Zogitt

Rainbows and unicorns!

This is a rom-com that was big on romance. We are talking about the sweetest, purest type, not puppy love or confused feelings (that took 40 episodes to sort out) but undying love between mature, intelligent adults. Yes, it was tropey and had lots of cliché moments but love stories are the oldest stories ever told (well, shortly after "how I single-handedly killed the mammoth" one). The problem for modern audiences is that we are fed too many romantic shows that are trying too hard to be relevant. OTP going strong? We'll add the psycho ex-BF. Life too sweet? We'll add the evil Mother-in-Law. Drama for drama sake is a curse nowadays.
This is why this show worked for me. It stayed focused on the main plot and added spices to make it interesting and developed the plot but never to the point where you facepalmed. It is dramaland after all so there were unrequited love and love triangles but they were dealt with sensibly and maturely. Peoples' feelings were hurt but they took it in their strides and moved on. Misunderstanding and jealousy were just islands in a sea of sweet love rather than the other way around.
It helped that the main actors were so good and they were playing roles appropriate to their age and style. Initially, I thought the ML was going to be the tropey cool, aloof male god type but I was so wrong. Before the end of the first episode he transformed into the most adorable love sick puppy and he stayed in character for the whole show!
I'm particularly happy with Fei Xing, I watched her in "Put your head on my shoulder" and she was a naïve college student back then and did well (not as good as this show). She was a trainee lawyer in this show and she had definitely matured and grew. This I'm so happy to see as I have seen other actors being type casted in the high school/college student roles and can't ever grow up. She looked beautiful in most scenes and both the chemistry and skinship with the ML were great and believable. Swoon!
The 2OTP were interesting too. Definitely had a more complicated relationship compared to the leads but it was good to see that they weren't standard pairing of the best friends just to park them somewhere while the OTP was put through hell and back. They had their significant moments and you could ship them easily. It was a bit of a shame that their storyline seemed to ran out of steam once they got together. Not that they didn't have more cute moments but I felt they had peaked.
All the support casts were good. They helped to move the plot along and give us the feels when it was warranted. Some of their banters were great and helped to bring us into their world.
OST was very good. Nice happy tunes and love songs to match the tone of the show. Rewatch is mandatory if you liked this show in the first place.
This was a sweet, warm and uplifting show. It never pretended to be a slice of real life. This was 100% fluff but what glorious fluff! There are positive messages but not preachy or straight out propaganda. Anyone who wanted angsts, break-ups, forced separations, evil plots should watch something else. Just leave me to binge this while eating a tub of chocolate ice cream. Bliss!

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Awesome drama but for one narrative misstep

There has already been dozens of review written on this popular k-drama so I'm not going to go into great details about the bulk of the show other than to say that it was amazing, funny, sad, heartfelt, thought provoking, exciting, etc. Definitely worth the watch.
Superb acting by the FL and the ML was great as well. Oodles of OTP chemistry. Support cast was top notch. We'll just say no more about the palace intrigue plot, it was integral to the story but nothing new.
Now, some of the reviews focused on THE ending. I understood their sentiments but I don't agree with the more extreme views that the show was ruined by the ending. Yes, it was a bit of fancy foot work on the writer-nims' part in last 30 minutes but to do it otherwise would be to create and ignore longer term problems. You can't really have a 21st century person living the rest of their natural life in the Joseon era without turning history into swiss cheese. Even the few month he was there was already throwing up narrative issues that will make you cross eyed if you think about it. The problem is that most of the negative review all centred around the point that the 21st century person should be allowed to stay on and live happily ever after in the past because he earned it. Is it possible? Viable? Butterfly effect? What happens if he dies in the present?
The writer-nims did their best to push the two threads back together and it was done in a fairly light hearted and conclusive way. Let us not forget that the main relationship between the OTP was getting messy and confusing and it was sustained by the "true love conquers all" motif.
Other reviews also assumed the FL's soul was completely banished and it was obviously not true. By the half way mark, you can see glimpse of her old self popping to the fore. My reading of this is that the FL's soul was always there and can see, hear and feel everything but it was in a passive voice. So the original FL was a "silent" partner and fell in love with the ML along the way, possibly more so. She might even had taken the lead (subconsciously) at some key moments (you will know what I mean if you have watched the show). So it was not that much of a stretch for her to carry on once the 21C person departed. Her later comments and actions all pointed to her being aware of everything that had happened. Her eventual persona also changed a bit so it was a two way street. On the other hand, if they let the 21C person stay on then another segment of the audience will rail against that ending because of all the timey wimey and interpersonal issues.
It was brave of the writer-nims to go down the time travel/body swap theme and it was a deep rabbit hole they went down. At least with this ending, we can have the unicorns and a workable conclusion that I can live with and still smile at the happy thoughts.

