A drama about mediocre people living mediocre lives.....maybe ;-)

A slightly different legal drama that puts less emphasis on legal issues but more on day to day life -or struggle- of the prosecutor, as the title appropriately suggests. You won’t get the upper class cases like Hyena nor humanist cases like Ms Hammurabi nor a wicked personality like Legal High. DoaP is ordinary in every sense but that is the strength of this drama.It can be dull for some people. Trust me, it is far from boring. The story is relatable to many of us, even if we are not prosecutors (I suspect, this is closer to reality than many other dramas). Let me share with you the reason I enjoy Diary of a Prosecutor.

Have you ever felt disappointed living your life because you are mediocre? Don’t. There is nothing wrong with being mediocre. It doesn’t mean that we don’t produce good work. It doesn’t mean we can’t be happy.

Imagine a small city, far away from the capital. So remote that the high level officials from the capital forget to visit your branch. Everyone knows everyone. The problems you are facing are not that newsworthy. However, these problems are important for those who are experiencing it. Even people in a small town need to be heard, they need justice, they need to have prosecution service. This may not require an extraordinary talent to do but this is still hard work, one that requires a prosecutor to be emphatic, to understand law and to endure office politics. I like this message. The topic is getting heavier closer to the end of the drama. Corruption and integrity are important principles for me, it hits too close to home.

You won’t be disappointed with the acting. You are being entertained by senior actors and I don’t regret watching this drama even if it is only to watch them act. The chemistry is there and it feels effortless. Disclaimer, I could be biased towards Lee Sun Kyun. I’d say, two younger actors that capture my attention are Jeon Sung-Woo and Ahn Eun Jin. I’d like to see more of their drama in the future. That side storyline about these two is unexpected but it works.

In particular, it is difficult to watch episode 8. It is about the role of women in the workplace in a patriarchal culture. I need to control my emotions. However, the flow of this episode is very apt. How the morning is started from a different POV, every ML and FL in the drama. It doesn’t sound preachy, just enough for us to reflect about our own bias. I like it.

Ah, the soundtrack! So proper. So fresh. Even if it’s not my taste, it’s perfect to describe a remote place with their small town habit. Good choice of music that strengthens the storyline.

Here is my fave quote “Even if the world doesn’t revolve around you, if you can protect something precious to you, wouldn’t that life be meaningful too.”

I would recommend this for anyone who likes slow-paced drama, has interest in social-cultural issues and doesn't have much time because DoaP can be watched one at a time. (Or if you fans of LSK).

Watch: July 2021

Leggi di Più

Action Drama That Got Me Into Korean Drama

They said, you never forget your first. This is the case for Vagabond. An action series without romance but can still make me have a good cry. I immediately wanted to see more of Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy. This is the effect of Vagabond to me. For that I gave the score 10 even when I think the story is not special. What I don't like is the cliffhanger. I watched Vagabond in June 2020 and I wrote this in July 2021. Seriously, how long does it take for us to know what happened?

It is an action drama. I am not looking for a great story. I need action at a good pace, beautiful fighting scenes and tolerable actions. The fighting scenes are not necessarily new but they are good enough to entertain me and make me want to see more of them. Having said that, I won't comment much about the story.

Lee Seung Gi is definitely working hard for this. Later I learned more about him and I got to better appreciate his work in Vagabond. His movement, expression and body language feels right. As for Bae Suzy, in early scenes, I underestimated her role. As the stories continue, I grow to like her character and how she portrayed Go Hae Ri. That first scene where she drove and entered the meeting room is stuck in my mind, even after a year. Such a simple scene but it set the tone for Go Hae Ri. The chemistry between the two is visible. I like them.

I can't comment about the music. None that I can remember. That's not really a good sign, no?

I have rewatched this a couple of times, sometimes just some episodes. That tells how much I like it. I don't think this applies for many people though. But yes, watch it if you are a fan of LSG or Bae Suzy. This is a good action movie to binge watch after finishing a deadline.

First watch: 15 July 2020

Leggi di Più

Top Class Acting with Beautifully Written Script

I never imagine giving a TEN but this drama deserves it. Park Hae Soo gives stellar performance. Well, the casts alone is enough reason to watch this drama. Every casts bring the character into life, not too much, sometimes in subtle but engaging and believable way. Strong chemistry among casts. Such a pleasure to watch.

