An Absolute Mindfuck

Everyone here needs therapy, including me.

Did I just single-handedly binge the one and only drama that managed to score relatively close to my sleep paralysis demon, Mouse (2021), which had a chokehold on me for two years since it’s release?

Possibly.

First things first before I get into the actual review. How the HELL does this drama only have a rating of 7.8/10? Imo, it deserves at least an 8.6 if not greater!

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CINEMATOGRAPHY
Had some meaningful shots and unique transition scenes as well. The lighting in the drama changed depending on the scene. Overall, it was very fitting and helped to set the mood for the scene extremely well. The shots were also done very professionally and in a very abstract, artistic manner. I was blown away by how impactful doing something as simple as placing a camera and adjusting the lighting so that a character’s eyes had absolutely no light in them was. It really sent shivers up my spine and evoked a lot of complication emotions in me.

ACTING
I have to say, every actor and actress nailed their roles. I’ll especially acknowledge Yamada Rouske for delivering an impeccable performance throughout. After all, he played two roles that were drastically different from one another, but his acting blended seamlessly with each character’s personality. In all, emotions ran high for the drama, and that was mainly due to the fact that everyone in the cast were seasoned actors and actresses. Everyone acted with their eyes, which managed to capture the rawest emotions.

STORYLINE
Holy shit. That’s all I can say to summarize the plot of this drama. To put it more informally, this drama is a complete mindfuck. It’s convoluted.. but somehow MAKES SENSE. Even after all the series of events that unfolded, there were maybe only 2 plots holes left at the end that weren’t filled, but since they’re not vital to the plot as much as some of the other plot aspects, I’ll excuse it. The premise itself is very unique and almost mind-boggling of how good it is. Be warned that it is quite makjang— a Korean term meaning that a drama has an over-exaggerated, "what the fuck is going on?" kind of plot with a series of ridiculous twists and turns at every corner possible. This style of drama may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those with short attention span like me who can’t handle slow burn and thrives off action, this drama will be right up your alley! The pacing of the story wasn’t too fast nor slow, and the flow of the events in the drama blew me away at how good it was. Every event linked to one another, so it really put me in that detective sort of mode when trying to connect them. Spoilers, but the ending couldn’t have been more perfect imo. Relationships between the characters progressed naturally and the screenwriters even sprinkled a generous amount of character development for the characters who needed it most towards the end of the drama. Possibly my only complaint regarding the plot is its predictability. Nonetheless, it really messes with your mind. One moment you’re sure that the person is the culprit, and 5 seconds later you’re questioning the meaning of life. Also, the length of the drama was great. At one point, I did feel like the plot got unnecessarily draggy, but those series of events really managed to unfold into something grand later on. Finally, one of my favorite aspects of the plot is the amount of morally-grey characters we have. It’s safe to say that almost all of the characters were developed, dimensional, and fully-fledged. Towards the end, the drama makes you wonder if justice was really served or not. Did the culprit deserve the punishment they got?


EXPERIENCE
Although there were some aspects of the plot that were relatively predictable, the thrill the drama brought along with it made up for that predictability. For the first time in a while, I truly felt like I removed the experience of watching a good thriller. Every since Mouse (2021), I was getting some serious PTDD (post-traumatic drama disorder) and still haven’t recovered from it, even two years later. However, watching this drama gave me so much thrill and really put me into the mindset of a detectives. It’s just a crazy, convoluted story that seems like there would be many plot holes, but before you even know it, all those plot holes got filled in seamlessly— and that was extremely satisfying to witness! It’s also a very thought-provoking experience. The drama really lives up to its psychological thriller tag. Every now and then I think back on some scenes and feel like my heart aches at how sad it is. Every character is pitiful, there isn’t no "pure villain." This drama really deserves some sort of tragedy tag because my heart simply wasn’t ready for the amount of angst it delivered.

SOUNDTRACK
Although the songs were very good, there was a lack of variety. Additionally, some scenes had improper OST / song placement, but hey, all the songs were fitted to the theme of the drama and were catchy!

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Tooth-Decaying Chemistry!

This was an adorable drama. I’m usually not a fan of modern c-dramas (more of the historical type), so I was instantly hooked when I found out that Mr. Bad had a dual-plot (that is, one with historical and modern elements)! The drama was light and refreshing. There were no unnecessary love triangles or crazy misunderstandings. Sure, it did follow some cliches, but these cliches were executed fairly well. And unsurprisingly, that was only made possible by the leads chemistry.

Lord. This has to be the first and only drama where the casting team struck gold with their choices. Chen Zheyuan and Shen Yue, although an unexpected duo, completely swept me off my feet. Their chemistry was undeniable- heck, it practically OOZES off the screen.

However, CZY x SY’s chemistry wasn’t the only thing that had me compelled to watch this show. The characterization for the secondary couple, as well as the other supporting characters, were so tender and enough to make a grown man cry. Characters were well-rounded, adorable, REALISTIC, and the writers even gave us a generous amount of character development for characters that needed them most.

