You're Crazy

This is a spoiler review for "Mad for Each Other", a story of struggle, love, and growth. I hope you find it helpful.

Story(7.5): I have mainly good, but slightly mixed feelings about the story of this show. For a positives, this show is very addicting from the jump. Its easy to binge and fall in love with, mainly because of the charisma and character that Oh Yeon Seo and Jung Woo bring to the screen. One of my favorite things about this show is its a great tale of misfits. Whether its the main characters mental health problems, being unemployed, or having poor social reputations; there's a lot to disgrace them with on paper, but when you watch, its just so easy to fall in love with them and their flaws. Its truly heart warming when Hwi Oh and Min Kyung recognize that the world is against them, but they still have each other, brings Romeo and Juliet vibes when I think about it. I also really enjoyed that its not love at first sight, both these characters have major flaws, the writers make that abundantly clear. They are constantly annoyed by each other and complain about each others existence, its honestly pretty funny in a kind of morbid way. But its this starting point that both makes the plot more captivating, as well as expanding the scope of how these two grow together.
Now for some of the cons. In my opinion its beautiful to have two broken characters grow through each other, but I felt there could have been more nuances to how these two puzzle pieces fit together, aside from them both calling each other crazy lol. This story also has great side characters like Sang Yeop and Soo Hyun, but after about 70% through they are completely taken away from the main plot and characters, only being used as devices to break tension from the main story which wasn't harmful to the show, but I felt the series could have been even better if they were integrated throughout. But my biggest issue with the story of this show is the police/drug storyline. This story line is constantly used and referenced as a means of controlling the main narrative, but it ends in quite the anticlimactic fashion, making it feel unimportant and flat in the end. So mainly this story has an issue of using elements to push the plot forward, and then disregarding them when its convenient without giving them the due diligence. There were also a couple small things that rubbed me the wrong way in the last two episodes, but nothing big enough to mention. Overall a good story with a few flaws in the ladder portion keeping it from being a truly great tale.

Acting/Cast(9): Like I mentioned before Oh Yeon Seo and Jung Woo are fantastic actors and made an amazing duo to really carry our hearts and the story. I think my only real issue in this department was some of the characters in the women's association. I felt that Baek Ji Won performed great, but there were some moments where I was not buying the performance of the other two characters.

Music(8): Music did not play a huge part in this show, but when it was, it was used at perfect moments. personally "The moment I met you" and "Happy Anding" were used the best and really lift the moments perfectly.

Rewatch value(8): I felt this show was intoxicating from the start and that compounded with the shorter episodes in comparison to the average K-dramas, I think this is an extremely easy watch.

Conclusion(8):Overall This was a fantastic show. From the beginning it carries you off better than most shows do , It only had a few issues in concluding the story that kept it from being perfect, like many K-dramas do. In addition the acting leads are some of the best, making it definitely one to remember. I just wish we got more episodes in the end, I think that could have cleared up many of the issues that arise towards the end of the series as well.
If you have any thoughts don't be afraid to comment :)
Thank you for reading my review, I hope you found it helpful!

Read More

a short review

Cafe Minamdang starts off strong with an interesting concept and a group of fun, diverse characters to make a solid foundation. But as the show moves forward it starts to fall apart a bit. When I say this, I mean its completely watchable, but it loses much of its potential in the final half of the series.
The plot has a good set up and the primary events that take place are good, but the way the show connects these events is a bit of a mess. The amount of times this mystery moves along by Han Joon being sherlock Holmes, Hye Joon conveniently hacking cams and mic's, or people ease dropping in cars ten feet away(without detection somehow) feels a bit like lazy writing, especially when these traits are then taken away in other moments to move the story along in a shallow way. This also makes our main cast look really dumb and vice versa with our main antagonist towards the end. People constantly get played for fools and then have a genius moment which hurts the immersion of the series. Many of the main event are telegraphed making them predictable and many moments that have more writing behind them are not given a proper resolution(with the mayor, Seung Won, etc.).
Its a similar case with the main romance, I'm here for it, but again a lot of these moments don't feel earned by the writing. By the end of the show you don't really care about it as much in this aspect when characters are already together. But when there's first a connection, it doesn't feel earned. Side note having flashbacks with one actor being the same and the other being replaced by a child is odd and even creepy in the romantic scenarios. I didn't really understand the thought process behind that, having people like Han joon and Aunt Lim portraited by the same actors in flashbacks made it feel like there was supposed to be quite the age gap between some of the characters.
Anyways I know that sounds critical but its important to recognize. That being said this show is watchable, especially if you like suspenseful mysteries with a dash of romance. But know the more attentive a watcher you are, the more you will recognize the inconsistencies. Its not the greatest series in that regard, but its an interesting watch and presents some fun characters/ideas. It also sets itself up well for a sequal, which I think would be a great opportunity to create a more polished product, it has potential to have a great second season if done right, or done at all!
Thank you for reading my short review! If you have any questions lmk! I hope you found it helpful, and have a great rest of your day!

