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Reviews
Sarinjaui Syopingmol (2024)
Great action, great emotion
I really liked a shop for killers. It was intense in its action scenes and did a great job of filling in the backstories of the characters as it went.
The best thing about it was the characters and the actors who played them. Jian is the main character and the actor does a great job, but a lot of the real engagement comes from the side characters and the other main character, Lee Dong Wook as Jeong Jin man. Jin man is a compelling character and Dong Wook has the perfect face for conveying a jaded but compassionate mercenary.
Equally compelling are Pasin, Minhye, Jeong bin and Honda. The actor who plays Jeong bin has the sweetest face I've ever seen and uses it well. MinHye might be my favourite female bad arse right now. Loved her action scenes. Pasin was wonderful and I loved him to death, and Honda is a great example of how to make the audience connect with a character in a few minutes. This was one of those rare occasions when all of the 'good' characters are twice as interesting as the bad.
The only thing I really didn't like is the annoying ending. If you're going to do that, just make a 20 episode first season instead. Too often season two never shows up.
Keonekteu (2022)
Great but suffers from shortening
There simply weren't enough episodes of Connect for it to be totally satisfying, however it was still really good for something that was obviously cut short in both main and possible sub story lines.
There is, for example, a larger tragedy possible in one character's doomed love for the corpse art killer, and plenty of room for exploration of the killer's personality in this storyline.
There is a big story behind the organ harvesting crew and the doctor that is barely touched upon.
There is a wonderful, wrenching story behind the MC's working at a junkyard and the relationships there, but it isn't developed.
There is a really big side story in the young woman who 'helps' the main character but that is also barely touched upon.
However, the parts that are covered are done well, to the sad strains of Lonely Guitar Man's composition. The mood and atmosphere are perfect, the acting is fine though I agree the MC is quite muted but then, he's a lonely introvert who works in a junk yard and is terrified of being discovered and/or rejected. He has his moments, however. This could have been done a lot better than it was, but it was still good. I doubt they'll do a season two but they should.
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
Seriously bad and Statham doesn't save it
I'm so glad I did not pay anything extra to watch this terrible movie. I love shark movies but this was not a shark movie, it just used sharks as an excuse to make a really terrible action flick. By the half hour mark I was wishing everyone was already dead so the movie could be over. But no, they kept saying the stupid things they said for way too long. I started playing games on my phone because I was both bored and irritated by pretty much everything on the screen. I can't believe studios wonder why the box office is failing- even with something as spectacular as a giant shark to play with, they can't even deliver a decent shark movie.
Namjachingoo (2018)
Slow and beautiful
This was my first time seeing Park Bo Gum and he really is a beautiful man. It was easy to imagine the equally beautiful but wounded President Cho played by Song Hye Kyo totally falling for this always sunny character.
This was a slow paced drama but it was quite beautiful with some deep reflections on what love is and what it can make us do or not do. I was moved in many scenes-especially toward the end.
But there was one storyline I felt deserved more attention and, now that I have watched the drama to the end, it is this storyline that my mind dwells on. This is the story of President Cho's first husband, played by Jang Seung Jo. I think this actor really stole any scene he was in. He cut such a gently tragic figure-a man who had left his run too late. A better man than he seemed. I really wanted there to be more interaction between this actor and the leads.
I would recommend this drama if you just want to relax and look at beautiful things and feel a little sad.
Yeoshingangrim (2020)
Enjoyable and Moving
I really enjoyed this. I gave it a go and didn't really expect much, but found myself entangled straight away by the cruelty of Ju Kyung's treatment. Moon Ga Young played this role very well. I really felt for her.
When she gets away from her bullies and moves to a new school, she changes her life through the clever use of makeup and also discovers her passion. She has a series of encounters with the aloof super hunk of her school, played by Cha Eun Woo. I'd never seen this actor before and he is definitely beautiful. He also did a good job of playing the wounded teenager holding himself in tight control and blaming himself for a tragedy.
The way this tragedy was handled was deeply moving also. You could really feel the pain of the characters affected.
