Chemistry between the leads is off the charts . . .

These two leads! The romance is very much worth the watch. A great connection between two adults, who are so comfortable emotionally and physically. Credit to the two main actors.

The tension of the first half is addictive as two very different individuals figure out if they fit, and if they are enough. The side actors are not memorable, the music is so so, and the plot is fairly simple . . . but the chemistry!! The yearning!

The romantic scenes are worth a re-watch.

I grade on other criteria:

Complex Themes: 5.5
Take the time to pursue greatness in your youth but don't let a once in a lifetime romance slip through your fingers due to ambition. All will work out in time. Making sacrifices for your country is the highest honor.

Character Growth/Complex Characters: 7.0
The excellent acting between the two leads is so good, that it gives complexity much more than the script/plot would suggest. Jing Jing remains essentially the same, but Mr. Yu does have a crisis and a set of humbling realizations that allow him to be an excellent partner going forward.

Complex Woman/Relationships between Woman: 7.0
Props to featuring women in careers with ambition, but otherwise they mostly just talk about men with one another.

Cinematography/Production Values: 7.5
Clothes and styling were all well done. There was a limited number of sets, but the sets were done extremely well.

Leia Mais

What if it did all work out, for at least a few golden years?

The nostalgia and and wistful longing is painfully strong in this drama. Targeted at adults, it explores common what ifs from teen-years:
1) What if the popular, cold bully in high school turned out to be my best friend?
2) What if that handsome older guy who I have a huge crush on, actually was pure of heart and waited for me?
3) What if I actually could be world class using a talent from my teen years?

Credit to the show, not all of these "what ifs" end up happily.

With the world we live in now, it is painful to look back on such golden times and this emphasis adds another layer of emotional connection for the viewer. Credit to actually honoring the professions featured (fencing and reporting) and not just giving superficial treatment to cut to the romance bits. I was inspired enough by the show to checkout some fencing on YouTube!

The acting for Na Hee-Do is a bit over the top at the beginning likely to create a believable teen and leave room for growth. By the third or fourth episode, I thought Kim Tae-Ri settled into the role wonderfully, and I became extremely attached to her character. Baek Yi-Jin is played a bit more subtly, and I must say Nam Joo-Hyuk at this point has had a great career of portraying angst, protectiveness and 'holding back' strong emotions.

I really really liked two of the songs on the soundtrack which is rare for me for a modern drama. I especially liked Your Existence by Wonstein and Very, Slowly by Bibi.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes: 7.5
Sometimes life does not go as planned, but the journey can be one to remember. Make sure you cherish those who care and support you. Plateaus happen, but just around the corner could be the success of your dreams. Relationships can be work yes, but they shouldn't make you feel like your life is on hold.

Character Growth: 7.5
Na Hee-Do is the guiding light and has strong moral convictions at the start and doesn't so much grow as come to terms at the very end with the lesson that not everything can work out through sheer determination alone. Baek Yi Jin is the one who grows from being cynical and entitled to being inspired by Na Hee-Do to be more earnest and to seize life.

Complex roles for women/between women: 9.5
There's excellent roles for women and amongst women especially the complex relationship between Na Hee-Do and her mother, and the friendship/rivalry between Na Hee-Do and Ko Yu-Rim. Both allow for a mix of complex emotions and resentments and a lot of screen time.

Cinematic/Production Quality: 9
Excellent as we've come to expect from these dramas with a fair amount of outdoor shooting and a good amount of different sets. Some experimentation with framing scenes in interesting ways such as from the back. The fencing scenes were top notch.

*** A note on the age difference portrayed. I am disappointed the focus of the story is in the ages where the romance is squicky and inappropriate e.g. Na Hee-Do is in school, living with her mom, and in a completely different development stage than Baek Yi jin.

In addition, in real life, older guys who can't make it in the real world and come back to their hometown to hang out with teenage girls are huge, walking red flags.

