Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish

일타 스캔들/Crash Course in Romance, as a social commentary, showed the unfortunate norm of hypercompetitive education in the Korean society well. Although it was not groundbreaking since there are already shows that only focused this issue, but it was still distinct on its own in that it added some flavor to the story literally and figuratively, especially the cuisine, romance, and towards the latter part, mystery/thriller.

The budding romance between the star teacher Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho) and the nation's best side dish maker Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon) is as typical as a Korean rom-com story can be. There were some clichés as expected, but for this show, its edge is that it was a middle-age adult romance done realistically. What also added to the successful execution of the romance part was the chemistry between the actors themselves. They knew how to act their characters well and their emotions and mannerisms were just amazing onscreen. There were issues regarding the FL's age and fashion that honestly didn't made sense with me as someone who doesn't like pure rom-com Kdramas. I am more concerned with the romantic connection and not the petty unrelated stuff.

The plot was well built-up. There were several substories in the beginning and the later episodes that were portrayed well and thus, making the pacing exemplary on the 1st half. Won't be spoiling them but basically, it was just entertaining to see everything, from the different side dishes, to the dizzying world of math (shows how weak I am on this subject LOL). In terms of flavor, the romance and proper pacing on the 1st half represents the sweetness.

Speaking of sides, the side characters were just as entertaining to watch as well, most notably, Su-a's mom. She really epitomizes the tiger mom "I don't give a damn as long as I'm the #1" attitude with just 1 goal. She may not be as dark as the FL in Sky Castle, but she too, had her almost dark moments. In terms of flavor, she represents the bitterness.

But why won't I give a perfect 10 rating on the story?

First and foremost is the mystery. As mentioned, the story was well built-up and that includes the mystery part. There were some plot twists and misleads, but it still added some tension and grit, in a way. It's just that after the shift from romance to mystery in the 11th episode there were little to no moments on the relationship anymore. I wanted to know more about them, and the mystery was a necessary for this show to hit 16 episodes. Still, I was accepting with how it stole the screentime, thinking that it may be a turning point of some sort. Yet it only culminated in just a splash, literally. It was disappointing and blotchy with how it ended. In terms of flavor, the mystery represent the sourness.

Also, is the out-of-the-blue almost slapstick "romance" between 2 side characters. It was just a "stop trying to make fetch happen" Regina George to Gretchen Wieners moment. It wasn't needed since it was obvious that it was more logical for them to have a brother-and-sister relationship, and it was just better if it didnt happen. Although in real life, I won't be complaining since I can't control their feelings. However for this show, I was salty about it, hence the salty flavor it represents.

The finale tried to salvage the messy thriller somewhat successfully, but it was already predictable at that point. It gave the boost needed from the mediocre previous episode. The charm was still there, and it wrapped the story as necessary. There was fluff and redemption from various characters, albeit some were rushed.

Contrary to some, the last "obstacle" for me was expected and was not contrived at all. It was a decisive moment for Haeng-seon and Hae-e's relationship and love for each other.

Then again, this show was more on being a social commentary about Korean education rather than just a pure romcom. It was not expected to fix the system overnight, but this show was quite successful in conveying its message across.

With that in mind, Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish.

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When there is something wrong, there really is something bound to happen

You know when there is something wrong, something is really bound to happen. That is basically what the movie is trying to convey, as with all disaster films.

What I liked the most here was that it developed the characters quite well. The first part which introduces the characters is a must and is the most common choice to start with disaster movies. In a sense, it might be a cliche, but for this case, it was not. As a result, it was not boring since their own stories were introduced one by one, and the overlapping of said people made sense in determining their respective connections with each other. I also liked that there were several perspectives shown here: the hotel workers/management, the guests, and their eventual life saviors/rescuers. At this point, the mood was still happy as it was Christmas Eve.

The pacing was rather expected but still entertaining. It was Christmas Eve, the busiest night at the Sky Tower. Of course, the priority was to serve the guests the best way possible, which lead to the negligence of the structural flaws that was fueled by an accident. The mood shift towards thrill and suspense was naturally executed. They were now facing a pandemonium with several dilemmas thrown here and there, again which is common in this type of movie.

My criticism here would be the overtly focus on the emotional aspect and its drama, which is already a norm in Korean disaster films. On most cases, the drama part would be good in tugging my heartstrings, but in here, I just found it to be too much and overshadows the story itself. The addition of what was an attempt to black comedy in the middle of a serious scene was just not properly timed. It rather made me confused as to what direction this movie wanted to go at that point. Furthermore, the ending was just adequate in terms of closing the story of the characters here, but it would have made more sense had it shown if were there any consequences on this disaster by the government to the hotel's owners since they were basically shrugged off (or maybe the film just wanted to show the loose punishment for the rich in Korean society, in this case, it was poorly done.)

