Zogitt

Sageuk wears Prada™

There is a certain fascination about whether the Joseon Dynasty can survive into the 21st century. Variations of this theme pop up from time to time in the k-dramaverse.

Right from the start, this series goes all in. This alternative universe's Korea is a mishmash of Joseon tradition mingled with modernity. Some elements are straight out of historical series while others belong to contemporary idol dramas. This show doesn't so much as massage history but gave it whiplash!

Not only do you need to get your head around a constitutional monarchy with all the pomp and ceremonies dating back hundreds of years, but also a big dollop of classic palace intrigue, dynastic succession and the future of the monarchy itself. But wait, there is more! How about chaebol family powerplay and a love triangle. They are all played out under the severe gaze of modern social media. Mercy!

I would normally take a raincheck (aka run away screaming) upon reading that last paragraph, but this production has an ace up its sleeve. In fact, a pair of them.

Our leads are two of the hottest k-drama stars today. This is a dream pairing by all account. Just the hype surrounding them would be enough to guarantee traffic. Alas, all is not well in the modern Kingdom of Korea.

As I mentioned earlier, this drama is busy. There are so much going on. The show did well to cover the basics, but it can feel rushed and superficial. This is a trade-off of a 12 eps run. I would have expected 16 eps to maximise commercial returns and that would give the story a bit more breathing space.

Don't get me wrong, the series is complete. The show provided us with the required resolutions and redemptions, but they are just that. What we see is what we get. There are times when I thought the script could go deeper, but it already changed tack. The storylines are broad and many, but most are skin deep.

Of course, this doesn't mean it is a bad show. As an idol drama, it ticked all the boxes. There are intrigues, conflicts, romance and fan service. Whether you buy into the alternate timeline is a personal choice. For me, it is a mixed bag. When it is firing, it is something to behold and then it would leave me frustrated with some half baked subplot. One such example is the evolution of the Prime Minister. I wasn't surprised by the development, but it was hardly sophisticated writing.

It helps if we recalibrate our expectations. Any fans of our leads will rejoice. Their scenes are designed to make us swoon. The couture dresses, the lavish sets, the handsome close-ups and romantic interludes. They have been curated with consummate skill. For some, this is golden. Caveat emptor, chingu.

There is no doubt this is a top tier production and an easy watch. The star power alone guarantees commercial success. That is assuming the series does not stray off the beaten path. That won't be allowed to happen and that is its Achilles heel.

In the end, It delivered what the fans wanted. I doubt it will win a Baeksang, but that's not the point, is it? Peace.

P.S. Note to Korean Government. Install top-notch fire suppression systems in your historical palaces. Fool me twice . .

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It captured the meh

As with many sageuk dramas, the setting, pageantry and historical references hook us in. The plot and characters sustain it. Unfortunately, this series is patchy in the last two and its quality suffers.

The first few episodes are nicely done. The idea of the FL being a baduk master is novel, but it has its own narrative issues. Regardless, it set up the meet-cute of the OTP. We are left with no doubt that the romance of our leads is the corner stone of this drama. This is problem #1.

As with many Korean court dramas, the FL ended up having to cross-dress just to get access to the ML. The FL is just not convincing as a man. It also hamstrings her performance. There are moments of animation but it mostly feels wooden.

Unsurprisingly, the main theme is standard issue palace intrigue. There are the odd twists, but they are mere ripples in a mill pond. All the classic courtly characters are there. Both good and evil. The veteran actors turn in solid performances but this is bread and butter for them.

The run-of-the-mill political shenanigans is problem #2. We run through several backstabbing plots as expected. Each time we arrive at a flashpoint we’d get our hopes up. Is this the turning point? Will we see some major realignment? Alas, after each bump, the show would settle back to a long period of doldrum.

Other than the romance and political maneuvers, we must contend with a simmering revenge plot. Unfortunately, this has issues as well. So much time and energy have been devoted to this but at the 11th hour, the protagonist found out that it is all a misunderstanding. We knew this all along so . . . Doh.

Obviously, the evil characters are going to get their comeuppance. However, just like the muddled revenge plots, the righting of such wrongs took its sweet time. Everyone knows who they are but other than much gnashing of teeth, not a great deal happens and then everything happened. By then, I'm past caring.

As I mentioned before, romance of the leads is key. However, their chemistry is questionable. Their skinship mostly leaves me cold. Their first kiss is good but I challenge anyone to feel excited after watching their last kiss in the finale. Go on, watch it and tell me I'm wrong. I double dare you!

Thankfully, the acting of the ML steadied the ship. He was 10 times more animated than the FL and his acting is next level. However, he can't compensate for every shortcomings of this drama.

In the end, the series is watchable but there is nothing new. There are the odd highlights. The ending is a bit ponderous. You’d think an HEA ending is a given. Not so fast, chingu. It is as if the writer is having a bet each way. I have no idea why you'd do that at this late stage. It does reflect on the drama as a whole.

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The plot has lost the plot

I'm torn about this drama. On the one hand, it has an engaging story, and the FL is a revelation for me. However, the show is a mess.

It is not as if there is no through-line. This is more like a tram network and I'm constantly thinking, did I miss something? Are we still in Kansas . . I mean Seoul.

