Thrilling: Beginning to End

I am someone who finished the 2 seasons of Kingdom very recently just to watch this sidequel in real time and I must say that I am so very impressed. I know all of us expected an entire season out of this but they had anyways said from the beginning that it will be just a special episode and I think it's because they had to delay for a 3rd season due to covid so to compensate the audience they came up with this. But who knows whether it was the case or they had planned it from the very beginning.

Anyways Let me review.
STORY & PLOT:
So, as it was clear that the episode will be of 1.5 hours, I expected lots of contents but it wasn't the case. However, I am okay with it since it's just a sidequel showing the backstory of the major storyline that we have witnessed in the season 1 & 2. And as the name indicates, this side story is all about "Ashin", the female character we had seen at the very end of the season 2 holding a sword. It starts with the young Ashin who lives with his family in a border village of refugees. His father is loyal to Joseon and works as an undercover spy for Joseon (Won't tell further details because it's just an episode). The story advances with how her father, family and the entire village is betrayed; Ashin approaching the wrong side to avenge the betrayal; realizing the truth years later and deciding to destroy everything with her own accord and power.

I feel it's more like a prequel which to some extent also clarifies how it all started in season 1. Just as a group of audience had suspected and made theories, the reason the plauge's starting has been made clear. And in the season 3 the main story will be combined with this back story of Ashin as we have already seen her in the ending of season 2.

CAST & CHARACTERS:
Well, there are only a few major characters from the major Kingdom story in this drama along with Ashin, which is played by our yeppo noona, Jun Ji Hyun. Let me tell you that, Ashin's character in this special episode is almost mute. She doesn't have much dialogue but as always, Jun Ji Hyun has proved her acting skills with her performance which is dope.

Other than her, the center of attention in this drama is Park Byung Eun who has played the role of Min Chi Rok, the righteous inspector general in the previous seasons. However in this season he's in a different position of an Army General fighting at the borders and was in somewhat negative character. 2 other prominent figures in this are Koo Kyo Hwan and Kim Roe Ha. All of them did a good job at their respective roles assigned.

DIRECTION & EDITING:
Kingdom has had us thrilled since the first season even though the seasons had only 6 episodes and less than 1 hour duration each. The kind of sound editing always had my heart beating fast and they never compromised with cinematography, which is very enthralling, we must admit. The direction and screenwriting by Kim Sung Hoon pdnim and Kim Eun Hee jakkanim is totally a top notch.

CONCLUSION:
There is not much to say about this sidequel tbh since it's only 1.5hours otherwise one would end up spoiling. Also, less scope of reviewing because it's just an insight or pov of a main story that everyone gonna watch just to fill in the gaps. Anyways, this is a thrilling watch and I definitely loved it. As someone who don't believe in ghosts what scares me are gore, zombie, mutant and monster apocalypse.

Overally, Kingdom just like it's previous has a n adept writing, stupendous screenplay direction and, amazing acting, fabulous performance and catchy editing which cab attract a lots of audience.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SEASON 3 AND EAGERLY WAITING FOR IT.

Leia Mais

Sing when you can not dance.

Uncertainties of life that should help us come out of our shells, often end up holding us back, and what life demands us to do is, put some efforts and liberate ourselves out of the incertitudes. After all, we do not notice that we are chained until and unless we move. What we are repeatedly reminded throughout our difficulties is that, real liberation is not achieved by burnishing and covering the painful memories, rather by experiencing it to the entirety. The drama is a reflection of numerous paths of liberating yourself, on your way to eternity and fulfilment.

Jointly produced by 'Studio Phoenix', 'Chorokbaem Media' and SLL, "My Liberation Notes (나의 해방일지) [2022]" is a 8 billion won budgeted slice-of-life Kdrama. Reuniting writer Park Hae Young and director Kim Seok Yoon after 11 years, the show was broadcasted on JTBC and internationally distributed by Netflix.

The show takes place between the contrasting vistas of a quiet countryside, namely Sanpo of South Korea's South Gyeongsang Province and busy metropolis of Seoul. The show follows the life of three 'Yeom' siblings who are enervated of the sameness of adult life and their mysterious neighbour 'Gu' who is always by himself. As life happens to these people and the ones surrounding them, they set out on a prolonged and endless road, seeking liberation and eternity.

Yeom Gi Jung (Lee El), the oldest of the siblings, is huffy & short-tempered who always complains about everything, making silly judgements; yet wishes to find love and fulfill her life. Yeom Chang Hee (Kim Min Ki), the middle sibling, is awfully outspoken who despite of his crave for better life doesn't really have a goal and spends his leisure meaninglessly. Yeom Mi Jung (Kim Ji Won), the youngest, is faint-hearted and introverted who feels unfulfilled in her boring life, coveting to escape from all her worries. Mr. Gu (Son Suk Ku) is the closest next-door ahjussi who has recently moved to the neighbourhood and a drunkard who talks less and prefers to remain by himself.

Chun Ho Jin (Yeom Jae Ho) is the siblings' father while Lee Kyung Sung plays their mother Kwak Hye Suk. Ji Hyeon Ah (Jun Hye Jin), Oh Du Hwan (Hang Sang Jo) and Suk Jung Hoon (Jo Min Kook) are closest neighbourhood as well as childhood besties of the siblings. Cho Tae Hun (Lee Ki Woo) and Park Soo You (Park Sang Min) are Mi Jung's colleagues. Other familiar faces in the supporting roles are: Choi Hee Jin, Yang So Min, Kim Ro Sa, Jung Soo Young, Kang Joo Ha, Choi Min Chul and Kim Min Song.

Plot development is not a thing when you talk about slice-of-life genre and the show had the same case, for it doesn't indicate a particular direction or destination, that the characters must reach in order to imply an ending. Well, MLN is not feature obvious, with a gripping conflict or larger-than-life charactes. But them, their everyday desires, their disappointments, their emotions and their actions & reactions to what's (not) happening around them has been beautiful sketched and well developed. The show is quite for most of it's parts but still interesting, engaging and most importantly eternally healing, which makes it worth the time invested. The major characters go through a slow burn process, i.e. they don't change over the course of time, some, nor by the end of the show, but it affects us, the viewers, and that's the miracle of MLN as well as other slice-of-life shows.

There are times, when the conversations are very deep; people in duo or group talk about things that is deep-rooted in their souls, affecting their lives in ways that they didn't expect it to, and then the next moment, it turns into a talk about utter bullsh*t, about some stranger narcissistically screaming on the street or some chocolate teapot or a sack full of hammers (metaphorical). To put in simple words, sometimes it moves your heart but the next moment it's stupid and doesn't make sense. But all of these boils down to the very fact that you enjoy, relate and relive it and don't you think that's only "life" ? About the ending, it's pretty sorted and greatly satisfactory. Letting aside my personal feelings and rationalizing have the same results. I can't call it an open ending since it's a slice-of-life show and the ending of such always implies that our lives are continuous and life goes on even when the show comes to an end. You can pretty much draw your own conclusion, very easily.

Park Hae Young PDnim is one of the most respected names, who, with her relatively less created pieces, have been able to win hearts through her skills of storytelling in slice-of-life vignette. MLN has been a transporting story, with the ability of transcending into both beauty and disaster at the same time. Utilizing realism, jakkanim has attempted to examine small & ordinary yet powerful narratives of daily life. Mr. Gu's part of sure is a bit wilder for such genre, but you know, what? There is no such rule that a devil and it's tale can't be a part of a coming-of-age story (He ain't an evil man, if you're guessing so from the statement. It's generalized.). In an overall sense, jakkanim brings out the best possible characters, with their compelling environments or spaces they tend to, by drawing scenarios that allows us to relate the pieces with our very own experience.

Director Kim Suk Yoon PDnim with the fair share of experience of working in both thriller and softcore genres, including MLN, have been able to evince his skills through various dramas over the last 'half the decade'. The primary motto of the drama, i. e. the emphasis on the very moment, with the intent of focusing the audience on that moment rather than using that moment as part of a narrative, has been accurately executed, with lots of sense. The incorporation of touchy monologue notes and the flashbacks of foregone days, are of great interest with their ability to stir up both joy and misery, at the same time. The screenplay attempts to triumph over emotions by means of creating a still, tranquil and taciturn mood, and I must mention that this makes the show unique.

The framework of the drama is not set up in a colourful and fascinating setting yet something about the characters' environment will make you feel riveting & compelling throughout, hence proving once again, how it's a perfect example of living upto it's genre's essence. The pieces & elements of the drama offer insight into the small, common moments that might go unnoticed in bigger stories. Indeed, it has many conversations, actions and reactions that might feel unavailing, but it's a matter of time, you realize that you're living the moment, seeing yourself in the characters and have been a part of such discussions. The contrasting features of Seoul and Sanpo will often change thd vibes it radiate, while allowing you to capture the beauty of different realms.

The cinematography is beyond pleasing, I can't be lying. The art of storytelling through stills and visuals of this kind is definitely not new in Kdramas, however, MLN chalks up to recreating a narrative of idiosyncratic judgements. The makers attempt to enable the audience to live the essence and the way the presentation is drafted through vehemence is praiseworthy. Witnessing characters through refractive lenses (of the audience) by fetching and fluctuating camera angles, often from one's face, to a nearby glass frame were both palliating and allaying. The obliquely focusing camera, often alters into unorthodox minds of ingenious thoughts.

The two words the drama emphasizes on are: liberation (해방: haebang) and worship (추앙: chuang). Mi Jung's greatest force for personal liberation was her decision to widen her periphery of compassion as well as leniency, moving from focus on service to focus on self, which might seem contrary to what life demands, however, self-care has been of greatest value over years and we should be admiring the way she disenthrals herself throughout. Her portrayal constantly reminded me words from Paulo Coelho, "The beauty of truth: whether it is bad or good, it is liberating." Humble heart is the true contribution to worship, and to worship someone is powerful device that is able to dismantle every shackle and its able to breakdown every wall, of own and of the one you put at centre of your heart. Mr. Gu proved himself to be a good worshiper by enabling Mi Jung's life to be found settling within his soul. Robert Webber rightfully quotes, "Worship is an it-is-well-with-my-soul experience.”

Yeom Chang Hee and his life hacks; his agressive and loudmouth talks which can come off as rude and annoyance, is always contextualized, no matter where you see him. This guy, that guy, the talkative guy who always tries to shove knowledge into others, ends up making them realize that he actually makes sense. His facial expressions always imply that he's good intentions and that he really means what he's saying. Even with these, the way he strives do better in his job is commendable. His failures to achieve something might have let him down, but he immediately finding relief in little & meaningless things, have comforted me each time. Coping up with results in way that brightens your spirit, is what you must learn from him.

Yeom Gi Jung and her love interest; the one who might be picky and hasn't been able to find anyone to be able to love despite her age, ends up crying at the end of the day for being so miserable. With the guilt of committing wordily mistakes, she constantly tiptoes around people. To her surprise, when she falls in love with someone unexpected, she finds herself in a complicated situation where she has no path to chose, but remain at the same point. However, the way her life takes a turn, bringing immense happiness to her feet, it is alleviating to witness her tears of joy. Sticking to your persona and being patient can result in fruitfulness is what you can take home from her.

