Does The Glass Slipper Fit?
Ah, the “ Cinderella-Tale”. It’s the trope which embodied the ‘ Hana Yori Dango’ franchise, 2000s rom coms and 1990s shoujos countless others beforehand , where the outcast or plucky mundane heroine changes the spiteful, rich male lead ‘s life before he whisks her away to live happily ever after. The trope nearly defined the zenith of 2000s romance dramas, yet nowadays the “ Cinderella Tale” archetype is often seen as being retrospectively outdated . Now the trope comes to life once more with “ Promised Cinderella” but just how does this cliche actually play out in 2021? Is it a nostalgic trip about the old days of romance dramas , or is it just too outdated for its own good?
At its heart “ Promised Cinderella” is based upon the Josei ( aimed for older teens to women) manga of the same-name. It is a trope-worthy love story between 27 year-old Katsuragi Hayame ( Nikaido Fumi), a vagrant former-housewife and rich and pugnacious 17 year-old Kataoka Issei( Maeda Gordon) who Hayame is forced to move in with. However whilst Issei finds his feelings growing for his senior, Hayame finds herself torn between Issei and his seemingly kindhearted brother Kataoka Seigo ( Iwata Takanori) , leading to all the imagined twists and turns out of a love triangle setup.
The drama is undeniably lighthearted, with a more mature and serious heroine taking central position in the drama and also taking off that burdensome worry of labyrinthine plot line . Overacting was sometimes an undeniable problem here, but nonetheless the main cast were dynamic . Nikaido Fumi really embodied Hayame to life onscreen through her performance, en par with fellow costar Maeda Gordon as foul-mouthed high schooler Issei and evidently Iwata Takanori as Issei’s brother Seigo.
Yet is is impossible to turn a blind eye towards the numerous problems amounting in this drama towards Hayame’s “potential love interests”. As far as the main couple goes let’s not sugarcoat it. Hayame is a 27 year- old woman and Issei is a seventeen year- old kid. Understandably the drama has never established anything lewd between the two aside from Issei’s crush and of course age gaps can be shown in numerous and versatile ways. However when tackling the subject of age or generational gaps, a topic which admittedly does come up is how this can impact a relationship between lovers socially, culturally and psychologically.
The drama plays repeatedly upon the gag that Hayame is an “ old woman” ( despite only being 27) but rarely does it draw onto the more significant factors of this age difference for both parties. Issei is incredibly immature for his age. There is the argument that a lot of his conducted attitude is based upon his experiences and whilst we do get to see his character grow at times, he was the typical “ spoilt and insolent brat” archetype. He nearly constantly put Hayame down verbally by passing remarks even in social situations, whilst irksomely Hayame ( despite being 10 years his senior and with more life and relationship experience) seeming “ wittiness” would be thrown out the window in order to keep this lacklustre charade moving as part of the plot device.
Then of course there’s Hayame’s “ potential chemistry” with Seigo. Despite being the older brother of Issei , Seigo has his own dirty secrets which can flare up a nasty side to a seemingly “sweet as pie” trope character. Undeniably intriguing to watch this character unravel, but nevertheless it made it troublesome for viewers to truly root for a respectful and flawed yet likeable character in this drama. Seigo’s “ infatuation ” with Hayame without respecting boundaries sometimes or his own brother’s feelings could verge upon obsessiveness . Perhaps this problem wouldn’t have been so bad if the drama had noted or brought to light that Seigo’s actions were unhealthy or wrong but rarely was this brought up and instead often passed on as “ just fascination” . In a setup where both characters are supposed to be flawed but have their own unintentional screenwriting problems, it is hard to truly root for either main lead. ( Without the lingering thought that Hayame is nothing more than a plot device to keep this lacklustre potential romance “ more dynamic”. )
To make matters worse aside from the questionable relationships in this drama, ‘ Promise Cinderella’ pretty much ticks all the boxes of every romantic cliche that you’ve seen and done before a million times;
1)The jerk former husband who abandons his wife, and isn’t necessary to the storyline pretty much ever again? Check.
2. The female lead who is too prideful to bother actually looking for a job to get off the streets, but no because it gets in the way of the actual reason to be saved by a high schooler? Check.
2)Trying to cover for a “ divorce background” with her husband in order to pair off Hayame with the potential love interests, yet never actually covering legal matters or court processes because it is too much like adding something realistic to the drama? Double Check.
3)Introducing the crude, teen male lead with an inferiority complex and who has a reason for being rude but none of them justify his bratty actions, or allow an opportunity for Issei to issue an actual apology to anyone? Triple Check.
4. Subverting the entirety of the female lead’s strong willed personality in order to make her cutesy to the plot but then changing her again, and then making her docile once more ? Quadruple Check.
‘ Promised Cinderella’ isn’t entirely a bad drama per say. It was pure sickly sweetness in all its glory with an ending which goes down an expected route. The acting was solid and an older female lead adds an intriguing dynamic to the storyline with her potential love interests, however, at the same time, the storyline was often predictable and dull by not even attempting to play or add anything new to the screenplay setup . The relationship between the two main leads and the controversial age gap raised red flags for all the wrong reasons without even trying to present this gradually , and the fact the drama itself wasn’t entirely sure how to incorporate Hayame’s character or revamp the “ Bad Boy” trope with Issei made ‘ Promised Cinderella’ an undeniable guilty-pleasure , but a 2000s-style revamp which feels more out of time than a nostalgic trip down drama lane.
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Mystic Pop- Up Bar was a surprisingly enjoyable and fun show to watch at times...
Mystic Pop-Up Bar recounts the mystery behind our most unlikely hero Kang Bae ( Yook Sungjae) , who by chance, ends up meeting the eccentric owner of a “ Pop- Up” Bar called Wol-Joo ( Hwang Jung- eum). Together alongside her coworker Gwi ( Choi Won- Young), the duo are representatives of the other side, tasked with solving the numerous desires of their customers through wandering through their dreams. When Kang Bae ends up indebted to Wol- Joo after a certain incident, he soon finds himself stumbling into new worlds and strange revelations as well.
As dramas go, Mystic Pop- Up was a surprisingly enjoyable and fun show at times. It wasn’t groundbreaking upon the traditional concept of the oblivious protagonist stumbling into the world unknown, however, there were a lot of intriguing aspects of Korean culture ( modern and traditional) , mythology ( particularly deities) and a strangely sweet romance between Kang Bae and a most unlikely love interest in security guard Kang Yeo- Rin ( Jung Da- Eun) .Nonetheless, it was a bit of a conundrum from a watching perspective.
The biggest problem with this lay upon stealing too many cliches and tropes into the storyline. Whilst this in itself is not a crime and Mystic Pop-Bar did have a fairly intriguing premise , the drama just did not expand upon many of the later intriguing aspects as well ( particularly with the shocking twists near the finale).
This also caused and created too many loose ties in the entire show ( particularly later plot-holes). It’s understandable that the drama tried to balance comedy and melodrama to appeal to audiences , however, the biggest problem for Mystic Pop Up Bar was relying too heavily upon comedy for a major proportion of the drama than allowing the later melodrama to be just as impactful in later storylines.
On the other hand, whilst most watchers seem to criticise Hwang Jung-eum from her past experiences of acting and applying it to the show after the beginning of the drama , Jeung-eum was actually quite good in Mystic Pop Ip Bar. That’s not to say that she didn’t overact at times ( similarly with both her co- stars Young Choi and Sungjae), but, Jeung- Eum seemed to challenge a level of a profound edge towards her performance and character’s backstory , parallel to fellow costar Sungjae during the more tear jerking moments of the drama .
The delivered ending was fairly bittersweet. Perhaps not the “ perfect” ending to the show, but this just added to the fact that although Mystic Pop- Up Bar follows the generic scenarios and tropes of most fantasy and comedy dramas, it was still enjoyable and entertaining to watch.
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The Drama That Will ‘ Reset’ Your Expectations…
Time loops and time travel in drama screenplays can often be a tricky subject to execute and director Sun Mo Long and co-director and screenwriter Lao Suan’s ‘ Reset’ was no different. Nevertheless whilst the series did fall victim at times to its own loose pacing and some tediously dragged out plot points, ‘ Reset’ offered viewers with a fairly suspenseful and intuitive take upon the niche of time loops.
The series revolved around Li Shi Qing ( Zhao Jin Mai) and Xiao He Yun ( Bai Jing Ting); two young bus passengers who find themselves involved in a fatal accident. However rather than perishing to their seemingly predestined fates, Shi Qing and He Yun find themselves trapped in a “ Groundhog Day”-style time loop. As Shi Qing and He Yun attempt to go to great lengths in order to avoid being involved in the accident, the main leads discover that fate has an odd way of catching up with them even when they least expect it..
‘ Reset’ notably incorporated multiple genres into its storyline. Suspense and mystery greatly dominated the events of the narrative , whilst elements of potential romantic chemistry lingered on the sidelines. However surprisingly even during lighthearted moments of the storyline, screenwriter Lao Suan did offer certain opportunities to flesh-out and explore its side characters and antagonists with some surprising heartfelt and tour de force moments also.
As for the pacing ‘ Reset’ was admittedly a slight mixed-bag. Whilst the series could be very quick-paced as well as knowing when to offer respite, the beginning did suffer slightly under the weight of tedious scenes, dialogue exchanges and tension. Admittedly whilst certain elements were necessary for building up the events of the storyline , this did bring about a somewhat laissez-faire structure with pacing often feeling slightly tedious or loose. The finale of the series was admittedly filled with some unexpected turns, but did lack an element of regimented structure by instead feeling somewhat dragged-out.
The acting of the series was admittedly fairly good. Whilst there were some less impactful deliverances of dialogue and interactions onscreen, the main leads did arguably offer brilliant performances. Bai Jing Ting delivered a loveable charm to his onscreen persona as game designer He Yun, whilst Zhao Jin Mai notably had a sweet and charismatic air onscreen as Li Shi Qing.
The chemistry between the duo onscreen could often feel somewhat stunted in parts. Whilst there were some surprisingly heartfelt exchanges between their onscreen personas, the questionable kiss exchanges and affectionate moments between both main leads at tones could admittedly feel insipid at times.
As for their characters, ‘ Reset’ was a strange amalgamation of dynamic writing opportunities for its side characters and antagonists , whilst its main leads could often lack opportunities for being truly fleshed-out. In particular, this became noteworthy with main female lead Li Shi Wing; naive, seemingly fractious and somewhat altruistic but lacking any greater sense of depth or character development throughout. Arguably whilst viewers did see some greater writing opportunities with He Yun and his own personal drives, the main lead did suffer a somewhat similar fate with being underdeveloped.