As the actors were actually much older, and there was a big emphasis on slowing the romantic part of their relationship until Na Hee-Do was more grown up, I wasn't so offended by the inappropriate ages that I turned it off.

However, just focusing the show on a couple years later would have made this much less problematic without sacrificing much.

Leia Mais

Love it or hate it . . .

If you fall in love with the mermaid out of water storyline in the first couple episodes, you will love the show. She is THE main character, and I loved it. I thought Jun Ji-hyun was electric, playful and a bit sarcastic in a way that was up to matching Lee Min-ho's aggressive acting style. I wanted to watch her all the time. I liked Lee Min-ho's protectiveness/jealousy/action-ness for this storyline where it made much more sense than say Boys Over Flowers or Heirs.

The fantasy elements give an added sense of drama and tragedy but if you were hoping for a full fantasy world, this is not for you. There is barely any undersea water universe/other mermaids or sea creature scenes at all.

The plot is extended with yet another out of place serial-killer type storyline (why??? K-dramas, why???). It really was not needed to add such a disturbing element in.

Music didn't register for me. Some scenes do linger on - again I just really liked the interaction between the two main leads a lot.

I grade on other criteria as well.

Complex Themes - 6.5
Not too much. Greed is relentless through multiple lifetimes - you need to address and confront it not let it fester. Your family is who has your back and sticks with you, not simply who has married in/is a blood relative. Life on earth is wondrous if you can take a step back from it.
Character Growth - 7.5
Jun Ji-hyun shows a lot of different facets to her character, and she gets harder, cynical and a little rough around the edges as the plot goes on. Lee Min-Ho basically is the character he typically plays.
Complex Women Characters - 8.0
The high score is almost solely for Jun Ji-Hyun's portrayal of the mermaid. There are other female characters but they play very supporting roles. The main couple has the majority of the interest/screentime.
Cinematography/Production Values - 8.0
Competent. There were some scenes where Lee Min-Ho came off as very 'cool' in a way that I had to credit the pacing/shooting of the scene. I loved the use of real/in person locations. Lots of shooting outside and in-person gave it a much better 'feel'. It was shot in a cinematic style (focusing/unfocusing in different areas, shooting from different angles) - it didn't just try to capture the whole room clearly in every shot.

Leia Mais

Can trauma bonding be the basis for a lasting relationship?

The beauty of this show: Moon-soo is outwardly quiet and shy and Kang-doo loud and reckless. They look like two characters from completely different dramas that lost their way.. And yet, by the end, they are at such ease with each other.

The actor playing Kang-doo especially shines at having an outwardly aggressive personality but hiding a responsible and conscientious heart. He is a great physical actor and he's just electric (even with that extremely ugly haircut)

The actress playing Moon-soo holds her own as someone who has a hidden darkness, recklessness and stubbornness underneath her mousy exterior.

The one drawback to the show is that it's a little long, and all the PTSD flashbacks loose their impact over time. The first time it fills you with horror, but they go back to it again and again and it looses its emotional hold.

As with all the best shows - I wish I could have stayed with the characters longer, and I was really crossing my fingers that they would figure things out.

I grade on other criteria:

Complex Themes - 10
On corruption and passing blame, survivor's guilt, learning how to heal and forgive, on when it's good to be stubborn, when it's good to be sacrificing v. protecting yourself, family dysfunctions, poverty, and coping with illness, death and disability
Character Growth - 8
It's more that each episode reveals one more level/layer to the two characters. Both help each other slowly integrate their outer identity with their inner self.
Female Relationships/Friendships - 9
Moon-soo herself is a great character - someone who is using great willpower everyday to be responsible and keep her head down, yet having this really stubborn, dark more difficult streak underneath. Moon-soo has a really good, supportive female friendship (with someone who is disabled, and a creative, and just a cool character). Moon-soo's dysfunctional relationship with her mother is shown in all its complexity.
Cinematography/Production Values - 9
The mall collapse/construction site scenes were really well done, everything felt a bit grimy and lived in and worn down in a very realistic way. There were also interesting uses of light, music, and camera angles that gave a more 'film/movie' type feel.