Yeom Mi Jung and her misplaced emotions; not like she hasn't tried, but then, not like everyone succeeds even after multiple and constant attempts. Time doesn't heal all wounds. In a family where emotions are not transparent, in a workplace that doesn't appreciate and in a friend circle that doesn't understand, she must have feel suffocated and wronged. So, it's actually coherent & lucid, why she wishes to break free from everything and run away as far as the road takes her. The constant urge to become liberated from all her worries has made him into a cold-hearted woman. Consistency, straightforwardness, know-how and maturity are what you should be able to receive from her.

Mr. Gu and his mysteries; aahhh! What a personality and what a development. The way he walks, carelessly and as if it's tiresome to even move, the way he stretches his entire body & neck in order to avoid what's happening around him, and staring up the sky aimlessly, and his facial expressions, that includes reactions to what he's told; I am mesmerized how all of these transcend into a feeling of admiration and respect to this character. He was indeed full of mystery; talking less, remaining by himself and drinking all the day, it was crystal clear that he bears something heavy in his heart. Yet, stupefyingly, he inspires others, makes others think mighty of him and uses no effort in allowing everyone fall for his aura. Take as much as he offers. And on that note, Mr. Gu is the new crush of millions" including myself; I had seen him before, but the difference persona and his character are what aroused my heart.

"My Liberation Notes" in many ways establishes and emphasizes various forms of friendship. The very fact that we vibe differently with different people at the same time, even within the same group, has been beautifully demonstrated. ''The things we share with our friend A, we can't spill that to friend B' " sorta feelings. From neighborhood buddies to workplace collegues and from school classmates to long lost acquaintances, MLN throws light upon both the importance and complications of each.

One of the many silliest means of liberating yourself, that has been portrayed through the acts of the characters, throughout the drama is "moving your feet"; be it a tiresome walk or a simple strolling or a breathless running. As you walk/run and think at the same time, the worries and burdens might evaporate away little by little, if not entirely, and that actually helps. As you watch the drama, you will realize that there are actually plenty of scenes where the characters are only moving forward with monologue notes accompanying them, and those were actually gratifying and alleviating, or in the words of the writer, "liberating".

Chang Hee's admiration for Mr. Gu, the way he looked upto him, him calling 'hyung' and was able to extract out inspiration from Gu's life, was quite an intrigue. Even with no definite bromance, MLN showcased a meaningful non-romantic bonding between two men, who despite of their personal conflicts, were able to unbar the ways to relief & salvation. I can go on about how I felt looking at Chang Hee's eyes & emotions for Gu-shi multiple times.

Composed by Kim Tae Sung PDnim, there are 12 OSTs in total, including one which has both male & female versions. Most of the songs are soothing and assuaging, which depicts the slowburn theme and realistic essence of the show. I can't say the entire album is my favourite but sure, I like all of them.

# "A Kind of Confession" is my most favourite track which has both female and male versions, sung by HEN & Kwak Jineon respectively. It reflects a realistic love that is unpredictable and full of uncertainties.
# "I Think I Know" by Isaac Hong accompanied Gi Jung's love story as an appreciation to souls that heal each other.
# "Here We Are" by Kim Feel is a song about the wary of life delineating melancholy and I believe it was dedicated to Mr. Gu.
# "Deeply" by HEN, as it's title says, is about deep assessments of the events of our life.
# "To be together" by Lee Jung Hyung reflects the warmness from the embrace of love. The prelude theme of the track is used as the intro of the show.
# "Laggard" by Shin You Me is a track meant for Mi Jung and her introverted spirit that urge to come out of the shell.
# "That Day" by The Orchad is a mildly jolly song about the brightful days of expressing and experiencing love. It was for Gi Jung.
# "Be My Birthday" by Ha Hyunsang was a soulful rendition about all the first time that you get to live after falling for someone.
# "We Sink" by SWAY is an upbeat composition about the thick & thins of life, that bring forward variable opportunities, which in ways, emphasizes on Chang Hee.
# "My Spring" by Lee Soo Hyun is a softcore track about the feelings of times spent with your soulmate.
# "Diamond" by 9duck is another jolly track which radiates admiration for the one you love.

One of the many moving elements in the drama was Mi Jung's desire to be able to reminisce about past where she herself is be-seated by her younger self's side, enjoying the views she really loved and Mr. Gu suggests her to remember the very moment and remind it when she turns old, because by then, the present time would be her younger version. Similarly, I would like to mention few of short yet relatable and favourite dialogues which aren't actually spoilers...

# "I feel scared of being honest."
# "Suddenly, I feel lovable."
# "You should know who you are."
# "Now we can say, we have watched stars together."

Before I sign off, I would have loved to talk about "my liberation diary" and the "haebang (liberation) club", the most motivating idea of the drama that puts Mi Jung at the centre, but I truly want all of you, reading this, to witness and experience it by your own.

Final Remarks... Ahhhh! That's how you express yourself with drama that could imply to a plentitude range of emotions and thoughts, throughout. Coming to the last part of my review, I am not sure whether or not I was worthy of writing this piece, for it is so beautifully contented which not only took the characters in the journey of liberation, but also helped the viewrs learn how to liberate themselves. With great production values, fascinating script, fabulous execution and beautiful outcomes, this is one of the best slice-of-life Kdramas ever produced even so it didn't have a noteworthy viewership record as it aired. I wish it could reach a lot more people but I also believe, good things always find their ways to those who deserve. With this, I must not forget to express my gratitude to the cast and crew and everyone plus everything that's involved in bringing out "My Liberation Notes" to me. Thank you, so very much!

Leia Mais

A little stretched but fine.

As you're already aware of, Undercover is a remake of the popular UK series of the same name, the makers have also done immense changes in many plots giving extra essence to the major characters. This is rather a political thriller that feels like a tragedy throughout the entire thing and makes you feel sad. Absuse of power, authoritative ruling, corruption, dirty politics, etc. without the consideration of how it affects a common man's life and people's emotions are parts of this drama.

Undercover is set up in a premise where a familyman tries to save his lovale family from getting ruined by his own tragic past that he has been hiding all his life out of insecurity that the revelation can break his dear ones apart. To save your time here I suggest you read the plot in the synopsis so that I can jump to my review, haha.

Have you watched the Lee Joon Gi starrer tragic thriller drama Flower of Evil: FoE (2020) which even got multiple nominations at the 57th Baeksang? Well then, Undercover is established on somewhat similar (I would say 30%) premise. Only difference is that the given situations in both the dramas are different but also lead to a tragic result where there seems no door to get out of.

Undercover is emotionally stirring and the brewing conflict between the leads even when they're unware of eacg other's flaws, is what you call the main attraction of the drama. The emotions and beliefs of the leads will leave you worried about the fate to befall on them and their happy family. The greatest message it gives is, even in a regular and perfectly normal relationshp, situation of discovering inadvertent lies, is something hard to overcome and reconcile.

Talking about acting and cast, the cast felt so good though I personally think it could have been better; the children of the lead couple and some people at the NIS as well as in the police force and the Blue House could be better actors. But the lead duo Ji Jin Hee and Kim Hyun Joo were so powerful throughout the series and their chemistry was remarkable though it's the second time playing a couple but it was different given that the characters were intense. Ji Jin Hee has always proved his versatility by playing a number of challenging characters but in my opinion this role is the most difficult. I felt the same when he played the same character in "Move to Heaven" even though he was there in a guest role.

The core concept of this drama is the same as Flower of Evil, sometimes it felt a bit slow but manageable. Back to back tragedies are a bit triggering which might make you angry; at a point everything goes wrong back to back things happening lose the way back to their places that makes one suffocating.

There was a huge character development for both the lead characters and the way it was presented by intertwining and connecting the present time with their individual as well as united pasts. That is one job that intrigued me tbh. The story has been well written and the direction and screenplay has been done nice but let me tell you that you shouldn't expect a lot from it for we have seen similar plots before and all the political tragedies are not new to us either. It's just a story with different elements and a different way of execution that makes it interesting and kept me going.

Overally, it's not a bad show but worth a one time watch. Please give it a watch before you judge. Scoring a gravitating pitch, UNDERCOVER vaunted a solid narrative right off the bat. Coupled with a good cast, it invites you to brace yourselves for the parade of confrontations, betrayals, and conspiracies spicing up its initial displayed story.

Leia Mais

It was good till it was not.

Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get. Success and happiness doesn't necessarily go hand in hand but what matters is how you strive to maintain a balance between them as well as thrive with a content heart.

Drama series UNCLE is a remake of the UK television series of the same title that aired on Channel 4 in 2012 and BBC One from 2014 to 2017, created by Oliver Refson and Lilah Vandenburgh. Its a mixture of comedy, melodrama, music and makjang. The Korean remake is produced by 2 companies "Hi Ground" and "Monster Union", broadcasted on TV Chosun.

UNCLE is a story about a failed musician who takes over his sister for taking care of his nephew and the family who move into an apartment complex as renters while trying to escape from their abusive family. The story includes the uncle trying to rise in his failed career as well as trying to protect his nephew from all the odds created by the ruthless Granny and the sly group of mothers, namely "Momblies".

Wang Joon Hyuk (Oh Jung Se) despite his failed music career due to fraud and betrayal by his friends and family is a sincere and selfless person always ready to lend a helping hand to the needy. Already distanced from his family, he initially hesitates to meet them but eventually embraces them with all his love. Min Ji Hoo (Lee Kyung Hoon) is a kind-hearted kid with OCD who gets panic attack even by thinking about his granny. He's inclined to music just like his uncle and loves his mother so much. He takes his time getting used to his uncle and later on becomes so fond of him that he can't imagine his life without his beloved uncle.

Wang Joon Hee (Jeon Hye Jin) is a divorced lady who separated from her husband after being abused for 12 years by his in-laws, to protect her son who also was beaten mercilessly. Her character is something that wins heart by realistically expressing her emotional curves, a character with an unusual narrative. Park Hye Ryung (Park Sun Young) is a sly and manipulative lady who controls the group of rich mothers, called "Momblies" as it's "Diamond". With her connections and influence she can pull any thing off but chooses to veil her toxic life with lies.

Other good actors in major roles are Ju Kyung Il (Lee Sang Woo), Kim Yoo Ra (Hwang Woo Seul Hye) and Chun Da Jung (Jung Soo Young) as the residents of the apartment complex. Song Hwa Eum (Lee Shi Won) as the middle school teacher, Jang Ik (Ahn Suk Hwan), as the 'Hot Bar' owner, Shin Hwa Ja (Song Ok Sook) as the Chairperson of Gangto Money and Ji Hoo's Granny, Min Kyung Soo (Yoon Hee Suk) as Ji Hoo's father.

Among other major child actors are Ju No Eul (Yun Hye Bin), Ye So Dam (Kim Ha Yun), Shin Min Ki (Go Kyung Min) and Park Se Chan (Park Shi Wan).

Plot development in overal is just fine. The introductory episodes were impressive though the screenplay didn't seem usual and it was difficult to decipher whether it'll be a sitcom or melodrama themed. Progression was also good despite very typical elements used; it might seem like a makjang but it's actually not. Personally, I liked it a lot for the first half and it continued to be entertaining even after interval, until the 10th episode where it started going downhill.

The major characters suddenly become dumb out of nowhere, unable to decipher the conspiracies by the antagonist side. It takes at least 2 episodes for them to figure things out and then their strategies to counterstrike them were even more typical, which even became very repetitive. The final outcomes by the end of 14th episode weren't very impressive and didn't keep up the interest for the finale week. And trust me, the finale week was even more underwhelming.

