Uncle (2021)

It was good till it was not.

Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get. Success and happiness doesn't necessarily go hand in hand but what matters is how you strive to maintain a balance between them as well as thrive with a content heart.

Drama series UNCLE is a remake of the UK television series of the same title that aired on Channel 4 in 2012 and BBC One from 2014 to 2017, created by Oliver Refson and Lilah Vandenburgh. Its a mixture of comedy, melodrama, music and makjang. The Korean remake is produced by 2 companies "Hi Ground" and "Monster Union", broadcasted on TV Chosun.

UNCLE is a story about a failed musician who takes over his sister for taking care of his nephew and the family who move into an apartment complex as renters while trying to escape from their abusive family. The story includes the uncle trying to rise in his failed career as well as trying to protect his nephew from all the odds created by the ruthless Granny and the sly group of mothers, namely "Momblies".

Wang Joon Hyuk (Oh Jung Se) despite his failed music career due to fraud and betrayal by his friends and family is a sincere and selfless person always ready to lend a helping hand to the needy. Already distanced from his family, he initially hesitates to meet them but eventually embraces them with all his love. Min Ji Hoo (Lee Kyung Hoon) is a kind-hearted kid with OCD who gets panic attack even by thinking about his granny. He's inclined to music just like his uncle and loves his mother so much. He takes his time getting used to his uncle and later on becomes so fond of him that he can't imagine his life without his beloved uncle.

Wang Joon Hee (Jeon Hye Jin) is a divorced lady who separated from her husband after being abused for 12 years by his in-laws, to protect her son who also was beaten mercilessly. Her character is something that wins heart by realistically expressing her emotional curves, a character with an unusual narrative. Park Hye Ryung (Park Sun Young) is a sly and manipulative lady who controls the group of rich mothers, called "Momblies" as it's "Diamond". With her connections and influence she can pull any thing off but chooses to veil her toxic life with lies.

Other good actors in major roles are Ju Kyung Il (Lee Sang Woo), Kim Yoo Ra (Hwang Woo Seul Hye) and Chun Da Jung (Jung Soo Young) as the residents of the apartment complex. Song Hwa Eum (Lee Shi Won) as the middle school teacher, Jang Ik (Ahn Suk Hwan), as the 'Hot Bar' owner, Shin Hwa Ja (Song Ok Sook) as the Chairperson of Gangto Money and Ji Hoo's Granny, Min Kyung Soo (Yoon Hee Suk) as Ji Hoo's father.

Among other major child actors are Ju No Eul (Yun Hye Bin), Ye So Dam (Kim Ha Yun), Shin Min Ki (Go Kyung Min) and Park Se Chan (Park Shi Wan).

Plot development in overal is just fine. The introductory episodes were impressive though the screenplay didn't seem usual and it was difficult to decipher whether it'll be a sitcom or melodrama themed. Progression was also good despite very typical elements used; it might seem like a makjang but it's actually not. Personally, I liked it a lot for the first half and it continued to be entertaining even after interval, until the 10th episode where it started going downhill.

The major characters suddenly become dumb out of nowhere, unable to decipher the conspiracies by the antagonist side. It takes at least 2 episodes for them to figure things out and then their strategies to counterstrike them were even more typical, which even became very repetitive. The final outcomes by the end of 14th episode weren't very impressive and didn't keep up the interest for the finale week. And trust me, the finale week was even more underwhelming.

Despite the shoddy decline towards the ending, one thing that remained constant was the love uncle had for his nephew, which, in fact, saw an uprise in the graph. Many scenes involving the heart-touching interactions between many characters were emotional. The story involves many elements such as: failed marriage, abusive relationships, mental health of children, bad parenting issues, greed for power and money, teenage pregnancy, toxic relationships, devotion for music, ideal teaching techniques,

Ji Young Soo PD-nim and Park Ji Sook jakka-nim have fair share of experience in the industry; even though the drama isn't that good, their skills were well-utilized. The screen-editing, play management and execution is well taken care of. The writing was a bit off and I think the major issue was turning a sitcom into melodrama. The screenplay is surely full of comical elements for most of its parts but it wasn't portrayed as a sitcom to begin with. 3/4th of the story is okay but the last quarter becomes shoddy.

There 12 OSTs in total with 3-4 tracks used as a drama version (as Joon Hyuk is a singer) which are sung by Sangmin Chu to keep a consistent voice for J. KING. "Your Dream" by Sangmin Chu is my most favourite followed by "Living Together" by Sangmin Chu and Lee Kyung Hoon (Ji Hoo). Sangmin Chu has also sung "Even if we break up", "Time to say goodbye" (drama version), "On The Beach" and "By your side". "BLUE BIRD" by Lunch, "Stay with me" by Lee Kyung Hoon (Ji Hoo), "Love Sign" by Lizia and "Not Alone" by Bae Sung Yoon are some other tracks from the drama. "Butterfly" sung by the child actors of the drama is so cute.

