Your Lighthearted Manga-Adapted Setup…
As a premise ‘ Komi-San Can’t Communicate’ ( alternatively known as Komi-San Wa, Komuyoshu Desu’ or ‘ 古見さんは、コミュ症です。’ ) is a fairly heartwarming setup. Based upon the manga of the same name, having spawned an anime also and adapted to the small screen by screenwriter Mizuhashi Fumie, ‘ Komi-San Can’t Communicate’ tells the tale of a high school student who aims to be “ average” , Tadono Hitohito ( played in the drama by Masuda Takahisa), who ends up unusually befriending popular girl Komi Shouko ( Ikeda Elaiza). Despite appearances, Komi struggles with verbal communication and therefore due to having select mutism, has to write down everything she wants to say on a notepad. She enlists the help of Tadono to help her make her goal of having 100 friends ( due to having none) a reality.
However with a sweet and heartwarming premise and more than 23 volumes of manga to execute into a space of eight episodes, it was evident that Mizuhashi would be very restricted towards which storyline elements to follow and cut out. On the other hand even with its short duration length, ‘ Komi-San Can’t Communicate’ often felt as though it missed out on more nuanced opportunities to explore characters, relationships and also plot without having to lean heavily upon certain tropes and comedy in between.
As far as the acting is concerned ‘ Komi-San Can’t Communicate’ is admittedly a mixed-bag. Of course this isn’t to downgrade the actors themselves as individuals, but their performances and line deliverances could admittedly come across as slightly over-the-top and exaggerated rather than feeling comically-timed or dynamic. ( Naturally this is also down to the problem of the script’s dialogue also.)
The characters are specifically there to serve a purpose throughout the show and this does come off with differing results. As the main lead Tadono Hitohito is arguably a slight anomaly; whilst the drama ( similar to previous counterparts) uses his surname for comical motives ( I.e. Hitohito being taken from the Japanese expression;” tada no hito (ただの人)”, meaning “just some guy”) , he is undeniably an intriguing character ( against his own motives). Tadono embodied a trait which is often overlooked in male leads and that is empathy. The male lead can
read people like a book giving him a sweeter note and pick up on Komi- San’s feelings easily.. However instead of presenting the “ inner Tadono” for comical scenes to voice his inner-thoughts and feelings, Tadono lacked a lot more character drive than his previous counterparts. Whilst it was played off for a comical reason it felt odd that the drama didn’t touch upon the reasons behind his choice to become “ normal” as well as his family. Even touching upon these motives and characters briefly would’ve given Hitohito a sense of being more than just a plot device to keep the storyline moving alongside his “ potential chemistry” with Komi.
The romantic factor between both characters is admittedly more “ hinted at” throughout the show than prominent.
Then of course there’s Komi Shouko. Shouko is a really sweet female lead and stands out against the typical two tropes of being “ aloof and cold” as well as “ loud and vivacious” by her introverted nature and social embarrassment. Her ability to make unlikely friendships with Hitohito alongside kindhearted and lonely gyaru Manbagi Rumiko( Yoshikawa Ai) did seem to prove that her intentions were good. However similar to Tadono, Komi often struggled with having more subtle character background. For example there’s the issue with Shouko being perceived as “popular”. Whilst it may have come across as Shouko being “ unapproachable” and “ pretty”, this also raises questions as to how Shouko did not isolate herself socially, or became a victim of bullying by standing out. Naturally whilst it is based upon a manga and more exaggerated tropes are executed into reality, it felt odd we weren’t given opportunities to explore more about how she’s perceived as being popular, Shouko’s reasons for not talking as well as any possible links to her childhood or family interactions to provide clues.
The comedy in the show is admittedly over-the-top. Whilst this isn’t entirely bad per say and the drama does odd a surprisingly lighthearted and sweet moment between Hitohito and Katai Makoto ( Mizobata Junpei- who is cut out of the show after his initial use) ‘s friendship, as well as the attempted “ cool” persona put on by his replacement Naruse Shisuto ( Shirota Yu), it’s easy to understand how this may not appeal to everyone, as more subtle and intertwined comedy is often less common to find throughout the drama.
The ending admittedly has its flaws and strengths also; whilst it did add a sweeter note and help to clarify something important for Komi, it left off with more questions than answers. Of course cliffhangers aren’t necessarily bad per say in dramas, but the abruptness of this ending without wrapping up our other side characters felt a little odd and lacking within character direction.
So is ‘ Komi-Sam Can’t Communicate’ actually worth watching or should you just skip it? The acting front admittedly isn’t the strongest and whilst respectfully members of the cast have had better performances, it doesn’t necessarily take away from the fact that the drama is sweet and lighthearted. The basic trope executed of “ high school friendship tale” isn’t necessarily original, however, characters do surprisingly grow on you throughout the show. Admittedly a lot of these characters alongside the comedy and due to air time often felt a little bland with those expecting a dynamic love story between Komi and Tadono possibly being disappointed. On the other hand for those just wanting a drama in order to cheer-up or looking for something to quickly binge-watch, then ‘ Komi-San Can’t Communicate’ is worth watching.
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A Fleeting Tale Of Young Love Underneath The Cherry Blossoms…
There’s a particular Japanese idiom which comes to mind when talking about the concept of ‘ Yoshihiro Fukagawa’s ‘Love like the Falling Petals’ and that is simply “ Mono No Aware” (“物の哀れ”)- “ The pathos of things, the sensitivity of things which are transient”. At the root core of this idiomatic expression comes to mind with the imagery of fleeting beauty, and none so more than the blossoming and ephemeral period of the Sakura ( cherry blossom) during spring in Japan. Indeed, the symbolic imagery of the Sakura blossom in ‘Love like the Falling Petals ‘ is supposed to represent the beating heart of the narrative. Melancholic and bittersweet in parts, ‘ Love Like the Falling Petals’ is a film which while helping to capture the unpredictable transience of the seasons and young love, could often feel just as fleeting as the cherry blossom.
The film is based upon Uyama Keisuke’s novel "My Lover, Like Cherry Blossoms" (“桜のような僕の恋人”). Adapted to the silver screen by screenwriters Tomoko Yoshida (‘The Liar and His Lover’, ‘Blue Spring Ride’ and ‘Gakkou no Kaidan’) and Uyama Keisuke (‘Switch Girl!!’, ‘Nobunaga Concerto’ and ‘Tonight, At Romance Theater’), the narrative predominantly focuses upon main male lead Haruto Asakura ( Nakajima Kento- ‘Koishite Akuma’, ‘Bad Boys J’ and ‘Nisekoi’). An aspiring photographer with low self-esteem, Haruto falls head over heels in love during a fateful encounter with bubbly hair stylist Ariake Misaki(Honoka Matsumoto- ‘Mio On the Shore’, ‘My Name Is Yours’ and ‘Byoshitsu de Nembutsu o Tonaenaide Kudasai’).
However just as Haruto starts to gain confidence in order to pursue his lifelong ambitions in order to become a photographer, Misaki begins to develop a rare disease that causes her to age rapidly before the falling of next spring’s cherry blossom.
As mentioned previously, ‘Love like the Falling Petals’ attempted to offer its audience with a somewhat sombre reflection of the futility of contingency as well as young love. The initial tone set for the movie is established as somewhat bubbly and sprightly rom-com . ( As established with Haruto and Misaki’s unconventional ‘’meet cute’’ after Misaki accidentally cuts Haruto’s ear with a pair of scissors.)
However as the plot begins to be set in motion with Misaki’s evident dilemma, ‘Love like the Falling Petals’ turns into a sentimental sob story, occasionally dipping into a melodramatic tone also. In addition to our main leads there is also a subplot revolving around Misaki’s brother, Ariake Takashi (Nagayama Kento- ‘Puzzle’, ‘Crows Explode’ and ‘Toge: The Last Samurai’) and his fiancée Yoshino Ayano ( Sakurai Yuki-‘ Love Craft Girl’, ‘A Crimson Star’ and ‘The Night Beyond The Tricornered Window’) attempting to take on the financial burden of Misaki’s circumstances.
Nevertheless despite the attempts for the series to lament over the sorrows of time and existence, the narrative for ‘Love like the Falling Petals’ could often feel discombobulated with its messaging. Of course, while the movie did possess an intrinsic message and an arguable social critique surrounding the financial and emotional burdens of the elderly in Japanese society, these messages could often feel as though they were only approached on a surface-level. This was mainly due to the fact that ‘Love like the Falling Petals’ would often only brief skim over details in a bombastic manner (such as the limited screen time given to the subplot revolving around Misaki’s brother), rarely delving deeper in order to avoid offence.
Kento Nakajima starred as main lead Haruto by adding a reserved yet somewhat blatant charm to his onscreen persona. Co-starring alongside Nakajima was Honoka Matsumoto as Ariake Misaki. Despite Matsumoto’s brilliance as an actress, her performance as Misaki could feel somewhat overblown at times with overexaggerated line deliverances and reactions. Nevertheless, Matsumoto did help to add a tethered charm to Misaki in later scenes of the movie as she falls deeper into a cycle of senescence.
