the_sapio_nerd

Typical story yet well executed.

A group of good-looking boys struggling with their individual issues and a broke girl is forced to live with them under one roof. The entire story revolves around how the girl helps them deal with the problems while also falling in love with one of them who is the rudest of all. Yes, you have watched a lot of this sorts.

This will be a short one bcs this drama doesn't need a detailed review nor it's anything productive giving scopes to talk a lot about.

"Let Me Be Your Knight" is clearly a pre-2015 Kdrama romcom script; in fact a trend that existed till 2015, somewhat. There is no lying in this regard from either sides, i. e. the makers and the audience. So the question should be whether it's worth a watch in the year 2022?

So to summarize this particular story, LUNA is one of the most successful KPOP Idol band known for their good looks and quality music. Things start going wrong when Tue leader of the band suffer from sleepwalking, to counter which the members have to live with an in-house psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is basically fake, who is forced to pretend like a doctor due to her financial situations. The story is all about the fake doc helping the 5 of them to overcome their hurdles accompanied by a developing love story alongside.

The acting department is pretty average, full of young actors and plenty of rookies. In Yoon Joo/Kang Sun Ju (Jung In Sun) isn't highly ambitious but aims to save a fortune and purchase back the house she lived in her as a child. Yoon Tae In (Lee Jun Young) is the lead vocalist and the leader of LUNA with horrible childhood experiences, that has led him to having sleeping disorders. Not gonna mention rest of the major characters but I must say the casting was fair.

Plot development is steady and moderately up to par. The story starts with addressing thw issues lying with LUNA and it's public image as well as the FL and her life. It mainly focuses on the ML's healing process with the FL's help. In constantly provides the audience with fluffy romcom elements along with emotional scenes. Idol life issues is equally emphasized by putting the individual members of thd group on the pedestal at different times. There is nothing much to talk about the progression, ngl. The ending was smooth and satisfactory.

I honestly never knew the makers of this drama and guessing from their biographies, this is their debut. Regardless, the director didn't have much to do given the storyline, expect for screen editing, organization and cinematography, which I think have been well taken care of. I wonder what was the need of 4 screenwriters for such a story, but well (haha). What I didn't like about the writing is the soddy character arcs; wasn't really expecting anything but it seemed very bland.

The set of OSTs are well composed. They aren't really memorable in comparison to the vast sea of songs but I like how it was mostly relatable to the story and it's essence. The theme song having the same title as the drama "Let Me Be Your Knight" is my most favourite. It's soulfully versed, beautifully composed and exquisitely sung. Other songs by the imaginary group LUNA are: "Love Paranoia" , "Beautiful Breakup" and "Love One Day". I liked all 4 of these. OSTs sung by non-cast are.

"Dreamin'" by Seo Eun Kwang (BTOB)
"You are my soul" by Monday Kiz
"Because it's you" by Kim Woojin
"Rainbow" by Celine
"Sunshine" by SUNNY

What I liked...

# The OSTs are the best thing about this drama. The entire album is so good I swear; this was the only thing I expected from and I'm glad it's been delivered.

# The way they have addressed and presented almost all of the major South Korean idol issues is thought provoking. Idol dating issues, absurd rumors, career insecurities, competition within a group, struggles in the showbiz, etc are the areas they've covered. Just disappointed that one of the issues wasn't solved how i wanted.

# I am happy it wasn't much focused either on 2-3 characters or on the romantic storyline. Other members of LUNA have a fair share of screentime unlike other Idol dramas.

# The slice-of-life references put forward were heart-touching and emotional.

Well, it is a decent thing in my opinion which can be used to pass time. Irrespective of a story full of cliché, this has the least drawbacks to be pointed out. It's an example of typical story but well executed category. This is entirely no-brainer and very predictable and not really something to look forward to,so I would have given less but the fact that I found the least numbers of technical flaws, encouraged me to be kinder, haha. I can't say it's a must watch but if you're craving old romcoms and looking for something new & light-hearted, then here you go.

P. S. In a final confession, I wanan mention that this is better than "Imitation" in the perspective of an Idol drama. I don't wanna compare "Idol: The Coup" bcs it too was better than Imitation. In fact, the former was about a script and the latter was about idol issues, whereas, "Let Me Be Your Knight" is a perfect balance between both.

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Mood: Niceeeee, mehh, okay...

The number of letters in each word that my title bears, is how I felt throughout the show. I know that's a funny way to interpret but I don't think the drama was that biggie to become very serious about. Skillfull FL living a pathetic life, talented ML living in shadows, him coming to rescue the FL, a tragic past surfacing, temporary breakup, etc. and then a happy ending.

Produced by 'Blitzway Studios', "Love All Play" is a melo-romance cum sports drama which, natively titled as 너에게 가는 속도 493km (literally, 'The Speed to You is 493km). Written by Heo Sung Hye and directed by Jo Woong, the show was broadcasted on KBS2 while internationally distributed on Disney+.

The story follows the journey of a badminton company YUNIS, primarily focusing on bonding and relationship between the members, particularly the leads who go through thick & thins of life off the court, as a reflection of choices and decisions. The major plotlines of the story include the development of love lives between several couples as well as a huge accident of the past involving the leads. Notably, the drama doesn't really have the sport of badminton as it's major device, so don't expect to see a lot of it.

Park Tae Yang (Park Ju Hyun) was a former badminton prodigy who had run away for years following bribery rumours. Park Tae Joon (Chae Jong Hyeop) was naturally attracted to the sports who despite his skills have never been serious about himself. Yook Jung Hwan (Kim Moon Joo) is a star badminton player in the national athletic team with a huge fan-following. (Lee Yu Min) Seo Ji Hye is a member at Somang Bank badminton company. Park Jun Young (Park Ji Hyun) is Tae Joon's sister and a former badminton star.

In order to avoid any further spoiler, I am only mentioning the familiar faces in the show, which include: Jo Han Chul, In Gyo Jin, Lee Seo Hwan, Choi Seung Young, Jo Soo Hyang, Jeon Bae Soo, Lee Ji Hyun and Lee Doo Shik. The acting was okay-okay in overall though many of the characters are very unlikable.

Plot development...The plotline never had a goal to begin with, nor I was expecting, but the first half tended to focus on chemistry development between different couples, esp the leads. It was fluffy, cute and radiated smiles, as a basic romance story should. Similarly, the court scenes involving stupendous matches were surely revering, and I understand why most of the people including me, ended up expecting more of it, throughout. Unfortunately, the makers had different plans, which they'd been subtly indicating from the beginning though that was quite arduous to notice.

It becomes both slow and shoddy as soon as the 9th episode, where a major twist takes place. The thing that I hated the most was the dragging and exaggeration of a particular matter, involving a past accident, for 4 long episodes. No, it wasn't a slowburn segment and not like they were sticking to only that but for the whole story, it was needless to showcase the overstated emphasis, as if it were the main plot device; this lengthy portrayal was annoying. However, I was glad, the last 4 episodes escalated back to the original form and the recovery to damage was carefully done, to an extent, if not entirely. The way things changed in 13th episode was mesmerizing and 14th episode was a mixed bag of everything.

Toxic parenting and it's consequences: these 2 are the most takeaway home notes from this drama I believe, though the portrayal was frustrating and angering, bcs it should be. Let's not forget that reality is even worse. Burdening your child to aim and achieve to the highest point and attempting to extract out your happiness from that, and then latter turning that into obsession, these are very toxic. Blackmailing, gaslighting, forcing, emotionally abusing, sabotaging them from inside, etc. that we saw in this drama were in fact, shown for longer period unnecessarily, but let's learn from that too.

Having watched only 2 previous works, I am not really familiar with Heo Sung Hye jakkanim's writing patterns, but in easier words, I didn't like one and the other one which was lovable, became sloppy by the end. Coming to this drama, while I believe, they were able to draw a plotline which would be appreciated, with elements put forward with clear intentions, at the same time, they failed to establish any memorable profundity in the characters and bring the best out of them. The pilot episode that started with nothing noteworthy to offer, slowly turned into lots of court scenes, followed by the basic romance, which was cute. The very interval of the drama (ending lf 8th & beginning of 9th) enmarks the start point of a shoddy job. I can't say it was turned into a trash, but I didn't like it. The remarkable job is, in fact, done in case of dialogues; comforting, healing, motivating, inspiring and striking, each at their times.

Seemingly rookie director Jo Woong PDnim is, in fact, the maker of 2 heavily-plotted dramas, proving his worth in the job. However, "Love All Play" as a mild and basic drama with nothing remarkable, didn't suit his usual expertise, at least that's how I personally feel. I can't really specify any particular flaw with the direction of the show, but it bothered me at times, how certain things were jotted down and affixed and even annexed to represent the foregone stories of the characters. Otherwise, things like screenplay, screen-editing, scenario setup, etc. has been moderately handled. There is no extraordinary camerawork and no essence to cinematographic tools. The modern urban and suburb setups were greatly fitting though.

Composed by Park Se Joon, the OSTs, however, have aced the list. Truly, they are fantastic, mesmerizing and very much likable to a great extent. There are 10 OSTs in total.

# "There, There" by Baek a Yeon is melancholic softbeat track depicting regrets of letting someone go.

# "Secret" by Yun DDanDDan is a jolly track of first encounters and arcane feelings of love.

# "Flyin" by KEVIN that starts with an intriguing prelude, is a jovial song showing fluffy and cute moments in a relationship.

# In Jinho's touching soft voice, "Keep This Momemt" is a song of expressing your fondness.

# "When the door opens" by JT&MARCUS is used as the opening theme song which is an overwhelming track about one's passion and love for what they do. It's awfully energising and encouraging.

# "The distant future" by Jeon Sang Keun is a melancholic track depicting lingering affections and the pain of parting ways. The lyrics is so heartbreaking.

# "By your side" by 451 is a reminiscent track and got a very shooting melo.

Other tracks are...
# "Don't walk away" by LISA
# "Something" by SongSun
# "Time" by Park Janghyun
# "My own season" by Park Ju Hyun
# "Diamond" by Yong Hoon
# "Here you are" by Lylian

What i liked...

# The relationship between Tae Yang and Tae Joon as couples, from childhood friends to lovers, was something you can't help but fall in love with. The way the chemistry and bonding between them grew close and the way they supported each other, pushing their partners up the ladder, was both fun, emotional and gladdening at the same time.

# On that note, Junghwan and Yumin couple was also cute and fun.

# I can't say there is any definite sign of bromance here, but the bittersweet interaction between main leads, as well as thw guys in the show was fun. The same goes with the bonding between the girls.

# Seungwoo, the character had me intrigued from his very first appearance and though he didn't have an extraordinary journey or granding ending, it was gratifying and relieving to just see him.

# The slice of life elements incorporated came unexpected. Yeah! Most of the Kdramas has soft and meaningful sides to them but the show definitely goes beyond the typical amount. It was mainly reflected through the character thoughts of Park Tae Yang.

# Oh! The dialogues... I never thought this show of basic essence will have such provoking and thought-inducing dialogues that could be relatable to many of us. Kudos to the writer for this.

# The visuals have definitely been served and 80% was carried out by Chae Jong Hyeop, without any doubt. It was flitting to see so many young and handsome guys with athletic physique and their sports tracks, haha.

# Many points about sportsmanship that's been thrown shades upon, were absolutely applauding. From victories to celebration, loses to failures, from injuries to retirement and from an athletic spirit to mental health issues, everything has been portrayed in a positive light.

What I didn't like...

