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unfathomable beastliness down to the blood. a search for the good guys could very well be in vain

You better be aware, it can always become more monstrous. For the audience, the first episodes of “The Escape of the Seven” are already quite inhospitable. Surely, among the protagonists one is worse than the other. We immerse ourselves in an unscrupulous world full of greed and devoid of any... …actually, I wanted to write "humanity", but then people also have a bitterly cruel and evil side, which is unfortunately also so very human in all its abysmal facets that it is painfully hurting and we'd rather not see it or let alone experience it... That's what "The Escape of the Seven" is about: The potency of human unscrupulousness... It couldn´t be more repulsive. (Could it?)

Crass, brutal and soulless, but everything beautifully polished in HD – this is how the 'beautiful', (one would normally consider) ´desirable´ life of the "Seven" is displayed here. However, soon enough the limits of what is bearable are strained. Admittedly, at first I had to avert my gaze with a shudder. Pretty quickly I dropped this KDrama.

However, the job as a subtitler had me open up for a second attempt. Meanwhile – if I accept the premise: it's about a group of people who are entangled in their unscrupulousness, who are united in their monstrosity not least by their excessive greed and a disgusting obsession with money, power, prestige, rank and influence – I reconsider this KDrama quite original by now. Surely, there are lots of unsympathetic (and shockingly convincing so!) protagonists - that's downright provocative for a TV series entertainment mission. Nevertheless, eventually from the 5th episode onwards, the KDrama is unabashedly still gearing up. It´s like the point of no return. By then there´s no more escaping from “The Escape of the Seven”... You´re on the hook. Because you actually start hoping…(for ´the good´ to finally become true.)

The plot turns out to be a revenge mission cleverly disguised in several respects. AI and deepfakes on the one hand, tried-and-tested Makjang on the other inspire the psychopathic composition of a jungle full of fatal, dramaturgical entanglements. Intelligent, exciting, disturbing – more than once we might think we know what's going on and yet we're wrong. Ruthlessness is certainly one of the leitmotifs in this KDrama.

I only recommend "The Escape of the Seven" if the mood is right - one that demands unfathomable beastliness down to the blood. If we get involved in this KDrama, then we will uncompromisingly be catapulted into a world in which a search for the good guys could very well be in vain...

And there is a second season, too…

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The aura of this series is characterized by the inspiring world of the orchestra and its musicians

Be prepared: "Maestra - Strings of Truth" is impressively led by a highly concentrated Lee Young-ae and set in a refreshingly rare environment for a KDrama. Focusing on one of the very few, but highly talented, globally famous female conductors, the aura of this series is characterized by the inspiring world of the orchestra and its musicians. We also meet management lounges and the luthier´s workshop. Enchantingly, this maestra and her particular orchestral world offer a quite unique and mature flavour of series experience.

"Maestra - Strings of Truth" lives from the psychological depths and relationship dynamics of the main characters as well as the pathos of the world of classical music. Of course there are also intrigues, love, yearning for revenge and more, but the focus is on the maestra as a person in her struggle with herself, her passion for music and her life challenges.

For the FL, her love for music is at the center of her being and aspirations. As far as the men in her life are concerned, they would rather like things to be different. However, the maestra has a good reason why she has consistently dedicated her time to the orchestral world. And when it comes to her work, she is uncompromising. Above anything else, she is delivering a perfect performance. This is non-negotiable. Some people would prefer that to be different too...

For her role as maestra, Lee Young-ae completed several months of violin and conducting lessons. Her 'first violin', Hwang Bo-reum-byeol, also took eight months of lessons specifically for this purpose. Considering, there's a lot of passion involved in this KDrama, even before filming even started... and you can feel it.

By the way, the idea for the story did not grow on South Korean soil. It is a K-style remake of a French television series that focused on the career struggles of the very few women in this profession. (Only five percent of all conductors worldwide are female...) "Maestra - Strings of Truth" is dramaturgically heated up by a fatal love triangle with collateral damage and an even more fatal family legacy that the maestra would rather do without.

Intensive. Atmospheric. Thrilling, too.

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With "My Secret, Terrius" the KDrama-World shows what it can do, too: simply entertain.

"Terius Behind Me" playfully and lightheartedly balances between RomCom and spy thriller. The series dates back to 2018, but in view of the global corona pandemic, it is probably more up-to-date than intended. That makes the spy story a bit very serious in retrospect. Otherwise, "My Secret, Terrius" is a bit funny - the investigations and relationship dynamics intertwine in capricious ways. It's a bit cute - with the two twins as well as a second "romance" in the subplot. A bit tart - the legendary star spy undercover as an inexperienced babysitter for two bright six-year-olds. Between the two main leads, it's actually a bit about romance, too. But there is also room for a bit of bromance - male friendships. And there is a little something in it for handbag freaks.

An exclusive highlight in "Terius Behind Me", however, is the Korean style neighborhood watch - the distinctive esprit of the mothers' association of the Kingsman neighborhood, that is characterized by notorious curiosity (by the way, a man is part of that, too). As the Kingsman Information System (KIS), they prove to be several times superior to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) - especially in terms of efficiency when it comes to their high-tech networking and highly motivated investigations.

