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Nakayama Miho
Update: I watched and wrote my comment a few days before the news broke out. I'm in utter disbelief upon hearing the news of Nakayama Miho passing away at the young age of 54. During the past couple of weeks I went into a binge-watch of all her projects from the 80s and 90s, she was a truly striking, talented and fun actress that gave a unique signature to all the projects she's been in. It's unfortunate what has happened and she will be missed dearly. Rest in peace, mama idol!The drama mirrored the reality of its time with idols culture, ironically, nothing changed since the 80s. Given the setup, the formula was pretty clear with how things were going to be laid out. Each episode gave a focus to one of the characters while cycling through some jokes. Most of these episodes were alright in general but some of the running jokes lasted a bit too long. Take for example the constant interruption of the married leads' 'first night alone' which lasted for several episodes. In fact, they never showed that the leads were actually just sleeping together even after marriage, aside from being together in a bedroom. The female lead's age probably had something to do with that. Instead of wasting time on that and other similar things, they could've gave a reasonable showcase to how they met, fell in love and decided to marry. Anyway, the drama had good dynamics between the characters, nostalgia inducing OST and 80s vibes so it was decent enough.
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Ride or Die!
Another agonizing project reminding me how much I miss Choi Jin Shil. May she rest in peace. This drama was a real wild ride for all kinds of reasons. Right from the beginning you will notice the gigantic production value, one of the main reasons was their official sponsor Hyundai who funded it for more than 1.6 billion won (3.5 billion won today) in production costs, not to mention the provided cars, factories and locations in the US. It didn't come as a surprise since this was during the economical boom in the 90s, they were swimming in gold. They were even throwing some shade at Honda for sending industrial spies. In reality, they wanted to beef with another company but they didn't want to generate bigger controversy. I don't remember any other drama doing such a move! More on the production, copyright laws didn't matter back then so it was no surprise they had tracks by Michael Jackson for example. Speaking of which, the soundtrack was so damn good especially with the jazz pieces, it's also the same composer who worked on Sandglass (1995). The scenes that were attached to these jazz pieces were interesting, dramatic and theatrical.The drama stood out as a compelling piece that combined powerful storytelling with deeply resonant themes, making it a memorable experience. It traced their journey with authenticity that felt raw while exploring the conflict of ambition, resilience, and the human spirit. There were a handful of diverse characters each one brought something unique to the table, their intertwined relationships were equally interesting as well. Visually, the drama captured the essence of the mid-90s, with its gritty urban settings and evocative cinematography enhancing the storytelling. It also had some wild scenes on some views and depictions, including violence and two sided racism in the US, extreme misogyny and other socio-political spectacles. It would've been absolutely wild to see this coming out today.
Nonetheless, not everything was sunshine and rainbows, the drama had a few hiccups that held it back from achieving true cinematic greatness. The drama had a cruel side to it with how it killed some of the characters, merciless and unexpected. The narrative had an interesting blend of drama and introspection, highlighting the challenges faced by those striving to achieve their dreams against all odds. However, there were major gaps in the narrative with some of the characters and events. Some decisions and directions in the story didn't fit the overall view of the drama. Additionally, although there were a handful of repeated flashbacks but these weren't too offensive due to the accompanied soundtrack and the general 90s vibes. One last thing, I really wish the drama had more dialogue in the last episode with a better wrap up to other key characters (especially and specifically Choi Jin Shil character), it deserved a better refined and fine-tuned send off. Despite its imperfections, the drama was a great watching experience.
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Another Bait & Switch
Well, this was a bit refreshing, initially. The drama had a good run throughout its first half with a solid setup around the character Young Shim and her drawn character Youngsim. It allowed for quite a few of funny scenarios and bits. Song Ha Yoon did a great job in bringing the erratic nature of both Young Shim and Youngsim to life. However, the drama dipped hard in the realm of mediocrity around episode 6, turning the drama into the most bland and generic displays of soulless cliché romcoms. Forget everything the drama built up earlier on. The female lead life story was built on her father's character Youngsim and her erratic personality but that was abandoned. It's really unfortunate for the wasted potentials it initially had.Was this review helpful to you?