The side stories were cute and uplifting though did the usual k drama thing of being a bit too OTT. But the main love stories were great. It was one of those dramas where you do feel very sorry for the third member of the inevitable love triangle, because he really was solid husband material. There were some fantastic rivalry scenes and I laughed so hard about the toenails.
One of my favourite scenes was when the rather tough love style mother finally takes her daughter to a plastic surgeon and her responses to the proposed procedures and end result photo. It was a good comment on resorting to plastic surgery for minor issues. They actually did a good job of making the main actress look plain and beautiful, though of course, she could never really be considered unattractive.
Overall very enjoyable and well worth watching.
Backstreet Rookie (2020)
OK but Too many cringey bits
I enjoyed this drama for quite a few reasons. The main reason is Ji Chang Wook. He is a good actor and just so beautiful. Equally beautiful is FL Kim Yoo-jung. Watching these two on screen together is an overload of eye candy - but there is more. A fresh faced Kim Min-kyu is a potential love rival who comes close to stealing the attention.
Saet-byul is a strong female character with elite fighting skills and a big heart and most of the appeal of the drama is around her character.
But there are other characters worth watching for. Yoo Yeon-Ju does a good job of playing the rich, aloof girlfriend and her mother is excellent as the cold hearted rich b*tch. Some of the best scenes involve these two and the way in which the male leads family is humiliated by them is masterful. It was truly cold. I usually don't like people moving on quickly after a break up but it was understandable here. It would be too hard to keep loving someone after that.
Despite all these good things there were a couple of elements I really didn't enjoy. One was the depiction of dreadlocks. I was actually a bit shocked. Maybe it was meant as an illustration of the laziness of Dal Sik, but it came across as a comment on dreadlocks, and a particularly nasty comment. One scene made me feel a bit queasy. I was surprised to find this show was released in 2020 as that element seemed so out of touch. It made me dislike scenes with Dal Sik in case I had to watch insects hatch in his hair or something.
The other thing was the casual female to male violence. I didn't mind Saet-byul's ass-kicking scenes, but there's a bit where she punches a passed out JCW three times and his mother is constantly kicking into his father and Dal-sik's love interest is always hitting him and it's all treated as a joke. It's not that funny.
These elements are why this is my lowest rated k drama so far, but I still enjoyed much of the series. I probably wouldn't watch it twice though.
Geuraeseo Naneun Antipaengwa Gyeolhonhaetda (2021)
Mostly light, fluffy and enjoyable with a serious side
I watched this drama specifically to check out Hwang Chansung's acting but enjoyed the storyline.
The two mains were both very good and so that made the show easy to watch all the way through. The story was a romantic dramady but there were some serious topics. I think the writers were questioning the pursuit of fame above other more valuable things and the way in which ambition, jealousy and envy can really distort people's viewpoint. Especially young, inexperienced people going through their first serious relationships with little understanding of themselves. It is a critique of the k-pop industry and the amount of adulation for idols and the severity of public censure for idols within an ememies to lovers romance.
I have wondered for a while how good 2PM's Chansung is as an actor, given that he was an actor before Lee Junho and Ok Taecyeon and I have to say, I was impressed. I've watched Chansung perform in various shows and the character of JJ seemed very unlike Chansung and very unlikeable. At times, I detested him. Despite this, he was still able to play the character sympathetically enough that I felt sorry for him, despite his meanminded ways and abusive behaviour toward the In-hyeong, the woman who became a point of contention between JJ and frenemy Hoo Joon. The most moving moments in the entire drama were delivered by Chansung. So, it's safe to say Chansung really impressed me. Although I am fully aware he is Hwang Chansung, in this drama I saw him as JJ and barely saw any Chansung in him at all. Probably the only scenes were the ones closest to his own life, practising dance moves as a rookie. I definitely will be watching other shows he is in because he can act.
Though there are some issues with pacing here and there, I think this series is worth watching at least once and if you are a 2PM fan, more than once.
Un-myeong-cheol-eom neol sa-rang-hae (2014)
Head over heels for the snail couple
When I started watching this I nearly changed my mind straight away. It was the second k-drama I watched and I found the Lee Gun character way over the top. However, this character is played by Jang Hyuk and there is just something about this actor. He exudes confidence on screen and his acting is amazing. Before long this loud, smashingly well dressed guy with the annoying laugh became my favourite character.
