Author: colourfulgranny

Week in Review (Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2021)

~ colourfulgranny ~ 2 Comments

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Good Manager (2017)

It took me quite a while to get settled into the world of Good Manager and our eponymous chief, Kim Sung-ryong (Namkoong Min). Much like his namesake, Jackie Chan, Sung-ryong has a larger than life attitude, a go-getter personality and an indescribable charm. However, it all takes a bit of getting used to, since first few episodes of the series throw us a rather bizarre set of circumstances and personality types.

But if you stick around long enough to become used to the antics, the payoff is incredible. The characters and the relationships between them are heartfelt and endearing. The story finds a nice balance somewhere between the extremes that are absurdist and mundane. The visual style helped to complement the plot is unique and interesting ways.

While I was perhaps a little too invested in the lovelines between Yoon Ha-young (Nam Sang-mi) and Seo Yul (Lee Joon-ho), it was accounting teams dynamics that really got me in the feels. Kim Won-hae is quickly becoming one of my favourite actors, and his portrayal of the surly and cynical Accounting Head Choo Nam-ho was so great. It was particularly rewarding seeing Sung-ryong win over each member of the team, and it was genuinely heartbreaking every time he had to be separated from them.

The other actor who really stood out to me was Lee Joon-ho. Much like a lot of other idols-turned-actors, I wasn’t expecting much out of Lee than simply to look good while he was on my screen and deliver his lines. I was actually quite impressed with the way he managed to take us along with him as his character went from villainous to heroic over the course of the show, and he managed to bring out the nuances of the character quite well. The writing really supported his performance and foreshadowed his journey well, and we could see hints of where his character was headed well before the story actually let the events unfold.

While it was a tough start, I thoroughly enjoyed Good Manager. I was completely charmed by the cast and I’m glad I watched to the end. I’m going to miss our accounting crew.

Week in Review (Mar 21 – 27, 2021)

~ colourfulgranny ~ 2 Comments

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

To. Jenny (2018)

What I learned from watching this endearing miniseries: I need more musicals in my watchlist.

To. Jenny is an adorable look at how a young man pursues his first love, overcomes his stage fear and helps her while she overcomes her own difficulties in the music world. Kim Seong-cheol is far from the conventional leading man, but he plays Park Jung-min with such an innocent charm that you can’t help but fall for him over the course of the 2-part special, and watching him win over Na-ra (Jung Chae-yeon) is such a delight. The cast is rounded out by his family and friends, and I was particularly impressed by Choi Yoo-ri, who plays Jung-min’s little sister who’s always pushing him out of his comfort zone.

The music in particular really struck a chord with me. (ha!) I love that they made music about the mundane from being jealous of the couples around them while eating pork belly to tiramisu cake. Writer Lee Jung-hwa manages to take the everyday, and make a sweeping love story from it. This was a cute story from start to finish, and even though I wish it were longer, I wouldn’t want it to get watered down with unnecessary plots when it is perfect just as it is.

Week in Review (Mar 14 – 20, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Marriage, Not Dating (2014)

In what was a rather slow week for TV watching, I decided to give Marriage, Not Dating a shot. This show is touted as on of the classics, and on starting it I immediately understood why. As soon as the show opened, I was reminded of some of the dramas of the early 2000s. Han Groo’s Joo Jang-mi is supposed to be a mix of strong-willed, happy-go-lucky and just the slightest hint of unhinged. All the elements don’t always mix together very well, which was probably why Jang-mi sometimes come off as two-dimensional, but Groo delivers a charming performance and I found myself simultaneously rooting for her and being annoyed by her. Gong Gi-Tae (Yeon Woo-jin) is similarly archetypal, in that he’s gruff, entitled and just the slightest bit too confrontational for my liking, a tsundere to the tee. The cast is rounded out with Han Yeo-reum (Jinwoon), the aspiring chef who falls for Jang-mi; Lee Hoon-dong (Heo Jeong-min), Gi-tae’s closest friend and Jang-mi’s source of constant headaches; and Kang Se-ah (Han Sun-hwa) who competes for Gi-tae’s affections.

However, while the show does feel quite typical, I found that I enjoyed watching it, even when I was annoyed by it. Whether it was Gi-tae’s family’s meddling, fake-dating shenanigans, or the mutual pining that could be resolved with a single conversation, I looked forward to seeing just how many tropes the writers would be able to fit into a single episode. It also didn’t hurt that the cast was extremely easy on the eyes. Jinwoon’s charming smile and Groo’s easy-going nature in particular stood out, to the point where I was rooting for their characters to end up together.

