djohangaon

Lacking in plot development and character motivation

Queen of Tears is story of Hyun Woo & Hae In's unhappy marriage life, threatened by chaebols and Hae In's fatal illness. A classic soapy melodrama, with star-studded ensemble cast and cameos. The production quality is top, with the stylish wardrobes, wonderful scenery and romantic OSTs. However, the execution was not up to the par.

The first 2 episodes set the story quite well, but they didn't make their characters' motivations sensible. At least give a reason to make me believe why their relationship was failing, instead of crying too much and lack of communication. Really, most of their conversations were ended by crying or fighting to the point I got numb. I was bored with the villains' suspenseless and super slow scheming. By the end it gets ridiculous with all the cliché tropes shoehorned. What ended up to be the most anticipated scenes was the cute auntie Beom Ja's romance, it's fluffy & gave off immense heart-fluttering moments. Overall, the flaws of the drama amounts to my disappointments.

Thanks for reading!
April 2024, Find me on instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

Wow, the finale!!

A struggling lawyer with a secret dark side gets pulled into the dark world of a notorious criminal. But what leads him to the line of evil and will he survive the ordeal of events?

Evilive is a noir-themed kdrama with a dark vibe, focuses on the advent of online gambling. Those who love watching ambiguous characters dive deep into crime, with suspenseful and thrilling events will love watching it. I was rushing in head first without watching any trailer/teaser because I already know these men have proven themselves from their previous roles. Anyone who've watched them know how ‘good’ Shin Ha Kyun, Shin Jae Ha and Kim Young Kwang are when they are bad.

Evilive does not disappoint. The first scene bait is intriguing and you discover what really happen sooner than you think. They set up its character well: their inner struggle and what are at stakes, such as their family, marriage and most importantly... their moral values.

I was having a big fun with the friendships and bromance among our leads. Ha Kyun and Jae Ha's characters are supporting each other like siblings, while Ha Kyun's and Young Kwang's characters are like enemies to bromance relationships, they both don’t trust each other but they stick together throughout. My only nitpick is that cinematography and action are of mediocre quality, but it doesn't matter much as the premise is very strong, the plot has rarely any dull moment, the characters are peculiar, the storytelling takes you deep into the world of law, crime suspects and unexpected twists and turns, none of it disappoints... To enjoy the drama to the fullest, I recommend you to binge this.

-Nov 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

A boring and dissatisfying reveal

Celebrity follows the rise and fall in popularity of a celeb with humble beginnings. What really piques my interest is the mystery behind our female lead's statement that she is actually dead.

With a stellar cast and a promising trailer... I was anticipating a lot from this drama. Also, it's directed by Kim Chul Gyu who also directed Flower of Evil, which is one of my faves of all time). I would say the pacing is great: the writers are doing a really good job at dropping breadcrumbs for multiple different storylines. The camerawork is also very creative and I want to praise it as it enhances all the emotions going on.

But my overall impression is not positive. After I watched half of Celebrity, the story didn't build enough tension for me. The depictions of wealth and glamour were quite enjoyable, but they're visual fluff that just doesn't really appeal to me. I was getting whiplash with one episode that would be so painfully boring, and then the next episode I saw the glimmer of potential conflict, but it never like reached the point of solid storytelling. Also, I don't personally feel as connected with the lead character. She lacks the charm for me to feel sympathy or buy her motivation. I feel like there's a lot about her that I don't know. So I didn't get invested in her relationships with other characters as well.

The last two episodes of this show were quite a drag for me to get through. Even though the episodes are short (20-30 mins), I watch them like in 10-minute chunks. I found the ending so dissatisfying. I wasn't shocked by any of the reveals. I wasn't happy. I wasn't sad. I was pretty emotionless because I could see that the show was ending and I just didn't care.

-July 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

I think this is a show that works if it's your style of show.

As for me, I was a bit skeptical seeing the overacting and temperamental adult Young Phil and Sam Dal when they're introduced. There were too many drunk crying scenes, too. However, when they showed how Sam Dal and Young Phil deal their inner conflicts as the story goes, I feel more sympathy. Especially, Shin Hae Sun's painful acts broke my heart. With Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hae Sun’s ability to create chemistry, I wish the romance is more captivating. Camping trip is fine – but I'm dying for some spiciness, just my preference.

