Uncover the hidden gem in a K-drama disguised by its title the Missing Crown Prince. Follow the poignant romance between the Queen Dowager and her secret lover, and see why this series stands out for its unique narrative and captivating acting.

Story

A mistitled drama

Despite its title, the story isn’t about the Missing Crown Prince (Kim Junmyeon). He was missing for just about five episodes.

Main or support characters?

Officially, three young actors are billed as the main characters, but they are actually supporting characters. The true leads are the two actors listed as supporting roles, namely: Myeong Sebin as Taebi Minssi; and Kim Joheon as Choe Sangrok.

A tragic love story

The narrative centres on the tragic romance between the Taebi Minssi and her ex-betrothed turned secret lover, Choe Sangrok. Their relationship drives the emotional core of the series. The love story of I Geon and Choe Myeongyun was straightforward and clearly secondary from the start.

Performance

The acting is impressive, particularly from the actual main actors—Myeong Sebin and Kim Joheon—showcasing their veteran skills. The younger actors—Hong Yeji and Kim Junmyeon—also performed well, learning from their senior counterparts and creating great on-screen synergy.

Verdict

If you catch the early hints that the show isn’t about the Missing Crown Prince, it deserves a perfect 10 stars. This series demands the right mindset to be truly appreciated and rated accurately.

Official trailer

Taxi Driver (모범택시) revolves around a group of people who are dissatisfied with the justice system and take on cases that have been ignored or overlooked by the authorities. They help ordinary people who have been left behind by the law.

Taxi Driver (모범택시) features a star-studded cast, including Lee Je Hoon (이제훈) as Kim do Gi (김도기), Pyo Ye Jin (표예진) as Ahn Go Eun (안고은), and Kim Eui Sung (김의성) as Jang Sung Chul (장성철). Alongside them are regular and familiar actors such as Jang Hyuk Jin (장혁진) as Choi Kyung Goo (최경구) and Bae Yoo Ram (배유람) as 박진언 (Park Jin Eon).

Synopsis

Despite disbanding after Kim do Gi (김도기)’s successful revenge, the Rainbow Deluxe Taxi (레인보우 디럭스 택시) crew, including Jang Sung Chul (장성철), Ahn Go Eun (안고은), Choi Kyung Goo (최경구), and Park Jin Eon (박진언), can’t resist the call to reunite with their former leader. Though each attempts to live a regular life with a typical job, their innate desire to fight against injustice draws them back to one another. ¹

Now fighting for more clients than ever before, the crew continues to battle on behalf of those wronged by an unequal society. However, their work draws the attention of a mysterious organisation. As they try to uncover the organisation’s identity and motives, the Rainbow Deluxe Taxi (레인보우 디럭스 택시) crew faces their toughest challenge yet. ¹

Story

The narrative structure of Season 2 took on a more ‘serial’ approach, featuring an overarching storyline that developed with each episode leading to the finale. This was a shift from Season 1’s episodic structure, where each episode or two were standalone stories with little connection to an overarching plot.

This change in storytelling style left many viewers feeling conflicted about Season 2 during its first four episodes, as they had come in with expectations based on the previous season. However, the season ultimately proved to be a success, with each individual case presented in a way that could stand alone as a captivating story, while still maintaining a common thread that tied everything together.

In Season 2, just as in the previous season, many of the cases presented were inspired by real-life events in South Korea. However, the showrunners masterfully wove the fictionalized overarching storyline into these cases, creating a beautifully seamless blend of reality and fiction.

A true standalone sequel

Season 2 of Taxi Driver (모범택시) is a self-contained story that can be enjoyed by both new and returning viewers. Any references to the previous season were used sparingly as flashbacks to add depth to the characters and enrich the drama. It’s like watching a new show where some references to the past are used to help viewers understand the characters and their motivations.

Performance

The actors in Taxi Driver (모범택시) Season 2 delivered superb performances, demonstrating the same level of skill and commitment to their roles as in Season 1. Their acting was neither underwhelming nor over-the-top, striking a perfect balance that kept viewers engaged and invested in the story.

While there is always pressure to surpass the previous season, this can sometimes lead to overacting. However, the actors in Season 2 avoided this trap and remained true to their characters, bringing them to life with nuance and depth. Season 2 is more focused on the story arc than the individual characters, but the actors still managed to give their roles with the necessary emotions and complexity to make the show a success. Overall, their performances were outstanding, contributing to the overall quality of the show.

Production

Similar to the actors, the production team behind Taxi Driver (모범택시) Season 2 maintained the same level of quality and consistency as in Season 1. This decision to maintain a similar level of production was a wise one, as it ensured that Season 2 remained on par with the previous season. Rather than attempting to introduce new elements for the sake of being different or innovative, the production team focused on delivering the same high-quality visuals, sound, and overall presentation that made Season 1 such a success.

As a result, Season 2 of Taxi Driver (모범택시) was able to stand on its own as a powerful and engaging season, while still staying true to the look and feel of the franchise. It allowed the show to build on the success of the first season while still offering something fresh and new for audiences to enjoy.

Verdict

Taxi Driver (모범택시) is an outstanding season deserving nine (9) out of ten (10) stars. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I am eagerly looking forward to Seasons 3 and 4!

Did I mention that there is a potential for a spin-off? One possible spin-off could be an eight-episode prequel, exploring the story of Ms. Driver, the first Deluxe Taxi driver.

Official trailer

The Last of Us premiered on HBO Max this week. This new TV series is an adaptation of a game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog.

It is rare to see a good live-action adaptation of a game franchise. Produced and written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, I can say that The Last of Us is counted in those rare adaptations. ¹

Synopsis

In 2003, a fungal virus that turns its victims bloodthirsty and infects those they attack sparks a global pandemic. Joel (played by actor Pedro Pascal) flees with his daughter as the virus starts to spread, but was killed by a soldier. Twenty years later, the fungal virus has ravaged the world, and Joel was tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (played by actress Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States.

Episode 01 Review

• Part 1: 1968

  It was a very good introduction. Straightforward. It saved the show from explaining it later. I do not know if this was how it went in the original material, if not, it was a good decision to get it out of the way.

• Part 2: 2003

  This is the part that I wish they spent more time on. They could have built deeper the daughter-dad relationship, and their relationship with their neighbours. It was lacking in this area. I did not feel anything when his daughter died. The Koreans are good at this, they could take a tip or two from them.

  The devastation and destruction were also limited. If all hell was breaking loose, I want to feel and see that. The urgency. The fear. Adrenalin kicking in. Survival instincts playing a major role.

  But, okay, it was 2003, the population were not yet into zombies, so everyone’s reactions were “he’s gone crazy”. If the outbreak happened in 2023, the reaction would be different.

• Part 3: 2023

  Too much time was spent on this. It could’ve been shorter, since they are going to leave the Boston QZ (quarantine zone) anyway, and it is the typical post-apocalyptic QZ. The time gained from it could have been used for Part 2 (see above feedback).

  Since I have not played the game, it would be interesting to see aerial shots. How big was the QZ? What’s the surrounding area look like? It does not have to be grand, just there to help the audience immerse in this post-apocalyptic 2023.

Verdict

Overall, it was a good premiere episode.

1. It set the tone of the series.
2. It explained the important details, like what was the underlying cause of the outbreak.
3. Introduced the main and support characters, and what kind of persons they are.

HBO Max only ordered ten episodes for Season 1. The three points I mentioned are key into keeping the focus of this season on the main plot.

I love it, 8 out of 10 stars! Now, where is episode 02?

Official trailer

A beautifully woven story about life and death, and how we are all connected together.

Synopsis

Baek Dong Joo (백동주) (character played by Lee Hye Ri (이혜리)) is a former professional ping pong athlete, who has just started to work as a funeral director. On her first day on the job she finds out she has the gift, or curse, to momentarily resurrect and talk to the recently deceased people when she touches them. She has to grant 21 wishes to be freed of this fate.

Kim Tae Hee (김태희) (character played by Lee Jun Young (이준영)) works as a man for hire. Employed by his uncle Vincent running the newly opened errand service company “A Dime A Job” he can be hired for any odd but legal task for as little as one hundred Won.

One day, Kim Tae Hee (김태희) encounters Baek Dong Joo (백동주), when he was hired by her boyfriend to break up with her in his stead. After that, their paths continue to cross, and by the virtue of their jobs their fates get intertwined deeper and deeper in a series of life and death situations, surrounding the wishes of the people who had died, and the painful past it is going to unravel for both of them. ¹

Review

At first, one would think it is just another comedy, ‘feel good’, “very fictional”, TV series. It was easy to drop it just because. But, a fair warning, doing so would be to your detriment. This series is about life, the value of relationships, and yes, what death means for you and me.

The story transcends faith and religion. This was beautifully depicted with the Catholic priest and the Catholic confessional box; as well as, by the Buddhism beliefs of the other characters. Life, relationships, and death, are universal, and commonly have the same depth of meaning regardless of one’s faith and religion.

It is not about ghosts. In fact, there is nothing paranormal in the story, rather, it is more supernatural. A higher being supernaturally allowed the female lead character to have a spiritual “Stella’s touch”. One last opportunity for the dead to make their wishes known; and for the living to have peace.

