2
kdramajudge
Yohan Gaon fandom
it's very engaging but overall not so great
Due to personal crisis, Joon Sung and Jae Hyo made a deal to kidnap their friend Min Woo, asking for ransom from his wealthy family. Right away I was excited for a suspenseful thriller experience. On the production side, it is almost perfectly executed! From camerawork, music, and the acting. I was impressed with the powerful acting of our leads and the mother! The use of classical music in few critical situations are strangely fun, it's the best treat for my sensory. The opening credit is very creative, it tickles my imagination and I never skip it.It is dark and serious tone throughout and the first half kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel bad for Min Woo and what he's going through during the kidnapping is slightly psychologically unsettling, knowing your trusted friends suddenly tied you and pinned you down in their closet. While episode 1-5 provide great momentum, the storyline fell flat afterwards. It's getting weirder and weirder the more the trio try to execute "The Perfect Deal". I found them making illogical decisions for the sake of keeping the plot going. I don't get why don't just help one another if they're friends? The resolution was also unrealistic and left me unfulfilled. Overall, not so great but I enjoyed. For any thriller fan, it is still an engaging watch due to its' short and fast pacing, there's no boring or drag part.
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well, it's fun but also meh
Ban Hani (Choi Kang Hee) , a single 37-year-old lives her timid life day by day, until one day, she met her spunky 17-year-old self. This 17-year-old Hani is nothing like her now, she’s obnoxious and optimistic, while her current self is passive and worn-down with life. How come they're so different despite being the same person? Is there a guilt that Hani carries in her adult life?It's always interesting to see opposite personalities interacting on-screen. I like the idea of the major contrast between Hani's past self and current self and they were a great match on-screen. I enjoyed the hijinks, comedy and the high energy cast performance a lot in the beginning, but started losing excitement when it starts fleshing out on the trauma. Somehow it didn't feel as emotional and deep, which maybe due to it stays trying to be silly and over the top. I've seen few dramas that handle this emotional / funny tone very well, but here it didn't feel fit together in my opinion. The male lead storyline was a mess although Kim Young Kwang acted very well. I think the banter between him and his dad was better than the romance. I don't think they need the romance in this story, it has enough plotline to focus on. Overall, it was just ok, I had fun at first, but got bored as it ends.
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It was a very good and consistently an engaging watch! ...until the end.
From the first episode, I enjoyed the story. The actions and sets are giving a Mission Impossible feel to it. The leads are doing such a great job, they're quickly established the characters and I got invested really fast. The acting is all just superb; Suzy did her best for her character, Go Hae Ri. Also, Moon Jung Hee was brilliant and intimidating, I love a good villainess. Of course, Lee Seung Gi was AMAZING as an Cha Dal Geun, he is an action hero! I was awed watching him running, jumping, chasing cars and did all those stunts. However, there was so much shaky-camera and it's so unfortunate because the camera was capturing really well-choreographed action sequence.The twist and turns got a little bit too convoluted for me who is not a die hard fan of investigation and crime genres, but I never get bored as the plot is moving and stays high-stake all the way through the end. and yes, as most watchers have mentioned too, I don't like how it ended. Had that scene excluded, the drama would not leave such a frustrating after taste. Especially watching it after years it has aired and knowing there might never be a continuation to the story. That said, I don't regret watching it, one of the best in action genre.
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Emotional rollercoaster with phenomenal characters and brilliant storytelling
Yeon Shi Un is a smart student but he's physically frail, making him an easy target for the bullies who are jealous of his top grades. Based on a webtoon with the same title, it deals with an unlikely bonding heroes who stand up for themselves in their unique ways. The underdog become the alpha dog in this Pavlovian classic battle, fueled by rocking OST, amazing camera angles, unique film-editing and well-paced pen clicks!It is short yet it covers a lot of deep values of youth fragility and found friendships. WHC1 seems to be grieving and questioning the youth fragility, showing how teenage life is like walking on thin ice, how the past leaves a trauma long after the incident. Trigger warning! There is much violence as it is a bullying story, all the blood, pain, violence, but... it is also very fun!
