Pinocchio – Korean Drama Review 7

8/10: This drama was funny, poignant, and definitely made me evaluate our society and how media shapes individuals!

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Another great watch from my boy Lee Jong Suk! And Park Shin Hye has a special place in my heart because the first Korean drama I ever watched (way back in high school) was the classic “You’re Beautiful”, and that was really a break-out role for her. (also she was AN ACTUAL FETUS IN THAT DRAMA, LOOKING BACK HAHA).

[MILD SPOILERS AHEAD!]

I really liked this drama because it had a great message that was cohesively driven by the story and characters. It really touched on media corruption, the search for truth, the dangers of greed and desire for revenge, and the importance of family. Park Shin Hye portrays Choi In-Na, a good-natured, passionate girl whose dream is to be a news reporter and anchor like her mother, and she has a fictional medical condition that causes her to hiccup anytime she lies or fails to tell the whole truth. People with her condition are accurately called “pinocchios”. Lee Jong Suk portrays Choi Dal Po, Choi In-Na’s adoptive uncle (basically, Choi In-Na’s grandfather adopted him, lolol…so Dal Po is In-Na’s father’s “older brother” even though he’s in his twenties), and he has serious beef with news reporters and news stations in general because his *real* (not the one with Choi In-Na) family was destroyed by false reporting and irresponsible media coverage. The story was engaging throughout, but at the halfway point things REALLY got rolling as more secrets and corruption were uncovered by the characters! I really liked that there was just one main story and overarching conflict throughout, and it didn’t become a “problem of the day” kind of drama. I think all the supporting characters really did a fantastic job of enhancing this news/media world, and gave the drama a lot of depth!

One of the highlights for me was the relationship between Choi Dal Po and Choi In-Na. Having grown up together in the same home as uncle and niece (lmao), it was so interesting to see the development of their romantic feelings and how much they cared about each other. It was a fresh perspective that was different from how most dramas approach the main couple plot, and I really enjoyed it! It also related well to the storyline, and wasn’t disconnected from everything else that was going on.

I also really liked Choi Dal Po’s backstory and how his motivations changed throughout the drama. He started out as someone who absolutely despised news reporters and the whole industry, deciding to enter the field in order to be able to confront those who had wronged his family and get revenge. But as he works in the field, he begins to realize how complex the truth can be, and how hard it is to stay true to his convictions and morality. His struggle with desiring revenge is made complicated by the fact that Choi In-Na’s mother was directly involved in his family’s scandal, and I thought that it made for very interesting conflicts. On that note, by far the best supporting character was Choi In-Na’s mother, Song Cha-Ok. Her character development and influence on the drama was definitely something that enhanced and brightened the main storyline and plot, and I really liked how the writers used her all throughout the drama!

I’ve been told that my drama reviews can get TOO DAMN LONG, lol, so I’ll wrap it up here! Overall, I would definitely recommend this one to all Lee Jong Suk fans, and to any fans of mystery-romance “sprinkled with comedy” dramas! ***PSA: Do not be scared off by Lee Jong Suk’s atrocious hair in the beginning lol. I PROMISE YOU he gets a glow-up early on, and it’s worth it.

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!!

Movie Review: The Farewell

Hmm, what can I say about this movie? Was it good? Definitely. Was it entertaining? Not really? It was probably the most realistic, slice-of-life movie I have ever watched, actually. Not only because I am ethnically Chinese and therefore related heavily with the setting, conversations, situations, and subject matter, but also because the whole movie was simply something to be experienced. The audience is a fly on the wall, following the humble goings-on of a complex family dynamic. The movie was inspired by the director’s own life, and it was clearly made for herself, not to amuse the viewers or achieve some kind of cinematic milestone. The director has allowed the general public access to this portrayal of an intimate event in her own life, and for that reason I feel a great amount of respect and appreciation for the film. Awkwafina did an incredible job in this more serious, subdued role, and I felt the entire cast portrayed the “chaotic Chinese family” very well!

I’m not going to praise it just because it had an all-asian cast, or because it was a great portrayal of a culture that has largely been neglected in hollywood. I don’t think being biased in favour of a “ethnic minority” movie is actually productive. I think it’s more respectful to all the hard work people put into it if I treat it objectively, as I would any other movie. Overall, it was a good movie for its genre, and for what it was trying to be; a quiet, honest drama about family. I’m not sure I would recommend it to anyone who is expecting something over-the-top or flashy; there were times where it was SO “real life” that the pacing did feel kind of slow. But if you want to watch a movie where it’s less about being engaged, and more about watching life unfold, then I would suggest you check it out! It’s a lower budget film with limited release, but if there’s a show in your area, definitely give it a go!

Thanks for reading, and happy watching 🙂