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This review may contain spoilers
The Goddess is a superb example of what storytelling can be through the medium of the silent picture. Ruan Ling Yu who played the mother driven to prostitution to feed her child gave an emotionally compelling performance. It was one of the best performances I've seen from any era, and she does it without the audience hearing one sound from her. Her performance alone is a convincing reason for movie lovers to watch this story of love, shame, and prejudice.
The mother runs afoul of a gangster known as "The Boss" one evening and he lays claim to her as his property. She takes her child and runs but he finds her. She manages to hide enough money from him through the years to send her child to grade school. Her desire is that her child have a better chance to find his way out of poverty with an education. Not only does "The Boss" create problems for her but parents in the school have learned what she does for a living and are determined to have her child removed from the school so that he's not a bad influence on their kids. The school's principal sees her love for her son and tries to stand up for her, but his integrity goes unrewarded.
Depending on the version you watch, there may be no music, only piano, or orchestral music playing during the scenes. I saw the latter and thought the music fit perfectly.
The Goddess is a movie showing social realism. Subjects that are still relevant today like prejudice and tolerance were on full display. The story was timely when it was filmed. It is estimated because of the poverty and political conflicts in the country that up to 1 out of 13 women in Shanghai had committed prostitution during this turbulent period.
The story and performances were heartrending. My heart clenched when the little boy sang about a child working and his parents not knowing if they could buy food. I couldn't hear a word he sang but it was moving. This mother showed the most physical affection for her child that I've seen in any Asian movie, the love tactile and palpable. Ruan displayed a wide array of emotions without delving into sentimentality and overacting.
The Goddess requires a high level of attention to follow the silent story and to immerse yourself into the facial and body expressions of the actors. The reward is an engrossing story of a mother's love and sacrifice for her child and the need for tolerance and open-mindedness. I highly recommend it.
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The miniatures were more intricate and had more detail than other Godzilla movies. This movie did a good job of interspersing people with the miniatures to give us a vested interest in their lives and sorrow when an unforgiving monster sent them to their doom. When Godzilla unleashed his atomic breath, the results were tragic and all too real whether it be on humans or property. As the citizens and military waited for Godzilla’s arrival, the tension was palpable. The carnage was unflinchingly shown as Godzilla cut through the city with his slow, unmerciful gait.
Dr. Serizawa, played by Hirata Akihiko, had developed his own terrifying weapon and refused to use it for fear it would fall into the wrong hands. Ultimately, he had to decide whether to deploy his weapon to stop the immediate destruction being rained down on his country or to withhold it for fear of unimaginable destruction that could take place if people were to use it as a weapon against other people.
The movie is not perfect, there is a love triangle even in Godzilla. The story can bounce around. The acting style is dated, but didn’t distract from the actors expressing the emotions the characters were feeling. The special effects were exemplary for 1954, viewers expecting spectacular CGI will be disappointed.
Whether conveying the urgency of people fleeing or ominously announcing the arrival of Godzilla, Ifukube Akira’s score was spot on.
My rating reflects how I rate movies and dramas. Only my first love in a particular genre receives a 10, the one that all other movies in that genre will be judged against. Godzilla who meshes the prehistoric with the modern and forces us to look back on the consequences of society’s actions is far deeper than a giant lizard destroying a city. Thus far, no other Kaiju has measured up to the original Godzilla’s standard.
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"Trust doesn't exist in this business"
Humint combined spies from North and South Korea, Russian mobsters, and sprinkled in a good helping of romantic angst and human greed. The pace of the story faltered at times, but managed to finish with a banger of an ending.Director Cho (Rok) carries a terrible guilt regarding the fate of his North Korean informant who had been trafficked to a different country. His boss only cares about the drugs coming across their border, not the unfortunate women tortured as sex slaves. Cho seems to play ball when he’s assigned to a post in Vladivostok in order to make the drug connection between Russian mobsters and North Korean agents. This time, however, he has no intention of letting anything happen to the informant working for him. A North Korean agent is in town to investigate the disappearances of a number of women and Captain Park has a connection to Cho’s informant.
The number one reason I watched this film was for Zo In Sung. He works infrequently and I enjoy his acting. It feels like he’s played this character before, but he does it so well, that I’m okay with it. Shin Sae Kyeong gave a strong performance as Cho’s informant, Chae Seon Hwa . I was pleased to see her character fight for her own future with whatever she had available. Park Jeong Min, as the conflicted lovesick Captain Park Geon, gave a good performance though his super spy could have used a better poker face at times. Park Hae Joon as the evil Hwang Chi Sung can always be counted on to bring the maniacal menace.
