Sweet, But Ultimately Boring...
Hi Bye, Mama!" did honestly showcase all the correct attributes of being a brilliant drama with a varied cast ( in particular the talents of Kim Tae-Hee, Kim Mi-Kyung and Lee Kyu-Hyung), intriguing characters and a unique storyline centralising upon the lesser-tackled subject in K-dramas of maternal love in addition to themes of bereavement and grief . However, as the story progressed, the second half of “ Hi Bye, Mama!” slowly began to degrade the storyline, characterisation and the pacing of the show into a dragging and painful experience for viewers trying to hold-on for another eight episodes .
Of course, this fault can’t entirely be imposed upon our main cast. Kim Tae-Hee was fairly brilliant as our female lead Cha Yu-Ri. Although she did arguably have some questionable acting moments when the show attempted to offer more “ comedy”, she still played the role of her character as both a mother who adores her child, and an individual with a heart of gold as well. Similar to Kim Tae-Hee, Lee Kyu-Hyung did also have to questionable line deliverances at times, but, he did add a level of emotional and multi-faceted complexity to his role as a re-married widow and surgeon who painfully feels guilt and grief over not being able to save Yu Ri’s life after the accident.
As a character, Cha Yu Ri is intrinsically a grief-stricken mother who is unable to do anything , but watch the events unfold around her daughter’s early milestones ( such as taking her first step and talking) which she is constantly remind of not being a part of. This is what defined Yu Ri as a character. She is a woman who will do anything to protect and watch-over her daughter . Then, in an attempt to heighten angst rather than actual logic, “ Hi, Bye Mama!” decided to resurrect Yu-Ri; arguably the distinct climatic point in the drama when the storyline and characters began to fall down.
Despite the ridiculousness of the story-arc, it isn’t necessarily the concept itself where the show failed but rather, the wasted potential of character progression. Being resurrected, Yu Ri seems to have left her brains behind on the other side at times within the show, making ridiculous and rash decisions as well as hiding important truths from her shocked former-husband which by default could have had a destructive psychological impact upon his own relationship with Min-Jung, one of the few maternal figures for her daughter, and of course his already estranged relationship with Seo-Woo.
Similarly, Cho Gang-Hwa started off as an interesting character; a man blaming himself for something he could not have foreseen, remarried for convenience rather than love and shying away from his daughter in fear of being reminded of Yu Ri. Yet even early on the drama, one of the most prominent issues which stuck out like a saw thumb for Gang-Hwa’s character, had to be how on earth he was still being paid and working in a hospital as a “ surgeon” if he had not performed a proper operation in years. Whilst the show attempts to offer a lacklustre explanation behind this, even if Gang-Hwa was kept on due to his talents, it is hard to understand why his colleagues and associates did not try putting him forward or suggesting to him therapy or grief-counselling at least once in the show.
In addition to this, for a character defined by his traumas and grief, Gang-Hwa’s reaction towards Yu-Ri entertains his life again felt both underwhelming and lacklustre; he was not defined by his previous emotions, or even attempted to sit down with Yu-Ri, but a fairly comical reaction in the grand scheme of things. Gang-Hwa’s relationship with Yu-Ri is ultimately complex, yet against all odds, the worst-written element of the show had to be Gang Hwa’s lacking progressive relationship with his ‘ new’ wife Oh Min-Jung and of course his daughter, Seo-Woo over the course of the series. It is understanding that perhaps Gang Hwa did marry Min-Jung out of convenience in an attempt to pass over grief and to raise Seo-Woo with a mother, but it seemed equally unfair towards how impassive he could be towards Min-Jung, not once attempting to develop a bond or even a friendship through marriage with her at all over the course of the series. Equally, his relationship with own daughter, Seo-Woo , was estranged for a major proportion of the series, seemingly “progressive” after the arrival of Yu Ri, yet a great jump in development from beginning to end.
Overall, “ Hi, Bye Mama” certainly had a unique storyline with themes of maternal love, family, death, bereavement and grief at the heart of the drama, which delivered certainly a bittersweet ending for viewers.
. However, as the story progressed, the second half was just disappointing; the characters became impassive at times within their own storyline, the cliches began to take over in favour of angst rather than development and the show soon became disappointingly dragging. This is certainly not a bad drama to watch if you have little else on the go, but certainly there a better shows out there which tackle these themes with more depth and pacing.
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Even Ji-Kyung’s Makeup Skills Couldn’t Hide The Blemishes Of This Drama...
Before reviewing this series, it is important to note that makeup is an interesting, yet rarely tackled topic tackled within Korean dramas. Although over the past few years, we have seen shows like ‘beautiology 101’ (2016) and recent contenders such as ‘True Beauty’ (2020-21) , ‘Record Of Youth’ ( 2020) and ‘ Sunbae , Don’t Put On That Lipstick’ (2021) tackling or mentioning this topicality within their storylines , it is often commonly used as a subtle setup placed in favour of the romantic undertones or a romantic pairing within and drama .‘ Touch’ is no exception to “catching on” to this recent symbiotic trend of makeup and romance in one series. The show focuses upon a former - idol called Soo Yun ( Kim Bo Ra) who suddenly decides to become a makeup artist under the tutorage of makeup connoisseur Jung Hyuk ( Joo Sang Wook). The premise was oddly not a terrible setup in the grand scheme of romance dramas; not original within its concept, but surprisingly not provoking the series into uncharted territory of being “ unwatchable” at first either. It would seem the intrinsic flaw of the show boiled down to three major inconsistencies ; characterisation, pacing and ultimately the portrayal of Soo Yun and Jung Hyuk’s relationship throughout the show.
Addressing the first point of character-writing, it’s interesting to analyse exactly where the series went wrong overall within presenting this supposedly “ dynamic” relationship between the two leads of the series .
Soo Yun plays upon the typical “ underdog” trope by being talented and hardworking within her previous goals to become an idol, but ultimately letdown by a rigged and unfair system. Whilst it was an interesting notion to point out a critique in the otherwise “ fluffy and cutesy” drama towards the elements of injustice in the K-Pop industry, it didn’t really deliver a finer impact for viewers upon Soo Yun as an individual. In fact, Soo Yun was often a difficult character for viewers to truly feel emotional attachment towards as we are exposed to so little about her actual reasons or intrinsic motives at all within the drama, and even why she chose to become an idol in the first place. Consequently, the same problems aspire within Soo Yun’s choice to become a makeup artist. This is undeniably quite a specialist field which requires even for novices, years of talent, training and experience to land a small job in this industry , not least in a renowned company . With presumably little background in this field prior to the events of the series or aspirations shown beforehand towards makeup ( up until meeting the male lead as an idol), it is hard to truly define what drove Soo Yun into making this career choice and suddenly becoming her “ dream” without any previous passion towards makeup notably in the first place.
If this wasn’t problematic enough, Soo Yun has few true defining qualities which make her prominently stick out as a character. Aside from her questionable career paths lacking drive and motives, she was simply too staid within her decisions and actions at times to notably motivate the plot or relate to as an individual. This is not to suggest that a female character should be constantly boisterous, short-tempered and outgoing in order to be “ well-written” ( as this can be just as worse for falling into other cliches) , however, a well-written character often has something prominent or memorable about a certain personality trait, flaw or expression which instantly attracts or make them to appealing to an audience.
A good and notable example towards Soo Yun’s lacking depth and character writing as an individual is prominent within her reactions and behaviour around her abusive, former boyfriend. Most characters in a series dealing with this traumatic issue would probably struggle to open up in a relationship again or at least react emotionally towards often being cornered by someone who made your life miserable. Instead Soo Yun is incredibly passive towards the notion for a major proportion of the series, only “ reacting” to her experiences when it was necessary for the plot and later in an attempt quickly wrap up this storyline, “ forgiving” her former boyfriend. This was a hard notion to understand both within exactly how Soo Yun was trialed by these events as well as holding onto moral dignity as well. Although actress Kim Bo Ra was decent enough within her performance, it intrinsically felt devoid of expression and depth due to her poorly-written character.
Moving on to our next main protagonist , is Jung Hyuk, the main male lead of the series. Ambitious, eccentric and a perfectionist when it comes to makeup and natural beauty, he is pointed out to be an incredibly talented makeup artist by the characters of the series. Although San was terrible within his role, his character was in poor taste to say the least.
Initially Jung Hyuk appeared as a character who had the potential to learn and grow from his previous mistakes and aloof behaviour over the course of the series. Before moving onto a deeper criticism towards made Jung Hyuk a poorly-written and manipulative male lead, the one thing which the plot did do pretty well with Hyuk was showing viewers his motivation behind becoming a makeup artist unlike Soo Yun. On the other hand, one thing which prominently was not risen in this show was the issue over masculinity for a man in this field . Whilst there are notably younger male artists in this line of work in the series, considering the presumed age of Hyuk and having been in the industry for awhile, it would seem evident that over the years Hyuk has often faced discrimination or challenges towards his masculinity over appearing too “ effeminate” within his love and passion for makeup. This has long been a prominent, sociocultural issue in South Korea over images of masculinity as well as the divide over makeup becoming a “ social norm” against both genders, something which could have easily been mentioned or raise in the harsh and competitive world of the makeup industry presented in the series.
Yet the most evident problem with Jung Hyuk can be found through his notably controlling and harsh behaviour over the course of the series. This is something notably present within Hyuk’s psyche both within the workplace and his inferior treatment of the female lead for his own gain in the beginning of the series, as well as his horrible treatment of women in past relationships. Although most dramas would often attempt to show merely how the relationship between Jung Hyuk’s ex, Ji Yoon broke off over rows, what was disconcerting about “ Touch”’s dealing of the issue was introducing a serious issue of domestic abuse. In itself, the concept can be an interesting problem or critique of social issues in a series to explore, however, what was difficult to justify about its portrayal in the drama must have been the attempt to “ gloss it over” without pointing out that it is a serious and problematic issue.
If this isn’t problematic enough it gets worse when we assess the relationship between the two characters in the drama. It wasn’t primarily to do with the age difference between the characters, as often this aspect can often deepen relationships by learning to understand one another through generational differences. Instead, it was notably hard that the series did not truly build upon this relationship at all with an odd transition from “ master and apprentice” to “ lovers” without really transgressing over that threshold beforehand in the show. As individuals, it was hard to truly root for Jung Hyuk when he was principally portrayed as a greedy megalomaniac in both work place and his “ relationship” with Soo Yun, whilst Yun notably as a victim of a similar relationship in the past, seemed to insecurely and worryingly fall for the same trap in an almost “ subservient” manner than actual affection .
In the background of the problematic pairing exited Kang Do Jin (Lee Tae Hwan), an idol and a friend of Soo Yun who naturally entangles himself into becoming a cliche component of this love triangle. Arguably, Do Jin was the one fairly likeable character of the series who actually against his seeming vanity had a good- heart by helping out the female lead in numerous ways. Yet due to the poor pacing of the series, there was little time to truly focus or deepen Do Jin as an actual individual.
