It ticks every box and more .

Swoon.

I watched You Who Came From the Stars (YWCFTS) purely because of the story line and boy was I not disappointed! I expect nothing less from men but a hot alien who has accumulated a wealth of knowledge , experience and literal wealth over the course of 400 years. That’s besides the point though.

I highly recommend this drama because the story line is very intriguing so a pull through is definite even for the picky viewers. The parallel arches of the two protagonists is very good and if you are a sucker for fate then this one is for the ages . The story is actually simple enough to follow and this is a K Drama with everything-. It’s a love story for the literal ages as it spans years , its a melodrama yet spiced with an evil chaebol villain and the social commentary on celebrity culture in Korea made this quite a wholesome story.. It has great morals and the script makes for great food for thought. I especially loved the comedy in this and was guaranteed a huge laugh which just makes this drama all the more approachable and quite good. To date - it’s one of the funniest dramas I have ever watched.

I think the highlight of this drama is how real and unaffected the female protagonist was written. She is not annoying in the slightest bit and everything she does makes sense albeit hilarious and there’s none of that noble idiocy that K Dramas seem to gravitate towards.There were some teeny plot holes that affected the rating of the story to be a 9.5 but nothing too major.

As for the acting and cast - very good. I could say perfect but going in I was a bit unsure about the compatibility of the two as the chemistry was a slow bubble at first and I think that’s down to Kim So Hyun baby face looks and Jun Hi Hyun elegant face which was a discrepancy at first but was actually perfect taken with context of the story. The casting directors really hit the jackpot with these two expressive actors ! Furthermore, supporting cast was great too . I particularly loved Park Hae Jin who plays the second lead and I plan to make it a point to watch his dramas.

The music is virtually non existent but what is there is perfectly fine.The instrumentals were stellar and flooring . What does take the space of the music is the stellar fashion. I was swooning for every outfit that the main cast wore . I actually take away a few styling quips from YWCFTS such as Lee Hwigeong’s ( Park Hae Jin) turtle neck and coat ensembles , Doo Min Joon’s (Kim So Hyun) structured coat collars and the ladies penchant for leather pants , belted blazers and tasteful sparkle . The fashion is a definite 10.

Rewatch value is a 10 out of 10 and I’m very stingy with rewatch value scores but I’m definitely watching the “severely beautiful” Cheon Song Yi and Do Min Joon again . There are some cult classic scenes and lines in this drama that are absolute gems to not be watched more than once .

Overall it was such a fluid watch and so much fun to watch too! And personally that’s what makes a good show in the end . Fluidity.

Read More

The jazz of a saeguk spiced with fantasy that pivots on a poignant human story

As far as my K Drama watching goes - this was an adventurous pick and I’m glad I watched because it opened me up to a new genre of KDramas that I actually quite like.

I try to watch dramas because of the synopsis and not because of who’s in it and how popular or not popular it was. Being an objective viewer of tv just saves a lot of energy and steers away disappointment. And that’s what I learnt with the show.

The story is stellar and very intriguing. I particularly loved the humaness of it all and how it portrayed flaws ,shortcomings and the sometimes cruel consequences that result in the quest for righteousness. Master Choi and his family’s story arch was particularly poignant in the portrayal of the above mentioned. I also enjoyed the villains . I love being challenged and provoked by a villain especially when they somewhat make sense, The shaman has some profound lines to make for food for thought in the development of the drama.

The court angle was also very pleasant though it was not quite the education in Joseon Dynatsy . Again - the important thing to note about Mirror of the Witch is that it’s a story about humaness and its flaws. All the other things like the magic ,court intrigues etc just support the narrative.

As for the cast - I wouldn’t change a thing . Yoon Shi- Yoon was a great balance to the intense palette of the show and Kim Sae Ron gave a measured and good performance. I loved Yum Jang Uh as the antagonist and special mention to Jang Hee Jin and especially Lee Ji Hoon as the replacement king . He was really good.

The chemistry with the cast was also on point which is a rarity in the K Drama world . All sides of the cast gelled supremely well which I believe counters the drag around ep 16.

