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Superior sequel, filled with humour and more bromance
Tail of the Nine Tailed became one of 2020’s biggest K-dramas thanks to its engaging blend of fantasy, action, romance, comedy and horror.Fast forward to 2023 and Tale of the Nine Tailed is back. The second season unfolds with Lee Yeon and his returning assistant, Shin-joo, thrust back into the thick of drama, jumping back to 1938 and becoming embroiled in the politics and fantasy of the era. The episodic storytelling follows the same sort of format as season 1, with a variety of different spirits and demons springing forth to test their power against Yeon and his group. There’s an almost anime-like feel to some of these confrontations, especially late on when a group called the Shinigami Mercenaries enter the fold.
With no focus on the romance between Ji-ah and Yeon this time, Tale of the Nine Tailed feels far stronger and streamlined, instead turning its attention on the brotherly love between Rang and Yeon, with Hong-joo and how she slots into all of this another stand out element too. The show does a great job with its character development overall though, with the added additions of characters.
The blend of fantasy, drama, horror and comedy is much better balanced this time around, with some legitimately creative and well-written segments that stand out across the 12 episodes. This is arguably one of the best K-dramas of the year and bettering the prequel, that’s quite an achievement.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Natural Parent-child relation reflected through an exceptional writing
Resentment can run deep. Human emotions are complex and in this game of survival of the ‘richest’ and ‘powerful’, it is these abstract and intangible emotions that often suffer. You can choose to go with the flow or swim against the tides. Either way, there will be consequences. The new Korean show, The Good Bad Mother, is about these emotional sufferings and a chance to pause, reset and reconnect.The initial episodes of The Good Bad Mother establish the backstory of our protagonist. Although focused primarily on the relationship between Young-soon and Kang-ho, The Good Bad Mother’s biggest strength is its writing supported by extraordinary performances by Lee Do Hyun and Ra Mi Ran. The duo share a great understanding onscreen. Lee Do Hyun is a chameleon. Just a month back, he left viewers bewitched in The Glory and now, as a cold-hearted prosecutor, he is flawless. Ra Mi Ran is a delight to watch. Her switch from turning a ‘bad’ mother to being vulnerable is heart achingly beautiful.
The secondary but an integral part of the drama, Kang-Ho as a lawyer seeking justice for his father's death is an exceptionally written piece as well. Although he justice was served in the ultimate episode of the drama, it could have been more enticing. But nonetheless, The Good Bad Mother perfectly balanced a parent-child relation and a son's attempt to bring justice for what he and his mother were deprived of.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Focuses not only on romance, but family friendship and education
Crash Course in Romance focuses on two major points - romance between a hardworking single aunt/mother and a renowed math professor, education and the ups and downs that every individual goes through the path of education.The setup was good and initial episodes had good chunk of romance and comedy that we usually see from most of the KDrama, but the last 2 episodes felt rushed and a needless story of a serial killer might have been a painful thing to watch and consume.
The one thing the drama captured very well is the education system. The show captures the sheer desperation and frustration of parents in the form of a group of worrying and conniving mothers, and how they would literally resort to just about anything to ensure their children’s future.
Crash Course in Romance is mostly a fun and sweet watch, despite the contrived killer storyline and hastily done last two episodes that had numerous plot holes. Perhaps watch it for two people being adorable or the reality check on education, or maybe watch it because even if you don’t get mathematics or Korean, it just sounds like poetry when Jung Kyung-ho explains it, hahaha. At the end, a slight bitter feeling remains that the story could have been written better towards the last 2 episodes of the drama.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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Technology is a scary factor
New Korean content on Netflix, Unlocked, is an interesting and thought provoking movie about being heavily consumed by smartphones these days. While this is not the first movie to tackle this subject, it did a good job in delivering a realistic wake up call about the dangers of social media without any sugarcoating.The pacing was good and the story delivered an unexpected twist in the end. It was suspenseful, it was urgent, and it was generally well made. Si-wan as the antagonist was convincing, although I felt that the thrill could have been more given it's genre. If you’re looking for a thrilling watch instead of a bubbly rom-com this February, Unlocked is one to turn your attention to.
