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Worthy effort of being enjoyable, but not memorable
The Sound of Magic was one of the more eagerly awaited k-dramas of 2022, that had something different to offer than the rest of the shows.The drama could have offered more, had it not been restricted to 6 episodes. It has lovely visuals, solid performances, impressive song-and-dance numbers, and oodles of charm. Although what I would have loved to see more in the drama was the narrative, which I felt was not much effective.
The Sound of Magic has six episodes, and while they’re long, it sometimes feels like 10 or 12 would have better served the show’s ambition. Nonetheless, the drama is an enjoyable watch, if not memorable.
My Rating : 7/10
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Cathartic, but a bittersweet ending
Queen of Tears is a K-drama of two halves. The first, composed of its early episodes, is an innovative take on K-drama romance. The other is a chaotic second half that squanders much of the potential of its beginning. The Netflix hit ended Sunday with a global audience that exceeded the wildly popular Crash Landing on You.In terms of chemistry, the leads were a perfect pair. It’s like they were crafted from the cosmic dust of perfect on-screen couples. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for other characters and sub-plots on the show, which are more disconcerting than fascinating.
Plotwise, the series started losing its charm in the second half as well. The amount of scenes that felt repetitive and the back and forth between the main leads only showed the lack of creativity of the writer. While the show we ended up with remains compelling, even fun, to the end, the decision to dispense with its profoundly tragic and emotional core makes the endeavor more rote and, at times, even boring. The series never recaptures the rare thrill of its early episodes, but nevertheless had a sweet ending that will surely be a satisfactory element.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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Folklore occult horror that shouldn't be missed
Exhuma is an enthralling, unique exploration of intergenerational curses, national history, and spectral hauntings. Kim Go-eun easily carries the dramatic load and Choi Min-sik gives his role a grizzled, weary authority. The journey moves viewers from the ghostly to the monstrous with meaning and history behind the horror, and while there are thought-provoking elements at play here there’s also a desire to deliver big, creepy, gory, beautiful thrills. The inclusion of rituals and ceremonies with historical influences craft a tangible world the story exists in, not necessarily adding undeniable plausibility, but certainly introducing disturbing situations steeped in beliefs and tradition.My Rating : 8/10
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Concrete description of human nature when in survival mode
Concrete Utopia doesn't do anything particularly new for the dystopian thriller sub-genre, but it’s consistently engaging and well-executed. is an emotional force of a film. Not concerned with the disaster itself or the spectacle it could employ to focus on the moment of tragedy, the film offers epic landscapes but always keeps an intimate eye on the people in the high rise.Concrete Utopia presents a disturbing picture of humanity that dribbles into the absolute worst when the social structure is dismembered and survival becomes the only need of the hour. Talking about the direction, Uhm Tae Hwa did a good job in capturing raw human nature in every possible way. The cinematography and acting, especially by Lee Byung Hun, were also enthralling.
Concrete Utopia is a gripping, disturbing, and powerful representation of the worst of society, yet equally showcasing the best qualities in humans and how hope, community, and decency will always exist through the dust and devastation.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Blends the story of love and thriller in a well executed drama
Happiness, as the name sounds, isn't all about happiness though. This thriller drama sees an apocalyptic world where virus has created a havoc and residents of an apartment are surviving for their life.Happiness had a decent story with a very good production and overall visuals. The soundtrack though, was the best part in the entire drama. The music tuned to the perfect rhythm along with the key moments in the series.
Not forgetting about the leads who gave a commendable performance and maintained romantic chemistry among themselves. It might not be a part of my Top 5 drama of the year, but it was a very well made show which blended multiple genres/aspects and delivered a convincing result.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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An innovative concept, but finished a bit hastily
Squid Game had one of the best concepts, with mystery around few people who participates in a game with millions to win. The story is simple yet creative and it works most of the entire series.The start was strong, with violence and bloodshed during the games which built an intense environment to leave us guessing what would happen next.
The story went through well with a good last episode as well. But it still felt that it was not finished as it should have been ended, with an open ending hinting for Season 2 (Although I would have preferred this to end in a single season).
My Rating : 7/10
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Power packed with action and craziness
Bad and Crazy is an action thriller with a lot of comedy added with suspense as well. Believe me, you will not be bored in this drama due to it's intensity in story and an outstanding techno music to match with it.With an amazing political corruption plotline, adding with dual personality and drug abuse, Bad and Crazy doesn't leave anything that we cannot be impressed with. The bromance between Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon was a pleasure to watch, alongside the supporting characters who held this drama and made it power packed. Though some twists and tropes might initially leave viewers feeling muddled, power through them and the pieces slowly start to fall into place, compelling you to sit back, relax and enjoy the wild ride that is Bad and Crazy.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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A misguided fantasy
A fantasy drama retelling a story of our childhood in a confused drama version.With A-list cast, there was some sort of expectations, even if they weren't much high. But, instead of being magical, the show turned out to be boring and so hard to finish.
The first half of the show was diving into the nothingness - no story, no characterisation, only unnecessary conversations and unfunny moments. Now, about the characters. Suzy’s role was supposed to be intriguing — detached, emotionless — but it never evolved. Instead of pulling me in, it just felt flat, almost robotic. Kim Woo-bin had flashes of brilliance, but his genie/Iblis character was all over the place. One second playful, the next scary, but not in a way that felt layered… more like inconsistent writing. The supporting cast were just added layers. This is Suzy’s successive misfire, after 2023's Doona.
The visuals and OST were good, but that's about it. These were the only positives I could find about the show. In the end, the series misses an opportunity to explore the profound struggle between good and evil as it truly is.
