zeamays
Okay, I really hoped that this series would end on a strong episode. It did not. Oh well. And I'm glad I didn't read that synopsis until I finished this episode, because it basically tells about 3/4 of the story.
This episode felt really disjointed to me. I was having trouble even figuring out what the point of the story was well into the episode. However, the mythology of this episode was interesting. At least the ghosts have a reason to be doing what they're doing. It's not just another 'ghost out for revenge on the person who killed her' type of story. On the other hand, this episode really is rife with cheesy effects and distracting music. The horror elements are comical rather than scary (and not in an entertaining way).
The director-writer team is the same as the one for episode 2, which was my least favorite until I watched this episode. I thought the writing was weaker in episode 2, but it may be the directing that causes problems in this one. Either way, I guess I'm not a fan of this particular director-writer team. The acting in this episode felt like some of the weakest as well, but it may be in part because I was confused or just completely checked out about what was happening to the characters a lot of the time. Which I guess would be a directing issue. You can't expect me to care about weeping characters when I have no idea why they're crying, because the story hasn't gotten there yet.
Anyway, not a great episode. I don't mind too much because it's only an hour, but there are much stronger episodes in this series than this one.
This episode felt really disjointed to me. I was having trouble even figuring out what the point of the story was well into the episode. However, the mythology of this episode was interesting. At least the ghosts have a reason to be doing what they're doing. It's not just another 'ghost out for revenge on the person who killed her' type of story. On the other hand, this episode really is rife with cheesy effects and distracting music. The horror elements are comical rather than scary (and not in an entertaining way).
The director-writer team is the same as the one for episode 2, which was my least favorite until I watched this episode. I thought the writing was weaker in episode 2, but it may be the directing that causes problems in this one. Either way, I guess I'm not a fan of this particular director-writer team. The acting in this episode felt like some of the weakest as well, but it may be in part because I was confused or just completely checked out about what was happening to the characters a lot of the time. Which I guess would be a directing issue. You can't expect me to care about weeping characters when I have no idea why they're crying, because the story hasn't gotten there yet.
Anyway, not a great episode. I don't mind too much because it's only an hour, but there are much stronger episodes in this series than this one.
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First, this episode is by far the funniest of any of these (unless ep 8 tops it, which I doubt). Not a horror story, not really even a ghost story, or a mystery - this one's totally different from all the rest.
In this story's mythology, there are a number of "hell's envoys" or grim reapers, who are responsible for locating the next person to die and making sure that they actually do. To do this, they rely on a book which lists the names, ages, dates, whatever information they need to find the next person. The problem is that one of the junior reapers loses the book. One of the more senior reapers (played by Lee Won Jong) is blamed, and must enter the human world again to get it back. Laughs ensue (really).
It turns out that he's not the only one after the book, so things get tricky. Also, he's not used to being human or living with humans, so there are some nice fish-out-of-water moments too, and even moments of pathos.
This episode is directed by Kim Yong Soo again (like episode 4). This one has less of his trademark visual style, but definitely displays his penchant for unconventional music choices. It works though. So I guess I approve of the directing. As for the writing, who knew that a supernatural comedy caper story would actually work? And that it would be slotted into this series? I sure didn't. But I'm glad I watched it. I think this one's my favorite so far, but not too far ahead of the first episode.
Disclaimer: I suspect that I may have a strange sense of humor. I also almost always like stuff that Kim Yong Soo directs. A supernatural caper comedy may not be for everyone, and if you think you're getting a horror story out of this one, you'd be sorely mistaken. But if you like really fun and creative stories, and don't mind (or even seek out) a healthy dose of oddball music and general weirdness, you might like this one as much as I did.
In this story's mythology, there are a number of "hell's envoys" or grim reapers, who are responsible for locating the next person to die and making sure that they actually do. To do this, they rely on a book which lists the names, ages, dates, whatever information they need to find the next person. The problem is that one of the junior reapers loses the book. One of the more senior reapers (played by Lee Won Jong) is blamed, and must enter the human world again to get it back. Laughs ensue (really).
