“Kingdom Season 1 and 2” – Korean Drama Review 14

9/10: if you like gore, Korean zombies, and a very questionable monarchy, then you will like this drama as much as I did!

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Wow, what a stressful experience haha. Like I said in my last review of “Train to Busan”, I don’t know what it is about Korean zombies, but HOLY HELL THEY ARE NOT OUT TO PLAY, THESE MOTHER-HUGGERS CAN RUN.

This drama was so unique and cinematic in its story and portrayal of a “zombie plague” situation, and every episode was truly gripping!! From start to finish, there was this sense of horror and urgency as we watch the main characters fight against not only a mysterious disease that killed people and then brought them back from the dead as flesh-eating monsters, but also fight against the corruption and immorality of the upper class and monarchy.

This drama was very much a plot-driven one; events unfold, and things happen to the characters, and there wasn’t as much time spent on character development or backstory. Which is not to say there wasn’t any; I think there was enough context and development to allow the audience to be invested, and the superb acting and use of body language and expressive eyes still portrayed the many complexities of each character. I also really appreciated that FOR ONCE, they delved into the origins and pathophysiology of the disease!! Maybe it’s just the science/healthcare nerd in me, but I thought that was one of the most interesting aspects of the drama – seeing how it started, how it spread, how it could be combatted. Those things are not often well-flushed out in other zombie material, and I admire the writers for putting effort into making it a believable story, as unrealistic as it was. There was plenty of action and violence, as well as tragedy and tears, and I think there was a perfect balance of each element that all contributed to a cohesive watching experience. I also really thought the ending was excellent!! Enough was resolved to close the chapter, but there was timely well-paced introductions of new material that screams for a season three.

Perhaps the only downside of focusing on the plot is that overall the characters are less memorable as individuals and rather are most effective as an ensemble. Hence why I didn’t feel particularly inclined to search up the actors or remember the names of the characters. Their performances were all fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but the plot was what I was here for, not the individual faces and names. Of course the crown prince is the “main male lead”, but his character was not more or less interesting than the others, and while his motivations were clear and well-developed, it was actually the motivations of the villains that I found more intriguing. I guess you don’t need a reason to be good, but you do need a reason to be bad, haha. As always with zombie movies and TV shows, the zombies are not the true enemy, but is merely a symbol of moral decay and humanity’s darkness. In this drama especially, I was super impressed and horrified by the depth of villainy of the main antagonists. Period dramas often have heavy political aspects, and this drama was no different. In the context of a zombie apocalypse, it really heightened everything to a whole new level!

I would highly recommend this drama to anyone who loves a good horror thriller TV show, and who isn’t afraid of some blood (okay maybe a lot of blood) and graphic fight scenes. I’ll just be here waiting eagerly for another season!

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!

(Also if you’re wondering why there are no gifs for this review, it’s because for some reason there are almost none circulating the internet?? Sad…)

“Train to Busan” – Movie Review

Given the fact that the world is a very virus-ridden place right now, I decided to re-watch this classic again, because “Train to Busan” is hands-down the best zombie movie ever. Indisputable. This is truth. Most other zombie films rely too heavily on mindless action  and basically always involves some bad-ass guy clothed in plot armour and has access to many semi-automatic weapons. But this movie stands out is because the story is character-centred and involves highly sophisticated development for the main protagonist, and it doesn’t sacrifice the gore and suspense either. Korean zombies CAN RUN, let me tell you, they are not here to play LOL. It was also actually super smart to have the majority of the movie take place in a confined claustrophobic train. With nowhere for our characters to escape, it really raised the stakes and kept the stress high.