In passing, you also gather some impressions of life in typical high-rise condominiums in Seoul´s new development areas, the over-committed mothers in such neighborhoods, and (in case I didn´t already mention it before)... handbags... :-)

With "My Secret, Terrius" the KDrama shows what it can do, too: simply entertain.
Enjoy.

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Wake up in the midst of sobering contemporary everyday life issues of 3 women in their 30s and 1 man

With "Work Later, Drink Now", KDrama tackles a sensitive South Korean social issue. What starts as a cheerful, cool FeelGood series turns out to be serious business. Viewers are taken by the hand in a clever, light-hearted way, only to wake up suddenly in the midst of sobering contemporary topics, as we accompany the protagonists in their everyday life, work, family and friendship issues - here in particular: three unique young women in their 30s and one offbeat man.

The KDrama points at a topic in which South Korea (though small as it may seem) is once again at the forefront of the world: alcohol consumption. There is so much drinking (and eating, because it's so common) on this show that just watching it can make you dizzy and a little nauseous. To the western eye, that may be WAY too much over the limit. For the Korean eye, it might have to be be sooo much for the audience to even notice that it is/could be too much.

The focus of the story is on three girlfriends in their prime who are hard-drinking and happy to drink. With their personality, they may at first glance be a little off the norm, but then again they aren't. They are (from each other) fundamentally different in their professional situations, socialization and life plans. But it is precisely in this way that they also offer viewers all kinds a sophisticated projection while following each one of them in their everyday life and various challenges they face. The dialogues are razor-sharp, the entertainment high value, the episodes compact. There's also wit, humor and music. This mixture plus the pace are obviously just right to pick up the broad masses of +/- 20 to 40 year olds and to present a mirror of their own living environment in an easily digestible way. The second season will definitely come...




------------ SIDE NOTE: --- Alcohol consumption in South Korea ---
Per capita consumption of converted pure alcohol in South Korea is world class. And rising. The World Health Organization certifies South Korea to be the leading country in the consumption of high-proof spirits. Drinking has established itself outside of private life, especially professionally at company dinners after work. These team dinners often degenerate into a veritable drinking spree (practically prescribed professionally).

After beer, soju is the second most consumed alcoholic drink - a colorless distillate made from rice and added wheat, sweet potatoes or barley, which is on the one hand quite cheap in price and on the other hand, at around 20 percent, is somewhere between beer and high-proof spirits (schnapps, vodka, rum or whiskey ) is located. So it can be consumed in large quantities, especially in combination with beer - and the hangover the next morning is inevitable. South Korea's national drink, soju, is the world's best-selling 'liquor' with around 90 million cases sold each year. Yet, the beer market is also happy about South Korea, which, (in spite of its comparatively small country size) is currently one of the largest and most dynamically growing beer markets on the Asian continent.

What begins as party fun usually ends sadly. In the short term, it may be a hangover. But if you practice this form of alcohol consumption at a high level over a long period of time, the damage to your physical health is enormous in the medium to long term. There are studies that show that even among South Korean students (male), every third (!) drinks to the point of unconsciousness (!) for more than half the week. It doesn't get any better in professional life. And if you don't have a job, there's another reason to get drunk. This has inevitable consequences not only for people and their physical/mental health, but also for the health system. The country pays the price of an enormous pressure to perform taken granted in the context of its own turbo capitalism - with the health of its population and moneywise with billions, too .

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An impressively touching love story. Performed with passion. However, It´s makjang. Be prepared.

The biggest impetus for the KWave came from "Winter Sonata" - this KDrama is almost a blockbuster among KDramas. Its success was enormous. The series sparked its own fan tourism to filming locations on Nami Island, Geojie Island and Chuncheon that continues to this day. The soundtrack also wrote history. In the meantime there is an anime version of the story, a musical production as well as a manga and a Playtstation version...

The love story is told in an impressively touching way and performed with passion. In beautiful pictures and with plenty of dramatic twists. The chemistry between the two main actors is perfectly tuned. Bae Yong Joon even shines in two roles at the same time.

However. It is makjang! Twists and turns awaiting around each and every corner. Be prepared for sorrow. You might get angry more than once. The protagonist´s can get on your nerves. For sure. Don´t complain. I told you. It is truely astonishing that still (if you are ready to sympathize to some extent) you will ´enjoy´ the show. ... whereas ´joy´ might not exactly hit the spot... :-)

In case you are not aware (as I wasn´t at first):
Since the story begins in the youth of the main characters, you also get an impression of the Korean lifestyle and everyday life in the late 1980s and 1990s, with true ´democracy´ in South Korea still being in diapers and a conservative, strict, authoritarian aura dominating everyday life. When I saw the series for the first time, I didn´t know much about the political and social conditions. Plus from my German background those morals, values and virtues all seemed old fashioned and in my life rather outdated - it reminded me more of the world of the old black and white movies of the 1930s and 40s: hierarchies and manners, the decisions of the protagonists, the prevailing moral concepts, all of which I - today, far away in Germany - could only shake my head at. Now, as I have learned more about South Korean culture, I know better, where this is coming from... Sympathy and compassion are thus enhanced.

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A sad & highly topical social issue, dealt with in a palpable, exciting, sensitive, touching way

"Revenge of Others" is set in the world of South Korean high school students. No teenage squabble, but a story with substance and depth. With flexibly intertwined subplots, it offers a sad and highly topical social issue, dealing with it in a palpable, exciting, sensitive and touching way. Should you watch? Yes!