Leia Mais

Enjoyably sugary sweet . . . if you can suspend your disbelief.

The key to this drama is it's not the real world. It occurs in a world where everyone gets their happy ending, a good lawyer never loses in court, and you can sort out long held trauma and pain with a bit of a chat.

The drama I really wanted was between Kwon Jung Rok (Mr. Lawyer's) two law school friends -their romance was super interesting to me and hinted at real family obstacles, professional conflicts etc.

Instead the drama you get is between the sugary, sweet but somehow endearing and well-acted Oh Yoon Seo. Who has no family, no friends (besides her manager) and is basically a blank slate 'Mary Sue' and Mr. Lawyer who is grumpy but is but also sugary sweet at heart.

The cast looks like its having a lot of fun and will break character and burst out laughing at any moment.

Music is fine - can't think of a rewatch moment.

I have other criteria I score by:

Complex Themes - 6
(What holds all the characters together is a kindness and generosity of spirit even if they are completely different on the surface - and if you talk things out - all relationship problems can be overcome)
Character Growth - 6
(Oh Yoon Seo regains confidence after a bunch of hard knocks and becomes a bit more steelier and resilient than one would expect. Mr. Lawyer reveals that he actually is a big softy at heart in the first few episodes and then stalls as a character).
Nuanced Women -6
(There are a fair amount of women characters but they don't get a ton of screentime. Pluses are Oh Yoon Seo being a bit more multi-faceted than one would expect, and to the general camaraderie between female employees at the law office. Major minus points around the Lawyer Dan who I found completely unappealing).
Cinematography/Production Values - 6
(It's competent. But costuming is pretty lackluster, most scenes are shot in a few interior sets (the law office, one courtroom, and both the main character's flats.)

Leia Mais

Colorful fun opening, and excellent themes but second half takes a dark, repetitive turn.

The strength of this drama lies in the relaxed, easy chemistry between the two leads and unique and touching themes about art, community and belonging. The first half has a lot of cute, comedic opposite attracts moments - but quickly falls into a ridiculous, dark conspiracy filled second half. Tons of rescuing/vowing protection scenes if you like those.

Again, the romantic chemistry was playful and great. The acting is competent, and you grow attached to the characters. But, there was a lot of over the top crassness/loudness to emphasize the class differences, plus cartoonish over acting from the villains.

Music was highly obvious in its cues and not particularly well done, and I'm not sure I'd rewatch. A few of those magical moments will linger on.

----
I grade on other criteria as well

Themes: 9.5
For those who grew up 'on the outside looking in,' a person or two providing meaning in their lives can make all the difference. Families we chose can provide a feeling of belonging where blood family may fail. Art provides an ability to learn about ourselves and others, to connect to something greater than the personal minutiae of day to day lives. Money makes the world go round, but a life worth living is about connectedness beyond ourselves. Women face unique vulnerabilities as orphans/foster children.

Character Growth/Complex Growth: 6.5
You learn a lot of interesting, complex back stories about the characters as the show goes on, but there isn't much 'character growth' per se, so much as their moods ebbs and flows.

Complex Women/Interactions Between Women: 7.0
There was one really great connection and story between Dali and a museum employee regarding a woman's value and worth in the world. Otherwise, the women were fairly silo'd from each other and somewhat caricatures or one note. It was mainly Dali and 3 main male leads.

Cinematography/Production Values: 8.0
By now, most K dramas have very competent and high production values, staging and cinematography, and this one is no different. One or two ways they filmed some of the museum/art scenes were highly creative but otherwise it was all well-done but standard.

Leia Mais

Slickly produced but ultimately formulaic and empty . . .

Let's start with the good: 1) High production values, great costume design, attractive actors 2) Our immortal character is a more immature Puck/Peter Pan and loses his powers first episode - making this a more relationship of equals than other dramas.

