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Geunyeoui Sasaenghwal (2019)
Mixed feelings
The good: I liked the first seven episodes. They were quite funny, sometimes silly but made me laugh a lot, reminding me of my own childish fluttering and yearning fan heart that never went to the extremes depicted, but was just happy dreaming about the beloved star. So I enjoyed the glimpse into a fan persecuted idol's and fandom's world, empathising with both, reconnecting with and reminiscing juvenile memories. I also liked the introduction into art and curation. The romance follows the stereotype of cold guy's heart melted by happy, warm girl and the fate line childhood friends become lovers, so nothing new, but nice and credible and had some heart flutter moments. So Kim Jae-Wook is definitely able to produce them. The cast was interesting and quite diverse and I especially liked character and performance of Ahn Bo-Hyun, but all did well and the side plots were interesting, too. The ending scene is also nice and satisfying.
The bad: Shortly after such a heart flutter the evolution of the romance was stopped by unnecessary love triangles, out of which one felt really made up and was incredible. From episode 8 the funny, lighthearted and fandom parts fade to almost nonexistent and the storyline changes to personal problems and childhood reconciliation while art exposition planning is going on. That's not bad in itself, but I felt in a nimbus searching for a storyline to follow while enduring the daily details of a couple in love for too many seasons. The tooth-aching sweetness in which it is depicted, bare of any sex appeal whatsoever, becomes the main screen while fandom, personal history and curation blur out to tiny coloured dots, making the second half of the show rather boring. The philosophical parts are often too moralistic and the recovery from trauma way too quick and simplified. And the suits Ryan Gold had to wear... OMG, most of the time not my cup of tea, hers were nice but too much like a fashion show, ok in Suits, but not here, really.
In the last episode everything is closed up as usual.
I would have enjoyed the show much more if it had a better balance between the plot lines, between lightheartedness and weight, between overdressing and natural look. By limiting the overly sweet daily life, exploring passion (after all passion is central in fandom, relationship, art...), enhancing the process of remembering and reconciling with the past, giving more screen time to show the effects of it on art/performance, close the circle of the Cha Shi-A/fangirl relationship and limiting the side plots. Thus making the coloured dots bigger.
The show has it's good, sweet and funny moments and valuable and interesting parts I would have loved to see more of, but couldn't.
Nooni Booshige (2019)
Bittersweet
This drama absolutely brilliantly tells the hardships and challenges of ageing, therefore the more mature audience will resonate a lot with it. I recognised myself in so many aspects. It covers a wide variety of subjects, not only about ageing in general but family, historical and social dynamics in a very accurate way. It starts like a fantasy drama, that kept me hoping for that inevitable romcom happy ending. The chemistry between the main characters is just so good. The pacing is slow. And there are unexpected twists that made my jaw drop.
That said, I admit fast forwarding through certain scenes, especially those the elder brother was in. I just couldn't stand the character. And I had troubles adjusting to some twists of the story, as they seemed to belong to a complete different show. But I understand how the writers tried to find value in ageing, respecting the qualities and abilities still available. The last turn felt again like a jump into a different plot, brilliantly characterised and moving to tears, but deviating from what I expected and I kind of felt robbed.
It's hard to rate this show. The actors are brilliant, the storytelling accurate, there is comedy, romance, tragedy, melancholy... There a parts I would rate 10+, while others way lower. I love how all the different background stories are evolved and the depth of detail.
It's well worth watching, even twice (maybe I'd rate it higher after watching it again), but not for you, if you're looking for the usual lighthearted romcom.
Sejak (2024)
Captivating the audience
It starts off with the usual Joseon settings - power fights and intrigues among ministers, a girl in men's clothing with nobody doubting her fake gender, greedy mother and fights for the throne. So far, nothing new in the Joseon universe.
What's new is the mature figure of the (future) king, hilariously interpreted by Jo Jung Suk, the lack of silly dialogues, weak women fainting or loudly crying their souls out. Instead we've got strong, determined female characters and are introduced to the game baduk which the FL is a master of. The whole series is more mature than comparable ones, thus has a slower pace and more mature dialogues. Also the empathy needed for tactics in playing bakuk finds its counterpart in (but not limited to) the behaviour and speech of of the main leads.
All characters are very well acted and believable, the story is told with subtle details, also distinguishing between the king as a private person and being king as a ruler, adding a lot of depth. Or wanting revenge while loving the person, willpower and heart, making the inner struggles of the characters really felt.
This series kept me hooked till the end. I was living with it, wondering how to get out of this or that situation, alternating between there will/won't be a happy ending, hope and despair. The actors, the script, the suspense curve... really well done!