Except for the useless love triangle, I enjoyed the romance and family conflicts, but Young Phil and Sam Dal’s work life were neglected and was only useful as a plot device in the beginning. The resolution is fine, but like Sam Dal's as a photographer could’ve been utilized more. I have to admit that I was more tuned into the side characters stories more than our leads’. I love the neighborhood camaraderie of the Jeju villagers. They delivered all the emotions very naturally, be it humor, grief, or love. Each one of them has a heartwarming story, I love Sam Dal's mom the most.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

Lots of satisfying punches

When Ji Young was a child, his mother was beaten, the criminal was caught but only receive light punishment. So when he grows up, he took revenge on him and continue beating other criminals on the weekends. He's known by public as the mysterious hooded vigilante.

Right from the get go, I see a proper action thriller of an underdog beating up criminal whom the justice system doesn't do justice of their crimes. The show is very fast-paced as the plot thickens by ep 3, becoming even more interesting beyond the main story of a mysterious Vigilante being hunted.

Kudos to Nam Joo Hyuk who is doing the heavy lifting carrying his character's inner struggle and action. He did a great job of showing us Ji Young’s motivations. We understand why he's doing this. It's hinting at neo noir genre because on one side he is supporting justice but also he's in murdering people, so isn't he evil or not? That's the aspect that makes me excited to find out what happens next. This show is very violent and vicious, but it is targeted to one on one combats not like chaotic crowd fighting. Another stand-out character for me is Cho Kang Ok. He provide the thrilling momentum throughout. The closure was quite simple and it’s a good thing! It concludes on a realistic and not-over the top note. I enjoyed it overall, just there's something minuscule off about the show as a whole for me and I can't put my finger on it. I love the premise, thrills and satisfying punches, then for some reasons when I leave it, I have no drive to talk about the plot besides thirst-trapping on Nam Joo Hyuk’s cool and badass actions.

-Nov 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

drag drag dragg

Sajo Hyun (Park Jihoon) suffers from his father's tyranny and due to this upbringing, he develops another personality, who goes by the name Ak Hee. Yeon Wol (Hong Ye Ji) comes from a supportive family and she’s trained to be a fighter since young. Sajo and Yeon Wol shortly-met when Sajo's father did something evil to Yeon Wol's family, which led Yeon Wol to run for her life. 10 years later, Yeon Wol returns and ready to take a revenge.

The leads were introduced well, their childhood backstories set up the tension and stake. But once they grow up, I don't feel connection to them anymore and didn't feel any chemistry between Sajo Hyun and Yeon Wol, so sad :(. The palace intrigue are boring and I didn't get the comedy although I can see them trying. I was bored out of my mind seeing the king being drunk. When his arc was eventually resolved, plot moves along with another villain, whose storyline was annoying and dragggss.. dang!

The whole thing with Sajo and Ak Hee fighting in another dimension is weird and felt detached to the historical setting world. What kept me watching was solely to support Park Ji Hoon. Him as the fierce Ak Hee was exciting to watch and his actions kept me rooting for both him and Sajo Hyun's redemption. His duality acting was great, and he did the best he can despite my disappointment with the script and story execution. With one more episode to watch, I hope we get a satisfying finale and good ending for him.

-Feb 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

This harrowing crime mystery is YEAAAA!!!

Premise: When a narcotics investigator Jang Jae Kyung (Ji Sung) finds himself forcibly addicted to drugs, he must fight to maintain his sanity, all while uncovering the truth behind the suspicious suicide of an old friend which brings intrigue to hidden connections that stem from the past.

An action-packed, suspenseful & endless riddles. I had a blast each week, feeling the “excitement-satisfaction-discussion-confusion” cycle on repeat! The story is dark and juicy. Full of enjoyable twists, well-shot scenes, so many characters who are connected to the main storyline. I get fully invested, each episode leaves me thinking out loud long after watching and craves the next episode. The stakes and emotions are high, unpredictable until the last moment. 99% of the reveals are well-done! Only one that is underwhelming to me, but by the end everything turns out satisfying. It has one of the most refreshing conclusion I've ever seen.

