Bits and pieces

Just a random corner where I can share stuff I come across that I like and content of my own.

[odanurr87]

Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1

Last year I watched a bunch of kdramas, too many for me to properly review at the rate I write about them. As a result, I'm gonna try something different and quickly review those dramas that released in 2022 that I watched, and maybe recommend a few alternatives here and there in those cases where the show didn't live up to the task. Considering it's been a while since I watched some of these dramas, I binged a couple of them again to better inform my commentary. If you're short on time, or just want to add kdramas to your ever-increasing watchlist, you'll find a ⭐ next to the titles I wholeheartedly recommend, and a 💀 next to those I feel should best be avoided, but you do you. If you still haven't watched some of these shows, this list will hopefully give you some idea of whether you'll enjoy watching them (or not).

A brief note on my rating system before we begin. I use bins for my 1-10 scale in the following way:

Anything between 5 and 6 is considered average

Shows between 7 and 8 are considered above average

Shows in the 9 to 10 range are the cream of the crop

Anything between 1 to 4 is considered below average, with the 1-2 range reserved for the worst offenders.

Thus, I have two possible scores for the average, above average, and cream of the crop categories, what I believe makes my life a little easier when rating shows. I have occasionally given half point ratings (e.g. 7.5) to certain shows when I feel they're halfway to a better grade, but that has been the exception rather than the rule.

So without further ado, welcome to my Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1!

A Business Proposal⭐

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: "You know I'm good at a lot of different things, right?"

We start with one of my favourites and the best short romcom of 2022. Based on the manhwa of the same name by Haehwa (original story) and NARAK (art), Taemu Kang (Ahn Hyeo Seop) plays the 'perfect CEO' stereotype who ain't got no time for love so, after several hilarious events, he eventually hires Hari Shin (Kim Se Jeong) to play the part of his girlfriend to fool grandpa. Unbeknownst to him though, Hari is his employee. Will their fake relationship turn into a real one? You bet your ass!

The show ticks almost all of the required tropes, subverts some -what was a pleasant surprise- and entertains throughout, making perfect use of its runtime. The second lead couple, played by Kim Min Gue and Seol In Ah, also turned several heads, not to mention the latter had great BFF chemistry with Kim Se Jeong. Week after week, I was looking forward to every episode of this show, especially considering how disappointing another romcom that aired around the same time turned out to be, and that you may or may not find in this list. You could say this show aired just in time for Samantha and Rachel to cure my FLAWless disappointment.

Again My Life⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: Lawful Lawyer is back!

The better Lawless Lawyer of 2022. Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi) is a prosecutor who travels back in time to put the people who murdered him behind bars while the audience wonders which female lead he should date. And between Kim Ji Eun, Hong Bi Ra, and Veronica Park Kim Jae Kyung, well, he's definitely not lacking in choices. Fortunately, time travel is merely used as a trigger to tell the story (similar to 365: Repeat the Year in this respect), so we don't have to worry about kdramas' rather abysmal track record with sci-fi. The show keeps you hooked episode after episode, finding a good balance between the scheming, putting people behind bars, throwing some punches (has those trademark LJG action sequences!), all the while going after the next big fish. Last, but not least, it does an incredibly good job at managing an ensemble cast of characters, and there are a lot of them! If you're a fan of Lawless Lawyer or Lee Joon Gi, you can't go wrong with this one.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 1

Episode count: 20

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Watch a fantasy cdrama instead

Alternatives: Fights Break Sphere, Fighter of the Destiny

When I watched the character promos for this show I thought this could be Korea's answer to some of China's fantasy dramas, possibly Xuanhuan dramas, and I was all for it! I liked the male actor, Lee Jae Wook, in other dramas I'd watched with him (he was great in When the Weather is Fine and Search: WWW), and Jung So Min playing a master assassin and mentor in a fantasy drama was quite appealing. Of course, I was a bit worried when the teaser dropped, with its emphasis on some weak comedy, but I decided to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, Part 1 didn't live up to the task. It meandered a lot, definitely under-using its 20-episode order, focusing on every romantic relationship under the sun and then some, ultimately delivering an unsatisfactory hero's journey for the ML, while the antagonists played ping-pong with the alchemy of souls. At times, I was reminded of Hwarang, a show I have reviewed very poorly and that seems to have relied on the idol factor to garner popular appeal.

I've previously compared Jang Uk's journey to that of Xiao Yan from the cdrama Fights Break Sphere, in that I expected the former, from the previews, to undergo a similar rise to power as the latter, rigorously training under his master, slowly climbing his way back to power, but with the additional appeal of developing that romantic relationship between Jung So Min's character and Lee Jae Wook's, what would've made for a more rewarding journey for both the character and the audience. This is a tried-and-true formula, also used by the popular anime The Rising of the Shield Hero, to mention but one other example. Unfortunately for us, Jang Uk can hardly be bothered to train (supposedly, he "trained" with twelve masters for years and didn't learn a damn), except at the very specific, and limited, times that the script dictates, instead relying on luck and plot contrivances to "skip ahead" his way to power, what makes for far less memorable scenes. Additionally, the cdrama nails the master-student relationship thanks to the great rapport between Baron Chen's Yao Chen and Leo Wu's Xiao Yan, but there's hardly such a bond between Mu Deok and Jang Uk.

In the end, Part 1 of Alchemy of Souls should've been about Jang Uk's rise to power under the guidance of his master, and later love interest, Mu Deok, but it's too unfocused, its attention constantly diverted by comedy, love polygons, or caricaturesque villains doing dumb things under everyone's noses. Perhaps its only saving grace was the character of the Crown Prince, brilliantly played by Shin Seung Ho, who was able to nail both the comedy and the drama when called for. However, if you're looking for a good fantasy drama with a more traditional (or any) hero's journey, watch Fights Break Sphere instead, with the caveat only the first season has been released, and it's doubtful there'll be a second. I'd also recommend Fighter of the Destiny, with Lu Han. It probably doesn't have as good CGI or sets, but it has a better grip on the hero's journey than Alchemy and nails the camaraderie aspects.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 2

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Works better as a standalone watch

I should've probably left Part 2 of the show for Part 2 of my list, but I'm going in alphabetical order so that's that. This is one of the shows I decided to rewatch to refresh my memory and, to my surprise, it fared much better the second time around. Why's that? Read on to find out!

Part 2 of Alchemy of Souls starts strong, much stronger than Part 1 did, something many were doubting when the news hit that Jung So Min wouldn't return for Part 2, instead being replaced by the original Naksu actress, Go Youn Jung. Fortunately, she does an excellent job throughout, but especially in the beginning of Part 2, which comes across as more of a fairy tale (Rapunzel's), and where the show decides to embrace some of the typical marriage contact tropes, as Young Jung's character fake-marries the now uber-powerful Jang Uk in order to escape from her mother's tight grasp. Honestly, I wish the show had started with Part 2, in media res, and used the material from Part 1 for flashback storytelling, in a similar vein to how The Untamed did it. God, that would've been so good! Precisely because Jang Uk has become sort of a demigod he can boss around all of the useless supporting characters from Part 1 (I'm looking at you, Pathetic Assembly of Evil), and pretty much do whatever he wants, so it's quite commendable to see him return smarter and more measured in his decision-making.

As someone who watched Part 2 live back then, it started to lose its initial glimmer when an inevitable reveal kept being delayed episode after episode, hinting that it would obviously occur the next one. Of course, this never happened, but what made matters worse was the fact that the ML was kept oblivious while everyone around him found out and chose not to tell him because... reasons? I can understand one person keeping the secret for his own agenda, maybe a couple, but I find it astonishing that even Jang Uk's friends and family shared this same agenda, as they also kept the truth from him. Additionally, the more this delay continued the further the narrative possibilities were constrained and, thusly, certain scenarios conjured up by fans never came to pass. However, this will not be much of an issue for people coming in blind to Part 2 (or with a healthy distance from Part 1). Perhaps even the fact that the noble idiocy card is played, or that the main antagonist is obstinately preserved by the writers until the very last episode to little effect (when he shouldn't have made it past Part 1), won't present much of an issue to newcomers.

Having said this, I still feel the final battle for the fate of the world remains rather underwhelming and anticlimactic, not helped by the fact that certain characters are resurrected right before said battle. After all, if the show outright establishes death is not permanent, minutes before "the end of the world," why should I fear for any of the characters? Even Jang Uk himself, during this final battle, doesn't show an ounce of worry that maybe this time he will not make it out alive, regardless of his powers, making the fight seem entirely mechanical and perfunctory. The writers even throw in some half-baked plot device about the King's Star being powered by seven other stars, and since it had never been explained throughout the show a character has to exposition-dump it on our laps (there's quite a lot of exposition dump going around in Part 2, what helps newcomers to the show). It's a plot device prominently featured in the cdrama Fighter of the Destiny, which I previously recommended, so maybe it was inspired by it?

In the end, if you still want to get a taste of the Alchemy experience, I wholeheartedly suggest you treat Part 2 as the original show, with Part 1 being the prequel made to cash in on the show's success that, ultimately, you may not even need. Thus, as a standalone, I'm revising my original rating for Part 2 from a 6/10 to a 7/10, bumping it into my above average bin.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Better luck in S2

Alternatives: Good Doctor, Again My Life

Woo to the Young to the Woo started off with a bang and had me sold after binging its first four episodes (I had a bit of an offset), making me hopeful this could be one of my favourites from 2022. Sadly, it was thereabouts that the quality of the writing slowly started going downhill for me. Woo lost me on two fronts: the weak framing and execution of the legal cases, and the underdeveloped cast of supporting characters, who were mostly neglected in favour of Park Eun Bin's Young Woo. Don't get me wrong, Park Eun Bin nailed the character, and her conversation with her mom in Episode 8 was particularly poignant and well executed, but it wouldn't have hurt to give characters like Min Woo or Jun-ho a case that resonated with them, like "The Strife of the Three Brothers," which was relevant to Young Woo's BFF Geu Ra-mi.

I'll take Min Woo as an example because, out of the whole cast of supporting characters, he showed the most promise. The show mentions in passing that Min Woo is his family's sole breadwinner, what could explain why he's so competitive and regards Young Woo as a threat rather than a boon, but the show never tries to explore this when it has the perfect medium to do so in the form of the legal cases. So why not give him a case that echoes some of his struggles trying to support his family while making headway into the competitive legal world, thus allowing us and his teammates to get to know him a little better? In essence, show us, don't just tell us. How am I then supposed to buy his sudden change-of-heart in "The Blue Night of Jeju" when you've given me nothing to support the fact he's bonded with anyone in the team? (besides Jun-ho who was already his flatmate) Perhaps not surprisingly, this particular episode throws a bunch of arcs left and right for the supporting characters to try and grab hold of, but too little too late.

As a procedural, I feel Extraordinary Attorney Woo is pretty average. It either didn't know how or never intended to handle its supporting cast of characters and successfully integrate them into the narrative, similarly to how a show like Again My Life did. To draw a curious parallel, the final episode of Again My Life gathers all of "the good guys" at the restaurant of Hee Woo's parents. There are 14 of them in total, not counting Hee Woo and his parents, and I feel like they've truly become one big extended family by show's end. Extraordinary Attorney Woo has a similar scene, gathering everyone at Min Shik's place that is meant to convey the same feeling, but they don't quite feel like a team yet, let alone a family. Maybe in Season 2?

If you're looking for a show featuring another savant autistic lead, but with a better grasp on developing an ensemble cast of characters, as well as a romantic relationship between the leads, then Good Doctor is the show for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a kickass lawyer, well, you probably already know who I'm talking about.

Fanletter, Please⭐

Episode count: 4

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: A lot of heart in a small package

The first among three shows in these lists that feature Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park as either main or supporting leads. I'd only previously watched Choi Soo Young in So I Married an Anti-Fan, a show not without its share of issues, but her as the female lead wasn't one. Indeed, she was one of the highlights and I was looking forward to seeing more of her work. As such, I was looking forward to this mini-series, more so when I realised Yoon Park would play the role of a father willing to move heaven and earth for his daughter, what is not a typical setup in kdramas (in my watching experience, mind you). Off the top of my head, I can only think of Marriage Contract and Lie After Lie as similar shows, in terms of how much of a protagonist the child actor is. Both are shows I would wholeheartedly recommend.

As for Fanletter, Please, I was positively pleased by how much content and social commentary this show was able to fit into its 4-hour runtime without harming the storytelling, something that even full-length kdramas struggle to achieve. Having said that, I would've welcomed one or two more episodes to let it breathe a little bit more and, of course, to watch some cute family moments! This is definitely a case of so good you want more of it. Still, Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park make it work within the available runtime, what's a credit to them and the script. CSY was on a roll last year (as you'll find out in Part 2!) so I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her dramas, and it was very welcome to see Yoon Park play this devoted father character after the disappointing Forecasting Love & Weather (though he was pretty good in it). Give me more short dramas!

Forecasting Love and Weather

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki, Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Couldn't forecast love and I have my doubts about the weather

Alternatives: She Would Never Know, The Rational Life

I have a soft spot for Park Min Young, having watched romcoms like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? and Her Private Life, or even melodramas like When the Weather is Fine. And who can forget Healer, where she played the part of Lois Lane to Ji Chang Wook's Clark Kent (watch it, it's a classic). I couldn't remember a drama with her that I didn't enjoy watching, so it broke my heart a little to see what a disappointing mess Forecasting Love and Weather turned out to be. I should've heeded a friend's advice to steer clear of Song Kang dramas, even though the script was clearly the worse offender by far.

The show hooked us in with the initial romcom elements, and then decided to veer into slife/melo territory, as the relationships between the different couples started to fray, with conflict being driven at an accelerated pace by the issues that arose from poor communication, or an outright absence of it, and how the different couples handled (they often didn't) the results of their miscommunication. I didn't much mind at the time because I felt they were being somewhat mature about it without overplaying their hand, and because my weekly romcom fix was being delivered by A Business Proposal, but they were treading a fine line... that got utterly ground into dust in the last six episodes. At this point in the show, the nonsensical drama was amped considerably, to the point it could've given Young Lady & Gentleman a run for their money, setting us up for the inevitable breakup. Why? Because the kdrama gods have written that a breakup must inevitably occur in Episode 14 or thereabouts, and this show is not about to subvert that trope!

Like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Forecasting Love and Weather failed at properly handling its ensemble cast of characters, trying to juggle five relationships to some very mixed results, when it would've been better off simply focusing on the main and secondary couples. As a result, by show's end I could've cared less what happened to the main couple, and was actually a bit more invested in the secondary one, played by Yoon Park and Yura, possibly because they at least tried to talk to each other and work things out. Honestly, Yoon Park's Ki Jun got the better deal out of all the characters in the show. How do you make Ki Jun, the guy who cheated on his fiancée with Si Woo's girlfriend, a more likable, or at least interesting, character than everyone else? You have him grow from an immature baby into a more or less responsible adult. You could argue that the main leads experience growth of their own, but it struck me as a bit aimless, a bit hollow. I mean, 16 episodes for Ha Kyung's boss to tell her you learn more from your mistakes than you do your successes? Seriously? Just go to r/GetMotivated for that.

Would I recommend this show? Unless you want to learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes of a weather forecast, not really, but maybe it's my fault for having high expectations due to PMY. It's not a bad show though, just average. If you want far better executed takes on this concept, check She Would Never Know on the kdrama side, and The Rational Life on the cdrama side.

Glitch💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/10

Verdict: Watching an episode of Ancient Aliens on the History Channel would've been more exciting and a lot shorter too

Alternatives: Circle

Can I get away simply by saying watching this show was a glitch? No? Dammit. I should've known better than to watch a Netflix-produced kdrama, even if it does star Nana, 'cause they've all been a bust for me, but Glitch was one of the privileged few shows I watched in 2022 that made me feel I had utterly wasted my time, with no redeeming qualities about it. 500 minutes to tell a story that lacks focus and is all over the place, perhaps stretched thin to meet a Netflix episode quota, with a FL that is not particularly interesting to follow, as she goes through a midlife crisis and teams up with Nana to investigate a UFO cult that may or may not have kidnapped her ex to sell his kidneys. Okay, maybe I made up that last bit about the kidneys.

The comedy doesn't land, the mystery doesn't land, the drama doesn't land, and the UFO doesn't land either. Undoubtedly, the finale is the better episode of the show, not least of why because it marked the ending, but also because the show didn't have any more time to dawdle as it had been doing for the past nine episodes, what gave it some much needed focus. To make matters worse, the surprises and twists at the end of each episode just weren't good enough to keep you hooked, nor, I'm afraid, were the leads. I was tempted at the time to give this show my first ever 1/10 for the way it wasted my time over the span of those 500 minutes, with a story that was infuriatingly inconsistent and lacked a lot of common sense, but it's probably not that bad. Still, I would only recommend watching it to my enemies, probably alongside something like Sisyphus.

Good Job

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Good fun

Alternatives: Secret Royal Inspector

Another ENA network show, like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, but shorter and more entertaining, as we follow the crazy antics of Eun Soon Woo (Jung Il Woo), a chaebol CEO who doubles as a private detective (think Bruce Wayne/Batman), and Don Se Ra (Kwon Yu Ri), his newly-recruited superpowered assistant, as they aim to solve a 20-year-old cold case while uncovering other, smaller, cases, helping people and rectifying injustices along the way.

Good Job is just a fun ride overall, even if the comedy can be a little hit-or-miss sometimes, especially when it drags on for too long or tries the Marvel route of undermining certain scenes. The writing too could've benefited from another revision, as some events feel gratuitously delayed, like when a character refuses to reveal a certain name only to do so a few minutes later, while others are forced to a head, like Se Ra discovering Soon Woo's batcave. Oh, yeah, he has a batcave, of sorts, and even an Alfred, in the form of Lee Joon Hyuk's Director Hong, whom you may recall from Mystic Pop-Up Bar. He also has a talented sidekick and comedic support, Jin Mo (Eum Moon Suk), both a lawyer and a hacker, who also gets into a romantic entanglement of his own with Se Ra's best friend, Na Hee (Song Sang Eun). This is the mini-Justice League you'll see play dress-up (these scenes are so over-the-top fun!) from episode to episode, as they go undercover to solve cases and get one step closer to their goal. In this sense, this show could be compared to something like Taxi Driver, but, unlike the latter, Good Job doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you for maximum enjoyment.

While the resolution of the final case felt a bit underwhelming, and perhaps a tad perfunctory (I did appreciate the brief redemption arc for one of the antagonists though), Good Job achieves in 12 episodes what Extraordinary Attorney Woo could not in 16, making its cast of characters grow into a team, one I would not mind accompanying in more adventures in future seasons. Will that happen? Probably not, so if you're looking for more fun adventures of the sort, and don't mind traveling to the past, I would not hesitate to recommend Secret Royal Inspector, with Kim Myung Soo and Kwon Na Ra.