Sure, bullying drama is not new, but the storytelling is very unique. From the intro we see this cool blue-tone, it's quite mellow, I absolutely adore it, and adore seeing the intro even more as I get into the final. It doesn't look gory. It feels angsty. Loved the fighting scenes, the choreography for the fighting scenes are like dance, like I'm watching a musical.
the story wouldn't have the impact it has, if the characters didn't feel as real as they do. The journeys that they go on individually and then all together are just heartbreaking. I felt so much emotion watching them. I laughed, I cried, I felt angry, I have such a strong connection with the characters and I thought that's so rare nowadays... to feel so connected with characters. They're really easy to relate to and I think that's because they're teenagers and I was a teenager and I relate to a lot of the stuff they went through, not the like taking down a gambling gang, but the friendship troubles and the exams and part-time jobs, stuff like that... It had everything I might want from a show like this trio: cute fighter, psycho brain, cinnamon roll who just wants to help.
Absolutely award-winning levels of acting. Their facial expressions speak more than speeches and actions, the quiet gazes worth more than words. Even though they are all amazing, I'm not taking anything away from any of them… but Park Jihoon who played Shi Un really stood out for me and I watched this show months ago and the climax scene with Shin Un the last episode... that still sticks with me. That scene is so powerful and it is literally because of his acting.
The plot is tight without fillers, it has no romance, but there are tons of conflict and I love conflict. I really like the dialogue and I also the visual storytelling is just skillful. Well-written scripts are more than anything I really look up to the show and the writers who worked on it because it really is just phenomenal. It's literally flawless I don't have anything bad to say about it. Hands down the most heartbreaking drama I've ever seen and I genuinely mean that!
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I think this is a show that works if it's your style of show.
As for me, I was a bit skeptical seeing the overacting and temperamental adult Young Phil and Sam Dal when they're introduced. There were too many drunk crying scenes, too. However, when they showed how Sam Dal and Young Phil deal their inner conflicts as the story goes, I feel more sympathy. Especially, Shin Hae Sun's painful acts broke my heart. With Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hae Sun’s ability to create chemistry, I wish the romance is more captivating. Camping trip is fine – but I'm dying for some spiciness, just my preference.Except for the useless love triangle, I enjoyed the romance and family conflicts, but Young Phil and Sam Dal’s work life were neglected and was only useful as a plot device in the beginning. The resolution is fine, but like Sam Dal's as a photographer could’ve been utilized more. I have to admit that I was more tuned into the side characters stories more than our leads’. I love the neighborhood camaraderie of the Jeju villagers. They delivered all the emotions very naturally, be it humor, grief, or love. Each one of them has a heartwarming story, I love Sam Dal's mom the most.
-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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Though I did not like how the story leads to, it was overall lovely and funny!
Lovely Runner delivers a true rom-com moments and up-beat-ness which I enjoyed for the most part. The characters are likeable, very bubbly with laugh-out-loud jokes a lot of times, especially the ones involving the friends and families. It was interesting and great to see the story through different timelines without it being confusing – which is essential for a time travel drama. I loved that the couple is cute and trusting of each other. Their romantic scenes were wonderful and were shot beautifully.Well, at some point I started losing interest. I was expecting they eventually would address Sun-Jae & Im Sol's insecurities that we saw in the beginning, but they focus on the murderer involvement. This part of the story was so uninteresting. Every time the episode is about to end, this mysterious guy appear and whatever he does gives no tension. The accident and incidents happening were repetitive so they did not make me care or anxious anymore. Overall, still a fun watch, though, it gave me motivation to look forward to Mondays!
