Kate

When the jokes land but the feelings don’t.

How Dare You was so high on the entertainment value side, it kind of lost me on the emotional impact it could have potentially have. The comedy was easily the highlight of the whole drama, they did pretty good job with the romance (be warned, it is rather slow burn in terms of developing feelings and figuring them out), but with how much the characters had to go through it felt somehow emotionally empty.

Out of the two leads, I do believe Wang Cui Hua’s story was better written and delivered, mostly because it was far more simple, less impactful and with that, blended better into the overall silliness of the tone. Not to say the whole drama was completely emotionally flat, because that’s not true. One of the aspects I loved about it was the internal conflict the female lead had between knowing she is in a fictional world and nothing is real, and feeling emotionally connected and caring for the characters she interacted with, since they did feel real to her. I appreciated how we slowly witnessed the shift in her thinking and how far she is willing to go and use “people” around her, the longer she stayed in that story.

With that, I feel like overall the women were treated better here in terms of writing and development. Xie Yong Er became my favorite character of them all. The best character development and surprisingly consistent writing (with one “small” hiccup). Not gonna lie, there were moments when I wished she was the lead and her story was the center of it all. Maybe because her stakes felt higher than Wang Cui Hua and her plotline had more ups and downs, I was more invested.

As for male lead - his set up would fit better into a show without the “comedy” genre. It was way too traumatic and tragic for the “entertaining idiocy” here, it actually made me feel uncomfortable a few times. Mostly because many things that were extremely serious were shown as a background drop never to be fully addressed nor explored. Maybe I’m just a watcher that focuses and connects to characters too much, sometimes it overshadows the plot for me, but the constant sadness behind his eyes and the lack of proper elaboration on the source of it took away from the fun and comedy that the drama centered around. Still, this is for sure the best role I have seen Cheng Lei in - sad, tragic, silly, fun, sexy, domineering, soft, caring, unhinged, the role truly expected him to deliver everything, and everything he delivered.

Then we have the menace in two personas - Xiahou Bo and Empress Dowager aka probably the weakest part of the writing. Did they feel like a threat? Not really. Rather than being scared for the leads life and well-being, I felt more annoyed with the background shenanigans. At least Mommy Dearest was consistently stupid, but Xiahou Bo was turning his brain on and off whenever the plot needed it.

What was good though, was the supporting cast. The small support system the leads had gave a good feeling of found family trope. While I did not find the stakes concerning leads high, the supporting cast for sure gave me more anxiety about their well-being.

Plot wise, big props for making me question everything in terms of “who is whom, how much they know, and what reality are they from”. It was well crafted confusion and I appreciate that.

Sadly, I struggle with deciding how much of a silliness and illogical things and lack of explanation, convenient twists I can excuse by the plot happening in the trash cheap poorly written novel (as stated by the leads themselves). This seems a bit too much like a cope for me. “This smart character acted dumb this one time, because the writer of the original novel is dumb” is not exactly an excuse I can just accept and move on.

The music was great, but sometimes the placement was questionable. Why are we getting badass fight music during sad and emotional scenes?

Production was great, though for once I wish it was more simple especially in the make up department. Wang Chu Ran’s face was whiter than my white walls.

Overall, it was a fun watch, but I just wish it was more emotionally impactful.
And that ending was awfully crafted.

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Anxiety as a genre, complicity as the message.

Shamelessly bizarre. And that’s why I love it. One of the reasons horror is my favorite genre is the fact there are no real limits in storytelling and presentation. You are only limited by your own imagination. With years of cinema, all stories have been told one way or another, so I truly believe now it’s less about what you say, but how you say it. And Best Regards to All goes with a bang. Full of uneasy shots that make you want to look away, but also glue your eyes to the screen - not relying on cheap jumpscares. It’s less about feeling scared, and more about feeling anxious and uncomfortable.

With all that creepiness, it still presents a rather solid, yet horrifying message of generational and social exploitation with a grim outlook on life and happiness. But what’s most important - how much suffering of others we can ignore to keep the illusion of normalcy and peacefulness in our own life. Especially relevant in the current global climate. If you came out of this movie assuming you are not part of the problem, you are in denial.