On the other hand, the cinematography here was actually great for 2012. As I have already watched some of the newer Korean disaster movies with more sophisticated CGI, I had to adjust my lens to a 2012 perspective. The scenery and setting (the hotel itself), as much as it was fake, was still believable and was integrated with the plot quite successfully. You won't be able to easily spot the CGI at first glance, and the cinematic effects/music timing were also well done.

In the end, it was a decent movie with complete check points on what a disaster movie should be. It didn't show a new perspective in terms of the disaster aside from it happening on a Christmas Eve. But as most movies in this genre, when there is something wrong, there really is something bound to happen.

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Offered no original story, but definitely offered great comedy

Crash Landing On You meets Joint Security Area added with a comedic twist. I was reminded on these shows while watching 6/45. Basically, this movie replaces Yoon Se-ri from CLOY with a lottery ticket that lands in North Korea, while diffuses the aggresive tension between the North and South Korean soldiers when they met in contrast to JSA.

6/45 was nice in that it builds up the plot gradually. It introduced its main characters, the South Korean soldier Park Chun-woo (Go Kyung-pyo) and his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho (Lee Yi-kyung), in a proper yet funny manner. Although the progression of the storyline itself was somewhat slow in the first half, the comedic tension between the two provided relief. Their encounters were already funny in itself, and when more people now knew about the lottery ticket on both sides, it became more hilarious, my stomach actually was hurt. Personally, the funniest side character was the most unexpected one. I was just gasping for air during his moments, and at times overshadowing some of his superiors in terms of execution of his comedic lines.

Was waiting for a shocking ending, but I was glad it ended the way it did, for the most part. Honestly, I can't say that I was fully satisfied with the ending maybe because of some loose parts. First, the movie could've created more build-up and screentime to the "villain" since honestly his characterization was just more of a story filler rather than part of the story itself. Second, the "romance" sub-plot ended rather vague, although it is possible due to the present circumstances of the two Koreas.

It is more satisfying to watch this movie without any expectations, since the comedy itself presented here is not new nor innovative. The story may be simple and at times hysterical, but what I appreciated the most here was the great comedic timing with the most hilarious delivery possible. Furthemore, I think that the humor in this movie would be appreciated more for those with background on inter-Korean politics and military and would try to imagine a funny film scenario about it, since 6/45 fits the criteria quite well. Otherwise, it is highly suggested to skip this.

After the post credits scene was shown, I had an ear to ear smile while also being curious as to what happened to all of them next. Generally, I had a fun time even though I was just expecting that I would pass time watching this movie. 6/45 offered no original story, but definitely offered great comedy.

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Peaceful revenge can also be a great revenge

Peaceful revenge. This is a concept that is foreign in a Kdrama, especially when usually exposed to the typical vengeful revenges themes. It makes one wonder how does it work, whether it can be done, and if so, is it satisfying? 부암동 복수자들 (Buam-dong Revenge Club/Avenger Social Club) is the best example to watch in order to familiarize oneself about this unusual concept.

It was obvious that there would be a difficulty to form such club at the beginning, especially when its members are from different walks of life, yet live just almost near to each other (Note: Buam-dong is a neighborhood in Seoul). They had a rough patch to start with and I really felt the awkwardness on their first interactions with each other (episodes 1-2). However, not only that it was very funny, but at the same time made me think on those times when I was also on their shoes.

The succeeding episodes, not only that they were very entertaining and just made me laugh nonstop, but I loved how it was paced cleverly and it was able to successfully portray their individual life stories, and most especially, the bond that they have formed through this club. It was made easier with the great chemistry of the cast themselves.

But all were not in smiles when this show now started to gradually revealed the reasons why these people wanted to pursue their respective revenges. Add to that, their background stories which were sad to say the least, added more substance to the story overall and I was very interested on how they would overcome their specific burdens. I was emotionally-invested in how these seemingly weak ajummas (and haksaeng) defy odds and have their character developments along the journey.

It was also great that it was only for 12 episodes which made the plot itself more cohesive because and didn't gave any opportunity away to drag the story further, which I commend. My questions throughout the show were answered satisfactorily and not just in a rushed way. It was also able to close several arcs without any loose ends.

My "minor" complaint is the deus ex machina particularly toward the finale but still done in a brilliantly comedic way. The reason why I said minor is that at first glance, I overlooked these conveniences in how they were able to overcome their challenges since it was almost covered up by the comedy, but looking back, I just couldn't glance over it. Another letdown is that the build-up towards the finale was excellent yet the finale itself was almost anticlimactic and their ultimate revenge to the villains was rushed. Personally, I would've loved more had their smoking gun created a bigger impact towards the results. For me, it may be safe and somewhat boring since it dealt more on the after effects rather than the final revenge itself yet was still satisfied with the outcome.

