Dr. Makino's growing pains.
It's been a while since I last watched a jdrama, but Netflix kept pushing Hokago Karte, or After School Doctor, and I figured why not? I needed something wholesome to watch and the story of a hospital's pediatrician sent to work at a primary school sound like the right thing. As per usual, you can always trust any japanese production to deliver on the slice of life genre.Doctor Makino is one of the best pediatricians in the hospital he works at, but his lack of bedside manner with the parents (and sometimes even children) put him in hot water with his boss. So, in order for him to grow as a professional and better connect with his patients, he must work at a primary school for six months. What ensues it's so wonderful, I have a hard time being able to express it, because this drama it's the kind you have to watch to understand. It fills you with good feelings and hope for the future, and about people's best nature.
Of course this is a jdrama, so it's painfully formulaic in its development but After School Doctor does it a little different. Each episode presents a new patient that introduces some sort of medical issue or, because we are dealing with kids, a family conflict. It gets resolved but, at the same time and depending on the case, it doesn't. Because, at the end of the day, these are still kids growing and some health concerns aren't magically resolved, they need time to be treated in long term. These are the episodes that really pull at your heartstrings. If an adult has difficulty explaining what it's happening to them when their mental health is declining, how can a child ask for help?
Doctor Makino comes across, at first glance, as someone who lacks empathy but this could not be a worst assessment of his personality. He is single minded, caring so much about the children's health that he doesn't pay attention to the grown ups. But, hey! Someone has to listen to the kids, right? Through the development of the story it also became obvious that the hospital environment perhaps was not the best option for him to work at. Some doctors are better equipped for it but some are better at private practices or, in this case, as the primary school's physician. Instead of seeing the patience once, with no follow up, by getting involved in the kids every day's school life, Doctor Makino is forced to expand his abilities in order to help them and, in return, win their trust.
Overall, this was a wonderful watch that made me laugh, get teary-eyed and think about everything that entitles a child's happy life. I really recommend it!
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Not talentless at all.
I think this drama has a lot to say about corporate culture and the differences between generations.Our lead, Takano, may be branded as “talentless” by her co-workers because she doesn’t know, well, anything but this doesn’t mean she is useless and integral for the well-being of the team.
In contrast, her peer Hiwada is incredibly competent but often overlooked by his appearance and demeanour. Not to mention he suffers from diarrhoea induced by anxiety, mostly because he is trying to fit in the corporate world like all past generations.
It’s when these two start working together that someone sees the importance in Takano’s presence and the competence of Hiwada’s work. And they do it in their Gen Z style, not the other way around.
Takano’s personality and speeches are usually misunderstood as genius in the the most absurd and hilarious ways. The viewers know better, creating a complicity between Hiwada, her and us.
The rest of their co-workers are mostly Gen X and Boomers, with their own dynamics and issues. They can’t figure out the enigma Takano is to them. On the other hand, Milennials are represented as quirky types, exiled to a basement office so they don’t have to deal with others and viceversa. All of the characters are good people but very set in their ways and it’s fun to see their interactions.
The script follows the typical formulaic approach of most Japanese dramas, with a new problem in each episode that by the end it’s resolved, leaving the characters with a new life lesson to learn if they wish to.
The cast was perfectly chosen for each role, particularly Nanao as Takano. Her part could have easily be written off as stupid and make fun at her expenses but she brings such a easy going and earnest energy to the character, it’s impossible to do so.
I think what the drama it’s trying to say under the disguise of a light hearted comedy it’s that, at the end of the day, some people are not meant to change but to change you and how you view the world. So, don’t get too comfortable in your ways. Don’t stop growing, take risks. Always try to be the better version of yourself and move forward.
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Auditors go wild!
I wish more dramas where like The Auditors. For starters, this drama is perfect in length: twelve episodes, no loose ends, actual character development, well paced. An airshot script that knew where the story and characters where going, its strengths and weaknesses, and that took advantage of all of it in order to bring one of the most entertaining kdramas of this year.Yes, the story following a department of internal auditors at a large construction conglomerate is highly entertaining. That goes to show that it doesn't matter what the subject matter of a drama is, as long as the people in charge of production, casting, directing and acting know what they are doing and have a clear picture, it's a win.
