Reviews

Great first half but loses its steam (and my attention) in the second half.

1st half - 8.0
2nd half - 7.0

I already lowered my expectations for “The Story of Pearl Girl”, yet I am still somewhat disappointed. This is a well-produced drama with beautiful costumes, decent sets and cinematography. I don’t think objectively this is a bad drama, but I lost my connection to the leads in the middle of the drama, and was unable to regain my attention in the second half.

“The Story of Pearl Girl” has an exciting start. The story of our female lead’s struggle to leave the pearl farm might not be realistic, but at least it’s interesting. Time spent on the ship and Duan Wu’s climb from the bottom of the crew to being a partner-in-crime are well-paced and exciting. The first half is able to balance Duan Wu’s story and Yan Zi Jing’s revenge plot pretty well.

Although the chemistry between the leads is not sizzling, at least they have some interesting and fun scenes together in the first half. I also enjoy the friendships of the crew members and especially Duan Wu’s tight bond with young Xia Mi/Little Shrimp. The first half has a good balance of angst, suffering, adventure, and humor. There isn’t anyone too irritating in the drama and the leads are all quite smart.

Unfortunately, the heartbreaking mid-drama episodes came much earlier than expected. After that, everything goes downhill. The leads are separated for way too many episodes when they’re off to their own adventures. The little chemistry that they had, disappeared in the second half, and was never recovered. Well, at least I never felt their chemistry anymore. During this time, the focus shifted to Duan Wu’s business plot. The male lead becomes a wallflower or an unimportant supporting character. The drama loses the balance of revenge excitement and business shenanigans. Eventually, it also loses my attention all the way until the end. The downfall of the villains in the last couple episodes is very anti-climatic. I expected more, when revenge is such a big focus in this drama. The last episode should elicit a lot more emotions from me because of the lead couple, but I think I felt more for the secondary couple, Cui Shi Jiu and Zheng Zhi Heng.

The general acting of the cast isn’t too bad. I don’t think this is Zhao Lu Si’s best role. I still like her more in “Love Like the Galaxy”. But she’s good enough. The same could not be said for Liu Yu Ning. He lacks screen presence and charisma as a male lead. His acting also seems to have regressed from when I last saw him in “Heroes” (2024) where he acted alongside two very strong male leads. He’s still not very good with romantic scenes, and seems to be best when he’s with his band of brothers/bromance, such as in “A Journey to Love” or “Heroes”. The second male lead, Tang Xiao Tian, is a more experienced actor and it shows. There’s a scene when they’re side by side digging through the soil, and you could see the difference in their acting when displaying the same emotions. Fortunately, the rest of the supporting cast deliver solid acting.

I am not sure if I would fully recommend “The Story of Pearl Girl” to everyone. My criticisms are very personal due to me never recovering the interest after it’s lost in the middle of the drama. Normally, I would have rated a similar drama an 8.0. But if you are a fan of Zhao Lu Si, it’s worth checking it out. Her acting is still solid and she looks beautiful with different hair/makeup and costumes.




Completed: 12/19/2024 - Review #528

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Family fantasy that's also about individual growth and change

It's difficult or impossible to root for the leads of most kdramas to reconcile because the writing simply does not do the work to allow them to learn and confront the core problems that drove them apart in the first place, just skipping through romantic moments and calling it a day. This drama thankfully does have the main characters fully separate so they can gain a new point of view and move forward in their lives before finally understanding and see eye to eye. Da Jung delayed her schooling and working in her dream job in reporting/hosting while Dae Yeong completely abandoned his childhood dreams of becoming a professional basketball player in order for the two to become teen parents to twins. They both aged from still looking like their teen selves through their 20s to looking like they are in their 40s (as their actors are) even though they are supposedly 30s. within a few years (like John and Mary from Supernatural). At least she's pursuing her dream despite, while he's deeply embittered at his dead end job that he turns to drinking away his sorrows and saying the most unforgivable thing he could to his wife in public at their school reunion, blaming her for how his life turned out and forgets about it while being black out drunk. It takes two to conceive and was contraceptives even involved? This snowballs with his other bad behavior into being served divorce papers by Da Jung.