I have a laundry list of such observations. I won't bore you with them all. A few are doing my head in.

For instance, the Joseon part of the show is quite inconsistent. Most of the time, the FL appears as a young (late teen?) court lady aka maid. Yet in other scenes, she was referred to as a high-ranking concubine and also the Queen. I know forbidden love is plot du jour for many sageuk dramas, but one thing we all learn is a lowly uneducated maid don't get elevated to Queenship without exceptional circumstances. In this case, I saw none.

Ditto, the soul swapped FL. She does have this haughty quality, and I love her archaic ways. She knows a lot about the Joseon court, and she is supposed to know Chinese medicine as well. Once again, this is not in the job description of a lowly maid. In the present, she is clever and SUPER adaptable. She can use a mobile phone and other mod cons within days of crash landing in the middle of a film set. There is a disconnect between the court lady FL and the one arriving in modern day Seoul. 🤔

Ditto, several characters are used as plot devices. Such as the shaman lady which is just air dropped into the plot to give the writer-nim a convenient out. There is no backstory. Is she a demi-god?

My biggest issue is with the soul of the modern FL. She is meant to be a c-grade actress playing insignificant roles on drama sets. She was a famous child star once, but a family tragedy torpedoed her promising career. The show did give us a bit of her backstory, but it is hyper fixated on one event. Then nothing. Why is this woman the chosen one.

To this day, I'm still not sure what happened to her soul. Did it get wiped? Does she get transported to Joseon? Does the FL have two sets of memories and two personalities now?

It feels sloppy to me. I enjoyed this show when it is firing. Not so much when it's trying to sell me a Schrödinger's cat.

This brings me back to my original point. I love the FL's acting. She steals many scenes and her antics is the engine room of this show. The ML did fine. His role is a bit uneven as he flips between the past and the present. He is suitably stoic and handsome.

They certainly have chemistry and the skinship felt nice and natural. Especially towards the end when they were quite playful with each other. This is a nice change from the one-and-done staged kiss with fireworks.

The rest of the cast are mostly familiar faces. Most of their roles are straight out of central casting. They fulfilled their contractual obligations.

Then the ending happened. Ye gods, they must have exhausted their budget on rainbow effect and unicorn hire. It is sweetness overload and should come with health warning.

Our leads certainly deserved their HEA ending. My problem is how it is delivered. We are treated to a parade of scenes where people either receive their brickbat or bouquet. There is little preamble or character development.

Oh, there is one final sting in that tail. The FL visits the antagonist in jail and did the typical farewell speech. She then told him he could have broken the cycle of suffering that trapped the three of them. The problem is the antagonist has no memory of his past life so he is just being a ruthless heir-in-waiting. He would have to be a nice guy right from the start. Why would he do that?

If I'm honest, I'm not sure what she is talking about either. I don't remember any 300yo curse. Our writer-nim loves to state the bleeding obvious. That's fine on a neat and tidy storyboard. Much more complicated when RL intrudes. I'm constantly being pull out of my immersion. It is a curse.

In the end, I must temper my expectations. It went from a refreshing and swoon worthy romance to an messy guilty pleasure.

Even now, half of me wants to bottle our leads happiness and sell them online. The other half is hugging my therapy teddy while rocking back and fore mumbling "Ask no questions. Ask no . .". Inner Peace.

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It could have been great . . seriously

If I'm being honest, the first few eps are good. It holds your interest as you wonder how will this pan out. The exaggerated plot suggested a wild ride. It all feels a little surreal.

We finally take a breather when the FL escapes to the titular kindergarten. The early scenes gave me "Kindergarten Cop" vibe. That would be delicious if they pull it off.

Oh woe is me! I'm actually lost for words to describe the next few episodes. It is a mess. So many plot holes. It is bordering on nonsensical.

For instance, the FL flees to the countryside for anonymity. Yet she was identified by multiple people and hunted down by thugs and assassins in short order. Korea is not a big country but it is not that small either. She might as well stay in Seoul! Instead of going into hiding again, she stays put after a little heart-to-heart from the ML. Really?

Rather than silencing the people who recognised her, she takes them into her home so that they can spy on her in comfort. This includes her horrible mother. Why? It makes no sense. The FL is supposed to be resourceful and clever yet almost everything she did is counterintuitive. Oh! Did I mention she has a loaded gun and a million won just sitting in her suitcase. Really?

On top of that, she would give chase when given the slightest provocation. She'd confront her assailants single handedly time and again. I wish she is amazing at Taekwondo, but she always comes out second best. The ML has to rescue her repeatedly. How convenient.

The ML is a nice guy, handsome but a drip. They have little chemistry. There, I said it! They are the OTP by default.

We must now address the worst aspect of this show. The characters are poorly written. Most have the depth of a puddle. Some are quirky, but just when you think it might get interesting . . it doesn't. This is a recurring theme.

The classic example is the 2CP. The 2ML is supposed to be possessed by the ghost of a general. Sounds like fun, right? It went nowhere. The 2FL is cutesy and a little needy. Maybe she has some hidden agenda? Nope, she is just cutesy and a little needy. Did I mention their love story is inconsequential. Ouch!