The music was okay. Not great but okay.

I also find when reviewing saeguks- one must tackle the costume design. I give the costume a 10 out 10 . The costumes were beautiful that they distracted me from reading the subtitles.

Rewatch value is almost non existent because of the nature of the show . You already know what’s going to happen and all the intrigues so what’s the fun?

Now for The ending . It was sweet and cleverly done. I don’t understand how people are objecting to that ending. It does fair enough justice to the story especially given the nature of the drama.

Read More

Intensely perfect

I really adored this drama. It’s different and quite particular like a dry wine which makes it all the more special. The two leads flawlessly acted the screenplay and the silences are quite pregnant that this is one of the most beautiful pieces of television I have beheld. Yoo Ah In is especially top notch. Plus Kim Hee-ae character is one of the few female leads who never annoyed.

As for the story - it’s particular . If you are not drawn in by the synopsis at first then this might be a strenuous watch. However if you are intrigued and very interested then you will get quite the opposite . You will get a rewarding experience full of beautiful classical pieces and tense scenes and an overwhelming sense of honour and nobility in unkind circumstances.

It’s also quite the education. The class system is relavantly depicted in all its unfair cruel light and one is made distinctly aware of strata , status and class in South Korea.

Would I classify it as a love story ? No , not really . This is more a story of two individuals with a passion for music living in a dispassionate society yet they are paradoxically filled with intense passion. This passion then as a consequence breeds a thrilling romance between the two to culminate into a wholesome story of courage and honour in the guise of tragedy,

Is it good for rewatches . No not really . Just like that dry wine I was talking of earlier- this drama only comes in one bottle and the pleasure cannot be recreated . It’s special.

Read More

It’s a trope fest so you gotta appreciate tropes to actually see this drama for the beauty it is.

As the headline states - to be honest with you , it is a real trope fest ! I’m talking chaebol, fate,noble sacrifice, second bananas, rich and poor etc . The whole shebang !I really appreciated the tongue-in-cheek honesty and found this refreshing.

As for my review- This is a really fluid watch hence the utter high marks I give it .Its not strenuous in the slightest nor is it frustrating. To me , fluidity and the feelings aroused are very important points in my drama forays. WWWSK passes it all.

STORY- well , the synopsis is not much to chew on and I advise those wanting to watch to go in with the low expectation the synopsis provides. You will be surprised by the elements that this drama brings. What you see is also not what you get as well in regards to the OTP.It really isn’t all about a secretary and her boss but let me keep quiet before I spoil. I especially loved its honesty in knowing it was a trope filled rom com and I loved the truthfulness of spinning each trope (knowingly with a wink to the viewer) on its head . I loved how the story was really inclusive of the viewer .I almost felt like a cast member hence WWWSK is engaging . It’s a bright , fluffy and really entertaining watch. The elements of it being based on a web toon added the X factor to the refreshing aspect of WWWSK.To juxtapose - I like the seriousness and thoughtfulness that the main leads incorporate .To be specific - I liked how the main OTPs actually listen to each other when they express feelings or opinions,. There are no plot holes and everything is all very satisfying. Such stellar romantic quotes and flooring declarations plus revelations enough to make you swoon to the gods. Moreover - the subsidiary stories were fun to watch hence the 10.

ACTING - lovely! For once not a stiff wooden female lead and I am soooo grateful for that . She actually closes her eyes when kissing ! In my view - the cast was flawless . They had so much energy and charisma plus geled really well together . The cast is dare I say almost iconic ? Like , I was nearly convinced they were actually really really firm chums in real life having a ball working together . Loved the expressive Park Min Young and the depth and charismatic range Park Seo Joon .

MUSIC - great OST . Loved every tune especially the poignant and profundity that is Its You by Jeong Sewoon. This song actually tells the whole story if one is paying close attention.

FASHION - 10 as well. All the outfits really communicated the characters portraits very well. The fun office girl wore shorts suits , the cutesy one wore baby doll blouses ,chaebol never really got casual etc you get the picture. Office wear was also done in a very approachable manner fit for any Pinterest board. Plus really loved all the accessories as well . Pretty earrings and great handbags . Young Jun’s suits were also really good though I loved his take on casual which wasn’t casual but really communicated the ethos of his character.