While there was plenty of conflict to go around, this is of course a k-drama, and a happy ending was practically guaranteed. While I’m not going to complain about neat endings, I was happy that the show also showed that there were some unconventional forms of happiness too. The ladies in Gi-tae’s family ultimately found a stronger bond once they tried to understand one another and seeing his mother kick his father to the curb was rather satisfying. Yeo-reum achieves his dream of becoming a chef, and Se-ah gets to have the child that she wanted, even if it might not have been the way she planned.

While the show did have its ups and downs, it was entertaining. They tried to have unconventional takes on the conventional tropes, and while it might not have always broken the mold, it at least felt familiar. It’s reminiscent of older dramas and pays homage to the likes of My Name is Kim Sam-soon and 1% of Anything and a time long gone.

Week in Review (Mar 7 – 13, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

Movies

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

Raya and the Last Dragon, Disney’s latest feature, boasted a lot of potential. The first film featuring the Southeast Asian region (or at least a fictional version of it), a largely female cast, and rich universe to explore. However, I found myself constantly wanting for more from the film: A uniqueness to the animation style, one that featured the regional artistic style; More dimension to the characters; A slightly less predictable plot.

While the film did have moments that made me genuinely laugh, I found the plot to be a bit meandering most of the time. Conflicts were resolved a little too easily, travel seemed to happen too conveniently and everything was wrapped up in a neat bow at the end. Yes, this is a Disney film, and that sounds like par for the course by their standards, but it’s been a while since one of their films actually grabbed my attention. It felt a lot like they had a checklist of requisite components and were just going down the list and ticking all the boxes.

Tangled was probably the last time they made large strides in changing up their animation style, and that film came out over a decade ago. While the animation of the dragons was interesting, it wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, since we have seen similar things in Frozen, Tangled, Moana and a number of other features before this one.

The one thing I did enjoy about this film is how they showed the history of Kumandra and each of its regions. Each had a unique identity, and even if it may not have been explicitly featured, I could tell that someone on the research team had made the effort to show the diversity of each land by showing how its people lived. Whether it was the floating houses of Talon or the frozen wastelands of Spine, there was detail in the outfits and houses to show how people adapted to their unique environment.

Ultimately though, that isn’t enough to build an entire film around. Perhaps they were trying to do too much, and ended up sacrificing depth for breadth in the story. Or maybe they were trying to keep it simple and ended up with too little to make the film substantial. Either way, Raya felt like a bit flat, and left a lot to be desired.

TV

Hello? It’s Me! (2021) – Ep 1-8

Hello? It’s Me! has almost all the same issue as Raya, but strangely enough I’m actually compelled to keep watching it. I was initially drawn to the show for its sci-fi plot elements. A 37-year-old woman who has fallen a long way from the confident, beautiful popular girl she was 20 years ago, suddenly encounter that very same 17-year-old version herself. In practice, the show is filled with all the tropes they could possibly cram into an episode.

As annoying as the young Bahn Ha-ni is, Lee Re is so fun to watch. Seeing her take childish glee from pulling pranks and long for her family feel so real that she seems like the character come to life. And she’s also the driving force of the show. I find it funny that she actively frustrates all the people around her, from her (older) self to the guys that supposedly fell in love with that exact version of her. The older Ha-ni (Choi Gang-hee), however seems to be attracting those same people back into her life as the new and reformed version of herself. By working together, they seem to find the best traits to bring out in one another, both the ones that existed in past Ha-ni’s idyllic world and the ones that the current Ha-ni learnt through the tough life she’s had to lead so far.

While the the younger Ha-ni is focused primarily on returning to her past glory, her older counterpart admitted to liking having her around. I think the more time they spend together the harder the separation is ultimately going to be, but it’s going to be even more difficult when Ha-ni ultimately tells her past self about what happened to her father on the night that she came to the future.

There are a lot of additional plot elements, from the mystery figure that’s haunting the Ha-nis’ house to Anthony (Eum Moon-Suk) and his team’s mission to get his top star status restored. But the ones that are drawing me in are Han Yu-hyeon (Kim Young-kwang) and his father’s (Yun Ju-Sang) petty back and forth (which seems to be fueled by his father’s desire to train him to take his place, since he seems to be ill) and the strained relationship between Oh Ji-eun (Kim Yu-mi) and her mother-in-law (Baek Hyun-Joo).

