I Hear Your Voice – Korean Drama Review 6

7/10: I’m not the biggest fan of “noona” dramas, but this was a surprisingly good drama!!

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Literally the only reason I decided to watch this drama was because of my man Lee Jong Suk (lmao), but surprisingly, by the time I finished it, the supporting characters had captured my heart as much as the main leads!

It was definitely a more serious drama, with less humour and more conversations, full on court hearings, and intense moments, but I actually enjoyed it a lot overall! The only completely fictional aspect of the drama was the main character’s ability to read minds when he looks into someone’s eyes, which he acquired after he witnessed his father getting beat to death by a man who had first tried to kill them both by running them over with a semi. Yeah, the plot went from zero to one hundred REAL fast. The story is quite “law” heavy, as almost all the characters except the main male and the main antagonist, have careers in the legal field. I didn’t mind it at all though, because the cases were always presented in very engaging, logical ways that were easy to follow but also interesting!

I’ll be honest, it took me a while to get used to the main couple relationship between high school senior Park Soo Ha (played by the one and only Lee Jong Suk) and public defender Jang Hye Sung (played by Lee Bo Young). I know age doesn’t matter when it comes to love and affection, but I can’t deny that it was a bit unsettling during the flashbacks and seeing 8-year-old Park Soo Ha falling in love with a high school girl lmao….but throughout the drama, I grew to accept and acknowledge the purity of Park Soo Ha’s devotion. I thought it was really touching how he could read Jan Hye Sung’s every thought (and she was characterized amazingly by Lee Bo Young to be quite an unlikeable and callous person) and still persistently love her. Her insecurities about him knowing her worst sides was too real, but as she came to understand and share Park Soo Ha’s depth of love, that gave her a lot of confidence in their relationship.

But okay, the character that grew on me the most was absolutely Seo Do Yeon, played by the stunning actor Lee Da Hee. She is portrayed as an extremely proud, unscrupulous prosecutor who is constantly at odds against Jung Hye Sung (and not just because they are on opposing sides of court trials). As the wealthy daughter of a judge, Seo Do Yeon bore false witness against Jung Hye Sung over an accident, and that immediately put them into frenemy territory. And then later, the two girls witnessed Park Soo Ha’s father being killed, and she tricked Jung Hye Sung into testifying in the criminal trial but chickened out herself (that was the beginning of Park Soo Ha’s crush though, so I guess a good thing came out of that lol). Her actions as a child made her a hateful character, but throughout the drama, Seo Do Yeon’s sense of justice and work ethic and legal integrity was consistent and correct, so as a viewer, you could never really despise her as a true antagonist. Seeing her character grow and soften as she was confronted with her mistakes, and her having the fortitude to acknowledge these mistakes and correct them, was truly touching. Especially for someone with an incredible amount of dignity and pride, I could understand how difficult it was for her to humble herself and repent. By the end of the drama, Seo Do Yeon and Jung Hye Sung genuinely cared about each other (thought both women were loathe to admit it) and respected one another as professionals and as friends. Actually, probably still frenemies. But the animosity was gone, which was so great.

This was one of Lee Jong Suk’s earlier dramas, but I honestly couldn’t tell. His acting was amazing as usual, and many of the most emotional scenes obtained their impact from his intense performance. His character was very mature and serious, the quintessential Korean drama guy who is clever, insightful, capable, and devoted, and with the added bonus of his mind reading abilities, he definitely had the advantage in many situations. However, I really loved how he was juxtaposed to the main antagonist, Min Joon Gook, the murderer who killed his father and several other innocent people. Both characters had the same great flaw: being emotionally volatile and strongly motivated by a desire for revenge. But because Park Soo Ha had the support of Jung Hye Sung and other attorneys and friends, he chose to stay the victim, rather than becoming someone he hated. One line that echoed the importance of choice was something Jung Hye Sung said when she made him promise never to kill Min Joon Gook or seek revenge. She said that if you kill someone, even if it’s for revenge, you are no longer a victim, but simply a murderer. This was the path Min Joon Gook chose, and it led him into deep waters until he felt he had no choice but to keep going until the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama more than I thought I would! It wasn’t as addicting and exciting as “While You Were Sleeping”, but I thought was ending was extremely well-done, and the whole drama left me satisfied and wanting more. If you like Lee Jong Suk, and thrilling murder plots and law court proceedings that keep you interested the whole way through, then you’ll like this drama!

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!

 

“Hymn of Death” – Netflix Mini-series Review

8/10: I definitely felt the feels with this one, even though I knew what was going to happen at the end…

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At this point I think the phrase “I see Lee Jong Suk, I click” is becoming extremely accurate. I can’t believe I’m just discovering him now!! And he’s away for two years doing his mandatory military time, just my luck, am I right?

I was intrigued by this mini-series not only because Lee Jong Suk is in it, lmao, but also because it is not a genre I usually gravitate towards. It is a historical melodrama/tragedy, and man, even though it was was only 6 episodes and three hours total, it wrecked me emotionally. It is based on the true story of a famous Korean writer named Kim Woo-Jin, and his relationship with Korea’s first soprano singer, Yun Sim-Deok. It is set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1920’s (which automatically means it’s going to be depressing), and delves into the two people’s struggles against expectations, their own goals and aspirations, and of course, their growing feelings for each other in a tumultuous time. As far as my light research has indicated, the majority of the events depicted in the drama are historically accurate, which honestly makes me even sadder.

