Tuesday, November 22, 2016

224. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo 달의 연인 - 보보경심 려 (2016) Korean

Lee Joon Ki, Lee Ji Eun, Kang Ha Neul, Hong Jong Hyun, Byun Baek Hyun, Ji Soo, Nam Joo Hyuk

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A+

At least there were pretty oppas.  Can't say much else for it, the writing was all over the place, but the actors did a good job in spite of that.  It's just that the characters flipped flopped around so much.  This made me hate the main girl, the character, not IU, and be very confused as to anyone's motivations.  The show would go through waves of being cute and then just stupid.  It was frustrating and more often than not I was bored and disappointed.  It changed so much that looking back we were like, "wait, was that the same drama?"  I totally forgot she was from modern times by the end because so much weird shiz happened.  The pace was the number 1 problem, and then consistency was a big deal, because the characters changed back and forth so much that you don't know who they are or what they are doing most of the time.  Also, mostly everyone but Joon Ki was annoying at least part of the time, and then they made Joon Ki act like an evil crazy person, so there wasn't even that.  It was one big eye roll most of the time, and particularly at the end.  It was ridiculous.  The show had fun moments, but was ridiculous most of the time.  I think one excuse for the bad writing is that they were trying to adapt a Chinese drama to Korean history, so they had to fit everything that happened into the drama into as much historical events as possible, but since the two don't really work blow for blow, some of it was so forced it was frustrating.  Also, what the freak ending!  It was kind of lame and weird.  Why did they try to redeem everyone?  So dumb.  No one wants to waste time on the turd bucket prince, or see how pathetic Wookie became.  So many flashbacks!  Just in case we forgot it really was the same drama.  Seriously.  But there were plenty of hot men.  I love Lee Joon Ki and he was amazing in all the crazy different things they made him do.  Kang Ha Neul consistently stole Lizabreff's heart, until he was crazy bad, and then at least he was still hot and a good actor.  Guyliner (Hong Jong Hyun) was also a favorite of mine, he definitely did a great job, plus had impeccable eyeliner and skin, even after hiding out in the wilderness for a year or so.  I loved Queen Yoo (Park Ji Young) she is the best!  All the queens were really.  Classy and amazing, even though the script sucked.  Nam Joo Hyuk's character was the smartest person in the show.  Really there were a lot of stupid people or at least stupidity in the show.  So yeah, liked the actors if not the characters were good.  It bounced between being interesting, cute, boring, and just horrible.  It was inexplicable how much it changed.  But at least Lee Joon Ki was beautiful, even when he was being crazy.  That's about it.

Monday, November 21, 2016

226. Shopping King Louis 쇼핑왕 루이 (2016) Korean

Seo In Guk, Nam Ji Hyun, Yoon Sang Hyun, Im Se Mi

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A

Cute!  Cute, cute, cute, cute!!!!  I've never seen a cuter couple!  They were the best OTP!  Here is why: they were super honest about their feelings 95% of the time.  They weren't afraid to just say how they feel, treat each other kindly, be touched by their thoughtfulness, and actively admit they miss each other or are jealous.  None of this playing dumb for forever, they were like extra cute real people!  I loved innocent little "hot house" Louis being super naive about money and work, but being super teachable!  He learned how to be frugal and work hard and it was amazing.  Then there was Go Bok Sil, the mountain girl, who was super naive about the modern consumer world and how to use smartphones, etc. and she was also really teachable!  It was amazing to see them support each other and learn from each other.  But they weren't the only adorable ones.  Everyone in this show was likable and learned things.  Even the crazy other girl and the reluctant villain uncle.  I loved the bromance between Louis and Jo In Seong.  That was adorable.  Especially since they were both in Squad 38 together, and not necessarily as friends.  I loved the ahjumma club and how it kept growing and thriving.  Oska did an amazing job being the "straight man" who was also comedic.  His little grunt groan was a favorite, and the scene with "The Winner Takes It All" was just pure gold.  the pacing was kind of weird, because they didn't take forever dragging things out only to rush it later.  They actually resolved things really quickly and in a way that they normally would be.  The 5% time where they tried to be noble idiots for various reasons was so brief, and they didn't believe the lies, but they understood why it was happening and respected that (even though it's a stupid trope, it was the best uses of that stupid trope).  Then they managed to give proper closure for every character- I mean EVERY character.  We loved all the characters, so that was good, but it wasn't typical.  It made the ending a little slow because all the big resolutions were taken care of, and that just left all the little resolutions.  It was very sweet and teary and adorable.  I loved it.