Humint’s story and pacing languished in places with character motivations only skimming the surface of the murky waters they swam in. Where the film excelled were the fight scenes which ranged from hand-to-hand, knives, guns, even the kitchen sink. The fights were sparse for much of the film and then in the last half hour director Ryu Seung Wan brought the mayhem. It’s the first film I’ve seen with such excellent, deadly snow donuts. I will say, the gun fights near the very end of the film went over the top for me and I probably shouldn’t have laughed when I did. Sometimes, too much is too much. Fair warning, the body count was high.
Humint was flawed but entertaining. My first inclination was to give it a 7.5, but I bumped it up to an 8.0 for Zo and a competent female lead…and maybe the snow donuts.
"Since everyone's on the same team, we should probably raise the Korean Unification flag!"
2 April 2026
Trigger warnings: Drugs, prostitution, torture, gruesome deaths.
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"Happiness is not a story, misfortune is"
Young love is a heady experience that eventually has to give way to maturity and communication or else the relationship is doomed to failure. Us and Them showed how love blossomed and faded, but never scattered away.Jian Qing and Fang Xiao Xiao meet on a train headed to their hometown for Lunar New Year celebrations. The two hit it off and become friends. Both are struggling to make their dreams come true in Beijing. Xiao Xiao dates men older than her who are established because she wants to live in a nice house. After Jian Qing graduates from college, he works odd jobs selling games and porn. His dream is to create a video game but struggles with a lack of time and resources. After a second broken heart, Xiao Xiao moves into Qing’s cramped accommodations and the two eventually become lovers. Financial struggles begin to take a toll on the two as they attempt to make a living in Beijing.
By presenting the couple in the present (in black and white) and the past (in color) we learn how their expectations changed over time. Xiao Xiao went from wanting to live in a nice house to being content to live in a veritable dungeon with Qing. Qing doesn’t get that message and the pressure in his mind to measure up begins to build. Even as their fortunes change, Qing doesn’t comprehend what Xiao Xiao truly wanted. The older versions are able to look back on their younger selves and see the missteps and inevitabilities along the way.
The most heartbreaking element of the film for me, was Qing’s relationship with his father. His black and white problem-solving brain missed what his father tried to tell him. He diminished the sacrifices his father made for him, only realizing how his words cut when it was too late. Sometimes it is too late to say, “I’m sorry.”
Rene Liu created a gorgeous film with stunning snowy vistas, beautiful autumn walks, and claustrophobic living spaces. Jing Bo Ran and Zhou Dong Yu had a believable chemistry as young lovers and older, maybe wiser adults. Tian Zhuang Zhuang gave a touching performance as Qing’s dedicated father.
Us and Them conveyed through the obstacles Qing and Xiao Xiao faced that love isn’t always enough. Communication, trust, perseverance, and understanding are required to hang in for the long haul. All of these things are made even more difficult in poverty and when always on the move for shelter. The dumbest movie advice ever came from 1970’s Love Story, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” It’s just the opposite, love whether romantic or familial means saying you’re sorry and always working to do better. Or I suppose as this film declared, “If you see Kelly, tell her I’m sorry.” Us and Them was a bittersweet tale of love, heartache, and healing well worth giving a try.
17 September 2025
Patti Smyth may have said it best:
There’s a danger in loving somebody too much
And it’s sad when you know it’s your heart you can’t trust
There’s a reason why people don’t stay where they are
Baby, sometimes love just ain’t enough
Final note:
Don't skip the credits with real people giving ex-lovers messages. My fave..."Don't come back!" lol It also had a short epilogue.
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Story
I didn’t have a problem with the age difference. The ML is 939 years old. Anyone under 800 wouldn’t have anything in common with him. But seriously, the ML and FL have been touched and in their eyes cursed by the supernatural, so these are not two ordinary people. Most importantly, she is the Goblin’s bride, not wife. She has one job and I won’t spoil it here but it is not to warm his bed. He never comes across as some old geezer trying to seduce her. Even by Kdrama standards, this one is chaste.
The Goblin knows what her job is, anticipates and accepts it. But the moment she brings hope and light into his life the conflict within him and the story explodes. As he watches her and feels his heart begin to beat again the poetry that springs forth from him was so beautiful it gave my brain a little orgasm.
The conflicts in this story are mostly internal but the stakes are high.