REWATCH - yes . I will definitely revisit sometime . It will be fun watching trying to figure out and pin point when and where exactly all the characters really fell for each other . Plus Park Seo Joon has really funny lines .

OVERALL- Personally a firm fave of mine . It’s going into my lists for fave dramas and OTPs . Perhaps the only critique I can give is that the final episodes did delve into some sort of fan service of some sort . Some may say towards the end there was no plot development but what do you want from a rom com ? A masked serial killer ? I personally want cute scenes and resolve and if it means an overload of pretty cute scenes that are actually coherent and reflective then bring on the fan service !

Go watch . It’s better than The Heirs which I dropped and found in its pathetic stead - this gem WWWSK. HA !

Read More

Cute filler show

Umm , this show is strange but in a unique way , it’s also cringe but it in a charming way . I really enjoyed dutifully putting it on everyday after a couple tasks . It’s a really cute filler series as well for when you need a nice fluffy inbetweener or a break from a heavy drama you may have on rotation . Or just a good ole binge . It won’t take long .

The leads have great chemistry and deliver cute performances that make you root for their characters' budding romance. Their on-screen dynamic is filled with charm, and their interactions are both funny and endearing.
This show doesn’t even make sense like how they fell in love sooo unrealistically quickly but I rolled with it unabashedly and SKINSHIP helped too. wink wink

Side bar : sometimes shows are good for the charisma even though they have zero plot and Shanai is such an example.

Read More

Neo Noir done in a pop culture friendly way

"A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress."

The Worst of Evil is truly a study of the psychology of a Pyrrhic victory.

It is a very , very, good watch and nothing to sniff at. I applaud the ease of the theme presentation and the accessibility of the watch , something that is very hard to do with morally ambiguous characters but this drama nailed it .

The watch is strenuous and far from a kick back watch . It is unrelenting in its brawn and dark in its resolve . I highly appreciate how all that unflinching and unrelenting darkness never let up for a second and was beautifully woven in the music , the acting and the dialogue.

I rate it an 8.5 because its definitely more than good but there is really nothing new being explored here. Its exploration is also not that novel but for what it is- its a wonderful drama worth a watch with standout performances by Ji Chang Wook, Bibi and Im Se Mi. I was not particularly blown away by Wi Ha Joon as I should have . I think he doesn't have the depth just yet to handle 4D characters like the gangster Jang Gicheul. I think a Woo Do Hwan (since they have a similar look) would have delivered that heart wrenching humanity coupled with a searing darkness. Wi Ha Joon made it very obvious he was playing a role.

Other than that - a very enjoyable drama with a lot of tension and thought provocation and soul stirring moments.

Read More

Blockbuster season with decent follow through from S1

Season 1 provided the depth , ruminations on civilization and tribalism with stellar commentary on how civilisations spin spiritual doctrines to suit their greed and ambition whilst season 2 ups the stakes in a very do and die manner with stellar action scenes and INTENSITY.

This season is a definite must watch for those who watched s1.The world building continues to be compelling and the commentary is stunning as ever . I have always appreciated Arthdal Chronicles for its commentary on religion and beliefs. And how both keep order and peace but ironically can cause conflicts and war.

The music was great and I never skipped the theme song , acting was stellar too with stand out performances from Jang Dong Gun who finished Tagon with such pomp and emotive flair. His portrayal is truly a best actor contender of the year for me along with the leads in My Dearest, Worst of Evil and Moving in 2023.

Overall- objectively speaking , there were some weak points but when Arthdal shines? It really shines. Some of the best tv episodes of the year and just in the fantasy genre are housed in ep 9 and 10 of season 2 alone hence why I score this a more than decent 8/10.

