kobeno1

The World Needs More Heroes!

I’ve watched so many action-hero movies over the years, and most of them are about as far from being realistic as you can imagine. A single guy dominating fights or single-handedly taking on twenty guys without getting so much as a scratch.

Officer Black Belt does something that most previous action films fail to do. They take on the human element, and in so doing, give us a true hero. Lee Jeong Do is a 3rd Dan in at least three forms of martial arts. He’s a young man who enjoys spending time with his friends playing video games. However, one evening, he comes across a probation officer who is struggling to apprehend a convict. Lee Jeong Do intervenes and takes the convict out.

He learns that the probation office is severely undermanned, with too many criminals to keep track of, all via ankle bracelets. Supervisor Kim Sun Min approaches Lee Jeong Do to ask him to fill in as a martial arts officer, who is paired with a probationary officer. Lee Jeong Do is taught how to track the convicts, how to call and monitor them when the power of the ankle bracelet drops below 30%.

Already impressed with Lee Jeong Do’s fighting abilities, Kim Sun Min is able to help track and capture some of the worst criminal elements, from murderers to sex criminals.

However, Lee Jeong Do isn’t just a mindless thug who runs the streets and deals out physical justice. He cares. He can’t stand to see that people’s lives are put in danger, and there are times when he’s forced to hold back his anger.

Korea has one of the worst track records when it comes to the sentencing of sexual assault criminals. One of the most heinous rapes of a young girl in recent memory saw the assailant get only six years because he was under the influence of alcohol. They even made a movie about it, called “Hope.” It’s not an easy watch at all! Frankly, I can’t think of crimes more despicable than those perpetrated on children. The movie attempts to bring more awareness to this huge problem!

After accepting the job full-time, Lee Jeong Do and Kim Sun Min are given the horrible task of monitoring Kang Gi Jeong, a notorious child rapist, with an untold number of victims, who’s suddenly been released. And Kang Gi Jeong is a huge man, which already invites trepidation and caution.

Lee Jeong Do insists that they track him, both via the monitor, and physically. Kang Gi Jeong meets up with a sadistic gang that creates and posts child exploitation videos on the dark web, and they’re willing to pay Kang Gi Jeong to do what he craves.

After ten-year-old Min Ju Lee is abducted, Lee Jeong Do tracks down Kang Gi Jeong just as he’s about to attack the little girl. Nearly dying in the attempt from a severe stab wound, Lee Jeong Do manages to save Min Ju Lee, although Kang Gi Jeong escapes.

Knowing that this sadistic monster is out there, likely finding other child victims, Lee Jeong Do is more determined than ever to find Kang Gi Jeong, especially upon learning that the little girl is too scared to even leave her home.

What makes the movie work so well, especially from an action standpoint, is that it has some realism. While Lee Jeong Do may be an expert fighter, he’s still only one man, and when confronted by multiple assailants, even he is unable to avoid getting hurt, especially when he’s fighting Kang Gi Jeong in a confined space, where his martial arts skills are limited. Kang Gi Jeong is also a convict, which means he doesn’t fight based on any rules, which makes him even more intimidating and unpredictable. In a real fight, there are no rules. You do whatever you have to do.

As with so many Korean productions, this one is not absent of touching and heartwarming scenes. Min Ju Lee’s mother thanking Lee Jeong Do at the hospital where he’s recovering is sweet, as she gives him a letter of thanks from Min Ju Lee. However, they saved the best for last, when Min Ju Lee shows up at Lee Jeong Do’s award ceremony, finally venturing outside and telling him, “You’re my hero.”

Perhaps more than ever before, the world is in desperate need of heroes. You don’t have to wear a badge or have superpowers to be one. Sometimes, it’s just the ordinary person who simply cares enough to get involved, regardless of the risks, to help someone in need. The biggest cowards are those who choose not to get involved, even when they know something is happening. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “A hero is no braver than the ordinary man, but he’s brave five minutes longer.”

Read More

Love is About Precious Moments!

True love is about absolute vulnerability, and frankly, there really isn’t a time when this is more apparent than a first love. The film perfectly captures the social awkwardness of first love, which is a big reason why this movie works so well.

Park Se Ri is a young high school student who is enormously infatuated with the most popular boy is school, along with half the female persuasion! She has one problem, or at least, she thinks she does: her hair, which seems to be an eternal defiance as it’s so curly that she can’t stand it. Of course, she firmly believes that her hair is the reason why Kim Hyeon won’t take an interest. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is the assumption that they have to change in order to please someone else. This is never more apparent than when you’re a teenager, because everything revolves around vain attempts to win over someone of the opposite sex.

Park Se Ri is a giddy and vivacious girl, who isn’t depressed by her hair, but simply views it as an obstacle. She is warm and friendly and has a great circle of friends. Living in Busan, her favorite pastime is swimming in the ocean at her “secret spot,” a spot only shared by Kim Hyeon.

As Park Se Ri is swimming, Han Yeon Seok happens upon her clothes, which are neatly folded on the jetty. He picks up Park Se Ri’s name tag as he watches her swim. The wind sends her shirt into the water with Han Yeon Seok falling in after it! The problem is, he can’t swim, and Park Se Ri ends up saving his life and pulling him to shore, despite a broken leg, which he likely smashed into the rocks.

Han Yeon Seok is a quiet boy, whose mother owns a hair salon, which advertises that she uses a “magical formula” to straighten hair. However, the cost is expensive, and Park Se Ri decides to befriend and help Han Yeon Seok, in order to get a discount on having her hair done. Things are difficult for Han Yeon Seok, trying to handle his crutch, his backpack, and even his umbrella when it rains.

Things are somewhat predictable, which isn’t always a bad thing, as we know that Han Yeon Seok likes Park Se Ri. However, he knows that he’s not the object of Park Se Ri’s affections. Nevertheless, he does what any true friend would do, despite his feelings: he helps Park Se Ri, even securing a spot in Study Hall so that Park Se Ri can maybe sit with Kim Hyeon. I don’t know many teenagers who are this selfless. Han Yeon Seok is a true, selfless romantic!

It soon becomes apparent that Han Yeon Seok will simply do whatever it takes to make Park Se Ri happy. While he obviously likes her, he has no ulterior motives in his actions. In other words, he’s not doing these things to win her over, but simply to make her happy. People should take note that this is what love really is. No expectations. Simply small acts of kindness that let the person know that you’re thinking of them.

Just as Park Se Ri is ready to tell Kim Hyeon how she feels, she realizes that the person who has truly captured her heart is Han Yeon Seok. He’s always been there for her, helped her, and gone out of his way to make sure her needs are taken care of.

Just as they begin dating, we find that Han Yeon Seok has been living a pretty tough life, with an abusive and demanding father that his mother has tried to keep him from. In fact, when Han Yeon Seok walked out to the jetty that day, he was ready to commit suicide, which he confesses to a shocked Park Se Ri.

Park Se Ri enlists the help of her friends to write, “Se Ri loves Han Yeon Seok” on the beach, but he’s quickly called away to Seoul upon finding out that his mother is badly hurt, and he learn that his father savagely beat her, and even demands that Han Yeon Seok return to Seoul. Han Yeon Seok’s mother knows that their only option is to move to America to live with his aunt, otherwise, they will never be free.

Park Se Ri hurries to Seoul to find out what’s happened, after she hasn’t heard from Han Yeon Seok, and listens outside of his mother’s hospital room to find out that they’re moving.

It’s hard to judge Park Se Ri too harshly as she leaves a voicemail message, breaking up with Han Yeon Seok. We know she‘s trying to be noble and to let him go, but unfortunately, her act is done out of fear, rather than love. Otherwise, she would have told him the truth.

What makes her act harder for her to swallow, that she finds an album he’s made for her, filled with pictures and sharing his feelings for her. It’s such a sweet and powerful gift that reminds Park Se Ri that Han Yeon Seok has only ever loved her unconditionally.

The movie does such a great job of teaching us that love is about precious moments. It’s about the little things we do to let that person know how we feel. Whether it’s making crane eggs with messages, making an album, getting that person the one gift they crave (in this case, the snow globe), or perhaps the greatest gift of all: letting that person know that they are already perfect, and that they don’t have to change anything! I loved how Han Yeon Seok “botched” Park Se Ri’s hair as he’s washing it. It was his feeble way of letting her know that she doesn’t have to change anything.

