Tanky Toon

Beautiful, smart, and nearly flawless—until it chose retribution over responsibility.

This short drama was headed for a perfect 10 until a particular scene disappointed me. Though I don’t usually care for Republican-era dramas, this one unexpectedly exceeded my expectations. The leads’ performances were both excellent, and perhaps the visuals were a great help. Unexpectedly, the film was both funny and clever, and the rest of the cast delivered stunning performances in this exquisitely told tale of revenge and redemption.  

Even the villains were multi-faceted, that I couldn’t help but be sympathetic to one of their plights. Though some deserved their endings, I felt the handling of one punishment was egregious.

More on these points on the spoiler below: 
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The specific scene I’m referring to was how Qin Zhan dealt with Jiang Xi after she unknowingly consumed a date-rape drug. Instead of continuing with soaking her in the tub, or at least bringing her to a hospital, or even letting her “get off” by herself, he “generously” helped himself and took advantage of her vulnerability. Even though the drama shows Qin Zhan explicitly asking Jiang Xi what he should do, this does not absolve him from blame. Someone significantly under the influence of drugs cannot give true consent. I fought the urge NOT to roll my eyes the following morning upon hearing her thank him as her savior.

Furthermore, regardless of a woman’s vile actions, rape is never a justifiable retribution. This only reinforces the harmful idea that rape victims are somehow responsible for their assault.  

This short run production would have been perfect in terms of execution, plot, and performances, aside from those two details.

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When low-budget meets high-drama, you get screen-melting madness

What a saucy, sassy, spicy and succulent show this is!!! Where I initially thought that the goody-two shoes Ming Yu would be a demure. damsel in distress, she turns out to be a bad-ass and knows how to play the manipulation game as good, if not better, than her opponents. Then there’s the man of mystery, the scrumptious and sexy Xiu Zi, who presents himself as a bad-boy but turns out he is just a lost puppy looking for his master.  

You could easily imagine whips and chains in a story such as this. Oh right, yes, they did use them as props, but not in bed. So sad.  

Ke Chun and Yu Yin provided the visuals and brought their acting chops to the table. Their chemistry is on fire that it almost burned a hole through my screen.  

I know this is a low-budget, low-brow kind of drama, but I just can’t get enough of it. Such an exciting and short vertical drama that kept me at the edge of my seat while fanning my face. The only detraction for me is I watched this on iQiyi and god, the English names that they gave the characters were jarring! I could not even! Otherwise, it would be a perfect 10!

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Entitled socialites paraded around like relevance was hereditary. Next

This story should have been called, “How I escaped the clutches of an obsessive lover and jumped into the arms of my brother.” 

I could only finish this drama by watching it at 1.5x to 2.0x speed, especially where the second couple is concerned. I wasn’t really interested in watching them in a goose chase with one another, with a literal goose.  

Barring that, I was watching this show mainly for Wan Yi’s portrayal of the multi-talented Shen Yuan, who seemed to be the master of all trades despite being shunned by his family. Equally good in his performance is Ci Sha as the Marquis Jia Xue who roamed the earth and strong-armed people, including the very object of his affection, into submitting to his desires.  

Though Yi Ning is touted to be as smart and cunning as the next Female Lead in C-drama land, the limited range of Ren Min’s expressions, coupled with her shrilly voice, made me wish I had a selective mute button to press. Questionable are also Yi NIng’s actions that jeopardize all the hard work that Shen Yuan did to protect her. She seems like a self-righteous character to me, expecting from others what she herself cannot provide. 

Also relegated to the annoying department are that insufferable Lady Qiao and her entitled children. Good riddance to them.  

I’m not opposed to a pseudo-sibling romance, but only if it’s properly established, such as revealing the birth secret to both characters early in the story. But it wasn’t. Also, I expected both families to object to their relationship, but they seemed unconcerned, even highly encouraging their siblings-turned-lovers relationship. For all their talk of appropriateness, this was certainly out of left field. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, as anything is possible in fiction.

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Regal romance, dignified sorrow—The Red Sleeve leaves a lasting impression

I have been hesitating to watch this drama as I already knew from the get-go how this will end. But, despite my concerns, I’m glad that I gave this a try. 

Since most of the reviews here have provided the gist of what happened in this drama, I will spare the regurgitation and get straight to what I deemed are the strengths and the weaknesses of this drama.  