There are many subplots and we can see glimmers of possibilities, but they meander for a bit and go no where. Maybe her inexperience is showing.

The antagonist do have their moments. When the female antagonist is in her full psycho mode, she is one scary b*tch! Her brother has two speeds. Angry and REALLY angry. They are not subtle. We are meant to detest them. They feel like caricatures at times.

The housekeeper and chauffeur are a matching set. They are there for comedic relief. Mostly harmless. On the other hand, the in-house lawyer is a gem. He might be a support character, but he stole many scenes.

The chairman is a highlight. He is the ultimate puppet master. There is a big twist concerning him towards the end. It was meant to be the gotcha moment, but all the clues are there if you bother to look. Some of the nonsense finally make sense. I have so many questions, but few answers. I can see they made a stylistic choice, but have to swept a lot of the details under the rug. You really have to switch off your frontal lobe at this point.

Moment to moment, this drama showed us glimpses of what is possible. Yet, viewed as a whole, it is all smoke and mirrors. I was pining for an edgy, noir thriller or maybe a high octane romp, it is neither. So much potential . . . One time watch. Peace.

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Apex haken vs office lambs

I'm going to start at the end. ;)

The one thing that strikes me is how timeless this show is. Other than the abundance of clam shell phones and slightly outdated PC's, you will be hard pressed to carbon date this drama. It is mind-boggling to think the Japanese workplace probably hasn’t changed much in close to 20 years!

With that out of the way, let's go back to the nuts and bolts. This show is a 100% Shinohara Ryoko starrer. She is literally all dancing and all typing. She portraits an eccentric S class haken. She is utterly professional, abrasive and unyielding in her ways. You can say that she is a pioneer of work-life balance before the topic is even whispered around a Japanese water cooler.

She is highly valued by employers in the know. Any full-time employees who try to belittle her will be licking their wounds in no time. While you can say her portrayal is one-note, you do sense her inner conflicts some times when she knew her actions are hurting people she is growing fond of. Think of it as a kind of tough love. Her numerous qualifications are a little over the top, but you roll with it as a kind of series-long gag.

As I mentioned before, the office setting is timeless. Being a temp is a tough gig. Our FL does not take it for granted, but she also knows her worth and will not take any crap from her co-workers. Least of all, misogynistic power trippers.

As expected, her presence stirred up a lot of tension between the full-time employees and temps. Even between the hakens there are cliques. Some of the plots are centred around cliché powerplay and group dynamics.

We are drip fed the FL's backstory as the story progresses. Bit by bit, we work out why she is so driven. To be fair, the FL hardly changed during the entire run. Nevertheless, her new co-workers are chipping away at her steely resolve. It is just not enough to alter the status quo before her contract expires.

In that sense, it is the growth of her co-workers that is the core of this show. From the meek supervisor who found his mojo, the yes-man career climber who found his backbone and the green haken who found her calling. There are many subplots that are relatable and endearing. There is even a hint of opposite attracts romance.

I was sure they will leave the ending ambiguous, yet they pulled a rabbit out of the hat to give us a possible path to a sequel. Surprisingly, one was made in 2020, but I have yet to track it down (side note, there is also a k-drama remake). Does this mean the romance of this prickly pair might blossom? ;)

One final thought. The projects tackled by her team feels plausible and realistic. This is a stark contrast to the nebulous business deals c-dramas love to use as fillers.

In the end, it is a solid j-drama. I enjoyed it. When you consider I binged it in two days, it can't be that bad. I doubt I'd rewatch it, but you can do worse if you are between S tier productions.

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J-pop Rulez!

It was a challenge to write this review. Not because it is meh. Quite the contrary, when it is good, it is amazing! However, in the cold lights of a post-concert low, you do notice issues. In that sense, it is . . uneven.

Firstly, the acting of our ML! While he is always good and dependable in his dramas, he is next level in this. He is the heart and soul of this series. Period. ;)

This is also where the phrase double edged sword takes on some significance.

With such a strong ML, there is little room for the other actors to showcase their acting chops. Not that they did a bad job. Each have their moments in the sun (or rain, for that matter). Yet they pale when Takeru-san is shining so brightly. He is also the executive producer. No pressure.

Secondly, the music! Any fans of j-pop, progressive rock and even jazz will rejoice. It is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. It runs the gamut from mega live concert to impromptu recital in a music store. While the actors are not professional musicians, they trained and practiced really hard for their roles and it shows. Add a bit of movie magic and voila! Awesome, believable performances. Salut! J-pop deserves a chance to blossom.

However, it does cut both ways. If you are not into the music, then this show will be opaque to you. You can still watch it as a fan of the star, but it will be a challenge to enjoy it to the fullest.

Thirdly, the script! Oh, what a glorious mess! There is an overarching plot of sorts. It mostly makes sense. It also reserves the right to do whatever it wants to move the plot along and take detours. There are the prerequisite angst, a dollop of romance and low-key family feud. In that regard, it has a hint of a mockumentary. It is a journey, for sure. There is much healing and growth in the characters. Just don't ask too many questions. The lows will come. Enjoy the highs while you can. ;)

Fourthly, the characters! This is a Pandora's box. Some characters have depth you can drown in, yet others are nothing more than one dimensional archetype. I don't want to pull each character apart because I'm not writing a doctoral thesis. ;) Every character is flawed. Some do feel a bit self-serving though.