Moving forward, maybe this brand of revenge may also be applied to future Kdramas as opposed to the currently prevalent dark and gruesome revenge stories out there. But I also want this particular Kdrama to have this unique approach to justice, which I haven't seen anywhere else. This show proved that a peaceful revenge can also be a great revenge.

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Clueless girls being oppressed, thus silenced

Started slow with steady mystery build-up that ended on an abrupt screenplay shift. This is primarily this movie's substance.

Joo-ran/Shizuko (Park Bo-young) was sent to an all-girl's boarding school outside of Seoul but was actually a sanatorium, and the sudden change of her environment made her into a quiet and shy student. Her adjustment was slow but expected, which also made the story slow. The plot really picked up its pace when mysterious events are now happening and she was always the witness and her body now somewhat feels stronger, which was unusual since she has tuberculosis when she first arrived.

The horror and thriller parts could've been made more suspenseful and even with the "terrifying" background music plus "chilling" camerawork on scenes where jumpscares were almost certain, it failed to scare me even a bit which was odd for someone that is easily spooked. Furthermore, the pacing of the story could've been made more tense by adding more scenes that would've made me anxious even at the beginning of the story, since as what I mentioned earlier, it was not really mysterious and I didn't know that this was a mystery horror movie. But still, there was a steady build-up of mystery on the unusual events that occured on said school/sanatorium.

This movie's highlight would probably be the "sismance" between Joo-ran/Shizuko and Yeon-deok/Kazue (Park So-dam). Their relationship was portrayed to be just close friends but their chemistry was too strong to think that maybe they were more than friends. It was Yeon-deok/Kazue that really helped Joo-ran/Shizuko adjust to the school life as well as rediscover her old bubbly self. I was more emotionally-invested in them than the plot itself.

The mystery itself was not a mystery anymore, as I knew already what it is based on the context clues scattered in several scenes. However, I was shocked more on the basis of said mystery which was correlated to the time setting of the movie, and I was now able to get the relevance why it was set during the Japanese occupation of Korea. This was not only really a tragedy-in-the-making for the clueless and innocent students of the school, particularly to Joo-ran who had now experienced something strange in her body but also eerie since the school's headmistress Kato Sanae (Uhm Ji-won) has no remorse on what she has done, and will do everything just to be recognized as a loyal citizen of the Japanese empire, even at the expense of her Joseon compatriots.

After watching this movie, I was confused as to why is it called "The Silenced" when it wasn't really explained throughout its run? My interpretation would be based on its premise of having clueless girls being oppressed, thus silenced.

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Watch it not for the story, but for its perfectly-amplified tension

Kang In-gu (Ha Jeong-woo) is a simple father who just want to provide the best for his family by doing business abroad. Jeon Yo-han (Hwang Ju-min) is a pastor, who at a first glance, seems to be passionate in delivering the word of God, is actually masquerading not only as a drug lord, but is THE drug lord of Suriname. Choi Chang-ho (Park Hae-soo) is a law enforcement agent who wants to catch the pastor and end specific drug cartel before it enters the Korean market. The three main characters reflect the different facets that were emphasized in this series: money, drugs, and justice, respectively.

After becoming familiar with the backstory of the main characters particularly with In-gu, I was intrigued with how this will pan out in terms of who he would side with at the end. Also, with Chang-ho's stoic character, I was anxious whether he was an ally or another Pastor Jeon. The intensity of having to wait the definite morality of these characters is what made me hooked on the first 2 episodes. Narco-Saints tries to convey that money is really hard to resist as well as the drug (cocaine) business itself, which Pastor Jeon even described as "natural blessing from God."

The plot itself was not really deep and at times, predictable even with the twists. Emphasis on the drug, guns, action, and betrayals though was spontaneous and executed well for the most part. Since this was encapsulated into just 6 episodes (which I think is Netflix standard) suspense and thrill on every character's actions and their next steps towards closing the "deal" were most commonly felt. The action scenes were intense and gripping. Most importantly and I think is this show's highlight, the tension was high all throughout which was amplified more during the last three episodes. It was perfect in that sense and is the main reason I just can't stop watching on the screen.

The production quality was great in that I only found later on that this was actually filmed in Dominican Republic instead of Suriname itself. Imagine the attention to detail given in making the location believable, especially when both countries speak different languages. I was amazed by that fact. Even with the obvious CGI (helicopters, fighting jets), it wasn't really distracting. The color grading though, is very typical in genres like this. One gripe would be the transition between the fight scenes which was passable at best, shaky at worst.

I thought that it would also have an open ending (which unfortunately is now becoming a Netflix Korea trend), but I appreciated that the main story was aptly closed. However, the side plot on the cult part with the other members "trapped" inside it was just forgotten after a build up on episode 3? What happened to the little girl who went to In-gu for help? How about the other members of the church/cult who remained? What happened next to the lady deacon?

