Jang Young Nam

Review: Our Unwritten Seoul

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Sensitively written, tenderly directed, and wonderfully delivered by a talented cast, Our Unwritten Seoul really is a gem of a drama, in my opinion.

It’s a story of healing, growth, and the journey towards self-acceptance and self-love, and it’s capably woven, made up of threads from characters both main and supporting, to make up a nuanced and diverse narrative fabric that I found as heartfelt as I found it engaging.

Our entire cast is extremely solid, but Park Bo Young absolutely stands out, playing dual roles of our twins.

As a bonus, the OST is breezy yet poignant, and pitch perfect, in amplifying the watch experience.

Absolutely, enthusiastically recommend. 🥲

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Review: Like Flowers In Sand

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Our drama world might appear really tough, rough and gruff a lot of the time, but underneath all that loud bluster, there’s a lot of sincerity and wholesomeness.

That sincerity and wholesomeness comes through many of our characters and relationships, but none more than Jang Dong Yoon’s character, Baek Du, whom I consider to be the heart of this story.

A drama journey that I consider to be warm and worthwhile, despite the side of murder mystery.

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Review: Love Next Door

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

The drama worked out to be a pretty mixed experience for me.

In short, I thought some of the arcs dealing with familial relationships were truly excellently written, with certain beats making me feel particularly seen and understood. 🥲

Unfortunately, I felt that some arcs, including the OTP arc, were unevenly handled, and I found certain portions quite underwhelming.

Overall, I do think that this could be a pretty enjoyable watch, with some lens adjustments – which I’ll talk about next.

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Review: Captivating The King

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Overall, I’d say that Show had a lot more promise than it ultimately delivered.

I thought Show’s first half was very, very solid; it made me feel that Show had so much potential to be an all-around excellent drama.

Unfortunately, stuff gets wobbly in Show’s second half, and I struggled especially with the characterization of our female lead, which I thought was rather, er, inadequate, to put it nicely.

Still worth a whirl, if only to see Jo Jong Seok’s outstanding performance as our titular King. 🥲

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Review: Crash Course In Romance

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

When Show is at its best, it’s warm, funny and cozy-slurpy in the best way. Mature leads with fantastic acting chops and great chemistry? A shiny-pretty rom-com world? Easy-breezy music to score it all? Check, check and check.

On the downside, Show attempts to fit in a side of murder, AND a keen spotlight on the potential hazards of a highly competitive academic system, and after a while, Show’s focus gets muddied with these extras.

The downsides aren’t enough to be a deal-breaker for me personally, but I do think that your mileage may vary.

Overall, I found this warm, fuzzy and worthwhile, despite Show’s narrative detours into less warm, less fuzzy things.

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Flash Review: Seobok [Movie]

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Huge shout-out to Beez, who was the one who let us know, over on Patreon, that Viki would start carrying Seobok, from 1 Feb! Thanks, Beez! 😘

I have a great deal of fondness for both Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum, which is why this movie’s been on my radar, ever since it was announced. Now that I’ve finally had the chance to see it, I’ll say that while this movie didn’t ultimately rock my world, I am glad to have checked it out.

Psst: Link to watch is at the end of the review! ❤️

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Review: The Devil Judge

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

As dark as it is, and as flawed as it is, The Devil Judge is quite the rollercoaster of a watch.

I will say that Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung are both magnetic enough in their deliveries, to command your attention all on their own.

That said, there is a lot that one might find problematic in this show’s writing and execution, not least Show’s propensity to try to shock its audience, as often and as deeply as possible.

Some folks love this one, and others hate it. It’s hard to say where you’d land, until you give this one a try. That said, I do think that certain lens adjustment would help yield a more enjoyable watch experience, which I’ll talk about shortly.

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Review: It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

A meaty, dark, whimsical melodrama that examines the difficulties faced by people suffering from trauma and mental illness, It’s Okay is not an easy watch at all.

There is lots to unpack, difficult feelings to feel, and even internal biases to examine. So if you’re looking for a fluffy rom-com, this is probably not for you, for right now.

However, it is remarkably satisfying to witness our characters’ journeys, because those journeys are teased out so organically, that all of the growth and progress feels earned and true.

Fantastic performances by our cast – with a special shout-out to Oh Jung Se for his impressively amazing interpretation of an autistic character – brings everything to life, and it’s not hard to get invested in our characters’ journeys.

There are a few bumps in the road, but overall, this proved to be a very satisfying watch.

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Flash Review: The Smile Has Left Your Eyes [Hundred Million Stars From The Sky]

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You guys, this is possibly the one show that I ended up watching quite literally by accident.

See, even though quite a few of you had suggested this show to me, I’d put it vaguely on my list for “later,” and my track record shows that “later” often stretches into a black hole void of “maybe never,” mostly because there are just too many newer shows vying for my attention and I can’t keep up with it all.

The thing is, when I saw this available on Viu, I thought I’d click on episode 1, “just to see.” Well, whaddya know. I got sucked in within mere minutes.

This one struck me as immediately engaging the way a classic melo like Winter Sonata is immediately engaging, and by the 30-minute mark, I knew I’d be following this one through to the end. In a drama landscape where a good number of dramas take about 4 episodes to get going in earnest, that’s skillz.

The question is, did Show manage to keep it up all the way through to the end?

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Review: The Crowned Clown

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

A well-plotted, solid story from start to finish, The Crowned Clown is a show that has quite a bit to offer.

The palace intrigue isn’t always the most compelling, but on the upside, there’s a real king, a fake king, a forbidden romance, all the complications that arise from it all, a touch of levity to lighten things from time to time, and a stirring OST to score it all.

Our main cast is excellent all-around, but it’s Yeo Jin Goo who knocks it out of the ballpark and then some, playing both king and clown.

I’ve always considered Yeo Jin Goo an excellent actor, but Yeo Jin Goo has never been more amazing to my eyes, than in this show. Some minor lens adjustments are necessary, but once you’ve got that down, Show is such a good ride.

Meaty enough to chew on, yet affecting enough to deeply engage the heart.

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