Overall, “ Touch” is a series which desperately tries to use the typical and cliche setups of romance in the workplace, but soon find its unravelling by poorly-written characters, an uncomfortable romantic pairing, questionable messages towards prominent issues of abuse against women and plot inconsistencies as well. Although it had a certain edge of “ fluff” within its setup and ending , the direction of the storyline felt aimless and lacking in a greater sense of storyline and development
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“ Rugal”? Yes, This Show Will Fold and Twist Your Sanity...
Based upon the webtoon of the same-name, Rugal had all the good selling points of a thrilling drama- macabre, original and intriguing plotline, unique characters, venerable actor Choi Jin- Hyuk taking the lead and of course fairly pioneering and new film studio and Studio Dragon ( same makers as critically- acclaimed dramas such as Children of a Lesser God , Love Alarm and Doctor John) taking creative control of the show, should have easily sealed Rugal’s fate as one of the best Korean dramas of 2020. So naturally this raises the dire question we all want to know ;“ So what went wrong to make it so bad ?”.
Of course, normally ( regardless of whether I can access the webtoon or not), I like to try and be non-biased and take into account a drama based on a webtoon ( regardless of whether I’ve read it or not) as a standalone story with its own characters, plot and original qualities as it should be assessed as a series in its own right . On the other hand with comparing images and forums of original pans from the webtoon ( which actually seems pretty good) and comments by fans of the Korean version in contrast to the actual dire deliverance of the drama, it is pretty fair to say that the drama writers made the classic mistake of pacing.
To put into refined words, pacing is a classic feature in stories into how quickly the story moves , however, in Korean dramas due to being in a televised or streamed format , it can quite literally make or break the audience and critical response from watchers. There isn’t necessarily a correlation between “ slow” meaning “ no viewers” or “ quick” meaning “ lots of viewers” because at the end of the day, the biggest part to play in any Korean drama is storywriting , however, pacing can affect the quality and deliverance of the story for viewers.
Rugal’s biggest problem, however, isn’t that the storyline isn’t interesting ( quite the opposite in regards to a cop upon death’s door both literally and metaphorically blinded from the truth and being given a new opportunity to take his revenge) , but, there just isn’t enough time for viewers to both catch-up or develop any interests within
the storyline or characters. Jin- Hyuk cannot be faulted for what he was given to work with , however, his character may as well just have moulded together with failed storyboards and scripts for viewers as there quite simply wasn’t enough exposure to his character, Ki- beom as an individual outside of the story.
For most viewers to relate to even the seeming villain of a story, writers often reflect qualities we can see in ourselves, friends and family in a character - traumatic pasts, complicated relationships with the people around us or even just emotions - these are all real qualities most of us know in the real world. Whilst as viewers we do come to understand Ki- beom’s anguish and fury over his wife being taken from him, we don’t really learn why this should be significant for us as viewers either through a sense of normality or love to hit closer to home, or, the actual after affects of losing this normality for Ki-beom.
Even in minor scenes such as Ki-beom walking as a blind man or being able to see for the first time, a moment of weakness by stumbling or having to lie down would’ve allowed us to step back and see Ki-beom as someone who is a relatable hero. Instead the show is too focused on Ki-beom becoming an all-fighting machine to actually consider these fleshed-out moments. ( A classic case of the show doing this is within his former police coworkers happily accepting that their close companion and a man they thought had either been dead or missing for the past several months, could just return all of a sudden without a second thought.)
As you can imagine, whilst the quick pacing allows us to get to the quirky action scenes, Rugal again simply doesn’t give us a chance to know the other characters ; Mi Na ( Jung Hye In), should have easily been one of the most profound considering her past yet was written-off to see her delivering punches throughout the series with her comrades or enemies and Lee Gwang Chul ( Park Sun Ho) had so much potential to be a genuinely enigmatic character, yet the drama wrote him off as a goof for the majority of the drama rather than an individual.
Maybe on one note of praise the show did surprisingly deliver both a good performance by Han Ji Wan and surprisingly intriguing characterisation around one of the show’s antagonists, Choi Ye Won. Although her character should have initially been despicable, her moral grey area around the intrigue of Beom and the horrific actions of the major antagonist Deok Goo ( Park Sung Woong) did add a level of intrigue around her character. It’s just a shame that the writers couldn’t have done the same for the previously mentioned antagonist, who although wanting to be portrayed in a villainous light, had no intriguing motives or features at all as a villain apart from just being a violent menace .
Perhaps the scriptwriters were becoming conscious of how much time they’d wasted seeing characters deck one another twelve times or how we’d spent nearly six episodes watching the characters fight or train without Ki- Beom getting any closer to learning about his wife, as near the ending of the drama, we did see a couple of loose threads attempting to be tied. On the other hand, the problem with this decision lies with the returned problem of pacing. Seeing nearly fifteen episodes of a comedic character such as Gwang Chul suddenly struggling with an inner-battle with himself does not add a level of depth or shock for viewers, it just adds another round of groans and questions due to having no indicators of Gwang Chul struggling in previous episodes. This seems to point out that Rugal’s biggest failure is just not being able to keep up with the right speed of pacing with racing through the story and give us little time as viewers to grow used to the characters or story points. ( As an example of intriguing story pacing consider probably one of the most sensational Korean dramas of the 2010s, Sky Castle - the drama spiked from slow pacing to suddenly quick to back to slow in a matter of episodes yet love or loathe the drama, it was able to keep viewers entertained because viewers could adhere and keep-up with the story because of the pacing-style. Rugal could’ve lived up beyond expectations if it had been given the right pacing, yet the show just fell into its own despair by trying to race to scenes of mindless violence and fighting instead ).
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The Sound Of Magic; Be Careful What You Wish For…
While we have seen a lot of music-orientated themes in Korean dramas and productions, it is less frequent to see the genre of musicals being tackled. Therefore, when news was released that the six-part Korean miniseries ‘ The Sound of Magic’ would be marketed a “ musical fantasy drama” based upon the fantasy webcomic "Annarasumanara” (안나라수마나라), there was certainly intrigue and hype around its upcoming release.The series focuses upon main female lead Yoon Ah Yi ( Choi Sung Eun- ‘ Start Up’, ‘ Beyond Evil’). Despite being a top student in her school, Ah Yi has had it rough after her parents walked out on her.
Ah Yi secretly yearns that all of her problems will be solved by magic. However as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Ah Yi’s Life is turned upside down when she meets Lee Eul ( Ji Chang Wook- ‘ Healer’, ‘ K2’ and ‘ Backstreet Rookie’).
Lee Eul is practically perfect in every way. Helping to lift Ah Yi’s spirits up despite hard times, Lee Eul finds herself conflicted between fantasy and reality when she develops feelings for classmate and fellow hard-achiever Na Il Deung ( Hwang In Yeop- ‘ Freshman’, ‘18 Again’ and ‘ True Beauty’). However things become more complicated when Ah Yi discovers that Lee Eul is more than he seems.
Adapted to the small screen by Kim Min Jung ( ‘ Love In The Moonlight’, ‘ Imitation’), ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ is able to attain what many would probably define as “ lighthearted melodrama and fantasy ”. While the screenplay would occasionally dip into certain issues such as poverty, inequality and bullying, these topics were rarely discussed or brought forward prominently, instead used background themes to propel certain events of the series.
Admittedly this isn’t always necessarily a bad approach per say in a series. It certainly allowed ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ to maintain an easygoing charm. On the other hand, it is fair to admit that while the premise of the series was certainly engaging and the storyline boasted an intriguing array of characters, the production wasn’t without its more noticeable loose ends either.
Choi Sung Eun is an upcoming actress in the South-Korean film and TV industry. While some viewers may have seen her before in productions such as ‘ Beyond Evil’, it is likely most will be unfamiliar with her name. Nevertheless despite a few awkward line deliverances at times, Sung Eun delivered a fairly decent performance at main female lead Yoon Ah Hi; a downcast and hardworking girl who finds herself encountering a mysterious magician.
As an onscreen character, Ah Yi is admittedly a mixed-bag of writing tropes and strengths. The “ hardworking” female lead is a cliche that has often been overdone in Korean productions and dramas. Admittedly it would be wrong to suggest that Ah Yi was an entirely “ bad character” per say.
Her genuine doting and sincerity for her sister, her disillusioned beliefs surrounding her mother and yearning to get her back, and certain levels of her personal struggles such as being bullied and financial struggles, did add a touch of relatability and engagement for the audience with Ah Yi’s character.
On the other hand despite the unlimited potential for Ah Yi to become a fully likeable character, it was hard to ignore that Ah Yi’s character-arc felt somewhat poorly put together at times, especially with regards to her ineffable muteness as well as delving further into her feelings towards her parents . ( To explain this further, it is important to acknowledge that being reserved and struggling with anxiety or trauma are certainly separate and complicated issues. However rather than connecting this succinctly with her own emotional struggles as well as in reality, Ah Yi’s personal problems could often feel shoehorned rather than explained in detail. In addition to this nuanced issues such as her living or financial situation not being noticed by others such as teachers or at least by social services seemed a little odd also.)
Then of course there’s the subject surrounding Ah Yi’s potential love interest and supporting male lead. Since his popular roles in ‘ True Beauty’ and ‘ 18 Again’, Hwang In Yeop had become a familiar face and name for viewers. However rather than playing his associated “ bad boy” roles, In Yeop took on his onscreen part as hardworking student Na II Deung, adding a fairly consistent performance to his onscreen role.
As a character, II Deung suffered a similar fate to the female lead when it came to screenwriting. The role as the “ potential love interest” for Ah Yi was surprisingly subverted at times when intriguing glimpses were provided into II Deung’s own personal life and struggles.
On the other hand while chemistry certainly was prominent between the leading actors and certainly easygoing , it was difficult at times to really see or allow this onscreen relationship to develop further outside of lighthearted banter or “ necessary plot moments”. Of course, later episodes certainly relished in exchanges between the two main characters but it was difficult to see this relationship having been developed particularly through evident common ground or growth.
However while Hwang In Yeop may certainly have attracted attention for certain viewers, it is likely most viewers will be intrigued by the starring role of Ji Chang Wook as the beguiling magician Lee Eul.
As an A-lister actor, Chang Wook has respectfully had his fair share of good and bad performances over the years. Nevertheless his performance as main lead Lee Eul was certainly decent enough, adding a surprising charm to his onscreen persona which admittedly could’ve been taken further by the writing .
To a certain extent, screenwriter Kim Min Jung captivated this well by Lee Eul offering an air of mystique for most of the series. Despite seemingly being introduced as a seeming “ heroic” figure for Ah Yi, it is soon proven that Lee Eul is certainly not a knight in shining armour as truths come to light.
On the other hand, it often felt as though while viewers did not entirely have to know the precise events of his backstory to work out his character-arc and role in the series, it often felt as though ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ rarely brought forwards Lee Eul’s seemingly “ unpredictable” edge and mystery. It often felt as though this could’ve easily have been done by at least foreshadowing or helping to boast his onscreen presence through different mood lighting or cinematography.