Be it visually or in terms of themes presented, it’s frustrating, unnerving and uncomfortable to watch. Yes, I am perfectly aware I keep overusing the word “uncomfortable”, but that’s the perfect word to describe the movie. It makes you confront things you rather ignore.

For the acting, Furukawa Kotone ate the role. The whole slow and painful journey to self-realization was presented in a perfect manner. The will to fight what she thought to be unjust tradition, the denial of what’s truly going on, the fear of creeping consequences, the resignation when faced with what she thought in unreasonable pushback. From opening to closing shot - perfect.

In terms of production and directing, some practical make up could have been better, especially around the eyes - it would not work in reality as they presented on screen and somehow I could not let that thought go. Except for that tiny detail, it was great - the blood and wounds looked real and that’s all one can ask for from horror movies. I also appreciated well placed and timed repetitiveness of the shots in different time points and contexts.

Overall, it’s just my type of fucked up shit.

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"Art of Barely Making It" manual by Wu Xie

Time Raiders is the drama to start your The Lost Tomb journey with. Putting aside the fact chronologically it makes sense to start here, I also think the storytelling and directing is the most digestible of what exactly is going on and how this, at times chaotic, fictional world works.

Yes, the whole lore is extremely complex and detailed. The story feels greater than life. The adventures are thrilling, exciting, sometimes scary. The plot is interesting, but for me I always watch these shows for the characters. They are what draws me in and makes me want to pick up different titles from “The Lost Tomb” series. And the versions of the characters presented in Time Raiders are some of the best and most loveable ones I have seen so far.

Starting with Wuxie. What’s to love? He was amazingly animated, hilarious, but also resourceful and less of a damsel in distress than in other versions. It’s one thing to have all the skills, it’s another thing to have a survival instinct. While he might have lacked in some areas, he for sure had a strong will to live. You don't have to go full martial arts in dire situations. Sometimes a simple “stab stab” with a knife is enough. He did what he could instead of standing there scared hoping everything will miraculously solve itself out.

What’s more - even though it was obvious he lacks some skill and expertise, they made it abundantly clear he has so much potential to grow. That’s how the opening of any story should be - starting with a character we can witness the development of. With each adventure he gets better instead of being this unstoppable force since day one.

On the topic of unstoppable forces, we need to chat about our lovely emo boy Xiao Ge, who in this version felt like an actual human being, even if he still had his supernatural emo magic qualities I love. The number of times he actually used his words was amazing. Some of these instalments are determined to turn the character into a silent film edition. Not here though. He still has this mysterious aura about him, speaking only when it’s actually necessary - man of few words, but many actions, but it feels more like a persona than performance.

Short note on bromance - great set up. You can sense there is a connection between them before they even know it.

For the other characters, similar to Wuxie and Xiao Ge, this is also the best Pang Zi - dude was actually funny and not annoying. Some of his lines and reactions were almost the highlights of the episodes. But as funny as he was, they made sure to present him as a skilled and useful addition to the team.

Francis Ng aced his performance as Wu San Xing - what a natural delivery. Even when he was in the background he used 100% of his abilities. Not a second nor a frame was wasted.

On the frustrating side - A Ning will forever be annoying, why not just let her die? She would have zero issue leaving them all for death. Sometimes you just need to stop being a gentleman if being one makes you a dumbass.

Plot wise, I greatly appreciated the actual stakes that made me tear up a little bit. Unexpected to be honest. I don’t exactly watch these dramas to be moved, but to be entertained. I expect magical over the top solutions for serious troubles, so it’s refreshing to see characters lose and there is nothing they can do about it. Seeing them deal emotionally with the consequences of their actions, witnessing how it affects everyone around them, making plans to lessen the impact - great way to add emotional weight.

Time Raiders somehow was able to deliver even pacing - 18 episodes for two stories seemed like the perfect choice. We had enough time to explore the area, lore, witness different interactions between the characters, and enjoy both the fun and the scary parts of the adventures.

The comedy was flawless. The funny lines, little moments, or even longer scenes focused on the hilarious set up were incorporated into the script effortlessly, lightening the mood without taking away from the tension completely.

