Tag: tv

Week in Review (Jul 25 – 31, 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

So I Married My Anti-fan (2021)

Do you ever start watching a show knowing it’s going to be bad, but that it’s going to be fun regardless? That’s exactly the mindset that I went into Anti-fan with, and I was not in the least bit disappointed. Was the dialogue cheesy? Yes. Were the second leads annoying? Infuriatingly so. Was the story predictable? To the point where I felt like a psychic.

But it was also charming and wholesome and had some great characters, and I came away from the show absolutely in love. Lee Geun-young (Girls’ Generation’s Sooyoung) is a bad-ass who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, even if that means she gets in trouble. Who-joon (Choi Tae-joon) is an entitled pop-star, who’s handed everything he wants on a silver platter. But when they two of them butt heads is when the real magic happens. While not the most competent of people, there is something about the craziness of the reality TV world they’ve been thrown into that really plays to their strengths. Geun-young’s exaggerations and Who-joon trying to cover them up are a real rollercoaster ride, so it’s no wonder that their imaginary audience can’t get enough of them (as well as the very real me).

I’ll admit that aside from our main duo, there wasn’t really much to keep me interested in the show, but the bits that did stand out for me where Who-joon’s ever supportive manager, Ji-hyang (Kim Sun-hyuk), who seemed to ship these two as much as I did, and Geun-young’s parents looking out for their kid and not knowing or caring two hoots about Who-joon and his alleged fame. I also liked that the show took the time to give us a bit of backstory on Geun-young’s high-school bully/Who-joon’s superfan Yu-ri (Song Chae-yoon), showing that the girl was really just in need of a firmer parental figure and someone to show her the error of her ways.

For a show that was made in 2018, is only just seeing the light of day after three years of production hell, it shows its age most in the second leads’ storyline the most. The dynamic between Jae-joon (2PM’s Chansung) – who is clearly taking out his frustrations in the worst possible manner – and In-hyung (Han Ji-an) – who seems to be stuck in the same harmful repetitive loop – feels so dated it almost belongs in the 90s era of dramas.

Other than that, the fact that they filmed it so long ago seems to have stripped it of a lot of the trimming that make Korean dramas what they are. Some are for the good, like the lack of obnoxious product placements; but others, like the minimal background music take some getting used to. The show is clearly a labour of love by people who wanted to stay true to the source material, but ultimately they just wanted to get it out there in the end.

For a show that I watched just for a good time, I really found myself enjoying it much more than some of the more critically acclaimed shows that often come across my screen. Anti-fan is by no means perfect, but the show is infinitely more entertaining than I could have ever hoped for, and much like Geun-young and Who-joon couldn’t help but fall for each other, I couldn’t help but love the show.

Week in Review (Jul 18 – 24, 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

Loki (2021)

I’m glad I waited to watch Loki in one sitting once it had finished airing, because I felt that not a lot actually happened over the course of the show. Most of the action occurred in the final episode, with the first five mostly just long expositions and a chance to explore the scenery.

While Tom Hiddleston is very good at delivering a complex monologue, it felt like that was just about all he had to do. The entire first episode was exposition and rather than pulling me into the world of the TVA, it actually pulled me out. It made the show feel a little bit flat, despite the grandness of its settings.

That being said, I did enjoy the final episode of the show, which was essentially a battle of wits between the mysterious figure beyond the void (Jonathan Majors), and Loki and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). Majors adds a calmness to the age-old character that could very easily have been over the top and campy, bringing a much needed weight to the show.

The debate between thinking you are the best version of yourself and doubting that you may not be was captured quite well, with a literal battle between two different versions of the same entity. I did not like the incestuous narcissistic take that the show had on Loki and Sylvie’s relationship, the clash of ideologies was well conveyed.

The idea of multiverses is definitely nothing new in the comic book world, but seeing it manifested in such a fun way is always delightful. I’m looking forward to seeing how the show takes things forward in that direction. I also want to see more of Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Loki together, since the two of them had incredible chemistry on screen.

Hospital Playlist 2 (2021) – Ep 5-6

It was an interesting two weeks on HP, with Episode 5 setting up the time jump and Episode 6 showing us how everyone has changed (or stayed the same) in the past year. For the most part, not much seems to be different for our main 5. Jun-wan (Jung Kyoung-ho) still can’t seem to move on from his relationship. Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) and Ik-joon (Jo Jeong-seok) are still comfortable with one another, with just the tiniest hint of tension under the surface. Seok-hyung (Kim Dae-myung) has decided to open himself up to the possibility of dating Min-ha (Ahn Eun-jin). And Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon-seok) is still keeping his relationship with Gyeo-ul (Shin Hyun-bin) under wraps; although it definitely feels like she wants more out of it.

