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Corruption, Mystery, Intrigue..."Stranger" Has it All!

There is nothing so beautiful as an intricate plot so deftly woven that it is literally a work of art. And there is nothing that compliments a masterful plot like deep and intelligent characters.

"Stranger" is one of the best series I've ever seen. And I've been watching shows for over 45 years. When I began Season 1, I was instantly hooked, and I found myself binge-watching the series.

The story has so many plot twists and turns that I doubt that even the most savy viewer will be able to figure it all out. It centers around what seems to be, a fairly standard murder. Hwang Shi Mok is, what would be our equivalent of an assistand district attorney, knows the victim, and takes it upon himself to investigate.

Shi Mok is like watching a master detective at work. He's like a Korean Sherlock Holmes. He is not only able to piece together events, but he does so in a way that makes you think of a master jigsaw puzzler who is able to put the 3000 pieces together within a short span of time. Shi Mok is smart, intelligent, and also calm and cool under fire. Why? Because he has a unique characteristic: he lacks empathy. Due to violent outbursts as a child, he had a surgical procedure done that literally prevents him from having such outbursts anymore. Therefore, to most of his colleagues and even strangers, he appears cold and aloof.

Shi Mok's sole partner in his investigation is Lieutenant Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doona). Bae Doona quickly became one of my favorite Korean actresses. She also successfully brings us a very intelligent and driven detective who is as determined to get to the truth as Shi Mok is. Of course, she has trouble figuring out why Shi Mok comes across as such a quirky fellow, but she soon develops tremendous respect for him and his ability to speak his mind (which he always does!).

It isn't often that I bring up the theme music for a show, but this one reminds me of Hans Zimmer's Batman score a bit! It's catchy, and it seems to sum up all of the excitement and intrigue that this series provides!

The plot is expertly crafted and multi-layered. Much like an onion, once one layer is exposed, there is another. This forces Shi mok and Yeo Jin to wonder just how far and how deep the conspiracy goes.

The British series "Line of Duty" is a show about police corruption. This show not only takes it much farther, but this story is far more taut and exciting! I cannot emphasize enough just how much credit the writers should be given. It's not easy to put something like this together. "Stranger" is nothing short of a being an absolute masterpiece! Master mystery writers like Agatha Christie would be proud! Literally from start to finish, "Stranger" keeps up the intrigue and never pauses even for a moment!

**I was so excited when Season 2 came out, and even more excited to find out that there is a Season 3 on its way!**

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The Power of Healing

"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

This line from "Rocky Balboa" seemed to ring loudly in my mind as this series concluded for me. Indeed, no one goes through life unscathed, and some take even greater lumps than most. However, no matter what we've suffered, it's perseverance that matters most. Not giving up. Always push on.

To my mind, K-dramas are dominating the television airwaves. While I have watched a few bad ones, most have been anywhere from great to superb. "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" certainly fits the "superb" bill for me.

As several reviewers have already mentioned, this is a very unique series that deals with the mental and emotional suffering that everyone has to deal with at some point in their lives. Perhaps that is what makes the series so relatable as well as profound with the central question: when do people finally acquire the courage to take responsibility for their own lives?

For so many people in this world, we blame our parents for our misfortunes and our sufferings. Why didn't they love us more? Why did they mistreat us? Where was that unconditional love we were supposed to be showered with?

Unfortunately, the answers we tell ourselves are filled with as many lies as the questions we come up with. Perhaps we weren't worthy of that love. Perhaps we simply weren't good enough. No matter what answers we contrive in an attempt to "makes sense of it all" we, too often, play the victim.

Gang-Tae is a caregiver at a local mental hospital. His body is riddled with scars given to him by patients who have lashed out at him. However, his physical scars pale in comparison to his emotional ones. In short, he truly believes he is not worth loving.

Sang-Tae is Gang-Tae's older brother with fairly severe autism. He suffers from a moment in the past when he was present for his mother's murder. The murderer threatens to kill him should he ever tell anyone about it. So scarred by the event, Gang-Tae placates his brother by making sure to move every autumn of every year. He somehow wants to be free of his burden.

Ko-Muen Young is a woman who was touted as a princess by her mother; someone who is head-and-shoulders above everyone else. And people should be treated with disdain and contempt for being so beneath her. This is a woman who has no idea how to interact with people. She had no filter, and therefore, speaks her mind and her feelings, both good and bad. She is a little girl desperately wanting someone to love her.

The irony is that all three characters, in some way, shape or form, represent some of the most common fears and desires of every single person on this planet: to be worthy of love, to be relieved of our fears and burdens, and to simply be loved for who we are.

The series masterfully navigates how all three characters are able to find peace with themselves, and perhaps, even some joy culminating in a last episode that will have you smiling and crying at the same time.

Yes, it is okay to not be okay. It is okay to fall. It is okay to be knocked down. It is not okay to give up and stay down. Everyone must find the courage to get up and keep going. That is the series' central message.

The performances in this series are top-notch all the way around. However, accolades must truly be given to Jeong-Se Oh (Sang-tae) who turns in a performance that easily rivals Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man." In fact, to my mind, Jeong-Se Oh's performance surpasses it. He is truly deserving of any awards he might acquire for one of the best acting performances seen in a long time.

This series has almost everything: a mystery, laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt moments, cringeworthy moments, and plenty of relatable moments, depending on who you are.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It should almost be required viewing. For perhaps, you might find some "healing moments" of your own as you watch this show, and be presented with the question: will you blame others for your problems? Or will you find the courage to begin living your own life?

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I watched "Descendants of the Sun" and wondered if I'd see another series that could match it. Then, I watched "Mr. Sunshine," and thought, "there's no way I'll ever see another series like this." Imagine the joy of being wrong twice! Along comes, "Crash Landing on You," which may end up being my favorite of all of them. It's a toss-up between this and Mr. Sunshine. In short, this is one of the best series I've ever seen, and for me, the Korean Dramas I've watched have not disappointed at all as most are character and plot driven. In fact, overall, I've seen better quality shows out of Korea and Japan in the last several years than I have with American shows.

The writing, and especially, the editing is some of the best I've ever seen. The plot is intricately weaved, not using some of the typical cliches and devices as some shows do when trying to get the two main characters together. In this case, we're given the beautiful wise lesson on screen: happiness is in the journey. Not the destination.

Seri is a woman who owns her own company and is part of an extremely rich family. Her world, despite the money and success, is cold and empty. She sits alone in a massive penthouse. She has all of the luxuries that one could ask for. However, she has a family, especially her half-siblings, who are about as cut-throat as anyone could imagine. She doesn't realize what is missing in her life until a storm, while para-gliding, blows her across the border into North Korea.

Ri Jeong-Hyeok is a North Korean captain who comes across Seri. At first, he and his unit of men aren't sure who Seri is and why she's there. Ri Jeong-Hyeok was a master pianist before joining the military, and intent on solving the mystery of his older brother's death. At first, he seems very straight-forward and unassuming, while underneath is a man full of life, passion, and love.

The first set of episodes of Seri trying to adapt to life in a North Korean village are especially hilarious. Imagine a pampered woman suddenly having to go without electricity? How to take a bath...how to cook, etc. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, I know full well what this adaptation feels like!

Perhaps for the first time in her life, Seri not only finds a connection with Ri Jeong-Hyeok, but also with the village women and also with the members of Ri Jeong-Hyeok's unit. It's ironic that she had to cross the border to find a group of people who were more like family for her than her real family back home!

The best plots are ones that aren't forced or contrived, and this one doesn't use either one. We are taken effortlessly from North Korea into South Korea as Seri and Ri Jeong-Hyeok find themselves at the center of two sinister plots, each one contrived by people on either side (North and South Korea).

