1
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
The title implies my opinion for the show
A new KDrama of 2023, Love To Hate You is a show which feels like it will make some valuable contributions to address misogyny in the society, restricts itself to a romcom show which is nothing new in a Kdrama world.Undeniably, the series got to a fair start with girl vs boy stereotype, but rather being an interesting turn of events in their romance, it was just a dull realisation of each other's feelings that made me disappointed towards the characters as well the story writing of the show. Well atleast it gave a happy ending within 10 episodes without dragging more unnecessarily than it already was starting to become.
My Rating : 5.5/10
Was this review helpful to you?
Love stories behind the scenes
Shooting Stars offers a story about the different lives of people behind the cameras. Starting from writers, managers and PR’s who work hard to take care of the image of their artists.During the drama, these characters also unveil the hardships of their work especially in handling their actors. Even though they are immersed in their jobs, they also opened their hearts to the people whom they like. Shooting Stars shows that a well-balanced lifestyle would make one’s heart happy.
The background music and the pairing were effective, although the acting of the cast felt overdone and sometimes there was a lack of stability. The drama felt monotonous at times however the end result was not bad at all.
My Rating : 7/10
Was this review helpful to you?
Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow
1 people found this review helpful
Inferior to Season 1, but an ending quite a worth
Set 3 years later after the finale of Season 1, Season 2 starts slowly and brings all the characters back to the game. There are very few fantasy shows which make you invest in characters, and season 2 fits this description.Although the second season starts sluggish with everything that kinda replicates the first season, the last 3-4 episodes bring the real excitement and closure, with which I am pretty much satisfied. What still works for this fantasy drama is the star cast, the chemistry between characters and how magic is used to weave a tale of ambition, dreams, love and kingdom. What perhaps could have been better was a climax full of action. But again, the makers opted for a rather happy ending. Personally, the latter is inferior when compared to its predecessor, but all ends that ends well.
My Rating : 8.5/10
Was this review helpful to you?
Humans are worse than ghosts, the moral of this drama
Revenant, starring Kim Tae-ri who is known for her acclaimed projects The Handmaiden, Mr. Sunshine, Twenty-Five Twenty-One and more, is a supernatural horror drama that questions wishes that comes with sacrifice.Revenant’s supernatural chase has a beginning and hopefully an ending (that doesn’t end with many more deaths). The evil spirit that goes on possessing the characters is an outcome of inhumane cruelty and greed of the society which has to reap the seed it has sown. It is not just a tale about a supernatural mystery chase but a tale about regressive traditions, of unravelling the darkness that lies in being human, of denying the right to live.
Overall, the show is fast paced with thrilling and simultaneously terrifying scenes. The mystery lies in identifying the spirit while the spirit is aware of every step that one takes. And the stakes are high, especially when the professionals have been killed in the process. Needless to mention, the cast is doing a fantastic job especially Kim Tae-ri who changes into a different person in every episode.
My Rating : 9/10
Was this review helpful to you?
What started strongly, ended up falling hard
What started as a case study of an innocent looking evil character, becomes a dragged display of rising to the top and using everyone on the way.That's the story of Dear X - a psychological thriller story that starts with Baek Ah Jin's (Kim Yoo Jung) character study. The initial reception was very good, the way the characters were written and Jung's sociopath performance was absolutely terrific.
However, as the show progressed, it started losing it's grip towards the second half, due to it's tonal shift, logical inconsistencies and poor character development. For someone who was abandoned and abused, her character development was disappointing and somehow became a cliché villain towards the end.
The finale was something that could have wiped out the mess of the second half, but that too, was half-baked. The series is built on a foundation of cruel and nonsensical character actions, making it an emotionally exhausting and ultimately pointless watch, despite of one of the best acting performances in K-Drama I have seen this year.
My Rating : 3/5
Was this review helpful to you?
Second half was not even half of what First Half was.
Starring Seo Kang Joon and Jin Ki Joo, Undercover High School is a action drama that happens within a school, as the name suggests. With giving any spoilers, the drama starts strong, with some suspense and twists, good action and mature storytelling. The first half is engaging, although there are unserious moments at times.While the start was strong, the second half of the show falters to some extent, as there was not much fun left to the premise. I won't say the show is skippable, but it surely doesn't have a rewatch value.
While the show is a mystery-spy themed, the drama also focuses on tougher subjects like school bullying, student hierarchies, and the politics which govern the lives of both students and teachers.
A little romance with comedy elements in regular intervals somehow keeps the drama balanced. Maybe not strongly recommended as there are better dramas in this genre, but Undercover High School is a fun and watchable drama that does silly and clever things simultaneously.
3 stars for 'Undercover High School'.
Was this review helpful to you?
