March sisters walked so Oh sisters could run.

The first report about this remake had me excited to the seven heavens; I was overjoyed not only to have a Korean version of one of my favorite classic novels plus movie adaptations but also to see how exactly they blend it into a sageuk (historical). Was a little upset upon learning that it’ll be based in modern urban times but it didn’t take long me to make terms with it. However, starting the drama and finishing two episodes left me very confused and had me pondering about the intentions of the makers. Not long after, I had to realize that only a few elements of the original have been picked up for the so-called remake and hence this one deserves no comparison. So, what are the similarities?

◆ Sisters (4 there, 3 here) living with their mother; father long gone to places.
◆ An artist among the sisters (2nd one there, 3rd one here).
◆ Poverty-stricken lifestyle, hard ways of earning food and necessities.
◆ The great grand-aunt who favors the middle sister for her intelligence and tenacity.
◆ The prince charming with not-so-significant role, two distinct male leads here.

Let me know if I missed out any ;)

Developed and produced by ‘Studio Dragon’,” Little Women (작은 아씨들)” is supposedly a loose adaptation of the 1868 classic novel of the same title by Louisa May Alcott. Screenwriter Chung Seo Kyung creates the story in a modern Seoul-styled Korean backdrop with essence of thriller, melodrama and makjang while Kim Hee Won takes charge of direction. The 12-episode drama was originally broadcasted on tvN and internationally distributed by Netflix. Several parts of the major happenings of the drama were also filmed in Singapore.

The original plot is about struggles, love, compassion and dreams, whereas this adaption is about greed, goals, urges, fear, somewhere love and of course, dreams. The story follows a poor Oh family of three sisters with separate professional goals who, without their consciousness, get involved with the richest family of Korea and a supposed cult that is connected trough a mysterious orchid, which starts with a missing sum of 70 billion won.

Oh In Joo (Kim Go Eun), the eldest sister, works for a salaried office job and having lived in extreme poverty, she dreams about money and wishes to live an ordinary life. Oh In Kyung (Nam Ji Hyun), the middle sister, is a righteous reporter who doesn’t value money and starts working on a case that was long-forgotten in order to unveil the truth. Oh In Hye (Park Ji Hu), the youngest sister, is an aspiring artist who gets acknowledged for her natural skills though she is a realist and considers her sisters’ love for her as a burden.

Choi Do Il (Wi Ha Joon) is a part of Wonryong Group whereas Oh Hye Suk (Kim Mi Sook) is the Great Grand Aunt and Ha Jong Ho (Kang Hoon) is her neighbor and childhood friend of In-kyung. Park Jae Sang (Um Ki Joon) is a politician aspiring to become Seoul’s Mayor while his wife Won Sang A (Uhm Ji Won) is the daughter of Wonryong Group, created by her father Commander General Won Ki Sun (Lee Do Yeop); Park Hyo Rin (Jeon Chae Yeon) is their daughter, also an artist who is In-hye’s best friend.

Other familiar faces in the drama are Jo Seung Yun, Gong Min Jung, Park Bo Kyung, Park Ji Young, Lee Min Woo, Kim Myung Soo, etc. Several big faces have made special appearances: Song Joong Ki, Oh Jung Se, Choo Ja Hyun and Jang Gwang.

Its initially mystifying and allows one to think what might be the intentions of the writer though the follow-up picks up very entertaining and baffling elements creating arousing intrigues within the mind. The furtherance was as amazing with gradual disclosure of more engaging facts about several plotlines, major or minor, and what perplexed me the most was the storytelling and its naturalness despite a mixture of idealistic, realistic and real factors. There was this episode around the interval, that I clearly don’t recall, did felt a little off; the period where things were static and nothing huge seemed to be on its way, not like it became boring or something though. The later half was definitely much more marvelous with each episode bearing several peaks and each of them competing to excel. I was personally taken aback at episode 8 and how the presentations got the best of me, so this is my most favorite, though the show kept surprising even more in the rest 4 episodes. The ending

Writer virtuoso Jung Seo Kyung, known for her prodigious portrayals in staggering women-centric scripts, has once again proved how efficient her skills are to bewitch the audience and finest her creations to stagger the viewers. Admittedly and provenly, a copy-paste remake ain’t her style as reflected in “The Handmaiden”, so the decision to convert a classic English melodrama into a contemporary thriller with justifying dynamics and stupefying elements which turns out to be an appealing and positively appalling masterpiece.
Fascinating character arcs are a specialization of jakka-nim which undoubtfully is finely incorporated with satisfying development. The script is a bag full of whiplash twists, evenly distributed throughout and the picturesque convulsions that serve as delicious dishes of a sumptuous brunch. The theme creation is as bemusing as we see the ghost orchid, its backstory, the people it connects to and how it is at the center of everything.

Acquiring great skills despite less experience within a short period of time, is what Kim Hee Won known for. However, her previous work was a blunder that was finally recognised as a trumpery; though the script was hugely to blame. To see her work of creativity has always been a pleasure and without a second thought she strives to better. On that note, the cinematography of the drama is mesmerizing, from aesthetic shots to extravagant frames and swift yet detailed movement/shift, everything did their job in minds. The screenplay was visibly well-planned as the progression is periodic rather than episodic, seizing the viewer into one plotline but confusingly forcing them to other, albeit the manner was very comfortable thereby maintaining the quality.
What I also loved about the visuals are the reasoned and well-defined backdrops and setups. The Seoul-ic vistas of light and dark hue with polychromatic shades were very eye-savoring outside while rather plain and simplistic colors inside the mansions and buildings also did exhibit the contrast in between. The attempts to draw frame-wise parallels within the same show between the two halves were very ecstatic; admittedly, I wouldn’t have noticed if not for one of the users’ feed posts here.

Composed by Park Se Joon, there are two OSTs in the drama:
# “Enough” by Zior Park
# “La vie” by SOLE

(70 billion won-Truth-Art: Money-Justice-Dreams) … This is how I will draw the outline of the way the three sisters were connected to the show; one who thought money could solve all the problems, one who believed justice will bring everything to peace and one who desired art will help her escape. The combination could result in only one thing, money laundering through art pieces, haha. But the drama is much more than just power trip, greed for wealth and artistic perspective. Indeed, with her cinematic excellence, the writer uses the tool of social sin and the feelings of superior connivance in order to establish a story that reminds us how human mind is a complex matter that could cause catastrophes in the world while only truth and remain constants of time.

Oh In Joo was the most natural of a character in my opinion and apparently Kim Go Eun was the most suitable person for the role, provided her ongoing saga in “Yumi’s Cells” is also one hell of a realistic thing. From her desire for money to her being clueless and from acting cautiously to strangers to being overtly sensitive to everything, just average human being. Clearly, the best character development given to the one at the exact center, performed and excelled.

Nam Ji Hyun could have been used better, not like she was underwhelming or something, but in a way, I believed, both the character Oh In Kyung and the actress herself held lot more potential than what we saw. There were instances Inkyung was just pure dumb, as in dumb for someone who was a journalist plus it was visible the way she struggled a bit at first, which was a given since I don’t recall her playing such a fierce character(?). Anyways, it was satisfying to see her in action at times and how she changed from the beginning to end.

Oh In Hye had a magnificent arc to begin with and the actress did perform very well with her expressions and delivery. However, I was a little upset the way she was limited in the latter half; as in they forgot about her existence for some time and brought her back absurdly like oh she is a part too? All I mean her share of screentime did not suffice as someone who is tagged as a main character everywhere. Otherwise, her dynamics were naturally that of a rebelling teenager. Also loved how the makers decided to end the show with her prologue story and monologue note. The actress playing Hyorin did not have anything significant about her but she was good nevertheless.

Choi Do Il as a character is probably one of the most mysterious you will ever see and Wi Ha Joon should be commended for carrying it very well. His on and off dimension will apparently become the reason half of the audience will develop trust issues in real life. The introduction wasn’t really grand, rather felt he’d be only playing on the surface (to me at least), but the maker’s way of playing with their audiences’ mind worked like some sort of crazy drugs wow. I am not sure whether I should be saying that I was impressed but there was a point I just decided to sit at a corner with popcorn in m hand and see what he is upto. Nonetheless, I was happy at them screaming how he loves only one thing at the end of the day.

The drama is a heavy thriller; although it offered few bright and comforting elements, it mostly exhibited dystopia. Some events could be very frustrating like you are gonna drag a character out and beat the organs outta them. The plot devices like the orchid, the red heel and the architecture did serve as amazing scopes in order to create an artful story filled with thrills and excitement. And the progression is very unpredictable and mysterious for the current trend in K-thrillers, no doubt the screenwriter is a cinema maker; loved the suspense at the end of each episode as well. A galore of twists might even feel like burden in some episodes but their outcomes are relieving in some way. Again, the symbolisms, backed by their ingenious metaphors make the drama more entertaining.

The group of antagonists were not really one of a kind but the performance of the cast was what made them lively. Both Uhm and Um for the seasoned actors they are, did put forward an enthralling and captivating show, and the bad times we had clenching our teeth stands witness to it.

I believe March sisters’ struggle to keep up their dining table occupied helped Oh sisters to not just protest but fight against capitalism as they indulged themselves with the evil, for the sake of prosperity and justice though separately. Their dispute with reality urges them to opt paths they thought would be treacherous and relying on a single straw they not only strive to remain true to themselves but also thrive like a single blade of grass in the dessert. Through thick and thins, this remake remains grounded to the original in portraying how the littleness of everyone leads to a grand world of big beauties

The finale was as satisfying in the sense, it was not rushed, or even dragged unnecessarily, rather every bit of it felt good. It is not an open ending either as some people might think though in my opinion they left one plothole regarding the burried pendrive. But again, in a way, the evidence was not really useful. The ending sequence was smooth and also made mr realize that Choi Do Il's efforts were equalized with his manupulative and intelligent skills.

A personal and silly observation about the show that I made towards the ending, was that the in-situ viewership was very accurately concurrent with the qualitative graph that I have made in my mind, i. e. my episode-wise rating. Idk why I thought it was necessary to mention it here but here you go TT.

Final Remarks… A show made by women, led by women and prospered by women was quite a piece of thrilling experience as Little Women hits the floor this time around. The time will cite the show as something that is not a good remake but nevertheless a great show, which is a perfect balance between the original and the adaptation. From high production values to outstanding presentation and from enchanting performance to entertaining outcomes, this was a unique approach and definitely a must watch and easily one of the best thrillers of 2022.

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Blame the makers and move on.

I think at this point we’ve watched more than enough slice-of-life dramas to be passing just anything as a good watch. With humanism and hospice affairs, this drama attempted to attract viewers with melting vibes, but unfortunately the shoddy story and deficient characters made it fail very sub-standardly. In overall, this wasn’t even average, rather a bad drama. I was more excited for Sung Dong Il than Ji Chang Wook, but it worked for neither.

Produced by ‘A&E Networks Korea’ & ‘Climax Studios’, “If You Wish Upon Me (당신이 소원을 말하면)” is a feel-good drama, enmarking Ji Chang Wook’s come back to cable drama following his military service. Written by Jo Ryung Soo and directed by Kim Yong Wan, the drama was originally broadcasted on KBS while Viu was assigned for international distribution. The production claims that the story has been inspired by the true accounts of “Make-a-Wish Foundation” in Netherlands, which is somewhat correct.

The story follows a young ex-convict with dark past, Yoon Gyu Re (Ji Chang Wook) who is ordered to join a hospice for community service upon a minor offence. Even with hesitations and doubts, he soon joins ‘Team Genie’- a group that fulfills the last wishes of terminally ill patients at the hospice, created by Kang Tae Shik (Sung Dong Il). Seo Yoon Joo (Choi Soo Young) is a nurse and the only medical personnel in the team while it also consists of Yeom Soon Ja (Yang Hee Kyung), a cook, Yoo Seo Jin (Jeon Chae Eun), a high-schooler, Mr. Koo (Park Jung Pyo) a social worker and Choi Deok Ja (Gil Hye Yeon) & Hwang Cha Young (Yoo Soon Woong) an old couple who work as cleaners at the hospice.