Of course, the biggest question is: despite the situations they must survive and unravel, can they spend a life together? Is it feasible for two people, from the only divided country in the world, be able to have a relationship? North Korea might as well be the darkside of the moon, as communications between the people of the two countries is non-existent. Finding the answer to this question is the beauty of the journey of this series.

The entire cast is simply terrific. They meticulously and effortlessly give us endearing characters who are absolutely hilarious at times and heartfelt at others. All are also able to deftly convey a range of emotions, especially the two leads in Hyun Bin and Ye-Jin Soon whose chemistry is much of what makes this series so incredible.

The editing is some of the best I've ever seen in a movie or series as we are given scenes in one episode, only to realize that we were only given a partial look at the whole. Each time, we are given a joyful surprise and many, "Ah-ha" moments when we realize what really happened!

Apparently North Korean defectors served as consultants on this series to try and make life in North Korea depicted as accurately as possible.

Some might feel that the ending isn't the most ideal, but that's why I like it. It's realistic. They end up making the absolute most of the time that they have. These contrived, formulaic "happy endings" simply do not reflect life or relationships themselves.

I have been watching movies and television series for over 45 years, and frankly, this series absolutely blew me away. It captured my imagination and my heart as I see a veritable "Romeo and Juliet" struggling to find ways to connect, love, and protect each other. They are such a short distance away from each other across the border, but as I stated before, the distance might as well be from the earth to the moon. I love stories about relationships, where the two people have to find a way to overcome the obstacles and pitfalls laid out before them. Two people with enough love and determination will always find a way. And that is why the joy of watching this series is in the journey and not the destination! And this journey was simply sweet, magical, and joyful. What more could you ask for in a great series?

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So far, I have seen three Korean dramas that have blown me away. "Descendants of the Sun," "Stranger," and now "Misaeng." "Misaeng" is about four interns, hoping to secure jobs in the Korean trading company, One International. Those unfamiliar with how Koreans do business may easily find themselves intrigued and sometimes disgusted with the Korean working environment.

Still mostly a male dominated work environment, you will see that it is still a difficult and challenging place for women to break into. Being verbally abused, and even occasionally sexually harassed, despite the company guidelines forbidding it, women take on the challenge of having to "put up with it" while trying to climb the corporate ladder.

A group of interns are working at One International with the hope of securing a permanent position through a contract offer. Of course, the four interns that the series focuses on, all come from different backgrounds and have differing personality traits. What makes them interesting is that they are all complex characters, causing the viewer to find certain things endearing about each one as well as things you may be turned off by. Sounds like real life, right? And that is just one of the charms that makes this series work so well.

First, we have Geu-Rae, a highly introverted young man, who doesn't have much of an educational background. His resume is full of small, part-time jobs that cause his fellow interns to contemptuously wonder how he got the internship in the first place. Especially contemptuous is fellow intern, Baek-Gi. Unknown to most of his co-workers and even his supervisors, Geu-Rae is a champion in the classic game of bad-uk (Go). Somehow, he is able to utilize bad-uk strategies to help him solve problems. He is also able to take criticisms without taking them personally. He knows he's there due to connections, and not because of any ability that he has. Geu-Rae, therefore, knows that he has to prove himself by working even harder than any of the other interns.

Next is Young-yi, portrayed by the beautifully capable So-ra Kang as the only female intern. She is dedicated, and she already has much knowledge about the trading business. She is also able to speak several languages fluently. However, she has to take the abuse from her male colleagues, forcing her to do nothing more than retrieve coffee, get their shoes cleaned, and so forth. Somehow, she is able to do these things long enough to prove to them, that she's highly capable and only wants to serve and support her team. I cannot imagine how it must be for a Korean woman trying to succeed in such an environment where she is derided and taking constant abuse. To make matters worse, her own father tells her that he regrets that she wasn't born a boy.

Baek-Gi is the ambitious intern who is a bit prim and proper. He's a bit arrogant, and feels that certain jobs are beneath him. It takes him a while to understand why there is a learning curve in place and also to learn how to be humble and supportive. When Geu-rae, at one point, appears to be getting more recognition than him, Baek-Gi doesn't take it well as his resentment builds toward Geu-rae...until he finally learns the truth about Geu-rae's past. Baek-Gi starts off as a very unlikable character, but he quickly grows on you.

Seok Ryul is the wild, passionate, and somewhat lazy intern, who'd rather spend his time gawking at girls than working. However, his strength lies in his knowledge of the working factory man; the blue collar workers who "slave away," often in unfavorable conditions and with outdated equipment, in the company factories. He's also a bit resistant to authority, especially if he feels that he's being taken advantage of. However, he loves his fellow interns, and his friendship with all of them is important to him.

The power of this series is in the relationships between, not only the interns, but also with their co-workers. These are people who spend more time with each other than with their own families. Comradery is important to them , and they often work late hours or go out for drinks together after work.

The heart and soul of this series, rests with Mr. Sang-shik Oh (stellar performance by Sung-min Lee, who all but steals the series!), who is Geu-rae's boss of Sales Team Three. At first, Mr. Oh is reluctant and even a bit hesitant to help Geu-rae learn the job due to his lack of qualifications and experience. However, upon seeing Geu-rae's willingness to learn the job as well as his determination, Mr. Oh relents. More than that, he takes Geu-rae under his wing, and we quickly find that the two characters have a love and a respect for each other that is quite touching and heart-warming. Geu-rae, who has been alone much of his life, finds a "father-figure" in Mr. Oh.

We see our cast of characters dealing with one obstacle after another, as they struggle in the workplace; a place that is sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile, and always competitive. The stories are first-rate as well as the actors who bring these fascinating characters to light. You'll laugh, you'll cheer, and you'll occasionally even find yourself choking back tears.

You'll quickly adhere yourself to characters that you love, and despise those that you don't. In the end, I think most people would love to have a boss like Mr. Oh who demonstrates wonderful integrity, despite the back-dealings, and money-grubbing traits of many of the greedy managers around him. He looks after all of the interns, and he has no problem "tripping" those who abuse them in very funny situations.

Misaeng shouldn't be missed or overlooked. This series has it all.

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One of the Best Shows I Have Ever Seen!

I have been watching movies and shows for over forty years. And, yes, this show is THAT good! After watching "Descendants of the Sun" only a couple of years ago, I was wondering how long it would be before another grand series came about; a series that resonates with the heart and soul; a series with a crisp story and fantastic performances by the actors. And along came "Mr. Sunshine."

I can only think of a couple of series that are on par with "Mr. Sunshine." "Band of Brothers" is one and "Descendants of the Sun" is another.

What is truly sad is that much of the world is quite ignorant when it comes to Korean history, I'm sure. It's a country that always seems to be at odds with Japan, and sometimes China and Russia as well. Its turbulent history has too often been plagued by invasions or other countries attempting to gain control of the small peninsula.

"Mr. Sunshine" tells of the time when Korea was, once again, fighting against Japanese occupation in the beginning of the 20th century. With virtually no real army to speak of and a king with little power on the throne, Korea or "Joseon" found itself relying on rebel guerilla tactics to try and prevent the Japanese from a complete takeover.

Several characters find themselves unknowingly intertwined with each other at the outset of the series. One boy finds himself quickly orphaned and making his way to America to begin a new life. He returns to Joseon years later as a U.S. Marine Captain. Little does he know how the turn of events would pull him into the conflict between his previous homeland and Japan.

The story's focal point is on three men who all happen to have feelings for the same woman, Go Ae-shin; a woman with a background as terrible and wrought with horror as the marine captain's. And yet, she is the heart and soul of the rebel forces. It is admirable and captivating to see this woman spearhead the rebellion, as well as her willingness to do whatever it takes to help her country. Tae-Ri Kim is perfectly cast, giving Ae-shin tremendous depth and complexity to her character.