I usually skim the secondary characters’ stories because too often they seem like filler and distract from the main storyline. Not this time. The Reaper’s and Sunny’s stories were seamlessly interwoven and integral to the main story.
The bromance between the Goblin and Reaper is legendary so I won’t go into it.
I watched every minute of this drama, savoring each one. Forgiveness plays a big role in this story. Our characters find it is not easily earned or given, whether it be for the self, others, or The Powers That Be.
Acting
This was my first time for all these actors and I wouldn’t make a single casting change.
Gong Yoo did an amazing job as ruthless warrior, tragic guardian angel and Oscar to the Reaper’s Felix.
Kim Go Eun did a good job as the girl both afflicted and blessed by her special case.
The secondary characters were all spot on and Lee Dong Wook has to be one of the most beautiful criers in the business.
OST
I don’t normally pay attention to the music unless I love it or despise it. The music in Goblin enhanced the story without distracting from it, a difficult task. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The cinematography was stunning. I had to shush my photographer husband who kept commenting on it. Which brings me to the rewatch value.
Rewatch Value
My husband who has only watched a few scattered episodes of Asian dramas sat down and watched this with me on my second go around. We laughed and cried together (damn allergies!). I will watch it again. And again.
This story of love, family, friendship, redemption, and forgiveness is definitely worth a try.
***November 2024 rewatch thoughts:
Still
I continue to love this drama, even after 5 years. The bromance was still excellent. The iconic scenes still moved me, even though numerous dramas have since tried to copycat them. Sunny and The Reaper were still heartbreaking. Lee Dong Wook is still the most beautiful crier I've seen. The OST is still one of my favorites and gives me goosebumps when I hear it. The umbrella scene that spawned a jillion others is still the best. Gong Yoo in Goryeo costume and wig is still a ferocious beast.
The humor was still cringey and the age gap when veering into the romantic could be as well. Kim Shin acting like a 939-year-old skittish virgin still boggles the mind. Overall, it kept me emotionally engaged, something few Kdramas have been able to do in recent years. Oh, and Gong Yoo still has it, aging like a fine wine.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Humans don't recognize an opportunity even when it's handed to them"
Death’s Game Part 2 came out of the gate strong, stronger than part one. The question continued to be whether Choi Yi Jae would win the game and what did that really mean?Starting the second part with Kim Jae Wook playing an evil artist is never a bad place to begin. He has a dangerous intensity hiding behind that chiseled beauty. Once again Choi Yi Jae is thrown into seemingly disparate lives with the orders that he cannot kill-others or himself. This ultimatum becomes more difficult with each life he leaps into. As he discovers the deadly tentacles of Taekang Group’s Park Tae Woo and how it has affected his life and of those he loves, he ventures near the precipice of hell.
The guest stars in Part 2 were even stronger than Part 1. Kim Mi Kyung finally had a chance to shine in the drama as Choi’s mother. The strong older actors threatened to outshine Seo In Guk as the lives he was reincarnated in. The production values were once again high as well.
I was completely absorbed in this tale of what seemed like revenge more than a journey into the soul. The elements of the revenge story were tied together nicely as Choi used what he learned in each life to bring down Park. Ultimately, the game was about Choi Yi Jae’s life. With the pieces finally in place to end a murderer’s reign of terror I still wondered if Choi had learned anything about himself and what the point of the reincarnations was. He was a difficult character to like. Self-absorbed, self-pitying, and arrogant he took a long time to understand that his actions had consequences for others.
***Spoilerish comments below***
Finally, the story took a turn into a path toward enlightenment. He hadn’t learned much in 11 of his lives, only in the last one did he understand what true pain was. I was actually quite disappointed in the final minutes of the drama that undid everything prior to it. And I’m not sure about the message on suicide. Torture people into understanding how their actions have effects on others and that some people have it worse than them? When a person is seriously depressed and suicidal, they may not be able to see that. Therapy and medications, interventions and social/financial assistance may be more helpful than the threat of a worse hell than the one they are in.
The ahjussis and ahjummas did an amazing job bringing their characters to life as well as Kim Jae Wook. The story brought all the revenge pieces together in a satisfying manner although they never did answer who the woman was that died at the bottom of the building with Choi which was disappointing. I honestly thought her death was one of the reasons he was being punished. The last episode was deeply moving in regards to a mother’s enduring love and sacrifice. Having learned how to live his life without being in constant fear of failure and rejection, I only hope Choi Yi Jae took what he learned about the people with their lives in the balance and reached out to help at least a few of them or else it feels like everything he went through was for nothing, to say nothing of the murderous Park Tae Woo being on the loose again. Death’s Game P2 progressed in a strong, emotional gait to the end and then left me disillusioned with the final outcome.
