Thought provoking

A very unsettling drama, as one can imagine that if something like this ever became possible, there would be power crazy dictatorships and wealthy countries happy to abuse and use engineered humans as weapons.
After all, with cloning, growing a human ear on a mouse and even working on growing human organs in pigs, this drama is not total fiction.
There are many very unlikable characters and the usual abuse of and arrogance towards, ordinary people, by those with power and money, is a key part of the story.
Ji Oh reminds me of Frankenstein's monster; lonely, naive and innocent. Sadly that also makes him vulnerable and easy to manipulate by those he mistakenly thinks know best. It's people's abuse and cruelty that leads to the monster emerging. Kim Rae-won was so good in portraying the role.
The character of Gu Reum was really well acted by Lee Da-hee; tough, principled, but ultimately, I found her to be fickle. Ji Oh never hurt her, but loved her and only ever wanted to protect her; yet, at crucial times she listens to those very people that cause all their problems and no end of pain.
To think that she could protect something precious alone and that Ji Oh would be OK with that, was crazy. There were so many things she could have said to him to compromise his mistaken beliefs, but she didn't even attempt it. There are ways around memory loss.
I found every episode gripping and the story well thought out, but the final one was bizarre. That Gu Reum would rather leave something hidden, risking it not surviving, than to tell Ji Oh where it was, I found unbelievable.
L.U.C.A. is the beginning of something altogether quite horrifying ~ not the super humans themselves, but what most likely would happen to them and ultimately, us.
Well worth watching and very thought provoking.

Leia Mais

Who watches the watchers?

Seo Kang-joon and Kim Hyun-joo back together (they were boyh in 'What Happens to my Family'), with Han Seok-kyu, making a really good team fighting corruption within the police and prosecution service.
It's not a light watch, so concentration is needed to follow a story that twists and turns. Never have so many characters looked guilty!
Well written and acted with a decent soundtrack too.
There were several occasions though, when I felt that, given the circumstances, characters blindly entered into dangerous situations far too naively.
I wonder if we'll get a season 2? I shall definitely watch if we do.

Leia Mais

It's all about the girls

This is such a good series and I love the characters. It's a great message for women of any age, in that the different views, levels of experience and personalities, of the 3 main female characters, are so different, but respected within the story.
No judgement is passed on a chosen lifestyle, but via the series, the assumptions and rumours of others about them, are explored.
I loved how supportive each woman became of their friendships and that no pressure was put on, or fun made, the more naive and inexperienced character.
There are also very valid points made about the importance of sex and sexual health education, plus the need for easily obtainable routes to qualified, empathic and sensitive advice.
A really nice watch.

Leia Mais

On the plus side, it's funny at times, emotional and moving. Lovely cast and well acted with only a couple of characters being portrayed a little OTT at times.
What does happen when a father raises his 3 kids after the loss of their mother, allowing them to do what they like and then at a turning point in his own life, rebels against them?
The problem for me at times was the ridiculous dialogue between characters, seemingly written just to move the story into evermore convoluted realms.
It veered sharply between farcical sitcom and melodrama.
I loathed the middle son; a cold, ungrateful, arrogant, self pitying, snob. The actor (Yoon Park) did well to make me dislike him to much. I couldn't warm to him even when the story tried to redeem his character later on. Just unforgiveable.
The massive slice of Korean large family life portrayed in this series, would have me running away. Never before have I seen such nosy, intrusive, manipulative, selfish, immature and thoughtless characters wrapped up in 3 main families, in one drama!
It just went on too long, for me, as well.
Not one I would watch again.
Was lovely seeing a young Seo Kang-joon and Park Hyung-sik though.

