408. Hyena 하이에나 (2020) Korean

Kim Hye Soo, Joo Ji Hoon, Lee Kyoung Young

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A++

Where to even start with this show... I loved it, but there was also a lot that was messed up about it. It's ultimately about the underdog or "unclassy" lawyers vs. the elite, but either way there is corruption going on. So which is better, to be a low class lawyer who bends the rules for money, but also to gain an advantage and level the playing field with with rich or the elite lawyers who use the law for unjust means for the love of power and glory? Both are pretty messed up, but at least the low class lawyers are generally seeing truth and justice... but if you think too much about it in that way, you miss the fun dynamic of the story. But do note that like all political and law dramas, there is going to be some messed  up crap and lots of manipulation. What you want to pay attention to is a good group of characters and their developing relationships. It starts out with a strong rivalry because Jung Geum Ja literally manipulates elite lawyer Yoon Hee Jae into accidentally leaking information to her by dating him. That's both ethically and morally questionable. It's no wonder they hate each other... or at least he hates her... or does he?

411. Signal 시그널 (2016) Korean

Lee Je Hoon, Kim Hye Soo, Cho Jin Woong, Jang Hyun Sung, Jung Hae Kyun

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: B

I honestly don't remember why I didn't watch this one as it was airing. The two possibilities are that it was either not subbed on a site I subscribe to (I think that's the most likely) or that I was watching too many heavy/dark dramas at once and I couldn't. I do usually need to watch like 3 fluffy types to every 1 heavy one. Call it escapism. Anyway, once I miss the concurrent airing window, it's way easier to put it off in favor of currently airing ones, so even when I knew it was available on the Netflix, I still waited until my love of Kim Hye Soo made me finally just do it. (You'd think my love of Lee Je Hoon and Cho Jin Woong already would have, but I guess not). It's all about timing. Anyway, it's one I always wanted to watch, heard so much good about, and now finally did. It was worth all the praise too. It literally wrenched every emotion from me. Every single kind. All the feels! It was good.

In-Flight Film Time: Default 국가부도의 날 (2018) Korean

Kim Hye Soo, Yoo Ah In, Heo Jun Ho, Jo Woo Jin

Movie rating: 7/10     Neck score: A+

I'll admit that I chose to watch this one because from the tiny poster on the tiny plane screen, Kim Hye Soo looked like Soo Ae (who I love). Also, it had Yoo Ah In, so that was another plus. Basically the cast alone kept me watching. It's about the IMF Crisis in 1997 when Korea almost went bankrupt. We have the four major players: Kim Hye Soo who plays an analyst at the Bank of Korea who has predicted the crisis and been ignored for years and is finally getting heard. Yoo Ah In who is a bank teller for the Bank of Korea who has also predicted the crisis, but quits his job to instead make money off of the situation. Then we have Jo Woo Jin who plays the Vice-Minister of Finance who also wants to take advantage of the situation to reform the economy and take power. Then we have Heo Jun Ho, who is a factory owner who gets screwed over by the crisis and starts losing everything.