A cleverly crafted romance that works despite itself.

The Beauty Inside tackles the old adage of “beauty is in the inside” with a compelling and refreshing take well worth its course .

Caution : if you poke at it too much , it will definitely fall apart but for what it’s worth which is : a soft focus on a topic infused with romance ; it nails it .

The Beauty Inside doesn’t aim to be its predecessor as a social commentary and it’s quite clear from the get go that this movie just wants to explore what romance could be for someone who changes their body everyday . You will not get profound quotes on acceptance and image . Far from it . However, one gets a portrait of loneliness from the male lead and a tour de force from the female lead .

And that leads me to the standout here : Han Hyo Joo was terrific in this ! Her character portrait and her portrayal which is refreshingly far away from the infantile rom com woman was astounding ! She helped with the gravitas , nuance and emotional resonance of this movie that this was a total tour de force of talent !

This movie is also very well crafted . The hues and tones were just right and the motif of furniture was cleverly built in with the whole theme . The cameos of top Korean stars makes the movie super cool too.

OVERALL- A cleverly crafted romance that works despite itself. I say “despite itself “ because it really could have knocked it out with a more punchy social commentary and shorter run time . Those were just cons working against the movie. However , if the story compels you , go for it .

Read More

This is my review of all the parts in one review.

Part 1 : 8/10
Part 2 :6/10
Overall : 7/10

Arthdal Chronicles is a cool fantasy drama with vitalizing commentary on what and who can be considered as civilized.

It has a talented cast and amazing visuals but I rate a somber 7 for a couple of reasons.

The good: Great story arcs and great initial fantasy building with the Arthdal world and its surrounding communes. Loved the pull and tension of the different species and aspects and rates of civilization.

Part 1 is definitely the better one and best representation of what Arthdal is.

The poor- 1.I found the continuing story arc of the pull and tension of the main characters very unsatisfactory especially the male lead protagonist . His scenes and story line became rather burdensome for me as a viewer as the main story arc was abandoned for him. We know he is special and was even born on an auspicious day yet his story-line was developed as tiring and lacking pace and vision.

This then affected everyone else and made the lore of Arthdal and its auspices now poorly executed.

2. The pacing and direction or maybe editing was lacklustre . Focusing was off and part 2 just dragged along story line wise. The plot twists became contrived too.

Overall- this show takes a chance and I love shows that take a chance . For what it is , it did okay but not decently if you ask me . It was bursting with potential and slid away .

Read More

Solid trajectory but watches as continuously repetitive and tired .

Doctors is a drama that depicts lots of heart , growth and humanness.

It had a lot going for it with full bodied characters that went through their individual phrasal evolution. That was great to watch until a certain point.

It also had great full circle moments that were great to watch until a certain point.

And I believe the premise of the main love story was totally cringe with the teacher/student angle and that just brought down the atmosphere of the overall drama in hindsight.

The cast was very underwhelming and I did not like the male lead at all. he was wooden and uninspired . Everyone else was plausibly okay.

I also had a hard time finishing it because everything became so repetitive so I felt less inclined to watch past the 16 eps mark.

However , it was a sweet drama with lots of warmth and cool medical procedures that added to thrill of watching the show.So, if you are trying to enter medical dramas , I suggest this one but I can guarantee you there are probably better ones .

Read More

Personally enjoyable but very bad elements

If someone were to ask me if I enjoyed The K2 - I would emphatically say YES .Unreservedly. Here's why :

1.Great fight scenes
2.Great political angst and villainy
3.Great supporting cast
4.Great intrigue and conspiracy
5. Great melodrama

Wars in the Middle East , espionage , fighting , commentary on AI and surveillance plus political puppets really made The K2 so interesting in a tenacious way. It really tried its darnedest to adhere to the 5 values I stated above . Moreover , the villain Choi Yoo Jin was incredibly exceptionally portrayed and her story arc was super enduring.Including her husband.