I applaud the production, director and WRITER. This drama consists of a lot of characters, each with their own story and background. These characters come and go but they all make one solid narrative of the life of Kim Je Hyuk in the prison. Every story is counted and matter, even if it is a brief appearance in one episode. That's an art and it's not easy to do. The flashback is perfectly located, they are not confusing. In fact, every backstory come at the right time that help viewer to understand that character and how they grow throughout the drama. The variety of characters are linked to each other and make stronger message. This includes how story inside and outside prisoner is interlined. Kudos to the screenwiter Jung Bo Hoon, Lee Woo Jung and Shin Won Ho as director.

Some would argue this is too beautiful and rosy for a prison life. I disagree. Prison Playbook showed how raw and hard a prison life can be but not through blood and violent (although these appear, occasionally). This is life in prison look like: you are no longer consider a worthy human being, once you are being labelled as prisoner. For me, this is the cruel reality of being a prisoner.

In Prison Playbook, you will meet a prisoner wrongly accused for something he didn't do, a prisoner who do evil thing and continue to do so, a prisoner who try to redeem themselves and while some will success others failed and continue repeating the same mistakes. You will see how every person adjust and adapt to the life behind bars, some become bitter and other try hard to stay as human as they can. I am tempted to share about all these characters but I am sure other reviews mentioned them. I'd say this: you will easy get attached to the characters in this drama.

This is another drama where I like the soundtrack a lot and I am glad I got to know some new musicians. BewhY, GRAY OK is fresh and fit the mood of the drama. It's one of current fave. A ballad from Park Boram, Like A Dream is another current fave from this drama. I still have more names to this list. There's a broadcast station in the prison, occasionally, a song from the past would be played and it's always give the scene stronger emotions.

I cried but also laughed a lot watching this drama. Seriously, there are quite a lot of scene where you can have a hearty laugh and it feels so good. It's drama so beware with tear-jerking scenes too. That's life, right? You win some, you lose some. You work hard to achieve your dream but life happens. This is about persistence, love and believe that every human being deserves to be treated as a human being regardless of their mistakes.

Great for binge-watching but also a good choice to savour it one episode at one time. You can watch it alone (and then have a good cry alone, right) but also together (there some scenes that would please your eyes). For a drama that has been in the list for more than 1 year, I am happy I finally decided to watch it. It's so good.

Leggi di Più

There is no limit to push your children's welfare when prestige is everything

A drama with a theme that is personally important for me: education and how it is seen as social status. This drama revolves around injustice in the education world and -unfortunately- those who come with privilege can go far because their starting point is at a different level. It is rich with socio-political issues. If you are not Asian, I think, this drama can give a glimpse of how (most) Asian children are pushed to do everything to go to the most prestigious university, sometimes at all cost as if there is no other way to be successful. Children are their parents’ pride and therefore children have almost no authority in their own life.

As a newbie in kdrama, I feel the story is being way too stretched. I didn’t realise that most kdrama tend to be like that. I pushed fast forward quite often from episode 14 onwards. I was too impatient and I don’t think I missed a lot. I don’t have the need to see every single scene, I feel like I know what will happen anyway. I like the balance of serious and humorous stories. There are parts where I feel frustrated because I know the real world is cruel to the poor and less fortunate people.

I really like the cast. All of them are strong characters and played by skilled actors. Such a pleasure to watch them. There is a strong chemistry among the cast. Kim Seo Hyung and Kim Byung Chul left a strong impression.

We All Lie fits well as the soundtrack. The melody and lyrics give the mood for the drama.

This is quite a heavy drama. I don’t suggest binge-watching. Savour it, perhaps a few episodes at a time. A good drama to watch as reference to social issues discussion.

Watch: mid year of 2020.

Leggi di Più

The one that every worker can relate to

If you want to see K-drama but are not a big fans of the usual romance, give Misaeng a try. Misaeng is about office politics, battle among the juniors and power struggle among those mid-career who are working hard to get to the top. The casts are a combination of good looking young actors and veteran actors.

I admit, I am close to dropping Misaeng. I can’t stand the frustration I feel in episode 1. This is not because the story is bad. It is the first episode, it’s got to be good. I hate it because of what happened with our protagonist, it angered me. But I push forward. This is only my second K-drama and recommended by a good friend that I trust.

I am glad that I completed Misaeng. I love it. I can relate to the story.

