This Drama is Fire

Loved this, at first I wasn't quite sure if this was the drama for me when I watched the first episode. It really picked up after the second episode when the storyline turns to the rebirth. While rich vs poor and rebirth themes aren't new or ground breaking, this drama takes these themes and runs with it. It excels in the plotting, acting, character analysis, and storyline development. It's also deeply satisfying to see a down and out underdog who was murdered come back as the grandson of a chaebol family. He plots his way to one up his rebirth family with his intelligence and knowledge of the future. Schemes abound, everyone is vying for the grandfather's favor and the keys to the throne. The dirty inner workings of chaebol families is exposed, the plays for dynastic wealth and power play out like Joseon royal family succession politics. It's appalling, vicious, juicy, and scandalous all at once. I like how the drama develops the relationship between the ML grandson and the grandfather, the grandfather initially views the grandson with curiosity, then suspicion but starts to recognize his talent and his abilities which by far outpaces his other potential heirs. It becomes a chess match between the grandson and grandfather, the suspense is not knowing who will checkmate who.

A round of applause for the actors and actresses of this drama and how engaging they were in their roles, the child actor who plays the grandson with the soul of murdered ML did a wonderful job. It was my first time watching the ML in a drama, he's super popular and he lives up to his acting reputation in this drama.

A very good watch.

Read More

A Woman who Hates Men with A Man who Hates Women

It's a light romantic comedy with a goofy oddball FL lawyer who is a talented vigilante street fighter and a ML who is a famous romance KDrama celebrity actor repulsed by women. At ten episodes, the storytellers kept it long enough to get your fill of RomCom with the build up of the romance but short enough you don't get bored with filler junk. The story isn't complicated and is fairly simple; its main focus is on the antics of the FL, the romance, celebrity culture, and the friendships. It's not groundbreaking but it has a FL who doesn't fit neatly into the conservative Asian female norms. The FL's character is structured in a way that takes a sly swipe at S. Korean gender politics. There's also quite a bit of bromance between the ML and his SML manager with some staged playful situations between the two. The SML manager and the ex-girlfriend of the ML were both in Money Heist.

The FL and ML start off as enemies, she becomes one of his lawyers and they start collaborating in a contractual relationship and of course they have to fall in love. The build up of relationship was done well highlights are the scenes with her "training" him on how to fight for his new role. The FL breaks conventional conservative Asian feminine stereotypes. While she conforms to the East Asian expectations of beauty (she's pale, pretty, and skinny), she doesn't with her actions, thoughts, and behavior. Rather than being symbol of innocent female purity, she takes her revenge on cheating scoundrels by hooking up with some of them and dumping them whether it be one night stands or where she cheats on them while they are in a relationship. She has a mistrust of men and she dumps every man she's been with. She is also a vigilante street fighter who intervenes to help victims by beating the crap out of the perpetrator. The ML is a popular romance KDrama actor who is nothing like the roles he plays. He doesn't like women, has some anger issues with them, and has to take meds in order to quell his repulsion to get through his romantic scenes with kissing the leading ladies.

It's a fun drama to binge watch when you have some down time and want something that isn't serious or too thought provoking.

Read More

Underrated Exceptional Drama

I would like to thank the reviewers who provided reviews that made me interested in this drama. I would have overlooked this at first glance but thankfully I did not thanks to the reviewers of this drama. I don't even know how to categorize this or feel like I can do it justice with this review; it is unique and stands on its own. It is unlike anything I have seen so far and it is beautifully written, acted, and unfolded slowly like a butterfly spreading its wings for the first time.

Is it an easy subject matter? NO. This touches on controversy that may make some flinch and perhaps contributed to some of the lower ratings. I think the writers and producers tried to tread carefully in some respects with the relationship between the ML and FL and allowed it to slowly develop later on when the ML is older. This is not a superficial love story or a light romance, the gist of it is about two people who find each other because of their passion for mathematics and support each other despite the odds.