So why the 7.5 and not an emphatic 9 ? Here's why :

1. Weak male and female leads ( Ji Chang Wook and Im Yoon Ah)
2.Gormless romance
3. Not taking advantage of opportunities for an enduring story line
4. The character of Annan and her presentation was so UNNECESSARY
5. Loose story weaving

Not gonna sugar coat it but Ji Chang Wook and his insufferable inability to be comedically on point was terribly off putting . He did not do any justice to his character and everything of his just had off timing especially the comedic elements inserted into his character.

Im Yoon Ah was actually more insufferable to be fair , however , I will not persecute her too much because her character was ill conceived and written terribly . The K2 could have really saved itself if it focused on the bodyguard element decisively which is to say that there was no need for a romantic interest in the form of Anna and perhaps she should have been a child that he protects and have more of a ''hyung/brother'' element instead of a romance because THAT was disgustingly flat.

This now brings me to my point of ''loose story weaving.'' Why have romantic tensions between the male lead and the female villain only for it to culminate to nothing? Viewers did not deserve such possibly exciting ambiguity only for it to be thrown out. There are many other instances of loose story weaving but I will be spoiling.

The music was unremarkable and so is the rewatch value and quite possibly , this should score a 6.5 at best but I really enjoyed it and consider it to be a gem despite its flaws and all..

This drama is testament to a mantra I personally subscribe to and that is '' a drama does not have to be good in order for it to be good."

I highly recommend !

Read More

Intentionally high octane crazy draaaama.

Know this is intentionally crazy and you will have a fun time of it! I guarantee it.

The Last Empress is a bold , riveting bat crazy drama that still manages to be intricate and with emotional gravitas.

Its spins a tale of a fictional monarchy in modern times and brilliantly touches on the familial mayhem that could entail in such a family. If you are a student of Shakespeare, you will find the Macbeth -esque villainy in here artistic and very fun.As a K Drama fan, you will find that K CHARM brilliantly woven in by Shin Sun Rok and Jang Na Ra. If you like a brooding male lead too - Choi Jin Hyuk and his deep voice has you sorted and if you like a spunky spicy female lead - they ALL have that covered !

I also liked how involved the drama was . The viewer was in tandem with the drama and was never left behind for a minute . Making the viewer feel like an actual cast member is a lost art these days but Last Empress heartily inserted that .

It scores an 8.5 for two reasons though. The first being that I found components of the female cast particularly grating at times . The face acting on Lee Elijah and Shin Eun Kyung was really annoying and the director faltered heavilly there . The second being that the ending was found very wanting in some aspects for certain characters whilst others got brilliant ends . Inconsistency is the bane of any viewing experience so I had to shave points for that .

However , other than that- its an original story that does not hold back all. With all its melo dramatic madness , a schizy beauty truly emerged !

Read More

An easy breezy thriller great for those weekend blockbuster picks!

If you love a thriller that is making a grand statement , good acting , great visual FXs and a complementary car chase then this movie is for you.

Its very blockbuster and really packs a punch in its set up. It has a great man in the middle character in Kim Woo Bin who quickly turns sides and the menacing performance in Lee Byung Han is what every villain should be . However-I found the other male protagonist in Kang Dong Wan to be rather flat and grossly underwritten , but , hey ! Its not that deep. Its just an entertaining watch with suitable thrills.It won't bog you down at all.

Give it a watch for those weekends when you need an entertaining , crime obsessed thriller.

Read More

A fiery drama that had an identity crisis

This drama depicts a game of life and love and had such a good mix of swoony but serious.Jang Ok Jung is portrayed as King Sukjong's first love twice in all the iterations she came into his life. It doesn't get more beautiful than that. But watch them throw away such pathos.

What was initially the story of an ambitious woman who was born in the wrong time and the story of a passionate romance in a very chaste time made for an unbelievably delicious and satisfying watch. Moreover, the knowledge of the inevitable fate of these two historical characters is remarkably effective for the viewer to tune in.