5 Jan 2024
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Res ipsa loquitur
Joseon Attorney 'appealed' to me because it stars Woo Do Hwan and it’s an historical, two of my favorite things. However, at 16 one-hour episodes it could not ‘sustain’ any level of intensity. Uneven performances and storytelling almost made me hold it in ‘contempt’. Woo Do Hwan’s performance ended up being the ‘grounds’ for me to finish it. Oh yeah, going to be law puns in this review!Han Su and his buddy Dong Chi come to town looking to make money while plotting revenge on the people responsible for killing Han Su’s parents. Along the way he meets an undercover princess and turns enemies into friends.
I almost dropped this drama after the first episode as I 'judged' it to be cringey in the most 'arbitrary' way. Instead, I bit the bullet and was able to finish the 'rest' of the episodes. As the ‘cases’ became more interesting and the revenge plot deepened, I began to enjoy it more. The romance felt unearned and didn’t ‘exhibit’ much chemistry between Han Su and So Won. My chief ‘complaint’ was that So Won’s character wasn’t written very well. She was earnest but despite saying she trusted Han Su, her ‘actions’ constantly countermanded him. Bona had one expression which made her character even more uninteresting. Yoo Ji Sun had a similar emotional 'delivery' 'issue'. The king was largely ‘incompetent’ needing others to help make 'decisions' and couldn’t ‘bail’ anyone out.
The story 'diminished' in the last few episodes. The king 'rendered a decision' based on 'facts not in evidence' that drastically ‘damaged’ Han Su. In almost no time, Han Su ‘waived’ the ‘offense’ and was back to being buddies with the king. The ‘execution’ of alternating between comedy and drama was not well done. Woo Do Hwan ‘demonstrated’ a wide variety of emotions with his usual skill. The ‘issue’ of going from laughter to tears and back again, and not ‘settling’ on a thematic mood made it difficult for me to care about the characters as I find comedic responses to serious problems distancing. The OST lacked in coherency and was ‘liable’ to cause ‘motion’ sickness as it bounced from music inspired by 1970’s television, to rock, to overtly melodramatic tunes. Trying to fit in as many bromances as possible also ‘challenged’ the veracity of the story.
Joseon Attorney didn’t raise the ‘bar’ for historicals, but I don’t hold it ‘in contempt’ either. I’d make the ‘argument’ it could have been more ‘brief’ instead of dragging out the episodes and I ‘penalized’ it for some of the weaker performances. The drama didn’t do Woo Do Hwan’s talents any ‘justice’ either. After ‘examining the evidence’, my ‘verdict’ is that while it was ‘unobjectionable’, it was not ‘effectual’.
7 July 2024
*res ipsa loquitur-the things speaks for itself
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I would walk 5000 miles for you or 8046 km, whichever comes first
Fair warning, Sunshine that Can Move Mountains is one of those mildly contemplative, slow paced, nothing really happens movies that are like butterfly nip to me. This is not the strongest Tibetan Buddhist film I’ve watched, but I still enjoyed it.Twenty-four-year-old Tenzin Paljor/Banjue is a monk who has resided at the monastery near Lhasa since he was a child. He’s already completed 100,000 prostrations and is well thought of by the Lama/Guru. When a messenger arrives to inform Tenzin that his brother, Luoci, was badly injured in a mountain fall, Tenzin has to leave. The Lama calls on the monastery to pray for Tenzin as he knows this two-week period will be a trial for the young man and worries he might not return. The two weeks becomes an extended stay as Tenzin helps his mother care for his brother which puts him in uncomfortably close quarters with his beautiful and potential sister-in-law.
I shouldn’t have said nothing happens in this film. There was a love square, a missing yak, and beautiful snowfall. The Buddhist themes and symbolism were strong, many of which I’m sure I missed or didn’t fully understand. That didn’t stop me from settling into this film and going along with it. The scenery and cinematography were stunning and the small village was like stepping back into time albeit with motorbikes.