Although it is dark & intense, there's a lot of heart and lessons to the story motivation. It felt cathartic watching how things went down to the characters, both in good or bad ways. Also impressive that they insert some funny moments, not in the form of comedies, but in how the scenes were set up, the dialogues and the confrontations.

The entire cast take the lead and works well together. Be it lead role or supporting role, everyone brings their character to the fullest, making the entire watching experience enjoyable. Me and friends had fun giving nicknames to all of them for their unique traits and actions. Special mentions to Kwon Yool, Jeong Jae Kwang, Jung Soon Won and Yoon Sa Bong for their memorable performances and of course, Ji Sung is magnificent on screen. I love him weak and I love him strong. His pain and despair are contagious and really broke my heart. His portrayal struggling with withdrawal due to his drug addiction was scary and realistic, but not overly sensational. Only a very controlled & skillful actor can do so.

Connection is now sitting on top as my best drama in 2024 and one of my all-time top thrillers. So if you want to watch something intense, gritty, and mind-boggling, with a great cast that literally set things ablaze, here it is! Have fun!

Read More

A decent story that suffers in pacing, could've been better if told in 8 eps

There are a few things I like about Black Out; it nails the creepy and bleak vibes well, decent performance from protagonists and most characters constantly evokes my anger & sinister sides (Although imo these angry scenes are overdone and not always useful to the plot, it makes a good entertainment to laugh at ;P). Whenever we get new clues and revelations after long frustrations of waiting in the dark, it gets intriguing. The cliffhangers keep me coming back.

However, Black Out suffers with its’ pacing, not enough momentum to keep my anticipation high throughout the looong 14-episodes. Without momentum, I often forget what happened, who did what in previous episodes, etc... Some might find the slow-burn investigation to be appealing, but to me it felt sluggish. At some point, the case is not a mystery anymore in viewers pov, but the protagonists keep getting into too many hurdles to reach the truth. In my opinion, the reveals are also a bit dumb, they don’t give the WOW mind-blowing feeling. I still think this is a decent thriller, but would be more thrilling if told in 8 episodes.

Read More

It's heavy on the politics, but the smart leads kept me excited.

Blood Free (BF) is a biotech company that has dominated the lab-grown meat market. Despite its' success, this movement is considered controversial and has put the CEO Yoon Ja Yoo (Han Hyo Joo) at risk to some opposing threats. Woo Chae Woon (Ju Ji Hoon) is recruited as her bodyguard, but with a mission to bring her down.

The sci-fi aspect and the politics were complicated and not that exciting to me, and I wasn't fully drawn by the first impression of the leads. Later, their dynamic becomes much more interesting. Both Ja Yoo and Chae Woon have mutual goodwill but haunted by their past, that keep each other distant. They both are smart and excel in their solitude. Ja Yoo is awesome! Even as she is caught off guard and injured, she is unshaken. Her thoughts and decisions kept me rooting for her win. I don't quite understand Chae Woon since he's hard to read, but his action was daring he kept me engaged.

Pacing-wise, this is fast, we don’t catch a break until the last episode, where I felt is losing momentum, and it ends a bit creepy. But I have to say it’s a great experience overall. The consistent elevated stake was suspenseful, thrilling, and the twists were unpredictable.

Thanks for reading!
Find me on instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

Overall, good but not great. Long live the bromance and friendship!^^

Eun Gyeol is the only one who is hearing among his deaf family, he loves his family and has a passion & talent for music. One day he goes back in time to 1995 where he met his young father who is still hearing, so he wants to change the future. Will Eun Gyeol succeed and can he get back to the present?

This drama was love at my first-sight until ep 6. The story within those episodes give me a lot of typical sweet kdrama moments that first got me like first-watching kdramas. I appreciate the heartwarming family, as they have been underrepresented in recent dramas. Each character is given a strong personality that make me root for them. All-round very very good acting! Their expressions seep off of the screen and pulled my heartstring instantly. The young cast, they are so cute and perfect together. Also the emotional moments are so heartbreaking, I could cry any moment thinking about them. Everyone so good in doing sign languages, but my favorite is Bong Jae Hyun who plays the brother, the way he’s doing sign language is so cute especially when he’s angry XD

The film-editing is on-point: the band, the musical world in Eun Gyeol perspective and such... all fit perfectly with the context. The music is nostalgic and few gives 80's vibes. Storyline is easy to follow but the plot is not-so-simple; different threads and relationships are going on without them being confusing. Honestly, I didn’t know this is a timeslip show until I reached ep 2. What can be either a con or a pro, depending on your own taste, is the drama constantly being very plot-driven, that a lot of things are happening around characters and they don't have enough chances to drive the plot through their decisions.