Also perhaps an unpopular opinion but I wasn't really able to follow the English conversations with Ha Jung-woo and Hwang Jung-min. At first, I had to increase volume to maximum to hear them, but still wasn't able to fully understand. Had to rely to context clues on specific conversations where they spoke in English. To be fair, English is quite difficult for a native Korean speaker to even learn, and them speaking it despite the "difficulty" speaks their passion and love for their craft. Personally, I ought not judge because English is also not my first language. My suggestion would be for Netflix (or any other streaming platform) to still put English subtitles for English dialogues in the future.

Overall, a seemingly passable action series that was really carried by the characters and their individual goals. I really liked that the main story ended without cliffhangers, yet questions about some aspects of the plot weren't answered (for me, not a reason for a season 2.) Watch it not for the story, but for its perfectly-amplified tension.

P.S. I did a background check on the story which inspired this series, and it was actually more dangerous and even dramatic with what was shown, at least for the real person where In-gu was based on. I suggest you do the same, and do some comparisons between the drama and the real-life event.

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Surprisingly good

This show is not for the faint hearted. But for those who are into suspense, mystery with supernatural and even religious elements, you might want to watch it.

지옥 (literally "Hell", but translates here to "Hellbound") is a series that is divided into two different stories, but is interconnected by this supernatural phenomenon where there would be a sudden presence of an angel that would "decree" a person for eternal damnation in hell on a specific date. Thinking that it is a "divine intervention", shaking the core of the society is a massive understatement.

The first part which spanned on episodes 1-3 focused on the effects of that sudden phenomenon. Afterall, everyone was now afraid that they were the next to receive said decree and experience what people before them did. The pacing on the plot, as well as the suspense and thrill were very well combined as it created a sense of terror to the people, even losing their minds. And this is where the charismatic Jeong Jin-soo entered. His stoic and calm exterior with the knowledge and wisdom he seemingly have were enough to make the people follow in his organization "The New Truth" and live more righteous lives. Yet, we all know this is not true. He has more than that, and his hidden brutal borderline sinister characteristics were revealed later on (which was the climax of the first part.) The highlight for this subplot would be at the end of episode 2 and beginning of episode 3.

Most viewers were turned-off by a sudden shift of story especially after episode 3 with its transition to the second part. I was waiting on the part where the show's plot quality would go down. At first, I was confused and lowkey disappointed but as much as there was a confusion, surprisingly, I liked that it now shifted with a new purpose - to question whether what is being preached by the New Truth true or not. Obviously, it was not true as presented with the new character Kyeong-hoon's baby receiving the said decree despite being a newborn. I found it interesting that at this point, the show is now trying to question whether this "divine intervention" really divine or not. I was not stucked with the narrative that the decrees were absolute, although the demonstrations were. Also, the hypocrisy and cult-like characteristics of this organization is now being slowly exposed.

Despite surprisingly liking the story shift, I had more questions than answers after watching the season finale since it ended with a cliffhanger, although I am now relieved that there would be a season 2. Furthermore, the finale proved that there is a reason underlying these occurences and I am now curious as to how it will unfold.

It is interesting to note the lesson that I learned with the 6 episodes I spent watching here which is that interpretations of the "messages" that God is trying to send to humans can vary, as what we have witnessed at the finale. Though some people/groups of people by whether established religions or cults would like to enact said interpretations to the whole society, saying these messages (or decrees, as in this case) is the truth, we really can't deduce that it is the absolute truth. After all, we don't know what God is thinking.

This was on my watchlist for so long. I did not watched it right away to prevent bias due to hype and afterwards, I had a kdrama hiatus. But now, I already finished it and it was surprisingly good.

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Korean Shamanism 101

This genre is often underexplored or if tackled upon, mostly only used as an accessory for the thrill rather for the plot itself. This kdrama is different as it portrays Korean shamanism as its main story, as well as introduces it to the international viewers, especially to those unfamiliar with it (like me.)

The first half was thrilling and suspenseful, since it showed that the "bad guys" have the upper hand, although at times it was slow-paced. After all, having a powerful and greedy shaman, a well-oiled machinery of thugs to do various evil deeds, and a narcissistic antagonist gave me less hope that Jin-hee and So-jin (the 2 leads) would be able to stop said shenanigans. Nice pacing on the 1st half since it really made me stick my eyes to the screen, curious as to what would happen next. The gory scenes here were also stand-out, and didn't make me feel scared at all.

It was smart for the production team to make it into 12 episodes rather than the standard 16 as it was able to convey the story in a smooth flow without the unneccesary fillers. At the same time, the action part and the rituals especially in the second half was executed well. The plot twist was really able to convince me that the connection between So-jin (the lead with shaman powers) and Jong-hyeon (the main antagonist) was well-thought. If you would be confused with the first few episodes, they would be all answered on the last 3 episodes, and I really appreciate how the flashback episodes were executed, it all really made sense. Add to that was the built-up of my interest with the conflicting supernatural powers between the So-jin and the rest of the antagonists particularly at the finale, it really added to my interest on the whole series.