Overall, Genie, Make A Wish is an extremely huge scale disappointment of the year.
My Rating : 2/10
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A parody of an assasin movie
Mantis is an assassin themed korean movie that is supposed to have lots of action and gripping story, but unfortunately it's not. A spin off of Kill Boksoon (which I didn't fancied as well), Mantis is nothing but a kind of parody to this genre.The movie is full of clichés : a villain cast only for an evil face, slow motion walks and lame dialogues. Also, instead of focusing on the genre, it became a quest of unrequited love. The talent of main leads - Yim Si Wan and Park Gyu Young - were a total waste in the film.
The pacing is slow, the acting mediocre, and what is meant to be stylish ends up as pure posturing. In the end, Mantis is not a thriller about assassins — it’s a catalog of recycled Korean clichés, where real tension is replaced with scenes so ridiculous they feel like a sketch.
To summarise, just avoid watching this movie and watch any of the existing good Korean action movie that is already out there in OTTs.
My Rating : 1.5/5
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A love letter to music
A story of a band and it's members, Glass Heart is a rare japanese drama that shines because of it's production, story, music and the characters.The series explores the struggles and joys of creating music and performing, as well as the power of music to connect people and transcend personal hardships. The story of a band's formation and their journey to success resonates with viewers who love music or dream of making it themselves. The soundtrack was absolutely amazing - energetic as well as soulful.
The characters are well-written and their backstories are explored as well. While the first half was totally fire, the second half loses a little momentum wherein a lot of aspects are covered in a very short time. The other characters' (Sho Takaoka and Sakamoto Kazushi) background could have been explored a little more.
Overall, Glass Heart is a well-made J-drama with high value production and a strong music that resonates with audience that appreciates music and stories about creative process.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Could have been much better with strong execution
A thought provoking narrative about guns and violence, revenge of the past - Trigger is a good concept with a so-so execution.The story follows Kim Nam Gil as officer Lee Do, who is investigating the culprits of bringing/smuggling guns in the country. The drama had a good theme - psychological impact of violence, the dangers of unchecked gun violence, and the societal factors that can lead to unrest.
The action sequences and the character of Lee Do is praiseworthy, however the pacing was uneven, with many unnecessary subplots. The writing was fine, but certain characters were underdeveloped. While the series did build a gripping story, the antagonist and the ending were generic, rather than intriguing.
Overall, Trigger is a decent watch with strong concept and a good performance from Nam Gil, however is pulled down by uneven story pace and unsatisfactory ending.
My Rating : 6.5/10
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The show should have been ended with S1
Final season for most awaited korean series arrives and it's definitely not what I expected it to be.To start with, Season 3 is a continuation of deathly games after Gi-hun fails the escape mission. With more at stakes and less participants after every game, I won't deny the games are as interesting as it was at the start of the show. I didn't really hated this season, but the message of human greed was already delivered in the Season 1.
Talking about the positives - the Gi-hun scene felt emotional, although the whole season was flat, a few reunions at the ending that felt satisfactory. The negative aspects of the show were too much - cringe VIPs, a bunch of character deaths that were neither meaningful nor impactful, everything became chaos and there were no layers to the whole plot whatsoever, leaving us with no thrill. The detective characters were a total waste, as they had nothing to do except finding the island; which eventually they did after everything was over.
There are many shows that has impactful climax and this is nowhere close. Season 3, which shouldn't have been made at the first place, becomes a total disaster after the perfect ending of S1. The only thing learnt is to end a show when it's already perfectly done, instead of stretching it out to see it become a disaster.
My Rating : 2.5/5
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Started good, but lost it's way midway
Though A Killer Paradox delivers on its promise of a slightly uncomfortable thriller, the limited runtime proves to be a hurdle for character development. A tighter focus and keener sense of the message behind the killings could have elevated the series more. But there's some fun when it comes to killer's sheer ambition, not to mention the wish fulfilment of it all.One of the best aspects of A Killer Paradox is the cinematography. The show features visually stunning images of Tang’s hallucinatory scenes, where the killers haunt him in his dreams. The images play tricks on the viewer and slow-motion shots of him attacking the killers in the action sequences. The series is flooded with bloody red and green lights to show which character is the hero and the villain. The entire second half of the season slows down. Episodes are longer and the plot lags a bit. The scripts lose their crisp structure and become a little sprawling. The ending does leaves loose ends and doesn't satisfy the morality of the show.
My Rating : 5.7/10
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A beautiful piece that holds 3 different perspectives
Lovingly detailed and accented by an aching score from Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died in March, Monster is one of the finest films of the year, and its structure — like its circle of characters — carries secrets that can only be unraveled through patience and empathy. By cutting things up and showing us the perils of fractured perspectives, the director, demonstrates that compassion is more than just a natural state of being. This absorbing, ambiguously titled movie builds to a moving finish, one that reaffirms Kore-eda’s peerless skill at directing young actors in particular.My Rating : 8.5/10
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This review may contain spoilers
Gratifies with ruminative revenge-driven story
The Glory is a brutal, gory revenge drama through and through and the first part that comprises eight episodes shows that there is no space for redemption, forgiveness or peace.High-school bullying and its scarring repercussions is always an unsettling, chilling presence in Korean dramas. While serving as the uncomfortable backstory, The Glory also provides a rather keen insight into the torments of Don-Eung and how it made her vengeful towards her perpetrators.
The Glory pragmatically asserts how extremely bullied people carry the scars from those experiences in life. The cast has done a good work indeed along with the teen ones as well. The story is well written and paced cautiously without any boring moments. Hopefully we will see more story of Do-Hyun in the 2nd season.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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