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Reviews
Doctor Slump (2024)
Strong points
... But not too many. It seems this show wants to do everything. Don't get me wrong, lots of KDramas manage to pull that off. Just not this one.
The mental health angle is great, but underdone. The revenge twist is decent, but not fleshed out. The characters have practically no backstory, even the two leads. The romance is tepid, at best.
The PHS - PSH pairing just doesn't work. I've seen PSH in other shows; she always gives the same, narrow-range, wooden performance. There's only so much PHS can do to coax anything out of his co-lead; she just doesn't seem responsive.
On the other hand, it seems PHS has come into his own. This probably wasn't the best vehicle for him to prove that. Or maybe its two-dimensional backdrop gave him the needed room to shine. Whatever the reason, there's no doubting his emotional range or physical comedy skills.
Konkeuriteu yutopia (2023)
Realistic, Hold the Hyperbole
You get just enough character backstory to understand what's going on. No over-the-top heroism, no hysterics and no lingering on the terror such a situation would inevitably bring. No do-or-die situations and no narrow escapes, just grinding reality, scene after scene. No fight between good and evil resulting in a victor, just everyone making the best choices they can in that moment.
Remarkably, the opening scene is mundane; a man getting out of bed. We wonder why he's wearing a puffy vest and why his face and hands are scarred. We're left to imagine the cataclysmic event with only one short flashback scene coming later in the film. But only to explain the actor's scars, not to visualize the cataclysm.
Clearly, we're meant to see that human nature is the horror, not the event that brought out the worst - and the best in people. The excellent leading trio share the screen well and all get equal time. The supporting cast is sublime; not a character out of place, not a discordant voice.
I don't normally enjoy dystopian thrillers; mainly because of all the elements listed above that are lacking in this film. Maybe 'enjoy' is too strong a word; it's hard to enjoy seeing the worst in humanity laid bare. Still, this was so well done and so engaging, it deserves every one of those 10 stars.
Eoneunal (2017)
Strategic ambiguity
Is it selfish to hang on to a loved one even when their every moment is pain? Or is it grace to surrender them and keep their memories alive?
Our lead gets a do-over after a profound loss but he must be coaxed to the proper response. Along the way, he learns why sometimes the greatest testament to love is letting go.
We never know if it's a stranger's spirit he's interacting with or if he's projecting his loved one's final days onto this stranger he comes in contact with. But we get a hint, towards the end, of the real answer.
The story is brutally real. Sometimes, people are discarded and they never know why. Sometimes, people push their loved ones away to spare them a greater pain. And sometimes, people do the unthinkable as an act of mercy.
Minus one star for the lack of backstory on the hair stylist mother. Otherwise, this one's well worth a watch.
Gyeongseong Keuricheo (2023)
Not a K-Drama
Sure, the old name for Seoul is in the title. It features wonderful talent; always such a treat to see PSJ in action. Did it touch on Korean history? Only very loosely but it did, nevertheless.
But look past the familiar faces and all you see is American production values. Lots of guns and pyrotechnics. Pathetic attempts to build suspense. Extended fight scenes and extreme closeups of all the blood. Lots of overt emotional displays - decidedly not standard for K-Dramas, and a less-than-subtle hint of a sex scene. Those are obligatory for Netflix productions.
And the ever-present, apparent belief that the audience is stupid. The throbbing soundtrack playing in the background to stimulate proper audience response. Unbelievable attacks on logic and sense. Storylines and plot points that are unexplored, unexplained and go nowhere.
It insults the memory of those who suffered so terribly during the Japanese occupation. It makes a mockery of the legitimately horrible human experiments, distilling their agony into a badly rendered special effect monster who (surprise, surprise) is painted as the evil killer. It trivializes the actual resistance fighters and their heroic deeds. For those last two points, we might even say this is offensive.
PSJ and HSH do a lot of heavy lifting and the supporting cast tried hard to make this work. Three stars for their craftsmanship.
But seriously, if we wanted to watch American productions, we'd watch American productions. Not American rot masquerading as a Korean drama.
King Deo Raendeu (2023)
What did I just watch???
