I thought this was supposed to be good???

I watched this because I kept getting tiktoks about it since the second season dropped and I was thoroughly disappointed. The main characters are so annoying and unlikable that whatever plot they were going for just didn't work. Hira constantly gets bullied by his classmates but when it's Kiyoi he likes it? Then throw in a weird time skip, a much better potential boyfriend for Hira, and a whole lot of unnecessary conflict/miscommunication and that's about all that happens! Did they like each other the whole time? I guess so! Too bad they never actually told each other this or else the show would have been over in the first episode.

Read More

Should have kept it simple

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in to DFF, but it really got me hooked in the first episode. Though there were some frankly unnecessarily explicit sex scenes for a thriller, the setup to the plot was done really well.

Eight college friends take a trip to one friend's house in the woods, where there's no internet or cell service, to get away from the stress of school and have a big party before one of them goes off to study abroad. Our main(ish) character Phee (Ta) finds an old recording of a short film that 5 of the friends had made back in high school - but there's a 6th friend in the video that Phee doesn't recognize. That 6th person is Non (Barcode), who went missing after filming. The vibe turns eerie as they attempt to remake this short film, only to feel as though they're being watching. Suddenly, bad things start happening, and with no way to contact others, the 8 friends are left stranded, scared for their lives.

I assumed this show would take the typical cabin-in-the-woods horror movie idea and turn it into a TV show. However, the plotline started to become overly complex as it delved into the backstory of the original short film. Breaking up the tension at the cabin really did a disservice to this show, as it felt like it had to do a lot of explaining over the course of multiple episodes just to get the audience to understand what was happening. I felt like I was waiting to get out of the flashbacks and back to the cabin to figure out what was happening. I think they attempted to make this show overly complex, which ended up not working in their favor. There were too many characters and too much messy backstory for what could have been a really great thriller. Not to mention, the show gets really gore-heavy towards the end. However, as I expected from beoncloud, the budget was clearly pretty high for this one and the effects and production were great, as was the acting. I think they lost themselves in the story a little, but it was still very enjoyable to watch.

Read More

What makes a good killer?

A Shop for Killers is a very unique take on the contract killer plotline. It was a show that I was very excited to start, especially as a fan of Lee Dongwook, and it was very entertaining all the way through. However, I felt like there were a few parts of the show that felt off. The first bit will be free of spoilers, so I'll mark where they start.

The opening scene of the show has Jeong Jian, our protagonist, getting shot at in her home. A very striking opening scene that had me excited to see both what happens next and how we got there. However, it's the latter that I have to complain about. This show jumps back and forth a LOT between the present and the past. Jian has an uncle, Jeong Jinman, who seems to be up to some shady business. These jumps to the past allow us to understand what exactly that shady business is, and how it concerns her. However, it is very non-linear in its storytelling. I think the one thing that bothered me the most about this wasn't the fact that we kept jumping between times, but the fact that they replayed scenes we had seen before so many times to orient the viewer in the timeline, but it was just excessive and unnecessary most of the time. The replayed scenes were so much longer than they needed to be, especially because this is an 8 episode series. If you've forgotten THAT much of the show when it's so short, it's probably because you weren't paying attention.

Another fault brought about by this non-linear storytelling was the fact that the viewer didn't get to learn the truth alongside Jian, but rather knew before her. You learn very early on about Jinman's career as a contract killer, but you have to watch a confused and scared Jian learn this WAY later than you do, at which point it doesn't pack the same punch. I will say though, watching Jian go through so many emotions in the span of just a few days is an incredible watch, and the actress did a great job portraying her.

**Spoilers start here**

My last and biggest issue with this show was the ending. What a copout! You get to watch Jian go through all this internal turmoil of should I kill or should I not, how could I ever run this business, etc. just for all that to go out the window because Jinman is ALIVE?? The entire story could have been avoided. You could argue that that's what makes Jian such a tragic character, but I thought that leaving the storyline right before they introduced Jinman at the end would have been a perfectly fine ending - a young girl, left to figure out the world with no one on her side. Could Jian become a killer like Jinman? Does she have what it takes, or is she only fueled by the rage that her parents' and uncle's death caused? I guess these questions don't really matter, because she doesn't need to be on her own anymore!

Overall, it was a good show and an engaging watch. Besides some issue with the storytelling and the ending, it was very interesting to watch the plot unfold both in the past and present. Frankly, I think this could have have spanned two seasons, with one season being all about Jinman and one about Jian, but the back and forth didn't get too messy. Worth checking out if you like short and dark thrillers.

Read More

A good crime drama that had something missing

Any time there's a new crime kdrama, I'm likely to watch it. It's one of my favorite genres. So when I saw A Killer Paradox on Netflix, I knew it would be worth a shot. While it's definitely not my favorite show, it was a fun and short watch. I do think Netflix has been doing itself a disservice with these shorter shows, as there always seems to be something lacking from them.