Despite the shoddy decline towards the ending, one thing that remained constant was the love uncle had for his nephew, which, in fact, saw an uprise in the graph. Many scenes involving the heart-touching interactions between many characters were emotional. The story involves many elements such as: failed marriage, abusive relationships, mental health of children, bad parenting issues, greed for power and money, teenage pregnancy, toxic relationships, devotion for music, ideal teaching techniques,

Ji Young Soo PD-nim and Park Ji Sook jakka-nim have fair share of experience in the industry; even though the drama isn't that good, their skills were well-utilized. The screen-editing, play management and execution is well taken care of. The writing was a bit off and I think the major issue was turning a sitcom into melodrama. The screenplay is surely full of comical elements for most of its parts but it wasn't portrayed as a sitcom to begin with. 3/4th of the story is okay but the last quarter becomes shoddy.

There 12 OSTs in total with 3-4 tracks used as a drama version (as Joon Hyuk is a singer) which are sung by Sangmin Chu to keep a consistent voice for J. KING. "Your Dream" by Sangmin Chu is my most favourite followed by "Living Together" by Sangmin Chu and Lee Kyung Hoon (Ji Hoo). Sangmin Chu has also sung "Even if we break up", "Time to say goodbye" (drama version), "On The Beach" and "By your side". "BLUE BIRD" by Lunch, "Stay with me" by Lee Kyung Hoon (Ji Hoo), "Love Sign" by Lizia and "Not Alone" by Bae Sung Yoon are some other tracks from the drama. "Butterfly" sung by the child actors of the drama is so cute.

Overally, "UNCLE (엉클)" is a good one time watch. Too many characters and incomplete arcs were the limitations of the drama and it went downhill in the later half but it's not really bad having so many heart touching moments. The first half (or let's say till 10th ep) was a fairly balanced watch. Can't say it's a must watch or something but it doesn't really offer something exciting or impressive to look forward to, either.

Leia Mais

"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are."

Sure, people can change themselves and their life, and it's good when you are trying to better yourself and prosper. But when you want to change yourself just to surpass the standards of certain someone, you end up loosing yourself, which is immensely evident.

REFLECTION OF YOU is a story of such desires and the constant urge of vengeance from someone who had pushed you off the cliff just when you were about to embrace your dreams. This is a story about two women: one who despite of her achievements, couldn't help herself in making choices and another who after loosing herself has become revengeful; both, thereby creating unavoidable consequences, that somehow drags their families into the mess. This is a story of love, desires, betrayal and revenge, as the synopsis states.

"Reflection of You (2021)" is the live action adaptation of the novel "Someone Who Looks Like You (너를 닮은 사람)", originally written by Jung So Hyeon (정수현)

Director Im Hyun Wook has done a very good job here, even as a newcomer with lesser experience; I am sure his work in his previous drama of similar genre, has helped him a lot. Yoo Bo Ra jakka-nim is a known and acclaimed face in the industry and she must be applauded for the stupendous plot development in this drama that carries several peaks and keeps the same intense throughout the series. Her method of storytelling as well as the monologue narrations and dialogue writing are all praiseworthy indeed.

Jung Hee Joo is a famous artists and essayist, married to a rich family. He got a loving husband and 2 adorable children: a highschool daughter and a 5yo son. She loves her family to the extent she can do anything for them and has to manage it along her artist life that she has built-up through passion. Gu Hae Won is a failed artist who has lost her path to happiness and changed from a happy-go-lucky girl to a revengeful woman. Both of them share a past that has ruinned themselves to different levels. The story shows their encounter after years, which involves the unveiling of the past events that has dragged them to hell and they try to bring down each other by any means. This major plot invoves many other characters involved with their individual lives and some sub-plots that is related to the main storyline, more or less.

What I loved about the production is that the script of the drama never ran out of substances. Whenever you feel like it might become boring and context-less, leading to subsequent exaggeration, the writer comes up with another enraging scenario which serves as a side dish. First episode successfully establishes an intriguing impression upon the audience, creating plentitude curiosity. In my case, I was mesmerized from ep1 to ep6 so much on my first day of watching that my anticipations was raised high. The way everything about their pasts got revealed within those episodes just so the viewers can draw the entire picture on their own, bothered me a lot as to what else they got to offer next. But I'm happy didn't go blank at all till the end. There's in fact no episode that didn't see development or was boring. The last 4 episodes become very intense, typical makjang vibes, that is frustrating and anger inducing like usual.

Jung Hee Joo (Go Hyun Jung) doesn't lack anything other than constant love and loneliness has grasped her.. She has seen the harshest of days but to her fortune, she falls in love with Ahn Hyun Sung (Choi Won Young), who always wants to remain flawless. Her family comes first to her and she's become very strong over years, despite which she's indecisive and can be easily manipulated that lands her in pickles many a times. Gu Hae Won (Shin Hyun Been) is a budding artist and was Hee Joo's teacher years back. She was a easygoing girl back then but situation and time has made her rude, arrogant, resentful and crazy for vengeance. She can now go to any extent to get her job done. She is married to Seo Woo Jae (Kim Jae Young), another aspiring sculpture artist who doesn't have any control over his feelings and can be reckless to get what he wants.

Other minor characters are Kim Bo Yun as Park Young Sun (Hee Joo's MIL), Kim Ho Jung as Lee Jung Eun (Hwain Museum Director), Kim Sang Ho as Yoon Sang Ho (Pub owner), Hong Seo Joon as Lee Hyung Ki (Min Seo's husband), Park Sung Yun as Lee Dong Mi (Hee Joo's friend), Seo Jung Yun as Goo Jung Yun (Hae Won's mother) and Shin Hye Ji as Lee Joo Young (Lisa's friend) , who are more or less good actors with experience.

Being a mystery-revenge thriller with makjang elements, this drama comprises of many important factors of reality. Loneliness being one of them, has won over almost everyone's mental health for which they choose to keep everything to themselves and be submerged within illusion. The worst part of it is not the pain inflicted by sad memories, rather the loneliness of it. Second being revenge, is a means to intrigue the viewers in here; they say, the best revenge is to unlike them who has caused the injury. But do people really believe in that? No! We are mostly who choose to avenge through damage, even so it is caused upon us. Obsession being another factor, proves once again that it in itself is a way of ruined beings to destroy themselves further. Of all human weaknesses, obsession is the most dangerous and the silliest. Also, lying being considered the worst habit of human beings, is something that can't be fixed. But we must remember, our lies catch up to us someday, somehow. Jealousy too is a factor that immensely dominate the story. The inner consciousness of one's own inferiority is something that can eat us out completely. Domestic violence, disturbances in marriage, parental love as well as negligence, bullying culture in highschool, greed, hate speech, extra-marital affairs, cheating, competition, insecurity, possessiveness, mistrust, etc are also a part of the drama.

I was worried the writer and director might forget about the few side plots that was incorporated into the major plot via the minor characters like Ahn Lisa (Hee Joo's daughter) played by Kim Soo An, Jung Seon-u (Hee Joo's brother) played by Shin Dong Wook and Ahn Min Seo (Hee Joo's SIL) played by Jang Hye Jin. Since there were long gaps before they brought forward the consequences of those scenarios, I was uncertain about them not turning into plotholes, but thankfully!

This has a set if good OSTs. My most favourite is "The Moment" by Lim Kim which is an English song that reminisces past and resonates the consequences with a sense of guilt and regret. The harmony in the track is very soothing, indeed. "Moving Away" by Savina & Drones is a lowbeat, despondent track with immense vocal works. "I Am Lost" by Lee Seung Yoon is a melancholic song about heartbreaks whose high note rhythms are enough to melt your soul. "Knocking On" by Jannet Suhh and "Midnight Sun" by Kim Kyung Hee are the other 2 tracks.

The sound production is also well done. The background scores and the OSTs have been utilized appropriately and were able to keep up the thriller plus makjang vibes throughout.

Knowing own-self is the beginning of all wisdom and can prove a great teacher. But the attempt to imitate someone else's reflection will only bring you misery and land in a horrendous & repulsive situation. What matters is the timely realization and withdrawal, followed by self-reflection and learning.

The finale week had the most dramatic consequences. 15th episode in fact laid a foundation for a superb finale episode but to my disappointment, that seemingly amazing seqence actually got wasted somehow; the peak at the end of ep15 somehow calmed down as soon as within 30 minutes of the 16th ep and the resr 1 hour of it was heading down some unknwon path. I don't wanna comment on it firmly bcs I am uncertain about the writer's intention, nor have I read the original work to be aware of it. But let me simply put it, that it might have another season, otherwise, we'll have to move on from it, considering that the drama got some plotholes. The ending sequences in the last 15 minutes have left me all confused and I have got at least 5 questions, which can be answered with another season only.

Its not new for Kdramas to have unsorted endings just to leave the audience to interprete and assume by their own but ai believe that's not the case here at all. I would have been happier if they had wrapped up the entire story within one season bcs I don't honestly see a potentially amazing drama out its 2nd part. Sure, this one is good but adding more to it will somehow feel like an unnecessary exaggeration, I think. Hoping to listen from the makers soon, I mean they should be clarifying about their intentions by now.

Overally, this is very good, if not something unique or groundbreaking but surely has different kind of moods and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing. It's more of a combination of mystery thriller and makjang, and not the typical frustrating makjang kinda drama. The last 6 episodes have the actual intense makjang stuffs, which might not be that sensitive. But anyways, enjoying this depends on your expectations and taste in makjang drama. For example, I am not a fan of intense makjangs so this mild dose was honestly good for me. It has it's own flaws of drawing plots and characters at few points but it's definitely worth the one time watch.

Leia Mais

"She'll thrive, and through her a family will endure."

In her 2007 novel “The Sweet Far Thing”, Libba Bray has says, “There is an ancient tribal proverb I once heard in India. It says that before we can see properly we must first shed our tears to clear the way.” Indeed, our past is what holds us back from things that we wish to accomplish, but what matters is how we learn, acknowledge and grow as better human beings from it. We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it to the entire. There is no beauty in sadness, no honour in suffering, no growth in fear and no relief in hate; it’s just a waste of perfectly good happiness. “Pachinko” depicts all that through the saga of a family over generations. 

"Pachinko (パチンコ)" is a Japanese gambling device resembling a pinball machine but with automatic payoff as in a gambling slot machine (merriam-webster). Pachinko parlors are widespread in Japan, and, mostly owned by Korean immigrants, and usually also feature a number of slot machines so these premises resemble and operate similarly to western casinos. Modern pachinko machines have both mechanical & digital components. As stated by the writer, Pachinko, in the show, is depicted as a metaphor to life, when it's very unfair to go ahead, but you still continue to play, because you can't turn back or give up either. Pachinko is a game of chance and survival, both figuratively and literally.

Created by Soo Hugh and co-directed by Justin Chon & Kogonada, "Pachinko (2022) is an American show from Apple TV+, adapted from the original book of the same title authored by prominent Korean-American writer Lee Min Jin, released in 2017. Co-produced by 3 companies: Media Res, A Han.Bok Dream and Blue Marble Pictures, it's a 4 year long project, that started with Apple Inc. acquiring the bid for the series in 2018. The production took 7 months for casting and all of the cast were in fact auditioned and chosen, as informe by the team. The filimng started in October 2020, and was done in different phases, at different locations, and in fact different countries (South Korea, Japan, USA and Canada), that ended in April 2021. Reportedly, the showrunner Hugh has the objective of creating 4 seasons in total, which gives us the idea that the show we just finished is apparently one-fourth of the original novel.

