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unfathomable beastliness down to the blood. a search for the good guys could very well be in vain

You better be aware, it can always become more monstrous. For the audience, the first episodes of “The Escape of the Seven” are already quite inhospitable. Surely, among the protagonists one is worse than the other. We immerse ourselves in an unscrupulous world full of greed and devoid of any... …actually, I wanted to write "humanity", but then people also have a bitterly cruel and evil side, which is unfortunately also so very human in all its abysmal facets that it is painfully hurting and we'd rather not see it or let alone experience it... That's what "The Escape of the Seven" is about: The potency of human unscrupulousness... It couldn´t be more repulsive. (Could it?)

Crass, brutal and soulless, but everything beautifully polished in HD – this is how the 'beautiful', (one would normally consider) ´desirable´ life of the "Seven" is displayed here. However, soon enough the limits of what is bearable are strained. Admittedly, at first I had to avert my gaze with a shudder. Pretty quickly I dropped this KDrama.

However, the job as a subtitler had me open up for a second attempt. Meanwhile – if I accept the premise: it's about a group of people who are entangled in their unscrupulousness, who are united in their monstrosity not least by their excessive greed and a disgusting obsession with money, power, prestige, rank and influence – I reconsider this KDrama quite original by now. Surely, there are lots of unsympathetic (and shockingly convincing so!) protagonists - that's downright provocative for a TV series entertainment mission. Nevertheless, eventually from the 5th episode onwards, the KDrama is unabashedly still gearing up. It´s like the point of no return. By then there´s no more escaping from “The Escape of the Seven”... You´re on the hook. Because you actually start hoping…(for ´the good´ to finally become true.)

The plot turns out to be a revenge mission cleverly disguised in several respects. AI and deepfakes on the one hand, tried-and-tested Makjang on the other inspire the psychopathic composition of a jungle full of fatal, dramaturgical entanglements. Intelligent, exciting, disturbing – more than once we might think we know what's going on and yet we're wrong. Ruthlessness is certainly one of the leitmotifs in this KDrama.

I only recommend "The Escape of the Seven" if the mood is right - one that demands unfathomable beastliness down to the blood. If we get involved in this KDrama, then we will uncompromisingly be catapulted into a world in which a search for the good guys could very well be in vain...

And there is a second season, too…

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The aura of this series is characterized by the inspiring world of the orchestra and its musicians

Be prepared: "Maestra - Strings of Truth" is impressively led by a highly concentrated Lee Young-ae and set in a refreshingly rare environment for a KDrama. Focusing on one of the very few, but highly talented, globally famous female conductors, the aura of this series is characterized by the inspiring world of the orchestra and its musicians. We also meet management lounges and the luthier´s workshop. Enchantingly, this maestra and her particular orchestral world offer a quite unique and mature flavour of series experience.

"Maestra - Strings of Truth" lives from the psychological depths and relationship dynamics of the main characters as well as the pathos of the world of classical music. Of course there are also intrigues, love, yearning for revenge and more, but the focus is on the maestra as a person in her struggle with herself, her passion for music and her life challenges.

For the FL, her love for music is at the center of her being and aspirations. As far as the men in her life are concerned, they would rather like things to be different. However, the maestra has a good reason why she has consistently dedicated her time to the orchestral world. And when it comes to her work, she is uncompromising. Above anything else, she is delivering a perfect performance. This is non-negotiable. Some people would prefer that to be different too...

For her role as maestra, Lee Young-ae completed several months of violin and conducting lessons. Her 'first violin', Hwang Bo-reum-byeol, also took eight months of lessons specifically for this purpose. Considering, there's a lot of passion involved in this KDrama, even before filming even started... and you can feel it.

By the way, the idea for the story did not grow on South Korean soil. It is a K-style remake of a French television series that focused on the career struggles of the very few women in this profession. (Only five percent of all conductors worldwide are female...) "Maestra - Strings of Truth" is dramaturgically heated up by a fatal love triangle with collateral damage and an even more fatal family legacy that the maestra would rather do without.

Intensive. Atmospheric. Thrilling, too.

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Richly layered. Excellently staged.

"Melancholia" is silently impressive. If you're just looking for a sweet romance, you'll be disappointed. Still, the story is a tribute to love. It's also about school, education, South Korean madness about education and the market around it, the arrogance of the top 10 percent of society, as well as bullying and intrigues for optimal certificates. Altogether it´s ambitious in several respects.

"Melancholia" is about the love for mathematics. Mathematics is for the protagonists what notes are for music lovers or colors for artists: a way to capture and express the beauty behind the beauty of life and the aesthetics of life on this planet. In "Melancholia" there are two people (and actually two more) who recognize this beauty with their mathematical 'sense organ', feel it deeply, understand it, and want to delve even deeper - thus see and meet each other and understand how they feel inside.

"Melancholia" refers to "Melancholia I" - one of the three master engravings by Albrecht Dürer - mentor and student look at it together in the context of the story and communicate about it, understand it, and doing so get closer. The Dürer artwork is an allegorical composition peppered with geometric elements and symbols. There are a wide variety of interpretations in the professional world. The two protagonists in the KDrama are inspired by this and enthusiastically help interpret. In connection with "Melancholia I" by Dürer, his sentence "But I don't know what beauty is" has also been handed down. This creative crisis, through which every creative person (whether mathematician, artist, etc.) has to go through at some point, is processed in the KDrama in its own way - in the first half the male protagonist and in the second half the female protagonist is struck by this question. Individually both are thrown off track and have temporarily lost sight of their joyful creative power. They inevitably stand in the face of melancholy - to some extent a dark, black tunnel, that opens up the passage to a new, luminous dimension of their creative power.