The drama starts at the end of the story, with a scene that heavily implies that a couple had committed suicide together by jumping off a ship. And in that moment, I knew it was going to be just as depressing as I thought it was going to be. I won’t give away all the details and nuances of the plot, but let me just say that the story was written and directed and acted out beautifully. Once again, Lee Jong Suk’s heavy performance hit all the right notes for me. The drama was sincere, muted, and genuine, and I really felt the realness of the characters. The quiet resilient rebellion against the political and social environment was moving and sad, and their hopes, dreams, obstacles, and motivations were very relatable and frustrating. I also felt very conflicted about one aspect of the drama. Let me explain.

[SPOILER ALERT]

We find out about halfway through the drama that Kim Woo-Jin (Lee Jong Suk) is actually a married man, he and his wife having had an arranged marriage to satisfy filial piety and societal expectations. It was truly heart-breaking to see his struggle to uphold honour and responsibility while real love was developing for Yun Sim-Deok (Shin Hye Sun). As someone who is a Christian and definitely does not condone adultery or unfaithfulness, I felt a lot of conflicting emotions because Kim Woo-Jin was being suffocated by his father and his society – not allowed to express himself through writing, forced to marry a stranger who clearly doesn’t love him either, expected to inherit his father’s company and spend the rest of his days doing things he’s not interested in…it was hard not to be rooting for his romance with Yun Sim-Deok even though it was objectively wrong. As someone who is not constrained by archaic marital laws or expectations, I cannot imagine what it would be like to be married to someone I don’t connect with, and to find love with someone else. I can’t confidently say that I wouldn’t also fall into the temptation of seeking out real companionship and mutual understanding at the expense of duty.

In the end, I thought the most tragic thing about their story was that in their eyes, death was the only way they could be together and finally have rest. Suicide is such a terrible thing, not just because the person has killed themselves, but because they feel like that’s the only option left for them. Whatever the circumstances and context, to have a person be hollowed out to that extent is truly a reflection of broken our world is.

Anyways, sorry if this is getting too gloomy. I would definitely recommend this drama though, it’s short and impactful, and I think it will stay with me for some time.

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!

 

“While You Were Sleeping” – Korean Drama Review 5

10/10: PERFECT FIRST EPISODE. REALLY GREAT LAST EPISODE. Engaging story that captivated me from beginning to end!!

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Disclaimer: I literally finished this drama last night and so am still riding the giddy high of how good it was after a first viewing. So this review may definitely be biased haha. But like I said, if I like a drama while watching and right after, that to me is an A+ drama. Whether or not I discover flaws after a longer period of reflection does not impact my overall opinion about things I watch and enjoy. 

Guys. GUYS. GUYS!!!! I think this was the best drama I have watched so far!! My sister and I hopped into this one immediately off the back of “W” because we were eager for more Lee Jong Suk, and we both agreed that this was wow. In terms of acting, story-telling, production, use of magic realism, and level of consistent engagement, this drama gets a solid “10/10 would recommend!!!” It’s at the point where I’m forcing my fiancé to watch it with me even though he’s really not into asian dramas, just so I can watch it again!

It was the perfect balance of fantasy, thriller, romance, and comedy. I loved how every detail and writing choice had a purpose, and how the past and present connected to the future. It is a crime/mystery drama involving lawyers and prosecutors, and I really appreciated the intelligent writing in this regard. All the cases were thoroughly flushed out, and the investigations and courtroom hearings made sense and could be followed and left room for keen-eyed viewers to solve as well! There was honestly never a dull moment, or a side-story that seemed unnecessary or poorly done. The ending was very satisfying, and to the very end the viewers are given “Ohhhhh!! So that’s why!!” moments that I absolutely loved and appreciated. The very last scene especially, I was left feeling so satisfied and content, but also sad that it was over! This drama was extremely good at showing certain scenes and then later coming back to those same moments but from different points of view or perspectives, which gave each scene so much more depth and impact. In terms of the plot, it was so carefully woven and knit together, and I’m not sure how exactly to describe it without going into details, especially the first episode. You can definitely tell that the story was written with a concrete ending in mind, and it made for an excellently cohesive roller coaster of a show!

[SPOILERS AHEAD!! MAINLY FOR THE FIRST EPISODE]

I don’t usually give overly detailed descriptions of the plot in my drama reviews, but for this one, the story is so fascinating and complex, that I don’t think I can talk about everything I loved about it without providing some context. The story really delved into the idea of destiny, and the influence we can have on others and ourselves through the decisions we make, and I thought it was epic.