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Let me off this merry-go-round

I need to take a breather so I'm sloth quitting this drama. I don't hate this show, but there are aspects that are starting to grate and I can feel myself wilting. 😞

Confession time. I'm a low-key fan of our leads. They certainly kept me entertained in the early eps. Dilraba looks beautiful. As the sovereign of the spirit realm, her pose and demeanor are haunting. My only complaint is the amount of make-up can be excessive at times. Arthur Chen looks handsome as always and that mischievous grin . . oh la la! Their chemistry is what this house of cards is build upon.

I was fully engaged for the first 10 eps or so and then my eyes starts to glaze over. There are too many subplots, too many characters and too much CGI.

The world of Duan Xu is complicated enough. All the machinations and power plays in the mortal realm. His upbringing is hardly normal. He is a general as well as a trained assassin. Probably a scholar and a lover as well. Busy boy! 😅

His story would normally sustain a period idol drama. But wait, there’s more! The writer superimposed He Si Mu's story on top of his or is it the other way around? The chick is having philosophical discussions with the egg.

Si Mu's storyline is even more complicated. It is basically two lots of palace intrigues jammed into one. Whoever thinks that is a winning formula needs professional help!

To further cascade the complexity, the spirit realm is completely fictional. It has its own lore and internal logic. This type of world building needs time to bed down. It is just not the case here. They tried, but we are bombarded with facts and details constantly. Some aspects of the lore are particularly bothersome.

To wit, spirits come into existence when human has obsessions when they die. If they give up their obsession, they can be reborn. So answer me this, dear reader . . why can't the ML die and become a spirit and spend all eternity with the FL? He is totally obsessed with her. He went through “hell” just to be by her side. Did the lore just shoot itself in the metaphysical foot?

While my feeble mind is trying to take all this in, the production doubled down on the CGI. Green screen is like oxygen for any xianxia drama. The spirit realm gave the art director carte blanche. No more boring white heavenly glow. Huzzah!

To be fair, some of the settings do look striking. It certainly has an otherworldly look . . dare I say gamified? I just wish it is consistently good. There are times when I find it lacking. Quality vs quantity, hmm?

So after watching 22 eps, I need a break. When it is good, it is entertaining. There is just too much of everything now. I appreciate the writer flexing her creative muscles, but sometimes less is more. Just saying.

I'll definitely wait for it to finish airing and check the ending before making the final call. Peace.

P.S. Are we in the era of femme fatale girl boss? There was The Art of Sarah, then Siren's Kiss and now this series. That's quite a trifecta. BTW, I'm not including Pursuit of Jade as the FL is too well grounded and she doesn't want to be a girl boss anyway. ;)

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Bad show comes with great hair loss when you pull them out in frustration

This show caught my attention because the director helmed My Liberation Notes. The ML also starred in Notes as well as Because This Is My First Life. The FL was in One Spring Night and Our Blues which I rated highly. As you can see, it is quite a cabal of industry veterans and they pack serious firepower.

It certainly started in a quirky and off-beat way. Not exactly laugh a minute but I can see the potential but there are red flags. The characters are painted with bold strokes if you want to be generous. The ML is rude, crude and takes no prisoners. The FL fairs a little better, but she is a wimp and doesn't behave like a 35 years old vet. Most of the supporting cast are opaque or caricatures of the usual motley crew.

The A-plot of the show is focused on the FL having to "reluctantly" touch a living being’s posterior to see fragments of their memory. I'm sure it got more than a chuckle at the pitch meeting.

What we ended up with is a collection of gags and ideas that already feels tired after 4 episodes. There are glimmers of hope in the early episodes, but EP.4 final jumped the shark for me.

Let's backtrack a little. Many funny and engaging shows have quirky and edgy themes, but we need some basic ingredients in the special sauce to make it works. For instance, charismatic lead(s), engaging story and/or strong internal logic. Unfortunately, this show is a fail for me. Please allow me to elaborate.

A charismatic lead allows us to overlook serious character flaws and even turn them into endearing traits. We want to be invested in our leads. In this case, the ML is bellicose from the start and behaves more like a thuggish bully than a police detective. He can also turn into a bootlicking toady with the blink of an eye. To say that his moral compass is spinning freely is an understatement.

On the other hand, the FL is a frumpy doormat. How can a vet get shanghaied without kicking up a fuss? Not to mention her whole career is a facade to appease her grandfather who wants nothing to do with her.

For a fleeing moment, I even entertained the idea that our leads is the OTP but to be honest, they have ZERO chemistry. However, the scenario of the FL going nuts over Suho just because of his good looks feels like an attack of the hormones. This plot idea walked with the dinosaurs.

In terms of internal logic, the show is a mess. So much of the settings, subplots, etc are nonsensical. Rules are either abused or ignored on a whim. A case in point, hair loss is a major issue for the FL. The show makes it clear that overuse the special power equates massive hair loss, simple. However, all through EP.4, she touched so many butts! How does this square with her phobia? I facepalmed when I saw the boomerang shoe. Ye gods!