The ending is a must-watch, but only if one watched the series from the beginning without skipping anything. It is rare to see an ending that blows the audience, and leaves a long-lasting impression. An ending deserving of the beautifully woven story of the male and female lead characters, and their relationships with their loved ones, their regrets, and their hopes.

This TV drama is a story about you and me. It is a story about the living and our dearly departed. It is a story of healing and moving on. A story of regrets and hopes. It is painful, sad, and you will definitely cry no matter how strong you may be. But in the end, it reminds us how good it is to live, and that all the pain and hardships of life we may have gone through and will go through, are nothing compared to having been loved.

May I Help You? (일당백집사)

Verdict: 10 out of 10 stars!

Music

The song I want played if my turn to leave this world comes.

We came to the world as strangers. We will leave as friends. “Goodbye, My Friend” / “Annyong My Friend” / “안녕 My Friend”.

Official trailer

OST

Start-Up PH is a 2022 Philippine drama starring Bea Alonzo, Alden Richards, Jeric Gonzales, and Yasmien Kurdi. This show is about two sisters who dream of starting the next highly successful startup company, but learn that being a successful CEO means first and foremost being human.

Synopsis

Sandbox PH is the Philippine branch of Sandbox, a fictional incubator company from Korea (from the original series). They take in people aspiring to build the next big tech company in the Philippines while learning the ropes of managing a company and developing a new product.

Tristan ‘Good Boy’ Hernandez is an intelligent, independent, and self-made investor who had a difficult past and used it to achieve remarkable success in life.

Danica ‘Dani’ Sison is a quirky dreamer with a firm determination to prove to herself and the world that she can become a CEO of her own company.

Katrina ‘Ina’ Diaz is Dani’s older sister, who lived with their mother abroad and later returned to the Philippines. Dani and Ina met again in Sandbox PH and were immediately at odds because of their life choices.

Davidson ‘Dave’ Navarro was a mathematics genius when he was young. He and his friends are newbie entrepreneurs willing to learn and take risks to fulfil their dreams.

What will happen when they all meet together in Sandbox PH? Will they come together to make their dreams a reality? Are they willing to do and learn everything to be successful in this cutthroat tech industry?

Premiere Week Performance

From the premiere episode to the fifth, the actors brought their characters to life closer to the original drama series while keeping the characters true to being Filipino. Bea Alonzo’s acting as the Filipino counterpart of Bae Suzy (배수지)’s character Seo Dal Mi (서달미) earned her the nickname the Bea Suzy of the Philippines, and I could not agree more, as Bea portrayed her character Danica ‘Dani’ Sison amazingly.

The boy next door Alden Richards is playing as Tristan ‘Good Boy’ Hernandez, the Filipino counterpart of Kim Seon Ho (김선호)’s character Han Ji Pyung (한지평). Alden was not only at par with Seon Ho (선호) in his attractive looks and charming dimples, Alden’s acting was top-notch when he captured Ji Pyung (지평) so well and translated it into a Filipino character.

Another outstanding talent who brought the show’s high ratings in its first week is Yasmien Kurdi as Katrina ‘Ina’ Diaz, the Filipino counterpart of Won In Jae (유인재), played by Kang Han Na (강한나) in the original series. Ina possessed the same fierceness and intimidating qualities of being a big sister as In Jae (인재), with the added Filipino touch of being mataray (blunt; mean; pretentious; sassy); excellent acting from Yasmien.

Premiere Week Production

When it comes to adapting a story to a local setting, it is critical to have balance. Changing everything to what is locally common can ruin the essence of the original story. There are different types of adaptations, but in this particular scenario, it was a retelling of the original story in a Philippine setting. The Philippine adaptation of Start-Up (스타트업) did not disappoint. In general, parts that should be the same remained as-is while modifying those that fit in a local context.

Premiere Week Verdict

My verdict after watching the premiere week episodes is a perfect ten (10)! I rarely watch locally produced movies and TV series these days because the plot is usually the same. If it was an adaptation, either the production was subpar or there were excessive changes. Start-Up PH is on the same level as the original series, similar to the Philippine adaptation of Descendants of the Sun (태양의 후예). I am looking forward to seeing the rest of Start-Up PH, especially how there were already hints our lead female character may choose her childhood pen pal in the end—a different choice from the original series.

Official trailer

Start-Up PH Links

• Official website
• MyDramaList: Rate and leave reviews
• IMDb: Rate and leave reviews
• Official hashtag: #StartUpPH
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Check out my «Start-Up» review.

Korean screenwriters have a fascination with time travel for the past five years or so. Korean time travel stories are commonly taken seriously by fans as hard science where time travel mechanics should be explained. Alienoid (외계+인) is a time travel adventure that is easy to follow and is a mix of science fiction and fantasy.

Synopsis

Guard (가드) (played by Kim Hyun Joong (김우빈)) is a highly advanced cyborg from a distant civilization. Together with his sidekick robot Thunder (천둥), they ensure the Paros (what the aliens call their criminals) they imprisoned on planet Earth across all times can never escape. However, time started to fracture when they brought back a baby from the past to the present.

Mu Reuk (무륵) (played by Ryu Joon Yeol (류준열)) is a Dosa (도사) who use his abilities as a bounty hunter, a profession despised by many Dosa. He learned about a bounty to find an object called divine knife with a very generous reward that can solve his financial problems.

Lee An (이안) (played by Kim Tae Ri (김태리)) was born in late Goryeo Dynasty (1374–1392). She has been searching for the divine knife for ten years and has learned how to use a gun. Her path eventually crossed with Mu Reuk (무륵) and together they fight the Paros who also want the divine knife.

Story

The story is straightforward, Guard (가드), Thunder (천둥), and Lee An (이안) must capture or eliminate the criminal aliens who have successfully taken over their human prison. If these aliens acquire the divine knife they will be able to awaken their comrades and end humanity.

Time travel was also easy to follow, though they hinted there is more to time, it is pretty much linear in this movie. Time travel was only used as a literary device to trap the protagonists and the antagonists in late Goryeo Dynasty where magic and spiritual abilities were still practiced.

Anyone looking for a fun science fantasy adventure film, Alienoid (외계+인) is the answer.

Performance

The main actors for our primary characters are all well experienced in acting. They casted actors who can deliver the kind of acting that fits who the characters are supposed to be.

We have Kim Hyun Joong (김우빈) who played Guard (가드) and the many alter ego of Thunder (천둥). Many would recognize him from his recent acting comeback in Our Blues (우리들의 블루스).

There is also Ryu Joon Yeol (류준열) who played Mu Reuk (무륵). Fans of Reply 1988 (응답하라 1988) would definitely know him.

Of course, Kim Tae Ri (김태리) as the gun-wielding martial artist, time traveler, and Goryeo-born Lee An (이안). Her recent TV drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One (스물다섯 스물하나) landed her Best Actress (여우주연상) at the 58^th Baeksang Arts Awards (제58회 백상예술대상).

I would not be surprised if their characters were written with these actors in mind before they were offered to star in this film.

Production

There are two eras in this movie: early 21^st century (2012 and 2022 Korea); and late 14^th century (1380 and 1391 Goryeo Dynasty). In both eras, they paid attention on how they use special effects and the graphics design.

In the 21^st century Korea they brought in the looks of a highly advanced technology. I love the transforming spaceship, it is similar to the Western show Team Knight Rider or the 32^nd era of Star Trek: Discovery. (When are we going to have this technology in real life?) Another thing was the armor of Guard (가드), it reminded me of the Japanese franchise Guyver (ガイバー).

In 14^th century Goryeo Dynasty they showed the architecture and designs of late Goryeo. The special effects for magic were kept simple and appropriate for the period. But what can be easily missed and misunderstood is the design and graphics for the aliens. With two vastly different eras, they opted to keep the aliens bare. I think the aliens are wearing some sort of an armor and they have not shown what they actually look like. This was a good decision as it made sure the aliens fit in both eras.

Verdict

They should have showed more fight scenes in the Goryeo era since it is the main focus of Alienoid (외계+인) part one. The fight scenes and special effects in the modern era were great but those were things commonly scene in an alien invasion story set in modern times. What makes science fantasy very exciting is seeing the interaction of … well … science and fantasy. It was a good start to bring in guns in Goryeo but they should not have stopped there.

They should also be careful with dates. Lee An (이안) was still a baby when they met her in 1380. Yet in 2022 Thunder (천둥) said she came from 646 years in the past which would be the year 1376.

For Alienoid (외계+인) part one I give it 9 out of 10 stars. It would have been an 8 if not for the performance of the three main actors and for keeping the special effects appropriate for the Goryeo Dynasty depicted in the film.

Official trailer

Alchemy of Souls (환혼) is an epic adventure of friendship, self-discovery, magic, and love. This high fantasy TV drama recently concluded its first season and dropped a very enticing season two plot.

Season 01 started and ended strong. Alchemy of Souls (환혼) was a story about two very powerful mages who can make or break the world. Two souls who tried to run away from their fate only for destiny to catch up with them. The first season was not only about magic and dark sorcery, it is a love story. A love story about ourselves, the people we care about, self-discovery, life, and yes, people we want to spend the rest of our lives with.

