sticks fighting in the sticks

What a catastrophe that was. A childish, shameful and pitiful piece of television unfortunately fated to hurt its viewers eyes and ears since it's so very lame, that the word 'lame' itself feels ashamed.
But before starting to better explain why, maybe I should start with the few praises I can come up with regarding this drama since there are ... so very few.
The actors were amazing. And... well, that's about it. They were even more amazing, as you realize as you're watching them closely, that they seem to have the most painful time of their career trying to save this incredible piece of sh*** of a drama.
I honestly think that it's the first time, in my life, that I felt heartbroken for the actors, not because of their acting, or the actual scene they're playing, but because this ungrateful demonstration of their talents could never totally cover up the flaws of this terrible drama and the absolute incompetence (or motivation maybe ?) of whoever came up with the thing. You can almost feel their struggle, probably because of the seemingly absence of a planned direction, which only makes the flaws of the show more obvious.
But truth is - despite what I've said earlier - this show is not lacking work or talent, it's lacking 'intent'.
It's perfectly fine for any show not to follow its source (which is already not that great), since it will usually provides a new story or setting for anyone to appreciate the show. But seriously, how could this become *even worse* than the original story is beyond me. Basically : the show use some major events from the original source, but wrap them up, cutting corners everywhere it shouldn't and making it barely comprehensible, when not almost utterly absurd. Special mention for the (not intended hilarious) transitions from time to time from one scene to another, edited so badly that you can barely undestand what is exactly going on.
Whatever the reason is in the first place, this demonstrates a lack of intent, motivation from the staff that create this drama. Therefore, since the staff don't care, I had no reason to struggle watching this any longer and dropped this after 24 episodes, so far. Please don't tell me it gets better after that. I've heard that complaint before. There is absolutely no way that this drama could suddenly become a masterpiece after 24 very, very, VERY fastidious episodes. And even if it were to become better, the damage is done.
I can't recommand this drama to anyone, unless you're incredibly patient, forgiving and naive. In this specific order.

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Warm inside, cold outside

My Shy Boss is a drama that you could find a bit unexpectedly creative. A bit cliché here and there (especially here :p), but overall this warm, kind and exaggeratedly shy boss (to the point it's an illness with quite serious consequences for his entourage) is a character very well written.
This shows especially in his work, his one true form, which is clearly the point I liked the most in this drama. A bright and creative man that, despite his creativity, get stucked in a position where his illness is interpreted either as incompetence or intransigence... and even cruelty.
But because of it, it's a real pleasure in this drama to discover the true intentions of this 'super male tsundere' : for the viewers, it almost becomes an exercise, a switch in this drama that lean towards the detective genre with a mystery to uncover.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the cue for the drama to also switch pace and rhythm midway : and with this many turnpoints (a melodrama, then an office romance, then a business drama, then finally a romance ?), it becomes a little harder for the viewers to understand and appreciate where the authors want to go. Especially when the romance, as sweet as it can get, never seems to reach a peak. To me, that's the real reason why this drama isn't much more loved : without reaching a culminating point, the viewers can't address their frustrations as the drama develops further without so much at stake.
Now, I still think you should watch this show for the creativity alone found on the first few episodes, and along with the sweet romance, the funny and mischievious support characters, and some melodramatic punchlines that shows every bit of the efforts put into this drama, this is an easy watch providing that you're not expecting too much from it either.
The actors have done their best to ensure you enjoy the ride on a warm feeling, and that could be enough if you're feeling a bit cold inside.

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The game is afoot

What a funny ride, this drama. As a headache-free tv-show, this drama never intends to get uselessly complicated and simply provide a pure entertainment. It's easy to follow yet interesting, as the plot revenge emerges to link the funny cons and tricks to the lovely characters.
And while some villains just can't offer much in the balance against "the good guys", some others are scheming quite the challenge, which offers a good counterpart from the con artists and never gets boring. To me, this drama succeed in making the intentions of every character very clear, but while keeping the tricks used as the mystery element to keep the viewers stuck on the show. Since the show remain simple and accessible, it works quite well even if here and there you end up finding some flaws as the plot favors the main characters a bit too much.
Still, to get the show this enjoyable while avoiding some grandiloquent and over-the-top devices and twists is the sign of a skillfull director and staff, loving what they do and showing it. This is particulary true in this drama, when everyone on screen seems to have fun.
Now, maybe that's exactly what others may find lacking in this drama : a more powerful scenario with more entanglements, pressure or challenges but honestly I'm not that sure, for myself, that I would have loved the show if it was planned as such.
There you have it : a good drama about con artists should be able to con its viewers into thinking that it was at least that good.
I fell for it almost all the way so, you've been warned : you could also get conned into loving this drama.