As for the production - great. The CGI was actually mostly good. There was one scene that went a little bit (a lot) over the top, but it was hilarious to witness. I loved the sets - the caves, dark corridors, awfully tiny spaces that triggered my claustrophobia. I loved the lighting - well balanced when it was realistically dark for the setting, but bright enough for me to see what was happening. Good balance between realism and the accessible presentation for the viewers. And god bless these underwater scenes, because these were some of the best I have seen in any Chinese drama for ages.

The soundtrack perfectly accompanied the drama - got me tense when needed, hyped up for some cool action scenes that were about to happen. And they also knew when to not include any sound at all, which is in fact a valid and sometimes correct choice many directors forget about.

To add last note about the performances: Sometimes in dramas acting and the chemistry between actors is so good you start to question how much of what is happening is actually part of the script and directing, and how much is just the actors vibing and it just working together well. The delivery was so good if you told me they just let the actors act like themselves for realism, I would believe you.

Few extremely random thoughts I had while watching I don’t quite know where to place in the review:

We got a borderline Bollywood action scene and I lived for it.

Can we talk about how good at throwing Cheng Xiang is? Or how well Xu Zhen Xuan runs? What I mean is - I did not have to convince myself what they did could happen, because they committed to present it in a realistic fashion. Things need to be thrown into the ceiling? We are running away from something dangerous, or towards something we really want? We will be using all the muscles in out body. We are sprinting like an athlete, not half jog like it's a PE we don't want to be in. I hate when characters throw shit like a 5 year old kid using as little muscles and movement as possible and we need to pretend it was a great aim and strong throw.

The whole “oxygen issue” in the second story was an intentional comedy when you find out you have from 3 to 7 hours of oxygen left even when you are buried alive in a coffin. Ain’t no logic in that high stake, but I did not care.

I just love how every Tomb drama ends on the note that leaves you in a complete state of confusion, more questions than answers.

Overall, I’d say this is the perfect drama to start your Lost Tomb journey with. The story is presented in the most digestible manner while also making sure you understand there is a bigger picture behind these 18 episodes - you just opened the door, you did not even take a first step into this wacky and fun journey.

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When learning how to lie is a good character development, and more on the blind righteousness...

I did not expect to like this drama this much. From righteous heroes, gray leads, vile villains and broken antagonists - it serves a variety of great characters that drive the plot forward, keep the tension high and deliver many laughs.

Name me a drama where the character development that is seen as a positive one is the lead actually starting to learn how and when to lie - that’s the unicorn we’ve got here. My sweet child Zhang Ping had an OCD level of truth seeking. Not only did he ignore the danger, he did not even see the danger when he was investigating, blinded by his pathological need to find and speak the truth. Adjusting the approach to the situation was not part of his innate pattern of behavior. At first annoying, later endearing. Taking into consideration how easily other characters turned their blind eye to the truth, it was also a source of many comedic moments.

I never knew watching characters gaslight another character could be this entertaining. Lan Jue and Wang Yan made that magic happen. The way they initially tried to sway and manipulate Zhang Ping was low-key evil and yet, the moment they stopped, I started to miss it. Throughout the whole drama these two truly radiated the “tricksters with solid skills” energy. Easily my favorite relationship of the show, whenever you call it friendship, partnership, bromance, or like me: married couple.

Then we have a sweet potato Chen Chou. I’m so grateful they did not write him as a generic best friend to fill the space in the scenes. He had an adorable personality, he was loyal and brave when needed. He tried his best to support Zhang Ping, but also was not afraid to call him out when he came out with an especially dumb idea.

Gu Qing Zhang was quite a surprise. Could not wait for him to show up, and when he did, the tension skyrocketed. On the other hand Wang Xuan brought this balanced energy to every scene he was in - gave me the impression that things will work out fine no matter what, even though he did not really do that much…

What’s important? These fine gentlemen do not really form a Scooby Doo Gang to fight crime and corrupt officials. All of them interact with each other in various moments, but they are never one united group. Did I go into the drama expecting and wanting to see them going full Power Rangers against Rita Repulsa? Sure. Was I disappointed it never really fully happened? No. Them having conflicting morals, ideas, goals and approaches to reach them is what made the drama so interesting in the first place.