It turns out that he's not the only one after the book, so things get tricky. Also, he's not used to being human or living with humans, so there are some nice fish-out-of-water moments too, and even moments of pathos.
This episode is directed by Kim Yong Soo again (like episode 4). This one has less of his trademark visual style, but definitely displays his penchant for unconventional music choices. It works though. So I guess I approve of the directing. As for the writing, who knew that a supernatural comedy caper story would actually work? And that it would be slotted into this series? I sure didn't. But I'm glad I watched it. I think this one's my favorite so far, but not too far ahead of the first episode.
Disclaimer: I suspect that I may have a strange sense of humor. I also almost always like stuff that Kim Yong Soo directs. A supernatural caper comedy may not be for everyone, and if you think you're getting a horror story out of this one, you'd be sorely mistaken. But if you like really fun and creative stories, and don't mind (or even seek out) a healthy dose of oddball music and general weirdness, you might like this one as much as I did.
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This episode is one of the more "horror-y" offerings thus far. A mysterious man decides to investigate the strange happenings at a gisaeng house. It seems that one girl has gone missing, another has started acting very erratically, and yet another suddenly cannot speak. What happened to cause all this? And who is the mystery man? (And that synopsis up in the episode description is actually a little spoilery! It should probably be changed. Doesn't give everything away though, and is still fun to watch.)
This episode is a pretty satisfying mystery, and is written pretty well. It's entertaining throughout and paced well. It's also got some entertaining "classic" horror moments if you like that kind of thing (I do). Not too scary, really, but fun. This is another episode directed by Kim Jung MIn of The Princess's Man fame (as is episode 3), and stars Yoon Joo Hee, who I recognized from a number of dramas such as the God's Quiz series (although I didn't recognize her at first with the way she looks here...).
Definitely a solid episode, and fun to watch. I rank it tied for third place at this point in my watch of the 2008 season (rank, top to bottom: ep 1, 3, 4/6, 5, then 2 definitely last).
This episode is a pretty satisfying mystery, and is written pretty well. It's entertaining throughout and paced well. It's also got some entertaining "classic" horror moments if you like that kind of thing (I do). Not too scary, really, but fun. This is another episode directed by Kim Jung MIn of The Princess's Man fame (as is episode 3), and stars Yoon Joo Hee, who I recognized from a number of dramas such as the God's Quiz series (although I didn't recognize her at first with the way she looks here...).
Definitely a solid episode, and fun to watch. I rank it tied for third place at this point in my watch of the 2008 season (rank, top to bottom: ep 1, 3, 4/6, 5, then 2 definitely last).
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This episode felt a little flat to me. On paper, it feels like it should have a lot going for it - Jae Hee and a director whose work I've enjoyed before. But the story is just not that interesting.
Our protagonist (played by Jae Hee) is apparently alone in the world, and wanders from place to place sending ghosts away with his magic sword. (The source of that sword's power is explained in the synopsis, but isn't actually explained in the story until almost the end, which made me keep wondering if I had missed the part where they explained that. Nope, I didn't.) He stumbles upon both a girl that looks just like his former lover and a village desperately in need of an exorcism. Convenient!
This episode is more of a horror episode than some others have been so far. There are ghosts galore, and some somewhat creepy moments. In addition, the event that caused the mass haunting is pretty much awful and a bit disturbing all on its own. The acting is fine, and the writing and directing are good enough. The special effects were bordering on the cheesy for this one though. On a personal note, I was amused to notice that the actors who played both the main girl and her father are both in one of my favorite dramas, Once Upon a Time in Saengchori.
Ultimately, this episode is not all that compelling, but I don't regret watching it.
Our protagonist (played by Jae Hee) is apparently alone in the world, and wanders from place to place sending ghosts away with his magic sword. (The source of that sword's power is explained in the synopsis, but isn't actually explained in the story until almost the end, which made me keep wondering if I had missed the part where they explained that. Nope, I didn't.) He stumbles upon both a girl that looks just like his former lover and a village desperately in need of an exorcism. Convenient!