Grid💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Disney+

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Another nail in the kdrama sci-fi coffin

Alternatives: 365: Repeat the Year, Reset, Circle

Sci-fi is one of my favourite genres, but kdramas have had a rather lousy track record at delivering good quality sci-fi and, sadly, Grid does nothing to change that. Our story starts in 1997, when a mysterious time traveler known as "the Ghost" laves a program for an energy grid to replace Earth's failing magnetic fields. This Grid is now managed by the Administration Bureau who intend to track down the Ghost and unlock the secrets of time travel... eventually. The show's comprised of only ten episodes, yet the pacing of the first half is slower than it has any right to be given the events depicted (hint: they aren't that exciting) and the dialogue isn't stimulating enough to sustain such a slow burner. This "season" could've been compressed into 5 or 6 episodes and it would've been stronger for it. Of course, then it would hardly qualify as a "season" (though Netflix seems to think it does).

The main plot line focuses around this serial killer and the fact that the Ghost is helping him evade capture. Why is this time traveler aiding and abetting a criminal? Honestly, this question was never interesting enough to fuel ten weeks of watching (the pain!) and it shows. Additionally, it is not answered conclusively, although there are some bread crumbs for the viewer to put the pieces together. In fact, this statement captures the show in a nutshell; it raises questions, but never provides any conclusive or satisfying answers, playing on the viewer's knowledge of other (better) time travel stories so they can come up with their own. Perhaps the worst example of this is the season finale, which is only meant to set up events for a possible S2 (in your dreams, or nightmares), thereby raising even more questions.

The writer behind this, Lee Soon Yeon, is apparently quite good, having written for Stranger and Stranger 2. I haven't watched either show so I can't comment on them, but time travel stories aren't for everyone. Having said that, the "mysteries" that are supposed to keep viewers hooked were also underwhelming. I remember reading an article that recommended Grid as a show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I suppose it's possible to fall off your seat while asleep, right? If you want a show that uses time travel well, though in very limited fashion, merely as a trigger for the plot to unfold, watch 365: Repeat the Year. The cdrama Reset is a great exponent of using a time loop and one of my favourites from 2022. If you want kdrama's best exponent of sci-fi to date, watch Circle (review on the way).

If You Wish Upon Me⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: The genie from Aladdin would be proud

First things first, there is a better version of this show if you take out the gangster storyline, which was entirely superfluous, and better integrate the sister storyline into the main plot. You can also drop the jealous doctor who added surprisingly little beyond being jealous at the required times (what a waste of a perfectly good character). Repackage it all into a shorter, 12-episode, season and this show could've reached 9-10 territory for me. Those are pretty much the weakest aspects of the show.

With that out of the way, it's a very good show. People have compared it to Chocolate given that it takes place in a hospice ward but, for my part, I dropped that show after 5 or 6 episodes, partly because of the ML. No such problem with Ji Chang Wook's character here, an orphan and ex-con with a heart of gold, and a cute dog he's named "Son." Despite all the abuse he's been subjected to throughout his life, he slowly starts to open up as he does community service at the hospice. Paired with Choi Soo Young's flirty Nurse Seo (love her!), these two alone make a powerful case for watching this show. Sung Dong Il also delivers a great performance and has some wonderful exchanges with Ji Chang Wook's character.

The show follows the "case of the week" formula for the most part, certainly during the first half of the drama, as Team Genie tries to fulfill the final wishes of the hospice's patients and often positively impact other people's lives in so doing. Be prepared and have tissues at hand. Beyond the gangster detour that wasted our time towards the end, and drew dangerously close to upending all the good will the show had garnered throughout its run, the final episode really brings it home, coming full circle and delivering a really satisfying conclusion to our story, one final surprise as Team Genie brings down the curtain on their show and bids us goodbye.

In short, yes, it could've been better with a tighter focus but, as it stands, it's one of the better shows to have come out in 2022, and perhaps Ji Chang Wook's best work since Healer (with the caveat that I have not yet watched Suspicious Partner nor Lovestruck in the City). And Choi Soo Young is now 2 for 2! (this girl's on 🔥🔥)

Jinxed at First💀

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Oh, it's jinxed alright

Alternatives: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Goblin, Scripting Your Destiny

I had measured expectations for this drama. Na In Woo had previously worked with the same director in 2021's River Where the Moon Rises, a show I enjoyed a great deal, though mostly because it was the first time I delved deep into the history behind the drama, namely the tale of Princess Pyeonggang and On Dal the Fool, and the history of the Three Kingdoms' period. He was brought in late, with production underway, to replace Ji Soo; he barely slept, had to adlib a lot of his scenes, and still managed to have great chemistry with Kim So Hyun and, to my mind, had the better grasp on the character of On Dal. I'd hoped Jinxed at First would give him another opportunity to shine, but, alas, that was not the case.

The first episode alone is a hectic storytelling mess (and, incidentally, River Where the Moon Rises alumni reunion), rushing through a lot of backstory and setup for the rest of the season. We're introduced to Soo Gwang, a bright student with a promising future and powerful friends, whose life takes a turn for the worse when he meets Seul Bi (Seo Hyun), a woman imprisoned since birth by his best friend's dad because of her strange ability to see a person's future through a single touch. Cut to a year later, where we find Soo Gwang working as a fishmonger under a different name, only for Seul Bi to track him down again, determined to remain by his side.

Honestly, I'm not sure what genre this show wanted to be, but I'm pretty sure it failed at most of them. For the first 6 or 7 episodes it tried to resemble something like My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, as Seul Bi is just as innocent and naïve as Miho was (even if Miho sold it better than Seul Bi did, to my mind), and both male leads were resolved to get rid of her. This is perhaps the strongest portion of the show, as Seul Bi adapts to her new environment and neighbors, making new friends while at the same time helping Soo Gwang get rid of his (never explained) bad luck. I even enjoyed some of the comedy. However, unlike My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, there is not enough chemistry between the leads to have them fall in love with each other over the course of 6 or 7 episodes. Well, not in Soo Gwang's case at any rate, as Seul Bi has been infatuated with him for years. Upon falling in love, the trope that naturally follows is a break-up, after which point the show starts to resemble more of a makjang, turning to corporate and chaebol intrigue and infighting. This is also around the time Soo Gwang's best friend, Min Joon (played by Ki Do Hoon, from Scripting Your Destiny), decides he's in love with Seul Bi (what?), something even more out of left field, especially when he's already engaged to Lee Ho Jung's (Soljiwan!!!) charming character, Ja Kyung, who effortlessly stole every scene she was in. Min Joon, if you don't want her, I'll gladly take her off your hands!

Seemingly having exhausted the depth of its narrative well, the show dragged its feet for several episodes, eventually deciding the story was better served by turning a character into a psychopath, who also wanted Seul Bi for himself and was willing to kill anyone in the process, an eye-rolling set of circumstances eventually resolved thanks to Seul Bi's expansive (aka nonsensical) repertoire of supernatural powers. And, of course, in a show of this caliber, the amnesia trope could not be absent, a card that is dealt in the very last episode and resolved at the very last minute. What a payoff.

When I first learned of this drama I recall reading an outline that went something along the lines of, "Unlucky man meets a goddess of luck." Would it have been too much to ask for a show fitting that description, but in the vein of the excellent Goblin instead? Or maybe something like Scripting Your Destiny, which is certainly not as good as Goblin, but is still way better than this, and much shorter too. If you want to watch a show that features a romantic relationship between a god and a human, I encourage you to give those a try instead, as well as the aforementioned My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... Encounter

Song Hye Kyo as Cha Soo Hyeon and Park Bo Gum as Kim Jin Hyeok From the writer of the movie Always (Han Hyo Joo, So Ji Sub) and the director of Lovestruck in the City and It's Okay to Not be Okay, Encounter (aka Boyfriend) is a 2018 romance drama about a divorced woman and Donghwa Hotel CEO, Cha Soo Hyeon, finding love in the form of the young and joyful Kim Jin Hyeok, one of her hotel's employees, after a magical chance encounter in Cuba. At first glance, this may seem like a simple role reversal on this well-established and cliché storyline but allow me to suggest Encounter is a little more than that.

Multiple layers of storytelling

Encounter makes use of and combines all the tools in its arsenal to tell its story from its opening shot, that briefly gives us a grayscale visual overview of Soo Hyeon's life, always following her back, careful to hide her face, transitioning to color in the present and showing us the first of several artworks to be depicted in this show, artworks that will be used to follow our protagonists' journey throughout. Already this opening shot has succeeded in laying the groundwork for Soo Hyeon's character and personality; she's the daughter of a politician who was married off to a wealthy and powerful family, suggesting she has had little agency to decide over the course of her life. Similar visual storytelling is used to set up Jin Hyeok, happily wandering around Cuba in a straight shirt/jeans getup with an old camera in hand to capture the joy in everyday life, chancing on an old but beautifully kept garden that marked the beginning of another couple's love story.

A fairy tale art journey

Another directing choice that sets this drama apart is how it lets scenes breathe and flow, allowing us to fully take in what's transpiring in a way that lets us feel as if we're right there with the actors, silently accompanying them, what lends it part of that air of reality and believability. The show is not afraid of letting long silences and awkward pauses into its storytelling, like when Soo Hyeon and Jin Hyeok meet at the Hongje-Dong playground in Episode 2 and an uncomfortable silence fills the air after they've ran out of the proper things to say to each other. A different kind of silence, the stillness of a breaking day, is interrupted only by the soothing sound of the waves in Episode 3, as Jin Hyeok is getting coffee while Soo Hyeon sits on a bench staring at the sea.

In fact, Encounter never feels pressured into featuring a song to convey the meaning or feelings behind a scene, favouring its cinematography and/or dialogue, at times coupled with ambient sounds and noises or light, unobtrusive and beautiful instrumental tracks such as I Never Knew, Love Birds or The Evenfall, among others. It's a refreshing choice in a landscape that often feels the need to hit you over the head with songs that proclaim LOVE IS THE MOMENT at every opportunity (Run!). This is not to say there aren't songs featured prominently and recurrently in the show, the most obvious being our couple's theme, "Si llego a besarte" by Omara Portuondo, a song that has a knack for reuniting our two lovers, in one case reminding me of a scene from the movie Sleepless in Seattle with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. And, of course, SALTNPAPER feels right at home in this show with the melancholic "Take Me On."

The show rewards us with such beautiful postcards These factors succeed at creating a peaceful, soothing atmosphere while watching the show, a feeling that betrays the underlying current of tension, a result of company and family politics, and perhaps most subtly and wonderfully conveyed by Song Hye Kyo's character, who struggles with how far she should, or is allowed to, take her "some" relationship with Jin Hyeok, what leads me to...

Believable and supportive relationships between characters

Encounter is all about Jin Hyeok's and Soo Hyeon's relationship, there are no second leads to prompt unnecessary love triangles in lieu of actual character development. There are certainly a bunch of supporting characters and we witness how they relate to our leads in their day-to-day life.

For instance, Jin Hyeok's circle of friends is comprised of Dae Chan and Hye In and already from the beginning of Episode 2 we see how tight they are as they celebrate his return from Cuba over drinks and joke about Hye In's love life. Hye In has a bit of a crush on Jin Hyeok but she's always clear on where the boundaries lie and puts their friendship first, as certain events over the course of the show will prove. Soo Hyeon has a similar circle of friends in the form of her secretary, Jang Mi Jin, who often nags and complains, doubly so when Soo Hyeon starts taking bigger risks with her love life, but is also looking out for her in her own way.

Also in Soo Hyeon's circle is Manager "Teddy Bear" Myung Shik, a close friend of her dad who has kept an eye on her throughout her life and is delighted at being able to play Cupid for our couple, much to Secretary Jang's annoyance. His antics provide much welcome levity from time to time and it's always a treat to see him on screen, be it having a beer with Sun Joo, a friend from his reporter days and Donghwa Hotel's PR Team Manager, being outwitted by the sharp wit of Sun Joo's daughter, or trying to find a mask that fits for a masquerade ball. In fact, many, perhaps most, of the people in Jin Hyeok's and Soo Hyeon's lives have amicable or friendly relationships with them, even if some are less keen on showing it. The show has several examples of how the hotel's staff respects Soo Hyeon's leadership and even looks out for her at times, what is understandable given her calm and understanding demeanor when dealing with staff, her commitment to the Donghwa brand and overall professionalism. Having said that, there's always people who like to gossip... but no spoilers!

Manager Teddy Bear takes a break after playing Cupid Curiously, the relationships that take the most hits are the ones involving mothers: Soo Hyeon's mom, who aims to place her husband in the Blue House; her former mother-in-law, who schemes to force Soo Hyeon back together with her son; and even Jin Hyeok's mom, who feels uneasy at her family's sudden media exposure. If any of this has triggered warning makjang bells in your brain, allow me to assuage those fears (and if you're a makjang fan, allow me to disappoint), for Encounter makes organic use of these character motivations to generate tension, yes, but not to "amp the drama" in a way that would feel unrealistic or artificial. Crisis never overstay their welcome, in large part because our main leads do something many on-screen couples don't: they communicate. Upon viewing this show for a second time I decided to turn on viewer comments and encountered the oft-quoted "lack of chemistry" objection. I have a problem with the word "chemistry" despite having used it myself several times, a philosophical objection perhaps. What do we mean when we use a particular word, such as "chemistry" in this case? I gave my (for it is an ultimately subjective answer) tentative definition of "chemistry" between characters in my Hotel del Luna review and suggested it goes beyond steamy kissing scenes (I'll take them if they come my way) and encompasses the extent to which a couple can convey their thoughts and feelings to each other through verbal (dialogue) and nonverbal communication (gestures, gazes, actions), what, in the end, is what sells me or not on the depth of a romantic relationship. It's not just about how hot the characters are for one another, but about being able to understand what your partner is going through and what they need at a given time, be it a hug, a word of comfort, or silent company. Given their backgrounds and personalities it makes complete sense that Jin Hyeok would excel at this with Soo Hyeon finding it more difficult but still having opportunities to shine, such as her bold declaration at the end of Episode 6 or her surprise visit at the end of Episode 9. It was a treat to watch how their relationship slowly matured over time, how they interacted with one another, how Soo Hyeon gradually came out of her shell and took the reins of her life. We must remember that, for both of them, this is their first romantic relationship, if at different moments in their lives.

Closing thoughts

I hope I've been able to accurately convey a few of the reasons why I feel Encounter is such a standout drama, even though I'm probably missing plenty. Curiously, it was my second encounter with both lead actors, having previously watched Song Hye Kyo in the popular Descendants of the Sun and Park Bo Gum in Love in the Moonlight. Personally, this has become my favourite among the three and would probably be among my Top 10. That opening episode in Cuba with Jin Hyeok and Soo Hyeon gazing at the sunset, having a couple of beers and a stroll, enjoying each others' company during their impromptu date, cast a magical spell on me that never let go, right until the end, so it is only fitting I end this review thusly, quoting one of Encounter's many excellent poems.

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... Doctors

Yoon Kyung Sang as Jung Yoon Do, Park Shin Hye as Yoo Hye Jung, Kim Rae Won as Hong Ji Hong, and Lee Sung Kyung as Jin Seo Woo If I were to draw a line segment and place the medical kdramas I've watched to date on it, with the degree of over-the-top drama and lack of professionalism decreasing from left to right, I'd place Yong Pal all the way to the left, followed closely by Doctor Stranger, and Hospital Playlist all the way to the right, with Doctor John probably somewhere around the left of the midpoint (still haven't finished watching Angel Eyes). Much to my surprise, I think Doctors probably belongs somewhere to the right of the midpoint (but not too far) and I'll try to explain why that is, but first let's talk a little about the premise. Doctors aka Female Gangster Hye Jung (no, really, that’s another title for it) focuses, not surprisingly, on the transformative journey of Yoo Hye Jung from a smart, rebellious, and kickass teen who doesn't get along with her dad, has no friends and no dreams about a better future, to a driven and talented doctor who's well liked and respected by her colleagues, but who's held back by a tragic event from her past. Hong Ji Hong, as her home-room teacher at high school, is the one who sets her on her path to becoming a doctor, and later as her mentor/boyfriend also helps her move on. Yes, you read that right, her home-room teacher eventually becomes her lover. Personally, I don't think they handled the pacing of the teacher-student relationship very well. The first couple of episodes do not hint at any romantic feelings between these two but then along comes Episode 3 and suddenly they... kinda do? It all felt very rushed, especially her friendship with the second female lead, Jin Seo Woo (Bok Joo!), and the fallout between them, what prompts a bitter rivalry when they meet again working at the same hospital 13 years later.

She’s not called gangster for nothing

Subverting expectations or bland storytelling?

It is perhaps to be expected that Hye Jung has an agenda, tied to a possible case of medical malpractice that involves Seo Woo's father and the hospital's director, Jin Myung Hoon, played by Uhm Hyo Sub, known for playing the antagonist in several dramas (but I always remember him as the butler in Shopping King Louie). Curiously, while this plot thread is present throughout the show it isn't given the prominence one might expect, with the screenwriter (Ha Myung Hee) slowly developing it over the course of the show, always careful to keep the details of the event shrouded in mystery. Instead, the show chooses to give more prominence to the development of the relationship between Hye Jung and Ji Hong and to the medical cases that the doctors face, how they resolve them and how they often tie to their personal lives, but mostly Hye Jung's.

And here's where I got the largest positive impression of the show: the doctors don’t lose their composure in the OR, they act calmly and professionally. The one time this doesn't happen it is considered a serious breach and immediately addressed. This show doesn't feel the need to artificially create drama by having characters act irrationally, having doctors sabotage each other for the sake of their personal glory, or having patients die in the OR so that a doctor can be conveniently blamed and drama can be amped to eleven. In fact, I can't recall a single surgery that didn't go as planned. There were several times I'd go, "Aha, now this will happen so that event X and Y will follow!" and the show would answer with a resounding, "Nope." Perhaps many viewers will find this boring but I found it refreshingly different. And this is not to say there are no dramatic or tension-filled scenes, what sometimes make it lose points on a realism scale, but they're never overplayed.

Not sure I want to know what he means by that

Besides Seo Woo, whose rivalry with Hye Jung takes some time to resolve, the only other character who's initially distrustful of Hye Jung's ability and disapproves of her attitude is the second male lead and her senior, Jung Yoon Do. However, after a couple of instances where Hye Jung proves herself in his eyes he apologizes and never doubts her again. This becomes a turning point for our SML as he slowly starts falling for Hye Jung's charms and loosens up considerably, to the point I really liked him despite his unrequited love for Hye Jung. This is another plus for Doctors, as when he confesses his feelings to Hye Jung she wastes no time clearing the air replying, "I don't trust love between a man and a woman. But if I have to love, that one person will be Hong Ji Hong." That's that potential love triangle neatly resolved. Even when he later gives Ji Hong a heads up about his feelings for Hye Jung (Yoon Do is very straightforward and honest) the latter nonchalantly replies, "Good. Try your best." what leaves Yoon Do thinking he's already lost before he even had a chance to compete.

