50+ episode makjang distilled into 16 episode chaos

Makjang is ridiculous and over-the-top drama (which generally rates poorly on MDL), and Graceful Family ticks all the makjang qualifications: plot twist(s) in every episode, cocktail of comedy and drama, absurd cast of characters, and more. It makes for an entertaining watch, but I am grateful that this drama wraps up in 16 episodes. The ridiculousness makes it difficult to connect with its characters and to elevate it to endearing versus entertaining.

Story:
Graceful Family covers an incredible amount of plotlines over the course of 16 episodes (even covering a flashback at the beginning of each episode). The drawback is that most of these plotlines just happen for the purposes of moving the story forward. Then, the characters have to react accordingly, but even their reactions seem inconsistent at times. Roller coaster is a perfect analogy as the viewers are strapped in to follow whatever rail the writers have created for the story.

Acting:
I am a big Im Soo-Hyang fan because of her main role in My ID is Gangnam Beauty. Her character in Graceful Family is a stark contrast from Gangnam Beauty. The one similarity is the character’s belief in herself. That confidence/conviction is masked in Gangnam Beauty whereas it is in the forefront of her character in Graceful Family. The execution of the character in Graceful Family is simple, but that does not take away from Im Soo-Hyang’s great performance.

Same can be said for the other main leads and supporting cast. For a cable network drama, the entire cast of Graceful Family is experienced and talented. Bae Jong-Ok stands out as the villain character (plus I recommend Live to see more of her!). The major loss of points in this area is that the writing really limits the actors’ performances. Every character is put into impossible situations and directed to overreact, fully embracing the makjang moniker. Still, the overall acting is what kept me tuning in week by week.

Music:
Even the music is melodramatic in Graceful Family. Any hint of plot tension is accompanied by dramatic music, and the OST heavily leans in that direction. It follows the kdrama music formula that has proven successful over the years. MBN carefully crafted Grace Family to leverage all the key points that we expect of Korean Dramas.

Rewatch Value:
As entertaining as Graceful Family can be, it is best enjoyed in the moment because dwelling any longer highlights its various flaws. The cast is the highlight of the drama, and I attribute its rating success to them. Still, I would rather rewatch two dramas that I mentioned earlier instead of Graceful Family (My ID is Gangnam Beauty + Live). Given the solid amount of drama offerings in 2019, missing Graceful Family is not a loss for most drama watchers.

Read More

2019 Drama of the Year?

Be Melodramatic has the chops to compete for best drama of 2019. Airing on cable network JTBC, this drama went unnoticed, and it did not help itself with a rough start. The show quickly finds its footing and delivers a drama that perfectly encapsulates a 2010s romcom. It hits on multiple progressive themes with its female leads. On top of the premise, there is a thick layer of meta comedy which will have any experienced kdrama watcher rolling in laughter. Watch Be Melodramatic, which I prematurely crown the Best of 2019.

Story:
The story comes off a bit lukewarm and light on plot. One might think it is deserving of a “slice of life” tag, but the plot of Be Melodramatic is surprisingly engaging, intertwining the drama with the drama within the drama. The sad surprise is the first three shaky episodes, to put it nicely. It really takes 4 episodes to bring the different pieces of the story together. That is why the MDL rating for Be Melodramatic has only been climbing with each week.

More important than the plot are the characters, specifically the trio of female leads. Again, the trio comes off a bit lukewarm on paper (especially in comparison to the fiery leads of another 2019 drama, Search: WWW), three women with a mashup of common quarter-life problems. Like real people, viewers need time to get to know the leads and grow to like them and their supporting cast.

As the leads strive to produce a drama with double digit ratings, Be Melodramatic struggled to surpass the 2% mark. Perhaps there is a general fatigue with the RomCom genre, but the show deserves more love. Even if the plot synopsis does not interest you, I can assure you that the meta comedy will have you goofy smiling through all 16 episodes.

Acting:
The acting in Be Melodramatic is one of the first signals that put it on my radar, the deadpan humor in the trailers and actor Ahn Jae Hong’s brand of comedy. On the other hand, the three female leads have a very short drama resume, the highlight being Argon from 2016. And what seems like a lighthearted comedy quickly turns into an acting challenge for the entire cast.