"Pachinko (2022)" follows the mettlesome multigenerational chronicle of a single family, in parallel, who are immigrants of Japanese invasion & colonization in Korea. Their pursuit for survival and happiness, with hopes & dreams have led them to prosper and thrive over decades though their foregone days of sufferings and scars from the past remain fresh in their hearts. The show presents stories from different timelines from 1910 to 1989.

Kim Sun Ja (later Baek Sun Ja/Bando Nobuko) is played by 3 actors: Jeon Yu-na (childhood), Kim Min Ha (teeange), Youn Yuh Jung (Old), whom the author keeps at the centre of everything that takes place throughout. Steven Noh plays Pastor Baek Yi Sak (Sun Ja's husband) while Soji Arai (Korean name: Park So Hee) is in the role of Baek Mo Se/Bando Mozasu (Sun Ja's son) and Jung In Ji takes part as Yang Jin (Sunja’s mother). Ko Han Su (Lee Min Ho) is a cold-hearted fishmonger with a dark past and plays an important fuelling factor that impacts Sunja’s life. Baek Yo Seb (Han Joon Woo) and Choi/Baek Kyung Hee (Jung Eun Chae) are brother & sister-in law of Sunja, respectively. Baek Solomon (adult: Jin Ha and young: Yoon Kyung Ho) is Sunja’s grandson from Mozasu, who is an efficient employee in a top corporate bank in New York. Etsuko (Kaho Minami) is Mozasu’s girlfriend whereas Naomi (Anna Sawai) is Solomon’s collegue.

The opening was the highlight of the TV series and definitely a favourite. While looking at the opening credits, it’s unclear whether this is a Korean, Japanese or Western drama; the main cast members gathered in a scintillating & evocatively coloured pachinko parlour as if it were a paradise, dancing to "Let's Live for Today" by The Grass Roots. This is the only time the actors from different timelines intersect, which was mainly due to Hugh’s love for opening credits.

“A child is coming. This one will thrive, I assure you. And through her, a family will endure.” : describing the birth of Sunja, the central character, this line epitomizes the pneuma of Pachinko’s premiere. In contrast to the book, which is ordered chronologically from the 1930s to the late 1980s, the filmmakers of this series made a bold change. The nonlinear construction of time in the series jumps between past and present.

“Pachinko” tells us a spellbinding story of colonialism & subcultural nationalism, war & peace, love & loss, and victory & sorrow, exclusively from a meta-historical human perspective. The historical accuracy and the detailed representation of adversities experienced by the people of Korea, due to the brutal consequences of a ruler's greed, is of immense value and definitely deserve all the noble words that exist in the world. From making aware the contemporary generation about their history to generating nostalgia & cognizance in viewers by enabling them to look back and consider the affinities between realities of different times, Pachinko does all that, if not more. 

Enumeration of Sunja’s journey particularly feels nostalgic yet melancholic as it serves as a reminder of the wartime and post-war stories of 1st generation Koreans and their descendants. The nuance of these memories, however, forces us to acknowledge what they’d, in truth, gone through in the course of history and how it affects the current Zainichi Korean generation. It also shows us how resilient and strong people can be despite what life throws at them. Though the cornerstone essence of the story remains the same, adapting it into live-action demanded some changes, and these changes are brought forward from the development of the series; you can clearly experience it if you have read the book already.

In "Pachinko," the representation of Solomon goes with the complicated colonial history his grandmother navigated first-hand and the reverberations of which he continues to grapple with as an adult. This also captures his links with the Korean heritage, and both challenges and intertwines with his Japanese upbringing. Indeed, Solomon is the 2nd most focused character in the drama, for the latest time period portrays the saga of him trying his best to become a corporate slave, while his links with the foregone history of his family’s sufferings hold him back and enables him to make decisions, unsuitable for his career and his ambitions.

“Pachinko” is magnificently and aesthetically recountable, particularly while illustrating 1910s Korea. Shots filled with dusty hanboks of the Koreans and pristine uniforms of the Japanese are entirely accurate to their time period. The show is filled with panoramic landscape shots of golden grain fields, dense yet bright forests, diaphanous water bodies and inky oceans. The opaque and uncanny fish market and dark-timbered boarding house are fascinating to extents. The combination of both pitch & pale hue, with varied compelling colour palettes, provides immense pleasure to the viewers and its enormous production values which has resulted in stupefying cinematic values, can be witnessed and heartfelt, from the very beginning of the show. The camera beautifully captures the vast sea separating two countries: Korea and Japan, and their highrises, with the movements remaining easy on the eye. The meticulous set designing, development of premise and eventually bringing them to life, have paid off.

The use of sound and language is also beguiling and bewitching. The use of the comoosed sounds and themes in “Pachinko” is perhaps the most heart-felt since they possess the power that enables the viewers to connect to different time periods, accurately. Various instrumentals composed bring about the souls of the essential contexts that the author and makers have attempted to project upon the audience. Sometimes it pulls the heartstrings to levels, but for most of its parts, the background scores are caliginous, shadows, weighty and substantial.

Reportedly, Hugh also took care of the character outlooks in an effort of using beauty im order to create a timeless period piece. The extensive studies with collection of photographs and clips of the contemporary time was a great help for illustrating appropriate hairstyle and makeup; starting from looks to attires, everything was developed with sincere attention which is obviously reflected in the show.

“Pachinko” offers us a reality check on the assumption that the age of globalization may make life easier. It shows how globalization can also push us further away from our roots and ancestors. This story is truly extraordinary and unique, and one that should not be watched as a typical migration story. In “Pachinko,” identity is not defined in terms of binary codes. Each story is different, and each individual is different in spite of their shared historical experience. This has enabled Hugh to go for a standalone episode, portraying the life of Hansu, through a terrifyingly real incident. Hugh’s research also led her to the Kantō earthquake, which hit the Tokyo-Yokahama area on September 1, 1923, with the magnitude of 7.9. The impact of the disaster was massive, with a death toll of aprox. 140,000. What stimulated as a consequence, was the spread of rumours about the Korean immigrants adding to the destruction and trying to overpower Japanese, turning them to scapegoats, which led to massacres, which was unforeseen and heart-wretching. According to several unanimous reports, an estimate of 6,000 Koreans were killed as a result. Nevertheless, Lee Min Ho gives the best of his career in this and honestly it's the first time I liked his acting, he has improved, indeed.

I think I have already thrown light upon the direction and related tasks throughout, in my piece, like sound editing, cinematography, setup design as well as composing, etc. The directors Justin Chon & Kogonada have done their job with great care and their efforts are visible. The rest members of the team should also be credited their due words of appreciation. Congratulations of creating a masterpiece.

Writing the show, for Hugh, hasn’t been just about bringing the epic of the Zainichi family onto the screen, exceedingly, she has attempted to a great deal to showcase their thorough experiences & emotions in accuracy and get the facts right. Her immense research and fact-checking has also enabled her to get her script reviewed by 20 or more historians, including those specializing in Japanese history, Korean history, and colonization. Its notable that their opinions and voices were unanimous and this has surely helped to elevate the quality.

Exceptionally, in the finale, the opening credit is performed by the Korean pop Pansori (traditional) band LEENALCHI, which recreates the same song by modifying the lyrics with Hangul.

My most favourite quote from the show is:
"Even if you're scared, let's be scared together. If we do that, won't we gain some strength?"

You must look forward to the ending of the finale episode, for it shows us the interviews from several Zainichi Korean Women, currently residing in Japan and their stories of suffering, tolerance, resilience and resistance. The 5 minutes long edited clip is enough to move your heart and make you cry.

Final Remarks... Pachinko is a brilliant tribute to the resilience & forbearance of survivors from an era of oppression on small lands, that was not often discussed, previously. It is a very complex part of history which ties in with one of the best shows to have been brought to life. The grandeur of Pachinko is, in many ways and on many levels, a reminder of how time can affect our lives. It sort of redefines the standard of a story that can move millions of hearts. Pachinko is the life-altering story that should have been brought to screen much earlier. Please go ahead :)

Leia Mais

Either way, a waste!

Having watched the original show “Jane the Virgin”, I was, at first, a bit hesitant because I liked that. But then I thought I should check out how the Kdrama essence changes it. And I am sadly (not really) declaring that they did fail and this was entirely a horrible attempt. It was obvious to compare this with the previous but then I thought I should actually consider it as a separate show because things must have changed with given circumstances, which did happen. Either way, it did disappoint.
Developed by ‘Studio S’ & ‘Lifetime’ and produced by ‘Group 8”, “Woori the Virgin” is a comedy melodrama plus partly romcom drama, adopted from the American satire telenovela “Jane the Virgin”. Written by Jang Ah Mi and directed by Jung Jung Hwa, the drama was broadcasted on SBS TV and internationally distributed by “Viu” in limited countries. Notably, this is not a remake of the original show, rather an adaptation since all the 5 seasons from have been summed into a single season. Also, the show reunites Sung Hoon and Im Soo Hyang after 6 years who, again, happen to have debuted together 11 years ago.
Oh Woo Ri (Im Soo Hyang), daughter to a single mother and raised alongside her grandmother, is a woman in early 30s who has been virgin due to her religious beliefs. During a regular checkup, she gets pregnant due to medical malpractice at her OB-GYN clinic. To her surprise, the sperm owner turns out to be a man Rafael (Sung Hoon) with whom she had a momentary fling five years back. As she decides to keep the baby and the story follows the consequences and unfamiliar events she faces.
Lee Kang Jae (Shin Dong Wook) is Woori’s boyfriend and a detective. Other familiar faces in the story in various major roles were: Hong Eun Hee, Yun Won Kyung, Kim Soo Ro, Lee Do Yeon, Nam Mi Jung, Hong Ji Yoon, Joo Jin Mo and Yun Woon Kyung.
Plot development was the entire problem with the drama. The remake was a bad idea; they could have made a story based on the concept but they went for an adaptation, making foolish decisions. The pilot episode did its job of creating an impression at the end but the episode, as its own, was not very pleasant. However, the furtherance following that and the set of events became interesting with plenty of comic elements and revelations done for the major characters. To my disappointment, it didn’t last long; it seemed smooth till 5th but what happened in 6th and the way the episode ended, I was skeptical about the rest of the show, because it hadn’t even reached its interval.
With only the crime scandal and the main culprit left to be unveiled, everything else became stupid and not worth of watching as soon as the 7th episode started. I can’t say that the mystery plot and the investigation process kept me engaged, it’s just I wanted to know the culprit’s face even when the show had already fallen through, that’s it. It kept getting stupider and logic-less towards the ending and for my habit of not being able to leave anything unfinished, I watched 7th-14th at 3x, ngl.
Emphasizing on my opinion, once again, adaptation isn’t an easy job as it seems. Even if the audience doesn’t expect you to justify the originality, as a writer, you must be careful not to mislay the essence of what’s been presented earlier, which the debutant Jang Ah Mi jakka-nim clearly failed to accomplish. First of all, the idea to adapt a 5 seasoned show was stupid to begin with; secondly, it could have simply referred to the story and created one of their own; finally, bringing all the 5 seasons into one was where they stooped to rock-bottom.
With not being able to create something noteworthy in his almost 15 year caarrer, Jung Jung Hwa PD-nim has again failed to bring another drama to justice. The flow of direction was inconsistent, very much. Things like screenplay management, sound editing and screen editing might have been handled to par but the erratic pacing and irregular development come as annoyances. While the first half was smooth and worth the patience, the latter half becomes too rushed in order to include everything within the predetermined quota. Imo, they could have made to more episodes, minimizing the damage.
Composed by Choi Seung Kwon, the show has a total of 5 OSTs and my ‘Kdrama OST Sucker’ heart couldn’t bring itself to love any single of them. I would say ‘”I’m In Love” by Sin Ye Young was the only likable track which also fits to the drama. While “Gosh” by Jessi is a fabulous track individually, this has no particular essence to be contributed to the show. Other 3 tracks are: “Sunday to Monday” by Woody and “I’m goin’ crazy” which has both male & female versions, sung by Kim Bum Soo & Lee Young Hyun, respectively.
What I liked…
Nothing really
What I didn’t like…
# Sung Hoon’s acting doesn’t improve remarkably even though he has been acting for a while and his irregular casting should be the reason, but it’s obvious he isn’t getting many offers bcs there seems no will power to improve. He could utilize his time in taking classes. (Some of y’all will come at me foe this but fact never changes.)
# Character arcs for many were shoddy; not even the 3 leads had anything significance. Flaws make characters realistic but for a 14 episode fictional drama there were way too many flaws, provided they didn’t have a single fraction of development. In the second half, it wasn’t even funny rather ridiculous.
# Kang Jae’s character was horribly written with no particular sense. As a cop, he didn’t show any trait that would make him a good detective. The number of times he and his wit failed, implied his incompetency and also showed how incapable the police is. In short, this was so very unrealistic and had no logic.
# Chemistry between the 2 possible pairs were zero. While Im Soo Hyang did click with one showing little compatibility, pairing her up with the other was so useless and was presented with cliché elements as fillers only. The original show was convincing, but as the culture and essence have changed with the remake, the same felt extremely stupid here.
# The illogical plot devices were irritating in the sense that they did repeat few just to stall time and match the timelines of different subplots. Then, they used some just to fill the gaps created due to the removal of major events from the original show. Finally, the way of representation was choppy.
Final remarks... Overally, “Woori the Virgin” is not only a bad remake but also a poor quality show if you don’t take the original show into consoider. I came here knowing I might get bored but the stupidity and failures have made me mad. I understand the low budget is where the problems stem from but we have seen enough such cases, where makers have aced the race despite every hurdles. Since the show has way too many cons and almost no pro, I decline to acknowledge it as an average show, even. Don’t watch.

