If it wasn't for Woo Do Hwan, I would never have watched Joseon Attorney.
If it wasn't for Woo Do Hwan, I would never have watch Joseon Attorney. The banality of the plot could be brightened up by strong characters and outstanding acting, but... no. Everything is quite ordinary: there is a hero who avenges the unjust death of his family, there are friends who help him, there are enemies.I can’t say that this is a brilliant work (after all, this type of drama does not imply something outstanding), but there were some episodes where Woo Do Hwan was just brilliant. He managed both funny moments and tragic ones; I got exactly what I expected from him. He doesn't go too deep in the drama, and in the funny moments he didn't act like completely crazy, which some actors do.
And Woo Do Hwan's voice deserves a special mention - I can listen to it endlessly, with it's tone palette.
By the way, I really liked how the relationship between Kang Han-soo and Yong-joo developed (perhaps, except for the last episode) - that rare case when I had enough leads and justifications. In my opinion, these two people are meant for each other - gentle Yong-joo and noisy Han-soo.
Even though the intrigue and ending of Joseon Attorney was revealed rather quickly, it was a pleasure to watch the drama. Cute locations, unhurried plot, beautiful costumes of the main characters, great attention to detail - all this will make watching a good time. Do not expect a confusing action-packed detective story - this is more of an excursion into the legislative and judicial ups and downs of the past, rather than an exciting story with an unexpected ending.
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The drama itself is exciting, but not for 'kitten lovers' - it has 18+ rating and lots of blood and brains on the walls. And an absolutely gorgeous main character, portrayed by Kim Seon Ho.
Kim Seon Ho was the main reason I watched it, if not for him, I'd never dared. I was mainly focused on him, because there was a dramatic change in the character - from smartie Han Ji Pyung in Start-up and adorable Hong Doo Shik in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha there was a 180-degree turn to the role of almost invulnerable, a slightly crazy terminator nicknamed Nobleman. The hero's wide, mad smile is mesmerizing, his movements are fast and precise, he sneaks imperceptibly, like a shadow - it is impossible to break away from the screen. At the same time, the character is written out with a fair amount of irony - you can see it from the general attitude and attention to the things like his expensive suit ... and, well, he is going to die soon, which adds to Nobleman a kind of romantic flair. But if you watch till the very end... boom!
Kim Seon Ho's Nobleman is an ideal hunter, and like a magician he can do almost anything. More precisely - literally everything within the drama plot. And this role is an excellent proof of Kim Seon Ho's victory over rumors, gossip, scandals and accusations. This is a real triumph. Moreover, for myself, I consider the character as a message to the spiteful critics: if you show off, Kim Seon Ho will come to you as an Nobleman and do about the same to you as he did in the first 5 minutes of the film with a gang of thugs.
With such a protagonist, the rest, frankly, look a bit pale. Only the director Han , portrayed by handsome Kim Kang Woo, is trying to keep up - but more likely for lovers of cruel crazy guys. Another main character Marko (Kang Tae Joo) - plays the role of an almost wordless fowl, simultaneously chased by Nobleman, director Han and the 'Wonder Woman' Yun Ju (Go Ah Ra). But why they are chasing him - you'll find out if you watch the movie.
In general, chases and fights are the strongest part of the movie. Breathtaking dynamic shots, excellent angles, well-directed battle scenes - the cameraman and stunt coordinators did a great job. So, if you miss the good old action film with noir elements, hurry up and watch The Childe, especially if you are fond of Kim Seon Ho.
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One of this winter's disappointments
For most of the episodes, “Flex x Cop” seemed to me quite an average drama. The only thing that kept me watching was Ahn Bo Hyun.The first eight episodes can simply be thrown out. It provides neither revelation of characters, nor a foundation for the future. Just a series of investigation of criminal cases, where the main character is somehow involved, thanks to his connections and knowledge of Korean “high society”. There is an attempt to demonstrate the confrontation between the 'world of ordinary people' and the 'world of chaebols' with a bit of humor, but instead of humor, I saw the most disgusting attitude of Jin Yi Soo’s (Ahn Bo Hyun) new colleagues towards the newcomer. Lee Kang Hyun (Park Ji Hyun) and her team demonstrated all the disgusting sides of human nature. Contempt and outright trolling are what Jin Yi Soo faces.