This film can be a great way for young people to learn how to treat the ones they love, but it can also serve as a reminder to those who have been in a relationship for years that it doesn’t take much effort to let the other person know how much you love them. It takes a little bit of effort and a lot of imagination!

Read More

Somewhat Entertaining But Deeply Flawed Series!

For the first few episodes, you think you’re watching something akin to “Columbo” or “Sherlock Holmes,” as “Inspector Koo appears to have abilities similar to those two famous detectives. Unfortunately, by the end of the series, you begin to realize that she’s not even close to their level. The series leaves you scratching your head, wishing the writers had been as smart as their respective characters.

Koo Kyung Yi is an alcoholic recluse who spends all of her time drinking and playing computer games. She scarcely has time to eat or even shower, and her apartment looks like the city dump—literally! She’s hired by her friend, who represents a prestigious life insurance company.

On the other side of the coin, we have Song Yi Kyung. Never mind that her name is similar to Koo Kyung Yi. She’s a sociopath and a serial killer. Don’t ask me how a serial killer only decides to kill people who “deserve it.” This is a contradiction in terms. She’s very smart and uses a network of clients to help her; people who owe her for killing those they hired her to kill.

Last, we have Yong Sook, a matriarchal, corrupt politician who is trying to use her money and influence to get her son elected for mayor. We’re somehow supposed to fear her power and influence, as she does nothing but bark orders at cronies who quake in their boots whenever she’s around without any reason. She’s about as intimidating as a snowman.

The series is supposed to be quirky and comical, and for the most part, it is. However, when you leave realism in the dust, you end up with a series that is a complete farce and has absolutely no explanations or logic in how things occur.

At one point, Song Ki Kyung is trying to elude her captors. She jumps on a board and begins to paddle her way toward the center of the Han River as law enforcement pursues her on a power boat. She finally dives into the water. Don’t ask me how a person who dives into the middle of a river isn’t caught. After all, she has to come up for air at some point. It’s insulting how the writers and directors treat the audience as dimwits.

The final episode was so ridiculous and absurd, I’m not sure how anyone could buy it as being real and authentic. Koo Kyung Yi may be good at putting pieces together, but she’s downright dumb when it comes to anticipating what her adversaries will do and trusting those who you know is going to betray her. A six-year-old could figure things out better! It’s bad enough that she’s a former police officer who has clearly forgotten all of her skills. Aside from her detective skills, she must have been one terrible cop!

Song Yi Kyung has taken Santa hostage. Never mind that I lost count how many times he could have easily disarmed her. They climb aboard a train, only to find Koo Kyung Yi waiting for them. At one point, Song Yi Kyung takes out the magazine of the gun to check how many rounds it has. It never crosses the minds of either Santa or Koo Kyung Yi to attack, or even in those many moments when Song Yi Kyung isn’t even paying attention to Santa. The whole scene was so badly done that I thought I was suddenly thrown back into an 1980s action TV series!

It's sad when the writers attempt to showcase the intelligence of their characters without allowing for reality or the audience that they’re writing for.

There isn’t much to like about Koo Kyung Yi. In fact, I found Song Yi Kyung far more interesting as a character, even if there were times you wondered how her intelligence suddenly eluded her. For instance, she’s tucked away in a veritable prison, guarded by only an old gardener. For all of her intelligence and ability to plan and plan ahead, she suddenly can’t think of a way out.

Performances are good, even if the true villain in Yong Sook was laughable. The music is also quite good, and frankly, it was the best part about the series.

Read More

Well Intended Series Sets Up a Very Dangerous Precedent!

Perhaps one of the most delusional ideas that people have about themselves is that there is something that needs to be fixed. There are many things in this world that can cause suffering, such as guilt, shame, and the belief that reparations are necessary for happiness to exist.

It’s sad that 1 in 3 women in South Korea will undergo some form of plastic surgery to “fix” what they believe is broken; “fix” something that isn’t quite good enough. This series endeavors to demonstrate that true beauty exists within, which is correct. However, in its attempt to showcase this, the series sets up a dangerous precedent: that there is something wrong with you that needs to be fixed.

We have two very unique characters. Seo Do Jae is a director with a major airline company. He’s a bit cold, aloof, and seemingly uninterested in people. We quickly discover that he suffers from prosopagnosia, aka face blindness, in which he is unable to recognize people. This is a real condition, and it’s so pervasive that he’s also unable to even recognize himself. Therefore, he has to train himself to recognize characteristics, both physical as well as personality, dress, and other things that are familiar. Only his mother and personal assistant are aware of his condition, which was caused by being struck by a car ten years ago.

Next, we have Han Se Gye, a famous actress and model who has a bad reputation for constantly running away unexpectedly from film sets, award ceremonies, and other situations because once a month, she literally changes into someone else for about a week. Her changes are not limited, as she can become either gender, any age, and even any race. No one knows why she suddenly undergoes these changes, and only her agent and friend, Yoo Woo Mi, and her other close friend, Ryu Eun Ho are aware of it. Her two friends do their best to cover for her, but unfortunately, each change seems to bring about more questions and suspicions.

Han Se Gye is hired to be a model for Seo Do Jae’s company. Of course, they don’t hit it off very well as she finds him rude and annoying, which, despite his condition, is actually true. Seo Do Jae seems to lack any social skills, often blurting out inappropriate statements and requests, which would make anyone cringe. However, he has one distinctive ability: to recognize Han Se Gye no matter what current guise she’s in.

After a bumpy and rough beginning, the two strike up an unlikely friendship, and it doesn’t take Han Se Gye long to realize Seo Do Jae’s condition. Before long, the friendship turns into romance, which appears a bit one-sided at first. Han Se Gye is thrilled that there is someone who accepts her for who she is. However, just as she feels that Seo Do Jae isn’t romantically interested in her, he confesses that ever since he was diagnosed with his condition, he’s never had a moment’s peace, nor has he ever loved himself. It was only by seeing that someone else loves him that he’s finally able to accept who he is. What you have are two very unhappy people who choose to define themselves by their conditions, rather than find a way to look beyond them. The series would have worked beautifully if they had found a way to do this, but they never do. Instead, they firmly believe that they need to be fixed in order to be loved, which is a tragic and destructive way of thinking.

Of course, as with so many series, just when things are running smoothly, an unexpected curveball is thrown at the couple. After asking Seo Do Jae how long he’s had his condition, and what caused it, Seo Do Jae tells Han Se Gye that he saved an elderly woman from being hit by a car. Han Se Gye is devastated upon realizing that she was the elderly woman! Overwhelmed by guilt, and believing that everything bad that has happened to Seo Do Jae, including her rude comments toward him when she first met him, causes her to break up with him and run. The irony about people who run away is that they don’t stop. This was easy to see coming. As soon as Seo Do Jae shared the details, I said, “Now, she’s going to break up with him and run away. It’s what she does.”

Now, I was a bit frustrated with Seo Do Jae, at first. Instead of trying to appease her, he takes several days to try and deal with what he’s just heard. My whole premise was that if he loved her, then that wouldn’t change anything, and if the situation occurred again, he wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing again. The most frustrating trait of Seo Do Jae is that he’s really bad at speaking up. By the time he does tell Han Se Gye, it’s too late. She’s been given far too much time to blame herself, and by the time Seo Do Jae comes around, her mind is made up to leave him, feeling that his being around her will be a constant reminder of how much he’s suffered over the last ten years. Forget the fact that Seo Do Jae doesn’t see it that way, nor does he blame her for anything.

Rather than talking things out, and perhaps Han Se Gye coming to terms with the fact that Seo Do Jae is fine with how things are, they end up apart for a year with Seo Do Jae deciding to undertake an extremely risky surgical procedure to cure him of his condition. This is all done without Han Se Gye’s knowledge, and the doctor warns Seo Do Jae that there’s a strong possibility that he might die. What’s disturbing is that Seo Do Jae isn’t undergoing the procedure to help himself as much as he’s doing it for Han Se Gye. In other words, he firmly believes that he has to fix himself in order to salvage the relationship. Instead of Han Se Gye coming to terms with the past, and realizing that it was all in the past, that there isn’t anything to be guilty about, and that she should simply accept Seo Do Jae as he is, we get the unlikely and reckless notion that Seo Do Jae should put his life on the line to fix himself. Never mind that, somehow, and somewhat miraculously, he’s cured as if someone waved a magic wand, thus taking away any chance that these two people can somehow look deeper and beyond their conditions to demonstrate that true love transcends such things!