Other familiar faces in the drama are: Shin Joo Hwan, Won Ji An, Nam Tae Hoon, Park Se Jun, Park Jin Joo and Nam Kyung Joo.

Plot development is an absolute disappointment. What started with a little bloom, became weary by the interval and dreadful and illogical in final sequence. The seemingly peak scenes did exhibit no emotion, nor raised hopes for further development.

Given the storyline, the script could have been a very good one even without any peculiar feature, but the debutant writer failed through rough despite their firm motivational muse. I think its natural provided they made a debut with the drama and hopefully this helps them as a writer, but there several things that could have been avoided easily, which seemed like a lack of motive. The introduction was okay but it soon became ineffectual even before it could finish a quarter. The characters were poorly written and had no development throughout, the plot development was inconsistent and tawdry and the elements were underwhelmingly typical.

Directorial input is visibly way under the par; not just they could better the script, also the things that had to have only their contribution was very tacky. The editing and screenplay did irk me as soon as the show started rolling, however, I was expecting it would improve. I honestly lost interest before two episodes because of this choppy execution but decided to continue wishing for warm moments. Albeit, the limitations of the drama are that even the events that are supposed to make you cry, rather invite boredom. There is little significance of cinematography and the screenplay organization is a huge mess.

Composed by Kim Dong Wook, there are 9 OSTs in the drama. Most of them are indeed beautiful, touching and are perfect for the genre of the drama, though underutilized in the editing.
# “Loner” by Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)
# “Starlight” by Jung So Yeon (Laboum)
# “I Can’t Forget You” by Kim Feel
# “Young Day” by Lee Ye Jun
# “Halo” by Park Jin Joo
# “I’ll Protect You” by Choi Yu Ree
# “Let U Go” by Suran
# ‘’To My Star” by Choi Soo Young
# “You and Me” by Taeyeon

No, this is not the first time, a flawed male lead with dark past and in requirement of therapy has been projected in a Kdrama. In fact, such characters have been brought forward more recently by beautiful female writers of the industry, who have been able to create impressions. Any of you citing Gyeo Re as ‘too weak to be a man’ probably either has toxic masculinity or are into ‘all heroic alpha males’ too much. But what was the problrm? Poor context and subpar presentation and not to forget, zero transition in between. I would have liked to see a slow and steady development in him, from rags to flower, but he changes from an evil to sage in a blink of moment and remains the same throughout. Such a waste of his acting skills plus the potential development.

I think romance was a factor that stood out the most amongst all. Not only the chemistry between Gyeo Rye and Yeon Joo was wonderful, also the development of love and their follow-up till the end was beautifully drawn. It was not typical at the least and the healthy relationship goals reflected through their beautiful presence was cute and heart-touching. Well, most of the credited to Soo Young’s expertise in that area but Chang Wook playing an untypical arc did help it too.

There are a lot of unnecessary sequential flashbacks for several characters which might have been a good idea for a drama where a lot of people are breathing for the last time, but ngl it could have been better executed. So, their random incorporation and editing with OSTs rather felt underwhelming.

Side characters were a part of the journey and definitely contributed some of the warm factors but they hardly had much to offer as individuals and whatever they had, lacked plausibility and any interest. I was particularly anticipating for the team members bcs they have been favourite actors and the initial episodes made me expect a little. However, realizing that the writer doesn’t intend to improve themselves, I gave up very soon.

Another thing that I loved was Won Ji An's character as Joon Kyung, portraying mental health issues and how they take cumulative toll on body along with their way of affecting the surrounding people, be it family, friends and acquaintances. The actress did deliver amazingly, 0.5 for her only.


The thriller subplot to the script was such a havoc, I could not help but hate it too much. Not like the drama had any overall potential to begin with but the way kept ruining it and destroyed the remining essence towards the end using bad guy fight and conspiracies within the hospice. The 14th and 15th were total letdowns because the repetitive and fast-paced fists and knifes were only funny and laughable. The past connection part between the leads did not make sense either. Ending of it was not really terrible but I was in no mood to think about it by that.

Final Remarks… The drama was an act of trumpery (flashy but unproductive). Keeping JCW, SDI and CSY at the centre, it did aim for big but in overall, the makers did have a lack of creativity and motive to do better which led to a wasted and forgettable watch. They did attempt to incorporate touchy stories and blooming moments to make it seem appealing and heart-wrenching but they rather felt forced and out of place. The drama failed through for a lot of reasons and is a technical flop. Not recommending to anyone.

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Take the 50-50 chance.

Created by ‘Studio S’ and combinedly produced by ‘Binge Works’ & ‘Studio N’, “Today’s Webtoon ()” is a coming-of-age office drama with urban settings based on famous 2012 Japanese manga series “Juhan Shuttai!” authored by Naoko Matsuda which has been previously adapted as a Japanese drama with the same title in 2016. Written by debutant writers Jo Hyun Joo & Cho Ye Rang and directed by Jo Soo Won, the drama was broadcasted on SBS TV.

The story follows the lives of a webtoon editorial team that is on the verge of being dismissed due to mediocre performance in profiting a top IT company, NEON, which acquired it 3 years back. It begins with On Ma Eum (Kim Se Jung) and Gu Jun Young (Nam Yoon Su) joining the team as new recruits and soon becoming PDs in order to assist different artists. As the drama progresses, we see them struggling do their individual tasks and worrying about the team’s issues along with others, as everyone attempts to save their positions while also putting best of their efforts to comply with the artists.

Ma Eum is a former Judo player who could never look back after a hiatus following a major accident, while Jun Young is a fresher with high qualifications. Jang Man Chul (Park Ho San) and Seok Ji Hyung (Choi Daniel) are the Chief Editor and Asst. Editor of the team. Other familiar faces in the drama in major roles are: Yang Hyun Min, Ha Do Kwon, Im Chul Soo, Kim Gab Soo, Ko Chang Suk, Hwang Young Hee, Kang Rae Yeon, Ahn Tae Hwan, Kim Do Hoon, Jeon Hye Yun, Hal Yu Ri, Baek Suk Kwang, Jang Sung Yoon, Son Dong Woon, Baek Hooo Hee, Nam Bo Ra, Jang Hye Mi and Yoon Seo Ha.

Plot development is not very unusual, rather follow a feel-good flow in the premise of the office. The pilot episode created a good impression for me and the follow-up was nice. The basic elements and simple issues used to portray the odds and evens of a office worker in a webtoon editorial team and their interactions with the artists were in fact beautifully introduced and explained. The progression was smooth for a long time. I was honestly tip-toeing from the very beginning bc the comments on MDL were not very kind, but I enjoyed it till the 9th episode. However, the visible regressive changes in the flow and the quality of the story took place and that’s where you know that the writers are gradually losing it. By the 11th episodes it actually becomes boring and few aspects becomes weary and exaggerated. The ending was okay.

IMO, the debutant writer duo has done their best and it is natural and okay to be average on your first attempt, though the others in the production team could have guided them for better. The script is like half good and half bad; the first half was actually likable with good amount of creative efforts but the second half fell through badly. This is because the writers were free-minded at first but realized around the interval the manga has too much left to be told in another 8 episodes. I don’t know how good the original work is but I think I’d have not liked it much if the basic plotline of the story is actually like this. Nevertheless, the screenwriters have done a good job pouring the Kdrama essence into it.

Maker of many modern dramas of both light and intense genres, Jo Soon Won PDnim took charge of an office setup for the first time but the feel-good essence is surely preserved. The premise has been well-developed and the screenplay is well-executed. The urban vibes of the show with mostly light hue was very much suited. The sound production and screenplay editing were decent. So the directorial values remain consistent throughout.

There are 5 OSTs in the drama…
# “I FLY” by Jihyo
# “Bring it on” by Layeon
# “Today You” by O.WHEN
# “How is your day” by Kim Tae Woo
# “Walking Girl” by Kim Ye Ji

Unlike a lot of watchers who’re on this drama, I am very glad with the amount of romance. They never mentioned romance or tagged the show with romcom at all, so it’d have been okay with none of it. But its appreciable how there are several dynamics to portray workplace likings, love, attractions, confusion, infatuation, admiration, etc.
All these came in different versions and shown between different characters. Also, funny how some were mad about the makers confusing the audience with the first male lead to be paired with On Ma Eum, but no! the show wasn’t about it and their concerns were not to find lovers. The kind of chemistry Ma Eum has with the two male leads separately was beautiful; one being friend and the other being a superior. And, the way it was shown to have been both admiration from working together and attraction from spending time together, was actually realistic in many ways.

The main problem with the show was they introduced so many contexts but they failed to finish them in their due times, instead exaggerated each of them till the very end. The situations that could have been dealt with immediately and solved in a blink of moment, were unnecessarily and horribly dragged to a point that it became shabby and shoddy by the end. Extending Shin Dae Ryuk’s story and giving unnecessary twists just to fill the gaps was something I hated the most. Even Ju Young’s back story was a inessential element.

Typical tropes like family reunion, terminal illness, public opinion as well as appeasement, etc. did annoy me at points, provided that all these were accumulated in the 2nd half only. Some scenes were unnecessarily longer than required,

Final Remarks… Not a must watch but ypu could try either for the leads or if you are fond of feel-good office dramas, but don’t expect a lot because it actually turns choppy in the latter half. Anyways, I would not discredit the entire effort and the fact that it was simple and decent for 9 episodes, my overall rating will be a fair 6.5.

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Fantastic throughout but slipped in the finale

There could have been no better project than this for Lee Jong Suk to make a comeback through. I wanted to anticipate a lot but I had also in my mind that this could be another regular thriller drama with typical elements and development. However, by the interval (better late than never), I came to realize that this is way above the standard and is actually unique of a script. It might not be a masterpiece but it is admittedly is an excellent piece of thriller.

Developed by ‘Studio Dragon’ and Produced by ‘AStory’ & ‘A-Man Project’, “Big Mouth (빅마우스)” is a hardboiled crime cum legal drama. Directed by Oh Choong Hwan and broadcasted on MBC, the drama was written by debutant writer Kim Ha Ram under the guidance of ace scriptwriters Jang Young Chul and Jung Kyung Soon. Made with 30bn won budget, it was also distributed by Disney+.

The drama keeps at center, Park Chang Ho (Lee Jung Suk), an infamous attorney with low success rate, who is known to distribute huge & empty promises, but fails to do anything, hence being named, ‘Big Mouth’ from his school days. Despite being an orphan, he has been lucky enough to have Ko Mi Ho (Im Yoon Ah) in his life, who is a skilled nurse at a famous hospital. One day, he gets a proposal from the Gucheon city mayor Choi Do Ha (Kim Joo Hun) to handle a mysterious murder case, solely because of his incompetence.
However, during his attempt to unveil the truth, he finds himself being framed as the notorious conman ‘Big Mouth’ who has been uncaught after scamming thousands of billion won sum. As every wind turns against him and his life changes overnight, he prepares himself within the Gucheon Penitentiary to fight his best to get out of it, while Miho too pulls strings to help solve the mystery surrounding the case and get to the root of it.

Other familiar actors in the drama playing major roles are: Lee Gi Young, Kwak Dong Yeon, Oh Ui Shik, Yang Kyung Won, Jeon Guk Hwan, Yang Hyung Wook, Ok Ja Yeon, Kim Jung Hyun, Jung Jae Sung, Jang Hyuk Jin, Kim Sun Hwa, Lee Yoo Joon, Oh Ryoong, Yoon Suk Hyun, Park Hoon, Kim Dong Won, Hong Ji Hee, Song Kyung Chul and Yoo Tae Joo.

Plot development is top-notch and the progression is definitely untypical of what ypu usually see in Kdrama thrillers. The pilot episode did a good job in establishing a background of both the story and the protagonist’s history, describing as to why he was called ‘big mouth’. The follow-up was steady and smooth showing how the protagonist tries to convince a mass of people as a part of his grand plan. Introduction of various elements and untwisting many knots further develops and builds immense interest of the show and I guess the ratings and popularity were hiked. There are several twists and peaks in each episode to hold the suspense and there was not a single sequence of events that lost its way. More than once, the show has such turning events that changes the entire dimension of the then situation of the show. The finale sequence would have been a pleasure and if you see it’s not really messed up but there were things that could have been avoided and there were things that could have been done better.