Good things aside, I knocked off half a point because kiss scenes could’ve been improved, since they looked rather sloppy (?), and the ending could’ve been.. how do I say this.. some things could’ve been a bit different.

All in all, the drama was incredible, and I would highly encourage anyone who’s a fan of rom-coms (or if you aren’t, like I am, but who fell in love with the genre again after watching this) to watch this drama! Don’t let the low rating (8.1.. REALLY?) discourage you from watching it. I’d say give it a chance!

Just a side note, but truthfully speaking, I really can’t watch any other dramas where CZY or SY are paired with other love interests anymore. I miss them so much TT

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A High School Return of the World’s Toughest Guardian Angel

I’ll drop the bomb now.. “High School Return of a Gangster" has got to be one of, if not the most ENTERTAINING, MEANINGFUL, and IMPACTFUL "FEEL-GOOD" series of 2024. Dare I say.. even a masterpiece!

I did not read the original novel, so I’m not sure how faithful it stayed to its source material but when looking at the drama’s storyline, although the concepts aren’t new or fresh, it felt as if the writer cherry-picked some of the most interesting genres, tossed them into a pot, and weaved a compelling tale free of plot holes with exquisite pacing, a steady flow, an unpredictable factor, solid worldbuilding, and impactful characters who had their share of character development. Not to mention, it had the most thought-provoking ending I think I’ve ever seen in cinema.

Originally derived from a BL novel of the same-ish name, I was initially hesitant to give this one a go due to its supposed straight-washing. Although it would’ve been nice if the drama retained its BL elements, I was pleasantly surprised by the BROMANCE. It’s subtle, but I can see just how impactful scenes of two people maintaining 2-second eye contact could be if you cast the right people to portray the characters. That being said, Yoon Chan Young and Bong Jae Hyun practically BREATHED the characters to life and embodied them in such a way that made me resonate with their thoughts, feelings, and actions.

On the topic surrounding the cast, I’d like to give a round of applause to the casting team. Don’t underestimate the capabilities of the younger actors who made up 90% of the cast! We did NOT get botched crying scenes or actors who were there just to look good for the camera. The entire team oozed with NATURALNESS, CHARISMA, and delivered an IMPECCABLE performance throughout.

Looking at the characters, we have the unlikely du— I mean, three MUSKETEERS that practically STOLE THE SHOW: The nerd (Choi Se Kyung), the fighter (Hong Jae Min), and the lover (Song Yi Hyeon). Throughout the series, we see steady development for each character, as well as a natural relationship development between the three leads. What I like about these three is how they’re REALISTIC in the sense that they’re FLAWED. I despise dramas that depict specific characters as simply black or white. I like characters who can pack a punch— characters who have some substance, and that’s exactly what we see in this drama. On top of that, the writers gave us a K.O kind of redemption arc for Hong Jae Min (still recovering from this).

As for the experience, this drama scored 10s across the board for cinematography, production, and soundtrack. We got a diverse selection of songs ranging from the classic 80s vibe to the modern, upbeat ones. All of the songs fit the scenes well and are definitely ones that I am adding to my next shower playlist! Also, for the first time in a long time, I watched a drama that had me eagerly waiting each week for the episodes to release. Although it was torture, the revelation was worth it!

Overall, DO NOT KNOCK IT TIL YOU TRY IT. Although I understand that some people are avoiding this drama to boycott the whole straight-washing of a same-sex original work, it’d also be unfair to miss out on such a hidden gem that delivers in all aspects, even making up for the missing BL element with its ambiguous undertones.

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The Sweetest Out of The Trilogy!

"Perhaps in this life, we are destined to have one person shining bright in the sky and the other tainted by earthly dust."

First and foremost, the one aspect that made me continue this drama was the CGI. It’s practically seamless! As expected from the team that produced Ashes of Love. Usually, for xianxia dramas that require heavy usage of CGI, it’s easy to mess up here and there. However, this drama did not disappoint when it comes to CGI. It is beautifully and very professionally done. It definitely adds to the experience! Very precise and fine attention to detail, which truly brings the elements on the screen to life. Cinematography is also done very well. The shots and sets where the drama were filmed at were beautiful!

Secondly, the casting is spot on. All actors are natural and immerse into their roles extremely well. I’m especially blown away by Li Landi’s acting. In my opinion, they couldn’t have cast a better person as Ye Tan. I find myself pausing the screen every once in a while and can’t help but squeal at how cute she is! Her mannerisms, facial expressions, and even voice (since she dubbed her own character), match that of Ye Tans so well. She is also one of the best criers I’ve ever seen. All her crying scenes were genuine and immensely difficult to NOT react to. Besides that, Luke Chen, at times, could’ve portrayed his emotions better. His crying scenes weren’t that impactful, and could’ve been improved a bit more.