# The worst thing about the show was 9-12 episodes. These 4 long episodes were the most frustrating and angering as the writer attempts to drag a case throughout. I admit and understand that the particular incident and it's consequences were an important part of the story, but it felt unnecessary to give it the screentime it didn't deserve. It could have been 14 episodes if the matter persisted for only 2 eps.

# The character arcs for even the main roles weren't very prominent and impressive. PTY and PTJ exhibit some shades of naturalness and modernity but I feel that wasn't enough. The sloppy sketches and insufficient exposure led to the downfall of some while some others weren't even enjoyable.

# I understand this wasn't entirely about the game, badminton, but I would have loved if it were. Having watched another badminton drama recently, which wasn't really entirely about the sports but had lots of it anyways, I couldn't help but compare it with that. Also, the matches in the first half fueled my expectations, just to be crushed in the latter half.

Final remarks... I honestly won't say it is an underrated drama or a must watch thing, even so it did feel decent and is smoothly executed. The first half (8eps) was surely amazing, followed by 4 episodes that went downhill while trying to exaggerate one event unnecessarily, and then the last 4 episodes did give some relief by doing some post-damage recovery. It's q fair one time watch and should be given a try when you're craving something light.

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One of the BEST finale it has, what an episode!

TRIGGER WARNING: This drama is a dystopia. Dystopia means 'an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice (bad/unfair), typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic'.There are many disturbing events which will piss you off, so stay calm. Also, few things might feel illogical as well but you gotta understand that, this is what happens in a dystopian world.

The Devil Judge absolutely keeps you thrilled through out the entire drama and I am not lying. The thing that contributed to this feeling, is undoubtedly the kind of drak and intense sound and cinematography obviously, apart from the super thrilling storyline plus plot&twists; truly notable. There are flaws which could have been avoided storywise leaving them behind but I guess they wanted to adjust it to 16 episodes. Also, the writer showed lack of steady writing capabilities at many points. Nevertheless, the story and screenplay is intriguing to be enthralled throughout.

STORY & PLOT:
The Devil Judge is set up in an imaginary dystopian world even though the scenario remains in the present-day Seoul and it's neighborhoods. The society is full of chaos, where injustice takes place in a blink and the powerful causes disaster openly without any fear of being brought down by the people. This drama for it's title was expected to be a legal thriller with plenty of courtroom scenes and law stuffs but it turned out to be a socio-political thriller between the powerful who prey over the common people.

Talking about the story, it's primarily about a live court show, initiated for fairer and transparent justice system that turns into a revenge plan where every powerful being with wealth and influence try to bring down each other by any means. Kang Yohan, the presiding judge of the show plans to destroy the authoritarian system of the nation alongside his personal purposes which were secrets only know to him. Kim Ga On, a young associate judge who believes in constitutional values joins hands with him and later gets involved as he finds out about the injustice done to his family in the past. Kim Sun Ah, a poor maid who ascends the stair to success by coercing the rich and influential all her life, controls the nation with her strings, by direct and indirect means. Sun Ah tries to destroy Yo Han as well as climb upto the the utmost peak of the system. Sun Ah and Yo Han, with their shared past story, seek revenge over each other and at the same time harm people by their sides.

The Devil Judge as a story is very good and intriguing plot which gives the vibe of perfect thriller development. The way the story used it's plot devices at right places, is an amazing sight to witness. The connections between past and present, their revelations and the way of their portrayal had me bewitched in just 2 episodes. By the time, the real game started I was bawling my eyes out and had goosebumps all over my body. The plot development is quite nice which is a steady ascending plot with no fall backs. However, there are a handful number of plotholes as well which could have been easily avoided. Also, the progression felt off many times when I thought they'd fall through the story but fortunately they picked the pace back to rise forward constantly.

Given there are plenty of characters, I think few minor characters like like Judge Oh, Justice Min Ho Jung (Supreme Court), Seo Jung Hak (SRF Chairman) could have been written better. It felt like they were in the drama for mere show-off and to fill in the little gaps of the story. The drama is obviously dominated by Ji Sung and Jin Young to a great extent. I mean, yeah, I love them so much both as actors and as men but no, this is a drama and every character other than the leads should be fairly portrayed.

Overally, I am highly pleased with the story and plot development but I am also a lil sad for the lacking fields they left for the audience to be noticed and pointed out.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS:.
I don't really do character analysis for all the dramas but I feel this drama has a major drawback in drawing characters and developing the arcs. So let me.

The most major character Kang Yo Han played by Ji Sung is a high-class, good-looking, popular reputed Judge in the Supreme Court who is known for his strict punishing and merciless verdicts for the guilty. He is a mysterious being with doubtful yet tragic past stories and knows to manipulate and influence others. The daytime's judge turn into a devil executioner, violating the law himself to teach the evils a lesson. Upon his recommendation the South Korean Govt. forms a "Live Court" with the help of a public welfare forum namely "Social Responsibility Foundation". This is set to create histories and records as the first ever court to be aired live and with public itself as the judge who'd vote whether someone's is guilty or not.

With him joins Kim Ga On (Park Jin Young) and another Oh Jin Joo (Kim Jae Kyung) as associate judges. JinJoo is a sidekick character while Ga On is the 2nd most important person in the story who joins hands with Yohan to seek justice by illegal means despite his urge to obtain truth through constitutional values. Gaon played a great role in bringing Yohan and his niece Elijah close by acting as a bridge between them. The way he helped them gaining their confidence back and in blooming emotions in their cold-hard hearts, was a warm thing to watch. His character could have been a lot better, ngl. With no definite character development, his side story was portrayed as a factor that contributed to him joining the cause. To be honest, GaOn's character is a failed attempt. We saw intense bromance between GaOn and Yohan in initial episodes so I expected a greater chemistry by the end of the drama but I am disappointed to say that it fell through. He can be easily manipulated and swayed and towards the end he betrays Yohan and make him a scammer (WTF). He runs to Yohan when he needs help but get all energized when something goes wrong and even runs away whenever things get tough. This happened more than once. The drama could have been okay without his character I think.

Only thing about him that I loved is his chemistry with the female lead. The female lead against Ga On, Yoon Soo Hyun (Park Gyu Young) was a fierce lieutenant in Regional Investigation Unit (RIU) who craves for setting an ideal law and order situation and never stands offence & injustice. GaOn and SooHyun are childhood friends who are the closest to each other till date, accompanying each other in their evens & odds and in fact are more or less in love with each other even though they never talked about relationships. Their love story was heart touching as well as beautiful enough to heal a dying heart. But again, their romance was a waste. Soo Hyun's character with lots of potential wasn't used well. There was not a single thing about her except for that she's a long-term best friend of Ga On and have been rejected by him several times.

The lead antagonist here is Kim Jung Min who plays Jung Sun Ah, an evil woman with high ambitions like absorbing power from others and gaining control over the entire world. She knows the art of coercing, especially the powerful, wealthy and influential mass by her trickery. As a kid who didn't get proper care as a child, she starts working as a maid in rich families and due to her greed as well as sly nature manipulates them to get her things done. With her past inclinations and lingering feelings for Yohan, she seeks revenge from him and operates the country's system to achieve her goals. Her character is beautifully written and she justified it with all she could give.

Judge Oh (the other associate judge) is a gorgeous sweet lady who believes in idealism and thrives to create a just world. She gets manipulated by power and wealth at first upon being ignored by her mates but chooses to take the right side later. She had no essence in the story; she is one of the 2 associate judges after all and she was confident enough to go to good lengths but the writer did a poor job in her regard.

Kang Elijah, Yohan's young niece who is a victim of a fatal incident in her yearly child, lost her ability to walk and ends up in wheelchair. Her relationship with her only family, i.e. Yohan is bitter as they never try having the minimal conversation. She easily believes people who are kind to her. But she actually opens up to Gaon and later becomes close to his uncle, Yohan.

Apart from these main characters, there are plenty of side, supporting, minor as well as guest characters and most of them are casted with familiar faces.

ACTING & DIRECTION:
As we can see, the drama is a multi-starrer having GREAT actors like Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung as leads. Park Jin Young being an idol turned actor is very very good in acting. Ji Sung is definitely someone charismatic who knows the art of bewitching the audience every time he comes forward to do a role. Kim Min Jung, oh my goodness, she is rather an artist who pursues art. She's been acting for almost 3 decades and I want her to become a global star. Park Gyu Young is a nice actress and she totally justified her role in here even though the screentime she got wass less. Supporting actors also did a good job despite less screentime.

Direction is good I would say. They did a good job managing the screenplay. The organization of scenes, intertwining, connecting, linking, revealing twists, etc were done well. Notable job in case of cinematography and CGI works plus the sound editing, oof. Cinematography is the best thing about this drama, which is tremendously a top notch. The sound editing that made the drama pretty intense and kept me going, I am very pleased by that. However, given that many characters were poorly written, the director didn't have much to do. So even with such good direction, the drama anyhow felt lacking.

OST:
OSTs are actually very good which also helped in making the drama more thrilling. However, there are only 4 OSTs accompanied by a number of thrilling background scores and themes and I like them "Tempest" by Huckleberry Finn is a heart-wrenching track whereas "Nightmare" by Sonidia felt tragic and sad. "What You Gonna Do" by Zeenan is both hardcore song depicting vital points of life. "The Nights" by Huckleberry Finn is a dark one which helps you seeing thing in a B&W shade. I liked their instrumentals as well.

THE ENDING:
The finale week and it's 2 episodes (15th and 16th) changed a lots of things. On one side, I was pissed bcs of GaOn's stupid actions without trying to understand the situations and on the other hand I was flabbergasted at how the tables had turned. The 2 greatest twist revelations at the end of ep2 were very intriguing I am sure most of us were awe-struck seeing those. Even when I knew I were to for 24 hours to watch the finale episode I couldn't wait thinking what's gonna happen. I cursed on Ga On and the writer but I admit my anxiety was on peak. But anyways, I was thrilled watching the finale and happy that it ended well though few things bugged me and felt unreasonable. I must say The Devil Judge finale episode is ONE OF THE BEST FINALE. It was so good and when I saw new twists that was gonna change the story to a great extent, I had goosebumps over my body. I am gonna forgive the writer a lil for gaOn's poor character just because how that character changed a lot in the finale. The way things ended is also very good and reasonable, I am honestly happy T T. The very last thing, that one thing i know made all of hs happpy. Ain't gonna spoil anything so watch for yourself. I can't forgive the writer for poor writing at many cases but it sure was a good watch.

CONCLUSION: Honestly, I loved the overall story and plot development. Ji Sung's character as Yohan is well suited and probably he's the one who kept up with the viewers. Kim Min Jung was another reason you should be watching this drama. But apart from these 2, other characters could have been a lot better. I am happy with the drama yet disappointed with the characters. I feel this is an unpopular opinion since many people love this drama to great extent but I am making sure my reviews aren't biased. I couldn't drop the drama bcs I liked the story and I was constantly enthralled by the screenplay however I expected much more than that. And tbh, at first I expected a courtroom drama just like others but found out it's not. Even so I am okay with whatever it is.

This drama could easily be a 9.0 but due to the writer's lack of sense, I will stand still at 8.5. Also, brownie points for the chemistry between Jin Young and Ji Sung that almost felt like a BL story with a daddy-baby relationship (cries under the blanket). Anyways, this drama is worth the one time watch, provided you have to bear with the side characters. That's all.