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Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun
4 people found this review helpful
Beautiful drama albeit not perfect
What I really enjoyed are the fighting scene, the war and the epic visuals. Great pacing, and good casting all around! Lee Joon Gi's screen presence and his role as Eun Som especially live up beyond my expectation. They couldn't have picked a more perfect recast than Lee Joon Gi! He does all his own stunts, is a master in actions so I knew he would be spectacular in this. The only recast that devastated me is Tanya, I found no passion in her line deliveries.I miss the very pretty Tanya and Saya… they are not the same here. In defense of the time jump: their portrayals did change as how their characters come across here. they grow up and their political positions and motivation also evolve, so I eventually accept that. I feel bad a bit towards Saya as he seems to be the most inferior among Tanya, Eunsom, or Tagon. Tanya pity him too for his role in prophecy, Eun Som is now a war leader beloved by people, Tagon sees Eun Som as a threat but not towards Saya, I wish he is given a bigger role... I mean, he's children of prophecy too.
I admit that it is hard to appreciate significance of the mythology aspect, if you haven’t watched season 1. I went back to rewatch season 1 before got on board with season 2. Personally, I think the previous season's costumes and music are superior. I don’t think her romance trope necessary, it feels more like a reward than earned. The ending is well-wrapped up and I am satisfied if the drama ends here. I watched it with a patriotic passion I felt watching Mr. Sunshine!
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Not for everyone, you might like this if...
A group of mothers from a privileged neighborhood come together around their elementary children's schooling, but each of them have insecurities in their past and present lives. First and foremost, Green Mother's Club is pretty much a soap opera which has all the dramatic tropes, like false friendships, back-stabbing, stalking, drugs and murder. If you are fans of k-drama train wrecks, you would be entertained with this as the set up are quite intriguing right from the get-go. But if you're looking for a logical and realistic story, probably you would not get any emotional attachment to the characters as the series progresses.The highlights of this story is definitely on the mothers instead of the children trying to do their best at school, which sounds similar to SKY Castle. All these mothers are deeply unhappy with themselves, and they have to address their issues in order to heal and be able to do their roles as mothers. The way show is portraying these mother are deeply humane and touching, and gave a lot of hearts to the show. The fathers are not doing much to contribute towards their children’s academic life. They are quite passive in their homes, but they're very kind-hearted. At the end, feel too ambitious to insert too many things too late, which leaves me rolling my eyes. While the script could have been better, the acting was great. From more experienced actresses in such roles as Lee Yo Won to the children, Choi Kwang Rok and his tri-lingual skills (Korean, French, English). The overall directing and editing is fine, it isn't trying to be artistic. It is presenting the characters in the story and in a really crisp way, which is good that it doesn't overpower any of the other aspects of the show.
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Unlike stereotypical strong female characters, the show is not really about women trying to break the system or workplace hierarchy because they're already in positions of authority. It's truly about strong women and their interactions together, both as rivals but then also a growing friendship. There's betrayal and there's relying on each other. There's something so incredible about seeing women portrayed in such a dynamic way that doesn't happen very often. There were definitely moments where I just grinned because "This representation is so cool.“ I didn't realize how much of a big deal the trending words were in Korea, or at least how much this show emphasizes them in Korea. That cultural difference is interesting to me.
For the first few episodes, I was aware of the fact that I think we had too much estrogen, so I don't know how much guys are going to enjoy this because there are not many people for them to relate to, but I'm having a good day. I believe the true love story are between these ladies. The main reason of why I like the story is because these characters, they're not perfect, they still show moments of femininity. Like, Scarlet, has some anger management issues. But again, seeing her just wreck and taking such enjoyment out of breaking things is just epic. I think I'm really strongly getting queer-baited, so the a romantic subplot is for me so boring. As much as swoony the male characters are, the romance is never exciting.
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Run On is a drama that is not baiting for my attention as it has a very subdued vibe, but I enjoyed it very much. Not many external conflicts going on, it’s a character-driven show where the main and supporting characters’ plot are very much intertwined. I like Sun Gyeom's quirky and very kind-hearted personality, and I’m enjoying how he interacts with people around him. I appreciate how he’s very blunt to anyone. The romance is also toned-down but wholesome. Sun Gyeom and Mi Joo’s chemistry is a lot softer than most Kdramas, it feels very realistic and heartfelt. The secondary romance of Dan Ah and Young Hwa I wasn’t really paying attention for their plot but they have great emotional moments.