Nakajima and Matsumoto’s onscreen chemistry is decent enough. Matsumoto and Nakajima’s onscreen interactions could feel somewhat childish and stilted at times in the opening of the movie. However by the second-half of ‘Love Like the Falling Petals’, the main leads’ onscreen chemistry turns angst-ridden and woeful, adding a bittersweet as well as an overemotional tone by the ending of the film.
The trajectory of ‘Love Like the Falling Petals’ can arguably be divided into two parts. In the first-half of the film, the narrative takes a lively and pacy approach to Haruto and Misaki’s coup de foudre, while the second-half downplayed events in order to focus on a more serious matter of Haruto and Misaki’s attempting to overcome complicated relationship and problems.
Admittedly this did provide to be a double-edged sword for ‘Love Like the Falling Petals’; the first-half allowing opportunities for viewers to understand the liveliness of Haruto and Misaki’s early courtship, while helping to present the climatic problems of the final part. On the other hand rather than allowing opportunities to delve further into the emotional edge of the characters or their personal backgrounds, Misaki and Haruto’s depth as characters could feel somewhat limited. For example this was particularly shown through the problem of Haruto. His precise reasons for becoming a photographer were limited and unexplored, while the emotional toil for Misaki and her illness were often enforced rather than explored subtly.
In addition to the pacing of the film, it is important to acknowledge the talents of the directing under the leadership of Yoshihiro Fukagawa. Slick and glossy, Fukagawa’s filming encapsulated an onslaught of aesthetic symbols and scenery. In particular, Fukugawa placed heavy emphasis upon the changing of the seasons from the falling cherry blossoms of spring, to the first snowfall of winter in order to mark the literal and metaphorical cycle of the narrative. On the other hand despite some mesmeric moments of the film, the CGI displayed in the opening as well as long-distance shots at times could feel somewhat sloppy at times.
‘ Love Like the Falling Petals’ is a bittersweet love story about transience and young love. Nevertheless despite the movie’s impressive shots and cast line-up, the narrative could often become just as fleeting as the cherry blossom with limited writing cliches, pacing and execution.
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Is There Enough “ Bewitching” Charisma In ‘ The Witch’s Diner’ To Keep You Watching ?
Wish-granting storylines aren’t anything new to fiction, and certainly not to K-dramas. However, screenwriter Lee Young Sook’s adaptation of the eponymous novel (by writer Go Sang Hee )attempts to whisk away the audience to the magical diner of wish-granting witch Jo Hee -Ra ( Song Ji -Hyo) and her human business co-owner Jeong Jin ( Nam Ji -Hyun), as they deliver a dish of revenge best served cold…
There’s a lot to say and critique about ‘ The Witch’s Diner’. Appraisingly actress Song Ji Hyo was really good here. Starting off on a note which was hard to take seriously with her patchy red hair-dye job, Ji-Hyo undeniably has a charisma which allows you to easily become attached to her as the drama unfolds. This performance was equally rivalled by Chae Jong Hyeop’s sweet ambience onscreen as side character and teen high-schooler Gil-yong. Whilst the drama seemed to sometimes struggle with “ sticking out” in comparison to fantasy predecessors, it did have some surprisingly profundity scenarios in weekly episodes ( as well as tasty-looking food)- Gil Young painfully finds himself unable to help a classmate who is being mercilessly bullied , a customer at the diner makes a shocking sacrifice in order to escape his status of being a “ cowardly loser”, a young woman suffers heartbreak and throws away her own talent in order to be with him again
On a more critical note ‘ The Witch’s Diner’ doesn’t quite have the same charm in order to make it as memorable from previous fantasy drama predecessors due to the poor build-up of screenwriting at times. Ji Hyo’s onscreen persona Hee-Ra is a case and point of this problem; a character who the screenwriters want to keep you in the dark about for as long as possible, but rarely arising strong emotions for viewers with her recondite past, as there was little dramatic buildup or unseen twists which haven’t been “seen and done before” here.
Costar Nam Ji Hyun wasn’t bad per say here as Jeong Jin, but her performance didn’t quite resonate as much as it should’ve done either. Admittedly this isn’t entirely the actress’ fault. It was evident to see the goal here with her character ; a relatable and normal female lead with a mysterious past, but the ideology behind this type of FL is usually built upon emotional investment and sentimentality . Jin instead was nearly always unfazed and apathetic. Whilst it didn’t seem to be intentional, Ji Hyun’s facial expressions just seemed to radiated stoic expressions half the time , as though seeing a magical wish come to life is just another daily occurrence in the life of a mundane heroine.
If this matter couldn’t be worse, there was also Jin’s complicated co-partnership with Hee-Ra. It should’ve been interesting, but the gradual development was just poorly-tackled. Hee-Ra initially acts upon Jin’s wish for revenge in a more lethal form. Jin was seemingly disgusted to the core by the actions of the witch only to happily sign a a better business deal with Hee-Ra( who Jin now considers to effectively be a contract killer). It is understandable how the drama wanted to build this relationship up from “ resentment to solidarity” but the quick excuse that Jin was seemingly “ too emotionally inflicted by her own troubles ” only to happily going along with someone she deemed as merciless felt an odd and unsatisfactory leap in development.
Then there’s the “ potentially romantic “setup between Jin and Gil-Young onscreen. Whilst respectfully in real-life we shouldn’t forget these actors are nearly the same age and do have really good onscreen chemistry , the age gap between their onscreen personas was fairly significant . The result being that Gil-yong's obvious crush on Jin feels like it should be a more plausible romance than it really should. This might or might not relate to his “ secretive” wish, but then most of the problems of this drama seemed to manifest by tense build-ups, and then unsatisfactory results.
“ The Witch’s Diner” is a fairly mediocre fantasy drama-not bad with solid performances by most of the cast and intriguing subplots, but just lacking the grandeur and originality of its fantasy predecessors. The series could’ve easily done with more division even in this short space of time to build upon the characters ( who often felt one-dimensional), or at least have commissioned more episodes in order to divide time between storyline and character development more interchangeably.
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A Sugary Sweet Romance Story...
Love is Sweet accounts the tale of emotionally sensitive and hardworking investor Jiang Jun ( Bai Lu) , who after landing a place at MH firm, runs into her old childhood friend Yuan Shuai ( Luo Yunxi) , now one of her conniving bosses determined to make her life a living hell. As Jiang Jun tries to guide her new career between work and making allies with the sudden arrival of a new friend from a rival company Du Lei ( Gao Hanyu) , Yuan Shuai’s secret feelings from his youth are rekindled again for Jiang Jun, as Jiang Jun finds herself more and more bamboozled by Shuai’s actions.As you may have guessed, Love Is Sweet is filled with all the cliches and certainly isn’t what I’d typically define as “ original” or “ unique” in regards to a new concept for a Chinese drama. From high school crushes, boss and worker / cohabitation romances , excessive product placement ( looking at you Burberry ) and the “ older woman and younger man” tropes, it certainly does beg the question what on Earth is the point of watching a drama which has been seen and done before a million times.
Going into Love is Sweet with zero expectations ( and certainly seeing this concept done incessantly in Chinese Dramas before ), one of the things which immediately clarified the answer to this question for me, was its ability to hook you as a watcher from episode 1 ( despite the tropes) , something which must exceedingly be praised as a consequence of relationships between characters and of course the cast‘s acting abilities . None is this more shown than Bai Lu’s portrayal as Jiang Jun. Whilst I will be honest that Bai Lu didn’t entirely tread new ground within her new portrayal as the “ workaholic, independent woman” trope, yet, she did perfectly capture the essence of a successful, yet hardworking and emotionally- driven businesswoman (something which I wish some Chinese dramas would portray more in romance dramas rather than the “ airhead “archetype ). In addition to this, there is no denying that Bai Lu’s chemistry and the scriptwriting for her character was approached in a refreshingly modern manner to her romance with , Luo Yunxi’s character, Yuan Shuai.
Again, the relationship between Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jun has been seen and done before a million times in Asian Dramas, but, the one thing which did impress me in a more realistic manner ( and no, we are not talking about Shuai’s aftermath of excessive product placement in buying her gifts ) to their relationship rather than the “ tight embrace; do or die ” approach of most asian dramas, was that refreshing respect and obstacles within their relationship as two working individuals. This was shown particularly throughout the drama by ; the distances sometimes their jobs presented within travel, the occasional arguments and the respectful distance that the characters would take as well as respect of privacy ( well, in most cases),and of course ,Yuan Shuai’s refreshing speech near the end of the show, where he tells Jun that he will respect her choices, just as he hopes that she will respect his. Undeniably, this is something which was brilliantly portrayed by Bai Lu’s costar, Luo Yunxi, who took upon the role as the smart yet love crazy businessman brilliantly, and a portrayal which I hope that Asian Dramas seek to explore more often.