With regard to the student, the first half of "Melancholia" focuses on a variation of Weltschmerz, which is at the same time an expression of suffering from the beauty of the world. The protagonist can't help but see this perfection of aesthetics in everything everywhere. And yet he is alone in this. He cannot convey his perception, cannot share his experience with his fellow human beings. That's way too high for the others. Family, friends and even some teachers cannot relate or really understand what he is about. Some of his classmates may misunderstand him as a show-off and envy his genius. In fact, he suffers from the loneliness in which he is stuck. Not the beauty of the world. Yet all this changes after he meets a mentor who in the face of his 'brilliance' isn't (like many others) out for her own gain. Rather, she recognizes his rare ability of perception and gives it a grounded direction. She did not promote the genius, but the human being, who should not exploit his talent, yet learn to enjoy it. The mere experience that he is not alone with his way leads him out of his suffering. This is how he finds his place in the world and no longer has to withdraw and hide from it.

However, "Melancholia" also shows the mentor as she herself is stuck in an aloof, depressive phase. The motive is the same: also lonely, isolated, trapped in her feelings that she cannot share with a world that cannot understand her. And this time it is her student who can remind and encourage her to step outside and back into the world.

"Melancholia" is a hymn to higher mathematics, with which the beauty of life finds an abstract form(el) - but also to art, which tries to aesthetically translate the formulas and mathematical knowledge into new colors and new forms.

"Melancholia" is a homage to the love between two kindred spirits who recognize each other in their kinship and can't help but love each other (selflessly and unconditionally).

But "Melancholia" is also one of many stories in the shade of a brutal South Korean education industry that unscrupulously rides on the hopes, fears and worries of parents and students and repeatedly bears the bitter fruits of bullying, abuse, meanness, despair and fraud produces. In this context, a variation of it is once again told in an exciting, at the same time moving and excellently staged manner.

Finally , this story of the two main protagonists is both a new edition and a contemporary free reinterpretation of the relationship between of two historical mathematicians: the Tamil Srinivasa Ramanujan and the British Godfrey Harold Hardy. The KDrama refers to the extraordinary, intuitive mathematical skills of the historically real Tamil math genius, who was professionally recognized and promoted by the British Hardy. In 1913 Ramanujan came to England under the wing of his mentor and subsequently became known for several important discoveries. It is said that when asked what his own greatest contribution to mathematics was, Hardy said without hesitation that it was (his mentoring for) Ramanujan. He described their relationship as his only romantic experience in life. And with that he refers first and foremost to the very special form of eroticism of their shared, highly concentrated, soaring flights of intellect. Anyone who has never had this experience of a shared 'Eureka' will probably struggle with the romance aspect of this KDrama. Everyone else might experience it differently... .

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Wake up in the midst of sobering contemporary everyday life issues of 3 women in their 30s and 1 man

With "Work Later, Drink Now", KDrama tackles a sensitive South Korean social issue. What starts as a cheerful, cool FeelGood series turns out to be serious business. Viewers are taken by the hand in a clever, light-hearted way, only to wake up suddenly in the midst of sobering contemporary topics, as we accompany the protagonists in their everyday life, work, family and friendship issues - here in particular: three unique young women in their 30s and one offbeat man.

The KDrama points at a topic in which South Korea (though small as it may seem) is once again at the forefront of the world: alcohol consumption. There is so much drinking (and eating, because it's so common) on this show that just watching it can make you dizzy and a little nauseous. To the western eye, that may be WAY too much over the limit. For the Korean eye, it might have to be be sooo much for the audience to even notice that it is/could be too much.

The focus of the story is on three girlfriends in their prime who are hard-drinking and happy to drink. With their personality, they may at first glance be a little off the norm, but then again they aren't. They are (from each other) fundamentally different in their professional situations, socialization and life plans. But it is precisely in this way that they also offer viewers all kinds a sophisticated projection while following each one of them in their everyday life and various challenges they face. The dialogues are razor-sharp, the entertainment high value, the episodes compact. There's also wit, humor and music. This mixture plus the pace are obviously just right to pick up the broad masses of +/- 20 to 40 year olds and to present a mirror of their own living environment in an easily digestible way. The second season will definitely come...




------------ SIDE NOTE: --- Alcohol consumption in South Korea ---
Per capita consumption of converted pure alcohol in South Korea is world class. And rising. The World Health Organization certifies South Korea to be the leading country in the consumption of high-proof spirits. Drinking has established itself outside of private life, especially professionally at company dinners after work. These team dinners often degenerate into a veritable drinking spree (practically prescribed professionally).