Another drama about one struggle in this injustice world. Nothing will change, the privilege will have a better chance in life. This is the reality. Misaeng showed that it is important to acknowledge your privilege to avoid projecting your own biases onto others. We can’t choose how we were born but we can choose how we live our life and move forward.

Shi Wan definitely can act. You don’t need grand gestures to show emotions. His character, Jang Geu Rae, is an amazing person. He knows what he wants. He knows with his background, the only thing to move is to endure hardships and be resilient. I got to see the character grow over time, such a pleasure to watch. Kang So Ra plays Ahn Young Yi beautifully. A strong and smart woman who understands that everywhere, women have to work harder to get noticed and acknowledged. She is not just a visual in Misaeng. In fact, every character is that good and plays an important role. I ended up browsing about Kang Ha Neul a lot! The chemistry among all of them is amazing. The story flows easily. The conflicts are realistic. Kudos for the production team.

If only Misaeng can cast another person to play Choi Young Ho. I mean, really? There must be other senior actor outhere rather than giving the role to him.

I want to end this by quoting Tomorrow by Han Hee Jung. This soundtrack song became one of my favourite songs because of its beautiful melody and heartbreaking lyrics. This is my own interpretation after reading the English translation: the traces of my past will face tomorrow’s hardship by making a promise to fly to the blue sky and reach my dreams.

Watch: August 2020

Leggi di Più

Less Revenge More 'Fix the Unjust'

Surprisingly, I like season 2 better than season 1. This season is like Taxi Driver 1 with steroid. You either like it or hate it - I think it's hard to get middle ground on this.

The premise remains the same. It's a service for revenge, giving option for those who want to kill themselves or can't see way out to cancel their suicide plan and go back to live and move on. The characters have all changed, they are stronger. This is not only physically stronger but also there're new depths in each character.

The new Kim Do Gi reminds me of Jason Bourne or Kim Je Ha of K2. The superhero who has everything, brain and physic. The kind of hero that too good to be true but I simply don't care. I want entertainment, I got entertainment. At least, the character is consistent throughout the series. Even Ahn Go Eun became this super cool hacker who even know how to fight. What a change, right?

Story-wise, I like that there is no 'in house' prison like season 1. Each revenge feels less and less like a revenge but more like reclaim the justice - vigilante way, of course. The story has more layers. Justice is not black and white, most time, it is grey. I like this kind of story because reality is never black and white. I like the variety of topic they brought in this season. From trafficking to cult, to fraud and drugs. Villages and cities. In South Korea and abroad. This provides opportunity for each actor to play different character. What a joy to see. Everyone has their own time to shine.

Can we talk about Shin Jae Ha as On Ha Joon. He stole the show. I LOVE Je Hoon but can't lie, Jae Ha gave everything he has. That last episode, where he just sit, no talk, no funny face but tells a lot of emotions is one of my fave scene. Perfect cast! Interesting character that is executed very very well. I can't wait to see more of him, protagonis, antagonis, bring them all.
Another one that stole the show despite short screen time is Shim So Young as Lim Bok Ja. Please, bring her back in the sequel. She is perfect!

This is a perfect drama for those who like super hero action. Binge-watching if you like but also watch 1-2 episode per sitting is recommended. I applaud the director, she is doing awesome job here. I like it that much, I immediately rewatch the drama when I finished episode 16.

Leggi di Più

Those who spent many times at airports may like it.

If you watch Terminal by Tom Hanks, this is Korean mellodrama version of it. At least, most scenes are within terminal building. This is the attraction factor for me as I LOVE airport and I spent most of my time in the airports. Another reason to watch is Lee Je Hoon. I enjoy his acting and always like the characters he play, mostly action, thriller, fantasy genre. I have seen most of his drama and movie. This drama is my way to see the romantic side of him. I have high expectations because of these two reasons.

The premise is promising but it is poorly executed. A life within airport terminal is dynamic, chaotic but there's strict structure and rule to orchestra the complex system. There are 1001 possibilities in the airport and the drama told a few of those stories. Some were quite known and some others may not be known for casual passengers. There is specific terminal issue every one or two episodes. Within this context, this drama delivers.