Read More

(A swing and a miss)A shorter review

Story:(4.5) Yes fashion fans will have something to enjoy with this title and yes the first episode starts relatively well, but in my opinion it slowly falls off as the series progresses. This story has quite poor writing, leaving the viewer with lots of forgotten storylines and moments later on that simply don't pay off like they should because the show doesn't let the cast earn those moments in the latter half. A good example of a forgotten storyline is in the first episode, when Joseph kicks a model out, than that model then ruins the show by cutting the power. The viewer will wonder "is Josephs development going to follow the lines of learning compassion and empathy for others?", well no, its never really brought up again and he's never really portrayed as having that type of issue after the first ep, but the show never expresses that growth. Another example could be Ji Eun and Woo Min's relationship. They kind of portray Woo Min as a F boy in the beginning and never really show what's behind the scenes until Ji Eun is given his photo album of her 80% into the show. So up until that point, its hard to understand Woo Min's character or even Ji Eun for that matter. Why does she changes his mind so quickly and constantly? (Also thought it was weird and toxic how they never addressed Ji Eun cheating on her boyfriend, yet she's constantly perceived as a moral person). Last example is the perception of our main four cast members. We like them from the start because they are belittled and have a hard time from the top of fashion, but by the end they are all given tremendous opportunities without anyone really seeming like they had the backstory to earn it, other than Seon Ho. Overall this poor writing made moments feel flat and even cheesy at times when it had so much potential from the start.

Characters:(6) Out of the whole cast my main favorites were Joseph, Seon Ho, and Thierry. Joseph was the most interesting from the beginning with his personality and exaggerated responses to failure, but later I felt his actions start to lose there flavor as the show progresses and things began to work out for him. Seon Ho for me was my favorite character. She's pretty low key from the beginning but has the best development by the end of the show. Also her scenes where she stands up for people who cant protect themselves(even when its self destructive) come off so wholesome and honestly were the show stealers for me. Lastly Thierry was surprisingly good. The show constantly hammers in that the bosses of fashion are ruthless and that drives a similar expectation for Thierry. But this element coupled with Thierry's extravagant outbursts make him a truly unpredictable character. By the end of the show I still couldn't predict what he would do next, He was a rare character, but surprisingly well written. Aside from those three I wasn't too impressed, Soo Bin and Min Ho acted very well but I don't think they had much to work with in creating interesting characters.

Music:(7.5) No track in this show really blew me away, but they had subtle chimes and short moments of music throughout that helped bring some vibrancy to each scene as they transitioned.

Rewatch Value:(6.5) Like I said before I'm not a big fan of the writing here, but its a short show and if you like fashion it could definitely be easy to get thorough again for some.

Overall:(6.5) The show has some moments and aspects that make it stick out from other K-dramas but I found the writing to be a big anchor waying down the potential of this series. In my opinion the series felt like it was supposed to be 16 episodes but wasn't for some reason; its a decent watch at the beginning, but its issues begin to show as you bridge to the second half. Making the ending less than satisfying.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. I hope you found it helpful, and have a great rest of your day!!

Read More

A quick spoiler free review of the adaptation

Personally I don't like to put much thought on the source material when rating a show, simply because the two can be stand alone works separate of each other. But I found a different perspective for this show, being because it wasn't adapted from another medium, but by another show. I personally was excited for this series, being a fan of both k-dramas and the original show. There's much to look forward to when expecting a new take on the series. But I was mildly disappointed to find there's not much new to this adaptation. This becomes a problem when its compared to the near perfect execution of the original show. Yes it takes place in Korea, but its all the same characters, in the same mint, doing the same thing, and its rushed to make meaningful moments not pay off like they should. A perfect example without spoiling is the Tokyo romance, its an interesting part of the original show and its completely absent in this version, and since its a copy and paste of the original those lost moments are not paid off in unique ways, they're just forgotten.

That being said if this is your first introduction to the Money Heist series, its not a horrible one. I could see it stand alone being a 7-7.5, but I could see people who know what its capable of to rate it as low as a 6, which is why I'll give it a 7 flat on this review page.

I hope this short review was helpful to you. Overall Id recommend the original series if you're interested and picking this one up if you become a fan of the original series and find yourself wanting more.
Have a great rest of your day and let me know if you have any interesting thoughts or opinions on the show

Read More

Hometown Cha-Cha-Wah??

This is a show that largely has two different halves to it, one before and one after our main characters become a couple. This review is going to be largely contrasting the pros and cons of the two through condensed points, with an (*) on what I believe is the most important pro and con to mention. With that being said, let start!

