Worth Considering

I think it's very cool. There are layers, it's like being trapped inside your own head and beating yourself up... trying on different faces, different identities, different modes of artistic expression... but it's not a linear progression. Sometimes we beat ourselves up even while others congratulate us. But in the end, finding the confidence to embrace our self(s) lets us walk free, and continue on.

Perhaps I missed the mark, but that's how I felt about it. It's an incisive psychological exploration.

Anyway, I enjoyed it. It's not the type of artsy thing I would usually watch, but anyone who has struggled with self-doubt, self-hate, self-esteem understands the battle of trying to get outside that... I think they might relate? I'm not artist, but I can't imagine having to create and put a very personal side of me out for the whole world to judge.

How do I rate this? It feels unfair, because it seems to fall outside the normal boundaries. It's not super polished or anything, but I think achives what it wants to be.

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Great concept, messy execution (where'd the comedy go?!)

They had such a great set up—a news anchor who is forced to be honest. If you look on Youtube for news anchor goof ups and bloopers, you know they had so much potential material here. Yet, they immediately drove that concept into the ditch and set it on fire.

To do what? To turn it into subpar dating show with watered-down melodrama.

Reason for rating: I know it's a romcom, but is it too much to ask for a well-crafted romcom? The show dropped the humor and failed to develop reasons to emotionally invest in the characters. Production quality, tropes, and good actors are not enough to justify a decent rating. I'm so sick of predictable romcoms that lack romantic tension, excitement, risk, and forget to be a comedy, too. (Do main leads and second leads always need to be paired up? What about a romcom where they realize they're better off friends and end up with a second lead or supporting character?)

There was a real lack of romantic chemistry between them... and the lingering stare while the other wasn't looking did *not* building romantic tension. I just didn't really "get" why they were into each other.

I can say, it's not for lack of a good cast, characters, or premise. I absolutely love the actors, and the characters have so much potential... I just wish they were doing a bit more with them!

All in all, this show just doesn't deliver.

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Another Son Ye-Jin Romance (Not a Friendship Trio Drama)

The friend scenes are quite fun and touching, but few and far between. All in all, the show is fairly disappointing. There was so much potential here to develop the main characters, their friendships, what it means to process loss, etc. but they didn't do any of that. Instead, the unnecessary "side quests" detract from both the fun aspects and the depth of the show.

This drama is all over the place, with heaps more screentime for Mijo (Son Ye-jin) and her romance and family issues-- and her boyfriend's family issues-- than about the three of them as friends. I have nothing against Son Ye-jin, but I wasn't expecting a watered down romance to be center stage when her best friend is dying. Someone described the boyfriend as a "support pillow," which is accurate because the character has no real personality beyond "the nice guy". (Nothing against the actor, there just wasn't much for him to do with the character.)

That being said, Chan-young (Jeon Mi-do) and Jinseok (Lee Moo-Saeng) are great actors and have believable chemistry together. Joo-hee (Kim Ji-hyun) is also adorable- it's too bad more time wasn't spent fleshing out her character.

If you want to watch it for Mi-do, it's more bearable, as many have mentioned, if you skip the dull Ye-jin romance scenes and plentiful Ye-jin crying scenes. All in all, I'd give this one a pass as there aren't enough good scenes to justify watching the whole thing.

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Giant Disappointment

Unfortunately, the stock characters never really evolve or develop multidimensional personalities, and it causes the whole thing to fall flat. Oddly, there could be some interesting backstory it hints at--but then never resolves.

The cast is amazing--sooo sad they didn't do more with them. The cinematography is top notch--that's what kept me watching.

The opening episodes are really gripping (if you can suspend your disbelief for how dumb the ML handles the situation). It's a great set up with so much potential.

The problem is, character-wise it just never goes anywhere. Pity for the situation turns to derision, and no one ever redeems themselves or becomes interesting.

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Good for close-ups of Junho, but that's it

"I could stare at Lee Jun Ho all day long cos that man is both gorgeous and a talented actor...." Sums up why people are still watching this show.

The plot is completely shallow... Close-ups of Junho while he's being kind, aloof, sexy, vulnerable, cooking for her, etc. are carrying this show.

However, for me, the complete lack of character or real plot development make it too boring to really enjoy

Yes, Junho is hot. Yes, it has funny moments... but they never give any backstory to why Evil CEO (lady hotel manager) is evil. We're on episode 10 and there's still no hint of what happened with either of their mom's for them to be at odds with each other. At the same time, it's a bit predictable, because it's obvious (I'm calling it now) that his mom will turn up at some point and stick up for Yoona in the darkest hour kind of thing. (I also just don't really find Yoona an interesting or compelling female lead, she reminds me of PMY in FLAW.)

*Yawn* I'm not sure I can finish this one... especially when Love To Hate You is so much better.

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Accidentally Dropped Mid-Airing Because It's So Dull

It tries to be deep with weather analogies, but most of the time is spent with people pulling each other aside to have tense arguments at work or sullenly avoiding each other. Usually, by the time I get this far, I might as well finish it. I just don't care what happens to the main leads, which is unfortunate because there was so much potentially initially with the happy-go-lucky ML meteorologist.