Even if you've watched a lot of other Joseon era movies, go for it. It's well worth it!
Our Blues (2022)
Absolutely excellent
This is not a show to binge watch, but to flavour every episode or two and to let it settle before you move on. It's a heartwarming, excellent series, without overacting or silly dialogues, not fantasy nor crime, taking you on a deep dive into the richness of human relationships, every day struggles, problems and hardship from various perspectives and various stories of a group of people living in Jeju.
The absolutely brilliant acting and very realistic, sensitive storytelling will vibrate within you and your own experience, all the while taking you to a new place, new culture and new scenery. It is slow enough to ponder similar experiences in your life and captivating enough to keep your interested in their stories.
The only flaw I found, was about the time span the girl spent with her grandmother. It didn't match the gossip. Probably a mistake writing the story, but was corrected afterwards.
This is an absolutely excellent Korean drama out of the usual setting.
If you're looking for the normal rom-com or thriller, skip it.
If you're looking for something deeper, do watch it!
Joseonroko Nokdujeon (2019)
Not enough story for all the episodes
The beginning is intriguing with it's unusual plot and very amusing. The male lead is convincing in both the male and female role. However, the funny bits get more and more lost and after about episode 6 they're gone for good. The story starts loosing it's freshness and becomes overly melodramatic and repetitive. Scenes that you've watched a short time ago keep reappearing as memories over and over again. The same goes with the phrases, long close ups and longing phases. The female lead plays an unsatisfactory role. Determined for revenge, falling in love, denying it, escaping and having to be saved by the main lead ever again, so often that it gets dragging. I found myself getting really annoyed by her behaviour. By episode 11 the story lags and is just a never ending melodrama without interesting twists and turns or character developments. In the final episode everything is then hastily wrapped up to an unsatisfactory end.
The character of the female lead could have been more straightforward towards the male lead, the character of the second male lead, though convincingly playing both roles, should have been more elaborated to be believable, the king, poor old guy, has no development at all, ... just to name a few that could have been more elaborated instead of showing repetitions, without spoiling. What a waste of potential.
Hwarang (2016)
Enjoyed every bit of it
Hwarang is a drama full of fine humour and scenes that made me lough out loud. Hwarang reminded of a group of cute puppies fighting, measuring and increasing their strengths and skills while bonding and growing up to face harsh reality with righteousness. Really delightful to watch as the actors all are eye candies, especially Hyung Sik. He's not only cute like a puppy but has a remarkably expressive face and excellent acting skills. But I liked all actors, they did well and were credible. There are plenty of good fighting scenes as well as power struggles and for the first time I also liked the love triangle.
Are there flaws? There are. Aro is basically a strong woman with a lot of knowledge, physical and medical skills. However, be it caused by the director or script, she was whining and crying too often, thus temporarily loosing her faculties which disrupted credibility in her character. To me this is the main flaw. There are other minor flaws one could want to point out, but I can easily forgive them, as the show was able to keep me emotionally (and optically ^^) engaged through all episodes.
Lighthearted and highly satisfying, this is a show to be watched and rewatched for uplifting moments.
Useless Lies (2023)
Good start, promising, not quite fulfilling - but excellent second male lead
This is a sweet and charming movie but probably targeted at a younger generation. All the protagonists are basically good at heart. What I liked about it was that the show is not twisted around plots and family lines and cliches like most kdramas, instead showing us more of the complexity of human relationships and lies. I also liked there was no hiding of important bits of information between the leads complicating their relationship. The first half of the show is intriguing and has a lot of humorous elements making you smile, but get lesser as the show evolves. Unlike other dramas the writers didn't squeeze the resolution into one episode but let it evolve more naturally, but more twists and turns would have made it more interesting, as it turned flat once the leads were together.
I mainly watched this show because of Hwan Min Hyun, as I really liked him in AOS. While he is still charming I missed a wider range of facial expressions (got better towards the end) and more depth, making it difficult to connect to his character. In contrast Seo Ji Hoon's acting is very nuanced, I could easily empathise with all his struggles and joys, making me very open hearted towards him and wish he could be back in relationship with the FL, even though it was clear this wouldn't happen. Seo Ji Hoon in this regard stole the spotlight of the main male lead with his charismatic performance and chemistry.
I adored Ahn Nae Sang, the FL father, convincingly living in nature outside social expectations, with long hair, making him really attractive both in looks and character.
However, several things made the show fall short. The sounds of lies vs truth were not consistent. The characters being at least in their late twenties or early thirties sometimes lack maturity. If you grow up with the ability to detect lies you would naturally develop the knowledge to distinguish white and black lies early on. This development happening only after the main leads meet is not credible and should have been developed earlier.