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Your blood will boil, Your heart will flutter

YOUTH OF MAY is a love story that happens to be taking place in the premise of Gwangju Uprising that had happened in May, 1980 but keep this in mind that the central story is not directly related to the democratic movement though it eventually leads to the major climax of Gwangju massacre. FYI, this uprising, that started from university student demonstration to save the democracy and it's essence, established the foundation of the rebellion against the dictatorship rule of the ones in power during the entire 80s in South Korea.

Making fiction in the premises of real historical events are a great deal If you see how sentimental South Koreans are about both the nation's history and the honor of democracy, which is reasonable and everyone should be like that. There is always a thin line between what the incident is and what one writes about it. And I think the writer of YoM has done a pretty job on every level.

The story is really nice; the male lead and female lead's developing relationship not being the only thing going on, it also throws light on the events of the uprising and additional side stories of the familes of the leads. The main leads happen to be working in the medical field but it's not a medical drama, rather the healthcare premise is a shade of their work life; though a major part of last 4 episodes takes place in the hospital.

It might feel like a slow-paced story because the chemistry development between the leads are slow but there are so many other things happening so you won't be bored at all. The plot development is good and twists have been placed at right times. The director has done a good job too.

Acting? Superb! Lee Do Hyun is undoubtedly one of the most potential emerging Korean actors right now and I can see him growing to be a future superstar. His unique style of acting uff; been a fan since 18 Again. Also, the annoying Lee Do Hyun is so adorable, I just love him. So happy that his character in YoM has an annoying side too. Literally one of the few poster boys of warm pure romance Kdramas. Go Min Si, this lady has waited long enough to get a lead role and I am happy she did amazing in it. In fact, among all the actresses who have played 80s characts till now, I think she did it accurately. I really hope this will be a breakthrough in her career. Lee Sang Yi, my love, did really well even though his screen-timing was lesser than I had expected but not complaining since the dramas got only 12 episodes and his character, even though a major role, had not much to do around. Keum Sae Rok, truly won hearts playing the role of a rebellious girl of a rich household, she acted very well, ngl.

One thing to note in Lee Do Hyun's character as Hwang Hee Tae that it's different from the usual male lead character where they're all macho fighting around, protecting the female lead, etc and showing typical toxic masculinity by wrist-grabbing, non- consensual kissing and blah blah. It's sort of unique I would say for his heart is a fragile one, afraid of not being able to save someone as a doctor or to protect as a dear one. He doesn't forces things on his partner and maintains a healthy relationship and let others grow under his own shade. So respectful down-to-earth and one with a progressive mind he continues to do everything smoothly.

The set-up and management is pretty commendable given it's a period drama. The work of cinematography is not that evident but that's fine because the editing compensated for it. The OSTs are indeed beautiful and heart-wrenching and glad to have been recommended some real good 80s English and Korean tracks from the drama. .

Another important thing is that this drama taught a lots of things. Though the lives were messy and like under the cart, they taught us about life and the way of becoming stronger and braver by the days. The Gwangju uprising and the state-staged progrom to suppress the dissent by the oppressed will boil your blood for sure so make sure to learn from that too.

I won't lie that I absolutely loved it. And it would be definitely be on my good drama collections. The central story focuses on the art of loving & living and the essence of holding your life back even when you're on the verge of death. I, like everyone else, wished more than 12 episodes but anyways, the story has been well written with a good direction.

If you're confused whether to go for it or not thinking it's a period drama and that too set up in the premise of a tragic incident like Gwangju uprising, I am not gonna spoil it but I guarantee you, it's worth it.

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Revenge doesn't stop.

Created by Logos Film in association with Studio Dragon, "Military Prosecutor Doberman (군검사 도베르만)" is a Military-legal cum revenge thriller Kdrama accompanied by action and dark comedy. The drama written by Yoon Hoon Mo and directed by Ji Chang Gyu was broadcasted on tvN.

The story basically portrays two gungeomsa or military prosecutors who, together, attempt to avenge the death of their parents, which has ruined their lives to great extents. While they're aware of the culprits' existence within the military, they conspire to take them one by one, with law and order.

Do Bae Man (Ahn Bo Hyun) is a highschool dropout who due to his persistence enlist into army as a military prosecutor. In spite of his urge to conquer the truth, he goes for the pet cases of his superiors for fame & money. But his life takes a turn upon meetung Cha Woo In (Jo Bo Ah), who is a newly recruited permanent prosecutor, supposed to replace his post upon his discharge. Cha Woo In has a mysterious personality, meaning that she's not what she seems. Becoming alone in the world from her chaebol life, she's determined to do anything she wants. As time takes a toll, making both of them aware of their intertwined past, will they be able to seek vengeance from the military within which the influentials cause ruckus during power trip among themselves?

Many of the familiar and skillful actors in tbe show are: Kang Mal Geum, Oh Yeon Soo, Kim Young Min, Kim Woo Seok, Jung In Ki and Go Keon Han. The performance from all of the main and supporting cast is up to par and special mention must go to Kim Woo Seok for carrying out such a complex and variable character well. Whom I loved the most is Jo Bo Ah; I honestly have watched her thrice before this drama but the character she played in her demanded patience, self-control and obviously acting skills, and she gave her best to it, I felt that sincere attempt through her delivery.

Plot development... Not so good, not so bad, yet way beyond the average mark. "The children avenging parents' death" trope ain't anything new for Kdramas per se, so what matters is the script and it's execution, which is well done, in fact, very. I suggest you to have a good amount of expectations from it. The pilot episode was just okay, and gave me the impression that the writer will mess up by the end, but I was once again proved wrong. The furtherance came as a carefully plotted progression, with stepwise manner, having elements of variable kinds and touching different sensitive topics, that requires attention. It's engaging and entertaining, the courtroom and fight scenes being the best. The one-by-one manner of taking down a group of antagonist was well-drawn and should be appreciated. I am happy they didn't run out of context at any point of the story. Likewise, the ending sequence was amazing and I loved how the writer has wrapped up the show by not leaving any ends loose.

Yoon Hyun Ho jakkanim is a famous name, known for his legal thriller scripts, most of which is coupled with revenge plots. This show definitely bears the authenticity of his own genre, and you might be able to picturize his previous dramas. The basic storylines, the screenwriting, the plot development and the plot elements, everything is so well crafted and drafted that it made me forget about the flaws which amount to only a handful number. Even so the final quarter of the show exaggerated things a lil to achieve a dramatic conclusion, I felt it was manageable.

Jin Chang Gyu PDnim who's still very new in terms of direct experiences, however have been able to get his dramas some recognition and I wish this drama creates a path for his future endeavors, as it's the best among them. His work has been tremendously incorporated into the execution of the script, the scenario setups and screenplay editing. The cinematography remains dark for most of it's parts and the bright light courtroom scenes with yellow hues are awe-inspiring.

I l ove all of the OSTs, most of which are highly adrenaline-bursting, woah! I can go on dancing to them the entire day. Composed by Kim Jang Woo, there are 5 OSTs in total. "Doberman" by Guckkasten Ha Hyun Woo ahjussi is a perfectly fitting theme song for the drama with hardcore lyrics about challenging your life. "My Zone" by SAYY is a song meant for the FL with sassy lyrics and depicts courage for facing anything offered by life. "Ignite" by YELO is a cry about the injustice done by the unjust society, abd is more on the melancholic side. Isaac Hong's vocals never fail to reach the deepest point of our hearts and "Dive in" by him in the drama is a touching track about reminiscing the pains from the foregone past. "Flame" by Kim Han Kyeom is an open call for war and is surely a mood booster.

What I liked...

# The plot elements used are definitely unique, from each of the cases fought in the legal battle, to the ones involving the characters' personal affairs, and in fact the plots of conspiracy and revenge.

# The complexity to characters is what I didn't expect out of it, from my side at least, but seeing that the writer has carefully drawn the arches, with angst, resentment, anger, intelligence and everything, I was slightly taken aback go acknowledge it is actually a good show.

# Real cases of bullying in society, particularly in the premise of the army, that claims to be the most disciplined, was heartbreaking, though the portrayal was necessary, in order to be shown and conversed about. I was happy how they were dealt in the show, regardless of the fact that it's all fiction.

# Relevant events of military, other than the violence and slavery, such as the power trip for hierarchy, corruption, desertion from camp, unfair & unequal treatment and significantly the role of gungeomsa (military prosecutors) is well depicted ane presented.

# The action scenes were stupefyingly fantastic, for it has several scenes where the ML & FL have to get involved with Thugs and villains of different kind. It includes both simple fighting techniques and breathtaking stunts. Jo Bo Ah in her alter ego was the best in this regard, I never imagined her playing such a character.

# The courtroom scenes or the legal battles were obvious scenarios you could expect given the title of the show, though it comprises of only 15-20% of the show, but whatever proportion it shares, it was good, detailedly taken care of of and well executed.

# The rap battle between Sang Ki and the discharged soldier in the guest role, was soooooo pleasant and funny, like we could never expect such a scene. It kicked off instantly and lasted for barely 2 minutes, but woah! What a face-off it was!

What I didn't like...

# Pacing of the development isn't at all bad per se, but at few instance around the interval of the show, it felt somewhat inconsistent. As in, the characters and the furtherance of the plot wither slowed down or seemed like the characters were forgetting their goals. But I would say, they don't suffice to a level where you might want to give up or drop the show.

# Less of Kang Ha Joon (Kang Young Seok) disappointed me and it could be a personal one, since I was expecting him to have a good share of screentime and play greater roles in the game of vengeance. Him disappearing after first few initial episodes did disenchant me even though he had hia parts in destroying the evil.

# The chief prosecutor and his role didn't seem to be of any single use. I get that he was there to fill in for the comedy scenes but still I was kinda turned off by the character.

# Over-domination by the leads led to reduced scrrentime for the co-workers in the prosecution office, which is another flaw from the writer's side. Even so Bae Man and Woo In were central characters, the investigation process should have involved the other 2 with some importance to their characters and significant contribution by them.

# The thugs are another set of hugely useless things the writer have incorporated into the story, as a bad decision. The cheap comedy from their part didn't interest me, and them appearing from time to time, just to fill in was funny (sarcastically). They should have disappeared after the bridge fight scene, may be.

# The lil amount of drag in the last quarter was noticeable, though it doesn't really affect the overall story & development. On that note, the script never ran outta contents and even for the last 4 episodes, it had sufficient elements left in order to treat the audience.

Final Remarks... "Military Prosecutor Doberman" is a beyond decent and fair one time watch, with a entertaining story, good direction, amazing performance and up to par outcomes. Despite the little flaws it bears, I would recommend people to give it a try and see to it, whether it suffices their tastes. Giving it a 8.0 because I think it's fair provided the limitations that I have mentioned above. Anyways, go ahead if you are into a bittersweet revenge game.

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It was all for "today".

"Right now, you feel like you're falling behind others. Even so, you should live. As you live, there will come a moment when you'll realize, it was all for today." ~ Koo Ryeon

The feelings of being constantly torn between killing yourself or killing everyone around you, is dangerous and as unfortunate. In a world, where individuality has become the primary choice of us, what everyone should be attempting is to extract out the positivity out of it. Situations and circumstances definitely play roles in making us commit deeds, that we'd never thought of even. But in the end, it all boils down to the fact that, one needs more courage to live than to kill themselves. Rightfully quoted so, "Sometimes even to live is an act of courage".

Created by 'Studio N' and co-produced by 'Super Moon Pictures', "Tomorrow (내일) [2022]" is the live-action adaptation of the 2017 manga of the same title by Llama. Developed by Hong Seok Woo, the show is a fantasy cum slice-of-life drama, broadcasted on MBC and internationally distributed on Netflix.