This film will not appeal to the majority of film fans, I’m sure. This sort of spiritual journey with a devoted monk tempted to set aside his calling for the secular life and love is my jam. The story definitely had a few hiccoughs, but overall, I enjoyed the mostly quiet contemplation on life and life goals. 7.75 rounded up to 8.0
6 July 2026
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Pat and Angie have lived together in the apartment they bought for 30 years. To quote Forrest Gump they go together like peas and carrots. Once factory girls, they found a way to own a textile factory, which they sold years ago. They help Pat’s family financially when they can and always with deep seated affection. All seems well with this loving family until Pat dies suddenly without a will. With money and real estate involved, the familial bonds inexorably unwind. Angie found herself going from a life partner to a “best friend.”
I knew when I saw the synopsis where this film was headed. As same sex marriage is not currently legal in Hong Kong, Angie was in for a very rude awakening during her grief. If there is one complaint I have, it is that Pat and Angie had owned a business and had to know that everything needs to be in writing, documented, signed and sealed, especially for a particularly vulnerable relationship in the eyes of the law. * If a blow-up swimming pool has a deed or title, both people’s names better be on it or some greedy relative will appear to try and make a claim. Pat had too much faith that her family would honor her wishes. The situation in the film was that Pat’s brother became the executor and his say was all that mattered in regards to the funeral, the apartment, and other financial concerns. They quietly stole what was not theirs, all the while justifying it by minimizing Angie’s contributions through the years.
Patra Au gave a beautifully nuanced and complex performance as Angie’s grief was interrupted by the supposed loving family’s greed. Without screaming or wailing, she conveyed the pain of loss and the anger over the betrayals hurled her way. And the bitter resignation to her legal situation which saw her relationship minimized. There were also the gentle moments with Pat walking hand-in-hand and her kindnesses toward Pat’s family before they turned on her. Patra brought Angie to life and made her feel real.
Money can make even level-headed people throw away their ethics, rationalizing their despicable behavior. Pat and Angie’s love was beautiful and tender, the healthiest relationship in the family. Truly kind individuals, they were generous with their time and money. Luckily for Angie, she at least had the made family of friends she and Pat had cultivated who were far more caring and loyal than Pat’s biological kin. Pat’s family wasn’t overtly homophobic but that didn’t make their actions any less mercenary. This woman who had been an integral part of their lives for 30 years, who had shared their joys and sorrows was systematically erased. The one thing they couldn’t erase was the love and memories the women shared.
29 June 2026
Spoilery comments:
Edit---*PBG Note: Our beloved PBG brought up in a comment below that same sex couples who marry outside of HK/China are recognized for inheritance purposes. The movie did mention this legal maneuver that unfortunately, this older couple did not take advantage of. They made numerous mistakes. Pat put off writing her will for whatever reason, even though Angie helped pay for the apartment her name was not on the deed, some people have trouble recognizing their own mortality. I think the couple was so close to Pat's family that they never dreamed that they would be capable of stealing Angie's home and finances.
Vengeful Note: I hope that family never had a peaceful moment in the apartment and Pat's ghost haunted them for fun when she wasn't visiting Angie.
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"Losing control is the essence of life"
Definitely Not Today was a bit of a surprise to me. It dealt with two big trigger warnings-suicidal actions and sexual assault. Not subjects usually confronted in modern Cdramas. And those two subjects were just the tip of the iceberg. While the drama didn’t make light of them, it did deal with the subjects in a darkly comedic and at times touching way.Mi Chong has lost everyone in his family and has decided it’s time to go. He’s made all the preparations, chosen a date that has meaning to him and picked the spot. As he mentally prepares to say goodbye to the world, he sees a girl drowning in the same water he’s chosen for his grave. Initially irritated, his kindness gets the better of him and he rescues her. He has no idea what mayhem he has unleashed into what he hoped was the end of his life. The rescued girl, Zhi Liao, was desperately escaping one perilous situation and has no idea that she is in a greater danger than she could have imagined.
The drama started in a traumatic place with Mi Chong’s determination to commit suicide and near the end revealed a traumatic element in Zhi Liao’s past. The two characters were both damaged, living in pain, and with deeply repressed anger and guilt. Both had been abandoned and taken advantage of by family members. Mi Chong dealt with his bone crushing losses by becoming uninvolved in his own life. Zhi Liao transformed into chaos personified as she lashed out at everyone around her. They were both trapped by their pasts and clawing against the walls they’d created. In the other they discovered a glimmer of hope, even as their lives were in jeopardy.