The cinematography of the series arguably remained one of the drama’s most stunning attributes. Through the directing reigns of Sun Mo Long and co-director Lao Suan, ‘ Reset’ did offer viewers with a notably stunning array of slick and professionally cut editing and scenes. The OST was admittedly just as pleasing with scores and tracks that whilst slightly generic in parts, did help to reflect the mindset and set the tone for the events of the storyline.
Sun Mo Long and Lao Suan’s ‘ Reset’ offered viewers with an intuitive and surprisingly suspenseful take upon the old trope of time loops and time travel. In execution, the series is admittedly weaker with lacking character development for its main leads and somewhat inconsistent pacing, but the slick cinematography and opportunities to see unlike side and antagonistic characters grow did offer some great takeaways from the drama also. Overall whilst ‘ Reset’ was not a drama without some prominent flaws , the series was admittedly a fairly good watch and engaging with its audience.
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The ‘ Melancholia’ Of Slow-Pacing…
Announcing ‘ Melancholia’ as " completely different" from his other works, rom-com director Kim Sang Hyub ( ‘ True Beauty’, ‘ Extraordinary You’, ‘ 7th Grade Civil Servant’) and screenwriter Kim Ji Woon (‘ Doctor John’, ‘ Hyde, Jekyll, Me’) collaborated project seemed to indicate a drama-narrative that would focus on mature and darker subject areas. However the mixed-reception amongst the audience towards the delivered result of ‘ Melancholia’ is admittedly understandable due to the drama’s delivered narrative and pacing.
The storyline is nearly concisely divided into a dual-narrative between the past and the present. The events of the past (2017) foregrounded some necessary backstory into the lives of optimistic and resilient mathematics teacher Ji Yoon Soo( Im Soo Jung) and stoic MIT dropout and prodigy Baek Seung Yoo( Lee Do Hyun). By following the events surrounding the false scandal setup by their school, viewers learn how “ melancholia” has now torn about their lives after a four-year time skip. The duo meet up again now with a rekindled objective to expose and bring down the corrupt system of the school once and for all.
Rom-com director Kim Sang Hyub ( ‘ True Beauty’, ‘ Extraordinary You’, ‘ 7th Grade Civil Servant’) is notoriously renowned in the industry (and even amongst fans) for his heavy reliance upon overused and generic soap-opera tropes . Therefore it should come as a surprise for those familiar with his past projects when Hyub announced his venture into ‘ Melancholia’ alongside his collaboration with screenwriter Kim Ji Woon (‘ Doctor John’, ‘ Hyde, Jekyll, Me’) as " completely different" from anything he had done before , there was certainly promising potential.
‘ Melancholia’ arguably delivered a presentation to viewers with Hyub clearly being out of his comfort zone . The drama maintained a lighter edge at times but clearly offered “ darker” explorations into realistic subject areas than some of Hyub’s previous projects. Naturally this presented many opportunities for ‘ Melancholia’ to tackle some realistic sociological themes from corruption by the rich, social hierarchies, the academic ranking-system in South-Korean education, peer pressure, bullying and public-shaming. ( To name just a few. )Yet it’s hard to deny that ‘ Melancholia’’s conveyed messages could sometimes be a difficult challenge for audiences to truly digest by the illusive and vivid palettes and schemes through cinematography often feeling like a presented decoy for audiences .
Of course uncertainty by directors unfamiliar to genres against time limits and deadlines given to them by the studios and production companies is to be expected with evident problems and flaws along the way. It was evident to see Hyub’s willingness throughout the drama to attempt something different. However in addition to Kim Ji Woon’s uncertainty towards interweaving genres with subtlety, ‘ Melancholia’ could often seem like the outcome of a balancing against vision and deliverance ;different genres crammed into a short duration length led to an evident and arising conflict between messages and pacing as episodes progressed.
The characters of the series were admittedly an intriguing range of individuals with a lot of potential to be more than meets the eye. Ji Yoon Soo and Seung Yoo had their own personal backstories and issues, whilst even the antagonistic forces of the series were far from being shoehorned into mere “ nefarious villainy” either. On the other hand Ji Yoon and Seung Yoo did have two notable flaws ( like many notable characters) in the series; they lacked deep-drive.
It’s important to establish that Ji Yoon and Seung Yoo’s own personal drives against plot-shaken drive are two different things. The two main leads certainly were useful assets to the storyline and helped to be “ subverted” by their experiences . However multilayered psyches which seeming intriguing characters were supposed to possessed were constantly submerged beneath the surface-lingering faintly, but rarely giving opportunities to breathing fresh air into shoehorned archetypes either.
Perhaps one of the few arguable exceptions to this fallacy was Noh Jung Ah( Jin Kyung); the antagonistic driving force of the series as the head director of Aseong High School who had some surprising moments of layered complexity against her role . Nevertheless Jung Ah was far from being flawlessly executed and many characters in the series seemed to suffer a similar fate.
The other quintessential point to note with consideration to ‘ Melancholia’ is that it isn’t a pining tale of love and woe. Whilst there are certainly elements of slow burn and gradual relationship development between Yoon Soo and Seung Yoo, their relationship is fairly platonic (for the most part) as they bond initially over their shared-goal and passion for mathematics. This naturally doesn’t diverge from watching the characters’ relationship grow but it admittedly does present focus ( romantic or not) upon the issue of healing. At times plot-drive did present focus upon this “ issue”. However there were few opportunities for both main leads to truly learn and develop from their experiences in a symbiotic manner; a process which is often key towards relationship developments ( platonic or romantic) in life and writing.
Sadly the main leads were not the only characters to suffer from the fate of writing. Side character Sung Ye Rin ( Woo Da Vi) had the potential to be one of the most intriguing characters of the series after her initial introduction and setup through her own personal fear of failure and disappointment. Nevertheless Ye Rin was rarely given her moments to be presented than anything more than a plot device; necessary to keep the storyline moving but rarely having her moments to shine in the series.
Of course it’s wrong to entirely critique ‘ Melancholia’ and pound the drama into the ground as " inadequate". For the most part the main cast were brilliant and aside from a few awkward line deliverances, powered through heavy dialogue and dragged-out scenes with ease. Actress Im Soo Jung was undeniably the perfect choice for Ji Yoon Soo, whilst costars Lee Do Hyun and Jin Kyung offered moments of dynamic charm and suaveness to important characters who viewers could’ve easily become disengaged with. The pacing arguably remained one of the drama’s greatest downfalls. Whilst the first-hand offered viewers with a slow but gradual revelations, the second-half began to cataclysmically descend into a dragged-out finale which whilst attempting to keep viewers on edge with "shocking" plot twists rarely carried through with an ending that whilst complete and pleasing, lacked greater impact.
Yet for a series which pledged itself as an ode and effectively a " love story" to a greatly complex subject such as mathematics being more than just numerical figures but a passion and tool for uncovering new depths, ‘ Melancholia’ could often find itself barren from passionate flare. Filming techniques used by Hyub were clean and slick but lacked a experimentation. Potentially vivid scenes which could’ve indicated more about the characters’ personalities and ideologies through the palettes used as well as how the world of mathematics is seen by our main protagonists was rarely brought to life onscreen.( Even the OST was a mere device for transcending certain emotions through vocals and instrumentals in scenes and endings when necessary but often could lack a lingering presence in the minds of viewers afterwards. )
Kim Sang Hyub’s ‘ Melancholia’ had an intriguing premise and certainly an impressive lineup. Nevertheless it was clear even to audiences that the drama marked uncharted territory into genres and styles not explored by director and screenwriter before. Whilst this did give opportunities for both Joon and Hyub to explore and play around with new forms and tones, it could often deliver a detrimental impact upon writing and pacing. Perhaps if the series had condensed its overstretched storyline into a shorter episode duration length or even given more golden opportunities to experimenting with styles, depth and character-writing, ‘ Melancholia’ could’ve escaped its mediocrity into an impressionable viewing experience for audiences.
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A Drama Which Will Try To Warm Your Heart…
KakaoTV’s miniseries ‘ Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee?’ is based upon manwha writer and artist Heo Young-man’s ( known for his original adapted-webcomics such as ‘ Gaksital’ and ‘ Tazza’, )original titled work ‘ How About A Cup Of Coffee?’ ( also known as ‘ 커피 한잔 할까요?’ ) and attempts to offer viewers a heartwarming cup of the slice-of-life genre.
The storyline focuses on main lead Kang Gobi (played by Seongwu Ong) - a college student who initially failed his examinations. After talking to his mother in a heart-to-heart conversation over the phone Gobi finds himself down-beaten and decides to sit down at a nearby coffee shop where he first meets Park Seok ( Park Ho-San). The owner of the cafe ‘Second Coffee’, Park Seok is naturally doubtful when Kang Gobi asks to become his student. However as Gobi begins training under the seemingly austere hand of the master barista, he begins to unveil the value of coffee to different individuals and customers throughout the storyline.
With a compacted plot due to its episodes’ duration time (an average of half-hour episodes), it’s unsurprising that the miniseries’ minimal storyline has lead to a divisive response amongst audiences.
This isn’t necessarily to say that ‘ Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee?’ ‘s plot is “ dull ” or “ prosaic”. The storyline may have been basic and offered a mostly platonic setup ( with only brief romantic hints or spurred-on misunderstandings which are soon resolved), it admittedly did give the miniseries many opportunities to explore more heartwarming storylines and bonds between characters .
However a natural downfall for these seemingly sweet storylines could often come across as lacking a more impactful and emotional punch for viewers. This was often as a consequence of each episode being built upon the same loose structural foundation; an initial introduction to a character , the presented dilemma and then often a quick-fixed solution or revelation by the end of each episode- not always necessarily a bad approach per say, but it didn’t always facilitate towards giving a more hard-hitting revelation for viewers which ( time limits aside) could’ve easily been wormed into scenes throughout the series .
Whilst admittedly it often felt as though camera angles could be a letdown for conveying more emotive scenes and emphasis on characters, the cinematography is masterful within its focus upon minimalist shades and palettes surrounding the cafe. The emphasis of beiges and light browns presented a warm-hearted and easygoing ambience in scenes surrounding the cafe- a microcosm world of safety and comfort for its customers and two baristas, as they shield away from the striking mundane reality of everyday life in the outside world .
The acting remained a strong forte for the miniseries. It was admittedly not flawless ( with certain performances remaining more questionable than others), but Park Ho-San and Seongwu Ong’s dynamic and naturally gradual mentor-teacher chemistry certainly became one of the major highlights for audiences. In addition to this ‘ Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee? ’ takes a pragmatic approach within its small niche of main and reoccurring characters - inclusive enough for audiences to understand their different roles and personalities , but arising to some more explorative issues also.