I’m hoping the show doesn’t drag out the reveals for too long, since I find the show does best when the characters get to put their heads together to problem-solve. The second half of the show doesn’t promise anything extraordinary or groundbreaking, but I hope that the performances continue to stay true to character, and hopefully they don’t get too bogged down in extraneous plot elements.

Week in Review (Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

WandaVision (2021)

I went into the show with high expectations and a fair bit of skepticism, but I came away from WandaVision pleased to have watched it.

The story remained engaging throughout, mixing in elements of action, mystery and comedy to name just a few. But also, due to the nature of the setup, the show also pays homage to a multitude of eras, from I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show of the 1950s to mockumentary style family sitcoms of the 2010s, complete with confessionals.
As much as the plot kept me engaged, I was also fascinated by the characters and the inner working of their minds. While the performances were a bit too big for my liking sometimes (like the scenes near the end when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) are having their battle mid-air), I really liked some of the quieter moments between Wanda and Vision (Paul Bettany), as well as seeing Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) as she tries to navigate the world after her return from the blip and back in the field.

While I do wish we had gotten a bit more depth to the new characters that have been explored, I feel like Marvel is saving that up for its future installments, and considering all the pieces they set up in this show, I’m sure the cinematic universe is only going to continue to expand. White Vision (is that a thing?), Rambeau’s introduction to the Skrull and Wanda unleashing her powers has set up the threads for so many new stories. 

Overall I came away from the show impressed, and as a first foray into shows on their own platform, Marvel has set a high bar for its upcoming line-up. I’m looking forward to what they have in store next.

Into the Ring (2020) – Ep 9-16

The second half of the show took the momentum from the first half and absolutely ran away with it. Into the Ring continued to be just as delightful in it’s second half, blending story, characters and themes into a compact and entertaining package.

The main take-away for me from this show is that humans are inherently fallible. They all make mistakes, some that they can recover from, some that are unforgivable and some that they don’t even see as mistakes in the first place.

No one gets life handed to them on a platter on the show, whether that be our leads or any of the many supporting characters, but those that work hard and love what they do can get joy out of their lives, even when they don’t necessarily achieve their goal. Hee-soo (Yoo Da-in) was content campaigning even though she knew that the people around her didn’t have confidence in her. Woo-young (Kim Mi-soo) and Han-bi (Shin Do-hyun) respectively discovered and rededicated themselves to their passions. Council member Shi (Lee Chang-jik) found inspiration from Se-ra (Nana) to achieve more than was expected of him, even when Se-ra herself considered her political career a failure.

Although Se-ra faces all sorts of hardships over the course of the show, from discovering Council member Bong’s (Yoon Joo-sang) hit-and-run to being ousted from the Chairperson position and then nearly voted out of office, she always manages to persevere. That’s not to say they don’t show her being angry or upset, assigning blame to herself or engaging with the other council member. But it also shows that she takes her lumps in life and learns from her mistakes. She has a lovely, supporting network of people around her who are willing to fight for her when she can’t, willing to console her when she loses, and willing to celebrate with her when she wins. The show allows her to grow organically, not into a perfect person, but into a more self-aware one who may still have the occasional stumble.

By contrast, Seo Gong-myeong (Park Sung-hoon) seems to get the perfect happy ending. He gets his old job back, is in a loving relationship with Se-ra, has abandoned his snake of a father and acquired two new parents in Yeong-gyu (Ahn Gil-gang) and Sam-sook (Jang Hye-jin). That he got such joy out of simply having someone to greet when he returned home made me both happy and sad. That even those simple things resonated so profoundly is a testament to the writing on the show.

This show is easily one of my favourites, striking just the right balances between writing, directing and performances. I like to think the characters live on in this universe, going about their jobs, sharing their lives and bringing about small but significant changes towards making Mawon a better place to be.

Week in Review (Feb 21 – 27, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Into the Ring (2020) – Ep 1-8

I went into watching Into the Ring with next to no expectation and have found a beautiful gem of a  show. Writer Moon Hyun-kyeong has been slowly teasing out all the plot elements, and has a stellar cast to work with to pull off the complex characters and universe she’s building out. While the show does have its share of “drama”, it’s done for the most part in a believable manner. The friendships, the workplace relationships and the interactions between the townspeople feel grounded and realistic, as though you would find Mawon district tucked into a corner of Seoul.

