Kim Do Hoon

Review: Dear X

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

It is not an exaggeration to say that this show is unlike any other drama I’ve personally watched in my 14 or so years of serious drama-watching.

It’s dark, unsettling, and strangely fascinating — a watch that kept me intellectually engaged even when it wasn’t emotionally generous.

The cast does strong work across the board, with Kim Yoo Jung delivering a particularly impressive performance — easily the best I’ve seen from her so far.

Lens adjustments are critical here, and I’ll talk more about that shortly, because this is not a show that behaves like a conventional drama, nor one that rewards being watched as such.

Continue reading →

Review: Love Scout

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

This show had me squeeing week to week, right from the beginning, with its understated yet on-point depiction and exploration of burgeoning awareness and attraction between our would-be OTP. So much crackle.

On that note, Lee Joon Hyuk and Han Ji Min are pitch-perfect and really quite wonderful in this.

As a bonus, there are also a good number of likable secondary characters peopling our story world, and I found their side arcs a pleasant addition to our show.

There are several narrative elements that I didn’t care for too much, but these weren’t deal-breakers for me, and this still worked out to be a very solid watch overall.

Continue reading →

Review: Your Honor

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

From its premise, to its talented cast, to the strong deliveries of said cast, Show has a lot going for it.

Show does have some weaknesses in the storytelling, but overall, I found this to be absorbing and even quite gripping, sometimes.

Your mileage may certainly vary, but I found this to be pretty solid, on balance.

Continue reading →

Review: Moving

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

I think it’s safe to say that Moving is quite the remarkable drama.

Not only are the production values top-tier, the directing is thoughtful and intentional, the writing is tight, and the acting is all-around pretty darn excellent.

Add on the fact that we have quite the star-studded large cast, and doesn’t it seem like this show really is the product of all the stars aligning to create an amazing end product?

My absolute favorite thing about this show is that it is as tender, heartfelt and emotionally engaging, as it is slick, polished and gritty. I found it impossible not to care about these characters, and that, to me, is Show’s best trait and biggest accomplishment.

Highly recommend, even if you’re not typically into dramas that feature superpowers &/or blood/violence.

Continue reading →

Flash Review: Here’s My Plan [Drama Special]

| kfangurl

This little 4-episode drama special really gives you everything you’d want in a drama – just in a small, compact serving, where you only need to invest 4 hours of your time, instead of 12, 16 or more hours.

We get a winsome protagonist, a main conflict, a cute love interest, and a growth arc.

Plus, our story even manages to arrive at a conclusion that feels satisfying. What’s not to love, right?

Continue reading →