Netflix did it again - infected yet another K-Drama with Americanism. No plot, no tension, no conflict - not even a story, really. Blatant and excessive product placement, tastelessly done. Extreme sappiness. Dialogue so trite it makes you groan. Implausible conclusions for anyone even vaguely familiar with Korean culture. And, of course, stepping right up to the line of gratuitous sex with extended kiss scenes and extreme close-ups.
In fact, the only aspects that give this the illusion of being a Korean show are the language and the actors. If it weren't for Junho being such delicious eye candy, I would have quit at the first plot hole - of which there are many. Four stars for his yumminess and joy at the pair's real-life relationship. None for the show.
Myeongbulheojeon (2017)
Not too...
The comedy wasn't too over the top. The drama wasn't melodramatic. The romance wasn't sickly sweet. The show didn't try too hard. In fact, it didn't have to try at all. It was amazing on so many levels.
History: The Japanese occupation, sure. But Heo-im and Japanese samurai general Sayaka were indeed prominent figures in Joseon history.
The time travel concept was sublime and perfectly plotted. It would have been tiresome had it been overused or even used too regularly. Unpredictable as the flips back and forth were, the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat. The needle case served as an excellent metaphor for the limited choices life offers you.
This one has a bit of everything, all in perfect balance: corruption and greed, romance and comedy, historical fact and profound philosophical meaning. All that, and Kim Nam-gil's physical comedy chops keep getting better and better. It's not to be missed.
Ok-tab-bang Wang-se-ja (2012)
Laughably bad!
It's a cool premise. The first couple of episode had laugh-out-loud funny moments. But then...
The story's good team - everybody is just so irredeemably stupid. The evil faction - they're all pedestrian-level evil, complete with smirks and sneering laughs. And they're so bad at being evil! It got to where I was shouting stuff like "Drats! Foiled again!" and "I'll get you next time, my pretty!" every time their plots failed.
It is so absurdly bad! Never mind the long takes with distant glances. Those alone cost the series a good 6 episode. They surely could have been done away with. It's the idea that Joseon-era men suddenly know how to operate modern technology. They can all drive. They all function well in a high-pressure corporate setting.
I could go on - the whole show is a series of continuity errors and plot holes. But methinks you get the drift. It's shocking that so many big names - so much talent that shines in other productions, agreed to do this turkey.
It keeps you on the edge of your seat strictly so you can be the first to spot the next inanity. That's the only reason why it got 4 stars.
Yeolhyeolsaje (2019)
A fun watch
The show takes a lot of standard KDrama elements - corruption, cults, female empowerment, and blends it all in a series of humor-laced, action-packed scenes. Keep your eyes peeled for the physical comedy!
Just like this ain't your typical KDrama, these aren't your typical heroes. You have a priest with wicked fighting skills, a gambling nun and a rookie cop who puts veterans to shame. A baddie with a conscience, a former child actor who found a different calling and a sadistic slaughterer without a single redemptive feature. And NASA and the pope thrown in for good measure.
Just two small complaints. What happened to the money? And who was the main crime boss? Would have been epic if it were the church leaders.
Still, it was a fun watch. A touch fluffy at times. A touch annoying sometimes, too. Overall, a cohesive narrative. Definitely worth the watch.
Wielka woda (2022)
An insult
The cast and crew gave an interview in a Polish magazine to herald this series release. The main takeaway: it wasn't about the flood at all. In fact, they all averred that it's the common story of mothers and daughters and men with their complicated family relationships. Power v people and city interests v country interests. Same stories that have been told countless times, against many backdrops.
The one thing this series didn't do: honor the flood victims. What of the people of Wroclaw? Many were traumatised by this event; some lost everything they had. They were left devastated. And they were given barely a footnote.
It's hard to see Wielka Woda as anything but crass commercialisation of tragedy. Especially compared to Rain or Shina, a KDrama that revolves around the Sampoong department store collapse in 1995. Unlike this trite, mediocre fiction, that entire show is a tribute.
Agui Maeumeul Ilgneun Jadeul (2022)
The trick to watching...
Many compared Through the Darkness to the US series Mindhunter. Though they share some elements, they are completely different shows. One focuses on the mind of serial killers. This one focuses on the psychology of profilers.
