Delicate portrayal of Love and Friendship
What happens when 2 friends start living apart in their own life full of struggles and hardships, with a lot of dreams and ambitions to be fulfilled. Soulmate manages to tell the story of this friendship that changes or develops the characters over the course of their lives. The beautiful chemistry of a great bond is elegantly displayed by Kim Da Mi and Jeon So Nee.In essence, the film focuses on the story of the characters' personal journeys and transition from adolescence to adulthood. The movie captures beautiful stills of Jeju Island and the nostalgic BGM makes it more pleasant to watch.
My Rating : 7/10
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Life is tiring and this drama empathizes with it
My Liberation Notes (MLN) is the story of three siblings with a strict hard-working father who seldom speaks, and a mother who does most of the talking in order to avoid arguments at the dining table, and then a stranger living as a neighbour.The drama is relatable on various levels, especially the mood at the workplace of the three siblings, the camaraderie between the co-workers, the after-work gossip, and the random ranting sessions.
Regardless of which side of the human spectrum you find yourself on and which character’s journey you relate to the most, My Liberation Notes hits many correct points, if not all, and makes the viewers feel relatable about the reality of life. MLN was a good drama, a slow burn with good character development, although gets very slow with pacing at times.
My Rating : 7/10
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Good story, disappointing main leads
A spin-off of Hospital Playlist, Resident Playbook is centered around 4 1st year residents, as they go through the chaos in their daily routine of hospital life.Although the story starts well, with day-to-day medical emergencies encountered by doctors in real life. While the show was good, but it didn't meet my expectations and was a par show compared to another medical drama released this year, The Trauma Code.
The main characters didn't have an impact and while I love Go Youn Jung, she didn't seem at her best with this drama. The positives include good real-life medical setting with a sense of urgency and chaos and honest part played by the side characters. The negatives I would say are the leads, as expectations were high from them and a bit stretchy runtime with less emotional impact.
Overall, Resident Playbook is a good medical drama show that shows a real side of medical life, but couldn't reach the heights of being excellent due to a stretchy runtime with little plot and disappointing main leads.
My Rating : 3.5/5
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Female led thriller with a distracting title
Little women, loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's novel (only the characters though) is a thriller story of 3 sisters who deals with a society of rich people and their survival to sustain.Little Women features an extremely well-written plot and air-tight characters. Kim Go-eun does an exceptional job with her acting as In-joo, but it is Uhm Ji-won as Won Sang-ah who takes the cake with her acting. From playing the victim card to acting like a total lunatic, fans really loved to hate Sang-ah. Despite not being a romance drama, fans started growing attached to In-joo and In-kyung’s respective love interests, Do-il and Jong-ho.
Even though with 12 episodes (unlike generic 16 eps for a K Drama), Little Women is as intense as it can get with amazing and intense performances. The plot has twisted so often by this point that this cathartic image at the end of episode 11 brings us full circle, setting up the satisfying conclusion in the show’s concluding episode.
There was a compelling message in Little Women, but what mattered most are the sensations it evoked. It gave us what we wanted to see, at the end. Little Women is an addition of amazing female led dramas (Why Her, Juvenile Justice, Extraordinary Attorney Woo) in 2022.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Two Worlds, Two Stories, One Fate
It is not unusual for Netflix to release Korean remakes of popular shows. Money Heist and Designated Survivor have already recently proved that the formula works; a decent story is a decent story in any language, and the trademark quality of acting and production found in Kdrama tends to provide a little uplift overall. But A Time Called You is riskier territory, as it’s not just a remake, but a remake of a beloved Taiwanese classic titled Someday or One Day.There’s a lot of intrigue from the get-go, as the names of the characters who resemble each other aren’t revealed until the end of the first episode. Given the constant back and forth, body swapping, and parallel timelines, writer Choi Hyo-bi remains largely consistent with the sharp, pacy writing throughout the show. There’s a steady build-up in intrigue, especially with regard to the whodunit element. Every plot point in this show’s complex narrative finds a place in a time loop, and the effort that has gone into the writing is evident from how it all unravels neatly.
The pace also, in a way, becomes this K-Drama’s biggest enemy as it robs the show of much of its emotional nuance and depth. The show instead constantly shifts focus, and proceeds to march forward in an inexplicable hurry. While it goes without saying that A Time Called You requires a willing suspension of disbelief given the paradoxes of the world it is set in, the writing in the last two episodes stretches this to the hilt. Nevertheless, for a show that’s packed to the brim and has a convoluted plot towards the end, the writing remains taut, and manages to nearly tie up all its loose ends. Music plays the most important and positive part in this 12 episode drama.