As you can imagine, there are many dodgy gags, cringey slapstick moments, mostly involve the FL and awkward encounters. It is weird to watch the FL manipulating her BFF’s bum like a touch screen, swiping left and right, pushing and kneading for finer control. Sights of the white handprints on the firm buttocks of the gym junkies is just puerile. More excuses to watch the FL debase herself in front of the ML. The same ML who would blackmail, bully or cajole her mercilessly.

BTW, what police procedure would green-light a police captain charging into a drug kingpin's hideout solo . . armed with just a pencil. Yes, cute John Wicks reference but it works a whole lot better on paper. I’m also perplexed by the ML's (il)logic in randomly tasting white powder in shops as a legitimate way to spot drugs. I am exhausted.

The final straw for me is the abuse/harming of a young woman purely to inject some unnecessary shock/horror. What is more egregious is that the victim was only rescued by our leads from her abuser at the end of ep.3. The show spend the whole of ep.4 denigrating her so that when she was dragged away by a faceless assailant, we can feel "okay"? Nobody deserves that. It is callous and lazy writing.

At this stage, the Show is unwatchable for me. I might give it more leeway if it is a traditional farce. So why reach for the sinister plots and gratuitous violence which changes the tone completely? What would motivate such well regarded director and seasoned actors to sign on to this project. I hope it is not just money.

Can I watch 12 more episodes of this? Not unless I get hit by a meteorite.

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Mea culpa!

I wasn't going to write this missive (I'm not going to call it a review), but it has been  on my mind for some time so I'm just going to put it out there.

As you can see from my scores, I don't hate the show.

On many levels, it is an excellent production. However, I just can't get into it. There are too many barriers to entry for me. 

This show is set in the 1950's so there is more a near history than a historical drama. It is a very turbulent time in Korean history. The Korean War has just ended and the whole society is in flux. Added to that, the traditional female only theatre trope is uniquely Korean. I appreciate their skills and artistry but it is largely opaque to me. 

I tried to enjoy the show purely as entertainment but the nuanced historical backdrop and subtle cultural mores have me foundering. There are some familiar tropes but it is a trap for the unwary. I find it unsettling as I struggle to get a toehold. I think some viewers might be in the same boat. That is why I decided to write this. Your level of enjoyment is definitely subjective in this case. Much more so than I expected.

It is on me that I can't understand and enjoy the show to the fullest. Maybe one day I will do the necessary research and tackling it again with more confidence. Peace.

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Why does this show exist?

I liked the leads from their other starrers, but this show have me scratching my head and in need of a stiff drink.

The premise of this show is that the FL is a game tester for a new “farming” game set in a generic ancient China. The technology side is very vague.

She enters the game Fortnite style, and we know it is a game because big bold computer-generated graphics will pop up from time to time. She also talks about NPC, internet and her cell phone while she is in character. As a play tester, she never takes notes nor critique the gameplay. I hope she is not pay by the hour.

Dramas have used computer games/e-sport as backdrop for some time. A lot of them are based on wuxia games or contemporary shooters like CrossFire. Usually, the drama is firmly rooted in RL and only use recreated game segments to add some spice. However, this show is almost completely set in game except for the first few minutes where the FL was seen in the company's modern office. Oddly enough, there is very little CGI used.

Initially I was attracted to the concept but I end up finding the show very problematic. The biggest issue is the script and the setting. The FL was given a game winning goal which is a tough ask. She can’t exit the game until she reach that goal. This is an odd concept for a commercial game. What is the correlation between game time and real time? There has better be a health warning on the box.

This is not helped by the “world” being very confusing and, to be honest, sloppy. Sometimes it behaves like a game where anything goes and logic be damned. At other times, it is just like a normal world with rules and consequences. There is no clear boundary. We are left guessing if the show is going to play nice or jump the shark on the weakest pretence. This is further complicated by the ML running a more serious plot parallel to the “gaming” one. The player has no control over him, yet his actions/reactions are far more intriguing.

By the end of ep.6, the show has evolved into a tropey feudal family melodrama. Are we still watching a "game" or got bait-and-switched? I am so confused. The FL has little influence on what is happening around her but it doesn't faze her at all. There are no further hints that this is still a computer simulation. That's taking role playing and immersion to the next level.

I know this is a very circular way of asking my original question. Why does this show exist? It is disjointed, confusing and farcical. There are so many "NPCs" but most of them are awkwardly portrayed. A game can get away with it by design but not a proper drama. The show seems to have taken a shortcut to parachute the FL into the plot but then it becomes a completely different beast. The plot is lazy and self-serving. It flips from a farce to a tragedy without stopping for breath. What happened to cause and effect?