Leia Mais

Money, manipulation and murder

I was gripped almost immediately. Powerful figures are top of the food chain and the mistreatment of those below cascades down, very painfully. Those bullied from above, take it out, often with relish, on those below.
Even when it began to dawn on me who the main culprit was, I found myself doubting whether I was right. That's great character writing.
Jun is excellent on his portrayal and acting, as are all the cast. Top marks though, to the younger cast members, who all gave credible performances.
The family dynamics of the powerful were as often seen before, with parents using their money, position and contacts to further their children's futures. The green light this gives them, in terms of feeling a right to mistreat and manipulate their fellow students though, is a lesson this drama, I feel, attempts to teach its viewers.
The pace was good, although each episode covered too much ground from the end of the previous one, so I found myself FF each one.
The outcome for several characters was too clipped at the end and I wish they'd made more of the final court room scene, for realism.
I still thought it was a decent finish though and would happily sit through it again. Recommended.

Leia Mais

A lovely, complicated but not impossible, film

I loved this film. It needs watching a couple of times to really get the plot, as the subs are not great and, as the film is a little complicated already, that doesn't help!
Hye-Joong has no memories before the age of 4 because they've been suppressed. She consequently suffers nightmares that are beginning to affect her actual life and at times (when she has the urge to harm herself) is actually possessed by the spirit of a character that's introduced later.
Soo-ryun was hired as a nanny, because Hye-joong's mother was sick and when she arrives, has with her, her own baby, Hwan. There's no incest as the lead characters are not related (it would have been impossible for her Dad to have fathered Soo-ryun's baby and it be born, in such a short space of time!)
The tragedy, I felt, happened because a character had misunderstood something they witnessed and what they were told about it, in an earlier kitchen scene.
Attention needs to be paid to the scene towards the end of the film, directly after Hye-joong is separated from Hwan, because the things that are shown at the site at which she ends up (baby Hwan's grave), explain how its possible for the film to end the way it does.
The fairytale like qualities of this film and the lead actors, Hong Jong-hyun and Jung So-min, portraying their characters so well, made this a magical, if at times very sad, film. I found the character of her Aunt pretty irritating; she asks a Shaman for help (in fact forces her), but then proceeds to completely ignore her advice at the most crucial times! I liked the Shaman character and thought Lee Seung-yeon portrayed her well.
There is blood and ghosts (I didn't find them scary), but everything fits and doesn't feel like it's been plonked in purely for shock/effect.
This is only my take on the film and I've left a lot out so as not to spoil it completely with this review, but as so many posts have indicated that the film is impossible to follow, the few semi-spoilers I've written will hopefully be enough to help explain the story.
I recommend watching!

Leia Mais

Near perfect drama

It's quite hard to put into words just how excellent in every way, this drama is.
Screen writer Jo Yong and director Park Shin Woo really nailed it, together with a cast who so eloquently brought their characters to life.
Gang-tae, who becomes a care giver at the OK Psychiatric Hospital, seems completely balanced and together, but has closed off the life he shares with his autistic older brother, Sang-tae. Moon-young, a children's author, is totally self absorbed, feisty and used to getting what she wants.
The meeting of these characters and the journey they embark on, played out in the drama, to understanding themselves and others, feels like a dark fairy tale at times, however it is very real. Their emotional stories and those of the hospital patients, are both very funny and moving.
I especially liked a guest appearance by Kwak Dong Yeon as patient Kwon Gi Do, who had me reaching for tissues.
A favourite actress, Kim Mi Kyung, plays Kang Soon Deok (Joo-ri's mother) so well; she was actually a linchpin, to me.
There were no clichés that  I can think of at all and no overly sentimental scenes either. It was actually adult in its presentation and very honest.
A scene in the final episode, shows how grown ups should be portrayed in a relationship... it can be done.
Every actor was great, but for me, Oh Jung-se deserves an award for his perfect portrayal of Sang-tae. He made the character very central, important and one that evolved possibly more than any other.
This is one of those rare dramas that I cannot imagine anyone saying they did not like it at all.
I am going to miss this so much and will definitely watch again.