"Tomorrow" follows the day-to-day work of the Risk/Crisis Management Team of Jumadaeng (the afterlife company for Korea) which serves to prevent highly suicidal people from committing the deed and strives to bring happiness in their lives. Choi Joon Woong, a jobless young man, gets involved with grim reapers as he tries to save a man from taking his own life. Soon he goes into coma, becoming half dead, and joins the RM team till his recovery. There he meets, Team Leader Ko Ryeon (Kim Hee Sun) and his assistant Lim Ryung Gu (Yoon Ji On); together they save countless lives while facing the threat of disbanding from other departments of Jumadaeng, including the most elite Park Jung Gil (Lee Soo Hyuk), the leader of the escort team. Kim Hae Sook plays the Jade Emperor in Jumadaeng.

The controversial concept and the criticism surrounding it about suicide prevention, might seem futile but I do not wish to discredit and disregard the understandings of people about such a sensitive matter. Nevertheless, it's a relief how this show has been able to create narratives and conversations, about this topic.

Plot development follows both fragmented as well as staircase rule, and I believe this was a best decision in the webtoon writer's part. The pilot episode wasn't very impressive to me, that could have me in it's overall grasp though it seemed decent. I would say the execution in the 2nd episode was also fine. Episode 3 is where it suddenly took me to paradise (not literally because the sufferings of people were so saddening). I mean to say that I could suddenly understand the intentions of the writer and what everyone involved is meaning to relay to all of us. The furtherance was amazing; them handling one case after another, trying their best to sort everything out and put things back to their places, all of that evoked all kinda emotions, making us think, understand and realize about the possibilities that our lives could offer us. The seens involving Jumadaeng and the interactions of all the reapers working in it, was fantastic to witness; particularly Ko Ryeon and Jun Woong conversing was always melting my heart. Everything was okay until the finale week which somehow ended up ruining things for the show. As much as I love this show in overall, the very fact that the ending turned ordinary and rather shoddy, will always bother me, whenever I am reminded of the show.

There are 3 screenwriters for the show: Kim Yu Jin, Park Ran and Park Ja Kyung, and all of them are debutants according to their bios. Nonetheless, as I have opined multiple times, it's not really easy to turn a book into live-action adaptations and the secondary screenwriters needs to be immensely attentive and dedicated while turning books into scripts. So is the case for this; I believe the combined efforts of these budding artists have blossomed into such an amazingly beautiful masterpiece, sparking deeper thoughts and evoking essential emotions. The dialogues are sometimes heart-touching and emotional and as thought-provoking and gut-wrenching at times. The storytelling method with few monologue notes is alleviating and gladdening to a large extents.

Kim Tae Yeon PDnim with the experience of both a screenwriter and a director in both movies and dramas, have been able to do a wonderful job in preserving the eseence of the show. With him co-directs Sung Chi Wok PDnim, who has been a part of several modern well-recieved Kdramas. The tone, scope and subject matter of the show, perfectly corresponding to it's title, has been justified and the inherent messages has been yielded. The pacing was perfect, dedicating each episode to a single case and also narrating the back stories of the main cast meanwhile. The screenplay management, the scenario setups, the screen-editing and the overall execution, everything is beyond 'well done', which reflects in the outcomes that have provided us with gratifying and fulfilling experiences from the show. The only thing that felt off in the initial episodes was the sound production, the background editings, I mean.

The cinematography is pleasing, each episode usually starting with dark colour palettes depicting misery, and gradually shifting to light and colourful hue, implying, the new beginnings and as hope. The designer and makeup team deserves as much credit, for both accurately and demandingly bringing out the best of the characters, through the careful works on the actors. The fighting scenes, as required in few scenes, were exciting and convincing, if not very impressive.

Composed by Jo Seung Woo and Won Ho Kyung, there are a total of 5 OSTs, and I believe this much is enough. I love how they were incorporated into the story and screenplay.

# "Red Ligh"t by J. DON is my most favourite, which is a rap song depicting the mysterious ways in which one's life operates. The vibes of the song matches with that of the show. It makes me happy rap tracks have become the most prominent in modern slice-of-life Kdramas.

# "Still love you" by Yoo Hwe Seung (N. Flying) should have been the no.1 if not for the original track, where he is a co-singer with Lee Hong Ki (FT ISLAND). The track is of high pitch melancholic and sorrow-inducing lyrics, narrating the hardships of life. The vocals of Hwe Seung are amazing enough to make you cry. I suggest you listen to the original one, as well.

# "My Only One" by BEN is a soulful song reminiscing the moments spent with a precious person that you have admired for a long time in your life.

# "My Loneliness Callls You" by SURAN is again, truly a call for having happiness back in your life, soliciting the presence of your love.

# "Don't Leave Me, My Love" by An Da Eun is a beseech of holding back everything that you think is important. I didn't really like this one.

What I liked...
# Jun woong's character development is what the writer wanted to be the cause of the story. In fact, it was for him, we got to witness jumadaeng and such lovely members and also, the lives of so many people and their different kind of struggles. I could see how he'd turned out to be by the end of the drama.

# Comedy elements in the drama are hilariously funny and glad it was mostly restricted within jumadaeng or among the reapers. Most of it is credited to the Jade emperor (Kim Hae Sook) and equally to Ryung Gu, and Jun Woong was usually the victim of their humors, haha.

# The wide range of personal and social issues introduced and the underlying messages, presented in a fresh way, surely gets through all the way to the heart, viz. school bullying, poverty, career tension, loss of loving ones, ignorance to imperialism victims, life of war veterans, workplace taboos, injustice, sexual assault victims, miscarriage, etc.

# So happy how they thought of involving an animal in one of their episodes, showcasing the importance of pet-human relationship and the subsided emotions.

# Suicide is not something to even think about easily and even so it remains controversial, you really never know what an individual get through while making such decisions, no matter how absurd it seems to me and you. Also, it's not really easy prevent suicidal thoughts of others easily, but we need to understand that this was a fictional show where the writer had to throw light upon various stories and sticking to only one would have differed from the core concept of the story. I personally have nothing to complain.

# That being said, I loved how well the writer emphasized to tell us the stories the persons concerned with the issues in each episode, giving them a bigger fraction of the show. We rarely see the main cast of the show being taken away of this (in a good way, I mean).

# No one can confidently utter that they shall live tomorrow, so death is as natural as to be born. It is very touching the way the the vehemence of death has been propounded. It's nothing new for Kdramas like this, but the ideas and the elements used to represent, definitely move your heart.

# Paralleling jumadaeng (afterlife) with the world of living is another factor that makes the drama .. From the organizational structure to the regulations and operations, everything didn't feel less than any other MNC; they have every single thing, technology, glitches, resumes, editing, and what not.

# The epilogues at the end of each episode were so satisfying and as delightful and truly exhilarating.

What I didn't like...

# The shared past story of the main leads towards the ending is one the biggest (probably the only one) setbacks about the show. I would have loved it if they'd shown it bit by bit from the beginning but the one episode dedicated to the particular matter, that too towards the ending, ruined a small part about the show. Again, it could have been done in a very amazing way, but the way they represented wasn't very likable to me. And as predicted in the 15th episode the finale was rushed.

# As everyone else, I also expected Rowoon to be the part of of something big or let's say have his own share of gut-wrenching past story. Unfortunately, the writers didn't have any such plan, instead he was treated like a supporting character, not all the times though. My disappointment about this particular matter comes from the fact that Rowoon is no rookie or substandard actor at this point.

# Lee Soo Hyuk being shown as the main cast in in the poster and then the makers backstabbing us by giving him unsatisfactory share of screentime is very disappointing. I admit, overally the entire main cast has received half the time, bcs the makers have emphasized on narrating the stories of the victims but of the half, Lee Soo Hyuk gets the least, and I didn't like that.

# I think I have already told how it turned out to be a rushed ending, so saving the elaboration again, I strongly feel the ending could have been a lot lot lot better. sighs.

Final Remarks... Overally, "Tomorrow" bestowed love, hope, everything else that you felt on personal levels. The denouement has been essentially deep, eloquent and worthwhile, provided all efforts contributed by the entire cast & crew. "Suicide prevention by Grim Repears", might interest/intrigue some while making people think for a while, but I suggest you try this out. For me, this was worth my time and emotions and I would cite this as a must watch. My rating of 8.5/10 is the reflection of it's drawbacks, as mentioned, would have given a 9.0 otherwise.

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COMMENDABLE JOB

Are you curious why I wrote "commendable job" in the title? It's because the writer and director of this MoD actually need some applause for making this unique Thai BL.

I am so so so happy that finally Thai BL makers are coming out of their comfort zone and trying out genres which are way beyond of their league. Crime thriller is absolutely not what their area of interest.

To be very honest, I found many flaws but I think it's worth looking them away for they've come out of their box probably for the first time. In fact, they've done a pretty good job in direction, screenwriting and screenplay, which I thought they might not work out.

It was a pretty good story with plots, twists and turns placed at their rightful places. Few things felt absurd but can be totally ignored. They didn't research about the forensic stuffs properly which they could have done by consulting experts of the respective fields. And the thing about the police station organisation didn't feel right either.

But anyways, I was intrigued by the ending and tbe way the main culprit was revealed.

It was overally a good watch. I hope they keep making such Thai BLs.

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Woo to the Young to the Woo

“She didn’t know how to be semi-interested in something. She was either indifferent… or obsessed.”: extracted from “The Kiss Quotient” (2018) by Helen Hoang, the book explores the life of an autistic lady Stella who hires an escort so as to learn social intimacy. The drama, on the other hand, lets an autistic young girl, Young Woo go out and spread her wings, in the process of which, she unexplainably finds herself in intimacy. Whatsoever, the drama revolves around her and focuses how she uses her abilities, disguised as disabilities, to solve and sort out issues, that seem difficult to the so-called normal beings surrounded to her.

Combinedly produced by AStory, KT Studio Genie and Nangman Crew, ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우)” is very much a legal genre drama with little amount of romance, mystery and politics, in limited proportions. Written by Moon Ji Won and directed by Yoo In Shik, the drama was originally broadcasted on ENA and internationally distributed by Netflix.

The story follows the extraordinary 27yo autistic girl, Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin), who has graduated from SNU with top marks and becomes an attorney at one of the top law firms of the country, Hanbada. Despite her limited abilities to communicate with others, she quickly wins over her colleagues with her impressive memory and brilliant reasoning skills while solving cases and bringing forward the justness each time. Keeping her at the center and the team she is a part of, the drama introduces new cases every episode and the way they are dealt with, including their consequences.

Lee Jun Ho (Kang Tae Ho) is a member of the litigation team at Hanbada and the closest to Young Woo, while Jung Myung Seok (Kang Ki Young) is a senior attorney and Young Woo’s mentor. Choi Soo Yeon (Ha Yoon Kyung) and Kwon Mi Woo (Joo Jong Hyuk) are also rookie attorneys in the same team as Young Woo. Other regular actors in supporting cast, both experienced and rookie, are Jeon Bae Soo, Baek Ji Won, Jin Jyung, Joo Hyun Young and Im Sung Jae. For each case, there have been many familiar faces, in fact and I’m sure y’all will be delighted.