Despite the cliffhanger however, it wasn't enough to pique my interest to watch the sequel (a movie), as I felt that the story (at least here) has been adequately finished, albeit with a few questions/suggestions:

QUESTIONS:
a. How did the inugami be united in So-jin's body instead of just transferring to the new host, which is not a person?
b. How different are the powers of So-jin and the chairman? Although it is understandable that the evil spirit originally dwelt with her and was just split to both of them, it would've been more thrilling had the chairman possessed just even half of So-jin's power.

SUGGESTION:
- it would've made more sense if Jin-hee and her husband, Seong-joon were just friends instead of a married couple, it just didn't felt that they were married here. In fact, Seong-joon's reaction to Jin-hee's abduction was more of an acquaintance's rather than a husband's.

Overall, was still interesting plot-wise despite the slow pacing of the first half, especially if you are curious as to what is Korean shamanism. There were gory scenes (the deaths of some characters were not only unique, but also brutal), and the rituals, talismans, and curses were executed properly here. I think you would appreciate this show more if you are already interested with the culture (in this case, shamanism), rather than just to watch it for the sake of watching.

Although the ending was a cliffhanger, it didn't made me curious as to what lies ahead. Still, a must watch for Korean shamanism 101.

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Nothing more, nothing less

This is a great background movie, but just simple if watched thoroughly.

As the title mentioned, I thought that there would be a real emphasis on the use of social media (in this case, Facebook), as to how the plot would progress, especially on its introduction. I was confused on the interconnection of the characters at first, and even though I was able to know more of them as minutes went by, I felt "down" since I initially felt that there would be more interaction amongst their individual plots by the usage of the social media platform. Social media in itself here in this context felt afterthought. This is my breakdown as to how it was utilized for this movie between the 3 subplots:

a. Jin-woo and Kyeong-a - I will "dissect" them first since the bulk of the movie focused on their relationship; Facebook was somewhat helpful in that Jin-woo used it to stalk Kyeong-a's timeline. I think this is passable in terms of its relevance to the plot since we have to admit that we use social media to visit or even stalk a person's timeline/page, as what Jin-woo did here. Also, since this is where most of the scenes were focused, I have to say that I found this subplot to the better of the 3, and the acting and chemistry added more substance.

b. Su-ho and Na-yeon - in contrast to the first subplot, I felt that this was the most underutilized in terms of screen time, yet it had the most sense in terms of the usage of social media as the platform for their relationship to bloom; it was gutsy for Na-yeon to have the "first move" to Su-ho, knowing that he is a "relationship virgin" and as much as it felt rushed in terms of their progression as a couple, their ending was adequate and what I wanted it to be.

c. Seong-chan and Joo-ran - this is where it got tricky for me since I actually thought that they were exes, thanks to how Seong-chan acted childish when he saw Joo-ran as the stewardess on his flight, but then it was revealed that she was just actually his landlord and I felt weird about that. They had cohabitation after some circumstances, introduced Joo-ran to a Facebook friend for a date, and then realized that she had feelings for him after all, standard romantic movie plot blah blah. Nothing new, nothing old.

The climax of this movie which is the airport scene, felt too rushed again since the outcomes of their own stories are already evitable, but it was wise for Jin-woo to use Facebook to be able to confess his love to Kyeong-a since that is the main point of using social media as this movie's plot. Other than that, the other 2 plots were able to end their respective stories in a simple, predictable, and adequate ways. Shocking.

I think the saving grace for this movie was the acting and chemistry between the actors on their respective plots, otherwise I just played it in the background while doing something else, yet I was still able to understand the plot (as simple as it is) and just waited for it to end. I would have liked it more had more interaction between the 3 subplots especially in the ending, or somewhere in the movie happened, but this is just a personal preference.

This movie would be recommended as a background movie, or if you're in a mood to watch something just to pass time, as the plot is simple (though I'm disappointed for the not-much emphasis of social media as per its title), doesn't need any complicated scenes to make impact, and the ending, as cute and cheesy as it is, was predictable and okay.

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Ridiculous whirlwind of emotions every episode...for 129 episodes

NOTE: The term "ridiculous" may appear quite often in this review, but with a good reason.

Do not be fooled by its number of episodes, and most notably do not be fooled by the plot's superficiality.