For a show which started with great promise in the first half, felt a litte flat in the second half with loosen grip in writing and focusing more on romance between the leads, rather than expanding the friendship of the trio. Nonetheless, it's a good one time watch.
My Rating : 7/10
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It was dull and disappointing, Nevertheless
Nevertheless might have been much better, if there was a good storyline, likeable pair of lead characters and a bit decent pacing.The story never felt like romance, instead it was 90% complications for the leads, which I felt kind annoying and the end wasn't compelling enough. I personally like the lead characters (So Hee Han & Song Kan) but there pairing felt dumb, disappointing and it never kept the show to be interesting. Instead I was quite amazed by the pairing of the supporting characters, which were developed quite well.
The only positive thing about this drama was the music which I felt was soothing to the ears and quite melodious. Along with that, I loved how the relations developed among the other supporting cast, which was way better showcased than the lead characters. It was a wasted potential, Nevertheless.
Cons:
• Unlikeable lead characters
• Weak storyline
• Less of love story, more of irrelevant complications among the pair
• The pacing was very slow, with couple of episodes being flat boring
Pros:
• The OST was soothing and melodious
• The supporting casts had a better relationship development
My Rating : 5.5/10
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Good on paper, poor when executed
Starring Lee Jae Wook, Dear Hongrang is a blend of historical romance, mystery and melodrama set against a backdrop of betrayal and deceit.The drama started well, with flashbacks of sibling love and the mystery of snow man in the story, a praiseworthy cinematography and the most important highlight of the show - the soundtrack. The romance between the leads was sudden and not well-developed. It was as if they fell in love simply because the story needed to move forward, and for no other reason. They had no on-screen chemistry, and they were not given enough time to form a bond that would justify the decisions they made.
The mystery element was taken over by politics and also the antagonist arc was underdeveloped leading to a messy and chaotic ending. Many character arcs were not even touched, especially of the snow man that has been talked about from the start. The only thing that truly did wonders in the whole drama was the haunting yet beautiful soundtrack.
A good fantasy drama on the paper with a subpar execution and unexplored characters holds back Dear Hongrang from becoming a praiseworthy drama.
My Rating : 2.5/5
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A fail romance story, that's way too unbelievable technically
Fantasy romantic dramas are a dime a dozen in the Korean TV landscape, and while Netflix’s latest love story, Doona!, isn’t in the least bit supernatural, the story is every bit as fantastical as the time-travel or superpowered romantic sagas we’ve grown accustomed to. As we’ve come to expect from Netflix dramas, which benefit from the streaming platform’s deeper pockets, Doona! looks the business, with hazy visuals and atmospheric lighting blanketing each frame, but it’s superficial to a fault. The leads were shabbily written and it was hard to root for them, albeit the ending was anyways not pleasing as well.Supporting characters don’t get much of a look-in – not that they are a particularly exciting bunch. I have seen better romance dramas of this year, period.My Rating : 5/10
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Great Revenge Drama fueled with crazy action
Mercy for None is a gritty revenge thriller filled with John Wick style action sequences and a story that portrays punishment to those who betrays the honour.The story is about Nam Gi Jun who leaves his gang to lead a peaceful life, only to come out and take revenge on those who killed his brother. The main character, So Ji Sub as Nam Gi Jun is absolutely magnetic. The guilt and rage on his face was enough to ride the show, even with a predictable ending.
The tone of cinematography is dark, as it should be. While the action was good and the pace was smooth, some characters could have been explored more via backstory or something. The series does include a number of brutal scenes, which may not be suitable for everyone, but these moments contribute significantly to the overall impact of the story, enhancing its intensity and emotional weight. Each scene is crafted to elicit strong reactions, making the viewing experience even more immersive and keeps you on the edge of the seat.
Overall, Mercy For None is not the best revenge series that I have seen, but is a strong addition to the revenge fueled series that I have seen over the years.
My Rating : 4/5
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Sluggish pace but an engaging whodunnit mystery
A slow paced murder mystery thriller, Nine Puzzles is a smart concept with a very good execution, even though the pacing might be inconsistent for many.The drama balances multiple layers of mystery, from cryptic puzzle pieces and reflection clues to complex interpersonal relationships that intertwines with the serial murders. The setting is tense, with every character under radar and suspicion falling all over everyone.
What begins as a whodunnit quickly evolves into something more thematic. The show explores the consequences of institutional failure and what happens when someone decides to punish those systems in the most literal way. But what keeps the show human is how it focuses on the fallout: guilt, loyalty, memory, and how trauma shapes who we become.