Lee Tang is our main character and at first, he seems incredibly normal. He doesn't get good grades and seems to be a bit lost on what he wants to do with his life. While working at his part-time job at the convenience store, some particularly annoying customers come in. Lee Tang doesn't seem to be one to lose his temper, and mostly ignores them. However, as he's leaving, one of them attacks him - and Lee Tang fights back and kills the guy. However, when the murder case is "solved", Lee Tang is not charged, or really even suspected. Plus, it turns out the dead guy wasn't just some annoying customer, but a horrible person himself. It seems Lee Tang got lucky - and it seems this luck continues to follow him with every murder he commits. As he starts to be consumed by guilt, will Lee Tang's luck run out? Will the cops finally catch on to what he's doing? Or can Lee Tang manage to keep scraping by?

This drama was nearly comical even though it has a serious tone. A murder unknowingly kills horrible people, and always seems to get away with it in a superhero (or villain) style. Lee Tang is an interesting main character because he's so....normal. I think the one thing I really would have liked to see in this show is more tension between Lee Tang and the detective that's pursuing him. It seems like it would've really helped to round out the story, which I believe could have been done if they had had a bit more time. As much as I love shorter series, I think it's hard to do a complete crime show in just 8 episodes. That being said, I really enjoyed this one and thought it ended very well.

Read More

Watch for OffGun

Cooking Crush was about what I expected it to be: a silly goofy gay romance. Don't go in expecting anything other than that, and it's a great watch. There might not be much in the way of drama, but boy is it cute and fun!

Prem (Gun) is a culinary student, who doesn't really stick out with his abilities, but does an okay job. When his sister loses her tuition money, Prem needs a way to get it back fast. Ten (Off) is a med student who decides he wants to learn to cook - but really, he just wants to be around Prem. Prem charges him an outrageous fee for cooking lessons, but Ten doesn't mind since his dad is wealthy. The two get closer during their cooking lessons, and feelings start to emerge between them, but it seems there will be some obstacles before they can be together.

If you like OffGun, you should watch this. It's really goofy, and no problems seem to be drawn out too long. Overall a good show and an easy watch.

Read More

One of the better K-BLs I've seen

Love for Love's Sake surprised me a little! I had gotten a few clips of it on social media, specifically the fight scenes, and assumed it would be a high school romance with the classic K-drama-style bullying in it. When I started the show, I realized it was much more than that.

Our main character Myung-ha gets transported into what seems to be a video game, and sent back 10 years to when he was 19. The game gives him a mission: make Yeo-woon happy within 300 days, or receive a penalty of death. Myung-ha is able to see how much Yeo-woon likes him, which should be helpful, except for the fact that this score starts at -20. Myung-ha has to attempt to make Yeo-woon happy, but tragedy seems to strike at unexpected times. Myung-ha is simultaneously dealing with his own feelings towards Yeo-woon, as well as school-related issues now that he's in high school once again.

This show was much more emotional than I expected it to be, and it worked in its favor. I did find the ending to be not quite what I expected and not in the best way, but overall it was a super solid show that was very enjoyable to watch. The actors did a great job portraying these characters, and I feel like their growth worked really well even in this shorter series. My biggest complaint about the show was the Myung-ha got a bit frustrating to watch as the main character, as it seemed like he was always unwilling to deal with his own feelings, even if it would be to the benefit of everyone involved, including himself. It sometimes seemed like he didn't really like Yeo-woon all that much, even though the viewer can see he clearly does. Besides this, the show was a great watch and visually very pleasing. I thought the different aspect ratios used throughout the show helped to capture the emotions and the difference between the previous and current life that Myung-ha is living. As far as Korean BLs go, this is definitely one of the better ones!

Read More

Another victim of the K-BL format

Nearly every Korean BL I watch has the exact same issue: not enough time. And this one is no exception. I was excited to watch this one as a fan of SF9, and was slightly disappointed to see such potential in a show that could never live up to it, due to the time limits that K BLs seem to always have.

Hanjoon has secretly been in love with his childhood best friend Yoojae for a long time now, but only truly realized it when he starts to get jealous that Yoojae is pursuing a girl. This brings out a lot of tension in their relationship, as both of them are quick to anger when it comes to issues with each other. It takes a long time for them both to realize that the reason they're always on edge with each other is because both of them are harboring more feelings than they thought, and neither of them know how to process it.