Plot development is episodic in nature, almost approximately standalone episodes, with few minor and continuous plotlines developing in the background which have their own climax. The introductory episode throws light upon Young Woo’s childhood and a leap showing her current life in late 20s. And in that episode, itself, we get to see a case and the courtroom battle that is solved by Young Woo’s wittiness. Since the plot is not a steady one, with each case in each episode, we witness her growth as a person and as an attorney plus the shades of different people surrounding her. A mystery to her past, her reception at the workplace as well as by her colleagues, her relationship with her father and friend and more importantly her love interest: all these as a part of the story, however, are put behind how she deals with each case along with her team. The peak of her story towards the ending of the drama was interesting though a bit painful, nevertheless, was very well wrapped up.

Upon reading the synopsis when the drama came out, I was immediately reminded of the 2019 Korean movie “Innocent Witness”; autism, courthouse, laws and justice, same elements though a different plot and an unusual storyline. I was in fact gladdened to discover that the drama is created by the same writer as the movie, Moon Ji Won jakka-nim, and it obviously made me expect something extraordinary out of it. And leaving no doubt, it lived upto the expectations, not just mine but of many hearts. The comedy incorporated was basic yet impactful.

People with autism spectrum are as special as others and can take the things they do and learn the best they can. In the world where we constantly seek love and validation, autistic people are those who demand a little more than us and when empathy slides through heart, it’s a feeling of trueness. I love how the writer sketched and nourished the character of Young Woo and let us see the world through her glasses of innocence.

Yoo In Shik PD is an ace and he didn’t fail at this either. With multiple qualitative hits, it was unlikely to become another average drama. Directing such a drama with multiple cases, introducing new stories each episode isn’t really easy and requires good understanding of the individual plot essences. The modern urban setup with light hue and solid yet undemanding palettes were sumptuously pleasing. The cinematography did wonders at place, especially the sunset-watching scene in the village, the scenery of Seokdong including the huge tree premise, etc. were beautifully done.

There are 6 OSTs in total and all likable
# “Brave” by Kim Jong Wan is a heart-touching warm song from the very moment it starts, till its ending, that is dedicated to Young Woo’s innocence and journey of self-discovery.
# “Beyond My Dreams” by Sunwoojunga is a prosperous ballad with beautiful lyrics that reflects one’s hearty words of love and emotional intimacy.
# “Better Than Birthday” by O3ohn is a soft electric track about confessions.
# “Tuning In To You” by Wonstein is a R&B jolly track that expresses mutual feelings of fondness.
# "Inevitable" by Bae Suzy is a softcore ballad with the feels of an old Kdrama OST that portrays the urge of letting out your feelings.
# “The Blue Night of Jeju Island” sung by uri Young Woo (Park Eun Bin) is the cover of the original by Choi Sung Won (1988) and popularized by Sung Si Kyung (2004) which truly one of the most recalled epitomes that defines the beauty of the place.

The best thing about Extraordinary Attorney Young Woo as a legal drama is that it introduced very very very untypical topics to the courtrooms, which are rarely portrayed in Kdramas, provided Kdrama legal shows only have handful types of cases debated over that ultimately lead to a politico-legal fight at the end. From false homicide to defamation to property disputes, from patent battle to North Korean defector issues to public interest cases involving regional land disputes and from sum settlements to discriminatory terminations to heritage tax issue, etc.; the writer has introduced a very wide range of cases that felt fresh and were interestingly alimented throughout.

Three reasons why the drama is different and better from other recent legal Kdramas are:
No dragged politico-legal fight between bigshots
Focusing more on laws and legalities than emotions and witnesses.
Portraying variable outcomes of each case, be it favorable or unfavorable.

The advantages and disadvantages of each result has been essentially useful messages for each episode. At times we win and adapt but learning upon defeat is necessary. Sometimes, its actually impossible to prove facts which lead to unfair results and you still fail to help it. Even in favorable conditions it matters how much confident you’re about the next time and spirited you have been in the process. Alterative ideas could surely be the way out of something when your plans go wrong but depends upon how wisely you use them. These are some of the points that I could infer from the outcomes of cases at the end of each episode.

The chemistry between Eun Bin & Jun Ho despite the little amount of romance was amazing to begin with; their first meeting at the rotating entry door and the follow-up from that point in each episode were apparent baby steps in the budding relationship of love and care; the rhythmic “dun-chak-chak” where I did melt. I understand why many people didn’t understand where it was going and were upset and complained but that is the best that could be done, provided Young is an autistic person with challenged social skills. They were not supposed to be lovey-dovey all the time even when they were in love.

Young Woo’s short responses as in “unn”, “umm”, “enn”, etc. were worth living for. They were funny and jolly at the same time. Her behavior as an autistic person were attempted to be made accurate as much as possible, from her talking habits to her reactions to certain actions, from her obsession with kimbap to her trying to stick to rules, etc. One basic point, I would have liked explanations upon is, Why exactly Young Woo was obsessed with whales or how it kicked off.

One gratifying thing was whales jumping outta water whenever some idea popped up in her mind in response to stimuli contributed by happenings and also her hair flying. Young Woo’s appearance too was very cute, with short hair of a homespun cut plus her plain skirts that went well with the huge side-bags. I loved the writernim’s attempts to make/let Young Woo learn, be it her personal or professional life and making sure that she adapts to things which she thought were difficult for her. The practicality was definitely maintained.

Attorney Jung Myung Suk’s character is one of the most likable and contradictory statements would be nullified. I thought strict, more of an evil man, who’d be an obstacle to Young Woo’s endeavors, but to my surprise, he turned out to be a fine ahjussi I’d die for. The way and the rate to which he went on to embrace Young Woo, upon realizing her abilities, was beautiful. Man, himself was so sorted and open-minded and patient, he barely was at wrong. The shades to him in the 2nd half were may be not important but the writer must have necessitated in order to portray the uncertainties in one’s life. Kang Ki Young has done so well, I swear.

I believe “empathy, not sympathy” was the key tool that drove the essence of the drama.

Like many audiences, I too feel there is no need for another season, but now that its been announced, I also feel like many others, that I would absolutely love one. The production surely is trying to piggyback on the popularity of this season but considering the type of split plotline the drama has used, I see no reason to object. It will be another interesting and fresh watch as long as the writer doesn’t bring forward typical elements.

Final Remarks… Honestly speaking, I wasn’t very excited about the drama at first despite my inclination for the 3 main cast, I thought it’d be another legal drama bearing political battle. But the buzz it created definitely helped me pick up some interest and starting the drama then made me realize how wonderful this thing is. Despite the unique plot element placed, i. e. Young Woo as an autistic attorney, I loved how simple yet influential the entire show was with fresh factors and accessories. The drama is definitely a success and I am so happy to announce that it has totally lived upto the hype. Will be eagerly waiting for 2024.

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Short, Sweet and Decent.

This drama reminded me of a excerpt from "Me Before You", a romance novel by Jojo Moyes with a successful movie adaptation, which goes like: "...I told him a story of two people. Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other."

Created by NHN Bugs and Produced by Red Nine Pictures plus Xanadu Ent., "Soundtrack # 1 (사운드트랙 #1) [2022]" is one of the initial Disney+ Original Korean Drama ventures. Written by Ahm Sae Won and directed by Kim Hee Won, the drama got only 4 short episodes with approx. 45 mins runtime, and stars Park Hyung Sik & Han So Hee as leads.

Soundtrack #1 is a story of two best friends of two decades at their early 30s, who have stayed together through thick and thins, but the fine edges of friendship & love becomes hazy as they are attracted towards each other while staying with each other for two weeks. Will they end up together?

Even so it is this short, given the title, characters living through words, lyrics and music was expected (at least it was me who did), however, this wasn't true for most of the part; not disappointed, still.

I think the synopsis and the concept of "friends to lovers" trope tell it all and provided a total of around 170 minutes short runtime, it's pretty much guessable what's gonna happen; but what we should be looking forward to are: the execution and the ending, while peeking through the messages. In my opinion, the show was able to revive and relieve the hidden thoughts within us, while attempting to achieve a decent score. Although the show feels short and felt lil off at few instances, the development was squeaky clean and satisfactory.

Han So Hee plays Lee Eun Soo, a struggling lyricist who strives to do better with her own accord and is honest & outspoken in nature. Han Sun Woo played by Park Hyung Sik is a budding photographer with aweing skills who has a shy yet warm personality. We have Kim Joo Heon, Park Min Jung, Park Hoon and Yoon Byung Hee as supporting cast, while Lee Jung Eun and Seo In Guk play guest roles.

Wishing Ahn Sae Bom jakkanim a goodluck for his future endeavours for he was able to make an up to snuff delivery through this, and,also, congratulations on his debut. Kim Hee Won PDnim surely is one of the leading lady directors who has created qualitative up&down shows through years. And, for a short show like this, she has indeed carried out the overall execution well. The cinematography along with light hue and warm pallettes, made it an easy watch though I am a bit unsatisfied about the sound editing.

There are a total of 12 OSTs which is actually a lottttt for a show of apprpx. 3hours, but would you say you didn't want it? No, bcs the quality is so majestic to just not ask for. Not gonna write a lot but surely wanna mention all of them, for I have come to love all of them...

# "Want to be happy" by Park Boram
# "Love beyond words" by KYUHYUN
# "Your tender heart hurts me" by DAVICHI
# "My Love" by Kim Jong Kook
# "Talk to me" by KIM JAE HWAN
# "Prettiest One" by Standing Egg
# "A little more" by DOYOUNG
# "Wanna be your lover" by Monday Kiz
# "We'll shine brighter than any other" by Lee Hi
# "Love Love Love" by SEOBIN
# "miss you more, I'm sorry by" Lee Yejoon
# "Love beyond words" by DOKO

What I didn't like...

# Han So Hee seemed to struggle a little; which wasn't really visible but for someone who has watched almost everything she has acted in, she appeared to be having a difficult time to fit into a role which is radically opposite from others played by her.

#Even though I am fond of all the OSTs, I believe the show needed to be longer particularly to utilize them well in the story.

# Given the title, characters living through words, lyrics and music was expected (at least it was me who did), however, this wasn't true for most of the part; not disappointed, still.

Final Remarks... "Soundtrack #1" is indeed a satisfactory delivery about love & friendship and the essence they offer you in life, even for a short period. Screenwriting, direction, performance and execution are overally good and up to par. Won't say it's a must watch, but definitely a short and sweet journey, that will entice you to core. Please go ahead :)

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"The poor lacks much, but the greedy lacks more."

It's true that humanity survives on greed and as they state, there is no greater calamity than greed. A man's greed is like a snake that wants to swallow an elephant. From the synopsis, this drama might look like a survival game to you, but it's much more than that. Somehow, despite it's message the drama is just mediocre. Watch it with a major TRIGGER WARNING, if you are sensitive to gore and dark elements.

Squid game (Ojingeo) is an age old Korean game meant for kids where you have to play within marked boundaries with certain designated titles. You have to secure your title by hoping on one leg first and if you reach a certian point, you become the "Royal Inspector" who can use it's both legs. Now you have to just defense the opponent by any means and reach the peak to win. The drama uses this game as the main objective through a flashback in the beginning which is also the destination of the story journeying through sets of several games.

Ki Hoon (Lee Jung Jae), an unemployed and divorced man in his 40s lives with his mother working as a chauffeur and huge sum of money oweing to loansharks. Sang Woo (Park Hae Soo), is an SNU graduate who lost his money through invested stocks, eventually turning into a conman. Both of them are childhood friends who loved playing squid game with others kids. Both of them come across some kind of agents who trick them into a game where they can win a huge sum of money. Not knowing what exactly the game is, both of them choose to give it a try and land up in an unsual environment with 454 others among whom Ki Hoon is the last, i.e. 456.