What is Alchemy of Souls (환혼)

Alchemy of Souls (환혼) is a Korean pantasya (ᜉᜈ᜔ᜆᜐ᜔ᜌ) about magic, love, politics, and martial arts. It was penned by the popular duo, the Hong (홍) sisters. It tells the story about two souls who were wronged in their childhood and is looking for justice and revenge. Yet there are forces greater than them that may spell doom to the nation of Dae Ho (대호), and possibly the magic users and magic itself.

Mu Deok is played by Jung So Min (정소민), a personal maid of Jang Uk. She is actually Nak Su, the most feared mage assassin and who is seeking revenge for the murder of her clan. However, after performing the alchemy of souls, she inadvertedly taken over the body of Mu Deok, who is weak and seemingly have no pathways to magic.

Meanwhile her master, Jang Uk (played by Lee Jae Wook (이재욱)) is the son of the most powerful mage in Dae Ho (대호). His magic was sealed by his father for his lineage has a dark secret. He is training under his personal maid Mu Deok—whose soul is Nak Su the assassin.

Season 01 details

• Native title: 환혼
• English title: Alchemy of Souls
• Episodes: 20
• Length: 80 min. per episode
• Network: tvN and Netflix
• Screenwriters: Hong (홍) sisters
• Director: Park Joon Hwa (박준화)

Story

The story of Alchemy of Souls (환혼) was well written and thought of. The world was also well crafted including the rules behind the magic in this universe. From a worldbuilding and writing perspective, Alchemy of Souls (환혼) is a very good setting for Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game sessions.

I only have two feedback:

1. It took long to address the missing daughter sub-plot;
2. It does not make sense for Nak Su to have not figured out who Jin Bu Yeon is or was. Is Nak Su cold-hearted? She certainly does not lack analytical skills as she has shown throughout season 01.

Overall I am impressed with the flow of the story. They jumped right into the story while they carefully introduced the characters and the world of Alchemy of Souls (환혼). Each episode was packed with important key details about the story which made audiences wanting more. Speculations and theories were written and majority, if not all, were proven incorrect by the show itself.

Performance

They all did well in their performances, however, there are four actors who deserve recognition for bringing their characters to life.

• Jung So Min (정소민) as Mu Deok (무덕). Jung So Min (정소민)’s role in the show was unique, she not only had to play as Mu Deok (무덕) but also as Jin Bu Yeon (진부연) and Nak Su (낙수).

  • As Jin Bu Yeon (진부연), Jung So Min (정소민) had to change forget everything about being Mu Deok (무덕). These two characters are total opposites. Jin Bu Yeon (진부연) was a blind priestess and heir to the Jin clan. She is stiff, wise beyond her years, and meant business.

  • As Nak Su (낙수), Jung So Min (정소민) had to show fierceness. An female assassin who would kill anyone she was ordered to. The most powerful and feared mage. A living weapon.

  • But as Mu Deok (무덕), Jung So Min (정소민) had to bring to life a female assassin who was absorbed into the physically weak body of Jin Bu Yeon (진부연) which also sealed her magic as Nak Su (낙수). She had to live as a servant while keeping her dangerous secret. She also had to show the changing nature of Mu Deok (무덕) as she discovers herself and the wonderful people and world she shunned.

  These three contrasting characters, and one going through self-discovery and building social connections she never had, is no easy task to take on. A good actor internalizes their character, and shifting to two other different characters when needed during filming can be a challenge. Yet actress Jung So Min (정소민) superbly played all three characters. She turned into a totally different character without any hint that her main character was Mu Deok (무덕).

  Jung So Min (정소민) deserves a major award for her roles and for the amazing sword fight scenes in the season finale.

• Hwang Min Hyun (황민현) as Seo Yul (서율). Actor Hwang Min Hyun (황민현) brought to life a character whose role is a handsome, genius mage, who is clueless about the little things yet have a very caring and pure heart. His acting gave his character, Seo Yul (서율), the look of someone who always analyze the situation around him. Always in deep thought yet laughs with his childhood friends.

• Yoo Joon Sang (유준상) as Park Jin (박진). Park Jin (박진)! The most hilarious character in this drama! Right in the early episodes of Alchemy of Souls (환혼), Yoo Joon Sang (유준상) already made his character unique and standout. Only a veteran actor can mix together begins serious, dumbfounded, a romantic fool, and comedic, into one. In one episode, I can not tell if he actually slipped while walking, it was so natural yet he never broke being in-character. I would not be surprised if he developed his character himself as being slow, clueless, and a romantic fool. He added that needed break from the deep seriousness of the drama at the right moment.

• Oh Na Ra (오나라) as Kim Do Ju (김도주). Then we have veteran actress Oh Na Ra (오나라) whose character is the love interest of clueless and romantic fool Park Jin (박진). While her role as Kim Do Ju (김도주) was a support character (even though she was listed as a main character) she was still an integral part of the story as she is the person who gives balance to Park Jin (박진) and Jang Uk (장욱). She was the only mother figure in the life of Jang Uk (장욱) and the lady of the Jang clan. the character of Oh Na Ra (오나라) made the audiences feel happy and sad for her. Oh Na Ra (오나라) embodied the nature of her character and gave us a way to feel what it is like to live in their world.

Production

The best way to explain this is: Alchemy of Souls (환혼) is the Lord of the Rings of Korea. The locations were beautiful and if those are real, I want to visit it and feel what it is like to live in the universe of Alchemy of Souls (환혼). They did not hold back spending on the special effects, they paid attention to the differences between magic and sorcery instead of simply creating generic or one-size-fits-all special effects.

Each scene in the entire drama were perfect, there were no exaggerations yet were not lacking. The focus of the audience stays with the characters and the unfolding story instead of being distracted by the background. It was like watching a Christopher Nolan film.

Season 01 Verdict

Alchemy of Souls (환혼) is hands-down 10 out of 10 stars. No. I am giving it 20 out of 10 stars. It is a TV drama that any fantasy genre fan must watch at least once in their life. Not much to say, it was that awesome!

Official trailer

OST

It is rare to see a movie or a TV series with a proper portrayal of autism. More often than not an autistic character exist in a story because an autistic trait or quirk is used as a plot device, the autistic character was simply a tool to advance a story. Innocent Witness (증인) is different. It introduces the audience to the world of autistics and exposes the discrimination and prejudices of society, most especially from adults who considers themselves normal and supposedly know better.

Synopsis

Im Ji Woo (임지우) (played by Kim Hyang Gi (김향기)) is an autistic middle school (Grades 7-9) girl. One night after her school, she witnessed a crime across the street from her room.

Yang Soon Ho (양순호) (played by Jung Woo Sung (정우성)) was assigned to defend a murder suspect. All evidence points against his client and he believes her story that she is innocent. The only way to win the case was to discredit the sole witness.

Can defense attorney Yang Soon Ho (양순호) prove the innocence of his client by discrediting an autistic teenage girl? Or, is Im Ji Woo (임지우) telling the truth and knows far more than what the prosecution camp was able to gather?

Story

Approaching this movie as a story about crime and mystery would be a disappointment as it has a straightforward plot. That said, it is clear this movie is not about solving the mystery behind the crime rather about the relationship between a defense attorney and an autistic teenage girl who witnessed a crime.

It is a look into autism and how autistic credibility in courts are often challenged because of the many discrimination and prejudice about autism and autistic people. Having a correct mindset will unlock the profound message Innocent Witness (증인) has to offer.

Performance

Kim Hyang Gi (김향기) started as a Korean child actress. She has appeared in numerous films (s. 2006) and TV series (s. 2007), this experience no doubt helped her portray an autistic teenage girl. While the particular autistic traits and quirks she had to act were fewer than in real life, she was able to bring it to the big screen without any awkwardness or mistakes. The emotional struggles, the challenge in communication, sensory overload, and autistic meltdown, she portrayed it all perfectly.

Veteran actor Jung Woo Sung (정우성) did well as an attorney who had no knowledge of autism, who later saw the beauty and talents of an autistic person. He was able to portray a neurotypical person, and a lawyer at that, who will use a person’s condition to discredit their testinomy and win a case, to a neurotypical person who found the error of their ways and chose to take the path to the light. He was able to show that we are all humans, we make mistakes, we have prejudices, and all it takes is opening our eyes and making the effort to reach out and communicate.

Production

The production was good. They showed the room of our autistic teenage girl witness, nothing stereotypical, pretty much ordinary but at the same time have the support she needed. I love how the support she need, a little house/tent was shown, something I can relate well. But what I love the most were the scenes of the world through the eyes of our autistic girl character. Well done on this one even though it was just for a minute or so.

Autistic masking: Pretending to be normal

This is a sad reality for us autistics. We are forced to mask, to pretend to be normal, so neurotypicals will not discriminate against us, will not judge us, will not whisper behind our backs. We have to pretend to be normal so we are treated equally and fairly; so we are treated as human beings, and not as second class citizens or less than human.

As a neurotypical (non-autistic), can you imagine yourself living this way your entire life?

Clarifications

This is true. We do pay attention and we remember. However, it does not mean we all have photographic memories or that we will be able to respond … at all. If an autistic is focused intently on something, there is a higher chance external inputs will never get processed. For example, in my case, I would hear it but I won’t be able to process it if I am hyper focused on whatever I am doing at that moment; the chance of me responding gets slimmer as time ticks by.