For this kdrama, I divided it into 3 parts:
a. Pre-revenge (eps 1-44) - it was adequate at best, too drawn-out at worst; I would have liked it more had it been lessened at least 5 eps to make it more less filler-y, but it was done great too as it was able to present the dilemma of Eun-jae and convinced me to follow Eun-jae's revenge plot. Girl really experienced A LOT, and it is not even exaggeration. Honestly, I would have done my revenge just like her if I were in her shoes, and on the same circumstances.

b. Revenge (eps 45-90) - THE MOST EXCITING PART of this series, and really its core. Really the epitome of "makjang". I was just hooked (that's coming from an experienced makjang viewer). If you don't like to watch the pre-revenge part, just skip to ep 45 or even to ep 49 towards the tango scene (if you know what i mean). The "revelation" was just chef's kiss.

c. Post-revenge (eps 91-129) - it would be better to subdivide it into 3 subparts; it's just too many spoiler alerts but you will get what I mean if you would reach this part. This is where the fruits of Eun-jae's revenge will be reaped, but obviously she won't be able to enjoy it right away due to complications. There are more plot twists, and some more gaslighting. I was somewhat disappointed on the last 4 episodes with how they tried to create a redemption arc for the Kdrama's greatest gaslighter (Ae-ri) and weakest playboy (Gyo-bin) and the problematic So-hee but the last episode was a great way to end this epic kdrama. No wonder why this is often called the "Bible of Makjangs".


Maybe for the plot, not really the most realistic. However, I was actually surprised to not found any plot holes, and the plot itself, as much as it was superficial, but was also adequately coherent for a makjang, which usually focuses more on the emotions rather than the plot itself. At the same time, let me just tell right away that the revenge plot and all subplots surrounding it are just utterly ridiculous, but its proper execution is reason why I was drawn right away to this kdrama.

For more experienced makjang viewers like me, it was already expected that this would have overacting...and as much as I would find it outright silly, but for its plot, it was actually well done by the actors. The angst that I felt for Ae-ri and Gyo-bin (and later, the real So-hee) as well as the awe I felt for Eun-jae made me forget that it was overly acted as maybe because I was emotionally-drawn to this kdrama, was really able to understand the context why they acted like that (both the characters and the actors).

There were some lacking points mainly Geon-woo, but still passable. I just felt that his character was too shallow, and had he been more fleshed out, I would've rooted more for him.

The only time that I felt stable watching this is on the scenes will Kang-jae and Ha-neul. I really wanted more of them just to deflect from all the schemes running around, but unfortunately, it did not happen. Other than that, just pure rollercoaster of emotions is what I felt watching these episodes.

For 2022, it's not the best makjang anymore per se, but really, REALLY paved the way on how makjangs should be properly done.

P.S. This is actually the 1st kdrama I watched in months due to a hiatus, and I was also really in a mood for a "hearty" makjang, so that also affected my "journey" watching this. It's not recommended to watch if in a hurry since 129 episodes does really need some time investment to fully grasp its plot. Also, for non-makjang kdrama viewers, I would advise to skip this...except if you are also scheming for revenge, hehe.

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Still funny and entertaining as the first movie. But honestly, this can already stop here.

It was as if Sang-sook (Ra Mi-ran) has already changed for the better, but old habits just die hard. Until karma hit her again, and this time, much harder than before.

I was initially apprehensive for this sequel, since the first movie was already adequate with its story and ended with a closure. This time, I am glad that it was still able to retain the foundations of its predecessor that made it funny in the first place, for the most part.

Sang-sook was as kooky as ever, and Hee-cheol (Kim Mu-yeol), as loyal as he is to her, was just as entertaining as well to watch. Their dynamic was explored more here, and it, being this story's core, was one of the better points of this movie, if not its highlight. Individually, they were already funny, and together, it was truly comical.

One thing to note is that the comedy this time was more superficial and toned down compared to the first one. Maybe it was because it was set on a provincial setting which is not as robust as the capital Seoul, but it was still enjoyable. I just laughed with their foolishness at the beginning, then towards the "return of the curse" at the middle, until the "plot twist" at the end. Also maybe, because I was just in the mood to watch a mindless comedy film in that this movie just clicked with me.

The pacing and story direction were satisfactory as well. New characters and settings were introduced here, and it was quite good how it was drawn out. Pony (Park Jin-joo) could've been more fleshed out, since the actress really shines in comedic dramas. Her character could've been given a bigger role on the story.

In terms of pacing, there weren't filler scenes all througout the movie, but since the story events were already predictable, the screenwriter and director had to bank on proper comedic timing to really make this sequel as interesting as the first one, and they were mostly successful on that aspect.

In terms of production, I was amazed on the CGI effects on one scene about the long term goals of a certain entity (I have to make this spoiler-free hehe). There weren't really standout production and screenplay value here, but nonetheless, it was coherently done.

The ending was more or less the same, bringing up again the possibly of another sequel. I, for one, though found this one to be still funny and entertaining as the first movie. But honestly, this can already stop here.

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"If my husband is a spy, then I'm the wife of a spy"

Initially, one would ask as to how was this movie greenlit given the Japanese' generally denialist stance on the events of World War II? Then again, it is also refreshing to see their perspective regarding this bitter and painful event of human history. It's even more refreshing that this movie slowly tries to recognize their gruesome role on the war and maybe it can lead to future movies telling the truth of its horror but something that should be remembered for generations to come.