The acting was almost perfect. Song Wei Long was a bit stiff and emotionally restricted in his performance for sure. Compared to the other actors and actresses, he lacked the depth needed to truly sell his character to the public. My favorite performance? Shi Yue Ling as Empress Dowager - what strength and power she showed with just some tiny movements and stares. The character was truly scary with how approachable she felt. Shi Yue Ling also did an amazing job showing the subtle change in the character’s feelings when something did not go the way she wanted - enough for the viewers to see it clearly and understand, hidden enough so we can believe the other characters did not notice.

As for the plot itself: the pacing of when and how they dropped the hints was so good, even though at the end of the day the plot was rather simple, it was presented in quite a skillful manner. While watching you will most likely always be one step ahead of the show, guessing what’s about to happen, but not necessarily the whole mid side picture. Why mid size? The past, conspiracy, crime - all do not feel that grand, even if they concern the people of the highest power in the country.

The story showcases the differences between justice and revenge. How trying to seek punishment on the people who hurt us can turn us into the same people we hate and want to fight. How while we are hiring, we can become blind to the pain of other people. Can we justify all of our actions just because we are victims?

What’s more to love? The visuals! So many beautiful scenes, good special effects. What I especially appreciated is how they knew how to film performances. A few scenes showing plays were a perfect balance of artsy and straightforward.

At the same time I cannot wrap my brain around the EXCESSIVE use of blur in the edges of the scenes. Why oh why? They used it even during scenes when the important character for that specific scene was standing closer to the edge of the shot. It also takes a moment to get used to the grainy filter for the “flashbacks” - not all flashbacks. In that aspect the drama lacked consistency.

One thing that made me lower the rating was the confusing scene that blurred the motivation of the main villain - what did they want to present with it?

Overall, fun and addicting. Best at showing the diversity of the characters which led to many entertaining, moving, thrilling and at times frustrating moments.

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All overshadowed by Kunou Totono.

I have adored Kunou Totono since episode one. I was highly impressed with the way he was able to think outside of his own mental box and see situations from another perspective. Not getting completely clouded and sidetracked by our own experiences and feelings is a rare ability most people do not possess and it’s not as highly valued in society as we might think. It’s great when you can understand your family, friends, neighbors, but what if we also can understand the logic and reasoning of a murderer? Arsonist? Kidnapper? That’s when people start to give you weird looks. With that, I truly appreciate how the drama made sure Kunou Totono’s ability was an asset people valued, not a weird characteristic that made people avoid him.

The character had almost amazon comedic timing. The number of times I laughed at his unexpected reactions and lines, completely flipping any given situation upside down.

On the side note, the drama has an “eccentric male lead” tag, but for me Kunou Totono was autistic. On one hand I wish the show was clear about it, on the other hand I know how giving specific labels brings a lot of criticism concerning the portrayal of autism.

The performances were great. As the title of the review says, Kunou Totono stole the show and Suda Masaki’s acting had a lot to do with that. To make a character so unique and yet so relatable is a skill. His character never felt empty and it was clear that even though he might have not shown a lot of emotions, he was feeling deeply - all thanks to the subtle changes in the facial expressions. My favorite bits though? His “surprised pikachu” face.

While the cases were fun to watch, they were not exactly that complex or unpredictable. The writing was not vague about the clue - you’ll see what’s coming before they actually show it on screen. Similarly, the special commentary was both interesting and disappointing. The abuse was a subject that kept coming back, but I never felt like they went deep enough into it to make it more meaningful.
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If I had to state what the biggest flaw of the show was for me, I’d have to say: the satisfying ending. It’s not a “I wish the second season happens, I want more”, but rather a “Second season needs to happen, I need more answers”.

I also found the commentary about women in the working environment (in this case police) rather confusing. What exactly did they try to tell me? With how on the nose many “messages” were, the lack of clearness in this bothers me quite a lot. I didn’t really like Furomitsu Seiko as a character either, and I feel like the writer struggled a bit with finding her a fitting place among other characters.