When they reunited, there’s not even a deep, meaningful discussion regarding what had created the rift in the first place. Everything is quickly and magically healed! Oh, if only life worked out so easily, eh? Instead, the only realization we get is that these two really haven’t learned anything. Certainly not about true love that lies within and surpasses all things physical

Performances are very good throughout the series. In fact, I found the relationship between Rye Eun Ho and Kang Sa Ra much more intriguing than our superficial, star-crossed lovers! For once, we get the rich woman, although lonely and unhappy, finding love in a very pleasant but poor young man who works multiple part-time jobs. He has real charm, and it’s sad when he’s berated by Han Se Gye and Yoo Woo Mi for “smiling too much,” thus proving that the women in this series are superficial and insecure.

It's sad that the writer chose the easy, superficial route, rather than sticking to their guns about how true beauty really is on the inside! Now, that would have made a compelling and uplifting story, which fell well short here!

Read More

A Missed Opportunity

To be fair, there will likely never be another “Train to Busan,” which is still the best “zombie” movie ever made. Survival movies are always fascinating, as long as they’re done right. “All Of Us Are Dead” provides an interesting premise: what if a high school were the “ground zero” for a zombie outbreak? Koreans seem almost obsessed with zombie stories. God knows, there have been more than enough of them.

Nothing new in the origin is different than any other zombie project I’ve seen. Some idiot scientist messes around and somehow creates a zombie virus. Just how many times can a writer come up with the exact, same plot device? You have to wonder. It’s like Hallmark constantly coming up with the exact same love stories over and over again.

A high school science professor tries to come with an idea to help his son, who is a victim of bullying. Of course, teachers and even police officers look the other way when it comes to bullying. Even one teacher asks what the boy did to cause it. In this day and age, it’s almost unbelievable that such people exist, but then again, bullying has only gotten worse, so it’s more than feasible. The son, of course, has the zombie virus, which another fellow student contracts, and before you know it, students all over the school are in a bitter battle to survive.

Like so many disaster movies, we struggle to figure out who is going to live and who is going to die. At the focal point, we have Nam Oh Jo, who only has eyes for Lee Su Hyeok, who only has eyes for quiet class president, Choi Nam Ra. We also have Lee Cheong San, who is Nam Oh Jo’s childhood friend. She doesn’t realize that he likes her. Well, as with any teenage-centered characters, you’re going to get the whole “Dawson’s Creek” experience. You just have to go with it, no matter how cringeworthy the writers tend to make it. It tends to be worse with Asian shows because the 16-17-year-old kids act like 13-year-olds. The show almost would have been better without it, but then again, that’s life in high school.

The “survival” component is the driving force of the story, as the writers fall short in the relationship dynamics. There were plenty of opportunities for the writers to make this series even more provocative than even “Train to Busan,” but alas, the writers lacked the courage to go there. Where there were scenes and opportunities for touching moments, we end up with pretty much nothing.

For example, I understand that these kids are literally rushing and facing a battle at nearly every turn, but you can’t just “turn off” the human component. Even the best disaster films, such as “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno” as well as “Titanic” gave us moments; human moments where characters would be overwhelmed with grief and emotion after the loss of a loved one. After all, most people aren’t robots.

The most disappointing is Nam Oh Jo’s last interaction with Cheong San, as he’s been bitten, and decides to save the group in a daring and brave act of love and sacrifice. He professes his feelings to her, and she scarcely has anything to say or do back. She doesn’t even really grieve for him either. Part of this is the writer’s fault, but part of it also has to do with Park Ji Hu’s lackluster and almost robotic performance. She’s easily the weakest of all of the female actresses. I would have switched her out with someone else who could have handled the emotional depth and complexity, which this actress clearly lacks. She also had no chemistry at all with Yoon Chan Young (Cheong San). The more interesting relationship dynamic was between Lee Su Hyeok and Choi Nam Ra, which I was the most interested in, especially given that she was bitten but not turned into a full zombie. She struggles and fights against the desire to bite the others while doing all she can to help save them. I had truly wished that Choi Nam Ra had been the focal point of the story rather than Nam Oh Jo.

Another component that quickly grew tiresome was bully Yun Gwi Nam’s obsession with getting revenge on Cheong San. Never mind that this guy, even before he’s finally bitten, seems to constantly evade waves of zombies, but his pursuit just became silly. It was easily the most uninteresting part of the story, and Yoon In Soo’s performance is relegated to playing a thug, which is rarely ever compelling.

Of course, as with any disaster film, we get the morons in the upper echelons of the government and the military as they try to figure out how to resolve the situation. For a reason that’s never fully explained, the high school is left relatively ignored, and when they finally decide to go after a laptop computer in the science teacher’s classroom that might have clues to a cure, they abandon the kids on the rooftop because they no longer can be sure that they aren’t infected. So, there’s not even an attempt? They couldn’t have covered their mouths and bound them for safety reasons? They couldn’t have made supply drops to ensure that they had food and water? Instead, we get the idiot general who makes decisions on his own to bomb the city without any contact from the Blue House? How is this even possible? I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a single scene involving the Blue House regarding the situation. Instead, we get a gutless coward for a general who kills himself out of guilt, proving just how much of a coward he truly was! This was another component of the story that just didn’t quite work.

The series should have been extended to the usual 16 episodes to allow for more political aspects to take place, as well as for the opportunity to explore more of the human elements that were ignored.

Of course, we get some incredible scenes of students sacrificing themselves for others, and again, it’s the survival aspect of the story that keeps it going as well as keeps the viewer invested in finding out how they’re going to escape.

I’ve heard that they’re doing a second season, but with Park Ji Hu spearheading it, I’ll definitely pass. This isn’t a bad series at all, but by the time it’s ended, you feel like it was another missed opportunity.

Read More

A Hilarious Thriller or a Thrilling Comedy?

Only Koreans could find a way to mix a thriller with comedy, and somehow pull it off so that you’re laughing your head off one minute, and then intrigued with suspense in the next. You really can’t think of two more polar-opposite genres than these two. It would be like trying to combine the elements of The Pink Panther movies with Silence of the Lambs.

You may be hard-pressed to find a more lovable and mostly capable bunch of misfits out solving crimes than this bunch. A criminal profiler mimicking a shaman and the worst police division in Seoul, out to catch a serial killer and the corrupt businessmen behind him.

Nam Han Jun was set up as a fall guy for his best friend’s murder, and now that he’s out of prison, he is trying to solve the crime and find out who’s behind it. His other best friend, Kong Su Cheol, another former police officer, is the brainless muscle of the team. He’s fiercely loyal and dedicated to Nam Han Jun, but he’s also not very bright. Next, you have his sister, Nam Hye Jun, who is a master computer hacker, and it’s her skills that provide the elements for Nam Han Jun to help his troubled clientele as a shaman. Locked in her computer room for days on end, nobody can stand the smell of her!

On the other side of the fence, we’ve got Lieutenant Han Jae Hui, who’s the new head of the worst police division in Seoul. She’s a bit dense and not too bright when it comes to the men in her life, but she thrives on the attention she gets. She’s also a fierce hand-to-hand fighter. She’s also the younger sister of Nam Han Jun’s best friend who was killed, and Nam Han Jun doesn’t realize this until later in the series because she’s working under a different name, and they haven’t seen each other in years. At first, she blames Nam Han Jun for her brother’s death until the layers are slowly peeled back to reveal the identity of the true killer and what really happened. She also has a couple of bumbling detectives on her staff who can never do anything right.

Han Jae Hui’s initial disdain for Nam Hun Jun often comes with hilarious interactions in which she almost always punches him, kicks him, slaps him, and even tasers him! All of these are done with great comedic effect, thanks mostly to the brilliant acting of Seo In Guk, who’s got enough comedic chops to do Jim Carrey proud. Nam Han Jun is loud, verbose, and a bit arrogant, but he’s also really gifted when it comes to criminal profiling and seeing details that most people miss.

The story is mostly a good one, even though I knew early on that there was something off about Prosecutor Cha Do Won, who is the true serial killer and psychopath. My only complaint is that he doesn’t act like a true psychopath, with a number of elements missing. Psychopaths are incapable of love or empathy, and Cha Do Won’s love for Han Jae Hui is a contradiction. However, his skills of lying and manipulation are spot on. I would have preferred an actor with a more dynamic personality who could showcase these elements better, but that’s a very minor complaint.