Everyone is unhappy in their relationship. Perhaps it ends up that they're happy, but it's such a drag to watch.

I might watch the final one but I can't stand the thought of sitting through another episode of sullen adults who can't communicate with each other and can't get their priorities straight.

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A Truly Friendship-centred Drama

At first, A Virtuous Business feels almost felt like a cross between Our Blues and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.

It's set in the quaint, rural town of Geumje in 1992, and I love that they bring so many of the characters to life with complex feelings and challenges. Even the side characters grow and change, and aren't necessarily what you'd expect at first. They have their own have hopes, fancies, realizations, and struggles.

Unfortunately, by the end of episode 6, what made it really blossom in the first half becomes diluted by every cliche mystery, melodrama, and romance trope.

It feels like someone made the call to add more "excitement" rather than continue to develop the characters and their personal stories.

This is really unfortunate because they really laid some fertile storytelling ground in the first half, and I was enjoying the warm-hearted friendship, comedy, and everyday challenges of working-class women (and their marriages) in a rural town.

Still, I think the fun premise, great cast, and (mostly) well-written characters make it worth checking out. (Will update next week when the final two episodes come out.)

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All Concept, No Plot

Okay, so it's a romcom. I wasn't expecting it to be groundbreaking or anything, but it's clear they tried to take a movie, stuff it full of tangents, and set it free as a drama.

I enjoyed the first half or so... but at a certain point, I was just like, "Okay, where is this going?"

The chemistry was decent. The characters were likeable. The costumes/wardrobe was hands down the worst I've seen in a drama. Normally, I don't notice this unless I'm like, "Oh, I like her outfit" but maaaaaaan the outfits are supposed to be avant garde and expensive because they're actors and chaebols... No. They are jarringly and distractingly tacky. (Except for her dress in the opening scene, which was gorgeous.)

Overall, it had all the makings of a decent drama--the cast was good, the music was good... but the all-over-the-place storyline really didn't cut it. The tear jerker aspects felt really forced. Like, shoe-horned in to create some depth and meaning... but it didn't land for me (and I'm easy cryer).

As a weird aside, I really enjoyed the music score, even though it was repetitive. It fit well.

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Starts strong, but doesn't hold up in the last half

I felt the female lead was irredeemable. I didn't want them to end up together, because she just selfishly used him the entire time. Then he became so boring, spineless, and puppydog-like that I stopped feeling bad for him and figured they deserve each other.

This drama starts so strong! I enjoyed the first few episodes so much, I can't believe it completely lost the plot and went in way too many directions. I actually liked the "reality show" direction, but I feel they could have done better with it. I was also disappointed that the humour (which was well done) didn't really carry throughout the show.

Ultimately, there are a lot of likeable, well-written side and secondary characters... but they kind of wrote them into the dirt in the last half? They didn't really *do* anything with them, and they became flat uninteresting and one-note in the later half of the drama.

Would I watch this again? No, probably not... but maybe? There is one couple who very much redeems an otherwise uninteresting show, and makes me happy I watched it. Overall, I've never seen anything start so strong and end so dull.

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Pass, if you dislike gore and graphic rape.

High production value, but lifeless characters and flat dialogue, in my opinion. I know a lot of people loved it. So maybe the way the genre does things just isn't for me, but it felt like they were puppets more than people. Many of the decisions characters made also made very little sense and blatantly puppeteered to push the plot forward into more messed up sh*t.

The story wasn't interesting enough for me to sit through and wait to see if there was more gore and rape scenes, so I dropped it just past the midway point.

I don't see how this was a "black comedy," It wasn't funny... A little absurd, but I didn't get any laughs.

Ultimately, I just dislike shock media. I enjoy dark stories and good fight scenes, but not pointless disturbing gore and sexual violence against women. Unlike others are calling it, it's not a "sex scene" it's a "rape scene." I don't need to see that and it adds nothing to the story.

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Alchemy of Blah

Started off with a great premise, but like others here--I feel like Naksu was wasted. Shouldn't she be training too? Instead, it's all on this one guy. Also, I feel like the show would have been better without their love line. They had much better friend chemistry, and it's just so played out to force the leads together. So, I've lost interest. I just don't care about Jang Uk that much, and I keep asking myself wtf Naksu is doing just playing maid.

Gradually, everything that was cool and different about this show is being stripped away and replaced with bland love lines. So, it's not for me. (And I like, romcoms, just not this mash up.)

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If you like a tidy but boring ending--this show might be for you.

That being said, the actor who plays In-ho did a fantastic job at keeping his character entertaining and tolerable. He was highly amusing--and I would have loved to see more of that.

I would have preferred a humourous take on a knock down, drag out divorce rather than the unrealistic dullness of this moralizing show. It a bit predictable (we all knew they wouldn't show a divorcee leaving her kids to live happily with a younger man).

