Go Bo Gyeol

Review: The Heavenly Idol

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

The Heavenly Idol started with a fun concept, which I enjoyed quite nicely, but it eventually felt like Show was a one-trick pony that was trying (pretty darn hard) – and failing – to prove that it had more than one trick up its sleeves.

That one trick is Kim Min Gyu’s heavenly priest struggling to adapt to the idol life, and while that is admittedly amusing, that eventually ran out of steam, and sadly, I didn’t quite take to Show’s other efforts to engage and entertain.

I do have a suggested viewing lens for this, but ultimately, I have to concede that this one’s better in concept than execution, unfortunately.

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Review: Hi Bye, Mama!

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Hi Bye, Mama! is the kind of show that makes you face difficult emotions and feel all the difficult feelings – and then make you grateful for having felt it all. Show has a bittersweet premise, and treats it with sensitivity and poignance, with a side of levity.

For the most part, Show manages this delicate balance well, and makes me laugh and cry, often within the same episode.

The performances from our cast are strong, and I am particularly impressed with Kim Tae Hee and Lee Kyu Hyung; this is literally the best I’ve seen from both of them. And Kim Mi Kyung, is, as always, a treasure to have onscreen.

On the downside, I felt we spent too much time on stuff to do with the ghost community, and that ended up feeling like filler. I also feel like Show suffers from some pacing issues, causing the last third of our narrative to feel somewhat stalled.

Overall, though, in spite of what I feel are its downsides, Show still manages to feel like a solid, worthwhile watch, with a lot of good ol’ heartachey feels.

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