Dae Yeong caches in all the good karma he accumulated in his life both when he get given some magic tea that's implied to be perhaps a mix of science and magic by an mysterious elder that turns him back to his young charismatic handsome self and he has a very rich best friend Deok Jin who can house and pretend to be his father. All the scenes with him makes me wonder if this show was partially sponsored by Disney/Marvel. Deok Jin keeps pursuing Ms. Ok despite her constantly saying no until she agrees to date him at the end. It doesn't matter if she's also a fellow nerd, this is just awful. This storyline is awful when they did the other ones pretty well. Ji Hoon the baseball player was always respectful of Da Jung's space and wishes from beginning to end, being a fantastic friend to her even when she doesn't return his feelings. She in turns gives him observant and experience advice to raise his niece/adopted daughter. He was always the mature adult when ever Dae Yeong was being jealous territorial too and only got stern with him when Dae Yeong looked to be getting inappropriate and violent with a fearful Da Jung. He also had to learn that he can't force people to become parents when they don't want to. Him forcing his daughter's unwilling bio mom to meet her was cruel to both regardless of what she chose to say. It turns out that he had been looking for Dae Yeong as well as he was the one who was able to save the niece's life with his handyman tools by breaking the car window and taking her away from the car before a big truck careened fatally into her father and Ji Hoon's brother's car. It's pretty convenient that they are connected this way, but I'll chalk it up to part of Dae Yeong's magical karma.

Dae Yeong initially self serving wish to become young again to do what he missed out on became a way to understand his estranged family members. He finally sees all of his negative behavior towards them while his loving actions as Woo Yeong makes them think of Dae Yeong's caring side. His twins Si Ah and Si Yu seem to have zero interest of ever looking at his photos or videos of him when he was young, while in contrast Si Ah's boyfriend who has fond memories of Dae Yeong stepping up to race with him when he was young does and is the only one other than the adults to figure it out. It took Dae Yeong to transform into the body of his former self to stop yelling so much and be a more communicative person, finally getting to know his children fully as the people they have become. His stereotypical macho father outrage at boys being interested in his daughter was awful though, as Si Ah is more than capable of handling herself on that front. I hope both his kids are fully informed about contraceptives though. It's really lovely how the parallels were done between Da Jung and Si Ah's personalities. Da Jung was actually a bad ass that kicked a girl gang down to save the girl that bullied her, turning her into a life long friend and continues kicking ass with further self defense classes with Si Ah. Si Ah is a bit too old to learn the hard way to avoid dark alleys and picking fights in alleys no matter how good a fighter she is, but better late than never.

It was really interesting the way the drama dealt with the various bullies. Both the lawyer and the young anchor were saved by Da Jung fighting people that picked on them like the other bullies and the upskirt filming producer creep. The coach that bullied Deok Jin in high school took bribes due to his father never believing in him and paying his way onto the team. He became an example used by Da Jung to compel the parents to whistleblow together for their kids. This actually made the parent of Ja Seong that was bullying Si Yu for witnessing the bribe become a better dad and so his son becomes a better person too. Dae Yeong's dad didn't give into the bribe because he believed his son's abilities speak for itself. This storyline connects to the all the characters so well. Deok Jin appearing on the news and the anchor describing his incoherence in speaking as evidence of how badly he was beaten up by the coach was so funny. Dae Yeong reunites with his father who also turned to drinking and hitting him after Dae Yeong's mother died. With time and distance, his father had recovered from his grief and was able to change as well. Dae Yeong watching the back of his aged father, both sitting in the senior seating on the bus to driving the bus for work was heartbreaking. He interacts with him a for a few times, before finally revealing himself to his father through the sign language they both learned for Dae Yeong's mother. It's the most moving scene in the series.