Park Ji Hyun re-united with Ahn Bo Hyun again after Yumi's Cells, where her character was just as nasty towards Ahn Bo Hyun's character, so nothing has changed here for me. Of course, by the end of the drama, Lee Kang Hyun is shown differently: a dedicated police officer who seeks to clear the name of her father, who was unfairly accused of bribery. But I couldn't warm up to her, so I'm really glad that the creators did not develop the romantic line between Kang Hyun and Yi Soo. I’m terrified to think that I have to deal with this in the second season, which has already been announced.
Ahn Bo Hyun himself did not play anything outstanding in “Flex x Cop”. As he himself said in an interview, his task was to portray a 'big child': spoiled, but very kind, despite the fact that he lost his mother and never had a normal family after that. Bo Hyun handled this well, but nothing more. Unfortunately, this is his second drama in a row, where they did not work with him at all as an actor, using only his appearance. But at least Jin Yi Soo is nothing like Moon Seo Ha in “See You in My 19th Life.”
Who I really liked in the drama was Lee Kang Hyun's father - Lee Hyung Joong (Kwon Hae Hyo) and Yoon Ji Won (Jung Ga Hee). Kwon Hae Hyo was very convincing as the experienced police chief and loving father, and Jung Ga Hee portrayed the charming forensic scientist who greatly embarrassed and awed one of Lee Kang Hyun's subordinates. Jang Hyun Sung was also good as Jin Yi Soo's father, but he generally does well secondary characters.
As for the main intrigue, I would say that the creators managed to keep it almost until the end (but I’m not generally known for “buying out” an idea in the early stages) - here we can only praise the screenwriter Kim Ba Da. By the way, she also created the script for the drama “My Name,” in which I really like Ahn Bo Hyun.
Do I recommend the drama? No. Well, only if you watch the first episode, and then skip to the eighth - you still won’t miss anything important. Will I watch the second season? Yes, because Ahn Bo Hyun is a rare guest on screens.
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Very honest k-drama about love and relationship
To be honest, I didn't expect to see what I saw. I thought it would be a cute rom-com about the dating coach Yeon Bo Ra, who helps couples to solve their love problems, acting as a kind of ultimate truth.And, as usual, I was mistaken. It's Yeon Bo Ra who is facing problems - she is betrayed by her fiance, and she finds herself in a very awkward, even scandalous, situation and is forced to face the consequences.
Almost from the very beginning, the main characters are divided into pairs, each with its own line, and three very different stories are unfolded before us.
--Lee Soo Hyuk and Yeon Bo Ra--
A middle-aged woman crushed by circumstances is shown very truthfully. No beautiful suffering under the moon, everything is very prosaic and vital: having experienced the collapse of her hopes for an early marriage with his beloved, Bo Ra falls apart into small pieces - he says to himself: "I crumbled." After all, how many of the women, having caught a man cheating, just shake their heads, step over a few years of romance and move on? No, they begin to engage in self-destruction, trying to find the reason for the breakup: was I good enough? Where did I make a mistake? And so on.
Bo Ra, unable to pull herself out of this swamp, begins to get drunk regularly and behaves like millions of abandoned women: one day she comes to the door of her ex-boyfriend to humiliate herself completely and try, putting pressure on pity, to return everything as it was, realizing at the same time that, firstly, as it was, it will no longer be, and, secondly, nothing can be returned.
But after reaching this bottom, Bo Ra finally starts moving up. She gets help from another crumbling soul: Lee Soo Hyuk, vice president of the publishing house that is handling Yeon Bo Ra's new book.
Lee Soo Hyuk is another true story about how people behave in relationships. It seems to you that you love this person, but something keeps preventing you from going further, but over time, under pressure from the "public", you still decide to go and officially notify the state and society that you are sleeping together. And in fact, Soo Hyuk acted very honestly, and didn't get the ring out of the pocket. He listened to himself. Yes, of course, Yoo Ri helped there by announcing the breakup, and so they both avoided the mistake.
And, OMG, I finally saw the 'normal' first kiss! Thank God, they didn’t show us how adult people touch the tips of their lips, and then think about it for a week.