Like with all dramas, however, there is the dreaded cliches of love triangles without respect to the characters’ contrasting personalities in a forced manner, particularly through Du Lei ‘s sudden transition to feelings for Jiang Jun and of course, Jiang Jun’s supervisor Qiao Na ( Zhao Yuan Yuan)’s “ feelings since she knew him” cliche for Shuai. Whilst thankfully the show didn’t dive into the oldest trope in the book by putting Qiao Na and Du Lei together, there was still a lot of inconsistently with the love interests here for the leads; not least destroying the friendship between Du Lei and Jiang Jun ( with little redemption either ) and writing off Qiao Na’s feelings in order to make way for the relationship with Jiang Jun and Shuai by pairing her with a younger lead by the end of a drama. Whilst there was certainly nothing entirely wrong with deciding new love interests both characters, the way this was done demeaned a lot of unnecessary time in the show apart the obvious “ spanner in the works of love” trope, which took away a lot from both these characters as individuals.
On a more positive note, I was mildly surprised by the emotional depth behind the build-up of the relationship between Jiang Jun’s best friend Xu Li ( Shane Xiao) and Shuai’s younger cousin and technology genius Li Xiao
Chuan ( Riley Wang). Playing upon the overrused cliche of the “ older, slightly ditzy” woman and the “ younger, attractive and cool- headed” boy, it was inevitable both leads would end up with one another through the “ opposites, attract” scenario, yet, what did surprise me was that rather than the female lead entirely chasing after the Male lead, the show reversed the old trope by providing the Male lead being in the female lead’s shoes later in the show; as shown with his jealousy when Xu Li is “ being hit on ” by another guy. Whilst there are a couple of criticisms I do have within the portrayal of Xiao Chuan’s controlling nature over Xu Li at times during later scenes , it was a surprising reverse on the trope to see a level of depth to this cliche.
Overall, it’s fair to say that Love Is Sweet doesn’t tread on new ground with overrused tropes, product placement and inconsistencies for a romance drama. Despite this , it was a surprisingly enjoyable show within watching our two leads and our side couples slowly developing over the course of the drama without toxicity and often realistic mutual respect in their relationships , something which I’d hope more Asian Dramas will be able to portray in the future.
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Easily One Of The Best K-dramas of 2021…
Supernatural K-dramas have been done countless times before in K-dramas, so, just what makes " Sell Your Haunted House" stand out? Well, it’s important to be honest by saying that like most dramas out there, it does have its ups and downs. However, “ Sell Your Haunted House” has a beguiling charm due to its cast, storyline and themes.
As a character, Ji Ah could have easily become irksome for viewers as the archetypical ” angst-ridden orphan female lead adorned in black”, but, actress Jang Na Ra undeniably brought a dynamic ambience around her role as our mysterious psychic. (Which is hard to imagine any other actress being able to imitate.)
This is shown case and point during one of the most emotional scenes of the series when, the emotionally conflicted Ji Ah, comes face to face with her mother Hong Mi Jin (Baek Eun Hye). The battle of tears behind Jang Na Ra’s eyes became one of the most beautifully emotional and poignant moments of acting throughout the entirety of the drama.
Although , it’s important not to turn a blind eye towards some of the show’s downfalls either;not least with Jung Young Hwa’s performance as In Beom. This is not to spark hatred towards the actor as he is undeniably really good. ( As shown in previous roles such as “ The Three Musketeers”.)However , Jung Young Hwa’s performance honestly lacked zest at the best of times- sadly not helping to truly authenticate his character via performance alone .
Every cloud has a silver lining and this certainly became prominent by the character development of Young Hwa’s onscreen persona In Beom. Whilst In Beom’s introduction did seem to establish initial warning bells that he could go down the road as the tiresome " comic relief" , however, the male lead was offered the chance to escape this trope by using screentime to explore his conflicted emotions ( especially over his " gift") and his ambivalent morality surrounding later events of the series . This did not seal In Beom as being ”heinous" or "bad"; he is a kind-hearted person, just refreshingly not a "flawless hero" or the " perfect love interest" either.
On this front, it is important to admit that tastes may vary upon the " romance" between our leads; for the most part, it is incredibly platonic. Without spoilers, the link between our leads is similar to being " soulmates", rather than having a passionately romantic undertone . Admittedly whilst this did serve a refreshing break from the cliche-ridden romanticised relationships of dramas, tastes will evidently vary for viewers. ( Therefore if you’re expecting a particularly passionate romance in this supernatural drama , then " Sell Your Haunted House" isn’t for you.)
Even our side characters grew in different ways. Joo Hwa Jung ( Kang Mal Geum) seems to start off the series as Ji Ah’s pompous and self-righteous assistant, however, the series helped to explore her complicated backstory and bond with Ji Ah . Heo Ji Cheol ( Kang Hong Suk)- the self-proposed “ Chief”- and one of In Beom’s closest friends Kim Tae Jin ( Heo Dong Won), seemed to be established as the " comic dead weights" in the series, however, they did provide themselves to be more than cliches with their actions during moments of tension . However, it was equally entertaining to spend time with our cynical detective Kang Han Suk ( Kim Sung Bum) gradually developing credulity and respect for our psychic Ji Ah’s help during crimes. To top it all off, Kim Mi Kyung’s guest appearance in episode 13 ( as the Blue Salt Owner/exorcism supply craftswoman) was short, but, her added charm and sassy tone during line deliverances helped to establish an unusually respectful relationship between Ji Ah and the craftswoman.
Yet whilst "Sell Your Haunted House" had some formidable tour de force moments and characterisation , it did seem to struggle with establishing a more profound antagonist. Now, arguably ( without spoilers), there are two major antagonists here, however, the one which should be mentioned is certainly Do Hak Sung ( Ahn Kil Kang). Let’s be honest. Yes, he did serve his purpose as the " driving force" of events in the series. But , for our trio of screenwriters ( Ha Soo Jin, Jung Yeon Seo and Lee Young Hwa) to have otherwise created profoundly-developed characters , Hak Sung was the ultimate anomaly by fitting the trope as the "moustache twirling villain" of the series.
On the other hand, the one thing which ‘ Sell Your Haunted House’ truly authenticated was tackling difficult subjects as a social criticism of the South-Korean housing system through the differing backstories of the dead.From a vengeful spirit yearning for unearned incomes, property evictees and more , " Sell Your Haunted House" builds onto a fresh premise with a mixture of horror, supernatural and thriller genres.
The ending was fairly appropriate for the genre. It’s easy for some viewers to feel a little underwhelmed by the anticlimactic battle, however, the series did use time in between to wrap off storylines and permit an appropriate farewell to our main characters.
So, is it worth watching? In between a spine-tingling OST and a generic villain," Sell Your Haunted House" offers an oddly dynamic take on the supernatural genre. It isn’t without its faults or flaws, but, its intriguing characters and a fairly stellar cast easily establish it as one of the few good dramas to have come out of 2021, so far...
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Did Love Alarm Season 2 Ring Another “ Alarm” Bell For Bad Story-writing?
With a nearly two year gap between season 1 and 2, an additional director Kim Jin Woo onboard, anticipation from drama fans about the fate of Jo Jo ( Kim So Hyun)’s love life, and high expectations about the overall production value , it may surprise a lot of reviewers scrolling through some of the top reviews, how many fans have scored the drama with adequate ratings. Some of these comments tend to argue along the same ineffable and biased notions that it was a “ bad ending” and “ not as good as season 1”, however, how does the story actually play out through an objective criticism in terms of characterisation, coherency and storyline in season 2?
“ Love Alarm Season 2” picks itself up during the initial time-skip of season 1, with previously “ high school” characters now ensuing careers or studies; Jo Jo is a university major, her current “ complicated ” boyfriend Lee Hye Young ( Jung Ga Ram) works as a technician at JoAlarm ( the development company for “ Love Alarm”) and former flame Hwang Sun Oh ( Song Kang) is becoming a famous national model and endorser for the app, however, Jo Jo has been hiding a secret about her app that allowed her to cut off the signal in order to inhibit her true feelings from Hye Young and Sun Oh . With the desire to reveal her feelings again, Jo Jo decides to pursue the mysterious Brian Cheon in order to unlock this feature.
Before addressing anything about the show, it is probably most prominent to point out the confusing chronology at times within the opening of season 2, by not initially “ leaving” off from the cliffhanger of season 1. Although it is understandable that a wide gap between seasons could have left viewers a little cloudy upon events and thus starting on a different storyline wasn’t “ too illogical”, it was a little head-scratching that screenwriters Lee Ah Yeon and Lee Na Jung didn’t attempt to even address or explain this suddenly “ different” storyline from season 1’s ending. This naturally left a massive hole within story development, not least for our main trio and their previously poorly-tackled characterisation from the past season.
