Review

Review: Always Home [China]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

If you enjoy coming-of-age c-dramas like When I Fly Towards You (review here), and if you loved Reply 1988 (review here!), then this show is for you.

This show takes the best of both these worlds, and blends it all together to make a hybrid drama that delivers those wholesome community feels that you get in Reply 1988, while retaining all of its defining coming-of-age c-drama characteristics.

Likable characters, comforting community feels, a bit of romance to underscore it all – and the slice-of-life quality that allows you to feel like a fly on these walls?

Win, win and more win! 🥰

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Review: The Haunted Palace

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Less about a central romance and more about a supernaturally-inclined Scooby gang on a ghostly mission, The Haunted Palace is well-paced, generally well-plotted, and really quite entertaining; certainly more entertaining than I’d originally imagined or expected.

Yook Sung Jae and Bona are well cast as our leads, though I would say that Kim Ji Hoon steals very, very large chunks of the show, as our resident King, at least in my opinion. 🤩

Worth a look, even if you’re not typically into ghosts or shamans in your dramas.

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Review: Doubt

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A well-constructed and well-executed psychological thriller, Doubt will likely keep you hanging off the edge of your seat, with each reveal arguably leaving you with more questions than answers.

Han Seok Kyu is excellent as always, but it’s Chae Won Bin who truly surprises, with a breakout performance as our protagonist’s daughter.

A taut and tension-filled slow burn that is worth a look, even if psychological thrillers don’t tend to be your thing.

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Review: Resident Playbook

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

The long-awaited spin-off to the beloved Hospital Playlist series (Season 1 and Season 2 reviews here and here!), this show brings back a lot of the same feels, just from a different angle, and with a new set of characters.

We get a nice balance of screen and story time between individual journeys, the development of our core four as an intact group, the various patient cases, and even an adorable little loveline.

And, to add a bit of spice and excitement to it all, we also get regular cameos from various Hospital Playlist alumni.

Very enjoyable and worthwhile, in my opinion.

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Review: The Best Thing [China]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Low-key and sweet, this show is basically a perfect little escape from the real world.

Everything’s very prettily filmed, and our characters are basically nice, good, decent people slowly falling in love, as their paths cross.

As a bonus, Show also manages to offer a gentle glimpse into the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) without being preachy or heavy-handed about it.

Perfect as a cozy drama nightcap, in my experience. 🥰

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Review: Way Back Love

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A poignant, thoughtful, bittersweet-yet-heartfelt little show that has way more meat on its bones than one might first imagine.

The writing and handling is deft and assured, the music is lovely and atmospheric, and our leads, Kim Min Ha and Gong Myung, are very good in this, both individually and together.

This one is lingering with me, long after the closing credits.

Very good, and very underrated.

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Review: Buried Hearts

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Buried Hearts isn’t the best in its class (that class being makjang revenge thriller), but it is reasonably engaging through most of its run, with some moments that shone a bit extra.

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t enjoy the ending so much, though your mileage may vary. Opinions on the ending are divided, suffice to say.

The thing that everyone seems to be able to agree on, however, is that Park Hyung Sik is pretty darn great in this, and it’s a treat getting to see him showcase a part of his acting range that has heretofore flown under the radar.

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Review: The First Frost [China]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

To my eyes, what sets this show apart from other c-dramas, is that it really is a healing romance.

It’s not just a concept in this show; we really do get to explore the nuances of emotional wounds, how they linger, and how they heal. I love that Show not only focuses on this, it also weaves this healing into the main loveline.

I feel that Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruo Nan are perfectly cast in this; I felt that they each brought their characters to life, and had a very believable, crackly chemistry with each other.

This one lingers with me, and I think it’s well worth the watch. 🥲

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Review: When Life Gives You Tangerines

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

This is a case of Show living up to the hype.

Everything about this show, from the writing, to the direction, to the delivery, speaks so deeply, of genuine tenderness, and I just love how it all comes together, to become something that’s even greater than the sum of its (already impressive) parts.

Our story is simple and approachable, yet so profound in its humanity and compassion, that one cannot help but find it affecting.

Our entire cast is fantastic, but in my opinion, our core cast, IU, Park Bo Gum, Moon So Ri and Park Hae Joon truly stand out, playing our OTP in different timelines. They deserve all of the awards, and then some. 🥲

A masterpiece that’s well worth your time.

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Review: Undercover High School

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show starts with a bang, with an unapologetically silly, dorky, badass sort of sensibility, which I loved, so, so much. 🤩😍

Unfortunately for me, Show changes focus (and therefore tone), about midway through its run, spending a lot more time on the central mystery, than on relationships.

The story still works; I just found it a lot less fun to watch.

The silver lining, is the Seo Kang Joon and Kim Shin Rok are both fantastic in this. He basically steals the first half of the show, while she steals the second half. 😁

Not a must-see by any means, but not bad, overall.

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