Then of course aside from the main characters, there is also the topic surrounding supporting characters. The majority of the supporting characters were often placed as merely background characters for storylines or events ( such as Ah Yi’s parents, her younger sister and II Deung’s parents). Admittedly the supporting cast’s performances varied somewhat dependent on ability. However it is hard not to talk about side characters without at least acknowledging “ Ah Yi’s bully” Baek Ha Na. Unsurprisingly, Ha Na’s role as Ah Yi’s tormentor is rarely explained or justified aside from Ha Na being “ shallow and mean” and helping to intensify angst and drama during “ necessary moments”.
The execution of ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ is a fair mixture of slow-paced angst and quick-paced storyline. Although this was necessary at times for helping to establish characters and storyline events, it could often lead to parts of the miniseries feeling somewhat slow and dragging in parts and rarely fleshed out at certain points of the narrative. ( Therefore often leading to certain events of the narrative feeling overly predictable or convenient.) In particular, this was evident through the formula of musical compositions being given in episodes. Although they were often lighthearted or melodramatic,certain compositions could sometimes feel arbitrarily placed in the trajectory of the series.
In addition to the main storyline surrounding the female lead, there were a few noticeable side storylines such as Ah Yi’s internal monologues addressing her mother, the male lead’s hone life and his relationship with his parents as well as the mysterious disappearances of students at the school. Although they were certainly intriguing subplots, they were rarely fleshed out. Of course while it is hard to create an entirely flawless adaptation of a work or webcomic, it often felt as though ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ could’ve flourished more by sticking to fewer storylines and developing them well.
The ending of the series will admittedly remain a subject of debate for a lot of viewers. While some viewers may enjoy an uplifting finale, others may feel let down by the sudden rush of plot events and failing to answer a lot of continuous questions and resolutions for the characters.
Naturally there is also the discussion surrounding the OST of the series. ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ was composed of a mixture of angst-ridden musical compositions and lighthearted pop tracks, ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ can be said to have an admittedly odd mix of genuinely memorable and generic songs. Tracks including “ 아저씨. 마술을 믿으세요? “(Annarasumanara), “회전목마” (Merry-Go-Round) and “잘자” Have A Good Night) remained particularly memorable.
Perhaps a certain virtue of ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ came through the cinematography approached by director Kim Seong Yoon ( ‘Who Are You:School 2015’, ‘ Lovers In The Moonlight’ and ‘ Itaewon Class’). High quality and stunning in parts through a blurring between reality and illusion, Seong Yoon’s lighting and mood certainly helped to captivate a lot of the characters’ emotions and struggles. Admittedly it felt as though the series could’ve benefited by delving deeper into a phantasmagoria of dreamlike or magical sequences in later episodes.
Overall ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ offered viewers with slightly “ darker” lighthearted angst and melodrama wrapped into a guise of magic and fantasy. Although the series certainly boasted an intriguing array of characters and skimmed-over issues and topics, the narrative often felt like a patchwork of narrative events and pacing rather than succinct. ( Especially by the ending of the series.) Nevertheless Ah Yi and II Deung’s potential onscreen chemistry remained entertaining and certainly offered viewers with an indulging and certainly magical binge-watch.
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Cruising Through Nostalgia; The Retro Film That Missed A Few Gears…
There’s something about Moon Hyun Sung’s ( ‘ As One’, ‘ The King’s Case Note’) ‘ Seoul Vibe’ that held a lot of potential on paper; a group of 80’s youths caught in between the past memories of the autocratic government of South Korea, as well as the newly democratic era marked by the Olympic Games and economic growth. However , while ‘ Seoul Vibe’ possessed a certain nostalgia of 80’s fashion brands and VHS camcorders, the general progression of the narrative and car chases played out like a paler imitation of a 'Fast & Furious' franchise movie interpolated with a less gritty Scorsese action film .
‘ Seoul Vibe’ opens up inexplicably in 1988 Saudi Arabia, with ace driver Dong Wook ( Yoo Ah-In-‘ Burning’, ‘ Hellbound’) skirting around a rough desert track in his dilapidated Chevy with his videographer and younger brother Joon-Gi ( Ong Seong Wu-‘ Moment At Eighteen’ and ‘Would You Like a Cup Of Coffee?’). Returning back to Seoul, the duo reunite with their old friend and taxi driver friend Bok-nam (Lee Kyu-Hyung - ‘ Life’, ‘ Dr John’ and ‘ May It Please The Court’) , resident DJ John (Go Kyung-pyo) and Dong and Joon’s sister Yoon-hee (Park Ju-hyun), learning that their part of the city has pretty much been demolished to the ground ahead of hosting the Olympic Games. The only thing left is their father’s old auto body garage, somewhere that the group seeks refuge inside.
Enter the big nuisance of the film: Prosecutor Ahn ( Oh Jung-se). Knowing all about Joon’s illegal involvements overseas, Ahn strikes a deal with the group that he will eradicate the group’s criminal records in exchange for the crew bringing down the money laundering operation of underworld kingpin Kang In-sook (Moon So-ri).
As mentioned previously, ‘ Seoul Vibe’ possessed an edge of nostalgia that was as warm and bubbly as its neon palette schemes and Coca Cola bottle shots. However against its sweet and entertaining edge, ‘ Seoul Vibe’ struggled when it came to its execution. The comedy was variable from scene to scene and while the mindless car chases and lack of physics can be taken with a pinch of salt, the writing of the movie was a mixed bag to say the least.
It’s necessarily bad per say that ‘Seoul Vibe’ was heavily inspired by movies such as from the ‘ Fast & Furious’ franchise. However rather than interspersing the film with lively and fleshed-out characters ( aside from a few backstory mentions that rarely play a bigger role), a plot boasting unique, key and central messages against its backdrop of an ever-changing late 1980s South Korea or helping to explore the relationships and dynamics of the group to their full potential ( especially considering most of them or siblings or old friends), the film often felt somewhat cut and pasted from other works. In particular, this was shown by the formulaic events of the narrative; the setup, the big chase scenes, the final showdown and then the fairytale ending for the main characters.
The acting front of ‘ Seoul Vibe’ was fairly consistent. The chemistry between Dong-wook’s gang of old friends and misfits was decent enough but rarely did it feel awe-inspiring. There wasn’t a lot of opportunities given in the movie to actually explore these bonds or for viewers to fully understand the significance of their achievements together. One of the few spotlight performances of the movie was Park Ju-Hyun ( ‘ Extracurricular’) , who starred as the two brothers’ sweet and lively younger sister.
The OST of ‘ Seoul Vibes’ was certainly one of its few soaring prides with tracks such as “You be Illin’” from Run-DMC and " One for the Treble” by Davy DMX, helping to add to the cartoonish and easygoing vibes of ‘ Seoul Vibe’.
‘ Seoul Vibe’ is a fun and energetic action romp which is filled with a lot of lighthearted fun. However while ‘ Seoul Vibe’ was entertaining and did provide a small lens into a bygone era, the storyline felt as though it could’ve been taken from any car chasing action film. Perhaps with better execution, writing and special effects, ‘ Seoul Vibe’ could’ve been a lot more than the finished product.
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A Nostalgia-Ridden Love Story To The 1990s …
When discussing about directors Frankie Chen and Chen Yu Shan’s ‘ Our Times’ , the movie is often directly attributed on a surface level as merely being a stereotypical and cutesy love story between its two main leads Lin and Taiyu . However is arguable that when you are able to delve further beneath the film’s surface ‘ Our Times’ isn’t just a literal romance, but a love story and homage by its creators to the nostalgic days of youth in 1990s Taiwan.
Original or replicated props,popular culture references to 90’s idols such as Aaron Kwok and Andy Lau, outfits and copied hairstyles from the era given to the drama’s cast animated scenes to life with euphoria as bubbly palettes and vivid hues onscreen attempted to perfectly capture the rose-tinted warmth and sweetness of adolescence throughout the movie.
However that isn’t to say that Chen and Shan entirely limit the nostalgia-ride with merely visuals. The reimbursed injection of the “ordinary girl meets her Prince Charming” trope admittedly did have its highs-and-lows throughout the movie.
An evident feminine-perspective to this cliche helped to add a breath of fresh air to an otherwise overused trope. Flashbacks and flash forwards throughout the drama’s non-linear storyline between Lin Zhen Xin’s dilemmas as a young woman in her thirties( Joe Chen) against Lin’s naive teen-self ( Vivian Sung) helped to present Lin Zhen Xin’s journey throughout the movie.
Nevertheless ‘ Our Time’ ‘s pragmatic focus upon Zhen Xin’s embroiled meeting with the seemingly fearsome delinquent Taiyu (Darren Wang) could admittedly sometimes feel shoehorned by cliches in an attempt to keep the drama’s plot-drive afloat throughout the movie’s duration. Considering that this is one of the focal drives of the storyline it wasn’t necessarily bad per say that the film attempted to offer opportunities to bring forward the two unlikely lovers together. On the other hand the movie could often feel as though it was trying to drive the series sometimes through enforced misunderstandings leading to further drama, rather than allowing coherent events to take place and then resolving problems throughout the film.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the film came through the movie’s lineup. Joe Chen played the older-self of the female lead; a woman in her thirties stuck in a deadbeat office non who begins to reminisce about her school days back in the 1990s. Despite Chen not having as many focused scenes as she should’ve done as the main character’s older-self in the film, the actress was able to interplay her character incredibly well with younger actress Vivian Sung.
Sung is arguably one of the main highlights of ‘ Our Time’. Whilst at times the actress could admittedly feel as though she was putting on a slight over-the-top ambience to her onscreen persona in order to sway audiences towards her image as the “ dorky teen and fan girl ”, Sung could also surprisingly captivate a loveable and down-to-earth charm to Zhen Xin’s teen-self for audiences.
Costarring alongside Joe Chen was Jerry Yan as main male lead Hsu Tai Yu’s older-self. The actor’s well-known performance as the main lead in the popular adaptation of the original ‘ Meteor Garden’ did carry through with a slight gruff charm onscreen. Nevertheless Yan’s appearance whilst necessary to wrap-up events was limited and brief to say the least.
The notable star-attraction of the series as the younger Hsu Tai Yu was Darren Wang. As the actor’s breakout role Wang portrayed troublemaker Taiyu with a few awkward line deliverances at times but quickly made up for this through surprising heart and soul in tour de force moments of the momvie, as well as wittiness when screen time called for it also.
On the other hand for a movie filled with easygoing nostalgia and sweet chemistry between the leads ‘ Our Time’ could often fall victim to pacing. For a film exceeding a two hour duration trying to captivate an audience is quintessential and dragged-out scenes and dialogue exchanges could often sometimes weigh heavily upon its paced-narrative. Plot points could sometimes feel slightly cyclical at times without adding anything new to the storyline; something that could’ve easily been fixed if the storyline had arguably kept its structure a little more rigid and succinct .