This series will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. It’s easily one of the funniest series I’ve watched in a while. All of the actors did a great job showing off their comedic abilities. And the series will also have you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out who’s pulling the strings.

My only other issue is that there is a glaring age discrepancy between Aunt Im, Cha Do Won. and Koo Tae Su. She’s supposed to have found them when she was a grown woman, and they were just small children, when the actress is easily 12-15 years younger than either of them in their adult years. I don’t know why it was so hard to find an older actress to play the part of Aunt Im.

But, if you’re looking for a fun series, you can hardly go wrong with Café Mindamnang!

Read More

Flawed But Very Fun Series!

“Behind Your Touch” is a fairly flawed but extremely fun series that uniquely balances comedy with a thriller plot. It’s not very often you find this combination, and a combination that works, for the most part. Then again, Koreans are masters of mixing genres and making them all work seamlessly.

Dr. Bong Ye Bun is a veterinarian working in a small town after growing up with her aunt and estranged grandfather who never speaks to her. She’s a quirky sort of woman who suddenly finds herself with a gift, thanks to a hapless encounter with a cow and a meteor. Yes, you heard me right! While treating a milk cow and touching the cow’s hindquarters, the meteor gives her the ability to “read” the past events of animals or people but touching their backsides. Clearly, this leads to some hilarious moments when Dr. Bong finds herself the unwitting participant of having to touch someone in order to gain insight.

Enter, Detective Moon Jang Yeol, a determined police officer who initially nicknames Dr. Bong, “perv” as he watches her constantly trying to touch people. This leads to some outrageous moments, such as whenever Detective Moon catches her, he flips her…literally!

However, not all is as it seems in the seemingly quiet, hospitable town when it becomes clear that there is a serial killer at work. Detective Moon will stop at nothing to catch the killer, and once he discovers Dr. Bong’s ability, he enlists her help in tracking down and finding the killer.

Believe it or not, for the most part, the story works and works well. We get some laugh out loud moments mixed with some real tension as the writers are determined to keep the viewer guessing as to who the real killer is. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself going back and forth between multiple suspects.

There is also a bit of light, romantic tension as Kim Sun Woo comes to town and Dr. Bong is immediately infatuated with him. However, Kim Sun Woo behaves a bit suspiciously, and Detective Moon is determined that he’s the serial killer, thus putting himself and Dr. Bong in precarious situations. When you’ve watched shows like this long enough, it’s not hard to realize that the most obvious suspect is rarely ever the true killer. Also, there are two pivotal moments about midway through the series that gives big clues as to who the killer is. They are brief but if you remember them, you can likely figure it out.

The series has great characters and a lot of fun, enjoyable moments. However, the series weakens in the last two episodes, but not to the point where it ruins the series itself. It was almost as if the writer had backed themselves into a corner and weren’t entirely sure about how to get out of it.

First, Kim Sun Woo figures out who the killer is. He knows Dr. Bong is in danger of being a target. Why did he not confide in her or Detective Moon regarding his suspicions? And why would he continue to hang around the killer, knowing that he was also putting himself at risk? That didn’t make sense at all to me. As smart as Kim Sun Woo is, it just didn’t seem like something he would do.

Second, the sunglasses are a big stretch. Even in the dark, if there is light, you can still see to some extent. That doesn’t completely negate Dr. Bong’s ability to see what happened.

Finally, bringing out Detective Moon’s adversary and having him taking out all fifteen guys in the end was also pushing it. We understand that he’s a tough cop, but I don’t know many people who’d be able to subdue that many people alone. We don’t see that Detective Moon has any unique or special fighting skills.

The last twenty minutes of the final episode with Dr. Bong being asked to infiltrate a women’s prison was ludicrous and simply didn’t fit at all with the rest of the series. In short, they should have quit while they were ahead.

Still, despite these things, this is a very fun series to watch, and I would still recommend it. All in all, it’s a great story with great performances.

Read More

All Storms Eventually Pass

There is a blessing in hitting “rock bottom.” There is only one direction to go: up. There is also a blessing in knowing that whatever problems or troubles you are having, they will pass.

Life is all about perspective. How you perceive something determines how you choose to experience it. If you don’t like the experience you’re having, then change your perspective. There is no one in existence who hasn’t endured hardships. Even masters have gone through everything you are going through and have gone through. So, what’s the difference? They simply changed their perception as well as used wisdom to ask the right questions. Life isn’t about having all of the answers but about asking the right questions. Why am I going through this? What is it that I’m trying to teach myself in this moment? The late and great Kobe Bryant never referred to his hardships as “problems.” He called them “challenges.” See how changing one word can change how you perceive something?

“Doctor Slump” is about two competitive doctors who suddenly find their lives turned upside down by circumstances. Remember the immortal words of Rocky Balboa, “Life isn’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” And these two loveable characters get knocked down to their knees, but ultimately, they find a way to get back on their feet. This is also why, as a viewer, I found myself cheering for them both.

Dr. Yeo Jeong Woo is a brilliant plastic surgeon with a heart of gold. It’s hard to imagine this guy hurting anyone. He finds himself set up during a botched surgery that destroys his reputation and finds himself in dire, financial straits as well as facing criminal charges. And yet, he does his best to take care of his friends. Dr. Yeo Jeong Woo has a boyish charm and a wonderful sense of humor, thanks to actor Park Hyung Sik whom I’ve seen in several series. He has a gift for charm and comedy as well as being able to effortlessly harness the pain and despair he goes through.

Dr. Nam Ha Neul is an up-and-coming anesthesiologist who finds the dissertation she’s worked on being stolen and altered for a greedy, corrupt supervisor. Her own reputation is destroyed when she confronts him, even knocking him to the ground, which was far better than he deserved. Dr. Nam Ha Neul may perceive herself as weak, but she’s far stronger than she gives herself credit. Her pain and despair comes from guilt; guilt of not being there for her father as well as allowing a previous supervisor to take advantage of her. Park Shin Hye is equally captivating in her role. She has a sweetness that is undeniable and a light and glimmer in her eyes and smile. And yet, when either of these actors has moments of despair, we feel it.

The premise of this series is that no one should be afraid to seek help when needed. An even more important premise is that you are your top priority. You must take care of yourself first. It’s a losing battle to try and take care of others without, first, taking care of yourself. Putting others first is a road lined with resentment, guilt, and anger. And perhaps the third premise is learning how to be there for someone and letting them be there for you. Most people fail to realize that quite often, the best way to help someone is to just simply be there for them. It may not seem like a lot, but ultimately, it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give them. The beauty of a rock is that it’s just there. It doesn’t have to move or do anything. And everyone can be a rock for someone in their lives.

What makes this series so enjoyable is that there aren’t any needless melodramatic twists or turns. No silly love triangles or mountainous conflicts that we know are just there to add some conflict. The series is light despite the fact that it never makes light of the trials and tribulations of others or the pain that they are going through.

The greatest obstacle to pain is suppression. It’s been stated that the quickest way out of something is through it. To avoid it or try to find a way around it is to simply bring about needless suffering. Pain in life is inevitable. Suffering, however, is always optional.

Park Hyung Sik and Park Shin Hye have undeniable chemistry in this series which is why it works so well. I think they may be my favorite couple after “Our Beloved Summer.” I love the goofiness that Park Hyung Sik brings and the sweetness of Park Shin Hye as well as the fact that, while both characters are going through pain, they’re both fighters and are determined to come out on top. They are inspirational as well as captivating.

The only aspect of the series that didn’t quite work for me was the second romance between Bin Dae Young and Lee Hong Ran. It just didn’t feel needed, and it was as though the writers were trying to fill some empty space with a romance that just didn’t feel organic enough. Not to mention that the only romance that I cared about was between Yeo Jeong Woo and Nam Ha Neul.

So, the next time you get “knocked down” let this series serve as a reminder that every storm always passes. Don’t be afraid to experience pain. It’s still the quickest way out. Never give up. Keep fighting and keep moving forward. Don’t forget to make yourself the number one priority, and lastly, once you get yourself firmly anchored, be a rock for someone and just be there for them and let them be there for you.

Read More

Plays Like a Bad American Horror Movie!

If this series had been a comedy, I probably would have laughed more and also in more of the right places. Unfortunately, it’s not a comedy. It plays like a bad American horror movie where the sheer level of stupidity that dominates the characters is the primary source for the laughter; the absolutely clueless and absurdity is not to be underestimated. If you've ever seen an American horror movie, you know how often characters make really dumb decisions, and when they're killed off, you just shake your head because their own stupidity did them in.