But okay, one last thing before I get into the details: the soundtrack for this drama was amazing!! I haven’t been so attached to any drama OST since Goblin!! Lee Jong Suk sings my favourite song “Come to Me”, and man, the song writers and producers are geniuses, and Lee Jong Suk does a great job considering he’s not a professionally trained singer. His voice is very expressive and soft, and was a pleasant surprise for me! Okay, back to the spoilers haha…

The story follows Nam Hong Joo, played by Bae Suzy, a spunky and clever news reporter who has prophetic dreams about the future. Oftentimes these dreams show negative events that will happen to the people around her, or to herself. All of Nam Hong Joo’s dreams are SUPER vivid and detailed, and she can often discern time, place, and even date sometimes! When she was young, she had a dream that her father dies in a bus explosion after trying to detain a military soldier who had abandoned his post and was fleeing the authorities. The dream comes true despite her efforts, and after that point,  she grows up resigning herself to the reality that she does not have the power to change the future. Her mother is the only person who knows about her ability, and of course, is constantly worrying…when Nam Hong Joo has a terrifying dream that her mother dies because of her! Horrified, she cuts all her hair off in a desperate attempt to change the future, because in her dream she had long hair. Even so, there’s a sense of foreboding and inescapability of destiny. So yeah, you can imagine her life is pretty stressful and bleak.

The drama starts out with one of her dreams – it was such a beautiful first image!! It was a snowy nighttime scene at a city intersection, and it shows Nam Hong Joo slowly walking up to a stranger, hugging him, thanking him, and telling him that she believes him. And this stranger is none other than my man LEE JONG SUK. Once again, he blew me away with his amazing acting, expressive facial expressions and line delivery, and adorable smile. He was the main reason we started this drama, and he and story were the main reasons we stayed!! Lee Jong Suk plays Jung Jae Chan, a newly graduated law prosecutor who moves in across the street from Nam Hoo Joo (she wakes up from her curious dream wondering why she hugs a stranger, and then looks across the street and SEES HIM, and is super confused and intrigued hahah). I love how his character was not super stereotypical of the Korean drama male lead. He is shown to be quite a slob in his living conditions, clumsy and sometimes silly, inexperienced at his job (he’s new, give the guy a break!) and lacking confidence in himself. However, he is so earnest in his work, and feels a great sense of justice and honesty. He is called a sloth and a mole because he digs into his cases much more thoroughly than any of prosecutor. I felt like this was not something he should have been bashed for by his colleagues, but his carefulness made him super inefficient, and a running gag was how many unsolved cases he had stacked up in his cluttered office.

The episode continues with Nam Hong Joo and her boyfriend getting into a car accident that kills a police officer and sends her into a nine month coma. Yeah, it went from zero to one hundred real fast haha. NOW, the incident becomes next level crazy because the boyfriend, named Lee Yoo Beom (played by Lee Sang Yeob), who is a lawyer and Jung Jae Chan’s childhood tutor, is actually a very manipulative, self-centred man who often uses very unscrupulous methods to win cases and further his own career agenda (ie: fabricating evidence, omg). We learn that even since childhood he had a habit of lying and manipulating others, and he is the one driving the car when the accident occurs. He was conscious after the accident, and desperate to keep himself innocent, he switches places with Nam Hong Joo so that it looks like SHE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. When she finally wakes up from her coma, her hair has grown back, and she finds out her mother had been dragged by the media because of the accident, and that she had passed away after over-working to try to pay off Hong Joo’s medical expenses. Jung Jae Chan becomes the prosecutor in charge of the case, and although she desperately tries to convince him that she was not the driver, there is no proof to back up her claim. Heart-broken that she couldn’t prevent her mother’s death and angry that no one believes her, Nam Hong Joo jumps off the side of the hospital as Jung Jae Chan tries to save her!!

AND THEN BAM, Jung Jae Chan jolts awake, still reaching for Nam Hong Joo as the terrifying image of her falling to her death continues to race across his vision. IT WAS ALL A DREAM. See, this is why I had to explain a lot more of the first episode plot than usual. This is what I meant when I said past and present connects to the future. And this is the key point that connects all the characters! So, Jung Jae Chan wakes up, shook and bothered by his dream that felt so real and vivid. At first he tries to dismiss it as nothing more than that, but when the events in the dream start happening with eerie accuracy in his real life, he can’t ignore it. Although he tries to subtly warn Nam Hong Joo, that is not enough to stop the tragedy and crime that will unfold. So he takes drastic measures to prevent the fatal car crash by intercepting Nam Hong Joo’s car with his own, thus getting into a two car collision but saving the police officer that was crossing the street and would have been struck. Lee Yoo Beom is furious, and when Jung Jae Chan tries to explain that he was preventing three more deaths, obviously he is met with disbelief. Except for Nam Hong Joo, who also has prophetic dreams and therefore believes and understands him. And that brings us to the opening scene, with Nam Hong Joo hugging Jung Jae Chan and thanking him and telling him she believes him.