Kang Gobi is our main lead of the series. A “ self-conscious and downtrodden youth”, Kang Gobi’s facilitated character growth comes through his developed passion for coffee. Yet whilst Gobi admittedly did offer audiences with solidarity through being able to relate to similar struggles , it is honest to note that his character did often fall short of being an “everyday hero” due to sometimes lacking more subtle character growth through his journey rarely feeling more gradual, alongside lacking social or familial bonds outside of the storyline or prior to events ( with only a brief insight with his mother) to make him feel more like a sentient character .
The second male lead of the miniseries Park Seok embodies the typical “ sagacious master”archetype. The deuteragonist of the miniseries is mysterious, level-headed and a man of few words, but Seok is a surprisingly heartwarming character against all odds for audiences ; austere and aloof to begin with, but proving himself to be a sincere and supportive mentor and friend throughout different obstacles that Gobi faced in the series.
However Park Seok could often feel like an insipid character onscreen. With Seok’s archetype as a “ mysterious” archetypical main lead, the element of mystique is often key to piquing viewers’ interests and fascination. However where writers can often present opportunities for these characters to grow can be through revelations of their personality, identity and flaws which can sometimes purposefully change or at least shape a different perception upon characters for viewers . Admittedly whilst we gain some insight into Park Seok being widely revered by coffee connoisseurs as well as having unlikely social circles , we rarely had more opportunities to explore moments where Seok’s “ stoic” facade could be broken often rarely giving viewers an insight of his “ human” side through more emotive feelings or reactions.
There’s also the reoccurring side characters of the series who pragmatically exist to keep the storyline moving ( leading to some tender as well as wasted character opportunities); Kim Joo-hee ( Seo Young-hee)- a coffee lover and music columnist who shared a profound relationship with Park Seok and regularly visited the coffee shop , high schooler and part-time bakery worker Ga On ( Choo Ye Jin); a regular visitor who after an initial misunderstanding with Gobi, developed a friendship with the main lead and Ahn Min Na (Kim Ye Eun); a tired webcomic artist who is a regular customer at the cafe.
Then of course there’s the ending of the series; arguably without its problems by leaving some loose ends for viewers, but appropriate and without its more bittersweet edge either.
So what is left to say about the miniseries? Is it worth watching, or is it a waste of time? ‘ Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee?’ is similar to what its drama-title suggests; those expecting a darkly deep and powerful storyline with flawless and memorable execution and writing, may be slightly underwhelmed by the finished product of the miniseries. However for those who wish to indulge in the rich creamy sweetness of an easygoing and laidback binge-watch , alongside a fairy fast-paced plot and some heartwarming moments on the side, then ‘ Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee?’ is an ideal-watch.
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Will This Drama Be Your ‘ Knight’?
SBS’ ‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ offered viewers a predictable and cliche-ridden setup surrounding the haughty singer of LUNA ( a popular idol group ) Yoon Tae-In ( Lee Jun Young) who is diagnosed with somnambulism. In order to avoid media-attention, the CEO ( Kwak Ja Hyung) of the idol group’s contracted company employs world-renowned in-house somnologist Kang Sun Jun ( Jung In Sun). However there’s a catch; the CEO ended up employing Kang Sun Jun’s identical twin sister In Yoon Ju ( also played by Jung In Sun) instead. With her own personal motives for taking up the false identity of her estranged twin, Yoon Ju finds her nerves tested to the limit when she begins having to keep watch over the insufferable Yoon Tae-In as well as sharing a house with his fellow band mates Lee Shin ( JR), Kim Yoo-Chan ( Yoon Ji-Sung ), Woo Ga-On ( Kim Dong Hyun) and Seo Woo-Yeon ( Jang Dong-Joo).
Directed by Ahn Ji Sook and composed together by a quartet of screenwriters (Shin Seo Ha, Hae Yeon, Seo Jung Eun and Yoo So Won) as a marketed story about “ romance and healing, ‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ is undeniably a fairly disengaging and “ fluffy” drama.
Of course, a good drama doesn’t always necessarily need to have labyrinthine plot points and often romantic escapist dramas do present versatile opportunities for dynamic screenwriting. However, where an ultimate problem did lie with ‘ Let Be Your Knight’ ‘s presented formula is that reimbursed cliches and tropes often led to predictable and generic outcomes throughout the storyline.
There was an admitted problem with the casting choice of Jung In Sun as the main female lead ; she didn’t seem to quite match the role for audiences . Respectfully the age of her character In Yoon Ju ( as well as arguably her “ twin sister”) is never truly specified throughout the series. However, with consideration to Yoon Ju’s notably more benign personality traits, mannerisms and soft-spoken tendencies at times, ‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ often seemed to indicate that the screenwriters should’ve facilitated to two possibilities; a younger actress to play the suggested role, or changing elements of Yoon Ju’s age or mannerisms as a character to better-suit the casting choice of Jung In Sun .
Admittedly this isn’t entirely the fault of the actress. Yoon Ju presented a polar opposite to her seemingly “cold” twin; emotional, kindhearted and notably benign at times but rarely did she seem to have a quintessential requirement for her character’s seeming “ difficult past and problems”; flaws .
This isn’t to say that Yoon Ju didn’t have potential to have intriguing character exploration moments ( including her complicated relationship with her sister as well as the loss of her parents) nor did she show affection to others throughout the series. However considering the fact that Yoon Ju has had to take up the false identity of her sister; a qualified professional in sleep diagnosis and aside from a comical “ initial struggle” early on, it seemed odd that neither the band mates or CEO Moon didn’t begin to grow slightly suspicious by her actions or mannerisms early on. As a consequence, the female lead often suffered from a predestined fate as a “ carte blanche Mary Sue”; a plot device in order to keep the storyline intriguing,but missing out on truly engaging with the audience as a fleshed-out and definitive female lead.
Costarring alongside Jung In Sun is Lee Jun Young. Jun Young is undeniably a good actor and has proven his talents in versatile roles over recent years. However there seems to be a recent and notable pattern with In Sun being cast in the “ stoic” male lead role with his onscreen persona Tae-In being no exception.
Tae-In is a character who is notably hard to warm up to during the initial events of the storyline ; he’s brusque, aloof and aside from gaining the adoration of the “maknae” of the group Woo Ga-On ( Kim Dong Hyun), has struggled to get along with the rest of the band. Admittedly Tae-In’s growth is gradual through his initial self-depreciation after the flop of the band’s recent album ( which he mainly wrote) as well as gradually falling for the female lead. However similar to Yoon Ju’s missed-out opportunities to be explored as a well-rounded character, Tae-In’s more evident character drives such as the traumatic link of his somnambulism, gradually developing a closer-bond with his teammates and even his exact reasons for attraction for the female lead, were rarely covered in order to shoehorn him into particular scenarios and plot events.
The onscreen chemistry between Lee Jun Young and Jung In Sun whilst decent enough, did seem to lack a certain dynamic charm for audiences. Tae-In and Yoon Ju’s gradual attraction from one another to “ contempt to love” rarely flowed coherently due to the characters often being enforced into romantic cliches and scenarios, rather than gradually developed.
In addition to this, there’s the issue also with consideration to the indecisive writing decision of the “love triangle” between Tae-In, Yoon Ju and fellow band member Seo Woo Yeon (Jang Dong Joo). Whilst the “love triangle” trope was used in the series as an attempt to “ keep chemistry alive”, there was rarely time to truly see this dynamic with more finesse. Woo Yeon was often limited merely to his archetype as the “ second male lead”; the dreamer who is pointlessly chasing the female lead without clear reasons or even definitive character traits along the way.
The side characters of the series admittedly were often used in a seeming attempt to fill-out screen time through various subplots. It’s wrong to entirely state that these subplots weren’t interesting per say; Yoo Chan’s complicated relationship with his mother, Shin’s clandestine relationship with radio presenter Ji-yeon (Ha Young) and Ga-On’s traumatic experiences as a trainee did seem to put forward some intriguing side storylines throughout the series. On the other hand whilst a lot of the side characters were arguably more fleshed-out than the main leads, the primal focus on the main storyline rarely gave opportunities to delve deeper into the subplots. Instead these storylines were often slightly rushed, brushed over or given anticlimactic resolutions by the ending of the series.
‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ was arguably self-conscious from outset about not overcommitting itself to a complicated plot in twelve episodes. Nevertheless whilst the basic formula surrounding the main leads’ romance and issues is compacted, the series did often seem to struggle with truly expediting plot. Instead the pacing of the series could often be tedious in parts with niche plot setups and enforced dialogue becoming apparent. Perhaps if the series had given more opportunities to exploring characters, or even a definitive plot goal, then ‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ could’ve had a less anticlimactic and impactful ending.
The cinematography of ‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ was admittedly decent enough under the directing reigns of Ahn Ji Sook. Most scenes throughout the series were filmed throughout a usage of slick, long distance and closeup shots and gave a professional and glossy edge to filmed sequences and key moments. However despite the aesthetic edge of filming, the innovation of presenting the arts in intuitive ways , reflecting the emotional scope of its characters through palettes or tones ( aside from niche pathetic fallacy in certain scenes) , or even vivid mise-en-scène moments were greatly absent from the series.
The OST of the series was admittedly a mixed-bag. For a series which mainly focused upon its central characters being in the music business and industry, it seemed odd that certain song tracks in the series were slightly insipid at times . This isn’t to say that these songs were bad per say. In fact there were definitely several tracks which helped to definitively reflect the mindset of the characters and will likely grow on some. On the other hand, it seemed surprising that the OST didn’t always deliver a memorable punch for the audience either.
‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ is a fairly lighthearted and niche romantic melodrama . Whilst the acting performances are decent enough and the side storylines did offer intrigue for viewers, the drama could often feel unable to escape its own set-limitations. In particular certain casting choices, predictable screenwriting tropes and character archetypes alongside poor pacing in parts, presented ‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ as an above-average drama; watchable and enjoyable during a binge-watch, but lacking in more definitive traits also.
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It’s No “ Secret” That This Drama Is A Waste Of Time...
First of all before saying why this drama didn’t met up to many expectations of drama fans, it’s important to say that there were some genuinely intriguing aspects towards the show.One of the most apparent aspects of the drama was the international relationship between our Vietnamese female lead and aspiring reporter Chi Mai ( Hoàng Yến Chibi) and South- Korean Hallyu Star JIN ( Sung Joon). Although it isn’t out of the question for dramas to tackle international relationships or respectfully cast actors from different countries ( such as renowned South-Korean actor Lee Jong Suk being cast in the Chinese drama Jade Lover, or a young Lee Joon gi’s appearance in the Japanese movie with actress Aoi Miyazaki in Virgin Snow ), it isn’t a theme or relationship which is often tackled or centralised in many typical Asian dramas.