Overally, "UNCLE (엉클)" is a good one time watch. Too many characters and incomplete arcs were the limitations of the drama and it went downhill in the later half but it's not really bad having so many heart touching moments. The first half (or let's say till 10th ep) was a fairly balanced watch. Can't say it's a must watch or something but it doesn't really offer something exciting or impressive to look forward to, either.

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A special family drama

Since the drama was announced, the story attracted me, and after the drama was broadcast, I decided to watch it after it finished broadcasting, and I finally watched it haha. I really enjoyed watching it. The story was full of twists and turns and I loved its dramatic events. It is a warm story, but the way it was produced lacked some features. I wish this drama was from The production of the Dragon Studio would have been a masterpiece, but there is nothing wrong with what the studio provided for this drama.. I cannot deny how wonderful the cast was, even though I met new faces, but I became attached to them and the acting was really perfect.. Even the children had a great share. In the success of the drama.. without forgetting the wonderful music and charisma between the uncle and the child.. I liked the drama because it was diverse as it made you flounder with your feelings and feelings..
If you are hesitant to watch it, I highly recommend it..

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It was Awesome till 12. But after that..........

Uncle maybe one of the best underrated drama if they reduced that into a 12 episode drama, for a 16 long episode drama, there is not much of a story that can expand into that long, some unnecessary dragging and also the duration of Episodes started to getting little long especially when coming to its finale episodes. But still it was a decent drama overall. At first, few episodes were really awesome. Because there was some strong situations which you actually feel more tensed and also joy while watching it.

Its mainly about the relationship between an uncle and his nephew, you may not feel so dragging, if you watch this at the time of it airs. But for a binge watcher i think its hard after 12th episode. Because after that the situation becomes less serious and intense?. I don't know why they dragged the screenplay like that. If they want to makes this more emotional then no need to do this. It could have been better if they concluded everything in 12 episodes.

The only negative i felt was that dragging otherwise everything was perfect till 12th episode. The performance is the key. Especially that kid who acted the role of ji hoo. He was so natural. Our uncle was amazing.. and special mention to that teacher character, her acting was cute. May be that helped in the finale episodes.

Anyway I won't recommend this. You can try and figure it out. Why iam saying this because while watching ongoing, i lost the flow. And even after the drama end, i left 5 episode to finsh, for that it takes 5 long days?. Funny isn't..? dragging like crazy, got tired of seeing the same thing again and again....

Anyway strictly personal opinion

#N45Views

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Big bait

This drama was a big bait. You may think this is about an uncle and his nephew, although that's partially true, but the biggest focus was on the mothers’ committee and everything surrounding it. The drama quickly turned into another boring high-class circle jerk lacking any creativity or nuances. The uncle nephew relationship was always a side story progressing in the background. The last 2 episodes were utterly useless, the drama ended by episode 14 and the remainder were all random made-up last-minute events. The writer blatantly gave up. The drama is still watchable just for the sake of a handful good scenes otherwise it's underwhelming for its genre.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " Uncle " is a heartwarming drama.

The family dynamics were on point and provided a lot of emotional scenes. The kid and the uncle were, in addition, the highlight of the drama with their cute relationship and the smooth pace of their relationship.

Moreover, the drama had plenty of twists and suspenseful moments that gave the drama an edge and helped it become more than a slice-of-life drama.

As for the performances, everyone did a great job with their characters, but the kids were especially delightful.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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Just watch it.

Most of the people who watched this have a common opinion: the last episodes were boring and tiring. I disagree. To me, after episode 10, the drama It appealed to making the main characters suffer a lot, and that's really tiring, but it wasn't bad for me! To be honest, I love suffering, I love crying and getting angry watching something (it's my favorite hobby), so it was a good experience. The personal relationships between the characters were beautiful to see, and I felt welcomed, as if I were part of the family. So, just watch it. Don't listen to other people opinion because here is a fact: at the end of the day, the only one who can say if it's really bad or not, is you. (it's all a matter of opinion)

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Heartwarming Family drama with Comedy

This is a must watch if you like family dramas with comedy and especially father-son like relationship between an uncle and his nephew. The summary plot may give a negative (dark) image to the main character but in reality he is a really a kind person for witch some circumstances made him live the way he lives.
This drama has just started but because of the great acting of Oh Jung se and the charm of the little main lead Lee Kyung Hoon i have already fall in love with it. So if you are a fan you shouldn't miss this.

The story is interesting as it talks about the uncle who still trying to get back his life even though it was crushed in the past by the people close to him. However, after his sister contacted him, even they didn't have a good relationship at the moment, his heart couldn't help but look after his little nephew.

I have totally liked the acting so far, and the OSTs are good as well. My favourites are OST part 2 and 4 so far.
Give it a try you won't regret!

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Hits its share of high notes, but it's a highly erratic experience

It may not be for everyone, but a day on the slopes with fresh powder, short lift lines, calm winds, temperatures that aren’t too cold and a bit of sunshine is absolute heaven for fans of snow skiing. The combination of some of the most drop dead gorgeous locations on the planet, the adrenaline from racing down a mountain at the just the edge of comfort and a luxe base for snacks and refreshments is a magical combination. It is also one of the worst returns on investment when purchasing an expensive lift ticket only means a few hours of numb-from-the-cold appendages and long lift lines and icy conditions under foot.