Once characters and stories are introduced, the show quickly digs deeper into each character and the different catalysts for their growth. Major props to Jeon Yeon Bin who brought her character, Lee Eun-Jung, to life.

The supporting cast also gets major screentime, even with a large “main” cast. Though they are treated with more of the lightheartedness and comedy, all of them bring an interesting, entertaining character to screen. This highlights the writer’s ability to create loveable characters and the cast’s (and casting director’s) ability to portray them.

Music:
The sound of Be Melodramatic is equally entertaining as the plot. There is a scene where the leads sing one of the OSTs, and I was dying with laughter. Be Melodramatic captures every aspect of the drama making process, including the music. Thoughtful is the word that comes top of mind when thinking back on Be Melodramatic.

However, the soundtrack of 2019 has been stellar with multiple drama OSTs topping the Korean charts, and Be Melodramatic cannot stand up to those powerhouses (looking at you, Hotel Del Luna OST). There is also a slight over-reliance on one song in particular, a song I loved, but a crutch nonetheless.

Rewatch Value:
2019 has been a solid year for Korean dramas, although I believe it rates worse than the past 3-4 years. Based on the shows currently airing and set to air in the final quarter of 2019, I can confidently say that Be Melodramatic will be top of the 2019 RomCom list. If some of the newer shows do not interest me, I might even rewatch Be Melodramatic before 2019 is over. Anyone with extra time during the 2019 holiday season, I recommend giving this drama a try.

Read More

Near flawless execution of the age-old Korean drama formula

I was hesitant to watch Doctor John for two main reasons: the medical genre and the actor Ji Sung, but the positive online comments and strong viewership ratings made me reconsider. I am delighted to report that this drama is well-worth a watch. Doctor John tastefully navigates the familiar kdrama plot line and accurately nails each and every emotional delivery, leaving viewers connecting and empathizing just like our main leads.

Story:
Although the pace and structure of the story follows the familiar formula, there is just enough flavor and twist to keep viewers engaged throughout the plot. Doctor John also balances this with a healthy dose of foreshadowing while not making the plot boring and obvious. I’m not very familiar with the Screenwriter (Kim Jiwoon), but the director (Jo Soowon) has an impressive resume of tightly directed stories.

This brings me to my first hesitation with Doctor John, the hospital setting. My favorite “medical” drama is Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim, and that drama relies less on medical complications than Doctor John. The cases in Doctor John are more severe and less believable to me, but when I do buy into the story, the cases are surprising charming. On top of this, Doctor John does not lack in connecting the patient cases to the leads’ lives, which is the strength of RDTK. Though it requires some imagination and suspension of disbelief, the medical plot of Doctor John is engaging, contrary to my expectations.

The other major component of the story is the character designs. On the surface, the designs pretty much cover all the different types of characters we expect in kdrama, and that means that viewers can relate to and root for many characters for varying reasons. I think that’s a key of why kdrama is popular with global audiences, so I can’t knock Doctor John for sticking to stereotypical character designs.

Overall, Doctor John encapsulates the things we love about Korean dramas, suspenseful cliffhangers, loveable characters, and awkward product placement (PPL). After Doctor John, I am less hesitant to watch another Korean medical drama.

Acting:
My second major hesitation for not watching this drama is Ji Sung, and that’s because of how poorly I rated him in Kill Me, Heal Me. I cannot agree with the prevailing sentiment on KMHM. However, Ji Sung outperforms my misconception and cleanly executed his role, and I can now confidently use Ji Sung as an example of an actor that meets “Main Role” expectations, especially amidst the crop of rookie actors of the past few years.

I want to clear up a small point about the “Strong Female Lead” tag; the female lead actually cries a lot. She cries because her strength is empathy (react how you will). I just wish that she could convey her “empathy” in more ways than crying. In a similar vein, many of the supporting actors only play their stereotypical characters when I would have liked to see more risk-taking acting. The caveat is that the director has shown a tendency to do this to side characters based on his past works.

