Lee Won Jong

Review: Lie After Lie

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A makjang-laced story that leans rather old-school in its storytelling sensibility and melodramatic flair, Lie After Lie works out to be a pretty good time.

When Show is at its best, it’s cracky and delicious, and I felt like I could slurp up all that heightened dramatic tension with a spoon.

This is just the kind of underdog story to get my blood pumping, and I was very quickly sucked into rooting for our protagonist Eun Soo.

When Show isn’t at its best, however, there are logic lapses, weak plot progression and a resulting loss in dramatic tension. Boo. I was sad when Show wasn’t great, because when it was good, it was really quite excellent.

Show is admittedly stronger in its first three-quarters and weaker in its final stretch, but overall, I’d still call this a solid watch.

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Review: Warrior Baek Dong Soo

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Warrior Baek Dong Soo is an odd creature of a show that just adds up to way more than the sum of its parts.

Show’s got flaws galore – it’s not all that well-written, logic fails abound, pacing is uneven in spots, and the ending, uh, leaves a lot to be desired – but in spite of it all, somehow, it works (for the most part).

It managed to keep my attention, creep under my skin, and eventually worm its way into my heart, when I wasn’t looking.

In the end, this show grabbed my heart way more than I’d expected – and I’m not just talking about the easy-on-the-eyes male leads either.

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Dear kfangurl: What is it about bromances that make a kdrama great?

| kfangurl

Today’s question is brought to us by Bakazen, who asks:

Dear kfangurl,

What is it about bromances that make a kdrama great? I just recently finished watching Doctor Stranger and realized 2 things: LJS is a good actor and I really didn’t like this drama. So why did I finish it? Because I was hooked by the bromance tease between LJS and PHJ.

My personal theory is they work well as substitutes for the sometimes overwhelming lack of affection we see between couples. Guys in bromances show affection, love, solidarity, joy, connection & (dare I say it) skinship!

Nothing warms my heart like one of the F4s coming to a bros rescue, the F44s teasing each other or the leads in School 2013 (LJS & Woobie) saying how much they missed each other’s friendship.

Besides, I rarely get that hooked into the female friendships (major exception, Noh Eun-seol & Lee Myung Ran from Protect the Boss). What do you think?

Bakazen

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Review: Vampire Prosecutor 2

| kfangurl

VP2.1

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Less slick and less stylish than the first season, this second season is grittier, darker and way bloodier.

While I missed the finesse of Season 1, Season 2 did give us more meat in terms of character development and team & relationship dynamics.

The episode-to-episode crimes generally also showed more complexity compared to those in Season 1.

Most importantly, Season 2 gave us more time with our favorite vampire prosecutor – and who can argue with that?

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Review: Vampire Prosecutor

| kfangurl

VP1

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A slick, stylish crime procedural with a vampire twist.

Plot-wise, it feels a little piece-meal in the earlier episodes, but it really grows into its own by the final stretch. It’s engaging, witty, and well-written, with some excellent attention to detail and a glossy, polished finish to boot.

I’m not a fan of crime procedurals nor of vampire-related content as a general rule, but I really liked this.

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