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Spy on meh

What a mess. A cute and enjoyable mess, but a mess nevertheless. Terius behind me is clearly a comedy, through and through, to the point that there's a chance to laugh even to the more serious aspects of the drama. If you're expecting a spy drama of sorts, I highly suggest you find yourself a safehouse somewhere and hide from this drama alltogether : the focus is elsewhere. As it happens, that's also the enjoyable bit : a sweet comedy, relying on a spy background to provide quirky scenes and situations (still with some action, bland as it was), and misbehaved cute children for some endearing moments.
So here's a spy trade secret to enjoy this drama : don't expect anything from the scenario, overly simplistic. It's merely a pretext to the scenes and situations mentioned previously. It's still enjoyable, but way too weak to entertain even the less experimented detective tv-show fans.
Along with the bland and predictable twists of this script comes the sentiment of unrealistic behaviors the show gives off, quite often. It may not exactly be a serious issue - don't forget, it's almost a comedy - but that still could affect your "immersion" into the show. At times, the unprofessional and idiotic behaviours from the members of an intelligence agency (emphasis on intelligence) could most likely ruined the entire emotion that the scene was supposed to provide.
Eventually, what remains enjoyable in this show is, in a single word, relationships. The interaction between the main leads and their support. From the extravagant but honest housewives information network, a mother and her children, a spy and these children, and eventually everyone that cross their path. The relations between a single man with an extraordinary but lonely life into the ordinary life of a friendly widow.
To that aspect, the performance from both the main actors (equally, despite what others may say) and support was quite good, and maybe even slightly better from the support characters, since an important part of what makes this drama enjoyable, clearly comes from the tenderness, the cuteness of their respective roles.
Since these relationships and the feelings that followed were to me a better and more enjoyable surprise than the investigation scenario itself, I can't exactly spoil the only bits of enjoyment this drama could provide to you, so ...
it's up to you if you care enough to follow Terius, moving behind him and past this review autodestruction in 1 sec.

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Heal me out

'Kill me Heal me' is an awkward drama.
It seems to achieve with quite some success what it was aiming for, but doing so by making every possible mistake in its execution it should have normally avoid.
Some of the mistakes were obvious to a lot of people here : The dissociative disorder, for example, is exaggeratedly inaccurate, romanticized and worse, stupidely demonstrated to the viewers in the first episodes by the most ridiculous and useless visual FX probably ever made, with MS Paint, by a seriously drunk assistant FX artist.
But some are also less obvious : mainly, this drama must own its own world record list of clichés and déjà-vus (the main character supposedly flawless has the biggest flaw of them all, main female lead clueless but kind, the unwavering brother etc etc etc). Honestly, for the viewers to be able to get past the first three episodes tells a lot about their open mind, leniency ... and stubbornness ^^.
But fortunately that's also exactly where the viewers will get a small reward, a reward naturally growing into something a bit more beautiful as the plot reveals itself. Because if you're able to get past the few mistakes and awkward decisions that were made for this drama, at least in its execution, you will be reward by the strong emotions, born from the conflicted characters (and I do mean - all - the characters), born from the conflicted situations and scenes that makes this drama whole. It's an awkward and amazing drama because, in its details, it's foolish, a bit naive even, and again the direction and execution seems almost childish at times and then, in its whole, this drama enters a totally different level. The emotions and feelings are so strong that, in a few milliseconds, you're forgetting all these past mistakes in a heartbeat, almost mesmerized by the main leads as they cling to each other, healing each other (and that's important too, in a way they're also healing the audience itself).
True enough, the dissociative disorder seems at times nothing more than a plot device, a tool to progress the story, but the actions and reactions, the conflicts brought by this illness, seems nothing less than genuine and carefully thought, and in time, describe a beautiful example of a love that transcends it all.
So, take place in your most confortable sofa, relax, and enjoy watching Kill me Heal me. This is highly recommanded by your psy.