[SPOILERS AHEAD…ALTHOUGH THIS MOVIE CAME OUT IN 2016, IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET, YOU’VE BEEN SLEEPING]

Gong Yoo’s performance as Seok-woo was SO GOOD!! He perfectly captured the slow transformation from selfish workaholic into a truly brave man who is willing to sacrifice himself for others. One of the most interesting parts of zombie films is that it really provides a foundation to express social commentary and human psychology. After all, it’s during crisis that people reveal who they truly are. As the story progresses, we see Seok-woo change from being someone similar to Yon-Suk (a selfish cowardly high-class man who LIKE INDIRECTLY KILLED A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE BECAUSE HE ONLY CARED ABOUT SAVING HIMSELF, rip baseball boy and his girlfriend omg…), into a strong hero type as portrayed by Ma Dong-Seok’s character, Sang-hwa. The juxtaposition between those who try to save themselves, and those who try to help others is executed very well, and I really appreciated the extra mile the movie went to intentionally defy stereotypes. For example, the “tough guy” character Sang-hwa, who we would expect to be ruthless and selfish, was actually one of the most selfless. Even though he had a pregnant wife to protect, he goes out of his way to save Seok-woo and Su-an (the daughter). Another example would be the homeless man who snuck onto the train. Although higher class people like Yon-Suk looked down on him, and there was the assumption that he was a dirty, mentally slow man, he saved Seok-woo multiple times and ultimately gave his life to save Su-an and the pregnant wife.

I love this movie because behind the hoards of sprinting zombies, blood splatters and thrilling action sequences, it’s a movie about sacrifice. Seok-woo wasted his whole life working and climbing up the corporate ladder rather than caring about his family, and it’s not until he finds himself in this zombie situation that he realizes his mistake. Seok-woo’s final sacrifice for his daughter is absolutely heart-wrenching because the audience can feel his regret and despair. His priorities were finally set straight, but now it’s too late to start fresh. I literally cry every time…the girl that plays the daughter Su-an honestly deserves an Oscar. HER TEARS ARE MY TEARS.

Anyways, my opinion is that this movie is damn near flawless, not just as a zombie flick, but as a cinematic experience in general.

“Itaewon Class – Korean Drama Review 13

9/10: I was really impressed with the story arc of our main character, and how he earned the audience’s trust and admiration…we were all rooting for him!!

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

I have to say that this was truly a masterpiece of a drama! Perhaps the advantage of having excellent source material to go off of really made a difference (it is based off a webtoon of the same name; I haven’t read it and knew nothing about it going into this), but either way, I was super impressed with the story and the strong characters and development!

[SPOILER WARNING!]

Itaewon Class tells the epic tale of a young strong-willed man name Park Saeroyi (played impeccably by Park Seo-Joon) and his motley crew of friends as he strives to become a successful pub owner in an upper class neighborhood in Seoul (Itaewon, obviously). On the surface, it seems like a classic rags-to-riches underdog story, but it is so much more complex than that! Right from the beginning, Saeroyi is portrayed as a person who is full of conviction and who will never compromise his values, and this steadfast characteristic is the main driving force that creates animosity between him and his arch nemesis, Jang Dae-Hee, the founder and CEO of Korea’s biggest food company and restaurant franchise Jangga Group. It was truly awe-inspiring to watch Saeroyi defy and overcome all the challenges that come between him and his dreams.

I absolutely love Park Seo-joon as an actor. He is so good at fully immersing himself into his character, so that when you watch him on screen, you don’t see Park Seo-joon, you don’t see his character in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?” or “Hwarang”, you simply see and admire what he serves you in this drama. Perfection.

One thing that was surprising about this drama was the romance aspect. Right away we are introduced to Saeroyi’s long-time childhood friend Oh Soo-ah (played by Kwon Nara), and pretty early on it’s clear that they develop feelings for each other. But, as their paths diverge and their choices lead them onto opposing sides (Soo-ah begins to work for Jangga Group), it becomes less clear whether this OG romance will actually be endgame. Especially with the introduction of Jo Yi-seo (played by Kim Da-mi, who actually did such an amazing job!!). Ah, Yi-seo. She is the epitome of what it means to be an awesome strong female lead. She is a cold-blooded genius bad-ass essentially, haha, and was definitely one of the reasons for Saeroyi’s successes. As prickly and feisty as she is, however, she portrays such an innocent, pure love for Saeroyi. She falls in love with him quickly and is not ashamed or apologetic of her feelings. Instead, her primary motivation becomes to help Saeroyi achieve his dreams. This starkly is contrasted with Soo-ah’s character, who claims to love Saeroyi, but is unwilling to sacrifice her own goals and desires for him. For example, she chooses to go work for Jangga Group because it’s objectively a great career opportunity, even though she is aware of the great injustice that was done to Saeroyi (more on this later). She repeatedly tells Saeroyi to “force her to quit her job”, aka: she wants him to destroy Jangga Group. so that she doesn’t have to choose between her career and him. But it’s like…bish you already made your choice when you continue to work there despite the fact that it’s a betrayal of your best friend! Anyways, I was always on the Yi-seo train, she just exemplified so much better what it means to sacrifice for the ones you love. Saeroyi’s relationship with Soo-ah was always too passive to be a success story. Neither person put in the effort necessary to sustain and nurture the relationship; it was all based on what was essentially a promise made in high school, lol. I loved how the love triangle highlighted the flaws and strengths of each person involved.