Ji Hong and Hye Jung: A mature relationship with little drama

Ji Hong is a charming, easygoing, glass half-full, kinda guy, who always looks out for his students and never holds a grudge. As he tells Hye Jung one episode, there are too many things he wants to do in his life to waste time mulling over negative things like revenge. If this were a fantasy cdrama, he'd probably be a Daoist (he'd certainly make a better Daoist than The Taoist Grandmaster). This may irk some viewers looking for a revenge-driven plot where the protagonists actively seek the downfall of some powerful figure/s with almost single-minded determination, like in Graceful Family (which I do recommend btw). The seeds are certainly there for Doctors to take that route but it chooses not to, what makes me think that perhaps they were planted because it is expected for this type of show to have that plot line and not because the screenwriter particularly wanted to, but this is pure speculation. While Ji Hong helps Hye Jung with her search for the truth he does so out of a desire she'll be able to close that painful chapter of her life and live more in the present, and he doesn't waste an opportunity to let her know she can be happy, as this dancing scene to The La's "There She Goes" proves.

This man makes it difficult not to fall in love with him As for Hye Jung, I think this is probably the better Park Shin Hye performance out of the dramas I've watched with her (no, I have not yet watched Pinocchio). She was cute as Go Mi Nam in You're Beautiful but I felt the show never let her grow out of that character and show us who she was as Go Mi Nyeo. Here I felt she was able to show more range and she looked comfortable with her male costar despite their age gap. Certainly, the two actors/characters seemed to have a lot more chemistry than that shown in her latest drama, Sisyphus: The Myth, between Kang Seo Hae and Han Tae Sul, and makes me wonder what a reunion with Kim Rae Won as Han Tae Sul would've looked like.

I still love you, Go Mi Nam.

Honestly, the only obstacle to their relationship is themselves, as they're both highly intelligent and independent people who've never been in a romantic relationship before and who usually try to solve problems by themselves rather than relying on others. This veers dangerously close to "noble idiocy" territory at times but doesn't outright cross into it, to my mind, or at least doubles back fairly quickly. For instance, in order to protect Hye Jung, Ji Hong makes a deal with a character one time that I won't spoil. When Hye Jung finds out about it she confronts him but Ji Hong defuses the situation by arguing he's "taking one step backwards and two steps forward" to ease tensions, that this is not as bad as she makes it out to be (glass half-full kinda guy), and that he's actively looking for a way to revert this. When I took my time to ponder his argument I had to concede it was fairly reasonable. Like I said, Ji Hong is surprisingly mature about handling relationships and conflicts, something that was unexpected. Another time the two have a conversation where Hye Jung points out how he's always trying to protect and comfort her but that this is not reciprocal, that she also wants to protect and comfort him but he won't let her, finally asking him to change if he wants to make their relationship work. While she definitely had a point I was a little irked about the conclusion, which came across as rather one-sided. Quite surprisingly, it didn't take long for Hye Jung to acknowledge she was wrong to corner him into changing when she was also asking him to love her for who she was, a confession that leads into this beautifully awkward scene where Hye Jung tries to make the first move and Ji Hong doesn't know quite what to make of it.

When you try to give him the green light and he doesn't get the memo Their relationship isn't perfect (what relationship is?), there are bumps on the road, and they alternate between being lovers, teacher and student, and colleagues, throughout the show and depending on the situation, and sometimes their inability to recognise what role they should be playing (the characters, not the actors) causes some tension or friction between them that usually gets resolved by, shockingly, having a conversation like normal adults. Maybe these are the moments that some reviewers had trouble believing, as they sometimes appear to be dissecting the ins and outs of their relationship with clinical precision. They are neurosurgeons after all.

Of second-lead relationships, The Beagles, and music

I've praised the main leads and the second male lead, but what about the second female lead? Seo Woo's growth is very slow and a large part of it occurs when a conflict that personally involves her arises towards the end of the show. Seo Woo is initially jealous that Hye Jung has managed to become so successful in life and doesn't take kindly to Yoon Do falling for her rival. She has insecurity issues tied to her parents' expectations of her and Hye Jung "taking things away from her" (she also had a crush on Ji Hong in high school) that should've been better fleshed out in the initial episodes of the show. Surprisingly, what seems to be a trend with this show, the second leads don't end up together and, in fact, Seo Woo ends up in a relationship with fellow doctor Pi Yeong Kook, the one friend who's always there for her no matter what. Eventually, Seo Woo is also able to let go of the past, daring to stand up for Hye Jung and call her a friend, and overcomes, if not her parents' expectations, certainly their narrow-mindedness and greed, not to mention her own ego.

I guess this qualifies as subverting expectations? There is also quite a bit of comedy too, in no small part thanks to "The Beagles," Jung Pa Ran (played by Lee Sun Ho), Yoon Do's uncle, and Jo In Joo (played by Yoo Da In), both of which are Ji Hong's closest friends, who have a great friendship and a running gag of annoying the heck out of Yoon Do by constantly staying at his place. There's one episode where even Seo Woo joins the beagles and Yoon Do is like, "I give up. Live happily among the three of you." and finds himself temporarily exiled to Ji Hong's apartment, much to the latter's surprise.

The Beagles adopt a new member Music-wise, I wasn't particularly impressed by the songs, as the one that made the most lasting impression was The La's "There She Goes." The score itself was composed by Park Se Jun, who previously collaborated with the show's director, Oh Choong Hwan, on shows like Start-Up and While You Were Sleeping, but perhaps this shouldn't be surprising as Park Se Jun's name pops up everywhere. The score itself is actually not half bad but it wasn't particularly memorable, save for a few exceptions. The first one is the fact that Doom at Your Service's "Destiny to Love" is used regularly throughout the show, what surprised me seeing as it's a track from a 2021 drama playing on a 2016 show (they really should've used it when Ji Hong steps out of the helicopter). The other is the track "Goodbye My Fellow" which, for the life of me, sounds like something lifted straight from another 2016 show I recently watched, Marriage Contract. I could swear they're playing the same, or mostly the same, music as in either "Beautiful Memories" and/or "Beautiful Days" but to different notes, speed, or something. The second I listened to that music playing in Doctors I instantly thought of Marriage Contract. Initially, I thought maybe they were simply reusing the score from one of their shows but Marriage Contract is from MBC and Doctors is from SBS so I'm not really sure what's going on here.

Marriage Contract. Probably the best contractual relationship kdrama there is. Watch it.

Conclusions

All in all, Doctors was a surprisingly pleasant watch throughout and I didn't find it boring despite its 20-episode order, what usually makes me suspicious of the quality of the show. Some reviewers have argued the ending feels rushed and while I disagree I have to concede certain plot lines are purposefully left unresolved. In short, if you want to see the antagonists killed or in shackles, then this is not the drama for you. It's not that there are no consequences for their actions, there are, but we don't get to see the full extent of them. Following Ji Hong's life philosophy we only get to see the positive outcomes, not the negative ones.

In the end, I think I can confidently say Doctors succeeded in subverting my trope-oriented expectations, what I consider to be a positive. It’s no Hospital Playlist (that’s a high bar) but it’s certainly a lot better than some of the other medical dramas I’ve watched. Of course, perhaps my baseline isn’t diverse enough, with medical dramas like New Heart, Good Doctor, D-Day, and Dr. Romantic still on my watchlist. What about you? Have you watched Doctors? Where would you place it on your own medical kdrama line segment?

[odanurr87]

Hotel del Luna: Analysing Episode 14

Earlier this year I wrote a review on my favourite kdrama thus far, Hotel del Luna. It was somewhat long yet not long enough, as I felt I could write a lot more on the subject. In particular, one of the things I pointed out in the closing to my review is how I wasn’t entirely sold on the way the Hong sisters handled the riddle of Chan Sung’s dreams and the mystery of his identity. In this post I will attempt to explain why that is by analysing Episode 14, the episode where Chan Sung’s dreams and the mystery of his identity finally converge, and see where it leads me. Needless to say, there will be lots of spoilers so proceed at your own risk.

Background

As early as the ending of Episode 2 Chan Sung has been dreaming about Man Wol’s past, something that visibly shakes her when he reveals this at the end of Episode 3, raising worrisome doubts about his identity. Chan Sung himself admits, upon questioning, that maybe he knew Man Wol in some past life he can’t remember and the show presents us with two possible candidates: Go Chung Myung, Princess Song Hwa’s Captain of the Guards and Man Wol’s boyfriend; and Yeon Wu, Man Wol’s brother. There is a particularly poignant scene in Episode 5 when, recalling the memory of Yeon Wu, Man Wol sadly declares, “Yeon Wu… He was the person who loved me the most in the world. Gu Chan Sung, do you love me?” It is Chan Sung’s turn to be taken aback by the sudden question and he’s somehow able to retain enough composure to reply, “It’s clear that I’m not him,” positively dodging such a loaded question.

Troubled by this specter of the past threatening to arise, Man Wol continues to put it out of her mind, gradually developing feelings for Gu Chan Sung, who also clearly reciprocates them as established in yet another beautiful scene, this time from Episode 6. At the end of the episode, Chan Sung joins Man Wol at the hotel’s beach (yes, that is not a mistake) and gifts her Kim Joon Hyeon’s autograph, an indirect confession of love that Man Wol very much appreciates and responds to with a declaration of her own, “It’s alright, because you’re here.” (Video) But fate (coughMaGoShincough) won’t let her escape her past so easily and so it is that Man Wol is confronted at the end of Episode 7 with the appearance of Chan Sung’s former girlfriend, who is the spitting image of Princess Song Hwa, the woman responsible for executing Man Wol’s brother and fellow countrymen. This time around, the question of Chan Sung’s connection to Man Wol is overshadowed by her hatred for the woman who killed the people she loved, but is still present, I believe, in her actions.

At the end of Episode 8, having indirectly placed a curse on Chan Sung, one that evidently caused him pain, we see Man Wol, perhaps for the first time, renounce revenge for the sake of love. After lifting the curse, Man Wol bids farewell to Chan Sung hoping to protect him in so doing. While her intentions are clear one must wonder whether Man Wol wasn’t also protecting herself, running away from the question she avoided earlier in the show, the one that continues to rear its ugly head… What is her connection to Gu Chan Sung? This question is narrowed further in Episode 10 when she encounters the reincarnation of Yeon Wu in the form of Detective Park Young Soo. While Man Wol won’t pose herself this disturbing question until Episode 14 the viewers were certainly pondering, “Could Chan Sung be the reincarnation of Chung Myung? Could the man she loves be the reincarnation of the person she hates?” And it’s in Episode 14 where the show made a choice that at first glance appears questionable, it categorically and resolutely replied, “No, he’s not.”

The will of a Goddess

Throughout the show the audience has been shown hints, left bread crumbs, that maybe Gu Chan Sung is not the reincarnation of Chung Myung, that maybe Chung Myung reincarnated as something else. To be fair, the reverse is also true, as the show has purposefully toyed with the possibility that Chan Sung might be someone from Man Wol’s past. However, if any viewer was still in doubt, Episode 14 puts the nail on that particular coffin. It is clear from the onset of the episode that Chung Myung reincarnated into a firefly, the very same firefly that refused to go into the afterlife at the end of Episode 1, instead choosing to fulfill his promise to Man Wol and remain by her side. Goddess Ma Go herself indirectly acknowledges this when she says, “It seems Man Wol will get seriously swayed by this small and green light.”

Curiously though, Ma Go Shin does not reveal this to Man Wol when she meets her moments later. Instead, she capitalizes on her confusion by being purposefully ambiguous, “Jang Man Wol, why are you just leaving? Will you let him just pass by, pretending to be clueless? You can’t run away from it. That person has already been by your side.” These words are like daggers to Man Wol’s heart, who can’t help but think her worst fears have come true, Chan Sung, the man she loves, is the reincarnation of Chung Myung, the man she hates. The anguished look on Man Wol’s face speaks volumes and Ma Go Shin delivers the final blow in the form of a bloodied hair pin, the very same one described to her by Chan Sung, straight from his dreams, “I saw that man, Chung Myung. In his hand he had a hair ornament with your symbol in the shape of the moon.”

It is important to note that up to this point everything in Chan Sung’s dreams was something Man Wol could account for, but the hair pin is something she didn’t know about as Chung Myung never got the chance to give it to her. Thus, to her, the fact that the Goddess Ma Go is handing her this bloodied hair pin is the final confirmation that Chan Sung is Chung Myung, so she can’t help but ask the question she has been avoiding for so long, “Is it Gu Chan Sung?” Ma Go Shin’s response cuts to the heart of the matter, “If it is Gu Chan Sung, can you accept him?” This is precisely why Ma Go Shin, while not lying, is deliberately misleading Man Wol into thinking Chung Myung and Chan Sung are one and the same, making her choose between her hatred and her love, “I’m also curious about what you see there. Whether you see Go Chung Myung and extinguish yourself or see Gu Chan Sung and receive redemption, that’s your choice.” If Ma Go Shin were to reveal that Chan Sung is not Chung Myung, it would be that much harder for Man Wol to finally let go of her anger and peacefully leave for the afterlife as is the Goddess’ will, “That hatred that you’ve continuously held onto all this time, why don’t you let go of it with the love you’ve received at the end of this long time?”

While Ma Go Shin’s actions are thus explained a new question arises, why did the show choose to let the audience in on the fact that Chan Sung was not Chung Myung at this point in the episode? Usually, shows or movies that have this type of plot line try to keep the viewer in the dark for as long as possible. Given that the truth is revealed three episodes before the end (some viewers might have guessed it even earlier) one could make the case that the show had kept the mystery long enough. Alternatively, it could more definitely be argued that the actual reveal takes place later in the episode, during an encounter between Gu Chan Sung and Ma Go Shin at the pharmacy. In any event, just like Goddess Ma Go carefully chose her words to Man Wol, the show could’ve slightly altered the episode’s editing to keep us, just like Man Wol, guessing Chan Sung’s identity until the very last minute. This would have, to my mind, increased the episode’s rewatchability, adding a layer that can only be discovered and reinterpreted once Chan Sung’s (not) identity is revealed. Why, then, did the show decide against this course of action? Let’s put a hold on that particular question and address some of the other questions that arise from watching this episode.

The return of evil Man Wol?

Upon “learning” from Goddess Ma Go that Chan Sung is Chung Myung we’re treated to that famously deceptive scene where we witness Man Wol (incorrectly) putting together the clues and, in a fit of impulsiveness, stab Gu Chan Sung, only to immediately regret it (IU’s acting is superb here, watch her eyes).

While this was merely a scenario playing inside her head it frightens her enough to take action, “I can never kill Gu Chan Sung. Ma Go Shin told me that I have to completely empty myself. I have to think about how I’m going to empty myself.” Man Wol’s way of “emptying herself” appears to be a bit literal. She creates an image of her past self that contains all of her hatred and binds her to the hair pin, which she eventually hands to Seol Ji Won’s ghost, who becomes more powerful as a result and is, if anything, more determined to go after Chan Sung now. Is Man Wol purposefully putting Chan Sung in danger after all they’ve been through just because she thinks he’s Chung Myung? This is her reply, “Ma Go Shin said that you’re that man. I have to kill you but I can’t. Because I like you too much. But I’m not going to protect you either. I’ve been waiting over 1000 years to kill you. If I were to protect you now, the resentment I’ve held would become a joke.”

The short answer is no, she’s not; she’s still protecting Chan Sung like she always has. Someone as smart as Man Wol would’ve known that, as the Grim Reaper reminds her, she will dissipate should Seol Ji Won kill a human with his newfound power. She readily admits this is precisely the outcome she’s looking for, much to Gu Chan Sung’s surprise and dismay. In order to protect Chan Sung from the possibility that she might harm him, Man Wol has decided to remove herself from the equation by calling upon the judging side of the Goddess. Her words to Chan Sung are intended to distance herself from him and he from her so he won’t be as affected by what’s to come. The real truth lies in the conversation she had moments earlier with her (past) self, “I, even though it is humorous, have fallen in love again. I was trying to pretend not to know you by relying on that love. But memories of you are dragging me down to the bottom again.” Man Wol has finally acknowledged that she has been, in fact, running away from her past all along. It’s what she did in Episode 4, when she joined the hotel’s staff in their scheme to drive Chan Sung mad, it’s what she did in Episode 8 when she left him, and it’s exactly what she’s doing now trying to extinguish herself through a proxy. Her words to Chan Sung in Episode 8 come to mind, “What I have is hell. Experiencing hell together isn’t better.” She even recognises that Chan Sung won’t come to harm as a result of her plan, “Since you’re a human that the Grandmothers adore they’ll take action before the vengeful ghost kills you.” This is, and has always been, a plan with only one intended casualty, Jang Man Wol herself. Well, two, if you count Seol Ji Won.

Chan Sung makes a play for Man Wol’s soul

If we’ve come to know Gu Chan Sung at all after 13 episodes, we can rest assured he won’t just let Man Wol vanish without putting up a fight. Indeed, the very next thing he does is run to the pharmacy where he confronts Goddess Ma Go and asks her whether he really is Go Chung Myung. Here, at last, the Goddess is crystal clear in her reply, “There’s no way my unni said those exact words. Because that man is right here,” pointing at a jar containing a single firefly. Ma Go Shin even goes so far as to tell Chan Sung exactly what he should do next to prevent Man Wol from vanishing: recover the bloodied hair pin she gave to Seol Ji Won, something Chan Sung is able to accomplish in the nick of time. These events converge in Chan Sung’s vision from Episode 9 (shown in full at the beginning of Episode 10), where Man Wol is standing before the judging face of the Goddess, in the garden of the moon tree, waiting to be extinguished.

