Lee Soo Hyuk

Dropped: Doom At Your Service

| kfangurl

My relationship with this show is ending on a note of “too little, too late,” my friends.

I’d really wanted to like this one, especially since I like both leads, and I did feel like Show had started well. To be honest, though, it’s been a slippery experience, trying to find something solid to hold onto, but still progressively losing what little grip I had, as I progressed through the episodes.

I kept trying to find a lens that would make this one work for me, but to be honest, even though some lenses did help somewhat, nothing actually worked all that well.

And so it is, that I’m choosing to say goodbye to Show, 10 episodes into Show’s 16.

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Flash Review: Handmade Love [Web Drama]

| kfangurl

The thing that piqued my interest about this little web drama, is that I’d been told it’s a story about bringing healing to others. That immediately sounds potentially poignant and uplifting, and like just the sort of thing that might grab my heart.

To be fair to Show, I just wanted to let you know upfront, that everywhere I’ve looked, I’ve seen nothing but love for this little drama.

It’s just.. I didn’t manage to muster up true love for Show, despite my best efforts. However, given how well-loved Show is, I could well be the lone odd duck in the corner. So.. just because I didn’t love it, doesn’t mean that you won’t?

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Flash Review: Lucky Romance

| kfangurl

You know that thing that kdrama heroines often do, where they choose to walk right into a bad situation, knowing that they will end up hurt or disadvantaged in some way, but they do it anyway, all for love?

Well. Applying that logic, it seems that I must have a lot of love for Ryu Joon Yeol, heh.

Coz I knew going into this show, that it was probably not going to be a drama that would be particularly amazing or satisfying (I was late to the party and had already heard that this show was a pretty typical rom-com that wasn’t very remarkable) but I still dived in, and even stayed through to the end – all for Ryu Joon Yeol.

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Flash Review: Scholar Who Walks The Night

| kfangurl

When I first heard the set-up for Scholar Who Walks the Night, I was really excited.

I mean, a supernatural drama world featuring Joseon-era vampires with glorious bone structure, and a girl who goes undercover as a boy to earn a living and support her family? It sounded like the perfect mashup combining the best of Arang and Sungkyunkwan Scandal, both of which are dramas I really love.

Plus, Scholar stills promised that I would get to see Lee Jun Ki wearing guyliner and a deeper red lip, sorta like how he did so spectacularly in his breakout role in The King and The Clown.

Basically, I couldn’t not watch this one. And I couldn’t wait to feast my eyes on the Pretty too.

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Review: High School King

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

High School King is definitely a drama that is better in concept than in execution.

While the idea of a high schooler going successfully undercover as a sharp-suited corporate warrior is intriguing, the hijinks unfortunately come off as more try-hard than amusing.

Characters are treated in broad strokes for the most part, and we get a lot more campy and theatrical than layered and nuanced.

There are definitely some moments of heart, but you’d need to be patient to find them in the midst of the comedic intent, which sometimes feels like it’s on steroids.

On the upside, Seo In Guk looks great in a sharp suit.

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Sunshine The Second!

| kfangurl

Guess what, everyone! The blog got a second Sunshine nomination!

Thanks to Indigo of Between Wor(L)ds for the love! And man, you DO ask some very tough questions!

I’m so pleased with myself now, coz after the blog’s first Sunshine Award, I’d told Lady G that I’d be getting her to play in future blog award type thingies.

Seeing Indigo’s tough questions, I’m mighty impressed with Past Me’s foresight. Coz I’m gonna need all the help I can get! Ha.

You’ll know what I mean when you see Indigo’s questions!

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Newly Charmed By: Hong Jong Hyun

| kfangurl

YOU GUYS.

You know how sometimes the most unexpected things happen? Like how you think, Y’know what, I just don’t get the appeal of this actor, and I probably am unlikely to ever get it? And then, one day, something happens when you least expect it, and then you go, “OHHH.”

Heh. The last time something like that happened to me, I found myself falling – so, so hard – for Woob (full story here).

Ok, before you get too excited, let me just say that Woob is still very much holding court in my fangirl heart, so no takeovers or upsets of any kind there.

But I hafta confess that I am so, SO blown away by just how much I’m suddenly charmed by Hong Jong Hyun. Seriously. He’s been giving me a serious case of the goofy grins over the last two days, and I just have to tell y’all all about it.

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Review: White Christmas

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Starkly beautiful yet disturbingly dark, White Christmas explores the issue of nature vs. nurture in relation to the human condition.

How much of one’s fruit is a result of qualities inherent in one’s seed, and how much of it is due to how and with what you water that seed? Throughout its 8 episodes, this psychological thriller relentlessly asks the question, “Are monsters born or made?”

Depending on your preferred answer to that question, your mileage may vary with this one.

Thought-provoking, in either case.

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Review: What’s Up?

| kfangurl

WU2

THE SHORT VERDICT:

This drama had a somewhat raw, rough-around-the-edges sort of feel to it, which gave it a sense of realism.

Several plot-lines felt under-developed, which made the show feel a bit off-kilter, but some great characters and a couple of meaningful plot-lines which did get nicely fleshed out made this unassuming little show one that I enjoyed quite a lot more than I thought I would.

The characters snuck up on me and made me start to care about them, which is always a plus in my books.

A character piece with songs.

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