222. Jealousy Incarnate 질투의 화신 (2016) Korean

Gong Hyo Jin, Jo Jung Suk, Go Kyung Pyo, Lee Mi Sook, Park Ji Young, Lee Sung Jae, Seo Ji Hye

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A+


What beautifully flawed people.  What horrible imperfections.  What lovable love triangles.  What perfectly wonderful acting.  I loved this show so much.  Never have I loved so many characters!  Everyone was just real and harsh and lovable.  Of course Jo Jung Suk was just perfect.  He nailed it.  He made us feel so many conflicting emotions and to be on his side no matter what, even when he was being a complete idiot, which he was often, that was the beauty of the show.  So many complex feelings and emotions, so perfectly portrayed.  It was beautiful.  My other favorites were the ahjumma frenemies love triangle, because it wasn't even a love triangle as much as a womance.  Going to be honest, we probably liked them the most because we saw ourselves in them.  I love Reporter Kye, because I related to her, I want to be her when I grow up.  Lizabreff connected to Chief Bang.  We just like to relate to the womances, apparently.  Also, Na Pyo Ri's little brother = yes.  Gong Hyo Jin was great as always.  I loved how much her character grew.  She started off being that same awkward character she always is, and then ended up being a strong woman.  I super loved their relationship and how they ended up as equals after starting off as a pushover girl and full of himself guy.  Also, the bromance.  Go Kyung Pyo and Jo Jung Suk's bromance was perfect, even in their merciless fighting over her.  The mudflat scene.  Need I say more?  It's pretty hilarious because I had to talk my sister through this show because there was so many raw feels and people being selfish jerks, which she hated but I loved, while she had to talk me through Scarlet Heart Ryeo because I thought it was stupid.  I guess to each their own.  This show was one of the best I've seen in a while.  It was 24 episodes and I didn't care.  It could have been longer and I would have been fine, so long as they kept the writing just as tight and consistent.  It was just delightful.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

229. Go Ho's Starry Night 고호의 별이 빛나는 밤에 (2016) Korean

Kwon Yuri, Kim Young Kwang, Lee Ji Hoon, Shin Jae Ha

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A+

Nothing like a web drama full of fluff when you want the feels.  This was a particularly good web drama too.  The right amount of good characters with good development, oh and sexy men.  I loved Go Ho's personality, and she stayed consistent the whole time... well it's really short too, but even then inconsistencies happen.  I also really liked how every man she met and rated was deeper than she thought.  Her ratings for each man changed as she got to know them better and her perceptions of them changed.  She initially thought that they were all as she first saw them, so the character development was in her, but they were also willing to improve themselves too.  The humor was really nice too, it was quirky and also relatable, since Go Ho was a more real type girl who didn't hide her realistic struggles and be confused by all the different men who are attracting her attention.  She just admits it when she is attracted to them too.  But I especially love is how well then played up those hilarious attraction scenes with Kim Young Kwang.  The scene where he rolls up his sleeves and purposefully shows off his forearms... rawr.  Also, the jar opening scene when she is crazily attracted to him just because he opens the jam jar for her.  That's real life.  Kim Young Kwang's hands are sooooo fine.  I like stories where people learn things, and I feel like everyone learns something in this one, all of them coming out as better people, even if only slightly.  I like how they are each willing to improve themselves, and take the constructive criticism, etc.  anyway, it's a cute show and full of hot men, so yes.

Friday, November 4, 2016

218. Second to Last Love 끝에서 두번째 사랑 (2016) Korean

Kim Hee Ae, Ji Jin Hee, Kwak Si Yang, Kim Seul Gi

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: B

What started out as a great cast of characters was sadly lessened by not great writing.  The set up was decent.  I am a sucker for old people romances these days, and this OTP was my favorite.  They were so smart and cool about most things, and so complimentary to each other.  They really balanced each other out.  I didn't like it when Cordon was sweet on her, so that was lame.  There was no reason behind it really.  But then, that was probably because we were 100% behind the Cordon/Seul Gi romance, which might also be the reason I was so disappointed at the ending.  The ending was so lame.  The last two episodes were so preachy, boring, and slow.  All we wanted was all the couples (especially Seul Gi and Cordon) to make out!  Well, honestly the writing was pretty bad.  The villains' sole purpose in life was to screw over Kang Min Joo and especially Go Sang Sik.  Literally wanted them to crash and burn because they were too awesome to be left alone, apparently.  So lame.  That smarmy face was the WORST!  How did he not get investigated and fired a million years ago?  It made no sense, and then they dragged it out so that everything could dramatically be resolved at once and then make the last two episodes so boring that we couldn't pay attention.  How is it that the oldest couple got the most action?  The bar keeper and vice mayor?  They're the only ones who get to make out?  Why?  Let the bestie romance make out!  So while the characters (not the villains) were good, the drama wasn't written well and so was a bit lame.  But I still loved the characters enough to watch and finish it.  But that lame ending though.  Sigh.