Leia Mais

Ummm, it's okay if you don't watch this :3

Writing this review, I really have no idea what exactly I should talk about because the drama has almost negligible context. The low budget and the limited duration are not the problem and I get that, whatever they showed was the main plot only, but Idk what was that. But sure, this drama throws light upon few lessons in long-term relationship.

The story is about Ha Song Yi, a botanical garden curator who is a happy-go-lucky, simple girl leading an average life and his boyfriend Park Do Kyum, the lead singer of an indie band and both equally love each other. With the beginning of the story they break up and the 4 episode drama is about the aftermath of the fall out of their 5 year long relationship. They had to go on a trip together even after breakup. Additionally Seo Ji Kang is another main character who is the tour guide of the team in Jeju-do who also gets involved with the two. The destination of the story is whom does the FL ends up with.

As I've already mentioned, there not much to the story, a small plot is decorated with an average screenplay with many lackings + drawbacks and though the storytelling method is kinda nice. It's visible that the writer debuted through this drama but they needed to study women a bit more because the FL is quite annoying and immature. However she being clingy is kinda realistic because in real it's not very easy to go back to your single life from a long-term relationship.

I think the drama even with such short duration and small plotline could have been better. One or two things felt illogical. The character arcs are not well-drawn. Sometimes it was frustrating also because few things are repetitive as well. Editing is fine though. Anyways, it didn't have much scope to begin with.

Regardless, the story successfully makes you think, rationalize and resonate about few things which are vital in a dating atmosphere. One of them is transparency, the most important thing of all in dating and especially when you've been in a long-term relationship. The story portrays how lies, even told for the better of your partner can ruin your relationship. Always be open & clear with your other-half and even if it's something difficult, ask them to endure that alongside you. It's better to go through the path together than letting them know once it's over because people often feel little of themselves when they get to know of how they were not even aware of the hardship their close and dear ones were going through. What the ML did here was very wrong and given that he shouldn't have been given further chances but anyways, there's no control over one's heart. Also the 2nd ML's storyline is like a filler that didn't quite fit into the story much for me.

Overally, it's good but can't say this is even worth the one time watch. So if you wanna kill time or got nothing to watch or wanna trash-watch, this is a sweet bitter snack for you.

Leia Mais

10/10 for creepiness

Trigger Warning: Immense Cult Practice, Killings, Gore, Brainwashing, Terribly Scary and awfully creepy.

Cult thriller trope is not very new for Kdramas and has it's own separate fanbase but what makes HOMETOWN different is the execution and portrayal of real cult shits that might take a toll on your mind, so be careful in case you're sensitive.

HOMETOWN is set up in the fictional small rural town namely Saju (somewhere in Busan irl) in the year of 1999 with a major past of the year 1987 connected to it. Everything starts from a welfare centre that existed years ago, then a series of tragic incidents in 1987 and then in 1999 where a number of serial killings take place, all rooting to a mixtape cassette with mysterious creepy sounds.

It involves MIU Detective Choi Hyung In (Yoo Jae Myung), who has been connected to the entire event all along in his subconscious. He discovers astonishing facts related to his life while trying to get to the root of it, simultaneously dealing with his deteriorating mental health. Jo Jung Hyun (Han Ye Ri) is determined to find his lost niece who is already staged to be dead. In her journey with his old friend, she discovers horrifying truth about her past and finds herself in terrifying situations that might eat her up to the core. Uhm Tae Goo (Jo Kyung Ho) is Jung Hyun's brother and a terrorist who is prisoned for life for killing a number of people at Saju Station in 1987 by releasing toxic Sarin gas. (These ain't spoilers bcs you'll find them in the synopsis.)

These 3 actors are indeed seasoned artists with main acclaimed works & recognitions and their performance surely will surpass your standard, no doubt. Especially, Uhm Tae Goo as a psychopath,who can control mind, served his role so well that you might wish to kill him, every time he comes into the frame. Him sighing is one of the creepiest things I have ever experienced, eww.

Other than them there are also some other good actors in the major role. Choi Kwang Il as Im In Gwan is deeply involved with the cult group. Cha Rae Hyung as Kang Young Taek, Jung Hyun's highschool friend and a part of the magazine club. Jo Bok Rae as Lee Si Jung is a Sergeant and Det. Hyung In's partner. The 4 teen actress were also good; Lee Re as Jo Jae Young and Heo Jung Eun as Kim Moon Suk are major parts of the story.

I must say that this drama needs a lot of patience, even when you're an avid thriller fan, because till the last 2 episodes of this 12 ep drama, the ultimate reason of the entire event is very very confusing. The way everything is unfolded one by one, in an intricate way will make you go crazy to a great deal. For viewers, it's like solving a puzzle to reach the answer whose fragmented pieces are scattered in a disorganized way. It's like you'll have to analyze, compare and relate the information you have and group them in an order first, before you set everything into their rightful places and finally get the biggest picture on the board.

You'll have new information revealed at each episode and there are lots of flashbacks to reminisce and extract out the tiniest of detail from what you've seen till the moment. The plot development is not steady, rather scattered with many flashbacks and revelations, which are not entirely revealed at once. For a 12 episode short drama, the progression along with plot-twists and mystery divulgence is drawn very well by the writer. The writer has done a good job in presenting the character arcs of all the 3 main characters well.

I somehow felt the 6th episode was kinda slow and nothing that interesting of sort took place in there except the ending, though that episode was also filled with revelations and realizations. After binging 10 episodes in 2 goes, I was concerned how they'll wrap it up in the finale week because there were still so many things to be revealed along with the primary force behind everything. Again after the 11th episode revelation, it was a tragic feeling but also gave rise to more anxiety as to what's next but glad they wrapped uo everything without any issue. Also, the seemingly intertwined story and it's details were still to be revealed in the finale, which were surprising ngl. However, it felt a bit slow and was a lil uninteresting in the 1st half. What was more worrisome that the script might have some potholes left but glad it was all fine.

Hometown also stands out for using a different approach in cult thrillers that's Hinduism. Most of the cult dramas rely on Christianity and Shamanism to showcase cult behaviour but for the first time the makers of Hometown has dared to go for Hinduism and has even executed it very well. The ancient tradition of guru-sishya (teacher-student) was basically incorporated with pseudo-religious practises with immense brainwashing and drug abuse. Only thing that seemed funny was the symbolism of that "crossing-hand" mudra, it wasn't well explained I felt. It felt like they were trynna make a scary gesture but it was in fact very funny. Otherwise, they were able to keep up the intense and thrill till the end and I liked it.

Note: This is not insulting to neither Hinduism or the Indian tradition, rather a fictional portrayal involving pseudo-religious practices which give out alternative interpretations of any particular belief. If other religions could be used then why not this. It's not my pov as an atheist rather as a avid stan of dramas & movies and their values.

The sound production is top notch. They knew very well how to make the mood creepy with the accurate use of background scores and the cult mantras. What also accompanied in grace was the rainy weather scenario. The sound of heavy rain was a perfect feather to the thriller cap. Cinematography is also appropriately handled. Since it's a thriller that too investigative mystery and cult group story, the frame is mostly dark and shady. The camera movement focusing the objects and zooming sequences are well edited. The main prop used in here is the mixtape cassettes with creepy and chilling sounds which was the cause of all the tragedy.

The finishing sequences of the story that summed up the entire event was good enough for a decent thriller. There was no philosophy or justification to the acts done but there sure was learning. Ain't gonna say the actual reason but sure only word to describe the force behind it is an action that can be simply described by 2 words, one starting with 'r' and the other with 'v'.

Overally, Hometown surely is a thrilling and catchy watch which will keep you up till the very end. Starting from it's biggest advantage, i. e. to direction, script, production value, etc. have been taken care of well with a lot of effort. Can't say it's amazing though it's one of the creepiest but it sure is a good one in terms of cult thriller mystery. I made sure not to talk about the story a lot because idk to how to explain things without spoiling. Just make sure to remain sane throughout, haha.

Leia Mais

Typical story yet well executed.

A group of good-looking boys struggling with their individual issues and a broke girl is forced to live with them under one roof. The entire story revolves around how the girl helps them deal with the problems while also falling in love with one of them who is the rudest of all. Yes, you have watched a lot of this sorts.

This will be a short one bcs this drama doesn't need a detailed review nor it's anything productive giving scopes to talk a lot about.

"Let Me Be Your Knight" is clearly a pre-2015 Kdrama romcom script; in fact a trend that existed till 2015, somewhat. There is no lying in this regard from either sides, i. e. the makers and the audience. So the question should be whether it's worth a watch in the year 2022?

So to summarize this particular story, LUNA is one of the most successful KPOP Idol band known for their good looks and quality music. Things start going wrong when Tue leader of the band suffer from sleepwalking, to counter which the members have to live with an in-house psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is basically fake, who is forced to pretend like a doctor due to her financial situations. The story is all about the fake doc helping the 5 of them to overcome their hurdles accompanied by a developing love story alongside.