BTW, production value is questionable. Acting is definitely hammy and patchy. OST is adequate.

Maybe it will git gud later or the plot will actually make sense. How long are you prepared to wait for that to happen? It is exhausting to watch for me and I'm done. I still like the leads but I'm dropping this show on principle.

Caveat Emptor, my dear dramaland friends.

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A recipe for yummy food and tasty mayhem

The path to a successful sageuk dramas can be fraught. It can swing from boring to farcical and every stop in between. This drama managed to land in the Goldilocks zone where being entertaining trumps historical accuracy . . most of the time.

I won't waste time with a detailed recap. Let's just say it is the usual enemy to lover trope plus a big dose of time slip fantasy. The fact that the FL is a quintessential modern woman and the ML is the Jeonha gave half the plot away.

Where the writer-nim did well is to shake up our preconception of their power dynamics right from their meet-cute.

The FL certainly doesn't play by Joseon rules. This sets the tone for much of their early interactions. Of course, the FL has to play nice once she work out who are the apex predators. Yet she is one of the chosen few who can speak their minds to the King without fear or favour.

The writer-nim also hit paydirt with the k-dramas trifecta. Romance, food porn and sageuk makjang.

In terms of romance, the chemistry of our leads is strong. It starts slow but we are left with no doubt they'd die for each other as the show progresses. The palace is hardly a fertile ground for skinship, but there are cute and swoon-y moments. Our ML definitely gave it a good go. Woof!

Next we have the food porn. It is every bit as fanciful as you'd expect. It is an amalgam of French, Korean and Chinese cuisines. I'd consider it a win if they tastes half as good as they look. It is definitely a big step up from shows like Mr Queen.

Is the culinary competition between nations legit? I'll leave that debate to historians. Oh, that reminds me. The actors playing the Ming delegates are all Korean. They are good actors and they would have received Mandarin language coaching. Even to my untrained ears, they don't always sound right. I don't understand why they didn't hire some veteran Chinese actors for the roles. Two of them did speak some Korean as part of the plot, but it would be more convincing to have Chinese actors try to speak Korean rather the other way around.

Finally, we have a full-on makjang bloodbath. As with the loveline, this is a slow burner. The usual palace intrigue, power games and evil eyes from the harem once our OTP's romance blossoms.

There is nothing to hint at what is to come. Forget about tying loose ends with pink bows. This is problem solving with extreme prejudice. It was all over in minutes, discounting any time to count the bodies.

Unfortunately, this brings about the one serious deficit of this drama. It is quite understandable that the FL will return to the present. Everything is geared towards that. It closes the time loop after a herd of temporal elephants have rampaged through it. The butterflies don't stand a chance! ;)

What is less "satisfactory" is the appearance of the ML in the present. Obviously, this is necessary for a HEA ending so I can't complain. However, the how, when and why is largely brushed aside by the show. It is such a significant development yet we are simply told not to worry about it. Are they planning a bonus EP?

This is particularly frustrating as the series is based on a popular web novel so the ending is well known. There are plenty of posts and videos online purporting to be the "definitive ending explained". They all seem convincing, but bear little resemblance to the actual finale. It left the sudden appearance of the ML feels contrived and unsettling.

Regardless, the ML carried the show with able assistance from the FL. This is an unexpected blessing as he was a last minute replacement for another actor who got into a spot of bother with public opinion. Combined with lush food porn and above average production value, this drama is hitting above its weight.

Fundamentally, it is a romantic fantasy loosely based on a troubling time in the 1500's. The steamrolling of some horrible events might not sit well with some. The sweet romance is the grease for the squeaky wheel. Is it believable? I wish it is, but it can feel quite contrived at times when the FL have epiphany after epiphany. While the King watched indulgently from the sideline. This brings about the awkward question of whether the show's portrayal of King Yi Heon is totally fanciful or not.

In the end, the show might not be good history, but it is good entertainment. The Korean ratings will be telling whether the locals concur.

When is fiction better than fact? Peace.

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Damned if you do and damned if you don't

The subject matter and presentation of this series are outside the box. It is not every day you get angels and demons working together for the greater good, but k-dramas can be quite "creative" at times.

My problem with this drama is that its tone is hard to nail down. It is obviously a dark fantasy but there are also very humanistic topics on display. Law and order, rewards and punishments are the four pillars of this show. The problem is that demons don't play by our rules and they are happy to hijack our justice system to serve their own purposes. It is this clash of values that caused me some discomfort.

Ultimately, you must buy into this show's premise wholeheartedly. Any waiving will undo the spell. If you stick it out, then the show is quite engaging and is a blast. If you start asking questions, then it becomes a self-serving mess. It is go hard or go home.

With the preamble out of the way, let's move on. At its core, this is an old-school morality tale. It is literally fire and brimstone stuff. The not-so-subtle message is that our police is ineffective, and our justice system is opaque with forces at play that might deliver questionable outcomes. Whether it is due to valid rules of law, incompetence or corruption, we shall find them wanting.

