Reviews

Strong potential, alas, left me disappointed

I'm conflicted on what rating to give this drama. On one hand, it made me stay up until 3am, unable to stop watching even though I had to wake up in an hour for work. It made me go into fits of giggles, laughing in public like a madwomen.

On the other hand, I had to completely skip 10 episodes to be able to continue and, at the end, it gave me such a disdain towards the Lin family and it's brothers-in-law that it made me begin to doubt all my previous feelings towards the show as a whole.

I found the plots overall to be highly entertaining and well done. I don't care much about cliché or out of pocket stories, I think complaining about that is like if I were to complain about murder being in a thriller or magic being in a fantasy movie. That's simply the genre of the show. I liked the acting and the chemistry of most couples.

However, as I mentionned the cons of the series just were so big it truly turned such a good experience into contempt. I love real characters, characters with both flaws and merits. Yet, when a show portrays a flaw as a merit, it is unacceptable to me. Throughout the show, the Lin family is known to scheme. And a lot of the time, it is for good reasons or for a good moral cause. But not all the time. And when they hurt people and cause harm with the schemes, the show still portrays the scheming in a good light, telling us they had good reasons to do so. After a couple of uncomfortable moments, the way they handled Yang Xian was the final straw. It just made the whole family extrenely unlikeable, to the point that I wasn't rooting for them. I needed at least one scheme that showed them a lesson that they can't just play with people's feelings and lives just because they are uncertain about them.

Then there are smaller negatives about the show, such as the 2nd cp that was unlikeable to me as their foundation seemed very weak to me. A proud man who denies any women for his focus on his career and who is unhappy with the marriage, going as far as openly disrespecting his wife, changes his whole character once he glances at his wife. I know they slid in a "he read her poetry so it's not only about her looks", yet he didn't actually change his attitude until his eyes laid on her. Another one, is how we don't see much of the couple's dynamic after their episodes end.

Read More

high school series with highs and lows

Overall: I struggled with the entitlement and immaturing (I did give them leeway for being high schoolers) in episode 1. Then things improved only to have it all crash down in episodes 6 and 7. Yet the writers stuck the landing. 8 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/title/82761927 and https://www.oned.net/video/6399147712112 (Thailand only)

Content Warning: held against will (by their friends), non con picture taking/sharing/outing/speculation

Watch Suggestion
- read the synopsis
- episode 2 watch 33-43:10, 50-end
- episode 3 watch 10:30-36, 47-end
- episode 4 watch 5:40-7:50, 19-end
- episode 5 watch beginning-24:15, 32:15-end
- skip episode 6
- episode 7 watch 26-28:15
- episode 8 watch 8:45-21 and 26-end

What I Liked
- easy to understand premise
- cute moments
- supportive friends and family

Room For Improvement
- a club of teenage guys with zero oversight was a bit dubious but that whiteboard with the teen girl and the guys figuring out how to get her to be the one guy's girlfriend was gross
- the temper tantrum at not getting his own condo
- the "be a jerk to the person I like" trope
- the point of the club was to find love, so that rule felt homophobic
- multiple kiss interruptions
- shipping stuff was gross but glad there was an apology
- a guy on the toilet while gaming
- 8 episodes was not enough to have 2 full episodes (6 and 7) of that stuff

Read More

more fun than deep, but the chemistry and chaos make it worth watching

Flex x Cop is one of those dramas that doesn’t try to be overly complicated, and that’s honestly part of why it works. The plot is pretty predictable at times, and some cases feel more interesting than others, but the show knows how to balance crime, comedy, action, and character development without becoming too heavy.

Ahn Bo Hyun absolutely carries the drama as Jin Yi Soo. He could’ve easily been just another rich, immature chaebol character, but he makes Yi Soo genuinely funny, charming, and surprisingly lovable. Park Ji Hyun is also great as Kang Hyun, and their dynamic is probably one of the strongest parts of the show. It’s more slow-burn and subtle than romantic, so don’t go in expecting a lot of romance, but the chemistry is definitely there.

The supporting cast adds a lot too, and the team slowly starts to feel like a real unit. Some emotional moments hit harder than expected, especially when the story explores Yi Soo’s family and why he acts the way he does.

The biggest weakness is that the drama can feel a little formulaic, and the main mystery isn’t always as exciting as the character moments. Still, it’s entertaining, easy to binge, funny without being ridiculous, and has enough heart to keep you invested.

overall, Flex x Cop isn’t trying to reinvent the crime drama genre… it just gives you a fun, charismatic lead, a lovable team, good chemistry, and a satisfying mix of comedy and action. not perfect, but definitely a good time.

Read More

Just Fine for What It Is

I’d say I liked this drama, but it’s the kind of show you watch once and that’s it. I understand the themes they wanted to explore and how they tried to handle them, but sometimes I just couldn't fully understand the characters. In the end, it’s a pretty standard office romance. I enjoyed the moments between the leads, but beyond that, there isn’t much else to say since I didn’t even like the second couple.
Still, that’s just my opinion, and I think plenty of people might enjoy it because it’s a simple, easy watch. So I think you should check it out for yourself.

Read More

Short, fun and completely silly.

That is one of the silliest things I have seen in a long time! I laughed so hard and cringed fully. Fully.

Rappers in do-rags and glitter! Oh Jung Se as a hunter of large wild vermin! The adorable smiling Kang Ki Yong in a pink flowered jacket! Kang Dong Won in the most enormous wig!

It was partly so funny to see great serious actors giving their absolute all and having a ball doing it. I am not so sure it would be as funny if you dont already know the actors.

Anything with Oh Jung Se in it is genius, but Uhm Tae Goo cracked me up completely. And somehow the combination of Kang Dong Won completely out on a limb and the always crisp and clear Park Ji Hyun was very harmonious.

Nice, short and fun. Definitely something to remember and rewatch on an easy day.

ps. I dont know what to say about the fabulous and here completely shameless Shin Ha Kyun except to flap my hands and giggle helplessly.

Read More