Read More

Truly is MOVING

I really thought that this was going to be your typical high budget super-hero drama. The high profile cast ahem Han Hyo Joo , Zo In Sung and co definitely must have cost a lot , and like many big budget shows – Moving was probably going to have typical poor writing with big special effects. Probably some formulaic hero show that we’ve seen before a la Heroes or Marvel/Dc vibes.

Boy was I wrong !

For sure its got high powered fight scenes but this show is more than that.This show prioritizes character development. Motifs galore with beautiful imagery and meaning too. The writing is excellent . The production and visual FX are crazy good too. It’s tugging on all the emotional strings with emotional bonds that are truly MOVING.

Now, some may be put off by the gritty violence . It really does get in there that a fast forward button may be needed for more sensitive viewers but I am one of those sensitive viewers and I can tell you that the violence has a sincere necessity contextualizing the gore. They fight for love and fear of loss .Everyone of them do this that it cancelles out any sense of gratuity .

Now why do I score it a 9 and not a 10? Theres something I cannot forgive about this really great show and that is the focus balancing .

Focus balancing is when there are plots and subplots and the editors , directors et al balance them .i.e - the main plot has the adequate focus that a main plot should have and a sub plot is noticeably sub to a main plot.

Now , Moving understandably has a holistic take on the anthology and all plots are actually main plots but I couldn't shake the feeling that there were plots that were better done and in hindsight ,too consummate to be a parallel to the one I felt the problem lay with . Just so you are not in the dark , theres a man whose backstory was waaaaay too much and killed the balance for me so no perfect 10 from me.

That aside , this show truly is something special .Its grounded in realism because well and truly , if superpowered people existed ,the trials the show explores would be the exact thing happening to them with governments using them etc. That is so self aware and brilliant of the script.

Also ,shout out to the best romance I have seen in drama land in a loooong time acted out by Zo In Sung and Han Hyo Joo and which also culminated in the BEST episodes of the show. They resonated with pure sincerity, cutting through misunderstandings and doubts, showcasing the genuine feelings between two people and successfully evoking deep emotions in the viewers . What Moving did with two episodes of romance is something that 16 episode dramas routinely fail at.

The highschool children were amazing too!

Overall- I highly recommend especially to those who like grit mixed with slice of life showcased in almost anthology style.

Read More

This drama gave me STRESS

This is a very good drama that is all types of twisty and bendy in the best way .

The plot device is not so much physical twists but more so emotional twists . All is not what it seems on the emotional front . I found that very novel and well done .

By the way / lots of romance . Lots of it . And it’s so wonderfully inserted . Dare I say it’s epic !

Acting is superb . Lee Jong Ki shows immense range ,control and sheer excellence . He is officially a favorite of mine . He made watching Moon Lovers bearable and in FoE he has a great script and brilliantly shines .

Moon Chae Won was brilliant too . Great emotive acting with the professional restraint that was needed for her cop role . Another one going in the fave actors list

Shoutout to the villains for actually being soooo scary . I was legitimately frightened of them . Dripping in scariness for sure .

So why the 9 and not a full ten ? Well , the show got a bit soap opera and melodrama like in a way that was trope leaden . It didn’t remain sober in approach . If you are looking for a Signal vibe in here , then that is definitely not in here .

However , atmosphere modulation is up there with the best in K Drama land . The choreography of scenes was just beautifully strung together . There’s an episode 10 that is just a masterpiece!

Overall: Happy to see it won Best Director at the Baeksang awards . It was well directed . 10/10 for the sheer stress I was constantly in . I had to constantly pause to give myself a break.It was too much . But sooooo much in a good way .

Read More

Run of the mill with a little something special

Business Proposal is your typical K Drama romance comedy with the rich taciturn chaebol, his good friend, obsessive guardian/ parent, tragic story, poor girl but conscientious with funny hardworking parents plus bestie. You get it, your typical archetypes. And that's the brilliance and warmth about it really. It does not reinvent the wheel but drives a bus we are so fondly familiar with.

That being said, that's where the greatness of this drama ends. It becomes slightly superfluous and not so tight in its story telling but you know what? That is okay too because its not proclaiming to be Ahn Pan Seok profundity and it still nailed its brief.

