Too Much Bank and Not Enough Choco
Choco Bank (2016), starring EXO's Kai and Park Eun Bin, was nothing more than an attempt to make us... I don't know... open a bank account? I swear I couldn't even figure out what they were trying to sell us. Was it financial advice? A savings plan? I couldn't care less.
What about the storyline? Did it have one? Yes. I mean... kind of. They try to give us a story where we follow Kim Eun Haeng (Kai), who, despite having a good résumé, is struggling to find a job. He ends up finding a new purpose when he meets Ha Cho Co (Park Eun Bin), a struggling chocolatier who dreams of running her own café but hasn't had much luck attracting clients or keeping her finances in order — and that's how their paths cross. But everything is so rushed that it feels like they tried to mix every cliché into just one drama. I mean, we have romance, jealousy, family issues (and we can't forget about the financial advice) all packed into just six episodes.
What about the acting? Well, Park Eun Bin is Park Eun Bin — she became big in the industry for a reason, and we could already see her potential here. Kai wasn't bad at all. Not perfect, but he wasn't bad. Lee Il Hwa (Eun Haeng's mother) is a veteran actress, and she didn't disappoint, despite her character not having much screentime. The acting was probably the best thing I took from this drama. The only performances that felt a bit underwhelming were Yun Joon Suk (Bae Dal Su) and Gong Da Im (Cherry) — the supposed second leads. Overall, the cast did what they could with the material they had, and while the acting wasn't extraordinary, it was decent enough to keep the drama watchable, and their charisma also sells.
Is it rewatchable? For me, as a drama fan, it doesn't have much rewatch value. But as an EXO-L, well, I could never say no to watching Kai over and over again. Unfortunately, I like to be critical when it comes to what I watch, so my drama fan heart takes the lead here. But yes, the drama is an okay watch for an EXO-L, or for someone who doesn't want something too heavy. If you go in not expecting a big storyline and don't mind the random conversations about finances and things like that, I think you could enjoy it even a little bit — I mean, I didn't hate it.
Overall, I think it's important to mention that I understand this is a web series, and a very short one — each of the six episodes is only about 14 minutes long. But I still think it was unnecessary to put together so many plot points into a project that never had enough time to work with. I strongly believe this drama would work better in a full-length drama format (and maybe miniseries aren't for me). To end on a positive note, I appreciate the fact they tried to give us a bit of a 'never give up on your dreams' message. It's a struggle to find a job, and sometimes an even bigger struggle to keep one, but it's good to hold onto our dreams.
What about the storyline? Did it have one? Yes. I mean... kind of. They try to give us a story where we follow Kim Eun Haeng (Kai), who, despite having a good résumé, is struggling to find a job. He ends up finding a new purpose when he meets Ha Cho Co (Park Eun Bin), a struggling chocolatier who dreams of running her own café but hasn't had much luck attracting clients or keeping her finances in order — and that's how their paths cross. But everything is so rushed that it feels like they tried to mix every cliché into just one drama. I mean, we have romance, jealousy, family issues (and we can't forget about the financial advice) all packed into just six episodes.
What about the acting? Well, Park Eun Bin is Park Eun Bin — she became big in the industry for a reason, and we could already see her potential here. Kai wasn't bad at all. Not perfect, but he wasn't bad. Lee Il Hwa (Eun Haeng's mother) is a veteran actress, and she didn't disappoint, despite her character not having much screentime. The acting was probably the best thing I took from this drama. The only performances that felt a bit underwhelming were Yun Joon Suk (Bae Dal Su) and Gong Da Im (Cherry) — the supposed second leads. Overall, the cast did what they could with the material they had, and while the acting wasn't extraordinary, it was decent enough to keep the drama watchable, and their charisma also sells.
Is it rewatchable? For me, as a drama fan, it doesn't have much rewatch value. But as an EXO-L, well, I could never say no to watching Kai over and over again. Unfortunately, I like to be critical when it comes to what I watch, so my drama fan heart takes the lead here. But yes, the drama is an okay watch for an EXO-L, or for someone who doesn't want something too heavy. If you go in not expecting a big storyline and don't mind the random conversations about finances and things like that, I think you could enjoy it even a little bit — I mean, I didn't hate it.
Overall, I think it's important to mention that I understand this is a web series, and a very short one — each of the six episodes is only about 14 minutes long. But I still think it was unnecessary to put together so many plot points into a project that never had enough time to work with. I strongly believe this drama would work better in a full-length drama format (and maybe miniseries aren't for me). To end on a positive note, I appreciate the fact they tried to give us a bit of a 'never give up on your dreams' message. It's a struggle to find a job, and sometimes an even bigger struggle to keep one, but it's good to hold onto our dreams.
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