Lee Jung Jae and Park Hae Soo are master actors in the industry which everyone is aware of. Other than them there are plenty of familiar faces as well; Jung Ho Yun, Wi Ha Joon, Heo Sung Tae, Kim Joo Ryung, Oh Young Soo are those prominent actors. There is an Indian actor Anupam Tripathi in the main character too.

Other than that there are 2 very big shots in the drama with 2-3 scenes so we can call that guest roles but trust me, they are 2 of the key characters in here. You won't find them in the cast list, just to be surprised watching the drama. So go ahead, haha.

The games are quite intriguing if you have not watched likes of it (Liar Games, Alice on the Borderland, etc). I wonder why the screenwriter cum director Hwang Dong Hyuk took 10 years to complete this story. I mean this drama is nothing sort of very wow or anything. Judging from all the aspects, it's just mediocre. The drama fails to provide proper side stories for the main roles in order to back their characters well.

Cinematography, which is very important for dark thrillers like this, was pretty beguile, hence keeping the viewer attached. The sound ending was apt for the mood and very suitable to the scenarios. The story progression is okay but becomes out of order or inconsistent at many points, especially the last 3 episodes. Some scenes were very firm and eye-catching but still......

I think all the hype about this drama lies on the fact that people here die like mere insects and as we know violence and bloodlust are what people love the most, lol. The twists are pretty predictable, particularly when you're an avid Kdrama fan, it's pretty much easier to guess the major plots of it.


The finale is very lousy. The games end in the beginning of the episode and becomes slow. The lame setup towards the ending, indicating for an another season, annoyed the shit outta me. The writer-director did a very poor job in that regard as well.

Soooo....overally, SQUID GAME is an average one time watch. The ending is not exactly an open one, like we can just assume on our own but in another way you might expect one in case the production hints at it. Otherwise, there is no particular and firm necessity of another season. Sure there are few questions that they left unanswered but I can't be certain about another season.

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The battle of ideologies...

“An idea is something you have; an ideology is something that has you.” : rightfully quoted so by Morris Berman, “Bloody Hearts” takes us to a chronicle that excellently proves how our choices and actions always result in real consequences. Realization of our very thoughts is what makes us real, not the thoughts that have us in its gasp, which, again, changes over time. What seem like a perfect idea today at times of prosperity, might seem futile or ridiculous tomorrow as tragedy befalls us.

Produced by “GnG Production, “Bloody Heart (붉은 단심)” is a sageuk politics drama, written by Park Pil Joo and directed by Yoo Young Eun. It was originally broadcasted on KBS2 whereas Disney+ took charge of international distribution.

Both the poster for the drama and the synopsis in the major sites could be misleading, so let me put forward an alternative gist. The drama surely put 3 characters in center but the story isn’t all about themselves. The drama, in fact, shows the real shades the old times and the way politics outweighed everything else for personal gains of few at the top of the pyramidal hierarchy. The drama is a true illustration of how personal feelings, influenced thoughts and mis-planned decisions can lead to unforeseen and misfortunate events, affecting herds of lives. The drama has its sets antagonists and protagonists, accomplices, scapegoats and the trivial beings, but it attempts to exemplify how all of them are responsible for whatever choices they made.

Crown Prince Lee Tae (Lee Joon) ascends the throne following his father, the king’s demise. Constantly being watched upon and with no one to trust upon, as he plans to gather reliable subjects and make a system of his own and authorize it, his secrets seems to have been made aware to his biggest enemy, the left state councilor Park Gye Won (Jang Hyuk Park being an upholder of the ideologies of his nation, has dedicated his life to bring stability to the throne and make the truest king. In his plan, he involves Yoo Jung (Kang Ha Na) who has been the King’s lover. But as the time moves forward and more secrets come to surface, everyone including the Queen Dowager, the royal court and the royal subjects find themselves in the power struggle.

The other familiar faces throughout the drama, in various major and minor roles were: Park Ji Yeon, Heo Sung Tae, Ha Do Kwon, Cho Ri, Kang Shin Il, Cha Soon Bae, Ryu Seung Soo, Jo Hee Bong, Lee Tae Ri, Oh Seung Hoon, and Kim Sun Hwa. There are in fact many popular faces in guest roles as well.

Plot development was amazing. In purely my experience, the development was steady yet discreet as well as sporadic in occurrence. As told earlier, the synopsis isn’t actually a firm gist of the story, the plot itself is a coalescence of events that takes place in a time frame that was long enough for them to present it in a spectrum of continuity, which gain, imo, was a wise decision in the writer’s part. The beginning of the show serve with several character introductions and establishing the base of the story, enmarking “where, why, when and how it all begins”; which was successful in creating striking impressions. The skip in time is when the real story commences and the truths that was already made aware to the audience, start unfolding for the characters.

But, not long after, the story flows into a new direction, making the situations complicated and unavoidable, and that’s how the story becomes even more entrancing. Honestly, there were points, where it felt like the story could have ended only if the characters had done otherwise, but then I realized that, in that case, the drama wouldn’t have been able to provide us with more, haha. This also indicates how the dram is character-driven to an extent, putting emphasis on choices and how the consequence depend upon them. There was no single episode or instance, it felt like the drama was losing its momentum or even running out of context; it was simply engaging from the beginning to the end. The ending sequence and the final outcomes, for the characters and for the overall chronicle was highly satisfactory.

Both the Writer and the Director are practically less-experienced, for they have been parts of only few dramas and some KBS drama specials, all of which had average outcomes and moderately popular. But I hope this drama proves to be a breakthrough in their respective careers for it seem their collective experience has been able to bring fruitful results. Not only the story has been written very graciously also the characters have been built with lots of sense and the plot devices including twists, revelations, connecting points and vouchers have been well-incorporated. The development is drawn in detail and majestically presented. The pacing is perfect throughout; not a single instance striking boredom, nor making you let your guard down. The sound and screen-editing are amazing. The scenario designs and the CGI works combined by good execution are visibly ecstatic.

Cinematography is the best aspect of the drama imo, in fact, the most compelling thing of all. The initial backdrops of the bamboo tribe village is where it hit me and while trying to notice the details, I completely fell in love with it. The director of photography has experimented with several possible camera movements, from close-up to full and low- to high- angle shots, establishing shots of uniform frames as well as panning shots and Dutch angle shots. Notably, in a rare case of Kdramas, POV & OTS shots have been. Communication through manipulation of focus and movements of camera, everything accompanied by various mechanisms, provide ecstatic experience to the audience. One of the most remarkable features were the eye-shift during angsty interactions. It, again, incorporates shots from the above of premises as the characters are seated/stood symmetrically, which were eye-pleasing.

Composed by Choi In Hee, there are a total of 6 OSTs, all compatible to the ansgty and serious mood of the drama, even for the disquieting love story of the leads. The tracks are beautifully written and pleasantly composed, plus the stupefying covers.
# “Missing You” BY Han Dong Geun is my most favorite which incorporates heart-touching words and been ornamented with melting vocal.
# “Dimly” by RIO is a melancholic softbeat track as an attempt to hold back things dear to you.
# “Wish Becomes Stars” by Kim Won Woo is about hopes that keep you living.
# “It’s Red” by ID:Earth & Park Da Wool is a high beat heart–wrenching song about insecurities in the darkness.
# “A Star in the dawn” by Chung Ha is heartfelt track about the joyful days to cherish.
# “Let It Flow” by Lim Sang Hyun is again a melancholic song about longing reminisces.

What I liked…

# The intrinsic messages of a show always intrigues me and I’m happy to have witnessed it in another sageuk, where, even when they stick to tradition-based ideas that were prelevant in the contemporary times, they also try to tackle the patriarchy, customs and standards by means of the of the characters, especially the female ones.
# The dialogues were captivating and enthralling and beguiling, all at different times. May be because the story mostly takes place within the palace and involves high-ranking members and their servers (maids, eunuchs and court-ladies), the dialogue sticks to pure hanja literature for most of its parts. The statements and response incorporates awe-inspiring patterns and proverbs as well as idioms.
# The character arcs were prodigious and exceptionally built-up with prominent development. I guess the term “development” would be not apt, for the characters didn’t really change their natures or intentions, rather their growth resulting from learnings and knowledge. The King’s character is untypical and it’s the FL’s character that outshines everyone else followed by PGW’s charismatic role that he carried out stupendously.
# I don’t really complain about the amount romance in a drama but this one surely had an apt portion which makes me mention it. There isn’t too much or too less and that much is also perfectly incorporated throughout, wherever necessary. The relationship between them didn’t entirely rely on love, rather it had idealistic viewpoints for the FL was a rationale and kind lady, the opposite of the ML who thinks everything is justifiable when you desire to achieve something.
# The intriguing sceneries as a part of both the real camera landscapes and created with CGI to suit the timelines and points, were well-utilized by the makers. Since most of the affairs occur within the walls of the palace the medieval vistas of “hankos” (traditional Korean houses) and the royal palace as well as different parts of it, shot in Yeolhwajung Pavillion and Gyeongbokgung Palace were alluring and enticing.
# The inclusion of back stories of minor characters as a part of justifying their acts (from their pov ofc) is done in a way you end up sympathizing with them. No wonder I as well as the audience watching it were forced to change sides and rationalize and change sides again as a cycle, before we could finally build neutral stances about the characters and about whatever was going on. Now go back to my title and you’ll realize why I wrote so.

What I didn’t like…
Honestly, I couldn’t pick any in particularly; nothing in the character arcs or the plot development of the used elements or even with the enactments. It definitely wasn’t a perfect but its good and could have invisible/unnoticeable flaws to be filtered. So, I don’t have much to complain except for how I didn’t like particular actions of the characters on personal levels.

One of the many symmetrical elements in this drama that I loved was ‘manipulating through the baduk (go) board’. The King establishing consonance with reality through the stones that corresponded colour with people of 2 different categories, was a pleasant and alluring scene. The movement of stones implying the varied actions implemented by Park Gye Won was what made me stagger.
Vertical groove patterns on the attires of the royal subjects, including the king is what I noticed during the first half of the show and it felt very different. There was a point I felt that I had seen the same in another drama but I could not exactly recall. So, either the drama has tried to add the detail with particular intentions (which is unlikely bcs they would been complained for misappropriation of history by now) or there actually exists such hanboks with some meaning to it, which I am unaware of. Please enlighten me if you know.
There will be not just one or two, rather several instances where you might question the said antagonist’s true intentions. That being said, the writer has done a very good job in showcasing how ideologies and actions make us human beings. The perspectives of Park Gye Won were clear even though we couldn’t see it. Albeit his manner of accomplishing anything were ill or wrongful, they, at all the times, weren’t particularly indicative of two-way results. This is what makes the drama different.
Not strategy, rather grandeur bureaucracy is one of the major devices that the writer has chosen to foreground as a part of the state politics in the drama. Conspiracy-based politics are the typical elements in historical Korean drama but the makers here went south to prove how idealistic systems can still be the core of politics, which might not be very realistic if you consider the actual history. Not like the story is devoid of ill conspiracies but even that sticks to the protocols of the systems.
Before I sign off, I must bring to notice of the readers that the drama does an exemplary job in establishing few roots into the recent developments in female-centric sageuk stories that attempts to break the trends of usuality. In simple words, the drama is, firstly, neither the King’s nor the Queen‘s or of the antagonist(s), it is about the choices and actions of the characters that lead the consequences accordingly. Even so, the prominence put into manufacturing the female lead combined with the performance by Kang Ha Na, makes the story even more powerful.