They could not have found a better actor to portray an empath. And they couldn't have written a better script to profile the empath archetype: quiet, introverted, loner with few social connections. It's downright eerie how well the empath type was depicted. This personality type takes every emotion they're exposed to onto themselves. If they're not careful, their burden will consume them.
By contrast, the serial killers' stories were deliberately made crass and vulgar to underscore the banality of evil.
If you're going into this with a 'Korean Mindhunter' mindset, you'll likely be disappointed, like so many other commenters. But if you like intense psychological exploration, this is the show for you.
Geullichi (2022)
Tedium
First, the American product placement: Google, McDonalds', IQOS. Clearly not an authentic KDrama. And then, the guns. Really??? And the obligatory Netflix sex scene 20 minutes into the first episode. Sigh!
Still, the premise had promise. There was a bit of suspense. Was it just delusion? Did something really happen? And the cult angle.
All completely bungled. There were definitely storylines to explore. Why was Bora an outcast? How did Abigail fall into the cult? And what happened to her in the aftermath?
From the cult perspective, it cannot compare to Help Me. From the alien perspective... Ugh. From the mental health perspective... it didn't really address it. And the characters, even those who could have had depth were mostly 2-dimensional. Bora and Director Kim were the lone exceptions.
It could better have been titled tedium.
Miseuteo Shunshain (2018)
I tried
All those glowing reviews! All the hype! When I first ran across it, I said nuh-uh. Just not my kind of thing. But all those glowing reviews! All the hype!
Coming off of Our Blues - exquisite, sublime, SOOOO well done! - well, maybe. Two of Our Blues actors are in this one. All those glowing reviews. Maybe it won't be so bad.
And maybe it's not. It just irritated the fire out of me so badly I couldn't even get halfway through E2. First, American flags everywhere. With the wrong number of stars. In pristine condition. On a battle field.
All that gratuitous fighting. Sure, war is ugly, we get it. Prolonging battle scenes doesn't make the show better. We don't need lingering closeups of grimacing, screaming faces. Not even with the obligatory American flag in the background.
And the guns. Extended scenes of nothing but guns firing. Over and over. For pity's sake.
Most irritating of all: the damned soundtrack! Who needs ROUSING MUSIC, OMINOUS MUSIC, ANY kind of music - when the actors talk, when the actors fight, when the actors leap across rocks.
I found it more of an insult to Korean history. The little I watched of it was more of an assault on the senses than an enticement. Maybe it was just too American for me.
Plenty of other ways to learn about Korean history. Books, articles, even other, better shows. Ones with fewer American flags and guns.
There are plenty of Korean shows that don't insult viewers' intelligence. That inform as well as entertain. That don't need American cinematic elements to make them sublime. This one gets a hard pass from me.
Our Blues (2022)
Sublime
Not a character miscast. Not an emotion overplayed. Not a storyline over-told. Absolutely flawless.
The technical details - not a single goof. The cinematography... breathtaking. The writing: quite nearly voyeuristic as we share these lives and learn their most intimate secrets.
That exceedingly talented (adorable!) little girl. The heartbreaking revelation of domestic violence. The genius introduction of a gifted artist. The profound bleakness of depression. The stigma of teen pregnancy. Through it all, the poignant need of a neglected boy who only ever wanted to hug his mom. Even after all those years.
And how all of those tragic elements pale in comparison to joy of belonging.
This entire show can be summed up in one word. Exquisite.
Oworui Cheongchun (2021)
Nine Days
TBH, I came to this one warily after a string of only so-so shows. Nice that this one was so engrossing!
It didn't take long to spot the trouble. This story was far too rich and far too convoluted to tell in just 12 episodes. It would have been nice to have taken the time to explore some of the sub-plots more fully and to give a glimpse of how the other survivors put their lives back together. It seemed like all the other characters and their stories just didn't matter in the rush to finish. And, frankly, it would have been great to learn more about Gwanju, the uprising and the aftermath. (Yeah, I read all about it, but still...)
It's definitely worth a watch. I'd even tune in for a bonus episode wherein everyone else's tale gets told. Who's with me?
