bojojoti

Great Cast

Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won are always watchable for me. The rest of the cast did an admirable job, too.

I'd expected a police procedural, but there were relatively few cases; the emphasis was on the camaraderie of the detectives and their battle against corruption. Although violent crime and trauma were depicted, there was always comic relief, sweet friendship interactions, and slight romance to brighten the darkness.

One question the drama provoked was: how much evil is permissible if it serves a greater purpose in the end? Can a few innocent be sacrificed for the greater good of many? I stand firmly on the precept that tolerating evil begets evil: "The wicked become even worse when they are tolerated." - Leo Tolstoy

The drama introduced many characters and plotlines, but it didn't tie everything up at the end. I was left with questions, which I won't discuss to remain spoiler-free. For that, I'm subtracting a half star. I loved the chemistry between the detectives, especially the growing relationship between Dae Gu and Seo Pan Seok. That, alone, was worth adding an entire star.

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A Rebellion was Promised

The good: The actors were wonderful, and their characters were compelling. I find the journey of personal growth of characters intriguing, and this drama was rich with experiences for the leads; they grew from bright, naive young people to mature, resilient ones.

The annoying: Operational security was absolutely nonexistent. Wanted ML marched through the marketplace all in black with a mask and no one noticed him, even though he was heavily sought. He showed up everywhere something was going on, and nobody recognized him, even though his friends were continually yelling out his actual name. Princess' husband had a secret document fomenting treason he stuck up his sleeve. Foreshadowing disaster, his friend asked why he didn't burn them, and he said he wanted to show it to his wife. 2S2L! Here's a pro tip: if there is an inept blabbermouth in one's group, it would be wise not to tell them everything that should remain secret. If anyone competent had been after the ML and FL, they would have been captured/eliminated in short time, but it appeared that no one in power had the idea to watch their residences or follow them and their servants.

The bad: From the start, the viewer was told Su Yang was evilly ambitious, and, true to form, he murdered indiscriminately to take the throne. The entire point of the drama was the struggle to defeat Su Yang and remove him from that throne. Kim Seung Yoo's whole purpose in living was to seek revenge on those who killed his father, and that included Su Yang. The drama didn't deliver on that promise. Only one of the evil ministers paid with his life; Su Yang retained the throne. All the noble families whose innocent fathers were murdered remained as servants to the men who had killed them. The ML was left disabled and no longer able to fight against Su Yang. He was thought dead so had no identity. The FL was categorized as a servant. In reality, a runaway slave and a disabled, unidentifiable man would find it hard to survive in ancient China. I have to remind myself that Korean dramas are more about enduring rather than winning, but it's hard for my American sensibilities to accept that as a happy ending. I wanted Su Yang dethroned, Jong's baby made king, and Seung Yoo made regent until the child came of age. I wanted the evil ministers removed from office and all their innocent servants who had been nobility restored to their stations. I especially wanted that weaselly little minister who thought everyone needed to be killed to have a taste of his own medicine, but he got a happy ending as far as I know. The rebellion just fizzled out. So unsatisfying!

And yet, the acting was enjoyable, the characters were memorable, and I don't begrudge the time spent watching. No extra stars awarded, because I'm too annoyed by the ending.

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Visually Appealing Period Piece. With Monsters.

Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee, along with a cast of sterling supporting actors, elevated a monster story set in Japanese-occupied Korea.

The pawn shop was gorgeous, the town was visually appealing, and the hospital was appropriately stark and chilling. The drama had charm as a period piece. The underlying camaraderie of the oppressed people knit the community together and made the viewer want them to succeed.

There were issues with writing. It drives me mad to watch stupidity in action. Every time the heroes were in peril and were trying to escape, they'd stop in a hallway and have a meaningful conversation. Have a sense of urgency when you're being chased by evil people!

I have no idea why the bad guys had such a hard time keeping up with our heroes, because they always returned to the pawn shop. For 100 years, they always returned to the pawn shop. Why bother tailing them? After an especially harrowing escape, I thought (silly me!), they had best hightail to a hotel or remote cabin somewhere to elude the bad guys. No, back to the pawn shop, where everyone knew they holed up. They still couldn't find them half the time!

TL:DR: Season 1 had compelling stories: occupation, freedom fighters, separated families, blended families, and the struggle for survival. Also, too many long dialogues during tense moments.

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Short on Angst, Long on Charm

The ML was played masterfully by Wallace Huo. He depicted a man newly turned 40, set in his ways, and encumbered by neurodivergence. ML was brilliant, but he was hampered by his OCD, his lack of filter when he spoke, and his inability to read social signals. He had learned to navigate life by isolation, the protection and intervention of his business partner, and the defensive speech he used to keep people at arm's length.

Zhu Zhu depicted an older woman successful in her profession who was unwilling to settle for the sake of marriage, no matter the pressures society and her father placed upon her.