Its clear to the viewer that the corrupt world they live in will eventually make them villains but not of their own making but just because they are the way they are. I thought that was so skillful of the writers to portray in the convincing manner they did in the first half but then things went awry.

Perhaps the story was too dynamic to handle because the show ended up delivering cheap makjang gimmicks from what was otherwise good pacing and fluid watching . My gripe is how thoughtful the drama was in its metaphors and then they literally threw that away . It should have watched as a political romance instead of delving into the hysterics of a makjang.

The drama literally had an identity crisis . It did not know what it was in the end .

I think I will watch Dong Yi.

Read More

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 .

Read More

This is for the people who didn’t enjoy My Mister

I write this review amongst the glowing 9's and 10’s. I really do come in peace to just say that this is a very strong cup of tea that may not be a preferred cup as I have unfortunately found myself.

It is a hectic watch . It is a tough watch . It is also a pouty watch. All these attributes are also the charms of the drama but are also the aspects that make it a pungent tea to some. Two things can be true at the same time and that is okay too .

Unfortunately, the former overwhelmed the other . It truly is the drama I couldn’t love even though I wanted to . And I can see what everyone talks about , I’m sure it inspires personal healing and human warmth and everything a slice of life should be but it just was not a slice of life I wanted to have . The tea leaves of Lee Jee An with her pouty grimace and the dry lips of the male lead and the pitiful brothers and mother were not sifted through the drama sieve well enough .

And those are the redeeming charms to some but it’s a no from me .

Read More

Now this is how you do a disaster movie!

The headline says it all. One of the best disaster movies in the entire game!

Emergency Declaration is an outstanding film that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. With a gripping storyline and exceptional performances by the cast, it's a must-see for any fan of suspenseful thrillers.It is well acted , well produced, screenplay to die for and pacing that is heartracingly sublime! I was a total sweating mess watching this and thats exactly what a disaster thriller should do!

On top of the thrills- it delves into complex moral dilemmas and the human psyche under extreme pressure. The movie does commentary and thought provocation searingly well and that is so amazing to pack in the high stakes of everything.

The visuals are striking, and the use of sound adds an extra layer of intensity to the viewing experience.The cast delivers outstanding performances across the board. Everyone is phenomenal and all convey the desperation,determination or greed of their characters brilliantly.

Overall - its a must watch. Truly a top contender in the disaster movie game because of its ability to create a palpable sense of urgency and emotional connection with the characters.

I can see this being a future cult classic of the genre.

Read More

A very warm drama that touches on elemental themes in an encouraging way.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is first and foremost a youth drama . Its intended age group is definitely 16 - 25 years old but that should not deter anyone from watching this warm drama. Because of its context and set up , Weightlifting should be thoroughly excused for being juvenile in set pieces and the like.

One of things that make a drama great is when a drama takes a chance and authentically lives out its set pieces without added soapy angsty drama that has no place being there. This drama is all that and more. Its the only drama I have watched so far where I thoroughly enjoyed the couple BEFORE they got together. Usually, I am in a huff and puff for them to get together or annoyed at the detractors of the Main Leads love but that was not the case here . Everything progressed in a warm and realistic manner that was quite encouraging .

I especially loved the sports element and the commentary on doing what you love because you can and why not ?The juxtaposition of the insanely talented Bok Joo and Joon- Hyung and their averagely talented friends was quite special on the commentary of 'you shall surely succeed if the work is not heavy on the heart."

There were also beautiful specks of mental health commentary and I particularly loved how Weightlifting aimed to be corrective on usually stigmatized issues . The portrayal on visiting doctors and psychiatrists was positive and the overall message that its fundamentally okay to not be okay was also gratifying . The insertion of bulimia , pressure from parents and peers and corruption was also good food thought which removed all shallow marks from this youth drama.

