324. Ghost Detective 오늘의 탐정 (2018) Korean

Choi Daniel, Park Eun Bin, Lee Ji Ah, Kim Won Hae, Lee Jae Kyoon, Lee Joo Young

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A+

This one started out so good. It was actually creepy, it was intriguing, and then something happened that made it take a gradual nose dive. It never got horrible, but it did get way less good. The creepiness left and it became a normal paranormal crime show, and it got super draggy. You could save it lost its direction or drive. Which was sad. But, it did stay fairly consistent with some things.

Choi Daniel stayed looking fine the whole time. His look in this show really worked for him. Also, to make us less bored during the draggy times the dressed him in a suit without a tie and the collar unbuttoned. Um, yes please.

Korean Movie Night: Sori: Voice From the Heart 로봇, 소리 (2016) Korean

Lee Sung Min, Shim Eun Kyung, Lee Ha Nui, Lee Hee Joon, Kim Won Hae, Chae Soo Bin

Movie rating: 7/10     Neck score: B

Lizabreff summed it up nicely when she said that if it had been anyone with less acting chops than Lee Sung Min, this movie might not have worked.  It would have been superbly campy and not the sweet tear jerker it was.  Lee Sung Min was amazing as a man who has lost his daughter and doesn't believe she was killed in the subway fire like everyone else keeps telling him.  During his crazy search to find her, he finds a crashed surveillance satellite that can trace calls and phone records.  It also has an attitude.  Shim Eun Kyung did an awesome job with the satellite robot's voice, making it sound very robot AI, but also have such character and personality.

He join forces with the robot and goes in search of his daughter, based on phone records and GPS locations.  Naturally, since this was an NSA surveillance satellite, they don't want it falling in the wrong hands, so we've got some bad English speaking actors.  We also have the NIS and KARI involved too.  Lee Ha Nui is the KARI employee, and she is awesome.  Her English was awesome too.  At first, based on the friction between her and Lee Hee Joon, the NIS agent, we were like "couple?" but then he was just a tool, so we were glad that didn't happen.  Ew.  So, it definitely had an agenda.  It was very anti-surveillance and pro-personal privacy protection.  No one seemed to have a good opinion about the NSA.  The NIS wasn't very favorable either, for that matter.  They definitely made a statement about the issues about privacy in the digital age, as well as corruption based on the power of having the sort of information that would be stored in such a remarkable surveillance satellite.

So it's going to put you through all the emotions.  I described it to my brother as "a tear jerker, but funny" and that is true.  The robot is so sassy, and Lee Sung Min is great and a little crazy.  Ryu Jun Yeol's bit part was funny.  That wig, haha.  Then all the crying parts.  It's good.  But really, it is a silly concept, so it could have been so bad so easily, but it wasn't.  It was a funny tear jerker and it was good.

254. Drinking Solo 혼술남녀 (2016) Korean

Ha Seok Jin, Park Ha Sun, Hwang Woo Seul Hye, Min Jin Woong, Kim Won Hae, Gong Myung, Key, Jung Chae Yeon, Kim Dong Young

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

I started this for Key, straight up.  I had heard good things.  I don't remember why I didn't watch it when it came out.  I remember Lizabreff was really excited for it, but we just never got around to watching it.  Which is weird.  But then I started watching it without her, which is also weird.  But that's what happened.  I was not disappointed.  Ki Bum was the best part of the whole show.  Di ro ri!  I'm pretty sure he's my spirit animal.  I mean, I guess Ha Seok Jin was a bonus... JK, I loved everyone in this whole show.  There was no one that I didn't like, and that was the beauty of it.  It was about people.  Flawed people who are dealing with a lot of crap.  We have the exam school teachers, who all have their own struggles, and the students, who are living under the cloud of the civil service exams and having to study all day every day.  So everyday someone is going to be drinking solo, for some reason, good or bad.  Or Ha Seok Jin will just drink solo every day because he's high quality trash and it's his time of "healing."  The show is basically advocating alcohol, but trying to also promote healthy drinking habits.  Really, I was all about those "high quality" snacks during all those drinking scenes.  They made me so hungry and jealous.  I loved how the characters all developed well and how I cared about everyone's story.  I was shipping everyone, even if I knew they were bound to be alone, because they were the second male lead.  Everyone had their times of being sad, but it usually wasn't stupid, it was realistic.  Only sometimes it was stupid.  Then everyone ended fairly happy, which is also good.  It was a good ending, although the last episode was so long that I am dead tired now because I stayed up too late to finish it.  It was a little slow paced, but there were a lot of loose ends to tie in the last episode.  I felt like they gave all the other characters besides the main couple more time to resolve, but since I loved them all that only seemed slightly weird.  They were trying to leave it open, I know, but it was a bit too open maybe?  I don't know.  It was still good, just too long for after midnight.  This noona is getting too old for that.

244. Chief Kim 김과장 (2017) Korean

Namgoong Min, Nam Sang Mi, Lee Joon Ho, Jung Hye Seong, Kim Won Hae

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A

So funny!  This was a solid, hilarious drama!  One of the best comedies I have seen in a long time.  It didn't need a traditional love triangle/OTP thing, because it was perfect just as it was.  The bromances were the best.  The bromance was the OTP.  The hint of side romances were cute and a plus, but not necessary.  It was about two not so great guys, who are basically two sides of the same coin- as in brilliant but especially brilliant at annoying people, who are both disillusioned with society.  One becomes an accountant, because numbers don't lie like people, to con his way into enough money to go to Denmark.  The other is a prosecutor who decides to use his legal skills for evil in the corporate world.  Then they meet at the same company, and proceed to have a hate relationship, which is just hilarious to watch as it progresses (into a bromance, shhhhh).  All of the characters are great.  Well, some of the baddies are just annoying, but of the main characters, they are great.  Everyone on the accounting team, the prosecutor team, and so on is the best!  And there is so much character growth.  Obviously the too not so perfect, flawed leads had the most growth, all around and in their relationships, but even side characters like Mantis (my Mantis!) had lots of growth.  I ended up loving people I never thought I would have in the first few episodes.  I haven't belly laughed so hard in quite a while.  It was beautiful.  Namgoong Min was made for comedy, and this role was made for him.  Chief Kim was so over the top wonderful!  Junho did such a good job of being lovable and hateful.  I loved how he became "Glutton" because he was always eating.  He really was always eating, it was crazy.  Papa Johns is taking over!  Look out, Subway!  I loved how it was hilarious, but it also had depth in topic.  It had some meaningful issues, and handled them good, as well as funny.  I really just loved this one so much!  Don't let Namgoong Min's hair deter you, it works perfectly in the show, and fits his tacky kkangpae style.  This show is gold.  Watch it.