Leia Mais

Personally, I felt this drama started well, as it portrayed the ways in which a person's self esteem can be destroyed; verbal abuse is mental cruelty.
What I loved: the cast were all excellent and I so enjoyed Shin Sung Rok's portrayal of the churlish, phobia and allergy ridden lead male! He played it really well and shone at the times when he was acting shy, awkward and at odds with himself. He comes across as younger than his actual years.
The message I took from this drama was a positive one; that one doesn't need to be slim or beautiful to be loved. Self belief, self respect, self love all need to come first, as this provides self confidence. It's also how we make others feel about themselves that can affect their feelings toward us.
There was comedy and sadness, with some touching moments.
What I didn't like: the story became too drawn out and I felt like the writer lost their direction. Too many scenes were repeated and some scenarios were ridiculous, even for a fantasy.
Whilst a lot of it was good, the music was all over the place and veered too quickly from moment to moment. (One song that stood out for me though, was Queen's 'Lily of the Valley', a 1974 B-side single that I never expected to hear in a K-drama!)
I loved watching Sung Rok, but this isn't a drama I'd revisit.

Leia Mais

Gripping

Very apt, relevant and thought provoking.
The mysteries surrounding what happened in the research station on the moon, who was responsible and more, are shockingly brought to light.
It really is gripping stuff and in the slightly claustrophobic, creepy environment, everyone is on edge. The different personalities of the crew and their strengths/weaknesses become apparent.
It is very rarely light hearted, can be shocking and gory, and the ending might disappoint some, but I thought it was fitting and so good.
I felt it was as much about portraying a warning of sorts, as telling a neatly packaged story.
Great cast; I loved Gong Yoo's cool, level-headed and accomplished Capitan figure. Typical military achiever who unquestioningly follows orders. Events see his character grow, however, and his view of Bae Doona's Scientist, changes too.
She is great ~ as always, and created a believable, detached (but for a reason), yet compassionate, strong and stubborn personality, who is brave and not afraid to ask questions.
I was so happy to see Lee Joon back in drama. He can play a range of characters and I feel is a little underrated. Very much enjoyed his acting and character in this. He had me!
The mission was riddled with problems from the start and I could not help but make guesses about characters, almost from the beginning.
It was a solid story, but some aspects raised questions about 'how'.
Also, if there was an abandoned research station on another planet, that might carry the answer to saving our earth, one would think it would be guarded by those that set it up. Satellites would surely pick up any other space craft heading its way.
If an operation were so hush-hush, crew would surely be searched (regardless of reputation etc) before setting off.
Strangely, I can't really place the music now. Maybe that is a good thing, as it means it never 'got in the way' or spoiled my viewing.
Sci-Fi aside, the catastrophe of earth drying up could one day be a reality. I'm relieved I won't see it.

Leia Mais

Too long a promise

March 2024
A cursed yet fated love, scheming and treachery within Royal families, clans, strategic alliances and marriages, a higher realm, cultivation, tragedy, Merfolk, and Gods, kind of wraps this up in a nutshell.

The title is very apt. This drama went on for way too long, being really drawn out at times.

However, the sets were gorgeous, as were the costumes and the main cast. I loved the idea of the story, but goodness me it was chaotic at times.

Xiao Zhan's (aka Sean Xiao) character as male lead, Shi Ying, reminded me a little of his co-star's role in The Untamed, at times. In honesty, he was what got me through this drama. A tragic and wronged childhood, leading to a monastic life cultivating his spiritual power.

The female lead (Ren Min as Zhu Yan) character, whilst exuberant, stubborn and spoilt, but kind hearted, I unfortunately found REALLY irritating. She was also too immature, clueless, had the usual childish voice and always thought she knew better. Many of her antics were devoid of any thought process at all and, frankly, eye rolling. I wasn't keen on the actress either, finding her kind of amateur at times (her dancing was beautiful though). Zero chemistry with Xiao Zhan.