My Rating : 7/10
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Higher the stakes, harder the games
In true Alice In Borderland style, the second season opens with mass murder in the middle of the road. It’s one hell of a way to open a show, reminding us of Arisu’s past, his history of gaming and how, like those in the video game, he is caught in the same situation.Season 2 is madness from the first minute of the first episode – just how we love and know the series to be. Bullets flying everywhere, figuring out what the heck is going on in between the lines and high-speed chase sequences. The series is a gift that gives on giving. Apart from the horrific bloodshed, we also face our protagonists’ emotional turmoil surrounding their past lives. Arisu is still reeling from his friends’ deaths while Usagi walks around with the burden of her father’s probable suicide. The games are puzzled, intense and mind fucking just like it's predecessor.
Just like season 1, season 2 carries on the expectations of the high stakes do or die games and delivers them almost successfully. The finale episode hit me a little, wherein many things went unanswered, the pacing got very slow and a happy ending which I felt could have been more satisfactory, had everything would have been answered. Maybe a Season 3 would answer all the remaining questions and solve the final piece of the puzzle.
My Rating: 8.5/10
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Woo to the young to the Woo
Brilliantly contrived, the story of a rookie attorney with a genius mind efficiently provided awareness regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder. Navigating through stories that teaches some meaningful lessons, Extraordinary Attorney Woo is an inspirational drama that teaches to set goals and go for it, although there will be ups and downs in life.With her outstanding performance as the lead character, Park Eun Bin helped the drama to be more engaging, entertaining and worthwhile. One of the terrific performance I have ever seen in a K-Drama. Amidst of the autism and trials and tribulations, a sweet love story between Woo Young Woo and Jun-Ho was an additional delight to the drama. The chemistry between the characters were amazing and Kang Tae Oh was an amazing choice for this role. I like this guy since his performance in Run-On.
Featuring different cases per episode, the drama opted for mostly relatable cases without excessive and unnecessary drama. The supporting characters were good as well to their task. There were only couple of cases where I felt a little downward. Otherwise, EAW has been a rollercoaster ride wherein the narrative has maintained it's essence over the course of the series.
My Rating : 9/10
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Revenge is sweet, but excessive romance felt bitter
Seo Ye Ji's comeback show, Eve, started off well in it's first few episodes where she plays the lead character Ra El, looking for revenge on those who had his life trampled upon. The first half of the show's plot development is fantastic. The pilot episode and the initial sequences, including the opening scene, all had a constant flow and a number of peaks. The show's plot thickens with each passing episode as Ra El accomplishes more of her goals. We must acknowledge the way in which the characters' pasts were handled during times of uncertainty.It's sluggish in the later half of the show, but it keeps you engaged and curious about what's to come.I felt there was too much of romance and less of revenge story going on in 2nd half, which made me uninterested a little, however Ye Ji was phenomenal in her role and she portrayed it really well, which made me stick to the show very end. The penultimate and concluding episode were the weakest episodes of the drama and evidently doesn't compares tp to other revenge thrillers, this is not one to write home about and ultimately struggles to stand out.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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Engrossing and captivating, finale faltered
Again My Life started on a strong center point, with justice as it's selling point. The first episode may feel like a fantasy, but it's not. Except that one point in the pilot episode, everything about here is a strategy of 10 years to bring a criminal down.There’s a slight disappointment in the development process. As the plot primarily centers around Hee Woo, the support characters are inconspicuous. After his amazing work in Flower Of Evil, Lee Joon Gi delivers himself with aan another great performance of a charismatic character set out to eradicate evil.
Everything was brilliantly written, but when it came to finale it faltered. The ending was rushed, there was sudden romance (which I didn't felt, the right couple) involved at the end of the episode and there were many plotholes which weren't filled in the last episode, which might leave many of the audiences half hearted about the finale.
To summarise, Again My Life had good elements and writing and was strongly held till the penultimate episode, while faltering at the end. Although the drama didn't end as expected, it was a very good show with some good acting and decently impressive execution.