Final Remarks… All matters summed up, the drama is a fabulous piece of sageuk, in fact, the 2nd best of the year, keeping “TRSC” at the first. From an excellent script to noteworthy direction, from spellbinding cinematography to transfixing editing and from amazing performance to thrilling presentation and finally the astounding outcomes, it maintained the quality throughout and proved to be a must watch piece. Most importantly, the drama is what you call “thought-provoking”; it made us ponder, resonate, rationalize and infer the characters’ perspectives and action, in our own lenses ofc. My overall experience and my sense of considering the previous productions of similar type, has led me to conclude that this is a well-made show with untypical execution, even so it is not very unique or a masterpiece. PLEASE WATCH, for its worth the time and deserves much more appreciation.

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Dreams are for real.

A line from Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist" goes like, "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." The future is indeed yours if you know how to appreciate and believe in thr beauty of your dreams. So it's important you're always led by your dreams. Also, your struggle is something that sharpens you into a fine person. There is scarcely any passion without struggle. "Idol: The Coup" is a story of big dreams and the struggle on the way.

IDOL: THE COUP (아이돌: 더 쿠데타) is the very last story of "Cotton Candy", a failed kpop group, idols of which are determined to prevent the disbandment of their group by any means despite the amount of misfortune befall on them. At the center is Kim Jenna, the leader of the group, who's desperate to grab even the smallest opportunity to save the group. With six months on their hand, the group goes against the newly appointed CEO of their company and prepares themselves to leave the industry with dignity and grace.

To a great deal, the drama portrays the real underlying issues in the Kpop industry as well as the companies and their policies for people under them. The harsh attitude of the public torwards the rookie as well as failed artists is also accurately showcased. The companies going after money over the talent of artists abd then ditching the idols once they loose their popularity is another major problem placed in the show.

Kim Je Na (Ahn Hee Yun) is the thread that holds all the members of Cotton Candy together. Aware or their devastated reality, she still wants to hold onto the group given their past involving their journey tilll their debut. Seo Ji Han (Kim Min Kyu) is the leader of the a rapidly rising boy group "Mars" who has this soft side to people with talent and immensely favors Jenna and her group. Cha Jae Hyuk (Kwak Shi Yang) is the newly appointed CEO of Starpeace Ent. the company that started with Cotton Candy and is on rise bcs of Mars. These 3 are the main characters and Min Kyu is in fact the least experienced among them. Kwak Shi Yang is undoubtedly a very good actor whereas Ahn Hee Yun has improved over years.

There are many characters given the drama is about the Kpop industry involving Kpop groups and companies. There are less familiar as actors casted for the young characters though you might know some of them if you thoroughly follow Kpop. Honestly, their acting wasn't much impressive rather some of them failed to deliver appropriate emotions and lacked coordination. But I guess overally they were able to perform as much it was demanded from them basing upon their skills. Some characters were likable where some made me hate them to a great deal.

Among some good actors casted in minor roles are Ahn Se Ha and Jung Woong In.

Plot development is quite fine with several peaks throughout. Misery just keep embracing the girls from Cotton Candy one after another; a little moment of joy is followed by series of tragedy. The events are mostly saddening so it can make you cry constantly if you're very sensitive. The progression is good and steady. The drama starts with a seemingly funny yet sob-story and ends with a goor impression.

Noh Jung Chan PD-nim has been there in the industry for over a decade but his previous dramas are pretty average. Given that fact, he seems to have improved here, providing the drama all his determination. The screenplay is pretty good, in fact amazing in few instances. I am also okay with the pacing the dramas was run with. The screen-editing, syncs, organization and coordination... all these were well handled.

Jung Yoon Jung jakka-nim is known for dramas like "Misaeng" and "The Bride of Habaek"; the former is a quality hit whereas the latter is a quality flop. I love this script,b despite few potholes (let's call it missed plots). The introduction, the development and the ending, everything is well presented. So happy she has incorporated most of the possible issues with the industries in a "slice of life" way for the idols' lives, portraying a real image and the dark and known, yet ignored scenarios associate to it.

The songs!? Oh my goodness! They're so dope TT. If you're into Kpop then you won't be able to help but love them so much. There is no OST in the drama, rather only one opening theme, which is also used as a bg plus theme in the drama. All other songs are in fact sung by many artists along with the imaginary idol groups: Mars & Cotton Candy, featured in the drama.

The makers have also added 2-3 mins interviews at the beginning of each episode, from several rookie artists and trainees as well as some failed artists. This segment is something that breaks your heart more than the drama bcs it's the real story.

Overally, "Idol: The Coup" is an above average drama with a decent plotline, par acting with several major issues to learn about and a good outcome. Judging from production value and every other aspects this is an uo to scratch piece and worth the one time watch, especially for the multistan Kpop fans. I would not say it's a much watch but I surely enjoyed it and recommend others as well.

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The fear of death follows from the fear of life.

Reminded me of a quote from Harry Potter, "To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure". Indeed, HELLBOUND is the adventure on the way to death and a survival game against the angle of quietus.

TW: Dystopia, Violence, Killing, Cult beliefs, Brainwashing, Superstitions.

Hellbound, written and directed by the acclaimed director Yeon Sang Ho, the PD or some famous apocalypse thriller movies like "Train to Busan" and "Psychokinesis", has been able to deliver another mind-blowing piece with his experience and skills. Can't really say that it's a groundbreaking show but surely a good one that keeps you entertained throughout and evokes all kinda feelings.

Basically, the story is set up in a dystopian world along with supernatural elements. Some people see predications of their death as a decree of being bound to hell for the sins they've committed and no matter how much they try, they can't prevent it. Some unknown monster-like giant creatures appear from nowhere and execute them and send them to hell. Jung Jin Su (Yoo Ah In), is the founder of the religious group "Saejinrihwae" (literally The Truth), tells the world that this is God's work and make people follow the group. They name the monsters "Angle of Death".

"Hwasalchok" (literally arrowhead) are the radical follwers of the religion who are very dangerous. They punish anyone who questions the existence of their God. Min Hye Jin (Kim Hyun Joo) is a lawyer at Sodo Law Firm, trying to find out about the truth of this religion. Jin Kyung Hoon (Yang Ik Jun) is a detective whose daughter Jin Hee Jung (Lee Re) somehow gets involved with the cult.

The plot development isn't steady, rather the story is divided into 2 parts; the first 3 episodes showing about the rise of the cult group and the latter half showcasing it's consequences and got a solid plotline about Bae Young Jae (Park Jung Min) and Song So Hyun (Won Jin Ah) who are married couple with a newborn baby. The execution of these 2 seemingly different storylines set up in the same scenario is very well done by the PDnim.

Personally, I couldn't find anything great in the first episode to feel the urge of continuing the show but I had to do it anyways. The 2nd episode did interest me a bit, ngl. The 3rd episode is what makes you hooked because of the intriguing elements that will definitely raise your curiosity level. There is a leap when the 4th episode starts and whatever follows, is very crazy and insane; enough to make your blood boil. I've already mentioned it's a dystopia so be careful in case you're sensitive because this ain't for the light-hearted.

The back story of the entire show isn't completely explained, just like many other Netflix Korea Original shows, in order to keep the suspense for another season and this clearly is the case here. Some might cite things happening in here illogical, but do keep in mind that it's dystopia.

Acting as an overall, is pretty good. Skillful ones like Yoo Ah In, Kim Hyun Joo, Park Jung Min, Won Ji Ah, Yang Ik Jun, etc have done a good job as usual. Also, the supporting plus minor characters have delivered a decent job. Not to forget, Kim Hyun Joo's action skills were nice, though wasn't shown for long and well, I loved that part. Wish they made her do some extra stunts hehe.

The CGI could have been better bcs tbh, the monsters weren't even scary. I admit the story is mot just about the monsters, rather the story about wrong beliefs plus some sort hidden power, who's doing all these, but still; the monsters looked like somky hulks and least scary... However, as always the sound production is apt which enthralls and enrages you and makes you anxious.

Many important factors, shown in here are: false sense of justice and righteousness, crime and criminal minds, victim and their families, bloodlust, superstition, wrong beliefs, brainwashing, radicalism, abuse, parental love & care, death & it's essence, desires to live or survive, relentless fear, agony, vengeance, sadism, etc.

My most favourite line from Hellbound is from the finale episode where this random person says, "I don't know about Gods, neither do I care. But what I know is, this world belongs to people. And we should deal our matters by ourselves."

Again, Netflix Korea has done a bad job in regards of English translation, idk what has happened to them since Squid Game. No one is asking for literal translations but for goodness's sake don't divert the context of a conversation by translating sentences in a sense that doesn't even match the essence of it.

In fact the very ending of the finale episode indicates the beginning of another tragedy, hence implying about a second season. But well, I am disappointed that Netflix Korea keep doing it on a regular basis and go silent about the clarification for a 2nd season. Then they come back after a long while saying they will make it but by that time, a major portion of the cast gives up the drama, wth. Do better, Netflix Korea.

I must admit, the ending consequences have made me cry. Given the storyline, it was bound to be a sad and tragic ending but I don't expect they'll put forth some essence about death, relationship and beliefs, which actually made me see the entire thing in a good light by the end of the drama. The finale episode is the best one out of the 6. I was totally enthrilled by the entire episode.

By the end, from What, How and Why, one thing that wasn't explained was the "What" aspect and the root cause of the entire happening. Wish they would make a full-length drama out of the webtoon so that we could rate it a whole, or a movie could have been better. Anyways, the overall development was good, if not excellent. I would have given a 8.0 but honestly not that impressed.

Overally, Hellbound is a very good one time watch and worth the binge. I enjoyed most of the parts of the show, though I am not really awed or taken aback by this. I haven't read the original wentoon so can't say what alterations they've made or whether it meets the standard or not. I suggest you watch with a strong hold on your heart. Even if you're not that interested, please do it for the one and only Yoo Ah In bcs his visuals are top notch, oof.

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All about second chances.

Even with my excitement for Lee Joon Gi's comeback, due to recent trend in dramas, I wasn't really expecting too much and came here to only check out, thanking at least an average drama will be resulted. However, by the interval of the show, I found myself captivated and occupied by the entire thing and the pace with which everything was going on. It was difficult to get bored in any single instance and I was constantly absorbed by the quality of the show.

Created by 'Studio S' & 'Viu' and produced by 'Samhwa Networks' & 'Kross Pictures', "Again My Life (어게인 마이 라이프)" is the 16 episodes live-action adaptation of the Kakao web novel with the same title authored by Lee Hae Nal, which was also turned into a webtoon, as well. Both written and directed by 2 pool persons each, the show is 5% fantasy, 80% politico-legal and 15% action thriller, which was originally broadcasted on SBS.

Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi), a rightful & passionate prosecutor gets murdered for trying to bring down a popular yet corrupted assemblyman, Cho Tae Sub (Lee Kyung Young), who with the facade of being a stain-free personality, controls the entire nation. Miraculously, Hee Woo gets resurrected into his past life with a second chance to prepare himself well in order to showcase the power of truth and laws to those who abuse it for their gains. The story follows the journey of him strategizing a revenge for years, along with people who have come to believe him in the course of time.