Alongside this huge character is sweet, mousy Kim Mi-Young, played perfectly by Jang Nara.
The show is full of totally unbelievable things, but the main storyline between the leads is so beautiful and compelling that it has become one of favourite ever love stories. I cried so much!!! I adore the 'snail couple' - Jang Hyuk's expressive eyes and voice and Jang Nara's sweet face made me believe everything.
The supporting cast is also great and, while I didn't love everything they added, they all had their charms.
If you love romance and tortured love stories, watch this as soon as you can. It's a whole experience!
Oldeuboi (2003)
Gobsmacking
I watched this expecting to see something like Taken or the Equalizer so you can imagine how shocked I was within the first few minutes. The first stage of the movie is AMAZING. The bit where he is looking at the painting and smiling- my mouth dropped open. The director had my full attention. And it just went on like that until the end.
It was not a nice movie. I didn't enjoy it. But it was so well done. The acting was top notch, from the male and female leads, the antagonist, even the gangsters. And the cinematography was perfect for the subject matter. I was taken on a very disturbing ride by people who really knew what they were doing. 10/10.
My Heart Is Beating (2023)
Fun, but Surprising ending
I watched this for Ok Taecyeon and loved the idea of him playing a vampire. I really wasn't expecting the series to be what it was, and I really enjoyed the humour. Some scenes are so funny and the mood is quite light for the subject matter much of the time. I didn't mind the female lead - she was convincing as a fairly embittered young woman determined to fight for herself with a lot of walls. I also really liked her sunbae.
The ending was unexpected and none of the main characters seemed to get what they had been striving for. I felt they could have done a lot more with the ending, whichever way it went. It did seem to suffer from that rushed thing that happens at the end of many dramas, but without any resolutions - but again, I guess that's close to life.
One thing this really needed was more vampire fights. After seeing this I agree with Taecyeon that he needs to be in some more action based flicks. He was pretty scary when he needed to be-the most scary of all the vampires for sure. Of course, he looks handsome throughout and I loved all the suits. 2PM really has talented members.
Hwarang (2016)
Handsome leads, handsome supporting actors too
Hwarang is strong on the visuals and quickly becomes addictive when the hwarang are formed. It is a story of hidden kings, corruption and class and also bromance. Go Ara's character really is annoying but you can just overlook that because the other performances are so strong. Park Seojoon is riveting in this. He grows more manly and beautiful with every scene until it's hard to see anyone else, which is exactly what the plot demands. Park Hyung-sik is beautiful and deadly but trapped in his position as hidden king and riddled with doubt. These two make the entire series, and could do so by themselves, but luckily they also have a great supporting cast. Is there anything Choi Minho can't do? What a beautiful young man, fantastic in this role of the cocky and daring noble youth. Another idol, V, takes a gentler role as the non violent young heir forced into hwarang and protected by his capable, tortured half brother. V does a great job but it's hard to really shine beside such bright stars. Solid performances are also delivered by Do Ji-Han, Kim Hyun-jun, Yoo Jae-kyung and Kim Ji-Soo. The enemy king was also good.
Overall, very enjoyable with some really stand out episodes. It had a bit of a slow start but I'm glad I persevered. Great performances.
Sseul-sseul-ha-go cha-ran-ha-sin-do-ggae-bi (2016)
Didn't quite live up to the hype but good
Everyone raved about this show so I was really looking forward to it, but I almost stopped watching because I just couldn't believe in the relationship between the Goblin and his wife. I loved the first episode but it then got frustrating as the Goblins wife vacillated between being with the goblin and then insisting he bring her a boyfriend until I had no idea what she was doing. That whole relationship was tedious for ages!
However, the bromance, the nephew, the deities, were all interesting so I did come back to give it another go.
Some of the scenes were really beautiful. The best by far was the first meeting between the Grim Reaper and Sunny. That was so high impact - a tear ran down my face too. I got chills. I loved that relationship much more than the Goblin relationship. A lot of the most moving scenes happened away from the main leads, though they also delivered some powerful moments.