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Evil Vermin Is Lurking

The Guest is a very modern drama, with a contemporean feel and modern filming, looking back on old fears and traditions in its scenario. This anachronic setting might somehow take you by surprise here and there, looking at the show in front of you, and ...
... casually looking behind your shoulders from time to time. But no, this drama is not absolutely terrifying : for anyone who had his fair share of horror movies, you're not going to end up midway hagard and sleepless because of the show, but still the old fears are there : an unfamiliar presence in the dark, a will waiting for your awareness...
Which resumes some of the good points of the show : one of the best thing about this drama is its ambiance. The lightly dark and ever present sense of a dread and imminent danger was carefully instilled along all the episodes, keeping the viewers on their toes, but without getting them to run away as far as they can.
To help with that, the acting cast was amazing, and you could honestly almost watch the show for Kim Jae Wook's "Choi Yoon/Matthew" interpretation alone. Not that the others were any less good, really. While his role in this drama stands out a bit, the three main leads, along with the support roles very well-directed were quite impressive.
But with all that ... also comes some flaws to this tv-drama that I can't explain without considering that they had sometimes to sacrifice rational aspects of the background the characters live within in order to push the story further.
Like, for example, leaving the house of a potential victim unguarded - with a very young and sick girl inside at that ! - to run around aimlessly after a suspect. And there's a cop in this lot running around !
This is the kinda thing that can throw you out of the show in a split second, and it's not exactly a rare occurence (while, thankfully, not exactly a common one either).
Obviously it's not exactly sending the show straight to the hell where only the worst k-dramas belongs (with a few authors), but I can't help but think that it was these few mistakes - along with a story stretching out a bit too much - that prevents me to further praise the show, even though I also had a good time watching it.
Still, it's a good drama, with a very good setting and a cast that worked hard to make our knees go soft.
I can only recommend it, and will stop my review right away...
03:00 AM is close.

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Less is more, more or less

Bridal Mask is a great adventure, a great ride with strong feelings along the way. But while others shows usually fails on some aspects because they lack 'something', Bridal Mask is doing the opposite : it's overdoing it.
Don't get me wrong : For the points this drama was striving to make it look right, it was done amazingly right : decors, costumes, characters ? Amazing. Interior scenes ? Exterior scenes ? Excellent filming. So why am I still under the sentiment that Bridal Mask is overestimated here in MDL ? Well, if you remove all the drama "furnitures" and "accessories" around it, only the script remains.
And here lies the annoying flaws, but maybe the only flaws, to the show : an improbable love triangle on trouble times, surrounded by the most incompetent and crude side characters, themselves surrounded by over intelligent support characters, all making strange and confusing decisions about what to do next... And failing at it. And having countless flashbacks about it. Multiple times.
Quick example of an annoying scenario element : the 'back-and-forth-is-he-bridal-mask-or-not?'.
« Is he bridal mask ? No he's not. But wait ! yes it's true , I think he's bridal mask ! Are you sure ? Ah ! Sorry, no he's not. Wait ... I think he's really bridal mask. Noooooooo wayyyyyyy ! Aaaaah nope, sorry, wrong again.»
Oh come on, please put whoever you think is bridal mask in jail and let's get over it, shall we ? Thanks (...)
Honestly, while Bridal Mask can get quite annoying at times, and long enough to capitalize on that, it's a very good drama, provided that you're presently looking for some strong emotions. In that aspect, you could even get a bit more that what you bargain for. The direction and the actors performance will get you there in a split second, as a lot of thoughts and efforts were put in this drama to make the viewers feel, resent and struggle along the characters.
While Bridal Mask sometimes feels like a korean super hero tv-show, it's actually a bit more than that, good and bad things all included. And as a k-drama lover, I can only recommend it.