The cast is simply magnificent from top to bottom. Every role, no matter how large or small, is handled with immaculate precision and depth. However, there is, to my mind, one who stands out just a hair above the rest. And that is Byung-Hun Lee as Eugene Choi, the marine captain. The man has a regal distinction that very few actors in history have been able to pull off with such ease. He may appear to be emotionless in many of his scenes, but to make such an assumption would be wholly inaccurate. I've said many times: an actor/actress who can say more with their eyes than with words, is a true master at their craft. Byung-Hun Lee is such a performer. I cannot imagine anyone else playing this part with the integrity and depth that he brings to Eugene Choi.

This is quite literally a "Do not miss!" series. With 24 episodes, each at about 75 minutes each, you are in for a wonderful treat. This is a show to savor. One might be wishing to quickly move on to the next episode, but I found myself stepping back and letting each episode soak within me instead. Like a perfect French dessert, you relish taking your time and savoring each bite. This is such a series.

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A Series Nearly Ruined By the Final Episode!

If I was to compare this series to a 400m track race, I’d say that it got off to an explosive start. It then showed a bit of a loss in pace, got back on track, and then with only 50 meters left, it crashed to the ground and had to crawl across the finish line.

I have been watching TV shows and movies for over 50 years. Perhaps there is nothing so frustrating than investing in a series that drops the ball just before the goal line. As a novelist, I know how challenging it can be to come up with a viable ending to a story. It’s absolutely criminal to come with an ending so silly and contrived that it virtually destroys the entire story.

Baek Sa Eon and Hong Hui Ju are married. Nothing is at it seems as the marriage is only for show. Baek Sa Eon treats her as though she were an intruder in his house rather than as a wife. He’s short and temperamental with her. And it’s obvious that Hong Hui Ju would rather be anywhere else than with Baek Sa Eon. However, due to the family’s past and arrangement, Hong Hui Ju is like a piece of luggage that is passed on from one person to another. She has virtually no say in her life, which is pretty much literal as she’s unable to speak, or so we think.

Baek Sa Eon gets a strange phone call from someone threatening to kill Hong Hui Ju unless he complies with the kidnapper’s demands. He instantly refuses and even bates the kidnapper by telling him to “go ahead and kill her.” We quickly find out that Hong Hui Ju has set everything up herself with the hopes of forcing Baek Sa Eon to divorce her due to the unhappy state of their marriage.

As more of the story unfolds, we discover that Baek Sa Eon isn’t the real son of his family but a stand-in. His “family” has deep, dark secrets that he becomes unwittingly a part of. Hong Hui Ju’s family is no less corrupt as Baek Sa Eon’s father is running for president and needs the support and power of Hong Hui Ju’s family. Instead, Baek Sa Eon was put in place of the real Baek Sa Eon, who was a sadistic murderer even as a child. Baek Sa Eon’s grandfather chose to get rid of the boy rather than attempt to help or rehabilitate him.

Throughout most of the middle part of the series, Baek Sa Eon finds himself falling in love with Hong Hui Ju, or so we’re made to believe until we find out that he’s actually always liked her, despite his contradictory behavior in the first few episodes. Almost laughingly, we also find out that Hong Hui Ju also had feelings for Baek Sa Eon going back to their childhood.

Despite the story being put together a bit piecemeal, it’s the chemistry and obvious feelings between Baek Sa Eon and Hong Hui Ju that keeps the story afloat, thanks mostly to Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin, two exceptional actors. I’ve seen Yoo Yeon Seok in several series, and the man’s a truly gifted performer. From “Mr. Sunshine” to “Hospital Playlist,” he showcases his diversity and his ability to get inside any character he plays. This is my first time watching Chae Soo Bin, and she is simply mesmerizing in how she brings true vulnerability to her character, making you wonder how and why Baek Sa Eon can treat Hong Hui Ju so badly.

As Baek Sa Eon learns more about his family’s history and what they’re plotting, the more determined he becomes to protect Hong Hui Ju as well as trying to rectify what’s happened to her. All of this is done as the real Baek Sa Eon attempts to destroy the imposter, typically by going through Hong Hui Ju, knowing that is where his true vulnerability lies. Never mind that Hong Hui Ju isn’t kidnapped once in this series, but twice! Going to the same “well” twice doesn’t quite work.

The series all but collapses in the final ten minutes of the 11th episode and into the final one as the writing becomes incredibly sloppy and asks the viewer for a lot of suspension of disbelief.

It appears that Baek Sa Eon is killed, although we quickly learn that it isn’t the case as Hong Hui Ju, recovering from her kidnapping, insists that he’s been at her bedside. However, Baek Sa Eon disappears for over six months, leaving poor Hong Hui Ju wondering where he is, what’s happened to him, and also wondering why he won’t contact her. Hong Hui Ju is going through a deep depression waiting for any information that will give her a clue as to where he is.

Finally, a clue comes through, and she finds herself traveling to some country halfway around the world in search of Baek Sa Eon. After nearly being killed by country rebels, Baek Sa Eon saves her and begins admonishing her for showing up. Really?! What did he expect her to do? I was a little surprised that Hong Hui Ju didn’t get angry with him, given his pathetic reasoning. Baek Sa Eon insists that he needed to punish himself for what his family had done to Hong Hui Ju. His logic is so backwards and ludicrous that it invites the obvious question: how does punishing Hong Hui Ju fit into his plans? Because that is exactly what he is doing by disappearing and going off the grid. Did he truly think that she wouldn’t do everything possible to try and find him? Did he never fully understand or realize how much Hong Hui Ju loves him?

Frankly, it made no sense, and it also makes Baek Sa Eon come off as a truly pathetic coward. I didn't feel sorry for him even when he was sniveling like a child. You want to make it up to Hong Hui Ju? Then love her and do your best to make her happy. Instead, he’s actually responsible for bringing her further pain and suffering. His actions are completely counterproductive. I can see Baek Sa Eon being upset and perhaps even overwhelmed by his family’s actions toward Hong Hui Ju, but I couldn’t see him taking it out on her. This is what happens when a writer makes the mistake of going against character for the sake of the plot.

This series would have benefited greatly had it only been ten episodes and avoid the absurd ending that we ultimately got. Even in the last scene, Baek Sa Eon is still terrible at letting Hong Hui Ju know where’s going, forcing her to worry and wonder why she can’t get ahold of him.

Too many inconsistencies and a terrible ending nearly ruined this series. Only the performances of the two leads kept me vested enough to wade through the last episode. A series with such promise and great performances deserved a competent writer who obviously didn’t know the characters as well as we do.

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Incredibly Sloppy Work in One of the Worst Action Series!

I’ve read a number of reviews that compare this series to “24,” which is an insult to anyone who has ever watched the show. “24” never had so many blatant plot holes, poor characterizations, and lapses in basic writing skills. I know the series was made in 2009, but this series plays like a bad episode of the A-Team. People who can’t hold weapons properly or even fire them with any kind of skill. I lost count of how many supposed “professional soldiers” are holding and firing their guns sideways! I guess the budget didn’t allow for a technical advisor, nor did they have the brains to have a medical examiner and pathology lab at NSS Headquarters. By the way, “24” had all of these things because they did their best to make sure everything was as accurate and functional as possible.

The sad part is that the premise for the story is actually a really good one. A secret organization called “Iris” is manipulating and controlling events in both North Korea and South Korea to prevent the reunification of the peninsula. Iris reminds me a lot of SPECTRE from the old James Bond films.