Another highlights for me is the playful, quiet, subdued humor in the show, it was pretty clever and sharp, those moments were few and precious. For example, when Seon Gyeom wakes up in the morning and he's getting ready for his morning run as it has been his routine for years. One morning, when he's getting ready, he stops halfway and realizes that he doesn't have a reason to run anymore, so he turns around, throws off his jacket, kicks off his shoes, and rolls back into bed. I found that’s absolutely hilarious! This is just a small no-dialogue moment but so memorable. Also, I am happy to see a positive representations of LGBTQ characters here, as they are seen as part of society. The only nitpick I want to mention is that there’s something missing throughout my watching experience… Although the character development of the main lead was great, it felt slightly boring. Overall, I am happy to have known these characters.
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What struck me about Misaeng was how instantly I was drawn and invested to the characters. Every character, lead and support all play a critical role in someone's arc. Mr. Oh who is our male lead's team leader. He is known to be a chill but meticulous worker, and I absolutely loved his interaction and his developing relationship with GeuRae. And then I also loved watching him try and balance his moral integrity with some of the kind of sketchy work situations that he's put into.
Through our female lead we explore some sexist attitudes. There is a lot more going on with her beyond just being a woman in an all-boys club kind of environment, which takes a while to develop. There are quite a few questions that keep getting presented throughout the course of the series that keep you engaged, and her backstory is one of them.
Next, we have Byun Yo Han's character who I see as 'the free-rider': The one that do nothing in a groupwork but swoop in last minute to get all of the credit. He is a little extravagant and quite annoying, but as the show develops, I see his motivations, his backstory, and he becomes one of my favorites. His arc and struggle with his boss feels very relatable.
Lastly is Kang Haneul's character. He is the intern that has it all on paper, he's got all the background and confidence... Essentially everything that our male lead lacks. However, he struggles to connect with his boss and find fulfillment from his work. And because of that, he looks to our male lead, who thrives in this environment, he gets a little bit jealous. Honestly the pairing of them was just brilliant.
I really enjoy the realistic and very genuine humor, such as characters will say the same joke once, twice, even three times throughout the series, and then it will be used to create new comedy. We will recognize the same joke and it evolves into something new. It reminded me of the inside jokes that we develop with people in our real lives, like when Mr. Oh kept tripping people and then saying the same thing after he tripped different people. I thought that was hilarious.
I have two cons. The first one being the premise is never fulfilled. Based on our male lead being admitted as an intern due to his connections, it's a really big deal in the first few episodes, as well as his GO mindset was often portrayed but it never manifests into anything special. The second one is the pacing in most episodes are very slow, ans since this series is long, it might be boring to some. But if you're interested at all, it's worth it. If you watch the first episode and are not feeling it, I think you're safe to drop it as it is a good indication of what the entire series is going to be about.
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So good! Maybe not for everyone
D.P. centers around the daily life of men during their mandatory military service. Our male lead was recruited into the D.P. division of the military due to his innate critical thinking ability. It is there that he joins up with a few different seniors as they track down deserters.Disclaimer: I am not familiar with official military titles, so I won't touch on that in this review.
If you're like me and all you ever really knew about this series was that it depicted systemic harassment and bullying in a gut-wrenching way, I'm here to tell you that, yes, those elements are there, but they're presented very well. This is not just harassment for harassment's sake. There's a message and as the viewer, I am getting the messages that are intended.
It has great characters, really beautiful writing, and a story that is about the human condition. Every character is given a surprising amount of depth, and even our antagonists are treated in the end as real people with their own internal struggles and demons. I find it comparable to "My Mister" and "Misaeng", those are all shows that I feel strongly represent the human condition, and so does "D.P." with as much seriousness and respect for the viewer as these ones did. Go into D.P. with caution. Do be prepared for those hard-to-watch, gory scenes. If the scenes are too much, you can always skip ahead. I'm not saying to put aside your own mental health and personal well-being just to watch a TV show.