I'm glad I persisted. The annoying relationship greatly improved later and so many scenes were beautiful and moving. I didn't really understand the whole Goblin thing at the end - I thought that would be over- but its fantasy so whatever.
I'm glad I finally saw Goblin but I probably won't watch it again.
King deo raendeu (2023)
Heartwarming and fun
Another person surprised by the low rating. I believe this was voted down in response to the depiction of one hyper-rich character drinking and womanising while living large away from home. Apparently this would never happen. Ok - it's a viewpoint but has nothing to do with the majority of this modern fairy tale so don't let the rating put you off if you generally like k-drama.
A young, handsome and fair-minded chaebol heir struggles to find his place within his cold family and their hotel business and meets a determined, hard working woman who catches his attention with her inner strength and beautiful smile. He falls hard for her and must work through his own resistance and hers to find a way into her heart.
In the meantime, he faces a power struggle with his ruthless sister and must decide whether he values his place within his family or not.
Lee Junho plays this role so well it's like he isn't even acting, but this role is unlike anything he has done previously and he is right on point. He delivers a modern, Korean version of Mr Darcy. This series actually introduced me to Lee Junho, and through him, his k-pop band 2PM, so I'm always going to love King the Land. I have enjoyed so many hours listening to and learning about Lee Junho, 2PM and all the band members.
This series also features the charming Yoona, and in many ways it is Yoona and her group of friends and grandmother who really bring a lot of the warmth and magic to this show. I will always love the market scene with the golden carp prize and the scenes at the grandmothers shop. It was Yoona and her friends who first hooked me in as Gu Won's first parachute scene was on the too silly side, but you quickly learn there is more to him than his money, despite his privileged behaviours.
While this series has some more serious themes in parts, it is predominantly an enjoyable feel-good series that brings a smile. I've watched it twice and enjoyed it both times.
Doctor Who (2023)
Just not good at all
I can't believe how bad Dr Who has gotten since Matt Smith/David Tennant. I tried watching Whittaker but great actor and awful script. Then I tried the most recent series. What happened? I thought the Whittaker writing was bad, but this season is like 'hold my beer'. It was like watching the very worst bits of Star Wars. The doctor was fine in a couple of scenes but the poor actors were given the most terrible drivel to work with. Ruby in particular suffered. I can't tell whether she can't actually act or is just bad at delivering totally hammy embarrassing scripts. At least she can sing in tune, I guess? I watched the appalling goblin one with budget Jabba and then the equally cruddy space babies and had to turn it off when the evil devil person showed up in ep. 3. It's just awful. Another season I won't be watching.
Gireumjin Mello (2018)
Great leads, a lot of heart
There is no world in which I would not watch a drama, starring both Jang Hyuk, and Lee Junho. I was not disappointed. The opening scenes of Hyuk falling for the female lead are heart warming and left me hoping for his character's happiness for the entire series. He is a wonderful actor and I enjoyed every performance in this series.
This was the first time Lee Junho really impressed me with his acting. I had watched King the Land and enjoyed his performance but Gu Won seemed like a fairy tale character, as perfect as Lee Junho's cheekbones and eye smiles. Here I saw Lee Junho's ability to convey difficult emotions convincingly. I loved his portrayal of this fiery tempered ambitious but thwarted chef.
I also loved the teams in this series-the gangsters and the female leads family members and the chefs former colleagues.
I got pulled in in particular by the opening scenes of this great chef cooking delectable meals for his fiancé and team and finding them thrown in the bin with no appreciation. That got my sympathy for the chef fired up and after that I wanted nothing more than to see him succeed. Highly recommend this entertaining show. It has a lot of heart.
Otsomae Bolkeun Kkeutdong (2021)
Slow paced but beautiful
I liked the first half of this drama better than the second and I found the portrayal of the time very interesting and sobering. The Prince in the rice casket! The dying for stepping on the kings path. The dying for so many small reasons. In the midst of this harshness, the morally strict crown Prince falls for a woman who doesn't want to be his concubine, regardless of her genuine feelings for him. His struggle to understand and her struggle to make him understand form a large part of the plot. Sometimes this is frustrating, sometimes it is everything.
