Miss Romcom

Fun like Fast & the Furious!

If you are looking to get your fill on some thrilling car chase scenes, I would suggest giving this entertaining movie a try! Sure, a lot of these maneuvers you've probably seen before, but it's still a lot of fun. The story is not going to win any awards in originality, but the action more than makes up for it. At first, I didn't quite believe Park So Dam as her character as I found her nonchalant expression a bit too exaggerated, but as time went on, it started to get better and I started to believe her and her ass kicking. The kid also did a great job with acting esp for someone so young. I'd def recommend this to those of you who feel like watching a fun popcorn movie!

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Awkward

Likes: Eiji Akaso is very cute. Baba Fumika is pretty.

Dislikes: If I hear "Eh?....Eh?" one more time.....

This had the potential to be super hot, but instead it was just awkward as hell. There were no sparks. The ML was very cute, but his acting was a bit stiff. The FL was at first cute, but then got SO annoying with her "Eh?....Eh?....Eh?" Everything just felt a bit random and almost uncomfortable.

I think in the hands of better actors and direction, there could have been an undercurrent that would make you understand why these two belong together. Instead you're left wondering what the hell did I just watch?

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Easy watch

Likes: Cute and easy to watch

Dislikes: There were a few times where Haru would grin and I wanted to reach for my toothbrush

This is a cute story of two lonely outcasts who eventually fall for each other. Suda Masaki does an excellent job portraying the strange Haru Yoshida who is like this wild dog tamed only by Mizutani Shizuku, the antisocial brainy act played by the wonderful Tsuchiya Tao. I loved how the ML had no filter and showed how intensely he liked the FL by following her everywhere.

The two had great chemistry and I loved that they both were a bit weird. It 's a cute story and a breeze to watch.

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LOVED THIS! Forget Real Men, Steel Troops is the real deal!

This military survival show is incredibly inspiring. I can't tell you how many times I was amazed and touched to see these former Korean soldiers work so hard at mind boggling training and never once give up.

The men are divided by the department that they formerly served: special forces, UDT, SDT, Marines, 707, and SSU. They compete in strength, endurance, and teamwork in harsh conditions to see which military group is the best of the best. Because these are former soldiers, to watch them in action is so cool! It's like watching a real life action movie.

It's really interesting to see how the groups and members differ. Some use their brains more (like Pak Goon), some use their brute strength (SSU and UDT come to mind) , some use their speed (go SDT!). You can see who are natural leaders and who are the weak members, but all teams just never give up no matter how freaking tired they are. I mean, I really don't know how they endured some of these missions. It's a good glimpse at the kind of training korean men might have to go through in the military.

I also really loved the MC panelists specifically Heechul, Jong Min, and Kim Sung Joo. They cracked me up because they were just as much of a fan as I was, I'm surprised Lee Seung gi wasn't an MC. He would've been a great addition.

For some reason after watching this, every other variety show pales in comparison and is now so boring to me. I've already rewatched this three times. I really really hope they have a season 2!

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Suspenseful thriller with excellent acting from Park Shin Hye & Jeon Jong Seo

I watched this for Park Shin Hye, but came out a huge fan of Jeon Jong Seo. Wow. They both acted so well.
Like people have said, it's a similar concept to the drama Signal in where there is a parallel/time travel aspect happening through a phone call. From the 2nd half on, I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time. It was so creepy and suspenseful.
Jeon Jong Seo. I get why there is buzz about this rookie actor. This is only her 2nd film and her acting is so mesmerizing. She embodies her character and has such depth in her acting. If she's already this good at the beginning of her career, I'm excited to see what she can do in the future.
Park Shin Hye is great as always. There has never been a role that I've seen her in where I don't believe that she's her character. For someone so famous, that is hard to do, but she does it so effortlessly.
I'm glad I checked this film out!

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Struck a chord with me....again...and again...and again

LOVE. PLAYFULNESS. MISUNDERSTANDINGS. ABANDONMENT. LONLINESS. HEALING.