A disease has broken out the causes the infected to attack and bite the victim in order to satiate their unquenching thirst. However, once bitten, the victim becomes infected. It’s like a cross between a vampire and a zombie. However, unlike Train to Busan, this series as virtually no suspense whatsoever.

Yoon Sae Bom is a member of an elite anti-terrorist unit. She’s sassy, capable, and has dreams and aspirations of moving into a nice new apartment complex; a complex that requires the applicant to have enough “points” to qualify (recommendations, marriage, etc.). She marries her childhood friend, Jung Yi Hyun, a detective who had aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player. They marry for the convenience of being co-owners of the apartment. However, we already know that Jung Yi Hyun has loved Yoon Sae Bom since they were in high school together. Yeah, we already know where this is going.

Yoon Sae Bom quickly finds out just how shady the residents are in the apartment complex. There is really nobody good. And this is what she dreamed of, eh? We have a doctor who’s killed his wife. A seemingly affluent woman who wants to be the resident business leader of the complex. Power and money become the sole driving force of nearly every resident. This doesn’t even change when the complex comes under quarantine due to the disease. Soon, residents are fighting over food, water, or any means of trying to get ahead. Oh, and we also have a serial killer among the residents, as if everything else wasn’t quite enough. How so many “bad eggs” can all be in one place at the same time is like rolling “snake eyes” in Vegas twelve times in a row.

The lockdown aspect was intriguing until we find out that the infected only reach a “ravenous state” for about fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, a military colonel is trying to find a cure without letting the higher-ups know about it, as he’s afraid that they will use their perpetual greed to control the cure, and the colonel’s wife is one of the infected.

Yoon Sae Bom and Jung Yi Hyun try their best (well, not really!) to control the crazies and the situation. Ironically enough, for two people in law enforcement, they consistently make horrible decisions.
First, we have Dr. Oh Joo Hyeong who’s being arrested for the murder of his wife just as the lockdown takes place. However, instead of taking him into custody and at least locking him in a room, he’s given free reign to move around. Of course, knowing that he’s likely facing a prison sentence, he does everything in his power to subvert and plot against Yoon Sae Bom and Jung Yi Hyun. And each time they stop him, he’s STILL given a license to move about freely. Talk about stupid! This was one of the comedic elements that wasn’t really funny. I was simply laughing at how inept and pathetic our two main characters were.

Next, we have “Andrew” the serial killer. It’s funny that neither of our two leads suspect him for anything, given that he never shows his face which is constantly hidden behind a mask, and that the face on the ID card is scraped up so that you can see the photo. Now, it’s understandable that this story takes place on the cusp of COVID. It’s already been scientifically proven that masks do not have very much of an effect in preventing you from catching a disease. It’s more of a suggestion which is why so many people still believe that they do. However, given that Andrew goes to great lengths to hide his face, especially when eating or drinking, you would think that this might be a “red flag” to our two veteran members of law enforcement (three if you count Jung Yi Hyun’s cowardly, inept partner, Kim Jeong Gook who can only whine, cry, and complain at every turn).

We also have Oh Yeon Ok, the woman attempting to become the elected representative who is more worried about losing her position than anything else. She frequently goes into frantic rages when it becomes clear that she’s willing to do anything (even commit murder) to be elected. Bae Hae Seon plays her a bit over-the-top, and our two resident cops allow her to walk all over them rather than take charge of the situation. Instead, they try to be political rather than act like officers, which makes everything even worse.

The first six or seven episodes are quite good when the viewer is trying to figure out everything that is going on, but when the infected all but disappear, and the focus shifts to the residents and their power plays, the whole script falls apart, and we no longer really care what happens to most of them.


The last episode attempts to drag things out with an absolutely pathetic ending; all done for effect, of course. Jung Yi Hyun has been shot and taken captive by Andrew after Jung Yi Hyun somehow fails to disarm him (who knew a kid without any fighting skills could out-fight a cop who’s shown his hand-to-hand prowess up until now?). Jung Yi Hyun is on the ground being held up by Andrew but only covering his lower half. Yoon Sae Bom has a clear shot at Andrew. Instead, she shoots herself in the arm in order to get the infected Andrew to transform. Talk about making a really dumb choice! He staggers toward her, allowing Jung Yi Hyun (who has reclaimed the gun) to shoot Andrew in the head. Never mind that he’s already weak and also ignoring the fact the Yoon Sae Bom still has her own gun but shoots anyway, even though she’s in the direct line of fire. Talk about being lucky!

Yoon Sae Bom and Jung Yi Hyun are about as believable as cops as Donald Trump is of being president. Yes, that’s how bad these two were. It's sad that this is a wasted effort because both characters are likable and I like that Yoon Sae Bom is a strong woman who is no wallflower by any stretch of the imagination.

I was glad that this series only went 12 episodes. It should have been cut down to half that. The writer should be drummed out of the business for breaking one of the most basic and cardinal rules: never change a character for the sake of moving the plot. In other words, never make a character do something they would never do just to make the plot work. Yoon Sae Bom and Jung Yi Hyun make so many bad decisions, it’s a wonder they live to tell the tale. Well, when you have a writer who can make it happen, then that’s the blessing of it!


What’s sad is that most of the performances were pretty good, despite having some of the most depraved and sick people occupying one apartment complex (and no, I’m obviously not talking about the infected). These people should have been quarantined long before any disease entered the picture. Frankly, this series should be quarantined to the basement shelves too.

Read More

Money Can't Buy Happiness!

An old man presents an interesting premise. He asks, “What does a person with no money have in common with a person who has too much money?” His response is, “Neither one can have any fun. Having too much money soon becomes boring.” Such is the delusion of money. It cannot buy fun, love, happiness, or anything else that isn’t materialistic. It can only buy things. And things have a highly delusive quality to them. Why? Because people suffer when they don’t get what they want. And even when they get exactly what they want, they still suffer. Because they can’t hold onto it forever.

The same old man reminisces about his childhood days of being able to play with his friends seemingly forever without any rules or constraints. People are very much like children in their attachments to things. A child gets a new toy until he plays with it enough, and then he’s bored with it. Adults are no different. The World of Delusion promises only fleeting moments of happiness that always has the same result for everyone: the feeling of emptiness.

Squid Game is about human greed and how deep and low a person will stoop for a chance at 45 Billion Won (just over 33 million dollars). The target participants in these games are people who are in dire an desperate financial straits. People who owe such a debt that it’s all but impossible for them to get out from under. How they got into these situations isn’t really the issue compared to the fact that they’ve found themselves stuck in a hole they can’t get out of—until they receive a card; an opportunity to not only pay off their debts, but to possibly have enough money to secure their futures. However, nobody explains to them that nearly all lottery winners or people who win exorbitant amounts of money almost always end up broke. Such is the pitfall of “never having enough.” Even Ebeneezer Scrooge once stated, “There is no such thing as rich enough, only poor enough.”

Seong Gi Hun is a man in severe debt. He’s borrowed incredible amounts of money. He’s a divorced man living with his mother and trying to be there for his estranged daughter. He goes so far as to steal money from his mother in order to bet on horse races, with the hope of winning enough to treat his daughter to a birthday dinner. The people he owes money find him and threaten with severe bodily harm if he doesn’t come up with the money soon. He receives the invitation; an opportunity to play a game for money. More money than he could dream of!

Of course, nothing is as it seems as Seong Gi Hun and 455 other participants are whisked away to a strange island to play six games. Winner takes all. What Gi Hun doesn’t realize is that the games played to the death. He watches in horror as 200 people are killed playing, “Red Light, Green Light.” And as with all aspects of human greed, shaky alliances are formed for protection as well employing means of disposing of the competition. Sleepless nights are common as participants fear attacks in the middle of the night, and we wonder just how strong the initial bonds of friendship and comradery will last when lives and the money are on the line.

We find out that this entire game is an instrument of the incredibly rich from various countries and walks of life. Why? For entertainment. For the ability to revel in some “fun.” Never mind that that “fun” comes at the high price of human lives. Nobody cares. Not the people sponsoring the games nor the participants, no matter how much they may cry “foul” they still play. Ironically, after the first game, the participants vote to end the games, but after more time of suffering financial woes, they reluctantly agree to play again. Like people who frequent casinos, they will lose, but they will always come back. Strangely enough, even if they win, they will also always come back. That’s why they say, “The House always wins.”