So rather than waiting for sinners to show up in Hell via natural causes, Justitia, the Goddess of Justice is send to walk the mortal realm after a bad judgement in Limbo. The odd thing is Justitia is shown to be a demon of the Netherworld and is the heir apparent to Bael. I don’t quite get the connection but please refer to my point about “ask no questions”.

To wit, Park Shin-hye is the undisputed star of this show. She is Dominatrix il Supremo personified and one helluva of a sexy demon/goddess. The ML is too righteous and prim to be sexy. They are the OTP by default, and it took him 2/3 of the show to crack a smile. He defrosts towards the end and they have a few swoon-y moments but let’s just say romance is not the main theme.

By now you should know the main thrust is the judgment and punishment of A-grade sinners with extreme prejudice and I mean EXTREME. There are blood and gore by the bucket. If you are sensitive to that or might be triggered by bullying, DV and sundry abuse/torture then please don’t even start watching. Even if you are ok with it, you will be desensitized by the end. It is relentless.

In that sense, this show is a one trick pony (but in a good way). It follows its internal logic to the letter. See crime, judge crime and dish out punishment in the most graphical way possible. Rinse the blood off and repeat. It is engaging because the show builds up the angst and emotional pressure until you are braying for blood at the screen. The antagonist is pure evil with no room for redemption.

Speaking of redemption, there are healing and redemption for everyone (except the sinners) towards the end. Life goes on is the final message. The last ep even includes some fan service. The unicorns must be freed! Even if they breath fire. ;)

There are moments when I thought I can’t watch anymore but they’d pass and the show draws you in again. You know where it is heading but you just want to see PSH kick some more perp's arse. I have a feeling she likes this type of roles more than the standard issue ones as well. I don’t blame her.

In the end, I enjoyed this series but with caveats. It is definitely not for everyone. It is ultra violent and moralistic. That should be on a warning label. Yet, it is not all blunt instruments. It does have a quirky sense of humour and a weird charm.

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This show needs to go off piste

Ok, it's on me that I started watching this series. I was in-between shows so I was a bit desperate. I must admit that it was cute while they were up in the mountains and doing the snow bunny thing. It was a nice change of scenery. However, alarm bells were ringing from the start. 

While the setting is novel for a c-drama, the plot is tropey. The characters are also standard issue. Esther Yu seems to mostly play this type of cutesy, girlie characters nowadays. This is no exception but they seemed to have dialled it up a notch. Her high pitch voice is starting to grate on me. Lin Yi played his usual handsome and dashing role well. Nothing testing though. It was a decent pairing and they have their moments. Not super passionate by any means but you can ship them. Ditto, the production value and support casts. They are all par for the course for this type of drama. 

However, as soon as they leave the ski slopes, "real world" intrudes. All the usual tropes reared their collective heads. The queen bee mum, mock business shenanigans and the usual relationship complications. I have no doubt a HEA ending is guaranteed. The question is, do I have the patience to slog through another dozen or so eps?

I'm afraid the answer is no. As soon as a better show popped up, aka IU's Tangerine, I jumped ship. This series is watchable but it is stock standard stuff. It is also telling that about 12 eps were cut from the original series before it was aired. Ouch.

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Illogical, tropey, toxic relationship. Say no more.

It is no secret that the rom-com genre is trope heavy but some shows make it work. This show did the opposite and it is hard to enjoy because of its many issues.

Let's start at the beginning. It was a slog to get through the first 5 episodes. The whole meet-cute was stretched to breaking point with the FL disguised as a man to get her dream job. They tried to milk the setup for laughs with all the cliché twists like going to the wrong toilet, picking a fight with a caveman, having her period while in the middle of the office, etc, etc. They are so obvious that it is just a cringe fest. Then we have to deal with the biggest plot issue. I'm sure an edict of not hiring any female programmer is straight up discrimination. I don't know about Chinese laws but I'm sure it can't be legal if it is a stated condition of employment. That whole set up just does not hold water but the writer pushed through with it and logic be damned. This led to many plot holes that are just painted over or ignored.

It did get a bit better once she came out as a girl in ep.6 and thank god for that because she was totally unconvincing as a guy. If you want to be generous, she might pass as a tomboy but most of the time she just looks like a girl with a short haircut and speaking of the short haircut, they tried to say that a short hair wig can hide a full head of shoulder length hair. Not likely. Once she is a girl again, a hit parade of tropes were dumped on us such as contract marriage, co-habitation, hiding their relationship from the world, etc.

