Meu Nome (2021)

An OK script lifted by exceptional production values.

Raw edges. That sums up this show as both a compliment and a criticism. The compliments are for the cinematography, colour palettes, set design and music. The criticism is for the writing. This was an OK script that scrubbed up well because it was dressed in designer clothes. The attention to detail and co-operative work between director, lighting designer and cinematographer are what really made this show special.

More money went into this than is available to the network broadcasts and it shows. The look and feel of the drama was classy and there was a great deal to feast the eyes on. It had a wonderful raw, grungy, greasy, grimy feel to the sets that you could almost smell. The colour palettes were varied, with rich blood reds and charcoals for Moo Jin’s world and ice blues and golds for the gambling den.

The biggest gong as far as I’m concerned goes to the cinematographer. Superb lighting throughout but especially the extensive use of side lighting was magical. It emphasised the chiaroscuro, creating mood and atmosphere by the truckload. The thoughtfulness was not just for wide angle shots. Sometimes, even in close shots, one face would be lit in colour and another, right next to it, almost B&W. This richness served to emphasise the stark contrast to the police station scenes which were filmed with flat lighting and no dynamics.

The cinematography was imaginative with a lot of use of low and high angles helping to build a sense of unpredictability and energy. An up-close-and-personal approach to the action scenes added to the visceral nature of this drama. It didn’t flinch from violence and there was a nod to credibility in the fight scenes which were well choreographed and numerous.If you don’t like blood and gore, this may be a bit OTT for you. Not just visually but sound-wise as well.

Add to all the above, a great OST. I loved the opening of the drama, cool and edgy, and that music really set the tone for what was to follow. Overall, the soundtrack had a rawness to it, not smoothed out or overproduced which totally complemented the other production values.

There was a lot that was good with the writing, but some parts were sloppy and not well thought through. There were amateurish aspects to the undercover scenario which were basically to serve the plot and character interactions and I could not credit them in the context of the sophisticated and ruthlessly organised gangland portrayed in the story. On a number of occasions convenient plotting stuck out like a sore thumb with inexplicable motivations and character choices. Hence my criticism of raw edges. The ending stretched my credulity a step too far and didn’t really work for me either, but that’s more personal preference.

Having said that, there was plenty to like about the solid centre of it. It successfully played with your allegiances and refused to neatly categorise good and bad. The direction gave the script space to breathe and Han So Hee’s performance relied a lot on effective silences. Time and care was also given to underlying emotional arcs, fleshing out the main characters a little more than is usual in this genre.

Han So Hee’s performance was mixed for me. I really liked her at the beginning and the end, but in the middle I think it lost the edge. Full credit though for pulling off the action scenes and physicality of the role. Park Hee Soon’s performance as Moo Jin was both convincing and persuasive. His time on screen was always compulsive viewing.

What my rating means: 8+ A great drama with interesting content and good writing, direction, acting, OST, cinematography. But didn’t quite have the requisite sparkle to bump it into my all-time fave list. Worth watching.

Leia Mais

Not groundbreaking, but lots of fun and very captivating

While the overall plot was predictable for the avid revenge thriller viewer, it was still entertaining and kept me on my toes— with a few genuine surprises along the way. It's a classic genre entry, and while it's not groundbreaking, it checks all the boxes of a good revenge drama.
The acting was pretty spectacular for an otherwise mostly green cast for this genre, and I've got to hand it to Han Sohee and Ahn Bohyun for such captivating performances.
While the romance was kind of random, I was okay with it thrown in because both the leads are just so sexy that I'm sure it's just what everyone wanted LOL.
Overall, a fun watch for anyone who likes action, grit, and beautiful actors. A little darker than most cable dramas because I think the online release allowed them more leeway in including things that wouldn't have made broadcast standards.
It's been ages since I've been able to actually finish a k-drama, so I applaud the cast and crew for producing such a solid drama!
Bonus points for being female-led in this noir/action/crime thriller genre AND extras bonus points for subverting gendered savior stereotypes and making the male lead die for a revenge plot point <3

Leia Mais

Hell hath no fury?

I mean, yeah ok. I like that it's a strong female character. But this drama could have been so much more!!!!!
I figured out who villian is in the first episode itself. I felt that the characters lacked depth to their stories, to justify their decisions. The ML for instance -- there's no character arch or a valid reason for him sympathising with the FL except for him saying so. The villain too, there's no meat to his story -- why is making her a monster so important to him? Why does he give such high regards to conviction?
The actors have done an amazing job. Excellent acting. The story is very one dimensional and lacks flavour. Most of the side characters are underwritten and pretty much just fluff.
I liked the OST.

Overall, it's just an okay drama with a run of the mill plot and nothing new to add to the genre.

Leia Mais

8 hours, felt like 4!

I wanted to watch this Kdrama for a very long time. Now, I had some free time, and even tho, this is a fantastic show, it felt like they wanted a marathon, but eventually it became a sprint. The bases of the story are nothing special, to be honest. This is a typical revenge story. What makes it great is the acting!!! Han So Hee literally carried the whole show on her back. If you want to watch this show for the plot, just ignore it, because after 2 episode or so, you're going to figure out everything. Especially if this isn't your first crime/revenge drama.

The story is pretty simple, someone killed Ji Woon's dad, and she wants revenge. That's the whole story. This is like the female version of John Wick! Han So Hee's acting is absolutely phenomenal! You can tell that she's worked like crazy to make us feel, she's actually a badass fighter, and she is! Sure, sometimes fight scenes are weird because the camera movements are fast, and just like in John Wick the protagonist should've died a long time ago, and not just her. But if you can ignore this, and the average story, it's a really good, action packed 8 hours!