This is a misunderstanding based on old studies. Autistics can lie, it is just that we hate lies and avoid it at all costs. Masking ourselves is a form of a lie neurotypicals call a white lie. We do not have a choice in it because if we do not mask, we are discriminated, looked down upon, and we hear whispers and judgements from neurotypicals. We will also lie if it means protecting the people we love. We hate it. We will struggle with it. It will drain us. It can also lead to a meltdown for some autistics.

Verdict

Innocent Witness (증인) is a story of a young autistic teenage girl who wants to live like everybody else and have dreams like anybody else. An autistic girl who fights for what is right and the truth despite the ridicules and judgement she may receive from people who call themselves normal.

The good production, excellent performances from the actors, a well-written script, and good portrayal of an autistic person, makes this a good introduction to what autism is and who autistic people are. While it does not mean all autistics are like Im Ji Woo (임지우) it still gives an insight to what autistics face on a daily basis and how challenging–and degrading it is when neurotypicals (non-autistics) dismiss and judge us.

All things considered, it deserves a perfect ten (10) from me, YourOnly.One.

Official trailer

The canon and original Harry Potter novel series centered on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Fans have always wondered since the original run of the books how other magical communities fit in the timeline. In Mudblood we get to see an adventure distant yet so near to the events after the Order of the Phoenix and how it could have had changed the course of history.

Synopsis

Mudblood is a Harry Potter fanfilm which takes place in the United States of America between the events of the Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince. It follows the story of Muriel Warrington, a Hufflepuff student from Hogwarts, who acquired a very important item which belongs to the Dark Lord. With a very important artifact in her possession, Muriel can not trust anyone, especially not when The Sisters is hunting her down across America.

This three-part fan film was produced by Conrad Studios with Honduran-American filmmaker Conrad Faraj as its director and writer. The series stars Makenna Weyburne as Muriel Warrington, Angela Cole as Emmeline Purkiss, Jazz Securo as Merlin Evergreen, Sabré Randall as Fleur Jones, Evan Kilmartin as Alvin Finch, and Maggie Callahan as Kendra Boardman in the first two films and with Maggie Keating for the same role in third film.

Story

Overall the story was good and there were no contradictions with what we know as canon in the novels. It was also brilliant that they tied an adventure in the Americas, something fans were wondering about since the middle of the book series. The MACUSA or the Magical Congress of the United States of America was also involved with the usual “it’s a problem from across the pond, why should we deal with it” attitude.

As powerful as Hermione?

What I loved the most was the main character, Muriel Warrington, a “British girl” who was a Hufflepuff student from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Muriel is a very powerful witch who can wield two wands and use both simultaenously. It is established canon that spells are weakened when two wands are used at the same time but for Muriel it was just another ordinary spellcasting.

Muriel can even withstand two simultaneous attacks from well-trained Death Eater Sisters!

Even Hermione witnessed Muriel’s abilities when she faced the Slytherin bullies.

We all know Hermione would jump to the defense of the bullied especially if they’re a mudblood like herself and the bullies are Slytherin. Yet in this instance, she just stood, in awe of Muriel Warrington. Although I think she was more worried of Muriel when she lost herself in her rage and used dark arts. Or maybe, Hermione thought she can recruit her in the Order of the Phoenix. Regardless of what Hermione was thinking, it just proves how powerful Muriel is at her age.

Okay, last one! I think Muriel would also fit Ravenclaw. I would not be surprised if the Sorting Hat chose between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Muriel is not only wise but is also highly intelligent like Hermione.

Performance

In all three short films, I was impressed with most is the acting. Special mention to Angela Cole who played Emmeline Purkiss. She was great both as an Auror-in-training and as a Death Eater Sister, she can easily pass as the Bellatrix of America.

One where it could have been better was the scene where the British representative was convincing MACUSA to find Muriel. It felt like they were practicing their dialogues, the urgency of the matter was not there, and MACUSA’s desire to downplay the request was more of words than action. The two characters acted like they were long-time friends from their school days but what little hints about them we can glean points to the opposite direction … strangers outside of their roles.

I also commend the other two Sisters, Fleur Jones played by Sabré Randall and Kendra Boardman played by Maggie Callahan. Since The Sisters was a group of Death Eaters under the command of Bellatrix, it was only apparent that there are members who are as crazy as her, Sabré Randall and Maggie Callahan, and later Maggie Keating, did great in portraying their own brand of avada kedavra hungry Death Eaters.

Production

On the production side, it looks like they used official Harry Potter merchandise where there is available—the Hogwarts uniform, the Hogwarts Houses neck scarfs, and the time turner necklace, to mention a few. The wands were also well-made especially designed for filming, if they can secure a license to sell their own wand designs, they should, especially the wands of Alvin and Emmeline.

However, there was a forest scene where the camera was shaking randomly. It was as if the cameraman was running and unexpectedly stepped on stones. It was a little unnerving, at least for me who is sensitive to sudden unexpected motions. Other than this, I have nothing but praises for the team.

For example, the special effects for spells were high quality. Special effects is the most time consuming and takes a lot from the budget, thus the level of effects we see in a film reflects the budget and time they spent on it. In Mudblood they made sure it is up to par with the official films, even better in some scenes.

Verdict

Whether you are a Harry Potter fan or not, whether you have watched fanfilms before or have never done so in your life, Mudblood is a highly recommended film to watch. If Potterverse was an open shared world, Mudblood can easily become canon with its good and very interesting story, great production, and amazing actors.

There are a lot more to tell about the characters too. I want to see more of Emmeline Purkiss, she was a very promising and powerful Auror-in-training witch. Who was she? Who was her parents? Why was she easily turned?

Is Hermione Granger friends with Muriel? It looked like she did not come by chance when Muriel was dueling with the Slytherin girls. Are mudbloods always that powerful? Lily Potter was a very powerful mudblood as well. So, who is Muriel? Did she have powerful wizards and witches as her ancient ancestors? Why was she willing to use the dark arts when the situation calls for it? Did she reach her full potential as a student of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

These and more are the stories yet to tell from this fanfiction/fanfilm world Conrad Studios introduced us into. I hope they can make more and I also hope they can get considered as canon too, or soft canon in Trek lingo.

Ratings

Here are my scores:

• Mudblood: Part 1: 9 out of 10 stars
• Mudblood: Part 2: 8 out of 10 stars
• Mudblood: Part 3: 10 out of 10 stars

With a total score of 9 out of 10 stars.

I hope you agree because …

And the MACUSA will not be happy either …

In fact, everyone will be your enemy …

Not even Muriel will side with you …

What do you think? You can share your review in the comments below anonymously so they can not track you.

Official trailer

Watch now for free

《Imitation》 is a 12-episode drama about K-Pop idols. It depicts the various challenges and experiences idols go through from training to finally being chosen to debut, a world that fans rarely see. It stars 《Jeong Ji So》 as 《Lee Ma Ha》, 《Lee Jun Young》 as 《Kwon Ryok》, 《Park Ji Yeon》 as 《La Li Ma》, 《Jeong Yun Ho》 as 《Lee Yoo Jin》, together with 《Chani》 as 《Lee Eun Jo》, 《Im Na Young》 as 《Shim Hyun Ji》, and 《Kim Min Seo》 as 《Yu Ri Ah》.

In the era of millions of K-Pop idol trainees, only 0.1% are selected to debut.

Synopsis

《Lee Ma Ha》 is a member of the new K-pop girl group 《Tea Party》, formed by 《Ji Hak》, who was once the manager of the famous boy group 《Shax》, but resigned after the sudden disappearance of member 《Eun Jo》 in the middle of a concert. Prior to joining 《Tea Party》, 《Ma Ha》 was a member of the group 《Omega III》, which disbanded on its debut day due to a tragic incident involving a former trainee at the group’s company. This led 《Ma Ha》 to support herself by performing as an impersonator of the popular solo singer 《La Li Ma》, gaining her public notoriety.¹

Starting anew with 《Tea Party》, 《Ma Ha》 finds herself repeatedly crossing paths with 《Kwon Ryok》, the center and most popular member of 《Shax》 who is still haunted by 《Eun Jo》’s disappearance three years later. While 《Ryok》 initially dislikes 《Ma Ha》 due to her imitation of 《Li Ma》, the two eventually begin to grow interested in one another and start a secret relationship that could put both of their careers in jeopardy.¹

Meanwhile, 《Lee Yu Jin》, 《Ma Ha》’s loyal friend who is the center of the rising boy group 《Sparkling》, has been in love with 《Ma Ha》 since their idol trainee days. When he notices the budding relationship between 《Ma Ha》 and 《Ryok》, he determines to protect her from 《Ryok》 and lead 《Sparkling》 to beat out 《Shax》 as the most popular boy group in the industry.¹

Story

This new 2021 Korean Drama entitled 《Imitation》 should appeal to all fans of K-Pop or Korean Music. It tells the story K-Pop idols went through when they dreamed of debuting in the industry and the life they experience as an idol that the public rarely sees. This was the tone they established in episode 1 as 《Lee Ma Ha》, an aspiring idol, spent her teenage years training hard and non-stop just to be selected to debut on the elusive stage of Korean Music.

What is it like to aspire as a K-Pop idol?

In the era of millions of K-Pop idol trainees, only 0.1% are selected to debut. Other than the instense training, what are the other challenges aspiring K-Pop idols go through? These are what were revealed in episode 1 of 《Imitation》.