The acting skills varied widely and the script could be as messy as the characters at times. The editing was often clunky and unrelated events popped up out of nowhere. This did not appear to be a high budget drama. Moods veered widely from sweet and funny to violent and sad. I was particularly concerned about Mi Chong's crippling depression and withdrawal from life. Despite Zhi Liao’s street smarts, she seemed completely unaware of his deadly intentions. Both characters had basically been told to get over their debilitating wounds. Yet for all its flaws I found myself deeply engrossed in it. Definitely Not Today opened with darkness and near the end confronted another darkness. Somehow these two broken opposites unintentionally, and later intentionally, offered each other hope and light into both of their lives. And just maybe, love and a smile.
24 May 2026
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Multiple suicide attempts. Sexual Assault-rather graphic. Attempted sexual assault. Attempted child murder and suicide. Forced prostitution attempt. DUI and alcoholism. Child abandonment. Depression. Stolen inheritances. Animal death. Seriously, how did this ever get made in China?
Real world note: Both characters were deeply in need of a mental health therapist to help them with their traumas and pain, love can’t cure everything.
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"Liking someone has nothing to do with killing them"
The Vendetta of On was a fairly standard drama featuring a strategic genius bent on revenge after the murders of his loved ones. As always, when doing a familiar story, the execution is key and Vendetta acquitted itself well. Much like Mei Chang Su in Nirvana in Fire, Xie Huai An rocked his fur lined costume and stayed at least one step ahead of the bad guys…most of the time.Xie Huai An aka Liu Zhi has spent the last 15 years since escaping a massacre at his family residence plotting how to bring down the people responsible. The capital has changed ownership a couple of times and Xie is put to work by the new owner in finding the deposed previous owner as well as bringing down the traitorous and sly general of the Huben Army. Spies and sleeper cells abound, with layers upon layers of deceit and deception. Xie will have to count on his wits and friend circle to attain his goals and survive long enough enact his vengeance.
🟢What I liked:
It promised on revenge with the bodies stacking up early and often.
The tenacious and loyal General Gu. Despite being unable to walk he was still respected by his men. Was happy to see a wheelchair bound character written and portrayed so well.
Ye Zheng. I’m a bodyguard girl and was thrilled for Tong Meng Shi to play the role.
I wasn’t initially crazy about Faux Mo, but he grew on me and I was actually relieved his mask wasn’t removed later on as it helped my brain keep the continuity going.
The writers attempted to provide roles for women, even though most of the female guards were cookie cutter characters. I’m always astonished when these kinds of dramas all but omit women from the cast so I’m counting it as a win. Oddly, the casting director chose women who all looked quite similar despite the wide range of variety for the men.
The sets, wigs (important in these dramas!), acting, and fight choreography were all high quality. The drama also showed the cost of "othering" people.
Cheng Yi did a solid job as the obsessive Xie who had only one purpose in life. Even though Xie was usually ahead of everyone else, he did stumble on occasion without completely face-planting. I also enjoyed Wang Jin Song’s equally obsessive take on Wu Zhong Heng. There were numerous single-minded people in this drama who were in dire need of a trip to a bouncy house park.
❌What didn’t work as well for me:
Xie was an expert in nearly everything despite spending 15 years in the reeds. He left his home penniless, but somehow through the years acquired wealth and an extensive spy network. He was privy to secrets only a fly on a wall would know. He always seemed to have a change of clothes on him as well. Lol Pretty sure he had a Megamind “frequent kidnapping” card that was nearly punched full. He also had James Bond plot armor. Despite falling into his enemies’ hands time and again, no one immediately cut off his head, rather letting him hang around until he either escaped or killed them.
🤔Things that made me go hmmm….
The guards who defended the walls were in desperate need of remedial training. It was painfully funny how easily the enemy could scale the walls without anyone knowing on numerous occasions.
Characters were often gut stabbed with no lingering effects. I don’t care how good their medicine was or how tough they were, peritonitis is deadly.
The most chilling thing said in the whole drama for me was, “Everyone is a shadow guard. That’s the price of protection.” Yep, nothing makes me feel more secure than knowing my neighbors and co-workers are spying on me 24/7, ready to turn on me at a moment’s notice.
Overall, I found The Vendetta of An entertaining. The fights were fast and furious and we were weren’t forced to wait until the last quarter of the drama to witness Xie’s enemies begin to pay for their betrayals. The stakes were high and good guy losses hurt as much as I cheered the heads of the bad guys rolling.
18 January 2026
Trigger Warnings: A snake in episode 22. Decapitations, spurting blood, numerous stabbings, suicide.