Two broken souls (well, maybe 3). Emotional baggage. Opposites. Crazy about each other

I gulped down this drama like a starved puppy. It has been too long since I've seen such a skillfully woven story free of any cliched feeling. To the director, screenwriter, editor, and cast: THANK YOU.

Beautifully written with a beautiful soundtrack. This story had everything. There were some lines in the script that just...it just really struck a chord with me. Some indescribable feeling or thoughts I 've had...captured in a poignant line or moment in this drama. I just found bits and pieces of the characters and emotions so relatable.

Now I have to talk about the amazing cast, especially the two leads. Woo Shik is just phenomenal. He is a criminally underrated actor who deserves more lead roles to showcase his versatility and amazing acting skills. He just become his character. This character could easily have become boring or too much of a wuss, but he made him relatable, layered and endearing. In the emotional scenes, sometimes it's so subtle, but the way he says the lines is just so heart wrenching, but on the other hand, he also can infuse a scene with subtle mischievousness that lends itself to the comedy.

Kim Da Mi, who's been on my watchlist since the Witch, is fast becoming one of my fav actresses. I loved how her character was written with many layers. A snide exterior to hide a girl who's been hurt too much. A girl whose pride constantly gets in the way. Someone who shows her warm side to only the people she trusts. This character and how Da Mi portrayed her was so fresh to me.

I loved the fun bickering between these two, and loved the sweet honest moments even more. They did such a great job of maintaining that history of love and hate with the underlying layer of just being crazy for each other. From being enemies in the Witch to soulmates here, it's clear how gifted these two actors are.

The side characters were great as well, specifically Park Jin Joo as the Unnie BFF and Ahn Dong Goo as Woong's manager. Both were so funny and created a lot of the comic relief. For once, the side characters didn't feel like filler and were used to support the leads instead of going on their own tangent. The only exception is Ji Woong's character. I found his relationship with his boss or mom a bit boring which is why I couldn't give this a complete 10 rating.

I look forward to other projects this director or screenwriter may have as I think they did such a fantastic job creating a humanistic story without the corniness of cliches.

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The only thing I'll remember is Han So Hee's fierce fighting skills

Props to Han So Hee for doing her own fight choreography and making it look so believable. It is so nice to see an actress willing to do her own stunts and willing to show a not so pretty image. Not only was Han So Hee great at the action, but she was great in the acting as well. I think other actresses should take note. A huge pet peeve of mine is when they cast a FL who's supposed to be tough, but then it's so obvious they are weak or not doing their own stunts or they just want to look pretty. Not here. Han So Hee prepared and delivered...Girl, you got my respect!

The rest of the cast was also great, esp Park Hee Soon who was charismatic as the gang leader. Unfortunately, the story was not as good as the actors' performances. It was too predictable and too much of the plot was based on the ignorance and obliviousness of the police . I think better direction was needed here with the editing. More than once, because of the way a scene was shot, I often asked my self "Why don't they just run the license plate?" The holes in police procedure were too obvious and you just can't do that in this day and age where thousands of cop shows have taught us the basics. Audiences aren't stupid so once you stop treating us as such, you'll most likely have a better drama.

But despite the flaws, I still would recommend to anyone looking for some good action scenes, esp from a female lead. At only 8 episodes, it's a quick watch and worth it just to watch So Hee.

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A mindless entertaining popcorn action movie

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this dystopian tale is as predictable and bland as it comes, but the action is entertaining and serves it's purpose of being a popcorn movie to pass the time. Ma Dong Seok is again typecasted into the heavy fisted fighter role and savior that he always plays. Lee Hee Joon plays the mad scientist. Ahn Ji Hye plays the rogue special forces soldier who teams up with Ma Dong Seok. I think you can pretty much predict how the story will unfold from there.

None of the characters have depth and you don't really get much explanation for the plot. This is a simple movie to just show action scenes which for the most part was entertaining. Ma Dong Seok's role was a bit cliche (his one punch wonder schtick is a bit corny & old, but if you're new to his roles then it'll probably be fine). I do admit I laughed a lot at his comedic one liners. The whole crazy dragon lady scenes were funny as well.