Otherwise, this is just a bunch of ideas thrown into a script, with unfortunately little chemistry between the actors, little depth of character development or themes, and of course the ever-present serial killer storyline. There is no redemption to be found in the secondary characters or plots and the jokes/humor heavy handed.

This is a pitch or story concept with the director and writers desperately trying to stretch this out over 16 long episodes. At one point in the story, our main male lead gives a review 'boring all the way to the end.' I couldn't agree more.

Leia Mais

Amusing enough, but lost steam . . .

This drama kicks off with a lot to recommend: the beginning love story is sweet, and our FL Park Yun Woo is endearing and funny as she navigates the modern world. But, trying to fill 12 episodes with this wears thin, and attempts to complicate the plot fall flat. On top of that, having the ML Kang Tae Ha a 30+ yr old man be even more bumbling and inept at romance than the FL from the Joseon era, just becomes frustrating and the chemistry fizzles. The secondary romance is worse: immature and condescending towards working class people.

The only real mystery that kept me watching is why the grandfather figure was so up and down: friendly and supportive one moment, and sinister and murderous the next, but I wasn't so curious to suffer through to the end of this.

One highlight!: Yoo Sun Ho as Kang Tae Min was a delightful surprise. Fun, charismatic, a bad boy with a bit of a conscience. I enjoyed his character a lot.

Leia Mais

Dropping for now...

Thus far, Legend of White Snake is a series of moral parables or tales. At the centre, are Xu Xuan and Bai Su Zhen - one a human, the other a snake spirit/demon. Both kind, generous beings committed to living an upright and moral life.

Various characters try to corrupt them or bring them down but they stay steadfast. Indeed, so steadfast that there is not much interest or plot. Everything resolves in the same predictable manner. The actors - due to the script, direction, or their own talents show very little range.

Xiaoqing provides some comedic life and interest as a good hearted prankster. The colour palate of gray/white/green provides some lovely moments, and a contrast to many other Chinese dramas. But it does get a bit monotone after awhile.

I don't need my dramas to be full of operatic drama, alpha self-destructive heroes and vicious or saintly women. I truly was looking forward to a different model. But this is just too one note.

Leia Mais

How much do you like Cinderella stories?

Princess Weiyoung is determined to seek revenge for the killing of her entire family/clan. But what happens when she falls for the enemy?

I really liked the premise of this story - but at 23 episodes in - it got too repetitive. Princess Weiyong's 'stepfamily' abuse her and undercut her at every turn in incredibly obvious ways. Frankly, almost every character is out to get her.

The brave but bumbling love interest hurts as much as he helps. He can't understand that Princess Weiyong's family are abusive and that his own family is conspiring against them.

I liked that Princess Weiyoung rescues herself because everyone around her is incompetent...but it wasn't like her rescues were impressive or unique.

I grade on other criteria:

Complex Themes - 5
The only person who can rescue you is you. Judge people based on their actions not based on their family or reputation.
Character Growth -3
None that really stuck with me. Perhaps there is a twist later that changes the two main characters. I didn't get there. 3 points because the character Li Changru was really intriguing, complex, and the actress was able to show the layers of the character really well.
Nuanced Women -3
Li Changru is a real fascinating character, but the rest are Cinderella story caricatures.
Cinematography/Production Values - 6
Every once in awhile, there will be a really gorgeous cinematic take, but generally the costumes, makeup and hair look a bit garish and cheap. Cinematography is mostly serviceable - just captures long shots and reaction shots.

Leia Mais

The mix of romance, action, drama and comedy are excellent but slowly the plot bloats and pace slows . .

At the start, the romance with power games and the switching of who rescued who was a lot of fun. The main couple were fully fleshed out with clear motivations and back stories, and you bought the tension between them. In addition, who doesn't like the secret hero who is destined for greatness? By the end, though, the pacing seemed really off and bloated at 20 episodes. The older generation of mages got a lot of screen time and largely were boring and onenote. The villain also got a lot of screen time and was more annoying or slimy than compelling.