Still, I found the acting in Doctor John above expectations and look forward to all the actors’ next works. Specifically, Ji Sung’s performance convinced me to go back and watch Familiar Wife, another drama I put off due to his involvement.

Music:
2019 has been an amazing year for drama OSTs, but the music of Doctor John rates average at best. In some ways, the music is an accurate representation of the drama as a whole. There is a well-planned mix of music that is carefully crafted to fit various scenes. The music always adds and does not detract from what is happening on screen. However, it does not stand out on its own and leaves no lasting impact when the scene ends.

Rewatch Value:
The only drawback to such a well executed drama is that it executed the standard kdrama formula, which is relatively safe. It is as if this drama was conceived from a focus group of veteran drama watchers listing the things that they enjoy, and the result is a mashup of ideas that are all a little too familiar. I’m sure more dramas will continue to attempt the same, and I will continue to watch them, instead of circling back and rewatching Doctor John. I can only imagine how amazing this drama could have been had it executed a more risky and daring concept.

Read More

Absolute candy for your eyes and ears!!!

One glance at the cast shows why Hotel del Luna is and will be one of the most talked about dramas of 2019. A second glance highlights an interesting premise, and more in-depth research reveals HDL’s insane ratings and chart-topping music. The only blemish is the screenwriters, the infamous Hong sisters, though many love their work. Unfortunately, HDL does not quite live up to the hype, and I find its substance a bit lacking, much like candy. Still, I’m sure HDL will be a must-watch for most viewers regardless of what I say, but maybe I can lower your expectations just a hair. Who knows - maybe you can better appreciate the show without such lofty expectations.

Story:
I am not purposefully trying to rain on the parade, but the story is the weakest aspect of Hotel del Luna. To HDL’s credit, fantasy is one of the most challenging genres to pull-off in kdramas (said another way, it’s easier to relate to human dramas). The other two Hong sister supernatural dramas I have seen are The Master’s Sun and My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. I am not a huge fan of The Master’s Sun, and I have a feeling that Gumiho has not aged well since its debut in 2010. The Hong sisters are a master of the romcom craft, and the overall story remains surprisingly coherent through its multiple time period settings.The balance of romance and comedy is also carefully weighed, and each piece of HDL’s episodic format adds to the main underlying plot and tension.

Many may think that HDL’s plot is incredible based on what I have said thus far. The true challenge that HDL does not quite surpass is a relatable and believable gravity within the main plotline. It is not enough to say the main character waited hundreds of years for this moment and expect all viewers to immediately empathize with her. HDL fails to adequately address some critical questions: Why wait hundreds of years? Is this really a problem/challenge? The Hong Sisters’ responses are sadly insufficient. Looking back, one of the root causes is that too many subplots, plots, characters are covered over 16 episodes, even if each episode is over one hour long. As a whole, the story, while intriguing, did not leave me thinking about it throughout the week like some of my favorite dramas.

Acting:
Hotel Del Luna boasts two of the hottest main leads of 2019, IU and Yeo Jin-goo. I had 2 thoughts before starting HDL: unsurety of IU’s shedding of the idol-actress image and the poor taste left after Absolute Boyfriend. Let me caveat that I did not finish the most recent dramas starring IU or YJG, My Mister and My Absolute Boyfriend, respectively. In HDL, both exceed my lowered expectations. In comparing the 2 leads, Goo Chan-Sung shows a narrower range of emotions and often plays the straight man, shutting down many of Jang Man-Wol’s anctics. YJG executes this role with precision and professionalism, plus he’s only 22! I look forward to his future performances as he continues to grow as an actor.

Jang Man-Wol experiences a much wider range of emotions and actions, and I cannot confidently say that IU is a bonafide top star (of acting) yet. The main reason is because the casting of IU is as much a part of her success as her acting chops. HDL jumps between romance, comedy, and drama frequently and sharply. IU’s execution, like YJG, is exceptional, but sometimes it looks more like IU playing multiple characters vs her portraying one consistent character. Furthermore, IU puts together a more convincing character in the “drama” scenes than the romance and comedy scenes, and the chemistry between the two leads is just short of electric. All around, I praise IU for committing to her acting career and participating in different genres of dramas/movies, and I fully expect her to become a topflight actress sooner or later.