With the good points out of the way, one concern of mine was how fast some of the romantic relationships developed. Minor spoilers ahead. I’m talking about QK and CF and, most recently, HS and QH. I feel like QK fell a little too quickly and rather unnaturally. Obviously, CF was the one heads over heel for her first, but when he confessed out of the blue, it was almost like QK was like: “Oh! He likes me! I will instantly fall in love with anyone who says they love me! Yes!” In my opinion, their romance could’ve developed for a few more episodes so that it would seem more natural as opposed to a bit rushed. I also noticed this for QH’s and HS’s ship. QH fell wayyy too quickly, so it felt rather unnatural. However, after that, the relationships for both couples developed very well. I am a fan of slow-burn romance, and coupled with the excellent chemistry between QH and HS’s actor / actress, it was exactly my cup of tea!

Regarding pacing, it was a bit dragged at the beginning. I’m just glad that some plot started to pick up after.. like, 10 episodes. However, despite that first half, it was definitely entertaining, which made the episodes go by quickly. Since it’s your usual romcom and follows a lot of cliches, predictability is quite high. But as mentioned before, as long as it’s entertaining, I’m all for it! Plot unfolded steadily after that initial slow start!

Finally, I cannot express how much I appreciate the amount of character development and redemption arcs the scriptwriters gave us. I appreciated how they didn’t just show the good— such as how bad characters managed to turn over a leaf, but also how good, innocent characters became broken over time, and even in death, their resentment against the world couldn’t be quelled.

Everything is not just gray, but rather black and white. Although I applaud characters like Ye Tan who’s the type to "forgive and forget," some people aren’t that strong-willed. Hatred strong enough can engulf all rationality, and not all people can ignore that voice in their heads. It’s a realistic portrayal of both outcomes, and even a bit psychological as well.

All in all, The Starry Love is a must-watch for xianxia fanatics like me. I never considered myself a fan of romcoms, but after watching this, I think I changed my mind! It is fluffy, fun, and definitely sets apart from your usual cdramas. Definitely one of the best xianxia dramas released in 2023!

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A Machete Served on a Plate— An Absolute Treat to Start the 2nd Half of 2024!

Here’s the thing: When the world of wife-chasing, dogblooded crematorium novels meets the Thai BL industry, something absolutely magical happens— and My Stand In is exactly that!

Originally based on a novel called "Professional Substitute" (職業替身) written by Shui Qian Cheng (水千丞), My Stand In definitely takes the crown as one of the most well-made adaptations we’ve seen in a while and is undoubtedly one of THE BEST we’ve seen this year.

Surprisingly, it managed to stay true to its source material for the most part. As for the rest, our director decided to sprinkle in some of their own creative "flair" to the script by tailoring the storyline so that it promotes Thai culture to the greater audience.

My Stand In is definitely a hot take among the lineup of Thai BL released this year. Right off the bat, this drama will not be everyone’s cup of tea— why?
Well, the questionable morals and actions from the characters throughout the series may be the biggest deterrent. One of our characters, Ming, has a doctorate from red-flag academy (graduated from the same class as Vegas from KinnPorsche). As someone who’s seen characters far worse than Ming, my level of tolerance is much higher than the average person— that is, someone who has their morals in the right places in both real life AND fiction. Ultimately, it’s up to how much you can handle. If you’re of the majority described above, stay far away from this series. It’s dog-blooded (a Chinese term referring to a plot that is cliche, drama, contains soap opera-ish elements, gritty, angsty), a dark romance, toys with your moral compass, and relentlessly stomps on your heart left and right.

Adding on to Ming’s characterization: He is, undoubtedly, a rarity in the Thai BL industry as to how much of a red flag he is. It’s not often that we see a character so deep and convincingly in the red. It’s a real treat that’s FUN IN FICTION, of course. Having read the novel (which I heavily encourage you all to do!), I’m already quite familiar as to how exactly Ming develops throughout the story. However, others, especially those who have not read the original work, find it difficult to redeem a character like him, which is rational enough— I mean, if I were Joe, I would’ve already had a restraining order against him and sued him of 10 criminal charges.

Despite its flaws, My Stand In is also one of the more compelling, intricate dramas I found myself enjoying far more than the usual university rom-com ones. The series contains layered characters, keeps you on the edge of your seat with its no-dull moments, and is a real breath of fresh air among all the fluffy shows we’ve seen so far. Objectively speaking, the drama’s strongest points lie in the casting, soundtrack (for the most part), and storyline.