After beer, soju is the second most consumed alcoholic drink - a colorless distillate made from rice and added wheat, sweet potatoes or barley, which is on the one hand quite cheap in price and on the other hand, at around 20 percent, is somewhere between beer and high-proof spirits (schnapps, vodka, rum or whiskey ) is located. So it can be consumed in large quantities, especially in combination with beer - and the hangover the next morning is inevitable. South Korea's national drink, soju, is the world's best-selling 'liquor' with around 90 million cases sold each year. Yet, the beer market is also happy about South Korea, which, (in spite of its comparatively small country size) is currently one of the largest and most dynamically growing beer markets on the Asian continent.

What begins as party fun usually ends sadly. In the short term, it may be a hangover. But if you practice this form of alcohol consumption at a high level over a long period of time, the damage to your physical health is enormous in the medium to long term. There are studies that show that even among South Korean students (male), every third (!) drinks to the point of unconsciousness (!) for more than half the week. It doesn't get any better in professional life. And if you don't have a job, there's another reason to get drunk. This has inevitable consequences not only for people and their physical/mental health, but also for the health system. The country pays the price of an enormous pressure to perform taken granted in the context of its own turbo capitalism - with the health of its population and moneywise with billions, too .

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Powerful plot. Solid & unique. Four-dimensional. An enrichment on the KDrama crime thriller market

A solid thriller, laid out across time and space. The fourth dimension has a hand in the investigation. There's a bit of magic involved too.

You can expect an suspenseful, opaque story with edgy characters - in particular a cheeky, blustering, stroppy anti-hero as male protagonist. As a writer he is ambitious but probably rather untalented. However, he is also someone who doesn't easily give in and doesn't like to be fooled. And there is this delicate, gifted, mysterious stranger crossing his path…

The criminal act and the perpetrator as such may seem rather familiar, sort of. But pretty much everything knitted around this crime is off the beaten track! With strong characters and powerful plot. An enrichment on the KDrama crime thriller market! With time and space becoming relative...

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An impressively touching love story. Performed with passion. However, It´s makjang. Be prepared.

The biggest impetus for the KWave came from "Winter Sonata" - this KDrama is almost a blockbuster among KDramas. Its success was enormous. The series sparked its own fan tourism to filming locations on Nami Island, Geojie Island and Chuncheon that continues to this day. The soundtrack also wrote history. In the meantime there is an anime version of the story, a musical production as well as a manga and a Playtstation version...

The love story is told in an impressively touching way and performed with passion. In beautiful pictures and with plenty of dramatic twists. The chemistry between the two main actors is perfectly tuned. Bae Yong Joon even shines in two roles at the same time.

However. It is makjang! Twists and turns awaiting around each and every corner. Be prepared for sorrow. You might get angry more than once. The protagonist´s can get on your nerves. For sure. Don´t complain. I told you. It is truely astonishing that still (if you are ready to sympathize to some extent) you will ´enjoy´ the show. ... whereas ´joy´ might not exactly hit the spot... :-)

In case you are not aware (as I wasn´t at first):
Since the story begins in the youth of the main characters, you also get an impression of the Korean lifestyle and everyday life in the late 1980s and 1990s, with true ´democracy´ in South Korea still being in diapers and a conservative, strict, authoritarian aura dominating everyday life. When I saw the series for the first time, I didn´t know much about the political and social conditions. Plus from my German background those morals, values and virtues all seemed old fashioned and in my life rather outdated - it reminded me more of the world of the old black and white movies of the 1930s and 40s: hierarchies and manners, the decisions of the protagonists, the prevailing moral concepts, all of which I - today, far away in Germany - could only shake my head at. Now, as I have learned more about South Korean culture, I know better, where this is coming from... Sympathy and compassion are thus enhanced.

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Casino-gangster-crime atmosphere with an exotic ambiance. International style. Takes its time.

"Big Bet" was inspired by the legendary persona of a South Korean casino manager who made it to the top of the multi-billion dollar casino world in the Philippines... until he was framed for murder.
"Big Bet" is another KDrama that has been divided into two halves in streaming provider style. (Unfortunately, this is kind of becoming the new KDrama fad and I'm already bored to express my anger about it.)
Oh yes, and I'll say it in advance: if you're interested in the series because of Son Suk-ku, you'll have to stick with it for quite a few episodes - he doesn't appear until the end of the first season...

The Disney production deliberately presents itself internationally. Nevertheless, one gets some atmospheric, socio-historical milieu impressions from South Korea - especially from the 1970s and 1980s, because the story is repeatedly enriched by flashbacks. (In fact, the first season is almost one great flashback - with flashbacks within that flashback, so to speak.) While the first season is designed primarily as a character study of Cha Mu-sik, the second season arguably has the real crime thriller behind it. Topic: Murdered South Koreans in the Philippines and the associated dynamic between the South Korean-born, now renowned casino manager, who has now become a murder suspect, and the investigator Oh Seung-Hoon, who was sent to the Philippines from South Korea. So the actual "big bet" only really becomes an issue in the second season.

So what does the first season have to offer?
Plenty of impressions of Mu-sik's childhood days, youth (wonderful: Lee Kyu-hyung as a youthful Mu-sik - although eventually Lee Kyu-hyung has meanwhile left his youth behind him...) and of his first professional steps into Casino world as young adult. The protagonist has his own charm and amazing talents and so we experience Mu-sik, although he radiates some sort of unapproachable aura, as an authentic and fascinating man with plenty of heart and mind, with a quick grasp, good intuition, radical consequence and entrepreneurial charisma.