The ending admittedly on a crisp and sweet note for audiences- expected of the genre but fitting for the characters and events of the movie.
Frankie Chen and Chen Yu Shan is an expected love-story with cliches and shoehorning sometimes worming its way into the events of a laissez-faire paced plot. Nevertheless there’s no doubt that there’s something oddly endorsing about its cast, bright palettes and authentic set pieces as well as Chen and Shan’s homage not just to the 1990s, but an attempt to engage audiences through the universal experience of nostalgia also.
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A Thought-Provoking Adaptation..
With numerous adaptations across television and film ( including a predecessor Japanese version in 2001, as well as a loosely- based South-Korean adaptation called “ Hello, God” in 2006 ), it is only natural to raise the apparent question whether this recent Japanese version of Flowers For Algernon is actually worth watching as a stand-alone production.In this Japanese version of the eponymous novel, our main protagonist Shiratori Sakuto ( Yamashita Tomohisa) is a kind-hearted young man with an intellectual disability. Working for a floral delivery service, a misunderstanding between Sakuto and researcher Mochizuki Haruka ( Chiaki Kuriyama) leads Sakuto to developing a benign crush upon Haruka. Wanting to become “ smarter”, Sakuto with Haruka’s aid enters a top research programme with the hope of improving his IQ, however, as one thing leads to the next, Sakuto begins to realise that the world he’s been in living isn’t as perfect as it seems, as his relationships with his colleagues, friends and Haruka will change irrevocably.
In screenwriters Nojima Shinji ( Love Shuffle, 49) and Ikeda Natsuko ( Zekkyou, Ouran High School Host Club-2011) ‘s contemporary adaptation of Daniel Keyes’ 1959 eponymous novel, there would seem to be two prominent made to this version ( sans the cultural localisation in Tokyo) alone.
The most evident change being that the show places more sympathetic lighting for the characters associated with our main protagonist Shiratori Sakuto ( Yamashita Tomohisa), with an actual didactic focus upon most of these characters as individuals with emotions and their own problems rather than just merely plot devices. Then of course, the greatest change in the show comes through the focal point of the “ casual romance” between our main protagonist Sakuto, and researcher Mochizuki Haruka over the course of the series and a lot more than their predecessor counterparts in the novel.
Whilst their obstacles and later development in their relationship are paramount for Sakuto’s progression as a character, the relationship between Sakuto and Haruka truly ceases to be challenging in terms of the overarching storyline . Haruka for a major part of the series felt a little more objectified to simply the “ love interest” than an actual individual with thoughts and feelings. Arguably, this is the mould in which Sakuto “ sees” Haruka within, however, even in her own scenes, there was little to really draw up about Haruka as a individual , apart from creating more and more “ naive” and unfair misunderstandings for Sakuto without acknowledging how he may feel also.
Arguably Sakuto is fairly similar to Haruka in this department towards sometimes being “ unnecessarily cruel”, particularly towards the unfortunate second female lead Kawaguchi Rio ( Tanimura Mitsuki). Whilst the show did constantly attempt to make us question the boundaries of ethics and principles both in science and our male lead’s “ actions” , it is hard to truly feel pity for Sakuto in some cases after his behaviour with Rio- a kind-hearted girl who fell in love with Sakuto despite his intellectual disability, and soon became a form of “ grief” for Sakuto to inflict his feelings and anger upon. Whilst this did certainly add a touch of realism to complexity of actual relationships, the way that screenwriters Nojima and Ikeda initially dealt with Rio as both an individual and her storyline, felt both lacklustre and anticlimactic in the grand scheme of things.
In all honesty, the acting of Flowers For Algernon could sometimes be a bit of a mixed bag with genuine heartfelt, with some questionable performances. Yet what should certainly be said is that our main leads do not disappoint.
Whilst Sakuto is a complicated and questionable individual, there’s no denying that Tomohisa was brilliant within his dual performance as our main lead between the fine drawn line of innocence and cynicism over the course of the series . En par with Tomohisa, was undeniably costar Chiaki Kuriyama. Despite her character’s flaws, Kuriyama added much needed charisma to Haruka as a character. In addition to this, the show tackled some surprisingly difficult themes from discrimination against those with an intellectual disability, abuse and deeper philosophical and ethical questions including the pursuit of happiness in the face of intelligence.
Overall, it’s fair to say that Flowers For Algernon is a show which is fairly rough around the edges; the romantic factor ( although not predominant ) is a little lacklustre as the focal point , certain characters ( such as Rio) could have been written with more intrinsic purpose to the overall show and the pseudoscientific elements of the show could have been explained in more depth than just “ passed over” for the sake of plot progression. However, Flowers For Algernon is still surprisingly thought-provoking with deep moral questions posed for both viewers and our main protagonist Sakuto, an intriguing premise and a bittersweet , yet appropriate ending for our main lead’s journey from beginning to end. Although not flawless, this is worth a watch if you’re looking for something with thought-provoking questions.
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‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’; The Adaptation That Could’ve Been So Much More…
When ‘ Meteor Garden’ first introduced a mainstream audience to the world of Kamio Yoko’s shoujo Cinderella story back in 2001, very few individuals would’ve been able to have predicted the ongoing legacy and impact of Yoko’s work. Indeed nearly two decades and multiple adaptations later, a new generation has been introduced to the world of ‘ Hana Yori Dango’ through the Thai adaptation of the mangaka’s work ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’. The sixteen-episode series has gained popular attention by fans and critics alike. However despite its praise, it is important to acknowledge that the series hasn’t escaped the realm of scrutiny and criticism either.Similar to its predecessor adaptations , ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ introduces viewers to its main female leader and heroine "Gorya" Thitara Jundee ( Tontawan Tantivejaku). An ordinary girl coming from a humble background, Gorya has entered Kocher High School, a prestigious school for the heirs of Thailand’s wealthiest families, through a varsity scholarship.
Gorya’s parents are over the moon with her attendance at the illustrious institution. Despite not being able to afford new shoes for their daughter, they are determined to ensure Gorya will finish high school with a praiseworthy diploma from Kocher. Yet despite rubbing shoulders with some of Thailand’s wealthiest heirs, Gorya has become weary of drawing attention to herself, especially with regards to her family status.
Aside from befriending classmate Hana (Wanwimol Jaenasavamethee), Gorya is determined to keep her head down until graduation. Indeed instead of partying or enjoying a hedonistic lifestyle like some of her classmates , Gorya spends her time predominantly divided between her studies, home and her part-time job at florist shop ‘Maytee O Garden’ ( a word pun homage to ‘ Meteor Garden’) where she works alongside best friend Kaning ( Yongwaree Anilbol).
However, Gorya’s hopes for a quiet life at school are soon dashed when she ends up on the wrong side of notorious F4 leader "Thyme" Akira Paramaanantra ( Vachirawit Chivaaree). With fellow F4 members “ Ren” Renrawin Aira ( Jirawat Sutivanichsak), "Kavin" Taemiyaklin Kittiyangkul ( Metawin Opas-iamkajorn) and "M.J." Methas Jarustiwa ( Hirunkit Changkham), Thyme’s tyrannical reign of bullying and authority over the school are suddenly challenged by Gorya’s defiance to become a scapegoat.
Despite Thyme’s bombardment of bullying tactics to make her back down, Gorya finds the determination to carry on through her growing unrequited feelings for F4 member Ren. Suave, mysterious and yearning over his childhood friend Mira ( Yongwaree Anilbol), Gorya finds her heart torn between her crush and her convoluted feelings for Thyme.
Of course it is important to to acknowledge that while ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ is an adaptation from mangaka Kamio Yoko’s bestselling work, ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ is respectfully ( like nearly all of the adaptations) a standalone production in its own right. Therefore, this has allowed certain opportunities and limitations by screenwriters Waneepan Ounphoklang, Jarinee Thanomyat and Suwanun Pohgudsai in order to encapsulate their respectfully young target audience.
One of the most efficient ways of keeping the audience intrigued came through the evident prevalence of technology in the series. From smart phones to social media, ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ placed heavy emphasis upon the sphere of modern youth culture. ( Especially through issues such as online harassment and cyber bullying in the early first part of the narrative.)
Nevertheless despite the grandeur shown through the everyday lifestyle of Thyme and the F4 , it is hard to ignore that issues such as abuse and bullying being glossed over by the series have been the subject of mixed-reception also. ( Especially with regards to the divisive relationship shown onscreen between Thyme and Gorya, arguably more lighthearted in comparison to other adaptations though not without its more controversial moments either.)
Tontawan Tantivejaku took on the role as main female lead and heroine "Gorya" Thitara Jundee. Actively involved in the world of modelling, it may surprise some that ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ marked the model’s acting debut . Nevertheless despite Tontawan Tantivejaku offering a fresh face to the role of the “tough and defiant” female lead, it became apparent that Tontawan’s inexperience at times often led to several awkward line deliverances over the duration of the series.
Of course this isn’t to entirely blame Tontawan Tantivejaku for her acting. Considering that it was respectfully the model’s first acting role, Tontawan carried herself surprisingly well throughout most of the drama , adding a surprisingly sweet and dynamic edge to her onscreen persona.
As an onscreen character, Gorya is admittedly a mixed-bag of writing strengths and flaws for the female heroine. Where other adaptations have struggled to encapsulate the female lead’s wider interactions with her family as well as their economic struggles, ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ added a surprisingly sentimental touch by focusing upon simple and daily interactions with Gorya’s family during most of the series.
However for a female lead who could be surprisingly resilient and laidback in comparison to some of her predecessors, Gorya could often feel as though she had hit a writing rut by the halfway point of the drama. This was mainly due to the fact that despite her initial growth by warming up to the F4 and attempting to navigate her own ambivalent feelings for Ren and Thyme, the second-half of ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ attempted to enforce Gorya into the leading role of the “ fickle heroine”; showing open affection, before seemingly changing her opinions out of an inconvenient dilemma and then dragging out major misunderstandings between herself and Thyme.
Although this cannot be entirely faulted as a bad writing decision per say by helping to intensify the tension of the series, ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ could sometimes inhibit further opportunities to see Gorya fully explore her mixed feelings in depth, or at least being given opportunities to grow or be explored beyond her specified role. ( This often resulted within Gorya’s later role in the series feeling somewhat stunted and enforced; rarely allowing her actions such as bending to the will of Thyme’s mother, feeling well-matched against her disposition and character.) Nevertheless despite a rocky first performance for the young model, there is certainly potential to see Tontawan Tantivejaku taking on future projects.
Then of course costarring alongside Tontawan Tantivejaku was Vachirawit Chivaaree ( alternatively known as ‘ Bright’) playing main male lead of the series, “Thyme” Akira Paramaanantra. For those familiar with Bright’s acting career, specifically for his role in the ‘2gether; The Series’, then most will probably agree that the actor certainly seemed an unusual choice. Nevertheless, Bright could be surprisingly tactful at times within his performance as Thyme; adding a nuanced touch of uncertainty and mixed-emotions through intonations and even micro-expressions onscreen.
