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Exaggerated scenarios that had strangely wholesome vibes.
I think the best part of the show is the fact it’s not really dumb, even though it might seem like it is at first. The writers had a decent grasp on social media, start up and internet culture and took a proper jabs at the proper topics. At the same time, this is exactly the reason a lot of people would not find the show that interesting. You need to know the basics of the topics to understand the absurdity that is presented.It does not go into great details into the topics, so don’t get too scared. I found a lot of the jokes and plots fun and entertaining even though I don't have a professional background in any related areas. Spending enough time in the right corners of the internet was enough.
The tone of the show slowly shifted from being just a workplace comedy to focusing more on the characters and their personal struggles, while keeping the fun and entertaining tones. It’s not one of the shows that start as a comedy to lean into melo later - it’s a crack of a show from start to finish, the topics just slightly shift.
Another selling point were the eccentric characters that still managed to be relatable. Jay was probably the most down to earth person - using him as a way to introduce the Maccom and its employees was a perfect choice - Jay and viewers were on the same boat, trying to stay afloat with a peculiar crew.
When I talk about the characters, I have to compliment the whole cast for their phenomenal performances. How they were able to make me believe a workplace like this one could actually exist is beyond me. They all had such a consistent performance, no matter how out of the box and ridiculous the characters’ and their actions were, I just accepted them as a norm.
The production value was great. Both intros were as absurd as the whole show and for that I am grateful - they stayed on brand. It is an office show though, so do not expect some beautiful screenshot worthy scenes.
What Unicorn lacked was the substance. As much as I enjoyed the episodes as I was watching them, there was not much inviting me to start the episodes in the first place. It’s a show you love as you watch, but forget it exists in between the episodes.
Overall, great watch if you are interested in the subject. Might be a bit boring and ridiculous if you have a high level of expertise or know nothing about it.
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This would actually be a really good investigative thriller if it was not for the Sea Monster from the title. There was an interesting mystery, crime, murder, kidnapping, corruption and conspiracy… And there was also awful CGI and over the top monster make up.
Still, even with that ridiculous twist and awfully animated monster jumping around, it was truly an enjoyable watch. I am probably biased, because I loved the female lead so much, but the movie does focus on her alone, so it’s fair to add some points thanks to that character.
Both acting and production quality was nice. Even though Du Qing Ling was a calm character, it did not mean she was emotionless (which often is an issue, as some writers associate being calm with having no reaction to anything). Except for the CGI monkey monster, the movie was also aesthetically pleasing. The surrounding of the forest and the village were rather dim, but the film never truly felt dark.
Overall, short and interesting with great female lead.
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The mentor-mentee relationship between the two main characters was natural and fun to watch. While it was never the focus of the movie, it gradually and realistically built the trust and care the two had for each other.
The separate stories were interesting, but the background linking plot sadly was underdeveloped. Sure, by the end you get it all and the motivations of the villain are explained, but for me, not enough detail was put into crafting his backstory and presenting him as an interesting figure.
Production wise, it's honestly hard to describe. It masterfully mixed beautiful shots and sceneries with mediocre CGI - a rollercoaster of aesthetics. Acting was great. Not surprisingly, I liked Shang Tie Long's performance the best. I do have one complaint though, which I usually have with Chinese movies and shows. The generic white actor with awfully done dubbing - why? Why do we always have to have them?
Overall, surprisingly fun. I went into it thinking it would be a C class supernatural horror with all the aspects below average quality at best, but received a rather enjoyable 1 hour and 20+ minutes ride.
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The plot is literally people “swimming” to the island after their boat flipped. Them talking and fearing a shark. That’s it. Sounds boring? It was.
Truly the best parts were the awful CGI and questionable editing and soundtrack. One song got me so confused I was sure my laptop broke, because it sounded as if some nasty ghost just kept stopping and playing the video. And then the english rap OVER dialogue. Who mutes dialogue to play the song and put the subs for said dialogue? And how they just clear cut the song and put on the dialogue sound halfway through the sentence… oof.
That said, putting aside the CGI, it was actually a decent looking movie - that’s it for the good parts. The characters were empty, both personality and brain wise.