Overall, extremely enjoyable, with interesting directing and editing and a lead that is impossible not to love.

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We are shaped by our circumstances.

Preventing abuse is not a matter of personal choice, it’s a collective effort put into shaping the society so we won’t become numb to other people’s pain and ignore cries for help. Getting out of a toxic environment is only the first step, getting help and support to deal with the trauma is just as important. Without it, we will most likely than not continue the cycle of abuse, becoming perpetrators ourselves.

This perspective is clearly visible in the drama. The characters that, after facing traumatic events, were embraced by supportive people, felt a sense of emotional security and grew in a caring environment did not grow up to be abusers themselves. The less fortunate ones could not break the cycle, never learned how to cope with their piling issues, all they knew was how to project their problems onto others - in this case, children.

If you truly sit down and think about what was presented, you will feel uncomfortable. It’s hard to both feel bad for the villains for their past hardships, regret for them not getting the help, while also seeing them for what they now are - abusers. It’s extremely hard to comprehend the idea that a person can be both a victim and the perpetrator at the same time. It’s hard to root for rehabilitation of the offenders, when children suffer. The constant question: do we want revenge or justice? What does justice mean? What’s the goal of the punishment? What should be the goal of any action? The drama does a great job at making me think about these questions and what my answers would be.

Another aspect worth mentioning is the exploration of the role of mothers. The variety of different perspectives was beautiful to watch. The struggles, pain, but also the happiness and fulfillment one can feel when they are a mother. The fact that just because you gave birth to a child does not mean you can call yourself a mother.

Sadly, there were also aspects of the show I did not like. For example, for a show so well written, it’s a crime to have such a stock character serving the purpose of plot device and savior only - Jeong Jin Hong. He did nothing and presented nothing except for helping FL when the plot needed that.

Another aspect I didn't not quite like - the lack of presenting the society and media’s reaction to the kidnapping case. The show had a strong message about social awareness, but they did not really do much to show different social takes and perspectives on the issue. The middle part of the drama could have been a bit shorter, so the trial would last more than half an episode. That’s when you present the ideas and debate worthy takes on the issue.

On the bright side, the performances were amazing. Lee Bo Young obviously delivered a heartbreaking and touching portrayal of Kang Soo Jin, but we all know the true star was Heo Yool. Extremely hard role for a young actress, yet she carried it with amazing skills.

Overall, a beautiful and touching show presenting heavy topics. It was not easy to digest everything presented, there were moments that made me angry, sad, uncomfortable - but it’s the charm of this title - it evokes raw emotions and makes you reflect on presented questions.

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There is nothing really wrong about this movie (except for the ghost snapchat filter, I can’t anymore), but there is nothing really right either. It’s structured in a way that it does not hold the suspense and I honestly did not care about the mystery of it all. The characters presented no depth and their personalities were as bland as they can get. Not to mention random involvement of the police, which was honestly not necessary.

The plot twist by the end made sense, but also came out of nowhere since it was not really set up throughout the film - it was the ending that simply felt flat.

When I watch movies like that I always wonder, how did this cast end up here? These are not unknown actors who have to take any project thrown at them. What made them think these were roles worth taking? How can one see a script to a mediocre movie like that and gladly be part of it?

There were a few aesthetic shots, but overall, the movie did not really offer much to be praised.

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Feel-good sports slice of life that made me feel old.

What did this show have? Great characters, beautiful bonds and friendships, motivational messages, well delivered comedy, great acting, beautiful visuals. So why did so much of it feel like fillers? If I skipped the majority of the villagers' stories, it would be an easy 10.

The heart of the story are the Racket Boys and their friendship. It’s undeniable that they were the best part of the drama. Personally, I just loved the reckless Hae Kang and mentally adopted him as my son. His personality was so vibrant and even if at times annoying, he was still extremely adorable and endearing. That said, even though I had my favorite, each and every boy was lovable and brought their own unique personality to the table to give me this fun and enjoyable ride.

Some of the dynamics I liked the most were Hae Kang and In Sol, Woo Chan and Yong Tae and Yoon Dam and Han Sol. What’s more, I appreciate how the drama showed how you can be both rivals in sports and loyal friends outside of it. Many times we have seen different teams enjoying their times together between the competitions - I love his healthy portrayal of rivalry.