The acting department is pretty average, full of young actors and plenty of rookies. In Yoon Joo/Kang Sun Ju (Jung In Sun) isn't highly ambitious but aims to save a fortune and purchase back the house she lived in her as a child. Yoon Tae In (Lee Jun Young) is the lead vocalist and the leader of LUNA with horrible childhood experiences, that has led him to having sleeping disorders. Not gonna mention rest of the major characters but I must say the casting was fair.

Plot development is steady and moderately up to par. The story starts with addressing thw issues lying with LUNA and it's public image as well as the FL and her life. It mainly focuses on the ML's healing process with the FL's help. In constantly provides the audience with fluffy romcom elements along with emotional scenes. Idol life issues is equally emphasized by putting the individual members of thd group on the pedestal at different times. There is nothing much to talk about the progression, ngl. The ending was smooth and satisfactory.

I honestly never knew the makers of this drama and guessing from their biographies, this is their debut. Regardless, the director didn't have much to do given the storyline, expect for screen editing, organization and cinematography, which I think have been well taken care of. I wonder what was the need of 4 screenwriters for such a story, but well (haha). What I didn't like about the writing is the soddy character arcs; wasn't really expecting anything but it seemed very bland.

The set of OSTs are well composed. They aren't really memorable in comparison to the vast sea of songs but I like how it was mostly relatable to the story and it's essence. The theme song having the same title as the drama "Let Me Be Your Knight" is my most favourite. It's soulfully versed, beautifully composed and exquisitely sung. Other songs by the imaginary group LUNA are: "Love Paranoia" , "Beautiful Breakup" and "Love One Day". I liked all 4 of these. OSTs sung by non-cast are.

"Dreamin'" by Seo Eun Kwang (BTOB)
"You are my soul" by Monday Kiz
"Because it's you" by Kim Woojin
"Rainbow" by Celine
"Sunshine" by SUNNY

What I liked...

# The OSTs are the best thing about this drama. The entire album is so good I swear; this was the only thing I expected from and I'm glad it's been delivered.

# The way they have addressed and presented almost all of the major South Korean idol issues is thought provoking. Idol dating issues, absurd rumors, career insecurities, competition within a group, struggles in the showbiz, etc are the areas they've covered. Just disappointed that one of the issues wasn't solved how i wanted.

# I am happy it wasn't much focused either on 2-3 characters or on the romantic storyline. Other members of LUNA have a fair share of screentime unlike other Idol dramas.

# The slice-of-life references put forward were heart-touching and emotional.

Well, it is a decent thing in my opinion which can be used to pass time. Irrespective of a story full of cliché, this has the least drawbacks to be pointed out. It's an example of typical story but well executed category. This is entirely no-brainer and very predictable and not really something to look forward to,so I would have given less but the fact that I found the least numbers of technical flaws, encouraged me to be kinder, haha. I can't say it's a must watch but if you're craving old romcoms and looking for something new & light-hearted, then here you go.

P. S. In a final confession, I wanan mention that this is better than "Imitation" in the perspective of an Idol drama. I don't wanna compare "Idol: The Coup" bcs it too was better than Imitation. In fact, the former was about a script and the latter was about idol issues, whereas, "Let Me Be Your Knight" is a perfect balance between both.

Leia Mais

Unmyeong (Fate) is a strange thing.

"BOSSAM: STEAL THE FATE" overally is not something very good but it's moderately average and worth a one time watch. But Bossam indeed is a different kind of Sageuk (historical Kdrama) and let me first time tell why you should watch it.

1. The drama's basic plot is totally new. Bossam being an old Korean tradition could be something new for the natives but it's undoubtedly unknown to the huge number of int'l audiences.

2. The first of the drama basically is a romcom-story happening in the premise of a historical period. Royalty, Nobility and system, everything is related but politics and diplomacy have minimum involvement.

3. Be it joyous or melancholic, this drama has many warm poetic moments unlike other historicals which are full of tragedy with lots of angst.

4. Whatever amount of diplomacy has been shown in the script, it is very very skillfull. And it's like there's lot more diplomatic progression than wars and fights or stunts.

5. Jung Il Woo goes shirtless in the 1st episode itself showing his bulky transformation :p (not a spoiler at all) and that's quite a sight to witness. Also, he runs a lot in this drama.

STORY & SCREENWRITING:
Bossam is set up in the premise of Joseon era and is based on a age old traditional custom. Bossam basically is the forceful abduction of a widowed woman by wrapping them inside a sack and marrying them off with a man. Even though it has politics and diplomacy, as it should've since it's a sageuk, it has equal amount of warm slow-burn romance story and basic storyline involves cohabitation and mutualism. It's about how Bossam-ing a widowed woman by secret local peddlers changes the fate and lives of all the people involved as well as influences the entire system of a nation. The plot line development is very nice till the 8th episode with a vibe of uniqueness but after that a major revelation took place which changed the entire drama and made it a typical historical Kdrama where certain influential Minister is after the King's dethronement to get hold of the power. And after 10-11 episodes things become repetitive like someone plotting treason, scheming to kill another, preparing to defeat another in courtroom, rescuing someone in need, getting caught, etc etc... All these things happened back ti back in an alternative manner hence became boring and uninteresting to a certain level. They should rather have made it a 16 episode drama without dragging the story by writing the same thing over and over again.

DIRECTION & SCREENPLAY:
Well, it is the same as I described the story writing above. The screen-editing, organization of scenes and sound editing were pretty good till the major climax of 8th episode but after that the director could not do much given the script turned typical. It ain't that bad till the end though it could have been a lot better. So I would say the entire 2nd half is still finely bearable.

CAST & ACTING:
The casting for the respective characters is actually good. Jung Il Woo and Kwon Yu Ri picked a good script and justified their characters pretty much good. Other supporting characters were nice too but the problem is with the drama characters developed by the writer. The Female Lead showed a character development to a certain extent tbh but Jung Il Woo's character went downhill with a major revelation about his past. I expected a stronger him after the twist but the character instead lost it's essence. Shin Hyun Soo's character is very very annoying; he plays an important role in all the tragedy and helps the leads many a times, however he ruins many a thing in the 1st half of the story for his stubbornness and stupid desires. The little kid Ko Dong Ha who played Jung Il Woo's son did great in whatever he was given but after first half that pretty nice character didn't have many scenes and finally became lost towards the end. The supporting roles by Shin Dong Mi and Lee Joon Hyuk were pretty funny and compatible who made us laugh at many instances. Kim Tae Woo as the King has a complicated character. He gets charged up most of the times screaming and throwing things. Lee Jae Yong as the main antagonist played his character very very well and his acting his highly commendable.

OSTs:
To be very honest, there are plenty of OSTs and all of them are very good. Most of them depict either warmness or melancholy which were produced given the storyline. Even though the story becomes typical after the 1st half, the sound editing and OST organization is good. Special mention to the OSTs titled "Love Song", "Song of Destiny",
"Along the Trail", "Collar" and "Song of Bau". I loved especially "Song of Bau" which has a touch of traditional Korean music and it's so heart touching. "Angular Stone" is a track which is melodious and catchy one. Notably, in most of these songs traditional Korean musical instruments have been used.

There is no significant work of cinematography in the drama but the camera works is beautiful at places where they intended to capture hearts with the scene's warmness.

ENDING: It is rushed. I had a hunch from the ending of 18th episode that the last 2 episodes will be rushed in order to bring the drama to an end it did happen for which I wasn't surprised at all. I am okay with how the drama ended because at least that is reasonable but again I hope they would have ended it at 16th without dragging.

To be honest, I expected them to keep the storyline and screenplay as it is for the first half of the drama where they lived a common life staying in small houses, dealing with poverty and facing the odds together and. Even the kid's to part should be have been seen more. I would have loved to see the entire drama as a modern day story happening in a historical period with least politics, that'd have been a unique thing in the group of sageuk. So I am a bit disappointed to be honest.

So Overally, the drama is not bad rather I would say it's moderately average for which I give 7/10 hence indicating that it's worth giving a one time watch. I feel they dragged the ending to some extent for which many things became repetitive but in the end they had rush IDK why. They had the potential to do better but so be it since it's a over anyways. I started it because of the high ratings that I saw in articles saying it is MBN's highest rated Kdrama in their 10 years of history. Historical dramas getting immense recognition from Knetz is actually a big deal and It indeed is the best among all the MBN dramas tbh but it could have been better. You should try watching first 6-7 episodes and decide for yourself actually.

P. S. I will simp for the first half of the show.

Leia Mais

Appreciable attempt...

The literal translation might be "shooting stars" but I still wanna call it "shitting stars" for 2 reasons: firstly, it has 똥:tong (poop) in its original title and the very fact that they've used asterisks (**) for the international title. So, even though many people say it's shooting, the intentions of the makers is very clear, huh!

Produced by "Mays Entertainment" and created by "Studio Dragon", "Sh**ting Stars (별똥별)" is a romcom plus idol-life drama. Written by Choi Young Woo and directed by Lee Soo Hyun, the show was originally broadcasted on tvN while iQIYI took charge of international distribution.

The show could be a romcom drama having the main couple at the center, surrounded by many other lovelines, but deep down, it portrays the life at Entertainment agencies, as personal managers of celebrities and members of a a PR team, all of whom are indulged in cleaning up the mess created by the stars, hence justifying the intended title.

Oh Han Byeol (Lee Sung Kyung) is the PR team Head at Starforce Ent. and a long-time close buddy to the topmost actor in Korea, Gong Tae Song (Kim Young Dae); both of them are like sworn enemies and the story mainly follows their story, as they develop feelings for each other. Kang Yu Sung (Yoon Jong Hoon) and Park Ho Young (Kim Yoon Hye) are two managers at the same agency, while Choi Ji Hoon (Ha Do Gwon) is the director. Cho Ki Ppeum (Park So Jin) works as an ent. reporter whereas Do Soo Hyuk (Lee Jung Shin) is the legal advisor to StarForce.

Other familiar faces in major roles are: Lee Seung Hyub (N. Flying), Jang Hee Ryung, Kim Dae Gon, JunQ (MyName), So Hee Jung, Choi Ji Woo and Jin Ho Eun. There are many rookie actors who did deliver well. Also, you'll see many guest roles including Kim Dong Wook, Lee Sang Yeob, Jang Ki Young, Song Ji Hyo, Moon Ga Young, Chae Jong Hyeop, Lee Ki Woo, Kang Gi Doong, Lee Sang Woo, Park Jung Min, Seo Yi Suk and Lee Joo Woon.

Plot development is average yet decent and likable. The pilot episodes and the follow-up didn't create any impression, ngl. But it suddenly became interesting from the 4th episode, idk why. The furtherance is smooth, with so many up & downs and several peak moments, accompanied by twists and revelations. Except for the first few episodes, I didn't really see it going down or dragged or exaggerated. Imo, the 13th & 14th were the ones where the show was at peak throughout, and everything is put to rest by the end, opening a smooth path for the finale week. Thr ending sequence and the finale ended in a grand way. So overally, it might not be very good in sum development, but it was nice and decent with minimum flaw and damage.