However despite a superfluous amount of effort put into the role by the actor, it is hard to ignore that Bright’s approach to his onscreen character could feel somewhat overacted . This is not entirely the actor’s fault per say. Thyme’s written dialogue could often overblown at times and in addition to an onset of niche setups, Bright’s performance as Thyme was often somewhat inconsistent as a result.
This of course brings us onto one of the biggest elephants of the room within ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’, main male lead Thyme. There are certainly some positive attributes to comment about Thyme. In comparison to some of his previous incarnations who were defined purely by their haughty exterior and sardonicism, Thyme could often be said to be a “ kinder” version of his predecessors. Indeed, Thyme was often defined by his petulance and fractiousness around the female lead ( such as his demands and desires) , but he certainly often wore his heart upon his sleeve also.
However although it could be said that Thyme offered a more open and empathic version of the main lead in comparison to other incarnations, there is still a divisive issue for critics and fans alike surrounding the relationship between Thyme and Gorya throughout the duration of the series.
Writers Waneepan Ounphoklang, Jarinee Thanomyat and Suwanun Pohgudsai arguably did present the notion that Thyme was hopelessly infatuated by Gorya. However it is hard to excuse that despite his seeming bursting affections for the female lead, his treatment towards Gorya’s could sometimes be unnerving.
To explain this further it is important to point out that Thyme isn’t the first incarnation to come under rapid fire for his treatment of the female lead. Surprisingly this is not to say that these actions and problems should not have existed in the series. (In fact it could be argued that they could’ve allowed an open platform to address these issues, especially with consideration to the target audience.)
On the other hand it is hard to ignore that Thyme’s frenetic actions were often a sticky subject in the series. Respectfully while Thyme was held accountable for some of his actions, it will still provoke debate and discussion surrounding the initial aftermath of his actions also. ( In particular having resorted to often “ blowing up” around Gorya; resorting to yelling, throwing things or becoming openly aggressive with his body language during arguments rarely being addressed with more script .)
Then of course there’s another big issue to discuss with regards to ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’; Thyme’s “complicated” relationship with his mother and major antagonist of the series, Roselyn Paramaanantra ( Cindy Bishop). In comparison to certain adaptations which rarely ventured into the realm of Thyme’s bond with his mother being on a knife’s edge, the narrative often did present some early indications towards Thyme’s relationship with his mother being a difficult subject.
However instead of offering potential room for growth, Thyme’s estranged relationship with Roselyn was often widely disregarded until it was necessary for specific plot points. This was mainly due to the fact that
Thyme’s mother was often shoehorned ( like many adaptations) into the specific role of the antagonist; expediting the plot and dilemmas as well as giving the necessary introduction for Gorya and viewers to his older sister Tia ( Maria Poonlertlarp) but rarely being explored further. ( This was particularly shown in the latter-half of the series, leading to a dissatisfying conclusion for many.)
Then of course there’s Jirawat Sutivanichsak ( know alternatively by his nickname ‘ Dew’) as second male lead Ren. Similar to his costar and fellow model Tontawan Tantivejaku, ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ marked Dew’s first acting debut. Dew’s performance was decent enough by channelling into the mystique charm of his character. However whilst the rookie actor certainly made a decent acting debut, his performance in ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ could admittedly feel a little lacklustre with certain line deliverances.
Admittedly Ren served as a good example of writing an intriguing love rival for the main lead and a potential love interest for the main heroine. While he did not arguably quite possess the same joie de vivre as some of his counterparts, it was hard to ignore the fact that Ren possessed an element of enticing mystique and suave charm as an onscreen character . Nevertheless similar to some of the writing issues of the series, Ren’s character arc and development could feel somewhat flat lined by shoehorned plot events. ( In particular his character-arc and ambivalent feelings for his sister-figure Mira suffering from an anticlimactic conclusion.)
Tontawan Tantivejaku’s chemistry with costars Bright and Dew is admittedly variable from scene to scene. Nevertheless there is a certain charm especially from Tantivejaku’s onscreen and potential chemistry with Bright ( despite some arguably more divisive issues surrounding their onscreen characters), that helped to bring scenes to life and keep viewers enticed.
In addition to our main leads it is important to acknowledge the subplot revolving around supporting characters, M.J. and Kavin . Kavin’s potential wavering onscreen relationship with Kaning was placed on the sidelines of the narrative as a filler-in subplot to the main narrative ( though somewhat rushed by later plot events) , while M.J.’s “side story” was forced into a brief sponsorship sketch with KFC at the end of episodes. ( Often resulting in a conspicuous placement of a KFC food or drink product onscreen.)
However this is naturally where a major rut did hit the writing team for ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’. Instead of having the opportunities to cram in myriads of chapter titles and arcs into a space of twenty, forty or fifty episodes, the series was limited with a short and compact time space of sixteen episodes. Naturally this enforced the writers to be cutthroat at times with certain plot lines and attempting to accommodate itself to fit its restricted format.
As a consequence of this time frame, ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ often seemed to fall into the honey trap of heavily relying upon several trope-induced storyline events of its predecessors in order to pad out the narrative. While the drama did make some executive decisions with plot revelations and decisions, it could often enforce certain plot events to feeling somewhat rushed. ( This was shown in particular with the delivered ending. Although helping to deliver a satisfying conclusion for viewers with regards to the delivered verdict of the main leads’ potential onscreen relationship, the heavy reliance upon endings from previous adaptations as well as failing to wrap up some counterplots were apparent.)
The production and filming for ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ has admittedly been through a bumpy ride under the leadership of directors Patha Thongpan and Aticha Tanthanawigrai through COVID-19. As a consequence of these issues, it was noticeable that ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ could sometimes be somewhat choppy with its editing approaches and style. Admittedly this was not entirely the fault of the production team per say. Yet rather than attempting to work around production problems and missing scenes, it could often lead to these sporadic editing cuts feeling starkly presented against some of the drama’s slicker production edits and glossy gradients. ( This was apparent in particular with episodes around the halfway point where at the ending of an important scene, the episode suddenly cut off into a less than smooth transition with little context or relevancy hinted at for viewers.)
The OST of ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ is predominantly composed of an array of gushing love ballads and pop songs, upbeat and lovelorn tempos gradually blending into one another as BGM during various scenes of the series. Nevertheless despite some respectfully less memorable songs throughout the duration of the series, there were still some surprising gems such as emotional solo track “ One Last Cry” by Violette Wautier and “ Who am I” by BRIGHT, WIN, DEW and NANI arguably remained particularly ear-catching throughout the drama.
‘The series offered an ambitious and intriguing direction to mangaka Kamio Yoko’s series with updated subject areas and topics attempting to resonate with a new generation. A young cast with many notable leads being played by acting rookies served as a good launching pad ( similar to many other previous adaptations) towards potential new projects and careers. Nevertheless whilst the series could often feel flawed by its inconsistent acting, storyline direction and production problems , ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ has offered a fresh and revamped adaptation for a new generation. Although perhaps ‘ F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers’ may not appeal to everyone, it is certainly a satisfactory binge-watch.
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Not A “ Revolutionary” Show, But Certainly Sickly and Sugary Sweet..
Storyline; Love Revolution ( based upon the eponymous webtoon) was surprisingly humorous at times for a “ sugary sweet and all things neat” idol drama. On the other hand, it’s important to note that a lot of the main story setting rides upon the old high school tropes of our “ puppy dog” Male lead Gong Ju Young (Park Ji Hoon) tried to chase after our “ indifferent and Ice Queen” female lead Wang Ja Rim (Lee Ruby) throughout cliche setups. Although there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with this, the story was consequently, unoriginal , the pacing was often disjointed and consequently made it easily forgettable and indistinguishable from other predecessor idol dramas.Is it the same as the webtoon?- The characters and basic premise are taken from the webtoon, however, there are some evidently “ safer” differences in the drama than the source material . Unfortunately , Love Revolution isn’t widely available yet in many languages outside of Korean, however, netizens and fans of the original webtoon have seemed to point out a lot that some of the original material focuses on “grittier” realities and storylines for our characters. Whilst the drama should be respected as a standalone production in its own right, it does raise some questions how different Love Revolution would have been if it focused on some more “ realistic” elements of these storylines, and if it would have made a difference to characterisation as well.
Characters; Love Revolution bases its characters upon main key tropes of high schoolers with Ju Yong as the “ lovelorn” Male lead, Ja Rim as the “ indifferent” love interest, Kyung Woo as the “ laidback” one (Young Hoon) and their associated friends ( respectfully played by Jung Da Eun, Im Da Young, Ko Chan Bin and Ahn Do Kyu ) mostly used for comical relief. As romantic dramas go , Love Revolution isn’t entirely terrible for character progression with more complicated reasons explained behind Ja Rim’s personality than at first glance as well as Kyung Woo. On the other hand, a lot of the characters progressively become used as plot devices as the series progresses rather than actual individuals with emotions.
Relationships; Although it’s important to note cultural differences and attitudes towards “ youth” relationships in Korea being a little more modest than some more countries, let’s also not kid ourselves that a lot of the show avoided evident and more “ realistic” elements of teens ( including showing this one episode is an “ embarrassing” misunderstanding after a sex education lesson) ; in order to avoid controversy ( especially with the careers of the idol actors of the show such as Park Ji Hoon and THE BOYZ’s member Young Hoon).
The evident main couple of the show is centred upon Ja Rim and Ju Yong w. Whilst a lot of their relationship is centred upon their differences, a more apparent and eye raising factor which can appear for viewers is the lack of communication and respect between the two teens. Ju Yong often seems to force Ja Rim into uncomfortable situations, whilst Ja Rim’s attitude and behaviour towards Ju Young did seem to send out some very mixed signals. Although Ja Rim should be blamed no more than Ju Young, their lack of communication and equal respect ( on both ends) did not advocate (even when they began to slowly get to know one another better), a healthy and respectful relationship. Of course the show shouldn’t be disregarded as it did try to show us the difficulties of a first real relationship on both sides , the lack of understand and development at times between the two as a couple was a little concerning.
Acting; There has always been a bit of a natural fallacy amongst drama watchers than idols can’t actually act , however, many idols such as IU and Im Siwan, have obviously proven these labels as being misguided . As Love Revolution is concerned, it’s fair to say that our idol actors aren’t terrible within their performances, however, it is fair to say that both Ji Hoon and Young Hoon’s acting is undeniably “ corny” at times and certainly not the best idol acting out there either,
Overall thoughts- Skip or Watch?- Love Revolution is another classic example of a clever marketing strategy by the respected companies and representatives of the idol actors and the makers of the webtoon to draw in a predominantly young fan base through sweet and sugary romance setups filled with tropes and cliches . It must be stressed that this isn’t a dire drama to watch and certainly something to consider to binge or if you’re a fan of these setups, however, for those who actually want depth to the story and characters, then there are so many older and better idol dramas out there to consider.
