Jang Hee Jin

Review: The Red Sleeve

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

The biggest compliment I can give Show, is that it knows what it wants to be, and accomplishes its core purpose with finesse and aplomb.

Sure, there are some narrative decisions I didn’t prefer, but Show demonstrates such a profound understanding of its key characters, and teases out the finer points of each of these characters so very well, that I’m more than willing to look past any dissatisfaction I might have with these other details.

Lee Junho and Lee Se Young are wonderful in this, both individually and together. It’s no exaggeration to say that these two had my heart, unequivocally.

Beautiful, poignant and completely worth it.

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Review: Flower Of Evil

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

If you don’t mind a heavy emotional emphasis in your mystery thrillers, this show might work for you. Show serves up a good amount of tension around its main hook, that Moon Chae Won’s character discovering that her perfect husband may not be as perfect as she’d thought.

At the same time, though, emotions often take precedence over things like protocol, due process, and well.. good ol’ logic.

Show makes up for it with a healthy serving of twists and turns which work to keep you on the edge of your seat – but these will only really work, if you’re not wearing an overly analytical lens.

Lee Jun Ki and Moon Chae Won put in excellent performances, and together, they share a chemistry that is engaging and compelling. I’d even go so far as to say that their chemistry as a couple is what holds the show together even when logic falls apart, because I am rooting for them that much.

I thought Show’s ending leaned a touch underwhelming, but I’d say this is still a solid ride.

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Flash Review: My Daughter Seo Young

| kfangurl

Y’know, there was a time when I literally wouldn’t have touched this show with a ten-foot pole. Seriously.

Partly, it was because the premise didn’t interest me all that much. Partly, it was also because at 50 episodes, My Daughter Seo Young was a big commitment, and I could think of many much more interesting places to spend those drama hours.

Especially since I wasn’t all that interested in the premise. Mostly, though, it was because I didn’t care too much for Lee Bo Young as an actress (note the use of past tense!), and couldn’t see myself sitting through a long drama where she played the protagonist.

To think that I now have not only finished the entire show (50 whole episodes!), but would recommend it to other drama fans too. Wow, right?

So what made me pick this up again in recent months? Well, I’m gonna hafta say, it’s mostly coz Lee Sang Yoon looks roguishly delish with a shadow of a goatee. 😉

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Flash Review: Scholar Who Walks The Night

| kfangurl

When I first heard the set-up for Scholar Who Walks the Night, I was really excited.

I mean, a supernatural drama world featuring Joseon-era vampires with glorious bone structure, and a girl who goes undercover as a boy to earn a living and support her family? It sounded like the perfect mashup combining the best of Arang and Sungkyunkwan Scandal, both of which are dramas I really love.

Plus, Scholar stills promised that I would get to see Lee Jun Ki wearing guyliner and a deeper red lip, sorta like how he did so spectacularly in his breakout role in The King and The Clown.

Basically, I couldn’t not watch this one. And I couldn’t wait to feast my eyes on the Pretty too.

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Review: What’s Up?

| kfangurl

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

This drama had a somewhat raw, rough-around-the-edges sort of feel to it, which gave it a sense of realism.

Several plot-lines felt under-developed, which made the show feel a bit off-kilter, but some great characters and a couple of meaningful plot-lines which did get nicely fleshed out made this unassuming little show one that I enjoyed quite a lot more than I thought I would.

The characters snuck up on me and made me start to care about them, which is always a plus in my books.

A character piece with songs.

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