This episode is more of a horror episode than some others have been so far. There are ghosts galore, and some somewhat creepy moments. In addition, the event that caused the mass haunting is pretty much awful and a bit disturbing all on its own. The acting is fine, and the writing and directing are good enough. The special effects were bordering on the cheesy for this one though. On a personal note, I was amused to notice that the actors who played both the main girl and her father are both in one of my favorite dramas, Once Upon a Time in Saengchori.
Ultimately, this episode is not all that compelling, but I don't regret watching it.
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This is an episode that I would actually classify as horror. It's of course also a mystery, and has some welcome bits of humor thrown in, mostly courtesy of the coroner, played by Lee Han Wie. So the story opens with the death of the emperor, and then weird things follow. Obviously. Can't have a horror story without weird things happening.
Other people die, some go crazy and then die...finally, the prosecutor and his sidekick, along with the coroner, are called in to solve the mystery. Rumors start that the deaths are following a pattern similar to a popular story in which someone dies, and then possesses people.
Ultimately, the root cause of the emperor's death is determined, but I'm still a little confused about how some of the things that happened in the middle of the story relate to that incident. Maybe I need to watch it again to make sense of it all. So I can't say that the writing is the best.
It is acted pretty well, and the directing is very stylishly done. So much so that a few minutes in, I had to pause and look up who directed it. It's Kim Yong Soo, whose directing I have enjoyed in the past (White Christmas, among others), so it doesn't surprise me that I also enjoyed it here.
So at this point, halfway through the 2008 season, I'd rank the episodes: 1, 3, 4, 2. This one only falls below episode 3 because it's a little confusing. But for someone looking for more of a horror/mystery, this episode is the closest to horror of the bunch (so far, at least).
Other people die, some go crazy and then die...finally, the prosecutor and his sidekick, along with the coroner, are called in to solve the mystery. Rumors start that the deaths are following a pattern similar to a popular story in which someone dies, and then possesses people.
Ultimately, the root cause of the emperor's death is determined, but I'm still a little confused about how some of the things that happened in the middle of the story relate to that incident. Maybe I need to watch it again to make sense of it all. So I can't say that the writing is the best.
It is acted pretty well, and the directing is very stylishly done. So much so that a few minutes in, I had to pause and look up who directed it. It's Kim Yong Soo, whose directing I have enjoyed in the past (White Christmas, among others), so it doesn't surprise me that I also enjoyed it here.
So at this point, halfway through the 2008 season, I'd rank the episodes: 1, 3, 4, 2. This one only falls below episode 3 because it's a little confusing. But for someone looking for more of a horror/mystery, this episode is the closest to horror of the bunch (so far, at least).
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As the synopsis suggests, this episode is more of a supernatural mystery, without much of a horror bent. A shaman and an official are both working to find out what's behind the deaths of the blacksmiths that are in the process of making the Sajin sword. This sword can only be forged under certain circumstances, and is very important to the royal family because it is believed to protect them from supernatural harm.
In some ways, this episode is very similar thematically to episode 1. Both have main characters who question, investigate, and resist in some way a superstitious ritual that results in cruelty and violence towards women. Of course, the stories are very different beyond that. Both are executed well, and at this point in my watching (6/8 episodes of this season complete), 1 and 3 are my two favorites (ep 1 edges out 3 by just a little).
The story is quite simple once the pieces start falling into place, but it kept me interested throughout. The episode is well-acted and competently directed by Kim Jung Min, who is probably best known for The Princess's Man. The special effects in this episode are not at all cheesy, but fall more into the "simple but effective" category. Definitely worth the hour spent.
In some ways, this episode is very similar thematically to episode 1. Both have main characters who question, investigate, and resist in some way a superstitious ritual that results in cruelty and violence towards women. Of course, the stories are very different beyond that. Both are executed well, and at this point in my watching (6/8 episodes of this season complete), 1 and 3 are my two favorites (ep 1 edges out 3 by just a little).
The story is quite simple once the pieces start falling into place, but it kept me interested throughout. The episode is well-acted and competently directed by Kim Jung Min, who is probably best known for The Princess's Man. The special effects in this episode are not at all cheesy, but fall more into the "simple but effective" category. Definitely worth the hour spent.
