dragynfaerie
USA
This review may contain spoilers
Starts With A Bang Then Fizzles
Ashfall is aptly named. There's plenty of fallen ash to spare. Everything is carpeted in ash. It doesn't take this movie 5 minutes before we're off and racing against time to stop an earthquake that will be cataclysmic. Don Lee (Ma Dong Suk.. one day I'll get used to his Korean name...maybe) plays Professor Robert Kang or Kang Bong Rae who had been warning the powers that be for 3 years that a devastating series of earthquakes were coming and that they would initiate the eruption of the dormant Mt. Baekdu. Of course no one listened until after the fact and enlists the doctor to come up with a plan to stop them, which, of course, he already had. The problem is it has a small rate of success. Even so, Captain Jo In Chang (Ha Jung Woo) and his team are sent to obtain the nuclear bombs from North Korea. Their biggest obstacle is the man they have to enlist to help them. Lee Byung Hun plays Lee Jun Pyeong, the obstacle.The story sounds interesting enough, but it wasn't. There was very little tension, especially in the scenes where there should have been suspense. In very many scenes Capt. Jo seemed like comic relief as opposed to the hero. As the brains behind the operation , Dr. Kang should have had more dramatic scenes or at least more interesting ones. The action scenes were good, but they were a dime a dozen. Nothing new. Just when you think something big was about the happen, they skip to another scene. Basically, you see the beginning of an action and the aftermath, but not the actual action itself. There's also some blaring continuity issues. I feel the need to explain myself so here is a Spoiler: Suzy, who plays Capt. Jo's wife, is stuck in a car on a bridge when a tidal wave hits. The next scene you see her floating in the river. Huh? When did the car get knocked into the river? How did she get out of the car? What happened to all the people who were running? Next thing you know Suzy's bone dry hailing a bus. Her purse and paperwork are pristine. That's some kind of paper and ink! Oh, did I mention her character is in her last trimester of pregnancy? So, yeah, we have a VERY pregnant woman, stuck in a car that was apparently knocked into the Han River where she escapes and I guess swims ashore. She then somehow makes it on time to the road where she hails a bus with paperwork that's not wet. Yup. End Spoiler The pacing of the movie is off. Too fast at some points and too slow at others.
The acting was good. The actors did their best with what they were given. I think many scenes or character interactions were supposed to be funny or at least humorous, but they weren't. It's a really good cast with a fairly poor script.
I don't think the music was good. The music in an action movie is to aid in the suspense and anticipation. The music in Ashfall did none of that. I may not be big on re-watching dramas, but I'll re-watch a good movie over and over. I have no need to ever re-watch this movie.
I wouldn't recommend Ashfall to anyone. Great cast. Great EFx. Good premise. Poor script and direction.
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Missing 9 is one addictive drama at least episodes 1-15 are. Episode 16, not so much. They could have made episode 15 about 25 minutes longer to tie up the story and end it. The final episode had too much obvious filler and not enough tension. And the last scene came from outer space. It's like a new director took over for a quick second. But I digress. The story is quite good. It's nothing like I thought it would be. Early comparisons to Lost were far off base. There's a plane crash and that's where the similarities end. Missing 9's characters all mostly know each other for better or for worse. They all belong to/work for the same Entertainment Agency. The writer(s) did a good job in character development and setting up a well layered mystery even where there didn't seem to be one. The characters had camaraderie and there were a number of humorous scenes. The cast as a whole did a marvelous job and they had great chemistry. They seemed to work well together. The incidental music did a great job of supporting the story and helping move it along. The songs were ok. I really didn't pay much attention to the main song that played throughout the drama probably because I found it uninteresting. I really did enjoy Missing 9, but I don't see a reason to re-watch it. To be honest though, it's rare that I ever want to re-watch any drama.. Overall, it's a solid well done drama and very much worth watching even with the weird, obvious add-on scene at the end.
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The story was fine until time travel came into play for our lead, King Lee Gon. When he started to try and change his past, the story went sideways and I was no longer able to suspend disbelief. My loves of fantasy and science can only take so much. Honestly, I don't believe a different writer would have done much better unless they added some episodes. This drama easily needed 2-4 more episodes so that scenes in episodes (I'll say 10-15) don't seem rushed and underdeveloped. Perhaps not having 2 directors would also have been beneficial. Again, this was a great idea just not thought out and presented well.