My one real gripe is the nasty producer. He is portrayed as a megalomaniac star maker. You can almost imagine him waking up each morning chanting "if I can't control you, I'll destroy you!!!". Consider the industry they are in, and horror stories of exploitations. It feels oddly sanitized.

Lastly, the production! Wow! Just wow! Sure, there are some rough edges but where it counts, this show delivers! The direction, cinematography and staging should be studied in relevant courses. Performing on a moving boat is a challenge at the best of time, but on a wine dark sea?

The final concert is chef kiss! They have 5000 jumping and screaming extras! Even if all of them are volunteers, the logistics is still mind blowing. This is on top of sundry location and studio shots, both of performances as well as "regular" dramatic scenes. Many behind-the-scenes staff needs to take a bow. Bravo!

To be honest, I'm still a little giddy from watching the finale last night. I know the show is not perfect. Every time I try to recall some mental note I made on an issue, my mind is swamped by an earworm tune, and the afterglow of their performance.

Not to worry. I would be nitpicking anyway and we can’t have that! ;)

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The tail wagged beautifully

I don't have a lot to say about this j-drama. Production value is decent. Acting is above average. The initial meet-cute is interesting enough to draw you in. The FL is the star of the show. Her acting is on point and anchors the series.

The A-plot is a noona romance set in a large company, so far so storyline du jour. There is the usual push-pull and confused feelings as our leads navigate a fake relationship that got real, fast. Their chemistry is good, and there is a decent amount of skinship.

However, the show lost some of the early momentum once they confirm their feelings and day-to-day work life reality starts to dim the initial glow. While their love is real, they mostly operate under misapprehension. It was a precarious situation.

For a period, the favourite reply of our FL is “what?”. No matter what the ML does, he seems to confuse and distress his dearest noona. It is further complicated by the intervention of his long-lost birth mother who is hellbent on reshaping his future under her control. While she is not evil in the classical sense, she certainly does more harm than good.

Thankfully, the last episode clears up all the misunderstandings and ties up the loose ends. While this type of 11th hour resolution is common, the writing in this case is heartfelt and effective. Rarely have I felt this satisfied after finishing a drama. Bravo!

On balance, I think this series exceeded my expectations. It is not perfect, and the late show drag is real, but some clever writing brought home the bacon. It is a solid production worthy of your consideration.

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Let’s play a game of Whack-A-Trope!

I started watching this show when it was first released. It looks alright. I got past the half way mark before I was blocked by the VVIP pay wall. I ended up watching other shows and shelved it until now. I thought I'd finish it, but to my surprise, it was quite a struggle.

After giving it some thought, this is my conclusion. While the first dozen or so eps were decent if samey to many other contemporary c-dramas at least there was enough energy to push the story along. It is obvious that the show is a grab bag of tropes from the get-go.

However, once the plot is on rail and the OTP are official, all the momentum are gone. What is left are very tropey plots and cliché gags to try to keep things moving until the bitter end.

This is not helped by poor character development. The ML is obviously the typical cold, low EQ boss and the FL is the damsel in waiting. Rather than allowing both characters to grow (up), the writer paints the ML into a corner.

The ML is now a lovesick puppy who run through all the typical dating fails. For example, he can't cook but tried his best to cook a meal for her. It was cute the first time. Not cute by the 6th time! He is constantly asking for relationship advice but totally misses the point.

This is a man who is supposed to be an intellectual giant, a peerless lawyer. He behaves like a lovesick high schooler EVERYDAY. Yes, he is a noob to love but flogging the same horse for 30 eps, is exhausting and makes him looks like a fool.

On the other hand, the FL is supposed to grow into a lawyer that is a fitting partner for the ML. I'm sure it was written in bold and probably underlined in red by the writer but what the show delivered is largely the same meek character from start to finish.

The ML is overbearing and too protective. It got so bad that the FL took a break from their relationship. Bravo GF! Finally, a bit of gumption. There was a breakthrough of sort around ep.35. It was so contrived. It went from confrontation to reconciliation in a heartbeat. After all the flowery speech about giving her space, respect and undying love, the ML just went back to being a green-eyed monster in the next scene. He just seems to be stuck in a loop alternatively trying to please her and annoy her.

This type of repetition is everywhere. A kiss being interrupted by a phone call is a tired tropey nowadays but in this show, I ran out of fingers trying to count the number of times skinship is derailed.

Oh yes, speaking of skinship, there are some, but they are mechanical and lack passion. It pretty much mirrors their chemistry. It is there and they whisper sweet nothing to each other on cue, but it is not very convincing. This is further tested when the show introduces a SFL who scored the worst own goal. Least said, the better. You want to see chemistry, watch the first few eps of Amidst A Snowstorm. You won’t regret it.

But wait, there is more! How about the tone deaf, bootlicking junior lawyer? Someone needs to have a good chat with him. Preferably in a soundproof padded cell.