Respectfully a lot of this can be to do with natural cultural differences and language differences between the two countries, and in My Secret Star there is the evident problem of Chi Mai and JIN’s words being lost in translation without Mai’s earphones which help to translate their conversations back and forth.
On the other hand, My Secret Star was severely flawed by the aspect of story -writing and pacing. Although the show was very short, there was little to actually develop or process the relationship between our main leads.
Undeniably the main focus of the show was the supernatural element of JIN transforming into a young child when someone makes physical contact with him. In a typical cliche manner, JIN naturally discovers that he is immune to Chi Mai’s touch leading the two to spending more time together.
This is certainly a sweet element to show within the portrayal of their relationship, however, after the few early episodes of My Secret Star, this supernatural element is nearly drawn out the picture entirely and by the ending of the drama, it’s magically “ solved” without rhyme nor reason . It isn’t necessarily that this aspect of the show shouldn’t have been included, however, it was a strange move by the scriptwriters not to symbiotically use this as a plot device within portraying the development between the leads and challenges which allow them to grow closer in later episodes.
In addition to this , despite JIN and Chi Mai’s status as an international couple, there were few culture shocks or differences between the two leads as well as general intrigue other one another’s country at all within the show. It is of course certainly not a necessary aspect to beat genuine romantic feelings, however, if a show is trying to tackle a relationship where both parties are from different countries and speak different languages, there is the natural element of wanting to learn more about someone’s background.
This is hardly shown in the drama and whilst JIN reveals a little bit and his past and resentments towards becoming famous, there’s little explanation or actual drive as to why Chi Mai wanted to become a reporter even through revelations of her childhood .
Overall My Secret Star wasn’t a show which was incredibly dire, however, poor story writing , characterisation , outfits ( particularly the Korean misrepresentation of the “ gay” fashionista ) and an inaccurate representation of international relationships, made the show incredibly cliche and a waste of time.
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‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’; Intriguing Premise, But Relentlessly Dragging…
Korean folklore and mythology paired together with elements of horror and fantasy are certainly not new to the world of K-dramas. From director Jang Young-woo(‘Mr. Sunshine’, ‘Sweet Home’, ) alongside screenwriters Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won ( ‘The Guest’), ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ offered viewers with a seemingly woeful revenge fantasy epic. However whilst the intriguing premise and impressive cast lineup will certainly hook and entice viewers, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ ‘ lacklustre plot , pacing and character-writing became more prominent as the storyline progressed.
In the early exposition of the narrative , Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won attempted to foreground the events from six hundred years ago surrounding the inauspicious birth of main lead Dan Hwal ( Lee Jin-wook). Deemed cursed, Dan Hwal is transformed into a bulgasal ( a vampire-like immortal creature that feasts on human blood), while heroically fighting monsters as a solider. Hwal is determined not to throw away his humanity and seeks out revenge against the former-bulgasal who cursed him. No longer a prisoner of mortality and time, Hwal desperately seeks out the creature’s reincarnations throughout the centuries.
A present day time-skip reveals to the audience that Hwal believes that he’s found the former-bulgasal’s current incarnation Min Sang-Woon (Kwon Na Ra) . However there’s a catch; Sang-Woon is a mortal human. Together with her sister Min Shi Ho ( Gong Seung Yeon), the siblings have spent most of their childhood running away from monsters that most would only believe existed in fairytales. Sang-Woon soon finds her life ineffably intertwined with the monster who she’d be told to fear the most; the bulgasal. Hwal and Sang-Woon find that fate has had a mysterious way of bringing them together as past incarnations of people from the past soon enter their lives. However, the mysterious appearance of sadistic bulgasal Ok Eul Tae ( Lee Joon) soon threatens their fates. With his personal vendetta and morbid fascination with Hwal, Eul Tae is determined to stop at nothing to enact his own revenge.
While screenwriters Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won do give comical moments throughout the drama it is important to establish that these are sparse and spread out. ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ isn’t a series for the lighthearted . The storyline focused upon elements of grim suspense ( particularly through the appearance of the monsters)as well as gratuitous gore . Nevertheless despite some stunning aesthetics surrounding fight scenes, the abundance of explicit violence in director Jang Young-woo’s fantasy series has been received with mixed reception also.
Naturally it isn’t out of the question for a series that primarily focuses upon blood-drinking entities and malicious monsters to delve into bloodthirsty scenes. In fact it is even arguable that the absence of violence from the series would not have allowed director Jang Young Woo to have a wider scope towards exploring and captivating the tainted and savage world of the characters.
On the other hand for a series which attempted to present itself as an narrative immersed with complex and psychologically conflicted characters, it felt odd that ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’’ heavy reliance upon gore and violence for shock-value thrills would rarely allow opportunities in order to flesh-out weaker characters, plot holes or quintessentially deliver an impactful coup de grâce by the ending of the series.
The acting of the series could admittedly have several slip ups with line deliverances but the main cast were fairly dynamic onscreen. Actor Lee Jin-Wook has long been typecast in rom-coms . However, since his venture into different genres through ‘ Voice’ and having previously worked alongside director Jang Young-woo in ‘ Sweet Home’, it should come as no surprise to viewers that Jin-Wook carries himself well onscreen as main lead Hal. The actor added a surprising touch of heartache and mystery to his onscreen persona which, whilst slightly limited by the scope of script, did give Hal an intriguing streak for audiences .
Mysterious, reserved and powerful, Hal is an intriguing main character with many notable flaws and strengths. Despite his curse Hal is able to retain his humanity due many personal drives throughout the series. Nevertheless whilst Hal’s motives were admirable, there was always a slight sense of dull focus upon Hal truly struggling or being presented with more conflict ( due to initial foreshadowing) with his primal instincts . Of course whilst there is the argument that Hal may have used six-hundred years to practice self-restraint, but, it did seem odd that this wasn’t a conflicting trait for a character to struggle more ( even in flashbacks) with an obstacle against his seeming crusade to regain humanity throughout the storyline .
This could’ve easily been presented even in his seeming complicated antagonistic counterpart Eul Tae; a bond which whilst necessary for plot-drive rarely delivered an impactful blow. In addition to this even as someone who was ‘detached’ from human history, it seemed an odd plot fall that Hal rarely gave insight into meeting past incarnations, figures or people throughout this period of time.( Aside from the initial exposition and some brief “ historic” photos shown between the past and present .)
Then of course Jin Wook’s costar Kwon Na Ra as the main female lead of the series. A former idol, Na Ra’s acting portfolio from ‘ My Suspicious Partner’ and ‘ My Mister’ to ‘ Doctor Prisoner’ and ‘ Itaewon Class’ , has certainly given an opportunity for Na Ra to express her eclectic range of acting abilities onscreen. The actress added a surprising level of angst and mystery onscreen helping to convey a natural and mysterious charm to her onscreen role as Min Sang-Woon. Nevertheless, whilst Na Ra is a dynamic actress , her character was arguably very limited by the writing .
It isn’t necessarily bad per say how the drama’s narrative introduced us to Sang-Woon and her sister through initial flashbacks. It allowed us as viewers to comprehend the world that Sang-Woon and Shi Ho have been forced into as a consequence of impending fate, as well as foreshadowing her initial meeting with the main lead . On the other hand, here’s where we do hit a pitfall with Sang-Woon as a character; she’ never really feels as though she has a personal-drive, definitive flaws or goals. It is arguable that perhaps Sang-Woon’s main goal has been to protect her sister and her naivety has proven to be one of her downfalls. On the other hand for a character brought up under unusual circumstances, it seemed odd that the drama rarely pointed out Sang Woon truly being shaped or affected by her environment. Even if her gullible nature is viewed as an arguable weakness of her character, it seem bizarre that other characters ( especially her sister) didn’t point this out or at least draw expectations towards her personality being different from her seemingly “abnormal” upbringing.
Sang Woon and Hal’s unusual bond is presented as seemingly one of the major driving forces of the series. Whilst there is arguably a slight romantic tension between Jin-Wook and Na Ra’s onscreen personas, their relationship is platonic for the most part. Nevertheless whilst it was intriguing to watch Hal and Sang Woon’s bond develop from animosity to sincere trust, both main leads’ relationship could often feel somewhat
stagnant at times. This seemed to come as a result of both main leads’ interactions often feeling enforced and shoehorned into plot setups. As a consequence , this allowed limited opportunities in order to flesh-out characters outside of the “ main events” of the narrative.
Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding Ok Eul Tae. A-lister Lee Joon is no stranger towards taking on different roles throughout his acting career, and his part in the series as Hal’s fellow bulgasal and opponent, Ok Eul Tae, was no exception. Joon added a somewhat twisted charisma to his onscreen persona; likely to shock and intrigue viewers of equal measure.
As an antagonist, Eul Tae is supposed to serve as Hal’s opposing counterpart; he’s sardonic, remorseless and unpredictable. In order to reiterate the opposing natures of Eul Tae and Hal beyond spoken words, director Jang Young-woo would often cleverly place heavy focus through camera angles upon the characters’ clothing. Eul Tae’s bright, expensive and somewhat gaudy suits presenting his illusive personality, whilst Hal’s somewhat drab and dull attire highlighted the main lead’s honest nature.Nevertheless whilst Eul Tae acted as the necessary “ driving force” of the events of the series, the main antagonist rarely left an everlasting impression upon audiences due to often being present as shoehorned “ for the sake of evil”. His rivalry, origins and intrigue surrounding another bulgasal could’ve easily been the most intriguing element in the series. However, lacking opportunities to truly delve into character parallelisms and differences between the main lead, the antagonist and other side character presented few opportunities to make Eul Tae a truly terrifying or well-defined opposing threat. As a consequence Eul Tae could often feel akin to a plot device “ dilemma”; easy to thrown into the equation to present conflict but rarely possessing a definitive edge.
Actress Gong Seung Yeon ( ‘ Are You Human?’, ‘ Circle’ and ‘Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency’) takes on the role as Sang-Woon’s level-headed sister Shi-Ho.Shi Ho was notably intriguing due to her contrasting personality-type to Sang-Woo; she’s less naive, reserved and observant also. On the other hand whilst Shi Ho did serve her necessary purpose for “ plot drive” and revelations in the series, the second female lead could rarely feel entirely sentient due to her lacking opportunities to truly grow or be defined by her own personality traits. ( In particular a massive plot revelation surrounding Shi Ho was left greatly abandoned after its initial use in the series.)