The cast was solid. I'm still shocked that I can't complain about Lee Min Ho. Do they give acting classes in the Korean military? While the leads were good, they lacked chemistry. I'm going to lay the blame squarely on Kim Go Eun's shoulders. This is my 2nd time seeing her and my 2nd time thinking she had 0 chemistry with her leading man. Conversely, I've seen LMH several times and chemistry is usually all he has. OK and what's up with KGE hand thing. I noticed it early on in EM that she constantly puts her hand in her face when she has emotional scenes. I wonder if she has something rubbed on her hand to make her cry. I've nicknamed her Hand Smeller. I swear in one scene she smells her hand a good 5 times in less than 1 minute. If for some reason I run across her, I'll probably be arrested because I'm gonna grab her hand and smell it. Hopefully, we're not in the ladies'. LOL My curiosity won't be satiated if I don't. Put something aside for my bail. Thanks. The king of the cast was easily Woo Do Hwan that played both Jo Young and Jo Eun Sub impeccably.
The music was alright. The love song was forgettable to me, but I'm not a lover of ballads. The rewatch value is nil. It takes a lot to make me want to rewatch a drama. I can't see that happening with K:EM. Don't get me wrong, I actually liked it well enough. I wouldn't recommend it, but it has some same saving graces, especially the cast which is why I gave it 7 stars (5 for the cast, 1 for costume, and 1 for set design).
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Actually, I call the core 7, My 7 Little Pabos. They made/make complete fools out of themselves weekly and I thank them for it. They are truly brillant. Lead by the Nation's MC, YJS, the RM cast is a well oiled and often zany machine. When their personalities clash, it's usually hilarious. Unlike other Korean variety shows I've seen, RM is a work out. They play games and do missions. After 10 seasons I'm always shocked when guests come on and are surprised that the title is literal. Watching RM makes you want to join in on the fun. I know I can't anymore (not unless they have Limping Man), but I wish that I could.
They promote the music of the cast as well as any musical guests. Aside from their personal themes, the music played during the episodes is always current. It's a great production and the writers do a very good job.
The bottom line is this: Running Man is fun. They look like they're having fun and you have fun just watching them. If you could get a job, running around playing games all day and laughing, wouldn't you? I know I would. Since that's virtually impossible for most of us, watching RM is the next best thing.
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Much better than the rating...MUCH!
Firstly, if you are a fan of J-dramas or Korean short dramas, the style and speed of the storytelling will be up your alley. The Japanese can tell one helluva story in 8-10 episodes. Most don't end with cliffhangers and while you may want more, you're satisfied. That's what No Way Out is like. It's well crafted and told. On the plus side, there are no flashbacks that make an episode unnecessarily longer. I've never understood the padding of an episode by showing a flashback of a scene we just saw earlier in the same episode. There's also no unnecessary romantic tension or romance whatsoever. Just flawed and, let's face it, not so good people doing not so good things. That's not to say if you're a fan of Korean 16+ episode dramas you won't like it. It's just that all the extraneous showy bits that viewers are used to and perhaps enjoy is cut. Does it answer every question and wrap things up in a tidy bow? No, but who cares? What's not answered has nothing to do with the show at hand. I'm not saying it's perfect. Far from it, but it's damn good.No Way Out is gritty-esque. It's filmed more like a movie and the actions and language are like that as well. The lighting even during day scenes is dark which helps convey the overall feel of the show. The directing was solid, which would be difficult if the script was not well written.
The acting is great from the leads to the guests and/or supports. I am so happy Lee Kwang Soo took the role of Chang Jae. He's played no nonsense characters before (Puck! and Tazza come to mind), but never someone so desperate, creepy, and villainous. It seemed as if LKS and Jo Jin Woong wouldn't interact or share a scene like in Entourage, but they manage to share a rather good one. I've seen You Jae Myung in a new light as well. He was fantastic. Jo Jin, well, he was just Jo Jin aka he was excellent.
Uncharacteristically, the re-watch for me is high. I think I may have missed a few things. The music was good. It fit the scenes and helped convey the overall feel of the show.