And being selected does not mean a trainee will debut as was depicted in the first episode, anything can happen, like a member quitting and committing suicide due to stress, unfulfilled dreams, and the harsh environment some agencies provide.

Being away from your family, especially in special occasions, is very depressing.

If that was not enough, 《Lee Ma Ha》’s agency sold her to a less popular company.

Debuting is also an internal process

Regardless if one is a solo act or a group, they have to market themselves within the industry and introduce themselves to their seniors. In a very competitive industry such as K-Pop idol world, getting your seniors to like your music, your act, and them saying something positive about you or your group, will help in exposure and potential success. Like what 《Omega III》 did in episode 1, they even gave a free copy of their single to their seniors.

Verdict

Should you watch this new Korean drama? Definitely, especially if you are also a K-Pop fan. Hopefully through this short form TV series, more fans will be enlightened to the kind of life their idols are living every single day. Yes, many of them are wealthy today but for them to get where they are today they have to go through the eye of the needle and sweat blood.

Respect them. Stop bullying them.

Official trailer

《타임즈》 / 《TIMES》 is a 12-episode South Korean TV series created by 《Studio Dragon》 and 《OCN》, known for numerous compelling and engaging dramas. 《TIMES》 stars veteran actors 《Lee Seo Jin》, 《Lee Joo Young》, and 《Kim Yeong Cheol》 who are respected reporters for finding and exposing the truth about corruptions and crime.

When you think everything has been told in the time warp genre.

Synopsis

《Seo Jung In》 is a passionate reporter who searches for the truth and exposes corruption. She is the daughter of South Korea’s President 《Seo Ki Tae》 who won the elections in 2015. One day, while she was working in her network everything around her changed. From being a reporter for Korea’s largest news network,《DBS》, she became a reporter for a small online news team. To make her new reality worse, her father is no longer the President … for he was assassinated during his prediential campaign in 2015.

Soon after she received a call from 《TIMES》 founder 《Lee Jin Woo》 reminding her of her promise for an exclusive interview which she does not remember. As she was trying to grasp her new reality, 《Jung In》 and 《Jin Woo》 discovered that they are living in different times, she is in 2020 while 《Jin Woo》 is in 2015, a day before the assassination of her father 《Ki Tae》.

Their only window to set things right, 《Jung In》 and 《Jin Woo》 agreed to work together to stop whoever is changing history. But little do they know, there is far more to what is happening than they can ever handle.

Story

Having watched and read countless of time travel / time warp shows and novels there is pretty much nothing new under the sun when it comes to this genre; it will take a great writer to come up with an overarching plot to capture and engage the audience. Thus, when I started watching 《타임즈》 / 《TIMES》, I approached simply as “just another time travel story” and it is not.

The overarching story of the series is the struggles of both 《Seo Jung In》 as she tries to change the past to ensure her father is not assassinated; and 《Lee Jin Woo》 as he discovered the truth Jung In’s father and President of South Korea was connected to his brother’s death. They built the tension and kept the audience on edge by creating heart-thumping and twists-filled episodes. Whenever questions were answered, new questions and complications arose at the end of an episode.

This gave them an opportunity to tackle the effects of changing the past. How one simple change or information from the future, no matter the good intentions behind it, can lead to a worse reality. The show also displayed the limitations of people when faced with the truth that is very close to one’s personal life and ghosts. But in the end, there is always that one person who holds to their core beliefs no matter how many times the reality was re-written, that we should value this person for they may save our life some day.

While changing the past played a major role in the series,《TIMES》 is more about family and relationships, and the trust we build with the people around us. How far will you go for the person you love? How far will you go to get your revenge? How far will you go for the truth?

Performance

The acting performance of veteran actors 《Lee Seo Jin》, 《Lee Joo Young》, and 《Kim Yeong Cheol》 were superb. They played their roles well and gave us a realistic view of reporters who are only after the truth. The father and daughter relationship between the characters of 《Lee Joo Young》 and 《Kim Yeong Cheol》 was sweet and resonates well. They were not the perfect family but they two actors gave life and identity to their characters that anyone can relate to.

The same can be said with the relationship between 《Lee Jin Woo》 and 《Seo Jung In》, played by 《Lee Seo Jin》 and 《Lee Joo Young》 respectively. They are two reporters who are both after the truth and exposes corruption but when faced with the truth about their respective love ones, they are total opposites in how they handled it and was clearly shown and felt through their acting.

These three actors and their acting were the best chemistry I have seen. 《Lee Seo Jin》 and 《Kim Yeong Cheol》 have been around the industry for long and they brought their mastery of their art into this show. While 《Lee Joo Young》 has only been acting for six (6) years, there was no doubt she gave her all and learned from her seniors, it was as if she has been in the industry for as long as them.

Production

The music and overall production were good. Since this was set in 2020 and 2015, there was not much to change as far clothing and technology shown in the series which played well to their advantage.

Verdict

I give this show 10 stars out of 10. A perfect score for providing me a compelling story in a genre where it is no longer easy to come up with something different, and for bringing in the best cast.

Official trailer

OST

《퐁당퐁당 LOVE》 / 《Splash Splash LOVE》 is a 2015 live-action short story about a senior high school girl student, who have the ability to teleport through spacetime, who ended up in the Joseon Dynasty and met King Sejong the Great. Kim Seul Gi arrived in a time of draught and had no way to return to 2015, the court of Joseon have mistaken her to be a eunuch which helped her hide her real identity. King Sejong recognized her usefulness and together they developed the improvements the people of Joseon needed … and fell in love with each other.

A story you will never forget for the rest of your life

《퐁당퐁당 LOVE》 / 《Splash Splash LOVE》 was originally released as a web series totalling 10 webisodes. It was later compiled and released as a two-episode series with a total running time of two hours and twenty minutes, the usual length of a movie. They could have had filmed a movie but the decision to do an episodic (or webisodic in this case) story allowed them to create a very beautiful and touching show.

Acting

The chemistry between the main actors, 윤두준 (Yoon Doo Joon) and 김슬기 (Kim Seul Gi), were perfect. At first there was no spark between the two, as it should be when one was a high school student from the future and the other a king. But once the characters developed feelings for each other, their acting also displayed the feelings of their characters, of being easy when in each other’s presence, and showing how happy they were in each other’s company.

Music

While this show only have one theme song, 《너에게 퐁당》, sang by two different singers, it was a great song that fits the story. Though the lyrics reflect the story of this short drama, one can easily relate to it regardless of which time period they are. A very good composition and melody which complimented 《퐁당퐁당 LOVE》 / 《Splash Splash LOVE》 well.

Verdict

Last but definitely not the least, it would not have achieved its success if this was originally filmed as movie as movies have a higher and far different expectations and requirements. A great decision on the part of the production team. Because it was made episodic, they were able to concentrate on the delivery without the immense stress and demands of a movie. Yes, this is not a film but with its total running time and great story, it is a great movie for me.

I can not believe I only discovered 《퐁당퐁당 LOVE》 / 《Splash Splash LOVE》 today. I will never forget this story for the rest of my life.

10 out of 10 stars from me!

Official trailer

Official Music Video: 《너에게 퐁당》 (단비 이야기)

OST

Sometime in the 1930s when Japan occupied Korea, Nam Sook Hee was hired as a handmaiden for the Japanese heiress Lady Hideko, who lived secluded from the world. However, Nam Sook Hee and Lady Hideko developed feelings for each other which changed their fates.

An art masterpiece.

This film blew me away. It is very rare to find movies, and even novels for that matter, where the sex scenes were accurate, realistic, and is part of the story. Most of the time when sex is incorporated into movies, it was dead and porn and won’t make a difference if removed—in other words, just there as a filler. In “The Handmaiden” it’s the total opposite. It was an art. It was about building relationships and how it should be valued and respected by the couple.

The two lead females—Kim Tae Ri and Kim Min Hee—showed how they mastered their craft in acting in this film. From their facial expressions to their emotions and to their actions. I would not be surprised at all if the spark they showed in this movie was actually real. While there were a few scenes Kim Tae Ri felt uncomfortable … which was showing on her face and movements … she quickly relaxed. It was evident that Kim Min Hee helped Tae Ri overcome her uneasiness, they did prepare for this.

From what I understand, this was an adaptation of an English/British novel. That said, I am praising the director and writer, Park Chan Wook, in picking the perfect era in Korea for the adaptation. It could have been set in the modern era or in an even distant past but the impact would have been far less because of the distraction the other eras would bring into the scenes. It also flawlessly opened up a lot of their settings which made the plot deeper and resonate with the audience.

I also liked how they naturally switched between Korean and Japanese. In most movies where there are other nationalities involved, shortcuts are always made by making everyone speak the same language after establishing a character’s “foreign”-ness. I frown on such shortcuts and I am glad I did not see it in “The Handmaiden”. I was also amazed how the characters mixed the two languages to form one sentence, the way bilinguals actually speak in real life. Great addition to this little detail but equally important in building up the film.

I hope everyone who will watch (and watched) this film will see the deeper message of this film instead of focusing only on the obvious ones. Look beyond the surface and you’ll see the important reminder and lesson behind “The Handmaiden”. What is it? Better watch it. If you’ve seen the movie, watch it again and look for it.

10 over 10 in all categories for me. Congratulations!