Each of these 15-20 minute episodes could have and should have been 45 min. There's a quick conflict in every episode, where the causes, conflict, and aftermath are never fully fleshed out. Plus, they attempted to give both characters complex family situations without having the time to do so properly. They either should have cut out some unnecessary conflicts to flesh out the characters, or lengthen the episodes to flesh out the conflicts. As is typical, there is truly no way to have multiple complex characters with multiple complex conflicts in a series with a total run time less than a movie. Frankly, a movie would have been better because at least it would have been one continuous storyline instead of 8 separate conflicts that they resolve in under 5 minutes. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the acting of the main two. The tension and fights felt like real issues that 18-year-olds would have, and nothing about this show felt cheesy. A fun watch that I wouldn't recommend too highly.

Read More

Perfect balance of fantasy and romance

My Demon surprised me with how well they managed to do a romance drama while still keeping the fantasy elements all the way through, and keeping an entertaining storyline. I will say that most of the twists were fairly predictable, but even still the story itself was very enjoyable to watch.

Jung Gu-won (Song Kang) plays a demon who makes deals with people in exchange for their soul. Additionally, he has powers that essentially make him invincible. Do Do-hee (Kim Yoo-jung) is the CEO's favorite potential successor of Mirae group, though she's the only non-blood related candidate. This naturally creates tension within the family of this corporation, and the lengths to which the other family members are willing to go to in order to destroy Do-hee become clear as the story progresses. When a twist of fate bring Gu-won and Do-hee together, they both reluctantly become reliant on each other, which leads to unexpected romance between them.

Overall, a great fantasy romance. They somehow managed to hit every romance trope and still pull off each one. The actors have great chemistry together, and the development of the relationship is well-paced and fun to watch.

Read More

Supernatural thriller x emotional rollercoaster

(Reviewing the entire show here)
When I started death's game, I was fairly intrigued. The idea of a character being forced to live 12 lives that are destined to end quickly was an exciting plot idea, and I was curios to see where they could take it. As the show progresses, it gets more and more interesting.

Yee-jae's life seems to be clouded by misfortune. Without ever being able to catch a break, he decides to take his own life, only to be confronted by Death herself with a punishment that she sees fit: he must live as (and attempt to prevent the imminent death of ) 12 different people. But no matter how hard he tries to prevent them, the deaths seem completely unavoidable. Slowly, he realizes that the deaths he's facing seem to be related, and so he attempts to figure out this common denominator using the knowledge of all the lives he's lived. Naturally, Death doesn't want him messing around in her punishment, and is sure to make each death more painful than the last.

This show was much more emotional than I thought it would be, and I really enjoyed it. I thought that the way the episodes led into the next was well done, and it didn't feel like the tone shifted abruptly, but rather throughout each life Yee-jae lived, he seemed to learn more and become more empathetic. The cast was AMAZING and did an excellent job portraying these very different characters, while still conveying the same emotions that Yee-jae would have felt in every new situation. The ending was very well done, and wrapped up the show very nicely. It's a fairly short watch, and definitely worth taking a look at!

Read More

Don't watch for the mafia plotline...

I almost wish I could rate this lower. The "gangster" aspects mostly involved a loose mafia plotline, complete with poorly choreographed fight scenes and a rivalry that made no sense. However, despite the lackluster gangster oppa plot, I found myself enjoying every single episode WAY more than I expected.

This show is fun. It's light, an easy watch, and unintentionally goofy. There's not too much drama between the couple over the course of the 8 episodes, which is ideal in a show like this. Tew (Meen) and Guy (Ping) meet while playing online games together and decide to meet up. The two totally hit it off and start hanging out together more regularly, which of course leads to them falling in love. However, Tew's attempts to hide his "gangster" identity don't go well, and this could put Guy in danger. I find mafia BLs to be hit or miss, especially when it comes to the action scenes. I don't typically expect a lot out of Thai BLs when it comes to that, but if you're going to do a gangster concept, I do think that's pretty important. While it may have missed the mark there, it made up for it in the cute and fun romance, which is worth watching.

Read More

Short but Impactful

I was hesitant to watch this drama, mostly because I typically find myself not enjoying sci-fi kdramas too much. However, this one surprised me!!

In a bleak and dystopian future, the world (or at least S Korea) has been destroyed with little breathable oxygen left. A strict divide in social class leaves the top of the pyramid in a cushy, oxygen-filled environment and the refugees fending for themselves in a barely livable and barren landscape. Moving up the social ladder is impossible - unless you're a delivery driver. Sa-wol decides he will do his best to become a driver like the legendary 5-8, who seems to do his job and help refugees at the same time. However, the job is much more dangerous than it seems, and the people at the top seem to have no interest in helping those beneath them.

This short series depicts a not-so-new take on a dystopian future, but does so in a way that's very enjoyable to watch. Sa-wol is very committed to his dream of being a delivery driver and gets himself wrapped up in a mess bigger than he ever anticipated. Many plot points were totally under-explained, but overall for 6 episodes it was super solid. I think this would've worked better as an 8 or 10 episode drama, but still definitely worth the watch.