Fanfic Junk!
Oh dear! How could a full production team, crew and cast members be this damn oblivious to what they're making! The drama was the apotheosis of human failure, an insidious plague upon the landscape of television, a wretched abomination birthed from the depths of creative bankruptcy and soulless commercialism, a festering wound that infects the very essence of storytelling with its repulsive presence. Its premise was a nauseating blend of techno-narcissism and romantic idiocy, an affront to the intelligence of any sentient being unfortunate enough to bear witness to its abomination, a grotesque mutation of what once passed for entertainment. Characters were grotesque caricatures of humanity, mere vessels for the perpetuation of vapid romantic fantasies and insipid melodrama and their interactions were a cacophony of soulless platitudes and contrived emotional manipulation, each scene got progressively worse than the last. The writing was an insult to the very concept of coherent narrative structure, a labyrinth of a garbled mess and mind numbingly banal dialogue that defies comprehension. In fact, this drama wasn't just bad television, it was an abomination of the highest order, a blight upon the collective consciousness of humanity and the very fabric of reality itself that must be expunged from existence with extreme prejudice. Anyone who dares to defend this abhorrent monstrosity deserves nothing less than eternal damnation, condemned to spend eternity in the deepest, darkest depths of cinematic purgatory, tormented by the ceaseless repetition of its insipid drivel until the end of time itself. Anyway, it could've been worse, I guess.Was this review helpful to you?
Theft At Dawn
While I appreciate its shorter runtime of 10 episodes but I wish it was even shorter for a tighter package. Some side plots didn't fit the narrative and were a mere distraction, such as the female lead's friends personal affairs, not even a good filler. The middle parts were filled with padded sequences. It took a long time before actually getting into what the synopsis describes. From this kind of plot around embezzlement, I would expect somewhat a smarter play and a deeper plot but the drama kept things mostly at a surface-level and borderline making stupid mistakes intentionally to create some tension and invoke a reaction from the viewers. I really like what Kim Seo Hyung has been doing in the past few years, leading projects of characters that fit her are infinitely better than older supporting roles. Anyway, the drama may not rank high but still offers a decent viewing experience for those willing to explore something different.Was this review helpful to you?
Cityless Behaviour
Initially, the drama was captivating with its picturesque setting, charming characters, vibrant village life, and delightful slice-of-life moments. The dynamic between the village people created a lively and heartwarming atmosphere. Each character brought something unique to the table with lots potentials and the slow burn romance between the leads was a highlight, initially. However, as the focus shifted to the romance between the leads around episode 11, the vibrancy of the village dynamics began to fade and the the drama lost some of its spark. At that point, the drama turned into a very long compilation of cheesy uneventful dates sequences while neglecting the small-town dynamics and community interactions that initially drew me in. Their interactions became more unbearable as the drama went on and the male leads supposed problems were an additional let down. Anyway, it wasn't perfect to begin with, Yeong Guk & Hwa Jeong triangle and story was the weakest link in the village and borderline ruined many scenes. The drama could've definitely used more people in the village and more stories, even if it were to add more sidekicks. Moreover, many of the stories from the village started and ended within a few scenes/episodes. I really wanted to see more investment in the Pub owner rather than Yeong Guk triangle. Eventually, the resolution turned out to be just acceptable. While the drama remained enjoyable overall, the overall decline in quality after the leads got together was a really big disappointment.Was this review helpful to you?
A Mental Coach
The drama kicked off with a solid start, drawing its audience with a compelling premise and a cast of captivating characters. In the first half, emotions ran high as we were watching the dynamics between coaches and athletes. The character development was superb, and the storyline was peppered with unexpected well written materials that sat the expectations high for what's to come. However, as the drama progressed into its second half, it seemed to lose some of its momentum. The pacing felt uneven, with certain plotlines dragging on longer than necessary while others seemed rushed and unresolved. The writing got a bit lazier and less profound. It couldn't deliver the same impact as the first half, even with its climax. Despite these shortcomings, the drama still had its moments of brilliance, particularly in its character development and for its strong promising start.Was this review helpful to you?