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Mystery to Iunakare; The Engaging Japanese Mystery Series…
When news broke out that Yumi Tamura’s mystery-crime manga ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ ( ‘ ‘ ミステリと言う勿れ’) would be adapted into a twelve -episode Fuji TV drama, there was certainly trepidation and excitement towards the delivered result.Adapting a Josei manga to a television production series can be a complex affair for the production team. The abundance of manga chapters and volumes that often have to be forced into a compact screenplay , racing against time deadlines, as well as budgets and casting choices can truly make or break an adaptation.
Indeed, Fuji TV’s ‘ Mystery to Iunkare’ ( alternatively known as ‘ Do Not Say Mystery’ or ‘ ミステリと言う勿れ’) is no exception. However despite the restricted duration length, ‘ Mystery to Iunkare’ offered viewers with a fairly intriguing mystery-crime plot.
21 year-old Totono Kunou ( Masaki Suda- ‘Kamen Rider W’, ‘ Assassination Classroom’ and ‘ Konto ga Hajimaru’) is a student at Todai University and seemingly preferred pupil of psychology professor Haruo Amatatsu ( Kosuke Suzuki- ‘ Liar Game’, ‘ Doctor X’ and ‘ Konto ga Hajimaru’).
However Kunou has landed himself in hot water when he becomes a key suspect in the murder case of his classmate. Brought into Otonari Police Station, any doubts surrounding Kunou’s involvement in the case are soon diminished when he demonstrates his meticulous observational skills and intelligence to the detectives .
Detectives Seiko Furomitsu ( Sairi Ito- ‘ In This Corner Of The World’, ‘ The Naked Director’ and ‘ Momoume’ ) and Yuto Ikemoto ( Matsuya Onoe- ‘ Onna Joshu Naotora’, ‘ Hanzawa Naoki 2’ and ‘ Kamakura dono no 13 nin’) are shown to be particularly won over by the student’s actions and words, later giving him a helping hand during key moments and dilemmas of the narrative.
To a lesser extent, Kunou also helps to change the ways of Inspector Mariaki Aoto ( Michitaka Tsutsui- ‘ Bataashi Kingyo’, ‘ Iron Grandma’ and ‘ Jashin no Tenbin Koan Bunseki Han’). An enigmatic man carrying a big burden, Aoto is given some surprisingly enlightening advice by Kunou as to where he went wrong in the past.
As Kunou becomes determined to help solve mysteries and cold cases, Kunou finds himself involved in a growing mystery tying together his past along the way…
Nevertheless despite an intriguing setup, it’s important to note that the concept of the “ eccentric genius” and the “ mysterious and dark major case from the past” have been seen and done countless times before. However despite its “seen and done before” setup, ‘ Mystery To Iunakare’ is still able to grip viewers thanks to screenwriter Aizawa Tomoko’s established tone and character building.
Screenwriter Aizawa Tomoko, probably best known for her screenplays such as ‘ Very Sweet’ , ‘ Kagi no Kakatta Heya’ , and ‘ Boku Dake ga 17-sai no Sekai de’, adapted the screenplay for ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ from Tamura’s manga. Similar to its predecessor, the series offered viewers with an element of dark suspense , tense mystery as well as moments of lighthearted respite in order for viewers to understand more about certain characters through interactions.
It’s hard to deny that the performances by the main cast of ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ were fairly brilliant. Although there were some overblown moments of dialogue and acting, Masaki Suda playing the main lead of the series, Totono Kuno, and Sairi Ito starring alongside Suda as Seiko Fukomitsu, particularly stood out with their dynamic onscreen performances.
Nevertheless important to note that ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ did feel somewhat limited at times by its pacing. Admittedly this did not engulf the full series. Tomoko’s narrative was fairly quick-paced at times, allowing several open opportunities in order to downplay key events and grip viewers through an array of intriguing characters also. ( Without definitive spoilers, these characters were gradually tied from counterplots into some events of the main narrative through various causes. )
On the other hand there were certainly several moments in ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ that could feel somewhat stretched-out or felt unresolved . ( One of the most notable examples of this problem included Kunou’s childhood ; briefly touched upon in order to tie-in major events of the narrative, but often lacking a resolved ending or explanation .)
Under the directing leadership of Aizawa Hideyuki ( ‘ 5-ji Kara 9-ji Made’, ‘ Good Doctor’ and ‘ Radiation House 2’) and Hiroaki Matsuyama ( ‘ Liar Game’, ‘ Nobunaga Concerto’ and ‘ Switched’), ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ was admittedly satisfactory with its editing and cinematography .
Of course this isn’t to downgrade the series completely. ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ did boast some stunning tour de force moments through closeups of characters, settings and some pragmatic editing decisions. On the other hand ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ could often feel slightly underwhelming at times by several sloppy cuts and limited camera angles.
Admittedly this isn’t entirely the drama’s fault per say. Fuji TV’s budgets are not extensive and limitations with filming should be expected. On the other hand it is hard to deny that it often felt as though that ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ was still somewhat underwhelming at times by its limited camera angles and filming gradients.
Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding the OST. ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ offered viewers with an eclectic range of comprised tracks; some of which were certainly more memorable than others. ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’’s main theme song and ethereal melody “ Chameleon” ( “ カメレオン”) by indie pop band King Gnu, alongside niche yet effective renditions of haunting classical music compositions such as Debussy’s ‘ Clair De Lune’ were particularly memorable.
Fuji TV’s twelve-episode series certainly offered an entertaining and enjoyable mystery-thriller. Of course, ‘ Mystery to Iunakare’ wasn’t without its more problematic issues such as execution and cliches. However with a potential sequel season alongside brilliant performances by the main leads, the drama series will like offer a satiable and indulgent viewing experience for any crime and drama fan.
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The Pirates 2: The Last Royal Treasure
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The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure; A Tumultuous High-Seas Adventure?
The journey from screenplay to production has admittedly been a circuitous journey for ‘ The Pirates: The Last Treasure’. Originally intended as a sequel production for screenwriter Chun Sung Il ( ‘ Your Honor’, ‘ All Of Us Are Dead’)’s original screenplay ‘ The Pirates’ (2014), the severe impact of production problems were certainly evident onscreen.
Naturally to understand the root cause of some of the problems with ‘ The Pirates: The Last Treasure’ it is important to elucidate that the movie suffered a lot throughout its production.
A notable change of director from Lee Seok-hoon ( ‘ Dancing Queen’, ‘ The Himalayas’ ) to Kim Jung Hoon ( ‘ Petty Romance’, ‘ The Accidental Detective), original stars Son Ye-jin (‘ Crash Landing On You’, ‘ Personal Taste’ and ‘ Something In The Rain’) and Kim Nam-gil ( ‘ Bad Guy’, ‘ Live Up To Your Name’ and ‘ Fiery Priest’) abandoning ship alongside pandemic-induced delays did spell-out a lot of problems for Sung II’s production.
As a consequence of these contributions, ‘The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure’ focused upon an entirely different setup from the first movie. Set in the late 14th century in the early Joseon period, the narrative focuses upon female pirate captain Hae-rang (Han Hyo-joo- ‘ Iljimae’, ‘ W’ and ‘ Happiness’).
After coming into possession of a mysterious treasure map, Hae-rang becomes fixated upon the notion that the hidden treasure was gold sourced from the royal palace and then lost at sea. However Hae-rang is not the only one obsessed over the promise of luxurious valuables . On board her ship is a cadre of bandits, led by ringleader Wu Mu-chi (Kang Ha-neul- ‘ Monstar’, ‘ Misaeng: Incomplete Life’ and ‘ When The Camellia Blooms’).
The self-proclaimed “ Greatest Swordsman in Goryeo”, Mu-Chi begins his schemes in order to launch a coup and take over the ship.
Nevertheless when unwelcome rival Boo Heung Soo ( Kwon Sang Woo- ‘ My Tutor Friend’, ‘ Stairway To Heaven’ and ‘ Queen Of Mystery’) arrives on the scene with a keen interest in competing for the treasure, Mu-Chi and Hae-rang may just be forced into an allegiance of sorts, as betrayals and twists soon come their way…
One of the most problems with ‘The Pirates: The Last Treasure’ came through its script. As mentioned previously, the production was naturally caught in a rut after Chung Sung II was forced to rewrite parts, recast and subvert the storyline in a very short space of time.
However whilst certain excuses can be given for the film’s troubling filming and writing schedule , it’s hard to truly justify the film’s unmodified and particularly cataclysmic opening act. A barrage of rushed character introductions, predictable betrayals, sudden flashbacks and dream sequences are crammed forcefully into a very short space of time .
Indeed, instead of spreading out the narrative and allowing the structure of the film to feel circumstantial and well-paced, ‘ The Pirates: The Last Treasure’ admittedly felt somewhat disorientating and chaotic in its first half.
The second-act admittedly was less anarchic and did allow some opportunities in order to tie together a form of coherent plot, but still due to the poor buildup and structure of the movie, the final act of ‘ The Pirates: The Last Treasure’ was somewhat risible.
Of course it’s wrong it’s wrong to entirely suggest that ‘ ‘The Pirates: The Last Treasure’ wasn’t an enjoyable movie at times. Whilst it’s gnawing inconsistencies of pacing and writing were evident, ‘The Pirates: The Last Treasure’ was still fast-paced, entertaining and adrenal-infused with its swashbuckling bravado and overindulgent CGI.
Then of course there’s our main cast. Aside from some inconsistent acting moments at times in ‘ The Pirates: The Last Treasure’, Han Hyo-joo was fairly solid as main female lead Hae-rang, whilst costars Kang Ha-Neul and Kwon Sang Woo were fairly decent also.
On the other amongst the jam-packed action of ‘ The Pirates: The Last Treasure’, the array of characters onscreen felt often vacuous. Absent opportunities in order to explore or flesh out characters, in particular how a young woman became a pirate captain, was rarely developed beyond its surface level plot hook.
As for the cinematography, ‘ The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure’ offered viewers with a high-budget bonanza under the directing reigns of Kim Jung Hoon. The overall product glossy but often heavily indulging upon CGI en masse without a greater focus on shots or the art of capturing the characters in more subtle detail. The OST is an odd accumulation of tremendous scores, alongside upbeat modern bops; a surreal mixture which whilst working effectively in parts, could feel somewhat out of place in other scenes.
‘The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure’ attempted to offer viewers with a fun and action-engaged plot throughout its 126-minute duration. Nevertheless, despite some engaging performances by our main cast and some fast-paced action sequences , ‘ The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure: often felt as though it was a chaotic bricolage of poor-pacing, story direction and enforced tropes .