THE FIRST EPISODE WAS PERFECTION. I was completely hooked and intrigued and eager to keep watching to find out how these two characters developed and worked together. I loved every moment of it, from beginning to end. I really liked how things were presented as dreams, and then the same scenes unfolded in real life with the main characters’ decisions changing the course of the future intentionally. Han Woo Tak, played by the handsome Jung Hae In, is the officer that originally was supposed to die if Jung Jae Chan had not decided to intervene, and he comes into the picture as a third person who has prophetic dreams, and the trio’s friendship and dynamic was definitely one of the highlights of the show! Nam Hong Joo had lived her whole life feeling alone and depressed, unable to change the tragic futures she saw in her dreams, but with her friends, she really became secure in herself and in her trust in others. Jung Jae Chan, who often felt inadequate in his job and overwhelmed and burdened by his duty and own sense of justice, also became more mature and confident as the drama progressed. Although at first he tries to absolve himself of the responsibility to prevent other bad things from happening, he cannot deny who he is, and eventually has to accept that having knowledge means he must be responsible.

Another thing I really liked was the supporting cast: Jung Jae Chan’s younger brother, the law office assistants and senior prosecutors, the investigators Jung Jae Chan worked alongside (especially Inspector Choi…OMG THIS CHARACTER AND STORY ARC!!!), Nam Hong Joo’s mother, the other reporters and police officers, the various criminals and victims of the cases that are explored, and of course the main villains. Everyone. Their personalities, motivations, and SUPPORT of the main plot was great, and I felt they were written and directed intentionally to further and enhance the main storyline. A special shoutout to the insidious villainous lawyer Lee Yoo Beom. He was a thoroughly sickening and awful person, but his character roots and motivations were very well-established. We see how seemingly small bad habits he developed as a teenager slowly grew and led him down a treacherous path of lies and deception. His tragic villainy was definitely a case of “too late to turn back”, and the Macbeth vibes were a nice touch. We could see and appreciate his internal conflict and guilt over his actions, but his pride and desire to evade consequences made him a slave to selfishness. He wasn’t a one-dimensional evil guy, and we as viewers could relate to him in the fact that we all have that instinct and temptation to protect ourselves at the expense of others, and forego justice in order to hide our own mistakes. It was deep, man.

Another thing I really enjoyed throughout the drama was that Jung Jae Chan and Nam Hong Joo’s relationship developed very organically; their friendship and romance was for sure a highlight of the drama. Even the classic “we encountered each other in childhood and meet again in adulthood” Korean drama troupe was done fantastically well and again furthered the theme of the past connecting to the future. And wow, there was one kiss scene where it was blended between a dream and reality, and the cinematography, song choice, and Lee Jong Suk’s acting were all perfection. In fact, they made use of the split scene a couple of times, and it was all handled very well!!! I loved Jung Jae Chan’s cute immature jealousy of Han Woo Tak and Nam Hong Joo’s platonic friendship, because it was very light-hearted and humourous. He never actually felt threatened, and both men loved and respected one another always, so there was no unnecessary conflict or misunderstandings. I really liked that Han Woo Tak was never vindictive or resentful of his one-sided crush; he was such a good sport!!

One last thing I want to mention is a particular element I thought was really cool!! It was the fact that their “future” selves could communicate with their past selves through their dreams, giving warnings about events or the time and location of things that were about to happen, so that when the character woke up, they knew exactly where and when a bad thing was going to happen. For example, when Nam Hong Joo found herself in immediate danger (being chased by a convicted murderer, lol), she calls out her location and the time and date out loud, so that Jung Jae Chan hears it when he is dreaming about this event before it happens. That way, he knows where to go to save her!! This plot element came back a number of times but it never felt old or over-done, because each time it was utilized really smartly and tastefully and for different purposes.

Anyways, it would take way too long to explain and gush about every single plot detail that I loved, so if you’re interested to find out how this story progresses and ends, go watch this dram!!!!!!

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!!

(look at that precious smile tho)

“Touch Your Heart” – Korean Drama Review 4

8/10: such a great rom-com!! If you’re looking for a hilarious time and also want to go “aww” a lot, then this drama is likely for you, haha.

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When I first saw promos and clips of this drama, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t that interested or intrigued because I thought they were just trying to piggyback off of the success of Goblin/Guardian: the Great and Lonely God (one of the first Korean dramas I watched! I’ll review it soon!). Touch Your Heart stars the supporting couple in Goblin as the titular female and male leads, and I didn’t think anything of it. However, I decided to give it a shot after hearing positive things about it, and I’m so glad I did!!

[WARNING: MILD SPOILERS AHEAD]

My overall impression of this drama is that it was SO SWEET AND ADORABLE AND INNOCENT. Yoo In-Na plays a famous actress named Oh Jin Shim, who fell from grace after being mistakenly caught up in a drug bust scandal and being crucified by the press. She perfectly portrayed a kind-hearted, playful, somewhat ditzy young woman who has a starry-eyed outlook on life. Despite the hardships of losing all her fame and status, which I’d imagine would be very difficult for someone who had once been known as Korea’s sweetheart, she was amazingly optimistic and resilient and persevering throughout the drama. While she played into some stereotypical “actress” mentalities (the scenes where she was over-dramatic were actually hilarious though and didn’t make her annoying to me at all!), she was still at heart, very grounded and a genuinely beautiful person inside and out. Her “daydreams” were so hilarious and over-the-top I was seriously laughing out loud and cringing at the same time!