Several viewers have been puzzled by Chan Sung’s actions here, namely why he didn’t simply tell Man Wol that he wasn’t Go Chung Myung. It is a fair question and I believe the same answer that applies to Ma Go Shin applies to Gu Chan Sung: he withheld that information in order to make her choose. When Chan Sung shows the hair pin to Ma Go Shin, asking (more like demanding) her to leave, Man Wol desperately insists on being extinguished. It is clear, certainly to Chan Sung by that point, that Man Wol does not trust herself not to harm him, believing him to be Chung Myung. While Chan Sung could easily correct her on that point and thus ensure his safety (and hers, temporarily) he is more concerned about Man Wol making the right choice and peacefully going into the afterlife. Has he realized, like Ma Go Shin before him, that in order to save Man Wol’s soul he must put himself in her way one last time? I am reminded of Ma Go Shin’s words to Chan Sung in Episode 9, “It’s cool when you’re taking her side. And being in the way is uncool. The role of being cool and holding her, consoling her, anyone would want to do that role. The role of holding her back and hanging onto her and becoming uncool is something only a good person can do.” It would appear Chan Sung has arrived at the same conclusion given his bold statement to Man Wol, as he hands her the bloodied hair pin turned knife, “Alright, then do that. If you must be in that hell, then I’ll also go in there. I’ll become that man for you. Kill me.”

It is worth drawing a parallel here to Man Wol’s final encounter with Chung Myung. At that time, she had him at the tip of her blade, just like Chan Sung is now at her mercy, the difference being that Chung Myung made the decision for her then and Chan Sung is now handing back that decision to her. I don’t believe it is a stretch to say Chung Myung, ironically, robbed her of the closure she’s getting now, thousands of years later. It also speaks volumes of Chan Sung’s trust on Man Wol, even in her darkest moments when she’s unable to trust herself. As foreseen by the Goddess who deliberately put him on Man Wol’s path, Chan Sung is the only one who can make Man Wol confront her past, the only one for whom she’ll willingly abandon her thousand-year-old hatred for the sake of the love she’s received at the end of her journey.

The final question and conclusion

You may have astutely noticed I have so far managed to avoid answering the question I introduced earlier, “Why didn’t the show make us doubt Gu Chan Sung’s identity until the last possible second, just like Man Wol?” Why didn’t they keep us guessing a little longer? After all, it could’ve been done easily with some slight editing of Episode 14. By doing so, the audience would’ve been emotionally involved until the last moment instead of wondering why Chan Sung isn’t telling Man Wol the truth, a question that, to my mind, takes the audience out of the show, if only momentarily.

After pondering the question for a long while (I definitely didn’t have this answer when I wrote my review) it occurs to me that perhaps this was done out of a desire to remain consistent and true to Gu Chan Sung’s purpose as a viewpoint character. Gu Chan Sung has been our conduit throughout the show, the person who introduces us to this world of gods, ghost, and souls, and reacts possibly just as we would under those circumstances. We learn about this world through Gu Chan Sung. Granted, we tend to know a good deal more than him given our role as the audience but, as far as I can tell and here’s the gist of it, we never know less than he does. In order to deceive the audience into thinking Chan Sung might be Chung Myung it would’ve been necessary to either have him withhold information from us or deceive him as well. The former changes his function as a viewpoint character while the latter goes against his established bond of trust and honesty with Ma Go Shin. I can’t recall a single instance where Ma Go Shin tried to deceive Gu Chan Sung or didn’t reply clearly to his questions. And why would she? After all, Gu Chan Sung is the messenger she chose to, in her own words, “open the door a little” for Man Wol.

Think about how much more meaningful Chan Sung’s act of handing the knife to Man Wol is because it’s informed by the fact that he knows he’s not Chung Myung. If he hadn’t known that, if we hadn’t known that, the significance of this scene changes entirely and subverts the sacrifice that lies at its core. I’d like to think either the Hong sisters, or the director, or both, wanted the audience to be clear about the identity of the man who comes to Man Wol’s rescue in her darkest hour by his willingness to perform the ultimate act of love. What’s a little mystery next to that?

So maybe I was wrong. Maybe the Hong sisters handled the mystery of Chan Sung’s identity better than I originally gave them credit for, and that’s the main reason why I love this show. Unlike any of the hotel’s guests, we can come back to Hotel del Luna again and again to peel back its layers, open a door to one of its many strange rooms, and find something there we previously hadn’t realised. Therein, I believe, also lies the magic of Hotel del Luna.

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... Scripting Your Destiny

Release date: March 16, 2021

Episodes: 10

Available on: Viki

Summary: Every human is born with a book that records each moment of their life and that we call destiny. Shin Ho Yoon is one of the many deities in charge of writing those books, known among the gods for his meticulous approach to his work. For his latest project, the destiny of the mortal Jeong Ba Reum, he intends to write a masterpiece, a perfect destiny, pairing him with his first love, Go Che Gyeong, a scriptwriter for successful, if over-the-top, makjangs like Marriage Pact and Sky Cash. However, when Che Gyeong doesn't fall for the fateful encounter that he wrote, he decides to take matters into his own hands and bluntly approaches her to find out how to get her to fall in love. As the two begin to develop feelings for each other, the perfect destiny envisioned for Ba Reum threatens to disappear and a new destiny between a god and a mortal begins to emerge. But can a god of destiny write his own fate?

Rewatch meter: Medium

WARNING: Spoilers beyond this point.

Characters

From left to right: Park Sang Nam as Shin Myeong; Ki Do Hoon as Shin Ho Yoon; Jeon So Nee as Go Che Gyeong; Kim Woo Seok as Jeong Ba Reum; and Gal So Won as Samshin.

Overall, I liked the leads and most of the supporting characters. As far as the leads are concerned, I think Ki Do Hoon was able to deliver a good performance of what a god of destiny might, or perhaps should, be like: standoffish, emotionless, uninterested in the mortal realm beyond the scope of his duties. As such, Shin Ho Yoon feels the more godly of the different deities in the show, what is curious considering he's probably one of the youngest gods of destiny, what is explained through his cycle of rebirth. I wish the writer and the actor had made full use of this cycle by having the character of Shin Ho Yoon grow more emotionless as a result, what would explain why he's different from other gods. Perhaps this was intended, but if so, the results are mixed. You can see he was more impulsive in the beginning of his cycle as a god of destiny than he was, say, at the beginning of the show. However, the last incarnation we're shown of Ho Yoon, in Episode 10, appears to be more upbeat than any of his previous ones, a fact that could've been used to feed into the notion that something has changed (more on that later) and that's why he's having fun at the expense of the "newbies."

Jeon So Nee as Go Che Gyeong was very good throughout, standing out from her male counterpart, perhaps due to the nature of her character that allowed her to show more range. I never found her to be over-the-top, and she was able to pull off the comedic and emotional scenes very well. She also passed off as a high-schooler better than Ki Do Hoon, despite the fact that she's five years his senior, but I guess that's the power of female hairstyles! My only complaint about her character is that I wish she had been a little more creative writing her own fate. I mean, she is a talented scriptwriter that even a god stole from.

Park Sang Nam's Shin Myeong had good chemistry with Ki Do Hoon's Shin Ho Yoon, echoing the Goblin-Reaper duo from Goblin, what should come as no surprise as writer Kim Eun Sook is a producer for this show. They even paid homage to that iconic walking scene in the first episode. Unlike Ho Yoon, Myeong comes across as less devoted to his duties and more lazy. He himself admits to a disapproving Samshin that he copy-pastes destinies, but also makes an interesting point about only writing main events so that humans can fill in the gaps themselves. I'll let you decide whether this is really his intention or just an attempt to placate Samshin's anger. Consequently, his transition from a somewhat lazy god to a more serious one towards the end of the show was unexpected, but I guess it stands to reason given his worries about Ho Yoon, plus one shouldn't forget he's actually the older god. I do believe the show wasted an incredible opportunity to have Shin Myeong be the linchpin of our story.

Ho Yoon shields precious Samshin from Myeong's words on how to passionately express love.

As for the characters of Jeong Ba Reum and Samshin, I can say the former was functional to the plot and gets immediately sidelined once that function is completed, while the latter definitely stole every scene she was in (and she's 14!). I would've loved to have seen more of her, even though I feel her arc was a little disconnected from the overall storyline and could've been tied better if the last episode had gone in a different direction.

Execution

What if that something are meteorites?

The show has a lot of fun making fun of kdrama tropes, either through Che Gyeong's job as a scriptwriter or through the gods of destiny themselves, who take turns between being writers and viewers when coming up with the destinies of mortals. When Ho Yoon is having trouble understanding "the depth within humans which is beyond divine comprehension" (aka love), Myeong steps in to give him some advice on how "For love to happen you need to isolate them," stranding the pair in an island somewhere and having them stay in an inn with only one room available. Other gems from Shin Myeong include, "They got rained on, they're cold, their clothes are soaked. If they start a fire, we're 90% there." and "A woman always falls for a man who takes care of her when she's sick. Under one condition. He has to be good-looking." If you ask me, I think Myeong has been watching too many kdramas. Unfortunately for him, so has Che Gyeong, who makes her living writing them.

Are they gods or kdrama fans?

As you can see, there's a lot of comedy to be found in the gods' numerous, and failed, attempts to get Ba Reum and Che Gyeong together. However, as I mentioned before, the character of Ba Reum is mostly functional. We learn little to nothing of who he is, how his life has been, what his dreams are, what is a bit off considering he's supposed to be Ho Yoon's "masterpiece." With Ho Yoon and Che Gyeong slowly starting to get closer, as the former tries his best to understand the nebulous concept of love, Ba Reum falls into the background, what isn't really much of a shame as he doesn't contribute a whole lot in the second half of the show, to the point he could've been taken out completely with slight rewrites here and there.

The writing is similarly flimsy when it comes to the rules of the universe. For instance, early on it is stated that whatever gets written on a fate book cannot be erased, and yet when a character accidentally spills coffee on his fate book the ink on the page vanishes as if it were Voldemort's diary (there is also another instance of writing mysteriously vanishing that isn't explained). In another case, it is stated that anyone who knew a certain character got their memories of that character erased, yet one (very secondary) character still seems to be able to recall everything. These sort of plot contrivances are odd in that they are unnecessary and could've been worked around with relative ease.

It means we have a problem, that's what it means.

Another, more important, mystery that doesn't get explained is how Ho Yoon is able to "resurrect" multiple times. One of the rules of the universe states that any god who interferes with mortals, beyond the scope of their duties, and develops feelings for them, gets the Thanos treatment. However, it is eventually revealed that Shin Ho Yoon got the boot several times for this and yet was able to return every single time, with his memories erased. No explanation is provided for this and, instead, the show suggests, in the last scene of the last episode, that this is the case for all gods, as we see a couple of them return from extinction.

Personally, I feel there was a lot of potential left untapped here and this relates directly to my comment on how Shin Myeong should've been the linchpin of the entire story. If you'll recall the web drama One More Time, the reason why the male lead was stuck in a time loop was because of a contradiction that arose in the terms of the contract made between the female lead and the Grim Reaper. In a similar vein, I think the show could've suggested that Myeong first met Ho Yoon as a human kid and maybe wrote for him a fate that implied him falling in love or something similar. However, the human Ho Yoon died before that fate could occur and so became the god of destiny Shin Ho Yoon, destined to continuously "resurrect" until he could embrace his fate. A loophole such as this one could've neatly explained Ho Yoon's rebirth cycle.

The ending itself was a little underwhelming and it's easy to understand why, as it it suggested that Ho Yoon and Che Gyeong are stuck in an endless loop of the former falling in love with the latter and vanishing, with Che Gyeong being the only one able to remember all of their interactions. As fates go, it's rather depressing so it doesn't really jibe well when the show's upbeat main theme starts playing at the end. When I did my episode recaps for the show I suggested that, with some rewrites, we could've made Episode 9 the series finale and the show would've been better for it. How?

Imagine at some point in the show both characters remember everything, perhaps at that wind/lamb farm where Che Gyeong desperately calls out for Ho Yoon who, instead of running to her, walks away out of fear of vanishing for good this time. I would've planted seeds throughout the show suggesting Ho Yoon is developing emotions yet isn't vanishing from some inexplicable reason, and there are already some seeds of this in place. Perhaps he has a talk with Myeong about how strange that is and decides to see how far he can take it. The show would end as Episode 9 did, with Ho Yoon returning to Che Gyeong and asking for a caramel macchiato, the most expensive item. They both smile at the reference to their past encounter and we cut to credits with the main theme playing in the background. Ho Yoon's actions could serve to inspire other gods of destiny to try and write their own fates, like how Samshin (even though she's not a god of destiny) follows in his footsteps and decides to attend school.

Music

If you've read any of my reviews, you know that, usually, all of my recommended shows are accompanied by a soundtrack that not only has good music in it but that is used at the right time. This show has some very good tracks that stand out from their more atmospheric counterparts, such as Lee So Jung's "Skyline" (the show's main theme), Jeong Sewoon's "Time Machine," and Yongmin Ryu's "Chaotic." As far as instrumentals tracks are concerned, the obvious standout bar none is "The Deity of Fate." Other instrumental tracks aren't bad but they just can't hold a candle to this magical piece by Yongmin Ryu that has traces of Hotel del Luna's excellent soundtrack.

A couple of examples that prove how these tracks are expertly used include the end of Episode 7, that shows us how Ho Yoon and Che Gyeong first met through a flashback, with "The Deity of Fate" followed by "Skyline," and another scene in Episode 9, where Ho Yoon recalls his past and we see a quick transition between different days at Che Gyeong's coffee shop as she serves him a caramel macchiato, with "Time Machine" playing in the background. However, in the same way Ho Yoon conjures up a magenta pink moon to distract Che Gyeong, I do believe the show sometimes relies on such scenes to divert your attention from some of its plot holes or inconsistencies, hoping their beauty and poetic nature will thwart any deeper analysis that it might not withstand. It's up to you to decide whether you can let it slide or not.

Conclusions

In short, Scripting your Destiny is a fun show that doesn't take itself too seriously and that successfully creates a universe and characters I'd love to see more of, while trying to convey a timeless love story that has elements of One More Time, Goblin, and Angel's Last Mission: Love. I don't believe it succeeds in this respect, certainly nowhere close to the OTPs in any of those shows, in no small part because Shin Ho Yoon never makes that transition from deity to boyfriend that is present in shows like Goblin and Angel's Last Mission: Love. The romance between Shin Ho Yoon and Go Che Gyeong is one that looks good on paper and should've translated better to the screen. Having said that, their interactions are quite fun to watch and one could certainly envision a future where the two become a couple, provided Ho Yoon somehow manages to stop getting lobotomized. It's a shame but the series finale makes it lose several points as it doesn't make the most of the show's premise or message.

Would I recommend it? If you've watched and enjoyed the other shows I mentioned, yes, absolutely. Despite its flaws, which can be considered relatively minor to an extent (this is a web drama after all), Scripting your Destiny is still a much better investment than many kdramas and at a fraction of their time, and the comedy value of seeing how it makes fun of kdrama tropes again and again cannot be discounted. You're bound to have a good laugh for sure. Additionally, it features some gorgeous and creative (look at that last picture!) VFX-enhanced sets that rival fantasy dramas like Tale of the Nine-Tailed, which definitely had a larger budget and tried to recapture some of that Goblin magic but couldn't. And if you haven't watched the shows I mentioned watch this one anyway so we can have more good web or mini dramas (Handmade Love is an excellent one that runs the length of a movie) that give kdramas a run for their money. Until the next one!

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... Hotel del Luna

From left to right: Pyo Ji-hoon as Ji Hyun-joong; Yeo Jin-goo as Gu Chan-sung; Lee Ji-eun (IU) as Jang Man-wol; Bae Hae-seon as Choi Seo-hee; and Shin Jung-keun as Kim Sun-bi.

Released in 2019, Hotel del Luna was my introduction to the works of the Hong sisters as well as actors Yeo Jin-goo and Lee Ji-eun (IU), and what an introduction it was! The first episode of the show was excellent, giving us a hint of Man-wol’s tragic past that left me wanting to know more, then moving forwards in time to reenact that scene from Beauty and the Beast where Belle’s father is caught trying to steal a rose from Beast’s garden to give to Belle, and finally reaching present day as Man-wol tries to recruit Chan-sung and introduces him, and us, to this world of gods, ghosts, and souls with lingering grudges, that reminded me of the wondrous world of Harry Potter. Everything clicked for me in this episode, from the beautiful cinematography and music to the strong performances, particularly IU’s as Man-wol who knocked it out of the park and, incidentally, has a most impressive wardrobe and an uncanny ability to look amazing in every single one of her outfits. This was a highly promising start for my next modern fantasy show after Goblin and I couldn’t wait for the next episode. But what is this show about and why should you watch it?

Plot synopsis

21 years ago, Gu Chang-sung’s father cut a deal with the beautiful and mysterious owner of Hotel del Luna, Jang Man-wol, so that she would save his life in exchange for his son. Regretting the deal afterwards, the father left the country with his son hoping to spare him his fate. Believing himself to be safe, Gu Chan-sung has returned to work as assistant manager in one of Korea’s top hotels but Jang Man-wol is intent on collecting on the old debt by having him work in her hotel instead. However, Hotel del Luna is not your typical establishment, as Gu Chan-sung soon finds out, providing a service for souls who need healing or have grudges left to settle before moving on. While initially afraid of the prospect of becoming assistant manager at a hotel that serves ghosts, Gu Chan-sung finds himself intrigued by the challenge and curious about the story of the beautiful owner who runs it.

A magical atmosphere

Stepping into the world of Hotel del Luna feels like taking the train at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and attending Hogwarts. In fact, our intrepid hero, Gu Chan-sung, also receives a magical letter welcoming him as Hotel del Luna’s new manager, and while there’s nothing magical about the subway that takes him there Jang Man-wol does use a little magic to ensure their first encounter goes undisturbed. The hotel itself reminded me of Hogwarts, not because it is filled with ghosts and can only be found by them (and the very much alive and fearful human manager), but because of the feeling of perpetual wonder knowing that behind every door lies a new magical mystery waiting to be discovered, be it a room only people who are alive can enter but not exit, the sky lounge, a swimming pool that is actually a beach in some undetermined plane of existence, or a beautiful garden with a magical tree that holds one of the hotel’s biggest secrets. Of course, one should not forget CEO Jang Man-wol (if one wishes to live) who, while certainly a very different character from Albus Dumbledore in terms of personality, always knows more than she’s letting on and is usually in control of any situation, even if the outcome isn’t always the one she anticipates. There is also the wonderful supporting cast in the form of the different incarnations of the deity Ma Go-sin (played by Seo Yi-sook, who looks like she’s having a blast playing the different sides of the goddess), a reserved but diligent Grim Reaper (played by Kang Hong-suk), and the welcoming staff of the hotel, represented by the trio of Kim Sum-bi (the bartender), Choi Seo-hee (the room manager), and Ji Hyun-joong (the hotel receptionist).