I’m loving the visual style of the show too. While it did take me some time to adjust to the fisheye photography, I now find that it helps to draw the eye and direct focus in the right way. Director Hwang Seung-ki is trying almost every experimental style available to him, but does so in a manner that suits the storytelling, lending a visual exaggeration to the dramatic storytelling and keeping me engaged.

The show has also been a fascinating learning curve on how local politics work on a daily basis, dealing with passing bills, petty infighting and local elections all with the same level of gravitas as you might find on a national political scale. But due to the close-knit nature of the council, I feel like I’m also getting to know each of the council members in a way that often gets lost in big political shows. I know the Shim-Jang-Shi trio are inseparable, that Go Dong-chan (Oh Dong-min) has an ego bigger than the size of Jupiter and Yoon Hee-soo (Yoo Da-in) has a hero complex.

We also get to see that no character is infallible. Goo Se-ra (Nana) learnt that lesson the hard way this last episode when she overestimated her ability following her earlier win, and that overconfidence cost the jobs of 10 people. While she does experience a sense of regret over it, the people around her are quick to show her that it wasn’t entirely her fault, and more than that, everyone has failures in life, but one shouldn’t define themselves by those.

I like that she showed a sense of caution upon being elected as the Chairperson of the District Council, and I hope that she continues to evaluate her decision-making and not taking the Council members at their word. At least she has a shrewd ally in Seo Gong-myeong (Park Sung-hoon), who’s cool head and years of political experience gives him good judgement of how to navigate the cutthroat environment. 

As far as their personal relationship goes, I think that Gong-myeong still has a long way to go before he can be entirely open, but I feel that Se-ra’s pulling and prying will slowly start to get him to become a little more forthcoming (Although, I do find her to be a little too violent with him at times). It seems like there a long and difficult history with his father that is a direct result of his brother’s death, and that caused Gong-myeong to shut himself off to people to avoid betrayal in the future.

I don’t think Se-ra’s elections to Chairperson of the Council is going to be the fix-all cure that everyone around her thinks it will. If anything, she’s painting larger target on her back, and things will probably only get more difficult before they get easier. I do however have faith in her persisting through whatever trials life might throw at her, and I’m looking forward to how things turn out for our Goo Se-ra.

I Am Not a Robot (2017)

Continuing from last week’s theme, we have another show about an entitled chaebol who is struck with debilitating condition and has to rely on a down-on-her-luck woman who disguises herself to get back on her feet. I’m not sure why I picked this show up, other than something about Chae Soo-bin and Yoo Seung-ho appealed to me. Both give off an easy-going and approachable vibe, and despite being rather prickly on the outside, both their characters exhibit exactly these traits.

The show is light on story, focusing on three main components: Jo Ji-ah’s lifelong goal of becoming a successful inventor; Kim Min-gyu’s physiological condition that limits his human contact; and the space where these two components meet, when Ji-ah pretends to be a robot around Min-gyu, which helps her get a foot in the door to his company and him a way to alleviate his loneliness from isolation. Of course, there’s all the other components that help the show achieve peak drama, such as betrayal by a close friend, love triangles, and whacky scientists. But I never fully engaged with any of those storylines.

As preposterous as all this sounds, I can at least say that I enjoyed the show, because I went into it full expecting silly hijinks and I am Not a Robot delivered. The added bonus came from the two leads being exceedingly charming and compelling to watch. While I do have issues with the foundation of lies that the relationship was built on, Chae and Yoo are both very uplifting to watch over the course of the show. I was also happy to see Uhm Ki-joon as the peevish scientist, who I had previously seen in Dream High.

This is the kind of show I would put on when I want an easy watch, and I’m glad that I did exactly that, with low expectations and high returns as result.

Week in Review (Feb 14 – 20, 2021)

~ colourfulgranny ~ 1 Comment

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

The Secret Life of My Secretary (2019)

The Secret Life of My Secretary gets off to an explosive start, throwing us into the middle of the action and introducing all the key players. Jung Gal-hui (Jin Ki-joo) is a typical dramaland secretary: subservient and selfless in a way that is almost harmful. Her boss, Do Min-ik (Kim Young-kwang), is similarly typical being overbearing and ruthlessly calculating in the workplace. Each is a product of their circumstances, as Gal-hui can’t afford to lose her job being the breadwinner of her family, and Min-ik can’t trust those around him.