The story begins with Kim Hyun Jun and his best friend Jin Sa Woo who have entered the special forces. Life is good, and they are actually enjoying their time together until they are recruited into the secret intelligence agency, NSS, which runs under the NIS. It’s headed by Director San Baek. Their “team leader” is Choi Seung Hee, whom Hyun Jun falls in love with. Little does he realize that Sa Woo has also fallen in love with her. Unaware that he’s been manipulated by San Baek since the death of his parents when he was a small child, Hyun Jun is sent off the assassinate a high-ranking North Korean in Hungary. Of course, San Baek has no intention of allowing Hyun Jun to live, and so they try to—and believe—that they’ve killed him. He’s shocked to find that Sa Woo shoots him down when he tries to escape in a plane.

Hellbent on revenge Hyun Jun spends years trying to recover from his injuries, escape other attempts on his life, and get back to South Korea to get revenge on all those responsible. He teams up with Kim Sun Hwa, a former member of the North Korean Supreme Guard, who is initially dispatched to kill him. It becomes quickly apparent, after he helps her, that she’s fallen in love with him. Yeah, that’s a big theme of the series: everyone falling in love with everyone else. I heard the same two love songs play so often that I thought I’d have to visit the dentist.

Hyun Jun finally returns to South Korea with Kim Sun Hwa as they attempt to uncover—what initially seems to be a North Korean plot to set off a nuclear bomb in Seoul, only to later find that it’s Iris that has been pulling the strings. Finally, you have North Korean and South Korean agents teaming up to try and prevent these catastrophes.

While the premise is good, the execution is downright laughably bad. Aside from the aforementioned glaring issues, there were so many more! So much so that I had an entire page of notes just on these problems. I won’t mention them all here, but the biggest ones. Forget that the layout of the NSS is terrible. Those working computers (only two) work side-by-side and across from each other. I laughed each time Sa Woo or someone else tried to hide what they were doing. I also seriously doubt that any intelligence agency would allow their agents to have personal photos on their computers! The fact that they have only one member of the forensic science team, who has a table in his office for autopsies. Not even an autopsy table, but a regular table covered with a sheet in his tiny office.

The last episode was an absolute travesty. Supposedly, terrorists switched places with some of the hostages, and yet at no time do the “hostages” attempt to let Sa Woo or Hyun Jun know what has happened. It was bad enough watching two “special forces” guys have no clue how to hold or use a gun! Also, the final role of Choi Seung Hee has so many inconsistencies and plot issues that it was laughable

The most glaring character issue was easily Choi Seung Hee. She’s not even believable as an agent. She acts more like a lovesick high school girl. When the terrorists infiltrate the NSS, she’s sneaking around—in heels! She’s also prone to going off on her own with backup or even a sense of how to clear a room or an area. She also can’t hold a gun properly. I laughed when she shoots Hyun Jun during the infiltration, and he shoots a man about to shoot her. At no time, even after she realizes who it was, is she worried that she might have actually killed him?! That made zero sense! It also made zero sense, that even after learning about San Baek and his connections, she’s suddenly worried about telling Hyun Jun that he’d attempted to recruit her. Had this happened BEFORE San Baek’s connections had come out, that would have made sense. Instead, it was poorly placed within the story, and again, made absolutely no sense at all. It was bad enough that she was suddenly reluctant to tell Hyun Jun why she had disappeared.

A big difference between Jack Bauer of “24” and Hyun Jun was that Jack never allowed his personal feelings to get in the way of a mission. I’m talking about a mission, not the last season after his girlfriend is killed and he goes rogue. Hyun Jun is careless, and too often, he allows his emotions to get the best of him, which, unfortunately, leads him to make very poor and amateur decisions. Turning his back on assassin Vick was a big one. No, he’s not methodical or believable as a good agent, certainly not being in the same realm as a Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer, or even Vincenzo, and that is what is desperately missing from this character and why he’s just not believable as an agent.

The character who stood out best for me was Kim Sun Hwa, and frankly, I liked her a heck of a lot more than the wishy-washy Choi Seung Hee. The actress, Kim So Yeon was far more believable as an agent than the flimsy Kim Tae Hee, who wears her emotions on her sleeve. Choi Seung Hee has no poker face at all. None. I was actually hoping—even though I knew it wouldn’t happen—that Hyun Jun would have made the wiser choice with Kim Sun Hwa. She’s a stronger woman and just as loving and passionate. I loved how she always had Hyun Jun’s back. Frankly, she went underappreciated.

First rule of writing is to write what you know. These writers had no clue, and frankly, shouldn’t be allowed to work in this industry again. Second rule is to never make the characters do something they wouldn’t do for the sake of moving the plot. These two problems plague the entire series, which tells me that the writers were completely clueless.

This will go down as one of the worst action series I’ve seen in a very long time, and shouldn’t even be uttered in the same breath as “24” because it’s not even a close comparison.

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A Small Light of Hope in a Deplorable World!

Since they essentially run together, I’m reviewing both Squid Game 2 and 3 here.

Just when you think you’ve seen human beings at their absolute lowest, with a few bright moments from the first season, you haven’t seen anything yet. The writers clearly decided to push the envelope to an even bigger arena (no pun intended). It seems clear that the premise is about just how low can people go?

At the start of the second season, Seong Gi Hun is determined to find out who is behind the games and put a stop to it. He hires dozens of loan sharks to scour the subway lines, looking for the recruiter, whom he believes will lead him to the island. Meanwhile, former Detective Hwang Jun Ho is out on the water desperately trying to find the island as well.

One of the minor issues I had with the start of the second season was how Seong Gi Hun is brought in to participate in the games again. He’s scarcely spent any of the money he’s won because he sees it as blood money. He finally communicates Hwang In Ho and volunteers to be a participant again. Now, Seong Gi Hun believes he can beat the game and warn other participants because he’s already won. But, is Seong Gi Hun really that gullible and stupid to think that the games won’t be changed up? It would have made more sense for him to be kidnapped involuntarily and forced to participate again.

Once again, we get a new cast of unusual characters. The most intriguing was Kang No Eul who surprised me by being a soldier rather than a participant. A North Korean defector, she’s desperately searching for her daughter. Her story doesn’t entirely work, and frankly, it’s a bit of a weak link. In the end, she’s still a cold-blooded killer, and there’s no getting around that. She develops an interesting connection with Park Gyeong Suk (246) because he’s a single father with a sick little girl. Kang No Eul tries to help him escape.

Hwang In Ho still firmly believes that most people are garbage and have no morality nor do they deserve to live. The participants, once again, are people in severe debt, hoping for a chance to get out from under. And so, he uses greed and corruption as tools to set them against each other. It’s not unlike the gladiators of Rome, a truly primitive form of entertainment, if it can even be called that. The VIPs, the wealthy 5 who fund the entire game, are easily the most depraved, who are obviously so bored with their own lives, they’re like drug addicts, and not at all unlike human traffickers. They see humans as cattle, viewing them as disposable and expendable as long as it brings them some pleasure. Without displaying any conscience or sense of morality, they have no problem killing off a newborn child, and some of the players quickly demonstrate that they’re no better in that regard, especially if it will get them even more money.

Seong Gi Hun does his best to warn the other participants about what’s at stake, but when the prospect of winning a fortune is on the line, his good intentions fall on deaf ears for the most part. One twist to the games is that after each round, the participants can vote to stop and take what money has already been won or keep going. This sets off some fascinating back-and-forth debates as the participants argue about what to decide.

Of course, with each round, we see the greed and violence come out, especially from those who care about nothing else but winning more money, even deciding that arbitrarily killing people off outside of the games will also yield them more.