I love how mathematics was weaved into this story and showed the passion and love they both had for it that transcends ego, pride, and competition. It is about the purity and exhilaration in participating in the process versus just reaching for the end game. In some ways it is a parallel to their story, the complexity of their situation and their relationship.

Beautifully flawed but elegantly told.

Read More

With a bittersweet past, will they reunite?

It starts off when they meet in Japan around the time they have aspirations for graduate school. She's a South Korean who decided on a whim to go to Japan to find herself and to escape the boxed confines of what path she is expected to take versus what she wants to take. She goes there without a job lined up and it appears she doesn't have much in savings but YOLO. She runs into a sweet Japanese gentlemen who is exceedingly nice and by default culturally polite. Sparks fly and of course they become two young lovers, doe eyed and enraptured with each other. Reality sets in, he works a lot and she spends plenty of time alone, lonely and isolated. Some events happen which leads her to question whether its what she really wants. Fast forward five years later, they meet each other again.

I don't know if this will end up being an underrated drama but I do feel its well acted and both of the leads portray longing, misunderstandings, and solemness of losing a love that was deeply felt if not one that they may not experience ever again in their lifetimes. It does seem to go slow but not in a bad way, it isn't a long series but the story unfolds in a way that makes you root for them to be reunited and feel the pain of their inability to forget and move on from each other.

Read More

The Interest of Misunderstandings

Looks like it's about a huge hot steaming pile of misunderstandings between the love interests. I've only seen the ML in Mr. Sunshine and Narco Saints. He really shone in his role in Mr. Sunshine, my GF thought it is worth a try with this series because of that. At this point, I'm not sure what to make of this. It is slow for sure. By the first four episodes, the story should sink their claws into the viewers to keep them engaged. It kind of meanders and you don't really feel much between the ML and FL. Are we supposed to root for them? It goes straight to the ML having a crush on the FL, he timidly tries to go after her; some misunderstandings take place which shuts the whole thing down. Since their love story is supposed to be the main arc of this romance drama, it would be better if episodes were dedicated to the build up and process of him falling in love with her instead of through a flashback of how she was helpful to him when he started at the bank.

The scene where she trips and falls into the SML arms accidentally, it felt like a good long while before she disengages herself from him. It was used as a plot device to add to the whole hot pile of misunderstandings. It could have been more realistic since people who aren't close to each other don't linger like that and it was not clear if she was attracted to the SML for her to pause like that. The trope of tripping and falling into the man's arms is so overused in the KDramas and CDramas. At least he didn't catch her by the waist and swung her around in slow motion while the love ballads are played in the background and the confetti falls.

The actors and actresses acted well in their parts and have good visuals but so far the story is missing some key ingredients.

Read More

Cat and Mouse Game Continues

I will keep this short, S2 does not disappoint and it is SO GOOD. S2 is just as high octane as S1. I watched S1 and the original Money Heist Spain so this is a well loved series. Yes, the plot is absolutely over the top and the rationality of some of the decisions and situations are questionable but they do a good job keeping you on the edge of your seat and there's no time to be bored. The plot twists and turns in many ways with some completely unexpected, the viewer doesn't get lost and its a testament to the story tellers doing a good job with the execution of the story. The actresses and actors were top notch in their acting and played their parts very well, the back story development of some of the characters keeps you emotionally vested in them and when some don't make it, you feel the loss. The cinematography is top notch, there are slow motion bullet effects in some of the action sequences.

Very worthy watch!

Read More

Plenty of Action, Gunfights, and Psychological Warfare

I watched the original Spanish version of this on Netflix and my opinion is they did a pretty good job on the remake of this. It can be pretty difficult to do a remake of a successful series but they pulled it off pretty well. Acting was well done and liked all the characters even the not so bright ones.