The slow organic development of Saeroyi’s relationship with Yi-seo made the relationship really believable and one that the audience could truly root for At first, he was so adamantly against her feelings because he still liked Soo-ah (or so he thought. But honestly I think he was just too busy trying to beat Jangga Group to think too deeply about how he actually felt lol). And he was definitely put off by the age difference; he is 10 years older than Yi-seo, who was 20 years old at the time when she first starts working for him at his pub. Her persistence wins in the end though, and I have to admire a woman who confidently goes after the man she wants! Ultimately, because she was such a useful asset to his team, I think Saeroyi had confused romantic feelings (which is what he truly felt towards her), with simply friendship and admiration of her competence (what he thought he felt towards her). It was only when he stepped back to evaluate whether he would still want Yi-seo around him if his business died, that he realized that his feelings for her ran deeper.

One of the things I love most about any story, be it a movie, drama, book, etc, is when the main character goes through an arc that comes full circle. Itaewon Class presents a perfect example of excellent story-telling. Much of Saeroyi’s motivations throughout the drama was based on his desire to take down Jangga Group to get revenge for his father’s death (long story short, Jang Dae-Hee’s son accidentally killed him in a hit-and-run collision, but the whole thing is covered up…yikes). From the very beginning, there is this problem of two proud people butting heads: Park Saeroyi and Jang Dae-Hee. Neither is willing to budge or bend to the other. Jang Dae-Hee throughout the drama repeatedly asks Saeroyi to get down on his knees before him, and every time, Saeroyi refuses because he cannot bear to bow to someone who is the pinnacle of injustice and corruption. But by the end, he realizes that getting revenge is not something to live for. He was living for the dead (his father), when really, he ought to be living for the living (Yi-seo and his other friends who stood by him and helped him with his dreams). His paradigm shift was beautifully expressed near the end of the drama, where Jang Dae-Hee once again asks him to get down on his knees, and he complies, finally willing to humble himself so that he can save the one he loves most, Yi-seo. IT WAS SO EPIC OMG, and I was so proud of him. Definitely one of the strongest aspects of this drama was how character-focused it was, and how different characters acted as foils for each other.

The other supporting characters in this drama were all really great. Saeroyi’s Itaewon Class pub crew was such a cute group of friends who all experienced first-hand how noble and upright Saeroyi was, and therefore aligned themselves with him loyally and absolutely. Saeroyi’s philosophy of respect, diligence, and integrity is something that is admired by all, and the connections built on that foundation is what leads to his success. He gains people’s faith, and delivers!

This drama had it all; action, romance, thrills, and humour. It was heart-warming, heart-wrenching, and just so raw and genuine. It’s not your standard slice of life drama, and the impact and message of the story is truly valuable and memorable! One motif that is used throughout the drama is this idea of soju tasting sweet or bitter depending on how good your day was. “How does it taste?” Park Saeroyi’s father had asked him this at the very beginning. And finally, finally, at the end, Saeroyi takes a sip of his drink and smiles at the audience, and we know that it’s a sweet night.

“Vagabond” – Netflix Korean Drama Review 10

8/10: I loved this drama so much that even the WTF ending didn’t really get me down lolol…(I still feel very cheated though).

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

I’m speechless, honestly. HOW COULD THE WRITERS DO THIS TO ME?!