In the same way we cannot divorce Harry Potter from its music, given its distinct signature by that legend that is John Williams, I cannot forego mentioning Hotel del Luna’s mysterious, magical, and ethereal, instrumental soundtrack. Let me take you on a brief musical tour, shall I? Let’s start by taking subway line 4 and going to Hotel del Luna. The receptionist seems to be asleep so why don’t we let ourselves in? Wow, looks like the hotel’s throwing a party, apparently they’re welcoming human guests for the first time in years and the staff is particularly excited about it. That explains how we managed to get in (remember, this is not really a hotel for living, breathing, people). I can see that the bartender is busy receiving food orders and members of the staff are decorating the hall with real flowers. Hey, where’s that kid sneaking off to? Let’s follow him. Oh, that’s the Samdocheon Tunnel, which marks the boundary between this life and the afterlife. The Grim Reaper and the manager are there to bid farewell to one of the hotel’s guests. Apparently, there’s a bridge beyond the tunnel that takes 49 days to cross! I’m not eager to cross it just yet so let’s return to the hotel. Wait, why is there water everywhere? Looks like a water god managed to get past the receptionist (not that difficult when he’s asleep) and the CEO isn’t very happy about it. Yup, she definitely doesn’t look happy. We’d better make our exit before she figures out we shouldn’t be here.

To complement this excellent instrumental soundtrack, my favourite among all the kdramas I’ve watched to date, there’s an amazing selection of songs by artists like Red Velvet, TAEYEON, Heize, Punch, Chung Ha, and Paul Kim, among many others. IU herself sings an absolutely beautiful song that plays in one of the most highly-anticipated scenes of the show but which, sadly, has not been released. However, just as important as having a great soundtrack is using it well. If you’ve read my reviews of Angel’s Last Mission: Love or Strong Woman Do-Bong Soon, you should have an idea of how much I value using the right music at the right time to convey or accentuate the proper emotions during dramatic, comedic, or romantic scenes. Correct music usage can lead to your soundtrack being memorable, whereas incorrect music usage will surely render it forgettable. Fortunately for us, Hotel del Luna knows precisely when to use its music and how. It knows when levity is called for and when it’s not, when to highlight the wondrous side of magic and when to show its darker side, when to use Heize’s “Can You See My Heart” or Punch’s “Done For Me.” I believe it was John Williams, when talking about the music of the original Star Wars trilogy, who said that he wanted the score to tell the story of what was going on in the screen. I believe Hotel del Luna’s score achieves this feat.

Another aspect that contributes to the magical atmosphere of the show is, without a doubt, its incredible cinematography (from camera angles, through its beautiful use of lighting and colours) which, combined with its excellent score, can create scenes that are best defined as poetry in motion. I particularly liked how it favoured studio sets for shooting many of its scenes, giving the sensation that we’re watching a superb play that encourages us to send our imagination into overdrive. Even some of the more noticeable VFX work, like the city view from the hotel’s sky lounge plays into the notion that one cannot always tell what’s real and what’s fake in Hotel del Luna, as Man-wol warns Chan-sung that the view from the sky lounge is not from this world, but the fall will kill him just the same (Man-wol being Man-wol). Because I’m not knowledgeable enough to explain the show’s cinematography in technical terms, I’ll leave you with a trailer that captures some aspects of it and, luckily, also showcases Jang Man-wol’s incredible selection of dresses.

A part of a greater whole

In my review of Bring it on, Ghost I mentioned the show followed a certain formula that is often poorly executed in Western shows. There is a main story-arc that encompasses the whole of the show and there are side stories where our protagonists confront the “ghost of the week.” One of the strengths of Bring it on, Ghost lied in how these side stories would sometimes tie into the main story or would be used to expand on a character’s backstory so that they rarely came across as filler. Hotel del Luna executes the same formula with a lot more thought and care, often laying out the groundwork for events later down the episode, what is expected, or even later down the show, what is a bit more impressive. The Hong sisters remain true to their initially-stated intention throughout the show and reinforce this with the aid of these side stories, preparing both Gu Chan-sung and us for the inevitable dénouement of the show. Let me try to illustrate my point by way of an example. I don’t want to give more for fear of completely spoiling the show for you.

Episode 5 tells the story of a ghost bride whose parents want to give a soul wedding so she will be able to peacefully pass into the afterlife. Unfortunately, the chosen partner for this soul wedding ends up being Gu Chan-sung’s best friend, Sanchez, so while Man-wol goes shopping as Audrey Hepburn with the parents’ black card (our girl has very expensive tastes), Gu Chan-sung tries to figure out a way to spare his terrified friend. After some twists and turns, what is often the case with this show as the truth is not always what it seems, it is revealed that it is actually the groom’s parents who want to marry off the bride so she’ll let go of their son, who’s in a coma. For those who’ve watched Bring it on, Ghost, the parallels with the ghost side story from Episode 10 are fairly evident, as the ghost bride needs to find the strength to let go of the person she loves and she ultimately does so in one of the most beautifully composed scenes of the show. This is one of those “poetry in motion” scenes I was talking about. As the groom runs away in shock and fear, the bride gathers the courage to cut the red string of fate tying them together, under the intent gazes of Gu Chan-sung, dressed as the groom, and Jan Man-wol, dressed as a bride (in red).

You need a stronger will to let go than to hold on.

This scene is a portent of events yet to come, when the day finally arrives where Chan-sung and Man-wol will also have to part ways. Indeed, several episodes later, the room manager will remind Gu Chan-sung of the words Goddess Ma Go-sin then told the ghost bride, “You need a stronger will to let go than to hold on.” The bride’s selfless act of letting go of the person she loves, breaking free from her earthly tether of her own volition, can be seen as a challenge to Man-wol, whose hatred for the man who betrayed her has been her sole drive for the past 1,300 years but also a curse that has bounded her to the hotel and prevented her from dying. Could she, like the bride, unburden herself by letting go of her hatred? Is it possible for someone with such a long and deep resentment to simply let go? This is a recurring question throughout the show and one that puts her at odds with her increasing desire to protect Gu Chan-sung, as she fears her actions, born of her hatred for the people who wronged her, might end up harming the man she loves.

Side stories such as this one often give us further insight into Man-wol, whether it be a glimpse of her past or challenging her beliefs, making her question herself and her actions, however briefly.

A fairy tale romance

Man-wol is a tsundere character, both a Beauty and a Beast, who has been nursing a thousand-year-old grudge against the people who betrayed her and consequently filters every human interaction through a lens of cold cynicism, expecting the worst from people. Chan-sung on the other hand, is a proper gentleman, a type of character we don’t often see in kdramas and a natural consequence of his training as a hotel manager. He’s friendly, cultured, well-mannered, kind, clever, and someone who's very much in control of his emotions most of the time. The evolution of the relationship between these two characters is the centrepiece of Hotel del Luna, a breath of fresh air in a landscape that often feels the need to use love triangles, or other polygons, as a shortcut to properly fleshing out the relationship between two characters. While there are elements of a love triangle present, such as expressions of jealousy for the sake of comedy, Hotel del Luna chooses to forego this trope and commit fully to the main characters’ fairy tale-like romance.

When you tell her you’ve been dreaming about her.

Another trope the Hong sisters mostly dispense with is that of misunderstandings, which are kept to a bare minimum, as Man-wol and Chan-sung are very open with each other regarding their thoughts and feelings, although Man-wol is, understandably, less transparent about her feelings in the beginning. It was incredibly refreshing to witness two characters that could guess each other’s thoughts and were willing to have an open and honest conversation about it rather than to hold back for the sake of drama. Of course, this did become somewhat frustrating for Man-wol (and fun for us) when Chan-sung started gaining more confidence, feeling at ease with Man-wol, and rebuking her selfish or materialistic actions. Their playful banter and bickering throughout the show is, to my mind, a clear indication that they’re comfortable with each other, as strong a sign of the chemistry in their relationship as half a dozen kisses, if not a better one, what is a good thing because those are few and far between. On the other hand, it makes those moments much more valuable and meaningful. The love between Man-wol and Chan-sung comes across in the gestures they make, in their facial expressions, in the words spoken and left unsaid. When Man-wol tries to comfort Chan-sung but doesn’t know how (Video), when she confesses she wants him to stay with her till the end and they share an intimate hug (Video), when Chan-sung breaks down and cries at the thought of not being able to see Man-wol ever again (Video), when the two have a conversation on the balcony under the moonlight (Video)... These are a precious few examples of the beauty, strength, and depth of feeling, of their relationship.

When the adult catches you in a lie.

While Man-wol is not the same ruthless person she was at the beginning of the show as she is at the end, she still retains some elements or traits of her personality throughout the show (there’s still a little tsun in her dere), as it should be. In one episode Chan-sung is remarking upon how much nicer she has become and she replies, “Gu Chan-sung, you’ve made leaves and flowers grow and have changed me a lot. But you won’t be able to change my core personality. Don’t even expect that.” Even as she says this you can see her looking a little uneasy about something, a little girl about to be caught in a lie by the adult who’s trying to keep her out of trouble. It is thanks to Gu Chan-sung’s patient and enduring love, that protected her from the worst aspects of her own self, that Man-wol is able to let go of her anger, both literally and metaphorically. But Man-wol also deserves praise, as she reciprocates Chan-sung’s love and equally tries to protect him from the dangers of this new world he has entered but most of all from herself, to the point she is willing to renounce her revenge and extinguish her existence to ensure she can never harm the man she loves.

Conclusion

It should be evident by now that I absolutely love this show and it is, without a doubt, my favourite out of all I’ve watched thus far, including Goblin. This is not to say the show is without flaws. Its almost single-minded focus on the story of Man-wol and Chan-sung has some collateral damage, most notably in the form of a character’s loved one, an event used as a means to highlight the pain experienced by those left behind, anticipating the day when our main protagonists will be forced to part ways. In another case, a poignant encounter for Chan-sung is not properly fleshed out, perhaps intentionally so but it seems like a wasted opportunity. Additionally, the introduction and development of the secondary villain’s arc (Man-wol is both the love interest and the main antagonist) felt a little weak, but is still a functional plot device that leads to some of the show’s best scenes. Finally, there is also the way the Hong sisters handled the riddle of Chan-sung’s dreams, which I may address in a separate post because it has too many spoilers.

If you’re a fan of fantasy dramas like Goblin, there’s simply no reason for me not to recommend this show and, hopefully, I’ve given you a few to persuade you as to why this is such a standout drama and, to my mind, the Hong sisters’ best work to date. It’s even on r/KDRAMA’s banner as one of those must-watch shows. If you do decide to watch it, I advise you to pace yourself so you don’t have to say goodbye to Hotel del Luna’s wonderful family too soon.

[bryankonietzko]

Before I get to the crux of this statement, I would like to make it clear that I am very aware and appreciative of the fact that I am in an exceedingly fortunate position, and that the following issues are indeed good problems to have — even more so now that we are in the grips of a global pandemic and a cratering economy which have left millions unemployed. With that crucial context, here is the big news from my little world.

Michael DiMartino and I recently chose to leave Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the series he and I created together in 2002. We will have no involvement in the project moving forward. This is probably the most difficult decision I have ever made. But there is no doubt in my mind it was absolutely the right choice.

Seguir leyendo

[odanurr87]

Well, my excitement for this project has certainly been dampened. If the original creators leave due to creative differences, it doesn’t bode well for the adaptation. Shame, a live action ATLA adaptation could’ve worked.

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... The King: Eternal Monarch

Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon, and Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul.

Release date: April 17 - June 12, 2020

Episodes: 16

Available on: Netflix

Plot synopsis: On one fateful night of December 1994, the king of the Kingdom of Corea was brutally murdered by his illegitimate brother, Lee Lim. The king’s son, Lee Gon, was spared a similar fate thanks to the timely intervention of a mysterious saviour, who only left behind an identity card belonging to one Lieutenant Jeong Tae-eul. 15 years later, King Lee Gon finds himself transported to the parallel world of the Republic of Korea where he meets Lieutenant Jeong Tae-eul and together they work to uncover a conspiracy across their two worlds.

Rewatch meter: Medium to High

Introduction

The King: Eternal Monarch is the latest work by writer Kim Eun-sook and, since I enjoyed two of her previous works (Descendants of the Sun and Goblin), I was quite looking forward to it. I didn't know actor Lee Min-ho at the time but I recalled Kim Go-eun from Goblin so I was relatively excited to see her in another main role. The pilot episode of the show was great, deftly introducing us to a host of characters and setting up several plot threads in a total runtime of 70 minutes, already incorporating the concepts of time travel and parallel worlds, not an easy task and a much welcome departure from most kdramas on air. Since I am a fan of sci-fi and modern fantasy however, that meant I'd put this show under the microscope so how did it fare?

Related reviews: Goblin

Characters

From left to right: Lee Jung-jin as Lee Lim, Jung Eun-chae as Goo Seo-rung, Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon, Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul, Woo Do-hwan as Jo Yeong, and Kim Kyung-nam as Kang Shin-jae.

The show enjoys, and suffers from, a host of characters on both worlds, with many actors playing dual roles because of the concept of parallel worlds. This (over)abundance of characters results in most having to play second fiddle to the two leads. In hindsight, a tighter cast would've worked better. A fair few of the characters (e.g. the detective hiding something from his wife, the pregnant lady, the mother of Lee Gon's doppelganger, god kid, and many more) did not ultimately justify their presence other than to set up (underwhelmingly resolved) mysteries to keep the audience engaged. More important characters, like Prime Minister Koo and Lee Lim, sadly never reached their full potential to my mind, being relegated to play more stereotypical antagonist roles in the end. While I can understand this decision with Lee Lim to an extent, it was a shame Prime Minister Koo’s character wasn’t more nuanced. While Lee Min-ho's characterization of Lee Gon has taken some flak I found him to act more or less in line with how a (fictional) king would, one excited at the prospect of having found the woman he's been searching for for most of his life. Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul was the one who truly delivered on the emotional end of the spectrum, as we all knew she would. Sadly, the character of Luna was more undercooked, and the show could probably have done without her.

Pacing

The all-out battle at the end of Episode 11, with Lee Gon showing off his skill with the sword, is one of the highlights of the show.

While the pacing of the show ramped up considerably towards the end it actually started rather slowly. Lee Gon discovers the Republic of Korea at the end of the first episode, yes, but it is not until the end of Episode 4 that he returns to his kingdom, with a skeptical Jeong Tae-eul in tow. Then, it is at the end of Episode 9 that Lee Gon and Lee Lim have their first encounter, with an all-out battle with Lee Lim's henchmen at the end of Episode 11, and the reveal of the identity of the savior at the end of Episode 13. I was quite satisfied with the show's pacing up until that point but a little worried about how they would tie everything up with 3 episodes left, worries that proved to be justified, as many plot threads were left unresolved or rushed to conclusion without living up to the expectations built up after several episodes. Considering the last episode of the show solves the main conflict in the first 20 minutes, I don't think this faster pacing was justified.

Execution

It is difficult not to conclude the execution of the plot wasn't nearly as tight as it could've been. The show continuously introduced new questions, new mysteries, and new characters, to keep us guessing, to keep us engaged, sometimes to the detriment of the overall storytelling quality. Who is this new character? How does s/he factor in Lee Lim's plan? Who's sending this stuff to PM Koo? What is the significance of the scars? There is no doubt these questions succeeded in keeping us engaged and I have to give it props for that. However, the execution was dragged down from indulging in superfluous characters and plot threads. Park Moon-sik's nightly escapades from his wife are a perfect example, a plot whose resolution was needlessly postponed till the final episode. Removing such plots could've open up time better served to further develop characters, like PM Koo, or explore Lee Lim's plans more thoroughly, an aspect where I feel the show dropped the ball, as these turned out to be contradictory and contrived, helping out the writer more than Lee Lim himself.

Time Travel

Sadly, the execution of time travel is a direct casualty of continuously trying to surprise the audience with new twists or for the sake of pulling at our heart strings. Up until Episode 13, its depiction of time travel lined up perfectly with the concept of a causal loop (e.g. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban), but then Episode 14 had characters remember new past events in real-time (think of the movie Frequency, with Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid), and Episode 15 resurrected a character who should've been dead, among potentially more problematic issues. Time travel is a fictional concept, but even fiction is guided by certain rules and, sadly, the depiction of time travel in The King: Eternal Monarch does not hold up under further scrutiny, what deflated my engagement somewhat. Here I was, trying to understand how the writer had put together the puzzle only to realize some of the pieces didn't line up or were from different puzzles altogether. This was not entirely unexpected, as few stories have used time travel consistently in the past, but I was mildly disappointed, particularly given the writer’s excellent work and attention to detail in Goblin.

Romance

Another highlight of the show, especially if you understand exactly what is going on in this scene.

While I can believe Lee Gon could’ve developed feelings for Jeong Tae-eul after searching for her for 20+years (fans of The Expanse will recall Miller also developed feelings for Julie while searching for her), the beginning of their romance in Episode 5 felt a bit forced. It also struck me as odd when Jeong Tae-eul was the one to declare her feelings of love for Lee Gon in Episode 7 instead of the other way around. In fact, it isn't until Episode 10 that Lee Gon admits his feelings for her in one of the most emotional scenes of the show. Perhaps if the two had switched around their declarations it would’ve made more sense.

In any case, their romantic relationship was cemented from Episode 10 onwards for me, although they had cute couple moments in earlier episodes, with Episode 6 featuring the most heartfelt conversations and interactions. For my part, watching their relationship continue to unfold was one of the highlights of the show, and it certainly delivered in the following episodes. Lee Gon's unyielding quest across time and space to find Jeong Tae-eul again and again was moving, though more powerful in Episode 14 than 16 to my mind, perhaps because of the music, editing, and added emotional impact of Jeong Tae-eul knowing Lee Gon is on his way. Perhaps if Episode 16 had dedicated more than 5 minutes (count them) of its runtime to show Lee Gon constantly leaving the palace to search for and meet different versions of Jeong Tae-eul throughout the years it would've been a lot more impactful, and potentially heartbreaking. Tying it to his appearance at the end of Episode 10 would've made it perfect.

Music

I hesitate slightly to say the soundtrack for The King: Eternal Monarch is on the same level as that of Goblin (time will tell), but if it's not, it certainly isn't far behind. Songs like "Gravity," "Orbit," and "Maze," or instrumental tracks like "One Day," "My Love and...," "Into the Fantasy," and "The Fantasia of Another Dimension," are a sample of this album's best. Sadly, not all tracks featured in the show are included in the album, such as the variant of “The King” that plays at the end of Episode 15 when Lee Gon bids farewell to Lady Noh. If you're a soundtrack aficionado like I am, I'd suggest you keep this album in your Spotify library or equivalent.

Conclusions

The King: Eternal Monarch is, by no means, a perfect show. It is technically not as good as writer Kim Eun-sook's previous Goblin, which overall covered the topics previously discussed better than The King did. However, that is not to say The King: Eternal Monarch isn't an overall good show as it is, one that boldly incorporates interesting concepts like time travel and parallel worlds to its narrative with ultimately mixed results. The music is great, production values are top notch, and all of the actors’ performances were on point, though a tighter cast would’ve benefited some of their performances. While the romance between Lee Min-ho’s and Kim Go-eun’s characters may be a hard sell for some, at least initially, it ultimately worked for me.