Here are a couple thoughts on the supporting cast. Overall, the supporting cast is as wonderful as the leads, but they lose major screen time to not only the main leads but also to the guests who fill out the episodic format of HDL (again, a criticism more of the story than acting). Of course, there are weaker areas, one being Kang Mi-Na. Her character is convoluted and a difficult challenge for the young actress. Hopefully, she grows and follows/exceeds IU’s acting career trajectory. To end on a sweet note, I am a huge fan of Kang Hong-Suk and would love to see more screen time from him in the future.

Music:
The backing cast of artists for Hotel del Luna is incredible, especially for kpop fans. Even the non-”pop” singers are well-respected veterans of kballad. So, I won’t get into every single song and artist from the OST. I will mention Song Ha-ye because she is relatively “new” (5+ year vet) and may be lesser known. Her track, “Say Goodbye”, fits great with the drama, and her latest hit, “Your Regards”, is definitely worth a listen. My favorite track from the OST is Heize’s “Can You See My Heart”. It didn’t top the music charts like Taeyeon’s or Gummy’s, but I still listen to it on repeat! Also, nearly an hour of original music for a cable network drama?! HDL shines bright in countless ways.

Rewatch Value:
Writing this review made me reconsider my thoughts on Hotel del Luna as a whole. I would enjoy HDL more had I binged the drama instead of following the weekly releases. Since I found the main storyline slightly unconvincing, my interest in HDL wavered while waiting for a new episode. It is entirely possible that I bump up the overall rating by half a point after a binge rewatch. However, I do not have any plans to rewatch HDL at the moment.

Read More

This drama rings hollow through its messy and uncomfortable premise.

Starting from promotional materials, the creators are clear about the direction of Love Affairs in the Afternoon; Affairs are going to disrupt the lives and relationships of each character, and we’ll be there to witness it all. To keep this spoiler-free, I can’t tell you if the drama ends with a sweet happy ending or sweet justice p*rn. I can say that it is uncomfortable, infuriating at points, and barely enticing enough for me to watch all 16 episodes. My recommendation is to judge this drama by its cover (and premise), and if you don’t think you’ll enjoy it, don’t bother watching.

Story:
I generally avoid remakes, but a dearth of romance dramas that started in July left me watching LAITA. I did try to drop it at some point after the August drama debuts, but I held on like some completionist maniac. Back to the point - I did not watch the original Japanese drama.

My biggest question throughout was whether the original show was so clear cut about what will happen and how characters will react. The characters in LAITA are surprisingly shallow, and their predictable behaviors took away from the entwined premise. There are twists and turns, but lean back in your chair and think about what happened for three minutes. Then, the story looks plain as vanilla (no offence to vanilla - a true classic flavor).

Acting:
The acting is almost the perfect example of hit and miss acting. I’ll start with the hits. The actors behind the most frustrating characters leave the most memorable memories, making me want to toss my laptop at certain scenes. Shout out to Kim Mi-kyung who went from goofy mother in Her Private Life to the most insufferable mother-in-law in LAITA. The female leads also performed admirably. Park Ha-sun nails that uncomfortable, awkward look throughout the drama, and Ye Ji-won portrays strength through her weakness, though she does suffer from typecasting.

I’ll mention two misses, the first big and the second small. First, the chemistry between the main leads, especially Lee Sang-yeob and Park Ha-sun, is lacking. It may have been enough for a fluffy romcom, but the chemistry is evidently lacking in a drama with supposed gravity, making it hard to relate to their situation. Second, two of the “kids” in the drama are played by a 27 year old and a 14 year old. Shin Won-ho (27) has a fair amount of lines for a support role, and I understand why it may have been difficult to cast an actual teenager. Still, I laughed seeing a grown man acting like a child and interacting with Shin Soo-yun’s (14) character, just another small example of how LAITA interrupts viewer immersion.