"Big Bet" is a Korean-American production. It is international in its self-image and presents itself as such. It is made by men and it is about men. About smoking men. Sweating men in suits. Men with tattoos, too. The man with the most screen time is “Oldboy” Choi Min-sik (from the acclaimed 2003 K-Movie). He plays his role effortlessly as a 30-year-old and almost 60-year-old alike (thanks to modern filming and image processing technology). For "Big Bet" he is back in top form after a decade-long break. All in all, in this KDrama we slide into a (conservative) world of men and gangsters. Their wives, if there are any, are at home with children and really don't know anything about anything. Exceptions are the wealthy, and due to her wealth influential CEO Ko (with a rather quick appearance but comparatively lasting impression: Lee Hye-young) and the young, by Korean standards sexually quite explicit, self-determined hotel employee Kim So-jung.

In the flashbacks, as I mentioned before, there is South Korea at times. Nonetheless, "Big Bet" is principally based in the Philippines. Filming there took about 3 months. This promises exotic local hue, although the focus is on the casino and hotel world - which in turn could somehow be anywhere. No expenses were spared with the casting either. Even the supporting roles were selected with care.

In short: "Big Bet" (Season 1) is a solid and ambitious character study of Mu-sik. His Story is told in a sophisticated way and staged well worth seeing. However, the series isn't really a KDrama-like KDrama. Anyone who likes a casino-gangster-crime atmosphere with an exotic ambiance will get their money's worth here. However, the story takes it´s time. It remains to be seen what the second half will come up with. I certainly have high expectation that "Big Bet" will even improve, now that Oh Seung-Hoon intrudes into Mu-sik's world with his investigations and thus will add further dynamic.

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With "My Secret, Terrius" the KDrama-World shows what it can do, too: simply entertain.

"Terius Behind Me" playfully and lightheartedly balances between RomCom and spy thriller. The series dates back to 2018, but in view of the global corona pandemic, it is probably more up-to-date than intended. That makes the spy story a bit very serious in retrospect. Otherwise, "My Secret, Terrius" is a bit funny - the investigations and relationship dynamics intertwine in capricious ways. It's a bit cute - with the two twins as well as a second "romance" in the subplot. A bit tart - the legendary star spy undercover as an inexperienced babysitter for two bright six-year-olds. Between the two main leads, it's actually a bit about romance, too. But there is also room for a bit of bromance - male friendships. And there is a little something in it for handbag freaks.

An exclusive highlight in "Terius Behind Me", however, is the Korean style neighborhood watch - the distinctive esprit of the mothers' association of the Kingsman neighborhood, that is characterized by notorious curiosity (by the way, a man is part of that, too). As the Kingsman Information System (KIS), they prove to be several times superior to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) - especially in terms of efficiency when it comes to their high-tech networking and highly motivated investigations.

In passing, you also gather some impressions of life in typical high-rise condominiums in Seoul´s new development areas, the over-committed mothers in such neighborhoods, and (in case I didn´t already mention it before)... handbags... :-)

With "My Secret, Terrius" the KDrama shows what it can do, too: simply entertain.
Enjoy.

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Very humane. Tangible. Touching, yet not maudlin. Sad, yes. But unpretentiously radiating, too.

"The Most Beautiful Goodbye" is a KDrama that consists of only 4 episodes. However, they have it all and are completely sufficient to leave their mark in the sand. We are confronted with the limits of healthcare system - when medicine no longer has a solution to offer and people are left with themselves and what they are: mortal beings. In ruthless directness, the viewers are confronted with what many people (all over the world) might at some point face in one way or another.

The family here is not particularly rich and not particularly poor. The individual protagonists are not particularly successful and have not particularly failed. Everyone lives their (South Korean) life as best they can. Not very happy and not very unhappy. With a tendency not to not be so happy. But they are actually not really unhappy either. In fact, everything could be quite nice, but everyone is just too busy with themselves. The WE becomes self-evident and rather annoying... until the day the finitude of being was knocking on the door...

However, hello-wake-up does not imply everyone starts reinventing themselves, overcoming their weaknesses and becoming better people. It does, however, force them to reflect on what they have and what they have forgotten (to love) (consciously) despite everything being taken for granted. In stumbling everyone is searching for an expression of their own feelings. At least they try to be a little bit more alert about what is going on in their life.

Very humane. Tangible. Touching, yet not maudlin. Pretty close to life. People are clumsy, speechless and helpless, as akward as it gets. It is a lesson in compassion, triggering your own experiences, when it comes to similarily unprepared being confronted with any form of (unwanted as it is) final farewell.

Sad, yes. But unpretentiously radiating, too.

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A sad & highly topical social issue, dealt with in a palpable, exciting, sensitive, touching way

"Revenge of Others" is set in the world of South Korean high school students. No teenage squabble, but a story with substance and depth. With flexibly intertwined subplots, it offers a sad and highly topical social issue, dealing with it in a palpable, exciting, sensitive and touching way. Should you watch? Yes!

"Revenge of Others" (like "Weak Hero Class 1" in 2022) deals with the topic of mobbing /bullying. In Korean, the slang term 'wang-ta' is quite common, and for me helped for a better understanding of the special and increasingly dramatic situation surrounding bullying at South Korean schools, which can even lead to suicide. (See side note below.)