"Revenge of Others" (like "Weak Hero Class 1" in 2022) deals with the topic of mobbing /bullying. In Korean, the slang term 'wang-ta' is quite common, and for me helped for a better understanding of the special and increasingly dramatic situation surrounding bullying at South Korean schools, which can even lead to suicide. (See side note below.)

This KDrama spotlights a Seoul high school where there appears to have happened a suicide. Everyone is shocked. Some know more. But if the sister of the victim, who has been living separated from her brother for many years, would not try to get to the bottom of it, then this would be a sad case of suicide without a murmur. It probably happens all too often in one way or another that fundamental questions in an apparently obvious case are left unanswered. However, this KDrama bravely wants to get to the bottom of the matter and its circumstances - here in the person of Ok Chang-mi.

As so often in the context of bullying, the adults don't look too good and don´t offer anything promising for making a difference regarding those fatal peer group dynamics. They are left outside. The high school students have to find a way for themselves to get along with their classmates - if possible highly adjusted underneath the social wang-ta radar (or at least with a solid network).

"Revenge of Others" is a production for the international streaming market. Things rarely get too brutal at Disney, though. The amount of violence is therefore limited (compared to e.g. "Weak Hero Class 1") and instead there is more room for relationship dynamics in side plots, causal connections and shades of gray.

By the way, in connection with "Revenge of Others" there is also a whole series of promising actors to admire!



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SIDE NOTE: --- Wang-ta in South Korea ----

With Wang-ta, the focus is not so much on the 'act' - bullying or harassment - but rather on the entire context of active and violent marginalizatin of an outsider. For example, it can be used as a swear word for the excluded person or as a description of the bullying activity. In a collectivist society like South Korea, group affiliation and group interest is paramount. This applies not only to the family, but also to the school class and also to the peer groups within the class or school. Unfortunately, this value system results in a fatal situation when it comes to actual bullying: bringing shame on the group, the outsiders are at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Whether it's because of school performance, family background, origin, belonging to an undesirable minority, looks, dress, a handicap, an unusual belief or an abnormal inclination: Wang-ta is a label that no one wants to personally be confronted with. Everyone agrees on that. At the same time, Wang-ta becomes a free pass for more or less cruel mobbing/bullying. Worryingly, perpetrators, victims, and witnesses alike accept the premise: all forms of bullying, almost anything related to Wang-ta, is permissible. The perpetrators take advantage of this, the victims immediately feel even more inferior in terms of their shortcomings (of whatever kind), and the bystanders silently nod the action as justified - or even actively join in. There is no moral barrier against this specifically cultural, collectivist background. It can even get out of hand. There are cases where the entire school has ended up participating in one person's wang-ta. From a Western, individualistic point of view, this is perhaps difficult to understand, because apart from group norms there are other socially recognized ethical principles that could be introduced as a serious confrontation of wang-ta behavior. Unfortunately, this hardly is the case at South Korean schools with a collectivistic social culture.



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SIDE NOTE: In connection with this KDRama also an additional side note on
--- Punishment vs. Suffering of Victims ---

The psychological trauma for the bullying victims are with long-lasting effect. Unfortunately, the punishment of perpetrators is not proportionate to this day. Punishment is rather harmless - it may be annoying to the perpetrators, but not really a deterrent. Far too much must have happened before expulsion actually occurs. A corresponding entry in the files is actually completely deleted two years after graduation. In fact, nothing is left behind on the perpetrators' side. On the other hand, from the memory of the victims the experience cannot be so easily erased ...

The documented cases of wang-ta in South Korean schools (yet many are not officially reported) have steadily increased over the past three decades. According to a study by the Ministry of Education, between 2013 and 2017 the cases have more than doubled from 11.749 to 31.130. There are also increasing numbers of victims who saw suicide as their only way out. It has now been empirically documented that South Korean pupils with a personal Wang-ta experience are more suicidal than those without. Suicide is by far the most common cause of death among 10 to 24 year olds. Almost 1.000 young people took their own lives in 2020 alone.

In respect of the lack of serious consequences for the perpetrators in Wang-ta cases and their comparatively unsatisfactory punishment, a kind of vigilante justice has been established among the families of the victims concerned. "Revenge of Others" picks up on this (similar to "Angry Mom" ​​a few years earlier) as a theme in variation.
In fact, facing a lack of serious alternative punitive measures it seems not uncommon for relatives of victims to pay someone of the same school age to take care of an appropriate 'punishment' - i.e. 'undercover'. Clearing up violence with violence is of course a dubious solution. Sadly, this seems to be the only way to show real consequences to the perpetrators and give the victims at least minimum size satisfaction. ...Although it should be probably considered more of a satisfaction for the relatives of the victims, because the victims themselves still have to deal with their psychological wounds and scars for a long time. Revenge does not undo the painful experience of mentally and physically harassing exclusion...

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A strong production. A bold story that comes across without make-up by Korean standards

If you're looking for a KDrama of the usual type, then you won't find it in "Children of Nobody". Here you are dealing with an impressive psychological thriller with lasting influence that comes across without make-up by Korean standards. This is about child abuse. The powerful here are not the economic giants, but the parents in their sacred halls. Not funny. The story wants to stir you up and it does. In the original, the title is actually "Red Moon, Blue Sun" and alludes to modern South Korean poetry that has been quoted several times. In connection with the crimes against children, poetry seems downright paradoxical.