Doomed By Design
I've never seen a drama that purposely go out of its way to avoid doing anything interesting with its scenario this hard. It took three full episodes just to do a basic introduction as stated in the synopsis, only then, the story somewhat started. Earlier in the second half, the drama reached a point where things were about to get interesting but it suddenly hard pressed the reset button on everything. The writer was genuinely not even trying, she worked on The Beauty Inside (2018) previously which was decent but what is she even doing here?Subsequently, themes of death, mortality, grief and fate were poorly injected and remained half-baked. The unusual romance was justified by using a blend of these themes but it didn't make sense or click. Even then, it created a big disconnect when it reached its highest moments. However, it wasn't as bad as the secondary couple romance, which gave us a despicable characterization of the characters Joo Ik, Hyun Gyu and Ji Na. Their relationship didn't fit the story, narrative and themes. It had no thoughts put into it and adding it was a mere useless filler. Even as a standalone independent relationship outside the context of this drama, it failed for a multitude of reasons. At least the character Ji Na served as the FL's friend.
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Pathetic Love
Given that it's a drama from 2002, you may expect it to be extra dramatic with loads of self-sabotaging moments and forgiven unhinged behavior. The entire story was driven by a combination of last minute calls, missed opportunities and unreceived information which is expected from such a drama but sometimes it just gets a bit too frustrating, and the last episode amplified that even further. The first incident described in the synopsis was plain stupid and a general poor setup of characterizing the main characters. Compared to other melodrama from late 90s to early 00s this would rank at the very bottom. The last episode was objectively bad and was designed this way to rile up the audience and stir a conversation. It's an attempt to go for the "there is no such thing as bad publicity". Anyway, the drama was a flop.Not a single character mentioned that Tak Suk was shot with a gun by Dong Hwa, not even Ji Yoon. Tak Suk and Ji Yoon couldn't be together out of guilt but choosing to marry and have a kid with the other guy is just retarded, yet she still doesn't know that Dong Hwa shot Tak Suk. They should've cut the drama 6 minutes early before the 3-years time skip where she choose neither of them, that's the only reasonable move.
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A Case Study of A Writer's Mental Decline
The drama was really something different even when compared to others of its time, well, it was so initially, I'll get into details later. The cast selection were mostly good except for Choi Jae Ho and Han Hye Sook which were an unsuccessful choice. Han Hye Sook, despite playing a critical role in the story, she always felt out of place and out of character. Ironically, she played as a famous skillful actress. Choi Jae Ho, had a small side role as the director but later on, the drama turned him into something much more and gave him a lot of attention which was an awful unsuccessful transition and a complete unplanned mismatch. At first, I found Ma Rin & Ma Joon interactions to be unbearably annoying but it ended up being quite fun. Props to Lee Jae Eun, she really got into the role of Ma Rin. On the other hand, her character became horrendous once the director got involved with her. The writer put a lot of character in these characters which allowed for a lot of possible interactions. The drama had tons of small irrelevant scenes between these characters. At first I though it was a detrimental trait that will plague its length but the drama quickly managed to turn that into its own identity.The entire revenge plotline ended within the first 100 episodes which led to the beginning of the drama's major problems. The first 120 episodes or so were great, carefully calculated, intriguing, progressed smoothly and developed naturally. However, the subsequent episodes between 130-215 things changed drastically. The drama became strange and static, the 2 leads characters became completely irrelevant and the story shifted towards Ma Joon & Ye Young. Even then, Ma Joon & Ye Young didn't get the same treatment of intrigue and natural development. Around episodes between 215 to 235 the drama was trying to build a new plotline for the long term despite its strange new direction but everything came down crashing with the last 13 episodes. It felt like they had a lot more plans but had to end the drama within a few episodes. I had to double check around the last 13 episodes to see if they changed the writer because the shift was too drastic. The writer became extremely childish and tacky with writing conflicts and tension for these few last episodes. Now, arriving to the last episode, things gotten a lot worse. Compared to its earlier pace and taking into consideration its huge length, everything was moving at a crazy rapid pace for the last episode with lots of cuts, skips and gaps. I refuse to believe there wasn't a major problem happening behind the scenes. All of that led to the most questionable choice of immature silly ending that was just trying to pull the viewers' leg and yanking any sense of satisfaction. It didn't match the overall tone of the drama. I really enjoyed everything about its earlier episodes. The drama had the perfect sweet spot around episodes 130-140 to wrap things up and end it reasonably.