Starting on the meat of the review. Based on the synopsis alone, you can already tell that this drama has something to offer other than your usual romance. For those who are unfamiliar, Shui Qian Cheng, the original author, is quite redound for her '188 series' that share a common theme of angst, morally-ambiguous characters, and falls under the category of wife-chasing crematorium (a genre I advise you looking into for context!). And let me tell you.. wife chasing crematorium novels are NOT for the faint of heart. For me, I’m a sucker for angsty plots and redemption arcs, so crematorium novels are right down my alley. Given that MSI is based on such a novel, expect it to be messy, dramatic, and one that may recycle some of your standard cliches. In the Chinese BL novel community, these terms all fall under the "dogblood" category. Also known as gou xie (狗血), this term describes a novel that contains a lot of soap-opera elements. MSI is 90% pain and 10% fluff. It is a melodrama, deals with sensitive topics like death, non-con, dub-con, kidnapping, alcoholism, and implied suicidal thoughts— just to name a few. Sounds crazy, right?— that’s WCC for you! All these elements, when put into the right hands, weave a compelling tale that manages to keeps your eyes peeled throughout, each episode leaving a cliffhanger that’ll cause your blood pressure to rise. You will feel a lot of emotions as you go through the series. At one moment, you will be like "damn, this is too sweet!" then have your heart, soul, mind, and conscious incinerated. That being said, mind the tags (mentioned above) before you decide to give it a go! Otherwise, it will completely ruin the experience of watching MSI for you if you’re not already aware of it’s contents.

While the premise is in a league of its own, it’s execution fell short. The storyline is divided into arcs, but I can’t brush off the feeling that it’s choppy— think of writing an essay but using no transition sentences. Consequently, flow and pacing were a bit on and off. While the timeline of events is coherent, the transition between them feels like I’m watching a stop motion film. Overall, it definitely could’ve been better.

Character-wise, it differs a lot from the novel. Here, the screenwriters has a knack for making every single character morally grey. While this is good, you also need to have a good balance. In the drama, some characters just can’t be redeemed, and just when you’re content with the fact that the villain is going to stay a villain (rightfully so), the screenwriters suddenly throw in an amateur "redemption arc" to try and justify them. When it comes to redemption arcs, some characters just can’t be saved— and that’s completely fine! If you’re gonna give a seemingly irredeemable character redemption, you'd have to justify it by showing how much they repented and suffered. Just expect to get your moral compass toyed with for a bit throughout the drama. Some characters got their HE, but was it really deserved?

The ending did feel a bit rushed and some things that were added were too dramatic for my liking, even though I assume that the intent was to make it "thought provoking" and symbolic, representing Joe’s feelings and all. However, we’ve seen enough of that. I wish that they could’ve used that opportunity to display more of Ming’s guilt and how exactly he suffered after Joes death (essentially putting all those words into actual perspective, make it more impactful). If those extra elements were added, I believe that that the ending could’ve been more satisfying and "closed," where the bad guys got their punishments and the good guys lived on happily. That would be my interpretation of an impactful ending.

Cinematography was good and expected from a drama of this budget. Soundtrack had a lot to offer but some songs were very overused / misplaced at times (ruined it for me, but each individual song was great). Most importantly, the acting and chemistry were OFF THE ROOFS. As expected from same two people who won the best couple award, UpPoom was an unexpected duo that managed to completely sweep me off my feet and stands as one of the best on-screen chemistry I’ve seen in a BL work!

Also, the experience of watching this as it aired would remain one of the most memorable! For those who are new here or held watching the show until it completely aired, I both commend your patience and are seething in envy. I remember the journey from episode 1-12, one episode a week, after all those cliffhangers— it was rough, but very fun! No dull cliffhangers here!

Acting wise, Poom Phuripan is definitely one of the most beloved, talented new faces of the year. His performance throughout this series is more than enough to showcase what the man can do. If there is one thing I’m certain about, it is that he will have a bright future ahead of him in the acting industry. Up, on the other hand, gave me another impression. This may be quite an unpopular opinion, but I found his acting to be a bit rocky, or maybe it was the characterization that I felt was off. Sometimes, it felt like he lacked that 5% to make Mings character come true. Sure, he most certainly fits the bill for how Ming should look like, but the acting wasn’t too convincing at times. I rationalize with myself that it may be due to the fact that I’m too used to Ming’s egocentric, utterly vile personality in the novel, which was toned down in the adaptation. As such, I will rewatch the series with a fresh mindset and separate Ming from Yan Mingxiu, which I encourage for all you novel readers to do as well! As for the other characters, Wut and Tong’s acting were rather underwhelming. Wut looked like he wanted to laugh even in serious situations and it seemed like Tong didn’t know what emotion to portray.

Since I’m writing this review right after watching the last episode, a part of me feels empty bidding farewell to MSI. Despite its flaws, it really had a chokehold on me for the past few months. Minding the tags, why not give this series a chance? Once you pass the "trauma" aisle of the market, you can’t go back to all that fluff!

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Thrilling, Gloomy, and Unnerving— Featuring Some Twisted Familial Relationships

I don’t usually gravitate towards slow-burn thrillers, but this one hit different. Overall, the pacing of the show was slow, but there were some moments filled with action that got your adrenaline racing.