What unfolded was a mature love story. Some might find it slow and lacking in the romance department, but I was fascinated with ML's journey and evolution. Wallace Huo fleshed out a character I will long remember, and he did it in a stylish and heartwarming manner. Unlike so many dramas that have disappointed me, it managed to have a sweet and satisfying ending.

I quibbled with myself over the rating, but my enjoyment of Huo's character made me come back to rate the drama higher.

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Abuse is Never Right, No Matter the Victim

I've watched Bai Jing Ting and Tian Xi Wei in other dramas and enjoyed them. I liked them in this drama, too (their relationship was sweet), but my pleasure was tempered by two unfortunate premises.

I understand the desire to rewrite history in an heroic manner, but the sort of feminist retrofitting of rigid history undermines the actual hardships women had to endure in those times. That a handful of concubines would be allowed to undermine a society without dire consequences to themselves and their families is unreasonable.

I could accept the wish-fulfillment fantasy of sisterhood easily changing society; this isn't a documentary, after all. However, I couldn't stomach the spousal abuse. Third Prince was despised, and rightly so, for his womanizing and treating his wife and concubines as property. Yet, when he realized the error of his ways and tried to make amends, he was still treated with disrespect. It was understandable that Shang Guan Jing was resentful at her forced marriage to the 5th Prince. He was dim-witted and his mouth said things his brain didn't always mean, but that was no excuse for Shang Guan's physical and mental abuse of him. Why is it acceptable to beat a man and leave huge, horrific bruises on him? He'd grown up abused, and he accepted it gratefully from his wife. I found that extremely sad and distasteful. As much as I liked the character of the tough, feisty Shang Guan, there is never an excuse for a stronger person to beat on a weaker one, no matter the sex.

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The Best Thing for Pure Romantics

I realize I'm missing the romance gene, but it still bewilders me that this drama is rated 8.7. I generally need something to accompany the romance, if I'm to enjoy the drama. Pure romance is like bitter medicine to me; I need something sweet like mystery, murder, or mayhem to choke it down.

The Good:
• I was interested in the bits with Traditional Chinese Medicine. I can see where Western medicine would benefit from a partnership with a philosophy that doesn't rely on harsh drugs and surgery.
• This was a pretty drama. The leads were beautiful, the scenery was attractive, and there were flowers galore. Plus, everyone had magnificent bookcases.
• The families were sweet and mostly supportive.
• The dreaded time skip actually made sense in this drama, as it was planned far in advance.

The Bad:
• TBT was slow, glacially slow. I can't even call it a slow-burn romance, because it rarely ignited. I don't think the couple got together until the 20th episode, then it wasn't long before the FL left the country and ML was left to write heartfelt letters to her.
• I don't have patience with people who aren't truthful and/or can't speak up. For heaven's sake, professional people in their 30s who deal with the public on a daily basis should be able to talk.
• The misunderstandings drove me wild, because all it took, in nearly every case, was one simple, short question to clear it all up: "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Are you a father?" That's all it takes. It's not hard, folks.

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Good Actors and Fast Action, All Splattered with Blood

Warning, Gentle Viewers: graphic violence and gore ahead, but the title didn't promise a frothy love story.

The Good:
• I really like Lee Dong Wook, even when he's playing an emotionless killer. He's not a cruel killer. I'm making excuses for him!
• Park Ji Bin gave me chills with that baby face of psychotic sweetness. Fun fact: that cherubic face is 31 years old! Another fun fact: He played Geum Jan Di's little brother in Boys over Flowers 17 years ago.
• Geum Hae Na's action scenes were amazing. I asked AI if she did her own scenes: "Geum Hae-na performed most of her own action scenes in the Disney+ series A Shop for Killers. She underwent intense, lonely high-intensity training to master grappling and other combat techniques, which resulted in her gaining 3kg of muscle mass. Her physically demanding performance, which included scenes where she reportedly vomited from exhaustion, earned her a Best Supporting Actress Award at the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards."
• I appreciated seeing some actors who looked like average people: short, old, plain, etc.
• I wasn't sure if this went in The Good or The Bad list, but the action was nonstop and the tension was unrelenting. I had to take breaks in order to handle it. I'll put in The Good, as I wasn't bored.

The Bad:
• Disney+ offers the drama only in dubbed form. It's weird and offputting. The dialogue sounded like it was written by AI without a full charge of electricity.
• The drama didn't end; it just stopped. That's regrettable as my introductory offer on Disney+ runs out before the second season arrives. I prefer binging seasons, because I tend to forget quickly, but I don't mind waiting if there is a viable conclusion at the end of each season. This left so many things hanging. What will happen with Babylon? What happened to Jin Man? With his intelligence and survival skills, I never bought things went down the way we were told. Please, let it be a diversion tactic and not stupid writing. At this point, we don't even know who is left alive. This was not a complete drama—it was a prelude.
• I would have expected Jung Jin Man to have prepared his niece better or that she would have adapted better. I'm thinking season 2 will see her character develop. Buckle up, Buttercup.