The basic plot premise surrounds Oh Jin Sim as she tries to re-debut and win back her acting career. She is finally able to convince a writer to give her a shot as the title character in a new drama, where she is to play a lawyer…under one condition: that she goes to a real law firm to work and shadow for three months so that she can become better acquainted with her role. She is hired as a secretary by the CEO of a law firm called “Always” (who only hires her because he is the biggest fanboy of her, which is the source of sustained hilarity throughout the drama), AND GUESS WHO SHE HAS TO WORK FOR? None other than the male lead lawyer of course!!

Lee Dong Wook was a highlight for me in Goblin, so I was excited to see him star alongside Yoo In-Na again! He was hands-down my favourite part of this drama!! His portrayal of Kwon Jung Rok, a reserved, somewhat cold lawyer was honestly the most adorable thing ever. Unlike many other dramas, which paint “cold” male leads as also being quite unkind or callous, Kown Jung Rok, while definitely somewhat anti-social and prickly, never came off as being a rude or mean person. He just kept to himself, minded his own business, and didn’t speak much, which gave people the impression that he was unfriendly. But once he opened up, especially to Oh Jin Shim, he was actually the sweetest, most considerate person EVER LOL. His inexperience with relationships (not just romantic ones, but also workplace friendships haha) made for some very funny and cute times. Even when poor Kwon Jung Rok falls slightly into the “heroic idiot” Korean drama troupe (breaking up with the other person “for her own good”, even though it leaves both people sad and dejected), I could accept it. He was looking out for Oh Jin Sim’s career and genuinely felt that them dating would reflect poorly to her fans and the media, so his decision to break up with her (albeit only for an episode and a half lol) didn’t actually frustrate me.

The best parts of the drama were definitely the hilarious and cute moments shared between this sweet couple; there were a lot of “awwwhhh”s and “omggg uwu”s uttered during my viewing experience haha. Oh Jin Shim starting off being probably the worst secretary ever and coming to work on her first day dressed like a A-list red carpet model, and Kwon Jung Rok being like “wtf” when she was unable to pick up some dropped documents was literally the funniest thing ever hahah.

One thing I thought was very cleverly done in this drama was how they incorporated some of the quintessential “Korean drama product placement” ads. Because the plot literally dealt with the acting industry, they managed to sneak in a number of real ads, disguised as products that Oh Jin Shim had endorsed in her hay-day. I enjoyed seeing a sort of “behind-the-scenes” portrayal of what it’s like to be in this line of work, and I thought it was so funny how tongue-and-cheek the drama was sometimes, poking fun at the exact type of drama Touch Your Heart was; it was very fun and light-hearted, and I appreciated the self-awareness!

Another thing I liked about this drama was that none of the supporting characters and their storylines were uninteresting or irrelevant. I really liked that there were large group interactions, and that every supporting character actually SUPPORTED the main plot and underwent good developments as well. A lot of the humour and cute moments involved interactions with the great supporting cast!

I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone who wants an adorable, light-hearted drama with a lot of heart and a lot of humour!

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!

 

“Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” – Korean Drama Review 3

9/10: I really liked this unique love story and unconventional heroine! It’s kind of like a slightly whackier slice-of-life drama, and I was here for it.

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My sister and I had watched the first episode of this drama actually quite a while ago (sometime in 2018?), but it didn’t capture our interest enough for us to keep going, and we had dismissed it. But then in May of this year, for whatever reason (boredom maybe? lol) we decided to give it another shot. And thank goodness we did!! What a sweet, poignant, coming-of-age story!

[MILD SPOILERS AHEAD]

It was such a unique sports drama, set at an athletics college, and follows the main female character, Kim Bok Joo (endearingly dubbed a “weightlifting fairy” by Jung Joon Hyung, the main male lead) as she struggles with her first crush and her identity as a woman in weightlifting. Even though all the characters were athletes, there was surprisingly little drama involving the sports themselves. The conflicts were not about cheating during competitions, or rivalries within leagues, etc. It was a feel-good story about ordinary people going through very real problems associated with competitive sports, be it stress, eating disorders, body image, and life balance. I’m actually really glad the main problems were not crazy b*itches or competition scandals. The drama did not have any antagonists; merely a motley of realistic young adults with good and bad traits, trying to make their way through the world and learning from their mistakes. I also liked that the main romance was not rushed, and that the relationship between the characters developed very gradually. Because Kim Bok Joo was a complete noob when it came to romance, it really made sense that she would be super oblivious, cautious, even resistant at times.

I really thought the actors captured each character perfectly!! Lee Sung Kyung as Kim Bok Joo did an excellent portrayal of a rough-around-the-edges tomboy, who protects her heart and insecurities about her femininity with HER FISTS. Occasionally, her stubborn refusal to acknowledge Jung Joon Hyung (played by the adorable Nam Joo Hyuk) as her friend became frustrating because he was clearly trying so hard to get to know her!! Granted, she was infatuated with his older brother Jung Jae Yi (actually cousin – dundundun!) at the time haha…you know how it is. It’s still a Korean drama after all!! At first I didn’t really buy her intense crush on Jung Jae Yi, because it went from zero to one hundred so fast, but after a bit of thought, I think it made sense. All her life, Kim Bok Joo did not see herself as a quintessential woman that Korean culture often expects and encourages – someone beautiful, graceful, delicate, etc -, and June Jae Yi was the first man who ever treated her like a lady and was genuinely kind to her. So her naive heart just latched on real fast hahah. As the story progresses, we get to see every side of Kim Bok Joo, good and bad, and I think that depth of character development really turned her into a real person for the audience!

