Korean Movie Night: The Princess and the Matchmaker 궁합 (2018) Korean

Shim Eun Kyung, Lee Seung Gi, Kim Sang Kyung, Yeon Woo Jin, Kang Min Hyuk, Choi Woo Shik, Jo Bok Rae

Movie rating: 8/10     Neck score: A+

Lizabreff loves Seung Gi. Well, so do I. I also love Shim Eun Kyung and Choi Woo Shik. Really, the entire cast. So we were waiting for this one to become available so we could watch it. Then we waited to long to get it for free and had to rent it anyway, but whatever. It was worth it. Thanks, Google Play.

Anyway, this was a lot different then the previews led us to believe, and that is not a bad thing. It was just different. Maybe it is because we're so used to mischievous butt headed Seung Gi that we all love (think Son Oh Gong from Hwayugi, or his roles in Gumiho or King 2 Hearts). We were all assuming that he would be a mischievous matchmaker con-artist who was using the princess's marriage to make money or advance. We weren't expecting a straight-arrowed good boy Seung Gi who had a blind little Poo Butt to protect at home. It was interesting and nice.

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.

118. Tomorrow's Cantabile 내일도 칸타빌레 (2014) Korean

Joo Won, Shim Eun Kyung, Go Kyung Po, Park Bo Gum, Bae Min Jung

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: B

This was actually a very well done drama, but I always got so angry at it that I'd have to force myself to watch it every week, until I realized that I was relating too much to Joo Won's character Cha Yoo Jin.  It was like seeing myself (in a highly dramatized and exaggerated form) back in high school or early college years.  I would just get so pissed at everyone who messed with him that it was hard to watch.  I found myself getting so freaking annoyed at that adorable other guy that I couldn't stand him.  I wanted to like him as a person, but he kept just making me angry.  Sigh.  That's what I get for going through a grumpy cat type phase just like Yoo Jin, with the whole not expressing feelings, not liking skinship, thinking everyone is an idiot, not wanting to get close to people... I never had a traumatic past or a bad relationship with my father though (my dad is pretty cool).  Anyways, once I figured out that I was able to appreciate it to the fullest.  There are so many good characters, and everyone acted all the parts so well.  With Nae Il's character being so quirky and childlike, there was a big danger of her being annoying, but Shim Eun Kyung did a great job of keeping her cute, funny, and realistic.  Also I might be in love with Go Kyung Po even more now.  That guy is adorable and has a great neck.  Worst part about this show was actually all those flippin' turtlenecks that Joo Won kept wearing.  WHY!!!!!!  Other than that there were a lot of cute clothings.  And huge props to their classical music soundtrack.  They very cleverly used a lot of really good pieces that enhanced the show.  That might have been the very best part of the show.  So much good music.  If you know and love classical music this show will be a lot better and more meaningful.  If you don't, then it will just be average I guess.