Ahn Ji Hye is the one that stood out to me. I specifically remembered her from the movie Slate where she impressed me with all her action scenes and the fact she did it all herself with no stunt double. She continues to impress here although I'm not sure if she did all the stunt work again, but it sure looked believable. I like when women can kick some ass so I may be a little bias here. I think if she and Lee Si Young did an action movie together, I'd probably die from excitement.

If you like popcorn action movies and don't mind a shallow plot, then I would suggest giving this movie a try. You probably won't remember it in a week, but I thought it was a good enough escape for an hr or so.

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KSG & AHS reunite in another cute mini romcom!

Likes: Kim Seul Gi and Ahn Hyo Seop reuniting again, but as a couple. Their chemi is cute

Dislikes: The story is one big whopping double standard.

Even though this short 6 episode romcom is trying to send a message about how inner beauty is what matters most, it pretty much contradicts itself because the FL falls for the ML for his looks. I should dislike the drama just for that, but I don't. I can't help it. I'm a sucker for chemistry and KSG & AHS have it. Plus it's lighthearted, short, funny, and cute....qualities I'm having a hard time finding in dramas as of late.

It's nice to see them reunite for this drama since SPLASH SPLASH LOVE, although I do like the former much better. Again this is a silly mini romcom that can't be taken seriously and is more just mindless entertainment. If you go in with that mindset, then you may like this like I did.

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Hotel Del Luna type vibe

Likes: Kim Soo Hyun. When you see someone that cute, that broken, it brings out your inner noona. Seo Yeji as the unabashed FL and her amazingly low seductive voice. Their chemi. Those kisses. The dark storybook element. Oh Jung Se's terrific performance as KSH's autistic brother. THE DEER. I don't know how they thought of putting that Deer into the story, but I can tell you, it cracked me up EVERY. TIME.

Dislikes: Have you seen SYJ's waist in that pink dress? You have? Good. Please tell me what happened in that scene because I was too busy wondering if SYJ was human.

What I loved about this drama was the FL's brazen personality and unabashed pursuit of the ML. It was refreshing to see that. It was so much fun watching KSH's reactions to SYJs unfiltered flirtiness. Their chemistry was great. They also had a great chemistry with OJS who did a great job acting as the autistic brother. The relationship between the brothers is a complicated one and had many layers that I found touching and heartbreaking, The dynamic between SYJ and OJS added the comedic moments that I enjoyed. I also liked how the drama dealt with mental health, specifically KSH's emotional struggle to balance his guilt, reality, and his own feelings.

I don't know if it's because both dramas were created by Studio Dragon, but the vibe of this drama is very similar to Hotel Del Luna. There's this sort of haunting darkness and I really loved how they weaved the dark children's books through out the story. I wished though there was some more skinship between the leads. Darn Deer! eeeeeeOWWoo

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Such a fun watch! Light and breezy

This sort of reminds me of Weightlifting Fairy in tone...light and easy to watch. It's a sports romcom that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's more about a story about forgiveness and falling in love than the journey and growth of becoming the best at badminton.

Likes: For sure, Park Ju Hyun and Chae Jong Hyeop as the leads. Both are entirely charming in their own way. I like that they are not super famous because I feel like you can see their characters more. Park Ju Hyun has a tomboyish athletic look which is not typical in female leads, but I like that. It's more relatable. Also, I can't pinpoint why I feel like this...but she comes off like she may have a bit of a smart ass side to her which immediately makes me like her. hahaha. She was perfect as Tae Yang.
Chae Jong Hyeop reminds me of a smiley cute Labrador. He has this "good guy" boy next door feel. He first caught my attention in Nevertheless and I'm glad to see him in a leading role. He didn't disappoint and I feel like more good roles will come his way after this.

The two of them have a fun chemistry, the sole reason why I enjoyed this drama so much. I enjoy teasing banter so the first half had me hooked. The second half did get a little more weighed down with oppression. The problem here is that it felt like they were really stretching for these obstacles. Also, I think they should have paid a little more attention to the growth and struggles of being in sports. It felt very downplayed which I wouldn't say I minded that much, but I think a little more personal growth would have fared better. As for the rest of the cast, they felt like caricatures at best. Sometimes funny, sometimes overkill.