Sadly, I was truly not that invested in most of the adults’ stories. I wouldn’t say I disliked them, I was just completely not interested. I think the issue was the initial presentation of the characters - most if not all were introduced in rather negative light so it was hard to connect to their stories as the drama progressed. This small “plot twist” where the characters are not what they seem like at first is a great touch, but not when it is applied to all the characters - then it becomes exhausting.

The only side story outside of the teens that I cared about was the new married couple in town and Phil Ja and Song Hee’s development of friendship.

About the acting, I have nothing, but compliments to say. The young cast did a phenomenal job. I’m extremely impressed with Kim Kang Hoon - such a young boy, but was able to deliver a lot of depth and raw emotions in his performance. I’m a little bit on the fence about Choi Hyun Wook though. Did he do a great job here? Yes. But it’s the 3rd extremely similar role I have seen him in, so I hope he is not an actor of one role.

I’m also impressed with their badminton skills. Do I know anything about the sport? No. I am sure though, that even an inexperienced person can tell when someone really sucks at a sport they are supposed to be good at. I’m certain there was a lot of work put into the training before the filming which contributed to the believable matches, but I also have to compliment the filming and editing.

It’s always hard to talk about production value in kdramas. Why? Because most big studio productions have more or less the same high quality, and most kdrama do not stand out either in positive or negative ways. The standard quality is just that high. It’s the same case with Racker Boys - great scenery, great directing, great editing, great set designs. Everything is great, just like the majority of SBS shows.

Overall, amazing watch, but would have been perfect if it was 4 episodes shorter and only focusing on the kids.

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Don’t let the “filmed on the phone” fool you into thinking it’s a cheap low budget short horror. They obviously had the money to make it look stunning. The writing and the story might be simple, but perfectly executed - exactly how horror movies should be.

Those That Follow tells a simple story of regret, guilt and fear - the past can literally haunt you. We are introduced to two characters that start with the same baggage, but as the plot progresses, take different paths to deal with it and face the consequences of their actions.

Realistically speaking, the strongest point of the movie were the visuals - it’s simply beautiful. Being an ad for a phone, they took all the steps to make sure the final product can wow any possible customers. Surprisingly, the fact it is an ad made the movie better, since it pushed the director to use a variety of different shots to show he all the capabilities of the camera.

Acting was good. It did feel like some reactions were exaggerated, but nothing that would distract you from what was happening on screen.

Overall, truly a great short horror movie. Simple, but effective.

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Nightmare for all women.

“It’s her right to live alone, not a reason to hurt her”.
Putting aside who the stalker is, what is also unsettling is how all the men in her life were acting creepy enough to be considered a potential perpetrator. The whole movie had little to no moments that did not make me feel uncomfortable.

Honestly speaking, I did enjoy it more than the Korean version. For starters, the police did not seem as painfully bad at their job. I am pretty sure they had less involvement in this version, but that was a good call. Detective and investigative work should never be the focus of a story like that.

Then I also appreciate how the female lead made more reasonable and smart decisions. While I appreciated some mistakes the female lead in the Korean version made, because they made her more realistic, by the end I was a bit frustrated. Here, they were able to keep the realism without making her make questionable decisions.

What the movie failed at a few times were the transitions between scenes and sequences - some felt extremely jarring and confusing - that made me rewatch some scenes to make sure I did not miss something. It just felt out of place.

My biggest issue though was the ending - as over the top as the Korean version, if not more. It was going so well with presenting an unnerving experience women can truly face in real life, and then they had to make it more dramatic at the end, completely unnecessarily if you ask me.

Still, it was a great watch. The atmosphere was perfect and some scenes made me want to go around my house and check “just to be sure and safe” that ain’t no creep hiding somewhere. The performances were also solid - kudos to all the male cast for delivering that creepy factor. What’s more, I enjoyed some of the audio editing/mixing and the music picked for some scenes.