The Bequeathed is reminiscent of Beyond Evil, in terms of the rural, "small town" setting and the general "slow-burn" unfolding of the storyline, as well as The Revenant’s dive into the whole supernatural aspect. Construing an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, especially in a rural setting, can be hard. After all, you don’t have much to work with apart from empty plots of land that stretch as far as the eye could see; but despite having limited cards to play with, he knew how to manipulate them well. Cinematography, lighting, the camerawork, and soundtrack all pitched in to weave this unsettling atmosphere that kept me on my toes.

Despite its original and interesting premise, the drama did fall short towards the end. Although most of the smaller plot holes were filled, unironically, perhaps the most important overarching one was left untouched: "Why does everyone covet the burial ground?" Considering that the burial ground is part of the drama’s synopsis and was it’s overall theme, it’s hard not to consider this factor when rating the dramas plot holes (now, we’re treading on dangerous territory here..). Other than that, the dramas worldbuilding, flow, pacing, character and relationship development, and overall predictability scored quite high on my scale.

Is it a fresh concept? no, but it is a good take on the noir, slow burn thriller set in a creepy, rural town where a mysterious serial killer runs amok. If you’re into that, The Bequeathed may be a good option to add to your list.

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Buckle Up For This 10-Episode Gripping and Adrenaline-Racing MOVIE!

As the title states, the strongest qualities of this drama is the fact that the sole experience of watching it felt like a 10-episode movie. It was action packed, gripping, suspenseful, light-hearted (at times), and even emotional. It never had a dull moment.

Another strong point of this drama was the cast lineup. Stellar throughout the board, especially from Yoo Yeon-Seok. As the actor who’s embodied complex roles such as the iconic Gu Dong Mae in Mr. Sunshine, Yoo Yeon-Seok doesn’t fail to impress me with his ability to capture a wide range of emotions, perfectly switching up from an innocent man to a ruthless, perverse serial killer. I nickname him as the "chameleon" of the industry!

Speaking for the plot itself, originality is there, predictability is low, and the flow and pacing of events is above average. Character development, especially from the taxi driver, is what took the prize for this category. We see him going from a naïve old man to a father who’s hell-bent on taking revenge.

It did, however, have some plot holes that needed to be patched up. Most, if not all of these inconsistencies centered around Yoo Yeon-Seok’s character and his past. I feel like we’ve only touched on the tip of the iceberg regarding his family history, which plays into the possible conversation of nature or nurture, why our serial killer is the way he is, etc. Along with that, our serial-killer of a side character has one of the most durable plot-armors I’ve ever seen, logic is out of the window towards the second half, characters that seem vital to the plot are actually cannon-fodders in disguise that make a cameo for 5 minutes episodes then disappear, and the director applied some of their notes from watching soap opera’s into our family-dynamics

Overall, I’d say that A Bloody Lucky Day is definitely a must-watch for fans of fast-paced, adrenaline racing thrillers!

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Undeniable Chemistry, Questionable Storyline

Alright, my opinion on this drama may be a bit unpopular (and quite controversial)— it wasn’t a masterpiece. If anything, the acting, production, cinematography, and soundtrack made up for the drama’s main weakness— its plot.

Before jumping into the negatives, there is, without a doubt, not a single flaw in the casting. Here we have a lineup of seasoned actors and actresses, so role immersion and the ability to express the characters emotions were executed very well. It had a good balance of romance, lightheartedness, and a touch of melo. Intimate scenes were produced very well— courtesy of the leads sizzling chemistry! Although the drama may be a bit slower in pace, it wins the trophy for having the most natural and well-developed "relationship development" between the leads. My BIGGEST pet peeve is going into a drama where the leads are doing the hanky panky 10 mins into the pilot episode… like, do y’all even know each others names? Take notes screenwriters.. cause' this is how you do it! If there was one thing I could change, it would be including more variety into the soundtrack (since one song in particular was quite overused throughout the drama and wasn’t befitting for a few scenes).

Alright, now onto the meat of the review. What went wrong? To start, the premise of the drama isn’t entirely unique, though it does retain some of its own creative flair. It had a strong start by captivating watchers in its worldbuilding of 1920s Chiang Mai. However, my main complaint for this drama slowly became its worldbuilding, which also ties closely to some of the major plot holes you could practically ram a truck into. For instance, who was that person appearing in the modern House of Palatip? Could this be Jom from the past, switching souls with Jom of the present? Also, Uncle Stan heard Jom "calling him" the night before his first visit in the morning— Who was that? A hallucination? When Uncle Tan said this, is it the incident Jom experienced after laying a drunk Khun Yai down to sleep? if so, how does that timeline work? What’s up with Jom hearing the voice of Uncle Tan? Does it tie with the Jom appearing in the modern House of Palatip? How on earth did modern Khun Yai gain the memories of his past? Oh— and don’t get me started on the PAST PAST timeline before the 1920s Chiang Mai era.