What can I say? If you like crime dramas and stories where everything isn't black & white; where the cops look like cops and not fashion models; where the bad guys sometimes win the battles, give No Way Out a watch. I'm pretty sure you'll like it. Score: 8.5 up to 9
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Enjoyable. Hoping for S2
To be clear I watch variety shows to de-stress. I truly don't care who the guests are or even if there are guests as long as they're fun (or challenging in the case of the mystery/puzzle types) to watch. I found Whenever Possible to be a really fun watch. It reminded me of segments of Running Man before the current production team took over.I won't say Yoo Jae Suk can't miss because he can, but usually for me when he swings he hits. YJS and Yoo Yeon Suk have good chemistry. They worked together on Busted! so they were familiar with each, therefore, there wasn't any awkward getting to know you moments. I know many have complaints about YYS, but I thought he was fine. He was quite likable. He was the straight man to comedians and the comedic actors who were guests. I think he was finding his footing as a main MC right when the extremely short 8 episode season ended. Almost all the guests for each episode were funny. The standouts for me were Lee Kwang Soo (ep. 1), Cho Jung Suk (ep. 2 - this brought the creation of the Suk Brothers or Suk Suk Suk), and Cha Tae Hyun (ep. 6).
Would I watch it again? The episodes that I found especially funny, yes, I would. To be honest there were 2 episodes that I didn't find funny at all. I may have smiled, but I never laughed. Of the 2. only 1 was a throwaway. The others are solid. The music was good. I was surprised to hear a song by LeeSSang. It gave me false hope that Gary or Gil would be a guest.
Usually I am not a fan of shows or episodes that deal with the public. I tend to find them very boring, but the concept of Whenever Possible made the concept interesting and fun watch. It was a great way to de-stress from work. My only gripe is that the season was too short.
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Very Entertaining
The concept of Apartment 404, while limiting if you take the title at face value, takes large scale crimes that happened in apartment buildings/complexes from different time periods is SK and has the cast solve them. It made me wonder what exactly goes on in large complexes as I've never lived in one. They dropped a fact about how many apartment buildings there are in SK. I don't remember exactly, but they're one of the top in the world. That's a lot of damn apartments! I think the producers realized they didn't have enough source material and expanded their reach as seen in episodes 7 and 8. This actually gave me hope for a season 2.I truly enjoyed every episode. It's like Busted! mixed with a bit of Village the 8 (had it lived up to it's potential). It was fun trying to figure out clues and guess which one (if any) of the endearing cast lead by King of the Variety Show, You Jae Suk. I will watch at least one episode of any show Yoo does. Of the shows available to me in the last 12-14 years there's only been 2 that I wasn't fond of. I was familiar with everyone in the cast but grew to love was Lee Jung Ha. You would think he'd get swallowed up by the over top personalities of the rest of the cast, but held his own and got better with each episode.
Rarely to I re-watch dramas but I tend to re-watch variety so I can laugh. In the case of Apt 404 it's more of case of trying to find clues that I missed. I would recommend this as a de-stresser to anyone, especially if they like things that are light hearted with a bit of mystery.
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Thoroughly Entertaining!
I had a great time watching Mystery to IuNakare. It's a fun ride. I absolutely adored Kounou Toutonou! Japan has done several takes on Sherlock Holmes. Some hits. Some misses. I'm not saying Toutonou is young Sherlock Holmes, but it he reminds me of him. Honestly, to me he's a combo of Holmes and Tom Baker's Doctor Who (the 4th doctor.. look him up). Kounou Toutonou is a college student (as he says many times) with beyond exceptional deductive reasoning and observational skills. His antisocial behavior and personality led him to become the prime suspect in the murder of a former high school classmate. I was hooked from the first few minutes in episode one (finished the entire series in less than a day). Any time a suspect is taken in for questioning and winds up questioning the police, I'm in. Of course he shows off his skills, thereby setting up the rest of the series.The story is great. Yes, the murders may be somewhat common, but the solving of them is not. I mentioned Kounou reminds me of Sherlock Holmes. He has his own Moriarity. Someone who is brilliant, but pushed to the edge due to circumstances and winds up on the wrong side of the law. There's also a common thread throughout the episodes that does not become readily apparent until the end. The writing was done very well as was the production. This is not a gritty crime detective story. Although, somewhat lighthearted in many ways, it's not a comedy either. I'd categorize it as a dramedy.