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Villains aren't what they used to be

There's at least one requirement for a villain to be good at his villain's job : it's to be a clever villain - or at the very least - a villain smart enough to give the good guy a run for his money. So when a villain cut clean the breaks wire from a car (in a foolish attempt to make the car 'accident' that results to pass as a suicide), that already tells you a lot about the smarts of the said villain. But when this one CONVENIENTLY drops something personal that he had bring with himself (oO') when he's trying to murder someone with a knife (--')... in a police station (><') ... then I have only one last advice for him :
Please stop being a villain.
Seriously, drop it (lame pun intented). Try sewing. Or anything else. Honestly.
And that already resumes part of the show : with these few mistakes that happened quite early in the 1st episodes, there's not so much for the actors to save the drama from its shortcomings. But somehow, that's exactly where the few merits of this drama can be found. Midway, you end up more interested by the relationships between the characters than the story by itself, the issue being that without a stronger setting to backup these relations, it's quite a challenge to keep up the viewers interest. Still, on its way to the ending, there's some valuable twists and scripts progress that could satisfy anyone not expecting too much from this show, as long as the characters don't make you cringe.
But I still think you should reserved this show for a moment you really have nothing more enjoyable to watch.

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Race winner

Not sure if this actually comes from the novel, or the talented writer that adapts it, (probably both), but there's something almost fascinating about this scenario. It's the kind that looks like layers : when the first layer is removed, another one, a slighly thinner one is discovered both by the viewers and the characters (not necessarily at the same moment). To me, a part of this chinese drama success lies there :
With a very good sense of pace, just a slight amount of mystery is adding up when another amount is answered, steering up the viewers attention towards the story. And of course, it helps when actors are at their best.
There's no fancy attitude there, no useless gesticulation. Maybe a bit of clichés here and there (the main male lead way too strong, without flaws ...). But then, since there's also something elegant and carefully thought about the characters actions and reactions, finely described by the actors, the drama almost never feels unrealistic or inadequate.
Almost. The only flaw I could find a bit annoying is that since some clichés remains (the smart weak girl, the flawless leader...), when the characters meet an actual problem in the scenario, it almost look like the protagonists are "forced" into making mistakes just in order to tell the story of their struggles and the answers they will find to help themselves. And that's the annoying bit : When you create a character that flawless, viewers won't understand its true nature if he suddenly falls on his face on a flat ground (rest assured, it's a random example here, this specific fall doesn't actually happen in the drama ^^).
Still, in its whole, this is a very good drama, one that can answer a lot of different expectations for very different viewers :
While maybe not the best of his kind, with of bit of romance, action, and mystery, this drama slowly grows and lightly remains in your mind, as the enjoyable moment it provides.

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Mayornnaise

One of the romance I've liked the most. Notice here : "I've liked the most" and not "the best I've seen".
City Hall is like a very pretty gem hidden in a little cave lost in the middle of an unknown forest.
And as such, this korean drama is a little more demanding from its viewers, and while to me it's one of its strong point, I can understand it could be hard to some.
First obstacle : Silliness. There's perfectly assumed silliness, in this tv-drama. This aspect is essential to its comedy theme, and the female character is almost perfect in its role, leading the viewers - and the male lead - to progressively fall for her and her crazyness traits. Well, it's OK to create 'larger-than-life' characters, but at this point, that's also a way to discourage some people as it can also bring the whole show on its knees, at least to some viewers, since it's not exactly matching the very adult topic of the drama : politics.
Now while politics in this drama happens to be the main setting, I think it still only serves the backgrounds of the story to be told. You would be very wrong to dismiss a tv-show that also emphasizes a very sweet and touching romance, especially if you're specifically looking for one.
And to convey this romance, the two main lead have just outdone themselves.
My desktop monitor was just not big enough to reveal everything from their characters on screen, slowly falling in love, while they hurt each other, protect each other. This TV show still had plot flaws, inconsistency, over-the-top and exaggerated situations but since the main characters love acted as a 'fil rouge', a red thread that connnects them to the viewers along the path of the drama, it was honestly sufficient to watch the show without boredom, and without hoping it ends faster. So for the touching romance alone, and the awesome feelings the actors were able to describe, a 8.5 rating here is not too much if it connects you to this drama.