As I mentioned in other reviews, it is important for us to want to ship the CP in a rom-com but the further the show progressed, the harder I find any motivation to ship them. A lot has to do with the portrayal of the main characters. The ML is a man-child who has low EQ but he is also selfish, rude and manipulative. The main CP's relationship is abusive if not downright toxic. He goes through cycles of being angry/jealous -> taking it out on the FL -> feeling guilty afterwards -> ham-fisted attempt to atone -> a) succeeds and we get a few moments of CP bliss or b) fails (which is often) he gets angry and take it out on the FL again. This is a destructive spiral and it wears mighty thin when it went on and on. BTW, the 2ML is a constant source of his jealousy but the 2ML is so beige that there is little chance of second lead syndrome.

The FL, on the other hand, is a top university graduate but has this crush on the ML for years and she will do anything to be with him and worshipped the ground he walked on. She ended up being his wife/slave/victim. Any crumbs of attention or affection from the ML will have her doing a delusional happy dance but she suffered so much more. This is an odd portrayal in this day and age. She also refused to let him see her face in the beginning of the show until she started dressing as a man. Why? Who knows.

Speaking of manipulative people, the show is full of them. The ML's mom is a classic schemer, the ML's father is a one trick pony which always gets his way with the ML by threatening to cut off his funds. His sister is a woman-child who manipulates everyone. Of course, no tropey rom-com is complete without the scheming ex-GF. We are in for a rough ride once she entered the scene on ep.11. This is why we need the CP to become a team so that they can push back against the antagonists and we can get behind them. What we have instead is ML being childish and annoying, their relationship precarious and unhealthy. I want to say to the FL, "give up, girlfriend."

And gave up, I did. The returns are few and far between. The dodgy paint by numbers script didn't help. It is not terrible but it didn't hook me. In a sea of tropey rom-coms, I needed something more to make me commit my time. I watched 12 episodes for free on WeTV. Maybe when all episodes are free-to-watch I'll speed run through to the end. I have no doubt that they will engineer a happy ending but it would be a looong march to get there.

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A bubble (tea) drama

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that most drama will try to grab you and hook you as soon as possible. First impression is very important after all. This is why this drama left me perplexed.

I started to watch and halfway through the first episode, I had to stop and checked that I’m not watching ep.2 or even ep.3 by mistake. This was unsettling and caught me off guard. The reason for this is that the drama starts with little preamble. We are introduced to a large cast but there is not much to hook you. Much happens but what are their context? Why should we care?

This is probably a good point to pause and explain why I called this a bubble drama. I coin this phase because this show exists in its own bubble. There is little point in pinpointing the historical context. Costumes and backdrops are fairly generic. It also play hard and fast with some key cultural norms. I can understand they have to do it to make the story work, but it is self-serving. Its inconsistency means you are constantly second guessing the story's rationale. This extends to minor twists which are nonsensical but necessary to get the plot out of a bind. OBTW, if the show gets to the point where it is overloaded with artificial sweeteners then it will be a bubble tea drama. :)

Granted, most turnkey idol dramas are poured from the same mould. It is not a hanging offense if that is its only problem. In this case, we have some fundamental issues with the basic premise. For example, the title is The Rise of Ning. However, while she was sent away as a child, she grew up just fine and is well educated and provided for. She is fully supported by the senior wife as soon as she returns. Her grandmother dotes on her. She is resourceful and well adjusted. She is the heir apparent to the family fortune. This is just as well because her father is a hapless tool. How much higher can she rise, Queen Ning mayhaps?

She set about to right some wrongs done by her father's favourite concubine almost immediately. She and her spoil daughter neither have the means nor the brains to do more than simple dirty tricks. Tiresome and despicable they may be but hardly evil masterminds. What is odd is the official wife was long suffering but grew a backbone as soon as Ning shows up. There is also a mysterious "puppet master" but his motives are hazy. He might even be closely related to the FL.

The ML is also treated poorly by the family as a semi illegitimate son yet he is a great martial artist and a scholar to boot. There is no explanation of how he reaches those heights with limited resources. On top of that, he has assembled a crack team who is willing to die for his cause. I'm sure more will be revealed but consider at the 1/4 mark, we are still lacking a clear focus, it is testing. From my perspective, both our leads are already standing on solid ground with little room to improve. Compare this to recent shows like Blossoms in Adversity or The Double and you will know how low the protagonist can get.

Then there are the constant chatter about scandals and arrange marriages but that's old news and boring, to be honest. All the typical high society shenanigans are present and accounted for.

May be we can look towards the romantic plotline to lift the story? This is where it is even more problematic. Oh wait! Our OTP are supposed to be brother and sister sharing the same father. By ep.8, the ML has found out that the FL was not related by blood after all. That might fix the basic moral problem but the FL doesn't know that and any relationship between them would be technically incestuous. I'm sure she would find out soon as the Chinese censors would not allow this to stand. It still makes for some awkwardness as their attraction builds. The writer might lean more into this just to inject some angst in an otherwise flat drama.