If "Children of Nobody" at the time didn't make spectacular waves in the ratings, it's not because it wasn't done convincingly, but because there are a large number of unreported families in South Korea for whom physical abuse and the "stick of love" are still taken for granted. Sooner or later, these viewers would have to take a good look at their own noses. The topic is treated in a differentiated manner from a wide variety of perspectives.

----------------------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- child abuse vs free, upright citizens ---
If people are broken mentally and physically from an early age, how are they supposed to learn to live as upright citizens? The road to free, responsible citizens still seems a long way off. 20/30 years ago in South Korea - without high technology, ubiquitous internet and social media - many people in their personal world largely only knew people for whom these practices of physical abuse were also a matter of course. The children and young people of today and the young parents of tomorrow, on the other hand, grew up in a time when they could learn a lot more about alternative living environments, value systems and educational concepts through the media. The field of consciousness is expanding. Conflicts with traditional structures arise. New perspectives are given space. In the exchange via social media, resistance and support can form, discussions are held and new values ​​and self-images spread. Change becomes possible.
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KDramas increasingly provide positive models of how things must become different in the future. In its own way, it tries to straighten things out in the context of child abuse that many take for granted.

Therfore "Children of Nobody" is a strong production. A bold story. A commitment to a future with free, responsible citizens - precisely because they are ruthlessly confronting with where society (in South Korea) actually stands.

Fantastic actors. Captivating story. Highly valuable.

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Being a single mother in South Korea can be quite hopeless, that´s where this story is coming from

Yes, you should watch it.

As the title suggests, "Mother" deals with the archetypal theme of 'motherhood'. When is a mother a (good) mother? Once a mother = always a mother? Who can become a mother? Who has to be, no matter what? ... So far "Mother" isn't necessarily specific to Korea in terms of its story. (Actually the original is Japanese). But "Mother" is also (and most importantly) about the stigma of single mothers - and for South Korea that is outstandingly detrimental. From this point of view, this KDrama becomes immediately socially critical: if the position of the single mother in South Korea weren't so hopeless, then the whole story wouldn't have developed the emotional drive that it has.

In this context, "Mother" also confronts the viewers with two other socially sensitive issues in their manifold entanglements: child abuse and vigilantism. It is a dramatic fact around the world on the subject of child abuse that dealing with domestic violence is legally difficult. If you go the official route, you can only intervene when it is already too late. In the case of "Mother", essentially almost all mothers featured are to some extend criminals before the law (of one kind or another).

The hearty fare in terms of its sensitive content is, however, in a digestible way illuminated with all the proven stylistic devices of KDrama. The subject is dark and exhausting, but there is still room for light, color, joy and heartwarming in the presentation. Despite all the traumatization, the abused child is primarily a ray of hope (isn´t poetic freedom just wonderful!). It's no surprise that up-and-coming actress Heo Yool was named "Best New Actress" at the 2018 BaekSang Arts Awards... Her play ist simply amazing! (And not just hers...)

"Mother" aired on South Korean television during weekdays at 9:30 p.m. Regarding the scenes about child abuse, the age rating here has been set at 16, as opposed to the more usual 13 years. The KDrama "Mother" was released in 2018. It may be simple coincidence or even correlation: the KDrama just happened to present a burning topic of society at the time: In 2019 there was a change in law, which means that at least abortion now is legally possible for all women in the first 14 weeks without punishment.


-------------------- Side note: --- Orphanage and Single Motherhood in South Korea ---

If you are unmarried and happen to get pregnant, in South Korea you will have a hard time, still today. Exclusion, hostility, mobbing, unemployment, pressure from all sides are not uncommon.
If you are the child of a single mother, trauma of some sort is almost certain - mobbing, devaluation, child abuse, orphanage and/or adoption, you name it.

Noticeably, the 'orphanage' often plays a role for one of the protagonists in KDrama. That's not because it's such a stirring story hook, but because it's a current influence in the lives of many children (and now adults) of South Korean descent. Since the 1950s, the number of officially and unofficially adopted South Korean children, mainly from abroad, is estimated at 150,000 to 200,000. Another global leading position for South Korea... At first there were many war-orphans among them, otherwise there were also children from poor families. But since the 1980s, the main causes have been that the mothers are single parents. Desperate women - for whatever reason single with a child - often have no choice (to give themselves and the child a promising chance in life) than to give the child away - thus giving them a new chance with the option of being adopted to a solid family sooner or later...

For the children in the orphanage, the parents are not necessarily dead. However, their mothers gave up their parenthood at the door for a good reason: because society with its traditional value system does not accept a concept beyond ´traditional´ family. Single parents are not welcome. However, since abortions were also undesirable - i.e. forbidden for ages, unmarried pregnant women always found themselves in great distress... It was only in 2019 that the ban on abortions - that had been in force up to that point - was declared unconstitutional, so that pregnant women are now at least up to the 14th week without specifying abortion without punishment, in the case of rape up to the 24th week.

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Casino-gangster-crime atmosphere with an exotic ambiance. International style. Takes its time.