As with the first season, there are a few people who struggle to do the right thing. My personal favorite was Jang Geum Ja (149), an elderly woman who was there to try to help her son, who was also a participant, get out of his massive debt. She does her best to be there for him, but in the end, she’s forced to make a decision I wouldn’t force on anyone: kill her son, or let him kill Kim Jun Hui (222) who has just given birth to a baby. That second episode of the Season 3 may well be the best of the entire series, and it was a tough watch, but not nearly as tough as the following episode which sees a crippled Kim Jun Hui make the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep her newborn safe. That episode knocked me for a loop, and I ended up staring at the screen in disbelief. Kim Jun Hui enters the games already pregnant, clearly not understanding that she’s put herself and her baby at great risk. There is a sweetness and naivety about her that makes you hope and pray that she gets out.

The games are just as cruel and sadistic as they were in the previous installment. They speak to the absolute most base of human conditions: the joy of watching people being killed. How anyone can find joy in such an act is beyond me, but there are plenty of people out there like that. Ever wonder why people slow down for a car accident, hoping to see something?

Season 3 is pretty good, but unfortunately, it has some severe flaws that prevent it from being as good as the two previous seasons.

Kang No Eul gets into a fight with her boss, and after being stabbed, she crawls toward the elevator where she’d dropped her gun. Her boss lets her until he realizes her intentions, and then, of course, it’s too late. I had a really hard time believing that he wouldn’t have just killed her outright, nor would he have been clueless about the gun. He’s not that dumb.

Hwang Jun Ho, despite being rescued by the boat captain, would have been a lot more suspicious of him, and likely would have told his squad to be on the lookout. Being a former cop, I found it a stretch that he wouldn’t feel that something was off, especially after being warned by Mr. Choi.

In the final fight between Seong Gi Hun and Lee Myeong Gi (333), are you really going to tell me that Seong Gi Hun wouldn’t have hit that Start Button, knowing full well what it would mean if he didn’t? He had more than ample opportunity, and it was a huge stretch by the writers to overlook this. This made the entire scene completely predictable. After Lee Myeong Gi is killed, you know there’s only one option left. Frankly, it was a cheap gimmick that took all the element of surprise out of it. By then, the suspense was already gone.

The last few minutes in Los Angeles, especially with a great guest appearance by the lovely, talented Cate Blanchett, seems to indicate another season coming, perhaps by the Americans. For me, I think I’ve seen enough to get the idea. It would almost be overkill, at this point, and I think the point was that something like this will just keep going; there’s no end to it because enough people want it.

Season 1 is still pretty good. Season 2 was almost there, and Season 3, despite some incredible moments, was a bit of a letdown. This isn’t an easy series to watch at all. You can’t help but put yourself in the various situations and wonder, “What would I do?” Seong Gi Hun represents the best of humanity, even if he may be viewed as a bit naïve, especially when he’s tricked by Hwang In Ho, who ironically enough, becomes a participant himself for a time. Hwang In Ho wants to prove to Seong Gi Hun that everyone is capable of tapping into those baser instincts. The ultimate victory, however, belongs with Seong Gi Hun, who proves Hwang In Ho wrong, in the end.

Now that I’ve finished the series, it’s time to take a shower and find something uplifting to watch! I have to side with Seong Gi Hun and have faith that despite what goes on around us, humanity is better than that.

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Love is All You Need

I found myself quickly relating with Ko Gyeom, because much like this character, I’ve loved movies and TV shows since was about 5-6 years old. Also much like him, I vowed to watch every “Best Picture” winner ever made. I’ve come close except for the more recent films which I haven’t liked very much. Hence, more foray into K-dramas!

There may not be a genre of films and TV series that gets more appeal as well as flack than melodramas, or romantic dramas. When they are done well, they can be incredible. But, when they are done badly, they are so cliched and tiresome that you find yourself wishing you’d done something else with the time you’ve lost. In this genre, it’s the unique stories that stand out. For the bad ones, it follows a template that tends to be done to death.

Over the years, many people have grown to love movies. They can be a wonderful escape. However, too often, people get too caught up in them, wishing that their own lives were more like a movie’s. In short, people find themselves unable to sort reality from fiction.

So, why is the melodrama have such appeal? Perhaps because it provides a story with a universal theme as well as a universal desire: to love and be loved. Such is the central theme of this series as well. We have four wounded characters who are desperately trying to find love in all of the wrong places. Such is the illusion and delusion of filmmaking and movie stories. They always make you think that love and happiness lie with someone else.

Ko Gyeom is a young man whose only true connection is with his sickly, older brother Ko Jun. It’s obvious that he loves and admires his brother very much, after the two become orphaned when Gyeom is a young boy. Jun is much older than he is and views him as much as a parent as he does a sibling.

Kim Mu Bi is a young woman who grew up loving her father, who was a film actor. However, he constantly left her to go work on his film projects, and soon Mu Bi develops a tremendous resentment toward her father for always neglecting her, despite the fact that he obviously loves her. Too often, parents fail to realize that there is no substitute for their presence. “Things” cannot replace a parent. While Mu Bi still has her mother, her mother is cold and distant with her daughter. Too often being rejected and abandoned by those she loves most, Mu Bi vows not to allow anyone to get too close to her. Initially, she trusts Gyeom until he ends up leaving her unexpectedly and without explanation either.

Hong Si Jun is another young man who has a talent for composing music. Unfortunately, like so many people, he ends up trapped in the past at a time when he was happiest with his girlfriend, Son Jua, until at least she broke up with him. There is always a danger of living in the past as well as making someone else completely responsible for your happiness and well-being. He easily the most immature of the four. When Son Jua resurfaces years later asking for his help, he's cold and resentful towards her.

Finally, we have Son Jua, a young up-and-coming screenwriter who is anxious to get her script off the ground. Ironically, her script shares many of the same experiences that she had with Hong Si Jun. She, too, is much like Hong Si Jun in which she is caught up in the past. She makes the mistake of assuming that Hong Si Jun is over her.

The series is much about love, healing, and learning how to move on from past experiences. It’s easy to blame our parents for not giving us the things we feel we’re entitled to as children. Perhaps the biggest flaw in parenthood is trying to keep our children from seeing our flaws and faults. Parents are people too who often make mistakes. Children need to see and understand this. Children also need to realize that everyone is different and people are only capable of giving what they have. Quite often, those feelings are expressed in unexpected ways, which is why there is often disappointment in how those feelings are shared and expressed.

Perhaps the truest piece of wisdom comes from Hong Si Ju’s boss and he asks Hong Si Ju, “What do you think completes love?” Most people in the world would say, “Being with someone.” However, when Hong Si Ju is unable to think of anything, his boss says, “Love is already complete as is.” Of course, the path to such love is within each person, not in someone else.

The series is a fairly light one, that quite frankly, I wish had gone deeper. At only ten episodes, I would have loved to have seen it stretched to the usual sixteen. I wanted more of Gyeom and his brother as well as Mu Bi and her parents. I also found the relationship between Hong Su Ji and Son Jua more compelling and intriguing than the one between Gyeom and Mu Bi, probably because it felt more real and authentic. Two people stuck at different points in the past and trying to figure out if they can move on. Because each was each other’s first love, we can empathize with the possibility of them recapturing what they had in the past, but as we know, this too often leads to disappointment. The key to living any kind of a successful life is to learn how to be in the moment. The past can a wonderful stroll down memory lane as long we don’t get caught up in it, and only healing and forgiveness can help us let go of the past. There are two great scenes that speak to this: between Gyeom and his brother in a dream and between Mu Bi and her mother.