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

I enjoy a good cliff-hanger as much as the next girl, but the ending to Vagabond was especially frustrating because it felt like after 16 hours of espionage, conspiracy, and bloodshed, we literally went back to square one. Like, WTF?!

However, that being said, there was so much good acting and good action, and a highly gripping (albeit grossly unrealistic) plot involving terrorist attacks and corrupt powerful people, that even though the ending had me writhing with dissatisfaction, I still have to walk away saying it was a good drama, and definitely worth watching.

Cha Dal-Geon, played by the hunky Lee Seung-gi, had a fairly simple characterization, and is a brooding, vengeful stuntman who swears to untangle the insidious web of corruption behind a plane crash that kills his young nephew. However, I was truly impressed by Lee’s intense portrayal of the character. There was so much grief and frustration and rage LOL!! And the fact that he did all his own stunts in real life, too! Although his character didn’t go through a lot of deep development, it kind of made sense that his convictions and sense of justice didn’t waver throughout the drama. No matter what obstacles got in his way (and no matter how many people popped up trying to kill him – trust me, there were many), he grit his teeth and fought his way out. I admire his steadfastness and resolve a lot!

My girl Bae Suzy was also back as the female lead, this time portraying the clever and tenacious, but also somewhat incompetent, NIS agent Go Hae-ri. She gets caught up in the plane crash terrorist attack when it becomes apparent that the cause of this tragic event extends beyond just isolated terrorism, but actually involves huge business conglomerates, the federal government, and Korea’s very own National Intelligence Service. DUn duN DuN!!! Suzy’s acting continues to improve! I really enjoyed her performance in “While You were Sleeping”, and I was curious to see how she would hold up in a more dramatic, action-heavy show as opposed to a romantic comedy (although “While You were Sleeping” did expand into many genres). I think she did a really great job! She complemented Lee Seung-gi very well, and their excellent chemistry was a highlight of the drama for me!

Also, this scene, where they were trying to high-five through prison bars with Cha Dal-geon handcuffed to a pipe was so cute haha.

The acting and production value in general was top-notch! I have noticed that most Netflix original dramas do seem to involve more exotic places, complex camera work, and larger sets and action sequences (Ie: “Memories of the Alhambra”). It’s nice to see that a bigger budget does lead to bigger entertainment sometimes, aha. Another thing they have in common is the OPEN ENDING LEAVING ROOM FOR A SEASON TWO. “Memories of Alhambra” was bad enough, but the ending at least provided some level of closure, while still dangling some loose ends for more story. But VAGABOND, OMG. Just watch it…you’ll understand.

Finally, shout-out to the whole supporting cast!! The acting was consistently strong throughout, even with the foreign actors (which was nice to see! I’m glad they used local actors, too!). Engaging characters and well-developed portrayals can definitely make up for perhaps a weaker storyline in many cases! In particular I really loved the NIS agents Ki Tae-woong (played by Shin Sung-rok) and Gong Hwa-sook (played by the hilarious Hwang Bo-ra). Hwa-sook was mostly a comic relief character, but she was sharp and resourceful, and I always enjoyed her scenes. Agent Ki was a character who really grew on me as the drama progressed. He acts a a foil to Dal-geon. Both of them are so stoic and rigid in their senses of justice and righteousness, but where Dal-geon is more fiery and headstrong, Agent Ki was icily calm and more calculating in his actions. Agent Ki placed super high importance on following orders and obeying the government…but when those ideals clashed with his moral code, it was really interesting to see him wrestle with his priorities and go through that character development.

I would say one criticism I have is that there were a lot of PLOT TWIST moments that successfully cause my fiancé  and I to be like “OMGGG NO WAYYYY WHAT??!?”, but then when you take yourself out of the story and actually think about if that was feasible, the answer would be “lol no”. This also happened with a lot of characters, because for the vast majority of the show, you had no idea what people’s intentions were, whether they were on the good side or the corrupt side, or who could be trusted. I personally don’t really mind unrealistic “far left field” plot holes as long as they aren’t too frequent or too blaring, but I could see how some viewers might feel like the story just gets “too crazy”. As my sister described it, it’s literally a conspiracy theory taken ALL THE WAY haha. But hey, I’m here for it, lol.