"Big Bet" was inspired by the legendary persona of a South Korean casino manager who made it to the top of the multi-billion dollar casino world in the Philippines... until he was framed for murder.
"Big Bet" is another KDrama that has been divided into two halves in streaming provider style. (Unfortunately, this is kind of becoming the new KDrama fad and I'm already bored to express my anger about it.)
Oh yes, and I'll say it in advance: if you're interested in the series because of Son Suk-ku, you'll have to stick with it for quite a few episodes - he doesn't appear until the end of the first season...

The Disney production deliberately presents itself internationally. Nevertheless, one gets some atmospheric, socio-historical milieu impressions from South Korea - especially from the 1970s and 1980s, because the story is repeatedly enriched by flashbacks. (In fact, the first season is almost one great flashback - with flashbacks within that flashback, so to speak.) While the first season is designed primarily as a character study of Cha Mu-sik, the second season arguably has the real crime thriller behind it. Topic: Murdered South Koreans in the Philippines and the associated dynamic between the South Korean-born, now renowned casino manager, who has now become a murder suspect, and the investigator Oh Seung-Hoon, who was sent to the Philippines from South Korea. So the actual "big bet" only really becomes an issue in the second season.

So what does the first season have to offer?
Plenty of impressions of Mu-sik's childhood days, youth (wonderful: Lee Kyu-hyung as a youthful Mu-sik - although eventually Lee Kyu-hyung has meanwhile left his youth behind him...) and of his first professional steps into Casino world as young adult. The protagonist has his own charm and amazing talents and so we experience Mu-sik, although he radiates some sort of unapproachable aura, as an authentic and fascinating man with plenty of heart and mind, with a quick grasp, good intuition, radical consequence and entrepreneurial charisma.

"Big Bet" is a Korean-American production. It is international in its self-image and presents itself as such. It is made by men and it is about men. About smoking men. Sweating men in suits. Men with tattoos, too. The man with the most screen time is “Oldboy” Choi Min-sik (from the acclaimed 2003 K-Movie). He plays his role effortlessly as a 30-year-old and almost 60-year-old alike (thanks to modern filming and image processing technology). For "Big Bet" he is back in top form after a decade-long break. All in all, in this KDrama we slide into a (conservative) world of men and gangsters. Their wives, if there are any, are at home with children and really don't know anything about anything. Exceptions are the wealthy, and due to her wealth influential CEO Ko (with a rather quick appearance but comparatively lasting impression: Lee Hye-young) and the young, by Korean standards sexually quite explicit, self-determined hotel employee Kim So-jung.

In the flashbacks, as I mentioned before, there is South Korea at times. Nonetheless, "Big Bet" is principally based in the Philippines. Filming there took about 3 months. This promises exotic local hue, although the focus is on the casino and hotel world - which in turn could somehow be anywhere. No expenses were spared with the casting either. Even the supporting roles were selected with care.

In short: "Big Bet" (Season 1) is a solid and ambitious character study of Mu-sik. His Story is told in a sophisticated way and staged well worth seeing. However, the series isn't really a KDrama-like KDrama. Anyone who likes a casino-gangster-crime atmosphere with an exotic ambiance will get their money's worth here. However, the story takes it´s time. It remains to be seen what the second half will come up with. I certainly have high expectation that "Big Bet" will even improve, now that Oh Seung-Hoon intrudes into Mu-sik's world with his investigations and thus will add further dynamic.

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Idiosyncratic SK interpretation of a sequel to 'Sleeping Beauty' from the Prince´s perspective :-)

I would like to see the KDrama "Yong Pal" as an idiosyncratic South Korean interpretation of a sequel to 'Sleeping Beauty' in the modern zeitgeist, which is told from the point of view of the prince - what had actually happened after the two had celebrated their wedding at the time? ..."Yong Pal" gives its own makjang-infused answer several centuries after the Brothers Grimm :-)

Obviously, the story also has a critical focus on recent health care topics. Basically, the Hanshin Hospital takes center stage. This belongs to a Jaebeol conglomerate. Yong Pal is employed here as a talented young intern. But Yong Pal also works illegally as a doctor. Provided the price is right, he treats those who need medical care below the official radar of the health care system. Yong Pal gets promoted as exclusive doctor for the discreet care of the VIPs, too. On the 12th floor, the very rich and most influential patients stay within a separate department of the Hanshin Hospital, where, in addition to plenty of luxury and discretion, only the best medical care is guaranteed. Towards the end, Yong Pal also works as a doctor in a simple, small, rural clinic. Thus, in the course of the KDrama the protagonist's field of activity (and challenges with ethics, or rather the lack of it) covers the broad spectrum and the current focal points of the topics in health care (i.e. in South Korea).

In the beginning, Yong Pal is clearly at the center of the story, captivating the audience. The focus shifts after he meets coma patient Han Yeo-jin and helps her to regain consciousness, strength and her rightful legacy as Jaebeol of the Hanshin Group. From then on, everything revolves more around Yeo-jin and her vendetta. This isn't less impressive, especially with Kim Tae-hee's intense acting. However it is different. The second part thus offers pure Korean-style Makjang: more drama is always possible. As a result, storytelling takes another lane. (Many viewers obviously don't seem to have been very happy with that. Makjang fans, however, will definitely get their money's worth.) The transition between the first and second parts is moderated by a transition, which is filled with the blossoming romance between the two protagonists. From then on, however, there is hardly any room for a love-life in the protagonist's bitter fight for inheritance and revenge, in which she is ready to take any means. (You may want to take that against the KDrama as well.)