Performances in this series are fantastic. Choi Woo Shik is easily my favorite. He has a natural gift of facial expressions which he’s so adept at utilizing as an actor. So often, with those soulful eyes, he looks like a lost puppy. Not many actors or actresses are capable of pulling off such expressions as deftly as Choi Woo Shik.

Bo Young Park has been one of my favorites for a long time. However, acting across Choi Woo Shik, I realized that sometimes, she lacks the ability to act with her eyes, especially in scenes across from a romantic interest. If you look at many of the scenes between herself and Choi Woo Shik, it becomes all too apparent. Choi Woo Shik isn’t afraid to let himself feel and feel that connection. Bo Young Park can be too guarded sometimes.

Overall, this is a nice series. It’s enjoyable with one or more characters that you’re likely to relate to on some level.

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Korean Beauty And the Beast?

If the goal of the film was to demonstrate how many people treat others as less than human, then the film succeeded in its goal. If the goal was to demonstrate that we should treat everyone with a level of love and respect as human beings, the film comes up a bit short.

Kim Sun Yi is a young, and rather sickly girl, living in a very small, rural village with her mother and sister. We can see her life is rather mundane, and she finds small pleasures in writing until she comes across a South Korean experiment gone wrong.

Enter Cheol Su, a young man in his late teens who has been locked up and used in some kind of backward experiment with animal and human DNA. Initially, all Sun Yi sees is a wild animal who eats like one and largely behaves like one. Her mother takes the boy in, and cleans him up, even though she’s unsure of what to do with him.

Sun Yi is initially disgusted by Cheol Su’s lack of table manners until she finds a book about how to treat dogs. She uses this book to train Cheol Su to only eat upon her command. We find that Cheol Su can understand Korean, due to the professor who was raising and experimenting with him. Whenever Cheol Su does something correctly, he gets a pat on the head, much like a dog.

Seok Ji Tae is the town rich boy and thug. He owns the house that Sun Yi’s family is living in. He’s a largely uninteresting and rather cliched villain of the story, which tends to play out like a Korean version of “Beauty and the Beast.” Of course, Ji Tae attempts to brazenly demand Sun Yi’s affections and becomes violent when he doesn’t get them, making him a far greater monster than Cheol Su could ever be.

The film is a touching one and the performances, especially by the film’s two leads in Bo Young Park and Song Joong Ki are especially poignant. However, the chemistry goes little beyond the affections of two people, but rather a woman and a man she perceives as an animal (even if a benevolent animal at that); like a beloved pet.

The story would have been better served had Sun Yi begun to see Cheol Su as a person, and yet she’s never really one hundred percent sure. In the end, she says that she doesn’t care if he’s a monster. It would have been more powerful if she had told him that she knew he was a human being and not a monster. His violent actions are always done to protect her as well as those around her, but she’s unable to truly see past his animalistic qualities.

In the end, despite living alone, we see just how wrong Sun Yi was about Cheol Su. Just because a person doesn’t speak, doesn’t mean that they can’t, and perhaps she learns something about how to treat others. This film had the potential to be so much more than it ended up being.

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Dysfunction and Technology Are a Dangerous Combination!

This series serves as a reminder that people impel, but they do not compel, and that all actions have consequences. While people are not responsible for other people’s actions, they do have influence, which is why it’s important to understand that how we treat others is essential because it also reveals so much about ourselves.

This is a superficial world in which so many people seek adoration from outside of themselves. You don’t need to look any further than today’s social media and how it impacts people’s lives. Look at Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and others which utilize and prey upon the insecurities of others. Eckhart Tolle may have said it best: Technology amplifies egoic dysfunction. In other words, it provides the means to keep dysfunctional behaviors going and make them even bigger.

Mask Girl is about a young woman, Kim Mo Mi, who has the talent and the physical attributes to possibly succeed in the entertainment industry, save for one: her facial features. She is quickly dubbed “ugly” by her classmates in school, all the way up to her job where she scarcely gets a second look from anyone, especially men. She finds a way to entertain without using her face. She wears a mask, performs through live webcams, and suddenly has the adoration she craves. Such superficial success often unlocks its own vile problems, as she finds herself the target of stalkers, sex addicts, and men who are as psychologically damaged as she is. People fail to realize that they often attract what they perceive in themselves. And Kim Mo Mi is soon caught up in a world of lies and murder.

Kim Kyung Ja could go down as one of the worst mothers. Her son is a recluse who spends all of his time online, dreaming of women he could never have. When he viciously rapes Kim Mo Mi and is killed for his trouble, Kim Kyung Ja turns into a vengeful, sadistic monster whose sole desire is to see Kim Mo Mi suffer and put to death. Her first attempt fails, and nearly at the cost of her own life. However, she finds a second chance by exploiting Kim Mo Mi’s daughter, Kim Mi Mo, and using her to exact her own revenge: she will find a way to kill Kim Mi Mo and record the act on video. Stuck in prison for the murder of Kim Kyung Ja’s son, Kim Mo Mi vows to do whatever it takes to save her daughter.

The series is told from the perspective of different characters, featuring them in their own episodes but correlating with the other characters and what has already transpired. We end up with the pitiful, misfit people society has cast aside like trash. People starving for attention and adoration to the point where plastic surgery is one of the focal points.

You may or may not be surprised to find out that 1 out of every 3 Korean women will have had some form of plastic surgery done before they are 30 years old. That’s a staggering number, and the series demonstrates the extremes that people will go to for the smallest amount of attention.

What is truly sad is that, unless you find a way to love yourself, there isn’t enough attention in the world to ever make you feel happy. It simply does not exist outside of yourself. Yet, the world has reached a point where attention and fame are so addictive and desired, that people will do anything for it. However, what they fail to realize is that all fame and glory are fleeting.

Now, this series may represent a somewhat extreme depiction of what is going on in the world, but it’s actually not as far off as one might believe.

There are scarcely any truly “likable” characters in this series. They all represent degrees of indifference and dysfunction with Kim Kyung Ja being the most severe example of a person who has become so unhinged that she ends up truly being the monster of the story. I’ve seen Yeom Hye Ran (Kim Kyung Ja) in a number of series now, and this woman is a true genius as a character actor. She never fails to disappoint.

I will say that the last episode is a bit over-the-top when toning it down would have served the story better. It got just a bit ridiculous and unrealistic, but overall, it didn’t hurt the story very much, and we already get a sense of how it would ultimately end.

It’s of the utmost importance for people to learn how to love themselves and not be so caught up in what other people think. It’s also important treat others with dignity and respect, for we never know how our actions may cause a person to respond. In other words, don’t poke the cat. You may find that you’ve poked the cat and ended up with a tiger coming at you as a few characters in this story found out the hard way.

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To Anyone Who Gave Their Lives So That Others Might Live

Unfortunately, so much of American education during WWII centers mostly on the European theater and not very much on what was going on in Asia and the Pacific. Of course, Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, and the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan are about all that is really covered.

We know that—as many atrocities committed in Europe, especially by the Nazis—it was just as horrific, if not more so, regarding what Japan did to the Chinese, the Koreans, and many others. “Battleship Island” is just one incident of hundreds, if not thousands, and yet it also speaks to the bravery and courage of anyone who fights against oppression.

The movie centers around the Japanese Hashima coal mine and the Koreans who were used for slave labor to mine the coal. Conditions were about as horrific as you can imagine, with the men working in unbearable temperatures deep in the earth while the women were used as sex slaves. Escape, at this point, seems futile for anyone.

A Korean operative (Park Moo Young), connected with the American OSS, is given the mission of helping a high Korean official—Yoon Hak Chul—to escape. However, after entering the island, he finds records of Yoon Hak Chul stealing money from the Korean laborers and providing the Japanese with key intelligence. Perhaps there is nothing so evil as treachery, especially when you betray your own people for money. Of course, Yoon Hak Chul attempts to cover his deception with murder and lies.