Story()-
Cons:
-I found the show conveying Doo Shik as a jack of all trades felt kind of unbelievable, but the real problem is him always being the only person to service any of those jobs. Its how the writers force interactions between our main characters after Doo Shiks cold introduction to Hye Jin, but it just feels like sloppy writing and can take you out of the immersion of the show.
-The series loses some flare after episode ten or so. The last half doesn't convey much more development between our main characters and they just become quite mushy for the rest of the series, with there relationship moving unbelievably fast in this period.
-After Hye Jin and Doo Shik decide to start dating there are a multitude of flashbacks to push the narrative of the two being destined to be with each other, it was a bit cheesy and unnecessary. We get solid build up till that point between their related trauma and social chemistry, the audience already had enough development to appreciate their connection. This time could have been used elsewhere.
-They also try to force the unwrapping of Doo Shik's past in a short period during the end of the show, with him getting over his deep trauma incredibly quickly(inspite of him being blamed for everything when it wasn't his fault), it feels the purpose was just a way to keep the viewer invested, instead of actual development of his character.
*-After our main characters become a couple they are faced with multiple struggles that makes the viewer wonder "are they going to break this relationship off?" only for them to decide to get married within a few episodes after. That pacing is crazy and ruined the development that was built up to that point making it unrealistic and difficult to wrap your head around. I personally lost all I had invested in the main relationship at that point.

Pros:
-The part of this show that drives home uniqueness is the partnering of exciting side characters with the set. with all of the side cast being store owners, you get a deeper idea of their past as well as the towns through the various shops. Giving the plot a sense of vibrancy early on without trying.
*-Fantastic at responding to the main love triangle, it makes you sympathize with Sung Hyun nicely while still being satisfied that Doo Shik gets the girl. This makes ep9 the best in my opinion, It sells the message that not everyone gets the results they want and/or deserve conveying sadness. But most importantly, in a beautify way makes you appreciate how relationships can consolidate as well as break apart, displaying its not all doom and gloom for Sung Hyun.
-With that being said it has good romantic elements in the first half but it gets brownie points for setting up four separate relationships with arguably the side three being more satisfying and what holds up the series till the conclusion.


Cast/Characters(9)-
Cons:
-As mentioned in the story section above, the second halves focus is put more on romance. This should be fine, but because of this, all the great side characters that were built up in the first half get push by the wayside, only being gossip hounds for the majority of the second half of the show.
Pros:
-The side characters are fantastic, all bringing a unique element that makes the world conveyed feel colorful.
-All the acting and casting was done very well. I often found myself surprised at how the side characters could steal scenes.
-Inspite of the poor treatment of the side cast during the last half of the show, they get a final bang in the last 20mins of the show bringing a feel good ending, but also leaves more to be desired from these characters.



Music(6.5)-The music is not bad, but the soundtrack is what can make or break a show into being truly memorable and iconic. I felt that job was done much better by the unique set, not the music. To note I personally liked the opening, "Here Always" and "one sunny day". That being said the soundtrack was decent but nothing to call home about. I felt the sfx did a better job at elevating scenes.


Rewatch Value(7)-The unique set makes it an interesting show. But the side characters are really the heart and soul, so with them being mostly absent and with a weak second half of Doo Shik and Hye Jin's relationship its hard to give a great rating here.


Overall(7.5)-This show has two very different sides. In the first half our main characters and side characters get good development. But in the second they are lost for the most part. The one benefit being the three other side relationships that develop and get a satisfying resolution. Where many romantic K-dramas can end in a whimper, this one ends slightly better. It does lose the main relationship to poor writing and pacing, but the trade of developing the other three relationships, in a weird way keeps you invested. In many ways its all over the place with there always being something to like and dislike in the second half. Overall id recommend, but i don't think its nearly as good as the common consensus.
I hope you found my review helpful. Have a great day!

Read More

A Hospital and some music sprinkled in

Before starting I should state this is a spoiler free review and is strictly based on the first season of "Hospital Playlist" only.
I overall enjoyed this show. I found many things to like and was happy with how this first season went. That being said, there were issues as well and in my opinion did not live up entirely to the common consensus of the show. Lets get into it!

Story(7): The story of this show is not an overarching journey that you're taken on, but a slice of life progression through human interactions and character growth as they live their lives. slice of life shows are great, but I felt this one did not really harness its potential. The show feels like it was edited by some one with ADD. It constantly jumps to different characters in the middle of building a narrative, sometimes going back, and sometimes forgetting what it had given us prior. Overall Its great at building tension, but then ultimately loses it when it cuts away to other cast members in the middle. I found it was only really effective when they would do this at the end of an episode, to then draw you into when the next started(its brilliant in these moments) but other than that the editing can be quite frustrating. Also the show is more impactful at putting you in the feels and empathizing with patients in the first half, while then gradually losing that to focus on the main characters in the second half of the show. Don't get me wrong I love the characters, but it leads me to believe the show doesn't really know what it is. The power some of the patient stories can bring is incredible and on the other side, this cast put all together(and in drinking scenes XD) is a great entertaining time but they don't fully capitalize on either. Many of the patients stories lack conclusions in the ladder half and there simply aren't enough karaoke scenes and wholesome friend moments either in my opinion.