The acting was great especially by the main cast . The main leads are amazing OTPs and I will struggle to see them with other pairings in other dramas.The messaging of friendship being supportive and inspiring was particularly heart warming and I appreciated all the friendships in the drama.

The reason why this does not get a 10 is because I found certain elements of this drama a tad bit too draggy . I fastforwarded some scenes I found repetitive . This drama could have been helped by a better editing team but other than that - I have no qualms and its pros seriously overwhelm its cons.

OVERALL- Go into this appreciating that this is a youth drama .No need for Cannes critique and you will enjoy. I really think its worth the hype. Aaaaad I say that as someone who has a list on MDL of dramas not worth the hype . Sooooo ;-)

Read More

Grounded and just thrillingly VERY good.

I was really excited to start Designated Survivor : 60 Days as its based on the exciting American one . ( BTW You do not have to watch the American one to watch this one.) I was also keenly looking forward to equally exciting Korean elements and I must say ,all my expectations were gloriously exceeded!

Everything was perfectly wound from the scenario , to the politics and the thrilling action, The story never failed to captivate and the build up was thoroughly conclusive and very grounded. The political machinations added to the thrill and actually did not bog down anything .I particularly loved the social commentary on the proposed laws as they touched on pertinent social issues and causes.Then the action was just a lovely decadent cherry on the top.

The directing was equally sublime and I loved the use of past and present scenes . The capture shots were very rich too and added a true elegance to the story line and overall production.

The cast was equally perfect too with all the leads wonderfully shining and adding artistic nuance were possible.

The music added great ambiance to all the set pieces.

Overall -an absolute home run of a drama that I thoroughly recommended . So much heart and such profound dialogue too that I am sorry it is finished .

Read More

An undercover super charming watch !

I’m trying to fault the secret agent baby sitter drama that is Terius Behind Me and I’m really failing . I’m also trying to see if it’s worth a lower mark than 9 but it really isn’t .

This is such a tight watch with fantastic pacing oozing with subtlety.

It’s quite the grown up drama exploring grief , debt , parenting and grown up love that encourages and doesn’t infatuate. I found this drama to be such a wholesome watch that felt like a nice cup of chamomile tea .

It is also a spy drama but the plot point is not too dark or overwhelming and was done quite nicely .

The supporting cast , I found, really shines in this drama and the way their stories were woven into all the elements made the drama feel very well lived in and expertly directed .

Not a single actor to fault too ! Great chemistry abound with every component of the cast .

My only fault is that this drama really restrained itself because it would have been truly excellent. Otherwise , Terius Behind Me is not exceptional or entirely special but it is truly charming and worth a watch !

Read More

Zero plot holes ,succinct and charming

Hana Yori Dango is quite the unblemished retelling of this iconic story .

It’s well acted and seamless that I find next to nothing to reproach .I’m utterly impressed with the succinct nature of this drama . The dramatic consequence made utter sense whilst still maintaining nuance and charisma .Moreover, it was beautifully shot and contains a goodly number of sweet moments and one of the best love declaration scenes I have seen . The last two episodes were simply entrancing and did a lot to bolster my ratings to a perfect 10.

There’s not much more I can add other than that you should definitely give it a watch especially if you are invested in this story and have watched the other adaptations.

Read More

Utterly thought provoking and will haveyou thinking long after the credits roll

My headline really is my review, I kept playing out the scenario in my head and wondering what I would have done in that situation. I’m still not resolved but I know one thing for sure and that is : I utterly loved this movie and I’m super glad to learn from MDL that it won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

The story is poignant , touching and evocative. Everything I love in a movie. I’m super into Cannes Film Festival a la Palm D’Or story lines and this movie provided pathos and more. It has a melo pace with tense quiet moments that brilliantly tell the story . I also loved how economical it was . The script was not convuluted and character portraits were just . This movie is very measured and this can be seen by how the characters are not too much of anything and the story just plays out.

So what makes a family ? Is it blood or is it bond?

It’s a definite watch .

Read More