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It’s honestly hard for me to judge this movie, because it has many elements that I never look for in horror. Passion, love, desire, jealousy, sex - all themes that I don’t like mixed with horror. It’s a personal preference, hence even though I rated the movie rather low, I honestly don’t think it’s a bad production. It was just not for me.

There are many good aspects of it. It’s rather unpredictable - it has quite a few twists and turns that all felt understandable (at least to the extent a short length allowed). I also appreciate when at the beginning the built up tension is broken by a joke/one liner from a new character on screen. Delivering scares each time the tension is high is not a way to go, because the viewers start to know what to expect. That’s why I appreciate when movies take a step back from time to time.

Drowned out sounds and slow motion used to indicate the distorted perception and fixation on a specific situation by a character? Love it. It’s always effective and I wish more movies used it.

The acting went from good to decent for a smaller production like this. I’m not the biggest fan of Ha Joon’s character, and weirdly I enjoyed a bit twisted Min Woo more.

All that said, I appreciate the movie from the objective standpoint, but I did not quite vibe with it subjectively.

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Surprisingly good tale on dealing with trauma and growing up.

I did not expect all the emotional depth and tears. I got in thinking “evil kids with powers”, but I could not be more mistaken.

The overly sweet and sugar vibes created this unnerving, uncomfortable atmosphere - everything seemed unreal, over the top and stomachache creating. I would not even classify it as a horror movie, but rather fantasy drama with horror elements. Something along the lines of Pan's Labyrinth. The focus is the story and the characters, not the cheap scares.

The visuals were quite stunning for a movie from 2007. Starting with more bright and light colors, something you could see in an over the top Christmas commercial, slowly turned more dark and grim as more of the mystery started to be revealed.

Performances? Quite good, especially with how young the young actors were. Shim Eun Kyung did the best job and the powerful emotions Yeong Hee was feeling were delivered in a convincing way. Was not as much of a fan of Eun Won Jae performance - the character felt flat.

Overall, I would for sure recommend. Lee Eun Soo was a bit of a mess as a character, but realistically speaking, he was just a tool to tell the children's’ story so I don’t mind it that much.

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There is no real goal nor destination. It’s just part of the never ending journey.

Let’s start with: everything was mild, but in the best way possible. We don’t really get any intense thrilling medical cases, the friendship between the leads is not this deep bond, the romance is more in the background, the development of the characters is a slow and not epic process. And yet it worked and it kept me entertained. Somehow how mundane it was became the asset not the flaw.

Residents Playbook did have a rocky beginning - none of the characters were that likeable and if we add a rather simple and slow paced plot, it does not have a typical start that gets you hooked. It does grow on you, a lot. It’s been ages since such long episodes (around 1 hour and 15-20 minutes) seemed this short to me - I did not even know when the time passed and wanted to see more.

One of the aspects I especially enjoyed was the fact the characters did not in fact get a complete 180 change, removing all of their flaws. I Young did not out of the blue start being passionate about her residency. Nam Gyeong was still focused a bit on how people perceive her. Sa Bi did not become an empath and Jae Il was till the end often driven by his emotions. They all improved in a realistic manner, but their personality traits were still there.

What’s more was the more realistic approach to how it looks like working at the hospital. It’s not everyday high tension hard cases. Sometimes half of your day will be dealing with paperwork. And sometimes there will be emergencies. There are great seniors who will teach you, and those that will take credit for your work. In many areas it’s a workplace like any other, and I like how they did not try to either glamorize it nor sensationalize it.

While I loved the slice of life vibe and how slow paced it was, I have to say - with the length of the episodes and the show I got a little bit annoyed with how little closure and focus we’ve got about certain plotlines. It really is like seeing just a part of characters’ lives without much context and background. The drama does not really start on the day one of many relations, and it does not have a specific ending. It’s like meeting a friend you have not seen in quite some time, talking about how their life is going currently, and then never meeting them again, not knowing where they ended up. Which often is the case with more character driven shows - there is no real goal nor destination. It’s just part of the never ending journey.

Even though the romance was not the focus part of the plot, I still loved it a lot (well, most love lines). They were adorable, wholesome and just kept making me smile. The chemistry was really fun and natural between all involved characters.