The two creators are pro-gamers in the industry and undoubtedly their tips have worked but in spite, it amazes me to discover that the main writer is a debutant, and this is not even an adaptation from where one can refer to for screenwriting. In short, the new jakka-nim has hit the spot proving their skills. From setting the stage, to enabling smooth and well-paced flow and from nurturing the characters to producing exciting outcomes, the show was thoroughly entertaining. Different plot elements served as a great deal of engagement. The dialogues and the momentary monologue narrations, particularly for the male protagonist, were very striking.

Making his comeback after 2 years, the maker of many popular modern dramas, Oh Choong Hwan PDnim has again been successful in implanting the entertainment factor within the audience. Owing to his directorial talent, this drama was excellent from every aspect. The very execution of screenplay has done wonders in a way that this will definitely be something the Kdrama stans will remember for long. The scenario of the Gucheon Penitentiary was well-planned and the setup meant to give off noir and shady vibes with a sense of darkness suited very well. The screen-editing with different types of sequence organization plus the sound production, made the experience even more thrilling and exhilarating.

Composed by Park Se Joon and written & sung by Justhis, “Brand New” is the one and only OST in this drama which is a rap song that was introduced at the end of the 8th episode, i. e. exactly at the interval, where a major twist takes place. I swear the vibes of the scene with the initial rap-lines were so gripping and rip-roaring that it instantly gave me goosebumps.

A case of mistaken identity escalating to a fight for survival is not new for Kdramas but what makes the drama to stand out is a unique storyline and stupendous execution. To be very honest, the theme and the overall mood of the drama are not that shabby and dark for the noir genre, instead the script is also decorated with lighter elements, which comes as a must for Korean dramas, that includes the individual arcs as well as various relationships between two and among two. I was particularly touched by the bonding between Chang Ho and his father-in law Ko Ki Kwang (Lee Ki Young), who were also co-worker at Changho’s own law firm. We can say that among all the chaos and misery he had to experience inside the prison, those moments worked like strength for him to prepare the road ahead.

Lee Jong Suk has taken up this chance of playing a character than his usual taste to challenge, learn and nurture his skills and he has visibly aced it. The range of dynamics he covers actually takes a lot to carry out: from a witless lawyer and fulsome family-man to a savage leader and wise survivor, who has to choose between life and death. Whereas the drama serves as a vehicle prepared for his comeback and he was not really exceptional, it was still appealing as a whole.

Contrastingly, Miho is lovingly yet perceptive lady who knows her strength and limits and acts with a calculative mind. Yoona is already a splendid actress and she carried out Miho very well. The medical conspiracy subplot that was portrayed through illegal and inhumane research projects done in secret and indulging Miho as the key-rider in unveiling it, was surely interesting but it somehow felt like the medium of giving Yoona more screentime, when it didn’t really relate with the main plot at times and lacked plausibility.

Kim Joo Heon as a main character is an exciting news for me, he has been a favorite actor and once again, he’s proved how fantastic skills he possesses. His firm facial expressions are the best aspect about him and the way he has utilized it throughout the show was compelling.

Yang Kyung Won’s performance as an antagonist was entertaining for sure though I had issues with accepting and adjusting with it in the initial episodes, but he improved quickly. I guess we have been so used to seeing him in the comic roles that it resulted in the awkwardness albeit his fierce negative role in a recent drama.

Romance is limited so expect the least if some of the initial sequences give you the idea that there is a lot of it in the drama. In a way, this fact serves as a strength for the overall development and quality. The love between the leads is limitless though, for the way they communicate and exchange emotions even though they don’t share much time onscreen together.

The antagonist side unlike others is very strong in the sense that, they are not very radical and know their limits and how to work with that. The hierarchy among them has been portrayed accurately with a prey-predator concept, as they are constantly pushed to pursue the leases of one another. The order of unveiling the evil was likable ngl, and then, the shift in influence was quite interesting.

The makers should be applauded for the plot elements, development and execution; all these resulted in building up a good amount of suspense. Given the usual trend in such thriller dramas, the chapter by chapter progression has been sketched in a way that, it was not at all easy to guess few things even by throwing stones into the dark. The kind of myriad twists and turn of events in the latter half of the show, especially the last four episodes, had me at awe; there were times it gave me goosebumps and had my eyes opened.

It was interesting how the drama has adapted innovative approaches in order to tackle simple subjects, by completely turning it around for which the outcomes always look much refined. A lot happened in the first episode, in the finale and in between, as well. The story and the premises entirely grip you before you realize it and the slow & steady transformation in Changho, i. e. his character development is beguiling for sure.

I am particularly upset with the ending because I was manifesting a lot. The elements there were actually caused and rooted in previous episode so we were assuming something like that might happen but when it actually did, I think it did feel a little off. the sequence of events felt rushed for sure and then the huge blow I was expecting didn’t happen at all and the manner in which things took turn were a little underwhelming. I am sure the writer must have thought it through before adding this particular event for a major character but I wish it didn’t happen.

Final Remarks… Big Mouth offers a wide range of ingredients of entertainment ad enjoyment and is actually a good thriller that should be tagged in the must watch list. With high production values and amazing performance, it results into appealing and satisfying outcomes even though there were aspects that could have been avoided from a critical pov. Please go ahead and watch it and you will realize that it has everything that pulls you in and holds you back. It was a easy 9.0 until the finale happened, so yeah!

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Adamas: The greatest crime of conquest.

Crime? Authoritarianism? Greed? Power? Mystery? Lies? Fights? Misery? Conspiracy? Yes, everything that a thriller Korean drama could bear, Adamas offers all that but what makes it stand out? 1) The narrative 2) The presentation 3) Ji Sung himself and 4) the elementary object, Adamas. The dramas, as a whole, is not a masterpiece or entirely a decent show if you consider whatever we have been offered till date, but it surely is up to par and can be passed as a well-made mystery thriller. It did disappoint in the finale but to judge the whole thing, this is not actually bad or a trash as some people will tell you in impulse with their final experiences about it.

Developed by ‘Studio Dragon’ and produced by ‘Mays Entertainment’, “ADAMAS (아다마스)” is a political and legal thriller. Written by Choi Tae Kang and directed by Park Seung Woo, the drama was broadcasted on tvN and internationally distributed by Disney+ in selected regions.

Adamas, keeps at center, twin brothers, writer Ha Woo Shin and Prosecutor Song Soo Hyun (played by Ji Sung), fighting against Kwon Jae Woo (Lee Kyung Young), chairman of Haesong Group, in order to unveil the evil deeds of him and the people he’s surrounded by. All these started with a murder that took place 22 years back killing their stepfather and convicting their biological father. To save their father, they go to unmeasurable and unthought lengths which lead them to discover dreadful truths surrounding the graceful yet mysterious object, namely ‘Adamas’.

Eun Hye Soo (Seo Ji Hye) is the daughter-in-law of Heo family, whereas Kim Seo Hee (Lee Soo Kyung) is a ferocious reporter. Choi Tae Sung (Heo Sung Tae) is the Chief of security at Haesongwon while Kwon Soon Yi (Hwang Jung Min) is the Butler. Lee Jun Kyung (Oh Dae Hwan) is the leader of Team A and Kang Hyuk Pil (Choi Deok Moon) is the leader of Special Investigation Headquarters (SIH). Other familiar faces in the drama are: Jo Sung Ha, Kim Jung Goo, Seo Hyun Woo, Park Hae Eun, Shin Hyun Seung, Lee Shin Won, Woo Hyun Joo, Go Yoon, Choi Chan Ho, Lee Ho Chul, etc.

The pilot episode to me was a lil underwhelming, as in I was not really impressed with how the writer was trying to lay the background. A little bit of everything, did make it seem boring and uninteresting. The follow-up felt as poor for a while. However, further twists and the development in storytelling started doing wonders at some point that I didn’t realize, and I found, myself engaged and constantly entertained by the sequence of events. The overall interest on the development, personally, was a little diminished around the interval but I was glad it picked back the momentum very quickly with the 11th episode. All I had been wishing for till the end was to see a good, even so not remarkable, ending, which didn’t really happen.
The finale week rather came off lousy. The 15th episode was all talk and less action, and it was quite visible that they were rushing it by skipping from one short scene to another. The first sequences of the 16th episode which was expected to be interesting, did end the saga very swiftly as if they have no context left to keep on the fight. The follow-up till the ending was then underwhelming and with 10 minutes left, I was sure they are gonna finish it abruptly.

I don’t quite believe that the writer is a debutant? How? I mean this is not really extraordinary and bear a fair share of flaws in writing but this is actually way better than just a decent thriller show which had us at awe at several whiles. The story is well-planned, the characters are well-drawn, the elements are well-created and the sequences are well-thought. The process of establishing the background in the pilot episode seemed a little rushed, as if they have a lot to say about the present but the way everything about the past was unveiled and represented, I was very satisfied.

The flaws of the was in regards of the keeping up with the pace of excitement as mentioned earlier, plus how the context, around the same time felt a little dragged. I was almost annoyed with the fact that they were getting diverted from what they’d intended to offer initially. The ending is the biggest letdown about the drama for it was rushed, abrupt, vaguely explained and left few things open. The audience would have liked to be answered plainly anyways, so why exactly the makers made such decisions.

Seemingly rookie director Park Seung Woo PD-nim hit it big with his previous work, KAIROS, and being a unique fantasy thriller, it really must have taken a lot, and again, that experience did help him here. The PD, I am sure, must have developed a good understanding with the debuting writer which has brought forward this amazing work. The quality of execution is way above the standard of a thriller drama. The scenario of Hanseongwon as well as the detailed elements associated were well-created, from objects to personnel and the system inside it.

The cinematography is of a moderate essence though it was not really visible a lot provided the eerie and dark vibes of the show, however, the same inside the premise of the mansion was ecstatic to some point. The sound production as well as the screen-editing were up to par. The pacing did bother me at some instants in between as mentioned earlier, as if it were going off the grid, making an overall inconsistent flow of plot. Nevertheless, the recovery was very amazing, which, in fact, took place very soon.

Composed by Jang Young Kyu, there are 6 OSTs in total though they aren't really used in the drama. Also, I couldn't really understand the essence of most of them in the story albeit my liking of them as songs.

# “Beat of My Heart” by Elodie Wave
# “NEED YOU” by Charlie Bean Works
# “Darling You” by Bernard Park
# “By Your Side” by Ha Hyun Sang
# “All About You” by KATIE
# “Rain on Me” by Kim Jo Han

The screentime was obviously and fairly dominated by Ji Sung because he was playing twins, present at different places, separated by boundaries and burdened by different responsibilities (read tasks and goals). It was like the same face in a parallel universe with distinct personalities and traits. Needless to say, that the man aced it well; it was perfectly a Jisung-type drama. I am personally a bit upset with the arcs of Soo Hyun, about he, at places, didn’t respond like a prosecutor, rather a bull-headed geezer, but its manageable. In his stead, it was Woo Shin who was always calm and better calculative.

The 2 female leads gave a decent delivery as expected from them but the character of Seo Ji Hye was kinda subpar whereas Lee Soo Kyung’s character lacked dynamics for a major duration of the show. Eun Hye Soo was surely mysterious and a lot of things about her bugged me as well, indicating a grand ending she’ll get, but the way it was plotted and presented, came as a weak motive to me; not really displeased, but it could have been better, imo. Kim Seo Hee was broached as an annoying character rarely showed her skills as a journalist, nor did she contributed a lot to the process, but I must admit, the 11th episode keeping her at the centre, was fantastic,

The antagonist side was very strong, with all the familiar faces, known to be villains in the industry, from Lee Kyung Young to Oh Dae Hwan, and as always, they scored heavens. Lee Kyung Young’s role was a bit different from others, where despite of being thecmastermind and controlling everything, he sometimes is powerless and have to be cautious and worry for things; anyways, he was charismatic with hos manipulation skills. Oh Dae Hwan probably played the cunt-est character of his life and I was pretty intrigued by him. Seo Hyun Woo with his given part, did very good as well.