Music:
The music, thankfully, was not so forthcoming like the plot and acting. Although, it would be funny to hear a song about kissing a married man, ala I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus except Santa is actually not the dad… LAITA only tiptoes the makjang line and the OST does a passing job of setting the scene and conveying emotion (minus the one “dramatic” soundtrack that becomes borderline bothersome by the end).

Rewatch Value:
The one thing that bumps up this rewatch value is that this is a Japanese remake. Does a vague interest in watching the original count towards the rewatch value of LAITA? I think it counts, so don’t let the score lead you to believe I’ll be watching the Korean version twice.

Read More

Wait what? This show is already over, but nothing really happened.

Level Up is unfortunately an entirely forgettable kdrama, at best a show to leave on the background. There is nothing offensive to turn you away from the drama, and there is also an equal amount of positives to draw you in. At first glance, it seems to have a trendy setting in the modern world of mobile game development, but the story actually falls back to bland kdrama cliches and tropes.

A quick glance at my watchlist shows that I’m stingy on ranking dramas highly but also lowly. Ultimately, a large group of people came together to produce this show, and I, ultimately, watched all 12 episodes. So, it is difficult to give any rating lower than a 5. I would only recommend watching this drama for seasoned Korean drama viewers who have already seen the vast majority of romcoms in the kdrama sphere and need something to kill the time.

Story:
The plot of Level Up is a very basic office romcom, secondary leads interfering with the mains and plot-convenient office SNAFUs. In my opinion, there are two ways Level Up could have tried to be different. One, overload on the comedy. The few outrageous scenes were quite funny, though it may not be to everyone’s taste. Two, deliver meaningful commentary on actual modern gaming issues, like mobile gaming/gambling addictions. Instead, we get a very middle-of-the-road kdrama, where an experienced viewer will be able to predict the majority of the plot just based on the premise.

The romance also comes off quite bland. The two main leads seem more like 2 close friends or 2 close colleagues, but somehow the viewers are supposed to see them as a romantic couple. This show is a classic example of forcing mains together.

Acting:
I’ll only cover the 2 leads to minimize the length of this review. I first saw Sung Hoon in Oh My Venus and enjoyed his character in that drama. Based on the online community, I see that he has since been typecast into the character we find in Level Up. I find that unfortunate as I contemplated watching “I Picked Up a Star on the Road”. I can see why viewers are disappointed by his performance in Level Up, but I want to attribute it to the plain writing. For example, he is quite popular as a cast member of I Live Alone, if you watch (or want to watch) Korean variety shows, so he has more to offer than the cool, cold persona.

Similarly, I found Han Bo Reum to be quite funny in Go Back Couple. Her character in Level Up also shines during its comedic moments, but the emotional/romance scenes do demonstrate her weakness as a main lead. Sung Hoon will get more acting roles based on his popularity, but I also hope Han Bo Reum gets a chance to demonstrate her growth as an actress in the future.

Music:
There is very limited English information on the OST for this drama. Based on MNET, there are 3 songs on the OST, 3 ballads. They are all fairly vanilla and do not stand out from the over-saturated kballad genre. I found them enjoyable nonetheless. As a side note, I am not sure if you will be able to easily find English translation for the lyrics.

Rewatch Value:
Given there are easily 50 other dramas to watch before watching this one even once, it would be impossible to rate the rewatch value any higher. I hope I didn’t sound overly harsh throughout this review as, again, I did watch each episode as it aired.

Read More

This slice-of-life/office drama dares to be experimental in its portrayal of a career woman and the people that support and fight her on her journey. It constantly creates hits and misses, mostly hits, as it bucks the kdrama formula. The show centers around a core cast of female characters, and it wonderfully depicts these women as (or more) complex human beings as (than) men, varying aspirations/dreams, varying ethics/morals, and varying actions/dialogue. It exemplifies the positive impact of having a female screenwriter leading its fun and compelling female-centric story.

Two smaller points I want to point out here because it does not really fit elsewhere. First, the camerawork creates some beautiful shots using the environment and open spaces (Who remembers Angel Ta Mi?). But, sometimes it butchers the emotional delivery of some scenes as it zooms and rotates into the actors’ faces. Second, the rich, experimental story immerses the viewer, and the PPL (product placement) becomes especially jarring as it breaks that deep immersion. Still, I will remember this drama for its highs, not lows, and easily recommend this to all drama viewers as a great example of a modern Korean drama.