~~Very Spoilery thoughts below~~
Does everyone keep a perfectly preserved identical head in their junk drawer?
I didn’t care for the sister’s story. She was ill developed and only served to add to Xie's man pain of which he already had enough. It was literally overkill. Not sure why she’s listed as a main character given her limited amount of screen time.
One of the more interesting duos raised a lot of questions for me. Cen Pickles and Wu were slaves of the lowest order in Tiemo. As slaves they murdered a number of people. Did I miss their story arc? How did they escape punishment in Tiemo and then both become highly educated? Was Tiemo advanced enough to have universal schooling for everyone? Cen ended up working in the Chang'an palace and Wu had been a teacher at the academy where the Chang'an noble children attended. No background checks from the secret police? I could see Wu murdering his way to being king if the Tiemo just wanted the baddest dude to be the leader, but Tiemo nobility were mentioned often which was quite a social leap for a wolf killing slave. I actually found Cen and Wu's relationship intriguing mostly because of the actors' abilities. Wu might have had nefarious plans for the people he intended to conquer, but the actor was fascinating to watch.
I don’t have access to the special episode. My guess is, just like soap opera rules, without a body, Xie aka Liu survived. His death, mirroring Zhou Mo’s in episode 1, kept him from being killed by the Huben Army. Though I don’t see him making daisy chains and hanging out at a pub. I’m not invested enough in the ruling class to care who took over the throne…for now. That throne room had a revolving door on it.
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"If you're jealous you can drop dead"
Ghost Doctor is one of those dramas that I have a difficult time writing a review for. It had a likeable cast, an interesting story concept, and despite a spirited bromance, I often found it boo-ring.Cold, efficient Dr. Cha Young Min only takes the toughest of cases. He’s quick to anger and suffers no fools. His patience is tested when Dr. Ko Sung Tak is assigned to him. Ko is gifted at reciting diagnoses but has zero surgical skills. He’s in line to be on the hospital board and gets away with about anything either from his charming smile or hospital connections. When Cha is involved in a car accident and lapses into a coma he discovers a side of the hospital he never knew existed. Real ghosts and coma ghosts walk the hallways. He can also possess Ko’s body, even performing surgery on himself. An old love and a deadly conspiracy will make his chances of recovery challenging.
Kdramas are great at writing bromances and Ghost Doctor was no exception. Rain and Kim Bum played off each other nicely, going from enemies to platonic lovers. The romances were a different story, often killing the momentum of the story. The chemistry just wasn’t there for me. The male leads were given a wide emotional range to play. The same could not be saide for the female characters. I haven’t seen Uee in anything else so I will give her the benefit of the doubt and assume the director told her to play Jang Se Jin like a broom with a sad face drawn on it. Lackluster Jang was terribly written. The two main female characters felt like afterthoughts with no real depth. Poor Oh Soo Jung periodically disappeared from the screen leaving me to forget about her character until she popped up again.
It would be terrifying that someone like Ko could actually be assigned to a hospital. Even The Simpson’s Hollywood Upstairs Medical College would not have passed him. He might have been friendly with a tragic backstory, but I would never have wanted him near me except to look at. Maybe the rigged medical school system was why Cha was the only (live) competent heart surgeon in Korea. The hospital appeared to be run by one man with people obtaining surgical privileges super easily and operating rooms were never booked.
There was a lot of bloat in this drama. The villains that came and went weren’t terribly menacing and had ill defined goals. I knew I was in trouble when I reached episode 8 and very little had happened.
Now that I’ve complained, here’s what I did like other than the bromance. There was a charming trio of coma ghosts as well as Tess, a real ghost, who was my favorite. They would help teach Cha humility and empathy. And of course, the polar opposite wonder twins helped each other become better men and doctors.
Ghost Doctor had its entertaining moments, yet I found myself checking out through much of the drama when it fell into repetition or offered lengthy flashbacks of a romance that wasn’t compelling. The writers tended to break their own ghostly rules and just slapped a “miracle” bandage on the results. Sixteen episodes was far too long to rely on a bickering bromance, no matter how handsome the bros, in order to keep the drama stitched together.
9 October 2025
Trigger warnings: Realistic and long surgical scenes
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"I'm not a step behind, you're always a step ahead!"