"Wife of a Spy" circles around a married couple - a busy businessman Yusaku (Takahashi Issei) and Satoko (Aoi Yu), amidst the changing and turbulent 1940 Japan. What's more is that the wife's childhood friend, Taiji (Higashide Masahiro), now a squad leader in the military police, is suspecting the husband of being a spy for being "too Westernized".

The first half was a tad bit too long. There could've been scenes removed since it just made me lost on some parts. Yet at the same time, it was intriguing to know what the real story is. But still, its early somber mood was important for what's coming next. This part really showed that ignorance is bliss.

Then, the big reveal happened. Although the incident that was being referred was too vague (in terms of the real historical event), yet it is still important to know that until now, Japan still refuses to fully admit its war crimes.

The clip on an internment camp that was shown, despite brief, but really gave me chills as to how inhumane their military did to the innocent people at that time. It's very ironic to see the smiling barbaric Japanese scientists at one frame yet transitions to the angry but hopeless war prisoners at the next. There was only few violence shown onscreen, but one doesn't have to imagine what dreadfulness that the Japanese empire did to its enemies, even if it was its own people.

But at the same time, I really liked how the music at the second part upped the tension and thrill on the succeeding scenes. This is despite the no to little background music at the start. This could've balanced out the storyline and created equal tension already.

The last 30 minutes of this movie was just too exhilarating for me as the viewer, but nerve-wracking for the leads. Each scene was just brilliant, and the plot twist shook me to say the least. It was truly gripping and enthralling.

It's ending might be quite melodramatic, which was a sudden shift from the high tension it had earlier, but was still done well. The note at the end was tricky for sure, as I thought I was watching a biopic but is not.

My biggest gripe for an otherwise great movie is its production value. Originally, this is a TV movie so budget isn't really the main priority, but still, there were very visible production errors noticed:

First, is the sound mixing which was uneven and at times, there was static heard. Second is the setting itself particularly the storage area, where it was obvious that there were modern speakers near the screen. Third, the exterior set was inadequate for a wartime period film. Though for the third point, it may be understandable as Japan is still new in producing movies set in the 40's.

My next gripe was the terrible borderline funny acting of the English-speaking characters, though I do understand that it's because of the availability of actors, but still.

Nevertheless, it's amazing to see that Japan is now ready to face its not-so-good role during the war, even with some nationalism still interjected.

The story maybe focused more on the characters rather than the plot itself, but there's one line from this movie that really stood out for me and perfectly encapsulated this movie's essence: "If my husband is a spy, then I'm the wife of a spy."

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Dark but has sense

I have not been actively venturing out of Kdramaland prior to watching this. The reason I watched this in the first place was due to the disappointment I had with its Korean remake and wanted to know the original version and its story. And I am very glad that I did it.

This is my first Japanese drama ever so I don't have any expectations before watching this except for the story material on which the Kdrama remake was based on. The 11-episode format was actually adequate in order to really flesh out the story. In this case, the 1st half was rather messy in pacing but really did picked up as the storyline progressed and answers were now gradually revealed. The first 6 episodes could've set the tone on what to expect and built up the tension more intensely while Ryo (Kimura Takuya) started to know more about his past. This is where I think the Korean remake had an edge compared to the original, since its 16-episode format allowed ample time to develop the appropriate amount of intensity needed for the story.

However, this is now where the quotes "The original is always better" and "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes in. The storytelling was just miles better here than the remake. Despite its pacing issues, it was really able to convey what it wanted it show successfully, even though it was dark. I am planning to make a detailed comparison between this and the Korean remake after making this review, but for now, my comments would be about this show. The Korean one had fundamentally deviated its story from here that it seemed to be diluted at the end. Also, I had questions on the Korean one that were answered here even though the storyline here was simpler.

This was not the darkest show that I've watched, but the darkness here was just utterly sad. Furthermore, what I liked here was that despite it being on the dark zone, the storyline was cohesive enough for me to be able to feel with the characters. Although the show started basically as a puzzle, but it was able to slowly put it piece by piece together and created a depressing yet gratifying story.

Sora Kara on the great scale of dramas that I've watched so far is not among the best and honestly, I doubt that it will leave a long-lasting effect on me. But one thing I realized after watching these is that I am now ready to venture out to discover more Jdramas in the future. The rawness of the emotions portrayed here partially convinced me, especially for someone like me that focuses more on the story rather than the aesthetics.

In conclusion compared to the Korean version, this Jdrama (original) was miles better in that it was dark but has sense.

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If Wild West was set in a Korean prison

NOTE: turn off all of your medical knowledge before watching this Kdrama coming from someone in the healthcare field.