Lee Junho delivers a strong performance. One of his major strengths as an actor is conveying frustration and anger, probably built from his personal experiences. As a big fan of 2pm, his band, I've watched this fiery young man try and succeed (and fail) at numerous activities and he brings all those experiences with him. He is a powerhouse and it makes him a wonderful actor to watch in any of his performances. He is perfect for this rigid but bending frustrated King with a challenging upbringing (though he seems perfect in pretty much any role).
As usual, the entire cast is good.
The final episodes are moving. I expected to cry and I did. It wasn't quite as good as I'd heard but it was very close. 9/10.
Choeakui Ak (2023)
Could not stop watching
I am a fan of Ji Chang Wook's acting and this drama did nothing to lessen my admiration. I first saw him in Healer, which was awesome, and have watched most of what he has done since. He is great, and in this series he really brings it. It is funny to think of him appearing in this and Welcome to Samdal Ri in the same year as the roles are widely different. I am glad he is working hard though, as that's two more opportunities to enjoy his performances.
I also like Wi Ha-joon and think he does a good job of playing Jung Gi-Cheoul as a sympathetic character, despite his ruthlessness.
I am not at all familiar with Bibi but she is a scene-stealer, as is her near silent bodyguard.
As usual, the side characters are immensely talented and do not detract from the overall production. Choi Jeong-bea, Yoo Eui-jung's mother, the Japanese bodyguard, and the guy on the bike (Yankees?) caught my attention, but they're all very good.
There are some rather unbelievable bits (JCW has superhuman healing abilities) but overall it is forgiveable because the pace is somewhat relentless and you've already moved on to enjoying the next scene.
I'm giving this 10 out of 10 for the acting and the pure entertainment value.
Taekbaegisa (2023)
Watchable but turn off your logic
I'm giving this 7 out of 10 as it loses 3 points for the plot holes and somewhat silly bits.
However, the look of the show is great, and I really liked the characters. I do like Kim Woo Bin but the show wasted him to some extent. That said, he was fine as a mostly masked tough guy, though I would have liked to see more of him from his pre-delivery man days.
I really like Esom too. She was competent in this but it would have been nice to see her character be something other than grim a few times.
I really liked Ya-sol, his three friends and grandfather, and also Esom's sister.
Overall, I felt like the series was too short and things happened too quickly but the actors, acting and cinematography were all good.
This Is Us (2016)
Too much Jack
I really love this series when it first, when I first started watching it. The characters are wonderful and warmly, drawn. For a long time I loved learning more about Jack and the mystery surrounding his death.
And finally, I learned what happened and I was satisfied. I thought okay next season we can get on with the kids lives. But no suddenly we have to have a whole bunch of new drama around Jack. Jack's army life. Oh god, I'm so bored of Jack. As much as I loved the other characters I could not keep watching. I like the actor who plays Jack but I am totally over the character. So I was forced to tune out. I just couldn't handle how much air time was given to a character who was going nowhere.
Ki Hwanghoo (2013)
Rivetting!
I loved all 51 episodes of this show. I even slowed down my watching at about ep. 35 because I didn't ever want it to end. The main actors in this series are so wonderful, but the whole supporting cast is great. I loved so many characters - General Tal Tal, Choi Moo-song, Golta, Park Bul-hwa, Yeon Bisu, Bang Shin Woo. And then there were the people I loved to hate, Tanashiri, the Empress Dowager, Yeon chul, Dang Kise, Beakan, Yeon-hwa, Yeom Byung Soo, Court Lady Seo and Bayan Khutugh.
Of course, the three leads were amazing. I hadn't seen Ha Ji-won before but she was rivetting as Yang/Empress Ki. The weakest part of the show was when she acted as a man, mostly because it was hard to believe anyone thought she was a man because of how she looked - her mannerisms were reasonably convincing. But once she becomes a tribute woman, she puts in a solid performance, growing from strength to strength as her character navigates the twisted politics of the court. Excellent performance.
I had not seen Joo Jin-mo either but loved his understated, very manly portrayal of Wang Yoo - in many ways the biggest victim in this drama but accepting everything with stoic grace. A worthy king figure.