Special mention to Hwang Jung Min who played the butler at the mansion and did an extraordinary job in carrying out the intended persona. Her first appearance itself was an indicatory that she will be a key rider in the show and her acting is what submitted the fascination mostly. And how her importance escalated with each episode along with a well-crafted backstory was astonishing. Her actions and reactions gave me goosebumps, particularly how she flew to to the peak in the 11th episode.

11th episode is my most favourite of all and I guess that is where the show was at its highest peak. The way two major turning events were happening throughout simultaneously did excite me to core as well as gave me goosebumps. The execution of them that was presented in bits alternately was amazing; from performance to editing, the entire episode was just perfect.

I feel the most important factor about Adamas is the fact that neither the protagonist was some sort of superheroes though one side was more radical and had more powerful cards on their side. This, subsequently proved how one person, even at the center/top of the show is not entirely responsible for the set of fortunes/tragedies that happen, rather everything is an outcome of a systematic contribution made by a group of people, no matter which side it is.

About the possibilities of a second season, I don’t think that’s gonna happen. The message is clear: you can’t wipe off the weeds completely in one go and frequent monitoring action is what you require. They might have wrapped it up with an obvious cliffhanger but now its upon us to assume and pot the ending by ourselves.

Final Remarks… I guess many people gonna try this for Ji Sung but I can say that it is as good. Only if the finale sequences were not lame and awry, this could have been a decently splendid experience. Even though it messed the ending up, the process and the vibes are good enough to be tried once, so do see for yourself. It will be a fair watch excluding the ending for those who like slow-paced thrillers with sedate buildups.

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Nahhh!

Combinedly produced by ‘Hi Ground’, ‘JS Pictures’, and ‘Great Story’, “Becoming Witch (마녀는 살아있다)” is a modern makjang-styled dark comedy drama with little mysteries. Written by Park Pa Ran and directed by Kim Yun Chul, the drama was broadcasted on TV Chosun.

The story follows the wrecked married lives of three friends in their 40s, as they set to put an end to the aggravations in the already-frustrating situations when things become unbearable at a point. Gong Ma Ri (Lee Yu Ri) is a housewife, married to the star anchorman Lee Nak Gu (Jung Sang Hoon) and has a daughter, finds out about her husband cheating on her. Chae Hee Soo (Lee Min Young) is married to a rich household, and takes care of her bed-ridden mother-in-law, is unable to conceive and thus having a bitter relationship with her husband Nam Mu Yong (Kim Young Jae). Yang Jin Ah (Yoon So Yi), a widower, lives a luxurious life with the money she got from the life insurance after her husband Kim Woo Bin (Ryu Yun Suk)’s death.

Other familiar faces in the drama are: Ye Soo Jung, Kim Hyun Jun, Park Yoon Hee, Jung Ah Mi, Sun Byung Sook, Han So Eun, etc.

Plot development was stable for the first half with several peaks which in the second half hit the shambles, particularly the last 3 episodes did dirty to the show. The beginning started impressive, it was a package of mixture of different elements: comedy, melodrama, melancholia, mysteries, etc. The progression was also a bit interesting as the two sides in the life of each of the 3 friends started going hard against each other. The problem was when all these soon escalated into the highest peak and it felt like they were quickly gonna run outta context, which actually happened.

The debutant writer has way more to go and learn. They did a good job establishing the pilot episode and the follow-up by adding attractive elements like the badass female leads, their fashionable outfits, suspicious behaviors, and shades to their individual stories. I was glad at the fact that the character assessment for the leads have been kept brief while elaborating more on behavioral psychology. The downgrade in writing could be a result of inexperience in handling the stress or something, for which the show felt exaggerated with some repetitions and became boring in the 2nd half. The way major twists were unveiled was entertaining.

I don’t know the director nor do I can judge his style of working but this wasn’t a good experience in overall. While the sound-editing and sequencing are up to par, the overall execution hits low by the end and the show stop making sense. The camera shots were likable ngl.

There are 6 OSTs…
# “Shut Up” by Kim Boa
# “Kill My Love” by City Noise
# “Every Morning” by ID: Earth
# “Now or Never” by Weki Meki
# ”I’ll Be With You” Kim Bo Young
# “Take Me Home” by Navi

Definitely not the best performance of Lee Yu Ri but this was a different kinda character from her previous roles and she aced it, every bit of it was interesting until the arc turned annoying. Happy for how Lee Min Young has improved and she carried out the misery of Hee Soo very well. Jung Sang Hoon was crazy.
Oracle’s café and the element of her being a badass feminist did intrigue a lot and loved it for sure. That part was exciting and thrilling at the same time.

Final Remarks… Pretty mediocre from every aspect, this drama pretty much missed the littlest of scope that could have been rethought and improved by the makers. The actors did their job but the lacking in the direction made it worse. My reason of starting this was the poster and Yuri’s look in it and was expecting something out of t but had t somehow finish the 2nd half for the sake of finishing. Not recommending even for one time watch.

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Alchemy of Everything...

Honestly, I was a little excited because of So Min and Jae Wook when the news broke out, and that was fair, but that’s it. I thought I’d check it out when it drops. When it premiered and the response was huge, including in my circle, I wanted to try out soon. Very happy to announce that it went beyond my expectations. Such a well-made drama with mind-blowing plot development and intriguing elements. If more of such dramas are made in Korea in future, this will definitely be in the top 5, along with “Arthdral Chronicles”.

Produced by ‘Studio Dragon’ & ‘High Quality’, “Alchemy of Souls (환혼)” is an adventure fantasy, set in an alternative period drama. Written by Hong sisters (Jung Eun & Mi Ran) and directed by Park Joon Hwa, the drama ran for 10 weeks, originally on tvN and internationally distributed by Netflix. The principal photography was done in the filming set worth 5 billion won, constructed in Maseong-myeon city of North Gyeongsang Province.

The show takes place in the backdrop of Daeho, a fictional country, and follows a tale of the mages protecting the world against the evil that is trying to bring back a legendary object that will be accompanied by chaos and destruction. ‘Alchemy of Souls’ is a prohibited process used to switch souls between bodies. It keeps at center, Naksu (Go Yoon Jung), an elite mage with unbelievable power, who gets trapped in the body of a mysterious girl, Mu Deok (Jung So Min), and loses her power. Then she meets Jang Uk (Lee Jae Wook), a young master who is in search of a master to learn spells as he was prevented to do so immediately since birth. Together they try to gain and regain their power, as they keep discovering the intertwined fate, they were in bound to come across.

Daeho have different lineages of families of mages, each of which play specific positions and are connected with the leadership of the royal family. Seo family owning Sejukwon the grand infirmary and hub for hospitality, Park family owning Songrim, the most influential space training best of mages, Jin family owns Jinyowon, the place of rarest items and host of powerful priestesses and Jang Family, the hire to the Danju of Chunbugwan , the record keeping organization.

Seo Yul (Hwang Min Hyun) and Park Dang Gu (Yoo In Su) are Songrim mages with ParK Jin (Yoo Jun Sang) as the leader. Heo Yeom (Lee Do Kyung) is the leader of Sejukwon and Maidservant Kim (Oh Na Ra) is the housemaker at Jang Family. Jin Ho Kyung (Park Eun Hye) is the leader of Jinyowon with her daughter Jin Cho Yeon (Arin). Jin Mu (Jo Jae Yoon) is the Asst. Danju at Cheonbugwan. Go Won (Shin Seung Ho) is the crown prince, whereas Go Soon (Choi Kwang Il) and Seo Ha Sun (Kang Kyung Heon) are the King and the Queen of Daeho. Ju Wol (Park Soo Jin) is the leader of Chwiseollu, the place of gisaengs.

Plot development is amazing, very balanced at that, with fair share of twists, peaks and revelations in each episode, that are well-explained at their due time. The connecting plots have been arranged and embellished in a way that it intrigues at each point. The introduction itself was gratifying, indicating an appealing journey ahead, and the furtherance in next few episodes was smooth and engaging. The plot elements get intertwined soon after and everything seems intricated, as intended by the makers and the paced revelations of key facts is what makes the audience to keep going with the show throughout.

Hong sisters never disappoint. Just like their previous dramas, this was amazing and probably their career best, for the story and concept is unique, the elements are intriguing as well as overwhelmingly outstanding, the plot development is pleasing and the twists plus revelations are astonishing to core. Some facts were a bit assumable but considering the number of key elements and lengthy runtime of the drama, that’s very low. The characters have been built-up with great care and have fair shares of depth to themselves and the development of the ML Jang Uk was visibly very gratifying. The process of unveiling the mystery bit by bit was entertaining and satisfying.

Park Joon Hwa PDnim for the ace he is, has come back stronger after 3 years with the drama, which prolly is his first period fiction even though its an alternate fantasy; this should go to one of his best dramas list. The amount of time taken for the production is definitely worth seeing the outcomes, both the quality, the experiences and the response of audience, i. e. the popularity. The scenario setup for all of the major places were aptly done, along with the maintained and regulated changes to the actual culture. Both the CGI & VFX work were well-incorporated as necessitated which should be sufficiently commended. The cinematography also deserves an A+.

Composed by Nam Hye Sung PDnim, the show has a good set of OSTs
# “Scars Leave Beautiful Trace” by Car, the Garden felt like a force of motivation to me than a confession of love. The lyrics is beautifully coded to empower someone’s willpowers and is my most favorite for the way its been used in the drama.
# “Aching” by Kassy is soulfully melancholic song about foregone adversities that have caused immense pain until achieving prosperity. The notes of the chorus is gut-wrenching.
# “Just Watching You” by Jung Se Woon is a touching divulgence of sweet memories to create with someone you are in love with. The lyrics is very well-versed.
# “Raindrops” by Gummy is heartfelt rendition of one’s emotions of being loved at times of odd.

The other 3 tracks are…
# “You’re Everything to Me” by Shin Yong Jae
# ‘Breath” by Kim Na Young
# ‘Love Letter (with you)” by Big Naughty

The concept of alchemy and controlling earthly elements with the flow of energy, rather than citing it as just magic tricks, came as a very fresh illustration of fantasy in Kdramas and the idea od ice stone as well as the process of performing soul-shifting were as beguiling. I loved how this basic aspect were incorporated throughout into an interconnected and intricate narrative, involving the characters and to ease the murkiness in the ambience, we got moderate comedy, teen romance, heartful confessions and everything else that we see in modern drama.

The drama and its alternative world gave the makers the advantage of altering and introducing aspects historical without any hesitation, hence bringing out unique propositions, from outfits to cultures and from architecture to laws of the land. The modification of hanboks into solid and designed clothes, while preserving the basic outlines plus the various hairstyles and dyed hair, and then the simple accessories, all of them felt very fresh. I particularly loved them not abiding to the strict-law formulas, that we often see in real sageuk dramas, which also included no class differentiation among people though there were poors and riches.

I came to admire the narrative surrounding the mighty “ice stone” and how both Jang Uk and Mu Deok utilized their knowledge to decipher the underlying meanings and take actions as necessary. The idea of defining it as a medium for the flow of energy between the sky and the earth, in an indescribable form than a mere stone of ice, did strike me to core. The use of elements like Gwigu and ‘Word of Hearts’ as props were very well-handled. The legend of Master Seo Gyeong and the charismatic acts of Master Lee plus his discovery of certain other elements were both entertaining and enticing.

The storytelling was able behold everyone’s interest for its way of defining characters, elements and sub-stories, all combined into a beautifully appealing script. Hong sisters got wise about dividing the entire development of the current time with multiple narratives: the 200-year-old chaos, the 10-year-old misfortunes, the past of Naksu and Mu Deok, the current tragedy, Jang Uk’s journey, Jin Mu’s pans, etc. The careful establishment of connnections between different subplots and explanations for each suspicion have been very adequately done.

The incorporation of the swords and using it as a part of casting spells, controlling energy and performing different tricks was another intriguing element that I loved the most. The way the sword demanded the master’s competence to get activated and their appearances as in the designs sketched over were beautiful. Every duel between the mages were absolute treats with the well-organized actions. The performance of “alchemy of souls” and the graphics used to represent were bewitching to begi with and Naksu did it the best, be it in her own body or in Mu Deok’s.