For a person not familiar with the medical, psychiatric, and most especially rehabilitative protocols portrayed here, you will best remember this Kdrama as full of revenge scheming lawlessness coiled with plot twists all over sprinkled with intensified suspense for the duration of its 32-episode run. Personally, I nearly dropped it after the first episode due to its massive protocol breaches and medical logic was just basically thrown off. I wanted to brush it off, but it was too immense not to ignore. Also, I wanted to list all instances were protocols were broken, but it will just take all the space of this review. Again, be thoroughly warned.

Despite said drawbacks, the fast pacing of the story is really to be acclaimed. The plot twists maybe convoluted at times and almost all characters may be morally gray, but it was just not boring. I was hooked by Na Yi-je's (Namgoong Min) revenge plot and the delivery of both the revenge and his acting were just top notch. I liked that the plan was too intricate despite several obstacles. There were many players in this game, and I not know who will definitely win due to the enormous amount of power play in between episodes. But despite of its complexity, the story did not lost its touch even up to the finale. I was already satisfied with the end, no need for the second season unless the story would be as significant as here.

Next, the acting game here was just too outstanding, particularly Lee Jae-joon (Choi Won-young). It's the first time that I saw him play a role different from others, but he was just too memorable a villain. He just shined out all throughout most notably the last episode. On the other hand, because of the great acting here, I found Han So-geum (Kwon Na-ra) to be the "weak link", but that doesn't mean that she was bad here. It may be due to the script and her character or may be it was just the other actors showed greater range of their acting skills in this Kdrama.

The production here was also where I had problems. The prison was too dimly-lighted and I had to move my eyes closer the screen to see the characters. The lighting, since it focused more on the darker color shades, was now more like disco club which did not set well to the story mood. It was too prominent and distracted their dialogues. Also, the music was not in sync with the mood at times. There were instances that the BGM played was light yet they were threatening to bring someone down, which was not appropriate in this context. Basically, not a fan of the production value showed here.

Overall, a very intense fast-paced story that was not dull, however it could've been improved at some, if not many aspects. Yet still, this Kdrama should not be skipped just because of some of my complaints. After all, Doctor Prisoner is a great example of what a Kdrama is if Wild West was set in a Korean prison.

P.S. for the story, I excluded the medical aspect from the score for the overall plot of this show itself.

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Tune in for love, remember it for something else

A seemingly innocent puppy love combined with strong nostalgic 90's music. After the first day of October, 1994, Mi-soo's (Kim Go-eun) and Hyeon-woo's (Jung Hae-in) lives were never the same again. It was almost certain that they are destined for one another, but timing could have never been more wrong. With that, it was also interesting to see how thestory unfolded throughout different parts of their lives.

One thing that stood out here was that I liked about the circumstances that they meet and later reconnected were different, which was realistic and integrated with the technology that was common at that time. First they meet in 1994 while tuning in the radio (basically the meaning of the title), in 1997 with the use of email, and 2000 with the use of mobile phones. But despite the use of technology for their love story to develop, it just wasn't their time yet. Also, them meeting more than once despite now living separately was too coincidental. Yet, what I noticed really well here was their emotions every time they met which helped the atmosphere and story's credibility - it was most often longing with each other, and the ache when they have to separate again. It also emphasized the slowness of this slow-burn romance movie and built this tension as to when and how they would end up together.

It was intriguing while waiting when the right timing is. But when it finally happened, I felt that the thrill disappeared and the pacing became stagnant as they now focused on Hyeon-woo's past, which should've been explained more in detail. I really was curious as to why Hyeon-woo became like that, but there were only tidbits revealed about him and I (the viewer) had to fill in the gaps, which was disappointing. I get that the direction was to be more subtle and nuanced, but it wasn't executed properly well here, since there were still loose ends.

Also, a trope which I did not expect to find here is the martyr complex which often leads to miscommunication. Well, since it was already added to the story, it would've made more sense had it been introduced earlier and not just ramdomly added near the end. Not only that it lost the thrill of the "waiting game" between the two, but it shifted the story angle. Although it was somewhat saved by the cheesy ending, not that I'm complaining since it went back to the roots of their connection. In my prospective thinking, with this type of communication or lack thereof, I doubt that their relationship would succeed in the long run.

I think the highlight for this movie would be the music since it was very fitting with the mood in every scene it was played, and it created more substance to the story. Personally, I felt several emotions every time a song would play. At the start, it was more nostalgic yet sweet and innocent; in the middle it was bittersweet yet still hopeful; and in the end it was romantic and cheesy, just like the story itself.

Overall, a mellow slow-burn romance with great chemistry but the sudden loss of "thrill" on the succeeding parts of their relationship and its almost toxic miscommunication trope (basically the shift of storytelling) diminished the spark that was felt in the beginning. Still, its ending was satisfactorily done so no major complaints aside from the loose ends. Tune in for love, remember it for something else.

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