For those willing to overlook the flaws of ‘ The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure’, the movie offered viewers with a disorderly swashbuckling adventure filled with daring laughs and fight scenes as well as hare-brained escapades along the way…
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Love Is Not Always Blind…
‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ ( alternatively translated as ‘ It’s Love; Yankee-Kun and The White-Cane Girl’) is based upon the manga ‘ Yankee-Kun and The White Cane Girl’. Adapted to the small screen by screenwriter Matsuda Yuko, ‘ Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ revolved around the sweet and unusual love story between Akaza Yukiko ( Sugisaki Hana) , a girl diagnosed with amblyopia ( a condition where the individual suffers from impaired or degraded vision) who uses a white stick, and a kindhearted delinquent Kurokawa Morio ( Sugino Yosuke). Despite initially being put off by his persistent attitude and self- proclaimed “ feelings ” for the female lead, Yukiko finds herself gradually warming up to the eccentric delinquent despite many obstacles that face them.Whilst sometimes a quick aside from comedian Hamada Yutaro ( playing himself) or a voiceover by Yukiko could feel a little arbitrary at times , it was evident to see that throughout more predictable romantic setups, the drama desperately pushed forward positive and didactic messages in order to disperse social stereotypes and stigmas surrounding blind and visually impaired individuals.
However whilst praise and commendation must be given to ‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’’s themes and depictions, the acting could admittedly was a mixed-bag . Of course this isn’t to bring down any of the respected actors as individuals. Sugisaki Hana’s onscreen performance as Yukiko captured the mannerisms of her character’s amblyopia subtly, whilst Sugino Yosuke added a heart-melting charm to Morio onscreen. Nevertheless it is notable that certain line deliverances by the cast could sometimes feel exaggerated.
As a character , Akaza Yukiko undeniably has her screenwriting strengths and weaknesses. She’s not defined as a main female lead by being “ frail” or “ timid” female lead trope due to her visual disability, and instead, was often shown to have a more stubborn side when problems arise due to a hurtful experience in the past. Whilst this incident admittedly did play a major role through brief foreshadowing in early episodes, the “tense” buildup could often feel anticlimactic . Foreshadowing towards Yukiko’s past could’ve easily been brought up early on to deliver greater impact in later episodes. In particular this subject could’ve easily been conveyed more frequently through conservations and interactions with her older sister Izumi ( Nao) as well as her father Seiji ( Kishitani Goro).
However this also brings up the elephant in the room in the series also; Yukiko’s family dynamic. Understandably it is not uncommon for different beliefs and viewpoints to be taken by family members towards a visually impaired relative. In the series this was often reflected by the differences between Yukiko’s sister being overprotective towards Yukiko whereas her father Seiji could often adopted a laissez-faire and easygoing attitude. It felt odd that aside from Izumi being the first to disapprove of Kurosawa being “ unworthy” for Yukiko, there was little reaction or insight into Yukiko’s own feelings towards her sister acting this way. Additionally there was rarely little conflict presented between Yukiko and Seiji’s different viewpoints in order to present greater insight for viewers into this differing family bond also.
Naturally this brings us onto main male lead Kurosawa Morio. Morio embodied the stereotypical stock trope of the “ delinquent with a heart of gold”.His physical appearance ( and especially his scar) have given him a bad reputation over the years. However despite first appearances, Morio is revealed to be a naturally kindhearted soul. Throughout the series Morio tried his best to accommodate to Yukiko by asking and learning more about her everyday life. Yet whilst Morio is undeniably a male lead with a big heart , there were certainly moments regarding his character arc which could often feel disjointed. Of course it was not necessarily quintessential that we had to know everything about Morio’s background or past. Nevertheless there was still a lot of potential to have delved deeper into his reasons for being perceived as a “ failure” and dropping out of school, greater social stigma surrounding his “ delinquent” appearance ( aside from a few key scenes when it was necessary to the plot) , the reasons behind his current adopted mindset as well as his home environment also.
Of course this brings us onto the main topic of discussion; the romantic relationship between our main leads. Sugino Yosuke and Sugisaki Hana had fairly dynamic onscreen chemistry together adding to a charismatic and friendly interactions onscreen. As characters it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there were many obstacles presented throughout the storyline to “ complicate” matters between Akaza Yukiko and Kurosawa Morio’s potential relationship. Naturally whilst a lot of these opportunities saw opportunities to facilitate heartfelt and angst-ridden scenes in order to explore relationships, feelings and strengthen relationships chemistry, there were some still some predictable tropes which lacked the element of surprise also .
Overall ‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ is a fairly sweet and laidback love story. The acting front is decent enough ( sans from a few awkward scenes and lines) and the main leads have enough chemistry to keep viewers entertained. Admittedly the characters could often feel archetypical at times but the series enjoyed diverging from expectations and allowing characters to grow from their experiences. Perhaps whilst a few areas and topics which could’ve been brushed up more, ‘Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu’ will likely be a fairly heartwarming watch for any romance fan.
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Nanba MG5; A Surprisingly Heartwarming Drama…
Adapted from the eponymous manga and its sequel ‘ Nanba Deadend’ by mangaka Toshio Ozawa, the 10-episode Fuji TV series ( sans the specials) ‘ Nanba Mg5’ is a nostalgic love letter to the bygone eras of delinquent school mangas and action heroes.
Although the series could often possess an overinflated element of cheesiness with its one-liners, the inner-monologues of the Nanba family’s dog ( voiced by Tsuda Kenjiro) and its fight scenes at times, ‘ Nanba Mg5’ was surprisingly heartfelt and sincere at times with its tales camaraderie and family as well as the unlikely discoveries and challenges faced for main lead Nanba Tsuyoshi (Shotaro Mamiya).
For those unfamiliar with the setup of the series, the narrative of ‘ Nanba Mg5’ is mainly focused upon male lead Nanba Tsuyoshi. Nanba is lucky enough to be able to get into a fairly good educational institution with his exam grades , Shirayuri High School. However, there is a catch; Tsuyoshi’s family are loud, proud and brazen delinquents.
Determined for Tsuyoshi to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Takeshi ( Shinnosuke Mitsushima) by defeating and conquering different regions of Tokyo and Japan, Tsuyoshi is forced to hide his attendance at Shirayuri from his parents ( Ukaji Takeshi and Suzuki Sarina), his brother and his younger sister Ginko ( Nanoka Hara) by pretending to attend the delinquent school next door.
In addition to hiding his place at the school from his family, Tsuyoshi is forced to hide his delinquent background from his classmates and peers, especially from his crush Fujita Mayuki ( Morikawa Aoi). However as Tsuyoshi is caught between two worlds, he is soon faced with unlikely friendships and alliances such as with delinquents Daimaru Daisuke ( Morimoto Shintaro) and Godai Naoki ( Kamio Fuju) as well as new obstacles and dilemmas that may just threaten to expose his dual identity.
‘Nanba MG5’ was adapted to the small screen by director Katsuyuki Motohiro. Known for his involvement with the popular anime series ‘ Psycho Pass’, as well as ‘ Bayside Shakedown’ series and ‘ Stranger’, it is fair to say that Motohiro’s style of fast-paced action, angsty moments and heartfelt character growth was fairly well-suited for the adapted screenplay ‘ Nanba MG5’.
Noticeably in comparison to some of his previously mentioned titles, ‘ Nanba MG5’ was heavily interlaced with lighthearted comedy and comic relief. While this certainly helped to balance out some surprisingly violent fight scenes and darker moments of the series by offering moments of easygoing respite, it wasn’t without its problems at times either. The comedy was fairly tongue-in-cheek at times, with one of the show’s running gags being the inner-monologues of the Nanba’s family dog Matsu ( as previously mentioned voiced by Kenjiro), the coarse vernacular used by the delinquents of the show as well as Tsuyoshi’s “ Yankee” past and background occasionally being exposed or misunderstood by those around him.
Although for the most part the comical elements of the show were fairly funny, there were times in the series where comical one-liners and Matsu’s monologues could feel somewhat out of place or enforced after a particularly serious moment or exchange. This is not to say that these elements of the show shouldn’t have exited at all but there were certainly parts of the show which could’ve toned these elements down without making parts of the comic relief in ‘ Nanba MG5’ feel so constrained.
The next big part of the series to talk about is the acting. ‘ Nanba MG5’ was admittedly a slight mixed-bag when it came down to acting performances. Although the main cast really helped to animiate their onscreen personas to life with main actor Shotaro Mamiya and supporting actors Nanoka Hara, Shinnosuke Mitsushima and Morikawa Aoi offering consistent performances alongside others, there were moments in ‘ Nanba MG5’ where the acting could feel somewhat contrived by line deliverances.
Admittedly this is not entirely the fault of the cast. Although ‘ Nanba MG5’ was often purposefully hyperbolic and over-the-top with its written dialogue as well as surprisingly direct during sincere moments, the dialogue could sometimes suffer a little as a result of being a little wooden during key moments.
Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding the plot and the trajectory taken by director Katsuyuki Motohiro. Considering the time limit as well as the amount of source material that the writing team would have to get through in a short space of time, the series’ narrative was unsurprisingly cutthroat.
However aside from from evident updates of technology and expressions to prevent the series from feeling alienated amongst its current era, fans of the manga series will likely acknowledge that the narrative is surprisingly faithful to the original manga. ( Although some fans may be surprised to see that some key characters or moments from later chapters in both mangas were cut out in order to make way for the climax and changed somewhat in the drama.)
In terms of narrative build, ‘ Nanba MG5’ could feel somewhat approached in the style of narrative stages.This isn’t an entirely bad thing per say. It allowed the audience to see Nanba’s journey, his passions towards art, his family and peers grow as well as his later struggles and challenges along the way. On the other hand as a result of the series attempting to stage Nanba’s dilemma in the latter half with his identity, it often felt that a lot of key interactions and elements of character growth were quickly dismissed or not fully fleshed out. ( As seen with Nanba’s relationship with crush Fujita. Although Fujita certainly had some serious moments of character redemption in comparison to some of her past actions, the hinted feelings between both characters was a little rushed by the ending. Similarly, Nanba’s dreams to chase art, Godai’s relationship with his mother, Daisuke’s hinted feelings for his old classmate and Takeshi’s redemption arc which were hinted at during various moments of the series and were covered slightly more in the manga, often felt a little disregarded and underdeveloped by the ending.)
Although it is wrong to entirely pass condemnation on the series’ rushed parts with the potential special episode ‘ Nanba MG5: Zenkai Baribaride Arigato-hen’ helping to smooth out the aftermath of events for Nanba and his associates, it did feel somewhat noticeable at times that these characters and storyline events were sometimes put on the sidelines. ( Especially by the ending of the series.)
The stylistic approach to ‘ Nanba MG5’ was fairly simplistic with close-ups and long-distance shots for the most. Of course, the show occasionally dabbed with minimal bright and dreary palettes in order to express mood and tone but its main highlight undeniably came through it opening and closing credits. In order to encapsulate the crazy and unconventional world of Nanba and his situation, the opening and closing scenes would often burst to life with the main characters being caricatured into cartoon sketches in between footage moments of the series. It was a certainly a fun approach to the series although it did feel as though ‘ Nanba MG5’ could’ve benefited at times from having that bubbly and imaginative approach to filming and editing throughout some of its main episodes also.
The OST of the series is a fairly bright and upbeat mixture of vocals and instrumentals. Although certain tracks certainly remained more memorable than others, the main theme song alongside compositions such as ‘ KENKA JOUTOU-KAKATTEKOIYA’ and ‘ SUSPICION-GIWAKU’ were particularly catchy at times alongside others.