Kim So Hyun wasn’t entirely “ unwatchable ” within her role as Jo Jo, but her performance did feel a little lacklustre due to general line deliverances. In terms of Jo Jo’s character development, there were a couple of more notable traits for Jo Jo than her season 1 counterpart , by actually acting out upon her emotions rather than remaining “ obliviously unaware” as well as a fairly traumatic backstory. On the other hand, Jo Jo still failed from breaking her initial mould as the “ prosaic heroine” of the series due to the same ridiculously staid personality traits imposed onto the character by screenwriters Lee Ah Yeon and Lee Na Jung.
The most evident example of this being Jo Jo’s “ complicated” feelings between Hye-Yeong and Sun Oh, which whilst evidently used to “ heighten” the tension of Jo Jo’s love life, still seemed fairly cruel by Jo Jo’s similar indecisiveness as the first season at times, by not forthright addressing her affections rather than leading on both male leads in such an immature manner . ( This is advocated by a later plot development which proves Jo Jo’s true nature.)
It is important to address this factor of immaturity, due to the evident age difference from different seasons often allowing a character to develop and mature as a consequence of their experiences. Instead, Jo Jo seemed to make the same mistakes as her past self by making ridiculously stupid decisions questioning how on earth she lived so long, let alone pass her exams to get into university. This is exemplified in an early scene of the series when she is working at the convenience store and hears a love alarm go off and her stalker’s uncomfortable actions towards her, Jo Jo’s first thought is to walk home by herself, talk to her stalker and then proceed to run away without thinking to call the police or at least her friend Mon Soon ( Bae Da Bin) in order to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen again. Whilst this scene was used to “ drive tension”, it did seem to gloss over the uglier possibility of what could have happened to Jo Jo as a consequence of her stupidity in reality as well as the more “ romanticised” tones of emotional and physical abuse appearing in the series.
This naturally draws us onto the biggest elephant in the room since season 1, the “continuously brooding” ( and “ preferred” love interest by many devoted fans of the series ) Sun Oh. Similar to his costar, Song Kang is a fairly good actor, however, his performance consisted mainly between stoic, constipated expressions and furious yelling for a major proportion of the series.
Arguably there were some better insights than season 1 into Sun Oh’s fairly estranged relationship with his mother Jung Mi Mi ( Song Sun Mi) and his unhappy family life, however, rather than screenwriters allowing this to gradually mature or allow Sun Oh to develop from his inferiority complex in season one, his personality is still written off as fractious, immature and egotistical within his portrayal in season 2 by often storming off, breaking things and hurting others in the procedure. In particular, this is seen through how Sun Oh interacts emotionlessly his “ girlfriend” Yook Jo ( Kim Shi Eun) and often manipulating her overt feelings towards him, as well as his interactions with Jo Jo.
With his unrequited love towards Jo Jo since high school becomes the main highlight of their “ possible pairing” for many fans and whilst it is understandable why Sun Oh felt anger or upset towards Jo Jo not replicating her feelings, it does not excuse some of his terrible actions towards our female lead. Sun Oh’s actions of publicly embarrassing Jo Jo in front or her classmates , kissing her without permission whilst she is respectfully dating Hye-Hyeong and then throwing another temper tantrum by flaring up in Hye Hyeong’s face without accepting or apologising for his mistakes , made him an incredibly difficult individual to truly romantically pair with Jo Jo by his lack of respect towards her feelings ( and his former best friend Hye Young).
This naturally draws us to the lovelorn Lee Hye Young, who viewers are made aware early on in the series that he is aware of Jo Jo’s ambiguous feelings towards him in their relationship , yet nevertheless does not force or implicate Jo Jo to give him an answer. Whilst Hye Young remained the most respectful towards Jo Jo as an individual and as a love interest, his obsequious beliefs that “ one day she will love me too” seemed a little questionable towards Hye-Young’s fairly hot pursuit of his own feelings towards Jo Jo in in season 1. Consequently, the introduced relationship between the two characters felt more “ obliged” in order to keep the “ storyline moving ”, than intricately complicated as it should have been with Jo Jo’s feelings. In addition to this, there still remained many unanswered questions towards how Hye-Young landed a job at the company as well as more realistic insight into his qualifications at work whilst presumably not in full-education.
Perhaps the one actual interesting element of the second season remained within the mysterious appearance of Brian Cheon ( Ki Do Hoon) who makes the characters ( most notably Jo Jo) wonder if he is actually their “ dead” classmate and seemingly former developer Duk Gu. Whilst this is an overarching storyline in parts of the episode, the ending result felt incredibly letdown and lacklustre by lacking development or screen time as well as wider development for second female lead Park Gul Mi( Go Min Si), rather than in favour of the heroine’s questionable romantic pairings.
As a consequence, the pacing of the show felt oddly imbalanced between moments of genuine interesting development, and dragging scenes of puppy dog eyes by Hye Young and Sun Oh towards Jo Jo from a distance creating many notable plot inconsistencies . The ending of the series was more a matter of opinion that particularly “ bad” or “ good”. Diehard fans who haven’t really acknowledged the direction of the plot, may feel disappointment, yet whilst still undeniably half-baked in comparison to the initial premise introduced in the show back in season 1, it was not an entirely “dire ending” for the show as well .
Ultimately, “ Love Alarm Season 2” did initiate more mature themes and backstories behind our characters, however, lacking character development, inconsistencies, a coherent and riveting plot line in a fictionalised reality and rushed development in parts, made the second season feel more like a surreal dream phase, than a coherent and complete finale for “ Love Alarm”.
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Watching This Drama Truly Is Like Rolling A Stone Down A Hill, Then Being Crushed By It...
Upon paper, screenwriters Jeon Chan Ho ( Fates and Furies) and Lee Jae In ( Fates and Furies) ‘s “Sisyphus The Myth “ is a masterpiece work filled with intriguing ideologies of time, science-fiction and an array of intriguing characters and concepts .However, the series often fell short of logic and characterisation over the course of the
storyline.
Before addressing the issues surrounding the show, it is important to establish that the main cast consisting principally of Cho Seung Woo , Kim Byung Chul, Tae In Ho ( playing Tae Sook’s mysterious friend and co-founder of their group, Eddy Kim) , Chae Jong Hyeop ( performing as the restaurant delivery man Choi Jae Sun who befriends Seo-hae) , Jung Hye Jin ( Kim Seo Jin), Kim Jong Tae ( Seo Hae’s father; Kang Dong Gi ) and Park Shin Hye were fairly good within their performances . On the other hand, questionable dialogue exchanges and the characterisation often demeaned the quality of screenwriting.
The premise itself is fairly straightforward; Han Tae-sool (Cho Seung-woo), a brilliant engineer, will invent a time-travel machine in the near future, however, something terrible happened afterwards which caused terrible events to occur .
For time travellers seeking sanction from this dystopian future, they travel back en mass to the era before Tae-Sool invented this revolutionary machine as a “ safe place” .One of those immigrants is Kang Seo-hae (Park Shin-hye), a mysterious girl who seems to have an undeniable link to Tae-Sool, however, Seo-Hae faces her own conflicts in the meantime between being chased after the mysterious “ men in black” of the drama, the DEA -who capture and contain time travellers under the guise working for the government’s “ Immigration Control Unit”. Meanwhile, Tae-Sool becomes interested in the fate of his seemingly deceased brother which leads him down a rabbit hole of danger and mystery as well as leading him to meeting Seo-Hae. As Seo-Hae and Tae-Sool’s lives become more interconnected, the two soon begin to realise their feelings for one another, as they fight against a seemingly inevitable future.
Wherever the show’s dilemmas manifested themselves, the main source of the problem manifested with one thing prominently ; the writing. It is fair to say that “ Sisyphus; The Myth” attempts to have it both ways; an engaging time-travel story with fast-paced action, and a complicated love story between its main protagonists.
Characters were often enforced into scenarios which made little sense within their individual circumstances . For example, illegal future immigrant broker Park Hyeong-do (Sung Dong-il) gets an -out -of character backstory as well as a shocking revelation in the final episode, that was simply illogical. Even our main protagonists Tae-sool and Seo-Hae were often shoehorned into scenarios which made little sense , reducing them to become nothing more than plot mechanisms against their more intriguing individual personalities and intriguing backstories ( which felt fairly underdeveloped).
Whilst the show attempted to rig emotions between the two main protagonists in their sudden epiphany around the halfway point that “ we like one another against all odds of our circumstances”, the cataclysmic writing underpinning their relationship made theirs arguably one of the least convincing and forgettable romantic pairings of recent years .In addition to this, there’s also the other issue regarding the actual laws of time-travel. Sisyphus; The Myth” is independent from its predecessors time-travel takes in Korean film and TV by focusing upon the actual concept of time travel, rather than choosing the wrinkle-in-time concept, in which characters from two different timelines coexist, come up time and again.
However, time-travel stories can soon become a Gordian knot ( pun intended) of tangled logic and interest very quickly, something which soon became prominent in the series . The screenwriters of “Sisyphus” added different rules throughout, only to consistently break them and toss logic out of the window , as well as new technologies or magical drugs which delivered anti-climatic scenarios to seemingly impossible problems.