Now that Song-hwa is back for good, I think that the writes will start to establish a more concrete arc for her future relationship with Ik-joon. With only half the season left, it seems very likely that we will get to the point of a confession by the end of the season, with actual dating happening in the next one. I hope that if that is where the show is heading, we don’t just get the two of them in an isolated bubble, but rather get to see the effects of it in their existing lives, especially how it might impact U-joo (Kim Jun).

Jun-wan is definitely being written as the most tragic of the characters. All his friends seems to have something else to do or somewhere else to be. Even his devoted resident Jae-hak (Jung Moon-sung) hasn’t got the time to spend with him, and it’s really taking a toll on him. While he isn’t showing it outwardly yet, I feel that the hints about expressing your emotions this episode will apply most aptly to him, and he’s going to have a breakdown soon. Even though his friends will be there for him, it seems that the show is hinting that he isn’t complete without a partner. While I dislike this line of thinking, I do understand that Jun-wan’s prickly exterior often makes him unapproachable and therefore harder to befriend.

Seok-hyung and Jeong-won seem to have the least amount of change in their immediate environment the past year, but I feel like the more interesting changes are going to unfold in the latter half for the two of them. Both seem to have marriage in the periphery, Seok-hyung because of his mother and Jeong-won potentially from Gyeo-ul.

We seem to be getting a few more scenes of the friends interacting with one another, which is by far my favourite part of the show. The actors really pull off that decades-long-friendship vibe, and they feel comfortable and homey in those moments. Their band practices are only getting better and better, and I can’t wait to see the uproar when they finally have to let Song-hwa sing for her birthday.

Week in Review (Jul 11 – 17, 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

Because This Is My First Life (2017)

I had seen about a million reviews all with great things to say about BTIMFL. It’s very rare that something gets that many positive reviews, and then actually holds up to the expectations I have built up of it. But this show does it in droves. The premise itself is quite simple: a contract marriage born out of convenience for both parties. They have their share of miscommunications and misunderstandings, but ultimately the show is about showing two people growing closer to each other. Not out of any sense of obligation or despite themselves, but simply by realizing that they find a comfort in one another that no one has ever been able to provide before.

When we first encounter Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min), she is at her lowest. She barely has time to sleep let alone pursue a romantic relationship. It’s no wonder that when she finds herself facing homelessness or living with a strange man, she chooses the latter. Even though it’s a choice made out of desperation, she comes from a background that taught her that her complaints are irrelevant, so she makes the best of a bad situation. Nam Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) on the other hand complains about everything under the sun, and then some. He’s prickly and particular, so when the perfect roommate shows up that matches all his criteria, he’s reluctant to let her go, despite her being of the opposite gender. From they they eventually get closer and more comfortable with one another, and they build a strong bond with one another – even if it takes them forever to realize it or act on it. They also learn to let go of the hurts of their pasts, and allow it to give way for future relationships.

There are a bunch of other relationships and dynamics shown over the course of the show, all with the intent of showing unconventional romances. The show manages to tackle them with varying degrees of success, but none fully held my attention if I’m being entirely honest. But I did like all of them as individuals. By far my favorite was Woo Soo-ji (Esom), who manages to be a badass despite the toxic work environment she deals with. I also thoroughly enjoyed Ji-ho’s friendship with Bok-nam (Kim Min-kyu), who realized that what she needed more from him was a friend to confide in rather than a whirlwind romance.

That was what I ultimately took away from the show. It is an exploration of the fluidity between familial, friendly and romantic love. Ji-ho and Se-hee had a long and winding road to one another, but I liked that the show gave them the room to explore themselves as much as each other, and find what was truly important to them. This show was heart-warming in the true sense of that word, in that it was a touching, and familiar with just a hint of spark to keep things interesting. I would definitely recommend this show as one of the best in its class.

Week in Review (Jul 4 – 10, 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

Youth of May (2021)

Youth of May explores an era of Korean history that I’m unfamiliar with, The Gwangju Uprising of 1980. My love for historical dramas is no surprise, neither is my love for the acting chops of Lee Do-hyun and Lee Sang-yi. So of course I was going to watch this show. I was just a bit apprehensive about starting it knowing that the material would be heavy, and that I would be in for an emotional ride.