A perfect 10 out of 10!

《허쉬》 or “HUSH” was a Korean TV serial which ran from December 11, 2020 to February 6, 2021 in jTBC. This show is about the life of a group of news reporters and how they faced the trials thrown at them.

“HUSH” started by introducing the audience to the process of getting hired in a newspaper company. Once the key characters were introduced, the story immediately tacked its first of many interconnected plots. These were no ordinary plots as it touched on the issues people face daily in work environments and in society. Stories where the audience can relate and question the ethics and morality of what they see, what they hear, and what they read.

In particular, it talked about suicide. Suicide is a very serious social problem in South Korea in recent years, it produced different movements, revision of existing laws, and even new laws, to help fight against the most common reason for suicides—bullying and unfair treatment. This show beautifully handled this subject and encouraged the audience to put themselves in the shoes of other people and to question and care about the things happening around them.

The stories in each episode and the main plot were deep and provoking. It was not simply an office drama in the world of news reporting, it was a life drama which touched the hearts and minds of its audience.

The casting was picked well especially with veteran actors like Son Byung Ho, Yoo Sun, Kim Won Hae, Lee Seung Jun, who were what is commonly called today as “second leads”. They portrayed their characters well which was vital to the success of the main leads played by Hwang Jung Min and Im Yoon Ah.

Lim Yoon Ah, or “Yoona”, brought all her acting skills in this drama. I can say that this was her best in all of her acting career a perfect match to her veteran male lead partner, Hwang Jung Min. From her innocent look as someone new in journalism to a matured character who earned her badges in life.

This is a good series to watch and I recommend it to anyone going through trials in their work and life in general. A show which reminds us and encourages us to speak out when we see bullying and unfair treatments and practices.

Score: 9 out of 10!

OST

《승리호》 or “Space Sweepers” is South Korea’s first-ever space science fiction show. For their first venture into space, they did not disappoint and made sure audiences were awed by the show’s deep story and unforgettable space adventure.

Space Sweepers is lightyears better from recent Western space scifi shows.

Story

The story started out as a typical Western space scifi. Humanity encountered a life threatening situation and the only way out was up, out there in outer space. Slowly and perfectly the Korean signature in storytelling and plots surfaced up and it started to get very interesting.

There was a grand or overarching story guiding Space Sweepers but they instead zoomed-in and told the story from a human perspective. This approach allowed them to tackle the questions from the vantage point of ordinary humans, attaching the audiences to the characters in ways not possible from a “bigger picture” method. A story about a crew of “Space Sweepers” but at the same time it was not about them.

It is rare to see this type of story and storytelling in live-action movies considering the limited time available and yet they were able to flesh out the characters, presented a family relationship plots, questioned human moralities and ethics, and explored the notion about “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”.

Acting/Cast

The casting was excellent. Song Joong Ki, playing as “Tae Ho”, and Kim Tae Ri, playing as “Captain Jang”, are two popular and veteran Korean actors. They were joined in by Jin Seon Kyu as “Tiger Park”, Yoo Hae Jin as the Robot, and the child actress Park Ye Rin as “Dorothy”. Five actors who complimented each others’ acting style enabled them to bring the story closer to the audience.

Kim Tae Ri is best known from her 2016 movie “The Handmaiden” and the Netflix TV series “Mr. Sunshine” in 2018. Despite the huge jump from historical romance genre to a space scifi action and adventure, Kim Tae Ri has proven once again her talent in acting. She showed her character’s strength and fierceness and yet behind it all she was caring and loving.

Song Joong Ki is well known from his major role in the hugely popular 2016 TV series “Descendants of the Sun”. He masterfully played his character, a man who lost his daughter in a tragedy and ended up as a sweeper of space debris to make his living. Throughout the movie, he showed perfectly the thoughts and goals of his character despite of what was in front of him. His emotions and expressions were in check, thus completing the aura of his character while at the same time letting the audience feel his sadness and difficult choices.

Special mention is the child actress Park Ye Rin. She is technically a newbie in the industry, having only appeared as a guest in a 2020 TV series. Having thrown in a blockbuster film this early would have a huge challenge for her and yet she amazingly showed that she was born an actress. She played as “Dorothy”, one of the key characters in this film. This being a space scifi, which means they had a lot of filming in front of green screens, Park Ye Rin was not distracted and was able to deliver her dialogues and interacted with her co-stars naturally. Oh, did I not say that she’s only 7 years old?

Production

They did not shy away from giving this a budget. The superb visual effects, cgi, and editing, definitely placed this movie equal in rank with Western shows like “Star Trek” and “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” to name two.

It was also a brilliant idea to bring in actors from different nationalities and to use their native languages. This is rarely done and is simply explained as some magic or technology like a “universal translator”. But that’s not where it ends … even though they have a “universal translator”, they did not resorted to “English” or “Korean” as a “universal language”. They showed all directors in the world how to properly portray different languages even if there is a “universal translator” available.

That deserves a huge mention especially for a show which concerns multiple nationalities, languages, and cultures—the planet Earth. The flow of the story was not broken even though the characters were speaking different languages. Everything was flowing smoothly, this is how it actually will be like if “universal translators” become a reality. Well done!

Conclusion

While this is a space science fiction film, the story was about you and me, being a human, and the relationships we build in each of our adventures. This is what “Space Sweepers” was about. It is about you and me. Our humanity. Our frailties. The challenges we face every single day and how to ultimately triumph (or not).

Can you guess how many languages were spoken and nationalities represented in “Space Sweepers”?

Watch Space Sweepers on Netflix.

Score: 9 out of 10!

A two-episode (60 minutes total) web series about finding our soulmates, falling in love, having the courage to confess, facing rejection, and moving on. 《나의 이름에게》 / 《Dear My Name》 stars 《Gongchan》, 《Song Yoo Jung》, 《Kim Do Geon》, 《Han Chae Kyung》, and 《Baek Jae Woo》.

An hour long web series with simple acting but great acting and directing which captured the spirit of the story and gave us valuable lessons in life and love.

Synopsis

In an alternate world, the name of one’s soulmate is magically engraved on a person’s body and is naturally drawn into finding each other. However, there are also those who are “unnamed” with the freedom to find their own soulmate on their own.

Jung Ji Woo became “named” during middle school but years passed and she still has not met her soulmate she only knew by name. Yang Sae Rom is Jung Ji Woo’s best friend and she’s “unnamed”. She has been dating trying to find her own soulmate.

Will they ever find their soulmates? Is being “named” a guarantee of loving someone or is being “unnamed” and going through the process of dating better?

Reaction

“Dear My Name” (2019) is a 10 minutes each 6-episode web series which was later re-released as a 2-episode show. However, do not get distracted by it, not every good story has to be long. Just as how short stories can be as awesome as novels “Dear My Name” was as awesome as any other full-length TV drama.

The acting was simple and the production and direction captured the spirit of the plot. A story about soulmates, liking each other, rejections, moving on, courage to confess, and having the freedom to choose who we want to spend our lives with. Having presented these “stages of relationships” in a total of one hour tells us the talent of the actors, actresses, the writer, and the director.

Could it have been done longer? Sure. But it won’t be as perfect as what it is with its current format.

Official trailer

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《경이로운 소문》 / 《The Uncanny Counter》 (2020) Season 1 was a live-action adaptation of the webtoon (“digital Korean manhwa”) entitled 《Kyeongirowoon Somoon》 (2018) by Jang Yi. It stars 《Cho Byeong Kyu》, 《Yoo Joon Sang》, 《Kim Se Jeong》, 《Yeom Hye Ran》, and 《Ahn Suk Hwan》, as the Counters–people who hunts evil spirits.

A story about family, friendships, forgiveness, and second chances.

Synopsis

In the fictional city of Jungjin, a group of four demon-hunters called the Counters bear the arduous task of searching for and banishing evil spirits that escape from the afterlife to gain immortality. These evil spirits possess local human hosts who have committed murder or have a strong desire to murder, encourage their host’s desire to kill, and consumes the spirit of the victim. The Counters were once under coma when a partner spirit from Yung, the boundary between the afterlife and the world of the living, possess them and give them perfectly healthy bodies and consciousness along with superhuman strength and supernatural abilities. Three of the Counters—Ga Mo-tak, Do Ha-na, and Choo Mae-ok—pose as workers in Eonni’s Noodles, a noodle restaurant which serves as their hideout.¹

One day, the fourth Counter Jang Cheol-joong is killed in a battle against a strong “Level 3” evil spirit. As his spirit gets consumed by his killer, his Yung partner Wi-gen struggles to find a new comatose human to possess. Uncannily, she is quickly drawn towards high school boy So Mun who, despite being disabled, is nevertheless perfectly healthy and alive. As soon as Wi-gen possessed him, the unknowing Mun starts noticing bizarre changes to his body and starts seeing Wi-gen in his dreams. Soon, Mun finds the answers in Eonni’s Noodles, and as he becomes the replacement to the late Cheol-joong, he finds himself in a thrilling journey of battling against bloodthirsty demons, reconnecting to his past, and uncovering the ugly truth behind a major redevelopment project in Jungjin.¹

Story and Performance

The multiple story arcs were well thought out and I was amazed with how these different stories perfectly fit together in the end which brought out the best in the characters and the moral lessons of the series. The casting and acting for the four lead characters were so good it was as the audience witnessed a true story.