I watched “Alice in Borderland” right before this series. While both series are incredibly well done and thought-provoking, I found “Alice in Borderland” far more insightful and sublime in its premise that it’s an allegory for life; that the joys and horrors of this world are not real. “Squid Game” is more specific in exposing the level of human greed and how base human “morality” becomes when money is the goal. As the Bible verse states, “For what does it profit a man should he inherit the world but lose his soul?”

It's not hard to guess that Seong Gi Hun wins the games, but interestingly enough, he refuses to use any of the money he’s won. Survivor’s guilt? Blood money? A final conversation with one of he masterminds behind the games causes him to think about his life, as he’s lived a full year without spending any of the money. Finally, after coming across another “participant” it’s clear that the writers have set up a “Season 2” with Seong Gi Hun vowing to expose the people behind the games.

This isn’t your typical “K-Drama.” It’s vicious and brutal without apologizing for it. There are characters you cheer for and others you immediately despise. There are also some you may find yourself cheering for, but in the end, you are hopeful for their downfall. And there are still others you initially despised but find yourself rooting for. Isn’t that very much like how people are treated in the real world? How ironic that most people love to pull a hero up, but not nearly as much as they love tearing one down.

The series was nearly perfect, except for one big flaw. The police officer who is able to sneak onto the island and uncover what is going on. Somehow, the police officer is able to follow a van in the middle of the night along a dark road to an exchange point. I’m not exactly sure how the driver of the van didn’t notice a single car trailing him the entire time. That was really far-fetched. I also didn’t see how the police officer was able to prevent his cellphone from running out of battery power (as he spends much time recording and taking photos). He certainly didn’t have a charger with him! The whole scenario with the officer should have been handled differently. Instead, like too many of the participants, he just had an incredible run of luck!

Performances across the board were fantastic with Lee Jung Jae leading the way. He was fantastic in “Chief of Staff” so I was already excited to see him helming this series. Even the pink hair got a laugh from me!

Squid Game endeavors to say a lot about people and the imbalance that exists in this world between the 1% and everyone else, and how that chasm is getting wider all of the time. It’s been stated that there is only one, true joy that you can have when you have “too much” money. And that, of course, is to share it. To use it to help others who are in need. The irony of money is that it can never buy happiness nor can you take it with you.

Read More

The Beauty of Shadow and Light

******************** I'm reviewing Seasons 1 & 2 here ************************


This series is a masterful allegory about life based on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” which is, itself, an allegory as well. However, this series take things to a whole different level.

Paramahansa Yogananda referred to life as like a Cosmic Motion Picture, in which we are the writers, actors, and even the directors in our own cosmic movie. Shakespeare equated life to a stage play saying, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances and one man in his time plays many parts.”

In today’s world, one might easily equate life to a video game. You play and play until you’ve mastered the game in order to “clear it.” As you can see, the world of “delusion” is created with opposites. Light and dark, joy and sorrow, love and hate. Why? Because in order to experience light, there must be darkness. If all there was is light, then it would be impossible to experience it.

Virtually every master has said the same thing, but perhaps in different words; don’t take life so seriously. Learn to enjoy it. Don’t get so caught up in the “bad” things that you forget that none of this is real.

Arisu (Alice) is a young man who finds himself transported into another world, or another reality. Everyone has suddenly vanished except for himself and his two best friends. Tokyo appears empty of nearly all of its inhabitants. He quickly learns that he must play and clear games in order to survive. Failure to participate in a game within a certain time means automatic death. Clearing a game grants the victor a visa, in which the participant is given three days of a reprieve before another game must be played.

All games are based upon the classic playing cards with each suit and number designating the type of game (teamwork, deathmatch, betrayal, etc.) and its difficulty level (2, 3, 4, etc.).

The games alone are fascinating as we see participants stripped away of their morals and idealism in order to simply survive. We see people quickly betraying others. We see people so distraught by the pain and anguish that they simply give up, preferring death to any more “suffering.” And, of course, we see those rare few, that despite being knocked down and tempted with giving up, strive to continue in order to find out what this whole thing is all about. Arisu is such a person.

Arisu soon meets Usagi (Rabbit). At first, they form an uneasy alliance, and soon a friendship develops. Arisu is the idealist. He’s the person, despite making mistakes, refuses to give up. He’s a young man who had absolutely no direction in his life. He spent his days playing video games and hanging out with his two best friends. His father and brother are clearly disappointed in him for lounging around the apartment all day and doing nothing. However, Arisu is not without asking questions to the big picture. What is life? Why are we here? And as the game begins taking the lives of his friends and comrades, he even asks deeper questions such as, “Why am I alive?” Anyone who has suffered tremendous pain or suffering has asked this question.

Usagi represents the escape; the person who can only remember the pain of the “real world” and has no desire to return to it. What’s the point of “waking up” if all there is is more suffering? To Arisu’s surprise, she confesses that she prefers the “game” world, despite the horrors of mass murdering, betrayal, and constant threat of death at every turn. If you think this is pessimistic and having a quitter’s mindset, ask yourself why there are so many people in the world who prefer pain and suffering to the unknown? To the possibility that there just might be a way out? In short, Usagi is the person who prefers her comfort zone; her security and has no reason to stray beyond it.

Arisu and Usagi seem to find a community (church or religion) called “The Beach” in which people seem to be enjoying themselves in relative safety. However, not everything is as it seems. You must “follow the rules” or be designated a “traitor” and possibly killed. It’s lead by people who set up these arbitrary rules on how to live. Many of its inhabitants seek only refuge or pleasure. Others believe they can find a way to beat the game. The Beach represents the dangers of allowing anyone else to tell you how to live your life. It represents the dangers of giving power to the blind; to those who have no idea how “get out.” And because all religions are self-serving, the Beach is soon destroyed from within.

Season 2 sees Arisu and Usagi attempting to clear the most difficult games: the face cards. Some of the games employ the use of logic, trust, or simply mere survival (in the case of the King of Spades). Ironically, the last challenge to overcome is from the Queen of Hearts herself. She represents false love/hope that asks you to simply give in to a game which mirrors Lucifer’s own ideal; that it’s better to be a king in hell than a servant in heaven. However, before her demise, the Queen of Hearts smiles and gives Arisu a heartfelt reminder: life is choice. There is no “right” or “wrong” choice as there are always consequences no matter what you choose.

The final episode is a pure work of metaphysical art. It attempts to give an explanation where no explanation will suffice. It demonstrates that an attempt to understand the world through intellect alone will always lead to oblivion. We get so caught up in the world that we forget that it’s just an illusion; a creation of our own making. And perhaps that is why the most powerful message, and reminder, is the last shot of the season as a table with playing cards are swept away—all except for one which sits proudly in the middle of the table endeavoring for us to laugh at the joy and absurdity of it all: the Joker.

To the master, the universe is a playground. Much like this series depicts, it’s like entering a cosmic amusement park. To the unawakened, the dangers and pleasures seem real and they go round and round until they’ve had enough; to where they feel compelled to try and “wake up.” To the awakened, it’s simply to be enjoyed, both “good” and “evil” because in truth, neither one exists. They are mere fabrications on the cosmic motion picture of shadow and light.

Performances across the board are first-rate. We find ourselves getting attached to one or more characters, wondering who will “survive” and who will “die.” We see humanity’s beauty on full display, from acts of love and bravery to acts of insanity, brutality, and cowardice. The series makes no apologies for its depictions, nor should it. Stripped away, with nowhere to hide, we see people at their highest and their lowest.

This isn’t an easy series to watch either, as the violence is very extreme, so if you’re a bit skittish, you may want to avoid this series; unless you can understand that this is nothing more than a game. It isn’t real. Paramahansa Yogananda took some nuns to see a violent western. The nun sitting next to him covered her face with her hands because the violence was too much for her. He gently pulled her arms down and said, “Watch. Don’t get so caught up in it. None of it’s real.”

This is a series that could easily be the topic of discussion in any university class from psychology or philosophy to religious studies or any class having to do with human behavior. Yes, it is that profound, and by the time the series ends, you just might find yourself laughing along with the Joker, realizing that you were caught up in something and then realizing that none of it was real. So, enjoy!

Read More

Doberman Bites and Doesn't Let Go!

