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An art masterpiece
This film blew me away. It is very rare to find movies, and even novels for that matter, where the sex scenes were accurate, realistic, and is part of the story. Most of the time when sex is incorporated into movies, it was dead and porn and won't make a difference if removed--in other words, just there as a filler. In "The Handmaiden" it's the total opposite. It was an art. It was about building relationships and how it should be valued and respected by the couple.The two lead females--Kim Tae Ri and Kim Min Hee--showed how they mastered their craft in acting in this film. From their facial expressions to their emotions and to their actions. I would not be surprised at all if the spark they showed in this movie was actually real. While there were a few scenes Kim Tae Ri felt uncomfortable … which was showing on her face and movements … she quickly relaxed. It was evident that Kim Min Hee helped Tae Ri overcome her uneasiness, they did prepare for this.
From what I understand, this was an adaptation of an English/British novel. That said, I am praising the director and writer, Park Chan Wook, in picking the perfect era in Korea for the adaptation. It could have been set in the modern era or in an even distant past but the impact would have been far less because of the distraction the other eras would bring into the scenes. It also flawlessly opened up a lot of their settings which made the plot deeper and resonate with the audience.
I also liked how they naturally switched between Korean and Japanese. In most movies where there are other nationalities involved, shortcuts are always made by making everyone speak the same language after establishing a character's "foreign"-ness. I frown on such shortcuts and I am glad I did not see it in "The Handmaiden". I was also amazed how the characters mixed the two languages to form one sentence, the way bilinguals actually speak in real life. Great addition to this little detail but equally important in building up the film.
I hope everyone who will watch (and watched) this film will see the deeper message of this film instead of focusing only on the obvious ones. Look beyond the surface and you'll see the important reminder and lesson behind "The Handmaiden". What is it? Better watch it. If you've seen the movie, watch it again and look for it.
10 over 10 in all categories for me. Congratulations!
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High emotional impact. Amazing cast. Great music! A story we can always watch.
NOTE: There are no spoilers. However, some people might consider some information as such. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.---------------------
I. Story
There are two stories in this series, the first is the political rivalry; and the second is the relationship between the Main leads.
The political rivalry story was well-written. There were always fresh "content" (if we can call it that) in every episode. They avoided repeating the same plot or reusing what was already "solved" in the previous episodes, while maintaining the overarching plot.
The story between Kang Chi Choi (played by Seung Gi Lee) and Yeo Wool Dam (played by Suzy Bae) was more than perfect. I loved how they did not dive into romantic scenes and dating game, otherwise it would've ruined the whole show. They carefully built-up the expectation and tension between the characters and perfectly used the intense emotions they captured from the audience at the right time, at the right moment.
The finale episode (ep. 24) was beyond perfection. While writing this review, I can still feel the impact and weight of this episode. Anyone can easily feel the emotions of both characters and the dialogues were realistic, what most people would say if they're in the shoes of either of the characters.
II. Acting
Everyone successfully brought to life the characters they played. The seriousness, the anger, the laughter, and craziness were also reflected on their faces. Superb acting!
The Main leads--Seung Gi Lee and Suzy Bae--captured the hearts of the audience which made it easy to feel their characters, to think like their characters, to be their characters. The way they gave life to their characters was natural, we can feel their humanity.
Special mention to Suzy, if I am not mistaken this was only her third Main role in a TV series, the delivery of her lines and they way she showed us her character's personality was at a veteran actor level. It wasn't perfect, similar with Seung Gi, there were a few scenes which were awkward or maybe forced but both of them quickly recovered (even in the same scene).
III. Music
The best music/OST. Perfect timing, at the right place, at the right scene, at the right time. The songs were also memorable and easy to listen to. They also did not forget to lower down the background music a second or two before a dialogue, something often forgotten in many other shows.
IV. Production
It was clear they gave a very good budget for this show. The texture and colours of their costumes and props were awesome on the screen. It helped in bringing-in the audience to live in the world of "Gu Family Book".
V. Verdict
Highly recommended. 20 out of 10 stars. Very high in the re-watch list.
Great job!