Meanwhile, Lee Kang Ok and his wonderful eleven-year-old daughter, So Hee are trying to survive, and initially hope that Park Moo Young will help them escape. But Park Moo Young’s official orders are to only help Yoon Hak Chul. Once Park Moo Young finds out that the Japanese plan to kill all Koreans in an attempt to cover up what they’ve been doing, Park Moo Young vows to help every Korean try to escape.

The escape portion of the movie is a tough watch as 400 Koreans try to save the women, children, and injured while staving off a least 100 Japanese guards, who have orders to kill them on sight. Koreans scramble along a small conveyor belt to the coal mine transport. The sequence is like something out of Saving Private Ryan where you have no idea who is going to survive and who isn’t going to make it.

Hwang Jun Min (Lee Kang Ok), Song Joong Ki (Park Moo Young), Kim Soo An (So Hee) are stand-outs in this film, especially Hwang Jun Min who has terrific chemistry with Kim Soo An which also gives us a tough, heart-wrenching ending.

Lee Kyung Young (Yoon Hak Chul) was also fantastic. However, I have only ever seen him play villains in the K-Dramas I have watched, so when I saw him on screen, I wondered, “Wait, is he really a good guy here?” Nonetheless, his performance is exemplary.

It’s sad that the Japanese government still hasn’t acknowledged the atrocities committed at the Hashima mine, but unfortunately, there are still so many horrible things that have happened throughout history that we’ll likely never know about.

This is a powerful film that is as honest and brutal in its depiction as any war film I have ever seen, obviously made with the hope that something like this never happens again. “Battleship Island” is a testament to anyone who has ever fought or given their lives so that others might live. It speaks to the bravery that resides in everyone, with the hope that if ever such a call is needed, we might be willing to lay down our lives to save others.

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A Very Good Comedy/Action Film!

“Veteran” is just a plain, fun romp of an action/comedy film about a Metro detective who is hellbent on taking down the drug addict man who is the son of a wealthy corporate tycoon. The theme is a fairly common one of a wealthy man who believes that he’s untouchable and above the law. Plus, I needed something to get the bad taste of “King the Land” out of my mouth, and this movie more than fit the bill for me in that regard.

Detective Seo Do Cheol leads a band of misfit detectives on various sting operations. The film opens up with him taking down an auto theft ring, and the apprehension of the Russian and Korean criminals down on the docks is beyond hilarious! Watching Detective Bong howl like a Native American battle cry, and fly out of nowhere to take down one of the operatives, is one of the funniest moments of the scene as she ends up missing the guy entirely and knocking herself out.

Do Cheol finds out that a friend (Bae) who helped him with the sting operation is trying to get his back pay of wages that the corporation is refusing to pay him, and the sadistic, drug addict, Jo Tae Oh takes great delight in having Bae beaten in front of his young son and then covering up an attempted murder with a suicide ploy. Of course, Do Cheol doesn’t believe a word of it as he’s already experienced Jo Tae Oh’s sadistic side first-hand at a party where he delightfully abuses two women just for the sheer pleasure of it.

As we’ve seen countless times before in K-dramas and movies, the rogue detective finds himself up against the system, where he’s forced to deal with high-priced lawyers, corrupt police officers who are being paid, and even high political officials who all want Do Cheol to leave the case alone. Even his wife is approached by Jo Tae Oh’s lawyer and assistant with a purse filled with money as a payoff. However, Do Cheol refuses to back down and vows to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth and take Jo Tae Oh down.

Do Cheol is a skilled fighter, and an above-average detective, and Hwang Jung Min plays him perfectly. He’s a likable guy who seems to take abuse from everyone, from his superiors, his co-workers, and even his wife, who snaps at him as soon as he gets home from a long day.

Yoo Ah In gives us an equally riveting performance as the drug-crazed Jo Tae Oh, a man who delights in the pain of others. He wears a smile like the Joker and before you know it, he goes on rampages of rage and violence. We are given hints as to why he might be like this as his father, while not on drugs, is certainly ruthless and prone to violence himself. Jo Tae Oh believes he has to prove himself in order to be his father’s successor, but his cravings for violence end up being his undoing.
The only part of the movie that had me scratching my head was the end. During their showdown, Do Cheol allows himself to be beaten in order to secure an “assault on a police officer” charge, or even just a “resisting arrest” as their fight is in front of cameras and many spectators all recording the incident on their phones. While it made the fight more interesting, I didn’t understand why he would have to take such a beating. Perhaps the charge is different in Korea, which is why I sort of dismissed it. In the US, after Jo Tae Oh hits him with the first punch—which takes place after Do Cheol is already read him his rights—that would have been more than sufficient for the charge to stick.

Koreans are masters of combing and using different thematic and genre elements in their shows and movies. This movie has plenty of action, laugh-out-loud moments, and scenes that will have you cringing, and the film also gives viewers something to think about. Koreans love using entertainment as a means to try and invoke change. In this case, it’s about not allowing the wealthy to prey upon the poor or the helpless nor allowing the wealthy to simply buy their way out of prosecution. In short, nobody is above the law and everyone should be held accountable, no matter who they are or where they come from.

All in all, this movie was a lot of fun, and I’m already looking forward to Veteran 2!

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Sakura The Fool WIth a Horrible Last Episode!

Unfortunately, I have found that Japanese dramas are much more hit-and-miss than K-dramas. You know you’re taking a chance. This series is actually pretty decent until the absolutely horrendous final episode which makes as much sense as a five-legged mule. I’m not sure if the writer was drunk that day or simply lost all control over the story and the characters.

The series is about a collection of wives who are involved in affairs, although the focus of the show is mostly on Sakura, who finds herself in an abusive relationship with her husband who beats her and cheats on her. He’s basically an animal who believes that a wife is someone to control and must do whatever he tells her. In short, he believes that a wife is property.

Of course, we have a plethora of reasons for these women. An abusive husband, a husband who continuously ignores his wife, a husband who puts everyone else ahead of her, etc. You get the picture.

The irony is that most people in the world are able to realize when a relationship begins, but very few are able to recognize when a relationship ends. And in Sakura’s case, it’s only a question of how much more abuse will she put up with until the obvious is staring her in the face. The abused is just as responsible for the situation as the abuser. Remove either one, and abuse no longer exists.

Sakura finally flees her husband and runs into Haruto, a local man who runs a small goldfish shop. There is an instant connection between the two, and we later find that there is an event from the past that also unites them. Haruto is a kind, gentle man who doesn’t just sell goldfish. He loves and cares for them. Gandhi once stated that how a person treats animals is often an indicator of how they treat people.

After Sakura finally divorces her husband, she goes back to him to try and save their joint hair salon business—which made no sense. Why not work to open your own? You get bit by a shark once, then you’re the fool to go back, hoping not to get bit again. This had me scratching my head. But this wasn’t nearly as bad as Sakura leaving Haruto to pursue her career as the manager of a hair salon. Why leave him at all? Why not pursue this endeavor while staying with him? After all, he wasn’t an obstacle. It made no sense at all. In the end, she basically used him, and became an abuser herself. When she left, I thought their final scenes were silly and completely unsympathetic, despite them standing there foolishly with tears running down their faces.
Equally sad was Sakura’s husband tearfully telling his wife during a mediation session—a precursor toward divorce—that he always loved her but felt insecure. This was the biggest pile of cow dung I’d ever heard in my life! Her husband has no clue what love is, and he never loved his wife. Love is never about controlling someone else, and it certainly isn’t about physical abuse or infidelity. It was like listening to a gutless child whining. All victims are cowards because they never take responsibility for themselves. It’s always someone else’s fault. And yet, Sakura can’t see the problem because she’s much like a naïve and immature child herself.