Admittedly when the drama entered its second-half and introduced viewers to the main antagonist , Sigma (Kim Byung-chul), the show did undeniably shift towards becoming more focalised upon the theme of time-travel, however, as a result of this , the show’s weaknesses overall quickly began to rise to prominence also.
The halfway point resulted in the direction of plot and the ideology of time travel feeling more like a storyline filler and an excuse for for high-budget extravaganza scenes, often with little serving purpose than to make viewers squeal with excitement at eye-popping CGI and distract attention away from more notable flaws .
Admittedly, the series against all odds was fairly engaging within certain sold set pieces and storylines . Park In Hye’s fight scenes helped to make the show entertaining . However, whilst the myriads of goons of the nefarious control centre featured prominently, this scenario soon became repetitive and formulaic; the duo would face a problem, they would be surrounded and Tae-sool’s on-the-spot science to get out of close scrapes (never held up to scrutiny), whilst Seo-Hae’s Laura-Croft-Style combat scenes would help to save the day also.
As the gimmicks became less and less inventive, these concepts soon died off completely and therefore resulting in numerous action scenes being tapered off entirely . Several episodes towards the end of the show featured no set pieces at all and the control centre disappeared completely , with several major characters not featuring in the finale ( with few reasons given) . Additionally , whilst the ending was “ bittersweet”, it felt inherently poorly-written and the epitome of a classic deus ex machina ; a lazing, anticlimactic ending which created hare-brained and problems towards time paradoxes .
Whilst “ Sisyphus; The Myth” had an intriguing premise, a high budget and an ensemble of a talented actors at its disposal, not even top notch actors such as Park Shin Hye and Cho Seung-Woo could truly save the series from its own demise of abandoned logic, poorly-written characters and relationships, as well as the ineffable disappearances of main characters over the course of the series and a lazy ending also.Another classic example of the recent trend of high-budget science-fiction and action throwaway extravaganzas such as “ Alice” and “ RUGAL” with intriguing premises, yet truly lacking well-written and memorable storylines. Worth binge-watching to waste time with little else to do, yet certainly not worth investing genuine time towards.
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Will ‘ Shoplifters’ Steal Your Heart?
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s films have long been held as masterful arts of work in themselves; profound, complex and subtly crafted-something that ‘ Shoplifters’ presented beautifully throughout its storyline.
Lily Franky takes on the role of Osamu; the head of the band-wagon group of rouges seemingly appear as a middle-aged husband alongside his middle-aged wife Shibata Nobuyu ( Ando Sakura), their two children teenager Shibata Aki ( Matsuoka Mayu) and their young son Shibata Shiota ( Jyutu Kairi) and granny Shibata Hatsue ( Kiki Kirin). However the house is filled with untold truths and secrets; Osamu gaining most of his profit from shoplifting by enlisting the help of Shiota, Nobuyu stealing things from clothes’ pockets during her laundry job, Aki being part of a peep show in order to make ends meet and Hatsue’s seperate past life and gambling addiction at the local pachinko machines in secret. Yet the family find themselves ineffably stuck in a rut when they come across Juri ( Sasaki Miyu); an abandoned and abused little girl who is quick to warm their hearts but with undeniable consequences towards their future.
The casting choices of the move were undeniably brilliant with each actor feeling masterfully placed like pieces on a chessboard by Kore-eda. Yet admittedly one of the most dynamic of the movie came through Kiki Kirin’s role as Shibata Hatsue; sadly her last role before her passing shortly afterwards.
It should come as no surprise rust Kore-da’s unlikely Palmes D’Or winner offered viewers a sociopolitical depiction upon the deep-rooted trauma of a family united under one roof, alongside the fear of poverty. The narrative of the film took no wasted-time with subtly painting the dysfunctions of modern Japanese society and hypocrisies as well as the audacious details of characters and how they’d e linked together.
Yet against the beauty of the film’s narrative there was an admitted flaw with ‘ Shoplifters’ and that came through the initial problem of pacing. The film is admittedly slow-burn and whilst necessary for building up the storyline as well as delivering its twist-ending, lacked a greater sense of momentum towards the plot and attention of viewers.
Nevertheless Ryûto Kondô’s cinematography highlights a stark depiction of more grounded issues of the film such as child abduction, abuse and abandonment against the surrealist fantasy -world of Kore-eda’s microcosm of a seemingly mysterious family. The OST is admittedly less memorable than other parts of the film but Kore-eda’s placed emphasis on visual aesthetics other auditory became evident in the final act of the film beautifully encased in snow; a final flurried blur between the fairytale and childlike world of the family’s insular bubble and the cold and harsh reality of the events that are unfolding also.
Kore-eda’s ‘ Shoplifters’ is undeniably a heartwarming, bittersweet and audacious film about family. The subtle narrative and character-build was masterfully depicted alongside the strong performances by the cast. Admittedly whilst the film could sometimes hit a rut with pacing, the movie’s themes and finale offered viewers with a deeply thoughtful and contemplative film.
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A Worthwhile Adaptation…
Adapting a popular manga and anime series to a live-action movie can be a case of trial and error with attempting to appease newcomers and fans alike rarely ending in overall success. Nevertheless Tsutomu Hanabusa and Izumi Takahashi decided to take on the challenge of mangaka Ken Wakui’s popular series ‘ Tokyo Revengers’ to the big-screen with an adrenal-infused movie that delivered all of the franchise’s punches and blows.
Akin to its original source material the movie focused upon deadbeat " loser" Takemichi Hanagaki ( Takumi Kitamura). At twenty -six years old and stuck in a job that he absolutely loathes with the passion , Hanagaki soon comes to the conclusion that he’s reached a stalemate with life-given opportunities . However fate has other plan for the unlikely hero.
Hanagaki stumbles upon the revealed truth that his ex-girlfriend Tachibana Hinata ( Mio Imada) perished at the hand of the notorious Tokyo Manji Gang. When Hanagaki is given a golden-opportunity to travel back in time to save his former-girlfriend from her violent death, Hanagaki becomes determined to do whatever it takes to save Hinata. The " crybaby hero" is forced to befriend the Manji group’s unlikely leader Mikey"( Yoshizawa Rio), and his right-hand man " Draken" ( Yamada Yuki) as he attempts to infiltrate the gang and prevent domino- effect -events from occurring through his timeline. However as Takemichi works together with Hinata’s younger brother and detective Tachibana Naoto ( Sugino Yosuke),Takemichi’s life begins to diverge in new directions as he dives deeper into the underworld of delinquents…
Tokyo Revengers’ has always had a “ love-hate” relationship with fans and enthusiasts alike. Whilst many have praised mangaka Ken Wakui’s popular series for its intriguing setup and characters, the series has always hit a rut with audiences over two notable flaws : the believability of its ensemble of teen characters actually acting and being their age, as well as the plot holes and loops which remain greatly prominent in the manga writer’s well-known work. In many ways Takahashi and Hanabusa are subtly decisive within the included elements in their adapted live-action movie.
Of course the director and screenwriter are careful not to stray too far away from the source material. On the other hand subtle changes can become prominent to audiences through certain directions of the storyline and especially with consideration to the age of the characters. Takahashi presented the characters as slightly older than their original counterparts; arguably resonating with audiences by the complex journey of adolescence reflected through the allegorical harshness of reality and experiences onscreen.
Paired together with Takahashi’s kaleidoscope of eclectic genres from mystery to action and then romance, there’ s a gritty-edge to Hanabusa’s focus upon fight scenes which add a notable focus upon violence throughout the movie.
Although silly and lighthearted gags transcended onto the big-screen from Wakui’s manga in order to lighten up heavy-angst and fist fights, Hanabusa downplayed comic relief a lot in his adaptation. Instead the movie’s pacing could feel heavily impacted by the blows and fists of its onscreen characters. The elements of comedy which heavily dominated Wakui’s work against darker panels were sparingly dispersed throughout the film; necessary padding at times but gradually beginning to unravel the storyline’s loose-ends.
As the film’s narrative progressed it became evident to audiences that there was an evident disparity in fight scenes. Arguably Hanabusa’s defence against main lead Takemichi Hanagaki being a visible weakling who is often beat up is excusable to a certain extent as he’d rarely escape from a fight or brawl scene unmarked. Nevertheless there was an unintentional farcical element as the storyline progressed with the contrast between realistic physical strength amongst those engaged in the action soon growing clearly visible for audiences.
Of course Hanabusa wasn’t entirely devoid of coherency when attempting to film the fight scenes of the movie. Together with the help of Tomo Ezaki , there was something surprisingly pacy about stunning visuals coinciding against emotional punches especially as the climax began to arise. However the movie’s climax did help to mark drawing up the fight for audiences, the delivered result of aesthetic and visual brawl sequences could often feel like a coated exterior to draw attention away from the anticlimactic buildup of initial events and the delivered result.
