Kim Byung Chul

Review: Doctor Cha

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show is a pretty engaging second-chance, underdog sort of story, where it’s easy to want to root for our protagonist to do well and flourish, as she sets out to rediscover herself and her mojo, despite her efforts being frowned upon by her husband and the world at large.

What Show lacks in terms of nuance and elegance, it more than makes up for, with heart.

That said, I found Show stronger and more naturally engaging in its first half than its second, which leaned a little too hard into family dramatics for my preference.

In the end, Show still brings it all together in a way that manages to land as satisfying, and overall, I’d say this worked out to be a solid watch.

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Review: Sisyphus: The Myth

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show starts out pretty strong, with an interesting premise, a big budget and a promising cast. Production values are suitably high, and I found the scenes of a dystopian Seoul particularly impressive.

Jo Seung Woo and Park Shin Hye are both solid in this, and they are supported by an excellent secondary cast. When viewed through a comic book, space opera sort of lens, and without too hard of a grip on logic, Show manages to be reasonably enjoyable and entertaining for most of its run.

Unfortunately, the ending was not my favorite thing about Show. Admittedly, your mileage may vary on this point, because what bugs me about the ending might not be an issue for you in the least. If you like the ending more than I did, you’d like Show a lot more overall, as well.

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Review: SKY Castle

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

An excellent ensemble cast made up of skilled industry sunbaes; faceted, detailed deliveries that feel convincing and engaging; a tightly written narrative that delivers some surprising twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thoughtful directing and execution; an expertly applied OST that can be hauntingly ethereal one minute and then pulsing with tension the next; SKY Castle has it all, and it all comes together in one polished, dysfunctional package.

This drama is a very solid, compelling social satire that manages to make its characters come alive, even as it makes its social commentary.

On the downside, Show suffers from an ending that feels like a tacked-on epilogue written by a different team altogether.

Happily, that’s easily fixed by thinking of the last episode as just that, because Show manages to tell a story in its first 19 episodes that feels reasonably complete even before it presents its finale.

Worth the hype – and the monster ratings.

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