nfabjoy

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.

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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.

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Bursting the hype reviews

You know what? Dali and the Cocky Prince really could have worked.

The whole old-money art heiress meets nouveau riche, brash businessman dynamic? That’s interesting. The commentary on class, taste, refinement versus hustle culture :there was something there. It had potential to be clever, layered, even a little biting.

But then… it just became silly. And not in a charming, rom-com way. In a “can we please be serious for two seconds?” way. There were moments where I genuinely felt like my time was being wasted because the tone tipped so far into childish absurdity.The conflicts became exaggerated in a way that wasn’t witty or satirical, just… over-the-top. And not in a good way.

I get why people were excited about it. The premise is fresh by K-drama rom-com standards. It’s not your usual chaebol CEO meets poor girl setup. I respect that. But freshness alone isn’t enough.

There were sparks of something smart and stylish in there, but it just couldn’t maintain its balance.

For me? No thanks.

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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.

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 .

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This drama is ELITE

Powerful, stirring, brilliant—you name it, Six Flying Dragons is it.

JUST WATCH is the only justice I can give a show of such brilliance.

"It explores the tensions between pragmatism and idealism, caution and action, ruthlessness and moral rectitude" with great story telling and screen play greatly depicting the urgency of the times .

It truly is an EPIC that astounds in cinematography , cast , screenplay and production.One would find the most geneorous character portraits and most delicate writing treated with reverence and imbued with deep reflection.

I personally loved the insights and moral instruction offered in SFD. Every great thing requiring a certain sacrifice was a trope spun on its head . What is victory ? What is a loss ? Were also deeply explored. It also pondered the mechanics of villainy in great art . That , perhaps , the most noble people with zero greed in their hearts are the most dangerous because they cannot compromise for a greater principle and lack empathy and pity for the common man as their views are rooted in elitist sense of self ? Or maybe its the ones with the most persuasive tongues that are the violent ones? Or that people with darkness and resentment in their hearts have a much needed push and pull to be moral characters with great empathy. What ever insights you pick up on ,what is for sure is that there is no endorsement of path .What is right is history .

JUST WATCH . Epic sword fights and epic relationships ensue.

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An intense yet feel good drama

The premise of While You Were Sleeping really caught my eye as I have some experience on dreams and precognition so the emotional connection to the drama was quite solidified . However , bias aside, this drama did so well in world building and being very elemental . The fact that it is a legal drama with romantic and fantasy elements made this drama thrilling and very full bodied.

The full bodied nature of the drama meant everything was well fleshed out. The stories of everyone from the guy in school , the lawyer in the firm, the prosecutors to the intimate relationships were highly generous and very rewarding . It almost came across as a slice of life drama which I highly appreciated . The creation of an ensemble of likeable characters made the WYWS world feel full and very much lived in, and that’s probably the thing I liked most about While You Were Sleeping.The pathos illustrated made the characters likeable and easy to relate to and seeing them making hard decisions in the best way they knew how was a great continuity and relatable factor for the audience.There was also enough external conflict in highly villainous characters to keep it exciting and spicy too.Not to mention that this drama is HILARIOUS as well.

As for the romance business - it was all very pleasant and warm.In fact -the romance displayed here will go down as one of my personal faves in Kdrama land because of the ease that it was. It was not angst ridden and the understanding they had for each other was highly rewarding . Everything was so pleasantly soft even with the second male lead!

However , on the flip side ,the main element is not widely explained but I forgave that because it really isn’t about the intricacies of the plot but its really about the character growth born from the main element.

As for the acting and cast all I can muster is that there are 3 VERY hot male leads in Lee Jong Suk , Jung Hae In and Lee Sang Yeob that make this drama VERY easy on the eyes . A hot villain in Lee Sang Yeob ? Yes please!

Ahem , on a serious note though -the supporting cast was flawless and a standing ovation is in order for the very sweet portrayal of Han Woo Tak by the commendable Jung Hae In . I thoroughly enjoyed his restrained yet thoughtful enactment of Woo Tak and quite frankly - I will follow Jung Hae In wherever he goes and thats that.As for Lee Jung Suk - he was okay ( I never find him spectacular ) whilst Suzy Bae is not horrendous at all as some like to say. Though , its very obvious that the two could have been more emotive because Jung Hae In really showed them up . Just saying.

Now for music - its the softest ost out there that perfectly exemplifies the romance. The music also did well in atmosphere modulation too. I particularly loved Suzy Bae' s songs but essentially - the OST is very good .

OVERALL- The whole drama was really about the effect that people have on other people, and recognising that no matter how small a decision seems to you, it could alter someone else’s life irrevocably. I found that quite poignant about WYWS that I I highly recommend this watch.

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Scintillating watch albeit weak plot resolution

My Country is a really entertaining watch for sure despite my average ratings. It’s knee smacking screen play , emotionally appealing and very easy on the eyes even with all the gore and blood .

I appreciated the entertaining first episode as first episodes for saeguks are notoriously known for being doze fests. I also liked how character driven this action piece was even with all the swords and blood. The friendship and military intrigues spiced with intense villainy were really nice to watch and kept me anticipating the next episodes. In fact -The first five episodes were all perfect with killer quotes that really set the mood for the show to be thought provoking and hinting at a profound watch but alas....

I advise those contemplating watching My Country to read up or at least brush up on the history of Goryeo and the transition period into the Joseon Dynasty . If you don’t - you may be a deer in the headlights especially post episode 5. ( watching Six Flying Dragons May help ) They throw around historical incidents like cheap candy with no context or reverance . I actually resented that aspect quite strongly . One point gone .

Furthermore- the insertion of romantic currency was weak , unimaginative and pointless. Romance does a lot to bring dimensions to not only characters but the story as whole.Unfortunately this was done poorly and ended up taking away from an already dynamic screenplay. There was a lot of romance story lines picked like a love triangle but poof! Drooped! Did Sun Ho like Yeon ? Who did Chi Do date? Where was Bang Won’s wife whom in history was quite instrumental? Etc. Two points now gone .

The portrayal of historical contributive factors to Joseon Dynasty became highly problematic in the end . For example- Gibangs were important as information safe houses and were quite instrumental in the founding of the Joseon nation . And this sense was achieved in some aspects but only for it be diluted into a personal dating service for a character was just nauseating . Three points gone .

The acting for the most part was the shows crowning moment . Jang Hyuk was spectacular with his fan and top knot although I think he was wasted . Ahn Nae Sung was just brilliantly horrible as the villain and Woo Do Hwan really acted his butt off ! I really hope he gets some award for his performance because he was VERY VERY GOOD. The Orange Marmalde girl was just marmalade boring with her dry toast love interest in Yang Se Jong who should stick to modeling . Other than those two - everyone was excellent!

As for the music - I really didn’t like it all. I get they made this drama for a younger audience and so on and so forth but EDM in a Goryeo fight scene was just whack . The songs are personally forgettable. 4 points gone.

Costumes were really good though . Apltly portrayed the times and military conquests. One always had to be battle ready and their clothes really showed this urgency.

OVERALL- this was a good show to watch live and I am glad I did watch it live because binge watching would not have softened the blows of the flaws. The plot resolution was slightly bad and the insertion of the plot twist in the last two episodes was very blindsiding to the viewer in a not so good way . It’s an entertaining watch though but should not be a first watch for a saeguk or a Goryeo - Joseon dynasty .

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