Another element of the movie which arguably suffered under the restraints of pacing was the romantic relationship between Hinata and Takemichi. It is arguable that Hanabusa did not entirely abandon the onscreen relationship between the main lead and his former-girlfriend as this did arguably remain one of the greatest-driving forces for the storyline and Takemichi’s personal goals. On the other hand it could often feel as though Hanabusa used the romantic element of ‘ Tokyo Revengers’ as merely padding once again again the violence of the series; necessary for framing the storyline and plot-drive but rarely shaping out the relationship and complexities for Hinata and Takemichi with more definitive edges.
Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding the casting choices of our main leads. Whilst there were admittedly a few scenes where audiences had to power through certain wooden line deliverances, it’s undeniable that Kitamura is brilliant as Takemichi. The actor managed to bring out the awkward charm of Hanagaki’s adult-self navigating his past against his rekindled courage and determinism which gradually awakens through Kitamura’s subtle yet profound micro-expressions and intonations. Costarring with Kitamura are Ryo Yoshizawa as Mikey and Yuki Yamada as Draken are astounding in their roles by adding an idiosyncratic ambience to their onscreen personas that is both heartwarming and threatening.
Then there’s Mio Imada as Takemichi’s former-lover. Whilst Imada’s screen time is restricted due to her character’s limited scream appears des , her performance did offer a level of sweet and dynamic charm to her embodied role as Hinata and carried through with natural chemistry towards her costar Kitamura.
The vision of Hanabusa’s work was aesthetic for audiences but admittedly without a few flaws. Exploration into Takemichi’s reasons for time-travelling and the handshake being the ultimatum are left hanging the air in the movie’s tight-paced storyline. Additionally there were often few transgressions ( aside from haircuts and technology) made between the past and present eras for the audience. Whilst it would’ve been ridiculous for the series to have nuanced each time-leap in depth there were certainly a multitude of missed-out opportunities to explore a manipulation of cinematography. This could’ve easily been done in order to highlight a greater sense of pathos and nostalgia by Takemichi as an adult experiencing his youth once more. Despite this the ending delivered audiences with a fairly satisfying and outcome to the events of the movie.
Hanabusa and Takahashi’s adapted live-action movie was an evident challenge from the outset. Whilst the movie is evidently limited to a certain extent carried on by noted flaws from Wakui’s work as well as the director and screenwriter’s own directions having their strengths and limits. Nevertheless ‘ Tokyo Revengers’ was a fairly satisfying and adrenal-ride; pacy at times and slightly tedious in other parts, but engaging and intriguing through its cast and setup tone by Hanabusa and Takahashi.
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A Dark Backstory Movie, With A Gruesome Duration Length…
Satou Takeru reprises his role once more as the redeemed former-warrior Himura Kenshin, only this time stepping back in time with the events of his past when he went under the alias Battousai. The storyline flitters between the " impending threat" ( though in typical Kenshin fashion, a villain who rarely escapes the realm of memorability after the movie) weapons dealer Yukishiro Enishi ( Araki Towa) as well as Kenshin’s relationship with Yukishiro Tomoe ( Arimura Kasumi).
The biggest thing to say about ‘ Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning’ is that it is arguably more profound and violent than previous Kenshin movies. A particular gruesome scene appears on screen as a man writhes in agony with blood spurting out of his wounds and mouth, whilst the cinematography combines between moody and epic battle scenes, the vivid hues of festivals and the mundane and dull palettes of everyday life in Japan .This is no surprise considering the nature of the themes of assassins, fights and mercenaries found throughout the story but screenwriter Otomo Keishi purposely sets a vast shift and darker tone from previous movies throughout the storyline. Satou Takeru is brilliant as our main lead, adding a notable more stoic, hostile and mysterious ambience as the antihero of the movie rather than the beloved hero we have come to know in earlier ones. En par with Takeru was undeniably Arimura Kasumi as the suave and gradual love interest of Kenshin, Yukishiro Tomoe. The chemistry between the leads was evidently slow-burning and not your typical status quo romance( especially from what viewers can remember from the events of ‘ Rurouni Kenshin: The Final’ and the conclusion of the movie ) , but dynamic , heartbreaking and undeniably the intriguing highlight of the entire film.
On the other hand the storyline isn’t without its more sound flaws. Whilst Araki Towa is a brilliant actor, his onscreen persona as antagonistic weapons dealer Enishi is unimpressive and lacklustre to say the least. The plot threat of Einishi certainly keeps the plot moving, but his actual appearance and memorability do not quite reach their full potential. Adding on top of the trickier issues of the film production was the gruelling duration length of 2 hours 18 minutes which can slowly trial even the most patient viewers’ attention span.
On a more nuanced note it seemed an odd move by screenwriter Otomo Keishi to have released ‘ Rurouni Kenshin: The Final’ before the events of ‘ Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning’. Whilst the movie does help to foreground a lot of the events from the previous storyline in more vivid detail (and understand more about Kenshin’s past), it would’ve seemed arguably a sounder move to have released this prequel movie first in order for viewers to grow sentimentality towards Kenshin and understand the greater impact of the events of the final movie. ( Therefore I’d recommend to newcomers or those still waiting to watch ‘ Rurouni Kenshin: The Final’ , to first complete ‘ Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning ’ in order to understand the events of the former.) However, the finale of the film did deliver a beautiful shot of cinematography which stuns viewers with the shocking revelations and events to follow.
To conclude ‘ Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning’ delved into the backstory of the beloved hero from the previous films with finesse and darker violence. The movie sometimes failed to reach its full potential or facilitate its antagonist towards being nothing more than a quick plot device and its tedious duration length , but the delivered performances by Takeru and Arimura, the stunningly filmed scenes and pretty much all of the performances by the main cast were well-deserved treats for viewers
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The Icing On Top Of The Cake With Yeri, But Not Quite Having That Extra Cherry On Top…
Unravelling time- travel where our frantic heroine finds herself rescuing her lost love or crush from moral peril, isn’t new ground for K-dramas. Yet the immediate status around idol actress Yeri ( Red Velvet) being cast as lovelorn female lead Oh Ha Rin, has undeniably attracted the web series to receiving hype .
On a strong note Yeri’s acting is pretty solid here. She has a vibrant ambience around her character, immediately dragging viewers into sitting up and paying attention to the storyline. As it has been said beforehand, there is no beating around the bush that ‘ Blue Birthday’ is a fairly “ seen and done concept”, but this doesn’t mean that the director isn’t willing to try something new either. Park Dhan Hee’s cinematography was really mesmerising in a lot of shots. You could tell by the array of palettes, the pathetic fallacies that the director was trying to convey. Light hues of daylight could animate Ha Rin’s jovial mood , whilst darker, moody blues of the sky, a room or the rain brought the scenes surrounding Seo Jun ( Hong Seok)’s death or Ha Rin’s bereavement into a more hard-hitting and colder reality.
Yet ‘ Blue Birthday’ can truly be defined as a mixed party bag of flaws also. Whilst Yeri’s acting was decent, her fellow costars often struggled to pertain the same level of solidity over the course of sixteen episodes. Not unwatchable, just certainly not bringing these characters to life either. Admittedly this wasn’t entirely the fault of the cast as character writing could also be a cataclysmic problem with the mini series also . This is mainly because none of the characters ( including our mains) really seem like everyday people. Now it is arguable that this is the point of the series; it is a fantasy-romance mini series about two teens in high school and so nothing regarding their personal lives outside of this main plot is that important . On the other hand what makes a character feel relatable and real is drawing parallels and similarities with our own lives by their interactions and relationships with other characters which whilst it did exist, was only really shown to make the storyline move or crack into some “ comic relief” moments.
Again it’s wrong to entirely condemn the series here. There was some surprising twists and revelations with Seo Jun’s familial background which played a major part in unravelling the enigma of his death, as well as adding angst-ridden chemistry to Seo Jun and Ha Rin’s onscreen potential relationship.
On the other hand whilst Seo Jun was a useful plot device to keep the mini-series’ storyline on its feet, it’s hard to truly define Seo Jun’s greater calling as a character by his build-up, typically revolving around school ( rather than the series gradually building this up through small revelations of his family life) and his potential romance with Ha Rin. Sadly similar to Seo Jun was Ha Rin. Whilst it’s understandable that her main goal was to save Seo Jun through her “Groundhog Day” setup, it was baffling that Ha Rin seemed to have little interaction or revelations about her relationship with family or a personal past problem during this period that she wanted to focus on as an individual. To explain this further it’s fair to say that we’ve all made personal mistakes in the past and most likely often wish we could change them. Arguably part of Ha Rin’s “great mistake” is the feeling of letting down Seo Jun by being unable to prevent his death. That’s understandable and what made her grief resonate with audiences, but that’s also only necessary to the major plot line. Rarely do we see or delve into Ha Rin diverged subjective regrets on a personal level either with friends or others also.
In terms of our antagonist ( and without spoilers), it is fair to say that the storyline indicates subtly but early on through portraying this character in a negative light towards the true villain. Are they well-written? This character really just serves one purpose and that is to be a plot device to add tension and drama to the series. Whilst they do have some motives, they’re mainly disregarded and rarely fleshed-out in order to paint this character as “ being evil for the sake of evil”. Not entirely terrible for the pragmatic purpose of the drama, but certainly fitting more into the “ moustache twirling villain” category than complex.