The show as an usual romcom, that too in 2022 did not require immense talent to create, however, maintaining the decent quality throughout is what should matter the most. In my opinion, the writers have been able to achieve so to a great extent, if not entirely. And provided that the writers are both debutants, they should be appreciated and encouraged for this was able to be acknowledged by a huge number of audience. It was a wise choice in their part to make it more about the "behind the scenes" workers than the stars, and also giving sufficient share to each of the couple development, adding the character goals to it.

Lee Soo Hyun PDnim who has debuted only 2 years back, has been able to create about 4 moderately acclaimed pieces and I believe this drama also belongs to the same category. His previous experiences surely has helped though this was his first romcom, unusual of his genre. The decent job in case of screenplay, screen-editing, sound editing, sequencing, etc. should be appreciated. Setup in modern urban vistas, there was no need of visual excellence, and everything has been kept simple. The extraordinary failure of cinematographic work in Africa should deduct a point from overall though.

There are 5 OSTs in total and all likable, perfectly blending to the drama and properly utilised throughout. "Shooting Star" by Nam Woo Hyun is alluring track with tranquil music describing how it feels to be in love. "How I Feel" with Kim Jae Hwan's captivating vocals has a jolly rhythm and a piece of confession. "My secret, My everything" by Sondia and Vincent Blue brings back the vibes of old K-romcom OSTs, I cry every time I listen; their harmony is everything. "Departure from a Country" by SuJu Kyuhyun is a melancholic yet alleviating song with stimulating lyrics. "Won't give up" by Choi Yuree is is a softcore track about assuring one about staying by their side and comforting for ever.

What I liked...

# Chemistry development between Tae Sung and Han Byeol was very fond, sweet and likable. Even though they get together sooner than expected, the follow-up journey was nice as well.

# The second couple (won't say who) were the cutest, I'll cry. I wish they had more screentime as couples or their prior development but I'm actually very happy that the couple existed. Let me cry again. The same goes for the third lead couple as well. Let me informq that there are 6 couples in total and each of them are uniquely heart-winning. Look forward to them.

# Park Ho Young, as a person was sweet and her acting is so adorable no matter the situation. The cheerful character she played, surely will remain in my memory.

# Kang Yu Sung, as a responsible and handsome manager did give me flutters throughout. The man is so charming, I will literally pluck stars for him. The character was well written.

# My Lee Jung Shin did shine in the show as well. Him in formal is paradise. The couple chemistry might have come very late but it was nice.

# The PR team, Manager team and the entire organization have been an amazing experience. I don't think such importance was given before? The office scenes were mixed bags of emotions, depicting various situations.

# Emphasizing mental health issues in idol dramas is common but this show did a good job in exposing variable sides of it and also throwing light upon the "behind-the-scene" efforts from the companies, which might not be entirely real.

# Dae Soo calling Yuna-yaaaa was so funny yet so pleasant, I swear. I will miss that for a while, hahahaha.

# There are more than one bromance in different forms though none of them is greatly emphasized, starting from co-stars to managers then between stars & manager and then stars and staffs, and what not. Each of them were fluffy.

# I love the very way the OSTs has been utilized in the show; not only they're good on their own, the appropriate use during the melodrama is actually well-handled. I don't usually see this as a specific point but this drama made me realize so.

What I didn't like...
# Kim Young Dae's acting was a bit off imo. Outstanding performance should be expected from a lead but I guess he was still not prepared to takeover the ML role. It wasn't bad actually, the thing is he needs more training and polishing, and definitely has the potential to become a good factor.

# Unnecessary crossovers did irritate me. The "Find Me In Your Memory" appearance was fine and relatable but the "Penthouse" one was annoyingly cringey and wasn't necessary. Def felt like a filler.

# The cinematography in 1st ep was disgusting, infact, very much overdone. No, seriously, Africa doesn't look like that irl.

# The less of the 2nd couple came to me as disappointing when I realized that even with the seemingly lees screentime, they outshined the lead couple.

Final Remarks... The pros definitely outweigh the cons: in simple, it was a good show to look forward to. Unlike a lot of people, I think it a fairly average drama with very few flaw, which makes it a decent one time watch, yet something that everyone should watch, provided that these days, old-styled romcom dramas with good production values. Go ahead.

Leia Mais

Revenge doesn't stop.

Created by Logos Film in association with Studio Dragon, "Military Prosecutor Doberman (군검사 도베르만)" is a Military-legal cum revenge thriller Kdrama accompanied by action and dark comedy. The drama written by Yoon Hoon Mo and directed by Ji Chang Gyu was broadcasted on tvN.

The story basically portrays two gungeomsa or military prosecutors who, together, attempt to avenge the death of their parents, which has ruined their lives to great extents. While they're aware of the culprits' existence within the military, they conspire to take them one by one, with law and order.

Do Bae Man (Ahn Bo Hyun) is a highschool dropout who due to his persistence enlist into army as a military prosecutor. In spite of his urge to conquer the truth, he goes for the pet cases of his superiors for fame & money. But his life takes a turn upon meetung Cha Woo In (Jo Bo Ah), who is a newly recruited permanent prosecutor, supposed to replace his post upon his discharge. Cha Woo In has a mysterious personality, meaning that she's not what she seems. Becoming alone in the world from her chaebol life, she's determined to do anything she wants. As time takes a toll, making both of them aware of their intertwined past, will they be able to seek vengeance from the military within which the influentials cause ruckus during power trip among themselves?

Many of the familiar and skillful actors in tbe show are: Kang Mal Geum, Oh Yeon Soo, Kim Young Min, Kim Woo Seok, Jung In Ki and Go Keon Han. The performance from all of the main and supporting cast is up to par and special mention must go to Kim Woo Seok for carrying out such a complex and variable character well. Whom I loved the most is Jo Bo Ah; I honestly have watched her thrice before this drama but the character she played in her demanded patience, self-control and obviously acting skills, and she gave her best to it, I felt that sincere attempt through her delivery.

Plot development... Not so good, not so bad, yet way beyond the average mark. "The children avenging parents' death" trope ain't anything new for Kdramas per se, so what matters is the script and it's execution, which is well done, in fact, very. I suggest you to have a good amount of expectations from it. The pilot episode was just okay, and gave me the impression that the writer will mess up by the end, but I was once again proved wrong. The furtherance came as a carefully plotted progression, with stepwise manner, having elements of variable kinds and touching different sensitive topics, that requires attention. It's engaging and entertaining, the courtroom and fight scenes being the best. The one-by-one manner of taking down a group of antagonist was well-drawn and should be appreciated. I am happy they didn't run out of context at any point of the story. Likewise, the ending sequence was amazing and I loved how the writer has wrapped up the show by not leaving any ends loose.

Yoon Hyun Ho jakkanim is a famous name, known for his legal thriller scripts, most of which is coupled with revenge plots. This show definitely bears the authenticity of his own genre, and you might be able to picturize his previous dramas. The basic storylines, the screenwriting, the plot development and the plot elements, everything is so well crafted and drafted that it made me forget about the flaws which amount to only a handful number. Even so the final quarter of the show exaggerated things a lil to achieve a dramatic conclusion, I felt it was manageable.

Jin Chang Gyu PDnim who's still very new in terms of direct experiences, however have been able to get his dramas some recognition and I wish this drama creates a path for his future endeavors, as it's the best among them. His work has been tremendously incorporated into the execution of the script, the scenario setups and screenplay editing. The cinematography remains dark for most of it's parts and the bright light courtroom scenes with yellow hues are awe-inspiring.

I l ove all of the OSTs, most of which are highly adrenaline-bursting, woah! I can go on dancing to them the entire day. Composed by Kim Jang Woo, there are 5 OSTs in total. "Doberman" by Guckkasten Ha Hyun Woo ahjussi is a perfectly fitting theme song for the drama with hardcore lyrics about challenging your life. "My Zone" by SAYY is a song meant for the FL with sassy lyrics and depicts courage for facing anything offered by life. "Ignite" by YELO is a cry about the injustice done by the unjust society, abd is more on the melancholic side. Isaac Hong's vocals never fail to reach the deepest point of our hearts and "Dive in" by him in the drama is a touching track about reminiscing the pains from the foregone past. "Flame" by Kim Han Kyeom is an open call for war and is surely a mood booster.

What I liked...

# The plot elements used are definitely unique, from each of the cases fought in the legal battle, to the ones involving the characters' personal affairs, and in fact the plots of conspiracy and revenge.

# The complexity to characters is what I didn't expect out of it, from my side at least, but seeing that the writer has carefully drawn the arches, with angst, resentment, anger, intelligence and everything, I was slightly taken aback go acknowledge it is actually a good show.

# Real cases of bullying in society, particularly in the premise of the army, that claims to be the most disciplined, was heartbreaking, though the portrayal was necessary, in order to be shown and conversed about. I was happy how they were dealt in the show, regardless of the fact that it's all fiction.

# Relevant events of military, other than the violence and slavery, such as the power trip for hierarchy, corruption, desertion from camp, unfair & unequal treatment and significantly the role of gungeomsa (military prosecutors) is well depicted ane presented.

# The action scenes were stupefyingly fantastic, for it has several scenes where the ML & FL have to get involved with Thugs and villains of different kind. It includes both simple fighting techniques and breathtaking stunts. Jo Bo Ah in her alter ego was the best in this regard, I never imagined her playing such a character.

# The courtroom scenes or the legal battles were obvious scenarios you could expect given the title of the show, though it comprises of only 15-20% of the show, but whatever proportion it shares, it was good, detailedly taken care of of and well executed.

# The rap battle between Sang Ki and the discharged soldier in the guest role, was soooooo pleasant and funny, like we could never expect such a scene. It kicked off instantly and lasted for barely 2 minutes, but woah! What a face-off it was!

What I didn't like...

# Pacing of the development isn't at all bad per se, but at few instance around the interval of the show, it felt somewhat inconsistent. As in, the characters and the furtherance of the plot wither slowed down or seemed like the characters were forgetting their goals. But I would say, they don't suffice to a level where you might want to give up or drop the show.

# Less of Kang Ha Joon (Kang Young Seok) disappointed me and it could be a personal one, since I was expecting him to have a good share of screentime and play greater roles in the game of vengeance. Him disappearing after first few initial episodes did disenchant me even though he had hia parts in destroying the evil.

# The chief prosecutor and his role didn't seem to be of any single use. I get that he was there to fill in for the comedy scenes but still I was kinda turned off by the character.

# Over-domination by the leads led to reduced scrrentime for the co-workers in the prosecution office, which is another flaw from the writer's side. Even so Bae Man and Woo In were central characters, the investigation process should have involved the other 2 with some importance to their characters and significant contribution by them.

# The thugs are another set of hugely useless things the writer have incorporated into the story, as a bad decision. The cheap comedy from their part didn't interest me, and them appearing from time to time, just to fill in was funny (sarcastically). They should have disappeared after the bridge fight scene, may be.

# The lil amount of drag in the last quarter was noticeable, though it doesn't really affect the overall story & development. On that note, the script never ran outta contents and even for the last 4 episodes, it had sufficient elements left in order to treat the audience.

Final Remarks... "Military Prosecutor Doberman" is a beyond decent and fair one time watch, with a entertaining story, good direction, amazing performance and up to par outcomes. Despite the little flaws it bears, I would recommend people to give it a try and see to it, whether it suffices their tastes. Giving it a 8.0 because I think it's fair provided the limitations that I have mentioned above. Anyways, go ahead if you are into a bittersweet revenge game.

Leia Mais

Thrilling performance as always, oof!