…this part has spoilers:
So after ep 6, it fell a little flat. Even though there's no slump, the concept of wanting to change the future feels out-of-the-blue, they don’t say anything convincing that take me to be on board with this mission. How much time pass in present day while being in the past is not clear as well. They spent many episodes on lovey-dovey moments, which was sweet, but not as impactful. However, I really like how they develop Chung Ah’s character, that part makes me want to learn sign language now...

Also, the foreshadowing incident that is discussed throughout the drama is teased to our faces with a typical high-school trope, which is serviceable, but doesn’t sit very well with me personally, especially due to what really happened to close this incident arc has nothing to do with this. Another thing I was hoping to see is the conflict resolution between Eun Gyeol and present-day father in the early episodes about schooling vs music… I was curious how they handled this and we get practically nothing, so I'm a bit salty on that. The ending is good but also not explainable, it sooths our souls with happy moments but it could have been a lot more interesting had it be a bit more consistent with the premise.

Read More

I laughed at the silliness, but it's mostly underwhelming.

Married into a chaebol, Oh Wan Soo (Kim Ha Neul) finds herself tangled in a war of money and power. As her own family threatens her and her marriage, the only person she can rely on is her bodyguard.

There was not much that grabbed me throughout. Although the actions were intriguing, the story and twists were all stale. It focus more on family drama and don’t reveal most characters’ connections and motivation until later.

I’m not satisfied with the premise being a bodyguard romance. The romantic scenes were shoehorned randomly to show us there are feelings between them. Moreover, it doesn’t help that both leads were flat and stoic. Looks alone can’t make me invested if the performance were not gripping. On the other hand, Jung Gyu Woon as Wan Soo’s husband acted very well. I felt for his character. A few things were distracting; choppy editing, especially the black screen transitions, and the very loud music. I think more quiet moments or creepy thriller songs would fit better.

Still, it was entertaining at times. K1, played by Jung Joo Yeon & her stunt girl (if any), was amazing in her actions scenes, such a badass fighter! Also, the over-the-top reactions and the English conversations, are some scenes that got the biggest reaction out of me. Overall, not the worst drama but not one I will recommend either.

Read More

Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home

When an aspiring manga artist Tanada Yoh (Mashiko Atsuki) was in a tight spot in his job, he agreed on an unusual contract with a weather forecaster Segasaki Mizuki (Higuchi Kouhei) to live together. In exchange, he cooks and cleans for him. What comes from such a contract is a codependent relationship that makes them both happy and anxious.

At first, Yoh was basically a slave of Mizuki, who later implements a way to earn Mizuki's sympathy and possessiveness so that he can indulged in Mizuki’s gentle yet "rude" behavior. Since the two never communicate well, they often misunderstand day-to-day situations. Most often I find this frustrating, but here it allows for Mizuki's character to be fully fleshed out as story goes. It was so heartwarming when I saw the kind of person he really is.

Of course, this won't be as satisfying if it wasn't for the engaging dynamic between the timid Yoh with his dark quirkiness and a drunk clingy Mizuki. The fact that each of them has a peculiar personality makes it an engaging watch. From them provoking each other so casually, the sunny day lovemaking, to the ASMR scene of them doing finger in mouth thing... Their sweet and romantic moment was a delight every time! Even when they are just eating dinner together, clearly crazy in love, like how newlyweds are. Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home. This is just the beginning of their relationship. If season 2 is coming, I hope to see more on Yoh and Segasaki improving their communication with each other.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

Worth watching for the beyond magnetic chemistry.

An intense melodrama of a rich man falling in love with an innocent woman, imprisoned for her boyfriend's hit-and-run murder. This is the plot of the drama. Seems like a straightforward plot?

