Monday, October 23, 2017

276. Manhole 맨홀-이상한 나라의 필 (2017) Korean

Kim Jae Joong, Uee, Jung Hye Sung, Baro, Lee Sang Yi, Kang Hong Suk, Kim Min Ji, Jang Mi Kwan

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

I had heard so many mixed reviews of this one, I wasn't sure if I wanted to start it.  But for my love of Kitty (and Baro, Uee, and Jung Hye Sung), I started it anyway.  I loved it right away!  I loved the premise, the way that the time travelling rules were set up, and the changes that he made each time, the butterfly effect, and the resetting each time.  Sadly, it got kind of weird.  I think that due to the low ratings, they decided to just throw every weird and dramatic trope in it.  Partially, that was something they could just do as a twist with the butterfly effect twists, and I liked those, but when the fiance went from being a cheater to basically his same character in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, I think they over did it.  He might be hot, but he got way too much screen time.  I was so done with seeing his crazy face before he went out and beat people for no reason.  Anger management, dude.  I get that it was frustrating to watch a couple that obviously liked each other for 28 years go through a bunch of things because fate was obviously against them.  But that was the beauty of the plot.  It was literally about one man who defied fate.  Then it became about one man who needed to save his girl from the creeper assaulter who is one step away from kidnapping seven brides and locking them up under a junk yard while having bad hair.  Can we please get that guy a not creepy role?  I'm starting to think it's impossible.  Also, I'm not ready to see him at all for a while, because he was so annoying, so a different type of role for him, please?  Before he's ruined for forever?  So yeah, it got a but crazy at the end, but it was still enjoyable, we just made fun of it a little bit more, and moaned every time Mr. Anger Management got too much screen time.  Also, the last episode is soooooo cheesy.  Like cringing all the time.  But the pretty makes up for it.  Ovaries exploding and dying of cute.  It's all good.  No problems.  I really wish it had gotten better ratings, so that maybe it could have stayed true to it's original intent, if that was a thing.  Maybe they had that craziness in mind since the beginning, I don't know.  I do like the whole messing with time and fate thing.  It was interesting.  Still worth watching, especially if you love Kitty (Kim Jae Joong) as much as I do.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Women Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Second Leads and "Bitcas" Edition

I am so glad that as I was deciding to do this list, that there were so many wonderful women that I love that I could produce just as many of these lists for the actresses I would watch anything for, as for the actors.  I thought I would start with the ones that I fell in love with as they played the second female leads, the bitcas, if you will.  I love girls who play strong women, who play jerks, or even crazies, and are still so lovable and even the best thing ever.


They have such acting chops that even if I hate their character, I have to also grudgingly like them because they make them so sympathetic and real all the same.  You hate them, but also hate that you hate them because you love them too.  Or you hate that you love them, since they are being so evil... It all comes down to really loving them because they are awesome and play those evil or annoying roles like a boss.  So here are some of my favorite bad girls, who aren't your sweet young things, although they could play them like a boss too, because they are amazing.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Korean Movie Night: The Grand Heist 바람과 함께 사라지다 (2012) Korean

Cha Tae Hyun, Oh Ji Ho, Min Hyo Rin, Lee Chae Young, Sung dong Il, Ko Chang Seok, Shin Jung Geun, Kim Gil Dong, Song Jong Ho, Chun Bo Geun, Kim Hyang Gi

Movie rating: 7/10     Neck score: A

Comedy + Cha Tae Hyun + Heist means it's going to be cheesy, yet great.  It was so campy, but it didn't take itself seriously, and just went with it.  So no, not historically accurate completely, but everything they did was possible with the current technology, such as phosphorous and tunnel digging, etc.  It was like Joseon Ocean's 11, literally.  It was such a formulaic and classic heist movie, from the set up to the introducing of all the specialists, to the drama of them working together and disagreeing, to the gotcha and double gotcha moments.  It was definitely a classic heist movie, which in general I like, even if it is formulaic and predictable.  You all know I would watch anything for Cha Tae Hyun, but him as the brain of the team, the Danny Ocean, while still being comedic was fun.  He was smart and also silly.  Love it.  Oh Ji Ho was naturally the stick-in-the-mud, righteous warrior (named Baek Dong Soo) who is heisting for righteous reasons, but that's fine.  If it means we can see him shirtless and doing martial arts, it's fine.  Very fine.  Then the collection of experts,  who were all very perfect for their roles.  I loved Hyung (Song Jong Ho) as the sneaky master of disguise.  His little smirk was just perfect for it.  The bomb ahjussi was my favorite.  He was practically deaf because, you know, explosions, etc.  They pulled every heisty stereotype with the characters, as the master of disguise was also an expert seducer and the transportation specialist had Mr. T written all over him (so A-Team right there).  They unabashedly whipped out the stereotypes, but it was super fun to watch.  We were just laughing the whole time.  It hit the spot, basically.  We wanted something hilarious, and this one definitely had us laughing like the whole time.  The cast was great, the humor was great, and the kitschy heist tropes were great.  I enjoyed it.  As long as you know what you are getting, it's a good, easy watch.

Monday, October 2, 2017

274. Panda and the Hedgehog 판다양과 고슴도치 (2012) Korean

Lee Dong Hae, Yoon Seung Ah, Choi Jin Hyuk, Yoo So Young

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A+

We started this one because we were in the mood for cheesy and we wanted to look at lots of pretty Dong Hae.  I didn't expect Dong Hae to actually be pretty decent at acting.  Better than some other idols I've watched dramas for.  This was a ridiculous show nevertheless.  The villain was over-the-top bad and I ended up calling him "Rat Saekki" because his was just the worst, and stupid.  I have no idea how he managed to hide from the law for so long, because they were doing so many illegal things, both he and his wife.  They were both the worst.  Really, this show would have sucked completely if it hadn't have been for the bromances.  The girl was annoying enough, with her spacey full of herself ridiculousness, that I didn't really care about the couple.  I just loved Dong Hae with Choi Jin Hyuk and Dong Hae with Halbae.  They were all so adorable.  I know they call him a hedgehog because he's supposed to be spiky on the outside to protect his gooey core, but he was just gooey the whole time.  He was a marshmallow cinnamon bun the whole time.  He barely had any bristly moments at all, and he was an adorable drunk.