Additionally there’s Nam Do Yoon ( Kim Woo Seok). Whilst Nam Do Yoon was necessary for adding “ shocking twists” in an attempt to keep the plot afloat a, it often felt as though these revelations were predictable outcomes . Screenwriters Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won seemed to create Do Yoon purely on the basis of plot-motivation; attempting to shock and surprise viewers with Do Hoon’s revealed reasons and motives for being in the storyline, but lacking the element of shock or an emotive punch due to lacking foundations surrounding Do Yoon as a character from the outset. Kwon Ho Yeol ( Jung Jin Young) and Hye Suk ( Park Myung Shin) also presided in the supporting cast ; potentially playing intriguing characters, but rarely having personal character-drive.
The pacing of the narrative was admittedly not one of the drama’s fortes. Whilst a pacy opening gave leeway towards downplaying later elements of the storyline in order to build suspense, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ notably fell into the trap of repetitive storyline events. Potentially intriguing opportunities in order to build up characters’ personalities, backstories or even relationships were cast aside in order to make way for a gradually dwindling “ threat” in each passing episode. However rather than attempting to at least create a fearsome presence for the antagonistic force onscreen, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ notably became hooked on tiresomely dragging out events beyond their expiration date.
Under the directing reigns of Jang Young-Woo, ‘ Bulgasal:Immortal Souls’ was notably stunning in parts. The figures and supernatural entities from Korean mythology found throughout the storyline had notable aesthetic and visual influences from Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘ Pan’s Labyrinth’ and Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won’s previous supernatural-horror project The Guest’ onscreen. In addition to creature visuals, the cinematography was a notable highlight with beautifully filmed shots of snow-filled landscapes and scenery often predominating scenes. However despite some gorgeous filming techniques, ‘ Bulgasal:Immortal Souls’ was slightly degraded by its somewhat shoddy CGI and choppy editing; often taking away from potentially stunning and emotive moments of the series.
The OST is notably synchronic with a lot of fight or tense scenes. It does not particularly distract the audience with vocal tracks but rather instrumentals; quintessential for helping to build up tension or reflecting the inner- turmoil of the onscreen characters, but rarely giving an impactful deliverance also.
‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls ’ attempted to give viewers a terrifying and thrilling fantasy horror epic. Interweaving the classic cliche in recent fantasy shows of mostly modern settings against Korean mythology, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls ’ ‘s potentially intriguing screenplay by Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won was greatly let down by the direction of plot. Instead of allowing golden opportunities in order to explore multilayered characters, world-building and a tense storyline, the drama’s layout instead delivered a somewhat niche and shallow array of characters who lacked creative flare, as well as a narrative filled with plot holes also. The ending of the series was notably anticlimactic; rushed in an attempt to wrap up several key plot points, but failing to tie up a satisfying outcome for the plot and characters. Overall, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ was an generic and somewhat niche supernatural series; watchable for those willing to disengage during a binge-watch session , but filled with wasted potential also.
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Twenty-Five, Twenty One’; A Bumpy Trip Down Memory Lane…
Anyone who is aware or familiar with the modern-classic, the ‘Reply’ series, will appreciate that the concept of nostalgia, mysterious flashbacks and trying to piece together events between the past and future ( especially with regards to romantic relationships) are not ground-breaking writing setups.
Nevertheless while ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’ does not play around with a new or an original idea, the narrative did offer viewers with a heartfelt coming-of-age story. In addition to this, ‘ Twenty-Five, Twenty-One’ presented an unravelling mystery. Although the drama could often be captivating, it is important to acknowledge that ‘Twenty-Five, Twenty One’ still suffered at times from inconsistent pacing and execution.
The main narrative and timeline of ‘Twenty Five, Twenty One’ is predominantly set in the late 1990s and focuses upon its two main leads; aspiring athletic fencer, 18 year-old Na Hee Do ( Kim Tae Ri- ‘ Mr .Sunshine’, ‘ The Handmaiden’ and ‘Space Sweepers’ ) and her hardworking ‘’sunbae’’ and potential love interest, college-student Baek Yi Jin ( Nam Joo Hyuk- ‘Who Are You: School 2015’, ‘ Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo’ and ‘ The Light in Your Eyes’).
The second timeline of the series is set in the near-present day. Instead of focusing solely on an adult Hee Do, the subplot instead focuses on Hee Do’s young daughter Kim Min Chae ( Choi Myung Bin- ‘ The King’s Affection’, ‘ Dramaworld2’). Within these future events of the main narrative, adult Hee-Do ( played by Kim So Hyun- ‘The King and I’) is revealed to have been shaped greatly by the unfolding events of her past. She is no longer an optimistic dreamer, and instead has turned into a prudent helicopter parent; attempting to mould Min Chae into becoming a prodigal ballerina through a regimented routine and regime, but without always acknowledging her daughter’s personal feelings and dreams.
Annoyed and fed up by her mother’s micromanaging, Min Chae is shocked when she stumbles upon her mother’s old diaries, photos and journals. Intrigued, she begins to digress through her mother’s personal coming-of-age accounts during the aftermath of the 1997 IMF crisis. Min Chae is astounded to follow her mother’s journey and slowly begins to understand more about her mother’s past and circumstances, especially with regards to her complicated feelings for Baek Yi-Jin.
Screenwriter Kwon Do Eun is most likely known by viewers for her critically-successful screenplay ‘Search: WWW’. Similar to her previous work, Kwon Do Eun added a similar stylistic approach of heart-warming angst and multi-layered characters throughout the screenplay for ‘Twenty-Five, Twenty-One’.
However despite several tonal similarities between Do Eun’s screenplays, it is important to note that ‘Twenty-Five, Twenty-One’ takes a different approach with its storytelling, particularly by using a non-linear narrative. Non-linear narratives can allow for some brilliant opportunities in order for screenwriters to explore character-depth, intensify climatic build-ups through flashbacks and flashforwards, as well as helping to entice the audience.
This was particularly apparent in ‘Twenty-Five, Twenty-One’ via the main storyline by focusing upon the potential romantic relationship between Hee Do and Yi Jin, as well as the complicated mother-daughter bond between Hee Do and Min Chae during certain scenes in the subplot surrounding events in the present-day.
With regards to the latter mentioned plot point, the potential onscreen chemistry between Hee Do and Yi-Jin was quintessential towards impacting events in the narrative. Admittedly and refreshingly rather than allowing the storyline to be entirely focused upon the romantic elements of Hee Do and Yi-Jin’s relationship, the series offered opportunities also for viewers to divulge deeper into the aspirations and sentience of the characters at times.
In particular, this was shown through the difficult journey taken at times by the female lead and male lead through different complicated situations and interactions. For the female lead, this was apparent throughher prickly relationship with her mother and news anchor Shin Jae Kyung ( Seo Jae Hee- ‘Run On’, ‘ Artificial City; and ‘The Youngest Son Of A Conglomerate’) as well as her rivalry with with Go Yoo-rim ( Bona ‘ Hit The Top’, ‘ Girls’ Generation 1979’ and ‘ Your House Helper’).
For male lead Yi-Jin, his personal conflicts came early on in the series. After his father’s affluent business went bankrupt nearly overnight during the economic crisis, Yi-Jin was forced to take on several part-time jobs in order to make ends meet. However, Yi-Jin feels as though he has struck gold after landing a position at a broadcasting company. Yet similar to the female lead’s personal struggles in order to attain her dreams, Yi-Jin soon acknowledges that his journey into the television industry isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
Nevertheless although the narrative helped to offer moments for characters to feel dynamic, it is hard to ignore that Hee Do and Yi-Jin were still shoehorned at times into specific roles and scenarios in order to drag-out misunderstandings and angst. In particular this was often prominent through Yi-Jin’s age difference and dating experience in comparison to Hee Do, who was sometimes subjugated during some of these moments as a victim of her own inexperience.
This wasn’t entirely a bad writing decision per say. Although age difference relationships can often be the subject of debate in narratives, when approached tactfully, they can allow for some intriguing explorations into setups, character archetypes and sociological barriers between love interests. Nevertheless although some praise should be given to Do Eun’s overtness with the setup and subject matter tackled, it is still notable that, Yi-Jin and Hee Do’s dilemmas could often feel somewhat cliché and enforced. Perhaps this was also due to the fact that of these misunderstandings and climatic scenarios ( particularly incidents where Hee Do would jump to conclusions or misconceptions about Yi-Jin) did become more repetitive as episodes progressed.
Kim Tae Ri and Nam Joo Hyuk starred as main leads and potential lovers. Kim Tae Ri added a likeable charm to her onscreen persona, Hee Do. It is a difficult feat at times for an actor playing the role of a younger character to adopt specific mannerisms or characteristics in order to make their performance feel authentic. Nevertheless although there were some moments of overblown dialogue, Kim Tae Ri brilliantly helped to bring young Hee Do to life through her bubbly character and personality. In addition to Tae Ri, A-lister actor Nam Joo Hyuk co-starred alongside the actress as main male lead Baek Yi-Jin. Although there were moments initially where Joo Hyuk’s performance could feel somewhat stilted by his limited screen time and interactions with the female lead, Joo Hyuk was gradually allowed more opportunities in order to add an emotive edge to his onscreen character.
It is important to point out that the main leads’ onscreen chemistry was decent enough. Kim Tae Ri and Nam Joo Hyuk’s initial chemistry felt somewhat stagnant in parts, but certainly did improve as episodes progressed.
In addition to the romantic relationship explored between the main leads in the series, there is also another important bond covered in the subplot; the relationship between Hee Do and her daughter. Kim So Hyun takes on the role as the adult-version of Hee Do. It seemed surprising considering the respectful age of Kim Tae Ri, that another actress was cast to play an older version of her character. Nevertheless, So Hyun helped to embody a certain believability with her onscreen performance. Alongside actress Kim So Hyun, co-star and child actress Choi Myung Bin delivered a brilliant performance as Hee Do’s daughter Kim Min Chae.
The maternal bond explored in ‘Twenty-Five, Twenty One’ between the main female lead’s adult-self and her daughter is arguably one of the most intriguing as well as shoehorned subplots in the drama’s narrative. Of course, screenwriter Kwon Do Eun added a certain level of depth to the onscreen relationship. Hee Do’s reasons for becoming a “controlling figure” within her daughter’s life are more complex than merely out of spite or jealousy. ( Her relationship with her own mother playing a big part with wanting to give opportunities to Min Chae.) Similarly while it would be easy to portray Min Chae as the “ fractious” daughter, Min Chae’s frustration seemed to reflect a lot of convoluted feelings.
Nevertheless despite Do Eun’s presentation of the relationship, it is hard to ignore that while this was still only a subplot, the storyline revolving around Min Chae and Hee Do was often shoehorned into a limited time frame, with inconsistent time-skips and flittering in between rarely helping to smooth out this counterplot by the ending of the series.