However, the grand prize goes to the antagonist, He is given so much prominence. When you consider he is supposed to be the twice winner of the Golden Scale Award yet at every turn he is proven to be a C grade lawyer but an A grade douche bag, it is sending some weird message about the Chinese legal fraternity. His denouement didn’t happen until the dying minutes of ep.36. It was long time coming but it was unrewarding. He is not punished in any tangible way. His parting words are, “this isn’t over!”. Yay.

At this point, I must call out the handful of legal cases the drama presented to us. They range from meh to facepalm. I don’t know the Chinese legal system, but I don’t think the writer does either. Time and again, the cases are supposed to showcase the ability of the leads, but they are so contrived, it is like reading a murder mystery backwards. Scenes in the courtroom are perfunctory.

Of course, the HEA ending arrived on cue. It is fine. The last ep is total fan service, it is FINE. The 5 minutes long epilogue is the bomb!

I could have just labelled this a fluffy rom-com and move on. But somehow, this show irritates me. Maybe it is the ham-fisted use of tropes, the shallow witless plots or cliché moments stuck on repeat. Regardless, I had more fun writing this review than watching the show. That's a win, isn't it?

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This show needs a scripting coach. Not a dating coach

What impressed me about this show is not the plot, which feels tropey and bloated, but the acting of our leads, especially our FL.

Allow me to explain. I knew the FL has great visuals especially her eyes. They are so expressive. She certainly looks glam from her first scenes, but her role soon required her to pull all her carefully curated facade down. We are talking total demolition. So much ugly crying, drunken antics, and serious faux pas. This is not unheard of in k-dramas where excessive drinking seems to be a national sport but most rom-coms would not take things too far and will let the leads down gently before buoying them up with a new lease on life and love. It is rare for a show to drop their FL in a pit of despair like this. So, hats off to Yoo In-na for her dedication to her craft.

Now, the plot was running reasonably well up to the halfway mark and you'd think that we are on course for an easy jog to the finish line. Unfortunately, we are hit by a relationship tsunami;
a) Both leads have had a nasty breakup, and both are hurting. Their growing feelings for each other is helping them to heal but their burgeoning romance begins to founder after their first passionate kiss. Add a couple of clingy ex's and it is a party. Hey, maybe we should start a drinking game. We take a shot after each cliche plot device. (Shot #1/2/3)
b) The marriage of the 2CP (FL's BFF) threatens total meltdown. It is also the usual growing apart/you changed trope (shot #4). I’m not saying that it can’t happen in RL, but it feels scripted and the resolution swings their relationship in the completely opposite direction without much preamble. It does make you wonder if it is sustainable.
c) The 3CP failed to launch when the older boss rejects the young pretty part-timer. It is the classic ahjussi-sonyeo setup (shot #5). The boss was burnt by a messy divorce, so he pushed back hard initially. This is not helped by a lack of chemistry between those two. Does the 3ML loves the 3FL at all or his took the path of least resistance once his male ego was suitably stroked. I see troubles ahead.
d) The 4CP's (FL's sister) romance is a textbook "love at first sight" trope. (shot #6) It is cute and sweet enough but it gets complicated real fast. Which resulted in another tropey situation. (shot #9? I'm too drunk to count)

When you consider there are only 14 eps rather than the usual 16, we have a petri dish of woes. This creates a lot of interference and left little room for our OTP.

This is a serious issue as it is the chemistry and connection of the OTP that captivated us in the first place but then it hits a wall while the ML tries to overcome a speech impediment anytime he needs to confess. All the while, the FL is suffering from terminal frustration. The extra 3 CP's and sundry ex's are fillers and they take the wind out of the OTP’s sails. Who’s show is this anyway?

By now, I'm hanging on with grim determination. There is no reason for the show to go dark on us and commit hara-kiri but there are moments of self-doubt. It is with a collective sigh of relief that the final episode delivered a sugar overdose. It is pretty much pure fan service. Not that I’m complaining but it really highlighted how the show took some serious detours before arriving at the designated spot. Honestly, I can pinpoint scenes where the ML could have said the magic words to the FL and we are home and hosed.

Acting wise, the FL is the star of the show, but the ML is very charismatic. His chemistry with the FL is undeniable. I loved his ability to portrait his inner thoughts, but I hated that aspect as well because his indecision has a major impact on the flow of the plot. However, this is a script problem.

Speaking of acting, the support cast is ok but most of the roles are tropey and one dimensional. For a shortened run, there are too many side plots/characters. It is hard for us to sort the wheat from the chaff. This is where the show lost points with me. Focus! Writer-nim focus!

In hindsight, I can see why the show wants to push the idea of loving someone for their real/imperfect self, rather than someone who is roleplaying the perfect partner. It is particularly true in this age of unrealistic expectations created by overheated social media. However, is that message consistent across all our CP's? I'm not so sure.

The show is entertaining, and I enjoyed watching our leads falling in love and healing each other. There are some skinship and a decent amount of swoon worthy moments. The rest is a bit of a crapshoot, and your mileage will differ. I do think that a better script with more clarity, fewer side plots and a smaller cast can take this show to the next level. Peace out.