On more nuanced note, there are also some seriously questionable moments within the drama’s writing logic that made little sense realistically in the drama such as Ha Rin ( despite being a fairly witty character when she wants to be) talking in a public place about a key plot revelation which could’ve easily put her in further danger ( and refuses to acknowledge further risks) or liability for her previous fatal mistakes , the main villain’s classic mistakes which could’ve been easily picked up upon earlier, the incompetency of the police ( including lack of DNA testing) and of course the shift between the present and a decade ago for Ha Rin not feeling that significant for viewers. It is arguable that perhaps the screenwriter was trying to show this from Ha Rin’s perspective by this suddenly becoming part of her normal everyday life. However for Ha Rin this is also a nostalgia trip down memory lane of her teens. It would have been understandable if small passing popular cultural references, slang, technology or fashion had brought it home for Ha Rin ( and viewers) towards being in the past. Instead it was hardly to truly grasp when we were stepping back in time. Aside from a quick wardrobe and makeup styling change for Yeri which was meant to indicate; “ Oh, Yeri had on a school uniform, and schoolgirl bangs. We must be in the past again.”
In conclusion ‘Blue Birthday’ wasn’t an unwatchable mini-series. The ending was decent enough and in between aesthetic cinematography shots, Yeri’s performance and the plot premise as well as the mysterious events surrounding Seo Jun’s demise in the storyline remained enticing factors for watchers. On the other hand, the screenwriting with characters, mismatched dialogue and logic as well as the acting and pacing remained the mini series’ greatest downfalls. This was certainly not a terrible with an easy amount of fluff and darker themes to keep you watching , but not without its evident inconsistencies either.
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A Problematic Tearjerker...
If you ask for a drama watcher’s recommendations of “ saddest dramas they’ve ever seen”, it is probably likely that you’ll hear or see “ Uncontrollably Fond” ranked somewhere on that list.The series focuses upon successful superstar Sin Joon Young ( Kim Woo Bin) who awkwardly meets his old flame from his youth, No Eul ( Bae Suzy), a producer of documentaries. When their respected careers awkwardly make their paths cross once again, No Eul is surprised to learn how much Joon Young has changed into a shallow and materialistic individual, rather than the kind-hearted person she once fell in love with, however, Joon Young also begins to stumble upon a life-changing truth which may finally ruin his relationship with his former love...
Undeniably, Uncontrollably Fond isn’t the type of drama to watch if you’re looking for something” fun and fluffy” ; the focal point of the series centralises upon terminal illness, tragic love and angst with Lee Kyung Hee’s ( The Innocent Man, Chocolate) screenwriting hoping to tug at heartstrings of viewers , rather than relish in a sweet romance tale (as shown in his more light-hearted works). The show is certainly effective within inflicting heartache onto viewers towards the particular fate of our characters, however, it is still certainly problematic when it comes to characterisation, as well as clearing up the evident inconsistencies which arose in this angst-ridden ride as well.It is important to note that the acting in the show is certainly quite good. Kim Woo Bin and Bae Suzy are undeniably brilliant actors, however, it is fair to say that their characters are tackled interestingly, to say the least.
Bae Suzy’s character, No Eul is undeniably a kind-hearted soul who is passionate about her work and desperately tries to make amends with Joon Young over the course of the series . On the other hand, No Eul often felt too dormant within her actual role and presence as a fleshed-out individual onscreen. Whilst it is important to stress that a show doesn’t necessarily need to go into a whole life story upon a character in order for viewers to “ get to know them personally”, it’s hard to really distinguish or get a grip upon No Eul as a character outside of her “ necessary flashbacks “ and past relationship with Joon Young. Even minor details such as her interests, interactions outside of her workplace and reactions to prominent obstacles over the course of the story , often felt passive and lacking in emotional depth to truly portray her as a well-written female lead.
Then of course there is Kim Woo Bin’s role as Joon Young. Undeniably Joon Young goes through several terrible ordeals even before the main events of the series, which fundamentally shapes his certain outlook upon life, relationships and characters (No Eul, being the evident subject of Joon Young’s changed interactions and feelings). No Eul’s entry into Joon Young’s life again comes nearly simultaneously with his life-changing news. This consequently causes him to try pushing No Eul away, as she becomes his saddening and haunting reminder of a past that he’s tried to reject, and he can never return to.
This of course leads us down two routes of “ problematic” characterisation; the first within Joon Young’s behaviour, and secondly towards this behaviour is inflicted towards the female lead No Eul . It’s important to say that Joon Young’s reactions and attempts to drive No Eul away by flirting with other women, did add a slightly realistic reaction towards the male lead’s scenario. Joon Young is supposed to be only human and naturally intrinsically driven like most people towards rash decision-making.
However, Joon Young’s often anger-driven emotions and reactions towards his situation by throwing things or beginning a screaming match, soon became both frustrating when he began to lash out at times upon No Eul. A lot of fans of Uncontrollably Fond’s pairing often seem to gloss over the fact that ,for the majority of the series, Joon Young was emotionally abusive and physically harassed the female lead upon several occasions ( not least throwing her out of the car in the middle of nowhere, grabbing her arm often without consent and often manipulating her feelings rather than merely being honest).
Again, this is not saying it was “ wrong” for Joon Young to have feelings anger or for the show to touch upon emotional abuse or physical harassment, but it was concerning that the drama neither raised this up prominently as a terrible issue or relationships, and suddenly tried to “ sweeten” this by Joon Young and No Eul’s more “ romantic” feelings before the finale. This sudden transition from Joon Young tossing No Eul out of a car to hugging her several episodes later, wasn’t just nonsensical, but ridiculous in terms of character and relationship progression.Nevertheless, despite the questionable relationship between the two characters, the finale did leave a sucker- punch for viewers’ feelings. Without spoiling too much, it is fair to say that upon reflection the ending isn’t “ sad” per say because of the fate of our characters, but rather the blinded acceptance towards what is happening in their present, rather than their pasts or futures.
Overall Uncontrollably Fond wasn’t a bad show with some well-written qualities of the psychological complexity of coming to grasps with terminal illness, relationships, love and an emotional ending. On the other hand, Uncontrollably Fond had little greater character depth, straying away from cliches and explanations ( not least the “ unexplained illness”) ,a healthily progressive portrayal of relationships and problems of sugarcoating issues of emotional abuse and physical harassment within the main couple as well. As a drama to pass the time and as a tearjerker , Uncontrollably Fond is undeniably a good-binge watch, however, if you’re looking for a show with genuine depth and a well-written relationship between our leads, then look elsewhere because Uncontrollably Fond certainly isn’t the one that you’re looking for.
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A Badminton Drama, Which Needs More Training…
Sports-related K-dramas are few and far between, and the delivered results of these dramas can often be hard to truly take seriously. ‘ Racket Boys’ is no exception. The drama has arisen to a lot of criticism respectfully for certain racial stereotyping, badminton stances and the exact depiction of the drama’s messages. However, it is wrong to entirely point out that “ Racket Boys” does keep the ball rolling with certain elements of the sport and screenwriting either.
Before delving into reasons behind more mixed-criticism for the drama, let’s start on a positive note with what kept viewers entertained . The drama is pretty lighthearted. Whilst it does delve a little beyond the surface into darker territory with Hae Kang's father Yoo Hyeon Jong (Kim Sang Kyung)’s struggles and his mountain of dept as well as more heartfelt moments , the comedy was pretty silly for the most part , the friendship factor for Hae Kang ( Tang Joon-sang) with captain Bang Yoon Dam (Son Sang Yeon), hipster wannabe Na Woo Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) and maknae Lee Yong Tae (Kim Kang Hoon) the good performances by the cast, the romantic elements of the storyline and even the occasional cameo appearances by actors ( such as Park Ho San, Park Hae Soo, Kim Sung Chul, Kang Seung Yoon and Lee Kyu Hyung) from screenwriter Jung Bo Hoon’s previously commercial and critically-acclaimed work ‘ Prison Playbook’ (2017) were surprisingly endearing touches.
Another thing which seemed pretty enticing for viewers was that director Jo Young Gwang had done some evident homework into Badminton terminology such as '4U' (to indicate racket weight) and even mentioning the ideal string tension for beginners to badminton of 26 pounds. Adding to this was the depiction of female players of the sport, with a girl’s team at the middle school, whose coach, Ra Yeong-ja (Oh Na-ra) is renowned for her fierce teaching methods shared some more diverse lighting on the game.