Sadly this was a slight problem with ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’. Although the narrative was heavily focused upon the events of the main leads and their complex potential onscreen chemistry, subplots and side characters could often be left out of the equation. This was mainly due to the fact that in a time space of sixteen episodes, the narrative had to be compact and focusing upon the main narrative rather than homing in on side plots did become necessary as episodes progressed.
On the other hand this is admittedly where ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’ could sometimes hit a slight rut; the side characters and subplots were often somewhat inconsistent and rushed. Even in a non-linear narrative, the series would often leave certain side characters’ intriguing backstories and character-arcs on the sideline, briefly explored in order to fill in screen time though rarely given a concise conclusion by the series finale. ( This was apparent for side characters such as Go Yoo-rim, Hee Do’s rival, played by idol-actress Bona [ Hit The Top’, ‘ Girls’ Generation 1979’ and ‘ Your House Helper’], Choi Hyun-Wook’s [ Real:Time:Love ’, ‘ Racket Boys] role as Hee Do’s popular classmate Moon Ji-woong, Lee-Joo Myung’s [ My Fellow Citizens!’, ‘Missing: The Other Side’ and ‘ Kairos’ ] role as Ji-woong’s childhood friend, Ji Seung-wan and of course Hee Do’s daughter played by Choi Myung Bin, Min Chae.)
Nevertheless it is hard to ignore that while there were some evident inconsistencies with pacing, ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’ was able to encapsulate a certain nostalgic and retro tone through the visionary eye of director Jung Ji Hyun ( ‘ You Are My Spring’, ‘ Search: WWW’). The opening of the series brings forth a stylistic approach of fuzzy gradients and vivid title sequences, akin to the opening credits of a TV show from a VHS tape.
There is also a subtle difference placed between the present day scenes and the past ; drab and mundane shots are suddenly animated to life in flashbacks through an explosion of vivid palettes and warm tones, helping to capture the buzzing warmth and joie de vivre of Hee Do’s youth. ( One of the most memorable and striking parallel scenes drawn between the past and present day being through the bubblegum blue diner that Min Chae is shown to visit with her mother in the present day. The bright blues are strikingly odd against the mundane attire of the characters. In the same episode, a parallel scene is shown through Yi-Jin’s visit to a similar diner; instead strikingly bright and warm through the bubbly and rose-tinted perspective of the past.)
As for the comprised soundtrack of the series, ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’ is admittedly less ambitious than it should’ve been. For a series set against the backdrop of the late 90s where music (especially in South-Korea ) was being explored and pushed beyond conventional tastes, it felt odd that ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’ was somewhat limited to an array of somewhat generic upbeat love ballads and schmaltzy pop singles. Nevertheless it is important to acknowledge that there are some catchy songs within the OST , in particular TAEIL’s “Starlight (스타라이트)" remaining one of the most memorable tracks throughout the series .
Overall ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’ is a coming of age tale which offered a nostalgic and poignant reflection for viewers upon youth and childhood. The issues of chasing dreams, the difficulties of being at the passing boundaries between childhood and adulthood as well as struggling with friendships and young love, were central and universal messages within the drama’s narrative. However despite the bubbling sweetness of ‘ Twenty Five, Twenty One’, the series wasn’t without its more apparent faults of inconsistent pacing either. Nevertheless viewers will likely be captivated by the narrative’s refreshing and lighthearted nostalgia ride, niche in parts, but surprisingly offering several shocking twists and turns by the finale. Overall a very good watch.
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Enjiya ( 演じ屋);The Bittersweet Revenge Tale…
Revenge tales have long been the creme de la creme of classic drama storylines , however, “Enjiya” attempts to revamp this classic setup with our main lead Tomoki ( Isomura Hayato)’s own dish of revenge best served cold . Falsely accused of sexual assault on a train by a stranger ( Ito Momoka) and her accomplice ( Ito Asahi), Tomoki finds his life turned upside down by losing his fiancée ( Tokunaga Eri) and his job overnight. Tomoki journeys to a rooftop in order to commit suicide, only to be a witness to an “enjiya” ( the namesake of the drama); a staged event where clients can request anything they want for a pricey fee. Tomoki decides to employ the services of a mysterious enjiya worker Aika ( Nao) in order to inflict revenge upon all those who falsely accused him of this wrongdoing .
There was a lot of uncertainty where PD Noguchi Teruo ( as the screenwriter and director) was initially going to take “ Enjiya”. Revenge tropes revolving around the lead as a “ wronged person” popularly take form in getting revenge against a lover or ex often over other setups, so seeing a drama where the male main lead was more focused upon his revenge against a set-group of individuals( including strangers) than a lover per say definitely made this a different, yet intriguing watch. The drama flits between soap-opera-style setups (such as when a distraught Tomoki discovers his fiancée’s boyfriend) and of course dark satire and comedy ( Tomoki’s awkward discovery that the seemingly stabbed woman, Aika, is actually acting for a client in a disturbing and lewd fantasy).
Yet the vitality of this setup would undeniably not have come to life without its main cast. Whilst Isomura Hayato is often an overlooked actor by respectfully starring in lesser-known dramas/productions or side roles, he really shone through onscreen as Tomoki. The actor’s donned sloppy haircut, anxiety and mix of emotions present in his facial features captivated Tomoki’s character, emotions and psyche perfectly. Parallel to Isomura was evidently actress Nao who played suave and mysterious enjiya worker Aika. Similar to her costar , Nao has often played in lesser-known works or in smaller roles over the years, yet her performance here was undeniably one of the main highlights of the drama also.
As far as the rest of the casting choices are concerned, the acting is a bit of a mixed-bag respectfully. This isn’t to say it was unwatchable or dragging down any of the other actors, but some performances were admittedly better than others during certain moments of tension or angst . Adding onto this was also Noguchi Teruo’s screenwriting logic also. The screenwriter and director has respectfully suffered from this problem and mixed-criticism for this exact reason in the past and it is evident to see where problems arise here; the logic of characters, as well as realistic scenarios were fairly hare-brained at the best of the times. Actions of characters could sometimes feel lacklustre or out of place by failing to build-up more complexity. Then of course there’s the issue with minor details. This was shown such as with the train seemingly having few mentions of CCTV footage ( and even if was obscured and misinterpreted why it wasn’t covered in more detail), the criminal records of Tomoki’s accusers not coming under fire at least once in the police questioning and of course the fact that Tomoki seemed to have “ no one to lean on” ( not even mentions of friends or family) after the incident also.
However even amongst its more evident mistakes and it’s surreal premise the drama wasn’t afraid to try to tackle trickier subject areas and topics . The prominent premise of the drama itself revolves around the illicit and unusual trend in Japanese culture of unique businesses which accommodate themselves to the unusual services of their clients. This can range from customers looking for a romantic love interest, friend , a confidant, maid and even a fake family member for various reasons and often for extortionate prices. Consequently Teruo’s drama offers a surprisingly dark reflection upon modern Japanese culture and isn’t afraid to pack a punch when needed.
The ending offers a classic case of a dish of revenge best served cold- it’s bittersweet but a concise ending to the story. Overall ‘ Enjiya’ can easily be overlooked by many due to fuzzy camera quality and set designs often coming across outdated and marks of a novice filmmaker, however, the storyline was oddly intriguing . Whilst certain characters ( including our antagonists) could’ve done with more development and build-up, the story offered an engaging take on the revenge trope. A surprisingly good watch.
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A “ Journey” Into The Unknown Depths Of The Human Psyche...
It remains apparent in recent years, Chinese productions are trying to offer a more liberal expression ( despite the enforced censorship laws) over their own culture. It is undeniable that director Ju Xing Mao ‘s contemporary psychological drama “ Journey Across The Night”, attempts to do this by portraying the “ grittier” issue of mental health in its urban setting of bustling Hong Kong.The show was intriguing with its overarching episodes feeding into different topical issues and cases of psychological horror ( paranoia, schizophrenia, psychosis, repressed trauma and depression to name just several) and fairly original, yet nonetheless, the show didn’t truly seem to live up to what should have been a “ brilliant” psychological drama either. By default, “ Journey Across The Night” had all the right elements of being a good drama; a wonderful cast, captivating cinematography, an intriguing premise and characters, but, as the show progressed, it was soon apparent that the drama became its very own worst enemy from a pacing and story - development perspective.
Joseph Zeng stars as psychology student Li Jia , a new arriver in Hong Kong, hoping to finally study at University and find a way to escape his family’s dark and ill-fated history of schizophrenia . Enlisting the help of his professor and trained psychologist Cheng Ming Xuan ( Laurence Ng), Li Jia’s hopes to find some form of normality in Hong Kong, are dashed when he ends up getting involved with Zhang Cha Cha ( Cherry Ngan) and Shi Cheng ( Zhou Cheng Ao) , two individuals who are revealed to have their own onslaught of problems which will gradually push and test Li Jia to all of his limits.
For a show which built itself upon a seemingly unexpected and fast-paced ride into the unknown, the drama’s biggest dilemma was that it was incredibly slow-paced at times. Arguably, this is sometimes necessary for story development , and did allow for some characters such as Cha Cha to shift from being the “ annoying” -sister type for our male lead to more of a complicated love interest. On the other hand, numerous characters in the drama were often cast-aside in favour of either a new “ horror” tale or the slightly lacklustre “ romance” factor present , yet, none so was this more apparent than with our own male lead Li Jia.
Thanks to the talents of Joseph Zheng, Li Jia was arguably one of the most intriguing characters of the show ; a mysterious new arrival in Hong Kong with a prominent desire for normality and to “ save” himself from his family’s ill-fate, a traumatic past and a unique ability to attract new friends and people into his life. Nevertheless Li Jia’s biggest flaw was that he lacked a lot of actual character depth. Whilst it is evident that the show wanted to keep us in the dark about certain elements of Li Jia as a character, it’s hard to truly assess or come to terms with what we see with Li Jia’s “ growth” or “ traumas” being switched-off and on in favour of being used as a plot device, rather than actual characterisation or growth by the ending of the drama .
Whilst Journey Across The Night had an intriguing premise and a fairly decent cast , the show intrinsically lacked a driving factor ( sans Li Jia’s reasons for travelling to Hong Kong) which often made overarching storylines feel disjointed as well as many characters ( including our main protagonist) introduced in the show, one-dimensional.
As past reviews have mentioned, the ending of The Journey Across The Night is a matter of personal opinion more than anything else . An appropriate, yet unexpected twist for a psychological drama , the actual delivered finale just felt too abrupt, sudden and lacking in actual depth to wrap off the many encountered loose ties of the series , than to be counted as a delivered ending. Overall, a decent show if you’re looking for something to binge-watch, but there are certainly better psychological dramas out there than this one.