The cast, whether it be leads or the supporting, every character was portrayed as they should be. The fascinating aspect of the drama is it plays with the memory, like you will connect the dots towards the final episodes from your recollection of the initial episodes. Overall, the emotional layers to this murder mystery is well written, although the pacing was too sluggish and draggy. But nonetheless, it will keep you hooked until you know the perpetrator behind all of these.
My Rating : 3.5/5
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Great Action teamed with compelling story
My Name is a brilliant take on Action/Thriller involving gangsters, a woman seeking for vengeance and the hunt for the mole. The action sequences are done superbly and Han So Hee did a tremendous job with her part.Clocking at only 8 episodes, My Name is shorter than other K Dramas, but it is definitely filled with amazing action and outstanding OST. It felt like every beat matched perfectly with the given scene, which made the overall show compelling and worth watching.
This Netflix original was good for its story, the attractive OST, the great casting along with commendable performance by Han So Hee, amazingly shot sequences with more than decent fight/action sequences and an overall violent atmospheric setting.
My Rating : 9/10
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Wannabe John Wick, but failed disastrously
Kill Boksoon is an action packed movie, with good action but the storyline is weak, illogical and didn't have a depth to the overall plot of the story.A group of killers trivializing murders, yet taking the moral ground of accepting it as a justice. A messed up combination of action with comedy and some gangster organization plot, Kill Boksoon looks like a wannabe John Wick in a parallel world, but fails miserably both in direction and storywise.
Coming to the casting and the characters, all of them were misplaced. Jeon Do Yeon is necessarily not a miscast I would say, but there were a lot better options to pick as a assasin. The rest of the characters were all over the place and nobody left an impressive impact whatsoever.
My Rating : 3.5/10
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All About Self Healing
Our Unwritten Seoul follows twin sisters Mi-ji and Mi-rae as they swap their lives to find themselves. What begins as a simple switch grows into a layered story of family, love & identity. The twins, though have different traits, ultimately have the similar nature and try to sympathize with each other, as the show moves forward.Starting with the premise, it is a basic plot that we have seen in many dramas before, only with a twist of twins. The struggles one individual goes through and people around them that helps them to recover from their sufferings - a trait we see in most of the dramas. The positive thing about the drama are the characters; each of them are finely written with their own struggling backstory and their way of dealing it.
Similar to many dramas, the runtime for this K-Drama feels a bit stretchy, even though with 12 episodes. The cinematography is very beautiful where we see landscapes of Seoul, along with the flashbacks of teenage time of the characters, that are crafted very well. The background score is decent that blends well with the story and the scenes. Park Bo Young gave a strong performance, and although I felt the drama had less spark, her performance remained a strong highlight throughout the show.
Overall, Our Unwritten Seoul is a light hearted drama about self healing and overcoming struggles that works due to good performances, but is pulled back by stretchy runtime and cliché romantic moments from being a great show.
My Rating : 6.5/10
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Go Hard or Go Home !!
Starring Park Bo Gum and Kim So Hyun, Good Boy is a story of group of Olympic players, who are now part of police force through a special recruitment program.The drama is a blend of humour, action and romance. A group of police force forms a unit to catch a criminal mastermind that has every person under his control. The cast and the premise is promising, however with some flaws.
The premise is well-built but the episodes felt too stretched out, the characters are well written but feels one dimensional at times. The action choreography is very good and keeps you hooked to the screen. Oh Jung Se as the antagonist is the show stealer. His facial expressions and dialogue delivery was commendable. The romance scenes between the ML and FL were a little more than required. The production is good and many scenes are creatively shot.
The plot is fairly straightforward. Money + Greed = Corruption. Crime pays -> do more crime. Our team are earnest but they are mostly incidental heroes. The police is inept most of the time and is always one step behind. Hence the need for our Band of Misfits.
Overall, Good Boy is a good cop action drama that blends action and humour. Although it's far away from being a great show, it's a fun-to-watch drama that will entertain you for sure.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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Moon has it's own darker side
The Silent Sea may not be the most prolific korean series of the year, but it does something different by jumping into an altogether different genre, diverse from regular korean dramas.The cast, especially Gong Yoo, did a splendid job. The writing was solid and the initial couple of episodes were tightly balanced, however it got a bit sloppy at the end. I felt that there was no satisfactory conclusion to the series, leaving behind many questions which were supposed to be answered whatsoever.
That being said, I must also acknowledge that the series does not reinvent the wheel. In fact, it’s essentially a variation on the plot of a certain other space tale. Even with the weak ending, The Silent Sea is worth watching. It’s a chilling look at a future that could be closer than we think, as well as a scary story with a monster at the end of it.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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