The show definitely maintains a strong focus on character development, and the setting of the show is really just that: a backdrop that provides conflict for our characters, but not something they ever directly involve themselves in. Our heroine, Kim Myung-hee (Go Min-si), could not be more run of the mill. She’s quite plain on first glance, dressed in muted colors and seemingly a pushover. But the more time we get to spend with her, the more we’re charmed by her boldness. It comes out in burst when she sees those in a weaker position mistreated by those in power. Lee Do-hyun’s Hwang Hee-tae in contrast is uninterested in the conflicts and protests going on around him, despite having had a hand in helping the people on the front-lines. We get the impression that he wants to blend into the wall. Their paths cross in a very cliché way, and if not for the setting, this show could easily have been a rom-com drama. A case of mistaken identity, love-at-first-sight, arranged marriage and love squares, it’s all there.

But what makes this show different is exactly that setting, and the raised stakes because of it. Hee-tae’s father (played by the incredible Oh Man-seok) is the absolute scum of the earth, bringing a real sense of danger for our four leads. Add to that the individual hurdles that Myung-hee and the Lee siblings have to tackle within their respective families, and we have rife territory to explore.

There’s nothing quite like opposing parents to bring a couple closer, and that’s exactly what happens with Myung-hee and Hee-tae. Go and Lee have worked together before, and that prior relationship definitely seems to influence their performance here. They seem comfortable with each other from the first encounter, and I was invested in their journey from the very beginning, despite knowing it may not end well for them. What I found particularly interesting, is that despite having Soo-chan and Soo-ryun (Keum Sae-rok) set up as potential romantic rivals for our leads, they never felt like actual threats to their relationship.

Despite all the blood and gore that the show portrayed there was one bright ray of sunshine in the show: the friendship between the little brothers, Jung-tae (Choi Seung-hoon) and Myung-soo (Jo Yi-hyun). These two boys were the embodiment of adorable, and despite their rocky start, they ultimately became inseparable.

While the show does end on a bittersweet note, it leaves a lasting effect and a message of hope. To not give up, to not forget the difficulties of the past, and to stand against injustices despite your fears. Youth of May wasn’t perfect by any means, and it definitely had its fair share of issues, but the final impression it leaves you with is a good one, of having been glad to be along for the journey with these characters.

Hospital Playlist 2 (2021) – Ep 3-4

The highlight of the past two weeks has definitely been the PICU moms. Eun-ji’s mother (Lee Eun-joo) in particular stole the show. I loved how she managed to show the duality of being supportive of the parents who got their miracles while also desperately hoping for one for her own child. To see her finally admit that it was difficult to keep going, and that she was on the verge of giving up on her child was heartbreaking. However, the moment when she finally got good news was equally joyous.

Being with the moms meant we also got to see more of their doctor. Jun-wan (Jung Kyoung-Ho) has been visibly struggling in his long-distance relationship and things finally came to a head this week. Ik-soon (Kwak Sun-young) was becoming more and more withdrawn from him, and even the medical staff around the hospital felt the need to comment on how haggard Jun-wan seems, throwing himself into his work. While I’ve never been particularly invested in their relationship, I do feel badly for him and how Ik-soon doesn’t seem to be very considerate of him. Ik-joon’s (Jo Jeong-seok) indirect talk with her about how his girlfriend isn’t being good to him seemed to have the opposite effect of what he intended, and she broke up with Jun-wan with what I suspect was a lie, rather than trying to be a better partner to him.

I was a bit disappointed at the lack of Seok-hyung (Kim Dae-myung) recently. It seems like the writers are setting him and Min-ha (Ahn Eun-jin) up as the next targets of Ik-joon’s matchmaking, but I really just want to see him interacting with his patients and medical team. That has been the one weak point of this season so far. I’m uninterested in any of the lovelines that the show is trying to push on us, despite the hammer-to-the-face approach they took with Lee Kyu-hyung’s cameo. Rather than wondering whether Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) will end up with Ik-joon or if Jeong-won’s (Yoo Yeon-seok) relationship will be exposed, I’d like the show to be more about the friendships and the hospital.

Week in Review (Jun 20 – 26, 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

Hospital Playlist 2 (2021) – Ep 1-2

The Yulje crew is back!