At the same time, while they shoehorned a lot of "life lessons" about family and being a good person in there--there were some bizarre missed opportunities for obvious conversations that should have been had. She should have sat down with her kids/her son's gf and talked about birth control and family planning and how it derailed her career. Like, have *that* uncomfortable heart to heart.

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Not a great movie, but I'm easy to win over with a badass female lead and a damn good fight scene.

If you liked My Name, you'll probably like Kill Bok Soon. It has a lot of the same focus on a hard-boiled female protagonist with lots of good fight scenes. Kill Bok Soon is *slightly* more realistic (her boyfriend isn't some 10/10 stud, and she never fights dozens and dozens of trained killers at once). I also think the fight scenes are a little more intentionally crafted and fun to watch.

Ultimately, Kill Bok Soon presents a unique, action-packed exploration of a dual life—a seemingly everyday single mother, Gil Bok Soon, who concurrently leads an extraordinary existence as a ruthlessly efficient contract killer.

The protagonist's relationship with her handler, Cha Min Kyu, unfolds into a dangerous dance of mutual respect and underlying tension, which becomes the driver of conflict in the narrative. The emotional core, meanwhile, revolves around her relationship with her daughter. However, despite an engaging premise, the narrative falls short on providing the necessary depth to the characters' interpersonal relationships, possibly owing to the confined duration of the film format as opposed to longer-running dramas.

The film's highlight, for me, lies in its gripping fight sequences. The choreography is immaculate, and maintains a balance between gritty noir aesthetics and compelling action.

Jeon Do-yeon brings an intensity to Bok Soon's character while shifting comfortably between playing a loving mother but also navigating the film's darker corners. It's a performance that arguably surpasses her previous roles, and I'd love to see her in similar future roles (I loved her in Lost, but not so much in Crash Course in Romance).

Esom also adds a notable spark to the film but is perenially underutilized in the industry, suggesting an untapped potential for more prominent roles (I'd love to see her in a Korean remake of Lady Snowblood!!!).

Ultimately, Kill Bok Soon is an engaging, though somewhat rushed, noir action-drama. The conclusion definitely leaves a yearning for a more polished resolution... hinting at a possible sequel?

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Started Out Better Than It Ended

I was loving this show up until about ep 10 or 11. It reversed some expectations. It was funny, it was light, it was heartfelt. The cast is brilliant. Jung Kyung Ho knocked it out of the park from start to finish. That being said, I didn't really feel much chemistry between him and Jeon Do Yeon... She's a good actress, but their relationship had "mommy issues" vibes. Anyway, the whole cast was great. The guy who played Jang Hui Jae, for someone who barely had any lines, was stellar.

I was really enjoying the humour, the plot, everything. I was invested in the stupid scandal being solved. I was invested in the education system plot. I LOVED that the "villains" (the mom group) had a strong motive and were believable.

So, what went wrong? Three things. It kind of went off the rails in 3 different directions in the last quarter of the show.

1. I felt the murder plot was unnecessary. That time would have been better spent fleshing out characters like Su-ah. They had so much material that they could have worked with in an engaging way... but they went the murder plot route, which cheapened the storyline.

2. Why bring back the mom for a brief moment? And why did Hae-e need to end up in a coma? This all felt so unnecessary. I would have really enjoyed if they used that time to better flesh out the dynamics of the teen group. That felt hurriedly wrapped up, which brings me to my last point...

3. Not everyone needed to be paired up in the last 10 minutes... that was awkward and unnecessary. Also, Nam Hae-e and Geon-hu had good chemistry, and it would have been sweet to see his hard work in school pay off with a kiss from Hae-e. Conversely, Sun-jae and her never had anything other than friendship vibes. Having Yeon-ju hook up with Jae-woo was just unrealistic. That whole last episode was bizarre and unnatural.

Actually, 4 things.

4. Not everyone needed a redemption arc and a happy ending! I was looking forward to seeing Su-a's mom unmasked for the jerk she was by her friend group. Yes, she had a messy scene and was shamed, but it's not the same. Instead, everyone ends up with their happy little ending, everything neatly packaged and wrapped up and tied in a bow. Su-a's mental/stress issues magically vanish and school is fine. Hui-jae goes into the army, etc. you get it. It just felt very hallmarky and kind of undersold how nuanced the story could have been.

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For a short, simple, silly romcom--this show is pretty much 10/10

The acting is exquisite. Yun Si Yun (he's sooo incredibly versatile--he plays convincing soft boys, villains, grand princes, etc.) does an amazing job conveying anxiety and low self-esteem. And how that stuff doesn't magically go away even when you have the confidence to put yourself out there--your voice still shakes and your words arent perfect.

Okay, so if you can set aside some qualms about how they handle medical malpractice, etc. this is a really fun show. Personally, I think this could have been resolved by adding another, more appropriate romantic interest, and keeping his first love as a really good friend. More than that, it shows him being helped up while making the most important steps to get his life back. I think that aspect is important. There are a couple things I would change or add to the message. (Like the fact you can please your partner without penetration being on the table.)

This isn't some incredible masterpiece with groundbreaking cinematography, but for what it is--this show is pretty much 10/10.

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