If you haven't watched the show yet and are reading this review now, then I'm sorry that you've missed out on the experience of watching the show week to week, discussing and dissecting it with other viewers, and rewatching episodes scouring for clues, a process it easily lends itself to as opposed to other kdramas. If you're into sci-fi and modern fantasy, then I'd encourage you to give it a watch, bearing in mind the previously discussed caveats. If you're into romance kdramas, set your expectations accordingly. If you're looking for more recommendations on modern fantasy+romance and have already watched Goblin, then allow me to recommend the excellent Hotel del Luna (which I’m currently in the process of reviewing after watching it, what, four times now?). For my part, I'm looking forward to Kim Eun-sook, Lee Min-ho, and Kim Go-eun's next projects.

[odanurr87]

Flash Review: What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?

Park Seo-Joon as Lee Young-Joon, and Park Min-Young as Kim Mi-So.

Release date: June 6 - July 26, 2018

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki

Summary: Lee Young-Joon is the Vice Chairman of the YumYung Group, a large corporation and the family business. He’s smart, successful, and supremely confident to the point of narcissism. Kim Mi-So has been his secretary for the past nine years, proving herself to be extremely efficient in the execution of her duties and the only person who can keep up with his ego and intellect, anticipating her boss’ will and seeing it carried out. One day, out of the blue, Kim Mi-So announces she has decided to quit her job and start a new chapter in her life, what takes Young-Joon entirely by surprise. This event forces the two to review their relationship, as Young-Joon realises he doesn’t want to let her go, and Mi-So starts seeing other sides of her boss’ personality as she realises he might have feelings for her. As this is a kdrama, the return of Young-Joon’s hated older brother, Lee Seong-Yeon, complicates matters when he suddenly enters Mi-So’s life, turning himself into a rival romantic interest. Meanwhile, Mi-So starts looking into an old kidnapping case connected to the two brothers.

What I liked:

The pacing and execution of the romantic relationship. One of my main complaints when I reviewed The Secret Life of my Secretary (TSLS for short) was that I felt that show took too long to develop the relationship between the boss and his secretary, dragging the deception more than it should have, and even when the leads eventually admit they have feelings for each other, 24 episodes in, it didn’t quite feel believable and the wrap up felt a bit rushed. The Vice Chairman and Secretary Kim manage to get there by Episode 8, selling it every step of the way, giving us another eight episodes to see how their relationship progresses and concludes. Romantic misunderstandings, that staple of most romcoms, are thankfully kept to a minimum, something I was extremely grateful for. For instance, when the beginning of one such misunderstanding rears its ugly head at the end of Episode 8, Secretary Kim doesn’t waste a second to clear the air with the Vice Chairman and declare her feelings for him, marking the beginning of their romantic relationship. They still have their disagreements (Secretary Kim is definitely not a pushover) and face their share of obstacles and objections to their relationship; we see how their relationship plays out in the workplace, sometimes with hilarious results (Mi-So can be very protective of her boyfriend!); we’re treated to the expected bouts of jealousy from the two leads, the apparently required drunk scenes, etc. In short, it’s what you’d expect from a good Hollywood romcom but longer.

The absence of the “family member X trying to usurp power from the lead brother” trope. So refreshing to do away with this trope every once in a while. You will find no evil conspiracy here directed at any of the leads, a staple of kdramas where a chaebol’s involved, giving us more time to explore the relationship between the Vice Chairman and Secretary Kim, which is frankly what this show is all about. We still have that jerk relative that shows up to cause trouble, but he’s mostly harmless. I will address this plot in the next section.

The humor. The humor in this show is comprised of four elements, which I’ll proceed to highlight in bold. If you’ve watched the show, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is Kang Ki-Young, who plays Young-Joon’s best friend, councilor, and president of the Yumyung Group, Park Yoo-Sik, as he does a fantastic job providing comic relief, taking advantage of the fact that he’s the only person who can make fun of Young-Joon and get away with it. I particularly liked his interactions with his clumsy and forgetful secretary, a pairing many viewers shipped. While I was taken aback by how much I liked him in Bring it on, Ghost, I was definitely less surprised to see what a great job he did here. Easily the best supporting character in the show. However, I feel Park Min-Young’s Kim Mi-So gives him a run for his money, not for being a prankster but because of how she reacts in any number of situations (as does Yoo-Sik), from trying to hide her boyfriend from her sisters, through punching a stuffed cow to make room for her virtual boyfriend, to trying to suppress her feelings of jealousy when faced with the prospect of having a rival for Young-Joon’s affection. You could call it situational humor perhaps, but seeing Mi-So’s facial expressions and her demeanor in these situations is priceless. These two are not the only actors/characters who partake in the show’s humor, but I believe they’re the standouts. Next on the list are the show’s well-placed sound effects, from weather effects to animal sounds, which really bring out the humor in certain situations. The sound effects in this show are 100% on point. Last but not least is the inclusion of a certain animated devil who pops up from time to time when Young-Joon or Mi-So are having lewd thoughts. As Young-Joon says at one point, “Fighting!”

Secretary Kim’s many facial expressions. Pity the sound effect wasn’t timed right in this scene.

What I didn’t like:

The older brother and the execution of his storyline. Perhaps I am less inclined to like his character because I initially watched the episodes out of order. During the first few episodes, Young-Joon’s brother, Seong-Yeon, clearly appears as the more likable of the two, returning home after years abroad, ready to make amends, only to find a brother who has nothing but contempt for him and a family who still favours Young-Joon. One should sympathize with him under the circumstances. However, for my part, Seong-Yeon showed his true colors even before he regained his memories. As I mentioned earlier, his return also results in the two brothers holding an undeclared contest for Mi-So’s affections, with Seong-Yeon believing he has the upper hand because of a past connection with her. When Seong-Yeon boasts how he’s going to exploit this connection to get her that was the moment I went, “This dude’s an asshole. He’s really going to exploit a painful memory simply to one up his brother.” Young-Joon, on the other hand, was actually doing his best to protect Mi-So from it, even at the risk of losing her. However, beyond Seong-Yeon’s likeability as a character, from a narrative standpoint, I just can’t believe the two brothers haven’t settled their score after two decades. Further, his transformation from jerk to good brother after he regains his memories seemed a little rushed, a little forced, with some scenes seemingly set up to cast him in a more favourable light. I have my strong doubts that someone who’s experienced that kind of mental trauma would make such a recovery in such a short amount of time (days? weeks?). Ultimately, he came across more as a plot device than a character.

How the parents handled the kidnapping. Letting your kids believe a lie for decades is not the way you handle a traumatic experience! It strikes me as unbelievable, irresponsible, and utterly reproachable, that the parents would rather scar their children for life than send them to therapy, especially when time proved that the lie had not improved the brothers’ relationship and possibly made it worse. There’s also some inconsistency with the character of the mother, who at one point looks to Mi-So to take care of Young-Joon, hinting she knows of their relationship, only for her to later ask Young-Joon not to date Mi-So because that would make Seong-Yeon unhappy. The gall of this woman. Fortunately, Seong-Yeon intervenes (this is the favourable light scene I mentioned earlier), as the mother was about to make yet another parenting mistake. I’m also slightly skeptical she didn’t figure out the truth behind the kidnapping earlier, specifically, the moment Mi-So’s involvement is revealed, a secretary Young-Joon personally selected over more qualified candidates. It’s a relatively minor detail though.

OTP: Damn, these two can kiss! If that’s not chemistry, I don’t know what is. Every moment these two are together is just perfect. I’ll admit I disliked Young-Joon’s unhealthy possessiveness, but I understand this was a conscious choice to show how much his character changes as a result of his love for Mi-So, eventually willing to let her go and choose a new path. I know some people disapproved of Mi-So’s decision to stay as Young-Joon’s secretary, seeing it as a regression and arguing she should try something new, but I disagree. At the end of the day, what’s important is that Mi-So is no longer pressured by circumstance to follow a path but is now finally able to decide for herself knowing she has someone in her life who will support her regardless. I’d question the timing of her decision but not the decision itself. She can always quit later. I also appreciated this show wasn’t afraid of showing the two characters actually tie the knot. Makes for a good change of pace.

Verdict: Initially, I dropped this show like a bomb in the middle of the first episode, as the thought of having a hardcore narcissistic boss as one of the leads did not appeal to me one bit, and having just finished watching the disappointing The Secret Life of my Secretary I really didn’t want to waste much more of my time on a show that promised to be similar. I was utterly wrong, as it turned out. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? is a great office romcom, with Park Seo-Joon and Park Min-Young easily delivering on the romance and the comedy, aided by Kang Ki-Young and a solid supporting cast. This is an easy recommendation and definitely worth watching multiple times.

Rewatch meter: High

[odanurr87]

Flash Review: Witch’s Love

Hyun Woo as Ma Sung-Tae, and Yoon So-Hee as Kang Cho-Hong.

Release Date: July 25 - August 30, 2018

Episodes: 12

Available on: Viki

Summary: Kang Cho-Hong is a young witch living with her grandmas, running a restaurant by day and performing magic rituals by night, who soon finds herself losing her powers. Ma Sung-Tae is a wealthy businessman trying to solve a traumatic puzzle from his childhood who buys the building where the trio of witches live and operate, effectively becoming their landlord overnight. Initially keen on getting rid of this rude individual who intruded on their lives, the witches soon change their tune when they learn he might be the key to restoring Cho-Hong’s powers. But there is more to Sung-Tae’s story than meets the eye...

WARNING! I’m gonna spoil the living shit out of this show. Proceed at your own risk.

What works:

Yoon So-Hee as Kang Cho-Hong. She was really the only reason I decided to watch this kdrama in the first place as I really liked her in One More Time and felt she had the acting chops for another main role. I feel she was the standout here again, delivering the more interesting performance, or at the very least trying to show more emotional range than her co-stars. She was feisty, happy, confused, sad, angry, in love, pretty much what you’d expect from a woman who finds herself falling in love for a guy who starts off (and some would argue largely remains) as a jerk. You can’t help but fall in love with her, what’s kinda the point and the reason why I watched all 12 episodes of this show.

The concept... kinda. I’ll admit the idea of witches living in 21st century Korea as restaurant owners intrigued me, and the thought of seeing a reenactment of a mortal falling for Bewitched’s Samantha had its charm, although the show never makes the most of this premise. The grandmas that care for Cho-Hong can be pretty funny when they choose to be and their meddling works more often than not, certainly when they’re trying to play cupid, but it is less welcome when you realize they have prevented Cho-Hong from having any real, meaningful, lasting relationship with anyone throughout her entire life and remain intent on doing so. Why? Because one of them got burnt for it, though not literally like Joan of Arc. Incidentally, I feel the show never fully embraced the idea of making the grannies appear to be serial murderers hiding their business behind a restaurant facade, though admittedly that would have perhaps required a radical transformation of the character of Sung-Tae to make it work. It’s a shame because that one scene where they’re shown “getting rid of the body” was hilarious.

What doesn’t work:

The male leads. I’m sorry but they really don’t. On the one hand we have Hwang Jae-Wook (played by Lee Hong-Bin), a webtoon artist and apparently Cho-Hong’s childhood friend. I say “apparently” because as far as I could tell she doesn’t remember him. He’s the kind friend (and should’ve remained so) who, naturally, is nursing a crush for Cho-Hong that she clearly doesn’t reciprocate, what is all the better given they have zero chemistry, but the show still tries to showcase him as a potential love interest. Then we have Sung-Tae, a character who didn’t have a bad start but soon showed himself to be a jerk (it fluctuates throughout the series) and rather too possessive for my tastes. He’s also fairly consistent in his stiff and one-note performance, only loosening up when allowed to act cute with Cho-Hong a couple of times. Was the script to blame, the direction, or maybe he just wasn’t into it? He has some good scenes, but I feel like they were few and far between, and usually more of a credit to So-Hee’s character. I was left with the sensation that, if there was any more chemistry between Cho-Hong and Sung-Tae than between Cho-Hong and Jae-Wook, it was probably because the former had more screen time than the latter and that can’t be good. For all I know, the male actors are good actors, as this is the first time I’ve seen them, but they just don’t make it work here.

Missing plot threads. This is probably the only show I’ve watched in recent memory that completely forgets about a plot thread and character. Early on we’re introduced to Sung-Tae’s friend, an actress who’s struggling in her career and may have romantic feelings for the male lead. The show was definitely setting them up as a media couple, and also incidentally ensured she cross path with Cho-Hong. In a later episode, there is a scene where Cho-Hong sees a magazine featuring Sung-Tae that was clearly devised for her to find out about this fake relationship, become jealous, demand explanations, that sort of thing. It’s possible this actress friend would’ve become the love interest for the second male lead, but she just disappears. Why this much build up for a character who just vanishes? If I were to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume they didn’t just forget about her, then I can only surmise this show was supposed to (or hoped to) have more than 12 episodes, but when that wasn’t the case the writers started making some deep cuts. Another possibly missing plot thread is related to the purpose of the CCTV camera installed in Sung-Tae’s bedroom... and promptly forgotten. It is never used meaningfully in the show when there is at least one event for which it seems tailored-fit.

The inconsistent de-powering rule. At the start of the show, Cho-Hong has her heart broken by her then boyfriend cheating on her. It was a good riddance, since the guy was only after her because he thought she had money, but this betrayal leaves her depressed and saddened, causing her to lose her witch powers. Thus, the show has established that the source of a witch’s powers is apparently tied to her emotional state, and experiencing a shock of this magnitude will result in a witch losing her powers, leading to her losing her youth, beauty, and mind, living a tragic, homeless life in the streets. Not particularly keen on this future, Cho-Hong takes it into her hands to consult a recluse witch who practices black magic for a solution. The witch hands her an “artifact” and tells her she needs to use it to find her fated man, saying she need only “capture his heart” in order to avoid her fate. In order words, if she finds her “one true love,” she will be able to reverse the loss, what seems to be consistent with the earlier rule of a witch’s power being tied to her emotional state. Fast forward a fair bit. Cho-Hong having regained her powers, her grandmas now decide to wipe Sung-Tae’s memories. I’ll explain the why later. Cho-Hong is dead set against this, as she loves him, but the grandmas carry out the procedure anyway, leaving a broken and despondent Cho-Hong in the process. How is it then that Cho-Hong doesn’t lose her powers? We established that the source of a witch’s powers is tied to her emotional state, and Cho-Hong gave the impression of being even more distraught by this act than by his former boyfriend’s cheating, so how come there are no consequences this time around? Did the writers miss this? As if the show hadn’t forgotten enough things, it is stated at one point that one of the grandmas had once lost her powers in a similar situation but managed to avoid her tragic fate. Um, hello, mind sharing how you did that so you can save your adopted granddaughter? Nope, it never occurs to her to share this crucial information, pushing Cho-Hong to continue to seek the dark witch’s counsel, something both grandmas clearly disapprove. Sigh.

The confusing “fated man” plot and the dark witch’s agenda. I’ve never been more confused by a villain’s agenda in a kdrama before, for twice in this show the villain actually helps the protagonists. Surely this must be part of some dastardly plot of hers, right? Sure. Probably. Maybe. I guess? The show is as confused as I am. Apparently, the dark witch wants to ruin Cho-Hong because of some beef she had with her mother or something. I suppose she could’ve just let her meet her fate but she wants to harvest her magical power first (the show is never clear on how this is done). Going by facts alone, we know that: 1) the dark witch helped seal Sung-Tae’s death when he was young, but she didn’t stop it so he’s bound to die sooner or later; 2) she gave an artifact to Cho-Hong so she could find her “one true love” and regain her powers, both of which she did; 3) the dark witch appears confused, saying the man Cho-Hong is in love with is not her fated man; 4) the dark witch is convinced Cho-Hong will come to her to prevent the death of her loved one (what she does), something she intends to capitalize on, probably by harvesting her magical power. If the dark witch had somehow foreseen this situation 25 years ago, deciding to help save Sung-Tae then in order to use him to get Cho-Hong’s power later, that would make more sense. However, the dark witch didn’t know Cho-Hong existed at the time, and, for all we know, Cho-Hong was never supposed to fall for Sung-Tae. Was she supposed to fall for Jae-Wook instead? The show certainly does its best to muddle the issue but, if so, there are no traces left in the plot as to how the dark witch was going to use Jae-Wook to harvest Cho-Hong’s power, as the former certainly isn’t dying. And why would the dark witch be concerned about Cho-Hong falling in love with someone else so long as she gets her powers back? It’s not like she’s supposed to be looking out for her, right? In fact, Cho-Hong falling in love with Sung-Tae is surprisingly convenient for the dark witch’s “agenda.” Nothing about this plot makes sense.

A witch’s fate and the harvesting of magic. Talk about things that don’t make sense. The dark witch has apparently been harvesting witches’ magic for a while, yet the fact no one seems to be aware of it until the end, when one of the grandmas and Cho-Hong had been to her shop multiple times previously, strikes me as oddly convenient. Cho-Hong actually says at one point in the show, “I can’t believe no one ever thought of doing this” before proceeding to smash the flasks containing the harvested magical power, almost as if the writers were letting us know the plot had got the better of them. Even the dark witch appears confused, as if thinking, “This is not what’s supposed to happen.” And what happens when the flasks are destroyed? Well, all those homeless witches we had seen previously suddenly regain their powers and minds (but not their youth and good looks) in perhaps the most laughably bad scene in the show. What irks me is that this came entirely out of the left field, there was absolutely no setup whatsoever that there was a relationship between these women and the dark witch’s flasks. It just happened. Would it have killed the writers to show us some witch, or a police officer, or a journalist, investigating this sudden increase in homeless people and slowly tie it back to the dark witch to find their life promptly terminated at worst, or their memories erased at best? In fact, you could’ve made that person one of the secondary leads (the second male lead probably, given his interest in witches) so that the main leads are invested in finding out what happened to him/her. I guess not.

OTP: With Sung-Tae acting like a jerk most of the time, very rarely showing any vulnerability or tenderness around Cho-Hong, it was quite difficult to find any chemistry between the main leads. I suppose this gets a little better when they start dating, but barely, and it’s ironic that some of the better scenes between the two occur when they are pretending their relationship never took place. It’s really a shame they didn’t drop the hardass Sung-Tae act sooner and gave some time to exploring what their relationship would look like once Sung-Tae learned Cho-Hong’s a witch (it was a poor decision to take away his memories after the revelation). Imagine seeing Cho-Hong using her powers to help out her boyfriend in some capacity, like Do Bong-Soon in Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon, or abusing her powers in a fit of jealousy upon learning of his (fake) relationship with his actress friend. Sigh, so many untapped comedic possibilities.