Inspired by a true story of a mom working in a laundromat who fell victim to phishing, Citizen of a Kind showed that bad guys really should avoid ticking off the wrong ahjumma. Especially if she has equally tenacious friends.Single mom Kim Deok Hui is in dire straits financially after her house burned. Initially denied a loan, a bank manager calls her suggesting a special loan for low-income applicants. In order to qualify she has to borrow money from loan sharks to meet all the requirements. Then the bottom falls out when Kim discovers it was all a scam. The police are no help and without the money she and her kids are left homeless. Misfortune continues to fall. When a Korean worker at the call center phones her asking for help to escape, Kim sees this as her chance to bring down the criminals and get her money back.
Ra Mi Ran was perfect for the role of Kim Deok Hui, the loving mom who was determined to find the people responsible for stealing her money. Kim fearlessly tracked down every lead, despite the police and Detective Park being fairly feckless. Yeom Hye Ran as the bilingual Bong Rim as usual gave a strong performance. Gong Myung as Kwon Jae Min acquitted himself well as the imprisoned caller desperately wanting to escape. Jang Yoon Ju was the weak link for me. Perhaps she was supposed to be the comic relief but her vocal intonation was set on shriek for most of the film.
Knowing it was based on a real woman who lost so much made the stakes high for the film. The film itself may have not broken new ground but the ahjumma posse tracking the criminal organization across two countries was entertaining to watch, largely due to the actresses’ performances. The film had comedy and thrilling moments with some violence and everything held together by Ra as the justice seeking ahjumma. Worth a try.
21 September 2025
7.75 bumped up to an 8.0
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Charming slice of life
If you are having a bad day and need something soothing with almost zero conflict and the nice being nice to the nice, The Way We Are is the perfect answer to what ails you. Ann Hui created a gentle and touching slice of life centered around a hard-working widow raising her teenage son.Cheung Kwai works as a durian slicer and stocker at the local grocery store. Her son Ka On enjoys manga and while not ambitious has a good heart on him. The two live in a rundown apartment, yet are content in their circumstances. A new elderly neighbor asks Kwai about a job in the store. Kwai takes Granny Leung Foon under her wing helping her whenever she can. The two women develop an easy-going bond. Whether a funeral, a hospitalized relative, or celebration, Kwai’s family gathers and supports each other. Kwai had worked to put her brothers through school and they now look for opportunities to show her kindness.
Pau Hei Ching’s Kwai was the focal point of the film with the other characters acting as satellites circling around her magnetic pull. Pau gave Kwai a quiet confidence and soft-spoken demeanor. Nothing rattled her as she faced whatever came her way with strength and aplomb. Pau went largely without makeup, had mussed up hair, and wore old t-shirts, yet had a beautiful dignity. Chan Lai Wan exuded the tragic loneliness of an older woman who had lost the most important people in her life. At the HKFA, Pau won for Best Actress, Chan Lai Wan for Supporting Actress and Ann Hui for Best Director—all well deserved.
This film will not be for everyone as nothing exciting happened. Hui showcased the quiet joys of tissues being given with the daily newspaper, freshly cut fruit, and helping a person without asking for anything in return. Filled with compassionate, kind acts, The Way We Are was exactly what I needed in this time when civility and generosity have often become too rare.
13 September 2025
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Flawed but interesting suspense story
Helpless was a bittersweet watch as it starred the late Lee Sun Kyun as a desperate man searching for his missing fiancée. Director Byun Young Joo directed this film adapted from the Japanese novel, “Kasha.”
On the way to deliver their wedding invitation to his parents, Jang Moon Ho’s fiancée disappears from his car while he is purchasing coffee and snacks at a rest stop. The police ignore his requests for help assuming she’s a runaway bride. When his every step leads to more questions, he calls upon his old friend and ex-police officer Kim “Everyone Was Taking Bribes” Jong Geun. The trail to Kang Sun Young and her past becomes increasingly dark and twisted.
The acting in this film was quite strong. Each of the three main actors pulled off complex and believable performances. The first and last acts were tense and well crafted, though the ending tiptoed into overwrought territory. The middle became weighted with too many characters and not enough attention paid to the most interesting one…Kang Sun Young.
I don’t want to write anything that would fall into spoiler territory, for this film is best enjoyed going into it knowing little about it. The pace could be painstakingly slow at times carried only by the actors and their commitment to their characters and the story. Helpless was more suspense than thriller, but worth a watch if you enjoy this genre.
12 September 2025
Triggers: Strong allusions to sexual assault and trafficking, suicide. Butterfly murder.
Seeing Lee Sun Kyun-whatever his problems, he didn't deserve the death penalty he sentenced himself to. RIP.
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