Regarding the ending: According to a statement from the production team, the ending suggests a reunion as it shows Ah Ri Young, who has recovered from the shock and skipped over two years after the traffic accident, enjoying a happy moment with Joo Wang, their daughter, and the son born between them.
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The Queenless Queen
While the series set out to explore the comedic possibilities of a modern soul trapped in a historical queen's body, the formula turned out to be very limited to spin it for a very long 20 episodes. I enjoyed its earlier episodes but it kept repeating the exact same gags with every single episode. How many times they repeated the same kitchen/cooking gags? I don't understand how they thought that would work. The cast size was limited as well, it could've definitely helped in coming up with new material. However, its biggest flaw was trying to add plot to its bare-bone formula. It's one of the rarest sights to see this level of shameless attempts. They didn't even know how to include it so they dedicated separate episodes for it in the middle parts while reallocating the comedy to different episodes separately, again. Cutting and editing it down into an 8 episodes package could've solved most of its issues. I wouldn't have rated it this high if it weren't for its set up, characters, and some of the gags.Was this review helpful to you?
The Crowned Clown Clone
I usually dislike Yeo Jin Goo in historical roles but this was one of his better ones so that's nice for a change. While the story may have been interesting at first but it didn't quite live up to its premise. The clone needed to have a better introduction and build up. The king was useless and had no role other than to kick-start the narrative. We only had brief interactions between the clone and the king. The drama would have been infinitely more interesting and enjoyable if it wrote the king as a prominent character and had a consistent dynamic with the clone. The last episode was awful in all regards, a significant downgrade compared to any of the previous episodes. No thought or care put into it at all. An outsider must have wrote the last episode alone, there's no other way! With all that being said, I found the drama to be a decent watch with a handful of interesting elements, if you were to temper your expectations you'd find something to like about it too.Was this review helpful to you?
King Hater: The Change of Heart
This set up was just terrible— unconvincing, cartoonish, and downright ridiculous. And don't even get me started on that plot armor, it's like they thought they could get away with it. That love triangle was a mess. The guy was just plain revolting, but the real issue was how the writer tried to force us to feel sorry for him. If you're gonna have a crappy love triangle, just stick with it! Another bad habit the drama had was how often they leaned into cheesy drama tricks, killing the narrative and any potential right off the bat. One more thing to mention, I don't know how it's possible but the leads had negative chemistry. Their younger selves had a slightly better screen presence anyway.Was this review helpful to you?
Sungkyunkwan Snoozefest
The drama felt like it was held together with duct tape. Unbelievably long and draggy for little to no story. Everything can be summed up with 6 episodes without compromising anything from the narrative. The drama was infested with pointless repetition that didn't serve any purpose other than stretching it thin. The romance, the identity reveal, and the secret all were too delayed to care about, instead of laying them out evenly. By then, you would be bored out of your mind with no interest left in anything. On another note, the directors weren't paying attention to Yoo Ah In at all, half of his dialogue was muffled and barely picked up my the mics. This isn't not how to make a character speak quietly.Was this review helpful to you?
If ony they put some effort into it...
Nice radiohead intro and nice pink aesthetics but that's where the nice things end. The drama threw at you an enormous mixed emotional package that was never untangled adequately, not even remotely close. The shorter than usual runtime isn't an excuse, 7-8 hours should've been enough to deal with it.Was this review helpful to you?