Adding to its woes, I have to confess that I don't ship the leads. Yes, they make a handsome couple but their chemistry is questionable. We know they are the OTP because that is obvious. There is no plan 'B'.

On the other hand, the production value is decent if pedestrian, the OST is serviceable. Most of the support cast are from central casting but they try.

It is watchable and mildly entertaining but it never hooked me. So after 9 eps, I've decided to park it for now. It is not a hard “NO” but more “can't be bothered”. Peace.

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Old book, new cover

This show is based on the odd couple/road trip from hell trope. Variations of this theme has been done in other dramas. However, the first few episodes are engaging, and the fables are interesting enough to hold your interest.

The FL is a taciturn author who claims to be suffering from writer's block and needs to go on a lengthy road trip to get the creative juice flowing again. The ML is a try hard graduate who is desperate to get and keep this job. Of course, they hit is off like a house on fire . . . with them screaming inside.

The FL certainly didn't make the ML's life easy but at least she did produce the odd fable for our entertainment. There is no doubt who is the OTP.

With only a dozen or so hours to fill, you would think that the story would be very tight, and it was in the beginning. The first couple of fables were suspenseful and intense but the rest of the show becomes more and more languid. The pacing is inconsistent, especially in the later eps.

It is the second half of the series that fails to fire on all cylinders. Once we are firmly back in the ‘here and now’, the series runs through several subplots. They are cliché ones delivered in workmanlike fashion.

The inclusion of the real-life antagonist feels awkward. The show tries to transplant the darkness from the fables into the real world. It could have been very immersive and confronting but it didn’t quite hit the mark. The antagonist is a sicko but oh so one dimensional. You see what he has done and what he is planning to do, but you don't feel the dread. The fact that the FL literally put herself in harm’s way is unhelpful. The whole proceeding feels staged.

This also takes the wind out of the leads budding romance. It is in the background, but the other subplots subsumed its importance. The show made it work in the end, but it is not as swoonworthy as I'd have liked.

With a short run time, the show is watchable. I'm willing to forgive some trespasses, but the original premise has more potential. It is a shame that the drama falls back to time honoured tropes too soon. It is good enough, but nobody talks about runner ups.

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Maybe I need a session with Poong after watching this

Oh, woe is me. Part of my brain that is shipping the OTP and cheering on the gang of Gyesoo Clinic is swooning over the fan service. The ordinary viewer part is saying "meh" (with a Gallic shrug). The cynical reviewer in me is facepalming and asking, "why was this made?".

Let’s take a step back, Poong 2 is watchable and more enjoyable if you are a fan of S1 but at the same time a fan might feel cheated as well. Why is that so? I'm not sure I have a simple answer but let's have a look-see.

As I recall, S1 was cut to 12 episodes. The story progression slowed down towards the end and the development of the love line was arrested, possibly in view of the upcoming S2. After watching S2, my conclusion is that it is not up to the standard of S1. At best, it is a dubious sequel. At worse, a cynical exercise to milk the popularity of Poong 1.

Please let me explain. In Poong 2, the bulk of the side plots are superfluous to the main OTP plot. They padded out the runtime but contributed little. The ghost of Jo Tae-hak was largely a storm in a teacup which ends abruptly. The royal inspector plot was just a power trip of a vindictive and twisted man. The Princess subplot is probably the pick of the bunch, and it is cute in the end but even so, it is largely about an entitled person lording over others (many doors were harmed in making of this show). The plot involving the new governor Ahn is just bad. The man is a blundering fool with a sadist streak and too much power for his beeches. He is a horrible human being, period.

That is lazy writing in my book. Want more angst? Just add an antagonist who love to abuse their powers for little gain other than to make our protagonists’ life difficult. Not once, not twice but three painful times! After each round of maltreatment, the clinic just regroups and carries on. It is a zero-sum game.

Furthermore, the medical practice side seems to have been further simplified to a few cure-all acupuncture points and a bunch of extras milling around the clinic. The so called psychiatry side is very vague, more fanciful than realistic. It is dramatised to be sure but it also makes the palace intrigue and power trip storylines even more egregious.

To be fair, I do like how each member of the found family is given their moments in the sun. However, that can be integrated into S1 if they choose to. If we look at both seasons combined, I'd have to say that they padded it out to 22 episodes with filler subplots. If they had made Poong 1 tighter and have a normal 16 episodes run (instead of the 12 we got), we won’t need a S2. The decent S2 contents can easily fit inside 4 episodes including all the key developments in S2/E10. There is even room for extra skinship. ;)

BTW, airdropping Woo Do-hwan into the show to plug his upcoming Joseon Lawyer drama is either cute or cringey. Take your pick.

Acting from the regular cast is good as expected. The ML carries the show with able supports. I'd still question the chemistry between the leads though. They are cute together but not exactly pulse raising. The new support cast is mostly par for the course. I'd say the last episode is the only one worth a rewatch.