When an attack on his life causes Min-ik to lose his ability to recognise anyone except Gal-hui, he comes to rely on her to navigate the shark-infested waters of the office. Except that it isn’t quite so cut and dried. A case of mistaken identity has Min-ik believing that Gal-hui is the woman that he’s been set up with, while the actual woman, Veronica Park (Kim Jae-kyung) gets closer to Min-ik’s childhood friend Gi Dae-joo (Koo Ja-sung). What ensues is a very twisted set of hijinks where Gal-hui digs herself deeper into the mess she’s created, Min-ik falls for the fake version of her, and the company is in more jeopardy than ever as a result.

The murder plot and office politics was a little too two-dimensional for my liking, and the resolution of Min-ik’s condition left something to be desired. But I also like that the show took time to show the fallout from Gal-hui’s deception. While the show had a predictable outcome, the ride was fun and the characters fresh.

While the show isn’t groundbreaking in any way (and had several inconsistencies in the writing), Min-ik and and Gal-hui do have more heart and nuance to their characters than others I’ve seen before. Kim really delivers in his role, adding layers to his character in a way that feels subtle yet powerful. I loved watching his interactions with his doctor, where he allows the childhood relationship to show through by behaving more immaturely, or the laidback attitude he has with Dae-joo, making me believe these two have known each other forever. It’s these little things that make the character feel lived in as much as the bigger arcs of the writing do.

Jin similarly embraces the physicality of her character, lending just enough shyness or confidence as needed in the moment, and allowing us to follow her train of thought even as she makes one poor decision after another. It’s easy to believe that she might have gotten carried away when you see the joy she gets just from small acts of acceptance and recognition from her boss, something she wasn’t granted as merely his secretary.

Ultimately, that’s what the show is really about, receiving acknowledgement from your loved ones. Whether it was Dae-joo and Min-ik finally finding equal footing in their friendship, or Min-ik and Gal-hui realising the errors in their handling of each other’s hearts and making amends, the message I took away was that you shouldn’t define your worth on the basis of someone else’s opinion of you, but accepting the warmth they give you can be one of strongest driving forces to help propel you forward.

Mr. Queen (2020) – Ep 17-20

While not the most satisfactory of conclusions, I am glad to have watched to the end of this show. I think my main disappointment is that the show ended in a way that was different from what I wanted, but there were plenty of things to love about Mr. Queen too.

The first of these is of course, Shin Hye-sun. I can not sing enough praises in her favour, since she delivered an amazing performance on all fronts, bringing humour to the character that could have been slapstick if handled poorly, but in her hands felt like a finely honed craft. The duality of Bong-hwan and So-yong was brilliantly balanced, to the point where I forgot where Choi Jin-hyuk ended and Shin began.

Kim Jung-hyun was also amazing, although there were definitely moments where it felt a bit overacted. While this can be attributed to the eccentricities of the character rather than the actor, it did take me out of the show at times. However, his scenes with Shin were some of the best, each feeling charged in a way that always left me wanting more, whether it was the humour, the romance or the drama.

The three characters that I had hopes for that never quite reached their potential were Byeong-in (Na In-woo), Hwa-jin (Seol In-a) and Yeongpyeong (Yoo Min-gyu). Sadly, none were ever more than caricatures, and each ended their story not with a bang but a whimper. I never fully bought into Byeong-in’s devotion to So-yong and his alternating from one side to another felt disingenuous, and both Hwa-jin and Yeongpyeong motivations seemed weak.

What I did enjoy was the ensemble cast. So-yong’s court ladies and the kitchen crew were a constant source of delight, and the veteran members of the cast delivered strong consistent performances. The politics of the court were also interesting, drawing me in and leaving me with a sense of anticipation.

As I mentioned in my previous review, I had been hoping that Bong-hwan’s identity crisis being trapped in So-yong’s body and the handling of the body-swapping were done in a respectful manner. However, it was never really adressed. The conclusion of the arc was a little too easy, with So-yong’s mind/soul being restored, Cheoljong continuing to cherish her despite her being a different person to the one he fell in love with, and Bong-hwan returning to a conveniently altered present day.