I already liked the storyline as it was so I would give it high marks as a heist thriller with psychological gamesmanship being a big part of the story. It's a cat and mouse game where you don't know at each point who will come out victorious before the next round starts. It keeps one guessing as there are twists and turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Is the plot and storyline a bit excessive and unbelievable? Yes and it has that robin hood like vibe to it too. I didn't care for the love stories between some of the characters, writers probably wanted to add a little bit of heart to a somewhat gritty drama. While Berlin is one of the favorite characters in both versions and both actors play the role beautifully; I was kind of meh on Berlin's character arc in the later part of the show.

The pacing was good, at six episodes they didn't draw it out and kept it compact without wasting time on filler nonsense. Overall a good edge of your seat heist thriller. Ready for S2!!!

Read More

Not an Easy Watch but Executed Incredibly Well

This was a a brutal watch. They pull no punches on this one and expect to get body slammed in the last few episodes. It wasn't easy to sit through, it exposes issues that makes you flinch and squirm. Bullying, incompetence at all levels of leadership, feeling trapped, mental health issues that aren't addressed nor does anyone care to address it, violence, hierarchy, and the dark side of human behavior. There are some light hearted moments but plenty of heavy ones that dominate. The acting was incredible. The SML did a phenomenal job as a partner to the ML and it was truly worth watching every minute with him on the screen. While he probably isn't considered mainstream S. Korean actor good looking, he should get more main parts because of how well he executes his craft.

My favorite episode is the boxing fight scene, supposedly it was done by the actors with no stunt doubles and they had to learn how to box good enough to convince the viewers.

Wow. Tough to watch but leaves an impression.

Read More

Mellow Light Hearted RomCom

I initially thought this was a medically focused drama but it turns out its focused on the buildup of the romantic relationship between the Hospital President and a Pediatrician. It is a light breezy romance comedy which so far doesn't have any heavy drama or serious angst. I've seen the FL in other dramas and she is a good actress who mostly picks pretty good dramas to be in. I haven't seen the ML before, he has the looks of some popular idol who transitioned into acting. His acting is decent enough as a young wealthy Hospital President who through fate crosses paths with the Pediatrician FL. He doesn't realize his true romantic feelings for her until later on. They start off in somewhat bad terms when he is stranded in a rural small village in China and the FL grudgingly helps him but mistakenly thinks he is a swindler . Later on, the FL transfers back to the hospital and becomes the ML's assistant. At first it seems like the ML is going to get his revenge but turns out he is not that petty and their relationship develops further.

What is there to like about this?

-ML's character doesn't seem to be the typical distant cold rich CEO that is played out way too much in cookie cutter "basic" Asian Romcoms. He is accessible to some extent and is the one who initiates developing the relationship with the FL further. First as work colleagues, later as friends, and as predicted and expected: The Kissy couple.
-FL is a pretty good actress, she's cute and doesn't look plastic. She plays a strong character who can also be vulnerable.
-It doesn't shy away from portraying toxic hostile sexist work environments. The FL endures that with her boss who is the head of the Pediatrics unit. He is a complete jerk who forces his subordinates to suck up to him 拍马屁 .
-Sismance between the FL and best friend SML 闺蜜 is good, the SML character is funny and cute

What could be improved?
-Pace of the drama is a bit slow, the initial episodes of the ML meeting the FL in the rural village were good but after that the story kind of plods along

Read More

Love and Hate are two sides of the same coin

I had low expectations going into this. This is not a stereotypical light romantic KDrama. I would consider it an adult comedy, a story about what happens to a couple in the real world after the youth romantic stage of the relationship ends. It is a mature comedy about immature people. The ML and FL were college sweethearts who were together for more than 10 years before the ML supposedly commits the big I (Infidelity) word and they divorce. They end up working together in the same law firm specializing in divorce law. As expected, their testy working relationship is muddled with the emotional baggage of their divorce and how it all went down with his infidelity. At times they reluctantly work together because winning the case trumps their personal grievances, other times the FL is so stirred up for revenge; she takes the opposing side. To make matters even more questionable, the ML sets up his ex-wife on a blind date with his good friend with the intention she may marry and he can get out of paying alimony to her. Expect some comedy, adult like jokes, and conflicting messages between the ML and FL on where they stand with each other and with other romantic interests.