Now I'm off to watch something sweet and soothing. I had a mistaken perception that Disney+ would be princesses and unicorns, but it's violence, darkness, and blood, at least where the K-dramas are concerned. Now that I know they don't offer all K-Dramas with subtitles, I don't need to renew my subscription when it runs out.

I reserve the right to add an extra half star if the second season answers my questions.

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Potential that Devolved Rapidly in the Final Episode

I wanted to like this much more than I did.

The Good:
• It was refreshing to see a ML who looked manly. He wasn't the typical romcom pretty boy.
• The female lead was a competent adult at work.
• The leads had good chemistry together when the script allowed.

The Bad:
• The ML was mean for no reason. I tire of the trope that has a man in love with the woman whom he treats the worst.
• The FL was unlikeable. She had no close friends. She spent most of the drama with a sour look on her face. She was either angry or sad.
• Those everlasting love triangles. Give it a rest, please.
• Massive amounts of stupidity. If I had the power to see the future, I'd utilize it. If I knew a serial killer was stalking me, I'd probably not go walking alone in the middle of the night in dark alleys.

I was on board most of the drama, ever hopeful for a good ending. Instead, I was treated to a breakup and a terrible montage of childish argumentative scenes at the end. I should have stopped watching before the last episode to save myself from the toxicity.

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A Warm Reunion with Well-Loved Characters

Such a perfect team of characters at Doldam Hospital.

The Good:
• As always, I loved Kim Sa Bu: the way his fingers nimbly tied sutures, how he mentored his team, and the way he handled life's roadblocks. He went from comforting to chilling depending on the situation: a reliable supporter or a formidable opponent. I resonated with his hard choices: picking adversaries as teammates in order to complete his dream isn't something most of us could do. Although, as I've said to my loved ones, if we agreed all the time, one of us would be redundant and unnecessary.
• Mister Koo! AKA the Moving Mountain (in my mind).
• Kim Min Jae/Park Eun Tak's voice. Give that man more lines!
• O Myeong Sim losing her cool. She became a human megaphone.
• Finally, a villain I could understand. Um Hyeon Jeong's anger was justified. She was manipulative and underhanded, and I couldn't blame her. It was understandable that she wanted to destroy everything and everyone at Doldam.
• When Kang Dong Ju made his appearance he ramped up the viewing excitement. It was a great choice to bring him back in a very unsettled role: was he there to build or destroy? I'd love to have a season 4 to see what he does. The ending hinted at a continuation. Three seasons were golden. Maybe a fourth is asking for too much?

The Bad:
• Nurse Park Eun Tak was hesitant in the first season, but he was nearly standing in sludge for this one. He aggravated me. But Yun A Reum annoyed me, too. Talk to one another, for heaven's sake. They could have been beyond cute (what a missed opportunity), but they were annoying for far too long instead.
• That's all I have for bad, but one bullet point would have looked lonely. I'm not going to critique harshly on something I love. Aunt E's cinnamon rolls that she made each year were dry and not that tasty (not bad, but not good), but she baked them out of love, and the family all oohed and aahed over them in reciprocating appreciation. Some things you just accept and enjoy.

I added a half star because... Jung Byeol was so darned cute or I just felt like it.

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Successful Story Telling, Just Not the Story I Wanted Told

I watched this after Moving because it was set in a shared universe. The connection was not apparent to me until the last minute or so of the drama. Whereas, Moving had warmth amidst violence, Light Shop offered despair amidst darkness. Moving had loving relationships; Light Shop had people afflicted with despair, prejudice, guilt, and loss. Moving had its moments of humor; Light Shop was unremittingly bleak—it was always night, and it was often raining.

The more than half-dozen stories began about a third of the way through, with the background supplied in alternating flashbacks. It was confusing, but viewers and characters alike were bewildered, so it worked in a fashion. The writer trusted his audience to grasp the situation, and he filled in the important issues later. This may have caused some viewers to quit early, but the payoff started in about the fourth episode and built steadily from there.

The drama started as a horror, macabre and eerie. Horror isn't my cup of tea, but as the drama progressed, the pieces came together, and, as it began to make sense and progress, terror turned to understanding.

The Good:
• Park Bo Young's character was the one calm, reassuring touchstone in the drama. I inevitably enjoy her acting.
• The dog was a good boy.
• The drama managed to take all the dark, broken pieces and fit them together in a pleasing way. There was a rhythm and pattern to the stories that was satisfying.

The Bad:
• Moving had buckets of blood; Light Shop was adrift in tears. If there was a character with any screen time who didn't cry, I'm unaware of it.
• There were many unanswered questions which made me wonder if the story was to be continued in a sequel or if it would be shuttled into the second season of Moving.