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A “ Record” Of A Waste Of Time....
Despite its fresh appeal with Bo Gum with a suave pre- Military haircut and So-Dam’s brilliance as a witty makeup artist, the drama was simply lacklustre . Although the drama did obviously touch upon the problems of relationships ( familial and romantic) as well as career choices for our young protagonists, Record of Youth simply reduced most of the characters to nothing more than plot devices throughout the drama.
On one note of appraisal , Bo- Gum was (,as usual,)brilliant within channeling the soul of his character, Hye-Jun. Playing an “underdog” model and aspiring actor, Park Bo Gum did seem to truly step into fleshing out a character , who was rawly undercooked in depth and characterisation by the scriptwriters through his ability to portray the raw emotion of Hye- Jun throughout the drama.
Sadly, however, the scriptwriters didn’t give any justice towards Bo-Gum’s character, Hye- Jun.
This was defined by one fatal mistake by the scriptwriters’ focus upon Hye- Jun as a plot device in regards to his his relationship with Jeong- Ha, meaning that any characterisation that viewers see throughout the drama for Hye-Jun, is severely underdeveloped by the ending of the show.
The most notable example towards this problem, had to be from his sudden “ anger” to “ apathy” around his father and brother and of course his shared love for his mother and grandfather . Whilst his initial feelings towards his father and brother in the beginning of the show was understandable, it was a strange leap in Hye- Jun character to suddenly go from being incredibly infuriated at times by his father and brother, to simply “ not caring” and remaining “ cool- headed”. This would have been understandable if we’d actually see Hye- Jun progress with the plot, but instead, any emotional capacity he possessed as a character is simply thrown away by the near ending of the show. In particular, this is also portrayed by his attitude to Jeong- Ja and his careless decisions within their relationship.
This of course moves us onto So- Dam as Jeong- Ha, a witty makeup artist with her own dreams to become a beauty influencer. Parallel to Bo-Gun’s acting, So- Dam was brilliant within capturing the comical and heart driven moments of her character and therefore there is no denying that Jeong-Ha seemed to be more developed as a character upon some grounds that Hye- Jun.
This also includes the ability towards viewers actually learning why Jeong- Ha aspired to be a makeup artist from her father, something which we never really learn in depth as to why Hye- Jun wanted to be an actor apart from the fact that “ he wanted to do it for a long time”. Additionally, it was refreshing also to come across a level- headed female lead who isn’t ditsy in a relationship, or starts a screaming match with her enemies, but approaches things in a calm , succinct and realistic manner as an intelligent and reasonable individual .( Such as being professional whilst dealing with a senior makeup artist determined to make her life hell.)
Despite her strengths, sadly Jeong- Ha’s greatest flaws from the scriptwriters probably did also come from making Jeong- Ha sometimes a little too “level- headed” than for her own good. Whilst this did naturally add to the “ drama” of the show, it was just as bad for other reasons that Jeong- Ha did not speak out or communicate with Hye- Jun about her feelings or respected boundaries within their relationship. Her attitude towards encouraging and growing closer to Hye- Jun’s best friend Won Hae-hyo ( Byeon Woo- Seok) , was understandable due to her anger towards Hye- Jun, but it seemed both unfair and unkind (regardless of her excuses )towards leading Hae- Hyo on in such a manner. By the ending of the show, a lot of Jeong- Ha’s strengths were sadly greatly overshadowed by her decisions as a consequence.
Ironically, whilst normally I wouldn’t comment upon the reasons of a second Male for chasing after the female lead in such a cliche manner , Woo Seok’s portrayal of Hae- Hyo as a Male lead who has had everything handed to him on a silver plate by his mother, Kim Yi-young ( Shin Ae- Ra), did add some understanding as to why Jeong- Ha became such a figure of interest for him.
One of the biggest emotional trials which Woo Seok comes to grasp with in the show, is realising simply how overbearing his loving mother truly is within controlling every aspect of his life ( including his career) and his sister’s ( a part of freedom which manifests within his sister dating another one of his best friends).
With the fact that his best friend , Hye- Jun, has had the freedom to chase his own dreams and aspire to do acting on his own part, the aspiration of chasing after his best friend’s girl did add the note of a cliche. On the other hand, this understanding towards why Woo- Seok was intrigued by Jeong- Ha, wasn’t left blank for viewers by the scriptwriters. This was simply because Woo Seok wanted control over a relationship. This of course , did add
some explanation and depth to his decisions, but it was overly cliche and stepped across several boundaries of disrespect for both Hye- Jun as a friend and of course Jeong- Ha within the drama as nothing more than an object for both Hye- Jun and Woo- Seok to use.
Whilst of course the drama did delve into some additional “ youth issues” (including a minor plot line of homosexuality,which was only brushed upon for the plot to advance), the drama really didn’t add enough depth or even covered the universal issues as a youth drama. Although we must bear into respect Korean culture and “ sensitive topics”, it was still too glossed over not to come across a youth drama which tackles issues such as drinking , partying, or even smoking , especially with the younger characters’ ages. This is not to glorify these acts in any manner, but, these are issues which realistically, most youths tackle fairly universally ( especially in Korea). For a drama to not even mildly suggest these youths have never done such an act, seemed more of a commentary upon appeasing younger audiences to “ not do this in real life” , than to learn about the real world for youths.
In addition to that his, there was of course the glossed over image of the fashion and makeup industry as well. Whilst naturally the drama did delve into the problems of “ scandals” for Korean celebrities and of course blackmail, these issues became overly repetitive. This of course is an issue which tackles many celebrities on a daily basis in a Korea, but did we really need to have this screamed at us by Hye- Jun’s manager Lee Min Jae ( Shin Dong Mi) for several episodes without thinking to tell Hye- Jun to be more cautious? Probably, not.
In reality, there was little actually exposed about the severity of other issues in these respected industries ( especially fashion ). It’s understandable that the drama didn’t want to delve into this too much in in order to focus on the relationship of Jeong Ha and Hye Jun, but, there was still a lot of exposed ground which the drama could’ve covered on even briefly. Not least, the actual problems for young models upon eating disorders, smoking , diets and of course especially, for young makeup artists, revenue and exploitation as well. For a drama not to even cover upon the issues in addition to poor characterisation, left Record of Youth as a forgettable and cliche show which did not tread any new ground upon Korean dramas.
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Reviewing A Classic In Retrospect; Kore-eda’s Philosophical Experiment…
Looking back in retrospect ‘ After Life’ ( 1999) is one of those movies which few Asian film enthusiasts know about unless they’ve been told or stumbled upon it before. Admittedly it’s understandable as to why ‘ After Life’ is often buried in the past- it’s heavy-going and arguably slightly dated within its filming techniques and appearances, but there’s also something oddly distinctive about director Kore-eda's approach to the movie.
The premise is simple enough: what happens after death. However contrary to a heavenly or a hellish after place which exists in so many other religions, Kore-eda a takes a visionary approach to the afterlife where the dead stay in a house for a week and are given the choice to hold onto one memory out of all others to preserve as they enter the afterlife. Over the film’s duration length capturing just one week in this mystical plane, 22 recently deceased mortals visit the lodge each with their own stories to tell and problems to face.
Kore-eda recalled that during the screenwriting process he was inspired by the crucial importance of memories during the onset of his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s, leading him to become curious about ideologies and views of individuals. This process led him to interview reportedly more than 500 individuals about their experiences and which are embellished throughout the film.
However whilst the storylines present interesting food for thought from a teenage girl who wants to relive her experiences at Disneyland ( before choosing something more personal after an epiphany), an old libertine who decided to choose a surprisingly sentimental memory and others choosing simple daily pleasures ( such as a bus ride) in different seasons, ‘ After Life’ often struggled to tackle these experiences in more sentimental depth. This is mainly because whilst there are many intriguing characters, there’s little time to actually give them screen time to be explored more thoroughly.
Throughout the duration of the move there are only three characters onscreen to be given dominant screen time; Ichiro Watanabe (Taketoshi Naito), a 70-year old businessman who died in the wake of an unsatisfactory life of menial work , and his afterlife guardians , Takashi Mochizuki (Arata) and Shiori Satonaka (Erika Oda). Whilst later revelations provide a climatic ( and then anti- climatic) revelation towards a shared link between Takashi and Watanabe, the build-up and resolution often lacked a more intriguing drive to viewers due to its slow pacing being intertwined with its shared other residents onscreen .
Of course this isn’t to bring down ‘ After Life’ entirely as in addition to its more philosophical and profound themes found in the storyline, Kore-eda is a masterful planner with the film’s cinematography also. Enlisting the talents of Yamazaki Yutaka ( who had previously won awards for his artistic filming in documentaries) through shooting on a 16 mm film as well as famous photographer Sukita Masayoshi in flashback sequences through a 8 mm, and 16 mm film in monochrome, ‘ After Life’ is visually memorable. Minimalistic filming techniques of snow, long empty halls and unoccupied rooms present a great contrast to the clever representation of the modern Japanese way station through limbo to the afterlife ; a reflection of the inescapable and fascinating mundane reality of the afterlife. Just as the rest of the film offers profound moments and should be counted by interpretation, the ending offers a reflective experience also.
So what is left to take from ‘ After Life’ ; is it a movie worth watching or is is overly dull and pretentious? ‘ After Life’ is a movie which even for the most erudite viewer is borderline mind-numbing at times with slow burn dialogue and cinematography dominating screen time. Of course this isn’t to say that the film is bad or unwatchable. Director Kore-eda’s imagination is reflected throughout the film’s palettes and concept, with poignancy reflected in each memory, as well as deeper questioning as revelations to come light. By far more intriguing food for thought than entertaining or exhilarating, ‘ After Life’ is not an easygoing movie and will likely not be to everyone’s personal tastes or likes. However those willing to delve into the film’s philosophical experiments and experience, will likely commend the film for being an intriguing piece of Japanese film history.
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Undeniably, Seo Kang Joon truly stole the show within his dual performance as callous hearted businessman Nam Shin, and of course our loveable and naive robot main lead Nam Shin III. Whilst most actors struggle to make subtle assertions for audiences when they are playing dual characters, it was intriguing to note from expressions and body language, the evident difference between human and robot Nam Shin. For audiences, it truly felt as though we were watching two different actors onscreen with Joon’s effortless transition from naive Nam Shin III in one scene with his bodyguard , friend and later love interest Kang So Bong (Gong Seung Yeon) to the sardonic and cynical Shin in the next moment.