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Lovely, touching, and memorable
What a lovely, touching, and memorable series!---
I. Story
a. Episode stories: Some of the episode stories were good but there were those which were great. Out of the total 16 episodes, there are 5 anyone would watch repeatedly. The "legal" aspect were good, the comedy were very funny, and the relationship between characters were what anyone can relate to.
b. Series story: The overall story of the show was neatly written and realistic. It isn't your typical boy-meets-girl-and-they-lived-happily-ever-after which are usually boring and only for the "giggles" factor. While You Were Sleeping have the dynamics and challenges usually experienced by two strangers, turned friends, and started falling for each other yet there were some things holding them back.
II. Acting
Overall, the acting were amazing. They easily portrayed the personality of the characters they were playing. However in the latter part of the series where there were more kissing scenes, the two lead actors weren't into it. I am assuming those scenes were filmed near the beginning of the project and they weren't at ease with each other yet, if so, it was not a good decision. In those particular kissing scenes both actors were lacking emotions, it was "platonic", they were just "acting".
The supporting actors did well too and made their characters memorable especially when it comes to comedy, they delivered the scenes perfectly. Great job!
III. Music
For the whole series, there were only 5 songs which made an impact out of 14 included in the OST. These songs were played in the correct scenes and hopefully were used also in more scenes, or at least an instrumental instead of the other music they used.
IV. Rewatch value
I've watched this twice already. The first time was the Filipino-dub version and recently the original Korean-dub. Anyone can watch While You Were Sleeping anytime and everytime they want, it is a light drama and very romantic.
V. Suzy Bae
Suzy Bae did well in portraying a lovable and pretty character who anyone would fall into at first sight.
Hooray Suzy! Keep it up!
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It is about the MISSING Persons and the loved ones who were left behind.
If you are considering to watch this series for “entertainment purposes”, you may want to think again. This series was created not to entertain the audience, it was created with a mission. What is the mission? To inform and remind the public that there are a lot of missing persons around the world, and they have families who are also suffering because of it.The series was not amiss in depicting how the majority of people dismiss and ignores missing persons. How we just pass them by, or pretend to read and care. But we don't share the burden, simply because it hasn't happened to us.
This series is about that. It is not about romance, or drooling over your favourite actor because they are handsome, pretty, beautiful. It is not even about the writer's skill in storytelling and the director's artistic vision in bringing the story to live-action.
“Missing: The Other Side” is about the missing persons, the families left behind, and the circumstances behind the missing persons… which many suspects were due to crime primarily.
Is there going to be a Season 03? I doubt it.
The way S02E14 ended hinted that they've achieved their goal when they first pitched this idea to sponsors. They ended it in a way to remind the audience about missing persons, and how you and I should share the burden and help in whatever way we can.
It is open-ended because the issue about missing persons is a “story” that will never end.
Creating a Season 03 will only dilute the message and impact they created in both Seasons 01 and 02. The third season will be nothing more than “milk the audience for ratings and advertisements”. Why? Because the message was strong and sent already. Any stories they create in a third Season will simply be a repeat of everything they already told in Seasons 1 and 2.
Which brings us back to the important point of this series:
It is about the missing persons and the loved ones who were left behind.
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They could have had focused more in building the main character instead of showing the other relationship of the other characters, then what Doo Na's going through would be more impactful instead of lacking. You know, it's there, the audience understands what she is going through, but there is no emotional attachment to it.
The show, “Castaway Diva”, with a similar celebrity whose career ended, actually have a better introduction and background build up. Both characters want to die. Both characters were pushed to their limits. Both characters made mistakes. But there is no emotional attachment with Doo Na and there is with the other character with a parallel story. It's one thing to “know” and it is totally another to “feel”.
Watching Doo Na was like having a discussion, from a logical and objective perspective, of a celebrity's life in a classroom. They should have chosen a real-life story and created a documentary, which would be perfect for this kind of execution or production.
I actually stopped watching at episode 06. It took a few weeks before I was able to force myself to watch the last three episodes, and that's coming from a big fan of Suzy.
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This review may contain spoilers
A great story about life, love, relationships, and family.
I like how they turned the story into literal vampire + symbolic vampire.The FL is a symbolic vampire. A type of vampire that sucks the love and fun around her and from other people. Focused only on making ends meet, nothing wrong there, but is dead inside. She thinks she is living her life, but the truth is, she's an “undead”.
Meanwhile, the ML, a literal vampire (or half-vampire in the present day), is a vampire who wants to become a human. Who wants to feel love. Who wants to know what it means to live as a human and enjoy life to its fullest.
Two opposites meet each other. Nothing in common with them. They should repel each other… instead, they slowly attract each other.