Overall, I can say I enjoyed Mr. Queen despite my complaints of it. It had an extremely satisfying run, and I thoroughly appreciated the performances and the writing on the show. I’m a sucker for historical fiction with modern twists and this one delivered on so many levels. I’m looking forward to seeing what Writer Park Kye-ok will deliver next.

Week in Review (Feb 7 – 13, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Lovestruck in the City (2020) – Ep 13-16

I was a bit torn about whether or not I should review the episodes this week or if I should just save it for next week since there is only one more left to go. Episode 16 really did feel like a finale. It saw some resolutions, it saw some partings, and overall it left me feeling , if not satisfied, at least with a sense of closure.

The pacing of the show was definitely something that I had issues with. The beginning was a whole lot of nothing, and then all of a sudden these last few episodes felt like everything had been crammed into them. Especially this last week, Jae-won (Ji Chang-wook) and Eun-oh (Kim Ji-won) met again. They got angry, the talked through things and they even finally seem to be on the mend. But it feels unearned in many ways. 

Rin-i (So Ju-yeon) and Kyeong-jun (Kim Min-suk) finally had their big conversation, where he confronts her about the way that she lives her life, since it’s embarrassing him, and she decides that she doesn’t want to conform to either his or societies expectations of her. She’d already experienced it at her mother’s hand once and had been extremely hurt by it, so she can’t continue her relationship with him if that’s his opinion of her. It was quite satisfying to see her stand up for herself that way, but I also wanted maybe a bit more lead-up to it, since it seemed to come out of nowhere.

And finally Geon (Ryu Gyeong-su) and Seon-yeong (Han Ji-eun), not only reconciled but then they amicably parted ways again, which I thought was a bit odd, since they both seemed reluctant, and only seemed to be doing it for the sake of the other person. But they also seemed like they might find a way back to each other once they are both in better places. In that sense, their relationship was quite hopeful.

However, it did seem like a strange mix of relationships in the show. We saw some bizarre dynamics between the three couples that were covered, but none felt entirely developed and I never fully invested in any of them. I’m not sure what message the writer was going for, but overall, it didn’t really seem like it had much direction. It felt like a slice-of-life kind of show, where you’ve placed a camera in this universe and some things just happened in front of it.

The one thing that I wish had been more consistent was the placement of said camera, the mockumentary style that they’d set up. As I’d predicted, the mockumentary style did eventually go away, except for the occasional reminder that yes! there was an interviewer, and the characters *do* need to talk about their feelings in an organic way rather than just rambling like madmen in the streets. But eventually that was done pretty much done away with and there really wasn’t any motivation for where the camera was. There were so many times when they would show situations where the characters would definitely not have allowed them or they would have been unable to access. How did we get flashbacks or how did they get into their houses during intimate moments like the candle lighting or when they’d already gone to sleep? Of course the PPL jokes were funny, but other than that, they didn’t really make full use of the format, rather just planting a foot in both camps and hoping no one really noticed. It probably seemed like a cool idea when they started, but then they wanted to show more that the limitation of the genre allows, and they decided that they don’t need to follow it fully. I wish the director had made the decision earlier on that they didn’t need this arbitrary stylistic choice since it doesn’t compliment the writing.

The biggest takeaway from the show for me (even though there is still one more episode that may change my mind) was that the show was just fine. That seems quite negative, but I actually like that the show didn’t actively annoy me, save for some of the characters making dumb choices, but even that at least made me engage with the show. It was fun, it was cute, it was frustrating at times and overall there was just enough to grab my attention to bring me back each week. I’m going to call that a success.

Week in Review (Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2021)

~ colourfulgranny ~ 1 Comment

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Shopping King Louis (2016)

My Precious!

Seo In-guk is so disarmingly charming as the eponymous Louis, that you can’t help but love him. While the character could have easily become annoying, what with being a rich entitled spoiled chaebol with a shopping addiction, Seo bring an ineffable charm to Louis, adding nuances to the wonderfully written character.

Nam Ji-hyun is similarly engaging, Bok-sil’s go-getter attitude and bright outlook being her biggest strengths. Even when forced into moving to a new city, searching for her lost brother and helping an amnesiac Louis against her will (side note: why does Nam Ji-hyun have a knack for getting shackled to amnesiac rich men?), she still manages to remain positive about her situation and eventually accomplish her goals. 