Military Prosecutor Doberman is a fun ride that navigates through both corporate and military corruption. This isn’t something new, as we’ve seen plenty of stories with this combination, but this series certainly brings a new sense of style, combining drama, comedy, and thriller genres.

Captain Doh Bae Man (can’t believe it took me a whole episode to get his name connection!) is a military prosecutor who was orphaned at a young age when his parents (both military prosecutors) were killed in a car accident (of course, it wasn’t an accident). So many people in K-dramas are killed involving a vehicle, that it’s tantamount to the number of Americans in American series killed by gunshots!

Doh Bae Man is initially a self-serving prosecutor who uses the power of his position to put money into his pockets. As far as he’s concerned, nothing else matters. Suffering from memory loss, he doesn’t recall the details of the accident that took his parents’ lives. On the side, he works for Yong Moon Goo, then head of a prestigious law firm who promises a high position in any law firm that Doh Bae Man wishes as soon as he’s discharged. In exchange for handling (or in Doh Bae Man’s case) mishandling cases, he’s given boxes full of cash from Yong Moon Goo.

Little does Doh Bae Man realize that there is something sinister going on around him at the military base he’s assigned with General Noh Hwa Young being in the center of it all. He also doesn’t realize that there is a connection between the general and the death’s of his parents. It isn’t until Captain Cha Woo In is assigned to his office that she nudges him to start connecting the dots.

Cha Woo In also has a dark past with General Noh Hwa Young, as the general also ordered the death of her father in order to take over his company, IM Defense Industries, which was a major player in signing contractual deals with the military. However, General Noh Hwa Young isn’t just about gaining money, but power. As part of a secret society of high-ranking military officials who all wish to nudge Korea into a future that they want, Noh Hwa Young wants to be the top-dog. She has a spoiled cowardly son in Noh Tae Nam whom she wants to complete his military service.

We see corruption at its lowest as General Noh Hwa Young skillfully manipulates and removes anyone or any obstacle that gets in her way. She’s frightening enough to make any military official quake in their boots, and Oh Yeon Soo, does a fantastic job with the role, ensuring that Noh Hwa Young is a very cool, calculating person who should never be underestimated. Too often, we’ve seen men assume these types of roles, so it’s incredibly refreshing to see a woman take on the role of chief villainess.

As Cha Woo In helps Doh Bae Man peel back the layers of corruption as well as his own lost memories, Doh Bae Man begins to change. He realizes that he’s also been used by Yong Moon Go, and that it is finally time for him to utilize his office for which it was intended: to carry out justice.

Doh Bae Man is an extremely intelligent prosecutor who is a master of manipulation and seeing things that nobody else is able to see. He’s a bit reckless sometimes, but too often, we see how he’s the mastermind behind so many amazing plans. Ahn Bo Hyun is fantastic as the confident, often arrogant Doh Bae Man who flashes his boyish charm to manipulate witnesses or convicts into doing what he needs them to do.

Cha Woo In is more level-headed and less emotional than her counterpart. Aside from being an absolute master of hand-to-hand combat, she’s smart enough to allow Doh Bae Man to regain his memories on his own rather than simply tell him. She knows that it’s far more effective for him to do it this way. However, Cha Woo In doesn’t have Doh Bae Man’s gift for seeing the “bigger picture” and doing what is necessary to carry out their plan. At first, this makes her a bit of a “weak link” in the courtroom, until she begins to understand what’s going on. She tends to be a bit too naïve and trusting where being cautious and calculating is far more prudent. In short, these two make a fantastic one-two punch team as they begin to learn from each other and how to use each other’s tactics.

Kim Young Min is probably my favorite actor of this series as the very cool and highly intelligent Yong Moon Goo. I tend to prefer villains who show their prowess with intelligence rather than with brawn or ridiculous, over-the-top outbursts. While he isn’t immune to revealing his frustrations, we see just how formidable he is, and as a viewer, we wonder who will win out: Yong Moon Goo or Noh Hwa Young? The high-powered lawyer or the high-ranking general?

The series only has a few minor problems. First, is Cha Woo In going around a red wig as a vigilante. This was almost as laughable as Clark Kent hiding his Superman disguise with a pair of glasses. So many people who know Cha Woo In, fail to recognize her simply due to a red wig. Had she kept her sunglasses on, it would have worked. This ended up going way too far.

Next, we have too many actors—who are supposed to be military generals—not acting like military generals at all. They have no esteem or presence as a military general would. Only Noh Hwa Young is the exception. The worst is easily General Heo Gang In, who acts more like a bumbling, inept fool. He’s so bad that he’s not even believable as a military person at all. Jung In Ki’s interpretation was an especially poor one and completely unbelievable.

Finally, the level of bullying that seems to emanate at all levels of the Korean military makes anyone wonder how in the world the Korean military can function at all. We hardly ever even see soldiers on duty. They’re all playing sports, loafing around in their barracks, and having free reign to come and go as they please. Given that corruption was from the very bottom all the way to the very top was just too much. I understand that the writers probably wanted to do their best to expose this type of corruption, but for this story, it was a bit too much. It was overkill.

Still, don’t let these minor issues fool you. This is a solid series with something for everyone. The plot twists themselves will likely have you guessing what’s really going on. I was also tremendously relieved that the series didn’t get sidetracked with a silly romantic storyline that would have pulled everything off course. They saved the one kiss for the end. We knew there was something between Doh Bae Man and Cha Woo In. There was no need to go any further than that, especially when their focus (their goal) was on the case. Just like a Doberman, this series is likely to bite you and not let go until the very end!

Read More

Accepting People For Who They Are!

I’ve now seen three series with autistic characters being the subject. “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” was the first with Oh Jung Se giving an absolutely riveting performance! The second was “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” with the incomparable Eu Bin Park. And ironically, despite this series coming out before all of them, I finally watched this one with Joo Won also giving a tremendous performance. However, that being said, “Good Doctor” is easily my least favorite of the three.

Dr. Park Shi-On is an autistic young man who aspires to become a pediatric surgeon. Growing up with a sadistically brutal father who beat him relentlessly due to his disability, he’s eventually raised by the loving Dr. Choi who is the director of Sungwon Hospital. Dr. Choi hopes to help Dr. Park fulfill his dream; a dream he made after watching his older brother die in an accident in a mine.

Dr. Park has many obstacles to overcome, not the least of which are prejudice and discrimination, not only among his own colleagues but among parents too. Because of his persistence, he doesn’t give up and finds solace it the little souls of the pediatric ward who really don’t see him as anything other than a person. A slightly strange person, perhaps, but as a person nonetheless. Such is having the eyes of a child and seeing the world that way. Guilt, shame, and prejudice are all learned behaviors.

The first seven or eight episodes are tough to wade through as we see Dr. Park taking constant verbal abuse, especially from his mentor and superior, Dr. Kim Do Han and his chief assistant, Dr. Cha Yoon Su. Dr. Kim goes so far as to punch Dr. Park after a surgery. What is ironic is that Dr. Kim had a younger brother with autism, and yet he openly abuses Dr. Park without apology. If you truly think that abusive teaching methods are the best way to teach anyone, then you have no idea just how primitive and ignorant your beliefs are. Dr. Cha—in some ways—is even worse. She rebukes him with, “Stop acting like a kid!” She also physically hits him a number of times, but her even bigger “crime” is treating Dr. Park like he’s broken.

Dr. Kim justifies his treatment of Dr. Park with a strange question to Dr. Cha: “Would you rather have a great doctor who makes poor decisions or an average doctor who makes great decisions?” His point is that he wants Dr. Park to be the latter. However, his ignorance clouds his judgment as he clearly overlooks the third option to that question: Why not a great doctor who makes great decisions? That is what he should inspire Dr. Park to be. There is absolutely no justification for abuse. None. As an ESL teacher who has spent most of his career in Asian countries, I know that this isn’t something that has been completely expunged. Many teachers and even parents still firmly believe that abuse is necessary. They may not call it “abuse” but abuse it is.

Dr. Kim slowly begins to take to Dr. Park. However, during one particularly disturbing scene, Dr. Park is being beaten up by two bullies. Dr. Kim sees what is happening. He gets out of his car and walks to help Dr. Park. Walks. Not run. That was more disturbing than watching Dr. Park getting assaulted which showed just how little Dr. Kim thinks of Dr. Park.