Less impressive was the drama being its own worst enemy at times. The camera work could often be dull when actually depicting the game being played, and the usage of badminton shot positions by Hae Kang's father Yoo Hyeon Jong (even as a disgraced player) was badly depicted at the best of times . Adding to this pile of problems was the episode lengths. Averaging around 90 mins, there’s a lot to cram into these episodes and the skip button can often look more appealing than actually watching the drama at times. The stereotypical cliches here also drag on when Yeong-Ja and her two players are forced to move in with the Yoons and the rest of the boys’ team as the “ will they?, Won’t they?” chemistry lingers between evident romantic setups here. Oh, boy. Then there’s the controversy with racial stereotyping here also with depictions of “ foreigners” being presented as flaky or fickle, such as the cameo appearance of Black exchange student Johnathan( himself) , the obvious “K-pop fan “ ( who disappears and is never mentioned again pretty much because he is no longer relevant to the plot), and then the questionable depiction of the Indonesian team also.
Controversy aside the comedy factor is dependent on personal taste, rather than being universal. It is silly, rather than cleverly written but some may enjoy the running gag of Oh Mae (Cha Mi-kyung), the village “grandma” and her antics, whilst others may view at as distasteful and a poor screenwriting excuse for Hae Kang to learn the value of the “ unique” personalities personalities of the countryfolk living there,and nothing else. Yet in between these more questionable screenwriting, the drama does have surprisingly heartfelt moments here also, like when Hae-kang realizes that neither Oh Mae or her husband are literate , and so he helps her with the remote to her TV and sets up a way she can video call her grandson.
Overall, “ Racket Boys” isn’t a bad show per say. The acting is pretty solid, the sport depiction isn’t bad and the lighthearted moments are fairly sweet but it is very much dependent on what you are looking for. The comedy really isn’t everyone’s taste with its goofy gags ,often stealing away from the more profound moments of the drama and the tropes can grow tiresome and predictable.There were times where it felt as though ‘ Racket Boys’ struggled with balancing out the comedy and drama factors due to episode lengths, and would’ve flourished more as two separate shows rather than as a K-dramedy . However if you’re just here for some laughs and a couple of “ aww” moments during a binge-watching session ( rather than the central storyline) in order to disengage your brain from more serious and complex storylines, then you’ll likely enjoy it.
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A Journey Into The Hellish Depths of Horror And Loneliness...
There’s no denying that Strangers From Hell is possibly one of the few and most disturbing psychological dramas that South-Korea has ever produced to date with actual investment and creativity over scenes and lighting, as well as quite bloodthirsty scenes in later episodes.Based upon the eponymous webtoon, Strangers From Hell’s title and concept is taken from a very famous play, No Exit ( 1944)by a French existentialist called Jean Paul Sartre. The play focuses upon three people who are trapped in “ Hell” which exits as a single room, and as they grow gradually sickened by the torment of one another’s company, one of the individuals realises on stage that “ Hell is other people”.
Yet Strangers From Hell isn’t a drama about three individuals stuck in one room. Instead, it is rather a focus upon our main lead Yoon Jong- Woo ( Im Siwan)’s gradual descent into madness after moving into the mysterious Eden Complex in Seoul; a cheap apartment with creepy residents and in particular, falling into the mysterious trap of the charismatic psychopath Seo Moon- Jo ( Lee Dong Wook) . Whilst not unexpected due to Im Siwan’s previous roles , it was certainty a surprising shift since his renowned role in the slice of life and business drama Misaeng, to see Im Siwan tackle a darker and more disturbing role in a psychological horror drama. Undeniably Im Siwan was brilliant within portraying the very slow mental decay of his character by the show exposing dark revelations of Jong- Woo’s past. This role was parallel to the surprising choice of typically typecast romance drama actor Dong Wook , who undeniably went beyond expectations within portraying the sheer complexity and charisma of his psychopathic role as Moon- Jo.
On the other hand, it can’t be sugarcoated that Strangers From Hell’s pacing could have been quicker or the episode lengths reduced. This isn’t to say that the show should have been constantly bloodthirsty or violent as it was part of the suspense to feel unease at what would happen next to our tragic lead, however, by the midway point ( before the ending), the drama often felt a little dragging upon focusing on one element of the story at a time. There’s obviously nothing wrong with doing this, but thus did mean there were a couple of really nuanced plot inconsistencies which were left out ( such as security cameras, suspensions and criminal records) which would have added more realism to some of the tackled scenarios.
Yet despite this, the one element of the show which must be given full praise for ( in addition to the fairly good OST, with The Rose track Strangers adding to the eeriness of the drama) , was the creativity behind the scenes and lighting. There was nothing glamourised nor glossy about the image of the apartment complex or even Jong- Woo’s workplace. It was eerily drab; adding to a later epiphany for viewers that Jong- Woo’s true hell began even before moving into the apartment complex in his hellish everyday life . ( E.g. his “ busy” girlfriend who dismisses his ridiculous claims about the residents and is nearly always at work, his arrogant old friend and boss who constantly undermines him as being worthless, his haughty colleagues as well as his fellow cadets during his time in the army ).
The finale of Strangers From Hell was certainly a surprisingly one, yet nonetheless fitting for its genre and deeper intrinsic philosophical questions of our main lead’s Hellish experiences. Whilst the drama was flawed by certain aspects of pacing and plot inconsistencies, the cast helped to realistically flesh out the characters on screen through their performances, the story was certainly intriguing and disturbing of a man just pushed too far by his experiences and it was overall a very good Psychological - Horror. It is easy to see why this show has earned its status as a cult-classic , and certainly worth a watch.
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Was It Love , Or A Waste of Time?
As Korean romance dramas go, “ Was it Love?” certainly wasn’t one of the worst Korean dramas out there, with some intriguing themes tackled such as motherhood, parentage and abortion as well.What is fair to say, however, is that “ Was it Love?” had so many opportunities throughout the drama to play upon its own cliches of the mysterious father, particularly through Noh Ae-jung ( Song Ji hyo)’s daughter, Ha-nee ( Uhm Chae-young )’s being allowed to bond with her potential fathers in equal manners such as ;
famous actor Ryu Jin ( Song Jong ho), financial head Koo Pa-do ( Kim Moon Joon) , P.E. teacher Oh Yeon-woo ( Koo Ja- Sung) and novelist Oh Dae- Oh ( Son Ho Jun) respectfully throughout the entirety of the show.
Although Song Ji hyo did captivate some of the elements of her character’s determination upon screen at times ( in addition to the scriptwriting ), her acting at times seemed a little wooden and thus didn’t help in making Ae-Jung’s personality seem often very lacklustre.
Of course that’s not to say that Ae- Jung was quintessentially a terrible character as there is no denying that Ae-Jung did seem to share genuine love and affection for both her daughter and her mother Choi Hyang-ja ( Kim Mi Kyung) throughout the drama . On the other hand, “ Was it Love?” ‘s biggest flaw soon became apparent by the scriptwriters’ decision to cram-in as much plot focus upon the aspects of Ae- Jung’s seemingly lingering “chemical” relationships with each of the respected male leads of the drama. Although it was undeniable that most of the actors were fairly brilliant in their respected roles, there were too many cliches which brought lacking emphasis upon characters such as Pa-do ( especially with the whole doppelgänger trope) and Yeon- woo as plot devices , rather than as individuals over the course of the drama.
As a romance drama there isn’t anything entirely wrong with this format, however, in making this decision, there was little actual focus upon Ae- Jung’s development as a character as well upon her familial bond with her daughter.
Although an undeniable driving factor of the series was the actual question of Ha- nee’s biological father and the miscommunication between daughter and mother adding to the final climax , it’s fair to say that the ending revelation could not help but severely highlight and question a lot of Ae-Jung’s decisions.
It’s natural to see what Ae-Jung was trying to do in shielding the truth from Ha- nee; she had raised her for nearly fourteen years a as a single parent and Ha- nee finding out the truth about her father would threaten their relationship a lot. On the other hand what did not seem particularly fair was that it hadn’t crossed Ae- Jung’s mind even when her mother mentioned Ha-nee’s interest in finding out more about her father, to at least sit down and give Ha- nee, the respect and liberty to ask about the matter . This was initially ( regardless of events ) quite a selfish act committed by Ae-Jung , both for Ha-nee as well as her father, who is later revealed to be oblivious to the fact that he even had a daughter in the first place.
This is also what bothered me a little but about Ha-nee’s sudden shift from intrigue and wonder over her father to suddenly acting hostile the minute she actually finds out who he is. Whilst I can understand Ha- nee acting this way to some extent when she learns of some of the events and hardships her mother was put through, it just didn’t add up to Ha-nee’s character by not having a moment of actual intrigue or an attempt to get to know him more affectionately, even once in the show ( without being forced of course). If the plot tropes and cliches weren’t bad enough, the cliche of Ha- nee’s ending is even stranger with little actual necessity or purpose apart from wanting to give viewers a “ happy ending”.
Overall “ Was it Love?” is a perfect example of a “ throwaway drama”; easy to binge- watch without a second thought, but certainly lacking within memorability, characters and plot development as a consequence of cliches and tropes adding little value to the actual drama. Whilst enjoyable with certain comical elements, the show was certainly a waste of time if you’re looking for something to actually invest in.
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