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Bite size rom-com worthy of a binge

There is not a lot to be said about this drama. It is only 4 episodes long but to be fair, it is better than some shows of similar length which tries to jam too much into too short a runtime or too introspective resulting in much ado about nothing. It actually feels like a regular drama that has been parred back to the fundamentals. Obviously, there is not a lot of time to expand on some of the plots, but the core values are there. It managed to cover quite a range of topics that is relevant to the main plot.

Speaking of the main plot, it is all about the love line between the leads. It is sweet and swoon worthy for the most part. There is not a lot of skinship but there is enough towards the end to be counted as fan service.

Acting is good in general. The child actors are cute without being cloying. Their plots are just short of tear-jerking which is a nice balancing act. The FL is very much in her element and she delivered a solid performance. On the other hand, it is nice to see the ML in a lead role. He has been largely type casted in support roles and more often than not, a SML of dubious character. It was interesting that his role here is so loving and caring. It is almost as if his management company deliberately engineered this role so that he can showcase his potentials as a romantic lead without having to first leap into a breakout role like a psycho killer. The clock is ticking when it comes a romantic role even for a male actor. ;)

Overall, it is an easy watch that ticked all the boxes. The short time investment makes binging/re-watching this show perfect for a rainy weekend.

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Mayday! Mayday! Contrary ending approaching

Shows focused on the Chinese armed forces and official emergency services are drama staples. I'm not aware that there are private rescue services in China, so I was intrigued by the promise of this show.

The Show starts well. It is an ensemble cast with many fast-paced plots to keep our interest. Some disaster scenes are gut retching and a challenge to watch but I must commend the production for not sugar coating the tougher storylines.
The usual introductions and meet-cutes showcased a range of interesting and offbeat characters. Even in the midst of all the death and destructions we still managed to find 3 CP's.

The OTP formed by the leads is obviously front and centre. The 2OTP based on the ML's sister is sweet and has a lot of depth. The third pairing focused on DingDing is the weakest of the three.

No surprises that rescues are the backbone of this Show. It provides a lot of the glue between the various subplots. It is also the ready source of action, challenges and angst. This is where I have some issues. I agree that this is a drama first and foremost so we can't expect everything to be 100% realistic, but some of the actions are overly dramatized. I shall give it a hall pass for now, but it does test the limits of credulity at times. I have more to say about this in regard to the ending later.
Another point of contention is the contrived demonising of the ML from the start so that we can watch him grow and change over time. It is nothing new but it can be heavy handed at times.

The Show as a whole is decent. Plot moves along at pace and the romances can be swoon worthy. The writer has this habit of feeding us red herrings to ramp up the angst but show us it is all a misunderstanding soon after and all is well. It works but it gets old after a while. This makes it all the more baffling why the death of the ML’s parents sudden becomes an insurmountable problem.

I put that down to the "breakup we have to have" trope. Even though there are several opportunities for them to talk it through, it was left unspoken. We then have the mandatory time skip. My money was on a grand finale rescue of the FL so that they can patch thing up and hug it out.

Bingo! I was right but what we got was not quite the amazing set piece I was hoping for. The Show obviously had the same idea, but it feels like the writer was locked in a padded room and fed nothing but bananas until he delivers THE script. The setting and outline of the plot was great, but the production didn't have the skill nor the resources to delivery it convincingly. What we got is half baked and it gets worse.

There are many narrative issues with this scenario. For example, how did the 2 doctors climbed UP the mountain without a guide yet a group of young men with a guide can’t walk down the same path? Why did they anchor 3 ropes within inches of each other, what does the textbook say? Why are the Light Chasers the only rescue team onsite? From the B-rolls and costumes of the locals, we gather it is somewhere in/near Tibet. They are located that close by? When they arrived, they just wandered up the mountain with minimal planning and equipment. No hall passes for you this time. :(

What happened after the ML is rescued is worse. You’d think a few moments of heart-to-heart talk after the rescue would be de rigueur. What we got is nothing, zip, nada.

The last few scenes of the show is so ambiguous. We were never told what happened to the OTP afterwards. We got hints that they are back together but could also be our wishful thinking. Then we got the rah-rah scene with the new recruits and the longest staring contest between the two leads as they walked towards each other. They stopped an arm's length away and . . . it fades to credits. What?! Why?! It isn't even artsy. Where is the kiss? A hug?

There is no fan service in the last episode. No clear cut resolution, no kiss, no ring. It is not too much to ask after watching 40 episodes to get a little bit of sugar hit. What is the point of shipping the OTP?

Acting is decent and some of the scenes are challenging and very physical. It is a tough gig for the guys. The ML acted well, but he tends to brood unless he is obviously happy. He was deliberately made unlikeable from the beginning. The FL was a wet mop for the longest time, but she gets better later on. The 2FL has a challenging role and she did well.

I can’t rewatch the whole show, but a highlight reel would be ok. OST is very nice.

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Can a drama be too smart for its own good?

Hats off to writers who pick time travelling as the subject and doubly so if it involves a major romantic plot but it is also a trap for the unwary.

Love in Time (2022) definitely took on this task with gusto. The promise is even more complicated because the time traveling is both ways(!) and it covers a short 4 months span. You can imagine all the timey-wimey shenanigans that ensue.
To be fair, the start of the Show is very well done. It hooks the viewers in with some delicious interactions between the leads and a zany plot. It would have been a very solid base for a movie or a shorter drama. However, with 24 episodes to fill, the time traveling threads begin to look like pretzels by the half-way mark.