As most have most have pointed out, the acting of both leads stood out and I completely agree. I have watched both Lee Jun Ho and Lee Se Young before in their much newer works, and I am amazed that Lee Jun Ho is even the same person as acting as Gu Won in King the Land. Not to say, that his performance in King the Land was shabby, it’s just his acting here was so much better. I probably could say the same of Se Young in TSPMC, and perhaps it’s the testament more of the directors and writers of The Red Sleeve, who gave them both a worthy vehicle to showcase their full range of talents.  

The rest of the cast also benefited from the strength of the script, and the guidance from those at the helm. Supporting characters are as complex and vital to the plot as the main characters, with no one feeling unnecessary. Everyone had their own role to play in the bigger picture. I especially loved the character of King Yeongjo, and the actor that brought His Majesty to life.  

Speaking of plot, it’s intricate without being confusing, and I loved how the team handled the political intrigues without putting the romance on the back-burner. Also prominent in this drama is how friendships are being portrayed. In spite Deok Im’s rise in status, she still held the friends she grew up with, in high regard. They worked together despite their conflicting views and lay their grievances aside to support each other.  

I have a few reservations though, that prevented me from giving this a full mark.  

Firstly, I am wondering why they showed the funeral procession of the late Royal Noble Consort Yeong, and the Head Court Lady Jo’s heavy emphasis to Deok Im, on how it was an honor to die within the palace, if this was not to be reframed in the last episode. After not-so-subtle hints about this importance, I would have expected a similar procession to be shown at the finale.  

Secondly, if the drama were to base a lot of the events on Korean History, despite some liberties they have taken to embellish on the romance, I didn’t see why they would omit one of the most important tidbit that actually happened upon Lady Seong’s death: the 26,000 trees that King Jeongjo planted in her graveyard that later became a well-known park in modern day Korea.  
Thirdly, I’m not sure whether it’s heavily influenced by historical facts but the “forgiveness” of Hong Deok Ro, didn’t sit well with me. Granted that Yi San thought it was Deok Ro who saved him once when they were children, but that favor has been long repaid throughout the course of the drama, and is not a “hall-pass” to commit numerous atrocities. Many people have died for less serious crimes, and this guy just gets away with it and even be roaming the streets to live out the rest of his life.  

Other than these small shortcomings, the Red Sleeve is a beautiful tale of perseverance in the face of adversity, and a love that spans decades, regardless of social class.

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Parenting, plotting, palace intrigue—Queen Im multitasks better than your Wi-Fi

Though historical Chinese dramas often share similarities, and I enjoy them anyway, this Korean drama thankfully avoids being a mere clone of Mr. Queen. 

From the acting, to the production, to the delivery, to the cast, to the cinematography, to the music, everything was chef’s kiss. Starting with the Titular character, Kim Hye Soo is brilliant as Queen Im Hwa Ryung who literally runs around the courtyard, trying to hasten her children, those who need the discipline, while trying to cover up for her children, those who need protection. Despite this, she finds the energy to foil plots hatched by numerous concubines and the formidable Queen Dowager. Kim Hye Soo’s micro-expressions and voice modulation at different times were entertaining to watch. I was impressed by her strength as a ruler, compassion as a mother, and her capacity for forgiveness. 

The rest of the cast, her children, the king, the concubines and the Queen Dowager were all great in their performances. Despite their flaws, the characters were portrayed with complexity and multi-dimensionality, the nuances of their performances giving them meaning.  

Although the many wives and children of the King initially made it hard to follow, the story’s intricate interwoven plots are not overly confusing. A character chart that I googled came in handy at this point. However, the complexity of the plot was warranted; the mysteries and adventures kept me on my toes.  

If you are expecting a grand romance, it’s not really the focus of the drama. Though it has romantic elements, it was only on the surface level, just an addendum to some of the story line, but could also be unnecessary.  

One thing that surprised me about this drama is that it tackled the sensitive topic of gender dysphoria. I did not imagine a character who is transgendered to be written in a historical work. My point isn’t that trans people were absent then, but rather, their existence was seldom or never addressed. The Queen’s handling of this situation was bittersweet, to say the least.  

Despite the difficulty of drawing present-day applicable lessons from this drama, it’s still worth watching. We should see the Queen from her perspective, not as a member of the royal family, or anyone with countless sister-in-laws (unless you’re into polyamory), but as a mother to her children, a wife to her husband, who would go through great lengths to protect the people she loves.