All in all, "Yong Pal" is a moving story that is grippingly exciting at the beginning and furthermore tells of a makjang-charged revenge. Love story included. Due to the success of the series at the time of broadcasting, actually two more episodes were added.

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Mature romance, yet balanced with the eternal youth residing in the feeling of falling in love.

"Second to Last Love" is processing the topic 'getting old in South Korea' in a playful, sometimes profound, sometimes tender way. 'Old' means having exceeded 40. An 'Ahjumma' can be a swear word for a South Korean woman. Also ´Ahjussi´ for a man. In German it would probably be comparable if the casual 'Du' among around +/- 30 year old people suddenly became a 'Sie' - then you know: now I've fallen out of the '+/- same age'...

In South Korea, a large percentage of life revolves around looking good and looking young. Marriage is also a big topic - wedding photos are always placed accordingly large and dominant in the house or apartment. The family ultimately forms the meaning of life, so to speak, if you follow in the footsteps of tradition. In case you stick to this standard - look good, marry well and take care of an honorable family - then everything is fine. Just one step to the right or left of the path creates social turbulence. Women (and men too) must be prepared and able to stand this. The issue will come up more or less confrontationally on every occasion.

This South Korean peculiarity is the starting point for many a KDrama. In "Second to Last Love" as well. However, this story chooses its own fine style and an almost progressive approach to it. Age and age differences in partnership are brought up again and again in several respects. Likewise, married vs. unmarried. Not only the conservative, but also somewhat more free-spirited perspectives and opinions are interspersed in a refreshingly good mood.

While the female protagonist is a career woman and single, the male protagonist lives as the head of a patchwork family. His wife died long ago, as did her fiancé. (Not that they didn't want a partner...) They've both been living their particular single life-style for decades by now and have gotten used to it. They no longer expect anything to change. This is where the KDrama comes in and tweaks a few dramaturgical adjustments in order to shake them both up and question their lives, their life plans, their longings and decisions. They may be 'old' in the eyes of society, but their lives are far from over. And THAT is the key point! There is still time and space for new decisions, for change, even for a second love in the last half of their life. Apart from aging, "Second to Last Love" is also about taking responsibility for one's own life and one's own decisions, including new ones. Despite all the depth, which it doesn't shy away from, the KDrama also has a touch of humor overall.

The protagonists´ 'grown-up' relationship is so delightfully mature and refreshingly grounded. Kim Hee-ae and Ji Jin-hee embody this adult maturity successfully balanced with the magic of eternal youth that resides in the feeling of falling in love. Their rapprochement, their feelings for each other and their attitude towards the other form a pleasant contrast to the more enthusiastic youthful forms that the protagonists are also confronted with...

The story is embedded in a picturesque, idyllic landscape and also allows a look behind the curtains of KDrama industry. The plot and its difficult issues - 'aging' and 'taking responsibility' - are rounded off by a few secondary plots within the patchwork family and work colleagues. A bit of intrigue should not be missing either. Last but not least, and above all, there is the romance, which despite the obstacle-filled terrain unerringly and sensitively paves the way between the two protagonists...

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There are times, I think, when nothing beats a KDrama from the early 2000s

"Spring Day" is a love story told in a triangle. So drama in drama feels right at home here. And "Spring Day" has a lot more to offer in the proven makjang-mix to really heat up the story. If the merry-go-round isn't going straight forward, than simply because it's going backwards.

Three is one too many. Being well aware of the consequences and where the story must lead towards, it is nevertheless the path that paves the series pleasure of cathartic ups and downs. You can get really upset about this and that. The rhythms of the soundtrack whip your emotions through the most varied of situations. The assorted mix of (by now long) proven actors give the protagonists their three dimensional profile. None of those characters is really grippy, smooth or edgeless, though. Whether brotherly relationship, romance or parental relationship, it´s all full of sometimes touching, sometimes pathetic ambivalences – sometimes hurting, sometimes soothing and hurting at the same time. In short, the KDrama presents quite some space for compassion and catharsis.

There are times, I think, when nothing beats a KDrama from the early 2000s. I couldn't have timed my ´Spring Day´ better (in Spring 2023). After a flood of stories about contemporary scheming, autocratic backroom politics, bullying among students and misogyny, "Spring Day" feels like an island in many ways. The world is not safe there, on the contrary. Makjang rocks the turbulence upwards. Nevertheless, there are 'only' personal destinies and family tragedies here that do not have the social impact of some current series topics. We get thrown around in an ambivalent emotional swell between 'soothing' and 'hurting'. In the end the story is told to the end. The ending may or may not please, but it has its ending. (A lot of recent KDrama with current underlying social issues tend to deep down leave a thorn after the end of the story, as the social swamp that fueled the story remains a given reality and lingers on…)



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By the way:
With "Spring Day" in 2005, Go Hyun-jung marks her comeback after a War-of-Roses divorce with a Jaebeol of the Samsung Dynasty. So in 2003 she actually had just finished her own Makjang drama personally. Eventually, she was able to free herself from the obviously tormenting clutches of her husband and his dominant, oppressive family, who (so it is said) permanently devalued her because of her humble origins, simply making use of her beauty for bearing pretty children. Yet the price for liberation was high. Above all, she had to leave her children behind and give up visitation and custody rights. Although she was able to re-establish her life somehow against all (by her husband´s family deliberately implemented) odds , she (so it is said) still is not allowed to see her children to this day.