Overall, the tone was pretty light imo, even when it got weighed down a little in the second half. It's because the show doesn't really delve down and explore the deeper emotions the characters have. It just barely touches the surface. Some may not like that, but it was fine for me as I just wanted to watch something easy breezy and the chemistry carried the show for me.

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Likes: Zombies. Joo Ji Hoon wielding a sword. The awesome action scenes.

Dislikes: S1 is too short!! Only 6 eps. Plus there’s a ginormous cliff hanger which you’ll have to wait until S2 to find out what happens!

I do confess, I’m a zombie fan. I dunno why. Maybe it’s the whole going back to basics bit…the simple need to survive. Or maybe it’s the more clear cut good vs evil. Or the fact that I’m usually at the edge of my seat when I’m watching a battle with the zombies. I dunno…I just love it. From 28 Days Later to the Walking Dead to Train to Busan and everything in between, I just can’t get enough.

The thing I like about Korean zombies is they’re FAST compared to American zombies. Just like in Train to Busan, there were so many scenes where I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the scene was over and I could sigh with relief. The scenes were shot well. The editing was great. The cast can act. Everything just came together beautifully.

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Likes: Kim Jae Wook!! The OTP’s off the charts chemistry. Those kisses! PMY & PJJ’s BFF fangirling moments. The natural progression of the romance between KJW & PMY.

Dislikes: Some of the unnecessary storylines (hello dad’s obsession with rocks). The toe curling cheesy parts. The end reveal that was unnecessary.

Overall this was a very easy breezy watch. I completely fell for Kim Jae Wook who exudes this natural sexiness that I haven’t really felt in any Korean actor so far. So many men come to mind when I think of good looking, hot, or even cute…but sexy? KJW wins the title for that in my book. Always cast as a second lead, KJW finally gets to show everyone what a leading man he can be.

Park Min Young is always this bright shining star who is adorkable as a curator with a “secret” life as a fangirl. As a fellow fangirl, there were definite moments that I could relate to, but there were also moments where I cringed at the almost stalker-ish behavior being portrayed. Just because it’s wrapped up in a cute way, doesn’t make it any less stalker-ish.

However, I’m a sucker for chemistry and man, did these two have it! Because the chemi was so hot (I mean, those kiss scenes, come on!), I was able to overlook some of the eye rolling flaws in the drama (read above dislikes).

I would recommend checking out the Behind the Scenes Videos as well!

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Addams Family meets The Witch: Subversion

If you're in the mood for a dark, quirky, gory, unconventional family dramedy, check out this binge worthy kdrama. It's action packed with superpowers and superb acting from the cast.

LIKES:
1) Bae Doona - she is phenomenal as the deadpan awkward mother figure who is trying to look out for her family the best way she knows how. Her character reminds me of Wednesday from the Addams Family and the FL in The Witch Subversion. A bit emotionally dead, but caring at the same time but also violent.
2) Lee Su Hyun - this newcomer rocked her role. Supposedly it's her debut, but you can't tell at all. She acted well, stood out, and made herself memorable which is not easy to do. I have to say the women really shined in this drama
3) The message - Despite all the gore and violence, at the heart of it, it's a family drama with an endearing message.
4) The humor - the director/editor/writer did a good job with balancing the dark & violent with bouts of humor
5) The action/gore - The action scenes were fun and the gore made me scrunch up in disgust....soooo basically effective lol
6) The acting - the entire cast from the family to the villains all were believable

DISLIKES:
1) The ending - the last episode felt a little corny imo. Not horrible, but a little anti-climatic
2) A bit forgettable - I had binged watch 5 episodes and then watched ep 6 much later and to be honest, I had pretty much forgotten what had happened in the entire drama. All I remembered was Doona & Su Hyun's characters.

Overall, an easy binge watch that felt fresh, but familiar at the same time. I would absolutely watch season 2 and would recommend this to those of you who like shows like Wednesday, Moving, The Witch: subversion, or A shop for Killers.

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