I liked that Da Jung got to date Dae Yeong in his young form for a bit. The chemistry between the actors is very nice. Because there was so much change between the characters, it wasn't too disappointing that he switched back to true age after he made the decision to abandon a basketball career a second time, reaffirming what he wants is just life with Da Jung and their family. He even becomes her manager for a while before he becomes a teacher to little kiddos once his own kiddos have gone off to college. I assume it's because she made enough money in her flourishing career to afford to hire a team. The series is only a about 1hr4m most episodes, but each one feels longer than that, but in a good way. It packs in a lot of interpersonal connection and growth than dramas with episodes over 90minutes long. This is why years later when Da Jung and Dae Yeong have found their identities and have learned healthy ways to communicate after disagreements, it makes sense for them to tie the knot once again. Their guests include the mysterious magic elder who also offered Da Jung who helped him across the street a wish, but she didn't take it. I wonder if he offers everyone who helps him a wish, there might be a whole connected universe of magical mayhem stories because of him.

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Kang Full’s Got No Chill.. Back to Back Masterpieces..

Light Shop flawlessly intertwines the supernatural with human emotions and explores the afterlife and the quest for redemption.. It offered a moving experience to say the truth.. Light Shop excels in showing us the thin veil between life and death.. Reality and the ethereal..
What made me keep watching was the slow paced mood driven narrative.. The slow pace may not appeal to everyone like it did with me.. But you have to understand that it allows the story to unfold with emotional precision.. Which makes each revelation more impactful.. The visual depth in the drama is just outstanding..

Immersive Screenplay.. Visual feast of cinematography.. Good music and extradordinary performance from the cast drives Light Shop to be a work of art..

Ju Ji Hoon and Kim Seol Hyun's performance stood out for me.. KSH's character Lee Ji Yeong's death was an emotional one and the sheer pain of her final moments both physical and emotional tore through the narrative like a wound that refuses to heal.. I think its her story with Uhm Tae Goo that felt the most tragic and that wound never truly healed.. Even by the end..
I think in her last moments as a ghost she believed Hyun Min didn’t love her.. She seemed to expect him to choose to stay with her in the afterlife like Seon Hae did for Hye Won believing that is where they would be happiest.. But in the end Jiyoung chooses to haunt him forever and I guess you could say she becomes a vengeful spirit unable to let go.. Perhaps if she had known about the ring her story could have had a different ending… Maybe..

In Light Shop's finale while every character seems to find some closure.. Its clear that its not truly the end.. Their lives are now intertwined with the afterlife.. I guess they will have to face whatever comes next in their journey through life..

I would have loved to see JJH and Park Bo Young interact in the show.. Guess we just have to be content knowing they have met before ..

The cameo at the end by Jang Hui Su was a pleasant surprise .. But I would have loved to see Kim Bong Seok make an appearance as well.. And we get a look at Young tak from Timing.. So I guess they will create a larger universe in the coming years.. Hope they do it..

Overall this drama is a masterpiece or as close as it can get.. It tells a story that is as "MOVING" as it is entertaining.. It hooks you holds you and leaves you in awe.. Whether you are watching it for the story or the visuals or the acting.. Light Shop delivers on all fronts..

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well... that was depressing lmao

the first half is full of intrigue with the narrative told in a slow, suspenseful manner. with the amount of characters this got, it can get confusing at the beginning but they successfully made it engaging for me and mysterious, you want to know what's gonna happen next. and what happens next is an emotional exploration of life and death. it is sad and depressing honestly but it's also thought-provoking. i think there are enough media out there that imagine what's "afterlife" gonna be and this didn't do anything that mindblowing but it did enough to make me emotionally move. the supernatural intrigue definitely helped. literally everyone gave such incredible and compelling performances. but i might give an extra star to mother lee jungeun for making me cry. she's so good.

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A dark fantasy horror slowburn that kept me intralled and broke me down

Whoa...whoa...and whoa!!! I have to say this immediately, I am a big nerd about history, culture, folklore, myths, and fantasy, and having been diving into K-Dramas, I must share that I absolutely enjoy watching how they share their medium of folklore and myths in their dramas. Light Shop gives us that dive into their cultural folklore and I immediately understood what was being depicted in episode one and was hooked!

Without giving any spoilers, I will say, that this series starts very slow. Still, the interconnection of all the characters will give an intense dive into a dark and expansive world that connects with the human experience with light and made my eyes hurt, especially at the end with a poignant scene between our ML and one of my favorite K-actress [Lee Jung-eun]. When I say, she showed out (like I've seen her do before), oh, my gosh!!