And they are just as good as ever. The show picks up exactly where it left off, and it feels like the cast hasn’t missed a beat since they ended the last season. With a few meta jokes about how Ik-joon’s (Jo Jeong-seok) kid seems to have grown overnight, the show returns to all it’s usual shenanigans.

The first episode seems intent on wrapping up all the cliffhangers it left us with at the end of the first season, and staying true to her signature style, most of them turned out far less dramatic than they seemed. Seok-hyung (Kim Dae-myung) goes to see his ex-wife after he learns that her father is admitted to the hospital. Jun-wan’s (Jung Kyoung-ho) returned ring was cleared up with a quick phone call and it turned out that Ik-soon (Kwak Sun-young) just wasn’t home when it was delivered. Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Gyeo-wool (Shin Hyun-bin) are officially a couple, and Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) neatly turns Ik-joon down on his hypothetical offer to date.

I like that the show continues to give us interesting doctor-patient interactions. It can often get quite boring when you have a case-of-the-week format, but Hospital Playlist has always excelled in making us connect with the patients that visit Yulje, because they aren’t there just for the week.

The most interesting patient so far was Kim Su-jeong (guest star An Si-ha), who comes to the ER after she realizes that her water has burst before her baby has even completed half its term. Not only does she serve to provide an interesting medical situation, but it also helps to show us the contrast between the different doctors at Yulje. Min-ha (Ahn Eun-jin) notes how the same patient examined within the space of a few hours by two different doctors completely changed the outlook. It also gave us an incredible insight into how Seok-hyung works as a doctor, something that did not get nearly enough attention last season. I want to know more about the inner workings of his mind, since he seems like the most thoughtful of the group.

On a personal front, they all continue to have various levels of struggles and success. Jun-wan and Ik-soon are going strong, and it makes me happy to see them communicating with one another. Song-hwa’s mystery coffee fairy on the other hand makes me nervous for another one-sided crush, much like we were teased with Ahn Chi-hong (Kim Joon-han) and the shoes last season.

I have no doubt that the show will continue to be insightful and heartfelt, and I’m excited to see what Writer Lee Woo-jung and Director Shin Won-ho have in store for us. I’m equally excited to see some excellent covers by our in-house band, Mido and The Parasols.

Racket Boys (2021) – Ep 1-8

This show is so wholesome it’s killing me with cuteness! It’s not everyday that we get to see a show about competitive middle school badminton, but Racket Boys is about so much more than that. The show manages to encompass the financial struggle of family forced to move from the city to the countryside, and how they try to fit in with the people around them. The school itself is looking for someone to turn their team around and bring back their former glory. Finally, it deals with the stresses of being a teenager, especially teenagers that have adults constantly pushing them and relying on them for their own glories.

After having watched Prison Playbook, and knowing that the same writer was in charge here, I was sure that the ensemble dynamic would be excellent. What I wasn’t expecting was how I would love each one of them. From the hot-headed Hae-kang (Tang Joon-sang) to the reserved Se-yoon (Lee Jae-in), I have yet to find a character that I dislike. The coaches may seem strict and the townspeople prickly, but ultimately those are just facades they put on to protect themselves, and you understand where they might be coming from.

By far my favourite character is Hae-kang. I love how he so many dichotomies in him. He’s competitive but carefree, walking with an air of confidence that only a fourteen-year-old kid can. However, he often shows a maturity far beyond his year, whether it’s towards his sister (Ahn Se-bin), Se-yoon or the kindly halmoni Ome (Cha Mi-kyung) next door, that I sometimes forget that he’s just a middle-schooler who likes playing video games and wants his mom (Oh Na-ra) when he’s hurt. I was already blown away by Tang’s acting prowess in Move to Heaven, but Yoon Hae-kang is a masterful character when placed in his capable hands. He is absolutely slaying it, and I love him even more every time he smirks and says “It’s me! I’m Yoon Hae-kang!”

When the rest of the kids are added into the mix we get true magic. Each of them brings their own brand of charm, whether it Yoon-dam’s (Son Sang-yeon) leadership, Se-yoon’s cool-headedness, or the optimistic dynamic duo of Woo-chan and Yong-tae (Choi Hyun-wook and Kim Kang-hoon respectively). They really take Coach Bae’s (Shin Jung-keun) words to heart: “We win as a team. We lose as team.” And they do pretty much everything else as a team too, including being embarrassed by Coach Yoon (Kim Sang-kyung) and protecting other teams from Hae-kang’s violent outbursts.