Read More

Wanted it to be better

As a huge fan of crime/legal dramas, I was really looking forward to this one! Especially since one of the main characters is a lawyer, I was thinking we would get some good courtroom/law scenes that we just...didn't get. I understand that the plot of this one was about figuring out how to catch a killer that has way more power than the victim, but a lot of it just felt like it had been done before in so many better renditions. Plus, the relationship didn't seem to develop all that smoothly? It seemed like at one point they hated each other and then all of a sudden they were together? It felt like a show that could have been done really well if given the proper time and budget, but it just fell a little flat in both the romance and the murder storylines.

Read More

Underwhelming

I LOVE crime dramas and law dramas. Unfortunately, this one failed at both. Do Kyungsoo does a wonderful job portraying prosecutor Jin Jung, who is more than willing to bend the rules in order to punish people for their crimes. As a new prosecutor, he tends to get easy cases that don't involve too much digging - but when a seemingly clear-cut murder case comes across his desk, the more he reads into it, the more complicated it gets. However, it seems there are a lot of people that don't want this case investigated.

In the classic "prosecutor takes on the Ultimate Bad Guy" fashion, Bad Prosecutor is set up to be a very enjoyable show where the villain and protagonist go back and forth on who has the upper hand in their series-long battle. However, there a few things that this series got wrong that just made it significantly less fun to watch than most other crime/law dramas I've seen:

1) Predictability. There were very few times in this series that I was actually surprised by a twist (and liked the twist). Most of the time, the ending of the episode could be predictable by halfway through the episode, and that made what should have been cliffhangers underwhelming.
2) Protagonist. While Do Kyungsoo did an excellent job portraying Jin Jung, I still didn't love the character. I was hoping for a morally gray prosecutor who didn't care whether he was breaking the law to get what he thought justice was. Instead, we got a prosecutor willing to go around the law, but still abide by it when push comes to shove. In his eyes, "Justice = Laws", which I feel could have been played around with more, especially with the horrible things the villain in this series had done.
3) Law. Considering the title, I assumed there would be a lot more courtroom scenes in this show. While I still enjoyed watching them chase after the villain, I think my expectations were a bit different considering Jin Jung is a prosecutor, not a cop.
4) Outcomes. There were many times where they could have had bigger and better (or sometimes, worse) outcomes for a character's actions, but they seemed to downplay any repercussions that should have occurred to both the protagonist and antagonist. I was waiting for the ending battle to really kick in and it never really did. It was much more anticlimactic in that sense than I expected.

If you enjoy crime/law dramas, you'll probably still enjoy this! Just beware its more of a cop show than a courtroom show, and you might be able to sense exactly where it's going (and be right 95% of the time) pretty easily.

Read More

Genuinely funny

Typically, jokes in BLs don't land well. Whether that's due to translation errors or the constant sound effects in unclear, but this one actually made me laugh. The humor in it was well done and the storyline felt super fresh. Having a show that tackles the toxicity of the BL industry while keeping the show mostly light and fun is impressive.

Gene is an author who is convinced into writing BL, even though he doesn't want to. To his surprise, his novel is such a big success that it's being adapted into a series. Gene is asked to come to the casting call where he meets the man who will play the lead in the series, Nubsib. Nubsib immediately falls for Gene. However, Nubsib is supposed to be acting as if he is in love with his costar Aoey - both on and off camera. This conflict between Nubsib's career and love life, as well as Gene's wish to stay out of the spotlight, cause tension between the developing relationship between Nubsib and Gene.

This show was a fun watch that never had me at the edge of my seat, but always kept me entertained. It was light, the romance was cute, and the actors did a great job portraying their characters. However, the classic episode 11 curse ruined the ending a bit for me, but mostly because I think it's over done and just not an enjoyable conflict to watch. Still, the show was worth the watch and a nice break from the university/engineer BLs.

Read More

Nearly Great

MoD was a very enjoyable show to watch IF you're more invested in the storyline than the romance. There were so many scenes where the relationship should have developed more, but then there's a cut to the next scene! Max and Tul have such great chemistry together, and I honestly wish we could have seen a more gradual development of their relationship instead of kiss scenes that seem out of place and a lack of romance in the scenes that should have it.

The plot was really interesting and I enjoyed the crime aspect of the show a lot. I think things could have been sped up just a bit, but overall it was fairly well paced. The characters outside of the MaxTul were still super interesting to watch, and the viewer is kept on their toes trying to figure out what actually happened in the murder case. I think that this is a great watch, but the writing of the romance scenes was a little rough. Max and Tul were able to pull it off, but it could have been executed a lot better. Intertwining the romance and the crime plotlines in a way that didn't make either seem out of place would have made this show flow much better.

Read More