However, in this is the biggest disappointment, the characters are not consistent. I can't relate to Han Yeo Reum character. Well, I prefer strong FL and she is not that kind of girl. She is a bubbly persona who is too busy thinking of what other people think about her. Her kindness and willingness to go extra miles to help others should be her charm but it didn't work for me. Too many times, I am frustrated with her logic. This is my first Chae Soo Bin drama so I don't have comparison to her acting (it's weird that I didn't manage to go beyond the first 15 minutes for the strongest delivery man and rookie cops).

Lee Soo Yeon character made me sad. Such a waste to Je Hoon acting. The first few episodes, the character is clear. Strong, cool headed, smart and all that. I can try to understand his fear in going back using wheelchair if there's a stronger back story. The look of other people? Or maybe this is the Korean context that I can't grasp. There were scenes to explain that he is lack of love, being abandon and all that. Still, there are too many holes here.

This is the case for the rest of the characters. I can imagine each of them is a strong character with their own charm. Is there not enough time to build it and give a proper story for each of them? In my opinion, everyone is interesting here.

Rowoon as Go Eun Seob and Kim Kyung Nam as Oh Dae Ki is so underrated. For me, they stole the show with their "supporting" role. Provide a beautiful nuance to the story.

Let's talk about the story. In addition to problems around the airport (passengers, aircraft, and alike), there is one big drama that should be the one that connect the past and the present time, the relationship among main characters. As the "peak", the story only shown in rush in the last two episodes. It appeared poorly and ended in a manner like it's not a big deal. So one person is groomed to drive privatization of an airport. Why it takes years, there are other ways to do that. There should be bigger goal when you implant a person to get profit out of an airport. Think about other drama with similar goal. Every episode there would be a tactic or strategy in place to move towards the goal. None in this drama.

That's one. Another one is a story about human with different ability, disable person. This can be a great story and yet, they stick to the stigma around disable person. I am sad. I like dr romantic, written by the same script writer. So, I don't know what happened here. I think this drama want to tell too many stories but failed to make it coherent. This reminds me of prison playbook - there are a lot of characters, each comes with their own story and the drama able to tell it beautifully, coherent, consistent and every thing is needed to tell the bigger story.

In short, do I recommend to watch it? Yes, why not. It's easy to watch, you won't get too stressful about it. If you like the casts, you are going to enjoy it. If you are the type of person who get annoyed with inconsistent characters: don't. My suggestion, don't put high expectations, just enjoy it. The soundtrack is super nice. Lee Je Hoon is nice to look at. Watch the last episode with the least expectation. It's happy ending, don't worry. But all done in rush. Well, that last scene made me write this review after hiatus for a year or more. (Seriously, can someone enlighten me with why there is no face of Je Hoon?)

Leggi di Più

The beauty and peril of being a young and privileged man.

Hwarang is a blast of youth. It is inspired by a real-life event. However, limited knowledge about history won’t affect your experience watching this drama . Even if it happened more than a thousand year ago, the theme is relevant to the current situation. It is about being part of the privileged group, about the desire to make a change to a corrupted and unjust society, about power struggle among those who have been in power for too long. Don’t worry, this is not a heavy k-drama. This is a light drama, basically to showcase all these beautiful young men living together and a battle of high level testosterone on a daily basis.

The story is not the strongest point of Hwarang. The production got a low score for me. But I don’t watch Sageuk so I don’t have any comparison. It looks like being filmed on a tight and low budget production. I didn’t check. Except for the beautiful dresses, the visuals are pretty lame.

Still, I will watch this drama over and over again. Just like eating junk food, it’s not good but it’s delicious. I am craving for more.

This drama has a long cast of talented actors/ actresses, I suspect the cost of production went to the casts. The casts save this drama. An example, I see how Kim Chan Wan as Park Yeong Shil put his signature in the character he plays so that the antagonist has more depth. So do other actors/ actresses. They bring their own interpretation to their character. At least, this is the case for the more experienced casts.

Wooga squad came out of this drama. It’s an indicator on how good the chemistry and relationship among the young casts is. Park Seo Joon together with Park Hyung Shik and Go Ah Ra, they make a good team. The rest of the young cast are similarly okay but, for me, Seo Joon stands out compared to others. Taehyung is my bias so I won’t comment much on his acting. It’s too similar to how Taehyung is being portrayed in real life on the many bangtan reality shows. I enjoy it but I am not sure if he is acting or he is simply being himself. There were moments when he was good, but it's like hit and miss. I don’t know if the character is made to accommodate him or he was given that character because it is similar to his. I suspect he could show better acting if he was given a different character, one that is not too close to his public personality and push him to go beyond his comfort zone.