The action are done well: From chase scenes to hand-to-hand combat, everything has the right type of tension, and the stakes are there. The soundtrack perfectly represents the feelings of the characters and the overall vibe of the show, too. The show has an episodic nature, like, "Let's catch the deserter of the episode," this might be a con to some, but it helps to understand the world and how things work. If episodic storytelling is not your thing, no worries as It transitions into the main climactic arc.
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I see detectives not doctors
Doctor Yo Han can solely diagnosed patients on observations without equipment. Something happened that caused him in prison. There he met a capable anesthesiologist, but she is very hesitant about herself due to her past.The story set up a gripping premise around our leads, we quickly know what happened to Dr. John and the struggle of Shi Young. I never will watch a medical drama if it wasn't for Ji Sung, as topics around severe illnesses and surgeries never drawn me in. Not for everyone, I don't think you'll want to watch this if terminal Illnesses trope is your trigger. Acting of all are very good! Se Young did her best for the emotional scenes, Ji Sung is very charismatic doing public speaking he got chances to showcase his talent here. What's nice is that seeing how the doctor team diagnose patients based on symptoms and background, like detectives' investigation.
First 5 episodes are slow-paced, there's too much staring and flashbacks. I rolled my eyes because the main conflict is discussed too often without any action. On leads' relationships, it's intriguing to see similarity between Cha Yohan - Shi Young and Kang Yohan - Ga On in The Devil Judge, one of my all-time-favorites; She often does things he advised her to do and admire him and the next moment she confronts him on his liability and motivations. But here, the execution is not that exciting, it has many crying scenes for self-pity.
Imo the script was a bit meh in the early phase, but it got better later on, especially when more characters are involved in discussing the main conflict. The stakes got higher around the halfway mark, not only the patients but also the leads. I feel a bit annoyed with a plot twist later on, but the resolutions are so emotional. I give it a pass because they successfully made me cried. Last thing, it has a very good OST collection!
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Great on the 1st half, meh on the 2nd half...
BIG MOUTH refers to Park Chang Ho, as he is known to talk big but can not follow it up. He’s also a lawyer with a very low winning rate. One day, he was framed as a notorious swindler "Big Mouse" and sent to prison. Since the real “Big Mouse” is still a mystery, his wife Mi Ho is now struggling to prove her husband's innocence…First, the premise is gripping as we quickly presented with the big question "Who is Big Mouse?“ It kept me wondering on who is Big Mouth and his motives. I enjoy seeing Chang Ho’s gruesome experience in prison and his dynamic with his wife, Mi Ho. I love the suspense and how they address a realistic political issue.
Then the reveal happened and it was so underwhelming... It feels that the drama lost its’ steam. We were introduced to so many plot points but it continues solely on hero vs villain plot, while sacrificing some characters at no cost. There’s a time jump towards the ending, and all that happened afterwards made me upset. The sequence of events were rushed and the huge blow I was expecting feel a bit off. Had they build up the finale properly, I’m sure it would’ve been more impactful.
This is my first Lee Jong Suk dramas and his psycho acting was entertaining. Apart from him, the acting of Kim Joo Heon was enjoyable, especially his fake crying and facial expressions. Overall, Big Mouth shows amazing performance and story until the reveal happened, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt and feel free to watch it!
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Often an omnibus-style dramas like this can feel episodic and mundane to a point, but the way it portrayed community spirit was authentic and that makes it very much worth-watching. It’s not a plot-driven drama, it’s a drama that leaves you pondering about the relationships you hold in your own life. Personally, some stories weren't as engaging as some others because I couldn't relate with them, but each story delivered profound messages. It is one of those intricate emotional series with hidden depth characters that show friendship, romance, community and reconciliation.
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