The real vampire is making the symbolic vampire realise what she is missing. And the symbolic vampire is only making the real vampire firm in his decision to become a human.
Why? The clue is the fact that he can see his reflection only in her eyes. Because that is not only literal, it is also symbolic. He can see himself in her. The kind of life the FL is living is the life the ML had before he fell in love.
That is… just living for the sake of living.
Exactly what the FL is doing. Living for the sake of living.
Seeing himself in her, with the kind of life she is living, is only strengthening his resolve to become a human. He is done with being a vampire. He wants to find meaning. He wants to enjoy life to its fullest. Who cares if he dies? What is immortality if there is no meaning and purpose to it? He wants to love and be loved “until death do us part”.
And here's the FL, getting curious why a vampire wants to become a human. Why love is so important for this vampire. Because, for her, immortality is a gift, not a curse. For her, she can live a carefree life. She doesn't have to worry about paying bills, or what to eat tomorrow, or where to live next month. She can even make a fortune.
But… a vampire, with immortality and no worries in life, wants to become a human because of love? Knowing he will die as a human? Why indeed?
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While for some the story is cliché, I enjoy stories that add symbolism or deeper meanings to each character, like as I've mentioned, the ML can see his reflection in the FL's eyes is both literal and symbolic. Or, how the FL is a symbolic vampire; and how the two of them are attracting each other instead of repelling.
Good job. Love it!
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Deserving of high praises and top rating
"The Uncanny Counter" (2020) Season 1 was a live-action adaptation of the webtoon ("digital Korean manhwa") entitled "Kyeongirowoon Somoon" (2018) by Jang Yi. It stars Jo Byung Kyoo, Yoo Joon Sang, Kim Se Jeong, and Yeom Hye Ran, as the Counters--people who hunts evil spirits.The multiple story arcs were well thought out and I was amazed with how these different stories perfectly fit together in the end which brought out the best in the characters and the moral lessons of the series. The casting and acting for the four lead characters were so good it was as the audience witnessed a true story.
The music, overall production, editing, and directing, were all superb. The choreography in the fight scenes were not lacking and were not overdone, simply fitting for four ordinary individuals to do; otherwise it would have been unrealistic.
Finally, and it is rare to see this in most Asian dramas, they ended the series properly leaving an option for a sequel or a new season. Stories should not be sealed--leaving no room for the audience to create their own continuation, which in turn also leaves no room for an official sequel.
Since it was already announced that season 2 was given a green light, it further proved the importance of ending a series with room for the future. Well done. I will be waiting for season 2.
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This review may contain spoilers
ENDING EXPLAINED
Okay, so it was indeed a game as suspected and it was Se Eun's parents who programmid it and the "AI" Jung Won who learned how to hack it.I think episode showing Jung Won creating the game was her learning the harsh fate of everyone, and she's continually trying to end the game.
Also, Jung Won seems to be making sure Jae In remembers bits and pieces of the previous games. And in the finale episode, Jae In remembers everything from the previous one, including when she was awakened by Se Eun's parents.
The real question here is this: Did See Eun's mother reprogrammed Jung Won?
When the game reset, Jung Won was sitting far from Jae In. Also, Jung Won looks at Jae In with contempt.
I'm highly suspecting Se Eun's mother changed Jung Won (the AI) and now Jae In will be the one who will suffer the most since she volunteered to take responsibility.
I think that's what She Eun's mother did, she reprogrammed Jung Won to "think" that Jae In is the primary person responsible. Hence, Jung Won was looking at Jae In with contempt.
Even moreso, Jae In remembering everything is an additional layer of "punishment". She will be the only one who will remember the pain, as Se Eun's mother wanted.
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The unbroken bond between mother and child
Korean productions have this quiet strength when it comes to sci-fi and apocalyptic stories: they never forget the people. While many films in the genre get lost in scale, destruction, and technical realism, Koreans guarantee the human factor is front and center. An apocalypse is not just about cities falling apart—it is about humans breaking and adapting. When everything collapses, it is humanity that bears the weight.«The Great Flood» («대홍수») does not miss that point. It leans into the often overlooked human factor, which means it may disappoint anyone expecting a shallow, effects-driven spectacle. But for those familiar with Korean storytelling—and for anyone who value character over chaos—this film delivers. At its core is a deeply human story, a simple yet powerful focus on the bond between a mother and her child.