Man, that was a handful. Just thinking about that plot, which seems so simple, churns my brain into a slimy mess. Clearly, I didn’t expect to have to exert THIS much power into understanding this convoluted plot.

Nonetheless, it’s definitely a bingeable one. If I had to be honest, I was hooked for the first 4 episodes and gradually lost interest later on. It is a bit disappointing how open-ended the drama left off. If there is another season planned, hopefully the writers can tie some of the loose knots and clarify the worldbuilding a bit more.

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A Subtle Change of Atmosphere

Admist all the hustle and bustle in the world, we all need some tranquility once in a while.

And who would’ve thought that a miniseries like Doona would be the embodiment of just that. Doona! Is the type of film you’d watch on a downcast day, socks off, on the couch while you’re stuck inside admist a huge downpour. It is a healing, serene, and realistic film unlike any other dramas I’ve seen so far. It is unconventional, and surprisingly, some aspects of it are even thought-provoking.

Compared to CLOY, I found that the director experimented with Doona a bit. Still retaining his own unique, creative flair, the film had many "silent" moments— that is, moments that had no on-cue soundtrack placement, since it’s just background noise. Although it did feel awkward and a bit of getting used to at first, I later realized how songs that were used in the drama were so strategically placed. Although silence is there for a majority of the film, I find that the background noise is what sets the films tone. In a way, it allows one to interpret the scenes better.

Acting-wise, you really can’t go wrong with Yang Sejong and Suzy. Although an unexpected duo, these two had insane chemistry that completely swept me off my feet. Characters were dimensional, fun, and flawed. The characterization in this drama was great, and it was only made possible by the actors portraying them.

All in all, Doona! is a really good drama if you’re looking to find something to munch on. It’s may be a mini-series, but the production of this drama is actually really good— as expected from the same director of CLOY, and the plot gives some nice food-for-thought.

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Secured the Ambiance, Completely Bombed The Plot

Honestly, I only chose to watch this movie because of Kim Mu Yeol, and I did stay after the plot went south— just for him.

It had a strong start. Ambiance was good, suspense was there, definitely had me at the edge of my seat at some points. The movie has characteristics of a traditional psychological thriller, with a sprinkle of horror into the mix. Cinematography was adequate, nothing wrong with the whole production and acting crew. As always, KMY effortlessly delivered his role and the rest of the cast portrayed their characters well.

Now, with such a good start, what could possibly go wrong?

All was well until the supposed big reveal. The moment that happened, the smile literally fell off my face and I really wanted to slam my laptop into the trash. Not only did they ruin a completely good start, but they just had to recycle some cliche, overused-ass premise that we’ve seen countless of times in the industry— cults. Dear lord, what in the world were they thinking by messing up a completely good start with talks of recruiting the "chosen child" ? A "God child" ? I’ll admit, I did not expect the plot to take this turn. However, I am definitely not pleasantly surprised.

Not to mention, the movie had plot holes you could drive a monster truck through.

Overall, a complete waste of potential down the drain.

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Office Romance or Thriller?

It’s an alright drama. Personally, I felt that it was way too episodic for my liking and there ended up being too many plot holes and unexplained events towards the end.

Character development was adequate, since the drama focused more on revealing the complexity of the characters on the morally grey scale as opposed to whether or not they actually changed for the greater good. The screenwriters really had a knack for making practically every "villain" someone who did what they did for a reason.

Cinematography was good. The shots and camera work were relatively steady and had some cinematic moments. It had some unique frame-to-frame transitions as well. Lighting was consistent throughout and unlike other dramas, I’m glad that they chose a more "natural" lighting as opposed to putting saturated filters to make colors pop— like, you’re watching a thriller.. not a romcom! The lighting really set the mood for the scenes and was overall enjoyable to watch.

Acting was also good, but I truly felt like ML’s acting lacked something important. I don’t know how to explain it— I just guess that it felt incomplete.

Also, despite popular opinion, I thought that the FL wasn’t too annoying. Personally, I found her witty (not mentioning the stalking phase.. I don’t know how she got away with that). As much as I tried not to dislike her, I was annoyed at how much screen time she had in the drama. IMO, the story could’ve just been centered primarily on the two brothers. It was a shame how the ML got so little screen time despite his importance to the overall story. FL could’ve simply been a background character without the unnecessarily romance. Too much of the plot was centered around those two, and their romantic moments felt like fillers that dragged the drama to an extent. At some point, I found myself having to skip every scene where she and MC interacted because I wanted to see ML so bad.

Ending was textbook perfect. After all, justice was somewhat served.. but only SOMEWHAT. I hate hate hate it when culprits are somewhat invincible. It makes sense if it were to be a fantasy drama, but how is it that our culprit can crawl out of practically any situation regardless of life and death like a rat? He is literally a rat!