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Very humane. Tangible. Touching, yet not maudlin. Sad, yes. But unpretentiously radiating, too.

"The Most Beautiful Goodbye" is a KDrama that consists of only 4 episodes. However, they have it all and are completely sufficient to leave their mark in the sand. We are confronted with the limits of healthcare system - when medicine no longer has a solution to offer and people are left with themselves and what they are: mortal beings. In ruthless directness, the viewers are confronted with what many people (all over the world) might at some point face in one way or another.

The family here is not particularly rich and not particularly poor. The individual protagonists are not particularly successful and have not particularly failed. Everyone lives their (South Korean) life as best they can. Not very happy and not very unhappy. With a tendency not to not be so happy. But they are actually not really unhappy either. In fact, everything could be quite nice, but everyone is just too busy with themselves. The WE becomes self-evident and rather annoying... until the day the finitude of being was knocking on the door...

However, hello-wake-up does not imply everyone starts reinventing themselves, overcoming their weaknesses and becoming better people. It does, however, force them to reflect on what they have and what they have forgotten (to love) (consciously) despite everything being taken for granted. In stumbling everyone is searching for an expression of their own feelings. At least they try to be a little bit more alert about what is going on in their life.

Very humane. Tangible. Touching, yet not maudlin. Pretty close to life. People are clumsy, speechless and helpless, as akward as it gets. It is a lesson in compassion, triggering your own experiences, when it comes to similarily unprepared being confronted with any form of (unwanted as it is) final farewell.

Sad, yes. But unpretentiously radiating, too.

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More than a remake. Delicate timbre. Powerful. Reckoning with the void of a luxury-branded world

"Pale Moon" develops a particularly delicate timbre. Fine personality portraits, none of them smooth and pore-deep clean, but rather inwardly crumpled people with dreams and weaknesses, people who sometimes make questionable decisions, who don't stick to the rules, who succumb to the temptation to take the chance to realize their dreams.

A little 'noir' here and there. In any case, emotionally dense. Unexcitedly emotional. Quiet and yet powerful.

The KDrama is based on a Japanese Original (Mitsuyo Kakuta), which was successful as a series and movie, too. This is now a South Korean remake. Apparently, Kim Seo-hyung was immediately (after she saw the original in 2015) determined to play the female lead in any potential South Korean remake. You can tell, she is breathing her role.

The original novel is about the embezzlement of bank funds as actually happened in Japan. In South Korea, the list of embezzlement in billions is also long and the remake is accordingly well placed.
However, the South Korean remake is about more than misappropriation of wealth on a large scale. This is generally about lies, deceit and deception - even on a smaller, manageable, interpersonal level. However, it is also about human vulnerability, the cracks in the facade.

The story unfolds against the background of unstoppable consumption - a veritable frenzy of consumption that has long since left any connection or grounding behind. A life-style in a parallel world, that only a few can really afford. This world of luxury, which initially seems appealing, develops an intoxicating, addictive character and ultimately catapults itself into the void. What remains when the lover equips the lover with the designer goods from head to toe, from the car to the house including the interior and the laptop, too? Alert, alert: the luxurious world of matter - initially well camouflaged as the lifestyle of your dreams - becomes an ugly parasite that feeds on substantial emotions, liveliness and passion, but in the end leaves nothing behind...
In the field of tension between the dreary normality of a boring everyday life that is perhaps pimped out on the outside, but emotionally rather empty, almost everyone here is willing to deviate from the path of virtue in order to get a piece of the promisingly dazzling consumer cake.

Nevertheless, the story also tells of the sincere moments of perception and recognition of unsightly vulnerability. These are the moments when sincere encounter happens to become possible. On the outside, these are not the nice, shiny TaDa moments, but on the inside they provide light and warmth, they nourish the soul, like water making flowers bloom. Moments that cannot be bought with money. Moments that are among the most worthless in the dazzling world of consumption, shunned, despised, marginalized, excluded.

In this way, "Paper Moon" is an intelligent approach of reckoning with the consumer-driven social reality in which 'appearance' takes the place of 'being'. Quietly and constantly the KDrama is reminiscent of the basic in human, which has nothing to do with staged perfection, but rather with irrational impulses and irreconcilable paradox. At most, beauty in ´being human´ unfolds when weaknesses become strengths, when ruptures make the whole, when betrayal opens the door to freedom, when loss becomes the gate to abundance, when I find myself by losing myself, etc.

Since we are all human, we can remember (that we are like that too) and empathize and accept ourselves (and others!) even in our (their) 'ugliness', 'despair' and 'failure'. That makes life truly valuable and remains as a valuable experience, even if any material value has long since disappeared.





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SIDE NOTE: -------- 'Paper Moon' vs. 'Pale Moon' ----------

The original title "Paper Moon" was for the international title particularly changed from "Paper Moon" to "Pale Moon" in order to create a certain degree of selectivity from the Japanese original. The story may be remade, but it's retold in characteristic korean-style. Successfully so. And if you like, the changed nuance in the title already testifies to a finely nuanced, additional facet within the KDrama production.