The cinematography and camera work is fast paced, as it should, for this is an action drama full of intrigue, betrayal, murder and corruption. Like any story of this genre you have the typical archetypes in each key player but the performances manage to make them feel fresh and likeable. Some characters are meant to be more nuance and complex, those were a treat to watch as we dwell into their backstory and motivations.
The list of guest stars this show has is mind-blowing and I don't think enough people are talking about it. Every episode or so a familiar face shows up for a particular story arc. It varies from a recently famous actress to a veteran actor, character actor that you might not know their name but you definitely know their work. It's wild the amount of talented people involved in this project.
Overall, I found The Auditors to be a really solid drama and I recommend it.
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Wonderful from beginning to end.
This is the type of drama that I consider to be on a league of their own because they cannot be compared to other stories going around on streaming sites and cable tv. It was wonderful from beginning to end, with a cohesive narrative and characters whose development actual made sense when you take in consideration past decisions and present time dilemmas.One of the things I loved the most about Fake It Till You Make It is that every supportive character that shows up in, doesn't only exist in order to push the story forward for our leads but each of them have a life of their own and we actually get to see it. We experience their lives as much as we experience what the leads are going through. That's honestly incredible to watch because it makes the world building infinite and the houses, work places, cafés and bars, feel lived in. Each of these people are the lead of their own life.
Because of this aspect, I had to take the show slower than I usually binge watch such a short drama. That's because the experiences and situations the characters find themselves in, personal or professional, felt at times incredibly real. Too real as I have been in those spaces before so I could fully understand the frustrations of a personal relationship not working out, being look over by superiors at work or feeling like you are going nowhere in life, inevitably comparing yourself to others. Learning that to live freely means understanding each person has a different journey that cannot be compared with yours it's a difficult task. What works for you, may not be the right choice for others and viceversa. The diversity of paths life can take you can be confusing and I think Fake It Till You Make It managed to portrayed perfectly.
My favourite thing about the drama was how the leads showed moments of growth in every single episode. Sometimes at a slower pace than in other moments, at one point one of them is growing faster than the other and there's a moment of decision to grow together or let go. I loved it.
This is honestly a perfect drama that I can't recommend enough.
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Ballet about obsession
This drama special follows the lives of a group of teens that have dedicated their entire lives to ballet, perhaps for the wrong reasons and they need to figure out if what they have been doing is right. I mostly think not. These kids are living a highly cut through environment, despite growing together they are not friends and rather see each other as competition and are willing to go as far as to use a person's weak spot in order to move up instead of relying on their talent.You will see very little actual dancing in this drama since its story follows more the mental state of the dancers rather than their talent, and that's the entire point of the story. These kids rather play mind games that competing fairly or take a moment to realize their own value. There's no self love in this story.
I thought this was a very well done drama about the fragility of a person's mind when they alienated themselves. The solid performances help get the message across, particularly Hong Seo Hee and Kim Min Chul.
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Stark portrayal of poverty based discrimination
In this Parasite coded drama special we can see a first hand a bleak and bitter story of a young university man struggling with poverty and the toll it takes on his mental health.There are several recurring elements in the story that portray the power dynamics between the lead and how society views him. People usually talk over him and don't listen to him, since for them he's not important enough to take up some or any space but, at the same time, they look down on him in other ways. A classmate interrupts his studio piano time at university (the only instrument he has access to for practice) five minutes earlier than schedule in a demonstration that her time is more important and then, before she can deign to touch the piano, she wipes out everything the lead touched. When he ask for a recommendation letter from one of his professors so he can apply to study abroad she directly questions him whatever he thinks he deserves special treatment because he is poor and ending it with a "poverty isn't a talent".
Discrimination due to poverty is the main recurring theme, no doubt, and the portrayal of the micro-aggressions this kid has to endure at University, from his peers and professors, are absolutely disgusting to watch.
Home life is no better. His deadbeat family is no support system. His biological mother passed away years ago, his stepmother and half-brother demand every penny he gains on his own because of a mistake he made as child, and his father doesn't stand up for him.