Oh and, I know this is from a past time in a patriarchal culture but I read somewhere that Hwarang was created to counter the strong women squad. The women protagonist and antagonist are strong but I really wish there were more women in it.

I like some of their music, its catchy. But again, I have my own bias towards a certain bands. Ehm, what can I say? :)

This is a good drama if you need something light, want to be entertained. Hwarang has a bit of action, a splash of mellowness and a chuckle every now and then. Forget logic and be forgiving about holes in its story.

Leggi di Più

A real class act from fine young actors!

Prepare your kleenex for this one. A beautiful story about beautiful souls. Move To Heaven is a 10-episodes drama, not your typical drama. If you don’t have time to spare, this is a good option.

Death is unavoidable. We are familiar with various grieving stories. We see plenty of forensic drama. We have more than enough drama involving death but there are not many dramas that could tell a story about death like Move to Heaven. I don’t even know that this service exists!

Remember this phrase “hurt people hurt people”. Thus, only loved people are able to love others even if their love language is not a common one like our protagonist in this movie. Han Geu Ru is loved by his father despite his condition and therefore he has been living in a secured bubble full of love. This movie is about how that love allows him to overcome the challenges in daily life and in particular his struggle to accept his uncle. This is about what family means to you.

The one that left the biggest impression is the acting of the casts. I watched this in parallel with Taxi Driver. Basically, I saw Lee Je Hoon playing two characters at the same time and I am in awe of his acting. He is handsome (don’t even start) but that’s not why I was charmed throughout this series. It’s the way he expressed Cho Sang Gu, a person that kept a bitter memory for so long that he doesn’t believe in happiness. I enjoy his acting throughout the episodes.

The production paired LJH with Tang Jun Sang who played Han Geu Ru in immaculate way. The interaction between these two are beautiful. I saw Tan Jung Sang in Crash Landing on You and Racket Boys. For sure, TJS will go places. He still has a long way to go in his career and is already able to convey subtle emotions. I heard he couldn’t watch Move to Heaven because of the rating.

If you are big fans of classical music, you will be pleased with Move to Heaven just like me.

I suggest you watch it if you want to have a good cry and appreciate good acting. Well, LJH is a nice bonus :-)

Watch: June 2021

Leggi di Più

Seriously, Lee Sun Gyun is charming in every way.

Pasta is a feel-good drama with enough conflict and com-rom that can make you smile, laugh and cry. Perfect for binge-watch but it is also fine to savour it over time. Bonus for Lee Sun Gyun fans, there are plenty of scenes where he swooned us!

Professional kitchens are still male-dominated world, even ten years after Pasta is aired. Recently, there has been a growth in the number of female chefs in the US and UK. But even in 2017, there is no female chef in Gods of Foods. Imagine the context when Pasta is produced, it is understandable why there is a character like Choi Hyun Wook who wants to have an all-male kitchen and uses tough love as the main communication language.

Oh Sae Young, our protagonist, is an exception not a norm. So, I wish the character has a stronger appearance despite her past mistakes. The story made Oh Sae Young a popular TV personality with a pretty face. As for Seo Yoo Kyung, contrary to some comments, is a strong female lead. I think Gong Hyo Jin was successful in showing that. “Yes Chef” can not always be understood as a submission. There are many occasions where our hopeful chef stayed firm with her decision. Foolishly stubborn.

Anyway, it is a story about forbidden love, one of the most repeated themes. Here comes Hyun Wook and his difficult personality. I feel like many things are left unexplained about him but I don’t care that much. I blindly like Lee Sun Gyun. His facial expression, the small details when he communicated with Gong Hyo Jin were on point. I like the chemistry and interaction between these two frenemies. I often replay some scenes a couple of times before moving forward. I will rewatch some of those scenes when I am feeling low.

Music is typical K-drama. Nothing too special for me.

Please note, there were a few holes here and there. Inconsistent scenes. Different hand gestures in one conversation, things like that. I know some people find this irritating. I don’t cook so I don’t know if the kitchen scenes are correct or not.

Sometimes, a good drama is the one that fits your mood and gives you enough reason to wake up in the morning.

First watch: July 2021

Leggi di Più