The cast is rounded out by a strong ensemble in both the home and office settings. While they did have extraneous storylines at times, they were usually quite delightful, quirks and all. From harmoni’s (Kim Young-ok) “My precious” to Joong-won’s (Yoon Sang-hyun) aggressive throat clearing, the show was packed with laughs.

In the end though, it’s the writing on the show that really appealed to me. They took the clichés and made them fresh, providing a new outlook on life and love and family. It’s the writing I wish I’d gotten to see from Oh Ji-young on Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol.

Overall, the show spreads a message of positivity and perseverance in the face of difficultly. Each character had their own journey to complete and they all came out the other end the better for it. Ultimately, Shopping King Louis leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Mr. Queen (2020) – Ep 9-16

This show gets whackier the more I see of it. The humour and heart that comes from Shin Hye-sun is still ever-present and the King (Kim Jung-hyun) continues to be both exhilarated and exasperated by So-yong/Bong-hwan. While I do enjoy seeing the King and Queen’s interactions, I’m not sure why the show is pushing forward with the love-lines. I hope they address Bong-hwan’s internal dilemmas in a thoughtful manner, especially now that they appear to have dropped the baby bomb on us.

The politics continue to be interesting, although we seem to have learned that Cheoljong is not below playing dirty tricks in order to get rid of members of the Kim and Jo families. He has so far blown himself up in an effort to frame them, and pretended to poison a child for the sake of appeasing the court. I am concerned for how far he might be willing to go for his cause, as it might end up doing more damage than good in the long run.

As far as the Kims and Jos are concerned, they continue to be as rotten as expected, resorting to murder, blackmail and all sort of other other nefarious things, All that remains is some good moustache twirling and evil laughs. But somehow, I don’t find it nearly as annoying on the show, since the universe has been established to be filled with such extremes. I mean if the show is willing to do an entire banquet around some product placement (Mac-Du-Nal-Du, ha!), I’m willing to accept that these people would behave this way. 

What I’m hoping for as the show comes to a close is for a clean conclusion to the political plot lines, Bong-hwan returning to a modern Korea, and Cheoljeong ruling with a steady and righteous hand – hopefully after implementing some of the things from the ‘stories’ he’s been told by Bong-hwan. I’m not sure where this will leave So-yong, but I fear that her soul has long since departed this world. While it will undoubtedly be heartbreaking for Cheoljeong, who has come to truly care for ‘his Queen’, hopefully it will fuel him to build a better future for his nation knowing that Bong-hwan will eventually live in it.

Week in Review (Jan 24 – 30, 2021)

~ colourfulgranny ~ Leave a comment

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Lovestruck in the City (2020) – Ep 9-12

I think the past couple of weeks helped to solidify the emotional threads of the show for me. I felt like the show was meandering a bit in the first few episodes, but now that it’s mostly focused on the present day, I’m finding it a little easier to connect with the characters. 

That’s not to say that I actually understand why Jae-won (Ji Chang-wook) and Eun-oh (Kim Ji-won) were together or how she could go from one extreme to another like that then just return to her old life like nothing ever happened. I think she might be a sociopath. I want to know how her mind works. Is this the sign of good writing, feeling such a level of frustration towards a character that you want to break them down to their bare components and see what makes them tick?

Jae-won seem just as bizarre, throwing himself one pity party after another. I’m honestly glad that the confrontation happened in the rooftop apartment and then he left, with the intent of not seeing her again, but then the closing of the last episode suggests that she found him. These two are really bad for each other, and I just want them to spend some time apart and resolve their problems in healthy ways.

The gang continues to be revealed in bite-size components too, from Rin-i’s (So Ju-yeon) reluctance to marry to Seon-young’s (Han Ji-eun) unsupportive father. This is the component of the show that feels the most planned out to me, but it’s still moving at a snail’s pace. I sound like a broken record, but I really do just want things to move faster.

One thing I haven’t really talked about yet is the visual style of the show. I like the little captions, and the interviewer suggesting a theme for each week. The show does feel much more character-driven because of the style, and it also isn’t afraid of unconventional framing if it means getting the mental or emotional state of the characters across, whether it’s getting on the ground with them when they feel low, or giving them their space when they feel alone or isolated. And I think that’s what keeps bringing me back. I want to know what tricks the director is going to pull out of his hat to guide us along the journey with the characters even when it’s difficult to empathise with them.