Don’t watch it even if you have literally nothing else to watch.
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Karma is a b*tch, but I guess she is just.
Haunted CarIt’s more unnerving and uncomfortable than scary, especially with the close ups of the taxi driver’s face. It kind of tries to deliver a morality lesson and I would not even say they do a bad job, especially for a short story like this. It’s just a really basic one, nothing that will truly inspire you - we all heard it at least a few times in our lives.
Reborn
Really strong mystery/investigation ghost story. I like how the past is presented and the main character does a great job leading the story. It has an actually interesting plot with great performances and spooky atmosphere.
The Book of Truth
Probably the most complex plot wise, dealing with many elements that kind of fit nice together? Not gonna lie, I struggled to focus during the first half of this story, nothing truly grabbed my attention. It got better as they explained everything, but the not engaging beginning was a letdown.
Overall, all 3 stories dealt with topics of karma, afterlife, past life and all that spiritual stuff. All had more or less the same conclusion and message. Out of the 3, 2nd story - Reborn, was for sure the best.
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The movie might be short and does not really present any plot, but it’s a good watch nonetheless. It’s weirdly tense for a short about mosquitoes and for some strange reason, it works.
The main character might take some drastic measures by the end, but honest? Can’t blame him. I was moving away from the laptop and being close to muting the tab because of the sound.
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This is one of the weirdest love stories I have ever seen…
And this is not a compliment. But I also cannot truly say it’s a bad thing. There is so much wrong with this romance, I could not stop laughing when I finished the movie.Alice: Boy From Wonderland is quite an experience. First 50 minutes are a true snoozefest. Everything is confusing, but not in a good and interesting way, but more of a “nothing holds my attention”. I became so indifferent to what was happening on screen it was actually hard to follow the plot, because I could not force myself to pay much attention.
Then around half way through stuff starts to happen, and slowly (AND I MEAN SLOWLY) we start to get some puzzle pieces to get the full picture. And then the whole explanation happened and my brain just gave up. Plow wise, I feel like the answer to the majority of the question, but characters’ motivation wise, I am painfully confused.
I’m honestly not sure how I am supposed to feel about romance. The more explanations I’ve got, the more confused I’ve got. Am I supposed to ship it? Can I do it? I finished the movie and went “What now? You cannot leave me with conflicting emotions like that”...
It also had some weird genre mix ups. Especially with the presentation of the female shaman. I was supposed to both treat her seriously, as she knew the key to fixing the mystery and the nightmares, but also she had quite a few comedic moments that did not fit the mood of the movie at all.
Performance wise - decent. Honestly speaking, probably the weakest performance I have seen from Jung So Min. Hong Jong Hyun is not exactly known to be a good actor so that sums up his performance.
Production wise, at times it felt like it was made out of stock content, edited on a free software. Especially during the opening scene.
Overall… Once you start it, you have to finish it. I don’t know if it’s worth the watch, but that ending and explanation of the plot needs to be seen and experienced in its whole confusing glory.
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Whispering Corridors 5: A Blood Pledge
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A Blood Pledge also has the weakest plot and motivations of the characters. I always felt like some of the Whispering Corridors movies at least try to tackle some more serious issues, but here the focus was on a random girl feeling insecure about the most unimportant issue, while the other characters truly have to deal with serious life problems.
Sure, the plot might have been a way to show how privileged the other girl was, and how blinded by her lack of real life experience she was, but it never felt this way.
The acting was one of the weakest from all Whispering Corridors movies. I guess Oh Yeon Seo did the best job, but even she was barely passable.
Overall, I honestly finished it only so I can move on to the newest installment.
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“People forget kindness easily, but they remember cruelty.”
The movie is basically 1 hour and 20 minutes of exposition that leads to the last 25 minutes of showdown that feel heartbreaking, but somehow cathartic. It’s really slow paced, until it’s not, but the wait is worth it.Would I call it a horror movie? No. Sure, it does have horror elements, but it’s far more psychological thriller, or even dark psychological drama. Most of the movie has this borderline silly vibe, with underlying tension caused by the Head of the village - it’s hard to predict his nature. There are quite a few comedic elements, which for me make the dark ending that much darker.
