Review: Captivating The King

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Overall, I’d say that Show had a lot more promise than it ultimately delivered.

I thought Show’s first half was very, very solid; it made me feel that Show had so much potential to be an all-around excellent drama.

Unfortunately, stuff gets wobbly in Show’s second half, and I struggled especially with the characterization of our female lead, which I thought was rather, er, inadequate, to put it nicely.

Still worth a whirl, if only to see Jo Jong Seok’s outstanding performance as our titular King. 🥲

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Review: Lost [Human Disqualification]

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Carefully written, tenderly directed and richly layered in every aspect, Show isn’t for everyone, but those who love it, will likely love it deeply.

Show explores themes like isolation and connection, and what it means to be human, in the slow unfolding of its narrative, and it all feels more like a compassionate exploration of our characters’ states of being, than a typical story, which might be more event-driven.

Our entire cast is strong, but the stand-outs are absolutely Jeon Do Yeon and Ryu Joon Yeol, who both inhabit their characters so well, that I often felt like I could understand how they felt, without them having to say anything at all.

Altogether thought-provoking and immersive.

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