I must inform you that the show is not an "one man army" plot-device, rather, a "together we can" spirit, that makes it unique. There are plenty of supporting characters, each given a fair share of emphasis in the story with perfect screen share. The other familiar faces in the drama playing major characters are Kim Ji Eun, Kim Jae Kyung Jung Sang Hoon, Choi Kwang Il, Hong Bi Ra, Kim Hyung Mook, Kim Jin Woo, Ji Chan, Cha Joo Young, etc. Lee Soon Jae, Jeon Gook Hwan, Yoo Dong Geun, Lee Kyung Min, Kim Chul Ki, Kim Young Jo, Hyun Bong Sik, Hyun Woo Sang, Joo Woo, Park Chul Min, Kim Hee Chul, etc.are more like guest characters but appeared frequently in the show.

Not like the first time Lee Joon Gi went for a legal thriller but what makes this particular drama stand out is better performance, the revenge plot, the execution and not to forget his action scenes and sense of humour.

Plot development was amazing. The pilot episode wasn't very impressive and felt like it'll be another politico-legal thriller with cliché elements. However the next few episodes turned out to ve good, as the writer attempts to incorporate base-level strategy making skilla into the character. The accumulation of power and will by Hee Woo was constantly alleviating to watch. His initial efforts to save things dear to him, followed by his endeavour to prepare himself bettee with a goal in mind, everything was awfully alleviating. As the real fight begins from the 2nd quarter of the show, it starts to become ingesting. Every time, the viewers feel like Hee Woo would go for his main target, he surprises by trying to weaken another angle of the villain, thus moving one step closer towards his quarry. It became even more compelling in the last 6 episodes as we knew what's coming soon. The last 2 episodes were the real game and the ending sequences was as enthralling, however, that's where they messed up. It definitely became rushed towards the ending of 15th episode and the entire 16th episode was on some other level, which was the biggest flaw. I must admit the very ending left us confused hinting the possibility of another season, but I guess we can assume the aftermath and let it go. Finally, I didn't like the sacrifice part bcs that's what I had correctly guess and I think that could have been easily avoided by the writer.

Lee Byung Hun jakkanim with the experience of working as both the director and screenwriter in both K movies and dramas is assisted by two debutant writers J & Kim Yool, for this drama. Focusing on the national politics, the show has been a constant reminder that, no matter how crazy the headlines might seem, things could always get worse, especially beyond the surface. The utilization of elements like, corruption, bribery, power struggle, etc. throughout was congenial and appealing. The base establishment, the furtherance, the unveiling of facts, the flashback to future (you know why 'future' 😂), the character arcs and most importantly the way of making strategy have been very well drawn.

Han Chul Jin PDnim with more than 2 decades experience and the number of contemporary hits works here the debutant Kim Young Min PDnim, and the both have been able to pull off such a stupendous urban thriller story with nonexistent flaws. The direction radiates the scope for several subplots and maintains the quality of the show throughout. The art of criticizing politics directly is overt in influence and the messages and takeaway notes are more palatable through the lens of entertainment. The screenplay management, scenario setup, screen-editing, choice of location, etc. have been well handled. With less utilization of vfx and editing, the modern urban vistas of Seoul are mostly eye-pleasing and maintains dark era for most of the parts.

Composed by Kim Jong Chun (Philstring), the drama has a total of 7 OSTs, but honestly, some are good and proved suitable for the show's essence, while others weren't. "What the Ggang?" By Yoon Do Hyun ia a impulsive hardcore track depicting open challenge to the evil. "Bring It On" is an adrenaline-inducing track reminding one of it's strength, fiercely sung by Sonnet and has an amazing chorus. "Burn" by Park Do Joon is a jolly track aspiring for a better day and a good life through self-determination. In the mesmerizing vocals of Yu Sang Eun, is "Till The End" which is a quest for truth. Other tracks were "Alone" by GB9, "Shadow" by Hanhae & Kissxs and "Tragedy" by Sondia; I didn't really like these.

What I liked...

# The plot development is beyond likable. The viewers receive intrigue, excitement, action and danger, all wrapped in, and intertwined with, a political plot, accompanied with legal components.

# Performance from all the casts, particularly from Joon Gi and Kyung Young-nim has been highly pleasing. KY-nim's dialogue delivery and way of phrasing sentences is always amazing but here we get to watch a more refined vocabs of him; his character was intriguing despite being the antagonist, ngl.

# Action scenes, mostly involving modern self-defense as well as professional ring techniques were quite agreeable, particular the ones when Hee Woo clashed with Doctor K.

# Even though the drama feels like an "one man army" show, it's a matter of time to realise that Hee Woo is always at the centre of everything, controlling, regulating and manipulating the scenarios, but he had to benefit from a number of people, whom he loved, cherished and cared for, and was the recieved the same from others as well.

# Pacing and progression of the show is worthy of your time as it doesn't really have a mysterious plotz rather goal towards bringing down a particular being, and elimination of their strength one by one in the due course. It's again isn't a head-to-head clash between the prota- and anta- gonist, rather a mind game. Personally, I wasn't able to skip or fast forward at all and was constantly engaged.

# I am so happy there was no romance, really. From the beginning, it felt like the ML will have to go through the push & pull among multiple girls and possible admirations were hinted off initially as well, but everything boiled down to friendship though there is an indication of coupling at the end, as the original work.

# There is no definite bromance either, but Hee was admired by many men in the show, from old to young, because of his kindness and deeds, which was also good to see.

# Finally, i must inform that there is no ML FL here, there are only main characters, supported by others, that's it.

What I didn't like...
Not just the writer, everyone in the team of makers are at equal fault. Even if there were no original novel, this show actually had to be of 20 episodes or at least 2 more episodes were a must. But for the sake of meeting the standard 16 episode quota, they messed up things a bit. So, for the drama writer, it would have been wise to develope plot in a way that the events from the beginning were a lil faster hence minimizing the rush that we saw in the last episode.

Final Remarks... What a show! What a show! What a show about legal battle between the righteous and the corrupted plus powerful. The show was able to give away insights about one's greed and it's impact on the powerless and common man.The show is highly entertaining, engaging and enjoyable which allows you to stick to it throughout the end. I am not able to find a particular flaw tbh. So my overall ratings are based on the levels of uniqueness, execution and the final experiences about the outcomes, which has led me to give it a fair 8.0. We all must realize it was not the best or something very mind-blowing, but very good per se with high production and entertainment value. Must recommended, please watch.

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A lunar apocalypse.

Silence is not empty, it's full of answers. It's upon us to find them out and unless there is an effort, it remains in nothingness. The sea that is full of beings, has the capability to engulf the entire world in it's womb, yet it knows it's limits. But what about the sea that's sleeping silently somewhere out there in the universe and knows no way of self-control? That's what we are here to discover.

THE SILENT SEA (고요의 바다) is a mixture of sci-fi, thriller and apocalypse; it has no romance elements and unlike most Netflix Korea shows, it's not gore and creepy, which means even for a thriller, it's not a heavy watch. The story is presumably an adaptation of "The Sea of Tranquility (2014), created by the director of this show. The drama is set up in far future (probably 100 years ahead). The world has changed a lot and the climate change has brought forward severe issues. Simultaneously, the development in case of aeroscience has sky-rocketed, resulting in easier travel to different planets and facile communication with earth.

A team of 11 has been formed to recover important samples from the moon, before they could shut down a station that faced a tragic accident 5 years ago, killing all the inmates. The team travels their on the spaceship 'Nuri 11' and sets out to 'Balhae Space Station' located on the lunar land. On their mission of retrieving the sample, they discover unusual activities and come to find out mysterious facts about the station that had happened 5 years back.

Song Ji An (Bae Doo Na) is a scientist who previously served as an astrobiologist but had to switch after a tragic incident to her sister. She was convinced to go on the mission. Han Yoon Jae (Gong Yoo) is a soldier for the space agency, who joins the team as it's captain. Dr. Jian's knowledge and Capt. Yoon Jae's leadership, are what drives the entire show.

Dr. Hong (Kim Sun Young) is a doctor who joined the team to provide medical assistance. Chief. Gong Soo Hyuk (Lee Moo Saeng) is also a space soldier who joins the team along with his space engineer brother Gong Soo Chan (Jung Soon Won). Lieutenant Ryu Tae Suk (Lee Joon), Chief Kim Jae Sun (Heo Sung Tae) are some other major characters.

The plot development is nice. The first 2 episodes that were expected to lay an introductory foundation, did a good job in establishing a good impression, except that they were slow paced. The space scenarios and the lunar premise were pretty intriguing to witness, for it also created a good amount of curiosity about what is next. I can't say that the entire story is immensely intriguing, because it had problems with pacing and storytelling. I expected some more back stories and for all of the characters, but it's understandable given the limited runtime. The gradual unfolding of mysterious facts and intentionally hidden secrets, were indeed intriguing. The ending, ummm, not something fabulous, that I was expecting but I liked how simple and meaningful it was.

Netflix Korea seems to be giving chances to previously failed or lesser experienced directors, writers and makers but it must try providing them with resources to nurture their skills. Just like Squid Game's, the director of this drama lacks profundity, though the show is not mediocre like SG. The pacing is inconsistent, not slow or rushed constantly that makes it boring or uninteresting of some sort, but a little noticeable.

The sound production is apt bcs it's Netflix, haha. The screen-editing is quite good; the connecting plots, revelations of elements and the suspense build up is up to par. CGI, well, Netflix is surely trying to improve thia area after serious criticisms; it was visible through this show. Even so, the CGI was actually poor in first 2 episodes, I can't lie about it though it improved with episode.

Writer Park Eun Kyo is an underutilized talent. She might seem a rookie to the audience, but she's the co-writer of the critically acclaimed Bong Joon Ho directed movie, "Mother (2009)". The basic concept of this show, though taken from another movie, had to rely on a well-written script, as the short movie was turned into a 360 minutes webseries. In that regard, jakka-nim has done a pretty good job. The overal story and screenwriting might not be something amazing, but overally as a show, it's a nice piece. Few things about the spaceship that went wary in the first episode could have been easily avoided but duh..

The drama addresses future world problems that we now only assume and predict with theoretical studies. The world has undergone enormous transformation due to severe climatic changes over years. Because of desertification, there is a scarcity of water as the water bodies including the sea dries down. All these are the concerns of future societies. The drama also narrates the possibilities that the future beholds in the area of space and planetary researches.

The pseudo-science created for the drama is compelling for sure. It is less of space science and more of a creative or fictional astro-biology. The lunar premise and the technological advancements are what we are gonna see in far future. Space show, in all aspects, is a new premise in the K-drama industry and it's good to see that it didn't entirely go phut. This is to a great extent an experimental drama. Just keep in mind that, the basic idea of the drama relies on astro-biology and not aero or lunar science.

There is a clear message of how greed and over-ambitious anticipations can bring destruction to mankind, even when it gives greater scope of research in science. Regret, responsibility and guilt are some other major elements incorporated in the characters. Good news is that, unlike many other Netflix Korea shows, The Silent Sea doesn't end with a cliffhanger. It didn't leave any single thing open or showcase any possibility of another season.

Overally, "The Silent Sea" is a good and interesting one time watch. The sci-fi elements and the actors are the prior reasons to watch this drama. I wasn't expecting anything excellent outta it since it's after all a Netflix Korea original show which is famous for creating 6/10 stupid shows. But anyways, this was good and moderately likable judging from all the points; be it technical and cinematic aspects or the message it wanted to convey. It's not very nice, still a decent watch, for sure.

P. S. Can't cite it bad just because of the poor CGI and faulty space facts used solely. There are plenty of aspects in a drama to be judged.

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