Story in a Nutshell Jang Hwa-sa (Kim Hae Sook) is a death-row inmate for the past 34 years, and at her latest interview for parole she meets a young lawyer Eulji Hae-yi (Kim Hee Sun), who seems hellbent on preventing Hwa-sa from getting paroled. As it turns out, Hae-yi works at the best law firm…
Hundred Million Stars from the Sky – First Impression
Story in a NutshellA remake of a Japanese drama of the same title, Show begins with an interview with a psychiatrist who suddenly recalls encountering a young boy, who eventually changed his career path. It then cuts to a supposed suicide of a young female university student. As the police begins to find clues to…
Dae Jang Geum is Watching – First Impression
Story in a Nutshell The newest offering on MBC’s Thursday late night slot tells a story of three siblings who’re supposedly descendants of Dae Jang Geum, Joseon’s most well-known female physician (there’s even the original footage from Jewel in the Palace inserted in Show). Shin Dong-wook is the first-born Han San-hae, who works in a…
Final Review – Lovely Horribly (or Terribly Horribly?)
I can’t believe that I actually finish this drama, although I have to admit that I watched this drama at 2x speed for the last 6 episodes (and at 1.5x for the first 10 episodes). As I was telling kooriyuki, this drama was a terrible mash-up of many cliché plots, and perhaps this new scriptwriter…
Final Review – Mr. Sunshine
Storyline: A story about how people fight for their love, families, and Joseon in the turbulent times under Emperor Gojong reign, particularly for 5 individuals of different classes and identities. Eugene Choi /Choi Yoo-jin (Lee Byung-hun) was born as a slave in Joseon times. His parents died to save him, and he escaped to America…
Guest & Ghost Detective: The super annoying humans and ghosts
Forget it, I am past feeling horrified, terrified of whatever Guest or Ghost is throwing at me. Lately, the sentiments while watching both series bordered on annoyance, and being seriously cheesed off. For Guest, I have serious issues with the pacing — the narrative builds up the tension about the little girl who has shamanistic abilities, about the possible…
Drama Review – Your House Helper (KBS, 2018)
I’d suggest to marathon Show if you didn’t manage to catch it while it was airing, because this is not a story that is compelling enough to keep you at the edge of your seat and look forward to the next episode eagerly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s enjoyable and cute and very positive but…
First Impression: The Beauty Inside
I watched the movie version of Beauty, and quite liked its premise of a male lead who literally changes into another person (male/female), yet the female lead was still able to accept him in his various personae. The romantic ideal of true love being more than “skin deep”. Main cast: Seo Hyun-jin (from Oh Hae-young Again) as Han…
First Impression: The Player
Song Seung-heon in a comedic role is much better than when he tries to do mopey. Main cast: Song Seung-hoon (from Black) as Kang Ha-ri. The leader of the swindlers team. He is very smart (and can fight well). He is the one who usually plans the heists and scams. Lee Si-un (from Reunited Worlds) as Im Byung-min. The…
First Impression: Terius Behind Me (My Secret Terius)
This show is all about…Ahjumma Power. 😛 Main cast: So Ji-sub (from Oh, My Venus) as Kim Bon (Code Name Terius). A supposedly rogue agent who now has gone underground, he ends up helping his ahjumma neighbour after her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. Jung In-sun as Go Ae-rin. Your typical SAHM (stay-at-home-mum) with a pair of precocious…
100 Days My Prince – First Impression
Story in a Nutshell Set in a fictional period in the Joseon era, Crown Prince Lee Yul (EXO’s D.O. aka Do Kyung-soo) is a very reluctant prince, who masks his insecurity and fear with arrogance and indifference. He is unhappy as a prince and trapped in a loveless marriage, and unwilling to become a pawn…
The Ghost Detective: Ghosts?
Up to ep5, I can’t stop doing two things while watching Ghost — snigger and/or roll my eyes. For one, Kdramaland has introduced to us the most ineffectual ghost in Kdrama history — some poor chap whose hands passes through any object (even the ubiquitous Subway sandwich!) but is unable to pass through a DOOR. Unless…
The Guest: The demons inside
While waiting for Thurs and the precious subs for Guest to roll around, I decided to quickly pen down some thoughts after watching the first 4eps. So, Guest in a nutshell (in case you still dunno), is about spirits who possess humans, and how our trio exorcise them in their own ways. But the longer you watch the three…
Movie Review: The Princess and the Matchmaker (2018)
Although I don’t normally watch sageuk, I do make a concession if the show or movie in question is a rom com, and more so if Lee Seung-gi is in it. (heh) Main cast: Lee Seung-gi (from Hwayugi) as Seo Do-yoon, a constable who also happens to be gifted in reading “marital harmony” (some sort of marital fortune…
Final Review: Familiar Wife
Well, we and Joo-hyuk got our happy ever after ending, after his third try at changing his fate (and his wife). And he definitely learnt the hard way not to take things for granted. The third time lucky Joo-hyuk is the Perfect Husband, he understands the difficulties of leaving the woman to juggle chores, work…
Final Review: 30 but 17
2 sentences sum up 30. Nothing happens. And everything happens — at once. For the majority of the show, Seo-ri’s identity is kept a secret from Woo-jin, her location unknown to Hyeong-tae (and everyone else)…and then bam! suddenly the entire world knows her cos of some strange interconnecting fate. Like…it’s SUCH a coincidence that the florist…
Life – Review
Storyline: A story about power struggle between the CEO and a group of doctors in a hospital. Sang Kook University Hospital was acquired by Hwa Jeong Group, which appointed Koo Seung-hyo (Cho Seung-woo) to be chief executive officer. The primary mission of Seung-hyo was to make the hospital profitable. The doctors of Sang Kook University…
Drama Review – Shall We Live Together? (KBS, 2018)
This drama fulfils my annual family drama quota and I have to say, it was an enjoyable 50 episodes. There were refreshing moments and minimal use of tropes commonly seen in the weekenders, which I appreciated. As usual there are many OTPs but all of them are so cute together and there were no annoying…