Kim Da-mi (김다미) was perfect for the role. She has never limited herself into a single type of role, and that range shows here. The experience she has built over time allows her to embody the character fully, moving through fear, resolve, tenderness, and desperation with ease. It is the kind of performance that allows the audience to sit with the character rather than merely watch her.
9 out of 10 stars.
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A World Where the Philippines Never Existed
«The Kingdom» (2024) is set in a world where the Republic of the Philippines was never conquered by Western imperialists. Instead, the archipelago stood united under a central monarchy—the "Kingdom of Kalayaan". ("Kalayaan" means freedom in Filipino.)It reimagines a version of history many Filipinos have long dreamed of—a world where our islands successfully repelled foreign invaders, preserving the values that once defined us: equality, equity, compassion, and respect for diversity and neurodiversity. A reality without anti-LGBT prejudice, without slavery, and where divorce is part of societal balance. Traditions and systems that Western colonisers erased or rewrote to fit their own narratives.
Now, this is a review, not a spoiler so let's get right into it.
Fight Scenes
Let's be honest: the fight scenes need serious improvement. Watching them felt like watching a slow-motion training reel rather than a life-or-death clash. Movements lacked weight, and the rhythm was too sluggish to sell the intensity of real combat.
The overuse of zoom-in shots did not help either (a common trick to hide the lack of impact by diverting attention to movement instead of connection). This was especially noticeable in the final battle sequence (no spoilers, of course).
That said, there is one exception. The second-to-the-last fight was slow for a reason and it worked. It carried a ceremonial tone, almost like a ritual dance between two warriors. That is where the pacing felt purposeful, not awkward.
If only the same level of attention was given throughout. A bit more budget and choreography refinement could have turned those duels into something memorable.
Spoken Language
Now, this part deserves applause. The dialogues were clean, properly structured, and beautifully delivered. The actors used the right words in the right places, avoiding the exaggerated diction often heard in teleserye (Philippine TV series).
As someone familiar with many of the older terms used, it was refreshing to hear those nearly forgotten words come alive again. It added authenticity, something rarely achieved in modern Filipino productions.
Names and Written Language
Here is where things start to so-so a bit. For a film set in a world untouched by Western colonisation, the names and scripts used felt oddly… foreign.
Why is there a character named Felipe? Why Dayang Lualhati instead of the native Dayang Luwalhati? And why is Latin script still the dominant writing system?
Think of how Korea, Japan, and China maintained their native scripts as cultural anchors. Even Thailand—which was also colonised—still uses its native alphabet proudly. If «The Kingdom» truly envisioned an uncolonised Philippines, it would make sense for Baybayin, or perhaps a modernised 21st-century version of it, to be the national script.
That detail alone could have elevated immersion tenfold. It would have grounded the Kingdom of Kalayaan as a civilisation distinctly its own, not just a Southeast Asian monarchy that "looks free" but still borrows its image from foreign cultures.
Even the palace design leaned more Thai or Indian than Filipino. Beautiful, yes, but a little detached from what the film's premise promised.
The Use of "Mabuhay"
This one caught me off-guard. In our real-world Philippines, "Mabuhay" carries deep national sentiment. It is a rallying word born from post-colonial pride, meant to uplift and celebrate Filipino identity.
But in a world where colonisation never happened, its symbolic weight would not have evolved in the same way. Hearing it used similarly in the film felt… out-of-place. It is a small detail, but a telling one. It hints at how even this alternate "Philippines" could not quite escape the shadow of our colonised history.
Verdict
Despite its flaws, «The Kingdom» remains an ambitious and heartfelt piece of alternate history. Its worldbuilding carries the kind of what-if many Filipinos quietly imagine: what if our history went differently? What if we never had to unlearn who we were?
For all its imperfections, the film delivers that spark of imagination.
8⭐ out of 10
It is not perfect, but it is meaningful, and that is what makes it worth watching.
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Why Koreans intensely guard their democracy
This film is based on a true story, a fight between the most unlikely heroes against a monster that is dictatorship and its vast network of power-hungry politicians and military.Known as the second People Power in modern history the Koreans toppled yet another dictator—a year after the Filipinos toppled its own dictator through People Power. Only this time, it took students to wake up an entire nation (of adults) to march against dictatorship and corruption, by blood and death.
A history that should never be forgotten.