Overall, if you love action dramas that keep you on your toes and guessing the whole time, I think you’d like this drama. Amidst the fighting and gunfire, there was also enough of a sprinkling of humour, romance, and heart-warming/heart-wrenching moments to adequately diversify the emotions of the audience. I would highly recommend it for a fast-paced and thrilling good time!

Thanks for reading, and happy watching!!

“Memories of the Alhambra” – Korean Drama Review 9

9/10: I enjoyed every minute of this drama! And I thought the ending was pretty much perfect as far as giving me closure, but also leaving potential there for more story to be told.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

What an intensely wild and fresh drama!! I had heard mixed reviews about this Netflix original, mainly that it suffered from a confusing plot and got really messy near the end. The writer, Song Jae-jung, was the writer for “W”, and that drama got similar criticisms…I loved “W”, but even though the reviews didn’t deter me much, I still went in with some reserved expectations. I re-subscribed to Netflix AGAIN for this hahahahaha.

Folks, it was really good!!! The concept and storyline was very unique and intriguing, and the many complex layers of plots and developments is really what kept me compelled and interested from start to finish. I don’t want to give away anything, because part of the reason it was so good was because I didn’t know what the fudge was going on half the time, lol. I know for some viewers that could be a point of frustration or weakness, but for me, I love stories that challenge or confuse me, as long as the pay-off and resolution are satisfying. (side note: OMG THE ENDING…I’m speechless. No spoilers, but…goodness.)

The basic premise revolves around this newly developed “AR” (augmented reality) game where players put a special lens into their eyes and are then able to walk around their real-world defeating enemies, completing quests, collecting items and weapons, levelling up, etc. You can imagine the amount of shit that can potentially go down with such technology in the works. I would say this drama’s genre is definitely fantasy-action, with a healthy dose of thriller and mystery. Romance does make a well-developed appearance, but compared to the other working elements in the drama, I was less concerned about the main couple’s relationship (even though it was very well-done, and I did care, don’t get me wrong) and more concerned about HOW THE HELL YOO JIN-WOO WOULD GET HIMSELF OUT OF THE VARIOUS MESSES HE WAS IN.

The main protagonist, Yoo Jin-Woo, played by Hyun Bin, is a CEO of an investment company and is extremely interested in buying the rights of the aforementioned AR game. I’m not familiar with Hyun Bin’s other works, but he did an AMAZING job in this drama, and I loved his character so much haha. Park Shin-Hye plays the main female lead, Jung Hee-Joo, and she does a great job as usual. She plays the owner of a small, mildly run-down hostel in Granada, Spain, and for a number of reasons gets caught up with Yoo Jin-Woo and the AR game as well. The character herself was not super unique or interesting compared to other female leads, but to me, this drama was mainly about Yoo Jin-Woo, so Jung Hee-Joo’s purpose was to complement his story, and I think she fulfilled the writers’ intentions. Perhaps people who were hoping for a more romance-driven plot would be disappointed, but I personally didn’t mind that the relationship was a side plot. Also shoutout to EXO’s Chanyeol, who has a very significant and mysterious supporting role. I was super impressed by his acting, and his character was by far one of the most interesting!! Another supporting character I absolutely loved was Jung Hee-Joo’s younger sister, Jung Mei-Joo. SHE WAS FRIGGING HILARIOUS HAHAHA, and I loved all her interactions with Yoo Jin-Woo!!! Sorry for being ambiguous, but the drama is really best enjoyed going into it knowing as little as possible!

I really can’t think of many things to nitpick about, as story-wise, I thought it was almost flawless in the way it was handled and visually rendered. Maybe the only thing would be that flashbacks were used generously to keep the audience guessing about the chronological timeline of events. I personally didn’t mind, but I could see how for some people it could get tiring to re-watch scenes, or become confusing due to all the overlap.

There were so many layers to this drama, each episode gives the audience a lot to digest and anticipate!! I would highly recommend this drama to anyone who enjoys video games, thrilling plots, and action! I wish I could say more!!

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…

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

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!