This first half of the drama sets up perfectly the constant beating this kid is getting, although not physical, but emotionally and psychologically; and the drama makes it clear from its opening scene he's at a breaking point. The second half of the story is when things go from bad to worse and a series of bad decisions take our lead into an horrifying situation that could easily make this drama special Parasite's little brother. It's clear the actions of this character are not out of malice but out of desperation and a life where he has only known indifference from other people.
Cha Hak Yeon gives an incredible nuance and complex portrayal of a beaten soul descent into desperation. It was heartbreaking, even in his most cut-through moments. I am deeply impressed by his performance.
Stain is a compelling drama special and I recommend it.
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Small team, big heart
One Dollar Lawyer wastes no time: we jump right into the tale of our low-fee lawyer, and see his eccentric ways play out first-hand. The drama excels at random offhanded moments of comedy, and that’s totally what I’m here for.Namgoong Min, of course, is just excelling and having the time of his life here, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Kim Ji-eun, and their interactions when they start working together is superb. On the other hand, Park Jin woo is mostly known for his more serious roles but here you get to see him in full comedy, delivering some a very funny performance. Choi Dae Hoon plays the prosecutor dork trying really hard to be cool without realizing his honesty and hard work are exactly what make him one of the best characters in this show. Finally, Gong Min Jung shines as the smart and cool as a cucumber prosecutor, the perfect fold to her colleague and our lead's eccentric ways.
All in all, this was a drama full of nuance comedy, that really excelled when it decided to get more into the drama or thriller genre. Far from boring, dragged out, or overly violent, the cases were more about helping people in need (mostly people who society discriminates against), but we also have a bigger plot related to our hero's tragic origin story.
The standout guest roles go to Lee Chung ah and Nam Myung Ryul is what's probably the most heartbreaking performances of the entire drama.
I recommend it !
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Third time is the charm.
If the first Soundtrack story was a beautiful love story about two friends falling in love, then Soundtrack #2 it's a bittersweet melody about two people who can't seem to get it right. Not matter how much you care for someone, sometimes love isn't enough and you have to let time and space give you perspective to understand why things didn't work out with that person.Some couples have to try hard at their relationship. It may be because of different upbringings, POV on life or individual issues. No relationship it's perfect, timing can be tricky and life make things difficult. The characters own personal issues also stand in their way but the important thing to take from this love song it's that when you find the person who makes you happy, you try to make it work until the very end. Even if it takes two or three times. Even if it means letting them go more than once.
The Soundtrack Anthology remains one of the best productions coming from South Korea and I hope that we get many more stories from this world.
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Switch (2023) captures the feeling of the original film and brings a new life, heart and laughter into the story. The director and writer, both, know how to make this adaptation feel fresh, even when it's a story we have seen before. The acting is the strongest point of the story, with everyone delivering their A+ game and making you feel everything their characters are feeling. The humor in this movie is also very good, so I am sure everyone can enjoy it.
Overall, I fully recommend it!
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Not fully fleshed out.
When Si Jin was first announced, I was really excited and I am not going to deny it was because Jing Tian and Zhang Wanyi are two of my favourite chinese actors working today. They were, for the most part, the best of this drama but that's to be expected considering they are the leads and need to carry a heavy storyline of family and court politics, and outsmarting not only our main villain but every pawn she puts in their way. On this, Si Jin was satisfying. The rest of the supporting cast was also really good with what they were given to work with.But from the beginning Si Jin had some storytelling issues. It could be ignore at first but as the story progressed and revelations started, it started to look messy. I struggled to put my finger on it for a while, why wasn't Si Jin working as it should when it had all the right elements? I have narrowed it down to the combination of small and big things.
For starters, Si Jin's script is not exactly tight and coherent the whole time. As a consequence, for example, the main villain comes of as one-dimensional; so when she argues her talents were always were overlooked because of her gender or that she was in marriage without love, it simply leaves the viewer wondering "Am I supposed to feel bad for her?". Because I spent 39 episodes watching her murder indiscriminately, with the first point never being developed and the latter where it's clear as day she actually forced the man to marry her. Another key point, is that the mystery surrounding one of the leads' connection to another nation was put in the back burner for way too long, in favour of repetitive family conflicts.