Jung So Min and Lee Jae Wook chemistry will surely be a favourite, for the manner in which the relationship between them developed with two dimensions was an amazing experience. It was like two people altering their moods on two sides of a sheet in the same room. The way Jang Uk’s mood changes from Seonsaeng-nim to Mu Deok-ah in just seconds, I could not help but laugh until my stomach hurt. I guess those unsettling boundaries made them fall in love without their conscious and I particulary loved Uk’s way of showing his emotions.

Jung So Min is actually talented and I really hope she gets to play roles of different spectrum from now on. The duality she carried in two contrasting moods, Naksu and Mu Deok, was tremendously delivered; I can say she has improved a lot in a decade and this will be one of his best performances. Escalating the country-style habit of speech to behavior of Mu Deok to the solid and steady manners of Naksu, and vice versa, wasn’t really that smooth of a task.

Jang Uk had evidently the best character development among all bc of how his character was built-up from the scratch; from a guy with no power to turning a powerful mage who can outrank everyone else easily, we saw a engaging jouney, with Naksu obviously. Idk what but I presume it was his love for Mu Deok that also nourished him to be a thoughtful and wise man and made him carry out tasks that nobody thought he’d do or be able to. His expressions are something else; one moment he’s too serious and then he becomes an innocent puppy; his playfulness around Mu Deok were admirable. Lee Jae Wook deserves all the praises and appreciations for his acting, I hope his era is finally here.

Shin Seung Ho as the Crown Prince was developed with good amount of attention and honestly his character grew in an unexpected direction; be it his bromance with Jang Uk or his tease-party with Mu Deok, I loved his interactions with others, when I thought he will not have much to do in the story. But at the end, I ended up admiring him so much. Arin and Min Hyun as rookie stars did deliver nice; Cho Yeon had limited time but she appeared so geaceful and Seo Yul as a handsome and talented mage, might not have much importance in the story, but he shined very bright within his character. Yoo In Su as Park Dang Gu was a great source of humor and his presence in the scenes did lighten the mood, for sure.

Final Remarks… I don’t think I have much left to confess about the drama but I can say with confidence that everything about the drama has influenced me a lot, in various ways and various points. The fact that most of aspects from writing to direction and acting to outcomes, have been a good experience, we must appreciate the team for their efforts in making a nearly flawless piece of art. I also wanna commend them for bringing this amazing cast together and it will stay in the memory forever.

If you are fan of sageuks or fantasy or alternate realities and adventure, this is a very good compilation of all of that, presented in a gratifying manner. There should be no doubt in starting it if you are still in the dilemma due to the longer runtimes and 20 episodes bc the time invested will be worth. I am happy they cleared the air about the possible 2nd part with confirming its arrival late this year, before finishing this one, so I will be eagerly waiting for my new year treat, hehe. Also, its needed bc the original script is that long and the makers had already decided on it, even before beginning the project, so no complaints.

PLEASE WATCH THIS!

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Café of horrible Exaggeration…

Not bluffing when I say that I knew what will happen to this drama. When the news broke out and I read the story, with my notions and instincts, I, for sure, knew this will be as bad as Seo In Guk’s previous drama, DAYS, where the characters, their appearances and the setups will be incorporated to attar t and intrigue the audience, instead of shaping up the plotline. I have zero idea about the original manhwa and is quality, but this show is surely below average and I guess the opinion is unanimous. I still wanted th drama to do good bc In Guk actually needs a blast in his career atp, but well…..

Produced combinedly by ‘People Story Company’, ‘AD406’ and ‘Monster Union’, “Café Minamdang (미남당)” is an 18 episode long live-action adaptation of the popular Kakao webnovel of the same title by Jung Jae Han. Written by Park Hye Jin and directed by Go Jae Hyun, the mystery thriller cum comedy drama was originally broadcasted on KBS2 and internationally distributed by Netflix.

The drama is about a handsome shaman Nam Han Jun (Seo In Guk), formerly a criminal profiler, who runs a small café with fortune-telling as a backdoor business and cons people for money. With him, work Gong Su Chul (Kwak Shi Yang) as a bartender, Nam Hye Jun (Kang Mi Na), an elite hacker and Jo Na Dan (Baek Seo Ho) as the waiter, all of them with the aim to unveil mysteries from the past. Detective Han Jae Hee (Okm Yeon Seo) is an upright police officer currently transferred to work with Detective Jang Do Jin (Jung Man Shik) and is close to prosecutor Cha Do Won (Kwon Soo Hyun).

Other familiar faces in the show are: Jung Eun Pyo, Jung Ha Joon, Hwang Woo Seul Hye, Park Hae In, Heo Jae Ho, Baek Seung Ik Kim Byung Soon, Kewon Hyuk, Kim Won Shik, Jung Da Eun, Cha Geon Woo and Park Jung Hak.

Plot is very choppy provided the mystery line was not properly to begin with. I feel the screenplay and execution could have made the drama survive but the very fact that not one of them were potentially enough, did influence the overall quality and the dhow hit its lowest even before it could reach its interval. This definitely didn’t deserve 10 episodes, forger about 16 but the audacity to make it 18 is beyond my thinking process. They should have been considerate to the response and criticism, duh! Not just the comedy scenes in the later half is stupid, the story itself was exaggerated without any mercy.

The twists and revelations were underwhelming for obvious reasons, not just they gave away obvious hints at the very beginning of the show only to make us look like clowns at the end, it did not pick my interest at any point and I gradually lost interest in the 4th episode itself. However, it felt like it had hopes left so I thought to proceed by the kind of stupid portrayal and execution got me hard soon. The antagonist and the group of evil people is too high but their connections and way operations were poorly sketched.

This is my first drama from the writer Park Hye Jin and they haven’t created much it seems but I really hope they learn from all the criticisms for poor writing skills and low-standard character buildups. Apart from the shoddy plot development, the elements incorporated were very subpar and the characters had no overall growth. This no way felt like dark comedy,ngl, rather the thriller part were hugely mis-subscribed as unfunny comic. It was kinda okay till the interval but then exaggerated to an extent that anyone would loose interest.

Go Jae Hyun PD-nim deserves better scripts for all his hard work in all these years but this is probably his worts creation and not to lie, there were significant flaws with the direction, as the writing, so he needs to do better, as well. The screen-editing is one of the worst aspects of the show. The comic flash-ups were unnecessarily frequented which turned me off from the beginning and the sound production was also substandard. The flashy hues again were not attractive as it were intended by the makers.

Composed by Seo Sung Won, the drama has a total of 7 OSTs; some are good but not very memorable. I vibed with “The dance of Minamdang” though haha.
“Ghost Buster” by Gwangil Jo
“Stay Awake” by Nam Young Joo
“Endless Night” by Raina
“The dance of Minamdang” by Gonia and Yu Taepyungyang
“Stay Here” by MORE
“I like you’ by Seo In Guk
“Still with you’ by SU A

The character of the female lead was the worst thing about the drama and there is no way I will take back my words, let me tell you why. Han Jae Hee appeared to be strong, brave and fierce on her first appearance but soon it was followed by a comic gesture, which I took healthily, but to my disappointment that feature of hers was frequently utilized for comedy only and was exaggerated. There is no development at all and her behaviors wee quite made to annoy the audience, like not one percent likable. On that note, the male lead character is subpar as well.

The romance was off, please I would like to have none of it. There was no chemistry between the leads at all and other than that they were not exactly falling in love. To me it seemed funny about how they came to kiss and be together, but until that point, I felt no need of them ending up together. And for partnering them for the cases, they weren’t even good at that. Also, the 2nd couple were funny but ig their impact didn’t lessen the mediocrity of the show.
None of the characters were likable. Seo InGuk seemed intriguing at first but his aura soon vanished into thin air. Kwak Shi Yang as a tall dummy was my most favorite probably, liked the way he acted up. Kang Mi Na was kinda bland for the kind of crazy girl she was supposed to be. The antagonist was lame lmao.

Final remarks… Do not need to watch even when you are Seo In Guk fan. Thank you.

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Very so-so...

Produced by ‘Ascendio’, "Hunted (멧돼지사냥: literally Boar-hunting)" is a mystery thriller mini webseries set up in a country village. Written by Jo Bum Ki and directed by Song Yeon Hwa the show was released on MBC.

To Prevent the agricultural damage in the village, the villagers along with the forest rangers decide to hunt down the boar but with that few people go missing and the mysteries of the people start getting unveiled, bringing forward harsh natures of human beings.

Young Soo and Chae Jung are married couples living with their son In Sung, known to be the poorest family while Ok Soon halmione lives in an isolated house with her grandson Hyun Min. In Sung and Hyun Min are childhood buddies.

Plot development is good, not extraordinary or something that you will have you on edge or very unpredictable but the way they lay the background and build the suspense around the core mystery, does intrigue and gives you chill. Its not particularly engaging but still enjoyable as a short watch.

The drama made by rookies did have its effect. I guess the run time being this short (4) helped them and despite being a drama that will no trace, the process would have been fruitful and a medium of learning for both of them. The development and suspense buildup were good though few factors went wary towards the ending. The sound and screen-editing were compelling enough to keep up the intrigue of audiences, I must admit.

The performance is worth the platinum, full of old and experienced actors like Park Ho San, Kim Soo Jin, Ye Soo Jung, Cha Si Won, Lee Ki Hoe, Yoo Soon Woong and Kwak Ja Hyung. The acting is the most giving outcome of the drama.

There is no particular flaw in the show either but the thing that bothered me were the elements in the ep3 which then led to obvious consequences in the finale but much can’t be said in order to avoid the spoilers since the show is already this short. But to express how I felt, all the suspicion buildups went down the drain as soon as things were revealed. I mean that’s one of the possibilities I had guessed as well but the very execution of it went awry which was a huge let down for me as I was kinda expecting big from it.

Portrayal of vicious human natures such as mistrust, jealousy, greed and evilness, was perhaps the intentions of the writer and I guess the delivery was moderately up to par but I would have liked better depth to characters and the Elaboration on how and where they were induced in each of them. The organization of the scenarios influencing the final revelations were somewhat lame and lousy, could have been better. Nevertheless, it wasn’t realistic or astounding as a fiction plotline.

Final Remarks… Admittedly, HUNTED is a short and intensively entertaining watch despite being short with no element that stood out. If you are into suspense thrillers and have enough time on your plate, it won’t hurt to try this approx. 4.5 hours thing. The content isn’t that sumptuous to be exactly critiqued in a positive or negative way, imo but all I can say it’s pretty average.

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Woo to the Young to the Woo

“She didn’t know how to be semi-interested in something. She was either indifferent… or obsessed.”: extracted from “The Kiss Quotient” (2018) by Helen Hoang, the book explores the life of an autistic lady Stella who hires an escort so as to learn social intimacy. The drama, on the other hand, lets an autistic young girl, Young Woo go out and spread her wings, in the process of which, she unexplainably finds herself in intimacy. Whatsoever, the drama revolves around her and focuses how she uses her abilities, disguised as disabilities, to solve and sort out issues, that seem difficult to the so-called normal beings surrounded to her.

Combinedly produced by AStory, KT Studio Genie and Nangman Crew, ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우)” is very much a legal genre drama with little amount of romance, mystery and politics, in limited proportions. Written by Moon Ji Won and directed by Yoo In Shik, the drama was originally broadcasted on ENA and internationally distributed by Netflix.

The story follows the extraordinary 27yo autistic girl, Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin), who has graduated from SNU with top marks and becomes an attorney at one of the top law firms of the country, Hanbada. Despite her limited abilities to communicate with others, she quickly wins over her colleagues with her impressive memory and brilliant reasoning skills while solving cases and bringing forward the justness each time. Keeping her at the center and the team she is a part of, the drama introduces new cases every episode and the way they are dealt with, including their consequences.