Like I said in the beginning, part of me wants to give this a higher score but the rational side realises that to do so would be sending the wrong signal. Peace out.

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A good romance drama tripped up by its own tail

Putting aside the supernatural aspect of the meet-cute of this drama, the core premise of the office romance plot is tropey but nicely executed. The “abilities” of the leads are icing on the cake. The leads are well matched to their roles. Their visuals, acting and chemistry are very good. The romance is cute and passionate in equal parts and comes with nice amount of skinship.

Let's be honest, the business and SF/ML subplot is meh. If they have focused completely on our OTP, it would have been even better. Alas, just when the show hits its stride and delivered us unto swoon heaven, the writer-nim went rouge.

It is true that the show always has a darker side, it won't be a k-drama otherwise. ;) It was hinted at many times and some traumatic event in the past was the likely trigger for their special abilities. For the longest time, it was low level stuff with just a hint of danger which is used to draw our CP closer together and move the plot along. Then it got dark, so very dark.

The Show decided that the only way to give closure to our CP is to retell their initial meeting and fateful parting 23 years ago. It is not unexpected, but it took a long time and a good part of that was already known or postulated. What is more problematic is that this segment contained more plot holes than the whole show up to that point. There is a fair bit of inconsistency judging from what was shown before and shown later. Even some dialogues between the actors are contradictory. I could have listed a page of them but I want to keep this relatively spoiler free. ;)

Adding to the problem is the way the Show portrayed the police. Their incompetence reached new heights in this show. It was baffling how the antagonist wasn’t caught in the first place and then managed to “hide” in plain sight for years. Again and again, the police are spoon fed relevant information but did very little which compounded the muddled narrative of the antagonist.

While the long recap is problematic, it was not the final nail. That honour goes to the last 20 minutes of the show. Did the production team review the script at all? It was a metaphoric train wreak that came out of nowhere. After we sat through the (literally) dark and gloomy recap and thought that we are back on track for some sweet CP moments, the Show went hyper! Yes, it was sort of funny for a moment but then it just escalated and escalated until I started to wince. So much bickering and shouting and for what?.

We also have closures of two side romantic subplots in the dying minutes. These were literally parachuted in with no warning or fanfare. Both romances were pushed aside by the evil plot and their conclusions felt contrived and rushed.

In the end, the show would have been better if it sticks to its core romance theme. Even though most of the subplots are weak and the support casts underutilised, they are harmless. Having said that, the Love Passionately for 7 days subplot is cute even though it did reminded me of Lovestruck in the City. ;)

The messy tail end was self inflicted and took a lot of the shine off a good romance. It is a real shame as the leads are well matched and the Show was on course for a satisfying finish. It is even more poignant when I recently read an interview of the ML where he said that he was so happy to be offered this script as he doesn’t have many opportunities to play a romantic lead at his age. Ouch!

OST is good and I’d have no problem re-watching the lead’s courting and romantic scene. Where is that YT cut?

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A creditable second season but have some issues

Let's get the caveat out of the way first. You really need to watch season 1 before you watch this. The show starts right after where the last season ended. There is a very quick recap but it doesn't cover any of the backstories so if you don't know the story already, it just won't make sense. Maybe you can pick it up as you go but it will be fairly bewildering for a while. Furthermore, it will be impossible to do a proper review of this season without references to season 1 so spoiler alert.
Firstly, hats off to the writer and director for attempting to do this series. It is not totally unique but certainly a new approach for a c-drama. As mentioned before, this show picked up where the last season left off. All the key characters are present but only one remembered what happened beforehand and the show recreated the story of the OTP's love story from a different angle and with different dynamics in play. On the whole it worked.
The basic framework is the same but they managed to spin new yarns that tied the two seasons together. While in S1, they went high fantasy to try to explain the plot, S2 only made passing reference of the spirit realm. Maybe they realised it was too much of a Pandora's box. This is a double edged sword as it removed the idea of a Supreme Evil Puppet Master. So much so that you felt that there is an imbalance between the fantastical act of transplanting two souls into ancient times yet the evil schemes are firmly based on simple human desire of revenge and power. Even though the villain from S1 was super campy, at least it fit in with the overarching fantasy plot and gave it raison d'etre.
The chemistry between the OTP was as strong as ever. To capitalise on this, the CP was almost always the focal point but this sucked the air out of the secondary characters. S1 was more balanced because the support roles were given more love and they provided some cohesion. They were still there in S2 but most of them are shadows of their former selves. There is a 2OTP but I found their relationship not very convincing.
As in S1, the pacing was good for the most part but it fell off in the last third of the show, similarly, S2 felt like they ran out of steam towards the end, it became tropey and predictable. 30 episodes is probably a stretch.
Production value is decent. OST is on par with S1. Mostly easy listening tunes.

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