Jang Hyun Sung

Flash Review: VIP

| kfangurl

This is honestly the show that I didn’t think I’d be interested in, like, at all, when it was first announced, but which ended up sucking me in literally right away, with its mix of emo angst and mystery.

Much thanks to my Twitter pals who gushed about this show’s cracky quality, because that’s honestly the only thing that piqued my interest enough to get me to check this one out.

I mean, the synopsis “a couple whose lives fall apart while they work at a department store on the VIP Management Team” just didn’t sound all that interesting to me, y’know?

And so color me very surprised and very pleased, when I quickly found myself slurping this one up as a priority drama among the other dramas on my plate, sometimes even watching episodes back-to-back, which I rarely ever do anymore. What. An. Excellent. Surprise.

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Dropped: Angel’s Last Mission: Love

| kfangurl

I’ve come to the conclusion that this is one of those shows that either really works for you, or really doesn’t. Some of my drama friends seem to really like this one, which is kinda why I thought I might, too.

For the record, I kinda-sorta liked this one okay after the first episode, but afterwards, there just wasn’t any spark for me with this show (kinda like how a second lead in a drama somehow never seems to manage to spark with a lead character, ha).

And since dramas have consistently taught us not to try to force love, after 16 episodes of trying – and failing – to get sucked into this one, I’m calling it quits, you guys.

On the upside, at least I’m taking my drama lessons to heart? 😉

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Review: Fox Bride Star [Where Stars Land]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

The characters and their journeys are the stars of this warm workplace drama with an emotional, humanistic sort of touch.

We get to know and care about key characters and their personal journeys, even as Show serves up human interest side stories relevant to the management of a world-class airport.

Even though large chunks of the cinematography feel quite pedestrian, there are very prettily shot, beautiful poignant scenes sprinkled through the drama as well. The music is also quite lovely and atmospheric, and effectively lifts the watch experience.

Unfortunately, Show’s narrative gets muddied by too much emphasis on shady gangster dealings, which overshadow our key characters in regrettable ways, particularly towards the end of our story.

Show also has a habit of introducing story threads and then dropping them, sometimes without even a hint of resolution. This was a downer.

Still, I found this to be a warm and enjoyable watch overall.

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Flash Review: Doctors

| kfangurl

If there’s one thing that Doctors has taught me, it’s that medical dramas are really not my thing.

I mean, I already knew, going in, that I’m generally not one to get at all excited about medical emergencies and the like.

Still, the positive buzz and high ratings got me curious enough to dive in (sometimes I am too curious for my own good, I think!) – and when I eventually became bored with Show at large, Kim Rae Won’s strong, leap-off-my-screen warmth persuaded me to stay.

His deep velvety voice and crinkly, cozy-toasty smile didn’t hurt either.

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Review: King of Dramas [The Lord of the Drama]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A tongue-in-cheek, satirical unveiling of what really happens behind the scenes of our beloved kdramas.

Populated by a large ensemble cast of likable characters, King of Dramas paints a dramatic yet believable picture that is in line with all the BTS drama news that we get off the grapevine.

PPL wars? Check. Scripts delivered to the set in a piecemeal fashion? Check. Madly rushing the final tape to the editing room minutes before the episode is due to broadcast? Check. Such a fascinating peek into the world that doles out to us the dramas on which we subsist.

The show starts out meaty and strong, and even manages to be insanely hysterical at points, buoyed by strong performances and often-cheeky writing. A huge pity, that the ending was more whimper than bang.

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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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