Seo Kang Joon was naturally asset to his brilliant persona as both Shins in the series, however, it was also thanks to the fairly well-written characterisation of screenwriter Jo Jung Joo that allowed Joon to fully innovate his acting skills and array of emotions onscreen. As audiences, we are supposed to note the clear differences between both Shins as characters and our sentiments towards them. The human Nam Shin is put forwards to be cynical, selfish and aloof, whilst ironically the robot Nam Shin III maintains a benign sense of innocence and altruism throughout the series. Whilst it did feel a little enforced for us to stereotype human Nam Shin as “ the one we aren’t supposed to like” and Nam Shin III as the “ favourable hero”, it was surprisingly well-tackled how screenwriter Jung Joo subverted from this obvious “ black and white” framing by slowly explaining previous flashbacks and its foregrounding behind the personality split of our two characters.
Without spoiling too much for viewers, the human Nam Shin isn’t intrinsically someone who is intrinsically “ evil”, ( though certainly not a virtuous figure either ) but an individual trying to retract from years of emotional and psychological neglect by both his parents. From a young age, Nam Shin has been forced to grow up fast by being wary of others ( thus Lee Joon Hyuk’s character Ji Young Hoon being one of the few friends that Nam Shin has in the show) and having his innocence and naivety stripped away from him at such a young age.
In contrast Nam Shin III was built upon the memories of the “ innocent” Shin by his mother and scientist Oh Ro Ra ( Kim Sung Ryun). Shin III was brought up in a complicated, yet fairly familial environment by Ro Ra and her scientific partner David ( Choi Deok Moon) with a sense of emotional stability and respect kept between the trio. This is what makes Shin III an oddly likeable, and heartwarming character; he grows to develop his own individualistic core, free from machinery and wires unlike many of the “ humans” in the series based upon his emotional and human experiences. It is because of this that the human Nam Shin gradually grows to detest Nam Shin III; his machine counterpart that still reflects a life that he never had of innocence and being loved openly by his mother.
The relationship and obstacles which occurred between both Nam Shins was easily the tour de force of the series, however, a notable problem which did arise within the portrayal can probably be found in a later and hard-hitting plot twist for both characters. Although it does notably effect Nam Shin III more based upon his circumstances, it felt a little lacklustre in the grand scheme of the show to not consider Nam Shin’s own reaction towards this news in more emotional manner by allowing us viewers to get rid of the previous barricades or isolation around him and actually allows us to see him as an individual, rather than a plot mechanism.
On the other hand, it is important to not forget the brilliance of Gong Seung Yeon’s role as Shin’s bodyguard So Bong. Although arguably a little less in the limelight due to her simplistic role in manner of speaking as the “ love interest” of the series, Seung Yeon was able to capture something truly brilliant within her development of body language and general ambiance around Nam Shin III. As a character, So Bong is used as the archetype of the “ fearless female lead” and for a major proportion of the series, screenwriter Jung Joo plays upon this role for So Bong for all it’s worth.However, there was something oddly heartwarming behind So Bong as a character and her growth at times throughout the series. Initially starting as dishonest and an opportunist, So Bong’s relationship with Nam Shin III is intricately complicated, yet oddly allows us her to reveal her true self as a kind-hearted advocate of the robot. Additionally it was certainly refreshing that So Bong did not fall for the cliche trick in K-dramas of being in a love triangle with human Nam Shin, even notably accepting the fact that regardless of whether Nam Shin and Nam Shin III were identical, she’d always hold more faith in Nam Shin III due to his purer principles.
Naturally this does draw us onto whether the relationship between a robot and human was too problematic within its promiscuous undertones, or notably heart-rendering within this series. Whilst it does draw in some ethical questions which did feel a little glossed at times within the drama , the relationship between So Bong and Nam Shin was fundamentally the ideology of “ boundless love” for both characters, as well as surprisingly well-developed with the ridiculousness of the setup . It was refreshing for once that the two love interests were given time to actually develop a bond as friends before moving on with their relationship. Fundamentally, whilst the romance factor could have fallen into the trap of becoming an unnecessary quality in the series of interesting science-fiction elements and high budget CGI , it instead helped the strength the bonds and character development between the two main lead’s overall.
However, despite being enjoyable, the series was not flawless within its execution; minor plot inconsistencies became apparent in the storyline, and for those with analytical minds, it may appear additionally frustrating that the characters do not evidently address the elephants in the room of these evident mounting problems arising into their view and refusing to do anything for the sake of “ plot development” in the storyline . Nevertheless, the final ending of ‘ Are You Human Too?’ was surprisingly bittersweet for audiences, with an intriguing ending scene which was purposefully symbolic .
Therefore it is undeniable to probably take away that ‘ Are You Human Too?’ did have a brilliant premise, undeniably brilliant CGI which did not undermine the more serious moments of the series and fairly decent characterisation as well. In terms of acting, Seo Kang Joon was certainly fairly brilliant ( alongside his costar Seung Yeon), in his dual role as Nam Shin III/ Nam Shin with an ability to beguile audiences through both of his performances.Yet whilst it would be fun to claim that all the acting and characterisation in the show was top-notch, there were a couple of notably questioning moments and cliche story-writing, not least through Park Hwan Nee’s role as Shin’s fiancée Seo Ya Na and the moustache-twirling “threat” of the series, Seo Jong Gil ( Yoo Oh Sung) and plot inconsistencies to be wary of. On the other hand, there’s no denying that overall ‘ Are You Human Too?’ was a well-written romance and as science-fiction and fantasy drama, which is certainly worth watching as an escape from ordinary conventions.
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‘ Snowdrop’; Where To Begin With One Of 2021/22’s Most Divisive Dramas…
It isn’t uncommon for dramas to sometimes land themselves in hot water over various scandals in South -Korea and JTBC and Disney’s ‘ Snowdrop’ is no exception to this problem . Of course, this shouldn’t prevent viewers from enjoying a series or affect the overall quality .
The storyline of ‘ Snowdrop’ was intriguing, the casting choices are certainly impressive and there are admittedly some surprisingly impactful tour de force moments also. On the other hand, it’s hard not to address one of the biggest elephants in the room surrounding ‘ Snowdrop’’s mixed-reception and controversy; the storyline’s time-setting and take upon historical events.
The backdrop of the narrative focuses upon the precursor events leading up to the historical 1987 political movement in South-Korea. Eun Young-ro ( Jisoo) is a student at Hosu Women’s University and the daughter of the director of the Agency For National Security Planning (ANSP) Eun Chang-soo (Heo Joon-ho). After a blind date, Young-ro ends up meeting the mysterious Im Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in). A man of few words and having previously studied abroad at a prestigious university in Berlin, Soo-Ho captures Young-ro’s interests with his like-minded tastes and philosophies . However after Soo-Ho stumbles through a window at the university, covered in blood and wounds, Young-ro is forced to face some shocking truths and revelations about her crush Im Soo-Ho…
It is important to note that whilst there are some inescapable elements of “fluffy” and lighthearted romance in ‘ Snowdrop’, venerable screenwriter Yoo Hyun Mi (‘Bridal Mask’, ‘ SKY Castle) and director Jo Hyun Tak ( ‘ Who Are You?’, ‘ SKY Castle’) mainly focus upon the network of political mind games and tension throughout the storyline . In particular, screenwriter Yoo Hyun Mi adds a notably sardonic tone towards political strife and satire in 1980s South and North Korea.
On the other hand, Yoo Hyun Mi often seemed unsure at times towards the direction of the drama. Whilst it isn’t out of the question for a series to attempt to relieve tension with lighthearted banter, niche setups and comic relief, the screenwriter could often overplay at times somewhat fractious comedy and scenes without interspersing this into the storyline with more tact. In addition to this there is admittedly a complex issue to bring up surrounding the wider controversy of the drama; the fictional take upon real-life events and figures.
The series often attempted to depict important figures and events with a certain artistic licence. Whilst it is arguable that a lot of the storyline events were only loosely based upon the memoirs of a former POW and were never supposed to be a “fly-on-the-wall” depiction of events , it is still a sticky situation when viewers become aware of the actual historical context. ( In particular, the drama’s somewhat “glossy” depiction of tragic historical figures, groups and events without acknowledging brutal realities. )
Controversy aside , ‘ Snowdrop’ admittedly offered viewers a fairly impressive casting lineup, specifically with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, rising star Jung Hae-in and A-lister Yoo In Na drawing attention for viewers .
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo starred as the main attraction of the drama as main female lead Eun Young-ro. Whilst Jisoo’s initial performance was admittedly somewhat questionable, the BLACKPINK idol’s acting debut was certainly decent enough with an ability to capture an emotive edge to her character in later episodes.
Costarring alongside Jisoo was main male lead Im Soo Hoo as Jung Hae-in ( ‘ D.P’, ‘ Prison Playbook’, ‘ Something In The Rain’). The actor is no stranger towards taking on versatile roles and whilst there were moments that Hae-in’s delivered dialogue could feel somewhat stiff, Hae-in was able to add a surprisingly complex charm to his onscreen persona.
The chemistry between our main leads is admittedly mixed at the best of the times. Whilst the events surrounding Jisoo and Hae-in’s onscreen counterparts are quintessential towards the main storyline, the actors’ onscreen chemistry could feel somewhat stunted due to few opportunities in order to explore the scope of their characters’ onscreen relationship.
Yoo Hyun Mi’s pacing of the series was variable. Whilst she allowed some opportunities to see tension buildup and gradual events unfold, the attempt to drag -out plot points even in a space of sixteen episodes, could often lead to events of the narrative feeling somewhat tedious and dull. In particular, screenwriter Yoo Hyun Mi fell into a notable habit of inducing a tense plot point, climatically building up events only to deliver a somewhat anticlimactic and trope-induced result and then repeat. ( In particular, the conclusion of the series suffering from the full weight of Hyun Mi’s formula.)
Nevertheless it is noteworthy that under the directing reigns of Jo Hyun Tak, the filming of ‘ Snowdrop’ is professional, slick and stylistic. The oozing tone of gradients and camera shots helped to convey the tension of key plot points and in addition to the emotive OST composed by Kim Tae Seung, helped to present ‘ Snowdrop’ with an aesthetic flare.
Jo Hyun Tak and Yoo Hyun Mi’s ‘ Snowdrop’ is a series which will likely satisfy and displease viewers of equal measure. The controversy surrounding the drama’s depiction of historical events is an unavoidable issue. On the hand whilst ‘ Snowdrop’ did boast a star-studded cast, a venerable screenwriter and director behind the scenes as well as some emotional punches , the drama did admittedly still suffer under the weight of poor-pacing, predictable setups and lacklustre opportunities to explore characters and impactful events ( including the ending) with more depth. Controversial, emotive yet somewhat niche in parts, ‘ Snowdrop’ is a drama which whilst watchable, will still divide audiences greatly…
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