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A thousand words

There's some tv-dramas in Korea that can get a little bit hard to rate. If I were to review The Greatest Love on individual criterias, without considering the whole show, I don't think I would get anything close to its final rating here in MDL. Take the plot script for example :
It's not exactly anything we haven't seen before. Annoying / arrogant / jerk MC falls for the 'straight-man' played by a lovely woman, which in turn falls for the 'growing-not-so-arrogant-in-progress' MC. Remind you of something else already ?
Filming ? Not even that great. From the pitiful CGFX to the very unoriginal view angles, nothing stands out. So what does, exactly ?
As it happens : dialogs.
Dialogs in this TV-show (especially between the male/female leads) are ones of the best I could hear - correction - see (subtitles, since I don't understand korean ... yet). It makes up, hands high, for anything less well-written, and it's a real asset here since the story focused on very few characters. Most of the dialogs are snappy, fluid, sometimes a little too fast, while some lines are so violent that you can almost hear the slap on the face of the interlocutor.
Of course it helps when someone like Gong Hyo Jin is one of the actress to play those lines (and yes, I'm fanboying, so what ?)
Still, dialogs are not a trivial matter on this drama, and you have to follow carefully to fully understand what the characters are actually meaning. Which is great. Well, it's always great, when writers respect the viewers and don't take them for passive fools.
Another point of interest in this drama is the way the story unfolds. The development, of sort. Authors/writers must have enjoyed this part quite a bit, since they've played with it as often as they could. Here's an example : this drama is, more often than not, quite funny. The thing is - most of the time - you can see the joke coming a mile away. It's quite highly predictable. But as predictable as it is, you will still laught at the end. Since you expected the joke, the writers moved it just slightly elsewhere (the minor accident in the parking lot, for example).
This is one of the thing I love about this drama : predictable/unpredictable moves transformed into minor/major events, which in turn push the show a little further. It's not actually that original, or that unpredictable, in any way, but the show in its whole gives you a comfortable feeling, while remaining just snappy enough to pin you on your chair and complete it.
So at the end of this review, you, as a potential viewer, could enjoy this drama as I did. This drama may not please everyone, but if you're not waiting for it as your next masterpiece, this TV-show should provide a brief, good moment, comfortable, while not exactly "inoubliable", which results in a 8.0 rating.

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Messing 9

I'm not sure how the drama intented to advertise itself when it was airing, but if it was aiming as the survival kind, it may have mislead a lot of people. And indeed, this is the kind of drama where your expectations are not going to be met.
It's not even trying, in fact, and it's not exactly a bad thing : it's an author privilege to get his story take the path he dreamed of (assuming he's not under any useless external pressure). Considering this, only viewers that do not expect anything specifically will get a bit lucky watching this drama, and will be rewarded with something close to a light novel, a comedy/crime story of sort.
To me, this is where the drama falls a bit short : it was not crude enough, not serious enough, and way too focused to please a larger audience (which, as it regularly happens, could be more the production fault than the authors, obviously). While it made the drama easy to watch and understand, it can also create plot holes, unrealistic scenes, inappropriate filming and overall a whole lot of others mistakes. It's not that bad, actually, but again this is where expectations are going to be crushed for the sole benefice of a wider viewers reach.
And this drama had good and strong points too. But a bit strangely, there were not exactly pushed further and stronger.
Romance, while sweet and surprising, never exactly reaches a peak.
Suspense gets cut short, revealing way too many clues.
Dialogs were snappy, until dragged down with some mediocre punchlines...
So, basically, Missing 9 is a kind of a little mess. But it's also a kind of an enjoyable little mess. This drama is not going to be hard on you, but don't expect it to be exactly unforgettable either. To me, that's the major weakness of this drama : while there were some real efforts, for which I'm grateful, in making this drama, I feel like it didn't hit us hard enough. Thus, a 7.5 rating here in this review, with some encouragments to actually watch the show.
But come on, all drama creators ! You can do better. Fight for your stories, don't underestimate us. Hit us with all your might. We can withstand anything.