The chemistry.... although the main leads look good together no scene made my heart flutter, unfortunately. I can't really pinpoint the cause, is it the acting or the role, as Min Hyun stole my heart in AOS right from the beginning even with his stoic role.
The mother of the FL having money first on her priority list desperately trying to find a rich man to marry even without love, having a sudden change of mind and going to live in the woods with her ex husband is far from believable. If ever, there should have been a deeper character development in her for this change in values to happen and to regain the trust of her ex husband. Such a twist could have made the second half of the story more compelling.
Cliches: I really really would love to see a romance starting without FL getting drunk and passing out. This way of getting physically closer is pretty worn out but is repeated here again as well as the panicked hiding of the lover when parents show up. Writers please... adjust behaviour to age/maturity! Please!
To sum things up, this is a lovely romcom full of possibilities but with many shortcomings, a good start, a flattened storyline, an extremely good second male lead, a lighthearted watch, a fresh approach to love and deceit. With more development of Min Hyun's and the mother's characters, more comedic elements in the second half it could have been way better.
Chocolate (2019)
Great show with major flaws in storylin
I chose this show because it's aimed at a mire mature audience. I quite liked the first few episodes even though the pace is really slow. But I could have made up with it, as the setting is in a hospice with terminally ill patients. The first hint, that something in the script went off, was FL not disclosing she met the ML during childhood. I don't mean disclosing she's in love with him, just simply starting a normal conversation instead of playing hide and seek.
Next: The very instant she opens up to a new relationship it turns out her childhood love is the best friend of her just acquired boyfriend - and she does not say a word, but flees to an other country, thus breaking the relationship We are talking about adults 30-40 years old...
This unnatural self-censorship continues and goes on and on for years and is really frustrating. Then this 40yr old doc, wondering about symptoms of falling in love and talking about it to a 12 year old??? It might be an overdose of the purity thing in kdramas, but having adults behave like teenagers without any experience in this setting is a complete no-go..
Luckily there was no love triangle. Kudos for this.
Unfortunately the scriptwriters couldn't figure out a story without hereditary conflicts, so we have to endure this as well. By episode 10 or 11 I couldn't bear it anymore and skipped them.
Also there is no coherence of when the accident was, in the beginning talking of 24 years, towards the end of 20, when at least 4 other years passed by.
Very annoying is also the straightforward display of publicity for various brands that obviously sponsored this show.
Towards the end the scriptwriters panicked and had to quickly make up everyone to find their love.
Gosh, why did I still give the show 6 points? There's nothing wrong with the actors (except for the FL "big eyes"), camera, music and so on. They did well and the issue of life ending is hilarious. They've got some good points here and the slow pacing adds to the reflection. There is also a lot to learn about cooking. The script around is frustrating.
I really wish they could write more mature dramas. In this case, without the FL hiding the fact, that she knew the ML from childhood things would have evolved much sooner and differently and without the hereditary stuff it still could have been a melancholic yet satisfying show.
Yibeon Saengdo Jal Butakhae (2023)
Could have been 10 stars
I genuinely loved the idea of reincarnation and binged the show. The story started well and kept me hooked despite a rather slow progression. During the first few episodes the flashbacks of past lives made perfectly sense to understand the connections. However, the same flashbacks being used excessively instead of adding new ones got boring at least on ep. 9, when I started to just skip them as they stopped adding value to the storyline. Also the focus started to overextend on melodrama and unnecessary side plots instead of adding real value or character development. Thus, leaving them out the series could have been wrapped up without loss in 10 episodes making it more enjoyable to watch. This is really really sad, as I loved the acting, cinematography, music, plot... but the flaws mentioned, the last episodes, the rushed wrap-up in the final episode and the illogical ending ruined an otherwise beautiful romance and promising story.
So who's to blame? Unfortunately I don't know the webtoon, so I can't compare. However, many movies fall short when a great book is filmed, as they often don't stick to the original adding new things and leaving out others that were important to the reader. And I suppose the same thing could have happened here, too. Because why on earth would somebody with a brilliant reincarnation story come up with the idea of deleting the memories of the actual life and even the actual job the ML was in, while all the others remember? Makes no sense at all and is actually useless. And why would it be dangerous to remember past lives? That was never explained. In my opinion the danger of getting sick lies not in remembering past lives or past experiences, but on not being able to let hurtful memories go. This would probably have been Mingi's role, but was not developed well.
So: major flaws in the plot, a missed re-watch chance, but beautiful images and acting and lovely romance.