The supporting cast and characters were rich and varied. Besides XZ , I had some favourites... Fang Yilun (Alen Fang) as Zhi Yuan. He was captivating and portrayed his part really well, I thought. Marcus Li as Chong Ming was amusing and lent the drama a fair bit of light heartedness. Wang Zi Qi as Qing Gang, had the patience of a saint and was a really steadfast and humble character that I liked.

The more mature females were strong characters, but as fitted with the times, the younger ones were powerless pawns really; only 1 stood out to me and it wasn't the headstrong lead.

There were lengthy and contrived build-ups to quite a few of the storylines within the plot, almost all of which culminated in rushed conclusions, that I found disappointing and unsatisfying.

There were also a number of occasions when continuity was lacking and the plot was poorly adapted to move the story forward. The FL's character was all over the place.

It's a real shame, because this could have been excellent; it had all the right ingredients to be.

The ending was unexpected. I wasn't entirely happy with it either, but that's a personal taste thing.

I found the music didn't always match and the C-drama habit of dubbing the actors for accent purposes, was very 'breathy' in this.

If you can overlook these things and enjoy a quite sumptuous, melodramatic romance Xianxia, then you may well love it.

Leia Mais

Scoring for the acting, characters and feels

I am still completely perplexed as to why they split this drama in 2. Guess we'll never know.
S2 really enhanced S1 and so much became clearer.
I really loved the characters throughout this series and found Mi-ho (Lee Da-hee) far less irritating than I did in S1!
Considering there is actually very little romance per se, the story is still romantic and I found that aspect to be very poignant.
Van and Goong Tan were created against their will, but while one became full of rage and vengeful, the other ends up clinging on to their humanity and living in penance. In many ways, the character of the granny (Baek-joo) was doing the same.
Plenty of action, as in S1, with a number of flashbacks. Some were revisited, which I'm not sure was really necessary, but it didn't bother me.
Loved the SFX and thought the entire series was very well made. Missed Johan speaking Italian in S2 though ?
One of my few niggles lies, as is often the case, with the ending. Also, a weird and powerful sect was suddenly introduced in S2, but no indication or explanation of what their aim is, where they came from and exactly who they are, was ever given.
Instead of leaving things with the culmination of Mi-ho carrying out her destiny, there is a FFWD... the sect makes an appearance and we're left, as happens with too many K-dramas, feeling like there should be more to clarify, or that another season will follow, which is rarely the case. That actually spoilt it for me.
Still a good watch and a great cast. I would actually watch it again ~ plus there'd be no stupid break now!

Leia Mais

Blues in various shades

A stonkingly good, multi layered story about life in a close community where many characters were childhood friends.
Ups, downs, successes, failures, secrets, love, heartbreak, family, friends, regrets, dreams, forgiveness ~ it is all here.
I never got bored and loved how, whilst there were multiple stories connected to characters, there was a focus in each episode.
The tribulations of life that this series covered, were vast and highlighted issues rarely found in other dramas.
Depression, grudges, a husband beater, aging and pregnancy, to what really impressed me hugely, the challenges of living with and caring for someone with a disability.
The first actress / character I have ever seen in a K-drama, with Downs Syndrome. The prejudices and ignorance faced, in this day and age, which really exist, was shocking and heartbreaking to me. It both hurt me and made me so angry.
I sincerely hope that anyone with a warped attitude and stupidity towards this and other conditions, that watch it, will see how disgusting their behaviour is and educate themselves.
I laughed throughout and in the final episodes, cried. So moving.
Fabulous acting from the whole (GREAT) cast (the kids on it were SO good) and a soundtrack that fitted the style of the characters, their community and lives.
One I would highly recommend and would happily watch again.