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This episode is possibly even less scary than the first, but is much more gruesome, at least in its subject matter. Unfortunately, the story is also not all that interesting. Other than the awful way that the haunting (of sorts) starts, the story is pretty simplistic.
There's actually not much to say about the story that isn't covered by the synopsis. The so-called ghost is really more of a zombie (corporeal and apparently unkillable). The resolution of the story is satisfactory, but kind of obvious past a certain point. And I have never heard the word aga so many times in my life.
The special effects in this one are rudimentary, and rely mostly on lighting to indicate which child/which version of the child we're seeing. It's effective, if a little cheesy.
So overall, it's okay. I won't watch it again, but it wasn't a terrible way to spend an hour.
There's actually not much to say about the story that isn't covered by the synopsis. The so-called ghost is really more of a zombie (corporeal and apparently unkillable). The resolution of the story is satisfactory, but kind of obvious past a certain point. And I have never heard the word aga so many times in my life.
The special effects in this one are rudimentary, and rely mostly on lighting to indicate which child/which version of the child we're seeing. It's effective, if a little cheesy.
So overall, it's okay. I won't watch it again, but it wasn't a terrible way to spend an hour.
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Since all the Hometown Legends episodes are independent, standalone chapters, I feel like I should write reviews for all of them as I make my way through. So here goes!
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Hometown Legends. This is my first time watching, 6+ years later. So this episode, Return of the Gumiho, is my introduction to the series. A family is slave to a gumiho "curse", causing them to devise some very complicated rules to try to keep the curse at bay. Girls who come of age must be tested to see if they are likely to become gumihos. If so, well, the opening scene of the episode will fill you in on what happens next.
However, the family is not quite united (nor are they all informed) about the curse. The male lead, Hyo Moon (played by Choi Jin Hyuk, who I totally didn't recognize until almost the end of the episode), differs from his family in how he thinks about the family "curse".
I've seen some comments saying that the special effects are not so good. I'm not sure if those pertain to this episode or not, but I thought they were fine in this episode. This is a pretty low budget affair, for sure, but they did pretty well with the makeup and CG.
And, no, it's not very scary. It has some creepy aspects, but nothing here will haunt your dreams or anything. I didn't go into this expecting something super scary, so that doesn't matter to me. In fact, I generally think it's a plus if I laugh during a scary scene (is it just me?). It's a little campy, but I like that. But be forewarned if you are looking for real horror from this episode. You will be disappointed if that's what you're looking for.
Overall, it's an entertaining episode, decently acted and written. It's directed by the same guy who later directed Chuno. I was not impressed by the epilogue/ending, but otherwise, it was a lot of fun to watch. Looking forward to watching the next one!
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Hometown Legends. This is my first time watching, 6+ years later. So this episode, Return of the Gumiho, is my introduction to the series. A family is slave to a gumiho "curse", causing them to devise some very complicated rules to try to keep the curse at bay. Girls who come of age must be tested to see if they are likely to become gumihos. If so, well, the opening scene of the episode will fill you in on what happens next.
However, the family is not quite united (nor are they all informed) about the curse. The male lead, Hyo Moon (played by Choi Jin Hyuk, who I totally didn't recognize until almost the end of the episode), differs from his family in how he thinks about the family "curse".
I've seen some comments saying that the special effects are not so good. I'm not sure if those pertain to this episode or not, but I thought they were fine in this episode. This is a pretty low budget affair, for sure, but they did pretty well with the makeup and CG.
And, no, it's not very scary. It has some creepy aspects, but nothing here will haunt your dreams or anything. I didn't go into this expecting something super scary, so that doesn't matter to me. In fact, I generally think it's a plus if I laugh during a scary scene (is it just me?). It's a little campy, but I like that. But be forewarned if you are looking for real horror from this episode. You will be disappointed if that's what you're looking for.
Overall, it's an entertaining episode, decently acted and written. It's directed by the same guy who later directed Chuno. I was not impressed by the epilogue/ending, but otherwise, it was a lot of fun to watch. Looking forward to watching the next one!
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