It’s a story of a normal, rather good man Woo Ryong, and how external circumstances affected him. It’s hard to talk about the plot without giving away any spoilers. Most of the movie is just him and his son slowly integrating into a village, until someone sees it as a threat.
What I really enjoyed was how many small moments, lines and actions in the first half came back closer to the end - tying everything together.
The acting was great. Ryu Seung Ryong aced both the light and darker side of Woo Ryong. I honestly wish we had seen more of the unhinged one.
Production wise, the rats could have been better. There were moments when they looked beyond fake. That said, the rest of the movie was simply beautiful.
Overall, worth pushing through, even if you feel like nothing is really happening. For some, the sudden change of tone can seem abrupt, but for me it was slowly, but meticulously crafted with many details and hints of what’s to come.
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Could have been amazing, if kept on a smaller scale.
My biggest issue was how unrealistic this whole plot was, and how it forced too many characters to act painfully stupid - this stopped me from getting immersed into the story and caring for the characters.The setting is truly interesting and allows you to slowly build the atmosphere. The dark tunnels, small spaces - all anxiety inducing. You could potentially feel the disorientation of the characters, when they are being chased by the killer. Sadly, I could not feel it. Why?
With the number of victims, the police reaction, or rather the lack of reaction, was quite ridiculous. It would be better to not involve the police at all, and make me wonder where they are when needed, than make me suffer watching this level of incompetence and lack of care.
I can deal with one stupid character… maybe two. But all of them? That’s just a pain for my brain. I get it, if everyone is smart, the movie ends before it starts. Just write a smart villain with a realistic setting that does not need characters with two brain cells to make it work.
Was the villain part of some supernatural evil gang? He was undestructable. I feel like one could cut his head off, and he would go: day like any other.
So, what’s good? Amazing performance. It’s Jung Kyung Ho we’re talking about. I am 100% certain he can sell literally any role and make it good. I also really liked Choi Deok Moon as Jong Ho, one of the victim’s father. Yun Seo had some clever tricks and moves, so it was truly entertaining to watch her navigate this deadly underground labyrinth.
Overall, good suspense, good visuals, great idea - if only they lowered the number of initial victims and kept the police away from it. Make it only a story of Yun Seo, Soo Jung and Jong Ho, and I would love it.
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Sometimes stalkers are cute ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Love Mate has a strong old school rom-com vibe, leaning into exaggerated set ups, and one either likes it or not. Both Haram and Lee Jun were the extremes in their behavior. The introduction of the characters made both seem rather unreasonable and unprofessional in the best and most entertaining way possible.Lee Jun tried to use his workplace and project he was working on to vent his annoyance, anger and trauma related to love - not really caring if the project makes sense. Ha Ram went full on stalker mode, always taking 5 steps too far in how he was approaching Lee Jun. Both frustrating, but so entertaining if you accept the over exaggerated set up as a stylistic choice - this drama does not try to be a realistic and relatable slice of life.
The chemistry was one of the best aspects, especially after the initial clash dies down. I do think Lee Jun’s change of mindset came a bit out of nowhere, but at the same time, it’s not exactly completely unrealistic - some people make fast decisions and switch their behavior accordingly.
While I enjoyed laughing about the characters’ antics and push and pull dynamics, I wish the writer did a better job with presenting the conflicts. What we’ve got was one internal and one external conflict happening one after the other. What would work better (especially since these conflicts were actually connected) is making them happen at the same time. It would make the external conflict feel less rushed and the whole context the characters were in more complex.
The acting was mostly good. Loved Cho Hyun Min’s performance - really natural facial expressions. Random thought, but I also loved how he said 완전 twice in the show. At the same time, while Cho Han Gyeol did a better job in comparison to many other kbl actors, he did not stand out with his skills next to Hyun Min. Some emotional scenes felt flat and forced.
Production value was nice - nothing too outstanding, but also nothing so bad it would be distracting. There were a few scenes in which I liked the composition.
Overall, a fun drama, probably better as a binge watch.
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More individualistic than I thought it would be.