“Uncle” is a show that has similar wild swings of enjoyment. It has captivating moments and many excellent characters mixed in with some tremendously dull filler material and a meandering narrative.

As for the positives, it has to start with Jeon Hye Jin who plays Wang Joon Hee, the sister of Oh Jung Se’s Wang Joon Hyuk, and mother to Ji Hoo, the nephew who is Joon Hyuk’s sidekick. It’s more than a bit implausible that Joon Hee would somehow end up married into an abusive conglomerate family, but aside from that, Jeon Hye Jin infuses Joon Hee with warmheartedness, inner strength and moral clarity without also demonstrating her weaknesses. She’s the emotional center and a calming presence and the portrayal by Jeon Hye Jin hits every note perfectly.

The supporting cast mostly carries their own weight as well. It’s a diverse group of characters from a crossdressing bar owner, his daughter who is Joon Hyuk’s irascible ex-girlfriend, his new girlfriend and Ji Hoo’s teacher, a bevy of nosy neighbors, Joon Hee’s dimbulb ex-husband and his new self-centered flame. Two youngsters have really nice performances, Choi Gyu Ri as the daughter of a troublesome Mom’s group leader and Yun Hae Bin as a preteen girl in a single father household.

At times, “Uncle” has some outstanding arcs. Joon Hee tragically has a personal demon resurface and she develops a connection with Choi Gyu Ri’s character. Hwang Woo Seul Hye is a welcome diversion as a mom’s group lieutenant that doesn’t always fall in line with the leader’s demands. And there’s an arc where the malevolent grandmother of Ji Hoo switches modes to charm her way to her goals. All of these are engaging and well-executed storylines.

For Oh Jung Se’s Joon Hyuk, he’s a peaks-and-valleys experience like the show itself. Oh Jung Se is such a talented performer that he takes Joon Hyuk through a gauntlet of troubles and good times and can unload a massive spectrum of moods, tones and expression. And that’s both good and bad. There’s always something new with Joon Hyuk but there’s not enough of a central core to his identity. He’s such a “go with the flow” that there’s nothing to anchor who he really is.

Part of the difficulty is that the show as a whole whips through one subplot after another - the initial reconnection between Joon Hyuk and Joon Hee is followed in short order with conflicts and resolutions between Joon Hyuk and Ji Hoo, several instances of Joon Hyuk and the Mom’s group, Joon Hee and her ex’s family, a group effort with a political figure, a misguided and misinformed ex-boyfriend, a recording company that is not what it seems, Joon Hee’s romance with the single father with his own questionable history and yet the main arc is supposed to be the uncle-nephew-mance between Joon Hyuk and Ji Hoo. But this main storyline is beset by it really being pushed aside at most of the climactic moments and by the fact that Ji Hoo is being played by an extremely young actor, Lee Kyung Hoon, that is being asked to be in a spotlight role that is beyond his capabilities.
The erratic nature of Joon Hyuk’s own character and the show’s plot hold up for a period of time, but it becomes wearisome once the nefarious grandmother’s arc has resolved. And the show needlessly spends time trying to humanize her which is exasperating and the unquestionable nadir.

It’s a show that is an enjoyable watch for a good fraction of its run so it gets a lukewarm recommendation, but nothing more.

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REPETITIVE... WASH,.RINSE, AND REPEAT

This show started off strong but I started to find the storyline a bit repetitive by episode 6.

So reading about the details of what this show is supposed to be about the Uncle, Joon Hyuk taking care of his sister and nephew in "hiding" but right up to episode 7, we deal with Uncle and family vs. the villains the "Momvelies". Basically a bunch of rich moms who own their own apartment units vs the renters like the Uncle's sister. So there's a war that goes back and forth between the rich mom group and the Uncle and family and of course, their young kids also hate each other and the young, rich kids are the typical bullies.

Now there's only so much I can watch with the dumb mom group being manipulative and a bunch of liars and the typical bullying and even when the Uncle gets the upper hand, somehow his side is either begging for forgiveness or his solution is to get the mom group to give back what they took away without really suffering any consequences for their lies and deceit. It's all too repetitive.

Now about the Uncle, of course, as he trying to make a comeback, something happens to derail his plans, EACH. AND. EVERY. TIME. On repeat...

After the Momvelies, finally comes the abusive, rich grandmother who plays the "new" villain. Of course, it's the same typical storyline of evil, rich in-laws thwarting and threatening everyone's happiness. Same ol', same ol'.

I'm a huge fan of Oh Jung Se, but I have yet to see how this show will tackle and focus on the Uncle finally perhaps making a serious comeback and to see whether or not this show will seriously address domestic violence and physical abuse.

(watched ep 10 as of writing)

A few months later... still haven't gone back to finish watching this after all.

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