Lee Jun Ho (Kang Tae Ho) is a member of the litigation team at Hanbada and the closest to Young Woo, while Jung Myung Seok (Kang Ki Young) is a senior attorney and Young Woo’s mentor. Choi Soo Yeon (Ha Yoon Kyung) and Kwon Mi Woo (Joo Jong Hyuk) are also rookie attorneys in the same team as Young Woo. Other regular actors in supporting cast, both experienced and rookie, are Jeon Bae Soo, Baek Ji Won, Jin Jyung, Joo Hyun Young and Im Sung Jae. For each case, there have been many familiar faces, in fact and I’m sure y’all will be delighted.

Plot development is episodic in nature, almost approximately standalone episodes, with few minor and continuous plotlines developing in the background which have their own climax. The introductory episode throws light upon Young Woo’s childhood and a leap showing her current life in late 20s. And in that episode, itself, we get to see a case and the courtroom battle that is solved by Young Woo’s wittiness. Since the plot is not a steady one, with each case in each episode, we witness her growth as a person and as an attorney plus the shades of different people surrounding her. A mystery to her past, her reception at the workplace as well as by her colleagues, her relationship with her father and friend and more importantly her love interest: all these as a part of the story, however, are put behind how she deals with each case along with her team. The peak of her story towards the ending of the drama was interesting though a bit painful, nevertheless, was very well wrapped up.

Upon reading the synopsis when the drama came out, I was immediately reminded of the 2019 Korean movie “Innocent Witness”; autism, courthouse, laws and justice, same elements though a different plot and an unusual storyline. I was in fact gladdened to discover that the drama is created by the same writer as the movie, Moon Ji Won jakka-nim, and it obviously made me expect something extraordinary out of it. And leaving no doubt, it lived upto the expectations, not just mine but of many hearts. The comedy incorporated was basic yet impactful.

People with autism spectrum are as special as others and can take the things they do and learn the best they can. In the world where we constantly seek love and validation, autistic people are those who demand a little more than us and when empathy slides through heart, it’s a feeling of trueness. I love how the writer sketched and nourished the character of Young Woo and let us see the world through her glasses of innocence.

Yoo In Shik PD is an ace and he didn’t fail at this either. With multiple qualitative hits, it was unlikely to become another average drama. Directing such a drama with multiple cases, introducing new stories each episode isn’t really easy and requires good understanding of the individual plot essences. The modern urban setup with light hue and solid yet undemanding palettes were sumptuously pleasing. The cinematography did wonders at place, especially the sunset-watching scene in the village, the scenery of Seokdong including the huge tree premise, etc. were beautifully done.

There are 6 OSTs in total and all likable
# “Brave” by Kim Jong Wan is a heart-touching warm song from the very moment it starts, till its ending, that is dedicated to Young Woo’s innocence and journey of self-discovery.
# “Beyond My Dreams” by Sunwoojunga is a prosperous ballad with beautiful lyrics that reflects one’s hearty words of love and emotional intimacy.
# “Better Than Birthday” by O3ohn is a soft electric track about confessions.
# “Tuning In To You” by Wonstein is a R&B jolly track that expresses mutual feelings of fondness.
# "Inevitable" by Bae Suzy is a softcore ballad with the feels of an old Kdrama OST that portrays the urge of letting out your feelings.
# “The Blue Night of Jeju Island” sung by uri Young Woo (Park Eun Bin) is the cover of the original by Choi Sung Won (1988) and popularized by Sung Si Kyung (2004) which truly one of the most recalled epitomes that defines the beauty of the place.

The best thing about Extraordinary Attorney Young Woo as a legal drama is that it introduced very very very untypical topics to the courtrooms, which are rarely portrayed in Kdramas, provided Kdrama legal shows only have handful types of cases debated over that ultimately lead to a politico-legal fight at the end. From false homicide to defamation to property disputes, from patent battle to North Korean defector issues to public interest cases involving regional land disputes and from sum settlements to discriminatory terminations to heritage tax issue, etc.; the writer has introduced a very wide range of cases that felt fresh and were interestingly alimented throughout.

Three reasons why the drama is different and better from other recent legal Kdramas are:
No dragged politico-legal fight between bigshots
Focusing more on laws and legalities than emotions and witnesses.
Portraying variable outcomes of each case, be it favorable or unfavorable.

The advantages and disadvantages of each result has been essentially useful messages for each episode. At times we win and adapt but learning upon defeat is necessary. Sometimes, its actually impossible to prove facts which lead to unfair results and you still fail to help it. Even in favorable conditions it matters how much confident you’re about the next time and spirited you have been in the process. Alterative ideas could surely be the way out of something when your plans go wrong but depends upon how wisely you use them. These are some of the points that I could infer from the outcomes of cases at the end of each episode.

The chemistry between Eun Bin & Jun Ho despite the little amount of romance was amazing to begin with; their first meeting at the rotating entry door and the follow-up from that point in each episode were apparent baby steps in the budding relationship of love and care; the rhythmic “dun-chak-chak” where I did melt. I understand why many people didn’t understand where it was going and were upset and complained but that is the best that could be done, provided Young is an autistic person with challenged social skills. They were not supposed to be lovey-dovey all the time even when they were in love.

Young Woo’s short responses as in “unn”, “umm”, “enn”, etc. were worth living for. They were funny and jolly at the same time. Her behavior as an autistic person were attempted to be made accurate as much as possible, from her talking habits to her reactions to certain actions, from her obsession with kimbap to her trying to stick to rules, etc. One basic point, I would have liked explanations upon is, Why exactly Young Woo was obsessed with whales or how it kicked off.

One gratifying thing was whales jumping outta water whenever some idea popped up in her mind in response to stimuli contributed by happenings and also her hair flying. Young Woo’s appearance too was very cute, with short hair of a homespun cut plus her plain skirts that went well with the huge side-bags. I loved the writernim’s attempts to make/let Young Woo learn, be it her personal or professional life and making sure that she adapts to things which she thought were difficult for her. The practicality was definitely maintained.

Attorney Jung Myung Suk’s character is one of the most likable and contradictory statements would be nullified. I thought strict, more of an evil man, who’d be an obstacle to Young Woo’s endeavors, but to my surprise, he turned out to be a fine ahjussi I’d die for. The way and the rate to which he went on to embrace Young Woo, upon realizing her abilities, was beautiful. Man, himself was so sorted and open-minded and patient, he barely was at wrong. The shades to him in the 2nd half were may be not important but the writer must have necessitated in order to portray the uncertainties in one’s life. Kang Ki Young has done so well, I swear.

I believe “empathy, not sympathy” was the key tool that drove the essence of the drama.

Like many audiences, I too feel there is no need for another season, but now that its been announced, I also feel like many others, that I would absolutely love one. The production surely is trying to piggyback on the popularity of this season but considering the type of split plotline the drama has used, I see no reason to object. It will be another interesting and fresh watch as long as the writer doesn’t bring forward typical elements.

Final Remarks… Honestly speaking, I wasn’t very excited about the drama at first despite my inclination for the 3 main cast, I thought it’d be another legal drama bearing political battle. But the buzz it created definitely helped me pick up some interest and starting the drama then made me realize how wonderful this thing is. Despite the unique plot element placed, i. e. Young Woo as an autistic attorney, I loved how simple yet influential the entire show was with fresh factors and accessories. The drama is definitely a success and I am so happy to announce that it has totally lived upto the hype. Will be eagerly waiting for 2024.

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A decent remake for sure…

Produced by ‘Drama House’ and ‘SLL’, “Cleaning Up (클리닝)” is the Korean adaptation of the 2019 British TV show of the same title. Written by Choi Kyung Mi and directed by Yoon Seung Sik, the show was broadcasted on JTBC.

The story revolves around Eo Young Mi (Yeom Jung Ah) who works as a cleaning lady at a brokerage company and a single mother to two daughters, while she struggles to meet the ends. As she learns about a possible insider-trading happening at the company, in secret, she joins hands with her closest colleague An In Kyung (Jein So Min) to spy on those involved and acquire informations in order to be able to invest and make big.

Catching up with their plan, later joins the team Maeng Soo Ja (Kim Jae Hwa) who has bears her toxic family despite living miserably. As the three work together, they get into contact with Lee Young Shin (Lee Moo Saeng), a lawyer and Geum Jan Di (Jang Shin Young), the Audit team chief at the company, who lead them to this influential person known as captain. Eventually they find themselves in a mess that might ruin their lives and do every possible thing get out of it. Amidst all of this Lee Do Yeong (Na In Woo) is the cutest and most charming in the drama.

Other familiar faces in major roles are: Young Gyung Ho, Kil Hae Yeon, Song Young Chang, Kim Tae Woo, Song Jae Hee, Go In Beom, etc. The two child actresses, Kim Si Ha and Gal So Won, playing the two daughters of Young Mi also did great.

Plot development is upto par. The start was smooth with a gradual buildup of seriousness and with the furtherance, it keeps getting excited. The more the ladies put their steps fowrad, the more thrilling and entertaining it was become. There were, admittedly, few instances where I was on edge. Also, probably it was the 7th episode or 8th where there were rough points that I didn’t like and the screenplay felt a lil boring, but it went back to track very soon with a major incident, that changed things for everyone.

As a rookie writer, Choi K yung Mi jakka-nim does a good job in translating and screenwriting the English show while including things according to the Korean environment and adding the taste of Kdramas to it. I’d say the portrayal of the characters and their complexions have been done better here. There is definitely a bit of dragging of the original show to make it a 16 ep drama but I guess it was still enjoyable and not really boring.

Master Director Yoon Seung Sik PDnim surely manages to bring a decent show out of an average script with no extraordinary feature to look out for. The set-up, the editing, the sound production and screenplay execution have been well-handled. The urban-office backdrop and suburb housing scenes were aptly utilized.

There are 5 OSTs in total…
# ”For You” by Sam Kim
# ”Hug” by Sondia
# ”The Queen” by SURAN
# ”Faith” by Lee Joon Hwa
# ”Times Like This” by Josh Daniel

The performance by Yeom Jung Ah is fantastic as always, the lady can literally do anything. Worth watching on screen acting every time. She as a mother, being rich or poor, has been a fierce character and she is so gorgeous I swear. Jeon So Min did a decent delivery in the drama and I am happy that she is trying out different roles. Kim Jae Hwa is also a favourite. Lee Moo Saeng is undoubtedly a very good actor.

The drama had 2 spectrums of romance: one that bloomed subtly and turned crazy for a cute couple, i. e. Doo Yeong and In Kyung and Young Mi and Young Shin whose development was angsty and serious. The latter shared an amazing chemistry on screen and this is the kind of adult romance I’d like to see often I was looking forward to some more uwu.

The writer has done a good job in portraying various social issues related to poverty and family issues through the three central character. Be it Young Mi’s struggle to give her daughters a good life or Soo Ja’s efforts to get acknowledged by her family or In Kyung’s dreams to get a coffee truck of her own; we witnessed relatable characters and their happiness & sadness together.

The show was super thrilling, ngl. The scenes involving the ladies trying to steal information or the long chases or their efforts to escape from situations or the serious scenes with the antagonists, it was fun to watch.

Final Remarks… Well, in overall, this is a good remake I would say. Even though it’s not something grand, it’s pretty enjoyable and entertaining with a decent production value and satisfying delivery I could not really find any visible flaws and I would say it was a casual and light watch for me.

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Basically, disappointed!

The title of the show itself seemed so powerful and Seo Hyun Jin as the central character, were the reasons I was excited for the drama. But to their sheer incompetence and my utter disappointment, the show failed to offer anything that would be worth holding onto or keep it in memory, at all. I will be precise, I promise.

Created by ‘Studio S’ & ‘Viu’ and produced by ‘VO Media’, “WHY HER ()” is a Legal-Mystery thriller with romance and comedy. Written by Kim Ji Eun and directed by Park Soo Jin, the show was broadcasted on SBS TV.

Set in multiple uncertain premises, the story keeps at the centre, Oh Soo Jae (Seo Hyun Jin), a successful lawyer at Korea’s biggest law firm, who has worked it on from the scratch all by her own. She is only a step close to adding another history in her name when one of her cases takes unexpected turn and she is made to accept the offer to become a professor at a law school. There, she meets Gong Chan (Hwang In Youp), a student with a dark past and possible ties with Soo Jae. As Soo Jae attempts to gain her position back, she seeks help from Chan and the team of other students formed as a legal clinic. And during that, they discover and decipher truths and mysterious facts related to their lives. Will she get what se wants? Well, you’ll know that if you watch, but I don’t really suggest you do.