Leia Mais

Overly sentimental

This was way too melodramatic and gushy for me.
Started off not bad at all, with Mama of the title and the ghosts she hangs out with, at the columbarium her ashes reside in, providing some light hearted and touching moments.
They are kept in line (with difficulty) by a no nonsense Shaman, Ms Mi Dong. There are no real vengeful inhabitants, most stay to watch over family, or because they have unfinished issues.
I found these characters and their stories the best part of the drama.
Once Cha Yu Ri inexplicably comes back to life, the story started to quickly nosedive.
It's a while since I've found a lead character as selfish and hopeless as her.
She's belligerent towards many other spirits, even though she's now in a position where she could help them.
She had been fixated on her daughter from the moment she passed and when she returns to the living, it transpires that being around her all that time came at a price.
She inserts herself into the toddler's life, with no care about her husband or his current wife, let alone the little girl. At this point, she has no idea how she came back, or whether it's permanent.
Instead of being extremely careful, she is eventually found out. On learning that she has 49 days on earth, after which she will leave again if she cannot resume her pre-death place on earth, she still carries on regardless and keeps it from everyone.
The emotional scars her death left on her widowed husband are deeper than the ocean, but she still spends most of the time concentrating on herself, whilst what I felt was using her daughter as an excuse.
The expectations she raises in her parental family, husband and best friend, cause so much more hurt and pain, it's infuriating.
Characters take ages delivering slow and overly paused dialogue, not answering questions, not saying what they should, and there is a LOT of wailing and beating of chests.
This story could have been so much more. The main character could, on being discovered, have come clean and used her time on earth well, instead of achieving very little until the last couple of episodes.
Instead of feeling sad for her, I was relieved when it was all over.
Definitely not one I would watch again, as I struggled to finish it first time around. So disappointing. If you like mushy, sentimental, melodramatic shows, however, you'll love it! (Not judging; each to their own.)

Leia Mais

Simply beautiful story

Such a believable story, understated acting, superb characters. Moving, emotional and funny at times. All aspects of relationships and human frailties and strengths are explored. Just perfect.
Jung Hae-in is a wonderful, natural actor.
The entire cast were perfect and give the viewer wonderfully varied, 'real' characters. A joy.
With 12 episodes, this is shorter than most dramas, but the story never felt rushed or packed in and neither was it dragged out. I felt the pace was perfect.
The locations were unusual too and it made me want to visit the coffee shop, buy a eucalyptus plant and a ticket to Oslo!

Leia Mais

Incomplete

Watched March 2024
A pretty gory, violent, tense, gripping and thrilling watch.

Jung Hae-in is excellent, as always, and Go Kyung-pyo's character is very unnerving and he plays it really well.

A lot of very unsavoury characters in this and the nothing-new trope of anyone different being ostracised, victimised and, where possible, cruelly used for financial gain.

There are a lot of adult themes, so not one for [young] family viewing.

JHI's character is a mystery. Alone, a loner and seemingly without family or history/background, which is almost completely non-existent in the drama. He is sweet, kind and sometimes comes across as vulnerable, but he has an edge when he becomes protective of others. He is totally unaware of his 'situation', too, until the trigger point; which raises many questions. In fact, how certain characters exist at all, whilst hinted at a tiny bit, remains a complete mystery as well.

A very dark, seedy, mony powered and selfish side of life is portrayed, with aggressive and brutal people and police.

I did like the pace, feel and the soundtrack to this. There is also a sound effect used for a specific 'thing', which I found rather cute, although I am totally unsure as to whether that was intended, tongue-in-cheek, or just me perhaps!

S1 ends with a wide open door for a S2, which is desperately needed to make any sense of this drama at all. Without it, it's really just a vehicle for gore and shocks.

Sadly, it seems nothing has been confirmed on that front. I absolutely hate it, when American backed productions don't film/air a complete story, and release a S1 without committing to a S2, at the outset.

It happens all the time now. Island, Move to Heaven, Moving, Song of the Bandits, to name a few... none of these provided conclusive endings and many also lacked the depth needed to explain why/how things became the way they are in the present.

It is frustrating, and, is honestly making me think twice about starting Netflix, Disney+ or Prime short-episode K-dramas at all. It totally spoils the viewing experience and story.

Leia Mais