There were a few standout actors as the episodes went on. Both, Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min were excellent at both the comedy and drama and had an endearing softer, buddy romance. In addition, there was a few standout side characters that did a lot with their roles mainly Seo Yul 'Autumn,' the Crown Prince, and Maidservant Kim. Shoutout to Master Lee as well.

The music was fine and worked well esp. with action scenes, there may be an occasional scene I'd rewatch esp. the more comedic or fun points.

I grade on other elements as well:

Complex themes: 7.5
Talented people can be motivated in different ways - don't hold talent back just because they can't learn steadily and linearly. No one is immune from greed - elders included. Being grounded in human relationships and human costs makes you less likely to succumb to fights of power.

Character Growth and Development: 8.5
By the end, the characters have to wrestle with whether they buy into the values they held at the beginning. Our main male character struggles with this the least, and fairly quickly realizes he cares much more for those who have helped and believed in him than any sort of ideological battle, but for most of the other characters it is a struggle.

Complex Women/Women centered plots: 6.5
This was abnormally bad for a show in 2022. While there were great women characters (indeed the female secondary villian was much more interesting than the male villian) none of them shared meaningful screen time with each other except to move plots forwards.

Cinematography/Production Values: 8.0
The fights scenes were thrilling and had an excellent musical score to them and were of high quality. There's a good amount of shooting outdoors by water or trees. The sets, costume etc. however were only average.

Leia Mais

Builds layers of suspense and creates a surprising amount of feeling . . .

The plot is fast moving and contains many layers of questions that keep you watching (can a robot be a human? can a human fall in love with a robot and vice-versa? who will end up running the company? who will be left standing at the end?) The plot is unique in covering some moral/ethical concepts around duty, responsibility, and doing what's right. There's also enough humor to break up the mood. This drama is NOT for anyone who likes clever intrigue/thriller/mystery plots - no one acts in strategic ways.

The show succeeds due to Seo Kang-jun playing both Nam Shin and Nam Shin III (robot) as different personas with different tics/habits, and mannerisms. He is distinct and electric in both roles. Lee Joon-hyuk as Ji Young-hoon plays his role as pragmatic, corporate strategist with hidden motivations extremely well.

Everyone else fades in comparison.

Music was fine, there are some great rescue scenes to rewatch.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes - 9
What qualities make a human being a human? Can a robot prove to be more kind, generous, brave etc. than a human being? What do we owe to each other? What makes a family? Can emotional/psychological abuse turn a person into what they hate the most? (Not a 10 as these themes are not followed all the way through to the end)
Character complexity/evolvement - 7.5
Characters have complex backstories and motivations, and the story will revisit plot points from different points of view. However, they act in very sterotypical drama ways. In the end, they are the same characters as in the beginning.
Complex roles for women- 5.5
The women while supposedly in high powered roles/very strong people, just act like one-dimensional plot points. Almost 100% of their dialogue is devoted to the men of the show.
Production budget/cinematography - 7.5
Competent enough that you believe he is a robot. Camera angles/shots/cinematography is very bare bones. Fashion for the men is competent, but for the women is terrible.

Leia Mais

Addictive, endearing and a bit dark . . .

The Tale of Nokdu starts as a typical drama: lots of misunderstandings, slapstick humour and cliffhangers at the end of every episode. But then, the plot moves FAST, sub plots that usually take a whole drama to resolve wrap up in two episodes. You are also kept in suspense on how the drama will end - making for an addictive, binge-watching series.

Despite the repeated romantic plot points (multiple rescues, multiple we should break up scenes), I never got tired of the romantic plots and found this couple very endearing.

The couple in this may be one of my all time faves - they have a young, Romeo+ Juliet (with a bit of silliness) type romance. They make such good use of their screen-time (lots of interaction and ease) that you feel like you lived with them for awhile. Their romance is naturalistic and explained by the trauma they both have experienced.