Going forward, I’m looking forward to see how the team continue to bond. Now that they know Hae-kang isn’t going anywhere, the Racket Boys seem much more at ease. I’m also loving the lovely innocence of the way that the writer is developing the lovelines between Se-yoon and Hae-kang, as well as the more direct approach with Han-sol (Lee Ji-won) and Yoon-dam.

Week in Review (Jun 13 – 19, 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

Prison Playbook (2017)

I’d heard a lot about Prison Playbook but it took me a while to warm up to the idea of watching it. While I am a big fan of the Reply Series and Hospital Playlist, which share a director with PP, I wasn’t convinced that his signature style of long episode lengths and the meandering pace would suit a prison setting. What finally got me on board with this project was the eclectic mix of character that make up the cast, as more and more of the actors that I enjoy seemed to have parts in the show.

I was also interested to see a part of Korean life that I hadn’t previously seen in other dramas. Having only primary seen prisons depicted in American shows, I was intrigued by the more open plan living system that seemed to be in play, with prisoners largely responsible for their own day to day needs. While I don’t know if the show accurately depicts prison life, I did enjoy the universe that was created.

The writing is by far where the show excels. It’s difficult enough to make everyday characters fun to watch, but the added challenge of making a group of criminals likable seemed insurmountable. I like that the writer gives us someone we can get behind in our protagonist, because even though Kim Je-hyeok (Park Hae-soo) is morally ambiguous when you look at his crimes alone, knowing the history of his character helps us be a bit more forgiving of him. Add to that the near hero-worship from his best friend and protector Lee Joon-ho (Jung Kyung-ho), and the writer almost makes me start to believe that Je-hyeok can do no wrong.

Also getting to see the struggles that his sister Je-hee (Lim Hwa-young) goes through in the aftermath of such events, and seeing her support system come to life through Kim Ji-ho (Krystal Jung), Joon-ho and his brother Joon-dol (Kim Kyung-nam). The dichotomy of knowing he did something bad for the greater good is what allows Je-hyeok to keep a clear conscience, and what makes him a more sympathetic character in the long run.

However, my favorite character is by far Kim Min-cheol (Choi Moo-sung). I’ve always been a fan of Choi, but most of his characters in the past have been quite straightforward. Min-cheol has nuances and layers that we aren’t fully aware of to begin with. While he has obviously committed terrible crimes, knowing that he has had 22 years to repent for them gives you hope that he will leave a better man than the one that came to Seobu Penitentiary. The relationships he develops over the course of his prison life, even though they were forced upon him, make him better and he earns respect not only from his fellow prisoners but even from the prickliest of guards like Officer Paeng (Jung Woong-in).

While there were definitely segments that were over-dramatized – Yoo Han-yang (Lee Kyu-hyung) getting arrested again five minutes after leaving prison comes to mind – for the most part it felt well-balanced with the humour and the heartfelt moments. Doctor Go’s (Jung Min-sung) bureaucracy, KAIST’s (Park Ho-san) constant arguing and Captain Yoo’s (Jung Hae-in) death glares fit in perfectly with their respective backgrounds, and they felt well-rounded the more you got to know them, despite their bizarre first impressions.

Aside from our core group, I also loved all the recurring characters and their respective actors. Kim Sung-cheol was by far my favourite, playing the baseball enthusiast and the go-to guy for all the info. He seemed to know everything about everything, and he was Je-hyeok’s biggest fanboy in prison. I was also glad to see the Lee Tae-sun/Lee Do-hyun duo that I had so thoroughly enjoyed in Hotel Del Luna. While they do serve primarily just as expositional elements to better understand our protagonists, they play the contrast in personalities and the reversal of fortunes beautifully. Finally, it was incredible (and incredibly jarring) to see Lee Sang-yi in a role completely different from the bubbly romantic in Once Again, making me want to hiss at his character every time he showed up on my screen. Seeing the atrocities he committed and having no repentance for his behaviour whatsoever put him of a level of villainy to rival some to the best. And yet, it’s sad to think that people like this may truly exist, those who have no regard for anybody except themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed Prison Playbook and am surprised that it has taken me so long to watch it. While I could have done with slightly shorter episodes and a bit less romance plot, I came away from the show having a good sense of the characters, hopeful for their futures, and a bit regretful to have to leave them.