All of this gets more obvious when you realize one of the drama's weakest points, its editing. There are harsh cuts and inconsistencies in the sequence of the story, so much so, that makes me think a studio suit (or censor?) put their hands on the show, cutting in order to achieve a certain amount of episodes, avoid some of the points the show was trying to make or the story it was trying to tell.
I googled the people responsible for this drama, behind the scenes, and while they are experienced, looking at their filmography makes me think perhaps this story was too big of a project to develop for them. Which it can be a reality that affected the drama's final cut.
Overall, Si Jin feels like the skeleton of what could have been a really great drama have they had the opportunity to be fully fleshed out. I still enjoyed it, tho, and it didn't drag at any minute. It's a solid 7 out of 10 stars.
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In the track of my heart, you are the only runner.
Lovely Runner it's undoubtedly one of the best dramas of 2024.It has all the elements that make a drama a mega hit: comedy, romance, time travel, well written characters (both leads and supporting ones) and an engaging plot line that never bores you. Starring Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok, adapted from the web novel The Best of Tomorrow by screenwriter Lee Shi Eun and directed by Yoon Jong Ho and Kim Tae Yub, the Lovely Runner team achieved a perfect execution in front and behind the scenes.
I think the true star of this drama it's the writing and on this I can't commend Lee Si Eun enough. I had already seen her potential in dramas like True Beauty but here she really manages to shine through a well crafted, smart and cohesive story with no loose ends. I'm incredibly impressed by her talent.
The writing was perfectly complemented by the directors's outstanding work in leading a film crew that was on every detail of each part of the story, in each timeline, never missing a beat. Always delivering their A+++ game. But there was also great work done from the directors part in helping the actors get the comedic timing exactly right, the more emotional scenes to deliver and the team work among cast and crew to be flawless.
This might be a big hit now, but it's actually a sleeper hit because the lack of promotion this drama had was embarrassing to watch and if it wasn't for the devoted fans, studio executives would have never realized they had a gem in their hands. So, Lovely Runner it's not only a great drama with a super fandom that really fought for this story, it's also becoming yet another prime example in the list of films and tv that achieved all of it by themselves because artists delivered nothing short of excellence.
On this point I can't ignore the incredible performances given by the entire cast. Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok are definitely the standouts, they stole the show, this is their story and the actors chemistry it's electrifying. But the way supportive actors would show up in a scene and push the story forward in a coherent way and even make it better, it's wild to me. The chemistry this cast had it's a rare feat for an ensamble cast and how they managed to transition seamlessly through different phases of their characters's lives and relationships when events, in each timeline, were changing because of the things our leads did they still remain truthful. So, not only the leads are well developed in this drama but also every single character that shows up, no matter how small the role is.
The best example of this it's actor Heo Hyeong-Gyu who has been working for sixteen years, playing very minor characters, finally having a breakthrough in the industry because of his role in this drama. And while his presence was prominent and important to the story, he barely had lines. So his entire performance is mainly based on micro-expressions or physical stunts.
I also fully expect the actors like Song Geon-Hee, Lee Seung-Hyub, Song Ji-Ho or Seo Hye-won to receive a lot of what korean entertainment industry calls "love calls" aka commercials, dramas and films, among other things.
Experiencing watching Lovely Runner alongside the fandom, waiting every week for a new episode, it's a big part of what made this drama so good. Healthy and good loving fun people, clowning, poking fun at our faves and crying at heartbreak. It's been a long time since I have been able to engage in this way with other fans and I am thankful for them, the cast and crew for all these amazing weeks of fun.
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A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You
2 people found this review helpful
Lovely but...
If I had to review this drama for the romance and comedy, I would give it a solid 8. The characters' chemistry is really good and the story compelling. Most of what was shown in this drama was lovely and heartwarming in many ways but, in order to watch this drama, I had to put aside all knowledge of Japan's history in the 20th century.I'm not japanese but, most of my childhood, I attended a school created by the community and even I had the opportunity to live in Tokyo for a while. All this to say that I am no stranger to the culture and its history, and that as a consequence I have my own educated opinion which it's very positive but I also believe the negative can't be ignored.