One of the few cute scenes in the show. Easier to find water in Arrakis. You’re welcome.

Verdict: There is very little that works for me in this kdrama, but I suppose one could argue there is something at least. Where other, better, shows like Goblin and Hotel del Luna fully capitalize on the mythology they set up, Witch’s Love never fully exploits the fact that there are witches living among humans in 21st century Korea, opting to tell a smaller story centered around a family of three witches, what could’ve worked if the execution of the plot hadn’t been so haphazard and the male leads had delivered more interesting performances. Ultimately, that’s what this show amounts to: a source of untapped potential and missed opportunities wrapped up in uneven storytelling. However, a second season would not be outside the realm of possibility, were the show to embrace its similarities with Bewitched and explore what Cho-Hong and Sung-Tae’s relationship now looks like. Doubt that will ever happen though.

Rewatch meter: Low to Medium

PS: Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the show suffers from audio issues in some episodes, as the characters’ words are sometimes drown by the music or the volume is simply lowered to oblivion. Shrugs.

[odanurr87]

Such a shame Netflix changed the original music in this scene, but I guess that’s why YouTube exists! This scene may have been the reason why I kept watching till the end, hoping to see more musical numbers. Sadly, there were none, but still a good show nonetheless.

[odanurr87]

Crash Landing On You: parachute into this addictively romantic South Korean soap opera

A freak tornado, a paragliding misadventure, and a love that crosses the divide between North and South – and that’s just for starters

Never thought I’d see The Guardian review a kdrama. Keep it up! They can always use more exposure in the west, if only so they might consider releasing Blu-rays for overseas audiences. Such a shame Netflix isn’t taking a more active role in this, but they’re also the ones who’re probably blocking a Blu-ray release of Violet Evergarden in America. Anyway, I have watched Crash Landing on You and certainly recommend it. I hope to put out a review for it this month, but only after I finish the one I’m writing for What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? (which should be out this week)

[odanurr87]

2019: My year in K-Dramas - Part 2

And we’re back! So, um, yeah, this took a lot longer than I imagined at first, but the truth is I was also dealing with coursework and other projects. As a result, I decided to break this last post into two, so instead of 6 shows in 1 post, you get 6 shows across 2 posts, building anticipation like a kdrama! And, I mean, two of those shows are My Love from the Star and Descendants of the Sun... Those two powerhouses deserve a bit more attention, maybe a couple of rewatches. Anyway, let’s get this show on the road!

WARNING! I’ve purposefully kept any big spoilers out of this post but some light spoilers may remain. Proceed with caution.

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When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

Gong Hyo-Jin as Oh Dong-Baek and Kang Ha-Neul as Hwang Yong-Sik.

Release Date: September 18 - November 21, 2019

Episodes: 20

Available on: Netflix

Summary: Dong-Baek is a single mother who moves to the town of Ongsan to open up a bar, the Camellia, while trying to raise her son, Pil-Gu. Six years later, Yong-Sik, a police officer and the youngest son of Dong-Baek’s only friend in Ongsan, returns and is instantly smitten by her. Yong-Sik is determined to woo her but Dong-Baek is also equally determined to resist his advances at first, a situation that is further complicated by the sudden reappearance of Dong-Baek’s ex and Pil-Gu’s biological father, Kang Jong-Ryul, who tries to win her back. When a serial killer known as Joker resurfaces after years of inactivity threatening to go after Dong-Baek, Yong-Sik launches an investigation to catch the elusive Joker once and for all.

What I liked:

The down-to-earth feel of the show. Save for the murder mystery element of the show, When the Camellia Blooms is pretty down-to-earth, depicting characters that could very much exist in our neighbourhood and exploring problems related to everyday life. How many kdramas show the struggles of a single mom trying to handle a love life while raising her son? I bet there are not a lot of them, and the only similar one I’ve watched, and would recommend, is One Spring Night, that depicts the life of a single dad balancing a romantic relationship while raising his son (it’s probably a more realistic representation all around down even to side characters). Even Yong-Sik is not the idealized male protagonist that most kdramas favour, at one point referred to as a “country bumpkin” by Dong-Baek’s ex, and while he may come across as rather simple-minded, he’s also refreshingly honest, determined (both in his pursuit of Dong-Baek and Joker), hard-working, and always there when the chips fall. While Dong-Baek’s ex is an ass for the majority of the show, I appreciated his inclusion because it clearly showed the contrast between the two characters vying for Dong-Baek’s affections: the man who pities her, and the man who encourages her; the man who’s ashamed of how she’s living her life, and the man who’s proud of what she has accomplished; the man who loves his memory of her, and the man who loves her as she is now; her past, and her present. Which one of the two will become her future?

The supporting cast. I am going to put them all together in the same bag as I don’t think anyone was particularly outstanding, but they all contributed to making this show a most entertaining watch from beginning to end: from Yong-Sik’s superior and chief of police, Byun Bae-Soo (played by Jeon Bae-Soo), through the simple-minded landlord with political aspirations, Noh Gyu-Tae (played by Oh Jung-Se), his cunning wife and ace attorney, Hong Ja-Young (played by Yeom Hye-Rae), to Dong-Baek’s kleptomaniac friend, Choi Hyang-Mi (played by Son Dam-Bi). At one point I even became more interested in the relationship between the characters of Gyu-Tae and Ja-Young, so strong were their performances. And I couldn’t help but feel sad for Hyang-Mi despite her many opportunistic deeds, a character who’s had a life as unforgiving as Dong-Baek, especially when we learn the reason behind some of her actions, and happy for her when she realises family isn’t always blood and ultimately chooses to walk a path of redemption. Sure wish we had seen more of that. You could make the case that Gyu-Tae and Hyang-Mi are the best out of the supporting cast, perhaps because of how much their characters grow over the course of the show.

What I didn’t like:

How the murder-mystery was handled/resolved. The first episode starts with the murder of an unknown person at some unspecified point in the future, a typical enough hook. We’re shown that person is someone who Yong-Sik apparently knew and cared for, but even when later episodes extend that scene frame by frame, tempting the audience to participate in this game of whodunit, the identity is only allowed to be revealed when the series catches up to that moment. The murder mystery element is sprinkled throughout the series as Yong-Sik is intent on protecting Dong-Baek and catching the serial killer Joker. But this isn’t Broadchurch, where the entire show revolves around solving the murder mystery and seeing its effects on the people of the small town of Dorset. No, in a way, the murder mystery in When the Camellia Blooms feels like a strategy, designed so that when the real goal of the show is revealed, the exploration of motherhood, you’ll be too invested to back out. One could argue the same for the romance between Dong-Baek and Yong-Sik. As a result, the murder-mystery feels drawn out and starts losing some of its steam as we approach the final episodes. Involving Dong-Baek’s mother in the whole affair was oddly convenient but felt out of place and worked against the show. Here we have a woman who knows, or thinks she knows, who the killer is several episodes before the end, and not only does she not tell the police about it but she actually confronts the killer. In any other show, the outcome would have been inevitable: the woman is murdered, leaving the police another clue as to who might have done it. However, since the show has already planned a happy ending for this character, she can’t be killed (incidentally, this happens with another character as well), even if the show later tries to toy with our feelings by suggesting she’s dead (not because of Joker though). The reveal of the culprit’s identity was a letdown, not only because the writers showed their hand early on but because we were never really given good suspects to begin with, and in a murder mystery that’s essential. Yes, we’re given a good pool of suspects for Joker’s latest victim, but since we also know Joker killed other people and is targeting Dong-Baek, not to mention the tone and themes of the show, we can readily eliminate almost all of them. They could’ve toyed around with the idea of a copycat, killing a person and pinning it on Joker, but they didn’t. And don’t get me started on how they finally catch Joker, this dreaded serial killer who had managed to avoid capture for years but turned out be to a bit of a joke, pun intended.

How insufferable Pil-Gu became towards the end. To be fair, I blame the adults (and writers) in this show more than I do Pil-Gu. I had no qualms about how his character had been handled for most of the show, but then along came Episode 17, where the writers decided to amp the drama to 11 just for the sake of it, a trope I really don’t like. Basically, through a series of misunderstandings that no adult feels compelled to clear up, Pil-Gu throws a tantrum, accusing her mother of not loving him anymore, and why does she need to get married, and why can’t she live alone with him for the rest of her life, etc., etc., forgetting it was Pil-Gu who, earlier that episode, had asked Yong-Sik to stay at their home and protect his mom. Like I said, nobody even bothers to explain the situation to him (even though he’s shown to be pretty smart and should’ve probably figured it out himself) and, worse, Dong-Baek plays along and decides to break up with Yong-Sik, determined never to love anyone other than Pil-Gu for the rest of her life. Jesus. As if wanting to twist the knife further, Episode 18 ends with a grown-up Pil-Gu, a jarring and decidedly out-of-place transition, suggesting he grew up to be a fine man as a result of her mom’s decision, but anyone who’s ever watched a kdrama knows better than that: you’re just padding out events for the sake of drama and this show didn’t need that. At this point, I lost whatever appreciation I might have had for the character of Pil-Gu and was half rooting for Yong-Sik to be promoted and get his ass back to Seoul ASAP, never to return to Ongsan again.

The existence of Episode 18. Yes, this is the episode where Dong-Baek and Yong-Sik break up, but that’s not what I’m getting at as I discussed that point previously. Episode 18 also sees Pil-Gu suddenly want to live with his biological father out of a misunderstanding (so many misunderstandings in these last few episodes!) and Kang Jong-Ryul try to act as that father to him. It’s clear he’s out of his depth with Pil-Gu, but he seems to be trying so it feels jarring when Dong-Baek returns for Pil-Gu and punches him in the face. Look, Jong-Ryul has been a bit of an ass throughout so he has more than earned that punch but not in this context. The show immediately kicks in the music that depicts this as a moment of triumph and personal growth for Dong-Baek but I kept thinking, “The one time this dude is actually trying to step up to the plate, assuming his responsibilities as a father, and he gets punched for it? Sure, he’s not that great but he’s only had Pil-Gu for, what, a week? Less? And it’s not like he kidnapped him or anything. This doesn’t even make sense.” And what growth are we talking about when she immediately caters to the whims of a kid and breaks up with Yong-Sik? Who is the adult in this relationship? Are there any adults in this show? There’s a decidedly marked absence of fathers, and those there are aren’t shown in a very good light but that’s another matter. Episode 18 is, quite simply, an episode that shouldn’t exist as it really brings nothing to the table and only pads out the inevitable.

OTP: While not my #1 pick amongst the shows I watched in 2019, it was refreshingly different, with the show slowly building their relationship in spite of Yong-Sik’s relentless attempts to woo Dong-Baek. In any other show, such determination could’ve come across as annoying, perhaps bordering on harassment, but this is mitigated by Yong-Sik’s sincere personality, his active listening of Dong-Baek’s problems, his support and encouragement of her, and ultimately his respect of the boundaries set by Dong-Baek, a woman who is not accustomed to such repeated shows of affection and is ill-equipped to handle them. It was very rewarding to see her evolution as a character, finding the confidence to grow out of her shell, even if there were some flaws in the journey.

Verdict: While the show trips a little at the end it was a solid watch, and I could see myself returning to it every once in a while because of its mundane (and I’m using this word as a compliment here) aspects. It doesn’t hurt it has some good humour in between all the crying. Oh, yes, there’s a reason why I chose that particular gif to represent the relationship between Yong-Sik and Dong-Baek.

Rewatch meter: I’m going to cheat and say it’s Medium-to-High.

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Bring it on, ghost (2016)

Kim So-Hyun as Kim Hyun-Ji, and Ok Taec-Yeon as Park Bong-Pal.

Release Date: July 11 - August 30, 2016

Episodes: 16

Available on: Netflix, Viki

Summary: Park Bong-Pal is a 2nd year Economics student with a side job as an exorcist due to his strange ability to see ghosts, a fact that has prevented him from having a normal life and that he deeply resents. One night, while performing an exorcism at a high school, he comes across Kim Hyun-Ji, a former high school student turned wandering spirit, who has no recollection of her past but possesses an innate talent to fight ghosts and spot their weak points. During this encounter, the two accidentally kiss, and Hyun-Ji briefly recalls some of her memories. Convinced Bong-Pal holds the key to her memories and determined to find out more, she manages to persuade a reluctant Bong-Pal to let her move in in exchange for helping him fight ghosts. But Bong-Pal soon learns that not all ghosts are evil, and some may be even cute enough to fall for.

What I liked:

Kim So-Hyun as Kim Hyun-Ji. Do I need to add anything further? That picture should be enough evidence in and of itself. Kim So-Hyun looks like she’s having a blast acting as a kickass high-school student/ghost who has a penchant for upsetting Bong-Pal and looking criminally cute while doing so. With a personality like that, it’s no wonder Bong-Pal couldn’t help but fall for her. Who wouldn’t? Perhaps what makes her character so lovable is precisely the fact that she works off of Bong-Pal’s more curt personality. As they say, opposites attract.

Lee David as Kim In-Rang and Kang Ki-Young as Choi Cheon-Sang.

The humor. I’ll admit that I miscalculated with these two in the beginning, resigning myself to having to endure their interventions in what I felt was shaping up to be an otherwise great show. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find they made for some good comic relief, especially after they convince Bong-Pal to let them handle the business side of exorcising ghosts and join him and Hyun-Ji in their nightly escapades. That sounded better in my head. The humor is never crass and, most importantly, it never outlasts its welcome. Hey, they even try to do him a solid and hitch him with his crush, but Hyun-Ji has already managed to work her magic on him unbeknownst to her. In fact, much of the show’s humor is also a credit to the comedic rapport between the characters of Bong-Pal and Hyun-Ji, especially in the earlier episodes when their different personalities are most notable, but also later on when feelings of jealousy start to surface. Their playful bickering is often reproduced in some of the background music used and is also present in some of the ghost fights as if saying, “Yeah, we’re fighting a pervert ghost in a sauna and having a blast, what of it?”

The formula. What do I mean by that? For the most part, this show works like a procedural, with Hyun-Ji and Bong-Pal fighting the ghost of the week in each successive episode, while at the same time having a multi-episodic story-arc. This is the formula used in US TV shows: introduce an interesting story-arc in the first few episodes, then forget all about it until the final episodes of the season, with filler episodes in between. The difference being Bring it on, Ghost is actually a good procedural: there are no filler episodes, every ghost fight serves a purpose, whether it be to develop our protagonists (at times providing interesting backstory) or to strengthen their bond, and the main story-arc is always subtly running in the background until the paths of our protagonists and villain cross and events come to a head. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, US TV shows should seriously consider having shorter and tighter seasons, as their quality suffers otherwise. Bong Pal and Hyun-Ji’s ghost fights will also sometimes include moral or life lessons that flow naturally and never feel forced; nobody’s beating you over the head with them and shouting, “DO YOU GET IT NOW?!” As you can imagine, they’re certainly more subtle than US TV shows, but then again kdramas seem to have mastered the art of telling a lot without actually saying it, something others could learn from.

What I didn’t like:

The amnesia trope. Look, before you say anything, I understand why it’s there, sorta, it’s a reversal of Kim Hyun-Ji’s clinginess (that is an actual word) to Bong-Pal, if for different reasons. I don’t mind that it happened, but what I do mind is that it’s never reversed, making it somewhat difficult to believe that she’d fall for a stranger in what appears to be a very short amount of time. You could argue she’s unconsciouscly attracted to him given their past connection, and the show does at one point suggest that she may be regaining her memories, or that it’s possible at least, but nothing comes of it. This sudden bout of amnesia also offers her temporary protection from the villain, but at the end of the day I am left thinking that the show could’ve done without it or reverse it at the very end.

OTP:  It’s a team effort, but Kim So-Hyun kills it!

Verdict: An infinitely rewatchable show with an all-around solid cast and great sense of humor. Like Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon, this show is sure to put a smile on your face if you’re feeling down or if you simply want to have a good time.

Rewatch meter: High

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One More Time (2016)

Kim Myung Soo as Yoo Tan, and Yoon So-Hee as Moon Da-In.

Release Date: October 26 - December 14, 2016

Episodes: 8

Available on: Netflix

Summary: Yoo Tan is the lead singer of an indie band called One More Time, together with his girlfriend, Moon Da-In, and his childhood friends. However, with bills mounting and his hopes for success dwindling, his relationships take a turn for the worse. When he’s offered to sign a contract with a music label, Yoo Tan sees his long-awaited chance and decides to burn all bridges to his past life, but an unexpected event that forces him to constantly relive the past twenty-four hours makes him reconsider his outlook on life.

What I liked:

The concept. The idea of being stuck in a time loop is not a particularly new one, with Groundhog Day being the most obvious, and highly entertaining, exponent, although I do remember an episode of Stargate SG-1 called “Window of Opportunity” that exploited the same concept, if to a different effect. As in Groundhog Day, One More Time uses this idea as a vehicle of self-reflection for the main character, transforming him from a bitter, selfish, and somewhat egocentric person, to someone far more likable, who recognises the value in the friendships he has forged and rediscovers the love he holds for the woman who has always been there for him. But this is only the prelude to our story as One More Time extends this concept by providing a reason for the time loop: tying it to Moon Da-In’s life, or death. In Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character, Phil, is eventually confronted by the fact that, for all the things he can do as a result of the day resetting, he cannot prevent death no matter how hard he tries. This is a sobering moment for our main character. However, Yoo Tan goes through an even more harrowing crucible, as the person whose death he seemingly cannot prevent is his girlfriend, Da-In. Thus, the series shows us Yoo Tan’s many attempts to save her while delving into Da-In’s past. Will he succeed and get a second chance at a life with Da-In? I guess you’ll have to watch the show for that.

The songs. With a running time of 240 minutes, give or take, don’t expect a large soundtrack (compared to most kdramas), but I believe that is something that actually works in the show’s favour, as the songs are always used to highlight a given context, thus engraving them in your mind and rendering them memorable. I don’t really know how to explain it, and I blame my musical illiteracy. Sadly, the powers that be didn’t think that such a short web series was worthy of having a physical or even digital soundtrack release, what made finding any trace of these songs rather difficult for the past few years. Fortunately, one of the composers and singer, known as ODD, has recently released some tracks on her YouTube channel. These are: ‘Moonlight,’ ‘Birds,’ ‘Without you,’ and ‘In this night.’ While ‘Moonlight’ is my personal favourite, all four tracks are entirely deserving of being released, at least on Spotify so I can listen to them over and over again. With Spotify apparently coming to South Korea this year, that may yet be the case. There is also the main song, ‘One More Time,’ sang by none other than Kim Myung Soo himself in perhaps the most emotional scene in the drama, but it still remains elusive.