This KDrama spotlights a Seoul high school where there appears to have happened a suicide. Everyone is shocked. Some know more. But if the sister of the victim, who has been living separated from her brother for many years, would not try to get to the bottom of it, then this would be a sad case of suicide without a murmur. It probably happens all too often in one way or another that fundamental questions in an apparently obvious case are left unanswered. However, this KDrama bravely wants to get to the bottom of the matter and its circumstances - here in the person of Ok Chang-mi.

As so often in the context of bullying, the adults don't look too good and don´t offer anything promising for making a difference regarding those fatal peer group dynamics. They are left outside. The high school students have to find a way for themselves to get along with their classmates - if possible highly adjusted underneath the social wang-ta radar (or at least with a solid network).

"Revenge of Others" is a production for the international streaming market. Things rarely get too brutal at Disney, though. The amount of violence is therefore limited (compared to e.g. "Weak Hero Class 1") and instead there is more room for relationship dynamics in side plots, causal connections and shades of gray.

By the way, in connection with "Revenge of Others" there is also a whole series of promising actors to admire!



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SIDE NOTE: --- Wang-ta in South Korea ----

With Wang-ta, the focus is not so much on the 'act' - bullying or harassment - but rather on the entire context of active and violent marginalizatin of an outsider. For example, it can be used as a swear word for the excluded person or as a description of the bullying activity. In a collectivist society like South Korea, group affiliation and group interest is paramount. This applies not only to the family, but also to the school class and also to the peer groups within the class or school. Unfortunately, this value system results in a fatal situation when it comes to actual bullying: bringing shame on the group, the outsiders are at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Whether it's because of school performance, family background, origin, belonging to an undesirable minority, looks, dress, a handicap, an unusual belief or an abnormal inclination: Wang-ta is a label that no one wants to personally be confronted with. Everyone agrees on that. At the same time, Wang-ta becomes a free pass for more or less cruel mobbing/bullying. Worryingly, perpetrators, victims, and witnesses alike accept the premise: all forms of bullying, almost anything related to Wang-ta, is permissible. The perpetrators take advantage of this, the victims immediately feel even more inferior in terms of their shortcomings (of whatever kind), and the bystanders silently nod the action as justified - or even actively join in. There is no moral barrier against this specifically cultural, collectivist background. It can even get out of hand. There are cases where the entire school has ended up participating in one person's wang-ta. From a Western, individualistic point of view, this is perhaps difficult to understand, because apart from group norms there are other socially recognized ethical principles that could be introduced as a serious confrontation of wang-ta behavior. Unfortunately, this hardly is the case at South Korean schools with a collectivistic social culture.



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SIDE NOTE: In connection with this KDRama also an additional side note on
--- Punishment vs. Suffering of Victims ---

The psychological trauma for the bullying victims are with long-lasting effect. Unfortunately, the punishment of perpetrators is not proportionate to this day. Punishment is rather harmless - it may be annoying to the perpetrators, but not really a deterrent. Far too much must have happened before expulsion actually occurs. A corresponding entry in the files is actually completely deleted two years after graduation. In fact, nothing is left behind on the perpetrators' side. On the other hand, from the memory of the victims the experience cannot be so easily erased ...

The documented cases of wang-ta in South Korean schools (yet many are not officially reported) have steadily increased over the past three decades. According to a study by the Ministry of Education, between 2013 and 2017 the cases have more than doubled from 11.749 to 31.130. There are also increasing numbers of victims who saw suicide as their only way out. It has now been empirically documented that South Korean pupils with a personal Wang-ta experience are more suicidal than those without. Suicide is by far the most common cause of death among 10 to 24 year olds. Almost 1.000 young people took their own lives in 2020 alone.

In respect of the lack of serious consequences for the perpetrators in Wang-ta cases and their comparatively unsatisfactory punishment, a kind of vigilante justice has been established among the families of the victims concerned. "Revenge of Others" picks up on this (similar to "Angry Mom" ​​a few years earlier) as a theme in variation.
In fact, facing a lack of serious alternative punitive measures it seems not uncommon for relatives of victims to pay someone of the same school age to take care of an appropriate 'punishment' - i.e. 'undercover'. Clearing up violence with violence is of course a dubious solution. Sadly, this seems to be the only way to show real consequences to the perpetrators and give the victims at least minimum size satisfaction. ...Although it should be probably considered more of a satisfaction for the relatives of the victims, because the victims themselves still have to deal with their psychological wounds and scars for a long time. Revenge does not undo the painful experience of mentally and physically harassing exclusion...

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About prince Wang So of Goryeo. A love story with wit, charm & affection. Makjang alert. Toxic, too

First of all: "Shine or Go Crazy" is a love story from head to toe with all the trimmings. Nevertheless, it is also about the dazzling historical figure of Wang So - King Gwangjong from the early hours of the Goryeo era. Thus it is a beautiful character study about the young prince, who at last became king, but who had by far not been the preferred prince of choice as far as the future throne was concerned. How did HE happen to become not only king but such an outstanding one as well - one who is NOT automatically (as so often) a jumping jack for his ministers, eunuchs and palace ladies? Who or what motivated and inspired his rather grounded, almost visionary, innovative, citizen-oriented policies?