The ML character does not fit into the box of the typical KDrama romantic ML:

- At times he is weak, wimpy, emotionally conflicted, lacks direction and conviction in his life.
- He's no rich chaebol heir, his career is in the crap can, he's broke and desperate to the point it leaves you wondering if he'll join the Squid Game.
- He is a divorcee
- While he is slim and seems fit, he looks to be about middle age (there is nothing wrong with that). He doesn't look like a Kpop idol turned Kdrama star. No pale pink lips and airbrushed flawless youthful dewy skin. He's got bags under his eyes and he looks real for his part. In the episodes so far, don't expect scenes of him showing off his chest and six pack abs.

The FL is the opposite of the ML, she's the standard KDrama pretty FL and is at the ascent of her law career. She's a feisty strong willed woman who wants what she wants, so please get the hell out of her way. After two years, the FL is still stunted relationship wise by the divorce and seems to have more trouble getting over the ML compared to the ML with her.

The first episode was so-so, it really picks up by the second episode and I found myself drawn into the relationship of the characters and each divorce case they take on. There's a level of realism they add to the complexity of marriages and human beings, what leads up to their failure, and the aftermath that ensues for everyone involved. There are some pretty good dialog and moments such as the scene between the senior CEO female mentor who gives the FL advice when the FL throws a pity party for herself in her meeting with her mentor. While the story shows the selfishness and not so good sides of the main leads, they do humanize them and you develop a level of compassion for how they got to the point they did in their relationship. I felt conflicted; at times a small part of me wanted them to end up together again or at least want the ML to have some re-ignited passion for the FL instead of his nonchalant manner towards her. Other times I want to slam my fists on the table and shout DAMMIT you guys need to cut this crap out and get the hell out of each other's lives completely.

So far it has defied my expectations, I may update the rating as I watch more episodes.

Read More

Wish it was better

I was excited to see this show with these expectations:

- The FL is the same one from Goodbye My Princess and she is a pretty good actress and beautiful.
- It seemed to have the initial vibes of Goodbye My Princess and as some of the discussion postings had mentioned, she kinda wears the same sort of outfits and the tribe/kingdom she belongs to gives off the same vibes YAAASSSSS!!!
- Morally grey emperor ML with complex motivations and dysfunctional love for the FL
- It seems to have a compelling SML that one could root for and while I'm not fond of love tris, a good well told and well done angsty love tri is enjoyable.

The costumes and sets are excellent; the FL is lovely but she is underutilized in this drama. It seems to have missed the mark, some of the reasons so far:

- Cheesy Special Effects and Action sequences, the Wolf King scene was extra corny.
- Sismance between FL and Princess was two dimensional and could have been developed better instead of just a plot device to lead up to FL being held hostage by the ML.
- The pairing of the FL to the emperor was mismatched, the chemistry between them was lacking and it was hard to feel vested in the development of the relationship between them.
- The acting is kinda off and not that great. Several of the actors and actresses seem to be just reading their lines and going through the motions, they were stiff.
- The SML has good visuals, his character wasn't written well and as a viewer you can't quite connect with his character. Nothing on the actor himself, the script itself could do with some improvement.
-The editing and the way the scenes transitioned were kind of abrupt, it didn't have a smooth quality to it.

Did not want to give up on this too early but after 17 episodes I decided I couldn't go on with it and dropped it.

Read More

Had High Hopes for this

It is a unique dark and gory folklore fantasy supernatural drama about immortality where the characters reincarnate through time. The characters either were related or have interacted with each other. I was enthralled in the first half of the drama, it was sufficiently dark with excellent cinematography with an OST that was so good. The acting was good as I had seen some of the S. Korean actors and actresses in other series before and they are talented. The Villain Dark Hole stood out where he layered aspects of childish desperation, insatiable greed, and centuries of hatred for the ML and FL. The film artistry with the historical scenes, settings, and costumes were excellent.