The Show does use internal rules and logic to try to avoid the “I’m my own grandfather” type of cliché. They quote buzz words like butterfly effect and dropped names like Hawking to suggest some form of credibility. The problem is that they basically trampled all over the poor butterfly by letting the leads from present/future interact and communicate fairly freely and pass information from the future back to the present on a regular basis.

Rather than trying to minimise their temporal footprint, the leads spend most of their efforts in trying to change the future. I can run with that if it is done cleverly and reasonably. Unfortunately, it got more and more convoluted as the story progressed. It got to the point when it is best to ignore cause and effect and assume they are all inconsequential. In one sense, that is quite true because the show is pushing the time elasticity theory. It boils down to if event Z is meant to happen then if the nominal trigger A is altered then trigger B/C/D/etc will be created to ensure Z happens. That’s all well and good but it also means a lot of mid show plots end up achieving little other than proving this point with one exception.

This brings us to the love line of the OTP. It is intense, swoon worthy and has a decent amount of skinship. However, it is a challenge to work through some of the more convoluted plots as mentioned above. At one stage we have an alive and kicking FL, one in a coma and a dead one depending on which scene is shown. Then we have the present/future ML talking to each other on the phone(!). The date is flash up on the screen from time to time but it feels like nothing is anchored anymore. It is all about pushing the main plot forward and giving our OTP quality CP time during their precious 46mins of shared time. Those short and sweet moments are what held the show together.

Finally, there is much chatter online about the “bad” ending. I think the ending is actually decent. It is unrealistic to assume a simple HEA ending after all the temporal mischiefs. The Show needs to untangle all the twisted threads. Honestly, the whole balancing the entropy thing is gibberish. I believe the Show has a mystical wild card up its sleeve from the start. The paper crane is the key. My take is the “universe” is saying “We stuffed up” when the FL was killed and it is trying to fix it. In a sense, it is like Dr Strange doing his future scanning trick but finds only 1 possible timeline with the right outcome. I also find the present-day ML changing subtly over time to become more like the future ML quite plausible. He is him after all but experienced those 4 months from a different perspective. Once the memories melded over time, he naturally realigned his personality.

Acting wise, it is good. I like the persona shift of the ML as he flip between his two realities. The FL did well but she sounds too young from the dubbing. Would her own voice be better? To be honest, the real antagonist is really underwhelming.

Overall, I enjoyed the Show. It can be entertaining and occasionally, thought provoking but more often than not, I find it easier to go with the flow, switch off the frontal lobe and don't try to analyse it. ;)

OST is fine but a total rewatch is unlikely. A highlight reel would be nice.

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A do-over done right

The first few episodes hint at nothing other than a typical office romance with the usual difficult boss (ML) and a suffering female assistant (FL). There is more hate than love and they are very combative. The FL was in a bad place both in her career as well as relationship fronts. Nothing cute nor sweet. Fairly standard stuff so far.

I’m glad that I hang in there until she has the accident and ended up in a coma. When she woke up, she is 18 again and back in law school with all the old classmates including the ML. Henceforth, the tone and feel of the show changed completely. It is now a fun, sweet rom-com and really uplifting. That change surprised me in a good way. Do-overs can get good but often it is just a one trick pony aka the ML wins the FL, again.

To the contrary, it is the FL who took charge of her “new” life and set about righting wrongs and starts to see things from a different perspective. In so doing, she archived a lot of growth, closures and changed the lives of those around her for the better.

Her (do-over) romance with the true ML was so sweet! The ML was the nicest guy and supported her 100% from the start but she misunderstood him in the real past and picked the wrong guy.

Of course, there are angsts and setbacks, but the writer handled them with a deft hand and gave each dark cloud a silver lining. Events are cross-referenced between the two realities. She could influence some key events but not all. Overall, her time in the dream-world is the most engaging and coherent do-over plot I have seen for a long time so kudos to our writer.

After she woke up from the coma, the show is still good, but the shady business subplot started to turn nasty. In fact, how that plotline is concluded is a bit contrived and overly dramatic. The scenes with the luxury cruiser and cars felt tagged on. It is a misstep in an otherwise coherent and well written script.

In terms of acting, there are the odd misfires amongst the big cast but the actors in key roles are all solid. I’m particularly impressed by the FL. She usually plays a bubbly/feisty girl, but it can get samey. She is still in a familiar role, but her acting seems better, more nuanced. There is no doubt that she is the main lead here. I also like the FL’s father. He really embodied a father’s love for his family. The ML did well but played second fiddle for a change. The 2OTP is a cute couple but interestingly, their love line in the dream-world was more organic and relatable than their real-world counterpart.

I started watching this show expecting very little, but I am pleasantly surprised. I’d have score it higher except for a few odd plot issues towards the end. I’ll have no problem re-watching most of it. BTW, don’t miss the epilogue after the final credit. It is sooo sweet! :) Enjoy!

