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Arang and the Magistrate Episode 2
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The speed with which Eun Oh manages to figure out who Arang is bothers me. I hoped that the story would focus more on the mystery and intrigue of figuring out who she is. It's almost too good to be true with how quickly he found her identity.
Joo Wal is gaining my attention quite a bit. I can't exactly tell if he's a serial killer or a werewolf (issues with the full moon? That's can't be normal), but he is interesting. He's shady, but even when he attacks the gisaeng, you can tell he's feeling some fear and guilt. I want to see more of him and learn more of his story.
The part with the ghosts fighting over the gosure was really cool to me (and not because of the wire acrobatics). I like that they explained further just how much it sucks to be ghost who doesn't know their family, or doesn't have family to offer them food in the first place. It shows us the pain and struggle Arang has experienced for the past three years.
I actually really enjoy the attempts at being funny. It's not quite the level of the silly sight-gags that are found in the Naked Gun movies, but it reminds me of that same type of humor. Plenty of folks in the town think that Eun Oh is completely nuts. The parts where Min Ah is not present and Joon Gi has to pretend he's being dragged around are delightful in my opinion. There's not a lot of funny stuff, but there's enough.
The romance is really speedy. Eun Oh and Arang went from 0 to 100 in no time at all, and I've got to say, I've got quite the romantic whiplash. Still, even though it was quick, I think it can be forgiven. Eun Oh is the first person who has been able to see, hear, and touch Arang in three years. Because of this, she has an outpouring of emotion toward this guy, who has saved her from a reaper, discovered her identity, and even paid for her to have a new dress and jewelry (despite the fact that's he's the only person that can see her). I can completely understand why she would so quickly fall in love with him, and while that means the romantic pacing is a little wonky, it also adds to more color to their relationship. It makes it a little more unique.
The Kings of Heaven and Hell are still hilarious.
I think this show is setting itself on a very good path. I can only hope for the best.
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Our hero is sort of hot and cold; I can't tell if he's funny or angsty, because they tried both. I can't take him seriously as a chic action hero when I've only ever seen him do comedy (and they're still trying to do it here). I'm not buying it. I understand it's only the first episode, but I already like his competition, the King, much better, because at least the King has an interesting personality.
The wire acrobatics at the beginning were a bit of a turn-off. That whole intro sequence, actually, was a failed attempt at quirky humor, as was Moo Myung's introduction to Ah Ro. It was too predictable.
I think that Ban Ryu and Soo Ho's rivalry is genuinely interesting, and I'd love to learn more about them.
Maek Jong is a cool guy, and I love his story so far. It's interesting to see the struggle of a King in hiding play out, and I'm curious about how he ends up joining the Hwarang.
There are lots of things that are really attracting my attention, and that's good. At the same time though, some parts are cheesy (and not in a good way), and the failed attempts at making the audience laugh are unfortunate. I can only hope that the humor picks up in later episodes.
This was a pretty decent start, but it could have been better. Here's to a better Episode 2.
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I'm really excited for the political side of the story. Usually politics drags dramas down and they end up boring, but I have a feeling that this drama won't be like that. I'm interested to see how the Queen plans to use the Hwarang if the King himself is among them, and her advisors want the King to give his blessing for the project.
Ban Ryu and Soo Ho, of course, bring their A-game in this episode, being petty and picking fights for no reason at all. Han Sung also makes his first appearance in this episode.
Moo Myung showing off how cool he is at Okta was actually pretty cool. Something still doesn't feel quite right about his character, though. I also really liked when Moo Myung and Mak Moon are sitting in the forest, injured, and Mak Moon's dad shows up. This scene is very emotional, and it was a nice touch. I almost prefer this over Mak Moon living happily ever after with his family (as terrible as that sounds).
I hope they expand on Moo Myung's illness. I want to know what it is, especially since it seems pretty erratic, and the doctor suggested that it might be deadly. That's going to be a useful plot device later, and the writer better not lose it.
The final scene in the archery shop is sort of cool. It reminds me of when Korra is trying to learn airbending in "The Legend of Korra". Everything feels awkward though, even though everyone is doing pretty okay with their acting.
All that matters to me right now, though, is that the story is progressing and is interesting. I have confidence in the cast and their acting capabilities.
(Quick Note: Why would Moo Myung try to kill King Jinheung if he clearly saw the man riding on the horse coming to attack him and Mak Moon? He should at least have half a mind to tell the King from the man who really attacked them. At the same time though, with Moo Myung's mysterious illness, maybe he didn't see the man on the horse well enough to discern him from King Jinheung.)
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Strangers from Hell Episode 3
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Strangers from Hell Episode 2
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Strangers from Hell Episode 1
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