Live Together, Die Alone

A fangirl's blog

[idleminds]

[karstya]

DAT SMILE

[xiundeer]

“The muses are ghosts, and sometimes they come uninvited” - Stephen King

[sofarawayinthemilkyway]

[kimseokjinins]

“Jeon Seol. She’s a legendary maniac. She’s a legendary fanfiction writer too. Just like her dad, she’s an amazing climber. She’s also a master of various martial arts. (…) Anyway, she’s been doing all kinds of part-time jobs she can find. That’s how she earned her nickname, the legendary part-timer. Once she starts something, she seems to become a legend.”

[taehungies]

“Why did she have to stop shooting? Because when she did, she would see her past self.”

[karstya]

K-drama review: Signal (2016)

Director: Kim Won Suk Writer: Kim Eun Hee Starring: Lee Je Hoon, Kim Hye Soo, Jo Jin Woong Number of episodes: 16

This is the first Korean drama that I've finished in 2016. I watched many, but didn't finish most. So, it is quite a feat for me to finish a drama.

Set in 2015, Signal centered around a Liutenant, Park Hae Young (Lee Je Hoon) who heard a transmission sound one night. He followed the voice and ended up finding an old, mysterious radio (walkie-talkie). The man at the end of the transmission (terrifyingly, of course) seemed to know it was Park Hae Young. He introduced himself as Lee Jae Han (Jo Jin Woong), a detective. As if it was not scary enough, Lee Jae Han said it was 2000. So, it was a communication that transcended time. Soon, an unlikely friendship was formed. Together, they solved unsolvable cases. Together, they found the bond that tied them. Together, they found the horrifying truth affecting the people they loved.

Signal was a thriller with a heart, if I could express it in a sentence. It didn't try to be clever, nor it was actually that clever. They didn't try to be Sherlock, or to outsmart the viewers. The pace was slow, but nice. Enough to make viewers able to follow the logics of the characters.

The strong point of this drama was the acting. No wonder, they had two veteran movie actors in Kim Hye Soo and Jo Jin Woong. Even Lee Je Hoon had a fair share of acclaimed projects. Kim Hye Soo easily eased herself to 2015-version and 2000-version of Cha Soo Hyun, with distinct manner and development. Lee Je Hoon's tonality could come off as hyperacting, but give it a few episodes, as he looked more comfortable.

Beside the acting, the directing was also superior. Coming from the director who did Misaeng (2014--also a favorite of mine), the gloomy and dark nuances were top-notch. The music department also did a good job. The background music were strengthening the scenes rather than overpowering them.

A special mention to the writer and Jo Jin Woong for bringing Lee Jae Han to life. He's undeniably my favorite, and arguably the best character this year. He's a character we could root for both in dramas and real life. No matter how impossible, how desperate, we'd know Lee Jae Han would do the right thing.

There were flaws, of course, mainly from the logics i.e. unparalelled timeline. Some flashbacks were unnecessary, and some scenes went too long. But that's negligible. The true enjoyment was when you root for the characters, especially Lee Jae Han. You would question, curse, pray, and cry with them.

Signal might not be the best Korean dramas of all time, but it set the bar high for upcoming dramas. Without love triangle (or even unnecessary loveline), dumb characters, bad acting (even by actors who appeared only in 1 episode), and sloppy directing, 16+ hours spent was really worth the ride.

#squadgoals

[foggyseaside]

“If the past changes, the present will change.”

[foggyseaside]

“I kept my word.”

[illadusk]

[suddenlydramas]

You lived without guilt for 15 years, it’s over for you now.

[k-is-for-korea]

There is only one thing we’re sure of. The transmission started out of one man’s desperation. One thing that voice over the walkie-talkie has taught me was that things will work out if I don’t give up. If we don’t give up, we can break down the authority that seemed unbreakable and find the person we’ve searched for 16 years. It’s all possible. If we don’t give up, there is hope.

[uncatlike]

“Do you not know why cold cases are the worst? When you know who the criminal is and what their motive was, then you know why your family died and how it happened. So even though it’s hard, you can bury it in your heart. With cold cases, you don’t know why or how your loved ones died. You can’t forget it. Everyday is like hell.”

[karstya]

“I’m going to earn money from now on. A lot. As much as the bank. You won’t even recognize me.”

[karstya]

Review/ranting: My Beautiful Bride (2015)

Genre: Crime, thriller, romance

Number of episodes: 16

Don't let the corny title fool you, because it's far from it. 

My Beautiful Bride (or My Beautiful Banker, as jokingly said by some folks) is beautiful, indeed, but also sleek and dark. Coming from the writer of Heartless City (which I never get to finish but now I know I should), those are expected. Like Heartless City, My Beautiful Bride delves into the underground world (narcotics in HC and loansharks in MBB) full of alias and beautiful women, with pyramid system and betrayals.

My Beautiful Bride centers around Kim Do-Hyung (Kim Moo-Yeol), a banker who's looking for his lost fiancee Yoon Joo-Young (Go Sung-Hee) with the help of a female detective Cha Yoon-Mi (Lee Shi-Yong). Reminds you of something? Yep, Gone Girl, only Kim Do-Hyung is 100x better than Nick Dunne.

Like Heartless City, it features a twisted love story, coming from the female's shady background. I find MBB's more enjoyable and heart-wrenching.  They love as much as they hurt each other. Their love story makes you appreciate every little scene about this two, and maybe, makes you believe in true love. Just like when Do-Hyung laughed so loud and said to his friend, “I... fall in love.”  Or when Joo-Young said to Yoon-Mi, “I...met him. My first love.” The feels, man.

From the acting, Kim Moo-Yeol did an excellent job portraying Kim Do-Hyung. I had a hard time believing he really loves Joo-Young since he's too awkward and polite, but later I know he shows his love when he's in his most vulnerable state; when he cries, he fights, he's beaten, he's scared. It's no easy acting because those emotions have to appear behind Do-Hyung's stern face. I've only known Kim Moo-Yeol as a musical actor so it's a much-appreciated (re)discovery and I hope to see more of his works in the future. 

Again, like Heartless City with Nam Gyu-Ri, My Beautiful Bride's Go Sung-Hee is known as a weak actress (I don't have the heart to use 'bad'). But thankfully she did alright. Not the best, but at least she didn't ruin the drama. Lee Shi-Yong’s character is so-so. I like the actress but the character is just okay. 

The directing is beautiful. I'm never a fan of hand-held camera but other than that, it's beautiful. Watch the ending of episode 4 and tell me if it doesn't chill your bones. The story itself is... well, if you've watched Heartless City then you know what to expect. For MBB itself, the first 5 episodes were great, but when they no longer have twists and mysteries to offer, it becomes less exciting. The ending also feels rushed although satisfying. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable ride. If you're bored with typical K-drama romcoms with birth secrets and frustrating story, you should give MBB a shot. 

And then you'll know you don't need to see a pretty, rich, rude, spoiled brat to fall in love with in K-dramas. You just need an awkward banker who bikes to work. Who falls in love foolishly, and deeply. So deep that he chooses to forget the first time he met her, just because he knows she doesn’t want him to remember.

P.S: The OSTs are to die for, even the instrumental. My favorites would be Days & Moons by Elsa Kopf and the instrumental played at the end of episode 4 (basically whenever there’s dramatic situation between Do-Hyung and Joo-Young). I die a little inside whenever those two are played.

[skawngur]

Yoon Seung Ah & Kim Moo Yeol for elle korea 2015

[karstya]

OF COURSE HE’S MARRIED

[yeo-rims]

[karstya]

I will find you...

[yeo-rims]