Story:
The story is surprisingly refreshing given that the average age of its main characters skews older than the usual mini (16 ep kdrama). No young chaebol inheriting his director position from his grandfather, the women in Search: WWW clearly worked hard and sacrificed much to reach their positions. Given the main female leads’ maturity and high social position, it is a challenge to add believable conflicts, especially given its genre. Search: WWW overcomes this struggle and shows that everyone can grow, no matter how mature, and that there will always be a bigger fish, no matter how high you rise. So, its fallback to some typical kdrama conflicts is understandable and not a blemish.

I wish the same could be same about the main romance in the drama. I want to make a distinction between the content of the romance and the pacing of the romance. The pacing, like the overall story, is refreshing, and relationships grow and stumble at unique points. It weaves itself with the office plot to deliver entertainment in every episode, especially the secondary romances/relationships. However, the content of the main romance is a bit shallow upon closer examination. It attempts to highlight the age and ideological differences between the two leads, but they act like they are designed by the same aged person(s). Specifically, the male lead acts like how someone in their 30s/40s imagines someone in their 20s.

Ultimately, the main drivers of a slice-of-life drama is its characters and not its plot points nor romance. And I can go on and on about the depths and strengths of the entire crew of characters, even the slightly obnoxious Morgan. To keep this review a reasonable length, I will just say that the characters are 10/10, and I somehow found myself rooting for each one of them, protagonists and antagonists alike.

Acting:
Starting with the actresses, the leads are a minimum 9/10. I hate (read “love”) to nitpick but Jeon Hye Jin could have shown slightly more range, given the nuance of her character, beyond the serious/contemplative facet. Also, Lee Da Hee is one of my favorite actresses, but she is almost getting typecast into the rash archetype. The main female lead, Im Soo Jung, is faultless, but don’t get me wrong, all three are amazing in their own ways and carry the show together.

Out of their male counterparts, Lee Jae Wook is the most memorable, and I look forward to his potential growth (he’s 21 when shooting this drama!). I am also impressed with Ji Seung Hyun, who I underrated because his profile shows that he’s mostly been on support/guest roles. As you can tell, expectations do color my judgement, and my expectation for Jang Ki Yong did not get met, but he does have some redeeming moments near the end.

Music:
Search: WWW has one of the best OSTs I’ve listened to in recent kdramas. “Well-rounded”, “In sync”, and “Complementary” all perfectly describe the musical core of Search: WWW. It is impossible to not like at least one of the songs in the OST and very likely that you’ll love them all. I usually write very short reviews of the music, but I need to take the time to rave about the musical cast.

First, shout out to the fierce women of Mamamoo, extra for Moonbyul with her writing credits. Could not have picked a better kpop act to mirror the strong female characters of the drama. Second, Jang Beom-Jun bringing that husky Busker Busker voice that was extremely popular in the early 2010s. Sam Kim was also popular around the same time, but I am not as big of a fan. Kudos to Sam Kim, Elaine , and O3ohn, even though I do not know much about them. Third, huge props to Lee Da Hee for fearlessly busting out her singing chops. Fourth, OST veteran, Kim Na-Young, who has been killing the music charts with her latest single, “To be Honest”. She delivers another great performance for Search:WWW.

Take it how you will, but the music is the strongest aspect of this drama. I didn’t even skip the parental advisory, so I could sing along with “show you a bad girl”. The OST flawlessly supports the drama and keeps true the show’s topics and themes, and all the songs are still worthy of a listen without knowing anything about the drama.