Music

The music, overall production, editing, and directing, were all superb. The choreography in the fight scenes were not lacking and were not overdone, simply fitting for four ordinary individuals to do; otherwise it would have been unrealistic.

Verdict

Finally, and it is rare to see this in most Asian dramas, they ended the series properly leaving an option for a sequel or a new season. Stories should not be sealed–leaving no room for the audience to create their own continuation, which in turn also leaves no room for an official sequel. 9.5 out of 10 stars!

Since it was already announced that season 2 was given a green light, it further proved the importance of ending a series with room for the future. Well done. I will be waiting for season 2.

Official trailer

OST

“더 킹: 영원의 군주” or “The King: Eternal Monarch” (2020) was the best science fiction and romance of the 2010 decade. I would say that this show has gained the number one (#1) spot in my list of “Top 10 Overall Best Sci-fi TV Show” pushing down “Fringe” (2008) which held that rank for 12 years.

The Greatest Science Fiction Romance in the last 40 years

Story

The writer, Kim Eun Sook of the “Lovers in Paris” (2004); “Descendants of the Sun” (2016); “Goblin” (2016); and “Mr. Sunshine” (2018) fame, once again showed us her amazing talent in creating stories that truly captures the imagination and heart of the audience.

In “The King: Eternal Monarch” (2020), Kim Eun Sook has woven beautifully the “parallel world” trope into her memorable romance plots. She did not leave it simply as a literary device then forgotten, she placed it in the center of the series, and the drama and romance unfolded through it.

Each episode was more or less one hour and ten minutes, and no episode was boring, no episode was dragging, no episode was a repeat of previous ones. In every episode there is a fresh plot, a new story to tell which added to the development of the characters, the relationships between them, and the tension and clashes when worlds and ambitions collide.

Acting/Cast

What an amazing cast—Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Kyung Nam, Jung Eun CHae, Lee Jung Jin, Kim Yong Ji, Kang Hong Suk—they picked the right people for the roles. Their unique acting styles made their characters fully alive and their interaction with each other natural.

The show was not only about “Yi Gon” (Lee Min Ho) and “Jeong Tae Eul” (Kim Go Eun), everyone were key persons in creating the world of the “Kingdom of Corea”. They all brought their best and created a masterpiece.

Production

While there were a few noticeable errors, the editing and sequence of the scenes covered it all. I especially like how they did not present the stories, in each episode, in a linear fashion; instead they kept scenes for the next episodes and did flashbacks at the right time.

The mixing of historical with the modern in the fictional “Kingdom of Corea” were seamless. There were no out-of-place moments. Where there are modern things, the room was designed to fit these modern gadgets. Where there should be a historical look and feel, the room either did not have any modern materials or the few blended with the environment. Not an easy task to achieve.

It was not only the interior designers but it was also the directors and cameramen who did great shots in creating a seamless mix of historical and the modern environments.

Conclusion

I highly recommend “더 킹: 영원의 군주” or “The King: Eternal Monarch” (2020) especially if one is a fan of “parallel world” type of science fiction. Think of this show as “Fringe” (2008) but with touchy romance and intense family rivalry.

Overall score of 9.5 out of 10 stars.

OST

Thirty years ago an island village was plagued by a mysterious event which shook Korea to its core. Slowly, the stories about the village faded from the memory of the nation and forgotten. However, there were survivors from the island which a group of people are hunting down to continue the forgotten research and one such survivor is a detective who will do everything to keep the demons of the island buried forever.

Pulls the audience right into the story

“Awaken” was a well-made mystery and suspense Korean drama. It follows the story of “Do Jung Woo” (played by Nam Goong Min) and “Gong Hye Won” (played by Kim Seol Hyun) as they try to solve a series of murders tipped by an unknown personality through codes.

The story was carefully laid-out as in each episode there were numerous twists and turns to keep the audience on edge and continually guessing. This also pulled in the audience into joining into solving the ever evolving mysteries.

I also praise the actors and actresses for their superb acting. They did not come to the show as “another character to act”, it was evident that they assumed the identity of their characters and lived the way they would if they were real. From being police officers to being ordinary individuals with lives and worries, they successfully invited the audience to a suspension of disbelief the entire sixteen (16) episodes.

The soundtrack was good and were placed in key scenes which created an even greater impact. Finally, the production and directing were top-notch. They did not shy away from picking the right locations, the attires, and the tools needed to present the world of “Awaken”.

An overall 9.5 out of 10 stars from me. I highly recommend this show.

OST

《도시남녀의 사랑법》 / 《Lovestruck in the City》 is a short story or short form romantic comedy drama which depicts real love stories of young people as they live in a huge busy city. It stars 《Ji Chan Wook》 and 《Kim Ji Won》. The series is also the first part of the multi-series entitled 《City Couple’s Way of Love》.

Fun, Relatable, Full of Lessons

Synopsis

The storyline of the series is in interview format – six people talking about their dating life.¹

Park Jae-won, a 32-year-old architect by profession, has a passionate and honest personality. He is not able to forget the woman, whom he calls a “camera thief”, who stole his heart and disappeared. Lee Eun-o, a 29-year-old freelance marketer, lives an ordinary life but has an alter ego called Yoon Seon-a. She meets Park Jae-won under her fake identity in Yangyang Beach and ends up falling in love with him.¹

Choi Kyeong-jun, 29 years old and also an architect, and Seo Rin-i appear to be a steady couple. Kang Geon, a 29 years old novelist, tends to fall in love with the woman he dates. Oh Seon-yeong, a 30 years old gym teacher, is a ‘serial dater’ by self admission.¹

Reaction

From the title and synopsis, the impression was this is a part comedy, part cheesy, part romantic, series. It was so easy to dismiss but I am glad I did not. Each episode are around 30 minutes long and they did well in telling the stories of the characters and their relationships while staying to a particular topic or subject in each episode.

Music

I like the OST, at least what was used so far in the first 8 episodes. Good acting, the chemistry between the actors were great. Relatable story, romantic and yet light–not cheesy, not teenage drama, no serious political and family drama.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a TV show to break your existing serious line-ups, definitely pickup 《Lovestruck in the City》. I give this 9.5 out of 10 stars.

Watch in Netflix today.

Official trailer

OST

《제발 그 남자 만나지 마요》 / 《Please Don’t Date Him》 is romantic comedy done right. There are many shows categorised as “RomCom” over the years and very few deserving of this label. 《Please Don’t Date Him》 is one of the few exception as it brings out genuine laughter in every episode while building on the romantic relationship of the characters.

Romantic comedy done right.

Synopsis

An AI controlled, household appliances developer in Pelican Electronics, Seo Ji-seong, has dreams to live a perfect life like a well developed program.¹

Working on an Artificial Intelligence refrigerator with voice activated features, she inserts a super sensor chip which was lost by National Intelligence Service into a refrigerator and an “Ancestral Spirit” program that picks scums instead of telling the freshness of vegetables is developed. So, Ji-seong finds out that her deemed perfect fiancé Jeong-han was actually not her Prince Charming.¹

One day, Jung Kook-hee, a firefighter, with no social media record, whom the program couldn’t analyze, shows up. Ji-seong is skeptical about him, as there is no trace of his past on the internet.¹

Story

The literary device used for the plot was properly used and was not just a literary device later forgotten after setting up the story. When this was revealed, I was expecting this show to turn serious and deviate from being a romcom and turn into a serious drama, but the writer(s) stayed true and kept it in the sidelines yet still an important part of the show.

Performance

《Song Ha Yoon》, who played “Seo Ji Sung” did very well in portraying an A.I. programmer yet still “just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her” (to borrow from 《Notting Hill》). I also love how they chose a woman as a programmer in this show debunking the stereotypes [1] programming is for men; and [2] girl programmers does not have a love life.

Music

OST

Verdict

It’s sad that they only planned a total of ten (10) episodes, they could have extended it to thirteen or a full series (sixteen episodes). I strongly recommend this show if you are looking for a series which will make you laugh, fall in love all over again, and appreciate the people around you, even strangers like our brave firefighters. An overall score of 9.0 out of 10 stars.

Official trailer

《더 케이투》 / 《The K2》 is a 2016 Korean action and romance drama starring 《Ji Chang Wook》 and 《Im Yoon Ah》. It tells the story of a former mercenary who was framed for the murder of his girlfriend and was later given a second chance in life as a security bodyguard for the secret daughter of a presidential candidate.

The next 《James Bond》 and 《Mission: Impossible》.

Synopsis

Kim Je-ha is a former mercenary soldier for the PMC Blackstone. While in Iraq, he gets framed for the murder of his lover Raniya, a civilian. As a result, he runs away and becomes a fugitive. He returns to South Korea and by chance, gets offered to work as a bodyguard by Choi Yoo-jin, the owner of JSS Security Company and wife of the presidential candidate, Jang-Se joon. He accepts the job in exchange for resources that he needs in order to get his revenge on another presidential candidate, Park Kwan-soo, who previously ordered the killing of his lover.¹

In the meantime, Je-ha gets assigned to guard Go An-na, the hidden daughter of Jang Se-joon, whose life is always threatened because of Yoo-jin, her stepmother. An-na, who has been reclused and lonely all her life, starts relying on Je-ha, who shows concern for her and protects her at all costs. They slowly fall in love with each other, which makes Je-ha torn between having to work with his ally, Yoo-jin, in order to get his revenge and protecting his new found love, An-na, against his own ally.¹

Story

When you thought you have guessed the twists and turns, a new layer is introduced to prove your guesses wrong. This is rare in this genre and the writer, Hyuk Rin Jang, wrote a masterpiece.