If it was up to me, I would probably remove the romance from the genre, since it never felt like the center or core of the drama. It was more of the background and set up for the personal internal and external struggles the leads had.Far more slice of life with theatrical touch. It dives into themes of self doubt, insecurities, expectations we place on ourselves, hard choices between practically and what we desire, fear of disappointment. That said, I wish they dived deeper into all these internal conflicts. Somehow I was not quite satisfied with the complexity of the presentation.
Weirdly, I got really interested in the production of that fictional play, and I was mentally arguing with the director about his preferred interpretation of the main character.
Acting wise, we already knew the cast was great after season 1. There were moments I was not quite… vibing with Niihara Taisuke’s performance, not because of his skill, but rather the style that was chosen for this production - I am honestly not a theatre girlie.The performance was great, just not my preferred type.
Overall, it was for sure at least on the same level as season one, if not better. I guess it would depend on what you expect to get from it.
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Main story that feels like a side-plot.
I’m sad to say, but there was something strangely satisfying about this movie. It did not feel like the main story. It felt like one of the side plots in a drama. A bit wishy-washy.Yes, the story was technically moving. Love how it showcases disability focused on the children and how it affects them and their guardians. I also truly appreciated the focus on communication and the patience needed to create a bond with a child who does not use the usual channels of communication we know.
The acting was amazing, especially from Jung Seo Yeon who was only 7 when she portrayed Eun Hye. And yet, while the movie made me smile from time to time and the interactions between Eun Hye and Jae Shik were adorable, I was never truly moved.
Maybe because there was just too much going on plot wise? MLs failed career, gangsters on his ass, hunting for the “aunt”, then side plots with the watermelons and that small family, his bond with Eun Hye. At the end everything felt underwhelming.
Overall, I liked it, but did not love it. Maybe it would work better in a longer format, or with some plots trimmed.
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Found family trope, but with real family…
Or rather reconnecting with your family while learning how to move forward - that’s what the drama is about.To be honest, it was not easy for me to make up my mind about the show. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was I excited to watch every episode? Not really. That’s the thing with a slice of life dramas - you either connect to the characters and enjoy the ride, or feel like a third wheel in a relationship. This time I felt more like a third wheel.
Here’s the thing though, the drama is good, really good. I guess it just was not for me. Kishibe Mitsuru felt like a plot device to motivate other characters and deliver some truly meaningful lines, while himself staying stagnant. I understand that it fits the theme, but I like my main characters to feel more like the main characters…
The aspect of the show I truly loved was the relationship between Akiba Koji, who also was my favorite character, and Akiba Harumi. The progression was shown in such a delicate and minimalistic way, but when comparing their interactions in first and last episodes, the progress is clear. One line here, one interaction there, but the end result made me cry.
Another thing I appreciated about the show was how mundane it was. Normal people with painfully normal issues and somehow it was refreshing. There is nothing worse than a show trying to seem relatable, but also adding stories 0.00001% of viewers could truly relate to. Here I could understand the struggles of all the characters, either because I faced them myself at some point of my life, or I saw people around me try to deal with similar situations.
The acting was obviously great. Ikuta Toma did a fantastic job with this role. He was truly subtle with some of the emotions, but they were still easily visible and understood.
Production wise, it’s kept in a rather simple style. Simplicity did fit this type of story rather well and both the writing and directing created a cohesive picture.
Overall, even though I did not fall in love with this drama, I would still recommend it. I can clearly see why people love it, and I’m a bit sad I was not able to connect to it as much as others did. It delivers some great life lessons supported by strong dialogues and moving lines.
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It’s a rather slow take on how regret and guilt can really mess you up and lead to unfortunate decisions… you will end up regretting yet again. The ending ties it all up quite well, explaining many details presented along the way.
The performances were great in terms of line delivery, but because of the set up, it was not always as easy to judge anything beyond that - I just simply could not see much.
And that’s the flaw of the production. I understand that the set up was intentional and the dark claustrophobic small space was part of the storytelling, yet I cannot stop myself from being disappointed with the result.
Overall, a decent watch. I feel like the ending might seem a bit confusing at first, but by the time credits roll in, it’s not hard to put the puzzles together.
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