Rewatch Value:
As high as the relisten value is for the OST, the rewatch falls a bit short, which I usually judge on story or cast. The story’s female-centricity is refreshing but no longer unique in kdramas. I find the women of “Because This is My First Life” more relatable and the women of “Sky Castle” to be more entertaining. In terms of cast, I’m a bigger fan of the previous works by the main cast, such as “Chicago Typewriter” and “Beauty Inside” (“Misty” is high on my “to watch” list). Jang Ki Young is equally mediocre in his past works (“Kill It” is low on my “to watch” list). Ji Seung Hyun mostly does support/guest roles. However, I do look forward to Lee Jae Wook’s next drama, “July Found by Chance”. So, it’ll be difficult to find time to rewatch Search: WWW.

Read More

Angel’s Last Mission will definitely scratch your RomCom itch with what begins as a carefully concocted love story between a human and an angel. However, the romance fails to live up to the beginning premise, and the story actually unravels as it tries to come to a close. Overall, I recommend this drama to romcom lovers and also to fans of Shin Hye Sun, as she carries the show through its bumpy, messy plot. Although the plot twists and turns are quite illogical, the acting and theatrics work overtime to deliver satisfying emotional payoffs throughout the drama.

Story:
The drama is definitely romcom, and the story is fantasy. For ALM:L, the fantasy components work well with the comedy but lacks synergy with the romance and drama as a whole. Even though the titular character is an angel and L is listed first on the cast list, Shin Hye Sun’s human character seems to be the more “main” character and is the catalyst for most of the emotional development of the characters.

I understand that dwelling more on the fantasy components makes it harder to write a coherent story, and this drama suffers from this as it shoehorns/retcons more and more fantasy elements throughout. So, we are left with fantasy which works well as a comedic relief (i.e. Dan’s social ineptitude with humans) but is used poorly as a plot device.

Similar things can be said for the antagonists of the drama. They are almost comically evil to the point where the characters themselves don’t quite understand why the antagonists behave that way. Like the overall story, the antagonists could have both been more logical and fleshed out.

The messy mix of these elements creates multiple visible flaws throughout the story, and viewers may need to think overtime to try to buy the romance that does develop between the main leads. The plot and antagonists more-or-less force the two characters together rather than the two characters finding/understanding one another.

Still, the main leads’ cute moments together highlights the childlike joy that they bring to each other and showcase their chemistry. Just don’t expect to find mature characters or romance. But there is some growth, especially given the extremely immature characters in the first couple of episodes. So on the other hand, don’t be completely turned off by the character in the beginning.

In conclusion, the story starts off with a promising premise and immature characters, but the show struggles to stay coherent through its fantasy setting and under-delivers in meaningful character development and believable romance. ALM:L tries to mix up the classic romcom formula with fantasy and melodrama, but instead leaves the cast struggling through a chaotic plot.

Acting/Cast:
I’ll mention that this is actually my first drama review and judging this aspect is my weakest area. A quick glance through MyDramaList shows that I focus mainly on romance/romcom dramas, so hopefully I can leave a fairly relatable review here.

Overall, I rate the acting better than the story. However, I do think the story enables the actors by 1) having relatively simple characters and 2) drawing a parallel on and off the ballet stage. The first point is more of a kudos to the cast on their portrayal of the characters. Especially, the antagonist characters lacked depth, but the actors & actresses dutifully conveyed intent with their actions and gave off the impression that there was more underlying their character, which may not always be the case unfortunately.

The second point really enables the acting theatrics in the drama. In another context, Shin Hye Sun could be critiqued for “over acting”. However, the foil between the “story within a story” gives the viewer a different perspective. Yeon Seo’s hysteria does not seem as hysterical in comparison to the ballet that parallels their story. Rather, her “over” acting really connects what is happening on and off the ballet stage. Unfortunately, L gave a weak performance in comparison, although one could attribute it to the weaker writing surrounding the angel. Overall, it is difficult to rate the acting any higher given the limitations of the writing.

Music:
I enjoyed the direction they went with the music because they did not try to sound like a “ballet” (or what I think of as classical music). It stuck to more modern trends, and I have no qualms with it, given my love for kballads. I also like it when a cast member contributes to the OST.

However, it felt like the show relied on the ballad OSTs to convey emotion through its weak writing, which was a disservice to the music. Given the artists that contributed and the quality of the OST, the drama once again under-delivered on using the music to its full potential.