Nam Joo Hyuk plays Jung Joon Hyung, a competitive 100m swimmer who develops performance anxiety due to some seriously depressing mother abandonment issues. He really captured my heart as this playful and mischievous guy who slowly wins Kim Bok Joo’s trust and friendship, revealing himself to being the sweetest, most considerate friend (and later lover) EVER. OMG this guy was an absolute dream of a boyfriend hahaha. His cheerfulness never failed to brighten Kim Bok Joo’s day (even when she refused to admit it), his patience with her was unending (seriously, at times I was like…”HOW CAN SHE STILL BE SO COLD, LOOK AT THOSE PUPPY DOG EYES!!”), and his constant worrying and protectiveness never felt forced or too extreme (I find in asian dramas I tend to get annoyed at female characters for being overly clingy because it comes off as whiny and desperate, whereas a more clingy guy is usually portrayed as just being very emotionally mature and considerate lol). Nam Joo Hyuk’s performance was definitely a highlight for me!

I don’t usually pay as much attention to the supporting cast, but in Weightlifting Fairy, I do feel it’s necessary to make some shout-outs. Firstly, Kim Bok Joo’s two best friends WERE AMAZING. Not only were they excellent comic relief, the trio truly exemplified a beautiful sisterhood – I really loved that they were always each other’s biggest fans even though they were all in weightlifting and so in a sense, competing against each other. There was no drawn out cattiness or drama, and the conflicts they sometimes had were realistic ones. Also, the scene where they all hugged and cried and made up – I WAS ALSO CRYING IT WAS PRECIOUS. I loved how supportive and fiercely protective all three girls were of their friendship, it was so refreshing to have a drama where female-female relationships were also given the spotlight. Similarly on the guys’ side, Jung Joon Hyung’s best friend and fellow swimmer, Jo Tae Kwon, was one of my favourites!! He was so funny, dramatic, and whacky, but he was a great friend and was always someone Jung Joon Hyung relied on and trusted. One last supporting character I want to mention is Jung Joon Hyung’s ex-girlfriend Song Shi Ho. She is in the gymnastics department, and becomes Kim Bok Joo’s roommate, so automatically we expect some drama and rivalry there. But I was pleasantly surprised by Song Shi Ho’s character development. She was never portrayed as being “the evil ex-girlfriend”; rather, I felt sorry for her most of all to be honest. She had so much pressure on her to succeed as a gymnast and dealt with the harsh reality of eating disorders and over-training. Even when she was trying to win Jung Joon Hyung back and became jealous of his friendship with Kim Bok Joo, her feelings and actions were never one-dimensional. I think her growth as a person was one of the most touching aspects of the show!

Adding another element of realism to the drama, it was also great to see the all friends mixing and mingling! They all go to the same college, so it made sense that their lives would become more and more connected as the series went on, so we got to enjoy a lot of comedy and sweet moments with their group dynamic!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this drama for those of you who want a drama that is light-hearted and more demure compared to others. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of romance drama, family problems, and craziness, but the general feel of this drama is a coming-of-age story with a simple satisfying ending 🙂

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!

 

“Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” – Korean Drama Review 2

8.5/10: the main couple and storyline was a 10/10!! But there were just some things that really brought it down a bit for me unfortunately…

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In my last post I had mentioned that I had been watching a lot of dramas over the past year…and I feel quite passionate about a number of them and will hopefully be writing my thoughts and reviews regularly!

HERE IS THE DEFINITIVE LIST OF DRAMAS I’VE WATCHED IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO IN CASE ANYONE WAS INTERESTED (probably no one) IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

W- Two Worlds

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim

Hwarang

Touch Your Heart

Healer

Suspicious Partner

Guardian (or Goblin)

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

I’ve also watched a number of Chinese dramas which I also really enjoyed! And it helped me with my Mandarin studying! Or at least, that was my justification for watching, hehe.

Anyways, on with the review of STRONG WOMAN DO BONG SOON! [SOME MILD SPOILERS AHEAD]

I watched this drama right before W, so my thoughts on it are still very fresh, which is why this review is coming right after my last one. If I could summarize my feelings in one sentence, it would be this: the good parts made the bad parts worth it, lol. The good parts I’m talking about specifically, are the main male and female leads – Park Hyung Sik as Anh Min Hyuk, the CEO of a gaming company; and Park Bo Young as Do Bong Soon, a girl with incredible superhuman strength (a hereditary trait passed down from the women in her family) who is hired as CEO Anh’s bodyguard. Let me tell you…ABSOLUTE GOLDEN HILARITY. The progression of their relationship is natural and super sweet, but also so dramatic and over-the-top (we’re talking about a story about a five foot tall girl with enough strength in one pinky to permanently cripple a person), my sister and I were consistently laughing out loud and re-watching scenes with these two because they were just so dang funny!!