Week in Review (Jun 6 – 12, 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

18 Again (2020)

I’ll be honest, if someone told me a year ago that I would be watching a Korean TV remake of the 2009 comedy film 17 Again, I would have laughed in their face. And yet, I found myself doing exactly that this past week, all so that I could familiarize myself with the works of Lee Do-hyun prior to watching Youth of May. Having been blown away by him in as small a part as he played in Hotel Del Luna, I wanted to see what he could do when he could sink his teeth into a meatier part. And he did not disappoint.

Although the show is meant to be quite lighthearted, it does have its heavy moments, particularly those that deal with the marriage between Hong Dae-young (Yoon Sang-hyun plays the older counterpart to Lee) and Jung Da-jung (the older version played by Kim Ha-nuel, the younger by Han So-eun). While it is nice to laugh along with his character, it is in those emotionally charged scenes that Lee really shines. If he can take something as trivial as a rom-com and turn it into something spectacular, as he does here, I can only imagine how well he’s going to do with Youth of May.

Aside from gushing about Lee, I should comment on the remainder of the cast. Of all the young cast members, none were particularly memorable, but Dae-young’s daughter, Shi-a (Roh Jeong-eui) had the most interesting character development. She was torn between the need to be treated as an adult, but also wanting the love a little girl craves from her parents. She puts a huge amount of responsibility on her own shoulders for the way her parents lives have turned out, feeling that if she hadn’t been born when they were so young that they might have led better lives, while wanting to hear them tell her that of course it wasn’t her fault. It was this internal conflict that made her character compelling to me.

But of course she probably wouldn’t have listened to them even if they had. That’s where the conceit of the drama comes in. More often than not, teenager can be bull-headed but they are much more likely to listen to the same advice when it comes from a peer as opposed to a parent. Neither of Dae-young’s children are willing to listen to his “nagging”, but when Woo-young tells them the same thing, they take it to heart. Shi-woo (Ryeo-un) in particular only starts to engage in basketball after he’s goaded into it, not because he was bad at it, but because he lacked a confidence in himself. And once he starts facing his problems head-on rather than putting up an aloof facade, a world of possibility opens up to him.

Which is ultimately what resolves most of the problems in the show. It’s only once they actually start communicating with one another that the characters start to find resolutions to their conceived problems. The breakdown in Dae-young and Da-jung’s marriage only occurred because they weren’t more forthcoming with each other, even over things as trivial as how their day was, let alone their relationships with each other’s parents, or their hopes and ambitions.

From a production standpoint, I did have issues with when they chose to show Lee or Yoon as Dae-young. A lot of the time it felt unmotivated when we would get the younger version or the older, but there were several instances where I felt that the story would have been better served by having the opposite to what was chosen. The most notable of these was when Da-jung finally realizes that Woo-young really is her husband, and they share their kiss on the balcony. I felt that the story would have been much better served to have the older version in this case. Aside from the very obvious take of her finally seeing the real him, ultimately, Lee is playing a minor in this role despite being in his mid-20s himself, and it was uncomfortable to have that age difference be so blatantly thrown in the viewers’ faces. While it is understandable that Lee is obviously the more attractive younger man, and the director may have been trying to give him the moment of glory, I felt that it took away from the scene overall. It was something that was addressed later on in the show when people think that Da-jung is out to dinner with her son, but it didn’t feel like enough.

However, for a show that is primarily a comedy, it dealt with a lot more than it ever needed to. 18 Again is bold, brash and unapologetic in its hopefulness. Even though everything wasn’t picture perfect by the end, I think they did a great job of taking the source material and adapting it for the culture, the time and the actors that portray them. No show is perfect, but few leave a warm fuzzy feeling like this one does.

Week in Review (May 30 – Jun 5, 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

Move To Heaven (2021)

Knowing I was in for some intense drama, I tuned in to Move To Heaven ready to bawl my eyes out and have my heart broken (and then lovingly put back together). And boy! did the show deliver on both fronts.

The show has one of the most unique concepts I’ve ever heard of: a company that tidy up the final living spaces of the recently deceased when said people have nobody else to do it for them. The company itself, the titular Move to Heaven, is run by the father-son duo of Han Jeong-u (Ji Jin-Hee) and Geu-ru (Tang Joon-sang), who has Asperger’s syndrome. When Jeong-u’s sudden passing leaves Geu-ru in the care of his unsavory uncle, Cho Sang-gu (Lee Je-hoon), who has recently been released from prison and is extremely confrontational, naturally their personalities clash constantly.