‘ Nanba MG5’ could sometimes struggle somewhat with its rushed writing and line deliverances but there was something surprisingly sincere and wildly fun about the series. Despite risking feeling out of place with its subject area and themes at times, ‘ Nanba MG5’ was surprisingly relatable with its themes of school pressure, identity, family and prejudice, as well as still being able to feel like a nostalgic love letter to the delinquent mangas and shows of the past. Although slightly rough around the edges, ‘ Nanba MG5’ is a fun, heartfelt and an entertaining series which is perfect for those looking for something easygoing and heartfelt to watch. Overall, a fairly fun watch.
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A Decadent Rom-Com…
Reminiscent of the bygone era of early 2000s Shoujo ( aimed traditionally at young girls) and Josei ( typically targeted at an audience demographic of older teens and young women) manga setups as well as being based upon the eponymous manga , ‘Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ ( alternatively known as ‘ つまり好きって言いたいんだけど’, or ‘ I Mean, I Want To Say I Like It’ ) tells the seemingly “ unusual” love story between Saejima Chitose ( Ohara Sakurako) and Fujishiro Sena ( Sakurai Kaito). A former teacher-turned manager at a small entertainment company, Chitose’s new position turns into a hellish experience when she’s assigned to be manager to Fujishiro Sena; a haughty playboy actor who also happens to be her childhood bully.However with a streak of reimbursed and outdated cliches and tropes being inserted into a seemingly decent love story, this does leave Japanese-drama enthusiasts with one burning question ; “ Is ‘Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ ‘s drama-adaptation poorly executed for a modern audience or is it actually worth watching?”
Perhaps one of the greatest things to clear up about ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ is that it isn’t an inherently over-stimulating drama for your brain . Of course this isn’t to drag down the series entirely based upon this setup alone. “ Fluff” dramas can act as an ideal form of escapism for viewers always from the bogged-down details of reality and fill viewers’ with an uplifting aftertaste. However it should be noted that whilst ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ often crossed over into more melodramatic plot moments, the drama often reached a cataclysmic standstill upon actually trying to execute these storyline scenes onscreen- generic cliches and setups propping up plot where character-driven moments should’ve been became more prominent even after the first episode , and characters who were initially introduced with strong plot motivation and drive soon felt shoehorned into scenarios which made little coherent sense in regards to their character archetypes overall.
The epitome of this poorly-executed screenwriting was particularly present within main female lead Saejima Chitose. By default Chitose had arguably all the potentially good traits of a well-written character; headstrong with her values (due to the incident in her past with the main lead ), possessing a heart of gold and presenting idiosyncratic mannerisms and qualities which immediately attract people towards her. Yet rather than seeing opportunities for Chitose to become a definitive presence in the series and power through her own personal struggles , the female lead’s greatest downfall was that she rarely had definitive character drive.( Not least of all her initial causes for her jobs, her experiences in relationships- romantic and platonic- in later life and whether her experiences from her early childhood had a traumatic or knock-on effect with these relationships were never explored.) ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ often seemed to portray Chitose somewhere between the scapegoat for getting into misunderstandings upon “ her behalf” as well as a carte blanche female lead; happily “ forgiving ” her childhood tormentor Fujishiro Sena ( without a coherent reason aside from enforcing their questionable romantic relationship ). However in between staidly keeping her mouth shut or blowing up in order to keep the plot “ tense”, Chitose’s experiences were often downgraded towards merely being a “ Mc Guffin”; a wasted opportunity to explore her ambivalent feelings and sentience in-depth as her character’s persona was reduced to the equivalent of a doormat for other characters to walk upon and maltreat.
Many overt golden opportunities for character growth and relationships were often tossed aside in ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ and none so was this more for the onscreen role and presence of main male lead Fujishiro Sena.
As the childhood “tormentor” of Chitose and now an aspiring actor with an aloof and haughty attitude, Sena was evidently never supposed to be viewed by audiences initially as a “ likeable” main lead. Yet where dramatic irony became prominent was that when it attempted to “ redeem” its “ unlikeable” characters for viewers, ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ generated more indecisive feelings amongst its audience demographic. Fujishiro Sena was always supposed to play the role of Chitose’s foil throughout the series; whilst Chitose is sweet and slightly naive , Fujishiro is slightly jaded and arrogant. Yet when the open opportunity arose to present Fujishiro in more “ heroic” light the series attempted to go down the route of Fujishiro Sena seemingly been “ pitied” and “misunderstood” by others. ( Without truly delving into any true raison d’êtres for Fujishiro wanting to become an actor or hints into how others perceived him through his past relationships - aside from some of his lovers.) Naturally whilst this did present some differing ideologies between our main characters ( which were never explored also), the drama seemed unaware of its initial presentation of Fujishiro Sena often as a manipulative and downgrading bully even in Chitose’s adult-life - instead attempting to write off these moments as merely “ comical” rather than allowing these to remain an open topic of discussion and truly allow Fujishiro Sena to redeem himself not through the lens of ineffective “ pity”, but maturity and reconciliation .
Consequently the onscreen “ romantic” relationship between Chitose and Fujishiro Sena remained openly crushed under the weight of shoehorning both main leads into an enforced setup where neither lead could truly free themselves from the heavy burden of their shared past, as well as maturely and openly talk about their problems. ( Aside from then permitting an ensue of “ romantic cliches”, misunderstandings and “ plot tension” through heated arguments- leading to an leading to an awkwardly uncomfortable romantic onscreen relationship which presented neither comfort and joy for viewers, or well-written chemistry between our leads.
)Additionally there’s also the side characters of the series; generically fading into the background after their initial introduction in most episodes, and only truly remaining present during a moment of “ tension” or “ plot drive” in order to attempt to keep the plot engaging with audiences.
Another issue which had admittedly divided audiences surrounds the chosen-cast; some may love main leads
Sakurako and Sakurai Koto‘s nearly-farcical onscreen roles and perceive this as irony , whilst some may be turned-off by poor dialogue exchanges and over-the-top acting leading to some choppy scenes for viewers to attempt to get through. Then there’s the cinematography and chosen OST of the series . Rather than using interwoven mise en-scènes in order to explore the emotions and world-building of ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’, the drama was staidly placed on a pedal stool of insipid and forgettable songs alongside long-shot and singular camera shots which did little to truly promote viewers’ intrigue.
So what’s left to say about ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ and is it actually worth watching ? ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ was undeniably lighthearted. Whilst it attempted to offer an ultimatum of “ fluff” and melodrama throughout the story, it often found itself struggle to to subvert itself from unoriginal writing tropes and pitfalls and consequently characters often felt misplaced against scenarios and scenes . The ending was enough to bring events to a close but lacking in surprise by the delivered result.Overall ‘ Tsumari Suki tte iitai n Dakedo’ was not an inherently terrible with a sweet premise and concept which is easy enough to binge-watch . However the drama rarely facilitated golden opportunities to escaping its initial status quo reputation by lacklustre writing decisions and directing techniques leaving the drama with forgettable moments and many loose ends.
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The Road To Happiness Isn’t Always Easily..
Coming across the comment section for “ Hello, God” (2006) it strikes me as surprising that this will be the second review, and the first English-language review posted on this section. Nevertheless it’s important to try to give an honest review for any drama ( regardless of its popularity of time of production) , including “ Hello God” (2006) .Before we begin with noting the actual critical appraise and inconsistencies of the drama, perhaps it is important to note that “ Hello, God” (2006) is often swept under the rug by a lot of drama fans in favour for more popular contemporary productions from around this period such as “Stairway To Heaven”(2003) and “Hello, My Teacher “(2005) which notably gathers more prolific actors and mainstream appraise by audiences both in South- Korea and amongst the drama-watcher community .
Yet against all odds, “ Hello, God” (2006) is surprisingly a good example of a forward-thinking and philosophical concept loosely based upon Daniel Keyes’ novel “ Flowers For Algernon” ( later adapted into a Japanese 2015 version also called “ Flowers For Algernon” ) , retrospectively trapped in a specific mid- 2000s time warp of dated camera quality, outfits as well as notable romantic cliches .
With evident localisation in South-Korea by screenwriter Kang Eun Kyung ( “Dr. Romantic”, “Where The Stars Land”), “ Hello God” is fairly similar to Keyes’ novel, centralising upon a kind-hearted young man named Ha Ru ( Yoo Geon) who has an intellectual disability and decides to go through a pseudoscientific surgery in order to become “ smarter”.
Yet for a show which attempted to intrinsically focus upon the philosophical questions of morality, “ Hello, God” was often outweighed by its own cliche focus of the “ love triangle” and romantic pairings, particularly between Ha-Ru and his benign feelings for the the “fraud”, petty criminal and love interest Eun Hye ( Kim Ok Bin) , who in turn harboured feelings for the head surgeon of Ha-Ru’s operation Park Dong Jae ( Lee Jong Hyuk).
Although, there was nothing intrinsically wrong with having a romantic love interest for our main lead ( in order to add something extra to the storyline as well), Eun Kyung seemed to overly outweigh the romantic and melodrama cliches, rather than balance this in the show with the more intrinsic philosophical questions which arose throughout Ha-Ru’s journey as an individual.
Arguably “ Hello,God” did have some surprisingly progressive characterisation amongst our main characters - Ha-Ru often acts out emotionally upon his feelings, whilst Eun Hye gradually begins to progress from a self-centred love interest to an altruistic heroine over the course of the series. The acting in the show could be a mixed bag amongst the cliche setups of our main characters,however, Kim Ok Bin, Yoo Geon and Lee Jong Hyuk did help to add charisma and charm to their roles for viewers .
On the other hand , this does not disregard the fact that for a drama with an intriguing and fairly original premise from its source material, the storyline was too heavily reliant upon nonsensical cliches . Nevertheless, whilst there are still some bones to pick with the overall plot inconsistencies brought forth in the ending ( not least the lack of explanation towards the pseudoscience of the series), the delivered finale was surprisingly bittersweet; an appropriate ending , considering the overall storyline of the series.
So, what’s left to really say about “ Hello, God”? Is it a drama which should continue to be buried away by drama watchers , or is it actually worth watching?
Whilst undeniably dated retrospectively with wardrobe attires, format and a mediocre OST, “ Hello, God” has some surprisingly progressive factors for a mid 2000s Korean-drama with a thought-provoking premise, characters who are written as individuals and a fairly well-rounded female lead who doesn’t comply to the typical stock “ generic girl -next- door” heroine popular in contemporary dramas of the time . On the other hand, “ Hello, God” is heavily outweighed by romantic cliches, rather than ethical, moral and philosophical questions (which were naturally hanging over the concepts of the show), as well as the ridiculous pseudoscientific elements (which weren’t explained by the medical professional Dong-Jae at all in the drama). “ Hello,God” is not a terrible show if you’re bored and want something to quickly binge-watch, however, it certainly was not as thought-provoking as it should have been either.
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