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Superb piece of sci-fi suspense drama but can't sustain the excellence the whole way

The c-dramascape is well populated by crime/thriller/suspense dramas. However, if you throw in a sci-fi spin to the mix then the candidates for top dramas in this genre is somewhat thin on the ground. Maybe it has to do with censorship or culture but the writing in that sub-genre tends to be more muted and less innovative than creators from beyond their border. I’m glad to report that this show stood head and shoulder above the typical competition.

It is not a spoiler to tell you that the story is revolve around our protagonists being “trapped” on a bus that will explode and kill them in a matter of minutes. Each time they die, the sequence resets (hence the title) and they return to the bus. This is all laid out in the opening scenes and reinforced in the first episode. As our leads live through more cycles, they learnt how to work with the time loop and manipulate the events. They have to find out why they are looping and do what they can to stop it.
As this is such a suspenseful drama, I shall try to remain spoiler free. Most of the comments will be intentionally vague.

As you can imagine, with the scenes and scenarios being replayed over and over again, the writer have to find ways to present their predicament from different angles and perspectives. This is where the writer did a very good job for much of the show.
Similarly, the actors are repeating variations of the same plot, but they showed a lot of emotions and dedication. The leads were standouts and kudos to them. There are definitely no squeamish or wimpy characters here.

The production value of the show is quite good. Maybe it is the repetitive nature of some scenes that allowed them to get more bang for their bucks by editing explosions and car chases shot from different angles to generate more “unique” footages. One thing that piqued my interest is the police station. It seemed to be modern and “nice”. I don't know if it is based on a real police station or whether it was embellished.

I appreciate the show expending efforts to fresh out the backstories of some support roles. It made their behaviour more meaningful.

Alas, I wish the show was able to sustain this high standard all the way, but it did begin to falter towards the end. Not so much individual acting and scenes but the consistency of the main plot.

A lot of the issues came from the time loop concept. By the time we find out who the bomber is, the rest of the story is not that hard to deduce. Even so, the repetition still went on when the leads failed to break out of the loop. This gave us a lot of time to contemplate the raison d'être of the main event. It exposes some narrative weakness, and you start to question the goals and motivations of the antagonists. The internal logic still holds, but there are now cracks where there was none before.

The Show also paid a lot of attention to the backstory of the antagonists. It was nicely done and with a delicate touch. However, by then we have already sat through several backstories, we know what will happen and when, we know who did it so there is little intrigue left. This only brought about a distinct change in pacing and tension.

Another issue is why the leads are involved? They were just trapped and then released once they solved the puzzle. These issues would have been less contentious if this was a two hours movie or have fewer episodes.

The ending also did not sit well with some viewers (no spoilers). I can sense the writer was preparing us for a different ending, but it took a detour. Was it because of censorship?

In the end, rating this show is like judging some Olympic sports. You start with a perfect 10 and then you start to deduct little bit here and there as you spot minor imperfections.

OST was fine. Rewatch is difficult as there is no mystery left and the repetitions will test most people's patience.

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A load of twaddle but thankfully it is short

Other than a few cute moments, there is very little about this show that is original or special. The plot is super tropey. Everything is done in a fairly simplistic way. There was a twist towards the end that was necessary to make the plot work and tie up the loose ends but it had marginal emotional impact. That sort of sums up the problem with this show, it tried to deliver the goods but the script and acting were not up to the task.

Speaking of acting, it ranged from passable to bad. The brainy ML is like a block of wood most of the time. He has very little facial expressions and his delivery is weak. He is an idol and certainly has the looks. Maybe this show was created so that his team can test the water with a tentative foray into the acting world. Let's just say, at this point in time, he shouldn't give up his day job. The 2ML (pulled from the manhua) is very annoying. Yes, he was role playing but his character is so unlikeable, it just make you want to cringe every time he shows up. His habit of starting every sentence addressed to a female with "Woman, ...." is so condescending that I wanted to start a new #tag movement to hunt him down. He did tone it down towards the end but for a good 2/3 of the show, he was just a buffoon and not particularly funny.

The female leads fared better but they have very straightforward roles and were straightjacketed by their characters. They did their best but it is hardly breakout roles. Most of the support casts were amateur hour material and one dimensional.
They also played the fish out of water trope for all its worth but this is old hat nowadays with the predisposition of recent c-dramas to drop M/FL from the present into ancient/mythical Chinese settings and vice versa.

Honestly, I am not against this type of short form web dramas but they still need to hang together with a decent script and some acting chop. I have watched other short form dramas where it is done with 3 or 4 actors and a couple of rooms as sets and they were compelling and engaging. This show had bigger ambition, a sizeable cast and probably a decent budget but it just come across as try hard. Shows should not automatically get a get out of jail card free just because of its format.

The short web episode format worked against them in this case as well. In a typical 11-12 minutes run, around 3 minutes is taken up by the intro and outro. What is left just felt jumpy and insubstantial before the end credit rolls again. An edited version of several 30 minutes episodes might work better as it will lets the story flow more organically and sustain a narrative without having to fight with all the stop-start editing.

In the end, there was just enough cuteness and fragile hope for me to stay. It never quite delivered but the ending was as sweet as you'd expect so it was true to form.

One time watch and one time listen. Peace out.

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