This is a big budget drama but it didn't save it from the bad plotting and scattered storyline that really unraveled in the second half of this. Why??? Noooooo... It kinda broke me a little when the storyline started to fall apart and got messy. It felt rushed towards the end sort of like GoT's final season. I watched this to the end and refused to drop it but it did hurt a bit when it could have been executed a lot better.

We need more unique dramas like this but with a tighter narrative storyline.

Read More

The Final Move

What story would your possessions tell upon your passing?

The characters in this drama attempt to answer this question in their jobs as trauma cleaners when they are hired to clean up a site after someone passes. Han Geu Roo unflinchingly like a detective gathers clues to answer those questions and helps bring some kind of closure to the deceased unresolved issues. Juxtaposed to some of the deceased lives and what they experienced while they were living, the cleaners treat each of the deceased possessions with care and compassion. The stories are heartbreaking, the team behind this drama deftly handle it delicately and with humanity. For some of the deceased, there's quite a bit of bitterness in their lives before their passing; the final moments of their lives were punctuated with loneliness and callous treatment by society. The drama was inspired by Kim Shae-byeol's essay Ddeonan Hooe Namgyeojin Geotdeul The Things Left Behind. It is a well written and acted thoughtful drama on what it means to be a family, friendships that goes beyond society's label of disabilities and difference, and a reflection on the worthiness of each person's life no matter where they fall on the social status ladder.

Read More

Samantha and Rachel, the Twins

Funny Cliché Story much much tamer than the Webtoon

I did a major eye roll when starting this with GF, it was going to be another cold good looking Chaebol Heir falling head over heels with poor or average girl because she's so special. I mean that is soooo gonna happen right?

It turned out to be better than expected. No thinking required for this type of cliché drama. It pokes fun of typical Asian drama clichés and at itself. There were some absolutely hilarious scenes in the first half of the show. The first blind date was pee in your pants funny. That scene really nailed it. Samantha and Rachel? Who was the writer who thought of that? Let's just say the FL violated every proper and conservative S. Korean blind date etiquette. WOWZA for the FL's clothing choices in the dates. The drunken scene of the two FLs was pretty comedic, they are two really cute girls. The chemistry between the leads was good for the most part.

I would say probably about 3/4 of it was funny and kept your attention. As it got down to the last few episodes, it wasn't that great and felt like the gas ran out. Things felt kind of forced for closure and between the leads.

It's a light hearted funny show that is worth watching for some laughs and to lighten one's mood.

Read More

Tragic At All Levels

Be prepared, this is a tragic story that is gut wrenching. I heard it was released as a web series, the actors and actresses were unknown at the time and it became a surprise hit. They spent a large portion of the budget on the cinematography, production, costumes, and settings . The beginning scenes with the princess in her red wedding garb and her red scarf flowing in the wind was beautiful. The settings and costumes that reflect the Eastern Palace were beautifully done and stood in contrast to the princess's home land. Also the OST was unique and on point for some of the scenes.

The ML is a complex and morally challenged character, he doesn't go around killing for the fun of it but he will be ruthless if necessary to consolidate his power to become the Crown Prince and to survive. He's ruthless to the point where he doesn't truly understand the pain he inflicts on his "true love". He sees she is in pain and he desperately wants her to love him but he doesn't have a full comprehension of why she cannot be with him. He is so obsessed with her he pushes things to a point where he hurts all the people around the FL and traps her.

The acting is decent, the ML overacts in some of the scenes which may cause a little bit of an eye roll. He does manage to pull it off, your jaw may drop with his villainous behavior but the writer and director layer and provide some depth to the character where you feel some level of emotion for the tragic love or whatever you want to call it between the ML and FL. The FL is supposed to be naïve and not too bright, she's kind and likeable enough that it solicits some level of empathy for her situation. I felt the FL did a better job acting than the ML. They did have good chemistry, enough to believe in their on screen attraction for each other.

Some parts did drag on which required fast forwarding, they could have easily removed some of those filler parts to tighten the storyline.

Overall its a wickedly twisted tragic story that is beautifully told.

Read More