Characters(9): The acting in this show is great. It is filled with constant powerfully emotional scenes and gets through them without missing a beat. Whether its the main or supporting cast, they all did a phenomenal job. Now for the characters, the main cast is very versatile, generally every character brought something different and could add depth to the scenes. Not much to complain about here.

Music(8): There was not much music in this show, ironic for it having "playlist" in the title. We generally get a good band session in each episode that's probably around five minutes. It also has a few good songs sprinkled throughout. But you have to remember, most of the show has 1:15 to 1:35 long episodes, so its actually quite a lot of time without any music. That being said all the music is really good and really wholesome to see when performed.

Rewatch Value(6): With the way the pacing is, and knowing the end result its difficult for me to see myself dying to rewatch this show. It was a great ride but its hard to imagine getting more without having a medical background before hand.

Overall(8):Overall I really did enjoy this show. It was a fun watch and I would recommend, especially if you are a fan of medical shows. I think the only real disappointment is how the pacing/editing hurts the show in moments and the expectations set by the ratings on MDL. Other than this There are some great moments and characters to experience in this show. Thank you for reading my review, I hope it was helpful!

Read More

Was "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" extraordinary or really quite ordinary?

First I'd like you say I enjoyed this k-drama in spite of my hook title. This is a spoiler free, relatively quick review of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" to give the curious k-drama fan an idea of what they are getting into when it comes to this show. I hope you find this helpful in your decision to watch, or if your trying to process your thoughts after watching it yourself. Now lets get into the review :)

Story(7.5): This k-drama is an episodic show, bringing new ideas and mini stories to light with each episode as Woo Young Woo navigates life as an attorney with autism. with each episode there is an exciting new element that presses the characters to grow and express themselves in different ways to help the viewer feel progression. I found the narrative to be quite good early on, but as it progressed to the ladder half, it started to become a little predictable with the same story structure being recycled for most of the episodes. don't get me wrong the second half was still very good, just lacked a bit of the surprise you find in the earlier episodes. To be extra critical ill say, with the episodic nature of this show there are moments where you want more, and either the episode ends, or it cuts ahead without explanation(sometimes the answer comes later). I will say this was mainly an issue for me when a specific someone wasn't introduced to someone's father.. But I digress, with the main negatives out of the way, This story is so special. This is because of how it approaches misunderstood people, and discriminations of those not excepted. You will find that this show almost makes you be a judge or a moral compass in the back seat. Through this position you can see how people are treated in situations whether its a side character or Woo Young herself and without spoiling, this show is about giving the misunderstood a voice and does so beautify. Also you will gain a new found passion for whales lol.

Acting/Characters(9.5): I mainly like to think of this part more so for characters than for the acting itself. This is mainly because in my experience you'd be hard pressed to find bad acting in a k-drama. But good characters? Good relationships? now that's a more rare commodity. That being said I cant move on to characters without recognizing the amazing job Park Eun Bin did as Woo Young. Literally the highlight of the show, and her friendship with Geurami was chefs kiss. Aside from these two the main and side characters were great. Both interactions inside the Attorneys office and in adventures outside the lawful narrative were great without missing a beat. This is most notable when you see characters from different sides of the story brought together by peculiar circumstances and their interactions are both exciting and hilarious to watch.

Music(9):This K-drama while not having note worthy music that you might want to listen on your phone afterwards, Had amazing tracks to be played in the background throughout. I noticed this show constantly hit me in the feels, whether it was sad, heartfelt, or funny. I found this was most attributed to the effect the music has from scene to scene. Its connected beautifully to the dialog and you have to watch the show to really get what I mean.

Rewatch Value(7.5): In this category Extraordinary Attorney Woo has in my opinion, has one main pro and one main con. The pro would be, with the stories episodic nature its easy to go back to most episodes individually and watch them as a stand alone to rehash your perspective. The con would be that like I mentioned in the story portion, the second portion of the story starts to become a little predictable. This might make the ladder part of the show a bit less compelling than the first time around.

Overall(8.5):Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a great series. If you are a sucker for heartfelt comedic stories or moments that catch you getting emotional, I'd highly recommend you this show. There are a few things that keep it from being perfect, but I promise, you will enjoy the ride it takes you on. Thank you for reading my review of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, I hope you found my thoughts helpful. Have a great day and I hope you find this show as special as I did.

Read More