I have seen Ji Chang-wook before and already think he is a great actor and he did not disappoint here, though his character was quite disappointing. However, because he was played by Ji Chang-wook, the emperor was beautiful and that made him a little easier to bear. Another solid performance from this actor.
This is a beautiful production. The costumes. The cinematography. The people. The story. I really enjoyed every episode of this drama. It flew by and I was sad when it had ended.
The Tank (2023)
Just lazy
There are some good things about this movie - I don't mind the creatures and there were some creepy bits, but this is overshadowed by the ridiculous bits. Like pouring your super irritating chemicals into the water of a massive tank as if they won't just dilute immediately. Or wandering around in the dark wondering if something is out there while something out in the forest makes prehistoric noises that would scare the hell out of anyone. The most puzzling bit is the disappearing windows of cars. These disappear to let beasties in but then reappear when the danger is over. It is amazingly lazy filmmaking. I'm prepared to suspend logic for a horror but the disappearing window glass took it that step too far.
Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Not as good as it should've been
This is a weird one because I read the book before watching the movie. Part of me wishes that I didn't because I wonder if knowing what was coming spoiled the movie for me. But then, part of me is glad I read it first as I doubt I'd have bothered reading it after watching the movie. The book was more shocking and had a way better ending. This ending was Hollywood cliche - and why do a horror if you shy away from horror?
I like the director but he does this a lot. In this movie it was to the point of an almost total declawing.
It was decent to watch in terms of cinematography and acting but it didn't build interest in the characters and took a quite shocking scenario to a mildly interesting one.
Barry (2018)
Binge watched four great seasons
I'd heard about this show but didn't watch it until recently and before long I'd binge watched the lot. It was hard to resist letting each episode start because I always wanted to find out what happened next.
Barry is full of great characters, from Bill Hader's Barry to his self-obsessed girlfriend to vain, narcissistic Cousineau and the always delightful Noho Hank. There is an amazing episode with a taekwondo expert and his daughter - both parts played perfectly. So many great scenes and bit parts.
Some episodes I would be in awe, sometimes I'd laugh out loud, sometimes I'd be scared or tense and sometimes I'd be crying for the terrible grief and desperation of the characters. Definitely give it a go.
65 (2023)
More Dinosaurs, less asteroids
I was always going to watch this movie. Adam Driver. Dinosaurs. Those two elements are enough in themselves. But pretty soon I realised I was watching After Earth, except that After Earth is better. Why? Because that side story about the fear monster is actually pretty interesting.
There is no interesting side story here. Yeah, there is a diversion to explain why Adam Driver's character has little reason to live, but it's a very standard story without a lot of punch. There's also a bit of a Last of Us vibe when he finds a little girl has survived as well and he decides to save her. But again, it lacks lustre. Koa is fine, it's just that the plot is so done over and over again. I do think it would have been good if it was a bit more Pitch Black, with more survivors who can then get picked off. At least would have generated some more tension.
The planet alternates between being super dangerous and not dangerous at all. One minute you can't sit on the beach for a second and the next you can walk across massive open fields with pterodactyls flying overhead and be totally fine. There is a lot of focus on asteroids and such when the focus should really be on dinosaurs. But I did like the dinosaurs and Adam Driver so I'm giving it seven.
Smile (2022)
Smile becomes a frown
I really liked a lot of this movie. I found the premise interesting and hoped like hell they weren't going to try for tracing origin and all of that. But they did.
Still not too bad but you quickly figure out they're going to make out the psychologist is not smart enough to understand what she has to do and it quickly becomes a less interesting version of Fallen.
But, unlike Fallen, the last fifteen minutes or so are really really stupid. We see the monster and it is sooo who cares. Really? That is what scared me for the first half of the movie. Boring. It's like yet another stretchy Gumby monster. I'm so sick of them now. This monster was done well in IT Follows and parts of IT but because it is well done in other movies, it's totally boring in this one. The smile was way way scarier. Way scarier. I was so disappointed at the end I had to look up what happened later because my brain couldn't be bothered remembering it.