To set a japanese story in 1936, it's certainly a choice. But making your leads a navy officer and his wife makes my eyebrow rise in suspicious (IYKYK). This was an issue for me because it was always in the background and driving the story and character's experiences (as the very final narration clarifies, with no qualms). There was even offhandedly comments from supporting characters about the current political situation. As much as I wanted to "enjoy" this drama, I couldn't help but wonder if I was watching a revisionist story, maybe even subtle propaganda, trying to paint certain group of people in a better light and sweep under the rug some of Japan's darkest chapters in the history of the country, region and world.
Maybe I'm wrong. Like I mentioned before I'm not japanese, so I would actually prefer to listen to someone who is, what they have to say about this drama.
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Small town, busy people
I want to give proper value to the production team because technically speaking this is a wonderfully made story, with lot of attention put into the detail. The first thing that caught my attention was the sound mixing, which easily created a slice of life vibe, set in the rural location. There's almost no soundtrack use during important scenes, choosing the surroundings over it. The sound of the ocean, the cicada, a dog barking. It all completes the story.The characters wear barely any make up, their clothes are something any of us would wear during the summer, which goes perfectly with the lack of interest in superficial aesthetic.
The drama lives and dies with the performances. The actors are the heart of the story and they deliver on creating a close-knit society in the small town their characters all grew up.
At first, I thought I was in for a slice of life sport story about friendship, love and overcoming personal struggles but to my surprise there was a murder mystery thrown in the middle.
I understand why the writer of this drama used this troupe to point out some toxic behaviour from society, our prejudices and the damage gossip can do to a person's life. Sadly, I think the main story suffers from it and deviates of its strongest points which is the relationship between the six main characters with each other.
Overall, this is a very quiet and rustic story with some solid performances but easily forgotten among many others dramas that have done this before and better.
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Good start, bad execution
This drama started strong but the development was weak and convoluted. It also dragged way too much certain revelations that would have made the main characters more interesting and motivated to take down the big bad.For a cast of this caliber, I am shocked at the material they were given. These are actors I have been following for years and the performances were all over the place, lacking consistency but this is mainly because of the script. I am not sure the screenwriter knew what story wanted to tell or if they bit off more than they can chew.
Overall it's not necessarily a bad drama but it is a waster opportunity for sure.
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Entertaining and fun drama!
A historical drama with a twist: it imagines ancient China as a matriarchal society. The Romance of Tiger and Rose is set in the fictional city of Huayuan, where women rule, command armies and hold public office. They even pass their family names on to their children. On the other hand, male characters aren’t allowed to pursue their studies or careers; instead, they’re to be obedient and virtuous, and dream of meeting a woman who will sweep them off their feet and into a life of domestic bliss.Meanwhile, the neighbor and rival city, remains a patriarchal society where women are to study decorum, stay silent, do what husband’s tell them, take care of the house, children and parents. As a result, the problems that arise in this city sound familiar: young people prefer to stay single or ask for a divorce within a year after getting married, and birth rates drop. Their government even debates, at on point, a marriage law and if citizens don’t comply then they would get fined or even go to jail.
The drama is clearly trying to get through a point and it’s not surprise that gender issues, which are being largely talked about and challenged in contemporary China, are showing up in Dramaland.
An interesting premise but the drama does not analyze this matters, preferring exposition and gender bender hilarity to make a point about equality between men and women. Still, the issue is right there staring at you and impossible to ignore since it makes all the difference about the lives and interactions of the leads, which are -of course- each from one of these cities.
Since this is about a screenwriter getting trapped in the drama she wrote, the story also gets meta at times. Right down with leading lady calling the most prestigious storytellers of the city to a “writer’s room” where they talk about how to change the story and they end up debating all the usual drama troupes, ship wars and more. It was definitely my favorite running joke in the show.
Still, I had a great time with this absolutely charming and lighthearted drama. Kudos to Zhao Lu Si and Ding Yu Xi for their work as leads, their chemistry was fun, sweet and off the charts. The secondary cast does an amazing job, particularly Wu Yijian and Liu Shuyuan, who played the respective loyal right hands of each lead and were hilarious at it.
I recommend it!
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