Joseonroko Nokdujeon (2019)
Hits and misses
It started out promising but, soon enough, it seemed like the elite production crew left everything up to first-year interns. Weird time synchronizations - one moment it's a bright, sunny day and the very next scene, it's night... but the same battle rages on. All that time guarding the king but the little girl's missing tooth fails to grow in, and so does the FL's hair... All kinds of little glitches and improbabilities like that. This definitely wasn't the carefully scripted type of KDrama production we've come to expect.
For all that, the performances were stellar. The cross-dressing was an interesting twist and the ML pulls it off flawlessly. There is some goofiness early on to make the story endearing. But the final, romance-platitude episode could have done with a lot fewer platitudes.
Gukyeongi (2021)
So much potential...
... wasted. The premise is fascinating on so many levels. Female serial killer, the psychology of killers and what drives them to kill. The self-awareness, extreme intelligence and resourcefulness of such a killer. The profound loneliness and craving for connection that some killers feel. The contrast between someone with a psychological need to kill and those who kill merely for expediency's sake.
Occasionally, we got a glimpse of those elements but mostly, they were glossed over, supplanted by absurd fits of giggling and disrupted by cartoon and video game sequences. We could have overlooked the unreality of an entire nation's police force not being called on to help hunt/capture a confessed serial killer if the series had been treated less fluffily. As it was, the whole thing drowned in absurdity.
I'd love to watch a series take on the same premise but without all the goofy crap.
Neodo Inganini (2018)
Deep, with lots of layers
It's such a thrill to find a drama that not only pulls you in but compels you to think.
Are You Human? Dives deep into the ethics of AI lifeforms: how they're thought of and how they're treated, their capacity for reasoning beyond logic - all while proving that the most logical rationales are, indeed the most worthwhile.
"She's the only person who sees me": a pivotal conclusion that propels Nam Shin III to new growth and works at the human level, too. Indeed, the 'robot' proves to be more human than the humans in this tale which, at one point, evolved into a Cain/Abel dilemma, with the agony of Sophie's Choice thrown in for good measure.
Seo Kang-joon turns out a tour de force performance as both the robot and the human, keeping your eyes glued to the screen. The other performers carry their weight well enough to make the obvious lapses of logic in the story unimportant.
Even if you're not into philosophy, this one's well worth the watch.
Naeil (2022)
Way Too...
The first few episodes were quirky and the story had huge potential. I thought it might be a go but then, somewhere after #5, it started creeping in. The preachiness, the moralizing, the feeling that it each episode was meant to fill roughly 43 minutes and the rest of the hour should be filled with commercial breaks.
It was too pat, too formulaic and too moralistic. Too much hugging, too much crying, too many weirdly-timed bursts of merriment... Too much like standard American fare for my taste.
This is not your standard KDrama. And not in a good way. It lacked the slow burn and complex plot lines good KDramas seemingly effortlessly sustain. It doesn't invite you to fall into it; it tells you what to think and feel - and not very well, at that.
If you're wild about American-style episodic television, you'll love it. If you want more from your viewing experience, it's best to give this one a pass.
Note: four stars for the performances. The cast didn't have much to work with but they did their best.
Sanae matseon (2022)
Supposed to Be Funny?
I get that the overall intention was that this was supposed to be a spoof of all Korean rom-coms and, to a slight extent that worked, even down to the male lead working his hair like the true King of Rom-Coms, PSJ.
But what it amounted to was an montage of emotional and financial blackmail, entrapment and hyper-aggression, and not just by CEO Park. The best friend got her digs in too and, to top things off, we're treated to abuse and violence at home by a shrieking banshee of a mother. And all of that in the first two episodes.
Hardly lighthearted spoofing, is it?
Again, I get that it was supposed to be a spoof but perpetual victimhood, abuse, blackmail and arrogance aren't the least bit funny.
Otsomae Bolkeun Kkeutdong (2021)
The Reviews are Right
Not much a fan of historical dramas but this one deserved a chance because of the stellar cast.
Far from swaggering royalty and extended fight scenes - the bane of many such drama, this series explores the vulnerable side of an uncertain king and the wilful determination of a commoner pledged to serve.