As expected, Heo Joon Ho, who plays Choi Tae Guk (TK Law Firm’s owner), is the antagonist but accompany him, other two amazing actors Lee Kyung Young & Jo Young Jin,as two supporting antagonists in the show with moderate screen-times. I don’t think there were any other notable characters in the drama so will save my time even though the drama is filled with many familiar faces. I feel bad particularly for Bae In Hyuk who didn’t have anything significant. Cha Chung Hwa’s limited appearance was joyful for me though.

Plot development is super lousy and (you may not believe) I understood it as soon as I finished the ep 3. Admittedly, the pilot episode was good and indicated a possible decent legal thriller out of the script. But the next episode somehow wasn’t up to the mark and started feeling unesay and by the midway of the ep4, it had started crumbling bad. What happened at the end of that episode did irk me to great deals. I still thought it should be given a chance given the amount of buzz it has and for I did expect from it. However, even after the ep6, I found myself struggling more. The way circumstances were setup felt very lame and the sequence of events somehow were irrelevant.
The happenings in the revelations in the 14th episode weren’t surprising but the happenings were surely unnecessary; the writer became very cruel atp. The finale week was rushed to give the story a closure and honestly “catch-the-thief-at-the-end” doesn’t work any longer ffs. I would say the ending sequence was rather funny, I’d say totally a disaster. All the villains going down at a go isn't what I signed for when I had started this. Forget about consistency, the pacing was too fast throughout the show in terms of screenplay that it felt like they had a lot to show, when irl all those plentitude of elements were lame and futile.

Seo Hyun Jin had to be the person of the show so she rightfully deserved all the screen-share and in fact the most complex arcs to the character Oh Soo Jae. Without a say, she did do her best as a crazy female lead who is always put at the centre and the writer did a good job in presenting A-Z about her story, from her dark past to her current evilness and even her weakest sides. However, in that process, the writer went bit too much over the top, as in making her do stuffs which were not necessary at all. It was a downer to me.

Hwang In Youp need better script to be able to show his skills, ngl. He has been shining for last 2 years and to accelerate his career he must be wise at choosing. Not only the character was shoddy he himself performed below average. The mystery to him made me empathize a little but the underlying suspense did come out in an illogical manner which is another downvote for the show.
Heo Joon Ho is used to acing antagonist roles and his tone of delivery is a favourite. I felt he had sufficient exposure as well as complexions to him as the man behind the tragedy and his performance was way above the par For Bae In Hyuk, I didn’t think the character was necessary or even his presence as an actor was required for the show. Yeah, it’s sad though that his hands are a lot empty but still…

The makers have done a bad job at utilizing the side characters. With so many of them appearing at the same time, not a single one got a fair screentime or even distribution of dialogues, forget about impressive introductions and flashbacks to their stories. The concept of law school and legal clinic plus mentioning them as the possible main premise was a stupid idea to begin with, for the school didn’t even feel like one, the pupils worked like some FBI agents instead of studying or even talking about law and stuffs and the premise always went past somewhere else. It never felt like Lawyer Oh was actually demoted there, lmao.

The public broadcast of disciplinary hearing of Oh Soo Jae who was an attorney at a law firm?? How stupid one could be lmao? And everything getting revealed in that process? How lousy!

Coming to the stupidest inclusion of the drama, it makes me so angry that it was a part of it. Again, I don’t usually complain about the existence and amount of romance in any drama but I can sense when it is forced and when it goes overboard. Given the thriller genre, we did not need a couple out of this but I wouldn’t have complained if it had made any sense. The romance is not just stupidly brewed but also rushed from the beginning to end, basing upon lame grounds. It felt so forced that I was getting mad with each episode, please.

There are 4 OSTs and can be passed as decent Kdrama tracks individually but I don’t understand most of their essences in this drama.
# “Vincent” by Sohyang
# “Beautiful” by Doko
# “What about us” by Hajin
# “I will love you” by K. Will

Final Remarks… The title “WHY HER” is a befitting one given all the misery Oh Soo Jae had to experience throughout as if the writer had some kind of bad blood with the character’s name. And it was the female-centric theme plus Seo Hyun Jin plus, lastly, all the buzz around it during the initial episodes that had me excited but finding out how awful of a script this is, did make me hate it. Neither the story nor the direction, or even Seo Hyun Jin’s screen presence could save the drama. Not recommended at all.

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Nice blend though!?

Wasn’t really excited for the drama bcs of the title which clearly indicated a blended profession and I’m honestly bored of it due to the recent developments even though Ji Sub is one of my faves. I started it regardless, expecting something decent out of it, which it is to to some extent but with no eye-catching development and with typical element, I found myself struggling post the interval yet somehow managed to finish, with no overall feeling.

Developed by Kim Ho-jun and produced by Celltrion Entertainment & Mongjakso, Doctor Lawyer (닥터 로이어) is a medico-legal thriller drama, marking So Ji Sub’s comeback to the screen. Written by Jang Hong-cheo and directed by Lee Yong-seok, the drama was originally broadcasted on MBC TV and internationally distributed by Disney+.

The drama keeps at centre, Han Yi Han (So Ji Sub), a lawyer who was a doctor 5 years back and lost his license following a major malpractice, which he think was a conspiracy to oust him from the hospital. With the intention to bring those matter to surface, he starts working from the root by legally assisting other medical malpractice cases in the courtroom. Joins him Prosecutor Geum Seok Young (Im Soo Hyang) who lost her brother in the same case and is eager to do anything in order to reveal the truth.

Jyaden Lee (Shin Sung Rok) is a master lobbyist and investor at an American company Honor Hands and Im Yoo Na (Lee Joo Bin) is the youngest director in Banseok Foundation. Lee Kyung Young (Goo Jin Ki) is the Director of Banseokwon Hospital and his son Lee Dong Ha (Goo Hyung Sung) is a cardio-thoracic surgeon. Other familiar faces in major roles are: Choi Jae Young, Choi Deok Moon, Kang Kyung Hoon, Nam Myung Ryul, Park Joon Hyuk, Jo Hyun Shik and Kim Ho Jung.

Plot development is moderately fine, not good or not bad, simply mediocre. The pilot episode and its furtherance in the next were not appealing to me; the premise and the background didn’t excite, ngl. But I was still expecting it to get better, and admittedly, it did to some extent, however, it continued to feel bland. Okay but I was also intrigued by Jayden Lee’s appearance in the show and whenever he came to the screen, I was excited; he’s a fabulous actor anyways.
The first short-term and the following elaborate legal battle were both executed well but after that it felt dragged and they were only blabbering inside the courtroom. There are multiple cardio OT scenes and the cases didn’t feel any exaggerated though the surgeries were not jaw-dropping or something. The mystery part was good for me, despite being more than a lil suspenseful it did keep up the questions for a quite a time (my rough assumption proved right though). The show became boring for the last 6 episodes and there was nothing left for to look forward to but I managed to finish with 1.5x. Honestly, I got no hard feelings about the ending or the overall quality of the show.

I don’t know much about Jang Hong Chul jakka-nim except for the fact that his previous and first work was an underrated gem though its 3 years old now. I think the writer took a fair span of time to to create this calculative and thoughtful piece with a new kinda blend but the theme and core concept of the story could have been better utilized, in terms of both screenwriting and representation. I would have loved to see the motivating muse of Yi Han that made him a lawyer or the process itself, even so as a flashback narration, if not an episode long showcase.

I have watched only one drama by Lee Young Seok PDnim which happens to be his previous work and it was good but despite of the genre difference, if I compare them, this one was lacking in many aspects. The direction is not particularly to blame but the team could have attempted a positive compromise with the writer. The editing and set up were all fine, nothing eye-catching, except for few revelations and on-the-edge moments.

So Ji Sub’s acting was as amazing as always but this drama couldn’t make it upto his skills. Han Yi Yan was definitely an idealistic man with miraculous capabilities though he also seeked help from others but to tell that Jisub justified the role would be like underestimating his skills. Regardless, I hope he gets back to the track soon.
Im Soo Hyang why? Why doesn’t she get good offers these days? Despite her features in not so extraordinary dramas in old times, in my eyes she had been acing her powerful characters. And now, she picks up these lousy and poorly written female characters who only act like the side kick for the ML or a script that itself is a disaster.
Shin Sung Rok’S entry had me in awe bcs I had almost forgotten about his presence in the drama. Him as Jayden won hearts which was clear from the response he got but I personally think the character and his skills could have been better utilized and had some more exposure.
Lee Joo bin also went beyond what was expected of her; firstly I didn’t think she’ll be of any importance but then I was wrong and she also put good efforts in carrying out what she was offered. I am honestly impressed.
Goo Jin ki is definitely one of the best antagonist of recent times which he was able to present again through the drama but for someone who has been closely following him, the character didn’t feel any new to me, it’s the same as few of his recent dramas and so I wasn’t paying any particular attention towards him.

There are a total of 4 OSTs
# “Freedom” by Lee Chang Sub (BtoB)
# “An Unfamiliar Day” by Chen (EXO)
# “Fight On” by Yoo Hwe Seung (N. Flying)
# “My Shadow” by Yi Ra On

Final Remarks… Well, that was a barely decent watch and as it reflects in my review throughout, again, I have no hard feelings about this one and would not really think of ot when someone asks me for recommendations. You can watch If you are a Jisub oppa admirer or are looking for something light.

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Catching up with life.

I don’t think we need another review for the 2nd season of “Yumi’s Cells”, so this one will be me casually talking about the parallels, the changes and the newness of the show which will also include few complaints, ofc. And it will contain spoilers for obvious reasons, so to know about the quality of the show, please refer the reviews for the season 1 bcs it’s almost the same in this season.

DON'T READ AHEAD IF YOU'RE NOT DONE YET.

# SO, It begins with the B&W face of the person that we loved in the s1 with all our heart. The pain in those eyes though, very heartfelt.

# We have to go through a ‘moving on’ era and process the breakup, with whom? Obv, with Yumi and her cells. The various tactics she pulls to get rid of her feelings and just forget, the time she takes to get over everything and let go, all of them were sad.

# I am glad they remembered the fried egg umbrella.

# Book as a sign of love and book as source of comfort, truly liked that.

# The rainbow music player device is still there. Gays are winning AAAAAA.

# Ruby remains annoying but the writer-nim put some sense to her character in this season and that made her very likable. She’s cute anyways.

# Was hunger cell always that calculative? I mean I knew it was clever but the way Yumi ordered stuffs in that restaurant along with that free stuff was clearly jaw-dropping.

# They continue to present some of the conversations between the cells as chats as the character thinks about stuffs during confusion.
# The fan and anti-fan war between cells for Babi was so cute man, I enjoyed till it lasted.

# I honestly was not sure about Babi at first and the reason was obv Woong, but by the end of ep4, I realized that he was a charming man.

# The recycling garbage dump of Yumi was a creative thing for sure.

# Yumi slowly falling for Babi with the confusions she held and with the fears she possessed was a rough yet sweet journey.

# A lot of things felt like déjà vu, bcs we were again falling in love, may be in a different manner, but feelings were regardless the same.

# There were contrasting paralles between the two relationships that we saw in the 2 seasons and I loved how they were represented by the makers, even so unintentionally?

# Yumi having reasonable suspicions in every matter following her fallout with Woong felt very real.

# Babi’s cells welcoming Yumi’s ‘SARANGH SEPHO’ was one of the sweetest things, I cried.

# Embracing newness and changes that come along is what life demands from us, was the moral of Yumi’s responses in her new relationship.

# Changing profession so as to honor your passion is a fulfilling feeling. Yumi qutting her work and becoming a writer was a witness to it.

# Aurora as the new lights and the turning points in the life, a reasonable method of relating.

# The blackout in Yumi’s village when she gets drunk was so funny.

# Rationale cell’s voice is worth falling for.

# The naughty cell had a blast this season, my gosh.

# The 40kg lingering feelings behind the trunk of the pride’s car put by conscience was also another relatable idea worth of appreciation.