This KDrama offers a (possible) answer to history, as well as an epic love story, playfully sprinkling disguise of origin and confusion of gender.

----------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Wang So, 4th son of Goryeo King Wang Geon, and later King Gwangjong
During his 26-year reign at the end of the first millennium, King Gwangjong laid solid foundations for the next four centuries. To this end, he introduced some popular reforms for the common people (yet unpopular among the nobility). Above all, these concerned slavery. Additionally he instituted the national civil service exam, which allowed people to serve the country according to their ability. Introduced during his reign, too, were so-called "Daebi-won" - medical centers for the free care of the poor. Finally, he secured the borders of the empire with military measures. Throughout, he consistently had to deal with opponing noblemen ... and eliminated them uncompromisingly. "Shine or Go Crazy" is a dignified multimedia monument to his rulership, that in general rather focused on the needs of his ordinary citizens than aristocracy.

The KDrama "Shine or Go Crazy" (as well as "Moon Lovers" who deals with King Gwangjong, too), offers a conclusive explanation for this King´s particular career. Whether this is historically justified by sources, I could not find out yet. In any case, Prince Wang So becomes tangible and understandable with the help of this fictional setting: The KDramas tell his story as at a young age being banished from the palace and sent to the mountains - thus hopefully avoiding a bloody prophesy from coming true. There he lived a life beyond the palace intrigues, yet close to nature and its existential everyday struggles for survival. Like that, his everyday life inevitably came quite a bit closer to that of the ordinary people of his time. This socialization in 'freedom' and largely grounded normality shaped him in a completely different way than his (numerous) direct and indirect siblings within the palace walls and thus makes him a resolute and popular monarchical free spirit. At the same time, this lays the right foundation for placing a completely unorthodox, unexpected and inspiring commoner´s love at his emotional side. Like that the fictional K-Drama helps to on the one hand understand the sharp edges of his disappointment because of parental rejection as well as his self-doubt due to his curse. On the other hand, however, this is balanced by down-to-earth experience of authentic affection and love. Historically true or not, the extrordinary historic personality of prince Wang So is painted in an impressively tangible, comprehensible way.

------------------- SIDE NOTE --- Trading at the time ---
An aspect of historical detail that's (in general rarely) brought into focus in "Shine or Go Crazy", too, is the importance of thriving international trade at the end of the first millennium. Throughout Korean history, life on the peninsula (not only, but also in KDrama) is rather isolated and self-centered. In this story, at least, business relationships with the immediate neighbors and with the rest of the world are given some space, at least to some extent.

-------------------- SIDE NOTE --- Balhae / Late Balhae
Also rarely a topic in the focus of KDrama is the Korean history BEFORE Goryeo - the time of the three kingdoms Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje. In "Shine or Go Crazy," the female protagonist is a princess from the Late Balhae Kingdom in what is now Manchuria. This dates back to one of five kingdoms that in 37 BC united to form the kingdom of Goguryeo. The first Goryeo King Wang Geon (posthumously Taejo) at his time attempted to reconquer the former territories of the original Goguryeo Empire and thus set his kingdom on proven, solid ground. Balhae being one of them, had previously fallen victim to the Para-Mongolian Kitan. Some (many) Koreans from ancient Goguryeo, who formed the ruling Balhaen elite, escaped to Goryeo - with the crown prince, the nobles and parts of the population. The female lead is set in this context (and also personally associated with an alarming (fictitious) prophecy regarding the future of her people.)

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Back to the (love) story between the 4th son of Goryeo King Wang Geon and the Balhaean princess, who is an independent prosperous business woman.

In proven KDrama style, there are subplots with their own stories and characters with their own motives, who courageously get involved in the (love) life of Prince Wang So. The political stage is intransigently characterized by malevolent power intrigues. There aren´t any scruples anywhere. Upright people hardly exist, loyalty and dependence being mixed up and confused. There's a lot of bad stuff going on everywhere. It gets pretty ´toxic´, too.

Set in this context is the affectionately and also humourously told relationship of young prince Wang So with a smart, proficient, quite self-confident lady in a double role in disguise as young man. These encounters inspire and enhance Wang So´s pragmatic world view. The dynamic between them is fun to watch - with wit and charm, since his queen of hearts is sometimes hidden behind a veil and sometimes in men's clothes. At times, Wang So has to seriously doubt his gender orientation (... not that this would have deterred him...).

Ah. Yes. The ending... Reviews I had read often blamed the ending. I was ready for the worst. Probably that was a good thing. Like that I was pleasantly surprised as I had expected even worse. In fact, whether I liked it or not, the ending made quite a lot of sense to me. (After all, this is about a historical character - the prince becomes king and has an archetypal task that is greater than himself - during his reign, Gwangjong sets the course for future generations.) Nevertheless, KDrama land even got us a little candy at the very end, too.

My criticism, however, refers to the soundtrack! Unfortunately, this is the first time I definitely have to complain! Shallow songs can have their time, I don´t mind. But in this case (at least in my acustic sound system) as soon as romantic vibes gently started to develop, an inappropriately dull, meaningless song (in my perception) acustically dominated the scene and thus insensitively destroyed each and every moment (again and again). A real shame! (I would like to hope, that this was just due to my technical device...)