The big problem with this show is that it's too short, and I feel like the writer didn't really know what she wanted from this story. Sometimes Ji Woon wants revenge, but here comes the romance, if we can call it that, because it came from nowhere, it just happened. I don't know what was the point if they killed him in the process, just so we can have a big ass fight scene. They should've ignored the whole romance story, especially because I don't think the chemistry was there.

Also, the finale felt like they lost interest or didn't have enough money to finish it like they wanted to. We literally don't know anything about what happened with Ji Woon after she killed Moo Jin. How did she survive, why she's not in prison, etc?! It was like they cut out 30 minute.

For me: the best ending would've been Ji Woon kills Moo Jin, but she would've died in the process, because what now? She's going to live alone, without any punishment? Makes no sense. You can't just live a normal life after killing so many people.

So, yeah, this is a great drama overall, but it felt like a 1st season, and I don't think there's going to be a 2nd season, and I don't think we need another season, because she finished what she started. With 10 episode, this show would be perfect!

Leia Mais

Don't waste your time... Watch Kill It.

This kind of story is a common trope in a lot of drama plots, if done correctly it can be amazing. Whats lacking in this one is not the acting as such, but the amount of plot holes in the actual scenes. Not only that, but there is a lack of suspense built up into each episode, as well as poor timing in the character development, and a lack development for the most part. Some scenes pointless, andthere is too many breadcrumbs, making the motive so predictable. The way the characters themselves are portayed often mirrors the excessiveness of japanese dramas. Rather than wasting your time on this, watch Kill It or A Smile Has Left From Your Eyes. Those two were much better.

Leia Mais

I thought i was gonna be disappointed but i wasn’t.

I'm not gonna lie, i was really shocked the moment pildo was killed and even a little disappointed but as i finished the whole drama i realized that sadly not every story has a happy ending. still, i was satisfied that she could get revenge for the death of those she loved and trusted the most in her life. her strength is no joke and i'm not even talking about her body but her mind. making the decision to kill him and live for the rest of her life with the thought of being a monster for doing everything she have done is not easy.
as of for the ending itself, i did felt like a lot of things were kept in the middle. i wanted to see how she got to get away with the murder and everything else and i was really hoping to see the captain's reaction to mujin's death.

even so, i can't say that i didn't enjoyed this history. it was catch and every moment had me really thrilled about what was going to happen. the whole story, acting and all the action of it were really amazing, such a great production. han sohee did proved the amazing actress she is and honestly i'm not disappointed with the ending even though i wish there were more details on some stuff. kudos to ahn bohyun and park hee-soon acting. i know that it isn't easy to detail every part of the story so i can say they ended up doing a good job.

i thought i was gonna be disappointed but i wasn’t. this whole drama was indeed amazing.

Leia Mais

8 hours of Female John Wick Absolutely Beating A**

Phenomenal action choreography, compelling story, great soundtrack and just an incredibly talented cast of actors.
Literally 95% of the cast is hot too. I could pause this show in any scene and be treated to a gorgeous frame of cinema containing at least one beautiful person at any given time. This show is a Tall Glass of Water quenching my T H I R S T
Highly recommended if you love revenge, gangsters, violence, hot people, and a great fast-paced, escalating plot with insane fights! As i said in the title, its like watching 8 hours of a John Wick origin story.

Leia Mais

I loved it though its basic

The plot is very basic revenge story but the execution is so good and her character is somehow very unique. She acted so well, I could feel the emptiness the main lead felt, it's like I could see her through her eyes, I loved it so much, I binged watched it, couldn't stop thinking about what will happen next. Also, I didn't notice any male gaze scene, which made it so much better, cause that would have ruined it. And the story is truly about her, it just felt so refreshing and so worth watching. I said the story is basic, but it is actually like really interesting too, hard to explain,.

Leia Mais

Drama, Your Name is Disappointment

Spoiler-free advice:
I'd say watch this if you're in a mood for something simple but action-y that you can easily binge bc it's only eight episodes and it's on Netflix. Also, if you're a fan of tomboyish female leads. Don't expect a great plot or performances. I went through it in one go even though I pretty much guessed the entire plot and it was still entertaining enough.

There are some spoilers in the following:
I don't really want to write a long review so here are
a few quick points.
It felt draggy at the start and then suddenly rushed af so the pacing sucked.
The romance felt forced to me; I mean, the guy disliked her and then he was all about her suddenly and she showed barely any emotion ever, so no real buildup really. I guess all they cared about was cramming that in so when they kill him off five minutes before the end it would have an impact (it didn't).
The plot was completely predictable and I more or less fgured it all out by episode 3 (or maybe even sooner). Also, it made zero sense to me that no one from the force did anything for her after her father's death. I mean none of them even came to his funeral ? ? ? That whole double life thing is a huge stretch for me. How can you half ass the part that's literally supposed to carry your whole drama, I don't get it.

I think this would have made a decent (and if they fixed the predictable plot maybe even good) full length action drama. As it is it's an "I'm bored and have hours to kill what's on Netflix" drama at best.

Leia Mais

it could have been something...

i was going into this series blind, only here for Han So Hee and Ahn Bo Hyun, zero expectation, and still i'm not impressed with this series. it was just ok. i don't have any particular feelings about it.

although, it was quite disappointing when i found Ahn Bo Hyun's character to be bland. he really had no presence at all. it's like he existed just to become the fl's love interest. ugh, the unnecessary romance.

surprisingly, at some point, the fl was overshadowed by Park Hee Soon's character. his character was intimidating and very charismatic, and i was rooting for him lol i'm sorry but i don't care about the fl's plan to avenge his father. i just want the bad guy to live and thrive.

Leia Mais