Give it a watch for its sizzling chemistry, commentary on spy cams and warm romance.

Read More

Flawless story. Uninspired execution

Nine , Nine is such a good story with great mechanics and messaging that I really enjoyed.

There wasn't a lot of hair pulling physics at play which I found refreshing. Instead, the physics employed where the physics of emotions. That no matter what you do in time, a person's essence will remain true to character and form. The push and pull of character essence staying true throughout time made for an enduring watch with stunning character portraits.

It scored a mediocre 7/10 because the presentation of this beautifully woven story was dull and uninspired. It lacked x factor, charm and charisma. This drama has zero personality and at times, that made for boring watches. It took me literal MONTHS to finish this drama as a result.

Its my hope we see a remake of this beautiful story because for sure , it is lovely . Maybe a modern one from South Korea again or even an international one, Hollywood style . Even a movie . I would definitely watch !

OVERALL- the story is quite literally flawless and resolved very well. The character portraits are some of the more enduring I have seen in all of dramaland and it gets it 7 top marks from that. However, it was low key boring.

Read More

Trope fest but surprisingly sound and good

I always say to viewers that are watching office romances that you have to enjoy the tropes so the drama can actually land. Same goes for school dramas- you have to appreciate the bullying tropes , love hate angles for the school dramas to really land .

That being said - Secret Life of My Secretary is a typical office romance . Mean and ambitious boss who is secretly self sacrificing who has a secretary who is super diligent , embarrassing and reliable. TYPICAL but it goes above that and that was so surprising . It explores with delicacy conditions, forgiveness , patience and the virtue of being truthful and honest whilst outlining the stark emotive differences between honesty and truthfulness.

The main leads journeys regarding themselves and each other were refreshing and the warmness that this drama exuded was very refreshing . The subplots of the office intrigues brilliantly brought out the overall themes and it was very pleasant how this whole drama was handled.

The cast had great chemistry and every story was enjoyable . Particularly loved the second leads romance and the doctor .

However - it was not too swoon worthy but all basic and warm. Lets just say that I am not going to look for Youtube MVs of the couples . The music was also meh . That makes it score a 7.5 but a hot 7.5 leaning to a 8.

If you like an office romance - then this is definitely a handy one to have in your list !

Read More

One of the best fusion dramas out there!

Queen In Hyun's man is everything a romantic drama should be . Charming , swoon worthy and ROMANTIC. However , the writers of Queen In Hyun's Man did not think that was enough! No sir. They took it a step further with time travel elements , time slip too and the celebrity world.

This drama really gave alot in the chemistry , romance and simplicity departments. So much so that the angst purgatory stage that every drama deems necessary to have was actually quite lovely! And I hate angst.

The motifs , themes and conclusions were utterly satisfying and the reasons why it does not score a full ten is because the story was not expansive enough and just felt like there were two people . This is mostly because the supporting cast seemed to just exist and the FLs friend was annoying. I really despise noisy characters and she just had a banal way of speaking which was not even funny. However , these off elements do not take away from the charm of the drama.

Other than that- its perfect ! The OST is chef's kiss too. I loved how it had the fusion of Joseon and modern which did so mich for the continuity of the drama !

I highly recommend it . Its super duper refreshing ad will remind you what ROMANCE is supposed to look and feel like.

Read More

A passable Zombie movie that you can watch if you hate scary movies

As far as Zombie movies go - this is a good one .
As far as movies go - this is an okay movie.

#Alive has a great introduction and really compelling acting from Yoo Ah In , His acting chops really made the movie feel full and really well lived in even though he was the only human for the duration of the movie.

What brings this movie down is its failed logic and lousy set pieces. Theres not much to get or learn from this at all. Its barely emotional and does little to move the viewer. Not to mention that it is not scary.

However, it is passable and I was able to finish it , albeit in two sittings. Ha!

I wouldn't jump to recommend this movie . Its not special enough but if you are someone who wants to dip their toes into the genre then this is the safest option OR if you are an avid fan of the zombie genre - then go for it ! Though I must warn it is no Train to Busan .

Read More