I like that the show takes its time with introducing us to Geu-ru’s daily routine, his relationship with his father, and his work ethic before turning everything upside down. Because we’re so rarely given insight into his thought process, it was great to learn about him through his father’s eyes, the man who understands him best, and the person on whom Geu-ru relies the most. Of course, that made it particularly cruel to see them separated later on. Seeing how helpless Geu-ru is without his father, and his unwillingness to accept his passing makes you realize that although he may not be equipped to express himself, he is deeply affected by it.

I love that the show dropped hints about how insightful he can be over the course of the show. His genius is, of course, no mystery to us, but the inner workings of his mind often can be. And while he appears to be straight-forward and aloof about the work that he does, it is often through Geu-ru that the deceased’s family members have emotional breakthroughs. He tries time and time again to do the best he can for his clients even when it forces him out of his comfort zone and it endears him to me that much more.

It is also through the work that they do that Sang-gu starts to understand his nephew better and vice-versa. Intent on using-and-losing Geu-ru, and taking revenge on his brother for his perceived wrong-doings, Sang-gu becomes much softer over the course of the show, showing genuine care and compassion for Geu-ru and Na-mu (Hong Seung-hee) as he spends more time with them. They similarly come to accept him in their own way as they learn to rely on him and understand the warm heart that beats behind the tough-guy exterior he’s cultivated.

Aside from our trio’s main story thread, I also found myself deeply moved by the individual cases that they took on. Almost every person’s death felt like a terrible missed opportunity to tell someone precious something, or to pass on something cherished to someone. Seeing the gruesome aftermath of the unfinished business that people leave behind really shone a light on the importance of sharing what’s important with your loved ones while they’re still around rather than have their memory be tinged with regret. While sometimes the writing was a little too clunky, or the message too on-the-nose, the final sense that each case left me with was one of hope for the people left behind to do better.

However, it was the performances that ultimately made the show. Tang in particular has a captivating screen presence, and shows incredible potential. I’m really looking forward to his new project, Racket Boys, where he plays a character that couldn’t be further from Geu-ru, but is no less intriguing. I also remember being less than impressed by Lee in Signal, but here he shows subtleties to his character that support the way that Sang-gu is written. While I went into the show skeptical about Lee, I came out thoroughly won-over by him.

Movies

Cruella (2021)

The latest in the slew of Disney live-action films has arrived, and it continues the trend of sub-par remakes of beloved classics. While the film has several individual components working well for it, from the soundtrack, to the styling and wardrobe, overall the story is predictable and cliché. Disney seem to have forgotten that people don’t want to see the same story rehashed a hundred times over, that we don’t just want to know what it would look like if a real human played the part of an animated character.

In fact, at times this actively works against them. Both Emma Thompson and Emma Stone are very strong performers, able to draw reactions from even the most passive of audiences. However, while I am more forgiving of over-the-top performance from animated characters, ironically it just seems more cartoonish when performed by a human in the flesh. Scenes that should have had emotional impact just made me laugh, because I couldn’t help thinking how silly it was. The scenes between The Baroness and Estella’s mother (Emily Beecham) on the cliff comes to mind, in particular.

That being said, it wasn’t all bad. I particularly enjoyed the editing in the film, and the visual styling was also very appealing, showing of 1970s London in all its glory. The film contrast the gritty with the up-scale beautifully, immersing you in the landscape of the film.

Cruella definitely isn’t going to be anywhere near my favorite films of the year and I wouldn’t have been too disappointed if I’d missed it. But I’m not too peeved at having watched it either, so I suppose I can’t complain.

Week in Review (May 23 – 29, 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

Hotel Del Luna (2019)

With a craving for a supernatural/fantasy drama, I turned this week to Hotel Del Luna. While I was fully expecting the Hong Sisters’ campy style and procedural format (having watched A Korean Odyssey a while back), what I wasn’t expecting was for it to be accompanied by genuinely breathtaking scenery and heartwarming character arcs.

I’m not a huge fan of procedural shows in general, but wanting to learn the individual stories of the long-term residents of Hotel del Luna was what brought me back each episode, from it’s prickly CEO Jang Man-wol (IU), to it’s newest manager Goo Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo, who’s incredible voice still caught me off guard despite hearing it in Start-Up), and everyone in between.