# Woong appearing at the end of ep 4 and that thing continuing in the next episode was painful and heavy. The 5th episode that started with misery, I found myself relieved by the end of that episode because of the way Yumi dealt it. Woong was at least given a perfect closure, I was glad.

# I am so happy they didn’t introduce new OSTs and used the ones from the s1, indicating a perfect continual flow, However, it was also a lil sad for it reminded me of Woong too.

# Introduction of many other body parts as cells, like tongue cells, hair cells, foot cells.

# P. O. as Control Z (read Control JEE) was the cutest. I honestly didn’t know about his role and seeing him was so joyful. Then he was made to stay longer, and I was so happy.

# Surprising was Control Z and Ruby falling in love and dating, and I guess it was for all of you too, haha.

# Babi and Yumi’s relationship was smooth and sweet for a long time, very likable. The way it was shown definitely played a big role in making the audience want for more when, in fact, Babi isn’t as significant in the webtoon. Nevertheless, we all fell for Babi.

# What happened to their relationship was not expected but was I surprised? Not really! Was I mad? May be but not that. Bcs I knew Babi wasn’t the man for Yumi in the webtoon and how Woong and Yumi ended up, I learnt a lot from it. It also taught me endurance.

# Long Distance Relationships are not easy and for most of us, it’s a myth. It was bound to be shaken one day and by any means, which happened to be a third party disturbance in this case, which was again natural. Not justifying it at all but getting swayed towards your colleague when you’re away from your partner is real so it’s upon the person to have control over their emotions, at which Babi failed.

# We have all the rights to be extremely angry bcs after all, Yumi is our primary concern and her feelings matter more to us than anything else.

# Yumi’s response to this was also natural and one of the two options she had left to do and she chose what her then emotions and impulses demanded. She could have stayed and given Babi another chance but with furiousness she simpy chose to walk away.

# Again, again, again, it was only natural how upon meeting Babi after a long break and being confronted, she melted like butter despite her efforts to resisit. It was because they were away for a while and seeing each other again made them realize that they were not over each other. So the time asked them to get back together and they did.

# I will never understand people who lowered the ratings or started shitting on the show bcs the show didn’t have a lovey-dovey relationship entirely as shown in the first half rather it turned rough and realistic. It’s only natural to be mad on the characters but this is stupid.

# The process of Yumi becoming a writer was an ecstatic journey. We saw her spending carefully, thinking through a lot, being calculative at everything and manage her love life at the same time. But the way she bloomed into an artist and flew with colourful wings by the end of the show, I was so happy for her and for the fact that she got what she wanted and rightfully deserved.

# The editor in chief’s character was super funny and so was the scenes written for his cells but those ugly ass weird cells made me so angry, I mean why would you make his cells like cylindrical human beings? TT

# Woong coming back to screen, and that time with a fair possibility to get back together with Yumi, had made me so so so happy but why in the world the writer had to bring him back with the intention of hurting harder??? I was very mad, ngl.

# I was never happy with the 2nd innings of Yumi and Babi, not bcs they made choices to do so, but Woong’s comeback had me excited. And as expected, they were clerly not completely happy with whatever was happening though thankfully it never turned toxic.

# Well, but the ending of the 12th episode somehow felt rushed and abrupt, I mean the way they decided to get married out of impulse did bother me, bcs I was assuming they’d break up for the 2nd time then.

# Okay then, I was expecting a blast to result from that scene in next episode or at least in the finale, which didn’t happen, rather things were wrapped up smoothly and ig I am not mad about it.

# The metamorphosis card thingy was relatable wow.

# The cold virus and it's fight with the throat cells were so aptly presented, also with the ginger molecules, haha. The way the immune cells were acting up then was very biological.

# Ahn Dae Young and Yi Da??? let me cry bcs they were also cute.

# The fat cells were so cute, I'll kms.

# I liked how things were processed between Woong and Yumi’s in the finale, which obv made me expect things but atp, I think everything happens for a reason (honestly I cried about it not happening).

# About the ending, I am satisfied and happy about the way it ended. It was the best possible closure to me. Yeah, It was confusing a bit and we can say we are gonna have another season where Yumi finally meets her soulmate but I will wait.

# The guy whom we saw in the party, i am sure people are going crazy to know but first of all, I want them to announce the renewal, then I want to know whom they are gonna cast and that will probably happen few months before the season airs.

# As much as I wanna know who the actor will be, I think it will be a huge huge huge surprise if they introduce him right in the 1st episode of the s3.

Not gonna list out the complaints but lemme rant a bit. The plot development was not shoddy or anything there are definitely some plot elements that felt off. I can completely dismiss my criticisms if I think of it as a realistic option, but I am still unconvinced on personal levels. Few of the screenplay felt a little off and slow which should not have happened for a 14 episode show with multiple short and long time leaps.

Adding to it, I would have love some elaborate explanations about few things involving their relationships which didn’t happen here, and which was very much prelevant in the s1. The faster flow could be to blame but I guess they also wasted time on focusing on some additional characters, so why not this?

Will there be a season 3? Well, I am both uncertain and optimistic about the possibilities just like I was at the end of s1. So, it might or might not happen, which we’ll know within few days if we are lucky, but as much I know about the webtoon, there is definitely more to the story and personally I would love another season. But I will also be okay if they don’t plan to make one. Considering the original work and the buzz, its more likey to be renewed though. Anyways, I want one, so please.

As I am come to write the ending note, I urge everyone to realize that the relationship in the season 1 was a realistic one where the one in the season 2 is a idealistic one so the appreciations and complaints will differ in a varying degree, basing upon personal references but rationally speaking, I am still standing on a neutral stance. I liked both of them for different reasons albeit the fact that I liked the season1 better, regardless, I think there is no firm requirement for comparing the two for they’re the same continual drama.

Final Remarks… Overally, “Yumi’s Cells 2” was again able to make us feel different and had crucial influences on our hearts and minds. The show retained its originality by once again proving that the story is about the cells and not human beings. It had some rough points technically and the makers could have worked on it, but it is still good and I am sure that, if you’ve been reading through, you loved it too, haha. Will eagerly wait for the season 3.

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Tango because you like or you need?

“She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. 'Time' for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.”
― Roman Payne

Produced by 'Studio Dragon' and 'C-JeS Ent.', "EVE (이브)" is a melodrama cum revenge show with essence of Korean makjang (not a typical makjang). Written by Yoon Young Mi and directed by Park Bong Seop, the show was originally broadcasted on tvN.

The story follows the arduous life of Lee Ra Il (Seo Yea Ji), a Tango dancer, a daughter, a wife and a mother who has the aura that can bewitch even the cupid. Coming from an infamous background, she suddenly garners overwhelming amount of attention of everyone but behind the glamorous façade, she hides a formidable past and burns in her heart, the fire of misery. As life becomes cruel to her at an early age, she comes back with master plans to seek revenge from the devil and make them crumble.

LY Group Chairman Kang Yoon Kyum (Park Byung Eun) is Ra-Il’s prime target who without his awareness serves as the greatest cause to the tragedy. Han So Ra (Yoo Sun) is Yoon Kyum’s wife who can go to any length to save her marriage and her father Han Pan Ro (Jeon Gook Hwan) is the mastermind to every evil deed. Seo Eun Pyeong (Lee Sang Yeob) is an assemblyman and Laa Il’s old acquaintance who is eager to help her by any means. Jang Moon Hee (Lee Il Hwa) is La Il’s foster mother and her partner in conspiracy. Kim Jung Chul (Jung Hae Kyun) and Kim Gye Young (So Hee Jung) are aides to Pan Ro and Eun Pyeong, respectively.

Plot development is amazing at first, in fact stayed the same for the first half; I’d say I loved it till the 12th episode. With a steady flow and several peaks, the pilot episode and the beginning sequences, including the starting scene, were all intriguing and captivating. As La-Il continues to step up, ticking off her list of plans, the show keeps getting more interesting with each episode. There were moments of uncertainties for the characters’ pasts but the way they were dealt with must be acknowledged. The furtherance of the story was as amazing, though there were instances of possible labefaction and the writer seemed lost in her own story. Admittedly, the somehow felt a little draggy two week before finale, as if nothing major was happening, and with everything out to the surface, things were only getting messed. This surely is reflected in my ratings but I also felt the overall quality never went beyond the average mark.

With an experience of over 1.5 decades, Yoon Young Mi jakka-nim seems like a lover of makjang pieces. And as she chose to make Yea Ji the star of her event, she surely has hit a huge with the show that for sure was well decorated by the rookie director Park Bong Seop PD-nim. The show is not exactly character-driven but the characters surely hold the leashes to every mightiness that the viewers were offered throughout. The background narration, the manner of portrayal and the execution as well as storytelling were pleasing to their best. The cinematography with dazzling bright hue accompanied by sumptuous eye-enticing editing were joyful visual treats. The problem with writing is that the last quarter of the show turned typical, with a moderate rush they made it a complex mess where characters went berserk and acted crazy

There are a total of 4 OSTs in the drama and all of them are truly likable, narrating the natures of the four main characters that you see in the show’s main poster. Notably, the pure instrumentals of these tracks are as alleviating.

# My most favourite is “Hold Me Tight” by again, one of my favourite vocalist, Kim Ye Ji is an English track meant for La-Il telling her intentions to make her enemy suffer through lies.
# “Adios Amante” sung by Shin Youme is an awfully intriguing track that begins with piano notes depicting confusions and suspicions and meant for So Ra. Both the lyrics and vocal are strikingly beautiful.
# As a song of remorse “Want to be your everyday” with soft vocals of Sondia is a way for Yoon Kyum to seek the presence of someone who understands and wilfully comforts him for life.
# Lee Hyun sings “Only Way” as Eun Pyeong calls for acknowledgement of his emotions that he realizes are genuine. The track is immensely soulful as well as soulful.

The aesthetics of the show was focused on Seo Yea Ji and does it sound like a complaint? Hell NO! I am beyond happy. The lady is already so gracious and the outfits she wore, were what chose her and defined her. Goosebumps kept coming in and going out every time she came into the frame. How can someone be so graceful? Her character arc as Ra-il is as beguiling and appreciable skills of hers are what should be credited. However, the aura of the character sadly faded in the later half, slowly getting diluted with typicality of the show. I loved that she stayed vengeful till the end, but the initial undertone felt lost.

Byung Eun is undoubtedly one of the best in terms of acting and as pleasing was his performance as Yoon Kyum, a man deprived of love and a man seeking liberty of worldly things through his leaning towards music and dance. A man who holds himself back knowing what is demanded of him but for the sake of acknowledgement, he suffers of misery, with no one to lean on. I would have loved to see a character development but unfortunately he stayed the same, with all the expressions and thinking process, the only change that he exhibited was the change in heart and his views of love.

Yoo Sun as Sora did a good representation of someone with multiple complexes and severe mental health issues, who seeks nothing but care and attention from her family. Sang Yeob as a sane character playing the man of influence contributed to the quality of the show but I couldn’t see anything appealing out of his character that would make me want more; his character could have been better written and provided with more screen-time.

One thing I loved the most was the inclusion of Piazzolla’s bandoneon and the underlying legend. The way the writer used that tale to narrate the lives of both leads was ecstatic even though it lasted only for an episode. Also, bringing the deep essence of ‘tango’ and narrating the story in artistic sense was also beautiful.

Some of my favourite dialogues from the show are…
“Dance is a form of rebellion by nature. People who obey orders, don't dance.”
“Love cannot be hidden, it's madly impulsive.”
“There are three things that can't be hidden: poverty, sneezes and love.”
“I will be the master. Not you.”

Final Remarks… I think it’d be wrong to forget the amazing start and the gracious furtherance of the show just because the ending faced a downfall, and rightfully so, I understand why people are mad. But, rationally speaking, I am not gonna rate it absurdly low for the unsatisfactory ending. Despite everything, it was a good show in overall. One problem is that many here perceived this as a makjang story with several moxed genre, where the makers made clear that it is a revenge melodrama. I think it is worth the time and you can speed up after 12 episodes if you want but this is not bad.

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