When it becomes useless to deny mutual feelings, difficulties arrive. Bo Ra expects the man she loves to express his feelings through his mouth, but Soo Hyuk is not like that at all. He says "I love you" without pronouncing those three words: "If you need free hugs, call me," "If you're sad late at night, call me," "Don't worry, you'll be fine." And the challenge is to learn how to change things and make your love happen. For Bo Ra, it is to tell Soo Hyuk about what she lacks in their relationship and not wait for it to happen on its own, and for Soo Hyuk, to put her feelings into words if it's important for Bo Ra to hear them.
I really liked Yoo In Na - they didn’t make a silly girl out of her, like, for example, they did in 'Touch Your Heart'. I saw Yoon Hyun Min for the first time; I think he played his part perfectly, convincingly portraying such a 'rusk' when it comes to matters of the heart. By the way (apart from the love theme), the episode where his character points out (politely and respectfully) to the office staff that gossip and bullying is no good, is just brilliant and could serve as an example to many people managers.
---Yang Jin Woo and Lee Yu Jung---
Probably, this story is about that you shouldn't force romance in an old marriage, because marriage is not about that. More precisely, some people after 10 years manage to maintain passion, but, honestly, I haven't met such couples. Gentle romance - yes, 100% understanding each other - of course, but not an all-consuming passion, nope.
It's not always pleasant to look at this couple, because we are here to enjoy a rom-com, but this is probably how we are reminded that sooner or later everyone will end up like this. Or maybe they show what happens when a woman proposes? IDK.
And in general, this marriage did not seem happy to me. 'Table reservation' is disgusting. If you are no longer attracted to each other, either put up with it, or look for new partners. The worst thing that can happen in a marriage is scheduled sex, 'cause 'we have to do it'.
Anyways, I completely agree with the statement that you need to accept your partner as they are. On the other hand, it is very correctly shown that in the family there's not just one responsible (unless, of course, we are talking about treason or assault) - getting along with someone is extremely difficult, you need to be patient and ready for compromise. This is a kind of warning to all those who are going to marry.
---Han Sang Jin - Bang U Ri---
I won’t lie if I was more worrying about Han Sang Jin and Bang U Ri than I was about the main couple. More precisely, I was worried about them not as a couple, but for the fact that Sang Jin didn't do something bad to U Ri.
Sang Jin is shown from a different angle after he meets Bang U Ri. Before that, we see him as an irresponsible womanizer, but U Ri's open heart doesn't allow him to behave like that. Around this moment, Sang Jin probably remembers that in fact he is not a complete asshole, if such a creature as U Ri could fall in love with him.
I am very glad that their story ended this way. Many commentators resent their age difference, but I don't see why that would be an issue. I have a similar example in real life: a couple has a difference of 14 years, happily married (for almost 20 years) and have 2 children.
It seems to me that, thanks to U Ri, Sang Jin was able to look at himself from a different angle and understand that he can - and wants! - to be better.
Surprisingly, some viewers predicted a reunion after episode 12 of Sang Jin and his ex-wife Soo Jin, saying that now they have cleared the air and will try to restore their relationship. I think it could never happen, because they have everything ended a long time ago. Maybe they can say 'Hello' to each other when they meet, or even become good friends, but not more. Seo Soo Jin is an adult, self-sufficient, self-respecting woman. It was her who decided to divorce and unlikely wants to get Sang Jin back.
---Yang Jin Ho and Yeon Bo Mi---
Perhaps this is the most controversial couple. Jin Ho and Bo Mi are swift and spontaneous, and their story is the least believable. I still don’t understand why Bo Mi accepted Jin Ho’s advances - was it because the guy who harassed her in the beginning was too cynical? Although, maybe I have this attitude because I just didn't like June.
Of course, this is some perfect case - both Jin Ho and Bo Mi are scared by the unexpected pregnancy, but they are ready to handle it because they love each other. On the other hand, my deep conviction is that dramas are not only entertaining, but also educational, and if for someone the story of Bo Mi and Jin Ho becomes an example of how to behave in such a situation, it will only be good.