Surprisingly, while I loved the whole main cast, most of my favorite characters were the supporting ones: Seo Jeong Min, Ryu Jae Hwi, Cha Da Hye to name a few. From the main cast (I cannot believe I’m going to say that, because I had zero hope for that character at first in terms of making me interested) my heart was stolen by Pyo Nam Gyeong.

Acting wise - perfect. The characters truly embodied their roles making them feel like real people, and at some point friends. Watching this show after a hard week at work was truly therapeutic - comrades in overwork and stress.

I know a lot of people viewed the cameos as highlights of the episodes, but for me they were so insignificant in terms of my enjoyment - I just liked the drama a lot as it was, so while the guest appearances were fun, they were for sure not the best part of the show people should look for.

Overall, I would quite honestly not mind a new season for each year of residency. There is so much potential for these characters and their stories. I feel like I both know them so well, but also barely scraped the surface of their journeys.

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The Grotesque Mansion is a short movie consisting of five chapters, with the final one serving as a narration throughout the whole film. None of the stories are well explained or concluded, making them seem like scary stories we tell each other at night when we are kids - it’s not about the well constructed plot, but the atmosphere.

The thing that I loved about the directing was how all the cases were linked together - each chapter had a scene we already saw in a previous story, but from a different perspective.

Chapter 1 - Room 504 - The Writer
One of the weakest plots of all the 5 chapters. While the small details in the background added to the eerie atmosphere, overall I was not impressed. The story was not scary at all, but I have to appreciate the acting from Lee Chang Hoon, who played a driven writer on the edge, because his writing has not been going too smoothly lately. I could feel his frustration.

Chapter 2 - Room 907 - The Pharmacist
The best of all the chapters. From the interesting story, to the creepy visuals - I was sold. The setup for the plot reminded me a little bit of P.T., with the radio station giving news about the murder. The loop of the characters’ actions and the corridor shots that made it seem as if I am there observing the situation, made this my favorite part of the movie.

Chapter 3 - Room 708 - The Salesman
Annabelle, but creepier. Except for the "companion" making me uncomfortable, there is not much to say about this chapter. The pictures created for some scenes were nice, but overall it was more entertaining than scary.

Chapter 4 - Room 604 - The Student
Trigger warning for gross body horror. Pimples and a lot of weird stuff happening to the face of one of the characters. Rather nauseating. That said, the body horror was quite well made - no complaints on my part about the effects and makeup. The story is rather simple, and focuses more on the visual aspect of it.

Final chapter - Room 1504 - The Caretaker
Had one of the scariest scenes from the whole movie - the elevator moment got me on the edge of my seat. The Caretaker concludes the story is a coherent way that makes sense, while leaving a door open for a possible sequel.

Overall, The Grotesque Mansion is just a simple and easy watch. Good for an evening when you might be a bit tired and you want to be entertained, but without forcing your brain to do any work.

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Hits many cliches but still likeable

It’s a really simple story that we all saw hundreds of times. A shy boy and a popular boy on their journey to getting to know each other. Nothing groundbreaking or new about it.

What makes it worth the watch is the acting and the simple concept. Many times the writer and director tries to shock the viewers with over the top plotlines to compensate for a limited length of the shows - it’s truly unnecessary. The Best Story keeps it relatively simple, with few characters and plot lines. What’s best in my eyes was War’s acting. He truly aced the “shy teen crush” portrayal.

Some characters are more likeable than the others. Some you will just end up hating, it’s inevitable. Be ready, because it might be a frustrating watch, especially since the show tries to tackle some sensitive issues by the end, but does not have enough time to dwell on them more.

For a mini series like that, the production quality was quite good. I loved the few aesthetic shots and how they did what they could with a probably limited budget.

That said, the ending caught me by surprise and left me with a big “WHAT” on my face. My initial reaction was closer to: That’s it? Wait… there’s more, right? There will be a 2nd season or something, right? After a few minutes of calming down, I don’t hate it. I don’t think it fits the vibes of the show that well, but it fits reality.

Overall: Since it’s a short watch, I’d recommend it if you want to watch a simple, inducing frustration teen love story with little to no plot, but good acting. Going with no expectations would be best.

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