The cast is great. Suda Masaki is fantastic as our curly haired protagonist. The characters including guests were all well cast. I enjoyed their performances. It took almost an entire episode for me to recognize Eita. When he shaves and covers his ears, he's unrecognizable. LOL
The music was pretty good. I really didn't take much notice of it which means it supported the scenes instead of overwhelming them. Re-watch is medium as I rarely re-watch, but I may, especially if there's too much time between seasons. Hopefully, there will be a season 2 as season 1 ends with a cliffhanger. Plus, there's too much about Kounou-kun that is unknown.
Overall, this is a fantastic binge worthy drama. I highly recommend it.
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A Societal Snapshot
It maybe titled Joke, but it's not funny. On the surface t's a psychological race between a celebrity,Sawai (Iplayed by kuta Toma) trying to regain his popularity via streaming and a fan. Beneath the surface Joke is an interesting take on tech, especially A,I. tech, and the control we give it in our daily lives . In short Joke is a sad commentary on what we are all becoming due to Covid.The writing is creative and clear. The director did a good job. The 45 minute special primarily takes place in 1 room. The production quality is fairly high overall? Some may think It too short, but I think it's the perfect length. If you've ever watched an anthology, the length won't bother you. It's like an episode of the Twilight Zone. It's basically a one man show. Toma does a great as Sawai, especially as he began to piece things together.
Music? There was music? I seriously don't remember. The re-watch is 50% maybe a little less. I am interested to know if there are missed clues.
Overall, I liked Joke. Is it ground breaking? No., but it is entertaining and thought provoking.
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Since this is the 2nd drama in the series, I'm opting to write a full review when I finish all 3 series and the side story. By the way, you don't need to have seen Ishi no Mayu to enjoy Suishou no Kodou, but it helps explain the relationship between certain characters and Kisaragi's behavior.
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The story revolves around Haruto Kaguragi, who idolizes F4, and wants to bring Eitoku-koko back to the glory it once was; Oto Edogawa, who is trying her best to get along until she can graduate; and Tenma Hase, the leader of Eitoku's rival school and Edogawa's oldest friend & fiance. Kaguragi's C5 aren't your typical HS bullies like F4 were originally. They're separatists. A rich kid school for rich kids. Peasants be gone! As such, C5 does peasant/commoner hunting and strongly suggest students who are not paying donations put in transfer papers. This is done in front of the student body at anytime/any place. Edogawa started school as a rich kid, but her family's business went under. I think you can see the clash. The storyline parallels HYD too much I believe. They made slight changes, but at it's core it was the same. A few more changes would have made it much more interesting.
They didn't skimp on the production. The sets were well appointed. I was happy to see the old Eitoku cafeteria. While the writing was unoriginal, but good for what it was, the direction, filming, and editing were expert. My guess is the screenwriter, Yoshida Erika, who is quite young, was given an outline or guide to follow. The one thing I found truly irritating was how Edogawa was so used to her poor life. The family business had only gone under 6 months earlier. One would expect her to still be trying to adjust.
The acting was really quite good. I'd never seen any of the actors that played the students before (I don't believe). Sugisaki Hana was fantastic as Edogawa. Her leading men, Hirano Sho (Kaguragi), and Nakagawa Taishi (Hase) were also quite good. FUN FACT for anyone who watches anime: Episode 10 has some serious Bleach vibes, Ichigo vs. Uryu. The rest of the cast rounds out nicely. Three of F4 make guest appearances. I only knew of 1 so I was pleasantly surprised. OK, I went all fan girl! It was just great to see them slip back into these rolls as "adults."
The OST (instrumental) is fitting. As for the themes, Utada's "First Love" is hauntingly beautiful. It gives you all the feels and goes wonderfully with the story. The title theme by King & Prince is fun, but not memorable.
I don't feel a need to rewatch this, but I don't feel the need to rewatch 99.9% of the dramas I watch. I would, however, welcome a season 2 of this next season.
