Kim Sang Ho

Review: Typhoon Family

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

To my eyes, Show’s fatal flaw is that it worked hard — just not on the things that would’ve really made its story pop.

What we got: Show spending most of its time throwing obstacle after obstacle at our core underdogs (and those obstacles mostly coming from one single source — another fatal mistake, in my opinion), shoehorning in romantic beats so that the loveline often felt like some kind of non sequitur, and randomly showcasing Junho’s idol abilities.

What I would’ve liked: Show spending that time creating more meaningful character journeys, a deeper sense of found family, and giving the Typhoon team the chance to actually work together and grow together in the face of obstacles that felt organic to the times.

In the end, this was not the worst show ever — but it sure could’ve been better. SO, so much better. 😅

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Review: Shin’s Project

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

If you’re looking for something that goes down quite light, but still has a bit of substance to it, this little show could be worth putting on your list.

In a nutshell, this is basically kinda-sorta like Dr. Romantic – just make it law, rather than medicine.

So if you loved Dr. Romantic and Han Seok Kyu in it (Open Threads for Season 1 here!), then this show is pretty likely one that you’d be able to enjoy, coz it’s basically like getting Kim Sabu back, just in a different area of expertise. 😁

No, this is not brilliant, but it does scratch that Dr. Romantic sort of itch quite nicely.

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Review: The Haunted Palace

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Less about a central romance and more about a supernaturally-inclined Scooby gang on a ghostly mission, The Haunted Palace is well-paced, generally well-plotted, and really quite entertaining; certainly more entertaining than I’d originally imagined or expected.

Yook Sung Jae and Bona are well cast as our leads, though I would say that Kim Ji Hoon steals very, very large chunks of the show, as our resident King, at least in my opinion. 🤩

Worth a look, even if you’re not typically into ghosts or shamans in your dramas.

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Review: My Name

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Slick, gritty, and with more than a dash of blood and violence, Show isn’t your typical nor traditional Korean drama, that’s for sure.

I think what Show does well, is tell its story in a manner that’s equal parts twisty, action-packed and emotionally compelling. In that sense, I feel like Show is quite well-rounded and perhaps therefore more able to reach a wider audience.

For example, you might not be into fight scenes per se, but you might be emotionally invested enough in our protagonist’s journey, to see it through anyway.

Very solid, and very bingeable, if you’re in the mood for a revenge tale with its fair share of grit.

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Flash Review: Sweet Home

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I did it, you guys. I, the self-proclaimed horror wuss, have finished watching Sweet Home. Achievement unlocked, officially, ha. 🥳

For the record, the reason I decided to try this one out, despite my general aversion to horror, monsters and gore, is because of my recent love for Lee Do Hyun, thanks to the very wonderful 18 Again (go watch it, if you haven’t!).

That, plus the fact that everyone who’s seen it, has been saying such good things about it; mainly, that apart from the blood and gore, it’s very meaty, and there’s a lot to unpack with regards to the psychology of our characters.

That all sounded pretty compelling to me.

Now that I’ve emerged on the other side, I think it’s safe to say that I don’t think I loved it as much as some of you, but I did enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would.

Considering my horror-wussness, I’d count that a win, yes?

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Flash Review: Bring It On, Ghost [Let’s Fight, Ghost]

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In a drama landscape where big budgets and loud buzz grab most of the spotlight, Bring It On, Ghost is, quite literally, the little drama that could.

Nestled in the midst of other dramas boasting bigger names, bigger budgets and bigger hype, it’s easy to overlook this show – everyone’s got limited drama hours to spend, after all, and isn’t it natural to gravitate towards the dramas with bigger names, bigger budgets and bigger hype?

If you’ve ever been bitten by a show that starts out fabulous but then crushes your drama hopes to smithereens by derailing partway through, though, you might just appreciate Ghost.

It’s got its flaws – minor inconsistencies and some pacing issues – but it just chugs along in its understated way, and is relatively consistent from start to finish. Which, if you’ve been hurt by a drama before, is a pretty solid achievement not to be sniffed at.

As a bonus, Taecyeon and Kim So Hyun are surprisingly cute together, too.

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Flash Review: Wonderful Nightmare [Movie]

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Words that spring to my mind as the credits roll for this movie: uplifting, bittersweet, poignant, and even a little funny.

This is, again, one of those movies that I wouldn’t have watched, but for the in-flight entertainment system. Not that there weren’t other solid movies available in-flight. I actually started on Sado, but bailed hastily when Show got very dark, heavy and bloody very quickly.

[MINOR SPOILER] I just couldn’t watch the violent head-banging. So Much Blood. Owww. [END SPOILER]

Maybe another time, when I feel like I’m made of steelier stuff, I’ll give it another go.

For now, though, I’m actually rather pleased with myself for wimping out of Sado (thank you, Wimpy Me), coz I would’ve been rather sorry to have missed this little heart-warmer.

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