My Rating : 8/10
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Creepy and intense
Strangers from hell started as a basic suspense story in the first 2 episodes, however things started taking a different turn when Lee Don Wook was introduced.Charming dentist and the strangers with their murderous intent in a residence, teams up to form a bunch of psychopath who kills for fun. The climax was a bit of twister, although it was a little predictable.
Nevertheless, Strangers from hell was an intensely suspense thriller, with lots of violence and craziness that sometimes maybe a bit difficult to consume.
My Rating : 8/10
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The devil lies in the society
The Devil Judge, is outrageously smart and witty with a charismatic lead character who will go lengths to deliver justice. Much like Vincenzo, The Devil Judge is a drama regarding legal matters of the country.The Devil Judge emphasizes the reality of our world today, particularly in politics. Shameless and evil politicians in movies or series are not new in movies and series. We often see them because it mirrors the truth of how prevalent their existence is. It has a lot of twists and turns which are unpredictable, as a viewer I couldn't trust how the revelation of everything was gonna get delivered.
The only missing point I felt was lack of strong backstory for the main antagonist of the show Jung Seon Ah, who was quite dazzling yet dangerous playing the main culprit. The soundtrack was amazing as well, sitting well with the dystopian environment and moulding itself easily with this genre.
Uniquely written and delivered, whether you’re into dystopian themes or action-packed series with the right emotions, The Devil Judge is something you wouldn’t want to miss.
My Rating : 9/10
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Courtroom Drama can't get better than this
Law School laid a strong foundation from the very beginning with twists and turns, and never once distracted itself from the intense court sessions in proving who's guilty and who's not.The performance of overall cast was terrific, especially of Myung Min as Prof. Yang along with Kim Mun as Han Joo Hwi and Hye Young Ryu as Kang Sol A. The screenplay was tight and the execution of the story was very effective. Adding a cherry on top of the cake, the OST was brilliant reaching straight to my heart.
Law School displayed a great execution of laws that prevail in South Korea and the way they are executed in a very effective manner, leaving the audience with nothing but awe for its entire premise altogether. This is definitely an addition to my Top 10 dramas of this year.
My Rating : 9.5/10
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A rollercoaster of emotions that’s not easy by any means, but that’s completely worthwhile. The leads were amazing and so were the supporting characters. I loved how they showcased different points of view; from the soldiers, police, college students as the protestors, nurses and doctors, and the commoners.
Youth Of May is both sweet and bright, and at times reminds of the traumatizing past in a subtle way. It probably might be the best underrated drama of 2021.
My Rating : 8/10
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To respect or to fear
Hellbound was tense, gripping and with 6 episodes in first season, leaves you with a suspense as to what will happen next. Although it's not the best work I have seen, but Hellbound has its moments of delivering itself without giving much clues of the whole premise whatsoever.Although it was a bit slow, Hellbound didn't loose it's hold over the storytelling of violent aspect of showcasing God's wish. Hellbound was dark, gripping and maybe turn unsettling to many viewers, but will keep you attached to it.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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The cast were good, especially Choi Soo Young who played here mischievous yet understanding character pretty well. While the character development of the lead pairing was palpable, it did not reach a point where you feel like the supporting cast was not part of the picture at all.
With a breath-taking mix of comedy, romance, friendship, bromance, jealousy, and a lot more, the journey of Geun-young and Hoo Joon in this drama was satisfactory
My Rating : 7.5/10
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An okay affair with simple execution
Doom At Your Service started well, with the interaction of two leads, and how things are deemed to happen. The characters were intriguing along with the supporting casts as well.The story was simple, yet with a little twist, I felt like it being dragged deliberately, just to complete in 16 episodes. I thought that it would have been better if finished within 12 episodes, since at certain moments, the scenes were stretched which were not required.
The last couple of episodes were meh as well, with everything sorted again and concluding towards a happy ending. The best part of this drama was it's OST, which I felt was pretty amazing and melancholic and the lead pair, which I felt were perfectly cast and did justice to the characters of Kim Human and Dong Kyung.
Although Doom At Your Service is neither great nor trash, it had it's highs and lows and is watchable enough for the first time.
My Rating : 6.5/10
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