The incident involving the two leads made their love very unlikely, and it set up my curiosity to see if they can pull it off or it will be ridiculous. Well, they did pull it off, believe me! The writers took a somewhat weak idea, and crafted something definitely worth watching. They showed that love can come from hate very naturally. Congrats.💕

Pacing-wise, it was boring in the first 8 eps, better when the leads are together, and the last episode was F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S! It rewards my patience with amazing plot twists and shocking reveals. The romance feels normal, it feels right to see hate turns to doubts, doubts if she is actually guilty, and why he started caring and loving her.

Subjectively, this is not a type of genre I enjoy. I’d hate this story if it wasn’t for the couple. I think they overdramatized the female lead, they put her into too much messy situations, and the male lead is your rich-naughty man archetype; He's that toxic male lead in kdrama world that I never approve to exists.

The main reason I kept watching is the acting; Hwang Jung Eum pulls all my heartstrings. I felt every scream, every cry, even when she was smiling, I felt her pain behind that smile. Ji Sung, as you might already know…💕 He’s my #1 💕 Although he's great, his role here is not my favorite compared to others where he’s in the spotlight. But him with Jung Eum shared a shivering chemistry! Special mention to Bae Su Bin, for he delivers! I hated him passionately!

Read More

Ji Sung's mission impossible: accomplished!!

When a psychiatrist Oh Rijin meet a man with dissociative identity disorder, Cha Do Hyeon, she gets fully occupied with each of his seven identities from a man-child troublemaker, an eccentric old man, to an obsessive fangirl. Before she realizes it, she falls in love with one of his egos.

This is a great mix of melodrama and romcom. It’s my go-to show whenever I need a good laugh. The story makes me sympathize with the characters without using cheap tricks. The three leads have the best chemistry! Above all, I'm blown away with not one, but seven characters of our male lead. Casting Ji Sung turned out to be a bullseye! His Baeksang is well deserved! It’s my intro to Ji Sung and I'm happy to be alive. His unpredictability draw me in more than the story does. Shin Se Gi, despite his toxic masculinity spreading, I always anticipate his next moves. And of course, when Yo Na strikes, I was losing myself laughing too much! I also love the OST, Auditory Hallucination.

Kill Me, Heal Me wasn’t without its flaws: the CGI looks messy and chaotic. I also don’t think they need to emphasize the make up and tattoos when he changes personality. I can recognize him changing without all those touch-ups, even from only his gaze. Another con is the repetitive flashbacks and how Ri Jin was bullied by her family. She has the heart of a saint and stubbornness to stick by him even when he was literally changing in front of her eyes, she deserves better! Overall… Fun, heartbreaking, and unpredictable! It's the best guilty pleasure ∋━o(｀∀´oメ）

-Sept 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

it has such an interesting concept for the plot, but... :(

Mokha and Kiho are schoolmates who ended up supporting each other due to their dysfunctional family situations. Mokha dreams of becoming a singer since childhood, but failed to be one due to her abusive father, and she ends up surviving alone in a deserted island. When she's finally rescued, she has to adapt to this modern society that she has left for over 15 years, while keep pursuing her dream.

This first episode got me connected to Mokha and Kiho, it was sad but I love it, including Mokha being alone on a deserted island. My appreciation goes for the young actors, they were so good. Lee Re really looks like young Park Eun Bin and did very well. Moon Woo Jin is such a scene stealer in anywhere I've seen him in. I love his gaze and serious and empathetic looks. I wish there's more to their story, with the time jump and there's almost no island story, we moved on so fast that my emotional investment drops a lot. I find it hard to believe that she is so childlike, like a country-bumpkin in Seoul, and the show is trying to make me feel that way but it didn't feel genuine enough. I get that she doesn't have anyone to develop her social mannerism on the island, but her past-self is even more mature than her adult-self. What I enjoyed in the present time is when Mokha gets to actually connect with her idol and her plot with her idol. I like the Kang brotherhood moments as well, but even with those pros... the cons outweighed the pros; Her career journey should had been more highlighted, but that got sidetracked by a uninteresting love triangle. Another thing, I can give a pass to Mokha's acting but not to her reactions to the plot point reveal, that's just annoying because it seems so out of her character. It might be that the show is written as it airs? I'm not sure. it has such an interesting concept, but this show is just meh.

-Oct 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More