Toward the last five episodes or so, it becomes clear that Dr. Cha is starting to develop feelings for Dr. Park, despite Dr. Park being rejected early on when he shares how he feels with her. However, Dr. Cha makes one big mistake when she goes out a blind date and finds that Dr. Park isn’t upset about it. Anyone who truly thinks that jealousy equals love doesn’t know love at all. Jealousy has absolutely nothing to do with love. Jealousy is about ego, power, fear, and control—things that love can never be. In many ways, Dr. Park proves himself to be far wiser and more mature than Dr. Cha, who frankly, has a lot of growing up to do.

The medical episodes regarding the pediatric patients were the most intriguing part of the series to me. I loved how Dr. Park could empathize and relate to them, using his own child-like purity. The surgeries were fairly well done, despite some serious flaws (such as doctors contaminating each other by touching each other in the OR which happened several times!)

However, the relationships weren’t quite as compelling to me. Dr. Park’s father is just a drunken, abusive tyrant, and it was disturbing to see how Dr. Park’s mother wilts around him, proving herself to be a very weak woman. The actor playing Dr. Park’s father was a bit too over-the-top for my taste. Barking and spewing nonsense in virtually every scene quickly became tiresome.

Quite frankly, the relationship between Dr. Cha and Dr. Park that develops toward the end of the series just didn’t feel organic or real enough. Moon Chae Won is a very good actress, but she almost seemed lost in how to make Dr. Cha actually develop romantic and loving feelings toward Dr. Park. She never says, “I like you” or even “I love you.” She only ever talks about how uncomfortable she is with Dr. Park possibly dating someone else (again, a sign of jealousy and possession; not love at all). “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” the romantic angle worked because the ML accepted and loved her for who she was; he never wanted her to change. We don’t get that same feeling from Dr. Cha who is constantly trying to get Dr. Park to change who he is. And anyone should know that whenever you enter a relationship with the hope of changing the other person, the relationship is ultimately doomed to fail. Relationships are always about the possibility of changing yourself, not the other person.

Initially, Dr. Cha obviously has a crush on Dr. Kim. It’s both sad and disturbing that she would find Dr. Kim even remotely appealing after his blatant abusive behavior toward Dr. Park. It certainly doesn’t speak well about her taste in men at all, Dr. Park notwithstanding.

We have a political power struggle doing on at the hospital which works somewhat well. In many ways, however, it just didn’t add much to the story, which should have kept its focus on Dr. Park.

In Jae was one of my favorite characters of the series; a young teenager who’s desperately in need of an intestinal transplant and her sister who is doing everything she can to raise enough money to pay for it. I loved In Jae’s interactions with Dr. Park. She clearly has a crush on him, and it’s sweet how she tries to help him navigate the minefield of “first love” when she finds out that the object of his affections is Dr. Cha.

Performances are largely very well done, with the notable exception of Jung Ho Geun (Dr. Park’s father). Standouts to me are Joo Won (Dr. Park), Kim Hyun Soo (In Jae), and Kwak Do Won (Mr. Kang), who plays the deputy director of the hospital with a calm, calculating demeanor which I found refreshing.

This medical drama also has the worst defibrillation scenes I've ever seen! The victims don't react or jump because the doctor removes the paddles during defibrillation! Sad that they couldn't even do those scenes right.

All in all, the series is good, but overall, it fell short for me, especially in some of its depictions of autistic people (which I found far more appealing in the other two series mentioned). I understand that they wanted to show how hard it would be for Dr. Park, but I found some of the scenes to be overkill and even more troubling how people continued to treat him as a broken man who needs to be fixed. If the moral of the series had been to treat people as they are and to accept their differences no matter what, then perhaps this series may have been far more inspiring than it truly was.

Read More

Exceptional Horror Flick That Runs Deep!

I’ll be honest. I’m not a fan of zombie movies. George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” is still a classic, but even that movie didn’t exactly thrill me. To me, zombies tend to be boring. The slow, gaited walk—despite the overwhelming numbers—just made them less imposing than they should be.

“Train to Busan” not only gives us an absolute thrill ride, but it also does what Korean filmmaking has been so good at over the years; it gives us food for thought and for people to decide what’s really important. Who else could put such a message, and do it effectively, than the Koreans? In short, this is the first zombie movie that I’ve seen that has heart and depth.

I will say that this is the best zombie movie I’ve ever seen. The zombies don’t do the stupid walk in this film. They run. They chase in a relentless frenzy that begs the viewer to ask, “how in the world did they film that?!”

Seok Woo (wonderfully played by Gong Yoo) is a workaholic father who has little time for his daughter, who begs him to take her to Busan to see her mother. Seok Woo is a man so disconnected from his daughter, Soo Ahn, that he doesn’t realize that he’s bought her a birthday gift that she already has. He finally agrees to take her.

In the meantime, a massive outbreak of “infected” people begin to take over, and of course, it only takes one as an infected woman jumps aboard the train just as it’s leaving the station. What transpires after this is an absolutely incredible survivor movie and what becomes of human nature when lives are on the line. There are those who believe in doing right by people, and there are others who believe that survival by any means necessary is justified. Interestingly enough, Seok Woo starts off as a man who believes that saving himself and his daughter is all that matters, leaving one man to rebuke him harshly for his selfish behavior.

Once the pursuit is underway, you have a good idea of who is most likely to survive, but there are still questions regarding the other characters and whether or not they will make it. And on a deeper level, what will these people do in their last moments, which brings us some very compelling moments.

On the one hand, this is a survivor movie worthy of “Titanic” or “The Poseidon Adventure” or “The Towering Inferno.” And on the other hand, it also begs the viewer to ask questions that could easily be used in a university philosophy class.

Performances are stellar across the board, but Kim Soo An really impressed me as Seok Woo’s daughter. The last few minutes of the film are heartbreaking and heart wrenching.

There isn't much music in the film, which adds to the effect, but when it kicks in, you know that you-know-what is about to hit the fan!

There really isn’t an element of this film that I can say came up short. From story to characters, to cinematography, this movie excels in every category. I see why this film is already considered a classic, and it’s the only zombie movie that I plan to add to my collection!

Read More

Records Or Memories?

I know I sound like a broken record, but the Koreans are the masters of entertainment! And only the Koreans are masters of combining comedy with drama with a thoughtful message, which in my opinion, represents the next step of evolution in the entertainment industry. We all want to be entertained, but to use the medium of movies and TV shows to convey a message is to really use this medium to inspire and provide awareness.

This movie is a true delight, and you are likely to find yourselves with some absolute laugh-out-loud moments as well as moments that just might tug at your heartstrings.

Yoon Hong Dae is a professional soccer player who ends up in trouble and is placed on probation. His agent—in order to try and restore Dae’s questionable reputation—puts him in charge of organizing and coaching a team—a team of homeless men to compete in the World Cup for Homeless players in Budapest.

Of course, we get a collection of homeless men of varying ages and backgrounds with different sets of skills. Seeing these guys attempting to play soccer is absolutely hilarious! One cheers when he kicks the ball and his shoe flies over the goal! And yet, each player has something to play for. They aren’t proud of being homeless, but this game just might restore the confidence to make some life changes as well as help people become aware that homelessness is a problem that has to be addressed. There are enough resources on this planet to ensure that every single human being has food, water, clothes, and shelter. So, why is it so hard?

Lee So Min is in charge of the documentary she is making to help showcase the team. Of course, she and Hong Dae don’t exactly see eye-to-eye, and their spats and bickering will make you giggle.

At first, Hong Dae is less than thrilled to be coaching a team of homeless men, most of whom have little-to-no skills. He figures he’s wasting his time, but the more he gets to know them, the more he finds a connection between each of them. Perhaps that is a part of the process: not to see a homeless person as a homeless person but as a person. It’s difficult to ignore someone when you’ve developed a connection. It’s even more inspiring when the entire team comes together to try and get Hong Dae out of trouble when he’s wrongfully charged with assault against four teen boys who harassed a woman with a mental disability.

The movie isn’t about winning. It’s about awareness as well as simply doing your best no matter how badly the odds are stacked against you. This is an especially powerful point when dealing with homeless people who may easily feel, “What’s the point? Nothing changes.” But Hong Dae asks them a poignant question, “Are you here for records or for memories?”

One thing I will say is that this movie is certainly memorable, important, and a sheer delight to watch. It reminded me of a combination of the “The Mighty Ducks” and “The Bad News Bears.” “Dream” certainly more than belongs in that kind of company!

Read More