I won't say more here, because, spoilers! Make sure to watch the final end credit though!

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Yet another revenge drama

Plot and Execution:

The story revolves around the lives of students at Jooshin High School, where scholarship students are often treated as outsiders and the children of the elite wield their power without consequence. The narrative explores themes of revenge, crime, drama, and romance, weaving a complex tale that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

While "Hierarchy" doesn't break new ground in the genre, it effectively captures the essence of similar series such as "Elite" and "13 Reasons Why." The series addresses the serious issue of bullying and its devastating consequences, a recurring theme in Korean dramas like "Revenge of Others," "True Beauty," and "The Glory."

Characters and Performances:

The cast delivers strong performances, particularly Roh Jeong-eui and Lee Chae-min, who bring depth and authenticity to their roles. The characters are well-developed, allowing viewers to empathize with their struggles and triumphs.

Strengths:

Engaging Storyline: The series offers a compelling narrative that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish, with its blend of drama, crime, and romance.

Strong Performances: The cast, especially the leads, delivers powerful performances that add depth to the story.

Relevant Themes: The exploration of bullying, drug abuse, and the abuse of power resonates with contemporary issues, making the series both relevant and thought-provoking.

High Production Value: The cinematography, set design, and overall production quality are top-notch, enhancing the viewing experience.

Weaknesses:

Predictable Plot: The series follows a familiar formula seen in other dramas of the same genre, making it somewhat predictable.

Inspired Elements: "Hierarchy" feels heavily inspired by series like "13 Reasons Why" and "Revenge of Others," lacking a unique identity of its own.

Conclusion:

"Hierarchy" is a well-executed drama that effectively tackles important social issues within the setting of an elite high school. While it may not be groundbreaking or particularly innovative, it provides a gripping and engaging viewing experience. The strong performances and high production value make it worth watching, even if it sometimes feels derivative of other popular series.

With a teaser hinting at a possible second season, "Hierarchy" is likely to maintain its popularity and continue to make noise globally. It stands as a solid entry in the genre, offering a mix of drama, crime, and romance that will appeal to fans of teen romance and revenge dramas.

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This is a great revenge romantic drama set in a historical era. It is well written and the cast did a very good job bringing their characters to life. Li Zong Lin (as Su Jing Yuan / Cheng Yu Yang / Xiao Shu Shu) and Jiang Zhi Nan as Cheng Xi Nian gave a wonderful performance as the leading couple. They were both smart, strategic thinkers, intense and have a fantastic chemistry, whether they are planning their revenge, being childish, or just expressing their romantic feelings , they were really natural and lovely; during conflict of interests or when one thought the other will be in danger, they showed empathy and steadfast support while trying to reason about their actions. This is a wonderful and entertaining miniseries, enjoy it!
The drama can be found on YouTube under the caption: Full Version | The sweet and painful forbidden love with fake uncle | [Rise From the Ashes 小亭台] or Full Version|Cinderella want revenge, but she accidentally got pregnant with her uncle's child- on this one, the beginning is taken from a scene that happens later on but it is the same drama.

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An Endearing, Heartwarming Romantic Comedy Indeed!

“Who is She”- I was stuck by this odd question when I saw the interaction between O Mal Sun & Kim Ae Sim.

What happens when a yesteryear’s star meets a older lady who desperately wants to sing her debut single? A modern retelling of the popular film “Miss Granny”, “Who Is She” focuses on Oh- Mal Soon, a grandmother who magically transforms into her 20 years old self; the only glitch being that her younger self looks exactly like Emily, an aspiring trainee at Unis Entertainment who has gone missing, just days before her debut. The premise did remind me of “Miss Night and Day” where the protagonist transforms from a young lady to an older one. “Who Is She” uses reverse transformation, but the base concept does sound similar. Oh- Mal Soon wanted to be a singer, a dream she shares with her granddaughter, Choi Ha Na. As she gets a second chance to pursue her dreams, the show will focus on her personal growth as she reignites her passion for music.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/12/20/who-is-she-first-impressions/#more-1400

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