Not recommended for the depressed. Recommended for those who appreciate seeing bits of a smashed vase being spun into a whirlwind and miraculously made whole, more or less.

My rating reflects my appreciation for a convergence of stories melded together successfully and less on my enjoyment of the drama. The characters were memorable, and the cast did an admirable job. I can recognize the drama is a dark gem without particularly liking it. I will say that, although I rarely rewatch a drama, this easily could be rewatched, because there are so many aspects potentially missed in the first viewing.

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Warm Moments with a High Possibility of a Bloodbath

Gentle viewers, heed my warning. There was blood—not the sanitized blood spitting of Chinese wuxias, but buckets of the stuff from every gaping wound imaginable. There was violence: horrific tortures and murders. The body count was high. I will admit I had to stop watching some brutal fight scenes, and I had to leave the series at times when my favorite characters were in peril or the situation was too intense. But, I was never bored. If you can stomach that, Moving has memorable characters, ride or die loyalty, and a compelling story.

The Good:
• The cast was stellar, the relationships were warm and wonderful, and I loved the heroes and despised the villains.
• The characters were fleshed out (except when their flesh was removed, yikes), their motives were clear, and the actors depicted them wonderfully. No one was cookie cutter, and the series did a competent job of explaining the past in flashbacks to establish the characters, then merging it with the present.
• The tropes were subverted enough that I was never quite sure how things would turn out.
• I treasured the underlying themes of familial love, acceptance of the different, forgiveness to the repentant, and loyalty beyond one's family.
• Unlike so many K-dramas that excuse, overlook, or forgive evil, this one suppled some catharsis to the viewer.
• I appreciated that the writer didn't dumb down his script. He left some things unexplained, and I fully expect to see those integrated into season 2.

The Bad:
• The violence was graphic, and the fight scenes were overly long for me. I understand a fight for survival won't abide by the Marquess of Queensberry rules, and I understand the drama requiring the violence. I'm simply uncomfortable with it.
• I adored Kim Bong Seok, the human equivalent of a Golden Labrador puppy. It's disappointing that the actor, Lee Jung Ha, is in the military and won't be able to continue the role. I will miss his sweet face, and I can't help but think the second season will feel his absence keenly. I suppose this bullet point item technically should be a part of The Good, but I'm so bummed he won't be in season 2. I'd love to see him as a more mature person. The actor gained 66 pounds (!) for the role, and it would be amazing to see him slimmed down and taking after his character's father.

I'm conflicted on the rating, but I have to add a half star for the actors' performances.

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Bai Jing Wants to Resign, but the Day Keeps Replaying

It's another cold CEO and poor, overworked secretary drama done in six-minute increments. It's amazing how many tropes can fit in those few minutes!

The Good:
• I enjoyed the scene of the ML and FL squatting behind a counter to spy on the other employees and nonchalantly replying they were just watching the workers when they were discovered. Not the least bit odd or suspicious!
• The leads were attractive and watchable.
• The title drew me in. Been there, done that!
• The time loop didn't become overly boring and repetitive. Kudos to the writer for that.
• I love it when a drama ends well, and this one had me smiling. Hands down, the best part. Note to self: be careful in a time loop, because you never know when it's going to end.

The Bad:
• Music was underwhelming and, in many scenes, missing.
• The budget was obviously small. FL spent 1/3 of the drama wearing the same pair of pink striped pajamas. Even when she spent the night with her parents, the ML had to borrow clothes from her father, but the FL's pink pjs were magically there, even though she hadn't taken luggage. She must always wear them under her clothes.
• The evil opposing CEO certainly gave up easily. I guess murder was just a whim with him, and he could take it or leave it.
• FL's ring tone drove me crazy. It's a good thing this was a mini series. I wouldn't have survived listening to that for 40 episodes.

I added a half star for the aftermath of the loop ending.

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Likeable Actors Trapped in Tropes

As much as I liked the cast, this drama felt much longer than 12 episodes because the story didn't come together well. It couldn't decide if it was a sweet romcom, a makjang melodrama, or a sinister serial killer mystery.

The Good:
• The ML and FL were cute together, but I found the 2ML and 2FL more interesting.
• The mother of the FL had some nice moments. Amor fati!
• Seo Bum June made me despise his character. I'll attribute that to his acting skills, as I adored his character in The First Night with the Duke.

The Bad:
• I have a burning hatred for infidelity, so that storyline was painful and way too long. I don't understand compassion for a cheater. The FL drove me mad with her inability to shut her ex out of her life. Block his number and stop taking his calls, for heaven's sake.
• The makjang bits with the ex's family were an intrusion.
• The entire show revolved around the house. It was massively important until it suddenly wasn't.

I gave an extra half star for keeping the drama to 12 episodes.

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