All the performances were amazing, and I felt really connected to the main characters! Park Hyung Sik has such a puppy face, and his acting was so expressive, commanding, and humourous! Park Bo Young was perfect in her role as a sweet, innocent, slightly ditzy young woman just trying to work around the fact that she could kill someone if she accidentally hugged them with too much force. I loved the “superhero” elements of the plot; there a lot of superhero cliches that were made fresh and funny, and because the drama didn’t take itself too seriously, there was so much humour and wit! I found myself smiling unconsciously throughout many of the episodes! Also, the music was excellent! “Super Power Girl” by Every Single Day was a real gem!

So that was undeniably the best. And it was so good that I still love this drama, even though the bad parts were quite bad lol…okay, there was just one really annoying aspect that I would consider bad. So it wasn’t JUST Do Bong Soon and Anh Min Hyuk that kept the drama afloat; I would say, besides this one bad thing I’m about to mention, everything else was great!! The plot got surprisingly dark and frightening and intense at times which I was fine with (there’s a kidnapping mystery storyline that literally freaked my sister out to the point that she couldn’t watch those scenes alone lol), the humour was on point, and the production, effects, and camera work were all top notch.

But the bad…THE USELESS FILLER SIDE PLOTS THAT STARTED OFF HAVING MILD TO MODERATE CONNECTIONS WITH THE MAIN CHARACTERS BUT THEN OFF-TRACKED INTO VERY RIDICULOUS UNRELATED NONSENSE. I’m talking about the plots involving the mobsters that Do Bong Soon beats up in the first episode, and the mob boss. At first the characters were somewhat relevant because they got wrecked by Do Bong Soon and there were some pretty funny things that happened because of that. Other than being a way for the audience to enjoy her impressive displays of power, these characters soon became quite unrelated to the main plot, which I would have been fine with if the writers had just slowly phased them out of the story. But instead of doing that, they had this really bizarre side-plot that was completely unnecessary and borderline cringe. It almost seemed like a mini spin-off series starring minor characters had been spliced into the original Strong Woman drama!! For me, it got tiresome very quickly, and it was frustrating because I was loving everything else about the show and it was taking away screen time from characters and plots I actually cared about. Of all the dramas I’ve watched in my life, this was the only one where the side plots to me, were utterly stupid and dumb.

Sigh. I do feel slightly bad about being harsh, because overall I loved the drama a lot, and like I said, it was WORTH sitting through half an episode useless filler stuff because the other half was full of so much good. Let’s get back the positive vibes with a funny gif of CEO Anh Min Hyuk being a sassy dramatic queen.

Final verdict: Definitely worth watching for the excellent plot, cute romance between the main characters, thrilling action and crime scenes, and Park Hyung Sik’s face, but if you want to skip some of the later scenes with the minor characters, you won’t miss anything of importance.

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!!

 

 

“W – Two Worlds” Korean Drama Review 1

9/10: I was so enthralled from start to finish…half the time I was also confused, but I didn’t even care lmao.

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Well, I’m back after too long…and what motivated me to break the silence? MY RECENT KOREAN DRAMA KICK!!! I’m simultaneously very late to the party, and also proving how little of a life I have overall since graduating dental school (yes, that happened!!).

BUT YO, THIS DRAMA DOE. (Which by the way, came out in 2016; see above note about being late to the party.) I absolutely loved it!! [SOME SPOILERS AHEAD]

As someone who will watch/read/listen to any genre of story as long as the characters are well-developed and the plot is good, this was a exciting ride with a satisfying ending. The basic premise revolves around a webtoon comic called “W”, its main hero protagonist Kang Chul, and the daughter of the webtoon’s creator and artist, Oh Yeon Joo. Some of the story elements were undeniably predictable, ie: Oh Yeon Joo getting pulled into the webtoon world, the main couple developing feelings as they get swept up in the mystery/thriller that ensues, the existential crisis that Kang Chul goes through when he realizes he’s a comic book character, etc. But I have to give props to the writers and directors for portraying these plot elements in fresh ways. The general story felt familiar and safe (which is not a bad thing at all), but it also contained so many twists and creative layers that kept me frustrated in a good way, because I needed to find out what happened next!

Definitely one thing that I found super unique was how the real world connected with the webtoon. Whatever happened in the webtoon was “published” to the real world after a character leaves the webtoon world (and even a “to be continued” sign popped up every time, which I thought was quite clever), and then real world fans of W would read the latest chapter and go crazy over how “weird” the plot was getting with the introduction of new characters, etc. It was a great point of comedy throughout, and also made “W” more realistic to me. Fillers and random side plots happen all the time in manga and comics, and even though they annoy the heck out of readers, in this drama, it made the drama more self-aware as well. The writers were acknowledging that because we’re talking about the comic book world, they are allowed to whatever the hell they want. The doctor professor character was a portrayal of a typical avid fan of comics who becomes increasingly confused and angry with a creator’s choices. Not me though. Give it to me, bro!!

The “traveling between worlds” element was also used well, because it provided many natural ways to create cliff-hangers, and of course, to keep our main couple apart from each other til the very end. The romance between Kang Chul and Oh Yeon Joo was definitely balanced heavily with mystery fantasy and action, but them being separated/forced apart created some good romance angst, haha.