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Filming standard à la Hollywood meets melodramatic narrative, emotionally firmly rooted in SK soil

“The Moon” could have easily been titled “The Dark Side of the Moon”. At least we as audience learn quite something about it... But it's actually about much more. The KMovie is delivering action within the high-tech world of space travel. On top of that it is touching, thought-provoking and thus gnawing at fundamental, existential and political questions, too. We get a remarkably balanced production between ´international´ filming standards à la Hollywood and a melodramatic narrative with its emotional roots firmly planted in South Korean soil. So eventually, this lunar expedition is neither/nor, as this KMovie offers something in between. For hard-core fans of Hollywood blockbusters it might be offering too much melodrama. For the hard-core KMovie fan it might not be enough. Well, I simply enjoyed it as the lunar expedition as it is.

The focus is on the ambitious national program that South Korea has recently set up in terms of space research (you may check side note below). With its technological innovations, South Korea is starting to present itself as an increasingly self-confident G7 space power. That is where this story is coming from. And it is against this background that the particularly high level of filmmaking effort must be seen, by which the experience of space is brought almost hyper-real within the audience's grasp.

The special ambience is staged first-class thanks to the applied highly developed audiovisual filming technology and expertise. Seemingly, the production team has spared no effort or expense - with 3D rig camera recordings, premium HDR video technology, Dolby Cinema technology (for the first time in a KMovie), innovative spatial audio technology and sophisticated rendering processes for the finest color nuances. The demand was for high-end cinema quality. And it is surely impressive. Everything in this distant, highly technological, alien world, far way within the orbit of the moon, comes as close to the audience as it can get.

Despite the enormous spatial distance, dense emotional intensity is provided, even though the protagonists are located so far away from each other. This delicate emotional bridging, requiring high-end performance skills, has been the big challenge on the actors´ side. In addition to the proven, first-class veterans Sol Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae on the ground at the rather clinically clean setting with high-tech computers and screens of both Aerospace Centres Naro and NASA, especially Doh Kyung-soo (D.O.) offered magnificent top performance as an astronaut lost in space. Mainly those three create and maintain an impressively emotional density (in addition to the overall action).

The plot of "The Moon" revolves around South Korea´s international profile as capable space power, while the eyes of the world are set on their (fictive) second trial of a manned lunar mission. Whereas unfortunately it didn't work out the first time... It's also about politics and tons of money. And in the end, it's all about survival... or rather, whether a human's life in the face of groundbreaking missions for humankind is worth ignoring chains of command, nationalities and costs.

Breathless action on unusual terrain. Intense scenes in an isolated space capsule 380,000 km away from earth, surrounded by darkness and severe cold. Desperate helplessness. The struggle for the 'right' decision – what´s actually the measure of what is right? Maybe ultimately just what I can live with in the end?







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SIDE NOTE: --- KSpace ---

Korean movie oder drama productions set in space have so far been few, and for good reason. The KMovie “The Moon” from 2023 as well as i.e. the KDramas “The Silent Sea” (from 2021) and “Ask the Stars” (planned for 2023) are, so to speak, a start. They reflect current (or better: hoped for further) developments regarding KSpace.

After rather unsuccessful endeavors at the beginning of the new millennium, South Korea as the 13th country to have its own space center by now, is increasingly well positioned in the KSpace segment. 2021 was marking the first attempt to launch their own test satellites into the orbit by their launch vehicle Nuri, which had been developed over the past ten years. Yet it failed. Nevertheless, in 2022 and 2023 it succeeded at last. Three more Nuri launch vehicles are already scheduled to be launched into orbit by 2027. According to the plans of the country and the Korea Aerospace Research Institut (KARI) at Naro space center, South Korean spacecraft will be collecting data on the moon in 2032 already. Additionally, the country has Mars scheduled for 2045.

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Mature romance, yet balanced with the eternal youth residing in the feeling of falling in love.

"Second to Last Love" is processing the topic 'getting old in South Korea' in a playful, sometimes profound, sometimes tender way. 'Old' means having exceeded 40. An 'Ahjumma' can be a swear word for a South Korean woman. Also ´Ahjussi´ for a man. In German it would probably be comparable if the casual 'Du' among around +/- 30 year old people suddenly became a 'Sie' - then you know: now I've fallen out of the '+/- same age'...

In South Korea, a large percentage of life revolves around looking good and looking young. Marriage is also a big topic - wedding photos are always placed accordingly large and dominant in the house or apartment. The family ultimately forms the meaning of life, so to speak, if you follow in the footsteps of tradition. In case you stick to this standard - look good, marry well and take care of an honorable family - then everything is fine. Just one step to the right or left of the path creates social turbulence. Women (and men too) must be prepared and able to stand this. The issue will come up more or less confrontationally on every occasion.

This South Korean peculiarity is the starting point for many a KDrama. In "Second to Last Love" as well. However, this story chooses its own fine style and an almost progressive approach to it. Age and age differences in partnership are brought up again and again in several respects. Likewise, married vs. unmarried. Not only the conservative, but also somewhat more free-spirited perspectives and opinions are interspersed in a refreshingly good mood.