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The Cat on the Mat Is Flat

That would have been a good drama, all things considered, if this show has been made 10 years earlier. But it's a 2016 TV-show. And as a modern entertainment, Kaitou Tantei Yamaneko is not even close to provide anything to the viewers, in any way. Everything in this drama is exaggerated, and when it was not, incredibly boring : The comedy, playing with redundancy, repetitions and clichés, felt so old that I actually believed, at first, that I was watching an old drama (and a very old one at that).
Were action scenes any better ? Well, in truth, quite... But The MC is so annoying (an exaggerated trait presented to the viewer as a proof of the MC intelligence... !) that any action involving him is treated as a way to showoff his "wow" skills.
But the rewarding gem, the trophy, indubitably goes to the scenario. Well at least as soon as you able to find one here. This very absent scenario leaves everything, - again -, in the MC hands, which in turn leaves us very few things to better appreciate the MC smart methods and choices while it will, in the end, got you bored out of your mind, totally uninterested by the events that happened in this drama.
Now don't get me wrong : there's a goal and the means to reach it, and along the way some very nice ideas and concepts that would have been very interesting if they were pushed further. But here lies another issue : when the rhythm in this drama seems to reach a peak, the inept comedy reaches out and wrecks all in one swift punchline.
Some may say this drama is a tribute to earlier 80's TV-shows (with some winks to US, even). That's probably true, but there was a lot more to do before reaching out to the 80's : make it a 2016 TV show first before trying to reminisce anything, because as it happens, most will already forget everything about this drama.

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The alien was not who you think

If it wasn't for Jun Ji Hyun lead role interpretation, this drama would have been nowhere that good. In all honesty, while pretty close I'm not entirely sure this drama deserve its 8.8 rating (at the time I'm writing this) but since it brings up a lot of passion and interest (from what I've heard), maybe that's enough in itself to justify it.
As for me, this drama success is clearly related to Jun Ji Hyun : she depicts a character borderline lunatic, superficially arrogant and ... amazingly funny to watch. Not that Kim Soo Hyun is not any good (he's actually quite subtle and believable as an alien), but to me the alien here in this show was clearly Jun Ji Hyun.  
While the romance seems the main focus (and is quite good at that), comedic scenes and situations rhythmed the drama so well that there is not so much room to loose interest. And again, the exact moment where you understand that Jun Ji Hyun 'Chun Song Yi' character is not exactly the superb arrogant idiot she seems, you're screwed. Jun Ji Hyun is just imperial in this drama and get you hooked - line, sinker and all - in no time.
Still, there are inconsistent details and poor choices too. There are too many to point them all out, but at the same time, of too little importance to take them seriously. This is not actually bringing the show down, since at best it gets a little annoying from time to time.
So in the end, what remains is an overall very well-written drama, asking interesting questions, answering cold hearts with warm feelings, and along the way providing some action to entertain the malicious villain (who is by the way quite good at being a villain, thank you Shin Sung Rok).
Maybe that's enough to justify the 8.8 rating, after all ? That's not for me to decide. You go watch this then you tell us.

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Don't feel guilty about it

'Falling for Innocence' is typically the kind of drama that quickly starts as 'not bad' and end up quite enjoyable overall, even if far from perfection. While the story is not exactly the strong point of the drama, that's still a story worth following, considering the surprises to the viewers along the way. There's some kind of mix between clichés and 'not so clichés' scenes and situations there, that will keep up the greed and desire of the audience to the last episode. So that's already some kind of success for any drama, isn't it ?
One thing to notice, as minor as it is, is that the female lead being a little older than the male main role seems to bring something a bit refreshing and challenging. As if the others characters around her have to keep up with her, doing their very best to stay on her path. I really liked it, although I'm not entirely sure as to why exactly.  
And since the drama is done without too much technical issues (here and there, for example, forgiving a mic that comes into camera view for a few milliseconds ^^), that was quite an enjoyable show.
Then, this drama is an easy recommandation, especially if you're not expecting too much from it and if you miss the thrills of some other popular drama you've just finished before.
I think you will spend some good time, and if that's all you're wishing for, 'Falling for Innocence' could be the right thing to fall for.

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