One of the criticisms of the drama I’ve noticed online is that the first half is phenomenal, but then it starts getting really complicated and goes over-board with the plot twists. I was aware of these criticisms before I had gotten halfway in the drama, so I was prepared to start seeing and feeling a dip in interest. But that did not happen!! I for one actually enjoyed the increased “craziness” of the plot! Because we are talking about a comic book world, I could have a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. Sure, it’s awfully convenient that you can just draw a gun, or life-saving medications on a tablet, and they will appear at the right place at the right time, but I didn’t care! Or when plots and stories got re-written because “it’s a comic, just make it so it was all just a dream”. Some might argue that the writers were just trying to keep things unpredictable at the expense of a cohesive story, but I really liked that it kept me guessing until the end, and I never felt that it became messy or incoherent. That being said, I know generally I have pretty broad, forgiving tastes when it comes to TV and movies, and if I enjoy it in the moment, any issues or flaws I may realize after the fact don’t bear much weight on how much I like the drama.

Okay, let’s talk about actors for a moment. LEE JONG SUK as the male lead has won my heart and admiration!! My sister and I had no idea who he was prior to watching this, and TO BE HONEST, we almost didn’t watch W even though a friend had recommended it, because my sister thought his nose “looked funny”. LMAO. Granted, we had just finished Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (another highly recommend for the humour alone hahahaha maybe I’ll review that next!), and we were comparing every other male actor to Park Hyung Sik, who is an absolute puppy. But once we started watching, his performance and dedication to his role really impressed us. He portrayed Kang Chul with emotion and depth, and sold the character to us. If I’m invested in a good character, I’m ride or die with a drama usually. Han Hyo Joo as Oh Yeon Joo gave a great performance as well. I’m not typically as drawn to the female lead unless they are THE main lead (as in, the story’s conflict and plot mostly revolves around that character), and I find female leads are often annoying to differing degrees due to certain writing choices (ie: being useless, slow reaction times, etc), whereas most male leads are often portrayed as being more perfect and not annoying haha. But the chemistry between the leads was great, and the progression of their relationship was satisfying for me. One other actor that really deserves recognition is Kim Eui Sung, who plays Oh Seong Moo, Oh Yeon Joo’s father, aka the creator and artist of W. He was honestly fantastic in a very difficult role that involved him having to play two people – a cranky, eccentric webtoon creator; and a sadistic crazy comic villain (I did give the spoiler warning, right?). He was terrifyingly good as both!!

One thing I really appreciated about the drama was that there was no distracting side plot or side romance, which is so ironic because in the show, the main plot WAS the off-the-rails side plot everyone hated and was complaining about hahahahha. Besides Kang Chul and Oh Yeon Joo, there were no couples in the show, so the whole run-time was devoted either to their relationship, or the main mystery-action storyline. I LOVED THIS. Sometimes side-plots and romances are tolerable, sometimes they are quite good and enjoyable, sometimes they are straight up bad in my opinion. But for me, the main couple and plot is the main reason I watch or read anything, so I had no complaints having those things take up all the screen time.

Finally, one the BEST aspects of the drama was the production quality, design, cinematic effects, and CGI. They blended the real world and comic book “manhwa” world beautifully!! The scenes where characters started “becoming” drawings, or when characters traveled between the worlds (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not), or when things drawn on the tablet materialized in the comic world, were very well-done and progressed the visuals seamlessly. So seamlessly in fact, that I think it contributed to part of the reason why some viewers felt the last half of the drama became muddled. It became hard sometimes to distinguish which world the characters were in because it happened so subtly and also because landmarks were similar (which actually makes sense – many artists and writers draw off of their real world when creating their fictional worlds). But I didn’t mind at all! I liked being slightly confused and nervous and kept in the dark!

Overall, I would give W a 9/10!!! It was almost perfect in my opinion, and I’ve watched SOOOO many dramas this past year, all of which were good (If I can’t get past the first two episodes I drop it, so I’ve curated my watch history to fit my standards very specifically lol). I’m only giving W a 9 instead of a 10/10 because my sister and I found it mildly unrealistic that the characters didn’t use the drawing tablet more often to better equip themselves for situations. WHY DID NO ONE EVER THINK TO DRAW A BULLET-PROOF VEST ONTO THEMSELVES?! hahahah, I’m partially joking. But no really, why?

Anyways, go watch this drama if you haven’t already. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an action thriller, who doesn’t mind having to think a bit and being stressed and/or confused. 🙂

Happy watching, and thanks for reading!

Actually one last note – Lee Jong Suk’s cameo in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo!!! I watched Weightlifting Fairy first, so I didn’t even realize it was a cameo, but then going back and watching it…HILARIOUS! Loved the references to W:  Jong Suk being complimented as looking like a comic book hero, him being a pistol shooter at the athletic college (Kang Chul was an Olympic pistol shooter in W), and the fact that the cameo was with Kang Ki Young (he played a doctor character in W), and Lee Jong Suk commenting that Kang Ki Young looked like a character from a drama. ALSO THAT THE W SOUNDTRACK WAS PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND DURING THAT SCENE. It was magnificent.