I am someone who watched all 3 seasons of VOICE starting the first week of June, back to back, just because I can finish this season in real time. I undoubtedly got traumatised at points due to this but VOICE from s1 to s4 has been a super-thrilling experience all along, I must say.

Talking about Voice 4, honestly, It didn't feel as good as the previous seasons to me even though I am not displeased or something. So I am rather not that much pleased considering how amazing plot the other seasons were. Anyways, It was a good watch which thrilled me and was also frustrated because of the cult stuff features (which mean the drama served that part well).

STORY & PLOT:
The story follows the 112 emergency call centre team (Golta team) headed by Kang Kwon Joo with superhuman hearing ability and her team who move to Vimo Island Police Station with the purpose of catching a probable serial cyber killer by utilising their vacation time. An LAPD cop Derek Cho visiting South Korea on an operation joins them as the dispatch team leader due to circumstances. Together, they try solving a case and catch the serial psychpath killer with Dissociative Identity Disorder and similar hearing capabilities as Kang Center.

Just like the previous seasons, Voice 4 has one major case going on, on the background that involves a serial killer and with that there are multiple minor cases that the Golden Time Team solve which somehow also helps them in profiling the major case. One difference is, s1-3 involved brainwashing cult stuffs that were instigated by the murderer which was due to bloodlust but in Voice4 there is an actual religious cult where people are brainwashed to protect each other despite own's fault.

Personally, I am not very pleased by the story development because I had had very high expectations and anticipations from the 4th season since they've evolved through 4 years since 2017 and I feel they should have offered us something extraordinary. But I am not unsatisfied either because it was still good and me thrilled even awe-strucken by many twists and revelations. It has some really good plot devices that are worth anticipating for.

The story had a good & interesting starting and the first episode is good. It has a steady development till the end of 9th but the 10th episode felt a lil blunt at some moments but then it picked up the acceleration and ended with some cliffhangers. The lead antagonist character could have been a lot better. He somehow felt a lil less powerless and did some stupid things as well.

CAST & ACTING:
Umm... Well, we have been seeing the major cast acting since the season 1 and they are as good as before. Lee Ha Na as Kang Kwon Joo/Kang Center has always impressed with her acting and dialogue delivery. I can always witness the kind of aura in her eyes. Song Seung Hun as Capt. Derek Cho did a good job and he's definitely experienced in the industry but the thing that I noticed is he never wore his cop jacket while everyone else did. I mean we know that you're from America and very skillfull in the field but still, HAHAHA.

Son Eun Seo as Officer Park Eun Soo did good too but I think her part is a bit reduced in this season than the previous ones. Kim Joong Ki (Park Joong Ki) and Song Boo Geon (Koo Kwang Soo) are absolute eye candies for me and I have been loving them since the 1st season. I was actually surprised to see Kang Seung Yoon bcs I didn't see the cast before starting. Also, Baek Sung Hyun (Shim Dae Shik from s1) 's comeback in s4, that too as a freaking hot adult, was a delight to witness and there was definitely a solid character development for him. I was also happy to see the familiar faces like Lee Yol harabeochi and Kil Hae Yeon ahjumma in the drama.

Now the antagonist. Don't think of it like a spoiler because the production itself is openly bragging about it plus it was revealed in the 4th episode only. Lee Kyu Hyung as a psychopath serial killer with DID, did a very good job as he was given, BUT! IDK whether I am the only one or not; I think his character as the lead antagonist could have much more to do. He as the antagonist didn't seem as powerful as the serial killers of the previous seasons. The blame is to be shot at Ma Ji Won jakka-nim citing it was not a very strongly written antagonist. Anyways, I have loved his acting skills and been a fan for a long time and undoubtedly loved this too.

DIRECTION & SCREENPLAY:
I think I have already mentioned above it more or less before so let me keep it short. Voice have had amazing direction and production work since the season 1 even though they kept changing for each season. The way they edit the deja vu things or past sequences and try to connect and interpreting through the screenplay is very nice. The sound editing is apt as well that tries to have the audience thrilled all along the show. Voice is undoubtedly Ma Ji Won jakka-nim's best creation which he has been successfully pulling off to make the year's best thriller. Voice 4 for me somehow isn't as good as the previous ones, still a good show to give it a go.

ENDING:
It has a good ending. I was afriad they'll end it with a plothole or something illogical and unreasonable will happen but it was just fine, so I appreciate that. However, it felt a bit rushed starting from the 2nd half of the 12th episode. They were clearly trying to wrap up some minor plot devices so that they wouldn't have to worry about them further but that was absurd. In fact, the main antagonist was caught sonner than expected which somehow made it a bit unintersting but I think they had many revelations to do so they did rush it. In the last 2 eps, they basically tried to solve the puzzles of this season plus gave clarifications about some things which were left on hang in the s3. But again, few unexpected things happen which left me questioned. In fact, the epilogue of s3 showing a sneak-peak of Bang Jae soo (Kwon Ryul) with some mysterious woman which was expected to be answered in s4 has been extended to s5 and that thing will be the main story of next season. I am not sure what the writer is thinking but I assume they'll go for another season for sure to explain whatever they left hanging. It's A HUGE WIDE OPEN ENDING which raises plenty of questions and what happened at the very end scene is enthralling and frustrating at the same time. Won't spoil.

Anyways, they could have make 2 more episodes and give it a smooth ending by not rushing it even when they had a plan for s5.

CONCLUSION:
Overally, this season of Voice is a good thriller and definitely worthy an one time watch so go ahead and finish it. Despite some drawbacks, it was actually enthralling to watch, though I ended up with mental disturbance at some points so I had to drop it for few days and then I went back watching.

I don't how others interpreted it, but when the news about this season came, from the title "VOICE 4: JUDGEMENT HOUR" , I thought this season is a good-bye to VOICE, one of the longest running Kdrama franchise. The phrase "Judgment Hour" is something like the final verdict/decision hence implying to the end of this series. But the way it ended with the introduction of some new plots now I think I was wrong and there will definitely a next season. Well, as long as the jakkanim offers his talent and we tend to enjoy it, then why not? HAHAHAHA Let's wait for the updates from the production team.

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Simple light comedy sageuk.

Remember seeing the poster and telling my friend that this drama will be a no-brainer and it turned out to be exactly like that. Although I thought there will be certain amount of seriousness, which is indeed there, but even they carry the comic elements to some extent.

It has a simple story. There is a secret royal inspector who sets out on a journey to discover corruptions by the Govt. appointed officials. On his mission he encounters a lady, who due to her situations, joins along the journey. They are accompanied with 2 servants of the inspector and 2 friends of the lady. As these six people move ahead to solve different cases, they unveil tragic truths behind the crimes and corruptions made by local authorities as well as seemingly big figures behind them. As everything becomes clear, rest 40% of the drama is how they bring forward the truth and establish justice.

Ra Yi Eon (Ok Taec Yeon) is the secret royal inspector, who initially had a simple dream of making a dumpling shop and living a simple life. But due to family pressure he appears the state civil service exam to become a inspector. Kim Jo Yi (Kim Hye Yeon) is a free-spirited, quick-witted and brave lady who believes in woman independence. Oweing to her will to beat the societal norms, she strongly supports women opting for divorce, as well. Park Tae Seo (Lee Jae Kyoon) is the son of left state councilor Park Seung (Jung Bo Suk), both of them are corrupt. Duk Bong (Bo Jong Ok) is the head of Tail Island shelter.

Some popular faces in minor roles are Yook Chil (Min Jin Woong) & Goo Pal (Park Kang Sub) as Yi Eon's servants, Ra Kwang Soon (Lee Sang Hee) & Bi Ryung (Chae Won Bin) are Joyi's close friends. Cha Mal Jong (Jung Soon Won) is a trader and Park Do Su (Choi Tae Hwan) is Park Seung's son. Lee Joon Hyuk as the crown prince and VIXX N as Choi Seung Yul are guest, yet key characters.

Acting in overall from the entire cast was okay-okay. Taecyeon has come way long and his skills can be used in better way. I'm not a fan of Kim Hye Yeon, she always has the same annoying character, who only knows to cry well. Lee Jae Kyon did unexpectedly well as an antagonist, loved his acting and expressions.

I didn't really mind the plot development bcs I watched purely for the light comedy but technically it's not a steady and proper one and I think their intention was that. Introductory episodes were slow but decent. As the show progresses, the gradual improvement in premises setup and script quality, constantly grow up. It wasn't exactly good but not unlikable either. However, that lasts till 8th episode, i. e. The 1st half of the show and as soon as the 2nd half starts. Everything comes to surface by the 10th episode and the last 6 are dragged to a great extent just to fill the quota. So, things become exaggerated and repetitive in the processs. The ending was smooth and I am happy the comedy elements were retained till the end.

In another opinon, the drama should have been a 10th episode mini series and made into a good story with flawless technical aspects, even with the light comedy. There were few things of no essence, unnecessarily added to the script, regarding the individual lives of the leads, I didn't like them. Those elements made the mood of the story inconsistent and unsteady.

Director Yoo Jung Soon might not be a rookie but he's not very experienced though I liked 2/4 of his dramas. Morever, it's his first historical but given the premise of the drama and the genre, the overall execution was up to par. It could have been better in terms of representation of elements, organization and connecting of events, etc. but I don't mind since it isn't a typical sageuk.

Writer Lee Jae Yoon is in the industry for a quite a while though the only memorable drama they've written is "The Undatables" The script written by them for this drama isn't something really good but if they had intended to keep it simple and light, I think their purpose has been served. However, the potential conspiracy plotline, which is mandatory in any sageuk, didn't feel steady and engaging. The entire effort to reveal the truth has been fragmented and dispersed throughout. The drama doesn't create great impressions at any point of the story, except for the chemistry betweens the leads.

I watched till 7th episode with normal speed and was quite enjoying the light comedy but when I realized it had started becoming slower and uninteresting, I had to fast-forward the rest at 1.5×. I had intended to increase it to 2.0× later but somehow I couldn't, because it actually not that shabby and boring.

The OST composition by Dalpalan is so good I swear and there are 3 OSTs, which are very likable. He's definitely one of the accomplished composers of Korea and he knew his homework for the drama well.
"Let's Get It" by sEODo is trot track, giving a perfect mood according to the comical mood of the drama. "Need Your Heart" by ONF Hyojin is a cheerful romantic track. Kim Sawol's soulful vocals in "At the End of My Day" is very heartfelt.

Things to like in the show:

#1 Comedy elements are the best thing about the drama. The entire show is full of comedy; in fact the king and ministers were parts of it, as well. I had a good time laughing out loud. Taec was obviously the funniest, it felt like watching the real Taec through this character. All of the characters were able to deliver the comedy through their acting.

#2 This is probably one of the sageuk with least involvement of the Royal affairs. Even though all the activities are indirectly related to the Palace and there are lots of political personnel associated, I was happy that most of the runtime was shot outside the premise.

#3 This drama aslo emphasizes on Women empowerment. The FL in here is not a typical Joseon lady who's either a assassin or only the ML's love interest. She's free-spirited, educated and promotes women rights. She even supports divorce and believes in overcoming taboos set for medieval women.

Overally, "Secret Royal Inspector & Joyi" is a drama average watch: average plot, average story and average execution. It could have better in some aspects but I don't wanna complain a lot because this drama, in no way, demanded to be judged wrt the technicality though I will be fair with the ratings. It's a simple and light watch which you can binge during leisure.

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