At times as firm as the skipping rocks and at others, as delicate and fragile as the leaf origami boats nudged into the water, the story and the actors who brought it to life entice and beguile.
Minus one star for the few anachronisms in early episodes. The later ones either didn't have any or I got so engrossed in the story I didn't notice them.
Kim Gwajang (2017)
So many questions!
First, good story, excellent premise and well acted. It could have been a bit shorter; it felt like a couple of episodes could have been cut... or maybe they could have filled in some backstory.
Why was the Gluttonous Sociopath so gluttonous? Why did he become a top prosecutor when, clearly, he had an amazing grip on accounting? What illness plagued the CEO's wife and how was she suddenly well enough to run the company again? Why didn't she turn her husband in when she knew everything he was doing? And what's Manager Kim's story - why a life of crime when his skills could have seen him heading a top accounting firm?
I could go on but you get the idea.
If you're not looking for a fully fleshed-out story, this will be a good one to watch.
Once Again (2020)
A bit of everything...
... but by no means overdone.
There's hardly an element of life that this show doesn't touch on: grief, anger, bitterness, jealousy, fear and love. There is so much love in this show!
All of the characters and story arcs are credible and relatable but the one that resonated the most was the lost sister. The show was made all the better by uniformly spot-on performances.
If there must be one complaint, it would be the out of place giggling. Fortunately, not all the characters had ill-placed giggles.
Watching this series felt like dropping in on good friends. Binge-watching is impossible with 50 episodes but it was so satisfying, dropping in on this gang again, night after night. It'd been a while since I so eagerly looked forward to my viewing time.
You might enjoy dropping in on them, too.
Yi Guyeokui Michin X (2021)
The Last Two
Episode 1: yep, this'll be good for a few laughs.
Episode 2: dang, that was rough!
Episodes 3-9: major logic fails; more than a tad unrealistic
Episodes 10, 11: This is where it got real.
More Kill Me, Heal Me than It's OK to not be OK, this short series explores the wild emotional gyrations of someone living with PTSD and severe trauma, and the inevitable loss of ID and confidence that results from such events.
Most impressive was the lack of patina. The PTSD wasn't merely alluded to - as in many other shows; the reason for it was graphically depicted. This show laid bare the extent of misogyny in South Korean society.
If you're looking for a sweet, funny romance... this is it. Just be prepared to also accept that life isn't all sweetness and not all 'romances' are uplifting.
Don't Look Up (2021)
How is this funny?
A satire? Not satirical in the least. Outrageous? Yes, but not in a good way. Scientists feel vindicated? Man, what a low bar!
Outside of the stellar cast - the reason for the two stars, this was over two hours of appalling, not the least because people who speak English as a second language use more advanced language skills than this script.
The universal vacuousness on display: mind-numbing dialogue, shallow people distracted by shiny things; it's not even an actual story but a montage of current events, barely disguised and with luminous stand-ins.
In the spirit of generosity, I can see where this was trying to go but dumbing it down to such a degree made it just dumb. It could have been much better.
Haepiniseu (2021)
An Abrupt End
Did we need another killer virus story, especially as we're still hostage to a killer virus? Hasn't apocalyptic dystopia been done to death? Could gore ever be done in such a way that it add to the story - it doesn't become the story?
The answer to all three of these is YES, but only if done exactly this way.
Because it's not a story of gore. It's neither apocalyptic nor dystopian. It's real and, oddly enough, uplifting. A fascinating study of human psychology; how some people will prefer their agenda over what's best for all and the depths they'll go to to get what they want.
On the other hand, it also shows the heights of grace and decency humans are capable of, even if it costs them, in the end.
Park Hyun-sik could hardly have chosen a better vehicle for his comeback. He acts like a man comfortable in his skin and takes every opportunity to show off his range; from goofy boy to grieving man. He's well-met with his partner; they're so well paired that you feel like a voyeur, peering into their intimacy.
The one star rating loss is because things wrapped abruptly. Last we see Yi-hyun, he's triple-shot and being wailed over; next thing you know, it's a sunny day and they're outside. So-yoon is happily running around... but what about her parents?
What about the rest of the characters?
Maybe those unanswered questions leave the door open for a sequel.