the time.
Was this review helpful to you?
Tender & Poignant
YONG-JIU GROCERY STORE (2019) is a very sweet and tender series. It is a slower-paced, slice-of-life Taiwanese Drama."Yang is a young man of thirty, smart and talented. Yang returns home town to undertake the operation of a grocery store in case of grandpa's illness. Yang leads the grocery store on its own way in spite of the conflict from modern supermarkets."
The messages in this drama are of the importance of history, the value of family memories, and the precious nature of time. The show is slower paced but yet interesting. I really enjoyed the history behind the store as well. I enjoyed the notion of histories and memories connecting us to certain places.
"Yong-Jiu Grocery Store" is really touching T-Drama. This series has a gentle and relaxing atmosphere, making it a great show to snuggle up to. Glad I gave it a chance.
Was this review helpful to you?
History & Romance
ROOKIE HISTORIAN GOO HAE-RYUNG (2019) is a really funny and touching Kdrama about a female historian and male romance novelist that both face gender discrimination. I watched this series with my father and it delivered a lot of laughs."Set in 19th-century Korea, a female historian faces gender discrimination but perseveres. She gets entangled with Prince Lee Rim, blurring lines between duty and personal involvement."
Overall, this series was surprisingly meaningful and shockingly good. It was really funny, sweet and compelling. The cast, costumes, sets and aesthetics were really great. Very watchable kdrama for sure.
Was this review helpful to you?
Physics is Dead.
THREE-BODY (The Three Body Problem) is a psychological Chinese science fiction series about humanity's first contact and the subsequent invasion of a mysterious and an highly advanced alien civilization. It is a highly slow paced series, heavy with dialogue and concepts. The series starts slow, then slowly builds momentum, and then gradually picks up speed, offering some incredibly compelling subject matter, story and concepts in the process. This is a highly intriguing and intelligent series, based on the likewise brilliant book series by Cixin Liu, "Three-Body Problem".This Cdrama was very interesting, but perhaps more suitable for people interested in hard science and scientific theory rather the usual light hollywood-esque space/alien sci-fi generally pumped out in other modern cinema. This story isn't really about the aliens, at least not in the sense of traditional "alien" science fiction. It is a very slow burn story. THREE-BODY has more depth and certainly expects the viewer to think and follow along, not just watch. The story is diluted only a little due to the book-to-film process, otherwise it contains much original dialogue, theories, story developments etc. The complex story is well portrayed, and quite mind-bending at times.
While at times the show can seem a bit dry, especially in the beginning (being somewhat heavy with dialogue and scientific conecpt), it definitely picks up speed as the series progresses, though it could never really be called fast-paced. Personally, I respect that about this series. It intends to retell the story the way it is most suitably told, as closely to the method that the author used. While certainly high quality, it doesn't seek to flash and awe, and never stoops to alter its content in order to sell or appeal to general audiences.
THREE-BODY never feels overly rushed or underdone as some series these days often tend to be. I enjoyed almost everything about it. The visuals and aesthetics are high quality and for the most part stunning, the music vastly suitable, and the casting was well-fitted to the characters in the book. The story really captivates and draws you in, keeping you entangled in its complexity and subtleties. Gotta love this gorgeous yet intellectual drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Compelling Crime Drama
VICTIMS'S GAME is a super compelling Taiwanese crime drama that spans only 8 episodes. I can only hope there will be future seasons coming, as hinted in the series, as this was certainly an exceptionally great drama series and one to remember. The characters were highly memorable and well acted. The plot engrossing and suspenseful. Great story and slow boiling plot that packs hard punches and deals with very painful subject matter, in a very tasteful way, all things considered. Dark and gritty, to be sure.The main male lead, brilliant Fan Yi-Jen, (remarkably played by Hsiao-chaun Chang) is a forensic detective with ASD (Autism/Aspergers) and is compelled to investigate a specific case of serial killings with a strange connection to someone linked to him. Meanwhile, ambitious journalist Hsu Hai-Yin (playered by the charming Wei-Ning Hsu) is also drawn into to investigated the strange string of murders, at first for her ambitions but then for more compelling motives. The two form an unlikely alliance and this unique relationship a very good boost to the series. They are very likeable characters and gradually grew on me.
Both characters are excellently acted, bringing the two characters to life and cementing them in my mind. I could easily empathize with them, quirky and unique as they were. The character development was very strong and well done in this series. I'd happily watch more of Victim's Game, and Taiwanese Drama in the future. Although this was a really dark series and highly graphic depictions of murder victims, it was also really great, mysterious and compelling. Although a bit slower paced it was definitely worth the watch.
[NOTE: Trigger Warning. Suicide. Abuse. Violence. Gore. Bullying. Cancer. Language. Dark Adult themes. etc.]
Was this review helpful to you?
Underrated Action-Legal K-Drama
LAWLESS LAWYER was a fun, fast-paced, slick legal drama starring the amazing Lee Joon Gi (of Flower of Evil/ Scarlet Heart Reo fame). In this series, he is a cunning gangster lawyer, name Bong Sang-pil, out for justice for crimes committed against his mother during his childhood. Being a real life martial arts expert Lee Joon Gi shines in this often action-packed role. I personally really enjoyed the energy of this show, as the action and fight scenes really spiced up what might have become a slow or tedious legal drama.Actress Seo Ye-ji was also interesting as the courageous moral lawyer Ha Jae-yi, who is paired with Bong Sang-pil. His cheery charisma mixed with her unwavering boldness made for a very entertaining pairing, as the two become partners in Lawless Law Firm and eventually grow to deeper levels of understanding.
Ha Jae-yi was a very likable character for me, a strong female lead from the start—fighting discrimination in the legal systems where female lawyers aren’t given the same respect. Instead of being a push over, her reactions are sometimes less thought out but certainly relatable. She was one of those characters who reacted reasonably and felt relatable. When she did—say—punch someone in the face…it felt justified. Otherwise, she had a lot of character depth and made for a great balance to the character of Bong Sang-pil.
While there were some predictable aspects of this series, the cast was really colorful and high energy, which is what honestly sold me on the show. Episode 2 drew me in and by episode 4 I was hooked…
The "villains" or baddies are believably bad, rather than 2D cutout bad guys. I do wish there had been more motives given, however, as to what drove them to do what they did. Money, fame, power, greed. Either way, they were very vividly characterized, especially the gangster thug/Mayor Ahn Oh-Joo. He was brilliantly casted/acted and was hugely entertaining to watch on screen. Judge Cha Moon Sook was convincingly devious in her role as well, and very hard to read. She was very subtle and cunning and made for a threatening foe. Nam Soon-Ja was another interesting character, brilliantly acted. The way she flipped personalities made her another unpredictable variant among the many puzzle pieces. Overall the casting was great. There are just too many great actors and roles to name. And that’s what made this show so watchable for me.
While some plot points are indeed a bit predictable, the series was very entertaining and well casted. It was quirky and had a lot of heart. It was a very fun watch and being a moderate Lee Joon Gi fan, I wanted to catch up on some of his lesser known series. This one was very enjoyable and exciting, though the show was missing something, hard to say what (no fault of the cast).
Besides his usual charismatic charms, Lee Joon Gi offered some really powerful emotional performances in this series as well. Some of those scenes packed a hard punch. As far as the romance, the main leads had great onscreen chemistry that felt natural and convincing. It was great to watch their relationship progress. It made for a fun, memorable experience and overall, it was a very decent and exciting show. Very underrated and worth a chance. No regrets.
Was this review helpful to you?