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Sharp, Simple, and Solid
«마녀» («The Witch 1: The Subversion») is a 2018 Korean film that sticks to what Korean storytelling does best—build around the human first, and then let the plot follow. It’s a familiar formula, but when done right, it works. And in this case, it definitely worked.The opening was dark and brutal. A failed secret government experiment. Standard sci-fi setup. But instead of staying in that lane, the film quickly shifts gears and zeroes in on the life of the main character. This shift is exactly where the difference lies. A lot of Western productions would’ve stayed focused on the government or the science. Here, it becomes personal—and that’s where it hits harder.
The action isn’t loud or showy. It’s paced just right. It fits within the story and doesn’t try to outshine it. When the fights start, they feel grounded. Even with the superpowers in play, they didn’t go over the top. No unnecessary flips, no overacting. Just enough to make sense for the story and the characters.
One thing I really appreciated: the fights didn’t turn into full-on conversations. That’s a habit a lot of Asian productions fall into—talking too much in the middle of battle. This one kept it tight. Minimal dialogue during combat, but everything said still mattered. It respected the viewer’s time.
Set design, props, locations—solid all around. Nothing felt out of place or rushed. You can tell they paid attention to detail and didn’t cut corners.
And the story? It’s not just about powers or conspiracies. It’s about control. About what happens when someone is stripped of their choices and made into something for someone else’s benefit. And how that person decides to take that power back.
It’s clean, clear, and had no unnecessary extras. Just a good, well-made film that stayed true to its direction.
Easy 10 for me.
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License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC By-SA) 4.0 International
By: Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한 (YourOnly.One)
Date: 2025-05-29
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This review may contain spoilers
Synopsis sent a different message, and set expectations, that it did not meet
This is the problem with coming to a show with expectations, if they don't meet it, you're disappointed.At least based on the synopsis, it gave me a sense that the ML will be switching between two worlds and solve his cases because of the knowledge he gains going back and forth.
Unfortunately, that's not what happened. It was a one-time major switch, and then that was it. When he returned, he rarely used his knowledge from the other world to solve cases in his own world. Everything simply diverged, that he had to investigate from the bottom up.
The other world? You'll see it again in the ending as sort of closure only, but did not answer questions it left.
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I want more!
I love Lexi's strategy. The best. She knew how she's going to play from the very start. Too bad, she didn't win the last match. But still, it was the best strategy in this episode.Well. I guess that's it. Hopefully there will be Season 2 this 2023, with the same production quality but in the Philippines. I hope GMA, and other local productions, can learn from this. From using multiple cameras, providing monopods for the celebrities, and not being 'kuripot' with editing and special effects budget. This is what we need to revitalise the local entertainment industry, especially in the variety show space.
Once we learn from this, then we can add our “Filipino touch”. For now, not just GMA, other productions too, let's stick with the Korean style of production and editing. There's no shame in learning from others. Our neighbours once learned from us when we were the leaders in Asia-Pacific, it's our turn to learn from them.
I am hopeful for the Philippine entertainment industry as a whole. It's More Fun In The Philippines, after all. Mabuhay! Shalom!
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This review may contain spoilers
Could have been better in many aspects
I want to give this an 8 out of 10, but it was so hard to do, 7 is fitting.The acting was forced to act as students. You can see they have a talent and skills in acting, but it failed to show because they have to act like “kids”, it isn't their forte. They did not have to overdo it. In some behind-the-scene clips, those were perfect. They just have to be their normal selves, for example, in the BTS in the last episode where they were preparing the proposal, it was just them playing. It was like being in their natural habitats. We are all like that. But whenever the camera starts to roll, they become so focused on acting like a “teenager” that it turned out bad.
The kung fu fight scenes and the training scenes, no comments there.
Production. Seems to be a low budget show? It could have been better if they have a higher budget.
However, in the last few episodes, the editing started to go down. There were also scenes not needed at all. It's a rule in creative writing, a scene that doesn't add anything to the story should be deleted. And some of those only distracted from the objective of the scene.
Last episode. It's a typical wrap-up episode.
Overall, the series was like a school project. In the last episode, they even added an explanation of what happened to the gang. Was this not 100% fiction? Then that explanation is not needed at all, it is a given, they went to prison, end-of-story for them, we don't care about them. Unless this series was based on a true story? Because that's the only reason why that explanation was needed.
OST. Awesome!
Last but not the least, the story. That I love. The story's great. The plot, sub-plots, the different message the writer wants to send across.
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