Review: Yumi’s Cells 2

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show is, in my opinion, a solid and worthy follow-up to Season 1, which I had found fresh and wonderful in all the right ways.

This second season, the animation and live-action mash-up still works really well, and our actors do a great job of mirroring what’s going on in their respective cell towns, with their micro-expressions.

The thing that strikes me the most, is that Show really is quite remarkable, in how relatable it is, and at the same time, how fresh it feels, too.

Through my entire watch, I felt like I could relate to so much of what Show was serving up, AND YET, at the same time, I felt like I still couldn’t quite predict where Show was going to go.

That’s the coolest thing, honestly. 🤩

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Flash Review: The School Nurse Files

Let me be the first to say that I’m not sure I “get” this show, so this review will only be my best attempt at understanding this show.

I just.. was too curious about this one, after seeing the quirky trailers and posters, to pass it up.

To help us gain more insight and understanding into this show, Dame Holly, metaphor whisperer extraordinaire, who recently brought us a guest review of Greasy Melo, will be back to give us her take on this very different snowflake of a drama, probably in the next week or two. Stay tuned for that!

(Update: Dame Holly’s guest post is here!)

In the meantime, allow me to share my (probably mostly) half-baked thoughts on this show with you guys. 😅

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Review: Into The Ring [Memorials]

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Fresh, different and quirky, Into The Ring is much more than its premise might suggest.

Rather than a pedestrian look at politics at the municipal level, it’s more of an underdog story with a dash of superhero flair, and a good dollop of awkward, adorkable romance.

Nana and Park Sung Hoon are great in this, particularly together, and they were the bright spots that I consistently looked forward to, during my watch.

I do have some quibbles with Show’s general handling, but this is, overall, a solid watch that rocks its own brand of weirdness and kookiness, and is, in the end, a pretty unique breath of fresh air, in Dramaland.

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Review: Hi Bye, Mama!

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Hi Bye, Mama! is the kind of show that makes you face difficult emotions and feel all the difficult feelings – and then make you grateful for having felt it all. Show has a bittersweet premise, and treats it with sensitivity and poignance, with a side of levity.

For the most part, Show manages this delicate balance well, and makes me laugh and cry, often within the same episode.

The performances from our cast are strong, and I am particularly impressed with Kim Tae Hee and Lee Kyu Hyung; this is literally the best I’ve seen from both of them. And Kim Mi Kyung, is, as always, a treasure to have onscreen.

On the downside, I felt we spent too much time on stuff to do with the ghost community, and that ended up feeling like filler. I also feel like Show suffers from some pacing issues, causing the last third of our narrative to feel somewhat stalled.

Overall, though, in spite of what I feel are its downsides, Show still manages to feel like a solid, worthwhile watch, with a lot of good ol’ heartachey feels.

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