---A fly in the ointment---
The drama creators bring the idea that all women want to get married one way or another, and therefore, sooner or later, every man should prepare 'something small and shiny'. Controversial statement. Yes, most people would like to have someone close, but it doesn't have to be a marriage.
And again, I see a rather strange attitude towards female intelligence: Soo Hyuk throws in a quote from Chekhov, and Bo Ra cannot even pronounce the name of the writer. When they discuss the development of the plot of the new book, Bo Ra sort of quotes Viktor Frankl's book 'Man's Search for Meaning', and then it turns out that she just read it in some women's magazine and has no idea who the author was. At the same time, Soo Hyuk says: 'Oh, I see you read a lot?, which in the context sounds like a mockery and an indication of Bo Ra's stupidity. I don't know, maybe it's just my imagination and the screenwriter introduced it as a bit of satire and non-gender humor, but it still doesn't smell very good. Plus, after the release of the series with a quote from Frankl, the creators had to apologize for the inappropriate context for a book about suffering in fascist concentration camps. What is this? An ignorance or a deliberate demonstration of 'stupid Bo Ra'?
---To watch or not to watch?---
I'd say I definitely recommend to watch the drama, and do not be confused by the poster and description that do not reflect the content at all. All actors and actresses made it at 100%, and in many episodes you will recognize scenes from your own life.
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A new fairytale from the Hong Sisters
'Can This Love Be Translated?' is the third drama I've seen written by the Hong sisters. It's once again a fairytale story (as the lead actress, Go Youn Jung, has rightly noted in interviews), set in our own reality. However, unlike 'A Korean Odissey' and 'Hotel del Luna', it doesn't feature any fairytale characters. The fairytale feel was more due to the stunning beauty of the filming locations: in addition to the colorful landscapes of Canadian lakes, mountains, and parks, I especially enjoyed filming in Italy, a country I love and have visited many times.Go Youn Jung is back as the character similar to the one I've seen in 'Resident Playbook'. Cha Mu Hui is an unfortunate child been forced to adapt and pretend starting from childhood to not only be liked but also to survive. A very useful skill for an actress, right? Especially in SK.
Childhood trauma runs deep within her, embodied in the character Cha Mu Hui played before falling into a coma and waking up to become famous. The writers walk a fine line, making a personality disorder caused by profound trauma seem almost normal. Every time I watched Ju Ho Jin play along with Cha Mu Hui while she imagined herself as Do Ra Mi, I couldn't understand how come he was not terrified of interacting with someone with a clear mental disorder. A girl like that shouldn't have been invited to dinner; she should have been sent to a clinic, and not to that nice guy in a white coat.
It's clear that this is a way to draw a parallel between translation from foreign languages, which allowed people to communicate and understand each other, but it was truly eerie upon closer look. This in no way detracts from Go Youn Jung's charm and her brilliant performance as the two-in-one role. She's rising higher and higher in my personal ranking of actresses, and I eagerly await her new roles.
Well, Kim Seon Ho was pure love. Anyone who couldn't get enough of his wseet Park Cheong Seop in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' was fully rewarded in this drama. Well-mannered, well-educated, handsome, stylish, and very sensitive, Ju Ho Jin is a dream! He has a house with a huge library, he speaks several foreign languages, works as a translator, loves good music, has excellent cooking skills, and wears stylish coats. Could you resist? I couldn't.
Kim Seon Ho and Go Youn Jung formed a beautiful and harmonious on-screen couple, but the 'third angle' was lacking: Kurosawa Hiro had every chance of being a worthy rival to Joo Ho-jin (and, admittedly, I would have rooted for him with all my heart), but Fukushi Sota was given a poorly developed character who never was a threat to the main couple. From a complete ***hole, Hiro suddenly (!) transforms into a compassionate wise man, and I saw no motivation for this change, because the viewer's attention was always focused on Cha Mu Hui and Ju Ho Jin, and Hiro's arc came off as very, very complimentary.
Overall: I liked the drama, but credit goes to the stunning scenery, Go Youn Jung's lively presence, and Kim Seon Ho's beautiful eyes, rather than the incredibly engaging plot. While there wasn't much intrigue, it was a beautiful fairy tale the Hong sisters are so good at.
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