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The plot, the writing, the directing and editing, the entire production is fantastic. They doubled down on the backstabbing and scheming. The political intrigue wasn't as upfront as was the investigation. They prosecutors are a big part of Season 2.
The acting is superb. I mentioned in my Chief of Staff review that Shin Min Ah was so far removed from her usual type of role that I forgot it was her. I did in season 2 as well. They got a shot of those dimples and it hit me who she was. Kim Gab Soo was as mesmerizing in this as he was in season 1. He only lost in his scene stealing to Jung Woon In. Lee Jung Jae embodied his character. This was the first time I've seen him in a drama. He is wonderful.
Chief of Staff, the full series, is fantastic. Season 2 brings everything from both seasons to a satisfying close. However, they leave you hoping you may see some of the characters again. It's like a great book that you couldn't put down for a while even after you've finished.
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FINALLY Leads With Chemistry!
Let me be straight right up front. King The Land's plot, or lack thereof, is nothing new. The character personality types are ones we've all seen time and time again. I only started watching it because of the hotel setting. I'm a sucker for some settings and luxury hotels is one. In my opinion the story would have been better had it concentrated more on the inner workings of the hotel. With that being said what KTL has the almost every romcom (and every drama with a needless romance) doesn't have is chemistry between the the leads.It's painful watching a drama where the supports carry every episode because the leads suck. Trust me. I've seen way too many of them from several countries. Luckily, KTL's Lee Jun Ho and Im Yoon Ah had chemistry to spare. In fact the entire cast worked well together and the character bonds leapt from the screen. Animosity and hate also jumped the screen. I have to give a special 'well done m'am' to Go Won Hee. Damn did I hate her. She played one of the biggest witches that ever witched. Her character, Oh Pyung Hwa, was a nasty spiteful piece of work. Go did a damn good job portraying her. The girlfriend chemistry was wonderful and I enjoyed the every 6 sibling scene.
The dialogue is good but there's no substance. The editing is excellent. The end of the episodes had you guessing what was next (usually incorrectly) making watching the next episode a must see. The star behind the scenes is the costumer and whoever picked Lee's 3 piece suits. *drool* That man looked good. Honestly, all the men were keenly dressed. The work uniforms were well fit as well. The only failures were the suits worn by Go. All, but 1 were ill-fitting.
Typically, I pay no attention to the music, but a couple of songs in KTL caught my ear. It has no re-watch value for me unless I just want to watch some well dressed men. ZZ Top did not lie.
King The Land is fluff. Plain and simple. It's an easy watch that you don't have to invest much in. You can turn your brain off and just watch it. No need to figure out a mystery or guess what someone is thinking. It's obvious. I'm not saying that's bad. We all need some fluff sometimes. I needed a break from my murder mysteries, supernaturals, and thrillers. King the Land provided that break. All in all, I enjoyed it. If you need a break, give it a shot and enjoy it for it's simplicity.
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In a nutshell, Freeter/NEET (whatever you want to call him) Kwon Yoo finds himself beautifully set up for a murder. Like most NEETs he spends most of his day playing online MMOs. He is the chief or leader of a raid party in what appears to be his favorite MMO. There is a fantastic scene that takes place in the game. Honestly, I thought this would be on the level of certain animes that have people possibly stuck in their games like BTOOM! or even Log Horizon. It's not. The production team did a very good job introducing the game and the real world. They make it clear this is no fantasy. His team come from behind their computers to help prove his innocence. Because of that I found the story somewhat original.
The cast is great. JCW did a very good job as Kwon Yoo, especially once he realized he needed to toughen up and protect himself to survive. The cast has some of my favorite Korean character/supporting actors like Oh Jung Se (recently in Missing 9), Kim Sang Ho (Missing 9, TEN), and Kim Won Hae (currently seen in Strong Woman DBS). Woo Hyun also has a small weird role that fit him perfectly. The cast did a fine job. They had chemistry, whether be it friendly or hatred. The connections were there.
The music was good. It helped at excitement and tension at the right places. I don't remember any actual songs, but, to be honest, one would have been out of place.
I would definitely watch this again. I hope that Netflix gets it soon so there can be actual subs timed correctly. That's right I watched a version lacking subs and what subs there were were poorly timed AND I still recommend it!
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