The leads and their chemistry. I had absolutely no trouble believing these two were in love with their longing stares and beautiful smiles. Kim Myung Soo and Yoon So-Hee did an incredible job (and the writers too, obviously) selling me on their relationship in such a short amount of time. At every point in the show I could understand where the characters were coming from, how much they cared for one another, and why they’d go to great lengths to protect their better half. Yes, they go through a rough patch at the beginning of the show, but that only makes it feel more real and it’s a necessary stepping stone in Yoo Tan’s character arc. I also really liked how the show took the time to explore Da-In’s past and see events from her perspective, highlighting just how central her character is to the plot of the story. Can’t say anymore for fear of spoilers. Really wish these two actors were to collaborate again in main roles.

Kim Ji-Young as the Grim Reaper. The way the show integrated a Grim Reaper was well thought out, and making her a child was a stroke of genius played to great comedic effect. I mean, who’d think this cute child was the embodiment of Death? Her childlike appearance is contrasted by her adult personality, and you can see she’s more than a bit fed up with troublesome humans who make her job more difficult than it already is, and she grows increasingly annoyed at a particular pair of them. I’ll let you guess who. Come to think of it, she reminds me a little of the older version of Samshin, the goddess of birth and fate, from Goblin. A great character all around without whom the show would be considerably lessened.

What I didn’t like:

Honestly, there’s really nothing that comes to mind. Sure, I could nitpick and say that some characters and storylines are dropped midway through the show, but I think it’s fair to say they had served their purpose, and trying to account for them in later episodes would’ve wasted the show’s valuable runtime. Could it have benefited from having a few more episodes? I suppose it’s possible, and I would’ve welcomed the chance to spend more time with these characters, but I believe the show was effective in telling its story across eight episodes, and any more could have placed the narrative under considerable stress. For instance, while I absolutely love Angel’s Last Mission: Love (incidentally, also starring Kim Myung Soo), one has to admit the plot was stretched longer than it needed to, and certain events do not hold up under further scrutiny.

OTP: 

There is no sadness that last for eternity. There is no love that lasts for eternity either.

I’m going to vote that there is.

Which one are you voting for? Love or sadness?

Sad love.

Verdict: They say that good things come in small doses. If so, that fits this show perfectly. It was my introduction to Kim Myung Soo, who would then go on to deliver a stronger performance in Angel’s Last Mission: Love, as well as my introduction to Yoon So-Hee, whom I’d love to see in more main roles. While delivered in a short format I’m not used to, the show’s creators made the most of it and not a single minute feels wasted. An interesting concept that benefits from some tight writing, beautiful music, solid leads, and a lovable OTP, packaged as a mini-series. What more could I want?

Rewatch meter: High

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... Mirror’s Edge

Released by EA in 2008 for PS3 and Xbox 360, and 2009 for PC, Mirror's Edge tells the story of Faith, a Runner who relies on her honed parkour skills to run errands for her clients, people who'd rather keep their deals hidden from the preying eyes of the ruling elite of this totalitarian world. The City Protection Force (CPF), the city’s equivalent to a police force, tends to ignore these Runners as the two parties have an unspoken agreement to stay out of each other's way, but everything changes when Faith's sister and one of CPF’s own, Kate, is framed for the murder of Robert Pope, a friend of their father's and running candidate against the current Mayor Callaghan. So starts an adrenaline-packed ride to find out who framed Kate and why, with CPF and other private security firms hot on Faith's tail.

While a fairly standard setup, so much so you’ve probably already figured out all the twists and turns of the plot from my short description, it could’ve been executed better, or tighter, than it was. By the time you finish playing and look back on it, the plot's many inconsistencies become apparent, in particular its single-minded obsession with framing Kate, going so far as to keep her alive throughout the entire game. I get it, Faith needs a motivation, you need a motivation, and a dead sister is probably not a very good one, but it makes little sense that the bad guys wouldn't have gotten rid of her as soon as she served her purpose. The first thing that occurred to me the moment Faith met up with her sister at the beginning was, "This is an ideal situation to set up Faith as the fall gal and accuse Kate of trying to help Faith through her connections in the CPF." Indeed, given the "evil master plan" revealed later in the game, it would've been the better plan. Alas, the bad guys are not as good as Faith at improvising, nor are the writers apparently. The introduction of the Pursuit Cops later in the game also doesn't add up plot-wise, to my mind, for unless they trained in the field, and by field I mean on the city's rooftops, like Faith and the other Runners (and if they had I'm certain the Runner community would've known about it), there's no way in hell they'd be nearly as good as Faith, yet they are, what leads me to gameplay.

This is what Mirror’s Edge is really all about.

You could easily make the case that I suck at melee combat, in this game anyway, because Faith was made out of glass (ironically) every time I encountered an enemy. I remember having an easier time of it in Catalyst; Faith was certainly not a tank but she could pull more moves to neutralize her opponents and far more smoothly. Maybe it helped that you didn't have people wearing full body armor firing machine guns at you. I never used a gun in Catalyst, but I practically turned this game into Battlefield: Faith, what's not easy seeing as shooting, while functional, is as bare-bones as can be. This at least makes sense from a narrative standpoint, as Faith is a Runner, not a soldier, but what a fine soldier did I turn her into! Perhaps combat's worst sin for me was how it interrupted the flow.

As in Catalyst, the sensation you get from running and jumping and parkouring is the franchise's strongest selling point, especially when you nail every jump, roll smoothly every time, and find the fastest route to your destination. The usual appearance of enemies coupled with the linearity of the levels hindered the flow more often than not. Catalyst fixed this, in my opinion, by making the world larger and Faith a better fighter. However, its open-world nature ironically amplified the "beautiful emptiness" of the original, highlighting the absence of people, both Runners and others, in their day to day life. While I noticed this during my playthrough, the levels are usually short enough that you don't give it a lot of thought. Indeed, it took me around 8 hours to complete, though I'm missing around half the Runners’ bags.

Another strength of the franchise that I have failed to mention is how damned gorgeous the game looks, and it's more than a decade old! You could argue it looks as good or even better than Catalyst at times, and Catalyst looks fantastic! Everything from the architecture, through the colours and textures, to the lighting, feels real, hyper-real perhaps, according to the above video that explains how and why Mirror's Edge is able to retain its good looks, comparing it to similar games released in that year, as well as Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and Mirror's Edge: Catalyst. I thoroughly recommend you give it a watch. Some character models, like Faith and Kate, could've been better, while others, like Celeste, actually look pretty great. In this context, the choice to complement the game's hyper-realistic visuals with animated cutscenes may seem odd or even wrong for some, but I think it was the right one given the limitations at the time and I enjoyed the animation style. It’s a shame they didn't follow it up with a short animated movie.

If I didn't mention at this point the franchise's great soundtrack by Solar Fields, I'd be doing them a disservice, as it complements the game's aesthetic to great effect, and these guys doubled down with Catalyst, releasing a soundtrack that's over 5 hours long! "Still Alive," the game's main theme, sang by Lisa Miskovsky, is just perfect, and it's still number one in my heart above CHVRCHES' "Warning Call." I mean, just listen to the bloody thing...

I tend to favour story over gameplay in most of my games, meaning I can get through some bad or just plain gameplay loop if the story's captivating enough. However, Mirror's Edge is one of those rare games where I appreciated the core gameplay loop in spite of a rather lackluster story. When you're running and jumping through the city's rooftops, pushing the boundaries of your freedom, becoming one with the flow and the music, that's when Mirror's Edge truly shines. But those moments exist, as Faith puts it, "on the edge between the gloss and the reality - The Mirror's Edge." Maybe that's the way it should be.

[odanurr87]

An interesting premise that reminded me of the video game Lucy: The Eternity She Wished For (which is also Korean so there might’ve been some inspiration). I am... is a Korean web series about an android named Annie and how she learns about human relationships while living with the family of her creator and attending high school. Naturally, she’s also being pursued by some shadowy character whose allegiance is never revealed and I feel wasted this show’s short, and thereby valuable, running time (1.5 hours total). Jung Chae Yeon does a convincing job portraying the android Annie, so much so that I would love to watch a full order season with her reprising her role (doubtful as this series is 3 years old), but certain plot lines felt incredibly rushed, like the romance between her and her creator’s son. Perhaps if the show had aimed for a movie format instead of a short mini-series it could’ve made more effective use of its running time (e.g. using time skips to show Annie’s growth and depict the evolution of her relationships).

In the end, I am... is not as good a show as it could’ve been, and certainly not as good as the game, but the latter had the advantage of a running time 4 times as long. Even so, considering it’s comprised of 6 15-minute (or so) episodes that are freely available on YouTube (Viki, Asian Crush), I’d recommend giving it a watch if you’re a fan of the genre.

[odanurr87]

Flash Review: My Sassy Girl (2017)

From left to right: Kim Yoon-Hye as Lady Da-Yeon; Joo Won as Master Gyeon Woo; Oh Yeon-Seo as Princess Hye-Myung; and Lee Jung-Shin as Lieutenant Kang.

Release Date: May 29 - July 18, 2017

Episodes: 16 hour-long (Netflix), 32 half-hour-long (Viki)

Available on: Netflix, Viki

I’ll try to make this quick and painless. This should have been a ‘Dropped’ review. However, for some inexplicable reason, I managed to complete it when it was clear 5 episodes in that this show was not gonna live up to my expectations. The remaining 11 episodes changed the tone somewhat, but confirmed my initial impressions overall. The show focuses on a Joseon scholar, named Master Gyeon Woo, who returns from China to instruct the crown prince, and his encounters with a rude and ill-mannered woman, by name of Hye-Myung, who later turns out to be the Princess. At the same time, there is a plot to overthrow the King which our protagonists naturally have to expose (and survive).

There are many reasons why this show didn’t click for me. The first and foremost happens right at the very beginning when a false accusation of rape leveled at the main protagonist is played for laughs (that incidentally never goes anywhere). Expect him to be called a pervert for several episodes as the writers secretly hope that’ll draw a few laughs. It drew none. Second, the Princess is not at all likable in these first few episodes. She’s rude, prone to violence, quick to level false accusations without looking into the circumstances (what makes her a hypocrite), and utterly irresponsible, never thinking about how her actions will affect the people around her, often with serious consequences. There is one scene where the Princess has an exchange with Lady Da-Yeon in which she basically accuses her of abusing her power to get her own way. Pot, meet kettle, as that’s exactly what the Princess keeps doing throughout the show, with the King punishing anyone else he can get his hands on but her. If that’s not abuse of power, I don’t know what is.

From zero to couple.

The show is blatantly trying to push the formula of the protagonists initially disliking each other only for them to eventually become lovers. I don’t have a problem with that formula, but there needs to be a reason to explain such a drastic change and I don’t feel the show ever provided enough of one. If you want an example of the formula done right, or at least considerably better than here, look no further than My Love from the Star (ironically, the lead actress there, Jun Ji-Hyun, also plays the part of the sassy girl in the movie this show is based on). There have to be moments where each person understands where the other comes from and why they act the way they do, and I feel that was missing here. This couple went from disliking each other to becoming lovers so fast that I was left wondering if I had missed some episodes. I hadn’t. To sum up this point: throwing two people at each other constantly does not a romantic relationship make.

I will admit however, that they were more tolerable, likable even, during the more serious second-half (more like around or after Episode 6) of the show. Hye-Myung finally starts to behave like the princess she’s supposed to be, and Gyeon Woo is the only character who remembers to move the plot forward every once in a while, for which I was eternally grateful. They even have some cute moments during their dating phase, to the point Hye-Myung briefly reminded me of Cheong Song-Yi in My Love from the Star. There are also some heartbreaking moments when the Princess dates the Qing Prince with Gyeon Woo as their translator that have no right to be this emotional considering where we’re coming from, but Oh Yeon-Seo manages to do a great job selling them. Sucks for the Qing Prince since who was a really nice guy.

Perhaps one of the best scenes of the show.

Another thing that bothered me from the first episode was how, well, modern the show felt. Everything from the humor, through how (some) characters spoke and behaved, to the way some rooms were decorated felt odd, out of place. I’ll readily admit I am ignorant about this (or any) period of Korean history, but I just couldn’t shake that feeling (which may turn out to be justified seeing as the show was based on a movie set in the present).

While I could further dissect this show and complain about things like how they handled the Qing Prince plotline, I am considerably more irked about the twist the show pulls as it draws near the end. During the second half, Gyeon Woo is starting to have nightmares repeatedly, leaving the viewer to guess whether these are visions or something else entirely. It would’ve been extremely odd if they had decided to introduce supernatural elements in the show at this point, but It turns out it’s the latter, as Gyeon Woo is remembering past events he had completely forgotten about and which end up playing a crucial role in exposing the conspirators who plan to overthrow the King.

BUT! And here comes the twist, Gyeon Woo ends up recalling that he was the one who started the rumor about the previous Queen having an affair, ultimately leading to her dethronement. You can imagine this does nothing to improve his relationship with the King and the Princess, and they both immediately shun him and blame him for all their troubles. I’m surprised he didn’t get the death penalty then and there. How very hypocritical of them, for let us recall that the document that misled a ten-year old (I’m just guessing here) into believing this was a forgery was meant to fool the King himself, and did indeed. Should he have turned the evidence to the police? Probably, and he did try, but we’re still talking about a kid who had just witnessed the murder of an entire family. Furthermore, once he realizes this was all a setup, he tries to make amends, although a little too late. So when you tell me that the King, who has been little more than a puppet throughout the show, has the gall to accuse Gyeon Woo, who was a kid at the time, of groundlessly spreading rumors when he himself, an adult and the supposed leader of the country, didn’t even try to investigate the matter further... it just confirms my initial impressions that the King is as useless as they come. The issue is exacerbated when the King once more falls into the trap of believing false accusations leveled against Gyeon Woo and his father, but by this point I no longer cared. Heck, I may have even been half hoping the conspirators would replace him with someone more competent (fat chance of that).

To drama or not to drama, that is the question!

I can level a dose of hypocrisy at the Princess as well, but I’d rather dispatch against Gyeon Woo a little bit because he clearly has some communications problems. When he confesses to the King he was the one who started the rumors long ago, that’s all he does. He provides absolutely no context for his actions, instead begging, “Punish me, punish me!” Then, when the Princess asks him if the rumors are true, he replies with a succinct, “Yes.” For a supposed scholar, he is suddenly very economical with the truth. I realize this is a kdrama, and having the protagonists suffer from a sudden lack of communication is a surefire way of creating drama, but this was borderline ridiculous.

What else? Ah, yes, the ending. I suppose I can say this show is at least consistent because the ending was just as disappointing. Gyeon Woo decides he wants to propose to the Princess and does so... to be rejected. The reason? The Princess wants to become a physician and travel to Qing in order to do so. Remember how I said this show felt too modern? Anyway, what bothered me about this scene is that only 10 minutes ago (and 13 before the episode ends) the Princess was begging Gyeon Woo not to leave (admittedly, his departure was of a more permanent nature). Then 4 minutes before the episode ends, the Princess leaves for Qing, and 3 minutes before the end she returns. Repeat after me: Pacing. Is. Important. Hasty and sloppy execution is a cardinal sin, I’ll get Meliodas to vouch for me. And we didn’t need to have any of it. We didn’t need to have a proposal, we didn’t need to have the Princess wanting to leave and become a physician. It added nothing to the show and only served to dilute the ending to the point of being unsatisfying.

Verdict: This is not a bad show, but it’s certainly an average one, and I’m putting the blame squarely on the script. Despite disliking the character of the Princess initially, I feel Oh Yeon-Seo does a pretty good job as does Joo Won. I’d like to see what these two could pull off with a tighter script. The supporting cast is mostly underwhelming, save perhaps for Gyeon Woo’s cute kid sister who’s trying to play matchmaker.

Rewatch meter: Low

[odanurr87]

Dropped: Radio Romance (2018)

Yoon Doo-Joon as Ji Soo-Ho, and Kim So-Hyun as Song Geu-Rim.

I have finally arrived at that point where I’m starting to watch so many kdramas that I need to get a bit more selective about what I commit to. The first casualty in that war was The Bride of Habaek, and I haven’t looked back ever since (well, maybe a clip or two, but not a single episode since!). The second casualty was My Strange Hero, which I eventually picked up again after YouTube convinced me to watch to the end (it wasn’t really worth it). The third casualty in this list is Radio Romance, a story about a rich and famous actor with a dreadful family who may be looking for a change in his life, and the beautiful radio writer who may just grant his wish. That’s what I hoped it would be about anyway.

The main reason I picked up this show was because of Kim So-Hyun, who played an adorable and kickass ghost in Bring it on, Ghost (also known as Hey Ghost, Let’s Fight). The second reason was because I thought a radio show would provide a nice, charming atmosphere for a romance story. Consequently, I watched the first episode hoping to be hooked from the start... and wasn’t. In fact, I struggled to watch the next ones. I watched up to around Episode 4 when I decided this show was just not doing it for me. Why is that?

First and foremost, the protagonists have no chemistry. Four episodes in I remained unconvinced about their relationship, no matter how hard Kim So-Hyun tried. Yoon Doo-Joon, or his character, tried very little, and his character is neither relatable nor likable. True, he had one or two moments of chivalry that he never bothers to explain (COMMUNICATION!). He’s probably dwelling on some past I cared very little for. To make matters worse, the writers blatantly had Geu-Rim’s mentor play the part in a dumb romantic triangle between Si Joo and Geu-Rim, having him move in with her (different room but same house) very early on and pull other embarrassingly obvious tricks. I checked out the moment I saw this coming; no way I was going to put up with who knows how many more episodes of two guys idiotically competing for the female writer when I wasn’t interested in any of them. I thought the writers (of the show, not the radio) were playing it smart, making him look irresponsible when he was really a kind guy who for some reason wanted to help Si Joo and Geu-Rim, other than being in love with Geu-Rim. And, hey, maybe that’s the case later down the line, but I seriously doubt it.

Without a compelling OTP, I had no interest in putting up with the upcoming family drama/war that is practically a staple feature in kdramas. I was in it for the radio and the romance, preferably with a side order of light comedy, and four episodes in I had nothing to show for. The humor, or the show’s attempt at such through the character of (the aptly named) Kwak Dong-Yeon, fell extremely short. From the get go he appeared extremely bubbly and found everything funny, and that was the extent of his personality throughout these first four episodes. I still don’t know what the point of his character was beyond that of a comedic nuisance. I don’t blame the actor, as he played an antagonist with far more range than Dong-Yeon in My Strange Hero, but the script that was clearly lacking.

If you believe this show gets better, please let me know, but for now I’m chucking it under the “promising but failed to deliver in every respect” category. Until the next one!