Overall, this was a decent series. The storyline involving Hisako and the trauma behind her frequent headaches. That would have made a far more interesting series than centering the story around Sakura. If the end had been done better than it was, this series might have a least been good. It wasn’t.

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Don't Fall Into the Trap of Allowing ANYONE To Tell You How To Live Your Life!

If there is one thing that the viewer will hopefully take away from this series, it’s this: never, NEVER let anyone tell you how to live your life. It doesn’t matter who it is—religious people, family, society, or anyone else. As soon as you allow others to dictate how you live your life, you’ve given away your power. And when things don’t work out, you have also lost any right to get angry or resent them for it because YOU allowed it to happen. And the only person who will be dealing with the fallout is you. Those who counseled you won’t be taking the hits. YOU will! Steer your own ship. Don’t let anyone else try to steer it for you.

“One Spring Night” is hardly the most romantic series I’ve ever seen, and it’s not necessarily an easy series to get through. This isn’t necessarily a criticism as the series is very well-steeped in realism about people navigating the minefield of relationships and the problems that arise because of them.

The “Before Sunrise” film series is the most realistic series I’ve ever seen regarding relationships…how they start, where they go, and how two people who were once in love, struggle to find that spark that they once shared when they first met.

Ji Ho meets Jung in one random morning when she comes into his pharmacy to get hangover medicine. It’s easy to see that he’s immediately captivated by her, despite her brusque mannerisms and snippy attitude. However, he quickly finds out that she’s already in a relationship with Ki Seok, a guy he actually plays basketball with on weekends.

It becomes very obvious from the get-go that Jung In doesn’t love Ki Seok, and the viewer is even left to wonder if she ever has. It’s ironic how many people enter relationships out of convenience or simply to use the other person because of money or social status. It doesn’t take long for Jung In to realize that she’s quickly developing feelings for Ji Ho, and soon she breaks up with Ki Seok and begins a relationship with Ji Ho.

Of course, rarely are things so simple. And yet this dynamic is an interesting one because I haven’t really seen it in Korean dramas. Ji Ho has a son, but he’s not married. What I admire about Ji Ho is that he doesn’t try to hide this fact, and he’s very upfront with Jung In about it, letting her decide if it’s a problem or not. We also find that a single father is considered to be quite unappealing, especially if you’re a single woman who’s never been married. Pretty soon, everyone is voicing their opinions and concerns, from his family to hers and even their friends.

Ji Ho is easily the most mature character of the series, with Jung In’s older sister Seo In being right up there with him. Ji Ho is honest and seemingly unafraid. He views his son as a strength and not a weakness, and he makes it apparent right from the start that he won’t allow anyone to hurt his son, even Jung In. He’s also very understanding and considerate, and perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to empathize. He knows the pressures that Jung In will experience, and he gives her the space to figure out whether or not she wants to be in a relationship with him.

Jung In—despite the actress being six years older than her male counterpart—has a number of issues. Don’t get me wrong as all of the characters are a bit flawed, but Ji Ho’s past experience has only made him stronger and more mature. Jung In’s greatest strength is her fierce independence. She has absolutely no problem standing up to anyone, including members of her own family. I LOVE this about her! She proves—at least in that regard—to be the type of companion that I think most men would love—someone who will walk through the fire with you and not look back. However, Jung In is also moody, temperamental, a bit conceited, judgmental, and tends to lack understanding and compassion when push comes to shove. Perhaps her greatest weakness is her inability to empathize. She doesn't smile very much, and it's quite evident that she's not a very happy person. She also has a tendency to be bossy. Ladies, remember this: no real man wants another mother for a wife! One mother is more than enough! That pledge was ridiculous, and if you’re in a relationship to try and change the other person, you’ve already entered into it for the wrong reasons.

In Episode 15, we find Jung In is angry by a “slip of the tongue” from a drunk Ji Ho when he asks her not to leave him or his son. She takes it as a sign that he doesn’t trust her—which is actually understandable to a point. Rather than talking it out and trying to understand why he has those feelings at all, she storms out and then tells him that they need to take a brief break. And then, immaturely, she gets angry when he doesn’t contact her. However, she never once stops to think about his past situation with the woman who left Ji Ho and his son and why that might be a source of fear and insecurity. If nothing else, this should have been a sign to both Ji Ho and Jung In that they needed more time to get to know each other. Relationships aren’t just about sharing happy, quality times. They are also about finding that person with whom you can confide and share your fears and insecurities. Every relationship is flawed and dysfunctional because everyone has those fears and insecurities. It’s how you navigate and BE there for each other during such moments that counts!

I’m not sure I’ve seen two more despicable characters in 45 years of watching shows than Ki Seok and Jung In’s “father.” I use the term “father” very loosely because such a man has no right to call himself one. Any father who uses his children for personal gain is no father. Any father who’s afraid of what people think rather than standing firm with his children is no father. Seo In has been physically and sexually abused by her husband (another deplorable man who won’t allow her to divorce him), and yet her father rants about how wrong divorce is and why she should try and work things out with her husband. That scenario literally made me sick to my stomach! And then we have Jung In’s father trying to marry her off to Ki Seok—without her consent—so that he can get a promotion at work. Utterly pathetic!

Ki Seok is almost as bad. This is a little boy masquerading as a “man.” After Jung In breaks up with him, he still contacts her, demands to see her, and unbelievably still insists that they are going to get married! Now, part of the problem is Jung In herself. She fails to see the obvious: to tell Ki Seok to his face that it’s over and then to break off all communication with him. Teasing him and stringing him along was cruel no matter how despicable he was. Ki Seok is an arrogant boy who views everyone as being beneath him, especially Ji Ho. Right up until the last episode, Ki Seok still believes that Jung In will marry him. Nobody—not even his own father—points out the obvious: that Jung In is in love with Ji Ho, and after all that he’s done, how in the world would he ever believe that she’d marry him?! Supreme delusion and arrogance.

Women are not property to be bargained off and used any way you see fit. This is something that many of the cowardly men in this world still fail to realize, and this series makes a very fine and bold point regarding this.

The series—for the most part—is well done. It’s not afraid to show the flaws, fears, insecurities, and concerns that many people have and why it’s important to find someone who’s strong enough to go through it all with you. The only thing better than being a person who won’t allow others to tell you how to live is finding a companion who lives their life the same way. Such a couple is an “iron couple” who can get through anything. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, then I’m not sure what does. And, frankly, that was my favorite part of the series—watching Ji Ho and Jung In standing firm together and holding off all of their attackers—and as they did so, they began to help others realize just how powerful and true they are together!

If I have one glaring complaint about the series, it’s the music. My God! I’ve never heard two songs repeated (often 5-6 times per episode!) so much. The songs aren’t bad, they just didn’t quite fit the series. And it was overkill to play them so much. I love the songs from K-dramas. I have a huge list on my iPod from so many shows. Needless to say, I won’t be adding any from this series as too often, they got stuck in my head. It got to the point where I was muting the show when the song came on. I had the subtitles to read the dialogue. I kept going, “Oh, God! Not again!”
This is a series that actually gets better the deeper into the show you get. I know a lot of people stopped after four or five episodes. Believe me, it actually did get quite better. “My Business Proposal” is still my all-time favorite series depicting strong women. Unlike Jung In, the two women in that series were also soft, loving, and romantic. I also love the female lead in “Hometown Cha Cha Cha.” By the time this series ended, I had hopes for Jung In that perhaps she might soften up a bit and not make everything about her. I’m sure that with Ji Ho’s help, she would ultimately allow that to happen.

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