While “The K2” was mainly about the political game, it was also about family relationships and the politics that is common in large clans with huge money at stake. This type of story is usually told by showing a dragging drama but in this TV series they approached it from an “outsider” view or as a secondary story. THe family politics was there but they were careful in keeping it from becoming the main story.

Performance

Excellent acting from the veteran and younger actors. The fight scenes, especially in episode one, were beyond Western choreography, 《James Bond》 and 《Mission: Impossible》 can never match what they did.

I was also impressed by YoonA’s acting of her character. At first it looked like her role was easy but as we get into the middle episodes, her character was challenging–she had to be a totally different person, someone with PTSD and deep hatred.

Music

The background music were perfect. It adds to the impact of an already powerful scene. It was good because BGMs should act as an amplifier for scenes and not as “the scene”.

Production

Great production. Clearly every centavo was spent to create a realistic show which captivated the audience and made the boundary between reality and fiction non-existent.

Verdict

With all things considered, 《더 케이투》 / 《The K2》 received 9.5 stars out of 10 from 《YourOnly.One》.

Official trailer

《건축학개론》 / 《Architecture 101》 is a Korean movie about first loves and making decisions. This 2012 film stars 《Uhm Tae Woong》 and 《Han Ga Inn》 as the adult 《Seung Min Lee》 and 《Seo Yun Yang》, and 《Lee Je Hoon》 and 《Suzy》 as the younger 《Seung Min》 and 《Seo Yun》 who first met in college in Architecture 101.

Relive your first love

Synopsis

Seoul, the present day. Out of the blue, architect Lee Seung-min is approached by Yang Seo-yeon, whom he knew at college some 17 years previously, to design a new house for her on the site of her 30-year-old family home on Jeju island. Seung-min reluctantly agrees but can’t come up with a design that pleases her. In the end, they decide to renovate and expand the existing house, and he and Seo-yeon spend a considerable amount of time together down in Jeju, to the growing annoyance of his fiancée Eun-chae, with whom he is soon to be married and move to the US. As Seo-yeon cares for her dying father and Seung-min learns more about what became of Seo-yeon in the intervening years, he recalls their initial meeting at college in the early 1990s.¹

In the past, when they were young, Seung-min and Seo-yeon had lived in the same neighborhood (Jeongneung-dong, Seoul) and attended the same architecture class. He remembers her liking rich student Jae-wook, his inability to declare his attraction to her, and the times being coached by his best friend, Nab-ddeuk in how to get girls. Hoping to confess his feelings to her at the perfect timing, Seung-min asks Seo-yeon to meet him at the abandoned house they frequent, on the first day that it snows that coming winter. But one night he catches Jae-wook and a drunk Seo-yeon entering her house together. Fearing the worst, he ends his friendship with Seo-yeon due to his pain of believing she had chosen Jae-wook. The first day of snow arrives, and Seo-yeon is left waiting in the abandoned house alone. Heartbroken, she leaves behind her portable CD player with a CD of her favorite artist.¹

Seo-yeon in the present day receives that very same CD player and CD from Seung-min, meaning that he actually went to the house later and remembered their promise. But despite the bitter-sweetness of their first love, in the end, Seung-min still chooses his fiancée Eun-chae and flies with her to America, while Seo-yeon sits in the house he built for her, listening to the CD.¹

Reaction

While this received high ratings in Korea, it was underrated abroad where Asian drama fans are always expecting deep romance and giggles. This drama is beyond that, it tackles our “first loves” when we were young, the hopes, the dreams, that feeling of having first fallen in love with someone we totally did not expect but in the end it did not work. Later in life, when we have moved on and our paths crossed again with our first love, it’s all about how we handle those feelings and making adult decisions, very hard adult decisions which can make or break relationships and our future.

Architecture 101 is for adults who have faced and went through life and the challenges it threw toward us. I do not recommend this to young adults and teenagers as most of them will never appreciate the beauty of the story. Yet highly recommended for anyone who wants to capture the long lost hope, beautiful smiles, and sweet memories that only a first love can ever give.

Verdict

For the story, I give 10 out of 10 stars. Acting performance and music get 9.5, and overall, it’s a full 10 from me.

Official trailer

《달의 연인 - 보보경심 려》 or “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” is a very popular and one of the highly-rated Korean Drama since 2016. It stars IU as “Go Ha Jin” and “Hae Soo”, Lee Joon Gi as “Wang So”, Kang Ha Neul as “Wang Wook”, and Hong Jong Hyun as “Wang Yo” as the leading characters.

The series is a Korean TV adaptation of the Chinese novel 《步步惊心》 (Bù bù jīng xīn) by Tong Hua.

A 花より男子 (Hana Yori Dango); Meteor Garden show with political sibling rivalry

Story

In a story with many important characters, it is important to tell it clearly, they did well in doing that. The political war between the brothers were interesting, they also picked a good period for the Korean version of a Chinese novel.

Sadly, the romantic aspect of the story was delivered poorly. It did not elicit any emotional reaction. There was no built-up. This is primarily a story about sibling rivalry gone to the political level.

Acting

It was lacking in some areas, there were also scenes which looked like they were practicing. There were also memorable scenes, from pure laughter to serious where their acting were very natural.

Music

The music, unfortunately, did not make an impact. There were scenes where a powerful music fits but instead it did not have any or a weaker music was used. They should’ve used more.

Production

The production was very good. They spent for quality materials and designs for the wardrobe of the actors. This is specially true for IU where she was able to wear historical wardrobes yet with a modern touch which fits her aura. Great job in blending the two eras.

However, close-up shots were overused to the 5th power. It wasn’t needed in many of the scenes, it became annoying. In the boat scenes, there was too much backlight glare from the sun the actors (again close-up shots) can be barely seen.

I give this show 8 out of 10 stars.

OST

《구가의 서》 / 《Gu Family Book》 is a K-drama starring Lee Seung Gi as “Choi Kang Chi” and Bae Suzy as “Dam Yeo Wool”. The series aired from 2013-04-08 to 2013-06-25 with a total of 24 episodes with 1 hour and 5 minutes running time each. The series tells the love story of a half-human / half-mythical-creature and a lord’s daughter as they fight for their feelings in a world afraid of mythical creatures.

High emotional impact. Amazing cast. Great music! A story we can always watch.

Synopsis

Choi Kang Chi is a half-human and half-mythical-creature who was adopted by the lord of the Hundred Years Inn. He was the son of Gu Wol Ryung, the guardian spirit of Jiri Mountain, and the human Yoon Seo Hwa.

Dam Yeo Wool is a martial arts master and daughter of the leader of a secret organization protecting the region. She was sent to the Hundred Years Inn to observe and protect its lord.

They met at the Hundred Years Inn, the most popular inn in the region, and fell in love with each other despite Choi Kang Chi being a half-human. When their world turned into chaos, it is up to Choi Kang Chi to put it back into order; and up to Dam Yeo Wool to ensure that Choi Kang Chi’s half-mythical-creature side does not get the best of him.

Story

There are two stories in this series, the first is the political rivalry; and the second is the relationship between the main leads.

The political rivalry story was well-written. There were always fresh “content” (if we can call it that) in every episode. They avoided repeating the same plot or reusing what was already “solved” in the previous episodes, while maintaining the overarching plot.

The story between Kang Chi Choi and Yeo Wool Dam was more than perfect. I loved how they did not dive into romantic scenes and dating game, otherwise it would’ve ruined the whole show. They carefully built-up the expectation and tension between the characters and perfectly used the intense emotions they captured from the audience at the right time, at the right moment.

The finale episode (ep. 24) was beyond perfection. While writing this review, I can still feel the impact and weight of this episode. Anyone can easily feel the emotions of both characters and the dialogues were realistic, what most people would say if they’re in the shoes of either of the characters.

Acting

Everyone successfully brought to life the characters they played. The seriousness, the anger, the laughter, and craziness were also reflected on their faces. Superb acting!

The main leads captured the hearts of the audience which made it easy to feel their characters, to think like their characters, to be their characters. The way they gave life to their characters was natural, we can feel their humanity.

Special mention to Suzy, if I am not mistaken this was only her third Main role in a TV series, the delivery of her lines and they way she showed us her character’s personality was at a veteran actor level. It wasn’t perfect, similar with Seung Gi, there were a few scenes which were awkward or maybe forced but both of them quickly recovered (even in the same scene).

Music

The best music/OST. Perfect timing, at the right place, at the right scene, at the right time. The songs were also memorable and easy to listen to. They also did not forget to lower down the background music a second or two before a dialogue, something often forgotten in many other shows.

Production

It was clear they gave a very good budget for this show. The texture and colours of their costumes and props were awesome on the screen. It helped in bringing-in the audience to live in the world of “Gu Family Book”.

Verdict

Highly recommended. 20 out of 10 stars. Very high in the re-watch list.

Great job!

Official trailer

OST