The term "PAPER MOON" refers to a fake, oversized crescent made of cardboard, which became fashionable at the time, with the advent of photography, as a specific variant of (cheap but effective) portrait background. At fairs, etc., photographers as a special gag offered the cheerful visitors unforgettable portrait photography in front of an artificial crescent moon made of cardboard. The happy couples (but also everyone else who had their picture taken) floated optically above the clouds, removed from everyday life, yet oh so close to the (artificially fake) sky... A reMINDer, documenting a very special moment.

Since then, the meaning of the ´paper moon´ generally refers to an object with the help of which a void is filled with fictitious, purely optically reality – a make believe. However, the emptiness is still there. The symbol, enriched with meaning, inspired many a great work. One of them is the piece of music "It's only a Paper Moon" (originally "If you believed in me"), which summarizes the basic idea or the basic feeling in a striking way - as a tightrope walk between hope and hopelessness...

"Say, it's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

Without your love
It's a honky tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade

It's a Barnum and Bailey world (=circus attraction)
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believe in me"

...The unreal reality, the deception, the lie, all of this could be true if only one can convince the others that it is so.


"PALE MOON" on the other hand refers more to the real, pale (full) moon in the night sky, which is repeatedly staged in this KDrama. It's not dazzling like the radiant, all-illuminating, blinding sun, and not loud and spectacular like fireworks, (and not as big and dominant next to me as a paper crescent moon). The pale (full) moon only shimmers in the dark hours of the day. It may light the way and also cast shadows, yet from my perspective it is just tiny and far away.
Nevertheless, despite appearing almost fragile and delicate, is solidly stands there like a vague, quiet, soothing reminder of something truly beautiful and valuable. Something that is there repeatedly, with beautiful regularity - remaining, just being, no matter what. Something to relate to. Far away it may be, yet emotionally quite substantial - and thus close to the HEART.

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An epic historic love story, playing with time and space. Waggish. Affecting. Wonderful acting.

A special dramaturgical drive given by time travel and parallel worlds are quite common in KDrama. Thus contrasting perspectives from different backgrounds quite regulararly add unconventional fun and extra thrill to story dynamics.
Additionally, KDramas like to chose a historically exotic context for its intriguing and romantic stories, while still giving them an epic scope. Even if not always historically exact, these plots offer plenty of material for drama and at the same time convey historical facts and heroes in a colorful dress. Epochal personalities and their impact come to life again. As Korean history goes far back in time, there are yet many more heroic stories to be told...

"Faith or the Great Doctor" combines both, the historical approach as well as playing with time and space in one story. In fact, history is thus presented even more funny and colourfully. On the historic side, this KDrama revolves around the legendary General Choe Yeong (1316-1388) who went down in history as the protector of the Goryeo Empire and its royal family. Incidentally, this is not the only KDrama that has been dedicated to him to date... As early as 1983, a series monument was erected for him in "Gyegook" and "Chu Dong Mama". He is also featured in "Tears of the Dragon" (1998), "Shin Don" (2006), "The Great Seer" (2012), "Jung Dojeon" (2014), and "Six Flying Dragons" (2016). You guessed it, he´s a real hero for the Korean Peninsula.

-------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- General Choe Yeong ---
Known for his strength from an early age, the son of a civil servant learned martial arts and studied books on military strategy. Over the centuries he had finally achieved the status of legendary protector of the Goryeo dynasty. Although he was also exiled for 6 years due to intrigues, in the course of his life this did not prevent him from fighting around 80 more battles in the service of the king. He lost his last battle against his former brother-in-arms, General Yi Seonggye, when he seized power in a coup d'etat in 1388 during the Battle of Liaodong. This was also the birth of the Joseon Dynasty.
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"Faith or the Great Doctor" traces the path and integer character of Choe Yeong, whose motto has been handed down as "consider gold as if it were a stone". It´s obviously not pure poetic freedom when he is portrayed as sincere, stylish and gallant. And also does his combative superiority not seem exaggerated - his skills are historically documented. The focus of this KDrama is rather on the young general. He is not only presented as a strong leader, but as a young man who falls in love with a woman who is almost 10 years older. This (fictional) constellation offers some extra driving dynamics to the romance - as well as a comparably pleasant maturity at times as well.

The title plays with the different language styles in Korean - the old Hanja, which was written in Chinese characters until 1443, and the Hangul writing, which was newly created during the Joseon dynasty (and in which many Hanja terms have been preserved to this day.) So the original title "Sin-ui" may be understood both as 'trust in law and order' or as 'gifted healer'. In this sense, the title not only values Choe Yeong, the protector of law and order in the Goyeo Empire (refering to the Hanja translation), but also the gifted female healer (refering to the meaning in Hangul) - Eun Soo, a cosmetic surgeon from Seoul in 2012.

In the midst of waggish and heartbeat, this epic love story with all sorts of dramatic twists and turns absorbs within an eventful chapter of Korean history. The contrasts between modern and traditional medicine, somehow clashing in the middle of the 14th century, as well as between the almost rebellious, outrageous self-confidence of the by modern Seoul life spoiled doctor Eun Hoo and the ancient court of the Goryeo royal family guarantee 24 episodes of evocative entertainment.

"Faith or the Great Doctor" is an epic historic drama and at the same time playing with time and space. With two wonderful leading actors and more. The perfect mix for an epic Rom+/-Com.

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