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Loss doesn’t mean forgetting—it means remembering with love

Where to begin with this short but gut-wrenching drama? Maybe the premise will help, as we already know from the get-go that one of the main characters is dead. So it’s not like we didn’t expect a sad backstory to color the mood.  

In the beginning, we learn that the female lead was engaged in an adulterous relationship, although I did not see any need for the drama to include such a minute detail. But this incident spurs Konno Mei to move back to her hometown, where the actual story begins. We know her aversion to that place is mainly because of the abundance of memories she had with her childhood friend, who passed away tragically at a young age. But the prospect of the cherry-blossom tree where they had promised to meet, being cut down, was also weighing on her thoughts.  

Once there, she meets her supposedly dead friend who’s stuck at 17. Setting aside the how’s and why’s Kota mysteriously re-appearing after years of his demise; we see Mei being conflicted. Happy that she can see him again once more, but also sad knowing what actually happened to him. She couldn’t seem to grasp the reality of his death, nor could she move on. She distanced herself from her friends and became far from being her happy-go-lucky young self.  

Mei also became awkward upon meeting her friends again. I understand that death will do this to certain people, where they drift away from each other, not knowing what to do. However, this drama shows that life doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom once someone passes away. Kota’s reappearance stresses the importance of leaning on each other for support and is pivotal in bringing old friendships back together.  

While we see justice being served late, with the real perpetrator of Kota’s unfortunate accident brought to justice, I place less emphasis on this revelation. For me, what struck the most is that time CAN heal wounds, if you let it, and it makes you appreciate the value of time with family and friends, no matter how short it is, and that expressing your feelings will help you with the worries and doubts if you rely on the surrounding support.  

All the actors did a great job of making this point across, but also the production team, from the director to the writers, did a commendable job of bringing this drama to life. I also loved the appearance of the old man and his own story about his dead wife. It makes the impact of love and loss more powerful, even though told in this super-natural tale. But the emotions are all still there, and we should not be afraid of them.

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I actually enjoyed this show more than I expected. I was reluctant to watch this at first, because of how Miao Yi looks so much like Ariel Lin, who I forever have pigeon-holed in her “It Started With a Kiss” character of a dull-witted female chasing genius male, which this drama is almost akin of. Although Xiao Tu is similar to Xiang Qin from ISWAK on that front, she does not throw herself needlessly at Ling Chao, and has her own adorable charm. And though he appears aloof at most times, Ling Chao is unlike Zhi Shu and has a soft heart for his childhood friend.

The drama is mostly light-hearted, but it has its emotional moments, like when Ling Chao is dealing with his absentee father or when Juan Juan was coping with her relationship woes. But the gang of misfits provided comic relief, and Miao Yi certainly proved herself to be a natural. While there are some cringe moments, it is easy to overlook them. I love how this drama does not take itself seriously, and it is such a fun watch.

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How to rate a drama where the first part had me at the edge of my seat, while the second part almost lulled me to sleep? Hence my dilemma with Alchemy of Souls. I wasn’t sure where part two went wrong, or was it because part one was so amazing, it was hard to replicate the same excitement when I watched it?

The good of Part 1:

- The chemistry between Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min is chef’s kiss. The banter between Master and Disciple, or Master and servant in some cases, showcased expert choreography and finesse in the performance.

- The cinematography, especially during the fighting scenes, was executed with remarkable precision.

- The plot, although sometimes over-complicated, was intricate and kept me on my toes.

- The supporting characters were not one-dimensional and had depth in the roles.

- The show explained the supernatural elements later, despite them being sometimes difficult to keep up with.

- The humor is quite refreshing and quirky

- The swoon-worthy music supported the emotional journey of the characters

Part 1 Verdict: Off to an amazing start!

Combined score: 9 out of 10.

Overall impression: Should have stopped at Part 1.

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Story: Two friends on a motorbike because one is jobless and the other left his things at his ex-girlfriend’s place. With this plot, I really do not expect much of a story.

Acting/Cast: Middling as this was supposed to be an LGBTQ story but the way the two actors portray it, they could just be friends. I could not even feel the pining.

Music: Bland at best.

Rewatch Value: Nah.