Most of the side characters are shallow. I did find the villains compelling as narcissists with flashes of charisma. A mark of a good show - I was sad to leave them all behind as the show ended.

The music soundtrack with the piano was great (reminded me a bit of Amelie crossed with Sia's Breathe Me). But the lyrical songs I don't want to revisit.

It has plenty of cute/tense/romantic moments that lend itself to watching parts of again.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes: 7.5
More than one would expect! Family is who cares for you and wants the best for you, not simply your blood relations. Power corrupts. Once down an exploitative path - it can be difficult to turn around.

Character growth: 7.5
Both main characters have experienced a lot of trauma. Their 'growth' turns on and off - but there are moments in the last 5 episodes or so, where they are startling mature, grave, or complex to where they started at the beginning of the series.

Complex female characters: 6.0
Unfortunately not so much. While there are lots of powerful female characters, and a lot of female screen time, the female characters (even our main heroine!) have their narrow roles and stick to them.

Cinematography/Production Values: 8.0
High for this type of drama. No attempts at artistic/edgy shots, but lots of outdoor scenes not on a sound stage, a decent amount of variation in sets and costumes, a variety of close-ups and wide-angles. Sword/fight action scenes are decently well choreographed.

Leia Mais

Such a beautiful and perfect 'slice of life' . . . .

For the three female leads, life at 30 is not what they hoped. Is it time for a big change? or is it time to learn to settle?

The mood is wistful and humorous following three women with very different goals: one creative professional, one power career woman and one woman hoping to marry, settle down and have kids. I loved all three storylines. I especially liked the lost feeling: their own parents had such different aspirations and circumstances, the professional/career adults in their lives just continually let them down, and old classmates tend to be more competitive and jealous than helpful.

There were also a lot of silly, endearing moments.

The acting is realistic and moving (I never felt, like anyone was 'acting'), The music had a very soft coffee shop vibe that suited the show, and there's lots of moments that have stuck in my head forever.

Complex Themes - 10
(So many themes!: on being true to yourself, learning the realistic limits of family and friends, boundaries, societal pressures, gender norms etc.)
Character Growth - 10
(All the characters are struggling with how to create lasting change in their lives after being stuck in a rut. The different ways they cope and grow are distinctive and enjoyable to watch). 
Nuanced Women -10
(The relationship between the three distinctive female friends are front and centre throughout the show. I do wish that in the tech office and the office workplace there were more women and more interactions between women – but that’s a minor quibble and perhaps not a realistic demographic ask). 
Cinematography/Production Values – 8.5
(This is shot competently, with a good mix of wide and close-up shots, and good angles. It’s not particularly creative cinematically, but given the every-day life nature of the show there are plentiful exterior shots along with the main interior sets)

Leia Mais

Some cute moments don't make up for the mess of a plot . .

The premise is intriguing. But it's unclear who would want to stick with this. If you are a ballet lover, there's actually very little exposure to the craft and 'behind the scenes' of ballet. If you like family dramas with evil relatives, the 'villains' are exposed in the first few episodes and do not change their strategies or motivations some 20 episodes later. If you are intrigued by the the fantasy/supernatural elements, this world is not fully developed, explained or exposed.

What kept me watching is the angel's struggles with being human, and the lead ballerinas struggles getting back into ballet. But, this resolves some 20 episodes in - and then there was nothing left to keep watching. Indeed, the plot was being dragged on without exposing any new complexities in either plot or character development.

The acting of the two main leads is endearing and competent. Music has its atmospheric moments, but neither can make up for the plot.

The big philosophy questions of our existence are of course, why do bad things happen to innocent/good people? What causes a person to harm their friends, family and community? But 20 episodes in, I couldn't trust the writers to answer these questions in a way that I'd be happy with. I thought best to drop it, while I still have some fond memories of the earlier parts.

Leia Mais