The screenwriters could’ve had MC investigate the cases that were actually relevant, such as the ones done by his brother.. but no! The cases MC decides to investigate are merely subplots, with some not even connecting to the bigger picture! Again, this just dragged the drama on an unnecessarily longer length. All we’re left with is implications. The screenwriters drop ambiguous hints based on word of mouth here and there, such as when Meena said that the P guy was going to be his "last victim." Did he kill all those other 9 people or did he use others as his executioners? Why did he choose those executioners? Context is very limited, which makes connecting the cases to the bigger picture appear like a tangled mess.

Logic is somewhat out of the window for some aspects of this drama. For example, the whole idea of the culprit having no pulse is just so mind-boggling and anatomically wrong that I just can’t get it out of my mind.. but at the same time, I have to just remind myself that this is a work of fiction, and things aren’t supposed to make sense.. I guess?

Overall, the major flaw of this drama is the plot. Trust me, the premise is very promising, but the execution could’ve been done entirely different. First things first, start off by filling in the plot holes for gods sake!

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Lo and Behold, My Sleep Paralysis Demon!

I introduce you to my, "Ladies and Gentleman, Her" drama.

I see that you, a cultured individual, have clicked on this dramas reviews to see if it is worth watching or not. As the president of the community, headquartered in Sung Yohan’s basement, I can attest to all the high reviews posted on this page.

Are you looking for an unconventional thriller that’s deeply psychological, action-packed, riveting, emotionally-draining, and one that might leave your heart riddled with holes, reminiscent of a sad block of cheese?

If so, then Mouse (2021) may just be your best bet.

Oh, and did I mention emotionally-draining? Let me just elaborate on that: imagine I hand you a not-so-discreetly-wrapped machete as a present— Happy Birthday!

So, what are you waiting for? If you were looking for a romcom and accidentally walked across the "trauma" aisle, why not cleanse your palate for something more raw and bitter to wash the sweetness away? Give it a watch, certified satisfaction guaranteed with not-so-guaranteed 30 day warranty!

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A Youth Drama We Didn’t Know We Needed, But Deserved

A story about a boy who goes back in time to prevent a tragedy from occurring… that’s just the surface-level synopsis of his trip.

Ha Eun Gyeol, our main character, embarks on a journey that revitalizes his youth, helps his dad shine in a way like never before, and opens a door of communication for his mother to the world— one sign at a time!

Twinkling Watermelon (반짝이는 워터멜론) is not just a comedic slice-of-life saturated with fluffy moments enough to make you pass out from sweetness at every corner. Rather, it’s a drama full of wounded interpersonal relationships, character development, healing, forgiveness, and acceptance admist the backdrop of '95’s Seoul. In fact, the setting is so well-crafted, coupled with the original premise— that it makes the audience feel like they’re embarking on the same journey as our main character.

One of the biggest aspects that I absolutely adore about this drama is the stellar cast. Whoever did the casting deserves some kind of award! Characterizations is so on-point that it leaves you in awe. CHW practically MOLDS into the role of Ha Yi Chan, and the same goes with the orher crew members. Line delivery was flawless, and the amount of times Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) made me cry is probably too much to count— I mean, mans is a whole tear-production plant!

Additionally, this drama teaches so many great values about family that will deeply resonate and tug at the heartstrings of many viewers. As someone with a close-knit relationship with their parents, and coming from a cultural background of collectivist beliefs, the interactions between HEC ans HEG made me deeply reflect on the relationship that I have with my loved ones.

For those who still have your parents, guardian, or a loved one in general, cherish the moments that you have with them. If theres anything that Twinkling Watermelon wants you to realize, it is as Mr. Viva said, “Major and minor chords must coexist harmoniously for a song to sound delightful and complete. The same goes for life. Experiencing hardships and joyful moments help you build your dazzling life.”

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He Who Holds The Gavel Wields Formidable Power

WARNING: SOME MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW.

First off, I watched this show since it first aired, so this review is rated from a different perspective compared to those who just binged all episodes of the show in one sitting.

Blind may your typical revenge-based thriller, but its overall plot is quite unique, since it’s premise is based on a true story, which the authors have taken and sprinkled a bit of their own creative narrative to it. Blind takes inspiration from a South Korean case involving a welfare place called Brothers Home. I suggest that you research about the matter, but viewer discretion is advised. In short, the plot is nothing you’d see in other kdramas, but Blind’s take on it had some pitfalls. Some spoilers below.

Given this is based on a real case, I can’t help but feel conflicted. Although the plot is circulated around revenge, I didn’t like how they made victims of HWC come out as seemingly psychopathic, bloodthirsty murderers. I’m not saying that I necessarily disapprove of the revenge arc, but some characters ruined it for me more than others. If one of the villains were more dimensional like Sung Hoon, I would’ve approved of it, but Yoon Jae is an entirely different case. His character ruined it for me. Yoon Jae lacked character development, and stayed as a rather two-dimensional (flat) character throughout the story. Considering how much he was mentioned throughout the story, I expected for the writers to make him a much more impressional anti-hero, but he just came out as a villain. I was disappointed to find out that he wasn’t a main lead, since his character was mentioned so much throughout the drama.