Overall: This short film tries to be artistic and profound but fails in execution. Although we are supposed to believe that one MC is in love with the other who is oblivious to his friend’s feelings, but the portrayal leaves so much to be desired. All we see is one trudging up a mountain just following whatever the other says, and coming down without accomplishing anything. It’s like taking a trip to the department store but coming up empty-handed.

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Story: It was confusing at first until it became even more confusing. I wasn’t sure whether I was seeing flashbacks of a person’s past or watching two separate lives of people on parallel universes, until I realize later that I was watching a combination of both. Old man Xue Ping reminisces about his past love Ding, who happens to be student A Hong’s doppelganger. So old man follows young man around town, not aware he is coming across as a creepy stalker.

Acting/Cast: I’ve seen Chin Shih Chieh and Ray Chang around in other works, and they are decent, working with what they could of a sub-par script.

Music: Nothing to right home about.

Rewatch Value: No thanks.

Overall: The story of the old man’s past is more interesting than that of the student, which really doesn’t serve any purpose except for reminding Xue Ping that his lover is not coming back from the dead.

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This show definitely exceeded the hype surrounding it, what's not to love?!? Park Eun Bin is damn amazing as the autistic attorney who was struggling to fit in a cut-throat industry where everyone sees her diagnosis as a hindrance, rather than as a gift. Young Woo's tenacity to be self-sufficient was partly thanks to her father who has devoted his life encouraging Young Woo to be the person she wants to be. Kang Tae Oh delivers as Lee Joon Ho, the kind litigator who does not hold any prejudices (unlike most people in their society) and sometimes find Young Woo's quirks endearing. I love the camaraderie among the legal crew although some of them may have ulterior motives in befriending Young Woo, but in the end, they put aside their selfish wants to become better people. The drama is nail-biting to watch as Young Woo unravels case after case with the help of her colleagues, and it was fascinating to see how Young Woo matures and overcomes her social disability to reach her full potential.

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I love my fair share of Noona romances, but this somehow didn't work for me, and it's not because of the step-siblings factor (that didn't bother me at all), but I felt the drama so uneventful that it lulled me to sleep half of the time. Fast forwarded most scenes with the second and third pairings, they were too dull for my taste. Only watched this for the main couple until I realized later that this was a remake of "Something in the Rain" after the iconic "hand under the table" scene.

Sure it didn't have the annoyingly repetitive soundtrack of the Korean version, but it also didn't have the same nostalgia as the original. The Korean version at least tried to get a pluvious motif running, although sluggishly executed. I couldn't connect to the characters that are mostly one-dimensional, and there's not enough meat in the story for me to rate this higher. It seemed to me that the insertion of many plot arcs are just fillers, with no real contribution to the drama except for hitting the 30 episode quota they set for themselves.

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A gender-bender drama about a woman disguising herself as an eunuch to escape unfortunate circumstances. The pure luck that she had escaping detection was a bit of a fantasy in itself but the suspension of disbelief in watching this drama wasn't too farfetched. Park Bo Gum was great as the stoic, playful and yet righteous king who wants to rule his kingdom in a more democratic way, quite different from the dirty traditional politics that was enveloping his nation. I was rooting for their love and as well as for their fight for truth and freedom in the midst of turmoil.

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This drama is such a fresh take on villain protagonists. Song Joong Ki is perfect as the badass consigliere who takes justice in his own hands. Vincenzo has one rule: do not punish the innocent. Contrary to this rule are the corporate vile monsters who won't stop at nothing (even stoop to murder) to reach their goals. The acting is phenomenal, especially by Taec Yeon as the psychotic genius behind Babel. Not many Korean crime dramas infuse it with dark humor, although yes, sometimes it can be over-the-top and cringey. The funny scenes, I believe, try to give some humanity in a drama that showcases evil, nefarious deeds.

The juxtaposition of comedy and cruelty works well in this case, the comedic relief mostly provided Vincenzo's oddball crew, namely the tenants of Geungnam Plaza, who have different quirks that may look ridiculous in most instances but their heart in protecting their building and their earnestness in helping other victims of corporate greed are endearing.

There's not much to be said about Vincenzo in the romance department though, as Song Joong Ki seemed to have more chemistry and more skinship moments with the other male actors than with Jeon Yeo Been. Even Inagzhi the pigeon has more chemistry with Joong Ki so if you are looking for romance, this isn't the right show for you, But if you want to see hotness in the form of a Mafia kickass-master flicking a lighter in every episode, then this is a must-see if you try to overlook some loopholes.

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