Man-wol has the longest and most complex history, her reasons for still remaining in the living world unraveled slowly as the story progresses. It’s also one of the most tragic, and as the mystery of her past is revealed, I felt more and more drawn to her character. Add to that IU’s engaging performance, and you get a beautifully rounded-out character that could have easily been cliché, but instead is infinitely endearing.

I enjoyed watching the scenes from Man-wol’s past in particular, and Lee Do-hyun’s appearance in the show is by far one of the most memorable cameos I’ve seen. Lee’s Go Chung-myeong would be an intriguing character on his own, but there’s a sparkle in Lee’s eyes that draws you in to the character like none other. Add to that Lee Tae-sun’s boyish charm as Man-wol’s closest friend Yeon-woo and you have a perfect trio to make a show in and of itself. Their tragic entanglement is so rich for exploration, and I could watch these three interact all day.

The three oldest residents of the Hotel – Kim Sun-bi (Shin Jung-Keun), Choi Seo-hui (Bae Hae-Sun) and Ji Hyun-joong (Pyo Ji-Hoon) – have a similarly appealing vibe, and as much as they bicker and outwardly disagree with one another, you can tell that they also rely greatly on one another to keep the hotel running smoothly and to navigate the modern world.

That being said, I was never fully invested in the loveline that was set up between Man-wol and Chan-sung. For a romance that was set up as fated, that was over a millennium in the making, it never truly hit home for me. It felt a little too standard to be a romance for the ages, and while there isn’t anything in particular that I could pinpoint to say didn’t work – the writing, the performances, and the directing were all fine by themselves – the combination of those elements just didn’t produce the desired effect for me.

That would probably be my only major complaint about the show, but Hotel Del Luna has lot going for it besides that. The Hong Sisters know how to deliver fantasy in all its glory and the ride was fun, heartfelt and overall engaging. And of course, a cameo by Kim Soo-hyun never hurts anyone. 😉

Week in Review (May 16 – 22, 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

Do You Like Brahms? (2020)

I went into Do You Like Brahms? fully expecting it to be heart-warming, but it exceeded those expectations and went above and beyond. While it wasn’t the perfect show (the second half had its fair share of problems), the performances by the actors and the overall feel of the show never wavered.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a show where I was unfamiliar with the two leads. Despite having long careers and being seasoned actors, Park Eun-bin and Kim Min-jae feel fresh-faced and are delightful to watch. The characters themselves feel mature beyond their years, whether its Park’s Song-ah who feels a desperation to catch up to her peers because of her late start to playing the violin or Kim’s Joon-young who starts to feel the life of a famous musician wearing on him. They’re both so reserved yet so vulnerable, a dichotomy that helps to fuel their friendship and eventual romantic relationship (despite many failures to start). Song-ah provides Joon-young with a new perspective on a world that he’s grown rather cynical about, while she realizes that a love for the music comes above everything else when she sees the toll it takes on Joon-young to have his every performance calculated on the basis of it marketability rather than the joy it brings him

The cast is rounded out by Song-ah and Joon-young’s respective friends, each of varying degrees of closeness. I found Jung-kyung (Park Ji-hyun) rather annoying to begin with, but I like that the writer allows us to see that she is a product of her harsh upbringing and that she is making an effort by the end, while not fully redeeming or excusing her. Han Hyun-ho (Kim Sung-cheol) by contrast is tragic in the way he pursues Jung-kyung, despite being treated poorly time and time again. Add to that his difficult upbringing, his conviction to put his friends before himself, and constantly being put down by his mentors, and it’s no wonder that my heart breaks for him (admittedly, I also have a soft spot for him since his role in To.Jenny).

There are several mirror relationships to be found among the these friendships, all with the intent of referencing the tragic relationship between Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann and Robert Schumann. Each had their own level of pining involved, but each served to show a different facet of their personalities – from Dong-yoon (Lee You-jin) and Min-sung’s (Bae Da-bin) push-and-pull to Jung-kyung’s egressive pursuit of Joon-young. The musical score and its accompanying metaphors help bring a bittersweet nuance to each pairing.

Despite a meandering middle and a slow pace, I don’t have any major complaints about the show. I enjoyed it for what it was, and I think the writers intention was more about showing the characters discovering a love for themselves rather than looking for it externally. It was beautifully shot, had a lovely soundtrack and strong performances. What more could I ask for?