Even after the drama ended, Blind still had so many plot holes. In fact, I counted around 15. I was disappointed how none of these were filled at the end. Another thing that irked me was the sloppy investigative work. Almost everyone, including Sung Joon, looked like amateurs trying to play cat and mouse.

Blind also lacked influential characters. Aside from Sung Joon and Eun Ki, none of the other characters, including Sung Hoon and Yoon Jae, made a deep impression on me. Although Sung Hoon character was morally grey and dimensional, I felt like he lacked something. Overall character to me was just.. weird. I can’t quite explain it. He’s straightforward, smart, and seemingly perfect, but he seemed too animated. I’m not sure if this was on his actor’s part, but I felt that Sung Hoon’s character could’ve been written differently. I already talked about Yoon Jae, but I have to mention one thing: If his character was written like Children of Nobody’s anti-hero Lee Eun Ho, I would’ve approved of it.

I appreciated the final episode so much. It seems like the writers took some time to spread awareness about the real-life issue. It was impressionable, call to action wise.

Flaws aside, the drama did a wonderful job at keeping my attention gripped. Each episode had an impressional cliffhanger, which left me anxiously waiting each week. It stayed consistent in this aspect. Furthermore, this is probably the first Korean thriller where I actually rewatched each episode to try and play detective on the case. It was fun reading theorizing and reading other people’s theories on platforms like MDL and Reddit- the community was incredible and well-mannered (almost everyone out spoiler tags on their comments, that’s why).

Blind’s soundtrack was also perfect. A new MV was released each week, and none of them flopped. I literally played these OST’s every day and never got sick of it. Im thoroughly impressed by the sheer amount of variety in the OST’s. It included so many genres, many of which I thought I wouldn’t like- such as country and rock. However, some scenes in the drama could’ve used a more suitable OST. Often times, I find that certain scenes had OST’s that completely ruined the mood for me.

I have to give credit to the wonderful actors and actresses that participated in this project. The cast had seasoned actors and actresses, so I wasn’t concerned on cringe-worthy acting. I was especially surprised by Eunji’s acting, since it was natural and she immersed into her role well. Taec and Eunji had so much chemistry on and off set, and I kinda wished they took the romance route for them at some point. However, I felt like some characters needed more work in role immersion.

Finally, I liked how morally-grey the drama was. As the titled states: “Enter Blind, Retreat Equally as Blind,” it’s best to approach this drama completely spoiler-free. Even towards the end of the drama, you’d still feel conflicted on whether or not justice was served. Some characters had crueler fates than others, but was it deserved? was justice served on a silver platter or was it bittersweet?

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Ambiguous Chemistry, But Fell Short on its Characters and Plot Execution

"Recalled" is what I’d consider to be a "semi-solid" movie. Although we’re met with another take on the "amnesiac surrounded by things that aren't quite as they seem" type of premise, the movie does contain some of its own originality.

Characters were alright, nothing too spectacular imo in the essence of being "fleshed out." Good character development of the two leads from start to finish, as it didn’t feel rushed. Other than that, I’d have to point out that the story’s flow (of events) wasn’t exactly ideal. Since we’re dealing with a narrator who’s an amnesiac, the movie juggles what’s "fact" vs. "fiction." If you’re not used to keeping up with different timelines, it’s easy to feel like your brain is utterly fried. Although I tried my best to interpret which scenes were which and what events REALLY unfolded, I’m still left with some plot holes towards the end. Also, predictability is an important factor to consider when rating thrillers and if I’m being completely honest, although I was able to predict roughly 80% of the plot "twists," I’d consider predictability to be relatively low-normal to the average viewer (unless you’re a makjang connoisseur like me).

Dialogue isnt necessarily poorly written, but noticeably lacking— what took the cake for the emotional scenes were the cinematography and acting. Speaking of acting, there were no flaws in the casting whatsoever. Although an unexpected duo, SYJ and KKW did an awesome job at portraying their characters and delivering top-notch emotional scenes. Also, despite there not being a lot of intimate scenes, the leads chemistry was really.. really good. Like, I found myself feeling like an actual third wheel the moment their eyes met (and that’s how you know it’s good). It’s really the type of chemistry that bubbles beneath the surface— I mean, I need to see these two reunite in a slow burn romance in the future or I’m suing.

As some additional notes, not only should the ending be completely rewritten, but there is one character in particular *cough* 2nd ML *cough* who was written rather poorly. I just feel like there was no depth to his character and his motives. Overall, I just found him too 2D for his own good.

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