Rewatch Value:
This drama is sufficiently sweet that it may warrant a rewatch on a slow day. However, there are definitely many dramas I would rewatch over this. If you want to see some really immature characters going through more character and romance development, I would recommend “30 but 17” (bonus shoutout for featuring the same Female Lead). Otherwise, it would be hard to rewatch knowing how the story under-delivers and falls apart as it comes to a close.

Read More

Viewers will be quick to compare this drama to “Something in the Rain”, which shares the same Director, Writer, and Male Lead, and they would be at no fault for doing so. Like SitR, One Spring Night utilizes a slow pace to portray the relationship between the main leads. However, the pacing and characters of OSN are superior to SitR because of their steadiness. I recommend this drama to all kdrama watchers and promise that you will also slowly and steadily fall in love with the leads episode by episode till the very end.

Story:
I will be honest and say the story outline is similar to SitR, focusing on a relationship that is heavily critiqued by the leads’ friends and family. I believe there are 2 key differentiators which are the strength of the supporting stories and the methodical pace of character development. The supporting cast gets a fair amount of development throughout the drama, and they, themselves, change instead of folding into 2D one directional characters. This actually adds to the “slowness” of the drama as precious time is diverted away from the main leads.

However, I do not find fault in the slow pace. I admit the 16 (32 halves) episode format changes the standard for pace, but I also believe that there is a range of acceptable pace in kdrama. I find bigger fault when the writer/director strays away from the slow pace to try to close certain plot points or make characters behave erratically, which OSN does not suffer from. If anything, OSN is not shy in leaving interactions with little explanation and limited expose/monologue.

This may make it harder for viewers to buy into the relationship between the main leads, but I thoroughly enjoyed the romance that resembled something out of real life rather than a kdrama. One lead doesn’t have to save the other or be connected via childhood past to develop feelings for one another. OSN is the closest example of a life-like relationship in a Korean drama; any more and it would be no fun as a drama (you know you’re trying to escape reality watching kdramas).

I applaud the director/screenwriter for running it back by producing such a comparable drama within one year. They improved on all areas of the plot from SitR and remained true to their style instead of bending to every criticism levied at SitR, which I still ranked at 7.5. I look forward to their next projects with a small longing for something more different.

Acting:
Let’s begin by looking at the Male Lead since, again, it's easy to compare to SitR. Jung Hae In’s acting is markedly improved from SitR. This may be due to his growth as an actor, the improved writing of OSN, the chemistry with the cast, more trust from the director, or some combination of all of the above. He displayed a wide range of thoughts and emotions throughout the drama, and I was especially impressed with his acting when facing the second Male Lead.

Similar compliments can be said for the Female Lead, Lee Jung In. And her chemistry with the male actor was amazing. The biggest evidence of this being how electric the dialogue between the 2 felt; Their conversations conveyed more chemistry than any of their skinship scenes. The acting of the 2 main leads really complimented the direction of the drama, which heavily focused on interactions rather than monologues.

The supporting cast also performed admirably. For example, seeing the FL’s mother in OSN can be quite a shock after watching SitR (or vice versa), but she still nailed both roles and truly deserved to be part of this cast. The FL’s sisters were also great and their acting really conveyed how their characters were shaped by their shared upbringing (and I have a soft spot for “sismance”).

Music:
Funnily enough, even a good chunk of the OST is sung by the artist who contributed to SitR, Rachael Yamagata. Although English in Korean media is improved, it does not compare to having a native English speaker. This should significantly improve the drama viewing experience for international viewers given that some subbers do not sub Korean lyrics.

The actual music works very well with the story and pace. I thought each of the songs in the OST carried tension, even the “happy” song. This tension is well utilized because the story does not have the outrageously tense moments of a thriller or typical melo, so the combination of the story and song was important in conveying conflict and emotional resolution.

Rewatch Value:
There is a high rewatch value for this drama given that it covers a multitude of nuanced issues. Even as a native Korean speaker, I plan to go back and rewatch the drama to better understand and enjoy the conversations and chemistries between all the characters.

The next episode previews were the worst part of this show, so I look forward to not having to deal with them now that it is fully aired.

Read More