While the female protagonist is a career woman and single, the male protagonist lives as the head of a patchwork family. His wife died long ago, as did her fiancé. (Not that they didn't want a partner...) They've both been living their particular single life-style for decades by now and have gotten used to it. They no longer expect anything to change. This is where the KDrama comes in and tweaks a few dramaturgical adjustments in order to shake them both up and question their lives, their life plans, their longings and decisions. They may be 'old' in the eyes of society, but their lives are far from over. And THAT is the key point! There is still time and space for new decisions, for change, even for a second love in the last half of their life. Apart from aging, "Second to Last Love" is also about taking responsibility for one's own life and one's own decisions, including new ones. Despite all the depth, which it doesn't shy away from, the KDrama also has a touch of humor overall.

The protagonists´ 'grown-up' relationship is so delightfully mature and refreshingly grounded. Kim Hee-ae and Ji Jin-hee embody this adult maturity successfully balanced with the magic of eternal youth that resides in the feeling of falling in love. Their rapprochement, their feelings for each other and their attitude towards the other form a pleasant contrast to the more enthusiastic youthful forms that the protagonists are also confronted with...

The story is embedded in a picturesque, idyllic landscape and also allows a look behind the curtains of KDrama industry. The plot and its difficult issues - 'aging' and 'taking responsibility' - are rounded off by a few secondary plots within the patchwork family and work colleagues. A bit of intrigue should not be missing either. Last but not least, and above all, there is the romance, which despite the obstacle-filled terrain unerringly and sensitively paves the way between the two protagonists...

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The actors put their heart&soul into it. Soundtrack + camera provide a unique ambience. A Classic.

"All In" is a timeless classic from the early days of KWave. Via main plot and various sidelines involved, you dive into the subculture and parallel world of back room and casino gamblers. In the course of the story, the glitter and glamor of the casino world increasingly take their place, all the way to Las Vegas.

Besides the gaming milieu, the series provides insights into the life of simple, poor young people in the late 1990s, which were shaken by the Asian crisis, and offers interesting local color. The well-established KDrama leitmotif 'Orphanage' also has its place here again. Soundtrack and camera capture the action in an atmospheric and impressive manner.

The actors put their heart and soul into it. In the case of "All In" the milieu-specific ambience was supposed to appear as authentic as possible. Therefore, in advance of shooting Lee Byung-hun and Son Hye-gyo (as adults of the main protagonists) went through an intensive training program, including in a casino in Las Vegas: Lee Byung-hun concentrated on virtuosity Card shuffling techniques and the eye dramaturgy of professional players at the gaming table (he won the Grand Prize at the Baeksan Arts Awards that year, as did the drama itself). Song Hye-gyo, on the other hand, was trained as a croupier and not only convinces when she sorts the chips at a breakneck speed.

The opening scene with a helicopter over the Grand Canyon alone is reminiscent of the beginning of a blockbuster à la Tom Cruise or something similar. "All In" isn't just romance, it's also packed with plenty of action, including brawls and gunfights. It's also about friendship among men. As a milieu study of the gamer's world, it's ultimately about gangsters and mafia, too. (Perhaps it is no coincidence that "the godfather" has a guest appearance in the story: it is shown as a movie in the cinema that shaped the youth of the protagonists.) But of course it's also about great love - in the progress of the 24 episodes facing one obstacle after another - it´s makjang after all...

At the time (2003), this KDrama triggered a veritable All-In-Syndrome in South Korea. The filming locations on Jeju Island became a hotspot for fan tourism. The ratings on public television back then are legendary (at around 47 percent).

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A strong production. A bold story that comes across without make-up by Korean standards

If you're looking for a KDrama of the usual type, then you won't find it in "Children of Nobody". Here you are dealing with an impressive psychological thriller with lasting influence that comes across without make-up by Korean standards. This is about child abuse. The powerful here are not the economic giants, but the parents in their sacred halls. Not funny. The story wants to stir you up and it does. In the original, the title is actually "Red Moon, Blue Sun" and alludes to modern South Korean poetry that has been quoted several times. In connection with the crimes against children, poetry seems downright paradoxical.

If "Children of Nobody" at the time didn't make spectacular waves in the ratings, it's not because it wasn't done convincingly, but because there are a large number of unreported families in South Korea for whom physical abuse and the "stick of love" are still taken for granted. Sooner or later, these viewers would have to take a good look at their own noses. The topic is treated in a differentiated manner from a wide variety of perspectives.

----------------------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- child abuse vs free, upright citizens ---
If people are broken mentally and physically from an early age, how are they supposed to learn to live as upright citizens? The road to free, responsible citizens still seems a long way off. 20/30 years ago in South Korea - without high technology, ubiquitous internet and social media - many people in their personal world largely only knew people for whom these practices of physical abuse were also a matter of course. The children and young people of today and the young parents of tomorrow, on the other hand, grew up in a time when they could learn a lot more about alternative living environments, value systems and educational concepts through the media. The field of consciousness is expanding. Conflicts with traditional structures arise. New perspectives are given space. In the exchange via social media, resistance and support can form, discussions are held and new values ​​and self-images spread. Change becomes possible.
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KDramas increasingly provide positive models of how things must become different in the future. In its own way, it tries to straighten things out in the context of child abuse that many take for granted.

Therfore "Children of Nobody" is a strong production. A bold story. A commitment to a future with free, responsible citizens - precisely because they are ruthlessly confronting with where society (in South Korea) actually stands.

Fantastic actors. Captivating story. Highly valuable.

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